Effect of Epidermoid Cysts on the Efficacy of Intralesional Corticosteroid Therapy for Hypertrophic Scars and Keloids: A Prospective Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND: Patients with hypertrophic scars (HSs) or keloids occasionally have epidermoid cysts (ECs), and the effect of ECs on the effectiveness of intralesional corticosteroids (ILCs) treatment in these patients has not been reported. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate the influence of ECs on the outcomes of ILCs treatment in patients with HSs or keloids. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective study included 572 patients with keloids ( n = 461) or HSs ( n = 111). Patients received intralesional triamcinolone acetonide injection (0.05 mL/injection) at a concentration of 40 mg/mL and every 28 days for 4 sessions, with a 1-year follow-up. RESULTS: A higher incidence of ECs was observed in keloid patients (16.92%) compared with HSs patients (7.21%). Keloid patients with ECs were older ( p = .008) and had a longer disease duration ( p = .0148), higher Vancouver scar scale (VSS) scores ( p = .04), and greater thickness ( p = .006). Keloid patients with ECs showed less improvement in VSS scores ( p < .0001) and thickness ( p < .0001) after ILCs treatment, with a higher recurrence rate ( p < .0001). The overall complication rate in keloid patients with ECs after ILCs treatment was 49.51%. CONCLUSION: Epidermoid cysts under keloids were associated with a poor response to ILCs therapy. Therefore, it is recommended to incorporate ultrasonography as a routine examination for keloid patients to aid in better decision making in clinical practice.

Biomacromolecular and Toxicity Responses of Bacteria upon the Nano-Bio Interfacial Interactions with Ti3C2Tx Nanosheets.

The biomolecular responses of bacteria to 2D nanosheets that result from nano-bio interfacial interactions remain to be thoroughly examined. Herein, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) multivariate and 2D correlation analyses were performed to assess the composition and conformational changes in bacterial biomacromolecules (lipids, polysaccharides, and carbohydrates) upon exposure to Ti3C2Tx nanosheets. General toxicity assays, 3D excitation-emission matrix fluorescence analyses, extended Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek theory interaction calculations, and isothermal titration calorimetry were also performed. Our results demonstrate that Ti3C2Tx nanosheets considerably impact Gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus subtilis), causing oxidative damage and inactivation by preferentially interacting with and disrupting the cell walls. The bilayer membrane structure of Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli) endows them with increased resistance to Ti3C2Tx nanosheets. The unmodified nanosheets had a higher affinity to bacterial protein components with lower toxicity due to their susceptibility to oxidation. Surface modification with KOH or hydrazine (HMH), particularly HMH, induced stronger dispersion, antioxidation, and affinity to bacterial phospholipids, which resulted in severe cell membrane lipid peroxidation and bacterial inactivation. These findings provide valuable insight into nano-bio interfacial interactions, which can facilitate the development of antimicrobial and antifouling surfaces and contribute to the evaluation of the environmental risks of nanomaterials.

LncRNA SNHG16 Knockdown Promotes Diabetic Foot Ulcer Wound Healing via Sponging MiR-31-5p.

Diabetic foot ulcers are caused by nerve abnormalities and vascular lesions in the distal lower limbs of diabetic patients. However, the causes of diabetic foot ulcers are diverse and the treatment process is complex. Therefore, understanding the pathogenesis of diabetic foot ulcers through lncRNA and formulating effective means are the key to the cure of patients. Tissues were collected from 76 diabetic foot ulcer patients and 50 non-diabetic patients undergoing traumatic amputation. Human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs) were induced by high glucose to obtain diabetic foot ulcer cell model. The lncRNA SNHG16 (SNHG16) and miR-31-5p expression in tissues and cells was detected by real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR). Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and Transwell assays were used to evaluate the biological behavior of the cells, and the association between SNHG16 and miR-31-5p was explored by luciferase reporting assay. SNHG16 was distinctly expressed in diabetic foot ulcer tissue samples, while miR-31-5p was decreased. In vitro cell function assays confirmed that the proliferation level was inhibited in the constructed diabetic foot ulcer cell model (HG group), as was the migration and invasion ability. After transfection with silencing SNHG16, the biological behavior of the cells was promoted. Mechanistically, SNHG16 sponge miR-31-5p regulated disease progression. Recovery experiments revealed that miR-31-5p inhibitor counteracted the effect of silencing SNHG16 on cell viability. SNHG16 knockdown may regulate the biological function of cells by targeting miR-31-5p to promote wound healing and ameliorate the condition of diabetic foot ulcer patients.

