Cecropin AD ameliorates pneumonia and intestinal injury in mice with mycoplasma pneumoniae by mediating gut microbiota.

Animals infected with mycoplasma pneumoniae not only develop respiratory diseases, but also cause digestive diseases through the lung-gut axis mediated by the intestinal flora, and vice versa. Antimicrobial peptides are characterized by their bactericidal, anti-inflammatory, and intestinal flora-regulating properties. However, the effect of cecropin AD (CAD) against mycoplasma pneumonia remains unclear.

Vitamin D3/VDR alleviates double-stranded RNA virus -induced biliary epithelial cell damage by inhibiting autophagy.

Background: The increased apoptosis of bile duct epithelial cells (BECs) due to some damage factors is considered the initiating factor in the occurrence and progression of biliary atresia (BA). Vitamin D receptor (VDR) is thought to play a crucial role in maintaining the intrinsic immune balance and integrity of bile duct epithelial cells (BECs). To investigate the role of VDRs in the pathogenesis and progression of BA using in vitro and in vivo models.

Influence of the metabolic control in patients with type 1 diabetes on their oral health status and the need for orthodontic treatment in a group of Spanish children (aged 6-12 years): a cross-sectional study.

Background: The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of good metabolic control, based on glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels, on oral health status and the need for orthodontic treatment in children.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out at the Dental Clinic of the University of Salamanca (Spain) during the years 2020 and 2024. A total of 260 children with type 1 diabetes (aged between 6 and 12 years) participated.

Tegaserod maleate exerts anti-tumor effects on prostate cancer via repressing sonic hedgehog signaling pathway.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is a highly common type of malignancy and affects millions of men in the world since it is easy to recur or emerge therapy resistance. Therefore, it is urgent to find novel treatments for PCa patients. In the current study, we found that tegaserod maleate (TM), an FDA-approved agent, inhibited proliferation, colony formation, migration as well as invasion, caused the arrest of the cell cycle, and promoted apoptosis of PCa cells in vitro.

Ectopic thyroid tissue in the airway: a case report.

Background: Ectopic thyroid tissue (ETT) is a rare congenital anomaly caused by the abnormal embryonic migration of thyroid tissue, leading to its presence outside its usual pretracheal location. This condition can lead to diagnostic challenges, especially when located within the airway, as it mimics other respiratory disorders such as asthma.

Case Presentation: We report the case of a 69-year-old man with endotracheal ETT presenting with severe dyspnea, and the lesion was initially suspected to be malignant.

Silent witnesses: unveiling the epidemic of femicides in North-west Tshwane, South Africa - a decade of analysis.

Background: Femicides, defined as the gender-based killing of women, are a pressing public health issue worldwide, with South Africa experiencing some of the highest rates globally. This study focuses on the North-west region of Tshwane, particularly the Garankuwa area, aiming to address gaps in understanding the epidemiology, demographics, circumstances, and pathology associated with femicides. The Garankuwa mortuary serves as the primary site for this investigation, providing a detailed analysis over a ten-year period, shedding light on contributing risk factors in the context of systemic gender inequality.

An autopsy case with tubular obstruction by impacted swollen blebs due to ischemic acute kidney injury.

Background: Oliguric acute kidney injury (AKI) is one of the critical conditions which needs emergent treatment due to the lack of the capacity of excreting toxins and fluids, and plasma membrane bleb formation is considered as one of the characteristic morphologic alterations in ischemic AKI in both animal models and human. We present here an autopsy case with clear electron microscopy images capturing a definitive instance of blebbing in ischemic AKI.

Case Presentation: A 66-year-old man was admitted for oliguric AKI with nephrotic syndrome (NS).

Solving unknown primary cancer with earlier diagnosis - the SUPER-ED trial: study protocol for a stepped-wedge cluster randomised controlled trial to support earlier diagnosis for people presenting with malignancy of undefined primary origin.

Background: People with malignancy of undefined primary origin (MUO) have a poor prognosis and may undergo a protracted diagnostic workup causing patient distress and high cancer related costs. Not having a primary diagnosis limits timely site-specific treatment and access to precision medicine. There is a need to improve the diagnostic process, and healthcare delivery and support for these patients.

