17ß-estradiol activates SOX6 to balance the anabolism and catabolism via estrogen receptor 2 in chondrocyte.

We investigated the influence of 17ß-estradiol (17ß-E2) on cartilage extracellular matrix (ECM) homeostasis in postmenopausal women. We focused on the roles of estrogen receptors (ESR) and SOX6 in 17ß-E2-mediated stimulation of ECM metabolism during chondrocyte (CH) degeneration. We compared the expression of anabolic genes (collagen II and aggrecan) and catabolic genes (MMPs and TIMPs) in IL-1ß-induced CH degeneration in vitro, with and without 17ß-E2 supplementation. We separately silenced the SOX6, ESR1, and ESR2 genes in CHs to determine their impact on 17ß-E2 treatment. Additionally, we used Chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by DNA sequencing (ChIP-seq) and luciferase assays to investigate protein-DNA interactions within ESR2 and SOX6-promoter complexes. After three days of IL-1ß treatment, ESR1/2, SOX6, collagen II, aggrecan, and TIMP1/3 were decreased, while MMP3/9/13 were increased. The addition of 17ß-E2 partially reversed these effects, but silencing SOX6, ESR1, or ESR2 weakened the protective effects of 17ß-E2. Silencing ESR2, but not ESR1, abolished the upregulation of SOX6 induced by 17ß-E2. ESR2 was found to bind the SOX6 promoter and regulate SOX6 expression. 17ß-E2 upregulates SOX6 through ESR2 mediation, and the synergistic effect of 17ß-E2 and ESR2 on SOX6 balances ECM metabolism in CHs.

Fully automatic AI segmentation of oral surgery-related tissues based on cone beam computed tomography images.

Accurate segmentation of oral surgery-related tissues from cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images can significantly accelerate treatment planning and improve surgical accuracy. In this paper, we propose a fully automated tissue segmentation system for dental implant surgery. Specifically, we propose an image preprocessing method based on data distribution histograms, which can adaptively process CBCT images with different parameters. Based on this, we use the bone segmentation network to obtain the segmentation results of alveolar bone, teeth, and maxillary sinus. We use the tooth and mandibular regions as the ROI regions of tooth segmentation and mandibular nerve tube segmentation to achieve the corresponding tasks. The tooth segmentation results can obtain the order information of the dentition. The corresponding experimental results show that our method can achieve higher segmentation accuracy and efficiency compared to existing methods. Its average Dice scores on the tooth, alveolar bone, maxillary sinus, and mandibular canal segmentation tasks were 96.5%, 95.4%, 93.6%, and 94.8%, respectively. These results demonstrate that it can accelerate the development of digital dentistry.

Elucidation of the Key Therapeutic Targets and Potential Mechanisms of Marmesine against Knee Osteoarthritis via Network Pharmacological Analysis and Molecular Docking.

Background: Marmesine, a major active ingredient isolated from Radix Angelicae biseratae (Duhuo), has been reported to have multiple pharmacological activities. However, its therapeutic effects against knee osteoarthritis (OA) remain poorly investigated. The present study is aimed at uncovering the core targets and signaling pathways of marmesine against osteoarthritis using a combined method of bioinformatics and network pharmacology. Methods: We utilized SwissTargetPrediction and PharmMapper to collect the potential targets of marmesine. OA-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified from GSE98918 dataset. Then, the intersection genes between DEGs and candidate genes of marmesine were subjected to protein-protein interaction (PPI) network construction and functional enrichment analysis. The core targets were verified using the molecular docking technology. Results: A total of 320 marmesine-related genes and 5649 DEGs and 60 ingredient-disease targets between them were identified. The results of functional enrichment analyses revealed that response to oxygen levels, neuroinflammatory response, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway, FoxO signaling pathway, and osteoclast differentiation was identified as the potential mechanisms of marmesine against OA. EGFR, CASP3, MMP9, PPARG, and MAPK1 served as hub genes regulated by marmesine in the treatment of OA, and the molecular docking further verified the results. Conclusion: Marmesine exerts the therapeutic effects against OA through multitarget and multipathways, in which EGFR, CASP3, MMP9, PPARG, and MAPK1 might be hub genes. Our research indicated that the combination of bioinformatics and network pharmacology could serve as an effective approach for investigating the potential mechanisms of natural product.

