Analysis of sagittal profile and radiographic parameters in symptomatic thoracolumbar disc herniation patients.

Background: Few studies describe thoracolumbar disc herniation (TLDH) as an isolated category, it is frequently classified as the lower thoracic spine or upper lumbar spine. Thus, less is known about the morphology and aetiology of TLDH compared to lumbar disc herniation (LDH). The aim of study is to investigate sagittal alignment in TLDH and analyze sagittal profile with radiographic parameters.

Regulatory Role of Ubiquitin Specific Protease-13 (USP13) in Misfolded Protein Clearance in Neurodegenerative Diseases.

Ubiquitin Specific Protease (USP)-13 is a de-ubiquitinase member of the cysteine-dependent protease superfamily that cleaves ubiquitin off protein substrates to reverse ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation. Several findings implicate USPs in neurodegeneration. Ubiquitin targets proteins to major degradation pathways, including the proteasome and the lysosome.

Development of Novel Mitochondrial Pyruvate Carrier Inhibitors to Treat Hair Loss.

Herein, we report the synthesis and evaluation of novel analogues of UK-5099 both and for the development of mitochondrial pyruvate carrier (MPC) inhibitors to treat hair loss. A comprehensive understanding of the structure-activity relationship was obtained by varying four positions of the hit compound, namely, the alkyl group on the N1 position, substituents on the indole core, various aromatic and heteroaromatic core structures, and various Michael acceptors. The major discovery was that the inhibitors with a 3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)benzyl group at the N1 position were shown to have much better activity than (UK-5099) to increase cellular lactate production.

Anti-EGFR antibody-drug conjugate for triple-negative breast cancer therapy.

Triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs) are highly aggressive, metastatic and recurrent. Cytotoxic chemotherapies with limited clinical benefits and severe side effects are the standard therapeutic strategies, but, to date, there is no efficacious targeted therapy. Literature and our data showed that epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is overexpressed on TNBC cell surface and is a promising oncological target.

Comparative assessment of pre- and inter-stage hydrothermal treatment of municipal sludge for increased methane production.

Hydrothermal treatment (HT) is a promising technology to enhance anaerobic digestion (AD) of municipal sludge. However, the capacity of pre- and inter-stage HT (i.e.

Comparison of Anterior Approach and Posterior Circumspinal Decompression in the Treatment of Giant Thoracic Discs.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Objectives: The treatment of giant thoracic disc herniation (gTDH)remains challenging for surgeons worldwide because of its large volume and calcified or ossified nature and the limitations of the prior small-sample-size, single-center studies reporting comparative effectiveness. We aim to compare the anterior decompression and spinal fusion (ASF) and posterior circumspinal decompression and spinal fusion (PCDF) for patients with myelopathy due to gTDH in the largest study to date by sample size.

Full-Endoscopic Foraminotomy with a Novel Large Endoscopic Trephine for Severe Degenerative Lumbar Foraminal Stenosis at L S Level: An Advanced Surgical Technique.

To (i) introduce the technical notes of a novel full-endoscopic foraminotomy with a large endoscopic trephine for the treatment of severe degenerative lumbar foraminal stenosis at L S level; (ii) assess the primary clinical outcomes of this technique; (iii) compare the effectiveness of this full-endoscopic foraminotomy technique and other previous techniques for lumbar foraminal stenosis. From January 2019 to August 2019, a retrospective study of L S severe degenerative lumbar foraminal stenosis was performed in our center. All patients who were diagnosed with severe foraminal stenosis at L S level and failed conservative treatment for at least 6 weeks were identified.

Imaging Features of Aggressive Giant Cell Tumors of the Mobile Spine: Retrospective Analysis of 101 Patients From Single Center.

Study Design: Retrospective study.

Objectives: Giant cell tumors (GCTs) of the mobile spine can be locally aggressive. This study described and classified the typical and atypical appearance of aggressive spinal GCTs according to imaging findings to help the imaging diagnosis, especially for patients with rapid neurological deficit that may require emergent surgery without biopsy.

