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Objective: To investigate the heterotopic osteogenesis of tissue engineered bone using the co-culture system of vascular endothelial cells (VECs) and adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) as seed cells., Methods: The partially deproteinized biological bone (PDPBB) was prepared by fibronectin combined with partially deproteinized bone (PDPB). The ADSCs of 18-week-old Sprague Dawley (SD) rats and VECs of cord blood of full-term pregnant SD rats were isolated and cultured. Three kinds of tissue engineered bone were constructed in vitro : PDPBB+VECs (group A), PDPBB+ADSCs (group B), PDPBB+co-cultured cells (VECs∶ADSCs was 1∶1, group C), and PDPBB was used as control group (group D). Scanning electron microscopy was performed at 10 days after cell transplantation to observe cell adhesion on scaffolds. Forty-eight 18-week-old SD rats were randomly divided into groups A, B, C, and D, with 12 rats in each group. Four kinds of scaffolds, A, B, C, and D, were implanted into the femoral muscle bags of rats in corresponding groups. The animals were killed at 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks after operation for gross observation, HE staining and Masson staining histological observation, and the amount of bone collagen was measured quantitatively by Masson staining section., Results: Scanning electron microscopy showed that the pores were interconnected in PDPB materials, and a large number of lamellar protein crystals on the surface of PDPBB modified by fibronection were loosely attached to the surface of the scaffold. After 10 days of co-culture PDPBB and cells, a large number of cells attached to PDPBB and piled up with each other to form cell clusters in group C. Polygonal cells and spindle cells were mixed and distributed, and some cells grew along bone trabeculae to form cell layers. Gross observation showed that the granulation tissue began to grow into the material pore at 2 weeks after operation. In group C, a large number of white cartilage-like substances were gradually produced on the surface of the material after 4 weeks, and the surface of the material was uneven. At 12 weeks, the amount of blood vessels on the surface of group A increased, and the material showed consolidation; there was a little white cartilage-like material on the surface of group B, but the pore size of the material did not decrease significantly; in group D, the pore size of the material did not decrease significantly. Histological observation showed that there was no significant difference in the amount of bone collagen between groups at 2 weeks after operation ( F =2.551, P =0.088); at 4, 8, and 12 weeks after operation, the amount of bone collagen in group C was significantly higher than that in other 3 groups, and that in group B was higher than that in group D ( P <0.05); there was no significant difference between group A and groups B, D ( P >0.05)., Conclusion: The ability of heterotopic osteogenesis of tissue engineered bone constructed by co-culture VECs and ADSCs was the strongest.

Nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) is a colorless, flammable, and dangerous gas even at very low concentrations. To date, quantitative analysis of NO 2 concentrations have been made using conventional techniques (e.g., electrochemical method). In light of the energy and time consumption involved in such applications, efforts have been made to develop new detection methods that are more sensitive and sustainable. At this point, structural color-based sensing shows great advantages because of its sensitive, visualized, and reproducible response. In this study, graphene oxide/polystyrene sulfonate (GO/PSS) optical films were designed and prepared to evaluate the potential usage for the effective detection of NO 2 . The uniform GO/PSS thin films were fabricated by the spin-coating-assisted layer-by-layer assembly method. The resulting colorful films exhibited ultrafast response, obvious optical shifts, and good reversibility within the visible range toward NO 2 . The concentration-dependent NO 2 sensing characteristics and selectivity were investigated as well. The dynamic study showed that the absorption/desorption time was 200/200 ms and the detection limit was 1.0 ppm at room temperature. The sensing mechanism was investigated and verified by computer simulations. Such ultrasensitive and colorimetric properties of GO/PSS films may enable many potential applications such as disposable sensors for health and environmental monitoring.

