Schottky Junctions with Bi@Bi2MoO6 Core-Shell Photocatalysts toward High-Efficiency Solar N2-to-Ammonnia Conversion in Aqueous Phase.

The photocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) in aqueous solution is a green and sustainable strategy for ammonia production. Nonetheless, the efficiency of the process still has a wide gap compared to that of the Haber-Bosch one due to the difficulty of N2 activation and the quick recombination of photo-generated carriers. Herein, a core-shell Bi@Bi2MoO6 microsphere through constructing Schottky junctions has been explored as a robust photocatalyst toward N2 reduction to NH3. Metal Bi self-reduced onto Bi2MoO6 not only spurs the photo-generated electron and hole separation owing to the Schottky junction at the interface of Bi and Bi2MoO6 but also promotes N2 adsorption and activation at Bi active sites synchronously. As a result, the yield of the photocatalytic N2-to-ammonia conversion reaches up to 173.40 µmol g-1 on core-shell Bi@Bi2MoO6 photocatalysts, as much as two times of that of bare Bi2MoO6. This work provides a new design for the decarbonization of the nitrogen reduction reaction by the utilization of renewable energy sources.

DPPA2/4 Promote the Pluripotency and Proliferation of Bovine Extended Pluripotent Stem Cells by Upregulating the PI3K/AKT/GSK3ß/ß-Catenin Signaling Pathway.

Developmental pluripotency-associated 2 (DPPA2) and DPPA4 are crucial transcription factors involved in maintaining pluripotency in humans and mice. However, the role of DPPA2/4 in bovine extended pluripotent stem cells (bEPSCs) has not been investigated. In this study, a subset of bEPSC-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs), including DPPA2 and DPPA4, was identified based on multiomics data (ATAC-seq and RNA-seq). Subsequent investigations revealed that double overexpression of DPPA2/4 facilitates the reprogramming of bovine fetal fibroblasts (BFFs) into bEPSCs, whereas knockout of DPPA2/4 in BFFs leads to inefficient reprogramming. DPPA2/4 overexpression and knockdown experiments revealed that the pluripotency and proliferation capability of bEPSCs were maintained by promoting the transition from the G1 phase to the S phase of the cell cycle. By activating the PI3K/AKT/GSK3ß/ß-catenin pathway in bEPSCs, DPPA2/4 can increase the nuclear accumulation of ß-catenin, which further upregulates lymphoid enhancer binding factor 1 (LEF1) transcription factor activity. Moreover, DPPA2/4 can also regulate the expression of LEF1 by directly binding to its promoter region. Overall, our results demonstrate that DPPA2/4 promote the reprogramming of BFFs into bEPSCs while also maintaining the pluripotency and proliferation capability of bEPSCs by regulating the PI3K/AKT/GSK3ß/ß-catenin pathway and subsequently activating LEF1. These findings expand our understanding of the gene regulatory network involved in bEPSC pluripotency.

XGBoost in the Prediction of 28-Day Mortality in Critical Elderly Patients with Hip Fracture: A MIMIC-IV Cohort Study.

