Far-red light modulates grapevine growth by increasing leaf photosynthesis efficiency and triggering organ-specific transcriptome remodelling : Author.

BACKGROUND: Growing evidence demonstrates that the synergistic interaction of far-red light with shorter wavelength lights could evidently improve the photosynthesis efficiency of multiple species. However, whether/how far-red light affects sink organs and consequently modulates the source‒sink relationships are largely unknown. RESULTS: Here, equal intensities of white and far-red lights were added to natural light for grape plantlets to investigate the effects of far-red light supplementation on grapevine growth and carbon assimilate allocation, as well as to reveal the underlying mechanisms, through physiological and transcriptomic analysis. The results showed that additional far-red light increased stem length and carbohydrate contents in multiple organs and decreased leaf area, specific leaf weight and dry weight of leaves in comparison with their counterparts grown under white light. Compared to white light, the maximum net photosynthetic rate of the leaves was increased by 31.72% by far-red light supplementation, indicating that far-red light indeed elevated the photosynthesis efficiency of grapes. Transcriptome analysis revealed that leaves were most responsive to far-red light, followed by sink organs, including stems and roots. Genes related to light signaling and carbon metabolites were tightly correlated with variations in the aforementioned physiological traits. In particular, VvLHCB1 is involved in light harvesting and restoring the balance of photosystem I and photosystem II excitation, and VvCOP1 and VvPIF3, which regulate light signal transduction, were upregulated under far-red conditions. In addition, the transcript abundances of the sugar transporter-encoding genes VvSWEET1 and VvSWEET3 and the carbon metabolite-encoding genes VvG6PD, VvSUS7 and VvPGAM varied in line with the change in sugar content. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that far-red light synergistically functioning with white light has a beneficial effect on grape photosystem activity and is able to differentially affect the growth of sink organs, providing evidence for the possible addition of far-red light to the wavelength range of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR).

Supplementing with monochromatic blue LED light during the day, rather than at night, increases anthocyanins in the berry skin of grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.).

MAIN CONCLUSION: Supplying monochromatic blue LED light during the day, but not at night, promotes early coloration and improves anthocyanin accumulation in the skin of grape berries. Specific light spectra, such as blue light, are known to promote the biosynthesis and accumulation of anthocyanins in fruit skins. However, research is scarce on whether supplement of blue light during different periods of one day can differ in their effect. Here, we compared the consequences of supplying blue light during the day and night on the accumulation of anthocyanins in pigmented grapevine (Vitis vinifera) berries. Two treatments of supplemented monochromatic blue light were tested, with light emitting diodes (LED) disposed close to the fruit zone, irradiating between 8:00 and 18:00 (Dayblue) or between 20:00 and 6:00 (Nightblue). Under the Dayblue treatment, berry coloration was accelerated and total anthocyanins in berry skins increased faster than the control (CK) and also when compared to the Nightblue condition. In fact, total anthocyanin content was similar between CK and Nightblue. qRT-PCR analysis indicated that Dayblue slightly improved the relative expression of the anthocyanin-structural gene UFGT and its regulator MYBA1. Instead, the expression of the light-reception and -signaling related genes CRY, HY5, HYH, and COP1 rapidly increased under Dayblue. This study provides insights into the effect of supplementing monochromatic LED blue light during the different periods of one day, on anthocyanins accumulation in the berry skin.

DFT Study of Functional Reduction of CO2 with BH3NMe3: The Real Role of Organic Catalyst TBD.

The detailed mechanism of transition metal-free-catalyzed monomethylation of 2-naphthyl acetonitrile (1a) with CO2 in the presence of triazabicyclodecene (TBD) and BH3NMe3 was investigated using density functional theory. The C-methylation process proved to generate formaldehyde followed by the formation of the product via an alcohol rather than a methoxyborane intermediate. During the reaction, CO2 is activated to form the TBD-CO2 adduct and BH3NMe3 is changed into TBD-BH2 (IM2) in the presence of TBD. IM2 plays a real reducing role within the system due to the unique coordination capability of the B atom. In addition to enhancing the nucleophilicity of 1a through deprotonation by tBuOK, our research also indicates that the generated tBuOH not only assists in proton transfer to generate an alcohol intermediate but also promotes the regeneration of TBD.

