Causal relationship between physical activity and common gynecologic conditions: a two-sample Mendelian randomization study.

Objective: While physical activity (PA) patterns are epidemiologically linked to gynecologic pathologies, establishing causality remains uncertain. This Mendelian randomization (MR) study evaluated causal relationships between PA phenotypes and gynecologic disorders.

Methods: Using European-ancestry female genome-wide association study (GWAS) data, we analyzed eight gynecologic disorders and four PA instruments.

miR-4537 curtails ferroptosis by targeting MIOX in renal cell carcinoma.

Ferroptosis, an iron-dependent mode of cell death, has gained prominence for its critical role in the advancement of various cancers, notably clear cell renal carcinoma (ccRCC). The intricacies of ferroptosis's involvement in ccRCC, however, remain largely undefined. This study aimed to dissect the contribution of ferroptosis to ccRCC by examining differentially expressed genes (DEGs) identified within the TCGA ccRCC database and ferroptosis driver genes catalogued in the FerrDb database (dedicates to ferroptosis regulators and ferroptosis-disease associations).

A meta-analysis of adverse offspring health outcomes in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus.

This study aims to comprehensively evaluate the association between gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and the risk of chronic diseases, including obesity, glycolipid metabolic disorders, neurodevelopmental conditions and cardiovascular diseases, in offspring through a systematic meta-analysis. By searching PubMed, Web of Science and Cochrane systematic review databases, relevant observational studies published from January 2010 to February 2024 were comprehensively retrieved, and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to assess the quality of the studies. Subgroup analyses were performed based on the country status, offspring age, screening method and diagnostic criteria of GDM.

Metabolic Engineering of for Enhanced De Novo Biosynthesis of Icaritin.

Icaritin (ICT) is a naturally occurring flavonoid compound with notable anticancer properties, recently recognized for its efficacy in treating advanced hepatic carcinoma. Traditional methods of ICT production, including plant extraction and chemical synthesis, face challenges such as low yield and environmental concerns. This study leverages synthetic biology to construct a microbial cell factory using for de novo ICT synthesis.

[Correlation between the skin surface temperature at the related back- points and the pulmonary ventilation function in patients with chronic persistent asthma based on the theory of "lung governing the skin and hair"].

Objective: To observe the skin surface temperature at the related back- points in the patients with the different levels of pulmonary ventilation function in chronic persistent asthma, and to explore the correlation between the skin temperature at the back- points and pulmonary ventilation function indexes based on "lung governing the skin and hair".

Methods: Sixty-one patients with chronic persistent asthma, based on the level of pulmonary ventilation function, were assigned into a reduced pulmonary ventilation function group (reduced function group, 32 cases) and a normal pulmonary ventilation function group (normal function group, 29 cases). In the two groups, the skin surface temperature was measured in the sites of bilateral Feishu (BL13), Geshu (BL17), Pishu (BL20) and Shenshu (BL23); and the pulmonary ventilation function indexes (the percentage of predicted value of forced vital capacity [FVC%pred], the percentage of predicted value of forced expiratory volume in the first second [FEV1%pred], the percentage of predicted value of FEV1/FVC [FEV1/FVC%pred] and the percentage of predicted value of the peak expiratory flow [PEF%pred]) were recorded.

Development of micro-nanostructured film with antibacterial, anticorrosive and thermal conductivity properties on copper surface.

A micro-nano sharkskin like film (Cu-MNS-FA) was synthesized on copper surface through chemical etching followed by formate passivation, and its anticorrosive, antibacterial and thermal conductivity properties were investigated. Results show that after 7 d of exposure to nature, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Desulfovibrio vulgaris seawater, the charge transfer resistance of Cu-MNS-FA is more than three times higher than that of unmodified copper. In particular, in D.

Age- and sex-specific upper reference limits for cardiac biomarkers in Chinese children and adolescents: a prospective study.

Cardiac biomarkers are being increasingly applied in pediatric populations, including those with cardiogenic and non-cardiogenic myocardial injury disease. The upper reference limits of biomarkers are an important reference for disease diagnosis and health evaluation. However, the upper reference limits of pediatric cardiac biomarkers remains unknown.

DNA methylation-mediated 11βHSD2 downregulation drives the increases in angiotensin-converting enzyme and angiotensin II within preeclamptic placentas.

Preeclampsia (PE) is a complex human-specific complication frequently associated with placental pathology. The local renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in the human placenta, which plays a crucial role in regulating placental function, has been extensively documented. Glucocorticoids (GCs) are a class of steroid hormones.

