Dorsal open reduction with pedicle screw rod internal fixation for lower cervical spine dislocation: A retrospective analysis of 12 cases

BACKGROUND

Lower cervical spine dislocation remains a surgical challenge.

METHODS

Twelve patients with lower cervical dislocation due to articular process injury underwent dorsal open reduction and manual pedicle screw rod fixation. Patients with cervical spinal cord injury received simultaneous open door expansive laminoplasty. Neurological function was evaluated using ASIA Impairment Scale 12.

RESULTS

Median time from injury to operation was 10 days (range, 5 to 52 days). Anatomic reduction was achieved in all patients. In nine patients with cervical spinal cord injury, 55.5% (5/9) showed improvement in ASIA grade following surgery. Unilateral numbness of the superior radicular area in one patient resolved 2 weeks post-surgery and two cases (11.1%, 2/9) had postoperative leakage of the cerebrospinal fluid, which resolved in 11 days and 13 days, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Dorsal open reduction and manual pedicle screw rod fixation is safe and effective for lower cervical spine dislocation due to articular process injury.

Low expression of miR-409-3p is a prognostic marker for breast cancer

OBJECTIVE

The present study aimed to clarify the expression pattern and prognostic role of miR-409-3p in breast cancer patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

miR-409-3p levels in breast cancer tissues were tested by qRT-PCR. The chi-square test and Fishers exact tests were used to examine the associations between miR-409-3p expression and the clinicopathological characters. Overall survival (OS) was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. The univariable and the multivariable Cox regression analyses were used to evaluate independent prognostic factors.

RESULTS

miR-409-3p expression in breast cancer specimens was observed to be decreased compared with matched normal breast tissues (p < 0.01). Additionally, low miR-409-3p expression in breast cancer tissues was significantly associated with the advanced TNM stage (p = 0.004), lymph node metastasis (p = 0.001), and poorer pathological differentiation (p = 0.026). The patients in the low miR-409-3p group had a shorter overall survival than those in the high miR-409-3p group (p < 0.001). Furthermore, the univariate and the multivariate analyses showed that miR-409-3p expression was an independent predictor of overall survival (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results revealed that miR-409-3p was related to the prognosis of patients with breast cancer and might be a promising predictor of miR-409-3p recurrence.

Characteristics of Four Upward-Pointing Cosmic-Ray-like Events Observed with ANITA

We report on four radio-detected cosmic-ray (CR) or CR-like events observed with the Antarctic Impulsive Transient Antenna (ANITA), a NASA-sponsored long-duration balloon payload. Two of the four were previously identified as stratospheric CR air showers during the ANITA-I flight. A third stratospheric CR was detected during the ANITA-II flight. Here, we report on characteristics of these three unusual CR events, which develop nearly horizontally, 20-30 km above the surface of Earth. In addition, we report on a fourth steeply upward-pointing ANITA-I CR-like radio event which has characteristics consistent with a primary that emerged from the surface of the ice. This suggests a possible τ-lepton decay as the origin of this event, but such an interpretation would require significant suppression of the standard model τ-neutrino cross section.

Measurement of Shear Viscosity and Solubility of Polystyrene Melts Containing Various Blowing Agents

This article presents measured data on shear viscosity and solubility of HCFC-142b and HFC-134a/ethanol blowing agent laden polystyrene melts at different temperatures. This study establishes the baseline for more novel and innovative blowing agent systems to replace HCFC-142b. The shear viscosity is measured using a helical barrel rheometer. Apparent solubility is determined by observing the onset of gas bubble presence or absence in a specially designed optical cell with sapphire windows using a microscope–CCD camera–monitor/recorder system. The article presents a selection of viscosity and solubility data and, where possible, compares them with measurements carried out by others. The dynamic methods of measuring solubility and viscosity of gas laden polymer melts used in this study are closer to the polymer foam manufacturing practice.

Lower limb muscle strength is associated with poor balance in middle-aged women: linear and nonlinear analyses

This was the first study investigating both linear associations between lower limb muscle strength and balance in middle-aged women and the potential for thresholds for the associations. There was strong evidence that even in middle-aged women, poorer LMS was associated with reduced balance. However, no evidence was found for thresholds.

