Lipopolysaccharide inhibits osteoblast formation and receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand degradation via autophagy inhibition.

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and Receptor Activator of Nuclear Factor-κB Ligand (RANKL) are the two important factors causing bone loss, which is an important pathogenesis for osteoporosis. However, the relationship between LPS and RANKL is not yet clear. LPS can be involved in the weakened osteoblast formation as an autophagy regulator, and osteoblasts and their precursors are the source cells for RANKL production. Our study aimed to explore the relationship between autophagy changes and RANKL production during LPS-regulated osteoblasts. Our results showed that LPS inhibited autophagy (LC3 conversion and autophagosome formation) and enhanced the protein and mRNA expression of RANKL in MC3T3-E1 osteoblast precursor line. Autophagy upregulation with Rapamycin over BECN1 overexpression rescued LPS-inhibited osteoblast formation and -promoted RANKL protein production in MC3T3-E1 cells. In vivo experiments supported that damaged bone mass, bone microstructure, osteoblastic activity (ALP and P1NP production by ELISA assays) and enhanced RANKL production by LPS administration were partially rescued by Rapamycin application. In conclusion, LPS can inhibit autophagy in osteoblast precursors, thereby inhibiting osteoblast formation and RANKL autophagic degradation.

Physical therapy for acute and sub-acute low back pain: A systematic review and expert consensus.

OBJECTIVE: To review the effectiveness of different physical therapies for acute and sub-acute low back pain supported by evidence, and create clinical recommendations and expert consensus for physiotherapists on clinical prescriptions. DATA SOURCES: A systematic search was conducted in PubMed and the Cochrane Library for studies published within the previous 15 years. REVIEW METHODS: Systematic review and meta-analysis, randomized controlled trials assessing patients with acute and sub-acute low back pain were included. Two reviewers independently screened relevant studies using the same inclusion criteria. The Physiotherapy Evidence Database and the Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews tool were used to grade the quality assessment of randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews, respectively. The final recommendation grades were based on the consensus discussion results of the Delphi of 22 international experts. RESULTS: Twenty-one systematic reviews and 21 randomized controlled trials were included. Spinal manipulative therapy and low-level laser therapy are recommended for acute low back pain. Core stability exercise/motor control, spinal manipulative therapy, and massage can be used to treat sub-acute low back pain. CONCLUSIONS: The consensus statements provided medical staff with appliable recommendations of physical therapy for acute and sub-acute low back pain. This consensus statement will require regular updates after 5-10 years.

[Evaluation of lower limb function and gait characteristics after fibulectomy in adults].

Objective: To explore the effects of fibulectomy on lower limb function and gait of adult patients through gait analysis, in order to provide guidance for clinical treatment. Methods: A clinical data of 24 patients who underwent fibulectomy and met the selection criteria between January 2017 and December 2022 was retrospectively analyzed. There were 12 males and 12 females with an average age of 25 years (range, 18-68 years). The length of fibulectomy was 10-19 cm, with an average of 15 cm. The patients underwent routine rehabilitation training after operation. The occurrence of postoperative complications was recorded, the pain degree of surgical incision was evaluated by visual analogue scale (VAS) score, and the residual fibular bone was reviewed by imaging. A gait test system was used before operation and at 6 months after operation to collect gait data of healthy and affected sides under slow, medium, and fast velocity conditions, including gait parameters (foot rotation angle, step length, support phase, swing phase, gait line length, single support line, maximum force 1, maximum force 2) and the tripod area parameters (maximum pressure, time maximum force, and contact time of forefoot, midfoot, and hindfoot). Results: All incisions healed by first intention after operation. All patients were followed up 1-5 years, with an average of 3 years. The great dorso-extension muscle strength decreased in 3 cases, and the sensory defects in the operative area and distal part occurred in 5 cases. The VAS scores of incisions were 0-6 (mean, 4) at 6 months after operation and 0-5 (mean, 2) at last follow-up. During follow-up, imaging review showed that 5 cases had osteoporotic changes of distal residual bone of the fibula, and the residual segment was shorter and more significant; 3 cases had new bone formation. The results of gait test showed that the gait parameters and the tripod area parameters under the three gait speeds were consistent. There was no significant difference in the gait parameters and the tripod area parameters between the healthy side and the affected side before operation ( P>0.05). Compared with the healthy side, the foot rotation angle, the single support line, the maximum force 1, the maximum force 2, and the maximum pressures of the forefoot and midfoot of the affected side significantly decreased after operation ( P<0.05), and the step length, the time maximum force of midfoot and hindfoot, and the contact time of the forefoot and midfoot significantly increased ( P<0.05). Compared with preoperative conditions on the same side, the foot rotation angle, the gait line length of both sides significantly decreased ( P<0.05), and the maximum pressures of the forefoot, midfoot, and hindfoot and the time maximum force of the midfoot significantly increased ( P<0.05); the step length on healthy side significantly decreased, while the affected side significantly increased ( P<0.05); the maximum force 1 and the maximum force 2 on the healthy side significantly increased, while the affected side significantly decreased ( P<0.05); the single support line on the affected side significantly decreased ( P<0.05). Conclusion: Different degrees of clinical symptoms occurred, gait pattern changes, compensatory gait appears, gait stability decreases, and the risk of tumble increases in adult patients after partial fibulectomy. Therefore, it is recommended to walk slowly after fibulectomy.

