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The systematicness of phenomics and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) enable these two disciplines to interlink with each other. This article discussed the similarity in theory and application between TCM and phenomics and illustrates their respective advantages in diagnosis and treatment of diseases, forming a new discipline eventually. Chinese medicine phenomics (Chinmedphenomics) is built on classic TCM, combined with phenomics technology, and the development of which needs the mega cohort with TCM syndrome and the characteristics of precision medicine as well as multi-disciplinary cooperation, which is personalized, precise and promising, providing unique scientific insights into understanding human health.

Myogenic differentiation requires to be exactly explored for the effective treatment of fracture. The speed of healing is affected by skeletal muscle, linked to activation of specific myogenic transcription factors during the repair process. In previous study, we discovered that psoralen enhanced differentiation of osteoblast in primary mouse. In the current study, we show that psoralen stimulates myogenic differentiation through the secretion of factors to hone the quality of repair in fractured mice. 3-month old mice were treated with corn oil or psoralen followed by a tibial fracture surgery. Fractures were tested 7, 14, and 21 days respectively later by histology and images observation. Skeletal muscles including soleus muscle and posterior tibial muscle around the damaged bone were collected for quantitative real-time PCR, HE staining, as well as western blot. Daily treatment with psoralen at seven, fourteen days or twenty-one days improves protein or mRNA levels responsible for the whole myogenic differentiation process, makes the muscle fibers more tightly aligned, and promotes callus formation and development. This data shows that high levels of myogenic transcription factors in the process of fracture healing in mice foster the repair of damaged muscles, and indicates a pharmacological approach that targets myogenic differentiation to improve fracture repair. This also reflects the academic thought of "paying equal attention to both muscles and bones" in the prevention and treatment of fracture healing.

An ankle fracture is a fracture of the distal tibia or fibula that forms the ankle joint, usually associated with ligament and soft tissue injury, and is a common type of lower limb fracture and one of the most common types of fracture in the elderly. Although ankle fractures are one of the most common injuries seen by orthopedic trauma surgeons, there is no uniform protocol for the diagnosis and treatment of ankle fractures in the elderly, and there are many controversial indications for surgery. The aim of this study is to assess the clinical efficacy of different internal fixation methods in the treatment of distal fibular fractures in the elderly, in an effort to improve the rational selection and application of clinical acts. A retrospective analysis was performed on 68 cases of patients who suffered an ankle fracture and were treated with different internal fixation methods according to the fracture types and individual differences in distal fibula fractures. The postoperative therapeutic effect assessment was performed in terms of clinical examination, imaging evaluation, and AOFAS ankle-hind foot function scoring. There was no unhealed bone, ankle instability and loose/fractured internal fixation. Fracture healing time was 2.7 to 4.0 months (average 3.2 months). AOFAS score was 88.3 ± 6.2, of which, 34 excellent cases, 30 good cases, and 4 fair cases. Ankle activity dorsiflexion 6º~18º, average 15º; plantar flexion 26º~47º, average 37º. A good clinical efficacy could be achieved from the most appropriate individualized internal fixation for distal fibula fractures of elderly patients.

Background and purpose: Osteoporotic fracture (OPF) disrupts the balance of bone formation by osteoblasts and bone resorption by osteoclasts. we found that compounds from herbal medicine, Invigorate the Spleen and Tonify the Kidney Formula (ISTKF) accelerates fracture healing. Identification of the active ingredients in ISFKF and the mechanisms of fracture healing involved was carried out. Experimental approach: Using Pax7-Cre;β-catenin conditional knockout(cKO) mice, the mechanisms involved in promoting fracture healing were assessed by looking at the fracture site and its surrounding muscle tissue, using various experiments to analyze the signaling involved. The key molecules and compounds involved in this fracture-promoting effect were identified by HPLC analysis. Key results: Histopathological staining of muscles and micro-CT of bone revealed that β-catenin knockout in skeletal muscle satellite cells (SMSCs) gives rise to sarcopenia and osteopenia, and ISTKF significantly promoted muscle firmness and also increased proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of SMSCs. ISTKF inhibits the significant decrease in bone mass and the destruction of bone microstructure in Pax7-Cre;β-catenin cKO mice. ISTKF mediates the β-catenin signaling pathway to mobilize SMSCs to migrate to the fracture site, promotes the osteogenic differentiation of SMSCs, and promotes the activity of cartilage and osteoblasts at the OPF site. When β-catenin is promoted by ISTKF, it promotes skeletal muscle fiber remodeling and fractures healing. Conclusion and implications: These results provided the first practical evidence for ISTKF-mediated regulation of SMSCs via β-catenin to promote fracture healing with clinical implications that would aid in the treatment of delayed healing and nonunion of fractures.

