Investigate of the influence of pin deviation on the biomechanical environment of fixator-bone system by finite element method

Unilateral external fixators are widely used in orthopedics to stabilize fractured bones and in the treatment of limb deformities. Vivo mechanical environment inside and around the fixator may influence the healing of fractured bone. Due to the existence of pin deviation may affect biomechanical environment of callus in the fracture gap. Finite element analysis was used to investigating stress and deformation of fixator-bone system under axial load, torsional load and bending load, comparing the biomechanical properties of two fixator structures: the one has pin deviation angle, the other has no pin deviation angle. These results reveal that the existence of pin deviation would affect the biomechanical environment of fractured bone. When fixator-bone system under three kinds of load, the stress and deformation of fixator-bone system were greater than that of fixator-bone system without pin deviation. This work provides orthopedics doctor useful information to predict the micromovements of fixator-bone system

Extruded Polystyrene Foams with Enhanced Insulation and Mechanical Properties by a Benzene-Trisamide-Based Additive

Low thermal conductivity and adequate mechanical strength are desired for extruded polystyrene foams when they are applied as insulation materials. In this study, we improved the thermal insulation behavior and mechanical properties of extruded polystyrene foams through morphology control with the foam nucleating agent 1,3,5-benzene-trisamide. Furthermore, the structure⁻property relationships of extruded polystyrene foams were established. Extruded polystyrene foams with selected concentrations of benzene-trisamide were used to evaluate the influence of cell size and foam density on the thermal conductivity. It was shown that the addition of benzene-trisamide reduces the thermal conductivity by up to 17%. An increase in foam density led to a higher compression modulus of the foams. With 0.2 wt % benzene-trisamide, the compression modulus increased by a factor of 4 from 11.7 ± 2.7 MPa for the neat polystyrene (PS) to 46.3 ± 4.3 MPa with 0.2 wt % benzene-trisamide. The increase in modulus was found to follow a power law relationship with respect to the foam density. Furthermore, the compression moduli were normalized by the foam density in order to evaluate the effect of benzene-trisamide alone. A 0.2 wt % benzene-trisamide increased the normalized compression modulus by about 23%, which could be attributed to the additional stress contribution of nanofibers, and might also retard the face stretching and edge bending of the foams

Zerumbone decreases BACH1 levels by upregulating miR- 708 to inhibit breast cancer cell proliferation and invasion

Purpose: To investigate the potential mechanism by which zerumbone suppresses breast cancer (BC) cells.Methods: Cell viability and Transwell assays were performed to assess the effect of zerumbone on BC cell growth. The downstream target of zerumbone was determined using quantitative polymerase chain reaction assays and immunoblotting. Cell viability assays and immunoblotting were conducted to detect if zerumbone had any effect on BACH1 (BTB domain and CNC homolog 1) expression.Results: Zerumbone suppressed the proliferation, migration, and invasion of BC cells. It also upregulated the expression of microRNA (miR)-708 and, hence, suppressed BACH1 expression. Furthermore, zerumbone suppressed the proliferation and invasion of BC cells by promoting miR-708expression and suppressing BACH1.Conclusion: The findings help clarify the anti-tumor mechanism of zerumbone and provide theoretical and therapeutic bases for the anti-tumor effects of Chinese herbal medicine. Keywords: Breast cancer, Zerumbone, Cell invasion, MiR-708, BACH

Research Hotspots and Trends in Home-Based Cardiac Rehabilitation: A Bibliometric Visualization Analysis

Objective: This research was aimed at determining research hotspots and major topics in the field of international home-based cardiac rehabilitation (HBCR) over the past 20 years, and exploring future trends in HBCR. Methods: A total of 757 research articles from 2002 to 2022, with themes of home-based cardiac rehabilitation, were included in the core collection database of Web of Science. CiteSpace software was used for literature metrology and visualization analysis. Results: (1) The total number of research articles on HBCR is increasing. (2) Research hotspots in HBCR include the effectiveness of rehabilitation after coronary heart disease or heart failure; quality of life; mental health; and home rehabilitation after COVID-19. (3) Research trends in HBCR include wearable intelligent technology; telerehabilitation; lifestyle interventions; and home-based rehabilitation prescriptions for exercise, nutrition, psychology and continuous management. Conclusion: The effects of HBCR have been continuously verified. Research has focused primarily on secondary prevention and rehabilitation after coronary heart disease and heart failure. More attention must be paid to improving patients’ quality of life by HBCR. Telerehabilitation based on wearable intelligent technology, home-based lifestyle interventions and continuous management are future trends of HBCR development

Ceramides and metabolic profiles of patients with acute coronary disease: a cross-sectional study

Metabolic Syndrome (MS) is a rapidly growing medical problem worldwide and is characterized by a cluster of age-related metabolic risk factors. The presence of MS increases the likelihood of developing atherosclerosis and significantly raises the morbidity/mortality rate of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients. Early detection of MS is crucial, and biomarkers, particularly blood-based, play a vital role in this process. This cross-sectional study focused on the investigation of certain plasma ceramides (Cer14:0, Cer16:0, Cer18:0, Cer20:0, Cer22:0, and Cer24:1) as potential blood biomarkers for MS due to their previously documented dysregulated function in MS patients. A total of 695 ACS patients were enrolled, with 286 diagnosed with MS (ACS-MS) and 409 without MS (ACS-nonMS) serving as the control group. Plasma ceramide concentrations were measured by LC-MS/MS assay and analyzed through various statistical methods. The results revealed that Cer18:0, Cer20:0, Cer22:0, and Cer24:1 were significantly correlated with the presence of MS risk factors. Upon further examination, Cer18:0 emerged as a promising biomarker for early MS detection and risk stratification, as its plasma concentration showed a significant sensitivity to minor changes in MS risk status in participants. This cross-sectional observational study was a secondary analysis of a multicenter prospective observational cohort study (Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, https://www.who.int/clinical-trials-registry-platform/network/primary-registries/chinese-clinical-trial-registry-(chictr), ChiCTR-2200056697), conducted from April 2021 to August 2022

