Safety Profile of Biportal Endoscopic Spine Surgery Compared to Conventional Microscopic Approach: A Pooled Analysis of 2 Randomized Controlled Trials.

Objective: To compare the safety profiles of biportal endoscopic spinal surgery (BESS) and microscopic spinal surgery (MSS) for lumbar disc herniation and spinal stenosis by analyzing the associated adverse events.

Methods: We pooled data from 2 prospective randomized controlled trials involving 220 patients (110 in each group) who underwent single-level lumbar surgery. Participants aged 20-80 years with radiating pain due to lumbar disc herniation or spinal stenosis were included in this study.

Transcriptional control of motor pool formation and motor circuit connectivity by the LIM-HD protein Isl2.

The fidelity of motor control requires the precise positional arrangement of motor pools and the establishment of synaptic connections between them. During neural development in the spinal cord, motor nerves project to specific target muscles and receive proprioceptive input from these muscles via the sensorimotor circuit. LIM-homeodomain transcription factors are known to play a crucial role in successively restricting specific motor neuronal fates.

Clinical Characteristics of Elderly People with Osteoporotic Vertebral Compression Fracture Based on a 12-Year Single-Center Experience in Korea.

In an aging human population, osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (OVCF) frequently occurs. We conducted this retrospective study to analyze the clinical characteristics of elderly people with OVCF who underwent percutaneous vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty over a 12-year period at a single medical center in Korea. Between 2007 and 2019, A total of 868 patients ( = 868) were treated at our institution.

Six-well plate-based colony-forming efficacy assay and Co-Culture application to assess toxicity of metal oxide nanoparticles.

The development of a universal, label-free, and reliable in vitro toxicity testing method for nanoparticles is urgent because most nanoparticles can interfere with toxicity assays. In this regard, the colony-forming efficacy (CFE) assay has been suggested as a suitable in vitro toxicity assay for testing nanoparticles without such interference. Recently, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) developed a 60 × 15 mm Petri dish-based CFE assay for testing nanoparticles in MDCK-1 cells.

Anatomical locations of the motor endplates of sartorius muscle for botulinum toxin injections in treatment of muscle spasticity.

Purpose: This study aimed to detect the idyllic locations for botulinum neurotoxin injection by analyzing the intramuscular neural distributions of the sartorius muscles.

Methods: An altered Sihler's staining was conducted on sartorius muscles (15 specimens). The nerve entry points and intramuscular arborization areas were measured as a percentage of the total distance from the most prominent point of the anterior superior iliac spine (0%) to the medial femoral epicondyle (100%).

ABCG1 and ABCG4 as key transporters in the development of pulmonary alveolar proteinosis by nanoparticles.

Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) has been reported in rodents treated with nanoparticles (NPs). However, little is known about the type of NPs producing PAP and their toxicity mechanisms. Here, we assembled seven PAP-inducing NPs and TiO NPs as a negative control.

The reactive oxygen species as pathogenic factors of fragmented microplastics to macrophages.

The presence of microplastics in the various food web raised concerns on human health, but little is known about the target cells and mechanism of toxicity of microplastics. In this study, we evaluated the toxicity of microplastics using relevant cell lines to the oral route of exposure. Approximately 100 μm-sized fragment-type polypropylene (PP) and polystyrene (PS) particles were prepared by sieving after pulverization and further applied the accelerated weathering using ultraviolet and heat.

The Rice GLYCINE-RICH PROTEIN 3 Confers Drought Tolerance by Regulating mRNA Stability of ROS Scavenging-Related Genes.

Background: Plant glycine-rich proteins are categorized into several classes based on their protein structures. The glycine-rich RNA binding proteins (GRPs) are members of class IV subfamily possessing N-terminus RNA-recognition motifs (RRMs) and proposed to be involved in post-transcriptional regulation of its target transcripts. GRPs are involved in developmental process and cellular stress responses, but the molecular mechanisms underlying these regulations are still elusive.

