Effects of platelet-rich plasma combined with isometric quadriceps contraction on cartilage in a rat model of knee osteoarthritis.

Background: Intra-articular injection of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) or isometric contraction of quadriceps (ICQ) has shown positive effects in patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA). However, the synergistic effect of combining PRP and ICQ intervention (joint intervention) on cartilage repair has not been validated. Thus, this study aimed to explore the reparative effects of joint intervention on cartilage in a KOA rat model. Methods: Fifty-four 2-month-old female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into the control group (CG, n = 6) and model group (injected with sodium iodoacetate, n = 48). After 1 week, six rats from the model group were randomly selected for validation. The remaining 42 rats were further divided into seven groups: PRP group (PRPG), ICQ group (ICQG), joint intervention group (JIG), normal saline group (NSG), acupuncture group (AG), normal saline and acupuncture group (NSAG) and model blank group (MBG). The intervention lasted for 4 weeks, with PRPG and JIG receiving PRP injections (twice) and ICQG and JIG undergoing ICQ (five times per week, 15 min each session). Results: Histological staining with haematoxylin and eosin as well as transmission electron microscopy revealed severe cartilage damage in MBG, AG, NSAG and NSG, followed by PRPG and ICQG. JIG exhibited a more intact cartilage structure. Compared with JIG, the Mankin scores increased remarkably in PRPG, ICQG, AG, NSAG and NSG (P < 0.01). Relative mRNA expression levels showed the upregulation of IL-1ß in ICQG, NSAG and NSG compared with JIG (P < 0.05) and the upregulation of IL-6, IL-18 and MMP-13 in AG and NSAG (P < 0.05). Compared with PRPG, IL-1ß and IL-6 were upregulated in ICQG, AG, NSAG and NSG (P < 0.05). In addition, IL-18 was upregulated in AG (P < 0.01), and IL-18, MMP-13 and TNF-α were upregulated in NSAG (P < 0.05). Compared with ICQG, IL-1ß, IL-18, MMP-13 and TNF-α were upregulated in NSAG (P < 0.05), and IL-1ß and IL-18 were upregulated in AG (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The combination of PRP and ICQ can alleviate inflammatory responses in cartilage, promote chondrocyte regeneration and facilitate matrix tissue repair. Compared with single interventions, a synergistic effect is observed.

Effect of strength training with additional acupuncture on balance, ankle sensation, and isokinetic muscle strength in chronic ankle instability among college students.

Purpose: The effects of the combination of strength training and acupuncture on chronic ankle instability have not been studied. This study examined effects of strength training combined with acupuncture on balance ability, ankle motion perception, and muscle strength in chronic ankle instability among college students. Methods: Forty-six chronic ankle instability college students were randomly categorized into the experimental group (n = 24, strength training + acupuncture) and the control group (n = 22, strength training) for an 8-week intervention. Results: For the results at 8 weeks, compared with the baseline, in the experimental group, the chronic Ankle Instability Tool (CAIT) score, ankle dorsiflexion, plantar flex, eversion peak torque (60°/s), and plantar flex peak torque (180°/s) increased by 13.7%, 39.4%, 13.7%, 14.2%, and 12.3%, respectively. Dorsiflexion, plantar flexion, inversion, and eversion kinesthetic sensation test angles decreased by 17.4%, 20.6%, 15.0%, and 17.2%, respectively. Anterior-posterior and medial-lateral displacement, and anterior-posterior and medial-lateral velocity decreased by 28.9%, 31.6%, 33.3%, and 12.4%, respectively. Anterior-posterior and medial-lateral displacement, and anterior-posterior and medial-lateral mean velocity decreased by 28.9%, 31.6%, 33.3%, and 12.4%, respectively. In the control group, the Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool score and the ankle dorsiflexion peak torque (60°/s) increased by 13.8% and 17.9%, respectively. The inversion kinesthetic sensation test angle decreased by 15.2%, whereas anterior-posterior and medial-lateral displacement, and anterior-posterior and medial-lateral mean velocity decreased by 17.1%, 29.4%, 12.3%, and 16.8%, respectively. 2) For the comparison between the groups after 8 weeks, the values of ankle dorsiflexion and plantar flex peak torque (60°/s) in the experimental group were greater than those in the control group. The values of ankle plantar flex kinesthetic sensation test angle, the anterior-posterior displacement, and anterior-posterior mean velocity in the experimental group were lower than those in the control group. Conclusion: Acupuncture treatment in conjunction with muscle strength training can further improve the balance ability of anterior-posterior, ankle dorsiflexion, and plantar flex strength and plantar flex motion perception in chronic ankle instability participants.

