Risk factors for chronic postsurgical pain following thoracoscopic surgery for lung cancer.

Objective: Chronic post-surgical pain (CPSP) following thoracoscopic lung cancer surgery is a common and challenging complication. Identifying risk factors and predictive markers is essential for improving patient outcome.

Methods: In this retrospective case-control study, the clinical data from 106 patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who underwent thoracoscopic radical resection between January 2021 and December 2023 were comprehensively analyzed.

Microbially produced imidazole propionate impairs prostate cancer progression through PDZK1.

Background: A close relationship exists between castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) and histidine metabolism by gut microbes. However, the effects of the histidine metabolite imidazole propionate (IMP) on prostate cancer (PCa) and its underlying mechanisms are not well understood.

Methods: We first assessed the effects of IMP on cell proliferation and migration at the cellular level.

Plasma Human Cartilage Glycoprotein-39 and Cognitive Impairment After Acute Ischemic Stroke.

Background: Our study aimed at evaluating the association between plasma human cartilage glycoprotein-39 (YKL-40) and cognitive impairment at 3 months among patients with acute ischemic stroke.

Methods And Results: Plasma YKL-40 levels were measured in 604 participants from the China Antihypertensive Trial in Acute Ischemic Stroke. Cognitive impairment outcomes were assessed at 3 months poststroke using the Mini-Mental State Examination and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment.

Increased Plasma Pyruvate Kinase M2 (PK-M2) in Heart Failure: A Novel Biomarker Related to Cardiac Function and its Clinical Implications.

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether circulating pyruvate kinase M2 (PK-M2) levels are elevated in the peripheral blood and to assess their association with diagnosis and prognosis in patients with heart failure (HF).

Methods And Results: We conducted a prospective investigation involving 222 patients with HF and 103 control subjects, measuring PK-M2 concentrations using ELISA. The primary outcome, assessed over a median follow-up of 2 years (interquartile range: 776 to 926 days), was the time to the first occurrence of either rehospitalization for worsening HF or cardiovascular death.

Evaluation of the clinical efficacy of microwave ablation for benign thyroid nodules based on contrast-enhanced ultrasound.

This study evaluates the clinical efficacy of microwave ablation in patients with benign thyroid nodules based on contrast-enhanced ultrasound. A total of 92 patients with benign thyroid nodules admitted to our hospital from January 2020 to December 2022 were selected as research subjects and divided into control group and observation group according to different treatment methods, with 46 cases in each group. All patients received microwave ablation.

Pulrodemstat, a selective inhibitor of KDM1A, suppresses head and neck squamous cell carcinoma growth by triggering apoptosis.

Background: Chemotherapy is often ineffective as a first-line treatment for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), and a more precise and effective therapeutic option is urgently needed.

Methods: High-throughput screening of a histone demethylase inhibitor library was performed to identify potential drugs for treating HNSCC. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and single-cell sequencing were used to evaluate the potential diagnostic value and expression distribution of candidate drug targets.

Genomic Analysis and Virulence Assessment of Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae K16-ST660 in Severe Cervical Necrotizing Fasciitis.

Objective: To investigate the source of infection in a patient with recurrent severe neck infections caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae and to analyze the virulence of isolates obtained from different sites of the patient.

Methods: We collected preoperative neck abscess puncture fluid, intraoperative neck drainage fluid, sputum, intestinal fecal specimens, and blood samples from a patient who visited Wuxi Second People's Hospital twice between 2017 and 2018. We conducted isolation, identification, drug sensitivity tests, and string tests on the isolates.

DNAzyme-mediated fluorescence signal variation of DNA-Ag nanoclusters and construction of an aptasensor for ATP.

DNA-templated silver nanoclusters (DNA-AgNCs) are novel nanomaterials with unique fluorescence characteristics. DNAzyme is a functional oligonucleotide that can catalyze the disruption of nucleic acid substrates. In this research, the effect of DNAzyme digestion on the fluorescence property of DNA-AgNCs was explored for the first time.

The association between vitamin C and depressive risk based on the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey of 2017-2018 and Mendelian randomization study.

Objectives: There is some debate about the link between vitamin C and depressive risk. This study utilized data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and Mendelian randomization (MR) methodology to investigate the association between the two.

Methods: We obtained serum vitamin C levels through laboratory data and determined the intake of vitamin C through a 24-hour dietary recall method on the first day from NHANES 2017 to 2018.

Gut microbiome and metabolites mediate the benefits of caloric restriction in mice after acute kidney injury.

The role of gut microbiome in acute kidney injury (AKI) is increasing recognized. Caloric restriction (CR) has been shown to enhance the resistance to ischemia/reperfusion injury to the kidneys in rodents. Nonetheless, it is unknown whether intestinal microbiota mediated CR protection against ischemic/reperfusion-induced injury (IRI) in the kidneys.

NCKAP1 as a prognostic and immunological biomarker: pan-cancer analysis and validation in renal clear cell carcinoma.

Objectives: To systematically investigate the expression, prognostic value, genetic alterations, immune infiltration, and molecular function of Nck-associated protein 1 (NCKAP1) in a pan-cancer analysis, with a specific focus on its association with kidney renal cell carcinoma (KIRC).

