Integrated physical education and medicine in general physical education at universities in the age of educational technologies.

BACKGROUND: The integration of training sessions into modern education is of vital importance for such disciplines as Physical Education and First Aid for the non-core specialities. This research explored the opportunities to introduce a pilot programme for Sports Medicine based on the First Aid and Fitness Tests applications to develop critical thinking skills in students using an indirect learning method. METHODS: This research used the Fitness Tests application developed by the ConnectedPE software company. The software contains more than 30 fitness tests and indicates the goal, equipment, procedure and standards so that students can easily and accurately complete all tasks and improve their fitness. The experimental group involved 60 first-year students (25 females and 35 males). The average age is 18.2 years. The control group involved 28 males and 32 females with an average age of 18.3 years. Students were assigned randomly to groups to ensure the experiment's validity. RESULTS: The analysis of the pre-test and post-test of Critical Thinking Skills Success showed significant improvements in critical thinking skills (Z = -6.755 at p = 0.00) based on the integrated sports medicine programme. A negative correlation was observed between the post-test scores of Critical Thinking Skills Success and the Integrated Sports Medicine Test (r = -0.280, p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This article fills a gap in research on the possibility of integrating physical education and medicine into one ICT-based university course that would optimise study hours and develop critical thinking. The research's scientific value is to promote the discussion about the absence of a unified standard for the basic sports training of young individuals on a global scale. The practical significance lies in the enhanced development of critical thinking skills among students through integrated sports training sessions, as opposed to the conventional lecture format. The other important finding is the fact that the use of mobile applications and the development of a general programme in sports medicine have no positive impact or correlation with the academic outputs of students in these two disciplines. The research results can help educators to update curricula on physical education and extracurricular pre-medical training at universities. The perspective of this research is to integrate physical education with other academic disciplines, such as biology, mathematics, physics, and others, to determine the feasibility of this integration and investigate its effect on critical thinking.

Performance enhancement of nitrogen-polar GaN-based light-emitting diodes prepared by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition.

Nitrogen-polar (N-polar) III-nitride materials have great potential for application in long-wavelength light-emitting diodes (LEDs). However, the poor quality of N-polar nitride materials hinders the development of N-polar devices. In this work, we report the enhanced performance of N-polar GaN-based LEDs with an optimized InGaN/GaN double quantum well (DQW) structure grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. We improved the quality of the N-polar InGaN/GaN DQWs by elevating the growth temperature and introducing hydrogen as the carrier gas during the growth of the quantum barrier layers. N-polar LEDs prepared based on the optimized InGaN/GaN DQWs show significantly enhanced (by over 90%) external quantum efficiency and a weakened droop effect compared with a reference LED. More importantly, the optimized N-polar DQWs show a significantly longer emission wavelength than Ga-polar DQWs grown at the same QW growth temperature. This work provides a feasible approach to improving the quality of the N-polar InGaN/GaN QW structure, and it will promote the development of N-polar GaN-based long-wavelength light-emitting devices for micro-LED displays.

Performance enhancement of an N-polar nitride deep-ultraviolet light-emitting diode with compositionally graded p-AlGaN.

Highly efficient hole injection into a AlGaN quantum well is desirable in nitride deep-ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (DUV LEDs) for high optical performance. In this work, we report the observation of enhanced hole injection in the N-polar AlGaN-based DUV LEDs with compositionally graded p-AlxGa1-xN (x = 0.65-0.75) by simulation and show that the enhanced hole injection leads to the increase of the peak internal quantum efficiency (IQE) and the significant reduction of efficiency droop at high current density. This work might activate researchers to realize the efficient polarization p-type doping of N-polar AlGaN with high Al content and thus to achieve high performance DUV LEDs experimentally.

Nonlinear Cherenkov radiations modulated by mode dispersion in a Ti in-diffused LiNbO3 planar waveguide.

