Nosocomial Infections After Pediatric Congenital Heart Disease Surgery: Data from National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases in China.

Purpose: Infection prevention and control (IPC) has a significant impact on the prognosis after pediatric cardiac surgery. This study aimed to provide surveillance data on the incidence and density of various infections during the COVID-19 epidemic and explore the influence of multi-drug resistant organisms (MDRO) on in-hospital prognosis after congenital heart disease surgery. Methods: This single-center retrospective study included pediatric patients who underwent cardiac surgery between 2021 and 2022. The results of the postoperative bacterial and fungal cultures and antimicrobial stewardship were collected. The demographic characteristics (age and weight), operation-related parameters (RACHS-1 grade, duration of cardiopulmonary bypass, and aortic cross clamp), and surgical outcomes (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, delayed sternal closure, mortality, duration of mechanical ventilation, length of intensive care unit stay and hospital stay, and hospitalization costs) of MDRO and non-MDRO patients were compared. Results: A total of 4776 patients were included. There were 101 infectious culture results after the operation, with a nosocomial infection rate of 2.1%. There were 40 MDRO specimens from 36 patients, 50 non-MDRO specimens from 30 patients, and 11 fungal specimens from 10 patients. The incidence of pneumonia was 1.5%, with a ventilator-associated pneumonia incidence density of 7.2/1000 patient-days. The incidence of sepsis was 0.4%, with a catheter-related bloodstream infection incidence density of 0.24/ 1000 patient-days. The incidence density of catheter-associated tract infection was 0.45/ 1000 patient-days. The incidence of surgical site infection was 0.06%. The culture proportion before commencing antibiotics was 93% and the antibiotic consumption intensity was 30.7 DDD/100 bed-days. The length of intensive care unit stay in MDRO infection patients increased compared with that in non-MDRO infection patients, 30 (18,52) vs 17 (7,62) days, p=0.05). Conclusion: The IPC performance of Fuwai Hospital achieved satisfactory results. MDRO infection can lead to prolonged intensive care unit stay.

Developed countries have advanced infection prevention and control systems and comprehensive postoperative infection monitoring data for congenital heart disease. While developing countries have initiated efforts in infection prevention and control, global attention remains substantial. This study aimed to provide comprehensive infection surveillance data and identify possible implementation for further improvement in the National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases in China (Fuwai Hospital). This was a retrospective single-center study. We included pediatric patients who underwent cardiac surgery at a pediatric surgical center between 2021 and 2022, with an age limit of 14 years. Exclusion criteria included patients undergoing medical therapy, interventional therapy, or surgical therapy in other centers in Fuwai Hospital. This study, for the first time, reports the incidence of comprehensive healthcare-associated infection surveillance and targeted surveillance (encompassing device-associated infection, surgical site infection, and multi-drug resistant organisms) after pediatric cardiac surgery at the National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases in China. In addition, we report the data on antimicrobial stewardship. We compared the surgical outcome and hospitalization costs between patients with multi-drug resistant organism infection and those without multi-drug resistant organism infection and found that multi-drug resistant organism infection can lead to prolonged intensive care unit length of stay. The Fuwai Hospital achieved satisfactory infection prevention and control results. However, because China is a large developing country exhibiting notable variations in medical conditions across its diverse regions, prospective, multicenter, observational studies should be carried out for future research based on existing evidence.

Instantaneous frequency measurement based on photonic compressive sensing with sub-Nyquist pseudo-random binary sequences.

We propose a novel, to the best of our knowledge, approach to realizing instantaneous frequency measurement with ultrahigh measurement bandwidth, which utilizes three-channel photonic compressive sensing (CS) with sub-Nyquist pseudo-random binary sequences (PRBSs). In each CS channel, an alias frequency is recovered due to the sub-Nyquist property of the applied PRBS. A frequency identification algorithm is employed to determine the frequency of the signal under measurement according to the three alias frequencies. The proposed approach significantly reduces the bit rate of the applied PRBSs and the sampling rate required by the digitizers in CS. A proof-of-concept experiment for measuring frequency in the Ku band is demonstrated using PRBSs at 1 Gb/s and digitizers with a sampling rate of 250 MS/s.

