Estimation of genetic parameters of Holstein calf survival.

Calf survival is not only an animal welfare issue but also helps to avoid huge losses in economic and genetic material due to calf mortality. Therefore, improving calf survival is essential in dairy breeding. The objective of this study was to explore the factors affecting the survival of Holstein calves in the Ningxia Region and to estimate the genetic parameters of calves using linear models and threshold models. Descriptive statistics were made for 43,847 Holstein calves born from 2018 to 2022 in Ningxia. The number of calves that died at 2-30 d was the highest, the survival rate was the lowest at 451-750 d, followed by 61-180 d and 2-30 d. Studies on the survival rates of calves born in different months have found that calves born in April have the lowest survival rates and calves born in October and December have higher survival rates. Calves born in autumn, third parity, and singleton calves are more likely to survive. The heritability of calf survival traits ranged from 0.002 ~ 0.136. Thus survival is a low heritability trait. Genetic correlation between different survival stages ranged from 0.3991 (2-30 d to 451-750 d) to 0.9985 (361-450 d to 451-750 d), the phenotypic correlation ranged from 0.1476 (2-30 d to 451-750 d) to 0.9582 (361-450 d to 451-750 d). The low genetic correlation between early and late survival suggests that survival in early and late stages may be influenced by different genetic factors. This study is helpful to understand the survival status of Holstein calves and provide a theoretical basis for improving the survival rate of calves.

A Transparent Additive-Free Fibrous Facial Mask for Skin Moisturizing.

Most sheet facial masks for skincare are made of nonwovens and loaded with liquid active ingredients, which are usually opaque and require additives for long-term preservation. Herein, a Transparent Additive-Free Fibrous (TAFF) facial mask is reported for skin moisturizing. The TAFF facial mask consists of a bilayer fibrous membrane. The inner layer is fabricated by electrospinning functional components of gelatin (GE) and hyaluronic acid (HA) into a solid fibrous membrane to get rid of additives, the outer layer is an ultrathin PA6 fibrous membrane that is highly transparent, especially after absorbing water. The results indicate that the GE-HA membrane can quickly absorb water and become a transparent hydrogel film. By employing the hydrophobic PA6 membrane as the outer layer, directional water transport is achieved, which enables TAFF facial mask with excellent skin moisturizing effect. The skin moisture content is up to 84% ± 7% after placing the TAFF facial mask on the skin for 10 min. In addition, the relative transparency of the TAFF facial mask on the skin reaches 97.0% ± 1.9% when ultrathin PA6 membrane is used as the outer layer. The design of the transparent additive-free facial mask may serve as a guideline for developing new functional facial masks.

Comparison of Anterior and Posterior Approaches for Acute Traumatic Central Spinal Cord Syndrome with Multilevel Cervical Canal Stenosis without Cervical Fracture or Dislocation.

Introduction: This is a retrospective comparative study that aims to compare the benefits of different surgical approaches for patients with multilevel cervical canal stenosis (CCS) without cervical fracture or dislocation of acute traumatic central cord syndrome (ATCCS). Methods: From January 2015 to December 2018, 59 patients were included in the study. Among them, 35 patients (Group A) received anterior surgery and 24 patients (Group B) received posterior surgery. Primary outcome measures were American Spinal Cord Injury Association (Asia) grade, Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score, and recovery rate (RR). Secondary outcome measures included operation time, intraoperative blood loss, visual analogue scale (VAS) score, cervical sagittal parameters, and complications. Multivariate linear regression was used to analyze prognostic determinants. Results: Compared with Group B, Group A had longer operation time and more intraoperative blood loss (P < 0.05). However, the VAS score of Group B was higher than that of Group A at discharge (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in cervical sagittal plane parameters between the two groups (P > 0.05). Postoperative complications were different in the two groups. During follow-up, the Asia grade, the JOA score, and RR of both groups improved (P < 0.05), but there were no significant differences between the two groups (P > 0.05). Younger age, earlier surgery, and better preoperative Asia grade were correlated with better prognosis. Conclusions: For patients with multilevel CCS without cervical fracture or dislocation of ATCCS, both surgical approaches had good outcomes. Although no significant differences were found in the primary outcome measures between the two groups, there were different recommendations for the secondary outcome measures. Younger age, earlier surgery, and better preoperative Asia grade were protective factors for better prognosis.

