Survivorship and clinical outcomes of 'cup-cage' reconstruction in revision of hip arthroplasty for chronic pelvic discontinuity: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to assess the survivorship and clinical outcomes of cup-cage reconstruction technique in the revision of THA. METHODS: PubMed, OVID, EMBASE, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) up to February 2020 were searched. Studies that reported the clinical and radiological follow-up were identified. RESULTS: A total of 151 hips (145 patients) in six studies were included. The all-cause revision-free survivorship of cup-cage implant at the end of follow-up was 90.1% (136/151), with a mean follow-up of 64.4 months(range 12-135). The overall complication rate was 23.8% (36 of 151 hips), of which component problem, dislocation, infection and sciatic nerve palsy/injury were relatively common. All included studies reported improved clinical outcomes at the end of follow-up. CONCLUSION: Results suggested that revision of THA with a cup-cage has a favourable implant survivorship and clinical outcomes for the treatment of pelvic discontinuity, despite the high complications occurrence rates.

Tranexamic acid attenuates early post-operative systemic inflammatory response and nutritional loss and avoids reduction of fibrinogen in total hip arthroplasty within an enhanced recovery after surgery pathway.

PURPOSE: Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is an intervention with significant inflammatory response. The impact of additional doses of tranexamic acid (TXA) on inflammatory response, trauma and nutrition parameters, and coagulation and fibrinolysis changes has rarely been reported. METHODS: A prospective double-blind randomized trial was performed on elective primary THA. Ninety-nine adult patients were recruited consecutively from 2019 to 2020. They were randomized to receive single-dose of TXA before incision, another dose of TXA at three hours post-operatively, or another two doses of TXA at three and six hours  post-operatively. The primary outcomes included changes in white blood cell (WBC) counts, creatine kinase (CK), haemoglobin(Hb), and albumin(Alb); the secondary outcomes included coagulation and fibrinolysis parameters. RESULTS: Compared with single-dose TXA, patients received three dose TXA had significantly reduced WBC counts and fibrinogen/fibrin degradation product (FDP) levels, increased albumin and fibrinogen levels, and prolonged PT on post-operative day (POD) three. Though patients received three dose TXA had a tendency that increased Hb, decreased CK, reduced D-D, and prolonged APTT on POD3, it is not statistically significant. And the other measured outcomes on POD1 and POD2W shared a similar statistical result, except PT. The PT is significantly prolonged on POD2W in three dose group compared with single dose. CONCLUSION: Three-dose TXA contribute to attenuate early post-operative systemic inflammatory response and nutritional loss, increase fibrinogen, reduce FDP levels, and prolong PT in THA patients within an ERAS pathway, which may associate with reduced early post-operative haemorrhagic tendency, thrombosis risks, and hypercoagulability.

[Effect of Panax japonicus saponin â £a on alleviating nonalcoholic steatohepatitis by regulating miR-17-5p/MFN2 signaling pathway].

To study the effect of Panax japonicas saponin Ⅳa(SPJ-Ⅳa) on nonalcoholic steatohepatitis(NASH) through miR-17-5 p/MFN2 signaling pathway. The nonalcoholic steatohepatitis model was induced by a high-fat diet combined with CCl_4 in Balb/c male mice. The mouse serum and liver were collected, the body weight and liver weight were measured, the liver index was calculated, and the serum biochemical indicators alanine amino transferase(ALT), triglyceride(TG), and glucose(Glu) were measured. The morphological changes in the liver were detected by HE and Masson staining, Real-time PCR was used to detect lipid metabolism-related genes, inflammation-related genes interleukin-6(IL-6) and interleukin-1ß(IL-1ß), miR-17-5 p and MFN2 expressions, and Western blot was used to detect MFN2 protein expression level. Compared with the normal control group, the liver index in the HFD+CCl_4 group was significantly increased, and the contents of ALT, TG, and Glu were significantly increased; the morphology showed obvious steatosis and collagen fiber deposition; mRNA expression levels of lipid metabolism-related genes, inflammation-related genes and miR-17-5 p increased significantly, the mRNA expression level of MFN2 decreased significantly, and the protein level of MFN2 decreased. After intervention with SPJ-Ⅳa, the levels of ALT, TG and Glu decreased, morphological steatosis decreased, collagen fiber deposition decreased, and mRNA expression levels of lipid metabolism-related genes, inflammation-related genes and miR-17-5 p decreased. The mRNA expression level of MFN2 increased, and the protein level of MFN2 also increased. The results of this study indicated that miR-17-5 p/MFN2 signaling pathway may be involved in the occurrence and development of NASH, and SPJ-Ⅳa had a protective effect on NASH, its mechanism may be related to the regulation of miR-17-5 p/MFN2 signaling pathway.

