Avalanche criticality during compression of porcine cortical bone of different ages.

Crack events developed during uniaxial compression of cortical bones cut from femurs of developing pigs of several ages (4, 12, and 20 weeks) generate avalanches. These avalanches have been investigated by acoustic emission analysis techniques. The avalanche energies are power-law distributed over more than four decades. Such behavior indicates the absence of characteristic scales and suggests avalanche criticality. The statistical distributions of energies and waiting times depend on the pig age and indicate that bones become stronger, but less ductile, with increasing age. Crack propagation is equally age-dependent. Older pigs show, on average, larger cracks with a time distribution similar to those of aftershocks in earthquakes, while younger pigs show only statistically independent failure events.The group from Barcelona acknowledges financial support from CICyT (Spain), Projects No. MAT2013-40590-P and No. MAT2015-69777-REDT. E.K.H.S. is grateful to EPSRC for support under Grant No. EP/K009702/1. I.J. gratefully acknowledges support from the National Science Foundation (NSF) the DMR Program Grant No. 15-07169

Optimisation of the Extraction Process and Compositional Analysis of Lipase-inhibiting Components from Morus alba L. Leaves

In this study, on the basis of single factor experiments, the effects of raw material mass concentration, ethanol volume fraction, ultrasonic power, extraction temperature, and extraction time on the lipase inhibition activity of mulberry leaves extract were investigated in combination with response surface methodology to optimize the ultrasonic-assisted extraction process of the lipase-inhibiting components of mulberry leaves. Meanwhile, the active ingredients of mulberry leaves extract were analyzed by UPLC-Q-TOF HRMS. The results showed that the optimal extraction process parameters for the lipase-inhibiting components of mulberry leaves were as follows: The mass concentration of raw material was 0.05 g/mL, volume fraction of ethanol was 70%, ultrasonic power was 195 W, extraction temperature was 31 ℃ and the extraction time was 40 min. Under these conditions, the lipase inhibition rate of mulberry leaves extract was 39.68%. A total of 1067 compounds were identified. Flavonoids and phenolic acids accounted for the highest proportion, containing 203 and 201 compounds, respectively. These compounds might be the material basis for the lipase inhibiting activity of mulberry leaves extract. In this study, the ultrasonic-assisted extraction process of mulberry leaves was optimized to improve the extraction efficiency of the lipase-inhibiting active components, and the main active ingredients were analyzed. The results may provide a reference for the functional application of mulberry leaves in improving lipid metabolism and the development of health food

Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Related Anatomic and Functional Parameters for the Diagnosis and Prognosis of Chiari Malformation Type I: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Objective Imaging parameters of Chiari malformation type I (CMI) development are not well established. This study aimed to collect evidence of general or specific imaging measurements in patients with CMI, analyze indicators that may assist in determining the severity of CMI, and guide its diagnosis and treatment. Methods A comprehensive search was conducted across various databases including the Cochrane Library, PubMed, MEDLINE, Scopus, and Embase, covering the period from January 2002 to October 2023, following predefined inclusion criteria. Meta-analyses were performed using RevMan (ver. 5.4). We performed a quantitative summary and systematic analysis of the included studies. This study was registered in the PROSPERO (International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews) prior to initiation (CRD42023415454). Results Thirty-three studies met our inclusion criteria. The findings indicated that out of the 14 parameters examined, 6 (clivus length, basal angle, Boogard’s angle, supraocciput lengths, posterior cranial fossa [PCF] height, and volume) exhibited significant differences between the CMI group and the control group. Furthermore, apart from certain anatomical parameters that hold prognostic value for CMI, functional parameters like tonsillar movement, obex displacement, and cerebrospinal fluid dynamics serve as valuable indicators for guiding the clinical management of the disease. Conclusion We collated and established a set of linear, angular, and area measurements deemed essential for diagnosing CMI. However, more indicators can only be analyzed descriptively for various reasons, particularly in prognostic prediction. We posit that the systematic assessment of patients’ PCF morphology, volume, and other parameters at a 3-dimensional level holds promising clinical application prospects

Integrative network analysis identified key genes and pathways in the progression of hepatitis C virus induced hepatocellular carcinoma

Background: Incidence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) induced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been increasing in the United States and Europe during recent years. Although HCV-associated HCC shares many pathological characteristics with other types of HCC, its molecular mechanisms of progression remain elusive. Methods: To investigate the underlying pathology, we developed a systematic approach to identify deregulated biological networks in HCC by integrating gene expression profiles with high-throughput protein-protein interaction data. We examined five stages including normal (control) liver, cirrhotic liver, dysplasia, early HCC and advanced HCC. Results: Among the five consecutive pathological stages, we identified four networks including precancerous networks (Normal-Cirrhosis and Cirrhosis-Dysplasia) and cancerous networks (Dysplasia-Early HCC, Early-Advanced HCC). We found little overlap between precancerous and cancerous networks, opposite to a substantial overlap within precancerous or cancerous networks. We further found that the hub proteins interacted with HCV proteins, suggesting direct interventions of these networks by the virus. The functional annotation of each network demonstrates a high degree of consistency with current knowledge in HCC. By assembling these functions into a module map, we could depict the stepwise biological functions that are deregulated in HCV-induced hepatocarcinogenesis. Additionally, these networks enable us to identify important genes and pathways by developmental stage, such as LCK signalling pathways in cirrhosis, MMP genes and TIMP genes in dysplastic liver, and CDC2-mediated cell cycle signalling in early and advanced HCC. CDC2 (alternative symbol CDK1), a cell cycle regulatory gene, is particularly interesting due to its topological position in temporally deregulated networks. Conclusions: Our study uncovers a temporal spectrum of functional deregulation and prioritizes key genes and pathways in the progression of HCV induced HCC. These findings present a wealth of information for further investigation