Effect of Different Anesthesia and Puncture Methods of Percutaneous Kyphoplasty on More Than 90-Year-Old Osteoporotic Vertebral Fracture: Advantages of the ERAS Concept.

Background: Percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) is an effective minimally invasive technique for the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral fracture (OVF) in recent years. This study focuses on the analysis of PKP surgery and anesthesia in osteoporotic vertebral facture patients over 90 years old with the concept of "enhanced recovery after surgery." Methods: This study reviewed 239 patients who were diagnosed with OVF retrospectively between October 2015 and June 2019. According to the method of anesthesia, these patients were divided into Group A (n = 125) and Group B (n = 114). According to the pedicle puncture approach, these patients were divided into Group C (n = 102) and Group D (n = 137). The anterior vertebral height (AVH) and local kyphosis angle (LKA) were used to evaluate the degree of vertebral damage and restoration. The visual analogue scale (VAS) and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores were used for assessing functional outcomes. Some parameters were used to assess the perioperative conditions such as operation time, amount of bone cement perfusion, intraoperative fluoroscopy times, anesthesia recovery time, time out of the bed, hospital stay, hospitalization cost, and complications. Results: The visual analogue scale (VAS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), anterior vertebral height (AVH), and local kyphosis angle (LKA) 1 day, 1 year after surgery, and at the last follow-up all showed significant improvement (P < 0.05) in comparison with those before surgery both in Groups A and B and Groups C and D. The ODI 1 day after surgery was significantly better in Group B than Group A (P < 0.05). Compared with Group B, Group A required longer time of anesthesia, operation time, anesthesia recovery time, time to get out of bed, and length of hospital stay and more hospitalization costs (P < 0.05). Group D required longer operation time, longer time to get out of bed, more bone cement volume, fluoroscopy time, and more operation hospitalization costs compared with Group C (P < 0.05). Conclusion: We recommend unilateral puncture under local anesthesia for OVF in the patients aged over 90 from the perspective of rapid recovery.

Effects of different pedicle screw insertion depths on sagittal balance of lumbar degenerative spondylolisthesis, a retrospective comparative study.

BACKGROUND: Few reports to date have evaluated the effects of different pedicle screw insertion depths on sagittal balance and prognosis after posterior lumbar interbody and fusion (PLIF) in patients with lumbar degenerative spondylolisthesis (LDS). METHODS: A total of 88 patients with single-level PLIF for LDS from January 2018 to December 2019 were enrolled. Long screw group (Group L): 52 patients underwent long pedicle screw fixation (the leading edge of the screw exceeded 80% of the anteroposterior diameter of vertebral body). Short screw group (Group S): 36 patients underwent short pedicle screw fixation (the leading edge of the screw was less than 60% of the anteroposterior diameter of vertebral body). Local deformity parameters of spondylolisthesis including slip degree (SD) and segment lordosis (SL), spino-pelvic sagittal plane parameters including pelvic incidence (PI), pelvic tilt (PT), sacral slope (SS) and lumbar lordosis (LL), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for back pain of both groups were compared. Postoperative complications, including vertebral fusion rate and screw loosening rate, were recorded. RESULTS: Except that PI in Group S at the final follow-up was not statistically different from the preoperative value (P > 0.05), other parameters were significantly improved compared with preoperative values one month after surgery and at the final follow-up (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in parameters between Group L and Group S before and one month after surgery (P > 0.05). At the final follow-up, SD, SL, LL, PT and PI-LL differed significantly between the two groups (P < 0.05). Compared with the preoperative results, ODI and VAS in both groups decreased significantly one month after surgery and at the final follow-up (P < 0.05). Significant differences of ODI and VAS were found between the two groups at the final follow-up (P < 0.05). Postoperative complications were not statistically significant between the two groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: PLIF can significantly improve the prognosis of patients with LDS. In terms of outcomes with an average follow-up time of 2 years, the deeper the screw depth is within the safe range, the better the spino-pelvic sagittal balance may be restored and the better the quality of life may be.