Background: The impact of hip fracture on older adults is significant, including increased mortality, reduced activity levels and abilities and reduced quality of life。 Hip fractures often occur in the elderly and increase the risk of death. The purpose of this study is to analyze the risk factors associated with 28-day mortality in elderly patients with severe hip fractures using two models, XG Boost and multivariate logistic regression, and to compare the predictive value of the two models. Methods: MIMIC database is a powerful tool to provide clinical data to clinical researchers. The database was established in 2003 with funding from the National Institutes of Health by the Computational Physiology Laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) at Harvard Medical School, and Philips Medical. Patients with severe hip fractures in the elderly were included based on the MIMIC-IV database and were divided into a death group and a survival group based on the death 28 days after admission to the ICU. Baseline data differences between the two groups of patients were compared, and risk factors associated with 28-day mortality in severe elderly patients with hip fractures were analyzed using XG Boost and multivariate logistic regression models, respectively. The predictive power of the two models was compared using receiver operation characteristics curves. Results: 287 elderly patients with severe hip fractures were included, including 43 cases (15.0%) in the death group and 244 cases (85.0%) in the survival group. Logistic regression analysis showed that advanced age, male, congestive heart failure (CHF), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), high sepsis-related organ failure (SOFA) score, high heart rate, high white blood cell count, high creatinine, high mean arterial pressure, and high hemoglobin levels were associated with 28-day mortality after admission to the ICU, while the higher the mean arterial pressure and the hemoglobin level, the lower the risk of death. Although the rate of using mechanical ventilation and receiving blood transfusion in the death group was higher than that in the survival group, neither of them reached statistical significance. The XG Boost model shows that the top 5 factors associated with 28-day mortality are Sequential organ failure score (SOFA) score (31 points), chronic heart failure (20 points), chronic structural pulmonary disease (18 points), age (17 points), and male (15 points). The higher the mean arterial pressure and the hemoglobin level, the lower the risk of death. The area under the ROC curve predicted by the multivariate logistic regression model for mortality risk was 0.729 (95% CI: 0.701-0.783), and the Jordan index was 0.412. The area under the ROC curve predicted by the XG Boost model for mortality risk was 0.804 (95% CI: 0.720-0.837), and the Jordan index was 0.492. Conclusion: The ability of the XG Boost model to predict the 28-day mortality risk in elderly patients with severe hip fractures is better than the multivariate logistic regression model, which will help healthcare professionals provide more support for elderly patients with hip fracture.

Effective doses of midazolam oral solution for the prevention of preoperative anxiety in paediatric patients.

BACKGROUND: More than 60% children exhibit anxiety before undergoing an anesthetic-surgical procedure, particularly among pre-school paediatric patients. Oral midazolam can provide procedural sedation for children prior to anesthesia. However, extemporaneous solutions of midazolam are usually prepared from injectable drug solutions, leading to inconsistent efficacy due to variable preparation methods. Xiaoerjing® is the first commercially available oral formulation of midazolam for procedural sedation in children in China. Despite the recommended dosage range of 0.25-0.5 mg/kg, its effective dose is still largely unknown. AIM: To determine the 95% effective dose (ED95) of midazolam oral solution (Xiaoerjing®) for alleviating preoperative anxiety in children prior to mask induction of general anesthesia. DESIGN: The study included 61 children between the ages of 1 and 6 years undergoing elective surgery under general anesthesia. The first patient received a single dose of 0.5 mg/kg midazolam oral solution, which was adjusted for subsequent patients using the biased coin design method based on their response to the previous dose. Doses were increased or decreased at the rate of 0.1 mg/kg. An effective response was defined as having a modified Ramsay sedation score ≥3a, separation anxiety score ≤2, and mask acceptance score ≤2 during inhalational anesthesia induction. RESULTS: Fifty-six children were included in the final analysis. Of those, sedation was successful in 50 patients, with a median separation time of 15 (IQR: 25) min. Midazolam oral solution has an ED95 of 0.8254 mg/kg (95% CI: 0.6915-0.8700 mg/kg) for relieving preoperative anxiety in children. No adverse events occurred following drug administration. CONCLUSION: Midazolam oral solution is a safe and effective medication for relieving preoperative anxiety in children. The ED95 of a single oral dose of midazolam oral solution is 0.8254 mg/kg (95% CI: 0.6915-0.8700 mg/kg).

Tuning C1 /C2 Selectivity of CO2 Electrochemical Reduction over in-Situ Evolved CuO/SnO2 Heterostructure.

