Omental fibroma combined with right indirect inguinal hernia masquerades as a scrotal tumor: A case report

BACKGROUND The most common causes of scrotal enlargement in patients include primary tumor of the scrotum,inflammation,hydrocele of the tunica vaginalis,and indirect inguinal hernia;scrotal enlargement caused by external tumors of the scrotum is rare.The patient had both a greater omentum tumor and an inguinal hernia,and the tumor protruded into the scrotum through the hernia sac,which is even rarer.Moreover,omental tumors are mostly metastatic,and primary omental fibroma is rare.CASE SUMMARY Here,we report a rare case of a 25-year-old young man with scrotal enlargement and pain for 3 months.Preoperative examination and multidisciplinary discu-ssions considered intra-abdominal tumor displacement and inguinal hernia,and intraoperative exploration confirmed that the greater omentum tumor protruded into the scrotum.Therefore,tumor resection and tension-free inguinal hernia repair were performed.The final diagnosis was benign fibroma of the greater omentum accompanied by an indirect inguinal hernia.CONCLUSION This unusual presentation of a common inguinal hernia disease illustrates the necessity of performing detailed history taking,physical examination,and imaging before surgery.

Study on the Measurement of the Development Level of Common Prosperity

Constructing a comprehensive prosperity evaluation index system from the dimensions of“affluence”and“commonality,”consisting of 23 detailed indicators,this study utilizes the entropy method and provincial panel data from 2011 to 2020 to measure the level of common prosperity across Chinese provinces.The research findings indicate an overall upward trend in the common prosperity development level among provinces during the sample period.Beijing,Shanghai,Zhejiang,Guangdong,and Jiangsu exhibit the highest common prosperity indices at the provincial level.From a spatial perspective,significant disparities exist in the common prosperity levels among different regions.Consequently,policy recommendations are proposed:Tailoring strategies for regional development based on realities,reinforcing regional coordinated development,and promoting the advancement of common prosperity.

Unusual thermal properties of graphene origami crease:A molecular dynamics study

Graphene is a two-dimensional material that can be folded into diverse and yet interesting nanostructures like macro-scale paper origami.Folding of graphene not only makes different morphological configurations but also modifies their mechanical and thermal properties.Inspired by paper origami,herein we studied systemically the effects of creases,where sp^(2)to sp^(3)bond transformation occurs,on the thermal properties of graphene origami using molecular dynamics(MD)simulations.Our MD simulation results show that tensile strain reduces(not increases)the interfacial thermal resistance owing to the presence of the crease.This unusual phenomenon is explained by the micro-heat flux migration and stress distribution.Our findings on the graphene origami enable the design of the next-generation thermal management devices and flexible electronics with tuneable properties.

Antibacterial polysaccharide-based hydrogel dressing containing plant essential oil for burn wound healing

Background:Polysaccharide-based hydrogels have been developed for many years to treat burn wounds.Essential oils extracted from aromatic plants generally exhibit superior biological activity,especially antibacterial properties.Studies have shown that antibacterial hydrogels mixed with essential oils have great potential for burn wound healing.This study aimed to develop an antibacterial polysaccharide-based hydrogel with essential oil for burn skin repair.Methods:Eucalyptus essential oil(EEO),ginger essential oil(GEO)and cumin essential oil(CEO)were employed for the preparation of effective antibacterial hydrogels physically crosslinked by carboxymethyl chitosan(CMC)and carbomer 940(CBM).Composite hydrogels were prepared and characterized using antimicrobial activity studies,Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy,X-ray diffraction,scanning electron microscopy,gas chromatography-mass spectrometery,rheological analysis,viscosity,swelling,water loss rate and water vapor transmission rate studies.In addition,the biocompatibility of hydrogels was evaluated in vivo by cytotoxicity and cell migration assays and the burn healing ability of hydrogels was tested in vivo using burn-induced wounds in mice.Results:The different essential oils exhibited different mixing abilities with the hydrogel matrix(CMC and CBM),which caused varying levels of reduction in essential oil hydrogel viscosity,swelling and water vapor transmission.Among the developed hydrogels,the CBM/CMC/EEO hydrogel exhibited optimal antibacterial activities of 46.26±2.22%and 63.05±0.99%against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli,respectively,along with cell viability(>92.37%)and migration activity.Furthermore,the CBM/CMC/EEO hydrogel accelerated wound healing in mouse burn models by promoting the recovery of dermis and epidermis as observed using a hematoxylin–eosin and Masson’s trichrome staining assay.The findings from an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay demonstrated that the CBM/CMC/EEO hydrogel could repair wounds through interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-αdownregulation and transforming growth factor-β,vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)and epidermal growth factor upregulation.Conclusions:This study successfully prepared a porous CBM/CMC/EEO hydrogel with high antibacterial activity,favorable swelling,optimal rheological properties,superiorwater retention andwater vapor transmission performance and a significant effect on skin repair in vitro and in vivo.The results indicate that the CBM/CMC/EEO hydrogel has the potential for use as a promising burn dressing material for skin burn repair.