Biotransformation of 2D Nanomaterials through Stimulated Bacterial Respiration-Produced Extracellular Reactive Oxygen Species: A Common but Overlooked Process.

The biotransformation of 2D nanomaterials is still poorly understood, although their environmental fates are becoming an increasing concern with their broad applications. Here, we found that Ti3C2Tx nanosheets, a typical 2D nanomaterial, could be oxidized by reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by both Gram-negative (Escherichia coli and Shewanella oneidensis) and Gram-positive (Bacillus subtilis) bacteria, with the formation of titanium dioxide (TiO2) on the nanosheet surfaces and impairment of structural integrity. Specifically, Ti3C2Tx nanosheets stimulated bacterial respiration Complex I, leading to increased generation of extracellular O2•- and the formation of H2O2 and •OH via Fenton-like reactions, which intensified the oxidation of the nanosheets. Surface modifications with KOH and hydrazine (HMH), especially HMH, could limit bacterial oxidation of the nanosheets. These findings reveal a common but overlooked process in which oxygen-respiring bacteria are capable of oxidizing 2D nanosheets, providing new knowledge for environmental fate evaluation and future design of functional 2D nanomaterials.

Dispersibility and Photochemical Stability of Delaminated MXene Flakes in Water.

The environmental stability of 2D MXene flakes must be systematically studied before their further application. Herein, the colloidal dispersibility and photochemical stability of delaminated Ti3 C2 Tx MXene flakes modified with hydrazine (HMH) and KOH and with water as the control (HMH-Ti3 C2 , KOH-Ti3 C2 , and H2 O-Ti3 C2 , respectively) are experimentally and theoretically studied. Modification greatly increases the dispersibility of Ti3 C2 Tx flakes. Their critical coagulation concentrations are 28.7, 106, and 49.1 mm NaCl, and their Hamaker constants are 23.7 × 10-21 , 19.1 × 10-21 , and 37.7 × 10-21 J, respectively; the colloidal interaction follows the classical Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek theory. HMH-Ti3 C2 and KOH-Ti3 C2 exhibit higher photochemical stability, as indicated by their stronger resistance to oxidation under UV and visible light irradiation. Changes in their physicochemical properties and the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) are assayed. Spin-polarized density functional theory calculations and molecular dynamics simulations are used to determine the mechanisms underlying the differences in the photochemical stability of Ti3 C2 Tx flakes. K+ ions protect the flakes from oxidation by acting as a middle layer to reduce the coupling between Ti3+ and ROS, while HMH provides stronger protection by absorbing photoelectrons or reacting with ROS. These findings provide new insight into the environmental transformation and design of functional MXenes.

Low-complexity equalizer with a hybrid decision scheme for 50 Gb/s/λ PAM4-PON using a low-cost 10 G receiver.

In this Letter, we experimentally demonstrate a 50Gb/s/λ four-level pulse amplitude modulation-based passive optical network system with a 10 G class receiver. A memory polynomial equalizer (MPE) combined with a decision feedback equalizer (DFE) is applied to eliminate channel distortions in the system. To further improve the performance of the MPE-DFE, for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, a low-complexity hybrid decision scheme (HDS) is proposed, which consists of single-symbol decision (SSD) and multi-symbol decision (MSD). The SSD is exactly the conventional hard decision based on minimum Euclidean distance, whereas MSD is based on a simplified maximum likelihood detection principle with M-algorithm. In terms of complexity, MSD requires 19.1% more multiplications than SSD, but the symbol number of MSD only accounts for less than 20% of the total signal frame when the received optical power is greater than -27dBm. Experimental results show that the proposed MPE-DFE with HDS achieves a 0.7 dB and 1.3 dB sensitivity gain compared with conventional SSD, and up to 35.4 dB and 31.4 dB link power budget, regarding the forward error correction threshold of 10-2 and 10-3, respectively.

Construction and visible-light-photocatalysis of a novel ternary heterostructure BiOI/(001)TiO2/Ti3C2.

