Preparation of Pressure-Resistant and Mechanically Durable Superhydrophobic Coatings via Non-Solvent Induced Phase Separation for Anti-Icing.

Inspired by the lotus leaf effect, superhydrophobic coatings have significant potential in various fields, However, their poor pressure resistance, weak mechanical durability, and complex preparation processes severely limit practical applications. Here, a method for preparing pressure-resistant and durable superhydrophobic coatings by simply spray-coating a phase separation suspension containing fluorinated silica nanoparticles and polyolefin adhesive onto substrates is introduced, which forms superhydrophobic coatings with a porous and hierarchical micro-/nanostructure. The resulting superhydrophobic coatings exhibit outstanding pressure resistance, maintaining a Cassie-Baxte state after 18 days of submersion in 1 m of water. Furthermore, the coatings demonstrate remarkable mechanical durability, withstanding 200 cycles of Taber abrasion, 100 cycles of tape-peeling, and 750 g of sand abrasion. The coatings also show excellent chemical stability, enduring long-term immersion in corrosive liquids and 120 d of outdoor exposure. Additionally, the coatings display excellent anti-icing properties and can be applied to various substrate surfaces. This approach improves on the limitations of conventional superhydrophobic coatings and accelerates the application of superhydrophobic coatings in real-world environments.

Impalement-Resistant, Mechanically Stable, and Anti-Static Superamphiphobic Coatings Enabled by Solvent Regulation and Their Application in Anti-Icing.

Superamphiphobic coatings have good application prospects in many fields but are limited by their low impalement resistance, weak mechanical stability, and easy adhesion of tiny droplets. Here, impalement-resistant, mechanically stable, and antistatic superamphiphobic coatings were fabricated by spraying a mixture of conductive carbon black (CB), silicone-modified polyester adhesive/fluorinated SiO2 microspheres onto Al alloy. The microspheres were obtained by adhesive phase separation and the binding of fluorinated SiO2 to them. The morphology, superamphiphobicity, impalement resistance, and mechanical stability of the coatings could be regulated by using solvents with different boiling points. As a result, the coatings simultaneously exhibited outstanding mechanical stability, impalement resistance, and superamphiphobicity. The addition of conductive CB endowed the coatings with good antistatic and tiny droplet repellent properties. In addition, the coatings exhibited good anti-icing properties due to the steady air layer at the solid-liquid interface and the very small contact area between them. We suppose that the coatings are very promising for practical application in various fields, including anti-icing, due to their outstanding comprehensive properties and simple preparation process.

Posterior fixation, anterior debridement and bone grafting in the treatment of thoracic and lumbar tuberculosis in children younger than 3 years of age.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the clinical outcomes of posterior fixation, combined with one- or two-stage anterior debridement and bone grafting in treating children younger than 3 years of age with thoracic and lumbar tuberculosis. METHODS: This was a retrospective study involving 16 young children with thoracic or lumbar tuberculosis. Surgical data were recorded. Frankel Grade was used to assess neurological function. The regional kyphosis angle was measured to evaluate the deformity correction. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were detected to assess the activity of tuberculosis. Bony fusion and complications were also recorded. RESULTS: The mean operation time was 204.4 ± 41.8 min. The mean estimated blood loss was 126.3 ± 94.4 ml. Preoperative Frankel Grade results indicated five patients with Grade C, six with Grade D, and five with Grade E. At the final follow-up, all patients were in Grade E. Twelve patients were brought back to normal spinal alignment and the rest four patients remained kyphotic. There was an improvement of 29.3° ± 18.3° in regional kyphotic angle postoperatively. And the deformity correction was 27.4° ± 19.1° at the final follow-up. ESR and CRP decreased to a normal range at three months follow-up. Bony fusion was achieved in all patients. None of the cases developed fixation failure, pseudoarthrosis, or tuberculosis recurrence. CONCLUSION: Posterior fixation, combined with one- or two-stage anterior debridement and bone grafting, is a safe and effective surgical strategy for treating young children with thoracic and lumbar tuberculosis.

ß-arrestin1 regulates astrocytic reactivity via Drp1-dependent mitochondrial fission: implications in postoperative delirium.

