Intraarticular botulinum toxin type A versus corticosteroid or hyaluronic acid for painful knee osteoarthritis: A meta-analysis of head-to-head randomized controlled trials.

Intraarticular botulinum toxin type A (BTA) has been shown to be effective for painful knee osteoarthritis (KOA), while the efficacy and safety of intraarticular BTA compared to corticosteroid and hyaluronic acid (HA) remains unknown. A meta-analysis was performed to compare. A search was conducted in Medline (PubMed), CENTER (Cochrane Library), Embase (Ovid), Web of Science, Wanfang, and CNKI to find head-to-head randomized controlled trials (RCTs) directly compare the efficacy and safety between intraarticular BTA and intraarticular corticosteroid or HA for patients with painful KOA. The Cochrane Q test and estimation of I2 were used to assess heterogeneity among studies. After incorporating heterogeneity, a random-effects model was employed for data pooling. Overall, six RCTs involving 348 adults with KOA were included. Intraarticular BTA showed similar efficacy with corticosteroid as evidenced by the changes of pain visual analog scale (VAS: -0.35 [-0.97, 0.28]), total Western Ontario McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC: 0.28 [-4.13, 4.69]), and WOMAC for pain (0.64 [-0.42, 1.70]), stiffness (-0.02 [-0.54, 0.50]), and function (0.00 [-2.99, 3.00]). Intraarticular BTA was shown to be more effective than HA in improving pain VAS (-1.31 [-1.97, -0.64]) and WOMAC for pain (-4.81 [-8.73, -0.89]), while the influence on WOMAC for knee stiffness (-1.01 [-4.43, 2.41]) and knee function (-1.86 [-6.71, 2.99]) were similar between groups. No serious adverse events were reported. Evidence from pilot RCTs suggests that intraarticular BTA may confer similar efficacy to corticosteroid for KOA, while BTA may be superior to HA for improving knee pain.

The role of postoperative piriformis fossa and greater trochanter tubercle distance to predict cutout failure after cephalomedullary nail fixation.

BACKGROUND: This study investigated the association between postoperative piriformis fossa and greater trochanter tubercle distance (distance from the deepest point of piriformis fossa to the most lateral greater trochanter tubercle [PG]) and cutout failure after cephalomedullary nail (CMN) osteosynthesis for intertrochanter fracture (ITF). A rotating femur model was designed to analyze PG variation during femur rotation. METHODS: From 2005 to 2010, 311 patients diagnosed of ITF (Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Osteosynthesefragen/Orthopaedic Trauma Association [AO/OTA] 31-A2 and A3) underwent CMN fixation at our institute were reviewed. Of these, 281 (90.3%) patients achieved union without complication, 21 (6.8%) had cutout failure, six (1.9%) had femoral head osteonecrosis, and three (1%) had nonunion during postoperative 2-year follow-up. The side difference of postoperative PG compared to contralateral uninjured hip (dPG) was analyzed between patients who had cutout failure and those who did not. In the rotating femur model, the PG was measured for every 2.5° increments of internal and external rotation from 0° to 50°. RESULTS: The dPG was significantly higher in the failure group (10.2 ± 4.2 vs 6.6 ± 3.5 mm, p <0.001). The odds ratio for lag screw cutout was 6.35 (95% CI, 1.10-11.6, p =0.003) for every 1 mm dPG increment. dPG exhibited high diagnostic performance in predicting cutout failure according to receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. The area under the curve was 0.774 (95% CI, 0.711-0.837). dPG yielded the greatest sensitivity (78.4%) and specificity (78.4%) to predict lag screw cutout when cutoff value being 8.65 mm. In rotating femur model, PG change from baseline demonstrated significant ( p <0.001) positive and negative correlation with increased external and internal rotation, respectively. CONCLUSION: Increased dPG is a risk factor of cutout failure for ITF osteosynthesis with CMN. In conjunction with tip-apex distance, fracture displacement, and reduction quality; dPG can help surgeons interpret postoperative radiograph and predict failure. However, it should be noticed that a proper and standard patient positioning is critical for accurate dPG measurement.

