Enhancement of liposomal properties of thyme essential oil using lysozyme modification: Physicochemical, storage, and antibacterial properties.

Thyme essential oil (TEO) is a natural food antimicrobial agent derived of spice, but suffers from volatility and poor water solubility, which problem can be effectively solved by the encapsulation of liposomes. On this basis, a safe and common natural antibacterial protein, LYZ was used to modify the TEO liposomes (TEO-lips) for gaining better properties. 2.5 mg/mL TEO and 0.05 % LYZ/S100 mass ratio were the best formula for the preparation of LYZ-TEO-lips. After LYZ modification, the particle size and PDI increased, and the zeta potential decreased slightly. The modification of LYZ not only improves the thermal stability of TEO-Lips, weakens the influence of acid and salt ions on liposomes, but also improves the antibacterial properties of TEO-Lips. In brief, LYZ has the potential to improve the overall properties of liposomes and can provide a reference for the development of antimicrobial liposomes.

Anti-Biofilm Activity of Laurel Essential Oil against Vibrio parahaemolyticus.

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a primary seafood-associated pathogen that could cause gastroenteritis. It can attach to various surfaces and form a biofilm, which poses serious threats to food safety. Hence, an effective strategy is urgently needed to control the biofilm formation of V. parahaemolyticus. Laurel essential oil (LEO) is used in food, pharmaceutical and other industries, and is commonly used as a flavoring agent and valuable spice in food industries. The potential antibiofilm effects of LEO against V. parahaemolyticus were examined in this study. LEO obviously reduced biofilm biomass at subinhibitory concentrations (SICs). It decreased the metabolic activity and viability of biofilm cells. Microscopic images and Raman spectrum indicted that LEO interfered with the structure and biochemical compositions of biofilms. Moreover, it also impaired swimming motility, decreased hydrophobicity, inhibited auto-aggregation and reduced attachment to different food-contact surfaces. RT-qPCR revealed that LEO significantly downregulated transcription levels of biofilm-associated genes of V. parahaemolyticus. These findings demonstrate that LEO could be potentially developed as an antibiofilm strategy to control V. parahaemolyticus biofilms in food industries.

Effect of preserved eggs on the health of SD rats, and anti-tumor action of HT-29 cells.

Preserved eggs are traditional alkali-pickled food in China and have been enjoyed by consumers and extensively studied by researchers for their nutritional tastes and their anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, lipid-lowering, and blood pressure-lowering properties. To study the anti-tumor effects of preserved eggs, this project observed the health on rats, and anti-tumor effects and separated anti-tumor active components on HT-29 cells. SD rats fed for 80 days showed that preserved eggs had no significant effect on weight, food intake, blood pH, liver tissues, or organ indices. Preserved eggs significantly increased blood levels of oxidative stress markers SOD and CAT, decreased MDA levels by 0.46, 0.23, and 0.25 times. Moreover, they also increased the level of IL-2 from 1233 to 1340 pg/mL. Two water-soluble bioactive peptide fractions, B1 and B2, with molecular weights ≥10 kDa were further obtained from preserved eggs by ultrafiltration and Superdex Peptide 10/300 GL. The potential mechanism of B1 and B2 is to activate the internal mitochondrial apoptotic pathway and induce apoptosis by up-regulating the expression of the pro-apoptotic factors cytochrome C, caspase-3, and caspase-9 mRNA in HT-29 cells.

Walnut Protein: A Rising Source of High-Quality Protein and Its Updated Comprehensive Review.

Recently, plant protein as a necessary nutrient source for human beings, a common ingredient of traditional processed food, and an important element of new functional food has gained prominence due to the increasing demand for healthy food. Walnut protein (WP) is obtained from walnut kernels and walnut oil-pressing waste and has better nutritional, functional, and essential amino acids in comparison with other vegetable and grain proteins. WP can be conveniently obtained by various extraction techniques, including alkali-soluble acid precipitation, salting-out, and ultrasonic-assisted extraction, among others. The functional properties of WP can be modified for desired purposes by using some novel methods, including free radical oxidation, enzymatic modification, high hydrostatic pressure, etc. Moreover, walnut peptides play an important biological role both in vitro and in vivo. The main activities of the walnut peptides are antihypertensive, antioxidant, learning improvement, and anticancer, among others. Furthermore, WP could be applied in the development of functional foods or dietary supplements, such as delivery systems and food additives, among others. This review summarizes recent knowledge on the nutritional, functional, and bioactive peptide aspects of WP and possible future products, providing a theoretical reference for the utilization and development of oil crop waste.