The in situ glycan profiling of a single tumor cell plays an important role in personalized cancer treatment. Herein, an integrated microfluidic system was designed for living single-cell trapping and real-time monitoring of galactosyl expression on the surface, combining closed bipolar electrode (BPE) arrays and electrofluorochromic (EFC) imaging. Galactosyl groups on human liver cancer HepG2 cells were used as the model analysts, galactose oxidase (GAO) could selectively oxidize hydroxyl sites of galactosyl groups on the cell surface to aldehydes, and then biotin hydrazide (BH) was used to label the aldehydes by aniline-catalyzed hydrazone ligation. With the biotin-avidin system, nanoprobes were finally introduced to the galactosyl groups on the cell surface with avidin as a bridge, which was prepared by simultaneously assembling ferrocene-DNA (Fc-DNA) and biotin-DNA (Bio-DNA) on gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) due to their large surface area and excellent electrical conductivity. After a labeled single cell was captured in the anodic microchannel, the Fc groups attached on the cell surface were oxidized under suitable potential, and the nonfluorescent resazurin on the cathode was correspondingly reduced to produce highly fluorescent resorufin, collected by fluorescence confocal microscope. The combination of EFC imaging and BPE realized monitoring galactosyl group expression of 5.0 × 108 molecules per cell. Furthermore, the proposed platform had the ability to distinguish a single cancer cell from a normal cell according to the expression level of galactosyl groups and to dynamically monitor the galactosyl group variation on the cell surface, providing a simple and accessible method for the single-cell analysis.

Introduction Osthole has a potential therapeutic application for anti-osteoporosis. The present study verified whether osthole downregulates osteoclastogenesis via targeting OPG. Methods In vivo, 12-month-old male mice were utilized to evaluate the effect of osthole on bone mass. In vitro, bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs) were isolated and extracted from 3-month-old OPG−/− mice and the littermates of OPG+/+ mice. Calvaria osteoblasts were extracted from 3-day-old C57BL/6J mice or 3-day-old OPG−/− mice and the littermates of OPG+/+ mice. Results Osthole significantly increased the gene and protein levels of OPG in primary BMSCs in a dose-dependent manner. The deletion of the OPG gene did not affect β-catenin expression. The deletion of the β-catenin gene inhibited OPG expression in BMSCs, indicating that osthole stimulates the expression of OPG via activation of β-catenin signaling. Conclusion Osthole attenuates osteoclast formation by stimulating the activation of β-catenin-OPG signaling and could be a potential drug for the senile osteoporosis.

In this paper, a microfluidic impedance cytometer (MIC) was employed to analyze the dielectric properties of human white blood cells (WBCs) and four tumor cell lines and realize the label-free identification of cell types. The impedance of cells was detected using an asymmetric serpentine microchannel based MIC under four different frequencies simultaneously. The asymmetric serpentine microchannel achieved the elasto-inertial focusing of cells into a single train, ensuring accurate impedance detection of cells. Various dielectric parameters (cell diameters, impedance amplitude |Z|, impedance phase shift ΦZ, and electric opacities |Z

