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Bacteria-Based Microdevices to the Oral Supply of Macromolecules.
isceral adiposity, and improved glucose homeostasis. CONCLUSION Taken together, these studies demonstrate that adipocyte-derived Wnts regulate de novo lipogenesis and lipid desaturation, and coordinate expression of lipogenic genes in adipose tissues. In addition, we report that Wnt signaling within adipose tissues is defended, such that a loss of Wnt secretion from adipocytes is sensed and compensated for by neighboring stromal-vascular cells. With chronic overnutrition, this compensatory mechanism is lost, revealing that Wls-/- mice are resistant to diet-induced obesity, adipocyte hypertrophy, and metabolic dysfunction. PURPOSE To evaluate by means of elastography if the quantitative assessment of the cesarean scar elasticity is feasible using as reference the surrounding intact myometrium and to investigate if the cesarean scar stiffness is influenced by the clinical characteristics of the previous cesarean delivery. METHODS Prospective study including women with a previous Cesarean Section (CS) ≥ 37 weeks' gestation performed 12-15 months before. By transvaginal ultrasound two regions of interest (ROI) were selected uterine scar (Region 1) and surrounding myometrium (Region 2). Strain index (SI) for each ROI was calculated and the Strain Ratio (SR) was defined as Region 1 SI/Region 2 SI. The primary outcome was to compare SR among women who were grouped in accordance to presence of previous vaginal delivery, CS during labor, type of suture or pyrexia during post-partum. The secondary outcome of this study was to evaluate the correlation between SR and maternal, neonatal and labor characteristics. RESULTS 68 women were included. The mean SR was 1.8 ± 0.7 thus indicating an increased stiffness of the uterine scar compared to the surrounding myometrium. No significant differences were found in terms of SR according to presence of previous VD, CS during labor, type of suture or pyrexia during post-partum period. Strain Ratio was not correlated to maternal characteristics nor to labor and neonatal outcome. CONCLUSIONS Evaluation of uterine scar stiffness is feasible by using elastography. The stiffness of the uterine scar is higher than that of the surrounding myometrium and is not correlated to maternal and labor characteristics. OBJECTIVE In Taiwan (my country), the proportion of people 65 years or older is over 14% in 2018, which is known as entering "aged society". More and more thoracolumbar burst fractures in the setting of osteoporosis happen nowadays. In this study, a finite element (FE) model on thoracolumbar burst fracture was established, and four types of posterior short-segment fixations were tested under normal bone quality and osteoporotic conditions. METHODS The intact T11-L1 spine FE model was created, and one-half of the spongy bone of the T12 vertebra was removed to simulate burst fracture. Four fixation models with posterior fusion devices were established 1. a link (S-L); 2. intermediate bilateral screws (S-I); 3. a link and calcium sulfate cement (S-L-C); 4. intermediate bilateral screws and calcium sulfate cement (S-I-C). The Young's modulus of the osteoporotic cancellous bone was set at 70 Mpa. The range of motion (ROM), as well as the maximum value and distribution of the implant stress on T11 and L1 were compared between normal bone and osteoporotic status. RESULTS The strongest construct was S-I-C group of both normal bone and osteoporosis condition. In osteoporotic status, the ROM of construct in four types would be increased when comparing to normal bone. The stress on pedicle screws at T11 and L1 level would also be increased in osteoporosis. The value of the maximal von Mises stress on the superior vertebral body (T11) for all loading conditions was larger than that on the inferior vertebral body (L1) in both normal bone and osteoporosis. CONCLUSIONS The S-I-C provided the strongest construct even in osteoporosis status. But osteoporosis would result in weakness for spinal construct which might lead to implant failure. BACKGROUND AND AIMS TRPA1 is a calcium permeable non-selective cation channel, its expression is up-regulated in atherosclerosis plaque, yet its function in macrophages activation is unknown. We sought to establish the role of TRPA1 in inflammatory macrophages activation. METHODS TRPA1-/-ApoE-/- mice and C57BL/6 J control were treated with a high-fat diet (HFD) and the TRPA1 agonist cinnamaldehyde (CIN). Third-order branches of superior aorta of patients and mice were collected. Oil Red O staining and hematoxylin and eosin staining were performed to measure atherosclerotic lesions. The RNA-seq was performed to identify TRPA1 function in atherosclerosis. The expression of bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) markers was tested by Western blot. In addition, the levels of inflammatory factors were checked by ELISA. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-PCR and luciferase reporter gene assays were used to explore if TRPA1 could regulate histone modifications. RESULTS TRPA1-/-ApoE-/- mice showed a significant increase in atherosclerosis plaques compared to ApoE-/- mice after HFD treatment. Conversely, activation of TRPA1 by CIN sharply reduced atherosclerosis progression. Atherosclerosis was associated with a significant change in macrophage polarization toward the M1 proinflammatory phenotype. We found that inhibition of TRPA1 remarkably stimulated M1 marker genes expression, while repressed M2 marker genes expression. The interaction between TRPA1 and Ezh2, a subunit of polycomb repressive complex 2, suppressed the proteasome-dependent degradation of Ezh2. Thus, TRPA1 epigenetically regulated H3K27 trimethylation level in macrophages. CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate that TRPA1, up-regulated in atherosclerosis plaque, could regulate the macrophages toward an inflammatory phenotype, thereby modulating