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Antibacterial activity and multi-targeting mechanism of ruthenium polypyridine complexes with anthraquinone groups against Staphylococcus aureus.

Lymph node (LN) metastasis affects both the management and prognosis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Here, we explored the relationship between lymphatic metastasis and CEA family member 5 (CEACAM5), including its possible regulatory role in HNSCC. The levels of CEACAM5 in tissues from patients with HNSCC, with and without LN metastases, were assessed by transcriptome sequencing. The associations between CEACAM5 and the N stage of LN metastasis in HNSCC were predicted through The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases and a pan-cancer analysis of CEACAM5 expression in 33 common human tumors was conducted. CEACAM5 levels were analyzed in tumor and normal tissue specimens from HNSCC patients and the correlation between CEACAM5 levels and prognosis was evaluated. The influence of CEACAM5 on cell proliferation, invasion, migration, and apoptosis was investigated in HNSCC cell lines, as were the downstream regulatory mechanisms. A mouse model of LN metastasis was constructed. CEACAM5 levels were significantly higher in HNSCC tissue without LN metastasis than in that with LN metastasis. Similar findings were obtained for the clinical specimens. CEACAM5 levels were associated with better clinical prognosis. CEACAM5 was found to inhibit the proliferation and migration and promote the apoptosis of HNSCC cells. A mouse xenograft model showed that CEACAM5 inhibited LN metastasis. In conclusions, CEACAM5 inhibited epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) in HNSCC by reducing murine double minute 2 (MDM2) expression and thereby suppressing LN metastasis. CEACAM5 has potential as both a prognostic marker and a therapeutic target in HNSCC.

Autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT) is increasingly common, and serological markers include thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb) and thyroglobulin antibody (TgAb). To determine if selected metals influence thyroiditis antibody positivity, this cross-sectional study investigated associations between metals and thyroiditis antibody status. Healthy individuals (n = 1104) completed a questionnaire and underwent checkups of anthropometric parameters, thyroid function status, and levels of seven metals in blood (magnesium, iron, calcium, copper, zinc, manganese, and lead). Associated profiles of glyco- and lipid metabolism were also established. Logistic regression and restricted cubic spline (RCS) regression analysis were applied to adjudge associations between metals and TPOAb and TgAb status. It was found that, after adjusting for likely cofounding factors, participants with antibody positivity had significantly lower serum concentrations of magnesium and iron. When serum magnesium levels were analyzed in quartiles, the odds ratios of quartile 4 were 0.329–fold (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.167–0647) and 0.259-fold (95% CI 0.177–0.574) that of quartile 1 regarding TPOAb and TgAb positivity (P = 0.004, 0.003). After adjustment, the RCS analysis detected nonlinear associations between iron and TPOAb and TgAb positivity (P

The aim of this paper is to reveal the importance of hybrid successive interference cancellation (SIC) and power adaptation (PA) for improving transmission robustness of uplink non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA). Particularly, a cognitive radio inspired uplink NOMA communication scenario is considered, where one primary user is allocated one dedicated resource block, while M secondary users compete with each other to be opportunistically served by using the same resource block of the primary user. Two novel schemes are proposed for the considered scenario, namely hybrid SIC with PA (HSIC-PA) scheme and fixed SIC with PA (FSIC-PA) scheme. Both schemes can ensure that the secondary users are served without degrading the transmission reliability of the primary user compared to conventional orthogonal multiple access (OMA) based schemes. Rigorous analytical results are presented to evaluate the performance of the proposed two schemes. It is shown that both schemes can avoid outage probability error floors without any constraints on users' target rates in the high SNR regime. Furthermore, it is shown that the diversity gain achieved by the HSIC-PA scheme is M, while that of the FISC-PA scheme is only 1. Numerical results are provided to verify the developed analytical results and also demonstrate the superior performance achieved by the proposed schemes by comparing with the existing HSIC without PA (HSIC-NPA) scheme. The presented simulation results also show that HSIC-PA scheme performs the best among the three schemes, which indicates the importance of the combination of HSIC and PA for improving transmission robustness., arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:2307.01517

Recently, stochastic geometry has been applied to provide tractable performance analysis for low earth orbit (LEO) satellite networks. However, existing works mainly focus on analyzing the ``coverage probability'', which provides limited information. To provide more insights, this paper provides a more fine grained analysis on LEO satellite networks modeled by a homogeneous Poisson point process (HPPP). Specifically, the distribution and moments of the conditional coverage probability given the point process are studied. The developed analytical results can provide characterizations on LEO satellite networks, which are not available in existing literature, such as ``user fairness'' and ``what fraction of users can achieve a given transmission reliability ''. Simulation results are provided to verify the developed analysis. Numerical results show that, in a dense satellite network, {\color{black}it is} beneficial to deploy satellites at low altitude, for the sake of both coverage probability and user fairness.

Motivation Quantifying the similarity of human diseases provides guiding insights to the discovery of micro-scope mechanisms from a macro scale. Previous work demonstrated that better performance can be gained by integrating multiview data sources or applying machine learning techniques. However, designing an efficient framework to extract and incorporate information from different biological data using deep learning models remains unexplored. Results We present CoGO, a Contrastive learning framework to predict disease similarity based on Gene network and Ontology structure, which incorporates the gene interaction network and gene ontology (GO) domain knowledge using graph deep learning models. First, graph deep learning models are applied to encode the features of genes and GO terms from separate graph structure data. Next, gene and GO features are projected to a common embedding space via a nonlinear projection. Then cross-view contrastive loss is applied to maximize the agreement of corresponding gene-GO associations and lead to meaningful gene representation. Finally, CoGO infers the similarity between diseases by the cosine similarity of disease representation vectors derived from related gene embedding. In our experiments, CoGO outperforms the most competitive baseline method on both AUROC and AUPRC, especially improves 19.57% in AUPRC (0.7733). The prediction results are significantly comparable with other disease similarity studies and thus highly credible. Furthermore, we conduct a detailed case study of top similar disease pairs which is demonstrated by other studies. Empirical results show that CoGO achieves powerful performance in disease similarity problem. Availability and implementation https://github.com/yhchen1123/CoGO.

Reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS) are capable of beneficially ameliorating the propagation environment by appropriately controlling the passive reflecting elements. To extend the coverage area, the concept of simultaneous transmitting and reflecting reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (STAR-RIS) has been proposed, yielding supporting 360^circ coverage user equipment (UE) located on both sides of the RIS. In this paper, we theoretically formulate the ergodic sum-rate of the STAR-RIS assisted non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) uplink in the face of channel estimation errors and hardware impairments (HWI). Specifically, the STAR-RIS phase shift is configured based on the statistical channel state information (CSI), followed by linear minimum mean square error (LMMSE) channel estimation of the equivalent channel spanning from the UEs to the access point (AP). Afterwards, successive interference cancellation (SIC) is employed at the AP using the estimated instantaneous CSI, and we derive the theoretical ergodic sum-rate upper bound for both perfect and imperfect SIC decoding algorithm. The theoretical analysis and the simulation results show that both the channel estimation and the ergodic sum-rate have performance floor at high transmit power region caused by transceiver hardware impairments., 15 pages, 10 figures

Controversy over the geodynamic interpretation of the early Paleozoic granites in the South China Block constrains understanding of tectonic–magmatic evolution. In this paper, we present zircon U-Pb age, Hf isotope, and major and trace element data of the early Paleozoic granites in the Jilongjie region, south-central Hunan Province. A sample that yielded a weighted average 206Pb/238U age of 425 ± 3 Ma falls into the post-collisional granite field in the classification discriminant of magmatic rocks. Geochemical features indicate that the Jilongjie pluton is a shoshonitic metaluminous rock. The Jilongjie pluton’s chondrite-normalized rare earth element patterns exhibit a slight enrichment of light rare earth elements (LREEs) relative to heavy rare earth elements (HREEs) with (La/Yb)N ratios of 15.1–23.7 and weak Eu anomalies (Eu/Eu* = 0.68–0.78). Zircon Hf isotope results show εHf(t) ranging from −9.94 to −0.69. Jilongjie granite’s parent magma originated from a mixing of crust-derived felsic and mantle-derived mafic magmas, which then underwent fractional crystallization during its ascent. Jilongjie granite was generated through a post-collisional extensional setting associated with delamination of the thickened lithosphere.

Shizhuyuan is a world-class W-Sn supergiant polymetallic deposit, with a large area of potential mineralization around it. Dicranopteris dichotoma, widely distributed in the Shizhuyuan mining area, were sampled. Biogeochemical and Number-Size fractal methods were used to evaluate the biogeochemical characteristics of trace elements in the samples and the feasibility of indicating subsurface mineral deposits. The results reveal that D. dichotoma not only has strong uptake of the active state of metal elements (Zn, Mo, Cd, Sn, etc.) in the soil, but also shows the geochemical anomalies of Zn, Fe, Tl, Ag, Pb, U, As, Bi, Cd, Mo and Sn in the study area. The Number-Size fractal method can effectively identify the concentration populations of biogeochemical target elements and obtain convincing anomaly thresholds. Analysis of the metal content of D. dichotoma is an effective tool for biogeochemical exploration of Pb-Zn-U hydrothermal deposits in the study area. Zinc as well as U are target elements, and Tl appears to be an effective pathfinder element for Zn-Pb-U mineralization. In addition, 260-340 m of Line 3 # and 1100-1200 m of Line 8 # are the key areas for future exploration of lead-zinc-uranium hydrothermal deposits.

Background Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is highly aggressive with a significant tropism of lymph nodes, which restricts treatment options and negatively impacts patient outcomes. Although progress has been made in understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying lymphatic metastasis (LM), these mechanisms remain elusive. ANXA6 is a scaffold protein that participates in tumor pathogenesis and autophagy regulation; however, how ANXA6 affects autophagy and LM in HNSCC cells remains unknown. Methods RNA sequencing was performed on HNSCC clinical specimens with or without metastasis as well as on The Cancer Genome Atlas dataset to investigate ANXA6 expression and survival. Both in vitro and in vivo studies were performed to investigate the role of ANXA6 in the regulation of LM in HNSCC. The molecular mechanism by which ANXA6 interacts with TRPV2 was examined at the molecular level. Results ANXA6 expression was significantly upregulated in HNSCC patients with LM and higher expression was associated with poor prognosis. ANXA6 overexpression promoted the proliferation and mobility of FaDu and SCC15 cells in vitro; however, ANXA6 knockdown retarded LM in HNSCC in vivo. ANXA6 induced autophagy by inhibiting the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway in HNSCC, thereby regulating the metastatic capability of the disease. Furthermore, ANXA6 expression positively correlated with TRPV2 expression both in vitro and in vivo. Lastly, TRPV2 inhibition reversed ANXA6-induced autophagy and LM. Conclusions These results indicate that the ANXA6/TRPV2 axis facilitates LM in HNSCC by stimulating autophagy. This study provides a theoretical basis for investigating the ANXA6/TRPV2 axis as a potential target for the treatment of HNSCC, as well as a biomarker for predicting LM.

BackgroundTendon adhesions after hand tendon repair are one of the most difficult complications of hand surgery and can cause severe disability. This study aimed to assess the risk factors associated with tendon adhesions after hand tendon repair to provide a theoretical foundation for the early prevention of tendon adhesions in patients with tendon injuries. Moreover, this study intends to increase doctors' awareness of the issue and serves as a reference for developing new prevention and treatment strategies.MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed 1,031 hand trauma cases that underwent repair after finger tendon injury in our department between June 2009 and June 2019. Tendon adhesions, tendon injury zones, and other relevant information were collected, summarized, and analyzed. The significance of data was determined using a t-test or Pearson's chi-square test, and odds ratios (OR) were calculated using logistic regression tests to describe factors associated with post-tendon repair adhesions.ResultsA total of 1,031 patients were enrolled in this study. There were 817 males and 214 females with an average age of 34.98 (2–82) years. The injured side included 530 left and 501 right hands. Postoperative finger tendon adhesions occurred in 118 cases (11.45%), including 98 males and 20 females, 57 left and 61 right hands. The risk factors for the total sample in the descending order were degloving injury, no functional exercise, zone II flexor tendon injury, time from injury to surgery >12 h, combined vascular injury, and multiple tendon injuries. The flexor tendon sample shared the same risk factors as the total sample. Risk factors for the extensor tendon sample were degloving injury, no functional exercise.ConclusionsClinicians should pay close attention to patients with tendon trauma in hand having the following risk factors: degloving injury, zone II flexor tendon injury, lack of functional exercise, time from injury to surgery >12 h, combined vascular injury, and multiple tendon injuries. Due to the high risk of post-repair adhesions in patients with the conditions mentioned above, individualized treatment measures should be designed for the risk factors, and postoperative functional exercise of the hand is required.

The study aims to explore the clinicopathological features and whether the nonsense mutations of CLCN5 gene have effect on the renal expression of CLC-5 protein and megalin/cubilin complex in children with Dent-1 disease. The clinicopathological features and genetic examination of three patients with Dent-1 disease were investigated. The expression of CLC-5 and megalin/cubilin complex in renal tissues was detected by using immunohistochemistry method. Urinary albumin, α1-microglobulin, β2-microglobulin, retinol binding protein, and calcium levels were measured by immunonephelometry. Urinary calcium and low molecular weight proteinuria (LMWP) were enhanced in three patients, and two presented with nephrotic range proteinuria. Focal glomerular obsolescence, minor tubulointerstitial injury, and focal calcification in corticomedullary junction were found in one patient. Nonsense mutations of CLCN5 gene from their mothers were identified in all three patients with Dent-1 disease; however, the expression of CLC-5 protein was not decreased in renal tubular cells. As the receptor complex of albumin and LMWP reabsorption, the expression of megalin/cubilin in the brush border of proximal tubules was decreased in Dent-1 patients. Even if the renal CLC-5 protein is expressed normally, the reduced expression of megalin/cubilin in the brush border of renal proximal tubules may be helpful to understand the physiopathology of Dent-1 disease with nonsense mutations of CLCN5 gene.

