Advanced Imaging Techniques for Atherosclerosis and Cardiovascular Calcification in Animal Models.

The detection and assessment of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular calcification can inform risk stratification and therapies to reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. In this review, we provide an overview of current and emerging imaging techniques for assessing atherosclerosis and cardiovascular calcification in animal models. Traditional imaging modalities, such as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), offer non-invasive approaches of visualizing atherosclerotic calcification in vivo; integration of these techniques with positron emission tomography (PET) imaging adds molecular imaging capabilities, such as detection of metabolically active microcalcifications with F-sodium fluoride.

Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of clinical carbapenem-resistant species harboring the metallo-beta-lactamases IMP-8 or NDM-1 in China.

Unlabelled: Carbapenem-resistant spp. pose a significant challenge in clinical settings due to limited treatment options for nosocomial infections. Carbapenem-hydrolyzing class D beta-lactamases are the primary cause for carbapenem resistance, while metallo-beta-lactamases (MBLs) New Delhi metallo beta-lactamase (NDM) and imipenemase (IMP) also contribute.

Disparities in the Prevalence of Urinary Diseases Among Prisoners in Taiwan: Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Prisoner health is a major global concern, with prisoners often facing limited access to health care and enduring chronic diseases, infectious diseases, and poor mental health due to unsafe prison environments, unhygienic living conditions, and inadequate medical resources. In Taiwan, prison health is increasingly an issue, particularly concerning urinary diseases such as urinary tract infections. Limited access to health care and unsanitary conditions exacerbate these problems.

Identification of Potential Genes in Rheumatoid Arthritis-Associated Interstitial Lung Disease Using RNA-seq and In Vitro Analyses.

Rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD) is an increasingly recognized extra-articular manifestations (EAMs) in the RA, with highly morbidity and mortality. The identification of key molecules involved in RA-ILD has a high requirement in clinic, and the role of their transcriptional regulation in the etiology of RA-ILD is great significant for investigation. In this study, we collected the whole peripheral blood samples of RA-ILD and RA only patients to bulk RNA-sequence.

Long-term follow-up of combination therapy with pembrolizumab and anlotinib in thoracic SMARCA4-deficient undifferentiated tumor: a case report and molecular features.

Thoracic SMARCA4-deficient undifferentiated tumors (SMARCA4-UTs), recently recognized as a rare malignancy described in the 5th edition of the World Health Organization Classification of Tumors, are characterized by an inactivating mutation in SMARCA4, most commonly found in the mediastinum of male smokers. Despite the aggressive nature and poor prognosis associated with these tumors, which have a median survival time of approximately 4-7 months, no standardized treatment guidelines are currently established. There are currently no reported cases of extended progression-free survival (PFS) in SMARCA4-UT patients treated with surgery and immunotherapy.

Engraftment of self-renewing endometrial epithelial organoids promotes endometrial regeneration by differentiating into functional glands in rats.

Introduction: Extensive trauma frequently disrupts endometrial regeneration by diminishing endometrial stem cells/progenitor cells, affecting female fertility. While bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (BMSC) transplantation has been suggested as an approach to address endometrial injury, it comes with certain limitations. Recent advancements in endometrial epithelial organoids (EEOs) have displayed encouraging potential for endometrial regeneration.

Oral Lactoferrin-Responsive Formulation Anchoring around Inflammatory Bowel Region for IBD Therapy.

Oral formulation is the ideal treatment method for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) therapy, but the mucosal damage and diarrhea symptoms impede the drug retention around the inflammatory region, severely limiting IBD therapeutic efficacy. To address this, an oral astaxanthin (Ast) precise delivery formulation is developed with the selective Ast anchoring around the inflammatory region by the novel lactoferrin (LF)-responsive flocculation. This formulation also heightens the apparent solubility of Ast with the minimized edible safety risks for the edible raw materials.

Recent advances of photodiagnosis and treatment for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) are the most common type of head and neck tumor that severely threatens human health due to its highly aggressive nature and susceptibility to distant metastasis. The diagnosis of HNSCC currently relies on biopsy and histopathological examination of suspicious lesions. However, the early mucosal changes are subtle and difficult to detect by conventional oral examination.

Biallelic variants in the cause mitochondrial respiratory complex assembly defects associated with Leigh syndrome in probands.

Background: Variants in have been reported to be associated with Leigh syndrome. However, further expansion of the -phenotype and variants spectrum of -related Leigh syndrome are still required.

Methods: Two patients diagnosed with Leigh syndrome were recruited, and whole-exome sequencing was performed to identify the genetic variants responsible for the abnormal gait, dystonia, and bilateral basal ganglia lesions, followed by validation using Sanger sequencing.

Expanding the phenotypic and genetic spectrum of GTPBP3 deficiency: findings from nine Chinese pedigrees.

Background: GTPBP3 catalyzes τm(s) U biosynthesis at the 34th wobble position of mitochondrial tRNAs, the hypomodification of τmU leads to mitochondrial disease. While twenty-three variants of GTPBP3 have been reported worldwide, the genetic landscape in China remains uncertain.

Methods: By using whole-exome sequencing, the candidate individuals carrying GTPBP3 variants were screened and identified.

Impact of immunosuppressants on tumor pulmonary metastasis: new insight into transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Pulmonary metastasis is a life-threatening complication for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) undergoing liver transplantation (LT). In addition to the common mechanisms underlying tumor metastasis, another inevitable factor is that the application of immunosuppressive agents, including calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs) and rapamycin inhibitors (mTORis), after transplantation could influence tumor recurrence and metastasis. In recent years, several studies have reported that mTORis, unlike CNIs, have the capacity to modulate the tumorigenic landscape post-liver transplantation by targeting metastasis-initiating cells and reshaping the pulmonary microenvironment.

