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Following major trauma, genes involved in adaptive immunity are downregulated, which accompanies the upregulation of genes involved in systemic inflammatory responses. This study investigated microRNA (miRNA)-mRNA interactome dysregulation in circulating T cells of patients with major trauma.This study included adult trauma patients who had an injury severity score ≥16 and required ventilator support for more than 48 h in the intensive care unit. Next-generation sequencing was used to profile the miRNAs and mRNAs expressed in CD3+ T cells isolated from patient blood samples collected during the injury and recovery stages.In the 26 studied patients, 9 miRNAs (hsa-miR-16-2-3p, hsa-miR-16-5p, hsa-miR-185-5p, hsa-miR-192-5p, hsa-miR-197-3p, hsa-miR-23a-3p, hsa-miR-26b-5p, hsa-miR-223-3p, and hsa-miR-485-5p) were significantly upregulated, while 58 mRNAs were significantly downregulated in T cells following major trauma. A network consisting of 8 miRNAs and 22 mRNAs interactions was revealed by miRWalk, with three miRNAs (hsa-miR-185-5p, hsa-miR-197-3p, and hsa-miR-485-5p) acting as hub genes that regulate the network. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis suggested that "chemokine signaling pathway" was the predominant pathway.The study revealed a miRNA-mRNA interactome consisting of 8 miRNAs and 22 mRNAs that are predominantly involved in chemokine signaling in circulating T cells of patients following major trauma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers and the main cause of cancer-related death globally. Immune dysregulation of CD4+ T cells has been identified to play a role in the development of HCC. Nevertheless, the underlying molecular pathways of CD4+ T cells in HCC are not completely known. Thus, a better understanding of the dysregulation of the lncRNA-miRNA/mRNA network may yield novel insights into the etiology or progression of HCC. In this study, circulating CD4+ T cells were isolated from the whole blood of 10 healthy controls and 10 HCC patients for the next-generation sequencing of the expression of lncRNAs, miRNAs, and mRNAs. Our data showed that there were different expressions of 34 transcripts (2 lncRNAs, XISTs, and MIR222HGs; 29 mRNAs; and 3 other types of RNA) and 13 miRNAs in the circulating CD4+ T cells of HCC patients. The expression of lncRNA-XIST-related miRNAs and their target mRNAs was confirmed using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) on samples from 100 healthy controls and 60 HCC patients. The lncRNA–miRNA/mRNA regulation network was created using interaction data generated from ENCORI and revealed there are positive correlations in the infiltration of total CD4+ T cells, particularly resting memory CD4+ T cells, and negative correlations in the infiltration of Th1 CD4+ T cells.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers and the main cause of cancer-related death globally. Immune dysregulation of CD4+ T cells has been identified as a role in the development of HCC. Nevertheless, the underlying molecular pathways of CD4+ T cells in HCC are not completely known. Thus, a better understanding of the dysregulation of lncRNA-miRNA/mRNA network might yield novel insights into the etiology or progression of HCC. In this study, circulating CD4+ T cells were isolated from the whole blood of 10 healthy controls and 10 HCC patients for next-generation sequencing of the expression of lncRNAs, miRNAs, and mRNAs. Our data showed that there was different expression of 34 transcripts (two lncRNAs, XIST and MIR222HG, 29 mRNA, and 3 other types of RNA) and 13 miRNAs in the circulating CD4+ T cells of HCC patients. The expression of the lncRNA XIST-related miRNAs and their target mRNAs was confirmed using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) on samples from 100 healthy controls and 60 HCC patients. The lncRNA–miRNA/mRNA regulation network was created using interaction data generated from ENCORI and revealed there are positive correlations in the infiltration of total CD4+ T cells and negative correlations in the infiltration of Th1 CD4+ T cells.

