miR-297 inhibits expression of progesterone receptor and decidualization in eutopic endometria of endometriosis.

Aim: Progesterone resistance is an epigenetic factor that reduces endometrial receptivity and causes implantation failure in women with endometriosis. In addition, dysregulated miRNAs contribute to the underlying pathogenic mechanisms of endometriosis. This study aimed to determine the effect of miR-297 on the progesterone receptor (PR) expression and on insufficient decidualization of endometrial stromal cells (ESCs) within the eutopic endometria of infertile women with minimal or mild endometriosis.

Statin-Induced Geranylgeranyl Pyrophosphate Depletion Promotes PCSK9-Dependent Adipose Insulin Resistance.

Statin treatment is accepted to prevent adverse cardiovascular events. However, statin therapy has been reported to be dose-dependently associated with increased risk for new-onset type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) is expressed in adipose tissue and is positively correlated with lipid metabolism.

Identification of the Genetic Association Between Type-2-Diabetes and Pancreatic Cancer.

Type-2-diabetes (T2D) and pancreatic cancer (PC) are both common diseases globally. Although T2D is reported as the adverse factor for predicting PC prognosis, its pathophysiology and relation with PC remain unknown. This study focused on exploring differentially expressed genes (DEGs) as well as their functional roles in T2D and PC, aiming to reveal the underlying association between the T2D and PC.

Development of a 3-MicroRNA Signature and Nomogram for Predicting the Survival of Patients with Uveal Melanoma Based on TCGA and GEO Databases.

Background: The aim of this study was to apply bioinformatic analysis to develop a robust miRNA signature and construct a nomogram model in uveal melanoma (UM) to improve prognosis prediction.

Methods: miRNA and mRNA sequencing data for 80 UM patients were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. The patients were further randomly assigned to a training set ( = 40, used to identify key miRNAs) and a testing set ( = 40, used to internally verify the signature).

Evaluation of nausea and vomiting in the first trimester on the risk of adverse birth outcomes and the contribution of genetic polymorphisms: a pilot prospective study.

Purpose: To evaluate the impact of Nausea and Vomiting in Pregnancy (NVP) on the risk of Preterm Birth (PTB) and Low Birth Weight (LBW), and explore the effect of genetic polymorphisms on the severity of NVP.

Methods: A prospective study was conducted. Participants' experience of NVP prior to 12 gestational weeks were evaluated by a Pregnancy-Unique Quantification of Emesis and Nausea (PUQE) scale.

Efficacy of lenvatinib combined with sequential transarterial chemoembolization for primary hepatocellular carcinoma and the effects on serum basic fibroblast growth factor and vascular endothelial growth factor.

The aim of this research was to investigate the therapeutic efficacy of lenvatinib combined with sequential transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) on primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the effects on serum basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). A total of 104 patients with primary HCC, admitted to People's Hospital of Leshan from April 2018 to January 2021, were selected as the study subjects and were divided into the TACE-LEN group (n = 53) who were treated with lenvatinib combined with sequential TACE and the TACE group (n = 51) who were treated with TACE alone, according to the appropriate treatment modalities. The clinical efficacy 8 weeks after treatment; the serum levels of total bilirubin, conjugated bilirubin, and alanine aminotransferase (ALT); the prothrombin time (PT); the indocyanine green retention rate at 15 min (ICGR15); and the serum bFGF and VEGF levels before treatment and at 8 weeks after treatment were compared between the two groups.

The application of tumor cell-derived vesicles in oncology therapy.

Tumor cell-derived vesicles are released by tumor cells, have a phospholipid bilayer, and are widely distributed in various biological fluids. In recent years, it has been found that tumor cell-derived vesicles contain proteins, metabolites and nucleic acids and can be delivered to recipient cells to perform their physiological functions, such as mediating specific intercellular communication, activating or inhibiting signaling pathways, participating in regulating the modulation of tumor microenvironment and influencing tumor development, which can be used for early detection and diagnosis of cancer. In addition, tumor cell-derived vesicles exhibit multiple properties in tumor therapeutic applications and may serve as a new class of delivery systems.

Identification of key modules and hub genes for eosinophilic asthma by weighted gene co-expression network analysis.

Objective: Eosinophilic asthma (EA) is one of the most important asthma phenotypes with distinct features. However, its genetic characteristics are not fully understood. This study aimed to investigate the transcriptome features and to identify hub genes of EA.

Unilateral buphthalmos, corneal staphyloma and corneal fistula caused by pathogenic variant in the PITX3 gene: a case report.

Introduction: PITX3 has been reported to be associated with congenital cataracts, anterior segment mesenchymal dysgenesis, Peters' anomaly, and microphthalmia. In this case, an infant with unilateral buphthalmos, corneal staphyloma and corneal fistula carrying a variant in PITX3 was reported.

Case Description: We describe a 4-month-old female infant who was referred to our Eye Clinic because of gradual enlargement of the eyeball in the right eye and whitish opacity in both eyes.

The effect of a-Lipoic acid (ALA) on oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis in high glucose-induced human corneal epithelial cells.

Purpose: Oxidative stress and inflammation had been proved to play important role in the progression of diabetic keratopathy (DK). The excessive accumulation of AGEs and their bond to AGE receptor (RAGE) in corneas that cause the formation of oxygen radicals and the release of inflammatory cytokines, induce cell apoptosis. Our current study was aimed to evaluate the effect of ALA on AGEs accumulation as well as to study the molecular mechanism of ALA against AGE-RAGE axis mediated oxidative stress, apoptosis, and inflammation in HG-induced HCECs, so as to provide cytological basis for the treatment of DK.

