Soluble ST2 in serum predicts the prognosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: a retrospective study.

Background: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a heterogeneous and progressive fibrosing interstitial lung disease with a poor prognosis. However, there are currently no effective biomarker that can reliably predict the prognosis for IPF in clinic. The serum level of soluble suppression of tumorigenicity-2 (sST2), which is involved in the immune response, has proven to be a prognostic predictor for various diseases.

[Development and clinical application of an adjustable digital cannulated nail guide based on Mimics software].

Objective: To evaluate effectiveness of self-designed adjustable cannulated screw guide, and to provide an effective auxiliary tool for inverted triangular arrangement of compression cannulated screws in clinical treatment for transcervical femoral neck fractures.

Methods: The sketch of instrument was drawn with Solidworks software, and physical product was obtained after production. The data were obtained by Mimics software.

CART mitigates oxidative stress and DNA damage in memory deficits of APP/PS1 mice via upregulating β‑amyloid metabolism‑associated enzymes.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia that is primarily characterized by progressive cognitive deficits. The toxicity of amyloid β‑protein (Aβ) serves an important role in the progression of AD, resulting in neuronal loss via a number of possible mechanisms, including oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, energy depletion, apoptosis and neuroinflammation. Previous studies have reported that cocaine amphetamine regulated transcript (CART) treatment improves memory and synaptic structure in APP/PS1 mice.

Selective thoracic fusion for adolescent thoracic scoliosis secondary to Chiari I malformation: a comparison between the left and the right curves.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare the clinical outcomes of selective thoracic fusion in the surgical treatment of Chiari malformation type I (CMI) adolescents with different curve patterns.

Methods: Sixty-three CMI patients with left thoracic curve (LTC) and 63 age- and curve-magnitude-matched CMI patients with right thoracic curve (RTC) were recruited. Selective thoracic fusion was performed for two groups.

Vertebral body or intervertebral disc wedging: which contributes more to thoracolumbar kyphosis in ankylosing spondylitis patients?: A retrospective study.

Both vertebral body wedging and disc wedging are found in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients with thoracolumbar kyphosis. However, their relative contribution to thoracolumbar kyphosis is not fully understood. The objective of this study was to compare different contributions of vertebral and disc wedging to the thoracolumbar kyphosis in AS patients, and to analyze the relationship between the apical vertebral wedging angle and thoracolumbar kyphosis.

Sagittal spinopelvic alignment in adolescents associated with Scheuermann's kyphosis: a comparison with normal population.

Purpose: Spinopelvic alignment is increasingly considered as a main factor in the energy-efficient posture of the individual in normal and pathological status. However, the spinopelvic characteristics in Scheuermann's kyphosis (SK) are poorly defined in the literature. The purpose of this study was to determine whether differences of the spinopelvic parameters exist between adolescents with SK and age-matched normal controls.

Malignant triton tumor of the anterior mediastinum: A case report.

Malignant triton tumors (MTTs) are a rare subtype of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST) showing rhabdomyoblastic differentiation, which have no treatment consensus and a poor prognosis. This case report presented the case of a 42-year-old male patient with a large MTT located in the anterior mediastinum. The patient underwent palliative chemoradiotherapy and interstitial chemotherapy and received traditional Chinese medicine.