Comparative transcriptome profiling reveals RNA splicing alterations and biological function in patients exposed to occupational noise.

Genetic factors play an important role in susceptibility to noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). Alternative splicing (AS) is an essential mechanism affecting gene expression associated with disease pathogenesis at the post-transcriptional level, but has rarely been studied in NIHL. To explore the role of AS in the development of NIHL, we performed a comprehensive analysis of RNA splicing alterations by comparing the RNA-seq data from blood samples from NIHL patients and subjects with normal hearing who were exposed to the same noise environment.

Identification of hub biomarkers and immune cell infiltration characteristics of polymyositis by bioinformatics analysis.

Background: Polymyositis (PM) is an acquirable muscle disease with proximal muscle involvement of the extremities as the main manifestation; it is a category of idiopathic inflammatory myopathy. This study aimed to identify the key biomarkers of PM, while elucidating PM-associated immune cell infiltration and immune-related pathways.

Methods: The gene microarray data related to PM were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database.

Mitochondrial Oxidative Stress Enhances Vasoconstriction by Altering Calcium Homeostasis in Cerebrovascular Smooth Muscle Cells under Simulated Microgravity.

Objective: Exposure to microgravity results in postflight cardiovascular deconditioning in astronauts. Vascular oxidative stress injury and mitochondrial dysfunction have been reported during this process. To elucidate the mechanism for this condition, we investigated whether mitochondrial oxidative stress regulates calcium homeostasis and vasoconstriction in hindlimb unweighted (HU) rat cerebral arteries.

Military medical research on internal diseases in modern warfare: new concepts, demands, challenges, and opportunities.

Battlefield internal medicine aims at the treatment of combatants and noncombatants with various internal diseases on the battlefield. The military medical research on battlefield internal diseases focuses on the pathogenesis, clinical management, and prevention of internal diseases under military war conditions. In both wartime and peacetime, the soldiers suffer from more internal diseases than surgical wounds.

Allele-specific expression and alternative splicing in horse×donkey and cattle×yak hybrids.

Divergence of gene expression and alternative splicing is a crucial driving force in the evolution of species; to date, however the molecular mechanism remains unclear. Hybrids of closely related species provide a suitable model to analyze allele-specific expression (ASE) and allele-specific alternative splicing (ASS). Analysis of ASE and ASS can uncover the differences in -regulatory elements between closely related species, while eliminating interference of regulatory elements.

Activation of SphK1 by K6PC-5 Inhibits Oxygen-Glucose Deprivation/Reoxygenation-Induced Myocardial Cell Death.

In the current study, we evaluated the potential effect of a novel sphingosine kinase 1 (SphK1) activator, K6PC-5, on oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD)/reoxygenation-induced damages to myocardial cells. We demonstrated that K6PC-5 increased intracellular sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) content and remarkably inhibited OGD/reoxygenation-induced death of myocardial cells (H9c2/HL-1 lines and primary murine myocardiocytes). SphK1 inhibitors, B-5354c and SKI-II, or SphK1-siRNA knockdown not only aggregated OGD/reoxygenation-induced cytotoxicity but also nullified the cytoprotection by K6PC-5.

Anatomical references for tibial sagittal alignment in total knee arthroplasty: a comparison of three anatomical axes based on 3D reconstructed CT images.

Background: This study was designed to analyze three tibial axis reference lines including the anterior tibial cortex (ATC) line, the fibular line (FL), and the anatomical axis of tibia (AAT) line, to determine which line most closely parallels the mechanical axis (MA) of the tibia in the sagittal plane. The clinical relevance of the study is that through finding a reliable landmark on the leg, a surgeon may minimize posterior tibial slope measurement errors thereby and improving the technique for assuring proper alignment of total knee arthroplasty.

Methods: The material for this study included CT scans of the tibia from 85 consecutive patients and 168 knees (78 without osteoarthritis (OA) and 90 knees with OA).

[Cementless total hip arthroplasty for the management of advanced tuberculous coxitis].

Objective: The question of whether a total joint arthroplasty should be attempted in a patient with a current or previous infection of tuberculosis continues to arouse controversy. The aim of this report was to evaluate the clinical outcomes of cementless total hip arthroplasty for the treatment of advanced tuberculosis of hip.

Methods: A total of 14 patients with advanced tuberculosis of hip treated by cementless total hip arthroplasty were retrospectively analyzed.

[Cementless two-staged total hip arthroplasty for chronic periprosthetic infection].

Objective: To determine the clinical outcomes of two-staged cementless revision arthroplasty for the treatment of deep periprosthetic infection after total hip arthroplasty.

