Deciphering the therapeutic effects of Xiyanping injection: insights into pulmonary and gut microbiome modulation, SerpinB2/PAI-2 targeting, and alleviation of influenza a virus-induced lung injury.

Infection with Influenza A virus (IAV) induces severe inflammatory responses and lung injury, contributing significantly to mortality and morbidity rates. Alterations in the microbial composition of the lungs and intestinal tract resulting from infection could influence disease progression and treatment outcomes. Xiyanping (XYP) injection has demonstrated efficacy in clinical treatment across various viral infections.

Association between metabolic score for visceral fat index and BMI-adjusted skeletal muscle mass index in American adults.

Background: The metabolic score for visceral fat (METS-VF) is a recently identified index for evaluating visceral fat, also referred to as abdominal obesity. The skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) serves as a critical measure for assessing muscle mass and sarcopenia. Both obesity and the reduction of muscle mass can significantly affect human health.

Impacted lower third molar classification and difficulty index assessment: comparisons among dental students, general practitioners and deep learning model assistance.

Background: Assessing the difficulty of impacted lower third molar (ILTM) surgical extraction is crucial for predicting postoperative complications and estimating procedure duration. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a convolutional neural network (CNN) in determining the angulation, position, classification and difficulty index (DI) of ILTM. Additionally, we compared these parameters and the time required for interpretation among deep learning (DL) models, sixth-year dental students (DSs), and general dental practitioners (GPs) with and without CNN assistance.

Virtual biopsy for non-invasive identification of follicular lymphoma histologic transformation using radiomics-based imaging biomarker from PET/CT.

Background: This study aimed to construct a radiomics-based imaging biomarker for the non-invasive identification of transformed follicular lymphoma (t-FL) using PET/CT images.

Methods: A total of 784 follicular lymphoma (FL), diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, and t-FL patients from 5 independent medical centers were included. The unsupervised EMFusion method was applied to fuse PET and CT images.

CT features with histopathological correlation in inflammatory versus benign & malignant neoplastic appendiceal mucoceles: a retrospective cross-sectional study.

Background & Objectives: Differentiation of histologic subtypes of appendiceal mucoceles may prove to be difficult on computed tomography (CT). The main objective of this study was to identify the CT features of mucocele of the appendix and correlate the imaging findings with histopathology in inflammatory, benign, and malignant neoplastic lesions, and whether these entities can be accurately differentiated on CT imaging.

Materials And Methods: CT scans of 31 patients with diagnosis of appendiceal mucocele were retrospectively reviewed and compared with histopathology.

Refining MR-guided thermal ablation for HCC within the Milan criteria: a decade of clinical outcomes and predictive modeling at a single institution.

Background: The appropriateness of ablation for liver cancer patients meeting the Milan criteria remains controversial.

Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the long-term outcomes of MR-guided thermal ablation for HCC patients meeting the Milan criteria and develop a nomogram for predicting survival rates.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted from January 2009 to December 2021 at a single institution.

Sex-specific transcriptomic profiling reveals key players in bone loss associated with Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD), a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, is frequently associated with musculoskeletal complications, including sarcopenia and osteoporosis, which substantially impair patient quality of life. Despite these clinical observations, the molecular mechanisms linking AD to bone loss remain insufficiently explored. In this study, we examined the femoral bone microarchitecture and transcriptomic profiles of APP/PS1 transgenic mouse models of AD to elucidate the disease's impact on bone pathology and identify potential gene candidates associated with bone deterioration.

Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG): indications and results-a systematic review.

Obesity is a major global health problem and at the same time a financial burden for social security systems. For a long time, conventional lifestyle interventions have tried unsuccessfully to find a solution. It has been proven that only interventions that ultimately address the central control centers of hunger, appetite and satiety will lead to sustained weight loss.

Lenvatinib versus sorafenib as second-line therapy following progression on atezolizumab-bevacizumab in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: a multicenter retrospective study from Korea and Japan.

Purpose: Atezolizumab-bevacizumab (AB) is the established first-line systemic therapy for patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC). However, the optimal second-line treatment for patients unresponsive to AB remains undefined.

