The c-di-GMP signalling component YfiR regulates multiple bacterial phenotypes and virulence in Pseudomonas plecoglossicida.

Aims: Pseudomonas plecoglossicida (P. plecoglossicida) is the causative agent of visceral granulomas disease in large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea) and it causes severe economic loss to its industry. Biofilm formation, related to intracellular cyclic bis (3'-5') diguanylic acid (c-di-GMP) levels, is essential for the lifestyle of P.

Intermittent fasting induces rapid hepatocyte proliferation to restore the hepatostat in the mouse liver.

Nutrient availability fluctuates in most natural populations, forcing organisms to undergo periods of fasting and re-feeding. It is unknown how dietary changes influence liver homeostasis. Here, we show that a switch from ad libitum feeding to intermittent fasting (IF) promotes rapid hepatocyte proliferation.

AI support for accurate and fast radiological diagnosis of COVID-19: an international multicenter, multivendor CT study.

Objectives: Differentiation between COVID-19 and community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in computed tomography (CT) is a task that can be performed by human radiologists and artificial intelligence (AI). The present study aims to (1) develop an AI algorithm for differentiating COVID-19 from CAP and (2) evaluate its performance. (3) Evaluate the benefit of using the AI result as assistance for radiological diagnosis and the impact on relevant parameters such as accuracy of the diagnosis, diagnostic time, and confidence.

Assessment of Hepatocyte Ploidy by Flow Cytometry.

Polyploidy is a common and dynamic feature of mature rodent and human hepatocytes. While polyploidization occurs naturally during growth, alterations in the distribution of diploid and polyploid cells in the liver can be indicative of tissue stress or a pathologic state. Here, we describe a method for flow cytometric quantification of ploidy distribution by staining with propidium iodide.

EGFR signaling activates intestinal stem cells by promoting mitochondrial biogenesis and β-oxidation.

EGFR-RAS-ERK signaling promotes growth and proliferation in many cell types, and genetic hyperactivation of RAS-ERK signaling drives many cancers. Yet, despite intensive study of upstream components in EGFR signal transduction, the identities and functions of downstream effectors in the pathway are poorly understood. In Drosophila intestinal stem cells (ISCs), the transcriptional repressor Capicua (Cic) and its targets, the ETS-type transcriptional activators Pointed (pnt) and Ets21C, are essential downstream effectors of mitogenic EGFR signaling.

Wnt signaling regulates hepatocyte cell division by a transcriptional repressor cascade.

Cell proliferation is tightly controlled by inhibitors that block cell cycle progression until growth signals relieve this inhibition, allowing cells to divide. In several tissues, including the liver, cell proliferation is inhibited at mitosis by the transcriptional repressors E2F7 and E2F8, leading to formation of polyploid cells. Whether growth factors promote mitosis and cell cycle progression by relieving the E2F7/E2F8-mediated inhibition is unknown.

Assembly of Poly(ethylene glycol)ylated Oleanolic Acid on a Linear Polymer as a Pseudomucin for Influenza Virus Inhibition and Adsorption.

Biomimicry of the mucin barrier function is an efficient strategy to counteract influenza. We report the simple aminolyzation of poly(methyl vinyl ether--maleic anhydride) (PM) using amine-terminated poly(ethylene glycol)ylated oleanolic acid () to mimic the mucin structure and its adsorption of the influenza virus. Direct interactions between influenza hemagglutinin (HA) and the prepared macromolecule evaluated by surface plasmon resonance and isothermal titration calorimetry demonstrated that the multivalent presentation of on PM enhanced the binding affinity to HA with a decrease in of approximately three orders of magnitude compared with monomeric .

An intelligent T-T switchable MRI contrast agent for the non-invasive identification of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques.

Unlike stable atherosclerotic plaques, vulnerable plaques are very likely to cause serious cardio-cerebrovascular diseases. Meanwhile, how to non-invasively identify vulnerable plaques at early stages has been an urgent but challenging problem in clinical practices. Here, we propose a macrophage-targeted and in situ stimuli-triggered T-T switchable magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) nanoprobe for the non-invasive diagnosis of vulnerable plaques.

Isolated Metastasis to Spleen-Stomach Space From Follicular Thyroid Cancer Combined With a Benign Subcutaneous Nodule on 18F-FDG PET/CT and 131I Scintigraphy.

