Discovery of Spirosnuolides A-D, Type I/III Hybrid Polyketide Spiro-Macrolides for a Chemotherapeutic Lead against Lung Cancer.

Four new macrolides, spirosnuolides A-D (-, respectively), were discovered from the termite nest-derived sp. INHA29. Spirosnuolides A-D are 18-membered macrolides sharing an embedded [6,6]-spiroketal functionality inside the macrocycle and are conjugated with structurally uncommon side chains featuring cyclopentenone, 1,4-benzoquinone, hydroxyfuroic acid, or butenolide moieties.

A clinical practical model for preoperative prediction of visual outcome for pituitary adenoma patients in a retrospective and prospective study.

Objective: Preoperative prediction of visual recovery after pituitary adenoma resection surgery remains challenging. This study aimed to investigate the value of clinical and radiological features in preoperatively predicting visual outcomes after surgery.

Methods: Patients undergoing endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery (ETS) for pituitary adenoma were included in this retrospective and prospective study.

Comparison of Solid Self-Nanoemulsifying Systems and Surface-Coated Microspheres: Improving Oral Bioavailability of Niclosamide.

Purpose: This study aimed to develop a solid self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system (SNEDDS) and surface-coated microspheres to improve the oral bioavailability of niclosamide.

Methods: A solubility screening study showed that liquid SNEDDS, prepared using an optimized volume ratio of corn oil, Cremophor RH40, and Tween 80 (20:24:56), formed nanoemulsions with the smallest droplet size. Niclosamide was incorporated into this liquid SNEDDS and spray-dried with calcium silicate to produce solid SNEDDS.

Efficacy and safety of rebamipide/nizatidine in patients with erosive gastritis: A randomized, multicenter, phase 4 study.

Background: For the treatment of gastritis, rebamipide, a mucoprotective agent, and nizatidine, a gastric acid suppressant, are commonly employed individually.

Aim: To compare the efficacy of Mucotra SR (rebamipide 150 mg) and Axid (nizatidine 150 mg) combination therapy with the sole administration of Axid in managing erosive gastritis.

Methods: A total of 260 patients diagnosed with endoscopically confirmed erosive gastritis were enrolled in this open-label, multicenter, randomized, phase 4 clinical trial, allocating them into two groups: Rebamipide/nizatidine combination twice daily nizatidine twice daily for 2 weeks.

The effect of right versus left long-term single-sided deafness on sound source localization.

Purpose: To analyze the effect of right versus left long-term single-sided deafness (SSD) on sound source localization (SSL), discuss the necessity of intervention and treatment for SSD patients, and analyze the therapeutic effect of long-term unilateral cochlear implantation (UCI) from the perspective of SSL.

Methods: This study included 25 patients with SSD, 11 patients with UCI, and 30 participants with normal hearing (NH). Their SSL ability was tested by obtaining their average root mean square (RMS) error values of SSL test.

Safety and efficacy of extracorporeal shockwave therapy on chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome: a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) over an 8-week period in individuals diagnosed with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) compared to a control group.

Materials And Methods: This prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled study enrolled 46 participants diagnosed with CP/CPPS, who were randomly assigned to either the treatment group or the control group in a 2:1 ratio. In the treatment group, ESWT was administered at the perineum once a week for 8 weeks.

LASP to the Future of Atomic Simulation: Intelligence and Automation.

Atomic simulations aim to understand and predict complex physical phenomena, the success of which relies largely on the accuracy of the potential energy surface description and the efficiency to capture important rare events. LASP software (large-scale atomic simulation with a Neural Network Potential), released in 2018, incorporates the key ingredients to fulfill the ultimate goal of atomic simulations by combining advanced neural network potentials with efficient global optimization methods. This review introduces the recent development of the software along two main streams, namely, higher intelligence and more automation, to solve complex material and reaction problems.

Stimuli-responsive hydrogels for bone tissue engineering.

