[Ineffective treatment technique of convex epiphysiodesis for congenital scoliosis].

OBJECTIVE: To discuss the long-term outcome of convex epiphysiodesis in the treatment for congenital scoliosis (CS). METHODS: The clinical data of 22 patients with hemivertebral deformity undergoing convex epiphysiodesis from the October 1998 to Febuary 2008 were respectively analyzed. There were 12 males and 10 females. The whole spine anteroposterior radiographs were taken preoperatively, at 3-month postoperatively and at the final follow-up to measure the main curve and the compensatory curve. The progression rate was calculated for each patient. Observing the correlation between the progression rate and annual progression of the scoliosis and age, gender, hemivertebral number, hemivertebral position, preoperative main curve Cobb angle and compensatory curve Cobb angle, comparing different ages, genders, hemivertebral number and position, and preoperative main curve Cobb angle on the progression of postoperative curve. RESULTS: The mean Cobb angle of main curve changed from (40.5±9.8) ° before surgery to (39.5±11.1) ° at 3 months after surgery, which significantly increased to (46.8±13.9) ° in the final follow-up. Meanwhile the mean Cobb angle of compensatory curve was changed from (20.1±10.8) ° before surgery to (23.0±11.1) °, which significantly increased to (29.9±11.5) ° in the final follow-up. There were no significant differences in the Cobb angle of the main curve and the compensatory curve between postoperative 3 months and before operation (P>0.05). The difference between the final follow-up and the preoperative, postoperative 3 months was statistically significant (P<0.01). Twenty patients experienced progression of both main curve and compensatory curve, with a mean progression rate of (19.2±17.9)% for main curve and (39.6±37.0)% for compensatory curve. The annual progression volume was (1.5± 1.4) ° for main curve and (1.4±1.3) ° for compensatory curve. Three patients underwent lateral convex orthopedic internal fixation due to postoperative scoliosis progression. The curve progression was significantly correlated with age at the time of surgery and hemivertebral number. There was a significant correlation between the age of the operation, the main curve angle, the preoperative compensatory curve angle and the annual progression volume of the main curve (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The convex epiphysiodesis technique cannot effectively prevent curve progression of CS patients in the long-term follow-up. It is not recommended to apply this technique to the treatment of patients with congenital hemivertebrae.

The pedicle screw-rod system is an acceptable method of reconstructive surgery after resection of sacroiliac joint tumours.

UNLABELLED: Hemipelvic resections for primary bone tumours require reconstruction to restore weight bearing along anatomic axes. However, reconstruction of the pelvic arch remains a major surgical challenge because of the high rate of associated complications. We used the pedicle screw-rod system to reconstruct the pelvis, and the purpose of this investigation was to assess the oncology, functional outcome and complication rate following this procedure. The purpose of this study was to investigate the operative indications and technique of the pedicle screw-rod system in reconstruction of the stability of the sacroiliac joint after resection of sacroiliac joint tumours. The average MSTS (Musculoskeletal Tumour Society) score was 26.5 at either three months after surgery or at the latest follow-up. Seven patients had surgery-related complications, including wound dehiscence in one, infection in two, local necrosis in four (including infection in two), sciatic nerve palsy in one and pubic symphysis subluxation in one. There was no screw loosening or deep vein thrombosis occurring in this series. Using a pedicle screw-rod after resection of a sacroiliac joint tumour is an acceptable method of pelvic reconstruction because of its reduced risk of complications and satisfactory functional outcome, as well as its feasibility of reconstruction for type IV pelvis tumour resection without elaborate preoperative customisation. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, therapeutic study.

S2 Alar-iliac Fixation: A Powerful Procedure for the Treatment of Kyphoscoliosis.