INTRODUCTION

Decline in balance begins in middle age, yet, the role of muscle strength in balance is rarely examined in this age group. We aimed to determine the association between lower limb muscle strength (LMS) and balance in middle-aged women and investigate whether cut-points of LMS exist that might identify women at risk of poorer balance.

METHODS

Cross-sectional analysis of 345 women aged 36-57 years was done. Associations between LMS and balance tests (timed up and go (TUG), step test (ST), functional reach test (FRT), and lateral reach test (LRT)) were assessed using linear regression. Nonlinear associations were explored using locally weighted regression smoothing (LOWESS) and potential cut-points identified using nonlinear least-squares estimation. Segmented regression was used to estimate associations above and below the identified cut-points.

RESULTS

Weaker LMS was associated with poorer performance on the TUG (β -0.008 (95 % CI: -0.010, -0.005) second/kg), ST (β 0.031 (0.011, 0.051) step/kg), FRT (β 0.071 (0.047, 0.096) cm/kg), and LRT (β 0.028 (0.011, 0.044) cm/kg), independent of confounders. Potential nonlinear associations were evident from LOWESS results; significant cut-points of LMS were identified for all balance tests (29-50 kg). However, excepting ST, cut-points did not persist after excluding potentially influential data points.

CONCLUSIONS

In middle-aged women, poorer LMS is associated with reduced balance. Therefore, improving muscle strength in middle-age may be a useful strategy to improve balance and reduce falls risk in later life. Middle-aged women with low muscle strength may be an effective target group for future randomized controlled trials.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) NCT00273260.

Mitochondrial tRNA mutations may be infrequent in hepatocellular carcinoma patients

Mitochondrial DNA mutations have been shown to play important roles in the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In particular, genes encoding mitochondrial tRNA (mt-tRNA) are hotspots for pathogenic mutations associated with HCC. Recently, an increasing number of studies have reported the involvement of such mutations in this disease. As a result, several mt-tRNA mutations associated with HCC have been described. Some of these are neutral polymorphisms and may not cause mitochondrial dysfunction. Moreover, the molecular mechanisms by which these pathogenic mutations result in HCC remain unclear. To address this problem, we evaluated five mt-tRNA variants (tRNA(Val) T1659C, tRNA(Ala) G5650A, tRNA(Arg) T10463C, tRNA(Glu) A14679G, and tRNA(Pro) C15975T) implicated in the clinical manifestation of HCC in humans. We performed evolutionary conservation analysis and used a bioinformatic tool to predict the secondary structure of the mt-tRNAs carrying these mutations. Using an established pathogenicity scoring system, we classified T10463C and A14679G as neutral polymorphisms, and determined that the T1659C, G5650A, and C15975T variants should be regarded as pathogenic mutations. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report to establish the pathogenicity of HCC-associated mt-tRNA mutations.

Prevalence of and factors associated with frailty and disability in older adults from China, Ghana, India, Mexico, Russia and South Africa

BACKGROUND

The severe burden imposed by frailty and disability in old age is a major challenge for healthcare systems in low- and middle-income countries alike. The current study aimed to provide estimates of the prevalence of frailty and disability in older adult populations and to examine their relationship with socioeconomic factors in six countries.

METHODS

Focusing on adults aged 50+ years, a frailty index was constructed as the proportion of deficits in 40 variables, and disability was assessed using the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS 2.0), as part of the Study on global AGEing and adult health (SAGE) Wave 1 in China, Ghana, India, Mexico, Russia and South Africa.

RESULTS

This study included a total of 34,123 respondents. China had the lowest percentages of older adults with frailty (13.1%) and with disability (69.6%), whereas India had the highest percentages (55.5% and 93.3%, respectively). Both frailty and disability increased with age for all countries, and were more frequent in women, although the sex gap varied across countries. Lower levels of both frailty and disability were observed at higher levels of education and wealth. Both education and income were protective factors for frailty and disability in China, India and Russia, whereas only income was protective in Mexico, and only education in South Africa.