Karst fissures mitigate the negative effects of drought on plant growth and photosynthetic physiology.

Hard limestone substrates, which are extensively distributed, are believed to exacerbate drought and increase the difficulty of restoration in vulnerable karst regions. Fissures in such substrates may alleviate the negative effect of drought on plants, but the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. In a two-way factorial block design, the growth and photosynthesis of 2-year-old Phoebe zhennan seedlings were investigated in two water availabilities (high versus low) and three stimulated fissure habitat groups (soil, soil-filled fissure and non-soil-filled fissure). Moreover, the fissure treatments included both small and big fissures. Compared to the soil group, the non-soil-filled fissure group had decreased the total biomass, root biomass, total root length, and the root length of fine roots in the soil layer at both water availabilities, but increased net photosynthetic rate (Pn) and retained stable water use efficiency (WUE) at low water availability. However, there were no significant differences between the soil-filled fissure group and soil group in the biomass accumulation and allocation as well as Pn. Nevertheless, the SF group decreased the root distribution in total and in the soil layer, and also increased WUE at low water availability. Across all treatments, fissure size had no effect on plant growth or photosynthesis. Karst fissures filled with soil can alleviate drought impacts on plant root growth, which involves adjusting root distribution strategies and increasing water use efficiency. These results suggest that rock fissures can be involved in long-term plant responses to drought stress and vegetation restoration in rocky mountain environments under global climate change.

Terminal crystalline solid solutions, solubility enhancements and T-X phase diagram of salicylic acid - 4-hydroxybenzoic acid.

The binary T-X phase diagram of salicylic acid (SA) and 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (4HBA) has been constructed from 20 °C to melting, revealing a partially miscible system with an eutectic composition of 27.3 mol% 4HBA in SA. Terminal crystalline solid solutions were obtained at the extremes of the phase diagram with solid-state miscibility limits below 0.4% at 20 °C. The limited phase boundaries could be captured experimentally by both DSC analyses at around melting temperature and solid-liquid equilibria studies at 20 °C in two solvent systems. The NRTL model was applied to regress phase boundaries and generate the final binary T-X phase diagram. The NRTL model was also used to regress solubility data, and reproduce the ternary SA/4HBA/solvent phase diagram at 20 °C and 1 atm. 4HBA was obtained as two crystal forms, viz. anhydrate and monohydrate. It is shown how the monohydrate of 4HBA is less miscible with SA in the solid state than the anhydrous form of 4HBA. As compared to pure SA and 4HBA, the crystalline solid solutions exhibited significant changes in physical properties that are relevant for organic and pharmaceutical materials in the context of impurity effects. A lattice incorporation of just 0.2 mol% 4HBA in SA caused a 10% reduction in melting enthalpy and a 66% solubility increase in 40 wt% MeOH in H2O. The reasons for this thermodynamic effect are discussed.

Carbon tax and low-carbon credit: Which policy is more beneficial to the capital-constrained manufacturer's remanufacturing activities?

