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As global urbanization advances, the expansion of urban land has subjected cities to increasingly frequent and extensive external disturbances, often revealing limitations in disaster prevention and mitigation capacities, particularly in regions characterized by high urbanization, environmental degradation, and recurrent natural disasters. This study investigates the association between urban land expansion and urban resilience, developing a targeted analytical framework to assess their coupling and coordination. Leveraging remote sensing data on land use and socio-economic development indicators, we constructed a comprehensive evaluation index encompassing social, economic, ecological, and infrastructural dimensions. Examining three principal urban agglomerations in China's Yangtze River Basin, we analyzed the spatial-temporal dynamics and rates of change in urban land area and resilience levels from 2000 to 2020. A coupling coordination model was applied to assess the alignment between the rate of urban land expansion and resilience improvement, ultimately aiming to derive actionable policy recommendations. The results demonstrate that: (1) both the intensity and rate of urban land expansion across urban agglomerations in the Yangtze River Basin have declined, indicating a shift in urbanization focus from "land expansion" to "quality enhancement," with a slowdown in the conversion of agricultural to urban land. (2) Urban land expansion exhibits weak directionality, with land expansion occurring uniformly within the region. (3) On the whole, resilience levels in the Yangtze River Basin's urban agglomerations remain moderate or lower, although showing gradual improvement. (4) The coordination between urban land area and urban resilience across the basin is limited, with a declining alignment between urban land expansion and resilience enhancement rates, signaling an emerging imbalance. By assessing the coordination between urban land expansion and resilience, this study seeks to inform policy development on urban land management and resilience enhancement within the Yangtze River Basin's urban agglomerations., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Perovskite films often suffer from surface and grain boundary defects, including uncoordinated ions, lattice distortions, and dangling bonds, coupled with lattice distortions due to solvent volatilization anisotropy and the thermal expansion coefficient. Such defects severely compromise both the photovoltaic efficiency and long-term solar cell stability. Here, fluorinated polyurethane (FPU) was synthesized and introduced into the perovskite precursor as a multifunctional additive. Excess Pb 2+ ions interact with the carbonyl group (C═O) of FPU, thereby reducing nonradiative recombination. The perovskite and FPU form various hydrogen bonds via MA + with F and -NH with -I. This multiplies the passivation of grain boundary defects, increases grain size, reduces defect density, releases residual lattice stress, and facilitates charge transport. Accordingly, the power conversion efficiency of the FPU-modified perovskite solar cells (PSCs) on rigid substrates and flexible substrates reached 21.18 and 17.76%, respectively. Notably, the long-chain C-F compound, which constructs a moisture-resistant barrier, could inhibit moisture corrosion in the perovskite films. After 2000 h of storage at ambient temperature in dark, the PSCs's initial efficiency still remained 82%. Additionally, after it undergoes 300 bending cycles ( r = 0.7 cm), the device maintains 92.4% of its initial efficiency.

The regulation of gibberellic acid 2-oxidase ( GA2ox ) gene expression represents a critical mechanism in the modulation of endogenous gibberellic acids (GAs) levels, thereby exerting an influence on plant height. In this context, we conducted a comprehensive genome-wide analysis of the GA2ox gene family in mango ( Mangifera indica L.), a species of significant economic importance, with the aim of identifying potential candidate genes for mango dwarf breeding. Our findings delineated the presence of at least 14 members within the MiGA2ox gene family in the mango genome, which were further categorized into three subfamilies: C 19 -GA2ox-I, C 19 -GA2ox-II, and C 20 -GA2ox-I. Notably, MiGA2ox12, a member of the C 19 -GA2ox-II subfamily, exhibited substantial expression across various tissues, including roots, bark, leaves, and flowers. Through overexpression of the MiGA2ox12 gene in tobacco, a distinct dwarf phenotype was observed alongside reduced levels of GA 1 and GA 4 , while the knockout line exhibited contrasting traits. This provides evidence suggesting that MiGA2ox12 may exert control over plant height by modulating GA content. Consequently, the MiGA2ox12 gene emerges as a promising candidate for facilitating advancements in mango dwarfing techniques.

There is a growing interest in using extracellular vesicles (EVs) for therapeutic applications. EVs are composed of cytoplasmic proteins and nucleic acids and an external lipid bilayer containing transmembrane proteins on their surfaces. EVs can alter the state of the target cells by interacting with the receptor ligand of the target cell or by being internalised by the target cell. Blood cells are the primary source of EVs, and 1 μL of plasma contains approximately 1.5 × 10 7  EVs. Owing to their easy acquisition and the avoidance of cell amplification in vitro, using blood cells as a source of therapeutic EVs has promising clinical application prospects. This review summarises the characteristics and biological functions of EVs derived from different blood cell types (platelets, erythrocytes, and leukocytes) and analyses the prospects and challenges of using them for clinical therapeutic applications. In summary, blood cell-derived EVs can regulate different cell types such as immune cells (macrophages, T cells, and dendritic cells), stem cells, and somatic cells, and play a role in intercellular communication, immune regulation, and cell proliferation. Overall, blood cell-derived EVs have the potential for use in vascular diseases, inflammatory diseases, degenerative diseases, and injuries. To promote the clinical translation of blood cell-derived EVs, researchers need to perform further studies on EVs in terms of scalable and reproducible isolation technology, quality control, safety, stability and storage, regulatory issues, cost-effectiveness, and long-term efficacy., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. The Graphical Abstract, Figures 6, 9 and 11 were created with biorender.com., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

