LncRNA NEAT1 sponges miR-214 to promoted tumor growth in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Live cancer is the sixth most prevalent diagnosed malignant tumor and the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the main histological type of liver cancer. Here, we attempt to evaluate the role of long non coding RNA NEAT1 in HCC, and explore its potential mechanism in this disease. Initially, we detected the expression of NEAT1 in HCC cell lines (SMMC-7721 and Huh7 cells) using qRT-PCR. Then we transfected si-NC or si-NEAT1 into SMMC-7721 and Huh7 cells by RNA interference. CCK-8 assay, transwell assay, flow cytometry, qRT-PCR and western blotting were used to evaluate the role of NEAT1 in the biological behavior of SMMC-7721 and Huh7 cells. The rescue experiment, RIP assay and MeRIP were devoted to the underlying mechanism. NEAT1 expression level was significantly elevated in SMMC-7721 and Huh7 cells. Knockdown of NEAT1 inhibited proliferation and migration, induced apoptosis of HCC cell lines. NEAT1 serves as a sponge for miR-214. Besides, PSMB8 was a direct target of miR-214. Furthermore, ALKBH5 could up-regulate NEAT1 expression by inhibiting m6A enrichment. ALKBH5-induced NEAT1 promoted cell proliferation and migration of HCC by sponging miR-214 in vitro, which may provide a potential therapeutic target for HCC.

Immediate Resection and Reconstruction of Encephalocele in the Craniofacial Region.

INTRODUCTION: Congenital meningoencephalocele is a herniation of brain and meninges through a skull base defect. It may result not only in neural defects, sensorimotor deficits, neurological morbidities, visual impairment, impaired nasal function, and a potential risk of intracranial infection. Goals of surgery include removal or repositioning of nonfunctional cerebral tissue, closure of the dura, and reconstruction of skeletal and cutaneous structures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The authors present the case of a 4-months-old infant who was found to have a frontoethmoidal encephalomeningocele that was only discovered after birth, the volume increased gradually. After multiple department discussions, the procedures were planned in 2-staged surgical protocol comprising of the first stage urgently performed by neurosurgeon and craniomaxillofacial surgeon, which aimed at removal or repositioning of nonfunctional cerebral tissue, closure of the dura, and reconstruction of skeletal; then second stage was performed by plastic surgeon to correct craniofacial hard and soft tissue deformities. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The surgical procedures for frontoethmoidal encephalomeningocele are complicated, particularly for the infant. In order to achieve the final surgical purpose, it needs multiple department cooperation to make the surgical plans.

M2a Macrophage-Secreted CHI3L1 Promotes Extracellular Matrix Metabolic Imbalances via Activation of IL-13Rα2/MAPK Pathway in Rat Intervertebral Disc Degeneration.

The accumulation of macrophages in degenerated discs is a common phenomenon. However, the roles and mechanisms of M2a macrophages in intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) have not been illuminated. This study investigated the expression of the M2a macrophage marker (CD206) in human and rat intervertebral disc tissues by immunohistochemistry. To explore the roles of M2a macrophages in IDD, nucleus pulposus (NP) cells were co-cultured with M2a macrophages in vitro. To clarify whether the CHI3L1 protein mediates the effect of M2a macrophages on NP cells, siRNA was used to knock down CHI3L1 transcription. To elucidate the underlying mechanisms, NP cells were incubated with recombinant CHI3L1 proteins, then subjected to western blotting analysis of the IL-13Rα2 receptor and MAPK pathway. CD206-positive cells were detected in degenerated human and rat intervertebral disc tissues. Notably, M2a macrophages promoted the expression of catabolism genes (MMP-3 and MMP-9) and suppressed the expression of anabolism genes (aggrecan and collagen II) in NP cells. These effects were abrogated by CHI3L1 knockdown in M2a macrophages. Exposure to recombinant CHI3L1 promoted an extracellular matrix metabolic imbalance in NP cells via the IL-13Rα2 receptor, along with activation of the ERK and JNK MAPK signaling pathways. This study elucidated the roles of M2a macrophages in IDD and identified potential mechanisms for these effects.

