Biological effeects of new hydraulic materials on human periodontal ligament stem cells

Abstract: Background: The aim of this study was: to evaluate the biological properties of new hydraulic materials: Bio-C Repair and Bio-C Sealer. Methods: Periodontal ligament stem cells were exposed to several dilutions of Bio-C Repair and Bio-C Sealer. The ion release profile and pH were determined. Metabolic activity, cell migration and cell survival were assessed using the 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT), wound-healing assays and Annexin assays, respectively. Cells were cultured in direct contact with the surface of each material. These were then analyzed via scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX). Statistical differences were assessed using a two-way ANOVA (α < 0.05). Results: Similar pH was observed in these cements. Bio-C Sealer released significantly more Ca and Si ions (p < 0.05) in comparison with Bio-C Repair. Undiluted Bio-C Sealer induced a significant reduction on cellular viability, cell survival and cell migration when compared to the control (p < 0.05). Moreover, SEM showed abundant cells adhered on Bio-C Repair and a moderate number of cells attached on Bio-C Sealer. Finally, EDX analysis identified higher percentages of Ca and O in the case of Bio-C repair than with Bio-C sealer, while other elements such as Zr and Si were more abundant in Bio-C sealer. Conclusions: Bio-C Repair displayed higher cell viability, cell adhesion and migration rates than Bio-C Sealer

Comparative biological properties and mineralization potential of three endodontic materials for vital pulp therapy: Theracal PT, Theracal LC, and Biodentine on human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs)

Introduction: The aim of this study was to assess the biological properties and mineralization potential of the new Theracal PT (Bisco Inc, Schaumburg, IL) compared with its predecessor Theracal LC (Bisco Inc) and the hydraulic silicate-based cement Biodentine (Septodont, Saint-Maur-des-Fosses, France) on human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) in vitro. Methods: Standardized sample discs were obtained for each material (n 5 30) together with 1:1, 1:2, and 1:4 material eluates. Previously characterized hDPSCs were cultured with the different materials in standardized conditions, and the following assays were performed: a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay, a wound healing assay, Annexin-V-FITC and 7-AAD staining (BD Biosciences, San Jose, CA), reactive oxygen species production analysis, cell adhesion and morphology evaluation via scanning electron microscopy and immunofluorescence, quantification of the expression of osteo/odontogenic markers via real-time quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, and alizarin red S staining. Statistical significance was established at P , .05. Results: All of the tested dilutions of Theracal LC exhibited a significantly higher cytotoxicity and reactive oxygen species production (P , .001) and a lower cell migration rate than the control group (hDPSCs cultured in growth medium without material extracts) at all of the measured time points (P , .001). Both 1:4 Theracal PT and Biodentine-treated hDPSCs exhibited similar levels of cytocompatibility to that of the control group, a significant up-regulation of at least 1 odontogenic marker (Biodentine: dentin sialophosphoprotein (P , .05); Theracal PT: osteonectin and runt-related transcription factor 2 [P , .001]), and a significantly higher mineralized nodule formation (P , .001). Conclusions: The newly introduced TheraCal PT offers an improved in vitro cytocompatibility and mineralization potential on hDPSCs compared with its predecessor, TheraCal LC, and comparable biological properties to Biodentin

Euglena International Network (EIN):Driving euglenoid biotechnology for the benefit of a challenged world

Euglenoids (Euglenida) are unicellular flagellates possessing exceptionally wide geographical and ecological distribution. Euglenoids combine a biotechnological potential with a unique position in the eukaryotic tree of life. In large part these microbes owe this success to diverse genetics including secondary endosymbiosis and likely additional sources of genes. Multiple euglenoid species have translational applications and show great promise in production of biofuels, nutraceuticals, bioremediation, cancer treatments and more exotically as robotics design simulators. An absence of reference genomes currently limits these applications, including development of efficient tools for identification of critical factors in regulation, growth or optimization of metabolic pathways. The Euglena International Network (EIN) seeks to provide a forum to overcome these challenges. EIN has agreed specific goals, mobilized scientists, established a clear roadmap (Grand Challenges), connected academic and industry stakeholders and is currently formulating policy and partnership principles to propel these efforts in a coordinated and efficient manner

