Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

Chronic Obstr Pulm Dis 2020 Jun 5;7(3). Epub 2020 Jun 5.

Irish Centre for Genetic Lung Disease, Department of Medicine, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Education and Research Centre, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.

For many years, the lung disease associated with alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency (AATD) was perceived as being secondary to an imbalance between this serine protease inhibitor and the target protease, neutrophil elastase (NE). More recently, a greater understanding of the pathways leading to lung inflammation has shed light on new potential attributes and presented AATD as an inflammatory condition in which proteases and neutrophils still play a major role, but in which pro-inflammatory cytokines, either induced by the actions of NE or by other pro-inflammatory processes normally modulated by AAT, are involved. In this review, we will look at the various cytokines centrally involved in AATD lung disease, and how a greater understanding of their contribution may help development of targeted therapies. Read More

J Natl Compr Canc Netw 2020 Jun;18(6):718-727

1Department of Oncology & Hematology, Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Capital Medical University; and.

Background: The role of postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) in patients with resected stage IIIA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains controversial. The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of PORT on survival of these patients.

Methods: Patients aged ≥18 years with stage IIIA NSCLC were identified in the SEER database from 2010 through 2015. Read More

J Natl Compr Canc Netw 2020 Jun;18(6):650-655

2The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, and.

Erdheim-Chester disease (ECD) is an extremely rare and aggressive non-Langerhans histiocytic disorder. ECD typically presents with bone pain in middle-aged adults, although some patients present with multisystem disease involving the skeleton, central nervous system, cardiovascular system, lungs, and other disease sites. The etiology of ECD is currently unknown, but it is thought to be a reactive or neoplastic disorder. Read More

Int J Surg Case Rep 2020 May 14;71:346-348. Epub 2020 May 14.

The Cancer Foundation Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan. Electronic address:

Introduction: Although a rare complication, Biliothorax, or chole-thorax as it has been called in literature, is a devastating entity if not recognized early. Various causes have been reported for biliothorax like inflammatory, abdominal trauma, neoplastic, the most frequent being percutaneous hepatic intervention.

Case: We present the case of a 60 year old male, treated for colon cancer, who developed this complication after liver surgery. Read More

Eur J Cancer 2020 Jun 2;134:107-114. Epub 2020 Jun 2.

Department of Radiology and Medical Imaging, CHU Nîmes, Univ. Montpellier, EA2415, Nîmes, France.

Introduction: Lung cancer (LC) has the highest cancer mortality worldwide with poor prognosis. Screening with low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) in populations highly exposed to tobacco has been proposed to improve LC prognosis. Our objective was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy of screening by LDCT compared with any other intervention in populations who reported tobacco consumption for more than 15 years on LC and overall mortality. Read More

Lung Cancer 2020 May 28;146:12-18. Epub 2020 May 28.

Clinical Development, Samsung Bioepis Co., Ltd., Suwon, Republic of Korea. Electronic address:

Objectives: Efficacy, safety, pharmacokinetics (PK), and immunogenicity of the biosimilar candidate SB8 was compared to its reference product bevacizumab (BEV) in patients with metastatic or recurrent nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer.

Methods: Patients were randomized (1:1) in a phase III, double-blind study to receive intravenous SB8 or BEV 15 mg/kg with paclitaxel/carboplatin every 3 weeks for 24 weeks, followed by SB8 or BEV maintenance monotherapy. The primary endpoint was best overall response rate (ORR) by 24 weeks. Read More

Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 2020 May 25;135:110139. Epub 2020 May 25.

Private Practice, San Francisco, CA, USA.

Objective: A reduced transversal dimension of the maxilla leads to narrower nasal cavities, which may reduce airflow to the lungs. Maxillary expansion widens nasal floor. However, there is huge controversy regarding whether this increase does actually lead to increased airflow. Read More

Arch Gerontol Geriatr 2020 May 28;90:104129. Epub 2020 May 28.

Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Public Health College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China. Electronic address:

Background/objective: Previous studies have linked lung function to cognitive performance. However, it is not clear whether baseline lung function has an effect on the trajectory of cognitive decline during normal aging. This study aimed to examine the association of baseline lung function with long-term changes in cognition among the middle-aged and older adults. Read More

J Clin Anesth 2020 Jun 2;66:109920. Epub 2020 Jun 2.

Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Service of Neurology, Department of Internal Medicine, UANL School of Medicine and University Hospital, Monterrey, NL, Mexico. Electronic address:

Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 2020 May 26;251:129-135. Epub 2020 May 26.

Endocrine and Metabolic Unit, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, 5000 Australia; School of Medicine, University of Adelaide, 5000 Australia. Electronic address:

Objective: Corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG) binds and transports cortisol in the circulation in high cortisol-binding affinity (haCBG) and low affinity (laCBG) forms, the latter resulting from enzyme cleavage to target cortisol delivery at sites of inflammation. CBG also has substantial progesterone binding affinity, 3-fold less than cortisol. Progesterone and cortisol are important in the maintenance of pregnancy and in fetal development, respectively. Read More

Ann Oncol 2020 Jun 2. Epub 2020 Jun 2.

Department of Medical Oncology, Medical School, University of Ioannina, Greece; Society for Study of Clonal Heterogeneity of Neoplasia (EMEKEN), Ioannina, Greece.

Pharmacol Res 2020 Jun 2:104926. Epub 2020 Jun 2.

Laboratory of Cardiovascular Bioactive Molecule, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100083, China; Key Laboratory of Molecular Cardiovascular Science, Ministry of Education, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100083, China; Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100083, China. Electronic address:

Cardiac remodeling is accompanied by cardiac hypertrophy, fibrosis, dysfunction, and eventually leading to heart failure. Intermedin (IMD), as a paracrine/autocrine peptide, has a protective effect in cardiovascular diseases. In this study, we elucidated the role and the underlying mechanism of IMD in pathological remodeling. Read More

Chest 2020 Jun 2. Epub 2020 Jun 2.

AP-HP, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Immunology, F-75013, Paris, France; Centre national de références Maladies Autoimmunes systémiques rares et Centre national de références Maladies Autoinflammatoires et amylose inflammatoire; Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Université Paris 6, INSERM, UMR S 959, Immunology-Immunopathology- Immunotherapy (I3); F-75005, Paris, France. Electronic address:

Patients with autoimmune and/or inflammatory diseases (AID) are prone to serious infectious complications such as Pneumocystis Jirovecii pneumonia (PJP). In non-HIV patients, the prognosis is poorer and diagnosis tests are of lower sensitivity. Given the low incidence of PJP in AID, with the exception of granulomatosis with polyangiitis, and the non-negligible side effects of chemoprophylaxis, routine prescription of primary prophylaxis is still debated. Read More

Life Sci 2020 Jun 2:117893. Epub 2020 Jun 2.

Department of Respiratory Disease, Baoshan Branch, Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, China; Department of Respiratory Disease, Baoshan District Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai, China. Electronic address:

Aims: To investigate the effect and underlying mechanism of melittin and tripartite motif (TRIM) family in human embryonic lung fibroblast (HELF).

Materials And Methods: Lentiviral RNA interference vector and lentiviral overexpression vector were constructed and packaged by transfecting 293T cells; the proliferation of HELF was examined using Cell Counting Kit 8; Western blot and qRT-PCR were performed to examine protein and mRNA expression; the interaction with protein phosphatase magnesium-dependent 1A (PPM1A) was examined by Co-immunoprecipitation.

Key Findings: Compared with the control group, the mRNA expression of the TRIM6, TRIM8 and TRIM47 in the IPF group significantly increased. Read More

Int J Antimicrob Agents 2020 Jun 2:106043. Epub 2020 Jun 2.

Clinical Tuberculosis and Epidemiology Research Center, National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (NRITLD), Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address:

Novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pneumonia as a pandemic disease leads to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), acute cardiac injury, multi organ failure, and shock. In the absence of specific treatment for COVID-19, there is an urgent need to find the alternative treatments to manage this pandemic. Pathophysiological studies have demonstrated the role of inflammatory mediators in COVID-19 pneumonia. Read More

Cancer Lett 2020 Jun 2. Epub 2020 Jun 2.

