We propose a novel wearable knee joint angle monitoring sensor based on the Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) using a triple-clad fiber (TCF), which is fabricated by directly fusing a triple-clad fiber between two single-mode fibers (SMFs). The varying motion angle of knee joint will cause various optical path differences between the fiber core mode and the cladding modes, which will lead to the wavelength shifting of the MZI. Experimental results show that the sensor can measure the bending angles of the knee joint in the range from 40 ° to 90 °. When the knee joint angle changes from 65 ° to 90 °, the angle sensitivity can reach 569 pm/degree, and the correlation coefficient can achieve 0.98. In addition, the temperature sensitivity of the proposed sensor is 69 pm/°C in the temperature range from 40 °C to 90 °C, which shows that this sensor is hardly sensitive to temperature. Thus, the cross-sensitivity effect between the temperature and curvature can be avoided. These advantages provide a potential application prospect in the areas of sports medicine rehabilitation and robot monitoring.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative disease. It is common in middle-aged and elderly people and is one of the main causes of disability. Currently, the etiology of OA is unclear, and no specific biomarkers for the diagnosis of OA have been identified. Therefore, finding a highly sensitive biomarker is essential for a proper diagnosis.TRNA-derived fragments (tRFs) and tRNA-derived stress-induced RNAs (tiRNAs) are newly discovered classes of noncoding RNAs. tRF has been proven in several studies to have significant associations with tumor diagnosis, making it a promising biomarker in cancer research. However, the diagnostic utility of tRF in OA patients and the correlation between OA progression and trf differential expression have yet to be elaborated. The purpose of this research was to identify tRFs with differential expression in OA to assess their potential as OA biomarkers. To determine the tRF-5022B expression level in this research, real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR has been employed. Agarose gel electrophoresis, Sanger sequencing, and other investigations have been employed for evaluating tRF-5022B's molecular properties. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis has been utilized for assessing the diagnostic effectiveness of the tRF-5022B. The findings demonstrated that tRF-5022B expression was considerably lower in OA serum. The Kellgren–Lawrence grading scale was shown to correspond with serum expression levels. The ROC curve confirmed that tRF-5022B serum expression levels might differentiate OA cases from healthy individuals and RA patients. According to the aforementioned findings, tRF-5022B may be employed as a novel biomarker for OA diagnosis due to its excellent diagnostic value.

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) is a condition that severely impairs the quality of life for patients and is becoming increasingly prominent in aging societies. There is a pressing need to further investigate the mechanisms underlying the initiation and progression of IVDD. Current therapeutic approaches exhibit inconsistent efficacy, highlighting the urgency for the exploration of novel treatment strategies. In this study, we analyzed microarray datasets GSE147383 and GSE124272, downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, which encompass 12 normal samples and 12 samples from patients with lumbar disc herniation. Utilizing R software, STRING, and various databases, we identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and constructed a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. A total of 52 common DEGs were filtered from the datasets. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of CSF1 knockdown on the inflammatory response and apoptosis in nucleus pulposus cells and to explore the relationship between peripheral blood CSF1 levels and IVDD. Employing cell culture and plasmid transfection techniques, along with the detection of inflammatory markers and analysis of cellular apoptosis, we found that CSF1 knockdown significantly reduced the expression levels of inflammation-related proteins in disc cells, indicating that CSF1 plays a crucial role in the regulation of inflammation and survival in disc cells. Serum testing from human sources also confirmed the significant role of CSF1 in the progression of IVDD. In summary, this study unravels the key role of CSF1 in intervertebral disc degeneration, providing a theoretical foundation for new treatment strategies and laying a solid foundation for future clinical applications. Future research should focus on the clinical application of CSF1 as a biomarker and its differential roles in various pathological states.

Digestive system neoplasms are the most common malignant tumor worldwide. Tumor metastasis is also an important factor in tumor‑related mortality. Deregulation of cellular metabolism is as a major indicator of cancer, and reprogramming of metabolism is thought to be necessary to meet the increased energy demands of tumors. Reprogramming of the metabolism is crucial for the spread of tumors. The present review summarizes the role of enzymes and molecules involved in abnormal metabolism in digestive system neoplasms and their crosstalk with oncogenic signaling pathways in tumor metastasis. Elucidation of the network regulating metabolic reprogramming of cancer may identify novel cancer therapies, which may improve the poor prognosis of patients with cancer.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disorder marked by progressive joint degradation, with mitochondrial dysfunction significantly contributing to its pathogenesis. Despite extensive research into therapeutic strategies, successfully addressing mitochondrial dysfunction in RA poses a significant challenge. This paper presents an innovative functionalization method, deploying hydrocaffeic acid-modified chitosan, in conjunction with the selective calcium chelator ethylene glycol bis(β-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N’,N’-tetraacetic acid (EGTA), and incorporating stromal cell-derived factor 1 alpha (SDF-1α). In vitro, this functionalized hydrogel exhibited a significant decrease in intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, stabilization of mitochondrial membrane potential, mitigation of calcium overload, inhibition of mitochondrial dysfunction-induced cellular senescence, and a reduction in the release of senescence-associated secretory phenotype components. In vivo, this hydrogel effectively modulated immune responses and aided cartilage repair in a collagen-induced arthritis rat model. From a mechanistic perspective, high-throughput sequencing suggests that the therapeutic efficacy of this hydrogel may be associated with its ability to modulate mitochondrial function and inflammatory pathways. In summary, the hydrocaffeic acid- and EGTA-based functionalization strategy provides an innovative and straightforward process for integrating multiple functionalities into a single delivery platform, demonstrating the potential for tissue regeneration applications extending beyond RA.