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Objective: Illumination of the integrative effects of herbs in a formula is a bottleneck that limits the development of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). In the present study, we developed a transcriptome-based multi-scale network pharmacology model to explore the combined effects of different herbs. Materials and Methods: First, we curated gene signatures at different biological scales, from the molecular to higher tissue levels, including tissues, cells, pathological processes, biological processes, pathways, and targets. Second, using the Xiexin Tang (XXT) formula as an example, we collected transcriptomic data in response to the treatment of XXT or its three compositive herbs on Michigan cancer foundation7 cells. Third, we linked each herbal drug to different biological scales by calculating the correlation scores between herb-induced gene expression profiles and gene signatures. Finally, the combined mechanisms of the three constituent herbs in XXT were deciphered by comparing their multi-scale effects with those of the formula. Results: The results showed that although XXT or single herbs regulated a large number of signatures on each biological scale, the phenotypic effects of these herbal drugs are concentrated onto the “Blood” tissue, types of hemocytes, and hemorrhagic injury-related pathological processes. At the molecular level, these herbs consistently regulate processes such as the cell cycle and blood coagulation-related pathways, as well as protein targets related to the immunoinflammatory response and blood coagulation, such as proteinase-activated receptor 2, integrin beta-3, inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa-B kinase subunit beta, and coagulation factor XII. The analysis of the combinational modes demonstrated that different herbs can cooperate by acting on the same objects and/or regulating different objects in related functions, and cooperative behaviors change at different biological scales. Conclusions: Our model can dissect the combined effects of herbal formulae from a multi-scale perspective and should be beneficial for the development and exploitation of TCM.

BackgroundThe effectiveness of acupuncture and tuina in treating knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is still controversial, which limits their clinical application in practice. This study aims to evaluate the short-term and long-term effectiveness of acupuncture and tuina on KOA.Methods/designThis parallel-group, multicenter randomized clinical trial (RCT) will be conducted at the outpatient clinic of five traditional Chinese medicine hospitals in China. Three hundred and thirty participants with KOA will be randomly assigned to acupuncture, tuina, or home-based exercise group with a ratio of 1:1:1. The primary outcome is the proportion of participants achieving a minimal clinically important improvement defined as a ≥ 12% reduction on the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) pain dimension on short term (week 8) and long term (week 26) compared with baseline. Secondary outcomes are knee joint conditions (pain, function, and stiffness), self-efficacy of arthritis, quality of life, and psychological conditions, which will be evaluated by the WOMAC score and the Patient Global Assessment (PGA), and in addition, the respondents index of OMERACT-OARSI, Short Form 12 Health Survey (SF-12), arthritis self-efficacy scale, and European five-dimensional health scale (EQ-5D). Adverse events will be collected by self-reported questionnaires predefined.Clinical trial registrationhttps://www.chictr.org.cn

Objective Pre‐implantation sterilization procedures for tendons are important measures to reduce the risk of disease transmission, however these procedures may compromise tendon microarchitecture and biomechanical properties to varying degrees. We explore the effects of different sterilization procedures on the micro‐histology, biomechanical strength and biochemical properties of human tendon allografts in vitro study. Methods The tendon allografts were harvested from cadaveric donors after the donors were serologically screened by antibody or nucleic acid testing of infectious agents. All samples were divided into five groups, which were fresh‐frozen group (control group), 15 kGy gamma irradiation group, 25 kGy gamma irradiation group, 70% ethanol group, and peracetic acid‐ethanol group. Each group included 10 tendons for testing. Histological staining and transmission electron microscopy were applied to observe the internal structure and arrangement of tendon collagen fibers, while the machine learning classifier was trained to distinguish the darker cross‐sections of collagen fibers and brighter backgrounds of the electron micrograph to detect the distribution of diameters of tendon collagen fibers. The viscoelasticity, mechanical properties and material properties of tendon allografts were examined to detect the influence of different intervention factors on the biomechanical properties of tendons. Results Histological staining and transmission electron microscopy showed that the structure of fresh‐frozen tendons was similar to the structures of other experimental groups, and no obvious fiber disorder or delamination was observed. In the uniaxial cyclic test, the cyclic creep of 25 kGy irradiation group (1.5%) and peracetic acid‐ethanol group (1.5%) were significantly lower than that of the control group (3.6%, F = 1.52, P = 0.039) while in the load‐to‐failure test, the maximum elongation and maximum strain of the peracetic acid‐ethanol group were significantly higher than those of the control group (F = 4.60, P = 0.010), and there was no significant difference in other biomechanical indicators. According to the experimental results of denatured collagen, it could be seen that no matter which disinfection procedure was used, the denaturation of the tendon sample would be promoted (F = 1.97, P = 0.186), and high‐dose irradiation seemed to cause more damage to collagen fibers than the other two disinfection procedures (296.2 vs 171.1 vs 212.9 μg/g). Conclusion Biomechanical experiments and collagen denaturation tests showed that 15 kGy gamma irradiation and 70% ethanol can preserve the biomechanical strength and biochemical properties of tendons to the greatest extent, and these two sterilization methods are worthy of further promotion.

