The Efficacy and Safety of Botulinum Toxin Type A Injections in Improving Facial Scars: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Botulinum toxin type A (BTA) has a wide range of clinical applications, and its use in improving aesthetics is one of them. The aim of this study was to better assess the efficacy and safety of BTA in patients with facial scars. SUMMARY: We extracted the data of the visual analog scale (VAS) score, Vancouver scar scale (VSS) score, scar width, observer scar assessment scale (OSAS), patient scar assessment scale (PSAS), and/or drug-related adverse events. Five studies provided the data of VAS score, and the results showed that the VAS score in the BTA group was significantly higher than that in the control group. Three randomized controlled trials (RCTs) reported the VSS score. A statistically significant difference exists between the BTA group and the control group. Three RCTs reported the scar width after BTA treatment. A more favorable change was found in the BTA group with scar width even without statistical significance. Data about the OSAS and PSAS scores were available in two trials. There was no significant difference in OSAS and PSAS scores between the BTA group and the control group. Only three studies recorded three slight adverse events. There were no reports of severe complications. In conclusions, this study demonstrated that BTA has the potential to improve facial scars with an acceptable safety profile.

Blockade of ITGA2/3/5 Promotes Adipogenic Differentiation of Human Adipose-derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells.

The integrin α (ITGA) subfamily genes play a fundamental role in various cancers. However, the potential mechanism and application values of ITGA genes in adipogenic differentiation of human adipose-derived stem cells (hADSCs) remain elusive. This study confirmed that ITGA2/3/5 mRNA expressions were repressed during adipogenesis. Blockade of ITGA2/3/5 enhanced adipogenic differentiation of hADSCs. Oil red O staining found that more lipid droplets were apparent in the ITGA2/3/5 inhibition group following 14 d adipogenic induction than in the control group. In addition, inhibition of ITGA2/3/5 promoted the expression of adipogenesis-related genes (PPAR-γ, C/EBPα, FABP4). Mechanistically, ITGA2/3/5 functioned by regulating the Rac1 signaling pathway, which reasonably explains ITGA2/3/5's role in adipogenic differentiation of hADSCs. Our studies suggest that blockades of ITGA2/3/5 promote the adipogenic differentiation of hADSCs.

A severe case of iatrogenic botulism associated with COVID-19 infection.

Background: The botulinum toxin is an extremely potent substance that impacts the nervous system. There has been a rise in cases of medical poisoning associated with it, particularly in the field of plastic and aesthetic procedures, in recent years. Case description: A 51-year-old woman underwent a facial wrinkle reduction procedure with an unauthorized injection of 100 U of botulinum toxin at an unlicensed medical facility six days prior to hospitalization. Over time, her toxicity symptoms intensified, impacting her respiratory muscles, and she did not receive antitoxin treatment. She was concurrently diagnosed with a COVID-19 infection during this period. Nonetheless, she experienced a full recovery 86 days after the injection. Conclusion: Currently, there is no effective antidote for botulism. Nevertheless, the timely administration of antitoxin can contribute to reducing the duration of the illness, alleviating symptoms, and preventing its recurrence. It is essential to recognize that individual responses may vary, and in this instance, the absence of antitoxin treatment did not significantly prolong the course of the disease. Accurate diagnosis of medical poisoning can be based on injection history and clinical symptoms. Early indications like fatigue and dry mouth warrant particular attention, emphasizing the importance of immediate medical intervention. To address emergencies, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) should maintain an accessible supply of antitoxin. Patients with severe poisoning should be hospitalized until their respiratory muscle strength is fully restored.

Resistance of the CRISPR-Cas13a Gene-Editing System to Potato Spindle Tuber Viroid Infection in Tomato and Nicotiana benthamiana.

Gene-editing technology, specifically the CRISPR-Cas13a system, has shown promise in breeding plants resistant to RNA viruses. This system targets RNA and, theoretically, can also combat RNA-based viroids. To test this, the CRISPR-Cas13a system was introduced into tomato plants via transient expression and into Nicotiana benthamiana through transgenic methods, using CRISPR RNAs (crRNAs) targeting the conserved regions of both sense and antisense genomes of potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd). In tomato plants, the expression of CRISPR-Cas13a and crRNAs substantially reduced PSTVd accumulation and alleviated disease symptoms. In transgenic N. benthamiana plants, the PSTVd levels were lower as compared to wild-type plants. Several effective crRNAs targeting the PSTVd genomic RNA were also identified. These results demonstrate that the CRISPR-Cas13a system can effectively target and combat viroid RNAs, despite their compact structures.