Constructing effective heterojunctions between semiconductors and appropriate cocatalysts and exposing highly active crystal facets have been considered an effective approach to obtain efficient photocatalysts. Herein, a novel BiOI/(001)TiO2/Ti3C2 (BTT) hybrid was for the first time synthesized by in situ growing (001)TiO2 nanosheets on a 2D MXene nanomaterial (Ti3C2) and subsequent deposition of flower-like nanoflake BiOI on the obtained (001)TiO2/Ti3C2 hybrid. The BTT hybrid exhibited excellent photocatalytic performance for degradation of Rhodamine B under visible light irradiation, with the highest degradation rate being 6.26, 1.72, and 1.35 times of that of a pure BiOI, BiOI/TiO2 hybrid, and BiOI/Ti3C2 hybrid, respectively. The staggeringly enhanced photoactivity of BTT was attributed to the separation of photogenerated carriers by a multiple charge transfer channels because of the formed p-n and Schottky double junctions. This study demonstrates that (001)TiO2/Ti3C2 obtained by simple hydrothermal oxidation of Ti3C2 can be a good cocatalyst for fabricating excellent visible-light-driven photocatalyst.

Using One Photoredox Catalyst to Simultaneously Mediate Two Different Polymerizations for Photo-Triggered Multi-Component Orthogonal Polymerizations.

The development of multi-component orthogonal polymerizations (MOPs) with simple procedure and high efficiency is crucial for rational polymer synthesis. In this work, photo-triggered Cu(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) polymerization are first investigated, employing copper(II) thioxanthone carboxylate (Cu(TX)2 ) as photoredox catalyst and sunlight as stimuli. Then, the novel MOPs using one photoredox catalyst, Cu(TX)2 to simultaneously mediate two different photopolymerizations, are successfully realized in one-pot, where photo-induced electron transfer atom transfer radical polymerization and photo-activated CuAAC polymerization can effectively proceed in a one-pot and non-interfering fashion to afford predetermined copolymers with well-defined structure.

Proactive real-time interference avoidance in a 5G millimeter-wave over fiber mobile fronthaul using SARSA reinforcement learning.

We propose and experimentally demonstrate a proactive real-time interference avoidance scheme using SARSA reinforcement learning (RL) in a millimeter-wave over a fiber mobile fronthaul system. The RL consists of three core factors, including state, action, and reward. The state is defined as a discretized value from the center frequency, the left, right, and center sub-EVM of the signal. We use five actions to shift the signal frequency in the proposed scheme, which is -20, -10, 0, 10, and 20 MHz, for the RL agent to choose the action to avoid the dynamic interference. For the agent to learn from the experience, the reward is defined as the log value of BER difference between the past and the present state. The RL-based approach is an online learning algorithm, which can learn in real time based on environmental feedback. Besides, the agent can learn from past experience owing to the Q-value table, which makes it act intelligently when facing a similar situation again. We verify the capability of the proposed scheme under both fixed and dynamic interference scenarios. The agent demonstrates an efficient intelligent mechanism to avoid the interference, which provides a promising solution for proactive interference mitigation in the 5 G mobile fronthaul network.

One-Pot, Multicomponent Strategy for Designing Lymphoseek-Inspired Hetero-Glycoadjuvant@AuNPs.

Searching for vaccines (antigen and adjuvant) with easy preparation and strong T-cell response are crucial for antitumor immunity. In this work, to design lymphoseek-inspired vaccine possessing the abilities of promoting vaccine internalization and enhancing CD8+ T-cell responses, a simple multicomponent strategy is successfully utilized to fabricate lymph node and dendritic cell dual-targeting glycoadjuvant@AuNPs in one pot, where three different components, catechol-containing glycopolymer, HAuCl4 , and amine-terminal CpG (CpG-NH2 ) can react in a single step to generate target adjuvant. It is found that hetero-glycoadjuvant@AuNPs could increase adjuvant internalization and enhance the activation of bone-marrow-derived dendritic cells. Critically, lymphoseek-inspired vaccine potentiates antigen-specific CD8+ T-cell immune responses.

A rare case of palmar congenital nevus with sclerodermoid reaction.

Palmar congenital nevus with sclerodermoid reaction has not been reported. It has the potential of deep extension following the fibrous bundle. The utilization of slow Mohs or frozen sections with immunohistochemistry staining was recommended.

Biological roles of RNA m7G modification and its implications in cancer.

M7G modification, known as one of the common post-transcriptional modifications of RNA, is present in many different types of RNAs. With the accurate identification of m7G modifications within RNAs, their functional roles in the regulation of gene expression and different physiological functions have been revealed. In addition, there is growing evidence that m7G modifications are crucial in the emergence of cancer. Here, we review the most recent findings regarding the detection techniques, distribution, biological functions and Regulators of m7G. We also summarize the connections between m7G modifications and cancer development, drug resistance, and tumor microenvironment as well as we discuss the research's future directions and trends.

