Ganglion cell-derived LysoPS induces retinal neovascularisation by activating the microglial GPR34-PI3K-AKT-NINJ1 axis.

Retinal neovascularisation is a major cause of blindness in patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). It is mediated by the complex interaction between dysfunctional ganglion cells, microglia, and vascular endothelial cells. Notably, retinal microglia, the intrinsic immune cells of the retina, play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of retinopathy.

Prognosis stratification and response to treatment in breast cancer based on one-carbon metabolism-related signature.

Introduction: Breast cancer (BC) is the most common malignant tumor in the female population. Despite staging and treatment consensus guidelines, significant heterogeneity exists in BC patients' prognosis and treatment efficacy. Alterations in one-carbon (1C) metabolism are critical for tumor growth, but the value of the role of 1C metabolism in BC has not been fully investigated.

A ubiquitin-proteasome system-related signature to predict prognosis, immune infiltration, and therapy efficacy for breast cancer.

The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) is an essential regulatory system for maintaining homeostasis, and its dysfunction may cause various diseases. The activity of proteasome and ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes has been found to be greatly increased in breast cancer (BC), indicating that the heterogeneity of UPS may be related to the progression of BC. Gene data was obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas and Gene Expression Omnibus databases and performed in multiple algorithms to construct a UPS-related signature for BC.

Accuracy of lung and diaphragm ultrasound in predicting infant weaning outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Although lung and diaphragm ultrasound are valuable tools for predicting weaning results in adults with MV, their relevance in children is debatable. The goal of this meta-analysis was to determine the predictive value of lung and diaphragm ultrasound in newborn weaning outcomes.

Methods: For eligible studies, the databases MEDLINE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, PubMed, and Embase were thoroughly searched.

Diagnostic value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound for sentinel lymph node metastasis in breast cancer: an updated meta-analysis.

Purpose: The status of sentinel lymph nodes (SLN) is an important factor in determining the stage of breast cancer (BC) and the surgical procedure, and also a biomarker of the BC prognosis. This meta-analysis was performed to investigate the diagnostic value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) for SLN metastasis.

Methods: A systematic search was conducted for relevant articles published in the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, OVID databases, and Cochrane Library from inception to March 2023.

Transformer-based 3D U-Net for pulmonary vessel segmentation and artery-vein separation from CT images.

Transformer-based methods have led to the revolutionizing of multiple computer vision tasks. Inspired by this, we propose a transformer-based network with a channel-enhanced attention module to explore contextual and spatial information in non-contrast (NC) and contrast-enhanced (CE) computed tomography (CT) images for pulmonary vessel segmentation and artery-vein separation. Our proposed network employs a 3D contextual transformer module in the encoder and decoder part and a double attention module in skip connection to effectively finish high-quality vessel and artery-vein segmentation.

A circadian rhythm-related gene signature for prognosis, invasion and immune microenvironment of breast cancer.

Circadian dysregulation is linked to the onset and progression of cancer, but current knowledge of the role of circadian rhythm-related genes (CRRGs) in breast cancer (BC) is limited and incomplete. The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential role and immune-related prognostic significance of CRRGs in BC. The Cancer Genome Atlas breast cancer (TCGA-BRCA) genetic data were combined with 1369 CRRGs to create a model of BC prognosis-related CRRGs.

Diagnosis accuracy of Raman spectroscopy in the diagnosis of breast cancer: a meta-analysis.

To investigate the diagnostic efficiency of Raman spectroscopy for the diagnosis of breast cancer, we searched PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Embase for articles published from the database establishment to May 20, 2022. Pooled sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic odds ratio, and area under the receiver pooled operating characteristic curve were derived for the included studies as outcome measures. The methodological quality was assessed according to the questionnaires and criteria suggested by the Diagnostic Accuracy Research Quality Assessment-2 tool.

Safety and efficacy of ultrasound-guided thermal ablation in treating T1aN0M0 and T1bN0M0 papillary thyroid carcinoma: A meta-analysis.

Background: Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is the most common thyroid tumor, and early diagnosis and treatment can effectively improve prognosis. Many controversies surround the treatment method of T1N0M0 PTC. Recently, thermal ablation (TA) has shown some benefits in the treatment of PTC patients, but the safety and efficacy of its treatment remain controversial.

PCDD/Fs in paired hair and serum of workers from a municipal solid waste incinerator plant in South China: Concentrations, correlations, and source identification.

Human hair has been widely used to evaluate the exposure to drugs and organic pollutants. However, reports on the relationship between polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-furans (PCDFs) in hair and the body burden of PCDD/Fs are limited. In this study, the association between PCDD/Fs in paired hair and serum samples from workers was examined in a municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) plant in South China.

