Effects of zoledronic acid on bone fusion in osteoporotic patients after lumbar fusion

Treatment with zoledronic acid in osteoporotic patients with spinal fusion shortens the duration of time to fusion, improves the fusion rate, prevents the subsequent adjacent vertebral compression fractures, improves the clinical outcomes, and prevents immobilization-induced bone loss in the hip.

INTRODUCTION

The objective of the study was to explore the effects of zoledronic acid on the healing process in osteoporotic patients following spinal fusion in a randomized, placebo-controlled, and triple-blinded study.

METHODS

Seventy-nine osteoporotic patients with single-level degenerative spondylolisthesis were randomly assigned to receive either zoledronic acid infusion (zoledronic acid group) or saline infusion (controls) after spinal fusion. Functional radiography and CT scans were used to evaluate fusion status. Bone formation was graded into three categories: Grade A (bridging bone bonding with adjacent vertebral bodies), Grade B (bridging bone bonding with either superior or inferior vertebral body), or Grade C (incomplete bony bridging). A solid fusion was defined as less than 5° of angular motion with Grade A or B bone formation. Adjacent vertebral compression fractures (VCF) were assessed on MRI at 12 months after surgery. Serum level of carboxy terminal cross-linked telopeptide of type I collagen (β-CTX) and amino-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen (PINP) was measured. Bone mineral density (BMD) was measured by DXA. Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) was used to assess the clinical outcomes.

RESULTS

Grade A or B bridging bone was more frequently observed in zoledronic acid group at 3, 6, and 9 months post-operation compared to the control group (p < 0.05). At 12 -months post-operation, bridging bone and solid fusion were not significantly different between groups. No patients in zoledronic acid group showed aVCF, whereas six patients (17 %) in the control group did (p < 0.05). Both β-CTX and PINP were suppressed in zoledronic acid group. BMD at the femoral neck decreased rapidly and did not return to the preoperative level in the controls at 3 (-1.4 %), 6 (-2.5 %), and 12 (-0.8 %) months after surgery. Zoledronic acid prevented this immobilization-induced bone loss and increased BMD. ODI showed the improved clinical outcomes compared with controls at 9 and 12 months post-surgery.

CONCLUSION

Treatment with zoledronic acid in osteoporotic patients with spinal fusion shortens the time to fusion, improves the fusion rate, prevents subsequent aVCFs, and improves clinical outcomes.

Phylogeny of dermatophytes with genomic character evaluation of clinically distinct Trichophyton rubrum and T. violaceum

Trichophyton rubrum and T. violaceum are prevalent agents of human dermatophyte infections, the former being found on glabrous skin and nail, while the latter is confined to the scalp. The two species are phenotypically different but are highly similar phylogenetically. The taxonomy of dermatophytes is currently being reconsidered on the basis of molecular phylogeny. Molecular species definitions do not always coincide with existing concepts which are guided by ecological and clinical principles. In this article, we aim to bring phylogenetic and ecological data together in an attempt to develop new species concepts for anthropophilic dermatophytes. Focus is on the T. rubrum complex with analysis of rDNA ITS supplemented with LSU, TUB2, TEF3 and ribosomal protein L10 gene sequences. In order to explore genomic differences between T. rubrum and T. violaceum, one representative for both species was whole genome sequenced. Draft sequences were compared with currently available dermatophyte genomes. Potential virulence factors of adhesins and secreted proteases were predicted and compared phylogenetically. General phylogeny showed clear gaps between geophilic species of Arthroderma, but multilocus distances between species were often very small in the derived anthropophilic and zoophilic genus Trichophyton. Significant genome conservation between T. rubrum and T. violaceum was observed, with a high similarity at the nucleic acid level of 99.38 % identity. Trichophyton violaceum contains more paralogs than T. rubrum. About 30 adhesion genes were predicted among dermatophytes. Seventeen adhesins were common between T. rubrum and T. violaceum, while four were specific for the former and eight for the latter. Phylogenetic analysis of secreted proteases reveals considerable expansion and conservation among the analyzed species. Multilocus phylogeny and genome comparison of T. rubrum and T. violaceum underlined their close affinity. The possibility that they represent a single species exhibiting different phenotypes due to different localizations on the human body is discussed.

