Evaluating Neoadjuvant Immunochemotherapeutic Response for Bladder Carcinoma Using Amide Proton Transfer-Weighted MRI.

Rationale And Objectives: To investigate the feasibility of amide proton transfer-weighted (APTw) and diffusion-weighted MRI in evaluating the response of bladder cancer (BCa) to neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy.

Materials And Methods: From June 2021 to July 2023, participants with pathologically confirmed BCa were prospectively recruited to undergo MRI examinations, including APTw and diffusion-weighted MRI before and after neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy. Histogram analysis features (mean, median, and entropy) were extracted from pre- and post-treatment APTw and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps, respectively.

Deficiency of Endothelial Impairs Pulmonary Vascular Angiogenesis and Predisposes Pulmonary Hypertension.

Background: Mechanosensitive Piezo1 channel plays a key role in pulmonary hypertension (PH). However, the role of Piezo2 in PH remains unclear.

Methods: Endothelial cell (EC)-specific knockout (, Tek-Cre; ) rats and primarily cultured pulmonary microvascular ECs were used to determine the role of Piezo2 in PH.

Lanthanide (Substituted-)Cyclopentadienyl Bis(phosphinimino)methanediide Complexes: Synthesis and Characterization.

Design and synthesis of high-performance single-molecule magnets (SMMs) have long been a research focus. Inspired by the best dysprosium(III) metallocene SMMs and dysprosium(III) bis(methanediide) SMMs, we assumed dysprosium SMMs, which had electrical neutrality by combining the two types of ligands. As the Dy center is coordinated by one (substituted-)cyclopentadienyl (Cp) ligand and one methanediide ({C(PPhNSiMe)}) ligand on the axial sites, this ideal structure with linear C-Dy-Cp would strengthen the magnetic anisotropy and exhibit excellent SMM properties.

Association of Conscious Sedation With Dexmedetomidine and Outcome in Stroke Patients Undergoing Thrombectomy in the DEVT and RESCUE-BT Trials.

Background And Objectives: Although dexmedetomidine (DEX) is widely administered during endovascular treatment (EVT) to enhance procedural adherence of patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) with large vessel occlusion, there is limited research on the association of DEX and outcomes among these patients. Hence, this study aimed to explore the safety and outcomes of DEX during conscious sedation (CS) in a real-world setting among patients undergoing EVT.

Methods: This study was an individual patient-level pooled analysis of 2 multicenter randomized clinical trials RESCUE-BT and DEVT.

Mesenchymal Stem Cell Exosome-Integrated Antibacterial Hydrogels for Nasal Mucosal Injury Treatment.

Hydrogels have emerged as appealing prospects for wound healing due to their superior biocompatible qualities. However, the integration of antibacterial active substances into hydrogels for effective wound repair remains challenging. Here, we present a novel double-network hydrogel for nasal mucosal injury repair with antibacterial and self-healing capabilities.

Incidence and Outcomes of Cardiocerebral Infarction: A Cohort Study of 2 National Population-Based Registries.

Background: Cardiocerebral infarction (CCI), which is concomitant with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and acute ischemic stroke (AIS), is a rare but severe presentation. However, there are few data on CCI, and the treatment options are uncertain. We investigated the characteristics and outcomes of CCI compared with AMI or AIS alone.

Cholesterol reduction by immunization with a PCSK9 mimic.

Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) is a plasma protein that controls cholesterol homeostasis. Here, we design a human PCSK9 mimic, named HIT01, with no consecutive 9-residue stretch in common with any human protein as a potential heart attack vaccine. Murine immunizations with HIT01 reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and cholesterol levels by 40% and 30%, respectively.

Deep Learning-Based Reconstruction Improves the Image Quality of Low-Dose CT Colonography.

Rationale And Objectives: To evaluate the image quality of low-dose CT colonography (CTC) using deep learning-based reconstruction (DLR) compared to iterative reconstruction (IR).

Materials And Methods: Adults included in the study were divided into four groups according to body mass index (BMI). Routine-dose (RD: 120 kVp) CTC images were reconstructed with IR (RD-IR); low-dose (LD: 100kVp) images were reconstructed with IR (LD-IR) and DLR (LD-DLR).

Using Multi-phase CT Radiomics Features to Predict EGFR Mutation Status in Lung Adenocarcinoma Patients.

Rationale And Objectives: This study aimed to non-invasively predict epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation status in patients with lung adenocarcinoma using multi-phase computed tomography (CT) radiomics features.

Materials And Methods: A total of 424 patients with lung adenocarcinoma were recruited from two hospitals who underwent preoperative non-enhanced CT (NE-CT) and enhanced CT (including arterial phase CT [AP-CT], and venous phase CT [VP-CT]). Patients were divided into training (n = 297) and external validation (n = 127) cohorts according to hospital.

Amide Proton Transfer-Weighted MRI and Diffusion-Weighted Imaging in Bladder Cancer: A Complementary Tool to the VI-RADS.

Rationale And Objectives: To investigate the feasibility of amide proton transfer-weighted (APTw) and diffusion-weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) as a means by which to add value to the Vesical Imaging Reporting and Data System (VI-RADS) for discriminating muscle invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) from nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC).

