YouTube as a source of information for cryptococcal infection: A cross-sectional study.

Objective: Immunocompromised individuals, particularly HIV patients, worldwide are at risk from cryptococcal infection. There are a number of videos of cryptococcal infection and more and more individuals may search these videos, but the quality of videos on YouTube is unclear. This study set out to assess the content and quality of YouTube videos regarding cryptococcal infection. Methods: The keywords "Cryptococcus," "Cryptococcosis" and "Cryptococcal infection" were searched on YouTube. The videos were evaluated and graded by two impartial raters. A 14-point content score was used to categorize videos as bad, good or exceptional. The reliability and quality were evaluated utilizing the DISCERN instrument and a 5-point global quality score. Videos were then divided into groups based on uploading sources and content types. Results: A total of 46 videos were located, and the ratings provided by the two raters were identical. Our scoring algorithm determined that 54.3% (n = 25), 32.6% (n = 15) and 13.0% (n = 6) of the videos were poor, decent and exceptional, respectively. Regarding quality, no difference was identified between the various video categories. The global quality scale, number of views, days posted, content score and DISCERN showed a significant positive relationship. Conclusions: Professional individuals or healthcare organizations should be encouraged to submit high-quality videos for the expanding internet population, as only a small proportion of available videos had exceptional quality.

Jasmonate activates a CsMPK6-CsMYC2 module that regulates the expression of ß-citraurin biosynthetic genes and fruit coloration in orange (Citrus sinensis).

Carotenoids are natural pigments that influence the color of citrus fruit. The red-colored carotenoid ß-citraurin is responsible for the peel color in "Newhall" orange (Citrus sinensis). Although jasmonates are known to regulate the biosynthesis and accumulation of carotenoids, their effects on ß-citraurin biosynthesis in citrus fruit remain unclear. Here, we determined that treatment with methyl jasmonate (MeJA) significantly promotes fruit coloration and ß-citraurin production in "Newhall" orange. A MeJA treatment induced the expression of CsMYC2, which encodes a transcription factor that serves as a master regulator of jasmonate responses. CsMYC2 bound the promoter of the gene that encodes carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase 4b (CsCCD4b), the key gene for ß-citraurin biosynthesis, and the promoters of genes that encode phytoene synthase (CsPSY), lycopene ß-cyclase (CsLCYb), and ß-carotene hydroxylase (CsBCH) and induced their expression. In addition, CsMYC2 promoted CsMPK6 expression. Notably, we found that CsMPK6 interacted with CsMYC2 and that this interaction decreased the stability and DNA-binding activity of CsMYC2. Thus, we conclude that negative feedback regulation attenuates JA signaling during the jasmonate-induced coloration of citrus fruit. Together, our findings indicate that jasmonates induce ß-citraurin biosynthesis in citrus by activating a CsMPK6-CsMYC2 cascade, thereby affecting fruit coloration.

High-Quality Genome Resource of Gilbertella persicaria Causing Peach Soft Rot.

Peach soft rot caused by Gilbertella persicaria is an economically important disease. Here, we report a high-quality complete and annotated genome sequence of G. persicaria strain TFLB-J, isolated from peach fruit in Yuanyang county of Henan Province, China. The assembly consists of 91 scaffolds with an estimated genome size of 33.59 Mb and N50 length of 0.92 Mb, encoding 13,296 predicted protein-coding genes. The whole-genome sequence could provide gene resources for further study of pathogenic effectors and comparative genomics of peach soft rot pathogens.

Effect of folic acid supplementation on diminished ovarian reserve: study protocol of a single-centre, open-label, randomised, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

INTRODUCTION: The prevalence of diminished ovarian reserve (DOR), a common gynaecological disorder, is approximately 10% across the world. Failure in early diagnosis and treatment may result in continuous decreases in ovarian function and the resultant loss in an opportunity of pregnancy, which greatly affects the happiness of the women's family and women's physical and mental health. Nevertheless, there has been no effective treatment for such a disorder until now. Folic acid, a member of the vitamin B family, is involved in one-carbon cycle and methylation regulation. It has been found that folic acid affects the whole period of pregnancy, and folic acid supplementation has shown effective to remarkably reduce the incidence of fetal neural tube defects and decrease plasma homocysteic acid levels, thereby resulting in a decline in the incidence of abortion. In addition, folic acid is reported to mediate ovarian functions. It is therefore hypothesised that folic acid may improve DOR. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A single-centre, open-label, randomised, placebo-controlled clinical trial is designed. We plan to recruit 140 women with DOR at ages of 30-35 years. All participants will be randomised into the folic acid group and placebo group, and each subject will be given a tablet with the same appearance daily for 6 months. The primary outcome is antral follicle count, and the secondary outcomes are ovarian reserve markers, ovarian low-dose stimulation responses and safety. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study was approved by the Ethics Review Committee of Nanping First Hospital Affiliated to Fujian Medical University on 10 February 2021 (approval number: NPSY202002042). Written informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to randomisation, following a detailed description of the purpose of the study. The results of this clinical trial will be presented at scientific conferences and submitted to a peer-reviewed journal. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR2100047410.

