Longitudinal profiling of gut microbiome among tuberculosis patients under anti-tuberculosis treatment in China: protocol of a prospective cohort study.

Background: Anti-tuberculosis therapy requires at least six-month treatment with continuous administration of combined antibiotics, including isoniazid, rifampicin, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol. The long-term exposure to antibiotics could cause consequent changes in gut microbiota, which may alter the gastrointestinal function and drug absorption in patients, thereby affect the outcome of treatment. The study aims to characterize the longitudinal changes of gut microbiota among tuberculosis (TB) patients under standardized first-line treatment and provide an understanding of the association between alterations in gut microbiota composition and unfavorable clinical outcomes.

Long non-coding RNA MEG3 knockdown attenuates endoplasmic reticulum stress-mediated apoptosis by targeting p53 following myocardial infarction.

Mounting evidence has indicated that long non-coding RNA maternally expressed gene 3 (lncRNA MEG3) regulates cell apoptosis, and is involved in a variety of diseases. However, its exact role in myocardial infarction (MI) has not been fully elucidated. In the present study, we firstly observed that the expression levels of the lncRNA MEG3 in infarct hearts and hypoxic neonatal mice ventricular myocytes (NMVMs) were up-regulated by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR).

C₁₈H₁₇NO₆ Inhibits Invasion and Migration of Human MNNG Osteosarcoma Cells via the PI3K/AKT Signaling Pathway.

BACKGROUND Osteosarcoma (OS) is a highly aggressive, metastatic bone tumor with a poor prognosis, and occurs more commonly in children and adolescents. Therefore, new drugs and treatments are urgently needed. In this study, we investigated the effect and potential mechanisms of C₁₈H₁₇NO₆ on osteosarcoma cells.

Rural-urban disparities in caesarean section rates in minority areas in China: evidence from electronic health records.

Objective: To assess the rural-urban disparity in caesarean section rates using electronic health records from hospitals located in the Province of Inner Mongolia, which is a minority area in Northeastern China.

Methods: The study examined the electronic health records of women that gave birth in three major public hospitals between January 2012 and December 2016. Multinomial regression analyses were used to estimate rural-urban disparities in caesarean section rates.

Spinal DN-9, a Peptidic Multifunctional Opioid/Neuropeptide FF Agonist Produced Potent Nontolerance Forming Analgesia With Limited Side Effects.

The development of multitarget opioid drugs has emerged as an attractive therapeutic strategy to eliminate opioid-related side effects. Our previous study developed a series of opioid and neuropeptide FF pharmacophore-containing chimeric peptides, including DN-9 (Tyr-D.Ala-Gly-NMe.

The multifunctional peptide DN-9 produced peripherally acting antinociception in inflammatory and neuropathic pain via μ- and κ-opioid receptors.

Background And Purpose: Considerable effort has recently been directed at developing multifunctional opioid drugs to minimize the unwanted side effects of opioid analgesics. We have developed a novel multifunctional opioid agonist, DN-9. Here, we studied the analgesic profiles and related side effects of peripheral DN-9 in various pain models.

Development and validation of a Chinese parental health literacy questionnaire for caregivers of children 0 to 3 years old.

Background: Given the limited information on parental health literacy measurements, the study aimed to develop and validate the Chinese Parental Health Literacy Questionnaire for caregivers of children 0 to 3 years old.

Methods: We conducted a validity and reliability study of the questionnaire through a cross-sectional survey and test-retest analysis respectively between March and April 2017. We recruited 807 caregivers of children 0 to 3 years old, among them 101 caregivers completed the test-retest assessment with 2 weeks interval.

Association Between Baseline, Achieved, and Reduction of CRP and Cardiovascular Outcomes After LDL Cholesterol Lowering with Statins or Ezetimibe: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background Several lipid-lowering therapies reduce CRP (C-reactive protein) independently of LDL-C (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol) reduction, but the association between CRP parameters and benefits from more-intensive LDL-C lowering is inconclusive. We aimed to determine whether the benefits of more- versus less-intensive LDL-C lowering on cardiovascular events related to baseline, achieved, or magnitude of reduction in CRP concentrations. Methods and Results PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane were searched through July 2, 2018.

N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide for predicting fluid challenge in patients with septic shock.

Background: The aim of this study is to examine whether plasma N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) concentration could predict fluid responsiveness in septic shock patients following fluid challenge (FC).

Methods: We reviewed prospectively collected data from 79 septic shock patients who received invasive cardiac output (CO) monitoring following a 500 mL FC. Haemodynamics were recorded, and blood sampling for NT-proBNP values was performed.

miRNA-181a over-expression in mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes influenced inflammatory response after myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Aims: The inflammation modulation effects of mesenchymal stromal cell-derived exosomes (MSC-EXO) are well established. We aimed to explore the mechanism behind the inflammatory responses of numerous exosomal cargo molecules that have been neglected in molecular biology research, and to develop an exosomal cargo delivery system that can exert a stronger therapeutic effect on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury.

Main Methods: Computational approaches were used to identify key exosomal miRNAs and their downstream mRNAs that are expressed in the inflammatory response.

The urinary bile acid profiling analysis of asymptomatic hypercholanemia of pregnancy: A pseudo-targeted metabolomics study.

Background: Asymptomatic hypercholanemia of pregnancy (AHP) is a controversial hypercholanemia, which is difficult to distinguish from intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP). Our aim is to elucidate the characteristics of urinary bile acid (BA) profiling of women with AHP and to find potential biomarkers for the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of AHP.

Methods: We developed a pseudo-targeted approach to perform metabolomics analysis of bile acids (BAs) using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography/hybrid quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF-MS).

