Obstructive sleep apnea and structural and functional brain alterations: a brain-wide investigation from clinical association to genetic causality.

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is linked to brain alterations, but the specific regions affected and the causal associations between these changes remain unclear.

Methods: We studied 20 pairs of age-, sex-, BMI-, and education- matched OSA patients and healthy controls using multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) from August 2019 to February 2020. Additionally, large-scale Mendelian randomization analyses were performed using genome-wide association study (GWAS) data on OSA and 3935 brain imaging-derived phenotypes (IDPs), assessed in up to 33,224 individuals between December 2023 and March 2024, to explore potential genetic causality between OSA and alterations in whole brain structure and function.

Longitudinal MRI evaluation of the efficacy of non-enhanced lung cancer brain metastases.

Brain metastases (BM) are the most prevalent intracranial malignancies. Approximately 30-40% of cancer patients develop BM at some stage of their illness, presenting with a high incidence and poor prognosis. Our clinical findings indicate a significant disparity in the efficacy between non-enhanced and enhanced lung cancer BM.

Hypoxia-regulated miR-103-3p/FGF2 axis in adipose-derived stem cells promotes angiogenesis by vascular endothelial cells during ischemic tissue repair.

Background: Identifying factors mediating adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs)-induced endothelial cell angiogenesis in hypoxic skin flap tissue is critical for reconstruction. While the paracrine action of VEGF by adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) is established in promoting endothelial cell angiogenesis, the role of FGF2 and its regulatory mechanisms in ADSCs paracrine secretion remains unclear.

Methods: We induced hypoxia and examined the expression level of FGF2 in ADSCs using ELISA, qRT-PCR, and western blotting.

Tumor-derived extracellular vesicle PD-1 promotes tumor immune evasion via disruption of peripheral T cell homeostasis.

The programmed cell death 1 (PD-1)/PD-1 ligand 1 (PD-L1) axis mediates immune evasion of tumor, and targeting this axis has achieved some clinical benefits. The regulation of PD-1 expression in immune cells has been well studied. However, whether any other potential source of immune cell-expressed PD-1 exists remains unknown.

Screening for immunodominant epitopes of SARS-CoV-2 based on CD8 T cell responses from individuals with HLA-A homozygous alleles.

Purpose: SARS-CoV-2-specific CD8 cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) are crucial in viral clearance, disease progression, and reinfection control. However, numerous SARS-CoV-2 immunodominant CTL epitopes theoretically are still unidentified due to the genetic polymorphism of human leukocyte antigen class I (HLA-I) molecules.

Methods: The CTL epitopes of SARS-CoV-2 were predicted by the epitope affinity and immunogenicity prediction platforms: the NetMHCpan and the PromPPD.

An evaluation of mepolizumab as an add-on maintenance treatment for severe eosinophilic asthma.

Introduction: Clinical experience with anti-interleukin (IL)-5 biologic therapies for severe asthma has been increasing, alongside deeper and broader research focusing on the role of IL-5 and the IL-5 targeted mepolizumab. This review aims to provide an update of the evidence on the role of IL-5 and mepolizumab, with discussions of the benefits of mepolizumab and its future potential, to promote the comprehension of the pathophysiology and therapeutic approaches to asthma.

Areas Covered: For this narrative review, we conducted a database search in PubMed and Embase using the keywords 'IL-5' and 'mepolizumab,' focusing on randomized controlled trials and real-world studies up to September 2024.

An Analysis of the Effectiveness and Safety of Upadacitinib in the Treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Multicenter Real-World Study.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) requires effective treatment options. Upadacitinib, a Janus kinase 1 (JAK1) inhibitor, has shown effectiveness in trials for Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). This study evaluates its real-world effectiveness and safety.

WTAP suppresses STAT3 via m6A methylation to regulate autophagy and inflammation in central nervous system injury.

