Near-infrared Absorption and Emission Probes with Optimal Connection Bridges for Live Monitoring of NAD(P)H Dynamics in Living Systems.

Two NAD(P)H-biosensing probes consisting of 1,3,3-trimethyl-3H-indolium and 3-quinolinium acceptors, linked by thiophene, A, and 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene, B, bridges are detailed. We synthesized probes C and D, replacing the thiophene connection in probe A with phenyl and 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole units, respectively. Probe E was prepared by substituting probe A's 3-quinolinium unit with a 1-methylquinoxalin-1-ium unit. Solutions are non-fluorescent but in the presence of NADH, exhibit near-infrared fluorescence at 742.1 nm and 727.2 nm for probes A and B, respectively, and generate absorbance signals at 690.6 nm and 685.9 nm. In contrast, probes C and D displayed pronounced interference from NADH fluorescence at 450 nm, whereas probe E exhibited minimal fluorescence alterations in response to NAD(P)H. Pre-treatment of A549 cells with glucose in the presence of probe A led to a significant increase in fluorescence intensity. Additionally, subjecting probe A to lactate and pyruvate molecules resulted in opposite changes in NAD(P)H levels, with lactate causing a substantial increase in fluorescence intensity, conversely, pyruvate resulted in a sharp decrease. Treatment of A549 cells with varying concentrations of the drugs cisplatin, gemcitabine, and camptothecin (5, 10, and 20 µM) led to a concentration-dependent increase in intracellular fluorescence intensity, signifying a rise in NAD(P)H levels. Finally, fruit fly larvae were treated with different concentrations of NADH and cisplatin illustrating applicability to live organisms. The results demonstrated a direct correlation between fluorescence intensity and the concentration of NADH and cisplatin, respectively, further confirming the efficacy of probe A in sensing changes in NAD(P)H levels within a whole organism.

Burden of neck pain in general population of China, 1990-2019: An analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019.

Background: Neck pain has become very common in China and has greatly affected individuals, families, and society in general. In this study, we aimed to report on the rates and trends of the prevalence, incidence, and years lived with disability (YLDs) caused by neck pain in the general population of China from 1990 to 2019. Methods: We used data from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2019 (GBD 2019) study to estimate the number and age standardised rates per 100 000 population of neck pain point prevalence, annual incidence, and YLDs in 33 provinces/municipalities/autonomous regions of China, stratified by age, sex, and sociodemographic index (SDI) from 1990 to 2019. We then compared these estimates with other G20 countries. Results: There were 6.80 × 107 patients with neck pain in 2019, presenting an increase from 3.79 × 107 in 1990. Likewise, the national age-standardised point prevalence increased slightly from 3.53% in 1990 to 3.57% in 2019. The YLDs increased by 78.08%, from 3814 × 103 in 1990 to 6792 × 103 in 2019. The age-standardised YLDs rate increased 1.50% from 352.84 in 1990 to 358.10 in 2019. The point prevalence of neck pain in 2019 was higher in females compared with males. These estimates were all above the global average level and increased more rapidly among G20 countries from 1990 to 2019. We generally observed a positive association between age-standardised YLD rates for neck pain and SDI, suggesting the burden is higher at higher sociodemographic indices. Conclusions: Neck pain is a serious public health problem in the general population in China, especially in its central and western regions, with an overall increasing trend in the last three decades. This is possibly related to changes of people's lifestyles and work patterns due to improvements in societal well-being and technology. Raising awareness of risk factors for neck pain in the general population and establishing effective preventive and treatment strategies could help reduce the future burden of neck disorders.

Evaluation of three decades of the burden of low back pain in China before COVID-19: Estimates from the Global Burden of Disease Database 2019.