У статті розглядається сучасний стан навчання перекладачів у китайських університетах. Понад 15 років масштаби підготовки бакалаврів-перекладачів все більше розширюються у китайських вищих навчальних закладах. Якістю та оцінкою підготовки перекладачів на різних рівнях займається Міністерство освіти Китаю. Визначено основні відмінності між чотирма документами, оприлюдненими органами управління освітою, з погляду цілей навчання та специфікації навчання в педагогічних умовах. Наведено чіткий і загальний погляд на історичні етапи перекладу в Китаї та розглянуто розвиток перекладацької дисципліни загалом. У статті висвітлюються особливості побудови та вдосконалення перекладацьких курсів та підготовки перекладача, спрямованість освіти, поширеність вітчизняного менеджменту. Завдяки серії документів, виданих владою, перекладацька освіта більш стандартизована на рівнях. Стандарти підготовки студентів базуються на національних стандартах і в основному відповідають вимогам освіти та суспільства. Шістнадцять університетів західного Китаю беруться за приклад для спостереження за їхніми моделями педагогічної підготовки. Детально проведено аналіз освітніх концепцій, цілей навчання основних курсів, програми підготовки перекладачів, педагогічного обладнання, моделі практичного навчання та орієнтації кар’єри бакалавра-перекладача. За допомогою аналізу анкетного дослідження показані особливості перекладачів-бакалавратів з погляду запасів талантів та тенденцій підготовки майбутніх перекладачів, щоб підвищити якість підготовки перекладачів для задоволення соціальних потреб ринку праці. Стаття спрямована на визначення компетенцій бакалаврів-перекладачів на рівні теоретичного матеріалу, сформованості професійно-орієнтованих дизайнерських навичок та рівня мотивації до професійної діяльності. З погляду умов навчання, цілей навчання, специфіки підготовки, підбору педагогічних кадрів, системи забезпечення якості, якісні та кількісні вимоги розбираються для підвищення якості перекладу. Шкали перекладу та точний критерій розроблено, щоби сприяти викладанню перекладу та оцінити точну компетентність студентів на рівні бакалавра та середнього. У статті зроблено висновок про три чинники, такі як суспільство, професія та дисципліна, що формують цілі та результати у формуванні професійних компетенцій. Попит на мовні послуги зростає. Підготовка бакалаврів-перекладачів є лише фундаментальною. Подальшим дослідженням буде вивчення самооцінки та оцінювання однолітків, ключових елементів оцінки навчання в соціальних та інституційних умовах.

Four new ruthenium (II) polypyridine complexes bearing 18β-glycyrtinic acid derivatives, [Ru(bpy)2L](PF6)2 (Ru1), [Ru(dmb)2L](PF6)2 (Ru2), [Ru(dtb)2L](PF6)2 (Ru3) and [Ru(phen)2L](PF6)2 (Ru4) (bpy = 2,2-bipyridine, dmb = 4,4'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine, dtb = 4,4'-di-tert-butyl-2,2'-bipyridine, phen = 1,10- phenanthroline and L is the GA modified new ligand) were designed and synthesized. Their antimicrobial activities against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) were evaluated and all complexes showed obvious inhibitory effect, especially the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value of Ru2 was 3.9 µg·mL-1. Meanwhile, Ru2 was found that could significantly inhibit the formation of biofilms. The membrane-compromising action mode was suggested to be their potential antibactericidal mechanism. In hemolysis experiments, Ru2 hardly showed cytotoxicity to mammalian erythrocytes. Furthermore, the synergism between Ru2 and common antibiotics, such as ampicillin, chloramphenicol, tetracyclinesand and ofloxacin, against S. aureus was also detected using the checkerboard method. Finally, a mouse skin infection model was established to evaluate the antibacterial activity of Ru2 in vivo, and the results showed that Ru2 could effectively promote wound healing in mice infecting with S. aureus. Moreover, the results of histopathological research were consistent with the results of hemolysis test, indicating that the Ru2 complex was almost non-toxic. Thus, it was demonstrated that the polypyridine ruthenium complexes modified with glycyrtinic acid (GA) is a promising strategy for developing interesting antibacterial agents.

Ruthenium-based antibacterial agents with a membrane-disruptive mechanism were designed and synthesized. The complex Ru2 showed excellent antibacterial activity against S. aureus in vitro and in vivo.

ObjectiveDiet structure has changed greatly over the last few decades, and high-calorie diets have become an integral part of people’s daily diet, as well as the important cause of obesity in society. Several organ systems, including the skeletal system, are seriously affected by high-fat-diets (HFD) in the world. There is, however, still a lack of knowledge about the effects of HFD on bone regeneration and the possible mechanisms involved. In this study, the difference in bone regeneration between rats under HFD and low-fat-diets (LFD) was evaluated by monitoring the process of bone regeneration in distraction osteogenesis (DO) model animals, as well as the possible mechanisms.MethodsA total of 40 Sprague Dawley (SD) rats (5 weeks old) were randomly divided into HFD group (n=20) and LFD group (n=20). Except for feeding methods, there were no differences between the two groups in terms of treatment conditions. All animals received the DO surgery eight weeks after starting to feed. After a delay of 5 days (latency phase), the active lengthening phase was performed for 10 days (0.25 mm/12 h), and the consolidation phase followed for 42 days. An observational study of bone included radioscopy (once a week), micro-computed tomography (CT), general morphology, biomechanics, histomorphometry, and immunohistochemistry.ResultThe results showed that HFD group had a higher body weight than LFD group after 8, 14, and 16 weeks of feeding. Furthermore, at the final observation, there were statistically significant differences between LFD group and HFD group in terms of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels. Additionally, observations on bone regeneration showed a slower regeneration and a lower biomechanical strength in HFD group than LFD group, based on radiography, micro-CT, general morphology, biomechanics, histomorphometry, and immunohistochemistry.ConclusionIn this study, HFD resulted in elevated blood lipids, increased adipose differentiation at the bone marrow level, and delayed bone regeneration. The pieces of evidence are beneficial to better understand the association between diet and bone regeneration and to adjust the diet optimally for fracture patients.

