An alternative bronchoscopic transparenchymal nodule access by "invisible tunnel" technique under electromagnetic navigation without the transbronchial access tool.

Background: The diagnosis of peripheral pulmonary lesions (PPL) is still challenging. We describe a novel method for sampling PPL without bronchial signs by creating invisible tunnel under electromagnetic navigation without the transbronchial access tool (TABT).

Methods: During electromagnetic navigation, we adjust the angle of the edge extended working channel catheter based on the real-time position of the lesion in relation to the locating guide rather than preset route.

The Preventive Effect of Gentamicin in the Irrigating Solution on Endophthalmitis Caused by Methicillin-Resistant After Phacoemulsification with Intraocular Lens Implantation in Rabbits.

Objective: To analyze the effect of gentamicin in the irrigating solution on endophthalmitis caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis after phacoemulsification with intraocular lens implantation.

Methods: Fifteen rabbits were randomly assigned into three groups. During surgery, group A was irrigated with gentamicin-free solution and injected with 100 μL of normal saline postoperatively, group B was irrigated with 80 μg/mL gentamicin and injected with 100 μl of MRSE suspension, group C was irrigated with gentamicin-free solution and injected with 100 μl of MRSE suspension.

Evaluation of the effect of gentamicin in surgical perfusion solution on cataract postoperative endophthalmitis.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of gentamicin in surgical perfusion solution on endophthalmitis incidence after cataract surgery.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of endophthalmitis incidence was conducted in two groups of patients who underwent cataract surgery, with (Group B) or without gentamicin (Group A) in the surgical perfusion solution. Endophthalmitis incidence, the isolated pathogenic bacteria strains and their antibiotic sensitivity, and the drug-resistant genotype of the pathogens were examined.

Peripheral Lung Squamous Carcinoma With ROS1 Rearrangement Sensitive to Crizotinib: A Case Report.

ROS1 rearrangements have been identified as driver mutations, accounting for 1-2% of lung adenocarcinoma, but are extremely rare in case of lung squamous cell carcinoma. In this work, we report a lung squamous cell carcinoma in a patient with peripheral lung cancer radiological manifestation, harboring ROS1 rearrangement, with high sensitivity to crizotinib. Our findings suggest that clinicians should pay more attention toward the occurrence of ROS1 rearrangements and the application of crizotinib for lung squamous cell carcinoma treatment.

Snowflakes in the Eye - An Uncommon Presentation of Iris Metastasis of Esophageal Carcinoma and Review of Literature.

Purpose: To alert clinicians to an uncommon presentation of iris metastasis of esophageal carcinoma. We reported a 67-year-old man complained of blurred vision and ocular pain of his right eye for 1 month. He was diagnosed iridocyclitis of the right eye 2 weeks ago and he had a history of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma for 5 years with no regular treatment.

A peripheral immune signature of responsiveness to PD-1 blockade in patients with classical Hodgkin lymphoma.

PD-1 blockade is highly effective in classical Hodgkin lymphomas (cHLs), which exhibit frequent copy-number gains of CD274 (PD-L1) and PDC1LG2 (PD-L2) on chromosome 9p24.1. However, in this largely MHC-class-I-negative tumor, the mechanism of action of anti-PD-1 therapy remains undefined.

Measurement of Chladni Mode Shapes with an Optical Lever Method.

Quantitatively determining the Chladni pattern of an elastic plate is of great interest in both physical science and engineering applications. In this paper, a method of measuring mode shapes of a vibrating plate based on an optical lever method is proposed. Three circular acrylic plates were employed in the measurement under different center harmonic excitations.

LRRC33 is a novel binding and potential regulating protein of TGF-β1 function in human acute myeloid leukemia cells.

Transforming growth factor‑β1 (TGF-β1) is a versatile cytokine. It has context-dependent pro- and anti-cell proliferation functions. Activation of latent TGF-β1 requires release of the growth factor from pro-complexes and is regulated through TGF-β binding proteins.

