A Novel Strategy for Fabrication of Polyamide 66/Nanohydroxyapatite Composite Bone Repair Scaffolds by Low-Temperature Three-Dimensional Printing.

Due to the decomposition temperature of Polyamide 66 (PA66) in the environment is close to its thermoforming temperature, it is difficult to construct porous scaffolds of PA66/nanohydroxyapatite (PA66/HAp) by fused deposition modeling (FDM) three-dimensional (3D) printing. In this study, we demonstrated for the first time a method for 3D printing PA66/HAp composites at room temperature, prepared PA66/HAp printing ink using a mixed solvent of formic acid/dichloromethane (FA/DCM), and constructed a series of composite scaffolds with varying HAp content. This printing system can print composite materials with a high HAp content of 60 wt %, which is close to the mineral content in natural bone. The physicochemical evaluation presented that the hydroxyapatite was uniformly distributed within the PA66 matrix, and the PA66/HAp composite scaffold with 30 wt % HAp content exhibited optimal mechanical properties and printability. The results of in vitro cell culture experiments indicated that the incorporation of HAp into the PA66 matrix significantly improved the cell adhesion, proliferation, and osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) cultured on the scaffold. In vivo animal experiments suggested that the PA66/HAp composite material with 30 wt % HAp content had the best structural maintenance and osteogenic performance. The three-dimensional PA66/HAp composite scaffold prepared by low temperature printing in the current study holds great potential for the repair of large-area bone defects.

Effectiveness and safety of auricular acupuncture on adjuvant analgesia in patients with total knee arthroplasty: a randomized sham-controlled trial.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of auricular acupuncture (AA) on postoperative analgesia, the degree of postoperative nausea, and the effect of inflammation after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Methods: This was a single-center, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial. In total, 96 patients were randomly divided into an AA group with an indwelling intradermal needle (n = 48) and a sham auricular acupuncture (SAA) group with a non-penetrating placebo needle (n = 48). Intra-spinal anesthesia was adopted in both groups during surgery, and an epidural analgesic pump was implanted after surgery for 48 h. The primary outcome was the post-surgery visual analog score (VAS) of resting and movement states (at 6, 12 h and 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7 days). The secondary outcomes included additional doses of analgesic injection during the treatment, C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and white blood cell (WBC) count on the 1st, 3rd, and 7th day after the operation, nausea on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd day after the operation, the Hospital for Special Surgery Knee Score (HSS) on the 2nd and 12th week after the operation, and adverse events. Results: The VAS in the AA group at 6 h, 12 h, 2, 3, and 5 days after surgery were lower than those of the SAA group (p < 0.05). Among the secondary outcomes, the total dose of additional analgesic injection after surgery in the AA group was lower than that in the SAA group (p < 0.05). The serum CRP on the 1st day after operation in the AA group was lower than that in the SAA group (p < 0.05). The degree of nausea on 2nd day after surgery in the AA group was lower than that in the SAA group (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in other outcomes (p > 0.05). Conclusion: In this study, AA was shown to be an effective and safe complementary and alternative therapy for pain relief after TKA, which was able to reduce the total postoperative dose of additional painkillers, decrease serum CRP 1 day after surgery, and improve the degree of postoperative nausea. Clinical trial registration: www.chictr.org.cn, ChiCTR2100054403.

M2 macrophage-derived exosome-functionalized topological scaffolds regulate the foreign body response and the coupling of angio/osteoclasto/osteogenesis.

