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Membraneless organelles involved in RNA processing are biomolecular condensates assembled by phase separation. Despite the important role of intrinsically disordered protein regions (IDRs), the specific interactions underlying IDR phase separation and its functional consequences remain elusive. To address these questions, we used minimal condensates formed from the C-terminal disordered regions of two interacting translational regulators, FMRP and CAPRIN1. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of FMRP-CAPRIN1 condensates revealed interactions involving arginine-rich and aromaticrich regions. We found that different FMRP serine/threonine and CAPRIN1 tyrosine phosphorylation patterns control phase separation propensity with RNA, including subcompartmentalization, and tune deadenylation and translation rates in vitro. The resulting evidence for residue-specific interactions underlying co–phase separation, phosphorylation-modulated condensate architecture, and enzymatic activity within condensates has implications for how the integration of signaling pathways controls RNA processing and translation.

Background Excessive smartphone use has been associated with numerous psychiatric disorders. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of smartphone addiction and its association with depression, anxiety, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in a large sample of Korean adolescents. Methods A total of 4512 (2034 males and 2478 females) middle- and high-school students in South Korea were included in this study. Subjects were asked to complete a self-reported questionnaire, including measures of the Korean Smartphone Addiction Scale (SAS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and Conners-Wells’ Adolescent Self-Report Scale (CASS). Smartphone addiction and non-addiction groups were defined using SAS score of 42 as a cut-off. The data were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression analyses. Results 338 subjects (7.5%) were categorized to the addiction group. Total SAS score was positively correlated with total CASS score, BDI score, BAI score, female sex, smoking, and alcohol use. Using multivariate logistic regression analyses, the odds ratio of ADHD group compared to the non-ADHD group for smartphone addiction was 6.43, the highest among all variables (95% CI 4.60–9.00). Conclusions Our findings indicate that ADHD may be a significant risk factor for developing smartphone addiction. The neurobiological substrates subserving smartphone addiction may provide insights on to both shared and discrete mechanisms with other brain-based disorders.

Chitinase-3-like protein 1 (CHI3L1) is a secreted glycoprotein that mediates inflammation, macrophage polarization, apoptosis, and carcinogenesis. The expression of CHI3L1 is strongly upregulated by various inflammatory and immunological diseases, including several cancers, Alzheimer’s disease, and atherosclerosis. Several studies have shown that CHI3L1 can be considered as a marker of disease diagnosis, prognosis, disease activity, and severity. In addition, the proinflammatory action of CHI3L1 may be mediated via responses to various proinflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, and interferon-γ. Therefore, CHI3L1 may contribute to a vast array of inflammatory diseases. However, its pathophysiological and pharmacological roles in the development of inflammatory diseases remain unclear. In this article, we review recent findings regarding the roles of CHI3L1 in the development of inflammatory diseases and suggest therapeutic approaches that target CHI3L1. Protein CHI3L1: a potential game-changer in inflammatory disease treatment Chitinase-3-like protein 1 (CHI3L1) is a secreted glycoprotein with diverse roles in inflammation, macrophage polarization, apoptosis, and carcinogenesis. Pro-inflammatory effects of CHI3L1 are attributed to its response to various pro-inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, and interferon-γ. Consequently, CHI3L1 is implicated in a wide range of inflammatory diseases. This review summarizes the significance of CHI3L1 as a potential target in multiple inflammatory diseases and cancer by analyzing data from platforms like Open Targets and other data-analysis tools. Furthermore, we have utilized platforms like STRING to identify potential target proteins for CHI3L1 in various inflammatory diseases and cancer. In this article, we provide a comprehensive review of recent findings regarding the involvement of CHI3L1 in the development of inflammatory diseases and cancer. Finally, we propose therapeutic approaches targeting CHI3L1 for treatment of these diseases. This summary was initially drafted using artificial intelligence, then revised and fact-checked by the author.

Introduction Sham acupuncture was developed to be used as an inert control intervention in clinical trials of acupuncture. However, controversies exist regarding the validity of sham acupuncture. In this systematic review (SR) of acupuncture trials, we assessed whether serum biomarkers showed significant differences after sham and verum acupuncture treatments. Methods Any acupuncture clinical trials that evaluated serum biomarker changes between sham acupuncture and verum acupuncture were included in this review. Relevant literature was searched in the PubMed database, EMBASE, and The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) database from inception until June 2021. The Cochrane risk of bias was assessed. Summary effect estimates for each biomarker between groups were calculated with a random effect model. Results From 51 sham acupuncture trials, we found that there were no significant differences in most of the 36 serum biomarkers after sham acupuncture and verum acupuncture needling. Only VEGF, IG-E, TNF-a, NGF, GABA, NPY and VIP serum levels were identified as being different between the groups. The overall risk of bias of the included studies and the limited numbers of studies for meta-analysis do not strongly support the results of this SR. Conclusion Sham acupuncture techniques might have similar effects on biomarkers as the so-called ‘real acupuncture’ techniques, which indicates that sham acupuncture, as an inert intervention similar to a placebo drug, needs to be reconsidered. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42021260889