Case report: A novel PTCH1 frameshift mutation leading to nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome.

A patient presenting with several basal cell carcinomas, pigmented nevi, and developmental defects was diagnosed with nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome. Gene panel sequencing and Sanger sequencing were used to identify a novel heterozygous frameshift mutation, c.1312dupA:p.Ser438Lysfs, in exon 9 of PTCH1. I-Tasser and PyMol analyses indicated that the mutated protein patched homolog 1 (PTCH1) lacked 12 transmembrane domains and the intracellular and extracellular rings of ECD2 compared with the wild-type protein, resulting in a remarkably different structure from that of the wild-type protein. This case extends our knowledge of the mutation spectrum of NBCCS.

Association of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and risk of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality in hypertension patients.

Background and objective: Hypertension affects over a billion people worldwide and is often associated with poor prognoses. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has become a significant marker, showing a connection to adverse outcomes in cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). The objective of this study is to examine the relationship between the NLR and outcomes in patients with hypertension. Methods: The study included hypertensive individuals who were surveyed in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2009 to 2018. Mortality status was determined using the data from National Death Index (NDI). To investigate the dose-response relationship, restricted cubic spline (RCS) models were used. This study employed adjusted cox proportional hazards regression models to compute hazard ratios (HRs) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. The predictive accuracy of the NLR for survival outcomes was assessed utilizing time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results: A total of 13,724 participants were included in the final analysis, including 7073 males and 6651 females. The cohort was stratified into higher (>2.0) and lower (≤2.0) NLR groups according to the median value. Over a median follow-up of 64 months, there were 1619 all-cause deaths and 522 cardiovascular deaths among participants. The RCS analysis indicated a non-linear relationship between NLR and the risk of mortality. The adjusted model showed that the group with a higher NLR had a significantly higher risk of all-cause (HR 1.47, 95% CI 1.22-1.77) and cardiovascular mortality (HR 2.08, 95% CI 1.52-2.86). ROC analysis showed that the area under the curves (AUCs) of 0.692, 0.662, 0.644, and 0.625 for predicting all-cause mortality, and 0.712, 0.692, 0.687, and 0.660 for cardiovascular mortality at 1, 3, 5, and 10 years. Conclusion: Elevated NLR is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality, and NLR may independently predict outcomes in individuals with hypertension.

Harmonic active mode-locking optoelectronic oscillator with suppressed supermode noise based on pulse intensity feedback.

A harmonic active mode-locking optoelectronic oscillator (HAML-OEO) with pulse intensity feedback is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. It is capable of generating microwave pulses characterized by suppressed supermode noise, uniform intensity, and tunable repetition rates. Unlike traditional HAML-OEOs, active mode-locking and pulse intensity feedback are simultaneously achieved through the use of a dual-drive Mach-Zehnder modulator (DDMZM). By synchronously feeding back the generated microwave pulses to the DDMZM, each pulse undergoes a loss proportional to its intensity, facilitating pulse intensity equalization and supermode noise suppression. In the experiment, intensity-equalized microwave pulse trains with repetition rates of 499 kHz and 998 kHz are generated by the 5th- and 10th-order HAML-OEOs, respectively, with the measured supermode noise suppression ratios exceeding 40 dB.

Healthcare-associated infection management in 62 ICUs for patients with congenital heart disease in China: a survey study.

