High-performance PCW-DFB laser diodes using offset quantum well epitaxial structures.

We demonstrated a high-performance partially corrugated waveguide distributed feedback (PCW-DFB) laser with high output power, low relative intensity noise (RIN) and narrow linewidth. By introducing offset quantum-well structure that provides enough threshold gain difference for single transverse mode operation, the laser can achieve single mode behavior with an 8-µm-wide ridge waveguide. The laser has been designed by the simulation model based on the coupled wave equations, and the fabricated PCW-DFB laser with the cavity length of 1.3 mm exhibited an output power higher than 190 mW. Stable single mode characteristics have been achieved with a side-mode suppression-ratio (SMSR) over 55 dB. The RIN was less than -160.5 dB/Hz at an injection current of 470 mA, and the linewidth reached 45 kHz.

A two-step neural network-based guiding system for obtaining reliable radiographs for critical shoulder angle measurement.

Background: The critical shoulder angle (CSA) has been reported to be highly associated with rotator cuff tears (RCTs) and an increased risk of RCT re-tears. However, the measurement of the CSA is greatly affected by the malpositioning of the shoulder. To address this issue, a two-step neural network-based guiding system was developed to obtain reliable CSA radiographs, and its feasibility and accuracy was evaluated. Methods: A total of 1,754 shoulder anteroposterior (AP) radiographs were retrospectively acquired to train and validate a two-step neural network-based guiding system to obtain reliable CSA radiographs. The study included patients aged 18 years or older who underwent X-rays and/or computed tomography (CT) scans of the shoulder. Patients who had undergone shoulder surgery, had a confirmed fracture, or were diagnosed with a musculoskeletal tumor or glenoid defect were excluded from the study. The system consisted of a two-step neural network that in the first step, localized the region of interest of the shoulder, and in the second step, classified the radiography according to type [i.e., 'forward' when the non-overlapping coracoid process is above the glenoid rim, 'backward' when the non-overlapping coracoid process is below or aligned with the glenoid rim, a ratio of the transverse to longitudinal diameter of the glenoid projection (RTL) ≤0.25, or a RTL >0.25]. The performance of the model was assessed in an offline, prospective manner, focusing on the sensitivity and specificity for the forward, backward, RTL ≤0.25, or RTL >0.25 types (denoted as SensF, B, -, + and SpecF, B, -, +, respectively), and Cohen's kappa was also reported. Results: Of 273 cases in the offline prospective test, the SensF, SensB, Sens-, and Sens+ were 88.88% [95% confidence interval (CI): 50.67-99.41%], 94.11% (95% CI: 82.77-98.47%), 96.96% (95% CI: 91.94-99.02%), and 95.06% (95% CI: 87.15-98.40%), respectively. The SpecF, SpecB, Spec-, and Spec+ were 98.48% (95% CI: 95.90-99.51%), 99.55% (95% CI: 97.12-99.97%), 95.04% (95% CI: 89.65-97.81%), and 97.39% (93.69-99.03%), respectively. A high classification rate (93.41%; 95% CI: 89.14-96.24%) and almost perfect agreement (Cohen's kappa: 0.903, 95% CI: 0.86-0.95) were achieved. Conclusions: The guiding system can rapidly and accurately classify the types of AP shoulder radiography, thereby guiding the adjustment of patient positioning. This will facilitate the rapid obtainment of reliable CSA radiography to measure the CSA on proper AP radiographs.

Environmental impact assessment of battery boxes based on lightweight material substitution.