A 40-year-old woman with follicular thyroid cancer underwent a systemic PET/CT evaluation before operation and then received total thyroidectomy and radioactive 131I ablation therapy. Posttreatment imaging of 131I whole-body scan with SPECT/CT showed that metastasis on the spleen-stomach space coexists with mimicking subcutaneous metastasis, considering their level of 131I accumulation and morphological changes on PET/CT. However, histopathology confirmed the subcutaneous lesion of fibrous hyperplasia by fine-needle aspiration.

Guanidinothiosialoside-Human Serum Albumin Conjugate Mimics mucin Barrier to Restrict Influenza Infection.

A guanidinothiosialoside-human serum albumin conjugate as mucin mimic was prepared via a copper-free click reaction. Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization-Time of Flight-Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) indicated that three sialoside groups were grafted onto the protein backbone. The synthetic glycoconjugate exhibited strong influenza virion capture and trapping capability.

Clinical features of COVID-19 convalescent patients with re-positive nucleic acid detection.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a pandemic that has rapidly spread worldwide. Increasingly, confirmed patients being discharged according to the current diagnosis and treatment protocols, follow-up of convalescent patients is important to knowing about the outcome.

Methods: A retrospective study was performed among 98 convalescent patients with COVID-19 in a single medical center.

Differential Diagnosis of Benign and Malignant Thyroid Nodules Using Deep Learning Radiomics of Thyroid Ultrasound Images.

Purpose: We aimed to propose a highly automatic and objective model named deep learning Radiomics of thyroid (DLRT) for the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid nodules from ultrasound (US) images.

Methods: We retrospectively enrolled and finally include US images and fine-needle aspiration biopsies from 1734 patients with 1750 thyroid nodules. A basic convolutional neural network (CNN) model, a transfer learning (TL) model, and a newly designed model named deep learning Radiomics of thyroid (DLRT) were used for the investigation.

Effect of elasticity on the phagocytosis of micro/nanoparticles.

A broad range of investigation methods and frameworks are currently used to throughly study the elasticity of various types of micro/nanoparticles (MNPs) with different properties and to explore the effect of such properties on their interactions with biological species. Specifically, the elasticity of MNPs serves as a key influencing factor with respect to important aspects of phagocytosis, such as the clathrin-mediated phagocytosis, caveolae-mediated phagocytosis, macropinocytosis, and cell membrane fusion. Achieving a clear understanding of the relationships that exist between the elasticity of MNPs and their phagocytic processes is essential to improve their performance in drug delivery, which is related to aspects such as circulation lifetime in blood, accumulation time in tissues, and resistance to metabolism.

The relationship among occupational irradiation, DNA methylation status, and oxidative damage in interventional physicians.

Ionizing radiation can induce deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) methylation pattern change, and ionizing radiation-induced oxidative damage may also affect DNA methylation status. However, the influence of low-dose ionizing radiation, such as occupational radiation exposure, on DNA methylation is still controversial.By investigating the relationship between occupational radiation exposure and DNA methylation changes, we evaluated whether radiation-induced oxidative damage was related to DNA methylation alterations and then determined the relationship among occupational radiation level, DNA methylation status, and oxidative damage in interventional physicians.

Computed Tomography Radiomic Nomogram for Preoperative Prediction of Extrathyroidal Extension in Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma.

Determining the presence of extrathyroidal extension (ETE) is important for patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) in selecting the proper surgical approaches. This study aimed to explore a radiomic model for preoperative prediction of ETE in patients with PTC. The study included 624 PTC patients (without ETE, = 448; with minimal ETE, = 52; with gross ETE, = 124) whom were divided randomly into training ( = 437) and validation ( = 187) cohorts; all data were gathered between January 2016 and November 2017.

Radiomic analysis for preoperative prediction of cervical lymph node metastasis in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma.

Purpose: Cervical lymph node (LN) metastasis of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is critical for treatment and prognosis. We explored the feasibility of using radiomics to preoperatively predict cervical LN metastasis in PTC patients.

Method: Total 221 PTC patients (training cohort: n = 154; validation cohort: n = 67; divided randomly at the ratio of 7:3) were enrolled and divided into 2 groups based on LN pathologic diagnosis (N0: n = 118; N1a and N1b: n = 88 and 15, respectively).

Manganese-Zeolitic Imidazolate Frameworks-90 with High Blood Circulation Stability for MRI-Guided Tumor Therapy.

Zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs) as smart drug delivery systems with microenvironment-triggered release have attracted much attention for tumor therapy. However, the exploration of ZIFs in biomedicine still encounters many issues, such as inconvenient surface modification, fast drug release during blood circulation, undesired damage to major organs, and severe in vivo toxicity. To address the above issues, we developed an Mn-ZIF-90 nanosystem functionalized with an originally designed active-targeting and pH-responsive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) Y receptor ligand [Asn, Pro, Trp]-NPY (25-36) for imaging-guided tumor therapy.

