Neuropsychiatric comorbidities and associated factors in 182 Chinese children with tic disorders.

Objective: Tic disorders (TD) often present with associated neuropsychiatric comorbidities. This study aims to examine the clinical manifestations of TD in pediatric patients and explore the spectrum and features of neuropsychiatric comorbidities among Chinese children diagnosed with TD.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on pediatric TD cases newly diagnosed at our institution, using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview for Children and Adolescents 5.

Age-Related Conservation in Plant-Soil Feedback Accompanied by Ectomycorrhizal Domination in Temperate Forests in Northeast China.

This study investigates the effects of forest aging on ectomycorrhizal (EcM) fungal community and foraging behavior and their interactions with plant-soil attributes. We explored EcM fungal communities and hyphal exploration types via rDNA sequencing and investigated their associations with plant-soil traits by comparing younger (~120 years) and older (~250 years) temperate forest stands in Northeast China. The results revealed increases in the EcM fungal richness and abundance with forest aging, paralleled by plant-soil feedback shifting from explorative to conservative nutrient use strategies.

An automated ICU agitation monitoring system for video streaming using deep learning classification.

Objective: To address the challenge of assessing sedation status in critically ill patients in the intensive care unit (ICU), we aimed to develop a non-contact automatic classifier of agitation using artificial intelligence and deep learning.

Methods: We collected the video recordings of ICU patients and cut them into 30-second (30-s) and 2-second (2-s) segments. All of the segments were annotated with the status of agitation as "Attention" and "Non-attention".

Deep Learning-Based Pain Classifier Based on the Facial Expression in Critically Ill Patients.

Objective: Pain assessment based on facial expressions is an essential issue in critically ill patients, but an automated assessment tool is still lacking. We conducted this prospective study to establish the deep learning-based pain classifier based on facial expressions.

Methods: We enrolled critically ill patients during 2020-2021 at a tertiary hospital in central Taiwan and recorded video clips with labeled pain scores based on facial expressions, such as relaxed (0), tense (1), and grimacing (2).

YAP activity protects against endotoxemic acute lung injury by activating multiple mechanisms.

The roles of the Hippo‑Yes‑associated protein (YAP) pathway in lung injury and repair remain elusive. The present study examined the effects of systemic inhibition or stimulation of YAP activity on lung injury, repair and inflammation in a mouse model of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‑induced lung injury. Mice were treated with or without YAP inhibitor, verteporfin, or with or without YAP stimulator, XMU‑MP‑1, and intraperitoneally injected with LPS (7.

Hydrogen Attenuates Allergic Inflammation by Reversing Energy Metabolic Pathway Switch.

Mechanisms mediating the protective effects of molecular hydrogen (H) are not well understood. This study explored the possibility that H exerts its anti-inflammatory effect by modulating energy metabolic pathway switch. Activities of glycolytic and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation systems were assessed in asthmatic patients and in mouse model of allergic airway inflammation.

[Project to Increase the Percentage of Nursing Staffs Passing Clinical Ladder-3 Certification in the Intensive Care Unit].

Background & Problems: Clinical ladder (CL)-3 nurses should have both an ability to integrate the clinical information of critically ill patients and to carry out the administrative work of the intensive care unit. However, in our unit, only 15.3% of nurses hold CL-3 certification, which is much lower than the hospital average of 23.

MiR-324-5p reduces viability and induces apoptosis in gastric cancer cells through modulating TSPAN8.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to further clarify the role and underlying mechanism of miR-324-5p in gastric cancer.

Methods: The expressions of miR-324-5p and TSPAN8 as determined by qRT-PCR or Western blot were compared between the gastric cancer tissues and normal tissues. Human gastric cancer cell line SGC-7901 was cultured and transfected with miR-324-5p mimic/inhibitor or pcDNA-TSPAN8.

The number and function of T regulatory cells in obese atopic female asthmatics.

Background: Mechanisms underlying the association between asthma and obesity remain poorly understood. Obesity appears to be a risk factor for asthma, and obese asthmatics fare poorly compared to lean asthmatics.

Objectives: To explore the possibility that reduced regulatory T cell (Treg) number and function contribute to the obesity-asthma association.

Selective inhibition of endothelial NF-κB signaling attenuates chronic intermittent hypoxia-induced atherosclerosis in mice.

Background And Aims: Chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) exposure causes atherosclerosis, although the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. This study defines the role of endothelial intrinsic NF-κB signaling in the atherogenic response to CIH.

Methods: We created ApoE-EC mice that are deficient in the apolipoprotein E gene (ApoE) and overexpress an I-κBα mutant (I-κBmt) selectively in endothelial cells.

Hypoxia-induced activation of specific members of the NF-kB family and its relevance to pulmonary vascular remodeling.

Background And Objective: Pulmonary Hypertension (pH) is a chronic progressive disease. Endothelial cells (EC) play a central and critical role in the initiation and progression of pH. The NF-κB family (NF-κB1 (p50/p105), NF-κB2 (p52/p100), RelA (p65), RelB, and C-Rel) regulates a wide array of genes involved in inflammatory responses, cell proliferation, and survival.

Blood pressure regulation by CD4 lymphocytes expressing choline acetyltransferase.

