Clinical profile, management and risk factors for seizure-related burn injuries among patients with epilepsy in southwest China.

Objective: The epidemiological information associated with seizure-related burn injuries is lacking in China. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the clinical profile, management, outcome, and risk factors of burns that are directly caused by seizures among epileptic patients, and identify the epidemiological characteristics to develop effective preventive strategies. Methods: This study was conducted between January 2002 and December 2022 in a large Chinese burn center. Data including clinical profile, wound treatment, and outcome were analyzed. A multiple linear regression was used to screen the risk factors for the length of hospital stay (LOS), and a multiple logistic regression was used to screen the contributory factors for the amputation. Results: A total of 184 burn patients (55.98 % females) were enrolled, with a 0.78 % incidence rate during the study period. The mean age of the patients was 36.16 years (SD: 17.93). Patients aged 20-29 were the most affected age groups (23.37 %). Most burns were caused by flame, accounting for 60.33 % (111/184) of all cases. In total, 76.09 % of the 184 patients underwent at least one operation, and 35 patients (19.02 %) still required amputation during the study period. Burn sites (hands) had the greatest impact on amputation (OR = 3.799), followed by flame burns (OR = 3.723). The mean LOS/TBSA was 6.90 ± 8.53 d, and a larger TBSA, full-thickness burns, and a higher number of operations were identified as the risk factors for a longer LOS. There was one death among the 184 patients, with a mortality rate of 0.54 %. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that burn injuries are extremely harmful to individuals with epilepsy in China because they are at high risk of amputation and disability. Effective healthcare education and preventive programs that focus on lifestyle modifications and seizure control should be implemented to reduce the burn incidence in these populations.

Blocking Rice Shoot Gravitropism by Altering One Amino Acid in LAZY1.

Tiller angle is an important trait that determines plant architecture and yield in cereal crops. Tiller angle is partially controlled during gravistimulation by the dynamic re-allocation of LAZY1 (LA1) protein between the nucleus and plasma membrane, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we identified and characterized a new allele of LA1 based on analysis of a rice (Oryza sativa L.) spreading-tiller mutant la1G74V, which harbors a non-synonymous mutation in the predicted transmembrane (TM) domain-encoding region of this gene. The mutation causes complete loss of shoot gravitropism, leading to prostrate growth of plants. Our results showed that LA1 localizes not only to the nucleus and plasma membrane but also to the endoplasmic reticulum. Removal of the TM domain in LA1 showed spreading-tiller phenotype of plants similar to la1G74V but did not affect the plasma membrane localization; thus, making it distinct from its ortholog ZmLA1 in Zea mays. Therefore, we propose that the TM domain is indispensable for the biological function of LA1, but this domain does not determine the localization of the protein to the plasma membrane. Our study provides new insights into the LA1-mediated regulation of shoot gravitropism.

Successful birth after ICSI with testicular immotile spermatozoa from a patient with total MMAF in the ejaculates: a case report.

There has been no report on the outcome of vitrified blastocyst transfer from a vitrified oocyte injected with immotile testicular spermatozoa with only multiple morphological abnormalities of the sperm flagella (MMAF). A couple diagnosed with MMAF returned to the clinic to attempt pregnancy using their vitrified oocytes. Testicular spermatozoa were injected intracytoplasmically, and the following intracytoplasmic sperm injection results were observed. In the second cycle, surplus vitrified oocytes and testicular retrieved sperm were used, but no pregnancy ensued. In the third cycle, a surplus vitrified blastocyst was transferred, and a healthy female child was delivered, with a birth weight of 3050 g and a birth length of 53 cm. In this report we describe a successful pregnancy achieved in a patient presenting MMAF. The successful pregnancy was obtained from vitrified oocytes microinjected with testicular retrieved sperm in a vitrified blastocyst transfer.