Designing scaffolds that can regulate the innate immune response and promote vascularized bone regeneration holds promise for bone tissue engineering. Herein, electrospun scaffolds that combined physical and biological cues were fabricated by anchoring reparative M2 macrophage-derived exosomes onto topological pore structured nanofibrous scaffolds. The topological pore structure of the fiber and the immobilization of exosomes increased the nanoscale roughness and hydrophilicity of the fibrous scaffold. In vitro cell experiments showed that exosomes could be internalized by target cells to promote cell migration, tube formation, osteogenic differentiation, and anti-inflammatory macrophage polarization. The activation of fibrosis, angiogenesis, and macrophage was elucidated during the exosome-functionalized fibrous scaffold-mediated foreign body response (FBR) in subcutaneous implantation in mice. The exosome-functionalized nanofibrous scaffolds also enhanced vascularized bone formation in a critical-sized rat cranial bone defect model. Importantly, histological analysis revealed that the biofunctional scaffolds regulated the coupling effect of angiogenesis, osteoclastogenesis, and osteogenesis by stimulating type H vessel formation. This study elaborated on the complex processes within the cell microenvironment niche during fibrous scaffold-mediated FBR and vascularized bone regeneration to guide the design of implants or devices used in orthopedics and maxillofacial surgery. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: How to design scaffold materials that can regulate the local immune niche and truly achieve functional vascularized bone regeneration still remain an open question. Here, combining physical and biological cues, we proposed new insight to cell-free and growth factor-free therapy, anchoring reparative M2 macrophage-derived exosomes onto topological pore structured nanofibrous scaffolds. The exosomes functionalized-scaffold system mitigated foreign body response, including excessive fibrosis, tumor-like vascularization, and macrophage activation. Importantly, the biofunctional scaffolds regulated the coupling effect of angiogenesis, osteoclastogenesis, and osteogenesis by stimulating type H vessel formation.

Repair of soft magnetic properties of wasted silicon steel and Co7Fe3 alloy deposition mechanism.

In order to repair the soft magnetic properties of wasted silicon steel, a theoretical process of co-depositing Co-Fe soft magnetic alloy on the surface of wasted silicon steel is proposed. The results show that the co-deposited Co-Fe alloy coatings can serve to repair the soft magnetic properties of wasted silicon as detected by the vibrating sample magnetometer, and the alloy coatings with Co7Fe3 as the main phase structure can provide surface protection for silicon steel. Subsequently, the mechanism of co-deposited Co-Fe alloys was investigated, and it was concluded that Co2+ and Fe2+ undergo a one-step two-electron co-deposition reaction, as studied using cyclic voltammetry. The chronoamperometric analysis and its fitting results indicated that the deposition of Co2+ and Fe2+ was a diffusion-controlled transient nucleation process, and the AC impedance indicated that higher voltages were favorable for the deposition of Co-Fe alloys but were accompanied by hydrogen precipitation reactions.

Drug sensitivity and genome-wide analysis of two strains of Mycoplasma gallisepticum with different biofilm intensity.

Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) is one of the major causative agents of chronic respiratory diseases in poultry. The biofilms of MG are highly correlated to its chronic infection. However data on genes involved in biofilm formation ability are still scarse. MG strains with distinct biofilm intensity were screened by crystal violet staining morphotyped and characterized for the drug sensitivity. Two MG strains NX-01 and NX-02 showed contrasted ability to biofilm formation. The biofilm formation ability of NX-01 strain was significantly higher than that of NX-02 strain (p < 0.01). The drug sensitivity test showed that the stronger the ability of MG stain to form biofilms, the weaker its sensitivity to 17 antibiotic drugs. Moreover, putative key genes related to biofilm formation were screened by genome-wide analysis. A total of 13 genes and proteins related to biofilm formation, including ManB, oppA, oppD, PDH, eno, RelA, msbA, deoA, gapA, rpoS, Adhesin P1 precursor, S-adenosine methionine synthetase, and methionyl tRNA synthetase were identified. There were five major discrepancies between the two isolated MG strains and the five NCBI-published MG strains. These findings provide potential targets for inhibiting the formation of biofilm of MG, and lay a foundation for treating chronic infection.

Proximal tibia osteotomy with absorbable spacer combined with fibular osteotomy versus high tibial osteotomy for medial compartmental knee osteoarthritis.

