The importance of low-dose CT screening to identify emphysema in asymptomatic participants with and without a prior diagnosis of COPD.

Purpose: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) includes chronic bronchitis, small airways disease, and emphysema. Diagnosis of COPD requires spirometric evidence and may be normal even when small airways disease or emphysema is present. Emphysema increases the risk of exacerbations, and is associated with all-cause mortality and increased risk of lung cancer.

RNAi-mediated knockdown of PFK1 decreases the invasive capability and metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell line, CNE-2.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is the most prevailing malignancy of the head and neck with unique geographic distribution. Southern China has one of the highest incidence rates of NPC in the world. Although radiotherapy and chemotherapy are the most important treatment modalities for NPC, recurrence, and metastasis severely interfere with the survival quality of patients.

T lymphocytes from malignant hyperthermia-susceptible mice display aberrations in intracellular calcium signaling and mitochondrial function.

Gain-of-function RyR1-p.R163C mutation in ryanodine receptors type 1 (RyR1) deregulates Ca signaling and mitochondrial function in skeletal muscle and causes malignant hyperthermia in humans and mice under triggering conditions. We investigated whether T lymphocytes from heterozygous RyR1-p.

Lycopene protects neuroblastoma cells against oxidative damage via depression of ER stress.

Lycopene is a pigment derived from tomatoes and other red fruits, and has potent antioxidant and antitumor effects. However, its potential role in alleviating oxidative damage in neuronal cells is not well defined. In this study, we investigated the effects of lycopene on H O -induced damage in neuroblastoma cells, as well as the underlying mechanisms.

Endoscopic Ossiculoplasty for the Management of Isolated Congenital Ossicular Chain Malformation: Surgical Results in 16 Ears.

Objective: The aim of this study is to describe the clinical characteristics and intraoperative findings and further evaluate the efficacy of endoscopic ossiculoplasty for the management of isolated congenital ossicular chain malformation.

Methods: A retrospective study was performed on 16 ears (15 patients) with the isolated congenital ossicular chain malformation who underwent endoscopic ossiculoplasty in our department from May 2017 to January 2019. Endoscopic exploratory tympanotomy was conducted to check the ossicular chain; at the same time, endoscopic ossiculoplasty was performed depending on intraoperative findings.

Loss of PDK4 expression promotes proliferation, tumorigenicity, motility and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

Although the roles and underlying mechanisms of other PDK family members (i.e., PDK1, PDK2 and PDK3) in tumor progression have been extensively investigated and are well understood, the functions and underlying molecular mechanisms of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 (PDK4) in the tumorigenesis and progression of various cancers [including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)] remain largely unknown.

Efficacy of Acupuncture at the Sphenopalatine Ganglion in the Treatment of Persistent Allergic Rhinitis.

The aim of this research was to explore the hypothesis that acupuncture at the sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG), a new a new method of acupuncture, would be more efficacious and safe than traditional acupuncture in the treatment of persistent allergic rhinitis (PAR). For this study, 120 patients with PAR were randomly assigned to SPG acupuncture, traditional acupuncture ( [LI 20], [LI 4], and [Ex-HN 3]), or drug treatment (budesonide nasal spray). Efficacy was assessed by using single symptoms, including sneezing, rhinorrhea, nasal obstruction and nasal itch, a total nasal symptoms score (TNSS), and a Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ) before treatment, the day treatment ended, and 4-, 8-, 12-weeks later, respectively.

Ca influx and clearance at hyperpolarized membrane potentials modulate spontaneous and stimulated exocytosis in neuroendocrine cells.

Neuroendocrine adrenal chromaffin cells release neurohormones catecholamines in response to Ca entry via voltage-gated Ca channels (VGCCs). Adrenal chromaffin cells also express non-voltage-gated channels, which may conduct Ca at negative membrane potentials, whose role in regulation of exocytosis is poorly understood. We explored how modulation of Ca influx at negative membrane potentials affects basal cytosolic Ca concentration ([Ca]) and exocytosis in metabolically intact voltage-clamped bovine adrenal chromaffin cells.

Efficacy and safety of nimotuzumab in addition to radiotherapy and temozolomide for cerebral glioblastoma: a phase II multicenter clinical trial.

: Nimotuzumab is a humanized anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) antibody that has shown preclinical and clinical anticancer activity in cerebral glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). We conducted a phase II, single-arm, multicenter clinical trial to evaluate the benefit of adding nimotuzumab to current standard chemo-radiotherapy for patients with GBM with positive EGFR expression. : Newly diagnosed patients with histologically proven single supratentorial GBM and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) positive expressions were recruited.

Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG Ameliorates Liver Injury and Hypoxic Hepatitis in Rat Model of CLP-Induced Sepsis.

Background: Probiotic use to prevent gastrointestinal infections in critical care has shown great promise in recent clinical trials. Although well-documented benefits of probiotic use in intestinal disorders, the potential for probiotic treatment to ameliorate liver injury and hypoxic hepatitis following sepsis has not been well explored.

Methods: In order to evaluate, if Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) treatment in septic rats will protect against liver injury, this study used 20-22-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats which were subjected to cecal ligation and puncture to establish sepsis model and examine mRNA and protein levels of IL-1β, NLRP3, IL-6, TNF-a, VEGF, MCP1, NF-kB and HIF-1α in the liver via real-time PCR, Elisa and Western blot.

Postsurgical Evaluation of Secondary Nephrogenic Hyperparathyroidism.

Parathyroidectomy is useful for the treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) caused by chronic renal failure. The following three types of parathyroidectomy can be performed: subtotal parathyroidectomy, total parathyroidectomy and total parathyroidectomy plus autologous transplantation (tPTX+AT). Each of the three types of surgery has advantages and disadvantages.