Letrozole Rat Model Mimics Human Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and Changes in Insulin Signal Pathways.

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to explore whether letrozole and high-fat diets (HFD) can induce obese insulin-resistant polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) with all reproductive and metabolic phenotypes in a rat model. MATERIAL AND METHODS Twenty-four 3-week-old female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into 4 groups: control, Letrozole, HFD, and Letrozol+HFD. The PCOS model was induced by 12 weeks of Letrozole treatment (1 mg/kg p.o. dissolved in 0.5% CMC solutions once daily) and HFD. Ovarian morphology, estrous cyclicity, hormonal status, body weight, glucose and insulin tolerance, lipid profile, and insulin signaling pathway were investigated. RESULTS The rat model manifests anovulatory cycles and PCO morphology, increased body weight, elevated testosterone levels, abnormal glucose and lipid metabolism, and insulin resistance. The rat model also expresses significantly decreased phosphorylation of 6 essential signaling proteins - INSR, IRS, PI3K, AKT, ERK1, ERK2 - in the PI3K/AKT and MAPK/ERK pathways in the classic insulin-sensitive tissues (e.g., quadriceps femoris muscle, omentum majus, and liver), as well as non-classic target ovary tissues. Disrupted insulin signaling contributes to the decrease in insulin sensitivity and compensatory hyperinsulinemia in PCOS rats. CONCLUSIONS Continuous administration of letrozole and high-fat diets can induce PCOS, metabolic phenotypes, and disrupted activation of the insulin signaling pathway.

Non-Magnetic Injectable Implant for Magnetic Field-Driven Thermochemotherapy and Dual Stimuli-Responsive Drug Delivery: Transformable Liquid Metal Hybrid Platform for Cancer Theranostics.

Transformable liquid metal (LM)-based materials have attracted considerable research interest in biomedicine. However, the potential biomedical applications of LMs have not yet been fully explored. Herein, for the first trial, the inductive heating property of gallium-indium eutectic alloy (EGaIn) under alterative magnetic field is systematically investigated. By virtue of its inherent metallic nature, LM possesses excellent magnetic heating property as compared to the conventional magnetite nanoparticles, therefore enabling its unique application as non-magnetic agents in magnetic hyperthermia. Moreover, the extremely high surface tension of LM could be dramatically lowered by a rather facile PEGylation approach, making LM an ideal carrier for other theranostic cargos. By incorporating doxorubicin (DOX)-loaded mesoporous silica (DOX-MS) within PEGylated LM, a magnetic field-driven transformable LM hybrid platform capable of pH/AFM dual stimuli-responsive drug release and magnetic thermochemotherapy are successfully fabricated. The potential application for breast cancer treatment is demonstrated. Furthermore, the large X-ray attenuation ability of LM endows the hybrid with the promising ability for CT imaging. This work explores a new biomedical use of LM and a promising cancer treatment protocol based on LM hybrid for magnetic hyperthermia combined with dual stimuli-responsive chemotherapy and CT imaging.

Intermediate screws or kyphoplasty: Which method of posterior short-segment fixation is better for treating single-level thoracolumbar burst fractures?