Synthetic bone graft has gained considerable attention because of an increase in the aged population. In the present study, a biphasic bone graft composed of hydroxyapatite (HAp) and calcium sulfate (CS) is prepared using a gel-foaming technique. The gel is prepared at a temperature as low as 35 °C; many pores are introduced into the gel through an agitation process. The foamed gel can be cut into any shape and size. After sintering, the porosity of the biphasic bone graft is approximately 70%. Depending on the HAp/CS ratio, the amount of macropores and micropores can be tailored. The macropores of approximately 130 μm diameter are interconnected with each other through openings of 40 μm size. The biphasic bone graft exhibits no cytotoxicity; preosteoblast cells can adhere and proliferate on the surface of the fabricated bone graft. However, migration of these cells into the bone graft is considerably limited in the in vitro study. When the biphasic bone graft is implanted into the distal femur of rats, with the combined effect of osteoblast and osteoclast cells, more than 90% of the bone graft is degraded after 3 months. New trabeculae bone and bone marrow are observed within the bone defect. The HAp/CS composite can thus be used as degradable bone grafts.

The Halcyon is a linear accelerator-based treatment machine designed for a high-throughput simplified workflow. The machine features a compact jawless design, dual-layer multileaf collimators, and a single 6-MV flattening filter-free (FFF) beam. However, the machine's 6-MV FFF beam may restrict its applicability to conventional techniques, such as field-in-field (FiF) radiotherapy, for breast cancer treatment. This study developed a practical and efficient hybrid method for imaging, planning, and irradiation procedures for whole-breast irradiation using Halcyon linear accelerators.The proposed method involves five major steps: (1) field arrangement, (2) planning target volume (PTV) generation and evaluation, (3) basal plan generation, (4) inverse planning intensity-modulated radiation therapy plan generation, and (5) plan evaluation and irradiation. The PTV is generated using isodose curves plotted on the basis of tangential fields, which are applied to create a basal plan. Subsequently, a basal-dose-compensation approach is applied to further optimize the treatment plan. This efficient workflow necessitates executing only one onboard cone-beam computed tomography procedure. This study included 10 patients with early-stage breast cancer who were treated at our center. The performance of the proposed method was evaluated by comparing its corresponding irradiation time and dose statistics with those derived for a dynamically flattened beam-based FiF (DFB-FiF) method.All plans were normalized to ensure that 98% of the prescribed dose covered 95% of the PTV. On average, the global maximum doses in the proposed and DFB-FiF methods were lower than 106%. The homogeneity index for right-sided (left-sided) breast cancer was 0.053 (0.056) in the proposed method and 0.073 (0.076) in the DFB-FiF method. The dose statistics of normal tissues, including the contralateral breast, heart, and lungs, were comparable between the methods. However, the irradiation time per monitor unit in the proposed method was approximately five times faster than that in the DFB-FiF method, but the planning time and complexity were similar between the methods.This study developed and evaluated an efficient and practical hybrid method for whole-breast irradiation using the Halcyon. This method can significantly reduce the irradiation time, while providing comparable dose statistics to the DFB-FiF method.

The heterogeneity of exosome populations presents a great challenge to their study. The current study was designed to investigate the potential heterogeneity miRNA contents in circulating exosomes purified via different exosomal markers. In this study, exosomes from the serum of C57BL/6 mice after cecum ligation and perforation (CLP) or sham operation were isolated by precipitation using ExoQuick-TC and affinity purified with anti-Rab5b, anti-CD9, anti-CD31, and anti-CD44 antibodies using the Exo-Flow Exosome Capture kit to collect exosome subpopulations. RNA extracted from the exosomes isolated by ExoQuick-TC were profiled by next-generation sequencing (NGS). Real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was also employed to determine the expression profiles of four representative exosomal miRNAs (mmu-miR-486-5p, mmu-miR-10a-5p, mmu-miR-143-3p, and mmu-miR-25-3p) selected from the NGS analysis. The results revealed that the expression patterns of these miRNAs in exosomes isolated by ExoQuick-TC as determined by RT-qPCR and NGS were similar, showing upregulation of mmu-miR-10a-5p and mmu-miR-143-3p but downregulation of mmu-miR-25-3p and mmu-miR-486-5p following CLP when compared to the levels in exosomes from sham control mice. However, their expression levels in the antibody-captured exosome subpopulations varied. The miRNAs in the exosomes captured by anti-Rab5b or anti-CD9 antibodies were more similar to those isolated by ExoQuick-TC than to those captured by anti-CD44 antibodies. However, there were no significant differences in these four miRNAs in CD31-captured exosomes. This study demonstrated that purification with different exosomal markers allows the collection of different exosome subpopulations with various miRNA contents. The results of this study demonstrate the heterogeneity of circulating exosomes and suggest the importance of stratifying exosome subpopulations when using circulating exosomes as biomarkers or investigating exosome function. In addition, this study also emphasized the necessity of using a consistent exosome marker across different samples as detecting biomarkers.

