Endoplasmic reticulum stress in diseases.

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a key organelle in eukaryotic cells, responsible for a wide range of vital functions, including the modification, folding, and trafficking of proteins, as well as the biosynthesis of lipids and the maintenance of intracellular calcium homeostasis. A variety of factors can disrupt the function of the ER, leading to the aggregation of unfolded and misfolded proteins within its confines and the induction of ER stress. A conserved cascade of signaling events known as the unfolded protein response (UPR) has evolved to relieve the burden within the ER and restore ER homeostasis.

Online decision tools for personalized survival prediction and treatment optimization in elderly patients with lung squamous cell carcinoma: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Despite major advances in cancer therapeutics, the therapeutic options of Lung Squamous Cell Carcinoma (LSCC)-specific remain limited. Furthermore, the current staging system is imperfect for defining a prognosis and guiding treatment due to its simplicity and heterogeneity. We sought to develop prognostic decision tools for individualized survival prediction and treatment optimization in elderly patients with LSCC.

Associations of Oral Contraceptive Use With Cardiovascular Disease and All-Cause Death: Evidence From the UK Biobank Cohort Study.

Background The associations of oral contraceptive (OC) use with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and all-cause death remains unclear. We aimed to determine the associations of OC use with incident CVD and all-cause death. Methods and Results This cohort study included 161 017 women who had no CVD at baseline and reported their OC use.

Maternal Vitamin A deficiency during pregnancy and lactation induced damaged intestinal structure and intestinal flora homeostasis in offspring mice.

The small intestine serves as the first channel of dietary Vitamin A (VA) and the unique organ of VA absorption and metabolism. However, there have not been extensive investigations on the exact mechanisms within VA-related changes in intestinal metabolic disorders. This research is designed to analyze whether and how VA affects intestinal metabolic phenotypes.

Identification of RALA as a Therapeutic Target and Prognostic Predictor of Osteosarcoma.

Background: Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common primary aggressive sarcoma of bone, with massive aberrant expression of oncogenes related to the development of OS. RALA, a kind of small Ras-like guanosine triphosphatases, has been identified as a potential therapeutic target in several types of tumor, but its role in OS remains largely unknown.

Methods: Abnormal expression of RALA was proven in the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx), Therapeutically Applicable Research to Generate Effective Treatments (TARGET), and RNA-sequence of samples and cell lines.

Peripheral Eosinophil Count Is Associated With the Prognosis of Patients With Type B Aortic Dissection Undergoing Endovascular Aortic Repair: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background Eosinophil count (EOS) has been proposed to provide prognostic information in multiple cardiovascular disorders. However, few researchers have investigated the predictive value of EOS for patients with type B aortic dissection who had thoracic endovascular repair. Methods and Results The authors reviewed the records of 912 patients with type B aortic dissection who were treated with thoracic endovascular repair in Changhai Hospital, Shanghai.

Definition and verification of novel metastasis and recurrence related signatures of ccRCC: A multicohort study.

Background: Cancer metastasis and recurrence remain major challenges in renal carcinoma patient management. There are limited biomarkers to predict the metastatic probability of renal cancer, especially in the early-stage subgroup. Here, our study applied robust machine-learning algorithms to identify metastatic and recurrence-related signatures across multiple renal cancer cohorts, which reached high accuracy in both training and testing cohorts.

Nomogram to Predict Mortality of Endovascular Thrombectomy for Ischemic Stroke Despite Successful Recanalization.

Background The trajectory of ischemic stroke patients attributable to large vessel occlusion is fundamentally altered by endovascular thrombectomy. This study aimed to develop a nomogram for predicting 3-month mortality risk in patients with ischemic stroke attributed to artery occlusion in anterior circulation who received successful endovascular thrombectomy treatment. Methods and Results Patients with successful endovascular thrombectomy (modified Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction IIb or III) were enrolled from a multicenter registry as the training cohort.

Photoresponsive Delivery Microcarriers for Tissue Defects Repair.

Intelligent responsive microcarriers have emerged as a promising class of biomaterials for therapeutic delivery and tissue regeneration, since they can respond to external stimuli and release the loaded drugs in an active manner. Among various available stimuli, near-infrared (NIR) light is particularly attractive because it can penetrate biotic tissues with sufficient intensity and minimal damage. In this work, a kind of photoresponsive delivery microcarriers (PDMs) is developed using microfluidics.

Impact of Smoking Status on Stroke Recurrence.

Background Smoking is a well-established risk factor of stroke and smoking cessation has been recommended for stroke prevention; however, the impact of smoking status on stroke recurrence has not been well studied to date. Methods and Results Patients with first-ever stroke were enrolled and followed in the NSRP (Nanjing Stroke Registry Program). Smoking status was assessed at baseline and reassessed at the first follow-up.

The impact of lubricants on the precision lapping process.

The impact of lubricants on pole-tip recession and surface morphology of hard disk drive heads in the precision lapping process was investigated with atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and auger electron spectroscopy. In particular, the effects of deionized water, hydrocarbon oil, ethanediol, isopropanol, and ethanol lubricants were evaluated. The results reveal that proper selection of lubricant is critical for achieving optimal performance in the lapping process.

Mechanistic features of nanodiamonds in the lapping of magnetic heads.

Nanodiamonds, which are the main components of slurry in the precision lapping process of magnetic heads, play an important role in surface quality. This paper studies the mechanistic features of nanodiamond embedment into a Sn plate in the lapping process. This is the first study to develop mathematical models for nanodiamond embedment.

[Myocardial bridging on dual-source CT: comparison with conventional coronary angiography].

Objective: To assess the ability to detect myocardial bridging (MB) of dual-source computed tomography (DSCT) compared with conventional coronary angiography (CAG).

Methods: Both DSCT coronary angiography (DSCTCA) and CAG were performed on 53 patients diagnosed or suspected as with coronary artery disease (CAD), 45 males and 8 females, aged 36-87. 4D cine mode was performed on 16 of these 53 patients with MB shown on DSCTCA, and the CAG data were reviewed retrospectively by automatic cine method.

[Value of CT enhancement degree in differential diagnosis between pancreatic carcinoma and inflammatory pancreatic mass].

Objective: To compare the CT enhancement degree in pancreatic carcinoma (PC) and inflammatory pancreatic mass (IPM), and to study the diagnostic value of CT to these two diseases.

Methods: Eighty-five patients with PC or IPM, 47 males and 38 females, aged 62 (37-79), underwent plain CT scanning and enhanced CT scanning in pancreatic phase and delay phase. The CT values of the pancreatic mass and relative normal pancreatic tissue were measured.