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Objective: To observe the expression and distribution of adult rat axon guidance cues Netrin-1 and Slit2 at different time points after spinal cord injury and to investigate the guidance mechanism of regenerated axons.Methods: Twenty adult Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were divided randomly into five groups with 4 in each. Four groups of them were used to make Allen's spinal cord punch models and we took materials randomly from one of them on the 2nd, 4th, 7th and 14th day respectively after operation. The left one group was taken as the control group. Immunofluorescence laser confocal scan was used to examine the co-expression and localization of Netrin-1 and Slit2 proteins in the injured site of the spinal cord.Results: Within two weeks after SCI, the expression of Netrin-1 and Slit2 proteins increased temporarily and there was co-expression of them on the neuron plasma membrane.Conclusions: Synchronous high expression and co-expression of axon attractant Netrin-1 and repellent Slit2 are found in the adult rat injured spinal cord in the damaged local and vicinity parts, and probably, they act as the key regulators of axon guidance regeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shark skin is composed of denticles, or complex scale-like features, which have been shown to reduce drag in turbulent and laminar flow. The denticle crown features undulating structures called riblets that interact with the turbulent boundary layer to reduce drag. Two mechanisms thought to contribute to the drag-reducing properties of riblets include the lifting of streamwise vortices and the hampering of spanwise vortex interactions to reduce crossflow, which could translate to similar flow mechanisms for denticles. Because of the varied morphologies of dermal denticles on different shark species, which also depend on body location, the impact of these denticle geometries on flow is of interest to the biology community, including related fields such as fluid mechanics and oceanography. This review highlights the past 15 years of manufacturing techniques and experimental measurements of drag over denticle-inspired surface structures, including real shark skin samples and engineered denticles and riblets. State-of-the-art additive manufacturing and other techniques are primarily limited to mm-length denticle scales, which have demonstrated drag reduction in lower flow speeds, under 1 m s-1. New manufacturing approaches can create sub-mm length denticles and nanotextured surface structures, which have achieved reported drag reductions of up to 31%. We synthesize results from the literature to illustrate the drag reduction properties of bioinspired denticles and riblets according to their geometry and flow conditions. Using these trends, we suggest design features and focus areas for future research, such as increasing studies of different denticle morphologies, hydrophobicity, antifouling properties, and acoustic noise reduction. Continued work on bioinspired denticles for drag reduction has wider implications in comparative biology and applications to design more energy-efficient, persistent vehicles for environmental monitoring., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology.)

A butterfly-like robot swims using an electronic device to stimulate human-derived motor neurons and cardiac muscle cells.

Background: High-grade B-cell lymphoma (HGBL) is an unusual malignancy that includes myelocytomatosis viral oncogene ( MYC ), B-cell lymphoma-2 ( BCL-2 ), and/or BCL-6 rearrangements, termed double-hit or triple-hit lymphomas, and HGBL-not otherwise specific (HGBL-NOS), which are morphologically characteristic of HGBL but lack MYC , BCL-2 , or BCL-6 rearrangements. HGBL is partially transformed by follicular lymphoma and other indolent lymphoma, with few cases of marginal zone lymphoma (MZL) transformation. HGBL often has a poor prognosis and intensive therapy is currently mainly advocated, but there is no good treatment for these patients who cannot tolerate chemotherapy., Case Summary: We reported a case of MZL transformed into HGBL-NOS with TP53 mutation and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase expression. Gene analysis revealed the gene expression profile was identical in the pre- and post-transformed tissues, suggesting that the two diseases are homologous, not secondary tumors. The chemotherapy was ineffective and the side effect was severe, so we tried combination therapy including venetoclax and obinutuzumab. The patient tolerated treatment well, and reached partial response. The patient had recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma and died of multifunctional organ failure. He survived for 12 months after diagnosis., Conclusion: Venetoclax combined with obinutuzumab might improve the survival in some HGBL patients, who are unsuitable for chemotherapy., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Patients with bone metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) might benefit from radium-223 ( 223 Ra) combined with new-generation hormonal agents (NHAs) in terms of survival and quality of life (QoL). However, the safety of combination therapies remains unclear. Therefore, we aimed to perform a network meta-analysis by reviewing the literature about the combination of 223 Ra with abiraterone acetate plus prednisone (AAP) or enzalutamide and to evaluate the safety of combination therapy in bone mCRPC patients. Ultimately, ten studies (2835 patients) were selected, including four randomized controlled trials (RCTs), five retrospective cohort studies, and one single-arm study. Overall, there was no difference in the incidence of fracture between the 223 Ra+NHA combination group and the 223 Ra monotherapy group (odds ratio [OR]: 1.46, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.91-2.34, P = 0.66), but the incidences in both the 223 Ra+NHA combination group (OR: 3.22, 95% CI: 2.24-4.63, P < 0.01) and the 223 Ra monotherapy group (OR: 2.24, 95% CI: 1.23-4.08, P < 0.01) were higher than that in the NHA monotherapy group. However, in the meta-analysis involving only RCTs, there was no difference between the 223 Ra monotherapy group and the NHA monotherapy group (OR: 1.14, 95% CI: 0.22-5.95, P = 0.88), while the difference between the 223 Ra+NHA combination group and the NHA monotherapy group remained significant (OR: 3.22, 95% CI: 2.24-4.63, P < 0.01). Symptomatic skeletal events (SSEs), SSE-free survival (SSE-FS), all grades of common adverse events (AEs), and ≥grade 3 AEs among all groups did not show any significant difference. Our results indicate that the combination of 223 Ra with NHAs was well tolerated in bone mCRPC patients compared to 223 Ra monotherapy, even though the incidence of fracture was higher in patients who received 223 Ra than that among those who received NHA monotherapy. More evidence is needed to explore the safety and efficiency of 223 Ra combination therapies., Competing Interests: None

The past ten years have seen the rapid expansion of the field of biohybrid robotics. By combining engineered, synthetic components with living biological materials, new robotics solutions have been developed that harness the adaptability of living muscles, the sensitivity of living sensory cells, and even the computational abilities of living neurons. Biohybrid robotics has taken the popular and scientific media by storm with advances in the field, moving biohybrid robotics out of science fiction and into real science and engineering. So how did we get here, and where should the field of biohybrid robotics go next? In this perspective, we first provide the historical context of crucial subareas of biohybrid robotics by reviewing the past 10+ years of advances in microorganism-bots and sperm-bots, cyborgs, and tissue-based robots. We then present critical challenges facing the field and provide our perspectives on the vital future steps toward creating autonomous living machines., (Creative Commons Attribution license.)

