Measurement of Bone Metastatic Tumor Growth by a Tibial Tumorigenesis Assay.

Bone metastasis is a frequent and lethal complication of many cancer types (., prostate cancer, breast cancer, and multiple myeloma), and a cure for bone metastasis remains elusive. To recapitulate the process of bone metastasis and understand how cancer cells metastasize to bone, intracardiac injection and intracaudal arterial animal models were developed.

Biomechanical evaluation of the craniovertebral junction after odontoidectomy with anterior C1 arch preservation: A finite element study.

Objective: Odontoidectomy with preservation of the anterior C1 arch can be increasingly achieved by an endoscopic endonasal approach. It is controversial whether preservation of the anterior C1 arch after odontoidectomy can prevent instability of the craniovertebral junction （CVJ） and avoid posterior fixation. The aim of this research was to investigate the biomechanical effect of the preserved anterior C1 arch after odontoidectomy.

Intermittent Fasting Inhibits High-Fat Diet-Induced Atherosclerosis by Ameliorating Hypercholesterolemia and Reducing Monocyte Chemoattraction.

Atherosclerosis is a major pathology for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Clinically, the intermittent fasting (IF) has been observed to reduce the risk of CVDs. However, the effect of IF on the development of atherosclerosis has not been fully elucidated.

Short-term effectiveness and safety of an anatomy-conforming hybrid surgery protocol for thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms.

Background: Thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms (TAAAs) are one of the most complex aortic aneurysms to treat. Traditional open surgery for TAAAs is highly invasive and total endovascular treatment still has many limitations. Hybrid surgery offers a viable option for TAAA patients, but currently it often alters the original hemodynamics.

Spinal beta-amyloid1-42 acts as an endogenous analgesic peptide in CCI-induced neuropathic pain.

Background: The mechanism for reduced pain sensitivity associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) has not been illustrated. We hypothesize that amyloid beta 1-42 (Aβ1-42) in the spinal cord acts as an endogenous analgesic peptide to suppress pain induced by nerve injury.

Methods: We used chronic constriction injury of the sciatic nerve (CCI) to produce neuropathic pain in Sprague-Dawley rats.

Yeast display of MHC-II enables rapid identification of peptide ligands from protein antigens (RIPPA).

CD4 T cells orchestrate adaptive immune responses via binding of antigens to their receptors through specific peptide/MHC-II complexes. To study these responses, it is essential to identify protein-derived MHC-II peptide ligands that constitute epitopes for T cell recognition. However, generating cells expressing single MHC-II alleles and isolating these proteins for use in peptide elution or binding studies is time consuming.

High levels of used syringe use and unsafe sex among people who inject drugs in Kumasi, Ghana: an urgent call for a comprehensive harm reduction approach.

Background: Drug use is a growing concern in Ghana. People who inject drugs (PWID) are highly vulnerable to HIV and other infectious diseases. Ghana's National Strategic Plan for HIV/AIDS 2016-2020 identifies PWID as a key population, but efforts to address the needs of PWID have lagged behind those targeting sex workers and men who have sex with men.

Adherence to the 2019 AHA/ACC/HRS Focused Update of the 2014 AHA/ACC/HRS Guideline on the Use of Oral Anticoagulant Agents in Middle Eastern Patients with Atrial Fibrillation: The Jordan Atrial Fibrillation (JoFib) Study.

Background: There is a scarcity of studies that evaluate adherence to the utilization of guideline-recommended oral anticoagulant agents (OACs) in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) in the Middle East. The Jordan Atrial Fibrillation (JoFib) Study evaluated baseline clinical profiles and the utilization of OACs, including vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) and direct OACs (DOACs), in patients with valvular AF (VAF) and nonvalvular AF (NVAF) according to the 2019 focused update of the 2014 AHA/ACC/HRS guidelines.

Methods: Consecutive patients with AF were enrolled in 29 hospitals and outpatient clinics.

Treating Lumbar Fracture Using the Mixed Reality Technique.

The mixed reality (MR) technique has recently been widely used in the orthopedic surgery with satisfactory results reported. However, few studies have focused on the application of MR in the Lumbar fracture (LF). In this retrospective study, our aim is to analyze some findings by investigating the feasibility of MR applied to lumbar fracture treatment.

Giant Intracranial Xanthoma with Cloudy Vision as the First Symptom: A Case Report and Literature Review.

A 31-year-old male with mild dizziness complained of cloudy vision in his right eye for 5 days. The visual acuity of both eyes was normal, while the visual contrast sensitivity of both eyes slightly reduced. Fundus examination showed the swollen and radial superficial hemorrhage of his both optic nerves.

Acetylation of KLF5 maintains EMT and tumorigenicity to cause chemoresistant bone metastasis in prostate cancer.

Advanced prostate cancer (PCa) often develops bone metastasis, for which therapies are very limited and the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. We report that bone-borne TGF-β induces the acetylation of transcription factor KLF5 in PCa bone metastases, and acetylated KLF5 (Ac-KLF5) causes osteoclastogenesis and bone metastatic lesions by activating CXCR4, which leads to IL-11 secretion, and stimulating SHH/IL-6 paracrine signaling. While essential for maintaining the mesenchymal phenotype and tumorigenicity, Ac-KLF5 also causes resistance to docetaxel in tumors and bone metastases, which is overcome by targeting CXCR4 with FDA-approved plerixafor.

