[Research Progress of Helicobacter pylori-Associated Extragastric Diseases].

Helicobacter pylori (Hp) is a common Gram-negative bacillus causing gastrointestinal infections.It mainly exists on the surface of gastric epithelial cells and in mucus and is associated with gastric ulcers,gastric cancer,and gastric mucosa-associated lymphomas.Studies have shown that Hp can induce or exacerbate certain extragastric diseases and is associated with the occurrence of coronavirus disease 2019.It is hypothesized that Hp may be indirectly or directly involved in the occurrence and development of diseases by stimulating the production of inflammatory cytokines or inducing cross-immune reactions.In addition,Hp can enter Candida to release toxins continuously and play a role in escaping the recognition of the host immune system and the bactericidal effect of drugs.This article reviews the research progress in Hp-associated extragastric diseases in recent years,aiming to draw the attention of clinical workers to Hp-associated extragastric diseases and enrich the knowledge about Hp infection for formulating countermeasures to avoid the aggravation or triggering of other diseases by Hp.

Three-dimensional genetic networks among seed oil-related traits, metabolites and genes reveal the genetic foundations of oil synthesis in soybean.

Although the biochemical and genetic basis of lipid metabolism is clear in Arabidopsis, there is limited information concerning the relevant genes in Glycine max (soybean). To address this issue, we constructed three-dimensional genetic networks using six seed oil-related traits, 52 lipid metabolism-related metabolites and 54 294 SNPs in 286 soybean accessions in total. As a result, 284 and 279 candidate genes were found to be significantly associated with seed oil-related traits and metabolites by phenotypic and metabolic genome-wide association studies and multi-omics analyses, respectively. Using minimax concave penalty (MCP) and smoothly clipped absolute deviation (SCAD) analyses, six seed oil-related traits were found to be significantly related to 31 metabolites. Among the above candidate genes, 36 genes were found to be associated with oil synthesis (27 genes), amino acid synthesis (four genes) and the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle (five genes), and four genes (GmFATB1a, GmPDAT, GmPLDα1 and GmDAGAT1) are already known to be related to oil synthesis. Using this information, 133 three-dimensional genetic networks were constructed, 24 of which are known, e.g. pyruvate-GmPDAT-GmFATA2-oil content. Using these networks, GmPDAT, GmAGT and GmACP4 reveal the genetic relationships between pyruvate and the three major nutrients, and GmPDAT, GmZF351 and GmPgs1 reveal the genetic relationships between amino acids and seed oil content. In addition, GmCds1, along with average temperature in July and the rainfall from June to September, influence seed oil content across years. This study provides a new approach for the construction of three-dimensional genetic networks and reveals new information for soybean seed oil improvement and the identification of gene function.

An evolutionary population structure model reveals pleiotropic effects of GmPDAT for traits related to seed size and oil content in soybean.

Seed oil traits in soybean that are of benefit to human nutrition and health have been selected for during crop domestication. However, these domesticated traits have significant differences across various evolutionary types. In this study, we found that the integration of evolutionary population structure (evolutionary types) with genome-wide association studies increased the power of gene detection, and it identified one locus for traits related to seed size and oil content on chromosome 13. This domestication locus, together with another one in a 200-kb region, was confirmed by the GEMMA and EMMAX software. The candidate gene, GmPDAT, had higher expressional levels in high-oil and large-seed accessions than in low-oil and small-seed accessions. Overexpression lines had increased seed size and oil content, whereas RNAi lines had decreased seed size and oil content. The molecular mechanism of GmPDAT was deduced based on results from linkage analysis for triacylglycerols and on histocytological comparisons of transgenic soybean seeds. Our results illustrate a new approach for identifying domestication genes with pleiotropic effects.

Bradyrhizobium diazoefficiens USDA 110- Glycine max Interactome Provides Candidate Proteins Associated with Symbiosis.

