RGS5+ lymphatic endothelial cells facilitate metastasis and acquired drug resistance of breast cancer through oxidative stress-sensing mechanism.

AIMS: Oxidative stress reflected by elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the tumor ecosystem, is a hallmark of human cancers. The mechanisms by which oxidative stress regulate the metastatic ecosystem and resistance remain elusive. This study aimed to dissect the oxidative stress-sensing machinery during the evolvement of early dissemination and acquired drug resistance in breast cancer. METHODS: Here, we constructed single-cell landscape of primary breast tumors and metastatic lymph nodes, and focused on RGS5+ endothelial cell subpopulation in breast cancer metastasis and resistance. RESULTS: We reported on RGS5 as a master in endothelial cells sensing oxidative stress. RGS5+ endothelial cells facilitated tumor-endothelial adhesion and transendothelial migration of breast cancer cells. Antioxidant suppressed oxidative stress-induced RGS5 expression in endothelial cells, and prevented adhesion and transendothelial migration of cancer cells. RGS5-overexpressed HLECs displayed attenuated glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation. Drug-resistant HLECs with RGS5 overexpression conferred acquired drug resistance of breast cancer cells. Importantly, genetic knockdown of RGS5 prevented tumor growth and lymph node metastasis. CONCLUSIONS: Our work demonstrates that RGS5 in lymphatic endothelial cells senses oxidative stress to promote breast cancer lymph node metastasis and resistance, providing a novel insight into a potentially targetable oxidative stress-sensing machinery in breast cancer treatment.

Phenolic and flavonoid compounds from the fruit shell of Camellia oleifera.

A new phenolic compound oleiphenol (1), and a new dihydrochalcone oleifechalcone (2) along with seven known compounds (3-9) were isolated from the fruit shell of Camellia oleifera Abel. The planar structures of compounds 1 and 2 were determined on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analyses (IR, UV, NMR, and HR-ESI-MS) and comparison with literature data. The absolute configurations of the new structures were determined by ECD calculations and chemical methods. In addition, compounds 1-9 underwent a series of pharmacological activity tests, including cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory, anti-RSV and antioxidant activities.

Correction of Lying Ear and Aesthetic Modification of Helix and Ear Lobule With Hyaluronic Acid Filler Injection: Experience in Chinese Patients.

BACKGROUND: Large and long ears are regarded as symbols of wealth and health in East Asian culture, and people with lying ears often want their ears to be more exposed and prominent. Surgeries to correct lying ears have been documented. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to report the correction of lying ears and the aesthetic modification of helix and ear lobule with hyaluronic acid (HA) injections. METHODS: HA injections were performed at the auriculocephalic sulcus to increase the cranioauricular angle (CA) and correct lying ears. The injections at helix and lobule were case specific. The CA was measured and photographs were taken at baseline and at 1-, 3-, 6-, and 10-month follow-ups. Efficacy was assessed with the 5-point Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale (GAIS). Adverse events were recorded. RESULTS: Forty-six patients (92 ears) received HA injections and completed follow-ups. Instant correction outcomes were observed. Sixteen (34.8%) patients received 1 touch-up injection, the clinical efficacy of which persisted for 1 to 1.5 years. For over 90% of cases with touch-up treatment the GAIS was "very much improved" or "much improved" at all follow-ups. The GAIS for over 70% of cases without touch-up treatment was "very much improved" or "much improved" at 1-, 3-, and 6-month follow-ups. CA increased significantly compared with the baseline. Patients also reported "more V-shaped face shape" and "lifted jawline" effects. No serious adverse events occurred. CONCLUSIONS: As an alternative technique to surgeries, HA filler injections at the auriculocephalic sulcus effectively corrected lying ears. This technique produced immediate, long-lasting, and aesthetically pleasing results. The side effects and downtime were minimal.

Keyframe-aided resolution enhancement network for dynamic super-resolution structured illumination microscopy.