Objective: To investigate the clinical and pathological features, treatments and prognosis of laryngeal neuroendocrine carcinoma (LNEC). Methods: We conducted the retrospective analysis of the clinical data of 12 patients with LNEC admitted to the Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University from May 2014 to December 2021, including 9 males and 3 females, aged 50-77 years. There were 4 cases of typical carcinoid tumour (highly differentiated), 5 cases of atypical carcinoid tumour (moderately differentiated) and 3 cases of neuroendocrine small cell carcinoma (hypofractionated). The clinical features, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of LNEC were analysed. Results: The clinical manifestations of LNEC varied according to the tumour type but did not correlate with the pathological types. The supraglottic type was characterized by sore throat, foreign body sensation in the pharynx, coughing, obstructive sensation when eating and choking on water. The treatments were determined according to the pathological types, lesion location and invasion scope. Of 12 patients 4 underwent horizontal partial laryngectomy plus elective lymphatic dissection plus postoperative radiotherapy/chemotherapy, 4 underwent vertical partial laryngectomy (3 of them with cervical lymphatic dissection), 3 underwent supported laryngoscopic plasma laryngectomy for laryngeal cancer, and 1 abandoned for treatment. With the follow-up of 8 -78 months, 5 patients were alive, 1 died from chemotherapy reactions, 3 died from other diseases, 1 died from lung metastasis, 1 died from lung infection and 1 was lost to follow-up. Conclusion: LNEC is clinically rare, the clinical manifestations are less specificity, diagnosis relies on pathological and immunohistochemical examinations, and treatment modalities and prognoses are closely related to the pathological subtypes of LNEC.

Background: BCR-ABL-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are clonal hematopoietic stem cell disorders characterized by the proliferation of one or more myeloid lineages and by mutually exclusive JAK2 V617F, CALR, and MPL[A1] mutations. The combination of MPN and thalassemia is extremely unusual. Several cases with myeloproliferative neoplasms and β-thalassemia have been reported. However, these have not been extensively reviewed. The present report describes two cases of myeloproliferative neoplasms complicated with β-thalassemia and reviews all similar cases reported in the literature., Case Summary: We report two patients who were diagnosed with myeloproliferative neoplasms complicated with β-thalassemia. Both patients had abnormal increases in platelet counts. Based on bone marrow pathology and molecular biology assessment, we made the diagnosis of myeloproliferative neoplasms complicated with β-thalassemia. The female patient was given hydroxyurea and interferon, which enabled good control of her blood counts; the male patient was given ruxolitinib tablets, thalidomide tablets, and interferon to control the condition, but the patient poorly responded to drug treatment and died of gastrointestinal bleeding six months later., Conclusion: Given the findings of our cases and the literature review, we hypothesize that myeloproliferative neoplasms complicated with β-thalassemia can lead to rapid disease progression and a poor prognosis., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (©The Author(s) 2022. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a common aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), accounting for 30%-40% of adult NHL. Primary testicular (PT) lymphoma is an uncommon extranodal disease representing approximately 1%-2% of lymphoma. Approximately 30%-40% of patients are refractory to frontline therapy or relapse after complete remission. Refractory DLBCL responds poorly to other lines of chemotherapy, and experiences short-term survival., Case Summary: We present a 41-year-old male patient who was diagnosed with PT-DLBCL. Further disease progression was observed after multiline chemotherapy. Chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR-T) therapy salvaged the patient. Unfortunately, a new mass was observed in the right adrenal area after six months. The patient was administered programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) inhibitor therapy and maintained progression-free survival at more than 17 mo of follow-up., Conclusion: Our findings support the potential benefit of CAR-T combined with PD-1 inhibitor therapies in this type of relapsed and refractory PT-DLBCL., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article., (©The Author(s) 2022. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Weed control in maize (Zea mays L.) crops is usually undertaken using the postemergence herbicide nicosulfuron. The toxicity of nicosulfuron on maize, especially sweet maize, has been widely reported. In order to examine the effect of nicosulfuron on seedling photosynthetic characteristics, chlorophyll fluorescence, reactive oxygen species production, antioxidant enzyme activities, and gene expressions on sweet maize, nicosulfuron-tolerant "HK310" and nicosulfuron-sensitive "HK320" were studied. All experiment samples were subjected to a water or 80 mg kg -1 of nicosulfuron treatment when sweet maize seedlings grow to the stage of four leaves. After treatment with nicosulfuron, results for HK301 were significantly higher than those for HK320 for net photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, leaf maximum photochemical efficiency of PSII, photochemical quenching of chlorophyll fluorescence, and the electron transport rate. These results were contrary to nonphotochemical quenching and intercellular CO 2 concentration. As exposure time increased, associated effects also increased. Both O 2 ·- and H 2 O 2 detoxification is modulated by antioxidant enzymes. Compared to HK301, SOD, POD, and CAT activities of HK320 were significantly reduced as exposure time increase. Compared to HK320, the gene expression for the majority of SOD genes, except for SOD2, increased due to inducement by nicosulfuron, and it significantly upregulated the gene expression of CAT in HK301. Results from this study indicate that plants can improve photosynthesis, scavenging capabilities of ROS, and protective mechanisms to alleviate phytotoxic effect of nicosulfuron. Future research is needed to further elucidate the important role antioxidant systems and gene regulation play in herbicide detoxification in sweet maize., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Biohybrid robotics is a growing field that incorporates both live tissues and engineered materials to build robots that address current limitations in robots, including high power consumption and low damage tolerance. One approach is to use microelectronics to enhance whole organisms, which has previously been achieved to control the locomotion of insects. However, the robotic control of jellyfish swimming offers additional advantages, with the potential to become a new ocean monitoring tool in conjunction with existing technologies. Here, we delineate protocols to build a self-contained swim controller using commercially available microelectronics, embed the device into live jellyfish, and calculate vertical swimming speeds in both laboratory conditions and coastal waters. Using these methods, we previously demonstrated enhanced swimming speeds up to threefold, compared to natural jellyfish swimming, in laboratory and in situ experiments. These results offered insights into both designing low-power robots and probing the structure-function of basal organisms. Future iterations of these biohybrid robotic jellyfish could be used for practical applications in ocean monitoring., Competing Interests: Competing interestsThe authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors; exclusive licensee Bio-protocol LLC.)

