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Background Intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) is a well-known cause of lower back pain, which is induced by multiple factors including increased apoptosis and decreased survival of nucleus pulposus cells. In this study, we evaluate the effect and potential mechanism of miR-660 on the nucleus pulposus cells apoptosis induced by TNF-α. Methods First, we collected tissue of nucleus pulposus from IVDD and healthy controls. General characteristic of the IVDD and healthy control was also collected. And, we also collected nucleus pulposus cells that stimulated by TNF-α or control. miRNA microarray was performed to identify the differentially expressed miRNAs. Apoptosis rate and miR-660 relative expression was measured after stimulated with different concentration of TNF-α to identify the optimal concentration of TNF-α. Second, we successfully constructed antigomiR-660 to block the miR-660 expression in nucleus pulposus cells and then stimulated with TNF-α (100 ng/ml, 12 h). The apoptosis rates and relative protein expression were then measured again. The target association between miR-660 and SAA1 was confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter. Results There was no significant difference between the age (IVDD: 39 ± 10 years, healthy controls: 36 ± 7 years), BMI and sex between IVDD and healthy controls. Microarray analysis found that miR-660 was significantly up-regulated in IVDD and TNF-α treated groups, which was further identified by PCR. We found that the rate of apoptosis and miR-660 expression increased with TNF-α concentration increased. Finally, TNF-a with 100 ng/ml was used for further experiment. Compared with TNF-α group, TNF-α + antigomiR-660 could significantly down-regulated the apoptosis rate and relative protein (c-Caspase3 and c-Caspase7). Dual-luciferase reporter revealed that miR-660 could directly binding to the SAA1 at 80–87 sites. Compared with TNF-α alone group, TNF-α + antigomiR-660 significantly up-regulated the SAA1 expression (P Conclusion These results indicated that knockdown of miR-660 protected the nucleus pulposus from apoptosis that induced TNF-α via up-regulation of SAA1. Further studies should focus on the role of miR-660 in protecting IVDD in vivo.

Myocardin (MYOCD) plays an important role in cardiovascular disease. However, its underlying impact on atherosclerosis remains to be elucidated. ATP binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1), a key membrane-associated lipid transporter which maintains intracellular lipid homeostasis, has a protective function in atherosclerosis progress. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether and how the effect of MYOCD on atherosclerosis is associated with ABCA1 in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). We found both MYOCD and ABCA1 expression were dramatically decreased in atherosclerotic patient aortas compared to control. MYOCD knockdown inhibited ABCA1 expression in human aortic vascular smooth muscle cells (HAVSMCs), leading to reduced cholesterol efflux and increased intracellular cholesterol contents. MYOCD overexpression exerted the opposite effect. Mechanistically, MYOCD regulates ABCA1 expression in an SRF-dependent manner. Consistently, apolipoprotein E-deficient mice treated with MYOCD shRNA developed more plaques in the aortic sinus, which is associated with reduced ABCA1 expression, increased cholesterol retention in the aorta, and decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in the plasma. Our data suggest that MYOCD deficiency exacerbates atherosclerosis by downregulating ABCA1 dependent cholesterol efflux from VSMCs, thereby providing a novel strategy for the therapeutic treatment of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

Conventional gyrocompass alignment methods are based on relatively small azimuth misalignment angles. However, a marine strapdown inertial navigation system may face large azimuth misalignment angle caused by a failed coarse alignment algorithm. This paper provides a novel gyrocompass alignment method to solve the problem. Effects of system parameters are analyzed and the proper scenario of parameter switch based on the classic control theories is derived. Test results show that compared with the conventional methods, our method can accomplish the initial alignment quickly and accurately under large azimuth misalignment angle.