IntroductionThyroid function has a large impact on humans’ metabolism and is affected by iodine levels, but there is a scarcity of studies that elucidate the association between thyroid function and other elements.MethodsWe performed a cross-sectional study on 1,067 adults to evaluate the associations of the common essential metals with thyroid function in adults living in an iodine-adequate area of China. Serum free thyroxine (FT4), free triiodothyronine (FT3), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), and blood metals (zinc, iron, copper, magnesium, manganese, and calcium) were measured. Further, the thyroid hormone sensitivity indexes, FT3:FT4 ratio, and thyrotropin T4 resistance index (TT4RI) were calculated. Linear regression, quantile g-computation, and Bayesian kernel machine regression methods were used to explore the association of metals with thyroid function.ResultsWe found that the TSH levels correlated with copper (negative) and zinc (positive). Iron and copper were positively associated with FT3 and FT4 levels, respectively. Iron (positive) and copper (negative) were correlated with the FT3:FT4 ratio. Furthermore, we found that manganese was inversely correlated with TT4RI, while zinc was positively correlated.DiscussionOur findings suggest that manganese, iron, copper, and zinc levels were strongly correlated with thyroid function, and patients with thyroid disorders are recommended to measure those metals levels.

Turmeric (Curcuma longa Linn or Curcuma domestica Val) belongs to the Zingiberaceae family. People have long known it as a plant with many benefits, such as anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antioxidant, antiulcer, and antibacterial. This study aims to analyze the effectiveness of turmeric (Curcuma longa) extract 50% with 90% in accelerating wound healing time after tooth extraction in Wistar rats. This experimental laboratory study used a complete randomized design with a post-test-only control group design pattern. The experimental animals used in this study were 32 male Wistar rats, physically healthy, 2-3 months old, with body weight between 200-250 grams. The sample size was determined by the Federer formula, namely: (t - 1) (r - 1) ≥ 15, and the minimum sample size for each treatment was 16 rats. The results showed a significant relationship between the number of fibroblast tissue per visual field in Wistar rats after tooth extraction with the administration of Turmeric Extract (Curcuma Longa) 50% concentration and Turmeric Extract (Curcuma Longa) 100% concentration, p=0.008 (pKeywords: Curcuma longa Linn, Wound healing, Tooth Extraction. Title: Effectiveness Test of Turmeric Ethanol Extract (Curcuma Longa) in Accelerating Wound Healing after Tooth Extraction in Wistar Rats Author: Gao Yanshi International Journal of Interdisciplinary Research and Innovations ISSN 2348-1218 (print), ISSN 2348-1226 (online) Vol. 11, Issue 1, January 2023 - March 2023 Page No: 73-79 Research Publish Journals Website: www.researchpublish.com Published Date: 27-March-2023 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7774334 Paper Download Link (Source) https://www.researchpublish.com/papers/effectiveness-test-of-turmeric-ethanol-extract-curcuma-longa-in-accelerating-wound-healing-after-tooth-extraction-in-wistar-rats, International Journal of Interdisciplinary Research and Innovations, ISSN 2348-1218 (print), ISSN 2348-1226 (online), Research Publish Journals, Website: www.researchpublish.com

Background With the rise of high-calorie diets and the aging of populations, the incidence of diabetes was increased dramatically in the world and the number of people with diabetes was predicted to rise to 600 million by 2045. Numerous studies have confirmed that several organ systems, including the skeletal system, are seriously affected by diabetes. In that study, the bone regeneration and the biomechanics of the newly regenerated bone were investigated in diabetic rats, which may provide a supplement for previous studies. Methods A total of 40 SD rats were randomly divided into the type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) group (n = 20) and the control group (n = 20). Beyond that high fat diet and streptozotocin (STZ) were jointly used in the T2DM group, there were no differences between the two groups in terms of treatment conditions. Distraction osteogenesis was used in all animals for the next experimental observation. The evaluation criterion of the regenerated bone was based on radioscopy (once a week), micro-computed tomography (CT), general morphology, biomechanics (including ultimate load, modulus of elasticity, energy to failure, and stiffness), histomorphometry (including von Kossa, Masson trichrome, Goldner trichrome, and safranin O staining), and immunohistochemistry. Results All rats in the T2DM group with fasting glucose levels (FGL, > 16.7 mmol/L) were allowed to complete the following experiments. The results showed that rats with T2DM have a higher body weight (549.01 g ± 31.34 g) than rats in the control group (488.60 g ± 33.60 g) at the end of observation. Additionally, compared to the control group, slower bone regeneration in the distracted segments was observed in the T2DM group according to radiography, micro-CT, general morphology, and histomorphometry. Furthermore, a biomechanical test showed that there was a worse ultimate load (31.01 ± 3.39%), modulus of elasticity (34.44 ± 5.06%), energy to failure (27.42 ± 5.87%), and stiffness (34.55 ± 7.66%) than the control group (45.85 ± 7.61%, 54.38 ± 9.33%, 59.41 ± 10.96%, and 54.07 ± 9.30%, respectively). Furthermore, the decreased expressions of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were presented in T2DM group by immunohistochemistry. Conclusion The present study demonstrated that diabetes mellitus impairs bone regeneration and biomechanics in newly regenerated bone, a phenomenon that might be related to oxidative stress and poor angiogenesis brought on by the disease.

Objective Patients with hypopharyngeal carcinoma (HPC) have a poor prognosis mainly because of lymphatic metastasis (LM). This research aimed to determine the PKM2 role in LM in HPC and the underlying molecular mechanism contributing to this phenomenon. Methods PKM2 in HPC was studied for its expression and its likelihood of overall survival using TCGA dataset. Kaplan-Meier and COX's regression analysis were employed to determine PKM2's prognostic value, while western blotting, qRT-PCR, and IHC were employed to confirm PKM2 expression. Methods including gain- and loss-of-function were used to examine the PKM2 role in HPC metastasis in vitro and in vivo. After that, Transwell assay, Wound Healing assay, Flow cytometry, EdU, and an in vivo Popliteal lymphatic metastasis mice model were employed to show the role of PKM2 in FaDu cell lines. In vitro and in vivo studies also confirmed lymphatic metastasis's mechanism. Results Prominent PKM2 overexpression was seen in patients with LM of HPC, and there was an inherent relationship between a high PKM2 level and poor prognosis. In vitro research showed that knocking down PKM2 decreased tumor cell invasion, migration, and proliferation while promoting apoptosis and inhibiting epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), but overexpressing PKM2 had the reverse effect. Animal studies suggested that PKM2 may facilitate tumor development and LM. Conclusions Our findings suggest that PKM2 may be a tumor's promoter gene of LM, which may promote LM of HPC by regulating EMT. PKM2 may be a biomarker of metastatic potential, ultimately providing a basis for exploring new therapeutic targets.

