Bioceramic micro-fillers reinforce antibiofilm and remineralization properties of clear aligner attachment materials

Introduction: Clear aligners, while offering a more hygienic alternative to fixed appliances, are still associated with challenges including plaque accumulation and enamel demineralization. The aim of the present study was to investigate the antibiofilm and remineralization effectiveness of innovative flowable composite attachments containing bioceramic micro-fillers.Methods: Four experimental attachments were formulated and bonded to human enamel specimens: 3M Filtek Supreme flowable composite (Filtek SF) + 10% bioactive glass 45S5 (BAG), Filtek SF + 30% BAG, Filtek SF + 10% Bredigite (BRT), Filtek SF + 30% BRT. Plaque biofilms were grown on the bonded enamel using a standardized protocol and the biofilm-killing effect was assessed by confocal laser scanning microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Vickers microhardness was measured to evaluate the remineralization effect of the attachments containing bioceramic fillers after acid challenge. Shear bond test was performed to assess the bonding strength.Results: Attachments with bioceramic fillers significantly inhibited plaque biofilm growth in 3 weeks on enamel, contributing over 20% bacterial cell killing in 10% filler groups and over 30% killing in 30% filler groups. All four experimental groups demonstrated significantly higher microhardness values than the control group without fillers on the attachment side. The shear bonding strength was not compromised in the attachments with micro-fillers.Discussion: Proper incorporation of bioceramic micro-fillers in attachments provides an innovative approach for clear aligner therapy with reinforced antibiofilm and remineralization effects without weakening shear bonding strength

The relationship between weight-adjusted-waist index and diabetic kidney disease in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

PurposeObesity, particularly abdominal obesity, is seen as a risk factor for diabetic complications. The weight-adjusted-waist index (WWI) is a recently developed index for measuring adiposity. Our goal was to uncover the potential correlation between the WWI index and diabetic kidney disease (DKD) risk.MethodsThis cross-sectional study included adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) who participated in the NHANES database (2007-2018). The WWI index was calculated as waist circumference (WC, cm) divided by the square root of weight (kg). DKD was diagnosed based on impaired estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR<60 mL/min/1.73m2), albuminuria (urinary albumin to urinary creatinine ratio>30 mg/g), or both in T2DM patients. The independent relationship between WWI index and DKD risk was evaluated.ResultsA total of 5,028 participants with T2DM were included, with an average WWI index of 11.61 ± 0.02. As the quartile range of the WWI index increased, the prevalence of DKD gradually increased (26.76% vs. 32.63% vs. 39.06% vs. 42.96%, P<0.001). After adjusting for various confounding factors, the WWI index was independently associated with DKD risk (OR=1.32, 95%CI:1.12-1.56, P<0.001). The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of the WWI index was higher than that of body mass index (BMI, kg/m2) and WC. Subgroup analysis suggested that the relationship between the WWI index and DKD risk was of greater concern in patients over 60 years old and those with cardiovascular disease.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that higher WWI levels are linked to DKD in T2DM patients. The WWI index could be a cost-effective and simple way to detect DKD, but further prospective studies are needed to confirm this

Numerical Study on the Behavior of an Existing Tunnel during Excavating Adjacent Deep Foundation Pit

The excavation of a deep foundation pit adjacent to an existing tunnel may lead to the large deformation and induce damages in the tunnel structure. However, the influence on existing tunnel structure from nearby excavations has not been understood clearly, since it is affected by complex influencing factors of not only the geological and topographical conditions but also the construction method and positional relationship of the adjacent structures. This paper presents a numerical investigation into an existing underground rail transit line during the excavation of an adjacent deep foundation pit, in which the behavior of the existing tunnel structure from excavating the aforementioned foundation pit is clarified, and the effectiveness of the adopted three-dimensional model is confirmed by comparison between the numerically calculated and field-measured ground settlement of the monitoring point. The results demonstrate that the deformation of the existing tunnel structure is mostly induced by the excavation of the deep foundation pit. This study can provide a reference of deep excavations adjacent to existing infrastructures

Automatic Analysis of Lateral Cephalograms Based on Multiresolution Decision Tree Regression Voting

Cephalometric analysis is a standard tool for assessment and prediction of craniofacial growth, orthodontic diagnosis, and oral-maxillofacial treatment planning. The aim of this study is to develop a fully automatic system of cephalometric analysis, including cephalometric landmark detection and cephalometric measurement in lateral cephalograms for malformation classification and assessment of dental growth and soft tissue profile. First, a novel method of multiscale decision tree regression voting using SIFT-based patch features is proposed for automatic landmark detection in lateral cephalometric radiographs. Then, some clinical measurements are calculated by using the detected landmark positions. Finally, two databases are tested in this study: one is the benchmark database of 300 lateral cephalograms from 2015 ISBI Challenge, and the other is our own database of 165 lateral cephalograms. Experimental results show that the performance of our proposed method is satisfactory for landmark detection and measurement analysis in lateral cephalograms

Continental crust growth induced by slab breakoff in collisional orogens: Evidence from the Eocene Gangdese granitoids and their mafic enclaves, South Tibet

