Quantitative analysis of chest MRI images for benign malignant diagnosis of pulmonary solid nodules.

Background: In this study, we developed and validated machine learning (ML) models by combining radiomic features extracted from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with clinicopathological factors to assess pulmonary nodule classification for benign malignant diagnosis.

Methods: A total of 333 consecutive patients with pulmonary nodules (233 in the training cohort and 100 in the validation cohort) were enrolled. A total of 2,824 radiomic features were extracted from the MRI images (CE T1w and T2w).

Oral delivery of bi-autoantigens by bacterium-like particles (BLPs) against autoimmune diabetes in NOD mice.

Induction of oral tolerance by vaccination with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM)-associated autoantigens exhibits great potential in preventing and treating this autoimmune disease. However, antigen degradation in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) limits the delivery efficiency of oral antigens. Previously, bacterium-like particles (BLPs) have been used to deliver a single-chain insulin (SCI-59) analog (BLPs-SCI-59) or the intracellular domain of insulinoma-associated protein 2 (IA-2ic) (BLPs-IA-2ic).

Notch is an alternative splicing gene in brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens.

Much research has assumed that Notch codes one protein. Then the protein will be cleaved into two parts and regenerates a heterodimers receptor to construct Notch signal pathways to regulate development in the past three decades. Here, we show that Notch in brown planthopper is a complex alternatively spliced gene has at least three transcriptional start sites, four exon skips, and 21 transcriptional endpoints that uses these to form variants and codes a series of proteins.

Oral delivery of the intracellular domain of the insulinoma-associated protein 2 (IA-2ic) by bacterium-like particles (BLPs) prevents type 1 diabetes mellitus in NOD mice.

Antigen-specific immune tolerance, which possesses great potential in preventing or curing type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), can be induced by oral vaccination with T1DM-related autoantigens. However, direct administration of autoantigens via oral route exhibits a low tolerance-inducing effect as a result of the digestion of protein antigens in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and therefore, a large dosage of autoantigens may be needed. In this study, bacterium-like particles (BLPs) made from food-grade lactic acid bacteria were used to deliver the intracellular domain of the insulinoma-associated protein 2 (IA-2ic).

MiR-126-5p Promotes Tumor Cell Proliferation, Metastasis and Invasion by Targeting TDO2 in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

TDO2 is a key enzyme in the kynurenine metabolic pathway, which is the most important pathway of tryptophan metabolism. It has been shown that miRNAs are involved in cell metastasis through interaction with target mRNAs. In this study, we found 645 miRNAs that could be immunoprecipitated with TDO2 through the RNA-immunoprecipitation experiment.

Changes in the hepatic differentiation potential of human mesenchymal stem cells aged .

Background: Due to their multipotency and ability for self-renewal, human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) hold great promise for generating hepatocytes. Previous research has successfully generated hepatocytes from early-passage [i.e.

Solitary Nitric Oxide Signaling Mediates Mild Stress-Induced Anxiety and Norepinephrine Release in the Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis during Protracted Ethanol Withdrawal.

Ethanol withdrawal (EtOHW) alters the pattern of neurohormonal and behavioral response toward internal and external stimuli, which mediates relapse to alcohol use even after a long period of abstinence. Increased noradrenergic signaling from the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) to the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) during EtOHW underlies withdrawal-induced anxiety, while nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitors injected into the periaqueductal area attenuate EtOHW-induced anxiety. Therefore, this study investigated the involvement of NOS within the NTS in anxiety and increased norepinephrine (NE) release in the BNST during protracted EtOHW in rats exposed to a mild stress.

Tryptophan Side-Chain Oxidase Enzyme Suppresses Hepatocellular Carcinoma Growth through Degradation of Tryptophan.

Tryptophan metabolism plays a role in the occurrence and development of hepatocellular carcinoma cells. By degrading certain amino acids, tumor growth can be limited while maintaining the body's normal nutritional requirements. Tryptophan side-chain oxidase (TSO) enzyme can degrade tryptophan, and its inhibitory effect on hepatocellular carcinoma cells is worthy of further study.

Functional hit 1 (FH1)-based rapid and efficient generation of functional hepatocytes from human mesenchymal stem cells: a novel strategy for hepatic differentiation.

Background: Because the liver is central to the physiology of the body, primary hepatocytes are widely used in liver pathology and physiological research, such as liver drug screening, bioartificial liver support system, and cell therapy for liver diseases. However, the source of primary hepatocytes is limited. We describe a novel non-transgenic protocol that facilitates the rapid generation of hepatocyte-like cells from human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs), providing a new source of functional hepatocytes.

Safety assessment of subtilisin QK in rats.

Background: Subtilisin QK is a serine protease in the subtilisin family, and is fermented by Bacillus subtilis QK02. The fibrinolytic activity of subtilisin QK was measured by detecting low molecular weight degradation products using a spectrophotometric method developed by Japan Bio Science Laboratory Co., Ltd.

A multiplex real-time PCR quantitation of human herpesvirus-6, 7, 8 viruses: application in blood transfusions.

Background: In recent years, fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction assays for detecting viral DNA are in widespread use throughout the world. However, considering the wide distribution of new herpesvirus among the population, we constructed a method to detect HHV-6, 7, and 8 simultaneously.

Methods: The blood samples of 74 blood donors and 45 pityriasis rosea patients were collected.

Acute and Subchronic Toxicities and Safety Pharmacology Studies of a Bacillus Subtilisin in Dogs.

