Newly discovered circRNAs encoding proteins: recent progress.

Circular RNA (circRNA) is a special class of noncoding RNA molecules and the latest research hotspot in the field of RNA. CircRNA molecules have a closed loop structure, which is not affected by RNA exonuclease and has the characteristics of more stable expression. Previous studies have shown that circRNA molecules are rich in microRNA (miRNA) binding sites and act as miRNA sponges in cells. By interacting with miRNAs associated with tumors and other diseases, circRNAs play an important regulatory role. However, circRNAs have recently been found to have small open reading frames that enable them to encode peptides/proteins. These proteins have been reported to play an important role in the mechanism of regulation of a variety of diseases and have great potential in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. In this review, we summarize the mechanism of action of the newly discovered circRNA-coding proteins since 2022 and briefly describe their research process. In addition, we also discuss the prediction model of the functional sites and encoded proteins of circRNAs, which provides a potential idea for future research on circRNAs.

Exosomal NOX1 promotes tumor-associated macrophage M2 polarization-mediated cancer progression by stimulating ROS production in cervical cancer: a preliminary study.

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer the fourth most frequently diagnosed cancer and the fourth leading cause of cancer death in women, with an estimated 604,000 new cases and 342,000 deaths worldwide in 2020 for high rates of recurrence and metastasis. Identification of novel targets could aid in the prediction and treatment of cervical cancer. NADPH oxidase 1 (NOX1) gene-mediated production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) could induce migration and invasion of cervical cancer cells. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) play important roles in cervical cancer. Tumor cell-derived exosomes mediate signal transduction between the tumor and tumor microenvironment. Elucidation of the mechanisms of NOX1-carrying exosomes involved in the regulation of TAMs may provide valuable insights into the progression of cervical cancer. METHODS: Uniformly standardized mRNA data of pan-carcinoma from the UCSC database were downloaded. Expression of NOX1 in tumor and adjacent normal tissues for each tumor type was calculated using R language software and significant differences were analyzed. SNP data set were downloaded for all TCGA samples processed using MuTect2 software from GDC. Cell experiment and animal tumor formation experiment were used to evaluate whether exosomal NOX1 stimulating ROS production to promote M2 polarization of TAM in cervical cancer. RESULTS: NOX1 is highly expressed with a low mutational frequency in pan-carcinoma. Upregulation of NOX1 may be associated with infiltration of M2-type macrophages in cervical cancer tissues, and NOX1 promotes malignant features of cervical cancer cells by stimulating ROS production. Exosomal NOX1 promotes M2 polarization of by stimulating ROS production. Exosomal NOX1 enhances progression of cervical cancer and M2 polarization in vivo by stimulating ROS production. CONCLUSION: Exosomal NOX1 promotes TAM M2 polarization-mediated cancer progression through stimulating ROS production in cervical cancer.

Analysis of outcomes following loop electrosurgical excision and clinical features of patients with cervical high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions with abnormal preoperative endocervical curettage.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to identify the clinical characteristics of patients with high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) with abnormal endocervical curettage (ECC) and to evaluate the efficacy of abnormal preoperative ECC in predicting recurrence after a loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP). METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed a total of 210 cases of histological HSIL in female patients diagnosed using cervical biopsy and/or indiscriminating ECC, and these included 137 cases with normal ECC and 63 cases with abnormal ECC. We also collected preoperative information and data on postoperative human papillomavirus (HPV) and histological outcomes within 2 years. RESULTS: The additional detection rate of HSIL using indiscriminating ECC was 5%. Patients with abnormal ECC were older (P < 0.001), predominantly menopausal (P = 0.001), had high-grade cytology (P = 0.032), a type 3 transformation zone (P = 0.046), and a higher proportion of HPV type 16/18 infection (P = 0.023). Moreover, age (odds ratio [OR] = 1.078, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.0325-1.1333, P = 0.003) and HPV 16/18 infection (OR = 2.082, 95% CI = 1.042-4.2163, P = 0.038) were independent risk factors for abnormal ECC. With an observed residual lesion/recurrence rate of 9.5% over the 24-month follow-up, we noted a 9.3% higher rate in the abnormal ECC group when compared with the normal ECC group. Abnormal preoperative ECC (OR = 4.06, 95% CI = 1.09-15.14, P = 0.037) and positive HPV at the 12-month follow-up (OR = 16.55, 95% CI = 3.54-77.37, P = 0.000) were independent risk factors for residual disease/recurrence. CONCLUSION: Preoperative ECC was one of the risk factors for post-LEEP residual/recurrent HSIL, and detecting abnormal ECC when managing older patients or patients with HPV 16/18 infection during colposcopy is critical.

