Pentraxin-3 as a novel prognostic biomarker in non-neutropenic invasive pulmonary aspergillosis patients.

The incidence of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) in non-neutropenic patients is increasing. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical outcomes and risk factors for mortality in non-neutropenic IPA patients. We conducted a prospective, multicenter study from August 2020 to February 2024, enrolling 565 patients with suspected IPA.

Development and Validation of a Prediction Model for Thyroid Dysfunction in Patients During Immunotherapy.

Objective: This study was designed to develop and validate a predictive model for assessing the risk of thyroid toxicity following treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on a cohort of 586 patients diagnosed with malignant tumors who received programmed cell death 1 (PD-1)/programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitors. The patients were randomly divided into training and validation cohorts in a 7:3 ratio.

CEO Overconfidence, Corporate Governance, and R&D Smoothing in Technology-Based Entrepreneurial Firms.

The intertemporal stability of research and development (R&D) investment is a key issue in successfully promoting the continuation of innovation activities under high uncertainty in entrepreneurship. R&D smoothing helps firms to navigate the uncertainties of the external environment and maintain the stability of their investments in innovation. Chief executive officers (CEOs) are the most important decision-makers in firms' strategic planning.

Efficacy and safety of apatinib as second or later-line therapy in extensive-stage small cell lung cancer: a prospective, exploratory, single-arm, multi-center clinical trial.

Background: A paucity of strategies exist for extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) patients who fail the first-line chemotherapy. Apatinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) that selectively inhibits vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2), which has been demonstrated to have active anti-tumor activity in ES-SCLC when used only or combined with PD-1 inhibitors or chemotherapy with good tolerance. However, the efficacy and safety of apatinib monotherapy is unclear in second-line or beyond treatment of ES-SCLC.

Path Research on the Value Chain Reconfiguration of Manufacturing Enterprises Under Digital Transformation - A Case Study of B Company.

Emerging new digital technologies speed up the pace of the layout of the digital economy in various countries. As the main body of China's real economy, the manufacturing industry does not account for a high proportion of the digital economy. Hence, the digital transformation of the manufacturing industry has become a hot topic.

Stabilized High-Voltage Cathodes via an F-Rich and Si-Containing Electrolyte Additive.

High-voltage cathodes provide a promising solution to the energy density limitation of currently commercialized lithium-ion batteries, but they are unstable in electrolytes during the charge/discharge process. To address this issue, we propose a novel electrolyte additive, pentafluorophenyltriethoxysilane (TPS), which is rich in elemental F and contains elemental Si. The effectiveness of TPS has been demonstrated by cycling a representative high-voltage cathode, LiNiMnO (LNMO), in 1.

Optimization of Nebulized Budesonide in the Treatment of Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Background: Clinical studies have suggested nebulized budesonide (NB) as an alternative to systemic corticosteroids for patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD). However, the optimal budesonide dose for AECOPD remains unclear.

Objectives: To compare the efficacy and safety of different doses of NB in the management of AECOPD.

Downregulation of BarH-like homeobox 2 promotes cell proliferation, migration and aerobic glycolysis through Wnt/β-catenin signaling, and predicts a poor prognosis in non-small cell lung carcinoma.

Background: Human BarH-like homeobox 2 (Barx2), a homeodomain factor of the Bar family, plays a critical role in cell adhesion and cytoskeleton remodeling, and has been reported in an increasing array of tumor types except non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). The purpose of the current study was to characterize the expression of Barx2 and assess the clinical significance of Barx2 in NSCLC.

Methods: Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, immunohistochemistry and western blot analysis were used to examine mRNA and protein expression, respectively.

[Effect of vertebral manipulation therapy on vertebro-basilar artery blood flow in cervical spondylosis of vertebral artery type].

Objective: To observe the effect of vertebral manipulation (VM) therapy on vertebro-basilar artery (VBA) blood flow in patients with cervical spondylosis of vertebral artery type (CS-VAT) by transcranial Doppler (TCD) ultrasonic examination.

Methods: One hundred and fifty patients with CS-VAT were randomized into the VM group (n = 100) and the acupuncture group (n = 50), and treated for ten times as one therapeutic course. Changes of the contraction peak, the end-diastolic and average blood flow velocity of VBA before and after treatment in the two groups were observed and compared by TCD.