Summary Background The posterior interosseous artery (PIA) perforator flap can be used for reconstruction of soft-tissue defects of fingers. Based on the multiple perforators from the posterior interosseous artery, we describe a technique to reconstruct the multi-finger defect in the use of the free multilobed PIA perforator flap. Methods PIA perforators from different areas of the forearm were used to design a free multilobed skin paddle for multi-finger skin defect reconstruction. Each paddle without the deep fascia had separate perforators. To increase the perforator pedicle length, the courses of the PIA perforators were dissected from the superficial layer of the deep fascia to the subcutaneous layer. Results The flap was raised as a unilateral free bilobed PIA perforator flap in 10 cases of two-finger defects, a free trilobed PIA perforator flap in two cases of three-finger defects, and a bilateral free bilobed PIA perforator flap in one case of four-finger defects. The average effective vascular pedicle length and trunk pedicle length were 8.3 and 3.1 cm, respectively, for the bilobed flap, and 6.3 and 4.0 cm, respectively, for the trilobed flap. All flaps survived except one paddle with tip necrosis. At 10.8 months (range, 4–27 months) after surgery, 10 cases showed satisfactory cosmetic appearance, while the fingers were bulky in the remaining three cases. The average score of static two-point discrimination in 10 innervated paddles was 12.9 mm. The remaining 20 paddles recovered only protective sensation. The average total active motion (TAM) of each finger was 164° before surgery and 187° at the latest follow-up. Conclusions Free multilobed PIA perforator flap is a good candidate for reconstruction of multi-finger skin defect. Clinical question/level of evidence: Therapeutic, Ⅳ.

Introduction The tripaddle posterior interosseous artery (PIA) flap can be used for multifinger defect resurfacing, but interpatient variations in perforator distribution remain an ongoing challenge when using this approach. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of 3 different tripaddle PIA perforator flap designs according to the PIA perforator distribution for the repair of 3-finger defects. Methods In accordance with the size of the 3-finger defects and the position of the perforators, a tripaddle flap was designed on the multiple perforators of the descending branch of the PIA in the distal two thirds of the forearm. Patients received 1 of 3 distinct tripaddle PIA perforator flap designs based on perforator distributions of the PIA. Results Three cases of 3-finger defects were repaired with type A trefoil-shaped tripaddle flaps, whereas 4 cases were repaired with type B modified trefoil-shaped tripaddle flaps, and the other 3 cases were repaired with type C chain-shaped tripaddle flaps. All flaps survived except 2 paddles with tip necrosis. After 9.1 months of mean follow-up, 9 of the 10 cases demonstrated satisfactory cosmetic appearance, whereas the last case required a debulking procedure in the second stage. Conclusions The free tripaddle PIA perforator flap is an effective option for repairing 3-finger skin defects. Various flap designs based on the PIA perforator distribution allow for more individualized treatment approaches.

Background: To investigate the clinical effects of stage I repair of skin and soft tissue defects using lateral femoral perforator free flap in pilon fracture surgery. Methods: Fifteen cases of pilon fractures were selected from our hospital between April 2013 and January 2017. There were 8 cases of 43-C1, 4 cases of 43-C2 and 3 cases of 43-C3 fractures, as defined by the Miller AO classification. In all cases, severe contusion of skin and soft tissue around the fracture, skin darkening and necrosis, and tissue edema during surgery, led to difficult closure of incision. The skin and soft tissue defects were repaired at stage I by ipsilateral lateral femoral perforator free flap. Results: Venous crisis occurred in one case, while the other 14 cases survived. During the 6–18 months of follow-up, the function of ankles was satisfactory and the wearing of shoes was not affected by the abnormal foot. The flap color and texture were normal and the protective sensation of the flap recovered. Only a linear scar remained at the donor site and no muscle adhesion occurred. Conclusions: Stage I repair of skin and soft tissue defects using lateral femoral perforator free flap in pilon fracture surgery apparently decreased postoperative infection and protected the blood supply around the fracture. Hence, it was an effective repair method.

How to detect Botnet has become a very important problem in security network. The existent detection methods based on network traffic and host behaviors cant handle the emergency Botnets. In this paper we present an optimized method to analyze the similarity and time period of Botnets behaviors. In the end, our method gets an effective result. Our method uses the IDS-like architecture, which develops six specific components to detect six important Botnets abnormal behaviors. And it builds correlation rules to calculate match score. Through the experiments described in the paper, we can see that our method can not only detect already known Botnets precisely, but also detect unknown Botnets to some extent. The experiments prove that our method is effective and it has some advantages compared with other methods. At last, the paper proposes the future direction and the points that need to be improved.

