Comparing the Analgesic Effects Between the Pre- and Post-costal Cartilage Harvest Cohorts Using Ultrasound-Guided Deep Serratus Anterior Plane Block in Children with Microtia Undergoing Auricular Reconstruction: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

PURPOSE: Pain following costal cartilage harvest surgery is the most common complaint of auricular reconstruction (AR). Anesthesiologists are continuously searching for an effective postoperative pain control method. METHODS: This study was conducted from 10 April 2022 to 10 June 2022. Sixty children undergoing AR using costal cartilage were randomly assigned to either a serratus anterior plane block performed before costal cartilage harvest (SAPB-pre-cohort; n = 30) or the SAPB-post-cohort (Post-costal cartilage Harvest Cohort: n = 30). The primary endpoint measures were the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) scores of the chest and ear pain degrees recorded at 1-, 6-, 12-, 24-, and 48-h after surgery. Intraoperative anesthetic and analgesic dosages, sufentanil consumption and rescue analgesia consumption during the first 24 h post-operation, cough score during extubation, extubation agitation score, length of stay, the extubation time, first ambulatory time, analgesia duration, and opioid-related adverse effects and SAPB-related adverse effects were the secondary endpoints. RESULTS: The rest and coughing NRS scores were significantly reduced in the SAPB-pre-cohort 6 and 12 h post-operation in comparison with the SAPB-post-cohort (rest 6 h p = 0.002, others p < 0.001). No significant difference in the NRS ear scores existed between the two cohorts (p > 0.05). The use of propofol and remifentanil for general anesthesia during the SAPB-pre-procedure was significantly reduced compared to the SAPB-post-group, with statistical significance (p < 0.001). Sufentanil consumption and rescue analgesia consumption were significantly reduced in the SAPB-pre-cohort (p = 0.001, p = 0.033). The extubation time and first ambulatory time were markedly shorter in the SAPB-pre-cohort (all p < 0.001). Analgesia duration was markedly longer in the SAPB-pre-cohort (p < 0.001). No significant differences were noted in the cough score during extubation, extubation agitation score, length of stay between the two cohorts (all p > 0.05). Opioid-related adverse effects occurred more in the SAPB-post-cohort, while there was no statistical significance (16.7 vs. 36.7%; p = 0.082). There were no blockade-related complications observed in either cohort. CONCLUSION: The analgesic effect of the SAPB-pre-cohort was better than the SAPB-post-cohort suggesting both efficacy and feasibility of preemptive analgesia. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE II: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Facile Recrystallization Process for Tuning the Crystal Morphology and Thermal Safety of Industrial Grade PYX.

In this study, the crystal appearance of industrial grade 2,6-diamino-3,5-dinitropyridine (PYX) was mostly needle-shaped or rod-shaped with an average aspect ratio of 3.47 and roundness of 0.47. According to national military standards, the explosion percentage of impact sensitivity s about 40% and friction sensitivity is about 60%. To improve loading density and pressing safety, the solvent-antisolvent method was used to optimize the crystal morphology, i.e., to reduce the aspect ratio and increase the roundness value. Firstly, the solubility of PYX in DMSO, DMF, and NMP was measured by the static differential weight method, and the solubility model was established. The results showed that the Apelblat equation and Van't Hoff equation could be used to clarify the temperature dependence of PYX solubility in a single solvent. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to characterize the morphology of the recrystallized samples. After recrystallization, the aspect ratio of the samples decreased from 3.47 to 1.19, and roundness increased from 0.47 to 0.86. The morphology was greatly improved, and the particle size decreased. The structures before and after recrystallization were characterized by infrared spectroscopy (IR). The results showed that no chemical structure changes occurred during recrystallization, and the chemical purity was improved by 0.7%. According to the GJB-772A-97 explosion probability method, the mechanical sensitivity of explosives was characterized. After recrystallization, the impact sensitivity of explosives was significantly reduced from 40% to 12%. A differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) was used to study the thermal decomposition. The thermal decomposition temperature peak of the sample after recrystallization was 5 °C higher than that of the raw PYX. The thermal decomposition kinetic parameters of the samples were calculated by AKTS software, and the thermal decomposition process under isothermal conditions was predicted. The results showed that the activation energy (E) of the samples after recrystallization was higher by 37.9~527.6 kJ/mol than raw PYX, so the thermal stability and safety of the recrystallized samples were improved.

High spatiotemporal variability of methane concentrations challenges estimates of emissions across vegetated coastal ecosystems.

