Unilateral biportal endoscopic decompression versus anterior cervical decompression and fusion for unilateral cervical radiculopathy or coexisting cervical myelopathy: a prospective, randomized, controlled, noninferiority trial.

BACKGROUND: Cervical spondylosis (CS), including myelopathy and radiculopathy, is the most common degenerative cervical spine disease. This study aims to evaluate the clinical outcomes of unilateral biportal endoscopy (UBE) compared to those of conventional anterior cervical decompression and fusion (ACDF) for treating unilateral cervical radiculopathy or coexisting cervical myelopathy induced by unilateral cervical herniated discs. METHODS: A prospective, randomized, controlled, noninferiority trial was conducted. The sample consisted of 131 patients who underwent UBE or ACDF was conducted between September 2021 and September 2022. Patients with cervical nerve roots or coexisting spinal cord compression symptoms and imaging-defined unilateral cervical radiculopathy or coexisting cervical myelopathy induced by unilateral cervical herniated discs were randomized into two groups: a UBE group (n = 63) and an ACDF group (n = 68). The operative time, blood loss, length of hospital stay after surgery, and perioperative complications were recorded. Preoperative and postoperative modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association (mJOA) scale scores, visual analog scale (VAS) scores, neck disability index (NDI) scores, and recovery rate (RR) of the mJOA were utilized to evaluate clinical outcomes. RESULTS: The hospital stay after surgery was significantly shorter in patients treated with UBE than in those treated with ACDF (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences in the neck or arm VAS score, NDI score, mJOA score, or mean RR of the mJOA between the two groups (p < 0.05). Only mild complications were observed in both groups, with no significant difference (p = 0.30). CONCLUSION: UBE can significantly relieve pain and disability without severe complications, and most patients are satisfied with this technique. Consequently, this procedure can be used safely and effectively as an alternative to ACDF for treating unilateral cervical radiculopathy or coexisting cervical myelopathy induced by unilateral cervical herniated discs. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry on 02/08/2023 ( http://www.chictr.org.cn , #ChiCTR2300074273).

Optimal insertion positions of anterior-posterior orientation sacroiliac screw.

PURPOSE: To explore the optimal insertion positions of anterior-posterior orientation sacroiliac screw (AP-SIS). METHODS: Pelvic CT data of 80 healthy adults were employed to measure the anatomical parameters including the insertable ranges of S1 and S2, the length, width and height of the channel with three different horizontal and vertical anterior insertion points starting from the ilium-acetabular recess. To compare pelvic stability by replicating a type C Tile lesions, fifteen synthetic pelvises were fixed with an anterior plate and a posterior AP-SIS employing different anterior insertion points, the whole specimen displacements and shifts in the sacroiliac gap under a cyclic vertical load of 300 N in a biomechanical machine recorded. RESULTS: The posterior and anterior insertable ranges averaged 17.9 × 8.5mm2 and 47.1 × 21.2 mm2, respectively. The channel lengths for three horizontal anterior insertion points gradually decreased from front to back with significant difference (p < 0.05), whereas the width and height for three horizontal anterior insertion points and the parameters for the three vertical anterior insertion points were similar (p > 0.05). The displacements and shifts for three horizontal insertion points gradually increased from front to back (p < 0.05) whereas the measurements involving the three vertical insertion points were similar (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The posterior insertable range is small, where the center between adjacent nerve roots (foramens) is the optimal posterior insertion point. The anterior insertable range is large, where the iliac-acetabular recess is the optimal anterior insertion point for S1 and S2, providing the longest channel and best stability.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Manifestations of Annular Ligament Injuries in Children With Monteggia Fractures.