A computer-aided diagnosis system using white-light endoscopy for the prediction of conventional adenoma with high grade dysplasia.

OBJECTIVES: We developed a computer-aided diagnosis system called ECRCCAD using standard white-light endoscopy (WLE) for predicting conventional adenomas with high-grade dysplasia (HGD) to optimise the patients' management decisions during colonoscopy. METHODS: Pretraining model was used to fine-tune the model parameters by transfer learning. 2,397 images of HGD and 2,487 low-grade dysplasia (LGD) images were randomly assigned (8:1:1) to the training, optimising, and internal validation dataset. The prospective validation dataset is the frames accessed from colonoscope videoes. One independent rural hospital provided an external validation dataset. Histopathological diagnosis was used as the standard criterion. The capability of the ECRCCAD to distinguish HGD was assessed and compared with two expert endoscopists. RESULTS: The accuracy, sensitivity and specificity for diagnosis of HGD in the internal validation set were 90.5%, 93.2%, 87.9%, respectively. While 88.2%, 85.4%, 89.8%, respectively, for the external validation set. For the prospective validation set, ECRCCAD achieved an AUC of 93.5% in diagnosing HGD. The performance of ECRCCAD in diagnosing HGD was better than that of the expert endoscopist in the external validation set (88.2% vs. 71.5%, P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: ECRCCAD had good diagnostic capability for HGD and enabled a more convenient and accurate diagnosis using WLE.

Radiofrequency ablation of intubation granulomas.

OBJECTIVE: We explored the outcomes and voice parameters of patients undergoing plasma radiofrequency (RF) ablation to treat intubation granulomas. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective case series. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Patients with intubation granulomas who met the inclusion criteria underwent RF ablation. The complete remission rate and voice function were evaluated preoperatively and at 6 months postoperatively. RESULTS: We enrolled 13 patients with 25 intubation granulomas. The mean time between intubation and initial diagnosis was 38.6 days and that between intubation and surgical diagnosis was 2.7 months. All 25 granulomas were successfully removed and histologically confirmed. No surgical remnant was evident on the vocal folds and complete glottal closure was observed at 2 weeks postoperatively. No recurrence or RF ablation-related complications were observed during the 6-month follow-up. The complete remission rate was 100% (13/13). In addition, the mean hoarseness, roughness, breathiness, asthenia, and strain (GRBAS) scores, and the maximum phonation time (MPT), improved significantly after treatment (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: RF ablation is effective and safe for patients with intubation granulomas who failed medical management or request the procedure. In this study, the complete resolution rate was high and voice restoration outcomes were good.

Primary repair and reconstruction of tumor defects in parotid masseter region: a report of 58 cases.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to investigate the one-stage reconstruction of primary or secondary neoplastic defects in the parotid masseter area. METHODS: Fifty-eight cases of soft tissue defects reconstruction caused by tumors in the parotid masseter area from 2014 to 2018 were analyzed. The minimum area of defect was 4 cm × 5 cm, and the maximum area was 12 cm × 12 cm. According to the characteristics of the defect and the condition of the patient, the individualized repair method was adopted. Among them, 40 cases were repaired with adjacent flaps, 6 cases with pectoralis major myocutaneous flaps and 12 cases with free flaps. RESULTS: All of the 58 flaps survived, 2 of which were recurrent after radiotherapy. The skin flaps healed poorly with the surrounding skin and healed entirely after 2 weeks of dressing change. The patients were followed up for 6 months to 4 years. One patient with parotid carcinoma recurred locally, one with squamous cell carcinoma of parotid gland died of lung metastasis, and one with malignant melanoma died of brain metastasis. CONCLUSIONS: The soft tissue defect in the parotid masseter region caused by the tumor is common. It is necessary to combine the characteristics of the defect and the general situation of the patient clinically. The individualized method of repair and reconstruction can achieve the effect of a radical cure of the tumor and the consideration of local morphology and function.

The FOXM1-ABCC5 axis contributes to paclitaxel resistance in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells.