This study aims to explore the effect of Psoralen on myelosuppression, and investigating the mechanism involved in. The mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were treated with CTX to construct cell model of myelosuppression, and then with APP knockdown or overexpression transfection. Cell proliferation, cell apoptosis, bone growth factors, and hematopoietic growth factors were identified. The animal model of myelosuppression syndrome was established by intraperitoneal injection of cyclophosphamide (CTX) into C57BL/6 mice, and then with APP knockdown transfection. The effect of Psoralen on myelosuppression mice with APP knockdown was explored, including observin the number of hematopoietic stem cells and bone marrow MSCs, detecting the degree of osteoporosis and the number of osteoclasts. The expression of phosphorylation-amyloid precursor protein (p-APP), bone growth factors, and hematopoietic growth factors were also examined. We found that CTX treatment inhibited cell proliferation, induced cell apoptosis, promoted p-APP/APP, and inhibited the expression of aph-1 homolog A (APH-1α), presenilin enhancer-2 (PEN-2), the receptor of advanced glycation endproducts (RAGE). Psoralen pretreatment effectively promoted cell proliferation, suppressed cell apoptosis, inhibited p-APP/APP and stimulated the expression of APH-1α, PEN-2, RAGE compared with CTX treatment. After APP knockdown, cell proliferation was inhibited, and cell apoptosis was increased. The release of bone growth factors and hematopoietic growth factors was decreased. Psoralen pretreatment could reverse the effect of APP knockdown on MSCs and myelosuppression mice. In conclusion, Psoralen treatment inhibited cell apoptosis and regulated bone growth factors and hematopoietic growth factors in myelosuppression syndrome by suppressing the phosphorylation of APP.

Background. Golden plaster is the preferred and most commonly used in China for pain reduction in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA). However, there was no evidence-based medical evidence about its effect in relieving pain of knee OA patients. Here, a multicenter randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was performed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of golden plaster for the improvement of pain relief and function’s obstacle in patients with knee OA. Methods. 320 patients with knee OA were enrolled at four hospitals and randomly divided into the treatment group and the control group with 160 subjects in each group. Patients in treatment group were treated with golden plaster, and those in control group with placebo plaster. The study cycle in both groups was 21 days. Patient visits were documented before treatment and 7-, 14-, and 21-day follow-ups after treatment. The outcomes included VAS score, WOMAC score, and adverse events. Results. Compared to the control group, the VAS score in the treatment group was significantly decreased after treatment with golden plaster for 7 days, 14 days, and 21 days. Compared to the control group, the WOMAC score in the treatment group was significantly decreased 14 days and 21 days. The incidence rate of adverse events had no statistical difference between both the groups. Conclusions. In conclusion, our study, for the first time by carrying on the double-blind and placebo-controlled randomized trial, showed that golden plaster can effectively alleviate the pain of knee and improve the physical function in the patients with knee OA. This trial is registered with ChiCTR-TRC-13003418.

With the development of the Internet, numerous new applications have emerged, the features of which are constantly changing. It is necessary to perform application classification detection on the network traffic to monitor the changes in the applications. Using RelSamp to sample traffic can provide the sampled traffic with sufficient application features to support application classification. RelSamp separately assigns counters for each flow to record the statistical features and introduces a collision chain into the hash flow table to resolve hash conflicts in the table entries. However, in high-speed networks, owing to the number of concurrent flows and heavy-tailed nature of the traffic, the storage allocation method of RelSamp results in a significant waste of storage on the traffic sampling device. Moreover, the hash conflict resolution of RelSamp causes the collision chains of several hash table entries to be excessively deep, thereby reducing the search efficiency of the flow nodes. To overcome the shortcomings of RelSamp, this study presents a sampling model known as MiniSamp. Based on the RelSamp sampling mechanism, MiniSamp introduces shared counter trees to compress the storage space of the counters during the sampling process and integrates an efficient search tree into the hash table. The search tree structure is adjusted according to the network environment to improve the search efficiency of the flow nodes. The experimental results demonstrate that MiniSamp can effectively aid network operators to classify traffic in the high-speed network.

Although a lot of AC corrosion failure cases and research work on cathodically protected pipelines have been reported, the mechanism of AC corrosion process has not been completely understood and there still exist many debates on AC corrosion assessment criteria under cathodic protection (CP), especially under high CP level. The AC corrosion simulation experiments in three kinds of environments were conducted to study the AC corrosion behavior under different conditions. Based on AC corrosion rates and corresponding AC current density, DC IR-free potential and DC current density, the AC corrosion rate assessment diagrams were obtained and the threshold values for AC and DC parameters were proposed. Besides, the AC corrosion morphologies, products, local environment parameters and electrochemical characteristics were measured and analyzed under the combined effects of AC and CP. The effect of hydrogen evolution reaction on AC corrosion process under high CP level was discussed based on the electrical equivalent circuit model at the steel/electrolyte interface, dynamic electrochemical reaction process and the change of local environment close to the specimen surface.