This meta-analysis was a systematic review of evidence on the effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) on quality of life (QOL), pain, fatigue, anxiety, and depression in cancer patients. Until July 2020, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Embase were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The study included 18 RCTs. The MBSR/MBCT intervention resulted in a significant effect on QOL (SMD 0.80, CI 0.28, 1.32, I

Johnson Chia-Shen Yang,1,2 Lien-Hung Huang,1,2 Shao-Chun Wu,3,4 Yi-Chan Wu,1,4 Chia-Jung Wu,1,4 Chia-Wei Lin,1,4 Pei-Yu Tsai,1,4 Peng-Chen Chien,1,4 Ching-Hua Hsieh1,2 1Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; 2Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan; 3Department of Anesthesiology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; 4Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, TaiwanCorrespondence: Ching-Hua HsiehGraduate Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, 123 Dapi Road, Niaosong District, Kaohsiung City, 833, Taiwan, Tel +886-7-7317123, ext.8002, Fax +886-7-7354309, Email prs581126@gmail.comPurpose: This study aims at profiling the expression of dysregulated genes in circulating monocytes of patients with cancer-related lower limb lymphedema before and after treatment with supermicrosurgical lymphaticovenous anastomosis (LVA).Materials and Methods: This prospective longitudinal cohort study enrolled 51 women with post-treatment gynecological cancer, including those with unilateral lymphedema (study group, n = 25) and those without (control group, n = 26). Venous blood samples obtained from the study group before and after LVA and those from the controls were sent for next-generation sequencing, which was validated by real-time PCR. Dysregulated gene expression in the study group, relative to expression in the controls, was recorded before LVA. After one month, postoperative changes in the expression of the identified genes were evaluated. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) was used to investigate dysregulated genes whose expression returned to baseline levels after LVA.Results: Of the 148 preoperative dysregulated genes, which comprised 108 up- and 40 down-regulated genes, 78 genes, consisting of 69 up- and 9 down-regulated genes, showed post-LVA recovery to baseline levels. Through PPI analysis, five functional modules involving immunity, lipid metabolism, oxidative stress, transcriptional regulators, and tumor suppression, as well as six hub genes (CCL2, LPL, PDK4, FOXO3, EGR1, and DUSP5), were identified. Cross-linking and co-regulated genes between modules were also identified.Conclusion: Localized lymphedema leads to dysregulated gene expression in circulating monocytes. The current study is the first to identify the hub genes related to lymphedema and demonstrate the recovery of some dysregulated genes after LVA.Keywords: transcriptome, NGS, real-time PCR, hub gene, functional modules

Macrophages emerge in the milieu around innervated neurons after nerve injuries. Following nerve injury, autophagy is induced in macrophages and affects the regulation of inflammatory responses. It is closely linked to neuroinflammation, while the immunosuppressive drug tacrolimus (FK506) enhances nerve regeneration following nerve crush injury and nerve allotransplantation with additional neuroprotective and neurotrophic functions. The combined use of FK506 and adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) was employed in cell therapy for organ transplantation and vascularized composite allotransplantation. This study aimed to investigate the topical application of exosomes secreted by ADSCs following FK506 treatment (ADSC-F-exo) to the injured nerve in a mouse model of sciatic nerve crush injury. Furthermore, isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) were used to profile the potential exosomal proteins involved in autophagy. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that nerve crush injuries significantly induced autophagy in the dorsal root ganglia and dorsal horn of the spinal segments. Locally applied ADSC-F-exo significantly reduced autophagy of macrophages in the spinal segments after nerve crush injury. Proteomic analysis showed that of the 22 abundant exosomal proteins detected in ADSC-F-exo, heat shock protein family A member 8 (HSPA8) and eukaryotic translation elongation factor 1 alpha 1 (EEF1A1) are involved in exosome-mediated autophagy reduction.

