Background
Synovial chondromatosis (SC) of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) occupies 3% SC cases. In other joints like hip and knee which were composed hyaline cartilage (HC), loose bodies (LBs) were ...reported to be a HC feature. However, condyle surface and disc in TMJ are fibrous cartilage (FC). Therefore, we proposed a different pathogenesis of TMJSC.
Methods
LBs and synovium were collected from seven TMJSC patients, and histological and immunohistological examinations were performed.
Results
Three ways of HC formation were discovered: regular‐shaped cartilaginous nodules (CNs) in sublining layer (SL) of vascularized synovium, regional chondrification of SL, and finger‐like tissue with a tail attaching to synovium. Detached LBs could fuse and were only positively stained by aggrecan. Without synovium attachment to LBs, fused LBs remained a hyaline extracellular matrix (ECM). However, after synovium attachment, transformation from HC to FC occurred. Two types of FC were observed. First type FC was featured by vertical‐distributed type I collagen fibers imbedding few chondrocytes, suggesting mature phase with superior mechanical features. Second type FC was featured by medium‐density chondrocytes with type I collagen and aggrecan‐positive ECM, suggesting primary phase. The transformation process started in appearance of 2nd type FC deriving from synovium covering LB, and gradually replaced HC from periphery to center.
Conclusions
Three ways of HC formation were closely related. Different with SC in other joints, hyaline ECM in LBs of TMJSC could be replaced by FC deriving from synovium, during which 2nd type FC first replaced HC and then transformed to 1st type FC.
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CMK, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
In this paper, support vector machines (SVMs) are applied to predict the nucleic-acid-binding proteins. We constructed two classifiers to differentiate DNA/RNA-binding proteins from ...non-nucleic-acid-binding proteins by using a conjoint triad feature which extract information directly from amino acids sequence of protein. Both self-consistency and jackknife tests show promising results on the protein datasets in which the sequences identity is less than 25%. In the self-consistency test, the predictive accuracy is 90.37% for DNA-binding proteins and 89.70% for RNA-binding proteins. In the jackknife test, the predictive accuracies are 78.93% and 76.75%, respectively. Comparison results show that our method is very competitive by outperforming other previously published sequence-based prediction methods.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
Steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS) is one of the major causes of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) in children and young adults. For approximately 30% of children with SRNS results from a ...genetic cause. In this study, genotype-phenotype correlations in a cohort of 283 pediatric patients with SRNS or early-onset NS (nephrotic syndrome presenting within the first year of life) from 23 major pediatric nephrology centers in China were analyzed. All patients were performed with next-generation sequencing and Sanger sequencing. The overall mutation detection rate was 37.5% (106 of 283 patients). WT1 was the most frequently detected mutation, followed by NPHS1, NPHS2, and ADCK4, and these four major causative genes (WT1, NPHS1, NPHS2, and ADCK4) account for 73.6% of patients with monogenic SRNS. Thirteen of 106 individuals (12.3%) carried mutations in ADCK4 that function within the coenzyme Q10 biosynthesis pathway. In the higher frequently ADCK4-related SRNS, two mutations, c.737G>A (p.S246N) and c.748G>C (p.D250H), were the most prevalent. Our study provides not only definitive diagnosis but also facilitate available targeted treatment for SRNS, and prediction of prognosis and renal outcome. Our indications for genetic testing are patients with FSGS, initial SRNS, cases of positive family history or those with extra-renal manifestations.
Tumor-induced immunosuppressive microenvironment in which myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) plays an important role, remains an obstacle for effective oncotherapy currently. Inducing MDSCs ...into maturation was confirmed as an effective method to reduce the tumor-bearing host's immunosuppression. Traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) possess characteristics of alleviating immunosuppression of cancer patients and low toxicity. Jianpi Huayu Decoction (JHD) was an experienced formula of TCM for oncotherapy based on TCM theory and clinical practice. We previously observed that JHD attenuated the expression of interleukin-10 (IL-10) and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) in tumor. IL-10 and TGF-β were found to be cytokines positively related to immunosuppression induced by MDSCs. Here, our study was designed to further investigate the regulation of JHD on the immune system in the H
liver-cancer mouse model. Mainly, flow cytometry was used to detect the proportion of immune cells, to analyze the apoptosis, differentiation and reactive oxygen species of MDSCs. We found that JHD significantly reduced the destruction of spleen structure, reduced the proportion of regulatory T cells (Treg) and T helper 17 cells (Th17), and increased the proportion of cytotoxic T lymphotes (CTL), Dendritic cells (DC) and CD11b
Gr-1
cells in spleen, but with no significant change of T helper 1 cells (Th1), T helper 2 cells (Th2) and macrophages. In vitro experiments showed that apoptosis of MDSCs was decreased as the time of JHD stimulation increased, which partly explained the increase of CD11b
Gr-1
cells in the spleen. Meanwhile, JHD could promote the differentiation of MDSCs into macrophages and dendritic cells, attenuate expression of ROS in MDSCs and reduce its inhibition on the proliferation of CD4
T cells, in vitro. Therefore, that the proportion of CD11b
Gr-1
cells increased in the spleen of tumor-bearing hosts may not be villainy after treatment, when these drugs suppress the immunosuppressive ability of CD11b
Gr-1
cells and promote it mature to replenish dendritic cell, at the same time. Generally, JHD may be a complementary and alternative drug for attenuating the immunosuppressive status induced by hepatocellular carcinoma, possibly by promoting differentiation and inhibiting the immunosuppressive activity of MDSCs.
