[Research progress of Wallis dynamic stabilization system for lumbar degenerative diseases].

Wallis dynamic stabilization system is a surgical approach in the non-fusion technique of lumbar spine, consisting of interspinous blockers and dacron artificial ligaments that provide stability to the spine while maintaining a degree of motion in the affected segment. Recent studies have demonstrated the significant benefits of Wallis dynamic stabilization system in treating lumbar degenerative diseases. It not only improves clinical symptoms, but also effectively delays complications such as adjacent segmental degeneration. This paper aims to review the literature related to the Wallis dynamic stabilization system and degenerative diseases of the lumbar spine to describe the long-term prognostic effect of this system in the treatment of such diseases. This review provides a theoretical basis and reference for selecting surgical methods to treat degenerative diseases of the lumbar spine.

Spatial heterogeneity and driving factors of land use change in the middle and upper reaches of Ganjiang River, southern China.

The middle and upper reaches of Ganjiang River is an important functional area for soil and water conservation in the southeastern hills of China. It is important to analyze the land use change and their driving forces at different spatial and temporal scales to maintain and optimize the local ecological functions. We analyzed the land use structure and land use dynamics in the middle and upper reaches of Ganjiang River from 1980-2018 based on 1 km spatial resolution land use data, and analyzed the spatial heterogeneity and driving factors of land use change using principal component analysis (PCA), ordinary least squares (OLS) and geographically weighted regression (GWR). From 1980-2018, the main land use types in the study area were forests (proportion 69.4%-71%) and cultivated land (proportion 20.8%-20.9%). Land use dynamic degree of build-up land and unused land were larger, and the comprehensive land use dynamic degree gradually increased, especially in 2010-2018. The GWR model had a better fitting effect on the analysis of land use change drivers, which was better in 98.6% of the area. Among the influencing factors of the spatial heterogeneity of land use change in the study area, the natural environment factors were the most obvious, with a restrictive role. The socio-economic factors were the secondary in importance, with a promoting role. The comprehensive influence of natural and social factors were weak and complex.

Administration of losartan improves aortic arterial stiffness and reduces the occurrence of acute coronary syndrome in aged patients with essential hypertension.

BACKGROUNDS AND AIMS: Increased arterial stiffness may increase cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Angiotensin II type 1 receptor blocker losartan is potentially useful in controlling the central blood pressure and arterial stiffness in mild to moderate essential hypertension, while the effects of losartan in aged patients with essential hypertension are not entirely investigated. METHODS: The carotid-femoral arterial pulse wave velocity (PWV) was measured in aged patients with essential hypertension. RESULTS: In a cross-sectional study, PWV value was significantly higher in these old patients with essential hypertension, compared with patients without essential hypertension. Logistic regression analysis indicated that age, hypertension duration, and losartan treatment are risk factors of arterial stiffness. In a perspective study, long-term administration of losartan (50 mg/d) remarkably reduced PWV in aged patients with essential hypertension. In a longitudinal study, PWV is an independent predictor of the occurrence of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in elderly patients with essential hypertension by using multivariate analysis. Further, the ACS occurrence was reduced by long-term administration of losartan in aged patients with essential hypertension, compared with the old hypertensive patients without taking losartan. CONCLUSION: Losartan treatment is a negative risk factor of arterial stiffness and reduces the risk of ACS in aged patients with essential hypertension.

Visible light mediated cyclization of tertiary anilines with maleimides using nickel(II) oxide surface-modified titanium dioxide catalyst.

Surface-modified titanium dioxides by highly dispersed NiO particles have an extended absorption in the visible light region and a reduced hole-electron pair recombination than unmodified TiO2. They have now been successfully applied as highly active heterogeneous photocatalysts in the visible light mediated direct cyclization of tertiary anilines with maleimides to give tetrahydroquinoline products in moderate to high yields at ambient temperature. In contrast with unmodified titanium dioxide catalysts that are conventionally used in a stoichiometric amount in combination with UVA light, only a catalytic amount (1 mol %) of the surface-modified TiO2 catalyst is needed along with visible light to efficiently catalyze the reaction. Compared with transition-metal complexes such as Ru(bpy)3Cl2 or Ir(ppy)2(dtbbpy)PF6, advantages of these surface-modified titanium dioxides as photocatalyst include high catalytic activity, low cost, ease of recovering, and being able to be used for at least nine times without significant decay of catalytic activity.

