Assessing the impact of COVID-19 on HIV care cascade for people living with HIV in Ethiopia: a retrospective longitudinal study.

Objective: The study aimed to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on the cascade of HIV care for people living with HIV (PLHIV) in Ethiopia.

Design: A retrospective longitudinal study.

Setting: The study was conducted in North Showa Zone, Ethiopia, from pre-COVID-19 (January 2018-December 2019) and during COVID-19 (January 2020-December 2021).

Comparative effectiveness of treatments for recurrent infection: a network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background: Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is the most common cause of healthcare-associated infectious diarrhea. A major clinical challenge is recurrent CDI (rCDI) without effective standard drug-based therapy. Additionally, a comprehensive comparison of various therapy effectiveness in rCDI patients is still under investigation.

Association between Body Mass Index and Serum Uric Acid: mediation analysis involving liver enzymes indicators.

Background: Numerous studies have indicated a growing prevalence of hyperuricemia. Elevated levels of serum uric acid (SUA) have been established as influential factors in conditions such as obesity, metabolic syndrome, diabetes mellitus, gout, and cardiovascular disease. Overweight and obesity are closely related to an increase in SUA.

FUT3 promotes gastric cancer cell migration by synthesizing Lea on ITGA6 and GLG1, affecting adhesion and vesicle distribution.

Aims: Lewis antigen plays an important role in the progression of gastric cancer (GC), FUT3 is a key enzyme in the synthesis of Lewis antigen, but the molecular mechanism of its promotion of GC progression remains unclear.

Main Methods: We used Lea-antibody capturing coupled with mass spectrometry to identify the target proteins of FUT3, immunofluorescence (IF), molecular biology and cell function experiments were conducted to clarify the molecular mechanism of FUT3 promoting the migration and invasion of GC cells by regulating Lea glycosylation on ITGA6 and GLG1.

Key Findings: FUT3 promote migration and invasion of GC cells.

A novel STAT3 CCD inhibitor for suppressing macrophage activation and lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury.

Background: Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) has a crucial role in inflammation in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury (ALI). The current study aimed at developing a novel STAT3 coiled-coil domain (CCD) inhibitor for suppression of inflammatory response in LPS-induced ALI.

Method: Molecular docking and binding affinity were proceeded and determined that K134 bond to STAT3 CCD.

Psychosocial Stress Modifies the Acute Cardiac Health Effects of Traffic-Related Air Pollution.

Previous studies have shown that exposure to black carbon (BC, a tracer of traffic-related air pollution) and psychosocial stress are both associated with adverse cardiac effects, but whether psychosocial stress could modify the cardiac effects of BC is unclear. To investigate the potential modifying effect of psychosocial stress on the associations between acute exposure to BC and typical cardiac health variables, real-time personal 24 h measurements were conducted in a repeated-measure study among adults with elevated blood pressure (high-risk group) and a panel study among normal adults (low-risk group) in China. Measured cardiac health variables included ST-segment depression events, heart rate, and heart rate variability (HRV) variables.

Ultra-processed food consumption, plasma metabolite profile, and risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality in a population-based cohort.

Background & Aims: Epidemiological evidence on ultra-processed food (UPF) and cause-specific mortality remains limited and mixed. Molecular mechanisms underlying UPF intake and mortality remain unexplored. This study aimed to evaluate the associations between UPF consumption, metabolic signatures, and all-cause, premature, and cause-specific mortality.

Inhibition of CB1R in the Hypothalamic Paraventricular Nucleus Ameliorates Hypertension Through Wnt/β-Catenin/RAS Pathway.

The hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN), as an important integrating center, plays a prominent role in the pathogenesis of hypertension, in maintaining the stability of cardiovascular activity through peripheral sympathetic nervous activity and secretion of various humoral factors. Acknowledging that the mechanistic targets of the endocannabinoid type 1 receptor (CB1R) are the key signaling systems involved in the regulation of hypertension, we sought to clarify whether inhibition of CB1R within the PVN ameliorates hypertension through Wnt/β-catenin/RAS pathway. Spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) and Wistar Kyoto rats were randomly assigned to different groups and treated with bilateral PVN injections of AM251 (CB1R antagonist, 10 µg/h) or vehicle (artificial cerebrospinal fluid, aCSF) for four weeks.

Impact of age on clinical characteristics and 1-year outcomes of non-disabling ischemic cerebrovascular events: A multicenter prospective cohort study.

Background: The exploration of age-related clinical features and adverse outcomes of non-disabling ischemic cerebrovascular disease (NICE) has been largely unaddressed in current research. This study aimed to analyze the differences in clinical characteristics and prognostic outcomes of NICE across various age groups, utilizing data from the Xi'an Stroke Registry Study in China.

Methods: The age distribution of NICE was categorized into four groups: age ≤ 54 years, age 55-64 years, age 65-74 years, and age ≥ 75 years.

Co-Regulation Mechanism of Host p53 and Fos in Transcriptional Activation of ILTV Immediate-Early Gene .

Infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV) exhibits a cascade expression pattern of encoded genes, and is the only immediate-early gene of ILTV, which plays a crucial role in initiating the subsequent viral genes. Therefore, studying the transcriptional regulation mechanism of holds promise for effectively blocking ILTV infection and spread. Host transcriptional factors p53 and Fos are proven to regulate a variety of viral infections, and our previous studies have demonstrated their synergistic effects in regulating ILTV infection.

The Impact of Selenium Deficiency and T-2 Toxin on Zip6 Expression in Kashin-Beck Disease.

This study investigated the expression of Zip6, a gene predominantly located in the placenta, breast, and prostate tissues, in patients with Kashin-Beck disease (KBD). Environmental risk factor models for KBD were developed using low selenium (Se) feeding (with a Se content of 0.02 mg Se/kg in the feed) and exposure to T-2 toxin (200 ng/g*BW/D).

The Emission Characteristics and Health Risks of Firefighter-Accessed Fire: A Review.

The exacerbation of wildfires caused by global warming poses a significant threat to human health and environmental integrity. This review examines the particulate matter (PM) and gaseous pollutants resulting from fire incidents and their impacts on individual health, with a specific focus on the occupational hazards faced by firefighters. Of particular concern is the release of carbon-containing gases and fine particulate matter (PM) from forest fires and urban conflagrations, which exceed the recommended limits and pose severe health risks.

Biologically informed machine learning modeling of immune cells to reveal physiological and pathological aging process.

The immune system undergoes progressive functional remodeling from neonatal stages to old age. Therefore, understanding how aging shapes immune cell function is vital for precise treatment of patients at different life stages. Here, we constructed the first transcriptomic atlas of immune cells encompassing human lifespan, ranging from newborns to supercentenarians, and comprehensively examined gene expression signatures involving cell signaling, metabolism, differentiation, and functions in all cell types to investigate immune aging changes.

Secondhand smoking increased the possibility of hypertension with a significant time and frequency dose-response relationship.

In this research, we investigated whether secondhand smoking (SHS) increases the possibility of hypertension. We used data from the Shaanxi baseline survey of the Regional Ethnic Cohort Study in Northwest China (RECS). Active smoking and SHS were determined by questionnaires.

Hepatocyte-specific NR5A2 deficiency induces pyroptosis and exacerbates non-alcoholic steatohepatitis by downregulating ALDH1B1 expression.

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a prevalent chronic disease, yet its exact mechanisms and effective treatments remain elusive. Nuclear receptor subfamily 5 group A member 2 (NR5A2), a transcription factor closely associated with cholesterol metabolism in the liver, has been hindered from comprehensive investigation due to the lethality of NR5A2 loss in cell lines and animal models. To elucidate the role of NR5A2 in NASH, we generated hepatocyte-specific knockout mice for Nr5a2 (Nr5a2) and examined their liver morphology across different age groups under a regular diet.

Association between Age and Miscarriage in an Assisted Reproductive Technology Population: A 10-Year Cohort Study.

Background: Advanced maternal age decreased success of pregnancy rate in the assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatment. We aimed to investigate the association between age and miscarriages in women who required ART for conception.

Methods: A cohort study was conducted using a 10-year sample of 14,898 pregnancy cycles with ART treatment in Xi'an, China.

Protein folding dependence on selenoprotein M contributes to steady cartilage extracellular matrix repressing ferroptosis via PERK/ATF4/CHAC1 axis.

Objective: Initiation of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is pivotal to the advancement of osteoarthritis (OA). We aimed to explore the function of ER-resident selenoprotein M (SELM) in cartilage-forming chondrocytes, investigating how SELM participates in cartilage extracellular matrix (ECM) metabolism and ER stress modulation.

Methods: Articular cartilage samples with knee OA undergoing total knee arthroplasty were categorised into OA-smooth and OA-damaged groups, with primary chondrocytes extracted from smooth areas.

Effects of Rhaponticum carthamoides (Willd.) Iljin on endothelial dysfunction and the inflammatory response in type 2 diabetes mellitus mice.

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) and its complications seriously threaten human life and health. Rhaponticum carthamoides (Willd.) Iljin (RC) is widely used to treat cardiovascular diseases.

Hollow Calcium/Copper Bimetallic Amplifier for Cuproptosis/Paraptosis/Apoptosis Cancer Therapy via Cascade Reinforcement of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Mitochondrial Dysfunction.

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondria are essential organelles that play crucial roles in maintaining cellular homeostasis. The simultaneous induction of ER stress and mitochondrial dysfunction represents a promising yet challenging strategy for cancer treatment. Herein, a hollow calcium-copper bimetallic nanoplatform is developed as a cascade amplifier to reinforce ER stress and mitochondrial dysfunction for breast cancer treatment.

Cardiomyopathy characterizing and heart failure risk predicting by echocardiography and pathoanatomy in aged male mice.

Correlation between echocardiographic and pathoanatomic variables and their prognostic value in murine cardiomyopathy models remain unknown. Using echocardiography, morphometrics, and survival monitoring, we characterized transgenic (TG) mice with dilated cardiomyopathy due to cardiac overexpression of β-adrenoceptors focusing on predicting heart failure (HF) risk and HF mortality. In 12-month-old non-TG and TG mice, echocardiography was performed to determine left ventricular (LV) dimensions (d), wall thickness (h), and fractional shortening (FS).