The 14-3-3 protein OsGF14f interacts with OsbZIP23 and enhances its activity to confer osmotic stress tolerance in rice.

Drought, which can induce osmotic stress, is the leading environmental constraint on crop productivity. Plants in both agricultural and natural settings have developed various mechanisms to cope with drought stress. The identification of genes associated with drought stress tolerance and understanding the underlying regulatory mechanisms are prerequisites for developing molecular manipulation strategies to address this issue. Here, we reported that the G-BOX FACTOR 14-3-3f (14-3-3 protein OsGF14f) positively modulates osmotic stress tolerance in rice (Oryza sativa). OsGF14f transgenic lines had no obvious change in crucial agronomic traits including yield and plant height. OsGF14f is transcriptionally induced by PEG treatment, and in rice, overexpression or knockout of this gene leads to enhanced or weakened osmotic stress tolerance, respectively. Furthermore, OsGF14f positively regulates abscisic acid (ABA) responses by interacting with the core ABA-responsive transcription factor BASIC LEUCINE ZIPPER 23 (OsbZIP23) to enhance its transcriptional regulation activity toward downstream target genes. Further genetic analysis showed that OsGF14f is required for the full function of OsbZIP23 in rice osmotic response, and OsGF14f-mediated osmotic stress tolerance partially depends on OsbZIP23. Interestingly, OsGF14f is a direct target gene of OsbZIP23. Taken together, our findings reveal a genetic and molecular framework by which the OsGF14f-OsbZIP23 complex modulates rice osmotic response, providing targets for developing drought-tolerant crops.

Correlation between the risk of lymph node metastasis and the expression of GBP1 in breast cancer patients.

Objective: To explore the prognostic value and correlation between the risk of lymph node metastasis (LNM) and Guanylate-binding Protein 1 (GBP1) in breast cancer (BC) patients. Methods: In this retrospective study, the clinical data of 150 patients with BC who were surgically resected in The Affiliated Qingdao Central Hospital of Qingdao University from January 2019 to December 2021 were included. Patients were divided into metastasis group (n=110) or non-metastasis group (n=40) according to whether there was LNM post-surgery. Logistic regression was used to analyze the risk factors for LNM in BC, and Kaplan-Meier was used to assess the risk of disease progression 12 months post-operation in both groups. Patients were divided into a GBP1 low expression-group (n=75) or a GBP1 high expression-group (n=75). The risk of disease progression, one-year post-surgery was analyzed, and the predictive value of GBP1 in BC tissue was assessed by the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve. Results: Independent risk factors for BC with LNM were GBP1, CEA and TNM stage (P<0.05). There is a linear relationship between GBP1 expression and LNM risk in BC (χ2=0.88, P<0.05). Patients with high expression of GBP1 had a higher risk of LNM (χ2=3.204, P<0.001) and early postoperative progression (χ2=7.412, P<0.05). The AUC of GBP1 in predicting the risk of LNM was 0.840. Conclusions: Patients with BC and a higher expression of GBP1 could be at an increased risk of LNM. Elevations in GBP1 expression can also suggest a poor prognosis for patients with BC.

The effects and predictive value of calcium and magnesium concentrations on nutritional improvement, inflammatory response and diagnosis in patients with Crohn's disease.

BACKGROUND: Crohn's disease (CD) is a progressive inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract associated with malnutrition, high levels of inflammation and calcium and magnesium deficiencies. However, the relationships between these symptoms are poorly defined. METHOD: Seventy-six adult CD patients who had not yet started treatment and 83 healthy volunteers were recruited. The dietary intakes, serum calcium and magnesium levels, nutritional indicators and biochemical markers of disease activity were measured. RESULTS: Most participants had inadequate magnesium and calcium intake. The serum magnesium and calcium levels, as well as nutritional and inflammatory indicators, differed significantly between CD patients and controls, especially in the active phase. Serum levels of magnesium and calcium correlated with both nutritional status and inflammation. The cut-off values for CD development were 0.835 mmol/L (magnesium) and 2.315 mmol/L (calcium), whereas those for the active phase were 0.785 and 2.28 mmol/L, respectively. CONCLUSION: Adequate intake of magnesium and calcium may both improve the nutritional status of CD patients and reduce inflammation, benefiting disease relief. As both magnesium and calcium reflect CD status, they may be useful markers for CD diagnosis and disease activity.