Power battery is one of the core components of electric vehicles (EVs) and a major contributor to the environmental impact of EVs, and reducing their environmental emissions can help enhance the sustainability of electric vehicles. Based on the principle of stiffness equivalence, the steel case of the power cell is replaced with lightweight materials, a life cycle model is established with the help of GaBi software, and its environmental impact is evaluated using the CML2001 method. The results can be summarized as follows: (1) Based on the four environmental impact categories of GWP, AP, ADP (f), and HTP, which are the global warming potential (GWP), acidification potential (AP), abiotic depletion potential (ADP (f)) and human toxicity potential (HTP), the environmental impact of lightweight materials is lower than that of the steel box. Among them, the aluminum alloy box has the largest reduction, and the Carbon Fiber Sheet Molding Compound (CF-SMC) box is the second. (2) In the sensitivity analysis of electric structure, an aluminum alloy box is still the most preferable choice for environmental impact. (3) In the sensitivity analysis of driving mileage, the aluminum alloy box body is also the best choice for vehicle life. (4) Quantitative assessment using substitution factors measures the decrease in greenhouse gas emissions following the substitution of steel battery box with lightweight materials. The adoption of aluminum alloy battery box can lead to a reduction of 1.55 tons of greenhouse gas emissions, with a substitution factor of 1.55 tC sb-1. In the case that composite materials have not been recycled commercially on a large scale, aluminum alloy is still one of the best materials for the integrated environmental impact of the whole life cycle of the battery boxes.

Notoginsenoside Fc alleviates oxidized low-density lipoprotein-induced endothelial cell dysfunction and upregulates PPAR-γ in vitro.

BACKGROUND: Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) is a prevalent vascular disease and a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Notoginsenoside Fc (NFc) is a protopanaxadiol-type saponin that has been shown to have beneficial effects on several disorders. However, its function in DVT is unclear. METHODS: Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were treated with oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) to mimic DVT in vitro and treated with NFc to investigate its functions. CCK-8 assay was utilized for measuring cell viability. Western blotting was used for detecting protein levels of proinflammatory cytokines, apoptosis-related markers, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ). Flow cytometry was performed for cell apoptosis detection. Levels of oxidative stress-related markers were examined by the DCFH-DA method and ELISA. RT-qPCR was utilized for the measurement of PPAR-γ mRNA level. RESULTS: NFc increased the viability and suppressed inflammation, apoptosis, and oxidative stress in ox-LDL-treated HUVECs. NFc treatment induced upregulation of PPAR-γ in HUVECs. CONCLUSION: NFc mitigates ox-LDL-induced dysfunction of HUVECs.

Enhancing prediction of supraspinatus/infraspinatus tendon complex injuries through integration of deep visual features and clinical information: a multicenter two-round assessment study.

OBJECTIVE: Develop and evaluate an ensemble clinical machine learning-deep learning (CML-DL) model integrating deep visual features and clinical data to improve the prediction of supraspinatus/infraspinatus tendon complex (SITC) injuries. METHODS: Patients with suspected SITC injuries were retrospectively recruited from two hospitals, with clinical data and shoulder x-ray radiographs collected. An ensemble CML-DL model was developed for diagnosing normal or insignificant rotator cuff abnormality (NIRCA) and significant rotator cuff tear (SRCT). All patients suspected with SRCT were confirmed by arthroscopy examination. The model's performance was evaluated using sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and area under the curve (AUC) metrics, and a two-round assessment was conducted to authenticate its clinical applicability. RESULTS: A total of 974 patients were divided into three cohorts: the training cohort (n = 828), the internal validation cohort (n = 89), and the external validation cohort (n = 57). The CML-DL model, which integrates clinical and deep visual features, demonstrated superior performance compared to individual models of either type. The model's sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and area under curve (95% confidence interval) were 0.880, 0.812, 0.836, and 0.902 (0.858-0.947), respectively. The CML-DL model exhibited higher sensitivity and specificity compared to or on par with the physicians in all validation cohorts. Furthermore, the assistance of the ensemble CML-DL model resulted in a significant improvement in sensitivity for junior physicians in all validation cohorts, without any reduction in specificity. CONCLUSIONS: The ensembled CML-DL model provides a solution to help physicians improve the diagnosis performance of SITC injury, especially for junior physicians with limited expertise. CRITICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: The ensembled clinical machine learning-deep learning (CML-DL) model integrating deep visual features and clinical data provides a superior performance in the diagnosis of supraspinatus/infraspinatus tendon complex (SITC) injuries, particularly for junior physicians with limited expertise. KEY POINTS: 1. Integrating clinical and deep visual features improves diagnosing SITC injuries. 2. Ensemble CML-DL model validated for clinical use in two-round assessment. 3. Ensemble model boosts sensitivity in SITC injury diagnosis for junior physicians.

