Litchi flower essential oil (LFEO) restores intestinal health in lipid disorder Caenorhabditis elegans.

Maintaining lipid homeostasis is important for intestinal and body health. Litchi flower essential oil (LFEO), mainly containing 9,12-Octadecadienoic acid (Z,Z)-, α-Curcumene, Gamma.-Sitosterol, α-linolenic acid, β-Bisabolene and n-Hexadecanoic acid, has been demonstrated significant anti-obesity activity.

Trivalent recombinant protein vaccine induces cross-neutralization against XBB lineage and JN.1 subvariants: preclinical and phase 1 clinical trials.

The immune escape capacities of XBB variants necessitate the authorization of vaccines with these antigens. In this study, we produce three recombinant trimeric proteins from the RBD sequences of Delta, BA.5, and XBB.

Effect of Delayed Remote Ischemic Preconditioning on Acute Kidney Injury and Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Background: Remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) has 2 time windows for organ protection: acute and delayed. Previous studies have mainly focused on the organoprotective effects of acute RIPC. We aimed to determine whether delayed RIPC can reduce the occurrence of acute kidney injury (AKI) and postoperative complications in patients undergoing cardiac surgery.

Treatment of Vedolizumab With Exclusive Enteral Nutrition in Adult Patients With Moderate to Severe Crohn's Disease (Crohn Exclusive Enteral Nutrition Study).

Introduction: Despite increasing studies confirming the efficacy of vedolizumab (VDZ) in Crohn's disease (CD), improving the responses to this biologic agent remains challenging in clinical practice. In this article, we investigated the efficacy of combined treatment of VDZ and 16-week exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) in moderately to severely active CD.

Methods: From October 2020 to October 2023, 81 patients with moderately to severely active CD treated with VDZ from 2 inflammatory bowel disease centers were retrospectively selected.

Efficacy of Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision to Prevent HIV Infection Among Men Who Have Sex With Men : A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Observational studies suggest that voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) may lower HIV risk among men who have sex with men (MSM). A randomized controlled trial (RCT) is needed to confirm this.

Objective: To assess the efficacy of VMMC in preventing incident HIV infection among MSM.

Effectiveness and safety of ivabradine in Chinese patients with chronic heart failure: an observational study.

Aims: A therapeutic strategy for chronic heart failure (HF) is to lower resting heart rate (HR). Ivabradine is a well-known HR-lowering agent, but limited prospective data exist regarding its use in Chinese patients. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of ivabradine in Chinese patients with chronic HF.

Development of MRI-Based Deep Learning Signature for Prediction of Axillary Response After NAC in Breast Cancer.

Rationale And Objectives: To develop a MRI-based deep learning signature for predicting axillary response after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in breast cancer (BC) patients.

Materials And Methods: We enrolled 327 BC patients with axillary lymph node (ALN) metastases receiving axillary operations after NAC. The deep learning features were extracted by ResNet34, which was pretrained by a large, well-annotated dataset from ImageNet.

Retrotransposons hijack alt-EJ for DNA replication and eccDNA biogenesis.

Retrotransposons are highly enriched in the animal genome. The activation of retrotransposons can rewrite host DNA information and fundamentally impact host biology. Although developmental activation of retrotransposons can offer benefits for the host, such as against virus infection, uncontrolled activation promotes disease or potentially drives ageing.

Deep Learning-Based Fully Automated Segmentation of Regional Muscle Volume and Spatial Intermuscular Fat Using CT.

Rationale And Objectives: We aim to develop a CT-based deep learning (DL) system for fully automatic segmentation of regional muscle volume and measurement of the spatial intermuscular fat distribution of the gluteus maximus muscle.

Materials And Methods: A total of 472 subjects were enrolled and randomly assigned to one of three groups: a training set, test set 1, and test set 2. For each subject in the training set and test set 1, we selected six slices of the CT images as the region of interest for manual segmentation by a radiologist.

Safety and immunogenicity of an -produced 9-valent human papillomavirus L1 virus-like particle vaccine (types 6/11/16/18/31/33/45/52/58) in healthy adults: an open-label, dose-escalation phase 1 clinical trial.

Background: A safe and highly efficacious ()-produced HPV 16/18 bivalent vaccine has been prequalified by the World Health Organization. Here, we conducted a single-center, open-label, dose-escalation phase 1 clinical trial to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of the second-generation nonavalent HPV 6/11/16/18/31/33/45/52/58 vaccine.

Method: Twenty-four eligible volunteers aged 18-45 years were enrolled in January 2019 in Dongtai, China and received 0.

