[F]FDG PET/CT versus Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced CT for the diagnosis of solitary pulmonary Nodule: A Head-to-Head comparative Meta-Analysis.

Purpose: This head-to-head comparative meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the comparative diagnostic efficacy of [F]FDG PET/CT and dynamic contrast-enhanced CT(DCE-CT) for the differentiation between malignant and benign pulmonary nodules.

Methods: An extensive search was conducted in the PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science to identify available publications up to March 23, 2024. Studies were included if they evaluated the diagnostic efficacy of [F]FDG PET/CT and DCE-CT for the characterization of pulmonary nodules.

Profile of co-occurring or secondary infections among COVID-19 patients with HBOT: a single-center retrospective study.

Introduction: This study was designed to describe the profile of co-occurring or secondary infections in hospitalized coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients undergoing hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) and those without.

Methodology: Out of 716 COVID-19 patients, 79 cases of co-occurring or secondary infections were included. These patients were categorized into two groups based on their usage of HBOT.

Ethyl Lactate Ameliorates Hepatic Steatosis and Acute-on-Chronic Liver Injury in Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease by Inducing Fibroblast Growth Factor 21.

Aberrant upregulation of hepatic lipogenesis induced by chronic and excessive alcohol consumption is a critical driver of the progression of alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD), however, no effective approaches inhibiting lipogenesis are currently available for treating ALD patients. Moreover, little is known about whether and how nonethanol ingredients in alcoholic beverages regulate the pathogenesis of ALD. Here the discovery of a small molecule that activates the production and secretion of fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) is reported.

Complete mitochondrial genome of the Satanas beetle, Moser, 1909 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae).

In this study, we sequenced and analyzed the mitochondrial genome of the Satanas beetle, Moser, 1909, which was intercepted by Chinese Customs during an attempted smuggling operation in 2022. The complete mitochondrial genome is 16,973 bp in length (GenBank accession number: OQ998898) and contains 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNAs, 2 rRNAs, and a control region of 2285 bp. The gene order of trnQ-trnI-trnM in the mitochondrial genome of is consistent with that of other species in the genus .

Sub-acute stroke demonstrates altered beta oscillation and connectivity pattern in working memory.

Introduction: Working memory (WM) is suggested to play a pivotal role in relearning and neural restoration during stroke rehabilitation. Using EEG, this study investigated the oscillatory mechanisms of WM in subacute stroke.

Methods: This study included 48 first subacute stroke patients (26 good-recovery, 22 poor-recovery, based on prognosis after a 4-week period) and 24 matched health controls.

Effect of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy on Patients with SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) on patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection and determine its efficacy and safety in reducing treatment failure events.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study involving patients with COVID-19 was conducted. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) was used to balance covariates between the HBOT and non-HBOT groups.

Epigenetics-targeted drugs: current paradigms and future challenges.

Epigenetics governs a chromatin state regulatory system through five key mechanisms: DNA modification, histone modification, RNA modification, chromatin remodeling, and non-coding RNA regulation. These mechanisms and their associated enzymes convey genetic information independently of DNA base sequences, playing essential roles in organismal development and homeostasis. Conversely, disruptions in epigenetic landscapes critically influence the pathogenesis of various human diseases.

Exploring lithium ion interactions in graphite electrodes through non-equilibrium molecular dynamics and density functional theory.

In molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, selecting an appropriate potential function is a crucial element for accurately simulating the kinetic properties of lithium ion intercalation, storage, and diffusion in graphite systems. This work employed a combination of non-equilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD) and density-functional theory (DFT) for simulation and analysis. The findings indicate that the AIREBO potential function precisely describes the motion of ordered lithium ions between graphite layers, consistent with the models proposed by Rüdorff and Hofmann (R-H) and Daumas and Hérold (D-H).

Increased Lipocalin 2 detected by RNA sequencing regulates apoptosis and ferroptosis in COPD.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a complex respiratory condition influenced by environmental and genetic factors. Using next-generation sequencing, we aimed to identify dysregulated genes and potential therapeutic targets for COPD.

Methods: Peripheral blood leukocyte RNA profiles from COPD patients and healthy controls were analyzed using next-generation sequencing.

Improved Interfacial Interactions by Core-Shell CoFeO@SiO Composites to Enhance the Ability of Corrosion Resistance and Electromagnetic Wave Absorption.

With the rapid development of science and technology, stealth and anti-corrosion activities in oceans have attracted widespread attention. This study successfully prepares CoFeO@SiO with a core-shell structure. This core-shell structure endows the CoFeO@SiO with good impedance matching and interfacial polarization.

Polyphenol-hyaluronic acid-based hydrogel remodels the wound microenvironment and eliminates bacterial infection for accelerating wound healing.