Background: Low back pain (LBP) is reported as an urgent public-health concern globally because it occurs in all age groups and is now the leading cause of disability, with health systems unable to cope with this burden. We present China's burden of LBP by estimating its prevalence and years lived with disability (YLDs) from 1990 to 2019. Methods: We obtained the data relating to LBP from the Global Burden of Disease Database (GBD) 2019. Then we calculated years lived with disability caused by LBP by multiplying the prevalence of LBP sequelae by their corresponding disability weights. We performed an analysis of the age-, sex-, and province-specific prevalence and YLDs of 33 provinces/regions in China, as well as their relationship with the sociodemographic index (SDI). Results: China has the largest numbers of people with LBP (91.3 million) and YLDs (8.6 million) globally, and LBP is the leading cause of YLDs. The age-standardised prevalence was 7.25% in 1990, and this decreased to 5.13% in 2019. The age-standardised YLD rate was 579/100 000 in 2019, having decreased by 28.97%. Both measurements increased with age, being higher in women and varying across the 33 provinces/regions. For the 5-to-14-year age group, the prevalence (4.50%) and YLD rate (4.51%) increased in 2019 from 1990 (3.21% and 3.21%, respectively) when compared to the elderly group. Age-standardised YLD rates experienced decreases with increasing SDI, while there was an increasing tendency as SDI increased further; the changes for women were more obvious. Conclusions: Over the three decades considered, China has continued to have the largest number of people with LBP in the world, even though the age-standardised prevalence has decreased. YLDs were found to decrease as SDI increased, but they subsequently increased again. LBP still presents a burden, particularly for children and postmenopausal women.

Electromagnetically induced transparency enabled by quasi-bound states in the continuum modulated by epsilon-near-zero materials.

Highly tunable electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) with high-quality-factor (Q-factor) excited by combining with the quasi-bound states in the continuum (quasi-BIC) resonances is crucial for many applications. This paper describes all-dielectric metasurface composed of silicon cuboid etched with two rectangular holes into a unit cell and periodically arranged on a SiO2 substrate. By breaking the C2 rotational symmetry of the unit cell, a high-Q factor EIT and double quasi-BIC resonant modes are excited at 1224.3, 1251.9 and 1299.6 nm with quality factors of 7604, 10064 and 15503, respectively. We show that the EIT resonance is caused by destructive interference between magnetic dipole resonances and quasi-BIC dominated by electric quadrupole. Toroidal dipole (TD) and electric quadrupole (EQ) dominate the other two quasi-BICs. The EIT window can be successfully modulated with transmission intensity from 90% to 5% and modulation depths ranging from -17 to 24 dB at 1200-1250 nm by integrating the metasurface with an epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) material indium tin oxide (ITO) film. Our findings pave the way for the development of applications such as optical switches and modulators with many potential applications in nonlinear optics, filters, and multichannel biosensors.

Incidence, prevalence, and causes of spinal injuries in China, 1990-2019: Findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019.

BACKGROUND: Spinal injuries are an urgent public health priority; nevertheless, no China-wide studies of these injuries exist. This study measured the incidence, prevalence, causes, regional distribution, and annual trends of spinal injuries in China from 1990 to 2019. METHODS: We used data from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2019 to estimate the incidence and prevalence of spinal injuries in China. The data of 33 provincial-level administrative regions (excluding Taiwan, China) provided by the National Center for Chronic and Noncommunicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) were use to systematically analyze the provincial etiology, geographical distribution, and annual trends of spinal injuries. The Bayesian meta-regression tool DisMod-MR 2.1 was used to ensure the consistency among incidence, prevalence, and mortality rates in each case. RESULTS: From 1990 to 2019, the number of living patients with spinal injuries in China increased by 138.32%, from 2.14 million to 5.10 million, while the corresponding age-standardized prevalence increased from 0.20% (95% uncertainty interval [UI]: 0.18-0.21%) to 0.27% (95% UI: 0.26-0.29%). The incidence of spinal injuries in China increased by 89.91% (95% UI: 72.39-107.66%), and the prevalence increased by 98.20% (95% UI: 89.56-106.82%), both the most significant increases among the G20 countries; 71.00% of the increase could be explained by age-specific prevalence. In 2019, the incidence was 16.47 (95% UI: 12.08-22.00, per 100,000 population), and the prevalence was 358.30 (95% UI: 333.96-386.62, per 100,000 population). Based on the data of 33 provincial-level administrative regions provided by CDC, age-standardized incidence and prevalence were both highest in developed provinces in Eastern China. The primary causes were falls and road injuries; however, the prevalence and specific causes differed across provinces. CONCLUSIONS: In China, the overall disease burden of spinal injuries increased significantly during the past three decades but varied considerably according to geographical location. The primary causes were falls and road injuries; however, the prevalence and specific causes differed across provinces.