CREBBP/EP300 mutations promoted tumor progression in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma through altering tumorassociated macrophage polarization via FBXW7-N0TCHCCL2/ CSF1 axis

Epigenetic alterations play an important role in tumor progression of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma(DL BCL).However,the biological relevance of epigenetic gene mutations on tumor microenvironment remains to be determined.The core set of genes relating to histone methylation(KMT2D,KMT2C,EZH2),histone acetylation(CREBBP,EP300),DNA methylation(TET2),and chromatin remodeling(ARID1A)were detected in the training cohort of 316 patients by whole-genome/exome sequencing(WGS/WES)and in the validation cohort of 303 patients with newly diagnosed DL BCL by targeted sequencing.Their correlation with peripheral blood immune cells and clinical outcomes were assessed.Underlying mechanisms on tumor microenvironment were investigated both in vitro and in vivo.Among all 619 DLBCL patients,somatic mutations in KMT2D(19.5%)were most frequently observed,followed by mutations in ARID1A(8.7%),CREBBP(8.4%),KMT2C(8.2%),TET2(7.8%),EP300(6.8%),and EZH2(2.9%).Among them,CREBBP/EP300 mutations were signifcantly associated with decreased peripheral blood absolute lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratios,as well as inferior progression-free and overall survival.In B-lymphoma cells,the mutation or knockdown of CREBBP or EP300 inhibited H3K27 acetylation,downregulated FBXW7 expression,activated the NOTCH pathway,and downstream CCL2/CSF1 expression,resulting in tumor-associated macrophage polarization to M2 phenotype and tumor cell proliferation.In B-lymphoma murine models,xenografted tumors bearing CREBBP/EP300 mutation presented lower H3K27 acetylation,higher M2 macrophage recruitment,and more rapid tumor growth than those with CREBBP/EP300 wild-type control via FBXW7-NOTCH-CCL2/CSF1 axis.Our work thus contributed to the understanding of aberrant histone acetylation regulation on tumor microenvironment as an alternative mechanism of tumor progression in DLBCL.

Good laboratory practices guarantee biosafety in the Sierra Leone-China friendship biosafety laboratory

Background:The outbreak of Ebola virus disease(EVD)in West Africa between 2014 and 2015 was the largest EDV epidemic since the identification of Ebola virus(EBOV)in 1976,and the countries most strongly affected were Sierra Leone,Guinea,and Liberia.Findings:The Sierra Leone-China Friendship Biological Safety Laboratory(SLE-CHN Biosafety Lab),a fixed Biosafety Level 3 laboratory in the capital city of Sierra Leone,was established by the Chinese government and has been active in EBOV detection since 11 March 2015.Complete management and program documents were created for the SLE-CHN Biosafety Lab,and it was divided into four zones(the green,yellow,brown,and red zones)based on the risk assessment.Different types of safe and appropriate personnel protection equipment(PPE)are used in different zones of the laboratory,and it fully meets the Biosafety Level 3 laboratory standards of the World Health Organization.Conclusion:Good preparedness,comprehensive risk assessment and operation documents,appropriate PPE,effective monitoring and intensive training,together with well-designed and reasonable laboratory sectioning are essential for guaranteeing biosafety.