Remanufacturing has attracted much attention for its enormous potential in resource recycling and low-carbon emission reduction. To investigate the effects of different government intervention policies on remanufacturing and carbon emissions, two profit maximization models of the capital-constrained manufacturer under carbon tax and low-carbon credit policies are constructed respectively. Then, through theoretical and numerical analyses, some significant findings are drawn: (1) Both carbon tax and low-carbon credit policies can encourage capital-constrained manufacturers to produce more remanufactured products, but which intervention policy is more advantageous also depends on the carbon emission cost of new products or financing cost of the remanufactured products. (2) Although carbon tax policy can effectively control carbon emissions, it is always at the expense of both capital-constrained manufacturers and consumers; while low-carbon credit policy can help capital-constrained manufacturers achieve the goal of win-win economic and environmental benefits when the remanufacturing carbon savings advantages are more apparent. (3) From the perspective of consumer benefits, carbon tax is more advantageous when the consumer willingness to pay for remanufactured products is higher; otherwise, low-carbon credit policy should be implemented. (4) The higher the environmental damage coefficient is, the more it can highlight the advantages of the two intervention policies in social welfare enhancement, especially the carbon tax policy; and when the environmental damage coefficient is given, the stronger the consumers' willingness to pay for remanufactured products is, the more it is conducive to reducing the negative effects caused by the carbon tax or low-carbon credit policy in social welfare enhancement, or increasing the corresponding positive effects. Based on above findings, some managerial insights and policy implications are provided to capital-constrained manufacturers and policy-makers.

Influence of perceived stress on fertility intention among women of childbearing age without children: multiple mediating effect of anxiety, family communication and subjective well-being.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, there has been a significant decrease in the desire to have children among Chinese women of childbearing age, particularly for the first child. This trend has sparked a growing interest in understanding the underlying factors. Although perceived stress has been speculated as an important factor in decreasing fertility intention, the precise mechanism is unclear. The current study, therefore, aims to investigate the psychological mechanisms linking perceived stress to fertility intentions among women of childbearing age without children, a topic of significant relevance and importance. METHODS: Data were sourced from Chinese residents' psychology and behavior investigation (PBICR-2022). A multistage random sampling method was applied to recruit eligible participants. The Mplus8.3 software constructed a chain path model among the variables. RESULTS: The median fertility intention was 30(3-60) on a scale of 0 to 100. The mediation analysis revealed a significant negative influence of perceived stress on fertility intention (ß = - 0.076, P < 0.001). Additionally, a more intricate pattern of chain-mediating effect was observed involving perceived stress, anxiety (ß = 0.037, P < 0.05), family communication (ß = 0.106, P < 0.001), subjective well-being (ß = 0.088, P < 0.001) and fertility intention. CONCLUSIONS: Perceived stress not only directly suppressed fertility intention but also indirectly affected it through anxiety, family communication, and subjective well-being. Effective family communication and favorable subjective well-being emerged as factors that could augment fertility intentions among women of childbearing age without children.

Synthesis and Anti-Liver Fibrosis Research of Aspartic Acid Derivatives.

Liver fibrosis plays an important role in the progression of liver disease, but there is a severe shortage of direct and efficacious pharmaceutical clinical interventions. Literature research indicates that aspartic acid exhibits hepatoprotective properties. In this paper, 32 target compounds were designed and synthesized utilizing aspartic acid as the lead compound, of which 22 were new compounds not reported in the literature. These compounds were screened for their inhibitory effects on the COL1A1 promoter to assess in vitro anti-liver fibrosis activity and summarized structure-activity relationships. Four compounds exhibited superior potency with inhibition rates ranging from 66.72% to 97.44%, substantially higher than EGCG (36.46 ± 4.64%) and L-Asp (11.33 ± 0.35%). In an LPS-induced inflammation model of LX-2 cells, both 41 and 8a could inhibit the activation of LX-2 cells, reducing the expression of COL1A1, fibronectin, and α-SMA. Upon further investigation, 41 and 8a ameliorated liver fibrosis by inhibiting the IKKß-NF-κB signaling pathway to alleviate inflammatory response. Overall, the study evaluated the anti-liver fibrosis effects of aspartic acid derivatives, identified the potency of 41, and conducted a preliminary exploration of mechanisms, laying the foundation for the discovery of novel anti-liver fibrosis agents.

Exact New Mobility Edges between Critical and Localized States.

