Comparative study of the clinical efficacy of subcostal thoracoscopy and median sternotomy in treating thymoma: a propensity score-matching analysis.

OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to evaluate the clinical efficacy of subcostal thoracoscopy and median sternotomy as surgical approaches for thymoma resection and lymph node dissection. The feasibility, safety, and clinical outcomes of subcostal thoracoscopy were compared with those of median sternotomy. METHODS: The clinical data of 335 patients with thymoma were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into the subcostal thoracoscopy group and the median sternotomy group. Propensity score matching was performed to obtain comparable subsets of 50 patients in each group. A comparative analysis was conducted on various parameters. RESULTS: All surgeries were successful, and no conversions to open thoracotomy were required in the subcostal thoracoscopy group. Significant differences in the operative time, intraoperative blood loss, chest tube drainage duration, postoperative hospital stay, patient satisfaction scores, pain assessment, and postoperative complications were observed between the two groups. However, there was no significant difference in the number of lymph nodes or lymph node stations dissected intraoperatively between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Subcostal thoracoscopy is not inferior to median sternotomy as a surgical approach for thymoma resection and lymph node dissection. Our research provides important new comparative data on minimally invasive thymoma resection.

The p65-LOC727924-miR-26a/KPNA3-p65 regulatory loop mediates vasoactive intestinal peptide effects on osteoarthritis chondrocytes.

Loss and dysfunction of articular chondrocytes, which disrupt the homeostasis of extracellular matrix formation and breakdown, promote the onset of osteoarthritis (OA). Targeting inflammatory pathways is an important therapeutic strategy for OA. Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) is an immunosuppressive neuropeptide with potent anti-inflammatory effects; however, its role and mechanism in OA remain unclear. In this study, microarray expression profiling from the Gene Expression Omnibus database and integrative bioinformatics analyses were performed to identify differentially expressed lncRNAs in OA samples. qRT-PCR validation of the top ten different expressed lncRNAs indicated that the expression level of intergenic non-protein coding RNA 2203 (LINC02203, also named LOC727924) was the highest in OA cartilage compared to normal cartilage. Hence, the LOC727924 function was further investigated. LOC727924 was upregulated in OA chondrocytes, with a dominant sub-localization in the cytoplasm. In OA chondrocytes, LOC727924 knockdown boosted cell viability, suppressed cell apoptosis, reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, increased aggrecan and collagen II, decreased matrix metallopeptidase (MMP)-3/13 and ADAM metallopeptidase with thrombospondin type 1 motif (ADAMTS)-4/5 levels, and reduced the levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin 1 beta (IL-1ß), and interleukin 6 (IL-6). LOC727924 could interact with the microRNA 26a (miR-26a)/ karyopherin subunit alpha 3 (KPNA3) axis by competitively targeting miR-26a for KPNA3 binding, therefore down-regulating miR-26a and upregulating KPNA3; in OA chondrocytes, miR-26a inhibition partially abolished LOC727924 knockdown effects on chondrocytes. miR-26a inhibited the nuclear translocation of p65 through targeting KPNA3 and p65 transcriptionally activated LOC727924, forming a p65-LOC727924-miR-26a/KPNA3-p65 regulatory loop to modulate OA chondrocyte phenotypes. In vitro, VIP improved OA chondrocyte proliferation and functions, down-regulated LOC727924, KPNA3, and p65 expression, and upregulated miR-26a expression; in vivo, VIP ameliorated destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM)-induced damages on the mouse knee joint, down-regulated KPNA3, inhibited the nuclear translocation of p65. In conclusion, the p65-LOC727924-miR-26a/KPNA3-p65 regulatory loop modulates OA chondrocyte apoptosis, ROS accumulation, extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition, and inflammatory response in vitro and OA development in vivo, being one of the mechanisms mediating VIP ameliorating OA.

Role of adipokines in sarcopenia.

ABSTRACT: Sarcopenia is an age-related disease that mainly involves decreases in muscle mass, muscle strength and muscle function. At the same time, the body fat content increases with aging, especially the visceral fat content. Adipose tissue is an endocrine organ that secretes biologically active factors called adipokines, which act on local and distant tissues. Studies have revealed that some adipokines exert regulatory effects on muscle, such as higher serum leptin levels causing a decrease in muscle function and adiponectin inhibits the transcriptional activity of Forkhead box O3 (FoxO3) by activating peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor-γ coactivator -1α (PGC-1α) and sensitizing cells to insulin, thereby repressing atrophy-related genes (atrogin-1 and muscle RING finger 1 [MuRF1]) to prevent the loss of muscle mass. Here, we describe the effects on muscle of adipokines produced by adipose tissue, such as leptin, adiponectin, resistin, mucin and lipocalin-2, and discuss the importance of these adipokines for understanding the development of sarcopenia.

