Modified posterior soft tissue repair for the prevention of early postoperative dislocation in total hip arthroplasty.

Purpose: Dislocation following total hip arthroplasty (THA) with the posterior approach has been quite a common and bothering complication. Previous researches suggest that careful repair of the posterior structures significantly reduces this risk. The purposes of the present study were to describe a modified posterior soft tissue repair procedure in THA using a suture anchor (TwinFix Ti 5.

Effectiveness of Bufei Yishen Granule combined with acupoint sticking therapy on quality of life in patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of Bufei Yishen Granule BFYSG) combined with Shufei Tie acupoint sticking therapy on quality of life of patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Methods: A multi-center, double-blinded, double-dummy and randomized controlled method was adopted in this trial. A total of 244 patients were randomly assigned to a trial group and a control group according to the random number, each with 122 patients; treatment allocation occurred when the participants met the inclusion criteria and signed the informed consent form.

Human antimicrobial peptide LL-37 modulates proinflammatory responses induced by cytokine milieus and double-stranded RNA in human keratinocytes.

Epidermal keratinocytes produce proinflammatory cytokines/chemokines upon stimulation with cytokine milieus and Toll-like receptor ligands, which are considered to reflect epidermal environments in inflamed skin. The human antimicrobial peptide LL-37, besides having microbicidal functions, plays multiple roles as a "host defense peptide" in the immune system. Here, we examined the effect of LL-37 on proinflammatory responses induced by double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) and cytokines in primary human keratinocytes.

Functional and psychosocial effects of pulmonary Daoyin on patients with COPD in China: study protocol of a multicenter randomized controlled trial.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major public health problem worldwide. Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is an established intervention for the management of patients with COPD. Exercise training is an important part of PR, and its effectiveness in patients with COPD is well established.

Detection of epigenetic changes using ANOVA with spatially varying coefficients.

Identification of genome-wide epigenetic changes, the stable changes in gene function without a change in DNA sequence, under various conditions plays an important role in biomedical research. High-throughput epigenetic experiments are useful tools to measure genome-wide epigenetic changes, but the measured intensity levels from these high-resolution genome-wide epigenetic profiling data are often spatially correlated with high noise levels. In addition, it is challenging to detect genome-wide epigenetic changes across multiple conditions, so efficient statistical methodology development is needed for this purpose.

Human lung epithelial cells progressed to malignancy through specific oncogenic manipulations.

We used CDK4/hTERT-immortalized normal human bronchial epithelial cells (HBEC) from several individuals to study lung cancer pathogenesis by introducing combinations of common lung cancer oncogenic changes (p53, KRAS, and MYC) and followed the stepwise transformation of HBECs to full malignancy. This model showed that: (i) the combination of five genetic alterations (CDK4, hTERT, sh-p53, KRAS(V12), and c-MYC) is sufficient for full tumorigenic conversion of HBECs; (ii) genetically identical clones of transformed HBECs exhibit pronounced differences in tumor growth, histology, and differentiation; (iii) HBECs from different individuals vary in their sensitivity to transformation by these oncogenic manipulations; (iv) high levels of KRAS(V12) are required for full malignant transformation of HBECs, however, prior loss of p53 function is required to prevent oncogene-induced senescence; (v) overexpression of c-MYC greatly enhances malignancy but only in the context of sh-p53+KRAS(V12); (vi) growth of parental HBECs in serum-containing medium induces differentiation, whereas growth of oncogenically manipulated HBECs in serum increases in vivo tumorigenicity, decreases tumor latency, produces more undifferentiated tumors, and induces epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT); (vii) oncogenic transformation of HBECs leads to increased sensitivity to standard chemotherapy doublets; (viii) an mRNA signature derived by comparing tumorigenic versus nontumorigenic clones was predictive of outcome in patients with lung cancer. Collectively, our findings show that this HBEC model system can be used to study the effect of oncogenic mutations, their expression levels, and serum-derived environmental effects in malignant transformation, while also providing clinically translatable applications such as development of prognostic signatures and drug response phenotypes.

[Design, synthesis and activity assessment of aryl-substituent benzyl acid targeting HIV gp41].