Subtilisin NAT, a Bacillus subtilisin, is widely applied as a functional food and considered to be one of the most exploitable potential oral thrombolytic agents. Subtilisin QK, another Bacillus subtilisin, is a serine protease fermented by Bacillus subtilis 02 and has a better thrombolytic effect. Therefore, subtilisin QK is typically used for evaluating the safety of Bacillus subtilisins.

Type 1 diabetes mellitus and its oral tolerance therapy.

As a T cell-mediated autoimmune disease, type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is marked by insulin defect resulting from the destruction of pancreatic β-cells. The understanding of various aspects of T1DM, such as its epidemiology, pathobiology, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, and complications, has been greatly promoted by valuable research performed during the past decades. However, these findings have not been translated into an effective treatment.

Decreased Resting-State Interhemispheric Functional Connectivity in Medication-Free Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

Objective: Decreased homotopic connectivity of brain networks such as the cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical (CSTC) circuits may contribute to the pathophysiology of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, little is known about interhemispheric functional connectivity (FC) at rest in OCD. In this study, the voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC) method was applied to explore interhemispheric coordination at rest in OCD.

TSPAN1 promotes autophagy flux and mediates cooperation between WNT-CTNNB1 signaling and autophagy via the -FAM83A-TSPAN1 axis in pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive tumors associated with a poor clinical prognosis, weakly effective therapeutic options. Therefore, there is a strong impetus to discover new therapeutic targets in pancreatic cancer. In the present study, we first demonstrated that TSPAN1 is upregulated in pancreatic cancer and that TSPAN1 depletion decreases pancreatic cancer cell proliferation and .

An Addition of U0126 Protecting Heart Grafts From Prolonged Cold Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury in Heart Transplantation: A New Preservation Strategy.

Background: Ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) is the major cause of primary graft dysfunction in organ transplantation. The mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathway plays a crucial role in cell physiological and pathological processes including IRI. This study aims to investigate whether inhibition of ERK signaling with U0126 can prevent prolonged cold IRI in heart transplantation.

Quantitative pharmacokinetic evaluation of Subtilisin QK-2 after a bolus IV injection in a rat model using a novel sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Intravascular thrombosis is a main cause of multiple cardiovascular diseases. A high thrombolytic activity of the microbial fibrinolytic enzyme Subtilisin QK-2, which is highly homologous to Nattokinase, shows great exploitable potential in thrombolytic therapy. However, the lack of a sensitive detection method limits the further analysis of Subtilisin QK-2 in vivo.

STYK1 promotes autophagy through enhancing the assembly of autophagy-specific class III phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase complex I.

Macroautophagy/autophagy plays key roles in development, oncogenesis, and cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Autophagy-specific class III phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase complex I (PtdIns3K-C1) is essential for autophagosome formation. However, the regulation of this complex formation requires further investigation.

Insulin and its single-chain analogue.

Insulin therapy remains the most effective method to treat diabetes mellitus (DM), and the demand for this valuable hormone has exceeded that of any other protein-based medicine as a result of the dramatic increase in the number of diabetic patients worldwide. Understanding the structure of insulin and the interaction with its receptor is important for developing proper formulations. As a result of the relatively low thermal stability of native insulin and its two-chain analogues, the application of single-chain insulin (SCI) analogues, which can be obtained relatively easily by recombinant DNA technology or chemical synthetic methods, represents a promising alternative approach.

Increased cerebellar-default-mode network connectivity at rest in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Abnormalities of the cerebellum and default-mode network (DMN) in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) have been widely reported. However, alterations of reciprocal functional connections between the cerebellum and DMN at rest in OCD remain unclear. Forty patients with OCD and 38 gender-, age-, and education-matched healthy controls (HCs) underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scan.

Oral delivery of single-chain insulin (SCI-59) analog by bacterium-like particles (BLPs) induces oral tolerance and prevents autoimmune diabetes in NOD mice.

Oral tolerance, induced by oral administration of autoantigens, is a promising therapeutic approach to treat type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). However, the degradation of antigens passing through the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) leads to low induction efficiency. Based on our previous study, a single-chain insulin (SCI-59) analog, bound to the surface of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) bacterium-like particles (BLPs), was more stable in the simulated gastric fluid, compared to free SCI-59 and insulin.

Integral membrane protein 2A inhibits cell growth in human breast cancer via enhancing autophagy induction.

Background: Breast cancer is a life-threatening disease in females and the leading cause of mortality among the female population, presenting huge challenges for prognosis and treatment. ITM2A is a member of the BRICHOS superfamily, which are thought to have a chaperone function. ITM2A has been identified to related to ovarian cancer progress recently.

The Function and Therapeutic Potential of Epstein-Barr Virus-Encoded MicroRNAs in Cancer.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a ubiquitous human γ-herpesvirus that infects over 90% of the global population. EBV is considered a contributory factor in a variety of malignancies including nasopharyngeal carcinoma, gastric carcinoma, Burkitt lymphoma, and Hodgkin's lymphoma. Notably, EBV was the first virus found to encode microRNAs (miRNAs).

Affinity binding of aptamers to agarose with DNA tetrahedron for removal of hepatitis B virus surface antigen.

DNA nanostructures are effective intermediates for immobilizing biomolecules because of their high level of controllability, the flexibility to create desired nanostructures through precision "bottom-up" assembly and the convenience to building fine nanostructures. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the potential use of aptamers bound to agarose through a DNA tetrahedral structure to make a novel type of immunosorbent for the removal of hepatitis B virus surface antigens. Our results show that the proposed immunosorbent exhibits favorable biocompatibility and specificity.