Expanding the clinical spectrum of adult-onset neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease.

Neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease (NIID) is a heterogeneous neurodegenerative disease with multiple clinical subtypes. Recent breakthroughs on neuroimaging, skin biopsy and genetic testing have facilitated the diagnosis. We aim to investigate the clinical characteristics of Chinese NIID patients to further refine the spectrum.

Roles of host small RNAs in the evolution and host tropism of coronaviruses.

Human coronaviruses (CoVs) can cause respiratory infection epidemics that sometimes expand into globally relevant pandemics. All human CoVs have sister strains isolated from animal hosts and seem to have an animal origin, yet the process of host jumping is largely unknown. RNA interference (RNAi) is an ancient mechanism in many eukaryotes to defend against viral infections through the hybridization of host endogenous small RNAs (miRNAs) with target sites in invading RNAs.

Effects of Fasting-Mimicking Diet and Specific Meal Replacement Foods on Blood Glucose Control in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Type 2 diabetes represents a serious societal health problem due to the vulnerability to cardiovascular events. Diet therapy is the most basic treatment for type 2 diabetes. The present study was conducted to study the effect of a fasting-mimicking diet and specific meal replacement foods on blood glucose control in patients with type 2 diabetes.

The revised International Association for the Study of Pain definition of pain: concepts, challenges, and compromises.

The current International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) definition of pain as "An unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage" was recommended by the Subcommittee on Taxonomy and adopted by the IASP Council in 1979. This definition has become accepted widely by health care professionals and researchers in the pain field and adopted by several professional, governmental, and nongovernmental organizations, including the World Health Organization. In recent years, some in the field have reasoned that advances in our understanding of pain warrant a reevaluation of the definition and have proposed modifications.

Ten-year survival with analysis of gender difference, risk factors, and causes of death during 13 years of public antiretroviral therapy in rural Kenya.

Evidence for why antiretroviral therapy (ART) outcomes differ by gender in developing countries has been inconclusive. In this first study to assess 10-year survival on ART in Kenya, our objective was to compare gender differences in survival for those who began ART as adults and as children. Kakamega County Referral Hospital (KCRH) is a tertiary rural hospital that has provided public ART to Kenyans since 2004.

Clinicopathologic characterization and abnormal autophagy of -related leukoencephalopathy.

Background: -related leukoencephalopathy, also known as hereditary diffuse leukoencephalopathy with spheroids (HDLS), is a rare white-matter encephalopathy characterized by motor and neuropsychiatric symptoms due to colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor () gene mutation. Few of mutations have been functionally testified and the pathogenesis remains unknown.

Methods: In order to investigate clinical and pathological characteristics of patients with -related leukoencephalopathy and explore the potential impact of mutations, we analyzed clinical manifestations of 15 patients from 10 unrelated families and performed brain biopsy in 2 cases.

Primary familial brain calcification presenting as paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia: Genetic and functional analyses.

Background: Primary familial brain calcification (PFBC) is a rare neurodegenerative disorder characterized by calcium deposition in bilateral and symmetric brain. Evidence suggested that PFBC might be associated with paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia (PKD). We aim to investigate the genetic causes in PFBC patients manifested as PKD, and further to explore the pathogenic impact of the identified mutations.

Association between ambient air pollution exposure and infants small for gestational age in Huangshi, China: a cross-sectional study.

Small for gestational age (SGA) is defined as intrauterine growth retardation or small sample, referring to the 10th percentile of birth weight lower or two standard deviations less than the average weight at the same gestational age. SGA infants bring great economic and psychological burdens to families and society. The association between exposure to air pollution and SGA in underdeveloped cities with poor air quality remains unclear.

Left atrial appendage orifice diameter measured with trans-esophageal echocardiography is independently related with peri-device leakage after Watchman device implantation.

Percutaneous left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) has emerged as an alternative of stroke prevention in non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) patients. Peri-device leakage after LAAC is common. This retrospective, case-control study aimed to identify risk factors related with peri-device leakage after LAAC with Watchman devices.

Short-Term Effects of Carbonaceous Components in PM on Pulmonary Function: A Panel Study of 37 Chinese Healthy Adults.

Objectives: To explore the health effects of indoor/outdoor carbonaceous compositions in PM on pulmonary function among healthy students living in the local university campus.

Methods: Daily peak expiratory flow (PEF) and forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV) were measured among 37 healthy students in the morning and evening for four two-week periods. Concurrent concentrations of indoor and outdoor PM (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.

Gaseous pollutant exposure affects semen quality in central China: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Limited studies have explored the association between gaseous pollutant exposures and male reproductive outcomes, and findings remained inconsistent.

Objectives: To evaluate the potential association  between gaseous pollutants and semen quality within different exposure windows. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We adopted semen quality data of 1852 subjects who attended the Reproductive Medicine Center of Renmin Hospital at Wuhan University during January 1st, 2013, to August 3rd, 2015.

Determinants of paying national health insurance premium with mobile phone in Ghana: a cross-sectional prospective study.

Introduction: In an effort to increase Ghana's National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) enrollment and retention rates, the NHIS introduced membership renewal and premium payment by mobile phone. The success of such an innovation dependents on many factors including personal and community characteristics of members.

Objective: The objective of the study is to investigate the determinants of renewing membership and paying the NHIS premium through a mobile phone.