Exploring the influence of ultrasound on the antibacterial emulsification stability of lysozyme-oregano essential oil.

A lysozyme-oregano essential oil (Lys-OEO) antibacterial emulsion was developed via ultrasonic treatment. Based on the general emulsion materials of ovalbumin (OVA) and inulin (IN), the addition of Lys and OEO successfully inhibited the growth of E. coli and S. aureus, two representatives of which were Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria respectively. The emulsion system in this study was designed to compensate for the limitation that Lys could only act on Gram-positive bacteria, and the stability of the emulsion was improved using ultrasonic treatment. The optimal amounts among OVA, Lys and OEO were found to be the mass ratio of 1:1 (Lys to OVA) and 20% (w/w) OEO. The ultrasonic treatment at the power of 200, 400, 600, and 800 W and time length of 10 min improved the stability of emulsion, in which the surface tension was below 6.04 mN/m and the Turbiscan stability index (TSI) did not exceed 10. The multiple light scattering showed that sonicated emulsions were less prone to delamination; salt stability and pH stability of emulsions were improved, CLSM image showed emulsion as oil-in-water type. In the meantime, the particles of the emulsions were found to become smaller and more uniform with ultrasonic treatment. The best dispersion and stability of the emulsion were both achieved at 600 W with a zeta potential of 7.7 mV, the smallest particle size and the most uniform particle distribution.

Modified facet joint fusion for multilevel lumbar spinal stenosis: a retrospective study of 135 consecutive patients.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of modified facet joint fusion (MFF) for the treatment of multilevel (three-level or more) lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS). PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this retrospective study, 135 consecutive patients who underwent initial MFF for multilevel LSS were included. Clinical outcomes included fusion rate, change of visual analogue scale pain scores for low back pain (VAS-LBP) and leg pain (VAS-LP), Japanese Orthopedic Association scores (JOA), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and MacNab classification before and after MFF. The complications were also analyzed. RESULTS: The fusion rates were 46.7% (63/135) at 6-month and 89.6% (121/135) at 1-year. The mean VAS-LBP, VAS-LP, and ODI significantly decreased from 5.2 ± 0.6, 5.7 ± 0.8 and 65 ± 7.9 to 1.58 ± 0.4, 0.58 ± 0.3 and 20.8 ± 5.8, respectively (all p < 0.001). The mean JOA markedly improved from 10.0 ± 1.3 to 26.1 ± 1.5 (p < 0.001). Excellent/good results of MacNab classification were achieved in 88.9% (120/135) of the patients. The overall rate of complications after MFF was 5.9%, including poor wound healing (2.2%), calf muscular venous thrombosis (0.74%), deep venous thrombosis (0.74%), superficial wound infection (1.48%), transient foot drop (0.74%). All the complications were transient and improved without prolonged hospital stay and sequelae. CONCLUSION: MFF may be safe and efficient for multilevel LSS with high fusion rate and significant symptom relief, which is worthy of further study.

Evaluation of Adjacent Segment With Pre-Existing Degeneration Using the Cerebrospinal Fluid Occlusion Sign on MRI Before Posterior Lumbar Fusion: A Multi-Center Observational Cohort Study.

