Lightweight Soft Robotic Glove with Whole-Hand Finger Motion Tracking for Hand Rehabilitation in Virtual Reality.

Soft robotic gloves have attracted significant interest in hand rehabilitation in the past decade. However, current solutions are still heavy and lack finger-state monitoring and versatile treatment options. To address this, we present a lightweight soft robotic glove actuated by twisted string actuators (TSA) that provides whole-hand finger motion tracking. We have developed a virtual reality environment for hand rehabilitation training, allowing users to interact with various virtual objects. Fifteen small inertial measurement units are placed on the glove to predict finger joint angles and track whole-hand finger motion. We performed TSA experiments to identify design and control rules, by understanding how their response varies with input load and voltages. Grasping experiments were conducted to determine the grasping force and range of motion. Finally, we showcase an application of the rehabilitation glove in a Unity-based VR interface, which can actuate the operator's fingers to grasp different virtual objects.

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Cast Al-Si-Cu-Mg-Ni-Cr Alloys: Effects of Time and Temperature on Two-Stage Solution Treatment and Ageing.

Ameliorating the high-temperature performance of cast Al-Si alloys used as engine components is essential. The effects of different T6 heat-treatment processes on the microstructure and mechanical properties of cast Al-Si-Cu-Mg-Ni-Cr alloys were investigated in the present study. The results demonstrate that, under the optimal solution treatment conditions of 500 °C for 2 h and 540 °C for 4 h, the T-Al9FeNi phase was present in the alloy, and the roundness of primary Si and the aspect ratio of eutectic Si in the alloy reached valley values of 1.46 and 2.56, respectively. With increasing ageing time at 180 °C, the tensile strength significantly improved, while the microhardness first increased and then decreased. When the ageing time was 4 h, microhardness reached a peak value of 155.82 HV. The fracture characteristics changed from quasi-cleavage to the coexistence of quasi-cleavage and dimples. After heat treatment, the high-temperature tensile properties of the alloy improved, which is a significant advantage compared to the as-cast alloy. The stable Al3Ni and Al9FeNi phases inhibited the cracking of the alloy at 350 °C.

The potential of metagenomic next-generation sequencing in diagnosis of spinal infection: a retrospective study.

PURPOSE: Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) is a new approach to identify the infecting organism in infectious diseases. Our aim was to evaluate the accuracy of mNGS in determining the etiology of spinal infection. METHODS: In this retrospective study, patients who had a suspected spinal infection and underwent mNGS for diagnosis in our hospital were eligible for inclusion. Samples for mNGS, culture, and histopathological tests were collected surgically or with a CT-guided needle biopsy. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated for mNGS and culture test, using histopathological results as reference. RESULTS: A total of 31 mNGS tests in 30 cases were included. Twenty-six cases were classified as infected, and four cases were considered aseptic. mNGS achieved a specificity of 75.0% [95% confidence interval (CI), 21.9% to 98.7%], sensitivity was 70.3% (95% CI, 49.7% to 85.5%). mNGS was more sensitive than culture at 14.8% (95% CI, 4.9% to 34.6%, P < 0.0001). However, the specificities of mNGS and culture were statistically similar. CONCLUSION: We described here the power of mNGS in the etiological diagnosing of spinal infection. Our study opens the possibility for more extensive use of mNGS techniques in the identification of pathogens in patients with suspected spinal infection.

Microstructure and Wear Resistance of Laser-Clad Ni-Cu-Mo-W-Si Coatings on a Cu-Cr-Zr Alloy.

