Objective:To observe any regulatory effect of a pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) on A2A adenosine receptors (A2ARs) in the nucleus pulposus of rats with intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD), and to explore any combination with the A2ARs′ agonist-mediating ROS/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.Methods:Fifty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into a control group, an intervertebral disc degeneration group (the model group), an A2AR agonist CGS-21680 treatment group (the agonist group), a PEMF group and a PEMF combined with CGS-21680 treatment group (the observation group). IDD was modeled in all except the rats in the control group. 100μL of CGS-21680 (100μg/kg) was injected into the L 5-6 intervertebral discs of the agonist group, while the PEMF group was given 30 minutes of PEMF intervention daily for 14 days at 1.5mT and 75Hz with a pulse width of 150μs. The observation group was injected with CGS-21680 and then given the same PEMF intervention. Primary nucleus pulposus cells from each group (50ng/mL) were cultured and the expressions of 8-OHDG, SOD, MDA and ROS were detected by immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence or with an ELISA kit. The A2AR, PI3K, AKT and p-AKT protein levels were detected using western blotting. Results:The nucleus pulposus cells and the annulus fibrosus were obviously wrinkled, necrotic and broken in the model group but the annulus fibrosus was intact and the nucleus pulposus was almost normal in the observation group. Compared with the model group, the levels of SOD and A2AR, PI3K, p-AKT and AKT protein were higher in the agonist, PEMF and observation groups, while the expressions of MDA, ROS and 8-OHDG were weaker. The ROS level in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the agonist and PEMF groups, and the phosphorylation level of p-AKT in the observation group was significantly higher than in the agonist and PEMF groups. The average levels of SOD, A2AR, PI3K, p-AKT and AKT protein in the nucleus pulposus cells of the agonist, PEMF and observation groups were significantly higher than the IL-1β group′s average, while the average levels of MDA, ROS and 8-OHDG were significantly lower. The ROS levels in the observation group were significantly lower than in the agonist and PEMF groups, while the A2AR protein content and p-AKT phosphorylation in the observation group were significantly greater. The average Bax levels in the nucleus pulposus cells of the agonist, PEMF and observation groups were significantly lower than that in the IL-1β group, and the expression of Bcl-2 was significantly increased. There was significantly less apoptosis observed in the observation group than in the agonist and PEMF groups, while the expression of Bcl-2 was significantly higher.Conclusions:PEMF plays an anti-oxidative stress role by up-regulating A2AR activity and reducing ROS generation. Treatment with PEMF and A2AR agonist could further activate the phosphorylation of PI3K/Akt, down-regulate Bax and up-regulate Bcl-2, thus inhibiting the apoptosis of nucleus pulposus cells and alleviating the malignant progression of IDD.

Objective To explore the potential mechanism of Qingkailing (QKL) on influenza, and to provide a theoretical basis for the clinical application of QKL. Methods TCMSP, TCMID, and PubChem databases were used to search for the active ingredients and action targets of QKL. GeneCards database was used to search for the targets of influenza. The intersection method was used to obtain the targets related to the therapeutic effects of QKL. Cytoscape software was applied for the construction of active compounds-targets network map. Protein-protein interaction network was constructed by STRING database. Gene ontology functional enrichment analysis and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis were conducted by Bioconductor database and R software. Auto Dock Tools were used for molecular docking. Results Total 90 potential active components were identified from QKL with the corresponding 225 targets. PPI network analysis showed that there were 34 key targets intervening influenza by QKL. GO and KEGG showed that the mechanism of QKL intervention on influenza was related to anti-inflammatory and antiviral. The results of molecular docking showed that cholic acid, hyodeoxycholic acid and baicalin had affinity with RELA and JUN. Conclusion The active ingredients of QKL target on JUN, RELA, MAPK1, IL6 and AKT1 to regulate multiple signal pathways, and play an intervention role in influenza.

