A comparative analysis of unilateral biportal endoscopic and open laminectomy in multilevel lumbar stenosis.

Background: Approximately 103 million people across the globe suffer from symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis, impacting their health and quality of life. The unilateral biportal endoscopic technique is effective for treating single-segment degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis and is seen as a viable alternative to traditional open lumbar laminectomy. However, research on the application of this technique for multilevel lumbar spinal stenosis remains lacking.

Unique and cumulative effects of different subtypes of sleep problems on burnout among Chinese nurses.

Objective: To investigate the unique and cumulative associations of different sleep problem subtypes with burnout among Chinese nurses.

Methods: A survey was conducted in Quanzhou, China, and a total of 744 nurses were included. Burnout was measured by Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey across three dimensions: emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalization (DP) and low personal accomplishment (PA).

Traumatic dislocation of the iris into the vitreous cavity with intact lens: a case report.

Background: Traumatic aniridia occurs when the iris is extruded from the eye and is often accompanied by lens injuries. However, traumatic aniridia due to dislocation of the iris into the vitreous cavity without lens damage has never been reported.

Case Presentation: A 30-year-old man presented with visual loss and pain for 6 h after a thin wire injured his right eyeball.

Postoperative infectious complications following laparoscopic versus open hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma: a multicenter propensity score analysis of 3876 patients.

Objectives: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common indication for hepatectomy that is often complicated by postoperative complication. The authors sought to investigate the relationship between the open with laparoscopic approach of hepatectomy and incidences of postoperative infectious complications.

Patients And Methods: Using a multicenter database, HCC patients who underwent laparoscopic hepatectomy (LH) or open hepatectomy (OH) were reviewed and analyzed.

Nitrogen inhibitors improve soil ecosystem multifunctionality by enhancing soil quality and alleviating microbial nitrogen limitation.

Soil quality (SQI) is a comprehensive indicator reflecting the agricultural productivity of soil, and soil ecosystem multifunctionality (performing multiple functions simultaneously; EMF) can reflect complex biogeochemical processes. However, the effects of enhanced efficiency nitrogen fertilizers (EENFs; urease inhibitors (NBPT), nitrification inhibitors (DCD), and coated controlled-release urea (RCN)) application on the SQI and soil EMF and their relationships are still unclear. Therefore, we conducted a field experiment to study the effects of different EENFs on the SQI, enzyme stoichiometry and soil EMF in semiarid areas of Northwest China (Gansu, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Shanxi).

Identification of multiple single-nucleotide variants for clinical evaluation of Helicobacter pylori drug resistance.

Helicobacter pylori infections are threats to public health due to their high infection rate and drug resistance. Identification of single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) in H. pylori is crucial for both diagnosis and therapy.

Novel mutations in the gene cause distinct retinopathies in two Chinese families.

Aim: To describe the clinical heterogeneity of patients with novel mutations in .

Methods: All the members in the two Chinese families underwent detailed clinical evaluations including best-corrected visual acuity, slit-lamp examination, applanation tonometry, and dilated fundus examination. Fundus autofluorescence, fundus fluorescein angiography, spectral-domain optical coherence tomography, electrooculography, and electroretinogram were also performed.

Enriched Rehabilitation Improves Gait Disorder and Cognitive Function in Parkinson's Disease: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Studies on non-pharmacological strategies for improving gait performance and cognition in Parkinson's disease (PD) are of great significance. We aimed to investigate the effect of and mechanism underlying enriched rehabilitation as a potentially effective strategy for improving gait performance and cognition in early-stage PD. Forty participants with early-stage PD were randomly assigned to receive 12 weeks (2 h/day, 6 days/week) of enriched rehabilitation (ER; = 20; mean age, 66.

Tumor-suppressive effects of microRNA-181d-5p on non-small-cell lung cancer through the CDKN3-mediated Akt signaling pathway in vivo and in vitro.

The involvement of several microRNAs (miRs) in the initiation and development of tumors through the suppression of the target gene expression has been highlighted. The aberrant expression of miR-181d-5p and cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 3 (CDKN3) in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was then screened by microarray analysis. In the present study, we performed a series of in vivo and in vitro experiments for the purpose of investigating their roles in NSCLC and the underlying mechanism.