For organisms to have robust locomotion, their neuromuscular organization must adapt to constantly changing environments. In jellyfish, swimming robustness emerges when marginal pacemakers fire action potentials throughout the bell's motor nerve net, which signals the musculature to contract. The speed of the muscle activation wave is dictated by the passage times of the action potentials. However, passive elastic material properties also influence the emergent kinematics, with time scales independent of neuromuscular organization. In this multimodal study, we examine the interplay between these two time scales during turning. A three-dimensional computational fluid-structure interaction model of a jellyfish was developed to determine the resulting emergent kinematics, using bidirectional muscular activation waves to actuate the bell rim. Activation wave speeds near the material wave speed yielded successful turns, with a 76-fold difference in turning rate between the best and worst performers. Hyperextension of the margin occurred only at activation wave speeds near the material wave speed, suggesting resonance. This hyperextension resulted in a 34-fold asymmetry in the circulation of the vortex ring between the inside and outside of the turn. Experimental recording of the activation speed confirmed that jellyfish actuate within this range, and flow visualization using particle image velocimetry validated the corresponding fluid dynamics of the numerical model. This suggests that neuromechanical wave resonance plays an important role in the robustness of an organism's locomotory system and presents an undiscovered constraint on the evolution of flexible organisms. Understanding these dynamics is essential for developing actuators in soft body robotics and bioengineered pumps., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interest.

A squid-like robot leverages resonance to match the swimming efficiency of biological animals., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.)

Biohybrid robotic designs incorporating live animals and self-contained microelectronic systems can leverage the animals' own metabolism to reduce power constraints and act as natural chassis and actuators with damage tolerance. Previous work established that biohybrid robotic jellyfish can exhibit enhanced speeds up to 2.8 times their baseline behavior in laboratory environments. However, it remains unknown if the results could be applied in natural, dynamic ocean environments and what factors can contribute to large animal variability. Deploying this system in the coastal waters of Massachusetts, we validate and extend prior laboratory work by demonstrating increases in jellyfish swimming speeds up to 2.3 times greater than their baseline, with absolute swimming speeds up to 6.6 ± 0.3 cm s -1 . These experimental swimming speeds are predicted using a hydrodynamic model with morphological and time-dependent input parameters obtained from field experiment videos. The theoretical model can provide a basis to choose specific jellyfish with desirable traits to maximize enhancements from robotic manipulation. With future work to increase maneuverability and incorporate sensors, biohybrid robotic jellyfish can potentially be used to track environmental changes in applications for ocean monitoring.

Objective: To compare the effects and characteristic difference of negative pressure materials of polyvinyl alcohol and polyurethane in the treatment of full-thickness burn wounds after escharotomy. Methods: From January 2018 to December 2019, 60 patients with full-thickness burns who met the inclusion criteria and hospitalized in Xuzhou Renci Hospital were recruited in this prospective randomized controlled trial. According to the random number table, 60 cases were divided into polyvinyl alcohol group ( n =30, 13 males and 17 females) and polyurethane group ( n =30, 14 males and 16 females), aged (34±7) and (35±6) years respectively, with burn area of 4.20% (2.23%, 4.90%) total body surface area (TBSA) and 3.89% (2.18%, 4.76%)TBSA and escharectomy area of 2.70% (1.97%, 3.42%) TBSA and 2.87% (2.12%, 3.34%)TBSA, respectively. After patient's admission, debridement was immediately performed on the full-thickness burn wound, and the dressing was changed with iodophor once a day. Escharectomy was performed on post injury day 3. After thorough hemostasis and washing the wounds with normal saline, patients of the two groups chose corresponding foam materials and supporting facilities for continuous negative-pressure treatment for 1 week, with the negative pressure value setting at -19.9 kPa. Installation time of negative-pressure material was recorded. After a week of negative-pressure treatment, the maximum pulling force of removing foam material was recorded to evaluate the adhesional degree between foam materials and wounds. The amount of bleeding in the process of removing foam materials was recorded, hyperplasiaof granulation tissue was observed with hematoxylin eosin (HE) staining, and the expression of CD31 was detected by immunohistochemical staining and Western blotting to denote vascularization. The ratio of R1 to R0 of coefficient of restitution of foam material before and one week after negative-pressure treatment and drainage volume of wound exudate within a week of negative-pressure treatment were recorded to denote the drainage ability of foam material to wound exudate. One week after negative-pressure treatment, the bacterial colonization, residual foreign body, and eczema rate of skin edge were recorded. Data were statistically analyzed with chi-square test, independent-sample t test, and Mann-Whitney U test. Results: (1) Installation time of negative-pressure material of patients in polyurethane group was (14±3) min, which was significantly shorter than (18±3) min in polyvinyl alcohol group ( t =2.788, P <0.01). (2) One week after negative-pressure treatment, the maximum pulling force of removing foam material of patients in polyvinyl alcohol group was (6.4±0.4) N, which was significantly lower than (16.7±0.8) N in polyurethane group ( t =12.010, P <0.01). (3) One week after negative-pressure treatment, the volume of wound bleeding of patients in polyvinyl alcohol group was (20±3) mL in the process of removing foam material, which was significantly less than (59±3) mL in polyurethane group ( t =50.200, P <0.01). (4) One week after negative-pressure treatment, HE staining showed that hyperplastic thickness of wound granulation tissue of patients in polyurethane group was (2.3±0.6) mm which was significantly higher than (1.6±0.4) mm in polyvinyl alcohol group ( t =6.667, P <0.01); immunohistochemical staining showed that the number of microvascular lumen in wound granulation tissue of patients in polyurethane group was significantly more than that in polyvinyl alcohol group; Western blotting showed that protein expression of CD31 in wound granulation tissue of patients in polyurethane group (1.00±0.05) was significantly higher than 0.42±0.03 of polyvinyl alcohol group ( t =10.490, P <0.01). (5)The ratio of R1 to R0 of coefficient of restitution of foam material of patients in polyvinyl alcohol group was 0.39±0.19, which was significantly lower than 0.52±0.16 in polyurethane group ( t =2.975, P <0.01). In patients of polyvinyl alcohol group, the drainage volume of wound exudate of foam material during one week after negative-pressure treatment was (1 258±444) mL, significantly less than (1 658±580) mL of polyurethane group ( t =3.003, P <0.01). (6) One week after negative-pressure treatment, the number of residual foreign body in wounds of patients of polyurethane group was (14.14±0.37) particles, which was significantly more than (3.36±0.15) particles in polyvinyl alcohol group ( t =26.200, P <0.01). The level of bacterial colonization of wounds and eczema rate of skin edge of patients between the two groups were close. Conclusions: Polyurethane foam material is easy to install and operate, relatively difficult to dry and shrink, and has strong ability to discharge wound exudation. Polyurethane foam material is better than polyvinyl alcohol foam material in promoting wound angiogenesis and tissue proliferation. Polyurethane foam material can be chosen firstly for the wounds with need of protecting deep tissues and important organs, as well as the wounds with obvious inflammatory edema and serious contamination. Polyvinyl alcohol foam material is less adherent to wounds, which is better than polyurethane foam material in the aspects of reducing wound bleeding and residual foreign body. Polyvinyl alcohol foam material can be firstly selected to fix and promote skin graft survival after skin grafting, wound bed preparation before skin grafting of burn with large area and deep wound cavity or sinus, etc. Both types of foam materials need to be improved in the aspects of bacterial colonization and prevention and treatment of skin eczema.

