Early onset scoliosis and current treatment methods

ObjectiveProvide an update of the management options for early onset scoliosis patients, including general assessment, conservative and surgical options.MethodsWe included the updated information about the assessment and management options of Early Onset Scoliosis, taking into consideration the non-fusion methods, including the burden on the patient and their family.ResultsWith the heterogeneity of this population, it is difficult to get a consensus about a unified protocol for management. Accordingly, the surgeon dealing with these cases needs to be aware of the broad range of surgical and non-surgical methods when treating these patients.ConclusionThe main aim of early onset scoliosis treatment is to gain a flexible spine associated with normal lung development and thoracic growth. Management needs to be individualized between the surgeon and patient in relation to the etiology and patient conditions.     

嘉兴市新居民儿童心理发育行为问题及影响因素分析

目的调查嘉兴市新居民儿童心理发育行为问题及影响因素，为改善新居民儿童心理健康提供理论依据。方法随机抽取新居民儿童548例，本地儿童1248例，采用自编量表评估儿童家庭影响因素，长处与困难问卷评估儿童心理发育行为问题，心理痛苦温度计评估主观心理痛苦程度，儿童心理虐待与忽视量表评估家庭教养方式，社会支持量表评估社会支持程度。结果新居民儿童主观评定心理痛苦程度高于本地儿童（P=0.002）。新居民儿童亲社会化行为低于本地儿童（P=0.000），多动/注意缺陷问题高于本地儿童（P=0.011）。儿童忽视虐待量表本地儿童5个因子得分低于新居民儿童：责骂因子（P=0.000）、恐吓因子（P=0.000）、情感忽视因子（P=0.000）、教育忽视因子（P=0.000）、身体忽视因子（P=0.000）。社会支持量表本地儿童3个因子得分均高于新居民儿童：客观支持（P=0.032）、主观支持（P=0.000）、对支持的利用度（P=0.000）。新居民儿童在新居民儿童学校、混合学校、本地儿童学校的3类学校中亲社会化行为、忽视因子、虐待因子、社会支持均有统计学差异（均P＜0.05）。结论新居民儿童较本地儿童心理发育行为明显落后，良好的家庭教养方式和有效的社会支持系统能够更快更好地促进其身心发育。     

HIV/AIDS and economic growth: Evidence from West Africa

Human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in West Africa. Prevalence among the most productive age group in West and Central Africa stood at 1.5%, 3.4.0%, 2.5%, and 2.1% in 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2015 respectively. This study examined the effect of HIV/AIDS on economic growth in West Africa with focus on 11 countries. The augmented Solow model, rooted in the neoclassical growth theory, was used, which was operationalized using dynamic panel data modeling approach. Incidence, prevalence, number of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), and AIDS‐related deaths were used to measure HIV/AIDS. Estimations using system GMM returned statistically significant results while those of first difference and difference GMM were not. From the outcome of system GMM analysis, a percentage increase in incidence, prevalence, PLWHA, and AIDS deaths correspondingly reduced growth significantly through their effects on life expectancy by 0.15%, 0.02%, 0.004%, and 0.03%. Acquired immune deficiency syndrome deaths and PLWHA lowered economic growth through enrolment but not significantly. The import of the findings is that HIV/AIDS threatens growth through life expectancy in West Africa. Therefore, its spread in the subregion should be effectively contained while proper treatment should be provided for all infected persons.     

Japanese Versus Non-Japanese Patients with Transient Ischemic Attack or Minor Stroke: Subanalysis of TIA registry.org

BackgroundTIAregistry.org is an international cohort of patients with transient ischemic attack (TIA) or minor stroke within 7 days before enrollment in the registry. Main analyses of 1-year follow-up data have been reported.⁵ We conducted subanalysis on the baseline and 1-year follow-up data of Japanese patients.MethodsThe patients were classified into 2 groups based on Japanese ethnicity, Japanese (345) and non-Japanese (3238), and their baseline data and 1-year event rates were compared. We also determined risk factors and predictors of 1-year stroke.ResultsCurrent smoking, regular alcohol drinking, intracranial arterial stenosis, and small vessel occlusion; and hypertension, dyslipidemia, coronary artery disease, and extracranial arterial stenosis were more and less common among Japanese patients, respectively. Stroke risk was higher and TIA risk was lower at 1-year follow-up among Japanese patients. The baseline risk factors for recurrent stroke were diabetes, alcohol drinking, and large artery atherosclerosis. Independent predictors of 1-year stroke risk were prior congestive heart failure and alcohol consumption.ConclusionsThe two populations of patients featured differences in risk factors, stroke subtypes, and outcome events. Predictors of recurrent stroke among Japanese patients included congestive heart failure and regular alcohol drinking. Strategies to attenuate residual risk of stroke aside from adherence to current guidelines should take our Japanese-patient specific findings into account.     