Deep learning has been used to reconstruct super-resolution structured illumination microscopy (SR-SIM) images with wide-field or fewer raw images, effectively reducing photobleaching and phototoxicity. However, the dependability of new structures or sample observation is still questioned using these methods. Here, we propose a dynamic SIM imaging strategy: the full raw images are recorded at the beginning to reconstruct the SR image as a keyframe, then only wide-field images are recorded. A deep-learning-based reconstruction algorithm, named KFA-RET, is developed to reconstruct the rest of the SR images for the whole dynamic process. With the structure at the keyframe as a reference and the temporal continuity of biological structures, KFA-RET greatly enhances the quality of reconstructed SR images while reducing photobleaching and phototoxicity. Moreover, KFA-RET has a strong transfer capability for observing new structures that were not included during network training.

Effects of fermented dairy products on inflammatory biomarkers: A meta-analysis.

AIM: Fermented dairy products (FDPs) are made from raw milk under the action of specific microorganisms by lactic acid bacteria fermentation or co-fermentation of lactic acid bacteria, bifidobacteria, and yeast. The aim of this study was to explore the effects of FDPs on inflammatory biomarkers. DATA SYNTHESIS: A comprehensive search was conducted on four electronic databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane Library. Finally, fourteen trials (15 arms) were included in this meta-analysis: yogurt (n = 9), fermented milk (n = 4), and kefir (n = 2). Additionally, the random effects model or fixed-effects model was used to pool the study results. Firstly, the analysis indicated that FDPs' supplementation decreased the levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) (SMD = -0.21; 95% CI: -0.40, -0.02; P = 0.033) and increased interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) levels (SMD = 0.12; 95% CI: 0.01, 0.23; P = 0.033). Furthermore, we obtained some statistically significant results in the following subgroups: CRP decreased in participants with metabolic diseases. IFN-γ increased in the intervention that lasted ≥12 weeks, Asian, yogurt, and healthy population. Finally, there was no significant effect on tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, and IL-2. CONCLUSIONS: FDPs reduced CRP and increased IFN-γ, but they had no effect on other inflammatory markers. The results showed that the consumption of FDPs was slightly associated with reduced inflammation, but because of the limited literature, these results should be interpreted with caution.

Popular science and education of cosmetic surgery in China: Quality and reliability evaluation of Douyin short videos.

BACKGROUND: Douyin APP is the short video APP with the largest number of users in China. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the quality and reliability of short videos about cosmetic surgery on Douyin. METHODS: In August 2022, we retrieved and screened 300 short videos related to cosmetic surgery from Douyin, extracted basic video information, encoded the content and identified the video source. The quality and reliability of short video information were evaluated using the DISCERN instrument. RESULTS: A total of 168 short videos of cosmetic surgery were included in the survey, and the video sources included personal accounts and institutional accounts. Overall, the total proportion of institutional accounts (47/168, 27.98%) is significantly less than that of personal accounts (121/168, 72.02%); nonhealth professionals received the most praises, comments and even collections and reposts, while for-profit academic organizations or institutions received the least. The DISCERN scores of 168 short videos of cosmetic surgery were 3.74-4.58 (average 4.22). Content reliability (p = .04) and overall short video quality (p = .02) are significantly different, but short videos published from different sources have no significant difference in treatment selection (p = .052). CONCLUSION: The overall information quality and reliability of short videos about cosmetic surgery on Douyin are satisfactory in China. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: The participants were involved in developing research questions, study design, management and conduct, interpretation of evidence and dissemination.

Dense Convolutional Neural Network for Identification of Raman Spectra.

