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Fecal incontinence is a common chronic disease, which not only brings inconvenience to the lives of patients, but also causes great psychological harm to patients. Artificial anal sphincter is an innovative method that may treat fecal incontinence, and now has been clinically applied. This article will review recent developments in mechanisms and clinical applications of artificial anal sphincter. The current results of clinical trials show that the implantation of artificial sphincter will cause morphological changes of surrounding tissues, and related biomechanical imbalance will lead to the loss of effectiveness of the device and various complications. In terms of safety, postoperative patients suffer from various complications such as infection, corrosion, tissue ischemia, mechanical failure, and difficulty in emptying. In terms of effectiveness, there is currently no long-term research data to prove that the implanted device can maintain a long-term functional state. The key issue for the safety and effectiveness of implantable devices is the biomechanical compatibility of implantable devices was proposed. Based on the superelasticity of shape memory alloy, this article proposes a new type of constant force artificial sphincter device, which provides a new direction for solving the clinical application of artificial anal sphincter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sesame peptides could be used to treat underlying diseases and a suitable carrier of nutrients. In this study, sesame peptides were mainly prepared from SSM (sesame meal), and the chelating ability of different molecular weight sesame peptide components to calcium and the physical characterization of the chelates were investigated. After that, the molecular weights were verified by HPLC (high performance liquid chromatography), and the Zeta potential, PDI (polydispersity) of SSMP (sesame meal peptides) of different molecular weights were determined. In the SSMP-Ca chelates, the chelation rate of SSMP-2 (sesame meal peptide components 2) to calcium is 72.72 ± 0.17%. Fluorescence spectrum analysis found that the fluorescence intensity of chelates decreased, and the maximum absorption peak was red-shifted. FT-IR (Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy) research showed that the chelate vibration absorption wavelengths of the three characteristic peaks -NH2, COO−, and C = O had change, indicating that the amino and carboxyl groups in sesame peptide participated in the chelation reaction. SEM (scanning electron microscope) analysis showed that SSMP and calcium could form a chelate with specific stability. Most of its microstructures were encapsulated and adhered to each other to create a "bridging effect" and appear as aggregates. These results provided a basis for using sesame peptides in the food or pharmaceutical industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prosthetic socket is the connecting part between the stump and the prosthesis, which is the important basis for the function of the prosthesis. The current prosthetic socket is difficult in meeting the needs of amputees current, which is the main reason for amputees abandoning their prostheses. This paper reviews the design and use of prosthetic sockets for lower limb. The contribution of this publication is to review the skin problem, interface stress and volume fluctuations for prosthetic sockets, which are proposed as the key factors affecting the use of prosthetic sockets. Moreover, the lower limb prosthetic sockets are classified into the full-contact and the frame-type sockets according to the different contact type between stump and prosthetic socket, and their advantages and disadvantages are analyzed from different perspectives. Aim to design the prosthetic socket with function transfer, suspension stability and comfort of socket, a design concept for prosthetic socket with self-adapt in real-time is proposed. It can be achieved by the smart materials with special mechanical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acetaminophen (APAP) overdose is the leading cause of drug-induced liver injury. Bianliang ziyu, a variety of Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat. (Asteraceae), has potential hepatoprotective effect. However, the mechanism is not clear yet. To investigate the hepatoprotective activity and mechanism of Bianliang ziyu flower ethanol extract (BZE) on APAP-induced rats based on network pharmacology. Potential pathways of BZE were predicted by network pharmacology. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were pre-treated with BZE (110, 220 and 440 mg/kg, i.g.) for eight days, and then APAP (800 mg/kg, i.g.) was used to induce liver injury. After 24 h, serum and liver were collected for biochemical detection and western blot measurement. Network pharmacology indicated that liver-protective effect of BZE was associated with its antioxidant and anti-apoptotic efficacy. APAP-induced liver pathological change was alleviated, and elevated serum AST and ALT were reduced by BZE (440 mg/kg) (from 66.45 to 22.64 U/L and from 59.59 to 17.49 U/L, respectively). BZE (440 mg/kg) reduced the ROS to 65.50%, and upregulated SOD and GSH by 212.92% and 175.38%, respectively. In addition, BZE (440 mg/kg) increased levels of p-AMPK, p-GSK3β, HO-1 and NQO1, ranging from 1.66- to 10.29-fold compared to APAP group, and promoted nuclear translocation of Nrf2. BZE also inhibited apoptosis induced by APAP through the PI3K–Akt pathway and restored the ability of mitochondrial biogenesis. Our study demonstrated that BZE protected rats from APAP-induced liver injury through antioxidant and anti-apoptotic pathways, suggesting BZE could be further developed as a potential liver-protecting agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here we report the first full mitochondrial genome sequence for a white shark caught in the Atlantic Ocean. The mitochondrial genome is 16,745 bp in length and contains 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, 2 rRNA genes, and a non-coding control region. The base composition of this mtDNA lineage is A: 30.7%, C: 26.9%, G: 13.8%, and T: 28.6%. In concordance with previous population genetic studies, the Atlantic caught individual forms a separate lineage from individuals caught on either side of the Pacific Ocean. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]