Antibody neutralization to SARS-CoV-2 and variants after 1 year in Wuhan,China

Most COVID-19 convalescents can build effective anti-SARS-CoV-2 humoral immunity,but it remains unclear how long it can maintain and how efficiently it can prevent the reinfection of the emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants.Here,we tested the sera from 248 COVID-19 convalescents around 1 year post-infection in Wuhan,the earliest known epicenter.SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin G(IgG)was well maintained in most patients and potently neutralizes the infection of the original strain and the B.1.1.7 variant.However,varying degrees of immune escape was observed on the other tested variants in a patient-specific manner,with individuals showing remarkably broad neutralization potency.The immune escape can be largely attributed to several critical spike mutations.These results suggest that SARS-CoV-2 can elicit long-lasting immunity but this is escaped by the emerging variants.

Identification of Histoplasma causing an unexplained disease cluster in Matthews Ridge, Guyana

Here,we report the identification of Histoplasma causing an unexplained disease cluster in Matthews Ridge,Guyana.In March 2019,14 employees of Chongqing Bosai Mining Company,China,working in a manganese mining of Guyana,had unexplained fever,and two of them died.We obtained lung and brain tissues as well as the blood samples from the two deceased cases(patient No.1 and 2),and bronchoscopy lavages and cerebrospinal fluid samples from one severe case(patient No.3),respectively.All samples were tested by pathological examination,high-throughput sequencing,and real-time PCR.Pathological detection showed the presence of spore-like structures in the lung tissue of patient No.1,indicating a fungal infection in this patient.Nanopore sequencing identified the existing of H.capsulatum in the lung tissue sample within 13 h.Next-generation sequencing identified specific fragments of H.capsulatum in all of the samples tested(lung,brain and blood serum from the deceased cases,and plasma from the severe case).Real-time PCR assays did not reveal any viral infection related to transmission from bat feces.We conclude that H.capsulatum was the causative pathogen of this disease cluster based on epidemiologic,clinical,pathological and nucleic acid evidence.

Dynamics of the SARS-CoV-2 antibody response up to 10 months after infection

COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection has caused substantial morbidity and mortality worldwide and paralyzed the international economy.Understanding the magnitude and duration of the antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 is important to achieve a balance between curbing the pandemic and minimizing adverse effects on society.1 Although the antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 within 9 months has been extensively studied,2,3,4,5,6 little is known about the magnitude and kinetics of antibody responses for over 9 months.Moreover,with limited observations over 9 months(n<100),2,7,8 several studies have produced inconsistent conclusions about antibody dynamics,suggesting different rates of antiviral antibody positivity at the last follow-up.2,7,8 These studies have been limited by a lack of measurement of neutralizing antibodies(NAbs),7 of inclusion of mild or asymptomatic cases,2,8 and of further exploration of potential predisposing factors for antibody dynamics.2,7 Considering the individual heterogeneity(such as disease severity)8 and time-dependent nature1 of the immune response,in-depth characterization of SARS-CoV-2 antibody kinetics across disease severity groups over a long period is urgently needed.Therefore,we repeatedly tested IgM,IgG,viral spike protein receptor-binding dom(anti-RBD)IgG,and NAb titers in COVID-19 patients during a follow-up period of up to 10 months and explored potential predisposing factors of antibody titers during follow-up.