Coastal methane (CH4 ) emissions dominate the global ocean CH4 budget and can offset the "blue carbon" storage capacity of vegetated coastal ecosystems. However, current estimates lack systematic, high-resolution, and long-term data from these intrinsically heterogeneous environments, making coastal budgets sensitive to statistical assumptions and uncertainties. Using continuous CH4 concentrations, δ13 C-CH4  values, and CH4  sea-air fluxes across four seasons in three globally pervasive coastal habitats, we show that the CH4 distribution is spatially patchy over meter-scales and highly variable in time. Areas with mixed vegetation, macroalgae, and their surrounding sediments exhibited a spatiotemporal variability of surface water CH4 concentrations ranging two orders of magnitude (i.e., 6-460 nM CH4 ) with habitat-specific seasonal and diurnal patterns. We observed (1) δ13 C-CH4  signatures that revealed habitat-specific CH4 production and consumption pathways, (2) daily peak concentration events that could change >100% within hours across all habitats, and (3) a high thermal sensitivity of the CH4 distribution signified by apparent activation energies of ~1 eV that drove seasonal changes. Bootstrapping simulations show that scaling the CH4 distribution from few samples involves large errors, and that ~50 concentration samples per day are needed to resolve the scale and drivers of the natural variability and improve the certainty of flux calculations by up to 70%. Finally, we identify northern temperate coastal habitats with mixed vegetation and macroalgae as understudied but seasonally relevant atmospheric CH4  sources (i.e., releasing ≥ 100 µmol CH4  m-2  day-1 in summer). Due to the large spatial and temporal heterogeneity of coastal environments, high-resolution measurements will improve the reliability of CH4 estimates and confine the habitat-specific contribution to regional and global CH4 budgets.

High potential of stable carbon sequestration in phytoliths of China's grasslands.

Phytolith carbon (C) sequestration plays a key role in mitigating global climate change at a centennial to millennial time scale. However, previous estimates of phytolith-occluded carbon (PhytOC) storage and potential in China's grasslands have large uncertainties mainly due to multiple data sources. This contributes to the uncertainty in predicting long-term C sequestration in terrestrial ecosystems using Earth System Models. In this study, we carried out an intensive field investigation (79 sites, 237 soil profiles [0-100 cm], and 61 vegetation assessments) to quantify PhytOC storage in China's grasslands and to better explore the biogeographical patterns and influencing factors. Generally, PhytOC production flux and soil PhytOC density in both the Tibetan Plateau and the Inner Mongolian Plateau had a decreasing trend from the Northeast to the Southwest. The aboveground PhytOC production rate in China's grassland was 0.48 × 106 t CO2 a-1 , and the soil PhytOC storage was 383 × 106 t CO2 . About 45% of soil PhytOC was stored in the deep soil layers (50-100 cm), highlighting the importance of deep soil layers for C stock assessments. Importantly, the Tibetan Plateau had the greatest contribution (more than 70%) to the PhytOC storage in China's grasslands. The results of multiple regression analysis indicated that altitude and soil texture significantly influenced the spatial distribution of soil PhytOC, explaining 78.1% of the total variation. Soil phytolith turnover time in China's grasslands was mainly controlled by climatic conditions, with the turnover time on the Tibetan Plateau being significantly longer than that on the Inner Mongolian Plateau. Our results offer more accurate estimates of the potential for phytolith C sequestration from ecological restoration projects in degraded grassland ecosystems. These estimates are essential to parameterizing and validating global C models.

[Progress on in vivo ankle biomechanics based on dual fluoroscopic imaging technology].

The technical deficiencies in traditional medical imagining methods limit the study of in vivo ankle biomechanics. A dual fluoroscopic imaging system (DFIS) provides accurate and non-invasive measurements of dynamic and static activities in joints of the body. This approach can be used to quantify the movement in the single bones of the ankle and analyse different morphological and complex bone positions and movement patterns within these organs and has been widely used in the field of image diagnosis and evaluation of clinical biomechanics. This paper reviews the applications of DFIS that were used to measure the in vivo kinematics of the ankle in the field of clinical and sports medicine. The advantages and shortcomings of DFIS in the practical application are summarised. We further put forward effective research programs for understanding the movement as well as injury mechanism of the ankle in vivo, and provide constructive research direction for future study.

Systematic Review of the Role of Footwear Constructions in Running Biomechanics: Implications for Running-Related Injury and Performance.

Although the role of shoe constructions on running injury and performance has been widely investigated, systematic reviews on the shoe construction effects on running biomechanics were rarely reported. Therefore, this review focuses on the relevant research studies examining the biomechanical effect of running shoe constructions on reducing running-related injury and optimising performance. Searches of five databases and Footwear Science from January 1994 to September 2018 for related biomechanical studies which investigated running footwear constructions yielded a total of 1260 articles. After duplications were removed and exclusion criteria applied to the titles, abstracts and full text, 63 studies remained and categorised into following constructions: (a) shoe lace, (b) midsole, (c) heel flare, (d) heel-toe drop, (e) minimalist shoes, (f) Masai Barefoot Technologies, (g) heel cup, (h) upper, and (i) bending stiffness. Some running shoe constructions positively affect athletic performance-related and injury-related variables: 1) increasing the stiffness of running shoes at the optimal range can benefit performance-related variables; 2) softer midsoles can reduce impact forces and loading rates; 3) thicker midsoles can provide better cushioning effects and attenuate shock during impacts but may also decrease plantar sensations of a foot; 4) minimalist shoes can improve running economy and increase the cross-sectional area and stiffness of Achilles tendon but it would increase the metatarsophalangeal and ankle joint loading compared to the conventional shoes. While shoe constructions can effectively influence running biomechanics, research on some constructions including shoe lace, heel flare, heel-toe drop, Masai Barefoot Technologies, heel cup, and upper requires further investigation before a viable scientific guideline can be made. Future research is also needed to develop standard testing protocols to determine the optimal stiffness, thickness, and heel-toe drop of running shoes to optimise performance-related variables and prevent running-related injuries.