Characterization of Cellulose-Degrading Bacteria Isolated from Silkworm Excrement and Optimization of Its Cellulase Production.

An abundance of refractory cellulose is the key limiting factor restricting the resource utilization efficiency of silkworm (Bombyx mori) excrement via composting. Screening for cellulose-degrading bacteria is likely to provide high-quality strains for the safe and rapid decomposition of silkworm excrement. In this study, bacteria capable of degrading cellulose with a high efficiency were isolated from silkworm excrement and the conditions for cellulase production were optimized. The strains were preliminarily screened via sodium carboxymethyl cellulose culture and staining with Congo red, rescreened via a filter paper enzyme activity test, and identified via morphological observation, physiological and biochemical tests, and phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rDNA sequence. Enzyme activity assay was performed using the 3,5-dinitrosalicylic acid method. DC-11, a highly cellulolytic strain, was identified as Bacillus subtilis. The optimum temperature and pH of this strain were 55 °C and 6, respectively, and the filter paper enzyme activity (FPase), endoglucanase activity (CMCase), and exoglucanase activity (CXase) reached 15.40 U/mL, 11.91 U/mL, and 20.61 U/mL. In addition, the cellulose degradation rate of the treatment group treated with DC-11 was 39.57% in the bioaugmentation test, which was significantly higher than that of the control group without DC-11 (10.01%). Strain DC-11 was shown to be an acid-resistant and heat-resistant cellulose-degrading strain, with high cellulase activity. This strain can exert a bioaugmentation effect on cellulose degradation and has the potential for use in preparing microbial inocula that can be applied for the safe and rapid composting of silkworm excrement.

The Longitude-Latitude-Loop Used for Complex Bankart Lesion Repair: An All-Arthroscopic Technique.

The most frequent operation for anterior shoulder instability is the arthroscopic Bankart repair, which has a positive outcome and a low rate of complications. A variety of restoration procedures have been reported to reconstruct labral height and reproduce a dynamic concavity-compression reaction. The longitude-latitude loop is a knotless high-strength suture method that simultaneously tightens the joint capsule in the warp and weft direction and resists tearing. The suture method is safe and reproducible. This study aimed to present a longitude-latitude loop suture for joint capsule labral complex repair during Bankart arthroscopy surgery.

Arthroscopic Autologous Coracoacromial Ligament Augment Technique for Particle Thickness of Rotator Cuff with at Least Two Years Follow-Up.

OBJECTIVE: Patch technology has been the new technique in the treatment of partial thickness of the rotator cuff tear (PTRCTs) to address the limitation of traditional techniques. Compared with allogeneic patches and artificial materials, coracoacromial ligament is obviously closer to their own biology. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the functional and radiographic outcomes following arthroscopic autologous coracoacromial ligament augment technique for treatment of PTRCTs. METHOD: This study included three female patients with PTRCTs who underwent arthroscopy operation in 2017 with an average age of 51 years (range from 50 to 52 years). The coracoacromial ligament implant was attached to the bursal side surface of the tendon. The clinical results were evaluated by American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, Simple Shoulder Test (SST), acromiohumeral distance (AHD) and muscle strength before and 12 months after operation. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed 24 months after operation to assess the integrity of the anatomical structure of the original tear site. RESULT: The average ASES score improved significantly from 57.3 preoperatively to 95.0 at 1-year follow-up. The strength improved significantly from grade 3 preoperatively to grade 5 at 1 year. Two of three patients underwent the MRI at 2-year follow-up. Radiographic released the complete healing of rotator cuff tear. No implant-related serious adverse events were reported. CONCLUSION: The new technique of using autogenous coracoacromial ligament patch augment provides good clinical results on patients with PTRCTs.