Associations between adipokines gene polymorphisms and knee osteoarthritis: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Adipokines gene polymorphisms are speculated to be associated with the risk of knee osteoarthritis (OA), but evidence remains conflicting. This study therefore aimed to examine whether associations exist between adipokines gene polymorphisms and knee OA by considering the evidence collected from eligible studies through a meta-analysis. METHODS: A systematic search was performed on PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Wanfang up to March 31, 2020. Meta-analysis was carried out by focusing on the associations between adipokines gene polymorphisms and knee OA with the allele model, dominant model, and recessive model. RESULTS: The present meta-analysis included 5 eligible studies for ADIPOQ rs1501299 with 1,021 cases and 1,097 controls, 3 eligible studies for ADIPOQ rs2241766 with 549 cases and 544 controls, 3 eligible studies for LEPR rs1137101 with 808 cases and 856 controls, 2 eligible studies for VISFATIN rs4730153 with 339 cases and 680 controls and 2 eligible studies for VISFATIN rs16872158 with 339 cases and 680 controls. Significant association was observed between LEPR rs1137101 and knee OA in the overall population (recessive: OR = 0.40, 95% CI 0.21-0.79). Limited data revealed that associations may exist between ADIPOQ rs2241766 and knee OA in Asians (dominant: OR = 1.35, 95% CI 1.03-1.78), between VISFATIN rs4730153 and knee OA in Asians (allele: OR = 0.58, 95% CI 0.41-0.83; dominant: OR = 0.57, 95% CI 0.39-0.83), and between VISFATIN rs16872158 and knee OA in Asians (allele: OR = 1.84, 95% CI 1.26-2.68; dominant: OR = 1.94, 95% CI 1.31-2.89). CONCLUSIONS: Adipokines gene polymorphisms may be associated with knee OA. The association was observed in LEPR rs1137101 in the present study. In addition, limited data revealed that associations may also exist in ADIPOQ rs2241766, VISFATIN rs4730153 and VISFATIN rs16872158. PROSPERO REGISTRATION: CRD42020187664.

Assessment of dietary nutrient intake and its relationship to the nutritional status of children with congenital heart disease in Guangdong province of China.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the common congenital malformations in children and cause malnutrition. We determine the association between dietary nutrient intake and nutritional status of children with CHD. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN: 428 children of age 1-10 years with CHD admitted. The dietary nutrient intake was recorded after 3 days of 24-h recall. The growth and nutritional status of children were evaluated using anthropometric measurements and z-scores. RESULTS: The prevalence of malnutrition was 37.6% in CHD. 57.8%, 12.6%, 43.8%, and 40.6% of children did not meet their requirements for energy, protein, fat, and carbohydrate, respectively. The prevalence of insufficient intake was 88.3% for calcium, 35.9% for magnesium, 21.9% for iron, and 12.5% for zinc. 15%-86% of children did not meet vitamin requirements. 85.2% and 53.9% of children did not meet their requirements for vitamin A and vitamin C. The prevalence of insufficient intake was 39.1% for thiamin, 24.2% for riboflavin, 15.6% for niacin and 28.1% for vitamin E. Compared with the normal nutrition group, malnutrition group had a relatively lower intake of proteins, iron, zinc and vitamin E. CONCLUSIONS: An obvious deficiency of dietary nutrient intake was found among children with CHD, especially CHD with malnutrition. Dietary intake related to the nutritional status of children with CHD. The gap between actual consumption and recommendation indicates a need for improved nutritional counseling and monitoring. Early interventions targeting the dietary intakes of children with CHD may be a benefit for long-term effects associated with nutritional status.

Pd-Catalyzed Sequential Formation of C-C Bonds: A New Strategy for the Synthesis of (E)-α,ß-Unsaturated Carbonyl Compounds from Sulfoxonium Ylides and 1-Iodo-2-((2-methylallyl)oxy)benzene Compounds.

