Analysis of ASAS health index and its influencing factors in ankylosing spondylitis: a prospective study based on the population of Chaoshan region.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients in the Chaoshan region and identify factors influencing the ASAS Health Index (ASAS-HI) to enhance comprehensive AS treatment strategies.

Methods: A survey of ASAS-HI was conducted on 82 AS patients from the rheumatology outpatient department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College. The Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Global Score (BAS-G) assessed overall health status, the Ankylosing Spondylitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (AS-QOL) evaluated quality of life, the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) measured disease activity, and the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI) assessed functional difficulties.

Application of metagenomic next-generation sequencing in the diagnosis of post-stroke infections: a case series study using multiple sample types.

Background: Metagenomic high-throughput sequencing (mNGS) represents a powerful tool for detecting nucleic acids from various pathogens, such as bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites, in clinical samples. Despite its extensively employed in the pathogen diagnosis for various infectious diseases, its application in diagnosing stroke-related infection, and its potential impact on clinical decision-making, anti-infection treatment, clinical intervention, and patient prognosis remain insufficiently explored. Additionally, while mNGS offers promising potential, it facts limitations related to sensitivity, specificity, cost, and standardization, which could influence its integration into routine clinical practice.

Asymmetric Intraocular Pressure Changes in Dominant and Contralateral Eyes: The Dark Room Prone Provocative Test.

Purpose: To evaluate changes in intraocular pressure (IOP) in dominant and contralateral eyes following the dark room prone provocative test (DRPPT) in the study subjects with shallow anterior chamber.

Methods: This was a prospective, single-center, non-randomized controlled trial of 43 subjects (86 eyes) with shallow anterior chamber. The dominant eye was identified using the card-hole method.

Molecular Insights into RNA Modifications and their Role in Shaping Immune Responses and Tumor Microenvironments.

RNA modifications play crucial roles in immune system development and function, with dynamic changes essential for diverse cellular processes. Innovative profiling technologies are invaluable for understanding the significance of these modifications in immune cells, both in healthy and diseased states. This review explores the utility of such technologies in uncovering the functions of RNA modifications and their impact on immune responses.

Molecular and cellular morphology of placenta unveils new mechanisms of reproductive immunology.

Introduction: Despite of numerous studies of the placenta, some molecular and cellular characteristics, particularly the relationship among different cell types, have not been well understood. We aim to investigate the basic and intricate details of cellular and molecular elements in early and late phase placentas to gain better understanding of the immune regulation of human reproductive process.

Methods: A novel combination of techniques of spatial transcriptomics(ST), multiple immunohistochemistry, and a dual labeling combining immunohistochemistry and (fluorescence in situ hybridization) FISH on normal and ectopic pregnancy and animal models was employed to investigate the placenta at tissue, cell, protein and molecular levels and to trace the fetal and maternal origin of every cell in early and late placentas.

Dosimetric and Radiobiological Impact of Patient Setup Errors in Intensity-modulated Radiotherapy for Esophageal Cancer.

Purpose: To evaluate the impact of patient setup errors on the dosimetry and radiobiological models of intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for esophageal cancer.

Methods And Materials: This retrospective study with 56 patients in thermoplastic mask (TM) and vacuum bag (VB) groups utilized real setup-error (RSE) data from cone-beam CT scans to generate simulated setup-error (SSE) data following a normal distribution. The SSE data were applied to simulate all treatment fractions per patient by shifting the plan isocenter and recalculating the dose.

Thyroid-Targeted Nano-Bombs Empower HIFU for Graves' Disease.

Graves' disease (GD) is an autoimmune disorder with a high incidence rate, particularly affecting women of reproductive age. Current treatment modalities for GD carry significant disadvantages, especially for pregnant or nursing women. As a novel extracorporeal therapeutic technique, high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) shows great promise for treating GD; however, its low treatment efficacy impedes clinical application.

Ponatinib alleviates non-alcoholic steatohepatitis through TFEB-mediated autophagy.