Exosomes secreted by adipose-derived stem cells (ADSC-exo) reportedly improve nerve regeneration after peripheral nerve injury. Herein, we investigated whether pretreatment of ADSCs with FK506, an immunosuppressive drug that enhances nerve regeneration, could secret exosomes (ADSC-F-exo) that further augment nerve regeneration. Designed exosomes were topically applied to injured nerve in a mouse model of sciatic nerve crush injury to assess the nerve regeneration efficacy. Outcomes were determined by histomorphometric analysis of semi-thin nerve sections stained with toluidine blue, mouse neurogenesis PCR array, and neurotrophin expression in distal nerve segments. Isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) were used to profile potential exosomal proteins facilitating nerve regeneration. We observed that locally applied ADSC-exo and ADSC-F-exo significantly enhanced nerve regeneration after nerve crush injury. Pretreatment of ADSCs with FK506 failed to produce exosomes possessing more potent molecules for enhanced nerve regeneration. Proteomic analysis revealed that of 192 exosomal proteins detected in both ADSC-exo and ADSC-F-exo, histone deacetylases (HDACs), amyloid-beta A4 protein (APP), and integrin beta-1 (ITGB1) might be involved in enhancing nerve regeneration.

A porous-Al0.47GaN/n-Al0.47GaN stack structure with a large refractive index contrast has been fabricated through a homoepitaxial growth process on a Si-doped n+-Al0.47GaN/n-Al0.47GaN stack structu...

We report here a simple and robust process to convert periodic Si-doped GaN/undoped-GaN epitaxial layers into a porous-GaN/u-GaN distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) structure and demonstrate its material properties in a high-reflectance epitaxial reflector. Directional pipe-GaN layers with anisotropic optical properties were formed from n+-GaN : Si layers in a stacked structure through a lateral and doping-selective electrochemical etching process. Central wavelengths of the polarized reflectance spectra were measured to be 473 nm and 457 nm for the pipe-GaN reflector when the direction of the linear polarizer was along and perpendicular to the pipe-GaN structure. The DBR reflector with directional pipe-GaN layers has the potential for a high efficiency polarized light source and vertical cavity surface emitting laser applications.

Electrolyte is a key component in high-voltage lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide-based ionic liquid (IL)/organic carbonate hybrid electrolytes have been a research focus owing to their excellent balance of safety and ionic conductivity. Nevertheless, corrosion of Al current collectors at high potentials usually happens for this kind of electrolyte. In this study, this long-standing problem is solved via the modulation of the IL/carbonate ratio and LiPF6 concentration in the hybrid electrolyte. The proposed electrolyte suppresses Al dissolution and electrolyte oxidation at 5 V (vs Li+/Li) and thus allows for ideal lithiation/delithiation performance of a high-voltage LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 (LNMO) cathode even at 55 °C. The underlying mechanism is examined in this work. Excellent cycling stability (97% capacity retention) for an LNMO cathode after 300 cycles is achieved. This electrolyte shows good wettability toward a polyethylene separator and low flammability. In addition, satisfactory compatibility with both graphite and Si-based anodes is confirmed. The proposed electrolyte design strategies have great potential for applications in high-voltage LIBs.

GaN-based ultraviolet photodiode with porous distributed Bragg reflectors (DBR) structure was demonstrated. The n+-AlGaN:Si epitaxial layers with high refractive index had been etched as porous-AlG...

Background: Excess lymphedematous tissue causes excessive oxidative stress in lymphedema. Lymphaticovenous anastomosis (LVA) supermicrosurgery is currently emerging as the first-line surgical intervention for lymphedema. No data are available regarding the changes in serum proteins correlating to oxidative stress and antioxidant capacity before and after LVA. Methods: A total of 26 patients with unilateral lower limb lymphedema confirmed by lymphoscintigraphy were recruited, and venous serum samples were collected before (pre-LVA) and after LVA (post-LVA). In 16 patients, the serum proteins were identified by isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation-based quantitative proteomic analysis with subsequent validation of protein expression by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. An Oxidative Stress Panel Kit was used on an additional 10 patients. Magnetic resonance (MR) volumetry was used to measure t limb volume six months after LVA. Results: This study identified that catalase (CAT) was significantly downregulated after LVA (pre-LVA vs. post-LVA, 2651 ± 2101 vs. 1448 ± 593 ng/mL, respectively, p = 0.033). There were significantly higher levels of post-LVA serum total antioxidant capacity (pre-LVA vs. post-LVA, 441 ± 81 vs. 488 ± 59 µmole/L, respectively, p = 0.031) and glutathione peroxidase (pre-LVA vs. post-LVA, 73 ± 20 vs. 92 ± 29 U/g, respectively, p = 0.018) than pre-LVA serum. In addition, after LVA, there were significantly more differences between post-LVA and pre-LVA serum levels of CAT (good outcome vs. fair outcome, −2593 ± 2363 vs. 178 ± 603 ng/mL, respectively, p = 0.021) and peroxiredoxin-2 (PRDX2) (good outcome vs. fair outcome, −7782 ± 7347 vs. −397 ± 1235 pg/mL, respectively, p = 0.037) in those patients with good outcomes (≥40% volume reduction in MR volumetry) than those with fair outcomes (&lt, 40% volume reduction in MR volumetry). Conclusions: The study revealed that following LVA, differences in some specific oxidative stress markers and antioxidant capacity can be found in the serum of patients with lymphedema.