Computational prediction of a high ZT of n-type Mg3Sb2-based compounds with isotropic thermoelectric conduction performance.

N-type Mg3Sb2-based Zintl compounds are proved to be high-performance thermoelectric materials with multiple degenerate valleys and low lattice thermal conductivity. Here, we investigate the electronic band structure and the thermoelectric properties of n-type Mg3Sb2 using first-principles density functional theory. A high ZT of 3.1 at 725 K is obtained when the minimum lattice thermal conductivity and the optimal carrier concentration are reached. The calculated thermoelectric performance demonstrates that Mg3Sb2 possesses an isotropic character in thermoelectric transport. Furthermore, the calculated lattice thermal conductivity κL reveals that the unusually low κL in Mg3Sb2 predominantly originates from the large Grüneisen parameter γ.

Light harvesting of silicon nanostructure for solar cells application.

Silicon nanostructures have light-harvesting effects for enhancing the performance of solar cells. Based on theoretical investigations on the optical properties of silicon nanowire (Si NW), the influencing laws of the size of Si NW on its light-harvesting effect are proposed. For the first time, we reveal that the resonant wavelength of Si NW predicted by the leaky mode theory does not correspond to the actual resonant wavelength calculated by the discrete dipole approximation method, but exactly coincides with the leftmost wavelength of the resonance peak. Then, the size dependency of the resonant intensity and width of Si NW is different from that of spherical nanoparticles, which can be deduced from the Mie theory. The size dependencies of resonant intensity and width are also applicative for silver/silicon composite nanowires. In addition, it is found that the harvested light by the Si and Ag/Si NW both show significant radial locality feature. The insight in this work is fundamental for the design and fabrication of efficient light -harvesting nanostructures for photovoltaic devices.

Changes in serum bone turnover markers and bone mineral density Z-score in children with osteogenesis imperfecta after zoledronic acid treatment.

The study aimed to investigate the changes in the levels of serum bone turnover markers (BTMs) and bone mineral density (BMD) Z-score in pediatric patients with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) after intravenous bisphosphonate therapy and their association with age and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). This retrospective study analyzed data from 10 pediatric OI patients treated with intravenous zoledronic acid for over 1 year. Patients' clinical data were collected. The levels of BTMs and BMD Z-score before and after zoledronic acid treatment were analyzed. Significant improvement in BMD Z-score was observed after 6 and 12 months of treatment compared to baseline (all p < 0.05). The N-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen (PINP) levels decreased over time (all p < 0.05), indicating that zoledronic acid treatment decreased bone turnover. The levels of beta-C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen remained stable after treatment. No correlation was found between PINP level and age, eGFR, or BMD (all p > 0.05). Bisphosphonate treatment can improve BMD and decrease bone turnover (indicated by decreased levels of PINP) in pediatric OI patients. PINP may serve as an independent indicator for monitoring the efficacy of bisphosphonate treatment in pediatric OI patients, particularly in those under the age of 6, where standardized BMD Z-score criteria are lacking.

Doping Copper Selenide for Tuning the Crystal Structure and Thermoelectric Performance of Germanium Telluride-Based Materials.

Germanium telluride (GeTe) compounds exhibit excellent thermoelectric performance. In this study, copper selenide (Cu2Se) was used to tune the crystal structure and carrier concentration (nH) of GeTe materials. The zT of the 1% Cu2Se-doped GeTe sample reaches 1.32, which is 52% higher than that of the pure phase. The results show that Cu2Se tunes the GeTe crystal structure and carrier concentration to achieve promising enhancements to the thermoelectric performance. Meanwhile, a herringbone-like crystal structure that reduces the lattice thermal conductivity was observed. However, because the directional movement of Cu ions at high temperatures leads to an increase in electrical conductivity, the electronic thermal conductivity also increased. This study focuses on crystal engineering strategies for the study of nontoxic thermoelectric materials.

Key Elements of Enhanced Recovery after Total Joint Arthroplasty: A Reanalysis of the Enhanced Recovery after Surgery Guidelines.

Recent guidelines have produced a consensus statement for perioperative care in hip and knee replacement. However, there is still a need for reanalysis of the evidence and recommendations. Therefore, we retrieved and reanalyzed the evidence of each recommended components of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) based on the guidelines of total joint arthroplasty. For each one, we included for the highest levels of evidence and those systematic reviews and meta-analyses were preferred. The full texts were analyzed and the evidence of all components were summarized. We found that most of the recommended components of ERAS are supported by evidence, however, the implementation details of each recommended components need to be further optimized. Therefore, implementation of a full ERAS program may maximize the benefits of our clinical practice but this combined effect still needs to be further determined.

Research Progress on the Relationship between Obesity-Inflammation-Aromatase Axis and Male Infertility.