The disorder systems host three types of fundamental quantum states, known as the extended, localized, and critical states, of which the critical states remain being much less explored. Here we propose a class of exactly solvable models which host a novel type of exact mobility edges (MEs) separating localized states from robust critical states, and propose experimental realization. Here the robustness refers to the stability against both single-particle perturbation and interactions in the few-body regime. The exactly solvable one-dimensional models are featured by a quasiperiodic mosaic type of both hopping terms and on-site potentials. The analytic results enable us to unambiguously obtain the critical states which otherwise require arduous numerical verification including the careful finite size scalings. The critical states and new MEs are shown to be robust, illustrating a generic mechanism unveiled here that the critical states are protected by zeros of quasiperiodic hopping terms in the thermodynamic limit. Further, we propose a novel experimental scheme to realize the exactly solvable model and the new MEs in an incommensurate Rydberg Raman superarray. This Letter may pave a way to precisely explore the critical states and new ME physics with experimental feasibility.

Nonlinear Transport due to Magnetic-Field-Induced Flat Bands in the Nodal-Line Semimetal ZrTe_{5}.

The Dirac material ZrTe_{5} at very low carrier density was recently found to be a nodal-line semimetal, where ultraflat bands are expected to emerge in magnetic fields parallel to the nodal-line plane. Here, we report that in very low carrier-density samples of ZrTe_{5}, when the current and the magnetic field are both along the crystallographic a axis, the current-voltage characteristics presents a pronounced nonlinearity which tends to saturate in the ultra quantum limit. The magnetic-field dependence of the nonlinear coefficient is well explained by the Boltzmann theory for flat-band transport, and we argue that this nonlinear transport is likely due to the combined effect of flat bands and charge puddles; the latter appear due to very low carrier densities.

Model-assisted analysis for tuning anthocyanin composition in grape berries.

Anthocyanin composition is responsible for the red colour of grape berries and wines, and contributes to their organoleptic quality. However, anthocyanin biosynthesis is under genetic, developmental and environmental regulation, making its targeted fine-tuning challenging. We constructed a mechanistic model to simulate the dynamics of anthocyanin composition throughout grape ripening in Vitis vinifera, employing a consensus anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway. The model was calibrated and validated using six datasets from eight cultivars and 37 growth conditions. Tuning the transformation and degradation parameters allowed us to accurately simulate the accumulation process of each individual anthocyanin under different environmental conditions. The model parameters were robust across environments for each genotype. The coefficients of determination (R2) for the simulated versus observed values for the six datasets ranged from 0.92 to 0.99, while the relative root mean square errors (RRMSEs) were between 16.8 and 42.1 %. The leave-one-out cross-validation for three datasets showed R2 values of 0.99, 0.96 and 0.91, and RRMSE values of 28.8, 32.9 and 26.4 %, respectively, suggesting a high prediction quality of the model. Model analysis showed that the anthocyanin profiles of diverse genotypes are relatively stable in response to parameter perturbations. Virtual experiments further suggested that targeted anthocyanin profiles may be reached by manipulating a minimum of three parameters, in a genotype-dependent manner. This model presents a promising methodology for characterizing the temporal progression of anthocyanin composition, while also offering a logical foundation for bioengineering endeavours focused on precisely adjusting the anthocyanin composition of grapes.

Boron nitride nanotube-salt-water hybrid:crystalline precipitation.

Molecular dynamics simulation is used to study the transport characteristics of NaCl solution in boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs). It presents an interesting and well-supported MD study of the crystallization of NaCl from its water solution under the confinement of a 3 nm thick boron nitride nanotube with varied surface charging conditions. The results of the molecular dynamics simulation indicate that NaCl crystallization occurs in charged BNNTs at room temperature when the concentration of NaCl solution reaches about 1.2 M. The reason for this phenomenon is as follows: when the number of ions in the nanotubes is high, the double electric layer that forms at the nanoscale near the charged wall surface, the hydrophobicity of BNNTs, and the interaction among ions cause ions to aggregate in the nanotubes. As the concentration of NaCl solution increases, the concentration of ions when they aggregate in the nanotubes reaches the saturation concentration of the NaCl solution, resulting in the crystalline precipitation phenomenon.