Effect of phenylephrine rescue injection on hypotension after spinal anaesthesia for caesarean delivery when guided by both heart rate and SBP during an early warning window: A randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Spinal anaesthesia is now the most common technique for caesarean delivery. However, because of the intermittent nature of noninvasive blood pressure (NIBP) measurements, maternal blood pressure may become hypotensive between the measurements. There is thus an inbuilt delay before the anaesthesiologist can intervene to counteract the hypotension. Based on the principle that changes in blood pressure can induce compensatory changes in the heart rate (HR), combining the NIBP with real-time HR, we designed two warning windows to predict hypotension and hypertension. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether phenylephrine administration guided by these warning windows would help maintain haemodynamic stability. SETTING: A teaching hospital. DESIGN: A randomised controlled trial. PATIENTS: One hundred and ten pregnant women scheduled for elective caesarean delivery were enrolled, from which, after exclusions, 86 were eligible for the study. INTERVENTIONS: All eligible patients received a continuous intravenous infusion of phenylephrine as soon as spinal anaesthesia was initiated. Thereafter, patients were randomly assigned to two groups. In the test group (Win-Group): rescue phenylephrine administration was triggered by an early warning window of HR above 100 beats per minute (bpm) and SBP 90 to 110 mmHg; pausing the infusion phenylephrine was triggered by a HR lower than 60 bpm and SBP greater than 90 mmHg. In the control group, phenylephrine was guided by BP only when it appeared on the monitor: SBP less than 90 mmHg was the trigger for administering rescue phenylephrine; SBP greater than 110 mmHg was the trigger for pausing the phenylephrine infusion. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was incidence of hypotension. Secondary outcomes were the incidence of hypertension and other adverse haemodynamic events. RESULTS: The incidence of hypotension was significantly lower in the Win-Group than in the BP-Group (27.8 vs. 66.7%, P = 0.001). The minimum SBP was significantly higher in Win-Group than in BP-Group (93.9 ±â€Š9.49 vs. 86.7 ±â€Š11.16 mmHg, P  = 0.004). There was no significant difference in the incidence of hypertension between groups. CONCLUSION: After spinal anaesthesia for caesarean delivery, when phenylephrine infusion is guided by HR along with BP from a warning window it effectively reduces the incidence of hypotension without any significant effect on incidence of hypertension. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chictr.org.cn; Identifier: ChiCTR 2100041812.

Impact of dietary digestible aromatic amino acid levels and stachyose on growth, nutrient utilization, and cecal odorous compounds in broiler chickens.

This study evaluated the impact of dietary digestible aromatic amino acid (DAAA) levels and stachyose on growth, nutrient utilization and cecal odorous compounds in broiler chickens. A 3×2 two-factor factorial design: Three dietary DAAA levels (1.40, 1.54, 1.68%) supplemented with either 5 g/kg of stachyose or without any stachyose were used to create 6 experimental diets. Each diet was fed to 6 replicates of 10 birds from d 22 to 42. Findings revealed that broilers receiving a diet with 1.54% DAAA levels supplemented with 5 g/kg stachyose exhibited a significant boost in average daily gain and improved utilization of crude protein, ether extract, tryptophan, and methionine compared to other diet treatments (P < 0.05). As the dietary DAAA levels increased, there was a significant rise in the concentrations of indole, skatole, p-methylphenol, and butyric acid in the cecum of broilers (P < 0.05). The addition of stachyose to diets reduced concentrations of indole, skatole, phenol, p-methylphenol, acetic acid and propionic acid in the cecum (P < 0.05). The lowest concentrations of indole, phenol, p-methylphenol, volatile fatty acids and pH in cecum of broilers were observed in the treatment which diet DAAA level was 1.40% with stachyose (P < 0.05). In conclusion, dietary DAAA levels and stachyose had significant interactions on the growth, main nutrient utilization and cecal odorous compounds in broilers. The dietary DAAA level was 1.54% with 5 g/kg of stachyose can improve the growth performance, nutrient utilization. However, the dietary DAAA level was 1.40% with stachyose was more beneficial to decrease the cecal odor compound composition in broilers.

