Mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes carry miR-125a-5p to improve diabetic keratopathy by regulating endoplasmic reticulum stress.

Background: Diabetic keratopathy is a prevalent but sometimes ignored visual condition in diabetic patients, which significantly affects patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) in terms of their visual acuity. Exosomes regulate diabetes-related conditions like diabetic keratopathy (DK) by secreting their components into the body.

Objective: Aim to investigate the effect and mechanism of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-derived exosome miR-125a-5p on DK.

Safety and efficacy of a novel transbronchial radiofrequency ablation system for lung tumours: One year follow-up from the first multi-centre large-scale clinical trial (BRONC-RFII).

Background And Objective: Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is an emerging treatment of lung cancer, yet it is accompanied by certain safety concerns and operational limitations. This first multi-centre, large-scale clinical trial aimed to investigate the technical performance, efficacy and safety of an innovative transbronchial RFA system for lung tumours.

Methods: The study enrolled patients with malignant lung tumours who underwent transbronchial RFA using an automatic saline microperfusion system between January 2021 and December 2021 across 16 medical centres.

Development and Validation of Machine Learning-Based Models for Prediction of Intensive Care Unit Admission and In-Hospital Mortality in Patients with Acute Exacerbations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Background: This present work focused on predicting prognostic outcomes of inpatients developing acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD), and enhancing patient monitoring and treatment by using objective clinical indicators.

Methods: The present retrospective study enrolled 322 AECOPD patients. Registry data downloaded based on the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) Pay-for-Performance Program database from January 2012 to December 2018 were used to check whether the enrolled patients were eligible.

A combined model based on radiomics features of Sonazoid contrast-enhanced ultrasound in the Kupffer phase for the diagnosis of well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma and atypical focal liver lesions: a prospective, multicenter study.

Objective: The objective of this study was to develop a combined model based on radiomics features of Sonazoid contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) during the Kupffer phase and to evaluate its value in differentiating well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma (w-HCC) from atypical benign focal liver lesions (FLLs).

Methods: A total of 116 patients with preoperatively Sonazoid-CEUS confirmed w-HCC or benign FLL were selected from a prospective multiple study on the clinical application of Sonazoid in FLLs conducted from August 2020 to March 2021. According to the randomization principle, the patients were divided into a training cohort and a test cohort in a 7:3 ratio.

Bronchial thermoplasty decreases airway remodeling by inhibiting autophagy via the AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway.

Bronchial thermoplasty (BT), an effective treatment for severe asthma, requires heat to reach the airway to reduce the mass of airway smooth muscle cells (ASMCs). Autophagy is involved in the pathological process of airway remodeling in patients with asthma. However, it remains unclear whether autophagy participates in controlling airway remodeling induced by BT.

Pathophysiology characterization of Alzheimer's disease in South China's aging population: for the Greater-Bay-Area Healthy Aging Brain Study (GHABS).

Introduction: The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater-Bay-Area of South China has an 86 million population and faces a significant challenge of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the characteristics and prevalence of AD in this area are still unclear due to the rarely available community-based neuroimaging AD cohort.

Methods: Following the standard protocols of the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, the Greater-Bay-Area Healthy Aging Brain Study (GHABS) was initiated in 2021.

Efficacy and safety of oral ibrexafungerp in Chinese patients with vulvovaginal candidiasis: a phase III, randomized, double-blind study.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of oral ibrexafungerp (HS-10366) versus placebo in Chinese patients with vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC).

Methods: A double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, multicenter phase III study was conducted in symptomatic VVC patients. Patients received (2:1) twice-daily oral ibrexafungerp 300 mg or matching placebo for 1 day.

Decreased expression in breast tumor cells causes NK cell activation and promotes tumor progression.

Objective: Abnormal metabolism is the underlying reason for breast cancer progression. Decreased lactate dehydrogenase B () has been detected in breast cancer but the function of remains unknown.