Background: This study aimed to investigate the effects of stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) on biphasic ceramic-like biologic bone (BCBB) in vivo on the repair of large segment bone defect in rabbits., Methods: A large-segment radius defect model of the rabbits was constructed. In the experimental group, BCBB with SDF-1 sustained-release system were implanted into the bone defect site. Other three groups including normal control, autologous bone graft, and BCBB implantation without SDF-1 were set. After surgery, general observation, X-ray radiography and scoring, and tissue section staining were performed at 2, 4, 8, 12, and 24 weeks post-implantation., Results: By general observation, X-ray radiography and grading and tissue section staining observation, we found that the BCBB carrying SDF-1 was better than those in the group of BCBB without SDF-1 (P < 0.05). BCBB scaffold had certain bone conduction capacity, and the BCBB scaffold carrying SDF-1 had improved bone conduction ability and possessed bone induction ability. In the case of carrying SDF-1, it can be used to repair large bone defects in a shorter time than simply using BCBB, which is equivalent to the effect of autologous bone., Conclusion: BCBB scaffold carrying SDF-1 can promote the repair effect on a large bone defect, which is equivalent to the effect of autologous bone.

Celecoxib is the most recent non steroidal anti-inflammatory analgesic, and has been gradually used in the treatment of acute pain, rheumatism and osteoarthritis. This paper analyzes the analgesic effect of celecoxib in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis and put forward a new mechanism of knee joint extensor reconstruction assisted by bone anchor. The experimental group was given celecoxib 200 mg/ time and 1 time /d. The results showed that VAS (Visual Analogue Scale) decreased gradually in both groups on the 1st, 3rd and 7th day of treatment and VAS in experimental group was lower than that in control group at the same time point (P<0.05). At the 1 year follow-up, experience group had a significant improvement on the Lysholm (69.33 ± 8.38 preoperatively and 88.65 ± 12.93 postoperatively) and Kujula (69.33 ± 8.38 preoperatively and 88.65 ±12.93 postoperatively) knee scores (P<0.05). The results showed that celecoxib had a good analgesic effect in patients with knee osteoarthritis and reducing the release of inflammatory factors may be its mechanism..

In the present work, we report the fabrication of high-performance thermoelectric materials using TiO2/CNT/PANI ternary composites. We showed that a conductivity of ∼2730 S cm-1 can be achieved for the binary CNT (70%)/PANI (30%) composite, which is the highest recorded value for the reported CNT/PANI composites. We further demonstrated that the Seebeck coefficient of CNT/PANI composites could be enhanced by incorporating TiO2 nanoparticles into the binary CNT/PANI composites, which could be attributed to lower carrier density and the energy scattering of low-energy carriers at the interfaces of TiO2/a-CNT and TiO2/PANI. The resulting TiO2/a-CNT/PANI ternary system exhibits a higher Seebeck coefficient and enhanced thermoelectric power. Further optimization of the thermoelectric power was achieved by water treatment and by tuning the processing temperature. A high thermoelectric power factor of 114.5 μW mK-2 was obtained for the ternary composite of 30% TiO2/70% (a-CNT (70%)/PANI (30%)), which is the highest reported value among the reported PANI based ternary composites. The improvement of thermoelectric performance by incorporation of TiO2 suggests a promising approach to enhance power factor of organic thermoelectric materials by judicial tuning of the carrier concentration and electrical conductivity.

This study aimed to investigate the biomechanical properties of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL); tibial, femoral articular cartilage; and meniscus in knee joints receiving computer-aided or conventional ACL reconstruction. Three-dimensional (3D) knee joint finite element models were established for healthy volunteers (normal group) and patients receiving computer-aided surgery (CAS) or conventional (traditional surgery [TS]) ACL reconstruction. The stress and stress distribution on the ACL, tibial, femoral articular cartilage, and meniscus were examined after force was applied on the 3D knee joint finite element models. No significant differences were observed in the stress on ACL among normal group, CAS group, and TS group when a femoral backward force was loaded. However, when a vertical force of 350 N was loaded on the knee joints, TS group had significant higher stress on the articular cartilage and meniscus than the other two groups at any flexion angle of 0, 30, 60, and 90 degrees. However, no significant differences were observed between CAS group and normal group. In conclusion, computer-aided ACL reconstruction has advantages over conventional surgery approach in restoring the biomechanical properties of knee joints, thus reducing the risk of damage to the knee joint cartilage and meniscus after ACL reconstruction., Competing Interests: None., (Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.)