FPGA implementation of rate-adaptive spatially coupled LDPC codes suitable for optical communications.

In this paper, we propose a unified field-programmable gate array (FPGA) structure for a rate-adaptive forward error correction (FEC) scheme based on spatially coupled (SC) LDPC codes derived from quasi-cyclic (QC) LDPC codes. We described the unified decoder structure in detail and showed that the rate adaptation can be achieved by a controller on-the-fly. By FPGA based emulation, the results show that, with comparable complexity, the SC codes provide larger coding gain. The implemented unified structure can be employed for any template QC-LDPC code to achieve a spatially-coupling based code-rate adaptation scheme.

Run-time reconfigurable adaptive LDPC coding for optical channels.

In this paper, we proposed a class of large-girth QC-LDPC codes designed to maximize the girth property with code rates ranging from 0.5 to 0.8, which leads to well-structured parity-check matrix and generator matrix. Instead of implementing several FEC encoder and decoder engines in hardware, we design an efficient unified FPGA-based architecture enabling run-time reconfigurable capability. Apart from four principle LDPC codes being incorporated into a unified design, shortening is adopted to bridge the rate gap between principle codes. With our proposed unified LDPC engine, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) limits of -1 dB to 2.2 dB have been demonstrated at BER of 10-12 in additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel by FPGA emulation. It is desirable for the application to both free-space optical (FSO) and fiber optics communications. Large code rate range is preferred to deal with various channel impairments. To further verify the proposed unified code engine for FSO applications, we tested the scheme through a spatial light modulator (SLM)-based FSO channel emulator. We showed that in medium atmospheric turbulence regime, a post-FEC BER below 10-8 can be achieved without any interleaver and adaptive optics.

Effects of Exercise-Induced Fatigue on Lower Extremity Joint Mechanics, Stiffness, and Energy Absorption during Landings.

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of two fatigue protocols on lower-limb joint mechanics, stiffness and energy absorption during drop landings. Fifteen male athletes completed landing tasks before and after two fatigue protocols (constant speed running [R-FP] and repeated shuttle sprint plus vertical jump [SJ-FP]). Sagittal plane lower-limb kinematics and ground reaction forces were recorded. Compared with R-FP, SJ-FP required significantly less intervention time to produce a fatigue state. The ranges of motion (RoM) of the hip were significantly greater when the athletes were fatigued for both protocols. Knee RoM significantly increased after SJ-FP but not after R-FP (p > 0.05), whereas the RoM of the ankle was significantly greater after R-FP but lower after SJ-FP. When fatigued, the first peak knee extension moment was significantly greater in R-FP but lower in SJ-FP; the second peak ankle plantar flexion moment was lower, regardless of protocols. After fatigue, vertical, hip, and knee stiffness was lower, and more energy was absorbed at the hip and knee for both protocols. Hip and knee extensors played a crucial role in altering movement control strategies to maintain similar impact forces and to dissipate more energy through a flexed landing posture when fatigued compared to when non-fatigued. Furthermore, SJ-FP seems to be a more efficient method to induce fatigue due to less intervention time than R-FP.

Multiple spatial modes based QKD over marine free-space optical channels in the presence of atmospheric turbulence.

We investigate a multiple spatial modes based quantum key distribution (QKD) scheme that employs multiple independent parallel beams through a marine free-space optical channel over open ocean. This approach provides the potential to increase secret key rate (SKR) linearly with the number of channels. To improve the SKR performance, we describe a back-propagation mode (BPM) method to mitigate the atmospheric turbulence effects. Our simulation results indicate that the secret key rate can be improved significantly by employing the proposed BPM-based multi-channel QKD scheme.

