Medicine
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Carotid atherosclerosis (AS) occurs in atherosclerotic lesions of the carotid artery, which can lead to transient ischemic attack and stroke in severe cases. However, the relationship between pleckstrin (PLEK) and lymphocyte antigen 86 (LY86) and carotid AS remains unclear. The carotid AS datasets GSE43292 and GSE125771 were downloaded from the gene expression omnibus database. ⋯ Comparative toxicogenomics database analysis showed that 5 genes were associated with pneumonia, inflammation, necrosis, and drug allergy. PLEK and LY86 genes are highly expressed in carotid AS. The higher the expression of PLEK and LY86, the worse the prognosis is.
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There are 3 issues in bibliometrics that need to be addressed: The lack of a clear definition for author collaborations in cluster analysis that takes into account collaborations with and without self-connections; The need to develop a simple yet effective clustering algorithm for use in coword analysis, and; The inadequacy of general bibliometrics in regard to comparing research achievements and identifying articles that are worth reading and recommended for readers. The study aimed to put forth a clustering algorithm for cluster analysis (called following leader clustering [FLCA], a follower-leading clustering algorithm), examine the dissimilarities in cluster outcomes when considering collaborations with and without self-connections in cluster analysis, and demonstrate the application of the clustering algorithm in bibliometrics. ⋯ The FLCA algorithm proposed in this study offers researchers a comprehensive approach to exploring and comprehending the complex connections among authors or keywords. The study suggests that future research on ACs with cluster analysis should employ FLCA and R visualizations.
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Observational Study
Longitudinal cognitive function and brain metabolites in women receiving chemotherapy for stage 1 to 3 breast cancer: Observational study.
Few proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy studies have explored chemotherapy-related biochemical changes in brain regions. This observational study aimed to longitudinally assess short-term cognitive changes and brain metabolite concentrations in women undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer. We analyzed 11 women with newly diagnosed stage 1 to 3 breast cancer. ⋯ The annualized change in the MD Anderson symptom inventory was negatively correlated with the annualized change in the medial frontal N-acetylaspartate (Spearman correlation coefficient [rho] = -0.78, P = .01) and positively correlated with the annualized change in the posterior cingulate gyrus creatine (rho = 0.66, P = .04). Annualized changes in the Rey Osterrieth complex figure test were positively correlated with annualized changes in choline (rho = 0.83, P = .01) in the medial frontal cortex, choline (rho = 0.76, P = .04) in the left thalamus, and creatine (rho = 0.73, P = .02) in the medial frontal cortex. Our data suggest that chemotherapy may lead to the worsening of self-reported memory function, which is associated with alterations in brain metabolites.
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Tripterygium wilfordii hook (TWH) has been used to treat Behcet's disease (BD) but its underlying mechanism remains unclear. This study aims to explore the mechanism of TWH on BD using network pharmacology and molecular docking. The bioactive constituents of TWH and their corresponding target genes were extracted from the Traditional Chinese Medicine systems pharmacology database and analysis platform. ⋯ Enrichment analysis demonstrated that the antioxidant properties of TWH constituents might play a significant role in their therapeutic effects. Molecular docking revealed high binding affinity between the bioactive constituents of TWH, such as kaempferol, triptolide, 5, 8-Dihydroxy-7-(4-hydroxy-5-methyl-coumarin-3)-coumarin, and their corresponding target genes, suggesting the potential of TWH to treat BD. Our investigation clarified the active components, therapeutic targets of BD in the treatment of TWH and provided a theoretical foundation for further researches.
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To explore the correlation between peripheral blood α1-microglobulin (α1-MG) and monocyte DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) expression and the severity of renal pathological damage in diabetic nephropathy (DN). The study group comprised 100 patients with DN who underwent treatment at our hospital from January 2022 to January 2023, while the control group consisted of 50 patients with uncomplicated diabetes. The relative expression levels of peripheral blood α1-MG and DNMT1 were compared between the 2 groups of patients. ⋯ The relative expression levels of peripheral blood α1-MG, DNMT1, and VEGF levels in DN patients increase with the elevation of the glomerular grading, showing a positive correlation with r-values of 0.714, 0.609, and 0.677, respectively (P < .05). The expression levels of peripheral blood α1-MG, DNMT1, and VEGF are significantly elevated in patients with DN. These levels show a positive correlation with the IFTA score, interstitial inflammation score, and glomerular grading, contributing to the diagnosis and assessment of DN.