A review of cell traction forces (CTFs) measurement based on Biological MiCro Electromechanical Systems (BioMEMS) microposts matrix is presented.CTFs are exerted by cells and ansmitted to the underly-ing substrate through focal adhesions and close contacts.which is essential for cells movement.Cells probe the mechanicaI compliance of the exlracellular mabix (ECM) in part by locally deforming it with nanonewton-scale traction forces.Precision measurement of CTFs is significant for many researches such as call biology and tissue engineering and so on.Enabled by the advancement in BioMEMS technology,surface treated high aspeect ratio Polydimethyisiloxane(PDMS)micropos matrix devices,which serve as BioMEMS sensom for de-tecting cellular nanoforces and studying in vitro cell mechanics,have been developed.Closely spaced vartical microposts matrixes were designed to encourage cells to attach and spread across multiple microposts,and to bend the microposts like vertical cantilevers as the cells locomote on the surface.Using this dense and dis-crete matrix of microposts rather than a convanfional continuous substrate,CTFs can be directly measured and quantified by processing the microscopy images of the deformations of microposts.The resolution of the force was in tens of nN/μm scale.At first,the conventional CTFs measurement methods were concisely summa-rized.Then BioMEMS microposts matrix method was described in detail,including principle and fabfication process,Surface treatment and cell expedment results.Furthermore,high aspect ratio structure collapse prob-lem was investigated.

Objective:To compare preoperative planning parameters between non-coplanar and coplanar template-assisted radioactive seed implantation in the treatment of pancreatic cancers, in order to guide clinical application.Methods:Patients with pancreatic cancers who received external irradiation in the Peking University Third Hospital from Jan 2017 to May 2019 were selected.Their image information was imported into the brachytherapy planning system, and the non-coplanar plan and coplanar plan were designed individually.Each patient′s prescription dose was set to 110 Gy, and the activity of the radioactive seeds were 0.4 mCi(1 Ci=3.7×10 10Bq), respectively.For the two plans, the dose distribution was optimized and dosimetric parameters were compared, including the implantation needle number, the implanted seed number, the minimum prescription doses delivered to 90% and 100% of the target volume ( D90 and D100), mean percentages of volume receiving 100%, 150% and 200% of the prescription doses ( V100, V150 and V200), conformity index (CI), external index (EI), and homogeneity index (HI) of the target volume, as well as the doses of 2 cm 3 and 5 cm 3 ( D2 cm 3 and D5 cm 3) of the surrounding normal organs such as the small intestines, colon, duodenum, stomach, and spinal cord. Results:The implantation needle number in the coplanar plan was slightly higher than that in the non-coplanar plan, namely 18.63 vs. 16.45 ( t=-3.239, P <0.05). The implanted seed number was equivalent, namely 90.2 vs. 91.01, with no statistical difference ( P>0.05). There was no significant difference between D90, D100, V100, V150, V200, CI, EI, and HI in the target area of the two plans ( P>0.05). Meanwhile, there was no obvious difference in D2 cm 3 and D5 cm 3 of normal organs including the small intestines, colon, duodenum, stomach, and spinal cord ( P>0.05). Conclusions:With both the coplanar plan and the non-coplanar plan, the prescription doses can be achieved and meanwhile, there are very small differences in the doses of normal organs.Given that 3D-printing non-coplanar and coplanar templates have their own characteristics, it is necessary to choose them according to specific situations.

Objective To study the diterpene alkaloids from the roots and processed products of Aconitum pendulum.Methods The chemical constituents were isolated and purified using silica gel column chromatography.Their structures were determined on the basis of NMR and mass spectra.ResultsTwelve compounds were isolated and identified as deoxyaconitine(1),3-acetylaconitine(2),aconitine(3),15?-OH-neoline(4),8-acetyl-15-hydroxyneoline(5),neoline(6),14-benzoyl-8-O-methylaconine(7),benzoylaconine(8),polyschistine D(9),benzoyldeoxyaconine(10),polyschistine A(11),and aconine(12).Conclusion Diterpene alkaloids are the main chemical constituents of A.pendulum and compounds 4—8 are found in this plant for the first time.Compared to raw materials,some boiled processed products change into new components:polyschistine D(9),benzoyldeoxyaconine(10),polyschistine A(11),and aconine(12).Identification of these components provides basis for the processing principles.