Hidden osteonecrosis of the femoral head after healed femoral neck fractures: magnetic resonance imaging study of 58 consecutive patients.

Introduction: Several studies investigated the posttraumatic osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) after femoral neck fracture (FNF). However, no study has investigated the hidden ONFH after FNF, which is missed by simple radiographs, using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Materials And Methods: This retrospective study involved 58 consecutive patients who underwent implant removal surgery after internal fixation due to FNF.

, a Ribonucleoprotein Gene, Regulates Chloroplast mRNA Stability That Confers Drought and Cold Tolerance.

Chloroplast ribonucleoproteins (cpRNPs) are nuclear-encoded and highly abundant proteins that are proposed to function in chloroplast RNA metabolism. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of chloroplast RNAs involved in stress tolerance are poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that (), a rice () cpRNP gene, is essential for stabilization of RNAs from the NAD(P)H dehydrogenase (NDH) complex, which in turn enhances drought and cold stress tolerance.

Combination effect of nanoparticles on the acute pulmonary inflammogenic potential: additive effect and antagonistic effect.

The combination effect of co-exposed different types of nanomaterials is little known although humans are generally exposed to a mixture of nanomaterials from urban ultrafine particles or industrial nanomaterials. Herein, we evaluated the combined effect of nanoparticles (NPs) using three types of NPs in different inflammogenic categories: carbon black (CB), nickel oxide (NiO), and copper oxide (CuO). A single type of NPs or NPs in combination was intratracheally instilled into the lungs of rats and the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was analyzed at 24 h after instillation to evaluate the acute inflammogenic potential.

Flavorless vs. Flavored Electronic Cigarette-Generated Aerosol and E-Liquid on the Growth of Common Oral Commensal Streptococci.

Introduction: Electronic cigarette (ECIG) use or vaping has become popular globally. While the question "Is vaping safer than smoking?" continues, it is becoming clearer that one of the most dangerous components of E-liquids are the flavorings. Since the oral cavity is the first anatomical site to be assaulted by ECIG aerosol, the aim of this study is to test the hypothesis that flavored ECIG aerosols or E-liquids pose a more detrimental effect on the growth of commensal oral streptococcal bacteria compared to flavorless aerosols or E-liquids.

Bell-Type Correlation at Quantum Phase Transitions in Spin-1 Chain.

For the identification of non-trivial quantum phase, we exploit a Bell-type correlation that is applied to the one-dimensional spin-1 XXZ chain. It is found that our generalization of bipartite Bell correlation can take a decomposed form of transverse spin correlation together with high-order terms. The formulation of the density-matrix renormalisation group is utilized to obtain the ground state of a given Hamiltonian with non-trivial phase.

The carbon ratio as a modulator of and toxicity of the chemically purified detonation-synthesized nanodiamond via the reactive oxygen species generation.

Nanodiamonds have been suggested as biocompatible materials and are suitable for various biomedical applications, but little is known about how to synthesize safer nanodiamonds. Herein, seven different detonation-synthesized nanodiamonds (DNDs) with sequential carbon ratios were assembled by controlling the chemical purification parameters and the role of carbon ratio on the toxicity of DNDs was investigated. Carbon black and nickel oxide nanoparticles were used as reference particles.

Carbon nanomaterial-derived lung burden analysis using UV-Vis spectrophotometry and proteinase K digestion.

Background: The quantification of nanomaterials accumulated in various organs is crucial in studying their toxicity and toxicokinetics. However, some types of nanomaterials, including carbon nanomaterials (CNMs), are difficult to quantify in a biological matrix. Therefore, developing improved methodologies for quantification of CNMs in vital organs is instrumental in their continued modification and application.

Low-temperature catalytic aqueous phase oxidation of microcystin-LR with iron-doped TiO pillared clay catalysts.