Patient-controlled intravenous analgesia with opioids after thoracoscopic lung surgery: a randomized clinical trial.

Background: Opioids remain the mainstream therapy for post-surgical pain. The choice of opioids administered by patient-controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA) for thoracoscopic lung surgery is unclear. This study compared 3 opioid analgesics for achieving satisfactory analgesia with minimal emesis (SAME).

Dual-vessel intervention treatment for massive hemoptysis caused by lung cavitary lesions.

Purpose: To evaluate the outcome of dual-vessel intervention (DVI), including bronchial or pulmonary arterial embolization (B/PAE), in managing massive hemoptysis caused by cavitary lung lesions (with or without aspergilloma) and identify cavitary angiographic features influencing DVI procedures.

Method: A retrospective analysis of the medical records and angiograms of 15 patients who underwent DVI for massive hemoptysis was performed.

Results: The most frequent causes of cavitary lung lesions were tuberculosis (TB) (8/15, 53%) and bronchiectasis (6/15, 40%).

A new droplet digital PCR assay: improving detection of paucibacillary smear-negative pulmonary tuberculosis.

Objectives: Smear-negative pulmonary TB (PTB) is difficult to diagnose. Current diagnosis and treatment monitoring methods have inherent limitations. Droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) is a new technique with high sensitivity.

Risk of Adverse Events in Cancer Patients Receiving Nivolumab With Ipilimumab: A Meta-Analysis.

Background: Combining two immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) instead of using one can effectively improve the prognosis of advanced malignant tumors. At present, ipilimumab alongside nivolumab is the most widely used combinatorial regimen of ICIs. However, the risk of treatment-related adverse events is higher in combinatorial regimens than in single-drug regimens.

Evaluation of connective tissue disease-related interstitial lung disease using ultrasound elastography: a preliminary study.

Background: Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a common pulmonary complication of connective tissue disease (CTD), which can lead to shortened survival. This article explores the ability of shear wave elastography (SWE) to assess lung surface elastic properties and to distinguish healthy lungs from diseased lungs with connective tissue disease-related interstitial lung disease (CTD-ILD). We aimed to determine whether SWE can be used to assess the severity of CTD-ILD.

Integrated Bioinformatics Analysis for Identifying the Significant Genes as Poor Prognostic Markers in Gastric Adenocarcinoma.

Gastric adenocarcinoma (GAC) is the most common histological type of gastric cancer and imposes a considerable health burden globally. The purpose of this study was to identify significant genes and key pathways participated in the initiation and progression of GAC. Four datasets (GSE13911, GSE19826, GSE54129, and GSE79973) including 171 GAC and 77 normal tissues from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database were collected and analyzed.

The Global Prevalence of Amblyopia in Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Epidemiological data about the prevalence of amblyopia around the world vary widely among regions and periods. This meta-analysis aimed to determine the global prevalence of amblyopia in children. PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were searched for prevalence studies published up to 5 November 2021.

Secoisolariciresinol diglucoside induces pyroptosis by activating caspase-1 to cleave GSDMD in colorectal cancer cells.

Secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG) is the main component of lignans with various biological activities, including anticancer activity. However, whether SDG has obvious anticancer effects on colorectal cancer (CRC) is unclear. Pyroptosis, a form of programmed cell death, has received increasing attention in cancer-related research.

A fully automated sex estimation for proximal femur X-ray images through deep learning detection and classification.

Purpose: To develop a fully automated deep learning pipeline using digital radiographs to detect the proximal femur region for accurate automated sex estimation.

Method: Radiograph predictive features from 2122 Chinese Han clinical pelvic with ages ranging from 18 to 26 years were collected retrospectively to train and test the sex prediction model using deep machine learning's convolutional neural networks (CNN). Model performance was assessed using a Chinese Han population with 361 samples and a white population with 50 samples.

Epigallocatechin-3-gallate exerts cardioprotective effects related to energy metabolism in pressure overload-induced cardiac dysfunction.

Background: To investigate the mechanisms of potential cardioprotective effects of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) in pressure overload-induced cardiac dysfunction.

Methods: A chronic heart failure model was established using abdominal aortic constriction (AAC) surgery, rats were divided into sham, AAC, and AAC + EGCG groups. Echocardiography and tissue section staining were performed to evaluate cardiac function and pathology, respectively.

Effects of Different Anesthetic and Analgesic Methods on Cellular Immune Function and Stress Hormone Levels in Patients Undergoing Esophageal Cancer Surgery.

The change of perioperative immune function in patients with esophageal cancer is mainly caused by the joint action of surgical trauma and anesthesia. In our study, we aimed to investigate the effects of different anesthetic methods on the changes of T lymphocyte subsets and cytokines in peripheral blood of patients with esophageal cancer surgery. 50 patients with esophageal cancer were divided into the study group and the control group.

Protective effect of phillyrin against cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats and oxidative stress-induced cell apoptosis and autophagy in neurons.

This study explored the role and potential molecular mechanism of phillyrin in cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. The rat middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO)/R model was constructed, and cerebral infarction volume, brain water content, and neurological score were measured. Neuron morphological structures in brain tissues and primary neuron apoptosis were detected using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and Hoechst 33258 staining, respectively.

Effect of Sirt3 on retinal pigment epithelial cells in high glucose through Foxo3a/ PINK1-Parkin pathway mediated mitophagy.

Sirt3 is closely associated with mitophagy. This study aimed to investigate the effect and potential mechanism of Sirt3 on mitophagy in retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) in a high glucose environment. The expression levels of Sirt3, Foxo3a, PINK1, Parkin and LC3B in RPE subjected to high-glucose (HG, 30 mM D-glucose) conditions were detected by RT-PCR and western blotting.