Blood Pressure Levels, Cardiovascular Events, and Renal Outcomes in Chronic Kidney Disease Without Antihypertensive Therapy: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study.

Background: High blood pressure (BP) is highly prevalent in patients with chronic kidney disease. However, the thresholds to initiate BP-lowering treatment in this population are unclear. We aimed to examine the associations between BP levels and clinical outcomes and provide evidence on potential thresholds to initiate BP-lowering therapy in people with chronic kidney disease.

Quantifying 6D tumor motion and calculating PTV margins during liver stereotactic radiotherapy with fiducial tracking.

Objective: Our study aims to estimate intra-fraction six-dimensional (6D) tumor motion with rotational correction and the related correlations between motions of different degrees of freedom (DoF), as well as quantify sufficient anisotropic clinical target volume (CTV) to planning target volume (PTV) margins during stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) of liver cancer with fiducial tracking technique.

Methods: A cohort of 12 patients who were implanted with 3 or 4 golden markers were included in this study, and 495 orthogonal kilovoltage (kV) pairs of images acquired during the first fraction were used to extract the spacial position of each golden marker. Translational and rotational motions of tumor were calculated based on the marker coordinates by using an iterative closest point (ICP) algorithm.

Retrospective study of the immunogenicity and safety of the CoronaVac SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in people with underlying medical conditions.

Background: People living with chronic disease, particularly seniors (≥60 years old), made up of most severe symptom and death cases among SARS-CoV-2 infected patients. However, they are lagging behind in the national COVID-19 vaccination campaign in China due to the uncertainty of vaccine safety and effectiveness. Safety and immunogenicity data of COVID-19 vaccines in people with underlying medical conditions are needed to address the vaccine hesitation in this population.

Retrotransposon activation during Drosophila metamorphosis conditions adult antiviral responses.

Retrotransposons are one type of mobile genetic element that abundantly reside in the genomes of nearly all animals. Their uncontrolled activation is linked to sterility, cancer and other pathologies, thereby being largely considered detrimental. Here we report that, within a specific time window of development, retrotransposon activation can license the host's immune system for future antiviral responses.

Trial of Endovascular Treatment of Acute Basilar-Artery Occlusion.

Background: Data from trials investigating the effects and risks of endovascular thrombectomy for the treatment of stroke due to basilar-artery occlusion are limited.

Methods: We conducted a multicenter, prospective, randomized, controlled trial of endovascular thrombectomy for basilar-artery occlusion at 36 centers in China. Patients were assigned, in a 2:1 ratio, within 12 hours after the estimated time of basilar-artery occlusion to receive endovascular thrombectomy or best medical care (control).

Obesity caused by an OVOL2 mutation reveals dual roles of OVOL2 in promoting thermogenesis and limiting white adipogenesis.

Using random germline mutagenesis in mice, we identified a viable hypomorphic allele (boh) of the transcription-factor-encoding gene Ovol2 that resulted in obesity, which initially developed with normal food intake and physical activity but decreased energy expenditure. Fat weight was dramatically increased, while lean weight was reduced in 12-week-old boh homozygous mice, culminating by 24 weeks in massive obesity, hepatosteatosis, insulin resistance, and diabetes. The Ovol2 genotype augmented obesity in Lep mice, and pair-feeding failed to normalize obesity in Ovol2 mice.

A self-assembled trimeric protein vaccine induces protective immunity against Omicron variant.

The recently emerged Omicron (B.1.1.

Identification of TPBG-Expressing Amacrine Cells in DAT-tdTomato Mouse.

Purpose: Neurons are the bricks of the neuronal system and experimental access to certain neuron subtypes will be of great help to decipher neuronal circuits. Here, we identified trophoblast glycoprotein (TPBG)-expressing GABAergic amacrine cells (ACs) that were selectively labeled in DAT-tdTomato transgenic mice.

Methods: Retina and brain sections were prepared for immunostaining with antibodies against various biomarkers.

Ticagrelor With or Without Aspirin in Chinese Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: A TWILIGHT China Substudy.

Background: The risk/benefit tradeoff of dual antiplatelet therapy after percutaneous coronary intervention may vary in East Asian patients as compared with their non-East Asian counterparts.

Methods: The double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized TWILIGHT trial (Ticagrelor With Aspirin or Alone in High-Risk Patients After Coronary Intervention) enrolled patients undergoing high-risk percutaneous coronary intervention. After 3 months of treatment with ticagrelor plus aspirin, event-free and adherent patients remained on ticagrelor and were randomly assigned to receive aspirin or placebo for 1 year.