The association between vibration and vascular injury in rheumatic diseases: a review of the literature.

Vascular manifestations can be seen early in the pathogenesis of inflammatory rheumatic diseases. Animal experiments, laboratory and clinical findings indicated that acute or long-term vibration exposure can induce vascular abnormalities. Recent years, in addition to Raynaud's phenomenon (RP), vibration as a risk factor for other rheumatic diseases has also received corresponding considered. This review is concentrated upon the role of vibration in the disease of systemic sclerosis (SSc). In this review, we are going to discuss the main mechanisms which are thought to be important in pathophysiology of vascular injury under the three broad headings of "vascular", "neural" and "intravascular". Aspects on the vibration and vascular inflammation are briefly discussed. And the epidemiological studies related to vibration studies in SSc and other rheumatic diseases are taken into account.

Prevalence of HIV-1 subtypes among men who have sex with men in China: a systematic review.

The distribution of prevalent HIV-1 strains are still complex in China. Men who have sex with men (MSM) play an important bridging role in spreading HIV. The aim of our study was to quantitatively evaluate the prevalence of HIV-1 subtypes among the MSM population in China from published studies. Relevant studies were searched by selection criteria from CNKI, CBM, Pubmed, etc. We computed the estimates of the pooled proportion of HIV-1 subtypes. Heterogeneity between studies was investigated and measured using Cochran's Q statistic and the I (2) statistic. All analyses were conducted by the R statistical package version 2.13.1. A meta-analysis was performed, which included 19 articles. For comprehensive analysis of env, gag and pol genes, the pooled estimates for the prevalence of subtype B was 28.25% (95% CI: 18.10-39.66%), CRF01_AE was 53.46% (95% CI: 46.11-60.74%), CRF07_BC was 18.66% (95% CI: 13.06-25.01%) and CRF08_BC was 5.85% (95% CI: 2.73-10.07%), respectively. In subgroup analysis, the proportion of subtype B decreased, while the proportion of CRF01_AE and CRF07_BC showed an increasing tendency. Beijing, Guangdong and Henan provinces had high proportions of subtype CRF01_AE while Guangdong and Hebei provinces had the highest proportions of subtype B and CRF07_BC, respectively. A high genetic variability of HIV-1 presents a serious challenge for HIV prevention and treatment strategies among MSM in China.

Synthesis and antimicrobial activities of oxazepine and oxazocine derivatives.

A series of annulated 7-membered oxazepine and 8-membered oxazocine derivatives were synthesized by photoreaction of phthalimide derivatives and an alkene. The antimicrobial activities of the synthesized compounds were evaluated, and compounds 18 and 20 exhibited best antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria. The relationships between structure (especially steric structure) and antimicrobial activities are discussed.

A three-component reaction by photoinduced electron transfer mechanism with N-protected pyrroles as neutral carbon nucleophiles.

A new photoinduced three-component reaction between a cyanoarene, an alkene and an N-protected pyrrole has been developed. This reaction extended the scope of the photo-NOCAS reaction by introducing pyrrole as a neutral carbon-centered nucleophile. The cyanoarenes used include tetracyanobenzene (TCB), 2,3,5,6-tetrafluoro-1,4-dicyanobenzene (TFDCB) and 1,4-dicyanobenzene (DCB). N-Methyl, N-phenyl and N-Boc pyrroles are suitable nucleophiles in the reaction. Taking advantage of the strong electron acceptor ability of the singlet excited TCB, a wide range of alkenes, including the highly electron deficient 4-fluoro-, 4-chloro-, 2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorostyrenes and N-methylmaleimide take part in this reaction, leading to the simultaneous 1,2-diarylation of the alkene and the regioselective 2-alkylation of the pyrrole ring via sequential formation of two new C-C bonds between the three reactants.

The association between systemic sclerosis and bone mineral density- a meta-analysis of observational studies.

