Novel hydrophobic butyl rubber damping composites modified with bio-based PF/DBA via the construction of a three-dimensional network.

It is of interest to develop wide-temperature domain damped hydrophobic materials. In this paper, we designed incorporating bio-based phenolic resin into the IIR matrix and introducing dibenzyl fork acetone (DBA) into the main chain structure with sodium hydroxide activation to construct three-dimensional network. In this paper, we designed incorporating bio-based phenolic resin into the IIR matrix and introducing dibenzyl fork acetone (DBA) into the main chain structure with sodium hydroxide activation to construct three-dimensional network. The added bio-based phenolic resin has reticulated structure blended with butyl rubber, combined with sodium hydride activation-modified IIR. The results show that sodium hydride activated modification of DBA is introduced into the main chain structure of IIR by infrared and 1H NMR analysis. The material hydrophobic is realized by the introduction of DBA with static water contact angle of 103.5°. The addition of 10phr lignin-based phenolic resin (LPF) is compatible with IIR, and the torque can reach 7.0 N-m. The tensile elongation of the modified butyl rubber composite can reach 2400% with tensile strength up to 11.43 MPa, while the damping factor can reach 0.37 even at 70 °C. The thermal stability of the composites is enhanced with mass retention rate of 28%. The bio-based PF/NaH activation-modified butyl rubber damping material has potential applications in damping hydrophobicity with wide temperature range.

Intestinal tryptophan metabolism in disease prevention and swine production.

Tryptophan (Trp) is an essential amino acid that cannot be synthesized by animals. It has been characterized into two different isomers, levorotation-Trp (L-Trp) and dextrorotation-Trp (D-Trp), based on their distinct molecule orientation. Intestinal epithelial cells and gut microbiota are involved in metabolizing L-Trp in the gut via the activation of the kynurenine, serotonin, and indole pathways. However, knowledge regarding D-Trp metabolism in the gut remains unclear. In this review, we briefly update the current understanding of intestinal L/D-Trp metabolism and the function of their metabolites in modulating the gut physiology and diseases. Finally, we summarize the effects of Trp nutrition on swine production at different stages, including growth performance in weaned piglets and growing pigs, as well as the reproduction performance in sows.

A Novel Lateral Flow Assay for Rapid and Sensitive Nucleic Acid Detection of Avibacterium paragallinarum.

Avibacterium paragallinarum, the pathogen of infectious coryza, caused a highly contagious respiratory disease that poses a serious threat to chickens. Hence, it is necessary to do diagnostic screening for Av. paragallinarum. Existing technologies have been used for Av. paragallinarum testing, which, however, have some drawbacks such as time consuming and expensive that require well-trained personnel and sophisticated infrastructure, especially when they are limitedly feasible in some places for lack of resources. Nucleic acid hybridization-based lateral flow assay (LFA) is capable of dealing with these drawbacks, which is attributed to the advantages, such low cost, rapid, and simple. However, nucleic acid determination of Av. paragallinarum through LFA method has not been reported so far. In this study, we developed a novel LFA method that employed gold nanoparticle probes to detect amplified Av. paragallinarum dsDNA. Compared with agarose gel electrophoresis, this LFA strip was inexpensive, simple- to- use, and time- saving, which displayed the visual results within 5-8 min. This LFA strip had higher sensitivity that achieved the detection limit of 101 CFU/ml compared with 102 CFU/ml in agarose gel electrophoresis. Besides, great sensitivity was also shown in the LFA strip, and no cross reaction existed for other bacteria. Furthermore, Av. paragallinarum in clinical chickens with infectious coryza were perfectly detected by our established LFA strip. Our study is the first to develop the LFA integrated with amplification and sample preparation techniques for better nucleic acid detection of Av. paragallinarum, which holds great potential for rapid, accurate, and on-site determination methods for early diagnosis of Av. paragallinarum to control further spreading.

The Transcriptomic and Bioinformatic Characterizations of Iron Acquisition and Heme Utilization in Avibacterium paragallinarum in Response to Iron-Starvation.

