A ferroptosis-related ceRNA network for investigating the molecular mechanisms and the treatment of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.

Background: Neonatal hypoxic-ischemic brain damage (HIBD) is a clinical syndrome causing brain injury in newborns with obscure etiology. Increasing evidence suggests that ferroptosis plays a role in HIBD. This study aimed to clarify the key ferroptosis-related genes (FRGs) of HIBD, construct a long non-coding RNA-microRNA-messenger RNA (lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA) network, and further investigate the pathogenesis of HIBD. Methods: Gene expression data were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus and FerrDb databases. The differentially expressed lncRNAs and FRGs were screened, and the related miRNAs and mRNAs were predicted. The obtained mRNA was intersected with the differentially expressed FRGs (DE-FRGs) to identify the key DE-FRGs. Cell-type Identification by Estimating Relative Subsets of RNA Transcripts method was applied to analyze the immune cell infiltration level and the relationship between key genes and immune cells. Results: Gene differential expression analysis revealed that 1,178 lncRNAs, 207 miRNAs, and 647 mRNAs were differentially expressed in the blood of HIBD patients in comparison to healthy controls. The correlations of the lncRNAs, miRNAs, and mRNAs lead to the establishment of a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network associated with ferroptosis in HIBD. Further validation using an external dataset and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of brain tissues from hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy rats confirmed the expression patterns of three key genes, including HMOX1, MYCN, and QSOX1. Meanwhile, the three key genes were closely correlated with the infiltration of multiple immune cells and might affect the function of HIBD regulatory genes such as CPT2 and GCK. In addition, drug prediction suggested that four drugs, including cephaeline, emetine, mestranol, and sulmazole, might alleviate HIBD. Conclusions: Our study established a ceRNA network, identified three key genes, and predicted four drugs that are associated with ferroptosis in HIBD, which provides new ideas for the investigation of the disease mechanisms and might facilitate the diagnosis and treatment of the disease.

The Relationship between the Characteristics of Tinnitus and the Hearing Curative Effect of Sudden Deafness.

BACKGROUND: Tinnitus is the most common complication of sudden deafness. There are many studies on tinnitus and tinnitus as a prognostic factor for sudden deafness. SUMMARY: We collected 285 cases (330 ears) of sudden deafness to investigate the relationship between tinnitus psychoacoustic characteristics and the hearing curative effective rate. The hearing curative effective rate was analyzed and compared between the patients whether it is accompanied by tinnitus, with different tinnitus frequency and different tinnitus loudness. KEY MESSAGES: Patients with tinnitus frequency (125-2,000 Hz) and no tinnitus have better hearing efficacy, and those with high frequency tinnitus (3,000-8,000 Hz) have worse hearing efficacy. Test the tinnitus frequency of patients in the initial stage of sudden deafness has some guiding significance for the evaluation of hearing prognosis.

Adding sacral anchors through an S1 alar screw and multirod construct as a strategy for lumbosacral junction augmentation: an in vitro comparison to S1 pedicle screws alone with sacroiliac fixation.

OBJECTIVE: Achieving solid fusion of the lumbosacral junction continues to be a challenge in long-segment instrumentation to the sacrum. The purpose of this study was to test the condition of adding sacral anchors through an S1 alar screw (S1AS) and multirod construct relative to using S1 pedicle screws (S1PSs) alone with sacroiliac fixation in lumbosacral junction augmentation. METHODS: Seven fresh-frozen human lumbar-pelvic spine cadaveric specimens were tested under nondestructive moments (7.5 Nm). The ranges of motion (ROMs) in extension, flexion, left and right lateral bending (LB), and axial rotation (AR) of instrumented segments (L3-S1); the lumbosacral region (L5-S1); and the adjacent segment (L2-3) were measured, and the axial construct stiffness (ACS) was recorded. The testing conditions were 1) intact; 2) bilateral pedicle screw (BPS) fixation at L3-S1 (S1PS alone); 3) BPS and unilateral S2 alar iliac screw (U-S2AIS) fixation; 4) BPS and unilateral S1AS (U-S1AS) fixation; 5) BPS and bilateral S2AIS (B-S2AIS) fixation; and 6) BPS and bilateral S1AS (B-S1AS) fixation. Accessory rods were used in testing conditions 3-6. RESULTS: In all directions, the ROMs of L5-S1 and L3-S1 were significantly reduced in B-S1AS and B-S2AIS conditions, compared with intact and S1PS alone. There was no significant difference in reduction of the ROMs of L5-S1 between B-S1ASs and B-S2AISs. Greater decreased ROMs of L3-S1 in extension and AR were detected with B-S2AISs than with B-S1ASs. Both B-S1ASs and B-S2AISs significantly increased the ACS compared with S1PSs alone. The ACS of B-S2AISs was significantly greater than that of B-S1ASs, but with greater increased ROMs of L2-3 in extension. CONCLUSIONS: Adding sacral anchors through S1ASs and a multirod construct was as effective as sacropelvic fixation in lumbosacral junction augmentation. The ACS was less than the sacropelvic fixation but with lower ROMs of the adjacent segment. The biomechanical effects of using S1ASs in the control of long-instrumented segments were moderate (better than S1PSs alone but worse than sacropelvic fixation). This strategy is appropriate for patients requiring advanced lumbosacral fixation, and the risk of sacroiliac joint violation can be avoided.