TiO-PILCs and iron-doped TiO-PILCs were employed in order to destroy toxic microcystin-LR in the presence of HO under the UV light. While less than 5% of the initial microcystin-LR and TOC disappeared in 240 min with the TiO-PILCs, almost complete conversion of microcystin-LR could be achieved in 180 min on the 10 wt% iron-doped TiO-PILC-A. On the exterior surface of the iron-doped TiO-PILCs were mainly located iron particles which had nano-sized diameter and Fe/Fe cations together.

Potential Role of Soluble Metal Impurities in the Acute Lung Inflammogenicity of Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes.

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) have variable metal impurities, but little is known about the impact of soluble metal impurities on the toxicity of MWCNTs. Here, we evaluated the role of soluble metal impurities to the acute inflammogenic potential of MWCNTs, using five types of high purity MWCNTs (>95%). MWCNTs and their soluble fractions collected at 24 h after incubation in phosphate-buffered saline showed diverse metal impurities with variable concentrations.

Aggravation of atherosclerosis by pulmonary exposure to indium oxide nanoparticles.

The use of indium oxide (InO) and indium-metal hybrids for various applications, including the manufacture of batteries and liquid crystal displays, increases the chances of human exposure to InO via inhalation, especially in occupational settings. However, there is little information available on the toxic effects of InO nanoparticles (NPs) on secondary organs following pulmonary exposure. In this study, we evaluated the effect of InO NPs on atherosclerotic plaque formation and the related mechanisms after pulmonary exposure in low-density lipoprotein receptor knockout () mice.

The early onset and persistent worsening pulmonary alveolar proteinosis in rats by indium oxide nanoparticles.

Workplace inhalation exposure to indium compounds has been reported to produce 'indium lung disease' characterized by pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP), granulomas, and pulmonary fibrosis. However, there is little information about the pulmonary toxicity of nano-sized indium oxide (InO), which is widely used in various applications such as liquid crystal displays. In this study, we evaluated the time-course and dose-dependent lung injuries by InO nanoparticles (NPs) after a single intratracheal instillation to rats.

Cdk5 regulates N-cadherin-dependent neuronal migration during cortical development.

Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5) controls neuronal migration in the developing cortex when multipolar newborn neurons transform to become bipolar. However, by which mechanisms Cdk5 controls cell adhesion in migrating neurons are not fully understood. In this study, we examined the functional interaction between Cdk5 and N-cadherin (Ncad) in newborn neurons when they undergo the multipolar to bipolar transition in the intermediate zone (IZ).

Allantoin accumulation through overexpression of ureide permease1 improves rice growth under limited nitrogen conditions.

In legumes, nitrogen (N) can be stored as ureide allantoin and transported by ureide permease (UPS) from nodules to leaves where it is catabolized to release ammonium and assimilation to amino acids. In non-leguminous plants especially rice, information on its roles in N metabolism is scarce. Here, we show that OsUPS1 is localized in plasma membranes and are highly expressed in vascular tissues of rice.

Surface Charge-Dependent Cellular Uptake of Polystyrene Nanoparticles.

The evaluation of the role of physicochemical properties in the toxicity of nanoparticles is important for the understanding of toxicity mechanisms and for controlling the behavior of nanoparticles. The surface charge of nanoparticles is suggested as one of the key parameters which decide their biological impact. In this study, we synthesized fluorophore-conjugated polystyrene nanoparticles (-PLNPs), with seven different types of surface functional groups that were all based on an identical core, to evaluate the role of surface charge in the cellular uptake of nanoparticles.

Threshold Rigidity Values for the Asbestos-like Pathogenicity of High-Aspect-Ratio Carbon Nanotubes in a Mouse Pleural Inflammation Model.

The qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the physicochemical parameters associated with the pathogenicity of high-aspect-ratio nanomaterials is important for comprehensive regulation efforts and safety-by-design approaches. Here, we report quantitative data on the correlations between the rigidity of these nanomaterials and toxicity endpoints in vitro and in vivo. As measured by new ISO standards published in 2017, rigidity shows a strong positive correlation with inflammogenic potential, as indicated by inflammatory cell counts and IL-1β (a biomarker for frustrated phagocytosis) levels in both the acute and chronic phases.