Toll-like receptors in health and disease.

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are inflammatory triggers and belong to a family of pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) that are central to the regulation of host protective adaptive immune responses. Activation of TLRs in innate immune myeloid cells directs lymphocytes to produce the most appropriate effector responses to eliminate infection and maintain homeostasis of the body's internal environment. Inappropriate TLR stimulation can lead to the development of general autoimmune diseases as well as chronic and acute inflammation, and even cancer.

Bibliometric analysis of hot literature on neural circuit research.

Numerous brain diseases have been attributed to abnormalities in the connections of neural circuits. Exploration of neural circuits may give enlightenment in treating some intractable brain diseases. Here, we screened all publications on neural circuits in the Web of Science database from 2007 to 2022 and analyzed the research trends through VOSviewer, CiteSpace, Microsoft Excel 2019, and Origin.

Accuracy and efficacy of ultrasound-guided puncture (vs. computed tomography-guided) in cervical medial branch blocks for cervicogenic pain: A randomized controlled study.

Cervical medial branch block (CMBB) has been recognized as an effective treatment for cervicogenic pain. Previous studies mostly used ultrasound-guided out-of-plane puncture for CMBB, while this prospective study was designed to investigate the efficacy of ultrasound-guided in-plane puncture, specifically focusing on the new target of CMBB for cervical pain. This study includes two parts: the accuracy study ( = 15, CMBB was completed by ultrasound and confirmed by computed tomography [CT], in which a good distribution percentage of the analgesic solution was observed) and the efficacy study ( = 40, CMBB was completed by ultrasound or CT, while the proportion of pain relief (numerical rating scale) decrease by more than 50% postoperatively was analyzed).

Walking forward or on hold: Could the ChatGPT be applied for seeking health information in neurosurgical settings?

Self-management is important for patients suffering from cerebrovascular events after neurosurgical procedures. An increasing number of artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted tools have been used in postoperative health management. ChatGPT is a new trend dialog-based chatbot that could be used as a supplemental tool for seeking health information.

A chimeric adenovirus-vectored vaccine based on Beta spike and Delta RBD confers a broad-spectrum neutralization against Omicron-included SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Urgent research into innovative severe acute respiratory coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccines that may successfully prevent various emerging emerged variants, particularly the Omicron variant and its subvariants, is necessary. Here, we designed a chimeric adenovirus-vectored vaccine named Ad5-Beta/Delta. This vaccine was created by incorporating the receptor-binding domain from the Delta variant, which has the L452R and T478K mutations, into the complete spike protein of the Beta variant.

Development and validation of a point-of-care nursing mobile tool to guide the diagnosis of malnutrition in hospitalized adult patients: a multicenter, prospective cohort study.

Malnutrition is a prevalent and severe issue in hospitalized patients with chronic diseases. However, malnutrition screening is often overlooked or inaccurate due to lack of awareness and experience among health care providers. This study aimed to develop and validate a novel digital smartphone-based self-administered tool that uses facial features, especially the ocular area, as indicators of malnutrition in inpatient patients with chronic diseases.

cGAS-STING, an important signaling pathway in diseases and their therapy.

Since cyclic guanosine monophosphate-adenosine monophosphate synthase (cGAS)-stimulator of interferon genes (STING) signaling pathway was discovered in 2013, great progress has been made to elucidate the origin, function, and regulating mechanism of cGAS-STING signaling pathway in the past decade. Meanwhile, the triggering and transduction mechanisms have been continuously illuminated. cGAS-STING plays a key role in human diseases, particularly DNA-triggered inflammatory diseases, making it a potentially effective therapeutic target for inflammation-related diseases.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy treatment with lentiviral vector containing mini-dystrophin gene in vivo.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an incurable X-linked recessive genetic disease caused by mutations in the dystrophin gene. Many researchers aim to restore truncated dystrophin via viral vectors. However, the low packaging capacity and immunogenicity of vectors have hampered their clinical application.

The effect of different prebiotics on intestinal probiotics in newly diagnosed diabetic patients.

Prebiotics exert favorable effects on the host through interactions with probiotics, and their beneficial impacts have been extensively validated across various chronic ailments, including diabetes. This study presents findings from a case-control investigation involving 10 individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and 10 healthy counterparts. Fresh stool specimens were collected from all participants.

Cyclical endometrial repair and regeneration: Molecular mechanisms, diseases, and therapeutic interventions.

The endometrium is a unique human tissue with an extraordinary ability to undergo a hormone-regulated cycle encompassing shedding, bleeding, scarless repair, and regeneration throughout the female reproductive cycle. The cyclical repair and regeneration of the endometrium manifest as changes in endometrial epithelialization, glandular regeneration, and vascularization. The mechanisms encompass inflammation, coagulation, and fibrinolytic system balance.

Transesophageal echocardiography combined with ProAQT/PulsioFlex hemodynamic monitoring in anesthetic management of a patient with septic shock associated with septic cardiomyopathy: A case report.