STUDY DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether pre-existing adjacent spinal canal stenosis (SCS) is associated with short-term outcomes after lumbar fusion surgery. METHODS: We included patients with lumbar spinal stenosis treated surgically between July 2015 and December 2017 at 4 centers. All patients had the same pathology, with L4-S1 as the culprit sections. Patients were divided into 2 groups based on the cerebrospinal fluid occlusion sign on MRI at the adjacent L3/4 level. Patients without SCS (grade 0) and with mild SCS (grade 1) were classified into the non-stenosis (NS) and mild stenosis (MS) groups, respectively. All patients underwent PLIF and completed at least 1-year follow-up. The incidence of adjacent segment degeneration (ASDeg) and clinical outcomes were compared between the 2 groups. RESULTS: A total of 308 patients (NS, 156; MS, 152) met the inclusion criteria. The incidence of ASDeg in the NS group (n = 40, 25.6%) was significantly lower than that in the MS group (n = 74, 48.7%; P < .001). The most frequent type of ASDeg in the 2 groups was the SCS-aggravated type. No significant difference was observed in adjacent segment disease incidence between the 2 groups (P = .243). The NS group had better outcomes according to the clinical function scores (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: The cerebrospinal fluid occlusion sign on MRI is valuable for evaluating the adjacent segment with pre-existing degeneration. Patients with mild SCS in adjacent segments were more likely to have ASDeg, and the most frequent type of ASDeg was the SCS-aggravated type at early follow-up.

Research on the Causes of Gas Explosion Accidents Based on Safety Information Transmission.

To better explain the cause of gas explosion accidents, based on the existing accident-causation theory, this paper proposes an accident-causation model of gas explosion accidents based on safety information transmission. Based on this, a new method for the prevention of gas explosion accidents can be developed. By analysing the connection between safety information transmission and the causal factors of gas explosion accidents, it is inferred that the loss of safety information transmission is the key factor leading to accidents. Safety information transmission is a process chain in which information is transmitted between the information source and information subject. This process involves the stages of information generation, conversion, perception, cognition, decision-making, and execution. Information loss is inevitable during the transmission process. When the information loss of the degree of safety affects the judgment of the information subject on the current situation and decision making, the possibility of accidents increases. Therefore, in this study, we constructed an accident-causation model for gas explosion accidents based on the three elements and six stages of safety information transmission. Subsequently, the DEMATEL-ISM method was used to quantitatively analyse the causes of gas explosion accidents. Through a multilevel hierarchical structure division of the accident causes, the cause, result, and root factors affecting accidents were identified, and countermeasures were proposed to provide a theoretical basis for the prevention of gas explosion accidents.

The Inhibitory Effect on Tumor Cells Proliferation Induced by Arsenic Through DNMTs and its Downstream Molecules: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to systematically evaluate the regulatory effect of arsenic on DNMTs and its downstream molecules in tumor cells and to provide a theoretical framework revealing the specific mechanism of arsenic in the treatment of tumors. METHODS: Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3 and Stata 12.0, and differences between groups were described as standardized mean difference. RESULTS: We found out that compared with the control group, the expression of DNMT1, DNMT3a, DNMT3b, MMP-9 & ß-catenin decreased and the expression of RECK and E-cadherin increased in the arsenic-treated group. Subgroup analysis showed that high-dose arsenic exposure (> 2 µmol/L) reduced the expression of DNMT1, DNMT3b, MMP-9, and ß-catenin and promoted the expression of E-cadherin. Arsenic could decrease the level of DNMT1, MMP-9 & ß-catenin and increase the level of E-cadherin with short-time arsenic intervention (≤ 48 h). Arsenic could reduce DNMT1, DNMT3a, DNMT3b & ß-catenin in hematological tumor cells; under the effect of arsenic, the expression of DNMT1, DNMT3b, MMP-9 & ß-catenin decreased in solid tumor cells. In addition, the regulation of arsenic on DNMT3a was dose-dependent in the range of arsenic concentration from 0 to 5.0 µmol/L. The dose, time, and cell types of arsenic intervention were the variables of heterogeneity. CONCLUSION: Arsenic could inhibit the proliferation and viability of tumor cells, and its mechanism may be related to the reduction of DNMTs and regulation of the expression of its downstream molecules. Overall, arsenic may be a promising candidate for the treatment of tumors.