Collisional orogens are traditionally regarded as main regions related to crustal reworking with limited or without crust growth. However, our study on the granitoids and their mafic enclaves of the Ringqenze plutonic complex, a representative syn-collisional intrusive complex of Gangdese batholith, shows huge mantle contributions and considerable continental crust growth. Zircon U-Pb dating yields Eocene ages of 50.2 +/- 0.5 Ma, 46.4 +/- 0.5 Ma, 50.6 +/- 0.6 Ma and 50.4 +/- 0.5 Ma for the quartz diorite, hornblende granodiorite, host pyroxene-bearing granodiorite and its dioritic enclave, respectively. Reverse zoning of plagioclase (spike zone), pyroxene and plagioclase relicts in both of the dioritic enclaves and the granitoids, as well as the mixing trends on plots of major and trace elements, indicate a petrogenesis of magmatic mixing. The relatively low SiO2 (53.43-56.23 wt%) contents, high Mg-# values (48-56) and mineral compositions further suggest that precursor magmas of the enclaves are mantle-derived. The dioritic enclaves and granitoids have indistinguishable (Sr-87/Sr-86); ratios (0.70460-0.70480) but slightly different epsilon(Nd)(t) values (+1.8 to +3.0 for the dioritic enclaves and +0.2 to +0.6 for the granitoids). The (Sr-87/Sr-86); ratios and epsilon(Nd)(t) values plot on the mixing line defined by depleted mantle (DM) and lower crust xenolith from the Southern Lhasa subterrane and further simulation reveals a contribution of >55% from mantle. In the zircon epsilon(Hf)(t) versus delta O-18 diagram, the dioritic enclaves (epsilon(Hf)(t) = +3.7-+8.5, delta O-18 = 4.56-7.00 parts per thousand) and the granitoids (epsilon(Hf)(t) = +1.2-+8.5, delta O-18 = 5.59-7.21 parts per thousand) plot around the mixing line defined by zircons from granulite xenolith and a relatively depleted zircon from the dioritic enclaves. Meanwhile, the simple binary mixing calculation based on Hf-0 isotopes suggests that the mantle contributions are not 1000 degrees C), whereas other samples show lower Ti-in-zircon temperatures mostly below 750 degrees C. Because the Gangdese granitoids with unusual high temperatures had been produced dominantly at a very short time (similar to 50 Ma) and the high temperature was related to underplating of mantle materials, we suggest that a slab breakoff was most likely responsible for the formation of the high-temperature magmas and the continental crust growth at the syn-collisional period in collisional orogens. (C) 2018 Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of International Association for Gondwana Research

Arc Andesitic Rocks Derived From Partial Melts of Melange Diapir in Subduction Zones: Evidence From Whole-Rock Geochemistry and Sr-Nd-Mo Isotopes of the Paleogene Linzizong Volcanic Succession in Southern Tibet

Formation of andesitic rocks is crucial to understand the evolution of continental crust. Here we present an integrated study for the Paleocene Dianzhong Formation of the Linzizong volcanic succession (LVS) in the Lhasa terrane, southern Tibet. The andesites of the Dianzhong Formation have relatively high Mg-# (38-60) and exhibit typical subduction-like geochemical signatures. They are characterized by slightly enriched epsilon(Nd)(t) values (-2.82-0.35) and have a range of (98)/(95) Mo isotopic compositions (-0.40 to 0.13 ) larger than mid-ocean ridge basalt. Their high Mg-#, moderate light rare earth element-enriched patterns, and slightly enriched epsilon(Nd)(t) values clearly rule out an origin of continental crust-derived melts or partial melts of earlier underplated mafic rocks. The dacites show similar geochemistry to the andesites, indicating an origin from the parental magmas of the andesites. Based on the geochemical comparisons between the Dianzhong andesites and rocks of melange, we suggest that the andesitic rocks of the LVS were derived from partial melts of a mantle source dominated by melange that formed along the subduction channel. The melange diapir melting was triggered by asthenospheric upwelling and corner flow during the Paleocene slab roll-back of northward subducted Neotethyan oceanic crust. Because the Early Paleocene andesitic rocks in southern Lhasa show an average composition of continental crust, the partial melting of melange rocks most likely provide an important mechanism for the production of andesitic magmas within continental arcs

DataSheet_1_The relationship between weight-adjusted-waist index and diabetic kidney disease in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.docx

PurposeObesity, particularly abdominal obesity, is seen as a risk factor for diabetic complications. The weight-adjusted-waist index (WWI) is a recently developed index for measuring adiposity. Our goal was to uncover the potential correlation between the WWI index and diabetic kidney disease (DKD) risk.MethodsThis cross-sectional study included adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) who participated in the NHANES database (2007-2018). The WWI index was calculated as waist circumference (WC, cm) divided by the square root of weight (kg). DKD was diagnosed based on impaired estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR2), albuminuria (urinary albumin to urinary creatinine ratio>30 mg/g), or both in T2DM patients. The independent relationship between WWI index and DKD risk was evaluated.ResultsA total of 5,028 participants with T2DM were included, with an average WWI index of 11.61 ± 0.02. As the quartile range of the WWI index increased, the prevalence of DKD gradually increased (26.76% vs. 32.63% vs. 39.06% vs. 42.96%, P2) and WC. Subgroup analysis suggested that the relationship between the WWI index and DKD risk was of greater concern in patients over 60 years old and those with cardiovascular disease.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that higher WWI levels are linked to DKD in T2DM patients. The WWI index could be a cost-effective and simple way to detect DKD, but further prospective studies are needed to confirm this.</p