Objective: Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play critical roles in osteosarcoma (OS) progression. LncRNA DSCAM-AS1 has been reported to function as a tumor promoter in various cancers. However, the potential mechanism of DSCAM-AS1 in OS remains rarely know., Patients and Methods: The expression levels of DSCAM-AS1 and miR-101 were detected by RT-qPCR. The correlation between DSCAM-AS1 and miR-101 expression was analyzed by Pearson's correlation. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to assess the overall survival rate. Cell viability and invasion were assessed by MTT assay and transwell assays, respectively. A Luciferase reporter assay was used to identify the relationship between DSCAM-AS1 and miR-101., Results: In the present study, it was demonstrated that DSCAM-AS1 expression was significantly upregulated in OS tissues and cells and high expression of DSCAM-AS1 predicted poor prognosis in OS patients. In addition, the silencing of DSCAM-AS1 suppressed the viability and invasion of OS cells, while DSCAM-AS1 overexpression promoted cell viability and invasion. Furthermore, we found that DSCAM-AS1 inhibited miR-101 expression by direct interaction and DSCAM-AS1 promoted OS progression by sponging miR-101. In addition, miR-101 expression was negatively correlated with DSCAM-AS1 expression. Patients with low miR-101 expression had a shorter overall survival time compared with those with high miR-101 expression., Conclusions: The present study demonstrated that DSCAM-AS1 accelerated OS cell progression by sponging miR-101, which might provide a new sight in the treatment of OS.

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic complex multifactorial joint disease, and a major degenerative form of arthritis. Existing studies on the association between polymorphisms of the IL-17 gene and the risk of OA in different populations have yielded conflicting findings., Aim: To investigate the association between polymorphisms of the IL-17 gene and the risk of OA., Methods: We conducted a meta-analysis by systematically searching databases, including PubMed, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar to evaluate this association by calculating pooled odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals. Moreover, subgroup analyses stratified by ethnicity and OA type were also conducted., Results: In a total of 6 citations involving 8 studies (2131 cases and 2299 controls), 4 single nucleotide polymorphisms were identified. Of these 4 polymorphisms, 2 (rs2275913, rs763780) were common in five case-control studies. Together, the pooled results revealed that the A allele and genotype AA/GA of the rs2275913 polymorphism, and the C allele and genotype CC of the rs763780 polymorphism in the IL-17 gene increased the risk of OA. Furthermore, stratification analyses by ethnicity and OA type showed that the rs2275913 polymorphism increased the risk of OA among Asians and in knee/hip OA, respectively. In addition, stratification analyses also revealed that the rs763780 polymorphism increased OA risk among both Asians and Caucasians in knee/hip OA., Conclusion: The rs763780 polymorphism of the IL-17F gene increased the risk of OA, whereas the rs2275913 polymorphism of the IL-17A gene increased the risk of OA only among Asians. Due to the limitations of this study, these findings should be validated in future studies., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (©The Author(s) 2020. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To evaluate the clinical effect of bridge combined internal fixation system in the treatment of periprosthesis fracture of femur after hip replacement., Methods: From October 2016 to June 2018, 5 patients of periprosthesis fractures of femur classified type B1 and type C in Vancouver were treated by open reduction and bridging combined with internal fixation, including 2 males and 3 females, with ages of 68, 70, 74, 75, 79 years;type B1 fractures in 4 and type C fractures in 1. Causes of injury:1 case of traffic injury, 4 cases of fall. After the operation, the patients were followed up for complications and fracture healing time by clinical and imaging examination, and Parker activity score was performed., Results: The wounds of 5 patients healed without infection. One case of DVT was confirmed by venography. Five patients were followed up, and the durations were 2, 8, 9, 10, 15 months. One patient died of myocardial infarction 2 months after operation. The average healing time was 12.5 weeks. No loss of reduction or failure of internal fixation was found. Two patients could walk without protection and 1 patient needed to rely on single crutch. One case of periprosthetic fracture had to walk with a single crutch before operation and move indoors with two crutches after operation. The average Parker activity score was 51.8% before operation., Conclusion: The bridge combined internal fixation system can be used to fix the fracture after hip replacement with stable femoral prosthesis.

Artificial control of animal locomotion has the potential to simultaneously address longstanding challenges to actuation, control, and power requirements in soft robotics. Robotic manipulation of locomotion can also address previously inaccessible questions about organismal biology otherwise limited to observations of naturally occurring behaviors. Here, we present a biohybrid robot that uses onboard microelectronics to induce swimming in live jellyfish. Measurements demonstrate that propulsion can be substantially enhanced by driving body contractions at an optimal frequency range faster than natural behavior. Swimming speed can be enhanced nearly threefold, with only a twofold increase in metabolic expenditure of the animal and 10 mW of external power input to the microelectronics. Thus, this biohybrid robot uses 10 to 1000 times less external power per mass than other aquatic robots reported in literature. This capability can expand the performance envelope of biohybrid robots relative to natural animals for applications such as ocean monitoring., (Copyright © 2020 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works. Distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial License 4.0 (CC BY-NC).)