NaAsO2 decreases GSH synthesis by inhibiting GCLC and induces apoptosis through Hela cell mitochondrial damage, mediating the activation of the NF-κB/miR-21 signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women worldwide, and arsenic has a certain effect in solid tumor chemotherapy. As the rate-limiting enzyme subunit of GSH synthesis, GCLC may be an important target for arsenic to induce apoptosis through mitochondrial apoptosis pathway to exert anti-tumor effect. NF-κB plays an important role in the occurrence and development of cervical cancer and can regulate the expression of GCLC. miR-21 is a potential biomarker of cervical cancer, which can induce apoptosis through ROS regulated the mitochondrial pathway of cells. However, the role of miR-21 in the mitochondrial pathway of cervical cancer cells induced by NaAsO2 through NF-κB/GCLC and GSH synthesis regulated oxidative stress is rarely reported. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate whether NaAsO2 might induce mitochondrial damage and apoptosis of cervical cancer cells through NF-κB/ miR-21 /GCLC induced oxidative stress, and play the anti-tumor role of arsenic as a potential drug for the treatment of cervical cancer. METHODS: Hela cells were treated with different concentrations of NaAsO2, D, L-Buthionine-(SR)-sulfoximine (BSO), IκBα inhibitor (BAY 11-7082) and miR-21 Inhibitor. CCK-8 assay, Western Blot, qRT PCR, immunofluorescence, transmission electron microscopy, mitochondrial Membrane Potential Assay Kit with JC-1,2',7'-Dichlorofluorescin diacetate fluorescent probe and Annexin V-FITC were used to measure cell activity, GSH and ROS, mitochondrial morphology and membrane potential (ΔΨm), protein and mRNA expression of GCLC, GCLM, p65, IκBα, p-P65, p-I κBα, Bcl-2, BAX, Caspase3, cleaved-caspase3 and miR-21. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, with the gradual increasing dose of NaAsO2, cell viability was considerable reduced, and increased rate of apoptosis, intracellular GSH level was decreased significantly, ROS was increased, mitochondrial structure was damaged, mitochondrial membrane potential ΔΨm and Bcl2/BAX lowered, the expression of Caspase3 and cleaved-caspase3 were significantly increased, resulting in mitochondrial apoptosis. When Hela cells were treated with 15, 20, and 25 µmol/L NaAsO2, the mRNA and protein levels of GCLC and GCLM were reduced, the expression of p65 in the nucleus was increased, the expression of p-p65/p65, p-IκBα/IκBα and miR-21 were significantly increased. When BSO increased the inhibitory effect of NaAsO2 on GCLC, Compared with NaAsO2 group, the ΔΨm and protein of Bcl-2/BAX, caspase3 and cleaved-capsase3 were increased. When BAY 11-7082 combined with NaAsO2 co-treated, compared with the NaAsO2 group, the protein and mRNA expression of GCLC was increased, NaAsO2-increased expression level of miR-21 was suppressed, and the ΔΨm and cell viability were higher. In addition, compared with the combination of NaAsO2 and miR-21NC, the protein expression of GCLC was increased, the ΔΨm and cell viability reduction were alleviated by miR-21 Inhibitor combined with NaAsO2. CONCLUSION: NaAsO2 may lead to ROS accumulation in Hela cells and trigger mitochondrial apoptosis. The mechanism may be related to the activation of NF-κB signaling pathway and the promotion of miR-21 expression which leads to the inhibition of GCLC expression and the significant decrease of intracellular reductive GSH synthesis.

The effect of GSK-3ß in arsenic-induced apoptosis of malignant tumor cells: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: Arsenic has been reported to induce apoptosis in malignant tumor cells. Therefore, it has been investigated as a chemotherapy. From a mechanistic standpoint, the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway, mediated by GSK-3ß, plays an important role in tumor cell apoptosis. Nonetheless, the regulation of GSK-3ß by arsenic remains controversial. The study aimed to clarify the mechanism of GSK-3ß in arsenic-induced apoptosis of tumor cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We included 19 articles, which conducts the role of GSK-3ß in the process of arsenic-induced tumor cell apoptosis by the meta-analysis. RESULTS: Compared with that of control group, the expression of GSK-3ß (SMD= -0.92, 95% CI (-1.78, -0.06)), p-Akt (SMD= -5.46,95% CI (-8.67, -2.24)) were increased in the arsenic intervention group. Meanwhile, the combined treatment of arsenic and Akt agonists can inhibit p-GSK-3ß. Using the dose and time subgroup analysis, it was shown that the low-dose (<5 µmol/L) and sub-chronic (>24 h) arsenic exposure could inhibit the expression of p-Akt (P < 0.05). In the subgroup analysis of GSK-3ß sites, arsenic could inhibit p-Akt and GSK-3ß (Ser9) (SMD = -0.95, 95% CI (-1.56, -0.33)). There was a positive dose-response relationship between arsenic and p-GSK-3ß when the dose of arsenic was less than 8 µmol/L. The expression of Mcl-1 and pro-caspase-3 were decreased, while the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and cleaved-caspase-3 increased significantly when arsenic stimulated GSK-3ß (Ser9) (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The study revealed that arsenic could induce tumor cell apoptosis, by inhibiting p-Akt/GSK-3ß, and triggering the Mcl-1-dependent mitochondrial apoptosis pathway.