Identification of the potential therapeutic target gene UBE2C in human hepatocellular carcinoma: An investigation based on GEO and TCGA databases.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ranks the third major cause of cancer-associated mortality globally. Numerous studies have attempted to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of HCC using various biomarkers. In the present study, two expression profiles datasets from Gene Expression Omnibus (GSE76427 and GSE84402) and data associated with liver cancer samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were downloaded for integrated analysis.

Residual flow may increase the risk of adverse events in patients received combined catheter ablation and transcatheter left atrial appendage closure for nonvalvular atrial fibrillation: a meta-analysis.

Background: Catheter ablation (CA) and left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) have been combined into a novel one-stop procedure for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). However, postoperative complications are relatively common in patients undergoing LAAC; the complications, including residual flow, increase in the risk of bleeding, or other adverse events, are unknown in patients receiving one-stop therapy. Therefore, we tried to evaluate the adverse events of CA and LAAC hybrid therapy in patients with nonvalvular AF.

[Choice of assessment time after fluid challenge in patients with septic shock].

Objective: To explore the short-term hemodynamic change of fluid challenge (FC) with crystalloid or colloid and define fluid responsiveness at the optimal time in patients with septic shock.

Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted. Septic shock patients monitored with pulmonary catheters admitted to medical intensive care unit (ICU) of the Peking Union Medical College Hospital from July 2016 to December 2018 were enrolled.

A Common Variant of Is Associated with Tuberculosis Susceptibility in the Han Chinese Population.

Background: (also known as AMAP1 or DDEF1) encodes an Arf GTPase-activating protein (Arf GAP), a multifunctional scaffold protein that induces hydrolysis of GTP bound to the ADP-ribosylation factor (Arf) family GTP-binding proteins. Reduction of expression in vitro was related to suppression of cell migration and invasiveness. The genetic variant rs4733781 of the gene was revealed as a significant locus for tuberculosis (TB) susceptibility, but the results still need to be validated.

Differential contribution of the two waves of cardiac progenitors and their derivatives to aorta and pulmonary artery.

During mouse development, part of the cells derived from the second heart field (SHF) progenitors contributes to the elongation and enlargement of the outflow tract (OFT) that subsequently septates into the trunks of aorta (Ao) and pulmonary artery (PA). Thus, the cardiac progenitor-originated cells are distributed to both Ao and PA. Here, we investigated that how these cells are assigned to the two great arteries during OFT septation through lineage tracing technology.

PM2.5 promotes plaque vulnerability at different stages of atherosclerosis and the formation of foam cells via TLR4/MyD88/NFκB pathway.

Clinical evidence has shown an elevated myocardial infarction (MI) risk after PM2.5 (particulate matter < 2.5 μm) exposure.

Prevent Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) Programs and Enhancement of Maternal Healthcare Infrastructure to Improve Early Detection of Maternal Syphilis in Shanghai, China.

This study aimed to compare the screening and diagnosis of maternal syphilis in Shanghai between the national and municipal prevent mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of syphilis policies, and then to assess whether PMTCT programs and enhancing healthcare infrastructure could bring about an early detection of maternal syphilis. Detection of maternal syphilis was initiated in 2001 and then scaled-up in 2011 along with the enhancement of antenatal healthcare infrastructure. The initial five-year periods of municipal and national PMTCT policies were defined as the "exploring period" (2002⁻2006) and the "comprehensive period" (2011⁻2015).

An electrically driven structural phase transition in single AgTe nanowire devices.

Exploring new phase-change materials is instrumental in the progression of electronic memory devices. Ag2Te with its reversible structural phase transition, and in the form of nanowires, has become an apt candidate for potential use in nanoscale memory devices. Here, we report a study on the temperature- or electrically-driven phase change properties of crystalline Ag2Te nanowires.

Urolithin A attenuates memory impairment and neuroinflammation in APP/PS1 mice.

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by an abnormal accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques, neuroinflammation, and impaired neurogenesis. Urolithin A (UA), a gut-microbial metabolite of ellagic acid, has been reported to exert anti-inflammatory effects in the brain. However, it is unknown whether UA exerts its properties of anti-inflammation and neuronal protection in the APPswe/PS1ΔE9 (APP/PS1) mouse model of AD.

LIM kinase 1 acts as a profibrotic mediator in permanent atrial fibrillation patients with valvular heart disease.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most frequently diagnosed cardiac arrhythmia worldwide. Patients with permanent atrial fibrillation are at an increased risk of developing valvular heart disease. Atrial fibrosis occurs in this pathophysiological setting.

JAK2/STAT3 signaling mediates IL-6-inhibited neurogenesis of neural stem cells through DNA demethylation/methylation.

Neuroinflammation, considered as a pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD), has been demonstrated to affect hippocampal neurogenesis and cognitive function. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a proinflammatory cytokine known to modulate neurogenesis. However, the mechanisms are still largely unknown.

AMPK-mediated degradation of Nav1.5 through autophagy.

The voltage-gated cardiac sodium channel, Nav1.5, is the key component that controls cardiac excitative electrical impulse and propagation. However, the dynamic alterations of Nav1.

Mesenchymal stromal cell-derived exosomes attenuate myocardial ischaemia-reperfusion injury through miR-182-regulated macrophage polarization.

Aims: Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) gradually become attractive candidates for cardiac inflammation modulation, yet understanding of the mechanism remains elusive. Strikingly, recent studies indicated that exosomes secreted by MSCs might be a novel mechanism for the beneficial effect of MSCs transplantation after myocardial infarction. We therefore explored the role of MSC-derived exosomes (MSC-Exo) in the immunomodulation of macrophages after myocardial ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R) and its implications in cardiac injury repair.