Crosslinking chitosan with glucose via the modified Maillard reaction promotes the osteoinduction of mouse MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblasts.

Bone defects are a common clinical issue, but therapeutic efficiency can be challenging in cases of more considerable traumas or elderly patients with degenerated physiological metabolism. To address this issue, a more suitable cell-biomaterial construct promoting bone regeneration has been extensively investigated, with the chitosan scaffold being considered a potential candidate. In this study, chitosan was crosslinked with different doses of glucose (CTS-10~50%Glc) using a modified Maillard reaction condition to develop a more appropriate cell-biomaterial construct. Mouse MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblasts were seeded onto the scaffolds to examine their osteoinductive capability. The results showed that CTS-Glc scaffolds with higher glucose contents effectively improved the adhesion and survival of mouse MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblasts and promoted their differentiation and mineralization. It was further demonstrated that the membrane integrin α5 subunit of pre-osteoblasts is the primary adhesion molecule that communicates with CTS-Glc scaffolds. After that, Akt signaling was activated, and then bone morphogenetic protein 4 was secreted to initiate the osteoinduction of pre-osteoblasts. The prepared CTS-Glc scaffold, with enhanced osteoinduction capability and detailed mechanism elucidations, offers a promising candidate material for advancing bone tissue engineering and clinical regenerative medicine. As a result, this study presents a potential tool for future clinical treatment of bone defects.

Changes of gut microbiota under different nutritional methods in elderly patients with severe COVID-19 and their relationship with prognosis.

Background: The clinical progression of individuals afflicted with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection exhibits significant heterogeneity, particularly affecting the elderly population to a greater extent. Consequently, the association between nutrition and microbiota has garnered considerable interest. Hence, the objective of this study was to gather clinical data pertaining to the influence of diverse nutritional support interventions on the prognosis of geriatric patients with COVID-19, while additionally examining the fecal microbiota of these individuals to assess the repercussions of microecological alterations on their prognostic outcomes. Results: A total of 71 elderly patients diagnosed with severe COVID-19 were included in this study. These patients were subsequently divided into two groups, namely the enteral nutrition (EN) group and the parenteral nutrition (PN) group, based on the type of nutritional support therapy they received after admission. The occurrence of complications was observed in 10.4% of patients in the EN group, whereas it was significantly higher at 69.6% in the PN group (P<0.001). Furthermore, the 60-day mortality rate was 2.1% (1/48) in the EN group, while it was notably higher at 30.4% (7/23) in the PN group (P=0.001). To identify the independent predictors of 60-day mortality, stepwise logistic regression analysis was employed. Among different bacterial groups, Enterococcus_faecium (18.19%) and Pseudomonas_aeruginosa (1.91%) had higher average relative abundance in the PN group (P<0.05). However, the relative abundance of Ruminococcus was higher in the EN group. Further Spearman correlation analysis showed that Enterococcus_faecium was positively correlated with poor clinical prognosis, while Ruminococcus was negatively correlated with poor clinical prognosis. Conclusions: This study shows that the changes in the composition of intestinal flora in elderly COVID-19 patients receiving different nutritional support strategies may be related to different clinical outcomes. The abundance of Enterococcus_faecium in elderly COVID-19 patients receiving PN is significantly increased and is closely related to poor clinical outcomes. It highlights the potential of microbiome-centric interventions to mitigate and manage COVID-19 in older adults with different nutritional support options.

The effects of nutrient loading from different sources on eutrophication in a large shallow lake in Southeast China.