Extrusion Printed Silk Fibroin Scaffolds with Post-mineralized Calcium Phosphate as a Bone Structural Material.

Artificial bone materials are of high demand due to the frequent occurrence of bone damage from trauma, disease, and ageing. Three-dimensional (3D) printing can tailor-make structures and implants based on biomaterial inks, rendering personalized bone medicine possible. Herein, we extrusion-printed 3D silk fibroin (SF) scaffolds using mixed inks from SF and sodium alginate (SA), and post-mineralized various calcium phosphates to make hybrid SF scaffolds. The effects of printing conditions and mineralization conditions on the mechanical properties of SF scaffolds were investigated. The SF scaffolds from ~10 wt% SF ink exhibited a compressive modulus of 240 kPa, which was elevated to ~1600 kPa after mineralization, showing a significant reinforcement effect. Importantly, the mineralized SF 3D scaffolds exhibited excellent MC3T3-E1 cell viability and promoted osteogenesis. The work demonstrates a convenient strategy to fabricate SF-based hybrid 3D scaffolds with bone-mimetic components and desirable mechanical properties for bone tissue engineering.

A nomogram for predicting screw loosening after single-level posterior lumbar interbody fusion utilizing cortical bone trajectory screw: A minimum 2-year follow-up study.

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the risk factors for screw loosening after single-level posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) utilizing cortical bone trajectory (CBT) screw and establish a nomogram for predicting screw loosening. Methods: A total of 79 patients (316 screws) who underwent single-level PLIF with CBT screw were included in the study. Preoperative, postoperative, and final follow-up demographic data, surgical data, and radiographic parameters were documented and analyzed to identify risk factors, and a predictive nomogram was established for screw loosening. The nomogram was assessed by concordance index (C-index), calibration plot, decision curve analysis (DCA), and internal validation. Results: The incidence of screw loosening was 26.6% in 79 patients and 11.4% in 316 screws. Multifactorial regression analysis confirmed that fixed to S1 (FS1, OR = 3.82, 95% CI 1.12-12.71, P = 0.029), the coronal angle of the screw (CA, OR = 1.07, 95% CI 1.01-1.14, P = 0.039), and cortical bone contacted layers (CBCLs, OR = 0.17, 95% CI 0.10-0.29, P < 0.001) were risk factors and incorporated in the nomogram for predicting screw loosening after single-level PLIF with a CBT screw. The C-index of the nomogram was 0.877 (95% CI 0.818-0.936), which demonstrated good predictive accuracy. The calibration plot indicated an acceptable calibration of the nomogram that also had a positive benefit in guiding treatment decisions. Conclusion: FS1, CA, and CBCLs are identified to be significant risk factors for screw loosening after single-level PLIF with the CBT technique. The nomogram we have established can be used to predict screw loosening and contribute to surgical decisions.

Balloon Eustachian Tuboplasty and Grommet Insertion: A Combined Surgical Treatment for Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media with Eustachian Tube Dysfunction.