Utilization of Fe-Ethylenediamine-N,N'-Disuccinic Acid Complex for Electrochemical Co-Catalytic Activation of Peroxymonosulfate under Neutral Initial pH Conditions.

The ethylenediamine-N,N'-disuccinic acid (EDDS) was utilized to form Fe-EDDS complex to activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS) in the electrochemical (EC) co-catalytic system for effective oxidation of naphthenic acids (NAs) under neutral pH conditions. 1-adamantanecarboxylic acid (ACA) was used as a model compound to represent NAs, which are persistent pollutants that are abundantly present in oil and gas field wastewater. The ACA degradation rate was significantly enhanced in the EC/PMS/Fe(III)-EDDS system (96.6%) compared to that of the EC/PMS/Fe(III) system (65.4%). The addition of EDDS led to the formation of a stable complex of Fe-EDDS under neutral pH conditions, which effectively promoted the redox cycle of Fe(III)-EDDS/Fe(II)-EDDS to activate PMS to generate oxidative species for ACA degradation. The results of quenching and chemical probe experiments, as well as electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) analysis, identified significant contributions of •OH, 1O2, and SO4•- in the removal of ACA. The ACA degradation pathways were revealed based on the results of high resolution mass spectrometry analysis and calculation of the Fukui index. The presence of anions, such as NO3-, Cl-, and HCO3-, as well as humic acids, induced nonsignificant influence on the ACA degradation, indicating the robustness of the current system for applications in authentic scenarios. Overall results indicated the EC/PMS/Fe(III)-EDDS system is a promising strategy for the practical treatment of NAs in oil and gas field wastewater.

Gigantic Magnetochiral Anisotropy in the Topological Semimetal ZrTe_{5}.

Topological materials with broken inversion symmetry can give rise to nonreciprocal responses, such as the current rectification controlled by magnetic fields via magnetochiral anisotropy. Bulk nonreciprocal responses usually stem from relativistic corrections and are always very small. Here we report our discovery that ZrTe_{5} crystals in proximity to a topological quantum phase transition present gigantic magnetochiral anisotropy, which is the largest ever observed to date. We argue that a very low carrier density, inhomogeneities, and a torus-shaped Fermi surface induced by breaking of inversion symmetry in a Dirac material are central to explain this extraordinary property.

Clonal functional traits favor the invasive success of alien plants into native communities.

Functional traits are frequently proposed to determine the invasiveness of alien species. However, few empirical studies have directly manipulated functional traits and tested their importance in the invasion success of alien species into native plant communities, particularly under global change. We manipulated clonal integration (a key clonal functional trait) of four alien clonal plants by severing inter-ramet connections or keeping them intact and simulated their invasion into native plant communities with two levels of species diversity, population density and nutrient availability. High community diversity and density impeded the invasion success of the alien clonal plants. Clonal integration of the alien plants promoted their invasion success, particularly in the low-density communities associated with low species diversity or nutrient addition, which resulted in a negative correlation between the performance of alien plants and native communities, as expected under global change. Thus, clonal integration can favor the invasion success of alien clonal plants into degraded resident communities with a high degree of disturbance and eutrophication. Our findings confirm the role of clonal functional traits in facilitating alien plant invasions into native plant communities and suggest that clonal functional traits should be considered to efficiently restore degraded communities heavily invaded by alien clonal plants.

Colchicine-Containing Nanoparticles Attenuates Acute Myocardial Infarction Injury by Inhibiting Inflammation.