With the continuous development of education level and the downturn of economic situation, employment competition is intensifying, more and more high-quality talents appear, and the misfit between people and posts has become a common phenomenon. However, there is no consensus on the relationship between perceived overqualification and employee creativity. Based on the conservation of resource theory, this study reveals the micro mechanism and boundary conditions of the influence of excessive qualification on employee creativity. This study analyzed 487 valid samples obtained in three stages. The results show that: (1) Job crafting has a positive mediating effect on perceived overqualification and creativity, and the path of the two halves is positive; (2) Work withdrawal behavior plays a negative mediating role between the perceived overqualification and creativity. The path in the first half is positive, and the path in the second half is negative; (3) Organizational identity moderates the effect of perceived overqualification on job crafting and work withdrawal behavior. Specifically, the higher the sense of organizational identification, the stronger the positive effect of perceived overqualification on job crafting and the weaker the positive effect on work withdrawal behavior; (4) Organizational identification moderates the mediating role of job crafting and work withdrawal behavior in the relationship between overqualification and creativity. Specifically, the higher the organizational identity, the stronger the indirect positive effect of perceived overqualification on creativity through job crafting, and the weaker the indirect negative impact of perceived overqualification on creativity through work withdrawal behavior. The study conclusion deepens the research on the mechanism of the influence of the perceived overqualification on employees' work behavior, and provides practical enlightenment for the organization and management of employees with excess qualification., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Jiang et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Background & Aims: Existing evidence on the possible effects of probiotics on obese or overweight adolescents has not been fully established. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the effects of probiotic supplementation on anthropometric indices, inflammatory markers and metabolic indices in obese or overweight adolescents., Methods: The literature up to March 2023 related to probiotic intervention in obese or overweight adolescents was searched and screened from multiple databases, including the CNKI(China national knowledge infrastructure), CBM(Chinese biomedical literature database), PubMed, EmBase, and Cochrane library databases. All randomized controlled trials using probiotic supplements in obese or overweight adolescents were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis., Results: A total of 8 studies that met the inclusion criteria were included in this study. There were 201 cases in the experimental group (probiotic treatment) and 190 cases in the control group. Compared to the control group, probiotic intervention in adolescents resulted in a decrease in body mass index, fasting blood glucose and C-reactive protein with WMD(Weighted mean difference) and 95% CI of -2.53 (-4.8 to -0.26) kg/m 2 , -0.80 (-1.13 to -0.47) mol/L and -0.24 (-0.43 to -0.05) mg/L, respectively. No significant changes were found in weight, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, insulin, Homeostatic Model Assessment of insulin resistance, interleukin 6, tumor necrosis factor alpha and so on; however, an unfavorable elevated effect in total cholesterol, triglycerides, and low-density lipoproteins was detected with WMD and 95% CI of 0.06 (0.02 to 0.09) mmol/L, 0.18 (0.14 to 0.21) mmol/L, and 0.19 (0.18 to 0.20) mmol/L, respectively., Conclusion: According to our results, probiotic supplementation was beneficial in managing metabolic indicators such as fasting blood glucose, body mass index and inflammation-related C-reactive protein in overweight or obese adolescents. Further large scale studies are warranted to confirm present findings and to identify the effects and mechanisms to provide more precise evidence for clinical intervention., Systematic Review Registration: doi: 10.37766/inplasy2024.1.0081, identifier INPLASY202410081., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Duan, Wang, Ma, Ning and Zhang.)

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the key cause of blindness and visual impairment in diabetes patients around the world. The high levels of oxidative stress in diabetes patients cause diabetic retinopathy. In addition to being an antioxidant, Bergenin also works as an immunosuppressant, an anti-inflammatory, and anticarcinogenic against hepatocarcinoma. This study examined the effects of Bergenin on diabetic retinopathy rats, using Streptozotocin (STZ) intraperitoneally to induce diabetes in rats. The animals were divided into four groups (n = 6), including a normal control (Group I), diabetic control (Group II), Bergenin (25 mg/kg) (Group III), and metformin (350 mg/kg) (Group IV). As previously mentioned, each animal received treatment for 60 days. To induce DR, rats were administered STZ (60 mg/kg) intraperitoneally for 60 days. Standard methods were utilized to measure the body weight of rats, blood glucose levels. We measured lipid profiles (Triglycerides, cholesterol, LDL, and HDL), inflammatory markers, and antioxidant levels with their respective kits. Analysis of retinal tissue morphometry and MMP-9, VEGF, and MCP-1 levels in serum was performed. Our research examined the expression levels of target genes (TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6) using RT-PCR analysis. STZ-induced animals that were treated with Bergenin had less food intake, lower blood glucose, and improved body weight. Bergenin significantly suppressed levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, cholesterol, TG, LDL, AI, MMP-9, VEGF, and MCP-1 and increased the level of HDL and antioxidant enzymes in STZ-induced DR rats. As well as increasing antioxidant levels, reducing retinal thickness, and increasing cell numbers, Bergenin also lessened DR remarkably. The results of this study demonstrated that Bergenin effectively inhibited STZ-induced DR in rats., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

To further ameliorate current additive engineering of perovskites for viable applications, the inherent limitations should be overcome; these include weakened coordination of the dopants to the [PbI 6 ] 4- octahedra during crystallization and ubiquity of ineffective bonding sites. Herein, we introduce a facile strategy for synthesizing a reduction-active antisolvent. Washing with reduction-active PEDOT:PSS-blended antisolvent substantially enhances the intrinsic polarity of the Lewis acid (Pb 2+ ) in [PbI 6 ] 4- octahedra, which causes significant strengthening of the coordinate bonding between additives and perovskite. Thus, coordination of the additive to the perovskite becomes much stable. Additionally, the enhanced coordination ability of Pb 2+ can enhance the effective bonding sites and further enhance the efficacy of additive optimization to the perovskite. Here, we demonstrate five different additives as dopant bases and repeatedly verify the universality of this approach. The photovoltaic performance and stability of doped-MAPbI 3 devices are further improved, revealing the advanced potential of additive engineering.

R2R3-MYB transcription factors play an important role in the synthesis of phenylpropanoid-derived compounds, which in turn provide salt tolerance in plant. In this study, we found that the expression of foxtail millet R2R3-MYB factor SiMYB16 can be induced by salt and drought. SiMYB16 is localized in the nucleus and acts as a transcriptional activator. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that SiMYB16 belongs to the R2R3-MYB transcription factor family subgroup 24. Transgenic rice expressing SiMYB16 (OX16) had a higher survival rate, lower malondialdehyde content, and heavier fresh weight compared with type (WT) under salt stress conditions. The transgenic plants also had a higher germination rate in salt treatment conditions and higher yield in the field compared with wild-type plants. Transcriptome analysis revealed that the up-regulated differential expression genes in the transgenic rice were mainly involved in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, fatty acid elongation, phenylalanine metabolism, and flavonoid biosynthesis pathways. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis also showed that the genes encoding the major enzymes in the lignin and suberin biosynthesis pathways had higher expression level in SiMYB16 transgenic plants. Correspondingly, the content of flavonoid and lignin, and the activity of fatty acid synthase increased in SiMYB16 transgenic rice compared with wild-type plants under salt stress treatment. These results indicate that SiMYB16 gene can enhance plant salt tolerance by regulating the biosynthesis of lignin and suberin., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.)

