Search

Serratia marcescens is now becoming a propensity for its highly antimicrobial-resistant clinical infections. Currently, it provides a novel strategy to prevent and control microbial infection by regulating S. marcescens quorum sensing (QS). Deep-sea-derived fungi are rich in QS bioactive constituents. In this work, the extracts from Cladosporium sphaerospermum SCSGAF0054 showed potent QS-related virulence factors and biofilm-inhibiting activities against S. marcescens NJ01. The swimming motility and multiple virulence factors such as prodigiosin, exopolysaccharide (EPS), lipase, protease and hemolysin were moderately inhibited by the extracts at varied concentrations. The confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) images revealed that C. sphaerospermum extracts moderately arrested biofilm formation and cell viability. Further, real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) analysis revealed that expressions of genes associated with virulence factors, flhD, fimA, fimC, bsmA, bsmB, pigA, pigC, and shlA, were significantly down-regulated compared with control. In addition, the extracts combined with imipenem inhibited the QS system of S. marcescens NJ01, disrupted its preformed biofilm, released the intra-biofilm bacteria and killed the bacteria gradually. Therefore, the extracts combined with imipenem can partially restore bacterial drug sensitivity. These results suggest that the extracts from SCSGAF0054 effectively interfere with the QS system to treat S. marcescens infection alone or combining with classical antimicrobial drugs.

Objective: The objective of the study was to investigate the relationship between types of disc displacement (DD) diagnosed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and the risk (presence or absence) and severity of condylar erosion (CE) graded using cone‐beam computed tomography (CBCT) in adult Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) patients. Methods: A total of 353 TMD patients (283 females, 70 males) underwent MRI scans to categorise DD as normal (NA), anterior displacement with reduction (ADDR), or anterior displacement without reduction (ADDNR). CE severity was graded on a scale of 0–3 (absence, mild, moderate or severe) using CBCT. To establish the plausibility and cut‐off points for CE diagnosis, the severity of CE was then further divided into three classifications: Grade 0 versus 1 + 2 + 3; Grades 0 + 1 versus 2 + 3; Grades 0 + 1 + 2 versus 3. Logistic regression analysis was performed, adjusting for age, gender and joint correlation. Results: ADDNR significantly increased the risk of CE compared with NA (OR = 10.04, 95% CI: [6.41, 15.73]) and showed a significant increase in CE severity across all classifications (ORs = 10.04–18.95). The effects of ADDNR were significant in both genders (p <.001) and had a greater impact in females. ADDR was predominantly associated with mild CE. Conclusions: ADDNR significantly increased the risk and severity of CE independent of gender when compared to NA, whereas ADDR was mainly associated with mild CE. Slight cortical discontinuity may represent a subclinical diagnosis requiring further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How to achieve an effective balance between functionality and comfort is a key factor in the design of the top part of socks. In order to make the top part of socks more consistent with the characteristics of pressure distribution at the lower leg while improving pressure comfort, the lower leg and foot of the human body was taken as the research object, and Mimics software was used to establish a three-dimensional model of the lower leg and foot. ABAQUS software was applied to simulate the pressure distribution state of the lower leg at the top part of the socks and the stress trend in each region of the lower leg after wearing experimental socks. In order to further study the compression state of the lower leg section at the top part of the socks after wearing the socks, the section was divided into eight regions according to the angle, and the functional relationship between pressure and displacement was obtained through curve fitting. Meanwhile, the volume shrinkage of the eight regions of the lower leg section after compression was calculated, respectively. Results showed that the curvature radius of the lower leg, the thickness of the soft tissue and the position of the skeleton jointly affected the pressure and displacement values after wearing socks, and the distribution trend of volume shrinkage was different at each region of the lower leg section. The conclusion could provide the theoretical basis for the optimization design of the tightness degree of the top part of socks in different regions, and provide a data reference for the research and development of pressure socks that meet the required pressure comfort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spinal cord injury (SCI) is a detrimental neurological disease involving the primary mechanical injury and secondary inflammatory damage. Curtailing the detrimental neuroinflammation would be beneficial for spinal cord function recovery. Microglia reside in the spinal cord and actively participate in the onset, progression and perhaps resolution of post-SCI neuroinflammation. In the current study, we tested the effects of methylene blue on microglia both in vitro and in a rat SCI model. We found that methylene blue inhibited the protein levels of IL-1β and IL-18 rather than their mRNA levels in activated microglia. Further investigation indicated that methylene blue deceased the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome and NLRC4 inflammasome in microglia in vitro. Moreover, in the rat SCI model, the similar effect of methylene blue on post-SCI microglia was also observed, except that the activation of NLRC4 inflammasome was not seen. The inhibition of microglia NLRP3 inflammasome was associated with down-regulation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS). The administration of methylene blue mitigated the overall post-SCI neuroinflammation, demonstrated by decreased pro-inflammatory cytokine production and leukocyte infiltrates. Consequently, the neuronal apoptosis was partially inhibited and the hind limb locomotor function was ameliorated by methylene blue treatment. Our research highlights the role of methylene blue in inhibiting post-SCI neuroinflammation, and suggests that methylene blue might be used for SCI therapy.

