<b><i>Background:</i></b> CD38+ NK (CD3− CD16+ CD38+ CD56+) cells were increased in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), which suppressed Treg cell differentiation. This study explored how CD38+ NK cells regulated CD4+ T-cell differentiation into Treg cells in RA. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Proportions of CD38+ NK cells and their counterpart CD38+ NK-like T (CD3+ CD16+ CD38+ CD56+) cells were measured in RA and rats with collagen-induced arthritis (CIA). CD38+ NK cells and CD38+ NK-like T cells were cocultured with CD4+ T cells, respectively. <b><i>Results:</i></b> A significantly increased proportion of CD38+ NK cells and a decreased proportion of CD38+ NK-like T cells were detected in RA and CIA blood and synovial fluids. When CD4+ T cells were cocultured with CD38+ NK cells, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling was activated, and Th1/Th2 and Th17/Treg ratios were increased. When CD38+ NK cells were pretreated with anti-CD38 antibody, Treg cell proportion was increased, and Th1/Th2 and Th17/Treg ratios were decreased. CD38+ NK-like T cells showed the opposite results. CD38+ NK cells and CD38+ NK-like-T cells activated differential gene expressions and pathways in CD4+ T cells and initiated Th1 and Th2 cell differentiation by differential gene nodes. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> This study suggest that the high CD38+ NK cell proportion and low CD38+ NK-like T cell proportion in RA suppress Treg cell differentiation by stimulating mTOR signaling in CD4+ T cells, which consequentially disturbs the immune tolerance.

Objective: To compare the postoperative inflammation and pain response between medial pivot (MP) and posterior stabilized (PS) prostheses among total knee arthroplasty (TKA) patients. Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted from January 2019 to May 2019 at the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University. The study included patients diagnosed with stage III or IV Kellgren-Lawrence knee osteoarthritis (KOA) who had failed conservative treatment, had undergone no previous knee surgeries, had varus substantial deformities (11-20 deviation), and had received their first unilateral TKA. A total of 109 patients who underwent PS prosthesis TKA and 98 patients who underwent MP prosthesis TKA were continuously enrolled. Inflammation biomarkers, such as leukocyte (white blood cells), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and C-reactive protein (CRP), together with hemoglobin (Hb), the visual analog pain score (VAS) and range of motion (ROM) were compared between the two groups. The Student t-test was applied to analyze continuous parameters, and the χ 2-test was used for categorical parameters. The linear mixed model was used for the repeated measurement data from the follow-up visits. Multivariate backward logistic and linear regression models were used to determine the factors potentially influencing prostheses and VAS scores. Results: All these enrolled patients were followed up at 2, 4, 7, and 30 days after TKA. There were no significant differences between the PS group and the MP group in body mass index (BMI), gender, laterality, usage of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and opioids, and drain tube extubation time (P > 0.05). Compared with the PS group, the MP group were older (67.5 years vs 65.4 years), and had a higher mid-vastus approach rate (67.3% vs 26.6%), a shorter tourniquet duration (68.3 AE 10.2 h vs 73.9 AE 11.2 h), a larger prosthetic pad (10.8 AE 1.2 mm vs 10.4 AE 1.2 mm), and a lower drain tube diversion volume (187.6 AE 119.3 mL vs 234.0 AE 155.7 mL). In the linear mixed model, MP prostheses had less CRP and ESR elevation and less Hb decrease than PS prostheses (P for group × time < 0.001). There were no significant differences in the changing trends between MP and PS prostheses by time for VAS scores and ROM. In the multivariate logistic regression model, MP prostheses showed significant differences compared with PS prostheses in treatment approach (odds ratio [OR] = 3.371, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.953-7.127; P < 0.001), ultrasound treatment start time (OR = 2.669, 95% CI: 1.385-5.141; P = 0.003), and tourniquet duration (OR = 0.954, 95% CI: 0.925-0.984; P = 0.003). Higher VAS scores on the second day postoperatively were related to high VAS scores preoperatively, use of opioids, high drain tube diversion, long tourniquet duration, and long drain tube extubation (P < 0.05), respectively. Conclusion: The MP prostheses showed potential advantages compared with PS prostheses in TKA in inflammatory responses.

A SiO 2 -modified Pt/Al 2 O 3 catalyst (SiO 2 /Pt/Al 2 O 3 ) was synthesized with a solution-based method using Pt/Al 2 O 3 as the starting catalytic material and tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) as the Si precursor. The modification process can be conducted with several cycles. Each of the modification cycles included sequentially an evacuation step at an elevated temperature and an impregnation step followed by a solution-treatment step. The introduced SiO 2 layer showed an obvious sintering-resisting effect for the Pt nanoparticles at a high temperature of 600 °C. When used for catalytic oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane (ODHE), SiO 2 /Pt/Al 2 O 3 presented a significantly improved catalytic stability and coking depression compared to the unmodified Pt/Al 2 O 3 . Furthermore, the introduced SiO 2 layer helped improve the ethane conversion slightly and the selectivity to ethylene mildly. The improved selectivity to ethylene could be associable with the Bronsted acid sites brought by the SiO 2 layer as well as site distribution of the exposed Pt surface.

Financial agglomeration is an important factor influencing the upgrading of industrial structure. This paper uses financial agglomeration as a threshold variable, and uses the panel data of 30 provinces in China from 2006 to 2016 to study the impact of financial agglomeration on industrial structure upgrading. The study found that there is not a simple linear relationship between financial agglomeration and industrial structure upgrading. Financial agglomeration has a significant single threshold effect on industrial structure upgrading. When financial agglomeration is below the threshold, financial agglomeration has a stronger role in promoting the upgrading of industrial structure; when the financial agglomeration exceeds the threshold, this promotion will be weakened.

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