Avibacterium paragallinarum is the pathogen of infectious coryza, which is a highly contagious respiratory disease of chickens that brings a potentially serious threat to poultry husbandry. Iron is an important nutrient for bacteria and can be obtained from surroundings such as siderophores and hemophores. To date, the mechanisms of iron acquisition and heme utilization as well as detailed regulation in A. paragallinarum have been poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the transcriptomic profiles in detail and the changes of transcriptomes induced by iron restriction in A. paragallinarum using RNA-seq. Compared with the iron-sufficiency control group, many more differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and cellular functions as well as signaling pathways were verified in the iron-restriction group. Among these DEGs, the majority of genes showed decreased expression and some were found to be uniquely present in the iron-restriction group. With an in-depth study of bioinformatic analyses, we demonstrated the crucial roles of the Hut protein and DUF domain-containing proteins, which were preferentially activated in bacteria following iron restriction and contributed to the iron acquisition and heme utilization. Consequently, RT-qPCR results further verified the iron-related DEGs and were consistent with the RNA-seq data. In addition, several novel sRNAs were present in A. paragallinarum and had potential regulatory roles in iron homeostasis, especially in the regulation of Fic protein to ensure stable expression. This is the first report of the molecular mechanism of iron acquisition and heme utilization in A. paragallinarum from the perspective of transcriptomic profiles. The study will contribute to a better understanding of the transcriptomic response of A. paragallinarum to iron starvation and also provide novel insight into the development of new antigens for potential vaccines against infectious coryza by focusing on these iron-related genes.

Quantitative evaluation of salivary gland scintigraphy in Sjögren's syndrome: comparison of diagnostic efficacy and relationship with pathological features of the salivary glands.

OBJECTIVE: The value of salivary gland scintigraphy (SGS) in the evaluation of Sjögren's syndrome (SS) remains controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of quantitative SGS in patients with xerostomia and to assess the correlation between scintigraphic parameters and pathological features of salivary glands. METHODS: Medical records of 165 patients with xerostomia who underwent [99mTc] pertechnetate SGS and labial biopsy were retrospectively reviewed. The maximum accumulation ratio (MAR), maximum secretion ratio (MSR), and time interval from stimulation to minimum count (Tmin) of the parotid glands were calculated to quantify the glandular activity. Furthermore, pre-stimulatory oral activity index (PRI) and post-stimulatory oral activity index (POI) were calculated to quantify the oral activity. RESULTS: All parameters except for Tmin were significantly lower in patients with SS than in those without SS. Among the five SGS parameters, PRI showed the highest areas under the curve value (0.9005; p < 0.001), and PRI > 32.75 was associated with a sensitivity of 78.5% and specificity of 86.4% for the diagnosis of SS. A decrease in MAR, MSR, PRI, and POI and an increase in Tmin correlate significantly with the histopathologic grade of labial gland biopsy and disease severity of SS. No significant differences in glandular parameters (MAR, MSR, and Tmin) were found between the non-SS and early-stage SS groups. CONCLUSION: Conventional scintigraphic parameters could be used as simple, reliable, and sensitive indicators for the early diagnosis of SS and determination of disease severity.

Identification and characterization of a novel short-type peptidoglycan recognition protein in Apostichopus japonicus.

Peptidoglycan recognition proteins (PGRPs) are pattern recognition molecules of the innate immune system via specific recognizing peptidoglycan, a unique component of bacterial cell wall. In the present study, a homologous gene encoding PGRP-S was identified and characterized from Apostichopus japonicus and designated as AjPGRP-S. The open reading frame of AjPGRP-S is 756 bp encoding a polypeptide of 251 amino acids (aa) with a signal peptide (1-24 aa) and a typical PGRP domain (37-178 aa). Phylogenetic analysis and sequence alignment revealed that AjPGRP-S is a member of the PGRP-S family. In healthy sea cucumbers, AjPGRP-S was expressed in all examined tissues with the highest distribution in body wall, muscle, and intestine. In Vibrio splendidus-infected sea cucumbers, AjPGRP-S was remarkably induced in coelomocytes. The recombinant AjPGRP-S (rAjPGRP-S) was shown to possess the highly amidase activity in the presence of Zn2+. Moreover, rAjPGRP-S exhibited agglutination abilities and strong bacteriostatic activities against V. splendidus, V. harveyi, V. parahaemolyticus, Staphylococcus aureus, and Micrococcus luteus. Furthermore, the agglutination ability can be enhanced in the presence of Zn2+. In conclusion, our results suggested that AjPGRP-S serves as a pattern recognition molecule involved in the immune response towards various pathogenic infections.