A Milieu Molecule for TGF-β Required for Microglia Function in the Nervous System.

Extracellular proTGF-β is covalently linked to "milieu" molecules in the matrix or on cell surfaces and is latent until TGF-β is released by integrins. Here, we show that LRRC33 on the surface of microglia functions as a milieu molecule and enables highly localized, integrin-αVβ8-dependent TGF-β activation. Lrrc33 mice lack CNS vascular abnormalities associated with deficiency in TGF-β-activating integrins but have microglia with a reactive phenotype and after 2 months develop ascending paraparesis with loss of myelinated axons and death by 5 months.

Effect of 405 nm low intensity irradiation on the absorption spectrum of in-vitro hyperlipidemia blood.

Background: Laser therapy is reported to be clinically effective for improving microcirculation, rheological properties and blood lipid profiles despite the lack of certainty on the mechanism.

Objective: This study intends to provide methods to drop blood lipid level of hyperlipidemia samples by low-intensity laser irradiation therapy and provide reasoning of mechanism.

Methods: Twenty whole blood samples of high level of lipids profile are irradiated by 405 nm low-intensity laser at 12 J/cm2 twice a day for 3 days and compared with normal lipids profile group.

Associations of vitamin D deficiency and vitamin D receptor (Cdx-2, Fok I, Bsm I and Taq I) polymorphisms with the risk of primary open-angle glaucoma.

Background: Vitamin D deficiency and vitamin D receptor gene polymorphisms are known to be significantly associated with high myopia. Whether this genetic variant may impact primary open-angle glaucoma is largely unknown. This study investigated whether vitamin D receptor gene polymorphisms are altered in primary open-angle glaucoma subjects carrying the risk allele, and whether vitamin D deficiency is an important factor in the development of glaucoma.

Dynamic structure of plasma fibronectin.

Fibronectin is a large vertebrate glycoprotein that is found in soluble and insoluble forms and involved in diverse processes. Protomeric fibronectin is a dimer of subunits, each of which comprises 29-31 modules - 12 type I, two type II and 15-17 type III. Plasma fibronectin is secreted by hepatocytes and circulates in a compact conformation before it binds to cell surfaces, converts to an extended conformation and is assembled into fibronectin fibrils.

Evaluation of the effects of systemic photodynamic therapy in a rat model of acute myeloid leukemia.

Systemic PDT (SPDT) approach is developed to treat a variety of hematological diseases, including cancers and blood-borne infections. We evaluated the efficacy of an SPDT method for treating leukemia using a Brown Norway myeloid leukemia (BNML) rat model with the LT12 cells engineered to express GFP. The survival times of animals receiving SPDT at 5 (early-SPDT) and 10 (mid-SPDT) days post-LT12 injection were prolonged by 2 days, the rats in the late-SPDT group (15 days) exhibited a 6-day increase in life span (p<0.

Cryptoporus volvatus polysaccharides attenuate LPS-induced expression of pro-inflammatory factors via the TLR2 signaling pathway in human alveolar epithelial cells.

Context: Cryptoporus volvatus (Peck) Hubb grows wild in China, and its fruiting bodies have been used traditionally to treat asthma and bronchitis.

Objectives: This study evaluates the anti-inflammatory effect of Cryptoporus polysaccharides (CP) extracted from fruiting bodies of C. volvatus on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced pro-inflammatory factors and the signaling pathways involved in human alveolar epithelial cells.

On-Off Kinetics of Engagement of FNI Modules of Soluble Fibronectin by β-Strand Addition.