Conduction of a chemical structure-guided metabolic phenotype analysis method targeting phenylpropane pathway via LC-MS: Ginkgo biloba and soybean as examples.

The phenylpropane pathway (PPP) is one of the most extensively investigated metabolic routes. This pathway biosynthesizes many important active ingredients such as phenylpropanoids and flavonoids that affect the flavor, taste and nutrients of food. How to elucidate the metabolic phenotype of PPP is fundamental in food research and development. In this study, we designed a structural periodical table filled with 103 metabolites produced from PPP. All of them especially the 62 structural isomers were qualified and quantified with high resolution and sensitivity via multiple reaction mode in liquid chromatography tandem triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. Ginkgo biloba and soybean were used as samples for the practical application of this method: The delicate spatial-temporal metabolic balance of PPP from ginkgo biloba has been first elucidated; It is first confirmed that the salt and draught stresses could redirect the biosynthesis trend of PPP to produce more isoflavones in soybean leaves.

A Maluku Sea intermediate western boundary current connecting Pacific Ocean circulation to the Indonesian Throughflow.

The Indonesian Throughflow plays an important role in the global ocean circulation and climate. Existing studies of the Indonesian Throughflow have focused on the Makassar Strait and the exit straits, where the upper thermocline currents carry North Pacific waters to the Indian Ocean. Here we show, using mooring observations, that a previous unknown intermediate western boundary current (with the core at ~1000 m depth) exists in the Maluku Sea, which transports intermediate waters (primarily the Antarctic Intermediate Water) from the Pacific into the Seram-Banda Seas through the Lifamatola Passage above the bottom overflow. Our results suggest the importance of the western boundary current in global ocean intermediate circulation and overturn. We anticipate that our study is the beginning of more extensive investigations of the intermediate circulation of the Indo-Pacific ocean in global overturn, which shall improve our understanding of ocean heat and CO2 storages significantly.

Publication Trends for Sarcopenia in the World: A 20-Year Bibliometric Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Sarcopenia, an age-related degenerative disease, seriously affects the health and quality of life of the elder. The research of sarcopenia has changed dramatically around the world. This article aims to analyze global trends in this field over the past 20 years. METHODS: "Sarcopenia" was used as the search term to retrieve relevant publications from the WOS and PubMed databases. Co-occurrence, literature coupling, co-citation, and co-author analysis were performed by using the software VOS viewer. We analyzed the trends of sarcopenia research over the last 20 years from different aspects, such as the number of papers, total citations, average citations per item, h-index, research area, article types, institutions, country, journals, and funding. RESULTS: We retrieved 13,421 research articles published on sarcopenia between 2001 and 2020. The results showed that the USA made the highest contributions to this field. Geriatrics gerontology is the most study classification of sarcopenia. Basic research on sarcopenia in geriatric gerontology accounts for approximately 16.496% of global publications. The Osteoporosis International published the largest number of sarcopenia-related studies. The United States Department of Health Human Services was the leading funding organization, which sponsored 1,604 articles. CONCLUSION: Global sarcopenia research increased rapidly from 2001 to 2020, especially recently. The research leader of sarcopenia is the USA. In the future, the study of sarcopenia will continue to focus on aging, nutrition, and exercise and will delve deeper into molecular mechanisms. On the other hand, revealing the link between sarcopenia and other diseases will be the next research hotspot.

Characterization and Comparative Analysis of RWP-RK Proteins from Arachis duranensis, Arachis ipaensis, and Arachis hypogaea.

RWP-RK proteins are important factors involved in nitrate response and gametophyte development in plants, and the functions of RWP-RK proteins have been analyzed in many species. However, the characterization of peanut RWP-RK proteins is limited. In this study, we identified 16, 19, and 32 RWP-RK members from Arachis duranensis, Arachis ipaensis, and Arachis hypogaea, respectively, and investigated their evolution relationships. The RWP-RK proteins were classified into two groups, RWP-RK domain proteins and NODULE-INCEPTION-like proteins. Chromosomal distributions, gene structures, and conserved motifs of RWP-RK genes were compared among wild and cultivated peanuts. In addition, we identified 12 orthologous gene pairs from the two wild peanut species, 13 from A. duranensis and A. hypogaea, and 13 from A. ipaensis and A. hypogaea. One, one, and seventeen duplicated gene pairs were identified within the A. duranensis, A. ipaensis, and A. hypogaea genomes, respectively. Moreover, different numbers of cis-acting elements in the RWP-RK promoters were found in wild and cultivated species (87 in A. duranensis, 89 in A. ipaensis, and 92 in A. hypogaea), and as a result, many RWP-RK genes showed distinct expression patterns in different tissues. Our study will provide useful information for further functional and evolutionary analysis of the RWP-RK genes.

