The correlation between immune cells and endometriosis: a bidirectional two-sample mendelian randomization study.

Objectives: Endometriosis (EM), a prevalent estrogen-dependent inflammatory disorder affecting women of reproductive age, is characterized by the presence of endometrial-like tissue outside the uterus, resulting in pelvic scarring, pain, and infertility. Although the pathogenesis of EM remains poorly understood, there is growing evidence suggesting the involvement of the immune system in its etiology, pathophysiology, and associated morbidities such as pain, infertility, and adverse pregnancy outcomes. While previous studies have indicated a close relationship between the immune system and EM, the specific underlying mechanism remains incompletely elucidated.

A fluorogenic ROS-triggered hydrogen sulfide donor for alleviating cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury is a severe neurovascular disease that urgently requires effective therapeutic interventions. Recently, hydrogen sulfide (HS) has garnered significant attention as a potential treatment for stroke; however, the precise and targeted delivery of HS remains a considerable challenge for its clinical application. We have developed HSDF-NH, a novel HS donor characterized by high selectivity, self-reporting capabilities, and the ability to penetrate the blood-brain barrier (BBB).

Temperature-Controlled Chemoselective Couplings of Alkyl Halides with Disulfides.

An unprecedented, transition metal-free -alkylation of disulfides with alkyl halides is developed for the first time, providing an efficient and green synthesis of thioethers and even thioesters. Notably, this new method allows the full utilization of both sulfur atoms of disulfides under chemical reductant-free conditions and can be easily scaled up in gram scale, showing good practical value. Control experiments suggested that water, unprecedentedly, serves as the terminal reductant of the whole reaction.

Hospital-Acquired Pressure Ulcers and Long-Term Motor Score Recovery in Patients With Acute Cervical Spinal Cord Injury.

Importance: Pressure ulcers (PUs) are (1) prevalent secondary complications after spinal cord injury (SCI), (2) present with elevated systemic inflammatory tone, and (3) may interfere with healing processes underlying neurological recovery (disrepair).

Objective: To investigate whether PUs acquired during initial hospitalization are associated with neurological and functional long-term outcome and survival after SCI.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Multicenter cohort study at 20 centers of the prospective SCI Model Systems (SCIMS) Database (Birmingham, AL).

Effectiveness of ePRO-based symptom management for cancer patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies.

Purpose: To systematically synthesize the evidence on the effectiveness of electronic patient-reported outcome (ePRO)-based symptom management on readmission rate, quality of life, symptom burden, anxiety, depression, and mortality in adult cancer patients.

Method: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted according to the PRISMA guideline in PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, CINAHL, and Scopus for studies of randomized controlled trials reporting ePRO-based symptom management from January 1st, 2018, to May 31st, 2023. Two reviewers independently assessed risk-of-bias using Cochrane Risk-of-Bias version 2 and extracted the data.

Prediction of the early hepatocellular carcinoma development in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection using gadoxetic acid-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging.

Background: Non-hypervascular hypointense nodules (NHHNs) can transform into hypervascular hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) during the long-term follow-up. However, the risk factors for NHHN hypervascular transformation in chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV)-infected populations are unknown. This study assessed the predictive value of gadoxetic acid-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for HCC development in patients with chronic HBV infection.

The instability of pectin-based emulsions in the upper digestive tract investigated based on the molecular structure and interfacial properties of pectin.

Pectin is a widely used natural emulsifier that is thought to stabilize emulsions in the upper gastrointestinal tract (GIT). However, changes in the structural characteristics and interfacial properties of pectin during its digestive treatment in the upper GIT and the effects on the stability of pectin-based emulsions are still unclear. This study showed that the stability of pectin-based emulsions steadily decreased in the upper GIT.

Enhancing data standards to advance translation in spinal cord injury.

Data standards are available for spinal cord injury (SCI). The International SCI Data Sets were created in 2002 and there are currently 27 freely available. In 2014 the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke developed clinical common data elements to promote clinical data sharing in SCI.

Developmental trajectories of interpersonal stress in school and psychological pain contributing to self-harm in adolescents.

Background: This study investigated the trajectories of interpersonal stress and psychological pain and their effects on self-harm behaviors in adolescents and explored the reciprocal associations between interpersonal stress and NSSI/SA.

Methods: The participants included 1149 adolescents (50.3% women; M = 12.

Feasibility of fractal dimension analysis for left ventricular trabecular complexity using cardiac computed tomography.

Aims: To evaluate the consistency between fractal dimensions (FD) derived from cardiac computed tomography (CT-FD) and cardiac magnetic resonance (MR-FD) in assessing left ventricular trabecular complexity.

Methods: This retrospective study included 170 patients who underwent CCT and CMR scans within two weeks. Five short-axis cine images were selected at end-diastole: one basal, three mid, and one apical slice.

Visualization of the degradation of long-acting microneedles and correlation of drug release in vivo based on FRET mechanism.