Institute of Genetics and Biophysics "Adriano Buzzati-Traverso", National Research Council of Italy, Naples, Italy. Electronic address:

Giant cell tumor (GCT) is a bone-destructive benign neoplasm characterized by distinctive multinucleated osteoclast-like giant cells with osteolytic properties distributed among neoplastic stromal cells. GCT is locally aggressive with progressive invasion of adjacent tissues and occasionally displays malignant characteristics including lung metastasis. GCT is characterized genetically by highly recurrent somatic mutations at the G34 position of the H3F3A gene, encoding the histone variant H3. Read More

Clin Biochem 2020 Jun 2. Epub 2020 Jun 2.

Department of Rheumatology, the Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China. Electronic address:

Background: The goal of this study was to investigate the association between bactericidal permeability increasing (BPI)-antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) protein levels and primary Sjogren's syndrome (pSS) with lung involvement, as well as the potential diagnostic performance of BPI-ANCA.

Methods: The levels of BPI-ANCA in pSS patients with (n = 36) and without (n = 85) lung involvement were measured using a commercial ELISA kit. Serological biomarkers and cytokines were measured in these patients as well. Read More

Curr Biol 2020 Jun 2. Epub 2020 Jun 2.

Molecular Mechanisms Program, Centro de Investigación del Cáncer and Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)-University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain. Electronic address:

Active non-muscle myosin II (NMII) enables migratory cell polarization and controls dynamic cellular processes, such as focal adhesion formation and turnover and cell division. Filament assembly and force generation depend on NMII activation through the phosphorylation of Ser19 of the regulatory light chain (RLC). Here, we identify amino acid Tyr (Y) 155 of the RLC as a novel regulatory site that spatially controls NMII function. Read More

Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2020 Jun 5. Epub 2020 Jun 5.

Heart and Vascular Institute, Penn State College of Medicine, United States.

The role of the ASIC1a in evoking the exercise pressor reflex in rats with simulated peripheral artery disease is unknown. This prompted us to determine if ASIC1a plays a role in evoking the exaggerated exercise pressor reflex in decerebrated rats with simulated peripheral artery disease. To simulate peripheral artery disease, we ligated the left femoral artery 72h before the experiment. Read More

Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2020 Jun 5. Epub 2020 Jun 5.

Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh, United States.

Mitochondrial dysfunction occurs in most forms of heart failure. We have previously reported that TEAD1, the transcriptional effector of Hippo pathway, is critical for maintaining adult cardiomyocyte function and its deletion in adult heart results in lethal acute dilated cardiomyopathy. Growing lines of evidence indicate that Hippo pathway plays a role in regulating mitochondrial function, though its role in cardiomyocytes is unknown. Read More

Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2020 Jun 5. Epub 2020 Jun 5.

School of Health and Exercise Science, University of British Columbia, Canada.

Muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) exhibits well-described within-breath respiratory modulation, but the interactive contributions of the arterial baroreflex remain unclear. The present study assessed: 1) within-breath modulation of sympathetic baroreflex sensitivity (BRS), and 2) the effect of acute intermittent hypercapnic hypoxia (IHH) on within-breath sympathetic BRS and respiratory-sympathetic entrainment. Seventeen men (24±4 years) underwent an 8-10-minute spontaneously breathing baseline while collecting continuous measures of blood pressure (BP), heart rate, MSNA, ventilation, and end-tidal gases. Read More

Clin Respir J 2020 Jun 5. Epub 2020 Jun 5.

Department of Respiratory Medicine, Punan Hospital, Pudong New District, Shanghai, China.

Background: It is intractable to differentiate the malignancy from benignancy of cancer-suspected pulmonary nodules less than 8mm.

Methods: The patients with small pulmonary nodules less than 8mm which were suspected to be primary lung cancer underwent bronchoscopy and broncho-alveolar lavage. The level of VEGF, TGF-β, and HGF in BALF were assayed. Read More

Histopathology 2020 Jun 5. Epub 2020 Jun 5.

University of Padova, Medical School, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Vascular Sciences and Public Health, via N. Gustiniani, 2, 35128, Padova, Italy.

NUT carcinoma is a malignant epithelial tumour characterized by the presence of a translocation of the NUT gene (NUTM1, NUT family member 1). Primary pulmonary NUT carcinomas have been reported only in individual case reports or small case series. No pathognomonic morphological and immunohistochemical features have been described. Read More

PLoS One 2020 5;15(6):e0234363. Epub 2020 Jun 5.

