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To investigate the diagnostic performance of the minimal apparent diffusion coefficient (ADCPre-operative magnetic resonance imaging data and postoperative Ki-67 proliferation index data of 42 patients with primary neuroendocrine tumor of the pancreas from November 2014 to March 2021 were included in this retrospective study. According to the Ki-67 proliferation index value, Pan-NETs were divided into a high-expression group (Ki-67 ≥ 10%, n = 17) and low-expression group (Ki-67 10%, n = 25), and mean ADC (ADCThe ADCThe ADC

To investigate the value of dynamic metabolic curves and artificial neural network prediction models based on 18F-FDG PET multiphase imaging in differentiating nonspecific solitary pulmonary lesions.This study enrolled 71 patients with solitary pulmonary lesions (48 malignant and 23 benign lesions) who underwent multiphase 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG)-PET/CT imaging. We recorded information on age, sex and uniformity of FDG uptake, measured standardized uptake value, metabolic tumor volume and total lesion glycolysis at various time points, and calculated individual standardized uptake values, retention index (RI) and slope of metabolic curve. Variables with high diagnostic efficiency were selected to fit dynamic metabolic curves for various lesions and establish different artificial neural network prediction models.There were no significant differences in the retention index, metabolic tumor volume, total lesion glycolysis or sex between benign and malignant lesions; standardized uptake values, the slopes of five metabolic curves, uniformity of FDG uptake, and age showed significant differences. Dynamic metabolic curves for various solitary pulmonary lesions exhibited characteristic findings. Model-1 was established using metabolic parameters with high diagnostic efficacy (area under the curve, 83.3%). Model-2 was constructed as Model-1 + age (area under the curve, 86.7%), whereas Model-3 was established by optimizing Model-2 (area under the curve, 86.0%).Dynamic metabolic curves showed varying characteristics for different lesions. Referring to these findings in clinical work may facilitate the differential diagnosis of nonspecific solitary pulmonary lesions. Establishing an artificial neural network prediction model would further improve diagnostic efficiency.

Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) is a catastrophic damage that causes changes in its motor function permanently. Reactive astrocytes is a pathological feature of spinal cord injury (SCI). Exosomes take part in the transportation of miRNAs and play an a novel platform for intercellular communication in the central nervous system (CNS). However, the effect of miRNAs in Neuronal stem cells (NSCs) derived exosomes in SCI was unknown. in vivo SCI model and in vitro experiments were performed to investigate the effects and mechanisms of exosomes. NSCs-derived exosomes promoted motor function recovery by shifting astrocytes from the A1 to A2 phenotype. microarray analysis of miRNA showed that miR-31-5p was the most enriched in NSCs-derived exosomes. Bioinformatics, RIP, and luciferase activity predicted IL34 was the target downstream gene of miR-31-5p. Western bloting examined IL34/STAT3 signaling pathway involved in modulating atrocities by the exosomal miR-31-5p. Rescue experiments evaluate that exosomal miR-31-5p shifting astrocytes A1 to A2 phenotype by inhibiting IL34/STAT3 signaling cascades, and promoted motor function recovery in mice after SCI.

The hydrothermal reaction among Zn(NO3)2 · 6H2O, 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid (H3BTC), and 7-hydroxy-5-methyl-1,3,4-triazaindolizine (Hmtpo) synthesized a fresh complex of [Zn(HBTC)(HATAZ)(H2O)2]n · 2n(H2O) · n(Hmtpo) (1, HATAZ is 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole). This supramolecular framework showed intense luminescence emission at RT. For treating diabetic ocular complications, the preventive and therapeutic effects of the compound on diabetic ocular complications were analyzed, and the detailed mechanism was investigated. ELISA was conducted to examine the inflammatory cytokines generated through the fundus arterial endothelial cells. Furthermore, RT-PCR was carried out to determine the oxidative stress level in the fundus arterial endothelial cells.