Comparison between modified facet joint fusion and posterolateral fusion for the treatment of lumbar degenerative diseases: a retrospective study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the safety and effectiveness of modified facet joint fusion in the treatment of lumbar degenerative diseases and compare them with those of posterolateral fusion. METHODS: A total of 77 adult patients with lumbar degenerative disease diagnosed from January 2017 to February 2019 were considered for the present retrospective, nonrandomized, and controlled study. The patients were divided into two groups according to the fusion technique used during the surgery: the posterolateral fusion (PLF) group (n = 42) and the modified facet joint fusion (MFF) group (n = 35). The fusion rate, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) score, visual analog scale (VAS) score for back pain and leg pain, Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score, European Quality of Life-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D) score, length of hospital stay, length of operation, intraoperative blood loss, cost of hospitalization, complications and reoperations were compared between the 2 groups. RESULTS: All patients underwent a successful surgery, and all were followed up. No significant differences were found in age, sex, BMI, length of hospital stay, length of operation or cost of hospitalization. There were no significant differences in the preoperative or postoperative ODI or in the VAS, JOA, and EQ-5D scores between the MFF and PLF groups. However, the fusion rate of MFF group was higher than that of the PLF group (P < 0.05). What's more, the MFF group had less intraoperative blood loss than the PLF group (P < 0.05). Complications related to iatrogenic nerve injury, vascular injury, epidural hematoma, intravertebral infection, and internal fixation did not occur in either group. None of the patients required reoperation. CONCLUSIONS: Modified facet joint fusion is safe and efficient in the treatment of lumbar degenerative disease. The fusion rate of MFF was higher than PLF. The intraoperative blood loss of MFF was less than that of PLF. In addition, the therapeutic effect of MFF was not worse than that of PLF. Therefore, the MFF technique can be promoted in clinical treatment.

JAK2/STAT3 in role of arsenic-induced cell proliferation: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Malignant cell proliferation is one of the important mechanisms of arsenic poisoning. A large number of studies have shown that STAT3 plays an important role in cell malignant proliferation, but there are still many contradictions in the effect of arsenic on JAK2/STAT3. This study aims to explore the role of JAK2/STAT3 in arsenic-induced cell proliferation. METHODS: By taking normal cells as the research object and using Standard Mean Difference (SMD) as the effect size, meta-analysis was used to explore the effect of arsenic on JAK2/STAT3. Then, the dose-effect Meta was used to further clarify the dose-effect relationship of arsenic on JAK2/STAT3. RESULTS: Through meta-analysis, this study found that arsenic could promote the phosphorylation of STAT3 (SMD=4.21, 95%CI [1.05, 7.37]), and increase IL-6 and p-JAK2, Vimentin, VEGF expression levels, thereby inducing malignant cell proliferation. In addition, this study also found that arsenic exposure dose (<5 µmol m-3), time(<24 h) and cell type were important sources of heterogeneity in the process of exploring the effects of arsenic on p-STAT3, IL-6 and p-JAK2. Dose-effect relationship meta-analysis results showed that arsenic exposure significantly increased the expression level of IL-6. When the arsenic exposure concentration was less than 7 µmol m-3, the expression level of p-JAK2 upregulated significantly as the arsenic exposure concentration gradually increasing. Moreover, the expression level of p-STAT3 elevated significantly with the gradual increase of the arsenic concentration under 5 µmol m-3 of arsenic exposure, but the expression level of p-STAT3 gradually decreases when the concentration is greater than 5 µmol m-3. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to low dose of arsenic could promote the expression of JAK2/STAT3 and induce the malignant proliferation of cells through upregulating IL-6, and there was dose-effect relationship among them.

