Can digital self-harm relate to suicidal thoughts and behaviors beyond physical self-harm?

BACKGROUND: Digital self-harm (DiSH) is a recently identified self-harm distinct from physical self-harm (PSH, also known as non-suicidal self-injury, NSSI). Although prior research has shown that DiSH was associated with suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs), it was still unclear whether DiSH has a unique association with STBs after controlling for PSH. METHOD: A cross-sectional survey was conducted on Chinese college students. The lifetime prevalence of DiSH and PSH, the functions of DiSH, recent suicide experiences (including suicide ideation, plans, and attempts), anxiety and depression were examined. A total of 5281 participants were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 10.83% of participants had ever engaged in DiSH, and 1.59% of participants reported histories of both DiSH and PSH. Among participants with a history of PSH, 30.11% engaged in DiSH. Engagement in DiSH was significantly associated with suicide ideation (SI), suicide plans (SPs), and suicide attempts (SAs). More importantly, participants who engaged in both DiSH and PSH showed higher odds of SI and SPs compared to those who had only engaged in PSH. Regarding the functions of DiSH, using DiSH for self-punishment was associated with SI and SPs, and using DiSH for sensation seeking was associated with SPs and SAs. Similar results were found for the association between DiSH and anxiety and depression. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that DiSH has a unique association with the risks of STBs beyond PSH. Early identification and intervention for DiSH are crucial, even for individuals who already engage in PSH.

A highly conductive and robust micrometre-sized SiO anode enabled by an in situ grown CNT network with a safe petroleum ether carbon source.

SiO-based materials as lithium-ion anodes have attracted huge attention owing to their ultrahigh capacity. However, they usually undergo severe volume expansion over the repeated lithiation/delithiation processes and have low electronic conductivity, leading to an inferior cycling stability and poor rate capability. In this study, carbon nanotubes in situ grown on the surface of commercially available micro-sized SiO (D50 = 5 µm) were prepared. The conductive network composed of one-dimensional carbon nanotubes could enhance its conductivity and enhance the structural stability during the cycling. The synthesized 3D-SiO@C material demonstrates good long-term cycling stability, with a reversible capacity of up to 687.7 mA h g-1 after 1000 cycles, and it maintains a high reversible capacity of 736.8 mA h g-1, even at a high current density of 1 A g-1.

The changing pattern of pediatric burns in a territory burn center before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in China: A retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Pediatric burn patients are an essential part of burn populations. However, there is limited publicly available data on the epidemiological impact of COVID-19 on pediatric burns in China. OBJECTIVE: In this paper, pediatric burn patients admitted to the Department of Burn Surgery of the First Hospital of Jilin University before and during COVID-19 were retrospectively investigated to determine the impact of COVID-19 on pediatric burn inpatients. METHODS: The information of inpatients from July 2017 to December 2019 (pre-COVID-19 group) and from January 2020 to June 2022 (COVID-19 group) in the Department of Burn Surgery at the First Hospital of Jilin University was retrospectively investigated. Demographic information of patients, length of hospital stay, total body surface area (TBSA) of burn injury, post-injury visit time, comorbidity, surgical methods, etc., were statistically analyzed. RESULTS: The COVID-19 group included 154 (10.2%) patients, and the pre-COVID-19 group included 335 (19.4%) patients (P＜0.001). There were no differences in gender, age, length of hospital stay, or etiology of burns between the two groups. Compared to the pre-COVID-19 group, patients in the pre-COVID-19 group experienced a significant delay in presentation (P＜0.001), had a larger TBSA of burn wound (P ＜ 0.001), were more prone to sustaining major burns (P ＜ 0.001), a higher likelihood of undergoing operations (P = 0.03), higher cost (P＜0.001) and more complications (P＜0.001). Additionally, upper extremities were the most commonly part involved in both groups (P = 0.004), with the lower extremities showed a significant increase to be involved in burn injury during COVID-19 pandemic (P = 0.007). Furthermore, the majority of guardians did not take first aid measures in both groups following burn injury (P = 0.102). CONCLUSIONS: During the COVID-19 pandemic period, scalds remained the main reason for hospitalization. The number of hospitalized patients has decreased dramatically, while the severity of burns has significantly increased, with a notable delay in hospital visits and an increased occurrence of complications.

