Biodegradable magnesium and zinc composite microspheres with synergistic osteogenic effect for enhanced bone regeneration.

Biodegradable polymer microspheres in bone tissue engineering have become appealing as their non-invasive advantages in irregular damage bone repair. However, current microspheres used in BTE still lack sufficient osteogenic capacity to induce effective bone regeneration. In this study, we developed osteogenic composite microspheres concurrently loaded with magnesium oxide (MgO) and zinc oxide (ZnO), both of which are osteogenic active substances, using a facile and scalable emulsification method.

Cooling treatment on the reduction of category II fetal tracings.

Objectives: Epidural-related maternal fever increases the incidence of Category II fetal tracings. To compare the effectiveness of low-flow oxygen inhalation and cooling treatment for parturients with Category II fetal tracings caused by epidural-related maternal fever.

Methods: We investigated 200 pregnant women who accepted epidural analgesia during labor and had body temperature exceeding 38 °C during labor.

Association between epidural-related maternal fever and short-and long-term prognosis of parturients: A prospective observational study.

We aimed to explore the association between epidural-related maternal fever (ERMF) and prognosis of parturients. 159 parturients who underwent vaginal delivery under labor epidural analgesia (LEA) received noninvasive continuous core body temperature monitoring. 122 of them completed the 42-day postpartum follow-up.

[The characteristics of neutrophil extracellular traps produced by all-trans retinoic acid-induced dHL-60 under PMA stimulation].

Extracellular traps released by neutrophils (neutrophil extracellular traps, NETs) are a double-edged sword, and understanding the mechanism of NET formation is of great significance for disease treatment. However, the short lifespan, the large individual differences, and the inability to perform gene editing render it difficult to decipher NET formation using neutrophils. It is necessary to find a model cell to replace neutrophils to study the mechanism of NET formation.

Mucosa-Like Conformal Hydrogel Coating for Aqueous Lubrication.

Mucosa is a protective and lubricating barrier in biological tissue, which has a great clinical inspiration because of its slippery, soft, and hydrophilic surface. However, mimicking mucosal traits on complex surface remains an enormous challenge. Herein, a novel approach to create mucosa-like conformal hydrogel coating is developed.

[LPS stimulating neutrophils firmly adhered to ICAM-1 to form extracellular traps depends on integrin Mac-1 and cytoskeletal proteins].

Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) play an important role in the formation of immunothrombosis. However, how vascular endothelial cells mediate the formation of NETs has not been fully understood. We stimulated neutrophils firmly attached on the endothelial cell surface intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA) for 4 h, then labeled NETs-DNA with Sytox green dye and the formation of NETs was observed by fluorescent microscopy.

Wnt10a/β-catenin signalling is involved in kindlin-1-mediated astrocyte activation in a chronic construction injury rat model.

The activation of spinal astrocytes and release of neuroinflammatory mediators are important events in neuropathic pain (NP) pathogenesis. In this study, we investigated the role of Wnt10a/β-catenin signalling in kindlin-1-mediated astrocyte activation using a chronic constriction injury (CCI) NP rat model. Using kindlin-1 overexpression and knockdown plasmids, we assessed hyperalgesia, changes in spinal astrocyte activation and the release of inflammatory mediators in a NP rat model.

Effectiveness of analgesia with hydromorphone hydrochloride for postoperative pain following surgical repair of structural congenital malformations in children: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Effective postoperative analgesia is needed to prevent the negative effects of postoperative pain on patient outcomes. To compare the effectiveness of hydromorphone hydrochloride and sufentanil, combined with flurbiprofen axetil, for postoperative analgesia in pediatric patients.

Methods: This prospective randomized controlled trial included 222 pediatric patients scheduled for repair of a structural congenital malformation under general anesthesia.

Time- and dose-dependent correlations between patient-controlled epidural analgesia and intrapartum maternal fever.

Background: To investigate the relationship between intrapartum maternal fever and the duration and dosage of patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA).

Methods: This observational study included 159 pregnant women who voluntarily accepted PCEA. During labor, patients with body temperature ≥ 38 °C were classified into the Fever group, (n = 42), and those with body temperature < 38 °C were classified into the No-fever group (n = 117).

The relationship between epidural analgesia and intrapartum maternal fever and the consequences for maternal and neonatal outcomes: a prospective observational study.

Aim: To use continuous real-time monitoring of maternal core body temperature during labor and investigate the association between epidural analgesia, intrapartum maternal fever, and maternal and neonatal outcomes.

Methods: Among 201 pregnant women attending our institution for a vaginal in-hospital delivery, 159 women received epidural analgesia and 42 women did not receive epidural analgesia. Women's core body temperature was continuously monitored for the duration of labor using a smartphone/iPad-connected wireless thermometer positioned in an axilla.

Image-based deep learning in diagnosing the etiology of pneumonia on pediatric chest X-rays.

Purpose: Comparing the efficacy of a deep-learning model in classifying the etiology of pneumonia on pediatric chest X-rays (CXRs) with that of human readers.

Methods: We built a clinical-pediatric CXR set containing 4035 patients to exploit a deep-learning model called Resnet-50 for differentiating viral from bacterial pneumonia. The dataset was split into training (80%) and validation (20%).