This study introduces a live imaging technique for real-time, non-invasive monitoring of drug release from long-acting microneedles using FRET (Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer). Employing Cy5.5 and Cy7 as FRET pairs and levonorgestrel as the model drug, we fabricated microneedles with varying PLGA molecular weights, demonstrating distinct release profiles.

Mechanistic study of synergetic stabilization of Pickering emulsions by corn glutelin and starch complexes.

The hydrophobicity of glutelin, zein, and carotenoids has limited the development of corn-based functional food products. This paper aims to construct emulsions stabilized by multiple corn-derived components using a simple and organic solvent-free method. The emulsions comprised oil droplets dispersed in the water, where glutelin and starch were stabilizers.

Substance use during the COVID-19 pandemic among persons with traumatic spinal cord injury: A cross-sectional perspective.

Study Design: Analysis of data from two cohorts of Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems Database (SCIMS) participants, pre-pandemic (2017-2019,  = 6368) and during pandemic (2020,  = 1889).

Objectives: To examine differences in substance use during the pandemic compared to the years prior to the pandemic.

Setting: 19 SCIMS Centers.

Single-nucleus multiomics reveals the gene-regulatory networks underlying sex determination of murine primordial germ cells.

Accurate specification of female and male germ cells during embryonic development is critical for sexual reproduction. Primordial germ cells (PGCs) are the bipotential precursors of mature gametes that commit to an oogenic or spermatogenic fate in response to sex-determining cues from the fetal gonad. The critical processes required for PGCs to integrate and respond to signals from the somatic environment in gonads are not understood.

The quality and reliability of short videos about thyroid nodules on BiliBili and TikTok: Cross-sectional study.

Background: The detection rate of thyroid nodules has witnessed a significant surge in recent years, triggering heightened public apprehension. Short video platforms such as TikTok and BiliBili have showed tremendous potential in the dissemination of health information. There is a plethora of videos about thyroid nodules on TikTok and BiliBili, but the quality and reliability of videos concerning thyroid nodules remains unknown.

Synthesis of hydroxy-thiazoline substituted pyridine derivatives [3 + 2] annulation of 1,4-dithiane-2,5-diol with cyanopyridine.

A series of hydroxy-thiazoline substituted pyridine compounds were synthesized the annulation of 1,4-dithiane-2,5-diol with cyanopyridine catalyzed by organic bases. The yields could reach up to 95%. The reaction required no solvent, and the products were obtained from raw materials and catalysts simply by grinding the mixture at room temperature for 10 min.

Distinct influences of altitude on microbiome and antibiotic resistome assembly in a glacial river ecosystem of Mount Everest.

The profound influences of altitude on aquatic microbiome were well documented. However, differences in the responses of different life domains (bacteria, microeukaryotes, viruses) and antibiotics resistance genes (ARGs) in glacier river ecosystems to altitude remain unknown. Here, we employed shotgun metagenomic and amplicon sequencing to characterize the altitudinal variations of microbiome and ARGs in the Rongbu River, Mount Everest.

Quantification of Microsphere Drug Release by Fluorescence Imaging with the FRET System.

Accurately measuring drug and its release kinetics in both in vitro and in vivo environments is crucial for enhancing therapeutic effectiveness while minimizing potential side effects. Nevertheless, the real-time visualization of drug release from microspheres to monitor potential overdoses remains a challenge. The primary objective of this investigation was to employ fluorescence imaging for the real-time monitoring of drug release from microspheres in vitro, thereby simplifying the laborious analysis associated with the detection of drug release.

Career adaptability and career coping styles among Chinese medicine specialty students during the COVID-19: The mediating role of career decision-making self-efficacy.

Over the past decade, the attrition rate of Chinese medical graduates has remained high, and the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this situation. Medicine specialty students are the main force of the future healthcare industry. The career choices and career confidence of those entering the healthcare industry will have a huge influence on the quality of future healthcare provision.

Development of Composite Measures of Neighborhood Economic Factors for Use in Spinal Cord Injury Outcomes Studies: A Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems Database Study.

Objective: To develop composite measures of neighborhood economic factors for use with the national Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems (SCIMSs) database in cross-sectional and longitudinal investigations of the social determinants of health.

Design: Secondary data analysis of administrative data from the 2009, 2014, and 2019 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates and survey data collected for the SCIMS database.

Setting: Community.

Leucosceptrane sesterterpenoids from Tibetan Leucosceptrum canum and their immunosuppressive activity.

Phytochemical investigation on the leaves of Tibetan Leucosceptrum canum, a Chinese medicinal herb, led to the isolation of seven new leucosceptrane sesterterpenoids (1-7) and five known analogs (8-12). Comprehensive spectroscopic analysis (including 1D and 2D NMR, and HRMS), quantum chemistry computations, and single crystal X-ray crystallographic analysis were applied to elucidate their structures. Compounds 1-3 and 6 were the first examples of the leucosceptrane sesterterpenoids with rare C-2 oxidation.