Efficacy and Safety of PL-5 (Peceleganan) Spray for Wound Infections: A Phase IIb Randomized Clinical Trial.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the safety and efficacy of antimicrobial peptide PL-5 (Peceleganan) spray in the treatment of wound infections. BACKGROUND: Antimicrobial peptide PL-5 spray is a novel topical antimicrobial agent. METHODS: We conducted a multicenter, open-label, randomized, controlled phase IIb clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of PL-5 spray, as compared with silver sulfadiazine, in patients with skin wound infections. The primary efficacy outcome was the clinical efficacy rate on the first day after ending the treatment (D8). The secondary efficacy outcome was the clinical efficacy rate on the fifth day posttreatment (D5), the bacteria clearance rate, and the overall efficacy rate at the mentioned 2 time points. The safety outcomes included adverse reactions and pharmacokinetic analysis posttreatment. RESULTS: A total of 220 patients from 27 hospitals in China were randomly assigned to 4 groups. On D8, the efficacy rate was 100.0%, 96.7%, 96.7% for the 1‰ PL-5, 2‰ PL-5, 4‰ PL-5 groups, respectively, as compared with 87.5% for the control group. The efficacy rate among the 4 groups was significantly different ( P <0.05). On D5, the efficacy rate was 100.0%, 93.4%, 98.3% for the 1‰ PL-5, 2‰ PL-5, 4‰ PL-5 groups, respectively, as compared with 82.5% for the control group. The efficacy rate among the 4 groups was significantly different ( P <0.05). The blood concentration of PL-5 was not detectable in pharmacokinetic analysis. No severe adverse event related to the application of PL-5 was reported. CONCLUSIONS: Antimicrobial peptide PL-5 spray is safe and effective for the treatment of skin wound infections. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ChiCTR2000033334.

Number of COVID-19 cases required in a population to detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater in the province of Alberta, Canada: Sensitivity assessment.

With a unique and large size of testing results of 1,842 samples collected from 12 wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) for 14 months through from low to high prevalence of COVID-19, the sensitivity of RT-qPCR detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater that correspond to the communities was computed by using Probit analysis. This study determined the number of new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population required to detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater at defined probabilities and provided an evidence-based framework of wastewater-based epidemiology surveillance (WBE). Input data were positive and negative test results of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater samples and the corresponding new COVID-19 case rates per 100,000 population served by each WWTP. The analyses determined that RT-qPCR-based SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection threshold at 50%, 80% and 99% probability required a median of 8 (range: 4-19), 18 (9-43), and 38 (17-97) of new COVID-19 cases /100,000, respectively. Namely, the positive detection rate at 50%, 80% and 99% probability were 0.01%, 0.02%, and 0.04% averagely for new cases in the population. This study improves understanding of the performance of WBE SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection using the large datasets and prolonged study period. Estimated COVID-19 burden at a community level that would result in a positive detection of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater is critical to support WBE application as a supplementary warning/monitoring system for COVID-19 prevention and control.

Negative pressure wound therapy with instillation and dwell time in the wound management of necrotizing fasciitis.

OBJECTIVE: Recent literature has shown that negative pressure wound therapy with instillation and dwell time (NPWTi-d) is a valid method of managing complex wounds and gained increasingly wider interest due in part to the increasing complexity of wounds. The purpose of this case study was to obtain information on the profile of NPWTi-d in necrotizing fasciitis patients, investigate the role it play in wound bed preparation, length of hospital stay and number of debridement operations. METHODS: NPWTi-d has been used in patients with necrotizing fasciitis with either normal saline or Prontosan® solution and complete the treatment were involved in the present study. Following aggressive surgical debridement, NPWTi-d was initiated by instilling solution with a set dwell time of 5-10 min, followed by continuous NPWT of -125 mm Hg for 3-5 h. The system was changed on a 3-5 days schedule until sufficient granulation tissue was evident. Patients received systemic antibiotics and underwent wound debridement as indicated. Data of wound bed preparation, length of hospital stay, duration of NPWTi-d therapy, number of surgical interventions were collected retrospectively from patient medical records. RESULTS: A total of 32 patients with diagnosis of necrotizing fasciitis received NPWTi-d were included. Granulation tissue was found to be sufficient in 9-16 days. The mean duration of NPWTi-d therapy was 12.5 days prior to wound closure by split-thickness autograft (n = 21), suture (n = 9), or flap transplantation (n = 2).Patients received NPWTi-d treatment over a period of 8-16 days. The mean length of hospitalization was 22.8 days. All wounds were successfully closed and no recurrence of infection or adverse event was observed during NPWTi-d treatment. CONCLUSION: In these patients, NPWTi-d facilitates wound cleansing and wound bed preparation and offers the clinician an additional tool for the management of necrotizing fasciitis. Further well designed prospective investigations with low risk of bias are needed to confirm these findings in the future work.