Current data and future perspectives on DNA methylation in ovarian cancer (Review).

Ovarian cancer (OC) represents the most prevalent malignancy of the female reproductive system. Its distinguishing features include a high aggressiveness, substantial morbidity and mortality, and a lack of apparent symptoms, which collectively pose significant challenges for early detection. Given that aberrant DNA methylation events leading to altered gene expression are characteristic of numerous tumor types, there has been extensive research into epigenetic mechanisms, particularly DNA methylation, in human cancers.

Exploring the body surface temperature of the lumbosacral region and relevant back- points in patients with lumbar disc herniation induced low back pain based on infrared thermography.

Objectives: To observe the body surface temperature of the lumbosacral region and relevant back- points in patients with lumbar disc herniation (LDH) induced low back pain utilizing infrared thermography, and to explore the functional attribute changes of acupoints under pathological conditions.

Methods: A total of 50 patients with LDH induced low back pain were included as the observation group, and 45 healthy subjects were included as the control group. Using infrared thermography, the body surface temperature of the lumbosacral region and bilateral Sanjiaoshu (BL 22), Shenshu (BL 23), Qihaishu (BL 24), Dachangshu (BL 25), Guanyuanshu (BL 26), Xiaochangshu (BL 27), and Pangguangshu (BL 28) was measured in both groups.

Gestational Hypoxia Impaired Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthesis Via miR-155-5p/NADPH Oxidase/Reactive Oxygen Species Axis in Male Offspring Vessels.

Background: Nitric oxide (NO) is the most important vasodilator secreted by vascular endothelial cells, and its abnormal synthesis is involved in the development of cardiovascular disease. The prenatal period is a critical time for development and largely determines lifelong vascular health in offspring. Given the high incidence and severity of gestational hypoxia in mid-late pregnancy, it is urgent to further explore whether it affects the long-term synthesis of NO in offspring vascular endothelial cells.

Toward certifiable optimal motion planning for medical steerable needles.

Medical steerable needles can follow 3D curvilinear trajectories to avoid anatomical obstacles and reach clinically significant targets inside the human body. Automating steerable needle procedures can enable physicians and patients to harness the full potential of steerable needles by maximally leveraging their steerability to safely and accurately reach targets for medical procedures such as biopsies. For the automation of medical procedures to be clinically accepted, it is critical from a patient care, safety, and regulatory perspective to certify the correctness and effectiveness of the planning algorithms involved in procedure automation.

Assessing the ecological risk of croplands in loess drylands by combining environmental disturbance with ecosystem vulnerability.

Agroecosystems suffer various ecological risks due to the intensive production of crops. However, comprehensive assessments of cropland ecological risks remain limited. This study developed an assessment method for cropland ecological risks by combining environmental disturbance with ecosystem vulnerability.

Autonomous medical needle steering in vivo.

The use of needles to access sites within organs is fundamental to many interventional medical procedures both for diagnosis and treatment. Safely and accurately navigating a needle through living tissue to a target is currently often challenging or infeasible because of the presence of anatomical obstacles, high levels of uncertainty, and natural tissue motion. Medical robots capable of automating needle-based procedures have the potential to overcome these challenges and enable enhanced patient care and safety.

Calcium signals and potential therapy targets in ovarian cancer (Review).

Ovarian cancer (OC) is a deadly disease. The poor prognosis and high lethality of OC are attributed to its high degrees of aggressiveness, resistance to chemotherapy and recurrence rates. Calcium ion (Ca) signaling has received attention in recent years, as it appears to form an essential part of various aspects of cancer pathophysiology and is a potential therapeutic target for OC treatment.

Mitigation of EH36 ship steel biocorrosion using an antimicrobial peptide as a green biocide enhancer.

In this study, a 13-mer antimicrobial peptide (RRWRIVVIRVRRC) named by E6 was used as an enhancer of a green biocide to mitigate the biocorrosion of EH36 ship steel. Results show that a low concentration of E6 (100 nM) alone was no-biocidal and could not resist the Desulfovibrio vulgaris adhesion on the EH36 steel surface. However, E6 enhanced the bactericidal effect of tetrakis hydroxymethyl phosphonium sulfate (THPS).

Redox-Enhanced Photoelectrochemical Activity in PHV/CdS Hybrid Film.

Semiconductive photocatalytic materials have received increasing attention recently due to their ability to transform solar energy into chemical fuels and photodegrade a wide range of pollutants. Among them, cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanoparticles have been extensively studied as semiconductive photocatalysts in previous studies on hydrogen generation and environmental purification due to their suitable bandgap and sensitive light response. However, the practical applications of CdS are limited by its low charge separation, which is caused by its weak ability to separate photo-generated electron-hole pairs.