Pyrolysis Characteristics of Indonesian Oil Sand in a Fixed Bed.

In this research, pyrolysis experiment of Indonesian oil sand was performed in a fixed bed. Results show that the temperature and heating rate had significant effects on the pyrolysis products. Data studied include yields of products and the gaseous product composition of carbon monoxide, hydrogen, methane, and other hydrocarbons. Four functional group bands (aromatic hydrocarbon, oxygen, aliphatic, and hydroxyl functional groups) are observed from Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy of oil sand. The influence of pyrolysis temperature on the total pore volume and the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) specific surface area of char was also studied. With increasing temperature, the BET specific surface area showed an increasing trend in the overall temperature range. The specific surface area and the total pore volume showed similar trends except the tiny difference of 5 °C/min from 200 to 300 °C. The heating rate did not influence the development of the pore structure obviously. Mainly, three different reaction regions were observed during pyrolysis of oil sand. This study provides a theoretical foundation for further effective exploitation and economical application of oil sand.

Revealing synergetic structural activation of a CuAu surface during water-gas shift reaction.

Bimetallic alloy catalysts show strong structural and compositional dependence on their activity, selectivity, and stability. Often referred to as the "synergetic effect" of two metal elements in the alloys, their detailed dynamic information, structurally and chemically, of catalyst surface under reaction conditions remains largely elusive. Here, using aberration-corrected environmental transmission electron microscopy, we visualize the atomic-scale synergetic surface activation of CuAu under a water­gas shift reaction condition. The unique "periodic" structural activation largely determines the dominating reaction pathway, which is related to a possible "carboxyl" reaction route corroborated by density functional theory­based calculation and ab initio molecular dynamics simulation. These results demonstrate how the alloy surface is activated and catalyzes the chemical reaction, which provides insights into catalyst design with atom precision.

Nutritional Status According to the Short-Form Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA-SF) and Clinical Characteristics as Predictors of Length of Stay, Mortality, and Readmissions Among Older Inpatients in China: A National Study.

BACKGROUND: Studies are scarce in China that explore the association of nutritional status, measured using the Short-Form Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA-SF) and biochemical data, on adverse clinical outcomes among older inpatients. In this study, we aimed to determine the prevalence of malnutrition in tertiary hospitals of China and the associations between malnutrition and adverse clinical outcomes. METHODS: This prospective study involved 5,516 older inpatients (mean age 72.47 ± 5.77 years) hospitalized in tertiary hospitals between October 2018 and February 2019. The tertiary hospitals refer to the hospital with more than 500 beds and can provide complex medical care services. The MNA-SF was used to assess nutritional status. Multiple logistic regression and negative binomial regression were used to analyze the relationship between nutritional parameters and risk of hospital length of stay (LoS), mortality, and rehospitalization. RESULTS: We found that 46.19% of hospitalized patients had malnutrition or malnutrition risk, according to the MNA-SF. Death occurred in 3.45% of patients. MNA-SF scores 0-7 (odds ratio [OR] 5.738, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.473 to 9.48) were associated with a six-fold higher likelihood of death, and scores 8-11 (OR 3.283, 95% CI 2.126-5.069) with a three-fold higher likelihood of death, compared with MNA-SF scores 12-14 in the logistic regression model, after adjusting for potential confounders. A low MNA-SF score of 0-7 (regression coefficient 0.2807, 95% CI 0.0294-0.5320; P < 0.05) and a score of 8-11 (0.2574, 95% CI 0.0863-0.4285; P < 0.01) was associated with a significantly higher (28.07 and 25.74%, respectively) likelihood of increased LoS, compared with MNA-SF score 12-14. MNA-SF scores 0-7 (OR 1.393, 95% CI 1.052-1.843) and 8-11 (OR 1.356, 95% CI 1.124-1.636) were associated with a nearly 1.5-fold higher likelihood of 90-day readmission compared with MNA-SF scores 12-14 in the logistic regression model. Moreover, hemoglobin level, female sex, education level, former smoking, BMI 24-27.9 kg/m2, age 75 years and above, and current alcohol consumption were the main factors influencing clinical outcomes in this population. CONCLUSIONS: Malnutrition increases the risk of hospital LoS, mortality, and 90-day readmission. The use of nutritional assessment tools in all hospitalized patients in China is needed. The MNA-SF combined with hemoglobin level may be used to identify older inpatients with a high risk of adverse clinical outcomes. These findings may have important implications for the planning of hospital services.

