Metformin normalizes mitochondrial function to delay astrocyte senescence in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease through Mfn2-cGAS signaling.

Background: Senescent astrocytes play crucial roles in age-associated neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease (PD). Metformin, a drug widely used for treating diabetes, exerts longevity effects and neuroprotective activities. However, its effect on astrocyte senescence in PD remains to be defined.

Vagus nerve stimulation as a promising neuroprotection for ischemic stroke via α7nAchR-dependent inactivation of microglial NLRP3 inflammasome.

Ischemic stroke is a major cause of disability and death worldwide, and its management requires urgent attention. Previous studies have shown that vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) exerts neuroprotection in ischemic stroke by inhibiting neuroinflammation and apoptosis. In this study, we evaluated the timing for VNS intervention in ischemic stroke, and the underlying mechanisms  of VNS-induced neuroprotection.

[A case of neonatal Netherton syndrome].

A male infant, aged 6 days, was admitted to the hospital due to respiratory distress and systemic desquamative rash after birth. The infant presented with erythema and desquamative rash, respiratory failure, recurrent infections, chronic diarrhea, hypernatremic dehydration, and growth retardation. Comprehensive treatment, including anti-infection therapy, intravenous immunoglobulin administration, and skin care, resulted in improvement of the rash, but recurrent infections persisted.

In vitro inhalation bioaccessibility and health risk assessment of difenoconazole in the atmosphere.

Background: Assessment of the risk of pesticide inhalation in populations around farmland is necessary because inhalation is one of the ways in which pesticides can risk human health. This study aimed to identify the inhalation risk of difenoconazole on humans by using dose-response and exposure assessments.

Results: In the field simulation application, respiratory exposure in populations around farmland ranged from 71 to 430 ng/m .

The cGAS-STING-YY1 axis accelerates progression of neurodegeneration in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease via LCN2-dependent astrocyte senescence.

Recent studies provide clues that astrocyte senescence is correlated with Parkinson's disease (PD) progression, while little is known about the molecular basis for astrocyte senescence in PD. Here, we found that cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS)/stimulator of interferon genes (STING) was upregulated in senescent astrocytes of PD and aged mice. Strikingly, deletion of astrocytic cGAS significantly prevented senescence of astrocytes and neurodegeneration.

Mefloquine targets NLRP3 to reduce lipopolysaccharide-induced systemic inflammation and neural injury.

The NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome plays an important role in the pathogenesis of a wide variety of human diseases. So far, drugs directly and specifically targeting the NLRP3 inflammasome are not available for clinical use since the safety and efficacy of new compounds are often unclear. A promising approach is thus to identify NLRP3 inhibitors from existing drugs that are already in clinical use.

Delivery room resuscitation intensity and associated neonatal outcomes of 24-31 weeks' preterm infants in China: a retrospective cross-sectional study.

Background: The aim of this study was to review current delivery room (DR) resuscitation intensity in Chinese tertiary neonatal intensive care units and to investigate the association between DR resuscitation intensity and short-term outcomes in preterm infants born at 24-31 weeks' gestation age (GA).

Methods: This was a retrospective cross-sectional study. The source population was infants born at 24-31 weeks' GA who were enrolled in the Chinese Neonatal Network 2019 cohort.

Kir6.1/K-ATP channel in astrocytes is an essential negative modulator of astrocytic pyroptosis in mouse model of depression.

Astrocyte dysfunction is one of the important pathological mechanisms of depression. Stress contributes to the onset of depression. As metabolic stress sensor, Kir6.

Characteristics of home oxygen therapy for preterm infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia in China: results of a multicenter cohort study.

Background: Home oxygen therapy (HOT) is indicated upon discharge in some preterm infants with severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). There is a lack of evidence-based consensus on the indication for HOT among these infants. Because wide variation in the institutional use of HOT exists, little is known about the role of regional social-economic level in the wide variation of HOT.

Garlic polysaccharides: A review on their extraction, isolation, structural characteristics, and bioactivities.

Garlic has been considered as a source of highly promising functional food and traditional herbal medicine for thousands of years. Garlic polysaccharides is one of the important effective components of garlic, which has various bioactivities, including immune-enhancing, hepatoprotective, and antioxidant. Garlic polysaccharides is mainly composed of monosaccharides, such as Fru, Glc, and Gal, having a (2 → 1)-linked β-D-Fruf backbone with (2 → 6)-linked β-D-Fruf side chains.

LncRNA POT1-AS1 accelerates the progression of gastric cancer by serving as a competing endogenous RNA of microRNA-497-5p to increase PDK3 expression.

Background: Gastric cancer (GC) is the most common malignant tumor of the digestive system. Although progress has been reported in terms of treatment, it is still the second leading cause of cancer-related death. Long non-coding RNAs have been shown to play a key role in human cancers in recent investigations.

Variations in length of stay among survived very preterm infants admitted to Chinese neonatal intensive care units.

Background: This study aimed to describe length of stay (LOS) to discharge and site variations among very preterm infants (VPIs) admitted to 57 Chinese neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) and to investigate factors associated with LOS for VPIs.

Methods: This retrospective multicenter cohort study enrolled all infants < 32 weeks' gestation and admitted to 57 NICUs which had participated in the Chinese Neonatal Network, within 7 days after birth in 2019. Exclusion criteria included major congenital anomalies, NICU deaths, discharge against medical advice, transfer to non-participating hospitals, and missing discharge date.