Articular cartilage injury and therapy are important clinical issues around the world. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have the ability to differentiate into chondrocytes, which makes MSCs good candidates for use in cartilage repairing. However the regulation and the mechanism of chondrogenesisin MSCs is still unclear. To clarify the factor and mechanism which contribute to the process of chondrogenic differentiation, we focus on miRNAs. Considering the role of miR-181a in chondrogenesis and osteoblast formation, we tested the expression of miR-181a in the induced chondrogenic differential pig PBMSCs by using qRT-PCR. And we identified miR-181a as an up-regulated miRNA in the TGF-β3-induced pig PBMSCs chondrogenic differentiation from the early stages and maintained elevated throughout the whole process. After inhibition of the endogenesis miR-181a expression by transfecting the miR-181a inhibitor, the western-blot results and immunofluorescence results indicated that the expression of differentiation-related protein COL2A1, BMP2 were decreased, together with the Alcian blue assay, proving the process of differentiation was inhibited significantly. Taken together, our results demonstrated that miR-181a might be necessary in chondrogenesis of MSCs. Even so, the mechanism of miR-181a on regulating the chondrogenesis still needed to be investigated in future work. And our data would provide an experimental evidence for the research of tissue engineering., Competing Interests: None., (IJCEP Copyright © 2018.)

Objective: ?To evaluate the effectiveness of arthroscopic suture and absorbable screw double fixation for both anterior and posterior cruciate ligament avulsion fractures of tibial insertions., Methods: ?Between June 2006 and September 2013, 8 patients with anterior and posterior cruciate ligament avulsion fractures of the tibial eminence underwent arthroscopic treatment with suture and absorbable screw double fixation. There were 5 males and 3 females, with a mean age of 28.9 years (range, 18-43 years). The causes of injury included traffic accident in 5 cases and falling from height in 3 cases. The time from injury to operation was 3-10 days (mean, 6.2 days). The Lysholm knee score, International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score, and Tegner rating scales were used to evaluated the knee function., Results: ?Primary healing of incision was obtained, without infection or deep vein thrombosis. The mean follow-up period was 42.4 months (range, 24 to 65 months). At 3 months after operation, X-ray films showed good reduction and healing of fracture. The anterior and posterior drawer tests were negative. The knee range of motion was normal (0-125°), and it recovered to preoperative level in 7 cases. The IKDC score, Tegner score, and Lysholm score were significantly improved to 90.4±5.2, 7.5±1.6, and 89.2±3.5 from preoperative 52.1±3.3, 3.3±1.0, and 51.9±3.5 respectively (t=-38.680, P=0.000; t=-39.520, P=0.000; t=-41.150, P=0.000)., Conclusions: ?A combined injury of anterior and posterior cruciate ligament avulsion fractures of tibial insertions is rare. Arthroscopic treatment with suture and absorbable screw double fixation is a useful technique to restore tibial avulsion injuries with well-documented radiographic healing, good clinical outcomes, and low complication rates.

A highly transparent superamphiphobic plastic sheet was developed. The plastic sheet polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) was spin-coated on a glass substrate. Synthesized silica nanoparticles were sprayed on PMMA, followed by fluorosilane drop-coating. The results of contact angle measurements show that the developed PMMA sheet has superamphiphobic properties with high advancing contact angles for water (154°), toluene (139°), and silicone oil (132.9°). The amphiphobicity of the plastic sheet can be tuned by the surface coverage of the silica nanoparticles distributed on the PMMA surface. The surface coverage of the nanoparticles on our PMMA sheet is about 20%, and it agrees with our contact angle calculations for the sheet with and without nanoparticles., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: We used ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC/MS) for analyzing and identifying the active components of newborn calf serum (NCS) and fetal bovine serum (FBS). The results demonstrated significant differences in the components between NCS and FBS. FBS appeared to have more complex components than NCS, with mass to ratios (m/z) of the substances of 498, 273 and 448. These substances in FBS may be the main active components to support the proliferation and differentiation of cells.