Lake water eutrophication has become one of the leading obstacles to sustainable economic development in China. Research on the effects of mainstream currents on reservoirs has been relatively underdeveloped compared with research on tributaries, though changes in the water-sediment transport regime in a downstream river may affect nutrient transport behavior in a lake connected to that river. This is particularly problematic because certain wastewater sources, including runoff from agricultural wastes and industrial discharges, adversely affect lake water. Our study focused on Sanshiliujiao Lake, a significant drinking water source in Fujian, Southeast China, that has suffered considerably from eutrophication over the past few decades. This study aimed to estimate the phosphorus and nitrogen loads to the lake, exploring their sources and their ecologic effects using in situ observation and the export coefficient model. Our results showed that the pollution loads of total phosphorus (TP) and total nitrogen (TN) were 2.390 and 46.040 t/year, respectively, most of which were derived from the water diversion (TP 45.7%, TN 29.2%) and non-point source (TP 30.2%, TN 41.6%). The TN input was the highest in East river (3.557 kg/d), followed by Red river (2.524 kg/d). During the wet season, the input of TP and TN increased by 14.6 and 18.7 times, respectively, but produced only slight variations in concentration. Water diversion enriched the nutrients inputs and altered the structure and abundance of phytoplankton communities. In addition, when water flows from the main river directly to Sanshiliujiao Lake, algal blooms in river-connected lakes are significantly exacerbated, so our study may also serve as a theoretical basis to regulate eutrophication in Sanshiliujiao Lake.

A novel algicidal properties of fermentation products from Pseudomonas sp. Ps3 strain on the toxic red tide dinoflagellate species.

The viability of both China's offshore fishing operations and the global marine fishing industry is threatened by the occurrence of red tides caused by Gymnodinium catenatum and Karenia mikimotoi. Effective control of these dinoflagellate-mediated red tides has become a pressing issue that requires immediate attention. In this study, High-efficiency marine alginolytic bacteria were isolated and underwent molecular biological identification to confirm their algicidal properties. Based on a combination of morphological, physiological, biochemical, and sequencing results, Strain Ps3 was identified as belonging to the species Pseudomonas sp. We examine the effects of algicidal bacteria on the red tide species G. catenatum and K. mikimotoi within an indoor experimental setting. Then gas chromatography- mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to analyze the structure of the algolytic active substances. This investigation demonstrated that with exposure to the algae-lysis experiment, the Ps3 strain has the best algae-lysis effect, with G. catenatum and K. mikimotoi reaching 83.0 and 78.3%. Our results from the sterile fermentation broth experiment showed that the inhibitory effect on the two red tide algae was positively correlated with the concentration of the treatment. At a treatment concentration of 2.0% (v/v), the 48 h lysis rates of G. catenatum and K. mikimotoi due to exposure to the Ps3 bacterial fermentation broth were 95.2 and 86.7%, respectively. The results of this study suggest that the algaecide may be a rapid and effective method to control dinoflagellate blooms, as evidenced by the observed changes in cellular morphology in all cases. In the ethyl acetate phase of Ps3 fermentation broth, the cyclic (leucine-leucine) dipeptide was the most abundant. The findings of this study contribute to our understanding of red tide prevention and control and provide a theoretical foundation for further research in this field.

Implementing the AAOS Guidelines for Screening of Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip Before the Age of 6 Months in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) has been considered to be low in East Asia, but this may be incorrect because of inconsistent diagnostic definitions and testing criteria. In 2015, the AAOS released guidelines for systematic screening for DDH in newborns. We implemented these guidelines and compared DDH incidence and outcomes before and after their implementation. METHODS: We used a historic comparison cohort of newborns with DDH between July 2015 and May 2017 before guideline implementation (the preguideline group); their data were retrieved using electronic medical records. In this group, the newborns received general hip screening without systemic follow-up. The postguideline group included newborns who were screened for hip dysplasia and followed up per the AAOS guidelines between July 2017 and May 2019. Their data were prospectively collected. The primary outcome in the postguideline group was DDH incidence. Other outcomes included rates of referral, surgery, and complications, and DDH prognosis. RESULTS: The preguideline and postguideline groups included 3534 and 2663 newborns, respectively, of whom 49 (1.1%) and 225 (8.4%), respectively, were referred to the pediatric orthopaedic clinic enrolled. In the postguideline group, 35 patients were diagnosed as having DDH (incidence: 1.3%, 95% CI: 0.8%-1.9%). Both the incidence and referral rates were significantly higher in the postguideline group than in the preguideline group. Furthermore, the mean age at referral was 6.7±10.06 months and 0.9±0.25 months in the preguideline and postguideline groups, respectively, indicating a potential for early treatment in the postguideline group. Finally, the female sex was identified as a risk factor for residual hip dysplasia at 6 months of age. CONCLUSION: DDH incidence in East Asia seems comparable to that in Western countries. Implementing the AAOS guidelines increased the diagnosis rate and opportunity for early treatment initiation, thus potentially avoiding surgical intervention. Nevertheless, residual DDH may be detected in some patients at 6 months of age, particularly in female infants. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV.

