Brain Mechanisms of Fear Reduction Underlying Habituation to Pain in Humans.

Habituation to painful stimuli reflects an endogenous pain alleviation mechanism, and reduced pain habituation has been demonstrated in many chronic pain conditions. In ethology, animals exhibit reduced fear responses while habituating to repeated threatening stimuli. It remains unclear whether pain habituation in humans involves a fear reduction mechanism.

Maternal OM-85 administration alleviates offspring allergic airway inflammation by downregulating IL-33/ILC2 axis.

Background: Type 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) are essential for maintaining immune regulation and promoting tissue homeostasis in allergic asthma. How the development of gut microbiota on neonatal ILC2s influences allergic airway inflammation remains unclear. Here we focus on offspring ILC2 development in the context of alterations in maternal gut microbiota.

Prediction of Optimal Positive Airway Pressure in Chinese Patients With Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Purpose: Positive airway pressure (PAP) is the primary treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). This study aims to predict the optimal PAP pressure in Chinese OSA patients by their polysomnography (PSG) variables and demographic characteristics.

Methods: Patients with an apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) ≥ 15 times/h who received PAP therapy (residual AHI < 5 times/h) and underwent PSG were included in this study.

Periostin myeloid cells improved long bone regeneration in a mechanosensitive manner.

Myeloid cells are pivotal in the inflammatory and remodeling phases of fracture repair. Here, we investigate the effect of periostin expressed by myeloid cells on bone regeneration in a monocortical tibial defect (MTD) model. In this study, we show that periostin is expressed by periosteal myeloid cells, primarily the M2 macrophages during bone regeneration.

Hyperbaric oxygen promotes bone regeneration by activating the mechanosensitive Piezo1 pathway in osteogenic progenitors.

Background: Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy is widely used to treat bone defects, but the correlation of high oxygen concentration and pressure to osteogenesis is unclear.

Methods: Bilateral monocortical tibial defect surgeries were performed on 12-week-old Prrx1-Cre; Rosa26-tdTomato and Prrx1-Cre; Piezo1 mice. Daily HBO treatment was applied on post-surgery day (PSD) 1-9; and daily mechanical loading on tibia was from PSD 5 to 8.

Cellular Scale Curvature in Bioceramic Scaffolds Enhanced Bone Regeneration by Regulating Skeletal Stem Cells and Vascularization.

Critical-sized segmental bone defects cannot heal spontaneously, leading to disability and significant increase in mortality. However, current treatments utilizing bone grafts face a variety of challenges from donor availability to poor osseointegration. Drugs such as growth factors increase cancer risk and are very costly.

Altered Cortical Information Interaction During Respiratory Events in Children with Obstructive Sleep Apnea-Hypopnea Syndrome.

Obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) significantly impairs children's growth and cognition. This study aims to elucidate the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying OSAHS in children, with a particular focus on the alterations in cortical information interaction during respiratory events. We analyzed sleep electroencephalography before, during, and after events, utilizing Symbolic Transfer Entropy (STE) for brain network construction and information flow assessment.

Clinical characteristics of hospitalized patients with Nocardia genus detection by metagenomic next generation sequencing in a tertiary hospital from southern China.

Objective: As an opportunistic pathogen, Nocardia often occurring in the immunocompromised hosts. As the unspecifc clinical presentation and low identification rate of the culture dependent methods, Nocardia infection may be under-diagnosis. Recent study have reported physicians could benefit from metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) in Nocardia diagnosis.

Bone Marrow Stromal Cells Sorted by Semiconducting Polymer Nanodots for Bone Repair.

The use of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) for bone defect repair has shown great promise due to their differentiation potential. However, isolating the BMSCs from various cell types within the bone marrow remains challenging. To tackle this issue, we utilized semiconducting polymer dots (Pdots) as markers to select the BMSCs within a specific time frame.

Abnormal interaction between cortical regions of obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome children.

Obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome negatively affects the cognitive function of children. This study aims to find potential biomarkers for obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome in children by investigating the patterns of sleep electroencephalography networks. The participants included 16 mild obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome children, 12 severe obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome children, and 13 healthy controls.

Nomogram to diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnoea-hypopnoea syndrome in high-risk Chinese adult patients.

Introduction: Many scales are designed to screen for obstructive sleep apnoea-hypopnoea syndrome (OSAHS); however, there is a lack of an efficiently and easily diagnostic tool, especially for Chinese. Therefore, we conduct a cross-sectional study in China to develop and validate an efficient and simple clinical diagnostic model to help screen patients at risk of OSAHS.

Methods: This study based on 782 high-risk patients (aged >18 years) admitted to the Sleep Medicine department of the Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University from 2015 to 2021.

Interleukin-33 increases type 2 innate lymphoid cell count and their activation in eosinophilic asthma.

Background: Interleukin-33 (IL-33) exacerbates asthma probably through type 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s). Nevertheless, the association between eosinophilic asthma (EA) and ILC2s remains obscure, and the mechanisms by which IL-33 affects ILC2s are yet to be clarified.