The purpose of this study was to introduce a powerful technique for the treatment of kyphoscoliosis. There are currently multiple techniques for sacropelvic fixation, including trans-iliac bars and iliac and iliosacral screws. Several studies have documented the use of these instrumentation techniques; however, a ubiquitous problematic issue concerns the need for separate incisions for the use of offset connectors, which add to surgical time and morbidity. Any additional dissection of the skin, subcutaneous tissue or muscle in this area is believed to increase the incidence of complications of wound healing. However, as stated above, the above-mentioned techniques require separate incisions for the use of offset connectors, which add to surgical time and morbidity. The novel technique of S2 alar-iliac (S2AI) pelvic fixation has been developed to address some of these issues. However, a technique for achieving correction of kyphoscoliosis with pelvic obliquity in adult patients with spinal deformity has not previously been described. Our entry point is based on the S1 foramen and is typically up to 5 mm caudal and 2 to 3 mm lateral to that foramen. Once the S1 foramen has been identified, a blunt instrument can be used to probe the alar ridge. The screw trajectory is 40°-50° from horizontal and 20°-30° caudal, aimed toward the greater trochanter and rostral to the sciatic notch. A 36-year-old female patient presented with a 3-year history of low back pain, and progressive thoracolumbar kyphoscoliosis. In this typical case, we performed S2AI fixation with transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion and hemivertebra resection technique to treat her lumbosacral kyphoscoliosis. Satisfactory improvement in her preoperative lumbar kyphoscoliosis was found at 3-month follow-up.

Single-molecule imaging of activated nitrogen adsorption on individual manganese phthalocyanine.

An atomic-scale understanding of gas adsorption mechanisms on metal-porphyrins or metal-phthalocyanines is essential for their practical application in biological processes, gas sensing, and catalysis. Intensive research efforts have been devoted to the study of coordinative bonding with relatively active small molecules such as CO, NO, NH3, O2, and H2. However, the binding of single nitrogen atoms has never been addressed, which is both of fundamental interest and indeed essential for revealing the elementary chemical binding mechanism in nitrogen reduction processes. Here, we present a simple model system to investigate, at the single-molecule level, the binding of activated nitrogen species on the single Mn atom contained within the manganese phthalocyanine (MnPc) molecule supported on an inert graphite surface. Through the combination of in situ low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy, scanning tunneling spectroscopy, ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and density functional theory calculations, the active site and the binding configuration between the activated nitrogen species (neutral nitrogen atom) and the Mn center of MnPc are investigated at the atomic scale.

Filamin C, a dysregulated protein in cancer revealed by label-free quantitative proteomic analyses of human gastric cancer cells.

Gastric cancer (GC) is the fourth and fifth most common cancer in men and women, respectively. We identified 2,750 proteins at false discovery rates of 1.3% (protein) and 0.03% (spectrum) by comparing the proteomic profiles of three GC and a normal gastric cell lines. Nine proteins were significantly dysregulated in all three GC cell lines, including filamin C, a muscle-specific filamin and a large actin-cross-linking protein. Downregulation of filamin C in GC cell lines and tissues were verified using quantitative PCR and immunohistochemistry. Data-mining using public microarray datasets shown that filamin C was significantly reduced in many human primary and metastasis cancers. Transient expression or silencing of filamin C affected the proliferation and colony formation of cancer cells. Silencing of endogenous filamin C enhanced cancer cell migration and invasion, whereas ectopic expression of filamin C had opposing effects. Silencing of filamin C increased the expression of matrix metallopeptidase 2 and improved the metastasis of prostate cancer in a zebrafish model. High filamin C associated with better prognosis of prostate cancer, leukemia and breast cancer patients. These findings establish a functional role of filamin C in human cancers and these data will be valuable for further study of its mechanisms.

Characteristics of sagittal spine-pelvis-leg alignment in patients with severe hip osteoarthritis.