Nutritional Risk, Health Outcomes, and Hospital Costs Among Chinese Immobile Older Inpatients: A National Study.

Purpose: Evidence of the impact of nutritional risk on health outcomes and hospital costs among Chinese older inpatients is limited. Relatively few studies have investigated the association between clinical and cost outcomes and nutritional risk in immobile older inpatients, particularly those with neoplasms, injury, digestive, cardiac, and respiratory conditions. Methods: This China-wide prospective observational cohort study comprised 5,386 immobile older inpatients hospitalized at 25 hospitals. All patients were screened for nutritional risk using the Nutrition Risk Screening (NRS 2002). A descriptive analysis of baseline variables was followed by multivariate analysis (Cox proportional hazards models and generalized linear model) to compare the health and economic outcomes, namely, mortality, length of hospital stay (LoS), and hospital costs associated with a positive NRS 2002 result. Results: The prevalence of a positive NRS 2002 result was 65.3% (n = 3,517). The prevalence of "at-risk" patients (NRS 2002 scores of 3+) was highest in patients with cardiac conditions (31.5%) and lowest in patients with diseases of the respiratory system (6.9%). Controlling for sex, age, education, type of insurance, smoking status, the main diagnosed disease, and Charlson comorbidity index (CCI), the multivariate analysis showed that the NRS 2002 score = 3 [hazard ratio (HR): 1.376, 95% CI: 1.031-1.836] were associated with approximately a 1.5-fold higher likelihood of death. NRS 2002 scores = 4 (HR: 1.982, 95% CI: 1.491-2.633) and NRS scores ≥ 5 (HR: 1.982, 95% CI: 1.498-2.622) were associated with a 2-fold higher likelihood of death, compared with NRS 2002 scores <3. An NRS 2002 score of 3 (percentage change: 16.4, 95% CI: 9.6-23.6), score of 4 (32.4, 95% CI: 24-41.4), and scores of ≥ 5 (36.8, 95% CI 28.3-45.8) were associated with a significantly (16.4, 32.4, and 36.8%, respectively) higher likelihood of increased LoS compared with an NRS 2002 scores <3. The NRS 2002 score = 3 group (17.8, 95% CI: 8.6-27.7) was associated with a 17.8%, the NRS 2002 score = 4 group (31.1, 95% CI: 19.8-43.5) a 31.1%, and the NRS 2002 score ≥ 5 group (44.3, 95% CI: 32.3-57.4) a 44.3%, higher likelihood of increased hospital costs compared with a NRS 2002 scores <3 group. Specifically, the most notable mortality-specific comorbidity and LoS-specific comorbidity was injury, while the most notable cost-specific comorbidity was diseases of the digestive system. Conclusions: This study demonstrated the high burden of undernutrition at the time of hospital admission on the health and hospital cost outcomes for older immobile inpatients. These findings underscore the need for nutritional risk screening in all Chinese hospitalized patients, and improved diagnosis, treatment, and nutritional support to improve immobile patient outcomes and to reduce healthcare costs.

Minimally invasive versus traditional open transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion for the treatment of low-grade degenerative spondylolisthesis: a retrospective study.