Methods: Western blot was used to analyze expression in breast cancer cells.

Lonicera japonica Thunb extract ameliorates lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury associated with luteolin-mediated suppression of NF-κB signaling pathway.

Objective: Lonicera japonica Thunb (LJT) is a commonly used herbal soup to treat inflammation-related diseases. However, the effect of LJT on ALI is unknown. The present study was aimed at investigating the protective effects of LJT extract (LTE) and its active ingredient luteolin (Lut) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated ALI and investigate its potential mechanism.

A Comparative Study of Endoderm Differentiation Between Activin A and Small Molecules.

Small molecules such as ROCK inhibitors (Fasudil) and inducer of definitive endoderm 1 (IDE1) can promote differentiation of definitive endoderm, but their effects remain controversial. Therefore, we attempted to verify the effect of these small molecules on promoting definitive endoderm differentiation and found that Fasudil or IDE1 alone could not achieve a similar effect as activin A. On the contrary, CHIR99021 could efficiently promote definitive endoderm differentiation.

Cinnamomi cortex extract mitigated monosodium urate-induced acute gouty arthritis in rats through nuclear factor-κB-NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein 3 signaling pathway.

Cinnamomi cortex was applied to mitigate joint injury since ancient China. However, the effect of Cinnamomi cortex on gouty arthritis (GA) was rarely reported. This study aimed to explore the effect of Cinnamomi cortex on monosodium urate (MSU)-induced acute GA (AGA) in rats, and clarify the underlying mechanism.

Bioactive self-healing umbilical cord blood exosomes hydrogel for promoting chronic diabetic wound healing.

The deleterious effects of diabetes mellitus on wound healing have become a major public health concern worldwide. Given the complex microenvironment of diabetic wounds and the high prevalence of diabetes, the design and development of novel wound dressing materials with versatile capabilities is urgent. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from human umbilical cord blood have demonstrated the potential to counter inflammation and accelerate wound healing.

A Bacterial Responsive Microneedle Dressing with Hydrogel Backing Layer for Chronic Wound Treatment.

The treatment of chronic wounds still presents great challenges due to being infected by biofilms and the damaged healing process. The current treatments do not address the needs of chronic wounds. In this study, a highly effective dressing (Dox-DFO@MN Hy) for the treatment of chronic wounds is described.

Fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy for early diagnosis and severity prediction of preeclampsia with Nile Blue probe.

Preeclampsia (PE) is a common pregnancy complication and the leading cause of maternal and perinatal mortality. Unfortunately, the early diagnostic methods for PE are still rare. Fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) technology has proven to be applicable for diagnosis of various diseases.

Isoliquiritigenin suppresses the progression of malignant melanoma via targeting H2A.Z.1-E2F1 pathway.

Cutaneous melanoma is one of the most prevalent tumors, and it is still a huge challenge in the current clinical treatment. Isoliquiritigenin (ISL), which is isolated from Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch., has been reported for its anti-tumor effect.

[A dry-reagent assay to rapidly detect using loop-mediated isothermal amplification].

A molecular diagnostic assay which could be stored at room temperature was developed to rapidly detect (MTB) based on loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) technology and dry-reagent process. LAMP uses 4 or 6 primers and DNA polymerase to amplify DNA at a constant temperature. The results showed that the LAMP assay could detect the amplification of IS6110 target gene within 20 min using real-time fluorescence signal detection.

Association of APOE-ε4 and GAP-43-related presynaptic loss with β-amyloid, tau, neurodegeneration, and cognitive decline.

Apolipoprotein E-ε4 (APOE-ε4) carriers had elevated cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) presynaptic protein growth-associated protein-43 (GAP-43), but the underlying mechanism is not fully understood. We investigated how the APOE-ε4 genotype affects the baseline and longitudinal changes in CSF GAP-43 and their associations with β-amyloid positron emission tomography (Aβ PET), CSF phosphorylated tau 181 (p-Tau), neurodegeneration, and cognitive decline. Compared to APOE-ε4 non-carriers, APOE-ε4 carriers had higher baseline levels and faster rates of increases in Aβ PET, CSF p-Tau, and CSF GAP-43.

lhCLIP reveals the in vivo RNA-RNA interactions recognized by hnRNPK.