A randomized trial of a distraction-type intervention to assist in managing dressing changes for children experienced burns.

AIM: To evaluate the impact of the specially designed medical dressing screen during wound dressing changes for children aged 1-3 who experienced a burn on their hand or foot. DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial. METHODS: The study was performed, between January 2019 - April 2019, at a Burn Outpatient Ward. A total of 52 outpatient children who had suffered burns were included in the clinical trial. The burn area of these participants accounted for 1-5% of the total body surface area. The children were randomly divided into two equal-sized groups, each receiving a different treatment. In the medical screen group (N = 26), a medical screen was used for children during the dressing changes. In the control group (N = 26), the children received only regular dressing changes. Pain level of the children during dressing change was the primary outcome, the satisfaction of children's parents and wound therapist were used as second outcomes. The Bonferroni method was used to perform pairwise comparisons of repeatedly measured data at different measurement times in two groups. RESULTS: The results showed that the medical screen group had better outcomes with respect to pain management during dressing changes; in addition, the satisfaction score of the wound therapist and children's parents presented also better outcomes compared with the control group. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated application of the medical screen for burns can relieve the pain of 1 - 3-year old children experienced a burn during dressing changes. In addition, the application of the medical screen also increased the satisfaction of the child's parents and wound therapist. Registration NO: 1,900,020,953. IMPACT: Compared with conventional dressing methods, the medical screen can be used as a novel way to decrease the negative experience of burn patients ages 1-3 who require dressing changes.

Deep frostbite: Clinical characteristics and outcomes in northeastern China.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes in patients with severe frostbite in a single institution in northeastern China. METHODS: The clinical records of patients with severe frostbite of the extremities who were hospitalized at the authors' institution between January 2009 and April 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. Demographic data, predisposing factors, clinical presentation, duration of signs and symptoms, number of surgical interventions, and length of hospital stay were extracted and analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 156 consecutive inpatients were treated for severe frostbite with the mean age was 43.7 ± 14.15 years. Hands were the most common site involved (38.5%). The most prevalent predisposing factor for frostbite included alcohol abuse (41.67%), smoking habits (37.18%) and psychiatric illness (14.11%). Mean duration of signs and symptoms was 3.6 days. Most of patients (37.8%) sustained frostbite injury in January. All patients survived, and the mean length of hospital stay was 45.6 days (range, 29-62). Amputations of limbs were performed in 40.4% of patients. CONCLUSION: The incidence of deep frostbite in Jilin province correlates with the environmental temperature and is often associated with alcohol abuse, smoking and other psychosocial factors. Delayed presentation would increase the risk of amputation. These findings should guide clinical decisions about the treatment of individual patients with deep frostbite.

CRISPR/cas9 mediated knockout of an intergenic variant rs6927172 identified IL-20RA as a new risk gene for multiple autoimmune diseases.