Previous research has shown inconsistent effect of systemic sclerosis (SSc) on bone mineral density (BMD). The objective of this study was to perform a meta-analysis of previous articles to investigate the differences in BMD (g/cm(2) ) between SSc and non-SSc populations and to discuss potential underlying mechanisms. Twelve full-text articles (including an outlier study and two studies with identical data) with 662 SSc patients and 886 controls were identified by searching Medline prior to 10 September, 2013 using search terms 'Systemic sclerosis' OR 'scleroderma' and 'osteoporosis' OR 'bone density' OR 'bone mass'. BMD (mean and standard deviation), T-scores and Z-scores at lumbar spine, femoral neck and total hip measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry were extracted. Meta-analysis showed that a lower level of BMD was found in SSc patients, with weighted mean difference of -0.343 (95% CI: -0.500 to -0.186) at femoral neck, -0.084 (95% CI: -0.110 to -0.057) at total hip and -0.104 (95% CI: -0.135 to -0.073) at the lumbar spine. We conclude that patients with SSc may have a lower BMD level than healthy controls.

Association of interleukin 1 family with systemic sclerosis.

Systemic sclerosis is a connective tissue disease characterized with fibrosis of skin and/or internal organs, and its specific pathological mechanism remains incompletely understood. IL-1 family, whose biological properties are typically pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrosis, has been associated with systemic sclerosis (SSc). Interleukin (IL)-1 family has 11 members, IL-1α, IL-1ß, IL-1Ra, IL-18, IL-33, IL-36α, IL-36ß, IL-36γ, IL-36Ra, IL-37, and IL-38. With the exception of IL-1Ra and IL-36Ra, each member has its own receptor signal. Abnormal expression of IL-1 and its potential role in the fibrosis process have been probed earliest, as well as its gene polymorphisms with SSc. IL-33 and IL-18 have also been discussed in the recent years, and IL-33 may contribute to the fibrosis of SSc, while IL-18 remains to be researched to confirm its role in fibrosis process. There is a lack of studies on the association of the other members of the IL-1 family, which might provide us the future study area; much more efforts need to be put on this matter.

Micronutrients, their potential effect on patients with systemic sclerosis.

Over the past years, several evidences have supported an important role of specific micronutrients, including vitamin A, vitamin D and vitamin E in immune dysfunction, vascular involvement and fibrotic changes involved in systemic sclerosis (SSc) development. In PubMed, eight clinical trials about the therapy of micronutrients on SSc patients were searched out using medical subject headings terms (SSc: "scleroderma, localized", "scleroderma, systemic", "scleroderma, diffuse" and "scleroderma, limited"; vitamins "vitamin A", "thiamin", "riboflavin", "niacin", "pantothenic acid", "vitamin B 6", "biotin", "folic acid", "vitamin B 12", "inositol", "choline", "ascorbic acid", "vitamin D", "vitamin E", "tocopherols", "vitamin K" and "vitamin P"; and minerals: "calcium", "magnesium", "potassium", "sodium", "phosphorus", "sulfur", "chlorine", "iron", "copper", "iodine", "zinc", "selenium", "manganese", "molybdenum", "cobalt", "chromium", "tin", "vanadium", "silicon", "nickel" and "fluorine"). This brief review will summarize current understanding on that for the further prospect of future studies. Though the clinical trials for the treatment of SSc with micronutrients are still in their infancy, more researches are needed to substantiate the current results and accelerate the knowledge in this field.

Epidemiology of syphilis infection among drug users at methadone maintenance treatment clinics in China: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Illicit drug trade has re-emerged in China since 1979 and the number of drug addicts had increased. Syphilis is mainly spread through sexual contact and blood. The incidence of syphilis is high among drug users. Methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) clinics have been implemented in China since 2004. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence and risk factors of syphilis among drug users at MMT clinics in China between 2004 and 2013. Chinese and English databases (CBM, CNKI, Weipu, Pubmed) of literature were searched for studies reporting syphilis among drug users in MMT clinics from 2004 to 2013. The prevalence estimates and risk factors were summarized through a systematic review and meta-analysis of published literatures. In all, 29 eligible articles with a total of 8899 drug users, were selected in this review. The pooled prevalence of syphilis infection was 7.78% (95%CI: 5.83%-9.99%). The meta-analyses demonstrated significant differences in syphilis infection rates between men and women (OR = 0.34 [95%CI: 0.26-0.45]) but not between drug users and non-intravenous drug users (OR = 0.82 [95%CI: 0.51-1.32]). Enhanced detection of syphilis and health promotion is warranted in MMT clinics in China.

