Ar

BACKGROUND: Quadricuspid aortic valve (QAV) is a rare congenital disease. The clinical characteristics of this disease remain unclear except for those in relatively young patients reported from tertiary referral hospitals. The aim of this study was to determine the clinical features of QAV in a regional population. METHODS AND RESULTS: We retrospectively investigated 25 340 consecutive patients over middle age (median age, 73 (IQR 65-80) years; range, 45-102 years) who underwent transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) at our institute during the period from April 2008 to December 2023...

Fabrication of versatile hydrogels in a facile and effective manner represents a pivotal challenge in the field of biomaterials. Herein, a novel strategy is presented for preparing on-demand degradable hydrogels with multilevel responsiveness. By employing selenol-dichlorotetrazine nucleophilic aromatic substitution (SN Ar) to synthesize hydrogels under mild conditions in a buffer solution, the necessity of additives or posttreatments can be obviated. The nucleophilic and redox reactions between selenol and tetrazine culminate in the formation of three degradable chemical bonds-diselenide, aryl selenide, and dearomatized selenide-in a single, expeditious step...

For many years, the recombination of excited ions of argon, Ar+(P1/22), has been assumed negligible under ambient conditions as compared to the recombination of ground-state ions, Ar+(P3/22). This opinion was confronted with detailed experimental results that seem to clearly support it. Here, we propose a new interpretation in light of our recent calculations, which shows that the recombination efficiency is comparable for both fine-structure states. Noteworthily, in our model leading to a picture consistent with the experiment, residual dimer ions emerge from Ar+(P1/22) due to non-adiabatic dynamics effects and interplay in measured data...

Elongated upper canine teeth, commonly known as saber-teeth, have evolved three times within the sub-order Feliformia. The species that wielded them flourished throughout the Cenozoic and have historically been separated into two morphological groups: the dirk-tooths with longer, flatter canines, and the scimitar-tooths with shorter, serrated teeth. However, quantitative morphological analysis has not been conducted on these teeth to determine the true amount of diversity within the group, and how the upper canine morphology of extant feliforms compared to their extinct relatives has also not been explored...

The aim was to explore the anti-tumour mechanism of linarin (LIN) based on network pharmacology and molecular docking. PharmMapper database and GeneCards database were used to screen anti-tumour related targets of LIN. Enrichment analysis of GO and KEGG was conducted to predict the key targets and pathways. At last, LIN was docked with the key targets. ESR1, ESR2, EGFR, AR, TGFBR2, F2, MAPK10, MAPK14, CDK2 and HSP90AA1 were identified as the key targets. The key pathways included pathways in cancer, prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer and breast cancer...

OBJECTIVE: The U.S. Army uses sex-specific circumference-based prediction equations to estimate percent body fat (%BF) to evaluate adherence to body composition standards. The equations are periodically evaluated to ensure that they continue to accurately assess %BF in a diverse population. The objective of this study was to develop and validate alternative field expedient equations that may improve upon the current Army Regulation (AR) body fat (%BF) equations. METHODS: Body size and composition were evaluated in a representatively sampled cohort of 1904 active-duty Soldiers (1261 Males, 643 Females), using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (%BFDXA ), and circumferences obtained with 3D imaging and manual measurements...

The rapid evolution of emerging technologies in healthcare is reshaping the field of medical practices and patient outcomes, ushering in an era of unprecedented innovation. This narrative review touches upon the transformative impacts of various technologies, including virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), the internet of medical things (IoMT), remote patient monitoring (RPM), financial technology (fintech) integration, cloud migration, and the pivotal role of machine learning (ML). It emphasizes the collaborative impact of these technologies, which is reshaping the healthcare landscape...

Virtual reality (VR) has advanced in medical education and rehabilitation from basic graphical applications due to its ability to generate a virtual three-dimensional (3D) environment. This environment is mostly used to practice professional skills, plan surgery procedures, simulate surgeries, display 3D anatomy, and rehabilitate various disorders. VR has transformed the field of rehabilitation therapy by providing immersive and engaging experiences that go beyond traditional bounds, significantly improving patient care and therapeutic results...

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) have been shown to play a key role in prostate cancer treatment resistance, but the role of CAFs in the initial course of enzalutamide therapy for prostate cancer remains unclear. Our research revealed that CAFs secrete CCL5, which promotes the upregulation of androgen receptor (AR) expression in prostate cancer cells, leading to resistance to enzalutamide therapy. Furthermore, CCL5 also enhances the expression of tumor programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), resulting in immune escape...

Lineage plasticity is a recognized hallmark of cancer progression that can shape therapy outcomes. The underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms mediating lineage plasticity remain poorly understood. Here, we describe a versatile in vivo platform to identify and interrogate the molecular determinants of neuroendocrine lineage transformation at different stages of prostate cancer progression. Adenocarcinomas reliably develop following orthotopic transplantation of primary mouse prostate organoids acutely engineered with human-relevant driver alterations (e...