Heterostructured oxides with versatile active sites, as a class of efficient catalysts for CO2 electrochemical reduction (CO2 ER), are prone to undergo structure reconstruction under working conditions, thus bringing challenges to understanding the reaction mechanism and rationally designing catalysts. Herein, we for the first time elucidate the structural reconstruction of CuO/SnO2 under electrochemical potentials and reveal the intrinsic relationship between CO2 ER product selectivity and the in situ evolved heterostructures. At -0.85 VRHE , the CuO/SnO2 evolves to Cu2 O/SnO2 with high selectivity to HCOOH (Faradaic efficiency of 54.81 %). Mostly interestingly, it is reconstructed to Cu/SnO2-x at -1.05 VRHE with significantly improved Faradaic efficiency to ethanol of 39.8 %. In situ Raman spectra and density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that the synergetic absorption of *COOH and *CHOCO intermediates at the interface of Cu/SnO2-x favors the formation of *CO and decreases the energy barrier of C-C coupling, leading to high selectivity to ethanol.

Experimental study on the repair of peripheral nerve injuries via simultaneously coapting the proximal and distal ends of peripheral nerves to the side of nearby intact nerves.

Introduction: Peripheral nerve defect is a difficult disease to treat in clinical practice. End-to-side anastomosis is a useful method to treat it. At present, the end-to-side anastomosis method does not involve the proximal nerve, which results in a waste of proximal donor nerves, and even the formation of traumatic neuromas at the proximal end. The patients suffer from traumatic neuralgia and the curative effect is unsatisfactory. Methods: In this study, an improved end-to-side anastomosis technique was proposed in this study: both the proximal and distal ends of the damaged common peroneal nerve were sutured to an adjacent normal tibial nerve. Moreover, the possible role and mechanism of the proposed technique were explained at the physiological and anatomical levels. In this study, a 10 mm common peroneal nerve defect was made in SD rats, and the rats were randomly divided into three groups. In Group I, the distal end of the common peroneal nerve was attached end-to-side to the fenestrated tibial nerve adventitia, and the proximal end was ligated and fixed in the nearby muscle. In Group II, the tibial nerve adventitia was fenestrated and the epineurial end-to-end anastomosis surgery was performed to suture the proximal and distal ends of the common peroneal nerve. Rats in Group III were taken as control and received sham operation. Twelve weeks after the operation, the recovery of the repaired nerve and distal effector functions were examined by the sciatic functional index, electrophysiology, osmic acid staining, the muscle wet weight ratio, and the muscle fiber cross-sectional area. Results: It was found that these results in Group II were similar to those in Group III, but better than those in Group I. Through retrograde tracing of neurons and Electrophysiological examination in Group II, the study also found that the proximal common peroneal nerve also could establish a connection with tibialis anterior, even gastrocnemius. Discussion: Therefore, it is inferred that fostering both the proximal and distal ends of defective peripheral nerves on normal peripheral nerves using the end-to-side anastomosis technique is a more effective approach to repairing injured nerves.

Trace Metal(loid) Migration from Road Dust to Local Vegetables and Tree Tissues and the Bioaccessibility-Based Health Risk: Impacts of Vehicle Operation-Associated Emissions.

Traffic activities release large amounts of trace metal(loid)s in urban environments. However, the impact of vehicle operation-associated emissions on trace metal(loid) enrichment in road dust and the potential migration of these trace metal(loid)s to the surrounding environment remain unclear. We evaluated the contamination, sequential fraction, and bioaccessibility of trace metal(loid)s in urban environments by assessing their presence in road dust, garden vegetables, and tree tissues, including bark and aerial roots, at a traffic-training venue impacted by vehicle operation emissions and, finally, calculated the bioaccessibility-based health risk. The results indicated a significant accumulation of trace metal(loid)s in road dust, with the highest lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and antimony (Sb) concentrations in the garage entrance area due to higher vehicle volumes, frequent vehicle starts and stops, and lower speeds. Aerial roots exposed to hill start conditions exhibited the highest Pb, Zn, and Sb levels, potentially caused by high road dust resuspension, confirming that this tree tissue is an appropriate bioindicator. Sequential extraction revealed high percentages of carbonate-, Fe/Mn oxide-, and organic/sulphide-associated fractions of Pb, copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) in road dust, while most Cd, Cr, Ni, and Sb occurred as residual fractions. According to the potential mobilizable fractions in sequential extraction, the in vitro gastrointestinal method could be more suitable than the physiologically based extraction test to evaluate the bioaccessibility-related risk of traffic-impacted road dust. The bioaccessibility-based health risk assessment of the road dust or soil confirmed no concern about noncarcinogenic risk, while the major risk originated from Pb although leaded gasoline was prohibited before the venue establishment. Furthermore, the cancer risks (CRs) analysis showed the probable occurrence of carcinogenic health effects from Cd and Ni to adults and from Cd, Cr, and Ni to children. Furthermore, the Cd and Pb concentrations in the edible leaves of cabbage and radish growing in gardens were higher than the recommended maximum value. This study focused on the health risks of road dust directly impacted by vehicle emissions and provides accurate predictions of trace metal(loid) contamination sources in the urban environment.