A review of cell traction forces (CTFs) measurement based on Biological MiCro Electromechanical Systems (BioMEMS) microposts matrix is presented.CTFs are exerted by cells and ansmitted to the underly-ing substrate through focal adhesions and close contacts.which is essential for cells movement.Cells probe the mechanicaI compliance of the exlracellular mabix (ECM) in part by locally deforming it with nanonewton-scale traction forces.Precision measurement of CTFs is significant for many researches such as call biology and tissue engineering and so on.Enabled by the advancement in BioMEMS technology,surface treated high aspeect ratio Polydimethyisiloxane(PDMS)micropos matrix devices,which serve as BioMEMS sensom for de-tecting cellular nanoforces and studying in vitro cell mechanics,have been developed.Closely spaced vartical microposts matrixes were designed to encourage cells to attach and spread across multiple microposts,and to bend the microposts like vertical cantilevers as the cells locomote on the surface.Using this dense and dis-crete matrix of microposts rather than a convanfional continuous substrate,CTFs can be directly measured and quantified by processing the microscopy images of the deformations of microposts.The resolution of the force was in tens of nN/μm scale.At first,the conventional CTFs measurement methods were concisely summa-rized.Then BioMEMS microposts matrix method was described in detail,including principle and fabfication process,Surface treatment and cell expedment results.Furthermore,high aspect ratio structure collapse prob-lem was investigated.

Female ; Hepatectomy ; methods ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; methods ; Liver Neoplasms ; surgery ; Middle Aged

OBJECTIVETo investigate the correlation between expression of the osteopontin (OPN) and invasion and metastases in gastric cancer.

METHODSThe expression of OPN, NF-kappaB p65 and matrix metallo-proteinase 9 (MMP-9) was detected by immunohistochemistry in non-cancer gastric tissue (n = 12 cases) and gastric cancer tissue (n = 72 cases).

RESULTS(1) OPN, NF-kappaB p65 and MMP-9 were not expressed in 12 non-cancer gastric tissue samples(group A). Their expression rates were 43.3%, 40.0% and 46.7% respectively in 30 gastric cancer samples without lymph nodes metastasis (group B), but they increased to 76.9%, 73.1% and 80.8% in 26 gastric cancer samples with lymph nodes metastases (group C), and 87.5%, 81.3% and 93.8% respectively in 16 gastric cancer samples with lymph node and distant metastases (group D). (2) There were statistically significant differences in their expressions between group D and group B (P(a) = 0.004, P(c) = 0.007, P(e) = 0.002), and between group C and group B (P(b) = 0.011, P(d) = 0.013, P(f) = 0.009). (3) Despite some differences in positive expression rates, correlations existed between OPN and NF-kappaB p65, and between NF-kappaB p65 and MMP-9 (P(1) = 0.042, P(2) = 0.013; r(1)= 0.67, r(2)= 0.72).

CONCLUSIONOsteopondin espression is closely related to the invasion and metastases of gastric cancer. It may upregulate the expression of metastasis-related molecule MMP-9 by activating NF-kappaB pathway.

Female ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; pathology ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Male ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 ; metabolism ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Osteopontin ; Sialoglycoproteins ; metabolism ; Stomach Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Transcription Factor RelA ; metabolism