[Effect of different electroacupuncture stimulation parameters on sudden hearing loss].

Objective: To compare the efficacy of different electroacupuncture (EA) frequencies and wave patterns combined with medication and medication alone for sudden hearing loss (SHL), and to explore better electroacupuncture stimulation parameters.

Methods: All of 118 patients with SHL were randomly divided into an acupuncture and medication group 1 (group 1, 30 cases, 1 case dropped off), an acupuncture and medication group 2 (group 2, 30 cases), an acupuncture and medication group 3 (group 3, 31 cases) and a medication group (27 cases, 1 case dropped off ). The patients in the medication group were treated with conventional medication.

[Acupuncture intervention prolongates thrombolysis time window by regulating cerebral cortex angiogenesis-related genes and proteins in cerebral infarction rats].

Objective: To observe the effect of acupuncture on the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and endostatin (Endostatin, ES) mRNAs and proteins (angiogenesis related factors) in the ischemic penumbra region in rats with cerebral infarction (CI), so as to explore its underlying mechanisms in prolonging the time window of thrombolysis therapy for CI.

Methods: A total of 48 male SD rats were randomly divided into sham operation, model, medication (6 h thrombolysis) and acupuncture (Acupunct)+medication groups (n=12 in each group). The CI model was established using modified auto-thrombus method.

LncRNA LBX2-AS1 promotes colorectal cancer progression and 5-fluorouracil resistance.

Background: Recent reports suggest that the long non-coding RNA LBX2 antisense RNA 1 (LBX2-AS1) acts as an important regulator in cancer progression, but its significance in colorectal cancer (CRC) remains undetermined.

Methods: LBX2-AS1 expression levels in CRC were determined from the GEPIA database and CRC tissues to investigate clinical relevance. meRIP-PCR assays investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying the function of m6A in LBX2-AS1.

PSA density in the diagnosis of prostate cancer in the Chinese population: results from the Chinese Prostate Cancer Consortium.

We performed this study to investigate the diagnostic performance of prostate-specific antigen density (PSAD) in a multicenter cohort of the Chinese Prostate Cancer Consortium. Outpatients with prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels ≥4.0 ng ml regardless of digital rectal examination (DRE) results or PSA levels <4.

[Effect of acupuncture on neurological function, cerebral infarction volume, thrombolysis time window and cerebral cell apoptosis signaling pathway in cerebral infarction rats].

Objective: To observe the effect of acupuncture (Acupunct) on cerebral infarction volume and expression of poly ADP ribose polymerase 1 (PARP1), apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) and endonuclease G (Endo-G) in the cerebral cortex tissue at different time-points after cerebral ischemia (CI) in acute cerebral infarction rats, so as to explore its underlying mechanisms in prolonging time window of thrombolysis.

Methods: Forty-eight SD rats were randomly divided into sham operation, model, intravenous thrombolysis (IVT)-4.5 h, IVT-6 h, IVT-9 h, Acupunct＋IVT-4.

Quercetin restrains TGF-β1-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition by inhibiting Twist1 and regulating E-cadherin expression.

Emerging evidence has indicated that transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1) induces the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in cancer cells, thus promoting their motility and invasiveness. Quercetin, a member of the polyphenolic flavonoid family, has been reported to display anticancer activity against a broad range of cancer cell types. Indeed, numerous studies have shown the cancer preventive effects and molecular mechanisms of quercetin in vitro using diverse cell model systems.

Group B Streptococcus causes severe sepsis in term neonates: 8 years experience of a major Chinese neonatal unit.

Background: In contrast to industrialized countries, the clinical characteristics of neonatal sepsis caused by Group B Streptococcus (GBS) are largely unexplored in China.

Methods: A retrospective case series study was performed at a high-capacity neonatal unit in Shanghai, China from January 2008 to December 2015. Clinical characteristics of neonates with culture-proven GBS sepsis and antibiotic susceptibility of isolated strains were analyzed.

Successful reduction in central line-associated bloodstream infections in a Chinese neonatal intensive care unit.

Background: Few data are available on central-line associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) in Chinese neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). The aims of this study were to characterize CLABSIs among neonates in a Chinese NICU and evaluate the impact of a multifaceted evidence-based practice for improving quality program to decrease CLABSI.

Methods: We conducted a prospective before-after intervention study with a 1-year follow-up among patients with central lines at the NICU of the Children's Hospital of Fudan University between January 2008 and December 2010.

Efficacy of an infection control program in reducing ventilator-associated pneumonia in a Chinese neonatal intensive care unit.

Background: Measures employed in preventing ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in developing countries are rarely reported. This study evaluates the efficacy of an infection control program in reducing VAP in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in China.

Methods: All neonates who received mechanical ventilation for at least 48 hours and were hospitalized in the NICU for ≥5 days during 3 epochs were included.

[A retrospective clinical study of chronic high altitude disease complicated by acute exacerbation in high altitude environment].

Objective: To study chronic high altitude disease (CHAD) with concurrent acute high altitude disease (AHAD) in regions of high altitude.

Methods: 18,090 inpatients from Feb. 1956 to Dec.