Performance of carbon aerogels particle electrodes for the aqueous phase electro-catalytic oxidation of simulated phenol wastewaters

In this paper, the feasibility of using carbon aerogels (CAs) as bed electrodes in a three-dimensional electrode reactor for the electrochemical treatment was studied. It was found that the removal efficiency depended on the airflow, the feed phenol concentration, pH, the ratio of aerogels mass to solution volume, and repeated times. Compared with commercial carbon particle electrodes, the CAs prepared exhibited stronger and longer-term activity to remove phenol simulated wastewater. For 250mgL(-1) of phenol solution, 98% of the initial phenol chemical oxygen demand (COD) can be removed after treatment for 20min. Moreover, high removal efficiency can be kept basically after being reused many times (e.g. 93% and 82% after 20 times and 50 times, respectively).

Photocatalytic dual decarboxylative alkenylation mediated by triphenylphosphine and sodium iodide

An efficient photocatalytic dual decarboxylative alkenylation of α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acids and alkyl N-hydroxyphthalimide (NHP) esters mediated by triphenylphosphine and sodium iodide has been developed. This protocol proceeds under 456-nanometer irradiation by visible blue light in the absence of transition metals or organic dye based photoredox catalysts. The reaction is successfully applied to a wide range of redox-active esters derived from aliphatic carboxylic acids (1°, 2° and 3°) and α-amino acids, enabling transformations of diverse α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acids to α,β-alkylated styrenes with high efficiency and excellent selectivity under mild conditions.

Protothecosis successfully treated with amikacin combined with tetracyclines. Fallbericht. Protothecose erfolgreich mit Amikacin plus Tetracyclinen behandelt

Summary We report a case of protothecosis in an 18-year-old female student caused by Prototheca zopfii successfully treated with amikacin combined with tetracyclines. Zusammenfassung Es wird über eine Protothecose, verursacht durch Prototheca zopfii, bei einer 18-jährigen Studentin berichtet, die erfolgreich mit Amikacin in Kombination mit Tetracyclinen behandelt wurde.

Preparation of activated ordered mesoporous carbons with a channel structure

Activated ordered mesoporous carbons with a channel structure (AOMCs-CS) were successfully prepared by imposing CO(2) activation on ordered mesopore carbon C-FDU-15. It is found that the continuous carbon framework of the precursor C-FDU-15 plays an important role in keeping the order structure of the resulting AOMCs-CS. The mild activation (e.g., 31 wt % burnoff) does not impair the order degree. After that, the order degree gradually decreases with further increasing burnoff. However, the basic hexagonal mesostructure of C-FDU-15 can still be found in the AOMCs-CS when the burnoff is up to 73 wt %, although many carbon walls are punched and thus many larger mesopores and marcropores are generated. With increasing burnoff, the surface area and volume of micropores increase first and then decrease, and the surface area and volume of mesopores continuously increase. The highest measured Brunaruer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area, micropore volume, and total pore volume of the AOMCs-CS reach 2004 m(2)/g, 0.50 cm(3)/g, and 1.22 cm(3)/g, respectively.

MiR-7-5p/KLF4 signaling inhibits stemness and radioresistance in colorectal cancer