Department of Medical Biochemistry and Hematology, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a complex and heterogeneous disease, with oxidative stress and inflammation implicated in its development. Uric acid (UA) could exert anti-oxidative, pro-oxidative or pro-inflammatory effects, depending on the specific context. It was recently shown that soluble UA, and not just its crystals, could activate the nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, leading to interleukin (IL)-1β secretion. Read More

Med Sci Monit 2020 Jun 5;26:e923210. Epub 2020 Jun 5.

Department of Radiotherapy, Cancer Center, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China (mainland).

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of tumor-derived exosomal RNA eIF4E (exo-eIF4E) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and its correlation with prognosis. MATERIAL AND METHODS The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data was exacted to investigate the role of tissue eIF4E in NSCLC. We enrolled 99 NSCLC patients and 40 healthy volunteers with corresponding serum samples in this study. Read More

Anesth Analg 2020 Jun 3. Epub 2020 Jun 3.

From the Departments of Anesthesiology.

The double-lumen tubes (DLTs) are the most widely used devices to provide perioperative lung isolation. Airway rupture is a rare but life-threatening complication of DLTs. The primary aim of this review was to collect all cases reported in the literature about airway rupture caused by DLTs and to describe the reported possible contributors, diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes of this complication. Read More

Transplantation 2020 Jun 2. Epub 2020 Jun 2.

Background: Primary graft dysfunction and allograft rejection represent major caveats to successful lung transplantation. Reducing inflammation in donor lungs prior to transplantation may improve outcomes. Evidence exists that ex-vivo lung perfusion (EVLP) can alter the donor lung environment, although the mechanisms remain unclear. Read More

J Occup Environ Med 2020 Jun;62(6):e267-e272

School of Medical Sciences Örebro, University, Örebro, Sweden (Mr Montén); Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden (Bryngelsson, Fornander, Mr Vihlborg); Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden (Wiebert).

Objective: Occupational quartz exposure is a health risk, with increased risk of developing lung, autoimmune diseases, and elevated mortality in cardiovascular diseases.

Methods: The population was obtained from the period 2005 to 2016 and consisted of 5237 cases of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Quartz exposure information was obtained through a Swedish job exposure matrix. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2020 Jun;99(23):e20667

Department of Surgery, Xuzhou Central Hospital, Xuzhou, China.

Rationale: Pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma (PSC) is an uncommon type of non-small cell lung cancer, exhibiting aggressive behavior and resistance to the conventional chemoradiotherapy. To date, the optimal treatment for PSC has not been elucidated.

Patient Concerns: Three male patients including a 69-year-old smoker (Case 1), a 45-year-old non-smoker (Case 2), and a 69-year-old smoker (Case 3) were admitted because of cough, back pain, and loss of body weight respectively. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2020 Jun;99(23):e20625

Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Introduction: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common high-burden and highly disabling lung disease. The quality of life and exercise endurance of patients with COPD is often low because of atrophy of the respiratory and skeletal muscles. Although recommended by the global initiative for chronic obstructive lung disease guidelines, pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) has not been used widely because of its inherent limitations. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2020 Jun;99(23):e20543

Department of Radiology, Kyung Hee University Hospital, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.

An axial-volume scan with adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction-V (ASIR-V) is newly developed. Our goal was to identify the influence of axial-volume scan and ASIR-V on accuracy of automated nodule volumetry.An "adult' chest phantom containing various nodules was scanned using both helical and axial-volume modes at different dose settings using 256-slice CT. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2020 Jun;99(23):e20510

School of Nursing, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University.

Epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) therapy is the primary treatment option for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, one of the major adverse effects associated with this therapy is skin toxicity, which impacts the patient's quality of life. This study aimed to describe the severities and locations of skin toxicity, and to analyze their association with the quality of life in patients with advanced NSCLC who received EGFR-TKI therapy as first-line treatment. Read More

Anesthesiology 2020 Jun 3. Epub 2020 Jun 3.

From the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine (E.M.E., A.Y.W., R.B.L.) Heart and Vascular Intensive Care Unit, Penn-Presbyterian Medical Center (C.R.F.), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Ophthalmic Plast Reconstr Surg 2020 Jun 4. Epub 2020 Jun 4.

