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The article discusses the challenges and strategies for preventing pressure injuries in the operating room. Pressure injuries, also known as pressure ulcers or bedsores, are a significant concern in surgical settings due to their association with increased morbidity, longer hospital stays, and higher healthcare costs. Risk factors for developing pressure injuries during surgery include patient-related factors, surgical factors, and environmental factors. The knowledge and practices of healthcare professionals, as well as organizational and systemic challenges, also play a role in preventing pressure injuries. The article suggests a comprehensive approach that includes risk assessment, the use of support surfaces and positioning techniques, education and training, and a multidisciplinary approach and collaboration among healthcare professionals. By implementing these strategies, healthcare facilities can significantly reduce the incidence of pressure injuries and improve patient outcomes. Continued research and innovation in this field are necessary to further enhance prevention efforts and the quality of care provided to surgical patients. [Extracted from the article]

Normal development of the cerebral cortex is a basis for the formation and function of mammalian brains. During this process, the radial migration of cortical neurons, as well as the axon projection into specific layers, are the most important steps regulated by some transcription factors, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are still obscure. BMAL1 (brain and muscle Arnt-like protein 1) is a newly identified transcription factor that plays important roles in the circadian rhythms. It was recently found to regulate the proliferation of hippocampal neuronal progenitor/precursor cells (NPCs), implicating Bmal1 in the brain development. Here we employed both RT-RCR and real-time PCR to explore the expression pattern of the Bmal1 gene in the developing brain. We found BMAl1 is enriched in the brain cortex during the perinatal stages and peaked in P3 mouse brains. Combined with in utero electroporation and interference with RNAi, we found that reducing the expression level of Bmal1 in neurons, the radial migration of embryonic cortical neurons was largely delayed, in a gene dose-effect pattern. Moreover, reducing the level of Bmal1 expression in mouse brains, the axonal projection in the corpus callosum was also disrupted from ipsilateral to the lateral cerebral hemisphere. These findings indicate that BMAL1 is essential for the radial migration of neurons in the cerebral cortex and the axonal projection of the corpus callosum, providing insights into the molecular mechanisms of cerebral cortex development.

Autism or autism spectrum disorders is the most common central nervous system developmental disorder in children. Until now, there is still no effective drug for autism. The latest breakthrough advance in autism study is the discovery of autism-related gene de novo mutation by the whole exon sequencing. Among multiple de novo gene mutations identified in autism, the chromodomain helicase DNA-binding protein 8 (CHD8) is the most frequently mutated gene, suggesting that CHD8 is an important candidate gene for autism. CHD8 binds to various other proteins such as p53 and beta-catenin to regulate gene expression. The discovery of autism-candidate genes provides novel molecular targets for the diagnosis and treatment of autism.