Ultrastructural disturbances in microglia-neuron interactions in the head of the caudate nucleus in schizophrenia.

Previously we found altered microglia-neuron interactions in the prefrontal cortex in schizophrenia. We hypothesized that microglia-neuron interactions may be dysregulated in the caudate nucleus in schizophrenia. A postmortem ultrastructural morphometric study was performed to investigate satellite microglia (SatMg) and adjacent neurons in the head of the caudate nucleus in 21 cases of schizophrenia and 20 healthy controls.

Silent circulation of plasmid-borne tet(X6) and bla genes in a community-acquired Acinetobacter baumannii strain.

To characterize the genomic features of a community-acquired Acinetobacter baumannii strain, co-carrying tet(X6) and bla genes, but was susceptible to tigecycline and carbapenems. The tet(X6) and bla genes were found on a 149,518 bp non-conjugative plasmid. The bla gene was silent, due to the presence of an intact ISAba3-like element upstream, which rendered the strain susceptible to carbapenems.

Adiposity and inflammation markers explain mostly part of the plasma zonulin variation in Brazilian adults with overweight/obesity: A cross-sectional analysis from Brazilian nuts study.

Objective: This study evaluated intestinal permeability according to plasma zonulin and its association with adiposity, inflammation, cardiometabolic risk, liver function, and intestinal health markers in adults with overweight/obesity.

Methodology: This study is a cross-sectional analysis using baseline data from the Brazilian Nut Study, which involved 123 participants (93 women, age 33.2 ± 8.

Acanthamoeba Infection in a Hematopoietic Cell Transplant Recipient: Challenges in Diagnosis, Management, and Source Identification.

We report a case of Acanthamoeba infection in an HCT recipient with steroid-refractory GVHD. We highlight the multiple challenges that free-living ameba infections present to the clinician, the clinical laboratory, transplant infectious disease for review, hospital epidemiology if nosocomial transmission is considered, and public health officials, as exposure source identification can be a significant challenge. Transplant physicians should include Acanthamoeba infections in their differential diagnosis of a patient with skin, sinus, lung, and/or brain involvement.

A ganglioside-based immune checkpoint enables senescent cells to evade immunosurveillance during aging.

Although senescent cells can be eliminated by the immune system, they tend to accumulate with age in various tissues. Here we show that senescent cells can evade immune clearance by natural killer (NK) cells by upregulating the expression of the disialylated ganglioside GD3 at their surface. The increased level of GD3 expression on senescent cells that naturally occurs upon aging in liver, lung, kidney or bones leads to a strong suppression of NK-cell-mediated immunosurveillance.

Yield of clinical metagenomics: insights from real-world practice for tissue infections.

Background: While metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) has been acknowledged as a valuable diagnostic tool for infections, its clinical validity and impact on patient management when using fresh tissue samples remains uncertain.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study involving patients who underwent tissue mNGS at a tertiary hospital in China from February 2021 to February 2024, aiming to assess its ability to detect plausible pathogens and its clinical validity and impact.

Findings: A total of 520 mNGS results from 508 patients were analysed, detecting plausible pathogens in 302 (58.

Potential use of salivary TNF-α as a vaccine-induced pain biomarker in people with cerebral palsy and communication disorders.

Background: Pain in people with cerebral palsy (CP) has been classically underestimated and poorly treated, particularly in individuals with impaired communication skills.

Objective: To analyze changes in different salivary metabolites and pain behavior scales after a painful procedure in adults with CP and adults with typical development.

Methods: Salivary levels of sTNF-α, sIgA, Cortisol, FRAP, ADA and Alpha Amylase, as well as 3 observational pain scales (Wong-Baker, Non-Communicating Adults Pain Checklist and Facial Action Coding System) were assessed before and after an intramuscular injection in 30 Individuals with CP and 30 healthy controls.

A Transcriptome Approach Evaluating the Effects of Atractylenolide I on the Secretion of Estradiol and Progesterone in Feline Ovarian Granulosa Cells.

(AMK) as an oriental medicine has been used in the treatment of threatened abortion. (AT-I) is one of the major bioactive components of AMK. This study aimed to investigate the effect of AT-I on the secretion of estradiol (E) and progesterone (P) in feline ovarian granulosa cells (FOGCs), which is necessary for pregnancy.