Impact of opioid-free analgesia on pain severity and patient satisfaction after discharge from surgery: multispecialty, prospective cohort study in 25 countries

Background: Balancing opioid stewardship and the need for adequate analgesia following discharge after surgery is challenging. This study aimed to compare the outcomes for patients discharged with opioid versus opioid-free analgesia after common surgical procedures.Methods: This international, multicentre, prospective cohort study collected data from patients undergoing common acute and elective general surgical, urological, gynaecological, and orthopaedic procedures. The primary outcomes were patient-reported time in severe pain measured on a numerical analogue scale from 0 to 100% and patient-reported satisfaction with pain relief during the first week following discharge. Data were collected by in-hospital chart review and patient telephone interview 1 week after discharge.Results: The study recruited 4273 patients from 144 centres in 25 countries; 1311 patients (30.7%) were prescribed opioid analgesia at discharge. Patients reported being in severe pain for 10 (i.q.r. 1-30)% of the first week after discharge and rated satisfaction with analgesia as 90 (i.q.r. 80-100) of 100. After adjustment for confounders, opioid analgesia on discharge was independently associated with increased pain severity (risk ratio 1.52, 95% c.i. 1.31 to 1.76; P < 0.001) and re-presentation to healthcare providers owing to side-effects of medication (OR 2.38, 95% c.i. 1.36 to 4.17; P = 0.004), but not with satisfaction with analgesia (beta coefficient 0.92, 95% c.i. -1.52 to 3.36; P = 0.468) compared with opioid-free analgesia. Although opioid prescribing varied greatly between high-income and low- and middle-income countries, patient-reported outcomes did not.Conclusion: Opioid analgesia prescription on surgical discharge is associated with a higher risk of re-presentation owing to side-effects of medication and increased patient-reported pain, but not with changes in patient-reported satisfaction. Opioid-free discharge analgesia should be adopted routinely

Mechanical and compositional analysis of bone nanostructure and design for bio-inspired co-continuous composites

Bone is a biological composite material having protein and hydroxyapatite minerals as its main constituents. The unique nanostructure formation of the two phases makes bone a strong, tough, and lightweight material. This dissertation investigates the structure formed by the protein and mineral phases in bone, and the results inspire the design of bio-inspired composites with superior mechanical properties. First, we studied the structure and composition of the protein and mineral phases in bone. Deproteinization (DP) and demineralization (DM) were conducted on porcine femoral cortical bones to remove one phase and explore the composition and structure of the remaining phase. Due to the complexity and inhomogeneity of the bone structure, ensuring the complete removal of one phase is critical to studying the other phase. We investigated multiple DP and DM protocols to determine the best methods to eliminate the mineral or protein phase while preserving the other structure. Treating samples for 14 days using sodium hypochlorite with a concentration of 0.35 M in water was the most effective method for deproteinization, resulting in a high mineral-to-protein ratio, well-preserved mineral crystallinity, and minimal protein residues. The most efficient demineralization method was using hydrochloric acid, which removed most of the mineral content while preserving the protein integrity with a short treating time. In addition to the mineral-protein structure, the mineral-mineral bonding was also explored by decollagenation (DC), which removed only collagen in protein using ethylenediamine with a Soxhlet setup. Mineral aggregates were present after DC treatment, unlike the DP treatment, during which minerals were broken down into single mineral lamellae. The higher strength and toughness of DC-treated bones demonstrate that non-collagenous proteins and lipids contribute to the binding strength between mineral lamellae. A further investigation was made on the mechanical property changes of minerals collected from different ages to study bone development at its early stage. The mineral phase maintained its continuity even in a young bone at 3-week age, indicating that the continuous structure of the mineral starts at an early age. By comparing the 3-week, 4-week, 16-week, and 24-week bones, the mechanical properties of the mineral phase increased with age. This behavior was associated with a decrease in porosity and an increase in mineral content. Following the study of the bone nanostructure and its properties, a bio-inspired composite was designed by imitating the concept of the mineral-protein two-phase co-continuous structure. Geopolymer was used to represent the stiff mineral phase, and a 3D-printed polymer was used to represent the soft protein phase, with a 1:1 volume ratio. We compared the mechanical properties of the composite with single material properties by conducting compressive and 4-point bending tests. A significant improvement in the strength and energy absorption was found in the composite. The composite formed by the two phases compensated for the brittleness of the geopolymer and the softness of the polymer. The shape effect study demonstrated that structures with smaller height-to-width ratios have higher strength and elastic modulus but lower toughness. The scale effect study showed that increasing the number of unit cells at a cross-section while keeping the bulk dimension the same, strength and toughness increase, but elastic modulus does not significantly change. This work has a potential impact across numerous fields. Uncovering the bone nanostructure provides clinical benefits as it helps to improve human health and avoid potential fracture risks. Intact and pure deproteinized and demineralized bone have biomedical applications as bone scaffolds. Also, a comprehensive understanding of bone tissue provides concepts for structural design. Bio-inspired structures with excellent strength, energy absorption, and lightweight properties are of high interest to various engineering industries.Submission published under a 24 month embargo labeled 'Closed Access', the embargo will last until 2024-12-01The student, Siyuan Pang, accepted the attached license on 2022-11-30 at 00:11.The student, Siyuan Pang, submitted this Dissertation for approval on 2022-11-30 at 12:49.This Dissertation was approved for publication on 2022-12-01 at 14:20.DSpace SAF Submission Ingestion Package generated from Vireo submission #18691 on 2023-04-12 at 11:35:4