Postoperative delirium (POD) is a frequent and debilitating complication, especially amongst high risk procedures, such as orthopedic surgery. This kind of neurocognitive disorder negatively affects cognitive domains, such as memory, awareness, attention, and concentration after surgery; however, its pathophysiology remains unknown. Multiple lines of evidence supporting the occurrence of inflammatory events have come forward from studies in human patients' brain and bio-fluids (CSF and serum), as well as in animal models for POD. ß-arrestins are downstream molecules of guanine nucleotide-binding protein (G protein)-coupled receptors (GPCRs). As versatile proteins, they regulate numerous pathophysiological processes of inflammatory diseases by scaffolding with inflammation-linked partners. Here we report that ß-arrestin1, one type of ß-arrestins, decreases significantly in the reactive astrocytes of a mouse model for POD. Using ß-arrestin1 knockout (KO) mice, we find aggravating effect of ß-arrestin1 deficiency on the cognitive dysfunctions and inflammatory phenotype of astrocytes in POD model mice. We conduct the in vitro experiments to investigate the regulatory roles of ß-arrestin1 and demonstrate that ß-arrestin1 in astrocytes interacts with the dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1) to regulate mitochondrial fusion/fission process. ß-arrestin1 deletion cancels the combination of ß-arrestin1 and cellular Drp1, thus promoting the translocation of Drp1 to mitochondrial membrane to provoke the mitochondrial fragments and the subsequent mitochondrial malfunctions. Using ß-arrestin1-biased agonist, cognitive dysfunctions of POD mice and pathogenic activation of astrocytes in the POD-linked brain region are reduced. We, therefore, conclude that ß-arrestin1 is a promising target for the understanding of POD pathology and development of POD therapeutics.

Lack of Associations between Endoplasmic Reticulum Aminopeptidase 2 Gene Polymorphisms and Ankylosing Spondylitis: A Meta-analysis with Trial Sequential Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Endoplasmic reticulum aminopeptidase 2 (ERAP2) gene is reported to be associated with inflammation-related diseases. Several studies have investigated the associations of ERAP2 gene polymorphisms and susceptibility to ankylosing spondylitis (AS). However, the findings of those studies were inconsistent. The aim of this study was to elucidate the associations by a meta-analysis with trial sequential analysis (TSA). METHODS: Online databases of PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Wanfang, and CNKI were searched to identify eligible studies on the associations of ERAP2 gene polymorphisms and AS. Study quality was judged based on the Newcastle-Ottawa scale (NOS). Strengths of associations were presented by P-value, odds ratios (ORs), and 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs). TSA was employed to evaluate the information size and statistical power. RESULTS: A total of six studies encompassing 2774 AS patients and 4119 disease-free controls were eligible for this meta-analysis. Five studies reported rs2248374 polymorphism and three studies reported rs2549782 polymorphism. The pooled data suggested that the two polymorphisms were not significantly associated with AS susceptibility: rs2248374, A vs. G, OR = 0.94, 95%CI 0.86-1.02, P = .14; rs2549782, T vs. G, OR = 1.03, 95%CI 0.95-1.12, P = .45. TSA indicated that the sample sizes appeared to be inadequate to obtain a positive outcome. CONCLUSION: The present findings of this study do not support any evidence on the associations of rs2248374 and rs2549782 polymorphisms in the ERAP2 gene and susceptibility to AS. Additional well-designed and large-sample studies in diverse ethnicities are encouraged to validate the current findings.

Associations of Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha Gene Polymorphisms and Ankylosing Spondylitis Susceptibility: A Meta-analysis Based on 35 Case-control Studies.