Hippo pathway regulation by phosphatidylinositol transfer protein and phosphoinositides.

The Hippo pathway plays a key role in development, organ size control and tissue homeostasis, and its dysregulation contributes to cancer. The LATS tumor suppressor kinases phosphorylate and inhibit the YAP/TAZ transcriptional co-activators to suppress gene expression and cell growth. Through a screen of marine natural products, we identified microcolin B (MCB) as a Hippo activator that preferentially kills YAP-dependent cancer cells. Structure-activity optimization yielded more potent MCB analogs, which led to the identification of phosphatidylinositol transfer proteins α and ß (PITPα/ß) as the direct molecular targets. We established a critical role of PITPα/ß in regulating LATS and YAP. Moreover, we showed that PITPα/ß influence the Hippo pathway via plasma membrane phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate. This study uncovers a previously unrecognized role of PITPα/ß in Hippo pathway regulation and as potential cancer therapeutic targets.

Recent advances in the routes and catalysts for ethanol synthesis from syngas.

Ethanol, as one of the important bulk chemicals, is widely used in modern society. It can be produced by fermentation of sugar, petroleum refining, or conversion of syngas (CO/H2). Among these approaches, conversion of syngas to ethanol (STE) is the most environmentally friendly and economical process. Although considerable progress has been made in STE conversion, control of CO activation and C-C growth remains a great challenge. This review highlights recent advances in the routes and catalysts employed in STE technology. The catalyst designs and pathway designs are summarized and analysed for the direct and indirect STE routes, respectively. In the direct STE routes (i.e., one-step synthesis of ethanol from syngas), modified catalysts of methanol synthesis, modified catalysts of Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, Mo-based catalysts, noble metal catalysts and multifunctional catalysts are systematically reviewed based on their catalyst designs. Further, in the indirect STE routes (i.e., multi-step processes for ethanol synthesis from syngas via methanol/dimethyl ether as intermediates), carbonylation of methanol/dimethyl ether followed by hydrogenation, and coupling of methanol with CO to form dimethyl oxalate followed by hydrogenation, are outlined according to their pathway designs. The goal of this review is to provide a comprehensive perspective on STE technology and inspire the invention of new catalysts and pathway designs in the near future.

The Role of Structural Deterioration and Biomechanical Changes of the Necrotic Lesion in Collapse Mechanism of Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head.

Osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is a crippling disease which is due to a lack of effective therapeutic measures. Its natural progression is rapid, the internal bone structure of the femoral head changes dramatically, and the subsequent fractures and collapse cause severe hip pain and loss of hip function. Femoral head collapse is a critical turning point in the development of ONFH and is related to the prognosis of patients. Early prevention and intervention help to preserve the hip joint and delay femoral head collapse. However, the mechanism of collapse still needs to be further studied because it is affected by different complex factors. This review discusses the underlying causes of femoral head collapse from two aspects: structural degradation and regional changes of biomechanical properties in the necrotic femoral head.

3D gel-printed porous magnesium scaffold coated with dibasic calcium phosphate dihydrate for bone repair in vivo.

