Expression of pregnenolone-synthesizing enzymes CYP11A1 and CYP1B1 in the human, rat, and mouse brain.

The central nervous system (CNS) is capable of synthesizing steroids for modulating essential functions such as neurotransmission, neuroplasticity, and neuroinflammation. These locally synthesized steroids, called neurosteroids, are produced through the conversion of cholesterol into the major steroid precursor pregnenolone, followed by downstream metabolism to form various steroids such as progesterone and allopregnanolone. Given that changes in neurosteroids are implicated in many neurological and psychiatric disorders, understanding the neurosteroidogenesis pathway is crucial.

Research on sleep disorders and related risk factors among healthcare workers from Fujian province supporting Hubei province during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objective: To explore the impact of COVID-19 on the sleep of healthcare workers from Fujian Province supporting Hubei Province and its related risk factors.

Methods: A cross-sectional, anonymous, self-reported online questionnaire survey was conducted among all participants. The questionnaire consisted of five parts: sociodemographic characteristics and COVID-19 epidemic-related factors, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire-5 (MEQ-5), and 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12).

DLCNBC-SA: a model for assessing axillary lymph node metastasis status in early breast cancer patients.

Background: Axillary lymph node (ALN) status is a crucial prognostic indicator for breast cancer metastasis, with manual interpretation of whole slide images (WSIs) being the current standard practice. However, this method is subjective and time-consuming. Recent advancements in deep learning-based methods for medical image analysis have shown promise in improving clinical diagnosis.

Objective Sleep Duration and All-Cause Mortality Among People With Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Importance: The association between sleep duration and all-cause mortality remains unclear among people with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Objective: To explore whether there is an association between sleep duration and all-cause mortality among people with OSA.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This cohort study investigated participants with OSA from the Sleep Heart Health Study (SHHS) in which participants were enrolled between 1995 and 1998 with questionnaires and polysomnography (PSG) assessment and followed up for a median of 11.

Performance of International Classification of Disease-10 codes in detecting emergency department patients with opioid misuse.

Background And Aims: Accurate case discovery is critical for disease surveillance, resource allocation and research. International Classification of Disease (ICD) diagnosis codes are commonly used for this purpose. We aimed to determine the sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value (PPV) of ICD-10 codes for opioid misuse case discovery in the emergency department (ED) setting.

Analysis of Airway Thickening and Serum Cytokines in COPD Patients with Frequent Exacerbations: A Heart of the Matter.

Background: Differences in lung function for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) cause bias in the findings when identifying frequent exacerbator phenotype-related causes. The aim of this study was to determine whether computed tomographic (CT) biomarkers and circulating inflammatory biomarkers were associated with the COPD frequent exacerbator phenotype after eliminating the differences in lung function between a frequent exacerbator (FE) group and a non-frequent exacerbator (NFE) group.

Methods: A total of 212 patients with stable COPD were divided into a FE group (n=106) and a NFE group (n=106) according to their exacerbation history.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Linnaeus, 1785 (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae).

severely impacts on the health of banyan trees. In this study, the whole mitochondrial genome for was found to be 16,158 bp with a GC content of 23.9%, including 39.

Mitochondrial cytochrome P450 1B1 is involved in pregnenolone synthesis in human brain cells.

Neurosteroids, which are steroids synthesized by the nervous system, can exert neuromodulatory and neuroprotective effects via genomic and nongenomic pathways. The neurosteroid and major steroid precursor pregnenolone has therapeutical potential in various diseases, such as psychiatric and pain disorders, and may play important roles in myelination, neuroinflammation, neurotransmission, and neuroplasticity. Although pregnenolone is synthesized by CYP11A1 in peripheral steroidogenic organs, our recent study showed that pregnenolone must be synthesized by another mitochondrial cytochrome P450 (CYP450) enzyme other than CYP11A1 in human glial cells.

Translocator protein in the rise and fall of central nervous system neurons.

Translocator protein (TSPO), a 18 kDa protein found in the outer mitochondrial membrane, has historically been associated with the transport of cholesterol in highly steroidogenic tissues though it is found in all cells throughout the mammalian body. TSPO has also been associated with molecular transport, oxidative stress, apoptosis, and energy metabolism. TSPO levels are typically low in the central nervous system (CNS), but a significant upregulation is observed in activated microglia during neuroinflammation.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Linnaeus, 1758 (Coleoptera: Trogossitidae).

Linnaeus, 1758 (Coleoptera: Trogossitidae) is a storage pest that feeds mainly on soybean and corn. In this study, we sequenced the entire mitochondrial genome of (GenBank accession number: OM161967). The total length of the mitochondrial genome is 15,696 bp, GC content is 29.

Noninvasive electrophysiological imaging identifies 4D uterine peristalsis patterns in subjects with normal menstrual cycles and patients with endometriosis.

Throughout the menstrual cycle, spontaneous mild contractions in the inner layer of the uterine smooth muscle cause uterine peristalsis, which plays a critical role in normal menstruation and fertility. Disruptions in peristalsis patterns may occur in women experiencing subfertility, abnormal uterine bleeding, ovulatory dysfunction, endometriosis, and other disorders. However, current tools to measure uterine peristalsis in humans have limitations that hamper their research or clinical utilities.

