Performance of Continuous Glucose Monitoring in Patients With Acute Respiratory Failure: A Prospective, Single-Center Observational Study.

OBJECTIVE: Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) may have benefits in achieving glycemic control in critically ill patients. The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy of the Freestyle Libre H (professional version similar to the Libre Pro) in patients with acute respiratory failure (ARF) in the intensive care unit (ICU). METHODS: Fifty-two adult patients with ARF were selected. The performance of CGM was evaluated using the arterial blood glucose (aBG) and point-of-care (POC) glucose levels as the reference values. Numerical accuracy was evaluated by the mean absolute relative difference, Bland-Altman analysis, %15/15 (the percentage of CGM values within 15 mg/dL or 15% of reference values <100 or >100 mg/dL, respectively), %20/20, and %30/30. Clinical accuracy was assessed using the Clarke error grid analysis. RESULTS: A total of 519 and 1504 pairs of aBG/CGM and POC/CGM glucose values were analyzed. The mean absolute relative difference values were 13.8% and 14.7%, respectively. The mean deviations of the Bland-Altman analysis were 0.82 mmol/L and 0.81 mmol/L. The proportions of CGM values within %15/15, %20/20, and %30/30 of the aBG values were 62.6%, 75.5%, and 92.4%, respectively; those within %15/15, %20/20, and %30/30 of the POC values were 57.1%, 72.9%, and 88.7%, respectively. The Clarke error grid analysis showed that 97.8% and 99.3% of the values were located in zone A + B. Additionally, the accuracy of CGM was not affected by general patient factors. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that the accuracy of CGM in patients with ARF is lower than that in most outpatients and it is not affected by general patient factors. Whether CGM is beneficial to glucose management in the intensive care unit needs further evaluation.

Genomic analysis of "Candidatus Liberibacter africanus" strain from Zimbabwe reveals unique virulence and prophage characteristics compared to "Ca. Liberibacter asiaticus".

Citrus Huanglongbing (HLB) is caused by the phloem-limited α-proteobacterium "Candidatus Liberibacter spp.", among which "Ca. Liberibacter africanus" (CLaf) have posed a significant threat to citrus production in Africa near a century. CLaf is closely related to the globally prevalent "Ca. Liberibacter asiaticus" (CLas), whereas little is known about the virulence of CLaf, primarily due to limited genome resources. In this study, we completed the whole-genome assembly and annotation of CLaf strain Zim (from Zimbabwe). Compared to CLas, a total of 102 CLaf unique genes were identified, including 14 potential Sec-dependent effectors (SDEs) genes, 29 phage-associated genes, and 59 genes with hypothetical function. Among 14 SDEs, V9J15_03810 was able to induce a significant hypersensitive response (HR) in Nicotiana benthamiana, indicating its potential as a virulence factor for CLaf. Genome analysis showed that CLaf strain Zim genome harbored a complete prophage region (named P-Zim-1, 42,208 bp). P-Zim-1 retained two immunosuppressive peroxidase genes (V9J15_02125 and V9J15_02130) homologous to CLas prophage SC1/SC2, whereas the lysogen-associated genes encoding integrase (V9J15_01970) and repressor (V9J15_02080) were homologous to the prophage of "Ca. Liberibacter solanacearum", the causal agent of potato zebra chip disease. In addition, P-Zim-1 carried a novel CRISPR/Cas system, including a CRISPR array (located within V9J15_02040, ranging from 443,643 to 443,897) and five CRISPR-related Cas proteins (V9J15_02005, 02010, 02015, 02025 and 02035). This study first characterized the unique genomic feature of CLaf related to virulence and prophage, which will facilitate future research on CLaf biology and African HLB management.

Unveiling the Structure and Dissociation of Interfacial Water on RuO2 for Efficient Acidic Oxygen Evolution Reaction.