PURPOSE: To compare intermediate screws (IS) with kyphoplasty (KP) in posterior short-segment fixation (PSSF) for patients with single-level thoracolumbar burst fractures. METHODS: Between 2010 and 2016, 1465 patients were retrospectively reviewed; 48 patients were enrolled with a minimal follow-up of 2 years. Perioperative and functional outcomes were compared. The regional Cobb angle (CA) was included in radiographic analysis. Implant failures or CA correction loss over 10° were regarded as surgical failures. Multiple linear regression was performed to investigate the risk factors of kyphosis recurrence. RESULTS: Fluoroscopic time (23.7 ± 3.6 vs. 79.3 ± 12.1 s, p < 0.001), operative time (109.6 ± 13.1 vs. 123.8 ± 19.0 min, p = 0.006) and blood loss (104.6 ± 34.9 vs. 129.1 ± 21.7 ml, p = 0.005) were all lower in the IS group. The KP group had lower Visual Analogue Scale scores (3.3 ± 0.9 vs. 2.7 ± 0.8, p = 0.028) and greater anterior body height (ABH) (30.3 ± 9.0 vs. 36.3 ± 11.0%, p = 0.044) after surgery, and less correction loss (5.6 ± 2.7 vs. 0.4 ± 1.2%, p < 0.001). Both groups had a CA correction loss of 4° with a 10% failure rate. The A3 Magerl subclassification, smaller preoperative ABH and smaller postoperative CA had positive correlations with CA correction loss. CONCLUSION: PSSF with KP provides better back pain relief, greater ABH reduction and less correction loss, while IS has the advantages of less operative time, fluoroscopic time and blood loss. Magerl subclassification of burst fracture is a potential predictor for recurrent kyphosis. Reducing fractured vertebral body height rather than segmental curvature may be more important in PSSF. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective, non-randomized controlled study. These slides can be retrieved under Electronic Supplementary Material.

Association between sagittal balance and adjacent segment degeneration in anterior cervical surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: ASD is a relatively common degenerative alteration after cervical surgery which occurs above or below the fused segment. In addition, some patients may need reoperation to treat severe ASD after the primary surgery. It was considered that sagittal balance is correlated with postoperative clinical outcomes; however, few studies have reported the influence of sagittal balance on ASD. The present study is designed to investigate whether sagittal balance impacts the pathology of adjacent segment disease (ASD) in patients who undergo anterior cervical surgery for degenerative cervical disease. METHODS: Databases including Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane library, and Web of Science were used to search for literature published before June 2018. Review Manager 5.3 was used to perform the statistical analysis. Sagittal balance parameters before and after surgery were compared between patients with and without ASD. Weighted mean difference (WMD) was summarized for continuous data and P < 0.05 was set for the level of significance. RESULTS: A total of 221 patients with ASD and 680 patients without ASD from seven articles were studied in this meta-analysis. There were no significant differences in most sagittal balance parameters between the two groups, except for postoperative cervical lordosis (CL) (WMD -3.30, CI -5.91, - 0.69, P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Some sagittal balance parameters may be associated with the development of ASD after anterior cervical surgery. Sufficient restoration of CL may decrease the incidence of ASD. The results in present study needed to be expanded carefully and further high-quality studies are warranted to investigate the impact of sagittal balance on ASD.

Low complexity beamforming design in reconfigurable intelligent surface-assisted communication systems.

Due to the possibility of blockage during communication, the communication quality may be poor. Therefore, Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface (RIS) technology can effectively solve this problem. In order to increase the capacity of RIS-assisted wireless communication systems, joint optimization of beamforming design is crucial. However, the complexity of the optimization algorithm increases with the increase in the number of base station antennas and RIS elements deployed. Therefore, we propose a joint low-complexity optimization beamforming design based on fractional programming (FP) to address this issue. Specifically, we first use perfect channel state information to maximize the system's sum rate, as this problem is non-convex, we decompose the original problem into three sub-problems, and then introduce appropriate auxiliary variables. We derive optimal closed-form solutions for active and passive beamforming types, respectively. As the optimal solution obtained leads to higher computational complexity with an increase in the number of base station antennas and RIS elements, we reduce the computational complexity of obtaining the optimal solution based on the Woodbury transformation and scalar transformation. The proposed algorithm is also extended to the case where there is channel state information error. Finally, simulation results show that the proposed algorithm has certain advantages over other algorithms.

N6-methyladenosine-modified circTEAD1 stabilizes Yap1 mRNA to promote chordoma tumorigenesis.