We report nonlinear Cherenkov radiations (NCRs) in a Ti in-diffused LiNbO3 planar waveguide. The radiations were modulated exploiting different polarizations and orders of the guided modes, the fundamental wavelengths and the working temperatures. Some characteristics related to NCRs, such as radiation angles and relative intensities were investigated in detail. The experimental results matched well with theoretical calculations.

Tissue engineering scaffolds of mesoporous magnesium silicate and poly(ε-caprolactone)-poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(ε-caprolactone) composite.

Mesoporous magnesium silicate (m-MS) and poly(ε-caprolactone)-poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL-PEG-PCL) composite scaffolds were fabricated by solvent-casting and particulate leaching method. The results suggested that the incorporation of m-MS into PCL-PEG-PCL could significantly improve the water adsorption of the m-MS/PCL-PEG-PCL composite (m-MPC) scaffolds. The in vitro degradation behavior of m-MPC scaffolds were determined by testing weight loss of the scaffolds after soaking into phosphate buffered saline (PBS), and the result showed that the degradation of m-MPC scaffolds was obviously enhanced by addition of m-MS into PCL-PEG-PCL after soaking for 10 weeks. Proliferation of MG63 cells on m-MPC was significantly higher than MPC scaffolds at 4 and 7 days. ALP activity on the m-MPC was obviously higher than MPC scaffolds at 7 days, revealing that m-MPC could promote cell differentiation. Histological evaluation showed that the introduction of m-MS into PCL-PEG-PCL enhanced the efficiency of new bone formation when the m-MPC scaffolds implanted into bone defect of rabbits. The results suggested that the inorganic/organic composite of m-MS and PCL-PEG-PCL scaffolds exhibited good biocompatibility, degradability and osteogenesis.

A data-mining study on the prediction of head injury in traffic accidents among vulnerable road users with varying body sizes and head anatomical characteristics.

Body sizes and head anatomical characteristics play the major role in the head injuries sustained by vulnerable road users (VRU) in traffic accidents. In this study, in order to study the influence mechanism of body sizes and head anatomical characteristics on head injury, we used age, gender, height, and Body Mass Index (BMI) as characteristic parameters to develop the personalized human body multi-rigid body (MB) models and head finite element (FE) models. Next, using simulation calculations, we developed the VRU head injury dataset based on the personalized models. In the dataset, the dependent variables were the degree of head injury and the brain tissue von Mises value, while the independent variables were height, BMI, age, gender, traffic participation status, and vehicle speed. The statistical results of the dataset show that the von Mises value of VRU brain tissue during collision ranges from 4.4 kPa to 46.9 kPa at speeds between 20 and 60 km/h. The effects of anatomical characteristics on head injury include: the risk of a more serious head injury of VRU rises with age; VRU with higher BMIs has less head injury in collision accidents; height has very erratic and nonlinear impacts on the von Mises values of the VRU's brain tissue; and the severity of head injury is not significantly influenced by VRU's gender. Furthermore, we developed the classification prediction models of head injury degree and the regression prediction models of head injury response parameter by applying eight different data mining algorithms to this dataset. The classification prediction models have the best accuracy of 0.89 and the best R2 value of 0.85 for the regression prediction models.

Phytic Acid-Gallium Network on a Polyimide Fiber Woven Fabric as an Artificial Ligament for Boosting Ligament-Bone Healing and Infection Treatment.