OBJECTIVES: All patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) receive postoperative management in ICUs. Infection prevention and control (IPC) has a significant impact on prognosis. This study provides a preliminary understanding of the fundamental aspects of IPC in ICUs following CHD surgery in China. METHODS: From September to October 2023, we initiated a survey on healthcare-associated infection (HAI) management in hospitals that perform CHD surgeries independently. The questionnaires were jointly completed by the ICU physicians and IPC personnel. Duplicate or unqualified questionnaires were excluded from the study. The contents of our questionnaires covered hospital and ICU capacity, performance of the infection control department, HAI surveillance, implementation of IPC measures, and antimicrobial stewardship (AMS). Qualified questionnaires were compared according to the volume of annual CHD surgeries performed in different ICUs. Group 1 was defined as volume more than 300 cases and group 2 was defined as volume less than or equal to 300 cases. RESULTS: Sixty-two of the 118 questionnaires were completed, with a response rate of 53%. The CHD surgical volume in 2022 of the 62 hospitals was 36342, accounting for 52% of the annual CHD surgical volume (69 672) across the country. The postoperative infection rates obtained from the 15 ICUs varied from 1.3 to 15%, with a median rate of 4.5%. A total of 16 ICUs provided data on drug-resistant bacteria, Klebsiella pneumoniae exhibiting the highest frequency. More than 95% of ICUs have established complete HAI management systems. Information-based HAI surveillance was conducted in 89% of ICUs. Approximately 67% of ICUs stopped prophylactic antibiotics within 48 hours after surgery. In complex cases, carbapenems were administered empirically in 89% of ICUs. Group 1 had an advantage over group 2 in preventing multi-drug-resistant organisms (all instruments should be used alone 100% vs. 86%, P =0.047; cleaning and disinfection of environmental surfaces, 100% vs. 81%, P =0.035; antibiotic consumption control 85% vs. 61%, P =0.044) and in preventing surgical site infections (perioperative blood glucose monitoring, 88% vs. 67%, P =0.048). However, Group 1 did not perform well in preventing catheter-related bloodstream infection (delayed catheter removal due to convenience of laboratory tests, 31% vs. 6%, P =0.021) and catheter-associated urinary tract infection (delayed catheter removal due to muscle relaxant administration, 88% vs. 58%, P =0.022). CONCLUSIONS: A relatively complete HAI management system has been established throughout the country in ICUs for CHD patients. Information-based surveillance of HAI needs to be promoted, and actions should be taken to facilitate the implementation of IPC measures and AMS bundles. Training and feedback are critical for implementing IPC measures.

Gut Microbiota and Neonatal Acute Kidney Injury.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the relationship between gut microbiota and neonatal acute kidney injury biomarkers based on the gut-kidney axis. STUDY DESIGN: The Pubmed database was primarily searched to include relevant literature on gut microbiota and neonatal acute kidney injury biomarkers, which was subsequently organized and analyzed and a manuscript was written. RESULTS: Gut microbiota was associated with neonatal acute kidney injury biomarkers. These biomarkers included TIMP-2, IGFBP-7, VEGF, calbindin, GST, B2MG, ghrelin, and clusterin. CONCLUSION: The gut microbiota is strongly associated with neonatal acute kidney injury biomarkers, and controlling the gut microbiota may be a potential target for ameliorating neonatal acute kidney injury. KEY POINTS: · There is a bidirectional association between gut microbiota and AKI.. · Gut microbiota is closely associated with biomarkers of nAKI.. · Manipulation of gut microbiota may improve nAKI..

Curcumin inhibits propofol-induced autophagy of MN9D cells via Akt/mTOR/p70S6K signaling pathway.

The rapid rise in propofol dependency and abuse has highlighted limited resources for addressing substance abuse-related cognitive impairment, prompting the development of novel therapies. Dysregulated autophagy flow accelerates neuronal cell death, and interventions countering this dysregulation offer an appealing strategy for neuronal protection. Curcumin, a potent natural polyphenol derived from turmeric rhizomes, is renowned for its robust antineurotoxic properties and enhanced cognitive function. Utilizing CCK-8 and Ki67 fluorescent staining, our study revealed that curcumin treatment increased cell viability and proliferative potential in MN9D cells exposed to propofol-induced neurotoxicity. Furthermore, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and western blot analysis demonstrated the partial restoration of dopamine synthesis, secretion levels, and TH expression in damaged MN9D cells treated with curcumin. Scanning electrode microscope images displayed reduced autolysosomes and phagosomes in curcumin-treated cells compared to the propofol group. Immunoblotting revealed that curcumin mitigated the degradation of LC3I to LC3II and p62 induced by propofol stimulation, with green fluorescence expression of LC3 postcurcumin treatment resembling that following autophagy inhibitor HCQ treatment, indicating that modulating autophagy flow can alleviate propofol's toxic effects. Moreover, curcumin treatment upregulated the Akt/mTOR/p70S6K signaling pathway, suggesting that curcumin potentially curtails autophagy dysregulation in nerve cells by activating Akt/mTOR/p70S6K. In conclusion, our findings suggest that curcumin can ameliorate propofol abuse-induced neurotoxicity, partially through autophagy regulation and Akt/mTOR/p70S6K signaling activation.