Objective: Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a progressive liver disease with lipid accumulation, inflammation, and liver fibrosis. Ponatinib, a third-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors for the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia, was found to improve metabolic disorders in mice. However, the role of ponatinib in liver inflammation and fibrosis remains to be elucidated.

Poorly controlled type II diabetes mellitus significantly enhances postoperative chemoresistance in patients with stage III colon cancer.

Background: Type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has been associated with increased risk of colon cancer (CC) and worse prognosis in patients with metastases. The effects of T2DM on postoperative chemoresistance rate (CRR) and long-term disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients with stage III CC who receive curative resection remain controversial.

Aim: To investigate whether T2DM or glycemic control is associated with worse postoperative survival outcomes in stage III CC.

Clinical features and risk factors of HIV-infected patients with intracerebral hemorrhage: a retrospective study with propensity score matching analysis.

Purpose: To investigate the clinical features and risk factors of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH).

Patients And Methods: The patients with HIV-infected without ICH group were matched to the group of HIV-infected ICH patients. Logistic regression analysis using 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to investigate the independent risk factors for ICH in HIV-infected patients.

Dissemination of clinical harboring the gene in Pakistan.

Background: Colistin is an antibiotic used as a last resort to treat multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacterial infections. Plasmid-mediated mobile colistin-resistant () genes in () are disseminated globally and are considered to be a major public health threat. This study aimed to determine the molecular characteristics of colistin-resistant isolates in clinical settings in Pakistan.

Observation of O Molecules Inserting into Fe-H Bonds in a Ferrous Metal-Organic Framework.

Exploring the interactions between oxygen molecules and metal sites has been a significant topic. Most previous studies concentrated on enzyme-mimicking metal sites interacting with O to form M-OO species, leaving the development of new types of O-activating metal sites and novel adsorption mechanisms largely overlooked. In this study, we reported an Fe(II)-doped metal-organic framework (MOF) [FeZnH(bibtz)] (, Hbibtz = 1,1'-5,5'-bibenzo[][1,2,3]triazole), featuring an unprecedented tetrahedral Fe(II)HN site.

sp. nov., a novel marine bacterium isolated from the biofilm of concrete breakwater structures.

Marine biofilms were newly revealed as a bank of hidden microbial diversity and functional potential. In this study, a Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, oval and non-motile bacterium, designated LMIT008, was isolated from the biofilm of concrete breakwater structures located in the coastal area of Shantou, PR China. Strain LMIT008 was found to grow at salinities of 1-7% NaCl, at pH 5-8 and at temperatures 10-40 °C.

Model compression for real-time object detection using rigorous gradation pruning.

Achieving lightweight real-time object detection necessitates balancing model compression with detection accuracy, a difficulty exacerbated by low redundancy and uneven contributions from convolutional layers. As an alternative to traditional methods, we propose Rigorous Gradation Pruning (RGP), which uses a desensitized first-order Taylor approximation to assess filter importance, enabling precise pruning of redundant kernels. This approach includes the iterative reassessment of layer significance to protect essential layers, ensuring effective detection performance.

Cardioattentionnet: advancing ECG beat characterization with a high-accuracy and portable deep learning model.

Introduction: The risk of mortality associated with cardiac arrhythmias is considerable, and their diagnosis presents significant challenges, often resulting in misdiagnosis. This situation highlights the necessity for an automated, efficient, and real-time detection method aimed at enhancing diagnostic accuracy and improving patient outcomes.

Methods: The present study is centered on the development of a portable deep learning model for the detection of arrhythmias via electrocardiogram (ECG) signals, referred to as CardioAttentionNet (CANet).

Dual role of Cathepsin S in cutaneous melanoma: insights from mendelian randomization and bioinformatics analysis.

Background: Cutaneous melanoma (CM) is strongly associated with ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which contributes to the transformation of melanocytes into melanoma by inducing specific DNA damage. Here, we investigated the causal relationship between CM and genes related to sun-damaged skin, exploring specific target genes through various bioinformatics analyses.

Methods: The Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database was used to obtain differential genes for CM and normal skin, and the Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) analysis offered summary-level melanoma data for CM.

