Identification and Construction of a R-loop Mediated Diagnostic Model and Associated Immune Microenvironment of COPD through Machine Learning and Single-Cell Transcriptomics.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a prevalent chronic inflammatory airway disease with high incidence and significant disease burden. R-loops, functional chromatin structure formed during transcription, are closely associated with inflammation due to its aberrant formation. However, the role of R-loop regulators (RLRs) in COPD remains unclear.

Piezo1-Induced Nasal Epithelial Barrier Dysfunction in Allergic Rhinitis.

This study aimed to investigate the role of Piezo1 in nasal epithelial barrier dysfunction in allergic rhinitis (AR) using both in vitro and in vivo experimental methods. A total of 79 human nasal mucosal samples were collected, including 43 from AR patients and 36 from healthy controls. Additionally, 12 BALB/c mice were used for the in vivo experiments.

Improving Understanding of Fexofenadine Pharmacokinetics to Assess Pgp Phenotypic Activity in Older Adult Patients Using Population Pharmacokinetic Modeling.

Background And Objective: Fexofenadine is commonly used as a probe substrate to assess P-glycoprotein (Pgp) activity. While its use in healthy volunteers is well documented, data in older adult and polymorbid patients are lacking. Age- and disease-related physiological changes are expected to affect the pharmacokinetics of fexofenadine.

Old and New Biomarkers in Idiopathic Recurrent Acute Pericarditis (IRAP): Prognosis and Outcomes.

Purpose Of Review: To outline the latest discoveries regarding the utility and reliability of serum biomarkers in idiopathic recurrent acute pericarditis (IRAP), considering recent findings on its pathogenesis. The study highlights the predictive role of these biomarkers in potential short- (cardiac tamponade, recurrences) and long-term complications (constrictive pericarditis, death).

Recent Findings: The pathogenesis of pericarditis has been better defined in recent years, focusing on the autoinflammatory pathway.

Validity of the MED4CHILD tool for assessing adherence to the Mediterranean diet in preschool children.

Unlabelled: Most of the available tools to assess adherence to Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) were constructed for adults, having limited applicability to children and adolescents. The aim of this study is to validate a specific questionnaire to assess adherence to MedDiet in children aged 3 to 6 years (MED4CHILD questionnaire). The validation was performed in a baseline examination of a cohort of children who were recruited in schools in seven cities.

Synchronous Interference of Dual Metabolic Pathways Mediated by HS Gas/GOx for Augmenting Tumor Microwave Thermal Therapy.

Sublethal tumor cells have an urgent need for energy, making it common for them to switch metabolic phenotypes between glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) for compensatory energy supply; thus, the synchronous interference of dual metabolic pathways for limiting energy level is essential in inhibiting sublethal tumor growth. Herein, a multifunctional nanoplatform of Co-MOF-loaded anethole trithione (ADT) and myristyl alcohol (MA), modified with GOx and hyaluronic acid (HA) was developed, namely, CAMGH. It could synchronously interfere with dual metabolic pathways including glycolysis and OXPHOS to restrict the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) supply, achieving the inhibition to sublethal tumors after microwave (MW) thermal therapy.

Breast density assessment via quantitative sound-speed measurement using conventional ultrasound transducers.

Objectives: The aim is to assess the feasibility and accuracy of a novel quantitative ultrasound (US) method based on global speed-of-sound (g-SoS) measurement using conventional US machines, for breast density assessment in comparison to mammographic ACR (m-ACR) categories.

Materials And Methods: In a prospective study, g-SoS was assessed in the upper-outer breast quadrant of 100 women, with 92 of them also having m-ACR assessed by two radiologists across the entire breast. For g-SoS, ultrasonic waves were transmitted from varying transducer locations and the image misalignments between these were then related analytically to breast SoS.

Ovarian cancer staging and follow-up: updated guidelines from the European Society of Urogenital Radiology female pelvic imaging working group.

Objective: To provide up-to-date European Society of Urogenital Radiology (ESUR) guidelines for staging and follow-up of patients with ovarian cancer (OC).

Methods: Twenty-one experts, members of the female pelvis imaging ESUR subcommittee from 19 institutions, replied to 2 rounds of questionnaires regarding imaging techniques and structured reporting used for pre-treatment evaluation of OC patients. The results of the survey were presented to the other authors during the group's annual meeting.