Li4 Zn(PO4 )2 :Mn2+ thermosensitive phosphor with dual luminescent centres for optical thermometry.

An optical thermometry strategy based on Mn2+ -doped dual-wavelength emission phosphor has been reported. Samples with different doping content were synthesized through a high-temperature solid-phase method under an air atmosphere. The electronic structure of Li4 Zn(PO4 )2 was calculated using density functional theory, revealing it to be a direct band gap material with an energy gap of 4.708 eV. Moreover, the emitting bands of Mn2+ at 530 and 640 nm can be simultaneously observed when using 417 nm as the exciting wavelength. This is due to the occupation of Mn2+ at the Zn2+ site and the interstitial site. Further analysis was conducted on the temperature-dependent emission characteristics of the sample in the range 293-483 K. Mn2+ has different responses to temperature at different doping sites in Li4 Zn(PO4 )2 . Based on the calculations using the fluorescence intensity ratio technique, the maximum relative sensitivity at a temperature of 483 K was determined to be 1.69% K-1 , while the absolute sensitivity was found to be 0.12% K-1 . The results showed that the Li4 Zn(PO4 )2 :Mn2+ phosphor has potential application in optical thermometry.

Optimising cervical cancer screening during pregnancy: a study of liquid-based cytology and HPV DNA co-test.

This study assessed the efficacy of ThinPrep cytologic test and human papillomavirus (HPV) co-test in cervical cancer screening during pregnancy. A cohort of 8,712 pregnant women from Ren Ji Hospital participated in the study. Among them, 601 (6.90%) tested positive for high-risk HPV (HR-HPV) and 38 (0.44%) exhibited abnormal cytology results (ASCUS+). Following positive HR-HPV findings, 423 patients underwent colposcopy, and 114 individuals suspected of having high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion and cervical cancer (HSIL+) underwent cervical biopsy. Histological examination revealed 60 cases of normal pathology (52.63%), 35 cases of low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (30.70%), 17 cases of HSIL (14.91%), and 2 cases of cervical cancer (1.75%). The incidence of HSIL+ in HPV 16/18 group was significantly higher than that in non-HPV16/18 group (10.53% vs. 6.14%, P < 0.05). Subsequent evaluation of the clinical performance of cytology alone, primary HPV screening, and co-testing for HSIL+ detection revealed that the HSIL+ detection rate was lowest with cytology alone. These findings suggest that HPV testing, either alone or combined with cytology, presents an efficient screening strategy for pregnant women, underscoring the potential for improved sensitivity in cervical cancer screening during pregnancy. The significantly higher incidence of HSIL+ in the HPV16/18 group emphasizes the importance of genotype-specific considerations.

Effects of operating room nursing intervention on wound infection in patients undergoing ovarian cysts surgery: A meta-analysis.

