BLADE-ON-PETIOLE interacts with CYCLOIDEA to fine-tune CYCLOIDEA-mediated flower symmetry in monkeyflowers (Mimulus).

Morphological novelties, or key innovations, are instrumental to the diversification of the organisms. In plants, one such innovation is the evolution of zygomorphic flowers, which is thought to promote outcrossing and increase flower morphological diversity. We isolated three allelic mutants from two Mimulus species displaying altered floral symmetry and identified the causal gene as the ortholog of Arabidopsis BLADE-ON-PETIOLE. We found that MlBOP and MlCYC2A physically interact and this BOP-CYC interaction module is highly conserved across the angiosperms. Furthermore, MlBOP self-ubiquitinates and suppresses MlCYC2A self-activation. MlCYC2A, in turn, impedes MlBOP ubiquitination. Thus, this molecular tug-of-war between MlBOP and MlCYC2A fine-tunes the expression of MlCYC2A, contributing to the formation of bilateral symmetry in flowers, a key trait in angiosperm evolution.

Risk factors and incidence of central venous access device-related thrombosis in hospitalized children: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The risk factors for central venous access device-related thrombosis (CRT) in children are not fully understood. We used evidence-based medicine to find the risk factors for CRT by pooling current studies reporting risk factors of CRT, aiming to guide clinical diagnosis and treatment. METHODS: A systematic search of PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, Scopus, CNKI, Sinomed, and Wanfang databases was conducted. RevMan 5.4 was employed for data analysis. RESULTS: The review included 47 studies evaluating 262,587 children with CVAD placement. Qualitative synthesis and quantitative meta-analysis identified D-dimer, location of insertion, type of catheter, number of lumens, catheter indwelling time, and central line-associated bloodstream infection as the most critical risk factors for CRT. Primarily due to observational design, the quality of evidence was regarded as low certainty for these risk factors according to the GRADE approach. CONCLUSION: Because fewer high-quality studies are available, larger sample sizes and well-designed prospective studies are still needed to clarify the risk factors affecting CRT. In the future, developing pediatric-specific CRT risk assessment tools is important. Appropriate stratified preventive strategies for CRT according to risk assessment level will help improve clinical efficiency, avoid the occurrence of CRT, and alleviate unnecessary suffering of children. IMPACT: This is the latest systematic review of risk factors and incidence of CRT in children. A total of 47 studies involving 262,587 patients were included in our meta-analysis, according to which the pooled prevalence of CRT was 9.1%. This study identified several of the most critical risk factors affecting CRT in children, including D-dimer, insertion location, type of catheter, number of lumens, catheter indwelling time, and central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI).

Risk factors and incidence of postoperative delirium after cardiac surgery in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Delirium, a form of acute cerebral dysfunction, is a common complication of postoperative cardiac surgery in children. It is strongly associated with adverse outcomes, including prolonged hospitalization, increased mortality, and cognitive dysfunction. This study aimed to identify risk factors and incidence of delirium after cardiac surgery in children to facilitate early identification of delirium risk and provide a reference for the implementation of effective prevention and management. A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, Scopus, CNKI, Sinomed, and Wanfang for studies published in English or Chinese from the inception of each database to November 2023. The PRISMA guidelines were followed in all phases of this systematic review. The Risk of Bias Assessment for Nonrandomized Studies tool was used to assess methodological quality. A total of twelve studies were included in the analysis, with four studies classified as overall low risk of bias, seven studies as moderate risk of bias, and one study as high risk of bias. The studies reported 39 possible predictors of delirium, categorized into four broad groups: intrinsic and parent-related factors, disease-related factors, surgery and treatment-related factors, and clinical scores and laboratory parameters. By conducting qualitative synthesis and quantitative meta-analysis, we identified two definite factors, four possible factors, and 32 unclear factors related to delirium. Definite risk factors included age and mechanical ventilation duration. Possible factors included developmental delay, cyanotic heart disease, cardiopulmonary bypass time, and pain score. With only a few high-quality studies currently available, well-designed and more extensive prospective studies are still needed to investigate the risk factors affecting delirium and explore delirium prevention strategies in high-risk children.

Concentration-dependent effects of reductive pulmonary inhalants on ultrafine particle-induced oxidative stress: Insights for health risk assessment.

The impact of reductive pulmonary inhalants on ultrafine particles (UFPs)-induced pulmonary oxidative stress remains a crucial consideration, yet the concentration-dependent effects of these inhalants have remained unexplored. Here we synthesized composite UFPs simulating atmospheric UFPs, primarily composed of metals and quinones. We subjected these UFPs to varying concentrations (0-7000 µM) of two reductive pulmonary inhalants, N-acetylcysteine and salbutamol, to assess their influence on oxidative potential, measured through the dithiothreitol assay (OPDTT). Simultaneously, we analysed the soluble metal content of UFPs to uncover potential relationships between oxidative potential and metal solubility. Our results unveil a dual role played by these inhalants in shaping the OPDTT of composite UFPs. Specifically, OPDTT generally increased as inhalant concentrations rose from 0 to 300 µM. However, an intriguing reversal occurred when concentrations exceeded 500 µM, resulting in a decline in OPDTT. Relative to untreated UFPs, these inhalants induced promotion and inhibition effects within concentration ranges of 100-500 and >1000 µM, respectively. While no significant correlation emerged between OPDTT and soluble metal content as inhalant concentrations ranged from 0 to 7000 µM, noteworthy positive correlations emerged at lower inhalant concentrations (e.g., N-acetylcysteine at 0-300 µM). These findings provide insights into the potential influence of reductive pulmonary inhalants on health risks associated with UFP exposure, further underscoring the need for continued research in this critical area.