The development of an artificial ligament with a multifunction of promoting bone formation, inhibiting bone resorption, and preventing infection to obtain ligament-bone healing for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction still faces enormous challenges. Herein, a novel artificial ligament based on a PI fiber woven fabric (PIF) was fabricated, which was coated with a phytic acid-gallium (PA-Ga) network via a layer-by-layer assembly method (PFPG). Compared with PIF, PFPG with PA-Ga coating significantly suppressed osteoclastic differentiation, while it boosted osteoblastic differentiation in vitro. Moreover, PFPG obviously inhibited fibrous encapsulation and bone absorption while accelerating new bone regeneration for ligament-bone healing in vivo. PFPG remarkably killed bacteria and destroyed biofilm, exhibiting excellent antibacterial properties in vitro as well as anti-infection ability in vivo, which were ascribed to the release of Ga ions from the PA-Ga coating. The cooperative effect of the surface characteristics (e.g., hydrophilicity/surface energy and protein absorption) and sustained release of Ga ions for PFPG significantly enhanced osteogenesis while inhibiting osteoclastogenesis, thereby achieving ligament-bone integration as well as resistance to infection. In summary, PFPG remarkably facilitated osteoblastic differentiation, while it suppressed osteoclastic differentiation, thereby inhibiting osteoclastogenesis for bone absorption while accelerating osteogenesis for ligament-bone healing. As a novel artificial ligament, PFPG represented an appealing option for graft selection in ACL reconstruction and displayed considerable promise for application in clinics.

Comparison of the pedicle screws placement between electronic conductivity device and normal pedicle finder in posterior surgery of scoliosis.

STUDY DESIGN: Prospective randomized clinical trial. OBJECTIVE: To compare the accuracy and time using of pedicle screw placement between electronic conductivity device (ECD) and normal pedicle finder (NPF) in posterior surgery of scoliosis, through a randomized clinical trial. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Pedicle screw insertion for scoliosis correction can be associated with increased pedicle perforations. The malposition rates using various techniques in different region of the spine have been reported to occur with a frequency of 3.3%-43%. An ECD has been reported in spine surgeries, but its accuracy and surgical time comparing with NPF in the presence of scoliosis has not been reported. METHODS: The 42 patients of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis with average major Cobb angle of 55.3±7 degrees (range, 45-78 degrees), who received posterior correction surgeries using pedicle screws system only were divided into 2 groups by random: group NPF (22 patients); and group ECD (20 patients). NPF group had 332 screws and ECD group had 362 screws. The 2 groups were compared for accuracy of screw placement, time for screw insertion, and the number of times the C-arm had to be brought into the field. RESULTS: There were 47 (14.2%) pedicle perforation in the NPF group as compared with only 15 (4.1%) in the ECD group (P<0.001). Although in different region of the spine, screw accuracy showed discrepant statistical result, with upper (T1-T3), middle (T4-T7), and lower thoracic (T8-T10) comparison showing significant statistical difference (P=0.010, 0.001, and 0.041, respectively) and thoracolumbar (T11-L2) and lower lumbar (L3-L5) comparison showing no significant statistical difference (P=0.278 and 0.292, respectively). Average screw insertion time in the NPF group was 241±61 seconds compared with 204±33 seconds in the ECD group (P=0.009). The C-arm had to be moved into the operation field on an average of 1.59±0.67 times in the NPF group compared with 1.20±0.52 in the ECD group (P=0.040). CONCLUSIONS: ECD increases pedicle screw accuracy, especially in T1-T10, and reduces insertion time and radiation in posterior adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

Gene expression profile analysis of human intervertebral disc degeneration.

In this study, we used microarray analysis to investigate the biogenesis and progression of intervertebral disc degeneration. The gene expression profiles of 37 disc tissue samples obtained from patients with herniated discs and degenerative disc disease collected by the National Cancer Institute Cooperative Tissue Network were analyzed. Differentially expressed genes between more and less degenerated discs were identified by significant analysis of microarray. A total of 555 genes were significantly overexpressed in more degenerated discs with a false discovery rate of < 3%. Functional annotation showed that these genes were significantly associated with membrane-bound vesicles, calcium ion binding and extracellular matrix. Protein-protein interaction analysis showed that these genes, including previously reported genes such as fibronectin, COL2A1 and ß-catenin, may play key roles in disc degeneration. Unsupervised clustering indicated that the widely used morphology-based Thompson grading system was only marginally associated with the molecular classification of intervertebral disc degeneration. These findings indicate that detailed, systematic gene analysis may be a useful way of studying the biology of intervertebral disc degeneration.

Quercetin-loaded porous biocomposite of polyimide and molybdenum disulfide nanosheets with antibacterial capability for boosting osteoblastic differentiation and bone-bonding.