Natural progression of the pubofemoral distance with age and its correlation with future acetabular index.

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the progression of pubofemoral distance (PFD) with age and assessed the correlation between PFD and late acetabular index (AI) measurements. METHODS: This prospective observational study was conducted between January 2017 and December 2021. We enrolled 223 newborns who underwent the first, second, and third hip ultrasounds, and pelvis radiograph at a mean age of 18.6 days, 3.1 months, 5.2 months, and 6.8 months, respectively. The difference between PFD measured at serial ultrasounds and the correlation with AI were analyzed. RESULTS: The PFD increased significantly (p < 0.001) at serial measurements. The mean PFD at the first, second, and third ultrasounds were 3.3 (2.0-5.7), 4.3 (2.9-7.2), and 5.1 (3.3-8.0) mm, respectively. The PFD at three ultrasounds were all significantly (p < 0.001) and positively correlated with AI, with the Pearson correlation coefficients being 0.658, 0.696, and 0.753 for the first, second, and third ultrasounds, respectively. Using AI as reference, the diagnostic ability of PFD was calculated by the areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve, which was 0.845, 0.902, and 0.938 for the first, second, and third PFD, respectively. For the first, second, and third ultrasounds, PFD cutoff values of ≥ 3.9, ≥ 5.0, and ≥ 5.7 mm, respectively, yielded the greatest sensitivity and specificity in predicting late abnormal AI. CONCLUSION: The PFD naturally progresses with age and is positively correlated with AI. The PFD has potential for predicting residual dysplasia. However, the cutoff for abnormal PFD values may require adjustment according to the patient's age. KEY POINTS: • The pubofemoral distance measured in hip ultrasonography naturally increases as the infant's hips mature. • The early pubofemoral distance demonstrates a positive correlation with late acetabular index measurements. • The pubofemoral distance may help physicians predict abnormal acetabular index. However, the cutoff for abnormal pubofemoral distance values may require adjustment according to patient's age.

Choice of injection time of conscious sedation and its impact on pain control in colonoscopy.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to identify the effect of different injection times on pain during colonoscopy procedure. Methods: In this retrospective study, the data of patients who underwent colonoscopy from June 2020 to September 2020 were assessed to investigate the effect of different injection time of sedative drugs (midazolam and dezocine). The primary endpoint was evaluating the pain intensity of the patients using visual analogue scale (VAS) immediately after colonoscopy . Results: A total of 152 patients were eligible for this study. Of them, 76 received midazolam and dezocine injection 1 min prior to the colonoscopy procedure (the 1 Min group) and the other 76 patients received the injection 3 min prior to the procedure (the 3 Min group). The vital signs of all patients were stable except for one patient who was diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease in the 3 Min group. A transient drop in blood pressure for this patient was observed during colonoscopy but returned to normal after general treatment. The two groups had similar rates of cecal intubation (84.21% vs. 90.97%, P = 0.22), addition of sedative drugs during procedure (2.63% vs. 5.26%, P = 0.68), and adequate bowel preparation (Boston Bowel Preparation Scale ≥6, 61.84% vs. 61.84%, P = 1.0). However, patients in the 3 Min group had significantly lower VAS than those in the 1 Min group [0 (0, 1) vs. 1 (0, 2), P = 0.041]. Conclusion: The timing of drug injection during conscious sedation may affect pain control during colonoscopy, with 3 min prior to the procedure showing lower VAS.