Lightweight Co3O4/CC Composites with High Microwave Absorption Performance.

With the rapid development of electronic and communication technology for military radars, the demand for microwave-absorbing materials in the low-frequency range with thin layers is growing. In this study, flexible Co3O4/CC (carbon cloth) composites derived from Co-MOFs (metal-organic frameworks) and CC are prepared using hydrothermal and thermal treatment processes. The flexible precursors of the Co-MOFs/CC samples are calcined with different calcination temperatures, for which the material structure, dielectric properties, and microwave absorption performance are changed. With the increases in calcination temperature, the minimum reflection loss of the corresponding Co3O4/CC composites gradually moves to the lower frequency with a thinner thickness. In addition, the Co3O4/CC composites with the 25 wt% filler loading ratio exhibit the minimum reflection loss (RL) of -46.59 dB at 6.24 GHz with a 4.2 mm thickness. When the thickness is 3.70 mm, the effective absorption bandwidth is 3.04 GHz from 5.84 to 8.88 GHz. This study not only proves that the Co3O4/CC composite is an outstanding microwave-absorbing material with better flexibility but also provides useful inspiration for research on wideband microwave absorption materials below 10 GHz.

Effect of topical 5-aminolevulinic acid photodynamic therapy versus therapy combined with CO2 laser pretreatment for patients with cervical high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of 5-aminolevulinic acid photodynamic therapy (ALA-PDT) combined with CO2 laser pretreatment (Laser+ALA-PDT) on patients with cervical high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSILs). METHODS: A total of 114 patients treated by ALA-PDT or Laser+ALA-PDT at 3 centers were retrospectively reviewed. The effective rate, cure rate of lesions as well as high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) regression rate and persistent infection rate in the 2 groups were compared according to 3-6 month and 9-12 months follow-ups. The characteristics and risk factors for ineffective cases were evaluated by regression analysis. RESULTS: At the 3-6month follow-up, the effective rate was significantly higher in the Laser+ALA-PDT group than in the ALA-PDT group (96.6% vs. 81.3%, p = 0.048). A total of 79.3% of the laser+ALA-PDT patients achieved cure rate compared with 61.3% of the ALA-PDT patients (p = 0.082). In the Laser+ALA-PDT group, the HR-HPV-negative rate was significantly higher (72.4% vs. 50.7%, p = 0.045), while the persistence rate was significantly lower (20.7% vs. 42.7%, p = 0.037). At the 9-12month follow-up, the cure rate was 83% in the ALA-PDT group, 17% lower than that in the Laser+ALA-PDT group (p = 0.055). A total of 20.8% of patients in the ALA-PDT group and 5.3% in the Laser+ALA-PDT group showed persistent HR-HPV infection (p = 0.120). Pretreatment HR-HPV type, multiple infections and treatment modality were relevant factors for PDT outcome. CONCLUSIONS: For patients with cervical HSIL, laser+ALA-PDT shows better efficiency and HPV regression compared with ALA-PDT. HPV16/18 and multi-infection may be risk factors for ineffective treatment with ALA-PDT.

Predictors of not maintaining regular medical follow-up after stroke.

BACKGROUND: Regular medical follow-up after stroke is important to reduce the risk of post-stroke complications and hospital readmission. Little is known about the factors associated with stroke survivors not maintaining regular medical follow-up. We sought to quantify the prevalence and predictors of stroke survivors not maintaining regular medical follow-up over time. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of stroke survivors in the National Health and Aging Trends Study (2011-2018), a national longitudinal sample of United States Medicare beneficiaries. Our primary outcome was not maintaining regular medical follow-up. We performed a cox regression to estimate predictors of not maintaining regular medical follow-up. RESULTS: There were 1330 stroke survivors included, 150 of whom (11.3%) did not maintain regular medical follow-up. Stroke survivor characteristics associated with not maintaining regular medical follow-up included not having restrictions in social activities (HR 0.64, 95% CI 0.41, 1.01 for having restrictions in social activities compared to not having restrictions in social activities), greater limitations in self-care activities (HR 1.13, 95% CI 1.03, 1.23), and probable dementia (HR 2.23, 95% CI 1.42, 3.49 compared to no dementia). CONCLUSIONS: The majority of stroke survivors maintain regular medical follow-up over time. Strategies to retain stroke survivors in regular medical follow-up should be directed towards stroke survivors who do not have restrictions in social activity participation, those with greater limitations in self-care activities, and those with probable dementia.