Positive correlation between the nuclear expression of GPER and pGLI3 in prostate cancer tissues from patients with different Gleason scores

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most prevalent cause of death in the male population worldwide. The G Protein-Coupled Estrogen Receptor (GPER) has been gaining relevance in the development of PCa. Hedgehog (Hh) pathway activation is associated with aggressiveness, metastasis, and relapse in PCa patients. To date, no studies have evaluated the crosstalk between the GPER and the Hh pathway along different group grades in PCa. We conducted an analysis of paraffin-embedded tissues derived from patients with different prognostic grade of PCa using immunohistochemistry. Expression and correlation between GPER and glioma associated oncogene homologue (GLI) transcriptional factors in the parenchyma and stroma of PCa tumors were evaluated. Our results indicate that GPER is highly expressed in the nucleus and increases with higher grade groups. Additionally, GPER’s expression correlates with pGLI3 nuclear expression across different grade groups in PCa tissues; however, whether the receptor induces the activation of GLI transcriptional factors, or the latter modulate the expression of GPER is yet to be discovered, as well as the functional consequence of this correlation

The evolution of the ventilatory ratio is a prognostic factor in mechanically ventilated COVID-19 ARDS patients

Background: Mortality due to COVID-19 is high, especially in patients requiring mechanical ventilation. The purpose of the study is to investigate associations between mortality and variables measured during the first three days of mechanical ventilation in patients with COVID-19 intubated at ICU admission. Methods: Multicenter, observational, cohort study includes consecutive patients with COVID-19 admitted to 44 Spanish ICUs between February 25 and July 31, 2020, who required intubation at ICU admission and mechanical ventilation for more than three days. We collected demographic and clinical data prior to admission; information about clinical evolution at days 1 and 3 of mechanical ventilation; and outcomes. Results: Of the 2,095 patients with COVID-19 admitted to the ICU, 1,118 (53.3%) were intubated at day 1 and remained under mechanical ventilation at day three. From days 1 to 3, PaO2/FiO2 increased from 115.6 [80.0-171.2] to 180.0 [135.4-227.9] mmHg and the ventilatory ratio from 1.73 [1.33-2.25] to 1.96 [1.61-2.40]. In-hospital mortality was 38.7%. A higher increase between ICU admission and day 3 in the ventilatory ratio (OR 1.04 [CI 1.01-1.07], p = 0.030) and creatinine levels (OR 1.05 [CI 1.01-1.09], p = 0.005) and a lower increase in platelet counts (OR 0.96 [CI 0.93-1.00], p = 0.037) were independently associated with a higher risk of death. No association between mortality and the PaO2/FiO2 variation was observed (OR 0.99 [CI 0.95 to 1.02], p = 0.47). Conclusions: Higher ventilatory ratio and its increase at day 3 is associated with mortality in patients with COVID-19 receiving mechanical ventilation at ICU admission. No association was found in the PaO2/FiO2 variation

CIBERER: Spanish national network for research on rare diseases: A highly productive collaborative initiative

13 páginas,1 figura, 3 tablas, 1 apéndice. Se extraen los autores pertenecientes a The CIBERER network que trabajan en Centros del CSIC del Appendix ACIBER (Center for Biomedical Network Research; Centro de Investigación Biomédica En Red) is a public national consortium created in 2006 under the umbrella of the Spanish National Institute of Health Carlos III (ISCIII). This innovative research structure comprises 11 different specific areas dedicated to the main public health priorities in the National Health System. CIBERER, the thematic area of CIBER focused on rare diseases (RDs) currently consists of 75 research groups belonging to universities, research centers, and hospitals of the entire country. CIBERER's mission is to be a center prioritizing and favoring collaboration and cooperation between biomedical and clinical research groups, with special emphasis on the aspects of genetic, molecular, biochemical, and cellular research of RDs. This research is the basis for providing new tools for the diagnosis and therapy of low-prevalence diseases, in line with the International Rare Diseases Research Consortium (IRDiRC) objectives, thus favoring translational research between the scientific environment of the laboratory and the clinical setting of health centers. In this article, we intend to review CIBERER's 15-year journey and summarize the main results obtained in terms of internationalization, scientific production, contributions toward the discovery of new therapies and novel genes associated to diseases, cooperation with patients' associations and many other topics related to RD research.This study has been funded by Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII) and Spanish Ministry of Science and InnovationPeer reviewe

