lncRNA-NEF is downregulated in osteosarcoma and inhibits cancer cell migration and invasion by downregulating miRNA-21.

Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA)-NEF inhibits cancer metastasis in hepatocellular carcinoma; however, its role in other malignancies is unknown. The present study revealed that plasma lncRNA-NEF was downregulated, while miRNA-21 was upregulated in patients with osteosarcoma compared with healthy controls. Plasma lncRNA-NEF and miRNA-21 were negatively correlated in patients with osteosarcoma and healthy controls.

Radiological Evaluation of Craniocervical Region in Patients with Basilar Invagination.

Study Design: A retrospective analysis of collected data.

Objective: Our study aims to present the morphology of cranial-cervical spinal canal in basilar invagination (BI) patients.

Summary Of Background Data: BI is characterized by protrusion of the odontoid process into the foramen magnum (C0), leading to compression of the cervicomedullary junction.

Clival Screw Placement in Patient with atlas assimilation: A CT-based feasibility study.

Clival screw and plate fixation technique is an alternative or supplement to the occipitocervical instrumentation. However, no report has clarified the applied anatomy of clivus in patients with atlas assimilation (C1A), especially for clival screw fixation. Therefore, we measured the parameters of clival lengths, widths, putative screw lengths, clival-cervical angel and foramen magnum diameters on CT images in a cohort of 81 C1A patients and patients without C1A.

Mitochondrial DNA depletion causes decreased ROS production and resistance to apoptosis.

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) depletion occurs frequently in many diseases including cancer. The present study was designed in order to examine the hypothesis that mtDNA‑depleted cells are resistant to apoptosis and to explore the possible mechanisms responsible for this effect. Parental human osteosarcoma 143B cells and mtDNA‑deficient (Rho˚ or ρ˚) 206 cells (derived from 143B cells) were exposed to different doses of solar-simulated ultraviolet (UV) radiation.

Feasibility of C2 Vertebra Screws Placement in Patient With Occipitalization of Atlas: A Tomographic Study.

Occipitalization of atlas (OA) is a congenital disease with the possibility of anomalous bony anatomies and the C2 pedicle screw insertion is technically challenging. However, there are no existing literatures clarified the dimensions and angulations of the C2 pedicles, lamina and lateral masses for screw insertion in patients with OA. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the morphometric features of C2 for screw placement in OA to guide the use of surgical screws.

The development and evaluation of individualized templates to assist transoral C2 articular mass or transpedicular screw placement in TARP-IV procedures: adult cadaver specimen study.

Objectives: The transoral atlantoaxial reduction plate system treats irreducible atlantoaxial dislocation from transoral atlantoaxial reduction plate-I to transoral atlantoaxial reduction plate-III. However, this system has demonstrated problems associated with screw loosening, atlantoaxial fixation and concealed or manifest neurovascular injuries. This study sought to design a set of individualized templates to improve the accuracy of anterior C2 screw placement in the transoral atlantoaxial reduction plate-IV procedure.

Treatment of basilar invagination with atlantoaxial dislocation: atlantoaxial joint distraction and fixation with transoral atlantoaxial reduction plate (TARP) without odontoidectomy.

Purpose: Although direct transoral decompression and one-stage posterior instrumentation can obtain satisfactory cord decompression for the treatment of basilar invagination with atlantoaxial dislocation, surgical injuries run high as combinative anterior-posterior approaches were necessary. Furthermore, the complications will rise notably when involvement of dens and/or clivus in the decompression necessitates relatively complicated surgical techniques. First initiated in 2005, transoral atlantoaxial reduction plate (TARP) works as an internal fixation for the treatment of basilar invagination with irreducible atlantoaxial dislocation.

Propranolol therapy of infantile hemangiomas: efficacy, adverse effects, and recurrence.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy, adverse effects, and recurrence of oral propranolol for treatment of infantile hemangioma.

Methods: Participants were treated with oral propranolol three times daily, with inpatient monitoring of adverse effects. The starting dosage was 2 mg/kg per day, which had been for the remaining duration of treatment.

Photodynamic therapy in treatment of port wine stain birthmarks--recent progress.

Port wine stain (PWS) birthmarks are congenital vascular malformations characterized by ectatic capillaries in the papillary layer of the dermis. They usually appear at birth and tend to become darker and thicker with age. Cosmetic and pathological changes can cause great depression in all ages.