We conducted this study aimed to explore the effect of operating room nursing intervention on wound infection in patients undergoing ovarian cysts surgery. A computer system was used to search PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Wanfang, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases, from database inception to October 2023, for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) on the application of operating room nursing intervention to ovarian cyst surgery. Literature that met the requirements was independently screened by two researchers, and data were extracted and assessed for literature quality. RevMan 5.4 software was applied for data analysis. Fifteen RCTs involving 1187 patients were finally included. The analyses revealed that, compared with routine nursing, the implementation of operating room nursing intervention had a significant advantage in reducing the incidence of wound infections (1.17% vs. 5.44%, odds ratio [OR]: 0.30, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.15-0.58, p = 0.0004) and postoperative complications (6.34% vs. 25.17%, OR: 0.20, 95%CI: 0.13-0.29, p < 0.00001), as well as being able to shorten the operative time (standardised mean difference [SMD]: -3.93, 95%CI: -5.67 to -2.20, p < 0.00001), hospital length of stay (SMD: -2.54, 95%CI: -3.19 to -1.89, p < 0.00001) and gastrointestinal recovery time (SMD: -1.61, 95%CI: -2.24 to -0.98, p < 0.00001) in patients undergoing ovarian cysts surgery. This study confirmed by meta-analysis that the operating room nursing intervention can significantly reduce the incidence of wound infection and complications, shorten the operative time, gastrointestinal recovery time, and hospital length of stay after ovarian cyst surgery.

High expression of ACKR1 predicts a good prognosis and suppresses sarcoma cell progression via regulating the tumor immune microenvironment.

Sarcoma is a malignant tumor originating from mesenchymal tissue with a poor prognosis. Atypical chemokine receptor 1 (ACKR1) is found closely related to cancer progression. However, the effects of ACKR1 in soft tissue sarcoma have not been well investigated. Therefore, our present study is devoted to analyze the functions of ACKR1 in sarcoma progression and its potential mechanism. We detected the expression of ACKR1 in the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)-pan-cancer database, TCGA-Sarcoma from TCGA databases, and GSE21122 from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. The relationships between ACKR1 expression, clinicopathological data, and survival status were evaluated in the TCGA-Sarcoma database. Moreover, overexpression negative control (OE-NC) and overexpression ACKR1 (OE-ACKR1) were used to further verify the effects of ACKR1 overexpression in the progression of sarcoma cells by using Reverse Transcription-Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR), cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), 5-Ethyny-2'-Deoxyuridine (EdU), wound healing, transwell assay, and flow cytometry assays. Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) analyses were carried out to explore the potential enriched biological process of ACKR1 expression in sarcoma. Furthermore, tumor-immune system interactions databases (TISIDB) were applied to further confirm the relations between ACKR1 and tumor immune microenvironment in sarcoma. Our study found that ACKR1 is downregulated in multiple cancers (including sarcoma), and low expression of ACKR1 is related to poor survival status in sarcoma. The biological experiments found that promoting expression of ACKR1 can suppress sarcoma cell proliferation, migration, invasion, promote cell apoptosis, and arrest cell cycle. The GO-KEGG, GSEA, and TISIDB analysis showed that ACKR1 is related to the tumor immune microenvironment. In conclusion, low expression of ACKR1 presented as an independent prognostic biomarker in sarcoma. Overexpression of ACKR1 can significantly suppress cell progression ability in sarcoma by regulating the immune microenvironment.

Considerable effects of lateralization and aging in intracortical excitation and inhibition.

Introduction: Findings based on the use of transcranial magnetic stimulation and electromyography (TMS-EMG) to determine the effects of motor lateralization and aging on intracortical excitation and inhibition in the primary motor cortex (M1) are inconsistent in the literature. TMS and electroencephalography (TMS-EEG) measures the excitability of excitatory and inhibitory circuits in the brain cortex without contamination from the spine and muscles. This study aimed to investigate the effects of motor lateralization (dominant and non-dominant hemispheres) and aging (young and older) and their interaction effects on intracortical excitation and inhibition within the M1 in healthy adults, measured using TMS-EMG and TMS-EEG. Methods: This study included 21 young (mean age = 28.1 ± 3.2 years) and 21 older healthy adults (mean age = 62.8 ± 4.2 years). A battery of TMS-EMG measurements and single-pulse TMS-EEG were recorded for the bilateral M1. Results: Two-way repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to investigate lateralization and aging and the lateralization-by-aging interaction effect on neurophysiological outcomes. The non-dominant M1 presented a longer cortical silent period and larger amplitudes of P60, N100, and P180. Corticospinal excitability in older participants was significantly reduced, as supported by a larger resting motor threshold and lower motor-evoked potential amplitudes. N100 amplitudes were significantly reduced in older participants, and the N100 and P180 latencies were significantly later than those in young participants. There was no significant lateralization-by-aging interaction effect in any outcome. Conclusion: Lateralization and aging have independent and significant effects on intracortical excitation and inhibition in healthy adults. The functional decline of excitatory and inhibitory circuits in the M1 is associated with aging.