Understanding the structure and dynamic process of interfacial water molecules at the catalyst-electrolyte interface on acidic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) kinetics is highly desirable for the development of proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers. Herein, we construct a series of p-block metallic elements (Ga, In, Sn) doped RuO2 catalysts with manipulated electronic structure and Ru-O covalency to investigate the effect of electrochemical interfacial engineering on the improvement of acidic OER activity. Associated with operando attenuated total reflectance surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy measurements and theoretical analysis, we uncover the free-H2O enriched local environment and dynamic evolution from 4-coordinated hydrogen-bonded water and 2-coordinated hydrogen-bonded water to free-H2O on the surface of Ga-RuO2, are responsible for the optimized connectivity of hydrogen bonding network in the electrical double layer by promoting solvent reorganization. In addition, the structurally ordered interfacial water molecules facilitate high-efficiency proton-coupled electron transfer across the interface, leading to reduced energy barrier of the follow-up dissociation process and enhanced acidic OER performance. This work highlights the key role of structure and dynamic process of interfacial water for acidic OER, and demonstrates the electrochemical interfacial engineering as an efficient strategy to design high-performance electrocatalysts.

Lactobacillus plantarum postbiotics trigger AMPK-dependent autophagy to suppress Salmonella intracellular infection and NLRP3 inflammasome activation.

We previously found that Lactobacillus plantarum (LP)-derived postbiotics protected animals against Salmonella infection, but the molecular mechanism remains obscure. This study clarified the mechanisms from the perspective of autophagy. Intestinal porcine epithelial cells (IPEC-J2) were pretreated with LP-derived postbiotics (the culture supernatant, LPC; or heat-killed bacteria, LPB), and then challenged with Salmonella enterica Typhimurium (ST). Results showed that LP postbiotics markedly triggered autophagy under ST infection, as indicated by the increased LC3 and Beclin1 and the decreased p62 levels. Meanwhile, LP postbiotics (particularly LPC) exhibited a strong capacity of inhibiting ST adhesion, invasion and replication. Pretreatment with the autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA) led to a significant decrease of autophagy and the aggravated infection, indicating the importance of autophagy in LP postbiotics-mediated Salmonella elimination. LP postbiotics (especially LPB) significantly suppressed ST-induced inflammation by modulating inflammatory cytokines (the increased interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-10, and decreased tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF), IL-1ß, IL-6 and IL-18). Furthermore, LP postbiotics inhibited NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation, as evidenced by the decreased levels of NLRP3, Caspase-1 and apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a caspase recruitment domain (ASC). Deficits in autophagy resulted in an increase of inflammatory response and inflammasome activation. Finally, we found that both LPC and LPB triggered AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling pathway to induce autophagy, and this was further confirmed by AMPK RNA interference. The intracellular infection and NLRP3 inflammasome were aggravated after AMPK knockdown. In summary, LP postbiotics trigger AMPK-mediated autophagy to suppress Salmonella intracellular infection and NLRP3 inflammasome in IPEC-J2 cells. Our findings highlight the effectiveness of postbiotics, and provide a new strategy for preventing Salmonella infection.

Epigenetic regulation of integrin ß6 transcription induced by TGF-ß1 in human oral squamous cell carcinoma cells.

Overexpression of integrin αvß6 is believed to play an important role in the invasion and metastasis of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms leading to αvß6 upregulation in OSCC. As the integrin ß6 (ITGB6) is the only partner with αv, the expression of αvß6 is dependent on ITGB6, it is, therefore, pivotal to investigate the mechanisms underlying ITGB6 overexpression in OSCC. We previously reported the cloning and characterization of human ITGB6 gene. In the current study, we further investigated the molecular mechanisms of ITGB6 expression and the upregulation by carcinogenesis related cytokine-transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1) in OSCC cells. We first demonstrated that TGF-ß1 can induce ITGB6 mRNA and protein express in a time and concentration dependent manner, and the induced-ITGB6 mRNA was not due to increase the mRNA stability, but regulated at transcriptional level. By using a luciferase reporter assay, site-mutation, RNA interference, and chromatin immunoprecipitation assay, we revealed for the first time that JunB, a member of the activator protein-1 (AP-1) family, is involved in the positive regulation to the ITGB6 transcription induced by TGF-ß1 in OSCC cells. Furthermore, our data also demonstrated that histone acetyltransferase (HAT) CBP mediated histone H3 and H4 hyperacetylation, and RNA Polymerase II recruitment to ITGB6 promoter, facilitated the binding of transcription factor JunB to ITGB6 promoter after TGF-ß1 stimulation. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that JunB and CBP-mediated histone hyperacetylation are responsible for TGF-ß1 induced ITGB6 transcription in OSCC cells, suggesting that epigenetic mechanisms are responsible for the active transcription expression of ITGB6 induced by TGF-ß1 in OSCC cells.