Is double-crossed retrograde elastic stable intramedullary nailing an alternative method for the treatment of diaphyseal fractures in the adult humerus?

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to compare two techniques for the surgical treatment of diaphyseal fractures in the adult humerus: double-crossed retrograde elastic stable intramedullary nailing (DCR-ESIN) and limited-contact dynamic compression plate (LC-DCP). METHODS: This was a retrospective study conducted at a single hospital. We included 122 patients with diaphyseal fractures of the humerus who had received DCR-ESIN or LC-DCP from January 2011 to January 2017. We compared union rates, union times, disabilities of the arm, shoulder, and hand (DASH) scores at the postoperative 1-year follow-up, and complications between the two groups. RESULTS: Plating management was performed in 63 patients, while DCR-ESIN was performed in 59 patients. The union rate was higher in the DCR-ESIN group than in the LC-DCP group (100% vs. 90.5%; p = 0.052). The union time was shorter in the DCR-ESIN group than in the LC-DCP group (12.0 weeks vs. 14.8 weeks; p < 0.001). The intraoperative blood loss and operative time were less in the DCR-ESIN group than in the LC-DCP group (76.4 min vs. 129.5 min; p < 0.001; 60.9 ml vs. 244.8 ml; p < 0.001, respectively). The DCR-ESIN had superior results for the rate of overall complications (p = 0.006). At the 1-year follow-up, the DCR-ESIN group had better DASH scores than the LC-DCP group (p = 0.014). CONCLUSIONS: The DCR-ESIN technique, used to treat diaphyseal fractures of the humerus, has shorter operative times, less intra-operative blood loss, shorter union times, and better functional outcomes at 1-year follow-up than the LC-DCP technique. DCR-ESIN may be an alternative method for the surgical treatment of diaphyseal humeral fractures in adults.

The spatiotemporal variations in microalgae communities in vertical waters of a subtropical reservoir.

The construction of cascade reservoirs increases eutrophication and exacerbates algal blooms and thus threatens water quality. Previous studies on the microalgae in reservoir have mainly focused on the spatio-temporal patterns of surface microalgae communities at the horizontal scale, while few studies have simultaneously considered the successions of microalgae in vertical profiles including the sediments and the effects of the nutrients release and microalgae in sediments on microalgae in upper waters. In this study, we investigated the effects of microalgae and physico-chemical parameters in waters and sediments on the successions of vertical microalgae communities in Xipi Reservoir, Southeast China. The seasonal variations in microalgae compositions decreased gradually from the surface water (the dominance of Cryptophyta and Chlorophyta in spring, Chlorophyta and Cyanophyta in summer, and relatively uniform in autumn and winter) to the sediment (the dominance of Bacillariophyta throughout the year), which was influenced by the variations of physico-chemical factors in different layers. The spatio-temporal variations in microalgae communities in waters was attributing to not only the heterogeneities of the stratification, and the physico-chemical factors such as water temperature, pH, and nutrient concentrations, especially for phosphorus in the water column, but also the combinations of phosphorus release and microalgae composition in sediments. Environmental changes would be especially problematic for microalgae groups such as Cryptophyta, Dinophyta and Chlorophyta that were sensitive to the changes of temperature and nutrients. Our results are helpful for an extensive understanding of the dynamics of microalgae communities in reservoir, and contribute to reservoir management for ensuring the safety of drinking water.