BACKGROUND: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is commonly performed in children with elbow injuries to visualize soft tissues such as the annular ligament. Herein, we investigated the MRI manifestations of annular ligament injuries in children with Monteggia fractures following attempted closed reduction. METHODS: The clinical and imaging data of 88 children with acute Monteggia fractures treated at our hospital between 2015 and 2019 were analyzed. Clinically and radiographically, 67 patients achieved radiologic reduction of the radial head at the time of MRI, whereas 21 patients had a failed closed reduction. Annular ligament injury and superior radioulnar joint congruency were analyzed qualitatively, and the maximum superior radioulnar joint gap distance was measured. RESULTS: MRI manifestations of annular ligament injury were primarily characterized as varying degrees of annular ligament displacement, as follows: I degree (10 patients), the annular ligament encircled the radial head without displacement; II degree (5 patients), the annular ligament was partially displaced but visibly encircled the radial head at the level of the radial notch; and III degree (73 patients), the annular ligament was completely displaced. In 15 patients with I and II degrees annular ligament injuries, the annular ligament encircled the radial head (maximum superior radioulnar joint gap distance, 1.2±0.3 mm), showing good congruency of the superior radioulnar joint. In 73 patients with III degree annular ligament injury, the annular ligament was displaced and did not encircle the radial head (maximum superior radioulnar joint gap distance, 3.3±2.7 mm; P <0.05), showing good congruency of the superior radioulnar joint in 25 of 73 patients, and significantly poor congruency in 48 of 73 patients ( P <0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Annular ligament injuries in children with Monteggia fractures exhibit different degrees of displacement of the annular ligament. In I and II degree annular ligament injuries, the annular ligament still encircles the radial head. In III degree annular ligament injuries, the annular ligament is displaced away and is no longer around the radial head. Without the annular ligament restraining the radial head, the superior radioulnar joint is more likely to exhibit poor congruency and increased gap distance. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level II.

Resistance matching materials nanoarchitectonics for better performances in water evaporation-driven generators.

The improvement of electricity production for water evaporation-driven generators (WEGs) remains a challenge. Herein, two types of WEGs were designed to study the resistance matching for improving the electricity production using the method of nanoarchitectonics. One type of reduced graphene oxide/carbon nanotube (RGO/CNT) WEG was constructed using RGO with adjustable resistances as working material and CNTs with fixed resistance as electrode material. The other type of graphene oxide (GO)/RGO WEG was constructed using RGO with adjustable resistance as electrode material and GO with fixed resistance was used as working material. The open circuit voltage of RGO/CNT increased from 15 to 56 mV and then decreased to 22 mV with increasing RGO resistance. The short circuit current of RGO/CNT also first increased and then decreased. The performance of GO/RGO was similar with that of RGO/CNT. Typically, the RGO/CNT and GO/RGO WEG showed the highest performance when the working material to electrode material resistance ratio was 2272 and 2365, respectively. It showed that the best resistance ratio of working material to electrode material was in the range of 2000-2500, which helped to improve about 2-5 times of electricity efficiency in the WEG. The present work provides a new direction for optimizing performance of WEGs.

The contribution of China's emissions to global climate forcing.

Knowledge of the contribution that individual countries have made to global radiative forcing is important to the implementation of the agreement on "common but differentiated responsibilities" reached by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Over the past three decades, China has experienced rapid economic development, accompanied by increased emission of greenhouse gases, ozone precursors and aerosols, but the magnitude of the associated radiative forcing has remained unclear. Here we use a global coupled biogeochemistry-climate model and a chemistry and transport model to quantify China's present-day contribution to global radiative forcing due to well-mixed greenhouse gases, short-lived atmospheric climate forcers and land-use-induced regional surface albedo changes. We find that China contributes 10% ± 4% of the current global radiative forcing. China's relative contribution to the positive (warming) component of global radiative forcing, mainly induced by well-mixed greenhouse gases and black carbon aerosols, is 12% ± 2%. Its relative contribution to the negative (cooling) component is 15% ± 6%, dominated by the effect of sulfate and nitrate aerosols. China's strongest contributions are 0.16 ± 0.02 watts per square metre for CO2 from fossil fuel burning, 0.13 ± 0.05 watts per square metre for CH4, -0.11 ± 0.05 watts per square metre for sulfate aerosols, and 0.09 ± 0.06 watts per square metre for black carbon aerosols. China's eventual goal of improving air quality will result in changes in radiative forcing in the coming years: a reduction of sulfur dioxide emissions would drive a faster future warming, unless offset by larger reductions of radiative forcing from well-mixed greenhouse gases and black carbon.

Treatment of Early to Intermediate Stage Ankle Osteoarthritis With Nonosteotomy Approaches: Intermediate-Term Efficacy.