Analysis of polybrominated diphenyl ethers, hexabromocyclododecanes, and legacy and emerging phosphorus flame retardants in human hair.

Human hair has been identified as a non-invasive alternative matrix for assessing the human exposure to specific organic contaminants. In the present study, a solvent-saving analytical method for the simultaneous determination of 8 polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), 3 hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDDs), 12 phosphorus flame retardants (PFRs), and 4 emerging PFRs (ePFRs) has been developed and validated for the first time. Hair sample preparation protocols include precleaning with Milli-Q water, digestion with HNO/HO (1:1, v/v), liquid-liquid extraction with hexane:dichloromethane (4:1, v/v), and fractionation and cleanup on a Florisil cartridge.

[Liver and Kidney Function of E-waste Dismantling Workers and Potential Influencing Factors].

High levels of exposure to heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) by e-waste dismantling workers has attracted increasing attention, but the health conditions of the workers are seldom reported. The liver and kidney functions of the workers were studied by comparing the blood indicators of the worker group with those of the control group. Moreover, factors affecting the liver and kidney functions, such as the sexuality, age, and working time, were identified using correlation analysis.

Urinary metabolites of phosphate flame retardants in workers occupied with e-waste recycling and incineration.

Urinary metabolites of phosphate flame retardants (PFRs) were determined in workers from an electronic waste (e-waste) recycling site and an incineration plant, in order to assess the PFR exposure risks of workers occupied with e-waste recycling and incineration. Bis(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (BCEP), bis(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (BDCIPP), and diphenyl phosphate (DPHP) were the most frequently detected chemicals (82-93%). The median concentrations of BCEP, BDCIPP, and DPHP were 1.

Dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethanes (DDTs) in human hair and serum in rural and urban areas in South China.

Human hair has been employed as a biomarker for exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs), but information on the source of dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT) and its metabolites in hair is limited. The present study investigated the contamination of DDTs in human hair from a rural area and an urban area of South China and compared with those in human serum and indoor dust. The concentrations of ∑DDTs ranged from 2.

Disruption of thyroid hormone (TH) levels and TH-regulated gene expression by polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and hydroxylated PCBs in e-waste recycling workers.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are the primary toxicants released by electronic waste (e-waste) recycling, but their adverse effects on people working in e-waste recycling or living near e-waste sites have not been studied well. In the present study, the serum concentrations of PBDEs, PCBs, and hydroxylated PCBs, the circulating levels of thyroid hormones (THs), and the mRNA levels of seven TH-regulated genes in peripheral blood leukocytes of e-waste recycling workers were analyzed. The associations of the hormone levels and gene expression with the exposure to these contaminants were examined using multiple linear regression models.

Analysis of human hair to assess exposure to organophosphate flame retardants: Influence of hair segments and gender differences.

Hair is a promising, non-invasive, human biomonitoring matrix that can provide insight into retrospective and integral exposure to organic pollutants. In the present study, we measured the concentrations of organophosphate flame retardants (PFRs) in hair and serum samples from university students in Guangzhou, China, and compared the PFR concentrations in the female hair segments using paired distal (5~10cm from the root) and proximal (0~5cm from the root) samples. PFRs were not detected in the serum samples.

Cytosolic BolA Plays a Repressive Role in the Tolerance against Excess Iron and MV-Induced Oxidative Stress in Plants.

The BolA-like protein is present in all eukaryotes, and it is able to form complex with monothiol glutaredoxin of the same subcellular compartments, suggesting that the BolA-like protein has essential function in eukaryotes, and that the function is associated with its partner glutaredoxin. Some studies have indicated a role for BolA proteins in Fe-S cluster synthesis or in redox homeostasis. However, the physiological function of BolA proteins remains to be elucidated.

Soybean Fe-S cluster biosynthesis regulated by external iron or phosphate fluctuation.

Iron and phosphorus are essential for soybean nodulation. Our results suggested that the deficiency of Fe or P impairs nodulation by affecting the assembly of functional iron-sulfur cluster via different mechanisms. Iron (Fe) and phosphorus (P) are important mineral nutrients for soybean and are indispensable for nodulation.

Genes for iron-sulphur cluster assembly are targets of abiotic stress in rice, Oryza sativa.

Iron-sulphur (Fe-S) cluster assembly occurs in chloroplasts, mitochondria and cytosol, involving dozens of genes in higher plants. In this study, we have identified 41 putative Fe-S cluster assembly genes in rice (Oryza sativa) genome, and the expression of all genes was verified. To investigate the role of Fe-S cluster assembly as a metabolic pathway, we applied abiotic stresses to rice seedlings and analysed Fe-S cluster assembly gene expression by qRT-PCR.