PURPOSE: The study aimed to compare the perioperative complications, short-term clinical outcomes, patient-reported outcomes, and radiographic parameters of tibiofibular proximal osteotomy combined with absorbable spacer insertion (TPOASI) and open-wedge high tibial osteotomy (OWHTO) in a two year postoperative time period. METHODS: A total of 160 patients with Kellgren-Lawrence classification grade 3 medial compartmental knee OA were randomized to receive either TPOASI (n = 82) or OWHTO (n = 78). The primary and secondary outcomes were measured preoperatively, postoperatively, and at each follow-up examination. The primary outcomes were the between-group change in the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Global score (WOMAC). Secondary measures included visual analog scale (VAS), radiographic parameters, American Knee Society Score (KSS), operation time, blood loss, length of incision, hospital stay, and relevant complications. Postoperative radiographic parameters, including the femorotibial angle (FTA), varus angle (VA), and joint line convergence angle (JLCA), were measured to evaluate the correction of varus deformity. RESULTS: No significant differences were found in the baseline data between the two groups. Both methods improved functional status and pain postoperatively. For primary outcomes of both groups, statistical difference was observed in WOMAC scores at the 6-month follow-up (P < 0.001). For secondary outcomes, no statistical difference was observed between the groups during the 2-year follow-up (P > 0.05). For TPOASI vs. OWHTO, the mean hospital stay (6.6 ± 1.3 days vs. 7.8 ± 2.1 days) was shorter (P < 0.001), and both blood loss (70.56 ± 35.58 vs. 174.00 ± 66.33 mL) and complication rate (3.7% vs. 12.8%) were significantly lower (P < 0.005 for both). CONCLUSIONS: Both approaches showed satisfactory functional outcomes and alleviated pain. However, TPOASI is a simple, feasible method with few complications, and it could be widely used.

Plant-Derived Polyphenol and LL-37 Peptide-Modified Nanofibrous Scaffolds for Promotion of Antibacterial Activity, Anti-Inflammation, and Type-H Vascularized Bone Regeneration.

The regeneration of oral tissues is a challenging clinical problem because of the complex microbial and biological stress environments. Electrospun fibrous scaffolds have attracted significant interest as effective barrier membranes for guided bone regeneration (GBR); however, no mature strategy yet exists for the surface modification of fibers to provide versatility to satisfy clinical requirements. This study demonstrated a practical biosafety strategy: the combined use of plant polyphenols and LL-37 peptides to modify the fiber surface to endow the fibrous scaffold with antimicrobial activity, immunoregulation, and vascularized bone regeneration. We confirmed that the LL-37 peptides interacted with tannic acid (TA) through noncovalent bonds through experiments and molecular docking simulation analysis. In vitro experiments showed that the TA coating imparted strong antibacterial properties to the fibrous scaffold, but it also caused cytotoxicity. The grafting of LL-37 peptide promoted the spreading, migration, and osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells and was also conducive to the M2 polarization of RAW264.7 cells. In vivo experiments further verified that the LL-37 peptide-grafted fibrous scaffold significantly enhanced angiogenesis, anti-inflammatory effects, and type-H vascularized bone regeneration. Overall, the fibrous scaffold modified by the LL-37 peptide through TA grafting has significant potential for GBR applications.

CMTM6 is highly expressed in lung adenocarcinoma and can be used as a biomarker of a poor diagnosis.

Background: CMTM6 which is chemokine-like factor (CKLF)-like Marvel transmembrane domain containing family member 6 is involved in the occurrence and progression of various tumors. However, the role of CMTM6 is still unclear in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Methods: Immunohistochemical, Western blotting and RT‒PCR methods were used to detect the expression of CMTM6 in LUAD. Cox regression and the Kaplan‒Meier method were performed to assess overall survival. Immunogenic features were evaluated according to immune cell infiltrations, immune checkpoints. The sensitivity to chemotherapy agents was estimated using the pRRophetic package. Results: In LUAD, the expression of CMTM6 was obviously upregulated and was significantly associated with T stage (p = 0.008) and lymph node metastasis (p = 0.018). Multivariate Cox regression analysis demonstrated that CMTM6 was a specialty prognostic risk factor. Based on GSEA enrichment analysis, we found that high expression of CMTM6 is associated with multiple immune signaling pathways. The group with high CMTM6 expression showed a positive association with various types of tumor-infiltrating cells. Moreover, a total of 36 chemotherapeutic drugs were significantly correlated with the expression of CMTM6. Among them, two chemotherapeutic drugs had better therapeutic effects in the high CMTM6 expression group, while 34 chemotherapeutic drugs had therapeutic effects in the low CMTM6 expression group. Conclusion: This study confirmed that CMTM6 is highly expressed in LUAD and is a new independent poor prognostic factor. In addition, the high expression of CMTM6 is closely related to the tumor microenvironment and immunotherapy, providing new ideas for the treatment of posterior LUAD.