Effect of kinesio taping intervention on the muscle strength and balance of college basketball players with functional ankle instability.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of acute Kinesio Taping (KT) intervention on the muscle strength and balance ability of college basketball players with functional ankle instability (FAI). Methods: Thirty college basketball players with FAI were treated with acute KT to test the changes in their muscle strength and balance ability. Results: After acute KT intervention, the ankle dorsiflexion moment and the ankle plantar flexion moment increased by 34% and 19.9%, respectively. The stable plane test with the subjects' eyes open decreased by 1%, whereas that with the subjects' eyes closed decreased by 1.1%. The swaying environment test with the subjects' eyes open increased by 2.4%. The swaying plane test with the subjects' eyes open increased by 5.1%, whereas that with the subjects' eyes closed increased by 16.2%. The swaying environment test with the subjects' eyes open plus the use of a plane increased by 12.1%. Conclusion: KT can increase the isokinetic strength of the ankle dorsum muscle and plantar flexion of college basketball players with FAI. The effect of KT in the static balance test was weaker than that in the dynamic balance test. The findings indicate that KT can significantly improve the balance ability of college basketball players with FAI during dynamic sports.

Cross-sectional study of depression tendency and sleep quality in 1352 people practicing Tai Chi.

This cross-sectional study aimed to analyse the relationship between Tai Chi exercise habits and depression tendency and sleep quality in people practicing Tai Chi in Chengdu, China. A total of 1352 Tai Chi practitioners aged 50-79 years old were divided into six groups according to age and gender for Tai Chi exercise habits, depression tendency and sleep quality. The frequency of weekly Tai Chi practice and duration of single Tai Chi practice have a significant positive correlation with the exercise years. For female subjects who had long-term Tai Chi exercise, depression decreased with the duration and weekly frequency of a single exercise. Tai Chi exercise habits reduced sleep disturbance scores (in the male group aged 60-69 years old, exercise years, r = -0.242, p = 0.004) and sleep duration (in the male and female group aged 70-79 years old, duration of single Tai Chi practice, r = -0.334, p = 0.035; r = -0.235, p = 0.029), suggesting that long-term Tai Chi exercise may reduce the trend of poor sleep quality due to increased ageing.

Hypoxia inducible factor-1α mediates the mechanism of the Hedgehog pathway in tendinopathy repair by Asperosaponin VI.

Background: Our previous study found that asperosaponin VI (ASA VI) has a positive effect on the repair of tendinopathy. However, its molecular biological mechanism is unclear. Objective: To investigate the role of hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) in mediating the hedgehog (Hh) pathway in tendinopathy repair by ASA VI. Methods: A total of 36 2-month-old female SD rats were classified into the normal group (NG, n = 10) and tendinopathy model group (n = 26). The tendinopathy model group was further divided into the model group (MG), ASA VI group (AG), and triamcinolone acetonide + lidocaine group (TG). Results: Compared with those in the MG group, IL-1 mRNA was significantly downregulated and IL-4 and IL-10 were increased in the AG group (P < 0.01). The mRNA expression levels of MMP3, TIMP3, VEGF-A, KDR, and VWF mRNA decreased (P < 0.01). Immunofluorescence staining revealed that CD31/endomucin levels were significantly attenuated. Scx, Mkx, EYA1, EYA2, COL1, COL3, and TNC mRNA levels showed significant differences (P < 0.01). Immunofluorescence staining suggested the upregulation of Scx and the downregulation of Sox9. Shh, Ptch1, Smo, Gli1, Cyc-D1, Cyc-E1, and c-Myc mRNA levels were downregulated (P < 0.01). The protein expression levels of Gli 1, Shh, and Ptch1 decreased significantly (P < 0.01). The immunofluorescence staining levels of Shh, Ptch, and Gli 1 significantly decreased. Conclusion: ASA VI inhibits local vascular hyperproliferation and downregulates the HIF-1α/Hh pathway to promote the tendinous differentiation of tendon stem/progenitor cells and the repair of tendinopathy. The effect of ASA VI on HIF-1α levels may be an effective target in the treatment of tendinopathy.

Association of serum cardiac troponin I and severity of coronary stenosis in patients with varied renal functions: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Recent studies showed cardiac troponin I (cTnI) might be a non-invasive biomarker to estimate the severity of coronary stenosis. However, serum cTnI is also found associated with renal function. The study objective is to analyse the association of serum cTnI and severity of coronary stenosis in patients with varied renal functions. DESIGN: A retrospective cohort study. SETTING: The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, China. POPULATION: A total of 6487 subjects who underwent elective coronary angiography between January 2017 to June 2020 were involved in this study. PRIMARY OUTCOMES: Severity of coronary stenosis was divided into three degrees based on Gensini score, mild coronary stenosis, moderate coronary stenosis and severe coronary stenosis. RESULTS: By using ordinal logistic regression, serum cTnI was associated with severity of coronary stenosis (OR=1.14, p<0.05). By construction and comparison of two models for predicting severity of coronary stenosis, the addition of cTnI significantly improved the predictive ability of the model. Differences between areas under the curves were 0.03, 0.03, 0.03, 0.12 (all p<0.05). Net reclassification improvements were 0.08, 0.05, 0.05, 0.35, respectively, in varied renal functions. Compared with the participants with normal renal function and without hypertroponinaemia, groups of participants with hypertroponinaemia showed higher ORs. ORs were 3.52, 4.20, 4.45, 6.00, respectively, as renal function decreased (all p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In this cohort of patients with stable coronary artery disease and varied renal functions, cTnI was intensely associated with severity of coronary stenosis which based on Gensini score. The presentation of hypertroponinaemia in patients with impaired renal function always indicates a higher risk of severe coronary stenosis.

Baseline Quantitative Hepatitis B Core Antibody Titer Is a Predictor for Hepatitis B Virus Infection Recurrence After Orthotopic Liver Transplantation.

Objective: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) reinfection is a serious complication that arise in patients who undergo hepatitis B virus related liver transplantation. We aimed to use biomarkers to evaluate the HBV reinfection in patients after orthotopic liver transplantation. Methods: Seventy-nine patients who underwent liver transplantation between 2009 and 2015 were enrolled, and levels of biomarkers were analyzed at different time points. Cox regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves of different markers at baseline were used to analyze sustained hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) loss. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to compare the levels of the biomarkers. Results: Among the 79 patients, 42 sustained HBsAg loss with a median time of 65.2 months (12.0-114.5, IQR 19.5) after liver transplantation and 37 patients exhibited HBsAg recurrence with a median time of 8.8 (0.47-59.53, IQR 19.47) months. In the ROC curve analysis, at baseline, 4.25 log10 IU/mL qHBcAb and 2.82 log10 IU/mL qHBsAg showed the maximum Youden's index values with area under the curves (AUCs) of 0.685and 0.651, respectively. The Kaplan-Meier method indicated that qHBsAg and quantitative antibody against hepatitis B core antigen (qHBcAb) levels in the two groups were significantly different (p = 0.031 and 0.006, respectively). Furthermore, the Cox regression model confirmed the predictive ability of qHBcAb at baseline (AUC = 0.685). Conclusion: Lower pretransplantation qHBcAb is associated with HBV infection. The baseline concentration of qHBcAb is a promising predictor for the recurrence of HBV in patients undergoing liver transplantation and can be used to guide antiviral treatment for HBV infection.