BACKGROUND: Scores of studies on tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) gene polymorphisms and AS have been performed with inconsistent results. The purpose of this study was to provide some more convincing evidence on the associations of TNF-a polymorphisms and AS by using a meta-analysis approach. METHODS: Potentially relevant studies were identified from Web of Science, PubMed, EMBASE, Wanfang, and CNKI from inception to March 5, 2020. Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) was utilized to appraise the quality of included studies. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs) were calculated to assess the strength of the associations under five genetic models. RESULTS: Thirty-five studies with 37 independent cohorts in total were included in the meta-analysis. Based upon NOS, eligible studies were in moderate- to high quality. The merged data suggested rs1799724 polymorphisms were significantly correlated with a reduced risk of AS (C vs. T, OR = 0.55, 95%CI 0.38-0.79, P < .001, PBon = 0.005, PFDR = 0.003). Subgroup analysis by ethnicity indicated that rs1800629 polymorphism significantly increased the risk of AS in Caucasians and decreased the risk of AS in mixed populations. Besides, rs361525 and rs1800630 polymorphisms conferred to an elevated risk of AS, and rs1799724 conferred to a reduced risk of AS in Asians. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that rs1800629 polymorphism is associated with an increased AS risk in Caucasians, rs361525 and rs1800630 polymorphisms are linked to an elevated AS susceptibility in Asians.

Intraoperative Needle Tip Tracking with an Integrated Fibre-Optic Ultrasound Sensor.

Ultrasound is an essential tool for guidance of many minimally-invasive surgical and interventional procedures, where accurate placement of the interventional device is critical to avoid adverse events. Needle insertion procedures for anaesthesia, fetal medicine and tumour biopsy are commonly ultrasound-guided, and misplacement of the needle may lead to complications such as nerve damage, organ injury or pregnancy loss. Clear visibility of the needle tip is therefore critical, but visibility is often precluded by tissue heterogeneities or specular reflections from the needle shaft. This paper presents the in vitro and ex vivo accuracy of a new, real-time, ultrasound needle tip tracking system for guidance of fetal interventions. A fibre-optic, Fabry-Pérot interferometer hydrophone is integrated into an intraoperative needle and used to localise the needle tip within a handheld ultrasound field. While previous, related work has been based on research ultrasound systems with bespoke transmission sequences, the new system-developed under the ISO 13485 Medical Devices quality standard-operates as an adjunct to a commercial ultrasound imaging system and therefore provides the image quality expected in the clinic, superimposing a cross-hair onto the ultrasound image at the needle tip position. Tracking accuracy was determined by translating the needle tip to 356 known positions in the ultrasound field of view in a tank of water, and by comparison to manual labelling of the the position of the needle in B-mode US images during an insertion into an ex vivo phantom. In water, the mean distance between tracked and true positions was 0.7 ± 0.4 mm with a mean repeatability of 0.3 ± 0.2 mm. In the tissue phantom, the mean distance between tracked and labelled positions was 1.1 ± 0.7 mm. Tracking performance was found to be independent of needle angle. The study demonstrates the performance and clinical compatibility of ultrasound needle tracking, an essential step towards a first-in-human study.

Superwetting Electrospun PDMS/PMMA Membrane for PM2.5 Capture and Microdroplet Transfer.

Efficient acquiring and removal of a hazardous particulate matter (PM) have significant effects on human health. Here, we illustrate the fabrication of a superwetting electrospun polydimethylsiloxane/polymethyl methacrylate (PDMS/PMMA) membrane (EPPM) with multifunctional performance for PM2.5 capture and microdroplet transfer, where PMMA was added as a carrier polymer to the superhydrophobic PDMS, which has very low cohesive energy density. The obtained EPPM, which is composed of special bead-on-string fibers with a mean fiber diameter of 350 nm, shows a porous structure with an aperture of 7.87 µm (calculated by the bubble pressure method) and superb thermostability (up to 325 °C). The EPPM possesses an excellent PM2.5 purification efficiency of nearly up to 100% at a very low pressure drop (70 Pa, <0.07% of the atmospheric pressure) under the condition of high humidity (96 ± 3%), which is greatly advantageous over those hydrophilic filters frequently suffering the drawbacks of low efficiency or total invalidation in humid environments. In addition, benefitting from the superhydrophobic and strong adhesive properties of the membrane surface, the EPPM could complete the trace aqueous sample analysis such as "robotic hand" from superhydrophobic to hydrophilic surfaces without any contamination or loss and hold a high contact angle of 161.6° for water. Altogether, the EPPM may have technological advantages as a kind of novel fibrous filter in diverse environmental applications, including PM2.5 capture, separation, microdroplet transfer, and so on.