Freeze substitution Hi-C,a convenient and cost-effective method for capturing the natural 3D chromatin conformation from frozen samples

Chromatin interactions functionally affect genome architecture and gene regulation,but to date,only fresh samples must be used in High-through chromosome conformation capture(Hi-C)to keep natural chromatin conformation intact.This requirement has impeded the advancement of 3 D genome research by limiting sample collection and storage options for researchers and severely limiting the number of samples that can be processed in a short time.Here,we develop a freeze substitution Hi-C(FS-Hi-C)technique that overcomes the need for fresh samples.FS-Hi-C can be used with samples stored in liquid nitrogen(LN2):the water in a vitreous form in the sample cells is replaced with ethanol via automated freeze substitution.After confirming that the FS step preserves the natural chromosome conformation during sample thawing,we tested the performance of FS-Hi-C with Drosophila melanogaster and Gossypium hirsutum.Beyond allowing the use of frozen samples and confirming that FS-Hi-C delivers robust data for generating contact heat maps and delineating A/B compartments and topologically associating domains,we found that FS-HiC outperforms the in situ Hi-C in terms of library quality,reproducibility,and valid interactions.Thus,FS-HiC will probably extend the application of 3D genome structure analysis to the vast number of experimental contexts in biological and medical research for which Hi-C methods have been unfeasible to date.

Rare peptide anchors of HLA class I alleles contribute to the COVID-19 disease severity and T cell memory

Understanding how human leukocyte antigen(HLA)polymorphism affects both the susceptibility and severity of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2)infection will help to identify individuals at higher risk to better manage and prioritize vaccination at the clinical level and explain the differences in epidemic trends in different regions at the epidemiological level.This study compared the frequencies of HLA class I alleles(HLA-A,B)in 214 coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)patients with different disease severity and 35 healthy controls and analyzed the correlations between specific HLA alleles and disease severity and T cell memory.The results showed no significant difference in HLA allele frequencies between COVID-19 patients and healthy controls(P>0.05).The allele HLA-B*13:02 was significantly correlated with the disease severity of COVID-19 patients(P=0.006).After adjustment for age and disease severity,the T cell responses of COVID-19 convalescents with the allele HLA-B*40:01 may be lower at six months(P=0.044)and 12 months(P=0.069).Moreover,these results may be due to their rare peptide anchors by analyzing the binding peptide motifs of these HLA alleles.The study may be valuable for investigating the potential association of specific HLA alleles with SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Broadly neutralizing antibodies derived from the earliest COVID-19 convalescents protect mice from SARS-CoV-2 variants challenge

Coronavirus disease 2019(COviD-19)was first reported three years ago,when a group of individuals were infected with the original SARS-CoV-2 strain,based on which vaccines were developed.Here,we develop six human monoclonal antibodies(mAbs)from two elite convalescents in Wuhan and show that these mAbs recognize diverse epitopes on the receptor binding domain(RBD)and can inhibit the infection of SARS-CoV-2 original strain and variants of concern(VOCs)to varying degrees,including Omicron strains XBB and XBB.

Structural insight into EV-A713A protein and its interaction with a peptide inhibitor

Dear Editor,Hand,foot,and mouth disease(HFMD)is a common illness among children that is usually mild and self-limiting.However,in some severe cases,patients may rapidly develop neurological and systemic complications that can be fatal(Ooi et al.,2010).HFMD is caused by a few serotypes of human enterovirus A(HEV-A)species(Yu and Cowling,2019),with enterovirus A71(EV-A71)and coxsackievirus A16(CV-A16)being the most typical causative agents(Yu and Cowling,2019).Furthermore,severe neurological sequelae are more common in cases with EV-A71 serotype infection than other serotypes(Ooi et al.,2010;Yu and Cowling,2019).There has been a significant increase in EV-A71 epidemic activity throughout the Asia–Pacific region(McMinn,2002)since EV-A71 was first isolated from a patient with central nervous system(CNS)disease in 1969(Schmidt et al.,1974).EV-A71 is a small non-enveloped virus belonging to HEV-A species of the genus Enterovirus in the family Picornaviridae(Nasri et al.,2007).Its genome is a single-stranded positive-sense RNA of approximately 7400 bp in length and contains only one complete open reading frame(ORF),which encodes a large polyprotein(Solomon et al.,2010).