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of computer-assisted preoperative planning system-ACL Detector in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction., Methods: Between March 2009 and January 2012, 80 patients with ACL rupture received arthroscopic ACL single-bundle reconstruction with autologous hamstring tendon transplantation. Before operation, the preoperative planning was done by computer-assisted preoperative planning system-ACL Detector (trial group, n=40) or by conventional method (control group, n=40). There was no significant difference in gender, age, disease duration, injury cause, preoperative Lysholm score, and preoperative International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score between 2 groups (P > 0.05). After operation, the effectiveness was evaluated by Lachman test, pivot shift test, Lysholm score, and IKDC score; the digital three-dimensinal model of knee was reconstructed, and the impingement rate of ACL graft was measured., Results: All incisions healed by first intention, and no complication was found. The patients were followed up 18-25 months (mean, 20 months) in trial group and 18-24 months (mean, 21 months) in control group. The Lysholm score and IKDC score were significantly increased at 18 months after operation when compared with preoperative scores (P < 0.05), but no significant difference was found between 2 groups (P > 0.05). The results of Lachman test and pivot shift test at 18 months after operation were significantly better than those before operation in 2 groups (P < 0.05), but no significant difference between 2 groups after operation (P > 0.05). MRI showed that impingement was observed in 1 case of trial group (2.50%) and in 8 cases of control group (20.00%), showing significant difference (chi2=4.51, P=0.03)., Conclusion: The computer-assisted preoperative planning system-ACL Detector could be successfully applied to ACL reconstruction. It has the same improvement in knee functional score as conventional surgery, but it is better than conventional surgery in reducing the impingement incidence.

Azulene-containing conjugated polymers with near-infrared absorption up to 1.5 μm and beyond are achieved by treating with trifluoroacetic acid (TFA). Density functional theory calculations reveal that the near-infrared absorption arises from a strong intramolecular charge transfer transition on the polymer backbone, and the near-infrared absorption can be tuned by the degree of protonation. Furthermore, TFA treated polymers show a ten-fold enhancement in electrochromic contrast and significantly improved switching stability, suggesting that these polymers are promising candidates for fabrication of the first generation organic near-infrared devices., (Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Objective: To compare the results of supracricoid partial laryngectomy-cricohyoidopexy (SCPL-CHP) and horizontal-vertical hemilaryngectomy in the treatment of mid and late laryngeal carcinoma., Method: Retrospective analysis on the types of mid and late stage of laryngeal carcinoma clinical material, 22 patients supracricoid partial laryngectomy-cricohyoidopexy, 20 patients horizontal-vertical hemilaryngectomy, each with the added radiotherapy. The long term results of operation and glottic reconstruction were evaluated by postoperative visiting, semi-quantitative speech intelligibility analysis, electroglottograph (EGG) and so on., Result: Forty-two cases of laryngeal cancer patients were decannulated, the decannulation rate was 100%. Postoperative decannulation time: surgical CHP for (44.0 +/- 4.6) d, 3/4 throat operation for (39.0 +/- 2.7) d, two groups of postoperative decannulation time difference was statistically significant (t = 4.2395, P < 0.01). Eight weeks after evaluation, two groups's swallowing function and postoperative evaluation of patients after one year speech intelligibility difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). GRBAS in the evaluation of G rating, the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P < 0.05), CHP group showed,for most patients, a severe hoarse degree, but 3/4 throat operation group mainly represented a moderate degree lever. EGG parameters were checked after 1 years. F0 comparative differences was not statistically significant (P > 0.05), and the jitter, shimmer and NNE compared CHP group to 3/4 laryngectomy group were significantly increased (P < 0.05). Kaplan-Meier method statistics show: CHP group and 3/4 laryngectomy group 3 years and 5 year accumulate survival rates were 95.5% and 89.7%, 85.1% and 83.7% respectively, two groups of three, five years of survival difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05)., Conclusion: According to the laryngeal of middle-late carcinoma, the region and the involvement of the scope were considered to choose appropriate surgical treatments, and both can complete resection of the tumor, and can retain good laryngeal functions,and CHP has a wider range of operation indications and clinical application prospect, is worthy to be popularized.