This study aimed to investigate the intermediate-term efficacy of nonosteotomy approaches in the treatment of early to intermediate stage ankle osteoarthritis (OA). Forty-two patients received treatment for early to intermediate stage ankle osteoarthritis with nonosteotomy approaches were reviewed. The surgical satisfaction was evaluated at 1 year after surgery and the last follow-up period; the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) scale and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) were employed for the evaluation of function and pain, respectively, and the stage of ankle osteoarthritis was determined. At 1 year surgery and the last follow-up period, the surgical satisfaction was 37 (88.1%) and 35 (83.3%), respectively, and the favorable function was noted in 34 (80.9%) and 32 (76.2%), respectively. The AOFAS score significantly increased from 50.62 ± 10.81 (range 30-60) before surgery to 81.43 ± 12.00 (range 75-95) at 1 year after surgery (p < .0001) and 79.67 ± 10.34 (range 70-96) at the last follow-up period (p < .0001 vs before surgery; p = .107 vs 1 year). The VAS score reduced from 5.07 ± 1.57 (range 4-7) before surgery to 1.97 ± 1.41 (range 0-3) at 1 year (p < .0001) and 1.80 ± 1.15 (range 0-3) at the last follow-up period (p < .0001 vs before surgery; p = .265 vs 1 year). Moreover, the AOFAS score and VAS score in patients with ankle osteoarthritis at different stages were improved significantly after surgery (p < .0001). Intermediate-term follow-up period shows that nonosteotomy approaches are able to relieve pain and improve postoperative function in the treatment of early to intermediate stage ankle osteoarthritis; the improvement determined according to imaging examination is not completely consistent with that determined based on clinical function.

Retraction of transporting bone segment during Ilizarov bone transport.

BACKGROUND: Retraction of transporting bone segment (TBS) may occur when the fixator of the TBS is removed prior to full consolidation of the distracted callus, which has adverse effect on the healing of the docking site. However, there are few reports on the retraction of TBS. The purpose of this study is to analyze the causes and risk factors of the retraction of TBS. METHODS: The clinical data of 37 cases with tibial bone defect treated by Ilizarov bone transport were analyzed retrospectively, in whom the TBS fixator was removed prior to full consolidation of the distracted callus and union of the docking site. Bivariate correlation was used to analyze relationship between the retraction distance of TBS and potential risk factors including age, gender, course, length of bone defect, number of operations, size of TBS, transport distance, timing and time interval of removal of TBS fixator. Risk factors with significant level were further identified using multivariate linear regression. RESULTS: Bivariate correlation showed that the timing of removal was negatively correlated with the retraction distance, and the time interval and transport distance were positively correlated with the retraction distance(p < 0.05), the age, gender, course, length of bone defect, size of TBS and number of operations were not correlated with the retraction distance(p > 0.05). Multivariate linear regression of the 3 risk factors showed that the timing of removal and time interval were the main risk factors affecting the retraction distance (p < 0.05), but the transport distance was not (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The traction forces of TBS endured from the soft tissues and the unconsolidated distracted callus have elastic properties, which can make retraction of TBS. The timing of removal and time interval are the main risk factors of the retraction of TBS. In the case of early removal, another external fixation or quickly converted to internal fixation should be performed to avoid the adverse effect of more retraction.

Percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy for LDH via a transforaminal approach versus an interlaminar approach: a meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to systematically compare the safety and effectiveness of percutaneous endoscopic transforaminal discectomy (PETD) versus percutaneous endoscopic interlaminar discectomy (PEID) for the treatment of lumbar disc herniation (LDH). MATERIAL AND METHODS: All studies that were performed to compare PETD with PEID to treat LDH and published until 31 August 2017 were acquired through a comprehensive search in various databases. A meta-analysis was performed using the Cochrane Collaboration's RevMan 5.3 software. RESULTS: A total of 13 trials with 974 cases consisting of 3 randomized controlled trials, 3 prospective studies and 7 retrospective studies were included. The results suggest that patients treated with PEID experienced more significant advantages with shorter operation time, less intraoperative blood loss and less intraoperative fluoroscopy times but more complications than those treated with PETD; however, the two operative approaches did not significantly differ in terms of LDH recurrence, hospital stay, Oswestry disability index (ODI) scores, visual analogue scale (VAS) scores, Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scores and MacNab criteria at the final follow-up. CONCLUSION: Based on the results of this study, although PEID may be superior to PETD in certain ways, some of its advantages have yet to be verified and the two interventions were not significantly different in terms of relief of symptoms and functional recovery. Therefore, PEID would be recommended for treating LDH especially at L5/S1 under certain conditions but a prudent attitude is necessary to choose between the two operative approaches before a large sample and high quality randomized controlled trials have been performed.