Recent advances in nanomaterials for the detection of mycobacterium tuberculosis (Review).

The world's leading infectious disease killer tuberculosis (TB) has >10 million new cases and ~1.5 million mortalities yearly. Effective TB control and management depends on accurate and timely diagnosis to improve treatment, curb transmission and reduce the burden on the medical system.

Exploration of ferroptosis-related biomarkers with prognostic capability in RIF based on WGCNA.

Purpose: To explore the association of ferroptosis with repeated implantation failure (RIF) and prognostic capability of ferroptosis-related genes.

Methods: Data in GSE106602 from the GEO database were used for gene co-expression network construction to confirm ferroptosis-related genes compared to gene sets that were downloaded from FerrDB. Then these genes were analyzed for functional enrichment and validated using endometrium samples from our center.

Comparing the Performance of Two Cryptococcal Antigen Detection Tests: Chemiluminescence vs Colloidal Gold Methods.

Objective: To compare the performance of a new chemiluminescence method with that of the traditional colloidal gold method for cryptococcal antigen (CrAg) detection.

Methods: Cryptococcosis is a global invasive mycosis associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Cryptococcal antigen (CrAg) testing from serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) has been regarded as the gold standard for early diagnosis.

Aerobic Training Alleviates Muscle Atrophy by Promoting the Proliferation of Skeletal Muscle Satellite Cells in Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1 by Inhibiting Glycolysis via the Upregulation of MBNL1.

Background: Skeletal muscle atrophy in myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is caused by abnormal skeletal muscle satellite cell (SSC) proliferation due to increased glycolysis, which impairs muscle regeneration. In DM1, RNA foci sequester muscleblind-like protein 1 (MBNL1) in the nucleus, inhibiting its role in regulating SSC proliferation. Aerobic training reduces glycolysis and increases SSC proliferation and muscle fiber volume.

Novel insights into cuproptosis in alcoholic liver disease using bioinformatics analysis and experimental validation.

Cuproptosis is crucial in the development of various liver diseases, yet its involvement in alcoholic liver disease (ALD) remains poorly understood. In this study, we screened cuproptosis-related genes (CRGs) regulating ALD and explored their potential molecular mechanisms. Bioinformatic methods were employed to screen CRGs in ALD, analyze their functional enrichment, signaling pathways, transcriptional regulation, relationship with the immune microenvironment and pathogenic genes, and corresponding single nucleotide polymorphism pathogenic regions, and construct transcription factor-miRNA-mRNA networks.

Regulation of macrophage polarization and pyroptosis by 4-methylcatechol alleviates collagen-induced arthritis via Nrf2/HO-1 and NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathways.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease that leads to joint deformity and ultimately disability. The metabolite of quercetin, 4-Methylcatechol (4-MC), has been acknowledged for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties; however, the protective effects of 4-MC on RA and its underlying mechanisms remain incompletely elucidated. In a collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) model, we observed that 4-MC effectively mitigated joint inflammation and bone destruction in CIA mice.

The Impact of Non-Pharmacological Sleep Interventions on Delirium Prevention and Sleep Improvement in Postoperative ICU Patients: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis.

Objectives: Analyze the effectiveness of different non-pharmacological sleep interventions in preventing delirium among postoperative ICU patients.

Research Methodology: We conducted a comprehensive search on PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Embase, CINAHL, OpenGrey and reference lists up to May 2024.

Setting: We systematically searched all randomized controlled trials related to non-pharmacological sleep interventions for the prevention of delirium.

Single-cell transcriptomics reveal the prognostic roles of epithelial and T cells and DNA methylation-based prognostic models in pancreatic cancer.

Background: Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) exhibits a complex microenvironment with diverse cell populations influencing patient prognosis. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) was used to identify prognosis-related cell types, and DNA methylation (DNAm)-based models were developed to predict outcomes based on their cellular characteristics.

Methods: We integrated scRNA-seq, bulk data, and clinical information to identify key cell populations associated with prognosis.

Capilliposide A alleviates DSS-induced colitis by regulating the intestinal flora and its metabolites of origin.

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic idiopathic inflammatory disease that impacts the mucous membrane of the colon. Lately, the incidence and prevalence of UC has been increasing globally. However, there are significant side effects of existing drugs for UC intervention.

Extracellular Vesicle-Like Nanovesicle for Skin Photoaging Therapy.

Ultraviolet (UV) irradiation leads to the degradation of the extracellular matrix and collagen, thereby accelerating skin aging and imposing substantial psychological burden on patients. Current anti-aging strategies are limited and often associated with high costs or strong side effects. Plant-derived extracellular vesicle-like nanovesicles, with advantages such as natural availability and cost-effectiveness, show potential in anti-aging interventions.

The Application of a New Framework Construction Technique in Autologous Costal Cartilage Rhinoplasty.

Background: In this study, the clinical efficacy of a new framework construction technique for costal cartilage rhinoplasty was investigated.

Methods: From January 2020 to February 2022, patients who underwent rhinoplasty in the department of plastic and reconstructive surgery of Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital were enrolled. The sixth costal cartilage was made into the nasal columellar support graft (strut), the nasal tip graft integrated scaffold, and the septal extension grafts.