Objectives The restoration of as much normal function as possible has become an important goal following the endoprosthetic reconstruction. The objective of this study was to assess the functional outcome after endoprosthetic reconstruction for tumors around the knee and to explore prognostic factors of functional outcome. Methods We retrospectively collected data on patients who underwent tumor prosthetic replacements consecutively. Musculoskeletal Tumour Society score and Toronto Extremity Salvage Score were used to assess the functional outcome at 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after surgery. The logistic model was used to select factors that had potential predictive value for postoperative function. Potential prognostic factors included age, gender, tumor site, type of tumor, length of bone resection, type of prosthesis, length of prosthetic stem, chemotherapy, pathological fracture, and body mass index. Results At the 24 months after surgery, the mean musculoskeletal tumor society (MSTS) score was 81.4% and the mean Toronto extremity salvage score (TESS) was 83.6%. At the last follow-up, 68% of patients and 73% of patients received perfect or good MSTS score and TESS score, respectively. The multivariate analysis according to ordered-logit model showed that age

According to the Global Cancer Statistics 2020 report, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide. Patients with mammary cancer live longer due to the continuous optimization of chemotherapy, targeted drugs, and hormone therapy, which will inevitably lead to an increase in the prevalence of metastatic bone tumors. Bone metastasis affects approximately 8% of patients with mammary cancer, with the spine being the most common site. Metastatic neoplasms can invade the centrum and its attachments, leading to local pain, spinal instability, vertebral pathological fractures, spinal cord compression, impaired neurological function, and paralysis, ultimately reducing the quality of life. Multidisciplinary and personalized management using analgesic drugs, endocrine therapy, corticosteroid therapy, chemotherapy, bisphosphonates, immunotherapy, targeted drugs, radiotherapy, and surgery has been advocated for the treatment of spinal metastases. Multiple paradigms and systems have been proposed to determine suitable treatments. In the early stages, the occurrence of metastasis indicates a terminal stage of the tumor process in patients with malignant tumors, implying that their lifespan is limited. As a result, the choice of treatment is heavily influenced by longevity. However, with the development of treatment methods, the lifespan of patients with tumors has considerably increased in recent years. This leads to the choice of patient’s treatment, which depends not only on the patient’s survival, but also on the radiotherapy or postoperative functional outcomes. Nevertheless, they fall short of determining the variables that affect survival and functional outcomes in histology-specific subgroups of breast cancer. To accurately predict the bone survival and functional outcomes of patients with breast cancer spine metastases a review of prognostic factors was performed.

Objectives To describe the technique of the aorta balloon occlusion, and evaluate the blood loss in lumbar spine tumor surgery assisted by aortic balloon occlusion, and to observe the balloon‐related complications. Methods Six patients with lumbar spine tumor underwent resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta prior to tumor resections in our institution between May 2018 to January 2021. Medical records including demographic, diagnosis, tumor location, surgical approach, intraoperative blood loss, surgical duration, and perioperative balloon‐related complication were evaluated retrospectively. Results This series included four males and two females, with a median age of 50 years (range 22 to 69). Of these, three primary tumors were plasmacytoma, giant cell tumor of bone, and osteosarcoma, while recurrence of undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (UPS), recurrence of giant cell tumor of bone (GCT), and metastatic thyroid cancer were diagnosed in cases 1, 6, and 2, respectively. L2 was involved in cases 1 and 5. L3 was involved in case 6. L4 was involved in case 2, 3, and 6. L5 was involved in case 4. One‐stage total en bloc resection surgery (TES) was accomplished in all patients; of this series, signal anterior approach was conducted in case 1, signal posterior approach was utilized in cases 2, 3, and 6, while combined anterior and posterior approach was performed in cases 4 and 5. The median intraoperative blood loss was 1683 mL and ranged from 400 to 3200 mL with a median surgical duration of 442 min and a range from 210 to 810 min. During the perioperative period, no serious balloon‐related complications occurred. Conclusions Endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta successfully controls intraoperative exsanguination, contributing to a more radical tumor resection and a low rate of tumor cell contamination in lumbar tumor surgery.