Implant instability and bacterial infection are the two main reasons for the failure of bone implantation. Herein, a porous biocomposite containing polyimide (PI) and 40 w% molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) nanosheets (PM40) was fabricated, and quercetin (QT) was loaded onto the porous surface of PM40 (PMQT). Incorporation of MoS2 nanosheets into PI remarkably increased the compressive strength, water absorption and protein absorption of PM40. PM40 exhibited good antibacterial capability owing to presence of MoS2, while PMQT displayed the further enhancement of antibacterial capability because of loading of QT. PM40 with MoS2 significantly stimulated the osteoblastic differentiation of bone mesenchymal stem cells in vitro, and PMQT with QT displayed further enhancement. In comparison with PI and PM40, PMQT significantly inhibited the osteoclastic differentiation thanks to the sustained-release of QT that suppressed the formation of osteoclasts and expression of osteoclastic genes. Moreover, PM40 with MoS2 accelerated osteogenesis and bone-bonding in vivo, and PMQT with QT displayed further enhancement. In summary, the cooperative effect of MoS2 and QT significantly improved osteoblastic differentiation and ameliorated bone-bonding in vivo. Accordingly, PMQT displayed marvelous osteogenic and antibacterial effects, which would have the potential for repair of load-bearing bone.

Biodegradable composites of poly(propylene carbonate) mixed with silicon nitride for osteogenic activity of adipose-derived stem cells and repair of bone defects.

Absorbable polymers have attracted increasing attention in the field of bone regeneration in recent years for their degradation. Compared with other degradable polymers, polypropylene carbonate (PPC) has several advantages such as biodegradation and relatively cheap raw materials. Most importantly, PPC can degrade into water and carbon dioxide totally which does not give rise to local inflammation and bone resorption in vivo. However, pure PPC has not presented excellent osteoinductivity properties. In order to enhance the osteoinductivity of PPC, silicon nitride (SiN) was employed due to its excellent mechanical properties, biocompatibility and osteogenesis compared with the other common materials such as hydroxyapatite and calcium phosphate ceramics. In this study, composites of PPC mixed with different contents of SiN were prepared successfully (PSN10 with 10 wt% SiN content, and PSN20 with 20 wt% SiN content). The characterization of the composites suggested that PPC mixed with SiN evenly and PSN composites presented stable properties. The results in vitro revealed that the PSN20 composite possessed satisfactory biocompatibility and exerted better osteogenic differentiation effects on adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs). In particular, the PSN20 composite accelerated the healing of bone defects better and degraded with the process of bone healing in vivo. Overall, the PSN20 composite exhibited better biocompatibility, induced osteogenic differentiation of ADSCs and promoted healing of bone defects, due to which the PSN composite is considered as a potential candidate for treating bone defects in the field of bone tissue engineering.

Treatment of bone nonunion and bone defects associated with unsuccessful humeral condylar fracture repair with autogenous iliac bone reconstruction.

BACKGROUND: Our preliminary study retrospectively assessed outcomes after the use of autogenous iliac bone grafts combined with internal fixation to repair refractory bone nonunions and bone defects associated with supracondylar or intracondylar humeral fractures, or both. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We identified 22 patients (14 men and 8 women) with a mean age of 33.8 years (range, 17-60 years) with bone nonunion and severe bone defects associated with supracondylar or intercondylar humerus fractures, or both. The humeral condyle in each patient was anatomically reconstructed using autologous iliac bone grafts and internal fixation. Active functional exercise was initiated 3 to 4 weeks after surgery. The following variables were assessed: preoperative and postoperative elbow range of motion, Mayo Elbow Performance Score (MEPS), and postoperative complications. RESULTS: Mean follow-up was 38.6 months. Mean duration until bone union was 5.6 months. Preoperatively, 16 patients had a fair or poor MEPS (<75). At final follow-up MEPS was excellent (>90) in 8, good (75-90) in 9, fair (60-74) in 4, and poor (<60) in 1 patient. Postoperative heterotopic ossification anterior to the elbow joint occurred in 2 patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our preliminary results suggest that anatomic reconstruction of the humeral condyle using autogenous iliac bone grafting with internal fixation can improve elbow joint function in patients with bone nonunion and bone defects associated with supracondylar or intracondylar humeral fractures, or both. Larger scale studies are warranted to confirm our findings and compare the efficacy of this vs other surgical approaches.