Integrative Analysis of Proteomics and Metabolism Reveals the Potential Roles of Arachidonic Acid Metabolism in Hypoxia Response in Mouse Spleen.

High altitude hypoxia stress is the key cause of high-altitude pulmonary edema and spleen contraction. The molecular mechanism of immune response of various tissue systems to hypoxia stress remains lacking. In this study, we applied proteomics combined with metabolomics to explore the key molecular profilings involved in high altitude hypoxia response in the spleen of mice. The results showed that 166 proteins were significantly up-regulated, and only 39 proteins were down-regulated. Bioinformatics analysis showed that mineral absorption, neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, arachidonic acid metabolism, IL-17 signaling pathway and NOD-like preceptor signaling pathway were significantly enriched in the list of 166 upregulated differentially expressed proteins (DEPs). Among these metabolic pathways, the former three pathways were co-identified in KEGG terms from LC-MS/MS based metabolic analysis. We further found that both arachidonate 15-lipoxygenase and hematopoietic prostaglandin D synthase were upregulated by around 30% and 80% for their protein levels and mRNA levels, respectively. Most downstream metabolites were upregulated accordingly, such as prostaglandin A2 and D2. This study provides important evidence that arachidonic acid metabolism potentially promotes spleen hypoxia response through a combined analysis of proteomics and metabolism, which could bring new insights for the spleen targeted rational design upon arachidonic acid metabolism of new therapies.

The distribution of bioactive gibberellins along peach annual shoots is closely associated with PpGA20ox and PpGA2ox expression profiles.

BACKGROUND: The rapid growth of annual shoots is detrimental to peach production. While gibberellin (GA) promotes the rapid growth of peach shoots, there is limited information on the identity and expression profiles of GA-metabolism genes for this species. RESULTS: All six GA biosynthetic gene families were identified in the peach genome, and the expression profiles of these family members were determined in peach shoots. The upstream biosynthetic gene families have only one or two members (1 CPS, 2 KSs, and 1 KO), while the downstream gene families have multiple members (7 KAOs, 6 GA20oxs, and 5 GA3oxs). Between the two KS genes, PpKS1 showed a relatively high transcript level in shoots, while PpKS2 was undetectable. Among the seven KAO genes, PpKAO2 was highly expressed in shoots, while PpKAO1 and - 6 were weakly expressed. For the six GA20ox genes, both PpGA20ox1 and - 2 were expressed in shoots, but PpGA20ox1 levels were higher than PpGA20ox2. For the five GA3ox genes, only PpGA3ox1 was highly expressed in shoots. Among these biosynthesis genes, PpGA20ox1 and PpGA3ox1 showed a gradual decrease in transcript level along shoots from top to bottom, and a similar trend was observed in bioactive GA1 and GA4 distribution. Among the GA-deactivation genes, PpGA2ox6 was highly expressed in peach shoots. PpGA2ox1 and - 5 transcripts were relatively lower and showed a similar pattern to PpGA20ox1 and PpGA3ox1 in peach shoots. Overexpression of PpGA20ox1, - 2, or PpGA2ox6 in Arabidopsis or tobacco promoted or depressed the plant growth, respectively, while PpGA3ox1 did not affect plant height. Transient expression of PpGA20ox1 in peach leaves significantly increased bioactive GA1 content. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that PpGA20ox and PpGA2ox expression are closely associated with the distribution of active GA1 and GA4 in peach annual shoots. Our research lays a foundation for future studies into ways to effectively repress the rapid growth of peach shoot.