atherosclerosis progression. Activation of TRPA1 might serve as an atherosclerosis therapeutic target. Immobilized cells (ICs) have been widely used to enhance the remediation of organic-contaminated soil (e.g., polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, PAHs). Once ICs are added to the heterogeneous soil, degradation hotspots are immediately formed near the carrier, leaving the remaining soil lack of degrading bacteria. Therefore, it remains unclear how ICs efficiently utilize PAHs in soil. In this study, the viability of Silica-IC (Cells@Sawdust@Silica) and the distribution of inoculated ICs and phenanthrene (Phe) in a slurry system (soil to water ratio 12) were investigated to explore the removal mechanism of PAHs by the ICs. Results showed that the Silica-IC maintained (i) good reproductive ability (displayed by the growth curve in soil and water phase), (ii) excellent stability, which was identified by the ratio of colony forming units in the soil phase to the water phase, the difference between the colony number and the DNA copies, and characteristics of the biomaterial observed by the FESEM, and (iii) high metabolic activity (the removal percentages of Phe in soil by the ICs were more than 95% after 48 h). Finally, the possible pathways for the ICs to efficiently utilize Phe in soil are proposed based on the distribution and correlation of Phe and ICs between the soil and water phase. The adsorption-degradation process was dominant, i.e., the enhanced degradation occurred between the ICs and carrier-adsorbed Phe. This study provided new insights on developing a bio-material for efficient bio-remediation of PAHs-contaminated soil. Turning biomass into biochar as a multifunctional carbon-based material for water remediation has attracted much research attention. Sawdust and rice husk were selected as feedstock for biochar (BC) production, aiming to explore their performance as a catalyst to activate persulfate (PS) for degrading acid orange 7 (AO7). There was an excellent synergistic effect in the combined BC/PS system. Sawdust biochar (MX) showed a faster and more efficient performance for the AO7 degradation due to its abundant oxygen functional groups, compared to rice husk biochar (DK). In the BC/PS system, AO7 was well decolorized and mineralized. Based on the two-dimensional correlation analysis method, the azo conjugation structure and naphthalene ring of AO7 molecule changed first then benzene ring changed during the reaction. Moreover, AO7 decolorization efficiency increased with the increase of PS concentration and biochar dosage, and the deacrease of pH. Biochar deactivated after used twice. When the biochar reached its adsorption equilibrium of AO7, the AO7 could not be degraded in the BC/PS system. SO4- and OH participated in the reaction together and OH played the main role in activating PS to AO7 decolorization based on the radical scavengers experiment. All of results indicate using biochar to activate PS for degradation of AO7 contaminated water is a promising method. BACKGROUND The optimal duration of filgrastim as primary febrile neutropenia (FN) prophylaxis in early breast cancer (EBC) patients is unknown, with 5, 7 or 10 days being commonly prescribed. This trial evaluates whether 5 days of filgrastim was non-inferior to 7/10 days. PATIENTS AND METHODS In this randomised, open-label trial, EBC patients who were to receive filgrastim as primary FN prophylaxis were randomly allocated to 5 vs 7 vs 10 days of filgrastim for all chemotherapy cycles. A protocol amendment in November 2017 allowed subsequent patients (N=324) to be randomised to either 5 or 7/10 days. The primary outcome was a composite of either FN or treatment-related hospitalisations. Secondary outcomes included chemotherapy dose reductions, delays, and discontinuations. Analyses were performed by per protocol (primary) and intention-to-treat and the non-inferiority margin was set at 3% for the risk of having FN and/or hospitalisation per cycle of chemotherapy. RESULTS Patient (N=466) were randomized to receive 5 (184, 39.5%), or 7/10 (282, 60.5%) days of filgrastim. In our primary analysis, the difference in risk of either FN or treatment-related hospitalisation per cycle was -1.52% (95%CI -3.22% to 0.19%) suggesting non-inferiority of a 5-day filgrastim schedule compared to 7/10-days. The difference in events per cycle for FN was 0.11% (95%CI -1.05 to 1.27) while for treatment-related hospitalisations it was -1.68% (95%CI -2.73% to -0.63%). The overall proportions of patients having at least one occurrence of either FN or treatment-related hospitalization were 11.8% and 14.96% for the 5- and 7/10-day groups respectively (Risk Difference -3.17%, 95%CI -9.51% to 3.18%). click here CONCLUSION Five days of filgrastim was non-inferior to 7/10 days. Given the cost and toxicity of this agent, 5 days should be considered standard of care. Surfactant Protein D (SP-D) is a collectin protein that participates in the innate immune defense of the lungs. SP-D mediates the clearance of invading microorganisms by opsonization, aggregation or direct killing, which are lately removed by macrophages. SP-D is found as a mixture of trimers, hexamers, dodecamers and higher order oligomers, "fuzzy balls". However, it is unknown whether there are differences between these oligomeric forms in functions, activity or potency. In the present work, we have obtained fractions enriched in trimers, hexamers and fuzzy balls of full-length recombinant human (rh) SP-D by size exclusion chromatography, in a sufficient amount to perform functional assays. We have evaluated the differences in protein lectin-dependent activity relative to aggregation and binding to E. coli, one of the ligands of SP-D in vivo. Fuzzy balls are the most active oligomeric form in terms of binding and aggregation of bacteria, achieving 2-fold binding higher than hexamers and 50% bacteria aggregation at very short times.
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