Depletion of circRNA circ_CDK14 inhibits osteosarcoma progression by regulating the miR-520a-3p/GAB1 axis.

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a lethal bone malignancy. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have emerged as important regulators of OS development. CircRNA cyclin dependent kinase 14 (circ_CDK14) was reported to be a potential oncogene in OS.

Roles of miR-182 in Intervertebral Disc Degeneration and its Potential Prognostic Value.

Background: MicroRNAs were reported to be involved in the progression of intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD). This study focused on the potential prognostic value and the underlying mechanism of miR-182 in IDD.

Methods: The expression level of miR-182 in plasma samples from 60 IDD patients and 60 healthy controls were examined in the present study.

TiRobot-Assisted Percutaneous Cannulated Screw Fixation in the Treatment of Femoral Neck Fractures: A Minimum 2-Year Follow-up of 50 Patients.

Objective: To assess the long-term clinical efficacy of TiRobot-assisted percutaneous cannulated screw fixation in the treatment of femoral neck fractures.

Methods: This retrospective study included 50 patients with unilateral femoral neck fractures who were treated with TiRobot-assisted percutaneous cannulated screw fixation from September 2017 to May 2018. After at least 2 years of follow-up, the results of treatment, including operation duration, frequency of fluoroscopy use, intraoperative bleeding, hospital stay, medical expense, screw placement accuracy, rate of fracture healing and necrosis of the femoral head, and Harris hip scores at the last follow up, were recorded and compared with those of 83 matched patients who underwent conventional manual positioning surgery.

Upregulation of suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 ameliorates spinal degenerative disease in adolescents by mediating leptin and tumor necrosis factor-α levels.

Spinal degenerative changes may occur following the rapid growth observed in adolescents, causing a reduced quality of life. The suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS) is involved in various degenerative diseases. The current study recruited adolescents with spinal degenerative disease (SDD) to identify the effect of SOCS-3 on leptin and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels in this disorder.

Thermal pretreatment promotes the protective effect of HSP70 against tendon adhesion in tendon healing by increasing HSP70 expression.

Tendon adhesion is a substantial challenge for tendon repair. Thermal pretreatment (TP) may decrease inflammation by upregulating heat shock proteins (HSPs). The present study intends to identify the function that TP serves when combined with HSP70 overexpression in tendon healing and adhesion in rats.

Down-regulation of long non-coding RNA ITGB2-AS1 inhibits osteosarcoma proliferation and metastasis by repressing Wnt/β-catenin signalling and predicts favourable prognosis.

Osteosarcoma is the most common and highly aggressive bone neoplasm often occurs among adolescents and young people. In despite of the major advances in the treatment, the overall survival of osteosarcoma patients remains poor. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been identified as key regulators involved in tumorigenesis and progression of osteosarcoma.

The Mitochondrial Na/Ca Exchanger is Necessary but Not Sufficient for Ca Homeostasis and Viability.

Unlabelled: Luongo et al. found that the mitochondrial Na/Ca exchanger (NCLX) was essential for Ca homeostasis and viability. Here, we re-analyze their data in terms of fractal self-similarity and quantitative difference (QD).

Mitochondria-targeted platinum(II) complexes induce apoptosis-dependent autophagic cell death mediated by ER-stress in A549 cancer cells.

Agents with multiple modes of tumor cell death can be effective chemotherapeutic drugs. One example of a bimodal chemotherapeutic approach is an agent that can induce both apoptosis and autophagic death. Thus far, no clinical anticancer drug has been shown to simultaneously induce both these pathways.

Organometallic Gold(III) Complexes Similar to Tetrahydroisoquinoline Induce ER-Stress-Mediated Apoptosis and Pro-Death Autophagy in A549 Cancer Cells.

Agents inducing both apoptosis and autophagic death can be effective chemotherapeutic drugs. In our present work, we synthesized two organometallic gold(III) complexes harboring C^N ligands that structurally resemble tetrahydroisoquinoline (THIQ): Cyc-Au-1 (AuLCl, L = 3,4-dimethoxyphenethylamine) and Cyc-Au-2 (AuLCl, L = methylenedioxyphenethylamine). In screening their in vitro activity, we found both gold complexes exhibited lower toxicity, lower resistance factors, and better anticancer activity than those of cisplatin.

Crystal structure, cytotoxicity and action mechanism of Zn(II)/Mn(II) complexes with isoquinoline ligands.