α,ß-Unsaturated carbonyl compounds are significant moieties in many biological molecules and have attracted considerable attention in organic synthetic chemistry. A Pd-catalyzed cascade cyclization for the synthesis of (E)-α,ß-unsaturated carbonyl compounds with the sequential formation of C-C bonds was developed. This method offers high efficiency, good functional group tolerance, and moderate to excellent yields and generally displays high stereoselectivity.

Recent advances in aminative difunctionalization of alkenes.

Alkenes are versatile building blocks in modern organic synthesis. In the difunctionalization reactions of alkenes, two functional groups can be simultaneously introduced into the π system. This is an efficient strategy for the synthesis of multifunctional compounds with complex structures and has the advantages of atom and step economy. Nitrogen-containing organic compounds are widely found in natural products and synthetic compounds, such as dyes, pesticides, medicines, artificial resins, and so on. Many natural products with high biological activity and a broad range of drugs have nitrogen-containing functional groups. The research on the construction methods of C-N bonds has always been one of the most important tasks in organic synthesis, especially in drug synthesis, and the synthetic methods starting from simple and easily available raw materials have been a topic of interest to chemists. The aminative difunctionalization of alkenes can efficiently construct C-N bonds, and at the same time, prepare some compounds that usually require multiple steps of reaction. It is one of the most effective strategies for the simple and efficient synthesis of functionalized nitrogen-containing compounds. This review outlines the major developments focusing on the transition metal-catalyzed or metal-free diamination, aminohalogenation, aminocarbonation, amino-oxidation and aminoboronation reactions of alkenes from 2015-2020.

Physical Distancing Measures and Walking Activity in Middle-aged and Older Residents in Changsha, China, During the COVID-19 Epidemic Period: Longitudinal Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: Physical distancing measures taken to contain COVID-19 transmission may substantially reduce physical activity levels and cause individuals to adopt a more sedentary lifestyle. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to determine if there was any change in daily steps, an important component of daily physical activity, and examine risk factors for frequent low daily steps during the COVID-19 epidemic. METHODS: We used data collected from the Step Study, a population-based longitudinal study of walking activity among residents aged ≥40 years in Changsha, China. Daily steps were collected via a smartphone linked to WeChat, a social networking platform. We plotted mean daily steps and the prevalence of low daily steps (≤1500 steps/day) 30 days before (reference period) and 30 days after (epidemic period) January 21, 2020 (date of the first COVID-19 case diagnosed in Changsha), and compared it with the same corresponding period from 2019. We examined the association of risk factors with the prevalence of frequent low daily steps (≤1500 steps/day for ≥14 days) using logistic regression. RESULTS: Among 3544 participants (mean age 51.6 years; n=1226 females, 34.6%), mean daily steps dropped from 8097 to 5440 and the prevalence of low daily steps increased from 3% (2287/76,136 person-day) to 18.5% (12,951/70,183 person-day) during the reference and epidemic periods, respectively. No such phenomenon was observed during the corresponding period in 2019. Older age (P for interaction=.001) and female sex (P for interaction<.001) were both associated with a higher prevalence of frequent low daily steps and were more pronounced during the epidemic period. More education was associated with a lower prevalence of frequent low daily steps during the reference period but not the epidemic period (P for interaction=.34). Body mass index or comorbidity were not associated with frequent low daily steps during either period. CONCLUSIONS: Daily steps of Changsha residents aged ≥40 years dropped significantly during the COVID-19 period, especially among older adults and females. Although successful physical distancing, measured by the rapid downward trend in daily step counts of residents, played a critical role in the containment of the COVID-19 epidemic, our findings of an increase in the prevalence of frequent low daily steps raise concerns about unintended effects on physical activity.