Acute intestinal pseudo-obstruction secondary to Sjogren's syndrome in pregnancy: a case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Intestinal pseudo-obstruction (IPO) is a rare disease, and its clinical manifestations can resemble mechanical intestinal obstruction leading to unnecessary and potentially harmful surgery. Certain autoimmune diseases have been associated with IPO, however, cases secondary to Sjögren's syndrome (SjS) are especially rare. CASE PRESENTATION: We described the first case of SjS-associated acute IPO in pregnancy, which was successfully treated with combined immunosuppressive therapy and resulted in an uneventful caesarean delivery. CONCLUSIONS: Women with SjS is likely to experience more complications during pregnancy, and IPO rather than the classic symptoms could be the first sign of SjS flares. IPO should be suspected in patients with unrelenting symptoms of small bowel obstruction, and a multidisciplinary approach can provide optimal management of such high-risk pregnancies.

Control of lupus activity during pregnancy via the engagement of IgG sialylation: novel crosstalk between IgG sialylation and pDC functions.

Immunoglobulin (IgG) glycosylation affects the effector functions of IgG in a myriad of biological processes and has been closely associated with numerous autoimmune diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), thus underlining the pathogenic role of glycosylation aberration in autoimmunity. This study aims to explore the relationship between IgG sialylation patterns and lupus pregnancy. Relative to that in serum samples from the control cohort, IgG sialylation level was aberrantly downregulated in serum samples from the SLE cohort at four stages (from preconception to the third trimester of pregnancy) and was significantly associated with lupus activity and fetal loss during lupus pregnancy. The type I interferon signature of pregnant patients with SLE was negatively correlated with the level of IgG sialylation. The lack of sialylation dampened the ability of IgG to suppress the functions of plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs). RNA-seq analysis further revealed that the expression of genes associated with the spleen tyrosine kinase (SYK) signaling pathway significantly differed between IgG- and deSia-IgG-treated pDCs. This finding was confirmed by the attenuation of the ability to phosphorylate SYK and BLNK in deSia-IgG. Finally, the coculture of pDCs isolated from pregnant patients with SLE with IgG/deSia-IgG demonstrated the sialylation-dependent anti-inflammatory function of IgG. Our findings suggested that IgG influences lupus activity through regulating pDCs function via the modulation of the SYK pathway in a sialic acid-dependent manner.

Dual-emitting temperature dependent material based on Bi3+/Eu3+ co-activated Ba2Y2Si4O13 phosphor with multicolor anti-counterfeiting.

Bi3+, Eu3+ co-doped Ba2Y2Si4O13 phosphors with multi-color luminescence properties were prepared by high temperature solid state method. The structure, luminescent properties and temperature characteristics were studied by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, fluorescence spectrum and temperature-dependence of emission spectrum. Ba2Y2Si4O13: Bi3+, Eu3+ phosphors can emit color from cyan to red when the excitation wavelength was changed from 340 nm to 390 nm, which is attributed to that there are two Bi3+ ion emission centers, and their emission intensity will change with the change of excitation wavelength. Moreover, the emission of the phosphor has good temperature sensing characteristics, based on the fluorescence intensity ratio of the two blue emission bands of Bi3+ and the red emission peak of Eu3+, a multimode thermometer with high temperature sensitivity was constructed. At the same time, based on the dynamic luminescence characteristics of the phosphor, the dynamic anti-counterfeiting experiments are designed. Therefore, the results show that the material has a bright prospect in the field of temperature sensing and anti-counterfeiting.

