Epigenetic clocks as mediators of health behaviors and mortality in middle-aged and older adults.

Background: The impact of healthy lifestyles on epigenetic age acceleration (EAA) and mortality in middle-aged/ senior populations remains unclear. This study investigates associations between lifestyle factors, EAA biomarkers, and mortality risk.

Method: The 2532 adults of 50 years or older that registered in NHANES between 1999-2002.

Current status and challenges of minimally invasive ultrasound thermal ablation technology.

Image-guided minimally invasive ultrasound thermal ablation has been widely studied for disease treatment due to its unique advantages, such as large treatment volumes and conformal delivery of ablation energy. This review presents the state-of-the-art of this technology and highlights the challenges. Ultrasound applicator designs, common image guidance methods, and treatment sites are first summarized.

Association Between Daily Internet Use and Intrinsic Capacity Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults in China: Large Prospective Cohort Study.

Background: Intrinsic capacity (IC), as a comprehensive measure of an individual's functional ability, has gained prominence in the framework for healthy aging introduced by the World Health Organization (WHO). As internet usage continues to integrate into daily life, it is imperative to scrutinize the association between internet use and IC to effectively promote healthy aging among the middle-aged and older population.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate whether daily internet use in middle-aged and older adults delays or accelerates the decline in IC.

Single-cell analysis reveals exosome-associated biomarkers for prognostic prediction and immunotherapy in lung adenocarcinoma.

Background: Exosomes play a crucial role in tumor initiation and progression, yet the precise involvement of exosome-related genes (ERGs) in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) remains unclear.

Methods: We conducted a comprehensive investigation of ERGs within the tumor microenvironment (TME) of LUAD using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) analysis. Multiple scoring methods were employed to assess exosome activity (EA).

Revealing the role of regulatory T cells in the tumor microenvironment of lung adenocarcinoma: a novel prognostic and immunotherapeutic signature.

Background: Regulatory T cells (Tregs), are a key class of cell types in the immune system. In the tumor microenvironment (TME), the presence of Tregs has important implications for immune response and tumor development. Relatively little is known about the role of Tregs in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD).

Leukoreduced PRP enhanced proliferation and ECM production yet inhibited senescence, inflammation, and multi-differentiation potential of AFSCs by downregulating HMGB1.

Background: This study assessed the role and potential mechanism of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in the progression of intervertebral disk degeneration (IVDD).

Methods: Annulus fibrosus (AF)-derived stem cells (AFSCs) from New Zealand white rabbits received the transfection with high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) plasmids and the subsequent treatment with bleomycin, 10% leukoreduced PRP or leukoconcentrated PRP. Dying cells were indicated by immunocytochemistry analysis for senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) staining.

Experimental evidence of shikonin as a novel intervention for anti-inflammatory effects.

Shikonin is a natural product with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. The biological activity of shikonin is still not fully understood, as well as its association with innate immunity and immune and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in humans. In this study, the toxicity of shikonin on Raw264.

Ginkgetin Alleviates Intervertebral Disc Degeneration by Inhibiting Apoptosis, Inflammation, and Disturbance of Extracellular Matrix Synthesis and Catabolism via Inactivation of NLRP3 Inflammasome.

Background: Apoptosis, inflammation, and the extracellular matrix (ECM) synthesis and catabolism are compromised with intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD). Ginkgetin (GK) has been demonstrated to alleviate several diseases; however, its effect on IDD remains unknown.

Methods: The nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs) were stimulated with interleukin (IL)-1β to construct the IDD models .

MECHANISM OF MIR-25-3P CARRIED BY EXTRACELLULAR VESICLES DERIVED FROM PLATELET-RICH PLASMA IN IL-1β-INDUCED NUCLEUS PULPOSUS CELL DEGENERATION VIA THE SOX4/CXCR7 AXIS.

Objectives: Nucleus pulposus (NP) cell degeneration promotes the progression of intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration. MicroRNAs (miRs) are associated with IVD degeneration. This study expounded the mechanism of microRNA (miR)-25-3p carried by extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in interleukin (IL)-1β-induced NP cell degeneration.

Radiotherapy alleviates spinal cord compression caused by solitary bone plasmacytoma: A case report.

Introduction And Importance: Solitary bone plasmacytoma (SBP) is a hematopoietic malignancy occurring in bone tissue, which often causes bone destruction at the site of the lesion. When the lesion occurs in the spine and causes spinal stenosis and compression of the spinal cord, surgery is performed as an adjuvant treatment before radiotherapy.

Case Presentation: A 36-year-old patient suffered from neck, shoulder and upper limbs pain for 3 weeks and the symptom worsened for 3 days after exercise.

Upregulated Plant Homeodomain Finger Protein 6 Promotes Extracellular Matrix Degradation in Intervertebral Disc Degeneration Based on Microarray Analysis.

Study Design: mRNA analysis.

Objective: The aim of this study was to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in disc degeneration, analyze the potential biological functions of DEGs, and screen for a new target to prevent the degeneration.

Summary Of Background Data: Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is an irreversible process and causes long-term heavy socioeconomic burdens.

Feasibility of Interlaminar Lumbar Discectomy through Percutaneous Transforaminal Endoscopy and Blunt Perforation of the Ligamentum Flavum.

Aim: To determine the efficacy, safety, and clinical value of a novel surgical procedure involving the blunt perforation of the ligamentum flavum (LF) during endoscopic interlaminar lumbar discectomy.

