Tumour surface regularity predicts survival and benefit from gross total resection in IDH-wildtype glioblastoma patients.

Objectives: To evaluate the ability of sphericity in glioblastomas (GBMs) for predicting overall survival (OS) and the survival benefit from gross tumour resection (GTR).

Methods: Preoperative MRI scans were retrospectively analysed in IDH-wildtype GBM patients from two datasets. After MRI preprocessing and tumour segmentation, tumour sphericity was calculated based on the tumour core region.

Gene therapy in polycystic kidney disease: A promising future.

Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is a genetic disorder marked by numerous cysts in the kidneys, progressively impairing renal function. It is classified into autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) and autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD), with ADPKD being more common. Current treatments mainly focus on symptom relief and slowing disease progression, without offering a cure.

EZH2 inhibition or genetic ablation suppresses cyst growth in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease.

Background: Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD) is a prevalent genetic disorder characterized by the formation of renal cysts leading to kidney failure. Despite known genetic underpinnings, the variability in disease progression suggests additional regulatory layers, including epigenetic modifications.

Methods: We utilized various ADPKD models, including Pkd1 and Ezh2 conditional knockout (Pkd1:Ezh2) mice, to explore the role of Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 (EZH2) in cystogenesis.

Durable response to pembrolizumab in hepatic metastasis from colonic carcinoma with Lynch syndrome: a case report.

Pembrolizumab and other immunotherapies have become central in treating metastatic colon cancer, particularly effective in patients with mismatch repair deficiencies. We report a case involving a man who initially underwent radical surgery for sigmoid colon cancer on April 27, 2011, followed by hepatic tumor resection on September 21, 2017. Post-surgery, he received eight cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy with the CAPEOX regimen and was regularly monitored through CT and MRI scans.

Inflammation Is More Sensitive than Cell Proliferation in Response to Rapamycin Treatment in Polycystic Kidney Disease.

Introduction: It has been reported that rapamycin inhibited inflammation in renal interstitial diseases. We therefore hypothesized that rapamycin could attenuate inflammation in polycystic kidney disease (PKD).

Methods: Han:SPRD rats were treated with rapamycin by daily gavage from 4 weeks to 12 weeks of age at the dosage of 0.

Assembly of porous filaments by interfacial complexation of nanochitin-based Pickering emulsion and seaweed alginate.

Interfacial polyelectrolyte complexation spinning is an all-water, easy-to-operate method for production of composite filaments. Herein, this concept is extended to interfacial polyelectrolyte-emulsion complexation (IPEC) that better encodes structural and functional attributes of biomass substances into the filaments. This allows for formation of composite filaments by drawing contacting oppositely-charged chitin nanofiber-stabilized Pickering emulsion and seaweed alginate solution.

A pilot study of intensive short-time continuous renal replacement therapy to substitute maintenance hemodialysis during transitional period of COVID-19.

Introduction: There is a lack of perfect solutions for maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) in patients with a high transmission risk of SARS-CoV-2.

Methods: MHD patients with a high risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission from April 1 to June 30, 2022, were recruited. We performed 4-h continuous renal replacement therapy with Prismaflex dialysis machine and ST100 suite using continuous venovenous hemodiafiltration (CVVHDF) mode with a fluid exchange volume of 8000 mL/h.

Enhanced Cartilage and Subchondral Bone Repair Using Carbon Nanotube-Doped Peptide Hydrogel-Polycaprolactone Composite Scaffolds.

A carbon nanotube-doped octapeptide self-assembled hydrogel (FEK/C) and a hydrogel-based polycaprolactone PCL composite scaffold (FEK/C-S) were developed for cartilage and subchondral bone repair. The composite scaffold demonstrated modulated microstructure, mechanical properties, and conductivity by adjusting CNT concentration. In vitro evaluations showed enhanced cell proliferation, adhesion, and migration of articular cartilage cells, osteoblasts, and bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells.

The Role of Negative Perfectionism and the Relationship between Critical Thinking and the Halo Effect: Insights from Corporate Managers in Human Resources.

This research aims to explore the relationship between critical thinking and the halo effect among managers working in the Human Resources (HR) departments of corporations. By utilizing a sample of over 301 corporate HR managers as participants, this study provides valuable insight into the dynamics between critical thinking, the halo effect, and the mediating role of negative perfectionism. The findings of this study suggest a significant negative relationship between critical thinking and the halo effect, as well as a significant positive relationship between negative perfectionism and the halo effect.

Histone H3K27 methyltransferase EZH2 regulates apoptotic and inflammatory responses in sepsis-induced AKI.

The role of histone methylation modifications in renal disease, particularly in sepsis-induced acute kidney injury (AKI), remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the potential involvement of the histone methyltransferase zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) in sepsis-induced AKI and its impact on apoptosis and inflammation. We first examined the expression of EZH2 in the kidney of sepsis-induced AKI (LPS injection) mice and LPS-stimulated tubular epithelial cells.

Dehydration Accelerates Cytogenesis and Cyst Growth in Pkd1 Mice by Regulating Macrophage M2 Polarization.

Adult autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) has been shown to be related as a "third hit" to the occurrence of acute or chronic kidney injury. Here, we examined whether dehydration, as a common kidney risk factor, could cause cystogenesis in chronic-onset Pkd1 mice by regulating macrophage activation. First, we confirmed that dehydration accelerated cytogenesis in Pkd1 mice and that macrophages infiltrated the kidney tissues even earlier than macroscopic cyst formation.