Paclitaxel is clinically used as a first-line chemotherapeutic regimen for several cancer types, including head and neck cancers. However, acquired drug resistance results in the failure of therapy, metastasis and relapse. The drug efflux mediated by ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters and the survival signals activated by forkhead box (FOX) molecules are critical in the development of paclitaxel drug resistance. Whether FOX molecules promote paclitaxel resistance through drug efflux remains unknown. In this study, we developed several types of paclitaxel-resistant (TR) nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cells. These TR NPC cells acquired cancer stem cell (CSC) phenotypes and underwent epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), and developed multidrug resistance. TR cells exhibited stronger drug efflux than parental NPC cells, leading to the reduction of intracellular drug concentrations and drug insensitivity. After screening the gene expression of ABC transporters and FOX molecules, we found that FOXM1 and ABCC5 were consistently overexpressed in the TR NPC cells and in patient tumor tissues. Further studies demonstrated that FOXM1 regulated abcc5 gene transcription by binding to the FHK consensus motifs at the promoter. The depletion of FOXM1 or ABCC5 with siRNA significantly blocked drug efflux and increased the intracellular concentrations of paclitaxel, thereby promoting paclitaxel-induced cell death. Siomycin A, a FOXM1 inhibitor, significantly enhanced in vitro cell killing by paclitaxel in drug-resistant NPC cells. This study is the first to identify the roles of FOXM1 in drug efflux and paclitaxel resistance by regulating the gene transcription of abcc5, one of the ABC transporters. Small molecular inhibitors of FOXM1 or ABCC5 have the potential to overcome paclitaxel chemoresistance in NPC patients.

[Correlation between pulmonary function indexes and survival time in patients with advanced lung cancer].

BACKGROUND: To those patients with advanced lung cancer, the ultimate objective is to improve the curative effect and quality of life, lung function indexes are an important factor. We investigate the change of lung function and the relationship between pulmonary function indexs and survival time in patients with advanced lung cancer. METHODS: Lung function was detected in 59 cases with lung cancer and 63 normal controls. The relationship between pulmonary function indexs and survival time was analyzed. RESULTS: There was significant difference in ventilation function and diffusing capacity between in lung cancer group and control group. Vital capacity (VC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), peak expiratory flow (PEF), peak expiratory flow% (PEF%), maximal ventilatory volume (MVV) were positively correlated with survival time in patients with advanced lung cancer (r=0.29, 0.28, 0.28, 0.27, 0.26, 0.28, P<0.05), residual volume/total lung capacity was negatively correlated with survival time (r=-0.31, P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The lung function decreases in the patients with lung cancer. VC, FEV1, FVC, PEF, PEF%, MVV, residual volume/total lung capacity were correlated with survival time in patients with advanced lung cancer. The pulmonary function indexs were important marker of prognosis in patients with lung cancer.

[The study of prethrombotic state in patients with lung cancer.].

BACKGROUND: The prethrombotic state can be observed in advanced lung cancer patients. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between coagulation and fibrinolysis marks on pathophysiological characteristics and prognosis in patients with lung cancer. METHODS: The coagulation and fibgrinolysis marks were detected in sixty patients with lung cancer and twenty normal controls. RESULTS: The D-dimer, fibrinogen degradation products, plasma fibrinogen were significantly higher than those of normal controls. The plasma antithrombin III was significantly lower than those of normal controls. All marks in patients with lung cancer were not related to age, sex, histological classification, the size of the primary tumors, P-TNM stages, distant metastasis. The plasma levels of D-dimer and fibrinogen in patients with lung cancer were negatively correlated to survival. CONCLUSIONS: The patients with lung cancer have abnormal coagulation and fibrinolysis state, these contribute to hypercoagulability state and thrombi. The plasma levels of D-dimer and fibrinogen in patients with lung cancer were correlated with prognosis. The anticoagulability medicine treatment are benefit for the patients with lung cancer.

[Matrine and anti-tumor drugs in inhibiting the growth of human lung cancer cell line].

OBJECTIVE: To study the activities of matrine and anti-tumor drugs on SPCA/I human lung adenocarcinoma cell line. METHODS: Suppression effects of different concentrations of matrine and matrine combined with anti-tumor drugs on lung cancer cells were measured by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) colorimetric assay. RESULTS: Different concentrations of matrine could inhibit the growth of SPCA/I human lung adenocarcinoma cells and there was a positive correlation between the inhibition rate and the drug concentration. Different concentrations of matrine combined with anti-tumor drugs had higher growth inhibition rate than anti-tumor drugs alone. CONCLUSION: Matrine has direct growth suppression effect on SPCA/I human lung adenocarcinoma cells and matrine combined with anti-tumor drugs shows a significant synergistic effect on tumor cells.