An essential criterion for the selection of resorbable bioceramics is their ability to degrade inside human body within a reasonable time frame. Furthermore, if the bioceramic can release beneficial ions, such as strontium, as it degrades, recovery time might be shortened. The present study demonstrates that strontium-containing calcium sulfate (Sr,Ca)SO4 can fulfill these criteria. A long-term in vitro degradation analysis for 12 weeks using sintered (Sr,Ca)SO4 discs in phosphate buffered solution (PBS) was conducted. The sintered (Sr,Ca)SO4 disc was then implanted into defects in the distal femur of rats. The degradation rate of (Sr,Ca)SO4 discs showed a strong dependence on the Sr content. Similar results were observed between the long-term in vitro degradation analysis and the in vivo evaluation. The sintered (3.8%Sr,Ca)SO4 disc lost more than 80% of its initial weight after soaking in PBS with shaking at 37 °C for 12 weeks. After 12 weeks in vivo, the remaining volume of the (3.8%Sr,Ca)SO4 disc within the bone defect was ~25%. Over the same time period, new bone was formed at a relative volume of 40%. This study demonstrates the potential of (Sr,Ca)SO4 bioceramic, and the benefits of using a long-term degradation test during the evaluation of resorbable bioceramics.

The study evaluated the changes in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) of Oolong tea samples at each heat treatment stage of the manufacturing process, different post-treatment methods and different brewing conditions. The content of PAHs in the tea leaves was significantly increased during stir fixation (280 °C for 8 min) stage of the manufacturing process. In the subsequent heat treatment process, the PAHs content did not change much until the Oolong tea product (primary) was further roasted. The level of PAHs increased with the roasting time. Charcoal roasting resulted in higher PAHs content in the product compared with electric roasting. Higher brewing temperature caused higher level of PAHs released into the tea infusion. The level of released PAHs decreased with the increase of the number of tea brewing (the total released PAHs was about 4%). The risk assessment results for PAHs in the tea infusions showed a low level of health concern.

BackgroundWidely used in recent years, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) can be tracked during migration to injury sites, while also supporting tri-lineage differentiation. However, the relationship between the expression of green fluorescence and the magnitude of osteogenic differentiation is not clearly defined. Despite increasing use of eGFP-MSCs derived from the transgenic pigs and non-viral eGFP plasmid transfected MSCs in recent years, it remains unclear which cells are suitable for tracking during osteogenic differentiation, and whether the transfected plasmid alters osteogenic potential.MethodsWe compared the expression of green fluorescence and the magnitude of osteogenic differentiation between eGFP MSCs from a transgenic pig (group 1) and non-virally transfected eGFP-MSCs using transIT®-2020 (group 2). Non-transfected MSCs were used as control group (group 3). We also use a scaffold to compare the osteogenic induction environments created by 2-D monolayer cultures and 3-D cultures, respectivelyResultsIn the monolayer culture, flow cytometry from day 7 to day 28 showed that the percentage of green fluorescent cells in groups 1 and 2 were 99.6% and 59.7% of total cell counts, respectively. Quantification showed that eGFP expression peaked on day 7, decreased after day 14, and plateaued to day 28 in group 1 and group 2. Significant aggregation of eGFP over bone-like nodules was appreciated in group 1. In 3-D culture, eGFP expression increased from day 7 to day 28 in both groups, and was higher in group 1 than in group 2 at each time point. Osteogenic profiles and immunohistochemistry showed more significant osteogenic activity in group 1 and group 3 than in group 2. ConclusionsThe expression of eGFP in the test groups did not significantly change after osteogenic induction. However, quantification data was different in monolayer and 3-D cultures due to spatial limitations, differing extracellular environments, and heterogeneous cell morphology and methods of division. Osteogenic profiles and immunohistochemistry data confirmed that osteogenic potential did not change in transgenic pig-derived MSCs. However osteogenic potential decreased in pig MSCs (pig MSCs) treated with the transfection reagent, likely from related toxicity.