Materials And Methods: This prospective study enrolled participants with pathologically confirmed bladder cancer (BCa) who underwent preoperative multiparametric MRI, including APTw and diffusion-weighted MRI, from July 2020 to January 2023. The exclusion criteria were lesions smaller than 10 mm, missing smooth muscle layer in the operation specimen, neoadjuvant therapy before MRI, inadequate image quality, and malignancy other than urothelial neoplasm.

Treatment of monogenic and digenic dominant genetic hearing loss by CRISPR-Cas9 ribonucleoprotein delivery in vivo.

Mutations in Atp2b2, an outer hair cell gene, cause dominant hearing loss in humans. Using a mouse model Atp2b2, with a dominant hearing loss mutation (Oblivion), we show that liposome-mediated in vivo delivery of CRISPR-Cas9 ribonucleoprotein complexes leads to specific editing of the Obl allele. Large deletions encompassing the Obl locus and indels were identified as the result of editing.

Epicardial Adipose Tissue Assessed by Computed Tomography and Echocardiography Are Associated With Adverse Cardiovascular Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) has garnered attention as a prognostic and risk stratification factor for cardiovascular disease. This study, via meta-analyses, evaluates the associations between EAT and cardiovascular outcomes stratified across imaging modalities, ethnic groups, and study protocols.

Methods: Medline and Embase databases were searched without date restriction on May 2022 for articles that examined EAT and cardiovascular outcomes.

Activin Receptor-Like Kinase 3 Directly Couples Gαq (Guanine Nucleotide-Binding Protein Subunit αq)/ Gαq (Guanine Nucleotide-Binding Protein Subunit α11) to Regulate Vascular Contractility.

Background: Vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) contractility is critical for blood pressure regulation and vascular homeostasis. Identifying the key molecule that maintains VSMC contractility may provide a novel therapeutic target for vascular remodeling. ALK3 (activin receptor-like kinase 3) is a serine/threonine kinase receptor, and deletion of ALK3 causes embryonic lethality.

The global burden of metabolic disease: Data from 2000 to 2019.

Global estimates of prevalence, deaths, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2019 were examined for metabolic diseases (type 2 diabetes mellitus [T2DM], hypertension, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease [NAFLD]). For metabolic risk factors (hyperlipidemia and obesity), estimates were limited to mortality and DALYs. From 2000 to 2019, prevalence rates increased for all metabolic diseases, with the greatest increase in high socio-demographic index (SDI) countries.

Long-Term Prognosis of Patients With Coexisting Obesity and Malnutrition After Acute Myocardial Infarction: A Cohort Study.

Background: The double burden of malnutrition, described as the coexistence of malnutrition and obesity, is a growing global health issue. This study examines the combined effects of obesity and malnutrition on patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

Methods: Patients presenting with AMI to a percutaneous coronary intervention-capable hospital in Singapore between January 2014 and March 2021 were retrospectively studied.

Kojic Acid Gene Clusters and the Transcriptional Activation Mechanism of KojR on Expression of Clustered Genes.

Kojic acid (KA) is a fungal metabolite and has a variety of applications in the cosmetics and food industries. is a well-known producer of KA, and its KA biosynthesis gene cluster has been identified. In this study, we showed that nearly all section aspergilli except for had complete KA gene clusters, and only one species, , contained a partial KA gene cluster.

Nidogen-2 is a Novel Endogenous Ligand of LGR4 to Inhibit Vascular Calcification.

Background: Vascular calcification is closely related to the all-cause mortality of cardiovascular events. Basement membrane protein nidogen-2 is a key component of the vascular extracellular matrix microenvironment and we recently found it is pivotal for the maintenance of contractile phenotype in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). However, whether nidogen-2 is involved in VSMCs osteochondrogenic transition and vascular calcification remains unclear.

Independent Associations of Education, Intelligence, and Cognition With Hypertension and the Mediating Effects of Cardiometabolic Risk Factors: A Mendelian Randomization Study.

Background: Education, intelligence, and cognition are associated with hypertension, but which one plays the most prominent role in the pathogenesis of hypertension and which modifiable risk factors mediate the causal effects remains unknown.

Methods: Using summary statistics of genome-wide association studies of predominantly European ancestry, we conducted 2-sample multivariable Mendelian randomization to estimate the independent effects of education, intelligence, or cognition on hypertension (FinnGen study, 70 651 cases/223 663 controls; UK Biobank, 77 723 cases/330 366 controls) and blood pressure (International Consortium of Blood Pressure, 757 601 participants), and used 2-step Mendelian randomization to evaluate 25 potential mediators of the association and calculate the mediated proportions.

Results: Meta-analysis of inverse variance weighted Mendelian randomization results from FinnGen and UK Biobank showed that genetically predicted 1-SD (4.

Plasma Cell-Free DNA Predicts Survival and Maps Specific Sources of Injury in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.

Background: Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) is a noninvasive marker of cellular injury. Its significance in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is unknown.

Methods: Plasma cfDNA was measured in 2 PAH cohorts (A, n=48; B, n=161) and controls (n=48).

Generating pancreatic beta-like cells from human pluripotent stem cells.

Diabetes is a major healthcare burden globally, affecting over 463 million people today, according to the International Diabetes Federation. The most common types of diabetes are Type I diabetes (T1D) and Type II diabetes (T2D), characterized by hyperglycemia due to autoimmune destruction of β cells (T1D) and β cell dysfunction, usually on a background of insulin resistance (T2D). There is currently no cure for diabetes, and patients with T1D require lifelong insulin therapy.