Patients with septic shock complicated by septic cardiomyopathy (SCM) can be extremely ill and at high risk for mortality. If early assessment of cardiac function is neglected during treatment, sepsis may be further exacerbated. We report a 77-year-old male patient with severe septic shock who underwent intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) because of progressive circulatory instability, SCM was diagnosed.

The potential role of synovial cells in the progression and treatment of osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis (OA), the commonest arthritis, is characterized by the progressive destruction of cartilage, leading to disability. The Current early clinical treatment strategy for OA often centers on anti-inflammatory or analgesia medication, weight loss, improved muscular function and articular cartilage repair. Although these treatments can relieve symptoms, OA tends to be progressive, and most patients require arthroplasty at the terminal stages of OA.

Routes and methods of neural stem cells injection in cerebral ischemia.

Cerebral ischemia is a serious cerebrovascular disease with the characteristics of high morbidity, disability, and mortality. Currently, stem cell therapy has been extensively applied to a wide range of diseases, including neurological disorders, autoimmune deficits, and other diseases. Transplantation therapy with neural stem cells (NSCs) is a very promising treatment method, which not only has anti-inflammatory, antiapoptotic, promoting angiogenesis, and neurogenesis effects, but also can improve some side effects related to thrombolytic therapy.

Protective effect of isoflurane preconditioning on neurological function in rats with HIE.

Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is an important cause of neonatal death and disability, which can lead to long-term neurological and motor dysfunction. Currently, inhalation anesthetics are widely used in surgery, and some studies have found that isoflurane (ISO) may have a positive effect on neuroprotection. In this paper, we investigated whether ISO pretreatment has a neuroprotective effect on the neurological function of HIE rats.

The more the neuroticism, the more the susceptibility to Alzheimer's disease. What inspiration can neuroticism provide?

Study of neuroticism can provide important insights. Before the inclusion of neuroticism in the study of Alzheimer's disease (AD), clinical and scientific researchers used relatively fixed models to treat AD, such as prescribing fixed doses of drugs and fixed research strategies. However, taking neuroticism into account affects drug use, the direction of scientific research, and even the mental health of the population, which translates into more immediate economic benefits.

Study of anxiety and job burnout, and awareness among young anesthetists during COVID-19 pandemic.

To describe the psychological impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on young doctors and their job burnout in the Department of Anesthesiology during the initial days of the pandemic and examine their awareness and familiarity with this pneumonia. We conducted a cross-sectional study in West China Hospital in February 2020. A self-designed questionnaire was sent to all young doctors working in the department of anesthesiology.

: Pathogenesis and therapeutic targets.

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a significant public health concern in the 21st century, especially due to drug resistance, coinfection with diseases like immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and coronavirus disease 2019, and the lengthy and costly treatment protocols. In this review, we summarize the pathogenesis of TB infection, therapeutic targets, and corresponding modulators, including first-line medications, current clinical trial drugs and molecules in preclinical assessment. Understanding the mechanisms of () infection and important biological targets can lead to innovative treatments.

Prognostic value of pretreatment serum fibrinogen in young patients with small cell lung cancer: A cross-sectional study.

Objective: To explored the prognostic value of pretreatment serum fibrinogen level in young patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC).

Methods: The concentrations of serum fibrinogen of 183 young (<50 years old) SCLC patients were measured. The association of baseline serum fibrinogen level and clinical outcome was analyzed by survival analysis.

YAP/TAZ: Molecular pathway and disease therapy.

The Yes-associated protein and its transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif (YAP/TAZ) are two homologous transcriptional coactivators that lie at the center of a key regulatory network of Hippo, Wnt, GPCR, estrogen, mechanical, and metabolism signaling. YAP/TAZ influences the expressions of downstream genes and proteins as well as enzyme activity in metabolic cycles, cell proliferation, inflammatory factor expression, and the transdifferentiation of fibroblasts into myofibroblasts. YAP/TAZ can also be regulated through epigenetic regulation and posttranslational modifications.

Multisite and multitimepoint proteomics reveal that patent foramen ovale closure improves migraine and epilepsy by reducing right-to-left shunt-induced hypoxia.

Patent foramen ovale (PFO) is a congenital defect in the partition between two atria, which may cause right-to-left shunt (RLS), leading to neurological chronic diseases with episodic manifestations (NCDEMs), such as migraine and epilepsy. However, whether PFO closure was effective in improving NCDEMs and the mechanism were unclear. Twenty-eight patients with migraine or epilepsy who underwent PFO closure were recruited.

The recent progress of myeloid-derived suppressor cell and its targeted therapies in cancers.

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are an immature group of myeloid-derived cells generated from myeloid cell precursors in the bone marrow. MDSCs appear almost exclusively in pathological conditions, such as tumor progression and various inflammatory diseases. The leading function of MDSCs is their immunosuppressive ability, which plays a crucial role in tumor progression and metastasis through their immunosuppressive effects.