Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death in China. The lack of an effective treatment for this disease results in a high recurrence rate in patients who undergo radical tumor resection, and the 5-year survival rate of these patients remains low. Our previous studies demonstrated that Plasmodium infection provides a potent antitumor effect by inducing innate and adaptive immunity in a murine Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) model.
 
  This study aimed to investigate the inhibitory effect of Plasmodium infection on hepatocellular carcinoma in mice, and various techniques for gene expression analysis were used to identify possible signal regulation mechanisms.
 
  We found that Plasmodium infection efficiently inhibited tumor progression and prolonged survival in tumor-bearing mice, which served as a murine implanted hepatoma model. The inhibition of tumor progression by Plasmodium infection was related to suppression of tumor angiogenesis within the tumor tissue and decreased infiltration of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). Further study demonstrated that matrix metalloprotease 9 (MMP-9) produced by TAMs contributed to tumor angiogenesis inthe tumor tissue and that the parasite-induced reduction in MMP-9 expression in TAMs resulted in the suppression of tumor angiogenesis. A mechanistic study revealed that the Plasmodium-derived hemozoin (HZ) that accumulated in TAMs inhibited IGF-1 signaling through the PI3-K and MAPK signaling pathways and thereby decreased the expression of MMP-9 in TAMs.
 
  Our study suggests that this novel approach of inhibiting tumor angiogenesis by Plasmodium infection is of high importance for the development of new therapies for cancer patients. Video abstract.
 Our study suggests that this novel approach of inhibiting tumor angiogenesis by Plasmodium infection is of high importance for the development of new therapies for cancer patients. Video abstract.
  Although percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy (PELD) is increasingly being used to treat lumbar degenerative disease, the treatment of elderly patients with lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) involves considerable uncertainty.  https://www.selleckchem.com/products/ew-7197.html  The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of PELD for the treatment of LSS in elderly patients aged 65 years or older.
 
  In this retrospective review, 136 patients aged 65 years or older who underwent PELD to treat LSS were evaluated. The patients were divided into two groups, group A (ages 65-74) and group B (age ≥ 75), and perioperative data were analyzed. The Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score, visual analog scale (VAS) score, and MacNab classification were used to evaluate postoperative clinical efficacy.
 
  All patients successfully underwent the operation with satisfactory treatment outcomes. Compared to preoperative scores, the self-reported scores or pain while performing daily activities were significantly improved in both treatment groupsmbar spine surgery. PELD has advantages such as reduced trauma, fewer anesthesia-related complications, and a fast postoperative recovery. Elderly patients should be considered good candidates for lumbar decompression surgery using minimally invasive techniques.A statement of consensus was formulated after reviewing available literature on pediatric treatment strategies for COVID-19 by the Steering and Scientific Committee of the Italian Society of Infectious Pediatric Diseases in connection with the Italian Society of Paediatrics.
  The present study assessed the prevalence of non-contact muscle injuries of the lower limbs, including hamstring injuries, in professional Russian soccer players who regularly perform Salah, an obligatory Muslim prayer performed 5 times a day.
 
  Using a retrospective cohort study design, 68 professional male soccer players (excluding goalkeepers), 34 of whom were Muslims regularly performing Salah (exposure group) and 34 were randomly chosen non-Muslim players (control group), were included in the study. The groups were similar in their playing leagues, field positions, age (27 ± 3.1 vs 28 ± 4.2 years), and body mass index (22 ± 1.2 vs 23 ± 0.92 kg/m
  ).
 
  The incidence of hamstring injury was significantly lower in the exposure group (2 vs 14, p = 0.0085). A declining trend for the number of muscle injuries (either hamstring or not) was observed in the exposure group (11 vs 27, p = 0.0562). Two players in the exposure group and 11 in the control group (p = 0.0115, OR 0.1307, 95% CI 0.0276 to 0.5698) suffered a hamstring injury, with no statistically significant difference in the occurrence of other injuries. The total amount of the training and play days missed because of hamstring and other muscle injuries was significantly lower in the exposure group (24 vs 213 days, p = 0.0043, and 200 vs 344 days, p = 0.0066, respectively).
 
  The prevalence of non-contact muscle injuries, including hamstring injuries, was lower in professional Russian soccer players who regularly performed Salah.
 The prevalence of non-contact muscle injuries, including hamstring injuries, was lower in professional Russian soccer players who regularly performed Salah.
  Pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) or type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are at increased risks of pre-term labor, hypertension and preeclampsia. In this study, metabolic profiling of blood samples collected from GDM, T2DM and control pregnant women was undertaken to identify potential diagnostic biomarkers in GDM/T2DM and compared to pregnancy outcome.
 
  Sixty-seven pregnant women (21 controls, 32 GDM, 14 T2DM) in their second trimester underwent targeted metabolomics of plasma samples using tandem mass spectrometry with the Biocrates MxP
  Quant 500 Kit. Linear regression models were used to identify the metabolic signature of GDM and T2DM, followed by generalized linear model (GLMNET) and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis to determine best predictors of GDM, T2DM and pre-term labor.
 
  The gestational age at delivery was 2weeks earlier in T2DM compared to GDM and controls and correlated negatively with maternal HbA1C and systolic blood pressure and positively with serum albumin.