Phytic acid/magnesium ion complex coating on PEEK fiber woven fabric as an artificial ligament with anti-fibrogenesis and osteogenesis for ligament-bone healing.

Development of an artificial ligament possessing osteogenic activity to enhance ligament-bone healing for reconstruction of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is a great challenge. Herein, polyetheretherketone fibers (PKF) were coated with phytic acid (PA)/magnesium (Mg) ions complex (PKPM), which were woven into fabrics as an artificial ligament. The results demonstrated that PKPM with PA/Mg complex coating exhibited optimized surface properties with improved hydrophilicity and surface energy, and slow release of Mg ions. PKPM significantly enhanced responses of rat bone marrow stem cells in vitro. Moreover, PKPM remarkably promoted M2 macrophage polarization that upregulated production of anti-inflammatory cytokine while inhibited M1 macrophage polarization that downregulated production of pro-inflammatory cytokine in vitro. Further, PKPM inhibited fibrous encapsulation by preventing M1 macrophage polarization while promoted osteogenesis for ligament-bone healing by triggering M2 macrophage polarization in vivo. The results suggested that the downregulation of M1 macrophage polarization for inhibiting fibrogenesis and upregulation of M2 macrophage polarization for improving osteogenesis of PKPM were attributed to synergistic effects of PA and sustained release of Mg ions. In summary, PKPM with PA/Mg complex coating upregulated pro-osteogenic macrophage polarization that supplied a profitable anti-inflammatory environments for osteogenesis and ligament-bone healing, thereby possessing tremendous potential for reconstruction of ACL.

Exploring the Change of Host and Microorganism in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients Based on Metagenomic and Metatranscriptomic Sequencing.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a universal respiratory disease resulting from the complex interactions between genes and environmental conditions. The process of COPD is deteriorated by repeated episodes of exacerbations, which are the primary reason for COPD-related morbidity and mortality. Bacterial pathogens are commonly identified in patients' respiratory tracts both in the stable state and during acute exacerbations, with significant changes in the prevalence of airway bacteria occurring during acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD). Therefore, the changes in microbial composition and host inflammatory responses will be necessary to investigate the mechanistic link between the airway microbiome and chronic pulmonary inflammation in COPD patients. Methods: We performed metatranscriptomic and metagenomic sequencing on sputum samples for twelve AECOPD patients before treatment and for four of them stable COPD (stabilization of AECOPD patients after treatment). Sequencing reads were classified by Kraken2, and the host gene expression was analyzed by Hisat2 and HTseq. The correlation between genes was obtained by the Spearman correlation coefficient. Mann-Whitney U-test was applied to identify microbes that exhibit significantly different distribution in two groups. Results: At the phyla level, the top 5 dominant phyla were Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Fusobacteria. The proportion of dominant gates in metagenomic data was similar in metatranscriptomic data. There were significant differences in the abundance of specific microorganisms at the class level between the two methods. No significant difference between AECOPD and stable COPD was found. However, the different expression levels of 5 host genes were significantly increased in stable COPD and were involved in immune response and inflammatory pathways, which were associated with macrophages. Conclusion: Our study may provide a clue to investigate the mechanism of COPD and potential biomarkers in clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Advanced glycation end-products induce heparanase expression in endothelial cells by the receptor for advanced glycation end products and through activation of the FOXO4 transcription factor.