Bending rod is unnecessary in single-level posterior internal fixation and fusion in treatment of lumbar degenerative diseases.

BACKGROUND: Bending rod is a routine in lumbar fusion and fixation surgery, but there is no study investigating whether bending rod in one level is necessary. METHODS: Patients receiving 1 level lumbar fixation and fusion between May 2018 and September 2020 were included with a minimum 6-month follow-up. The routine of bending rod was omitted during fixation. Preoperative and postoperative radiological parameters were compared. RESULTS: There were 67 patients included in the study. Segment lordosis angle increased obviously from 10° (1-39°) to 14° (2-30°) immediately after operation (p = 0.000). T5-T12 increased from 22.97 ± 12.31° to 25.52 ± 11.83° by the 3rd months after surgery (p = 0.011). SS decreased from 35.45 ± 10.47 to 32.19 ± 11.37 in 6-month follow-up (p = 0.038), and PI dropped from 56.97 ± 14.24 to 53.19 ± 12.84 (p = 0.016). ROM of SLA decreased from 4.13 ± 3.14° to 1.93 ± 1.87° at that time point (p = 0.028). Those changes were not seen at 12-month follow-up. No evidence of adjacent vertebral disc degeneration was observed at any time point. CONCLUSIONS: No sagittal imbalance, dynamic instability or adjacent vertebral degeneration was observed by the 12th month after single-segment posterior lumbar fusion with the use of unbent rods. Bending rod could be omitted in 1-level lumbar fusion to simplify the procedure and reduce operating time.

Research on time series characteristics of the gas drainage evaluation index based on lasso regression.

The evaluation of the coal mine gas drainage effect is affected by many factors, such as flow rate, wind speed, drainage negative pressure, concentration, and temperature. This paper starts from actual coal mine production monitoring data and based on the lasso regression algorithm, features selection of multiple parameters of the preprocessed gas concentration time series to construct gas concentration feature selection based on the algorithm. The three-time smoothing index method is used to fill in the missing values. Aiming at the problem of different dimensions in the gas concentration time series, the MinMaxScaler method is used to normalize the data. The lasso regression algorithm is used to perform feature selection on the multivariable gas concentration time series, and the gas concentration time series selected by the lasso feature and the gas concentration time series without feature selection are input. The performance of the ANN algorithm for gas concentration prediction is compared and analyzed. The optimal α value and L1 norm are selected based on the grid search method to determine the strong explanatory gas concentration time series feature set of the working face, and an experimental comparison of the gas concentration prediction results before and after the lasso feature selection is performed. We verify the effectiveness of the algorithm.

Study on the emulsification and oxidative stability of ovalbumin-pectin-pumpkin seed oil emulsions using ovalbumin solution prepared by ultrasound.

Pumpkin seed oil (PSO), which is a valuable compound with high nutritional value used for the prevention of various chronic diseases, is prone to oxidation. In this work, small and uniform (su) ovalbumin (OVA) and pectin (PEC) were used to stabilize PSO in the form of an emulsion. The results showed that suOVA-PEC-PSO emulsion with a droplet size of 9.82 ± 0.05 µm was successfully self-assembled from PSO, PEC, and suOVA solution (with a droplet size of 230.13 ± 14.10 nm) treated with 300 W ultrasound, owing to the formation of a more stable interfacial film on the surface of droplets. The interfacial, rheological, emulsifying, and antioxidant properties of the suOVA-PES-PSO emulsions were excellent, owing to the synergistic effects between PEC and suOVA solution. Moreover, the physical stability of the suOVA-PEC-PSO emulsions to salt stress, a freeze-thaw cycle, and heat treatment was also increased and the oxidation of linolenic acid was notably delayed. These results have extended the food-related applications of OVA and PSO, and provide a promising foundation for further exploration of the self-assembly of composite emulsions by small and uniform proteins.