PURPOSE: The interaction between the sagittal alignment of the spine and pelvis and the compensatory mechanism in patients suffering from spinal disorders has been well documented. However, in patients with hip osteoarthritis (HOA), few studies have explored how the hip joint pathology could affect the sagittal alignment of the hip, pelvis and spine, and no reports have investigated whether these changes are involved in the pathogenesis of low back pain in these patients. The aims of this case-control study were to investigate the sagittal spine-pelvis-leg alignment in patients suffering from severe HOA and to understand whether the alignment was related to the occurrence of low back pain and the health-related quality of life in these patients. METHODS: Fifty-eight patients with severe HOA and 64 asymptomatic controls were studied. Digital lateral X-rays of the spine, pelvis and proximal femur were obtained with the patients placed in upright positions. The following radiographic parameters were measured to examine the sagittal alignment of the pelvis, hip and spine: pelvic incidence (PI), pelvic tilting (PT), sacral slope (SS), pelvic femoral angle (PFA), femoral inclination (FI), lumbar lordosis (LL), spino-sacral angle (SSA), C7 tilt (C7T) and T1 spinal-pelvic inclination (T1-SPI). The global balance patterns of spinal-pelvic alignment were classified as normal balance, slight unbalance and severe unbalance according to the relative position of the C7 plumb line to the sacrum and femoral heads. Short Form-36 questionnaire was carried out in the patients. Comparisons were carried out between the patients with HOA and the controls and between the HOA patients with or without low back pain. Correlation analysis was used to measure relationships between the HOA patients' parameters. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the age and gender distribution between the HOA patients and control. Compared with the controls, the patients with HOA showed significantly higher SS and lower PT, similar PI in the pelvis, significantly smaller C7T, larger T1-SPI but comparable LL and SSA in the spine, and significantly smaller PFA but larger FI in the hip joint. In addition, the patients with HOA had a significantly greater incidence of severe unbalanced spinal-pelvic alignment than did the controls (22.4 vs 3.1 %, respectively). In patients with HOA, the PFA was significantly correlated with SS, SSA and FI but not with PI, LL or C7T; while the physical component score of short form-36 was significantly correlated with T1-SPI, C7T and FI. A comparison between the HOA patients with or without low back pain, however, showed no significant differences in the radiographic parameters, global sagittal balance patterns and Short Form-36. CONCLUSIONS: The sagittal morphology of the pelvis in patients with severe HOA was normal and might not be involved in the development and progression of this disorder. Although the whole spine was involved in compensating for the flexed hip joint, the poor ability resulted in severely unbalanced spinal-pelvic alignment in these patients. The forward inclined spine and retroverted femur would contribute to the poor physical activities in these patients. However, the abnormal sagittal spine-pelvis-leg alignment in patients with severe HOA might not be involved in the pathogenesis of low back pain.

Polymorphism of rs2767485 in Leptin Receptor Gene is Associated With the Occurrence of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis.

STUDY DESIGN: A genetic association study of leptin receptor (LEPR) gene with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) in the Chinese Han population. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether LEPR gene polymorphisms are associated with the predisposition and/or disease severity of AIS. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Patients with AIS were reported to have lower body mass index (BMI), abnormal leptin bioavailability, and systemic lower bone mass, which implied that leptin/LEPR signaling pathway may be implicated in the etiology of AIS. Previous association study of the polymorphisms in leptin gene did not show significant differences between AIS cases and controls. However, no study has been done to investigate the relationship between genetic polymorphisms of the LEPR gene and susceptibility to AIS. METHODS: 570 patients with AIS aged 10 to 18 years were enrolled, and 570 age-matched healthy subjects were recruited as controls. 6 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs1137101, rs1137100, rs4655555, rs2767485, rs1751492, and rs8179183) of LEPR gene were selected. The polymorphisms were genotyped using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based Invader assay. Case-control study was performed to define the contribution of the 6 SNPs to predisposition of AIS. 1-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) test was used to compare the mean Cobb angles and BMI among patients with different genotypes in case-only analyses. Statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. RESULTS: Both the genotype and allele frequencies of SNP rs2767485 were significantly different between the patient with AIS and the control groups. No significant difference of allele frequency was noted in other 5 SNPs between the patients with AIS and the normal controls. Both the mean maximum Cobb angles and BMI of different genotype AIS groups were similar to each other for all the 6 SNPs (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Polymorphism of rs2767485 in LEPR gene is associated with the occurrence of AIS, suggesting LEPR is a predisposition gene.