RNA-RNA interactions play a crucial role in regulating gene expression and various biological processes, but identifying these interactions on a transcriptomic scale remains a challenge. To address this, we have developed a new biochemical technique called pCp-biotin labelled RNA hybrid and ultraviolet crosslinking and immunoprecipitation (lhCLIP) that enables the transcriptome-wide identification of intra- and intermolecular RNA-RNA interactions mediated by a specific RNA-binding protein (RBP). Using lhCLIP, we have uncovered a diverse landscape of intermolecular RNA interactions recognized by hnRNPK in human cells, involving all major classes of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) and mRNA.

Photodynamic therapy for treatment of recurrent hemoptysis secondary to pulmonary endometriosis: a case report.

Pulmonary endometriosis (PEM) is rare, and drug therapy remains the primary treatment. However, patients with PEM frequently experience recurrent hemoptysis that is refractory to pharmacological intervention. We herein describe a patient with PEM who developed recurrent hemoptysis and was successfully treated with photodynamic therapy (PDT) after drug withdrawal.

Enhanced recovery in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus and 677 TT genotype after taking high-dose folic acid supplements during mid-late pregnancy: an open-label interventional study.

Objective: To explore the relationship between folic acid supplementation and the recovery rate of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in women with methylenetetrahydrofolate () 677 TT genotypes in mid-late pregnancy.

Methods: 9, 096 pregnant women were recruited with their gene genotyped. 5,111 women underwent a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and 2,097 were confirmed with GDM.

Circulating inflammatory cytokines and risk of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: a Mendelian randomization study.

Background: The previous epidemiological and experimental evidence has implied the linkage between chronic inflammation to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). However, it was still unclear whether there were casual associations between circulating inflammatory cytokines and IPF development. The objective of present study was to examine whether altered genetically predicted concentration of circulating cytokines were associated with IPF development using a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis.

Colonization of multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria increases risk of surgical site infection after hemorrhoidectomy: a cross-sectional study of two centers in southern China.

Purpose: The present study aims to determine the rectoanal colonization rate and risk factors for the colonization of present multidrug-resistant bacteria (MDRBs). In addition, the relationship between MDRB colonization and surgical site infection (SSI) following hemorrhoidectomy was explored.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Colorectal Surgery of two hospitals.

An immune cell atlas reveals the dynamics of human macrophage specification during prenatal development.

Macrophages are heterogeneous and play critical roles in development and disease, but their diversity, function, and specification remain inadequately understood during human development. We generated a single-cell RNA sequencing map of the dynamics of human macrophage specification from PCW 4-26 across 19 tissues. We identified a microglia-like population and a proangiogenic population in 15 macrophage subtypes.

Research on the effectiveness and safety of bronchial thermoplasty in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Objectives: To investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of bronchial thermoplasty (BT) in treating patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Methods: Clinical data of 57 COPD patients were randomized into the control (n = 29, conventional inhalation therapy) or intervention group (n = 28, conventional inhalation therapy plus BT). Primary outcomes were differences in clinical symptom changes, pulmonary function-related indicators, modified Medical Research Council (mMRC), 6-min walk test (6MWT), COPD assessment test (CAT) score and acute exacerbation incidence from baseline to an average of 3 and 12 months.

Age-Dependent Female Survival Advantage in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Multicenter Cohort Study.

Background & Aims: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has a higher incidence in males, but the association of sex with survival remains controversial. This study aimed to examine the effect of sex on HCC survival and its association with age.

Methods: Among 33,238 patients with HCC from 12 Chinese tertiary hospitals, 4175 patients who underwent curative-intent hepatectomy or ablation were analyzed.