This was a retrospective study. We aimed to compare the clinical efficacy and safety between minimally invasive and traditional open transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion in the treatment of low-grade lumbar degenerative spondylolisthesis (LDS). 81 patients with LDS grades 1 and 2 treated in our spinal department from January 2014 to July 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. The MIS-TLIF group included 23 males and 11 females, while the TO-TLIF group included 29 males and 18 females. Follow-up points were set at 7 days, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months postoperatively and the last follow-up. Various clinical and radiological indicators were used to evaluate and compare the efficacy and safety between the two procedures. 8 cases (3 in the MIS-TLIF group and 5 in the TO-TLIF group) were loss of follow-up after discharge. And the remaining 73 patients were followed up for at least 2 years. No statistically significant difference was observed in the terms of age, sex, BMI, slippage grade, and surgical segments. The MIS-TLIF group had a longer operation and fluoroscopy time compared with the TO-TLIF group. But the MIS-TLIF group was associated with less blood loss, ambulation time, hospital stay, and time of return to work. In each group, significant improvement were observed in BP-VAS, ODI and vertebral slip ratio at any time-point of follow-up when compared with the preoperative condition. When the time-point of follow-up was less than 1 year, the MIS-TLIF group had significant advantages in the BP-VAS and ODI compared with TO-TLIF group. But no significant difference was observed in the BP-VAS and ODI at either 12 month follow-up or the last follow-up. Besides, no statistical difference was detected in vertebral slip ratio at any time-point of follow-up between the two groups. Successful intervertebral bone fusion was found in all patients and no significant difference was found in the incidence of total complications. Thus, we considered that MIS-TLIF and TO-TLIF both achieve satisfactory clinical efficacy in the treatment of low-grade single-segment LDS. But MIS-TLIF appears to be a more efficacious and safe technique with reduced tissue damage, less blood loss and quicker recovery.

Treatment of Kümmell's disease with sequential infusion of bone cement: A retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) is an effective method for the treatment of neurologically intact Kümmell's disease, but bone cement leakage during surgery is a problem that deserves attention. AIM: To reduce bone cement leakage and evaluate the effect of the sequential infusion of bone cement during PVP for the treatment of stage I or II Kümmell's disease. METHODS: Patients with Kümmell's disease treated in our hospital from September 2015 to September 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria were divided into two groups: Traditional single infusion and sequential infusion (SI). The visual analog scale (VAS) and Oswestry disability index (ODI) were evaluated and compared, and duration of operation, bone cement content and complications were recorded. RESULTS: Forty-five patients were included in this study; there were 24 in the traditional single infusion group and 21 in the SI group. The VAS and ODI were significantly different for both groups when compared pre- and postoperatively, whereas the differences between 1 wk postoperatively and at the final follow-up were not statistically. When the VAS and ODI of the two groups were compared, there were no significant differences at any time point. The leakage rate of bone cement was significantly lower in the SI group (14.3%, 3 of 21) than that in the traditional single infusion group (41.7%, 10 of 24). CONCLUSION: SI in unipedicular PVP is a safe and effective procedure for neurologically intact Kümmell's disease, and this technique could decrease the incidence of bone cement leakage.

BGN and COL11A1 Regulatory Network Analysis in Colorectal Cancer (CRC) Reveals That BGN Influences CRC Cell Biological Functions and Interacts with miR-6828-5p.

PURPOSE: We explored specific expression profiles of BGN and COL11A1 genes and studied their biological functions in CRC using bioinformatics tools. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 68 pairs of cancer and non-cancerous tissues from CRC patients were enrolled in this study. Methods we used in this articles including: qRT-PCR, Western blot analysis, ELISA, GO and KEGG regulatory network analysis, tumor infiltration, luciferase reporter-based protein and etc. RESULTS: According to The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data, BGN and COL11A1 expression levels were significantly higher in CRC patient samples than in samples from healthy controls. Moreover, levels were much higher in late-stage CRC than in early-stage disease, warranting evaluation of these genes as CRC prognostic biomarkers. Subsequently, qRT-PCR, Western blot analysis, and ELISA results obtained from analyses of CRC cells, tissues, and patient sera aligned with TCGA results. GO and KEGG regulatory network analysis revealed BGN- and COL11A1-associated genes that were functionally related to extracellular matrix (ECM) receptor pathway activation, with transcription factor genes RELA and NFKB1 positively associated with BGN expression and CEBPZ and SIRT1 with COL11A1 expression. Meanwhile, BGN and COL11A1 expression were separately and significantly correlated to tumor infiltration by six immune cell types. Additionally, kinase genes PLK1 and LYN appeared to be downstream targets of differentially expressed BGN and COL11A1, respectively. In addition, the expression of PLK1 mRNA was down-regulated while BGN was down-regulated. Finally, BGN effects on CRC cell proliferation, cycle, apoptosis, invasion, and migration were studied using molecular biological methods, including luciferase reporter-based protein analysis, qRT-PCR, and Western blot results, which revealed that miR-6828-5p may regulate BGN expression. CONCLUSION: We speculate that the use of BGN and COL11A1 as CRC biomarkers would improve CRC staging, while also providing several novel targets for use in the development of more effective CRC treatments.