Functional Impairment and Postacute Care Discharge Setting May Be Useful for Stroke Survival Prognostication.

Background The aim of this study was to discussions about post-stroke outcomes related to post-stroke function and post-acute care discharge setting.inform patient-provider. Methods and Results We conducted a retrospective cohort study of Medicare beneficiaries with acute ischemic stroke or intracerebral hemorrhage in 2013. Our primary outcome was mortality within at least 1-year post discharge. We performed multivariate logistic regression to estimate 90-day odds ratios (ORs) and Cox proportional hazards regression to estimate post 90-day hazard ratios on mortality, adjusting for demographics, procedures, comorbidities, discharge setting (inpatient rehabilitation facility, skilled nursing facility, or home health care agency), post-stroke function (measured by the Functional/Pseudo-Functional Independence Measure) and setting-function interactions. There were 167 000 patients with a mean follow-up of 441 days. Mortality within 90 days was associated with post-stroke function (OR, 0.23; 95% CI, 0.19-0.27 comparing highest to lowest quintile of post-stroke function) and discharge setting (OR, 4.05; 95% CI, 3.78-4.33 for skilled nursing facility versus inpatient rehabilitation facility). Among the highest functioning patients, those discharged to inpatient rehabilitation facility had a 1-year mortality of 9% and those discharged with home health had 11% mortality at 1 year. The lowest functioning survivors of stroke discharged to a skilled nursing facility had 64% mortality at 1 year and those discharged to an inpatient rehabilitation facility had 29.6% mortality at 1 year. Conclusions Nearly two thirds of the lowest functioning survivors of stroke discharged to a skilled nursing facility die within a year. This finding should inform discussions between providers and patients/caregivers in aligning goals of care with the care survivors of stroke receive.

Analysis of the Government Health Expenditure in the First Decade of Chinese New Medical Reform (2009-2018): Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region as an Example.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the status of government health expenditure in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region since the first 10 years from the new medical reform, and find the existing problems in order to provide evidence for the government to formulate medical and health policies. METHODS: Based on the health expenditure monitoring data of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region government from Urumqi Central Sub-branch of the People's Bank of China, combined with the relevant data in Xinjiang statistical yearbook, Excel2013 and SPSS19.0 were used to conduct a comparative analysis of government expenditure data from 2009 to 2018. RESULTS: The average annual growth rate of the government's health expenditure in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region was 12.25%, which was similar to the national level. The proportion of government health expenditure in gross domestic product increased from 0.97% to 1.07%, while the proportion in the total fiscal expenditure decreased from 3.06% to 2.63%, which led to far behind the national and even western area level. The Gini Coefficient of per capita government health expenditure in every city (state) of the autonomous region fell from 0.46 to 0.32 between 2014 and 2018. In the past decade, the ratio between public health expenditure and medical institution expenditure has decreased from 1.01 to 0.42, led to insufficient proportion of public health expenditure. The health expenditure level of the four prefectures especially Kashgar and Hotan in Southern Xinjiang was still far lower than the whole autonomous region and the national average level. CONCLUSION: The government of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region should continuously strengthen the financial expenditure in health, maintain the current situation of preferential policy implementation for rural and grassroots expenditure, constantly optimize the proportion of various financial expenditures, and strive for the transfer payment from the central and autonomous regional governments to the four prefectures in Southern Xinjiang.

Validation of Medicare Rehabilitation Functional Assessments in Routine Care.