Although the legume-rhizobium symbiosis is a most-important biological process, there is a limited knowledge about the protein interaction network between host and symbiont. Using interolog- and domain-based approaches, we constructed an interspecies protein interactome containing 5115 protein-protein interactions between 2291 Glycine max and 290 Bradyrhizobium diazoefficiens USDA 110 proteins. The interactome was further validated by the expression pattern analysis in nodules, gene ontology term semantic similarity, co-expression analysis, and luciferase complementation image assay. In the G. max-B. diazoefficiens interactome, bacterial proteins are mainly ion channel and transporters of carbohydrates and cations, while G. max proteins are mainly involved in the processes of metabolism, signal transduction, and transport. We also identified the top 10 highly interacting proteins (hubs) for each species. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis for each hub showed that a pair of 14-3-3 proteins (SGF14g and SGF14k) and 5 heat shock proteins in G. max are possibly involved in symbiosis, and 10 hubs in B. diazoefficiens may be important symbiotic effectors. Subnetwork analysis showed that 18 symbiosis-related soluble N-ethylmaleimide sensitive factor attachment protein receptor proteins may play roles in regulating bacterial ion channels, and SGF14g and SGF14k possibly regulate the rhizobium dicarboxylate transport protein DctA. The predicted interactome provide a valuable basis for understanding the molecular mechanism of nodulation in soybean.

Sacroiliac joint tuberculosis: surgical management by posterior open-window focal debridement and joint fusion.

BACKGROUND: Sacroiliac joint tuberculosis(SJT) is relatively uncommon, but it may cause severe sacroiliac joint destruction and functional disorder. Few studies in the literature have been presented on SJT, reports of surgical treatment for SJT are even fewer. In this study, we retrospectively reviewed surgical management of patients with severe SJT of 3 different types and proposed to reveal the clinical manifestations and features and aim to determine the efficiency and security of such surgical treatment. METHODS: We reviewed 17 patients with severe SJT of 3 different types who underwent posterior open-window focal debridement and bone graft for joint fusion. Among them,five patients with anterior sacral abscess had anterior abscess curettage before debridement. Two patients with lumbar vertebral tuberculosis received one-stage posterior tuberculous debridement, interbody fusion and instrumentation. Follow-up was performed 36 months (26 to 45 months) using the following parameters: erythrocyte sedimentation rate(ESR), status of joint bony fusion on CT scan, visual analogue scale (VAS) and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). RESULTS: Buttock pain and low back pain were progressively relieved with time. 6 months later, pain was not obvious, and ESR resumed to normal levels within 3 months. Solid fusion of the sacroiliac joint occurred within 12 months in all cases. No complications or recurrence occurred. At final follow-up, all patients had no pain or only minimal discomfort over the affected joint and almost complete functional recovery. CONCLUSIONS: Posterior open-window focal debridement and joint fusion is an efficient and secure surgical method to treat severe SJT. If there is an abscess in the front of the sacroiliac joint, anterior abscess curettage should be performed as a supplement.

One-stage posterior focus debridement, interbody grafts, and posterior instrumentation and fusion in the surgical treatment of thoracolumbar spinal tuberculosis with kyphosis in children: a preliminary report.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy and feasibility of surgical management of children with thoracolumbar spine tuberculosis with kyphosis by using one-stage posterior focus debridement, interbody grafts, and posterior instrumentation and fusion. METHODS: From October 2010 to September 2013, 21 children with thoracolumbar spinal tuberculosis accompanied by kyphosis were treated with one-stage posterior decompression, interbody grafts, and posterior instrumentation and fusion. There were 13 males and 8 females, aged from 7 to 13 years old (average age 9.9 years). The mean follow-up was 34 months (range26-48 months). Patients were evaluated before and after surgery in terms of ESR, neurologic status, pain, and kyphotic angle. RESULTS: Spinal tuberculosis was completely cured, and the grafted bones were fused in all 21 patients. There was no recurrent tuberculous infection. ESR got normal within 3 months in all patients. The ASIA neurologic classification improved in all cases. Pain relief was obtained in all patients. The average preoperative kyphosis was 29.7° (range 12-42°) and decreased to 5.5° (range 2-10°), postoperatively. There was no significant loss of the correction at the latest follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that one-stage posterior decompression, interbody grafts, and posterior instrumentation and fusion were an effective treatment for children with thoracolumbar spinal tuberculosis. It is characterized as minimum surgical trauma, good neurologic recovery, good correction of kyphosis, and prevention of progressive kyphosis.

