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Xiao-Meng Zhang,* Yuan Li,* Ying-Xin Gu, Chu-Nan Zhang, Hong-Chang Lai, Jun-Yu Shi Department of Implant Dentistry, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Hong-Chang Lai; Jun-Yu ShiDepartment of Implant Dentistry, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 500 Quxi Road, Shanghai 200011, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86 21 23271699 (ext. 5298)Fax +86 21 53073068Email lhc9@hotmail.com; sakyamuni_jin@163.comBackground: Although tantalum (Ta)-based coatings have been proven to have good antibacterial activity, the underlying mechanism and in vivo biological performance remain unclear, which are essential for the clinical application of Ta-coated biomaterials as dental implants.Purpose: The main objective of this study is to investigate the antibacterial activity of Ta-modified titanium (Ti) implants against peri-implantitis-related microbes and the potential molecular mechanisms.Methods: Fusobacterium nucleatum and Porphyromonas gingivalis were selected to evaluate the antibacterial activity and potential antibacterial mechanism of Ta modification. The in vivo biocompatibility of Ta-modified implants was also evaluated.Results: The results showed that Ta-modified surface performed excellent antimicrobial activity against Fusobacterium nucleatum and Porphyromonas gingivalis. Micro galvanic might be formed between the incorporated Ta and the Ti base, which could consume the protons and result in decreased ATP synthesis and increased ROS generation. The gene expression of bacterial virulence factors associated with cellular attachment, invasion and viability as the target of ROS was downregulated. Importantly, in vivo biological studies showed that Ta modification significantly promoted the osseointegration of implants by stimulating the expression of bone-forming proteins.Conclusion: This study may provide some insights into clinical applications of Ta-coated Ti implants, especially in possibly infected situations.Keywords: tantalum-coating, antibacterial activity, ATP synthesis, ROS generation, osseointegration

Lycodine alkaloids are important natural products with diverse biological effects. In this manuscript, we set out the first structural optimization of the 2-pyridone moiety of Lycodine alkaloid via selective O-arylation under metal-free conditions and obtained a series of potent bioactive molecules against monosodium urate (MSU)-induced IL-1β production. Further investigations demonstrated that these natural product derivatives could activate the neuro-immunomodulatory cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway (CAP) to block the initial phase of NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Compared with the clinical drugs hydrocortisone and indomethacin, as well as commercially available CAP agonists GTS-21 and pnu282987, 3k and 3q possessed greater potency against MSU-induced IL-1β production. Meanwhile, these molecules possessed less cytotoxicity against promonocytic THP-1 macrophages when compared with colchicine. This work reports a concise strategy for direct modification of 2-pyridone moiety from natural Lycodine alkaloids, and provides novel frameworks for discovering CAP activators and drugs for gout arthritis., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: [Jun-Cheng Su and Ji-Hong Gu reports financial support was provided by National Natural Science Foundation of China. Jun-Cheng Su reports financial support was provided by Guangxi Natural Science Foundation. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper]., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Parathyroid carcinoma (PC) is a difficult-to-diagnose rare disease with low incidence. Relatively accurate preoperative diagnosis is very important in choosing surgical methods and patient prognosis., Case Summary: This study reported the clinical diagnosis and treatment of a rare patient with PC located in the thyroid gland and provided a case reference for the diagnosis and treatment of PC. A case of a 64-year-old male patient who presented to our hospital with systemic muscle and joint pain and palpitations is outlined. Subsequently, the patient was admitted to the Department of Nephrology for the treatment of "multiple myeloma nephropathy pending investigation". The patient was diagnosed with "primary hyperparathyroidism and hypercalcemic crisis" using thyroid color ultrasound., Conclusion: The intraoperative frozen section report considered the parathyroid tumor. Surgical tumor resection was promptly performed, and the diagnosis of PC was confirmed., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aiming to explore the spatiotemporal occurrence of organophosphate esters (OPEs) in the aquatic environment of Taihu Lake and to assess the relevant ecological risk, monomeric and oligomeric OPEs in the surface water and sediment of Taihu Lake were determined using solid phase extraction and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The target monomeric OPEs included chlorinated OPEs, alkyl OPEs, and aryl OPEs. There was no significant difference in the spatial distribution of OPEs in water and sediment between the pollutant-impacted and less-impacted zones. The average concentrations of OPEs in summer and winter were, respectively, 752.7 and 498.5 ng·L -1 in water and 124.0 and 54.5 ng·g -1 in sediment, indicating an obvious seasonal difference, especially for the monomeric OPEs. The OPEs levels in both the water and sediment were ranked in the order of chlorinated OPEs > alkyl OPEs > aryl OPEs≈oligomeric OPEs. The pseudo-partitioning coefficients ( K d ) of OPEs between the sediment and surface water of Taihu Lake were much higher in summer (0.05-4.17 L·g -1 ) compared to those in winter (0.02-3.47 L·g -1 ) and were significantly positively correlated with the lg K ow values of OPEs. Based on the median concentrations of OPEs in the water of Taihu Lake, the ecological risk of OPEs was assessed by risk quotient (RQ) values, which indicated a medium risk at an RQ level of 0.34 during winter and 0.35 during summer. The assessment results showed that the risk ranking of OPEs was consistent with that of their concentrations, and the monomeric OPEs posed a higher ecological risk in summer compared to that in winter. Although the ecological risk of oligomeric OPEs in this study was not serious and was lower than that of monomeric OPEs, it is an urgent requirement to conduct ecotoxicology studies on oligomeric OPEs in the future since available data is highly limited at present.