Fe3O4/PPy-Coated Superhydrophilic Polymer Porous Foam: A Double Layered Photothermal Material with a Synergistic Light-to-Thermal Conversion Effect toward Desalination.

Solar steam generation has been considered as one of the most promising strategies for production of fresh water using renewable solar energy. Herein, we prepared a polymer porous foam (HPSS) by a facile hydrothermal method. The HPSS presents a superhydrophilic wettability, an interpenetrating macroporous structure, and low thermal conductivity, which can well satisfy the criteria as an ideal candidate for photothermal materials. The HPSS/Fe3O4/PPy (polypyrrole) evaporator, of which a Fe3O4/PPy binary optical system served as a light absorption layer and HPSS was used as a porous substrate, was constructed through in situ growth of Fe3O4 particles followed by interfacial polymerization of PPy on the surface of HPSS. HPSS/Fe3O4/PPy shows an excellent light absorption capacity (92%) and photothermal conversion performance, with the solar energy conversion efficiency reaching up to 94.7% under 1 sun irradiation, which is much higher than that of HPSS/PPy (84.8%) composed of a unitary PPy light absorption layer. Interestingly, the presence of Fe3O4 particles could make directional migration in a magnetic field possible, thus facilitating its recovery as a self-floating solar generator in an open water area. Moreover, the HPSS/Fe3O4/PPy evaporator displays outstanding salt resistance properties and stability in various saline solutions, thus having great potential in practical desalination.

Salt-Rejection Solar Absorbers Based on Porous Ionic Polymers Nanowires for Desalination.

The construction of photothermal materials with ideal salt tolerance has been a major subject for efficient solar desalination. Herein, a novel photothermal material based on porous ionic polymers (PIPs) nanowires is synthesized by Sonogashira-Hagihara cross-coupling reaction using ionic salt and alkynylbenzene as building blocks. The PIPs nanowires monolith shows abundant porosity with low density, leading a superior thermal insulation. The intrinsic superhydrophilicity of PIPs nanowires endows it with desired water transportation ability. By facile spraying Chinese carbon-ink on the PIPs nanowires monolith, its light absorption can be enhanced to be 90%. Based on these merits, the PIPs nanowires based photothermal materials show high solar energy conversion efficiency (81% under 1 sun irradiation). More interestingly, its inherently ionic framework can result in an ion-ion interaction between the external ions in water and ionic groups in PIPs framework, thus leading to excellent desalination ability by combing its unique superhydrophilicity, for example, no salt accumulation is observed after 6 h duration at 1 sun irradiation. Compared with the existing salt-resistant photothermal materials, the method takes the advantage of the intrinsically ionic feature of PIPs without using any artificial process, thus may open a new way for design and fabrication of high-performance salt-rejection photothermal materials.

Associations of toll-like receptor 4 and 2 gene polymorphisms with susceptibility to ankylosing spondylitis: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The published evidences on the correlations of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and TLR9 gene polymorphisms and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) were conflicting. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether TLR4 and TLR9 gene polymorphisms conferred susceptibility to AS through a meta-analysis approach. METHODS: Databases of PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, CNKI and Wanfang were retrieved for relevant publications up to 20 June 2020. Study quality was assessed based on Newcastle-Ottawa scale (NOS). Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were used to judge the associations. RESULTS: Totally, 13 articles with 3,055 AS cases and 4,238 controls were incorporated into this meta-analysis, and four most widely reported polymorphisms (TLR4-rs4986790, TLR4-rs4986791, TLR9-rs55704465 and TLR9-rs187084) were analysed. All included studies were in high quality. The pooled data did not support any significant association between the four studied polymorphisms and AS susceptibility. CONCLUSIONS: The present meta-analysis suggests there is no significant association between TLR4-rs4986790, TLR4-rs4986791, TLR9-rs55704465 and TLR9-rs187084 polymorphisms and AS.