One-stage posterior focus debridement, interbody graft using titanium mesh cages, posterior instrumentation and fusion in the surgical treatment of lumbo-sacral spinal tuberculosis in the aged.

PURPOSE: Aged patients represent a high risk group for acquiring spinal tuberculosis, and it still remains a leading cause of kyphosis and paraplegia in developing nations. Aged patients often combined with cardiovascular and respiratory disease and single lung ventilation via anterior approach surgery could result in more post-operative complications. We aimed to analyze the efficacy and feasibility of surgical management of aged patients with lumbo-sacral spine tuberculosis using one-stage posterior focus debridement, interbody graft using titanium mesh cages, posterior instrumentation, and fusion. METHODS: From March 2009 and July 2012, 17 aged patients with lumbo-sacral spinal tuberculosis were treated with one-stage posterior focus debridement, interbody graft using titanium mesh cages, posterior instrumentation, and fusion. There were eight male and nine female with a mean age of 63.3 years (range: 60-71 years). The mean follow-up was 46.5 months (range 38-70 months). Patients were evaluated before and after surgery in terms of ESR, neurological status, visual analog scale (VAS), and lumbosacral angle. RESULTS: Spinal tuberculosis was completely cured and the grafted bones were fused in all 17 patients. There were no recurrent tuberculous infections. ESR became normal within three months in all patients. The ASIA neurological classification and VAS scores improved in all cases. The average preoperative lumbosacral angle was 20.6° (range 18.1°-22.5°) and became 29.4° (range 27.1°-32.5°) at final follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed that one-stage posterior focus debridement, interbody graft using titanium mesh cages, posterior instrumentation, and fusion was an effective treatment for aged patients with lumbo-sacral spinal tuberculosis. It is characterized with minimum surgical trauma, good pain relief, good neurological recovery, and good reconstruction of the spinal stability.

Effect of ultrasonic pretreatment on physicochemical characteristics and rheological properties of soy protein/sugar Maillard reaction products.

Maillard reaction products (MRPs) of soybean protein isolate (SPI) and sugars (glucose and maltose) were prepared by heating in the aqueous dispersion at 95 °C for 15 min with ultrasonic pretreatment (ultrasonic power of 200 W) for 20 min. Effect of ultrasonic pretreatment on physicochemical characteristics and rheological properties of SPI/sugar MRPs was investigated. SPI/sugar MRPs prepared with ultrasonic pretreatment had higher degree of glycation (DG), lower browning and less compact tertiary conformation than that with non-ultrasonic pretreatment. Surface hydrophobicity (H0), particle size and rheological properties were measured by fluorescence spectrophotometry, laser particle size analysis and dynamic oscillatory rheometry, respectively. Glycation reduced H0 and particle size as well as weaken the gel network formed by the acidification of GDL. However, ultrasound increased H0 and decreased particle size. This is desirable for the formation of acid-induced gel structure. The ultrasonic pretreatments reduced/eliminate the weakening effect of glycation on the gel network of SPI/sugar MRPs, and even improved the gel properties.