Thin film plays an important part of an optical system, especially high power laser system. The anti-damage ability is an important index in evaluating their quality. Both diamond-like carbon thin film and HfO 2 /SiO 2 thin film are good optical thin films. In this paper their laser damage properties have been tested according to ISO11254. The results of damage threshold of coatings are shown as follows: Compared to HfO 2 /SiO 2 thin film system with a laser damage threshold of 3.0~7.4 J /cm 2 , the DLC film threshold is only 0.6 J/cm 2 , which is the result of strong absorption of DLC films to laser energy. And also we can conclude from the results that the damage of film is derived from defect-induced damage, but the damage mechanisms are different. The DLC thin film damage results from heat-stress while HfO 2 /SiO 2 thin films' damage results from plasma ablation. Besides, the substrate of film, the films' structure and deposition methods are also important to film damage threshold. Under the same condition, the threshold of the film on Si substrate is lower than those on K9 glass; with the same substrate, the film threshold is dependent of film thickness. As for deposition methods, films deposited by using ion-assisted method have higher threshold than those without using ion-assisted method.

Diamond-like carbon films (DLC) have been widely used in the fields of optics, mechanics and materials science due to the high optical transparency, high mechanical hardness and excellent chemical inertness. On the other hand, the laser-induced damage threshold of DLC films, which are used for infrared antireflection protection coatings, is an important index to evaluate the quality of film. However, the films prepared by various processes have different laser-induced damage threshold. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the damage properties of DLC films under different deposition conditions. Unbalanced magnetron sputtering (UBMS), on the other hand, combines the advantages of conventional magnetron sputtering (MS) and ion beam assistant deposition. Applying this technique, it is promising to prepare hydrogen-free carbon films with excellent characteristics by physical vapor deposition method. In this paper described an UBMS system in details. Hydrogen-free DLC films were prepared by this system under various processes arranged according to the orthogonal experiments method. The laser-induced damage threshold of DLC films were investigated by using a 1064 nm pulsed laser at a pulse width of 12 ns following ISO standard 11254. The results indicated that the damage threshold of the DLC films is about 0.2-0.7 J/cm 2 . It was found that the target current is the most important factor which affects the threshold of DLC films based on orthogonal experiments, compared with other experiment parameters such as argon gas flow rate, substrate bias and excitation current. A optimization process was obtained in this study at a mass flow of 200 sccm, excitation current of 120 A, bias of about -30 ~ -80 V and target current of 8 A. The higher damage threshold of 0.7 J/cm 2 was achieved by depositing DLC film under the optimization process.

To explore the results of repairing widespread defects of traumatic soft tissue in heel by microvascular anastomotic anterolateral thigh flaps.Twenty-six consecutive free anterolateral thigh flaps in 26 patients were transplanted for repairing widespread defects of traumatic soft tissue in heel from October 1997 to March 2005, suturing the descending branch of the lateral circumflex femoral vascular and posterior tibial vascular to reconstruct the blood supply of transplanted flaps, repairing lateral femoral cutaneous nerve to recover their sensation, fixing tensor fasciae in the calcaneum to add their stabilization.All flaps survived completely,the wounds healed in the initial treatment, follow up 3 to 48 months, twenty-six cases achieved partial sensation, good contour and stabilization.The anterolateral thigh flap is an ideal flap for repairing widespread defects of traumatic soft tissue in heel, because it has such advantages as adequate blood supply, big dermatosis area and covert donor site, furthermore, nervi cutaneous femoris lateralis and tensor fasciae offer the good sensation and adequate stabilization.

This clinical study was to improve the surgical treatment to craniomaxillofacial tissue defects.Since 1997, eight cases with severe craniomaxillofacial defects were treated using free latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flaps. In the operation, nerve anastomosis was performed. Of the 8 cases, 7 were treated in one stage, 1 was treated in 3 steps. The craniomaxillofacial defects ranged from 10 cm x 8 cm to 30 cm x 12 cm. The flaps was 12 cm x 10 cm to 32 cm x 16 cm in size.Postoperative follow-up for 6 months to 4 years demonstrated satisfactory results in all the cases. There was neither necrosis nor ulcer after the operation. The sensation recovery of the flap was also satisfactory.Free transfer of the latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap is an ideal treatment to severe craniomaxillofacial defects as it possesses the advantages of reliable blood supply, ability against infections, large size, concealed donor site, and functional restoration of sensation and movement.

@@ Neurogenic frequent micturition is commonly seen in preschool children. This refers to urgent and frequent urination related to mental stress or panic. Fifty-six cases of children were treated by moxibustion plus point injection from April 2002 to December 2008, now, it was reported as follows.