To improve the wear resistance of high-strength and high-conductivity Cu-Cr-Zr alloys in high-speed and heavy load friction environments, coatings including Ni-Cu, Ni-Cu-10(W,Si), Ni-Cu-10(Mo,W,Si), and Ni-Cu-15(Mo,W,Si) (with an atomic ratio of Mo,W to Si of 1:2) were prepared using coaxial powder-feeding laser cladding technology. The microstructure and wear performance of coatings were chiefly investigated. The results revealed that (Mo,W)Si2 and MoNiSi phases are found in the Ni-Cu-10(Mo,W,Si) and Ni-Cu-15(Mo,W,Si) coating. WSi2 phases are found in the Ni-Cu-10(W,Si) coating. The degree of grain refinement in Ni-Cu-10(Mo,W,Si) was greater than that of the Ni-Cu-10(W,Si) coating after the effect of Mo. The excellent wear resistance and micro-hardness of the Ni-Cu-15(Mo,W,Si) coating were attributed to the increase in its dispersion phase, which were approximately 34.72 mg/km and 428 HV, 27.1% and 590% higher than the Cu-Cr-Zr substrate, respectively. The existence of silicide plays an important role in grain refinement due to the promotion of nucleation and the inhibition of grain growth. In addition, the wear mechanism transformed from adhesive wear in the Ni-Cu coating with no silicides to abrasive wear in the Ni-Cu-15(Mo,W,Si) coating with high levels of silicides.

Mechanism underlying circularRNA_014301-mediated regulation of neuronal cell inflammation and apoptosis.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) causes damage to the spinal cord owing to trauma or disease and myelinated fiber tracts that transmit sensation and motor signals to and from the brain. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a recently discovered class of regulatory molecules, and their roles in SCI are still unknown. circRNA_014301 was indicated to be differentially expressed in the spinal cord at the site of SCI in a rat model. To analyze the role of circRNA_014301 in SCI, we exposed rat adrenal pheochromocytoma PC12 cells were exposed to increasing concentrations of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and to construct a PC12 cell inflammatory model. Cell Counting Kit-8 assay was used to analyze cell viability. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR and ELISA were used to detect the expression of inflammatory factors (IL-1ß, IL-6 and TNF-α). Annexin V-FITC/PI double staining was employed to detect cell apoptosis, and western blotting was performed to detect the expression of apoptotic proteins (Bax/Bcl-2/cleaved caspase-3) and NF-κB. The results demonstrated that LPS induced inflammation in PC12 cells as evidenced by the reduced cell proliferation and enhanced expression of inflammatory and apoptotic factors under increasing LPS concentrations. Western blotting analyses indicated that circRNA_014301 induced the expression of p-NF-κB/NF-κB, Bax and cleaved caspase-3, and decreased the expression of Bcl-2 following LPS-induced inflammation, and this apoptosis-promoting effect was relieved by small interfering-RNA-mediated knockdown of circRNA_014301. Thus, circRNA_014301 silencing alleviated apoptosis and inflammation in PC12 cells. SCI is invariably associated with spinal cord inflammation, and LPS was used to stimulate apoptosis and inflammatory injury in PC12 cells, and create a cell model of SCI. By promoting PC12 cell apoptosis under inflammatory conditions, it was indicated that circRNA_014301 may suppress SCI. Therefore, circRNA_014301 may represent a potential target for SCI diagnosis and therapy.

Effect of Surface Modifications on Cellular Uptake of Gold Nanorods in Human Primary Cells and Established Cell Lines.

Endocytosis is a cellular process in which substances are engulfed by the cellular membrane and budded off inside the cells to form vesicles. It plays key roles in controlling nutritional component uptake, immune responses, and other biological functions. A comprehensive understanding of endocytosis gives insights into such physiological functions and informs the design of medical nanodevices that need to enter cells. So far, endocytosis has been studied mostly using established cell lines. However, the established cell lines generally originate from cancer cells or are transformed from normal cells into immortalized cells. Therefore, primary cells may give us more reliable information about the endocytosis process of nanoparticles into cells. In this research, we studied the uptake of gold nanorods (AuNRs) with four different surface modifications (anionic/cationic polymers and anionic/cationic silica) by two kinds of primary cells (human monocyte-derived macrophages and human umbilical vein endothelial cells) and two kinds of established cell lines (HeLa cells and RAW 264.7 cells). We found that the surface properties of AuNRs affected their cellular uptake, and the cationic surface tended was advantageous for uptake, but it depended on the cell types. Control experiments using inhibitors of representative endocytosis pathways (macropinocytosis, clathrin-mediated endocytosis, and caveolae-mediated endocytosis) indicated that primary cells had a dominant uptake pathway for internalization of the AuNRs, whereas the established cell lines had multiple pathways. Our results provide us with novel insights into cellular uptake of AuNRs in that they depend not only on surface characters of the nanoparticles but also cell types, such as primary cells and established cell lines.