Background: Melanin plays important roles in morphological development, survival, host-pathogen interactions and in the virulence of phytopathogenic fungi. In Verticillum dahliae, increases in melanin are recognized as markers of maturation of microsclerotia which ensures the long-term survival and stress tolerance, while decreases in melanin are correlated with increased hyphal growth in the host. The conserved upstream components of the VdCmr1-regulated pathway controlling melanin production in V. dahliae have been extensively identified, but the direct activators of this pathway are still unclear., Results: We identified two genes encoding conserved C2H2-type zinc finger proteins VdZFP1 and VdZFP2 adjacent to VdPKS9, a gene encoding a negative regulator of both melanin biosynthesis and microsclerotia formation in V. dahliae. Both VdZFP1 and VdZFP2 were induced during microsclerotia development and were involved in melanin deposition. Their localization changed from cytoplasmic to nuclear in response to osmotic pressure. VdZFP1 and VdZFP2 act as modulators of microsclerotia melanization in V. dahliae, as confirmed by melanin biosynthesis inhibition and supplementation with the melanin pathway intermediate scytalone in albino strains. The results indicate that VdZFP1 and VdZFP2 participate in melanin biosynthesis by positively regulating VdCmr1. Based on the results obtained with yeast one- and two-hybrid (Y1H and Y2H) and bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) systems, we determined the melanin biosynthesis relies on the direct interactions among VdZFP1, VdZFP2 and VdCmr1, and these interactions occur on the cell walls of microsclerotia. Additionally, VdZFP1 and/or VdZFP2 mutants displayed increased sensitivity to stress factors rather than alterations in pathogenicity, reflecting the importance of melanin in stress tolerance of V. dahliae., Conclusions: Our results revealed that VdZFP1 and VdZFP2 positively regulate VdCmr1 to promote melanin deposition during microsclerotia development, providing novel insight into the regulation of melanin biosynthesis in V. dahliae., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Objective: To study the diagnostic value of different detection markers in histological categories of endocervical adenocarcinoma (ECA), and their assessment of patient prognosis. Methods: A retrospective study of 54 patients with ECA in the Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from 2005-2010 were performed. The cases of ECA were classified into two categories, namely human papillomavirus-associated adenocarcinoma (HPVA) and non-human papillomavirus-associated adenocarcinoma (NHPVA), based on the 2018 international endocervical adenocarcinoma criteria and classification (IECC). To detect HR-HPV DNA and HR-HPV E6/E7 mRNA in all patients, we used whole tissue section PCR (WTS-PCR) and HPV E6/E7 mRNA in situ hybridization (ISH) techniques, respectively. Additionally, we performed Laser microdissection PCR (LCM-PCR) on 15 randomly selected HR-HPV DNA-positive cases to confirm the accuracy of the above two assays in identifying ECA lesions. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to analyze the efficacy of markers to identify HPVA and NHPVA. Univariate and multifactorial Cox proportional risk model regression analyses were performed for factors influencing ECA patients' prognoses. Results: Of the 54 patients with ECA, 30 were HPVA and 24 were NHPVA. A total of 96.7% (29/30) of HPVA patients were positive for HR-HPV DNA and 63.3% (19/30) for HR-HPV E6/E7 mRNA, and 33.3% (8/24) of NHPVA patients were positive for HR-HPV DNA and HR-HPV E6/E7 mRNA was not detected (0/24), and the differences were statistically significant ( P <0.001). LCM-PCR showed that five patients were positive for HR-HPV DNA in the area of glandular epithelial lesions and others were negative, which was in good agreement with the E6/E7 mRNA ISH assay ( Kappa =0.842, P =0.001). Analysis of the ROC results showed that the AUC of HR-HPV DNA, HR-HPV E6/E7 mRNA, and p16 to identify HPVA and NHPVA were 0.817, 0.817, and 0.692, respectively, with sensitivities of 96.7%, 63.3%, and 80.0% and specificities of 66.7%, 100.0%, and 58.3%, respectively. HR-HPV DNA identified HPVA and NHPVA with higher AUC than p16 ( P =0.044). The difference in survival rates between HR-HPV DNA (WTS-PCR assay) positive and negative patients was not statistically significant ( P =0.156), while the difference in survival rates between HR-HPV E6/E7 mRNA positive and negative patients, and p16 positive and negative patients were statistically significant (both P <0.05). Multifactorial Cox regression analysis showed that International Federation of Obstetrics and Gynecology (FIGO) staging ( HR =19.875, 95% CI: 1.526-258.833) and parametrial involvement ( HR =14.032, 95% CI: 1.281-153.761) were independent factors influencing the prognosis of patients with ECA. Conclusions: HR-HPV E6/E7 mRNA is more reflective of HPV infection in ECA tissue. The efficacy of HR-HPV E6/E7 mRNA and HR-HPV DNA (WTS-PCR assay) in identifying HPVA and NHPVA is similar, with higher sensitivity of HR-HPV DNA and higher specificity of HR-HPV E6/E7 mRNA. HR-HPV DNA is more effective than p16 in identifying HPVA and NHPVA. HPV E6/E7 mRNA and p16 positive ECA patients have better survival rates than negative.