As(V) reduction mediated by microorganisms might be an essential process in resisting As toxicity since As(V) is the major species in the landfill. LSZ has been considered as a trigger of all types of microbial activity inside a landfill site. This research investigated the microbial As(V)-reducing behavior in LSZ. The results revealed that higher As(V)-reduction efficiency in higher As(V) content-stress LSZ scenario. The corresponding microbial diversity also varied with the As(V) content. The microbial community structure was related to arrA and arsC distribution, which encode respiratory As(V) reductase and cytoplasmic As(V) reductase, respectively. The landfill As bio-reduction pathways were modeled, as well as the As functional gene distribution among different As(V) contents at different landfill stages. The C, N, and S metabolic processes generally affected the As(V)-resistance genes distribution. Thiosulfate oxidation, denitrification, and dissimilatory nitrate reduction positively affected arsC, while dissimilatory sulfate reduction and methanogenesis trended to play a negative role. This research provides new insight into As(V) bio-reduction inside a landfill site in terms of functional genes distribution and correlation with nutrient elements metabolic processes.

Background / Aim: High-altitude pulmonary oedema (HAPE), which normally occurs at altitudes in excess of 3,000 m, is a potentially fatal disease due to hypoxia. The role of mitochondrial genomes in determining an individual's susceptibility to HAPE has not been determined. However, a number of genetic polymorphisms have recently been found to be overrepresented in HAPE patients. Most published genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have investigated only a small number of top-ranking single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)/genes by overview of nuclear DNA and considered each of the identified SNPs/genes independently. Little research has been conducted on mitochondrial genomes in relapsing HAPE patients by GWASs. Methods: To identify biological pathways important to HAPE occurrence, we examined approximately 500,000 SNPs genome-wide from 10 unrelated cases of relapsing HAPE, and we compared the SNPS in these cases with those in the CHB population (45 controls) to find the association between genotypes and HAPE susceptibility among the mitochondrial function-related genes. We used the FUMA platform to expand those SNPs to selected candidate SNPs. Results: A total of 369 candidate SNPs, 4 lead SNPs, 4 genomic risk loci and 5 mapped genes were obtained. The 7 mapped genes were ADAMTS9-AS2, NEK1, CLCN3, C4orf27(HPF1), RP11-219J21.2, ANKRD26 and YME1L1. Conclusions: This study confirms the association of ADAMTS9-AS2, NEK1, CLCN3, C4orf27(HPF1), RP11-219J21.2, ANKRD26 and YME1L1 with HAPE, which may provide future targets for the treatment of this disease.

This study aimed to study the relationship between air pollution and stroke (especially emergency stroke) in different regions and determine which air pollutant is the most significantly associated with stroke. The number of patients with emergency stroke, air pollutant data and related meteorological indicators were collected from December 2013 to May 2018 for large comprehensive hospitals in Chongqing. The generalized additive model was used to analyse the relationship between air pollution and emergency stroke. After analysis and adjusting for meteorological indicators and day-of-the-week effects, in the one-pollutant model, every 10 μg/m3 increase in ozone(O3) was associated with a 2.482% (95% CI 1.044%, 3.919%) change in emergency strokes within lag0. For males, every 10 μg/m3 increase of O3 contributed to a 0.77% percent greater change compared with females. For the group younger than 60 years, we observed a 1.14% increase in risk with every 10 μg/m3 increase in O3. The group with pre-existing hypertension had a 0.26% higher risk than the group with no pre-existing hypertension with every 10 μg/m3 increase in O3. In two-pollutant model, when O3 was combined with a 10 μg/m3 increase of NO2, it increased the most significant risk of emergency stroke by 0.22%. These findings suggest that short-term exposure to O3 within 0 days is associated with emergency outpatient strokes, and younger people (age