Identification of colonic fibroblast secretomes reveals secretory factors regulating colon cancer cell proliferation.

Stromal microenvironment influences tumor cell proliferation and migration. Fibroblasts represent the most abundant stromal constituents. Here, we established two pairs of normal fibroblast (NF) and cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF) cultures from colorectal adenocarcinoma tissues and the normal counterparts. The NFs and CAFs were stained positive for typical fibroblast markers and inhibited colon cancer (CC) cell proliferation in in vitro cocultures and in xenograft mouse models. The fibroblast conditioned media were analyzed using LC-MS and 227 proteins were identified at a false discovery rate of 1.3%, including 131 putative secretory and 20 plasma membrane proteins. These proteins were enriched for functional categories of extracellular matrix, adhesion, cell motion, inflammatory response, redox homeostasis and peptidase inhibitor. Secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine, transgelin, follistatin-related protein 1 (FSTL1) and decorin was abundant in the fibroblast secretome as confirmed by Western blot. Silencing of FSTL1 and transgelin in colonic fibroblast cell line CCD-18Co induced an accelerated proliferation of CC cells in cocultures. Exogenous FSTL1 attenuates CC cell proliferation in a negative fashion. FSTL1 was upregulated in CC patient plasma and cancerous tissues but had no implication in prognosis. Our results provided novel insights into the molecular signatures and modulatory role of CC associated fibroblasts. BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE: In this study, a label-free LC-MS was performed to analyze the secretomes of two paired primary fibroblasts, which were isolated from fresh surgical specimen of colorectal adenocarcinoma and adjacent normal colonic tissues and exhibited negative modulatory activity for colon cancer cell growth in in vitro cocultures and in vivo xenograph mouse models. Follistatin-related protein 1 was further revealed to be one of the stroma-derived factors of potential suppression role for colon cancer cell proliferation. Our results provide novel insights into the molecular signatures and the modulatory role of colon cancer associated fibroblasts, and establish a valuable resource for the development of therapeutic agents or novel clinic biomarker.

Data from a proteomic analysis of colonic fibroblasts secretomes.

The tumor cell proliferation, migration and invasion were influenced by the interaction between the cancer cells and their microenvironment. In current study, we established two pairs of the primary fibroblast cultures from colorectal adenocarcinoma tissues and the normal counterparts and identified 227 proteins in the colonic fibroblast secretomes; half of these proteins were novel. The mass spectrometry data and analyzed results presented here provide novel insights into the molecular characteristics and modulatory role of colon cancer associated fibroblasts. The data is related to "Identification of colonic fibroblast secretomes reveals secretory factors regulating colon cancer cell proliferation" by Chen et al. [1].

[Accuracy evaluation of the TRMM satellite-based precipitation data over the mid-high latitudes].

Satellite-based precipitation product plays a significant role in analyzing spatial pattern of precipitation. TRMM 3B42 (3B42), as one of important precipitation products, is a key forcing factor for ecological, climate and hydrological models with its sufficient spatial and temporal scales. At present, there is still limited knowledge of accuracy and error structure of new version 3B42 V7, especially the lack of evaluating its accuracy in regions of mid-high latitudes, which restricts its application in the field of ecology, climate and hydrology. Based on 3B42 V7 product and data obtained from 53 weather stations in the period of 1998-2012 over Inner Mongolia, the paper evaluated the accuracy of 3B42 and revealed the spatial distribution of accuracy evaluation indices and its influencing factors. The result of overall accuracy evaluation indicated that there was overestimation of the amount of precipitation by 3B42 at daily, monthly and annual timescales. Error of 3B42 increased with the increasing timescale, and mean error and mean absolute error of daily precipitation were just -0.06 and 0.88 mm, respectively. It showed good performance for detecting the occurrence of rain events with equitable threat score (ETS) of 0.23, but slightly overestimated the frequency of rainy events. Moreover, altitude and average annual precipitation had impacts on data accuracy. The absolute error of precipitation decreased and yet the ability of detecting rain events be- came weak with the increasing altitude, while the effect of average annual precipitation on data accuracy was opposite.