Ilizarov technique: Bone transport versus bone shortening-lengthening for tibial bone and soft-tissue defects.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the outcomes of bone transport and bone shortening-lengthening by Ilizarov technique for treatment of tibial bone and soft-tissue defects. METHODS: Fifty patients with tibial bone and soft-tissue defects were treated by Ilizarov technique from January 2007 to June 2016. Two subgroups were treated by either bone transport (group A) containing 28 cases or bone shortening-lengthening (group B) including 22 cases. RESULTS: Bony union was achieved at the distracted sites with a mean of 236 days in group A, while 240 days in group B, showing no significant difference (t = -0.931, P = 0.308). The mean fixation index was 3.91 d/mm and 3.92 d/mm, respectively. There was no obvious difference (t = 2.839, P = 0.006) of the mean union time at the docking sites with 376 days and 320 days, respectively. According to the Paley's criterion, 21 patients had excellent bony union and 5 good in group A, as compared to 18 excellent and 4 good in group B, but no significant difference (X2 = -0.308, P = 0.741) was observed. The functional results were excellent in 11 patients, good in 10 and fair in 7, as well as 15 complications in group A, compared with 7 excellent, 10 good and 5 fair, together with 12 complications in group B, and there were no remarkable difference (X2 = -0.323, P = 0.751; X2 = -0.590, P = 0.562). CONCLUSION: Overall, the outcomes are similar of bone transport or bone shortening-lengthening by using Ilizarov technique for treatment of tibial bone and soft-tissue defects, although the latter has less union time and higher healing rate.

Ultrasound/CT combined with serum CEA/CA19.9 in the diagnosis and prognosis of rectal cancer.

PURPOSE: To explore the significance of computed tomography (CT) and transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS) combined with serum CEA and CA19.9 in the staging, diagnosis and prognosis of rectal cancer. METHODS: Fifty-six patients with rectal cancer were recruited from our oncology department. ELISA detected the expression level of CEA and CA19.9 in serum. The hemodynamic parameters of the rectal mucosa and tumor were detected by TRUS [resistance index (RI), pulse index (PI), peak systolic velocity (PSV), end-diastolic volume (EDV)]. All patients were pathologically examined to determine the disease stage and to compare the diagnostic accuracy of serum tumor markers, CT and TRUS. All patients were followed up for 24 months to assess the relationship between the combined examinations and the disease prognosis. RESULTS: CEA and CA19.9 levels were significantly different in patients with different pathological stages (p<0.05). RI and PI decreased with increasing pathological stage, while PSV and EDV were increased with increasing pathological stage. The serum CEA+CA19.9 examination showed 12 cases of misdiagnosis, with an accuracy diagnostic rate of 78.57% (447sol;56). CT examination showed 8 cases of misdiagnosis, with an accuracy diagnostic rate of 85.71% (48/56). TRUS showed 6 cases of misdiagnosis, with an accuracy diagnostic rate of 89.28% (50/56). However, only 2 cases were misdiagnosed and 96.43% (54/56) were accurate, while no statistical difference was noticed between combined detection and pathology (p<0.05). Postoperative follow-up showed significant differences in T staging at 6 months, 1 year and 2 years after operation (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: CT and TRUS combined with serum CEA and CA19.9 had great value in the diagnosis and prognosis in rectal cancer.

Increased phosphate uptake but not resorption alleviates phosphorus deficiency induced by nitrogen deposition in temperate Larix principis-rupprechtii plantations.

