The Effect of Partially Exposed Connective Tissue Graft on Root‐Coverage Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis

The aim of this systematic review was to compare the root‐coverage outcomes of using a partially exposed connective tissue graft (CTG) technique with a fully covered CTG technique for root coverage. An electronic search up to February 28th, 2017, was performed to identify human clinical studies with data comparing outcomes of root coverage using CTG, with and without a partially exposed graft. Five clinical studies were selected for inclusion in this review. For each study, the gain of keratinized gingiva, reduction of recession depth, number of surgical sites achieving complete root coverage, percentage of root coverage, gain of tissue thickness, and changes of probing depth and clinical attachment level were recorded. Meta‐analysis for the comparison of complete root coverage between the two techniques presented no statistically significant differences. A statistically significant gain of keratinized tissue in favor of the sites with an exposed CTG and a tendency of greater reduction in recession depth were seen at the sites with a fully covered CTG. Based on the results, the use of a partially exposed CTG in root‐coverage procedures could achieve greater gain in keratinized gingiva, while a fully covered CTG might be indicated for procedures aiming to reduce recession depth

Combining fluoride with either phenolic compounds or plant extracts offers potential mitigation strategy for ammonia and methane emissions from livestock manure

Emissions of ammonia and methane from agriculture caused by microbes in manure are an increasing challenge to sustainable agriculture. We screened several commercially available polyphenols, phenolic compounds, and polyphenol-rich extracts for their ability to inhibit the production of ammonia and mitigate methane emissions in pig manure in the absence and presence of sodium fluoride (NaF) using a short-term high-throughput set-up. Tested compounds were chlorogenic acid, lignosulfonic acid, lignin, chitosan, green tea extract, and chestnut tannins. Green tea extract, at a concentration of 8.5 mg/ml with 1 mM NaF, reduced total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) in pig manure by 72%, while methane emissions were lowered by 95% at an extract concentration of 2.5 mg/ml. The ability of four extracts of plant waste (spent coffee grounds, noble fir needles, shea meal, and rapeseed press cakes) to mitigate ammonia production and methanogenesis in pig manure was also investigated. Adding 7.0 ± 0.7 mg/ml of extract from shea meal, noble fir, or rapeseed press cake, or 3.2 mg/ml of coffee ground extract reduced TAN production in manure by approximately 50%. Shea meal and noble fir had the largest effect on methane emissions, with reductions of approximately 60%. Gallocatechin- and epigallocatechin-rich extracts appeared to be especially potent for the inhibition of methane emissions, while ammonia production could be inhibited by a variety of tannins. Based on the current work, we conclude that extracts from certain plants have the potential for use in sustainable manure management to reduce ammonia and methane emissions.</p

A comparison of the transition metal concentrations in the feces, urine, and manure slurry from different livestock animals related to environmentally relevant biogenic gaseous emissions

The microbiological communities in livestock manure slurries produce gases of environmental concern such as ammonia, methane and nitrous oxide and require trace metals such as nickel, iron, and copper to synthesize active metalloenzymes that catalyse key biochemical reactions. Additionally, large quantities of trace metals are supplied to the soil when animal manure/manure slurry is used as a fertilizer, which has led to more strict legislation regarding metal contents in manure slurry. In this study, the concentrations of the environmentally relevant transition metals nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), and manganese (Mn) in faeces and urine from pigs, cattle and horses were determined using graphite furnace and flame atomic absorption spectroscopy. We show that for all three animal species 97–100% of the metal contents in manure slurry originate from faeces. The analyses show that uncontaminated manure slurry from pigs has higher metal contents than the manure slurries from cattle and horses. Specifically, on a dry matter (dm) basis, pig manure slurry contains approximately 8 mg Ni/kg dm, 104 mg Cu/kg dm, 185 mg Zn/kg dm, 1134 mg Fe/kg dm, and 356 mg Mn/kg dm. Comparing the determined transition metal contents with published values for manure/manure slurry reveals that especially Cu, Zn and Fe concentrations in manure slurry have decreased in recent years. Comparing our results with other observations suggest that the levels of Ni, Cu, Zn, Fe, and Mn in manure slurries do not limit the microbial processes involved in the production or assimilation of environmentally relevant biogenic gasses

