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Objective·To verify the accuracy and clinical feasibility of fluoroscopic stereophotogrammetric analysis (FSA) technology based on two dimension (2D)-three dimension (3D) registration for early migration detection of aseptic loosening of joint prostheses.Methods·2D-3D registration algorithms centering on the light source and projected object respectively in FSA technology were verified under various working conditions through image synthesis experiments, and the feasibility of clinical application was verified through real model experiments. The image synthesis experiment established a perspective projection environment with the same parameters as the real environment in a virtual environment, the 2D perspective images of the 3D model (bone or prosthesis) during the six degrees of freedom transformation were recorded, and the six degrees of freedom transformation of the 3D model was restored by using different 2D-3D registration algorithms. The error of each registration algorithm was calculated. For real model validation, the migration between bone and prosthesis after joint replacement surgery was simulated with a high precision bone prosthesis migration simulator. The 3D model of the bone or prosthesis was reconstructed by using computed tomograph (CT) images and optical scanning, and the 2D perspective images before and after prosthesis migration were captured by using a fluoroscopy device. The migration of the prosthesis was restored by using FSA technology based on 2D-3D registration, and the error of FSA technology was calculated.Results·The accuracy of the 2D-3D registration algorithm centering on the light source was higher than that of the algorithm centering on the projected object under different working conditions. When the initial registration conditions were favorable, the algorithm centering on the light source reduced the rotation error compared to the algorithm centering on the projected object, with a statistical difference (P=0.021), and the displacement error decreases, with a significant statistical difference (P=0.000). Moreover, algorithms centering on the light sources required lower similarity and fewer registration times to meet clinical application requirements.Conclusion·The accuracy of FSA technology based on 2D-3D registration in early migration detection of artificial joint prostheses meets clinical application requirements. This technology can warn of late aseptic loosening of prostheses by detecting early migration of prostheses after joint replacement surgery, and is expected to be applied to clinical practice through further research.

Long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) play important roles in the development of human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Our previous studies have shown that knockdown of LncRNA ESCCAL-1 expression inhibits the growth of ESCC cells, but the mechanisms remain largely unknown. In this study, we show that over-expression of ESCCAL-1 promotes ESCC cell proliferation and cell-cycle progression by blocking ubiquitin-mediated degradation of an oncoprotein galectin-1 (Gal-1). Multiple LncRNA expression datasets as well as our own data together reveal that ESCCAL-1 is evidently up-regulated in ESCC tissues and exhibits promising diagnostic value. Over-expression of ESCCAL-1 augmented ESCC cell proliferation and cell-cycle progression, whereas down-regulation of ESCCAL-1 resulted in the opposite effects. Mechanistically, LncRNA ESCCAL-1 directly binds to Gal-1 and positively regulates its protein level without affecting its mRNA level. Up-regulation of Gal-1 facilitated ESCC cell proliferation and cell-cycle progress. Knockdown of Gal-1 mitigated the effects of ESCCAL-1-mediated high cellular proliferation, NF-κB signaling activation and tumorigenicity of ESCC cells. Thus, our findings provide novel insight into the mechanism by which ESCCAL-1 facilitates ESCC tumorigenesis and cell-cycle progression by interacting with and stabilizing Gal-1 protein, suggesting a potential therapeutic target for ESCC.

To simulate the biomechanical changes of knee joint before and after wearing the orthosis in patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) by constructing a finite element model of the knee joint and a customized additively manufactured knee orthosis, so as to verify the decompression effect of the orthosis, and aimed at orthopaedics, a quantitative research on the therapeutic effect of knee orthosis was conducted to evaluate the clinical efficacy of knee orthosis.This experiment was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Ninth People’s Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine. A woman with knee osteoarthritis was recruited, and the knee joint was subjected to optical body surface and CT scans. A custom-made additively manufactured knee orthosis was designed according to the principle of unilateral decompression. After boundary setting and other steps, software such as ANSYS was used to build a finite element model of the knee joint and a customized additively manufactured knee joint orthosis. By applying a compressive load of 1100 N to the knee joint along the direction of the lower limb load-bearing axis, a simulation and stress analysis was performed to study the deloading effect of a custom additively manufactured knee orthosis on the knee compartment. A finite element analysis of KOA characteristics was conducted for verification, considering the influence of cartilage, ligament, and lower limb skin on the bearing capacity of the knee joint. Compared with the case without wearing any orthosis, after wearing the customized knee orthosis, the varus angle of the knee joint was reduced, the medial pressure of the knee joint was shifted to the lateral side, and the pressure of the medial compartment of the knee joint was significantly reduced. The custom additively manufactured knee orthosis can reduce the pressure generated by the medial compartment of the knee joint during walking in patients with early and mid-stage medial compartment knee osteoarthritis, and the load reduction effect is significant.

Epigenetic landscapes can shape physiologic and disease phenotypes. We used integrative, high resolution multi-omics methods to delineate the methylome landscape and characterize the oncogenic drivers of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). We found 98% of CpGs are hypomethylated across the ESCC genome. Hypo-methylated regions are enriched in areas with heterochromatin binding markers (H3K9me3, H3K27me3), while hyper-methylated regions are enriched in polycomb repressive complex (EZH2/SUZ12) recognizing regions. Altered methylation in promoters, enhancers, and gene bodies, as well as in polycomb repressive complex occupancy and CTCF binding sites are associated with cancer-specific gene dysregulation. Epigenetic-mediated activation of non-canonical WNT/β-catenin/MMP signaling and a YY1/lncRNA ESCCAL-1/ribosomal protein network are uncovered and validated as potential novel ESCC driver alterations. This study advances our understanding of how epigenetic landscapes shape cancer pathogenesis and provides a resource for biomarker and target discovery.