The imbalance between nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) deposition may shift temperate ecosystems from N- to P-limitation. However, it is unclear how the imbalanced N : P input affects the strategies of plants to acquire P and, therefore, the growth of plants and the competition among species. We conducted a 4-yr N-addition experiment in young and mature larch (Larix principis-rupprechtii) stands. Plant growth and P acquisition strategies were assessed for larch and understorey vegetation. N addition stimulated the aboveground productivity of understorey vegetation in the young stand and larch in the mature stand, with other species unaffected. The competitive advantages of understorey vegetation in the young stand and larch in the mature stand were associated with their high stoichiometric homoeostasis. To maintain the N : P homoeostasis of these species, an increase in phosphatase activity but not P resorption efficiency increased the supply of P. Additionally, N addition accelerated P mineralization by decreasing the fungal-to-bacterial ratios and improved uptake of soil P by increasing the arbuscular mycorrhizas-to-ectomycorrhizas ratios. Our results suggest that plants with high stoichiometric homoeostasis could better cope with N deposition-induced P-deficiency. Although P resorption efficiency showed little plasticity in response, plants activated a variety of P-acquisition pathways to alleviate the P-deficiency caused by N deposition.

Effect of c-erbB2 overexpression on prognosis in osteosarcoma: evidence from eight studies.

C-erbB2 (HER-2/neu) plays an important role in the progression of several types of cancer by increasing tumor growth, migration, invasion, and metastasis and is associated with poor disease prognosis. Numerous studies examining the relationship between c-erbB2 expression and prognostic impact in patients with osteosarcoma have yielded inconclusive results. We therefore conducted a meta-analysis to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the prognostic role of c-erbB2 expression on 5-year survival, which compared the positive and negative expression of c-erbB2 in patients of the available studies. A detailed search was made in PubMed for relevant original articles published in English. Finally, a total of eight studies with 411 osteosarcoma patients were involved to estimate the relationship between c-erbB2 expression and 5-year overall survival. Positive expressions of c-erbB2 predicted poorer survival in osteosarcoma with the pooled RR of 1.53 (95 % CI 1.20-1.94, P = 0.0006). In conclusion, the findings from this present meta-analysis suggest that c-erbB2 overexpression is related to poor prognostic of osteosarcoma and can be a useful clinical prognostic factor for those patients.

Unilateral Biportal Endoscopy for the Resection of Thoracic Intradural Extramedullary Tumors: Technique Case Report and Literature Review.

This study describes a patient with an intradural extramedullary (IDEM) tumor removed entirely using the unilateral biportal endoscopic technique (UBE), achieving satisfactory clinical outcomes. A 60-year-old woman had a diagnosis of meningioma with sensations and motor dysfunction in the lower extremities and perineum and gait disturbances for three years, which has worsened over the last month. Preoperative imaging data showed a sizeable IDEM tumor at the T10 level, significantly compressing the thoracic spinal cord to the right side, with 80% intraspinal encroachment. The IDEM tumor was removed entirely by UBE surgery. To the best of our knowledge, this study may be the first to report the application of UBE techniques for IDEM tumor treatment. In this case, UBE provides a magnified and clear surgical field, greater maneuverability, and a less invasive surgical procedure. The procedure objectives were pathological confirmation, spinal cord decompression, and complete tumor removal; all were met. The patient was satisfied with her dramatically improved clinical symptoms. UBE may be an alternative surgical treatment option for benign IDEM tumors presenting with symptomatic, especially the non-giant lateral and posterior tumors.

Control of Fusarium Head Blight of Wheat with Bacillus velezensis E2 and Potential Mechanisms of Action.

Wheat plants are impacted by Fusarium head blight (FHB) infection, which poses a huge threat to wheat growth, development, storage and food safety. In this study, a fungal strain was isolated from diseased wheat plants and identified as Fusarium asiaticum F1, known to be a member of the Fusarium graminearum species complex, agents causally responsible for FHB. In order to control this disease, new alternatives need to be developed for the use of antagonistic bacteria. Bacillus velezensis E2 (B. velezensis E2), isolated from a previous investigation in our laboratory, showed a notable inhibitory effect on F. asiaticum F1 growth and deoxynivalenol (DON) synthesis in grains. The spore germination of F. asiaticum F1 was significantly reduced and the spores showed vesicular structures when treated with B. velezensis E2. Observations using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that the hyphae of F. asiaticum F1 were shrunken and broken when treated with B. velezensis E2. The RNA-seq results of F1 hyphae treated with B. velezensis E2 showed that differentially expressed genes (DEGs), which were involved in multiple metabolic pathways such as toxin synthesis, autophagy process and glycan synthesis, especially the genes associated with DON synthesis, were significantly downregulated. In summary, those results showed that B. velezensis E2 could inhibit F. asiaticum F1 growth and reduce the gene expression of DON synthesis caused by F1. This study provides new insights and antagonistic mechanisms for the biological control of FHB during wheat growth, development and storage.