We report here an easy-fabricated and disposable polymer-film microfluidic impedance cytometer (PMIC) integrated with inertial focusing and parallel facing electrodes for cell sensing. The cells are first focused in an asymmetric serpentine channel, and then their impedance signals are measured when passing through the electrode region. The proposed PMIC device is the first impedance cytometer that is fabricated into a flexible sheet (with a thickness of 0.45 mm) by using the materials of commonly-available ITO-coated polymer films and double-sided adhesive tapes, the whole fabrication process is shortened from traditional 3–4 days to less than 5 min by using UV laser cutting. To verify the feasibility of our device for cell sensing, we explore the focusing behaviors of three differently sized particles and two types of tumor cells, and analyze their impedance signals. The results show that our device is capable of obtaining impedance information on numbers, diameters, and longitudinal positions of cells. We envision that our PMIC device is promising in label-free cell sensing owning to the advantages of low cost, small footprint, and simple fabrication.

In this paper, we present a 3D-printed impedance flow cytometer array for parallel detection of cellular biomarkers. All components of this device were fabricated by additive manufacturing techniques including detection electrode arrays printed using conductive polymer and microscale sensing channels printed using non-conductive polymer. We tested this device at both DC and AC cytometry modes. The particle sizing error is less than 8.6%, and total throughput of 16 parallel sensing units is 200 counts/s at DC flow cytometry mode. White blood cells, lung cancer cells (A549) and breast cancer cells (MCF-7) were used to evaluate the device’s performance at AC flow cytometry mode. Based on cells’ dielectric properties and machine learning algorithms, this device is capable to identify cell types with accuracy higher than 93%, which demonstrates that 3D printing techniques are capable to customize electrical impedance flow cytometer array for parallel analysis of cellular biomarkers.

In the last few years, data driven control is growing very rapidly owing that it does not require identification process of the plant. The data driven controller can be designed directly by the input and output measurement data. This paper studies how to design the optimal input signal for data driven control, and proposes a new input signal optimal correlation function. The optimal input signal is designed such that the expected value of the considered control is reduced. Here some results and conditions which are tools to improve the convergence of classical prediction error method are extended into data driven control. In addition, the candidate attraction domain of the objective function is proposed, and a convergence condition is derived, which can ensure that a given set is a candidate attraction domain. In general, the results and conditions corresponding to the optimal input signal for data driven control are different from classical model based methods. Finally, simulation examples verify the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed strategy.

Single-cell impedance analysis can provide valuable information for characterizing and discriminating cells. In this paper, a cost-effective portable microfluidic impedance cytometer (MIC) was proposed to realize the broadband impedance analysis of cells by using maximum length sequence (MLS) and viscoelastic focusing. The MIC comprised a microfluidic chip with a straight microchannel, two indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes, and a home-made platform performing maximum length sequence technique. The viscoelastic focusing enabled cells to focus into a single train to eliminate the influence of cell position variation on acquired electrical signals and allow the cells to pass through the detection region one by one. The MLS technique realized the fast broadband impedance detection of single cells at a low hardware cost. The impedance data under multiplex frequencies was obtained to uncover the dielectric properties of white blood cells (WBCs) and MCF-7 cancer cells. The machine learning was used to train the impedance data and to identify cell types. The results indicated that 98.98% of MCF-7 cells and 98.65% of WBCs were correctly identified. Our MIC showed a potential to be developed as a cost-effective and portable device for point-of-care testing of circulating tumor cells from patients' peripheral blood.

OBJECTIVE This study was to determine the bone protective effects and underlying mechanisms of Osthole (OT) in ovariectomized (OVX) mice. We found that the inhibitory effects of OT on receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand (RANKL)-activated osteoclastogenesis are responsible for its bone protective effects in OVX mice. METHODS Eight-week-old mice were ovariectomized and OT (10 mg/kg/d) was intraperitoneally administrated to OVX mice 7 days after the surgery and were sacrificed at the end of the 3 months. Osteoclasts were generated from primary bone marrow macrophages (BMMs) to investigate the inhibitory effects of OT. The activity of RANKL-activated signaling was simultaneously analyzed in vitro and in vivo using immunohistochemistry, Western blot, and PCR assays. RESULTS OT dose dependently inhibited RANKL-mediated osteoclastogenesis in BMM cultures. OT administration attenuated bone loss (mg Ha/cm: 894.68 ± 33.56 vs 748.08 ± 19.51, P