The synthesis of α , α -dideuterio alcohols has been achieved via single electron transfer reductive deuteration of acyl chlorides using SmI 2 and D 2 O. This method is distinguished by its remarkable functional group tolerance and exquisite deuterium incorporation, which has also been applied to the synthesis of valuable deuterated agrochemicals and their building blocks.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers, and has an extremely poor prognosis. Our previous study confirmed that the microRNA miR-361-5p inhibited the proliferation, metastasis, invasiveness, and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process of HCC by targeting the transcription factor Twist1. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are key regulators of processes such as cell differentiation, inflammation, tumor formation, and immune escape. However, the underlying interactions between the lncRNA LINC00992, miR-361-5p, and Twist1 in HCC progression is still elusive. In the current study, the DIANA-lncBase database was used to identify regulatory genes upstream of miR-361-5p. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) was used to quantify the expression of the genes encoding LINC00992, miR-361-5p, and Twist1 in HCC cells. The cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) was used to measure HCC cell proliferation and Transwell was used to measure HCC cell migration and invasion. The dual-luciferase reporter assay and RNA pull-down assay were performed to examine the interaction between LINC00992 and miR-361-5p. Western blotting was used to detect the levels of Twist1 protein. The result confirmed that, among three lncRNAs tested, miR-361-5p was the one most significantly affected by LINC00992. RT-qPCR revealed that LINC00992 was highly expressed in HCC tissues and cells. The follow-up results showed that the expression of LINC00992 and miR-361-5p in HCC tissues were closely correlated with the rate of metastasis or recurrence of the HCC patients. Our result showed that the expression of miR-361-5p was lower in the LINC00992 (+) group than in the LINC00992 (-) group. CCK-8 and Transwell showed that LINC00992 promoted HCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, whereas dual-luciferase reporter assay and RNA pull-down assay showed that LINC00992 combined with miR-361-5p to act as a miRNA decoy in HCC. RT-qPCR and Western blotting confirmed that LINC00992 upregulated the expression of the Twist1 gene in HCC cells by downregulating expression of miR-361-5p. CCK-8 and Transwell assays confirmed that LINC00992 promoted the proliferation, metastasis, and invasiveness of HCC cells by downregulating miR-361-5p levels and consequently upregulating Twist1 expression, implying that these three elements may be promising targets for HCC therapy., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

Currently, there is no suitable solution for the point-of-care diagnosis of knee injuries. A potential portable and low-cost technique for accessing and monitoring knee injuries is bioimpedance measurement. This study validated the feasibility of the bipolar electrode configuration for knee bioimpedance measurement with two electrodes placed on a fixed pair of knee acupuncture locations called Xiyan. Then, the study collected 76 valid samples to investigate the relationship between bioimpedance and knee injuries, among whom 39 patients have unilateral knee injuries, and 37 individuals have healthy knees. The self-contrast results indicated that knee injuries caused a reduction of bioimpedance of the knee by about 5% on average, which was detectable at around 100 kHz (p ≈ 0.001). Furthermore, the results analyzed by principal component analysis and support vector machines show that the detection sensitivity can reach 87.18% using the leave-one-out cross-validation. We also proposed a low-cost and portable bioimpedance measurement device that meets the needs for measuring knee joint bioimpedance.

In recent years, the development of tobacco control actions in China and the changes in people's health concepts have slowed the development of the tobacco industry. As an important strategic partner of tobacco sales companies, tobacco retailers are the key link between tobacco commercial enterprises and consumers. How to improve the work engagement level of tobacco retailers is an urgent issue for tobacco business enterprises. On the basis of job demands-resources (JD-R) theory, the mechanisms of the effects of job resources and demands on tobacco retailers' work engagement were explored. Results showed that (1) The negative path of job demands influencing tobacco retailers' work engagement was supported, and job crafting played a mediating role in it. (2) The positive path of job resources influencing tobacco retailers' work engagement was supported, and job crafting played a mediating role in it. (3) Servant leadership moderated the influence of job resources and demands on job crafting. Higher level of servant leadership brings the stronger effect of job resources on job crafting and the weaker effect of job demands on job crafting. (4) The mediating effect of job crafting between JD-R and work engagement was moderated by servant leadership. The higher level of servant leadership strengthened the mediating role of job crafting between job demands and work engagement, whereas it weakened the mediating role of job crafting between job demands and work engagement. This study enriches the research on application fields and boundary conditions of JD-R theory and provides practical guidance for improving the work engagement level of tobacco retailers., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Jiang, Ning, Liu, Zhang and Liu.)

The intrinsic defects in perovskite film can serve as non-radiative recombination center to limit the performance and stability of metal halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs). The additive engineering in perovskite film is always applied to produce high-efficiency PSCs in recent years. Here, a typical donor-acceptor (D-A) structured aggregation-induced emission (AIE) molecule tetraphenylethene-2-dicyano-methylene-3-cyano-4,5,5-trimethyl-2,5-dihydrofuran (TPE-TCF) was introduced into perovskite film. The D-A structure of TPE-TCF molecule provided additional charge transfer channels, contributing to transporting electron of TPE-TCF-based device. The cyano (C≡N) of TPE-TCF can interact with the uncoordinated Pb to from a relatively stable intermediate, PbI 2 ⋅TPE-TCF, resulting in the slower crystal growth, reduced the defects at the grain boundaries and suppressed carrier recombination. As a consequence, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of TPE-TCF-modified PSCs achieved a remarkably enhanced from 15.63 to 19.66 % with negligible hysteresis, which was prominent in methylammonium lead iodide-based devices fabricated under ambient condition. Furthermore, the PSCs modified by AIE molecule possessed an outstanding stability and maintain about 86 % of the initial PCE after 300 h storage in air at 25-35 °C with a high relative humidity (RH) of ≈85 %. This work suggests that incorporating AIE molecule into perovskite is a promising strategy for facilitating high-performance PSCs commercialization in ambient environment without glovebox., (© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

An efficient one-pot sequential hydrogen isotope exchange (HIE)/reductive deuteration approach was developed for the preparation of α,β-deuterated alcohols using ketones as the precursors. The HIE step can also be used for the synthesis of α-deuterated ketones. This method has been applied in the synthesis of four deuterated drug and MS internal standards.