Photonic generation and transmission for an X-band dual-chirp waveform with frequency multiplication and power-fading compensation.

The generation of an X-band dual-chirp waveform, which is capable of pulse compression, plays an important role in radar, electric warfare, and satellite communication systems. With the development of applications such as multi-static radar, transmission over long distances has attracted considerable attention. In this paper, a photonic system for X-band dual-chirp waveform generation and transmission based on frequency multiplication and power-fading compensation is put forward and experimentally carried out. Based on a compact dual-parallel Mach-Zehnder modulator (DPMZM), the dual-chirp waveforms of 8.6-9.6 GHz and 9.6-10.6 GHz are generated by an RF carrier of 4.8 GHz and transmitted through a 40 km single-mode fiber (SMF) spool. The dispersion-induced power fading of the chirp waveform is compensated for by about 13 dB. The full width at half maximum (FWHM) and the peak-to-sidelobe ratio (PSR) of the compressed pulses are 1 ns and 11.5 dB, respectively. Moreover, the compensation of power fading in the entire X-band is verified to demonstrate the applicability of our system. By flexibly adjusting the bias voltage of the built-in phase shifter, the system can be applied in more scenarios.

Photonic angle-of-arrival measurement of microwave signals using a triangular wave.

A novel, to the best of our knowledge, photonics-assisted approach for measuring the angle-of-arrival (AOA) of microwave signals with a large measurement range is proposed. The system utilizes a dual-drive Mach-Zehnder modulator (DDMZM) for signal modulation, followed by an optical filter for sideband selection. The dc port of the DDMZM is fed by a triangular wave to generate a pair of opposite frequency shifts. An intermediate frequency (IF) signal with a periodic phase jump is obtained after photodetection. The AOA of the incoming signals can be estimated by measuring the value of the phase jump. The key novelty of the proposed scheme lies in the application of a triangular wave to shift the frequency of optical signals, which introduces a periodic phase jump to the IF signal. The system incorporates only a single optical channel, largely reducing the system complexity. Experimental results show that an AOA measurement with a range of -70.8° to 70.8° is realized, with errors confined to within ±2°.

Buprenorphine reverses neurocognitive impairment in EcoHIV infected mice: A potential therapy for HIV-NCI.

Thirty-eight million people worldwide are living with HIV, PWH, a major public health problem. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) revolutionized HIV treatment and significantly increased the lifespan of PWH. However, approximately 15-50% of PWH develop HIV associated neurocognitive disorders (HIV-NCI), a spectrum of cognitive deficits, that negatively impact quality of life. Many PWH also have opioid use disorder (OUD), and studies in animal models of HIV infection as well as in PWH suggest that OUD can contribute to HIV-NCI. The synthetic opioid agonist, buprenorphine, treats OUD but its effects on HIV-NCI are unclear. We reported that human mature inflammatory monocytes express the opioid receptors MOR and KOR, and that buprenorphine reduces important steps in monocyte transmigration. Monocytes also serve as HIV reservoirs despite effective ART, enter the brain, and contribute to HIV brain disease. Using EcoHIV infected mice, an established model of HIV infection and HIV-NCI, we previously showed that pretreatment of mice prior to EcoHIV infection reduces mouse monocyte entry into the brain and prevents NCI. Here we show that buprenorphine treatment of EcoHIV infected mice with already established chronic NCI completely reverses the disease. Disease reversal was associated with a significant reduction in brain inflammatory monocytes and reversal of dendritic injury in the cortex and hippocampus. These results suggest that HIV-NCI persistence may require a continuing influx of inflammatory monocytes into the brain. Thus, we recommend buprenorphine as a potential therapy for mitigation of HIV brain disease in PWH with or without OUD.