Transcriptome analysis of genes involved in the pathogenesis mechanism of potato virus Y in potato cultivar YouJin.

Introduction: Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) can be infected by various viruses, but out of all of viruses, the potato virus Y (PVY) is the most detrimental. Research shows that the potato cultivar YouJin is especially vulnerable to PVY and displays severe symptoms, including leaf vein chlorosis, curled leaf margins, large necrotic spots on the leaf blades, and the growth of small new leaves. Methods: PVY infection in potato cultivar YouJin was confirmed through symptom observation, RT-PCR, and Western blot analysis. Transcriptome sequencing was used to analyze the genes associated with PVY pathogenesis in this cultivar. Result: Transcriptome analysis of differential genes was conducted in this study to examine the pathogenesis of PVY on YouJin. The results showed that 1,949 genes were differentially regulated, including 853 upregulated genes and 1,096 downregulated genes. The Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis indicated that carbohydrate synthesis and metabolism pathways were suppressed, and electron transferase and hydrolase activities were reduced. Moreover, there were increased expression levels of protein kinase genes. By focusing on plant-pathogen interaction pathways, six core genes all upregulating the WARK family of transcription factors were obtained. Additionally, a constructed PPI network revealed the identification of key modular differential genes, such as downregulated photosynthesis-related protein genes and upregulated AP2/ERF-ERF transcription factors. Functional network enrichment analysis revealed that PVY infection limited RNA metabolism, glutathionylation, and peroxiredoxin activity while triggering the expression of associated defense genes in YouJin. After analyzing the above, 26 DEGs were screened and 12 DEGs were confirmed via RT-qPCR. Conclusion: These results establish a hypothetical framework for clarifying the pathogenesis of PVY in the YouJin variety of potatoes, which will help design the disease resistance of YouJin.

Chromosome instability-associated prognostic signature and cluster investigation for cutaneous melanoma cases.

Chromosomal instability (CIN) is closely associated to the early detection of several clinical tumours. In this study, the authors first established a novel prognostic model of melanoma using the hub genes of CIN, based on the datasets of The cancer genome atlas-skin cutaneous melanoma (TCGA-SKCM) and GSE65904 cohorts. Based on the risk scores of our model, the disease-specific survival (DSS) prognosis was worse in the high-risk group. Combining risk score, stage, age, ulceration, and clark factors, a Nomogram was generated to predict 1, 3, 5-year survival rates, which indicated a good clinical validity. Our finding also showed a correlation between high/low risk and tumour infiltration levels of 'activated CD8 T cells' and 'effector memory CD8 T cells'. Moreover, the authors first performed a CIN-based tumour clustering analysis using TCGA-SKCM cases, and identified two melanoma clusters, which exhibit the distinct DSS prognosis and the tumour-infiltrating levels of CD8 T cells. Taken together, a promising CIN-related prognostic signature and clustering for melanoma cases were first established in our study.

Exosomes from adipose-derived stem cells inhibits skin cancer progression via miR-199a-5p/SOX4.

Although miR-199a-5p is linked to the development of numerous cancers, its regulatory role in skin cancer is unclear. In this work, the impact of miR-199a-5p produced by adipose-derived stem cells on malignant melanoma skin cancer was investigated.30 pair tumor tissues and adjacent tissues were obtained from skin cancer patients. Adipose-derived stem cell (ADSCs) were isolated from adipose tissues harvested from healthy subjects. The mRNA relative expression was evaluated via qRT-PCR. Cell proliferation ability was measured via CCK-8 assay. Apoptosis was evaluated via flow cytometry. The connection between miR-199a-5p and SOX4 was confirmed via luciferase reporter assay. Western blot was conducted to evaluate protein expression. MiR-199a-5p was higher expressed in ADSCs exosomes and was lower expressed in skin cancer tissues and cells. ADSCs-derived exosomes inhibited cell invasion of skin cancer. MiR-199a-5p inhibitor enhanced cell viability and invasion. In addition, miR-199a-5p inhibitor suppressed cell apoptosis. MiR-199a-5p NC transfected ADSCs inhibited cell viability and invasion while miR-199a-5p mimic transfected ADSCs further inhibited cell viability and invasion. In addition, miR-199a-5p NC transfected ADSCs enhanced cell apoptosis while miR-199a-5p mimic transfected ADSCs further enhanced cell apoptosis. Luciferase supported the targetscan prediction that miR-199a-5p might control SOX4 expression. SOX4 expression was noticeably lower in the miR-199a-5p mimic group.Exosomes from adipose-derived stem cells inhibited skin cancer progression via miR-199a-5p/SOX4.