The rapid development of cloud computing and deep learning makes the intelligent modes of applications widespread in various fields. The identification of Raman spectra can be realized in the cloud, due to its powerful computing, abundant spectral databases and advanced algorithms. Thus, it can reduce the dependence on the performance of the terminal instruments. However, the complexity of the detection environment can cause great interferences, which might significantly decrease the identification accuracies of algorithms. In this paper, a deep learning algorithm based on the Dense network has been proposed to satisfy the realization of this vision. The proposed Dense convolutional neural network has a very deep structure of over 40 layers and plenty of parameters to adjust the weight of different wavebands. In the kernel Dense blocks part of the network, it has a feed-forward fashion of connection for each layer to every other layer. It can alleviate the gradient vanishing or explosion problems, strengthen feature propagations, encourage feature reuses and enhance training efficiency. The network's special architecture mitigates noise interferences and ensures precise identification. The Dense network shows more accuracy and robustness compared to other CNN-based algorithms. We set up a database of 1600 Raman spectra consisting of 32 different types of liquid chemicals. They are detected using different postures as examples of interfered Raman spectra. In the 50 repeated training and testing sets, the Dense network can achieve a weighted accuracy of 99.99%. We have also tested the RRUFF database and the Dense network has a good performance. The proposed approach advances cloud-enabled Raman spectra identification, offering improved accuracy and adaptability for diverse identification tasks.

Power-assisted rotary cutter with negative pressure suction through small incision for axillary osmidrosis.

BACKGROUND: The glandular fluid secreted by apocrine sweat glands is decomposed by parasitic bacteria on the skin surface and releases a bad smell called axillary osmidrosis. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of power-assisted rotary cutter with negative pressure suction through small incision for axillary osmidrosis. METHODS: From January 2017 to January 2022, 647 patients with axillary osmidrosis underwent power-assisted rotary cutter with negative pressure suction through small incision surgery to treat for axillary osmidrosis. The operation time (min), intraoperative bleeding (ml) and recovery time (days) were counted. Three months after operation, the amount of underarm sweat, the disappearance of underarm hair, the incidence of operation, the effective rate of operation, and the satisfaction of operation results were evaluated by questionnaire. RESULTS: There were no postoperative complications except five cases of mild axillary pigmentation after 3 months. All patients evaluated good odor elimination. No patient was rated as average or poor. No recurrence. CONCLUSION: Power-assisted rotary cutter with negative pressure suction through small incision is an effective and ideal surgical method to reduce the complications and recurrence of axillary osmidrosis.

Clinical application of absorbable collagen thread and cosmetic suture technique in emergency treatment of children's facial trauma.

AIM: To explore the effect of absorbable collagen thread and cosmetic suture technique on scar inhibition after emergency facial trauma in children, and to explore the application value of absorbable collagen thread in emergency facial trauma. METHODS: Children who received emergency treatment of facial trauma in plastic surgery department from January 2021 to January 2022 were analysed retrospectively, and were divided into absorbable collagen thread group and non-absorbable nylon thread group. The general data, scar appearance and local symptoms of the two groups were analysed, and the scar appearance was scored by scar beauty rating scale and non-inferiority test was analysed statistically. RESULTS: A total of 632 children with facial trauma were included in this study, including 458 patients with absorbable collagen thread and 174 patients with non-absorbable nylon thread. The SCAR score of the absorbable collagen thread group (3.03 ± 1.57) was similar to that of the non-absorbable nylon thread group (2.98 ± 2.39) (95% confidence interval), and the final scar outcome score was not statistically different (P > 0.05). All families of the patients were satisfied with the results of the procedure, 95% very satisfied. CONCLUSION: The use of absorbable collagen thread and cosmetic suture technique to treat the wounds of children with facial emergency trauma, resulted in good wound healing, little scar expansion, low incidence of erythema and pigment abnormality, no obvious surgical trace, and no scar hypertrophy or atrophy. The overall impression was good, the pain of stitch removal was avoided for children's patients, and the satisfaction of family members was high. Cosmetic suture technique with absorbable sutures is worthy of clinical application.

Zingiberaceae plants/curcumin consumption and multiple health outcomes: An umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials in humans.