Genetic variants near the tumor necrosis factor-α-induced protein 3 gene (TNFAIP3) at the chromosomal region 6q23 demonstrated significant associations with multiple autoimmune diseases. The signals of associations have been explained to the TNFAIP3 gene, the most likely causal gene. In this study, we employed CRISPR/cas9 genome-editing tool to generate cell lines with deletions including a candidate causal variant, rs6927172, at 140 kb upstream of the TNFAIP3 gene. Interestingly, we observed alterations of multiple genes including IL-20RA encoding a subunit of the receptor for interleukin 20. Using Electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA), Western blotting, and chromatin conformation capture we characterized the molecular mechanism that the DNA element carrying the variant rs6927172 influences expression of IL-20RA and TNFAIP3 genes. Additionally, we developed a new use of the transcription activator-like effector (TALE) to study the role of the variant in regulating expressions of its target genes. In summary, we generated deletion knockouts that included the candidate causal variant rs6927172 in HEK293T cells provided new evidence and mechanism for IL-20RA gene as a risk factor for multiple autoimmune diseases.

A retrospective analysis of recurrent pressure ulcer in a burn center in Northeast China.

AIM: A retrospective analysis for the pressure ulcer in our burns center in northeast China was taken in order to find the prognostic factors for ulcer recurrence. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We collected the clinical data of hospitalized patients with pressure ulcer ranging from September 2013 to September 2018 involving initial hospitalized data, follow up visit data and recurrent hospitalized data, further univariable and multivariable Cox regression analysis were taken for searching the prognostic factors of recurrent ulcer. RESULTS: The recurrent rate was 8.02%, and in the result of univariable and multivariable Cox regression analysis, blood albumin level on admission below 25 g/dl contributed to the strongest predicting factor for recurrence, with HR = 32.745(95%CI = 8.061-133.022, P < 0.001). Multiple ulcers showed the second significant importance for predicting recurrence, with HR = 24.226(95%CI = 3.855-152.231, P = 0.001 < 0.05). Single caregiver contributed to the third prognostic factor, with HR = 0.016(95%CI = 0.004-0.076, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: In a conclusion, multiple ulcers, blood albumin level below 25 g/dl on admission and single caregiver were the three prognostic factors for recurrent pressure ulcer and the shortages of medical care out of hospital in northeast China need more attention urgently. Flap treatment may not be a protective factor for ulcer recurrence, but considered the advantages on the closure of deep wounds, it was still an effective treatment for pressure ulcer nowadays.

Retrospective Review of Free Anterolateral Thigh Flaps for Limb Salvage in Severely Injured High-Voltage Electrical Burn Patients.

BACKGROUND: High-voltage electrical injuries usually cause extensive and devastating damages to the extremities. Timely and effective coverage of the wounds to maximally preserve the viable tissue is important for salvage and the ultimate functional outcome of the involved extremities. In this study, free anterolateral thigh flaps with a single-perforator pedicle were conducted to maximize tissue salvage and decrease late skeletal and neuromuscular complications of the involved extremities injured by high-voltage electricity. METHODS: From June 2012 to December 2015, 12 patients with high-voltage electrical injuries on the extremities were recruited. After primary or secondary debridement, free anterolateral thigh flaps with a single-perforator pedicle were used for limb salvage. Patients' clinical records, including etiology, sex, age, perforator type, defect location, duration before admission, defect and flap size, timing of reconstruction, and complications, were extracted and analyzed. RESULTS: All patients were followed up ranging from 10 to 25 months, with an average follow-up of 15.9 months. Free anterolateral thigh flap with a single-perforator pedicle was performed for 12 consecutive patients with high-voltage electrical injuries. The mean time taken before the transplantation of the flap was 5.25 days, with a range from 2 to 8 days. The average size of the resultant defects after debridement was 187.0 cm (84-350 cm), the average size of the flaps was 265.3 cm (119-448 cm), and the average time of the surgical operation was 314.6 minutes (260-355 minutes). All flaps healed uneventfully without associated complications. No weakness of the donor thigh was observed in all cases. CONCLUSIONS: Free anterolateral thigh flaps with a single-perforator pedicle were an effective and reliable therapeutic intervention for the management of severe high-voltage electrical injuries on the extremities.

