Plantar Pressure Distribution and Posture Balance During Walking in Individuals with Unilateral Chronic Ankle Instability: An Observational Study.

BACKGROUND Patients with chronic ankle instability (CAI) can present with abnormal gait. The purpose of this study was to evaluate plantar pressure distributions and posture balance during walking in unilateral CAI patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS We recruited 24 unilateral CAI patients and 24 healthy individuals; plantar pressure analysis was conducted using the Footscan® 3D pressure system. The following parameters were assessed and recorded: peak force/weight (PF/W), time to peak force (TPF), time to boundary (TTB), and COP velocity. The differences between the affected and unaffected side of the CAI group and control group were determined. Pearson correlation analysis and univariate analysis was used to investigate the correlation between plantar pressure parameters and related factors. RESULTS The comparison of PF/W showed that the plantar pressure of both sides in the CAI group were laterally distributed. The comparison of TPF, TTB, and COP velocity in different groups showed that the posture balance on the affected side of CAI patient was more impaired than the unaffected side and the control group. Male patients with CAI tend to have better posture balance than females, and a low CAIT score is correlated with poor posture balance. CONCLUSIONS The plantar pressure on both sides in unilateral CAI patients was laterally distributed and their balance function was impaired. It is necessary for CAI patients to receive functional training of both sides during rehabilitation, and plantar pressure analysis is promising for diagnosis and evaluation of CAI.

Transition behaviors of γ-ß0/ß in V-, Cr-, Mn-doped TiAl alloys.

The behavior of γ-ß/ß0 phase transition in TiAl alloy doped with ß stabilizers (V, Cr, Mn) are studied by using the first principles method. It is found that alloying addition as well as anharmonic lattice vibration and disordered atomic occupation contributes to enhance the stability of cubic structure and accordingly introduce the disordered ß phase into the high-temperature microstructure. The formation of low-temperature ß0 phase originates from not only the stabilization of cubic structure but also the destabilization of tetragonal structure. In particular, the latter is the main reason for the premature precipitation of the hard-brittle ß0 phase in the room-temperature microstructure at low nominal doping concentrations. We also find a special doping region in which the γ and the ß phases are stable, while the ß0 phase is unstable. The existence of this region provides an opportunity for the regulation of the contents of ß and ß0 phases.

Identification of Novel Target for Osteosarcoma by Network Analysis.

BACKGROUND Osteosarcoma (OS) is a highly complicated bone cancer involving imbalance of signaling transduction networks in cells. Development of new anti-osteosarcoma drugs is very challenging, mainly due to lack of known key targets. MATERIAL AND METHODS In this study, we attempted to reveal more promising targets for drug design by "Target-Pathway" network analysis, providing the new therapeutic strategy of osteosarcoma. The potential targets used for the treatment of OS were selected from 4 different sources: DrugBank, TCRD database, dbDEMC database, and recent scientific literature papers. Cytoscape was used for the establishment of the "Target-Pathway" network. RESULTS The obtained results suggest that tankyrase 2 (TNKS2) might be a very good potential protein target for the treatment of osteosarcoma. An in vitro MTT assay proved that it is an available option against OS by targeting the TNKS2 protein. Subsequently, cell cycle and apoptosis assay by flow cytometry showed the TNKS2 inhibitor can obviously induce cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, and mitotic cell death. CONCLUSIONS Tankyrase 2 (TNKS2), a member of the multifunctional poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARPs), could be a very useful protein target for the treatment of osteosarcoma.

Hydroxytyrosol inhibits the inflammatory response of osteoarthritis chondrocytes via SIRT6-mediated autophagy.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common degenerative joint disease. Inflammation may exaggerate the catabolism and degeneration in the pathogenesis of OA. Hydroxytyrosol (HT) has been used in the management of inflammatory diseases. In addition, reports have revealed that autophagy was a therapeutic target of diseases caused by inflammation. Sirtuin 6 (SIRT6) has also been demonstrated to prevent OA development by reducing both the inflammatory response and chondrocyte senescence. However, the roles of SIRT6 and autophagy in cartilage and its underlying anti­inflammatory mechanism are unknown. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the effects of HT on autophagy and inflammation in chondrocytes, and clarify whether HT regulates the inflammatory response through SIRT6­mediated autophagy. The expression of protein and mRNA were determined by western blot analysis and reverse transcription­quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The production of cytokines was detected by ELISA. It was demonstrated that HT inhibited the levels of interleukin (IL)­1ß and IL­6 in tumor necrosis factor (TNF)­α­stimulated chondrocytes in a concentration­dependent manner. In addition, HT promoted cell autophagy and increased the mRNA and protein expression levels of SIRT6 in chondrocytes stimulated with TNF-α. Autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine or knockdown of SIRT6 decreased the inhibitory effects of HT on the inflammatory response in chondrocytes. In addition, knockdown of SIRT6 attenuated the expression of microtubule-associated protein 1A/1B­light chain 3 and Beclin1 in chondrocytes. Overall, these findings suggested that HT inhibits the inflammatory response of chondrocytes through SIRT6­mediated autophagy. The present study provided a new drug target for the clinical treatment of inflammatory diseases.