Background Several randomized clinical trials showed that aspirin could decrease the incidence of preeclampsia (PE) in women at high risk, but data from sources other than traditional clinical trials that investigating the preventive effect of aspirin 75 mg on PE is still lacking, especially in mainland China. We aimed to use Chinese real-world data to estimate the preventive effect of low-dose aspirin (LDA) on PE. Methods Clinical data of pregnant women who were at high risk of PE and had their first prenatal visit at the affiliated Taicang People’s Hospital of Soochow University during November 31, 2018 and May 10, 2021 was retrospectively analyzed. Among the 266 included pregnant women, 115 individuals treated with aspirin 75 mg per day and the other 151 without such treatment were considered as the LDA group and the control group, respectively. Results In the LDA group, 64 (55.65%) of 115 pregnant women took aspirin before 16 weeks of gestation. Besides, 12 (10.43%) and 34 (22.52%) women developed PE in the LDA group and control group, respectively; the aspirin prophylaxis was associated with a lower risk of PE (odds ratio = 0.40, 95% confidence interval = 0.20–0.82, P = 0.0098). In addition, LDA is slightly more effective when initiated before 16 weeks of gestation or in those without chronic hypertension, when compared with their counterparts. Conclusion Prophylaxis with 75 mg per day of aspirin in high-risk women resulted in a significantly lower incidence of PE than that in the control group.

This paper considers a cognitive radio inspired uplink communication scenario, where one primary user is allocated with one dedicated resource block, while $M$ secondary users compete with each other to opportunistically access the primary user's channel. Two new designs of NOMA schemes, namely hybrid successive interference cancellation with power adaptation (HSIC-PA) and fixed successive interference cancellation with power adaptation (FSIC-PA), are proposed. The significant advantages of the proposed schemes are two folds. First, the proposed two schemes can ensure that the secondary users are opportunistically served without degrading the transmission reliability of the primary user. Besides, the transmission robustness of the served secondary users can be guaranteed. Specifically, the outage probability error floors can be avoided for the secondary users, which is proved by asymptotic analysis in the paper. Extensive simulation results are also provided to demonstrate the superior performance of the proposed schemes.

Distraction osteogenesis (DO) is a widely employed method for the treatment of limb discrepancies and deformity correction. This study aimed at observing the histomorphological and ultrastructural changes of peripheral nerves around the distraction area during DO and investigating the self-repair mechanism of peripheral nerves in a rat DO model. Sixty rats underwent right femoral DO surgery and were randomly separated into six groups: Control (latency, no distraction, n = 10), Group 0-week (after distraction, n = 10), Group 2-week (n = 10), Group 4-week (n = 10), Group 6-week (n = 10), and Group 8-week (n = 10) at consolidation phase. The right femur of rats in Group 0-week, Group 2-week, Group 4-week, Group 6-week, and Group 8-week was subjected to continuous osteogenesis distraction at a rate of 0.5 mm/day for 10 days. Motor nerve conduction velocity (MNCV) of the sciatic nerve, sciatic function index (SFI), histological analyses, and transmission electron microscopy were conducted to evaluate nerve function. The MNCV and SFI of Group 0-week, Group 2-week, Group 4-week, and Group 6-week were significantly lower than the Control (P0.05). Injuries to nerve fibres and nodes of Ranvier were observed in the Group 0-week, whereas the nerve fibres returned to the normal arrangement in the Group 8-week and oedema of myelin disappeared, with the continuity of axons and lamellar structure of myelin being restored. Femoral DO in rats with a rate of 0.5 mm/day may cause sciatic neurapraxia, which can be self-repaired after 8 weeks of consolidation. The paraneurium around the sciatic nerve enables it to glide during the distraction phase to reduce the occurrence of injurious changes.

Mozi and Immanuel Kant are two of the best-known philosophers in history to have meditated on the topics of war and peace. Their philosophical outlooks on the origins of conflict and on ways to prevent war and preserve peace for all humankind are similar. But conceptual differences reveal the distinct cultures from which they emerged. Governed by a clear-cut opposition to war, Mozi’s thought remains unique. The propositions of “impartial love” and “opposing military aggression” are grounded in this belief, and so are Mozi’s effective defense theories and his practice of pacifism, as well as his rational and reflective approach to overcoming warfare – that is, how to go from a state of passive peace to active peace. Kant’s program of “perpetual peace” is similar in many regards to Mozi’s thinking, but it is also more revealing of the modernity of its own logic, especially because it refers to notions such as democracy, government, and institutions, which are in turn rooted in the more systematic theories advanced in Kant’s Three Critiques. The ideas of both philosophers profoundly influenced human history, and their value and brilliance are still celebrated today. However, many regions of the world remain afflicted by unceasing conflict between religious or ethnic groups. This is precisely why it can still prove valuable for us to carefully consider the intellectual legacy of two of the greatest thinkers in history. The limitations of their philosophies, especially when it comes to the new challenges now faced by humanity, offer an opportunity for pondering historical issues and modern solutions.

BackgroundIt is challenging to determine the orthogonality of radiographs in daily clinical practice. The purpose of this study was to show the usefulness of an additional foot ring which might determine the orthogonality of postoperative radiographs for the parameter measurement of hexapod external fixator.MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed 81 consecutive trauma patients with tibial shaft fractures treated by the hexapod external fixator at our institution from September 2014 to July 2019. Starting in March 2016, the postoperative radiographs for parameter measurement were obtained under the control of an additional foot ring. The final data consisted of 47 patients in traditional radiographs (Group I) and 34 patients under the control of foot ring during the radiographic process (Group II). The demographic data, original postoperative deformities, residual deformities after final correction, number of repeated radiographs after the first postoperative radiographs, time to the satisfactory reduction achieved, and external fixation time in all patients were documented and analyzed. The Johner–Wruhs criteria were used for the final clinical outcomes evaluation at the last clinical visit.ResultsSatisfactory reduction and bone union were achieved in all patients. There were no statistical significances between the two groups in the demographic data, original postoperative deformities, residual deformities after final correction, external fixation time, and the final clinical outcomes (P > 0.05). The mean number of repeated radiographs after the first radiographs (1.4 times) and mean time to the satisfactory reduction achieved (3.3 days) in patients with an additional foot ring used were all less than those without foot ring (2.4 times, 5.3 days) (P ConclusionsThe additional foot ring is a practical device to ensure the orthogonality of postoperative radiographs for the hexapod external fixator parameter measurement. Radiation exposure, duration of deformity correction, and cost for patients might be reduced due to the less repeated radiographs with the wrong position.