Resistance to radiotherapy remains a major unmet clinical obstacle in the treatment of locally advanced rectal cancer. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are considered to mediate tumor development and radioresistance. However, the role of CSCs in regulating resistance to radiotherapy in colorectal cancer (CRC) remains largely unknown. We established two radioresistant CRC cell lines, HCT116-R and RKO-R, using fractionated irradiation. Analysis using miRNA sequencing and quantitative real-time PCR confirmed lower levels of miR-7-5p in both of the radioresistant cells compared to their parental cells. Subsequently, we validated that miR-7-5p expression was decreased in cancerous tissues from radiotherapy-resistant rectal cancer patients. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database analyses revealed that low miR-7-5p expression was significantly correlated with poor prognosis in CRC patients. Overexpression of miR-7-5p led to a rescue of radioresistance and an increase in radiation-induced apoptosis, and attenuated the stem cell-like properties in HCT116-R and RKO-R cells. Conversely, knocking down miR-7-5p in parental HCT116 and RKO cells suppressed the sensitivity to radiation treatment and enhance cancer cell stemness. Stemness-associated transcription factor KLF4 was demonstrated as a target of miR-7-5p. Rescue experiments revealed that miR-7-5p/KLF4 axis could induce radiosensitivity by regulating CSCs in colorectal cancer cells. Furthermore, we used CRC tumor tissues which exhibited resistance to neoadjuvant radiotherapy to establish a patient-derived xenograft (PDX) mouse model. Tail vein injection of magnetic nanoparticles carrying miR-7-5p mimics into the PDX mice significantly inhibited tumor growth with or without irradiation treatment in vivo. Our current studies not only demonstrate an anti-cancer function of miR-7-5p in regulating CSC properties and radiosensitivity in colorectal cancer, but also provide a novel potential strategy for delaying or reverse radiation resistance in preoperative radiotherapy of CRC patients.

Establishment and characterization of immortalized porcine hepatocytes for the study of hepatocyte xenotransplantation

BACKGROUND

In light of the critical shortage of donor livers, xenogeneic sources offer the best alternative to human hepatocytes for the treatment of acute liver failure. This study investigated whether a combination of simian virus 40 large T antigen (SV40 LT) and human telomerase catalytic subunit (hTERT) genes could immortalize primary porcine hepatocytes that could reverse acute liver failure (ALF) in rats.

METHODS

We cotransfected SV40 LT and hTERT genes into primary porcine hepatocytes to examine the features of the transfected cell lines. We characterized the potentially therapeutic effect of immortalized porcine hepatocytes in a rat model of ALF induced by 90% hepatectomy.

RESULTS

An immortalized porcine hepatocyte cell line, HepLi, was expanded by >250 passages. HepLi cells maintained the defining characteristics of primary porcine hepatocytes, including porcine albumin secretion, urea production, and diazepam metabolism. Intrasplenic transplantation of HepLi cells significantly improved liver function, and significantly prolonging the survival of rats with ALF.

CONCLUSIONS

Cotransfection of SV40 LT and hTERT immortalized primary porcine hepatocytes without tumorigenicity in vitro. The Immortalized porcine hepatocytes served as a potential cell resource for xenotransplantation.

Population structure and genetic diversity of four Henan pig populations

To investigate the population structure and genetic diversity of Henan indigenous pig breeds, samples from a total of 78 pigs of 11 breeds were collected, including four pig populations from Henan Province, three Western commercial breeds, three Chinese native pig breeds from other provinces and one Asian wild boar. The genotyping datasets were obtained by genotyping-by-sequencing technology. We found a high degree of polymorphism and rapid linkage disequilibrium decay in Henan pigs. A neighbor-joining tree, principal component analysis and structure analysis revealed that the Huainan and Erhualian pigs were clustered together and that the Queshan black pigs were clearly grouped together but that the Nanyang and Yuxi pigs were extensively admixed with Western pigs. In addition, heterozygosity values might indicate that Henan indigenous pigs, especially the Queshan black and Huainan pigs, were subjected to little selection during domestication. The results presented here indicate that Henan pig breeds were admixed from Western breeds, especially Nanyang and Yuxi pigs. Therefore, establishment of purification and rejuvenation systems to implement conservation strategies is urgent. In addition, it is also necessary to accelerate genetic resources improvement and utilization using modern breeding technologies, such as genomic selection and genome-wide association studies.

Effect of triptolide on malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumours in vitro and in vivo

OBJECTIVE

Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumours (MPNSTs) are invasive, hard-to-treat, soft tissue sarcomas. In this study, in vitro and in vivo effects of triptolide were investigated using human MPNST cell lines.

METHODS

Cultured STS-26T and ST88-14 cells were treated with 0-100 ng/ml triptolide (for determination of cell proliferation by sulphorhodamine B assay), with 12.5 ng/ml or 25 ng/ml triptolide (for analysis of caspase activity, effects on apoptotic pathway intermediates [by Western blots and flow cytometry], and for measurement of vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF] and epidermal growth factor receptor [EGFR] levels by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay). A xenograft model was established by injection of STS-26T cells into nude mice, and the effects of 250 μg/kg triptolide on tumour growth and apoptosis were compared with controls.