European hornbeam ( Carpinus betulus L.) is widely planted in landscaping. In October 2021 and August 2022, leaf spot was observed on C. betulus in Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, China. To identify the causal agent of anthracnose disease on C. betulus , 23 isolates were obtained from the symptomatic leaves. Based on ITS sequences and colony morphology, these isolates were divided into four Colletotrichum groups. Koch's postulates of four Colletotrichum species showed similar symptoms observed in the field. Combining the morphological characteristics and multi-gene phylogenetic analysis of the concatenated sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) gene, Apn2-Mat1-2 intergenic spacer (ApMat) gene, the calmodulin (CAL) gene, glyceraldehyde3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) gene, Glutamine synthetase (GS) gene, and beta-tubulin 2 (TUB2) genes, the four Colletotrichum groups were identified as C. gloeosporioides , C. fructicola , C. aenigma , and C. siamense . This study is the first report of four Colletotrichum species causing leaf spot on European hornbeam in China, and it provides clear pathogen information for the further evaluation of the disease control strategies.

Photons with high generation rate is one of the essential resources for quantum communication, quantum computing and quantum metrology. Due to the naturally memory-built-in feature, the memory-based photon source is a promising route towards large-scale quantum information processing. However, such photon sources are mostly implemented in extremely low-temperature ensembles or isolated systems, limiting its physical scalability. Here we realize a single-photon source based on a far off-resonance Duan-Lukin-Cirac-Zoller quantum memory at broadband and room-temperature regime. By harnessing high-speed feedback control and repeat-until-success write process, the photon generation rate obtains considerable enhancement up to tenfold. Such a memory-enhanced single-photon source, based on the broadband room-temperature quantum memory, suggests a promising way for establishing large-scale quantum memory-enabled network at ambient condition., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