Design and characterization of a biodegradable double-layer scaffold aimed at periodontal tissue-engineering applications

First published: 1 September 2013The inefficacy of the currently used therapies in achieving the regeneration ad integrum of the periodontium stimulates the search for alternative approaches, such as tissue-engineering strategies. Therefore, the core objective of this study was to develop a biodegradable double-layer scaffold for periodontal tissue engineering. The design philosophy was based on a double-layered construct obtained from a blend of starch and poly-ε-caprolactone (30:70 wt%; SPCL). A SPCL fibre mesh functionalized with silanol groups to promote osteogenesis was combined with a SPCL solvent casting membrane aiming at acting as a barrier against the migration of gingival epithelium into the periodontal defect. Each layer of the double-layer scaffolds was characterized in terms of morphology, surface chemical composition, degradation behaviour and mechanical properties. Moreover, the behaviour of seeded/cultured canine adipose-derived stem cells (cASCs) was assessed. In general, the developed double-layered scaffolds demonstrated adequate degradation and mechanical behaviour for the target application. Furthermore, the biological assays revealed that both layers of the scaffold allow adhesion and proliferation of the seeded undifferentiated cASCs, and the incorporation of silanol groups into the fibre-mesh layer enhance the expression of a typical osteogenic marker. This study allowed an innovative construct to be developed, combining a three-dimensional (3D) scaffold with osteoconductive properties and with potential to assist periodontal regeneration, carrying new possible solutions to current clinical needs .The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013; under Grant Agreement No. REGPOT-CT2012-316331-POLARIS) and from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT; Grant No, MIT/ECE/0047/2009). Joao Requicha acknowledges the FCT for his PhD scholarship ( Grant No. SFRH/BD/44143/2008)

Protein-cell conjugates as artificial surface display for interfacial biocatalysis

Interfacial whole-cell biocatalysis has great potential for advanced chemical synthesis due to its ability to efficiently mediate complex reactions. However, the practical use of this approach is often limited by the fragility of living cells and the difficulty of maintaining enzyme activity under interfacial conditions. Here, we propose an artificial surface display strategy for interfacial biocatalysis by directly coupling sodium caseinate (NaCas) to the surface of E. coli cells. This coupling creates a robust biointerface that provides two main benefits: protecting cells from harsh interfacial environments and enabling the formation of Pickering emulsions for catalysis. The resulting protein-cell conjugates demonstrated thermal stability and strong resistance to organic solvents. Furthermore, the direct attachment of additional enzymes onto the cell surface allowed for efficient multienzyme cascade reactions, achieving an 80% yield in benzoin synthesis. The platform also showed multienzyme recyclability, retaining over 80% of enzyme activity after five reuse cycles, with emulsions that remained stable for more than 24 hours, enabling long-term catalytic applications. Therefore, these features demonstrate the significant benefits of our artificial surface display strategy, providing an environmentally friendly and versatile platform for interfacial biocatalysis applicable to synthetic chemistry and industrial biotechnology.</p

Whole-Genome Sequences of Streptococcus alactolyticus Strain An1F4 and Escherichia coli Strains Ae3A3 and Ae3B3, Isolated from Feces of Domestic Pigs

Here, we present the genome sequences of a strain of Streptococcus alactolyticus and two strains of Escherichia coli that were isolated from feces samples from domestic pigs in Denmark. The genome sequences contribute to a better understanding of the microbiological processes in the feces and manure of domestic pigs

Viipekeele tõlketeenuse regulaarse osutamise võimalikkusest ja vajalikkusest Eesti teatrites

http://tartu.ester.ee/record=b2611664~S1*es

Pickering Emulsion Biocatalysis with Engineered Living Cells for Degrading Polycarbonate Plastics