The development of new classes of antimicrobial is urgently needed due to the widespread occurrence of multi-resistant pathogens. In this study, three novel ruthenium complexes: [Ru(dmob)2(BTPIP)](PF6)2 (Ru(II)-1), [Ru(dbp)2(BTPIP)](PF6)2 (Ru(II)-2), and [Ru(dpa)2(BTPIP)](PF6)2 (Ru(II)-3) (dpa = 2,2’-dipyridylamine, dmob = 4,4’-dimethoxy-2,2’-bipyridyl, dbp = 4,4’-di- tert-butyl-2,2’-dipyridyl, BTPIP = 4-(benzo[ b]thiophen-2-yl)phenyl-1 H-imidazo[4,5- f][1,10]phenanthroline) are synthesized and investigated as antimicrobial metallodrugs. We demonstrate that all three complexes have significant antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus by testing their minimal inhibitory concentrations = 0.0015–0.0125 mg/mL. The antibacterial activity of the best active complex Ru(II)-3 is 13 times that of ofloxacin (minimal inhibitory concentration = 19.5 μg/mL). Importantly, Ru(II)-3 not only increases the susceptibility of Staphylococcus aureus to existing common antibiotics but also shows noticeably delayed and decreased resistance in Staphylococcus aureus since the minimal inhibitory concentration values of Ru(II)-3 only increased eightfold times after 20 passages. Furthermore, the biofilms formation and rabbit erythrocyte hemolysis assays verified that Ru(II)-3 also efficiently inhibit the biofilm formation and toxin secretion of Staphylococcus aureus.

Two novel oxovanadium(IV) complexes ([VO(hntdtsc)(BPIP)] and [VO(hntdtsc)(MOPIP)] (hntdtsc = 2-hydroxy-1-naphthaldehydethiosemicarbazone, BPIP = 2-(4-bromophenyl)-imidazo[4,5- f]-1,10-phenanthroline, MOPIP = 2-(4-methoxyphenyl)-imidazo[4,5- f]1,10-phenanthroline), are synthesized and characterized. Subsequently, the Methyl Thiazolyl Tetrazolium (MTT) assay is used to investigate the antitumor activity of the ligand and two complexes in vitro.The results indicate that both complexes could significantly inhibit selected tumor cells (SH-SY5Y, MCF-7, and SK-N-SH). In addition, the antibacterial activity of VO(hntdtsc)(BPIP) against Staphylococcus aureus is further investigated. Interestingly, VO(hntdtsc)(BPIP) can efficiently attenuate S. aureus growth and abrogate α-hemolysin secretion and biofilm formation. The plasmid DNA cleavage activity of both complexes is also investigated. The results suggest that supercoiled plasmid DNA is efficiently cleaved after treatment with each complex, which might contribute to the biological activity of these oxovanadium(IV) complexes.

BackgroundThe bone transport using the unilateral external fixator, one of the Ilizarov techniques, is widely practiced in lower limb reconstructive surgery. Pin tract infection (PTI), one of most common complication, has become the important postoperative problems which plague clinicians gradually.MethodsA group of 130 patients who received bone transport surgery for tibia or femur defects using the unilateral external fixation (Orthofix limb reconstruction system, Verona, Italy) and met the inclusion criteria were selected for the study from 2015 to 2019. Regular pin tract care was performed twice a day, and the conditions of the pin tract were evaluated by the same observer using clinical appearance criteria. The Saw’s classification of PTI was used to assess the condition around screws. After the data were significant by the T-test or Pearson’s Chi-square test analyzed, odds ratios were calculated using logistic regression tests to describe factors associated with the diagnosis of PTI.ResultsNinety-one males and thirty-nine females with a mean age of 43 years (range 28–58 years) were included in this cohort. 7816 observations were documented from 12 to 36 months, and 58 cases (44.6%) of PTI (thirty-nine cases in grade 1, 17 cases in grade 2, and 2 cases in grade 3). The top five risk factors were agricultural work (OR 1.86, CI 0.94–2.39), non-urban living (OR 1.75, CI 1.24–3.26), male (OR 1.71, CI 1.02–2.31), smoking (OR 1.53, CI 0.76–1.89), and diabetes (OR 1.26, CI 1.12–2.64). No long-term sequelae were observed at the latest clinical visit.ConclusionOccupation, gender, living environment (non-urban), smoking, and diabetes were the top five significant risk factors for PTI in the period of bone transport using unilateral external fixation. Awareness of predictable risk factors of PTI is beneficial to avoid or early detect the severe complications which can affect the effectiveness.

Efficiency of cellular-connected UAVs is challenged by spectrum inefficiency, limited number of concurrent connectivity, and strong interference. To overcome these issues, in this paper, we study the performance of downlink non-orthogonal multiple access for cellular-connected UAVs. We develop a novel framework based on stochastic geometry for the co-existence of aerial users (AUs) and terrestrial users (TUs), where the spatial distribution of the base stations (BSs) follows a Poisson Point Process. In our analysis, two user association policies and two types of receive antennas are considered while an inter-cell interference coordination (ICIC) technique is also in place. As the main performance measures, we then analytically derive the coverage probability and average rate of AUs and TUs. These derivations are then used to provide quantitative insights on the impact of different system parameters and settings including AU’s altitude, TU’s distance from the BS, power allocation, successive interference cancellation (SIC) constraints, user association policy, antenna beamwidth, and the number of coordinated BSs. Based on our analysis we then propose an interference-aware scheme based on maximum-SINR user association, directional antenna, and ICIC. A benchmark scheme based on minimum-distance user association, omni-directional antenna, and without ICIC is considered. Compared to the benchmark scheme, our proposed scheme improves the AU’s coverage probability by threefold and TU’s average rate by six-fold. Compared to the orthogonal multiple access, our proposed scheme trades off a slight reduction in the AU’s coverage probability (~1%) with a significant increase in the achieved rate of the TUs (603Kbps/resource block).

The Xiangxi UNESCO Global Geopark (XUGG) contained the largest karst red stone forest landscape and the Global Standard Stratotype-section and Points (GSSPs) in the Cambrian System. Those geoheritage contribute to a better understanding of Earth’s evolution. Therefore, it is of great significance to conduct geoscience research and geosciences popularization in the XUGG. In this study, we took the XUGG as the research object, and analyzed the situation of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in the development process of geopark popular science tourism by using SWOT analysis method, in order to realize the sustainable development of geoparks in popular science tourism. The results show that: the XUGG continent possesses geoheritage, good facilities and unique advantages of popular science development. In the new era, we should optimize the development of popular science tourism in Geoparks, realize the two-way interactive participation of popular science, explore the community participation model of popular science tourism, and promote the development of rustic areas with unique geological resources. Then, it not only facilitates the broadcasting and popularization of earth sciences, but also contributes to the sustainable development of geotourism.