Structure and dynamics of the Pacific North Equatorial Subsurface Current.

The North Equatorial Subsurface Current (NESC) has recently been found to flow westward below the North Equatorial Countercurrent in the subsurface layer across the Pacific Ocean. The structure, water mass properties, and the dynamics of the NESC are studied using Argo profiles and geostrophic currents, combined with moored current meter observations. The mean westward geostrophic currents of the NESC has been validated with moored current meter measurements at 4.7° N, 142° E in the far western tropical Pacific Ocean. Sizable seasonal-to-interannual variability of the NESC is indicated by the observations, with strong transports in boreal summer and during La Niña events, whereas weak transports in boreal winter and during El Niño events. The water masses of the NESC appear to be the mixture of the North and South Pacific intermediate waters, with the waters immediately below the thermocline closer to the North than to the South Pacific waters. A simulation using a linear continuously stratified model of ocean circulation suggests that the mean NESC is forced by wind curl through low baroclinic mode responses of the ocean.

Impacts of Basin-Scale Climate Modes on Coastal Sea Level: a Review.

Global sea level rise (SLR) associated with a warming climate exerts significant stress on coastal societies and low-lying island regions. The rates of coastal SLR observed in the past few decades, however, have large spatial and temporal differences from the global mean, which to a large part have been attributed to basin-scale climate modes. In this paper, we review our current state of knowledge about climate modes' impacts on coastal sea level variability from interannual-to-multidecadal timescales. Relevant climate modes, their impacts and associated driving mechanisms through both remote and local processes are elaborated separately for the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic Oceans. This paper also identifies major issues and challenges for future research on climate modes' impacts on coastal sea level. Understanding the effects of climate modes is essential for skillful near-term predictions and reliable uncertainty quantifications for future projections of coastal SLR.

[Influence of the depth of retained denatured dermis on the survival rate of grafted skin in burn swine with deep partial-thickness burn].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the influence of the thickness of retained denatured dermis on the survival rate of grafted skin in swine with deep partial-thickness burn. METHODS: Four deep partial-thickness wounds were reproduced respectively on both sides of spine in 7 Chinese domestic pigs. The wounds of 6 pigs were divided into 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, and 1.00 mm groups with 12 wounds in each group according to the random number table. Tangential excision and auto-skin grafting were performed. Before the tangential excision, 1 tissue specimen was harvested from the center of each remaining wound for the estimation of the depth of burn, and histological observation was done. After the tangential excision, 1 tissue specimen was harvested from the area near the center of each wound for the measurement of the depth of retained denatured dermis with histological examination. The 8 wounds of one pig were set as the control group, and the operation was done, and then they were treated with exposure treatment after biopsy specimens were taken with above-mentioned method. The general condition of wounds in 5 groups was observed from immediately after injury to post injury month (PIM) 3. On post injury day (PID) 7, the survival rate of grafted skin was observed in 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, and 1.00 mm groups. Wound healing time was recorded. At PIM 3, the specimens were harvested from the wounds of 5 groups, and their ultra microstructures were observed by transmission electron microscope. Data were processed with rank-sum test, one-way analysis of variance, and LSD test. RESULTS: The depth of the burn tissue was (1.120 ± 0.211) mm. The depths of retained denatured dermis in 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, and 1.00 mm groups were respectively (0.830 ± 0.031), (0.701 ± 0.010), (0.382 ± 0.031), and (0.141 ± 0.040) mm. At PID 8, all grafted skin in 0.25 and 0.50 mm groups became necrotic; most grafted skin in 0.75 mm group was necrotic; most grafted skin in 1.00 mm group survived with only a few became necrotic and separated from the wounds. The scabs were gradually separated from the wounds of control group. On PID 15, the grafted skin which did not survive in 0.25, 0.50, and 0.75 mm groups was gradually separated from the wounds with exudate forming scab on the surface in varying degrees, while the wounds in 1.00 mm group were all healed, and the incidence of scabs formation was highest in control group. At PIM 3, scar contraction was found in 0.25, 0.50, 0.75 mm groups and control group, while no obvious scar was observed in 1.00 mm group. There were statistically significant differences in the survival rate of grafted skin in 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, and 1.00 mm groups (χ(2) = 19.421, P < 0.001). The survival rate was the highest in 1.00 mm group [70% (60%, 80%)], while the survival rate was 20% (0, 30%) in 0.75 mm group, and it was in both 0.25 and 0.50 mm groups with non-survival of all the grafted skin. There were statistically significant differences in the wound healing time among 5 groups (F = 41.450, P < 0.001). The wound healing time in 0.25 and 0.50 mm groups were respectively (18.2 ± 1.5), and (18.7 ± 2.3) d, not statistically significant different from that of control group [(18.4 ± 1.7) d, P values both above 0.05]. The wound healing time in 0.75 mm group [(14.9 ± 2.6) d] was significantly different from those of 0.25, 0.50 mm groups and control group (P values all below 0.01). The wound healing time in 1.00 mm group [(9.5 ± 1.2) d] was significantly shorter compared with that of the other 4 groups (P values all below 0.01). Before tangential excision, the zone of infiltration of the inflammatory cells was observed in the deep dermis of wounds in 5 groups. After tangential excision and before auto-skin grafting, the depth from the fault surface to the zone of infiltration of the inflammatory cells varied in 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, and 1.00 mm groups while more inflammatory cells were observed in control group. At PIM 3, many fibroblasts were observed in the dermis of wounds in 1.00 mm group with abundant rough endoplasmic reticulum and basically intact organelles. CONCLUSIONS: Performing autologous skin grafting on deep partial-thickness burn, in which the depth of retained denatured dermis was 0.10 mm, may help regenerate dermal function and alleviate scar formation.