Shuxuetong injection simultaneously ameliorates dexamethasone-driven vascular calcification and osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis (OP) and vascular calcification (VC) share a number of common risk factors, pathophysiological mechanisms and etiology, which are known as bone-vascular axis. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of Shuxuetong (SXT) injection on VC and osteoporosis. A rat model of VC and osteoporosis was induced by dexamethasone (DEX; 1 mg/kg/day for 4 weeks, intramuscularly).

Delayed postoperative radiotherapy increases the incidence of radiographic local tumor progression before radiotherapy and leads to poor prognosis in spinal metastases.

Background: Most previous studies focused on the minimum interval between surgery and radiotherapy in spinal metastases, leaving the maximum interval under-investigated. However, in real world, limited radiotherapist and equipment cannot meet the needs of a large patient population to obtain timely radiotherapy after the index spine surgery in developing countries. This study aimed to estimate the clinical risks of delayed radiotherapy after surgery in patients with spinal metastases in developing country.

Diagnosis and treatment of Rosai-Dorfman disease of the spine: a systematic literature review.

Purpose: To review and summarize the clinical features, diagnosis, treatment strategies, and prognosis of spinal Rosai-Dorfman disease (RDD).

Methods: RDD is also termed as sinus histiocytosis with massive lymphadenopathy. We searched the databases of PubMed, Elsevier ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, and OVID.

D-arginine-loaded metal-organic frameworks nanoparticles sensitize osteosarcoma to radiotherapy.

Osteosarcoma is a common type of bone cancers with a high rate of pulmonary recurrence. High-dose radiation therapy is useful for the ablation of unresectable osteosarcoma. However, it may cause severe adverse effects.

The diagnosis and prognostic value of plasma copeptin in traumatic brain injury: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: The purpose of this meta-analysis was to assess the diagnosis and prognostic value of plasma copeptin levels after traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Methods: The databases PubMed, Cochrane Library, OvidSP, Google Scholar, VIP, CNKI, and WFSD were systematically searched from the inception dates to May 9, 2020. The pooled analysis of relevant data was conducted by the RevMan 5.

Radiographic and clinical features of thoracic disk disease associated with myelopathy: a retrospective analysis of 257 cases.

Purpose: To analyze the clinical and radiographic characteristics of thoracic disk disease associated with myelopathy (TDM).

Methods: This is a retrospective clinical review of prospectively collected imaging data based at a single institute. Based on preoperative CT and MRI, we classified TDM as thoracic disk herniation (TDH), THD with ossification (THDO), TDH with posterior bony avulsions of the vertebrae (TDH with PBA), TDH with posterior vertebral osteophytes (TDH with PVO), giant thoracic osteophyte and calcific discitis with herniation (CDH).

Comparing three mathematical models using different substrates for prediction of partial nitrification.

Modelling of partial nitrification process is affected by several factors such as selection of true substrates, FA and FNA inhibition, and pH effect on growth rate. Among these factors, the selection of true substrates is very critical as it affects the structure of the model. In the present work, a new model adopting free ammonia (FA) and free nitrous acids (FNA) as the true substrate for ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB) was proposed.

A solid lipid coated calcium peroxide nanocarrier enables combined cancer chemo/chemodynamic therapy with O/HO self-sufficiency.

The unfavorable factors in tumor microenvironment such as hypoxia and limited HO levels greatly impede the anticancer efficacy of chemotherapy and chemodynamic therapy (CDT). To address these issues and achieve O/HO-sufficient chemo/chemodynamic combination therapy, we synthesized a solid lipid monostearin coated calcium peroxide (CaO) nanocarrier for the co-delivery of a chemotherapeutic drug doxorubicin (DOX) and a biocompatible Fenton catalyst iron-oleate complex. Specifically, the solid lipid shells of nanoparticles could disintegrate in lipase-overexpressed cancer cells to release iron-oleate and expose CaO cores.