Characteristics of disease distribution for the 1 370 renal biopsy cases in two hospitals from Guilin and Jining. / 桂林和济宁两所医院1 370ä¾‹è‚¾æ´»æ£€ç–¾ç— åˆ†å¸ƒç‰¹å¾.

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the constitution and distribution characteristics of renal pathological disease spectrum in the 2 hospitals from Guilin city and Jining city in recent 5 years. METHODS: The pathological results of inpatients with renal biopsy in the 2 hospitals from Guilin city and Jining city from April 1, 2014 to August 15, 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. A total of 1 370 renal biopsy cases were collected, including 706 cases in Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical College (Jiyi) and 664 cases in Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical College (Guiyi). RESULTS: There was no significant difference in gender, age, seasonal distribution and the total proportion of primary and secondary glomerular diseases between the 2 hospitals (all P>0.05). The ratio of male to female in the 2 hospitals was 1.18 (Jiyi) and 0.98 (Guiyi). IgA nephropathy (IgAN) was the major disease in 14-30 years old patients, and membranous nephropathy (MN) was the most common in 40-50 years old patients. There are 15 kinds of same diseases and 10 kinds of different diseases in the 2 hospitals. Among them, three pathological diseases (3 cases) including obesity-related nephropathy, primary Sjogren's syndrome renal damage, and pregnancy-induced hypertensive renal damage only appeared in Jiyi, while 7 diseases (55 cases) including focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), focal proliferative glomerulonephritis (FGN), proliferative sclerosing glomerulonephritis (PSGN), endocapillary proliferative glomerulonephritis (EPGN), multiple myeloma renal damage, eosinophilic tumor renal damage and angiomyolipoma renal damage only appeared in Guiyi. Primary glomerular diseases (82% in Jiyi/79% in Guiyi) were higher than secondary nephropathy. The top two diseases in biopsy rate were MN and IgAN. The incidence rate of some diseases in Jiyi was higher than that in Guiyi, and these diseases included MN (48.87%, 31.78%), minimal change disease (MCD) (11.47%, 2.71%), allergic purpura nephritis (Henoch-Schlein purpura nephritis, HSPN) (3.97%, 1.51%), hypertensive renal damage (3.12%, 0.15%), diabetic nephropathy (DN) (2.97%, 1.36%). The incidence rate of other diseases in Guiyi were higher than that in Jiyi, and these diseases included IgAN (22.59%, 19.14%), mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis (MsPGN) (11.45%, 0.99%), lupus nephritis (LN) (8.58%, 4.67%), hepatitis B virus associated nephritis (HBVGN) (7.53%, 1.84%), there were significant difference between the 2 hospitals in the above diseases (all P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The disease distribution of renal biopsy cases in the 2 hospitals displays both similarities and characteristics. Primary glomerular disease is still the main disease. MN has surpassed IgAN and jumped to the first place. The high incidence age of MN is 40-50 years old, and IgAN is 14-30 years old. The incidence rates of MN, MCD, HSPN, hypertensive renal damage, DN and other related diseases of air quality and lifestyle in Jiyi are higher than those in Guiyi. IgAN, MsPGN, LN, HBVGN and other diseases related to infection and tumor factors were higher in Guiyi than those in Jiyi. The prevention and control strategies in the 2 regions need to be adapted to local conditions. More attention should be paid to the impact of environment and lifestyle on kidney health in East China. We should pay attention to the damage to kidney caused by infectious diseases in Southern China, especially in female patients.

Comparison of the Clinical Efficacy of 3 Surgical Methods for Treating Spinal Tuberculosis in Children.

