A high bile acid environment promotes apoptosis and inhibits migration in pancreatic cancer.

Bile acids, the main organic solutes in bile, have been established to play an important role at physiological concentrations in gastrointestinal metabolism. However, under pathological conditions, such as cholestatic disease, cholestasis can damage hepatocytes/biliary epithelial cells leading to apoptosis or necrosis. Clinically, pancreatic head cancer usually presents with obstructive jaundice and increased serum bile acid levels, suggesting that pancreatic cancer is intricately correlated with a high bile acid environment in the human body.

All-Trans Retinoic Acid Prevents the Progression of Gastric Precancerous Lesions by Regulating Disordered Retinoic Acid Metabolism.

Retinoic acid (RA) is the most biologically active metabolite of vitamin A and is important for stomach physiological function. However, little is known about the metabolic status of RA in human gastric lesions. From 2015 to 2018, 1,392 local residents in Lujiang County were recruited into a cross-sectional survey program, which included a questionnaire interview and blood collection.

Differential Gene Sets Profiling in Gram-Negative and Gram-Positive Sepsis.

Background: The host response to bacterial sepsis is reported to be nonspecific regardless of the causative pathogen. However, newer paradigms indicated that the host response of Gram-negative sepsis may be different from Gram-positive sepsis, and the difference has not been clearly clarified. The current study aimed to explore the difference by identifying the differential gene sets using the genome-wide technique.

Discovery of novel paeonol-based derivatives against skin inflammation and .

T-LAK-cell-originated protein kinase (TOPK), a novel member of the mitogen-activated protein kinase family, is considered an effective therapeutic target for skin inflammation. In this study, a series () of paeonol derivatives was designed and synthesised using a fragment growing approach, and their anti-inflammatory activities against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide production in RAW264.7 cells were tested.

Prognostic Value of Intratumor Metabolic Heterogeneity Parameters on F-FDG PET/CT for Patients with Colorectal Cancer.

Purpose: Intratumor metabolic heterogeneity parameters on F-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (F-FDG) positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) have been proven to be predictors of the clinical prognosis of cancer patients. The study aimed to examine the correlation between F-FDG PET-CT-defined heterogeneity parameters and the prognostic significance in patients with colorectal cancer.

Methods: The study included 188 patients with colorectal cancer who received surgery and F-FDG PET/CT examinations.

Surgical Treatment of a Giant Pleomorphic Adenoma of the Submandibular Gland: A Case Report.

Pleomorphic adenomas (PAs) are the most common benign salivary neoplasms. PAs are generally slow-growing but may sometimes become aggressive and grow rapidly within a short period of time. Here, we report the case of an 83-year-old Chinese woman with an anterior neck mass that had been growing over the past 30 years.

Correlation between F-FDG PET/CT intra-tumor metabolic heterogeneity parameters and KRAS mutation in colorectal cancer.

Purpose: The study aimed to evaluate the relationship between intra-tumor metabolic heterogeneity parameters of F-FDG and KRAS mutation status in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients and which threshold heterogeneity parameters could better reflect the heterogeneity characteristics of colorectal cancer.

Methods: Medical data of 101 CRC patients who underwent F-FDG PET/CT and KRAS mutation analysis were selected. On PET scans, F-FDG traditional indices maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), metabolic tumor volume (MTV), total lesion glycolysis (TLG), and heterogeneity parameters coefficient of variation with a threshold of 2.

Preoperative prediction for lymph node metastasis in early gastric cancer by interpretable machine learning models: A multicenter study.

Background: The presence of lymph node metastasis plays a decisive role in the selection of treatment options in patients with early gastric cancer. However, there is currently no established protocol to predict the risk of lymph node metastasis before/after endoscopic resection. The aim of this study was to develop and validate several machine learning algorithms for clinical practice.

Network pharmacology-based identification of miRNA expression of Astragalus membranaceus in the treatment of diabetic nephropathy.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a common microvascular complication of diabetic patients, along with hypertension, hyperlipemia, proteinuria, edema, and other clinical manifestations. Astragalus membranaceus (AM) is a traditional Chinese medicine and has shown significant clinical efficacy against DN. However, the overall molecular mechanism of this therapeutic effect has not been entirely elucidated.

CDK9 is up-regulated and associated with prognosis in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma.

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most common type of thyroid malignancy but shows excellent prognosis. We investigated the clinical significance of cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (CDK9) in patients with PTC.This prospective observational study included 192 patients with PTC, who visited our hospital between August 2018 and February 2020.

Application of deep learning image reconstruction in low-dose chest CT scan.

Objective: Deep learning image reconstruction (DLIR) is a new reconstruction method for maintaining image quality at reduced radiation dose. The purpose of this study was to compare image quality of reduced-dose DLIR images with the standard-dose adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASIR-V) images in chest CT.

Methods: Our prospective study included 48 adult patients (30 women and 18 men, mean age ±SD, 49.

Non-Causal Effects of Asthma on COVID-19 Susceptibility and Severity.