Department of Cornea and External Disease, Disha Eye Hospitals, Kolkata, India.

Crizotinib, a targeted molecular therapy drug which inhibits tyrosine kinase, is approved for treatment of non-small cell lung carcinoma which has some ocular side effects like photopsia and delayed dark adaptation.This report documents a unique case of persistent conjunctival chemosis likely due to side effects of crizotinib therapy. A 64-year-old gentleman on crizotinib for metastatic adenocarcinoma of the lung presented with conjunctival chemosis in right eye which appeared 1 month after uneventful clear corneal phacoemulsification surgery. Read More

Radiographics 2020 Jun 5:190180. Epub 2020 Jun 5.

From the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, 510 S Kingshighway Blvd, Campus Box 8131, St. Louis, MO 63110.

Granulomas are pathologically defined as focal aggregations of activated macrophages, Langerhans cells, and lymphocytes. Granulomas form in the lungs when the immune system barricades the substances it perceives as foreign but is unable to remove. Granulomas manifest with numerous imaging appearances in thoracic radiology, and their presence is a nonspecific finding. Read More

Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2020 Jun 5. Epub 2020 Jun 5.

Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering and Computing University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, USA.

The pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a global threat to public health. Functional impairments in multiple organs have been reported in COVID-19 including lungs, heart, kidney, liver, brain and vascular system. Patients with metabolic-associated preconditions such as hypertension, obesity and diabetes are susceptible to experience severe symptoms. Read More

Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2020 Jun 5. Epub 2020 Jun 5.

Indiana University School of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care and Occupational Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States.

Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2020 Jun 5. Epub 2020 Jun 5.

National Jewish Health, 2930, Denver, Colorado, United States;

Rationale: A subpopulation of B cells (ABCs) is increased in mice and humans with infections or autoimmune diseases. Since depletion of these cells might be valuable in patients with certain lung diseases, the goal was to find out if ABC-like cells were at elevated levels in such patients.

Objectives: To measure ABC-like cell percentages in patients with lung granulomatous diseases. Read More

Future Oncol 2020 Jun 5. Epub 2020 Jun 5.

Bioinformatics of Department, Key laboratory of Cell Biology, Ministry of Public Health, & Key Laboratory of Medical Cell Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang 110122, PR China.

Understanding the cell types and cell compositions in tumor environment (TME) and the gene changes in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) may provide insights on immune profiles and treatment targets for LUAD patients. The RNA-Seq data from The Cancer Genome Atlas database were used to calculate the stromal scores and immune scores and analyzed the fractions of tumor infiltrating immune cells in LUAD samples with ESTIMATE and CIBERSORT algorithm. We extracted a list of TME-related differentially expressed genes and performed the functional enrichment analysis. Read More

J Am Geriatr Soc 2020 Jun 5. Epub 2020 Jun 5.

Department of Epidemiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA.

Background/objectives: Due to the high costs and excess mortality associated with multimorbidity, there is a need to develop approaches for delaying its progression. High blood pressure (BP) is a common chronic condition and a risk factor for many additional chronic conditions, making it an ideal target for intervention. The purpose of this analysis was to determine the association between the level of sustained BP control and the progression of multimorbidity. Read More

JAMA Pediatr 2020 Jun 5:e202422. Epub 2020 Jun 5.

Duke Clinical Research Institute, Durham, North Carolina.

Importance: Children of all ages appear susceptible to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection. To support pediatric clinical studies for investigational treatments of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), pediatric-specific dosing is required.

Objective: To define pediatric-specific dosing regimens for hydroxychloroquine and remdesivir for COVID-19 treatment. Read More

Glycobiology 2020 May 30. Epub 2020 May 30.

Division of Cell Signalling and Immunology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, DD1 5EH, United Kingdom.

Siglec-15 is a conserved sialic acid-binding Ig-like lectin expressed on osteoclast progenitors that plays an important role in osteoclast development and function. It is also expressed by tumor-associated macrophages and by some tumors, where it is thought to contribute to the immunosuppressive microenvironment. It was shown previously that engagement of macrophage-expressed Siglec-15 with tumor cells expressing its ligand, sialyl Tn (sTn), triggered production of TGF-β. Read More

Biosaf Health 2019 Dec 17;1(3):150-154. Epub 2019 Dec 17.

