Inhibition of P2X7 receptors improves outcomes after traumatic brain injury in rats

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the leading cause of death and disability for people under the age of 45 years worldwide. Neuropathology after TBI is the result of both the immediate impact injury and secondary injury mechanisms. Secondary injury is the result of cascade events, including glutamate excitotoxicity, calcium overloading, free radical generation, and neuroinflammation, ultimately leading to brain cell death. In this study, the P2X7 receptor (P2X7R) was detected predominately in microglia of the cerebral cortex and was up-regulated on microglial cells after TBI. The microglia transformed into amoeba-like and discharged many microvesicle (MV)-like particles in the injured and adjacent regions. A P2X7R antagonist (A804598) and an immune inhibitor (FTY720) reduced significantly the number of MV-like particles in the injured/adjacent regions and in cerebrospinal fluid, reduced the number of neurons undergoing apoptotic cell death, and increased the survival of neurons in the cerebral cortex injured and adjacent regions. Blockade of the P2X7R and FTY720 reduced interleukin-1βexpression, P38 phosphorylation, and glial activation in the cerebral cortex and improved neurobehavioral outcomes after TBI. These data indicate that MV-like particles discharged by microglia after TBI may be involved in the development of local inflammation and secondary nerve cell injury

Symptom structure of posttraumatic stress disorder in workplace trauma: A "distraction-avoidance" pattern

BackgroundIndividuals who experience a workplace trauma are at a high risk of developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Most of these people return to work soon after the trauma (i.e., experience early-stage natural exposure). This study aims to explore the response pattern of workers who have experienced a workplace trauma and early-stage natural exposure through network analysis and provide insights into the potential impact of early-stage natural exposure.MethodsOur study included 278 workers directly experiencing the workplace explosion in the Tianjin Economic and Technological Development Zone. A partial correlation network analysis was used to explore the PTSD symptoms relationship and identify central symptoms.ResultsThe results suggest that emotional numbness, difficulty in concentration, re-experiencing symptoms, and avoidance of thoughts are the most central symptoms, reflecting a &quot;distraction-avoidance&quot; pattern.ConclusionsThe current study found that workers who experienced workplace trauma exhibited a &quot;distraction-avoidance&quot; pattern, which helps deepen our understanding of the PTSD network and leads to some suggestions on intervention measures.</p

Three-dimensionally printed porous biomimetic composite for sustained release of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein 9 to promote osteointegration

Three-dimensionally printed porous titanium alloys prepared using the electron beam melting (EBM) technology have customized structures and a low elastic modulus. They can promote the repair of bone defects. Growth factors can enhance the biological activity of plants in vivo, and bone morphogenetic protein 9 (BMP9) is the key factor for osteogenesis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a porous titanium implant prepared using the EBM technology with temperature-sensitive collagen mixed with recombinant human (rh) BMP9 as a composite scaffold to be continuously provided to enhance osteogenesis in rabbit femoral defects. The in vitro experiments verified cell proliferation, proliferation and application of the composite stent, the degree of release of temperature-sensitive collagen to rhBMP9, and the osteogenesis-inducing effect of the composite stent on bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. In vivo, the rabbit femoral defect model was used to evaluate the effects of the composite on osteointegration and bone ingrowth. The results showed that the composite scaffold had good biocompatibility and provided bioactive growth factors for bone repair. Further, the release of rhBMP9 significantly enhanced osteogenesis in and around the porous scaffolds. This method helps to study bioactive coating on the titanium alloy surface of patients with bone defects

Effect of the Dry-Wet Cycle on the Performance of Marine Waste Silt Solidified by Calcium Carbide Residue and Plant Ash

This research aims to investigate the potential of engineering waste marine silt stabilized by a self-developed stabilizing chemical additive called PZ-1 as a subgrade filler. PZ-1 is composed of calcium carbide residue (CCR) and plant ash (PA) under an optimal composition ratio determined by coupling particle swarm optimization with a support vector machine (PSO-SVM). The effect of curing agent dosage (wg), temperature (wT), number of dry-wet cycles (Ndw), and organic matter content (wo) on the micro-macro behavior of the stabilized silt were investigated via the unconfined compressive strength (UCS) test, the scanning electron microscope (SEM) test, and the X-ray diffraction (XRD) test. The experimental results demonstrate a significant positive effect of PZ-1 on the unconfined compressive strength (qu) of marine engineering waste silt with curing agent contents of 0~8%. It was also found that strength improvement of the stabilized silt can be attributed to the formation of gelling substances such as C-S-H and calcite. The water resistance of the stabilized silt can be enhanced by increasing the dosage of the curing agent. Moreover, the organic matter content and ambient temperature have significant effects on the dry-wet cycle tolerance of solidified soil, among which temperature exhibits a more obvious impact

A tool orientation smoothing method for five-axis machining to avoid singularity problems

In numerically controlled grinding of aeroengine blades, a sharp change in a rotating shaft caused by a singular zone greatly reduces grinding precision and quality. This paper proposes an algorithm to optimize the tool-path that combines optimization of the C-axis rotation angle, a modification to the tool orientation and adjustments to the tool position by taking a four-array machine tool with two rotational axes (B-axis and C-axis) as an example. The algorithm was verified using VERICUT software, furthermore, in machining experiments, the rotation amplitudes of the rotary axis in singular areas was effectively reduced, which ensured grinding quality of blades

Study of Osteoarthritis-Related Hub Genes Based on Bioinformatics Analysis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common cause of morbidity and disability worldwide. However, the pathogenesis of OA is unclear. Therefore, this study was conducted to characterize the pathogenesis and implicated genes of OA. The gene expression profiles of GSE82107 and GSE55235 were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Altogether, 173 differentially expressed genes including 68 upregulated genes and 105 downregulated genes in patients with OA were selected based on the criteria of ∣log fold‐change∣>1 and an adjusted p value < 0.05. Protein-protein interaction network analysis showed that FN1, COL1A1, IGF1, SPP1, TIMP1, BGN, COL5A1, MMP13, CLU, and SDC1 are the top ten genes most closely related to OA. Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction showed that the expression levels of COL1A1, COL5A1, TIMP1, MMP13, and SDC1 were significantly increased in OA. This study provides clues for the molecular mechanism and specific biomarkers of OA