The effect of TGF-ß1 polymorphism on systemic sclerosis: a systematic review and pooled analysis of available literature.

Transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of systemic sclerosis (SSc). To investigate whether TGF-ß1 gene promoter polymorphisms were associated with the susceptibility of SSc, we performed a meta-analysis based on all available studies through PubMed, Elsevier Science Direct, Embase, and Chinese Biomedical, China National Knowledge Infrastructure and Google Scholar with the last report up to March 15, 2013. Crude odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were used to estimate the strength of the association. A fixed or random effects model was adopted according to heterogeneity test. Heterogeneity among studies was evaluated using I (2) . Meta-regression was used to explore potential sources of between-study heterogeneity. Publication bias was estimated using Begg's and Egger's test. Totally, seven papers with 663 SSc patients and 908 healthy controls were subjected to the final analysis. These studies encompass seven for TGF-ß1 codon 10, three for codon 25 and three for -509C/T. We failed to detect any association of these promoter polymorphism with SSc susceptibility. For TGF-ß1 codon 10 polymorphism, subgroup analyses by race, genotype testing method and classification of SSc were further performed. Similarly, no association was observed. Significant heterogeneity was detected among the studies in all genetic models of TGF-ß1 codon 10 polymorphism. Publication bias was absent. Taken together, our meta-analysis did not provided an evidence of confirming association between TGF-ß1 (codon 10, codon 25, -509C/T) gene polymorphism and SSc. Nevertheless, due to smaller sample sizes, larger sample studies including different ethnic groups should be considered in future to confirm our results.

Association of TGF-ß1 +869C/T promoter polymorphism with susceptibility to autoimmune diseases: a meta-analysis.

Many case-control studies have investigated the role of TGF-ß1 gene +869C/T promoter polymorphism in autoimmune diseases, but the results are inconsistent. To clarify this point, we performed a meta-analysis based on all available studies in Pubmed, Elsevier Science Direct, Google Searching, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure. Crude odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals were calculated to estimate the strength of the association. A fixed or random effects model was used on the basis of heterogeneity. A total of 21 papers including 2,693 cases and 3,036 controls were considered in the current meta-analysis. These studies encompass two ankylosing spondylitis (AS), eight rheumatoid arthritis (RA), four systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and seven systemic sclerosis (SSc). The results showed that TGF-ß1 +869C/T promoter polymorphism were associated with susceptibility to RA (CC vs. TT: OR=0.65, 95% CI=0.48-0.88, P=0.005; CC vs. CT+TT: OR=0.56, 95% CI=0.45-0.69, P=0.000; C vs. T: OR=0.81, 95% CI=0.71-0.93, P=0.003). When stratified by race, significant association was observed only in Asian population. However, we failed to reveal the association between this gene promoter polymorphism and AS, SLE, and SSc. Therefore, this meta-analysis suggests a possible association between TGF-ß1 +869C/T promoter polymorphism and RA, especially in Asian population.

(3,5-Dimethyl-1H-pyrazol-1-yl){3-[(3,5-dimethyl-1H-pyrazol-1-yl)carbon-yl]-5-methyl-indolizin-1-yl}methanone.

There are two independent mol-ecules in the asymmetric unit of the title compound, C21H21N5O2. In each mol-ecule, the indolizine ring system is essentially planar, with r.m.s. deviations of 0.030 and 0.028 Å. The dihedral angles between the indolizine ring system and the pyrazole rings are 54.7 (3) and 8.6 (3)° in one mol-ecule and 54.4 (3) and 6.6 (3)° in the other. In the crystal, weak C-H⋯O and C-H⋯N hydrogen bonds link mol-ecules, forming a two-dimensional network parallel to (100).

Matrix metalloproteinases: a review of their structure and role in systemic sclerosis.