Preparation of PEG/P(U-AM-ChCl) composite hydrogels using ternary DES light polymerization and their properties.

Deep eutectic solvents (DES) were prepared using urea (U) and acrylamide (AM) as hydrogen bond donors (HBD) and choline chloride (ChCl) as hydrogen bond acceptor (HBA), and polyethylene glycol (PEG) was selected as a filler and uniformly dispersed in DES to prepare PEG/P(U-AM-ChCl) composite hydrogels by light polymerization. The composite hydrogels were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The effects of the content of PEG on the swelling properties, mechanical properties and fatigue resistance of the composite hydrogels were investigated. The results showed that the compressive strength and fatigue strength of the composite hydrogels were gradually enhanced with the increase of the PEG content in the composite hydrogels, in which the maximum compressive strength of the hydrogels with 1 wt% PEG added was increased by 1.86 times. The composite hydrogel had excellent swelling properties, and the equilibrium swelling degree of the hydrogel with 1 wt% PEG added reached 10.15. Meanwhile, the PEG/P(U-AM-ChCl) composite hydrogel had excellent self-healing properties, and the self-healing rate of the composite hydrogel with a PFG content of 1 wt% could reach 91.93% after 48 hours of healing. This study provides a convenient and efficient method to prepare composite hydrogels with superior swelling properties and self-healing properties.

Enhancing corporate social responsibility in the digital economy era: Evidence from China.

This study examines how the digital economy era has enhanced corporate social responsibility (CSR) in China. Using data from Chinese listed companies (2013-2021) for economic research, an econometric model was constructed to assess CSR's impact on the digital economy. The study findings indicate that the digital economy promotes CSR performance among companies and the influence of the digital economy on CSR performance is pronounced for state-owned and large-scale enterprises. After categorising CSR into three levels: financial, human, and social capital, the results demonstrate that the digital economy continues to facilitate CSR fulfilment across all levels, with the most significant impact observed at the human capital level. Mechanism tests suggest that the digital economy improves CSR fulfilment by alleviating financial constraints, facilitating digital transformation, and enhancing the transparency of internal control information within enterprises.

YTHDC1 delays cellular senescence and pulmonary fibrosis by activating ATR in an m6A-independent manner.

Accumulation of DNA damage in the lung induces cellular senescence and promotes age-related diseases such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Hence, understanding the mechanistic regulation of DNA damage repair is important for anti-aging therapies and disease control. Here, we identified an m6A-independent role of the RNA-binding protein YTHDC1 in counteracting stress-induced pulmonary senescence and fibrosis. YTHDC1 is primarily expressed in pulmonary alveolar epithelial type 2 (AECII) cells and its AECII expression is significantly decreased in AECIIs during fibrosis. Exogenous overexpression of YTHDC1 alleviates pulmonary senescence and fibrosis independent of its m6A-binding ability, while YTHDC1 deletion enhances disease progression in mice. Mechanistically, YTHDC1 promotes the interaction between TopBP1 and MRE11, thereby activating ATR and facilitating DNA damage repair. These findings reveal a noncanonical function of YTHDC1 in delaying cellular senescence, and suggest that enhancing YTHDC1 expression in the lung could be an effective treatment strategy for pulmonary fibrosis.

Characterization of complexes of PF4 and heparins by size-exclusion chromatography coupled with multi-angle light scattering detector.