Mechanical force is critical for the development and remodeling of bone. Here we report that mechanical force regulates the production of the metabolite asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) via regulating the hydrolytic enzyme dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase 1 (Ddah1) expression in osteoblasts. The presence of -394 4 N del/ins polymorphism of Ddah1 and higher serum ADMA concentration are negatively associated with bone mineral density. Global or osteoblast-specific deletion of Ddah1 leads to increased ADMA level but reduced bone formation. Further molecular study unveils that mechanical stimulation enhances TAZ/SMAD4-induced Ddah1 transcription. Deletion of Ddah1 in osteoblast-lineage cells fails to respond to mechanical stimulus-associated bone formation. Taken together, the study reveals mechanical force is capable of down-regulating ADMA to enhance bone formation., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

The projected growth and rapid technological development in maritime transportation will create demand for a newly skilled and motivated workforce in the port sector. Thus, it is important for ports to attract, recruit and retain talented employees to promote innovation and enhance competitive advantages. This manuscript focuses on the welfare and talent of port staff from the perspective of person-environment (P-E) fit. Using polynomial regression with response surface analysis, this study explores the effect of P-E fit on job satisfaction, work engagement and innovation performance, and bootstrapping is applied to confirm the mediating roles of job satisfaction and work engagement in the relationship between P-E fit and innovation performance. Results show that (1) need-supply (N-S) fit and demands-abilities (D-A) fit improved port employees' job satisfaction, work engagement and innovation performance, and the impacts on work engagement and innovation performance show an inverted "U" and "U" shape, respectively; (2) D-A fit is more important when job satisfaction plays a mediating role; and (3) N-S fit makes a greater contribution when work engagement mediates the effect of P-E fit on the innovation performance. These findings contribute to P-E fit research as well as to human resource management practices in ports., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Jiang, Liu, Chen, Zhang, Wang, Huang and Ning.)

A novel, hyperbranched polysiloxane (HBPSi) is successfully synthesized via hydrolysis using γ-methacryloxypropyl trimethoxysilane (A174) and deionized water, under catalyst-free conditions. Then, for the first time, the HBPSis are used to modify a 3D printing light-curing epoxy resin. Thermogravimetry results showed that the addition of HBPSi improved the heat resistance of the epoxy resin. Experimental results also show that the addition of HBPSi simultaneously improves tensile strength, elongation at break, and impact strength. In particular, a great increase in the toughness of 3D printing light-curing epoxy resin is observed, with 5 wt % HBPSi loading. These results indicate that the HBPSi containg OH- and Si-O-Si can be potentially effective at improving the performance of the 3D printing light-curing epoxy resin. This investigation suggests that the method proposed herein is a new approach to develop the performance of 3D printing light-curing epoxy resin for cutting-edge industries, especially those that simultaneously have outstanding thermal resistance and toughness., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2021 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

Background: Percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) is a widely accepted surgical treatment modality for painful osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures. The risk factors cause of subsequent vertebral fractures after PKP are debated., Objectives: To evaluate risk factors for the occurrence of new vertebral compression fractures after PKP., Study Design: A retrospective study., Setting: A single-center inpatient population., Methods: A total of 921 patients (1,152 vertebrae) with PKP were investigated. Among those patients, 111 patients (155 levels) incurred refractures after PKP., Results: The average bone mineral density was -3.27 in the "refracture"group and -3.00 in the "no fracture" group (P = 0.031). Morbidities of women were significantly higher in the "refracture" group (90.99%) compared with the "no fracture" group (81.73%) (P = 0.015). Among the basic diseases, several diseases (history of previously fracture, previously osteoporosis, gallstone disease, stomach disease, and ovariectomy) are associated with refractures after PKP (P < 0.05). And antiosteoporotic treatment (calcium + vitamin D or zoledronate) after PKP can also significantly reduce the occurrence of refracture (P < 0.000). In addition, logistic regression analysis also showed that most of the above contents had significant correlation with the refracture after PKP (P < 0.05), except for gallstone disease (P = 0.362)., Limitations: Retrospective study, single center., Conclusion: Osteoporosis is the main cause of refracture after PKP. Elderly women were found to be more susceptible than elderly men to refracture. Patients with a history of previously fracture, previously osteoporosis, stomach ulcer, and ovariectomy are more likely to be refracture. Antiosteoporosis treatment (calcium + vitamin D or zoledronate) after PKP can reduce the risk of refracture.

Many approaches have been examined to reversing multidrug resistance (MDR), but sub-optimal target-based strategies have limited their efficacy. Herein, we investigate microRNA (miR-21) suppression on the doxorubicin (DOX)-sensitisation of the DOX-resistant (PC3/DOX) cell line in prostate cancer (PCa). Expression levels of miR-21, P-glycoprotein (P-gp), MDR-1 and PTEN evaluated in PC3/DOX cancer cells by qRT-PCR and western blot analyses. The cytotoxic effects of transfected of miR-21 were assessed by MTT assay for 72 hr. Rhodamine123 (Rh123) assay was employed to define the activity of P-gp. Apoptosis was detected by Flow cytometry. As expected, miR-21 was expressed highly in PC3/DOX cells (p < 0.05). It was shown that miRNA-21 suppression considerably hindered PC3/DOX cell viability. miR-21 suppression dramatically downregulated P-gp expression and activity in DOX-resistance cells and abolished MDR by an increment of intracellular accumulation of DOX in PC3/DOX cells (p < 0.05). PTEN is a key modulator of the PI3K/Akt/P-gp cascade, which miR-21 suppression led to the upregulation of PTEN and sequentially lower-expression of P-gp that reversed MDR. Also, miR-21 repression enhanced the apoptosis rate of PC3/DOX cells. The findings of this paper contribute to the current understanding of the functions of miR-21 in MDR-reversing in PCa., (© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

A highly chemoselective reductive deuteration of acyl fluorides to provide α,α-dideuterio alcohols with exquisite levels of deuterium incorporation was developed using SmI 2 and D 2 O as the deuterium source. This method introduces acyl fluorides as attractive radical precursors for the generation of reactive acyl-type fluoride ketyls that should find widespread application in many synthetic strategies involving single electron transfer processes.

Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a life-threatening neurological disease. Recently, inflammatory factors have been confirmed to be responsible for the brain damage associated with SAH. Therefore, studying the post-SAH inflammatory reaction may clarify the mechanism of SAH. Mitogen and stress-activated protein kinase 1 (MSK1) causes the phosphorylation of NF-κB and regulates the activity of pro-inflammatory transcription factors. The present study aimed to identify the potential role of MSK1 in inflammation and brain damage development following SAH. A cisterna magna blood injection model was established in Sprague-Dawley rats. Hematoxylin and eosin staining, reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction assays and double immunofluorescence staining were used to analyze the role of MSK1, IL-1β and TNF-α in the inflammatory process after SAH. In a model of lipopolysaccharide-induced astrocyte inflammation, the effect of overexpressing MSK1 overexpression was analyzed by western blot analysis. The results demonstrated that MSK1 expression were negatively correlated with TNF-α and IL-1β expression levels, and reached peak levels 2 days after TNF-α and IL-1β. The double immunofluorescence staining results showed that the expression of MSK1 was in the same plane of view as TNF-α and IL-1β in the brain cortex. Furthermore, the in vitro studies indicated that the overexpression of MSK1 inhibited the expression of TNF-α and IL-1β following LPS challenge. These results imply that MSK1 may be involved in the inflammatory reaction following SAH, and may potentially serve as a negative regulator of inflammation., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright: © Ning et al.)