In recent decades, limb-salvage surgery has replaced amputation as the first choice for the treatment of bone tumors around knee. After tumor resection, there are a variety of reconstruction methods for us to choose, including autograft or allograft, inactivation and reimplantation, artificial prosthesis replacement, and allograft-prosthesis compound reconstruction. Compared with other reconstruction methods, artificial prosthesis reconstruction has some advantages: relatively simple, early weight bearing, fewer early complications, and good function in the early and mid-term follow-up. After decades of continuous improvements, the design of tumor prosthesis has reached a relatively mature stage, and the failure rate of prosthesis has also been declining year by year. However, artificial prostheses also have multiple complications such as infection, aseptic loosening, prosthetic breakage, and patients sometimes face the risk of revision or amputation. Therefore, clinicians need to deeply understand the characteristics of related complications and the principles of treatment.

Currently, the diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) is mainly based on the comprehensive consideration of the patient's symptoms and signs, laboratory examinations and chest radiography (CXR). CXR plays a pivotal role to support the early diagnosis of TB, especially when used for TB screening and differential diagnosis. However, high cost of CXR hardware and shortage of certified radiologists poses a major challenge for CXR application in TB screening in resource limited settings. The latest development of artificial intelligence (AI) combined with the accumulation of a large number of medical images provides new opportunities for the establishment of computer-aided detection (CAD) systems in the medical applications, especially in the era of deep learning (DL) technology. Several CAD solutions are now commercially available and there is growing evidence demonstrate their value in imaging diagnosis. Recently, WHO published a rapid communication which stated that CAD may be used as an alternative to human reader interpretation of plain digital CXRs for screening and triage of TB.

Abstract Motivated by recent work on rotating black hole shadow (Chang and Zhu in Phys Rev D 101:084029, 2020), we investigate the shadow behaviours of rotating Hayward–de Sitter black hole for static observers at a finite distance in terms of astronomical observables. This paper uses the newly introduced distortion parameter (Chang and Zhu in Phys Rev D 102:044012, 2020) to describe the shadow’s shape quantitatively. We show that the spin parameter would distort shadows and the magnetic monopole charge would increase the degree of deformation. The distortion will increase as the distance between the observer and the black hole increases, and distortion reduces as the cosmological constant increases. Besides, the increase of the spin parameter, magnetic monopole charge and cosmological constant will cause the shadows shrunken.