Associations Between Nutritional Status, Sociodemographic Characteristics, and Health-Related Variables and Health-Related Quality of Life Among Chinese Elderly Patients: A Multicenter Prospective Study.

Background: Studies that explore the nutritional status, sociodemographic factors, mental health variables, and physical health variables that affect the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of elderly patients are scarce in China. Objective: This study aimed to examine the association between health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and nutritional status, sociodemographic characteristics, and health-related variables among Chinese elderly patients. Materials and Methods: Participants were recruited from six tertiary-level hospitals in six provinces or municipalities/cities throughout China from October 2018 to February 2019: a total of 9,996 participants aged 65 years and older were enrolled. The nutritional status and HRQoL were measured using the Mini Nutritional Assessment-Short Form (MNA-SF) and the EuroQoL Five-Dimension Visual Analog Scale, respectively. BMI was taken using standard measurement protocols. Sociodemographic characteristics included age, sex, education, marital status, ethnicity, smoking, alcohol drinking, and current residence. Mental and physical health variables such as frailty and depression were assessed using validated tested instruments. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to analyze whether the nutritional status, sociodemographic characteristics, and health-related variables were associated with HRQoL. Results: According to the MNA-SF scores at the 30- and 90-day follow-up, 9.7% and 9.1% of participants were malnourished, respectively. Higher MNA-SF scores were related to higher HRQoL scores in older patients (regression coefficient; 95% confidence interval) both at the 30-day (0.660; 0.499-0.821) and 90-day (0.622; 0.434-0.809) follow-up. However, there were no significant associations between the body mass index values and HRQoL. Sociodemographic characteristics (such as age, smoking, and current residence), physical health variables (frailty, urinary function, defecation function, sleeping condition, and falling accidents in the past 12 months), and mental health variables (depression) were the main factors influencing HRQoL in this group. Conclusion: There are several factors associated with HRQoL among the population derived from this investigation of a representative sample of the Chinese hospitalized elderly population in tertiary hospitals. These findings could have major importance for the planning of "active aging" policies and programs. Trial Registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR1800017682, registered August 9, 2018.

Hospitalization costs among immobile patients with hemorrhagic or ischemic stroke in China: a multicenter cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: In this study, we aimed to analyze the hospitalization costs for immobile patients with hemorrhagic stroke (IHS) or ischemic stroke (IIS) in China and to determine the factors associated with hospitalization costs. METHODS: We evaluated patients with IHS and IIS hospitalized between November 2015 and July 2016 in six provinces or municipality cities of China. Linear regression analysis was used to examine the association with hospitalization costs and predictors. RESULTS: In total, 1573 patients with IHS and 3143 with IIS were enrolled and analyzed. For IHS and IIS, the average length of stay (LoS) was 17.40 ± 12.3 and 14.47 ± 11.55 days. The duration of immobility was 12.11 ± 9.98 and 7.36 ± 9.77 days, respectively. Median hospitalization costs were RMB 47000.68 (interquartile range 19,827.37, 91,877.09) for IHS and RMB 16578.44 (IQR 7020.13, 36,357.65) for IIS. In both IHS and IIS groups, medicine fees accounted for more than one-third of hospitalization costs. Materials fees and medical service fees accounted for the second and third largest proportions of hospital charges in both groups. Linear regression analysis showed that LoS, hospital level, and previous surgery were key determinants of hospitalization costs in all immobile patients with stroke. Subgroup analysis indicated that hospital level was highly correlated with hospitalization costs for IHS whereas pneumonia and deep vein thrombosis were key factors associated with hospitalization costs for IIS. CONCLUSIONS: We found that hospitalization costs were notably higher in IHS than IIS, and medicine fees accounted for the largest proportion of hospitalization costs in both patient groups, perhaps because most patients ended up with complications such as pneumonia thereby requiring more medications. LoS and hospital level may greatly affect hospitalization costs. Increasing the reimbursement ratio of medical insurance for patients with IHS is recommended. Decreasing medicine fees and LoS, preventing complications, and improving treatment capability may help to reduce the economic burden of stroke in China.