As global pollution, microplastics pollution has aroused growing concerns. In our experiment, the effect of microplastics acute exposure on the liver of swordtail fish was investigated by using LC-MS metabolomics. Fishes treated with high concentration polystyrene microspheres (1 μm) for 72 h were divided into three concentration groups: (A) no microplastics, (B): 1 × 10 6 microspheres L -1 , (C): 1 × 10 7 microspheres L -1 . Metabolomic analysis indicated that exposure to microplastics caused alterations of metabolic profiles in swordtail fish, including 37 differential metabolites were identified in B vs. A, screened out ten significant metabolites, which involved 14 metabolic pathways. One hundred three differential metabolites were identified in C vs. A, screened out 16 significant metabolites, which involved 30 metabolic pathways. Six significant metabolites were overlapping in group B vs. A and C vs. A; they are 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid, l-histidine, citrulline, linoleic acid, pantothenate, and xanthine. In addition, four metabolic pathways are overlapping in group B vs. A and C vs. A; they are beta-alanine metabolism, biosynthesis of amino acids, linoleic acid metabolism, and aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis. These differential metabolites were involved in oxidative stress, immune function, energy metabolism, sugar metabolism, lipid metabolism, molecule transport, and weakened feed utilization, growth performance, nutrient metabolism, and animal growth. Furthermore, we found that the number of interfered amino acids and microplastics showed a dose-effect. In summary, great attention should be paid to the potential impact of microplastics on aquatic organisms., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declared that they have no conflicts of interest to this work., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background/purpose: Clinical esthetic evidence for the performance of monolithic high-translucency multilayer zirconia is lacking. The aim of this study was to compare monolithic high-translucency multilayer zirconia with traditional veneered zirconia in clinical situation., Material and Methods: A total of 30 participants who were provided with both monolithic zirconia crowns (Group 1) and traditional veneered crowns (Group 2) for single implant restoration in maxillary esthetic areas were enrolled. Patients' subjective outcome (Visual Analog Scale, VAS) were recorded. Photos were taken and then evaluated by 9 evaluators with Pink and White Esthetic Score (WES). Wilcoxon signed rank test was used for comparison between Group 1 and Group 2 in VAS, WES and five variables in WES. Kendall's coefficient of concordance test was used to calculate inter-rater reliability of WES variables. Spearman correlation was used to analyze association between patients' outcome and evaluators' scores., Results: There was no significant difference in patients' subjective outcome between monolithic zirconia and traditional veneered crowns: overall VAS were 9.0 (8.0-9.0) and 9.0 (8.5-9.5), respectively ( P  > 0.05). However, in professional view, significant difference between Group 1 and Group 2 in WES was observed: 7.5 (6.0-8.0) and 8.0 (6.5-8.5), respectively ( P  < 0.05). Kendall's test showed, among WES variables, translucency demonstrated the highest agreement. Professionally reported evaluations did not correlate with patient-reported outcomes (Spearman correlation were 0.246 and 0.224 for Group 1 and Group 2, respectively)., Conclusion: Within the limitation of this study, it can be concluded that monolithic high-translucency multilayer zirconia restoration might be a treatment modality., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflict of interest to declare., (© 2022 Association for Dental Sciences of the Republic of China. Publishing services by Elsevier B.V.)

In order to explore the pollution characteristics and health risks of heavy metals in fugitive dust around the urban areas of Zhaotong City, road dust and soil dust samples were collected in the Zhaoyang District of Zhaotong City in May 2019. The dust samples were suspended using a particle resuspension system to obtain PM 2.5 (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than or equal to 2.5 μm). The concentrations of Ca, Al, Fe, Mg, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, and Pb in PM 2.5 were quantified by ICP-MS and ICP-OES. By analyzing 10 types of heavy metals in PM 2.5 , the results showed that the average concentration of Mn was the highest in the soil fugitive dust, followed by Cr, Ni, Zn, Cu, Co, Pb, V, As, and Cd. The average concentration of Zn in the road fugitive dust was the highest, followed by Mn, Cu, Cr, Pb, Ni, As, Co, V, and Cd. The enrichment factor (EF) indicated that Cd was strongly enriched in the two types of fugitive dust. The EFs of Cu, Zn, and Pb in road fugitive dust showed a moderate enrichment, and they were higher than those in soil fugitive dust. Correlation and principal component analysis showed that heavy metals in the two types of fugitive dust were affected by coal burning sources. At the same time, heavy metals in soil fugitive dust were affected by agricultural activity sources, and heavy metals in road fugitive dust were affected by traffic sources. The results of the health risk assessment indicated that the carcinogenic risks of Cr, Co, Ni, As, and Cd in soil fugitive dust were higher than those in road fugitive dust. The non-carcinogenic risks of heavy metals in the two types of fugitive dust for children were higher than those for adults, and the non-carcinogenic risks of Cu, Zn, and Pb in road fugitive dust were higher than those in soil fugitive dust.

Acute lung injury (ALI), a common complication after traumatic brain injury (TBI), can evolve into acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and has a mortality rate of 30%-40%. Secondary ALI after TBI exhibits the following typical pathological features: infiltration of neutrophils into the alveolar and interstitial space, alveolar septal thickening, alveolar edema, and hemorrhage. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) were recently identified as key mediators in TBI-induced ALI. Due to their small size and lipid bilayer, they can pass through the disrupted blood-brain barrier (BBB) into the peripheral circulation and deliver their contents, such as genetic material and proteins, to target cells through processes such as fusion, receptor-mediated interactions, and uptake. Acting as messengers, EVs contribute to mediating brain-lung cross talk after TBI. In this review, we aim to summarize the mechanism of EVs in TBI-induced ALI, which may provide new ideas for clinical treatment.