Objective To assess the defatting efficacy of high pressure washing and gradient alcohol and biomechanical properties of defatted bone. Methods Fresh cancellous bone was obtained from the femoral condyle and divided into six groups according to different defatting treatments, which were: high pressure washing for 10 s (10S group), 20 s (20S group), and 30 s (30S group), gradient alcohol immersion (Alcohol group), acetone immersion (Acetone group), and non‐defatted (Fresh group). The appearance of six groups was observed, and the appearance of defatted bone and fresh bone was compared. The residual lipid content and infrared spectrum were used to compare the efficacy of defatting, the DNA content was used to compare the cell content after defatting, and the maximum stress and elastic modulus were used to compare the effects of defatting treatment on biomechanical properties. Results The fresh bone was yellow and the pores contained a lot of fat. The defatted bone was white and the porous network was clear. There was no difference in residual lipid content among the three groups with high pressure washing (1.45% ± 0.16%, 1.40% ± 0.13%, and 1.46% ± 0.11%, respectively) (P = 0.828). There was no difference in residual lipid content among the 10S, alcohol, and acetone groups (1.45% ± 0.16%, 1.28% ± 0.07%, and 1.13% ± 0.22%, respectively) (P = 0.125). Infrared spectra showed that the fat content of the five defatting groups was significantly lower than that of the fresh group. There was no difference in residual lipid content among the three groups with high pressure washing (4.53 ± 0.23 ug/mL, 4.61 ± 0.18 ug/mL, and 4.66 ± 0.25 ug/mL, respectively) (P = 0.645). There was no difference in residual lipid content among the 10S, alcohol, and acetone groups (4.53 ± 0.23 ug/mL, 4.29 ± 0.24 ug/mL, and 4.27 ± 0.29 ug/mL, respectively) (P = 0.247). The maximum stress of the bone decreased significantly with the increase of the washing time (9.95 ± 0.31 Mpa, 9.07 ± 0.45 Mpa, and 8.17 ± 0.35 Mpa, respectively) (P = 0.003). The elastic modulus of the bone decreased significantly with the increase of the washing time (116.40 ± 3.54 Mpa, 106.10 ± 5.29 Mpa, and 95.63 ± 4.08 Mpa, respectively) (P = 0.003). There was no statistical difference in the maximum stress between the fresh group, the 10S group, the alcohol group, and the acetone group (10.09 ± 0.67 Mpa, 9.95 ± 0.31 Mpa, 10.11 ± 0.07 Mpa, and 10.09 ± 0.39 Mpa, respectively) (P = 0.963). There was no statistical difference in the maximum stress between the fresh group, the 10S group, the alcohol group and the acetone group (119.93 ± 4.94 Mpa, 116.40 ± 3.54 Mpa, 118.27 ± 0.85 Mpa, 118.10 ± 4.52 Mpa, respectively) (P = 0.737). Conclusion The defatting efficiency was satisfactory at a time of 10 s under high pressure washing. In terms of defatting efficiency and its effect on biomechanical properties of bone, high pressure washing and gradient alcohol were similar to conventional acetone solvent extraction defatting.

Objectives To summarize the epidemiological characteristics of patients following surgery for spinal metastases retrospectively and make a univariate analysis to identify independent variables that could affect the operation decision making. Methods This was a multicenter retrospective review of patients with spinal metastasis who were treated with surgery from 1 January 2007 to 31 July 2019. Basic clinical data were analyzed retrospectively by univariate analysis to identify independent variables that could affect the decision of operation modalities, including gender, age, spinal metastatic site, Frankel score, Karnofsky performance score (KPS), spinal instability neoplastic score (SINS), visual analogue scale (VAS), Tokuhashi score, urinary and fecal incontinence, spinal pathological fracture, primary tumor, extraspinal metastasis, visceral metastasis, and bone lesion (osteolytic, osteoblastic or mixed). Results A total of 580 patients including 332 males and 248 females were enrolled in the study with an average age of 58.26 years old (range, 13–86 years old). The most common spinal metastatic level was the thoracic vertebra (190 [32.76%]), followed by the lumbar vertebra (146 [25.17%]), cervical vertebra (47 [8.10%]), and sacral vertebra (35 [6.03%]). Metastases involving more than two sites of the cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and sacral vertebrae arose in 162 (27.93%) patients. For primary tumor, there were 198 (34.14%) cases of lung cancer, 41 (7.07%) cases of kidney cancer, 39 (6.72%) cases of breast cancer, 38 (6.55%) cases of gastrointestinal cancer, 35 (6.03%) cases of lymphoma and myeloma, 25 (4.31%) cases of prostate cancer, 24 (4.14%) cases of liver cancer, 23 (3.97%) cases of mesenchymal tissue sarcoma, 20 (3.45%) cases of thyroid cancer, and 84 (14.48%) cases were tumor with unknown origin. Sixty‐three (10.86%) patients received minimally invasive surgery, 460 (79.31%) patients received palliative surgery, and the remaining 57 (9.83%) received tumor resection. According to the univariate analysis, the KPS score, SINS score, VAS score, Tokuhashi score, urinary and fecal incontinence, spinal pathological fracture, and bone lesion (osteolytic, osteoblastic or mixed) were independent and favorable factors affecting the surgery modalities. Conclusions Surgical treatment for spinal metastases was mainly to relieve pain, rebuild spinal stability, improve nerve function, control local tumors, and improve the quality of life of patients. For middle‐aged and elderly patients with good general conditions, severe pain, spinal pathological fracture, spine instability and without urinary and fecal incontinence, early surgical treatment should be actively carried out.