Natural borneol sensitizes human glioma cells to cisplatin-induced apoptosis by triggering ROS-mediated oxidative damage and regulation of MAPKs and PI3K/AKT pathway.

Cisplatin-based chemotherapy was widely used in treating human malignancies. However, side effects and chemoresistance remains the major obstacle. To verify whether natural borneol (NB) can enhance cisplatin-induced glioma cell apoptosis and explore the mechanism.

Surface Epitaxial Crystallization-Directed Nanotopography for Accelerating Preosteoblast Proliferation and Osteogenic Differentiation.

Surface nanotopography provides a physical stimulus to direct cell fate, especially in the case of osteogenic differentiation. However, fabrication of nanopatterns usually suffers from complex procedures. Herein, a feasible and versatile method was presented to create unique nanosheets on a poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) substrate via surface epitaxial crystallization.

Using deep-learning techniques for pulmonary-thoracic segmentations and improvement of pneumonia diagnosis in pediatric chest radiographs.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of a deep-learning model to segment the lung and thorax regions in pediatric chest X-rays (CXRs). Validating the diagnosis of bacterial or viral pneumonia could be improved after lung segmentation.

Materials And Methods: A clinical-pediatric CXR set including 1351 patients was proposed to develop a deep-learning model for the pulmonary-thoracic segmentations.

The effects of ropivacaine 0.0625% and levobupivacaine 0.0625% on uterine and abdominal muscle electromyographic activity during the second stage of labor.

Background: This study investigated the effect of ropivacaine on uterine and abdominal muscle electromyographic activity during the second stage of labor.

Methods: A total of 161 patients, including 48 patients receiving 0.0625% ropivacaine for patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA), 64 patients receiving 0.

Promoting osteoblast proliferation on polymer bone substitutes with bone-like structure by combining hydroxyapatite and bioactive glass.

Mimicking the structural features of natural bone has been demonstrated to bring pronounced advantages for mechanical reinforcement of polymeric orthopedic substitutes that are composed of bioinert polymer matrix and bioactive fillers. However, to trigger effective bone formation and implant integration, the bioactivity of bone substitutes plays a vital role. We hypothesized that the use of hydroxyapatite (HA) and bioactive glass (BG), compared to the use of HA alone, could improve the biological properties of polymer-based bone substitutes.

Effects of Ropivacaine in Patient-Controlled Epidural Analgesia on Uterine Electromyographic Activities during Labor.

Epidural analgesia is effective in relieving pain during labor. However, concerns as to compromised labor progress and outcomes arise. This study aimed to assess the effect of patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) with ropivacaine on uterine electromyography (EMG) activities and outcomes in labor.

Bone-like Polymeric Composites with a Combination of Bioactive Glass and Hydroxyapatite: Simultaneous Enhancement of Mechanical Performance and Bioactivity.

An ideal bone substitute requires not only high bioactivity but also sufficient mechanical performance, which is however inaccessible due to the lack of rational structure and composition design. Here, bioactive glass (BG)/hydroxyapatite (HA)/polyethylene (PE) composites with bone-like structure were prepared via a structuring injection molding. The strong and reciprocating shear field offered by the modified injection molding induced plenty of interlocked shish kebabs, mimicking the aligned collagen fibers in the natural bone.

Enhanced oxidation stability of highly cross-linked ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene by tea polyphenols for total joint implants.

Despite being currently state-of-the-art to prevent the oxidation of irradiated ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) bearings, vitamin E (VE) poses concerns in the loss of cross-linking efficiency and is limited to be used at very low concentrations. It thus emphasizes the urgent demand for more efficient stabilizers. In this study, oxidation stability of highly cross-linked UHMWPE was demonstrated to be enhanced by tea polyphenols, such as lipid-soluble tea polyphenols (lsPPT), epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), and lipid-soluble epigallocatechin gallate (lsEGCG).

Dexmedetomidine ameliorates lidocaine-induced spinal neurotoxicity via inhibiting glutamate release and the PKC pathway.

Dexmedetomidine, a selective α adrenergic agonist, has been shown to have neuroprotective and anti-apoptotic effects. To further investigate the underlying mechanisms, we used a rat model of spinal neurotoxicity induced by intrathecal administration of lidocaine. Four days after intrathecal catheter implantation, rats received an intraperitoneal injection of various doses of dexmedetomidine before an intrathecal injection of 20 μL 10% lidocaine.

Kindlin-1 Regulates Astrocyte Activation and Pain Sensitivity in Rats With Neuropathic Pain.

Background And Objectives: Astrocyte activation has been implicated in the pathogenesis of neuropathic pain, but the involvement of kindlin-1 in astrocyte activation and neuropathic pain has not yet been illustrated. Using a chronic constriction injury (CCI) rat model of neuropathic pain, we investigated the expression levels of kindlin-1 during neuropathic pain and the influences of kindlin-1 on regulating pain sensitivity.

Methods: Neuropathic pain was induced in rats by CCI of the sciatic nerve.

Early hyperbaric oxygen effects on neuropathic pain and nitric oxide synthase isoforms in CCI rats.

Neuropathic pain is pain caused by injury or dysfunction in the central and/or peripheral nervous system. Neuropathic pain has a high incidence with a complex mechanism, but effective treatment remains elusive. Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy has been widely used in the treatment of a variety of neurological diseases.