Pore Structure and Gas Content Characteristics of Lower Jurassic Continental Shale Reservoirs in Northeast Sichuan, China.

The Jurassic shale in the northeastern Sichuan Basin is one of the main target intervals for continental shale gas exploitation. Research on the pore structure and gas-bearing properties of shales is the key issue in target interval optimization. Through core observation, geochemistry, bulk minerals, scanning electron microscopy, nitrogen adsorption, and isothermal adsorption experiments, various lithofacies with different pore structure characteristics were clarified. In addition, the factors that control gas-bearing properties were discussed, and a continental shale gas enrichment model was finally established. The results show that the Jurassic continental shale in the northeastern Sichuan Basin can be classified into six lithofacies. Organic pores, intergranular pores, interlayer pores in clay minerals, intercrystalline pores in pyrite framboids, and dissolution pores can be observed in shale samples. Pore structures varied in different shale lithofacies. The contact angle of shales is commonly less than 45°, leading to complex wettability of pores in the shales. Free gas content is mainly controlled by the organic matter (OM) content and the brittleness in the Jurassic shale. The adsorbed gas content is mainly controlled by the OM content, clay mineral type, and water saturation of the shales. The enrichment mode of the Lower Jurassic continental shale gas in the northeastern Sichuan Basin is established. Paleoenvironments control the formation of organic-rich shales in the center part of lakes. The "baffle" layer helps the confinement and high pressure, and the complex syncline controls the preservation, forming the enrichment pattern of the complex syncline-central baffle layer.

Ginger supplement significantly reduced length of hospital stay in individuals with COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Evidence from previous studies has suggested that ginger extract exhibits the potential as an alternative treatment for Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Here, we want to investigate whether ginger supplement improves the clinical manifestation of hospitalized COVID-19 individuals. METHODS: A total of 227 hospitalized individuals with COVID-19 were randomized to either the control (n = 132) or intervention group (n = 95). The intervention group took ginger supplement orally at the dosage of 1.5 g twice daily, until they were discharged from the hospital. Both groups received the same standard of general medical care during hospitalization, and the length of stay was recorded and compared between groups. RESULTS: Among all participants, a significant reduction in hospitalization time (the difference between the treatment and control groups was 2.4 d, 95% CI 1.6-3.2) was detected in response to the ginger supplement. This effect was more pronounced in men, participants aged 60 years or older, and participants with pre-existing medical conditions, relative to their counterparts (P-interactions < 0.05 for all). CONCLUSION: Ginger supplement significantly shortened the length of stay of hospitalized individuals with COVID-19. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial was registered on the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2200059824).

Allogeneic Tendon Transplantation for the Treatment of Pathological Patellar Ligament Defect in Children: Technical Note and 4-Year Follow-Up.