Comparative Risk-Benefit Profiles of Individual Devices for Graft Fixation in Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: To compare the efficacy and safety of individual devices for femoral and/or tibial graft fixation in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. METHODS: The PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases were searched from inception to December 12, 2018. Randomized controlled trials comparing individual devices for ACL graft fixation were included. Bayesian network meta-analysis was performed to assess the efficacy profile using the following outcomes: Lysholm score, International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) category, laxity, range of motion, and Tegner score. The incidence of infection, effusion, and graft rupture for each device was reported. RESULTS: We included 57 randomized controlled trials involving 4,304 patients aged 23.8 to 40.9 years. The female proportion ranged from 0% to 100%. The length of follow-up ranged from 6 to 144 months. Of the 13 studied femoral fixation devices, none was significantly different from the others regarding the Lysholm score, IKDC category, range of motion, and Tegner score. Bioabsorbable interference screws (standardized mean difference, 1.3; 95% credible interval, 0.0-2.5) showed higher laxity than the EndoPearl at a borderline level of statistical significance, but the difference varied substantially within multiple sensitivity analyses. Infection (2.0%) was most commonly seen with the EndoPearl, whereas the bone mulch screw had the highest incidence of effusion (5.5%) and graft rupture (5.5%). For the 9 studied tibial fixation devices, no significant difference was observed in the aforementioned efficacy measurements. Bioabsorbable interference screws with staples had the highest incidence of infection (11.1%) and effusion (15.6%), whereas graft rupture was most commonly seen with the bone plug (4.0%). CONCLUSIONS: Graft fixation devices in ACL reconstruction share a similar efficacy profile in terms of the Lysholm score, IKDC category, range of motion, and Tegner score but not laxity. On the other hand, safety profiles seem to vary among different devices. These findings can support surgeons, alongside their experience and preference, as well as the relative cost of each device, in delivering an individualized plan for an optimal operation. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level II, meta-analysis of Level I and II studies.

Association between dietary selenium intake and the prevalence of osteoporosis: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the correlation between dietary selenium (Se) intake and the prevalence of osteoporosis (OP) in the general middle-aged and older population in China. METHODS: Data for analyses were collected from a population based cross-sectional study performed at the Xiangya Hospital Health Management Centre. Dietary Se intake was evaluated using a validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. OP was diagnosed on the basis of bone mineral density scans using a compact radiographic absorptiometry system. The correlation between dietary Se intake and the prevalence of OP was primarily examined by multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: This cross-sectional study included a total of 6267 subjects (mean age: 52.2 ± 7.4 years; 42% women), and the prevalence of OP among the included subjects was 9.6% (2.3% in men and 19.7% in women). Compared with the lowest quartile, the energy intake, age, gender and body mass index (BMI)-adjusted odds ratios of OP were 0.72 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.55-0.94), 0.72 (95% CI 0.51-1.01) and 0.47 (95% CI 0.31-0.73) for the second, third and fourth quartiles of dietary Se intake, respectively (P for trend = 0.001). The results remained consistent in male and female subjects. Adjustment for additional potential confounders (i.e., smoking status, drinking status, physical activity level, nutritional supplements, diabetes, hypertension, fibre intake, and calcium intake) did not cause substantial changes to the results. CONCLUSIONS: In the middle-aged and older humans, participants with lower levels of dietary Se intake have a higher prevalence of OP in a dose-response manner.

Strength of suture-button fixation versus ligament reconstruction in syndesmotic injury: a biomechanical study.

PURPOSE: To compare the biomechanical characteristics of suture-button fixation versus ligament reconstruction using semitendinosus tendon autograft in treatment of syndesmotic injury in cadaver biomechanical study. METHODS: Eight matched pairs of human cadaveric lower-extremities were measured intact, then following simulated syndesmosis injury by cutting the anterior tibiofibular ligament (AITFL), the distal 15 cm of the interosseous membrane (IO), and the deltoid ligament. Thereafter, the syndesmotic injury was treated by suture-button fixation or ligament reconstruction. The semitendinosus tendon was harvested as a graft. Biomechanical testing was performed after the surgical fixation. The foot underwent rotation from neutral position to an external rotation at a rate of 5°/s to 12.5 Nm. The three-dimensional syndesmotic diastasis readings, final rotation torque, and rotational angle were recorded. RESULTS: No difference was found in fibular displacements between two groups. Moreover, no significant difference was found in final rotation torque (11.95 ± 1.03 VS 11.66 ± 1.18 Nm, P = 0.62) and rotation angle (43.61° ± 14.77° VS 40.93° ± 10.94°, P = 0.56) in the suture-button group and ligament reconstruction group. CONCLUSION: The stability of the suture-button fixation was equivalent to ligament reconstruction using semitendinosus tendon autograft in treatment of syndesmotic injury as determined with biomechanical testing. However, this study does not prove that one is advantageous over the other.