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are the main enzymes involved in arterial wall extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation and remodeling, whose activity has been involved in various normal and pathologic processes, such as inflammation, fibrosis. As a result, the MMPs have come to consider as both therapeutic targets and diagnostic tools for the treatment and diagnosis of autoimmune diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis. Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rare autoimmune disease of unknown etiology characterized by an excessive over-production of collagen and other ECM, resulting in skin thickening and fibrosis of internal organs. In recent years, abnormal expression of MMPs has been demonstrated with the pathogenesis of SSc, and the association of different polymorphisms on MMPs genes with SSc has been extensively studied. This review describes the structure, function and regulation of MMPs and shortly summarizes current understanding on experimental findings, genetic associations of MMPs in SSc.

MicroRNA-29: a potential therapeutic target for systemic sclerosis.

INTRODUCTION: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a systemic autoimmune disease of unknown cause characterized by microvasculopathy, fibroblast activation, and excessive production of collagen, causing tissue and organ damage. Effective medical treatment for SSc is lacking because the etiology and pathogenesis of SSc are not fully understood. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous, regulatory, single-stranded, noncoding RNAs that negatively modulate gene expression by either promoting the degradation of mRNA or down-regulating the protein production by translational repression. Among them, miRNA-29 is recently discovered as a class of miRNAs which is related to fibrotic disease. Numerous evidences have confirmed that miRNA-29 involved in the expression of extracellular matrix (ECM) and regulated organ fibrosis. These findings revealed a potential and appealing role for miRNA-29 as SSc therapeutic targets. AREAS COVERED: This review provides a comprehensive view on the biogenesis and functions of miRNAs. We also discuss the aberrant expression of miRNA-29 in SSc, and summarize current understanding of miRNA-29 involved in the process of fibrosis. Finally, we discuss the therapeutic potential of targeting miRNA-29 in SSc. EXPERT OPINION: Although the exact pathogenesis of SSc still remains to be clarified, Targeting miRNA-29 may serve as a promising therapy strategy.

Prognostic value of matrix metalloproteinase 9 expression in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: The role of matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) expression in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains controversial. We performed a systematic review of the literature with meta-analysis. METHODS: Electronic databases were used to identify published studies before December 1, 2011. Pooled hazard ratio (HR) with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was used to estimate the strength of the association between MMP-9 expression survival of NSCLC patients. Heterogeneity and publication bias were also assessed. RESULTS: The final analysis of 2029 NSCLC cases from 17 studies is presented. The combined HR of 1.84 (95% CI: 1.62-2.09) suggested that MMP-9 over-expression had a poor prognosis in patients with NSCLC. Subgroup analyses also detected significant association. Heterogeneity and publication bias was absent in current meta-analysis. Sensitivity analyses suggested that the summary statistics obtained should approximate the actual average. CONCLUSION: High MMP-9 expression is associated with a poor prognosis in patients with NSCLC.

Association of the interleukin-10 1082G/A, 819C/T and 3575T/A gene polymorphisms with systemic sclerosis: a meta-analysis.

Many environmental and genetic factors have been contributed to the development of systemic sclerosis (SSc). To determine whether IL-10 gene polymorphisms are associated with SSc, we conducted a meta-analysis approach. A total of eight studies involving 1,034 SSc cases and 1,815 controls were obtained by electronic database, i.e. Embase, Blackwell, Scopus, China National Knowledge Infrastructure database, Chinese Biomedical database, Google searching. We analyzed three gene polymorphisms, including IL-10 -1082G/A (rs1800896), IL-10 -819C/T (rs1800871), IL-10 -3575T/A (rs1800890). The combined odds ratio (OR) with its 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was calculated using fixed or random effect models. We found that IL-10 819C allele might contribute to SSc susceptibility by fixed effect model and IL-10 3575A allele could be an important risk factor for SSc, especially in European descent. No significant heterogeneity were observed. Under random effect model, there was no evidence of statistically significant association between IL-10 1082G/A polymorphism and SSc. Publication bias was absent in all analyses. However, larger scale primary studies are required to further evaluate the IL-10 polymorphism and SSc.