Negative association between 15 obesity- and lipid-related indices and testosterone in adult males: a population based cross-sectional study.

Background: An association exists between obesity and reduced testosterone levels in males. The propose of this research is to reveal the correlation between 15 indices linked to obesity and lipid levels with the concentration of serum testosterone, and incidence of testosterone deficiency (TD) among adult American men.

Methods: The study utilized information gathered from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) carried out from 2011 to 2016.

Multiple gene-deletion vaccinia virus Tiantan strain against mpox.

Monkeypox virus (MPXV) is an important zoonotic pathogenic virus, which poses serious threats to public health. MPXV infection can be prevented by immunization against the variola virus. Because of the safety risks and side effects of vaccination with live vaccinia virus (VACV) strain Tian Tan (VTT), we constructed two gene-deleted VTT recombinants (TTVAC7 and TTVC5).

Repression of PFKFB3 sensitizes ovarian cancer to PARP inhibitors by impairing homologous recombination repair.

Background: Ovarian cancer (OC), particularly high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC), is the leading cause of mortality from gynecological malignancies worldwide. Despite the initial effectiveness of treatment, acquired resistance to poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPis) represents a major challenge for the clinical management of HGSOC, highlighting the necessity for the development of novel therapeutic strategies. This study investigated the role of 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase 3 (PFKFB3), a pivotal regulator of glycolysis, in PARPi resistance and explored its potential as a therapeutic target to overcome PARPi resistance.

Specialized pediatric palliative care in Italy: where are we going? The Palliped 2022-2023 study.

Background: The PalliPed project is a nationwide, observational, cross-sectional study designed with the aim of providing a constantly updated national database for the census and monitoring of specialized pediatric palliative care (PPC) activities in Italy. This paper presents the results of the first monitoring phase of the PalliPed project, which was developed through the PalliPed 2022-2023 study, to update current knowledge on the provision of specialized PPC services in Italy.

Methods: Italian specialized PPC centers/facilities were invited to participate and asked to complete a self-reporting, ad-hoc, online survey regarding their clinical activity in 2022-2023, in the revision of the data initially collected in the first PalliPed study of 2021.

Loss of flavonoids homeostasis leads to pistillody in sua-CMS of Nicotiana tabacum.

The homeotic transformation of stamens into pistil-like structures (pistillody) causes cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS). This phenomenon is widely present in plants, and might be induced by intracellular communication (mitochondrial retrograde signaling), but its systemic regulating mechanism is still unclear. In this study, morphological observation showed that the stamens transformed into pistil-like structures, leading to flat and dehiscent pistils, and fruit set decrease in sua-CMS (MS K326, somatic fusion between Nicotiana.

Delineation of reduced CTV2 on the basis of the characteristics and distribution of cervical lymph node metastasis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Introduction: The core objective of this study was to precisely locate metastatic lymph nodes, identify potential areas in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients that may not require radiotherapy, and propose a hypothesis for reduced target volume radiotherapy on the basis of these findings. Ultimately, we reassessed the differences in dosimetry of organs at risk (OARs) between reduced target volume (reduced CTV2) radiotherapy and standard radiotherapy.

Methods And Materials: A total of 209 patients participated in the study.

Correlations between spinopelvic parameters and health-related quality of life in degenerative lumbar scoliosis patients before and after long -level fusion surgery.

Background: For degenerative lumbar scoliosis (DLS), prior studies mainly focused on the preoperative relationship between spinopelvic parameters and health-related quality of life (HRQoL), lacking an exhaustive evaluation of the postoperative situation. Therefore, the postoperative parameters most closely bonded with clinical outcomes has not yet been well-defined in DLS patients. The objective of this study was to comprehensively assess the correlation between radiographic parameters and HRQoL before and after surgery, and to identified the most valuable spinopelvic parameters for postoperative curative effect.

Expansion of medical school admission quotas in Korea, is it really necessary?

Background: In 2024, the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare enforced a policy to increase the number of medical school students by 2,000 over the next 5 years, despite opposition from doctors. This study aims to predict the trend of excess or shortage of medical personnel in Korea due to the policy of increasing the number of medical school students by 2035.