Objectives To describe the epidemiological characteristics of patients with spinal metastases between 2007 and 2019. Methods Patients with spinal metastases were identified from several clinical centers in China between January 2007 and July 2019. Demographics, primary tumor types, spinal involvement, and Clinical indicators of each patient were reviewed. Results A total of 1196 patients were included in this study, 717 males (59.95%) and 479 females (40.05%), with a male to female ratio of 1.50:1. Most patients (63.71%) were in the ages range of 50 to 69 years. The mean age was 58.6 ± 11.6 (range 13–89) years and the median age was 59.0 years. The average age of females was younger than that of males, and the difference was statistically significant. The proportion of male patients over 60 years old was higher than that of females, and the difference was statistically significant. The most common primary tumor was lung cancer (n = 437, 36.54%), followed by unknown origin (n = 194, 16.22%), kidney cancer (n = 78, 6.52%), breast cancer (n = 76, 6.35%), and liver/biliary cancer (n = 75, 6.27%). The most common primary tumor was lung cancer in both males and females, followed by unknown origin in males and breast cancer in females. There were 730 patients (61.04%) in the subgroup of the number

Abstract Background Aseptic loosening has become the main cause of prosthetic failure in medium- to long-term follow-up. The objective of this study was to establish and validate a nomogram model for aseptic loosening after tumor prosthetic replacement around knee. Methods We collected data on patients who underwent tumor prosthetic replacements. The following risk factors were analyzed: tumor site, stem length, resection length, prosthetic motion mode, sex, age, extra-cortical grafting, custom or modular, stem diameter, stem material, tumor type, activity intensity, and BMI. We used univariate and multivariate Cox regression for analysis. Finally, the significant risk factors were used to establish the nomogram model. Results The stem length, resection length, tumor site, and prosthetic motion mode showed a tendency to be related to aseptic loosening, according to the univariate analysis. Multivariate analysis showed that the tumor site, stem length, and prosthetic motion mode were independent risk factors. The internal validation indicated that the nomogram model had acceptable predictive accuracy. Conclusions A nomogram model was developed for predicting the prosthetic survival rate without aseptic loosening. Patients with distal femoral tumors and those who are applied with fixed hinge and short-stem prostheses are more likely to be exposed to aseptic loosening.

The subarctic Pacific is one of the major high-nitrate, low-chlorophyll (HNLC) regions where marine productivity is greatly limited by the supply of iron (Fe) in the region. There is a distinct seasonal difference in the chlorophyll concentrations of the east and west sides of the subarctic Pacific because of the differences in their driving mechanisms. In the western subarctic Pacific, two chlorophyll concentration peaks occur: the peak in spring and early summer is dominated by diatoms, while the peak in late summer and autumn is dominated by small phytoplankton. In the eastern subarctic Pacific, a single chlorophyll concentration peak occurs in late summer, while small phytoplankton dominate throughout the year. In this study, two one-dimensional (1D) physical–biological models with Fe cycles were applied to Ocean Station K2 (Stn. K2) in the western subarctic Pacific and Ocean Station Papa (Stn. Papa) in the eastern subarctic Pacific. These models were used to study the role of Fe limitation in regulating the seasonal differences in phytoplankton populations by reproducing the seasonal variability in ocean properties in each region. The results were reasonably comparable with observational data, i.e., cruise and Biogeochemical-Argo data, showing that the difference in bioavailable Fe (BFe) between Stn. K2 and Stn. Papa played a dominant role in controlling the respective seasonal variabilities of diatom and small phytoplankton growth. At Stn. Papa, there was less BFe, and the Fe limitation of diatom growth was two times as strong as that at Stn. K2; however, the difference in the Fe limitation of small phytoplankton growth between these two regions was relatively small. At Stn. K2, the decrease in BFe during summer reduced the growth rate of diatoms, which led to a rapid reduction in diatom biomass. Simultaneously, the decrease in BFe had little impact on small phytoplankton growth, which helped maintain the relatively high small phytoplankton biomass until autumn. The experiments that stimulated a further increase in atmospheric Fe deposition also showed that the responses of phytoplankton primary production in the eastern subarctic Pacific were stronger than those in the western subarctic Pacific but contributed little to primary production, as the Fe limitation of phytoplankton growth was replaced by macronutrient limitation.