Patients And Methods: This multicenter, retrospective study included patients with uHCC who underwent second-line treatment with lenvatinib (LEN) or sorafenib (SOR) after AB failure at two academic centers between June 2018 and November 2023.

Using partially shared radiomics features to simultaneously identify isocitrate dehydrogenase mutation status and epilepsy in glioma patients from MRI images.

Prediction of isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutation status and epilepsy occurrence are important to glioma patients. Although machine learning models have been constructed for both issues, the correlation between them has not been explored. Our study aimed to exploit this correlation to improve the performance of both of the IDH mutation status identification and epilepsy diagnosis models in patients with glioma II-IV.

The degree of cross-linking of polyacrylic acid affects the fibrogenicity in rat lungs.

Polyacrylic acid (PAA) with different concentrations of cross-linker was instilled into the trachea of rats to examine the effect of PAA crosslink density on lung disorders. Methods: F344 rats were intratracheally exposed to low and high doses of PAA with cross-linker concentrations of 0.1, 1.

Spinal CRH facilitates the micturition reflex via the CRH2 receptor in rats with normal bladder and bladder outlet obstruction.

Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) significantly affect patient quality of life. Treatment options for bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) due to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) (a common cause of LUTS) are insufficient to relieve discomfort. As the incidence of BPH is increasing, new pharmacological targets for LUTS treatment are required.

A study on the production of extracellular vesicles derived from novel immortalized human placental mesenchymal stromal cells.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are not only involved in cell-to-cell communications but have other functions as "garbage bags", as bringing nutrients to cells, and as inducing mineral during bone formation and ectopic calcification. These minuscule entities significantly contribute to the regulation of bodily functions. However, the clinical application of EVs faces challenges due to limited production yield and targeting efficiency.

Characterization of Bozitinib as a potential therapeutic agent for MET-amplified gastric cancer.

Hyperactive c-Met signaling pathway caused by altered MET is a common mechanism underlying gastric cancer and represents an attractive target for the treatment of gastric cancer with MET alterations. However, no c-Met kinase inhibitors are currently approved specifically for the treatment of c-Met-amplified gastric cancer. Recently, bozitinib, a highly selective c-Met kinase inhibitor, has shown remarkable potency in selectively inhibiting MET-altered non-small cell lung cancer and secondary glioblastoma.

Programmed cell death-related gene IL20RA facilitates tumor progression and remodels tumor microenvironment in thyroid cancer.

Programmed cell death (PCD) is a vital biological process that is essential for regulating cell progression and tumor microenvironment. This study aimed to explore the relationship between PCD-related genes expression and prognosis in thyroid cancer (THCA), especially IL20RA, as a potential prognostic marker for THCA. Data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database was utilized to develop a PCD-related risk prediction model based on LASSO regression along with univariate Cox regression.

Neoadjuvant pyrotinib and trastuzumab in HER2-positive breast cancer with no early response (NeoPaTHer): efficacy, safety and biomarker analysis of a prospective, multicentre, response-adapted study.

The potential benefits of pyrotinib for patients with trastuzumab-insensitive, HER2-positive early-stage breast cancer remain unclear. This prospective, multicentre, response-adapted study evaluated the efficacy and safety of adding pyrotinib to the neoadjuvant treatment of HER2-positive breast cancer patients with a poor response to initial docetaxel plus carboplatin and trastuzumab (TCbH). Early response was assessed using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) after two cycles of treatment.

Investigating the role of intratumoral Streptococcus mitis in gastric cancer progression: insights into tumor microenvironment.

Growing evidence implicates that intratumoral microbiota are closely linked to cancer progression; however, research on the role of these microbiota in the development of gastric cancer remains limited. Here, using 16 S rRNA sequencing, tumor tissue proteomics and serum cytokines analysis, we identified enrichment of specific microbial communities within tumors of gastric cancer patients, possibly affecting the tumor microenvironment by immune modulation, metabolic processes, and inflammatory responses. Based on the results of in vivo experiments and intratumoral microbiota analysis, we found that Streptococcus mitis can inhibit gastric cancer progression via suppressing M2 macrophage polarization and infiltration, as well as altering the intratumoral microbial community.