Microcystins Exposure and the Risk of Metabolic Syndrome: A Cross-Sectional Study in Central China.

A growing body of evidence indicates that microcystins (MCs) exposure may cause metabolic diseases. However, studies exploring the effects of MCs exposure on the risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in humans are currently lacking, and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we conducted a cross-sectional study in central China to explore the effect of serum MCs on MetS, and assessed the mediation effects of the inflammation biomarker, white blood cell (WBC) level, in this relationship.

A Highly Stable Electrochemical Sensor Based on a Metal-Organic Framework/Reduced Graphene Oxide Composite for Monitoring the Ammonium in Sweat.

The demand for non-invasive, real-time health monitoring has driven advancements in wearable sensors for tracking biomarkers in sweat. Ammonium ions (NH) in sweat serve as indicators of metabolic function, muscle fatigue, and kidney health. Although current ion-selective all-solid-state printed sensors based on nanocomposites typically exhibit good sensitivity (~50 mV/log [NH]), low detection limits (LOD ranging from 10 to 10 M), and wide linearity ranges (from 10 to 10 M), few have reported the stability test results necessary for their integration into commercial products for future practical applications.

Targeting TOP2A in Ovarian Cancer: Biological and Clinical Implications.

The enzyme topoisomerase II alpha (TOP2A) plays a critical role in DNA replication and cell proliferation, making it a promising target for cancer therapy. In epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), TOP2A overexpression is associated with poor prognosis and resistance to conventional treatments. This review explores the biological functions of TOP2A in EOC and discusses its potential as a therapeutic target.

An HRP-integrated CRISPR/Cas12a biosensor towards chair-side diagnosis for Porphyromonas gingivalis.

Rapid diagnostic tools for Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg), the primary microorganism responsible for the development of periodontitis, particularly those designed for chair-side applications, could provide substantial health benefits to patients. To address this issue, we developed a CRISPR/Cas12a-based rapid Pg detection method. Dual-gRNA and hairpin reporter strategies were employed to enhance CRISPR/Cas12a reaction efficiency.

Identification of two distinct clusters in membranous lupus nephritis patients: recognition of a high-risk profile based on unsupervised analysis.

Background And Hypothesis: Membranous lupus nephritis (MLN) traditionally includes class V (alone) and may be associated with other classes (III or IV). The clinical, therapeutic and prognosis relevance of the classification remains controversial.

Methods: A retrospective cohort of 412 MLN patients from the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun-Yat Sen University was followed for a median of 65.

Nervous system contributions to small cell lung cancer: Lessons from diverse oncological studies.

The nervous system plays a vital role throughout the entire lifecycle and it may regulate the formation, development and metastasis of tumors. Small cell lung cancer is a typical neuroendocrine tumor, and it is naturally equipped with neurotropism. In this review, we firstly summarize current preclinical and clinical evidence to demonstrate the reciprocal crosstalk among the nervous system, tumor, and tumor microenvironment in various ways, including neurotransmitter-receptor pathways, innervations of nerve fibers, different types of synapse formation by neurons, astrocytes, and cancer cells, neoneurogenesis.

Correlation between Androgentic Alopecia and SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant infection in China.

With the widespread prevalence of COVID-19, researches have suggested a potential link between androgens and COVID-19 outcomes. However, the relationship between COVID-19 and androgenetic alopecia (AGA)-a condition strongly influenced by androgens-remains controversial in existing studies. Notably, there is a lack of large-scale clinical studies, particularly concerning data on the Chinese population following infection with the Omicron variant.

SCREEN: A Graph-based Contrastive Learning Tool to Infer Catalytic Residues and Assess Enzyme Mutations.

Unlabelled: The accurate identification of catalytic residues contributes to our understanding of enzyme functions in biological processes and pathways. The increasing number of protein sequences necessitates computational tools for the automated prediction of catalytic residues in enzymes. Here, we introduce SCREEN, a graph neural network for the high-throughput prediction of catalytic residues via the integration of enzyme functional and structural information.

Molecular and clinical characterization of two independent Chinese families with protein C deficiency.