PURPOSE: Anti-inflammatory therapy is important for reducing myocardial injury after acute myocardial infarction (MI). New anti-inflammatory drugs and their mechanism are necessary to be explored to improve clinical efficacy. We aimed to improve the efficacy of colchicine on attenuating MI injury by nano-drug delivery systems and to investigate the mechanism of anti-inflammatory. METHODS: A colchicine-containing delivery system based on calcium carbonate nanoparticles (ColCaNPs) was synthesized. The protection against MI by ColCaNPs was evaluated using an in vivo rat model established by ligating the left anterior descending coronary artery. Macrophage polarization and the levels of inflammatory cytokines were determined using immunohistochemistry, Western blot, and ELISA analysis. RESULTS: ColCaNP treatment showed about a 45% reduction in myocardial infarct size and attenuating myocardial fibrosis compared with groups without drug intervention after MI. Furthermore, ColCaNPs significantly decreased the levels of CRP, TNF-α, and IL-1ß in serum and the expression of proinflammatory cytokine in myocardial tissues after MI (p < 0.05). We also found that ColCaNPs notably restrained pyroptosis and inhibited inflammatory response by modulating on M1/M2 macrophage polarization and suppressing TLR4/NFκB/NLRP3 signal pathway. CONCLUSION: Colchicine-containing nanoparticles can protect against MI injury in a clinically relevant rat model by reducing inflammation. In addition, calcium carbonate nanoparticles can increase the cardioprotective effects of colchicine.

PKCα/ERK/C7ORF41 axis regulates epidermal keratinocyte differentiation through the IKKα nuclear translocation.

Aberrant differentiation of keratinocytes disrupts the skin barrier and causes a series of skin diseases. However, the molecular basis of keratinocyte differentiation is still poorly understood. In the present study, we examined the expression of C7ORF41 using tissue microarrays by immunohistochemistry and found that C7ORF41 is specifically expressed in the basal layers of skin epithelium and its expression is gradually decreased during keratinocytes differentiation. Importantly, we corroborated the pivotal role of C7ORF41 during keratinocyte differentiation by C7ORF41 knockdown or overexpression in TPA-induced Hacat keratinocytes. Mechanismly, we first demonstrated that C7ORF41 inhibited keratinocyte differentiation mainly through formatting a complex with IKKα in the cytoplasm, which thus blocked the nuclear translocation of IKKα. Furthermore, we also demonstrated that inhibiting the PKCα/ERK signaling pathway reversed the reduction in C7ORF41 in TPA-induced keratinocytes, indicating that C7ORF41 expression could be regulated by upstream PKCα/ERK signaling pathway during keratinocyte differentiation. Collectively, our study uncovers a novel regulatory network PKCα/ERK/C7ORF41/IKKα during keratinocyte differentiation, which provides potential therapeutic targets for skin diseases.

Swietenine and swietenolide from Swietenia macrophylla king improve insulin secretion and attenuate apoptosis in H2 O2 induced INS-1 cells.

Oxidative stress is an important factor that causes pancreatic ß-cell dysfunction leading to the development and aggravation of diabetes. Swietenine (Stn) and swietenolide (Std) were isolated from the fruits of Swietenia macrophylla King and had the potential effects on treatment and prevention of diabetes. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of Stn and Std on insulin secretion and apoptosis in H2 O2 induced insulinoma cell line (INS-1) cells. In the present study, INS-1 cells were treated with 300 µM H2 O2 for 4 h to establish the oxidative damage model. Cell apoptosis, insulin secretion, reactive oxygen species (ROS), superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), and glutathione (GSH) levels, and Caspase-3 enzyme activity were measured via corresponding methods. Finally, pancreatic duodenal home box factor-1 (PDX-1), B cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), and Bax protein expression were detected by western blot. Experimental results showed that Stn and Std could significantly improve the INS-1 cell viability, increase the secretion of insulin and reduce the ROS level in H2 O2 induced INS-1 cells. Furthermore, the SOD and GSH levels increased, and the MDA levels decreased compared with the model group after Stn and Std treatment. In addition, after treated with Stn and Std, cell apoptosis was improved, and the activity of Caspase 3 was also significantly inhibited. Meanwhile, Western blot results showed that Stn and Std could up-regulate the expression of PDX-1 protein, and affect the cell apoptosis pathway by up-regulating the expression of Bcl-2 protein and down-regulating the expression of Bax protein. In conclusion, Stn and Std can signifcantly improve the insulin secretion function, protect oxidative stress injury, and reduce apoptosis in H2 O2 induced INS-1 cells, which provides a research basis for Stn and Std to be new drug candidates for the treatment and prevention of diabetes.