[Association between serum copper concentration and hypertension in knee osteoarthritis patients].

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between serum copper concentration and the prevalence of hypertension in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA).
 Methods: A total of 935 patients who were aged ≥40 years and underwent routine checkups from October 2013 to November 2014 at the Health Management Center of Xiangya Hospital, Central South University were included. They were diagnosed as knee OA by weight-bearing bilateral anteroposterior radiography. Serum copper concentration was measured using the chemiluminescence method. Blood pressure was measured by an electronic sphygmomanometer. The association between serum copper concentration and hypertension was evaluated by conducting multivariable adjusted logistic regression.
 Results: Compared with the lowest quintile, the multivariable-adjusted odds ratio (OR) and related 95% confidence interval (95% CI) of hypertension were 1.46 (95% CI 1.02 to 2.09, P for trend=0.035) and 1.47 (95% CI 0.77 to 2.78, P for trend=0.032) in the total population and female subgroup of the highestest quintile, respectively. There was no significant association between serum copper and hypertension in male subgroup among OA patients (OR=1.21, 95% CI 0.76 to 1.93, P for trend=0.354).
 Conclusion: The serum copper concentration was significantly associated with the prevalence of hypertension in total population and female subgroup, but may not in male subgroup among patients with knee OA.

Interference screw insertion angle has no effect on graft fixation strength for insertional Achilles tendon reconstruction.

PURPOSE: To compare the effect of two interference screw insertion angles on the biomechanical properties of the insertional Achilles tendon (IAT) reconstruction. METHODS: Nine matched pairs of fresh-frozen human cadaveric Achilles tendon specimens were randomized to two groups with interference screw insertion angles of 60° and 120°. The IAT reconstruction was performed by fixing the graft tendon with the interference screw. Each specimen was loaded to failure. The load at failure, stiffness, and mode of failure were documented. Differences in load at failure and stiffness were analysed. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference between the 60° and 120° groups for failure load (149.137 ± 20.836 versus 155.428 ± 28.343 N, respectively, n.s.) and stiffness (14.523 ± 2.824 N/mm versus 14.727 ± 2.192 N/mm, respectively, n.s.). The most common mode of failure was the graft pulling out of the bone tunnel when the screw broke. CONCLUSIONS: Graft fixation at two different interference screw insertion angles for IAT reconstruction exhibited equivalent biomechanical performance. When performing this procedure, surgeons may choose the interference screw insertion angle based on personal preference.

MRI-based tendon bone healing is related to the clinical functional scores at the first year after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with hamstring tendon autograft.

PURPOSE: The correlation between tendon bone healing and clinical functional scores after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) using four-stranded hamstring tendon autograft has rarely being reported. The purpose of this study was to determine the correlation between magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based tendon bone healing and clinical functional scores after ACLR using hamstring tendon. METHODS: Thirty-eight patients with ACLR using four-stranded hamstring tendon autograft were included in this prospective study in the authors' hospital from 2013 to 2014. All patients were performed Tegner, Lysholm, International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) subjective scores, KT-1000 and MRI examinations in 3, 6, 12 months after the operation, respectively. According to MRI, the healing degree of tendon bone was divided into five grades, and the healing degree of the tendon at different time points was evaluated. Moreover, the correlations between the clinical scores and tendon bone healing level at 12 months after the operation were determined. RESULTS: The Tegner, Lysholm, and IKDC scores of all patients were gradually improved over time after ACLR, and the degree of tendon bone healing was gradually increased. Moreover, there were significantly positive correlations between the level of tendon bone healing and the clinical functional scores at 12 months after the operation. CONCLUSION: The clinical functional scores and the degree of tendon bone healing were gradually improved over time after ACLR. Moreover, there were significant positive correlations between the level of tendon bone healing and clinical functional scores of knee joint at the first year after the operation. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