Clinical efficacy and application value of percutaneous interventional treatment for / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Objective    To investigate the clinical efficacy and application value of percutaneous interventional treatment for structural heart diseases under guidance of ultrasound. Methods    The clinical data of 1 010 patients with structural heart diseases treated by transcutaneous ultrasound-guided occlusion in our hospital from December 2, 2015 to December 31, 2019 were retrospectively reviewed, including 360 males and 650 females, aged 1-50 years. There were 692 patients of atrial septal defect (603 with central type, 9 combined with arterial catheter, 80 with ethmoid type), 116 patent foramen ovale, 25 ventricular septal defects (3 combined with atrial septal defect), 132 patent ductus arteriosus, 32 pulmonary valve stenosis (3 combined with atrial defect), 1 main pulmonary artery window, and 3 aneurysm rupture of aortic sinus. All patients were diagnosed by transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) before operation. Treatment was accomplished intraoperatively through TTE or transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) via the femoral artery or femoral vein. After operation, echocardiography, electrocardiogram and chest radiograph were reexamined. Results    Satisfactory results were obtained in 1 005 patients, and 1 patient failed to seal the ventricular defect and was repaired under direct vision, occluder detachment occurred in 5 patients after operation (3 patients of atrial septal defects underwent thoracotomy for Amplatzer device and were repaired, 1 patient of atrial septal defects was closed after removing Amplatzer device, 1 patient of patent ductus arteriosus underwent thoracotomy for Amplatzer device and was sutured), mild pulmonary valve regurgitation occurred after balloon dilation in 2 patients with pulmonary stenosis, a small amount  of residual shunt was found in 2 patients with ventricular defect, which disappeared after 3 months of follow-up, and 1 patient of right bundle branch block occurred and disappeared after 1 week. After follow-up of 1-24 months, 3 patients of ethmoidal atrial septal defect were reexamined with mild shunt. The occluder was in good position and the pressure difference of pulmonary valve was significantly reduced. There was no complication such as hemolysis, arrhythmia, embolism or rupture of chordae tendinae. Conclusion    Percutaneous transfemoral artery and vein guided by TTE or TEE is safe and effective, with little trauma, no radiation or contrast agent damage, and has significant clinical efficacy and application values.

Efficacy analysis of esophageal ultrasound-guided percutaneous femoral artery closure for ventricular septal defect / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Objective    To investigate the effectiveness and safety of esophageal ultrasound-guided percutaneous femoral artery closure of ventricular septal defect (VSD). Methods    The clinical data of 24 patients with congenital VSD in our hospital from March 2017 to December 2019 were retrospectively analyzed, including 6 males and 18 females, with a median age of 12 (3-42) years, weight of 32 (12-91) kg, and VSD diameter of 4 (3-7) mm. There were 3 patients with VSD combined with atrial septal defect. Results    Twenty-four patients successfully underwent interventional closure of percutaneous femoral artery under esophageal ultrasound guidance, and the position and shape of the occluders were good. The operation time was 45 (39-54) min, and the waist size of the occluders was 7 (5-12) mm. Among the patients, 14 patients used symmetric ventricular occlusion devices, 8 patients used asymmetric ventricular occlusion devices, and 2 patients used ventricular occlusion muscle occluders. Small amount of residual shunt occurred in 2 patients after the operation and it disappeared 3 months after the operation. One patient with right bundle branch block, which disappeared after 1 week of observation. There were no complications such as occluder closure, pericardial effusion or valve regurgitation during the perioperative period. During the follow-up period [3-18 (9.25±5.04) months], no serious complication occurred. Conclusion    Transesophageal ultrasound-guided transfemoral artery occlusion for VSD is simple and safe, and it avoids the damage of radiation and contrast medium. It has advantages over traditional percutaneous interventional occlusion therapy.

Aromatization of natural products by a specialized detoxification enzyme.

In plants, lineage-specific metabolites can be created by activities derived from the catalytic promiscuity of ancestral proteins, although examples of recruiting detoxification systems to biosynthetic pathways are scarce. The ubiquitous glyoxalase (GLX) system scavenges the cytotoxic methylglyoxal, in which GLXI isomerizes the α-hydroxy carbonyl in the methylglyoxal-glutathione adduct for subsequent hydrolysis. We show that GLXIs across kingdoms are more promiscuous than recognized previously and can act as aromatases without cofactors. In cotton, a specialized GLXI variant, SPG, has lost its GSH-binding sites and organelle-targeting signal, and evolved to aromatize cyclic sesquiterpenes bearing α-hydroxyketones to synthesize defense compounds in the cytosol. Notably, SPG is able to transform acetylated deoxynivalenol, the prevalent mycotoxin contaminating cereals and foods. We propose that detoxification enzymes are a valuable source of new catalytic functions and SPG, a standalone enzyme catalyzing complex reactions, has potential for toxin degradation, crop engineering and design of novel aromatics.