BACKGROUND: /Objective: The treatment of bone defect has always been a difficult problem in orthopedic clinic. The search for alternative biodegradable implants is a hot topic. The development of biodegradable magnesium scaffolds for the treatment of bone defects has long been a goal of the public. METHODS: In this study, we proposed a porous magnesium scaffold prepared by 3D gel printing and surface modification with an additional calcium phosphate coating and use of its strength, degradability and slow degradation rate in a bone graft substitute material. The porous magnesium granular scaffold was prepared by 3D gel printing technology and modified by DCPD (Dibasic Calcium Phosphate Dihydrate) coating. The biocompatibility, degradation rate, and osteogenic ability of the scaffold were evaluated in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS: The biocompatibility, in vivo degradation and bone defect healing response of the implants were investigated. Porous magnesium scaffolds were successfully prepared, and the strength of sintered scaffolds reached 5.38 â€‹MPa. The degradation rates of scaffolds were significantly reduced after coating with DCPD. The cell compatibility evaluation showed that DCPD-coated Mg scaffold was suitable for cell proliferation. In vivo biosafety monitoring showed that scaffold implantation did not cause an increase in Mg ion concentration in vivo, and no toxic damage was detected in the liver or kidney. Micro-CT and pathological results showed that a large amount of new bone was formed at 6 weeks. At 12 weeks, approximately 52% of the scaffold volume remained. At 24 weeks, osteogenesis, which was stimulated by some residual scaffold, still can be observed. In summary, this study suggests that 3D gel-printed DCPD-coated porous magnesium scaffolds have great potential as bone graft alternatives. CONCLUSION: In summary, this study suggests that 3D gel-printed DCPD-coated porous magnesium scaffolds have great potential as bone graft alternatives. THE TRANSLATIONAL POTENTIAL OF THIS ARTICLE: The translational potential of this article is to make use of the advantages of 3D gel printing technology with higher efficiency and lower cost compared with SLM and SLS technologies, and use pure magnesium powder as raw material to prepare degradable porous magnesium metal scaffolds, opening up a new technical route for the preparation of degradable porous magnesium scaffolds which are made for bone defect regeneration in the future.

Anderson-Type Polyoxometalate-Assisted Synthesis of Defect-Rich Doped 1T/2H-MoSe2 Nanosheets for Efficient Seawater Splitting and Mg/Seawater Batteries.

Designing high-performance hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) catalysts is crucial for seawater splitting. Herein, we demonstrate a facile Anderson-type polyoxometalate-assisted synthesis route to prepare defect-rich doped 1T/2H-MoSe2 nanosheets. As demonstrated, the optimized defect-rich doped 1T/2H-MoSe2 nanosheets display low overpotentials of 116 and 274 mV to gain 10 mA cm-2 in acidic and simulated seawater for the HER, respectively. A magnesium (Mg)/seawater battery was fabricated with the defect-rich doped 1T/2H-MoSe2 nanosheet cathode, displaying the highest power density of up to 7.69 mW cm-2 and stable galvanostatic discharging over 24 h. The theoretical and experimental investigations show that the superior HER and battery performances of the heteroatom-doped MoSe2 nanosheets are attributed to both the improved intrinsic catalytic activity (effective activation of water and favorable subsequent hydrogen desorption) and the abundant active sites, benefiting from the favorable catalytic factors of the doped heteroatom, 1T phase, and defects. Our work presents an intriguing structural modulation strategy to design high-performance catalysts toward both HER and Mg/seawater batteries.