Treatment of persistent allergic rhinitis via acupuncture at the sphenopalatine acupoint: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Allergic rhinitis is a common respiratory disease. Acupuncture is used to treat it in traditional Chinese medicine, and generally, the L120, ST2 and ST36 acupoints are selected in clinical practice. We report a new method of acupuncture at the sphenopalatine acupoint (SPA) for treatment of persistent allergic rhinitis (PAR).

Absence or mislocalization of DNAH5 is a characteristic marker for motile ciliary abnormality in nasal polyps.

Objective: Motile cilia impairment is a common condition in patients with chronically inflamed airways, such as is seen in nasal polyps (NPs). The mechanism underlying this pathogenic condition is complex and not fully understood.

Methods: We investigated the presence and localization of dynein axonemal heavy chain 5 (DNAH5) in motile cilia using immunofluorescence staining in paraffin-embedded nasal biopsies from NPs (n = 120) and inferior turbinate mucosa (n = 35) of healthy controls.

Combination of EZH2 inhibitor and BET inhibitor for treatment of diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma.

Background: Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma is an infiltrative, often high-grade glioma of the brainstem that is not amenable to surgical resection. The current treatment of DIPG by radiation therapy showed dramatically improvement of patient's condition, however, the tumor recurs rapidly. More and more studies are focused on the genetic and epigenetic drivers of DIPGs, which may provide more and more novel therapy target for DIPG.

CpG oligodeoxynucleotide preconditioning improves cardiac function after myocardial infarction via modulation of energy metabolism and angiogenesis.

Unmethylated CpG oligodeoxynucleotide (CpG-ODN), a Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) ligand, has been shown to protect against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury. However, the potential effects of CpG-ODN on myocardial infarction (MI) induced by persistent ischemia remains unclear. Here, we investigated whether and how CpG-ODN preconditioning protects against MI in mice.

[High resolution diffusion-weighted imaging for characterising nasopharyngeal carcinoma].

To evaluate the characteristics of high resolution diffusion-weighted imaging(DWI) using readout segmentation of long variable echo trains (RESOLVE ) for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). A total of 131 with newly diagnosed NPC patients from the 5th Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University were included in this study from October 2013 to April 2016.DWI using RESOLVE technique was performed.

Resistin promotes CCL4 expression through toll-like receptor-4 and activation of the p38-MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathways: implications for intervertebral disc degeneration.

Objective: This study was to investigate whether resistin induces the expression of chemokine ligand 4 (CCL4) during Intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) and whether toll-like receptor-4 (TLR-4) and the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway are involved in this process.

Methods: The expression pattern of resistin and CCL4 in different degenerated human nucleus pulposus (NP) tissues were measured by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qPCR); Effect of resistin on the migration of macrophages was measured by cell migration assay. Resistin-induced CCL4 expression were analyzed by qPCR, Enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) and cell immunofluorescence.

Hypermethylation and Expression Silencing of PDCD4 Gene in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Consort Study.

Programmed cell death 4 (PDCD4) is a novel tumor suppressor, which is involved in the initiation and progression of cancers. However, the role of PDCD4 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has not been reported. The aim of this study was to investigate the molecular mechanism and clinical significance of PDCD4 inactivation in HCC.

Management of sphenoidal sinus lesions by septal-assisted approach: Surgical skills and advantages.

The aim of this study was to develop a less invasive trans-septal approach for the endoscopic management of sphenoid sinus lesions. We performed a septal-assisted surgical procedure for endoscopic sphenoidectomy in 38 patients with isolated or combined sphenoidal sinus lesions, including fungal balls, mucoceles, purulent cystic sphenoidal sinusitis, etc. The posterior portion of the nasal septum became flexible after removal of the vomer and the sphenoidal rostrum.

MR imaging prediction of local control of nasopharyngeal carcinoma treated with radiation therapy and chemotherapy.

Objective: To retrospectively evaluate the association of MRI findings with local control of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treated with radiation therapy and chemotherapy (chemoradiotherapy).

Methods: Pre-treatment MRIs of 101 patients (78 males and 23 females, 23-79 years of age) who had NPC treated with chemoradiotherapy were retrospectively reviewed to evaluate tumour involvement of nasopharyngeal anatomic subsites, tumour volume and MRI appearance. Local control rates were evaluated with respect to these MRI findings.

Correlations between tumor stroma characters and dynamic enhanced MDCT findings in nodular pulmonary adenocarcinoma.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate correlations between tumor stroma characters and dynamic contrast-enhanced computed tomographic (CT) findings in nodular pulmonary adenocarcinoma.

Methods: Thirty-three patients with nodular pulmonary adenocarcinoma underwent dynamic contrast-enhancement CT scan before surgery. CT findings include wash-in, wash-out, and distribution of enhancement.

[Application of improved PCNN algorithm in retinal macular edema segmentation].

In order to extract the outlines of macular edema from OCT images of macular, and estimate the volume of edema, we have to accurately segment the macular edema region. In this paper, an improved PCNN algorithm was proposed to conduct the above process. Combined with the adaptive base threshold, and the simplified neural network parameters, a binary image of macular edema was produced.

Evaluating the growth of pulmonary nodular ground-glass opacity on CT: comparison of volume rendering and thin slice images.

This study examined the value of volume rendering (VR) interpretation in assessing the growth of pulmonary nodular ground-glass opacity (nGGO). A total of 47 nGGOs (average size, 9.5 mm; range, 5.

Septoplasty and decongestant improve distribution of nasal spray.

This study prospectively examined the intranasal distribution of nasal spray after nasal septal correction and decongestant administration. A cohort of 20 patients was assessed for the distribution of nasal spray before and after nasal septum surgery. Sprays were dyed and administered one puff per nostril when patients hold their head up in an upright position.