DUSP19 mediates spinal cord injury-induced apoptosis and inflammation in mouse primary microglia cells via the NF-kB signaling pathway.

Objective: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a common injury that seriously threatens human health. NF-κB may be involved in the secondary injury of SCI that is mediated by inflammation and aggravates damage. Our study was aimed to investigate the role of NF-κB signaling in DUSP19-mediated cleaved Caspase-3 expression and the release of inflammatory factors in vivo and in vitro.Materials and Methods: DUSP19 mRNA expression and the content of IL-6 and IL-8 in patients with traumatic SCI (TSCI) were measured by real-time PCR and ELISA, respectively. The levels of p-NF-κBp65, NF-κBp65 and cleaved Caspase-3 expression and the concentrations of IL-6 and IL-8 were measured by western blotting and ELISA, respectively.Results: Patients with TSCI showed lower DUSP19 expression and higher concentration of IL-6 and IL-8 compared with healthy controls. DUSP19 overexpression inhibited p-NF-κBp65 level, cleaved Caspase-3 expression, and production of IL-8 and IL-6 in the mice induced by TSCI. DUSP19 silencing increased p-NF-κBp65 level, cleaved Caspase-3 expression, and concentration of IL-6 and IL-8 in mouse primary microglia cells. DUSP19 overexpression had an inverse effect. Importantly, DUSP19 silencing and overexpression mediated p-NF-κBp65 level, cleaved Caspase-3 expression, and concentration of IL-6 and IL-8 in mouse primary microglia cells were reversed by NF-κB inhibitor pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC) and NF-κB activator 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), respectively.Conclusion: These results suggested that DUSP19-mediated SCI-induced apoptosis and inflammation via NF-κB signaling and might therefore serve as a potential therapeutic target for SCI.

Homeobox C10 knockdown suppresses cell proliferation and promotes cell apoptosis in osteosarcoma cells through regulating caspase 3.

AIM: Homeobox (HOX) genes and their protein products have been found to function as oncogenes in the progression of many cancers. But the role of Homeobox C10 (HOXC10) in osteosarcoma (OS) still remains less understood. In this study, we firstly determine the biologic functions of HOXC10 in OS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We examined the expression of HOXC10 in OS tissues by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot assays. We investigated the effects of HOXC10 on cell proliferation, apoptosis and caspase 3 activity in three OS cell lines by RNA interference, Cell Counting Kit-8, flow cytometry and colorimetric assays. RESULTS: We found that HOXC10 was elevated in OS tissues. Silencing HOXC10 significantly inhibited cell proliferation, induced cell apoptosis and increased the expression and activity of caspase 3. The resistance assay further suggested that HOXC10 affected cell growth and apoptosis through regulating the expression and activity of caspase 3. CONCLUSION: HOXC10 might function as an oncogene in OS by regulating the expression and activity of caspase 3.

A clinical study of the coronal plane deformity in Parkinson disease.

BACKGROUND: Postural deformities in the coronal plane were frequent and disabling complications of PD, which reduces the quality of life of patients. This study aimed to garner greater attention to the Parkinson disease (PD)-related postural trunk deviations in the coronal plane by exploring a method for diagnosis because of the lack of any uniform diagnostic criteria and epidemiological studies. It also aimed to provide correlation data in the Chinese PD patients. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 503 consecutive outpatients with PD were enrolled who underwent standardized clinical evaluation. The study recruited 83 PD patients diagnosed with Pisa syndrome (PS). Scoliosis and coronal imbalance were diagnosed accurately by radiographic data. The PD patients were compared based on the Cobb angle and coronal balance for several demographic and clinical variables. RESULTS: PD patients with PS had a prevalence of 16.5%. The prevalence of coronal imbalance and scoliosis was 10.34 and 7.75%, respectively. PD patients with PS were older and had a more severe disease, significantly longer disease duration and treatment duration, and reduced quality of life. The most important finding was that the different morphology of the spinal level had an effect on the severity of coronal balance or Cobb angle. CONCLUSIONS: The present study indicated that the postural deformities in the coronal plane were related to the morphology of the spinal level, especially the position of the Cobb angle. To benefit the PD patients with PS, the full-length standing spine radiographs should be performed as early as possible.