Fully automated segmentation and classification of renal tumors on CT scans via machine learning.

Background: To develop and test the performance of a fully automated system for classifying renal tumor subtypes via deep machine learning for automated segmentation and classification.

Materials And Methods: The model was developed using computed tomography (CT) images of pathologically proven renal tumors collected from a prospective cohort at a medical center between March 2016 and December 2020. A total of 561 renal tumors were included: 233 clear cell renal cell carcinomas (RCCs), 82 papillary RCCs, 74 chromophobe RCCs, and 172 angiomyolipomas.

Sustainable utilization of bovine adipose tissue derivatives as robust antimicrobial agents against Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Background: The excessive use of antibiotics is a major contributor to the global issue of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a significant threat to human and animal health. Hence, assessing new strategies for managing Multi-Drug Resistant (MDR) microorganisms is vital. In this study, the use of mechanically isolated mature adipose cells (MIMACs) and their lysate (Adipolysate) as a new sustainable antimicrobial agent was assessed against Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

Relationship between age, conditioning intensity, and outcome after allografting in adults age ≥60 years with AML.

Methodological advancements now allow older adults with AML to receive allografts although conflicting data exist regarding relative outcomes across age groups and benefits of different conditioning intensities. We retrospectively analyzed 495 adults aged 60-64 (n = 184), 65-69 (n = 189), or ≥70 (n = 122) allografted for AML in remission at our institution from 2006 to 2023. There were no significant differences in relapse or relapse-free survival (RFS) among the 3 age cohorts after multivariable adjustment.

Niche-derived Semaphorin 4A safeguards functional identity of myeloid-biased hematopoietic stem cells.

Somatic stem cell pools comprise diverse, highly specialized subsets whose individual contribution is critical for the overall regenerative function. In the bone marrow, myeloid-biased hematopoietic stem cells (myHSCs) are indispensable for replenishment of myeloid cells and platelets during inflammatory response but, at the same time, become irreversibly damaged during inflammation and aging. Here we identify an extrinsic factor, semaphorin 4A (Sema4A), which non-cell-autonomously confers myHSC resilience to inflammatory stress.

A volumetric study of the choroid plexus in neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus.

Much evidence suggests that the choroid plexus (CP) plays an important role in the pathophysiology of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), but its imaging profile in neuropsychiatric SLE (NPSLE) remains unexplored. To evaluate CP volume in NPSLE patients using MRI. This retrospective study evaluated patients with SLE who underwent MRI of the brain, including three-dimensional T1-weighted imaging.

Atmospheric cold plasma alters plant traits and negatively affects the growth and development of fall armyworm in rice.

Plasma is considered as the fourth state of matter, and atmospheric cold plasma (cold plasma) is a type of plasma consisting of ionized gases containing excited species of atoms, molecules, ions, and free radicals at near room temperature. Cold plasma is generated by applying high voltage to gases, causing it to ionize thus forming plasma. Although cold plasma has been found to break seed dormancy and improve germination rate, only a few studies have explored the potential of cold plasma against insect herbivory.

Hsa_circ_0001304 promotes vascular neointimal hyperplasia accompanied by autophagy activation.

Aberrant autophagy in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) is associated with the progression of vascular remodeling diseases caused by neointimal hyperplasia. Platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB)-induced vascular remodeling is accompanied by autophagy activation, however, the involvement of circular RNAs (circRNAs) remains unclear. Here, we show the role of PDGF-BB-regulated hsa_circ_0001304 (circ-1304) in neointimal hyperplasia and its potential involvement in VSMC autophagy, while also elucidating the potential mechanisms.

Comprehensive computational analysis of differentially expressed miRNAs and their influence on transcriptomic signatures in prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer presents a major health issue, with its progression influenced by intricate molecular factors. Notably, the interplay between miRNAs and changes in transcriptomic patterns is not fully understood. Our study seeks to bridge this knowledge gap, employing computational techniques to explore how miRNAs and transcriptomic alterations jointly regulate the development of prostate cancer.

The question of strains in AA amyloidosis.

The existence of transmissible amyloid fibril strains has long intrigued the scientific community. The strain theory originates from prion disorders, but here, we provide evidence of strains in systemic amyloidosis. Human AA amyloidosis manifests as two distinct clinical phenotypes called common AA and vascular AA.