The treatment of bone defects remains a great clinical challenge. With the development of science and technology, bone tissue engineering technology has emerged, which can mimic the structure and function of natural bone tissues and create solutions for repairing or replacing human bone tissues based on biocompatible materials, cells and bioactive factors. Hydrogels are favoured by researchers due to their high water content, degradability and good biocompatibility.

Characteristics and direct causes of death in severely ill patients admitted to a neurology department.

Introduction: The study aimed to analyze the characteristics of patients admitted to the neurology department of a tertiary hospital who subsequently died, focusing on those with high disease severity.

Materials And Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients who died among those admitted to the neurology department of a regional tertiary hospital from 2013 to 2021. Clinical, radiological, and laboratory results of the included patients were collected, and their primary diagnoses, duration from time of admission to death, and direct causes of death were analyzed.

Systemic inflammatory regulators and age-related macular degeneration: a bidirectional Mendelian randomization study.

Introduction: We investigated the relationship between systematic regulators of inflammation and the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), both wet and dry forms, by using bidirectional, two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR).

Methods: We performed bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis using genome-wide study (GWAS) data for 91 plasma proteins from 14,824 individuals of European descent across 11 study groups. Next, we utilized data from the FinnGen consortium to study AMD using the inverse- variance-weighted approach for Mendelian randomization.

Methane mitigation potentials and related costs of China's coal mines.

Mitigating methane (CH) emissions from China's coal mines as the largest contributor to anthropogenic CH emissions is vital for limiting global warming. However, the knowledge about CH mitigation potentials and economic costs of Chinese coal mines remain poorly understood, which hinders the formulation of tailored CH mitigation strategies. Here, we estimate and project China's provincial coal mine methane (CMM) emissions, mitigation potentials and costs under various coal production scenarios, by integrating the dynamic emission factors of CMM and key abatement technologies.

Long-term survival and risk factors in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: A Kaplan-Meier and cox regression study.

Background: The global incidence of esophageal cancer (EC) remains high. Despite advancements in medical technology and deeper research into the causes and treatment methods of EC, the effectiveness of treatment for EC is still unsatisfactory. Therefore, it is crucial to address the urgent problem of improving the long-term survival rate of EC patients and providing personalized treatment.

Advances in minimally invasive treatment of malignant obstructive jaundice.

Malignant obstructive jaundice (MOJ) encompasses a range of diseases stemming from malignant tumors such as cholangiocarcinoma, pancreatic cancer, and primary liver cancer, among others, which cause obstruction in both intra- and extra-hepatic bile ducts. This obstruction may lead to elevated bilirubin levels, hepatic function impairment, and a low rate of successful surgical resection in clinical settings. There are various minimally invasive treatment options for MOJ, including endoscopic biliary drainage, ultrasound-guided procedures, and percutaneous biliary tract puncture drainage.

Corrigendum: (Pro)renin receptor aggravates myocardial pyroptosis in diabetic cardiomyopathy through AMPK-NLRP3 pathway.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.

Impact of obesity on clinical outcomes and treatment continuation in rheumatoid arthritis patients receiving non-TNF-targeted therapies.

Background: Recent studies have shown the impact of obesity on achieving low disease activity or remission in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients treated with tumor necrosis factor inhibitors. However, there is limited research on the effects of obesity on clinical responses to non-TNF-targeted treatments.

Objectives: This study investigated the influence of body mass index (BMI) on clinical response to non-TNF-targeted treatments in RA patients.

Assessing the Environmental Determinants of Micropollutant Contamination in Streams Using Explainable Machine Learning and Network Analysis.

Even at trace concentrations, micropollutants, including pesticides and pharmaceuticals, pose considerable ecological risks, and the increasing presence of synthetic chemical substances in aquatic systems has emerged as a growing concern. Moreover, limited machine-learning (ML) approaches exist for analyzing environmental data, and the increasing complexity of ML models has made it challenging to understand predictor-outcome relationships. In particular, understanding complex interactions among multiple variables remains challenging.