GLUT1 as a generic biomarker enables near-infrared fluorescence molecular imaging guided precise intraoperative tumor detection in breast cancer.

Purpose: Precise tumor excision is important but challenging in breast-conserving surgery (BCS). Tumor-specific fluorescence imaging may be used for intraoperative tumor detection and, therefore, to guide precise tumor excision. The aims of this study are to develop a glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1)-targeted near-infrared fluorescence tracer and evaluate its accuracy for breast cancer detection using fresh surgical breast specimens.

L-ICG as an optical agent to improve intraoperative margin detection in breast-conserving surgery: a prospective study.

Purpose: Precise tumor excision is important in breast-conserving surgery (BCS). This study explores the safety and accuracy of fluorescence image-guided BCS (FIGS) using a lidocaine mucilage-ICG compound (L-ICG).

Methods: 54 patients who underwent BCS from August 2020 to September 2023 were enrolled.

Photoinduced Difluoromethylation Cyclization to Generate Medium-Sized Difluoro-benzo[]azepines.

Compared with the energetically favorable 5- or 6-membered fluoro-functionalized heterocycles, the construction of medium-sized fluoro-heterocycles is relatively under-researched because of their inherently unfavorable enthalpic and entropic nature. Based on rational design and DFT calculations, a novel photocatalytic difluoromethyl radical-initiated intramolecular 7--trig cyclization was realized, thus affording a sustainable route for the synthesis of challenging fluoro-functionalized medium-sized -heterocycles. Depending on atomic dipole moment corrected Hirshfeld population (ADCH) charge calculations, the chemoselective 6--trig radical cyclizations were further replenished.

Predicting prognosis of locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma through early changes in neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio following neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy.

Background: The effectiveness of neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy (NAIC) in locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains unclear. This study aims to validate the relation between early alterations in neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and clinical outcomes among individuals diagnosed with locally advanced ESCC undergoing NAIC.

Methods: We retrospectively enrolled a cohort of ESCC patients who underwent NAIC at least 1 cycle between May 2020 and October 2021 at Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital.

Short-term and long-term outcomes of lung transplantation from marginal donors: a single-center retrospective study.

Background: To expand the donor pool, medical centers worldwide are applying marginal donor lungs in clinical settings. We carried out this research to reveal the short-term and long-term outcomes of marginal lung donor transplantation.

Methods: We performed retrospective research using data from patients who underwent lung transplantation (LT) in The Affiliated Wuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu Province, China, between 2018 and 2022 to compare the short-term and long-term outcomes of standard donors and marginal donors.

Isolation and Evaluation of Potential Use of Prebiotics-Utilizing Butyrate-Producing Bacteria in .

Butyrate-producing bacteria (BPB) benefit the health of aquatic animals. This current study aimed to isolate BPB from the intestines of and assess their probiotic potential. The results showed that nine isolates were obtained in vitro from the gut of , including six , two , and one .

Built-in electric field in the Mn/C heterojunction promotes electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction to ammonia.

The electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) has been regarded as a green and promising alternative to the traditional Haber-Bosch process. However, the high bond energy (940.95 kJ mol) of the NN triple bond hinders the adsorption and activation of N molecules, which is a critical factor restricting the catalytic performance of catalysts and their large-scale applications.

Tailoring the surface and interface structures of carbon nitride for enhanced photocatalytic self-Fenton process in pollutant degradation.

Fenton technology faces significant challenges due to external HO dependency and inadequate Fe regeneration. Constructing a photocatalytic self-Fenton system is a promising strategy, but it is hindered by slow charge dynamics and low mass transfer of reactant ions. Here, we present a multi-engineering co-modified carbon nitride (OCN) for efficient photocatalytic self-Fenton reactions.

Efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors in the treatment of soft tissue sarcoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials.

Background: Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) are a heterogeneous group of tumors with diverse clinical and molecular characteristics, characterized by limited treatment options and poor prognosis. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have emerged as promising therapies for STS, yet comprehensive evaluations of their efficacy, especially in combination with other treatments, are scarce.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials on ICIs in STS treatment, sourced from PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials up to May 31, 2024.