[Histologic analysis and long-term effect of acellular dermal matrix combined with autologous thin split-thickness skin graft].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the long-term therapeutic effect and histologic result of ADM combined with autologous thin split-thickness skin graft. METHODS: 23 patients were treated with acellular dermal matrix (ADM) combined with autologous thin split-thickness skin graft. The patients were followed up at 3, 6, 12, and 18 months after operation. The histological analysis was also performed. RESULTS: 3, 6, 12, 18 months after operation, the composite skin grafts became smooth with no hypertrophic scar and hyperpigmentation. It was soft and elastic. The joints could move randomly. The histologic study showed the composite skin graft had a similar appearance as the normal skin. CONCLUSION: As for the treatment of wound, the composite skin graft with ADM is smooth and soft with good elasticity after transplantation, but it has no perspiration.

Nociception-induced spatial and temporal plasticity of synaptic connection and function in the hippocampal formation of rats: a multi-electrode array recording.

BACKGROUND: Pain is known to be processed by a complex neural network (neuromatrix) in the brain. It is hypothesized that under pathological state, persistent or chronic pain can affect various higher brain functions through ascending pathways, leading to co-morbidities or mental disability of pain. However, so far the influences of pathological pain on the higher brain functions are less clear and this may hinder the advances in pain therapy. In the current study, we studied spatiotemporal plasticity of synaptic connection and function in the hippocampal formation (HF) in response to persistent nociception. RESULTS: On the hippocampal slices of rats which had suffered from persistent nociception for 2 h by receiving subcutaneous bee venom (BV) or formalin injection into one hand paw, multisite recordings were performed by an 8 x 8 multi-electrode array probe. The waveform of the field excitatory postsynaptic potential (fEPSP), induced by perforant path electrical stimulation and pharmacologically identified as being activity-dependent and mediated by ionotropic glutamate receptors, was consistently positive-going in the dentate gyrus (DG), while that in the CA1 was negative-going in shape in naïve and saline control groups. For the spatial characteristics of synaptic plasticity, BV- or formalin-induced persistent pain significantly increased the number of detectable fEPSP in both DG and CA1 area, implicating enlargement of the synaptic connection size by the injury or acute inflammation. Moreover, the input-output function of synaptic efficacy was shown to be distinctly enhanced by the injury with the stimulus-response curve being moved leftward compared to the control. For the temporal plasticity, long-term potentiation produced by theta burst stimulation (TBS) conditioning was also remarkably enhanced by pain. Moreover, it is strikingly noted that the shape of fEPSP waveform was drastically deformed or split by a TBS conditioning under the condition of persistent nociception, while that in naïve or saline control state was not affected. All these changes in synaptic connection and function, confirmed by the 2-dimentional current source density imaging, were found to be highly correlated with peripheral persistent nociception since pre-blockade of nociceptive impulses could eliminate all of them. Finally, the initial pharmacological investigation showed that AMPA/KA glutamate receptors might play more important roles in mediation of pain-associated spatiotemporal plasticity than NMDA receptors. CONCLUSION: Peripheral persistent nociception produces great impact upon the higher brain structures that lead to not only temporal plasticity, but also spatial plasticity of synaptic connection and function in the HF. The spatial plasticity of synaptic activities is more complex than the temporal plasticity, comprising of enlargement of synaptic connection size at network level, deformed fEPSP at local circuit level and, increased synaptic efficacy at cellular level. In addition, the multi-synaptic model established in the present investigation may open a new avenue for future studies of pain-related brain dysfunctions at the higher level of the neuromatrix.