BACKGROUND This study aimed to investigate the safety and clinical efficacy of 3 different surgical methods for treating spinal tuberculosis (ST) in children. MATERIAL AND METHODS We reviewed the cases of 62 children with ST who were treated in our hospital from January 2010 to December 2014. In this study, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP) level, Frankel classification of neurological function, pain visual analog scale (VAS) score, and kyphosis Cobb (k-Cobb) angle were dynamically monitored to evaluate the efficacy of different surgical methods. Complications in the patients were evaluated at 3 time points: before surgery (T1), after surgery (T2), and during final follow-up (T3). The average follow-up was 27.4 months. Twenty-two patients underwent simple anterior debridement alone or combined with internal fixation (Method A), 13 patients underwent posterior debridement alone (Method B), and 27 patients received anteroposterior debridement and bone graft fusion together with internal fixation (Method C). RESULTS In all 3 groups after surgery, ESR, CRP levels, VAS scores, and k-Cobb angles significantly decreased. However, compared with patients who received Methods B and C, patients who received Method A had a significant rebound in k-Cobb angle and a higher incidence of complications at the T3 time point. The overall reoperation rate during follow-up was 37.10%. Fourteen patients (22.58%) had kyphosis, 2 patients (3.23%) had tuberculosis recurrence combined with kyphosis, and other complications were reported in 5 patients (8.06%). CONCLUSIONS Considering the incidence of complications and level of postoperative biochemical indicators, we concluded that caution should be exercised in using an anterior approach to treat pediatric ST.

Preactivation of Notch1 in remote ischemic preconditioning reduces cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury through crosstalk with the NF-κB pathway.

BACKGROUND: Remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) initiates endogenous protective pathways in the brain from a distance and represents a new, promising paradigm in neuroprotection against cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. However, the underlying mechanism of RIPC-mediated cerebral ischemia tolerance is complicated and not well understood. We reported previously that preactivation of Notch1 mediated the neuroprotective effects of cerebral ischemic preconditioning in rats subjected to cerebral I/R injury. The present study seeks to further explore the role of crosstalk between the Notch1 and NF-κB signaling pathways in the process of RIPC-induced neuroprotection. METHODS: Middle cerebral artery occlusion and reperfusion (MCAO/R) in adult male rats and oxygen-glucose deprivation and reoxygenation (OGD/R) in primary hippocampal neurons were used as models of I/R injury in vivo and in vitro, respectively. RIPC was induced by a 3-day procedure with 4 cycles of 5 min of left hind limb ischemia followed by 5 min of reperfusion each day before MCAO/R. Intracerebroventricular DAPT injection and sh-Notch1 lentivirus interference were used to inhibit the Notch1 signaling pathway in vivo and in vitro, respectively. After 24 h of reperfusion, neurological deficit scores, infarct volume, neuronal apoptosis, and cell viability were assessed. The protein expression levels of NICD, Hes1, Phospho-IKKα/ß (p-IKK α/ß), Phospho-NF-κB p65 (p-NF-κB p65), Bcl-2, and Bax were assessed by Western blotting. RESULTS: RIPC significantly improved neurological scores and reduced infarct volume and neuronal apoptosis in rats subjected to I/R injury. OGD preconditioning significantly reduced neuronal apoptosis and improved cell viability after I/R injury on days 3 and 7 after OGD/R. However, the neuroprotective effect was reversed by DAPT in vivo and attenuated by Notch1-RNAi in vitro. RIPC significantly upregulated the expression of proteins related to the Notch1 and NF-κB pathways. NF-κB signaling pathway activity was suppressed by a Notch1 signaling pathway inhibitor and Notch1-RNAi. CONCLUSIONS: The neuroprotective effect of RIPC against cerebral I/R injury was associated with preactivation of the Notch1 and NF-κB pathways in neurons. The NF-κB pathway is a downstream target of the Notch1 pathway in RIPC and helps protect focal cerebral I/R injury.

Evaluation of eSie VVI Technology on Left Ventricular Systolic Function Changes in Uremic Patients Undergoing Dialysis.

To analyze the longitudinal peak systolic strain of left ventricular myocardium in three layers before and after hemodialysis in uremic patients, and to explore the value of eSie VVI (Velocity Vector Imaging) technology in evaluating the changes of left ventricular myocardial systolic function in uremic patients in a short time after hemodialysis, the longitudinal peak systolic laminar strain and global full-thickness strain of 17 segments of the left ventricle are obtained by eSie VVI software analysis, and the results are deduced in Excel form. Statistical analysis is made on the results of longitudinal peak systolic stratified strain of left ventricular inner, middle and outer layers and whole myocardium in uremic patients before and after hemodialysis. The results show that eSie VVI technology can more sensitively and accurately evaluate the changes of left ventricular myocardial systolic function after hemodialysis in uremic patients, and has certain clinical value.