OBJECTIVE: The absence of patellar ligament will bring about a severe negative impact on daily life. Many reconstruction techniques have been described in adults. However, there is a lack of technical introduction regarding the reconstruction of the patellar ligament in children. The purpose of this study was to report a surgical technique for reconstructing the patellar ligament in children. METHOD: A retrospective analysis of the clinical data on a patellar ligament (tendon sheath fibroma) patient with allogeneic tendon reconstruction. An 8-year-old child with postoperative recurrence of left patellar ligament tumor was enrolled in our study. Anterior tibialis tendon allograft was used to reconstruct the patellar ligament after complete resection of the patellar ligament for the tumor. The tunnels were constructed on the deep surface of the tibial tubercle and the root of the quadriceps tendon (to decrease the harmful impact on patella development), respectively. The allogeneic tendon was passed through the tunnels above in the shape of "8," and the two ends of the tendon were attached to the bleeding bone bed at the inferior edge of the patella with suture anchors to achieve better bone-tendon healing. During the follow-up, the knee's range of motion and imaging manifestations were recorded. RESULT: Postoperative pathology suggests chondromesenchymal hamartoma, a rare benign soft tissue tumor different from the previous operation (tendon sheath fibroma). During the 4-year follow-up, the patient's active range of motion of the knee achieved 0° to 120°; and the patient could walk normally without any external help. Physical examinations (the apprehension sign and J sign) showed no ligamentous instability or patellar ligament tenderness. Imaging analysis showed that the ratio length of the patellar ligament to the patella was almost normal. The integrity, continuity, and shape of the allogeneic ligament showed excellent results in MRI. Combined with clinical and imaging findings, allogeneic tendon patellar ligament reconstruction was deemed successful. CONCLUSION: Allogeneic ligament reconstruction technique can provide a treatment option by reconstructing the extensor mechanism, minimizing the impact on patellar development, and augmenting biological healing for children with the absence of the patellar ligament.

Wide-waveguide high-power low-RIN single-mode distributed feedback laser diodes for optical communication.

We present an 8-µm-wide 800-µm-long high-power, single-mode and low RIN DFB laser using a dual-waveguide structure. The introduced passive lower waveguide has weakenes the lateral optical confinement for the ridge waveguide, and thus reduces losses caused by the p-doped layers and maintains single mode stability of the laser. The fabricated laser exhibited an output power higher than 170 mW and a relative intensity noise (RIN) below -157 dB/Hz along with a side-mode suppression-ratio (SMSR) over 55 dB. The temperature tuning from -10°C to 60°C allows an 8.6 nm wavelength tunability with a variation coefficient of 0.12 nm/K. The relaxation oscillation frequency is around 8 GHz, and the linewidth is about 250 kHz at 100 mW output power for the fabricated laser. The characteristics of the proposed high-power laser, including high slope efficiency, single mode stability and low noise, make it a suitable candidate for optical communication.

Accelerated degradation of cellulose in silkworm excrement by the interaction of housefly larvae and cellulose-degrading bacteria.

The environmental pollution caused by silkworm (Bombyx mori) excrement is prominent, and rich in refractory cellulose is the bottleneck restricting the efficient recycling of silkworm excrement. This study was performed to investigate the effects of housefly larvae vermicomposting on the biodegradation of cellulose in silkworm excrement. After six days, a 58.90% reduction of cellulose content in treatment groups was observed, which was significantly higher than 11.5% of the control groups without housefly larvae. Three cellulose-degrading bacterial strains were isolated from silkworm excrement, which were identified as Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, and Bacillus subtilis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. These three bacterial stains had a high cellulose degradation index (HC value ranged to between 1.86 and 5.97 and FPase ranged from 5.07 U/mL to 7.31 U/mL). It was found that housefly larvae increased the abundance of cellulose-degrading bacterial genus (Bacillus and Pseudomonas) by regulating the external environmental conditions (temperature and pH). Carbohydrate metabolism was the bacterial communities' primary function during vermicomposting based on the PICRUSt. The results of Tax4Fun indicated that the abundance of endo-ß-1,4-glucanase and exo-ß-1,4-glucanase increased rapidly and maintained at a higher level in silkworm excrement due to the addition of housefly larvae, which contributed to the accelerated degradation of cellulose in silkworm excrement. The finding of this investigation showed that housefly larvae can significantly accelerate the degradation of cellulose in silkworm excrement by increasing the abundance of cellulose-degrading bacterial genera and cellulase.

Fibrosis in frozen shoulder: Activation of IL-6 through PI3K-Akt signaling pathway in synovial fibroblast.

