Factors, mechanisms and improvement methods of muscle strength loss.

Muscle strength is a crucial aspect of muscle function, essential for maintaining normal physical activity and quality of life. The global aging population coupled with the increasing prevalence of muscle disorders and strength loss, poses a remarkable public health challenge. Understanding the mechanisms behind muscle strength decline is vital for improving public health outcomes.

Pilot Trial of Hydroxychloroquine as Add-On Therapy in Patients With Membranous Nephropathy.

Introduction: Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes guidelines indicate that glucocorticoids and immunosuppressants comprise the first therapeutic regimens after 4 to 6 months of treatment for high-risk primary membranous nephropathy (PMN). However, some patients cannot achieve complete or partial remission at 6 months. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of traditional immunotherapy combined with hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), a well-known immune regulator, in patients with PMN.

Exercise intervention on the brain structure and function of patients with mild cognitive impairment: systematic review based on magnetic resonance imaging studies.

Objective: This systematic review evaluates the impact of exercise intervention in MCI patients and discusses the potential neural mechanisms.

Methods: A systematic search and screening of relevant literature was conducted in English and Chinese databases. Based on predefined keywords and criteria, 24 articles were assessed and analyzed.

A Chemical Reprogramming Approach Efficiently Producing Human Retinal Pigment Epithelium Cells for Retinal Disease Therapies.

Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) represent a promising cell source for generating functional cells suitable for clinical therapeutic applications, particularly in the context of autologous cell therapies. However, the production of hiPSCs through genetic manipulation, especially involving oncogenes, may raise safety concerns. Furthermore, the complexity and high costs associated with hiPSCs generation have hindered their broad clinical use.

Artificial intelligence algorithms for real-time detection of colorectal polyps during colonoscopy: a review.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide. Early detection and removal of colorectal polyps during colonoscopy are crucial for preventing such cancers. With the development of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, it has become possible to detect and localize colorectal polyps in real time during colonoscopy using computer-aided diagnosis (CAD).

Gain-of-Function Variant in Spleen Tyrosine Kinase Regulates Macrophage Migration and Functions to Promote Intestinal Inflammation.

Purpose: Spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk) is a widely-expressed cytoplasmic non-receptor tyrosine kinase involved in regulating various signaling pathways and plays an important role in chronic inflammation and autoimmune diseases. Gain-of-function variants have been implicated in pediatric inflammatory bowel diseases. This study aimed to investigate the effects of gain-of-function variants on the susceptibility to experimental colitis and macrophage function.

Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex to ipsilateral primary motor cortex intercortical interactions during inhibitory control enhance response inhibition in open-skill athletes.

Numerous studies have reported that long-term sports training can affect inhibitory control and induce brain functional alterations. However, the influence of environmental dynamics in sports training on inter-cortical connectivity has not been well studied. In the current study, we used twin-coil transcranial magnetic stimulation to investigate the functional connectivity between dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and ipsilateral primary motor cortex (M1) during proactive and reactive inhibition in participants with sports skills in dynamic environment (open-skill experts), stable environment (closed-skill experts), and no sports skills (controls).

Osteopontin deficiency promotes cartilaginous endplate degeneration by enhancing the NF-κB signaling to recruit macrophages and activate the NLRP3 inflammasome.

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is a major cause of discogenic pain, and is attributed to the dysfunction of nucleus pulposus, annulus fibrosus, and cartilaginous endplate (CEP). Osteopontin (OPN), a glycoprotein, is highly expressed in the CEP. However, little is known on how OPN regulates CEP homeostasis and degeneration, contributing to the pathogenesis of IDD.

Oleanolic acid improves the in vitro developmental competence of early porcine embryos by reducing oxidative stress and ameliorating mitochondrial function.

Objective: Oleanolic acid (OA) is a pentacyclic triterpenoid with antioxidant activity that can be an effective scavenger of free radicals in cells. This study was designed to investigate the effects of OA on porcine early embryo developmental competence in vitro and its possible mechanisms of action.

Methods: In the present study, parthenogenetically activated porcine embryos were used as models to assess the effect of OA on the in vitro developmental capacity of early porcine embryos in vitro.

Characterization of cigarette smokeomics by in situ solid-phase microextraction and confined-space direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry.

Characterization of chemical composition in cigarette smoke is essential for establishing smoke-related exposure estimates. Currently used methods require complex sample preparation with limited capability for obtaining accurate chemical information. We have developed an in situ solid-phase microextraction (SPME) method for online processing of smoke aerosols and directly coupling the SPME probes with confined-space direct analysis in real time (cDART) ion source for high-resolution mass spectrometry (MS) analysis.

TopMarker: Computational screening biomarkers of hepatocellular carcinoma from transcriptome and interactome based on differential network topological parameters.

Identifying diagnostic biomarkers for cancer is crucial in the field of personalized medicine. The available transcriptome and interactome provide unprecedented opportunities and challenges for biomarker screening. From a systematic perspective, network-based medicine methods provide alternative approaches to organizing the available high-throughput omics data for deciphering molecular interactions and their associations with phenotypic states.

Methylation of promoter region in multiple mental health disorders.