Asthma is observationally associated with an increased risk of COVID-19, but the causality remains unclear. We aim to determine whether there is a casual role of asthma in susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection or COVID-19 severity. Instrumental variables (IVs) for asthma and moderate-to-severe asthma were obtained from publicly available summary statistics from the most recent and largest genome-wide association study (GWAS), including 394 283 and 57 695 participants of European ancestry, respectively.

Research advances in the role and pharmaceuticals of ATP-binding cassette transporters in autoimmune diseases.

Autoimmune diseases are caused by the immune response of the body to its antigens, resulting in tissue damage. The pathogenesis of these diseases has not yet been elucidated. Most autoimmune diseases cannot be cured by effective drugs.

Upregulating microRNA-373-3p promotes apoptosis and inhibits metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most prevalent malignancies in the digestive system. Abnormal miR-373-3p and TFAP4 expressions are critical in many malignant tumors, but it is unclear whether they work in the context of HCC. qRT-PCR measured miR-373-3p expression in HCC tissues and adjacent normal tissues.

Relationship between frailty and cognitive decline in Chinese older patients with Alzheimer's disease: The mediating role of social contact.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of frailty and social contact on cognitive decline among Chinese older patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), and examine the mediating role of social contact between frailty and cognitive decline. A total of 205 eligible participants were recruited from a tertiary A hospital in Anhui province, China. A structural equation modeling was conducted to test the hypothetical mediating model.

RUNX1/EGFR pathway contributes to STAT3 activation and tumor growth caused by hyperactivated mTORC1.

Loss of function of tuberous sclerosis complex 1 or 2 (TSC1 or TSC2) leads to the activation of mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1). Hyperactivated mTORC1 plays a critical role in tumor growth, but the underlying mechanism is still not completely elucidated. Here, by analyzing Tsc1- or Tsc2-null mouse embryonic fibroblasts, rat Tsc2-null ELT3 cells, and human cancer cells, we present evidence for the involvement of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) as a downstream target of mTORC1 in tumor growth.

Golgi Phosphoprotein 3 Confers Radioresistance via Stabilizing EGFR in Lung Adenocarcinoma.

Purpose: Radioresistance is a major cause of treatment failure in tumor radiation therapy, and the underlying mechanisms of radioresistance are still elusive. Golgi phosphoprotein 3 (GOLPH3) has been reported to associate tightly with cancer progression and chemoresistance. Herein, we explored whether GOLPH3 mediated radioresistance of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and whether targeted suppression of GOLPH3 sensitized LUAD to radiation therapy.

Abscisic acid inhibited reactive oxygen species-mediated endoplasmic reticulum stress by regulating the PPAR-γ signaling pathway in ARDS mice.

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a life-threatening form of a respiratory disorder, and there are few effective therapies. Abscisic acid (ABA) has been proven to be effective in influenza and asthma. Herein, we explored the protective effect of ABA on the resolution of ARDS and the underlying mechanism.

Direct-on-Target Microdroplet Growth Assay for Detection of Bacterial Resistance in Positive Blood Cultures.

Introduction: The recently developed DOT-MGA (direct-on-target microdroplet growth assay) has shown the desirability of direct application of this approach in positive blood cultures and its good performance in detection. This study selected 44 Enterobacteriaceae strains and implemented a DOT-MGA assay on blood cultures to detect their resistance to seven antibiotics. The results of DOT-MGA were compared with the other two antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) methods to analyze the detection performance of DOT-MGA.

Evaluation of Susceptibility Genes/Loci Associated with Male Androgenetic Alopecia (MAGA) for Female-Pattern Hair Loss in a Chinese Han Population and a Brief Literature Review.

BACKGROUND Female-pattern hair loss (FPHL) is a common disorder affecting women, and FPHL can cause psychological dysfunction and affect the social activities of patients. The disease-causing mechanisms are believed to be similar to those of male androgenetic alopecia (MAGA). Although genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have confirmed susceptibility genes/loci for MAGA, the associations between these genetic loci and FPHL are largely unknown.

Irregular types of proximal tibiofibular joint increase the risk of total knee replacement: Data from the osteoarthritis initiative.

The study aimed to determine the associations between the morphological types of proximal tibiofibular joint (PTFJ) and the risk of total knee replacement (TKR) in a cohort of participants with progressive osteoarthritis. A nested case-control design was performed in Osteoarthritis Initiative study. The case knees were those with TKR at 24-60 months follow up (cases), and were 1:1 matched with control knees by age, sex, and Kellgren-Lawrence grade at baseline.

Rare Metastasis of Gastric Cancer to the Thyroid Gland: A Case Report and Review of Literature.

It is common for patients with gastric cancer to develop distant metastases in the liver, lung, bone, and brain. Although the thyroid also has an abundant blood supply, gastric cancer metastasis to the thyroid is uncommon. Due to the rarity of such metastasis, its clinical features are not well understood.

LINC01291 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma development by targeting the miR-186-5p/OXSR1 axis.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide. Recent studies have demonstrated that lncRNAs play an important role in tumorigenesis. LINC01291 has been confirmed to be involved in the proliferation and migration of different cancers, although the function of LINC01291 in HCC is still unknown.