Antagonistic role of vertebral translation against vertebral rotation in the spontaneous postoperative modulation of the anterior chest wall contour in thoracic idiopathic scoliosis.

STUDY DESIGN: A computed tomography study. OBJECTIVE: To identify the best scoliotic deformity components that show impact upon the spontaneous postoperative modulation of the deformed anterior chest wall contour in right convex thoracic adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Spontaneous postoperative aggravation of the anterior concave costal projection was a common occurrence in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, yet the risk factors that effectively bridged the gap between what the surgeons did in the interior and how the rib cages reacted on the exterior were still open to debate. METHODS: Pre- and postoperative computed tomographic scans of 77 patients with right convex thoracic adolescent idiopathic scoliosis were retrieved and analyzed. According to the postoperative variation of anterior chest wall angle (CWA), the patients were divided into 2 groups with either aggravated or improved CWA. Multiple scoliotic deformity parameters and their surgical correction rates were evaluated, correlated, and then compared between the 2 groups. Moreover, patients with apex located at T9 were isolated and evaluated independently. A logistic regression analysis was used to determine the independent predictors of the spontaneous postoperative modulation of the anterior chest wall contour. RESULTS: The surgical correction rate of Cobb angle (supine), the rotational angle with respect to the sagittal plane (RAsag angle), the rotational angle with respect to the anterior midline of the body (RAml angle), the angle of lateral deviation of the apical vertebrae from the midline (MLdev angle), the posterior hemithorax ratio, the vertebral translation (VT), and the thoracic rotation averaged 64.6%, 19.5%, 30.8%, 39.2%, 15.0%, 41.2%, and 28.7%, respectively. Ratio of aggravated anterior chest wall contour was the highest at the T7 apex group (84.6%) as compared with T8 apex group (47.1%), T9 apex group (19.5%), and T10 apex group (0.0%). The preoperative CWA was significantly lower in the aggravated CWA group when compared with the improved group (2.1 ± 1.8°vs. 6.6 ± 2.4°, P < 0.001). Besides, in the aggravated CWA group, significantly greater surgical correction of VT and lesser correction of RAsag angle were demonstrated when compared with the improved CWA group (VT: 53.0% vs. 34.8%, P = 0.001; RAsag: 2.5% vs. 28.7%, P = 0.000). In the T9 subgroup, remarkably different correction rate of VT and RAsag were similarly observed (VT: 54.9% vs. 35.3%, P = 0.046; RAsag: 4.9% vs. 23.5%, P = 0.034). In terms of other deformity parameters, no significantly different correction rate was consistently detected. In the logistic regression analysis, apex location, CWA, and correction rate of RAsag were demonstrated to be independent factors predictive of the alteration of chest wall contour. CONCLUSION: In addition to the smaller preoperative CWA and higher apex location, lesser correction of vertebral rotation, if accompanied by great surgical correction of apical VT, could also largely result in a poor postoperative anterior chest wall contour.

Proteomic characterization of larval and adult developmental stages in Echinococcus granulosus reveals novel insight into host-parasite interactions.