Mitochondrial apoptosis in response to cardiac ischemia-reperfusion injury.

In patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), thrombolytic therapy and revascularization strategies allow complete recanalization of occluded epicardial coronary arteries. However, approximately 35% of patients still experience myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury, which contributing to increased AMI mortality. Therefore, an accurate understanding of myocardial I/R injury is important for preventing and treating AMI.

Toll-Like Receptor 4-Mediated Neuroinflammation: Updates on Pathological Roles and Therapeutic Strategies in Chronic Cerebral Hypoperfusion.

Neuroinflammation has been acknowledged as being one of the main pathologies that occur following chronic cerebral hypoperfusion (CCH). Since it significantly contributes to neuronal cell damage and thereby leads to cognitive impairment, the signals related to inflammation in hypoperfusion injury have been extensively investigated over the past few years. Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) is the key receptor responsible for immune and inflammatory reactions.

Management factors affecting milk yield, composition, and quality on smallholder dairy farms.

A cross-sectional study on 156 smallholder dairy farms in Rwanda was carried out to assess the association between farm management practices and milk yield and quality. A pre-tested questionnaire was used to collect data on cow characteristics and farm management practices. Milk yield was recorded at household level, milk composition was monitored using a Lactoscan device (Milk Analyzer).

The architecture of the human default mode network explored through cytoarchitecture, wiring and signal flow.

The default mode network (DMN) is implicated in many aspects of complex thought and behavior. Here, we leverage postmortem histology and in vivo neuroimaging to characterize the anatomy of the DMN to better understand its role in information processing and cortical communication. Our results show that the DMN is cytoarchitecturally heterogenous, containing cytoarchitectural types that are variably specialized for unimodal, heteromodal and memory-related processing.

Intrapericardial injection of hydrogels with ASC and their secretome to treat dilated cardiomyopathies.

Doxorubicin-induced cardiomyopathy (DOX-IC) is a significant and common complication in patients undergoing chemotherapy, leading to cardiac remodeling and reduced heart function. We hypothesized that the intrapericardial injection of hydrogels derived from the cardiac decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM) loaded with adipose tissue-derived stromal cells (ASC) and their secretome dampens or reverses the progression of DOX-IC. DOX-IC was induced in Wistar male rats through ten weekly intra-peritoneal injections of doxorubicin (cumulative dose: 18 mg/kg).

Sub-cellular population imaging tools reveal stable apical dendrites in hippocampal area CA3.

Apical and basal dendrites of pyramidal neurons receive anatomically and functionally distinct inputs, implying compartment-level functional diversity during behavior. To test this, we imaged in vivo calcium signals from soma, apical dendrites, and basal dendrites in mouse hippocampal CA3 pyramidal neurons during head-fixed navigation. To capture compartment-specific population dynamics, we developed computational tools to automatically segment dendrites and extract accurate fluorescence traces from densely labeled neurons.

Anisotropic hydrogel microelectrodes for intraspinal neural recordings in vivo.

Creating durable, motion-compliant neural interfaces is crucial for accessing dynamic tissues under in vivo conditions and linking neural activity with behaviors. Utilizing the self-alignment of nano-fillers in a polymeric matrix under repetitive tension, here, we introduce conductive carbon nanotubes with high aspect ratios into semi-crystalline polyvinyl alcohol hydrogels, and create electrically anisotropic percolation pathways through cyclic stretching. The resulting anisotropic hydrogel fibers (diameter of 187 ± 13 µm) exhibit fatigue resistance (up to 20,000 cycles at 20% strain) with a stretchability of 64.

CN7:1h Alleviates Inflammation, Apoptosis and Extracellular Matrix Degradation in Osteoarthritis by Modulating the NF-κB and mTOR Pathways.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease with a complex aetiology, which includes inflammation, cellular growth dysregulation and extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation. This study investigated the therapeutic potential of a small-molecule compound, 2-amino-4-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)-4H-benzo[h]chromene-3-carbonitrile (CN7:1h) in modulating these critical biochemical pathways in OA. Cellular models and rat models of OA were used to explore the impact of CN7:1h on the nuclear factor kappa light chain enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) and mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) signalling pathways.