Oxidized yeast glucan alleviates lead-induced toxicity in mice by improving intestinal health to inhibit Pb absorption and reducing kidney oxidative stress.

This study investigated the protective effects and Pb-excretion mechanisms of yeast glucans (YG) with varying oxidation degrees in Pb-exposed mice. Results demonstrated that all three glucans effectively reduced blood lead levels, alleviated inflammation, and mitigated liver damage in Pb-exposed mice, with highly oxidized yeast glucan (OYG2) exhibiting the greatest efficacy. Furthermore, the glucans attenuated Pb-induced oxidative stress and pathological changes in the kidney by elevating glutathione and superoxide dismutase levels, thereby restoring renal excretory function (blood urea nitrogen and creatinine).

Elevated cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers of neuroinflammation and neuronal damage in essential hypertension with secondary insomnia: Implications for Alzheimer's disease risk.

Essential hypertension (EH) with secondary insomnia is associated with increased risks of neuroinflammation, neuronal damage, and Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, its relationship with specific cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers of neuronal damage and neuroinflammation remains unclear. This case-control study compared CSF biomarker levels across three groups: healthy controls (HC, n = 64), hypertension-controlled (HTN-C, n = 54), and hypertension-uncontrolled (HTN-U, n = 107) groups, all EH participants experiencing secondary insomnia.

Microbial mechanisms of mesofauna pattern changes affecting soil greenhouse gas emissions and ecosystem multifunctionality.

In mountainous regions, global warming has changed the biological diversity and community structure of both aboveground and belowground organisms, and it may cause biota to move from lower altitudes to higher altitudes. However, our understanding of such migrations of soil mesofauna caused by global warming on soil processes and functions remains limited. We carried out a 79-day experiment comprising treatments without mesofauna (WM), native mesofauna (NM), migratory mesofauna (MM), and both native and migratory mesofauna together (TM) to reveal the effects of soil mesofauna migration on greenhouse gas emissions, ecosystem multifunctionality, and the underlying mechanisms.

Ultra-fast activated NH-intercalated vanadium oxide cathode for high-performance aqueous zinc-ion batteries.

Vanadium-based oxides hold immense promise as cathode materials for aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs); however, their practical implementation faces a significant hurdle: a prolonged activation period is typically required to achieve peak performance. This activation process, which often requires hundreds of cycles, arises from the complex behavior of mixed-valence vanadium systems. In this paper, we propose a solution based on an elegant and simple electrical activation strategy.

A low-dose prebiotic fiber supplement reduces lipopolysaccharide-binding protein concentrations in a subgroup of young, healthy adults consuming low-fiber diets.

Although the beneficial effects of fiber supplementation on overall health and the gut microbiome are well-known, it is not clear whether fiber supplementation can also alter the concentrations of lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP), a marker of intestinal permeability. A secondary analysis of a previously conducted study was performed. In the randomized-order, placebo-controlled, double-blinded, cross-over study 20 healthy, young participants consuming a low-fiber diet at baseline were administered a daily dose of 12 g of prebiotic fiber compared with a placebo over a period of 4 weeks with a 4-week washout between arms.

Do Risk Factors for HCC Impact the Association of CT/MRI LIRADS Major Features With HCC? An Individual Participant Data Meta-Analysis.

Guidelines suggest the Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS) may not be applicable for some populations at risk for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, data assessing the association of HCC risk factors with LI-RADS major features are lacking. To evaluate whether the association between HCC risk factors and each CT/MRI LI-RADS major feature differs among individuals at-risk for HCC.

Evaluating the impact of modeling choices on the performance of integrated genetic and clinical models.

Purpose: The value of genetic information for improving the performance of clinical risk prediction models has yielded variable conclusions. Many methodological decisions have the potential to contribute to differential results. We performed multiple modeling experiments integrating clinical and demographic data from electronic health records (EHR) with genetic data to understand which decisions may affect performance.