[The changes of LCHAD in preeclampsia with different clinical features and the correlation with NADPH P47-phox, p38MAPK-α, COX-2 and serum FFA and TG].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the changes of fatty acid oxidase in the placenta of preeclampsia cases with different clinical features, and the relationship with oxidative stress and inflammatory response. To study the correlation of serum free fatty acid (FFA) and triglycerides (TG) level in early second trimester with the molecular changes of the long-chain fatty acid oxidase in the third trimester. METHODS: This was prospective cohort study, in which cases with singleton pregnancies who archived in Haidian Maternal and Children's Hospital, Beijing, from January 1st 2012 to May 31st, with regular prenatal care were included. Doppler ultrasound was used for screening for the presence of early diastolic notch of uterine artery at 22-24 weeks of gestation. All the 101 cases with the early diastolic notch of uterine artery were included as the notch group, and 377 cases without the early diastolic notch of uterine artery were included as the non-notch group. The perinatal outcomes and the incidence of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy of the two groups were observed. The serum level of FFA and TG was tested, and the mRNA and protein expression of long-chain 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (LCHAD), P47-phox subunit of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase a (p38MAPK-α) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) were detected using real-time quantitative PCR and western blot. The relationship between serum level of FFA and TG and the mRNA and protein expression of LCHAD, NADPH P47-phox, p38MAPK-α and COX-2 of the placental tissue specimens were analyzed. RESULTS: (1) In the notch group, there were 9 cases of early-onset preeclampsia, 15 cases of late-onset preeclampsia and 10 cases of gestational hypertension;and there were 8 cases of late-onset preeclampsia and 18 cases of gestational hypertension in the non-notch group. 15 cases with normal blood pressure in each group were randomly selected as the control group. (2)The serum level of TG of cases of early-onset preeclampsia, late-onset preeclampsia and gestational hypertension in the notch group were (2.0 ± 0.8), (1.8 ± 0.6)and (1.9 ± 0.7)mmol/L, and that of FFA were(0.68 ± 0.26), (0.52 ± 0.10) and (0.52 ± 0.17)mmol/L, respectively. The serum level of TG of cases of late-onset preeclampsia and gestational hypertension in the non-notch group were (1.6 ± 0.6) and (1.4 ± 0.4)mmol/L, and that of FFA were (0.49 ± 0.11) and (0.48 ± 0.05)mmol/L, respectively. The serum level of TG and FFA in the control group were (1.4 ± 0.5) and (0.52 ± 0.06)mmol/L, respectively. The TG level of the notch group was higher than that of the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The FFA level of the early-onset preeclampsia in the notch group was higher than that of late-onset preeclampsia in the notch group, late-onset preeclampsia in the non-notch group and the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). (3) The mRNA expression of LCHAD in the placenta of early-onset preeclampsia in the notch group was significantly lower than that of the late-onset preeclampsia in the notch group, late-onset preeclampsia in the non-notch group and the control group (P < 0.01). The mRNA expression of NADPH P47-phox of the early-onset preeclampsia in the notch group were significantly higher than that of late-onset preeclampsia in the notch group, late-onset preeclampsia in the non-notch group and the control group (P < 0.01). The mRNA expression of p38MAPK-α of the early-onset preeclampsia in the notch group were significantly higher than that of late-onset preeclampsia in the notch group, late-onset preeclampsia in the non-notch group and the control group (P < 0.01). The mRNA expression of COX-2 of the early-onset preeclampsia in the notch group were significantly higher than that of late-onset preeclampsia in the notch group, late-onset preeclampsia in the non-notch group and the control group (P < 0.01). (4)The protein expression of LCHAD in the placenta of early-onset preeclampsia in the notch group, late-onset preeclampsia in the notch group and gestational hypertension in the notch group were significantly lower than that of the control group (P < 0.01); and the protein expression of LCHAD in the placenta of early-onset preeclampsia in the notch group was significantly lower than that of late-onset preeclampsia in the non-notch group (P < 0.01). The protein expression of NADPH P47-phox in the placenta of early-onset preeclampsia in the notch group was significantly higher than that of late-onset preeclampsia in the non-notch group and control group (P < 0.05). The protein expression of p38MAPK-α in the placenta of early-onset preeclampsia in the notch group was significantly higher than that of late-onset preeclampsia in the notch group, late-onset preeclampsia in the non-notch group and control group (P < 0.01). The protein expression of COX-2 in the placenta of early-onset preeclampsia in the notch group, late-onset preeclampsia in the notch group, gestational hypertension in the notch group, late-onset preeclampsia in the non-notch group, and gestational hypertension in the non-notch group, were significantly higher than that of control group (P < 0.01). (5)The blood concentration of maternal FFA in the early-onset preeclampsia in the notch group was significantly negatively correlated with the mRNA and protein expression of placental LCHAD (r = -0.810, -0.932, P < 0.01). There was no correlation between maternal TG level and the mRNA and protein expression of placental LCHAD in each group(P > 0.05). (6)The mRNA expression of placental LCHAD in the early-onset preeclampsia in the notch group was significantly negatively correlated with the mRNA expression of placental NADPH P47-phox and COX-2 (r = - 0.877, -0.762, P < 0.05). The mRNA expression of placental LCHAD in the control group was significantly negatively correlated with the mRNA expression of placental COX-2 (r = -0.565, P < 0.01). The protein expression of placental LCHAD in the early-onset preeclampsia in the notch group was significantly negatively correlated with the protein expression of NADPH P47-phox (r = -0.818, P < 0.01). The protein expression of placental LCHAD in the control group was significantly negatively correlated with the protein expression of COX-2 (r = -0.502, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The placental mRNA and protein expression of long-chain fatty acid oxidation enzymes were different in different clinical features of preeclampsia, which were reduced more obviously in the early-onset preeclampsia in the notch group than that of the late-onset preeclampsia in the notch group, and were negatively correlated with the elevated serum FFA level, significantly enhanced oxidative stress and inflammatory response, but with no correlation with serum TG level.

Discovery of a new sesquiterpenoid from Phellinus ignarius with antiviral activity against influenza virus.