BACKGROUND: Chordoma, a rare bone tumour with aggressive local invasion and high recurrence rate with limited understanding of its molecular mechanisms. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been extensively implicated in tumorigenesis, yet their involvement in chordoma remains largely unexplored. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification holds a crucial function in regulating protein translation, RNA degradation and transcription. METHODS: Initially, screening and validation of circTEAD1 in chordoma were conducted by high-throughput sequencing. Subsequently, sh-circTEAD1 and an overexpression plasmid were constructed. Colony formation assays, cell counting kit-8, Transwell and wound healing assays were utilized to validate the function of circTEAD1 in vitro. RNA pull-down assays identified the binding proteins of circTEAD1, which underwent verification through RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP). Methylated RIP assays were conducted to detect the m6A binding sites. Following this, luciferase assay, RT-qPCR, RIP and Western blotting analyses were conducted, revealing that Yap1 was the direct target of circTEAD1. Afterwards, the same methods were utilized for the validation of the function of Yap1 in chordoma in vitro. Finally, the regulatory relationship between circTEAD1 and Yap1 in chordoma was verified by an in vivo tumour formation assay. RESULTS: CircTEAD1 was identified as an upregulated circRNA in chordoma specimens, with heightened circTEAD1 expression emerging as a prognostic indicator. In vitro experiments convincingly demonstrated that circTEAD1 significantly promoted chordoma cell invasion, migration and aggressiveness. Furthermore, the analysis revealed that methyltransferase-like 3-mediated m6A modification facilitated the cytoplasmic export of circTEAD1. The circTEAD1/IGF2BP3/Yap1 mRNA RNA-protein ternary complex not only bolstered the stability of Yap1 mRNA but also exerted a pivotal role in driving chordoma tumorigenesis. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, the role of m6A-modified circTEAD1 in chordoma was identified. The findings offer novel insights into the potential molecular targets for chordoma therapy, shedding light on the intricate interplay between circRNAs, m6A modification and Yap1 mRNA in chordoma pathogenesis.

A new raspberry ketone synthesis gene RinPKS4 identified in Rubus idaeus L. by transcriptome analysis.

Raspberry ketone accounts for the characteristic aroma of the raspberry fruit. In order to explore the genes involved in raspberry ketone synthesis, the transcriptome in fruit tissues of two red raspberry varieties "Polka" and "Orange legend", were sequenced and 24213 single genes were obtained. As the red raspberry fruit ripening, genes involved in flavonoid and anthocyanin synthesis were up-regulated, while those associated with lignin synthesis were down-regulated. A gene (RinPKS4) highly related to raspberry ketone synthesis was identified by transcriptome analysis, and RinPKS4 gene was over-expressed in raspberry in order to further understand the function of RinPKS4 gene in raspberry ketone synthesis. The results showed that the gene expression level of RinPKS4 in the leaf tissues of a transgenic lines increased by about 4-fold and the content of raspberry ketone increased by 42.64% compared with the wide type. This study lays a theoretical foundation for further study on the synthesis and regulation of raspberry ketone in red raspberry.

Sex identification of four penguin species using locus-specific PCR.

Traditional methods for sex identification are not applicable to sexually monomorphic species, leading to difficulties in the management of their breeding programs. To identify sex in sexually monomorphic birds, molecular methods have been established. Two established primer pairs (2550F/2718R and p8/p2) amplify the CHD1 gene region from both the Z and W chromosomes. Here, we evaluated the use of these primers for sex identification in four sexually monomorphic penguin species: king penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus), rockhopper penguins (Eudyptes chrysocome), gentoo penguins (Pygoscelis papua), and Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus). For all species except rockhopper penguins, primer pair 2550F/2718R resulted in two distinct CHD1Z and CHD1W PCR bands, allowing for sex identification. For rockhopper penguins, only primer pair p8/p2 yielded different CHD1Z and CHD1W bands, which were faint and similar in size making them difficult to distinguish. As a result, we designed a new primer pair (PL/PR) that efficiently determined the gender of individuals from all four penguin species. Sequencing of the PCR products confirmed that they were from the CHD1 gene region. Primer pair PL/PR can be evaluated for use in sexing other penguin species, which will be crucial for the management of new penguin breeding programs.