Background: Gastric cancer (GC) is a malignant tumour that originates in the gastric mucosal epithelium and is associated with high mortality rates worldwide. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been identified to play an important role in the development of various tumours, including GC. Yet, lncRNA biomarkers in a competing endogenous RNA network (ceRNA network) that are used to predict survival prognosis remain lacking. The aim of this study was to construct a ceRNA network and identify the lncRNA signature as prognostic factors for survival prediction., Methods: The lncRNAs with overall survival significance were used to construct the ceRNA network. Function enrichment, protein-protein interaction, and cluster analysis were performed for dysregulated mRNAs. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression was performed to screen the potential prognostic lncRNAs. RT-qPCR was used to measure the relative expression levels of lncRNAs in cell lines. CCK8 assay was used to assess the proliferation of GC cells transfected with sh-lncRNAs., Results: Differentially expressed genes were identified including 585 lncRNAs, 144 miRNAs, and 2794 mRNAs. The ceRNA network was constructed using 35 DElncRNAs associated with overall survival of GC patients. Functional analysis revealed that these dysregulated mRNAs were enriched in cancer-related pathways, including TGF-beta, Rap 1, calcium, and the cGMP-PKG signalling pathway. A multivariate Cox regression analysis and cumulative risk score suggested that two of those lncRNAs (LINC01644 and LINC01697) had significant prognostic value. Furthermore, the results indicate that LINC01644 and LINC01697 were upregulated in GC cells. Knockdown of LINC01644 or LINC01697 suppressed the proliferation of GC cells., Conclusions: The authors identified 2-lncRNA signature in ceRNA regulatory network as prognostic biomarkers for the prediction of GC patient survival and revealed that silencing LINC01644 or LINC01697 inhibited the proliferation of GC cells., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2021 Shuyan Zhang et al.)

Objective: To investigate the relationship between urinary sodium excretion and fluid overload (FO) in non-dialysis patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Methods: Patients with CKD stage 1-4 who underwent bioelectrical impedance (BIA) in the Department of Nephrology, Jiangsu Province Hospital from December 2019 to January 2021 were recruited. All enrolled patients were categorized into two groups according to whether or not they develop FO. Further, clinical parameters were compared between the two groups. Spearman correlation analysis was used to investigate the association between over hydration/extracellular water (OH/ECW) and clinical characteristics. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the relationship between urinary sodium excretion and FO (FO was defined as OH/ECW≥7%). Results: A total of 385 patients with CKD stage 1-4 were finally included in the study, with a mean age of (46±15) years. There were 216 male cases (56.1%), and 150 cases (39.0%) existed FO. Spearman correlation analysis indicated that OH/ECW positively correlated with urinary sodium excretion ( r =0.147, P =0.004), urinary protein excretion ( r =0.555, P <0.001) and systolic blood pressure ( r =0.241, P <0.001), but inversely related to estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ( r =-0.111, P =0.030) and serum albumin ( r =-0.659, P <0.001). After adjusting for confounding factors including age, systolic blood pressure, diabetes, urinary protein excretion, serum albumin, serum sodium, serum chlorine, urinary calcium excretion, urinary phosphorus excretion and use of diuretics, multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that higher level of urinary sodium excretion was associated with increased risk of FO in patients with CKD ( OR =1.005, 95% CI : 1.000-1.011, P =0.048). Conclusion: High urinary sodium excretion is independently associated with fluid FO in non-dialysis patients with CKD.

Background/purpose: Information regarding agreements between periapical radiograph (PA) and cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) in detecting peri-implant defect is still scarce. The aim of this clinical study was to compare agreements between PA and CBCT in detecting peri-implant bone defect., Materials and Methods: This retrospective clinical study enrolled 32 patients with both PA and CBCT filmed right after implant placement. Four modalities were used for film reading: PA1 (original), PA2 (enhanced brightness/contrast), CBCT1 (selected axial and mesial-distal direction images) and CBCT2 (all data with software). 2 experienced and 2 inexperienced observers scored all films. Intra- and inter-observer agreements were estimated with Cohen's kappa coefficient. Categorized agreements were compared and differences among four modalities were calculated., Results: Agreements of PA were better than CBCT when detecting peri-implant bone defects in inter-observer agreements (median kappa 0.471 vs. 0.192; p = 0.016). Moreover, agreements in experienced observers were better than inexperienced observers (median kappa 0.883 vs. 0.567; p < 0.001). There was significant difference among four modalities except for experienced observer 2 (p = 0.218)., Conclusion: Agreements of PA are better than CBCT when detecting peri-implant bone defects, especially for inter-observer agreements. Experienced observers are more consistent in assessment than inexperienced ones., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflict of interest to declare., (© 2021 Association for Dental Sciences of the Republic of China. Publishing services by Elsevier B.V.)