Material And Methods: This was a prospective study of 50 patients (25 males, 17-51 years of age) undergoing lumbar discectomy for single segment L4/L5 or L5/S1 disc herniation. They were grouped into the control (cutting of the LF; n=22) and test (blunt perforation; n=28) groups.

Cross-Platform Comparison of Four Leading Technologies for Detecting Mutations in Circulating Tumor DNA from Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma Patient Plasma.

Analysis of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is emerging as a powerful tool for guiding targeted therapy and monitoring tumor evolution in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), especially when representative tissue biopsies are not available. Here, we have compared the ability of four leading technology platforms to detect epidermal growth factor receptor ( mutations (L858R, exon 19 deletion, T790M and G719X) in ctDNA from NSCLC patients. Two amplification refractory mutation systems (cobas-ARMS and ADx-ARMS), a droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) and a next-generation sequencing (Firefly NGS) platform were included in the comparison.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of robotic versus open pancreaticoduodenectomy.

Background: Although robotic pancreaticoduodenectomy (RPD) has been successfully performed since 2003, its advantages over open pancreaticoduodenectomy (OPD) are still uncertain. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to compare the clinical outcomes of RPD to those of OPD.

Methods: A systematic literature review was performed to identify RPD versus OPD comparative studies published between January 2003 and January 2016.

Primary pancreatic paraganglioma: a case report and literature review.

Backgroud: Primary pancreatic paraganglioma is an extremely rare extra-adrenal paraganglioma.

Case Presentation: We report a case of primary pancreatic paraganglioma undergoing middle segment pancreatectomy in a 42-year-old woman. Histological examination showed that the tumor was composed of well-defined nests of cuboidal cells separated by vascular fibrous septa, forming the classic Zellballen pattern.

[Changes of sagittal balance of cervical spine after open-door expansive laminoplasty].

Objective: To explore the changes of sagittal balance of cervical spine after open-door expansive laminoplasty.

Methods: The clinical and radiological data were analyzed retrospectively for 90 patients undergoing open-door expansive laminoplasty due to cervical spondylotic myelopathy. The Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score and 3 cervical sagittal parameters including C2-C7 SVA, C0-2 Cobb angle and T1-Slope on lateral view radiographs were recorded before operation and at the final follow-up.

Methylation-associated silencing of MicroRNA-335 contributes tumor cell invasion and migration by interacting with RASA1 in gastric cancer.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that function as endogenous silencers of target genes, previous studies have shown that miR-335 play an important role in suppressing metastasis and migration in human cancer including gastric cancer (GC). However, the mechanisms which result in aberrant expression of miR-335 in GC are still unknown. Recent studies have shown that the silencing of some miRNAs is associated with DNA hypermethylation.

The severity of operative invasion to the posterior muscular-ligament complex influences cervical sagittal balance after open-door laminoplasty.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate how the severity of operative invasion to the posterior muscular-ligament complex impacts postoperative cervical sagittal balance.

Materials And Methods: Ninety cases of open-door expansive laminoplasty due to cervical spondylotic myelopathy were reviewed. Fifty-three patients underwent laminoplasty with unilateral preservation of the muscular-ligament complex (unilateral elevation group).

Expression of c-Kit and PDGFRα in epithelial ovarian tumors and tumor stroma.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression of c-Kit and platelet-derived growth factor receptor α (PDGFRα) in epithelial ovarian tumor cells and tumor stroma. The expression of c-Kit and PDGFRα in 71 malignant or benign epithelial ovarian tumor tissues and 20 normal ovarian tissues was evaluated by immunohistochemical staining. The expression of c-Kit and PDGFRα in 71 malignant epithelial ovarian tumors and tumor stroma tissue samples was analyzed.

A molecular inversion probe assay for detecting alternative splicing.

Background: A sensitive, high-throughput method for monitoring pre-mRNA splicing on a genomic scale is needed to understand the spectrum of alternatively spliced mRNA in human cells.

Results: We adapted Molecular Inversion Probes (MIPs), a padlock-probe based technology, for the multiplexed capture and quantitation of individual splice events in human tissues. Individual MIP capture probes can be quantified using either DNA microarrays or high-throughput sequencing, which permits independent assessment of each spliced junction.

Identification of rare DNA variants in mitochondrial disorders with improved array-based sequencing.

A common goal in the discovery of rare functional DNA variants via medical resequencing is to incur a relatively lower proportion of false positive base-calls. We developed a novel statistical method for resequencing arrays (SRMA, sequence robust multi-array analysis) to increase the accuracy of detecting rare variants and reduce the costs in subsequent sequence verifications required in medical applications. SRMA includes single and multi-array analysis and accounts for technical variables as well as the possibility of both low- and high-frequency genomic variation.

The splicing factor SC35 has an active role in transcriptional elongation.

Mounting evidence suggests that transcription and RNA processing are intimately coupled in vivo, although each process can occur independently in vitro. It is generally thought that polymerase II (Pol II) C-terminal domain (CTD) kinases are recruited near the transcription start site to overcome initial Pol II pausing events, and that stably bound kinases facilitate productive elongation and co-transcriptional RNA processing. Whereas most studies have focused on how RNA processing machineries take advantage of the transcriptional apparatus to efficiently modify nascent RNA, here we report that a well-studied splicing factor, SC35, affects transcriptional elongation in a gene-specific manner.