Seven natural products, including one new sesquiterpenoid (eudesm-1ß, 6α, 11-triol, compound 1), one ergosta -4, 6, 8(14), 22-tetraen-3-one (compound 2), four polyphenols (compounds 3, 4, 5, 6), and one pyrone (3-hydroxy-2-methyl-4-pyrone, compound 7) were isolated from cultures of Phellinus ignarius by column chromatography. The detailed structure of compound 1 was determined using a combination of one- and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance, mass spectrometry and infrared spectroscopy. The antiviral activity of these compounds against H5N1 influenza A virus was investigated using an MTT colorimetric assay system in Madin-Darby canine kidney cells. The results indicate that compound 1 possesses significant ability to inhibit influenza virus. The 50 % effective concentration was 0.14 ± 0.04 µM. Molecular modeling further suggested that the anti-influenza virus activity of this compound was partially attributed to the interactions of hydroxyl groups with an amino acid residue (Asn 170) of neuraminidase (NA) at the binding site. Moreover, the results of enzyme inhibition assays indicated that 50 % inhibition of NA was achieved by compound 1 at a concentration of 0.657 ± 0.325 mg/mL, which suggested that compound 1 is likely to interact with the NA enzyme.

Acute effect of foot strike patterns on in vivo tibiotalar and subtalar joint kinematics during barefoot running.

BACKGROUND: Foot kinematics, such as excessive eversion and malalignment of the hindfoot, are believed to be associated with running-related injuries. The majority of studies to date show that different foot strike patterns influence these specific foot and ankle kinematics. However, technical deficiencies in traditional motion capture approaches limit knowledge of in vivo joint kinematics with respect to rearfoot and forefoot strike patterns (RFS and FFS, respectively). This study uses a high-speed dual fluoroscopic imaging system (DFIS) to determine the effects of different foot strike patterns on 3D in vivo tibiotalar and subtalar joints kinematics. METHODS: Fifteen healthy male recreational runners underwent foot computed tomography scanning for the construction of 3-dimensional models. A high-speed DFIS (100 Hz) was used to collect 6 degrees of freedom kinematics for participants' tibiotalar and subtalar joints when they adopted RFS and FFS in barefoot condition. RESULTS: Compared with RFS, FFS exhibited greater internal rotation at 0%-20% of the stance phase in the tibiotalar joint. The peak internal rotation angle of the tibiotalar joint under FFS was greater than under RFS (p < 0.001, Cohen's d = 0.92). RFS showed more dorsiflexion at 0%-20% of the stance phase in the tibiotalar joint than FFS. RFS also presented a larger anterior translation (p < 0.001, Cohen's d = 1.28) in the subtalar joint at initial contact than FFS. CONCLUSION: Running with acute barefoot FFS increases the internal rotation of the tibiotalar joint in the early stance. The use of high-speed DFIS to quantify the movement of the tibiotalar and subtalar joint was critical to revealing the effects of RFS and FFS during running.

Ebullition dominates methane emissions in stratified coastal waters.

Coastal areas are an important source of methane (CH4). However, the exact origins of CH4 in the surface waters of coastal regions, which in turn drive sea-air emissions, remain uncertain. To gain a comprehensive understanding of the current and future climate change feedbacks, it is crucial to identify these CH4 sources and processes that regulate its formation and oxidation. This study investigated coastal CH4 dynamics by comparing water column data from six stations located in the brackish Tvärminne Archipelago, Baltic Sea. The sediment biogeochemistry and microbiology were further investigated at two stations (i.e., nearshore and offshore). These stations differed in terms of stratification, bottom water redox conditions, and organic matter loading. At the nearshore station, CH4 diffusion from the sediment into the water column was negligible, because nearly all CH4 was oxidized within the upper sediment column before reaching the sediment surface. On the other hand, at the offshore station, there was significant benthic diffusion of CH4, albeit the majority underwent oxidation before reaching the sediment-water interface, due to shoaling of the sulfate methane transition zone (SMTZ). The potential contribution of CH4 production in the water column was evaluated and was found to be negligible. After examining the isotopic signatures of δ13C-CH4 across the sediment and water column, it became apparent that the surface water δ13C-CH4 values observed in areas with thermal stratification could not be explained by diffusion, advective fluxes, nor production in the water column. In fact, these values bore a remarkable resemblance to those detected below the SMTZ. This supports the hypothesis that the source of CH4 in surface waters is more likely to originate from ebullition than diffusion in stratified brackish coastal systems.