Fibrosis is the main cause of limited range of motion (ROM) of shoulder in patients with frozen shoulder (FS). Overexpression of Interleukin 6 (IL-6) has been correlated with pathogenesis of FS. However, the underlying mechanism remains largely unexplored. In the current study, we focused on isolating synovial fibroblasts of FS and determining the influence of IL-6 as well as PI3K-Akt signaling pathway on the fibrotic process of synovial fibroblasts in FS by using RNA Sequencing (RNA-seq) and other molecular biology techniques. Synovial fibroblasts of FS express more extra cellular matrix (ECM) than that of control. RNA-seq results and bioinformatic analysis indicate that PI3K-Akt signaling pathway play an important role in the fibrotic process of FS, and IL-6 is the most related gene among those related to this process. The expression levels of IL-6 / IL-6R in FS synovial fibroblasts and IL-6 in culture supernatant were both significantly increased. siRNA interference with the expression of IL-6 attenuates the fibrosis level of FS as well as phosphorylation level of Akt. The findings suggest that synovial fibroblasts are key effector cells of fibrosis of FS. Activation of PI3K-Akt pathway can promote fibrosis of synovial fibroblasts in FS. IL-6 is up-regulated in synovial fibroblasts of FS and promoted the FS fibrosis through PI3K-Akt signaling pathway.

4-Trifluoromethyl-(E)-cinnamoyl]-L-4-F-phenylalanine acid exerts its effects on the prevention, post-therapeutic and prolongation of the thrombolytic window in ischemia-reperfusion rats through multiple mechanisms of action.

Ischemic stroke is one of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide. The severe sequelae caused by ischemic thrombolysis and the narrow time window are now the main clinical challenges. Our previous study has reported 4-Trifluoromethyl-(E)-cinnamoyl]-L-4-F-phenylalanine Acid (AE-18) was a promising candidate for Parkinson's Disease. In this study, the preventive and therapeutic effects of AE-18 on focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury and the mechanisms are explored. In oxygen glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R)-induced well-differentiated PC12 cells model, AE-18 (10 or 20 µM) can significantly reduce nerve damage when administered before or after molding. In middle cerebral artery occlusion-reperfusion (MCAO/R) rat model, pre-modelling, or post-modelling administration of AE-18 (5 or 10 mg/kg) was effective in reducing neurological damage, decreasing infarct volume and improving motor disturbances. In addition, AE-18 (5 mg/kg) given by intravenous injection immediately after occlusion significantly reduce the infarct volume caused by reperfusion for different durations, indicating that AE-18 could extend the time window of thrombolytic therapy. Further studies demonstrate that AE-18 exerts the effects in the prevention, treatment, and prolongation of the time window of cerebral ischemic injury mainly through inhibiting excitotoxicity and improving BBB permeability, VEGF and BDNF. These results suggest that AE-18 is a good candidate for the treatment of ischemic stroke.

Oxygen-Carrying and Antibacterial Fluorinated Nano-Hydroxyapatite Incorporated Hydrogels for Enhanced Bone Regeneration.

Insufficient oxygen availability in tissue engineering is one of the major factors for the failure of clinical transplantation. One potential strategy to conquer this limitation is the fabrication of spontaneous and continuous oxygen supplying scaffolds for in situ tissue regeneration. In this work, a versatile fluorine-incorporating hydrogel is designed which can not only timely and continuously supply oxygen for mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to overcome deficient oxygen before vascularization in scaffolds, but can present a higher antibacterial capability to avoid bacterial infections. The HAp@PDA-F nanoparticles are first prepared and then incorporated with the quaternized and methacrylated chitosan forming CS/HAp@PDA-F by photo-crosslinking. In vitro results indicate that CS/HAp@PDA-F hydrogel has outstanding mechanical performance, moreover, it also has the oxygen-carrying ability to prolong survival ability, enhance proliferation activity, and preserve osteogenic differentiation potency and promote osteogenic-related genes expression of rat bone mesenchymal stem cells (rBMSCs) under hypoxic environment. Furthermore, the CS/HAp@PDA-F hydrogel can inhibit the growth of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, providing a good antibacterial activity. Additionally, in vivo experiments demonstrate higher bone volume and bone mineral density, and more new bone tissue generation in CS/HAp@PDA-F group than in CS/HAp@PDA group. These results indicate that the rational design of fluorinated hydrogel possesses a good clinical application prospect for bone regeneration.