Importance: Assessment of functional outcomes is currently limited by a lack of large data sets. Functional assessments are included in Medicare rehabilitation assessment files, yet the validity of these measures in routine care is unknown. Objective: To evaluate the validity of individual-level routine care functional assessments in Medicare rehabilitation settings compared with criterion-standard National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) research assessments obtained no more than 90 days later. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cross-sectional study of individuals aged 65 years and older used the 2011 to 2015 NHATS linked with Medicare assessment files. Individuals with a discharge assessment from inpatient rehabilitation facilities, skilled nursing facilities, or home health agencies and a criterion-standard NHATS assessment were included. Data analysis was performed June 2019 to November 2019. Main Outcomes and Measures: Summary functional assessment based on independence with eating, toilet hygiene, bathing, dressing, transfers, and mobility or walking. Linear regression was used to assess agreement between the 2 scales, adjusting for time between assessments and rehabilitation setting. Results: A total of 1036 adults aged 65 years and older (671 [64.8%] aged ≥80 years; 670 [64.7%] women; 685 [66.1%] white participants) met the study criteria. The correlation of the assessments was 0.63 (95% CI, 0.59 to 0.66; mean [SD] rehabilitation score, 27.5 [7.2]; mean [SD] NHATS score, 30.5 [10.1]). The correlation increased to 0.66 (95% CI, 0.60 to 0.71) for assessments no more than 30 days apart. The linear regression model adjusting for rehabilitation setting and days between evaluations found the assessments were strongly correlated (ß = 1.00 [95% CI, 0.93 to 1.08]; intercept, 0.72 [95% CI, -1.79 to 3.24]; R2 = 0.42). Differences in scores were generally small (mean [SD] of NHATS - rehabilitation score, 2.96 [7.91]), and only 59 assessments (5.7%) differed by more than 2 SDs of the mean difference. Rehabilitation service scores were typically higher than NHATS scores in individuals with lower mean scores; however, the population with lower mean scores was small (156 [15.1%]). Conclusions and Relevance: In this large sample of older US adults, routine care rehabilitation facility functional assessments had overall moderate correlation with criterion-standard research assessments.

Exploring Factors Contributing to Race Differences in Poststroke Disability.

Background and Purpose- Cross sectional analyses have found large race differences in poststroke disability, yet these analyses do not account for prestroke disability, hospitalization factors, postacute care, transitions, or mortality. In this context, we explore mortality, nursing home placement, and disability in a longitudinal analysis of older stroke survivors who survived at least 90 days poststroke. Methods- A prospective cohort of black or white stroke survivors from the National Health and Aging Trends Study (2009-2016) linked to Medicare were used. Disability was assessed during in-person interviews with validated scales (0-7). We used cox proportional hazards models to separately assess mortality and nursing home admission adjusting for age, sex, sociodemographics (marital status, education, income, insurance status, social network size), comorbidities, hospitalization factors, postacute care, and 90-day readmissions. To estimate racial differences in disability, we used a multilevel linear regression model initially adjusting for age and sex and then compared with a model adjusted for sociodemographics, comorbidities, hospitalization factors, postacute care, and 90-day readmissions. Results- There were 282 stroke survivors, of which 76 (12.6%) were black. There were no race differences in long-term mortality (hazard ratio for black, 1.2 [95% CI, 0.7-2.2]; P=0.5) or nursing home placement (hazard ratio for black, 0.7 [95% CI, 0.2-2.4]; P=0.5). The largest race differences in disability were observed immediately prestroke, estimated age- and sex-adjusted activity limitations were (2.6 [2.0-3.2] in blacks versus 1.4 [1.0-1.8] in whites, mean difference, 1.2 [0.5-1.9], P<0.001) and immediately poststroke (2.6 [2.0-3.3] in blacks versus 1.7 [1.2-2.1] in whites, mean difference, 1.0 [0.2-1.7], P<0.01). Full adjustment did not substantially change the associations between race and disability. Conclusions- Race differences in nursing home placement, long-term mortality, sociodemographics, comorbidities, hospitalization factors, postacute care, and readmissions are unlikely to be large contributors to race differences in poststroke disability. Further research is needed to understand the drivers of race differences in poststroke disability.

Grainyhead-like 2 as a double-edged sword in development and cancer.

Grainyhead-like 2 (GRHL2), one of the three homologs of Drosophila grainyhead, contributes to epithelial morphogenesis and differentiation. Dysregulation of GRHL2 has been shown to be involved in hearing loss and neural tube defects during embryogenesis. Moreover, it is well-recognized that GRHL2 suppresses epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) that is required for migration and invasion of carcinoma, implicating, GRHL2 in carcinogenesis. Diverse mechanisms, as well as the varied roles of GRHL2 in different tumor tissues, have been elucidated. However, the functions of GRHL2 appear to be more complicated than initially thought. GRHL2, acting as either a tumor enhancer or a tumor inhibitor, depends on the type of cancer. In this review, we summarize research progress about normal physiological functions of GRHL2 including epithelial morphogenesis, neural tube closure, and hearing loss. Moreover, the mechanisms of GRHL2 in tumorigenesis, containing EMT suppression, forming a negative feedback loop with ZEB1 and miR200 family, interactions with estrogen receptor (ER)-dependent signaling pathway, regulation of telomerase reverse transcriptase and relationships with TGF-beta signaling pathway are discussed in this review in an effort to better understand the roles of GRHL2 in a variety of cancers toward the goal of GRHL2-targeted treatment in the near future.