The open pulled straw (OPS) vitrification method has been successfully applied in mouse, pig, and goat embryos as well as in buffalo oocytes, but it has not yet been applied to the microinjected ...embryos. This study examined the effects of OPS vitrification on embryo development and the reproductive capacity of the transgenic offspring in order to establish a method for preservation of microinjected embryos.
Ovine pronuclear embryos were microinjected with the exogenous aralkylamine N-acetyltransferase gene (
), frozen by the OPS method, and subsequently thawed for embryo transplantation. Pregnancy rate, lambing rate, survival rate, average birth weight and transgenic positive rate as well as reproduction efficiency and hormone level of the transgenic offspring were investigated to analyze the effect of OPS vitrification on microinjectd pronuclear embryos.
No significant differences were observed in the birth rate, lamb survival rate and transgenic positive rate between the frozen and non-frozen
-microinjected pronuclear embryos. The average birth weight of the frozen embryos offspring was greater than that of the non-frozen embryos. Importantly, the transgenic offspring that overexpressed the
gene showed improved ovulation efficiency and lambing rate by regulating their hormone levels.
The OPS vitrification approach may be a valuable method in microinjected- embryo transfer technology, which could reserve embryos and result in fewer unnecessary animal sacrifices. In addition, the
+ transgenic offspring exhibited improved reproductive capacity on account of regulation effect of melatonin on reproductive hormone. These data may provide available references for human-assisted reproduction.
ABSTRACT We present observations of a 4 square degree area toward the Gemini cloud obtained using J = 1-0 transitions of 12CO, 13CO, and C18O. No C18O emission was detected. This region is composed ...of 36 core candidates of 13CO. These core candidates have characteristic diameters of 0.25 pc, excitation temperatures of 7.9 K, line widths of 0.54 km s−1, and mean masses of 1.4 . They are likely to be starless core candidates or transient structures, which probably disperse after ∼106 years.
Background: Delay or failure of bone union is a significant clinical challenge all over the world, and it has been reported that bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) offer a promising approach ...to accelerate bone fracture healing. Se can modulate the proliferation and differentiation of BMSCs. Se-treatment enhances the osteoblastic differentiation of BMSCs and inhibiting the differentiation and formation of mature osteoclasts. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of porous Se@SiO.sub.2 nanocomposite on bone regeneration and the underlying biological mechanisms. Methods: We oxidized Se (2-) to develop Se quantum dots, then we used the Se quantum dots to form a solid Se@SiO.sub.2 nanocomposite which was then coated with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and etched in hot water to synthesize porous Se@SiO.sub.2 nanocomposite. We used XRD pattern to assess the phase structure of the solid Se@SiO.sub.2 nanocomposite. The morphology of porous Se@SiO.sub.2 nanocomposite were evaluated by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and the biocompatibility of porous Se@SiO.sub.2 nanocomposite were investigated by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assays. Then, a release assay was also performed. We used a Transwell assay to determine cell mobility in response to the porous Se@SiO.sub.2 nanocomposite. For in vitro experiments, BMSCs were divided into four groups to detect reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, cell apoptosis, alkaline phosphatase activity, calcium deposition, gene activation and protein expression. For in vivo experiments, femur fracture model of rats was constructed to assess the osteogenic effects of porous Se@SiO.sub.2 nanocomposite. Results: In vitro, intervention with porous Se@SiO.sub.2 nanocomposite can promote migration and osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs, and protect BMSCs against H.sub.2O.sub.2-induced inhibition of osteogenic differentiation. In vivo, we demonstrated that the porous Se@SiO.sub.2 nanocomposite accelerated bone fracture healing using a rat femur fracture model. Conclusion: Porous Se@SiO.sub.2 nanocomposite promotes migration and osteogenesis differentiation of rat BMSCs and accelerates bone fracture healing, and porous Se@SiO.sub.2 nanocomposite may provide clinic benefit for bone tissue engineering. Keywords: bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, porous Se@SiO.sub.2 nanocomposite, antioxidant, migration, osteogenic differentiation
Delay or failure of bone union is a significant clinical challenge all over the world, and it has been reported that bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) offer a promising approach to ...accelerate bone fracture healing. Se can modulate the proliferation and differentiation of BMSCs. Se-treatment enhances the osteoblastic differentiation of BMSCs and inhibiting the differentiation and formation of mature osteoclasts. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of porous Se@SiO
nanocomposite on bone regeneration and the underlying biological mechanisms.