BACKGROUND: Although more and more accurate and personalized detection and assistive tools are used in the field of orthopedics with the development of technology, the preoperative CT is still the first-line examination choice of many orthopedic surgeons. Therefore, to master the lumbar spine CT imaging performance is not only the basis of spine surgeons, but also the cornerstone of spinal nail surgery. OBJECTIVE: Through CT imaging technique, we measured the parameters of lumbar pedicle imaging, and understood its internal structure as the basis for the choice of screws, in order to improve the safety and accuracy of nail surgery. METHODS: Totally 36 cases without lumbar vertebrae-related disease undergoing lumbar vertebra and abdominal cavity CT scan were randomly selected, including 20 males and 16 females at the age of (43.3±12.3) years. PACS was used to reconstruct lumbar vertebrae, and the related imaging parameters were measured. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) There was no significant difference between the left and right sides of the pedicle for paired t-test (P >0.05). (2) Pedicle sagittal angle had downward trend, the level of change was small; L4increased relative to L3; L5level was minimum at the average of -1.3°. Pedicle transverse angle had gradually increased trend, and maximum at L5; the average was 25.4°. (3) The length of the pedicle channel increased first and then decreased in the lumbar segment; the longest average was 52.2 mm in the L2segment, the shortest at L5, with an average of 47.4 mm. (4) The pedicle height was slightly narrowed at L1-L3levels; the smallest was 15.4 mm (L3mean), and reached the maximum in the L5at 22.7 mm (L5mean). Cancellous bone height also showed the same trend, the minimum in the L3at 10.2 mm, the maximum in the L5at 17.9 mm. (5) Lumbar pedicle width showed an upward trend, L1minimum of 7.7 mm, L5maximum of 12.5 mm. Cancellous bone width also became a similar upward trend; the narrowest L1, averagely 4.9 mm; the maximum L5, averagely 8.5 mm. (6) Overall, the upper lumbar pedicle channel was slender, while the lower lumbar spine was slightly short. (7) The parameters of the pedicle can be used as the basis for selecting the appropriate screw. At the same time, lumbar pedicle morphology has a certain difference, and there is a certain law. Accurately grasping its structure and image characteristics of pedicle screw fixation is the basis of surgery. The preoperative imaging data collection and assessment, combined with the general situation of patients, and the development of personalized programming, will help in improving the safety and accuracy of screw placement.

OBJECTIVETo explore the impact of IFN-γ + 874 polymorphisms on the outcome in HLA matched sibling HSCT.

METHODSWe used PCR-sequence-specific primer analysis (PCR-SSP) to analyze the polymorphisms of IFN-γ + 874 T/A in 80 recipient and donor pairs from October 2005 to March 2008.

RESULTSRecipients having donors who possessed IFN-γ + 874 A/A genotype had significantly earlier neutrophil recovery compared with those having donors with non-A/A genotype (15 (11 - 27) days vs 18 (12 - 30) days, P = 0.029). And IFN-γ + 874 A/A in both recipients and donors further facilitated neutrophil recovery compared with others (13 (11 - 25) days and 19 (12 - 31) days, P = 0.019). Besides, IFN-γ + 874 A/A in recipients increased the probability of grade II-IV acute graft versus disease (aGVHD) and cytomegalovirus viraemia compared with IFN-γ + 874 T/A or T/T genotype (20% vs 4% P = 0.041, 43.6% vs 16.0% P = 0.032), which lead to increased 5-year transplant-related mortality (TRM) (33.7% ± 6.8% vs 12.0% ± 6.5%, P = 0.050) and decreased 5-year event free survival (EFS) \[(58.2 ± 6.7)% vs (84.0 ± 7.3)%, P = 0.032\] compared with the latter. IFN-γ + 874 A/A in both recipients and donors also significantly increased the probability of grade II-IV aGVHD and cytomegalovirus viraemia compared with the other (21.7% vs 5.9%, P = 0.050; 45.7% vs 20.6%, P = 0.020), which caused increased 5-year TRM \[(31.6 ± 7.5)% vs (13.6 ± 6.5)%, P = 0.048\] and decreased 5-year EFS \[(56.8 ± 7.3)% vs (79.4 ± 6.9)%, P = 0.037\] compared with the other.

CONCLUSIONIn HLA-matched sibling HSCT setting, the presence of IFN-γ + 874 T allele in recipients or in both recipients and donors significantly decreased the risk of grade II-IV aGVHD and CMV infection and increased EFS. While IFN-γ + 874 A/A in donors or in both recipients and donors was associated with shorter duration to neutrophil recovery.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Alleles ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Genotype ; HLA Antigens ; immunology ; Hematologic Diseases ; genetics ; therapy ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Humans ; Interferon-gamma ; genetics ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Siblings ; Tissue Donors ; Transplantation, Homologous ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