Crowe Type IV Hip Dysplasia Treated by THA Comebined with Osteotomy to Balance Functional Leg Length Discrepancy: A Prospective Observational Study.

OBJECTIVE: To measure the factors that affect functional leg length of Crowe type IV Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) patients and to review our own methods to balance leg length discrepancy (LLD) in Crowe type IV DDH patients. METHODS: This was a prospective observational study which started in June 2017 and ended in August 2019. Inclusion criteria included: (i) Crowe type I or Crowe type IV hip dysplasia patients who underwent total hip arthroplasty (THA) in the Department of Orthopaedics at our institution between July 2017 and June 2018; (ii) the patients were treated with our specific leg length balance strategy; and (iii) the related outcomes of patients were completely recorded. Finally, 18 consecutive Crowe type I patients (20 hips) and 14 consecutive Crowe type IV patients (18 hips) were selected and divided into two groups according to Crowe types. All patients received THA, and patients with a longer affected side and inferior anatomical acetabular positions in Crowe type IV group also received subtrochanteric osteotomy. During operation and after hip reduction, leg lengths were compared while two legs were in an extended position and the operative leg was on top of the non-operative one. Additional leg length adjustment was applied when leg length was considered to be unequal. Prior to surgery, subluxation height of the femoral head on the affected side, functional LLD, bony length of lower limbs, and distance from teardrops to the lowest point line of the sacroiliac joint were recorded. After surgery, cup sizes, functional LLD, and height of hip rotational centers were measured. Clinical evaluations, such as Harris Hip Score (HHS) and SF-12 scale, were also obtained before and after surgery for all patients. RESULTS: At the last follow-up, functional LLD and clinical measurements of both Crowe type IV group and Crowe type I group were significantly improved. Compared with Crowe type I patients, Crowe type IV patients had a significantly lower MCS, a significantly longer leg lengthening length and a significantly lower hip center height after surgery. Significant differences of tibia length, leg length, and teardrop position were found between affected side and healthy side of Crowe type IV patients. Only three of 14 Crowe type IV patients remained under 1 cm functional LLD. Five patients in the Crowe type IV group developed lower limb numbness immediately following surgery, and they all recovered within 6 months. The average follow-up period for either group was 14 months, and all patients were followed-up at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months then yearly after surgery until the final follow-up. CONCLUSION: After detailed leg length balance process, THA combined with transverse sub-trochanter osteotomy could be an effective method to achieve equal function leg length with most Crowe type IV patients.

Divergent poststroke outcomes for black patients: Lower mortality, but greater disability.

OBJECTIVE: To explore racial differences in disability at the time of first postdischarge disability assessment. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study of all Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries hospitalized with primary ischemic stroke (ICD-9,433.x1, 434.x1, 436) or intracerebral hemorrhage (431) diagnosed from 2011 to 2014. Racial differences in poststroke disability were measured in the initial postacute care setting (inpatient rehabilitation facility, skilled nursing facility, or home health) with the Pseudo-Functional Independence Measure. Given that assignment into postacute care setting may be nonrandom, patient location during the first year after stroke admission was explored. RESULTS: A total of 390,251 functional outcome assessments (white = 339,253, 87% vs black = 50,998, 13%) were included in the primary analysis. At the initial functional assessment, black patients with stroke had greater disability than white patients with stroke across all 3 postacute care settings. The difference between white and black patients with stroke was largest in skilled nursing facilities (black patients 1.8 points lower than white patients, 11% lower) compared to the other 2 settings. Conversely, 30-day mortality was greater in white patients with stroke compared to black patients with stroke (18.4% vs 12.6% [p < 0.001]) and a 3 percentage point difference in mortality persisted at 1 year. Black patients with stroke were more likely to be in each postacute care setting at 30 days, but only very small differences existed at 1 year. CONCLUSIONS: Black patients with stroke have 30% lower 30-day mortality than white patients with stroke, but greater short-term disability. The reasons for this disconnect are uncertain, but the pattern of reduced mortality coupled with increased disability suggests that racial differences in care preferences may play a role.