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of Balloon Eustachian tuboplasty (BET) and grommet insertion in patients having chronic suppurative otitis media combined with eustachian tube dysfunction (CSOM-ETD). Methods: We evaluated the data of CSOM-ETD patients (n = 96) from January 2019 to January 2021, who were divided into the following groups: 48 cases underwent BET (BET group) and 48 cases underwent BET plus Grommet insertion (BET + Grommet group). The air-bone gap (ABG), Eustachian Tube Dysfunction Questionnaire (ETDQ-7) score, Eustachian tube inflammation scale, Chronic Otitis Media Outcome Test 15 (COMOT-15), Valsalva maneuver, and patient satisfaction were evaluated after surgery. Results: The postoperative ABG in the BET + Grommet group was better than that in the BET. In addition, the ABG was improved obviously in the BET + Grommet group at 6 and 12 months after the corresponding surgery. Moreover, the Eustachian tube inflammation scale, ETDQ-7, and COMOT-15 scores were reduced after the treatment with the combination of BET and Grommet insertion at 6 and 12 months. The postoperative ETDQ-7 score, Eustachian tube inflammation scale, and COMOT-15 score were lower in the BET + Grommet group than that in the BET group. The percentage of patients who could perform a positive Valsalva maneuver was significantly higher in the BET + Grommet group than that in the BET group at 6 months and 12 months after surgery with increased patient satisfaction. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that BET plus Grommet insertion showed better treatment efficacy for patients with CSOM-ETD than BET alone via improving the Eustachian tube function hearing outcome and quality of life with less Eustachian tube inflammation.

Chromosome-Scale, Haplotype-Resolved Genome Assembly of Non-Sex-Reversal Females of Swamp Eel Using High-Fidelity Long Reads and Hi-C Data.

The Asian swamp eel (Monopterus albus) is an excellent model species for studying sex change and chromosome evolution. M. albus is also widely reared in East Asia and South-East Asia because of its great nutritional value. The low fecundity of this species (about 300 eggs per fish) greatly hinders fries production and breeding programs. Interestingly, about 3-5% of the eels could remain as females for 3 years and lay more than 3,000 eggs per fish, which are referred to as non-sex-reversal (NSR) females. Here, we presented a new chromosome-level genome assembly of such NSR females using Illumina, HiFi, and Hi-C sequencing technologies. The new assembly (Mal.V2_NSR) is 838.39 Mb in length, and the N50 of the contigs is 49.8 Mb. Compared with the previous assembly obtained using the continuous long-read sequencing technology (Mal.V1_CLR), we found a remarkable increase of continuity in the new assembly Mal.V2_NSR with a 20-times longer contig N50. Chromosomes 2 and 12 were assembled into a single contig, respectively. Meanwhile, two highly contiguous haplotype assemblies were also obtained, with contig N50 being 14.54 and 12.13 Mb, respectively. BUSCO and Merqury analyses indicate completeness and high accuracy of these three assemblies. A comparative genomic analysis revealed substantial structural variations (SVs) between Mal.V2_NSR and Mal.V1_CLR and two phased haplotype assemblies, as well as whole chromosome fusion events when compared with the zig-zag eel. Additionally, our newly obtained assembly provides a genomic view of sex-related genes and a complete landscape of the MHC genes. Therefore, these high-quality genome assemblies would provide great help for future breeding works of the swamp eel, and it is a valuable new reference for genetic and genomic studies of this species.

Accuracy and safety of robot-assisted cortical bone trajectory screw placement: a comparison of robot-assisted technique with fluoroscopy-assisted approach.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the safety and accuracy of cortical bone trajectory screw placement between the robot-assisted and fluoroscopy-assisted approaches. METHODS: This retrospective study was conducted between November 2018 and June 2020, including 81 patients who underwent cortical bone trajectory (CBT) surgery for degenerative lumbar spine disease. CBT was performed by the same team of experienced surgeons. The patients were randomly divided into two groups-the fluoroscopy-assisted group (FA, 44 patients) and the robot-assisted group (RA, 37 patients). Robots for orthopedic surgery were used in the robot-assisted group, whereas conventional fluoroscopy-guided screw placement was used in the fluoroscopy-assisted group. The accuracy of screw placement and rate of superior facet joint violation were assessed using postoperative computed tomography (CT). The time of single screw placement, intraoperative blood loss, and radiation exposure to the surgical team were also recorded. The χ2 test and Student's t-test were used to analyze the significance of the variables (P < 0.05). RESULTS: A total of 376 screws were inserted in 81 patients, including 172 screws in the robot-assisted group and 204 pedicle screws in the fluoroscopy-assisted group. Screw placement accuracy was higher in the RA group (160, 93%) than in the FA group (169, 83%) (P = 0.003). The RA group had a lower violation of the superior facet joint than the FA group. The number of screws reaching grade 0 in the RA group (58, 78%) was more than that in the FA group (56, 64%) (P = 0.041). Screw placement time was longer in the FA group (7.25 ± 0.84 min) than in the RA group (5.58 ± 1.22 min, P < 0.001). The FA group had more intraoperative bleeding (273.41 ± 118.20 ml) than the RA group (248.65 ± 97.53 ml, P = 0.313). The radiation time of the FA group (0.43 ± 0.07 min) was longer than the RA group (0.37 ± 0.10 min, P = 0.001). Furthermore, the overall learning curve tended to decrease. CONCLUSIONS: Robot-assisted screw placement improves screw placement accuracy, shortens screw placement time, effectively improves surgical safety and efficiency, and reduces radiation exposure to the surgical team. In addition, the learning curve of robot-assisted screw placement is smooth and easy to operate.