As an endo-ß (1-4)-D: -glucuronidase, heparanase can specifically cleave carbohydrate chains of heparan sulfate (HS) and has been implicated in development of endothelial cells dsyfunction. The advanced glycation end products (AGEs) play a pivotal role in the pathology of diabetic complications. In the present study, we investigated the effect of AGE-bovine serum albumin (AGE-BSA) on heparanase expression in human microvascular endothelial cells (HMVECs) and the underlying molecular mechanisms. The results indicated that in vitro direct exposure of HMVECs to AGE-BSA (300, 1000, and 3000 µg/ml) could increase heparanase mRNA and protein expression in a dose and time-dependent manner. The effect of 1000 µg/ml AGE-BSA could be abolished by neutralization with antibody of the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE). Moreover, pretreatment with inhibitors of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) or PI3-kinase did not affect heparanase expression induced by AGE-BSA. Nevertheless, small interference RNA (siRNA) for transcriptional factor FOXO4 could reduce the increase of heparanase expression in HMVECs induced by 1000 µg/ml AGE-BSA. These results suggest that AGEs could induce heparanase expression in HMVECs by RAGE and predominantly through activation of the FOXO4 transcription factor.

Treatment of lower extremity long bone nonunion with expandable intramedullary nailing and autologous bone grafting.

BACKGROUND: Nonunion of long bones in lower limbs is a common complication of orthopedic trauma that can be extremely debilitating. This retrospective study describes our experience using expandable intramedullary nails and autologous bone grafting in treating lower limb long bone nonunion with bone defects. METHODS: Nineteen patients (mean age 38.9 years, range 18-61) with lower limb long bone nonunion and defects caused by femoral or tibial fracture types were as follows: A2 (3 femoral, 1 tibial), A3 (1 femoral, 2 tibial), B2 (3 femoral, 4 tibial), and B3 (1 femoral, 4 tibial). Expandable intramedullary nailing and autologous bone (iliac and/or fibular) grafting were used for the treatment. Postoperative bone healing as determined by analysis of standard anteroposterior and lateral X-ray films every 4 weeks. Complications were noted. RESULTS: The average number of previous surgeries was 1.9 (range 1-4). The mean duration from original injury to treatment was 17.6 months (range 9-40 months). Femoral shaft nonunion healed on average of 26.5 weeks (range 16-60 weeks) after surgery, while tibial shaft nonunion healed on average of 23.6 weeks (range 12-40 weeks) after surgery. Class I healing occurred in all but two patients who experienced chronic postoperative osteomyelitis and delayed wound healing, respectively. Two patients complained of postoperative donor site pain. CONCLUSIONS: The use of expandable intramedullary nails and autologous bone grafts was an effective method for repair of nonunion of lower limb fractures combining with bone defects with minimal complications.

Demonstration of epitaxial growth of strain-relaxed GaN films on graphene/SiC substrates for long wavelength light-emitting diodes.

Strain modulation is crucial for heteroepitaxy such as GaN on foreign substrates. Here, the epitaxy of strain-relaxed GaN films on graphene/SiC substrates by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition is demonstrated. Graphene was directly prepared on SiC substrates by thermal decomposition. Its pre-treatment with nitrogen-plasma can introduce C-N dangling bonds, which provides nucleation sites for subsequent epitaxial growth. The scanning transmission electron microscopy measurements confirm that part of graphene surface was etched by nitrogen-plasma. We study the growth behavior on different areas of graphene surface after pre-treatment, and propose a growth model to explain the epitaxial growth mechanism of GaN films on graphene. Significantly, graphene is found to be effective to reduce the biaxial stress in GaN films and the strain relaxation improves indium-atom incorporation in InGaN/GaN multiple quantum wells (MQWs) active region, which results in the obvious red-shift of light-emitting wavelength of InGaN/GaN MQWs. This work opens up a new way for the fabrication of GaN-based long wavelength light-emitting diodes.

Central administration of kisspeptin-10 inhibits water and sodium excretion of anesthetized male rats and the involvement of arginine vasopressin.