Safety and Immunogenicity of a Recombinant Tetanus Vaccine in Healthy Adults in China: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Dose Escalation, Placebo- and Positive-Controlled, Phase 1/2 Trial.

Tetanus is a fatal but vaccine-preventable disease. The currently available tetanus vaccines are tetanus toxoid (TT)-based. Although these vaccines are generally effective, challenges in vaccine development and access remain. A randomized, double-blind, dose escalation, placebo- and positive-controlled, phase 1/2 trial (ChiCTR1800015865) is performed to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of an alternative recombinant tetanus vaccine based on the Hc domain of tetanus neurotoxin (TeNT-Hc) in healthy adult volunteers. The primary outcome is the safety profile of the recombinant tetanus vaccine, and immunogenicity is the secondary outcome. 150 eligible participants were enrolled and randomly assigned to receive one of the three doses of recombinant tetanus vaccine (TeNT-Hc 10/20/30 µg), TT vaccine, or placebo. The recombinant tetanus vaccine shows a good safety profile. The frequency of any solicited and unsolicited adverse events after each vaccination does not differ across the vaccine and placebo recipients. No serious treatment-related adverse events occur. The recombinant tetanus vaccine shows strong immune responses (seroconversion rates, geometric mean titer, and antigen-specific CD4+/CD8+ T-cell responses), which are roughly comparable to those of the TT vaccine. In conclusion, the findings from this study support that recombinant tetanus vaccine is safe and immunogenic; thereby, it represents a novel vaccine candidate against tetanus.

Correction: A simple and straightforward synthesis of phenyl isothiocyanates, symmetrical and unsymmetrical thioureas under ball milling.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1039/C3RA43252A.].

The effects of exercise therapy on the prognosis of patients with COVID-19: A protocol for systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Since the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020, more than 20 million people worldwide have been diagnosed with COVID-19, and all health care workers are looking for ways to improve the cure rate of the disease. As an important method of rehabilitation therapy, exercise therapy has been proved to improve the level of human function, promote the recovery of diseases, and improve the human immune ability. The main objective of this study was to provide reliable methods and credible evidence for exercise therapy to improve the prognosis of COVID-19 patients. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The scheme was systematically reviewed in accordance with the preferred reporting items. We searched the following experimental databases: Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, China Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database (CNKI), China Science and Wanfang Database. All trials using exercise therapy for rehabilitation of COVID-19 patients in the above database should be considered for inclusion. Relevant randomised controlled trials(RCTS), controlled before and after, interrupted time series and prospective analytic cohort studies regardless of publication date, language and geographic location, will be included. To summarize the therapeutic effect of exercise therapy on COVID-19 patients, high-quality literature was selected for data extraction and analysis. Two reviewers will independently screen titles, abstracts and full-text articles against inclusion criteria; perform data extraction and assess risk of bias in included studies. We will assess the certainty of the overall evidence using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach and report findings accordingly. RESULTS: In this study, we hope to summarize effective exercise therapy that can improve the prognosis of COVID-19 patients and find strong evidence for it. CONCLUSIONS: The conclusions of this study will provide reliable evidence to determine whether exercise and exercise therapy can improve the prognosis of COVID-19 patients and guide future studies. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42020209025.

Change of bio-electric interferential currents of acute fatigue and recovery in male sprinters.