Preoperative Planning for Total Hip Arthroplasty for Neglected Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip.

Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) is accompanied by morphological alterations on both the acetabular and the femoral side. Total hip arthroplasty (THA) provides effective treatment in cases of neglected DDH but requires elaborate preoperative planning. To determine the morphological changes resulting from the dysplasia, the anatomic acetabular position, the height of the femur head dislocation, the height of the femur head dislocation, and the combined anteversion must all be established. In addition, a vital and complicated process of strategizing leg length balance must be conducted in cases of severe DDH. Each type of leg length discrepancy (LLD), including bony and functional and anatomical LLD, should be evaluated in the context of the presence or absence of a fixed pelvic tilt. Moreover, with severe unilateral dislocated hips, a more inferior change in the original rotational center of the hip must be accounted for. Due to these multiple morphological changes, the accurate size of the prosthesis and the cup position are difficult to predict. In comparison with other methods, CT scan-based 3-dimensional templating provides the best accuracy. Despite the presence of anatomic alterations, various types of acetabular and femoral prostheses have been developed to treat hip dysplasia. Both cemented and cementless cups are used in DDH cases. In DDH accompanied by insufficient acetabular bone stock, a cemented cup combined with bone graft provides a reliable treatment. Monoblock stems can be used when the combined anteversion is less than 55°, and a modular stem system when this parameter is greater than 55°. Customized stems can be designed for DDH coupled with severe proximal femoral distortion. A ceramic-on-ceramic bearing is considered optimal for young DDH patients.

The function of histone acetylation in cervical cancer development.

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common female cancer in the world. It is well known that cervical cancer is closely related to high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. However, epigenetics has increasingly been recognized for its role in tumorigenesis. Epigenetics refers to changes in gene expression levels based on non-gene sequence changes, primarily through transcription or translation of genes regulation, thus affecting its function and characteristics. Typical post-translational modifications (PTMs) include acetylation, propionylation, butyrylation, malonylation and succinylation, among which the acetylation modification of lysine sites has been studied more clearly so far. The acetylation modification of lysine residues in proteins is involved in many aspects of cellular life activities, including carbon metabolism, transcriptional regulation, amino acid metabolism and so on. In this review, we summarize the latest discoveries on cervical cancer development arising from the aspect of acetylation, especially histone acetylation.

The Progress of Methylation Regulation in Gene Expression of Cervical Cancer.

Cervical cancer is one of the most common gynecological tumors in females, which is closely related to high-rate HPV infection. Methylation alteration is a type of epigenetic decoration that regulates the expression of genes without changing the DNA sequence, and it is essential for the progression of cervical cancer in pathogenesis while reflecting the prognosis and therapeutic sensitivity in clinical practice. Hydroxymethylation has been discovered in recent years, thus making 5-hmC, the more stable marker, attract more attention in the field of methylation research. As markers of methylation, 5-hmC and 5-mC together with 5-foC and 5-caC draw the outline of the reversible cycle, and 6-mA takes part in the methylation of RNA, especially mRNA. Furthermore, methylation modification participates in ncRNA regulation and histone decoration. In this review, we focus on recent advances in the understanding of methylation regulation in the process of cervical cancer, as well as HPV and CIN, to identify the significant impact on the prospect of overcoming cervical cancer.

Endometriosis Malignant Transformation: Epigenetics as a Probable Mechanism in Ovarian Tumorigenesis.

Endometriosis, defined as the presence of ectopic endometrial glands and stroma outside the uterine cavity, is a chronic, hormone-dependent gynecologic disease affecting millions of women across the world, with symptoms including chronic pelvic pain, dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, dysuria, and subfertility. In addition, there is well-established evidence that, although endometriosis is considered benign, it is associated with an increased risk of malignant transformation, with the involvement of various mechanisms of development. More and more evidence reveals an important contribution of epigenetic modification not only in endometriosis but also in mechanisms of endometriosis malignant transformation, including DNA methylation and demethylation, histone modifications, and miRNA aberrant expressions. In this present review, we mainly summarize the research progress about the current knowledge regarding the epigenetic modifications of the relations between endometriosis malignant transformation and ovarian cancer in an effort to identify some risk factors probably associated with ectopic endometrium transformation.