Inorganic ions may direct the self-assembly of biomacromolecules into nanostructures which can further be used as a reactant and matrix for nanomaterials synthesis and assembly. Here we use bone mineral and filamentous bacteriophage as a model to demonstrate this concept. Divalent calcium ions are found to trigger the electrostatic self-assembly of anionic nanofiber-like bacteriophages into bundle structures where calcium ions are pre-organized between bacteriophage nanofibers. The resultant Ca(2+)-bacteriophage bundles can be separated and purified from the aqueous solution. The nanostructures of the bundles are verified by zeta potential analysis, small angle x-ray scattering and transmission electron microscopy. Because of the transcription of the bacteriophage chiral surface to the periodic alignment of pre-loaded Ca(2+), the Ca(2+)-bacteriphage bundles can serve as both Ca sources and biotemplates to initiate the oriented nucleation and growth of nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite in phosphate solution or in simulated body fluid. This work provides new insights into biomineralization and represents a new approach to the fabrication of biomolecular-inorganic hybrid layered nanostructures.

Objective: To further study the influence of the co-cultivation of vascular endothelial cells (VECs) and adipose-derived stromal cells (ADSCs) on cell osteogenic differentiation in vitro and provide experimental evidences of the probability of the co-cultivation of VECs and ADSCs as the seed cells of tissue engineering., Methods: The VECs derived from cord blood and ADSCs were prepared by full-term pregnancy SD rats and 18-week-old SD rats, to carry on the morphological observation and immunohistochemical staining identification. The third generation of ADSCs and the VECs induced by conditioned medium for 6 weeks were cultured and were divided into groups A, B, and C as the experimental group according to cell ratios of 3 : 1, 1 : 1, and 1 : 3, respectively. ADSCs or VECs was cultured alone in groups D and E as control groups. ALP and alizarin red staining were done respectively on the 7th day and 14th day; ALP and osteocalcin (OC) were detected respectively on the 4th day, 7th day, and 14th day., Results: The VECs derived from cord blood showed mixed growth of short spindle and polygonal cells after 6 weeks of induction, the immunofluorescent staining result of von Willebrand factor was positive. ADSCs showed adherent mononuclear cells and spindle-shaped growth without duplication; the immunofluorescent staining result of CD90 was positive and no positive cells were seen in the control group. On the 7th day of cell culture, ALP staining showed that the results were negative in groups A, D, and E, and some positive cells were seen in groups B and C; on the 14th day, the results were still negative in groups D and E, and positive cells fused to sheet form in groups A, B, and C. von Kossa staining showed that the results were negative in all groups on the 7th day; few positive cells were seen in groups A, B, and C, and no positive cells were seen in groups D and E on the 14th day. The ALP contents increased gradually in all groups, which was highest in group B at every time point, showing significant difference (P < 0.01) between group B and other groups, between groups A, C and groups D, E. The OC value increased gradually in every group, which was highest in group B on the 7th and 14th days, showing significant difference between group B and other groups (P < 0.01), between group C and group D (P < 0.01) on the 4th and the 14th days, between groups A, C and group E (P < 0.05) on the 14th day., Conclusion: ADSCs have potential of osteogenic differentiation by VECs in the system of co-culturing VECs and ADSCs in vitro, the influence on osteogenic differentiation is the strongest in a ratio of 1 : 1.

Objective: To review the progress of the research on the relationship between the central nervous system injury and the heterotopic ossification., Methods: The recent articles on the central nervous system injury and the heterotopic ossification were extensively reviewed, and the related clinical signs, symptoms, pathogenesis diagnosis, risk factors, prophylaxis, and treatment of the neurogenic heterotopic ossification were investigated., Results: The possible mechanism for the neurogenic heterotopic ossification might involve the roles of the bone morphogenetic protein and the basic fibroblast growth factor, which were suggested as mediators in differentiation of the progenitor cells. Sonographic, serum creatine phosphokinase, and C-reactive protein were recommended as the useful screening tools for heterotopic ossification. Colchicine and rofecoxib could be used for the prophylaxis or treatment of heterotopic ossification., Conclusion: The research on the neurogenic heterotopic ossification has achieved a great development but further studies in this field are still required.

Direct treatment of azulene-thiophene copolymers with Ru(3)(CO)(12) led to unique examples of coordination of a multinuclear transition metal cluster to conjugated polymers. The polymer-metal cluster formation could be confirmed by (1)H NMR spectroscopic studies, and the coordination mode could be deduced from the crystallographic structure of model compounds. The composition of ruthenium carbonyl cluster could be used as a governing factor to tune the electronic, optical, and morphological properties of the organometallic polymers. [structure: see text]