Intricacies of human-AI interaction in dynamic decision-making for precision oncology.

AI decision support systems can assist clinicians in planning adaptive treatment strategies that can dynamically react to individuals' cancer progression for effective personalized care. However, AI's imperfections can lead to suboptimal therapeutics if clinicians over or under rely on AI. To investigate such collaborative decision-making process, we conducted a Human-AI interaction study on response-adaptive radiotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma.

SP-1-activated LINC01016 overexpression promotes gastric cancer invasion and metastasis through inhibiting EIF4A3-mediated MMP9 mRNA decay.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are key regulators during gastric cancer (GC) development and may be viable treatment targets. In the present study, we showed that the expression of the long intergenic noncoding RNA 01016 (LINC01016) is significantly higher in GC tissues with lymph node metastasis (LNM) than those without LNM. LINC01016 overexpression predicts a poorer relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS).

Steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome due to renal-limited thrombotic microangiopathy and membranous nephropathy after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation successfully treated with calcineurin inhibitors.

Transplantation-associated thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) is a severe complication of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) with high mortality. As calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs) reportedly contribute to TMA via drug-induced endothelial injury, treatment of TMA often involves CNI discontinuation or dose reduction. However, renal-limited TMA, defined as biopsy-proven renal TMA without the classical triad (hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, and organ damage), has rarely been reported after allo-HSCT, and its optimal management remains unknown.

Periapical bone edema volume in 3D MRI is positively correlated with bone architecture changes.

Objectives: To compare and correlate bone edema volume detected by 3D-short-tau-inversion-recovery (STIR) sequence to osseous decay detected by a T1-based sequence and conventional panoramic radiography (OPT).

Materials And Methods: Patients with clinical evidence of apical periodontitis were included retrospectively and received OPT as well as MRI of the viscerocranium including a 3D-STIR and a 3D-T1 gradient echo sequence. Bone edema was visualized using the 3D-STIR sequence and periapical hard tissue changes were evaluated using the 3D-T1 sequence.

Forensic identification of fatal mushroom poisoning: a case report.

Mushroom poisoning incidents happen infrequently, yet owing to the non-lethal nature of most toxins and the efficacy of timely treatment, fatalities from mushroom poisoning are uncommon, leading to a scarcity of pertinent clinical and pathological data. Here, we reported a case of death caused by the consumption of raw mushrooms, alongside detailed clinical data and multi-organs pathological alterations, which underscored its potential significant reference value in forensic practice. Futhermore, ibotenic acid, a type of mushroom toxin, was detected both in the patient's blood and gastric lavage fluid about 19 h after the consumption of mushrooms, and was successfully quantified at concentrations of 0.

Phenotypic outcomes of PKD1 compared with non-PKD1 genetically confirmed autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease.

Background: Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD) represents the most common monogenic cause of kidney failure. While identifying genetic variants predicts disease progression, characterization of recently described ADPKD-like variants is limited. We explored disease progression and genetic spectrum of genetically-confirmed ADPKD families with PKD1 and non-PKD1 variants.

A Retrospective Study of Pediatric Allergic Contact Dermatitis from 2017-2022.

Objectives: Allergic contact dermatitis occurs frequently in children. The proportion of children of color in the US is increasing, and racial and ethnic minority representation is important in pediatric allergic contact dermatitis research. The objectives of our study were to identify differences in age, sex, race and ethnicity among pediatric patch tests obtained from 2017 to 2022.

Deep learning reconstruction of zero-echo time sequences to improve visualization of osseous structures and associated pathologies in MRI of cervical spine.

Objectives: To determine whether deep learning-based reconstructions of zero-echo-time (ZTE-DL) sequences enhance image quality and bone visualization in cervical spine MRI compared to traditional zero-echo-time (ZTE) techniques, and to assess the added value of ZTE-DL sequences alongside standard cervical spine MRI for comprehensive pathology evaluation.

Methods: In this retrospective study, 52 patients underwent cervical spine MRI using ZTE, ZTE-DL, and T2-weighted 3D sequences on a 1.5-Tesla scanner.