Methods: Twenty-three patients with deep periprosthetic infection treated with a standard protocol of two-staged cementless revision hip arthroplasty were enrolled in this study. There were 9 male patients and 14 female patients with an average age of 64 years (range, 52-78 years).

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation is involved in chrysin-induced growth inhibition and apoptosis in cultured A549 lung cancer cells.

Here we show that chrysin induces growth inhibition and apoptosis in cultured lung cancer A549 cells, and activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) may contribute to this process. Our Western-blots results demonstrated a significant AMPK activation after chrysin treatment in A549 cells. Inhibition of AMPK by shRNA-mediated gene silencing, or by its inhibitor, diminished chrysin-induced A549 cell growth inhibition and apoptosis.

Rotational alignment in total knee arthroplasty: nonimage-based navigation system versus conventional technique.

Background: Proper rotational alignment during total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is important for adequate postoperative patellofemoral and tibiofemoral kinematics, as well as for achieving balanced flexion space at 90. The effects of computer navigation-assisted total knee replacement and conventional total knee arthroplasty on rotational alignment, mechanical axis, component position and clinical outcomes were compared.

Methods: Two methods were used in 82 patients and the rotation of the femoral and tibial components in the transverse plane, the combined rotation of the two components, the mismatch between them, and the mechanical axis of the lower limb were analyzed.

[Epidemiology and etiology of hand-foot-and-mouth disease in Shanghai, 2009].

To analyze the epidemiological and etiological characteristics of Hand-Foot-and-Mouth disease (HFMD) in Shanghai in 2009, epidemiological data was retrieved from the National Notifiable Disease Report System (NNDRS). Nucleic acid of enterovirus (EV) was detected by real-time RT-PCR from 799 HFMD cases from 15 districts/counties in Shanghai; the complete sequences of VP1 encoding region of several identified EV71 strains and sequences of VP4 encoding region of several untyped EV were determined and analyzed. Analysis and summary of the epidemiological data was conducted with Microsoft Excel, and sequence analyses were conducted with both BioEdit and MEGA software.

[Posterior longitudinal strip osteotomy of proximal femur in revision total hip arthroplasty].

Objective: To evaluate the treatment and effect of a technique using single femoral posterior longitudinal strip osteotomy in revision total hip arthroplasties.

Methods: Between September 2005 and December 2009, 35 hips of 35 patients underwent a revision total hip arthroplasties (THA) in conjunction with extraction of femoral components. Among them, 23 cases were with uncemented, and 12 cases were with cemented femoral components.

[Acetabular revision with impacted irradiated frozen allografts].

Objective: To analyze the clinical and radiographical result of acetabular revisions with wire mesh, impacted irradiated frozen allografts and cemented cups.

Methods: From February 2006 to January 2009, a total of 20 patients with 21 acetabular revisions were performed with wire mesh, impacted irradiated frozen allografts and cemented cups. Eighteen cases (19 hips) were followed up.

Total knee arthroplasty using computer assisted navigation in patients with severe valgus deformity of the knee.

Background: Severe valgus deformity often has bone defect and laxity of the medial ligamentous, and total knee arthroplasty in severe valgus knee is, in most cases, more challenging for surgeons. The usefulness of a computer assisted navigation system in reestablishing the mechanical axis has been well established. Hence, the interest for surgeons is how the navigation system makes the procedure of total knee arthroplasty with severe valgus knee easier.

[Hip resurfacing arthroplasty for secondary osteoarthritis after developmental dysplasia of hip].

Objective: To study the clinical results of metal on metal hip resurfacing arthroplasty for developmental dysplasia patients.

Methods: From March 2005 to December 2006, 34 cases of developmental dysplasia patients (Crowe I, Crowe II) were attempted to have metal on metal hip resurfacing arthroplasty. There were 29 females (32 hips), 5 males (5 hips).

[Minimally invasive total knee arthroplasty through a quadriceps sparing approach: a comparative study].

Objective: To evaluate the short term clinical results of minimally invasive total knee arthroplasty (MIS-TKA) through a quadriceps sparing (QS) approach compared with a standard TKA using a medial parapatellar exposure.

Methods: Between March 2005 and March 2006, 26 consecutive unilateral primary MIS-TKA through a QS approach were performed. It was compared that the short term clinical results of this group with an age-matched and sex-match cohort of total knee arthroplasty done with a standard medial parapatellar approach.

[Arthroscopic treatment of tibial eminence fracture with figure-of-eight suture fixation technique].

Objective: To introduce the arthroscopic technique of figure-of-eight suture fixation for tibial eminence fracture, and to report its clinical results.

Methods: From January 1998 to June 2001, 21 cases of tibial eminence fracture were treated arthroscopically with figure-of-eight suture fixation technique. Active rehabilitation began one week after operation.