Potential associated factors of functional disability in Chinese older inpatients: a multicenter cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: There is still controversy about the relationship between aging and changes in functional ability. This study aims to describe the level of basic activities of daily living (ADL) and higher-level instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) in different age groups and explore the factors associated with functional disability in Chinese older inpatients. METHODS: This cross-sectional study surveyed 9996 older inpatients aged 65 years and older from six tertiary hospitals in China from October 2018 to February 2019. The levels of ADL and IADL were measured by scores of the Barthel index and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale. A mixed-effect generalized linear model was used to examine the association between functional disability and covariates. RESULTS: The average ADL score was 89.51 ± 19.29 and the mean IADL score 6.76 ± 2.01 for all participants. There was a trend of decreasing scores along with aging, and significant differences between age groups were also observed (P < 0.001). The most affected ADL and IADL was stair climbing and shopping, respectively. Sociodemographic characteristics (such as age), physical health variables (frailty, emaciation, hearing dysfunction, urinary dysfunction, defecation dysfunction, falling accidents in the past 12 months), and mental health variables (cognitive dysfunction, depression) were associated with functional disability. Patients from the emergency department or transferred from other hospitals and former alcohol drinkers are at risk of ADL disability. Former smoking is a risk factor for IADL disability, whereas current drinking, higher-level education, and residing in a building without elevators were likely to maintain a better IADL performance. CONCLUSIONS: Functional ability declines with aging, older inpatients are low dependency upon ADL and IADL. There are several associated factors among the participants derived from this investigation of a large-scale, multicenter, nationally representative Chinese older inpatient population. These findings potentially have major importance for the planning of hospital services, discharge planning, and post-discharge care. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR1800017682 , registered August 9, 2018.

Application of Anchoring Technique in Unilateral Percutaneous Vertebroplasty for Neurologically Intact Kümmell's Disease.

Purpose: We aimed to present our experience in anchoring technique and evaluate the efficacy and safety of unilateral percutaneous vertebroplasty in patients with neurologically intact Kümmell's disease. Methods: From January 2014 to December 2017, 29 patients (17 males and 12 females) with neurologically intact Kümmell's disease were operated on using anchoring technique in unilateral percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP). Ages of the enrolled patients ranged from 67 to 81 years (mean 73.8 years). Clinical efficacy was evaluated by back pain visual analogue scale (BP-VAS) score, Oswestry disability index (ODI) score, as well as the height of anterior border and the kyphotic angle of the involved vertebral body on a standing lateral radiograph. The safety of PVP was assessed by surgical-related complications, including bone cement leakage and neurological deficit. Results: All 29 patients underwent the PVP procedure successfully. The mean operation time was 35 ± 12 min. And all patients were able to walk/ambulate with a thoracolumbar brace after 12 to 24 hours, staying in bed postoperatively. Significantly statistical differences were observed in both BP-VAS and ODI scores at each time point of follow-up when compared with the preoperative condition (P < 0.05). Besides, statistically significant improvement in radiographic measurements such as kyphotic angle and the height of the anterior border of the involved vertebral body between the preoperative and postoperative assessments was also observed (P < 0.05) and asymptomatic leakage of cement occurred in 7 of 29 cases (24.1%). Conclusions: We considered that the anchoring technique in unilateral PVP could provide an effective and safe alternative for neurologically intact Kümmell's disease.

LncRNA NEAT1/miR-185-5p/IGF2 axis regulates the invasion and migration of colon cancer.