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the ability of tantalum-coated titanium to improve human gingival fibroblasts' adhesion, viability, proliferation, migration performance, and the potential molecular mechanisms., Materials and Methods: Titanium plates were divided into two groups: (1) no coating (Ti, control), (2) Tantalum-coated titanium (Ta-coated Ti). All samples were characterized by scanning electronic microscopy, surface roughness, and hydrophilicity. Fibroblasts' performance were analyzed by attached cell number at 1 h, 4 h, and 24 h, morphology at 1 h and 4 h, viability at 1 day, 3 days, 5 days, and 7 days, recovery after wounding at 6 h, 12 h, and 24 h. RT-PCR, western blot were applied to detect attachment-related genes' expression and protein synthesis at 4 h and 24 h. Student's t test was used for statistical analysis., Results: Tantalum-coated titanium demonstrates a layer of homogeneously distributed nano-grains with mean diameter of 25.98 (± 14.75) nm. It was found that after tantalum deposition, human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs) adhesion, viability, proliferation, and migration were promoted in comparison to the control group. An upregulated level of Integrin β1 and FAK signaling was also detected, which might be the underlying mechanism., Conclusion: In the present study, adhesion, viability, proliferation, migration of human gingival fibroblasts are promoted on tantalum-coated titanium, upregulated integrin β1 and FAK might contribute to its superior performance, indicating tantalum coating can be applied in transmucosal part of dental implant., Clinical Significance: Tantalum deposition on titanium surfaces can promote human gingival fibroblast adhesion, accordingly forming a well-organized soft tissue sealing and may contribute to a successful osseointegration.

Purpose: To investigate the effect of implant angulation, non-free-end partial edentulism, and number of scan bodies on the accuracy of digital impressions of multiple implants in partially edentulous arches., Materials and Methods: Four reference models of partially edentulous mandibles with implants (RM1, RM2, RM3, and RM4) representing different intraoral situations were each scanned 10 times by an intraoral scanner. Reference scans were obtained by a laboratory scanner. Test scans were compared with reference scans to obtain the distance deviations (Δd) and angular deviations (Δθ) between scan bodies for trueness assessment. Differences among the repeated test scans of each model were measured and recorded as Δdp and Δθp for precision assessment. The Student t test (α = .05) was used to compare Δd, Δθ, Δdp, and Δθp of different reference models, including RM2 vs RM1 (effect of non-free-end partial edentulism), RM3 vs RM1 (effect of implant angulation), and RM4 vs RM1 (effect of number of scan bodies)., Results: The implant with 17-degree angulation in RM3 showed significantly lower Δd, Δθ, and Δθp compared with the parallel implant in RM1 (Δd: P = .0382, Δθ: P = .0267, Δθp: P = .0417). The RM2 of non-free-end partial edentulism had lower distance and angular deviations than RM1, but without a significant difference. The number of scan bodies had no significant effect on the Δd, Δθ, Δdp, and Δθp of RM4 and RM1., Conclusion: Angulated implants showed better accuracy of digital impressions in partially edentulous arches compared with parallel implants. Non-free-end partial edentulism was attributed to improved accuracy, while the number of scan bodies showed no effect.