Extracellular vesicles produced by bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells overexpressing programmed death-ligand 1 ameliorate dextran sodium sulfate-induced ulcerative colitis in rats by regulating Th17/Treg cell balance through PTEN/PI3K/AKT/mTOR axis.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) was involved in regulating Th17/Treg cell balance in ulcerative colitis (UC). Extracellular vesicles (EVs) from genetically modified bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) can serve as a stable delivery system to overexpress PD-L1. The study was designed to evaluate the therapeutic mechanism of BMSC-EVs overexpressing PD-L1 (PD-L1-EVs) on ulcerative colitis. METHODS: Experimental model of UC was established in rats by drinking 5% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS). Apoptosis-related proteins, inflammatory response-related factors and oxidative stress related mediators were detected. Westernblot was used to detecte key proteins in the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and its downstream effectors. The CD4+ Foxp3+ Treg cells and CD4+ IL-17A+ Th17 cells in spleen and mesenteric lymph nodes (MLNs) was detected by flow cytometry. RESULTS: PD-L1-EVs significantly alleviated the manifestations and pathological damage of UC rats by inhibiting the expression of IFN-γ, IL-1ß, IL-8, IL-6, IL-2, BAX, NF-κB, TNF-α, MPO, and MDA, and up-regulating the expression of IL-4, BCL-2, SOD, and GSH. Furthermore, the proportions of Th17 cells were decreased and that of Treg cells were upregulated by PD-L1-EVs treatment. PTEN inhibitors (bpv) partially abolished the inhibitory effect of PD-L1-EVs on PI3K-AKT signaling and impaired the therapeutic efficacy of PD-L1-EVs. CONCLUSIONS: PD-L1-EVs mitigated colonal inflammation, apoptosis and oxidative stress through blocking the activation of PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway and regulating the balance of Th17/Treg cells.

Estimating bloodstain formation time by quantitative analysis of mtDNA degradation.

The estimation of bloodstain formation time is still an unsolved problem in forensic science and lacks accurate quantitative methods. Whether DNA can be adopted to estimate bloodstain formation time is still controversial, and there is no study to confirm the potential of mtDNA markers. To address these issues, a triple quantification method based on the ratio of mtDNA fragments of different lengths of COⅠ (mitochondrially encoded cytochrome c oxidase Ⅰ) for estimating bloodstain formation time was established. A total of 152 samples (140 old samples, 12 fresh samples) were collected and tested, and the absolute copies of different-sized fragments of COⅠ (304 bp, 120 bp, 41 bp) in all samples were quantified by SYBR Green real-time qPCR. The natural logarithms of two copy number ratios (304 bp/41 bp, 120 bp/41 bp) of COⅠ in old samples were calculated, which were used as degradation indexes to evaluate the degradation degree of mtDNA. The 140 old human blood samples from 1 to 14 years of storage were accumulated from casework of forensic practice to establish the method of estimating bloodstain formation time and used to analyze the impact of gender factors on the two degradation indexes, and 10 animal samples and 2 fresh human samples were collected to verify the human specificity of the method. There was a high correlation between degradation indexes and bloodstain formation time (the absolute values of correlation coefficients of these two degradation indexes were 0.901 and 0.758 respectively). A method with triple quantification and dual indexes estimating bloodstain formation timewas successfully established, which was highly human-specific. There was no statistically significant difference in degradation indexes between different gender samples (P > 0.05). This study confirmed that mtDNA can be utilized to estimate bloodstain formation time, which provides a new solution to the forensic problem of estimating the time of bloodstain formation.

JMJD3/H3K27me3 epigenetic modification regulates Th17/Treg cell differentiation in ulcerative colitis.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic nonspecific inflammatory bowel disease characterized by chronic inflammation and ulceration of the colonic mucosa, frequent relapse, and cancerization that is difficult to cure. In recent years, the incidence of UC has increased. However, its etiology and pathogenesis are still not completely clear. In this study, dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) was used to induce the model, and GSK-J1 and dexamethasone were administered to the mice. A variety of molecular biology and immunological techniques, such as immunofluorescence, PCR and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), were used to examine JMJD3/H3K27me3-mediated regulation of Th17/Treg cell differentiation in UC by targeting histone modification. This study will provide an important theoretical basis for understanding the pathogenesis and potential therapeutic targets of UC.