Aromatase is a key enzyme in the transformation of androgen into estrogen. Its high expression will destroy the hormonal balance in the male body, and the excessive transformation of androgen into estrogen in the body will further damage the spermatogenic function of the testis, affect the normal development of the sperm, and cause spermatogenic disturbance. Adipose tissue has a high expression of aromatase and shows high enzymatic activity and ability to convert estrogen. Adipose tissue is the most estrogen-producing nongonadal tissue in the body because of its large size, accounting for about 20% of the body mass in healthy adults. PPARγ is recognized as the key adipose differentiation in the transcriptional regulation of the transcription factor. In the process of adipocyte differentiation, PPARγ regulate the expression of aromatase. The increase of aromatase is associated with the inflammatory response in adipose tissue caused by obesity. After obesity, the increase of proinflammatory factors in adipocytes will lead to enhanced transcription of the CYP19 gene encoding aromatase in adipocytes, which in turn will lead to increased expression of aromatase in adipocytes. This article reviews the regulation of male sterility from the angle of the "obesity-inflammation-aromatase" axis.

Hierarchical Structuring to Break the Amorphous Limit of Lattice Thermal Conductivity in High-Performance SnTe-Based Thermoelectrics.

Minimizing lattice thermal conductivity, κl, of thermoelectric materials is an effective strategy to enhance their figure-of-merit, zT. However, the amorphous limit of κl affects the ceiling of the attainable zT. Herein, we fabricate hierarchical structures by using an in situ microwave synthesis to break the amorphous limit of κl for achieving a high zT in (Sn0.985In0.015Te)1-x(AgCl)x alloys. Our results from detailed electron microscopy characterizations suggest that the as-sintered (Sn0.985In0.015Te)1-x(AgCl)x alloys contain a range of lattice imperfections, including microsized grains with dense grain boundaries, nanopores with sizes from several to hundreds of nanometers, and nanoscale precipitates, which result in strong phonon scatterings and in turn lead to a minimized κl of 0.245 W m-1 K-1. Moreover, the calculated band structures reveal the introduction of resonance level by In doping, which dramatically enhances the electrical transport properties to ensure a high power factor of 26.4 µW cm-1 K-2 at 823 K and a maximum zT of 0.86 (823 K) in hierarchically structured (Sn0.985In0.015Te)0.90(AgCl)0.10. This work provides a new approach to modulate the hierarchical structures for optimizing thermal and electronic transport properties.

Thermoelectric Performance of Se/Cd Codoped SnTe via Microwave Solvothermal Method.

Extensive attention has been focused on thermoelectric performance optimization of SnTe because of its potential in waste heat recovery. Here, we fabricate high thermoelectric performance Se/Cd codoped SnTe octahedral particles by microwave-stimulated solvothermal method. The SnTe-based octahedral particles have sizes ranging from several micrometers to hundreds of nanometers, forming dense bulks after spark plasma sintering. Combined with the strong point defect scattering by Se and Cd dopants, a low thermal conductivity of 1.8 W m-1 K-1 at 773 K is obtained in the Se/Cd codoped Sn0.98Cd0.02Te0.9Se0.1 sample. Se and Cd dopants can optimize the band structure of SnTe and boost the power factors, resulting in a promising peak ZT of ∼0.78 at 773 K in the Se/Cd codoped Sn0.98Cd0.02Te0.9Se0.1 sample, which is significantly higher than those of undoped SnTe and Se-doped SnTe samples.

Serum protein markers for early detection of ovarian cancer.

Early diagnosis of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) would significantly decrease the morbidity and mortality from this disease but is difficult in the absence of physical symptoms. Here, we report a blood test, based on the simultaneous quantization of four analytes (leptin, prolactin, osteopontin, and insulin-like growth factor-II), that can discriminate between disease-free and EOC patients, including patients diagnosed with stage I and II disease, with high efficiency (95%). Microarray analysis was used initially to determine the levels of 169 proteins in serum from 28 healthy women, 18 women newly diagnosed with EOC, and 40 women with recurrent disease. Evaluation of proteins that showed significant differences in expression between controls and cancer patients by ELISA assays yielded the four analytes. These four proteins then were evaluated in a blind cross-validation study by using an additional 106 healthy females and 100 patients with EOC (24 stage I/II and 76 stage III/IV). Upon sample decoding, the results were analyzed by using three different classification algorithms and a binary code methodology. The four-analyte test was further validated in a blind binary code study by using 40 additional serum samples from normal and EOC cancer patients. No single protein could completely distinguish the cancer group from the healthy controls. However, the combination of the four analytes exhibited the following: sensitivity 95%, positive predictive value (PPV) 95%, specificity 95%, and negative predictive value (NPV) 94%, a considerable improvement on current methodology.