Selective introduction of the deuterium atom into the α-position of amines is important for the development of all types of novel deuterated drugs and agrochemicals due to the pervasive presence of amines. In this study, we report the first general single-electron-transfer reductive deuteration of both ketoximes and aldoximes using SmI 2 as an electron donor and D 2 O as a deuterium source for the synthesis of α-deuterated primary amines with excellent levels of deuterium incorporations (>95% [D]). This protocol exhibits excellent chemoselectivity and tolerates a variety of functional groups. The potential application of this new method was showcased in the synthesis of deuterated drugs, such as rimantadine- d 4 , the tebufenpyrad analogue, derivatives of nabumetone and pregnenolone, and a series of building blocks for the rapid and general assembly of deuterated drugs and pesticides.

MicroRNA-361-5p (miR-361-5p) is a tumor suppressor miRNA that is dysregulated in several types of human cancer. However, the functional significance of miR-361-5p in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is unclear. This study explored the biological function of miR-361-5p in regulating the progression of HCC and the underlying molecular mechanism. RT-qPCR analysis showed that miR-361-5p was downregulated in HCC tissues and cell lines. Functional analysis revealed that miR-361-5p acted as a tumor suppressor, inhibiting cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in HCC cell lines. Bioinformatics analyses identified Twist1 as a direct target of miR-361-5p, which was validated by dual-luciferase reporter assays, RT-qPCR, and western blotting. Rescue experiments indicated that Twist1 may mediate the tumor-suppressive effect of miR-361-5p in HCC cells, and this was supported by the effect of miR-361-5p on inhibiting the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) by targeting Twist1. This study is the first to suggest that miR-361-5p inhibits tumorigenesis and EMT in HCC by targeting Twist1. These findings are valuable for the diagnosis and clinical management of HCC., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Liang-Chun Yin et al.)

Purpose: Hesperidin, a plant-based molecule, has been shown to exhibit anticancer effects against the human prostate cancer cells. However, its mechanism of action is still unclear. This study was undertaken to investigate the mechanism underlying the anticancer effects of hesperidin against prostate cancer cells., Methods: The CCK-8 kit-based proliferation analysis was performed to find out the effect of hesperidin administration on prostate cancer cell growth, in vitro. Apoptosis of cancer cells was studied with dual Annexin V-FITC/propidium iodide (PI) staining combined with flow cytometry. The latter was also used for the analysis of cancer cell mitotic cell cycle. The intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were determined with ROS-detection kit. Fluorescent probing was used for determination of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) of prostate cancer cells. The migration and invasion of cancer cells was studied using transwell assay., Results: The in vitro treatment of prostate cancer cells led to significant decrease of cell growth and viability in a dose-dependent manner. The decline in the growth of cancer cells was shown to be resulting from initiation of cell cycle arrest and necrosis-like apoptotic cell death. The latter was shown to be triggered by intracellular accumulation of ROS molecules and reduction of MMP. Moreover, the hesperidin administration significantly reduced the cancer cell migration and invasion., Conclusion: Hesperidin was shown to selectively inhibit the growth of prostate cancer cells through apoptosis triggered by ROS generation. The results support its potential to act as lead molecule in anticancer drug design.

We report the first highly chemoselective synthesis of α,α-dideuterio alcohols with exquisite incorporation of deuterium (>98% [D 2 ]) using pentafluorophenyl esters as ketyl radical precursors, SmI 2 as a mild reducing agent, and D 2 O as the deuterium source. This system tolerates a variety of functional groups, offering rapid entry to valuable α,α-dideuterated alcohol building blocks. More generally, this report introduces pentafluorophenyl esters as the most reactive O -ketyl precursors reported to date.

Study Design: Xenograft osteosarcoma mouse model., Objective: We determined the effect of lycorine on osteosarcoma., Summary of Background Data: Osteosarcoma is an aggressive malignant neoplasm, is most prevalent in teenagers and adults and current treatment approaches have reached a survival plateau and attempts to improve osteosarcoma prognosis have proven unsuccessful. Thus there is clear evidence that development of new agents with high efficacy and fewer side effects to provide better prognostic outcome is urgently needed., Methods: The toxicity, function and mechanism of lycorine (LY) on osteosarcoma were accessed in vitro by CCK-8 assay, flow cytometry, and western blotting and in vivo by the xenograft osteosarcoma mouse model., Results: In this study, we found that LY exhibited dose-dependent and time-dependent cytotoxic effects on human osteosarcoma cell-lines SJSA-1 and U2OS, inducing G1 phase cell cycle arrest and cellular death via apoptosis. Mechanistically, LY treatment elevated ROS generation that activates the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and p53-dependent apoptotic program. Inhibition of ROS generation by NAC or p38 MAPK signaling by SB203580 attenuated the p53-mediated cell cycle arrest and apoptosis induced by LY. In vivo administration of LY markedly reduced tumor growth with little organ-related toxicity in a mouse xenograft model of osteosarcoma., Conclusion: Collectively, our data suggests that LY exhibit therapeutic potential for the treatment of osteosarcoma., Level of Evidence: N/A.

Background: Osteoclasts are key determinant cellular components implicated in the development and progression of disorders driven by bone damage. Herein, we studied the upshot of T007, an antagonist of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPARγ), on osteoclastogenesis using cell and animal models., Results: The in vitro assays revealed that T007 hindered the osteoclastogenesis caused by the treatment with the receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL) through inhibiting the levels of PPARγ in cells. The PPARγ siRNA partially reproduced the inhibitory action of T007. The opposite findings were produced after PPARγ overexpression. Furthermore, T007 prevented from bone loss in a mouse model of osteoporosis induced by ovariectomy (OVX). These findings implied that T007 is a potential efficient drug for the prophylaxis and cure of osteoclast-related disorders., Conclusions: Taken together, our findings demonstrated that T007 impedes osteoclastogenesis and will be useful for the therapy of bone related diseases, essentially osteoporosis.

Pamapimod (PAM) is a novel selective p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase inhibitor proved to be effective in rheumatoid arthritis in phase 2 clinical trial. However, its effect on osteoclast-associated osteoporosis and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we showed that PAM suppressed receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL)-induced osteoclast formation via inhibition of p38 phosphorylation and subsequent c-Fos and nuclear factor of activated T cells c1 (NFATc1) expression. In addition, the downregulated NFATc1 leads to reduced expression of its targeting gene disintegrin and metalloproteinase domain-containing protein 12 (ADAM12), which was further proven to be critical for osteoclastic bone resorption. Therefore, we treated ovariectomized (OVX) mice with PAM and revealed a protective effect of PAM on osteoporosis in vivo. In conclusion, our results demonstrated PAM can prevent OVX-induced bone loss through suppression of p38/NFATc1-induced osteoclast formation and NFATc1/ADAM12-associated bone resorption. © 2018 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research., (© 2018 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.)