Identification of Key Pathways and Genes in L4 Dorsal Root Ganglion (DRG) After Sciatic Nerve Injury via Microarray Analysis.

Background: Peripheral nerve injury (PNI) has devastating consequences. Dorsal root ganglion as a pivotal locus participates in the process of neuropathic pain and nerve regeneration. In recent years, gene sequencing technology has seen rapid rise in the biomedicine field. So, we attempt to gain insight into in the mechanism of neuropathic pain and nerve regeneration in the transcriptional level and to explore novel genes through bioinformatics analysis. Methods: The gene expression profiles of GSE96051 were downloaded from GEO database. The gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway (KEGG) enrichment analyses were performed, and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) was constructed by Cytoscape software. Results: Our results showed that both IL-6 and Jun genes and the signaling pathway of MAPK, apoptosis, P53 present their vital modulatory role in nerve regeneration and neuropathic pain. Noteworthy, 13 hub genes associated with neuropathic pain and nerve regeneration, including Ccl12, Ppp1r15a, Cdkn1a, Atf3, Nts, Dusp1, Ccl7, Csf, Gadd45a, Serpine1, Timp1 were rarely reported in PubMed database, these genes may provide us the new orientation in experimental research and clinical study. Conclusions: Our results may provide more deep insight into the mechanism and a promising therapeutic target. The next step is to put our emphasis on an experiment level and to verify the novel genes from 13 hub genes.

Boosting Depth-Based Face Recognition from a Quality Perspective.

Face recognition using depth data has attracted increasing attention from both academia and industry in the past five years. Previous works show a huge performance gap between high-quality and low-quality depth data. Due to the lack of databases and reasonable evaluations on data quality, very few researchers have focused on boosting depth-based face recognition by enhancing data quality or feature representation. In the paper, we carefully collect a new database including high-quality 3D shapes, low-quality depth images and the corresponding color images of the faces of 902 subjects, which have long been missing in the area. With the database, we make a standard evaluation protocol and propose three strategies to train low-quality depth-based face recognition models with the help of high-quality depth data. Our training strategies could serve as baselines for future research, and their feasibility of boosting low-quality depth-based face recognition is validated by extensive experiments.

miR-16-2* Interferes with WNT5A to Regulate Osteogenesis of Mesenchymal Stem Cells.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Osteoporosis is a bone metabolic disease characterized by a systemic impairment of bone mass, which results in increased propensity of fragility fractures. A reduction in the differentiation of MSCs into osteoblasts contributes to the impaired bone formation observed in osteoporosis. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are induced to differentiate into preosteoblasts, which are regulated by the signaling cascades initiated by the various signals, including miRNAs. miR-16-2* is a newly discovered miRNA that participates in diagnosis and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma, cervical cancer and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. However, the effect of miR-16-2* on the regulation of osteoblast differentiation and the mechanism responsible are still unclear. Here we discuss the contribution of miR-16-2* to osteoporosis, osteoblast differentiation and mineralization. METHODS: The expression pattern of miR-16-2* during osteogenesis or in osteoporosis bone samples was validated by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). The human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) were induced to differentiate into osteoblasts by osteogenic induced medium containing dexamethasone, ascorbate-2-phosphat, beta-glycerophosphate and vitamin-D3. The target genes of miR-16-2* were predicted by TargetScan and PicTar. The mRNA and protein levels of osteogenic key markers were detected using qRT-PCR or western blot respectively. The WNT signal activity was analyzed by TOP/FOP reporter assay. RESULTS: The expression of miR-16-2* in patient bone tissue with osteoporosis was negatively correlated with bone formation related genes. During osteoblast differentiation process, the expression of miR-16-2* was significantly decreased. Upregulation of miR-16-2* in hBMSCs impaired the osteogenic differentiation while the downregulation of miR-16-2* increased this process. Upregulation the expression of miR-16-2* could also block the WNT signal pathway by directly target WNT5A. Furthermore, knockdown of miR-16-2* could promote the activation of RUNX2, possibly by lifting the inhibitory effect of miR-16-2* on WNT pathway. CONCLUSION: Taken together, we report a novel biological role of miR-16-2* in osteogenesis through regulating WNT5A response for the first time. Our data support the potential utilization of miRNA-based therapies in regenerative medicine.