Long non-coding RNA SNHG7 promotes malignant melanoma progression through negative modulation of miR-9.

Long non-coding small nucleolar RNA host gene 7 (lncRNA SNHG7) was verified to act as an onco-gene in human cancers. Nevertheless, the role of SNHG7 in malignant melanoma remains elusive. The present study showed an increase of SNHG7 expression in malignant melanoma tissues and cell lines. Besides, SNHG7 knockdown inhibited proliferation and migration in malignant melanoma cells. Bioinformatics analysis demonstrated that SNHG7 functions as a molecular sponge for miR-9 in biological behavior of melanoma cells. And miR-9 could inhibit the expression of PI3KR3 by binding with the 3'-UTR. Furthermore, PI3KR3, pAKT, cyclin D1 and Girdin expression was down-regulated after SNHG7 knockdown by siRNA. In addition, SNHG7 knockdown decreased xenograft growth in vivo. Taken together, this research demonstrated that SNHG7 was an oncogene in malignant melanoma, providing a novel insight for the pathogenesis and new potential therapeutic target for malignant melanoma.

The formation mechanism of air pollution episodes in Beijing city: Insights into the measured feedback between aerosol radiative forcing and the atmospheric boundary layer stability.

Based on the high-resolution observation of meteorological factors profiles, particulate matter concentration and aerosol radiative forcing (ARF) from 25 August to 17 November 2018 in Beijing, the feedback between ARF and the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) stability was systematically investigated during air pollution episodes. There was the initial explosive growth in particulate matter (PM) concentration that PM2.5 sharply increased from ~8µgm-3 to ~100µgm-3, with aerosol optical depth (AOD) increasing from ~0.25 to ~0.58. This was the transport phase dominated by the southerly winds. As PM increased, the high aerosol loading scattered more solar radiation cooling the earth-atmosphere system (ARF at the top of the atmospheric column (TOA): from ~5Wm-2 to ~-52Wm-2). Meanwhile, high aerosol loading absorbed more solar radiation and heated the atmospheric layer with ARF at the interior of the atmospheric column (ATM) increasing from ~21Wm-2 to ~42Wm-2. The absorption and scattering effects of aerosol together cooled the surface (ARF at the surface of the atmospheric column (SFC): from ~-16Wm-2 to ~-90Wm-2). Thus, the ABL stability rapidly increased in the following cumulative phase and heavy pollution phase with a strong temperature inversion (inversion depth of ~300-1000m) occurring. In turn, the persistent temperature inversion caused the significant accumulation of moisture (water vapor density of ~5-10gm-3) and pollutants, and PM were prone to physicochemical reactions in the high-humidity environment, further increasing PM. It was the constant feedback effect between ARF and the ABL stability that continually reduced atmospheric environmental capacity and aggravated air pollution (PM2.5 and AOD reaching ~95-125µgm-3 and ~1.38-1.75, respectively). Finally, the feedback was broken by dry, clean and strong north winds appearing in Beijing in the dissipation phase.

