ObjectiveTo investigate the association between the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI) and the presence of postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP) in elderly female patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and to evaluate the discriminatory ability of GNRI for PMOP in this population.MethodsA retrospective observational study was conducted, enrolling 324 postmenopausal female patients with T2DM who were hospitalized at our hospital from September 2021 to November 2024. Participants were divided into an osteoporosis group (T-score ≤ − 2.5, n = 141) and a non-osteoporosis group (T-score > − 2.5, n = 183) based on lumbar spine bone mineral density (BMD) measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Data on age, body mass index (BMI), BMD, serological indicators, and GNRI were collected and compared between the two groups. Correlation analysis was performed to examine the relationship between GNRI and various parameters. Binary logistic regression was used to identify independent factors influencing PMOP. The predictive efficacy of GNRI was assessed using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.ResultsCompared to the non-osteoporosis group, patients in the osteoporosis group were significantly older and had significantly lower levels of GNRI, BMI, lumbar spine T-score, total protein, albumin, uric acid, albumin-corrected calcium, serum phosphorus, and 25-hydroxyvitamin D (all p < 0.05). Correlation analysis revealed that GNRI was negatively correlated with age (rs = −0.203, p < 0.001) and positively correlated with lumbar spine T-score (rs = 0.485, p < 0.001), albumin-corrected calcium (rs = 0.532, p < 0.001), and 25-hydroxyvitamin D (rs = 0.528, p < 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified age as an independent risk factor for PMOP (OR = 1.092, 95% CI: 1.038–1.149, p = 0.001), while GNRI was independently associated with a lower risk of PMOP (OR = 0.812, 95% CI: 0.680–0.969, p = 0.021). ROC curve analysis demonstrated that the area under the curve (AUC) for GNRI in discriminating PMOP was 0.769 (95% CI: 0.718–0.820, p < 0.001). The optimal cut-off value was 101.2, with a sensitivity of 70.2% and a specificity of 73.8%.ConclusionIn postmenopausal female patients with T2DM, a higher GNRI value is independently associated with a lower risk of PMOP. GNRI demonstrates moderate discriminatory ability for identifying PMOP in this population and may serve as a simple and useful auxiliary indicator for assessing skeletal health risk in clinical practice, pending further prospective validation.

Functional insoles are widely used to redistribute plantar pressure and support the medial arch; however, the biomechanical effects of insole material stiffness remain unclear. This study employed finite element analysis (FEA) to investigate the relationship between insole stiffness and foot tissue loading, providing a theoretical basis for personalized insole design and clinical application. A three-dimensional finite element model of a healthy 26‑year‑old male foot and insole was reconstructed from CT images. Exploring the trend of the insole material stiffness on foot biomechanics through parametric analysis. Six insole materials with elastic moduli of 100, 260, 1,000, 3,000, 5,000, and 500,000 MPa—were analyzed, The Poisson’s ratio for all insole materials was assumed to be 0.45. Two loading conditions, static bilateral stance and gait forefoot contact, were simulated to evaluate foot displacement, plantar stress, and stresses on the medial process of the calcaneal tuberosity and metatarsals. The finite element model demonstrated good agreement with experimental plantar pressure measurements, the experimentally measured peak plantar pressure was 0.2217 MPa, while the finite element model calculated a value of 0.234 MPa, with a relative error of approximately 2

Compared to traditional ceramic materials, glass-ceramics can also exhibit superior properties and are now widely used in cutting-edge national defense industries technology, aerospace, electronics, construction, and other fields. In this study, it is for the first time reported that novel photopolymerization 3D printable slurries using cordierite glass ceramic powder were prepared. The effects of slurry properties and printing process parameters on the warpage of the printed samples were studied. Cordierite glass-ceramic parts fabricated using photopolymerization 3D printing and heat treatment processes were studied to evaluate the effects of sintering parameters on the properties of the samples. The obtained additively manufactured cordierite glass-ceramics exhibit excellent microstructural and mechanical properties, with a maximum bending strength of 181 MPa, an increase of 95.66 % compared to that of the previously reported 3D printed cordierite ceramics. The underlying mechanisms of the glass and ceramic phase characteristics influence the density and the mechanical properties during and after the courses of sintering were also investigated and unveiled in detail. This study provides a viable method for manufacturing complex-shaped cordierite glass-ceramic components using 3D printing.