BACKGROUND: Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNA) are important in the growth and metastasis of colon cancer. The objective of this study was to describe the potential role of lncRNA NEAT1 in the progression of colon cancer. METHODS: Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was used for detecting NEAT1, miR-185-5p, and IGF2 in colon cancer cells and tissues. The potential diagnostic value of NEAT1 in colon cancer was analyzed with the receiver operating characteristic curve. Kaplan-Meier method was applied for evaluating the association between NEAT1 expression and the overall survival of osteosarcoma patients, whereas Transwell assay was introduced to examine the potential invasion and migration of colon cancer cells. In addition, the binding of NEAT1/IGF2 to miR-185-5p was confirmed by RNA pull-down and RNA-binding protein immunoprecipitation assays and dual-luciferase reporter gene assay. Finally, rescue experiments were conducted to confirm the role of NEAT1/miR-185-5p/IGF2 axis in colon cancer. RESULTS: Colon cancer patients with low NEAT1 expression presented with longer overall survival than those with high expression. The migration and invasion of colon cancer cells were considerably promoted by overexpressed NEAT1. Both NEAT1 and IGF2 bound to miR-185-5p. CONCLUSION: NEAT1 upregulate IGF2 expression through absorbing miR-185-5p to enhances the migration and invasion of colon cancer cells.

Stimulation of osteogenic differentiation in bone marrow stromal cells via Wnt/ß-catenin pathway by Qili Jiegu-containing serum.

A capsule of Qili Jiegu, a traditional Chinese medicine with numerous biological activities, may exert a protective eff ;ect against postmenopausal bone loss. However, it remains unclear whether Qili Jiegu-containing serum regulates the osteogenic diff ;erentiation of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) in vitro. In this study, BMSCs were treated with medium and Qili Jiegu-containing serum over a 14-day period. We found that Qili Jiegu-containing serum promoted the BMSC proliferation and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities, as well as stimulated the expression of osteogenic markers and Wnt/ß-catenin pathway-related genes, i.e., runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), osteocalcin (OCN), ß-catenin and Wnt4a, in BMSCs. Finally, we found that Qili Jiegu-containing serum activated the Wnt/ß-catenin pathway. An addition of Dickkopf-related protein-1 (an inhibitor of the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway) to the Qili Jiegu-containing serum could decrease the stimulatory osteogenic effect of Qili Jiegu-containing serum on BMSCs. Therefore, Qili Jiegu-containing serum could promote the osteogenic diff ;erentiation of BMSCs, and the potential mechanism may involve regulation of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling.

A new hand-eye calibration approach for fracture reduction robot.

OBJECTIVE: The hand-eye calibration is used to determine the transformation between the end-effector and the camera marker of the robot. But the robot movement in traditional method would be time-consuming, inaccurate and even unavailable in some conditions. The method presented in this article can complete the calibration without any movement and is more suitable in clinical applications. METHODS: Instead of solving the classic non-linear equation AX = XB, we collected the points on X and Y axes of the tool coordinate system (TCS) with the visual probe and fitted them using the singular value decomposition algorithm (SVD). Then, the transformation was obtained with the data of the tool center point (TCP). A comparison test was conducted to verify the performance of the method. RESULTS: The average translation error and orientation error of the new method are 0.12 ± 0.122 mm and 0.18 ± 0.112° respectively, while they are 0.357 ± 0.347 mm and 0.416 ± 0.234° correspondingly in the traditional method. CONCLUSIONS: The high accuracy of the method indicates that it is a good candidate for medical robots, which usually need to work in a sterile environment.

The Impact of the Expression Level of Intratumoral Dihydropyrimidine Dehydrogenase on Chemotherapy Sensitivity and Survival of Patients in Gastric Cancer: A Meta-Analysis.

The potential impact that the intratumoral expression level of dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) has on chemotherapy sensitivity and long-term survival for gastric cancer (GC) patients remains controversial; therefore, this study seeks to clarify this issue. Our meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager (RevMan) 5.3 software. In vitro drug sensitivity tests, correlation coefficients between sensitivity to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), and expression levels of intratumoral DPD were used as effective indexes to analyse. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were used as endpoints for patient outcome, and hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were noted as measures of effect. There were 15 eligible studies including 1805 patients for the final analysis. The analysis revealed a statistically significant difference between the expression level of intratumoral DPD activity, DPD mRNA levels, and sensitivity to 5-FU in GC patients, with high expression levels of intratumoral DPD resulting in low sensitivity to 5-FU. However, no matter what therapeutic regimens were used, there was no significant difference for patient outcomes between high and low DPD expression groups, either in OS or in PFS. In conclusion, high levels of intratumoral DPD expression have a negative impact on sensitivity to 5-FU in GC patients, but no prognostic value for long-term survival was uncovered.