[Interaction mechanism and influence between fatty acid oxidation and p38MAPK signal transduction pathway in trophoblast cells incubated with fatty acids].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the interaction mechanism and influence between fatty acids oxidation and p38MAPK signal transduction pathway in trophoblast cells stimulated by fatty acids of different chain lengths. METHODS: Serum-free trophoblast cells cultured in vitro were divided into 5 groups, i.e. incubation with DMEM/F12 medium without FFA (F-FFA), short-chain fatty acids (SC-FFA), medium-chain fatty acids (MC-FFA), long-chain fatty acids (LC-FFA) and very long-chain fatty acids (VLC-FFA). Then cells in each group were stimulated by DMEM/F12 medium, NADPH oxidase inhibitor (Apocynin) and p38MAPK inhibitor (SB203580) and were subdivided into FFA plus-DMEM group, plus-NADPH-I and plus-p38MAPK-I groups. Expressions of mRNA and protein of LCHAD in trophoblast cells were detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Western blot. RESULTS: (1) mRNA expression of LCHAD: the Δct of mRNA of LCHAD in F-FFA+DMED, SC-FFA+DMEM, MC-FFA+DMEM, LC-FFA+DMEM, LC-FFA+NADPH-I, LC-FFA+p38MAPK-I and VLC-FFA+DMEM, VLC-FFA+NADPH-I, VLC-FFA+p38MAPK-I groups were 4.57 ± 0.12, 4.36 ± 0.09, 4.55 ± 0.10, 6.84 ± 0.42, 4.45 ± 0.24, 5.08 ± 0.36, 2.23 ± 0.15, 3.90 ± 0.32, 3.81 ± 0.41. Compared with the F-FFA groups, the relative mRNA expressions of LCHAD significantly decreased in LC-FFA+DMEM/p38MAPK-I groups (P < 0.05) while increased in VLC-FFA groups (P < 0.05). Compared with the LC-FFA+DMEM groups, the relative mRNA expressions of LCHAD increased in LC-FFA+NADPH-I/p38MAPK-I groups (P < 0.05). The relative mRNA expressions of LCHAD in VLC-FFA+NADPH-I/p38MAPK-I groups significantly decreased versus VLC-FFA+DMEM group (P < 0.05). (2) Protein expression of LCHAD: The relative protein expressions of LCHAD in F-FFA+DMED, SC-FFA+DMEM, MC-FFA+DMEM, LC-FFA+DMEM, LC-FFA+NADPH-I, LC-FFA+p38MAPK-I and VLC-FFA+DMEM, VLC-FFA+NADPH-I, VLC-FFA+p38MAPK-I groups were 23.6 ± 13.0, 21.2 ± 10.2, 19.7 ± 1.9, 10.6 ± 2.6, 14.0 ± 1.8, 14.0 ± 2.8, 29.3 ± 1.9, 35.8 ± 3.2 and 35.2 ± 4.5 respectively. Compared with the F-FFA groups, the protein expressions of LCHAD significantly decreased in LC-FFA groups (P < 0.05) while increased in VLC-FFA+NADPH-I/p38MAPK-I groups (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Free fatty acids affect the gene and protein expressions of mitochondrial ß-oxidation enzyme of LCHAD in trophoblastic cells. Fatty acid ß-oxidation is impaired in trophoblast cells incubated with long-chain fatty acid. NADPH oxidase and p38MAPK inhibitors may alleviate such an effect. Thus p38MAPK signal transduction pathway may participate in this process. The correlation between very long chain fatty acids and fatty acid ß-oxidation is confirmed. But their interactions require further explorations.

[Interaction mechanism and influence between fatty acid oxidation in trophoblast cells and p38MAPK signal transduction pathway of severe preeclampsia].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of expression of mitochondria long-chain fatty acid oxidative enzyme (long-chain 3 hyroxyacyl CoA dehydrogenase, LCHAD) and p38 mitogen activated protein kinase (p38MAPK) signal transduction pathway in severe preeclampsia. METHODS: Serum-free trophoblast cells cultured in vitro were stimulated by early onset severe preeclampsia serum (E-PE group), late onset severe preeclampsia serum (L-PE group), HELLP syndrome serum (HELLP group), and normal pregnancy serum (NP group) respectively; each group was added DMEM/F12 medium, reduced form of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase inhibitor (NADPH-I) and p38MAPK inhibitor (p38-I) to stimulate cells. Expression of mRNA and protein of LCHAD in trophoblast cells were detected by real-time PCR and western blot. RESULTS: (1)The expression of mRNA of LCHAD: the level of mRNA of LCHAD in NP+DMEM, E-PE+DMEM, E-PE+NADPH-I, E-PE+p38-I, L-PE+DMEM, L-PE+NADPH-I, L-PE+p38-I and HELLP+DMEM, HELLP+NADPH-I, HELLP+p38-I groups were 1.00 ± 0.03, 0.14 ± 0.08, 0.95 ± 0.20, 1.43 ± 1.02, 0.37 ± 0.18, 1.51 ± 0.36, 1.60 ± 0.31, 0.10 ± 0.04, 0.49 ± 0.10, 0.44 ± 0.21, respectively. The relative expressions of mRNA of LCHAD were significantly reduced in E-PE+DMEM, L-PE+DMEM and HELLP+DMEM groups compared with the NP+DMEM group (P < 0.05). Compared with the NP groups, the relative expressions of mRNA of LCHAD were significantly increased in L-PE+NADPH-I and L-PE+p38-I group (P < 0.05), while reduced in HELLP groups(P < 0.05). (2) The expression of protein of LCHAD: the relative expressions of protein of LCHAD in NP+DMEM, E-PE+DMEM, E-PE+NADPH-I, E-PE+p38-I, L-PE+DMEM, L-PE+NADPH-I, L-PE+p38-I and HELLP+ DMEM, HELLP+NADPH-I, HELLP+p38-I groups were 19.4 ± 2.2, 10.7 ± 1.1, 17.9 ± 3.3, 19.1 ± 2.9, 16.4 ± 2.3, 20.3 ± 2.3, 20.9 ± 4.3, 12.4 ± 2.3, 17.6 ± 2.6, 17.7 ± 2.0 respectively. Compared with the NP groups, the protein expressions of LCHAD were significantly remarkably reduced in E-PE+DMEM, L-PE+DMEM and HELLP groups (P < 0.05). Compared with the DMEM groups, the protein expressions of LCHAD were significantly increased in NADPH-I and p38-I groups of E-PE, L-PE and HELLP groups (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These studies demonstrate that long chain fatty acid oxidation was involved in the pathogenesis and development of preeclampsia. The expressions of gene and protein of LCHAD were remarkably affected by early onset severe preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome. NADPH-I and p38-I may allay the disorder of fatty acid oxidation. p38MAPK signal transduction pathway may contributed in this process.