Objective: To assess the accuracy of dynamic computer-assisted implant surgery., Materials and Methods: An electronic search up to March 2020 was conducted using PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trial to identify studies using dynamic navigation in implant surgery, and additional manual search was performed as well. Clinical trials and model studies were selected. The primary outcome was accuracy. A single-arm meta-analysis of continuous data was conducted. Meta-regression was utilized for comparison on study design, guidance method, jaw, and systems., Results: Ten studies, four randomized controlled trials (RCT) and six prospective studies, met the inclusion criteria. A total of 1,298 drillings and implants were evaluated. The meta-analysis of the accuracy (five clinical trials and five model studies) revealed average global platform deviation, global apex deviation, and angular deviation were 1.02 mm, 95% CI (0.83, 1.21), 1.33 mm, 95% CI (0.98, 1.67), and 3.59°, 95% CI (2.09, 5.09). Meta-regression shown no difference between model studies and clinical trials (p = .295, 0.336, 0.185), drilling holes and implant (p = .36, 0.279, 0.695), maxilla and mandible (p = .875, 0.632, 0.281), and five different systems (p = .762, 0.342, 0.336)., Conclusion: Accuracy of dynamic computer-aided implant surgery reaches a clinically acceptable range and has potential in clinical usage, but more patient-centered outcomes and socio-economic benefits should be reported., (© 2021 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Aim: To investigate and evaluate healing patterns around flaps made with different side-cut angulations after femtosecond laser in situ keratomileusis (FS-LASIK)., Methods: Thirty-four patients (68 eyes) received a 90° side-cut ( n =34) or a 120° side-cut flaps ( n =34) made with a femtosecond laser. One day, 1wk, 1 and 3mo postoperatively, side-cut scar was evaluated under slit-lamp photography according to a new grading system (Grade 0=transparent scar, 1=faint healing opacity, and 2=evident healing opacity). In vivo corneal confocal microscopy and anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) were used to observe wound-healing patterns around flap margin in the two groups. Sirius Scheimpflug Analyzer was also used to analyze higher order aberrations 3mo after surgery., Results: There were no significant differences in flap wound-healing patterns at each follow up between the two groups ( P >0.05). Three months after surgery, the flap edge scar classified as Grade 0 had excellent apposition and rapid nerve regeneration. At 3 mm and 5 mm pupil diameters, there were significant differences in trefoil aberrations between the two groups ( P <0.05), but no statistically significant differences were found in total higher order aberrations (HOAs), spherical aberrations or coma in any of the pupil size conditions ( P >0.05)., Conclusion: Flap edge scars classified as Grade 0 have excellent apposition and rapid nerve regeneration, and 120° side-cut angle flaps induce less trefoil aberrations after FS-LASIK., (International Journal of Ophthalmology Press.)

To systematically evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of Danhong Injection combined with conventional therapy in improving diabetes mellitus complicated with coronary heart disease. Based on the online literature database(CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, PubMed, Web of Science, Cochran Library), the Chinese and English papers about the randomized controlled trial(RCT) of Danhong Injection in the treatment of diabetes mellitus complicated with coronary heart disease were searched comprehensively from the establishment of the databases to January 1, 2020. The papers were screened strictly according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Based on Jadad scale, the risk assessment of literature was carried out, and Meta-analysis was performed by STATA 12.0 software. Seventeen RCTs were included, involving 1 453 patients. The results of Meta-analysis showed that the combination of Danhong Injection and conventio-nal treatment could improve the clinical comprehensive effective rate(RR=1.47, 95%CI[1.38, 1.58], P&lt;0.000 1), electrocardiogram(ECG) efficiency(RR=1.30, 95%CI[1.16, 1.46], P&lt;0.000 1), efficiency of the angina pectoris(RR=1.41, 95%CI[1.25, 1.58], P&lt;0.000 1), cholesterol level(SMD=-1.05, 95%CI[-1.95,-0.16], P=0.02), low-density lipoprotein(LDL) level(SMD=-0.50, 95%CI[-0.79,-0.21], P&lt;0.000 1), coronary angina attack frequency(SMD=-3.71, 95%CI[-4.05,-3.36], P&lt;0.000 1) and duration of angina pectoris(SMD=-2.96, 95%CI[-3.25,-2.66], P&lt;0.000 1), with statistically significant differences. But the differences in fasting plasma glucose(FPG)(SMD=-0.19, 95%CI[-0.45, 0.08], P=0.16), plasma glucose of two hours after meal(2 hPG)(SMD=0.19, 95%CI[-0.11, 0.49], P=0.22), and high-density lipoprotein(HDL) level(SMD=0.10, 95%CI[-0.30, 0.49], P=0.62) after treatment were not statistically significant. Compared with the control group, there was no significant difference in adverse reactions(SMD=-2.96, 95%CI[-3.25,-2.66], P=0.75). The existing evidence shows that the combination of Western medicine and Danhong Injection can improve the clinical effect for diabetes mellitus complicated with coronary heart disease and has no obvious adverse reactions. However, due to the low level of overall literature evidence, high risk and some kind of publication bias, it still needs more high-quality randomized controlled trials and low-bias studies for further verification.

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD) are two major neurodegenerative diseases worldwide. Demographic aging is in rapid progress in China. Up-to-date estimates of AD and PD prevalence have not been provided. Methods: Studies that reported the prevalence of AD and PD in China were identified via a systematic database search from 1985 to 2018. Meta-analysis, local polynomial regression and autoregressive integrated moving average model were used for analyses. Results: A total of 99 studies were included in the study with populations of 385,312 and 227,228, respectively for AD and PD. The overall prevalence of AD and PD following age standardization was 3.20% [95% confidence interval (CI) = 3.17-3.23] and 1.06% (95% CI = 1.02-1.10), respectively in individuals over 60 years old. The rates increased drastically for every 10-years increment of age. The yearly prevalence of AD was predicted to increase from 3.81 to 6.17% in the next 5 years. Significant differences were observed between genders [male to female odds ratio (OR) for AD = 0.57, 95% CI = 0.51-0.64; OR for PD = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.06-1.46], and between education levels (Illiterate to non-illiterate OR for AD = 2.99, 95% CI = 2.38-3.75), but not between urban and rural settings. Conclusion: Our results provide an updated insight into the epidemiology of AD and PD in China and their associated rates and ratios. The findings may facilitate China policy makers and health professionals mitigate the related health issues., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Cui, Hou, Wu, Zuo, Lian, Zhang, Wang, Zhang and Zhu.)