Currently, research on intestinal diseases is mainly based on animal models and cell lines in monolayers. However, these models have drawbacks that limit scientific advances in this field. Three-dimensional (3D) culture systems named organoids are emerging as a reliable research tool for recapitulating the human intestinal epithelium and represent a unique platform for patient-specific drug testing. Intestinal organoids (IOs) are crypt–villus structures that can be derived from adult intestinal stem cells (ISCs), embryonic stem cells (ESCs), or induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and have the potential to serve as a platform for individualized medicine and research. However, this emerging field has not been bibliometric summarized to date. Here, we performed a bibliometric analysis of the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database to evaluate 5,379 publications concerning the use of organoids; the studies were divided into four clusters associated with the current situation and future directions for the application of IOs. Based on the results of our bibliometric analysis of IO applications, we systematically summarized the latest advances and analyzed the limitations and prospects.

IntroductionVenous thromboembolism can be divided into deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. These diseases are a major factor affecting the clinical prognosis of patients and can lead to the death of these patients. Unfortunately, the literature on the risk factors of venous thromboembolism after surgery for spine metastatic bone lesions are rare, and no predictive model has been established.MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed 411 cancer patients who underwent metastatic spinal tumor surgery at our institution between 2009 and 2019. The outcome variable of the current study is venous thromboembolism that occurred within 90 days of surgery. In order to identify the risk factors for venous thromboembolism, a univariate logistic regression analysis was performed first, and then variables significant at the P value less than 0.2 were included in a multivariate logistic regression analysis. Finally, a nomogram model was established using the independent risk factors.ResultsIn the multivariate logistic regression model, four independent risk factors for venous thromboembolism were further screened out, including preoperative Frankel score (OR=2.68, 95% CI 1.78-4.04, P=0.001), blood transfusion (OR=3.11, 95% CI 1.61-6.02, P=0.041), Charlson comorbidity index (OR=2.01, 95% CI 1.27-3.17, P=0.013; OR=2.29, 95% CI 1.25-4.20, P=0.017), and operative time (OR=1.36, 95% CI 1.14-1.63, P=0.001). On the basis of the four independent influencing factors screened out by multivariate logistic regression model, a nomogram prediction model was established. Both training sample and validation sample showed that the predicted probability of the nomogram had a strong correlation with the actual situation.ConclusionThe prediction model for postoperative VTE developed by our team provides clinicians with a simple method that can be used to calculate the VTE risk of patients at the bedside, and can help clinicians make evidence-based judgments on when to use intervention measures. In clinical practice, the simplicity of this predictive model has great practical value.

Abstract Background Cancer patients’ survival time has obviously improved, with the development of systemic treatment techniques. However, the probability of metastases to the vertebrae has also been increased which makes some adverse effects on patients’ quality of life. The prediction of survival plays a key role in choosing therapeutic modality, and Tokuhashi Score was established as one of the most commonly used predictive systems for spinal metastases. Thus, this study was conducted to identify the prognostic effect of factors involved in revised Tokuhashi Score (RTS). Methods Two investigators independently retrieved relevant literature on platforms of PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Library. We identified eligible studies through title/abstract and full-text perusing. Data was extracted including general information of studies, participants’ characteristics, therapeutic modality, overall survival and prognostic effect of factors. Hazard ratio (HR) for each factor was synthesized if available through fixed- or random-effect models as appropriate. Results A total of 63 eligible studies with 10,411 participants were identified. Overall, cases with thyroid cancer had the highest survival rate, while the ones with non-small cell lung cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma lived for the shorted survival time. Performance status, bone metastasis, number of involved vertebrae, visceral metastasis, primary tumor and neurological status were regarded as significant predictors in 71.4, 40.0, 18.2, 63.4, 73.1 and 44.7% of the involved studies respectively. Thirty-eight articles were included in meta-analysis, and prognostic effects of five factors (apart from primary tumor) were analyzed. Factors were all proved to be significant except comparisons between KPS (Karnofsky Performance Status) 10–40 VS. 50–70 and single VS. multiple spinal metastases. Conclusion All factors of RTS were significant on prognosis predicting and should be considered when choosing therapeutic modality for spinal metastases. What’s more, we believe that more accurate prognosis may be obtained after removal of the cut-offs for KPS 10–40 VS. 50–70 and single VS. multiple involved vertebrae.

