Accuracy of Thoracic Ultrasonography for the Diagnosis of Pediatric Pneumonia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

As an emerging imaging technique, thoracic ultrasonography (TUS) is increasingly utilized in the diagnosis of lung diseases in children and newborns, especially in emergency and critical settings. This systematic review aimed to estimate the diagnostic accuracy of TUS in childhood pneumonia. We searched Embase, PubMed, and Web of Science for studies until July 2023 using both TUS and chest radiography (CR) for the diagnosis of pediatric pneumonia. Two researchers independently screened the literature based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, collected the results, and assessed the risk of bias using the Diagnostic Accuracy Study Quality Assessment (QUADAS) tool. A total of 26 articles met our inclusion criteria and were included in the final analysis, including 22 prospective studies and four retrospective studies. The StataMP 14.0 software was used for the analysis of the study. The overall pooled sensitivity was 0.95 [95% confidence intervals (CI), 0.92-0.97] and the specificity was 0.94 [95% CI, 0.88-0.97], depicting a good diagnostic accuracy. Our results indicated that TUS was an effective imaging modality for detecting pediatric pneumonia. It is a potential alternative to CXR and a follow-up for pediatric pneumonia due to its simplicity, versatility, low cost, and lack of radiation hazards.

Advances in the relationship between temporal muscle thickness and prognosis of patients with glioblastoma: a narrative review.

The most dangerous variety of glioma, glioblastoma, has a high incidence and fatality rate. The prognosis for patients is still bleak despite numerous improvements in treatment approaches. We urgently need to develop clinical parameters that can evaluate patients' conditions and predict their prognosis. Various parameters are available to assess the patient's preoperative performance status and degree of frailty, but most of these parameters are subjective and therefore subject to interobserver variability. Sarcopenia can be used as an objective metric to measure a patient's physical status because studies have shown that it is linked to a bad prognosis in those with cancers. For the purpose of identifying sarcopenia, temporal muscle thickness has demonstrated to be a reliable alternative for a marker of skeletal muscle content. As a result, patients with glioblastoma may use temporal muscle thickness as a potential marker to correlate with the course and fate of their disease. This narrative review highlights and defines the viability of using temporal muscle thickness as an independent predictor of survival in glioblastoma patients, and it evaluates recent research findings on the association between temporal muscle thickness and prognosis of glioblastoma patients.

Role of Takeda G protein­coupled receptor 5 in microvascular endothelial cell dysfunction in diabetic retinopathy (Review).

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a frequent microvascular complication of advanced-stage diabetes. Endothelial cell dysfunction (ED) induced by diabetes plays an important role in the development of DR. It is considered that inflammation and mitochondrial homeostasis are associated with the progression of ED. Takeda G protein-coupled receptor 5 (TGR5) is a membrane receptor for bile acids (BAs) that plays an important role in regulating BA metabolism. Recent studies have shown that TGR5 is involved in regulating various mediators of ED and improving the dysfunction of vascular endothelial cells in DR; however, the exploration of specific related mechanisms remains an active research area in this field, which suggests that TGR5 may be one of the potential targets for the treatment of associated ED in DR. In the present review, the association between TGR5 and mitochondrial homeostasis was investigated. The extent of inflammation in DR-induced ED was assessed to provide possible evidence for the development of targeted therapies against DR.

The Regiocontrollable Enantioselective Synthesis of Chiral Trifluoromethyl-Containing Spiro-Pyrrolidine-Pyrazolone Compounds via Amino-Regulated 1,3-Proton Migration Reaction.

An amino-controlled regiodivergent asymmetric synthesis of CF3-containing spiro-pyrrolidine-pyrazolone compounds is described. With alkaloid-derived squaramide as catalyst, the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of α,ß-unsaturated pyrazolone with diethyl 2-((2,2,2-trifluoroethyl)imino) malonate offered adducts in excellent yields, dr, and ee. While the cyclohexanediamine-derived squaramide was employed, the reaction afforded a series of structure isomers through a switched umpolung reaction.

Upregulation of thioredoxin contributes to inhibiting diabetic hearing impairment.

AIMS: Hair cell reduction was related to diabetes-induced hearing loss. Oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and autophagy participate in this process. Thioredoxin (Trx) is a protein with many biological functions which can regulate them. In this study, aiming to clarify protective effect of Trx on diabetic hearing loss and to identify an early potential therapeutic target for diabetic hearing impairment in the future. METHODS: Trx transgenic (Tg) mice were used to establish a diabetic model by intraperitoneally injecting streptozotocin (STZ) and with/without SF or PX12 treatment. Succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) staining was used to evaluate the loss of hair cells. The relative expression of related proteins and genes was detected using western blotting and qRT-PCR. RESULTS: In vivo, loss of outer hair cells was observed. However, it can be delayed Trx overexpression. Moreover, the expression of PGC-1α, bcl-2 and LC3 was increased in Tg(+)-DM mice compared with Tg(-)-DM mice. The expression of ASK1, Txnip, GRP78, CHOP and p62 was decreased in Tg(+)-DM mice compared with Tg(-)-DM mice. CONCLUSIONS: Upregulation of Trx protects diabetes-induced cochlear hair cells reduction. The underlying mechanisms were related to the regulation of ER stress through ASK1 and the mitochondrial pathway or autophagy via Txnip.

Asymmetric synthesis of CF3-containing tetrahydroquinoline via a thiourea-catalyzed cascade reaction.

An organocatalytic asymmetric method for the synthesis of 2-CF3 tetrahydroquinoline has been achieved. The cascade reaction of 2-aminochalcones with ß-CF3 nitroalkenes afforded the products bearing three contiguous stereogenic centers in good yields with excellent diastereoselectivities and enantioselectivities.

Asymmetric Synthesis of α-Trifluoromethyl Pyrrolidines through Organocatalyzed 1,3-Dipolar Cycloaddition Reaction.

The optically active α-trifluoromethyl pyrrolidines have been achieved through organocatalyzed 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction first. With diphenylprolinol trimethylsilyl ether as catalyst and in the presence of 3,5-dinitrobenzoic acid, the reaction of trifluoroethylamine-derived ketimine with 2-enals gave α-trifluoromethyl pyrrolidines bearing three contiguous stereogenic centers in excellent diastereoselectivies, stereoselectivities, and yields.

Asymmetric Synthesis of CF3- and Indole-Containing Thiochromanes via a Squaramide-Catalyzed Michael-Aldol Reaction.

A Michael-aldol reaction of 2-mercaptobenzaldehyde with ß-indole-ß-CF3 enones catalyzed by a squaramide has been realized. The method affords a series of 2-CF3-2-indole-substituted thiochromanes featuring a CF3-containing quaternary stereocenter in excellent yields, diastereoselectivities, and enantioselectivities.

Synthesis of Chiral α-Trifluoromethylamines with 2,2,2-Trifluoroethylamine as a "Building Block".

The ß-isocupreidine, a cinchonine derived alkaloid, catalyzed asymmetric SN2'-SN2' reaction between N-2,2,2-trifluoroethylisatin ketimines and MBH type carbonates was realized in a simple and efficient way. A series of chiral α-trifluoromethylamines were prepared with excellent yields and stereoselectivities. A subsequent and easy process of deprotection gave γ-trifluoromethyl-α-methylenelactam in a stereoselective manner.