Comparison of two surgical strategies for fractures of the anterior process of the calcaneus with or without bridging plate fixation.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the therapeutic effects of applying internal fixation with a T-shaped locking plate that was used on the distal radius in fractures of the anterior process of the calcaneus (APC) with calcaneocuboid (CC) joint injury. METHODS: This retrospective study enrolled adult patients diagnosed with APC with CC joint injury that had received internal fixation with a T-shaped locking plate of the distal radius. Group NA underwent open reduction with 'not-across' CC joint plate fixation; and group A underwent open reduction with 'across' CC joint locking plate fixation. The outcomes were assessed using the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score, a visual analogue scale (VAS) pain score and radiological evaluations. RESULTS: A total of 72 patients were enrolled in the study; 36 in each group. At 1 month after surgery, the outcomes of group NA were superior to group A in terms of AOFAS and VAS scores. Compared with group A, group NA showed significantly lower intraoperative blood loss, operation time and length of hospital stay. There were no significant differences in the postoperative improvement of Bolher's and Gissane's angles between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Early functional recovery was faster in group NA than group A.

Comparison of unilateral and bilateral percutaneous kyphoplasty for the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures associated with scoliosis.

To assess the clinical and radiographic effectiveness of unilateral and bilateral percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) in the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCF) associated with scoliosis, 52 patients with OVCF associated with scoliosis who underwent PKP were retrospectively analysed. The patients were divided into the unilateral PKP group (n=26) and the bilateral PKP group (n=26). The operation time, bone cement injection volume and frequency of intraoperative fluoroscopy were recorded and compared between the groups. Additionally, visual analogue scale (VAS) and Oswestry disability index (ODI) scores, as well as postoperative complications, including bone cement leakage and adjacent vertebral fractures, were also assessed. The operation time, bone cement injection volume and intraoperative fluoroscopy frequency were significantly lower in the unilateral compared with the bilateral group (P<0.001). The VAS score, ODI score, average vertebral body height and kyphotic angle (KA) were improved after surgery in each group with no difference in these clinical parameters between the two groups both before and after surgery. Furthermore, the proportion of cases with bone cement leakage in the unilateral group was significantly lower compared with that in the bilateral group (P<0.05). During the follow-up, there were three cases (11.5%) in the unilateral group and two cases (7.7%) in the bilateral group who suffered adjacent vertebral fractures, but there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05). For treating patients with OVCF accompanied by scoliosis, both unilateral and bilateral PKP could effectively relieve the acute back pain and correct the KA. However, unilateral PKP presents more advantages, such as a short operation duration and reduced intraoperative fluoroscopy frequency and bone cement leakage.

Benefits of Early Surgical Treatment for Patients with Multilevel Cervical Canal Stenosis of Acute Traumatic Central Cord Syndrome.

INTRODUCTION: Currently, there exists considerable debate surrounding the optimal treatment approaches for different subtypes of patients with spinal cord injury (SCI). The purpose of this study was to conduct a comparative analysis of the benefits associated with conservative treatment and treatments with different surgical periods for patients diagnosed with acute traumatic central cord syndrome (ATCCS) and multilevel cervical canal stenosis (CCS). METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted, and 93 patients who met inclusion and exclusion criteria in our hospital between 2015 and 2020 were followed for a minimum duration of 2 years. Among them, 30 patients (Group A) received conservative treatment, 18 patients (Group B) received early surgery (≤7 days), and 45 patients (Group C) received late surgery (>7 days). The American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) grade, Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score, and recovery rate (RR) were evaluated. Multivariate linear regression was used to analyze prognostic determinants. Cost-utility analysis was performed based on the EQ-5D scale. RESULTS: The ASIA grade, JOA score, and RR of all three groups improved compared with the previous evaluation (P < 0.05). During follow-up, the ASIA grade, JOA score, and RR of Group B were all better than for Group A and Group C (P < 0.05), while there was no significant difference between Group A and C (P > 0.05). The EQ-5D scale in Group B was optimal at the last follow-up. The incremental cost-utility ratio (ICUR) of Group A was the lowest, while that of Group B compared to Group A was less than the threshold of patients' willingness to pay. Age, initial ASIA grade, and treatment types significantly affected the outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Both conservative and surgical treatments yield good results. Compared with patients who received conservative treatment and late surgery, patients who received early surgery had better clinical function and living quality. Despite the higher cost, early surgery is cost-effective when compared to conservative treatment. Younger age, initial better ASIA grade, and earlier surgery were associated with better prognosis.