Background: Branches of the lateral circumflex femoral artery (LCFA) stretch across the surgical field during a direct anterior total hip arthroplasty. It is an anatomical marker in direct anterior approach. As an important vessel around the hip joint, this vessel was ligated in most situations. Although ligation of the vascular pedicle of the LCFA is a common, traditional procedure used to decrease bleeding, the ligation of the pedicle of the vessel is tedious and time-consuming., Aim: To explore whether this ligation is truly necessary in a direct anterior approach to total hip arthroplasty., Methods: This single-center, single-surgeon, prospective study was performed to compare patients' bleeding undergoing ligation of the branches of the LCFA pedicle (group A) vs those treated with electrocautery from the branches of the LCFA (group B). In both groups, the pedicles were identified in the intermuscular plane between the tensor fasciae lata and the rectus femoris muscles. In group A, the pedicles were ligated with a silk ligature. In group B, the branches coming off the LCFA were controlled with electrocautery. We compared preoperative vs postoperative changes in blood hemoglobin levels, intraoperative blood loss, operative time, rates of transfusion, re-bleeding, and hematoma between the two groups., Results: The reduction of hemoglobin in group A was 20.9 ± 7.0, and in group B it was 21.2 ± 4.9. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups ( P > 0.05). The actual calculated blood loss in group A was 784 ± 125 mL, and in group B it was 722 ± 153 mL. There was a trend in group A having more blood loss ( P = 0.078). The estimated blood loss in group A was 344 ± 88 mL, and in group B it was 346 ± 73 mL. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups ( P = 0.883). In addition, there were no significant differences in the rates of postoperative transfusion (10% vs 6.7%, P > 0.05), postoperative hematomas (6.7% vs 13.3%, P > 0.05), or re-bleeding (13.3% vs 20%, P > 0.05) between the two groups., Conclusion: Ligation of the pedicle of the LCFA has no advantage in preventing or decreasing bleeding during or after a total hip arthroplasty using the direct anterior approach. Ligation of the pedicle of the vessel is a cumbersome, unnecessary procedure and can be replaced by electrocautery control of the branches off this artery that course through the surgical field., Competing Interests: Clinical trial registration statement: The clinical trial was registered in the affiliated Changzhou NO. 2 People’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, with the registration number of 2016-c-06-01., (©The Author(s) 2019. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the properties of porcine cartilage type II collagen scaffolds crosslinked with 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide/N-hydroxy-succinamide (EDC/NHS) under different conditions. The porous EDC/NHS-crosslinked scaffolds were obtained through a two-step freeze-drying process. To determine the optimal crosslinking condition, we used different solvents and various crosslinking temperatures to prepare the scaffolds. Three crosslinking solutions were prepared with different solvents, photographs were taken with a flash in the darkroom, and light transmission was observed. Type II collagen was crosslinked on a horizontal shaker at a speed of 60 r/min according to the above grouping conditions, and then the structural change of the scaffold in each group was observed. To investigate the swelling ratio and the in vitro degradation of the collagen scaffold, tests were also carried out by immersion of the scaffolds in a PBS solution and digestion in type II collagenase, respectively. The influence of the scaffolds on the proliferation of chondrocytes was assessed by the methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium colorimetric assay. The morphology of the crosslinked scaffolds cocultured with chondrocytes was characterized by a scanning electron microscope. The results proved that 75% alcohol and a crosslinking temperature of 37 °C are recommended. Collagen fibrils are more densely packed after crosslinking with EDC/NHS and have a more uniform structure than that of noncrosslinked ones. The EDC-crosslinked scaffolds possessed excellent mechanical property and biocompatibility.

Objective: To investigate the efficacy and safety of tranexamic acid (TXA) in the reduction of bleeding and the need for transfusion in elderly intertrochanteric fracture patients., Methods: A total of 100 patients with intertrochanteric fractures undergoing surgery were enrolled and randomly allocated to the TXA group in which patients (75.10 ± 8.27 years old) were treated with 1 g of TXA, or the control group (77.82 ± 6.42 years old) treated with a placebo. Surgery was performed by two senior orthopaedic surgeons from two institutions. The proximal femoral nail antirotation (PFNA) was conducted using the standard procedure. Three outcome measures, including blood loss, transfusion, and complications, were recorded. Blood loss and transfusion were investigated to assess TXA's effectiveness, while complications were investigated to assess TXA's safety. Statistical indicators for blood loss included total, intraoperative, postoperative, and hidden blood loss volumes, calculated by hemoglobin levels, hematocrit levels, and drainage volume. The number and amount of blood transfusions were recorded. Complications associated with surgery, including deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, wound hematoma, wound infection, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular accidents, and respiratory infections, were also recorded., Results: All patients were followed up for 1 month after surgery. There were no significant differences in demographic and clinical characteristics between the two groups. The TXA group suffered significantly less total blood loss (563.37 ± 197.51 vs 819.25 ± 273.96 mL, 95% CI: -349.49 to -162.27, P < 0.01), intraoperative blood loss (140.3 ± 80.64 vs 230.5 ± 130.56 mL, 95% CI -132.74 to -47.66, P < 0.01), and hidden blood loss (410.42 ± 178.23 vs 571.19 ± 218.13 mL, 95% CI: -238.85 to -82.69, P < 0.01) than the control group. However, postoperative total blood loss was not significantly different (97.5 ± 20.93 vs 94.7 ± 35.78 mL; P = 0.63). A total of 5 patients from the TXA group and 27 from the control group received packed RBC for postoperative transfusion, but the mean number of transfusion units was not significantly different between groups. Complications including deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, myocardial infarction, ischemic cerebral infarction, hematoma, and infection were observed in both groups, but no significant differences were found., Conclusions: In intertrochanteric fracture surgery performed using PFNA, intravenous administration of TXA significantly reduced the risk of intraoperative, total and hidden blood loss, in addition to the need for allogeneic transfusion, without increasing the rate of complications., (© 2019 The Authors. Orthopaedic Surgery published by Chinese Orthopaedic Association and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