National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China.

Here, we report the identification of causing an unexplained disease cluster in Matthews Ridge, Guyana. In March 2019, 14 employees of Chongqing Bosai Mining Company, China, working in a manganese mining of Guyana, had unexplained fever, and two of them died. We obtained lung and brain tissues as well as the blood samples from the two deceased cases (patient No. Read More

Lancet Digit Health 2020 Jun 14;2(6):e323-e330. Epub 2020 May 14.

Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.

Background: The outbreak of COVID-19 has led to international concern. We aimed to establish an effective screening strategy in Shanghai, China, to aid early identification of patients with COVID-19.

Methods: We did a multicentre, observational cohort study in fever clinics of 25 hospitals in 16 districts of Shanghai. Read More

Math Comput Simul 2020 Nov 20;177:603-624. Epub 2020 May 20.

Department of Biomedical Science, Institute of Clinical Physiology, C.N.R., Rome 00185, Italy.

The airway/lung mechanics is usually represented with nonlinear 0-D models based on a pneumatic-electrical analogy. The aim of this work is to provide a detailed description of the human respiratory mechanics in healthy and diseased conditions. The model used for this purpose employs some known constitutive functions of the main components of the respiratory system. Read More

J Mol Liq 2020 Aug 28;312:113454. Epub 2020 May 28.

Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.

Respiratory viral infections such as coronavirus (COVID-19) will cause a great mortality, especially in people who underly lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary and asthma. Very recently, the COVID-19 outbreak has exposed the lack of quick approaches for screening people who may have risen risk of pathogen contact. One proposed non-invasive potential approach to recognize the viral infection is analysis of exhaled gases. Read More

J Cell Sci 2020 May 22;133(10). Epub 2020 May 22.

Molecular Cancer Research Group, Department of Medical Biology, University of Tromsø-The Arctic University of Norway, 9037 Tromsø, Norway

Autophagy and endocytosis are membrane-vesicle-based cellular pathways for degradation and recycling of intracellular and extracellular components, respectively. These pathways have a common endpoint at the lysosome, where their cargo is degraded. In addition, the two pathways intersect at different stages during vesicle formation, fusion and trafficking, and share parts of the molecular machinery. Read More

J Environ Manage 2020 May 31;270:110840. Epub 2020 May 31.

Department of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, 31270-010, Brazil; Post Graduation Program on Environmental Engineering, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Vitória, Brazil. Electronic address:

Air quality management involves investigating areas where pollutant concentrations are above guideline or standard values to minimize its effect on human health. Particulate matter (PM) is one of the most studied pollutants, and its relationship with health has been widely outlined. To guide the construction and improvement of air quality policies, the impact of PM on the four Brazilian southeast metropolitan areas was investigated. Read More

Appl Radiat Isot 2020 Aug 9;162:109173. Epub 2020 Apr 9.

Pedagogical and Technological University of Colombia, Tunja, Boyacá, Colombia. Electronic address:

In this work, the seasonal variation of the concentration of radon in soil and its contribution to concentrations inside of a bunker used for the storage and operation of radioactive material was studied. The measurements obtained inside and outside of the installation allowed establish a method for the calculation of the diffusion coefficient for the concrete, variable that directly influences the concentration of radon gas inside of the bunker. With the obtained results of the gamma dose rate and the concentration of radon inside the bunker, the S-index was calculated in order to determine whether the bunker would require some remediation process. Read More

Placenta 2020 May 29;97:1-5. Epub 2020 May 29.

Department of Medical Biochemistry, Firat University School of Medicine, Elazig, Turkey.

Although many pregnant women have been infected by coronavirus, the presence of intrauterine vertical transmission has not been conclusively reported yet. What prevents this highly contagious virus from reaching the fetus? Is it only the presence of a strong placental barrier, or is it the natural absence of the some receptor that the viruses use for transmission? We, therefore, need to comprehensively understand the mechanism of action of the mammalian epithelial barriers located in two different organs with functional similarity. The barriers selected as potential targets by SARS-CoV-2 are the alveolo-capillary barrier (ACB), and the syncytio-capillary barrier (SCB). Read More