Effect of Comprehensive Nursing Intervention on the Effect of CT-Guided Intravenous Thrombolysis in Acute Cerebral Infarction.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of comprehensive nursing intervention on the effect of CT-guided intravenous thrombolytic therapy for acute cerebral infarction. METHODS: 99 patients with acute cerebral infarction in the internal carotid artery system who were hospitalized in our department from December 2019 to December 2020 with an onset of 3-9 h were selected and randomly divided into two groups. All patients underwent multimode CT examinations and received rt-PA thrombolytic therapy. 52 patients with conventional care were included in the control group, and 47 patients with comprehensive nursing intervention were included in the observation group. The influence characteristics, Barthel score, serum MMP-9 level, and NIHSS score were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: After the comprehensive nursing intervention, the total efficiency, total satisfaction, psychological status, and Barthel score of the observation group were significantly higher than those of the control group (P < 0.05). The serum MMP-9 level and NIHSS score were significantly lower than those of the control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The use of comprehensive nursing interventions in the CT-guided intravenous thrombolysis treatment of ACI patients reduced the degree of neurological impairment, improved the therapeutic effect, increased nursing satisfaction, and enabled better control of the condition of patients with cerebral infarction, which is worth promoting research.

Mechanism of Long Noncoding RNA HOTAIR in Nucleus Pulposus Cell Autophagy and Apoptosis in Intervertebral Disc Degeneration.

OBJECTIVE: Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) contributes to cervical and lumbar diseases. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are implicated in IDD. This study explored the mechanism of lncRNA HOTAIR in IDD. METHODS: Normal and degenerative nucleus pulposus (NP) cells were isolated from NP tissues obtained in intervertebral disc surgery. Cell morphology was observed by immunocytochemistry staining and toluidine blue staining. NP cell markers were detected by RT-qPCR. Proliferation was detected by MTT assay. Autophagy-related proteins were detected by Western blot. Autophagosome was observed by monodansylcadaverine fluorescence staining. Apoptosis was detected by TUNEL staining and flow cytometry. si-HOTAIR and/or miR-148a inhibitor was introduced into degenerative NP cells. Binding relationships among HOTAIR, miR-148a, and PTEN were predicted and verified by dual-luciferase reporter assay and RNA pull-down. Finally, IDD rat models were established. Rat caudal intervertebral discs were assessed by HE staining. Expressions of HOTAIR, miR-148a, and PTEN were determined by RT-qPCR. RESULTS: HOTAIR was highly expressed in degenerative NP cells (p < 0.05). si-HOTAIR inhibited degenerative NP cell apoptosis and autophagy (p < 0.05). HOTAIR upregulated PTEN as a sponge of miR-148a. miR-148a was poorly expressed in degenerative NP cells. miR-148a deficiency partially reversed the inhibition of si-HOTAIR on degenerative NP cell autophagy and apoptosis (all p < 0.05). In vivo assay confirmed that si-HOTAIR impeded autophagy and apoptosis in intervertebral disc tissues, thus improving pathological injury in IDD rats (all p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: LncRNA HOTAIR promoted NP cell autophagy and apoptosis via promoting PTEN expression as a ceRNA of miR-148a in IDD.

Dexmedetomidine attenuates hippocampal neuroinflammation in postoperative neurocognitive disorders by inhibiting microRNA-329-3p and activating the CREB1/IL1RA axis.