In this paper, we present a portable single-cell analysis system with the hydrodynamic cell trapping and the broadband electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Using the least flow resistance path principle, the hydrodynamic cell trapping in serpentine arrays can be carried out in a deterministic and automatic manner without the assistance of any external fields. The experimental results show that a cell trap rate of higher than 95% can be easily achieved in our cell trapping microdevices. Using the maximum length sequences (MLS) technique, our home-made EIS is capable of measuring the impedance spectrum ranging from 1.953 kHz to 1 MHz in approximately 0.5 ms. Finally, on the basis of the developed single-cell analysis system, we precisely monitor the trapping process of human breast tumor cells (MCF-7 cells) according to the changes of electrical impedance. The MCF-7 cells with different trapping conditions or sizes can also be clearly distinguished through the impedance signals. Our portable single-cell analysis system may provide a promising tool to monitor single cells for long periods of time or to discriminate cell types.

Depression is partially caused by inflammation in central nervous system. This study investigated the ameliorative effects of phenol glycosides (PG) from Ligustrum lucidum Ait. (Oleaceae) on neuroinflammation and depressive-like behavior in mice hypothalamus as well as the molecular mechanism. Mice were administered with PG extract for 2 weeks prior to treatment with LPS. The mice treated with PG extract showed resistance to LPS-induced reduction in body weight and LPS-induced depressive-like behaviors shown by sucrose preference, tail suspension test, forced swimming test and open field test. LPS-induced activation of microglial cells and elevation in protein expression of inflammatory cytokines including IL-1β, RANTES and MCP-1 in hypothalamus of mice were abrogated by pre-treatment with PG extract. This extract down-regulated expression of TLR4, MyD88, NLRP3, renin and angiotensin II and decreased proportional area of Iba-1+ microglias in hypothalamus. Pre-treatment with PG extract inhibited LPS-triggered activation of CaSR/Gα11 signaling, stimulated 1-OHase expression in hypothalamus, and enhanced circulating 1,25(OH)2 D3 level. Overall, pre-treatment with PG extract ameliorated LPS-induced depressive-like behaviors by repressing neuroinflammation in mice hypothalamus which was attributed to its suppression on activation of microglia and production of inflammatory cytokines via acting on TLR4 pathway, CaSR and RAS cascade associated with improving vitamin D metabolism.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have the potential to be utilized as disease-specific biomarkers. Although strategies for on-chip isolation and detection of EVs have recently been developed, they need preprocessing of clinical samples and are not accurate enough for disease diagnosis just judging by EVs concentration. Here, we designed an integrated microfluidic device named a plasma separation and EV detection (PS-ED) chip for plasma separation, quantification, and high-throughput protein analysis of EVs directly from clinical whole blood samples. The device included two modules (PS and ED module): the PS module was a six-loop microchannel for rapid separation of plasma from clinical whole blood samples under inertial force; the amount of EVs in the separated plasma kept the same value as in the initial blood samples. The module reduced the mechanical damage to the blood cells and thus reduced the interference of debris or cellular contents from damaged cells during EVs detection; the ED module contained four S-channels for quantification and high-throughput protein analysis of EVs; a wide detection range from 2.5 × 102 to 2.5 × 108 particles/μL with a detection limit of 95 particles/μL was obtained. Through simultanously monitoring three proteins (CD81, CD24, and EpCAM) of EVs, the cancer type can be accurately confirmed. Furthermore, clinical blood sample analysis verified that the proposed device could be used for accurate diagnosis and therapy monitoring of ovarian cancer.