A Robust Random Forest-Based Approach for Heart Rate Monitoring Using Photoplethysmography Signal Contaminated by Intense Motion Artifacts.

The estimation of heart rate (HR) based on wearable devices is of interest in fitness. Photoplethysmography (PPG) is a promising approach to estimate HR due to low cost; however, it is easily corrupted by motion artifacts (MA). In this work, a robust approach based on random forest is proposed for accurately estimating HR from the photoplethysmography signal contaminated by intense motion artifacts, consisting of two stages. Stage 1 proposes a hybrid method to effectively remove MA with a low computation complexity, where two MA removal algorithms are combined by an accurate binary decision algorithm whose aim is to decide whether or not to adopt the second MA removal algorithm. Stage 2 proposes a random forest-based spectral peak-tracking algorithm, whose aim is to locate the spectral peak corresponding to HR, formulating the problem of spectral peak tracking into a pattern classification problem. Experiments on the PPG datasets including 22 subjects used in the 2015 IEEE Signal Processing Cup showed that the proposed approach achieved the average absolute error of 1.65 beats per minute (BPM) on the 22 PPG datasets. Compared to state-of-the-art approaches, the proposed approach has better accuracy and robustness to intense motion artifacts, indicating its potential use in wearable sensors for health monitoring and fitness tracking.

Clinical outcomes in type 2 diabetes patients with chronic heart failure treated with metformin: a meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To explore outcomes of metformin (Met) as an antihyperglycemic agent in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) combined with chronic heart failure (CHF). METHODS: This article employed a meta-analysis approach to systematically search several databases. Stata 15.1 software was employed for statistical analysis. RESULTS: This meta-analysis encompassed 15 randomized controlled trials, involving 20,595 patients with T2DM and CHF. The results revealed that in comparison to the non-Met group, the Met group exhibited a significantly reduced risk of all-cause mortality (RR = 0.72, 95%CI: 0.60-0.87) and a notably lower risk of cardiovascular mortality (RR = 0.52, 95%CI:0.29-0.92). However, there was no significant difference in the risk of hospitalization due to heart failure (RR = 0.85, 95%CI: 0.70-1.04). Furthermore, the Met group demonstrated significant improvements in NT-proBNP levels compared to the non-Met group (WMD = -132.91, 95%CI: -173.03, -92.79). Regarding the enhancement of Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction and Left Ventricular End-Diastolic Dimension levels, no statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups. CONCLUSION: In individuals with T2DM and CHF, the use of Met is linked to a decreased likelihood of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular-related mortality. Furthermore, it can enhance cardiac function in CHF patients without elevating the risk of hospitalization due to heart failure, establishing its safety and potential benefits.

The influencing factors of changes in physical activity levels of pregnant women during pregnancy: From the perspective of continuous care.

A comprehensive understanding of physical activity levels (PAL) among Chinese pregnant women and an exploration, from a continuous care perspective, of various factors influencing these activity levels. Investigating the correlations between adverse habits, psychological factors, and PAL in prenatal health management. This study aims to provide substantial guidance for prenatal health management and personalized care, offering recommendations to healthcare professionals and policymakers to enhance the overall health and well-being of pregnant women. This study enrolled 1256 pregnant women as research subjects. Baseline information was collected through a personal information collection form. Subsequently, continuous care was provided during the early, middle, and late stages of pregnancy, documenting the respective influencing factors. Simultaneously, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was utilized to assess the PAL of pregnant women across different trimesters. Finally, using the SPSS software version 25.0, a combined approach of generalized linear mixed effects (GLME) models and multivariate logistic regression was used to statistically analyze the collected data, comprehensively exploring the influencing factors of PAL during pregnancy. The proportion of research subjects engaged in low-level physical activity decreased from 60.80% to 40.34% across various stages of pregnancy, while the proportion engaged in moderate-level physical activity ranged from 25.32% to 40.75%. Meanwhile, the proportion engaged in high-level physical activity accounted for 13.88% to 18.91%.There was P = .021 and ß = -0.276 for smoking before pregnancy. The P-value of pregnant women who smoke in the second trimester was.035, the Odds Ratio (OR) value was 0.638, and the 95% confidence interval (CI) was (0.406, 0.972). The difference was statistically significant (all P < .05). In China, the physical activity level of pregnant women is generally low, which is related to factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption, sleep disorders, and depression during pregnancy. Medical personnel should improve the living habits of pregnant women and enhance their PAL through measures such as health education and psychological counseling.