Suppressing calcineurin activity increases the toxicity of Cry2Ab to Helicoverpa armigera.

Background: Extensive planting of transgenetic Bacillus thuringiensis crops has driven the evolution of pest resistance to Cry1Ac. Adjustment of cropping structures has promoted further outbreak of Helicoverpa armigera in China. To control this pest, a combination of pyramiding RNA interference (RNAi) and Cry2Ab is considered a promising strategy for countering cross-resistance and enhancing the toxicity of Cry2Ab to cotton bollworm.

Long-term evaluation of the effect of peracetic acid on a mixed aerobic culture: Organic matter degradation, nitrification, and microbial community structure.

Peracetic acid (PAA) has been widely used as a disinfectant in many industries; its use in poultry processing is steadily increasing. However, information related to the potential inhibitory effect of PAA solutions (PAA and HO) on biological wastewater treatment processes used by the poultry processing industry is extremely limited. The work reported here assessed the long-term effect of PAA solution on aerobic degradation and nitrification in three bioreactors fed with poultry processing wastewater by quantifying the extent of COD removal and nitrification rates.

Can formetric 4D measurements predict the development of adjacent segment degeneration after single-segment PLIF?: Relative rotation angle as a sensitive predictor.

Background: Adjacent segment degeneration (ASD) is a major issue after posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF). The postoperative dynamic change of adjacent segments remains unknown. Hence, this study using the formetric 4D system (DIERS, International GmbH of Schlangenbad, Germany) to determine the impact of PLIF on ASD, and to compare the effectiveness with traditional radiography for the predication of ASD.

A prospective randomized cohort study on 3D-printed artificial vertebral body in single-level anterior cervical corpectomy for cervical spondylotic myelopathy.

Background: This was a prospective randomized cohort study aiming at examining the safety and efficacy of artificial vertebral body (AVB) fabricated by electron beam melting (EBM) in comparison to conventional titanium mesh cage (TMC) used in single-level anterior cervical corpectomy and fusion (SL-ACCF).

Methods: Forty patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) underwent SL-ACCF using either the EBM-AVB or the TMC. Patients were evaluated for their demographics, radiological characteristics, neurologic function [using the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scale], and health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) aspects [using the Short Form 36 (SF-36)] before and after the surgery and comparison was made between the two groups both at baseline and the last follow-up.

Role of microRNAs in the crosstalk between osteosarcoma cells and the tumour microenvironment.

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common primary bone tumour, with a peak incidence in adolescents, and the five-year survival rate of patients with metastasis or recurrence is much lower than that of patients without metastasis and recurrence. OS is initiated and develops in a complex tumour microenvironment (TME) that contains many different components, such as osteoblasts, osteoclasts, mesenchymal stem cells, fibroblasts, immune cells, extracellular matrix (ECM), extracellular vesicles, and cytokines. The extensive interaction between OS and the TME underlies OS progression.

Hydrogen Sulfide Alleviates Skeletal Muscle Fibrosis via Attenuating Inflammation and Oxidative Stress.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of exogenous hydrogen sulfide (HS) treatment on skeletal muscle contusion. We established a skeletal muscle contusion model (S group) and an HS treated of skeletal muscle contusion model (HS group). Gastrocnemius muscles (GMs) were collected at day 1, day 5, day 10, and day 15 after injury, and comprehensive morphological and genetic analyses was conducted.

Typical and Atypical Radiographic Features of Symptomatic Osteoblastoma in the Spine.

Background: Spine osteoblastomas (OBs) are relatively rare. In contrast to osteoid osteoma, radiologic and clinical manifestations of OB can be varied and atypical. Typical radiographic features in spinal OB include peritumoral bone sclerosis, bone marrow edema, and soft tissue edema.