Advanced gastric cancer (AGC) and primary gastric lymphoma (PGL) are the two most common malignant tumors of the stomach. Conventional imaging examinations have difficulty distinguishing the two. This study explored the values of multiple parameters and visual assessment of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose(18F-FDG) uptake heterogeneity of positron emission tomography/computed tomography(PET/CT) for differentiating between AGC and PGL. This retrospective study included 70 AGC and 26 PGL patients, all of whom had undergone 18F-FDG PET/CT before treatment. We analyzed the differences between AGC and PGL in the distribution of metastatic lesions and multiple metabolic parameters, including the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), SUVmax/maximal thickness(THKmax), metabolic tumor volume and total lesion glycolysis (TLG). In addition, 18F-FDG uptake heterogeneity was visually assessed using a visual scoring method and a method of measuring SUVmax differences (SUVmax-d). The most common metastasis of AGC patients were liver, bone, peritoneal and proximal lymph nodes; PGL patients had fewer peritoneal metastases and lymph node metastasis could appeared to be “skip metastasis.” The metabolic parameters—SUVmax, SUVmax/THKmax and TLG—were higher in patients who had PGL, especially in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). In the visual assessment of 18F-FDG uptake heterogeneity, the measurements of SUVmax-d in PGL were significantly higher than in AGC. Receiver operating characteristics curve analysis suggested that SUVmax has the highest comprehensive diagnostic efficiency due to having the highest value of area under the curve and the highest accuracy (77.2%). 18F-FDG PET/CT had a high diagnostic efficiency for discrimination of AGC and PGL, especially between DLBCL and other pathological subtypes. Visual assessment used to evaluate 18F-FDG uptake heterogeneity could help to distinguish the two types of tumors. In addition, our innovative method of measuring the heterogeneity of 18F-FDG uptake—namely, SUVmax-d—could contribute to identification of the two tumor types and should have its significance clarified by future studies.

Transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) has been considered an effective therapeutic treatment for a variety of diseases including bone fracture. However, there are associated complications along with MSCs transplantation. There is evidence to show that exosomes (Exos) derived from MSCs exert a similar paracrine function. In addition, repair capabilities of MSCs decline with age. Hence, this study aims to confirm whether the Exos protective function on osteogenic differentiation and fracture healing from aged MSCs was attenuated. This information was used in order to investigate the underlying mechanism. MSCs were successfully isolated and identified from young and aged rats, and Exos were then obtained. Aged-Exos exhibited significantly attenuated effects on MSCs osteogenic differentiation in vitro and facture healing in vivo. Using miRNA array analysis, it was shown that miR-128-3p was markedly upregulated in Aged-Exos. In vitro experiments confirmed that Smad5 is a direct downstream target of miR-128-3p, and was inhibited by overexpressed miR-128-3p. A series gain- and loss- function experiment indicated that miR-128-3P serves a suppressor role in the process of fracture healing. Furthermore, effects caused by miR-128-3P mimic/inhibitor were reversed by the application of Smad5/siSmad5. Taken together, these results suggest that the therapeutic effects of MSCs-derived Exos may vary according to differential expression of miRNAs. Exosomal miR-128-3P antagomir may act as a promising therapeutic strategy for bone fracture healing, especially for the elderly.

To analyze the characteristics of blood flow perfusion images at different injection levels to establish an evaluation standard for renal dynamic imaging injection quality and reduce misdiagnosis.Data from 140 single-photon emission computed tomography renal dynamic imaging, collected in our hospital, were retrospectively analyzed. The scans were divided into four groups according to the injection quality: total leakage of the imaging agent (group A), partial leakage (group B), poor bolus injection quality (group C), and good bolus injection quality (group D). The time of appearance and regression of the pulmonary blood perfusion phase, the peak time in the abdominal aorta, and the ratio between peak count and actual drug injection count were analyzed. The renal dynamic imaging was repeated in low-quality examinations, and the comparison between the two exams provided the misdiagnosis rate caused by inadequate injections.The images of the lungs and abdominal aorta in group A were blurred and indistinguishable; thus, these exams were unreliable. Both appearance and fading time of the bilateral lung shadows were significantly different between groups B, C, and D (p = 0.002 and p = 0.003, respectively). The peak time and peak counting ratio in the abdominal aorta were also significantly different between these groups (p = 0.002 and p 0.001, respectively). The misdiagnosis rates of renal dynamic imaging in groups A, B, and C due to the different injection levels were significantly different at 94.29%, 77.14%, and 18.29%, respectively.The times of appearance and regression of the lung shadows and the peak time and peak count ratio in the abdominal aorta in the dynamic renal imaging perfusion phase can help assess the imaging agent injection quality and identify the need for a repeated examination. Improving the imaging agent injection quality can effectively reduce the renal function misdiagnosis rate.