Background Previous studies have found that bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) were capable of self-replication, multi-differentiation, and regeneration. The aim of this study was to carry out a systematic review and meta-analysis of the efficacy of BMSC therapy for ovariectomized rats. Methods The PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP, and Chinese Sinomed databases were searched systematically from their initiation date to October 5, 2018. Two researchers independently screened the literatures, which used the bone mineral density (BMD), total bone volume by total tissue volume (BV/TV) (%), and trabecular thickness/spacing (Tb/Sp) as the outcome measures. Results Five eligible studies were selected. In the BMSC treatment groups, the BMD values and normalized BV/TV values remarkably increased. In addition, in the BMSCs plus other treatment groups, the BMD and Tb/Sp values significantly increased. Conclusion This study showed that BMSCs could accelerate callus maturity, ossification and restore mechanical properties of bones in osteoporotic fractures.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play an important role in the development of bone-related diseases. This study was conducted to investigate the role and mechanism of lncRNA X inactive specific transcript (XIST) in the occurrence of cervical ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL). Here, primary human ligament fibroblasts cells (LFCs) were isolated from 30 cases of OPLL and 30 normal cervical posterior longitudinal ligament (non-OPLL) tissues to perform the qPCR and Western blot assay. We found that the mRNA level of lncRNA XIST was significantly increased in OPLL LFCs compared to non-OPLL LFCs. By bioinformatics analysis, we found that lncRNA XIST has four binding sites for miR-17-5p and found that the mRNA level of miR-17-5p was also significantly decreased in OPLL LFCs compared to non-OPLL LFCs. Since AHNAK is the target gene of miR-17-5p, we further found that the expression of AHNAK was significantly reduced in non-OPLL LFCs after being transfected with miR-17-5p mimic. The qPCR results showed that the mRNA expressions of BMP2 and Runx2 were significantly decreased. After being transfected with lncRNA XIST siRNA in the non-OPLL LFCs, the mRNA levels of lncRNA XIST, AHNAK, BMP2, and Runx2 were significantly decreased and the phosphorylated protein of Smad1/5/8 was reduced. After being cultured by mechanical vibration, the mRNA levels of lncRNA XIST, AHNAK, BMP2, Runx2, COL1, OC, OPN, and Phospho1 were significantly increased, but the mRNA expression of miR-17-5p was significantly decreased. The expression of phosphorylated Smad1/5/8 protein was also significantly increased. Together, this study was the first to determine that XIST gene inhibition plays an important role in the occurrence of cervical OPLL, through the mechanism of regulation of miR-17-5P/AHNAK/BMP2 signaling pathway. Thus, XIST may be a potential target that could be modulated for the treatment of cervical OPLL.

In this paper, we present a novel impedance microcytometer integrated with inertial focusing and liquid electrode techniques for high-throughput cell counting and discrimination. The inertial prefocusing unit orders cells into a determinate train to reduce the possibility of cell adhesions and ensure that only one cell passes through detection region at a time, which improves the accuracy of downstream detection. The liquid electrodes are constructed by inserting Ag/AgCl wires into the electrode chambers filled with flowing highly conductive electrolyte solutions, which have a high detection sensitivity while requiring a simple fabrication process. The effects of main sample flow rate, feed flow rate in electrode chambers, and feed solution type on measured impedance signals are experimentally explored. On the basis of the optimized system, we establish a linear relationship between the amplitude of impedance peaks and the volume of size-calibrated particles and achieve a high detection throughput of ∼5000 cells/s. Finally, using the calibrated microcytometer, we further investigate the size distributions of human breast tumor cells (MCF-7 cells) and leukocytes (white blood cells (WBCs)) and set a threshold amplitude to successfully distinguish the MCF-7 cells spiked in WBCs. Our impedance microcytometer may provide a potential tool for label-free cell enumeration and identification.

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of osthole on osteoclast formation and bone loss in a mouse model of 5/6 nephrectomy. The mice in control and osthole groups were treated 1 month following 5/6 nephrectomy with either a placebo or osthole, respectively. At 2 months post‑nephrectomy, the L4 vertebrae were harvested. The bone mineral density (BMD) of cancellous bone was measured using micro‑CT and tartrate‑resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining was performed to evaluate osteoclast formation. Immunohistochemistry staining and reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction were performed to detect the expression of nuclear factor of activated T‑cells, cytoplasmic‑1 (NFATc‑1), c‑Fos, cathepsin K, Trap, matrix metalloproteinase 9 (Mmp9), osteoprotegerin (Opg) and receptor activator for nuclear factor‑κB ligand (Rankl). Bone marrow cells were cultured with osthole, and osteoclast formation was shown by TRAP staining. Primary calvaria osteoblasts were cultured with osthole, and expression levels of Opg and Rankl were detected. Compared with the sham group, the BMD of mice in model group was significantly reduced. The numbers of osteoclasts and the expression levels of NFATc‑1, c‑Fos, cathepsin K and Mmp9 were significantly increased. Compared with the control group, the mice in the osthole group exhibited increased BMD of the L4 vertebrae, a reduction in osteoclast numbers and decreased expression levels of NFATc‑1, c‑Fos, cathepsin K and Mmp9. In vitro experiments also showed that osteoclast formation was decreased following treatment with osthole. Osteoprotegerin (Opg)/receptor activator for nuclear factor‑κB ligand (Rankl) was upregulated by osthole treatment in the L4 vertebrae and in primary cultures of calvarial osteoblasts. Osthole inhibited osteoclast formation and partially reversed the bone loss induced by 5/6 nephrectomy in mice through the upregulation of OPG/RANKL.