Methods: We analyzed the role of NCKAP1 across various tumor types using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). The Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis version 2 (GEPIA2) database was used to assess the correlation between NCKAP1 expression levels and overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) across different cancers, as well as its association with cancer stage.

Integrative Effects of Transcutaneous Electrical Acustimulation and Autonomic-Endocrine Mechanisms on Postprocedural Recovery in Patients With Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangio-Pancreatography.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the integrative effects and mechanisms of transcutaneous electrical acustimulation (TEA) on postprocedural recovery from endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography (ERCP).

Materials And Methods: A total of 86 patients for elective ERCP were randomly ordered to receive TEA (n = 43) at acupoints PC6 and ST36 or Sham-TEA (n = 43) at sham points from 24 hours before ERCP (pre-ERCP) to 24 hours after ERCP (PE24). Scores of gastrointestinal (GI) motility-related symptoms and abdominal pain, gastric slow waves, and autonomic functions were recorded through the spectral analysis of heart rate variability; meanwhile, circulatory levels of inflammation cytokines of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin (IL)-10 and GI hormones of motilin, ghrelin, cholecystokinin (CCK), and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Prognostic significance of preoperative lymphocytes, albumin, and neutrophils (LANR) index in resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Purpose: The index composed of preoperative lymphocytes, albumin, and neutrophils (LANR), a new composite score based on inflammatory response and nutritional status, has been reported to be associated with the prognosis of multiple types of cancer, but the role of LANR in the prognosis of resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has not yet been elucidated.

Patients And Methods: The data of 142 patients with PDAC who underwent radical resection in the Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University from January 2015 to December 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves were generated to determine the optimal cut-off values for these parameters, as well as the sensitivity and specificity of LANR in predicting survival.

Association between reversal agents (sugammadex vs. neostigmine) for neuromuscular block and postoperative pulmonary complications: A retrospective analysis.

Aims: Residual neuromuscular blockade has been linked to pulmonary complications in the postoperative period. This study aimed to determine whether sugammadex was associated with a lower risk of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) compared with neostigmine.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted in a tertiary academic medical center.

Evaluation of the anti-inflammatory effects of PI3Kδ/γ inhibitors for treating acute lung injury.

Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase delta (PI3Kδ) and gamma (PI3Kγ) are predominantly located in immune and hematopoietic cells. It is well-established that PI3Kδ/γ plays important roles in the immune system and participates in inflammation; hence, it could be a potential target for anti-inflammatory therapy. Currently, several PI3K inhibitors are used clinically to treat cancers with aberrant PI3K signaling; however, their role in treating acute respiratory inflammatory diseases has rarely been explored.

The mechanism underlying the inverse proportion between serum IgE concentration and Stat3 transcriptional activity depends on Stat3 mutation type.

Abnormalities in the IL-6/STAT3 signaling pathway can sometimes result in extremely high levels of IgE concentration in serum, however, the regulatory role of STAT3 in IgE production is elusive. We used several genetically modified mice with distinctive germline Stat3 transcriptional activity to assess the influence of Stat3 on the biochemical characteristics of IgE and found that the IgE concentration in serum is inversely proportional to Stat3 transcriptional activity. Intriguingly, the serum IgE concentration is directly proportional to IgE-producing B cells in Stat3-GOF mice but inversely proportional in mice carrying Stat3 mutations with reduced transcriptional activity.

Molecular modeling strategy for detailing the primary mechanism of action of copanlisib to PI3K: combined ligand-based and target-based approach.

Since dysregulation of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling pathway is associated with the pathogenesis of cancer, inflammation, and autoimmunity, PI3K has emerged as an attractive target for drug development. Although copanlisib is the first pan-PI3K inhibitor to be approved for clinical use, the precise mechanism by which it acts on PI3K has not been fully elucidated. To reveal the binding mechanisms and structure-activity relationship between PI3K and copanlisib, a comprehensive modeling approach that combines 3D-quantitative structure-activity relationship (3D-QSAR), pharmacophore model, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation was utilized.

Platelet rich plasma combined with arthroscopic microfracture versus arthroscopic microfracture alone for the treatment of knee cartilage injury.

Objective: To investigate the clinical efficacy of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection combined with arthroscopic microfracture technique in treating knee cartilage injury.

Methods: The clinical data of 120 patients with knee cartilage injuries treated in Jiangnan University Medical Center from October 2019 to December 2021 were analyzed retrospectively. Among them, 55 cases underwent the arthroscopic microfracture technique alone (control group), and the other 65 cases underwent PRP combined with the arthroscopic microfracture technique (observation group).

Research progress on ferroptosis and its role in epilepsy.

Epilepsy is a disease characterized by central nervous system dysfunction induced by an excessive synchronous discharge of cerebral neurons, with diverse etiologies and complicated pathogenesis, and is difficult to treat. Ferroptosis is a newly defined iron-dependent programmed cell death, characterized by excessive accumulation of lipid peroxides and reactive oxygen species. Studies have shown that ferroptosis is involved in the occurrence and development of epilepsy, and this has become a research focus.