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is an immune complication of heparin therapy. Antibodies binding to complexes of platelet factor 4 (PF4) and heparin is the trigger of HIT. A method using size exclusion chromatography with multi-angle laser light scattering detector (SEC-MALS) was developed in this work. The soluble ultra-large complex (ULC) was separated from the small complex (SC) and their molecular weights (MWs) were firstly measured. The complexes of PF4 and three heparins with different MW, including unfractionated heparin (UFH), dalteparin (Daltep) and enoxaparin (Eno) were characterized using this method. The contents and the sizes of ULC increased gradually when heparins were added to PF4 to certain amounts. While, they reduced after more heparins were added. It is the first time to measure the MWs of the biggest ULC of PF4-heparins as millions of Dalton. at the proper ratios of PF4 to heparin (PHR). Meanwhile, those mixtures at those certain PHRs induced the higher expression of CD83 and CD14 markers on dendritic cells (DCs) suggesting that they had stronger immunogenicity and is critical for HIT.

Sensitive monitoring of NAD(P)H levels within cancer cells using mitochondria-targeted near-infrared cyanine dyes with optimized electron-withdrawing acceptors.

A series of near-infrared fluorescent probes, labeled A to E, were developed by combining electron-rich thiophene and 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene bridges with 3-quinolinium and various electron deficient groups, enabling the sensing of NAD(P)H. Probes A and B exhibit absorptions and emissions in the near-infrared range, offering advantages such as minimal interference from autofluorescence, negligible photo impairment in cells and tissues, and exceptional tissue penetration. These probes show negligible fluorescence when NADH is not present, and their absorption maxima are at 438 nm and 470 nm, respectively. In contrast, probes C-E feature absorption maxima at 450, 334 and 581 nm, respectively. Added NADH triggers the transformation of the electron-deficient 3-quinolinium units into electron-rich 1,4-dihydroquinoline units resulting in fluorescence responses which were established at 748, 730, 575, 625 and 661 for probes AH-EH, respectively, at detection limits of 0.15 µM and 0.07 µM for probes A and B, respectively. Optimized geometries based on theoretical calculations reveal non-planar geometries for probes A-E due to twisting of the 3-quinolinium and benzothiazolium units bonded to the central thiophene group, which all attain planarity upon addition of hydride resulting in absorption and fluorescence in the near-IR region for probes AH and BH in contrast to probes CH-EH which depict fluorescence in the visible range. Probe A has been successfully employed to monitor NAD(P)H levels in glycolysis and specific mitochondrial targeting. Furthermore, it has been used to assess the influence of lactate and pyruvate on the levels of NAD(P)H, to explore how hypoxia in cancer cells can elevate levels of NAD(P)H, and to visualize changes in levels of NAD(P)H under hypoxic conditions with CoCl2 treatment. Additionally, probe A has facilitated the examination of the potential impact of chemotherapy drugs, namely gemcitabine, camptothecin, and cisplatin, on metabolic processes and energy generation within cancer cells by affecting NAD(P)H levels. Treatment of A549 cancer cells with these drugs has been shown to increase NAD(P)H levels, which may contribute to their anticancer effects ultimately leading to programmed cell death or apoptosis. Moreover, probe A has been successfully employed in monitoring NAD(P)H level changes in D. melanogaster larvae treated with cisplatin.

Adjacent segment degeneration after single- and double-level cervical total disc replacement: a cohort with an over 12-year follow-up.