Effects of different habitual foot strike patterns on in vivo kinematics of the first metatarsophalangeal joint during shod running-a statistical parametric mapping study.

Existing studies on the biomechanical characteristics of the first metatarsophalangeal joint (1st MTPJ) during shod running are limited to sagittal plane assessment and rely on skin marker motion capture, which can be affected by shoes wrapping around the 1st MTPJ and may lead to inaccurate results. This study aims to investigate the in vivo effects of different habitual foot strike patterns (FSP) on the six degrees of freedom (6DOF) values of the 1st MTPJ under shod condition by utilizing a dual-fluoroscopic imaging system (DFIS). Long-distance male runners with habitual forefoot strike (FFS group, n = 15) and rearfoot strike (RFS group, n = 15) patterns were recruited. All participants underwent foot computed tomography (CT) scan to generate 3D models of their foot. The 6DOF kinematics of the 1st MTPJ were collected using a DFIS at 100 Hz when participants performed their habitual FSP under shod conditions. Independent t-tests and one-dimensional statistical parametric mapping (1-d SPM) were employed to analyze the differences between the FFS and RFS groups' 1st MTPJ 6DOF kinematic values during the stance phase. FFS exhibited greater superior translation (3.5-4.9 mm, p = 0.07) during 51%-82% of the stance and higher extension angle (8.4°-10.1°, p = 0.031) during 65%-75% of the stance in the 1st MTPJ than RFS. Meanwhile, FFS exhibited greater maximum superior translation (+3.2 mm, p = 0.022), maximum valgus angle (+6.1°, p = 0.048) and varus-valgus range of motion (ROM) (+6.5°, p = 0.005) in the 1st MTPJ during stance. The greater extension angle of the 1st MTPJ in the late stance suggested that running with FFS may enhance the propulsive effect. However, the higher maximum valgus angle and the ROM of varus-valgus in FFS may potentially lead to the development of hallux valgus.

Methane emissions offset atmospheric carbon dioxide uptake in coastal macroalgae, mixed vegetation and sediment ecosystems.

Coastal ecosystems can efficiently remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and are thus promoted for nature-based climate change mitigation. Natural methane (CH4) emissions from these ecosystems may counterbalance atmospheric CO2 uptake. Still, knowledge of mechanisms sustaining such CH4 emissions and their contribution to net radiative forcing remains scarce for globally prevalent macroalgae, mixed vegetation, and surrounding depositional sediment habitats. Here we show that these habitats emit CH4 in the range of 0.1 - 2.9 mg CH4 m-2 d-1 to the atmosphere, revealing in situ CH4 emissions from macroalgae that were sustained by divergent methanogenic archaea in anoxic microsites. Over an annual cycle, CO2-equivalent CH4 emissions offset 28 and 35% of the carbon sink capacity attributed to atmospheric CO2 uptake in the macroalgae and mixed vegetation habitats, respectively, and augment net CO2 release of unvegetated sediments by 57%. Accounting for CH4 alongside CO2 sea-air fluxes and identifying the mechanisms controlling these emissions is crucial to constrain the potential of coastal ecosystems as net atmospheric carbon sinks and develop informed climate mitigation strategies.