[Association between red blood cell volume distribution width and osteophytes: A cross-sectional study].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between red blood cell volume distribution width (RDW) and osteophytes.
 Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Health Examination Center of Xiangya Hospital, Central South University in Changsha, Hunan Province, China. A total of 8 334 subjects were included in this study. The severity of osteophytes was graded using the criteria of the Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI). Osteophytes incident was defined as at least one side of the knee had a osteophytes grade ≥1. According to the quartiles of the RDW level, the subjects were divided into 4 groups. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to calculate the odds ratio (OR) and the 95% confidence interval (CI) of the knee osteophytes incidence between each RDW group and the lowest level group. Tests for linear trends were conducted based on logistic regression using a median variable of RDW level in each category.
 Results: Quartile 1 (Q1), RDW≤9.78; Q2, 9.7813.10. The multivariable adjusted ORs (95%CI) of the prevalence of osteophytes were 1.38 (1.06 to 1.79) in the second percentile interval, and 1.27 (0.97 to 1.66) and 1.50 (1.15 to 1.94) in the third and fourth percentile interval, respectively. Test for linear trends suggested that there was a positive association between the RDW level and the risk of knee osteophytes incidence (P=0.019).
 Conclusion: The risk of osteophytes incidence increases with the increasing RDW levels.

Association between metabolic syndrome and knee osteoarthritis: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most prevalent chronic joint disease in China. The aim of this study was to examine the association between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and knee OA in a population-based Chinese study. METHODS: Data included in this analysis is from a cross-sectional study, i.e., the Xiangya Hospital Health Management Center Study. MetS was diagnosed according to the criteria defined by the Chinese Diabetes Society. Radiographic knee OA was defined as changes equivalent to Kellgren-Lawrence (K-L) grade 2 or above at least one side. Associations between MetS and its components with OA were evaluated by conducting multivariable adjusted logistic regression. RESULTS: A total of 5764 participants were included in the present study. The unadjusted OR (1.27, 95%CI: 1.10-1.47, P = 0.001), age-sex adjusted OR (1.17, 95%CI: 1.01-1.36, P = 0.041) and multivariable adjusted OR (1.17, 95%CI: 1.01-1.36, P = 0.043) all suggested a positive association between MetS and knee OA. Besides, its components (e.g., overweight, hypertension and dyslipidemia) were also associated with the prevalence of radiographic knee OA respectively, after adjusting for some confounding factors. In addition, with the accumulation of MetS components, the prevalence of knee OA increased. Furthermore, MetS as a whole was associated with the prevalence of knee osteophyte (OSP) (OR = 1.72, 95%CI: 1.42-2.09, P < 0.001), but not joint space narrowing (JSN) (OR = 1.06, 95%CI: 0.91-1.23, P = 0.449). CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the present study indicated that there was a positive association between the prevalence of MetS and knee OA. However, MetS as a whole was associated with the higher prevalence of knee OSP, but not JSN, which should shed light on our understanding the association between MetS and OA.

MRI-based ACL graft maturity does not predict clinical and functional outcomes during the first year after ACL reconstruction.

PURPOSE: To determine whether magnetic resonance image (MRI)-based graft maturity predicts clinical and functional scores during the first year after ACL reconstruction. METHODS: Patients with unilateral ACL reconstruction were prospectively invited to participate in this study, and they were examined using a 3.0-T MRI scan at 3, 6, and 12 months after the operation. Clinical examinations were performed on the same day, including subjective functional examinations, physical examinations and the KT-1000 test. MRI measurements were focused on the graft signal intensity of the ACL graft using the signal/noise quotient value from a region of interest analysis. RESULTS: Finally, a total of 38 participants with ACL reconstruction were recruited for this study, including 21 with autograft tendons and 17 with allograft tendons. Generally, the signal/noise quotient values of the ACL grafts increased from 3 to 6 months and then decreased from 6 to 12 months. There was no significant association between graft signal/noise quotient value and IKDC, Lysholm, or Tegner scores at each time point. Graft signal/noise quotient value had a significant positive association with ATTD for the cohort (p = 0.002) and for the autograft group (p = 0.004) at 3 months. However, there was no significant association between graft signal/noise quotient value and ATTD at 6 or 12 months, respectively. CONCLUSION: The MRI-based graft maturity does not have the ability to predict clinical and functional outcomes in patients at the first-year follow-up. Graft maturity should not be used as an objective test to determine the appropriate time to return to sports during the first year after ACL reconstruction. The results from this study will allow clinicians to determine graft-specific health to determine whether the graft is healed enough to return to sports during the first postoperative year. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