Core Decompression with Local Administration of Zoledronate and Enriched Bone Marrow Mononuclear Cells for Treatment of Non-Traumatic Osteonecrosis of Femoral Head.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy and safety of core decompression (CD) with local administration of zoledronate and enriched bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMCS) for the treatment of non-traumatic osteonecrosis of femoral head (ONFH). METHODS: A total of 17 patients (30 hips) diagnosed with stage II and III ONFH according to the 2019 revised Association for Research on Osseous Circulation (ARCO) staging criteria from 2012 to 2014 were retrospectively reviewed. The patients received the following therapy: the BMMCs and zoledronate were injected into the necrotic zone, respectively, along with CD. The mean age of the patients was 36.8 years; 14 were men and three were women. All patients included had non-traumatic ONFH and a minimum follow-up of 5 years, which ended when total hip arthroplasty (THA) was performed. Imaging modalities, including plain radiography, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were taken pre- and postoperatively. Harris hip score (HHS) was used to evaluate the functional outcomes of femoral head necrosis. Kaplan-Meier analysis was adopted to determine the probability of survivorship with THA as the end point in this series of patients. The correlation between radiological progression or THA and related risk factors were further analyzed. All complications were recorded. RESULTS: With THA as the follow-up endpoint, All patients were followed up for an average of 69.1 ± 20.5 months (range, 18-95 months). Preoperative imaging found six hips (20%) at ARCO stage II, 14 hips (46.7%) at stage IIIA, 10 hips (33.3%) at stage IIIB. Fourteen hips (46.7%) shown progression radiologically, while six hips (20%) underwent TKA among these patients with hip preservation. The cumulative survival was 80% (95% CI, 0.608-905) at 5 years with THA as the end point. HHS improved from 63.3 ± 8.7 preoperatively to 74.6 ± 20.6 postoperatively (P = 0.000). Radiological progression was found to be associated with ARCO stage, Japanese Investigation Committee (JIC) type, and corticosteroid exposure (P = 0.047; P = 0.012; P = 0.031). However, no correlation was found between conversion to THA and the known risk factors. No major complication was reported, with only four patients complaining about general weakness and muscle soreness, and all disappeared within 2-3 days. CONCLUSIONS: The novel treatment modality could relieve pain, delay the progression of collapse, which might be an effective and safe method for hip preservation of early and mid-term ONFH. However, the effect of this method may be related to ARCO stage, JIC type, and corticosteroid exposure.

Three-Dimensional Distribution of Bone-Resorption Lesions in Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head Based on the Three-Pillar Classification.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate three-dimensional distribution of bone-resorptive lesions based on the three-pillar classification and its effect on the disease progression of osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH). METHODS: A total of 194 femoral head CT images from 117 patients diagnosed with ARCO stage II and III ONFH were retrospectively reviewed from April 2014 to February 2019. Three-dimensional structures of the femoral head and the bone-resorptive lesions were reconstructed. Using the three-pillar classification and coronal plane of the femoral head, we divided each femoral head into six regions to observe the location characteristics of bone-resorption lesions, and explore the destruction of different areas of the femoral head by the bone-resorptive lesions. Then the hips were divided into two groups based on whether they contained bone-resorption lesions and compared the difference of stage II and stage III between the two groups. RESULTS: The regional distribution revealed 39 (27.27%), 55 (38.46%), six (4.20%), 23 (16.08%), 17 (11.89%) and three (2.10%) bone-resorptive lesions in regions I, II, III, IV, V and VI respectively. The lateral pillar, AL (I + IV), contained 44.76% of the lesions, central pillar, C (II + V), 48.95%, and medial pillar, M (III + VI), 6.29%. Moreover, there were 81.82% bone-resorption lesions in anterolateral pillar, AL (I + II + IV), and 18.18% in posteromedial pillar, PM (III + V + VI). In all ONFH hips, the lateral pillar of 81(88.04%) femoral heads were affected, the central pillar of 84 (91.30%) femoral heads were affected, and the medical pillar of 29 (31.52%) femoral heads were affected. The ratio of ARCO stage III in the group with bone-resorption lesions was significantly higher than that of the group without bone-resorption lesions (76.09% vs 30.39%, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that the bone-resorption lesions are mainly distributed in the lateral and central pillar of the femoral head, and the two pillars of the femoral head are usually involved by bone-resorption lesions. Furthermore, the ratio of ARCO stage III in the group with bone-resorption lesions was significantly higher than that of the group without bone-resorption lesions, suggesting that the bone-resorption lesions might accelerate the progression of ONFH.

Hybrid material mimics a hypoxic environment to promote regeneration of peripheral nerves.