CONCLUSIONS

Age-related frailty and disability are increasing concerns for older adult populations in low- and middle-income countries. The results indicate that lower levels of frailty and disability can be achieved for older people, and the study highlights the need for targeted preventive approaches and support programs.

[Influences of genetic and environmental factors on smoking related behaviors among male twin adults in China]

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the influences of genetic and environmental factors on smoking behavior, smoking cessation and onset age of smoking less than 20 years in male twin adults.

METHODS

A face-to-face questionnaire was conducted to collect data from 6 458 pair male twins aged ≥25 years registered in 9 provinces(municipality)in China. The heritability of three smoking related behaviors were calculated by using structural equation models.

RESULTS

The ACE models were the best models of the three dimensions of smoking, i.e. smoking behavior, smoking cessation and onset age of smoking less than 20 years for male twins, and the corresponding heritability of these behaviors were 0.26(0.19-0.34), 0.27(0.19-0.37)and 0.05(0.00-0.14), respectively. When adjusted for area and age, the heritability of these three behaviors were 0.26(0.19-0.34), 0.31(0.00-0.74)and 0.05(0.00-0.14), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

All the three smoking related behaviors were affected by genetic factors, but environment factors had more effect on them. For smoking cessation, the heritability was highest, but the influence of environmental factors was lowest. Meanwhile, for onset age of smoking, the influence of environmental factors was highest.

Draft Genome Sequence of Xylella fastidiosa subsp. fastidiosa Strain Stag's Leap

ITALIC! Xylella fastidiosasubsp. ITALIC! fastidiosacauses Pierce's disease of grapevine. Presented here is the draft genome sequence of the Stag's Leap strain, previously used in pathogenicity/virulence assays to evaluate grapevine germplasm bearing Pierce's disease resistance and a phenotypic assessment of knockout mutants to determine gene function.

Reduced dietary protein level influences the free amino acid and gene expression profiles of selected amino acid transceptors in skeletal muscle of growing pigs

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of reduced dietary protein level on growth performance, muscle mass weight, free amino acids (FAA) and gene expression profile of selected amino acid transceptors in different fibre type of skeletal muscle tissues (longissimus dorsi, psoas major, biceps femoris) of growing pigs. A total of 18 cross-bred growing pigs (Large White × Landrace × Duroc) with initial body weight (9.57 ± 0.67 kg) were assigned into three dietary treatments: 20% crude protein (CP) diet (normal recommended, NP), 17% CP diet (low protein, LP) and 14% CP diet (very low protein, VLP). The results indicated improved feed-to-gain ratio was obtained for pigs fed LP and NP diets (p < 0.01), while the pigs fed VLP diet showed the worst growth performance (p < 0.01). There was no significant difference in the weights of longissimus dorsi and psoas major muscle between LP and NP groups (p > 0.05). Majority of the determined FAA concentration of LP group were greater than or equal to those of NP group in both longissimus dorsi and psoas major muscle (p < 0.01). Further, the mRNA expression levels of sodium-coupled neutral amino acid transceptor 2, L-type amino acid transceptor 1 and proton-assisted amino acid transceptors 2 were higher in skeletal muscle tissue in LP group compared to those of the pigs fed NP or VLP diet. These results suggested that reduced dietary protein level (3 points of percentage less than recommended level) would upregulate the mRNA expression of amino acid transceptors to enhance the absorption of FAA in skeletal muscle of growing pigs. There seems to be a relationship between response of AA transceptors to the dietary protein level in skeletal muscle tissue of different fibre type. To illustrate the underlying mechanisms will be beneficial to animal nutrition.