This umbrella review is to recapitulate and grade the available evidence of associations between consumption of Zingiberaceae plants/curcumin (Cur) and multiple health-related outcomes. This study included 161 meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials in 76 articles with 67 unique health outcomes. Data on heterogeneity and publication bias are considered to assess the quality of evidence. Based on the different impact of Zingiberaceae plants/Cur on human health, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Zingiberaceae plants/Cur can mainly improve metabolic syndrome, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, cardiovascular disease, and some chronic inflammatory diseases, likewise, obviously relief the pain of osteoarthritis and related diseases. Ginger supplements have been shown to improve vomiting during pregnancy and to relieve nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy and surgery. The surgery is any type of surgery, including laparoscopic surgery, gynecological surgery and mixed surgery. Beneficial associations were found with Cur intervention in gastrointestinal, neurological and oral diseases. Zingiberaceae plants/Cur are generally safe and favorable for multiple health outcomes in humans. High-quality research is further needed to prove the observed associations.

CO2 fractional laser combined with triamcinolone acetonide injection for the hypertrophic scars: which is first?

The aim of this study is to investigate and analyze the effect of different application sequences of CO2 fractional laser and triamcinolone acetonide injection on the application effect of hypertrophic scar in one operation. Patients with hypertrophic scars who received CO2 lattice laser combined with triamcinolone acetonide injection from January 2021 to December 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the different initial operations, they were divided into CO2 FL-TA group and TA-CO2 FL group. The Vancouver Scar Scale score and scar thickness of the two groups before and after treatment were analyzed. The complications occurred in the two groups during the treatment period. The clinical efficacy of the two groups before and after the treatment was calculated. Before treatment, there was no difference in scar thickness and VSS score between the two groups (P > 0.05). After treatment, the above indexes in CO2 FL-TA group were significantly better than those in TA-CO2 FL group (P < 0.05); the incidence of adverse reactions in CO2 FL-TA group was 9.38%, which was significantly lower than that in TA-CO2 FL group (18.75%) (P < 0.05); the total effective rate of CO2 FL-TA group was 90.63%, which was significantly higher than that in TA-CO2 FL group (65.63%) (P < 0.05). In the process of combined CO2 fractional laser and triamcinolone acetonide injection in the treatment of hypertrophic scars, CO2 fractional laser treatment first, and then triamcinolone acetonide injection can reduce the number of treatments, reduce the incidence of adverse reactions, and achieve more satisfactory treatment effect.

Effects of cocoa products intake on cardiometabolic biomarkers of type 2 diabetes patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis based on both long-term and short-term randomised controlled trials.

Cocoa consumption as a diet has been shown to improve cardiometabolic biomarkers for T2D, but results were inconsistent. A comprehensive search from PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and The Cochrane Library to identify the randomised controlled trials investigating the impacts of cocoa products consumption on cardiometabolic biomarkers in T2D was performed up to December 2020. Twelve trials involving 9 long-term and 3 short-term studies were included. The cocoa products significantly decreased low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (WMD: -9.955 mg/dL, 95% CI: -17.408, -2.501, p = 0.009), triglyceride (WMD: -15.364 mg/dL, 95% CI: -23.383, -7.346, p < 0.001), blood glucose (WMD: -9.105 mg/dL, 95% CI: -15.022, -3.189, p = 0.003), and C-reactive protein (WMD: -0.978 mg/L, 95% CI: -1.687, -0.269, p = 0.007) in long-term. The results indicated the beneficial long-term effects of cocoa products intake on cardiometabolic biomarkers for T2D, especially on blood glucose, lipid metabolism (LDL-C and TG), and inflammation (CRP).