PURPOSE: To characterize the change of adjacent segment degeneration (ASD) after cervical total disc replacement (CTDR) with more than 12-year follow-up, and identify the risk factors for ASD. METHOD: This process included 75 patients underwent CTDR from February 2004 to December 2012, with the follow-up of 151.9 ± 36.0 (m). The artificial disc included ProDisc-C, Prestige-LP and Mobi-C. ASD was followed up at 1 week, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, 5 years, 10 years after CTDR and at the endpoint of June 2022. The radiographic measurements were cervical mobility, intervertebral disc height (IDH), cervical lordosis and balance status. The complications were implant migration, subsidence and heterotopic ossification (HO). RESULTS: Cervical mobility in adjacent segments, IDH and lordosis showed no statistical differences between ASD and NASD group. Balance status, subsidence and migration showed no relationship with ASD. Postoperative ASD increased at 6 m and especially between 6 m to 2y. There was no difference between the incidence of upper ASD and lower ASD all the time and few ASD-related reoperation. The majority of adjacent segments were C4/5 (33.6%) and C6/7 (34.2%), and ASD of C5/6 had the highest incidence (61.5%). Cox regression showed ASD was not related to the types of prosthesis or operated numbers. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) analysis showed severe HO had a higher (2.68 times) probability to suffer from ASD. CONCLUSIONS: After over 12-year follow-up of CTDR, the occurrence of ASD and HO had temporal synchronization. ASD was not merely a natural progression but with the pathological process such as HO.

A novel classification that defines the normal cervical spine: an analysis based on 632 asymptomatic Chinese volunteers.

PURPOSE: The "normal" cervical spine may be non-lordotic shapes and the cervical spine alignment targets are less well established. So, the study was to propose novel classification for cervical spine morphologies with Chinese asymptomatic subjects, and to address cervical balance status based on the classification. METHOD: An overall 632 asymptomatic individuals on cervical spine were selected from January 2020 to December 2022, with six age groups from 20-30 year to 70 plus group. Cervical alignment contained C2-7 cervical lordosis (C2-7 CL) and T1 slope (T1S), together with C1-2 CL, C2-4 CL, C5-7 CL, C2S, cervical sagittal vertical axis (CSVA), thoracic inlet angle (TIA) and neck tilt (NT). C2-7 cervical lordosis was regarded as primary outcomes. To identify groups with similar cervical alignment parameters, a 2-step cluster analysis was performed. RESULTS: C2-7 CL, T1S, CSVA, TIA and NT increased by age and mean value of them were larger in male than female group. Four unique clusters of female lordotic cluster, female kyphotic cluster, male lordotic cluster and male kyphotic cluster were classified mainly based on gender and C2-C7 CL. T1S was the independent influencing factor for C2-7 CL in all individuals and C2-7 CL = -28.65 + 0.57 × TIA, which varied from clusters. Although interactions among cervical parameters, it showed the alignment was more coordinated in lordotic groups. CONCLUSIONS: The cervical sagittal profile varied with age and gender. Four clusters were naturally classified based on C2-7 CL and gender. The cervical balance status was addressed by C2-7 CL = - 28.65 + 0.57 × TIA.

SIRT1 safeguards adipogenic differentiation by orchestrating anti-oxidative responses and suppressing cellular senescence.

Adipose tissue is an important endocrine organ that regulates metabolism, immune response and aging in mammals. Healthy adipocytes promote tissue homeostasis and longevity. SIRT1, a conserved NAD+-dependent deacetylase, negatively regulates adipogenic differentiation by deacetylating and inhibiting PPAR-γ. However, knocking out SIRT1 in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in mice not only causes defects in osteogenesis, but also results in the loss of adipose tissues, suggesting that SIRT1 is also important for adipogenic differentiation.Here, we report that severe impairment of SIRT1 function in MSCs caused significant defects and cellular senescence during adipogenic differentiation. These were observed only when inhibiting SIRT1 during adipogenesis, not when SIRT1 inhibition was imposed before or after adipogenic differentiation. Cells generate high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) during adipogenic differentiation. Inhibiting SIRT1 during differentiation resulted in impaired oxidative stress response. Increased oxidative stress with H2O2 or SOD2 knockdown phenocopied SIRT1 inhibition. Consistent with these observations, we found increased p16 levels and senescence associated ß-galactosidase activities in the inguinal adipose tissue of MSC-specific SIRT1 knockout mice. Furthermore, previously identified SIRT1 targets involved in oxidative stress response, FOXO3 and SUV39H1 were both required for healthy adipocyte formation during differentiation. Finally, senescent adipocytes produced by SIRT1 inhibition showed decreased Akt phosphorylation in response to insulin, a lack of response to adipocytes browning signals, and increased survival for cancer cells under chemotherapy drug treatments. These findings suggest a novel safeguard function for SIRT1 in regulating MSC adipogenic differentiation, distinct from its roles in suppressing adipogenic differentiation.