Proanthocyanidin A1 promotes the production of platelets to ameliorate chemotherapy-induced thrombocytopenia through activating JAK2/STAT3 pathway.

BACKGROUND: Chemotherapy-induced thrombocytopenia (CIT) is a severe adverse drug reaction, and the main reason for CIT is the destruction of megakaryocytes (MKs, precursor cells of platelet) in bone marrow by chemotherapy. Peanut skin, the seed coat of Arachis hypogaea L., is a traditional Chinese medicine commonly used to treat thrombocytopenia. However, its active compounds and the mechanisms remain unclear. PURPOSE: This study aims to clarify the active compounds of peanut skin to exhibit thrombogenic effects against CIT and their underlying mechanisms in vitro and in vivo. STUDY DESIGN: The bioassay-guided isolation based on the proliferation of MKs was used to explore the possible platelet-enhancing ingredients in peanut skin. HSCCC technique coupled with preparative HPLC was used to separate the active compounds. Dami cells and carboplatin-treated mice model were used to evaluate the thrombogenic effects of PS-1. Network pharmacology, molecular docking, dynamics simulation studies, kinase activity, surface plasmon resonance (SPR), cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA), isothermal dose-response fingerprint (ITDRFCETSA) and western blot analysis were performed to investigate the mechanisms of PS-1. RESULTS: Proanthocyanidin A1 (PS-1) and its stereoisomers (PS-2-4) were demonstrated to promote the proliferation of MKs (Dami cells), especially PS-1 (EC50 = 8.58 µM). Further studies demonstrated that PS-1 could induce the differentiation of Dami cells in dose/time-dependent manner. Biological target analysis showed that PS-1 directly bound to JAK2 (KD = 2.06 µM) to exert potent activating effect (EC50 = 0.66 µM). Oral administration of PS-1 (25 or 50 mg/kg) significantly improved CIT, but this effect was confirmed to be inhibited by JAK2 inhibitor AG490, indicating that PS-1 exerted its efficacy through JAK2 in vivo. CONCLUSION: Proanthocyanins (PS-1-4) derived from peanut skin were first clarified as platelet-enhancing ingredients to improve CIT. The underlying mechanism of PS-1 was proved to promote the proliferation and differentiation of MKs via JAK2/STAT3 pathway both in vitro and in vivo.

Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor 8 Is Regulated by miR-33a-5p and Functions as an Oncogene in Breast Cancer.

It has been reported that glutamate metabotropic receptor 8 (GRM8) is closely implicated in the progression of human neuroblastoma, lung cancer, and glioma, but its role in breast cancer remains unknown. Thus, the present study was performed to uncover it. Immunohistochemistry, real-time PCR (RT-PCR), and western blotting experiments were performed to test GRM8 expression levels in tissues and cells. Cell functions were assessed by Cell Count Kit 8 (CCK-8), flow cytometry, wound healing, transwell chambers, and in vivo xenotransplantation experiments. The relationship between miR-33a-5p and GRM8 was evaluated by luciferase gene reporter and western blotting assay. The results showed that GRM8 expression was increased in breast cancer tissues and cells, which was closely associated with lower overall survival rate. Ectopic expression of GRM8 significantly enhanced cell growth, migration, and invasion and tumorigenesis and repressed cell apoptosis. In addition, GRM8 was under the negative regulation of miR-33a-5p, which was downregulated in breast cancer tissues and served as a tumor suppressor. Moreover, overexpression of GRM8 abrogated the inhibitive role of miR-33a-5p played in breast cancer. Collectively, this study reveals that GRM8 functions as an oncogene in breast cancer and is regulated by miR-33a-5p.