Burden of Metabolic Syndrome Among a Low-Income Population in China: A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study.

Introduction: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a chronic and complex disease associated with all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes. The present study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of MetS and its risk factors among middle-aged and older adults in low-income, low-education rural areas with a high incidence of stroke. Methods: This cross-sectional study of the general population was performed from April 2019 to June 2019 in rural areas of Tianjin, China. All eligible residents aged ≥ 45 years and without active malignant tumors, hepatic failure, and severe renal disease underwent routine medical examinations, which included a questionnaire, physical examination, and routine blood and biochemical tests. The modified International Diabetes Federation criteria for the Asian population was used to identify patients with MetS. Results: A total of 3175 individuals (44.8% men, 55.2% women) were included in the final analysis. The prevalence of MetS was 52.8%, with higher prevalence in women than in men (62.4%and 40.9%, respectively). Of the five MetS components, high blood pressure and abdominal obesity were the two most prevalent in both women and men, accounting for 89.3% and 62.0%, respectively, followed by elevated fasting plasma glucose, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and elevated triglycerides. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed the following traits to be risk factors for MetS: female sex, self-reported smoking, self-reported snoring, high body mass index, high waist-to-hip ratio, and high serum urate level. Conclusion: The prevalence of MetS was quite high in rural areas with a low-income, low-education population. Implementing preventive and therapeutic interventions based on these risk factors is essential to prevent metabolic abnormalities.

Phase Transformation Behavior of the Aluminosilicate Phase During High-Pressure Hydrothermal Reduction of High-Iron Red Mud.

One-step separation and recovery of sodium, aluminum and iron in high-iron red mud in a high-calcium alkaline hydrothermal system is realized by a high-pressure hydrothermal reduction process. The transformation behavior of the aluminasilica phase in high-iron red mud is mainly investigated. The results show that under the optimized conditions, a temperature of 290℃, a Na2O concentration of 240 g/L, a calcium to silicon ratio of 3.5, and a liquid-solid ratio of 5, the Na2O content in the transition slag is reduced to 0.12%, the dealkalization rate can reach 98%, and the alumina dissolution rate is 73%. When the starch-free reductant is added, the transition slag mainly consists of hematite and hydroandradite, and when the starch reductant is added (the addition amount is 1/4 that of ω(Fe2O3) in the red mud), all Fe2O3 in the transition slag is completely reduced to Fe3O4, and the main phases are magnetite and hydrogrossular.

Transformation Behavior of Iron Minerals in High-Iron Red Mud During High-Pressure Hydrothermal Reduction.

Nowadays, the comprehensive utilization of red mud is still a difficult problem. Using starch as the reducing agent, the "high-pressure hydrothermal reduction method" is used to separate and recover sodium, aluminum, and iron in high-iron red mud in one step in an alkaline hydrothermal system. This article focuses on the hydrothermal reduction behavior of the iron ore phase. The results showed that starch formed a strong reduction system through degradation under alkaline hydrothermal conditions, in which Fe2O3 was first partially dissolved and reduced to form Fe[OH]+, then Fe[OH]+ further reacted with Fe2O3 to form Fe3O4. At a temperature of 260°C, a C/S (calcium to silicon ratio) of 3.5, a Na2O concentration of 250 g/L, Whigh-iron red mud/Wstarch = 10, the Fe reduction rate was 98.46%, and the transformation slag at a magnetic field strength of 1800 Gs resulted in a magnetic iron concentrate powder with a TFe grade of 65.75%.