We studied the muscle fatigue and recovery of thirty male sprinters (aged 18-22 years) using the Frequency Analysis Method (FAM). The interferential currents (ICs) with different thresholds for sensory, motor and pain responses, the maximal voluntary contraction (MVC), and the amplitude of the surface EMG (aEMG, sEMG) were assessed prior to and immediately after an acute explosive fatigue training session, and during one-week recovery. We found that IC increased on average from 32.3 ±â€¯8.9 mA to 37.5 ±â€¯7.5 mA in sensory response at 10 Hz immediately post training (p = 0.004) but decreased at 24-hr post training (p = 0.008) and returned to pre-levels thereafter. Motor and pain response patterns at 10 Hz were similar (motor: p = 0.033 and 0.040; pain: p = 0.022 and 0.019, respectively). The change patterns of ICs were similar to but prior to the changes of sEMG. The agreement between IC assessment and amplitude of sEMG (aEMG)/MVC ratio was good (>95%). The present study suggested that the changes in ICs were prior to the changes in both the aEMG and force during fatigue. These changes may reflect the physiological sensory change due to peripheral fatigue. FAM may be useful as an effective early detection and simple tool for monitoring muscle fatigue during training and recovery in athletes.

A preliminary study on the application of PspA as a carrier for group A meningococcal polysaccharide.

This study aimed to explore the feasibility of pneumococcal surface protein A (PspA) as a carrier protein. Three recombinant pneumococcal surface proteins from three different clades were expressed by the prokaryotic expression system and conjugated to group A meningococcal polysaccharide (GAMP) to generate three polysaccharide-protein conjugates. The conjugates, unconjugated proteins, GAMP, and GAMP-TT vaccine bulk (used as positive control) were immunized into mice, and their immune effects were assessed by the methods of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), flow cytometry (FCM), and serum bactericidal assay (SBA). The results showed that the polysaccharide-protein conjugates could produce higher levels of anti-GAMP IgG titers (P < 0.05), higher ratios of Th1/Th2 (P < 0.05), and higher levels of serum bactericidal activity (P < 0.05), compared with the unconjugated GAMP. The conjugation of PspAs to GAMP also enhanced the anti-PspA responses compared with unconjugated PspAs except for PspA3. In conclusion, the results indicated that the three PspAs were appropriate carrier proteins, as demonstrated by the characteristics of T-cell dependent responses to the GAMP, and might protect against group A of epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis.

[Progress on classification and application of artificial hip joint materials].

The selection of the prosthetic material determine the success or failure of hip arthroplasty. Currently, the metals, ceramics, polymer composites and carbon materials are the main prosthetic materials of artificial hip joint. They have some progresses in biocompatibility, elastic modulus,mechanical properties, useful life, but they still can't reach the ideal standard of design. In this essay, we mainly review the characteristics and applications of the current artificial hip joint materials through its classification in order to provide a reference for choosing appropriate hip joint materials in clinic and increasing characteristic of materials. We consider the polymer composites has more advantages such as biocompatibility, mechanical properties, corrosion resistance and price, even if it has shortages in abrasion resistance. As the researches of polymer composites are main focus on abrasion resistance, articular surface and strength,and its performances are increased fast, it has a wide prospect in future.

Genetic diversity and population dynamics of Bordetella pertussis in China between 1950-2007.

Pertussis is an acute respiratory infectious disease caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. Although pertussis vaccination was introduced in the 1960s, pertussis is still an endemic disease in China. To better understand the genetic diversity of the Chinese B. pertussis population, we characterized 115 clinical isolates obtained in China during 1950-2007 using multilocus variable-number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA). Forty-six different B. pertussis MLVA profiles (MTs) were identified, of which 13 were new MTs. Analysis using a minimum-spanning tree showed that distinct MTs were prevalent during different periods, suggesting that a dynamic change in B. pertussis MTs occurred over time in China. The predominant MTs in recent isolates from China were different from those of many developed countries. A decreasing trend in genetic diversity of the B. pertussis population was observed following the introduction of pertussis vaccines. Similar to the pertactin 2 (prn2) allele, the novel pertussis toxin promoter (ptxP3) allele first emerged in 2000, but unlike trends elsewhere, ptxP1 remained predominant among the isolates, further reflecting the unique temporal trends in the B. pertussis population in China. Our results suggest that temporal changes in the B. pertussis population may be closely associated with vaccination coverage and the vaccine types used. These data may lead to an improved understanding of the virulence mechanism of B. pertussis and facilitate new strategies for controlling this infectious disease.