One-stage surgical management for tuberculosis of the upper cervical spine by posterior debridement, short-segment fusion, and posterior instrumentation in children.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical study efficacy and feasibility of 11 children with tuberculosis of the upper cervical spine treated by one-stage posterior debridement, short-segment fusion, and posterior instrumentation. METHODS: Eleven children who suffered from tuberculosis of the upper cervical spine were admitted to our hospital between June 2005 and December 2010. All of them were treated by one-stage posterior debridement, short-segment fusion, and posterior instrumentation. Then, the clinical efficacy was evaluated using statistical analysis based on the materials about the visual analogue scale (VAS) scores of pain, JOA scores of nerve function and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), which were collected at certain time. RESULTS: The average follow-up period was 28.1 ± 10.5 months (13-42 months). In the 11 cases, no postoperative complications related to instrumentation occurred and neurologic function was improved in various degrees. The average pretreatment ESR was 58.4 ± 4.9 mm/h (53-69 mm/h), which got normal (8.9 ± 6.5 mm/h) within 3 months in all patients. The average preoperative VAS was 7.4 ± 2.2, which decreased to 1.6 ± 1.8 postoperatively. Mean preoperative JOA was 11.2 ± 3.8, and the JOA at the last visit was 16.3 ± 1.0. All patients got bony fusion within 3-8 months after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: One-stage posterior debridement, short-segment fusion, and posterior instrumentation can be an effective treatment method for the treatment of tuberculosis of the upper cervical spine in children.

One-stage posterior debridement, transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion and instrumentation in treatment of lumbar spinal tuberculosis: a retrospective case series.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to compare the clinical outcomes of surgical management by one-stage posterior debridement, transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) and instrumentation and combined posterior and anterior approaches for lumbar spinal tuberculosis, and determine the clinical effectiveness of the posterior only surgical treatment for lumbar spinal TB at the same time. METHODS: Thirty-seven patients who suffered lumbar tuberculosis were treated by two different surgical procedures in our center from May 2004 to June 2012. All the cases were divided into two groups: 19 cases in Group A underwent one-stage posterior debridement, TLIF and instrumentation, and 18 cases in Group B underwent posterior instrumentation, anterior debridement and bone graft in a single-stage procedure. The operation time, blood loss, lumbar kyphotic angle, recovery of neurological function and fusion time were, respectively, compared between Group A and Group B. RESULTS: The average follow-up period for Group A was 46.6 ± 16.7 months, and for Group B, 47.5 ± 15.0 months. It was obvious that the average operative duration and blood loss of Group A was less than those of Group B. Lumbar tuberculosis was completely cured and the grafted bones were fused in 10 months in all patients. There was no persistence or recurrence of infection and no differences in the radiological results in both groups. The kyphosis was significantly corrected after surgical management. The average pretreatment ESR was 60.7 ± 22.5 mm/h, which became normal (9.0 ± 2.8 mm/h) within 3 months in all patients. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical management by one-stage posterior debridement, TLIF and instrumentation for lumbar tuberculosis is feasible and effective. This approach obtained better clinical outcomes than combined posterior and anterior surgeries.

Surgical management for multilevel noncontiguous thoracic spinal tuberculosis by single-stage posterior transforaminal thoracic debridement, limited decompression, interbody fusion, and posterior instrumentation (modified TTIF).

PURPOSE: Multilevel noncontiguous thoracic spinal tuberculosis has rarely been reported in the literature. We present a retrospective clinical study of 14 patients with multilevel noncontiguous thoracic spinal tuberculosis treated by single-stage posterior transforaminal thoracic debridement, limited decompression, interbody fusion, and posterior instrumentation (modified TTIF) and determine the clinical effectiveness of such surgical treatment for MNTST. METHODS: Fourteen patients with multilevel noncontiguous thoracic spinal tuberculosis were treated with modified TTIF. The mean follow-up was 27.36 ± 10.46 months (range 13-42 months). The kyphotic angle ranged from -2° to 47° before operation, with an average of 19.21° ± 12.63°. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) of patients upon admission ranged from 30 to 62 mm/h before operation, with an average of 46.43 ± 10.77 mm/h. The Frankel Grade was used to evaluate the neurological deficits. RESULTS: The average ESR got normal (8.14 ± 5.89 mm/h) within 3 months in all patients. The average kyphotic angle decreased to 8.07° ± 6.91° postoperatively. Mean deformity angle was measured as 8.79° ± 7.29° at the last visit. Solid fusion was achieved in all cases. Neurologic status of the 12 patients with preoperative neurologic deficit was 6 with grade D recovered to normal; 2 with grade B, both of them to grade D; 4 with grade C, 2 to grade D, 1 to grade E, and 1 still in grade C. CONCLUSIONS: Modified TTIF can be an effective treatment method of multilevel noncontiguous thoracic spinal tuberculosis.