A new nematode species of the genus Phasmarhabditis was isolated from the body surface of a slug (Philomycus bilineatus Benson, PB). Morphological and molecular analyses confirmed this nematode as a new species. The nematode was named Phasmarhabditis zhejiangensis sp. nov. (Nematoda: Rhabditidae) and is dioecious. In males, the open bursa with genital papillae is characterized by the formula 1-1-1-2-1-3, and the spicule length is 58μm. In female, the vulva is located approximately in the middle of the body. The nematode belongs to papillosa group because of its tail shape pointed with filiform tip. The phasmids are rod-shaped. The posterior anus is slightly swollen. P. zhejiangensis was further characterized by internal transcribed spacer (ITS), 18S rDNA and 28S rDNA sequences. After the sequencing results were compared with sequences available from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), the maximum similarities of ITS, 18S and 28S sequences were 89.81%, 96.22% and 95.28%, respectively. Phylogenetic analyses placed Phasmarhabditis zhejiangensis sp. nov. in the genus Phasmarhabditis., Competing Interests: No authors have competing interests The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the effect and mechanism of i-type lysozyme on cutaneous wound healing animal model and Multiple cell models both in vivo and in vitro., Methods: Therefore, to evaluate its regenerative efficacy on wound healing process, we daily applied i-type lysozyme on murine full-thickness excisional wounds. After sacrifice on indicated days, skin tissues around surgical defects were harvested and assessed for re-epithelialization, granulation tissue formation, neovascularization and remodeling. To elucidate the underlying mechanisms, i-type lysozyme was analyzed for its tissue regenerative potency on the proliferation, invasion, migration and tube formation against keratinocytes, fibroblasts and endothelial cells. Antioxidant and antimicrobial experiments were also conducted to elucidate protective ability of i-type lysozyme to wound bed., Results: It displayed excellent bi-directional regulation in wound repair, with significant acceleration of epidermal and dermal regeneration as well as the efficient attenuation of excessive collagen deposition and fibrosis in the surgical lesion. I-type lysozyme treatment augmented the proliferation and migration of HaCaT, NIH 3T3 and HUVECs, enhanced the invasion of HaCaT and HUVECs as well as accelerated tube formation of HUVECs. Additionally, it significantly recovered the proliferation of H 2 O 2 -damaged cells, whereas represented no microbicidal effect under effective concentration of wound healing., Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate the bi-directional regulation of i-type lysozyme in wound healing process through promoting tissue regeneration while hampering scar formation, implying that it is a promising therapeutic agent for wound repair., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.)

Quercetin, a potential fish food supplement, has been reported to process many beneficial properties. However, some negative effects of quercetin have been observed, which pointed out necessity for additional studies to evaluate its safety. Therefore, the present study investigated effects of quercetin (0.01, 0.1, 1, 10, 100 and 1000 μg/L) on shoaling and anxiety behaviors through novel tank tests in zebrafish (Danio rerio). Furthermore, oxidative stress, neuroinflammation and apoptosis in the brains were examined to learn more about mechanisms of action related to quercetin. The results showed that quercetin at the lower concentrations exerted beneficial effects on shoaling and anxiety behaviors. On the contrary, when quercetin was up to 1000 μg/L, it exerted detrimental effects shown as decreases of movement and increases of anxiety behaviors. Generally, U-shaped responses of antioxidant enzyme activities (superoxide dismutase and catalase), and inversed U-shaped responses of inflammatory mediators (cyclooxygenase-2) and cytokines (interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, interleukin-10, and tumor necrosis factor α) to quercetin treatment were found in the brains. In addition, quercetin at the lower concentrations attenuated cell apoptosis, while even more apoptosis was found at the 1000 μg/L quercetin group. In conclusion, quercetin could exert beneficial or detrimental effects on the shoaling and anxiety behaviors depending on the treatment concentrations, and the underlying mechanisms are potentially associated with neuroinflammation and neuron apoptosis., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)