This study aims to investigate the clinical characterization and molecular pathogenic basis of hereditary protein C (PC) deficiency in two independent Chinese families, and conduct in vitro expression studies on the newly discovered p.Trp444Arg mutation. The PC activity (PC: A) was tested using the chromogenic substrate, and PC antigen (PC: Ag) was detected via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

The inclusion membrane protein Cpn0308 interacts with host protein ACBD3.

is an obligate intracellular bacterium of eukaryotic cells characterized by a unique biphasic life cycle; its biosynthesis and replication must occur within a cytoplasmic vacuole or inclusion. Certain inclusion membrane proteins have been demonstrated to mediate the interactions between intra-inclusion chlamydial organisms and the host cell. It has been demonstrated previously that the -encoded Cpn0308 localizes to the inclusion membrane; however, its function remains unknown.

Intraoperative Electroencephalogram Frontal Low Alpha Power for Predicting Postoperative Delirium in Elderly Patients after Orthopedic Surgery: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Aim: Postoperative delirium (POD) is a common complication with significant adverse effects in elderly patients. Electroencephalography (EEG) provides a promising approach for predicting the risk of POD. This study aims to elucidate the correlation between intraoperative EEG spectrum and the incidence of POD in elderly patients undergoing orthopedic surgery.

Mechanism of Qingdai in Alleviating Acute Lung Injury by Inhibiting the JAK2/STAT3 Signaling Pathway.

Objective: Qingdai (QD) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) commonly used in clinical practice to treat acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ALI/ARDS). However, the mechanisms underlying the effects of QD remain not fully understood. This investigation demonstrated QD alleviated LPS-induced ALI in mice and exerted anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway.

Risdiplam in Adult Patients With 5q Spinal Muscular Atrophy: A Single-Center Longitudinal Study.

Introduction/aims: Risdiplam was the first orally administered drug approved to treat spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Efficacy in adults is based on short-term observational studies. This longitudinal study aimed to examine risdiplam's efficacy and safety in adults over a long period of follow-up.

A Triple Therapeutic Regiment Consisted of Colchicine, Thalidomide and Total Glucosides of Paeony Is Effective and Well-Tolerated for Treating Mucocutaneous Involvement in Patients With Behcet's Disease.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of a triple therapy consisting of colchicine, thalidomide and total glucosides of paeony (TGP) in Behcet's disease (BD) patients with mucocutaneous involvement.

Methods: Totally 355 newly diagnosed BD patients with mucocutaneous involvement were recruited, who received dexamethasone and colchicine for the first 2 weeks, then they were categorized into "sustained triple-therapy (ST)" (n = 231) and "colchicine to triple-therapy (CT)" (n = 124) groups respectively: for ST group, patients received colchicine, thalidomide plus TGP from Month (M)0.5 to M12; for CT group, patients received colchicine from M0.

Cutaneous innate lymphoid populations drive IL-17A-mediated immunity in Nannizzia gypsea dermatophytosis.

Fungal skin infections significantly contribute to the global human disease burden, yet our understanding of cutaneous immunity against dermatophytes remains limited. Previously, we developed a model of epicutaneous infection with Microsporum canis in C57BL/6 mice, which highlighted the critical role of IL-17RA signaling in anti-dermatophyte defenses. Here, we expanded our investigation to the human pathogen Nannizzia gypsea and demonstrated that skin γδTCRint and CD8/CD4 double-negative βTCR+ T cells are the principal producers of IL-17A during dermatophytosis.

Highly sensitive ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry method for the multiplex analysis of levosimendan and its metabolites OR-1855 and OR-1896 in human plasma.

Levosimendan is a positive inotrope and vasodilator used in patients with acute and chronic decompensated heart failure. It is metabolized into OR-1855 (inactive metabolite), which is further acetylated into OR-1896 (active metabolite having a prolonged half-life, hence a sustained effect). Levosimendan represents a valuable alternative to traditional inotropes with broad clinical applications in critically ill patients with cardiogenic shock, advanced heart failure and post-cardiac surgery.

Developing novel indoles as antitubercular agents and simulated annealing-based analysis of their binding with MmpL3.

Aim: This research aimed to develop novel indole-2-carboxamides as potential antitubercular agents using rational drug design. It also focused on identifying the critical interactions required for these compounds to exhibit effective antitubercular activity.

Materials And Methods: Novel indole-2-carboxamides targeting MmpL3 were designed based on SAR, synthesized, and tested for their antitubercular and induction properties.