Surgical management by one-stage posterior transforaminal lumbar debridement, interbody fusion, and posterior instrumentation for lumbo-sacral tuberculosis in the aged.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical study efficacy and feasibility of 17 aged patients with lumbo-sacral tuberculosis treated by one-stage posterior transforaminal lumbar debridement, interbody fusion, and posterior instrumentation. METHODS: 17 aged patients who suffered from lumbo-sacral tuberculosis were admitted into our hospital between March 2003 and October 2010. All of them were treated by one-stage posterior transforaminal lumbar debridement, interbody fusion, and posterior instrumentation. Then the clinical efficacy with statistical analysis was evaluated based on the materials on the lumbo-sacral angle, neurological status that was recorded by Frankel grade system, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), which were collected at certain time. RESULTS: The average follow-up period was 47.5 ± 17.1 months (17-71 months), In the 17 cases, no postoperative complications related to instrumentation occurred and neurologic function was improved in various degrees. The mean preoperative lumbo-sacral angle was 20.5° ± 1.7° (range 18.0°-23.0°). The lumbo-sacral angle became 29.1° ± 1.5° (range 26.4°-31.0°) postoperatively. The average pretreatment ESR was 57.4 ± 16.8 mm/h (33-95 mm/h), which got normal (9.2 ± 3.1 mm/h) within 3 months in all patients. All patients got bony fusion within 6-8 months after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: One-stage posterior transforaminal lumbar debridement, interbody fusion, and posterior instrumentation can be an effective treatment method for the treatment of lumbo-sacral tuberculosis in the aged patients.

Surgical management for thoracic spinal tuberculosis in the elderly: posterior only versus combined posterior and anterior approaches.

PURPOSE: To compare the clinical outcomes of surgical management by posterior only and combined posterior and anterior approaches for thoracic spinal tuberculosis in the elderly. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study. Thirty-six cases of thoracic spinal tuberculosis treated by two different surgical procedures in our center from January 2004 to June 2009 were studied. All the cases were divided into two groups: 20 cases in Group A underwent single-stage posterior debridement, transforaminal fusion and instrumentation, and 16 cases in Group B underwent posterior instrumentation, anterior debridement and bone graft in a single- or two-stage procedure. The operation time, blood loss, correction rate, recovery of neurological function, fusion time and complications were, respectively, compared between Group A and Group B. RESULTS: All patients were followed up for an average of 35.1 ± 5.8 months (range 26-45 months). It was obviously that the average operative duration, blood loss, hospitalization and complication rate of Group A was less than those of Group B. Spinal tuberculosis was completely cured and the grafted bones were fused in 10 months in all patients. There was no persistence or recurrence of infection and no differences in the radiological results in both groups. The kyphosis was significantly corrected after surgical management. However, loss of correction also occurred in both groups. CONCLUSION: Our study showed that the posterior approach only procedure obtained better clinical outcomes than combined posterior and anterior surgeries. It might be a better surgical treatment for thoracic spinal tuberculosis in aged patients with poor health status, especially for cases in early phase of bone destruction and/or mild and moderate kyphosis.

A combinatorial strategy to identify various types of QTLs for quantitative traits using extreme phenotype individuals in an F2 population.