Maternal Outcomes Among Pregnant Women With Congenital Heart Disease-Associated Pulmonary Hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Studies focused on pregnant women with congenital heart disease (CHD)-associated pulmonary hypertension (PH) are scarce and limited by small sample sizes and single-center design. This study sought to describe the pregnancy outcomes in women with CHD with and without PH. METHODS: Outcomes for pregnant women with CHD were evaluated retrospectively from 1993 to 2016 and prospectively from 2017 to 2019 from 7 tertiary hospitals. PH was diagnosed on the basis of echocardiogram or catheterization. The incidence of maternal death, cardiac complications, and obstetric and offspring complications was compared for women with CHD and no PH, mild, and moderate-to-severe PH. RESULTS: A total of 2220 pregnant women with CHD had completed pregnancies. PH associated with CHD was identified in 729 women, including 398 with mild PH (right ventricle to right atrium gradient 30-50 mm Hg) and 331 with moderate-to-severe PH (right ventricle to right atrium gradient >50 mm Hg). Maternal mortality occurred in 1 (0.1%), 0, and 19 (5.7%) women with CHD and no, mild, or moderate-to-severe PH, respectively. Of the 729 patients with PH, 619 (85%) had CHD-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension, and 110 (15%) had other forms of PH. Overall, patients with mild PH had better maternal outcomes than those with moderate-to-severe PH, including the incidence of maternal mortality or heart failure (7.8% versus 39.6%; P<0.001), other cardiac complications (9.0% versus 32.3%; P<0.001), and obstetric complications (5.3% versus 15.7%; P<0.001). Brain natriuretic peptide >100 ng/L (odds ratio, 1.9 [95% CI, 1.0-3.4], P=0.04) and New York Heart Association class III to IV (odds ratio, 2.9 [95% CI, 1.6-5.3], P<0.001) were independently associated with adverse maternal cardiac events in pregnancy with PH, whereas follow-up with a multidisciplinary team (odds ratio, 0.4 [95% CI, 0.2-0.6], P<0.001) and strict antenatal supervision (odds ratio, 0.5 [95% CI, 0.3-0.7], P=0.001) were protective. CONCLUSIONS: Women with CHD-associated mild PH appear to have better outcomes compared with women with CHD-associated moderate-to-severe PH, and with event rates similar for most outcomes with women with CHD and no PH. Multimodality risk assessment, including PH severity, brain natriuretic peptide level, and New York Heart Association class, may be useful in risk stratification in pregnancy with PH. Follow-up with a multidisciplinary team and strict antenatal supervision during pregnancy may also help to mitigate the risk of adverse maternal cardiac events.

Multidisciplinary approach for the management of term pregnancy complicated by Eisenmenger syndrome.

Pregnancy in patients with Eisenmenger syndrome (ES) is associated with high maternal mortality rates of 30%‒50%, or even up to 65% in the case of a cesarean section (Yuan, 2016). Here, we report a case of term pregnancy complicated with ES and severe pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH), which was managed by a multidisciplinary team (MDT) and resulted in an uncomplicated delivery via elective cesarean section. The goal of this study is to emphasize the importance of multidisciplinary approach in the management of pregnancy with ES, which can profoundly improve maternal and infant outcomes.

[Zn2+-Ge4+] co-substitutes [Ga3+-Ga3+] to coordinately broaden the near-infrared emission of Cr3+ in Ga2O3 phosphors.

Here, a "chemical unit co-substitution" method is used to improve the near-infrared (NIR) emission of phosphors, using [Zn2+-Ge4+] to co-substitute [Ga3+-Ga3+] sites to reduce crystal field splitting to affect the structure of gallium oxide. A series of broadband NIR phosphors are synthesized by a high-temperature solid-phase method, and their phase structures, crystal structures, morphologies, diffuse reflectance spectra, and luminescence lifetimes are investigated. The Ga1.68(Zn-Ge)0.3O3:0.02Cr3+ (GZGOC) phosphor exhibits NIR wide-band emission, with a peak wavelength of 766 nm and a half-width of 138 nm. Meanwhile, the quantum yield of photoluminescence can reach 81.2%. The phosphor has good thermal stability. When the temperature reaches 373 K, its emission intensity still remains at 73.4% of that at room temperature. A 460 nm LED chip and this phosphor are used to fabricate a phosphor-converted light emitting diode (pc-LED) device which can be used as a NIR light source. All these results show the application potential of the as-prepared phosphor in NIR imaging.

Limited evidence of altered gait parameters in people with chronic nonspecific low back pain.