RATIONALE: Due to its anti-inflammatory effect, dexmedetomidine (DEX) can confer neuroprotection in postoperative neurocognitive disorders (NCD). Here, the mechanism responsible for this effect of DEX is rarely ascertained. OBJECTIVES: Our research was implemented to figure out mechanism governing the protection of DEX against hippocampal neuroinflammation in postoperative NCD. METHODS: Exploratory laparotomy was applied for generating a postoperative NCD mouse model before bilateral hippocampal injection with microRNA (miR)-329-3p-agomir and intraperitoneal injection with DEX. Cognitive function of mice was evaluated by water maze test and fear conditioning test. Immunofluorescence was performed to assess microglial activation in hippocampus. After cell transfection and DEX treatment, mouse microglial cells (BV-2) were stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNF-α levels and the number of phagocytes were assessed by ELISA and flow cytometry. Dual-luciferase reporter assay was adopted to assess the relationship between miR-329-3p and CREB1. RESULTS: miR-329-3p expression was reduced in the postoperative NCD mice after DEX treatment. DEX treatment or miR-329-3p downregulation caused attenuated cognitive dysfunction and microglia activation as well as reduced IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNF-α levels in the hippocampus of the postoperative NCD mice. Mechanistically, miR-329-3p inversely targeted CREB1 that activated IL1RA in LPS-induced BV-2 cells. DEX treatment, miR-329-3p inhibition, or CREB1 or IL1RA upregulation curtailed the release of proinflammatory proteins and the number of phagocytes in LPS-induced BV-2 cells. CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, our data provided the novel insight of the neuroprotective mechanism of DEX in postoperative NCD pertaining to the miR-329-3p/CREB1/IL1RA axis.

Effect of ultrasonic melt processing and Al-Ti-B on the microstructural refinement of recycled Al alloys.

Refining the α-Al grain size and controlling the morphology of intermetallic phases during solidification of Al alloys using ultrasonic melt processing (USMP) and Al-Ti-B have been extensively used in academic and industry. While, their synergy effect on the formation of these phases has not yet clearly demonstrated. In this paper, the influence of USMP and Al-Ti-B on the solidified microstructure of multicomponent Al-4.5Cu-0.5Mn-0.5Mg-0.2Si-xFe alloys (x = 0.7, and 1.2 wt%) has been comparatively studied. The results show that the USMP + Al-Ti-B method produce a more profound refinement effect than the individual methods. In addition, the area of single Fe-rich phases in both alloys with USMP + Al-Ti-B are also refined compared with conventional methods. A mechanism is proposed for the refinement, which are the deagglomerated TiB2 parties induced by USMP providing more effective nucleation sites for α-Al, and the refined interdendritic regions limited the growth of Fe-rich phases in the following eutectic reaction. Finally, the application of combined USMP + Al-Ti-B methods is feasible in microstructural refinement, resulting in the improving the casting soundness and mechanical properties of alloys.

Role of microRNA-15a-5p/Sox9/NF-κB axis in inflammatory factors and apoptosis of murine nucleus pulposus cells in intervertebral disc degeneration.

OBJECTIVE: MicroRNAs are well-established players in post-transcriptional gene modulation. We aim to explore the role of microRNA-15a-5p (miR-15a-5p)/sex determining region Y-box 9 (Sox9)/nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) axis in inflammation and apoptosis of murine nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs) in intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD). METHODS: Expression levels of miR-15a-5p and Sox9 in disc tissues from IVDD patients were determined. The IVDD mouse models were established by disc puncture, and the modeled mice were accordingly injected with miR-15a-5p antagomir and/or overexpressed Sox9 plasmid, or their negative controls. Then, the expression of miR-15a-5p, Sox9 and p-p65, pathological changes and the apoptosis of NPCs in IVDD mouse intervertebral disc tissues were measured. The NPCs were isolated and cultured, which were then transfected with miR-15a-5p inhibitor, overexpressed or silenced Sox9 plasmids, or the NCs. Next, the expression of miR-15a-5p and Sox9, apoptosis, proliferation and cell cycle distribution of NPCs, and the contents of inflammatory factors in the NPCs were evaluated. RESULTS: MiR-15a-5p expression was increased while Sox9 expression was reduced in intervertebral disc tissues from IVDD patients and mice. Mouse NPCs were successfully isolated. The down-regulated miR-15a-5p could elevate Sox9 to activate p-p65 expression, suppress NPC apoptosis and inflammatory factor contents, promote proliferation of NPCs, and arrest the NPCs at S and G2/M phases. However, these effects could be reversed by silencing Sox9. CONCLUSION: Reduction of miR-15a-5p elevated Sox9 to inhibit the inflammatory response and apoptosis of NPCs in IVDD mice through the NF-κB pathway. This study may be helpful for IVDD treatment.