To develop nomograms that combine clinical characteristics, computed tomographic (CT) features and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose PET (18F-FDG PET) metabolic parameters for individual prediction of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation status and exon 19 deletion mutation and exon 21 point mutation (21 L858R) subtypes in lung adenocarcinoma.In total 124 lung adenocarcinoma patients who underwent EGFR mutation testing and whole-body 18F-FDG PET/CT were enrolled. Each patient's clinical characteristics (age, sex, smoking history, etc.), CT features (size, location, margins, etc.) and four metabolic parameters (SUVmax, SUVmean, MTV and TLG) were recorded and analyzed. Logistic regression analyses were performed to screen for significant predictors of EGFR mutation status and subtypes, and these predictors were presented as easy-to-use nomograms.According to the results of multiple regression analysis, three nomograms for individualized prediction of EGFR mutation status and subtypes were constructed. The area under curve values of three nomograms were 0.852 (95% CI, 0.783-0.920), 0.857 (95% CI, 0.778-0.937) and 0.893 (95% CI, 0.819-0.968) of EGFR mutation vs. wild-type, 19 deletion mutation vs. wild-type and 21 L858R vs. wild-type, respectively. Only calcification showed significant differences between the EGFR 19 deletion and 21 L858R mutations.EGFR 21 L858R mutation was more likely to be nonsolid texture with air bronchograms and pleural retraction on CT images. And they were more likely to be associated with lower FDG metabolic activity compared with those wild-types. The sex difference was mainly caused by the 19 deletion mutation, and calcification was more frequent in them.

The potential association between medical resources and the proportion of oldest-old (90 years of age and above) in the Chinese population was examined, and we found that the higher proportion of oldest-old was associated with the higher number of beds in hospitals and health centers. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40779-021-00307-6.

The construction project serves as one of the most important projects in the construction industry. The high cost and the particularity in the implementation generate high risks in the investment and construction process. Over the years, the development of construction project management methods has promoted the management of risk factors. This paper reviews the suggestions of risk management of follow-up audit in construction stage and evaluates its application in construction projects.

A series of amphiphilic block and random copolymers based on phenylboronic acid pinacol ester were synthesized via reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer polymerization. The obtained copo...

BACKGROUND Because facet joints move with the disc, changes in vertebral bodies occur simultaneously with progression of degeneration of cervical facet joints. This study investigated age-related differences in cervical facet joint abnormalities and multi-dimensional characteristics of MCs in patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy. MATERIAL AND METHODS Forty-five patients underwent both magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) of the cervical spine. Axial and sagittal parameter changes from C3 to C7, including facet orientation (FO) and facet tropism (FT), and Modic changes (MCs), were evaluated and documented preoperatively, and we also measured the heights and diameters of MCs and performed correlation analysis and established linear regression models. RESULTS The axial facet orientation increased slightly from C3 66.5 (11.4) to C7 89.9 (19). The sagittal facet orientation and facet tropism increased between C3-C4 and C6-C7, but it decreased between C4 to C6. The MCs volume decreased from C3 to C4 and increased from C4 to C7. There was a gradual decrease of FO and FT from C3 to C5 and a gradual increase of these 2 angles from C5 to C7 in all age groups. The lowest values of FO and FT were detected at C5, while the highest values of FO and FT were detected at C7. CONCLUSIONS Age was negatively correlated with the axial, sagittal, and coronal cervical facet orientation, especially at C4/5 level. The FT with respect to the axial and sagittal plane from C5 to C6 increased with age.

Neural stem cell-derived small extracellular vesicles (NSC-sEVs) play an important role in the repair of tissue damage. Our previous in vitro and in vivo studies found that preconditioning with NSC-sEVs promoted the recovery of functional behaviors following spinal cord injury by activating autophagy. However, the underlying mechanisms for such observations remain unclear. In this study, we further explored the mechanisms by which NSC-sEVs repair spinal cord injury via autophagy. We found that NSC-sEVs contain 14-3-3t protein, of which the overexpression or knockdown enhanced and decreased autophagy, respectively. In addition, 14-3-3t overexpression enhanced the anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory effects of NSC-sEVs, further promoting functional behavior recovery following spinal cord injury. The overexpression of 14-3-3t was used to further validate the in vivo results through a series of in vitro experiments. Conversely, knockdown of 14-3-3t attenuated the anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory effects of NSC-sEVs. Further studies also confirmed that NSC-sEVs increased Beclin-1 expression, with which 14-3-3t interacted and promoted its localization to autophagosome precursors. In this study, we found that NSC-sEVs deliver 14-3-3t, which interacts with Beclin-1 to activate autophagy. Our results indicate that 14-3-3t acts via a newly-discovered mechanism for the activation of autophagy by NSC-sEVs.