Methods: Data from multiple sources, including the Ministry of Health and Welfare, National Health Insurance Corporation, and the Korean Medical Association, were used to estimate supply and demand.

Amelioration of premature aging in Werner syndrome stem cells by targeting SHIP/AKT pathway.

Background: Pathogenic or null mutations in WRN helicase is a cause of premature aging disease Werner syndrome (WS). WRN is known to protect somatic cells including adult stem cells from premature senescence. Loss of WRN in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) not only drives the cells to premature senescence but also significantly impairs the function of the stem cells in tissue repair or regeneration.

Efficacy and safety of SHEN26, a novel oral small molecular RdRp inhibitor for COVID-19 treatment: a multicenter, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, phase II clinical trial.

Background: SHEN26 (ATV014) is an oral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) inhibitor with potential anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity. Safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetic characteristics were verified in a Phase I study. This phase II study aimed to verify the efficacy and safety of SHEN26 in COVID-19 patients.

HDN-DDI: a novel framework for predicting drug-drug interactions using hierarchical molecular graphs and enhanced dual-view representation learning.

Background: Drug-drug interactions (DDIs) especially antagonistic ones present significant risks to patient safety, underscoring the urgent need for reliable prediction methods. Recently, substructure-based DDI prediction has garnered much attention due to the dominant influence of functional groups and substructures on drug properties. However, existing approaches face challenges regarding the insufficient interpretability of identified substructures and the isolation of chemical substructures.

Divergent responses of plant multi-element coupling to nitrogen and phosphorus addition in a meadow steppe.

The intricate biogeochemical cycling of multiple elements plays a pivotal role in upholding a myriad of ecosystem functions. However, our understanding of elemental stoichiometry and coupling in response to global changes remains primarily limited to plant carbon: nitrogen: phosphorus (C: N: P). Here, we assessed the responses of 11 elements in plants from different functional groups to global changes.

Blood-based epigenome-wide association study and prediction of alcohol consumption.

Alcohol consumption is an important risk factor for multiple diseases. It is typically assessed via self-report, which is open to measurement error through recall bias. Instead, molecular data such as blood-based DNA methylation (DNAm) could be used to derive a more objective measure of alcohol consumption by incorporating information from cytosine-phosphate-guanine (CpG) sites known to be linked to the trait.

The association between Chlamydia pneumoniae infection and prognosis in lung cancer patients: a prospective study.

Background: The prognostic value of Chlamydia pneumoniae (Cpn) infection in postoperative lung cancer patients remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the association between Cpn infection and survival in lung cancer patients.

Methods: This study included 309 newly diagnosed primary lung cancer patients from three hospitals in Fuzhou, China.

Endogenous peptide CBDP1 inhibits clear cell renal cell carcinoma progression by targeting USP5/YTHDF2/TRPM5 axis.

Background: Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) has a high incidence rate and poor prognosis, and currently lacks effective therapies. Recently, peptide-based drugs have shown promise in cancer treatment. In this research, a new endogenous peptide called CBDP1 was discovered in ccRCC and its potential anti-cancer properties were examined.

Krait2: a versatile software for microsatellite investigation, visualization and marker development.

Background: Microsatellites are highly polymorphic repeat sequences ubiquitously interspersed throughout almost all genomes which are widely used as powerful molecular markers in diverse fields. Microsatellite expansions play pivotal roles in gene expression regulation and are implicated in various neurological diseases and cancers. Although much effort has been devoted to developing efficient tools for microsatellite identification, there is still a lack of a powerful tool for large-scale microsatellite analysis.

Menopause and obstructive sleep apnea: revealing an independent mediating role of visceral fat beyond body mass index.

Background: Menopause is a significant phase in women's health, in which the incidence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is significantly increased. Body fat distribution changes with age and hormone levels in postmenopausal women, but the extent to which changes in body fat distribution affect the occurrence of OSA is unclear.

Methods: This research performed a cross-sectional analysis utilizing data from the 2015-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

Hospital attendance, malaria prevalence and self-medication with an antimalarial drug before and after the start of COVID-19 pandemic in a sentinel site for malaria surveillance in Gabon.