Cystic hydatid disease is an important zoonosis caused by Echinococcus granulosus infection. The expression profiles of its parasitic life stages and host-Echinococcus interactions remain to be elucidated. Here, we identified 157 adult and 1588 protoscolex proteins (1610 in all), including 1290 novel identifications. Paramyosins and an antigen B (AgB) were the dominant adult proteins. Dog proteins (30) identified in adults indicated diminished local inflammation caused by adult infection. The protoscolex expresses proteins that have been reported to be antigens in other parasites, such as 6-phosphofructokinase and calcineurin B. Pathway analyses suggested that E. granulosus uses both aerobic and anaerobic carbohydrate metabolisms to generate ATP. E. granulosus expresses proteins involved in synthesis and metabolism of lipids or steroids. At least 339 of 390 sheep proteins identified in protoscolex were novel identifications not seen in previous analyses. IgGs and lambda light chains were the most abundant antibody species. Sheep proteins were enriched for detoxification pathways, implying that host detoxification effects play a central role during host-parasite interactions. Our study provides valuable data on E. granulosus expression characteristics, allowing novel insights into the molecular mechanisms involved in host-parasite interactions. BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE: In this study, the Echinococcus granulosus adult worm proteome was analyzed for the first time. The protein identification of E. granulosus protoscoleces was extended dramatically. We also identified the most abundant host proteins co-purified with Echinococcus. The results provide useful information pertaining to the molecular mechanisms behind host-Echinococcus interaction and Echinococcus biology. This data also increases the potential for identifying vaccine candidates and new therapeutic targets, and may aid in the development of protein probes for selective and sensitive diagnosis of echinococcosis infection. In addition, the data collected here represents a valuable proteomic resource for subsequent genome annotation.

Does brace treatment impact upon the flexibility and the correctability of idiopathic scoliosis in adolescents?

PURPOSE: Brace treatment has served as a vital non-surgical procedure for immature adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients with a mild or moderate curve. For the patients who fail in bracing and resort to surgery, it is unclear whether prior full-time brace treatment significantly influences outcomes. This study aims to investigate whether prior brace treatment has a negative impact upon the flexibility and correctability of the main curve in patients with AIS. METHODS: The participants were collected from female AIS patients who underwent posterior correction surgery with pedicle screw instrumentation from August 2006 to December 2010, with or without prior brace treatment. Patients included in Group A had prior brace treatment over a 1-year period, and underwent surgery within 6 months after cessation of bracing; those in Group B received no prior treatment and were randomly selected from our database. Curve flexibility pre-surgery and curve correctability post-surgery were computed and compared between both groups and subgroups according to the curve location. RESULTS: Each group consisted of 35 patients. Age, curve magnitude and location were comparable between the two groups. Before surgery, patients in Group A had a slightly lower curve flexibility than those in Group B (52 vs. 60 %, P = 0.036). After surgery, satisfactory correction results were observed in both groups, but the average post-operative main curve magnitude of patients in Group B was 4° less than that of Group A (10° vs. 14°, P = 0.010). The curve correctability in Group B was significantly higher than that in Group A (80 vs. 74 %, P = 0.002). No matter what curve pattern the patient had, having a prior history of brace treatment resulted in a trend of lower flexibility and correctability of their scoliosis. CONCLUSIONS: Good surgical correction can be achieved in AIS patients who have been unsuccessful with prior brace treatment. However, a history of prior brace treatment leads to a trend of lowering the curve flexibility, and in turn, negatively impacts upon the curve correctability.

[Baseflow separation methods in hydrological process research: a review].

Baseflow separation research is regarded as one of the most important and difficult issues in hydrology and ecohydrology, but lacked of unified standards in the concepts and methods. This paper introduced the theories of baseflow separation based on the definitions of baseflow components, and analyzed the development course of different baseflow separation methods. Among the methods developed, graph separation method is simple and applicable but arbitrary, balance method accords with hydrological mechanism but is difficult in application, whereas time series separation method and isotopic method can overcome the subjective and arbitrary defects caused by graph separation method, and thus can obtain the baseflow procedure quickly and efficiently. In recent years, hydrological modeling, digital filtering, and isotopic method are the main methods used for baseflow separation.