Transplantation of Gelatin Microspheres Loaded with Wharton's Jelly Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Facilitates Cartilage Repair in Mice.

BACKGROUND: Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a prevalent chronic joint disease caused by various factors. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) therapy is an increasingly promising therapeutic option for osteoarthritis. However, the chronic inflammation of knee joint can severely impede the therapeutic effects of transplanted cells. Gelatin microspheres (GMs) are degradable biomaterial that have various porosities for cell adhesion and cell-cell interaction. Excellent elasticity and deformability of GMs make it an excellent injectable vehicle for cell delivery. METHODS: We created Wharton's jelly derived mesenchymal stem cells (WJMSCs)-GMs complexes and assessed the effects of GMs on cell activity, proliferation and chondrogenesis. Then, WJMSCs loaded in GMs were transplanted in the joint of osteoarthritis mice. After four weeks, joint tissue was collected for histological analysis. Overexpressing-luciferase WJMSCs were performed to explore cell retention in mice. RESULTS: In vitro experiments demonstrated that WJMSCs loaded with GMs maintained cell viability and proliferative potential. Moreover, GMs enhanced the chondrogenesis differentiation of WJMSCs while alleviated cell hypertrophy. In KOA mice model, transplantation of WJMSCs-GMs complexes promoted cartilage regeneration and cartilage matrix formation, contributing to the treatment of KOA. Compared with other groups, in WJMSCs+GMs group, there were fewer cartilage defects and with a more integrated tibia structure. Tracking results of stable-overexpressing luciferase WJMSCs demonstrated that GMs significantly extended the retention time of WJMSCs in knee joint cavity. CONCLUSION: Our results indicated that GMs facilitate WJMSCs mediated knee osteoarthritis healing in mice by promoting cartilage regeneration and prolonging cell retention. It might potentially provide an optimal strategy for the biomaterial-stem cell based therapy for knee osteoarthritis.

MWCNTs Alleviated saline-alkali stress by optimizing photosynthesis and sucrose metabolism in rice seedling.

Saline and alkali stress affects the growth and development, survival rate, and final yield of rice, while new nano materials can have a positive effect on rice growth. In order to investing the effects of carboxymethyl multi walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) on the growth and development of rice seedlings under salt alkali stress, rice seedlings were cultured using rice variety "Songjing 3" using nutrient solution water culture method. The effects of MWCNTs on water absorption capacity, leaf photosynthesis, and sucrose metabolism of rice seedlings under 50 mmol/L saline-alkali stress (1NaCl: 9Na2SO4: 9NaHCO3: 1Na2CO3) conditions were investigated. The results showed that MWCNTs can improve the water use ability of roots and leaves, especially the water absorption ability of roots, which provides a guarantee for the improvement of rice biomass and the enhancement of leaf photosynthetic capacity under adverse conditions. After treatment with MWCNTs, the photosynthetic rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (gs), and transpiration rate (Tr) of leaves increased significantly, and the photochemical quenching value (qP), photochemical quantum efficiency value (Fv/Fm), and electron transfer rate value (ETR) of chlorophyll fluorescence parameters increased significantly, which is beneficial to the improvement of the PSII photosynthetic system. MWCNTs treatment promoted the increase of photosynthetic pigment content in leaves under salt and alkali stress, improved the ratio of Chla and Chlb parameters, increased the activities of key photosynthetic enzymes (RUBPCase and PEPCase) in leaves, increased the value of total lutein cycle pool (VAZ), and significantly enhanced the deepoxidation effect of lutein cycle (DEPS), which can effectively alleviate the stomatal and non stomatal constraints on leaf photosynthesis caused by salt and alkali stress. MWCNTs treatment significantly enhanced the activities of sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS) and sucrose synthase (SS) under salt and alkali stress, and decreased the activities of soluble acid invertase (SAInv) and alkaline/neutral invertase (A/N-Inv), indicating that MWCNTs promoted sucrose synthesis while inhibiting sucrose decomposition, thereby promoting sucrose accumulation in rice leaves. This study can provide theoretical and experimental basis for the application of MWCNTs to the production of rice under salt and alkali stress, and can find a new way for rice production in saline and alkaline lands.