Methods: ILC2s were evaluated in peripheral blood mononuclear cells, induced sputum, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid obtained from patients with EA.

Evidence of Microplastics in Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid among Never-Smokers: A Prospective Case Series.

Microplastics (MPs) are abundant in air, but evidence of their deposition in the respiratory tract is limited. We conducted a prospective case series to investigate the deposition of microplastics in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and determine the internal dose of MPs via inhalation. Eighteen never-smokers aged 32-74 years who underwent fiberoptic bronchoscopy with BALF were recruited from Zhuhai, China.

Identification of RNA Modification-Associated Alternative Splicing Signature as an Independent Factor in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Objective: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a highly heterotopic malignant tumor. Alternative splicing (AS) and RNA modification have been reported to be involved in tumorigenesis. Therefore, we constructed RNA modification-associated AS (RMA-AS) signature model to predict the prognosis of HNSCC.

Single-cell spatiotemporal analysis reveals cell fates and functions of transplanted mesenchymal stromal cells during bone repair.

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) transplantation could enhance bone repair. However, the cell fate of transplanted MSCs, in terms of their local distribution and spatial associations with other types of cells were poorly understood. Here, we developed a single-cell 3D spatial correlation (sc3DSC) method to track transplanted MSCs based on deep tissue microscopy of fluorescent nanoparticles (fNPs) and immunofluorescence of key proteins.

Controlled mechanical loading improves bone regeneration by regulating type H vessels in a S1Pr1-dependent manner.

Despite the best treatment, approximately 10% of fractures still face undesirable repair and result in delayed unions or non-unions. Dynamic mechanical stimulation promotes bone formation, when applied at the correct time frame, with optimal loading magnitude, frequency, and repetition. Controlled mechanical loading significantly increases osteogenic cells during the matrix deposition phase of bone repair.

detection by metagenomic next-generation sequencing in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid: A cross-sectional study.

is the bacterium associated with Whipple's disease (WD), a chronic systemic infectious disease primarily involving the gastrointestinal tract. can also be detected in different body site of healthy individuals, including saliva and feces. Traditionally, has a higher prevalence in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of immunocompromised individuals.

Metallic Scaffold with Micron-Scale Geometrical Cues Promotes Osteogenesis and Angiogenesis via the ROCK/Myosin/YAP Pathway.

The advent of precision manufacturing has enabled the creation of pores in metallic scaffolds with feature size in the range of single microns. In orthopedic implants, pore geometries at the micron scale could regulate bone formation by stimulating osteogenic differentiation and the coupling of osteogenesis and angiogenesis. However, the biological response to pore geometry at the cellular level is not clear.

Mechanical loading attenuated negative effects of nucleotide analogue reverse-transcriptase inhibitor TDF on bone repair via Wnt/β-catenin pathway.

The nucleotide analog reverse-transcriptase inhibitor, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF), is widely used to treat hepatitis B virus (HBV) and human immunodeficiency virus infection (HIV). However, long-term TDF usage is associated with an increased incidence of bone loss, osteoporosis, fractures, and other adverse reactions. We investigated the effect of chronic TDF use on bone homeostasis and defect repair in mice.

Emerging role of exosomal long non-coding RNAs in lung cancer.

Background: Lung cancer is one of the most common malignancies worldwide. Also, it is the leading cause of cancer morbidity and mortality in men. Despite advances in lung cancer diagnosis and treatment, novel approaches are strongly needed to promote early diagnosis and effective treatment of lung cancer.

Mechanical loading alleviated the inhibition of β2-adrenergic receptor agonist terbutaline on bone regeneration.

The long-term use of adrenergic medication in treating various conditions, such as asthma, increases the chances of bone fracture. Dynamic mechanical loading at a specific time is a method for improving bone quality and promoting healing. Therefore, we hypothesized that precisely controlling the mechanical environment can contribute to the alleviation of the negative effects of chronic treatment with the common asthma drug terbutaline, which is a β2-adrenergic receptor agonist that facilitates bone homeostasis and defect repair through its anabolic effect on osteogenic cells.

Hypersensitivity in the lungs is responsible for acute respiratory failure in COVID-19 patients: Case series of patients who received high-dose/short-term methylprednisolone.

Background: COVID-19 is a highly contagious respiratory disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Patients with severe disease have a high fatality rate and face a huge medical burden due to the need for invasive mechanical ventilation. Hypoxic respiratory failure is the major cause of death in these patients.

Exosomal lncRNA SCIRT/miR-665 Transferring Promotes Lung Cancer Cell Metastasis through the Inhibition of HEYL.

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Recently, extracellular vesicles such as exosomes have attracted considerable interest both as a source for theranostic biomarkers and an essential participant in lung cancer progression. However, how specific exosomal cargos, such as noncoding RNAs, are selectively packaged into exosomes and promote lung cancer progression remains unclear.