Single-stage transforaminal decompression, debridement, interbody fusion, and posterior instrumentation for lumbosacral brucellosis.

BACKGROUND: Spinal brucellosis is a less commonly reported infectious spinal pathology. There are few reports regarding the surgical treatment of spinal brucellosis in existing literature. This retrospective study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of single-stage transforaminal decompression, debridement, interbody fusion, and posterior instrumentation for lumbosacral spinal brucellosis. METHODS: From February 2012 to April 2015, 32 consecutive patients (19 males and 13 females, mean age 53.7 ± 8.7) with lumbosacral brucellosis treated by transforaminal decompression, debridement, interbody fusion, and posterior instrumentation were enrolled. Medical records, imaging studies, laboratory data were collected and summarized. Surgical outcomes were evaluated based on visual analogue scale (VAS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scale. The changes in C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), clinical symptoms and complications were investigated. Graft fusion was evaluated using Bridwell grading criteria. RESULTS: The mean follow-up period was 24.9 ± 8.2 months. Back pain and radiating leg pain was relieved significantly in all patients after operation. No implant failures were observed in any patients. Wound infection was observed in two patients and sinus formation was observed in one patient. Solid bony fusion was achieved in 30 patients and the fusion rate was 93.8%. The levels of ESR and CRP were returned to normal by the end of three months' follow-up. VAS and ODI scores were significantly improved (P < 0.05). According to JOA score, surgical improvement was excellent in 22 cases (68.8%), good in 9 cases (28.1%), moderate in 1 case (3.1%) at the last follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Single-stage transforaminal decompression, debridement, interbody fusion, and posterior instrumentation is an effective and safe approach for lumbosacral brucellosis.

Role of P311 in interleukin-1α-induced epithelial to myofibroblast transition in kidney tubular epithelial cells.

Tubular epithelial-myofibroblast transition (TEMT) is an important process in renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis. Interleukin-1α (IL-1α) and transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1) have been demonstrated to be key inducers of TEMT. In mouse embryonic fibroblast cells (NIH3T3), P311 protein induces phenotypic changes that are consistent to myofibroblast transformation. In the present study, we investigated the role of P311 gene and protein as well as potential mechanisms underlying TEMT in normal rat kidney tubular epithelial cells (NRK52E). Morphological and molecular changes were determined in NRK52E cells that were treated with IL-1α and/or P311 antibodies. The results showed that the NRK52E cells triggered by IL-1α became fibroblast-like cells, exhibiting hypertrophy of elongated and fusiform-shaped cells. IL-1α induced a time-dependent increase in P311 gene expression in NRK52E cells, with a peak time at 4 days. The expression levels of P311 gene were positively correlated with α-SMA and TGF-ß1 gene expression levels. Anti-P311 antibody inhibited P311 and α-SMA expression in the presence of IL-1α. In contrast, anti-P311 antibody increased the expression of TGF-ß1 gene in cells cultured with IL-1α. Therefore, P311 gene, together with α-SMA and TGF-ß1 genes, was induced in the process of TEMT. P311 protein triggered by interleukin-1α may promote TEMT through a TGF-ß1-independent pathway.