Gene therapy for bone tissue engineering has been widely developed. Recently, non-viral DNA-based gene therapy has been reported to be a safer and more efficient method of delivering DNA into target cells. We used a non-viral gene transfection reagent to delivery bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) gene into bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs). Primary BMSCs were isolated from rat femurs and transfected with BMP-2 plasmids. The transfection rate was analyzed using flow cytometry. The concentration of BMP-2 protein was quantified using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Levels of osteopontin and osteocalcin were measured to evaluate osteogenic differentiation. In vivo, we designed a critical-size calvarial defect rat model to study new bone regeneration, using Matrigel as a scaffold to carry BMP-2-transfected bone marrow stromal cells into the defect site. New bone formation was assessed by micro-computed tomography, X-ray, immunohistochemical staining and histomophometry. The transfection rate after 72 h was 31.5%. The BMP-2 protein level as well as osteopontin and osteocalcin expressions were higher in the experimental group (transfected with BMP-2) than the control group (transfected with green fluorescent protein, GFP). The in vivo study suggested that bone healing occurred 12 weeks after scaffold implantation. In addition, BMP-2-transfected bone marrow stromal cells provided better osteogenic differentiation than primary bone marrow stromal cells. Our findings suggest that non-viral gene therapy may be useful in bone tissue engineering. Significance The study has clinical implications for the wider use of BMP-2-transfected BMSCs for cell-based transplantation therapy in bone regeneration.

Antipsychotic medications play an important role in treating psychotic disorders such as delusions, chaotic thoughts, and hallucinations. However, the excessive usage of antipsychotic drugs can cause numerous undesired effects which results in strong demand for drug detection. In this report, iron vanadate nanoparticles (FeV NPs) were synthesized using a mild hydrothermal process for the electrooxidation of thioridazine hydrochloride (TDZ). In detail, FeV NPs with 50–100 nm size were obtained from the starting materials of Fe(NO3)3·9H2O/NH4VO3/(C6H9NO)n at 120 °C for 6 h. Systematic investigations such as XRD, FT–IR, Raman, FE-SEM, TEM, and XPS analyses were performed to establish the structural, morphological, and compositional profile of the prepared FeV NPs. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analysis exhibited fast electron transfer and the electrochemical experiments showed an excellent catalytic activity of FeV NPs modified electrode towards the electrooxidation of TDZ. As a result, the proposed electrode revealed a broad linear concentration range of 0.02–122.1 µM and the detection limit of 0.008 µM with exceptional selectivity in the existence of organic and inorganic compounds. As a proof of concept, the electrode was tested for the recognition of TDZ in human blood serum, with a high recovery range between 93% and 102%. The electrochemical sensing results put forward that the FeV NPs and their related composites will be a favorable candidate for sensing a variety of analytes in the future.

Since the EU introduced the European Landscape Convention (ELC) in 2000, the landscape has received growing attention in spatial planning and environmental impact assessments. To promote implementation of the ELC, the Swedish National Heritage Board proposed its Landscape Vision 2020, which addresses the goal of a ‘holistic landscape policy’. This study examined challenges and benefits brought by such a holistic approach to handling landscape protection/management within four issues in planning practice, namely cross-sector cooperation, local participation, integrating culture and nature, and bridging past and future. The analysis focused on a controversial road project passing through a World Heritage Site in Sweden. The results showed that the four issues were closely interlinked. In the case study, a new wave of cross-sector cooperation at authority level was observed, but it was also found to dominate the entire planning process and eventually limit the achievement of the other three issues. In conclusion, this study identified institutional culture and political context as key explanatory factors for understanding how the ELC and a holistic landscape view can be implemented in national practice.