The present study aimed to determine the roles of miRNA-543 in osteoporosis in rats induced by ovariectomy. The osteoporosis rat model was established by ovariectomy induction. MiRNA-543 expression in osteoblasts was measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The cell proliferation and apoptosis were measured by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide and flow cytometry assays, respectively. Western blot analysis was conducted to examine the expression of YAF-2 and AKT signaling. TargetScan analysis and dual-luciferase reporter assay were performed to determine the target gene of miRNA-543. MiRNA-543 was significantly upregulated in osteoporosis rat model. Overexpression of miRNA-543 significantly suppressed cell growth and promoted apoptosis in osteoblasts, whereas downregulation of miRNA-543 significantly enhanced cell growth and inhibited apoptosis. MiRNA-543 upregulation significantly inhibited YAF-2 expression and suppressed the phosphorylation and expression of AKT and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) in osteoblasts. Furthermore, YAF-2 knockdown enhanced the effects of miRNA-543 on apoptosis in osteoblasts. AKT inhibitor MK2206 and p38 MAPK inhibitor SB203580 also enhanced the effects of miRNA-543 on apoptosis in osteoblasts. Our findings revealed that inhibition of miRNA-543 could protect osteoblasts against ovariectomy-induced osteoporosis through AKT/p38 MAPK signaling pathway by targeting YAF2., (© 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress damage are hallmarks of osteoarthritis (OA). Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-derived exosomes are important in intercellular mitochondria communication. However, the use of MSC exosomes for regulating mitochondrial function in OA has not been reported. This study aimed to explore the therapeutic effect of MSC exosomes in a three dimensional (3D) printed scaffold for early OA therapeutics. Methods : We first examined the mitochondria-related proteins in normal and OA human cartilage samples and investigated whether MSC exosomes could enhance mitochondrial biogenesis in vitro . We subsequently designed a bio-scaffold for MSC exosomes delivery and fabricated a 3D printed cartilage extracellular matrix (ECM)/gelatin methacrylate (GelMA)/exosome scaffold with radially oriented channels using desktop-stereolithography technology. Finally, the osteochondral defect repair capacity of the 3D printed scaffold was assessed using a rabbit model. Results : The ECM/GelMA/exosome scaffold effectively restored chondrocyte mitochondrial dysfunction, enhanced chondrocyte migration, and polarized the synovial macrophage response toward an M2 phenotype. The 3D printed scaffold significantly facilitated the cartilage regeneration in the animal model. Conclusion : This study demonstrated that the 3D printed, radially oriented ECM/GelMA/exosome scaffold could be a promising strategy for early OA treatment., Competing Interests: Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interest exists.

Nucleus pulposus-like differentiation is always the challenge with application of stem cells for intervertebral disc repair. The combination of injectable biomaterials and stem cells may provide a resolution for this problem, as the transmembrane force can affect the intracellular environment through integrin αβ. In this study, we developed a strategy of photo-crosslinked gelatin-hyaluronic acid methacrylate (GelHA) hydrogel to commit the nucleus pulposus-like differentiation of adipose stromal cells (ASCs) for intervertebral disc repair. ASCs were isolated and cultured in GelHA hydrogel to evaluate nucleus pulposus-like differentiation. The function of integrin αvβ6 was investigated with neutralising antibody. The efficacy of ASCs with GelHA hydrogel for intervertebral disc repair was studied in a rat model of intervertebral disc degeneration. The results showed that GelHA hydrogel promoted ASCs nucleus pulposus-like differentiation and that integrin αvβ6 neutralising antibody prevented ASCs from expression of nucleus pulposus matrix in vitro. The combination of GelHA hydrogel and ASCs promoted quality intervertebral disc repair in rats with much more nucleus pulposus matrix and significantly higher disc height index. The findings have demonstrated that the combination of photo-crosslinked GelHA hydrogel and ASCs can commit ASCs to nucleus pulposus-like differentiation and improve the efficacy of ASCs for intervertebral disc repair. These findings suggest a promising stem cell-based strategy for intervertebral disc repair., (© 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

This study established gender-specific reference values in mainland Chinese (MC) and is important for quantitative morphometry for diagnosis and epidemiological study of osteoporotic vertebral compressive fracture. Comparisons of reference values among different racial populations are then performed to demonstrate the MC-specific characteristic., Purpose: Osteoporotic vertebral compressive fracture (OVCF) is a common complication of osteoporosis in the elder population. Clinical diagnosis and epidemiological study of OVCF often employ quantitative morphometry, which relies heavily on the comparison of patients' vertebral parameters to existing reference values derived from the normal population. Thus, reference values are crucial in clinical diagnosis. To our knowledge, this is the first study to establish reference values of the mainland Chinese (MC) for quantitative morphometry., Methods: Vertebral heights including anterior (Ha), middle (Hm), posterior (Hp) heights, and predicted posterior height (pp) from T4 to L5 were obtained; and ratios of Ha/Hp, Hm/Hp and Hp/pp. were calculated from 585 MC (both female and male) for establishing reference values and subsequent comparisons with other studies., Results: Vertebral heights increased progressively from T4 to L3 but then decreased in L4 and L5. Both genders showed similar ratios of vertebral dimensions, but male vertebrae were statistically larger than those of female (P < 0.01). Vertebral size of MC population was smaller than that of US and UK population, but was surprisingly larger than that of Hong Kong Chinese, although these two are commonly considered as one race. Data from different racial populations showed similar dimensional ratios in all vertebrae., Conclusions: We established gender-specific reference values for MC. Our results also indicated the necessity of establishing reference values that are not only race- and gender-specific, but also population- or region-specific for accurate quantitative morphometric assessment of OVCF.

MSK (mitogen- and stress-activated protein kinase) proteins are a family of mitogen-activated protein kinases. MSKs represent a novel type of pro-survival genes, potentially enhancing the phosphorylation of Bcl2-associated agonist of cell death. However, MSK's function and expression are poorly understood in the central nervous system. In the present study, a subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) model was established in SD rats and the expression of MSK1 in the brain subsequent to experimental SAH was investigated. In response to SAH, MSK1 mRNA and protein levels gradually declined, reaching the lowest point at 3 days, and increased thereafter. The expression of active caspase-3 was negatively correlated with MSK1 level. Colocalization and correlating changes in expression of MSK1 and active caspase-3 at neurons and astrocytes indicated that MSK1 downregulation may contribute to SAH-induced apoptosis, validating that MSK1 may be involved in the pathophysiology of the brain cortex subsequent to SAH.