[Selection of indications and surgical treatment of basilar invagination with atlantoaxial dislocation].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the indications and effect of surgical treatment of basilar invagination (BI) with atlantoaxial dislocation (AAD) on the basis of retrospective analysis of the clinical and imaging data of patients. METHODS: Consecutive 21 patients with BI and AAD were surgically treated in Department of Spinal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from July 2000 to December 2013. There were 10 males and 11 females, aged from 7 to 59 years, with a mean of 36.4 years. The clinical symptoms and signs was recorded, and preoperative imaging examination including anteroposterior, lateral, dynamic films, MRI, CT and 3-dimensional reconstruction views of cervical spine were performed to identify the series. All cases were treated with operation. Neurological function was assessed by JOA scale and NDI score before, after surgery and at final follow-up. The postoperative X-rays, MRI or CT was taken to observed the results of decompression, fixation and fusion. RESULTS: There were 5 cases operated by posterior approach, combined anterior and posterior approach in 16 cases, atlantoaxial fixation in 2 cases, occipitocervical fixation in 19 cases. The average operation time was 200 mins, blood loss was 230 ml. Except for 2 death cases, 19 cases were followed up, the followed-up was arranged from 13 to 42 months, with an average of 21.6 months. Compared with preoperative parameters (7.8±1.3), the postoperative scores of JOA decreased significantly (14.1±0.5) and at the final follow-up (16.2±0.7) (P<0.05); compared with preoperative parameters (65.7±11.2), the postoperative scores of NDI decreased significantly (28.2±9.6) and at the final follow-up (22.7±7.4) (P<0.05) and no significant difference in JOA or NDI score existed between post-operation and last follow-up (P>0.05). The perioperative complications was discovered in 6 cases, including infection in 2 cases, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage in 2 cases, respiratory dysfunction, cleft palate in 1 case, respectively. CONCLUSION: BI with AAD can be treated by anterior, posterior or combined approaches. Careful evaluation, proper selection of indications and prevention of perioperative complications are important consideration to ensure the success of surgery.

The vicious cycle of frailty and pain: a two-sided causal relationship revealed.

Background: The decline in physiological functions in the older people is frequently accompanied with pain and frailty, yet the causal connection between frailty and pain remains uncertain. In this study, we utilized a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) approach to investigate the potential causal association between frailty and pain. Methods: Two-sample bidirectional MR was conducted using summary data from genome-wide association studies to examine the potential causal relationship between frailty (defined by the frailty index and frailty phenotype) and pain. Summary genome wide association statistics were extracted from populations of European ancestry. We also investigated the causal relationship between frailty and site-specific pain, including joint pain, limb pain, thoracic spine pain and low back pain. Causal effects were estimated using the inverse variance weighting method. Sensitivity analyses were performed to validate the robustness of the results. Results: Genetic predisposition to frailty was associated with an increased risk of pain (frailty phenotype odds ratio [OR]: 1.73; P = 3.54 × 10-6, frailty index OR: 1.36; P = 2.43 × 10-4). Meanwhile, individuals with a genetic inclination toward pain had a higher risk of developing frailty. Regarding site-specific pain, genetic prediction of the frailty phenotype increased the occurrence risk of joint pain, limb pain and low back pain. Reverse MR analysis further showed that limb pain and low back pain were associated with an increased risk of frailty occurrence. Conclusion: This study presented evidence supporting a bidirectional causal relationship between frailty and pain. We highlighted the significance of addressing pain to prevent frailty and recommend the inclusion of pain assessment in the evaluation system for frailty.

Facile Preparation of Impalement Resistant, Mechanically Robust and Weather Resistant Photothermal Superhydrophobic Coatings for Anti-/De-icing.

Photothermal superhydrophobic coatings hold great promise in addressing the limitations of conventional superhydrophobic anti-icing coatings. However, developing such coatings with excellent impalement resistance, mechanical robustness and weather resistance remains a significant challenge. Here, we report facile preparation of robust photothermal superhydrophobic coatings with all the above advantages. The coatings were prepared by spraying a dispersion consisting of fluorinated silica nanoparticles, a silicone-modified polyester adhesive and photothermal carbon black nanoparticles onto Al alloy plates followed by thermal curing. Thermal curing caused migration of perfluorodecyl polysiloxane from within the coatings to the surface, effectively maintaining a low surface energy despite the presence of the adhesive. Therefore, combined with the hierarchical micro-/nanostructure, dense yet rough nanostructure, adhesion of the adhesive and chemically inert components, the coatings exhibited remarkable superhydrophobicity, impalement resistance, mechanical robustness and weather resistance. Furthermore, the coatings demonstrated excellent photothermal effect even in the -10 °C, 80 % relative humidity and weak sunlight (0.2 sun) environment. Consequently, the coatings showed excellent passive anti-icing and active de-icing performance. Moreover, the coatings have good generalizability and scalability. We are confident that this study will accelerate the practical implementation of photothermal superhydrophobic coatings.