The wound microenvironment, often characterized by alkaline pH and severe hypoxia, presents significant challenges to the healing of bacterial-infected wounds. While considerable research has focused on improving wound healing through effective bacterial elimination using advanced therapeutic approaches, the importance of regulating the wound microenvironment has received less emphasis. In this work, we developed a biocompatible hydrogel, HTFC, by incorporating CaO nanoparticles (CaO NPs) into a gel formed by tannic acid (TA), hyaluronic acid (HA), and Fe.

RpedOBP1 plays key roles in aggregation pheromones reception of the Riptortus pedestris.

Riptortus pedestris (Hemiptera: Alydidae) is a notable soybean pest, with diapause and non-diapause individuals showing different sensitivities to aggregation pheromones. This study aimed to investigate how R. pedestris detects aggregation pheromones through electroantennogram (EAG) and behavioral experiments, transcriptome sequencing and qRT-PCR, as well as competitive fluorescence-binding assay.

The atypical Dof transcriptional factor OsDes1 contributes to stay-green, grain yield, and disease resistance in rice.

The regulation of leaf senescence and disease resistance plays a crucial role in determining rice grain yield and quality, which are important to meet the ever-increasing food demands of the world. Here, we identified an atypical Dof transcriptional factor OsDes1 that contributes to the stay-green phenotype, grain yield, and disease resistance in rice. The expression level of is positively associated with stay-green in natural variations of rice, suggesting that would be alternatively used in breeding programs.

Constructing homo/hetero-nuclear carbon and oxygen atoms co-doped graphitic carbon nitride assisted by ionic liquid for photothermal synergistic catalytic oxidation of cyclohexane.

The adoption of photothermal synergistic catalysis for cyclohexane oxidation can balance the advantages of high conversion of thermal catalysis and high selectivity of photocatalytic technology to achieve better catalytic performance. Here, we prepared functional carbon nitride (BCA-CN) by self-assembly strategy of ionic liquid [Bmim]CA (1-Butyl-3-methylimidazole citrate) with melamine and cyanuric acid utilizing abundant elements and anionic/cationic hydrogen bonding interactions. The introduction of [Bmim]CA embeds C-C (carbon and carbon band) and C-O-C (ether bond) structures into graphitic carbon nitride (g-CN) framework, significantly improving light absorption capacity and migration of photo generated charge carriers.

Progestogen-driven B7-H4 contributes to onco-fetal immune tolerance.

Immune tolerance mechanisms are shared in cancer and pregnancy. Through cross-analyzing single-cell RNA-sequencing data from multiple human cancer types and the maternal-fetal interface, we found B7-H4 (VTCN1) is an onco-fetal immune tolerance checkpoint. We showed that genetic deficiency of B7-H4 resulted in immune activation and fetal resorption in allogeneic pregnancy models.

PIKfyve, expressed by CD11c-positive cells, controls tumor immunity.

Cancer treatment continues to shift from utilizing traditional therapies to targeted ones, such as protein kinase inhibitors and immunotherapy. Mobilizing dendritic cells (DC) and other myeloid cells with antigen presenting and cancer cell killing capacities is an attractive but not fully exploited approach. Here, we show that PIKFYVE is a shared gene target of clinically relevant protein kinase inhibitors and high expression of this gene in DCs is associated with poor patient response to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy.

First-Principles Investigation of Phosphorus-Doped Graphitic Carbon Nitride as Anchoring Material for the Lithium-Sulfur Battery.

The utilization of lithium-sulfur battery is hindered by various challenges, including the "shuttle effect", limited sulfur utilization, and the sluggish conversion kinetics of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs). In the present work, a theoretical design for the viability of graphitic carbon nitride (g-CN) and phosphorus-doping graphitic carbon nitride substrates (P-g-CN) as promising host materials in a Li-S battery was conducted utilizing first-principles calculations. The PDOS shows that when the P atom is introduced, the 2p of the N atom is affected by the 2p orbital of the P atom, which increases the energy band of phosphorus-doping substrates.

Exosome microRNA-125a-5p derived from epithelium promotes M1 macrophage polarization by targeting IL1RN in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: The interplay between airway epithelium and macrophages plays a pivotal role in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) pathogenesis. Exosomes, which transport miRNA cargo, have emerged as novel mediators of intercellular communication. MicroRNA-125a-5p (miR-125a-5p) has been implicated in macrophage polarization.

COPD patients with high blood eosinophil counts exhibit a lower rate of omicron infection and milder post-infection symptoms.

Background: The emergence of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and its subsequent Omicron variant has raised concerns for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients due to the potential risk of disruptions to healthcare services and unknown comorbidities between COPD and Omicron.

Method: In this study, we conducted a follow-up investigation of 315 COPD patients during the Omicron outbreak at Shanxi Bethune Hospital to understand the impact of the pandemic on this vulnerable population. Among all patients, 228 were infected with Omicron, of which 82 needed hospitalizations.