Necrotizing soft tissue infection: clinical characteristics and outcomes at a reconstructive center in Jilin Province.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes in necrotizing fasciitis (NF) patients in a reconstructive unit in northeastern China. METHODS: Medical records of patients diagnosed with and treated for NF in the extremities from November 2013 to December 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. Demographic data, clinical presentation, duration of signs and symptoms, location of infection, predisposing factors, causative microbiological organisms, laboratory risk indicator for necrotizing fasciitis (LRINEC) score, number of surgical debridements, length of hospital stay, treatments, and outcomes were recorded. RESULTS: A total of 39 consecutive patients were treated for severe NF (32 male and 7 female). Diabetes mellitus and blunt trauma were the most common risk factors (13 and 9 cases, respectively). The positive predictive value of the LRINEC score in NF diagnosis was 46.2%. Mean duration of signs and symptoms was 4.6 days. Staphylococcus aureus was the most commonly isolated bacteria (20 cases). All patients underwent their first debridement within 12 h of presentation (mean, 4.6 h). Mean number of surgical treatments was 2.8 (range, 2-5) per patient, including debridements. All patients survived, and mean length of hospital stay was 30.81 (range, 21-43) days. Three patients underwent limb amputation. CONCLUSIONS: In our clinical experience, early detection and aggressive debridement are the cornerstones of NF treatment. Antibiotic therapy and intensive care support is essential in severe cases of NF. Anaerobic tissue culture and frozen section biopsy could be adopted as routine tests for diagnosis and decision-making in NF. These findings should inform clinical decisions about the treatment of individual patients with NF.

Couple-kissing flaps for successful repair of severe sacral pressure ulcers in frail elderly patients.

BACKGROUND: Surgical repair of severe pressure ulcers (PUs) in elderly patients remains a challenge for clinicians due to the complicated comorbidities and the special physical characteristics of elderly patients. The objective of this study was to evaluate the application of couple-kissing flaps (CKF) in the reconstruction of sacral PUs in these patients. METHODS: Elderly patients (over 70 years) with stage 3 or stage 4 PUs who underwent CKF immediately after radical debridement between July 2012 and December 2015 were enrolled in this retrospective study. Patients' demographics were extracted from the medical records. RESULTS: A total of 12 patients were involved in this study. The average age of the patients was 76.83 years (ranged from 71 to 92 years). The donor site was closed primarily in all cases. All the flaps healed uneventfully without complications. Follow-up observations were conducted for an average of 13.6 months (ranged from 9 months to 2 years). Cosmetic results were satisfactory, with no surgical site breakdown or recurrence of PU in any of the cases. Three representative cases are presented. CONCLUSIONS: The CKF is a reliable and satisfactory option for the reconstruction of severe sacral PUs defects in elderly patients. CKF is associated with an relatively low rate of complications and recurrence.

MiR-1908 promotes scar formation post-burn wound healing by suppressing Ski-mediated inflammation and fibroblast proliferation.

The cell biological basis for scar formation is mainly via excessive fibroblast proliferation accompanied by hypernomic Col I accumulation and inflammation. The role of miR-1908 in scar formation has not been investigated. In this study, we found that miR-1908 expression was inversely associated with the scar suppressor Ski in normal, burn-wounded, healing and scar dermal tissues in humans. Bioinformatics and luciferase reporter gene assays confirmed that miR-1908 targeted the 3'UTR region of Ski mRNA and suppressed Ski expression. Next, human scar epidermal fibroblasts were isolated and the miR-1908 oligonucleotide mimic and inhibitor were respectively transfected into the cells. Western blot analysis proved that Ski expression was sharply reduced by the miR-1908 mimic. MTT and Cell Counting Kit-8 analyses showed that miR-1908 mimic transfection promoted cell proliferation. Simultaneously, data on real-time qPCR analysis indicated that expression of the fibrotic master gene TGF-ß1, Ski-suppressing gene Meox2, Col I and proinflammatory markers IL-1α and TNF-α, were all significantly upregulated. In contrast, the miR-1908 inhibitor had a completely opposite effect on cell proliferation and gene expression. The mimic and inhibitor were locally injected into rats with abdominal burn-wounded scars during a 180-day, post-healing experiment. The miR-1908 mimic injection significantly reduced Ski expression, as well as the area, volume and fibrosis of scars in vivo. And, in contrast, the miR-1908 inhibitor injection had an opposite effect to that of the miR-1908 mimic injection. In conclusion, miR-1908 had a positive role in scar formation by suppressing Ski-mediated inflammation and fibroblast proliferation in vitro and in vivo.