Unraveling the potential mechanism and prognostic value of pentose phosphate pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma: a comprehensive analysis integrating bulk transcriptomics and single-cell sequencing data.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a malignant and life-threatening tumor with an extremely poor prognosis, posing a significant global health challenge. Despite the continuous emergence of novel therapeutic agents, patients exhibit substantial heterogeneity in their responses to anti-tumor drugs and overall prognosis. The pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) is highly activated in various tumor cells and plays a pivotal role in tumor metabolic reprogramming.

Silencing of FZD7 Inhibits Endometriotic Cell Viability, Migration, and Angiogenesis by Promoting Ferroptosis.

Background: Endometriosis (EMS) is a difficult gynecological disease to cure. Frizzled-7 (FZD7) has been shown to be associated with the development of EMS, but its specific mechanism remains unclarified. This study aims to explore the role of FZD7 in EMS.

Indications for the addition of a patellofemoral joint arthroplasty following a previous unicondylar knee arthroplasty- a literature review and Delphi consensus.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to establish an international consensus statement on the indications for the addition of a patellofemoral joint arthroplasty (PFJA) in patients with a unicondylar knee arthroplasty (UKA) and symptomatic progression of patellofemoral compartment osteoarthritis.

Materials And Methods: A systematic review of the literature was conducted, and the results used to inform the development of a statement by an expert working group. This was then evaluated and modified, using a Delphi process, by members of the European Knee Society (EKS).

Automatic 4D mitral valve segmentation from transesophageal echocardiography: a semi-supervised learning approach.

Performing automatic and standardized 4D TEE segmentation and mitral valve analysis is challenging due to the limitations of echocardiography and the scarcity of manually annotated 4D images. This work proposes a semi-supervised training strategy using pseudo labelling for MV segmentation in 4D TEE; it employs a Teacher-Student framework to ensure reliable pseudo-label generation. 120 4D TEE recordings from 60 candidates for MV repair are used.

Percutaneous hallux fusion with calcaneus bone autograft: a retrospective cohort study of clinical and radiographic outcomes.

Background: In the case of end-stage hallux rigidus, first metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint arthrodesis is the gold-standard and is traditionally performed via an open approach. However, complications such as nonunion have been reported to be as high as 30%. Recently, there have been reports demonstrating a percutaneous approach to be effective and safe.

Can We Maintain Muscle Mass on a Plant-Based Diet?

Purpose Of Review: This review aims to determine whether muscle mass and function can be effectively maintained without relying on animal-based protein sources. We evaluate the quality, digestibility, and essential amino acid profiles of plant-based proteins to understand their potential in preventing and managing sarcopenia.

Recent Finding: Recent studies indicate that while animal-based proteins have traditionally been considered the gold standard for supporting muscle protein synthesis, certain plant-based protein blends, fortified with leucine or other essential amino acids, can produce comparable anabolic responses.

Suppressing the progression of bladder cancer using cyclovirobuxine D based on network pharmacology and bioinformatics approaches.

Limited treatment options are available for bladder cancer (BCa) resulting in extremely high mortality rates. Cyclovirobuxine D (CVB-D), a naturally alkaloid, reportedly exhibits notable antitumor activity against diverse tumor types. However, its impact on CVB-D on BCa and its precise molecular targets remain unexplored.

Tocilizumab alleviated lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury by improving PI3K/AKT pathway.

Acute lung injury (ALI) is a severe inflammatory condition of the respiratory system, associated with high morbidity and mortality. This study investigates the therapeutic potential of tocilizumab (TZ), an IL-6 receptor inhibitor, in mitigating lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI by modulating the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) pathway. An ALI model was established using LPS induction.

Risk factors for anastomotic leakage in rectal cancer surgery reflecting current practices.

Purpose: In recent years, major advancements have been made in rectal cancer surgery with the introduction of new techniques such as robotic surgery and indocyanine green fluorescence imaging (ICG-FI). This study aimed to evaluate the comprehensive risk factors for anastomotic leakage (AL) following rectal cancer surgery, incorporating recently introduced techniques and other existing factors, to reflect current practices.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted of 304 patients who underwent either robotic or laparoscopic anterior resection between January 2019 and December 2023.

Precision medicine in diagnosis, prognosis, and disease monitoring of bone and soft tissue sarcomas using liquid biopsy: a systematic review.