Retraction Note: Comparison of two FDA-approved interspinous spacers for treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis: Superion versus X-STOP-a meta-analysis from five randomized controlled trial studies.

The Editor-in-Chief has retracted this article [1] because of an error in the meta analysis. Re-examination of the data has showed that there is only one published randomized controlled trial comparing Superion with XStop. Due to a misunderstanding of the published clinical data, the conclusions drawn in the article are incorrect. Author Xing Yu approved this retraction, none of the other authors replied to correspondence from the publisher about this retraction.

Comparison of the adverse events of anterior cervical disc replacement versus anterior cervical discectomy and fusion: A protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: In the current surgical therapeutic regimen for symptomatic cervical degenerative disc disease, both anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) and anterior cervical disc replacement (ACDR) are still widely accepted. However, many complications exist in both surgeries. Therefore, this study aims to compare the adverse events between ACDR and ACDF, and provide vital evidence-based guidance for spine surgeons and designers to evaluation of prognosis and improvement of dynamic devices. METHODS: A systematic review and meta-analysis that will be performed according to the PRISMA. The electric database of PubMed, Medline, Embase, Google Scholar, and Cochrane library will be systematic search. A standard data form will be used to extract the data of included studies. We will assess the studies according to the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions, and perform analysis in RevMan 5.3 software. Fixed effects models will be used for homogeneity data, while random-effects will be used for heterogeneity data. The overall effect sizes will be determined as weighted mean difference (WMD) for continuous outcomes and relative risk (RR) for dichotomous outcomes. RESULT: The results of this study will be disseminated via international or national conferences, or submit to peer-reviewed journal in spinal field. CONCLUSION: The conclusion of this study will provide key evidence-based guidance for spine surgeons and designers to the evaluation of prognosis and improvement of dynamic devices.

What is the superior surgical strategy for bi-level cervical spondylosis-anterior cervical disc replacement or anterior cervical decompression and fusion?: A meta-analysis from 11 studies.

BACKGROUND: Nowadays, anterior cervical artificial disc replacement (ACDR) has achieved favorable outcomes in treatment for patients with single-level cervical spondylosis. However, It is still controversial that whether or not it will become a potent therapeutic alternation in treating 2 contiguous levels cervical spondylosis compared with anterior cervical decompression and fusion (ACDF). Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare the efficacy and safety of ACDR and ACDF in patients with 2 contiguous levels cervical spondylosis. METHODS: According to the computer-based online search, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library for articles published before July 1, 2017 were searched. The following outcome measures were extracted: neck disability index (NDI), visual analog scale (VAS) neck, VAS arm, Short Form (SF)-12 mental component summary (MCS), SF-12 physical component summary (PCS), overall clinical success (OCS), patient satisfaction (PS), device-related adverse event (DRAE), subsequent surgical intervention (SSI), neurological deterioration (ND), and adjacent segment degeneration (ASD). Methodological quality was evaluated independently by 2 reviewers using the Furlan for randomized controlled trial (RCT) and MINORS scale for clinical controlled trials (CCT). The chi-squared test and Higgin I test were used to evaluate the heterogeneity. A P < .10 for the chi-squared test or I values exceeding 50% indicated substantial heterogeneity and a random-effect model was applied; otherwise, a fixed-effect model was used. All quantitative data were analyzed by the Review Manager 5.2 (The Nordic Cochrane Centre, The Cochrane Collaboration, Copenhagen, Denmark). RESULTS: Nine RCTs and 2 CCT studies containing 2715 patients were included for this meta-analysis. The pooled analysis indicated that the ACDR group is superior to ACDF in NDI, VAS neck, PCS score, OCS, PS, DRAE, ASD, and SSI. However, the pooled results indicate that there was no significant difference in the ND, VAS arm and in MCS score. CONCLUSIONS: The present meta-analysis suggests that for bi-level cervical spondylosis, ACDR appears to provide superior clinical effectiveness and safety effects than ACDF. In the future, more high-quality RCTs are warranted to enhance this conclusion.