Efficacy and safety of ultrasound-guided percutaneous retrograde closure of patent ductus arteriosus / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Objective    To evaluate the efficacy and safety of transcatheter closure of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) with transthoracic echocardiography (TTE). Methods    From February 2016 to November 2018, 98 patients of pure PDA were selected, including 43 patients of funnel type and 55 patients of tube type. There were 38 males and 60 females at age of 2-48 (9.8±10.4) years. All patients underwent TTE-guided retrograde closure of the PDA through the femoral artery to establish a femoral-abdominal aorta-thoracic aorta-ductus arteriosus-aorta-right ventricle trajectory.Under the guidance of TTE, a suitable closure umbrella was placed through the femoral artery. One month, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months after the surgery, the patients received out-patient clinical follow-up. Results    Ninety eight patients were successfully occluded by TTE. The occluder was replaced many times in an adult PDA patient, but finally it was successfully plugged. The operation time was 33.2±5.8 min. The lumbar diameter was 12±6 mm. And the postoperative murmur disappeared. Ultrasound showed no shunt between the aorta and the pulmonary artery, and the postoperative hospital stay was 3-4 days. No shunt signal was found in 1, 3, 6, 12 months follow-up. Left atrial anteroposterior diameter (25.8±6.1 mm vs. 30.6±8.4 mm) and left ventricular end diastolic diameter (38.5±9.1 mm vs. 45.2±11.5 mm) were significantly smaller (P < 0.05). Conclusion    TTE-guided transcatheter closure of PDA via femoral artery is a safe and effective method to avoid the damage of X-ray and contrast medium. The prospect of clinical application is good.

Evaluation of the effectiveness of transcatheter closure of fenestrated atrial septal defect via femoral vein under ultrasound guidance / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Objective     To introduce the application of transcatheter closure of multi-fenestrated atrial septal defect (ASD) via femoral vein under ultrasound guidance with amplatzer cribriform occluder (ACO) and atrial septal defect occluder (ASDO), as well as to assess its feasibility, effectiveness and safety. Methods     The clinical data of 48 patients with fenestrated ASD occluded via femoral vein under ultrasound guidance from December 2015 to May 2018 in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed, including 17 males and 31 females, aged 10 months to 51 years, an average of 11.50±13.86 years, and weighting 6-79 (27.00±20.14) kg. Among 48 patients with fenestrated ASD, 12 patients had double-foramen and 13 atrial septal aneurysm combined with defects and 23 multi-foramen. All patients underwent transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) or transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) to complete the closure of fenestrated ASD. Ultrasound, electrocardiogram and chest X-ray were reviewed the next day after surgery to evaluate the curative effect. Results     Forty-eight patients with ASD were treated with 49 occluders, due to one patient with two occluders. There were 29 ASDO (8-26 mm) and 20 ACO (18-34 mm). During the operation, TTE/TEE examination showed that 48 patients were completely occluded, 13 patients showed fine bundle shunt in the unreleased push notification rod, and 9 patients had fine bundle shunt after the release of push notification rod. Fine bundle shunt was found in 8 patients 24 hours after operation, and microshunt was found in 3 patients 1 year after operation. All the patients were followed up. The occluder position was good. The right heart was reduced in different degrees, and the X-ray showed that the pulmonary blood was reduced in different degrees. No arrhythmia was found by electrocardiogram after operation. Conclusion     It is a safe and effective method to use ACO and ASDO to occlude ASD through femoral approach under ultrasound guidance.

Clinical study of transcervical occlusion of patent ductus arteriosus via femoral artery guided by ultrasound / 中国医师杂志