Intraoperative radiotherapy in gastric and esophageal cancer: meta-analysis of long-term outcomes and complications.

INTRODUCTION: The treatment effects of intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) for gastric and esophageal cancer remain uncertain. We therefore performed meta-analyses to investigate whether IORT was associated with more favorable oncologic outcomes when compared to non-IORT for patients who have gastric or esophageal cancer. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: PubMed, Embase, and the references of relevant studies were systematically searched up to March 2016. Outcomes were analyzed with fixed-effect or random-effect models, and the meta-analysis was completed with odds ratio (OR), hazards ratio (HR), and 95% confidence intervals (CI) as effect values. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: Eleven studies were included, nine for gastric cancer and two for esophageal cancer. The studies included 1581 patients, 570 in the IORT group and 1011 in the control group. There was no significant difference in overall survival (OS) between the IORT group and control group (HR=0.91, 95% CI: 0.73-1.13; P=0.38). Two subgroups based on cancer type also had the similar results (gastric group: HR=0.98, 95% CI: 0.78-1.24, P=0.87; esophagus group: HR=0.63, 95% CI: 0.37-1.05, P=0.08). Besides, IORT showed favorable effects for patients with cancer in stage II and stage III and had the advantage of loco-regional control. Regarding the complications, the occurrence rate had no significant difference between the IORT group and control group (OR=1.15; 95% CI: 0.77-1.72; P=0.50). CONCLUSIONS: According to our meta-analysis, IORT did not extend the OS in gastric cancer and esophageal cancer patients, but had a favorable effect for specific stage patients to show loco-regional control, and did not increase the risk of complications.

Transanal total mesorectal excision (taTME) for rectal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of oncological and perioperative outcomes compared with laparoscopic total mesorectal excision.

BACKGROUND: Transanal total mesorectal excision (taTME) is an emerging surgical technique for rectal cancer. However, the oncological and perioperative outcomes are controversial when compared with conventional laparoscopic total mesorectal excision (laTME). METHODS: A systematic review and meta-analysis based on Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines was conducted in PubMed, Embase and Cochrane database. All original studies published in English that compared taTME with laTME were included for critical appraisal and meta-analysis. Data synthesis and statistical analysis were carried out using RevMan 5.3 software. RESULTS: A total of seven studies including 573 patients (taTME group = 270; laTME group = 303) were included in our meta-analysis. Concerning the oncological outcomes, no differences were observed in harvested lymph nodes, distal resection margin (DRM) and positive DRM between the two groups. However, the taTME group showed a higher rate of achievement of complete grading of mesorectal quality (OR = 1.75, 95% CI = 1.02-3.01, P = 0.04), a longer circumferential resection margin (CRM) and less involvement of positive CRM (CRM: WMD = 0.96, 95% CI = 0.60-1.31, P <0.01; positive CRM: OR = 0.39, 95% CI = 0.17-0.86, P = 0.02). Concerning the perioperative outcomes, the results for hospital stay, intraoperative complications and readmission were comparable between the two groups. However, the taTME group showed shorter operation times (WMD = -23.45, 95% CI = -37.43 to -9.46, P <0.01), a lower rate of conversion (OR = 0.29, 95% CI = 0.11-0.81, P = 0.02) and a higher rate of mobilization of the splenic flexure (OR = 2.34, 95% CI = 0.99-5.54, P = 0.05). Although the incidence of anastomotic leakage, ileus and urinary morbidity showed no difference between the groups, a significantly lower rate of overall postoperative complications (OR = 0.65, 95% CI = 0.45-0.95, P = 0.03) was observed in the taTME group. CONCLUSIONS: In comparison with laTME, taTME seems to achieve comparable technical success with acceptable oncologic and perioperative outcomes. However, multicenter randomized controlled trials are required to further evaluate the efficacy and safety of taTME.