Blood pressure regulation is known to be maintained by a neuro-endocrine circuit, but whether immune cells contribute to blood pressure homeostasis has not been determined. We previously showed that CD4 T lymphocytes that express choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), which catalyzes the synthesis of the vasorelaxant acetylcholine, relay neural signals. Here we show that these CD4CD44CD62L T helper cells by gene expression are a distinct T-cell population defined by ChAT (CD4 T).

[Spectroscopic Studies on the Interaction of Human Serum Albumin and Water-Soluble Carboxyl Carbon Nanotubes].

The interaction between nanomaterials and biological macromolecules (including protein) is the important basis of biological safety assessments of nanomaterials. In this paper, the fluorescence spectroscopy, synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy and circular dichroism spectroscopy) were used to analyze the interaction between four water-soluble carboxyl carbon nanotubes (long-SWCNTs-COOH, short-SWCNTs-COOH, DWCNTs-COOH and MWCNTs-COOH) and human serum albumin. Results showed that the four water-soluble carboxylated carbon nanotubes could quench the intrinsic fluorescence of human serum albumin at different extents.

Chronic intermittent hypoxia exposure-induced atherosclerosis: a brief review.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is highly prevalent in the USA and is recognized as an independent risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Identification of atherosclerosis risk factor attributable to OSA may provide opportunity to develop preventive measures for cardiovascular risk reduction. Chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) is a prominent feature of OSA pathophysiology and may be a major mechanism linking OSA to arteriosclerosis.

LPS Down-Regulates Specificity Protein 1 Activity by Activating NF-κB Pathway in Endotoxemic Mice.

Background: Specificity protein (Sp) 1 mediates the transcription of a large number of constitutive genes encoding physiological mediators. NF-κB mediates the expression of hundreds of inducible genes encoding pathological mediators. Crosstalk between Sp1 and NF-κB pathways could be pathophysiologically significant, but has not been studied.

Multiple genes identified as targets for 20q13.12-13.33 gain contributing to unfavorable clinical outcomes in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Recurrent chromosome 20q gain is implicated in progressive cancer behaviors and has been associated with clinical outcomes in multiple types of cancer; however, its prognostic significance in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the involved genes remain unclear.

Methods: Array comparative genomic hybridization and expression arrays were used to detect copy number alterations (CNAs) and expression levels, respectively. The associations between CNAs in 20q and outcomes were analyzed on 66 patients, for which the follow-up period was 2.

Resident Endothelial Cells and Endothelial Progenitor Cells Restore Endothelial Barrier Function After Inflammatory Lung Injury.

Objective: Disruption of endothelial barrier integrity is a characteristic of many inflammatory conditions. However, the origin and function of endothelial cells (ECs) restoring endothelial barrier function remain unknown. This study defined the roles of resident ECs (RECs) and bone marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cells (BMDEPCs) in endothelial barrier restoration after endotoxemic lung injury.

An obligatory role of NF-κB in mediating bone marrow derived endothelial progenitor cell recruitment and proliferation following endotoxemic multiple organ injury in mice.

Background: Recruitment of bone marrow derived endothelial progenitor cells (BMDEPCs) alleviates multiple organ injury (MOI) and improves outcomes. However, mechanisms mediating BMDEPC recruitment following septic MOI remain largely unknown. This study characterized the kinetics of BMDEPC recruitment and proliferation and defined the role of NF-κB in regulating BMDEPC recruitment and proliferation.

NF-κB-to-AP-1 switch: a mechanism regulating transition from endothelial barrier injury to repair in endotoxemic mice.

Endothelial barrier disruption is a hallmark of multiple organ injury (MOI). However, mechanisms governing the restoration of endothelial barrier function are poorly understood. Here, we uncovered an NF-κB-to-AP-1 switch that regulates the transition from barrier injury to repair following endotoxemic MOI.

Ulinastatin activates haem oxygenase 1 antioxidant pathway and attenuates allergic inflammation.

Background And Purpose: Ulinastatin (UTI), a serine protease inhibitor, was recently found to have an anti-inflammatory action. However, the mechanisms mediating this anti-inflammatory effect are not well understood. This study tested the hypothesis that UTI suppresses allergic inflammation by inducing the expression of haem oxygenase 1 (HO1).

[Excretion of manure-borne steroid hormones and their potential risk in the three northeast provinces of China].

The excretion of manure-borne steroid hormones, including estrogens and androgens in Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang province was estimated in this study on the basis of statistical data and by using the referenced estimation method in developed countries. In addition, the potential ecological risk of manure-borne steroid estrogens to local surface water systems from applying animal manure was preliminarily assessed. As a result of the rapid development of animal production, the excretions of manure-borne steroid hormones increased in all the three northeast provinces.

Intermedin modulates hypoxic pulmonary vascular remodeling by inhibiting pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell proliferation.

Background: Hypoxic pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a disabling disease with limited treatment options. Hypoxic pulmonary vascular remodeling is a major cause of hypoxic PAH. Pharmacological agents that can inhibit the remodeling process may have great therapeutic value.

Association of nesfatin-1 and fat mass in cystic fibrosis.

Background: The mechanisms of fat mass (FM) loss in cystic fibrosis (CF) are poorly understood but could represent complex pathways involving dysregulation of appetite-modulating peptides and an amplified inflammatory response. Nesfatin-1 is a newly described peptide that decreases food intake and FM but has not been studied in CF.

Objectives: We hypothesized that changes in the appetite-suppressing hormone nesfatin-1 would be physiological, and levels would be lower in advanced CF patients with lower FM compared to those with milder disease and healthy controls.