Nonphosphorylating Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Is Phosphorylated in Wheat Endosperm at Serine-404 by an SNF1-Related Protein Kinase Allosterically Inhibited by Ribose-5-Phosphate1[W][OA]

Nonphosphorylating glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (np-Ga3PDHase) is a cytosolic unconventional glycolytic enzyme of plant cells regulated by phosphorylation in heterotrophic tissues. After interaction with 14-3-3 proteins, the phosphorylated enzyme becomes less active and more sensitive to regulation by adenylates and inorganic pyrophosphate. Here, we acknowledge that in wheat (Triticum aestivum), np-Ga3PDHase is specifically phosphorylated by the SnRK (SNF1-related) protein kinase family. Interestingly, only the kinase present in heterotrophic tissues (endosperm and shoots, but not in leaves) was found active. The specific SnRK partially purified from endosperm exhibited a requirement for Mg2+ or Mn2+ (being Ca2+ independent), having a molecular mass of approximately 200 kD. The kinase also phosphorylated standard peptides SAMS, AMARA, and SP46, as well as endogenous sucrose synthase, results suggesting that it could be a member of the SnRK1 subfamily. Concurrently, the partially purified wheat SnRK was recognized by antibodies raised against a peptide conserved between SnRK1s from sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) and maize (Zea mays) developing seeds. The wheat kinase was allosterically inhibited by ribose-5-phosphate and, to a lesser extent, by fructose-1,6-bisphosphate and 3-phosphoglycerate, while glucose-6-phosphate (the main effector of spinach [Spinacia oleracea] leaves, SnRK1) and trehalose-6-phosphate produced little or no effect. Results support a distinctive allosteric regulation of SnRK1 present in photosynthetic or heterotrophic plant tissues. After in silico analysis, we constructed two np-Ga3PDHase mutants, S404A and S447A, identifying serine-404 as the target of phosphorylation. Results suggest that both np-Ga3PDHase and the specific kinase could be under control, critically affecting the metabolic scenario involving carbohydrates and reducing power partition and storage in heterotrophic plant cells

Recuérdame 2.0: Mejorando una aplicación de apoyo para el tratamiento de personas con problemas de memoria mediante terapias basadas en reminiscencia