Background: The negative impact of COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare service utilization has been reported in several countries. In Gabon, data on the preparedness for future pandemic are lacking. The aim of the present study was to assess the trends of hospital attendance, malaria and self-medication prevalences as well as ITN use before and during Covid-19 first epidemic waves in a paediatric wards of a sentinel site for malaria surveillance, in Libreville, Gabon.

Massive endobronchial hemorrhage leading to Cardiac arrest during EBUS-TBNA: a case of successful resuscitation.

Introduction: Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is commonly used for diagnosing mediastinal lymphadenopathy. Despite a low complication rate, severe hemorrhage can occur which is reported in this literature, particularly in hypervascular conditions like Castleman disease.

Methods: A 54-year-old male with idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease underwent EBUS-TBNA for mediastinal lymph node sampling.

Clinical characteristics, complications and satisfaction of megameatus intact prepuce (MIP) hypospadias variant: a 15 year retrospective study.

Background: To analyze the clinical characteristics, complications and patients satisfaction of MIP hypospadias variant.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed for 31 patients with MIP admitted to our hospital from January 2008 to February 2023. All enrolled patients underwent telephone follow-up and a survey was conducted on the satisfaction of patients and their families.

Comparative evaluation of allograft particulate bone and cortical bone blocks combined with xenograft bone for labial bone defects in the aesthetic zone: a prospective cohort study.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the osteogenic performance of allograft particulate bone and cortical bone blocks combined with xenograft under bovine pericardium membranes, for treating different degrees of labial bone defects in the aesthetic zone.

Materials And Methods: Twenty-four patients with bone defects were divided into two groups based on defect severity (Terheyden 1/4 and 2/4 groups). The Terheyden 1/4 group received granular bone grafts alone, while the Terheyden 2/4 group received cortical bone blocks combined with granular bone grafts.

Enhancing healthcare utilization and reducing preventable hospitalizations: exploring the healthcare-seeking propensity of patients with non-communicable diseases in Rural China.

Objective: Understanding healthcare-seeking propensity is crucial for optimizing healthcare utilization, especially for patients with chronic conditions like hypertension or diabetes, given their substantial burden on healthcare systems globally. This study aims to evaluate hypertensive or diabetic patients' healthcare-seeking propensity based on the severity of symptoms, categorizing symptoms as either major or minor. It also explores factors influencing healthcare-seeking propensity and examines whether healthcare-seeking propensity affects healthcare utilization and preventable hospitalizations.

Impact of triglyceride-glucose index on risk of cardiovascular disease among non-diabetic hypertension patients: a 10-year prospective cohort study.

Background: Triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index was regarded as a cost-efficient and reliable clinical surrogate marker for insulin resistance (IR), which was significantly correlated with cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, the TyG index and incident CVD in non-diabetic hypertension patients remains uncertain. The aim of study was to explore the impact of TyG index level and variability on risk of CVD among non-diabetic hypertension patients.

CSPG4 overexpression implicates higher risks of recurrence and tumorigenesis after surgical intervention of vocal fold Leukoplakia.

Background: Vocal fold leukoplakia (VFL), a precancerous lesion of the larynx, is characterized by white plaques on the vocal fold mucous membrane. Currently, there are no reliable biomarkers to predict the recurrence and malignant transformation of VFL. Considering chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan 4 (CSPG4) as a biomarker for malignant tumors such as laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC), we conducted this cohort study to evaluate the prognostic influence of CSPG4 expression on VFL patients.

Circulating HPVDNA in patients undergoing transoral robotic surgery for oropharyngeal cancer: liquid biopsy could identify molecular residual disease.

Objectives: we evaluated the hypothesis that level of ctHPVDNA on the first postoperative day (POD-1); and at 15 days (POD-15) could be associated with the need for adjuvant therapy and the presence of recurrence.

Materials And Methods: this is a prospective observational study on biomarkers, focusing on the longitudinal monitoring of ctHPVDNA in a cohort of HPV-OPSCC patients undergoing TORS. Blood samples were collected according to the following schema: (1) pretreatment; (2) on first postoperative day (POD 1); and (3) at 15 days (POD 15).