Deep learning approach for guiding three-dimensional computed tomography reconstruction of lower limbs for robotically-assisted total knee arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: Robotic-assisted total knee arthroplasty (TKA) was performed to promote the accuracy of bone resection and mechanical alignment. Among these TKA system procedures, 3D reconstruction of CT data of lower limbs consumes significant manpower. Artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms applying deep learning has been proved efficient in automated identification and visual processing. METHODS: CT data of a total of 200 lower limbs scanning were used for AI-based 3D model construction and CT data of 20 lower limbs scanning were utilised for verification. RESULTS: We showed that the performance of an AI-guided 3D reconstruction of CT data of lower limbs for robotic-assisted TKA was similar to that of the operator-based approach. The time of 3D lower limb model construction using AI was 4.7 min. AI-based 3D models can be used for surgical planning. CONCLUSION: AI was used for the first time to guide the 3D reconstruction of CT data of lower limbs for facilitating robotic-assisted TKA. Incorporation of AI in 3D model reconstruction before TKA might reduce the workload of radiologists.

Lumbar spinal stenosis combined with obesity-induced idiopathic spinal epidural lipomatosis treated with posterior lumbar fusion: case report.

BACKGROUND: Spinal epidural lipomatosis is a rare cause of lumbar spinal stenosis. While conservative therapy is applicable for most of cases, surgical intervention is necessary for severe ones. This is the first time we apply this modified technique to this disease. CASE PRESENTATION: The case is a 53-year-old man. He is 175 cm tall and weighs 102 kg (body mass index 33.3 kg/cm2), presenting with low back pain and bilateral legs pain and numbness. Radiological examination showed severe lumbar spinal stenosis resulting from adipose hyperplasia, combined with hyperosteogeny and hypertrophy of ligaments, which are common etiological factors. Posterior decompression, internal fixation and a modified articular fusion technique was performed on this patient, and regular follow-up that up o 22 months showed outstanding clinical outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: A suitable style of posterior lumbar fusion should be considered to especially severe case with lumbar spinal stenosis and idiopathic spinal epidural lipomatosis.

miR-145-5p Inhibits the Proliferation, Migration, and Invasion of Esophageal Carcinoma Cells by Targeting ABRACL.

OBJECTIVE: The study is aimed at investigating the regulatory relationship between miR-145-5p and ABRACL, and has tried at clarifying the mechanisms underlying the proliferation, migration, and invasion of esophageal carcinoma (EC) cells. METHODS: Gene expression data related to EC were accessed from TCGA database, and the "edgeR" package was used to screen differentially expressed genes. TargetScan, miRDB, and miRTarBase databases were used to predict potential targets for the target miRNA miR-145-5p. qRT-PCR and Western blot were performed to assess the expression of miR-145-5p and ABRACL in EC cells. Dual-luciferase reporter assay was performed to validate the targeting relationship between miR-145-5p and ABRACL. Functional experiments including CCK-8 assay, Transwell migration, and invasion assays were used to detect the proliferation, migration, and invasion of EC cells. RESULTS: The expression of miR-145-5p was significantly decreased in EC, while ABRACL was remarkably increased. In addition, there was a negative correlation identified between miR-145-5p and ABRACL mRNA. Overexpressing miR-145-5p was able to suppress cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, whereas silencing miR-145-5p posed an opposite effect. In the meantime, ABRACL was identified as a direct target of miR-145-5p by dual-luciferase reporter assay. Furthermore, miR-145-5p could inhibit the expression of ABRACL, in turn inhibiting the proliferation, migration, and invasion of EC cells. CONCLUSION: miR-145-5p functions on the proliferation, migration, and invasion of EC cells via targeting ABRACL, and it may be a novel therapeutic target in EC treatment.

An update on the roles of circular RNAs in osteosarcoma.

Osteosarcoma is the most common primary bone malignancy and is a neoplasm thought to be derived from the bone-forming mesenchymal stem cells. Aberrant activation of oncogenes and inactivation of tumour suppressor genes by somatic mutations and epigenetic mechanisms play a pivotal pathogenic role in osteosarcoma. Aside from alterations in these protein-coding genes, it has now been realized that dysregulation of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), including microRNAs (miRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and the recently discovered circular RNAs (circRNAs), is crucial to the initiation and progression of osteosarcoma. CircRNAs are single-stranded RNAs that form covalently closed loops and function as an important regulatory element of the genome through multiple machineries. Recently, an increasing number of studies suggested that circRNAs also played critical roles in osteosarcoma. This review summarizes recent development and progression in circRNA transcriptome analysis and their functions in the modulation of osteosarcoma progression.