Flowering Chinese cabbage (Brassica campestris L. ssp. chinensis var. utilis Tsen et Lee, 2n=20, AA) is a vegetable species in southern parts of China that faces high temperatures in the summer and winter seasons. While heat stress adversely impacts plant productivity and survival, the underlying molecular and biochemical causes are poorly understood. This study investigated the gene expression profiles of heat-sensitive (HS) ‘3T-6’ and heat-tolerant (HT) ‘Youlu-501’ varieties of flowering Chinese cabbage in response to heat stress using RNA sequencing. Among the 37,958 genes expressed in leaves, 20,680 were differentially expressed genes (DEGs) at 1, 6, and 12 h, with 1,078 simultaneously expressed at all time points in both varieties. Hierarchical clustering analysis identified three clusters comprising 1,958, 556, and 591 down-regulated, up-regulated, and up- and/or down-regulated DEGs (3205 DEGs; 8.44%), which were significantly enriched in MAPK signaling, plant–pathogen interactions, plant hormone signal transduction, and brassinosteroid biosynthesis pathways and involved in stimulus, stress, growth, reproductive, and defense responses. Transcription factors, including MYB (12), NAC (13), WRKY (11), ERF (31), HSF (17), bHLH (16), and regulatory proteins such as PAL, CYP450, and photosystem II, played an essential role as effectors of homeostasis, kinases/phosphatases, and photosynthesis. Among 3205 DEGs, many previously reported genes underlying heat stress were also identified, e.g., BraWRKY25, BraHSP70, BraHSPB27, BraCYP71A23, BraPYL9, and BraA05g032350.3C. The genome-wide comparison of HS and HT provides a solid foundation for understanding the molecular mechanisms of heat tolerance in flowering Chinese cabbage.

A vanadium flow battery (VFB) is one of the most promising electrochemical energy storage technologies. However, membranes for VFBs still suffer from high cost or low conductivity and poor stability. Here, we report new quaternized anthrone-containing poly(aryl ether ketone) (QAnPEK) membranes for VFBs. QAnPEK membranes with moderate ion exchange capacity (1.26 mmol g

Alginate hydrogel commonly suffers from defects, such as weak mechanical properties, the shortage of long-term stability in physiological medium and the lack of mammalian cell adhesivity due to its strong hydrophilicity in biomedical application. For this reason, the homogeneous alginate hydrogels (Alg Gel) were successfully prepared by the D-glucono-δ-lactone/hydroxyapatite (HAP/GDL) cross-linking system, and then, the physical blending and alternating electrostatic assembly technology were proposed to fabricate alginate composite hydrogels (Alg-GT, Alg-CS-GT and ALG/GT-CS). The feasibility of the design methods was verified through the comparative analysis of their physicochemical properties and biological activity. In particular, the effects of physical blending and alternating electrostatic assembly technology on the pore structure, mechanical properties, swelling, degradation, cell adhesion and proliferation of composite hydrogels were also investigated. Experimental results showed that the formation of polyelectrolyte complexes by electrostatic assembly between biological macromolecules and the covalent cross-linking of EDC/NHS to GT improved the vulnerability of ion cross-linking, enhanced the mechanical properties and swelling stability of the composite hydrogels, and regulated their pore structure and in vitro biodegradability properties. Furthermore, MC3T3-E1 cells could exhibit good cell adhesion, cell viability and cell proliferation on the alginate composite hydrogels. Among them, Alg-CS-GT showed the best cell proliferation ability and differentiation effect due to its good cell adhesion. In view of the excellent physicochemical properties and biological activity of Alg-CS-GT, it exhibited great potential in biomedical application for tissue engineering.

Flowering Chinese cabbage (

Background The purpose of this study was to investigate the risk factors of transport gap bending deformity (TGBD) in the treatment of critical-size bone defect (CSBD) after the removal of the external fixator. Methods From January 2008 to December 2019, 178 patients with bone defects of the lower extremity caused by infection were treated by bone transport using a unilateral external fixator in our medical institution. TGBD was defined as the bone callus in the distraction area with a deviation to the force line of the femur (> 10°) or tibia (> 12°) after removal of the external fixator. The Association for the Study and Application of the Method of Ilizarov (ASAMI) standard was applied to assess the bone and functional outcomes. After the data were significant by the T-test or Pearson’s Chi-square test was analyzed, odds ratios were calculated using logistic regression tests to describe factors associated with the diagnosis of TGBD. Results A total of 178 patients were enrolled in the study, with a mean follow-up time of 28.6 ± 3.82 months. The positive result of the bacteria isolated test was observed in 144 cases (80.9%). The rate of excellent and good in the bone outcomes (excellent/good/fair/poor/failure, 41/108/15/14/0) was 83.7%, and 92.3% in the functional results (excellent/good/fair/poor/failure, 50/98/16/14/0) according to the ASAMI criteria. TGBD after removal of external fixator occurred in twenty-two patients (12.3%), including 6 tibias, and 16 femurs. Age > 45 years, BMI > 25 kg/m2, femoral defect, diabetes, osteoporosis, glucocorticoid intake, duration of infection > 24 months, EFT > 9 months, EFI > 1.8 month/cm were associated significantly with a higher incidence of TGBD in the binary logistic regression analysis (P 25 kg/m2 (69.0%), diabetes (59.5%), glucocorticoid intake (54.7%). In the multivariate logistic regression analyses, the following factors were associated independently with TGBD, including age > 45 years, BMI > 25 kg/m2, femoral defect, diabetes, and osteoporosis. Conclusions Bone transport using a unilateral external fixator was a safe and practical method in the treatment of CSBD caused by infection. The top five risk factors of TGBD included femoral defect, BMI > 25 kg/m2, duration of bone infection > 24 months, age > 45 years, and diabetes. Age > 45 years, BMI > 25 kg/m2, femoral defect, osteoporosis, and diabetes were the independent risk factors. The higher incidence of TGBD may be associated with more risk factors.

Due to the presence of abundant carboxyl and hydroxyl groups on the molecular chain, the raw alginate is too hydrophilic to achieve effective entrapment and controlled release of hydrophobic drug. To broaden the application range of alginate, 1-bromodecane was covalently grafted onto sodium alginate (SA) via bimolecular nucleophilic substitution (SN2) reaction to synthesize decyl alginate ester derivative (DAED). The structure and self-assembly behavior of DAED were characterized by means of FT-IR, 1H NMR, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), XRD, fluorescence spectrum (FM), surface tension (SFT), TEM, atomic force microscope (AFM), and dynamic light scattering (DLS). Furthermore, the loading and in vitro release of hydrophobic ibuprofen for the self-assembled DAED microcapsules and their cytotoxicity against the murine macrophage RAW264.7 cell were investigated. The FT-IR and 1H NMR analyses showed that the decyl groups were successfully grafted onto the alginate backbone. The results of TGA and XRD showed that due to the grafting decyl side chains, the intramolecular hydrogen bond of DAED was broken, thus resulting in the decrease of its thermal stability and the change of its microcrystalline structure, which improved its molecular flexibility and self-assembly behavior. Therefore, the DAED could reveal good amphiphilic property with the critical aggregation concentration (CAC) of 0.08 g/L, and form micelle-like aggregates with the average hydrodynamic diameter of 185.1 nm (PDI = 0.615) and zeta potential at about −39.2 mV. In addition, from TEM and AFM observation, DAED could generate spherical drug-loaded microcapsules through its self-assembly behavior, which exhibited excellent sustained-release property ascribed to the enhanced affinity of DAED to hydrophobic ibuprofen. And the prepared DAED microcapsules also displayed low cytotoxicity to the murine macrophage RAW264.7 cells. Therefore, it was the good self-assembly behavior of DAED that made it have great potentials as the hydrophobic drug carriers in pharmaceutical field.