Background The elderly are predisposed to septic arthritis (SA) because of the aging nature and increasing comorbidities. SA may in turn increase the long-term mortality in the geriatric patients; however, it remains unclear. We conducted this prospective nationwide population-based cohort study to clarify this issue. Methods Using Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD), we identified 1667 geriatric participants (≥ 65 years) with SA and 16,670 geriatric participants without SA matched at a ratio of 1:10 by age, sex, and index date between 1999 and 2010. A comparison of the long-term mortality between the two cohorts through follow-up until 2011 was performed. Results Geriatric participants with SA had a significantly increased mortality than those without SA [Adjusted hazard ratio (AHR): 1.49, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.34–1.66], particularly the old elderly (≥ 85 years, AHR: 2.12, 95% CI: 1.58–2.84) and males (AHR: 1.54, 95% CI: 1.33–1.79). These results were stated after adjustment for osteoarthritis, diabetes, gout, renal disease, liver disease, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, alcoholism, and human immunodeficiency virus infection. The increased mortality risk was highest in the first month (AHR: 3.93, 95% CI: 2.94–5.25) and remained increased even after following up for 2–4 years (AHR: 1.30, 95% CI: 1.03–1.65). After Cox proportional hazard regression analysis, SA (AHR: 1.37, 95% CI: 1.20–1.56), older age (≥ 85 years, AHR: 1.79, 95% CI: 1.59–2.02, 75–84 years, AHR: 1.65, 95% CI: 1.53–1.78), male sex, diabetes, renal disease, liver disease, cancer, and gout were independent mortality predictors. There was no significant difference in the mortality for SA between upper limb affected and lower limb affected. Conclusions This study delineated that SA significantly increased the long-term mortality in geriatric participants. For the increasing aging population worldwide, strategies for the prevention and treatment of SA and concomitant control of comorbidities are very important.

// Ching-Hua Hsieh 1, 2, * , Cheng-Shyuan Rau 3, * , Pao-Jen Kuo 1 , Shu-Hsuan Liu 4 , Chia-Jung Wu 1 , Tsu-Hsiang Lu 1 , Yi-Chan Wu 1 and Chia-Wei Lin 1 1 Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan 2 Center for Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan 3 Department of Neurosurgery, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan 4 Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada * These authors have contributed equally to this work Correspondence to: Ching-Hua Hsieh, email: m93chinghua@gmail.com Keywords: myelination, peripheral nerve regeneration, Schwann cells, sciatic nerve crush injury, toll-like receptors Received: May 09, 2017 Accepted: July 12, 2017 Published: August 10, 2017 ABSTRACT Background : Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are involved in the initiation of Schwann cell activation and subsequent recruitment of macrophages for clearance of degenerated myelin and neuronal debris after nerve injury. The present study was designed to investigate the regenerative outcome and expression of myelination-related factors in Tlr -knockout mice following a sciatic nerve crush injury. Materials and methods : A standard sciatic nerve crush injury, induced by applying constant pressure to the nerve with a No. 5 jeweler’s forceps for 30 s, was performed in C57BL/6, Tlr2 -/- , Tlr3 -/- , Tlr4 -/- , Tlr5 -/- , and Tlr7 -/- mice. Quantitative histomorphometric analysis of toluidine blue-stained nerve specimens and walking track analysis were performed to evaluate nerve regeneration outcomes. PCR Arrays were used to detect the expression of neurogenesis-related genes of dorsal root ganglia as well as of myelination-related genes of the distal nerve segments. Results : Worse nerve regeneration after nerve crush injury was found in all Tlr- knockout mice than in C57BL/6 mice. Delayed expression of myelin genes and a different expression pattern of myelination-related neurotrophin genes and transcription factors were found in Tlr -knockout mice in comparison to C57BL/6 mice. In these TLR-mediated pathways, insulin-like growth factor 2 and brain-derived neurotrophic factor, as well as early growth response 2 and N-myc downstream-regulated gene 1, were significantly decreased in the early and late stages, respectively, of nerve regeneration after a crush injury. Conclusions : Knockout of Tlr genes decreases the expression of myelination-related factors and impairs nerve regeneration after a sciatic nerve crush injury.