Enhancement of E. coli inactivation by photosensitized erythrosine-based solar disinfection under weakly acidic conditions.

Cost-effective disinfection technology is urgently needed in poor rural areas. Erythrosine (ERY)-based solar disinfection (SODIS) provides a promising solution because of its effective inactivation of viruses and gram-positive bacteria at low cost. However, the poor gram-negative bacteria (G-, e.g., Escherichia coli) inactivation of photosensitized ERY inhibits its application. Herein, for the first time, the protonation of ERY was found to greatly enhance its G- inactivation, and 99.99999% (7.0 log) of E. coli were completely inactivated within only 30 s using 2.5 mg/L ERY under 200 mW/cm2 visible light irradiation. The inactivation rate constant (k) reached 17.5 min-1 at pH 4.0, which was 4730 times higher than that at pH 7.0. At a lower pH, more severe cell wall and genomic DNA damage was observed. A linear correlation between k and monoanionic ERY (HE-) content was obtained, indicating that HE- rather than dianionic ERY (E2-) participated in the inactivation at pH 5.0-7.0, which was further explained by the higher production of reactive oxygen species and bacterial adsorption of HE- than E2-. Both 1O2 and O2-• dominated bacterial inactivation, contributing 56.8% and 43.2%, respectively. O2-• but not 1O2 caused ERY photobleaching. OH• was not involved in either inactivation or photobleaching. Humic acid and salts (NaCl, Na2SO4, CaCl2, and MgCl2) slightly inhibited inactivation, while NaHCO3 accelerated inactivation. Complete inactivation (99.9999%) of E. coli was achieved within ∼30 min at pH 5.0 in ERY-based SODIS with good adaptation to various water matrices and weather (sunny or partly cloudy). This work will help to promote the application of ERY-based disinfection especially for SODIS in poor rural areas.

RURAL LEFT-BEHIND CHILDREN ARE SERIOUSLY AFFLICTED WITH INTESTINAL HELMINTH INFECTIONS IN SOUTHERN SICHUAH, CHINA.

Rural children are seriously afflicted with intestinal helminth infections in China. Of note, the term rural children includes rural left-behind children (LBC) and rural non-left-behind children (NLBC); the difference in the prevalence of intestinal helminths between the 2 groups remains unclear. In this study, Gulin and Xuyong counties in southern Sichuan were chosen for investigation in 2019. The Kato Katz thick smear method was used to detect the presence of intestinal helminth eggs in rural children. For children aged 3-6 yr, the adhesive tape perianal swab method was used to detect Enterobius vermicularis and tapeworm eggs. Statistical differences in infection rates between the 2 groups were determined by the chi-square test. In total, 1,608 rural children, 911 LBC and 697 NLBC, participated in the investigation. Six species of intestinal helminths were detected. A total of 358 (39.3%) and 130 (18.7%) intestinal helminth positives were found among LBC and NLBC, respectively; the former had a higher (P < 0.05) infection level. Moreover, an analysis of double worm infection rates among intestinal helminth positive LBC and NLBC showed a difference between the 2 groups that was also statistically significant. These surveys indicated that the risk of intestinal helminth infection was substantially higher and the severity of infection much worse in rural LBC in southern Sichuan. More attention should be paid to the parasitic infection of LBC.

Catechol-driven self-assembly to fabricate highly ordered and SERS-active glycoadjuvant patterns.

Detection of vaccine (adjuvant and antigen) is crucial for the fundamental studies of immunotherapy. In this work, the catechol-containing glycopolymer obtained by sunlight-induced RAFT polymerization was first designed to generate glycoadjuvant@AuNPs. Then, a simple and general self-assembled technique, catechol-driven self-assembly (CDSA), was developed to fabricate AuNP-based glycoadjuvant patterns, regardless of the size, shape and synthetic method of AuNPs. More importantly, highly ordered glycoadjuvant patterns could be easily formed by catechol-driven self-assembly under confinement, which exhibit a higher SERS signal amplification ability for the detection of carbohydrates (glycoadjuvant).

In situ growth of TiO2 nanoparticles on nitrogen-doped Ti3C2 with isopropyl amine toward enhanced photocatalytic activity.