Association between early sonographic findings and acetabular index at the age of 6 months: a prospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: This study investigated the association between early Graf classification and femoral head coverage (FHC) with the acetabular index (AI) at the age of 6 months. METHODS: A prospective observational study was conducted between 2017-2018. Patients requiring Pavlik harness treatment and patients with syndromic dislocation or neurogenic dislocation were excluded. In total, 169 newborns with the first ultrasound performed at the mean age of 12.3 (0-15) days, the second ultrasound performed at the mean age of 3.2 (2.5-4.1) months, and the AI measured at the age of 6.6 (4.3-7.1) months were enrolled. The correlation between the AI and first and second alpha angles and FHC measurements, and the correlation of dysplasia in early ultrasound with dysplasia in the AI were analyzed. RESULTS: At the first ultrasound, only the FHC (P = .02) demonstrated a significant negative correlation with the AI. At the second ultrasound, both the alpha angle (P < .01) and FHC (P < .01) demonstrated a significant negative correlation with the AI. With the AI as a reference, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) were found to be 77%, 7%, 5%, and 81%, respectively, for the first Graf; 91%, 37%, 9%, and 98%, respectively, for the first FHC measurement; 82%, 90%, 35%, and 99%, respectively, for the second Graf; and 95%, 97%, 68% and 99%, respectively, for the second FHC measurement. CONCLUSIONS: FHC and alpha angle exhibited significant negative correlations with the AI at six months, both ultrasound parameters may have the potential to predict AI in DDH screening. Compared to the ultrasound measurements taken at 2 weeks, Graf and FHC at 3 months demonstrated superior sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV to detect abnormal AI. The best timing to perform ultrasound examination may need further research.

[Mechanism of Potentilla discolor in treating UC by regulating mitochondrial autophagy].

To evaluate the therapeutic effect of Potentilla discolor on 2,4,6-trinitrobenzensulfonic acid(TNBS)-induced experimental ulcerative colitis(UC) in rats and to determine its therapeutic mechanism through mitochondrial autophagy, immune cells, and cytokines. A rat model of UC was established by TNBS-ethanol enema. Rats were divided into six groups: control, UC model, sulfasalazine(positive drug), and high-dose, moderate-dose, and low-dose ethanol extract groups. After 14-day continuous administration of the corresponding drugs, the disease activity index(DAI) and hematoxylin and eosin(HE) were evaluated. The morphological structure of mitochondria was observed by using transmission electron microscope(TEM), mitophagy-related mRNA expression was detected by using Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR), immune cell differentiation in rat serum was detected by using flow cytometry(FCM), and cytokine expression in colon tissues of rats was detected by protein microarray. The results showed that compared with the model group, each dose group of P. discolor could significantly reduce the DAI of UC model rats, and decrease the degree of inflammatory cells infiltration in the colon tissue of UC model rats. Meanwhile the expressions of T cells and Th cells in the serum increased significantly, the expression of Tc cells in the serum decreased significantly. Transmission electron microscope found that there was fusion of mitochondria and lysosomes in the colon tissue of the administration group. The expressions of mitochondrial autophagy related genes NF-κB, p62 and parkin were significantly increased in colon tissues. The results of protein chip showed that compared with the model group, the high dose group of P. discolor could significantly regulate the expression of cytokines. In conclusion, these results suggested that P. discolor improved TNBS-induced acute ulcerative colitis in rats by regulating the mitochondrial autophagy and the inflammatory factor expression.

Effects of Visfatin on Intracellular Mechanics and Catabolism in Human Primary Chondrocytes through Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3ß Inactivation.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is still a recalcitrant musculoskeletal disease on account of its complex biochemistry and mechanical stimulations. Apart from stimulation by external mechanical forces, the regulation of intracellular mechanics in chondrocytes has also been linked to OA development. Recently, visfatin has received significant attention because of the clinical finding of the positive correlation between its serum/synovial level and OA progression. However, the precise mechanism involved is still unclear. This study determined the effect of visfatin on intracellular mechanics and catabolism in human primary chondrocytes isolated from patients. The intracellular stiffness of chondrocytes was analyzed by the particle-tracking microrheology method. It was shown that visfatin damages the microtubule and microfilament networks to influence intracellular mechanics to decrease the intracellular elasticity and viscosity via glycogen synthase kinase 3ß (GSK3ß) inactivation induced by p38 signaling. Further, microtubule network destruction in human primary chondrocytes is predominantly responsible for the catabolic effect of visfatin on the cyclooxygenase 2 upregulation. The present study shows a more comprehensive interpretation of OA development induced by visfatin through biochemical and biophysical perspectives. Finally, the role of GSK3ß inactivation, and subsequent regulation of intracellular mechanics, might be considered as theranostic targets for future drug development for OA.