Objective: To synthesize novel aryl-substituent benzyl acid compounds targeting HIV gp41 and characterize their anti-HIV activities.

Methods: Twelve analogues of aryl-substituent benzyl acid were designed and synthesized by Suzuki- Miyaura cross-coupling and Knoevenagel condensation reactions using halo-benzyl acid or 3-carboxybenzeneboronic acid as the raw material. The inhibitory activities of these compounds on gp41 six-helix bundle formation were tested by ELISA, and their anti-HIV activities were determined using a luciferase assay.

Applications of supervised learning to biological signals: ECG signal quality and systemic vascular resistance.

Discovering information encoded in non-invasively recorded biosignals which belies an individual's well-being can help facilitate the development of low-cost unobtrusive medical device technologies, or enable the unsupervised performance of physiological assessments without excessive oversight from trained clinical personnel. Although the unobtrusive or unsupervised nature of such technologies often results in less accurate measures than their invasive or supervised counterparts, this disadvantage is typically outweighed by the ability to monitor larger populations than ever before. The expected consequential benefit will be an improvement in healthcare provision and health outcomes for all.

A 12-gene set predicts survival benefits from adjuvant chemotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer patients.

Purpose: Prospectively identifying who will benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT) would improve clinical decisions for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. In this study, we aim to develop and validate a functional gene set that predicts the clinical benefits of ACT in NSCLC.

Experimental Design: An 18-hub-gene prognosis signature was developed through a systems biology approach, and its prognostic value was evaluated in six independent cohorts.

Targeted zwitterionic near-infrared fluorophores for improved optical imaging.

The signal-to-background ratio (SBR) is the key determinant of sensitivity, detectability and linearity in optical imaging. As signal strength is often constrained by fundamental limits, background reduction becomes an important approach for improving the SBR. We recently reported that a zwitterionic near-infrared (NIR) fluorophore, ZW800-1, exhibits low background.

Disturbance of hepatic and intestinal UDP-glucuronosyltransferase in rats with trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid-induced colitis.

UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) is an important class of phase II metabolizing enzymes, playing a pivotal role in detoxifying various substances and in the pathological procedures of some diseases. The present study aims to uncover the potential dysregulation pattern of UGTs in trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced colitis. Colitis was induced by intra-rectally administering a single dose of TNBS (100 mg/kg).

Deubiquitinase FAM/USP9X interacts with the E3 ubiquitin ligase SMURF1 protein and protects it from ligase activity-dependent self-degradation.

Ubiquitination is an essential post-translational modification that mediates diverse cellular functions. SMAD-specific E3 ubiquitin protein ligase 1 (SMURF1) belongs to the Nedd4 family of HECT ubiquitin ligases that directly catalyzes ubiquitin conjugation onto diverse substrates. As a result, SMURF1 regulates a great variety of cellular physiologies including bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling, cell migration, and planar cell polarity.

Effects of comprehensive therapy based on traditional Chinese medicine patterns in stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a four-center, open-label, randomized, controlled study.

Background: Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) for many years. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the comprehensive therapy based on the three common TCM patterns in stable COPD patients.

Methods: A four-center, open-label randomized controlled method was conducted.

Consent timing and experience: modifiable factors that may influence interest in clinical research.

Purpose: Low rates of participation in cancer clinical trials have been attributed to patient, institutional, and study characteristics. However, few studies have examined factors related to the consent process. We therefore evaluated the impact of consent timing and experience on markers of patient interest in research.

The starvation hormone, fibroblast growth factor-21, extends lifespan in mice.

Fibroblast growth factor-21 (FGF21) is a hormone secreted by the liver during fasting that elicits diverse aspects of the adaptive starvation response. Among its effects, FGF21 induces hepatic fatty acid oxidation and ketogenesis, increases insulin sensitivity, blocks somatic growth and causes bone loss. Here we show that transgenic overexpression of FGF21 markedly extends lifespan in mice without reducing food intake or affecting markers of NAD+ metabolism or AMP kinase and mTOR signaling.

A novel paramagnetic substrate for detecting myeloperoxidase activity in vivo.