The content of PAEs in field soils caused by the residual film has a periodical peak.

The wide use of plastic film mulch has led to the release of phthalate esters (PAEs), which seriously threatens the soil environment and the safety of crop production. However, it is unknown whether there is a maximum threshold of soil PAEs accumulation induced by plastic film residue, and the dynamic changes of soil PAEs under field conditions are still unclear. To address these issues, a field experiment was conducted to investigate the temporal fluctuations of soil PAEs content and the response of microbial community structure in the field with plastic film residue. Results showed that the content of soil PAEs fluctuated during an observation period of one year, had a periodical peak in winter and summer, and was exacerbated by the increase in the aging degree and residual amount of plastic films. The PAEs content in soil with black films was higher than the US soil allowable criteria. High-throughput sequencing analysis showed that the addition of residual film significantly increased the alpha diversity of bacterial communities, changed the structure of bacterial community, and generated significant disturbances in bacterial function. Besides, the residual film recruited more microbiota related to plastic film and PAEs degradation. Results of the present study provide insight into the dynamic variation of soil PAEs caused by plastic film residue in one year, which is important to help evaluate the pollution risk of PAEs on soils and crops caused by residual plastic film.

Targeting of MALT1 May Improve Functional Recovery and Attenuate Microglia M1 Polarization-Mediated Neuroinflammation During Spinal Cord Injury.

Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma translocation protein 1 (MALT1) is involved in neural injury, neuroinflammation, microglia activation, and polarization, while its function in spinal cord injury (SCI) remains unclear. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the role of MALT1 modification on SCI recovery and its underlying mechanism. SCI surgery or sham surgery was performed in Sprague-Dawley rats. Then, MALT1 knockdown or negative control lentivirus was injected into SCI rats. Subsequently, MALT1 expression, locomotor capability, neural injury, markers for microglia activation and polarization, inflammatory cytokine expressions, and nuclear factor (NF)-κB pathway were detected. SCI rats exhibited higher MALT1 expression, microglia activation and M1 polarization, neuroinflammation, and NF-κB pathway activation, while worse locomotor capacity compared to sham rats (all P < 0.05). In SCI rats, MALT1 knockdown alleviated Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan score from 10 to 28 days and attenuated HE staining reflected neural injury (all P < 0.05). Besides, MALT1 knockdown declined the number of IBA1+ cells, IBA1+ iNOS+ cells, and IBA1+ CD86+ cells, while enhanced the number of IBA1+ Arg1+ cells and IBA1+ CD206+ cells in SCI rats (all P < 0.05). Meanwhile, MALT1 knockdown declined the expressions of IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNF-α in SCI (all P < 0.05), but did not affect IL-10 expression (P > 0.05). Furthermore, MALT1 knockdown suppressed NF-κB pathway activation validated by immunofluorescence staining and western blot assays (all P < 0.05). MALT1 knockdown improves functional recovery, attenuates microglia activation, M1 polarization, and neuroinflammation via inhibiting NF-κB pathway in SCI.