Effect of centre-edge angle on clinical and quality of life outcomes after arthroscopic acetabular labral debridement.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to compare clinical and quality of life outcomes following arthroscopic acetabular labral debridement between patients with different centre-edge (CE) angle. METHODS: A total of 79 patients who underwent hip labral debridement were enrolled in this study. Radiographic measurements of CE angle were collected, and patients were assigned into a normal group (25° < CE angle <40°, n = 68) and dysplasia group (CE angle <20°, n = 11). Clinical outcomes were evaluated by modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS), Hip Outcome Score (HOS) for activities of daily living (ADL) and sports and Short Form 12 (SF-12). RESULTS: At the final follow-up, the normal group showed significant improvements in mHHS, HOS (ADL and sports) and SF-12 (P < 0.05). However, the dysplasia group revealed significant improvements in mHHS, HOS (ADL) and SF-12 physical component summary (PCS) (P < 0.05) and no significant changes in HOS sports and SF-12 mental component summary (MCS) (P > 0.05). Additionally, there was a greater improvement in clinical scores post-operatively in the normal group compared with the dysplasia group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Arthroscopic acetabular labral debridement resulted in significantly greater clinical and quality of life outcomes in patients with CE angle >25° compared with patients with CE angle < 20°.

Biomechanical comparison of three methods for distal Achilles tendon reconstruction.

PURPOSE: To compare the load at failure and stiffness associated with three surgical techniques for distal Achilles tendon reconstruction (AT). METHODS: Nine matched pairs of fresh-frozen human cadaveric ATs were divided into three groups. Distal AT reconstruction was performed using suture anchors or one of two lengths of tendon overlap (10 or 5 mm). Each tendon was loaded to failure. The load at failure (N), stiffness (N/mm), and mode of failure were recorded. Differences in load at failure and stiffness were analysed. RESULTS: Mean load at failure was significantly higher in the 10-mm group than in the 5-mm group (p < 0.05) or the suture-anchor group (p < 0.05). Load at failure did not differ significantly between the suture-anchor and 5-mm group, and stiffness did not differ significantly between any two groups. In the 10- and 5-mm groups, failure was caused by the grafts pulling out through the substance of the AT. Modes of failure varied in the suture-anchor group. CONCLUSIONS: The load at failure was higher in the 10-mm group than in the 5-mm and suture-anchor groups. Although all three surgical techniques provide sufficient primary load-bearing ability, the 10-mm tendon-overlap technique may be more conducive to early post-operative rehabilitation.

Performance and mechanism of amphiphilic polymeric chelator for enhanced removal of high concentrations of Cu(II) from wastewater.

An amphiphilic polymeric chelator (APC16-g-SX) grafted with sodium xanthate (SX) groups was successfully prepared for the efficient removal of high concentrations of Cu(II) from wastewater. The ordinary polymeric chelator (PAM-g-SX) based on linear polyacrylamide (PAM) was also prepared for comparative studies. The polymeric chelators were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (13C-NMR), gel permeation chromatography (GPC), elemental analyzer, and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The chelating performance of these polymeric chelators was investigated, and the mechanism of APC16-g-SX for enhanced removal of Cu(II) from wastewater was proposed based on fluorescence spectroscopy, cryo-scanning electron microscope (Cryo-SEM), energy-dispersive spectrometer (EDS), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) tests. The results show that as the initial Cu(II) concentration in the wastewater increases, APC16-g-SX shows more excellent chelating performance than ordinary PAM-g-SX. For the wastewater with an initial Cu(II) concentration of 200 mg/L, the removal rate of Cu(II) was 99.82% and 89.34% for both 500 mg/L APC16-g-SX and PAM-g-SX, respectively. The pH of the system has a very great influence on the chelating performance of the polymeric chelators, and the increase in pH of the system helps to improve the chelating performance. The results of EDS and XPS tests also show that N, O, and S atoms in APC16-g-SX were involved in the chelation of Cu(II). The mechanism of enhanced removal of Cu(II) by APC16-g-SX can be attributed to the spatial network structure constructed by the self-association of hydrophobic groups that enhances the utilization of chelation sites.