Objective:To identify the factors associated with successful transrectal specimen extraction after laparoscopic rectal cancer resection.Methods:A retrospective case-control study was conducted. Clinical data of rectal cancer patients who did or did not successfully undergo transrectal specimen extraction in Shanghai East Hospital between January 2017 and December 2017 were retrieved through the rectal cancer database of Shanghai East Hospital. Case inclusion criteria: (1) tumor size ≤7 cm by pelvic MRI; (2) body mass index (BMI)≤ 30 kg/m 2; (3) no history of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy; (4) no anal stenosis. Clinical data including age, gender, BMI, tumor obstruction, distance from tumor to anal verge, history of abdominal operation, maximal diameter of tumor and width of mesorectum in the anteroposterior dimension measured by pelvic MRI, etc. were collected. The χ 2 test was used to perform univariate analysis. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify factors affecting transrectal specimen extraction. Results:A total of 208 patients were included in the analysis. Of 208 patients, 132 were men and 76 were women; mean age was (63±11) years old and median tumor size was 3.8 (IQR, 3.0 to 5.0) cm. Sixty-six (31.7%) patients completed transrectal specimen extraction successfully. Univariate analysis showed that patients who completed transrectal specimen extraction were more likely to have a lower BMI (χ 2=7.420, P=0.006), be free from malignant obstruction (χ 2=8.972, P=0.003), have a shorter distance from tumor to the anal verge (<5.0 cm) (χ 2=14.960, P<0.001), a smaller tumor size (≤5.0 cm) (χ 2=18.495, P<0.001) and a thinner mesorectum in the anteroposterior dimension (≤6.0 cm) (χ 2=34.612, P<0.001) than those who failed to perform transrectal specimen extraction. Gender, age or history of abdominal operation were not associated with the successful extraction (all P>0.05). Multivariate analysis revealed that BMI ≤25.0 kg/m 2 (OR=2.32, 95% CI: 1.06 to 5.06, P=0.034), free from malignant obstruction (OR=3.01, 95% CI: 1.82 to 6.69, P<0.001), the distance from tumor to the anal verge <5.0 cm (OR=3.73, 95% CI: 1.22 to 11.43, P=0.021), tumor size ≤ 5.0 cm (OR=4.43, 95% CI: 1.39 to 14.09, P=0.012), and the anteroposterior width of mesorectum ≤ 6.0 cm (OR=4.30, 95% CI: 2.02 to 9.18, P<0.001) were independent protective factors for successful transrectal specimen extraction. Conclusion:Preoperative assessment of BMI, malignant obstruction, distance from tumor to the anal verge, tumor size and anteroposterior width of mesorectum is beneficial to choose appropriate patients with rectal cancer to undergo transrectal specimen extraction.

Objective:To investigate the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) in rehabilitation therapists.Methods:In September 2023, the computer searched Chinese and English databases such as CNKI database, Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform, VIP Chinese Science and Technology Journal Database, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Embase database, etc. The retrieval time was from the establishment of the database to September 2023. Musculoskeletal disorders, rehabilitation therapists were selected as search terms, and the author, publication time, prevalence rate, and study type were analyzed. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) tool and The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) were used to evaluate the quality of the literature. Stata 15.0 software was used for meta-analysis.Results:A total of 28 literatures were included, including 8039 rehabilitation therapists. Meta-analysis showed that the overall prevalence rate of WMSDs among rehabilitation therapists was 72% (95% CI: 64%-80%). The top 3 annual prevalence rates were lower back (51%, 95% CI: 38%-64%), neck (42%, 95% CI: 30%-54%) and shoulder (32%, 95% CI: 23%-41%). The top 3 weekly prevalence rates were lower back (47%, 95% CI: 28%-65%), neck (35%, 95% CI: 14%-55%) and back (30%, 95% CI: 17%-44%) . Conclusion:The higher prevalence of WMSDs in rehabilitation therapists, especially in the lower back, neck, shoulder and back, may be related to the prolonged stouching posture and the continuous or repeated exertion of the upper limbs.