[Effect of dimethyloxalylglycine on angiogenesis in Choke â ¡ zone of cross-zone perforator flap and its mechanism].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of dimethyloxalylglycine (DMOG) on angiogenesis in Choke Ⅱ zone of rats cross-zone perforator flaps and its mechanism. METHODS: One hundred and twenty-six adult male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into DMOG group, YC-1 group, and control group, with 42 rats in each group. Cross-zone perforator flap model with size of 12 cm×3 cm was made on the back of rats in the three groups. DMOG group was intraperitoneally injected with DMOG (40 mg/kg) at 1 day before operation, 2 hours before operation, and 1, 2, and 3 days after operation; YC-1 group and control group were intraperitoneally injected with YC-1 (10 mg/kg) and the same amount of normal saline at the same time points, respectively. The survival of flap was observed after operation. At 7 days after operation, the survival area of flap in each group was measured and the survival rate of flap was calculated. Flap transmittance test, gelatin-lead oxide angiography, and HE staining were used to observed the angiogenesis in the Choke Ⅱ zone of flaps in each group. Immunohistochemical staining and Western blot were used to detect the expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) in Choke Ⅱ zone of flaps in each group. The expressions of VEGF and HIF-1α were also determined by ELISA at 3, 5, and 7 days. RESULTS: At 7 days after operation, there was no obvious necrosis at the distal end of the flap in DMOG group, while necrosis occurred in both the control group and YC-1 group, mainly located at the distal end. The flap survival rate of DMOG group was 90.28%±1.37%, which was significantly higher than that of YC-1 group (84.28%±1.45%) and control group (85.83%±1.60%) ( P<0.05). DMOG group had more angiogenesis in Choke Ⅱ zone and the vascular structure was clear and complete. In YC-1 group and control group, the vessels in Choke Ⅱ zone was less and the vascular structure was disordered. The number of vessels was (25.56±1.29)/field in the DMOG group, which was significantly higher than that in the YC-1 group [(7.38±0.54)/field] and the control group [(14.48±0.91)/field] ( P<0.05). At 3, 5, and 7 days after operation, HIF-1α and VEGF expressions in ChokeⅡzone of DMOG group were significantly higher than those in YC-1 group and control group ( P<0.05). CONCLUSION: DMOG can promote angiogenesis in Choke Ⅱ zone, accelerate the early angiogenesis of the flap, improve the microcirculation and blood supply in the potential zone of the flap, reduce the injury of flap ischemia and hypoxia, and increase the survival rate of the flap.

Phytoplasma effector Zaofeng6 induces shoot proliferation by decreasing the expression of ZjTCP7 in Ziziphus jujuba.

The jujube witches' broom (JWB) phytoplasma is associated with witches' broom, dwarfism, and smaller leaves in jujube, resulting in yield losses. In this study, eight putative JWB effector proteins were identified from potential mobile units of the JWB genome. Among them, Zaofeng6 induced witches' broom symptoms in Arabidopsis and jujube. Zaofeng6-overexpressing Arabidopsis and unrooted jujube transformants displayed witches' broom-like shoot proliferation. Transient expression of Zaofeng6 induced hypersensitive response like cell death and expression of hypersensitive response marker genes, like harpin-induced gene 1 (H1N1), and the pathogenesis-related genes PR1, PR2, and PR3 in transformed Nicotiana benthamiana leaves, suggesting that Zaofeng6 could be a virulence effector. Yeast two-hybrid library screening and bimolecular fluorescence complementation confirmed that Zaofeng6 interacts with ZjTCP7 through its first two α-helix domains in the cell nuclei. ZjTCP7 mRNA and protein abundance decreased in Zaofeng6 transgenic jujube seedlings. The expression of some genes in the strigolactone signaling pathway (ZjCCD7, ZjCCD8, and CYP711A1) were down-regulated in jujube shoots overexpressing Zaofeng6 and in zjtcp7 CRISPR/Cas9 mutants. Zaofeng6 induces shoot proliferation through decreased expression of ZjTCP7 at the transcriptional and translational levels.

Lotus root and osteons-inspired channel structural scaffold mediate cell biomineralization and vascularized bone tissue regeneration.