Young's Modulus of Bilateral Infraspinatus Tendon Measured in Different Postures by Shear Wave Elastography Before and After Exercise.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the Young's modulus value of infraspinatus tendons using shear wave elastography (SWE) technique in normal adults, and to analyze the influence of gender, postures, exercise, and dominant side on Young's modulus of infraspinatus tendons. METHODS: This is a prospective cross-sectional study. From January 2019 to July 2020, 14 healthy subjects were identified, including seven males and seven females aged between 24 to 34, with a mean age of 27.67 ± 3.08 years. The Young's modulus of their infraspinatus tendons was measured by two operators using SWE in neutral and maximum external rotation positions of both sides before exercise and the dominant side after exercise. The Young's modulus values in different sexes, different postures, before vs after exercise, and dominant vs non-dominant side were statistically analyzed. RESULTS: All 14 subjects completed the data collection process. The mean Young's modulus values of infraspinatus tendon for dominant sides in neutral position were 33.04 ± 3.01 kPa for males and 28.76 ± 3.09 kPa for females. And for non-dominant sides in the neutral position, the values were 33.02 ± 2.38 kPa for males and 28.86 ± 2.47 kPa for females. In the maximum external rotation position, the values for dominant sides were 50.19 ± 4.86 kPa for males and 42.79 ± 4.44 kPa for females, and for non-dominant sides were 50.95 ± 3.24 kPa for males and 42.42 ± 3.66 kPa for females. After exercise, the mean Young's modulus values of infraspinatus tendon for dominant sides in neutral position were 54.56 ± 3.76 kPa for males and 46.66 ± 5.99 kPa for females. And for the maximum external rotation position, the values were 59.13 ± 3.78 kPa for males and 54.49 ± 5.67 kPa for females. The Young's modulus of infraspinatus tendon in the neutral and maximum external rotation positions showed statistically significant differences in males and females, as well as before and after exercise (P < 0.05). However, the difference in Young's modulus between the dominant and non-dominant sides was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Intergroup reliability between both operators was excellent (ICC > 0.85). CONCLUSION: There are gender-related differences and post-exercise increase in Young's modulus, yet such a difference cannot be witnessed between the dominant and non-dominant sides.

An Antifouling and Antimicrobial Zwitterionic Nanocomposite Hydrogel Dressing for Enhanced Wound Healing.

Antibacterial hydrogels have received intensive interest in soft tissue repair, especially for preventing infections associated with impaired wound healing. However, developing an inherent antibacterial hydrogel dressing with antifouling ability without causing secondary damage to repaired tissues has proven to be promising and challenging. In this work, a mussel-inspired zwitterionic sulfobetaine acrylamide hydrogel incorporated with laponite (LAP) nanoplatelets and methacrylamide dopamine (DMA) has been developed for effective wound dressings, where LAP nanoplatelets and DMA endow the hydrogel with enhanced mechanical strength and substance adhesiveness, respectively. Moreover, LAP nanoplatelets could immobilize hydrophobic curcumin to form complexes, realizing the controlled release of curcumin to provide antimicrobial activities. In vitro results showed that hydrogels did not cause obvious cytotoxicity and hemolysis, but they still can well resist bovine serum albumin (BSA) adsorption. Wound closure and histopathological experiments have been performed in vivo to evaluate the therapeutic effects of the hydrogel by a full-thickness skin defect mouse model, and the results demonstrated that infected wounds could be well closed after being treated with the hydrogel for 15 days. Meanwhile, the full re-epithelialization and total formation of new connective tissues can be clearly observed by histological analysis. Moreover, the hydrogel could be easily removed from recovered tissues without causing secondary damage. Therefore, this antifouling and antimicrobial hydrogel dressing with suitable adhesiveness would provide a new strategy for wound healing without causing secondary damage.