RESULTS

Triptolide significantly inhibited cell proliferation and induced apoptosis in vitro, through activation of caspases, in a dose- and time-dependent manner; VEGF and EGFR levels were suppressed. In vivo, triptolide inhibited the growth of STS-26T xenografts and reduced apoptosis.

CONCLUSION

Triptolide may have a therapeutic benefit in MPNST treatment.

Quantification of hepatitis B surface antigen and E antigen: correlation between Elecsys and architect assays

Quantification of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) and their change model during treatment are emerging as a useful tool for assessing the outcome of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and predicting the efficacy of antiviral therapy. The aim of this study was to compare the performance of the Elecsys and Architect assays for HBsAg and HBeAg quantification. Quantification of HBsAg and HBeAg, determined by these two assays, were assessed in 1292 sera from patients with chronic hepatitis B(CHB). HBeAg quantification in serum was performed by calibrating the results through HBeAg Paul-Ehrlich international (PEI) reference standard. The HBV genotype was determined by direct sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. Of 1292 samples, the distribution of genotype was 514 (39.78%) genotype B, 776 (60.06%) genotype C, 2 (0.16%) genotype D. The results of HBsAg and HBeAg quantification between the Architect and Elecsys assays were significantly correlated (HBsAg: r = 0.939; HBeAg: r = 0.987), independent of HBV genotype and treatment phase. The mean differences between the two methods (the log10 [Elecsys] - the log10 [Architect]) were 0.075 log10  IU/mL and -0.149 log10 PE IU/mL in quantifying HBsAg and HBeAg, respectively. This study demonstrates a high correlation between the Elecsys and the Architect assays in quantifying HBsAg and HBeAg, regardless of HBV genotype. Both the two assays can be used to monitor the HBsAg and HBeAg levels in patients with chronic hepatitis B.

Atroposelective carbonylation of aryl iodides with amides: facile synthesis of enantioenriched cyclic and acyclic amides

An unprecedented palladium-catalyzed asymmetric carbonylation of ArI with carbon monoxide (CO) to expand a class of atroposelective cyclic and acyclic amides in good yields with high enantioselectivities has been reported.

Nickel Photocatalyzed Reductive 1,4-Dicarbofunctionalization of 1,3-Enynes with N-Methylamines and Organohalides Enabled by Site-Selective C(sp3)-H Functionalization

A cooperative nickel and photoredox reductive catalysis for 1,4-dicarbofunctionalization of 1,3-enynes with tertiary N-methylamines and organohalides to produce tetrasubstituted allenes is presented. This method enables the generation of the aminoalkyl C(sp³)-centered radicals by site selective cleavage of the N-methyl C(sp³)-H bonds in tertiary N-methylamines and is extended to alkyl bromides as the electrophilic terminating regents. Mechanistic studies indicate that the reaction involves a radical process and a Ni⁰/Ni^I/Ni^III catalytic cycle.

Nickel-Catalyzed C-S Reductive Cross-Coupling of Alkyl Halides with Arylthiosilanes toward Alkyl Aryl Thioethers

A nickel-catalyzed C-S reductive cross-coupling of alkyl halides with arylthiosilanes for producing alkyl aryl thioethers is developed. This reaction is initiated by umpolung transformations of arylthiosilanes followed by C-S reductive cross-coupling with alkyl halides to manage an electrophilic alkyl group onto the electrophilic sulfur atom and then construct a C(sp³)-S bond, and features exquisite chemoselectivity, excellent tolerance of diverse functional groups, and wide applications for late-stage modification of biologically relevant molecules.

Rapid large-scale culturing of microencapsulated hepatocytes: a promising approach for cell-based hepatic support

INTRODUCTION

The efficacy of any bioartificial liver device requires both rapid production and proper bioactivity of the cells for the bioreactor. The goal of this study was to observe the effect of spinner speed and cell density on the proliferation of microencapsulated immortalized human hepatocytes (HepLL) and human hepatoma (HepG2) cells.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Alginate-chitosan microcapsulated HepG2 and HepLL cells were randomly divided into 2 groups, and each group was further divided into 8 subgroups according to embedded cell density and spinner speed. The growth, metabolism, and functions of the encapsulated cells in each group were evaluated.