Four μ-Cl bridged dinuclear metal complexes with isoquinoline ligands, (MPDQ)ZnCl (1) (MPDQ=4.5-methylenedioxy-1-pyridinedihydroisoquinoline), (PYP)ZnCl (2) (PYP=5-pyridin-2-yl-[1,3]dioxolo[4,5-g]isoquinoline), (MPDQ)MnCl (3),and (PYP)MnCl (4) were synthesized and characterized. All complexes exhibited strong proliferation inhibition activity against various cancer cells.

[Effects of plastic film mulching and rain harvesting modes on chlorophyll fluorescence characteristics, yield and water use efficiency of dryland maize].

The differences on chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, yield and water use efficiency of dryland maize were compared among full plastic film mulching on double ridges and planting in catchment furrows (FFDRF), half plastic film mulching on double ridges and planting in catchment furrows (HFDRF), plastic film mulching on ridge and planting in film-side (FS), and flat planting with no plastic film mulching (NM) under field conditions in dry highland of Loess Plateau in 2007-2012. The results showed that fluorescence yield (Fo), the maximum fluorescence yield (Fm), light-adapted fluorescence yield when PS II reaction centers were totally open (F), light-adapted fluorescence yield when PS II reaction centers closed (Fm'), the maximal photochemical efficiency of PS II (Fv/Fm), the actual photochemical efficiency of PS II in the light (Phi PS II), the relative electron transport rate (ETR), photochemical quenching (qP) and non-photochemical quenching (qN) in maize leaves of FFDRF were higher than that of control (NM), and the value of 1-qP was lower than that of control, at 13:00, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters values of FFDRF was significantly higher than control, which were increased by 5.3%, 56.

[Echo-tracking technology for evaluating the impact of blood pressure on vascular endothelial function].

Objective: To evaluate the effect of blood pressure on vascular endothelial function using echo-tracking (ET) technology.

Methods: Thirty hypertensive (HP) patients, 30 subjects with high normal blood pressure (HN), and 30 normotensive control (NC) subjects were enrolled in this study. For each subject, conventional two-dimensional ultrasound was performed to measure the intima-media thickness (IMT), and an ET system was utilized to assess the carotid elasticity (Ep, β, AC, AI, and PWVβ).

Diagnosis and spectrum of melamine-related renal disease: plausible mechanism of stone formation in humans.

Background: An epidemic of urinary stones affecting children after consumption of melamine tainted milk is unfolding. We defined clinicopathological features of the disease for diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of this group of patients.

Methods: A clinicopathological study on exposed children with ultrasonographic evidence of urolithiasis was conducted.

[Correlation between power Doppler vascularity index and microvessel density in high-grade gliomas and adjacent edema].

Objective: To investigate the correlation between power Doppler vascularity index (PDVI) and microvessel density (MVD) and evaluate the angiogenesis in high-grade gliomas and the adjacent edema in patients with glioma using intraoperative power Doppler ultrasound (PDUS) during gross total resection.

Methods: In 25 cases of high-grade gliomas undergoing gross total tumor resections, PDUS was performed intraoperatively and the regions of interest within the tumor and the adjacent edema were analyzed with Photoshop software to measure the tumoral and peritumoral blood flow quantified as PDVI. The tumoral and adjacent MVD were determined using immunohistochemical staining for CD34.

[Minimally invasive closure of atrial septal defect without extracorporeal circulation: report of 5 cases].

Objective: To review our experience with a new surgical approach for closure of atrial septal defect (ASD) through a minimally invasive method without extracorporeal circulation.

Methods: Five female patients (age range, 7-38 years) with secondary atrial septal defect ranging from 1.8 to 3.

[Association of platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 gene polymorphism with coronary heart disease].

Objective: To investigate the association of Leu125Val and Ser563Asn polymorphism of the gene encoding platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1(PECAM-1) with coronary heart disease.

Methods: This study included 156 patients with the diagnoses of coronary heart disease (CHD) and coronary lesions derived from electrocardiography, myocardial enzyme analysis and coronary angiography as the CHD group, and another 75 in-patients admitted within the same period who showed no signs of CHD in the above examinations constituted the control group. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) was employed to examine the missense polymorphism of PECAM-1gene in the position of Leu125Val and Ser563Asn.

[Association between aldosterone synthase gene polymorphism and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy].

Objective: To investigate the relationship between aldosterone synthase (CYP11B2) gene polymorphism and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).

Methods: Fifteen HCM patients and 18 healthy subjects were enrolled in this study. Peripheral blood samples were collected from these subjects to exact genome DNA.