[Effects of expression of mitochondria long-chain fatty acid oxidative enzyme with different chain lengths of free fatty acids in trophoblast cells].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the interacting mechanisms and influences of different chain lengths of fatty acids and the expression of mitochondria long-chain 3 hydroxyacyl CoA dehydrogenase (LCHAD) in trophoblast cells. METHODS: The serum-free trophoblast cells cultured in vitro were divided into 5 groups to receive the stimulations of DMEM/F12 medium without FFA (F-FFA), short-chain fatty acids (SC-FFA), medium-chain fatty acids (MC-FFA), long-chain fatty acids (LC-FFA), very long-chain fatty acids (VLC-FFA). The expressions of mRNA and protein of LCHAD in trophoblast cells were detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Western blot. RESULTS: Compared with the F-FFA, SC-FFA and MC-FFA groups, the expressions of gene and protein of LCHAD significantly decreased (P < 0.05) in the LC-FFA group. The expression of gene of LCHAD increased significantly in the VLC-FFA group (P < 0.05). But no difference existed in protein expression between the VLC-FFA group and other three groups (P > 0.05). Gene expression of LCHAD had no difference among the F-FFA, SC-FFA, MC-FFA groups (P > 0.05). Compared with the LC-FFA group, the expression of gene of LCHAD increased significantly in the VLC-FFA group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Free fatty acids may affect the expression of mitochondrial ß-oxidation enzyme of LCHAD in trophoblast cells. Long-chain fatty acid alters the LCHAD gene protein expression. The correlation between very long chain fatty acids and the gene expression of LCHAD has been detected and their interactions needs further explorations. Short or medium chain fatty acids have no significant effect on the mitochondrial metabolism of fatty acid ß-oxidation in trophoblast cells.

[Study on the oxidative stress and inflammation in trophoblast cells stimulated by different chain length fatty acids].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the oxidative stress and inflammation in trophoblast cells stimulated by different chain length fatty acids. METHODS: Serum-free trophoblast cells cultured in vitro were divided into five groups, which were incubated with DMEM medium without free fatty acid (F-FFA), short chain fatty acids (SC-FFA), medium chain fatty acids (MC-FFA), long chain fatty acids (LC-FFA), very long chain fatty acids (VLC-FFA). Then cells in each group were stimulated by DMEM medium, reduced form of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase inhibitor (apocynin) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases (p38MAPK) inhibitor (SB203580) and were subdivided as each FFA plus-DMEM group, plus-NADPH-I and plus-p38MAPK-I groups. Expressions of mRNA and protein of p38MAPK and cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) in trophoblast cells were detected by real-time PCR and western blot. RESULTS: (1) The mRNA expression of p38MAPK in LC-FFA + DMEM, VLC-FFA + DMEM, LC-FFA + NADPH-I, LC-FFA + p38MAPK-I, VLC-FFA + NADPH-I, VLC-FFA + p38MAPK-I group were 4.56 ± 0.28, 22.65 ± 2.40, 0.87 ± 0.06, 1.02 ± 0.15, 19.87 ± 1.93, 10.22 ± 0.75 separately, and the protein expressions were 0.79 ± 0.02, 0.93 ± 0.10, 0.43 ± 0.06, 0.44 ± 0.19, 0.79 ± 0.10, 0.81 ± 0.14. Compared with other groups, the mRNA and protein expressions of p38MAPK in LC-FFA + DMEM, VLC-FFA + DMEM group were increased (P < 0.05). Compared with LC-FFA + DMEM group, mRNA and protein expressions of p38MAPK in LC-FFA + NADPH-I and LC-FFA + p38MAPK-I group were significantly decreased (P < 0.05). Compared with VLC-FFA + DMEM group, mRNA and protein expressions of p38MAPK had no difference in VLC-FFA + NADPH-I group (P > 0.05), mRNA expression of p38MAPK in VLC-FFA + p38MAPK-I group was significantly decreased (P < 0.05), but there was no difference in protein expression (P > 0.05). (2) The mRNA expression of COX-2 in LC-FFA + DMEM, VLC-FFA + DMEM, LC-FFA + NADPH-I, LC-FFA + p38MAPK-I, VLC-FFA + NADPH-I, VLC-FFA + p38MAPK-I group were 3.97 ± 0.03, 39.08 ± 0.63, 0.99 ± 0.13, 0.98 ± 0.18, 20.93 ± 3.70, 13.46 ± 2.31 separately, and the protein expressions were 1.32 ± 0.20, 1.33 ± 0.25, 0.59 ± 0.13, 0.58 ± 0.30, 0.88 ± 0.18, 0.91 ± 0.24. Compared with other groups, mRNA and protein expressions of COX-2 in LC-FFA + DMEM and VLC-FFA + DMEM group were significantly increased (P < 0.05). Compared with LC-FFA + DMEM group, mRNA and protein expressions of COX-2 in LC-FFA + NADPH-I and LC-FFA + p38MAPK-I group were decreased (P < 0.05). Compared with VLC-FFA + DMEM group, mRNA and protein expressions of COX-2 in VLC-FFA + NADPH-I and VLC-FFA + p38MAPK-I group were all decreased (P < 0.05). (3) The correlation analysis showed that there were significantly positive correlations between the mRNA and protein expressions of p38MAPK and COX-2 in LC-FFA group (P < 0.05). There were significantly positive correlations in protein expression (P < 0.05), but no correlation in the mRNA expression between p38MAPK and COX-2 in the F-FFA, SC-FFA, MC-FFA, VLC-FFA groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The oxidative stress and inflammation may exist in trophoblast cells which were stimulated by LC-FFA and VLC-FFA. p38MAPK signal transduction pathway may contributed in this process.