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Urinary Retention in Patients With Cervical Cancer: A Meta-analysis and Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: The literature is inconsistent on the prevalence and risk factors of urinary retention in patients with cervical cancer. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to review the literature on the prevalence of urinary retention in patients with cervical cancer and consolidate the risk factors. METHODS: For this meta-analysis, eligible articles published in English or Chinese by December 10, 2021, were systematically searched for and retrieved from PubMed, Cochrane Library, Ovid-Embase Medline, Web of Science, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Scopus. Prevalence, odds ratios (ORs), and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used for meta-analysis. RESULTS: Twenty-five studies were included in the analysis. The pooled overall prevalence was 0.26 (95% CI, 0.21-0.30, I2 = 95.0%). The identified risk factors were age (OR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.08-1.19), urinary tract infection (UTI) (OR, 3.33; 95% CI, 1.48-7.49), surgical extent (OR, 2.95; 95% CI, 1.27-6.85), and catheter indwelling time (OR, 3.44; 95% CI, 2.43-3.87). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of urinary retention in patients with cervical cancer is 0.26. Older age, UTI, longer catheter indwelling time, and a larger surgical extent may increase the risk of urinary retention. Clinicians should identify patients at risk and adopt interventions such as individualized catheter care. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Nursing staff should assess the risk of urinary retention in a patient with cervical cancer according to her age, presence of UTI, surgical extent, and catheterization time. A carefully chosen surgical procedure and interventions such as individualized education, timely catheter removal, treatment of UTI, and rehabilitation should be offered.

Corrigendum: Disease spectrum, prevalence, genetic characteristics of inborn errors of metabolism in 21,840 hospitalized infants in Chongqing, China, 2017-2022.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2024.1395988.].

Disease spectrum, prevalence, genetic characteristics of inborn errors of metabolism in 21,840 hospitalized infants in Chongqing, China, 2017-2022.

Inborn errors of metabolism (IEMs) are uncommon. Although some studies have explored the distribution and characteristics of IEMs in newborns, the impact of these disorders on hospitalized newborns remains unclear. In this study, we gathered data from 21,840 newborn patients admitted for various medical conditions at the Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from January 2017 and December 2022. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS), and genetic analysis were used to elucidate the disease spectrum, incidence rate, and genetic characteristics of IEMs in hospitalized newborns. The results revealed that the incidence of IEMs in hospitalized newborns was 1/377 (58/21,840), with a higher incidence in full-term infants (1/428) than in premature infants (1/3,120). Among the diagnosed genetic metabolic diseases, organic acid metabolism disorders (1/662), amino acid metabolism disorders (1/950), and fatty acid oxidation disorders (1/10,920) were the most prevalent. Methylmalonic acidemia (MMA), especially the isolated form, emerged as the most common IEM, while neonatal intrahepatic cholestasis caused by citrin deficiency (NICCD) and ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency (OTCD) were prevalent in premature infants. Of the 58 confirmed cases of IEMs, 72 variants were identified, of which 31.94% (23/72) had not been reported previously. This study contributes to understanding the incidence and clinical features of IEMs in hospitalized newborns, offering more efficient strategies for screening and diagnosing these disorders.

Decorin in the spatial control of collagen mineralization.

