A multicentre, retrospective and observational study to evaluate safety and functional outcomes of arthroscopic shoulder ligament repair using Sironix suture anchor

Background: Arthroscopic shoulder ligament repair is one of the most performed procedures in the orthopaedic specialty. Suture anchor devices are used in arthroscopic surgeries to reattach ligaments or other soft tissues to bone. The goal of this study was to evaluate the safety and functional outcomes after shoulder ligament repair. Methods: This is a multicentric, retrospective, observational study conducted on patients who underwent primary arthroscopic shoulder ligament tear repair between April 2018 to July 2022, using Sironix suture anchors at Kumaran Hospital and Rela Institute, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, and DNV Ortho Care Hospital, Dharmapuri, Tamil Nadu, India. A total of 75 patients were included. Post-surgery measurements of functional outcomes were performed using the PENN shoulder score, simple shoulder test questionnaire, shoulder pain and disability index, and single assessment numerical evaluation. Adverse events were recorded. Results: At post-surgery follow-up visits, there was a significant improvement in the functional outcomes of all the patients. The PENN shoulder score had a mean (SD) pain score of 92.04 (7.50), a satisfaction score of 91.87 (8.00), and a function score of 93.18 (6.16), respectively. The mean (SD) SST score and SPADI score was 88.9 (9.7), and 2.8 (2.79) respectively. The SANE mean (SD) values of the operated joint and opposite joint were 91.0 (7.31) and 98.1 (4.26) respectively with a p value of 0.0001. Conclusions: Based on the study results, arthroscopic shoulder ligament repair with Sironix suture anchor resulted in good and desirable functional outcomes with no major adverse events and improved quality of life

Comparative analyses of CTCF and BORIS occupancies uncover two distinct classes of CTCF binding genomic regions.

BackgroundCTCF and BORIS (CTCFL), two paralogous mammalian proteins sharing nearly identical DNA binding domains, are thought to function in a mutually exclusive manner in DNA binding and transcriptional regulation.ResultsHere we show that these two proteins co-occupy a specific subset of regulatory elements consisting of clustered CTCF binding motifs (termed 2xCTSes). BORIS occupancy at 2xCTSes is largely invariant in BORIS-positive cancer cells, with the genomic pattern recapitulating the germline-specific BORIS binding to chromatin. In contrast to the single-motif CTCF target sites (1xCTSes), the 2xCTS elements are preferentially found at active promoters and enhancers, both in cancer and germ cells. 2xCTSes are also enriched in genomic regions that escape histone to protamine replacement in human and mouse sperm. Depletion of the BORIS gene leads to altered transcription of a large number of genes and the differentiation of K562 cells, while the ectopic expression of this CTCF paralog leads to specific changes in transcription in MCF7 cells.ConclusionsWe discover two functionally and structurally different classes of CTCF binding regions, 2xCTSes and 1xCTSes, revealed by their predisposition to bind BORIS. We propose that 2xCTSes play key roles in the transcriptional program of cancer and germ cells

ERG is required for the differentiation of embryonic stem cells along the endothelial lineage

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The molecular mechanisms that govern stem cell differentiation along the endothelial lineage remain largely unknown. Ets related gene (ERG) has recently been shown to participate in the transcriptional regulation of a number of endothelial specific genes including VE-cadherin (CD144), endoglin, and von Willebrand's Factor (vWF). The specific role of the ETS factor ERG during endothelial differentiation has not been evaluated.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>ERG expression and function were evaluated during the differentiation of embryonic stem cells into embryoid bodies (EB). The results of our study demonstrate that ERG is first expressed in a subpopulation of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGF-R2) expressing cells that also express VE-cadherin. During ES cell differentiation, ERG expression remains restricted to cells of the endothelial lineage that eventually coalesce into primitive vascular structures within embryoid bodies. ERG also exhibits an endothelial cell (EC)-restricted pattern during embryogenesis. To further define the role of ERG during ES cell differentiation, we used a knockdown strategy to inhibit ERG expression. Delivery of three independent shRNA led to 70-85% reductions in ERG expression during ES cell differentiation compared to no change with control shRNA. ERG knockdown was associated with a marked reduction in the number of ECs, the expression of EC-restricted genes, and the formation of vascular structures.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The ETS factor ERG appears to be a critical regulator of EC differentiation.</p