Summary: Cyclin E is a key factor for S phase entry, and deregulation of Cyclin E results in developmental defects and tumors. Therefore, proper cycling of Cyclin E is crucial for normal growth. Here we found that transcription factors Apontic (Apt) and E2f1 cooperate to induce cyclin E in Drosophila. Functional binding motifs of Apt and E2f1 are clustered in the first intron of Drosophila cyclin E and directly contribute to the cyclin E transcription. Knockout of apt and e2f1 together abolished Cyclin E expression. Furthermore, Apt up-regulates Retinoblastoma family protein 1 (Rbf1) for proper chromatin compaction, which is known to repress cyclin E. Notably, Apt-dependent up-regulation of Cyclin E and Rbf1 is evolutionarily conserved in mammalian cells. Our findings reveal a unique mechanism underlying the induction and subsequent decline of Cyclin E expression.

Spinal metastases are a common manifestation of malignant tumors that can cause severe pain, spinal cord compression, pathological fractures, and hypercalcemia, and these clinical manifestations will ultimately reduce the health-related quality of life and even shorten life expectancy in patient with cancer. Effective management of spinal bone metastases requires multidisciplinary collaboration, including radiologists, surgeons, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, and pain specialists. In the past few decades, conventional radiotherapy has been the most common form of radiotherapy, which can achieve favorable local control and pain relief; however, it lacks precise methods of delivering radiation and thus cannot provide sufficient tumoricidal dose. The advent of stereotactic radiosurgery has changed this situation by using highly focused radiation beams guided by 3-dimensional imaging to deliver a high biologic equivalent dose to the target region, and the spinal cord can be identified and excluded from the target volume to reduce the risk of radiation-induced myelopathy. Separation surgery can provide a 2- to 3-mm safe separation of tumor and spinal cord to avoid radiation-induced damage to the spinal cord. Targets for separation surgery include decompression of metastatic epidural spinal cord compression and spinal stabilization without partial or en bloc tumor resection. Combined with conventional radiotherapy, stereotactic radiosurgery can provide better local tumor control and pain relief. Several scoring systems have been developed to estimate the life expectancy of patients with spinal metastases treated with radiotherapy. Thorough understanding of radiotherapy-related knowledge including the dose-fractionation schedule, separation surgery, efficacy and safety, scoring systems, and feasibility of combination with other treatment methods is critical to providing optimal patient care.

Late Pleistocene climate oscillations are believed to have greatly influenced the distribution, population dynamics, and genetic variation of many marine organisms in the western Pacific. However, the impact of the late Pleistocene climate cycles on the demographic history and population genetics of pelagic fish in the northern South China Sea (SCS) remains largely unexplored. In this study, we explored the demographic history, genetic structure, and genetic diversity of Decapterus maruadsi, a typical pelagic fish, over most of its range in the northern SCS. A 828–832 bp fragment of mitochondrial control region were sequenced in 241 individuals from 11 locations. High haplotype diversity (0.905–0.980) and low nucleotide diversity (0.00269–0.00849) was detected, revealing low levels of genetic diversity. Demographic history analysis revealed a pattern of decline and subsequent rapid growth in the effective population size during deglaciation, which showed that D. maruadsi experienced recent demographic expansion after a period of low effective population size. Genetic diversity, genetic structure, and phylogenetic relationship analysis all demonstrated that no significant genetic differentiation existed among the populations, indicating that D. maruadsi was panmictic throughout the northern SCS. Periodic sea-level changes, fluctuation of the East Asian Monsoon, and Kuroshio variability were responsible for the population decline and expansion of D. maruadsi. The demographic history was the primary reason for the low levels of genetic diversity and the lack of significant genetic structure. The life history characteristics and ocean currents also had a strong correlation with the genetic homogeneity of D. maruadsi. However, the genetic structure of the population (genetic homogeneity) is inconsistent with biological characteristics (significant difference), which is an important reminder to identify and manage the D. maruadsi population carefully.

The SCRaMbLE system integrated into Sc2.0’s synthetic yeast chromosome project allows rapid strain evolution. Here the authors use a genetic logic gate to control induction of recombination in a haploid and diploid yeast carrying synthetic chromosomes.

In this study, we determined the complete mitogenome of Nemipterus virgatus of which the length was 17,073 bp, including 37 canonical mitochondrial genes and 2 non-coding regions. The control region contained termination associated sequence domain (TAS), central conserved domain (CSB-F, CSB-E, CSB-D, CSB-C, and CSB-A), conserved sequence block domain (CSB-1, CSB-2, and CSB-3), and tandem repeat sequence domain (TTD). Nine single nucleotide polymorphisms and three insertion of tandem repeat sequence (each length in 28 bp) were detected between two N. virgatus mitogenomes. The phylogenetic analysis showed that the families Nemipteridae, Sparidae, Centracanthidae, and Lethrinidae did not gather into a monophyly of superfamily Sparoidea in the neighbor-joining tree.