No Racial Difference in Rehabilitation Therapy Across All Post-Acute Care Settings in the Year Following a Stroke.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Black stroke survivors experience greater poststroke disability than whites. Differences in post-acute rehabilitation may contribute to this disparity. Therefore, we estimated racial differences in rehabilitation therapy utilization, intensity, and the number of post-acute care settings in the first year after a stroke. METHODS: We used national Medicare data to study 186 168 elderly black and white patients hospitalized with a primary diagnosis of stroke in 2011. We tabulated the proportion of stroke survivors receiving physical, occupational, and speech and language therapy in each post-acute care setting (inpatient rehabilitation facility, skilled nursing facility, and home health agency), minutes of therapy, and number of transitions between settings. We then used generalized linear models to determine whether racial differences in minutes of physical therapy were influenced by demographics, comorbidities, thrombolysis, and markers of stroke severity. RESULTS: Black stroke patients were more likely to receive each type of therapy than white stroke patients. Compared with white stroke patients, black stroke patients received more minutes of physical therapy (897.8 versus 743.4; P<0.01), occupational therapy (752.7 versus 648.9; P<0.01), and speech and language therapy (865.7 versus 658.1; P<0.01). There were no clinically significant differences in physical therapy minutes after adjustment. Blacks had more transitions (median, 3; interquartile range, 1-5) than whites (median, 2; interquartile range, 1-5; P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: There are no clinically significant racial differences in rehabilitation therapy utilization or intensity after accounting for patient characteristics. It is unlikely that differences in rehabilitation utilization or intensity are important contributors to racial disparities in poststroke disability.

Activity limitations and subjective well-being after stroke.

OBJECTIVE: As limitations in activities of daily living are major components of many stroke outcome scales, we examined how well activity limitations predicted subjective well-being among stroke survivors in a nationally representative survey. METHODS: Individuals with a self-reported history of stroke were identified from the National Health and Aging Trends Study. Subjective well-being (primary outcome) was assessed with a validated 7-item measure (higher = greater well-being) assessing emotions (cheerful, bored, full of life, and upset) and self-realization (purpose in life, self-acceptance, and environmental mastery). Activity limitations were defined by the receipt of help in any of 11 activities of daily living/instrumental activities of daily living. Multivariable linear regression assessed predictors of well-being including medical, physical, cognitive, psychological, and environmental factors. RESULTS: A total of 738 stroke survivors age 65 or older were included (57% female, 9% African American, 6% Hispanic). Activity limitations were modestly associated with well-being after adjusting for demographic characteristics and availability of assistance (estimate -0.49, 95% confidence interval -0.61 to -0.37). However, in the fully adjusted model (R2 = 0.28), neither activity limitations nor physical capacity was associated with subjective well-being. Predictors of lower well-being in the final model included depressive symptoms, chewing/swallowing problems, pain that limited activity, and restricted participation in valued life activities. Income and executive function were modestly associated with improved well-being, while comorbidities and communication technology access were not associated. CONCLUSIONS: Activity limitations were not associated with stroke survivors' subjective well-being after adjustment for other factors. While some predictors of well-being after stroke were identified, the determinants of well-being remained largely unexplained.

The role of the environment in falls among stroke survivors.

BACKGROUND: Stroke survivors' risk of falls may be particularly sensitive to the environment due to deficits such as visuospatial neglect or homonymous hemianopia. We sought to identify the prevalence of falls among stroke survivors and investigate the possible role of the environment in falling. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS), a nationally representative population of community-dwelling adults over 65, were used. We compared the prevalence of falling in the past month between stroke survivors and demographic and comorbidity matched controls using sequential Poisson regression models. RESULTS: The proportion of stroke survivors reporting a fall in the previous month was 18.8% compared to 10.8% among matched controls (PR: 1.74; 95% CI: 1.36-2.25). These differences were attenuated after adjusting for known confounders, mediators and aspects of the environment (PR: 1.17; 95% CI: 0.86-1.60). Indoor tripping hazards were associated with falls (PR: 1.24; 95% CI: 1.01-1.53). The association between stroke and falls was modified by neighborhood social disorder, such that in areas of low social disorder, falls in the previous month were more common in stroke survivors compared to non-stroke controls. CONCLUSIONS: The difference in falls among stroke survivors and matched controls is largely explained by known risk factors and physical capacity. Indoor tripping hazards were associated with falls among stroke survivors and matched controls. Explanations of why the association between stroke and falls was protective in areas of high social disorder are unclear, but may warrant additional research.