Central nervous system (CNS) repair after injury is a challenging process limited by inflammation and neuronal apoptosis. This study identifies Wilms' tumor 1-associating protein (WTAP) as a pivotal regulator of neuronal protection and repair through m6A methylation of STAT3 mRNA. By employing spinal cord injury (SCI) as a representative model of CNS injury, transcriptomic analyses reveal WTAP as a key mediator of pathways related to neuronal autophagy and inflammation regulation.

Acid sphingomyelinase downregulation alleviates diabetic myocardial fibrosis in mice.

Increased activity of acid sphingomyelinase (ASMase) has been linked to diabetes and organ fibrosis. Nevertheless, the precise influence of ASMase on diabetic myocardial fibrosis and the corresponding molecular mechanisms remain elusive. In this study, we aim to elucidate whether ASMase contributes to diabetic myocardial fibrosis through the phosphorylation mediated by MAPK, thereby culminating in the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM).

Controllable Nano-Crystallization in Fluoroborosilicate Glass Ceramics for Broadband Visible Photoluminescence.

A transparent fluoroborosilicate glass ceramic was designed for the controllable precipitation of fluoride nanocrystals and to greatly enhance the photoluminescence of active ions. Through the introduction of BO into fluorosilicate glass, the melting temperature was decreased from 1400 to 1050 °C, and the abnormal crystallization in the fabrication process of fluorosilicate glass was avoided. More importantly, the controlled crystallizations of KZnF and KYbF in fluoroborosilicate glass ceramics enhanced the emission of Mn and Mn-Yb dimers by 6.

Uncertainty-Aware Semi-Supervised Method for Pectoral Muscle Segmentation.

The consistency regularization method is a widely used semi-supervised method that uses regularization terms constructed from unlabeled data to improve model performance. Poor-quality target predictions in regularization terms produce noisy gradient flows during training, resulting in a degradation in model performance. Recent semi-supervised methods usually filter out low-confidence target predictions to alleviate this problem, but also prevent the model from learning features from unlabeled data in low-confidence regions.

determination of protective antibody thresholds for SARS-CoV-2 variants using mouse models.

Neutralizing antibody titers have been shown to correlate with immune protection against COVID-19 and can be used to estimate vaccine effectiveness. Numerous studies have explored the relationship between neutralizing antibodies and protection. However, there remains a lack of quantitative data directly assessing the minimum effective protective neutralizing antibody titer in .

Characteristics of Pediatric Allergic Rhinitis With Different Disease Severity.

Although numerous studies have focused on diagnostic biomarkers to help identify allergic rhinitis (AR), data on the characteristics of pediatric AR with different severity is limited. We aimed to compare the characteristics of pediatric AR with different severity. A total of 1054 children with AR were enrolled and classified into mild intermittent AR, mild persistent AR, moderate-to-severe intermittent AR, and moderate-to-severe persistent AR.

Phase I Clinical Trial of Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation-Supported Dose-Intensified Chemotherapy With Adebrelimab as First-Line Treatment for Extensive-Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Background: Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is initially highly sensitive to chemotherapy, which often leads to significant tumor reduction. However, the majority of patients eventually develop resistance, and the disease is further complicated by its "cold" tumor microenvironment, characterized by low tumor immunogenicity and limited CD8+ T cell infiltration. These factors contribute to the poor response to immunotherapy in many cases of extensive-stage SCLC (ES-SCLC).

Design, Synthesis, and Evaluation of Selective PDE4 Inhibitors for the Therapy of Pulmonary Injury.

Pulmonary inflammation is the main cause of lung injury. Phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) is a promising anti-inflammatory target for the treatment of respiratory diseases. Herein, we designed and synthesized 43 compounds in two novel series of benzimidazole derivatives as PDE4 inhibitors.

Prediction models for the complication incidence and survival rate of dental implants-a systematic review and critical appraisal.

Purpose: This systematic review aims to assess the performance, methodological quality and reporting transparency in prediction models for the dental implant's complications and survival rates.

Methods: A literature search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase databases. Peer-reviewed studies that developed prediction models for dental implant's complications and survival rate were included.