In this study, we reported the complete mitogenome of Scolopsis ciliata sampled from the Beibu Gulf, South China Sea. It was 16,734 bp in length and contained 37 canonical mitochondrial genes and 2 non-coding regions. Fifty-one single nucleotide polymorphisms and five insertion and deletions were detected between two S. ciliata mitogenomes, suggesting a high level of intraspecific genetic variation in the species. The control region contained termination associated sequence domain (TAS), central conserved domain (CSB-F, CSB-E, CSB-D, CSB-C, and CSB-A), and conserved sequence block domain (CSB-1, CSB-2, and CSB-3). The phylogenetic analysis of 21 complete mitogenome sequences well supports the phylogenetic position of S. ciliata and reveals the phylogenetic relationship of the genus Scolopsis.

Abstract Oil depots along products pipelines are important components of the pipeline transportation system and down-stream markets. The operating costs of oil depots account for a large proportion of the total system’s operating costs. Meanwhile, oil depots and pipelines form an entire system, and each operation in a single oil depot may have influence on others. It is a tough job to make a scheduling plan when considering the factors of delivering contaminated oil and batches migration. So far, studies simultaneously considering operating constraints and contaminated oil issues are rare. Aiming at making a scheduling plan with the lowest operating costs, the paper establishes a mixed-integer linear programming model, considering a sequence of operations, such as delivery, export, blending, fractionating and exchanging operations, and batch property differences of the same oil as well as influence of batch migration on contaminated volume. Moreover, the paper verifies the linear relationship between oil concentration and blending capability by mathematical deduction. Finally, the model is successfully applied to one of the product pipelines in China and proved to be practical.

The mesoscale eddies off the coast of Chile significantly impact the distribution of local chlorophyll and the development of marine ecosystem. Multiple processes, including eddy trapping, pumping, advection, Ekman-pumping, and submesoscale dynamics, exert their impacts simultaneously on transport of water masses at different distances with respect to the eddy center. The cyclonic (anticyclonic) eddies are generally characterized by upwelling (downwelling) within the eddy, which elevates (depresses) chlorophyll inside the eddy. Outside the eddy periphery, multiple processes are involved simultaneously, but their corresponding influences on chlorophyll are not well identified. In this study, the amplitudes of cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies are distinguished as positive and negative values, respectively. A linear regression method is applied to seek the connection between eddy's amplitude and chlorophyll distribution at different locations w.r.t. the eddy center. The regression slope between eddy amplitude and chlorophyll anomaly is found to be negative in the eddy interior and along the periphery, which gradually changes to positive away from the periphery. The location where the response of chlorophyll to an eddy switches its sign is defined as the transition zone. The location of the transition zone varies with offshore distance and is impacted by topography, such as the presence of islands, which can change the dynamics of eddies. Thus, the distance from eddy center and offshore distance from coast should be taken into consideration when investigating their influences on nutrient transport and chlorophyll distribution.

The original version of this Article omitted a declaration from the Competing Interests statement, which should have included the following: ‘J.D.B. is a founder and Director of the following: Neochromosome, Inc., the Center of Excellence for Engineering Biology, and CDI Labs, Inc. and serves on the Scientific Advisory Board of the following: Modern Meadow, Inc., Recombinetics, Inc., and Sample6, Inc.’. This has now been corrected in both the PDF and HTML versions of the Article.

Potassium geopolymer (KGP) ceramics are synthesized by the molten salt method. Metakaolin changes to a potassium geopolymer through a reaction with potassium silicate at 80 °C/24 h. Potassium geopolymer, with a silicon to aluminum (Si/Al) molar ratio of 2, turns into a leucite ceramic in molten potassium salt (KCl) at 900 °C/6 h. X-Ray Diffraction analysis of the KGP treated by molten KCl salt shows the amorphous phase change to leucite crystal phase. A scanning electron microscope image of sintered KGP proves that the grain size of the leucite crystal decreases with soaking time. Compared with solid state sintering, liquid molten salt sintering KGP can be more easily formed into dense ceramics at lower temperatures.