G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 interacting protein-1 (GIT1) is a scaffold protein that plays a vital role in bone modeling and remodeling during osteogenesis coupled with angiogenesis. Recent studies have shown that a specialized subset of vascular endothelium strongly positive for CD31 and Endomucin (CD31hiEmcnhi) is coupled with anabolic bone formation. Based on our previous finding that GIT1 knockout (GIT1 KO) mice have impaired angiogenesis and bone formation, we hypothesized that GIT1 affects formation of the CD31hiEmcnhi vessel subtype. In the current study, GIT1 knockout (GIT1 KO) mice displayed a significant decrease in trabecular bone mass and CD31hiEmcnhi vessel number, compared to their wild-type counterparts. In the fracture healing mouse model, GIT1 KO mice contained a lower number of CD31hiEmcnhi vessels in fracture callus at days 7 and 14. However, no significant differences in the number of preosteoclasts in bone marrow, trabecular bone and callus in GIT1 KO mice were observed, compared with wild-type mice. Notably, concentrations of serum platelet-derived growth factor-BB(PDGF-BB) secreted by preosteoclasts associated with CD31hiEmcnhi vessel formation were lower in GIT1 KO mice. In addition, PDGF-BB-associated expression of phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase- 1/2 (ERK1/2) and specificity protein 1 (SP1) was significantly decreased in preosteoclasts of GIT1 KO mice. These results collectively suggest that GIT1 is a critical participant in formation of the CD31hiEmcnhi vessel subtype, highlighting a novel biologic function of this scaffold protein in preosteoclasts.

Background: Several studies have substituted the T1 slope (T1S) with the C7 slope (C7S) because the C7 endplate is clearer on radiographs. Further, abnormal serum lipid levels have been proven to be related with the development of disc degeneration. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between C7S, serum lipid levels, cervical parameters related to cervical sagittal balance and Modic changes (MCs) in patients with multisegment cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM). Methods: Between January 2014 and January 2017, 75 patients with multisegment CSM were enrolled in our retrospective study. Gender, age, history of smoking status and alcohol consumption, and laboratory test data were recorded. The cervical sagittal balance parameters C7S, T1S, cervical lordosis (CL), neck tilt (NT), thoracic inlet angle (TIA), C2-C7 sagittal vertical axis (SVA), and T1S-CL were analyzed with Spearman correlation tests and multiple linear regression analysis. We diagnosed MCs through computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging of the cervical spine. Patients were divided into four subgroups according to the presence or absence of MCs and their C7S values. Results: 75 patients were included in our study. Age, gender, C7S, and T1S were significantly different between the two groups. However, there was no statistical difference with regard to smoking status, alcohol consumption, lipoprotein(a), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, albumin, globulin, triglycerides, total cholesterol, Ca2+, CL, T1S, TIA, NT, and T1S-CL. The correlation between HDL-C, LDL-C, ALB, GLB, Ca2+, C7S, T1S, MCs, NT, TIA, and C2-C7 SVA was statistically significant. Conclusion: Significant correlations were observed between MCs and TG (as well as other preoperative sagittal parameters), which may accelerate the development of degeneration of the cervical spine. Therefore, alcohol consumption, TG, and sagittal parameters, such as C7S, and T1S could be a promising candidate for the assessment of cervical sagittal balance and predicting neck pain.

Osteosarcoma (OS) has emerged as the most common primary musculoskeletal malignant tumor which affects children and adolescents. A growing number of relevant studies have shown that many microRNAs (miRNAs) play a vital regulatory role in the etiology of various types of cancer. miR-1258 has been widely studied in various cancers, but there have been few studies of its role in OS. In this present study, miR-1258 expression was dramatically decreased in OS tissues as well as OS cell lines. In addition, decreased expression of miR-1258 was significantly associated with malignant clinical manifestations and poor clinical prognosis of patients with OS. Moreover, upregulation of miR-1258 significantly inhibited cell proliferation as well as promoting cell cycle arrest at G0/G1. AKT3 was identified as a direct target of miR-1258 by binding to its 3'-UTR, and miR-1258 was negatively correlated with AKT3 expression in clinical OS tissues. AKT3 was evidently upregulated in OS tissues and cells and upregulation of AKT3 accelerated the progression of OS. Moreover, through a series of rescue experiments, we demonstrated that AKT3 can abolish the role of miR-1258 in suppressing proliferation as well as regulating the cell cycle in OS cells. In conclusion, our results suggest that the miR-1258-AKT3 axis may be a promising prognostic marker and therapeutic target for human OS.

Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) transplantation is now considered as an effective treatment strategy for traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). However, several key issues remain unresolved, including low survival rates, cell dedifferentiation, and tumor formation. Recent studies have demonstrated that the therapeutic effect of transplanted stem cells is primarily paracrine mediated. Exosomes are an important paracrine factor that can be used as a direct therapeutic agent. However, there are few reports on the application of exosomes derived from bone MSCs (BMSCs-Exos) in treating SCI. In this study, we demonstrated that BMSCs-Exos possessed robust proangiogenic properties, attenuated neuronal cells apoptosis, suppressed glial scar formation, attenuated lesion size, suppressed inflammation, promoted axonal regeneration, and eventually improved functional behavioral recovery effects after traumatic SCI. Briefly, lesion size was decreased by nearly 60%, neuronal apoptosis was attenuated by nearly 70%, glial scar formation was reduced by nearly 75%, average blood vessel density was increased by nearly 60%, and axonal regeneration was increased by almost 80% at day 28 after SCI in the BMSC-Exos group compared to the control group. Using a series of in vitro functional assays, we also confirmed that treatment with BSMCs-Exos significantly enhanced human umbilical vein endothelial cell proliferation, migration, and angiogenic tubule formation, attenuated neuronal cells apoptosis, and suppressed nitric oxide release in microglia. Moreover, our study demonstrated that administration of BMSCs-Exos suppressed inflammation efficiently after traumatic SCI and suppressed activation of A1 neurotoxic reactive astrocytes. In conclusion, our study suggested that the application of BMSCs-Exos may be a promising strategy for traumatic SCI.

Yuluo Rong,* Yongjun Luo,* Wei Liu, Fangyi Gong, Pengyu Tang, Weihua Cai Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, Jiangsu, China *These authors contributed equally to this work Objective: To investigate the early and mid-term efficacy and safety of the bridge-type ROI-C interbody fusion cage system in the treatment of cervical spondylosis with osteoporosis during anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF). Patients and methods: The clinical data from 24 cervical spondylosis patients with osteoporosis treated with ACDF were retrospectively analyzed. All patients were treated with ROI-C cage. Double-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) was used to measure the bone mineral density (BMD). The cervical sagittal radiographic parameters were measured and compared using X-ray including C2–C7 Cobb angle, segmental angle (SA), cervical vertebral bow depth, and height of operation segment (HOS). Postoperative dysphagia was recorded according to the Bazaz score. The Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) scores and Neck Disability Index (NDI) scores were used to evaluate the clinical outcomes at different time points. Odom and Vaccaro criteria were used to assess the surgical effects and to evaluate the fusion of the bone graft. Results: The mean duration of the postoperative follow-up was 27.4±5.7 months (ranging from 21 to 36 months). The JOA scores and NDI scores at 3 months post operation and at the time of final follow-up were significantly different from those before surgery (P0.05). Conclusion: The ROI-C cage system is safe and effective for use in patients undergoing anterior cervical spondylosis surgery for osteoporosis treatment. It results in a positive effect on bone graft fusion, is able to effectively improve cervical curvature, restores intervertebral height, and reduces the incidence of postoperative dysphagia. The clinical effects were positive at the early and middle postoperative stages. Keywords: cervical spondylosis, ROI-C, osteoporosis, imaging parameters, dysphagia

Approximately 10–15% of all bone fractures do not heal properly, causing patient morbidity and additional medical care expenses. Therefore, better mechanism-based fracture repair approaches are needed. In this study, a reduced number of osteoclasts (OCs) and autophagosomes/autolysosomes in OC can be observed in GPCR kinase 2-interacting protein 1 (GIT1) knockout (KO) mice on days 21 and 28 post-fracture, compared with GIT1 wild-type (GIT1 WT) mice. Furthermore, in vitro experiments revealed that GIT1 contributes to OC autophagy under starvation conditions. Mechanistically, GIT1 interacted with Beclin1 and promoted Beclin1 phosphorylation at Thr119, which induced the disruption of Beclin1 and Bcl2 binding under starvation conditions, thereby, positively regulating autophagy. Taken together, the findings suggest a previously unappreciated role of GIT1 in autophagy of OCs during fracture repair. Targeting GIT1 may be a potential therapeutic approach for bone fractures.