Macrophages promote heat stress nephropathy in mice via the C3a-C3aR-TNF pathway.

Heat-stress nephropathy (HSN) is associated with recurrent dehydration. However, the mechanisms underlying HSN remain largely unknown. In this study, we evaluated the role of dehydration in HSN and kidney injury in mice.

Cell-free and cytokine-free self-assembling peptide hydrogel-polycaprolactone composite scaffolds for segmental bone defects.

Segmental bone defects over the self-healing threshold are a major challenge for orthopedics. Despite the advancements in clinical practice, traditional tissue engineering methods are limited by the addition of heterogeneous cells and cytokines, leading to carcinoma or other adverse effects. Here, we present a cell-free and cytokine-free strategy using an ECM-mimetic self-assembling peptide hydrogel (SAPH)- polycaprolactone (PCL) composite scaffold.

Deaf and hearing children: A comparison of face perception.

Deaf and hearing adults perceive faces differently. This study investigates whether these differences are acquired during childhood development. We characterized facial perception in deaf and hearing children aged 7-17 using a perceptual discrimination task.

Peptide-drug conjugate-based novel molecular drug delivery system in cancer.

Drug delivery systems are generally believed to comprise drugs and excipients. A peptide-drug conjugate is a single molecule that can simultaneously play multiple roles in a drug delivery system, such as in vivo drug distribution, targeted release, and bioactivity functions. This molecule can be regarded as an integrated drug delivery system, so it is called a molecular drug delivery system.

Naked-eye detection of site-specific ssRNA and ssDNA using PAMmer-assisted CRISPR/Cas9 coupling with exponential amplification reaction.

Accurate and effective detection of single-stranded nucleic acids is vital in both disease diagnosis and pathological studies. Hence, we develop a PAMmer-assisted CRISPR/Cas9 system mediated G4-EXPAR (Cas-G4EX) strategy for site-specific detection of ssRNA and ssDNA. PAMmer-assisted CRISPR/Cas9 executes the site-specific cleavage of target ssRNA or ssDNA and released product fragment with the desired sequence at the 3'-terminal.

Simultaneous measurement of Cr(III) and Cu(II) based on indicator-displacement assay using a colorimetric nanoprobe.

High-performance analysis of heavy metal ions is great importance in both environment and food safety. In this work, a facile and reliable colorimetric sensor was presented for simultaneous detection of Cu and Cr based on indicator-displacement assay (IDA). As a typical silicate nanomaterials, ZnSiO hollow nanosphere (ZSHS) exhibited an outstanding ion exchange capacity.

A turn-on fluorescent nanoprobe based on N-doped silicon quantum dots for rapid determination of glyphosate.

N-Doped silicon quantum dots (N-SiQD) were synthesized using N-[3-(trimethoxysily)propyl]-ethylenediamine and citric acid as silicon source and reduction agent, respectively. The N-SiQD shows a strong blue fluorescence with a high quantum yield of about 53%. It is found that a selective static quenching process occurs between N-SiQDs and Cu.

Long non-coding RNAs in ocular diseases: new and potential therapeutic targets.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are non-protein coding transcripts containing more than 200 nucleotides. In the past, lncRNAs were considered as 'transcript noise' or 'pseudogenes' and were thus ignored. However, in recent years, lncRNAs have been proven to regulate gene expression at the epigenetic, transcriptional and translational level, and thereby influence cell proliferation, apoptosis, viability, immune response and oxidative stress.

An in situ hydrogel based on carboxymethyl chitosan and sodium alginate dialdehyde for corneal wound healing after alkali burn.

There is currently no optimal scaffold for the transplantation of limbal stem cells (LSCs) to induce corneal reconstruction after corneal alkali burns. This study attempts to fabricate a novel in situ Alginate-Chitosan hydrogel (ACH) for LSCs transplantation. Sodium alginate dialdehyde (SAD), a biological crosslinker, was prepared by periodate-mediated sodium alginate oxidization.

Interactions between Macrophages and Cyst-Lining Epithelial Cells Promote Kidney Cyst Growth in -Deficient Mice.

Background: Autosomal-dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is the leading inherited renal disease worldwide. The proproliferative function of macrophages is associated with late-stage cyst enlargement in mice with PKD; however, the way in which macrophages act on cyst-lining epithelial cells (CLECs) has not been well elucidated.

Methods: We generated a rapid-onset PKD mouse model by inactivating on postnatal day 10 (P10) and compared cell proliferation and differential gene expression in kidney tissues of the PKD mice and wild-type (WT) littermates.

Lactoferrin attenuates high-fat diet-induced hepatic steatosis and lipid metabolic dysfunctions by suppressing hepatic lipogenesis and down-regulating inflammation in C57BL/6J mice.

Lactoferrin was reported to exert modulatory effects on lipid metabolism, but the regulatory mechanisms remain unclear. The present study investigated the beneficial effects of lactoferrin and their underlying mechanisms in high-fat diet-induced obese C57BL/6J mice. Oral administration of lactoferrin at 100 mg per body weight for 15 weeks significantly reduced weight gain, visceral adiposity, and serum glucose, leptin, and lipid levels in high-fat diet-induced obese mice.