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) guided by transcatheter closure of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) through the femoral artery.Methods From February 2016 to December 2017,53 patients with simple PDA were selected,the funnel type in 30 cases,cast type in 23 cases.All patients were guided by TTE and transcatheter closure of PDA through the femoral artery.The femoral artery was guided by TTE by establishing the orbit of the femoral artery-catheter-pulmonary artery to the right ventricle.The right ventricular septal defect was placed under the femoral artery approach,and the therapeutic effect was evaluated by echocardiography after occlusion.The outpatient visits were made at 1,3,and 6 months after operation.Results PDA closure was successfully completed under TTE guidance in 53 patients.In one adult PDA,the ultrasonic diagnosis of the inner diameter of the catheter was incorrect due to the image quality,which resulted in the replacement of the occluded device several times,but the occlusion was successful.The operative time was (30 ± 10)min.And the back diameter of the transcatheter closure device was (12 ± 6) mm and the murmur of the transmission sheath disappeared.There was no shunt between the main pulmonary artery and the main pulmonary artery,and the length of hospitalization was 3-4 days.No shunt signal was found at 1,3 and 6 months follow-up.Left atrial diameter (LAD) [(25.8 ± 6.1) mm vs (30.6 ± 8.4) mm] and left ventricular end diastolic diameter (LVEDD) [(38.5 ±9.1)mm vs (45.2 ± 11.5)mm],were decreased significantly (P ＜0.05).Conclusions It is safe and effective to block PDA by using femoral artery approach under the guidance of TTE,which avoids the damage of X-ray and contrast agent,and its prospect of clinical application is promising.

[Dynamic changes in vegetation NDVI from 1982 to 2012 and its responses to climate change and human activities in Xinjiang, China].

Vegetation plays an important role in regulating the terrestrial carbon balance and the climate system, and also overwhelmingly dominates the provisioning of ecosystem services. Therefore, it has significance to monitor the growth of vegetation. Based on AVHRR GIMMS NDVI and MODIS NDVI datasets, we analyzed the spatiotemporal patterns of change in NDVI and their linkage with climate change and human activity from 1982 to 2012 in the typical arid region, Xinjiang of northwestern China, at pixel and regional scales. At regional scale, although a statistically significant positive trend of growing season NDVI with a rate of 4.09 x 10⁻4· a⁻¹ was found during 1982-2012, there were two distinct periods with opposite trends in growing season NDVI before and after 1998, respectively. NDVI in growing season first significantly increased with a rate of 10 x 10⁻4· a⁻¹ from 1982 to 1998, and then decreased with a rate of -3 x 10⁻4· a⁻¹ from 1998 to 2012. The change in trend of NDVI from increase to decrease mainly occurred in summer, followed by autumn, and the reversal wasn't observed in spring. At pixel scale, the NDVI in farmland significantly increased; the NDVI changes in the growing season and all seasons showed polarization: Areas with significant change mostly increased in size as the NDVI record grown in length. The rate of increase in size of areas with significantly decreasing NDVI was larger than that with significantly increasing NDVI, which led to the NDVI increase obviously slowing down or stopping at regional scale. The vegetation growth in the study area was regulated by both climate change and human activity. Temperature was the most important driving factor in spring and autumn, whereas precipitation in summer. Extensive use of fertilizers and increased farmland irrigated area promoted the vegetation growth. However, the rapid increase in the proportion of cotton cultivation and use of drip irrigation might reduce spring NDVI in the part of farmlands, and the increase in stocking levels of livestock might lead to a decrease in NDVI in some grasslands.

[Epidemiology and related factor analysis of visual fatigue in university students of Haidian District of Beijing].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze and explore the epidemiological characteristicss and related factors for visual fatigue among university students in Haidian District of Beijing. METHODS: The investigation with questionnaires was conducted in 2 246 undergraduates and postgraduates from four universities in Haidian District by multi-level stratified cluster sampling. Factor analysis and multivariate Logistic regression model were conducted to explore the related factors for visual fatigue. RESULTS: Among the university students, the total prevalence rate of visual fatigue was 64.9%, and the prevalence rates of males, females, undergraduates and postgraduates were 65.1%, 64.7%, 58.9% and 75.7%, respectively. The result of multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that bad living environment conditions, improper computer use and bad health status were significantly associated with increased risk of visual fatigue, the ORs (95% CI) were 1.185 (1.078, 1.302), 1.490 (1.355, 1.640) and 1.323 (1.182, 1.481), respectively; good sleep and mental status, good psycho-social state, and good factors of habits and diets might be protective against visual fatigue, the ORs (95% CI) were 0.691 (0.628, 0.760), 0.793 (0.720, 0.873) and 0.649 (0.587, 0.717), respectively. CONCLUSION: The university students showed higher prevalence rate of visual fatigue. Psychological state, environment, health status, diets and habits were related to the development of visual fatigue. Health education should be strengthened among university students to prevent the adverse effects of visual fatigue on their health.