Objective:To identify the factors associated with successful transrectal specimen extraction after laparoscopic rectal cancer resection.Methods:A retrospective case-control study was conducted. Clinical data of rectal cancer patients who did or did not successfully undergo transrectal specimen extraction in Shanghai East Hospital between January 2017 and December 2017 were retrieved through the rectal cancer database of Shanghai East Hospital. Case inclusion criteria: (1) tumor size ≤7 cm by pelvic MRI; (2) body mass index (BMI)≤ 30 kg/m 2; (3) no history of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy; (4) no anal stenosis. Clinical data including age, gender, BMI, tumor obstruction, distance from tumor to anal verge, history of abdominal operation, maximal diameter of tumor and width of mesorectum in the anteroposterior dimension measured by pelvic MRI, etc. were collected. The χ 2 test was used to perform univariate analysis. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify factors affecting transrectal specimen extraction. Results:A total of 208 patients were included in the analysis. Of 208 patients, 132 were men and 76 were women; mean age was (63±11) years old and median tumor size was 3.8 (IQR, 3.0 to 5.0) cm. Sixty-six (31.7%) patients completed transrectal specimen extraction successfully. Univariate analysis showed that patients who completed transrectal specimen extraction were more likely to have a lower BMI (χ 2=7.420, P=0.006), be free from malignant obstruction (χ 2=8.972, P=0.003), have a shorter distance from tumor to the anal verge (<5.0 cm) (χ 2=14.960, P<0.001), a smaller tumor size (≤5.0 cm) (χ 2=18.495, P<0.001) and a thinner mesorectum in the anteroposterior dimension (≤6.0 cm) (χ 2=34.612, P<0.001) than those who failed to perform transrectal specimen extraction. Gender, age or history of abdominal operation were not associated with the successful extraction (all P>0.05). Multivariate analysis revealed that BMI ≤25.0 kg/m 2 (OR=2.32, 95% CI: 1.06 to 5.06, P=0.034), free from malignant obstruction (OR=3.01, 95% CI: 1.82 to 6.69, P<0.001), the distance from tumor to the anal verge <5.0 cm (OR=3.73, 95% CI: 1.22 to 11.43, P=0.021), tumor size ≤ 5.0 cm (OR=4.43, 95% CI: 1.39 to 14.09, P=0.012), and the anteroposterior width of mesorectum ≤ 6.0 cm (OR=4.30, 95% CI: 2.02 to 9.18, P<0.001) were independent protective factors for successful transrectal specimen extraction. Conclusion:Preoperative assessment of BMI, malignant obstruction, distance from tumor to the anal verge, tumor size and anteroposterior width of mesorectum is beneficial to choose appropriate patients with rectal cancer to undergo transrectal specimen extraction.

Objective:To explore any effect of pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) stimulation on intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD).Methods:Forty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into a control group, an IDD model group, a PEMF group and an observation group. An IDD model was induced in all except those in the control group. Both the PEMF and observation groups were given PEMF stimulation, while the latter was additionally injected with the A2AR agonist CGS-21680. Eight weeks after the modelling any pathological changes in the morphology of the rats′ intervertebral disc tissues were evaluated using saffron solid green staining. The expression of A2AR, cyclic adenosine phosphate (cAMP), protein kinase A (PKA), cysteine aspartate proteolytic enzyme-3 (Caspase-3), type II collagen (COL-II) and matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP3) in the intervertebral discs were evaluated.Results:The nucleus pulposus had shrunk, while fibrous tissues and chondrocytes had increased in the IDD model group. In the observation group the nucleus pulposus was intact and of basically normal shape. A2AR mRNA and protein levels were higher in the intervertebral disc tissue of the model group than among the control group, on average, while the levels in the observation group were significantly higher than in the other groups. In the PEMF and observation groups cAMP and PKA mRNA were significantly higher than in the IDD model group. The p38 MAPK and P-P38 MAPK levels of the IDD model group and its average P-P38 MAPK/p38 MAPK ratio were significantly higher than in the control group. In the PEMF and observation groups those indices had decreased to varying degrees, with those of the observation group significantly lower than among the model and PEMF groups on average, except for the p38 MAPK values. Caspase-3 and its mRNA were significantly higher in the model group than in the control group, on average, and those values were significantly lower in the PEMF and observation groups than in the IDD model group. The average MMP3 contents of the IDD model group had increased significantly compared with the control group, while the Col-Ⅱ level had decreased significantly. Compared with the IDD model group, the MMP3 level had decreased but Col-Ⅱ expression had increased in both the PEMF and observation groups, with significant differences between the IDD model and observation groups.Conclusions:The activation of the p38 MAPK signaling pathway by inflammatory factors to induce apoptosis is one of the important reasons for the aggravation of IDD lesions. PEMF combined with A2AR agonists can activate the A2AR/cAMP/PKA signaling pathway, inhibit p38 MAPK phosphorylation, reduce apoptosis of nucleus pulposus cells, and relieve IDD damage.