Lung cancer is the second most common malignancy with the highest mortality rate worldwide. In recent years, the rapid development of various bronchoscopic navigation techniques has provided conditions for the minimally invasive diagnosis and treatment of peripheral pulmonary nodules through the airway.Augmented reality optical lung navigation is a new technology that combined virtual bronchoscopy navigation (VBN) with augmented reality (AR) and optical navigation technology, which could assist bronchoscopist and has been widely applied in clinics...

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common malignancy of the male genitourinary system and currently lacks effective treatment. Semen Impatientis, the dried ripe seed of Impatiens balsamina L., is described by the Chinese Pharmacopoeia as a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and is used in clinical practice to treat tumors, abdominal masses, etc. In our previous study, the ethyl acetate extracts of Semen Impatientis (EAESI) was demonstrated to be the most effective extract against PCa among various extracts...

The active denitrifying communities performing methane oxidation coupled to denitrification (MOD) were investigated using samples from an aerobic reactor (∼ 20% O2 and 2% CH4 ) and a microaerobic reactor (2% O2 , 2% CH4 ) undertaking denitrification. The methane oxidation metabolites excreted in the reactors were acetate, methanol, formate and acetaldehyde. Using anaerobic batch experiments supplemented with exogenously supplied 13 C-labelled metabolites, the active denitrifying bacteria were identified using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and RNA-stable isotope probing (RNA-SIP)...

BACKGROUND: Our study presents a single center experience in resection of intradural spinal tumors either with or without using intraoperative CT (iCT)-based registration and microscope-based augmented reality (AR). Microscope-based AR was recently described for improved orientation in the operative field in spine surgery, using superimposed images of segmented structures of interest in a two- (2D) or three-dimensional (3D) mode. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All patients who underwent surgery for resection of intradural spinal tumors at our department were retrospectively included in the study...

Insects geographically separated into island and mainland populations often exhibit phenotypic variations, a phenomenon known as insular conditions. These conditions can lead to rapid evolutionary changes that affect the morphological characteristics of mosquito vectors. Nevertheless, studies that specifically examine phenotype differences between island and mainland mosquito populations have been limited. In this study, wing variation in size and shape was investigated using the geometric morphometric (GM) technique in two dominant mosquito vectors, Aedes albopictus and Armigeres subalbatus, in the Ranong and Trat archipelagos of Thailand...

The androgen receptor (AR) and estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) are steroid receptor transcription factors with critical roles in the development and progression of prostate and breast cancers. Advances in the understanding of mechanisms underlying the ligand-dependent activation of these transcription factors have contributed to the development of small molecule inhibitors that block AR and ERα actions. These inhibitors include competitive antagonists and degraders that directly bind the ligand binding domains of these receptors, luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH) analogs that suppress gonadal synthesis of testosterone or estrogen, and drugs that block specific enzymes required for biosynthesis of testosterone or estrogen...

Phosphorus (P) is one of the essential elements for life on Earth. As a major nutrient it is needed for healthy growth both in plants and living organisms. Although the abundance of P in the Earth's upper continental crust is relatively high (655 mg/kg), many soil types are poor in available phosphorus. The main natural factors controlling the availability of P in soil are pH, mineralogy, and formation of insoluble complexes with Al and Fe under acidic, and with Ca and Mg under alkaline soil conditions...

Disuse osteoporosis is one of the major problems of bone health which commonly occurs in astronauts during long-term spaceflight and bedridden patients. However, the mechanisms underlying such mechanical unloading induced bone loss have not been fully understood. In this study, we employed hindlimb-unloading mice models with different length of tail suspension to investigate if the bone loss was regulated by distinct factors under different duration of disuse. Our micro-CT results showed more significant decrease of bone mass in 6 W tail-suspension mice compared to the 1 W tail- suspension ones, as indicated by greater reduction of BV/TV, Tb...

Saposhnikoviae Radix (SR) may enhance the pharmacodynamics of Huangqi Chifeng Tang (HQCFT) in the treatment of cerebral infarction according to our previous research, but the underlying mechanism is unknown. Herein, an in vivo pharmacokinetic assay in rats and in vitro MDCK-MDR1 cell assays were used to investigate the possible mechanism of SR, its main components, and its interactions with Astragali Radix (AR) and Paeoniae Radix (PR). An ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC‒MS/MS)-based analytical method for quantifying astragaloside IV (ASIV) and paeoniflorin (PAE) in microdialysis and transport samples was developed...

BACKGROUND: Validating walking trails is essential to promote physical activity (PA) safely and confidently in people with COPD. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to validate predetermined light, moderate, and vigorous intensities of walking trails in people with COPD. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included individuals with COPD walking in predetermined light, moderate and vigorous intensity trails. Activity intensity and volume outcomes were collected...