To improve the affinity of alginate to the hydrophobic drug molecules, such as ibuprofen, the Ugi four-component condensation reaction involving sodium alginate (SA), tosylmethyl isocyanide, propionaldehyde and octylamine was proposed to synthesize the novel amphiphilic alginate-bisamide derivative (AABD) without any organic solvents and catalysts. The molecular structure and self-aggregate behavior of the resultant AABD was characterized by FT-IR spectrometer, 1H NMR spectrometer, X-ray diffraction, thermal gravimetric analysis, fluorescence spectrophotometer, transmission electron microscope and dynamic light scattering. Meanwhile, the loading and in vitro release of ibuprofen for the AABD microcapsules prepared by the emulsification method as well as their cytotoxicity were also investigated. Experimental results showed that the AABD with the degree of substitution of 19.41% was successfully prepared by the Ugi reaction, and the grafting of hydrophobic side groups on the backbone of alginate was conducive to enhancing its molecular flexibility and colloidal interface activity. Therefore, the AABD could reveal good amphiphilic property with the critical aggregation concentration (CAC) of 0.105 g/L in 0.15 mol/L aqueous NaCl solution, and form the self-aggregated micelle with the average hydrodynamic diameter of 396 nm (PDI = 0.31) and zeta potential at about − 62.4 mV. Furthermore, the prepared AABD microcapsules displayed the high encapsulation efficiency and sustained-release property in comparison with the SA microcapsules for the good affinity of AABD to hydrophobic ibuprofen that retarded the drug diffusion. And it also exhibited low cytotoxicity to the murine macrophage RAW264.7 cells. Therefore, the novel amphiphilic AABD synthesized by the Ugi reaction would be of great potentials as the hydrophobic drug carriers for sustained-release formulations.

Background Repeat per-oral endoscopic myotomy is occasionally performed for persistent/recurrent symptoms in patients with achalasia, and yields favorable outcomes. We investigated a novel technique, per-oral endoscopic dual myotomy (dual-POEM), where a second myotomy was performed during a single session to augment the efficacy and avoid repeat interventions. The aim of this study was to evaluate its feasibility, safety and efficacy. Methods Consecutive patients diagnosed with achalasia who underwent dual-POEM (1/2018–5/2019) were prospectively collected and retrospectively analyzed. Patients with baseline Eckardt score ≥ 9, ≥ 10 years of symptoms, and/or having prior interventions other than myotomy received dual-POEM. The primary outcome was clinical success (Eckardt score ≤ 3). Secondary outcomes were procedure-related adverse events, change in lower esophageal sphincter (LES) pressure, and reflux complications. Results Seventeen patients received dual-POEM. Procedure-related adverse events were observed in 2 (11.8%) patients (mucosal injury and pneumonitis). Both were minor in severity. During a median follow-up of 33 months (interquartile range, IQR [31,35]; range, 19–36), clinical success was achieved in 16 (94.1%) patients. The median Eckardt score decreased from 9 (IQR [8, 11.5]; range 7–12) to 1 (IQR [1, 2]; range 0–4) (P P Conclusion Dual-POEM preliminarily demonstrated high efficacy with a favorable safety profile in patients with achalasia with predictors of treatment failure.

Background: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the clinical and functional outcomes of patients with tibial bone defects treated by a combined technique of external fixation over an intramedullary nail (EFIN). Methods: The clinical and radiographic data of patients with infected bone defects were documented and analyzed between May 2010 and January 2019. The bone and functional outcomes were evaluated according to the Association for the Study and Application of the Method of the Ilizarov (ASAMI) criterion, and postoperative complications were evaluated by Paley classification. Results: A total of 15 patients were successfully managed by a combined technique of EFIN with a mean follow-up time of 31 ± 5.88 months. This cohort included 13 males and 2 females with a mean age of 41.13 ± 7.4 years. The mean duration of infection was 29.8 ± 5.73 months with a mean previous surgery of 2.6 per patient. Ten patients (76.9%) were infected with S. aureus and 3 patients (23%) with P. cuprina. The mean defect size (DS) was 5.68 ± 0.72 cm. Bone union was achieved in all patients, with a mean bone union time (BUT) of 6.72 ± 0.66 months. The mean external fixation time (EFT) and external fixation index (EFI) of this cohort were 2.13 ± 0.25 months and 0.37 ± 0.08 months/cm. Pin tract infection occurred in 2 patients, joint stiffness in one patient, and delayed union in one patient, which was defined as minor. Based on the ASAMI criteria, the bone grade was good in 14 patients, fair in 1 patient, and the function grade was good in 13 patients, fair in 2 patients. Conclusions: The combined technique of EFIN was a valid alternative to manage the infected bone defects in lower limbs, which could effectively reduce the EFT, EFI and incidence of complications.

The wide spread of drug-resistant bacteria, especially methicillin-resistant

Anti-Ro/SSA and/or anti-La/SSB (anti-SSA/SSB) antibodies impair pregnancy outcomes, including embryo implantation and pregnancy maintenance. Optimal endometrial immune status is essential for successful pregnancy. However, whether these antibodies affect endometrial immune status is still unclear. Menstrual blood can be collected non-invasively, differs from peripheral blood, and can reflect the endometrial immune status. We herein focused on changes in subsets of natural killer (NK) cells and T cells in menstrual blood.Menstrual blood samples from anti-SSA/SSB antibody-positive (n = 18) and anti-SSA/SSB antibody-negative control (n = 8) women were collected, and the profile of lymphocyte subsets was analyzed. The phenotypes of menstrual blood CD49a- and CD49a+ NK cells were compared, and the abundance of NK and CD49a+ NK cells in menstrual blood of the two groups was assessed. Additionally, CD4+T and CD8+T cells were investigated for their ability to secret functional cytokines.Menstrual blood contains a large number of (mostly CD49a+) NK cells, which exhibited a more exhausted phenotype with greater expression of the immune checkpoint molecules programmed cell death protein 1 and Tim-3 compared to CD49a- conventional NK cells. CD8+T cells in menstrual blood from anti-SSA/SSB antibody-positive women produced a stronger response after stimulation, accompanied by increased interferon-γ, tumor necrosis factor-α, and granzyme B secretion (P0.05, separately).Menstrual blood cell composition differs between anti-SSA/SSB antibody-positive women and normal controls, especially in terms of CD49a+ NK cells and CD8+T cells, unbalancing the immune cell composition and inflammatory uterine microenvironment and possibly contributing to adverse pregnancy outcomes.