Performance of magnesium sacrificial anode under alternating current was investigated in 4 g/L Na2SO4 simulated backfill solution by weight-loss measurements for 96 h, electrochemical measurements and surface examination. Alternating current increased the dissolution of magnesium, and at the same time, its DC potential shifted positively. The output cathodic protection current decreased at alternating current density of 50 A/m2. Polarity reversal occurred to magnesium sacrificial anode as soon as alternating current interference of 100 A/m2 (or larger) was applied. Besides the “instant effect”, the polarity reversal showed a “time effect”. It disappeared gradually at alternating current density of 100 A/m2. When alternating current density was more than 200 A/m2, the polarity reversal remained throughout the experiment (96 h). Based on the results of electrochemical measurements and surface examination, mechanism of polarity reversal was proposed. Keywords: Magnesium, Sacrificial anode cathodic protection, Alternating current, Polarity reversal, Instant effect, Time effect

Lumbar disc herniation (LDH) is a common, disabling musculoskeletal disorder. Magnetic resonance imaging has clarified the natural history of lumbar disc lesions and has documented that disc lesions can become smaller and can even be completely resorbed. Previous studies have confirmed that some traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) therapies can promote resorption of the protrusion. However, high-quality research evidence is needed to support the effectiveness of the protocol. Objective: This clinical trial aims to establish whether TCM can promote the resorption of LDH and to assess the efficacy of such therapy for LDH, thereby evaluating its clinical effect. Methods: The present study design is for a single-center, 2-arm, open-label randomized controlled trial. A total of 150 eligible LDH patients will be randomly assigned to either a TCM treatment group or a control group in a 1:1 ratio. Patients in the TCM group will be administered a TCM decoction for 4 weeks. Patients in the conventional drug control group will be instructed to take a specific daily dose of celecoxib. The primary outcome measure is the change from baseline in the volume of the protrusion, as assessed using MR images. Secondary outcome measures include visual analog scale pain scores and Japanese Orthopaedic Association scores assessed at 3 and 6 months. Discussion: The design and methodological rigor of this trial will allow evaluation of the basic clinical efficacy and safety data for TCM in the treatment of patients with LDH. The trial will also assess whether TCM can promote the resorption of LDH. This research will therefore help provide a solid foundation for the clinical treatment of LDH and for future research in TCM therapy. Trial registration: ChiCTR1900022377.

The effects of alternating current on the galvanic coupling zinc/pipeline steel were investigated in 4 g/L Na2SO4 simulated backfill solution by weight-loss measurements for 96 hr, electrochemical measurements, and surface examinations. Alternating current accelerates the dissolution of zinc significantly but reduces the corrosion rate of pipeline steel. Under an applied alternating current, zinc DC potential shifts negatively while the DC potential shift direction of pipeline steel is closely related to the value of alternating current density. When the alternating current density is low the DC potential shifts negatively. It, however, shifts positively under higher alternating current density. Besides, the coupling current increases with alternating current density.

In this work, corrosion behavior of carbon steel under the application of alternating current (AC) was investigated in electrolyte solutions with five different pH levels, from near-neutral to alkaline condition, through weight loss measurements, potential monitoring techniques, potentiodynamic polarization tests, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) tests, and surface examination. It is found that the corrosion rate of carbon steel decreases with increasing pH value toward the alkaline end while increases with increasing AC current density. When the solution pH becomes highly alkaline, say, 12, passivation occurs on carbon steel surfaces, with an enlarging passive region as pH increases. However, it is worth noting that the passive film suffers from mechanical breakdown when the applied AC current density reaches a critical level. Based on these results, an AC corrosion mechanism of carbon steel in near-neutral and alkaline environment is proposed.