Understanding the molecular mechanism by which the periodontal ligament (PDL) is maintained uncalcified between two mineralized tissues (cementum and bone) may facilitate the functional repair and regeneration of the periodontium complex, disrupted in the context of periodontal diseases. However, research that explores the control of type I collagen (COL I) mineralization fails to clarify the detailed mechanism of regulating spatial collagen mineralization, especially in the periodontium complex. In the present study, decorin (DCN), which is characterized as abundant in the PDL region and rare in mineralized tissues, was hypothesized to be a key regulator in the spatial control of collagen mineralization. The circular dichroism results confirmed that DCN regulated the secondary structure of COL I, and the surface plasmon resonance results indicated that COL I possessed a higher affinity for DCN than for other mineralization promoters, such as DMP-1, OPN, BSP and DSPP. These features of DCN may contribute to blocking intrafibrillar mineralization in COL I fibrils during the polymer-induced liquid-precursor mineralization process when the fibrils are cross-linked with DCN. This effect was more remarkable when the fibrils were phosphorylated by sodium trimetaphosphate, as shown by the observation of a tube-like morphology via TEM and mineral sheath via SEM. This study enhances the understanding of the role of DCN in mineralization regulation among periodontal tissues. This provides insights for the development of biomaterials for the regeneration of interfaces between soft and hard tissues.

LDCT screening results among eligible and ineligible screening candidates in preventive health check-ups population: a real world study in West China.

To compare the LDCT screening results between eligible and ineligible screening candidates in preventive health check-ups population. Using a real-world LDCT screening results among people who took yearly health check-up in health management center of West China Hospital between 2006 and 2017. Objects were classified according to the China National Lung Cancer Screening Guideline with Low-dose Computed Tomography (2018 version) eligibility criteria. Descriptive analysis were performed between eligible and ineligible screening candidates. The proportion of ineligible screening candidates was 64.13% (10,259), and among them there were 4005 (39.04%) subjects with positive screenings, 80 cases had a surgical lung biopsy. Pathology results from lung biopsy revealed 154 cancers (true-positive) and 26 benign results (false-positive), the surgical false-positive biopsy rate was 4.17%, and ineligible group (7.69%) was higher than eligible group (2.47%), P < 0.05. Further, in ineligible screening candidates, the proportion of current smokers was higher among males compared to females (53.85% vs. 4.88%, P < 0.05). Of the 69 lung cancer patients detected in ineligible screening candidates, lung adenocarcinoma accounts for a high proportion of lung cancers both in male (75.00%) and female (85.00%). The proportion of ineligible screening candidates and the surgical false-positive biopsy rate in ineligible candidates were both high in health check-ups population.

Virtual reality psychological intervention helps reduce preoperative anxiety in patients undergoing carotid artery stenting: a single-blind randomized controlled trial.

Objective: This study aimed to explore the effectiveness and applicability of a psychological intervention using virtual reality (VR) to reduce preoperative anxiety in patients undergoing carotid artery stenting (CAS). Methods: A total of 114 patients aged 18-86 years who were scheduled to undergo CAS were randomized to the VR and control groups. Patients in the VR group used a VR headset to view a 16-min psychological intervention video, while those in the control group used a tablet for viewing. The primary assessment instrument was the State Anxiety Inventory (S-AI), which was given 20 min before and after the intervention and 24 h after surgery. Secondary assessment tools were the Self-efficacy for Managing Chronic Disease (SEMCD-6) scale, which was completed before the intervention and 24 h after the operation, a smart bracelet to assess sleep quality, monitored in the evening before the operation, and the VR Suitability and Satisfaction Questionnaire, completed 24 h after the operation. Results: The two groups were similar in terms of demographic information, preintervention STAI scores and preintervention SEMCD-6 scores (p > 0.05). S-AI scores were lower in both groups after the intervention and surgery, and the scores of the VR group were lower than those of the control group (p = 0.036, p = 0.014). SEMCD-6 scores post-surgery had improved in both groups, but the VR group had significantly higher scores than the control group (p = 0.005). Smart bracelet measurements showed no significant differences in postintervention sleep quality between the two groups (p = 0.540). For satisfaction, the VR group scored higher in all aspects except scheduling. A total of 47 (85.45%) patients reported having a comfortable experience, and only 5 (9.09%) experienced mild adverse effects. Conclusion: The use of a virtual reality psychological intervention was beneficial to reduce the anxiety of patients before CAS and improved their self-efficacy. As virtual reality devices evolve and demonstrate better comfort and safety, more comprehensive and in-depth research of the use of VR to reduce patient anxiety should be performed in the future.Clinical trial registration:https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=186412, identifier ChiCTR2200066219.