Rotational repair of pressure ulcer using double-perforators based flaps: A report of 11 cases.

National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (NPUAP) stage 3 and 4 pressure ulcers typically require surgical repair with perforator-based flaps and fasciocutaneous flaps. We designed advancement/rotation flaps based on two different perforators originating from two different mother vessels that covered large pressure ulcers without the need for additional skin grafts for donor sites. In this paper, we describe the surgical technique on the use of the advancement/rotation flaps and report the preliminary results of surgical management of 11 cases of pressure ulcers using advancement/rotation flaps. Six cases received advancement/rotation flaps based on bilateral superior gluteal artery perforators, and two cases received the first advancement/rotation flap based on the profunda femoris and the second flap based on the superior gluteal artery perforator. Surgery was successful in all cases and all flaps were viable. The patients were followed up for a median duration of 12 (rang 6 to 24) months and no recurrence was reported. In conclusion, the advancement/rotation flaps based on two different perforators are feasible and safe for large pressure ulcers and offer an effective alternative surgical technique for repair of large wound beds.

Pedicled full-thickness abdominal flap combined with skin grafting for the reconstruction of anterior chest wall defect following major electrical burn.

Successful reconstruction of extensive anterior chest wall defect following major electrical burn represents a very challenging surgery. Herein we report the first case using pedicled full-thickness abdominal flap combined with skin grafting to treat this injury with severe infection and exposure of pericardium and ribs in a Chinese patient. Following the performance of chest debridement to remove necrotic and infected tissues and the injection of broad-spectrum antibiotics to reduce infection, a pedicled full-thickness abdominal flap was used to cover the exposed pericardium and ribs, and skin grafting from the right leg of the patient was done to cover the exposed vital tissues. The patient was followed up for a total of 3·5 years, and satisfactory cosmetic and functional outcomes were obtained without complications. This report provides an effective method for the surgeons who encounter similar cases where reconstruction of extensive anterior chest wall is required.

Assessment between antiseptic and normal saline for negative pressure wound therapy with instillation and dwell time in diabetic foot infections.

Negative pressure wound therapy with instillation and dwell time (NPWTi-d) is increasingly used for a diverse range of wounds. Meanwhile, the topical wound irrigation solution consisting of polyhexamethylene biguanide and betaine (PHMB-B) has shown efficacy in managing wound infections. However, the effectiveness of this solution as a topical instillation solution for NPWTi-d in patients with diabetic foot infections (DFIs) has not been thoroughly studied. The objective of this retrospective study was to evaluate the impact of using PHMB-B as the instillation solution during NPWTi-d on reducing bioburden and improving clinical outcomes in patients with DFIs. Between January 2017 and December 2022, a series of patients with DFIs received treatment with NPWTi-d, using either PHMB-B or normal saline as the instillation solution. Data collected retrospectively included demographic information, baseline wound characteristics, and treatment outcomes. The study included 61 patients in the PHMB-B group and 73 patients in the normal saline group, all diagnosed with DFIs. In comparison to patients treated with normal saline, patients with PHMB-B exhibited no significant differences in terms of wound bed preparation time (P = 0.5034), length of hospital stay (P = 0.6783), NPWTi-d application times (P = 0.1458), duration of systematic antimicrobial administration (P = 0.3567), or overall cost of hospitalization (P = 0.6713). The findings of the study suggest that the use of either PHMB-B or normal saline as an instillation solution in NPWTi-d for DFIs shows promise and effectiveness, yet no clinical distinction was observed between the two solutions.

Evaluation of a Reverse Transcription-Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR)-Based Microneutralization Assay for Assessing Clinical Human Cytomegalovirus-Neutralizing Antibody Activity.