Allicin protects spinal cord neurons from glutamate-induced oxidative stress through regulating the heat shock protein 70/inducible nitric oxide synthase pathway.

Allicin, the main biologically active compound derived from garlic, exerts a broad spectrum of pharmacological activities and is considered to have therapeutic potential in many neurological disorders. Using an in vitro spinal cord injury model induced by glutamate treatment, we sought to investigate the neuroprotective effects of allicin in primary cultured spinal cord neurons. We found that allicin treatment significantly attenuated glutamate-induced lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, loss of cell viability and apoptotic neuronal death. This protection was associated with reduced oxidative stress, as evidenced by decreased reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, reduced lipid peroxidation and preservation of antioxidant enzyme activities. The results of western blot analysis showed that allicin decreased the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), but had no effects on the expression of neuronal NOS (nNOS) following glutamate exposure. Moreover, allicin treatment significantly increased the expression of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) at both mRNA and protein levels. Knockdown of HSP70 by specific targeted small interfere RNA (siRNA) not only mitigated allicin-induced protective activity, but also partially nullified its effects on the regulation of iNOS. Collectively, these data demonstrate that allicin treatment may be an effective therapeutic strategy for spinal cord injury, and that the potential underlying mechanism involves HSP70/iNOS pathway-mediated inhibition of oxidative stress.

[The influence of oxy-organics on the emission intensity of flame atomic emission spectrometry (FAES) of alkali metals].

Flame atomic emission spectrometry (FAES) is frequently used to analyze various alkaline elements. The effects of concentrated oxy-organics in water solution on the radiation intensity of alkaline elements FAES were studied. The species and concentration of oxy-organics may affect the radiation intensity variation amplitude of alkaline elements and also the tendency of the mutation can be different dramatically. Similarly, the emission intensity of alkaline elements can be affected by isomers or variation of the quantity of functional group, and the trend is different either.

[Studies on effects and mechanism of water immersion restraint stress on bile secretion in rats].

AIM: To probe into the operation mechanism of stress, through the studies on the effects of bile secretion in rats at the condition of water immersion restraint. METHODS: The animals were divided into six groups (n=8): Group A: restraint alone under room temperature + saline; Group B: water immersion restraint + saline; Group C: restraint alone under room temperature + Atropine; Group D: water immersion restraint + Atropine; Group E: restraint alone under room temperature + Phentolamine; F group: water immersion restraint + Phentolamine. RESULTS: Compared with group A, the capacity of bile secretion in group B decreased significantly (P < 0.05), changes of bile increased remarkably (P < 0.01), but there were no significant decreases on the capacity of bile secretion in group C (P > 0.05) compared with A, Group C only decreased appreciably. Compared with group A, the capacity of bile secretion in group E decreased appreciably (P < 0.05). Compared with group B, the capacity of bile secretion in group D decreased significantly (P < 0.05), pH of bile had no significant changes in group D. Compared with group B, the capacity of bile secretion in group F decreased significantly (P < 0.05), pH of bile had no significant changes in group F. Compared with group D, the capacity of bile secretion and pH of bile in group F had no significant changes. CONCLUSION: Water immersion restraint stress inhibited evidently on the capacity of bile secretion, and the capacity of bile secretion in water immersion groups decreased significantly, moreover pH of bile increased greatly. At the condition of restraint alone under room temperature, vagus and sympathetic nerve had no significant effects on the bile secretion, but they played important roles in decreases of bile secretion evidently induced by water immersion restraint stress in rats (P < 0.05).