Lactiplantibacillus plantarum Postbiotics Suppress Salmonella Infection via Modulating Bacterial Pathogenicity, Autophagy and Inflammasome in Mice.

Our study aimed to explore the effects of postbiotics on protecting against Salmonella infection in mice and clarify the underlying mechanisms. Eighty 5-week-old C57BL/6 mice were gavaged daily with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (LP)-derived postbiotics (heat-killed bacteria, LPBinactive; culture supernatant, LPC) or the active bacteria (LPBactive), and gavaged with Salmonella enterica Typhimurium (ST). The Turbidimetry test and agar diffusion assay indicated that LPC directly inhibited Salmonella growth. Real-time PCR and biofilm inhibition assay showed that LPC had a strong ability in suppressing Salmonella pathogenicity by reducing virulence genes (SopE, SopB, InvA, InvF, SipB, HilA, SipA and SopD2), pili genes (FilF, SefA, LpfA, FimF), flagellum genes (FlhD, FliC, FliD) and biofilm formation. LP postbiotics were more effective than LP on attenuating ST-induced intestinal damage in mice, as indicated by increasing villus/crypt ratio and increasing the expression levels of tight junction proteins (Occludin and Claudin-1). Elisa assay showed that LP postbiotics significantly reduced ST-induced inflammation by regulating the levels of inflammatory cytokines (the increased IL-4 and IL-10 and the decreased TNF-α) in serum and ileum (p < 0.05). Furthermore, LP postbiotics inhibited the activation of NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain-associated protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome by decreasing the protein expression of NLRP3 and Caspase-1, and the gene expression of Caspase-1, IL-1ß and IL-18. Meanwhile, both LPC and LPB observably activated autophagy under ST infection, as indicated by the up-regulated expression of LC3 and Beclin1 and the downregulated p62 level (p < 0.05). Finally, we found that LP postbiotics could trigger an AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling pathway to induce autophagy. In summary, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum-derived postbiotics alleviated Salmonella infection via modulating bacterial pathogenicity, autophagy and NLRP3 inflammasome in mice. Our results confirmed the effectiveness of postbiotics agents in the control of Salmonella infection.

Serum Response Factor-Regulated IDO1/Kyn-Ahr Pathway Promotes Tumorigenesis of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Serum response factor (SRF) regulates pro-carcinogenic genes in various cancers, but its role in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remains unclear. SRF expression in 70 OSCC samples was detected via immunohistochemistry. Abundant SRF expressed in OSCC tissues was closely associated with tumor metastasis. SRF-overexpressing OSCC cells were constructed to evaluate how SRF affects OSCC cell tumorigenesis and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in vitro and in vivo. Overexpressed SRF increased OSCC cell migration and invasion in vitro and tumor growth and invasion in vivo. This promoted EMT, characterized by decreased and increased expression of E- and N-cadherin, respectively. Furthermore, an analysis of RNA sequences of transcriptional targets of SRF showed that SRF transactivated the indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1)/kynurenine-aryl hydrocarbon receptor (Kyn-AhR) signaling pathway in OSCC cell lines. Direct SRF binding to the IDO1 gene promoter upregulated transcription, which was detected through chromatin immunoprecipitation and dual luciferase reporter assays. Inhibiting IDO1 or AhR impaired SRF-induced migration and invasion and prevented EMT in OSCC cells. Our results demonstrated that SRF is a critical regulator of the IDO1/Kyn-AhR signaling pathway. This in turn increases OSCC cell migration and invasion by modulating EMT, which, consequently, favors OSCC cell growth and metastasis. We revealed a novel molecular mechanism through which SRF modulates OSCC metastasis. This should provide potential targets or biomarkers for OSCC diagnosis and treatment.