The efficient degradation of plastics remains a pressing environmental challenge due to their inherent resistance to breakdown. While biocatalysis offers a promising approach for sustainable and effective plastic degradation, the inherently low solubility of plastics in aqueous systems severely limits the efficiency of enzymatic reactions. To address this issue, we developed a biocompatible polymer coating strategy to engineer living cell surfaces, enabling the stabilization of Pickering emulsions for over 192 h and significantly enhancing plastic accessibility to biocatalysts. Leveraging this platform, Escherichia coli (E. coli) cells containing overexpressed Candida antarctica Lipase B performed well by dispersing at the emulsion interface of water and toluene, facilitating the efficient biodegradation of polycarbonate (PC) plastics. Under optimized reaction conditions (pH 9, 45 °C), this Pickering emulsion system achieved efficient PC degradation, producing up to 4.5 mm bisphenol A within 72 h—far exceeding the performance of biphasic systems using native E. coli cells. The findings highlight the transformative potential of surface-engineered whole-cell catalysts in addressing environmental challenges, particularly plastic waste remediation.</p

Inhibition of urease activity by different compounds provides insight into the modulation and association of bacterial nickel import and ureolysis

The nickel-dependent urease enzyme is responsible for the hydrolysis of urea to ammonia and carbon dioxide. A number of bacteria produce urease (ureolytic bacteria) and are associated with various infectious diseases and ammonia emissions from agriculture. We report the first comprehensive comparison of the inhibition of urease activity by compounds analysed under the same conditions. Thus, 71 commercially available compounds were screened for their anti-ureolytic properties against both the ureolytic bacterium Klebsiella pneumoniae and purified jack bean urease. Of the tested compounds, 30 showed more than 25% inhibition of the ureolytic activity of Klebsiella pneumoniae or jack bean urease, and among these, carbon disulfide, N-phenylmaleimide, diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, sodium pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate, 1,2,4-butanetricarboxylic acid, tannic acid, and gallic acid have not previously been reported to possess anti-ureolytic properties. The diverse effects of metal ion chelators on ureolysis were investigated using a cellular nickel uptake assay. Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and dimethylglyoxime (DMG) clearly reduced the nickel import and ureolytic activity of cells, oxalic acid stimulated nickel import but reduced the ureolytic activity of cells, 1,2,4-butanetricarboxylic acid strongly stimulated nickel import and slightly increased the ureolytic activity of cells, while L-cysteine had no effect on nickel import but efficiently reduced the ureolytic activity of cells.The nickel-dependent urease enzyme is responsible for the hydrolysis of urea to ammonia and carbon dioxide. A number of bacteria produce urease (ureolytic bacteria) and are associated with various infectious diseases and ammonia emissions from agriculture. We report the first comprehensive comparison of the inhibition of urease activity by compounds analysed under the same conditions. Thus, 71 commercially available compounds were screened for their anti-ureolytic properties against both the ureolytic bacterium Klebsiella pneumoniae and purified jack bean urease. Of the tested compounds, 30 showed more than 25% inhibition of the ureolytic activity of Klebsiella pneumoniae or jack bean urease, and among these, carbon disulfide, N-phenylmaleimide, diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, sodium pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate, 1,2,4-butanetricarboxylic acid, tannic acid, and gallic acid have not previously been reported to possess anti-ureolytic properties. The diverse effects of metal ion chelators on ureolysis were investigated using a cellular nickel uptake assay. Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and dimethylglyoxime (DMG) clearly reduced the nickel import and ureolytic activity of cells, oxalic acid stimulated nickel import but reduced the ureolytic activity of cells, 1,2,4-butanetricarboxylic acid strongly stimulated nickel import and slightly increased the ureolytic activity of cells, while L-cysteine had no effect on nickel import but efficiently reduced the ureolytic activity of cells