Clinical value of the Eustachian Tube Function Scoring System T-ETDQ: a prospective diagnostic study.

PURPOSE: Tubomanometry (TMM) and the seven-item Eustachian Tube Dysfunction Questionnaire (ETDQ-7) was integrated to establish the Tubomanometry Eustachian Tube Dysfunction Questionnaire (T-ETDQ), and its reliability, potential clinical application, and diagnostic value for Eustachian tube function were investigated. METHODS: This prospective diagnostic study included patients visiting the ENT Department of our Hospital, between April and June 2021. Patients were grouped into Eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD) and control groups according to tympanometry diagnosis results. The diagnostic value of the T-ETDQ was evaluated using receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. RESULTS: There were 48 patients with Obstructive ETD and 24 patients without. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of T-ETDQ was 0.898 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.826-0.969), and the highest sensitivity and specificity were 76.7% and 86.7% respectively when the positive cutoff value was 4.72. The AUC of Eustachian tube score (ETS) was 0.731 (95% CI 0.625-0.837) and the highest sensitivity and specificity were 48.3% and 90.0% respectively when the positive cut-off value was 4.5. The ETS and T-ETDQ had kappa values of 0.311 and 0.585, respectively (P < 0.001 for both), showing both methods were comparable to tympanometry; however, T-ETDQ had more consistent results than ETS. CONCLUSION: T-ETDQ can effectively quantify and evaluate ETD severity in adults, has a higher diagnostic value than ETS, making it a suitable diagnostic tool.

The Complete Mitochondrial Genome of One Breeding Strain of Asian Swamp Eel (Monopterus albus, Zuiew 1793) Using PacBio and Illumina Sequencing Technologies and Phylogenetic Analysis in Synbranchiformes.

Asian swamp eel (Monopterus albus, Zuiew 1793) is a commercially important fish due to its nutritional value in Eastern and Southeastern Asia. One local strain of M. albus distributed in the Jianghan Plain of China has been subjected to a selection breeding program because of its preferred body color and superiority of growth and fecundity. Some members of the genus Monopterus have been reclassified into other genera recently. These classifications require further phylogenetic analyses. In this study, the complete mitochondrial genomes of the breeds of M. albus were decoded using both PacBio and Illumina sequencing technologies, then phylogenetic analyses were carried out, including sampling of M. albus at five different sites and 14 species of Synbranchiformes with complete mitochondrial genomes. The total length of the mitogenome is 16,621 bp, which is one nucleotide shorter than that of four mitogenomes of M. albus sampled from four provinces in China, as well as one with an unknown sampling site. The gene content, gene order, and overall base compositions are almost identical to the five reported ones. The results of maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference analyses of the complete mitochondrial genome and 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs) were consistent. The phylogenetic trees indicated that the selecting breed formed the deepest branch in the clade of all Asian swamp eels, confirmed the phylogenetic relationships of four genera of the family Synbranchidae, also providing systematic phylogenetic relationships for the order Synbranchiformes. The divergence time analyses showed that all Asian swamp eels diverged about 0.49 million years ago (MYA) and their common ancestor split from other species about 45.96 MYA in the middle of the Miocene epoch. Altogether, the complete mitogenome of this breed of M. albus would serve as an important dataset for germplasm identification and breeding programs for this species, in addition to providing great help in identifying the phylogenetic relationships of the order Synbranchiformes.