Construction of heterojunction and nitrogen doping is an effective approach for synthesizing photocatalysts with high quantum yield and efficient electron-hole separation. 2D MXene Ti3C2 has been considered a good carbonaceous nanomaterial for designing heterojunction, while the original surface groups and stacked structure limit the electron-hole separation. Herein, a hybrid of nitrogen-doped Ti3C2 nanosheets and TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) composed of TiO2 NPs in situ growing on isopropyl amine (iPA) modified Ti3C2 (iN-Ti3C2) was developed for the first time. The novel iN-Ti3C2/TiO2 hybrid exhibited an excellent ultraviolet-light photodegradation of methylene blue (MB), with a degradation rate (0.02642 min-1) significantly higher than that of pure TiO2 NPs, bulk-Ti3C2/TiO2, dimethyl sulfoxide modified Ti3C2/TiO2 hybrid, and hydrazine monohydrate modified Ti3C2/TiO2 hybrid. The formation of heterojunction between iN-Ti3C2 and TiO2 and its role in the photocatalysis were systematically analyzed using various characterization techniques and density functional theory calculation. The iPA modification exfoliated Ti3C2 and doped N on Ti3C2 nanosheets; the in situ grown TiO2 NPs formed efficient heterojunctions with the nanosheets; the N-doping facilitated electron migration in Ti3C2 and inhibited the recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs; •OH dominated the photodegradation of MB. This work provides a new approach of constructing efficient photocatalysts for the treatment of organics-polluted water.

Does treatment with duloxetine for neuropathic pain impact glycemic control?

OBJECTIVE: We examined changes in metabolic parameters in clinical trials of duloxetine for diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain (DPNP). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Data were pooled from three similarly designed clinical trials. Adults with diabetes and DPNP (n = 1,024) were randomized to 60 mg duloxetine q.d., 60 mg b.i.d., or placebo for 12 weeks. Subjects (n = 867) were re-randomized to 60 mg duloxetine b.i.d. or routine care for an additional 52 weeks. Mean changes in plasma glucose, lipids, and weight were evaluated. Regression and subgroup analyses were used to identify relationships between metabolic measures and demographic, clinical, and electrophysiological parameters. RESULTS: Duloxetine treatment resulted in modest increases in fasting plasma glucose in short- and long-term studies (0.50 and 0.67 mmol/l, respectively). A1C did not increase in placebo-controlled studies; however, a greater increase was seen relative to routine care in long-term studies (0.52 vs. 0.19%). Short-term duloxetine treatment resulted in mean weight loss (-1.03 kg; P < 0.001 vs. placebo), whereas slight, nonsignificant weight gain was seen in both duloxetine and routine care groups with longer treatment. Between-group differences were seen for some lipid parameters, but these changes were generally small. Metabolic changes did not appear to impact improvement in pain severity seen with duloxetine, and nerve conduction was also not significantly impacted by treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Duloxetine treatment was associated with modest changes in glycemia in patients with DPNP. Other metabolic changes were limited and of uncertain significance. These changes did not impact the significant improvement in pain observed with duloxetine treatment.

[Degradation of N-nitrosodimethylamine by Palladium/ Iron Bimetallic Composite Catalytic Fiber].

N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) in the water environment is a carcinogenic organic contaminant, which can be converted to hypotoxic compounds by zero-valent iron degradation. For the removal of trace NDMA in water, the theory and efficiency of zero-valent iron degradation should be intensely researched. In this study, the polypropylene (PP) fibers were chosen as substrate materials and the composite catalyst fibers containing Pd/Fe0 bimetal were prepared by the UV irradiation-coordination method for the removal of trace NDMA. Pd/Fe0/PP-g-AA was characterized by scanning electron microscope, inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The NDMA removal by Pd/Fe0/PP-g-AA under different conditions was investigated. The results indicated that when the acrylic acid monomer mass fraction was 20%, the composite catalytic fiber Pd/Fe0/PP-g-AA showed a better degradation effect on NDMA. The removal of NDMA followed the pseudo-first-order reaction kinetics model. The initial NDMA concentration and the pH of the solution could not greatly influence the catalytic degradation of trace amounts of NDMA. The presence of 3CO2- and NO3- significantly inhibited the degradation of NDMA. However, the NDMA degradation had been less affected by SO42-, HCO3-, and nature organic matter (NOM) existing in the solution.