[Clinical study on the effect of acupuncture on pregnancy outcome in patients with prethrombotic infertility after repeated implantation failure].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of acupuncture combined with medication on the pregnancy outcome of kidney deficiency and blood stasis type recurrent implantation failure (RIF) in prethrombotic infertility patients. METHODS: A total of 70 RIF patients of kidney deficiency and blood stasis type who were to undergo freeze-thaw embryo transplantation were randomly divided into control and treatment groups, with 35 cases in each group. Patients in the control group were given the basic treatment of artificial periodic freeze-thaw embryo transfer and oral aspirin enteric-coated tablet, 25 mg each time, twice a day, for 3 consecutive menstrual cycles. Patients in the treatment group were treated with acupuncture on the basis of the control group, 30 min each time, 3 times a week, for 3 consecutive menstrual cycles. The clinical pregnancy rate, embryo implantation rate and live birth rate of the two groups were compared. Before treatment and 1 day before transplantation, the scores of kidney deficiency and blood stasis symptom were compared. The blood flow pulse index (PI) and resistance index (RI) of the uterus spiral artery were detected by Doppler ultrasound before treatment and 1 day before transplantation. The endometrial thickness was detected 1 day before transplantation. The contents of plasma D-dimer, serum homocysteine (Hcy) and serum thromboxane B2 (TXB2) were detected. RESULTS: The clinical pregnancy rate, embryo implantation rate and live birth rate in the treatment group were higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). After treatment, the scores of kidney deficiency and blood stasis symptom, the levels of plasma D-dimer, serum Hcy and TXB2, the PI and RI value in both groups were decreased (P<0.05) compared with those before treatment, and the indexes in the treatment group were decreased (P<0.05) more than those in the control group. There was no significant difference in endometrial thickness between the two groups. In the course of treatments, 7 patients in the control group underwent gastric distension pain, poor appetite, constipation, nausea and other gastrointestinal reactions, while only 2 patients in the treatment group had the above discomfort reactions. CONCLUSION: On the basis of medication, acupuncture can reduce the serum TXB2 content in RIF patients in prethrombotic state, improve vascular endothelial function, enhance endometrial tolerance, alleviate the symptoms of kidney deficiency and blood stasis, reduce drug adverse reactions, and ultimately improve the pregnancy outcome and increase the rate of embryo implantation.

Comparison of percutaneous endoscopic interlaminar discectomy and conventional open lumbar discectomy for L4/5 and L5/S1 double-segmental lumbar disk herniation.

OBJECTIVE: Although spinal endoscopic techniques have shown great advantages in the treatment of single-segment lumbar disk herniation (LDH), the therapeutic advantages for double-segment LDH are controversial. To compare the outcomes of percutaneous endoscopic interlaminar discectomy (PEID) versus conventional open lumbar discectomy (COLD) for the treatment of L4/5 and L5/S1 double-segmental LDH. METHODS: From January 2016 to September 2021, we included 50 patients with double-segmental LDH who underwent PEID (n = 25) or COLD (n = 25). The clinical outcomes between the two groups were evaluated using the visual analog scale (VAS), the Oswestry disability index (ODI), and the modified MacNab criteria. Moreover, the incision length, operation time, intraoperative fluoroscopy time, postoperative bedtime, hospital stays, and complications were also recorded and compared after surgery. RESULTS: In both groups, the VAS and ODI scores at different timepoints postoperatively were significantly improved compared with those preoperatively (P < 0.05) According to the modified MacNab criteria, the excellent or good outcome rate was 92% in the PEID group and 88% in the COLD group. The PEID group had shorter incision length, postoperative bedtime, and hospital stays than the COLD group. However, the operation time was shorter and intraoperative fluoroscopy time was fewer in the COLD group. In addition, there was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of surgical complications during the postoperative follow-up period. CONCLUSIONS: Both PEID and COLD have good efficacy and high safety for management of L4/5 and L5/S1 double-segmental LDH. Compared with the COLD group, the PEID group had more operative time as well as more intraoperative fluoroscopy, but it had a more minimally invasive surgical incision as well as faster postoperative recovery.