Polarization modulation plays a crucial role in various optical applications, e.g., microscopic imaging, optical communication, quantum optics, and remote sensing etc. In this work, we present a digital micromirror device (DMD)-based approach to modulate the polarization of a femtosecond laser at the DMD's pattern rate, i.e., 4.2 kHz. Femtosecond laser pulses have been widely known for their ultrafast temporal characteristics and unique ability to induce complex nonlinear optical effects. Our work employs a DMD to realize efficient and versatile polarization modulation, surpassing conventional methods, e.g., liquid crystal-based spatial light modulator, in terms of both speed and cost.

Metal halide perovskites have shown outstanding optoelectronic and nonlinear optical properties; yet, to realize wafer-scale high-performance perovskite-integrated photonics, the materials also need to have excellent ambient stability and compatibility with nanofabrication processes. In this work, we introduce Dion-Jacobson (D-J) phase perovskites for photonic device applications. By combining self-assembled monolayer-assisted film growth with thermal pressing, we obtain a series of compact and extremely smooth D-J phase perovskite thin films that exhibit excellent stability during electron-beam lithography, solvent development, and rinse. Combining spectroscopic and morphological characterizations, we further demonstrate how organic spacers can be used to fine-tune the photophysical properties and processability of the perovskite films. The distributed-feedback lasers based on the D-J phase perovskites exhibit a low lasing threshold (5.5 μJ cm −2 pumped with nanosecond laser), record high Q factor (up to 30,000), and excellent stability, with an unencapsulated device demonstrating a T 90 beyond 60 hours in ambient conditions (50% relative humidity).

In this Letter, we present an optimization model for nonlinear Stokes-Mueller polarimetry (SMP) to improve the precision in estimating the nonlinear Mueller matrix (MM) for two- and three-photon processes. Although nonlinear polarimeters can measure the polarization properties of multi-photon processes or materials, existing methods are suboptimal, leading to low measurement precision. Based on the model and its solution, we have designed a new measurement strategy to substantially reduce the estimation variance of nonlinear MM coefficients by approximately 58.2% for second-harmonic generation polarimetry and 78.7% for third-harmonic generation polarimetry. The model and measurement method can be directly applied to multi-photon processes to improve the precision of SMP.

The coordination between neurogenesis and angiogenesis plays an important role in nerve tissue development and regeneration. Recently, using bioactive materials to drive neurogenic and angiogenic responses has gained increasing attention. Understanding the neurovascular link between regulatory cues offers valuable insight into the mechanisms underlying nerve regeneration and the design of new bioactive materials. In this study, we utilized a dual-functionalized peptide nanofiber hydrogel presenting the brain-derived neurotrophic factor and vascular endothelial growth factor mimetic peptides RGIDKRHWNSQ (RGI) and KLTWQELYQLKYKGI (KLT) to construct an artificial neurovascular microenvironment. The dual-functionalized peptide nanofiber hydrogel enhanced the neurite outgrowth of pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells and tube-like structures formation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in vitro , and promoted rapid lesion infiltration of neural and vascular cells in a rat brain injury model. Using indirect co-culture models, we found that the dual-functionalized peptide hydrogel effectively mediated neurovascular crosstalk by regulating secretion of paracrine factors from PC12 cells and HUVECs. When the two cells types were directly co-cultured on the dual-functionalized peptide hydrogel, the efficiency of cell-cell communication was enhanced, which further accelerated the differentiation and maturation of PC12 cells with an increased number of pseudopodia and spread morphology, and HUVECs tube-like structure formation. In summary, the dual-functionalized peptide nanofiber hydrogel successfully formed an artificial neurovascular niche to directly regulate the behaviors of neural and vascular cells and promote their neurovascular crosstalk through paracrine signaling and direct cell-cell contact.

Radial glia (RG) cells that align in parallel in the embryonic brain are found to be able to guide the directed migration of neurons in response to brain injury. Therefore, biomaterials with aligned architectures are supposed to have positive effects on neural migration and neurogenic differentiation for brain injury repair that are rarely addressed, although they have been widely demonstrated in spinal cord and peripheral nerve system. Here, we present a highly biomimetic scaffold of aligned fibrin hydrogel (AFG) that mimics the oriented structure of RG fibers. Through a combination of histological, behavioral, imaging, and transcriptomic analyses, we demonstrated that transplanting the AFG scaffold into injured cortical brains promotes effective migration, differentiation, and maturation of endogenous neural stem cells, resulting in neurological functional recovery. Therefore, this study will light up a new perspective on applying an aligned scaffold to promote cortical regeneration after injury by inducing endogenous neurogenesis.

In this study, we introduced mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) into poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) to prepare a novel three dimensional (3D) porous scaffold by low-temperature deposition manufacturing (LDM). During the scaffolds preparing process, LDM managed to fabricate scaffolds with 3D geometry and desirable big pore structures but not damage the bioactivity of biomaterials. In the subsequent freeze-drying process, the as-fabricated scaffolds produced small pore structures due to the phase separation process. The scaffolds were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectrometer, hydrophilicity, porosity and mechanical test. The mean diameters of big pores were 445 ± 50 μm and 431 ± 32 μm, and those of small pores were 11 ± 3 μm and 8 ± 2 μm for PLGA and PLGA/MSNs scaffolds, respectively. Hydrophilicity examination revealed enhanced hydrophilicity of the composite scaffolds. Besides, the incorporation of MSNs also improves the mechanical property of the composites. Human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) were seeded on scaffolds for 3, 5, and 7 days. CCK-8 assay revealed that the introduction of MSNs improved cell proliferation. The adhesion and growth of cells on PLGA/MSNs scaffolds were enhanced over time during culturing period when compared to that on PLGA scaffolds. The results suggested that the 3D-printed PLGA/MSNs scaffolds are promising in cartilage tissue engineering.

BACKGROUND:Glioma is a highly aggressive and heterogeneous cancer with poor survival rates. Homeobox (HOX) genes are transcription factors that play pivotal roles in many aspects of cellular physiology, embryonic development, and tissue homeostasis. Mutations in HOX genes can lead to increased cancer predisposition. Abnormal expression of HOXB2 may result in the development and progression of tumors. However, its prognostic value and mechanism of dysregulation remain unclear.METHODS:The present study included 1001 glioma patients. The correlations between the expression of HOXB2 and subgroups of glioma were investigated by t-test analyses. The prognostic value of HOXB2 was explored by Kaplan-Meier analysis as well as univariate and multivariate Cox analyses. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment were employed to detect the biological function of HOXB2 in glioma. CCK-8 and transwell assays were performed to determine the role of HOXB2 in cell proliferation and invasion.RESULTS:HOXB2 was positively correlated with tumor grade and enriched in patients with isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 wild-type and age >41 years. HOXB2 was identified as an independent prognostic biomarker in glioma patients. HOXB2 was associated with cell invasion and promoted the proliferation of glioma cells in vitro.CONCLUSION:HOXB2 is an independent prognostic factor and contributes to tumor invasion in glioma patients.

Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy, or pulsed signal therapy, has shown efficacy in treating many illnesses, including knee osteoarthritis. Although the mechanism is not fully understood, magnetic therapy is broadly welcomed because of its safe and noninvasive nature. At the cellular and molecular level, remote control of the cell fate by the magnetic field also has profound applications in both basic science and translational research. Here we demonstrate the use of pulsed electromagnetic field, one of the most benign and noninvasive extracellular cues, as a novel method to control specific chondrogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Chondrogenesis of transplanted MSCs inside the joint is considered one of the future therapies to rebuild the damaged cartilage. Here we show that pulsed electromagnetic field promotes chondrogenic differentiation of MSCs, and such a promoting effect can be drastically enhanced by the combined use of a magnetic hydrogel as the cell growth matrix. The magnetic hydrogel, synthesized by chemical cross-linking of gelatin and β-cyclodextrin and by embedding Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles in the hydrogel network, supports adhesion, growth, and proliferation of MSCs. Pulsed electromagnetic field boosts chondrogenesis of MSCs grown on the magnetic hydrogel, manifested by enhanced toluidine blue staining; higher expression of collagen II protein; and upregulation of collagen II, aggrecan, and SOX9 genes. Therefore, our work presents a robust method for chondrogenesis of MSCs using magnetic field as the external cue.

Either osteoarthritis or sports-related injuries can lead to cartilage defects, whereas both chondrocyte self-renewal and conventional treatments face limitations. In cartilage regenerative medicine, growth factors are commonly used to induce chondrogenic differentiation of stem cells. However, application of growth factors is confined by some drawbacks. Emerging small molecules are regarded as an alternative for cartilage regeneration. A recently discovered small-molecule compound, kartogenin (KGN), has been proven to be a chondrogenic and chondroprotective agent and is more effective in inducing cartilage regeneration when compared with growth factors. KGN has been processed and applied in many forms, such as in intra-articular injection, in collaboration with growth factors, in incorporation in drug delivery systems, and in combination with scaffolds. Fortunately, progress has been achieved in KGN applications. The current review discusses the recent advances in KGN for cartilage regeneration and thus presents new concepts in cartilage repair in clinical settings.

BACKGROUND: Skin complications are a frequent type of complication of deep brain stimulation (DBS) neurosurgical procedure and are always observed in the postauricular area, scalp area, and implantable pulse generator pocket. Modifications to the surgical techniques for DBS have been proposed as therapeutic options. To prevent skin complications, we modified the surgical incisions. METHODS: At our center, we retrospectively analyzed the complications associated with traditional surgical incisions and then adjusted the double C-shaped incision and changed the postauricular incision from vertical to horizontal in patients undergoing DBS for movement disorders. RESULTS: Skin complications were observed in 4 patients among 30 patients who underwent traditional surgical incisions. In 102 consecutive patients who underwent operations with modified surgical incisions, we did not encounter any skin complications such as skin infection or erosion related to our modified incision. A single patient experienced pain and was cured after a week of local antiinflammatory treatment. CONCLUSION: By trying to avoid placing hardware directly under the suture line, our modified surgical incision successfully reduces the incidence of skin complications.

Scaffolds play an important role in tissue engineering and their structure and biocompatibility have great influence on cell behaviors. In this study, poly(l-lactide-co-ε-caprolactone) (PLCL) scaffolds were printed by a 3D printing technology, low-temperature deposition manufacturing (LDM), and then PLCL scaffolds were treated by alkali and coated with collagen type I (COLI). The scaffolds were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), porosity test, mechanical test, and infrared spectroscopy. The prepared PLCL and PLCL-COLI scaffolds had three-dimensional (3D) porous structure and they not only have macropores but also have micropores in the deposited lines. Although the mechanical property of PLCL-COLI was slightly lower than that of PLCL scaffold, the hydrophilicity of PLCL-COLI was significantly enhanced. Rabbit articular chondrocytes were extracted and were identified as chondrocytes by toluidine blue staining. To study the biocompatibility, the chondrocytes were seeded on scaffolds for 1, 3, 5, 7, and 10 days. MTT assay showed that the proliferation of chondrocytes on PLCL-COLI scaffold was better than that on PLCL scaffold. And the morphology of cells on PLCL-COLI after 1-day culture was much better than that on PLCL. This 3D-printed PLCL scaffold coated with COLI shows a great potential application in tissue engineering.

Magnetic nanocomposite hydrogels show high potential to improve tissue engineering. In this study, a magnetic nanocomposite hydrogel was prepared from poly(vinyl alcohol), nano-hydroxyapatite (n-HA), and magnetic nanoparticles (Fe2O3) using the ultrasonic dispersion method and freeze-thaw cross-linking molding. The water content and crystallinity of the magnetic nanocomposite hydrogel were tested. Microscopic morphology assessment, mechanical testing, and characterization were performed. Additionally, the magnetic nanocomposite hydrogel was co-cultured with bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) to determine its cell compatibility. We found that the magnetic nanocomposite hydrogel had good mechanical properties and that its mechanical properties were enhanced by the addition of n-HA. The BMSCs showed uniform growth on the surface of the magnetic nanocomposite hydrogel and high rates of proliferation. BMSC growth was also enhanced by the addition of Fe2O3 and also significant stimulated chondrocyte-related gene expression. Thus, the magnetic nanocomposite hydrogel scaffold material we describe here could have broad applications in cartilage tissue engineering.

We describe the study of a new type of diphasic magnetic nanocomposite scaffold (PLGA/Col-I-PLGA/n-HA/Fe2O3) and its preparation using a novel low-temperature deposition manufacturing (LDM) technology. In order to study the biocompatibility of this scaffold, we evaluated and explored its feasibility as a scaffold for tissue engineering. Diphasic magnetic nanocomposite scaffolds (PLGA/Col-I-PLGA/n-HA/Fe2O3) were prepared using LDM technology. The mechanical properties of the scaffold were tested using an electronic testing machine, electron microscopy was utilized to observe the ultrastructure, and a medium (ethanol) immersion method was used to determine the porosity of the scaffold. The scaffold was co-cultured with bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and was induced to differentiate. The biocompatibility of the scaffold was then tested. The mechanical test results of the diphasic magnetic nanocomposite scaffold demonstrated good mechanical properties. Electron microscopy studies revealed two layers of pore sizes each with a uniform distribution, with the upper cartilage pore size observed to be small while the middle continuous phase was found to be in a good integration. Pore size and porosity test results demonstrated a cartilage layer pore size of 186 μm, with a porosity measured to be 89.5%. The pore size and porosity of the bone layer were 394 μm and 86.1%, respectively. These properties met the design requirements of double layer scaffolds. Co-culture of the diphasic magnetic nanocomposite scaffold and bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) exhibited good proliferation of bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs), and the scaffold was found to be able to promote differentiation of the differentiation-oriented cells. These results demonstrated a good biocompatibility of the diphasic magnetic nanocomposite scaffold. The diphasic magnetic nanocomposite scaffold (PLGA/Col-I-PLGA/n-HA/Fe2O3) was found to have suitable mechanical properties as well as cell compatibility. The measured pore size and porosity met the requirements for cell adhesion and cell growth, which matched more closely to that of the physiological structure of normal articular cartilage and subchondral bones. We expect this to represent new technology for improved repair of cartilage and subchondral bone lesions caused by osteoarthritis or trauma.

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of magnetic nanoparticle composite scaffold under a pulsed electromagnetic field on bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs), which was achieved by examining the biological behaviors of cell adhesion, proliferation and differentiation on the surface of the scaffolds. This may provide some experimental evidence for the use of magnetic nanoparticles in medical application. The magnetic nanoparticle composite scaffolds were evaluated and characterized by the following indexes: the cell proliferation was detected by the CCK-8 method, the alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity was examined by a detection kit, and the expression of type I collagen and osteocalcin gene were evaluated by RT-PCR. The CCK-8 test showed that there was no significant difference in Group A (BMSCs-seeded magnetic scaffolds under the electromagnetic field), B (BMSCs-seeded magnetic scaffolds) and C (BMSCs cultured alone) (P>0.05). The value for the ALP activity in Group A was higher than the other two groups. In addition, the RT-PCR results showed that the expression of type I collagen gene in Group A was enhanced (P<0.05), suggesting that the magnetic nanoparticles combined with the pulsed electromagnetic field had a positive effect on the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs. However, the expression of osteocalcin was not significantly different in three groups (P>0.05). To conclude, magnetic nanoparticles may induce the osteogenic differentiation with the action of the pulsed electromagnetic field.

Objective Study prepared a novel two-phase magnetic nanocomposite scaffolds (PLGA/Col-I-PLGA/n-HA/ Fe2O3),through various biological performance testing,evaluation and to explore the feasibility of bone tissue engineering scaffolds.Methods Preparation of two-phase magnetic nanocomposite scaffolds (PLGA/Col-I-PLGA/n-HA/Fe2O3) by cryogenic rapidprototyping method,using electronic detection machine scaffold flexural,compressive strength,elastic modulus to evaluate the mechanical properties by electron microscopy ultrastructure scaffold;in the medium (ethanol) immersion assay scaffold porosity between the scaffold and bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells co-cultured detect its biocompatibility.Results Duplex magnetic nanocomposite scaffold mechanical test results show it has good mechanical properties,electron microscopy showed uniform pore size distribution of the upper and lower layers,the upper layer of cartilage with smaller pore size,good fusion between successive phase,pore size and porosity of the test results showed cartilage aperture layer scaffold to 189um,a porosity of 86.5％.Aperture bone scaffold layer is 364um,a porosity of 77.1％,in line with the double scaffold design requirements.Duplex between magnetic nano composite scaffold co-cultured with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells,showed that bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell proliferation effect is very good,better able to promote the differentiation of cells for the purpose described biphasic magnetic nanocomposite scaffolds have good biocompatibility.Conclusion Duplex magnetic nanocomposite scaffolds (PLGA/Col-I-PLGA/n-HA/Fe2O3) has good mechanical properties and biocompatibility,pore size and pore growth rate of cell adhesion requirements,and normaljoint subchondral bone and cartilage physiological structure closer,is expected to be able to better repair osteoarthritis and other diseases caused by trauma or cartilage and subchondral bone damage under.