Alteration of N-glycoproteins/N-glycosites in human hepatic stellate cells activated with transforming growth factor-β1

Proteins N-glycosylation is significantly increased in the activated human hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) stimulated by transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) compared to the quiescent HSCs according to our previous study. However, little is known about the alteration of N-glycoprotein profiles in the activated HSCs. Profiles of N-glycopeptides / N-glycoproteins / N-glycosites in LX-2 cells, with and without activation by TGF-β1, were identified and compared using hydrazide chemistry enrichment coupled with liquid chromatography - mass spectrometry analysis. Western blot and immunohistochemistry were further used for validation. A total of 103 non-redundant N-glycopeptides, with 107 glycosylation sites from 86 N-glycoproteins, were identified in activated and quiescent LX-2 cells respectively. Among these, 23 proteins were known N-glycoproteins, and 58 were newly identified N-glycoproteins. In addition, 43 proteins (e.g., pigment epithelium-derived factor and clathrin heavy chain 1) were solely identified or up-regulated in the activated LX-2 cells, which participated in focal adhesion and glycosaminoglycan degradation pathways and were involved in interaction clusters of cytoskeletal proteins (e.g., myosin light chains and keratins). The increased expression of glucosamine (N-acetyl)-6-sulfatase and phospholipase C beta 2 and the decreased expression of zinc finger and BTB domain-containing protein 1 were validated in the activated compared to the quiescent LX-2 cells. In conclusion, increased expression of N-glycoproteins and N-glycosites play important roles in cellular contractility, signal transduction, and responses to stimuli in the activated HSCs, which might provide useful information for discovering novel molecular mechanism of HSC activation and therapeutic targets in liver fibrosis.

Modelling the anorectic potencies of food-borne trichothecenes by benchmark dose and incremental area under the curve methodology

Fusarium spp. fungi produce a spectrum of trichothecene mycotoxins that often simultaneously contaminate cereal grains. These have the potential to contribute jointly to adverse effects such as anorexia and emesis. For the purposes of risk assessment and regulation, it is desirable to assign toxic equivalency factors (TEFs) to each of these trichothecenes, as has been successfully done for anthropogenic toxicants such as polyhalogenated aromatic hydrocarbons. As a first step towards this end, we employed a mouse model to compare the anorectic potencies of deoxynivalenol (DON), 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol (3-ADON), 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol (15-ADON), nivalenol (NIV), fusarenon-X (FUS-X), T-2 and HT-2 toxin (T-2 and HT-2) following oral exposure by gavage using two approaches. In the first approach, the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) benchmark dose (BMD) method for continuous data was used to calculate the BMD relative to DON 2 h after dosing. The order of potency based on BMD values was: DON(1) ≈ 3-ADON(1) ≈ 15-ADON(1) < NIV(3) < HT-2(5) < FUS-X(9) << T-2(124). In a second approach, time course effects of each toxin at fixed doses were measured by calculating the incremental area under the curve (IAUC) over 16 h. DON caused significant feed refusal within the first 30 min after exposure, lasting only 3 h while for 3-ADON and 15-ADON, feed refusal lasted 6 h. NIV, FUS-X, T-2, and HT-2 toxins caused the longest duration of feed refusal, lasting up to 16 h. Based on IAUC values, the order of relative potency was as follows: DON(1) < 3-ADON(2) ≈ 15-ADON(2) < NIV(7) < FUS-X(10) << T-2(31) < HT-2(34). These results provide a foundation for developing consensus TEFs that will be amenable to future risk assessment of trichothecene mixtures.

Identification of chromatin accessibility domains in human breast cancer stem cells

Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is physiological in embryogenesis and wound healing but also associated with the formation of cancer stem cells (CSCs). Many EMT signaling pathways are implicated in CSC formation, but the precise underlying mechanisms of CSC formation remain elusive. We have previously demonstrated that PKC is critical for EMT induction and CSC formation in inducible breast EMT/CSC models. Here, we used formaldehyde-assisted isolation of regulatory elements-sequencing (FAIRE-seq) to investigate DNA accessibility changes after PKC activation and determine how they influence EMT and CSC formation. During EMT, DNA accessibility principally increased in regions distant from transcription start sites, low in CpG content, and enriched with chromatin enhancer marks. ChIP-sequencing revealed that a subset of these regions changed from poised to active enhancers upon stimulation, with some even more acteylated in CSCs. While regions with increased accessibility were enriched for FOX, AP-1, TEAD, and TFAP2 motifs, those containing FOX and AP-1 motif were associated with increased expression of CSC-associated genes, while those with TFAP2 were associated with genes with increased expression in non-CSCs. Silencing of 2 members of the FOX family, FOXN2 and FOXQ1, repressed CSCs and the mesenchymal phenotype and inhibited the CSC gene signature. These novel, PKC-induced DNA accessibility regions help explain how the epigenomic plasticity of cells undergoing EMT leads to CSC gene activation.