Theoretical and applied studies demonstrate the difficulty of detecting extremely over-dominant and small-effect genes for quantitative traits via bulked segregant analysis (BSA) in an F2 population. To address this issue, we proposed an integrated strategy for mapping various types of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for quantitative traits via a combination of BSA and whole-genome sequencing. In this strategy, the numbers of read counts of marker alleles in two extreme pools were used to predict the numbers of read counts of marker genotypes. These observed and predicted numbers were used to construct a new statistic, Gw, for detecting quantitative trait genes (QTGs), and the method was named dQTG-seq1. This method was significantly better than existing BSA methods. If the goal was to identify extremely over-dominant and small-effect genes, another reserved DNA/RNA sample from each extreme phenotype F2 plant was sequenced, and the observed numbers of marker alleles and genotypes were used to calculate Gw to detect QTGs; this method was named dQTG-seq2. In simulated and real rice dataset analyses, dQTG-seq2 could identify many more extremely over-dominant and small-effect genes than BSA and QTL mapping methods. dQTG-seq2 may be extended to other heterogeneous mapping populations. The significance threshold of Gw in this study was determined by permutation experiments. In addition, a handbook for the R software dQTG.seq, which is available at https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/dQTG.seq/index.html, has been provided in the supplemental materials for the users' convenience. This study provides a new strategy for identifying all types of QTLs for quantitative traits in an F2 population.

Identification of QTN-by-environment interactions and their candidate genes for soybean seed oil-related traits using 3VmrMLM.

Introduction: Although seed oil content and its fatty acid compositions in soybean were affected by environment, QTN-by-environment (QEIs) and gene-by-environment interactions (GEIs) were rarely reported in genome-wide association studies. Methods: The 3VmrMLM method was used to associate the trait phenotypes, measured in five to seven environments, of 286 soybean accessions with 106,013 SNPs for detecting QTNs and QEIs. Results: Seven oil metabolism genes (GmSACPD-A, GmSACPD-B, GmbZIP123, GmSWEET39, GmFATB1A, GmDGAT2D, and GmDGAT1B) around 598 QTNs and one oil metabolism gene GmFATB2B around 54 QEIs were verified in previous studies; 76 candidate genes and 66 candidate GEIs were predicted to be associated with these traits, in which 5 genes around QEIs were verified in other species to participate in oil metabolism, and had differential expression across environments. These genes were found to be related to soybean seed oil content in haplotype analysis. In addition, most candidate GEIs were co-expressed with drought response genes in co-expression network, and three KEGG pathways which respond to drought were enriched under drought stress rather than control condition; six candidate genes were hub genes in the co-expression networks under drought stress. Discussion: The above results indicated that GEIs, together with drought response genes in co-expression network, may respond to drought, and play important roles in regulating seed oil-related traits together with oil metabolism genes. These results provide important information for genetic basis, molecular mechanisms, and soybean breeding for seed oil-related traits.

Domestication and improvement genes reveal the differences of seed size- and oil-related traits in soybean domestication and improvement.

To address domestication and improvement studies of soybean seed size- and oil-related traits, a series of domesticated and improved regions, loci, and candidate genes were identified in 286 soybean accessions using domestication and improvement analyses, genome-wide association studies, quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping and bulked segregant analyses in this study. As a result, 534 candidate domestication regions (CDRs) and 458 candidate improvement regions (CIRs) were identified in this study and integrated with those in five and three previous studies, respectively, to obtain 952 CDRs and 538 CIRs; 1469 loci for soybean seed size- and oil-related traits were identified in this study and integrated with those in Soybase to obtain 433 QTL clusters. The two results were intersected to obtain 245 domestication and 221 improvement loci for the above traits. Around these trait-related domestication and improvement loci, 7 domestication and 7 improvement genes were found to be truly associated with these traits, and 372 candidate domestication and 87 candidate improvement genes were identified using gene expression, SNP variants in genome, miRNA binding, KEGG pathway, DNA methylation, and haplotype analysis. These genes were used to explain the trait changes in domestication and improvement. As a result, the trait changes can be explained by their frequencies of elite haplotypes, base mutations in coding region, and three factors affecting their expression levels. In addition, 56 domestication and 15 improvement genes may be valuable for future soybean breeding. This study can provide useful gene resources for future soybean breeding and molecular biology research.