Between nerve defects, a bridge formed by multiple cells is the fundamental structure for guiding axons across this damaged region. Here, we developed a functional material that mimics hypoxia during the early stages of nerve regeneration by deferoxamine. We used this material and single-cell sequencing to analyze the "bridge" structure between peripheral nerve defects. We found that hypoxia in damaged tissues might play a key role in stimulating macrophages, promoting endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition, and driving the migration of endothelial cells to the injured region to form regenerative bridge tissue and guide the subsequent regeneration of Schwann cells and axons. The results showed that the final nerve defect repair outcomes were similar with autografts after intervention by this material. This study challenges the view that hypoxia is exclusively involved in peripheral nerve regeneration and provides a potentially valuable candidate material for clinical use.

Local administration of zoledronic acid prevents traumatic osteonecrosis of the femoral head in rat model.

BACKGROUND: Osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is a refractory disease due to its unclear pathomechanism. Neither conservative treatment nor surgical treatment during the early stage of ONFH achieves satisfactory results. Therefore, this study aims to explore the available evidence on the effect of zoledronic acid on early-stage ONFH. METHODS: For groups were established:the Normal group, model group, Normal saline group(NS group) and zoledronic acid-treated group. The blood supply to the femoral head of animals in the model group and zoledronic acid-treated group was interrupted via a surgical procedure, and zoledronic acid was then locally administered to the femoral head. Four weeks after surgery, all the hips were harvested and evaluated by micro-CT and histopathology(H&E staining, TRAP staining, Toluidine blue staining and masson staining). RESULTS: The values of BMD, BS/BV and Tb.Th in the Normal group and zoledronic acid-treated group were significantly higher than those in the model group and NS group (p â€‹< â€‹0.05). The outcome of H&E staining, Toluidine blue staining and masson staining were consistent with that of micro-CT. CONCLUSION: The local administration of zoledronic acid in the femoral head had positive effects on the bone structure of the femoral head in a modified rat model of traumatic ONFH and offered a promising therapeutic strategy during the early stage of ONFH. THE TRANSLATIONAL POTENTIAL OF THIS ARTICLE: This article could provide a choice for treating patients who have osteonecrosis of femora head and can be the basic research for advanced development over this disease.

Spinel-structure catalyst catalyzing CO2 hydrogenation to full spectrum alkenes with an ultra-high yield.

Spinel-like ZnFe2O4 is tailor-made synthesized for catalyzing CO2 hydrogenation, achieving an ultra-high yield (1858.1 g kgcat-1 h-1) of full spectrum alkenes in a three-stage reactor system. This study provides rational design concepts from catalyst to equipment amelioration by combining promoter regulation and ex situ water removal, efficiently catalyzing CO2 into valuable chemical feedstocks with industrial potential.

Three-dimensional distribution of cystic lesions in osteonecrosis of the femoral head.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the location characteristics of cystic lesions in a three-dimensional context and discuss the mechanism of formation. METHODS: A total of 155 femoral head computed tomography images from 94 patients diagnosed with stage II and III osteonecrosis of the femoral head were retrospectively reviewed. Three-dimensional structures of the femoral head including the cystic lesions and necrotic area were reconstructed. We divided each femoral head into eight regions to observe the positional relationship of the cystic lesions, normal areas, and necrotic areas. RESULTS: The regional distribution revealed 14 (13%), 35 (32%), 9 (8%), 25 (23%), 6 (6%), 15 (14%), 4 (4%), and 0 (0%) cystic lesions in regions Ⅰ, Ⅱ, Ⅲ, Ⅳ, Ⅴ, Ⅵ, Ⅶ, and Ⅷ, respectively. The anteromedial zone, A (Ⅰ â€‹+ â€‹â…¢), contained 22% of the lesions, anterolateral zone, B (Ⅱ â€‹+ â€‹â…£), contained 54%, posteromedial zone, C (Ⅴ +Ⅶ), contained 9% of the lesions, and posterolateral zone, D (Ⅵ â€‹+ â€‹â…§), contained 15% of the lesions. Most of the cystic lesions (78%) were located between the normal and necrotic areas; 18% of cystic lesions were in the necrotic area â€‹and 4% were in the normal area. CONCLUSIONS: Cystic lesions most often occur at the junction of the necrotic â€‹and normal areas and are most commonly located in the anterolateral femoral head, which is similar to the distribution of the stress concentration region. THE TRANSLATIONAL POTENTIAL OF THIS ARTICLE: The study showed the location characteristics of cystic lesions in osteonecrosis of femoral head, which suggested that the formation of cystic lesions may be related to stress and could accelerate the collapse of femoral head. The results can support further research on cystic lesions and provide a reference for doctors' treatment strategies for patients with osteonecrosis of femoral head.