BACKGROUND: Differences in gait parameters have been shown between people with and without low back pain (LBP). However, previous studies did not well control factors such as sex, age, height and walking speed known to influence gait parameters. RESEARCH QUESTION: Is gait altered in people with LBP when sex, age, height and walking speed are controlled? METHODS: A series of gait parameters were measured in 16 participants with LBP and 16 age, sex and height matched healthy controls while walking on an instrumented treadmill. LBP group walked at a comfortable speed whilst control group walked at their own comfortable speed and at the comfortable speed of their matched participants with LBP. Pain and disability were measured for the LBP group. The between-group differences in mean, standard deviation (SD) and coefficient of variation (CV) of gait parameters were tested using paired samples t-test, Wilcoxon signed-rank test or two-factor repeated measures analyses of variance. RESULTS: The median (interquartile range) of pain intensity was 2 (1, 3.5). From 102 tests of between-group difference in mean, SD and CV of 17 gait parameters at both comfortable speed and matched speed walking, only the mean of stride length (p = 0.037) during matched speed walking and SD of single support phase (p = 0.040) during comfortable speed walking showed significant between-group differences. There was no significant between-group difference in the rest means (comfortable walking: p ≥ 0.116; matched speed walking: p ≥ 0.069), SDs (comfortable walking: p ≥ 0.066; matched speed walking: p ≥ 0.098) and CVs of gait parameters (comfortable walking: p ≥ 0.110; matched speed walking: p ≥ 0.121). SIGNIFICANCE: The lack of significant between-group difference in gait parameters may suggest that the gait of people with low level of LBP were not altered when sex, age and height were controlled.

[Difficulties and Confusion Concerning the Management of Hypertensive Disorders in Pregnancy--Interpretation of the Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Hypertensive Disorders in Pregnancy (2020)].

Hypertensive disorder in pregnancy is a disease with diverse clinical manifestations. Herein, we provided interpretations for "The Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Hypertensive Disorders in Pregnancy in China (2020 Edition)" and discussed the difficulties and confusion encountered in the management of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy in combination with clinical practice. Lowering blood pressure is the most important treatment and maintaining a stable target blood pressure can reduce damage to organ functions and is beneficial to fetal growth. When applying magnesium sulfate, attention should be paid to the indications and contraindications. Attention should be paid to hypoproteinemia in patients tested positive for proteinuria. There should be dynamic evaluation of the functions of maternal vital organs, fetal growth and development, fetal well-being and intrauterine safety, and determination of the appropriate timing of the termination of pregnancy, so as to ensure maternal and fetal safety. Attention should be paid to maternal high-risk factors, if early prediction and prevention are to be accomplished in order to reduce the incidence and severity of the disease.

Effects of Photobiomodulation and Low-Intensity Stretching on Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness: A Randomized Control Trial.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effects of photobiomodulation (PBM), low-intensity stretching, and their combination on delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) in the untrained population. The relationships between DOMS and muscle function and functional performance were also tested. Methods: Fifty-four participants were randomized into four groups. Eccentric exercise was used to induce DOMS. Each group received either no treatment, PBM, stretching or PBM combined with stretching at 24, 48, and 72 h postexercise. Pressure pain threshold (PPT), numerical rating scale (NRS), single-leg forward jump (SLFJ), and maximum isometric voluntary contraction (MIVC) were measured at baseline, 24, 48, 72, and 96 h after eccentric exercise. Between-group differences were tested using two-way repeated measures analysis of variance and the relationships between DOMS and MIVC, and SLFJ were examined using Pearson's correlation analysis. Results: The PPT at the vastus medialis and vastus lateral in the PBM combined with stretching group was significantly lower than that in control group at 72 h (p = 0.045) and 48 h (p = 0.037) postexercise. No significant between-group difference in PPT was found for the rest occasions. There was no significant between-group difference in NRS, MVIC, and SLFJ on any occasion (p ≥ 0.052). DOMS was not correlated with MIVC and SLFJ (p ≥ 0.09). Conclusions: PBM or low-intensity stretching did not affect DOMS and functional performance in untrained individuals. The combination of PBM and low-intensity stretching increased pain sensitivity and did not relieve soreness. The DOMS was not associated with either muscle function or functional performance.

Cerebral venous thrombosis as a rare cause of nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy: Case series in a single referral center and literature review.