To evaluate the effect of polymer structures on their unique characteristics and antibacterial activity, this study focused on developing amphiphilic copolymers by using three different molecules through RAFT polymerization. Three amphiphilic copolymers, namely, PBMA-b-(PDMAEMA-r-PPEGMA) (BbDrE), (PBMA-r-PDMAEMA)-b-PPEGMA (BrDbE), and PBMA-r-PDMAEMA-r-PPEGMA (BrDrE), are successfully self-assembled into spherical or oval shaped nanoparticles in aqueous solution and remain stable in PBS, LB, and 10% FBS solutions for at least 3 days. The critical micelle concentrations are 0.012, 0.025, and 0.041 mg/mL for BbDrE, BrDbE, and BrDrE, respectively. The zeta potential values under pH 5.5 and pH 7.4 conditions are 3.18/0.19, 8.57/0.046, and 2.54/-0.69 mV for BbDrE, BrDbE, and BrDrE nanoparticles, respectively. The three copolymers with similar monomer compositions show similar molecular weight and thermostability. Baicalein (BA) and ciprofloxacin (CPX) are encapsulated into the three nanoparticles to obtain BbDrE@BA/CPX, BrDbE@BA/CPX, and BrDrE@BA/CPX nanocomposites, with LC values of 63.9/78.3, 63.9/74.7, and 55.3/64.8, respectively. The two drugs are released from the three drug-loaded nanocomposites with 60%–95% release in pH 5.5 over 24 h and 15%–30% release in pH 7.4. The drug-loaded nanocomposites show synergistic antibacterial activity than the naked drug (2–8 fold reduction for CPX) or single drug-loaded nanocomposites (4–8 fold reduction for CPX) against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. The drug-loaded nanocomposites inhibit the formation of bacterial biofilms above their MIC values and eliminate bacterial biofilms observed by fluorescent microscope. Finally, the nanocomposites improve the healing of infection induced by P. aeruginosa and S. aureus on rat dermal wounds. These results indicate that antimicrobial agents with different structures could be an alternative treatment strategy for bacteria-induced infection.

Starting from the needs and orientation of the cultivation of innovative talents in computer science, combined with the current years of programming competitions in universities, the current situation of the teaching curriculum and the problems that need to be solved are analyzed, and the role of programming competition in the cultivation of innovative entrepreneurs is discussed. Combining the programming competition with the practical teaching of the course, the teaching reform of software design practice based on programming competition is proposed. Through the follow-up observation of the students who participated in the programming competition and won the award, it proves that the programming competition plays an important role in cultivating innovative and entrepreneurial talents. In terms of technical ability, self-management, team building, industry awareness and other aspects, the advantages are obvious, and a large proportion of self-employment and success.

High-altitude Tajiks (HA-Tajiks), Tibetans and Sherpas are three groups of high-altitude native people in China. The differences in the mtDNA genome between the three populations and the role of the mtDNA genome in the high-altitude adaptation of HA-Tajiks were seldom investigated. In this study, 80 HA-Tajiks were enrolled, and their whole mtDNA genomes were sequenced. The haplogroup of each subject was determined by comparison to the revised Cambridge Reference Sequence (rCRS). Ten additional populations from East Asia and Central Asia, including Tibetans and Sherpas, were selected as references. The top haplogroup was U, followed by H, T and J. Principle component analysis and genetic distance analysis indicated that HA-Tajiks showed a close relationship with Wakhi Tajiks, Pamiri Tajiks and Sarikoli Tajiks, indicating that they should be considered one nation scattered around the Pamirs. The difference in the mtDNA genome between HA-Tajiks and Sherpas was significantly greater than that between HA-Tajiks and Tibetans. Among the 13 genes related to the OXPHOS pathway encoded by the mtDNA genome, HA-Tajiks showed more significant differences in ND3 and CYTB compared to Tibetans. Compared to Sherpas, HA-Tajiks showed more significant differences in ND1, ND2, COX1, ATP8, ATP6, ND3, ND4L, ND4, ND5 and CYTB. The associated functional changes and underlying molecular mechanisms should be explored by molecular and biochemical investigations in further studies.