Recombination and identification of human alpha B-crystallin.

Aim: To recombine the human alpha B-crystallin (αB-crystallin) using gene cloning technology and prokaryotic expression vector and confirm the biological activity of recombinant human αB-crystallin.

Methods: Cloning the human αB-crystallin cDNA according to the nucleotide sequence of the human αB-crystallin, constructing the pET-28/CRYAB prokaryotic expression plasmid by restriction enzyme digestion method, and stably expressing transformed into the Escherichia coli (E. coli) DH5 alpha.

The truncated mutant HBsAg expression increases the tumorigenesis of hepatitis B virus by regulating TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway.

Background: It has been reported that the emergence of HBV rtA181T/sW172* mutant could result in a dominant secretion defect of HBsAg and increase the risk of HCC development. This study was designed to reveal the role and possible pathogenic mechanism of truncated mutant HBsAg in tumorigenesis of HBV rtA181T/sW172* mutant.

Results: As compared to wide type or substituted mutant HBsAg, the ratio of cell clones was significant higher in L02 cells stable expressing truncated mutant HBsAg.

The pore-forming protein Aep1 is an innate immune molecule that prevents zebrafish from bacterial infection.

Following the Aeromonas hydrophila aerolysin, various aerolysin-like pore-forming proteins have been identified from bacteria to vertebrates. We have recently reported the mechanism of receptor recognition and in vitro pore-formation of a zebrafish aerolysin-like protein Dln1/Aep1. However, the physiological function of Aep1 remains unknown.

Roles of Fibroblast Activation Protein and Hepatocyte Growth Factor Expressions in Angiogenesis and Metastasis of Gastric Cancer.

This study aims to explore the roles of fibroblast activation protein (FAP) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) expressions in the angiogenesis and metastasis of gastric cancer (GC). From May 2012 to December 2015, 110 GC patients who received surgical treatment in the First Hospital of Qinhuangdao were selected. The HGF and FAP expressions in 110 cases of GC, 130 cases of normal gastric mucosa and 115 cases of gastric ulcer were detected by streptavidin-perosidase (SP) method.

Biological characteristics comparison of HBV rtA181T mutants with truncated or substituted HBsAg expression in vitro and in vivo model systems.

The hepatitis B virus(HBV) polymerase rtA181T mutation is selected during long-term antiviral therapy. As the polymerase gene completely overlaps with the envelope (S) gene, HBV rtA181T mutation also carries sW172 mutations. In this study, we investigated whether there were biological differences between rtA181T/sW172* (coding truncated HBsAg) and rtA181T/sW172L (coding substituted HBsAg) mutants.

Structural basis for receptor recognition and pore formation of a zebrafish aerolysin-like protein.

Various aerolysin-like pore-forming proteins have been identified from bacteria to vertebrates. However, the mechanism of receptor recognition and/or pore formation of the eukaryotic members remains unknown. Here, we present the first crystal and electron microscopy structures of a vertebrate aerolysin-like protein from Danio rerio, termed Dln1, before and after pore formation.

Neuroprotective Effect of Compound Anisodine in a Mouse Model with Chronic Ocular Hypertension.

Background: Compound anisodine (CA) is a compound preparation made from hydrobromide anisodine and procaine hydrochloride. The former is an M-choline receptor blocker with the function of regulating the vegetative nervous system, improving microcirculation, and so on. The latter is an antioxidant with the activities of neuroprotection.

Factors associated with mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B virus despite immunoprophylaxis.

Objective: This study aimed to assess risk factors for mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of hepatitis B virus (HBV) after immunoprophylaxis.

Methods: Risk factors for MTCT were assessed using a multivariate logistic regression model.

Patients: We enrolled 256 mother-child pairs with positive maternal hepatitis B surface antigens (HBsAg) between January 2010 and June 2013.

Genotypic resistance profiles in Chinese patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection and the efficacy of nucleoside analog rescue therapy.

Background And Aims: The aims of this study were to explore the correlation between chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) drug-resistant mutation profiles and the efficacy of nucleoside analog rescue therapy in patients with initial antiviral treatment failure.

Patients And Methods: Patients with initial antiviral therapy failure were recruited between January 2011 and January 2013 from the Division of Infectious Disease, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, People's Republic of China. Following drug-resistant mutation testing, eligible patients received nucleoside analog rescue therapy for 24 weeks.