Synthetic aperture radar and optical remote sensing image fusion for flood monitoring in the Vietnam lower Mekong basin: a prototype application for the Vietnam Open Data Cube

Flood monitoring systems are crucial for flood management and consequence mitigation in flood prone regions. Different remote sensing techniques are increasingly used for this purpose. However, the different approaches suffer various limitations, including cloud and weather effects (optical data), and low spatial resolution and poor colour presentation (synthetic aperture radar data). This study fuses two data types (Landsat and Sentinel-1) to overcome these limitations and produce better quality images for a prototype flood application in the Vietnam Open Data Cube (VODC). Visual and quantitative evaluation of fused image quality revealed improvement in the images compared with the original scenes. Ground-truth data was used to develop the study flood extraction algorithm and we found a good agreement between our results and SERVIR Mekong (a joint initiative by the US agency for International Development (USAID), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam) maps. While the algorithm is run on a personal computer (PC), it has a clear potential to be developed for application on a big data system

Computational Intelligence for Solving Complex Optimization Problems

Complex optimization issues may now be solved using computational intelligence (CI), which has shown to be a powerful and diverse discipline. Traditional optimization approaches frequently struggle to offer efficient and effective solutions because real-world situations are becoming more complicated. Evolutionary algorithms, neural networks, fuzzy systems, and swarm intelligence are just a few examples of the many methods that fall under the umbrella of computational intelligence and are inspired by both natural and artificial intelligence. This abstract examines how computational intelligence techniques are used to solve complicated optimization issues, highlighting their benefits, drawbacks, and most recent developments. In this, computational intelligence techniques provide a potent and adaptable solution for resolving challenging optimization issues. They are highly adapted for dealing with the non-linear connections, uncertainties, and multi-objective situations that arise in real-world problems. The limits of computational intelligence have recently been pushed by recent developments in hybrid techniques and metaheuristics, even if obstacles in algorithm design and parameter tuning still exist. Computational intelligence is anticipated to play an increasingly significant role in tackling complicated optimization issues and fostering innovation across a variety of disciplines as technology continues to advance

Modeling Progressive Fibrosis with Pluripotent Stem Cells Identifies an Anti-fibrotic Small Molecule.

Progressive organ fibrosis accounts for one-third of all deaths worldwide, yet preclinical models that mimic the complex, progressive nature of the disease are lacking, and hence, there are no curative therapies. Progressive fibrosis across organs shares common cellular and molecular pathways involving chronic injury, inflammation, and aberrant repair resulting in deposition of extracellular matrix, organ remodeling, and ultimately organ failure. We describe the generation and characterization of an in&nbsp;vitro progressive fibrosis model that uses cell types derived from induced pluripotent stem cells. Our model produces endogenous activated transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) and contains activated fibroblastic aggregates that progressively increase in size and stiffness with activation of known fibrotic molecular and cellular changes. We used this model as a phenotypic drug discovery platform for modulators of fibrosis. We validated this platform by identifying a compound that promotes resolution of fibrosis in in&nbsp;vivo and ex&nbsp;vivo models of ocular and lung fibrosis

HSP70-binding protein HSPBP1 regulates chaperone expression at a posttranslational level and is essential for spermatogenesis

Molecular chaperones play key roles during growth, development, and stress survival. The ability to induce chaperone expression enables cells to cope with the accumulation of nonnative proteins under stress and complete developmental processes with an increased requirement for chaperone assistance. Here we generate and analyze transgenic mice that lack the cochaperone HSPBP1, a nucleotide-exchange factor of HSP70 proteins and inhibitor of chaperone-assisted protein degradation. Male HSPBP1(−/−) mice are sterile because of impaired meiosis and massive apoptosis of spermatocytes. HSPBP1 deficiency in testes strongly reduces the expression of the inducible, antiapoptotic HSP70 family members HSPA1L and HSPA2, the latter of which is essential for synaptonemal complex disassembly during meiosis. We demonstrate that HSPBP1 affects chaperone expression at a posttranslational level by inhibiting the ubiquitylation and proteasomal degradation of inducible HSP70 proteins. We further provide evidence that the cochaperone BAG2 contributes to HSP70 stabilization in tissues other than testes. Our findings reveal that chaperone expression is determined not only by regulated transcription, but also by controlled degradation, with degradation-inhibiting cochaperones exerting essential prosurvival functions