Introduction: Liquid biopsy as a non-invasive method to investigate cancer biology and monitor residual disease has gained significance in clinical practice over the years. Whilst its applicability in carcinomas is well established, the low incidence and heterogeneity of bone and soft tissue sarcomas explains the less well-established knowledge considering liquid biopsy in these highly malignant mesenchymal neoplasms.

Materials And Methods: A systematic literature review adhering to the PRISMA guidelines initially identified 920 studies, of whom 68 original articles could be finally included, all dealing with clinical applicability of liquid biopsy in sarcoma.

NFKB1 as a key player in Tumor biology: from mechanisms to therapeutic implications.

NFKB1, a core transcription factor critical in various biological process (BP), is increasingly studied for its role in tumors. This research combines literature reviews, meta-analyses, and bioinformatics to systematically explore NFKB1's involvement in tumor initiation and progression. A unique focus is placed on the NFKB1-94 ATTG promoter polymorphism, highlighting its association with cancer risk across diverse genetic models and ethnic groups, alongside comprehensive analysis of pan-cancer expression patterns and drug sensitivity.

Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibitor for multiple sclerosis: new hope or false dawn.

The first of several phase 3 trials examining efficacy in relapsing MS has not been able to demonstrate a significant benefit and has also raised important safety concerns. More results are on their way and it will be important to understand whether the safety signals identified are drug- or class-specific and whether other BTKi also fail to reach their endpoints for relapsing MS. However, as reported in preliminary data for another BTKi, it may be that they will have more of a role in progressive disease as hinted by the unraveling of relevant molecular mechanisms and pathways.

The molar dose of FAPI administered impacts on the FAP-targeted PET imaging and therapy in mouse syngeneic tumor models.

Purpose: Since fibroblast activation protein (FAP), one predominant biomarker of cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs), is highly expressed in the tumor stroma of various epidermal-derived cancers, targeting FAP for tumor diagnosis and treatment has shown substantial potentials in both preclinical and clinical studies. However, in preclinical settings, tumor-bearing mice exhibit relatively low absolute FAP expression levels, leading to challenges in acquiring high-quality PET images using radiolabeled FAP ligands (FAPIs) with low molar activity, because of which a saturation effect in imaging is prone to happen. Moreover, how exactly the molar dose of FAPI administered to a mouse influences the targeted PET imaging and radiotherapy remains unclear now.

Optimized workflow with hybrid (very) high-power short-duration radiofrequency ablation renders point-by-point pulmonary vein isolation as fast and effective as cryoballoon ablation.

Introduction: A hybrid approach with very high-power short-duration (vHPSD) posteriorly and ablation-index guided HPSD (50 W) anteriorly seems to be an optimal balance between efficiency and effectiveness for point-by-point pulmonary vein isolation (PVI). The aim of the current study is to compare vHPSD/HPSD ablation to cryoballoon ablation (CBA) in patients with symptomatic atrial fibrillation (AF).

Methods And Results: In this retrospective single-center study, we identified 110 consecutive patients who underwent their first PVI with either vHPSD/HPSD (n = 54) or CBA (n = 56).

SUMOylated GLUT1 inhibited the glycometabolism disorder in chondroctyes during osteoarthritis.

Reduction of glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1), even deletion, may results in cartilage fibrosis and osteoarthritis. This study aims to investigate the SUMOylation of GLUT1 in osteoarthritis through small ubiquitin-like modifier 1(SUMO1), and explore the role of SUMOylated GLUT1 in glycometabolism, proliferation and apoptosis in chondrocytes. Human chondrocytes were incubated with 10 ng/mL of IL-1β to mimic osteoarthritis in vitro.

Pelvic packing - status 2024.

Patients with unstable hemodynamics and unstable pelvic ring injuries are still demanding patients regarding initial treatment and survival. Several concepts were reported during the last 30 years. Mechanical stabilization of the pelvis together with hemorrhage control offer the best treatment option in these patients.

Transcription factor MAZ activates the transcription of hypomethylated TYMP in ccRCC.

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is a highly malignant tumor characterized by a significant propensity for recurrence and metastasis. DNA methylation has emerged as a critical epigenetic mechanism with substantial utility in cancer diagnosis. In this study, multi-omics data were utilized to investigate the target genes regulated by the transcription factor MYC-associated zinc finger protein (MAZ) in ccRCC, leading to the identification of thymidine phosphorylase (TYMP) as a gene with notably elevated expression in ccRCC.