We oxidized Se
to develop Se quantum dots, then we used the Se quantum dots to form a solid Se@SiO
nanocomposite which was then coated with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and etched in hot water to synthesize porous Se@SiO
nanocomposite. We used XRD pattern to assess the phase structure of the solid Se@SiO
nanocomposite. The morphology of porous Se@SiO
nanocomposite were evaluated by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and the biocompatibility of porous Se@SiO
nanocomposite were investigated by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assays. Then, a release assay was also performed. We used a Transwell assay to determine cell mobility in response to the porous Se@SiO
nanocomposite. For in vitro experiments, BMSCs were divided into four groups to detect reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, cell apoptosis, alkaline phosphatase activity, calcium deposition, gene activation and protein expression. For in vivo experiments, femur fracture model of rats was constructed to assess the osteogenic effects of porous Se@SiO
nanocomposite.
In vitro, intervention with porous Se@SiO
nanocomposite can promote migration and osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs, and protect BMSCs against H
O
-induced inhibition of osteogenic differentiation. In vivo, we demonstrated that the porous Se@SiO
nanocomposite accelerated bone fracture healing using a rat femur fracture model.
Porous Se@SiO
nanocomposite promotes migration and osteogenesis differentiation of rat BMSCs and accelerates bone fracture healing, and porous Se@SiO
nanocomposite may provide clinic benefit for bone tissue engineering.
Complex pavement texture and noise impede the effectiveness of existing 3D pavement crack detection methods. To improve pavement crack detection accuracy, we propose a 3D asphalt pavement crack ...detection algorithm based on fruit fly optimisation density peak clustering (FO-DPC). Firstly, the 3D data of asphalt pavement are collected, and a 3D image acquisition system is built using Gocator3100 series binocular intelligent sensors. Then, the fruit fly optimisation algorithm is adopted to improve the density peak clustering algorithm. Clustering analysis that can accurately detect cracks is performed on the height characteristics of the 3D data of the asphalt pavement. Finally, the clustering results are projected onto a 2D space and compared with the results of other 2D crack detection methods. Following this comparison, it is established that the proposed algorithm outperforms existing methods in detecting asphalt pavement cracks.
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FZAB, GIS, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Background
Hippocampal‐avoidance prophylactic cranial irradiation (HA‐PCI) offers potential neurocognitive benefits but raises technical challenges to treatment planning. This study aims to improve ...the conventional planning method using volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) technique and investigate a better patient’s head positioning to achieve a high quality of HA‐PCI treatment plans.
Methods
The improved planning method set a wide expansion of hippocampus as a special region for dose decline. The whole brain target was divided into two parts according to whether the slice included hippocampus and their optimization objectives were set separately. Four coplanar full arcs with partial field sizes were employed to deliver radiation dose to different parts of the target. The collimator angle for all arcs was 90°. Tilting patient’s head was achieved by rotating CT images. The improved planning method and tilted head positioning were verified using datasets from 16 patients previously treated with HA‐PCI using helical tomotherapy (HT).
Results
For the improved VMAT plans, the max and mean doses to hippocampus were 7.88 Gy and 6.32 Gy, respectively, significantly lower than those for the conventional VMAT plans (P < 0.001). Meanwhile, the improved planning method significantly improved the plan quality. Compared to the HT plans, the improved VMAT plans result in similar mean dose to hippocampus (P > 0.1) but lower max dose (P < 0.02). Besides, the target coverage was the highest for the improved VMAT plans. The tilted head positioning further reduced the max and mean doses to hippocampus (P < 0.05), significantly decreased the max dose to lens (P < 0.001) and resulted in higher plan quality as compared to nontilted head positioning.
Conclusions
The improved planning method enables the VMAT plans to meet the clinical requirements of HA‐PCI treatment with high plan quality and convenience. The tilted head positioning provides superior dosimetric advantages over the nontilted head positioning, which is recommended for clinical application.
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FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK