miRNA-21-5p is an important contributor to the promotion of injured peripheral nerve regeneration using hypoxia-pretreated bone marrow-derived neural crest cells.

JOURNAL/nrgr/04.03/01300535-202501000-00035/figure1/v/2024-05-14T021156Z/r/image-tiff Our previous study found that rat bone marrow-derived neural crest cells (acting as Schwann cell progenitors) have the potential to promote long-distance nerve repair. Cell-based therapy can enhance peripheral nerve repair and regeneration through paracrine bioactive factors and intercellular communication. Nevertheless, the complex contributions of various types of soluble cytokines and extracellular vesicle cargos to the secretome remain unclear. To investigate the role of the secretome and extracellular vesicles in repairing damaged peripheral nerves, we collected conditioned culture medium from hypoxia-pretreated neural crest cells, and found that it significantly promoted the repair of sensory neurons damaged by oxygen-glucose deprivation. The mRNA expression of trophic factors was highly expressed in hypoxia-pretreated neural crest cells. We performed RNA sequencing and bioinformatics analysis and found that miR-21-5p was enriched in hypoxia-pretreated extracellular vesicles of neural crest cells. Subsequently, to further clarify the role of hypoxia-pretreated neural crest cell extracellular vesicles rich in miR-21-5p in axonal growth and regeneration of sensory neurons, we used a microfluidic axonal dissociation model of sensory neurons in vitro, and found that hypoxia-pretreated neural crest cell extracellular vesicles promoted axonal growth and regeneration of sensory neurons, which was greatly dependent on loaded miR-21-5p. Finally, we constructed a miR-21-5p-loaded neural conduit to repair the sciatic nerve defect in rats and found that the motor and sensory functions of injured rat hind limb, as well as muscle tissue morphology of the hind limbs, were obviously restored. These findings suggest that hypoxia-pretreated neural crest extracellular vesicles are natural nanoparticles rich in miRNA-21-5p. miRNA-21-5p is one of the main contributors to promoting nerve regeneration by the neural crest cell secretome. This helps to explain the mechanism of action of the secretome and extracellular vesicles of neural crest cells in repairing damaged peripheral nerves, and also promotes the application of miR-21-5p in tissue engineering regeneration medicine.

Selective Oxidation of sp-Bonded Carbon in Graphdiyne/Carbon Nanotubes Heterostructures to Form Dominant Epoxy Groups for Two-Electron Oxygen Reduction.

Two-electron oxygen reduction reaction (2e- ORR) is of great significance to H2O2 production and reversible nonalkaline Zn-air batteries (ZABs). Multiple oxygen-containing sp2-bonded nanocarbons have been developed as electrocatalysts for 2e- ORR, but they still suffer from poor activity and stability due to the limited and mixed active sites at the edges as well as hydrophilic character. Herein, graphdiyne (GDY) with rich sp-C bonds is studied for enhanced 2e- ORR. First, computational studies show that GDY has a favorable formation energy for producing five-membered epoxy ring-dominated groups, which is selective toward the 2e- ORR pathway. Then based on the difference in chemical activity of sp-C bonds in GDY and sp2-C bonds in CNTs, we experimentally achieved conductive and hydrophobic carbon nanotubes (CNTs) covering O-modified GDY (CNTs/GDY-O) through a mild oxidation treatment combined with an in situ CNTs growth approach. Consequently, the CNTs/GDY-O exhibits an average Faraday efficiency of 91.8% toward H2O2 production and record stability over 330 h in neutral media. As a cathode electrocatalyst, it greatly extends the lifetime of 2e- nonalkaline ZABs at both room and subzero temperatures.

Effectiveness of shared decision-making for mode of delivery after caesarean section: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

AIM: To review the content, format and effectiveness of shared decision-making interventions for mode of delivery after caesarean section for pregnant women. DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS: Six databases (PubMed, Web of science Core Collection, Cochrance Network, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO) were searched starting at the time of establishment of the database to May 2023. Following the PRISMAs and use Review Manager 5.3 software for meta-analysis. Two review authors independently assessed the quality of the studies using the risk of bias 2 tool. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42023410536). RESULTS: The search strategy obtained 1675 references. After abstract and full text screening, a total of seven studies were included. Shared decision-making interventions include decision aids and counselling that can help pregnant women analyse the pros and cons of various options and help them make decisions that are consistent with their values. The pooled results showed that shared decision-making intervention alleviated decisional conflicts regarding mode of delivery after caesarean section, but had no effect on knowledge and informed choice. CONCLUSION: The results of our review suggest that shared decision-making is an effective intervention to improve the quality of decision-making about the mode of delivery of pregnant women after caesarean section. However, due to the low quality of the evidence, it is recommended that more studies be conducted in the future to improve the quality of the evidence. CORRELATION WITH CLINICAL PRACTICE: This systematic review and meta-analysis provides evidence for the effectiveness of shared decision-making for mode of delivery after cesarean section and may provide a basis for the development of intervention to promote the participation of pregnant women in the decision-making process.

Assessing the Content and Effect of Web-Based Decision Aids for Postmastectomy Breast Reconstruction: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

BACKGROUND: Web-based decision aids have been shown to have a positive effect when used to improve the quality of decision-making for women facing postmastectomy breast reconstruction (PMBR). However, the existing findings regarding these interventions are still incongruent, and the overall effect is unclear. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to assess the content of web-based decision aids and its impact on decision-related outcomes (ie, decision conflict, decision regret, informed choice, and knowledge), psychological-related outcomes (ie, satisfaction and anxiety), and surgical decision-making in women facing PMBR. METHODS: This systematic review and meta-analysis followed the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. A total of 6 databases, PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Web of Science Core Collection, were searched starting at the time of establishment of the databases to May 2023, and an updated search was conducted on April 1, 2024. MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) terms and text words were used. The Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool for randomized controlled trials was used to assess the risk of bias. The certainty of evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach. RESULTS: In total, 7 studies included 579 women and were published between 2008 and 2023, and the sample size in each study ranged from 26 to 222. The results showed that web-based decision aids used audio and video to present the pros and cons of PMBR versus no PMBR, implants versus flaps, and immediate versus delayed PMBR and the appearance and feel of the PMBR results and the expected recovery time with photographs of actual patients. Web-based decision aids help improve PMBR knowledge, decisional conflict (mean difference [MD]=-5.43, 95% CI -8.87 to -1.99; P=.002), and satisfaction (standardized MD=0.48, 95% CI 0.00 to 0.95; P=.05) but have no effect on informed choice (MD=-2.80, 95% CI -8.54 to 2.94; P=.34), decision regret (MD=-1.55, 95% CI -6.00 to 2.90 P=.49), or anxiety (standardized MD=0.04, 95% CI -0.50 to 0.58; P=.88). The overall Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation quality of the evidence was low. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that the web-based decision aids provide a modern, low-cost, and high dissemination rate effective method to promote the improved quality of decision-making in women undergoing PMBR. TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42023450496; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=450496.

Exploring T7 RNA polymerase-assisted CRISPR/Cas13a amplification for the detection of BNP via electrochemiluminescence sensing platform.

Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) is considered to be an important biomarker of heart failure (HF) attracting attention. However, its low concentration and short half-life in blood lead to a low-sensitivity detection of BNP, which is a challenge that has to be overcome. In this work, we propose a highly specific, highly sensitive T7 RNA polymerase-assisted clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas13a system to detect BNP via an electrochemiluminescence (ECL) sensing platform and incorporate exonuclease III (Exo III)-hairpin and dumbbell-shaped hybridization chain reaction (HCR) technologies. In this detection scheme, the ECL sensing platform possesses low background signal and high sensitivity. Firstly, the T7 promoter-initiated T7 RNA polymerase acts as a signal amplification technique to generate large amounts of RNAs that can activate CRISPR/Cas13a activity. Secondly, CRISPR/Cas13a is able to trans-cleave the surrounding trigger strand to produce DNA1. Thirdly, DNA1 is involved in the co-amplification reaction of Exo III and hairpin DNA, which subsequently triggers a dumbbell-shaped HCR technology. Eventually, a large number of Ru (II) molecules are inserted into the interstitial space of the dumbbell-shaped HCR to generate a strong ECL signal. The CRISPR/Cas13a possesses outstanding specificity for a single base and increased sensitivity. The tightly conformed dumbbell-shaped HCR provides higher sensitivity than the traditional linear HCR amplification technique. Ultimately, the clever combination of several amplification reactions enables the limit of detection (LOD) as low as 3.2 fg/mL. It showed promise for clinical sample testing, with recovery rates ranging from 98.4% to 103% in 5% human serum samples. This detection method offered a valuable tool for early HF detection, emphasizing the synergy of amplification strategies and specificity conferred by CRISPR/Cas13a technology.

Targeting adenosine A2A receptors for early intervention of retinopathy of prematurity.

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) continues to pose a significant threat to the vision of numerous children worldwide, primarily owing to the increased survival rates of premature infants. The pathologies of ROP are mainly linked to impaired vascularization as a result of hyperoxia, leading to subsequent neovascularization. Existing treatments, including anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapies, have thus far been limited to addressing pathological angiogenesis at advanced ROP stages, inevitably leading to adverse side effects. Intervention to promote physiological angiogenesis during the initial stages could hold the potential to prevent ROP. Adenosine A2A receptors (A2AR) have been identified in various ocular cell types, exhibiting distinct densities and functionally intricate connections with oxygen metabolism. In this review, we discuss experimental evidence that strongly underscores the pivotal role of A2AR in ROP. In particular, A2AR blockade may represent an effective treatment strategy, mitigating retinal vascular loss by reversing hyperoxia-mediated cellular proliferation inhibition and curtailing hypoxia-mediated neovascularization in oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR). These effects stem from the interplay of endothelium, neuronal and glial cells, and novel molecular pathways (notably promoting TGF-ß signaling) at the hyperoxia phase. We propose that pharmacological targeting of A2AR signaling may confer an early intervention for ROP with distinct therapeutic benefits and mechanisms than the anti-VEGF therapy.

Suppressing Zn pulverization with three-dimensional inert-cation diversion dam for long-life Zn metal batteries.

Tremendous attention has been paid to the water-associated side reactions and zinc (Zn) dendrite growth on the electrode-electrolyte interface. However, the Zn pulverization that can cause continuous depletion of active Zn metal and exacerbate hydrogen evolution is severely neglected. Here, we disclose that the excessive Zn feeding that causes incomplete crystallization is responsible for Zn pulverization formation through analyzing the thermodynamic and kinetics process of Zn deposition. On the basis, we introduce 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium cations (EMIm+) into the electrolyte to form a Galton-board-like three-dimensional inert-cation (3DIC) region. Modeling test shows that the 3DIC EMIm+ can induce the Zn2+ flux to follow in a Gauss distribution, thus acting as elastic sites to buffer the perpendicular diffusion of Zn2+ and direct the lateral diffusion, thus effectively avoiding the local Zn2+ accumulation and irreversible crystal formation. Consequently, anti-pulverized Zn metal deposition behavior is achieved with an average Coulombic efficiency of 99.6% at 5 mA cm-2 over 2,000 cycles and superb stability in symmetric cell over 1,200 h at -30 °C. Furthermore, the Zn||KVOH pouch cell can stably cycle over 1,200 cycles at 2 A g-1 and maintain a capacity of up to 12 mAh.

Research advances in microfluidic collection and detection of virus, bacterial, and fungal bioaerosols.

Bioaerosols are airborne suspensions of fine solid or liquid particles containing biological substances such as viruses, bacteria, cellular debris, fungal spores, mycelium, and byproducts of microbial metabolism. The global Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and the previous emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), and influenza have increased the need for reliable and effective monitoring tools for bioaerosols. Bioaerosol collection and detection have aroused considerable attention. Current bioaerosol sampling and detection techniques suffer from long response time, low sensitivity, and high costs, and these drawbacks have forced the development of novel monitoring strategies. Microfluidic technique is considered a breakthrough for high performance analysis of bioaerosols. In recent years, several emerging methods based on microfluidics have been developed and reported for collection and detection of bioaerosols. The unique advantages of microfluidic technique have enabled the integration of bioaerosol collection and detection, which has a higher efficiency over conventional methods. This review focused on the research progress of bioaerosol collection and detection methods based on microfluidic techniques, with special attention on virus aerosols and bacterial aerosols. Different from the existing reviews, this work took a unique perspective of the targets to be collected and detected in bioaerosols, which would provide a direct index of bioaerosol categories readers may be interested in. We also discussed integrated microfluidic monitoring system for bioaerosols. Additionally, the application of bioaerosol detection in biomedicine was presented. Finally, the current challenges in the field of bioaerosol monitoring are presented and an outlook given of future developments.

Saliva Analysis Based on Microfluidics: Focusing the Wide Spectrum of Target Analyte.

Saliva is one of the most critical human body fluids that can reflect the state of the human body. The detection of saliva is of great significance for disease diagnosis and health monitoring. Microfluidics, characterized by microscale size and high integration, is an ideal platform for the development of rapid and low-cost disease diagnostic techniques and devices. Microfluidic-based saliva testing methods have aroused considerable interest due to the increasing need for noninvasive testing and frequent or long-term testing. This review briefly described the significance of saliva analysis and generally classified the targets in saliva detection into pathogenic microorganisms, inorganic substances, and organic substances. By using this classification as a benchmark, the state-of-the-art research results on microfluidic detection of various substances in saliva were summarized. This work also put forward the challenges and future development directions of microfluidic detection methods for saliva.

Mirabegron displays anticancer effects by globally browning adipose tissues.

Metabolic reprogramming in malignant cells is a hallmark of cancer that relies on augmented glycolytic metabolism to support their growth, invasion, and metastasis. However, the impact of global adipose metabolism on tumor growth and the drug development by targeting adipose metabolism remain largely unexplored. Here we show that a therapeutic paradigm of drugs is effective for treating various cancer types by browning adipose tissues. Mirabegron, a clinically available drug for overactive bladders, displays potent anticancer effects in various animal cancer models, including untreatable cancers such as pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma, via the browning of adipose tissues. Genetic deletion of the uncoupling protein 1, a key thermogenic protein in adipose tissues, ablates the anticancer effect. Similarly, the removal of brown adipose tissue, which is responsible for non-shivering thermogenesis, attenuates the anticancer activity of mirabegron. These findings demonstrate that mirabegron represents a paradigm of anticancer drugs with a distinct mechanism for the effective treatment of multiple cancers.

Quantitative assessment of near-infrared fluorescent proteins.

Recent progress in fluorescent protein development has generated a large diversity of near-infrared fluorescent proteins (NIR FPs), which are rapidly becoming popular probes for a variety of imaging applications. However, the diversity of NIR FPs poses a challenge for end-users in choosing the optimal one for a given application. Here we conducted a systematic and quantitative assessment of intracellular brightness, photostability, oligomeric state, chemical stability and cytotoxicity of 22 NIR FPs in cultured mammalian cells and primary mouse neurons and identified a set of top-performing FPs including emiRFP670, miRFP680, miRFP713 and miRFP720, which can cover a majority of imaging applications. The top-performing proteins were further validated for in vivo imaging of neurons in Caenorhabditis elegans, zebrafish, and mice as well as in mice liver. We also assessed the applicability of the selected NIR FPs for multicolor imaging of fusions, expansion microscopy and two-photon imaging.

KRAS mutation-driven angiopoietin 2 bestows anti-VEGF resistance in epithelial carcinomas.

Defining reliable surrogate markers and overcoming drug resistance are the most challenging issues for improving therapeutic outcomes of antiangiogenic drugs (AADs) in cancer patients. At the time of this writing, no biomarkers are clinically available to predict AAD therapeutic benefits and drug resistance. Here, we uncovered a unique mechanism of AAD resistance in epithelial carcinomas with KRAS mutations that targeted angiopoietin 2 (ANG2) to circumvent antivascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) responses. Mechanistically, KRAS mutations up-regulated the FOXC2 transcription factor that directly elevated ANG2 expression at the transcriptional level. ANG2 bestowed anti-VEGF resistance as an alternative pathway to augment VEGF-independent tumor angiogenesis. Most colorectal and pancreatic cancers with KRAS mutations were intrinsically resistant to monotherapies of anti-VEGF or anti-ANG2 drugs. However, combination therapy with anti-VEGF and anti-ANG2 drugs produced synergistic and potent anticancer effects in KRAS-mutated cancers. Together, these data demonstrate that KRAS mutations in tumors serve as a predictive marker for anti-VEGF resistance and are susceptible to combination therapy with anti-VEGF and anti-ANG2 drugs.

Disruption of the Clock Component Bmal1 in Mice Promotes Cancer Metastasis through the PAI-1-TGF-ß-myoCAF-Dependent Mechanism.

The circadian clock in animals and humans plays crucial roles in multiple physiological processes. Disruption of circadian homeostasis causes detrimental effects. Here, it is demonstrated that the disruption of the circadian rhythm by genetic deletion of mouse brain and muscle ARNT-like 1 (Bmal1) gene, coding for the key clock transcription factor, augments an exacerbated fibrotic phenotype in various tumors. Accretion of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), especially the alpha smooth muscle actin positive myoCAFs, accelerates tumor growth rates and metastatic potentials. Mechanistically, deletion of Bmal1 abrogates expression of its transcriptionally targeted plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1). Consequently, decreased levels of PAI-1 in the tumor microenvironment instigate plasmin activation through upregulation of tissue plasminogen activator and urokinase plasminogen activator. The activated plasmin converts latent TGF-ß into its activated form, which potently induces tumor fibrosis and the transition of CAFs into myoCAFs, the latter promoting cancer metastasis. Pharmacological inhibition of the TGF-ß signaling largely ablates the metastatic potentials of colorectal cancer, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Together, these data provide novel mechanistic insights into disruption of the circadian clock in tumor growth and metastasis. It is reasonably speculated that normalization of the circadian rhythm in patients provides a novel paradigm for cancer therapy.

Visual analysis based on CiteSpace software: a bibliometric study of atrial myxoma.

Objective: To use CiteSpace and VOSviewer visual metrology to analyze the research status, frontier hotspots, and trends in research on atrial myxoma. Methods: The Web of Science core collection database was used to retrieve relevant literature on atrial myxoma from 2001 to 2022. CiteSpace software was used to analyze keywords with a co-occurrence network, co-polymerization class, and burst terms, and a corresponding visual atlas was drawn for analysis. Results: A total of 893 valid articles were included. The country with the highest number of articles was the United States (n = 186). The organization with the highest number of articles was the Mayo Clinic (n = 15). The author with the highest number of articles was Yuan SM (n = 12). The highest cited author was Reynen K (n = 312). The highest cited journal was Annals of Thoracic Surgery (n = 1,067). The most frequently cited literature was published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1995, which was cited 233 times. The keywords co-occurrence, copolymerization analysis, and Burst analysis revealed that the main research focuses were surgical methods, case reports, and genetic and molecular level studies on the pathogenesis of myxoma. Conclusions: This bibliometric analysis revealed that the main research topics and hotspots in atrial myxoma included surgical methods, case reports, genetic and molecular studies.

The effect of GelMA/alginate interpenetrating polymeric network hydrogel on the performance of porous zirconia matrix for bone regeneration applications.

Bone tissue is a natural composite, exhibiting complicated structures and unique mechanical/biological properties. With an attempt of mimicking the bone tissue, a novel inorganic-organic composite scaffolds (ZrO2-GM/SA) was designed and prepared via the vacuum infiltration method and the single/double cross-linking strategy by blending GelMA/alginate (GelMA/SA) interpenetrating polymeric network (IPN) into the porous zirconia (ZrO2) scaffold. The structure, morphology, compressive strength, surface/interface properties, and biocompatibility of the ZrO2-GM/SA composite scaffolds were characterized to evaluate the performance of the composite scaffolds. Results showed that compared to ZrO2 bare scaffolds with well-defined open pores, the composite scaffolds prepared by double cross-linking of GelMA hydrogel and sodium alginate (SA) presented a continuous, tunable and honeycomb-like microstructure. Meanwhile, GelMA/SA showed favorable and controllable water-uptake capacity, swelling property and degradability. After the introduction of IPN components, the mechanical strength of composite scaffolds was further improved. The compressive modulus of composite scaffolds was significantly higher than the bare ZrO2 scaffolds. In addition, ZrO2-GM/SA composite scaffolds had highly biocompatibility and displayed a potent proliferation and osteogenesis of MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblasts compared to bare ZrO2 scaffolds and ZrO2-GelMA composite scaffolds. At the same time, ZrO2-10GM/1SA composite scaffold regenerated significantly greater bone than other groups in vivo. This study demonstrated that the proposed ZrO2-GM/SA composite scaffolds had great research and application potential in bone tissue engineering.

Measuring the inequalities in healthcare resource in facility and workforce: A longitudinal study in China.

Objective: The study aimed to measure time trends of inequalities of the geographical distribution of health facilities and workforce in Shanghai from 2010 to 2016 and used a spatial autocorrelation analysis method to precisely detect the priority areas for optimizing health resource reallocation in metropolises like Shanghai in developing countries. Methods: The study used secondary data from the Shanghai Health Statistical Yearbook and the Shanghai Statistical Yearbook from 2011 to 2017. Five indicators on health resources, namely, health institutions, beds, technicians, doctors, and nurses, were employed to quantitatively measure the healthcare resource in Shanghai. The Theil index and the Gini coefficient were applied to assess the global inequalities in the geographic distribution of these resources in Shanghai. Global and local spatial autocorrelation was performed using global Moran's index and local Moran's index to illustrate the spatial changing patterns and identify the priority areas for two types of healthcare resource allocation. Results: Shanghai's healthcare resources showed decreasing trends of inequalities at large from 2010 to 2016. However, there still existed an unchanged over-concentration distribution in healthcare facilities and workforce density among districts in Shanghai, especially for doctors at the municipal level and facility allocation at the rural level. Through spatial autocorrelation analysis, it was found that there exhibited a significant spatial autocorrelation in the density distribution of all resources, and some identified priority areas were detected for resource re-allocation policy planning. Conclusion: The study identified the existence of inequality in some healthcare resource allocations in Shanghai from 2010 to 2016. Hence, more detailed area-specific healthcare resource planning and distribution policies are required to balance the health workforce distribution at the municipal level and institution distribution at the rural level, and particular geographical areas (low-low and low-high cluster areas) should be focused on and fully considered across all the policies and regional cooperation to ensure health equality for municipal cities like Shanghai in developing countries.

Genome-Wide Identification, Characterization and Experimental Expression Analysis of CNGC Gene Family in Gossypium.

Cyclic nucleotide-gated ion channels (CNGCs) are channel proteins for calcium ions, and have been reported to play important roles in regulating survival and environmental response of various plants. However, little is known about how the CNGC family works in Gossypium. In this study, 173 CNGC genes, which were identified from two diploid and five tetraploid Gossypium species, were classified into four groups by phylogenetic analysis. The collinearity results demonstrated that CNGC genes are integrally conservative among Gossypium species, but four gene losses and three simple translocations were detected, which is beneficial to analyzing the evolution of CNGCs in Gossypium. The various cis-acting regulatory elements in the CNGCs' upstream sequences revealed their possible functions in responding to multiple stimuli such as hormonal changes and abiotic stresses. In addition, expression levels of 14 CNGC genes changed significantly after being treated with various hormones. The findings in this study will contribute to understanding the function of the CNGC family in cotton, and lay a foundation for unraveling the molecular mechanism of cotton plants' response to hormonal changes.

Insight into the effect of biomaterials on osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells: A review from a mitochondrial perspective.

Bone damage may be triggered by a variety of factors, and the damaged area often requires a bone graft. Bone tissue engineering can serve as an alternative strategy for repairing large bone defects. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), the progenitor cells of connective tissue, have become an important tool for tissue engineering due to their ability to differentiate into a variety of cell types. The precise regulation of the growth and differentiation of the stem cells used for bone regeneration significantly affects the efficiency of this type of tissue engineering. During the process of osteogenic induction, the dynamics and function of localized mitochondria are altered. These changes may also alter the microenvironment of the therapeutic stem cells and result in mitochondria transfer. Mitochondrial regulation not only affects the induction/rate of differentiation, but also influences its direction, determining the final identity of the differentiated cell. To date, bone tissue engineering research has mainly focused on the influence of biomaterials on phenotype and nuclear genotype, with few studies investigating the role of mitochondria. In this review, we provide a comprehensive summary of researches into the role of mitochondria in MSCs differentiation and critical analysis regarding smart biomaterials that are able to "programme" mitochondria modulation was proposed. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: This review proposed the precise regulation of the growth and differentiation of the stem cells used to seed bone regeneration. • This review addressed the dynamics and function of localized mitochondria during the process of osteogenic induction and the effect of mitochondria on the microenvironment of stem cells. • This review summarized biomaterials which affect the induction/rate of differentiation, but also influences its direction, determining the final identity of the differentiated cell through the regulation of mitochondria.

Association between cardiopulmonary function, health-related quality of life and cognitive impairment among the older nursing home residents in Shanghai, China.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to examine the association between cardiopulmonary function, health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and cognitive function among nursing home residents aged 80 years and over. METHODS: A nursing home-based, cross-sectional study was implemented among 677 aged over 80 years in Shanghai, China. A total of 197 participants underwent effective cardiopulmonary function examinations. Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE) and Short Form-36 scales (SF-36) were used to assess cognitive function and HRQOL, respectively. RESULTS: Decline in left ventricular ejection fractions (LVEF) [adjusted odds ratio (AOR), 1.98; 95% confidential interval (CI), 1.03-3.81)] and vital capacity (VC) (AOR, 2.08; 95%CI, 1.07-4.04) was associated with cognitive impairment. After adjusting confounding factors, relationships between cognitive function and physical functioning (PF) (AOR, 0.98; 95%CI, 0.97-0.99) still existed. CONCLUSIONS: Healthcare professionals should pay more attention to cardiopulmonary health and HRQOL in the nursing home residents. Actions of public health strategies focus on the improvement of cardiopulmonary function, and PF among older nursing home residents with cognitive impairment is required.

Association between acculturation and physician trust for internal migrants: A cross-sectional study in China.

BACKGROUND: Physician trust is a critical determinant of the physician-patient relationship and is necessary for an effective health system. Few studies have investigated the association between acculturation and physician trust. Thus, this study analyzed the association between acculturation and physician trust among internal migrants in China by using a cross-sectional research design. METHODS: Of the 2000 adult migrants selected using systematic sampling, 1330 participants were eligible. Among the eligible participants, 45.71% were female, and the mean age was 28.50 years old (standard deviation = 9.03). Multiple logistic regression was employed. RESULTS: Our findings indicated that acculturation was significantly associated with physician trust among migrants. The length of stay (LOS), the ability of speaking Shanghainese, and the integration into daily life were identified as contributing factors for physician trust when controlling for all the covariates in the model. CONCLUSION: We suggest that specific LOS-based targeted policies and culturally sensitive interventions can promote acculturation among Shanghai's migrants and improve their physician trust.