Background: Intertrochanteric fracture (ITF) is a common type of injury, and nearly 30% of ITF patients die in the first 12 mo, especially the elderly with limited activity. Tranexamic acid (TXA) has been widely used in reducing traumatic and surgical bleeding, however, the paucity of studies regarding its use in orthopedic trauma surgery has limited its integration into this field, which may benefit most from TXA. The safety of TXA in this group has not achieved a consensus., Aim: This meta-analysis was designed to investigate the efficacy and safety of TXA in elderly ITF patients undergoing surgery., Methods: Databases, including Medline and PubMed, were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that were published before October 2018 and that addressed the efficacy and safety of TXA in patients who underwent ITF surgery. The Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials 2010 Statement Checklist was used to assess the methodological quality of each study. Trials without and with heterogeneity were compared by fixed-effects analysis and random-effects analysis, respectively. For each study, odds ratio (OR) and 95%CI and mean differences and 95%CI were calculated for dichotomous and continuous outcomes, respectively. The Power and Sample Size Program software was used to calculate power and sample size. Stability of the results was assessed via sensitivity analysis., Results: A total of 836 patients from eight RCTs were subjected to meta-analysis. TXA treatment compared with the control group significantly reduced postoperative blood loss (95%CI, -20.83 to -7.93 mL, P < 0.0001), hidden blood loss (95%CI, -213.67 to -64.43 mL, P = 0.0003), and total blood loss (95%CI, -332.49 to -23.18 mL, P = 0.02) by weighted mean differences of -14.38, -139.05, and -177.83 mL, respectively. However, no significant difference was observed between groups for analysis of intraoperative blood loss. The meta-analysis also proved that the usage of TXA in ITFs may not significantly increase the incidence of deep venous thrombosis. Allogeneic blood transfusion data showed that significantly fewer patients in the TXA group (42%) required transfusion than the control group (95%CI, 0.36 to 0.69; P < 0.0001)., Conclusion: In ITF surgery, intravenous administration of TXA reduces the risk of hidden blood loss and the need for allogeneic transfusion, without increasing thrombotic risk., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the JAK2/STAT3 pathway on the proliferation, cell cycle distribution, apoptosis, and oxidative stress of Raji cells via regulating HSP70 expression. MATERIAL AND METHODS Raji cells were divided into Blank, HSP70 siRNA, NC siRNA, AG490 (a JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway inhibitor), and HSP70 siRNA + rh JAK2 (recombinant human JAK2) groups. HSP70 expression was detected by quantitative real-time reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR); the expression levels of HSP70 and JAK2/STAT3 pathway-related proteins were evaluated by Western blotting; cell proliferation was assessed by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assays; cell cycle distribution was observed by flow cytometry; cell apoptosis was tested by Annexin V-FITC/PI and Hoechst 33342/PI staining; reactive oxygen species (ROS) production was measured by dichloro-dihydro-fluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) assays; and MDA content and SOD and GSH-Px activities were determined using detection kits. RESULTS AG490 obviously down-regulated HSP70 expression, inhibited proliferation, induced cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phase, and promoted apoptosis in Raji cells; these effects were similar to the effects of HSP70 siRNA. Furthermore, ROS production and MDA content were increased in Raji cells treated with HSP70 siRNA or AG490, while SOD and GSH-Px activities were reduced. Raji cells in the HSP70 siRNA + rh JAK2 group did not significantly differ from those in the Blank group in regards to proliferation, cell cycle, apoptosis, and oxidative stress. CONCLUSIONS Blocking the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway may inhibit proliferation, induce cell cycle arrest, and promote oxidative stress and apoptosis in Raji cells via the down-regulation of HSP70.

Cellular metabolic reprogramming is the main characteristic of cancer cells and identification of targets using this metabolic pattern is extremely important to treat cancers, such as osteosarcoma (OS). In this study, SLIT2 and ROBO1 were upregulated in OS, and higher expression of ROBO1 was associated with worse overall survival rate. Furthermore, in vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrated that the SLIT2/ROBO1 axis promotes proliferation, inhibits apoptosis, and contributes to the Warburg effect in OS cells. Mechanistically, the SLIT2/ROBO1 axis exerted cancer-promoting effects on OS via activation of the SRC/ERK/c-MYC/PFKFB2 pathway. Taken together, the findings reveal a previously unappreciated function of SLIT2/ROBO1 signaling in OS, which is intertwined with metabolic alterations that promote cancer progression. Targeting the SLIT2/ROBO1 axis may be a potential therapeutic approach for patients with OS.

Objective: To investigate the correlation of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) complicated with osteoporosis with lipid metabolism, adipokines and inflammatory factors, and to define the risk factors via the multivariate regression analysis., Patients and Methods: A total of 80 patients with DM admitted into our hospital from November 2015 to November 2016 were enrolled, including 40 patients complicated with osteoporosis and 40 patients not complicated with osteoporosis. The levels of blood lipid, adipokines and inflammatory factors were compared; the correlations between bone mineral density (BMD) and total cholesterol (TC), adiponectin and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were analyzed; and multivariate Logistic regression analysis was performed for osteoporosis, hyperlipidemia, abnormal adipokine levels and body's inflammatory response., Results: The levels of serum lipid indexes, total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), in patients without complicating osteoporosis were significantly lower than those in patients complicated with osteoporosis. The level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) was significantly higher than that in patients complicated with osteoporosis. The levels of adipokines, adiponectin and visfatin, in patients without complicating osteoporosis were significantly lower than those in patients complicated with osteoporosis. The levels of inflammatory factors, TNF-α, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP), in patients without complicating osteoporosis were significantly lower than those in patients complicated with osteoporosis. There were negative correlations between BMD and TC, adiponectin and TNF-α. Abnormal blood lipid, abnormal adipokine levels and elevated inflammatory factor levels were independent risk factors for osteoporosis., Conclusions: Enhanced inflammatory response, abnormal blood lipid metabolism and abnormal changes in adipokines may increase the risk of osteoporosis in patients with diabetes mellitus.

This study aimed to systematically compare the safety, effectiveness and radiological changes after lumbar pedicular dynamic stabilisation systems and fusion to treat lumbar degenerative disc disease . All studies that were performed to compare various lumbar pedicular dynamic stabilisation systems with any lumbar fusion to treat lumbar degenerative disc disease and were published until April 30, 2015 were acquired through a comprehensive search in various databases. A meta-analysis was performed after the methodological qualities of trials were assessed and after data were extracted. Sixteen trials with 881 patients with a short-term follow-up (within 2 years) and a middle-term follow-up (2 to 4 years) were identified. Patients treated with lumbar pedicular dynamic stabilisation systems experienced more significant advantages in terms of operation time, intra-operative blood loss, complications and adjacent segment degeneration/disease development than those treated with lumbar fusion. The two groups did not significantly differ in terms of improvement in Oswestry Disability Index, visual analogue scale scores, satisfaction rate of operation and range of motion of adjacent segments. Lumbar pedicular dynamic stabilisation systems is superior to lumbar fusion to some extent, although some of its advantages have yet to be verified and compared with those of lumbar fusion. However, the two interventions were not significantly different in terms of relief in symptoms, functional recovery and motion preservation. Thus, lumbar pedicular dynamic stabilisation systems is recommended for its safety. A prudent attitude is necessary to choose between these interventions on the basis of effectiveness and changes in adjacent segments before a large-scale and long-term follow-up study can be performed.