Prodrug Strategy for PSMA-targeted Delivery of TGX-221 to Prostate Cancer Cells

TGX-221 is a potent, selective, and cell membrane permeable inhibitor of the PI3K p110β catalytic subunit. Recent studies showed that TGX-221 has anti-proliferative activity against PTEN-deficient tumor cell lines including prostate cancers. The objective of this study was to develop an encapsulation system for parenterally delivering TGX-221 to the target tissue through a prostate-specific membrane aptamer (PSMAa10) with little or no side effects. In this study, PEG-PCL micelles were formulated to encapsulate the drug, and a prodrug strategy was pursued to improve the stability of the carrier system. Fluorescence imaging studies demonstrated that the cellular uptake of both drug and nanoparticles were significantly improved by targeted micelles in a PSMA positive cell line. The area under the plasma concentration time curve of the micelle formulation in nude mice was 2.27-fold greater than the naked drug, and the drug clearance rate was 17.5-fold slower. These findings suggest a novel formulation approach for improving site-specific drug delivery of a molecular-targeted prostate cancer treatment

New progress and recognition of structural characteristics in Lianmuqin area of Turpan-Hami Basin

Based on the study of geological conditions in Lianmuqin area, Turpan-Hami Basin, the structural characteristics of upper Shanshan Group, upper Sandili Dadun Formation, and the top of Kalaza Formation from the bottom to the bottom in the study area are analyzed. According to the structural morphological characteristics of the fault interpretation, comprehensive description of the size and length of the fault, the new fault interpretation. The interpretation process is more logical under the guidance of sedimentary and tectonic theories

Forming Process and Simulation Analysis of Helical Carbon Fiber Reinforced Aluminum Matrix Composite

In order to promote the industrialization of the large deformation technology of carbon fiber composites, this paper studies a new method of forming of helical carbon fiber reinforced aluminum matrix composite. The purpose is to solve the problem of large deformation of carbon fiber with low elongation and metal matrix with high elongation. By introducing carbon fiber with helical space structure into the aluminum matrix, the helical carbon fiber reinforced aluminum matrix composites were prepared and the subsequent drawing deformation was carried out. Here we systematically studied the large plastic deformation behavior of helical carbon fiber reinforced aluminum matrix composite via a combination of numerical simulations and experiments, and analyzed the deformation law and stress of helical carbon fiber in the deformation process. We found that the plastic deformation of the composite causes local stress concentration around the helical carbon fiber, and the helical carbon fiber will move synchronously with the aluminum matrix during the deformation, and receive the pressure from the aluminum matrix. Second, the best process parameters obtained from the simulation, that is, the drawing die angle α = 7°, when five-pass drawing experiments were carried out, the total deformation reached 58%, and the average elongation of a single pass was 18.9%. The experimental show carbon fiber reinforced aluminum matrix composite with helical space structure can achieve large deformation and high strength. The experimental and simulation are in general agreement, which verifies the correctness of the carbon fiber helical structure model

Forming Process and Simulation Analysis of Helical Carbon Fiber Reinforced Aluminum Matrix Composite

In order to promote the industrialization of the large deformation technology of carbon fiber composites, this paper studies a new method of forming of helical carbon fiber reinforced aluminum matrix composite. The purpose is to solve the problem of large deformation of carbon fiber with low elongation and metal matrix with high elongation. By introducing carbon fiber with helical space structure into the aluminum matrix, the helical carbon fiber reinforced aluminum matrix composites were prepared and the subsequent drawing deformation was carried out. Here we systematically studied the large plastic deformation behavior of helical carbon fiber reinforced aluminum matrix composite via a combination of numerical simulations and experiments, and analyzed the deformation law and stress of helical carbon fiber in the deformation process. We found that the plastic deformation of the composite causes local stress concentration around the helical carbon fiber, and the helical carbon fiber will move synchronously with the aluminum matrix during the deformation, and receive the pressure from the aluminum matrix. Second, the best process parameters obtained from the simulation, that is, the drawing die angle α = 7°, when five-pass drawing experiments were carried out, the total deformation reached 58%, and the average elongation of a single pass was 18.9%. The experimental show carbon fiber reinforced aluminum matrix composite with helical space structure can achieve large deformation and high strength. The experimental and simulation are in general agreement, which verifies the correctness of the carbon fiber helical structure model

Pluripotency of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

AbstractInduced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells can be generated by forced expression of four pluripotency factors in somatic cells. This has received much attention in recent years since it may offer us a promising donor cell source for cell transplantation therapy. There has been great progress in iPS cell research in the past few years. However, several issues need to be further addressed in the near future before the clinical application of iPS cells, like the immunogenicity of iPS cells, the variability of differentiation potential and most importantly tumor formation of the iPS derivative cells. Here, we review recent progress in research into the pluripotency of iPS cells