Interobserver agreement and clinical disparity between the Graf method and femoral head coverage measurement in developmental dysplasia of the hip screening: A prospective observational study of 198 newborns.

ABSTRACT: Ultrasonography is the ideal tool for assessing hip morphology in infants younger than 6-month-old. This study assessed the interobserver agreement and clinical disparities of the 2 most widely used ultrasound (US) methods, the Graf method, and femoral head coverage (FHC) measurement.A prospective observational study (STROBE compliant) of 2024 newborns was conducted between January 2017 and December 2018. Hip US was conducted on all newborns with abnormal Barlow and Ortolani maneuvers as well as on 50 randomly selected normal newborns. The physical examination and US were performed by a senior pediatric orthopedic surgeon with musculoskeletal sonography certification. Three observers with different levels of experience interpreted the images by using the Graf method and FHC. We analyzed the intraclass correlation coefficient, Cohen kappa, and the disparity between the clinical findings of the 2 methods.A total of 198 newborns (9.8%) presented with clinical instability, including 193 subluxatable hips in 168 patients (84.8%) and 45 dislocatable/dislocated hips in 30 patients (15.2%). The mean age at US examination was 11.69 days (range: 0-18 days). The intraclass correlation coefficient was .71 (95% CI: 0.55-0.83) for FHC, 0.63 (95% CI: 0.38-0.78) for the alpha angle, and 0.47 (95% CI: 0.16-0.69) for beta angle. The Cohen kappa coefficients of Graf type were 0.19 (95% CI: 0.03-0.35), 0.39 (95% CI: 0.20-0.58), and 0.17 (95% CI: 0.02-0.32) between observers 1 and 2, observers 1 and 3, and observers 2 and 3, respectively. Based on the Graf method, 14% of the stable hips had abnormal USs; by contrast, 19.2% of the subluxatable hips and 17.8% of the dislocatable/dislocated hips had normal Graf morphologies. In USs interpreted using FHC, 16% of stable hips demonstrated abnormal coverage, whereas 13.5% of subluxatable hips and 4.4% of dislocatable/dislocated hips had normal FHC.Incidence of clinically detectable hip instability was 9.8% among newborns in our series. Both alpha angle and FHC ratio revealed substantial interobserver agreement while beta angle achieved moderate agreement. FHC ratio possesses higher sensitivity and similar specificity compared with the Graf method when screening unstable hips.Level II, development of diagnostic criteria on basis of consecutive patients.

[Diversity and community characteristics of organic phosphate-mineralizing bacteria in the sea area between Minjiang Estuary to Pingtan.] / 闽江口-å¹³æ½­æµ·åŸŸæœ‰æœºè§£ç£·èŒå¤šæ ·æ€§åŠç¾¤è½ç‰¹å¾.