[Study on the distribution of necrotic tissue in steroid-induced osteonecrosis of femoral head patients based on three-dimensional reconstruction of CT].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the volume and distribution of necrotic tissue of femoral head in steroid-induced osteonecrosis of femoral head (SONFH) patients by three-dimensional reconstruction of CT. METHODS: A clinical data of 25 patients with SONFH between September 2016 and December 2018 was analyzed. There were 22 males and 3 females, with an average age of 38.8 years (range, 20-63 years). The necrosis of the femoral head was in stage Ⅱ of Association Research Circulation Osseous (ARCO). The disease duration ranged from 3 to 18 months, with an average of 9.2 months. A three-dimensional reconstruction with CT data of SONFH patients were performed by Mimics Research 21.0 software and the femoral head was segmented into eight regions by 3-matic Research 13.0 software. The volume of necrotic tissue of the femoral head and the volume rate of necrotic tissue to femoral head were calculated and the distribution was also analyzed. RESULTS: The three-dimensional digital model of the femoral head showed that the necrotic tissue of the femoral head was located above the anterior superior medial, and the area of the necrotic tissue was in a dome-like shape. The results showed that the necrotic tissue in the femoral head was mainly concentrated on the anterior superior internal area, the anterior superior outer area, and the posterior superior internal area. The volume of femoral head was (48 399.52±9 408.90) mm 3, and the volume of necrotic tissue was (20 917.08±6 566.94) mm 3, and the volume ratio of necrotic tissue to femoral head was 44.75%±15.72%. The proportion of necrotic volume in different regions was different, and the necrotic tissues were mainly distributed in the anterior superior internal area, the anterior superior outer area, and the posterior superior internal area. CONCLUSION: The volume and distribution of necrotic tissue in femoral head can be evaluated quickly and intuitively by three-dimensional reconstruction of CT in Mimics software.

Cdc48/VCP and Endocytosis Regulate TDP-43 and FUS Toxicity and Turnover.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal motor neuron degenerative disease. TDP-43 (TAR DNA-binding protein 43) and FUS (fused in sarcoma) are aggregation-prone RNA-binding proteins that in ALS can mislocalize to the cytoplasm of affected motor neuron cells, often forming cytoplasmic aggregates in the process. Such mislocalization and aggregation are implicated in ALS pathology, though the mechanism(s) of TDP-43 and FUS cytoplasmic toxicity remains unclear. Recently, we determined that the endocytic function aids the turnover (i.e., protein degradation) of TDP-43 and reduces TDP-43 toxicity. Here, we identified that Cdc48 and Ubx3, a Cdc48 cofactor implicated in endocytic function, regulates the turnover and toxicity of TDP-43 and FUS expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae Cdc48 physically interacts and colocalizes with TDP-43, as does VCP, in ALS patient tissue. In yeast, FUS toxicity also depends strongly on endocytic function but not on autophagy under normal conditions. FUS expression also impairs endocytic function, as previously observed with TDP-43. Taken together, our data identify a role for Cdc48/VCP and endocytic function in regulating TDP-43 and FUS toxicity and turnover. Furthermore, endocytic dysfunction may be a common defect affecting the cytoplasmic clearance of ALS aggregation-prone proteins and may represent a novel therapeutic target of promise.