Advanced gastric cancer (AGC) and primary gastric lymphoma (PGL) are the two most common malignant tumors of the stomach. Conventional imaging examinations have difficulty distinguishing the two. This study explored the values of multiple parameters and visual assessment ofThis retrospective study included 70 AGC and 26 PGL patients, all of whom had undergoneThe most common metastasis of AGC patients were liver, bone, peritoneal and proximal lymph nodes; PGL patients had fewer peritoneal metastases and lymph node metastasis could appeared to be "skip metastasis." The metabolic parameters-SUVmax, SUVmax/THKmax and TLG-were higher in patients who had PGL, especially in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). In the visual assessment of

This study aims to explore the effects of exosomes derived from G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 interacting protein 1 (GIT1)-overexpressing bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (GIT1-BMSC-Exos) on the treatment of traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) in a rat model.All the rats underwent a T10 laminectomy. A weight-drop impact was performed using a 10-g rod from a height of 12.5 mm except the sham group. Rats with SCI were distributed into three groups randomly and then treated with tail vein injection of GIT1-BMSCs-Exos, BMSCs-Exos and PBS, respectively. The effects of GIT1-Exos on glutamate (GLU)-induced apoptosisThe results showed that rats treated with GIT1-BMSCs-Exos had better functional behavioral recovery than those treated with PBS or BMSCs-Exos only. The overexpression of GIT1 in BMSCs-Exos not only restrained glial scar formation and neuroinflammation after SCI, but also attenuated apoptosis and promoted axonal regeneration in the injured lesion area. Neuronal cell death induced by GLU was controlled remarkablyIn conclusion, our study suggested that the application of GIT1-BMSCs-Exos may provide a novel avenue for traumatic SCI treatment.

Objective Lumbar disk herniation (LDH) is a complex condition based on lumbar disk degeneration (LDD). Previous studies have shown that genetic factors are highly associated with the severity and risk for LDH. This case‐control study was aimed to evaluate the association between the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)‐3 gene rs591058 C/T polymorphism and LDH risk in a southern Chinese population. Methods A total of 231 LDH patients and 312 healthy controls were recruited in this study. Genotyping was analyzed using a standard polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR‐RFLP). Results It was observed that TT genotype or T allele carriers of the MMP‐3 gene rs591058 C/T polymorphism was more likely associated with an increased risk for LDH. Subgroup analyses showed the following characteristics increased the risk for LDH: female sex; cigarette smoking; and alcohol consumption. Furthermore, individuals with high whole body vibration, bending/twisting, and lifting were associated with an increased risk for LDH. Conclusion Taken together, these data indicated that the MMP‐3 gene rs591058 C/T polymorphism was associated with an increased risk for LDH. The MMP‐3 gene rs591058 C/T polymorphism might serve as a clinical indicator and marker for LDH risk in the Chinese population.

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a malignant bone tumor which occurs mainly in adolescents with frequent pulmonary metastasis and a high mortality rate. Accumulating evidence has indicated that microRNAs (miRNAs) play a vital role in various tumors by modulating target genes as well as signal pathways, and aberrant expression of miRNAs may contribute to OS progression. This study aimed to determine the association between miR-210-5p expression and OS progression and to investigate its potential underlying mechanism. Using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), miR-210-5p was found to be upregulated in clinical OS specimens and cell lines. Further functional analysis demonstrated that miR-210-5p promoted epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and induced oncogenic autophagy. Luciferase reporter assay, RNA-ChIP, and western blot analysis confirmed that PIK3R5, an essential regulator in the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway, is a target downstream gene of miR-210-5p. Overexpression or knockdown of PIK3R5 reversed the functional role of overexpression or knockdown of miR-210-5p, respectively. Silencing autophagy-related gene 5 (ATG5) abolished the functional effects of miR-210-5p upregulation or PIK3R5 knockdown in OS cells. In vivo, miR-210-5p overexpression promoted OS tumor growth and pulmonary metastasis. Taken together, our results demonstrated that miR-210-5p promoted EMT and oncogenic autophagy by suppressing the expression of PIK3R5 and regulating the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. Therefore, inhibition of miR-210-5p may represent a promising treatment for OS.