Microbial mineralization of organic phosphorus is an important component of marine phosphorus cycle. The research on organic phosphate-mineralizing bacteria (OPB) is helpful to reveal microbial driving mechanism of organic phosphorus mineralization in eutrophic sea area. The diversity and community characteristics of OPB were examined by Illumina high-throughput sequencing using the primer sets phoX in the sea area between Minjiang Estuary to Pingtan in April (spring) and July (summer) 2019. The results showed that the Shannon index of OPB in the surface seawater samples ranged from 3.21 to 7.91, and that the diversity at each station was greater in spring than that in summer. Shannon index of OPB in the sediment samples ranged from 2.04 to 8.70, which was greater in summer than that in spring. Shannon index of OPB in surface seawater of each station was higher than that of sediment in spring, while it was in adverse in summer. Nine phyla of OPB were detected in surface seawater, with Proteobacteria and Cyanobacteria being the most abundant. Tweleve phyla of OPB were detected in the sediments, with Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes being the most dominant. OPB community composition at the genus level showed obvious spatio-temporal variation. Leisingera, Phaeobacter, Thalassococcus, and Pseudomonas were the major genera in the seawater in spring, while Synechococcus, Halioglobus, Roseovarius, Phaeo-bacter, Sulfitobacter, and Hyphomonas were the major genera detected in summer. Leisingera, Phaeobacter, Vibrio, and Sulfitobacter were major genera in the sediment in spring, while Azospirillum, Aminobacter, Sulfurifustis, Burkholderia, and Thiohalobacter were the major genera in summer. A large number of unclassified OPB were detected in both surface seawater and sediment. The redundancy analysis results showed that dissolved oxygen, water temperature, pH, dissolved inorganic nitrogen, NO2--N, and NO3--N had great influences on community distribution of OPB in the surface seawater. The abundant OPB in the surface seawater and sediment might play an important role in phosphorus cycle in this sea area.

Taurine reduction associated with heart dysfunction after real-world PM2.5 exposure in aged mice.

Ambient PM2.5 has been proved to be an independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases; however, little information is available on the age-dependent effects of PM2.5 on the cardiovascular system and the underlying mechanisms following chronic exposure. In this study, multi-aged mice were exposed to PM2.5 via the newly developed real-ambient PM2.5 exposure system to investigate age-related effects on the heart after long-term exposure. First, the chemical and physical properties of PM2.5 used in the exposure system were analyzed. The heart rate of conscious mice was recorded, and results showed that exposure of aged mice to PM2.5 for 26 weeks significantly increased heart rate. Histological analysis and ELISA assays indicated that aged mice were more sensitive to PM2.5 exposure in terms of inducing cardiac oxidative stress and inflammation. Furthermore, untargeted metabolomics revealed that taurine was involved with the PM2.5-induced cardiac dysfunction. The reduced taurine concentration in the heart was examined by LC-MS and imaging mass spectrometry; it may be due to the increased p53 expression level, ROS and inflammatory cytokines. These results emphasize the age-dependent effects of PM2.5 on the cardiovascular system and suggest that taurine may be the novel cardiac effect target for PM2.5-induced heart dysfunction in the aged.

Significant influence of phosphorus resources on the growth and alkaline phosphatase activities of Microcystis aeruginosa.

It is well-accepted that phosphorus, particularly orthophosphate, is a determinant factor in aquatic eutrophication. However, numerous kinds of phosphorus sources exist in real world scenario, and limited studies have characterized the pairwise relationships among abundant different phosphorus sources and the physiological behaviour of algae. The present study developed a high-throughput assay to investigate the effects of 59 different phosphorus sources (equal initial concentration of total phosphorus) on the growth and alkaline phosphatase (AKP) activities of Microcystis aeruginosa, a model cyanobacteria whose predominance holds sway in lake eutrophication. M. aeruginosa cultivated with nucleoside monophosphates (NMPs) had higher growth, relative AKP activities and residual orthophosphate, which were positively intercorrelated. Oppositely, non-NMPs cultivation of M. aeruginosa led to negative relationships between the relative AKP activities and their growth or residual orthophosphate. These results indicated distinct mechanisms for M. aeruginosa to utilize different phosphorus sources in real-world scenario, and both phosphorus source and content are determinant factors on the growth and physiological behaviour of M. aeruginosa. Given the complicated and vast phosphorus pool in the natural environment, phosphorus resources might significantly alter the abundance and physiological behaviour of M. aeruginosa and other bloom-forming algae, then influence the phytoplanktonic community structure and affect the possibility and intensity of algal bloom. Our work hints the underestimation of the restriction factors in lake eutrophication and provides a new tool to study the driven forces of phytoplanktonic community dynamics as phosphorus from both internal and external sources.