Impact of the coal banning zone on visibility in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region, which has the most severe air pollution in China, built a 10,000 km2 coal banning zone for pollution control in 2017. In this study, to evaluate the impact of banning coal zone on visibility (VIS), a chemical composition analysis, a chemical mass closure and the revised IMPROVE algorithm were applied to estimate the chemical components and lighting extinction coefficients (bext) of the fine particulate matter (PM2.5) collected at three urban sites (Beijing (BJ), Tianjin (TJ) and Shijiazhuang (SJZ)) and a regional background site (Xinglong (XL)) during autumn and winter of 2016-2017. Compared to measurements from 2016, the average PM2.5 from 2017 decreased by 44 µg m-3 (BJ), 37 µg m-3 (TJ), 69 µg m-3 (SJZ) and 10 µg m-3 (XL), respectively, accompanied by an improved VIS (3.2-4.6 km). The degradation of VIS caused by atmospheric aerosol is due to the light extinction. The bext clearly decreased by 58%, 51%, 56% and 54% at BJ, TJ, SJZ and XL, respectively. However, the reductions/improvements were more significant in winter than those in autumn, especially at BJ and TJ located in the coal banning zone. The decline (improvement) in PM2.5 (VIS) was 16%-37% (15%-27%) in autumn but 29%-60% (21%-83%) in winter. The reductions in SO42- (Cl-) in winter were 2.8 (3.2) and 7.4 (16.4) times larger than those in autumn at BJ and TJ, respectively. Reductions in ammonium sulfate, one of the main species of PM2.5 caused by coal burning, were particularly pronounced at three urban sites in winter (59%-68%). In addition, the reductions in bext in winter were 2.3 (BJ), 339.4 (TJ), 1.9 (SJZ) and 0.4 (XL) times larger than those in autumn. The results reveal that banning coal zone has a marked effect on controlling pollution in the BTH, especially in winter (scattering aerosol sulfate).

Genetic association between TNF-α promoter polymorphism and susceptibility to squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, and melanoma: A meta-analysis.

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) is a multifunctional pro-inflammatory cytokine that plays an important role in cancer development. We performed a meta-analysis to assess the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphisms in the TNF-α promoter region (rs1800629 and rs361525) and susceptibility to squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and melanoma. After database retrieval, article selection, data extraction, and quality assessment, 20 articles comprising 4865 cases and 6329 controls were included in this study. rs1800629 was associated with an increased overall risk of SCC, lung SCC, and oral SCC in the AA vs G and AA vs GG+GA genetic models (all OR>1, Passociation <0.05). No increased risk of skin SCC, skin BCC or melanoma was observed (all Passociation >0.05). Rs361525 was not associated with overall SCC risk in the allele, heterozygote, dominant, recessive, or carrier model (all Passociation >0.05). Begg's and Egger's tests (PBegg>0.05; PEgger>0.05) demonstrated there was no significant publication bias. These data indicate that the AA genotype of TNF-α rs1800629, but not rs361525, is associated with an increased risk of SCC, suggesting it could potentially serve as a prognostic marker for predicting SCC risk.

[Effects of improved scapula flap in repairing refractory wound].

OBJECTIVE: To observe and evaluate the clinical effects of improved scapula flap in repairing refractory wound. METHODS: Ten patients, with refractory wounds (ranging from 11 cm×7 cm to 16 cm×15 cm) on face and extremities combined with bone and tendon exposure as a result of traffic injury, burns, or diabetic feet, were hospitalized from February 2008 to February 2013. The wounds were repaired with improved scapula flap ranging from 12 cm×8 cm to 17 cm×16 cm. Six of them were grafted directly; 4 of them were grafted with bridging. The vessel of flap was freed to the subscapular vessel and its thoraco-dorsal branch, forming the T-shape vessel pedicle with circumflex scapular vessel, and the vessels on two sides of vessel pedicle were anastomosed with vessels in recipient area. The donor sites were sutured directly or covered with autologous medium-thickness skin graft. RESULTS: Nine flaps survived after surgery; the wounds were healed. Few blisters and exudation were observed at the distal end of one flap, which was cured after dressing change for 2 weeks. The pedicles of the bridge-like flap were divided 4-6 weeks after surgery. All the patients were followed up for 6 to 12 months. Slight swelling was observed in 2 flaps. The appearance and texture of the other 8 flaps were good, and the function of the recipient area recovered. No obvious hypertrophic scar was observed in donor site on the back, with normal function of shoulder joint and pulsation of named vessels. CONCLUSIONS: Repairing refractory wounds with improved scapula flaps can result in good appearance, texture, and satisfactory function, which should be popularized in clinic.