Synergistic triple-combination therapy with hyaluronic acid-shelled PPy/CPT nanoparticles results in tumor regression and prevents tumor recurrence and metastasis in 4T1 breast cancer.

Breast cancer is characterized by high aggression, poor prognosis, and high recurrence rate. Early detection and specific targeted treatment with less toxicity are the ultimate goals for breast cancer therapy. To improve antitumor therapeutic effects, we developed a novel polypyrrole nanoparticle using the near infrared dye IRDye800CW with camptothecin (CPT)-conjugated hyaluronic acid (HA) shell (PPy@CPT-HA-IRDye800CW) and performed a photothermal therapy (PTT), along with chemotherapy, guided by fluorescence and photoacoustic dual-modality imaging, in combination with immunotherapy.

Effect of Copper Foil Crystal Orientation on Graphene Quality Synthesized by Chemical Vapor Deposition.

Line defects such as wrinkles are believed to change the electrical properties of graphene. However, they are often observed in graphene grown via chemical vapor deposition; hence, it is important to study the impact of the substrate condition on graphene quality. In this work, graphene was synthesized on various copper domains with different crystal orientations and surface morphologies.

Tissue Repair in the Mouse Liver Following Acute Carbon Tetrachloride Depends on Injury-Induced Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling.

In the liver, Wnt/β-catenin signaling is involved in regulating zonation and hepatocyte proliferation during homeostasis. We examined Wnt gene expression and signaling after injury, and we show by in situ hybridization that Wnts are activated by acute carbon tetrachloride (CCl ) toxicity. Following injury, peri-injury hepatocytes become Wnt-responsive, expressing the Wnt target gene axis inhibition protein 2 (Axin2).

Advances in molecular imaging of immune checkpoint targets in malignancies: current and future prospect.

Objectives: This review describes the current status and progress of immune checkpoint targets for imaging of malignancies. Immune checkpoint blockade holds great potential for cancer treatment, and clinical implementation into routine is very rapidly progressing. Therefore, it is an urgent need to become familiar with the vocabulary of immunotherapy and with the evaluation of immune checkpoint and related treatments through noninvasive molecular imaging.

Inflammatory Cytokine TNFα Promotes the Long-Term Expansion of Primary Hepatocytes in 3D Culture.

In the healthy adult liver, most hepatocytes proliferate minimally. However, upon physical or chemical injury to the liver, hepatocytes proliferate extensively in vivo under the direction of multiple extracellular cues, including Wnt and pro-inflammatory signals. Currently, liver organoids can be generated readily in vitro from bile-duct epithelial cells, but not hepatocytes.

Diagnostic Value of ER, PR, FR and HER-2-Targeted Molecular Probes for Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Patients with Breast Cancer.

Background/aims: Smart molecular probes are required in the application of Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for biochemical and clinical research. This study aims to investigate the diagnostic values of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), folate receptor (FR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2)-targeted molecular probes in the MRI diagnosis of breast cancer.

Methods: Initially, a total of 508 female breast cancer patients were selected for breast cancer subtype classification by immunohistochemistry.

Multislice computed tomography performance in differential diagnosis of high-density thymic cyst and thymoma in lesions less than 3 cm.

Background: This study was conducted to evaluate the performance of multislice computed tomography (MSCT) to diagnose high-density thymic cysts and thymomas in lesions measuring < 3 cm.

Methods: The records of 42 patients admitted to Ningbo No. 2 Hospital with an anterior mediastinal mass (diameter < 3 cm) suspected of carcinoma originating from the thymus were retrospectively analyzed.

Y-receptor-ligand-functionalized ultrasmall upconversion nanoparticles for tumor-targeted trimodality imaging and photodynamic therapy with low toxicity.

Achieving efficient photodynamic therapy (PDT) in deeper biological tissue is still the biggest bottleneck that limits its widespread application in clinic. Although deeper biological tissue PDT could be realized through a combination of upconversion nanoparticles with a photosensitizer, issues with particle-size-induced upconversion fluorescence (UF) reduction and the related in vivo toxicity still cannot be solved properly. In this study, we synthesized Y1Rs-ligand [Pro30, Nle31, Bpa32, Leu34]NPY(28-36) (NPY)-modified and photosensitizer MC540-loaded LiLuF4:Yb,Er@nLiGdF4@mSiO2 multifunctional nanocomposites (MNPs) with a core-multishell structure and ultrasmall size.