RESULTS

In each group, the cell number, ammonium removal, albumin synthesis, and diazepam clearance increased significantly with the spinner speed, whereas embedded cell density had no impact. Albumin synthesis, removal of ammonium, and diazepam clearance were significantly higher in the microencapsulated HepLL groups than in HepG2 cells at any time point, without any significant difference in cell numbers.

CONCLUSIONS

Spinner culture significantly promoted microencapsulated HepLL and HepG2 cell bioactivity. Wrapped cells had optimal function on day 10 in rolling culture groups. These data show that HepLL cells would be a promising candidate for cell-based liver support therapy.

Visible and near-infrared imaging spectrometer and its preliminary results from the Chang'E 3 project

In order to conduct lunar surface mineral composition studies and content analysis, the Visible and Near-infrared Imaging Spectrometer (VNIS), one of the scientific payloads of the Chang'E 3 Yutu rover, has been developed to detect lunar surface objects and to obtain their reflectance spectra and geometric images. This is achieved with a 45° visual angle and at a height of 0.69 m. VNIS is equipped with a lunar surface calibration function, and the spectral range is 0.45-2.40 μm with a spectral resolution of 2-12 nm. It is capable of synchronously acquiring the full spectrum of lunar surface objects and in situ calibration. Here, we describe the VNIS and explain the preliminary results of the lunar surface exploration and calibration, which provides valuable information for scientific data processing and applications.

A prospective study on vulvovaginal candidiasis: multicentre molecular epidemiology of pathogenic yeasts in China

BACKGROUND

Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is frequent in women of reproductive age, but very limited data are available on the epidemiology in cases of VVC in China.

OBJECTIVES

The current study has been conducted to reveal the prevalence, species distribution of yeast causing VVC and molecular genetics of Candida albicans in China.

METHODS

Vaginal swabs were collected from 543 VVC outpatients recruited in 12 hospitals in China between September 2017 and March 2018. They were preliminarily incubated on Sabouraud dextrose agar and then positive subjects of which were then transmitted to our institute for further identification. CHROMagar™ was used to isolate Candida species, and all isolates were finally identified by DNA sequencing. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) was used to analyse phylogenetic relationships of the various C. albicans isolates.

RESULTS

Eleven different yeast species were identified in 543 isolates, among which C. albicans (84.7%) was the most frequent, followed by C. glabrata (8.7%). We obtained 117 unique diploid sequence types from 451 clinical C. albicans isolates and 92 isolates (20.4%) belonged to a New Clade. All the strains appearing in the New Clade were from northern China and they were isolated from non-recurrent VVC.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that C. albicans are still the main cause of VVC in China and the majority of C. albicans isolates belongs to Clade 1 with DST 79 and DST 45 being two most common. Moreover, the New Clade revealed in our study seems to be specific to northern China.

Relay Palladium/Copper Catalysis Enabled Silylative [5 + 1] Benzannulation Using Terminal Alkynes as One-Carbon Units

Using terminal alkyne as a nontraditional one-carbon (C1) unit and silylborane as an external silicon pronucleophile, a relay palladium/copper-catalyzed silylative [5 + 1] benzannulation of 3-acetoxy-1,4-enynes for producing polysubstituted arylsilanes, especially including bioactive motif-based analogues, in a single reaction step through benzene ring skeleton assembly and silyl intermolecular incorporation cascades is developed. Mechanistic studies show that this reaction allows the terminal sp-hybridized carbon atom in terminal alkynes as a C1 unit via cleavage of two π-bonds and one C(sp)-H bond.

Divergent functionalization of terminal alkynes enabled alkynylative [5+1] benzannulation of 3-acetoxy-1,4-enynes

We here describe an alkynylative [5+1] benzannulation of 3-acetoxy-1,4-enynes with terminal alkynes, which enables both the construction of a benzene ring skeleton and intermolecular incorporation of an alkynyl group in a single reaction using Pd and Cu cooperative catalysts. The method represents efficient access to internal aryl alkynes through divergent functionalization of two terminal alkyne components: one alkyne serves as the one-carbon unit to realize the [5+1] benzannulation and the other alkyne as a nucleophile terminates the reaction.