This study aimed to explore the protective effects of Angelica sinensis polysaccharide (ASP) on rat chondrocyte injury induced by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Rat chondrocytes were cultured and treated with different concentrations of ASP alone or in combination with H2O2, and they were measured with cell viability, apoptosis, release of inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin-1beta (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT), and levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) production, respectively. In addition, quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was used to estimate the relative expression levels of osteoarthritis (OA)-associated genes, such as collagen type II (Col2a1), aggrecan, SOX9, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-1, -3, and -9, as well as tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1, respectively. Results indicated that ASP protected chondrocytes from H2O2-induced oxidative stress and subsequent cell injury through its antioxidant, antiapoptotic and anti-inflammatory effects in vitro. Our study suggests that ASP could become a therapeutic supplementation for the treatment of OA., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To investigate the causes for failed anterior cervical surgery and the outcomes of secondary laminoplasty., Methods: Seventeen patients failed anterior multilevel cervical surgery and the following conservative treatments between Feb 2003 and May 2011 underwent secondary laminoplasty. Outcomes were evaluated by the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) Scale and visual analogue scale (VAS) before the secondary surgery, at 1 week, 2 months, 6 months, and the final visit. Cervical alignment, causes for revision and complications were also assessed., Results: With a mean follow-up of 29.7±12.1 months, JOA score, recovery rate and excellent to good rate improved significantly at 2 months (p<0.05) and maintained thereafter (p>0.05). Mean VAS score decreased postoperatively (p<0.05). Lordotic angle maintained during the entire follow up (p>0.05). The causes for secondary surgery were inappropriate approach in 3 patients, insufficient decompression in 4 patients, adjacent degeneration in 2 patients, and disease progression in 8 patients. Complications included one case of C5 palsy, axial pain and cerebrospinal fluid leakage, respectively., Conclusion: Laminoplasty has satisfactory results in failed multilevel anterior surgery, with a low incidence of complications.

Subvastus, midvastus and medial parapatellar approaches are the most popular approaches in total knee arthroplasty (TKA). However, the superior approach in TKA still remains controversial. We therefore conducted a meta-analysis to quantitatively compare the midvastus and subvastus approaches to the medial parapatellar approach in TKA. A total of 32 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with 2451 TKAs in 2129 patients were included in this study. The meta-analysis suggested that, when compared with the medial parapatellar approach, the midvastus approach showed better outcomes in pain and knee range of motion at postoperative 1-2weeks but also was associated with longer operative time; the subvastus approach showed better outcomes in knee range of motion at postoperative 1week, straight leg raise and lateral retinacular release., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To explore the effects of Danshen Injection () on inhibition proliferation, inducing apoptosis and its possible mechanisms on human erythroid leukemic (HEL) cells., Methods: The commercial Chinese patent medicine of Danshen Injection was extracted and isolated from Chinese herb of Salvia miltiorrhiza bung. The inhibition effects of proliferation were assayed by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) method in HEL cells treated by Danshen Injection at various concentrations for 48 h. The cellular apoptosis was observed in morphology, analyzed by flow cytometry with annexin V and propidium iodide (PI) staining, and examined by DNA degradation ladder on agarose gel electrophoresis. Meanwhile, the expression levels of mutant Janus kinasez (JAK2) gene and phosphorylation-JAK2 (P-JAK2) protein were detected by allele specific-polymerase chain reaction and Western blot., Results: The proliferation of HEL cells was effectively inhibited by Danshen Injection in a dose-dependent manner, with suppression rates from 19.46±2.31% to 50.20±5.21%. Typical apoptosis cells was observed in Danshen Injection treated HEL cells, the rates of annexin V positive cells increased obviously in a dose-dependent manner, as well as the DNA degradation ladder of apoptosis revealed on gel electrophoresis. The expression levels of mutant JAK2 gene and P-JAK2 protein reduced gradually with increasing dosage of Danshen injection., Conclusion: Danshen Injection could not only significantly inhibit the proliferation, but also induce apoptosis in HEL cells; down-regulation of the mutant JAK2 gene and P-JAK2 protein expressions are probably one of its molecular mechanisms.

Objective: To explore the clinical outcomes of multi-ligaments reconstruction with single tendon in treating acute joint dislocation of the first carpometacarpal., Methods: From December 2008 to October 2012, 4 patients with acute dislocation of the first carpometacarpal were treated with single carpi radialis longus tendon to reconstruct periarticular four ligaments, which included dorsal ligament, palmar ligament, dorsal radiocarpal ligament, and intermetacarpal ligament between the first and second. There were 3 males and 1 female aged from 22 to 63 years old with an average of 38.7. X-ray, JAMAR grid strength testing, range of motion of carpometacarpal joint and VAS score were used to evaluate clinical outcomes., Results: All patients were followed up from 6 to 40 months with an average of 19 months. The wound were healed well at stage I. No dislocation of the first carpometacarpal joint and signs of joints degeneration occurred on X-ray at 1, 3 and 6 months after operation. JAMAR grip strength recovered from 60 percent to 90 percent of health wide. The results of ROM showed 3 cases recovered flexion and extension of joints and 1 case limited adduction. VAS score was 0 to 1., Conclusion: For acute dislocation of the first carpometacarpal joint, reconstruction four ligaments with single carpi radialis longus tendon can be considered the selected treatment,which can restores joint stability and improve joint function.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the clinical effects of lamina replantation with ARCH plate fixation on patients with thoracic and lumbar intraspinal tumors, following laminectomy. Thirteen patients with thoracic and lumbar intraspinal tumors underwent total lamina replantation with ARCH plate fixation and repair of the supraspinous ligaments, following laminectomy and tumor enucleation. To investigate the clinical effect of lamina replantation with ARCH plate fixation, pre- and postoperative visual analog scale (VAS), and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores were determined, and pre- and postoperative X-ray and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations were conducted. Computed tomography (CT) examinations were also included in the follow-up. No complications were observed pre- or postoperatively. The VAS and ODI results 2 weeks following surgery and at the final follow-up examination demonstrated a significant improvement compared with the corresponding preoperative results. The X-ray examination results indicated a satisfactory internal fixation location, without any characteristics of a fracture, lumbar scoliosis, kyphosis or instability. Following the surgery, the CT and MRI examination results demonstrated that healing of the lamina bone and repair of the supraspinous ligament had occurred without tumor recurrence or spinal epidural scar recompression. Two of the 13 cases were lost to follow-up. The results indicated that in patients with thoracic and lumbar intraspinal tumors, lamina replantation with ARCH plate fixation following total laminectomy is effective and provides thoracolumbar stability. Furthermore, this has been identified to be an effective technique for preventing intraspinal scar proliferation.

The present study aimed to evaluate the early effects of interspinous spacers on lumbar degenerative disease. The clinical outcomes of 23 patients with lumbar degenerative disease, treated using interspinous spacer implantation alone or combined with posterior lumbar fusion, were retrospectively studied and assessed with a visual analogue scale (VAS) and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). Pre-operative and post-operative interspinous distance, disc space height, foraminal width and height and segmental lordosis were determined. The early effects and complications associated with the interspinous spacers were recorded. The surgical procedures performed with the in-space treatment were easy and minimally invasive. The VAS scores and ODI were improved post-operatively compared with pre-operatively. Significant changes in the interspinous distance, disc space height, foraminal width and height and segmental lordosis were noted. In-space treatment for degenerative lumbar disease is easy and safe, with good early effects. The in-space system provides an alternative treatment for lumbar degenerative disease.