AIM: To investigate the effect of hypothalamus kisspeptin on water and sodium excretion and the possible mechanism. METHOD: The intracerebroventricular (icv) administration and radioimmunoassay were used to observe the effect of kisspeptin-10 on urine flow, sodium and potassium excretion, plasma arginine vasopressin (AVP), and atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) concentrations in anesthetized male rats. The mediation of renal sympathetic nerve was also investigated by studies conducted on rats with bilateral renal sympathetic denervation. RESULTS: The urine flow, sodium excretion, and free water clearance decreased significantly by icv injection of 5 nmol kisspeptin-10 (p < 0.05) from 30 to 60 min post-injection. Meanwhile, plasma AVP concentrations increased significantly 30 min after the icv injection of 5 nmol kisspeptin-10 (p < 0.05), whereas the equal dose of kisspeptin-10 did not significantly change plasma ANP concentrations. The mean arterial blood pressure, heart rate, and potassium excretion did not significantly change during the experiment. Furthermore, pretreatment with 5 nmol kisspeptin-10 could still significantly decrease urine flow and sodium excretion in renal sympathetic denervated rats. CONCLUSION: Central administration of kisspeptin-10 could inhibit sodium excretion and urine flow in anesthetized male rats, which is probably mediated by increasing the plasma AVP concentration and is independent of plasma ANP concentration and renal sympathetic nerve activity.

Hydrostatic pressure induces osteogenic differentiation of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells through increasing lncRNA-PAGBC.

Induced osteogenesis of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AMSCs) has been used to facilitate bone regeneration. Specifically, hydrostatic pressure (HP) has been implicated as a key regulator of AMSC differentiation, whereas the mechanisms that underlie the effects of HP on osteogenesis of AMSCs are not fully understood. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are emerging regulators for osteogenic differentiation from AMSCs. In the current study, we found that lncRNA-PAGBC was a specific lncRNA that significantly upregulated during osteogenic differentiation of AMSCs based on published database. HP increased lncRNA-PAGBC, which is a competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) that binds to the osteogenesis-inhibitory microRNA, miR-133b, to regulate osteogenic differentiation of AMSCs. Moreover, a key osteogenesis-trigger gene, runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2), was identified as a target gene for miR-133b. Suppression of RUNX2 by miR-133b caused impaired osteogenic differentiation of AMSCs. Furthermore, lncRNA-PAGBC overexpression upregulated, whereas lncRNA-PAGBC silencing decreased the expression of RUNX2 through miR-133b. Together, these data suggest that HP induces osteogenic differentiation of AMSCs through increasing lncRNA-PAGBC.

Macro-Microporous Surface with Sulfonic Acid Groups and Micro-Nano Structures of PEEK/Nano Magnesium Silicate Composite Exhibiting Antibacterial Activity and Inducing Cell Responses.

PURPOSE: To improve the surface bio-properties of polyetheretherketone (PEEK)/nano magnesium silicate (n-MS) composite (PC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The surface of PC was firstly treated by particle impact (PCP) and subsequently modified by concentrated sulfuric acid (PCPS). RESULTS: PCPS surface exhibited not only macropores with sizes of about 150 µm (fabricated by particle impact) but also micropores with sizes of about 2 µm (created by sulfonation of PEEK) on the macroporous walls, and sulfonic acid (-SO3H) groups were introduced on PCPS surface. In addition, many n-MS nanoparticles were exposed on the microporous walls, which formed micro-nano structures. Moreover, the surface roughness and hydrophilicity of PCPS were obviously enhanced as compared with PC and PCP. Moreover, the apatite mineralization of PCPS in simulated body fluid (SBF) was obviously improved as compared with PC. Furthermore, compared with PC and PCP, PCPS exhibited antibacterial performances due to the presence of -SO3H groups. In addition, the responses (eg, adhesion and proliferation as well as differentiation) of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell of rat to PCPS were significantly promoted as compared with PC and PCP. CONCLUSION: PCPS with macro-microporous surface containing -SO3H groups and micro-nano structures exhibited antibacterial activity and induced cell responses, which might possess large potential for bone substitute and repair.