Natural compounds are alternative agents that have therapeutic potential for preventing and treating osteoporosis. Traditionally, sanguinarine has been used clinically due to its diverse biological properties, including antimicrobial, anti‑inflammatory and anticancer effects. Recently, for the first time, it was reported that sanguinarine inhibits osteoclast differentiation and bone resorption by suppressing the tumor necrosis factor ligand superfamily member 11‑induced nuclear factor‑κB and extracellular signal‑regulated kinase signaling pathways in vitro. Therefore, the present study further investigated the pharmacological effect of sanguinarine on osteoporosis in vivo. Micro‑computed tomography and histomorphometry analysis demonstrated that sanguinarine, at low and high concentrations, prevents ovariectomy (OVX)‑induced bone loss. In addition, further investigation of the cellular response in vivo revealed that sanguinarine inhibited osteoclastic bone resorption and promoted osteoblastic bone formation in a dose‑dependent manner. Therefore, the present study demonstrated that sanguinarine protected mice from OVX‑induced osteoporosis by modulating bone remodeling, indicating that sanguinarine may have potential in the treatment of osteoporosis.

Autophagy is a protective mechanism in normal cartilage. The present study aimed to investigate the synergistic therapeutic effect of promotion of chondrocyte autophagy via exposure to cordycepin encapsulated by chitosan microspheres (CM-cordycepin) and photo-crosslinked hyaluronic acid methacrylate (HAMA) hydrogel, with the goal of evaluating CM-cordycepin as a treatment for patients with osteoarthritis. First, we developed and evaluated the characteristics of HAMA hydrogels and chitosan microspheres. Next, we measured the effect of cordycepin on cartilage matrix degradation induced by IL1-β in chondrocytes and an ex vivo model. Cordycepin protects cartilage from degradation partly by activation of autophagy. Moreover, we surgically induced osteoarthritis in mice, which were injected intra-articularly with CM-cordycepin and HAMA. The combination of CM-cordycepin and HAMA hydrogel retarded the progression of surgically induced OA. Cordycepin ameliorated cartilage matrix degradation at least partially by inducing autophagy in vivo. Our results demonstrate that the combination of cordycepin encapsulated by CMs and photo-crosslinked HAMA hydrogel could be a promising strategy for treating patients with osteoarthritis.

Background: The causes of subsequent vertebral fractures after kyphoplasty are debated. It is reported that most new vertebral fractures after kyphoplasty develop in adjacent vertebrae., Objectives: We explored whether kyphoplasty increases the incidence of adjacent vertebral fractures and identified risk factors for new vertebral compression fractures (VCFs) after kyphoplasty., Study Design: Retrospective study., Setting: Inpatient population of a single center., Methods: We studied 356 patients treated with kyphoplasty from January 2008 to March 2012. Among those patients, there were 35 new VCFs after kyphoplasty. Subsequently, these patients were divided into 2 groups: an "adjacent fracture" group and a "nonadjacent fracture" group. In addition, all patients treated with kyphoplasty were further assigned to either a "new fracture" group or a "no fracture" group., Results: The occurrence of new VCFs in the "nonadjacent fracture" group was significantly higher than that in the "adjacent fracture" group. The average bone mineral density (BMD) of the spine was -3.95 in the "new fracture" group and -2.86 in the "no fracture" group. The risk of new vertebral fracture increased as the bone mineral density decreased (P < 0.05). The morbidity of women was significantly higher in the "new fracture" group (94.29%) than in the "no fracture" group (77.88%) (P = 0.025)., Limitations: Retrospective study at a single center., Conclusion: New VCFs after kyphoplasty occurred most often in nonadjacent vertebrae. VCFs after kyphoplasty were common in patients with low bone mineral density and in women, suggesting that osteoporosis is an underlying mechanism. INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW: This study was approved by the institutional review board.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression of the transcription factor Ki-67, ER, PR, Her2/neu, p21, EGFR, and TOP II-α in the tumor tissue of patients with invasive ductal carcinoma(IDC); in addition, we examined correlations between these markers. Two hundred and sixteen IDC patients, who were not previously been treated with chemo- or radiotherapy, were included in the study. All tumors were grade I-III. Expression of molecular markers was determined by immunohistochemical analysis on paraffin-embedded tissue sections. Follow-up data were collected for 3 months to 10 years and analyzed for tumor recurrence, survival time, and prognostic risk factors. We determined Ki-67 expression correlates with the expression of ER, PR, HER-2, EGFR, and TOP-α, as well as lymph node involvement, high tumor grade, lymphovascular invasion, high tumor stage, and high TNM stage in IDC. Positive Ki-67 expression was a risk factor for rapid tumor recurrence and may help tumor progression, leading to poor prognosis in IDC. Ki-67 was directly correlated with EGFR, TOP II-α, lymph node involvement, high tumor grade, lymphovascular invasion, high tumor stage, and high TNM stage in the hormone receptor subtypes of breast cancer. In triple negative breast cancer, Ki-67 correlated with TOP II-α. Expression of Ki-67 correlated with that of ER, PR, HER-2, EGFR, TOP II-α, and p21. In addition, the biomarker Ki-67 has a role as a prognostic factor and indicates a poor prognosis in IDC.

Background: An osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture is a common condition in elderly people, especially women. The percutaneous kyphoplasty is an effective treatment for osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures. Controversy remains regarding whether a unilateral or a bilateral approach is superior, and to our knowledge, there have been no large studies comparing these two approaches, therefore a meta-analysis synthesizing the data on this question is warranted., Questions/purposes: We asked the following questions: (1) Is there evidence to suggest a benefit in clinical outcome as assessed by the VAS and Oswestry Disability Index of a unilateral kyphoplasty or bilateral kyphoplasties? (2) Are the complications associated with the two approaches different? (3) Do the procedures result in different kyphosis angle reduction or anterior vertebral height restoration? (4) Is the surgical time for the procedures different?, Methods: We searched the Cochrane Library, PubMed MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Knowledge MEDLINE (January 1980 to June 2013), and reference lists of eligible prospective studies. The levels of the evidence and recommendations were assessed using the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation) system. Five studies encompassing 253 patients met the inclusion criteria., Results: The short- and long-term clinical outcomes as assessed by the VAS and Oswestry Disability Index showed no differences between unilateral and bilateral kyphoplasties (p = 0.41, p = 0.60 for VAS; p = 0.10, p = 0.36 for Oswestry Disability Index). There were no differences in complications such as cement leakage and adjacent vertebral fractures associated with the two approaches (p = 0.43 and p = 0.95). The kyphosis angle reduction and anterior vertebral height restoration showed no difference between the two approaches (p = 0.34 and p = 0.46). The unilateral approach was shorter in terms of surgical time (mean difference, -24.98; p < 0.0001). The overall GRADE system evidence quality was very low, with only high evidence for operation time, which lessens our confidence in recommendations., Conclusions: Unilateral and bilateral percutaneous kyphoplasties appear to be safe and effective for treating osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures. No clinically important differences were found between them. Considering less operation time and less cost, we suggest that a unilateral percutaneous kyphoplasty is advantageous, but because of the poor quality of the evidence, high-quality randomized controlled trials are required to resolve this issue.