Efficacy of entecavir treatment for up to 96 weeks in nucleoside-naive HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B patients with high viral load.

Background And Aims: To evaluate the antiviral response of hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients who had baseline high viral load (HVL), defined as having hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA>9log 10 copies/mL, after 96weeks of entecavir (ETV) treatment.

Methods: A total of 99 HBeAg-positive CHB patients (50 with HVL and 49 with non-HVL) were treated with ETV monotherapy for 96weeks.

Results: Virological response (VR) (HBVDNA<300copies/mL) was achieved in 42%, 62%, 68% of HVL patients and in 67.

Prolonged Combination Therapy is More Effective than Monotherapy in Management of Chronic Hepatitis B Patients With Sustained Virological Response: An Experience From a 'Real-World' Clinical Setting.

Background: Little is known about the duration of combination therapy for patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and suboptimal response to nucleos(t)ide analogues(NAs) monotherapy.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess whether monotherapy could be used for treatment of CHB patients, who poorly responded to Adefovir Dipivoxil (ADV) but obtained good responses after at least 12-month lamivudine (LAM) or telbivudine (LdT) add-on therapy.

Patients And Methods: Forty-five patients were enrolled, and the baseline time-point was determined according to enrollment data.

Acceleration of dermal wound healing by using electrospun curcumin-loaded poly(ε-caprolactone)-poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(ε-caprolactone) fibrous mats.

This study prepared a composite scaffold composed of curcumin and poly(ε-caprolactone)-poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL-PEG-PCL, PCEC) copolymer using coelectrospinning technology. Incorporation of curcumin into the polymeric matrix had an obvious effect on the morphology and dimension of PCEC/curcumin fibers. The results of in vitro anti-oxidant tests and of the cytotoxicity assay demonstrated that the curcumin-loaded PCEC fibrous mats had significant anti-oxidant efficacy and low cytotoxicity.

In vitro and in vivo degradation behavior of n-HA/PCL-Pluronic-PCL polyurethane composites.

Scaffolds for bone tissue engineering applications should have suitable degradability in favor of new bone ingrowth after implantation into bone defects. In this study, degradation behavior of polyurethane composites composed of triblock copolymer poly(caprolactone)-poluronic-poly(caprolactone) (PCL-Pluronic-PCL, PCFC) and nanohydroxyapatite (n-HA) was investigated. The water contact angle and water absorption were measured to reveal the effect of n-HA content on the surface wettability and swelling behavior of the n-HA/PCFC composites, respectively.

In vitro mineralization of hydroxyapatite on electrospun poly(ε-caprolactone)-poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(ε-caprolactone) fibrous scaffolds for tissue engineering application.

In this study, a fibrous scaffold was prepared by electrospinning triblock PCL-PEG-PCL (PCEC) copolymer. Afterwards, in vitro biomimetic mineralization was carried out through incubation of the PCEC fibrous mats in a simulated body fluid (SBF) for different time. The apatite-deposited PCEC composite scaffolds were characterized by using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM) observation and weighing.

[Analysis of cytomegaloviral antigenemia test and re-test after antiviral chemotherapy in patients with autoimmune and non-autoimmune diseases].

Objective: To retrospectively analyze the cytomegalovirus (CMV) antigenemia test and re-test after antiviral chemotherapy in patients with autoimmune and non-autoimmune diseases.

Methods: CMV Brite kit and indirect immunofluorescence were used to detect CMVpp65 antigenemia in 6471 peripheral blood leukocyte specimens from 5325 clinic and hospitalized patients with clinically suspicious CMV infections from May 2008 to February 2012. And the positive results were defined as episodes of systemic CMV activity.

CXCL10 enhances radiotherapy effects in HeLa cells through cell cycle redistribution.

Radiotherapy is a crucial treatment for cervical cancer, the second most common type of cancer in women worldwide. In this study, we investigated the effects of CXC chemokine ligand 10 (CXCL10) gene therapy combined with radiotherapy on cervical cancer using HeLa cells. TUNEL assay revealed that the apoptotic rate in the combined treatment of CXCL10 gene therapy and radiotherapy was greatly increased compared with that of CXCL10 or radiotherapy alone.