Interleukin-7 regulates CD127 expression and promotes CD8+ T cell activity in patients with primary cutaneous melanoma.

BACKGROUND: Interleukin (IL)-7 signaling through CD127 is impaired in lymphocytes in cancers and chronic infections, resulting in CD8+ T cell exhaustion. The mechanisms underlying CD8+ T cell responses to IL-7 in melanoma remain not completely elucidated. We previously showed reduced IL-7 level in melanoma patients. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of IL-7 regulation on CD127 expression and CD8+ T cell responses in melanoma. METHODS: Healthy controls and primary cutaneous melanoma patients were enrolled. Membrane-bound CD127 (mCD127) expression on CD8+ T cells was determined by flow cytometry. Soluble CD127 (sCD127) protein level was measured by ELISA. Total CD127 and sCD127 mRNA level was measured by real-time PCR. CD8+ T cells were stimulated with recombinant human IL-7, along with signaling pathway inhibitors. CD8+ T cells were co-cultured with melanoma cell line, and the cytotoxicity of CD8+ T cells was assessed by measurement of lactate dehydrogenase expression. RESULTS: Plasma sCD127 was lower in melanoma patients compared with controls. The percentage of CD8+ T cells expressing mCD127 was higher, while sCD127 mRNA level was lower in peripheral and tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells from melanoma patients. There was no significant difference of total CD127 mRNA expression in CD8+ T cells between groups. IL-7 stimulation enhanced total CD127 and sCD127 mRNA expression and sCD127 release by CD8+ T cells. However, mCD127 mRNA expression on CD8+ T cells was not affected. This process was mainly mediated by phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway. CD8+ T cells from melanoma patients exhibited decreased cytotoxicity. IL-7 stimulation promoted CD8+ T cell cytotoxicity, while inhibition of PI3K dampened IL-7-induced elevation of CD8+ T cell cytotoxicity. CONCLUSION: The current data suggested that insufficient IL-7 secretion might contribute to CD8+ T cell exhaustion and CD127 dysregulation in patients with primary cutaneous melanoma.

DIRAS2 Is a Prognostic Biomarker and Linked With Immune Infiltrates in Melanoma.

Background: Skin cutaneous melanoma (SKCM) is a highly malignant skin tumor. DIRAS2 is considered to be a tumor suppressor gene; however, its function in SKCM has not been explored. Methods: The Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) was implemented to investigate the expression of DIRAS2 in SKCM, and plot the survival curve to determine the effect of DIRAS2 on the survival rates of SKCM patients. Then, the correlation between DIRAS2 and tumor immune infiltration was also discussed, and the expression of DIRAS2 and immune infiltration level in SKCM immune cells was determined using TIMER. The top 100 genes most associated with DIRAS2 expression were used for functional enrichment analysis. In order to confirm the anti-cancer effects of DIRAS2 in SKCM in the data analysis, in vitro assays as well as in vivo studies of DIRAS2 on SKCM tumor cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and metastasis were conducted. Western blot and immunofluorescence assay were employed to study the relationship between DIRAS2 and Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway in SKCM. Results: DIRAS2 expression was shown to be significantly correlated with tumor grade using univariate logistic regression analysis. DIRAS2 was found to be an independent prognostic factor for SKCM in multivariate analysis. Of note, DIRAS2 expression levels were positively correlated with the infiltration levels of B cells, CD4+ T cells, and CD8+ T cells in SKCM. The infiltration of B cells, CD4+ T cells, and CD8+ T cells was positively correlated with the cumulative survival rate of SKCM patients. In vitro experiments suggested that proliferation, migration, invasion, and metastasis of SKCM tumor cells were distinctly enhanced after DIRAS2 knockdown. Furthermore, DIRAS2 depletion promoted melanoma growth and metastasis in vivo. As for the mechanism, silencing DIRAS2 can activate the signal transduction of the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway. Conclusion: DIRAS2 functions as a tumor suppressor gene in cases of SKCM by inhibiting the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling. It is also associated with immune infiltration in SKCM.