Intrinsically disordered sequences within bacterial adhesins bind to E-strands in the β-sheets of multiple FNI modules of fibronectin (FN) by anti-parallel β-strand addition, also called tandem β-zipper formation. The FUD segment of SfbI of Streptococcus pyogenes and Bbk32 segment of BBK32 of Borrelia burgdorferi, despite being imbedded in different adhesins from different bacteria, target the same 2-5,8-9 FNI modules, 2-5,8-9 FNI, in the N-terminal 70-kDa region (FN70K) of FN. To facilitate further comparisons, FUD, Bbk32, two other polypeptides based on SfbI that target 1-5 FNI (HADD) and 2-5 FNI (FRD), and mutant Bbk32 (ΔBbk32) were produced with fluorochromes placed just outside of the binding sequences.

Bivalent ligation of the collagen-binding modules of fibronectin by SFS, a non-anchored bacterial protein of Streptococcus equi.

SFS is a non-anchored protein of Streptococcus equi subspecies equi that causes upper respiratory infection in horses. SFS has been shown to bind to fibronectin (FN) and block interaction of FN with type I collagen. We have characterized interactions of a recombinant 60-mer polypeptide, R1R2, with FN.

Epoxyeicosatrienoic acids attenuate cigarette smoke extract-induced interleukin-8 production in bronchial epithelial cells.

In response to endothelial cell activation, arachidonic acid can be converted by cytochrome P450 (CYP) epoxygenases to epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs), which have potent vasodilator and anti-inflammatory properties. In this study, we investigated the effects of exogenous EETs on cigarette smoke extract (CSE)-induced inflammation in human bronchial epithelial cells (NCI-H292). We found that CSE inhibited the expression of CYP2C8 and mildly stimulated the expression of epoxide hydrolase 2 (EPHX2) but did not change the expression of CYP2J2.

Borrelia burgdorferi protein BBK32 binds to soluble fibronectin via the N-terminal 70-kDa region, causing fibronectin to undergo conformational extension.

BBK32 is a fibronectin (FN)-binding protein expressed on the cell surface of Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease. There is conflicting information about where and how BBK32 interacts with FN. We have characterized interactions of a recombinant 86-mer polypeptide, "Bbk32," comprising the unstructured FN-binding region of BBK32.

Characterization of molecules binding to the 70K N-terminal region of fibronectin by IFAST purification coupled with mass spectrometry.

Fibronectin (Fn) is a large glycoprotein present in plasma and extracellular matrix and is important for many processes. Within Fn the 70 kDa N-terminal region (70k-Fn) is involved in cell-mediated Fn assembly, a process that contributes to embryogenesis, development, and platelet thrombus formation. In addition, major human pathogens including Staphlycoccus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes bind the 70k-Fn region by a novel form of protein-protein interaction called β-zipper formation, facilitating bacterial spread and colonization.

Apple polyphenol protects against cigarette smoke-induced acute lung injury.

Objective: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a complex chronic inflammatory disease involving oxidative stress as well as a wide variety of cells activated from smoking cigarettes. There have been disappointingly few therapeutic advances in drug therapy for COPD. Plant polyphenols have been the topic of much research regarding their antioxidant activities and antiinflammatory and immunomodulatory effects.

Shp2 plays an important role in acute cigarette smoke-mediated lung inflammation.

Cigarette smoke (CS), the major cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, contains a variety of oxidative components that were implicated in the regulation of Src homology domain 2-containing protein tyrosine phosphatase 2 (Shp2) activity. However, the contribution of Shp2 enzyme to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease pathogenesis remains unclear. We investigated the role of Shp2 enzyme in blockading CS-induced pulmonary inflammation.

Ligation of the fibrin-binding domain by β-strand addition is sufficient for expansion of soluble fibronectin.

How fibronectin (FN) converts from a compact plasma protein to a fibrillar component of extracellular matrix is not understood. "Functional upstream domain" (FUD), a polypeptide based on F1 adhesin of Streptococcus pyogenes, binds by anti-parallel β-strand addition to discontinuous sets of N-terminal FN type I modules, (2-5)FNI of the fibrin-binding domain and (8-9)FNI of the gelatin-binding domain. Such binding blocks assembly of FN.