Strategy and Efficacy of Surgery for Congenital Cervicothoracic Scoliosis with or without Hemivertebra Osteotomy.

OBJECTIVE: Cervicothoracic scoliosis will cause severe deformities in the early stage, and its structure is complex and the surgical methods are varied. The purpose of this research is to explore the indication and analyze the corrective effect of the two different posterior approach surgical strategies, including correction with fusion and hemivertebra osteotomy, for congenital cervicothoracic scoliosis deformities in children and adolescents. METHODS: This was a retrospective study of 21 patients with cervicothoracic scoliosis who received surgical treatment from January 2010 to June 2020, including nine cases of posterior hemivertebra osteotomy and fusion surgery and 12 cases of posterior correction and fusion alone. The Cobb angle, T1 tilt angle, clavicular angle, neck tilt angle, radiographic shoulder height, sagittal vertical axis, coronal balance distance, and local kyphosis angle were measured preoperatively, postoperatively, and at the last follow-up. Posterior approach hemivertebra resection or correction with fusion surgery was adopted based on the different individual characteristics of deformity such as main curve Cobb angle, growth potential, and flexibility. Patients were divided into two groups (osteotomy group and nonosteotomy group) according to whether a hemivertebra osteotomy was performed, and the corrective results in the two groups were compared. Paired-sample t tests or independent-sample t tests were used. RESULTS: The median follow-up after surgery of the 21 patients was 36 months (range, 18-72 months). The Cobb angle was corrected from 45.81° ± 14.23° preoperatively to 10.48° ± 5.56° postoperatively (correction rate, 77.78% ± 8.93%). The T1 tilt angle decreased from 15.26° ± 7.08° preoperatively to 3.33° ± 2.14° postoperatively (correction rate,73.42% ± 21.86%). The radiographic shoulder height was corrected from 1.13 ± 0.74 cm preoperatively to 0.52 ± 0.42 cm postoperatively (correction rate, 39.51% ± 35.65%). The clavicular angle improved from 2.52° ± 1.55° preoperatively to 1.16° ± 0.96° postoperatively (correction rate, 47.18% ± 35.84%). No significant differences were found at the last follow-up (p > 0.05). The Cobb angle of the main curve, T1 tilt angle, clavicular angle, cervical tilt angle, and shoulder height difference were similar in the two groups (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Posterior approach hemivertebra resection or correction with fusion surgery can be used in the treatment of congenital cervicothoracic scoliosis with satisfactory results, and the surgeon can make an individualized surgical plan according to individual characteristics of deformity.

4D genetic networks reveal the genetic basis of metabolites and seed oil-related traits in 398 soybean RILs.

BACKGROUND: The yield and quality of soybean oil are determined by seed oil-related traits, and metabolites/lipids act as bridges between genes and traits. Although there are many studies on the mode of inheritance of metabolites or traits, studies on multi-dimensional genetic network (MDGN) are limited. RESULTS: In this study, six seed oil-related traits, 59 metabolites, and 107 lipids in 398 recombinant inbred lines, along with their candidate genes and miRNAs, were used to construct an MDGN in soybean. Around 175 quantitative trait loci (QTLs), 36 QTL-by-environment interactions, and 302 metabolic QTL clusters, 70 and 181 candidate genes, including 46 and 70 known homologs, were previously reported to be associated with the traits and metabolites, respectively. Gene regulatory networks were constructed using co-expression, protein-protein interaction, and transcription factor binding site and miRNA target predictions between candidate genes and 26 key miRNAs. Using modern statistical methods, 463 metabolite-lipid, 62 trait-metabolite, and 89 trait-lipid associations were found to be significant. Integrating these associations into the above networks, an MDGN was constructed, and 128 sub-networks were extracted. Among these sub-networks, the gene-trait or gene-metabolite relationships in 38 sub-networks were in agreement with previous studies, e.g., oleic acid (trait)-GmSEI-GmDGAT1a-triacylglycerol (16:0/18:2/18:3), gene and metabolite in each of 64 sub-networks were predicted to be in the same pathway, e.g., oleic acid (trait)-GmPHS-D-glucose, and others were new, e.g., triacylglycerol (16:0/18:1/18:2)-GmbZIP123-GmHD-ZIPIII-10-miR166s-oil content. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed the advantages of MGDN in dissecting the genetic relationships between complex traits and metabolites. Using sub-networks in MGDN, 3D genetic sub-networks including pyruvate/threonine/citric acid revealed genetic relationships between carbohydrates, oil, and protein content, and 4D genetic sub-networks including PLDs revealed the relationships between oil-related traits and phospholipid metabolism likely influenced by the environment. This study will be helpful in soybean quality improvement and molecular biological research.