Vulvar ulcerative cutaneous tuberculosis secondary to genital tract tuberculosis.

Tuberculosis is a chronic infectious disease that gradually poses a certain threat to public health and economic growth. Tuberculosis typically affects the lungs, pleura, and lymph nodes and rarely the skin. Cutaneous tuberculosis manifesting as ulcerated lesions is also rare and often misdiagnosed and missed by clinicians. Here, the authors report a 29-year-old female patient presenting a vulvar ulcer for 10 months, accompanied by irregular menstruation and increased vaginal secretions. After a skin biopsy and endometrial PCR testing, it was finally diagnosed as vulvar ulcerative cutaneous tuberculosis secondary to genital tuberculosis. Anti-tuberculosis treatment was effective. Cutaneous tuberculosis is called a great imitator. In order to facilitate the diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis by clinicians, the authors systematically reviewed this disease as well.

Level of knowledge on low-dose CT lung cancer screening in Sichuan province, China: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: Low-dose CT (LDCT) can help determine the early stage of lung cancer and reduce mortality. However, knowledge of lung cancer and lung cancer screening among community residents and medical workers, and potential factors that may affect medical institutions to set up LDCT are limited. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Sichuan province, China, in 2021. Community residents, medical workers and medical institutions were randomly selected, and participants responded to related questionnaires. Knowledge of lung cancer and LDCT lung cancer screening was evaluated. Data analyses were performed using SAS V.9.4. RESULTS: A total of 35 692 residents, 6350 medical workers and 81 medical institutions were recruited; 4.05% of the residents were very familiar with lung cancer and 37.89% were (completely) unfamiliar. Characteristics, such as age and level of education, were significantly related to residents who were very familiar with lung cancer. Furthermore, 22.87% of the residents knew that LDCT can effectively screen for early-stage lung cancer, which was correlated with smoking (OR 1.1300; 95% CI 1.0540 to 1.2110; p=0.006) and family history of cancer (OR 1.2210; 95% CI 1.1400 to 1.3080; p<0.0001); 66.06% of medical workers believed that LDCT can detect early-stage lung cancer. Technicians and nurses were less knowledgeable than doctors about whether LDCT can effectively screen for early-stage lung cancer (OR 0.6976; 95% CI 0.5399 to 0.9015; p=0.0059 and OR 0.6970; 95% CI 0.5718 to 0.8496; p=0.0004, respectively). Setting up LDCT in medical institutions was related to grade, administrative rank, number of hospital beds that opened and total number of medical workers. CONCLUSIONS: The knowledge of lung cancer in residents is relatively low, and the knowledge of LDCT in screening (early-stage) lung cancer needs to be improved both in residents and medical workers. Possible factors that affect medical institutions to set up LDCT may need to be incorporated.

Surgical reconstructive treatment for infraosseous peri-implantitis defects with a submerged healing approach: A prospective controlled study.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to assess the reconstructive potential of a submerged healing approach for the treatment of infraosseous peri-implantitis defects. METHODS: Patients with a diagnosis of peri-implantitis were recruited. Implant suprastructures were removed before the surgical treatment, which included implant surface and defect detoxification using implantoplasty, air-power driven devices, and locally delivered antibiotics. The augmentation procedure included a composite bone graft and a non-resorbable membrane followed by primary wound coverage and a submerged healing of 8 months, at which point membranes were removed, and peri-implant defect measurements were obtained as the primary outcome. Secondary endpoints included assessment of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and probing depth (PD) reductions. RESULTS: Thirty implants in 22 patients were treated. A significant clinical bone gain of 3.22 ± 0.41 mm was observed at 8 months. Radiographic analysis also showed an average gain of 3.47 ± 0.41 mm. Three months after installment of new crowns, final PD measures showed a significant reduction compared to initial examinations and a significant reduction in bleeding on probing compared to examinations at the pre-surgical visit. CONCLUSIONS: Reconstruction of infraosseous peri-implantitis defects is feasible with thorough detoxification of implant sites, and a submerged regenerative healing approach.