Clinical effects and gut microbiota changes of using probiotics, prebiotics or synbiotics in inflammatory bowel disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: Probiotics have been reported to be beneficial for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), but the types, number of strains, dosage, and intervention time of probiotics used remain controversial. Furthermore, the changes of gut microbiota in IBD's patients are also intriguing. Thus, this meta-analysis was to explore the clinical effects and gut microbiota changes of using probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics in IBD. METHODS: The search was performed in PubMed, Web of Science and the Cochrane library from inception to April 2020. Qualified randomized controlled trials were included. IBD's remission rate, disease activity index and recurrence rate were extracted and analyzed. Changes in the gut microbiota of patients with IBD are comprehensively described. RESULTS: Thirty-eight articles were included. Probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics can induce/maintain IBD's remission and reduce ulcerative colitis (UC) disease activity index (RR = 1.13, 95% CI 1.02, 1.26, P < 0.05; SMD = 1.00, 95% CI 0.27, 1.73, P < 0.05). In subgroup analyses of IBD remission rate and UC disease activity index, we obtained some statistically significant results in some subgroup (P < 0.05). To some extent, probiotic supplements can increase the number of beneficial bacteria (especially Bifidobacteria) in the intestinal tract of patients with IBD. CONCLUSIONS: Our results support the treatment of IBD (especially UC) with pro/pre/synbiotics, and synbiotics are more effective. Probiotic supplements that are based on Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium or more than one strain are more likely to be beneficial for IBD remission. The dose of 1010-1012 CFU/day may be a reference range for using probiotics to relieve IBD.

Association of whole grains intake and the risk of digestive tract cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Several epidemiological studies have investigated the association between whole grains intake and digestive tract cancer risk; however, the results are still controversial. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to assess the association. METHODS: Studies published before March 2020 were searched in database and other sources. The risk ratio (RR) with the 95% confidence interval (CI) were pooled using fix or random-effects models. RESULTS: This meta-analysis included 34 articles reporting 35 studies, 18 studies of colorectal cancer, 11 studies of gastric cancer and 6 studies of esophagus cancer, involving 2,663,278 participants and 28,921 cases. Comparing the highest-intake participants with the lowest-intake participants for whole grains, we found that the intake of whole grains were inversely related to colorectal cancer (RR = 0.89, 95% CI: 0.84-0.93, P < 0.001), gastric cancer (RR = 0.64, 95% CI: 0.53-0.79, P < 0.001), esophagus cancer (RR = 0.54, 95% CI: 0.44-0.67, P < 0.001), respectively. However, subgroup analysis of colorectal cancer found no significant association in the case-control studies and studies of sample size < 500, and subgroup analysis of gastric cancer found no significant association in the cohort studies and studies of American population. No study significantly affected the findings in the sensitivity analysis. No publication bias was found in the studies for colorectal cancer and esophagus cancer except in the studies for gastric cancer. CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis provides further evidence that whole grains intake was associated with a reduced risk of digestive tract cancer. Our result supports the dietary guidelines that increase whole grains intake to reduce the risk of digestive tract cancer.

Medical applications of microwave imaging.

Ultrawide band (UWB) microwave imaging is a promising method for the detection of early stage breast cancer, based on the large contrast in electrical parameters between malignant tumour tissue and the surrounding normal breast-tissue. In this paper, the detection and imaging of a malignant tumour are performed through a tomographic based microwave system and signal processing. Simulations of the proposed system are performed and postimage processing is presented. Signal processing involves the extraction of tumour information from background information and then image reconstruction through the confocal method delay-and-sum algorithms. Ultimately, the revision of time-delay and the superposition of more tumour signals are applied to improve accuracy.

SF method for removing small skin melanocytic nevus.

Background: The most prevalent benign skin tumor is a melanocytic nevus, which can potentially turn cancerous and frequently impair a patient's appearance. Objective: To find a standardized surgical procedure for the removal of tiny skin pigmented nevis and to look into the effectiveness of the SF technique for doing so. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on 723 patients with small-sized pigmented nevi between June 2022 and June 2023. The nevi were removed using the SF method, and the patients' overall health and the duration of the procedure were recorded. Three months following the procedure, the patients completed a questionnaire to assess the effectiveness, recurrence, complications, and degree of satisfaction with the surgical outcome. Results: Compared with the normal method, SF method had shorter operation time, higher effective rate, no recurrence and other postoperative complications after 6 months, less scar hyperplasia, and good evaluation satisfaction of all patients. No patient was rated as average or poor. No recurrence. Conclusion: The standardized surgical approaches for the small-size excision of melanocytic nevuses may be easily mastered by primary practitioners using the SF method, making it a valuable tool for practical use.