Objective:To perform a prospective cohort study to identify individual susceptibility of glucocorticoid (GC) -associated osteonecrosis of the femoral head (GA-ONFH) and their clinical and genetic risk factors. Methods:The present prospective cohort study enrolled patients who received their first GC therapy between July 2015 and January 2018 at Zhongshan Hospital. All patients did not receive any GC treatment before enrollment. Further, they planned to start GC treatment with the dose (equivalent prednisone) of ≥30 mg/d, lasted ≥3 weeks, or pulse dose ≥200 mg/d, lasted ≥3 d. Blood samples were collected before GC treatment to evaluate bone metabolism and its released factors. Hip MRI was performed at the 1st, 3rd, 6th, 12th and 24th month to diagnose GA-ONFH. All patients were followed-up for ≥2 years. The endpoint was regarded as diagnosis of GA-ONFH or completion of 2 years follow-up. Lasso regression was performed to determine which clinical features were associated with GA-ONFH. A nested case-control sub-cohort (A, n=12) was established prospectively based on the main cohort by 1∶1 matching. Whole exome sequencing was performed to screen differential and functional candidate single nucleotide polymorphisms and insertion-deletions (SNP/InDels). Another sub-cohort (B, n=50) was constructed retrospectively in patients with GA-ONFH and non-ONFH patients received standard high dose GC treatment for more than two years. The candidate SNP/InDels were verified by Sanger sequencing based on the patients from sub-cohort B. Results:A total of 96 patients were enrolled of which 88 of them (32 males and 56 females, mean age 42.30 years) completed follow-up. Eight cases (9.1%) were diagnosed with GA-ONFH. The median time from the start of GC therapy to the diagnosis of ONFH was 53.00(34.00,13.50) days. The baseline characteristics, such as age, sex and body mass index, indicated no significant difference between the ONFH group and the non-ONFH group. The cumulative GC dose of the ONFH patients in the first month was higher than that of non-ONFH [32.74(29.55, 47.05) mg/kg vs. 24.00(21.10, 29.45) mg/kg, Z=-2.410, P=0.016]. However, there was no significant difference of patients who underwent pulse therapy (37.5% vs. 10.0%, adjusted χ 2=2.829, P=0.093). The ratio of serum apolipoprotein B/apolipoprotein A1 (ApoB/ApoA1) in patients with ONFH was higher than that in non-ONFH group before GC use [0.95(0.80, 1.50) vs. 0.70(0.60, 0.80), Z=-2.875, P=0.000]. Due to the multicollinearity, Lasso regression model was performed to reduce overfitting. All variables were included in the model. The results suggested that higher ApoB/ApoA1 ratio, lower serum β-c-terminal telopeptide (β-CTX) and higher cumulative GC dose in the first month were the top three risk factors of GA-ONFH. This model had an accuracy of 0.982 in internal validation. Seven differential candidate SNP/InDels were found by whole exome sequencing of sub-cohort A. We further verified these SNP/InDels in sub-cohort B. The patients with COLEC12 mutation (rs2305027, G1816A) were at risk of GA-ONFH ( OR=6.00, 95% CI: 1.17, 30.73). Conclusion:Higher first-month GC dose, lower serum β-CTX level before treatment, higher ApoB/ApoA1 ratio and COLEC12 mutation (rs2305027, G1816A) could increase the risk of GA-ONFH.

PURPOSE: An older female predominance has been reported among chronic cough patients in Western countries, which is considered to be associated with a higher cough sensitivity in females. However, the characteristics of Chinese chronic cough patients remain unclear. This study aimed to explore the age and sex distribution as well as their relationship with cough reflex sensitivity to capsaicin in Chinese chronic cough patients. METHODS: We analyzed the demographic features of 1,882 consecutive chronic cough patients who attended our cough clinic in Guangzhou, China. Cough sensitivity to capsaicin, which was defined as the lowest concentration of capsaicin causing 5 coughs or more (C5), was measured in 539 of the 1,882 patients and 68 healthy volunteers. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 43.0 ± 13.7 years and patients aged <50 years accounted for more than two-thirds of the study population. Around 87% of the patients were never-smokers. The proportion of females (51.5%) was almost equal to that of males (48.5%). The pattern of the age and sex distribution was consistently reflected within most common causes of chronic cough, while a female predominance was shown in patients with cough-variant asthma and patients aged ≥50 years. Female patients had higher cough sensitivity to capsaicin than male patients (log C5: 1.58 ± 0.84 vs. 2.04 ± 0.84 μmol/L, P = 0.001), and patients aged ≥50 years had higher cough sensitivity to capsaicin than patients aged <50 years. CONCLUSIONS: In China, patients with chronic cough have a roughly equal sex distribution and a middle-aged predominance, irrespective of a higher cough sensitivity to capsaicin in females and older patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02591550
Age Distribution ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Asthma ; Capsaicin ; China ; Cough ; Female ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Male ; Reflex ; Sex Distribution