The interconnectivity of porous scaffold is vital for cell and tissue infiltration, and vascular networks formation, determining the successful bone regeneration in large bone defects. Here, inspired by the lotus-root and Haversian system of natural bone, a nano-hydroxyapatite/polyurethane (n-HA/PU) lotus root-like scaffold inlaid with micro holes on the wall of the adjacent channel was utilized to mediate cell biomineralization and vascularized bone tissue regeneration. Such a particular lotus-type structure remarkably promoted cells to proliferate and infiltrate into the center of the entire scaffold, serving as a clue to account for regulating cell alignment and differentiation physically. In vitro studies suggested that apatite accumulated dramatically on the channel wall in the lotus-type scaffold, probably promoting specific osteogenic differentiation of cells by the orientated channels, even in the absence of osteogenic factors. In vivo creation of critical bone defects (15-mm segments) was done in the radius of rabbits and implanted with the scaffold of different geometry to assess the structural parameters on the efficacy of new bone regeneration. The more extensive positive staining of BMP-2, more considerable amount of infiltrated capillary, more robust new bone formation, particularly the biomechanical strength of lotus-type scaffold group could reach the level of the control group without surgery, indicating that the lotus-type scaffold was more favorable for new bone tissue formation along tube-like channels. These results highlighted the potential of this biomimetic scaffold for cell and tissue infiltration and thus repair large bony defects.

In Vitro Study on the Piezodynamic Therapy with a BaTiO3-Coating Titanium Scaffold under Low-Intensity Pulsed Ultrasound Stimulation.

To solve the poor sustainability of electroactive stimulation in clinical therapy, a strategy of combining a piezoelectric BaTiO3-coated Ti6Al4V scaffold and low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) was unveiled and named here as piezodynamic therapy. Thus, cell behavior could be regulated phenomenally by force and electricity simultaneously. First, BaTiO3 was deposited uniformly on the surface of the three-dimensional (3D) printed porous Ti6Al4V scaffold, which endowed the scaffold with excellent force-electricity responsiveness under pulsed ultrasound exposure. The results of live/dead staining, cell scanning electron microscopy, and F-actin staining showed that cells had better viability, better pseudo-foot adhesion, and more muscular actin bundles when they underwent the piezodynamic effect of ultrasound and piezoelectric coating. This piezodynamic therapy activated more mitochondria at the initial stage that intervened in the cell cycle by promoting cells' proliferation and weakened the apoptotic damage. The quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction data further confirmed that the costimulation of the ultrasound and the piezoelectric scaffolds could trigger adequate current to upregulated the expression of osteogenic-related genes. The continuous electric cues could be generated by the BaTiO3-coated scaffold and intermittent LIPUS stimulation; thereon, more efficient bone healing would be promoted by piezodynamic therapy in future treatment.

Effect of Aging Treatment on the Corrosion Resistance Properties of 7N01 Extrusion Aluminum Alloy.

The influences of non-isothermal aging (the temperature range is 150-180 °C, and the heating rate is 5 and 20 °C/h alternately), single-peak aging (aging at 120 °C for 24 h, then water quenched was followed at room temperature), and two-stage aging (aging at 105 °C for 8 h first, then increasing aging temperature to 135 °C and keeping for 12 h, followed by water quenching at room temperature) on the corrosion resistance and microstructure of the 7N01 aluminum alloy under 3.5 wt.% NaCl were investigated using electric polarization curve test and exfoliation corrosion. After aging, the hardness of samples was measured by a Vickers micro-hardness tester, and the electrical conductivities were obtained using the eddy current method. The results show that the steady phase η and metastable phase η' are precipitated in the grain boundary of 7N01 aluminum alloy after non-isothermal aging, and their distribution is discontinuous. The hardness of the alloy can reach 136.9 HV1 and the electrical conductivity can reach 35.8% IACS, which is close to the hardness of single-peak aging and the conductivity of two-stage aging, respectively. Compared with single-peak aging, the corrosion current density of non-isothermal aging is reduced by 15.5%, and that of two-stage aging is reduced by 28.9%.

Loading and Releasing Behavior of Selenium and Doxorubicin Hydrochloride in Hydroxyapatite with Different Morphologies.