Higher pathologic threshold of increased tibial tuberosity-trochlear groove distance should be considered for taller patients.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between tibial tuberosity-trochlear groove distance (TT-TG) and body height or knee size, and to find height-related pathologic thresholds of increased TT-TG. METHODS: One-hundred and fifty-three patients with recurrent patellar instability and 151 controls were included. The TT-TG was measured on axial computed tomography (CT) images. Femora width and tibial width were selected to represent knee size. The correlation of TT-TG and gender, body height, femora width, and tibial width was evaluated. The height-related pathologic threshold of increased TT-TG was produced according to Dejour's method. To combine TT-TG with body height and knee size, three new indexes were introduced, ratio of TT-TG to body height (RTH), ratio of TT-TG to femoral width (RTF), and ratio of TT-TG to tibial width (RTT). The ability to predict patellar instability was assessed by the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve, odds ratios (ORs), sensitivity, and specificity. RESULTS: In patients with patellar instability, TT-TG showed significantly correlation with patient height, femoral width, and tibial width respectively (range r = 0.266-0.283). This correlation was not found in the control group. The pathologic threshold of TT-TG was 18 mm in patients < 169 cm (53%), and the mean TT-TG was 21 mm in patients ≥ 169 cm (54%). There was significant difference in RTH, RTF, and RTT between the two groups. RTH, RTF and RTT have similar large area under the curve (AUC) with TT-TG. CONCLUSIONS: TT-TG showed significant correlation with body height and knee size, respectively. The pathologic threshold of increased TT-TG was suggested to be 21 mm for patients [Formula: see text] 169 cm and 18 mm for patients [Formula: see text] 169 cm. Body height-related pathologic threshold provided a supplement for indications of tibial tuberosity medialization. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV.

Paracrine effects of adipose-derived stem cells in cutaneous wound healing in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to explore the paracrine effects of adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) on cutaneous wound healing in diabetic rats. METHOD: The ASCs were isolated and identified by immunofluorescent staining. The ASCs-conditioned medium (ASCs-CM) was harvested. Cell counting kit (CCK)-8 assay, scratch experiments, western blot and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) were performed to observe the effects of ASCs-CM on fibroblasts. A full-thickness skin wound diabetic rat model was prepared, using 34 male, Sprague Dawley rats. ASCs-CM or negative-control medium (N-CM) was injected around the wound surface. The existing wound area was measured on days 4, 8, 12 and 16 after the postoperative day, and the wound tissues were collected for immunohistochemical staining and qPCR quantitative study. RESULTS: In this experiment, the isolated cells were characterised as ASCs. The results of CCK-8 assay, cell scratch test, western blot and qPCR showed ASCs-CM could significantly promote the proliferation, migration and differentiation of fibroblasts. Simultaneously, the healing rate of full-thickness skin wounds in diabetic rats was significantly higher in the ASCs-CM group than the N-CM group on days 4, 8, 12 and 16. Immunohistochemical staining and qPCR results showed that the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF, days 4 and 8), α-smooth muscle actin (SMA) (days 4 and 16), transforming growth factor (TGF)-ß1 (days 4, 8 and 12) were higher in the ASCs-CM group than that of the N-CM group (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: This experiment demonstrated that ASCs-CM may accelerate wound healing in diabetic rats by promoting the secretion of TGF-ß1, VEGF and the proliferation, migration and differentiation of fibroblasts.