Objectives: Cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) in early pregnancy is extremely rare and evidence limited to only a few published reports. This study aims to present our experience and summarize the available literature to further elucidate the clinical manifestations, treatment, and outcomes of CVT in early pregnancy. Methods: A retrospective case series of seven patients diagnosed with CVT in early pregnancy (<12 weeks of gestations) in a tertiary referral center (2018-2021), along with a review of published literature. Results: All the patients presented with nausea, vomiting, headaches, and neurological symptoms including aphasia (n = 5, 71.4%), limb weakness (n = 4, 57.1%), seizures (n = 2, 28.6%), altered mental status (n = 3, 42.9%), and blurred vision (n = 2, 28.6%). All the patients were diagnosed with CVT by neuroimaging, which revealed various extents of sinus involvement, with the transverse sinus being the most common site (n = 7, 100%) followed by the sigmoid sinus (n = 5, 71.4%). All the patients received subcutaneous low-molecular-weight heparin once the diagnosis was confirmed. Two patients with rapid deterioration underwent venous thrombectomy, and one patient subsequently underwent decompressive craniotomy but died despite the above interventions. All the other patients proceeded with induced abortion after stabilization and were discharged on oral anticoagulation for 1 year. On the 12-month follow-up, the MRI/magnetic resonance venography (MRV) revealed recanalization of sinuses and resolution of thrombi. Conclusions: Cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) in early pregnancy represents a diagnostic challenge given its rarity and nonspecific overlapping clinical features with nausea and vomiting of pregnancy/hyperemesis gravidarum (NVP/HG), which could lead to delay in diagnosis and result in rapid deterioration. Persistent or aggravating headaches combined with other focalizing neurological symptoms in NVP/HG patients could be an initial sign of CVT. Urgent MRI/MRV remains the cornerstone for diagnosis, and immediate anticoagulation is the key for disease prognosis. Glasgow coma scale (GCS) evaluation on admission is probably correlated with the prognosis. Early pregnancy combined with CVT is not a contraindication of continued pregnancy.

Biological activity reduction and mitochondrial and lysosomal dysfunction of mesenchymal stem cells aging in vitro.

BACKGROUND: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been extensively used for the treatment of various diseases in preclinical and clinical trials. In vitro propagation is needed to attain enough cells for clinical use. However, cell aging and viability reduction caused by long-time culture have not been thoroughly investigated, especially for the function of mitochondria and lysosomes. Therefore, this study was designed to detect mitochondrial and lysosomal activity, morphological and functional changes in human umbilical cord MSCs (UMSCs) after long-time culture. METHODS: First, we examined cell activities, including proliferation and immigration ability, differentiation potential, and immunosuppressive capacity of UMSCs at an early and late passages as P4 (named UMSC-P4) and P9 (named UMSC-P9), respectively. Then, we compared the mitochondrial morphology of UMSC-P4 and UMSC-P9 using the electronic microscope and MitoTracker Red dyes. Furthermore, we investigated mitochondrial function, including mitochondrial membrane potential, antioxidative ability, apoptosis, and ferroptosis detected by respective probe. Cell energy metabolism was tested by mass spectrometry. In addition, we compared the lysosomal morphology of UMSC-P4 and UMSC-P9 by electronic microscope and lysoTracker Red dyes. Finally, the transcriptome sequence was performed to analyze the total gene expression of these cells. RESULTS: It was found that UMSC-P9 exhibited a reduced biological activity and showed an impaired mitochondrial morphology with disordered structure,  reduced mitochondrial crista, and mitochondrial fragments. They also displayed decreased mitochondrial membrane potential, antioxidative ability, tricarboxylic acid cycle activity and energy production. At the same time, apoptosis and ferroptosis were increased. In addition, UMSC-P9, relative to UMSC-P4, showed undegraded materials in their lysosomes, the enhancement in lysosomal membrane permeability, the reduction in autophagy and phagocytosis. Moreover, transcriptome sequence analysis also revealed a reduction of cell function, metabolism, mitochondrial biogenesis, DNA replication and repair, and an increase of gene expression related to cell senescence, cancer, diseases, and infection in UMSC-P9. CONCLUSION: This study indicates that in vitro long-time culturing of MSCs can cause mitochondrial and lysosomal dysfunction, probably contributing to the decline of cell activity and cell aging. Therefore, the morphology and function of mitochondria and lysosomes can be regarded as two important parameters to monitor cell viability, and they can also serve as two important indicators for optimizing in vitro culture conditions.