Comparison of two FDA-approved interspinous spacers for treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis: Superion versus X-STOP-a meta-analysis from five randomized controlled trial studies.

BACKGROUND: Decompressive laminectomy (DI) is a standard operation for lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) patient with severe claudication symptoms for many years. However, patients whose symptom severity does not meet undergoing invasive surgery make therapeutic options into dilemma. Interspinous spacers (ISP) bridge the gap between surgical interventions and CC in management of LSS. In our study, we aim to systematically assess the two FDA-approved interspinous spacers for treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis: Superion versus X-STOP. METHODS: Electronic databases, including PubMed, Embase, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library were searched to retrieve clinical trials concerning the comparison between Superion and X-STOP in treatment for lumbar spinal stenosis before April 2017. The following outcome measures were extracted: (1) Zurich Claudication Questionnaire (ZCQ) patient satisfaction score, (2) axial pain severity, (3) extremity pain severity, (4) back-specific functional impairment, (5) reoperation, and (6) complication. The data analysis was conducted with Review Manager 5.3. RESULTS: Five randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with 1118 patients were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled analysis indicated that the Superion group is superior to X-STOP in axial pain severity (SMD: 0.03; 95% CI 0.15, 0.45; p < 0.0001, I2 = 41%, p = 0.16), ZCQ patient satisfaction score (SMD: 0.23; 95% CI 0.08, 0.38; p = 0.002, I2 = 0%, p = 0.61). However, Superion group showed similarity outcome in extremity pain severity (SMD: 0.18; 95% CI - 0.06, 0.43; p = 0.14, I2 = 62%, p = 0.05), back-specific functional impairment (SMD: 0.04; 95% CI - 0.10, 0.19; p = 0.56, I2 = 0%, p = 0.77), reoperation rate (RR: 1.10; 95% CI 0.82, 1.48; p = 0.51, I2 = 19%, p = 0.30), and complication (RR: 0.98; 95% CI 0.63, 1.53; p = 0.92, I2 = 0%, p = 0.83). CONCLUSION: Both the Superion and X-STOP interspinous spacers can relieve symptoms of LSS. In addition, the Superion spacer may represent a promising spacer for patient with LSS. As we know, the effectiveness and safety of ISP is still considered investigational and unfavor clinical results in the medical literature may continue to limit the appeal of IPS to many surgeons in the future. However, because of the advantage of IPS technique, it will win a wide place in the future degenerative lumbar microsurgery.

[Relationship between inflammatory cytokines of IL-1ß and TNF-α and intervertebral disc degeneration].

The inflammatory cytokines of IL-1ß and TNF-α participate in the process of intervertebral disc degeneration is focused by the spine surgeons. Inflammatory cytokines represented by IL-1ß and TNF-α act as the key factors in the process of intervertebral disc degeneration resulting in low back pain and radicular symptoms. Annulus fibrosus and nucleus pulposus can secrete TNF-α and IL-1ß under the stimulation of mechanical injury, overstressed, genetic susceptibility and infection. The mechanism of inflammatory cytokines in intervertebral disc degeneration needs further investigation. The emphasis of researches will be on the inflammatory cytokines in the regulation of mechanism in the intervertebral disc degeneration, molecular targeted therapy, cell signaling pathways and the best time of anti-inflammatory therapy providing more evidence in the clinical application.