Development of a vaccine for human cytomegalovirus (hCMV) is critical because of the severe consequences of infection in congenitally infected newborns and immunocompromised patients. The assessment of hCMV-neutralizing antibody activity is crucial for vaccine development. This study evaluated a RT-qPCR assay targeting the immediate-early gene transcript of hCMV for determining microneutralizing antibody activity. The assay was evaluated for sensitivity, specificity, and precision using endotheliotropic clinical isolate VR1814 that infects fibroblasts, epithelial, and endothelial cells. The RT-qPCR-based neutralization assay was compared with an immunostaining-based neutralization assay using virions present in hCMV-positive urine, saliva, and breast-milk samples. Our results showed that hCMV replication was detectable at 20 h post-infection with a limit of detection of 1 infectious units (IU)/reaction. The RT-qPCR assay had a dynamic range of 1 to 1.0 × 104 IU/reaction, with coefficients of variation ranging from 0.94% to 15.08%. The RT-qPCR results were in high agreement with the immunostaining assay for hCMV-antibody neutralization assessment. Overall, the RT-qPCR neutralization assay is a reliable, rapid, efficient, and sensitive alternative method for evaluating hCMV-neutralizing activity in vitro.

A ferroptosis-related LncRNAs signature for predicting prognoses and screening potential therapeutic drugs in patients with lung adenocarcinoma: A retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) has a high mortality rate. Ferroptosis is linked to tumor initiation and progression. AIMS: This study aims to develop prognostic models of ferroptosis-related lncRNAs, evaluate the correlation between differentially expressed genes and tumor microenvironment, and identify prospective drugs for managing LUAD. METHODS AND RESULTS: In this study, transcriptomic and clinical data were downloaded from the TCGA database, and ferroptosis-related genes were obtained from the FerrDb database. Through correlation analysis, Cox analysis, and the LASSO algorithm for constructing a prognostic model, we found that ferroptosis-related lncRNA-based gene signatures (FLncSig) had a strong prognostic predicting ability in the LUAD patients. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichments reconfirmed that ferroptosis is related to receptor-ligand activity, enzyme inhibitor activity, and the IL-17 signaling pathway. Next, tumor mutation burden (TMB), tumor immune dysfunction and exclusion (TIDE) algorithms, and pRRophetic were used to predict immunotherapy response and chemotherapy sensitivity. The IMvigor210 cohort was also used to validate the prognostic model. In the tumor microenvironment, Type_II_IFN_Response and HLA were found to be a group of low-risk pathways, while MHC_class_I was a group of high-risk pathways. Patients in the high-risk subgroup had lower TIDE scores. Exclusion, MDSC, CAF, and TAMM2 were significantly and positively correlated with risk scores. In addition, we found 15 potential therapeutic drugs for LUAD. Finally, differential analysis of stemness index based on mRNA expression (mRNAsi) indicated that mRNAsi was correlated with gender, primary tumor (T), distant metastasis (M), and the tumor, node, and metastasis (TNM) stage in LUAD patients. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, the prognostic model based on FLncSig can alleviate the difficulty in predicting the prognosis and immunotherapy of LUAD patients. The identified FLncSig and the screened drugs exhibit potential for clinical application and provide references for the treatment of LUAD.

Spermidine-Functionalized Injectable Hydrogel Reduces Inflammation and Enhances Healing of Acute and Diabetic Wounds In Situ.

The inflammatory response is a key factor affecting tissue regeneration. Inspired by the immunomodulatory role of spermidine, an injectable double network hydrogel functionalized with spermidine (DN-SPD) is developed, where the first and second networks are formed by dynamic imine bonds and non-dynamic photo-crosslinked bonds respectively. The single network hydrogel before photo-crosslinking exhibits excellent injectability and thus can be printed and photo-crosslinked in situ to form double network hydrogels. DN-SPD hydrogel has demonstrated desirable mechanical properties and tissue adhesion. More importantly, an "operando" comparison of hydrogels loaded with spermidine or diethylenetriamine (DETA), a sham molecule resembling spermidine, has shown similar physical properties, but quite different biological functions. Specifically, the outcomes of 3 sets of in vivo animal experiments demonstrate that DN-SPD hydrogel can not only reduce inflammation caused by implanted exogenous biomaterials and reactive oxygen species but also promote the polarization of macrophages toward regenerative M2 phenotype, in comparison with DN-DETA hydrogel. Moreover, the immunoregulation by spermidine can also translate into faster and more natural healing of both acute wounds and diabetic wounds. Hence, the local administration of spermidine affords a simple but elegant approach to attenuate foreign body reactions induced by exogenous biomaterials to treat chronic refractory wounds.