Background and Aims: An immune imbalance in the cytokine profile exerts a profound influence on the progression of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The present study evaluated the immune status of T helper (Th) 17 and Th1 cells in patients with HBV-related and non-HBV-related HCC., Methods: We randomly enrolled 150 patients with HCC. Blood samples and tissue samples were obtained. The distributions and phenotypic features of Th17 and Th1 cells were determined by flow cytometry and/or immunohistochemistry., Results: Compared to corresponding non-tumor regions, the levels of Th17 and Th1 cells were significantly increased in tumors of patients with HCC (P<0.001). The intratumoral densities of IL-17-producing cells and IFN-γ-producing cells were associated with overall survival (OS, P = 0.001) and disease-free survival (DFS, P = 0.001) of patients with HCC. The ratio of Th17 to Th1 in HBV-related HCC was higher than in non-HBV-related HCC. A multivariate Cox analysis revealed that the Th17 to Th1 ratio was an independent prognostic factor for OS (HR = 2.651, P = 0.007) and DFS (HR = 2.456, P = 0.002)., Conclusions: HBV infections can lead to an imbalance in immune status in patients with HCC. An elevated Th17 to Th1 ratio may promote tumor progression. The Th17 to Th1 ratio could serve as a potential prognostic marker for scoring the severity of HCC.

Purpose: There is still debate over whether vertebroplasty (VP) or kyphoplasty (KP) is superior for the treatment of osteoporosis vertebral compression fractures (VCFs). We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised and non-randomised controlled trials comparing VP with KP to reach a relatively conclusive answer., Methods: We searched computerised databases comparing efficacy and safety of VP and KP in osteoporotic fractures. These trials reported pain relief (Visual Analogue Scale), disability (Oswestry disability score) and complications (i.e., cement leakage, incident fractures) as the primary outcome., Results: Eight studies involving 848 patients were identified. The outcome showed that VP is more effective in the short-term (no more than seven days) pain relief. Kyphoplasty had a superior capability for intermediate-term (around three months) functional improvement. As for long-term pain relief and functional improvement, there is no significant difference between these two interventions. Consistently, both interventions have similar risk for subsequent fracture and cement leakage., Conclusion: Thus considering the higher cost of the KP procedure, we recommend VP over KP for the treatment of osteoporotic VCFs.

A successful working partnership in research between a consumer project team from the Victorian Mental Illness Awareness Council and a carer project team from the Victorian Mental Health Carers Network was forged during their collaborative involvement in an innovative 2-year pilot project funded by the Victorian Government of Australia. This project trialled new ways of capturing consumer and carer experiences of mental health services, and that feedback was integrated into service quality improvement. Towards the end of the project, an external facilitator was used to enable the two teams to reflect on their experience of working together so that their joint story could be shared with others and used to promote further use of this approach in the mental health field. Main findings included the importance of having strong support and belief at leadership levels, opportunities to build the relationship and develop mutual trust and respect, a common vision and a clearly articulated set of values, targeted training appropriate to the needs of the team members, independent work bases, and mutual support to overcome challenges encountered during the project. The experience forged a close working relationship between the two teams and has set the scene for further participation of consumers and carers in research and innovative quality-improvement processes in the mental health field., (© 2011 The Authors. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing © 2011 Australian College of Mental Health Nurses Inc.)

Many types of mazes have been used in cognitive brain research and data obtained from those experiments, especially those from rodents' studies, support the idea that the hippocampus is related to spatial learning and memory. But the results from non-human primates researches regarding the role of the hippocampus in spatial learning and memory are controversial and inconsistent with those obtained in rodents. This might be due to the differences of the methods used in non-human primates and rodents. Several kinds of maze models including two-dimensional computerized visual maze models and three-dimensional maze models have been developed for non-human primates, but they all have some defects. Therefore, development of a maze model for non-human primates that is comparable with those used in rodents is necessary to solve the controversy. This paper describes a large-scale, three-dimensional outdoor maze model for non-human primates which can be used to study spatial learning and memory. Monkeys learn to use the maze quickly compared with two-dimensional computerized visual mazes. It has many advantages which could make up the limits of the existing three-dimensional mazes in non-human primates, and can be comparable with radial arm mazes used in rodents. Based on the results, we believe that the new maze model will be valuable in many research areas, especially in studies involving spatial learning and memory in freely moving monkeys.

Monkeys have strong abilities to remember the visual properties of potential food sources for survival in the nature. The present study demonstrated the first observations of rhesus monkeys learning to solve complex spatial mazes in which routes were guided by visual cues. Three monkeys were trained in a maze (6 m x 6 m) included of four different mazes. We recorded the cue and cup errors, latencies, and pathway for each trial. The data showed that monkeys learned the target place after three days in the first maze and spent a shorter time in learning the following mazes. The maze was an efficient method to measure the ability and proceeding of spatial memory in monkeys. Moreover, working memory can also be tested by using the maze. MK-801 at 0.02 mg/kg but not at 0.005 mg/kg impaired monkeys' retrieval of spatial memory after they learned all four mazes. The present maze may provide an efficient method to help bridging the gap in cognition between nonhuman primates and humans, and in particular to gain insight into human cognitive function and dysfunction., (2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc)

Recordings of neuronal activity in freely moving rats are common in experiments where electrical signals are transmitted using cables. Such techniques are not common in monkeys because their prehensile abilities are thought to preclude such techniques. However, analysis of brain mechanisms underlying spatial navigation and cognition require the subject to walk. We have developed techniques for recordings in freely moving monkeys in two different situations: a 5 x 5 m testing laboratory and in a 50 m2 open field environment. Neuronal signals are sent to amplifiers and data acquisition systems using cables or telemetry. These techniques provide high quality recordings of single neurons during behaviors such as foraging, walking, and the performance of memory tasks and thus provide a unique opportunity to study primate behavior in a semi-natural situation.