Whole-genome sequencing reveals the effect of vaccination on the evolution of Bordetella pertussis.

Herd immunity can potentially induce a change of circulating viruses. However, it remains largely unknown that how bacterial pathogens adapt to vaccination. In this study, Bordetella pertussis, the causative agent of whooping cough, was selected as an example to explore possible effect of vaccination on the bacterial pathogen. We sequenced and analysed the complete genomes of 40 B. pertussis strains from Finland and China, as well as 11 previously sequenced strains from the Netherlands, where different vaccination strategies have been used over the past 50 years. The results showed that the molecular clock moved at different rates in these countries and in distinct periods, which suggested that evolution of the B. pertussis population was closely associated with the country vaccination coverage. Comparative whole-genome analyses indicated that evolution in this human-restricted pathogen was mainly characterised by ongoing genetic shift and gene loss. Furthermore, 116 SNPs were specifically detected in currently circulating ptxP3-containing strains. The finding might explain the successful emergence of this lineage and its spread worldwide. Collectively, our results suggest that the immune pressure of vaccination is one major driving force for the evolution of B. pertussis, which facilitates further exploration of the pathogenicity of B. pertussis.

Excellent catalytic effects of multi-walled carbon nanotube supported titania on hydrogen storage of a Mg-Ni alloy.

Superior catalytic effects of multi-walled carbon nanotube supported titania synthesized by the sol-gel method on hydrogen storage of a Mg-Ni alloy were investigated. The excellent hydrogen storage properties were obtained: absorbed 5.60 wt% H2 within 60 s at 373 K and released 6.08 wt% H2 within 600 s at 553 K.

Characterization of co-purified acellular pertussis vaccines.

Whole-cell pertussis vaccines (WPVs) have been completely replaced by the co-purified acellular vaccines (APVs) in China. To date few laboratory studies were reported for co-purified APVs in terms of their antigenic composition and protective immune responses. To further understand the antigenic composition in co-purified APVs, in the present study 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis-based proteomic technology was used to analyze the composition of co-purified APVs. The results showed that besides the main antigens pertussis toxin (PT) and filamentous hemagglutinin (FHA), co-purified APVs also contained pertactin (PRN), fimbriae (FIM) 2and3 and other minor protein antigens. Of the 9 proteins identified, 3 were differentially presented in products from manufacturer 1 and manufacturer 2. Compared with WPVs and purified APVs, co-purified APVs induced a mixed Th1/Th2 immune response with more toward to a Th1 response than the purified APVs in this study. These results hint that different immune mechanisms might be involved in protection induced by co-purified and purified APVs.

Confocal microscopy study of pertussis toxin and toxoids on CHO-cells.

Pertussis toxin in its detoxified form is a major component of all current acellular pertussis vaccines. Here we report the membrane translocation and internalization activities of pertussis toxin and various pertussis toxoids using Chinese hamster ovary cells and confocal microscopy based on indirect immunofluorescence labeling. Chemically detoxified pertussis toxoids were able to translocate/internalize into cells at the concentration about 1,000 times higher than the native toxin. Pertussis toxoids detoxified with different procedures (glutaraldehyde, glutaraldehyde plus formaldehyde, hydrogen peroxide or genetic mutation) showed differences in fluorescence intensity under the same condition, indicating toxoids from different detoxification methods may have different translocation/internalization activities on cells.