Enzymolytic soybean meal improves growth performance, economic efficiency and organ development associated with cecal fermentation and microbiota in broilers offered low crude protein diets.

The objective of this experiment was to determine the effect of low crude protein (CP) diets containing increasing amounts of enzymolytic soybean meal (ESBM) on growth performance, economic benefit and organ development and the role of cecal fermentation and microbiota in broilers. A total of 360 one-day-old Arbor Acres chicks were randomly allocated into 6 groups with 6 replicates and 10 chicks each. The six dietary treatments consisted of a standard high-CP diet (PC), a low-CP diet (NC), and an NC diet with 0.5, 1.0, 1.5%, or 2.0% ESBM. The experiment lasted for 42 days. Compared to PC, NC showed decreased (p < 0.05) average daily gain (ADG) in broilers from 22 to 42 days and from 1 to 42 days, while increasing levels of ESBM quadratically increased (p < 0.05) ADG from 1 to 42 days. Feed cost and total revenue in the NC were lower (p < 0.05) than that in the PC, while supplementation with ESBM in the NC linearly increased (p < 0.05) net profit and economic efficiency in broilers. There were significant differences (p < 0.05) in the liver, proventriculus and gizzard indices between the PC and NC groups, and supplementation with ESBM linearly increased (p < 0.05) the relative weights of liver, pancreas, proventriculus and gizzard in broilers at 42 days of age. The PC group had a higher cecal acetic acid concentration at 21 days and propionic acid concentration at both 21 and 42 days than the NC group (p < 0.05). Cecal acetic acid and propionic acid concentrations linearly increased (p < 0.05) with increasing levels of ESBM in broilers at 42 days of age. No significant differences in ACE, Chao1, Shannon and Simpson indices were observed among groups (p > 0.05), while the cecal abundances of Bacteroides, Faecalibacterium and Clostridium IV increased (p < 0.05) with the increasing level of ESBM in the low-CP diets. In conclusion, feeding ESBM improved economic efficiency, digestive organ development, cecal fermentation and microbial community composition, and up to 2.0% ESBM addition had no negative effect on the growth performance in broilers fed low CP diets.

The impact of aerobic exercise on health-related quality of life among patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis.

To investigate the effect of exercise on cardiopulmonary function and the life quality of maintenance hemodialysis patients. Eighty-four patients who underwent maintenance hemodialysis treatment for more than 3 months were randomly divided into experimental group and control group. The general data and nutritional indexes, including hemoglobin and plasma albumin, before and after the experiment. The differences in lung function, cardiac ultrasound, cardiopulmonary function, exercise endurance between the 2 groups before and after intervention were compared. The short form 36-item health survey (SF-36) and self-rating depression scale (SDS) were assessed. In our study, the experimental group had better Force vital capacity (FVC) and peak expiratory flow (PEF) after the intervention compared to the control group (P < .05). Anaerobic threshold and 6-minute walk test (6MWT) improved significantly in the experimental group (P < .05), and SF-36 showed better physical functioning, social functioning, general health, and vitality scores in the experimental group compared to the control group (P < .05). In addition, following 24 weeks of exercise, the Depression score of the exercise group showed a statistically significant improvement when compared to the control group (P < .05). After the intervention, hemoglobin improved significantly in the experimental group (P < .05). Intradialytic exercise can improve hemoglobin, Alb, pulmonary function, aerobic capacity, and exercise endurance in maintenance hemodialysis patients, so as to improve the quality of life, which is worthy of further promotion.