In order to solve the problems of low protective performance and poor pressure comfort of human body caused by imperfect protection, uneven pressure distribution of functional protecting waist, the influence of functional protecting waist on human body was studied and summarized in the field of medical care and sports. Through the selection of new materials, the addition of intelligent equipment, the rational distribution of pressure based on human body structure and other aspects, the development trend of functional waist protection is prospected to make the waist protection development toward the direction of intelligent, personalized, comfortable and functional, and provide reference for the optimization of functional waist protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inward displacement perpendicular to the body surface produced by external pressure is an important index to evaluate the pressure comfort and optimal design of apparel products. In this paper, we studied on the functional relationship of pressure, displacement and angle when the body was in dynamic state after dressing. The dynamic pressure was divided into two parts: pressure with time (instantaneous, 1, 2, 4, 8 and 12 h) and pressure with movement (walking which described as upright position, leg lift 10°, leg lift 30° and foot backward off the ground). The displacement of each point on the lower leg cross section in four stages of walking process and six periods of time were simulated by ANSYS finite element software. After fitting, the functional curves between pressure/displacement ratio and the angle were obtained. By comparing, we found out that all the curves were presented nearly complete uniform curving form no matter what state of the human body was in. That is, when the human body was under clothing pressure, the corresponding displacement value on the body surface can be calculated on the premise of the known pressure value at any point of lower leg cross section during the wearing process by functional equation. All these solutions supplied a theoretical reference for optimal design of the top part of men's socks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Socks are one of the most important clothes in people's daily life. This study aimed at the problems existing in the wearing of socks, took the top part of men's socks as research object, and the contact between human body and socks as elastic contact. The position and shape of skin, soft tissue, and bones in lower leg cross section were acquired through non-contact three-dimensional human scanning and CT scan. Based on these, finite element model of the lower leg cross-section and top part of socks were established for the first time, respectively. Because wearing socks is a continuous process, consequently, we defined the maximum time putting on the sample socks as 12 h in this research work, and then divided the periods of dressing time into six stages, which were instantaneous, 1 h, 2 h, 4 h, 8 h, and 12 h, respectively. After simulating the distribution of pressure and displacement of the top part of socks in dressing using ANSYS software, we divided the lower leg cross section into 12 equal regions according to angle considering the displacement distribution, and then obtained the area shrinkage of each region in six periods of times by calculation. According to the tendency of area shrinkage distribution, the top part of men's sock could be designed with a different degree of elasticity in diverse regions combined with subjective pressure comfort during the course of sock design. All these solutions are of great significance to the optimization design of socks and can provide theoretical basis for the structural improvement of functional socks and the prediction of clothing pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports a study of pressure, displacement, and area shrinkage mass distribution with time between the human body and compression garment using finite element method according to ergonomics. After creating the function between pressure/displacement ratios and angle, it indicated that multiple relationship between pressure and displacement almost unaffected by wearing time. The corresponding displacement value can be calculated on the premise of the known pressure value at any point and any time during the wearing process by functional equation. Considering displacement distribution, we divided the lower leg into 12 equal regions according to angle, and then calculated area shrinkage mass of each region. According to area shrinkage mass distribution, the top part of men’s sock could be designed with different degree of tightness combined with subjective pressure comfort. All these solutions supplied a theoretical reference for optimal design of the top part of men’s sock. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]