Soil surface management of legume cover has the potential to mitigate nitrous oxide emissions from the fallow season during wheat production.

Soil surface management, i.e., mulch by film, straw or cover crop, is very important to water availability in soil on drylands worldwide, especially during the fallow season, when there is a high concentration of soil nitrate nitrogen (N) to produce nitrous oxide (N2O). To determine whether soil surface management affects N2O emissions during the fallow season, we conducted an experiment to compare N2O emissions from a wheat field that received different surface soil management strategies: control (CK), straw mulch and incorporation (SR), planting legume green manure and incorporation (GM), SR plus GM (SR + GM), and plastic film mulch (FM). The results showed that the average hourly N2O emissions during the fallow season were in the order SR (7.4 µg N m-2 h-1), GM (10.7 µg N m-2 h-1), SR + GM (11.7 µg N m-2 h-1), FM (15.5 µg N m-2 h-1), and CK (16.4 µg N m-2 h-1). Correspondingly, reduced total N2O emissions were observed in the SR, GM and SR + GM treatments, with an average reduction of 39.0% (from 302 to 184 g N ha-1) while increased N2O emissions were from the GM and SR + GM treatments in the wheat growing season. Additionally, N2O emissions were related to soil nitrate N content, microbial biomass and moisture. Overall, considering N2O emissions, C and N inputs by plant residues and grain yield, the management of GM has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve soil C sequestration and soil fertility. These results emphasized the importance of legume green manure to wheat-fallow cropping systems.

Efficacy of Photodynamic Therapy for the Treatment of Bowen's Disease: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

BACKGROUND: Photodynamic therapy is an established treatment option for Bowen's disease. Our meta-analysis was aimed at evaluating the efficacy and recurrence of photodynamic therapy or other topical treatments (5-fluorouracil, cryotherapy) and of photodynamic therapy alone or in combination with other therapies (ablative fractional CO2 laser or plum-blossom needle) for the treatment of Bowen's disease. METHODS: Trials that met our inclusion criteria were identified from PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases, and meta-analyses were conducted with RevMan V.5.4. The risk of bias was estimated with the Cochrane Collaboration's risk of bias tools. Complete response rate, recurrence, pain/visual analogue scale score, cosmetic outcome, and adverse events were considered as outcomes. RESULTS: Of the 2,439 records initially retrieved, 8 randomized controlled trials were included in this meta-analysis. According to our analyses, photodynamic therapy exhibited a significantly higher complete response rate (RR = 1.36, 95% CI [1.01, 1.84], I2 = 86%, p = 0.04), less recurrence (RR = 0.53, 95% CI [0.30, 0.95], I2 = 0%, p = 0.03), and better cosmetic outcome (RR = 1.34, 95% CI [1.15, 1.56], I2 = 0%, p = 0.0002) compared with other treatments. Moreover, there was a significant difference between the complete response rate of photodynamic therapy combined with ablative fractional CO2 laser and that of photodynamic therapy (RR = 1.85, 95% CI [1.38, 2.49], I2 = 0%, p < 0.0001). Photodynamic therapy combined with ablative fractional CO2 laser or plum-blossom needle also showed significantly less recurrence (RR = 0.21, 95% CI [0.09, 0.51], I2 = 0%, p = 0.0005) and a lower visual analogue scale score (RR = 0.51, 95% CI [0.06, 0.96], I2 = 0%, p = 0.03) than photodynamic therapy alone. However, there was no significant difference in the complete response rate between photodynamic therapy combined with ablative continuous CO2 laser and photodynamic therapy combined with ablative fractional CO2 laser (RR = 1.00, 95% CI [0.54, 1.86], I2 not applicable, p = 1.00). CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis shows that photodynamic therapy can be used in the treatment of Bowen's disease with better efficacy, less recurrence, and better cosmetic outcomes than cryotherapy and 5-FU. Some methods, including ablative fractional CO2 laser, can be applied in combination with photodynamic therapy to improve efficacy. However, which laser-assisted photodynamic therapy scheme has the most advantages in the treatment of Bowen's disease warrants further exploration.