miR-200、 miR -155及血管新生因子与复发性流产的相关性分析

目的 研究miR-200、miR-155及血管新生因子与原因不明复发性流产(unexplained recurrent spontaneousabortion,URSA)的相关性分析。 方法 选择2015年3月—2018年1月在青岛市妇女儿童医院妇产科就诊的URSA患者作为URSA组、要求终止妊娠的正常早孕患者作为对照组,检测绒毛组织中微小RNA(microRNA, miR)miR-200、miR-155、血管内皮生长因子(vascular endothelial growth factor,VEGF)、可溶性FMS样酪氨酸激酶1(soluble FMS like tyrosine kinase-1,sFlt-1)的表达量及血清中VEGF、sFlt-1的含量,对miR-200、miR-155靶向结合VEGF、sFlt-1进行生物信息学分析。 结果 URSA组的绒毛组织中miR-200(1.78±0.32 vs. 0.91±0.15)、sFlt-1(1.87±0.35 vs. 1.06±0.21)的相对表达量及血清中sFlt-1的含量[(12.39±2.31)ng/ml vs. (6.51±0.95)ng/ml]均高于对照组,差异有统计学意义(均P<0.05)。绒毛组织中miR-155相对表达量(0.60±0.10 vs. 0.93±0.16)、VEGF mRNA相对表达量(0.59±0.09 vs. 1.02±0.16)及蛋白表达量(0.62±0.07 vs. 1.04±0.18)、血清中VEGF的含量[(601.25±94.39)ng/ml vs. (935.12±132.47)ng/ml]低于对照组,差异有统计学意义(均P<0.05);URSA组患者绒毛组织中miR-200的表达量与血清中VEGF的含量、绒毛组织中VEGF的表达量均呈负相关,绒毛组织中miR-155的表达量与血清中sFlt-1的含量和绒毛组织中sFlt-1的表达量均呈负相关;miR-200、miR-155分别靶向结合VEGF、sFlt-1基因的3’UTR。 结论 miR-200表达增多、miR-155表达减少与URSA发生有关,miR-200靶向VEGF、miR-155靶向sFlt-1是介导该过程的可能机制。     

脂蛋白相关磷脂酶A2、胰岛素样生长因子-1与老年VD患者认知功能的关系及预测价值研究

目的 探讨脂蛋白相关磷脂酶A2（Lp-PLA2）、胰岛素样生长因子-1（IGF-1）与老年血管性痴呆（VD）患者认知功能的关系及预测价值。方法 选择2019 年3～6 月在我院接受治疗的VD 患者60 例为研究对象，同时选取同期在我院接受检查的健康者60 例为对照组，比较两组患者的Lp-PLA2、IGF-1、简易智力状态检查量表评分（MMSE）水平；采用Pearson 相关性分析法对Lp-PLA2、IGF-1 与MMSE 评分的相关性进行分析；采用受试者工作曲线（ROC）下面积（AUC）比较Lp-PLA2、IGF-1 对VD 的预测价值。结果 观察组患者的Lp-PLA2 水平明显高于对照组（P＜0.05），观察组患者的IGF-1、MMSE 评分明显低于对照组（P＜0.05）；Lp-PLA2 与MMSE 评分呈负相关性，IGF-1 与MMSE 评分呈正相关性；Lp-PLA2 与IGF-1 诊断VD 的AUC 值分别为0.940、0.954。结论Lp-PLA2 水平越低，IGF-1 水平越高，患者的认知功能越好，且Lp-PLA2、IGF-1 对老年VD 患者均具有较高的预测价值。     

Use of biomimetic microtissue spheroids and specific growth factor supplementation to improve tenocyte differentiation and adaptation to a collagen-based scaffold in vitro

Tenocytes represent a valuable source of cells for the purposes of tendon tissue engineering and regenerative medicine and as such, should possess a high degree of tenogenic differentiation prior to their use in vivo in order to achieve maximal efficacy. In the current report, we identify an efficient means by which to maintain differentiated tenocytes in vitro by employing the hanging drop technique in combination with defined growth media supplements. Equine tenocytes retained a more differentiated state when cultured as scaffold-free microtissue spheroids in low serum-containing medium supplemented with l-ascorbic acid 2-phosphate, insulin and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1. This was made evident by significant increases in the expression levels of pro-tenogenic markers collagen type I (COL1A2), collagen type III (COL3A1), scleraxis (SCX) and tenomodulin (TNMD), as well as by enhanced levels of collagen type I and tenomodulin protein. Furthermore, tenocytes cultured under these conditions demonstrated a typical spindle-like morphology and when embedded in collagen gels, became highly aligned with respect to the orientation of the collagen structure following their migration out from the microtissue spheroids. Our findings therefore provide evidence to support the use of a biomimetic microtissue approach to culturing tenocytes and that in combination with the defined growth media described, can improve their differentiation status and functional repopulation of collagen matrix.