Dual Response of Photonic Films with Chiral Nematic Cellulose Nanocrystals: Humidity and Formaldehyde.

Manipulating functional stimuli-responsive materials has been a hot topic in the research of smart sensors and anticounterfeiting encryption. Here, a novel functional chiral nematic cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) film showing dual responsiveness to humidity and formaldehyde gas was fabricated. The chiral nematic CNC iridescent film could respond to environmental humidity and formaldehyde gas changes by reversible motion. Interestingly, the humidity sensitivity of the CNC iridescent film could be gated by exposing the film to formaldehyde gas. At the same time, the formaldehyde-responsive behavior is strongly affected by the relative humidity (RH), and the response range could be tuned by changing the RH over a wide range. Importantly, the formaldehyde-induced color change could be altered from invisible to visible by the naked eye when the film was exposed to a humid environment. The mechanism of this dual response of the CNC iridescent film is ascribed to the synergistic effect of cooperation and competition between water and formaldehyde molecules by constructing physical cross-linking networks by hydrogen bonds among water, formaldehyde, and CNCs. Furthermore, the "RH-concentration of formaldehyde gas-color" ternary colorimetric system was simulated, which is thought to endow the CNC iridescent film with great potential to act as a sensor in the convenient visible detection of gaseous formaldehyde. Furthermore, this work provided a promising strategy to design multi-gas-sensitive devices with convenient detection, good stability, and excellent reversibility.

Overexpression of Forkhead Box M1 transcription factor and nuclear factor-κB in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma: a potential indicator for poor prognosis.

The Forkhead Box M1 transcription factor and nuclear factor-κB have been shown to play important roles in the development and progression of human cancers. However, the functional significance of Forkhead Box M1 transcription factor in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma and the correlation between Forkhead Box M1 transcription factor and nuclear factor-κB remain unclear. In the current study, we have shown that Forkhead Box M1 transcription factor and nuclear factor-κB were significantly overexpressed in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma tissues and precancerous lesions, compared with adjacent normal tissues (both P < .001). The overexpression of Forkhead Box M1 transcription factor was significantly associated with histologic differentiation (rs = 0.321, P = .002), T stage (rs = 0.276, P = .009), lymph node metastasis (rs = 0.266, P = .012), and clinical stage (rs = 0.272, P = .010); overexpression of nuclear factor-κB was significantly associated with T stage (rs = 0.404, P < .001), lymph node metastasis (rs = 0.293, P = .005), and clinical stage (rs = 0.425, P < .001). Overexpressions of both Forkhead Box M1 transcription factor and nuclear factor-κB were associated with worse overall survival (P = .041 and P < .001, respectively). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that T stage, lymph node metastasis, and nuclear factor-κB were independent prognostic factors for laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (P = .038, P = .014, and P = .005, respectively). Furthermore, a significant correlation was observed between Forkhead Box M1 transcription factor and nuclear factor-κB (rs = 0.683, P < .001), indicating the potential direct or indirect interaction between them. In conclusion, our results suggest that overexpressions of Forkhead Box M1 transcription factor and nuclear factor-κB and the possible interaction between them may play important roles in the development and progression of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma, and Forkhead Box M1 transcription factor and nuclear factor-κB may serve as useful prognostic markers for laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

Xia Futou's public bathhouse--a sustainable urbanization experiment in a Chinese village.

Xia Futou, a small Chinese village with a unique cultural landscape, consists of two unbalanced parts, an old village up the hill and a new one down the hill. In order to upgrade and preserve the unique cultural landscape of the older village and rebalance the dislocation of the two parts, a small public bathhouse project has been carried out according to sustainable architecture principles. Based on the current cultural landscape of the bathhouse and its surroundings, this approach is attempting to localize an informed, balance-seeking, design process in the village and in so doing develop a series of diverse possibilities and beneficial paths. The experiment of the public bathhouse's design and construction led to two key conceptual questions that need to be examined, the one is to research a village with a dynamic system conception instead of a static one; the other is to research a village with a self-organizing system conception1 instead of an organized one. Furthermore, we can give the sustainable path for the future that such naturally evolved Chinese villages evolve into sustainable towns and cities.