The existence of a shared genetic basis for mental disorders has long been documented, yet research on whether acquired epigenetic modifications exhibit common alterations across diseases is limited. Previous studies have found that abnormal methylation of cg14631053 at the promoter region mediates the onset of alcohol use disorder. However, whether aberrant methylation of the gene promoter is involved in other mental health disorders remains unclear.

Effects of low-dose methotrexate with MMI in patients with Graves' disease: results of a randomized clinical trial.

Context: Supplemental methotrexate (MTX) may affect the clinical course of Graves' disease (GD).

Objective: Evaluate efficacy of add-on MTX on medical treatment in GD.

Design: Prospective, open-label, randomized supplementation controlled trial.

Frailty and post-transplant adverse outcomes among kidney transplant recipients A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: Frailty is a good predictor of adverse outcomes among older patients, especially those who have undergone surgery. The prevalence of frailty among kidney transplant candidates is higher than the general population. This study aimed to explore the predictive value of frailty on post-transplant adverse outcomes among kidney recipients.

Early determination of potential critical quality attributes of therapeutic antibodies in developability studies through surface plasmon resonance-based relative binding activity assessment.

Precise measurement of the binding activity changes of therapeutic antibodies is important to determine the potential critical quality attributes (CQAs) in developability assessment at the early stage of antibody development. Here, we report a surface plasmon resonance (SPR)-based relative binding activity method, which incorporates both binding affinity and binding response and allows us to determine relative binding activity of antibodies with high accuracy and precision. We applied the SPR-based relative binding activity method in multiple forced degradation studies of antibody developability assessment.

A dynamic online nomogram for predicting renal outcomes of idiopathic membranous nephropathy.

Background: Because spontaneous remission is common in IMN, and there are adverse effects of immunosuppressive therapy, it is important to assess the risk of progressive loss of renal function before deciding whether and when to initiate immunosuppressive therapy. Therefore, this study aimed to establish a risk prediction model to predict patient prognosis and treatment response to help clinicians evaluate patient prognosis and decide on the best treatment regimen.

Methods: From September 2019 to December 2020, a total of 232 newly diagnosed IMN patients from three hospitals in Liaoning Province were enrolled.

Optimizing Geriatric Venipuncture: A DRG-Compatible Team-Based Reengineering Strategy.

Objective: This study evaluates a reengineered intervention aimed at improving the clinical management of intravenous indwelling needles in geriatric patients, focusing on cost-efficiency within the Diagnosis-Related Group (DRG) payment framework.

Methods: The intervention was assessed through a comparative study involving 387 elderly patients in the Geriatric Department of Xuanwu Hospital, between June 2021 and March 2022. The study contrasted outcomes between patients treated before and after implementing a new team-based management protocol in November 2021.

Transcriptomic Analysis Reveals the Flavonoid Biosynthesis Pathway Involved in Rhizome Development in Hua.

Hua () rhizomes are rich in flavonoids and other secondary metabolites, exhibiting remarkable antioxidant, anti-tumor, and immunomodulatory effects. flavonoid-biosynthesis-related genes have been characterized already. However, a comprehensive overview of flavonoid biosynthesis pathways is still absent.

In vitro generation of trophoblast like stem cells from goat pluripotent stem cells.

Since the first mouse induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) was derived, the in vitro culture of domestic iPSCs functionally and molecularly comparable with mouse iPSCs has been a challenge. Here, we established dairy goat iPSCs (giPSCs) from goat ear fibroblast cells with mouse iPSCs morphology, the expression of pluripotent markers and differentiation ability in vitro delivered by piggyBac transposon with nine Dox-inducible exogenous reprogramming factors. These reprogramming factors were bOMSK (bovine OCT4, CMYC, SOX2, and KLF4), pNhL (porcine NANOG and human LIN28), hRL (human RARG and LRH1), and SV40 Large T.

[Mechanism of tetramethylpyrazine combined with neural stem cells transplantation on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion rats].

This study aimed to investigate the intervention effect of tetramethylpyrazine(TMP) combined with transplantation of neural stem cells(NSCs) on middle cerebral artery occlusion(MCAO) rat model and to explore the mechanism of TMP combined with NSCs transplantation on ischemic stroke based on the regulation of stem cell biological behavior. MCAO rats were randomly divided into a model group, a TMP group, an NSCs transplantation group, and a TMP combined with NSCs transplantation group according to neurological function scores. A sham group was set up at the same time.

[Mechanism of tetramethylpyrazine intervention with ischemia-reperfusion rats based on Nrf2/HO-1/CXCR4 pathway through regulating neural stem cell migration].

This study aims to decipher the mechanism of tetramethylpyrazine(TMP) in regulating the migration of neural stem cells(NSCs) in the rat model of middle cerebral artery occlusion(MCAO) via the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2(Nrf2)/heme oxygenase 1(HO-1)/C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 4(CXCR4) pathway. SD rats were randomized into sham, MCAO(model), and tetramethylpyrazine(TMP, 20 mg·kg~(-1) and 40 mg·kg~(-1)) groups. The neurological impairment was assessed by the modified neurological severity score(mNSS).