Doxorubicin (Dox)-loaded or selenium-substituted hydroxyapatite (HA) has been developed to achieve anti-osteosarcoma or bone regeneration in a number of studies. However, currently, there is a lack of studies on the combination of Dox and selenium loading in/on HA and comparative research studies on which form and size of HA are more suitable for drug loading and release in the treatment osteogenesis after osteosarcoma resection. Herein, selenium-doped rod-shaped nano-HA (n-HA) and spherical mesoporous HA (m-HA) were successfully prepared. The doping efficiency of selenium and the Dox loading capacity of selenium-doped HA with different morphologies were studied. The release kinetics of Dox and the selenium element in phosphate-buffered saline with different pH values was also comparatively investigated. The drug loading results showed that n-HA exhibited 3 times higher selenium doping amount than m-HA, and the Dox entrapment efficiency of selenium-doped n-HA (0.1Se-n-HA) presented 20% higher than that of selenium-doped m-HA (0.1Se-m-HA). The Dox release behaviors of HA in two different morphologies showed similar release kinetics, with almost the same Dox releasing ratio but slightly more Dox releasing amount in selenium-doped HA than in HA without selenium. The selenium release from selenium-doped n-HA-D (0.1Se-n-HA-D) particles was 2 times as much as that of selenium-doped m-HA-D (0.1Se-m-HA) particles. Our study indicated that n-HA loaded with Dox and selenium may be a promising drug delivery strategy for inhibition of osteosarcoma recurrence and promoting osteogenesis simultaneously.

Genome-wide identification of HSF family in peach and functional analysis of PpHSF5 involvement in root and aerial organ development.

BACKGROUND: Heat shock factors (HSFs) play important roles during normal plant growth and development and when plants respond to diverse stressors. Although most studies have focused on the involvement of HSFs in the response to abiotic stresses, especially in model plants, there is little research on their participation in plant growth and development or on the HSF (PpHSF) gene family in peach (Prunus persica). METHODS: DBD (PF00447), the HSF characteristic domain, was used to search the peach genome and identify PpHSFs. Phylogenetic, multiple alignment and motif analyses were conducted using MEGA 6.0, ClustalW and MEME, respectively. The function of PpHSF5 was confirmed by overexpression of PpHSF5 into Arabidopsis. RESULTS: Eighteen PpHSF genes were identified within the peach genome. The PpHSF genes were nonuniformly distributed on the peach chromosomes. Seventeen of the PpHSFs (94.4%) contained one or two introns, except PpHSF18, which contained three introns. The in silico-translated PpHSFs were classified into three classes (PpHSFA, PpHSFB and PpHSFC) based on multiple alignment, motif analysis and phylogenetic comparison with HSFs from Arabidopsis thaliana and Oryza sativa. Dispersed gene duplication (DSD at 67%) mainly contributed to HSF gene family expansion in peach. Promoter analysis showed that the most common cis-elements were the MYB (abiotic stress response), ABRE (ABA-responsive) and MYC (dehydration-responsive) elements. Transcript profiling of 18 PpHSFs showed that the expression trend of PpHSF5 was consistent with shoot length changes in the cultivar 'Zhongyoutao 14'. Further analysis of the PpHSF5 was conducted in 5-year-old peach trees, Nicotiana benthamiana and Arabidopsis thaliana, respectively. Tissue-specific expression analysis showed that PpHSF5 was expressed predominantly in young vegetative organs (leaf and apex). Subcellular localization revealed that PpHSF5 was located in the nucleus in N. benthamiana cells. Two transgenic Arabidopsis lines were obtained that overexpressed PpHSF5. The root length and the number of lateral roots in the transgenic seedlings were significantly less than in WT seedlings and after cultivation for three weeks. The transgenic rosettes were smaller than those of the WT at 2-3 weeks. The two transgenic lines exhibited a dwarf phenotype three weeks after transplanting, although there was no significant difference in the number of internodes. Moreover, the PpHSF5-OE lines exhibited enhanced thermotolerance. These results indicated that PpHSF5 might be act as a suppresser of growth and development of root and aerial organs.