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The lack of racial diversity of genetic counselors in the genetic counseling profession is a frequent discussion topic. Despite this, little research has focused on the clinical and training experiences of genetic counselors identifying as racial minorities. Additionally, while multilingualism is relatively common among this population, no research has focused on the genetic counselor���s perspective and thoughts on counseling in a second language. This study aimed to explore the experiences of Chinese-speaking genetic counselors counseling patients in Chinese. We conducted semi-structured interviews with four Chinese speaking genetic counselors to explore their experiences and four themes, and related sub-themes emerged through inductive content analysis: (1) counseling in Chinese has improved patient interactions; (2) several barriers, including the need for self-initiated efforts, translation issues, and institutional requirements prevent these genetic counselors from counseling in Chinese; (3) genetic counselors counseled in Chinese due to patient demand and benefit; (4) programs and workplaces should make more efforts to support bilingual genetic counselors, including increasing outreach, initiating and supporting discussions and triggering student interests. The recommendations from this study have the potential to not only increase diversity within the genetic counseling field but also may improve the clinical and training experiences of minority genetic counselors.

Summary Vascular endothelium dysfunction plays a pivotal role in the initiation and progression of multiple organ dysfunction. The mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) maintains vascular endothelial barrier survival via secreting bioactive factors. However, the mechanism of human umbilical cord MSC (hMSC) in protecting endothelial survival remains unclear. Here, we found IGF-1 secreted by hMSC suppressed severe burn-induced apoptosis of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and alleviated the dysfunction of vascular endothelial barrier and multiple organs in severely burned rats. Severe burn repressed miR-301a-3p expression, which directly regulated IGF-1 synthesis and secretion in hMSC. Down-regulation of miR-301a-3p decreased HUVECs apoptosis, stabilized endothelial barrier permeability, and subsequently protected against multiple organ dysfunction in vivo. Additionally, miR-301a-3p negatively regulated PI3K/Akt/FOXO3 signaling through IGF-1. Taken together, our study highlights the protective function of IGF-1 against the dysfunction of multiple organs negatively regulated by miR-301a-3p, which may provide the theoretical foundation for further clinical application of hMSC., Graphical Abstract, Highlights • IGF-1 secreted by hMSC suppressed severe burn-induced apoptosis of HUVECs • miR-301a-3p directly regulated IGF-1 synthesis and secretion in hMSC • DomiR-301a-3p protected against multiple organ dysfunction • miR-301a-3p regulated PI3K/Akt/FOXO3 signaling through hMSC-secreted IGF-1, Clinical Genetics; Cellular Therapy; Stem Cells Research

Background Wound infections, especially multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial infections, are a major challenge in clinical medicine. Methods In this study, a new type of antibacterial sponge was prepared from a solution containing a chitosan-polyvinyl alcohol (CTS-PVA) emulsion with added polyhexamethylene guanidine hydrochloride (PHMG) in a homogeneous medium using lyophilization technology. The antibacterial ability of and CTS-PVA/PHMG sponge against Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Candida albicans, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in vitro. The structure and physical properties were characterized. The sponge dressing was tested in a Pseudomonas aeruginosa-infected full-thickness mouse skin wound defect model. The effects were evaluated by wound area measurement and histological analysis. Results The CTS-PVA/PHMG sponge showed broad-spectrum antibacterial ability, including for MDR bacterial stains from clinical sources, while maintaining excellent physicochemical properties, including a high swelling degree and good moisture retention capability. Scanning electron microscopy images displayed the surface morphology of the CTS-PVA/PHMG sponge dressing. The detection of the wound healing rate and histological analysis supported that the new dressing can alleviate the inflammation and accelerate the healing speed of infected wounds and in vivo. Conclusions CTS-PVA/PHMG sponge shows broad-spectrum antibacterial activity, which can provide a new pathway for clinical prevention and treatment of superbug-infected wounds.

Background: Several lines of evidence have reported that serum angiotensin-converting enzyme (CD143) levels are genetically regulated by insertion/deletion (ins/del) polymorphism in intron 16 of the CD143 gene. In addition, published data on the association of ins/del polymorphism and sepsis risk yielded contradictory conclusions. Therefore, we determined to perform a meta-analysis to validate the association of much debate. Methods and major findings: Relevant literature was identified through weekly searches in databases and references of systematic reviews and the single studies incorporated in this meta-analysis. We combined ORs and its 95% CIs for several genetic models to evaluate the risk of sepsis associated with ins/del polymorphism. A total of seven studies were considered eligible for this analysis. We found significantly increased risk of sepsis in relation to the homozygote ins/ins (OR: 1.32, 95% CI: 1.04-1.68, P: 0.4201, for ins/ins vs. del/del), heterozygote del/ins (OR: 1.33, 95% CI: 1.11-1.61, P: 0.7937, for del/ins vs. del/del) and the two genotypes combined (OR: 1.33, 95% CI: 1.11-1.59, P: 0.7018, for ins/ins + del/ins vs. del/del). Subgroup analysis by age group showed a significant association in pediatric sepsis, but not in adult sepsis. Conclusions: The statistical data suggest that the CD143 gene ins/del polymorphism may influence the risk of sepsis, especially pediatric sepsis.