Background Pilomatricoma (PM) is a cutaneous benign neoplasm derived from the hair matrix. It clinically presents as a solitary and firm nodule overlying normal epidermis and is usually not easy to ...be noticed at early stage. Nevertheless, when special bullous lesion occurs in a short time or even ulcerates, preoperative diagnosis by a dermatologist is often challenging especially when the pediatric patients refuse biopsy. Case presentation We present six bullous PM cases and particularly conduct correlation analysis on the dermotoscopy and histopathology detection data. The basic information, medical history, symptoms and lesion morphology results of the patients were also provided. We found that the incidence of bullous PM was higher in females than in males, and most patients were adolescents and the predilection location seem to be consistent in the vaccine injection site. The dermatoscopic features of bullous PM reported were luminous yellow structure below, with gray-blue homogeneous areas and branched capillary. The histological features were consistent with PM, and evident epidermis bullae were above the tumor with extraordinary dilation of lymphangion in the upper dermis. The patients described in this study were Chinese patients in Han population included 4 females and 2 males, coincidentally, they are almost teen-age, respectively are 5,11,17,19,21,22 year-old. Conclusions This study reported and analyzed the dermotoscopy and clinical characteristics of bullous PM, dermotoscopy may guide as a rapid and reliable technique in bullous PM diagnosis. Keywords: Pilomatricoma, Dermotoscope, Bullous variant, Case report
Sleep disturbance is a common problem in the general population. Sleep deprivation or dysfunction can have profound health consequences. However, how sleep duration is associated with thyroid ...function remains unclear. This study was thus developed to examine the association between sleep duration and thyroid function in the US adult population. A total of 8102 participants from the NHANES 2007-2012 dataset were included in this study. Weighted data analyses were conducted, and the link between sleep duration and thyroid function was probed using linear regression models with smoothed curve fitting. Stratified analyses were also performed. Weighted mean (standard deviation) values for study variables were as follows: sleep duration 6.85 (0.02) hours, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) 1.86 (0.03) mIU/ml, serum free T3 3.20 (0. 01) pg/mL, serum free T4 0.80 (0.01) ng/dL, serum total T3 115.12 (0.64) ng/dL, serum total T4 7.81 (0.04) ug/dL, TPOAb 16.20 (1.53) IU/mL, TgAb 5.75 (0.73) IU/mL, and Tg 15.11 (0.46) ng/mL. In unadjusted analyses, increased sleep duration was associated with higher serum TSH levels and decreased FT3 levels. After adjustment for potential confounders, a significant negative relationship was detected between sleep duration and FT3 levels in participants with less than or equal to7 hours of sleep. When sleep duration exceeded 7 hours, no significant changes in FT3 levels were observed after further increases in sleep duration. Increased sleep duration was related to decreased FT3 levels, primarily at short sleep durations, and this correlation was no longer evident when participants reached the recommended healthy sleep duration.
The sterile insect technique (SIT) is an environmentally safe and proven technology to suppress wild populations. To further advance its utility, a novel CRISPR-based technology termed precision ...guided SIT (pgSIT) is described. PgSIT mechanistically relies on a dominant genetic technology that enables simultaneous sexing and sterilization, facilitating the release of eggs into the environment ensuring only sterile adult males emerge. Importantly, for field applications, the release of eggs will eliminate burdens of manually sexing and sterilizing males, thereby reducing overall effort and increasing scalability. Here, to demonstrate efficacy, we systematically engineer multiple pgSIT systems in Drosophila which consistently give rise to 100% sterile males. Importantly, we demonstrate that pgSIT-generated sterile males are fit and competitive. Using mathematical models, we predict pgSIT will induce substantially greater population suppression than can be achieved by currently-available self-limiting suppression technologies. Taken together, pgSIT offers to potentially transform our ability to control insect agricultural pests and disease vectors.