Noninvasive electromyometrial imaging of human uterine maturation during term labor.

Electromyometrial imaging (EMMI) was recently developed to image the three-dimensional (3D) uterine electrical activation during contractions noninvasively and accurately in sheep. Herein we describe the development and application of a human EMMI system to image and evaluate 3D uterine electrical activation patterns at high spatial and temporal resolution during human term labor. We demonstrate the successful integration of the human EMMI system during subjects' clinical visits to generate noninvasively the uterine surface electrical potential maps, electrograms, and activation sequence through an inverse solution using up to 192 electrodes distributed around the abdomen surface.

Polysaccharides from alleviate hypercholesterolemia modulating the gut microbiota and bile acid metabolism.

Polysaccharides from (EP) possess multiple biological activities, while the role of EP in hypercholesterolemia and its relationship with the gut microbiota have not been elucidated. To address this issue, fifty male C57BL/6J mice were randomly subjected to a basal diet and a high-fat and high-cholesterol diet, and 3 treatment groups were fed an HFHC diet supplemented with different dosages of EP (100, 200 and 300 mg kg day) for 12 weeks. Here we show that EP intervention lowered serum concentrations of total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and inhibited hepatic cholesterol deposition.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Thomson, 1877 (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae).

Thomson, 1877 (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) is the trunk borer of orange trees. In this study, we sequenced and annotated the whole mitochondrial genome of . The results showed that the length of the complete mitochondrial genome is 15,854 bp with an overall GC content of 32.

Breast microecology improvement using probiotics following needle aspiration in patients with lactational breast abscess: a multi-center randomized double-blind controlled trial.

Although oral probiotics can improve breast microecology and alleviate the inflammatory response, there are no data regarding cases with existing abscesses. We aimed to investigate the effect of Lactobacillus fermentum CECT5716 during needle aspiration in patients with lactational breast abscesses. Patients (aged 20-41 years) with lactational single-cavity breast abscesses (diameter 3-6 cm) from 12 hospitals were randomly assigned to the experimental (n = 51) and control groups (n = 50).

The complete mitochondrial genome of Schaufuss, 1879 (Coleoptera: Buprestidae).

Schaufuss, 1879 (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) is a common pine pest in Chongqing, Fujian, Yunnan, and other in China. The mitochondrial genome of is 15,759 bp in size. The genome includes 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA genes (tRNAs), and two ribosomal RNA genes (rRNAs).

Calorie restriction on normal body weight mice prevents body weight regain on a follow-up high-fat diet by shaping an obesity-resistant-like gut microbiota profile.

Calorie restriction (CR) is one of the most common approaches for obesity treatment, but whether resuming feeding after CR in normal-weight mice can affect excessive weight regain remains poorly studied. To address this issue, male C57BL/6 mice were placed in three groups: a control group ( = 10), a group fed normal diet with 30% CR ( = 20); and a group fed a HF diet ( = 30). After four weeks, the CR group was fed either a normal diet (NDCR, = 10) or a high-fat diet (HFCR, = 10) for an additional eight weeks.

The neurosteroid pregnenolone is synthesized by a mitochondrial P450 enzyme other than CYP11A1 in human glial cells.

Neurosteroids, modulators of neuronal and glial cell functions, are synthesized in the nervous system from cholesterol. In peripheral steroidogenic tissues, cholesterol is converted to the major steroid precursor pregnenolone by the CYP11A1 enzyme. Although pregnenolone is one of the most abundant neurosteroids in the brain, expression of CYP11A1 is difficult to detect.

Association between Gene Expression and Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Breast Milk.

Polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) in breast milk provides physiological benefits for offspring and is closely related to endogenous biosynthesis in lactating women. Few studies have addressed the association between fatty acid desaturase () gene expression patterns and fatty acids in breast milk. This research aimed to explore the differences in PUFA levels among breast milk groups with different levels of gene expression and provide a scientific basis for precision nutrition strategies.

External validation of a machine learning classifier to identify unhealthy alcohol use in hospitalized patients.

Background And Aims: Unhealthy alcohol use (UAU) is one of the leading causes of global morbidity. A machine learning approach to alcohol screening could accelerate best practices when integrated into electronic health record (EHR) systems. This study aimed to validate externally a natural language processing (NLP) classifier developed at an independent medical center.

Reliability and validity of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index among frontline COVID-19 health care workers using classical test theory and item response theory.

Study Objectives: The applicability of sleep-related scales to frontline medical staff for the COVID-19 pandemic has not been fully proved, so sleep survey results lack credibility and accuracy, creating difficulties for the guidance and treatment of frontline medical staff with sleep disorders, which is not conducive to the prevention and control of COVID-19. This study sought to analyze the reliability and validity of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) among frontline medical staff fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: A network questionnaire survey was used to investigate the PSQI among frontline medical staff who fought COVID-19 in Wuhan, China from March 19 to April 15, 2020.