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Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in regulating gene expression and have been reported to be involved in various metabolic diseases, including osteoporosis. Although the transcriptional regulation of osteoblast differentiation has been well characterized, the role of circulating miRNAs in this process is poorly understood. Here we discovered that the level of circulating miR-19b was significantly lower in osteoporotic patients with vertebral compression fractures than that of healthy controls. The expression level of miR-19b was increased during osteoblastic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) and MC3T3-E1 cells, and transfection with synthetic miR-19b could promote osteoblastic differentiation of hMSCs and MC3T3-E1 cells. PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted from chromosome 10) was found to be directly repressed by miR-19b, with a concomitant increase in Runx2 expression and increased phosphorylation of AKT (protein kinase B, PKB). The expression level of circulating miR-19b in aged ovariectomized mice was significantly lower than in young mice. Moreover, the osteoporotic bone phenotype in aged ovariectomized mice was alleviated by the injection of chemically modified miR-19b (agomiR-19b). Taken together, our results show that circulating miR-19b plays an important role in enhancing osteoblastogenesis, possibly through regulation of the PTEN/pAKT/Runx2 pathway, and may be a useful therapeutic target in bone loss disorders, such as osteoporosis. © 2019 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

It is studied that the sleep time of most people is more than a third of their lives in their lifetime, thus people’s health is closely linked to their sleep quality. Nowadays, the rate of insomnia in Chinese adults is as high as 38.2%, and the rate of insomnia in adolescents is rising gradually. With the rapid increasing number of insomnia, the number of mental disease caused by poor sleep quality also shows an increasing tendency. In this paper, Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) is taken as the criteria of sleep quality. Considering the different correlation between PSQI and diagnosis results in different age groups, the probability of relationship between the sleep quality and diagnosis results in different age groups are calculated. Based on the contrast intensity and conflict between the indexes, the CRITIC method is used to calculate the weight of each index, and establish the Bayesian weighted probability model. After building the model, the random experiment is used to test the accuracy of the model. Comparing the probability of the test value with the real value, the result indicates that the fitting effect is good..

Female sex workers (FSWs) represent a high-risk population for HIV infection and transmission. In general, their fellow FSWs (peers) also play a role in their level of susceptibility to HIV/AIDS. This paper draws from interview data of 93 FSWs to construct a multi-layer FSW social network model based on their knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP). Statistical analyses of the correlation among the three dimensions of KAP as well as their social interactions indicated that FSWs had basic knowledge of HIV/AIDS prevention but demonstrated little enthusiasm in acquiring relevant information. Their knowledge, attitude, and practice were highly positively correlated. Their attitude was more likely to be negatively influenced by their companions, while their practice was more likely to be positively affected. Besides, FSWs exhibited high homophily in KAP with their neighbors. Thus, during HIV/AIDS interventions, FSWs should receive individualized education based on their specific KAP. Considering the high level of homophily among FSWs, their propensity to be positive or negative in their KAP are significantly influenced by their companions. Making full use of peer education and social interaction-based interventions may help prevent and control the spread of HIV/AIDS.

MicroRNAs are involved in many cellular and molecular activities and played important roles in many biological and pathological processes, such as tissue formation, cancer development, diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases, and cardiovascular diseases. Recently, it has been reported that microRNAs can modulate the differentiation and activities of osteoblasts and osteoclasts, the key cells that are involved in bone remodeling process. Meanwhile, the results from our and other research groups showed that the expression profiles of microRNAs in the serum and bone tissues are significantly different in postmenopausal women with or without fractures compared to the control. Therefore, it can be postulated that microRNAs might play important roles in bone remodeling and that they are very likely to be involved in the pathological process of postmenopausal osteoporosis. In this review, we will present the updated research on the regulatory roles of microRNAs in osteoblasts and osteoclasts and the expression profiles of microRNAs in osteoporosis and osteoporotic fracture patients. The perspective of serum microRNAs as novel biomarkers in bone loss disorders such as osteoporosis has also been discussed.