Resistin expression in adipose tissues and its effect on glucose metabolism in rats with brain injury

Resistin (RSTN) expression in subcutaneous adipose tissue, and its effect on glucose metabolism in rats with traumatic brain injury, was investigated using real-time PCR, western blots, and enzyme linked immunoassays. Our results show that the expression of RSTN mRNA (3.192 ± 0.046, 4.016 ± 0.010, 6.004 ± 0.020, 8.213 ± 0.013, 11.199 ± 0.174, 15.094 ± 0.030), protein levels (1.79 ± 0.05, 1.98 ± 0.07, 2.75 ± 0.08, 3.19 ± 0.08, 4.25 ± 0.11, 4.48 ± 0.07), levels of serum insulin (512.96 ± 1.21, 580.57 ± 1.52, 769.71 ± 2.22, 826.08 ± 2.03, 1262.25 ± 3.40, 1512.80 ± 3.93), and fasting blood glucose levels (10.277 ± 0.040, 12.776 ± 0.038, 13.403 ± 0.263, 14.698 ± 0.100, 16.637 ± 0.110, 19.416 ± 0.025) were significantly higher in the traumatic rat group compared to the control group (P < 0. 05). Quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI) was significantly lower in the traumatic group (-8.570 ± 0.005, -8.912 ± 0.004, -9.241 ± 0.022, -9.404 ± 0.007, -9.952 ± 0.007, -10.288 ± 0.002) than in the control group (-7.633 ± 0.003, -7.639 ± 0.004, -7.637 ± 0.006, -7.643 ± 0.003, -7.636 ± 0.006, -7.634 ± 0.004) (P < 0.05). Single factor linear correlation analysis showed that there was a significant negative correlation between RSTN expression and QUICKI (-0.983, P < 0.05) in the traumatic group. The increase in RSTN expression in the subcutaneous adipose tissue of rats with traumatic brain injury is likely related to the indexes of glycometabolism, including serum insulin, fasting blood glucose, and QUICKI. Our results lead us to conclude that RSTN may play an important role in the process of insulin resistance in rats with traumatic brain injury.

Tissue-type plasminogen activator induces synaptic vesicle endocytosis in cerebral cortical neurons

The release of the serine proteinase tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) from the presynaptic terminal of cerebral cortical neurons plays a central role in the development of synaptic plasticity, adaptation to metabolic stress and neuronal survival. Our earlier studies indicate that by inducing the recruitment of the cytoskeletal protein βII-spectrin and voltage-gated calcium channels to the active zone, tPA promotes Ca(2+)-dependent translocation of synaptic vesicles (SVs) to the synaptic release site where they release their load of neurotransmitters into the synaptic cleft. Here we used a combination of in vivo and in vitro experiments to investigate whether this effect leads to depletion of SVs in the presynaptic terminal. Our data indicate that tPA promotes SV endocytosis via a mechanism that does not require the conversion of plasminogen into plasmin. Instead, we show that tPA induces calcineurin-mediated dynamin I dephosphorylation, which is followed by dynamin I-induced recruitment of the actin-binding protein profilin II to the presynaptic membrane, and profilin II-induced F-actin formation. We report that this tPA-induced sequence of events leads to the association of newly formed SVs with F-actin clusters in the endocytic zone. In summary, the data presented here indicate that following the exocytotic release of neurotransmitters tPA activates the mechanism whereby SVs are retrieved from the presynaptic membrane and endocytosed to replenish the pool of vesicles available for a new cycle of exocytosis. Together, these results indicate that in murine cerebral cortical neurons tPA plays a central role coupling SVs exocytosis and endocytosis.