Objective:To investigate the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) in rehabilitation therapists.Methods:In September 2023, the computer searched Chinese and English databases such as CNKI database, Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform, VIP Chinese Science and Technology Journal Database, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Embase database, etc. The retrieval time was from the establishment of the database to September 2023. Musculoskeletal disorders, rehabilitation therapists were selected as search terms, and the author, publication time, prevalence rate, and study type were analyzed. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) tool and The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) were used to evaluate the quality of the literature. Stata 15.0 software was used for meta-analysis.Results:A total of 28 literatures were included, including 8039 rehabilitation therapists. Meta-analysis showed that the overall prevalence rate of WMSDs among rehabilitation therapists was 72% (95% CI: 64%-80%). The top 3 annual prevalence rates were lower back (51%, 95% CI: 38%-64%), neck (42%, 95% CI: 30%-54%) and shoulder (32%, 95% CI: 23%-41%). The top 3 weekly prevalence rates were lower back (47%, 95% CI: 28%-65%), neck (35%, 95% CI: 14%-55%) and back (30%, 95% CI: 17%-44%) . Conclusion:The higher prevalence of WMSDs in rehabilitation therapists, especially in the lower back, neck, shoulder and back, may be related to the prolonged stouching posture and the continuous or repeated exertion of the upper limbs.

Objective:To document any effect of a pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) on the regulation of neuropeptide Y (NPY) in nucleus pulposus (NP) tissue, NP cell apoptosis and matrix degradation using rats with intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD).Methods:Eighteen Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into a control group, an IDD model group (the model group), and a PEMF group. IDD was induced in both the model and PEMF groups. Right after the modeling, the PEMF group received 14 days of PEMF treatment, while the control group and model group were given no special treatment. Meanwhile, the primary rat nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs) were cultured using Dulbecco′s Modified Eagle Medium at 37℃ and 5% CO 2. When the fusion rate reached 90% after passage, the NPCs were divided into a control group, a TNF-α model group (referred to as model group) and TNF-α + PEMF group (referred to as PEMF group) and treated accordingly. Eight weeks after the modeling, safranin-o/fast green staining was used to assess any pathological morphology changes. The expression of NPY, neuropeptide Y receptor Y2 (NPY2R), bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax), B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), collagen type II (Col-II) and matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP3) in the intervertebral disc and the cultivated nucleus pulposus cells of the 3 groups were determined. Results:The intervertebral disc cells in the model group were ruptured and folded, with significantly increased polysaccharide and protein components, and significantly increased bone fibers. In the PEMF group the cell boundaries were clearer, with less fibrin fracture and increased cartilage tissue. NPY was expressed in the fibrous annulus and the nucleus pulposus of the intervertebral disc in the model group. The average expression levels of NPY and NPY2R were significantly higher than in the control group and the model group. Compared with the control group, there was a significant increase in the level of Bax and a significant decrease in the expression of Bcl-2 in the model group, and there was a significant decrease in the level of Bax in the PEMF group. Compared with the control group, there was a significant decrease in the Col-II level but a significant increase in the MMP3 protein expression in the model group. The average Col-II mRNA expression was significantly higher in the PEMF group compared with the model group, but the average MMP3 protein expression was significantly less. Those results are consistent with observations in vivo.Conclusion:PEMF may reverse the imbalance of ECM metabolism and delay IDD degeneration by up-regulating the expression of NPY and Bcl-2, as well as blocking the Bax/Bcl-2 signaling pathway to inhibit apoptosis of nucleus pulposus cells.