Background and Aims: A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of the protein tyrosine phosphatase nonreceptor gene (PTPN22) confers susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and certain other classical autoimmune diseases. The association between PTPN22 1858C/T polymorphism and the risk of RA is still controversial and ambiguous; therefore, we performed this meta-analysis to confirm some relationships., Methods: We conducted a search in the PubMed database without a language limitation, covering all papers published until June 20, 2011. Overall, 19 case-control studies with 11,727 cases and 12,640 controls were retrieved based on the search criteria for RA susceptibility related to the 1858C/T polymorphism. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to assess the strength of this association. Publication bias was assessed with Eggers test., Results: We found that PTPN22 1858C/T polymorphism could increase RA risk in overall genetic models in Europeans (T-allele vs. C-allele, OR = 1.54, 95% CI = 1.47-1.62, P(heterogeneity) = 0.143; TT vs. CC, OR = 2.86, 95% CI = 2.29-3.57, P(heterogeneity) = 0.302; TC vs. CC, OR = 1.45, 95% CI = 1.38-1.53, P(heterogeneity) = 0.273; TT + TC vs. CC, OR = 1.49, 95% CI = 1.42-1.56, P(heterogeneity) = 0.208; TT vs. TC + CC, OR = 2.52, 95% CI = 1.95-3.25, P(heterogeneity) = 0.296). Furthermore, significant relationships were detected among PTPN22 1858C/T polymorphism and RF(+) or RF(-) RA risk. No obvious evidence of publication bias was detected in the overall analysis., Conclusions: Our study indicated that PTPN22 1858T allele was significantly associated with increased RA risk., (Copyright © 2011 IMSS. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility and accuracy of thoracic pedicle screw fixation when assisted by a CT-based navigation system., Methods: A total of 102 thoracic pedicle screws inserted by a CT-based navigation system (n = 24) (Group A) and 98 thoracic pedicle screws inserted by X-ray fluoroscopy (n = 22) (Group B) were observed by postoperative CT scan. The accuracy of both series was compared. And the process of navigation was investigated., Results: Among Group A, 99 were of grade I (97.1%), 3 grade II and 0 grade III; among Group B, 88 were of grade I (89.8%), 8 grade II and 2 grade III. One patient of grade III had the intractable pain of chest and back. Neural damage was not demonstrated. The difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05)., Conclusion: A CT-based navigation system can increase accuracy of thoracic pedicle screw fixation.

Cowpea is an important tropical crop. It provides a large proportion of the food resource for the African human population and their livestock. The yield and quality of cowpea have been dramatically improved through traditional breeding strategies for the past few decades. However, reports of heritability estimates for early growth of cowpea are rare. We designed a simple experiment to estimate the broad-sense heritability of early growth. We randomly selected 15 cowpea varieties among a total of 5000 cowpea accessions maintained in the cowpea breeding facility at the University of California, Riverside to examine the genetic determination of early growth of cowpea (measured as the height at day five after seeding). The estimated broad-sense heritability on the individual plant basis is 0.2190. However, the corresponding estimate on the plant mean basis (average of four plants) is 0.5198, which is very high for a quantitative trait. The high heritability may explain why traditional breeding for cowpea growth is so effective. Since the design of experiment and method of data analysis are novel, this report can serve as an educational note for students in the area of quantitative genetics and plant breeding.

Objective: Vertebral compression fractures (VCFs) are common complications of osteoporosis. The expansion of VCFs with a Sky Bone Expander is a new procedure which improves kyphotic deformities and decreases pain associated with VCFs. The purpose of this study was to investigate the preliminary results for the treatment of painful osteoporotic VCFs with a Sky Bone Expander., Materials and Methods: Twenty-six patients with pain-causing VCFs were treated with a Sky Bone Expander. This operation involved the percutaneous insertion of the Sky Bone Expander into a fractured vertebral body transpedicularly. Following the expansion, the Sky Bone Expander was contracted and removed, resulting in a cavity to be filled with bone cement. All fractures were analyzed for improvement in sagittal alignment. Clinical complications, pain relief and ambulation status were evaluated 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months after the operation., Results: Twenty-four hours after the operation, all the patients treated experienced some degree of pain relief. In addition, no postoperative neurologic complications were noted. The average operative time was 42.4 +/- 15.5 min per vertebra. Moreover, an average cement volume of 3.5 mL (range, 2.5 +/- 5.0 mL) was injected per vertebra. The average anterior height was 18.4 +/- 5.1 mm preoperatively and 20.5 +/- 5.3 mm postoperatively (p < 0.01). Furthermore, the average midline height was 15.5 +/- 5.2 mm preoperatively and 18.9 +/- 4.0 mm postoperatively (p < 0.01). The Cobb angle improved from 18.5 +/- 8.2 degrees preoperatively to 9.2 +/- 4.0 degrees postoperatively (p < 0.01). The Visual Anabog Scale scores decreased from 7.7 +/- 1.8 points preoperatively to 3.1 +/- 2.0, 2.9 +/- 1.7, 2.6 +/- 1.5 and 2.9 +/- 11.3 after 1 day, 1 week, 1 month and 3 months after the operation, respectively. Cement extrusion was observed in four patients without any neurologic symptoms., Conclusion: As a result of this study, we can postulate that the expansion of compressed vetrebra with a Sky Bone Expander is a safe and minimally invasive procedure resulting in the restoration of vertebral body height and the relief of pain associated with VCFs.

Objective: To investigate the clinical curative effect of reconstruction of finger pulp defect by anastomosis of reversed fasciocutaneous island flap with dorsal branch of the digital nerve of the same finger., Methods: The restoration of finger pulp defect with fasciocutaneous island flap from the same finger was conducted in 25 cases (30 fingers) from January 2002 to June 2003. Nine patients (11 fingers) whose flaps with dorsal branch of the digital nerve anastomosed with the digital inherent nerve around the surface of the wound were Group A and the others were Group B. The follow-up was carried out at 3 and 9 months after the operation to observe the shape of finger pulp and the sense restoration between two groups., Results: All flaps of 25 cases (30 fingers) survived. Three months after operation, the patients had fully grown finger pulps and recovered the superficial sensation and tactile sense of finger pulps. The two point discrimination on average was 5.00 mm+/-0.23 mm in Group A and 6.00 mm+/-0.30 mm in Group B. The difference between two groups was highly significant. Nine months later, their senses of finger pulps between two groups were recovered basically., Conclusions: The reversed fasciocutaneous island flap from the same finger is the first choice to reconstruct the finger pulp defect, and the anastomosis of dorsal branch of the digital nerve shall be determined according to the specific condition.