Dysmobility Syndrome (DMS), is a combination, that is analogous to the approach taken with metabolic syndrome, The diagnosis of DMS is complex. So this study aimed to explore the relationship between ...25-(OH) Vit D with Dysmobility Syndrome (DMS)in type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM) patients. This is a cross-sectional study, including 330 patients (67.0 ± 8.8 years old) with T2DM who were admitted to the Qinhuangdao First Hospital from October 2020 to February 2022. Selected independent variables include grip strength, six-meter gait speed, level of 25-(OH) vitamin D, and bone mineral density (BMD) measured by Dual-energy X-ray (DXA). DMS includes six conditions: osteoporosis, low muscle mass, low muscle strength, slow gait speed, occurrences of falls in the past year ≥ 1, and obesity, having three or more of these conditions were diagnosed with DMS. Patients were classified based on DMS. The detection rate of DMS in patients with T2DM was 25.5%. The proportion of vitamin deficiency is 67.9% in patients with T2DM. The 25-(OH) Vit D deficiency was defined based on the 25th percentile into two groups; < 36.2 nmol/L. The vitamin D levels in Group DMS were significantly lower than that in Group Non-DMS (41.74 ± 14.60 vs. 47.19 ± 13.01, P < 0.05). After adjusting confounder factors including sex, age, vitamin D levels, HbA1c, ALB, HDLC, eGFR, diabetes microvascular complications and macrovascular, there was an independent association between risk of DMS and age (OR value = 1.160, 95% CI 1.091–1.234, P = 0.000), HbA1c(OR value = 1.262, 95% CI 1.046–1.532, P = 0.015), and vitamin D deficiency (< 36.2 nmol/L) (OR value = 2.990, 95% CI 1.284–6.964, P = 0.011). Our findings suggest that low levels of vitamin D are a predictor of DMS in middle-aged and elderly patients with poor control of type 2 diabetes.
Abstract
The mosquito
Aedes aegypti
is the principal vector for arboviruses including dengue/yellow fever, chikungunya, and Zika virus, infecting hundreds of millions of people annually. ...Unfortunately, traditional control methodologies are insufficient, so innovative control methods are needed. To complement existing measures, here we develop a molecular genetic control system termed precision-guided sterile insect technique (pgSIT) in
Aedes aegypti
. PgSIT uses a simple CRISPR-based approach to generate flightless females and sterile males that are deployable at any life stage. Supported by mathematical models, we empirically demonstrate that released pgSIT males can compete, suppress, and even eliminate mosquito populations. This platform technology could be used in the field, and adapted to many vectors, for controlling wild populations to curtail disease in a safe, confinable, and reversible manner.
Homing-based gene drives, engineered using CRISPR/Cas9, have been proposed to spread desirable genes throughout populations. However, invasion of such drives can be hindered by the accumulation of ...resistant alleles. To limit this obstacle, we engineer a confinable population modification home-and-rescue (HomeR) drive in
targeting an essential gene. In our experiments, resistant alleles that disrupt the target gene function were recessive lethal and therefore disadvantaged. We demonstrate that HomeR can achieve an increase in frequency in population cage experiments, but that fitness costs due to the Cas9 insertion limit drive efficacy. Finally, we conduct mathematical modeling comparing HomeR to contemporary gene drive architectures for population modification over wide ranges of fitness costs, transmission rates, and release regimens. HomeR could potentially be adapted to other species, as a means for safe, confinable, modification of wild populations.
Amyloid light chain (AL) amyloidosis is the most common systemic amyloidosis. The objective of this scoping review was to map the available literature on the diagnosis of AL amyloidosis in China.
The ...published academic papers related to the diagnosis of AL amyloidosis were screened from 1 January 2000 to 15 September 2021. Chinese patients who have suspected AL amyloidosis were included. The included studies were categorized into accuracy studies and descriptive studies based on if the studies supplied the diagnostic accuracy data or not. The information on the diagnostic methods reported by included studies was synthesized.
Forty-three articles were included for the final scoping review, with 31 belonging to descriptive studies and 12 having information on diagnostic accuracy. Although cardiac involvement was second top in Chinese patients with AL amyloidosis, a cardiac biopsy was rare. Next, we found light chain classification and monoclonal (M-) protein identification were essential methods for the diagnosis of AL amyloidosis in China. In addition, some combined tests (e.g. immunohistochemistry and serum free light chain, immunohistochemistry and immunofixation electrophoresis, and serum free light chain and immunofixation electrophoresis) can increase the sensitivity of the diagnosis. Finally, several adjuvant methods (e.g. Imaging, N-terminal-pro hormone BNP, and brain natriuretic peptide test) were important for AL amyloidosis diagnosis.