Current situation and relationship between occupational stress, burn-out and sleep quality among ambulance drivers: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: To understand the current status of occupational stress, occupational burn-out and sleep quality among ambulance drivers in Hengyang, China and to analyse the relationship between occupational stress, occupational burn-out and sleep quality of ambulance drivers. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. SETTING: Prehospital emergency centre of third-class hospital in Hengyang, China. PARTICIPANTS: From October 2023 to December 2023, a cross-sectional survey was conducted, with 213 ambulance drivers from Hengyang, China, selected as participants. METHODS: General demographic questionnaires, the Chinese Occupational Stress Inventory, the Maslach Burnout Inventory and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index were used for data collection and analysis. RESULTS: Occupational stress among ambulance drivers was positively correlated with occupational burn-out and sleep quality (r=0.528, 0.447, both p<0.01) while occupational burn-out was positively correlated with sleep quality (r=0.394, p<0.01). Occupational burn-out partially mediated the relationship between occupational stress and sleep quality among ambulance drivers, with a mediation effect value of 0.168, accounting for 26.09% of the total effect. CONCLUSION: The sleep quality of ambulance drivers in Hengyang, China is suboptimal, with occupational stress directly predicting sleep quality. Occupational burn-out plays a partial positive mediating role between occupational stress and sleep quality among ambulance drivers. Reducing occupational stress and burn-out is beneficial for improving the sleep quality of ambulance drivers.

Cu Nanowires Encapsulated by ZIF67 for Efficient Ammonia Electrosynthesis from Nitrate.

Electrochemical NO3- reduction reaction (NO3RR) represents a green and sustainable way to produce valuable NH3 for both NH3 production and nitrate contaminant removal, and developing efficient, durable, highly selective catalyst is the key. Herein, we report a facile method to fabricate a catalyst composed of ultrafine Cu nanowires (Cu NWs) encapsulated by ZIF67, namely, CuNW@ZIF67, for efficient NH3 electrosynthesis from nitrate. The CuNW@ZIF67 catalyst exhibited excellent catalytic performance toward NO3RR in alkaline electrolyte, manifested by a large NH3 Faradaic efficiency of 93.7% at -0.5 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE), a high energy efficiency over 30% at -0.7 V, and robust long-term stability. Such intriguing catalytic properties are mainly ascribed to its structural merits and the strong electronic interaction between Cu NWs and ZIF67. DFT calculations revealed that, the Cu site can easily convert NO3- into NO2-, while the Co site plays a critical role in catalyzing the NO2--to-NH3 process. The study can shed light on rational design of efficient, durable, and highly selective catalysts for NO3RR and beyond.

Cholesterol-rich lysosomes induced by respiratory syncytial virus promote viral replication by blocking autophagy flux.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) hijacks cholesterol or autophagy pathways to facilitate optimal replication. However, our understanding of the associated molecular mechanisms remains limited. Here, we show that RSV infection blocks cholesterol transport from lysosomes to the endoplasmic reticulum by downregulating the activity of lysosomal acid lipase, activates the SREBP2-LDLR axis, and promotes uptake and accumulation of exogenous cholesterol in lysosomes. High cholesterol levels impair the VAP-A-binding activity of ORP1L and promote the recruitment of dynein-dynactin, PLEKHM1, or HOPS VPS39 to Rab7-RILP, thereby facilitating minus-end transport of autophagosomes and autolysosome formation. Acidification inhibition and dysfunction of cholesterol-rich lysosomes impair autophagy flux by inhibiting autolysosome degradation, which promotes the accumulation of RSV fusion protein. RSV-F storage is nearly abolished after cholesterol depletion or knockdown of LDLR. Most importantly, the knockout of LDLR effectively inhibits RSV infection in vivo. These findings elucidate the molecular mechanism of how RSV co-regulates lysosomal cholesterol reprogramming and autophagy and reveal LDLR as a novel target for anti-RSV drug development.