Efficacy and Safety of Erector Spinae Plane Block for Perioperative Pain Management in Lumbar Spinal Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Background: Since the application of ultrasound-guided erector spinae plane block (ESPB) in 2016, the approach has been gradually applied to perioperative analgesia in various surgeries. In recent years, more and more studies have focused on the effect of ESPB in perioperative analgesia of lumbar spinal surgery, but its clinical effect remains controversial.

Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis was designed to explore the efficacy and safety of ESPB used for perioperative pain management in lumbar spinal surgery.

A Metric for Finding Robust Start Positions for Medical Steerable Needle Automation.

Steerable needles are medical devices with the ability to follow curvilinear paths to reach targets while circumventing obstacles. In the deployment process, a human operator typically places the steerable needle at its start position on a tissue surface and then hands off control to the automation that steers the needle to the target. Due to uncertainty in the placement of the needle by the human operator, choosing a start position that is robust to deviations is crucial since some start positions may make it impossible for the steerable needle to safely reach the target.

[The specificity of body surface temperature of relevant back- points in patients with chronic persistent asthma based on infrared thermal imaging technology].

Objective: To detect the body surface temperature of the relevant back- points in patients with chronic persistent asthma by infrared thermal imaging technology, and observe the specific changes of the body surface temperature of the relevant back- points under the condition of lung disease.

Methods: Forty-five patients with chronic persistent asthma (observation group) and 45 healthy subjects (control group) were selected. The body surface temperature of bilateral Feishu (BL 13), Geshu (BL 17), Pishu (BL 20) and Shenshu (BL 23) were measured by BK-MT02A medical infrared thermography.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of cemented and uncemented bipolar hemiarthroplasty for the treatment of femoral neck fractures in elderly patients over 60 years old.

Background: Currently, whether bone cement can be applied in bipolar hemiarthroplasty to treat femoral neck fractures (FNFs) in elderly patients is controversial. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to compare the effectiveness and safety of cemented bipolar hemiarthroplasty (CBH) versus uncemented bipolar hemiarthroplasty (UCBH) in the treatment of FNFs among elderly patients over 60 years old.

Materials And Methods: The Pubmed, Web of science, Cochrane Library and EMBASE databases were searched comprehensively for relevant articles from their inception to May 2022.

Age- and sex-specific reference intervals for complete blood count parameters in capillary blood for Chinese neonates and infants: A prospective study.

Background: The reference intervals (RIs) of laboratory tests are essential for disease diagnosis, therapy monitoring, and health assessment. They are also significant for clinicians to discriminate between subjects with disease and healthy subjects. However, RIs for complete blood count (CBC) parameters in capillary blood for children are deficient.

Resolution-Optimal Motion Planning for Steerable Needles.

Medical steerable needles can follow 3D curvilinear trajectories inside body tissue, enabling them to move around critical anatomical structures and precisely reach clinically significant targets in a minimally invasive way. Automating needle steering, with motion planning as a key component, has the potential to maximize the accuracy, precision, speed, and safety of steerable needle procedures. In this paper, we introduce the first resolution-optimal motion planner for steerable needles that offers excellent practical performance in terms of runtime while simultaneously providing strong theoretical guarantees on completeness and the global optimality of the motion plan in finite time.

Recent Developments on the Roles of Calcium Signals and Potential Therapy Targets in Cervical Cancer.

Intracellular calcium (Ca) concentration ([Ca]i) is implicated in proliferation, invasion, and metastasis in cancerous tissues. A variety of oncologic therapies and some candidate drugs induce their antitumor effects (in part or in whole) through the modulation of [Ca]i. Cervical cancer is one of most common cancers among women worldwide.

High-Performance Planar-Type Photodetector Based on Hot-Pressed CsPbBr Wafer.

Considering the disadvantages of the common methods for CsPbBr single crystal growth including the high cost of the melt method and the low shape controllability of the solution method, a facile hot-pressed (HP) approach has been introduced to prepare CsPbBr wafers. The effects of HP temperature on the phase purity of HP-CsPbBr wafers and the performance of the corresponding photodetectors have been investigated. The HP temperature for preparing phase-pure, shape-regular, and dense CsPbBr wafers has been optimized to be 150 °C, and the HP-CsPbBr wafer based planar-type photodetectors exhibit an ultrasensitive weak light photoresponse.