Trabajo de Fin de Grado en Ingeniería del Software, Facultad de Informática UCM, Departamento de Ingeniería de Software e Inteligencia Artificial, Curso 2022/2023.Este proyecto presenta la creación de una aplicación para ayudar a los terapeutas en la realización de terapias de reminiscencia para tratar a pacientes con Alzheimer de forma más cómoda, fácil, rápida y eficiente. Para ello, hemos partido de Recuérdame 1.0, una aplicación creada en un TFG del curso 2021-2022. Se ha hecho una refactorización completa del código con el objetivo de adaptarlo a un framework, resolver sus problemas de usabilidad y hacer un rediseño visual completo. También se han aplicado los cambios solicitados en las evaluaciones de la aplicación original, entre los que se incluyen la adición de nuevos campos a todas las entidades, cambios en las relaciones entre algunas de ellas, la mejora de algunas funcionalidades ya existentes como el calendario o los elementos dropzone, y la adición de otras nuevas como la creación de un diagnóstico inicial del paciente sobre el que realizar un seguimiento mediante gráficas. Por último, se han implementado nuevas funcionalidades, entre las que se incluyen: buscadores para las tablas, ventanas emergentes, la generación de resúmenes mediante el uso de ChatGPT y la creación automática de vídeos con narración a partir de la historia de vida del paciente. Durante el desarrollo hemos seguido la metodología ágil Kanban para crear una aplicación web responsive mediante la utilización de los lenguajes HTML, CSS, PHP y JavaScript en conjunto con el framework Laravel. Una vez terminado el desarrollo, dos terapeutas familiarizados con las terapias basadas en reminiscencia evaluaron la aplicación y los resultados fueron muy satisfactorios. Los resultados de la evaluación indican que la usabilidad de la aplicación es muy aceptable y que la herramienta creada cumple con el fin para el que fue diseñada. La aplicación puede usarse en https://recuerdame2.ddns.net/ y el código se encuentra alojado en el repositorio https://github.com/NILGroup/ TFG-22-23-Recuerdame2.0.This project presents the creation of an application to help therapists in carrying out reminiscence therapies to treat Alzheimer’s patients more comfortably, easily, quickly and efficiently. For this, we have started from Recuérdame 1.0, an application created in a TFG for the 2021-2022 academic year. A complete refactoring of the code has been done with the aim of adapting it to a framework, solving its usability problems and making a complete visual redesign. The changes requested in the evaluations of the original application have also been applied, including the addition of new fields to all the entities, changes in the relationships between some of them, the improvement of some existing functionalities such as the calendar or the dropzone elements, and the addition of new ones such as the creation of an initial diagnosis of the patient on which to follow up through graphs. Finally, new functionalities have been implemented, among which are included: search engines for the tables, pop-up windows, the generation of summaries using ChatGPT and the automatic creation of videos with narration from the life history of the patient. During the development we have followed the agile Kanban methodology to create a responsive web application by using the languages HTML, CSS, PHP and JavaScript in conjunction with the framework Laravel. Upon completion of development, the application was evaluated by two therapists familiar with reminiscence-based therapies. The results obtained in the evaluations with both therapists were very good, the results of the evaluation indicate that it is very acceptable and that the created tool fulfills the purpose for which it was designed. The application can be used in https://recuerdame2.ddns.net/ and the code is hosted in the next repository https://github.com/NILGroup/ TFG-22-23-Recuerdame2.0.Depto. de Ingeniería de Software e Inteligencia Artificial (ISIA)Fac. de InformáticaTRUEunpu

Comparative Cytocompatibility and Mineralization Potential of Bio-C Sealer and TotalFill BC Sealer

The aim of this study was to investigate the cytocompatibility and mineralization potential of two premixed hydraulic endodontic sealers compared with an epoxy resin-based root canal sealer. The cellular responses and mineralization capacity were studied in human periodontal ligament stem cells (hPDLSCs) that were exposed to premixed hydraulic sealers, Bio-C Sealer (Angelus, Londr&iacute;na, PR, Brazil), TotalFill BC Sealer (FKG Dentaire SA, La-Chaux-de-fonds, Switzerland) and an epoxy resin-based material, AH Plus (Dentsply De Trey, Konstanz, Germany). Non-exposed cultures served as the control. The endodontic sealers were assessed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis (EDX). Statistical analyses were done using Analisis of Variance (ANOVA), with Bonferroni adjusted pairwise comparison (p = 0.05). AH Plus reduced cell viability and cell migration, whereas increased cell viability and cell migration were observed in the Bio-C Sealer and the TotalFill BC Sealer (p &lt; 0.05). The lowest cell attachment and spreading were observed for all concentrations of AH Plus, whereas the highest were observed for TotalFill BC Sealer. At the end of 21 days, only the Bio-C Sealer and the TotalFill BC Sealer supported matrix mineralization (p &lt; 0.05). Additionally, SEM-EDX revealed high content of calcium, oxygen, and silicon in the Bio-C Sealer and the TotalFill BC Sealer. Based on the results from this study, Bio-C Sealer and TotalFill BC Sealer demonstrated better cytocompatibility in terms of cell viability, migration, cell morphology, cell attachment, and mineralization capacity than AH Plus