Fabrication of a Layered Microstructured Polymeric Microspheres as a Cell Carrier for Nucleus Pulposus Regeneration.

This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of nanostructured 3D poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) constructs, which are loaded with dexamethasone (DEX) and growth factor embedded hepaiin/poly(L-lysine) nanoparticles by a layer-by-layer system, to serve as an effective scaffold for nucleus pulposus (NP) tissue engineering. Our results demonstrated that the microsphere constructs were capable of simultaneously releasing basic fibroblast growth factor and DEX with approximately zero-order kinetics. The dual bead microspheres showed no cytotoxicity, and promoted the proliferation of the rat mesenchymal stem cells (rMSCs) by lactate dehydrogenase assay and CCK-8 assay. After 4 weeks of culture in vitro, the rMSCs- scaffold hybrids contained significantly higher levels of sulfated GAG/DNA and type-II collagen than the control samples. Moreover, quantity real-time PCR analysis revealed that the expression of disc-matrix proteins, including type-II collagen, aggrecan and versican, in the rMSCs-scaffold hybrids was significantly higher than the control group, whereas the expression of osteogenic differentiation marker type-I collagen was decreased. Taken together, these data indicate that the heparin bound bFGF-coated and DEX-loaded PLGA microsphere constructs is an effective bioactive scaffold for the regeneration of NP tissue.

Transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion with one cage and excised local bone.

INTRODUCTION: The effect of transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) with one cage and excised local bone were investigated in 52 patients with a mean follow-up of 18.2 months. METHOD: The clinical outcomes including the modified Prolo scale and a visual analog scale (VAS), and radiological assessments including the ratio of interbody graft area, fusion rate, posterior disk height (PH), and the lordosis angle (LA) of the motion segment were studied. RESULTS: According to a modified Prolo scale, 90.4% of the patients obtained either excellent or good results. The VAS significantly decreased postoperatively. There was significant postoperative improvement of the PH and LA, and no significant loss of the PH and LA was found at final follow-up. The fusion rate in this series was 96.6%. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, TLIF with one cage and excised local bone grafting can provide satisfactory treatment outcomes and solid interbody fusion without harvesting and grafting autologous iliac bone.

A simple disc degeneration model induced by percutaneous needle puncture in the rat tail.

STUDY DESIGN: : We evaluated the degenerative changes to rat tail vertebral discs induced by percutaneous needle puncture, and we compared 2 puncture styles for the depth of needle puncture and the rate of disc degeneration. OBJECTIVE: : To develop a simple animal model of disc degeneration. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: : The study of biologically based treatments for degenerative disc disease depends largely on animal models. Annulus needle puncture in the lumbar spine inducing disc degeneration in rabbits has proven successful, but a similar method has not been evaluated in the tail discs of rats, even though it might produce a desirable model for disc repair studies. METHODS: : Two consecutive rat tail vertebral discs, proximal and distal to the eighth coccygeal vertebra, were randomized for injury and control. The disc selected for injury was punctured percutaneously using a 20-gauge needle with either full penetration or half penetration. The discs were harvested 1, 2, and 4 weeks later. Measurements included disc height on molybdenum target digital radiographs, biochemistry (water content, glycosaminoglycans, and hydroxyproline), and histology. RESULTS: : Needle punctures with full or half penetration caused significant disc space narrowing and progressive histologic changes of degeneration as early as 1 and 2 weeks after injury, respectively. Significant decrease in glycosaminoglycan content was observed at 4 weeks in the half-penetration puncture discs and at 2 and 4 weeks in discs punctured penetratively. Penetrative puncture resulted in a faster decrease in disc height, lower glycosaminoglycan content, and higher grades of histologic degeneration. The water and hydroxyproline content of the discs did not change appreciably. CONCLUSION: : Tail disc percutaneous needle puncture is a simple method for inducing disc degeneration and the rate of degeneration is positively related to the depth of needle puncture. This model still has some limitations that should be taken into consideration when results of disc regeneration research in this model are interpreted and extrapolated to human.