Objective     To explore the feasibility and safety of 2 μm thulium laser in thoracoscopic wedge resection.  Methods     The clinical data of 137 patients who underwent thoracoscopic wedge resection with thulium laser (as a thulium laser group, 64 patients, including 22 males, 42 females, average age of 58.39±10.40 years) and staplers (as a stapler group, 73 patients, including 33 males, 40 females, average age of 60.79±10.96 years) in thoracic Department of Xuanwu Hospital between April 2016 and August 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. In the study, the intraoperative blood loss, the operative time, chest tube duration, daily amount of fluid leak, hospital stay and hospitalization costs were compared between two groups.  Results     The intraoperative blood loss of the thulium laser group (16.05±23.67 mL) was significantly shorter or lower than that of the stapler group (28.56±32.09 mL) (P=0.011). Besides, the post operation hospital stay and hospitalization costs of the thulium laser group (4.72±2.49 d, 37 127.33±9 302.14 yuan) were also significantly shorter or lower than those of the stapler group (5.67±2.02 d, 49 545.76±13 831.93 yuan) (P=0.015, P=0.000). Furthermore, no statistical difference was found between the thulium laser group and the stapler group in the operative time (116.38±41.91 min vs. 108.36±47.25 min), total hospital stay (10.13±2.98 d vs. 11.05±3.26 d), daily amount of fluid leak (138.38±72.23 mL vs. 152.7±77.54 mL), chest tube duration (2.89±2.34 d vs. 3.52±1.48 d) and the frequency of postoperative fever (0.89±1.55 times vs. 1.23±1.70 times).  Conclusion     Applying 2 μm thulium laser to thorascopic wedge resection is safe and feasible. Besides, 2 μm thulium laser can achieve a similar result to that of the standard technique by using staplers.

ObjectiveTo investigate the biological function and molecular mechanism of long non-coding RNA Linc‑pint in colorectal cancer. MethodsQuantitative real‑time quantitative （qRT‑PCR） was performed to detect the expression level of Linc‑pint in 31 pairs of colorectal cancer tumor and adjacent normal tissues； correlation between the expression level of Linc‑pint and the clinicopathological characteristics was analyzed by the chi‑square test. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to assess the relationship between Linc‑pint expression level and the prognosis of patients. Cox regression model was used to analyze the relationship between clinicopathological characteristics and the prognosis of patients. Expression level of Linc‑pint were detected by qRT‑PCR in 5 common colorectal cancer cell lines. Effect of Linc‑pint on cell proliferation， invasion and migration was measured by cell counting kit‑8 assay， Transwell assay and harvested xenografts from nude mice. qRT‑PCR was performed to detect the expression level of Linc‑pint's target gene micro RNA（miR）‑21 in 31 pairs of colorectal cancer tumor tissues and adjacent normal tissues. Pearson correlation coefficient was used to assess the correlation between Linc‑pint and miR‑21. qRT‑PCR was used to detect the expression of overexpression of Linc‑pint on miR‑21 in colorectal cancer cells. ResultsExpression level of Linc‑pint in normal tissues （3.95±1.16） was significantly higher than that in colorectal cancer tissues （2.74±0.95） （t=6.17， P<0.05）. Overall survival rate of patients with high expression of Linc‑pint was 62.5%， which was significantly higher than that of patients with low expression of Linc‑pint （34.3%， P<0.05）. The proliferation， invasion and migration of CRC cells were inhibited after overexpression of Linc‑pint. In colorectal cancer tumor and adjacent normal tissues， Linc‑pint and miR‑21 showed opposite expression in tumor tissues and were negatively correlated （r=-0.288 and -0.908， both P<0.05）. ConclusionLinc‑pint acts as a tumor suppressor by down‑regulating the expression level of miR‑21 to inhibit the proliferation， invasion and migration of colorectal cancer.