Autophagy Attenuates Oxidative Stress-Induced Collagen Degradation in Vaginal Fibroblasts: Implications for Pelvic Organ Prolapse.

Introduction And Hypothesis: The relationship between autophagy and pelvic organ prolapse (POP) remains unknown. The aim of this novel experimental study, utilizing tissue samples derived from women undergoing gynecological surgery, is to investigate the role of autophagy in mitigating collagen degradation in human vaginal fibroblasts induced by oxidative stress, with particular emphasis on its implications in the pathogenesis of POP. Exploring the role of autophagy in protecting against collagen degradation and cellular senescence in human vaginal fibroblasts under oxidative stress may offer new insights into therapeutic strategies for conditions such as POP.

Gradient disparities in allergy and the gut microbiome among rural, migrant, and urban populations across China.

Background: While much of the evidence linking the rapid urbanization and the increasing prevalence of allergen sensitization, but little is known regarding rural-to-urban migrants. The aim of this study was to identify the disparities in allergy, the gut microbiome and factors among native urban, migrating, and native rural Chinese.

Methods: We redesigned the dataset of the China Alliance of Research on Respiratory Allergic Disease secondary survey, and after stratified sampling, a subsample of 2422 subjects were enrolled for the analysis of a questionnaire, skin prick tests (SPT), and specific immunoglobulin E (sIgE) titer measurements against 8 common allergens.

Quinacrine Inhibits Hepatocellular Carcinoma Growth and Enhances the Anti-HCC Effects of Lenvatinib.

Background: Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) is a highly prevalent cancer worldwide, necessitating effective treatment options. However, current treatments do not provide satisfactory results. Quinacrine, a synthetic drug belonging to the 9-aminoacridine family, has demonstrated promising antitumor effects.

Atg5 deficiency in basophils improves metabolism in lupus mice by regulating gut microbiota dysbiosis.

Autophagic activation in immune cells, gut microbiota dysbiosis, and metabolic abnormalities have been reported separately as characteristics of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Elucidating the crosstalk among the immune system, commensal microbiota, and metabolites is crucial to understanding the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. Emerging evidence shows that basophil activation plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of SLE; however, the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown.

Roles of cerebrospinal fluid metabolites in mediating the relationship between cathepsins and narcolepsy type 1: A comprehensive Mendelian randomization analysis.

Introduction: To investigate the potential causal relationship between cathepsins and Narcolepsy Type 1 (NT1), along with the mediating influence of cerebrospinal fluid metabolites.

Method: We performed a comprehensive Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis using genome-wide association studies (GWAS) data. Data on nine plasma cathepsins and 338 cerebrospinal fluid metabolites were sourced from the IEU OpenGWAS database, and NT1 were obtained from the FinnGen consortium's R10 release.

Protective effect of ulinastatin against negative inflammatory response and organ dysfunction in acute aortic dissection surgery: The PANDA trial.

Ulinastatin is a protease-inhibiting drug with anti-inflammatory and other pharmacological properties. Little is known regarding its role following acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) surgery. We perform a randomized controlled trial to investigate the protective effect of ulinastatin against negative inflammatory response and organ dysfunction in ATAAD surgery (PANDA).

Identification of pain-related long non-coding RNAs for pulpitis prediction.

Objectives: We investigated the recently generated RNA-sequencing dataset of pulpitis to identify the potential pain-related lncRNAs for pulpitis prediction.

Materials And Methods: Differential analysis was performed on the gene expression profile between normal and pulpitis samples to obtain pulpitis-related genes. The co-expressed gene modules were identified by weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA).

Long Non-Coding RNA LINC01123 Facilitates Cholangiocarcinoma Aggravation by Targeting miR-641.

Background/aims: Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a malignant and insidious tumor that is tricky to treat. Long non-coding RNA (LncRNA) LINC01123 is a biomolecule that influences cancer progression by regulating gene expression via influencing the regulatory function of microRNAs in gene expression. Therefore, this study investigated the connection between LINC01123 and CCA and explored the underlying mechanism.