[Security of hormone replacement therapy among postoperative patients with endometrial carcinoma: a Meta-analysis]

OBJECTIVE

To systematically evaluate the security of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) among postoperative patients with endometrial carcinoma (EC).

METHODS

A systematic review and Meta-analysis of studies on security of HRT among EC patients after operation was done by Revman 5.2 software. Studies were mainly searched from the CENTRAL, Medline, Embase, Ovid, Wanfang, CNKI databases.

RESULTS

A total of 7 studies with 2 038 stageⅠand stageⅡ endometrial carcinoma patients were included. The quality of 6 studies included were medium, and 1 study was high. The endometrial carcinoma patients on HRT did not have a statistically increased incidence in the EC recurrence (RR=0.69, 95%CI (0.42-1.15), P=0.16) and cancer-induced death (RR=0.55, 95%CI (0.25-1.21), P=0.14). Subgroup analysis for the start of HRT within 6 months from time of surgery group and only estrogen replacement therapy group found no statistical different in the risk of the EC recurrence and cancer-induced death, compared with control group. No statistically increased risk of the EC recurrence was observed for estrogen plus progestin replacement therapy group.

CONCLUSION

There is no statistical difference in the recurrence rate and cancer-induced death rate of EC whether the early stage postoperative patients used HRT or not.

Effects of feeding diets containing distillers' dried grains with solubles and wheat middlings with equal predicted dietary net energy on growth performance and carcass composition of growing-finishing pigs

This experiment evaluated the effects of feeding distillers' dried grains with solubles (DDGS) and wheat middlings (WM) in diets with similar estimated NE content on growth performance and carcass characteristics of growing-finishing pigs. Pigs ( = 384; 29.1 ± 3.6 kg initial BW) were blocked by initial BW, and within blocks, pens were randomly allotted to 1 of 4 dietary treatments (8 pigs/pen and 12 replicates/treatment) in a 4-phase feeding program (29 to 50, 50 to 75, 75 to 100, and 100 to 120 kg BW). Dietary treatments were arranged in a 2 × 2 factorial design and formulated to consist of: 1) corn and soybean meal (CON), 2) CON with 30% DDGS, 3) CON with 15% WM, and 4) CON with 30% DDGS and 15% WM. Diets met or exceeded nutrient requirements published by the and were formulated to contain the same concentrations of standardized ileal digestible (SID) Lys and meet or exceed minimum SID AA to Lys ratios within phases. No significant interactions for DDGS × WM × phase or DDGS × WM were observed for all growth performance criteria. Pigs fed diets containing 30% DDGS had reduced ( < 0.05) ADFI (1.76 vs. 1.86 kg/d) and ADG (0.85 vs. 0.91 kg/d) compared with pigs fed diets with no DDGS in phase 1 but not in other phases. The G:F of pigs fed diets containing DDGS was not different during phase 1 to 3 but was greater ( < 0.01) in phase 4 (0.313 vs. 0.291) compared with that of pigs fed diets with no DDGS. Pigs fed diets containing 15% WM had similar ADFI and G:F but reduced ( < 0.05) ADG (0.86 vs. 0.90 kg/d) compared with pigs fed diets without WM in phase 1, but no difference in ADG was observed in phases 2 to 4. No DDGS × WM interaction was observed for carcass traits. Pigs fed diets containing 30% DDGS had reduced ( < 0.01) HCW (86.5 vs. 89.9 kg), carcass yield (72.3 vs. 73.6%), LM area (45.0 vs. 47.9 cm), and percentage of carcass fat-free lean (52.1 vs. 53.4%), but backfat depth was not affected compared with pigs fed diets with no DDGS. Pigs fed diets containing 15% WM had lower carcass yield (72.7 vs. 73.1%; < 0.05) and HCW (87.7 vs. 88.7 kg; < 0.10) than pigs fed diets with no addition of WM, but other carcass traits were not affected. In conclusion, overall ADG and G:F were not affected by feeding 30% DDGS or 15% WM when diets were formulated on the NE basis, but more accurate and dynamic estimation of NE content for DDGS sources is needed to optimize caloric efficiency at different physiological ages of pigs.