This scoping review details the characteristics and results of the recently published studies on diagnosing AL Amyloidosis in China. Biopsy is the most important method for AL Amyloidosis diagnosis in China. In addition, combined tests and some adjuvant methods played essential roles in the diagnosis. Further research is required to determine an acceptable and feasible diagnostic algorithm after symptom onset. REGISTRATION: INPLASY2022100096
KEY MESSAGES
This scoping review details the characteristics and results of the recently published studies on diagnosing Amyloid light chain (AL) Amyloidosis in China.
Biopsy is the most important method for AL Amyloidosis diagnosis in China.
Combined tests and some adjuvant methods played essential roles in the diagnosis.
Abstract
Tephritid fruit fly pests pose an increasing threat to the agricultural industry due to their global dispersion and a highly invasive nature. Here we showcase the feasibility of an ...early-detection SEPARATOR sex sorting approach through using the non-model Tephritid pest,
Ceratitis capitata.
This system relies on female-only fluorescent marker expression, accomplished through the use of a sex-specific intron of the highly-conserved
transformer
gene from
C. capitata
and
Anastrepha ludens.
The herein characterized strains have 100% desired phenotype outcomes, allowing accurate male–female separation during early development. Overall, we describe an antibiotic and temperature-independent sex-sorting system in
C. capitata
, which, moving forward, may be implemented in other non-model Tephritid pest species. This strategy can facilitate the establishment of genetic sexing systems with endogenous elements exclusively, which, on a wider scale, can improve pest population control strategies like sterile insect technique.
This study aimed to clarify the effectiveness and safety of two different infusion durations of cyclophosphamide (CTX) plus granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) for peripheral blood stem ...cell mobilization in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM).
One hundred and fifty-six consecutive NDMM patients receiving CTX plus G-CSF mobilization and autologous stem cell transplantation during the period of September 2008 to May 2020 were selected for retrospective analysis. According to differences in prolonged infusion time of CTX, they were divided into a 24-h group (24-h continuous infusion) and a control group (4-6 h of infusion). Mobilization and safety of infusion were analyzed. Flow cytometry was used to detect the peripheral blood CD34+ cell count. Multivariate analysis was performed to determine the factors influencing the number of CD34+ cells.
The mean CD34+ cell counts collected in 24-h and control groups were 6.78 (interquartile range IQR 3.59-11.69) and 4.48 (IQR 2.39-6.30) ×10
/kg, respectively (
< 0.001). Meanwhile, the target number of CD34+ cells/kg (defined as ≥4 × 10
/kg) was collected from 51 (75%) of cases in 24-h group vs. 45 (51%) in the control group (
= 0.002). Multivariate analysis identified the independence of CTX infusion time as a factor influencing the target number of CD34+ cells/kg odds ratio OR, 4.045; 95% CI: 1.630-10.038,
= 0.003. The post-transplantation time to neutrophil engraftment was 10 (IQR 9-11) in 24-h group and 11 (IQR 10-12) in control group (
< 0.001). Finally, no statistical differences were identified between groups in terms of hematologic and non-hematologic toxicities.
For patients with NDMM, 24-h continuous infusion of CTX plus G-CSF contributes to improved mobilization efficiency and equivalent toxicity as a stem cell mobilization regimen.
Homing based gene drives (HGD) possess the potential to spread linked cargo genes into natural populations and are poised to revolutionize population control of animals. Given that host encoded genes ...have been identified that are important for pathogen transmission, targeting these genes using guide RNAs as cargo genes linked to drives may provide a robust method to prevent disease transmission. However, effectiveness of the inclusion of additional guide RNAs that target separate genes has not been thoroughly explored. To test this approach, we generated a split-HGD in
that encoded a drive linked effector consisting of a second gRNA engineered to target a separate host-encoded gene, which we term a gRNA-mediated effector (GME). This design enabled us to assess homing and knockout efficiencies of two target genes simultaneously, and also explore the timing and tissue specificity of Cas9 expression on cleavage/homing rates. We demonstrate that inclusion of a GME can result in high efficiency of disruption of both genes during super-Mendelian propagation of split-HGD. Furthermore, both genes were knocked out one generation earlier than expected indicating the robust somatic expression of Cas9 driven by
germline-limited promoters. We also assess the efficiency of 'shadow drive' generated by maternally deposited Cas9 protein and accumulation of drive-induced resistance alleles along multiple generations, and discuss design principles of HGD that could mitigate the accumulation of resistance alleles while incorporating a GME.
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