One-stage posterior focus debridement, fusion, and instrumentation in the surgical treatment of cervicothoracic spinal tuberculosis with kyphosis in children: a preliminary report.

PURPOSE: To determine the efficacy and feasibility of surgical management of cervicothoracic tuberculosis accompanied by kyphosis in children by using one-stage posterior focus debridement, bone graft fusion, and instrumentation at a single institution. METHODS: Ten consecutive cases with cervicothoracic tuberculosis with kyphosis were treated with one-stage posterior focus debridement, bone graft fusion, and instrumentation. The mean follow-up was 36 months (range 26-47 months). The kyphotic angle ranged from 35° to 62° before operation, 50.5° in average. The American Spinal Injury Association score system was used to evaluate the neurological deficits. RESULTS: Spinal tuberculosis was completely cured in all ten patients. There was no recurrent tuberculous infection. The postoperative kyphotic angle was 10° to 22°, 17.5° in average, and there was no significant loss of the correction at the latest follow-up. Solid fusion was achieved in all cases. Neurological condition in all patients was improved after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: One-stage posterior debridement, bone grafting, and instrumentation can be an effective treatment method of cervicothoracic spinal tuberculosis with kyphosis in children.

Adult thoracolumbar or lumbar scoliosis with Chiari malformation and syringomyelia: a retrospective study of correction and fusion strategies.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective case series. OBJECTIVE: To study the correction and fusion strategies for adult thoracolumbar or lumbar scoliosis with Chiari malformation and syringomyelia by using posterior pedicle screw instrumentation (PPSI). Surgical intervention for Chiari malformation and syringomyelia before surgical correction of scoliosis has been reported; however, there are no clinical trials for the PPSI-based correction and fusion procedures used in these patients. METHODS: From 2002 to 2009, 13 adult patients (mean age, 34.9 years) suffering from thoracolumbar or lumbar scoliosis with Chiari malformation and syringomyelia underwent correction and fusion by using PPSI. Preoperative, postoperative, and final follow-up coronary Cobb angle, correction rate, pelvic obliquity (PO), apical vertebral rotation (AVR), apical vertebral translation (AVT), trunk shift (TS), sagittal thoracic kyphosis angle, and lumbar lordosis angle were analyzed on radiographs. RESULTS: The preoperative and postoperative mean coronary Cobb angle was from 46.8° to 9.2°, correction rate was 80.7%, PO from 9.9° to 3.2°, AVR from 1.9° to 0.3°, AVT from 3.6 to 0.8 cm, TS from 16.8 to 1.6 cm, sagittal thoracic kyphosis angle from 18.2° to 23.5°, and lumbar lordosis angle was from 37.4° to 41.8°. The mean follow-up period was 35.2 months (range, 24-50 months). There were no obvious pseudoarticulations or loss of correction and trunk equilibrium at the final follow-up; no aggravation of the original neural symptoms or new irreversible neural injury was observed. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with mild or moderate adult thoracolumbar or lumbar scoliosis with Chiari malformation and syringomyelia, the correction and fusion by using PPSI can yield a satisfactory clinical effect.