Effect of Multimedia Health Education on Psychological Burden, Quality of Life Ability, and Self-Efficacy of Congenital Microtia

Aims

To investigate the effects of multimedia health education on psychological burden, quality of life, and self-efficacy of patients with congenital microtia.

Materials and Methods

Eighty cases of patients with congenital microtia treated and cared for in our hospital from June 2018 to June 2022 were selected according to the numerical table method as retrospective study subjects and divided into 40 cases each in the comparison group and the observation group. The comparison group implemented conventional health education and discharge instruction, and the observation group implemented multimedia health education care to compare the effects of self-efficacy, self-care ability and psychological burden of patients in the two groups.

Results

Before care, the two groups had no statistically significant difference in the quality of life scores (P > 0.05). Aftercare, the mental vitality scores, social interaction scores, emotional limitation scores, and mental status of patients in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the comparison group (P < 0.05). Before nursing care, there was no statistically significant difference in the nursing ability and anxiety-depression scores between the two groups (P > 0.05). After nursing care, the health knowledge level, self-care skills, self-care responsibility, and self-concept of the observation group were higher than the comparison group, while the depression-emotional disorder scores were significantly lower than the comparison group (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Routine health education and discharge instruction combined with multimedia health education care can effectively improve the quality of life of patients with congenital microtia, reduce adverse emotions, and improve patients' sense of self-efficacy.

Correlation of C-reactive protein level and obesity in Chinese adults and children: a meta-analysis

This meta-analysis evaluated the correlations between C-reactive protein (CRP) and obesity in Chinese adults and children. We searched three Chinese databases [Wanfang, WEIPU, and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI)] in addition to PubMed. The search was restricted to only Chinese studies published online before January 9, 2013. Data from 28 articles were independently abstracted by two reviewers. The articles' characteristics were abstracted as follows: 1) first author name; 2) year of publication; 3) study population; 4) sample size; 5) sex, age, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and CRP level of the study population; 6) Pearson correlation coefficients, Spearman correlation coefficients, or odds ratios between CRP level and obesity. The metaanalysis was conducted to pool the Pearson correlation coefficients using a random-effects model. The pooled Pearson correlation coefficient between CRP and BMI was 0.45 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.33-0.56] in Chinese adults and 0.46 (95% CI: 0.31-0.62) in Chinese children, and the pooled Pearson correlation coefficient was 0.32 (95% CI: 0.24-0.40) in the general Chinese population and 0.53 (95% CI: 0.42-0.64) in the obese Chinese population. Significant correlation was thus found between CRP and obesity in Chinese adults and children.

Molecular Characterization of the Oncogene BTF3 and Its Targets in Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most commonly diagnosed and leading causes of cancer mortality worldwide, and the prognosis of patients with CRC remains unsatisfactory. Basic transcription factor 3 (BTF3) is an oncogene and hazardous prognosticator in CRC. Although two distinct functional mechanisms of BTF3 in different cancer types have been reported, its role in CRC is still unclear. In this study, we aimed to molecularly characterize the oncogene BTF3 and its targets in CRC. Here, we first identified the transcriptional targets of BTF3 by applying combined RNA-Seq and ChIP-Seq analysis, identifying CHD1L as a transcriptional target of BTF3. Thereafter, we conducted immunoprecipitation (IP)-MS and E3 ubiquitin ligase analysis to identify potential interacting targets of BTF3 as a subunit of the nascent-polypeptide-associated complex (NAC). The analysis revealed that BTF3 might also inhibit E3 ubiquitin ligase HERC2-mediated p53 degradation. Finally, miRNAs targeting BTF3 were predicted and validated. Decreased miR-497-5p expression is responsible for higher levels of BTF3 post-transcriptionally. Collectively, we concluded that BTF3 is an oncogene, and there may exist a transcription factor and NAC-related proteolysis mechanism in CRC. This study provides a comprehensive basis for understanding the oncogenic mechanisms of BTF3 in CRC.