Bis-phenylamides and bis-hydroxyindolamides of diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid-gadolinium (DTPA(Gd)) are paramagnetic reducing substrates of peroxidases that enable molecular imaging of peroxidase activity in vivo. Specifically, gadolinium chelates of bis-5-hydroxytryptamide-DTPA (bis-5HT-DTPA(Gd)) have been used to image localized inflammation in animal models by detecting neutrophil-derived myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity at the inflammation site. However, in other preclinical disease models, bis-5HT-DTPA(Gd) presents technical challenges due to its limited solubility in vivo.

[Value of blood inflammatory markers in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis in children].

Objective: To investigate the value of serum inflammatory markers in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis (AA) in children.

Methods: Blood samples were collected from 51 children with AA and 16 children with nonsurgical abdominal pain (NSAP) to examine white blood cell count (WBC), serum C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α).

Results: WBC count, CRP, IL-6 and TNF-α increased significantly in children with severe AA (phlegmonous or gangrenous, and perforated appendicitis).

Use of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide as a simple probe for rapid determination of emodin by resonance light scattering technique.

A new resonance light scattering (RLS) method for emodin determination with cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as probe has been developed. In Britton-Robinson buffer (pH 6.5) medium, emodin reacted with cationic surfactant CTAB and formed the emodin-CTAB complex.

R-Spondin potentiates Wnt/β-catenin signaling through orphan receptors LGR4 and LGR5.

The Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathbway controls many important biological processes. R-Spondin (RSPO) proteins are a family of secreted molecules that strongly potentiate Wnt/β-catenin signaling, however, the molecular mechanism of RSPO action is not yet fully understood. We performed an unbiased siRNA screen to identify molecules specifically required for RSPO, but not Wnt, induced β-catenin signaling.

Influence of anionic cosolutes and pH on nanoscale zerovalent iron longevity: time scales and mechanisms of reactivity loss toward 1,1,1,2-tetrachloroethane and Cr(VI).

Nanoscale zerovalent iron (NZVI) was aged over 30 days in suspension (2 g/L) with different anions (chloride, perchlorate, sulfate, carbonate, nitrate), anion concentrations (5, 25, 100 mN), and pH (7, 8). During aging, suspension samples were reacted periodically with 1,1,1,2-tetrachloroethane (1,1,1,2-TeCA) and Cr(VI) to determine the time scales and primary mode of NZVI reactivity loss. Rate constants for 1,1,1,2-TeCA reduction in Cl(-), SO(4)(2-), and ClO(4)(-) suspensions decreased by 95% over 1 month but were generally equivalent to one another, invariant of concentration and independent of pH.

Identification of Breast Cancer Prognosis Markers via Integrative Analysis.

In breast cancer research, it is of great interest to identify genomic markers associated with prognosis. Multiple gene profiling studies have been conducted for such a purpose. Genomic markers identified from the analysis of single datasets often do not have satisfactory reproducibility.

A multicenter phase II study of cisplatin, pemetrexed, and bevacizumab in patients with advanced malignant mesothelioma.

Introduction: Malignant mesothelioma (MM) cells express the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor, and VEGF protein expression is detected in a majority of human mesothelioma biopsy specimens. Bevacizumab is a recombinant humanized monoclonal antibody that blocks the binding of VEGF to its receptor. We evaluated the addition of bevacizumab to cisplatin and pemetrexed as first-line treatment in patients with advanced, unresectable MM.

Research resource: Diagnostic and therapeutic potential of nuclear receptor expression in lung cancer.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death. Despite a number of studies that have provided prognostic biomarkers for lung cancer, a paucity of reliable markers and therapeutic targets exist to diagnose and treat this aggressive disease. In this study we investigated the potential of nuclear receptors (NRs), many of which are well-established drug targets, as therapeutic markers in lung cancer.

Cell-free formation of RNA granules: bound RNAs identify features and components of cellular assemblies.

Cellular granules lacking boundary membranes harbor RNAs and their associated proteins and play diverse roles controlling the timing and location of protein synthesis. Formation of such granules was emulated by treatment of mouse brain extracts and human cell lysates with a biotinylated isoxazole (b-isox) chemical. Deep sequencing of the associated RNAs revealed an enrichment for mRNAs known to be recruited to neuronal granules used for dendritic transport and localized translation at synapses.