Long coronavirus disease (COVID) poses a significant burden following the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Debate persists regarding the impact of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) administration during acute-phase COVID-19 on the development of long COVID. Hence, this study aimed to assess the potential association between NSAID use and long COVID using data from patients with COVID-19 in Korea's National Health Insurance Service. This nested case-control study defined the study cohort as patients diagnosed with COVID-19 for the first time between 2020 and 2021. The primary exposure investigated was NSAID prescriptions within 14 days of the initial COVID-19 diagnosis. We used propensity score matching to create three control patients matched to each patient in the NSAID exposure group. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated after the adjustment for demographics, Charlson Comorbidity Index, and existing comorbidities. Among the 225,458 patients diagnosed with COVID-19, we analyzed data from 254 with long COVID. The adjusted OR (aOR) for NSAID exposure during acute-phase COVID-19 was higher in long COVID cases versus controls (aOR, 1.79; 95% CI, 1.00-3.19), suggesting a potential relationship. However, a sensitivity analysis revealed that the increased odds of NSAID exposure in the acute phase became statistically non-significant (aOR, 1.64; 95% CI, 0.90-2.99) when COVID-19 self-quarantine duration was included as a covariate. Additionally, acetaminophen exposure was not significantly associated (aOR, 1.12; 95% CI, 0.75-1.68), while antiviral drugs demonstrated a stronger association (aOR, 3.75; 95% CI, 1.66-8.48). Although this study suggests a possible link between NSAID use in the acute COVID-19 infection stage and a higher risk of long COVID as well as both NSAID and acetaminophen use during the chronic COVID-19 period and a lower risk of long COVID, the association was not statistically significant. Further research is needed to determine the causal relationship between the various treatment options for acute COVID-19 and the development of long COVID.

Prolonged symptoms after the clearance of acute coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection, termed long COVID, are an emerging threat to the post-COVID-19 era. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) interventions may play a significant role in the management of long COVID. The present study aimed to identify published studies on the use of CAM interventions for long COVID and provide an overview of the research status using bibliometric analysis. The present scoping review searched MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Library from inception until November 2021 and identified published studies on CAM interventions for long COVID. A narrative analysis of the study types and effectiveness and safety of the CAM interventions are presented and a bibliometric analysis of citation information and references of the included publications were analyzed using the Bibliometrix package for R. An electronic database search identified 16 publications (2 clinical studies and 14 study protocols of systematic reviews or clinical studies) that were included in the present study. Dyspnea or pulmonary dysfunction, quality of life, olfactory dysfunction, and psychological symptoms after COVID-19 infection were assessed in the included publications. The two clinical studies suggested that Chinese herbal medications were effective in relieving symptoms of pulmonary dysfunction. Bibliometric analysis revealed the current trend of research publication in this area was driven by study protocols written by Chinese, Korean, and Indian authors. Thus, the present scoping review and bibliometric analysis revealed that there are few studies published about the use of CAM for long COVID and long-term management for COVID-19 survivors. Original studies on CAM interventions, including randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews, are required to actively support evidence for their use in the management of long COVID. PROSPERO registration: this trial is registered with CRD42021281526.

The most common symptom reported by patients after recovery from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is fatigue. However, robust clinical evidence supporting the effectiveness of treatments and interventions for fatigue in COVID-19 survivors is lacking. This pilot clinical trial aims to assess the safety and efficacy of Kyungok-go, a herbal preparation targeting fatigue, in patients after recovering from COVID-19. The study will include 100 participants with persistent fatigue for more than 12 weeks after COVID-19 recovery. They will be randomly allocated into two groups: the Kyungok-go group (n =  50) and the placebo group (n =  50). Kyungok-go or placebo will be administered twice daily for 12 weeks, and the participants will be assessed at 4-week intervals. The primary outcome will be the change in the Fatigue Severity Scale score. Secondary outcomes will include cognitive function, physical function, quality of life, depression, sleep quality, medication adherence, and feasibility. This study is the first attempt to investigate the safety and efficacy of Kyungok-go for relieving fatigue related to long COVID. The results are expected to contribute to the establishment of a knowledge base and reveal the potential of herbal medicine prescriptions for managing and recovering from the most common sequelae of COVID-19. Trial registration number: KCT0008789 .

The safety of bee venom as a therapeutic compound has been extensively studied, resulting in the identification of potential adverse events, which range from trivial skin reactions that usually resolve over several days to life-threating severe immunological responses such as anaphylaxis. In this systematic review, we provide a summary of the types and prevalence of adverse events associated with bee venom therapy. We searched the literature using 12 databases from their inception to June 2014, without language restrictions. We included all types of clinical studies in which bee venom was used as a key intervention and adverse events that may have been causally related to bee venom therapy were reported. A total of 145 studies, including 20 randomized controlled trials, 79 audits and cohort studies, 33 single-case studies, and 13 case series, were evaluated in this review. The median frequency of patients who experienced adverse events related to venom immunotherapy was 28.87% (interquartile range, 14.57-39.74) in the audit studies. Compared with normal saline injection, bee venom acupuncture showed a 261% increased relative risk for the occurrence of adverse events (relative risk, 3.61; 95% confidence interval, 2.10 to 6.20) in the randomized controlled trials, which might be overestimated or underestimated owing to the poor reporting quality of the included studies. Adverse events related to bee venom therapy are frequent; therefore, practitioners of bee venom therapy should be cautious when applying it in daily clinical practice, and the practitioner's education and qualifications regarding the use of bee venom therapy should be ensured.