Numerical simulation of dental resurfacing of a feldspar porcelain with coarse diamond burs

Dental bioceramics are more and more attractive to both dentists and patients due to their unique biocompatibility and esthetics; they can be fabricated efficiently using chair-side CAD/CAM dental systems. However, the failure rate of ceramic prostheses is noticeable high. The major clinical failure mode lies in surface and subsurface damage in the ceramic prostheses due to their inherent brittleness. In clinical practice, ceramic prostheses are intraorally adjusted and resurfaced using dental handpieces/burs for marginal and occlusal fit. The clinical adjustments using abrasive burs produce surface and subsurface damage in prostheses. This paper will address this issue via numerical simulation. Finite element analysis was utilised to model the dental resurfacing of a feldspar porcelain with coarse diamond burs and to predict the degrees of subsurface damage of the porcelain prostheses

Elevation of Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase and Cyclooxygenase-2 Expression in the Mouse Brain after Chronic Nonylphenol Exposure

The present study was performed to investigate the effects of chronic administration of nonylphenol (NP) on the expression of inflammation-related genes in the brains of mice. NP was given orally by gavages at 0, 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg/d. The expression of inflammatory enzymes, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), was evaluated by immunohistochemistry and immunoblotting assays. The nitric oxide (NO) level and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity were also measured by biochemical analyses. The results showed that NP at a high dose (200 mg/kg/d) significantly increased the expression of iNOS and COX-2 in both the hippocampus and cortex. In parallel with the increase in iNOS expression, the NO level was significantly greater at the dose of 200 mg/kg/d, compared to the control. The activity of NOS was also increased in the brain of mice at the dose of 100 and 200 mg/kg/d. These findings demonstrate that NP may have the potential to induce the chronic inflammation or cause neurotoxicity in the mouse brain

Visualized analysis of research on myopic traction maculopathy based on CiteSpace

AIM: To analyze the global scientific output concerning myopic traction maculopathy (MTM) and to summarize the research frontiers and hot topics of MTM related researches. METHODS: Data were collected for bibliometric and visualization analyses from Web of Science (WOS) Core Collection. Exported records were analyzed for titles, publication years, research institutions, journal names, authors, keywords, and abstracts using CiteSpace software version 6.1. RESULTS: A total of 839 related studies were analyzed, the publication volume increased annually, with Asia the most active region of MTM research. Optical coherence tomography angiography, optical coherence tomography, macular hole, high myopia, macular buckling were identified as the focus of the current research. Progression, association, classification and shape were identified as the major research frontiers. CONCLUSION: MTM is a major cause of visual loss in pathological myopic eyes. During the preceding 17y, the number of annual publications in MTM research increased gradually. Studies on the progression nature of MTM, genome-wide association study and proper classification of MTM might still be the frontiers of MTM researches

Numerical study on aerodynamic characteristics of high-speed trains with considering thermal-flow coupling effects

In order to conduct in-depth researches on rationality of air conditioning system equipment of a high-speed train as well as its pipeline system design, working conditions of the air conditioning system and distribution of aerodynamic characteristics including pressure, velocity and temperature in high speed trains should be computed carefully at the design stage. Therefore, the finite volume method was used to solve a governing equation of computational fluid dynamics. The aerodynamic characteristics of pipelines of the air conditioning system and the complete high speed train were computed, so the indoor distribution of wind velocity, temperature and gas concentration (carbon oxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen and so forth) was obtained. The flow field index and the thermal comfort index were used to evaluate the indoor thermal comfort degree. In this way, whether rationality of the air conditioning system design and indoor aerodynamic characteristic could satisfy requirements for design specifications can be analyzed. Results show that: Under winter or summer working conditions, wind velocity was relatively high at the passageway door, where the maximum wind velocity was more than 1 m/s and would make passengers uncomfortable. Air flow velocity outside comfortable regions was more than 0.05 m/s, satisfying UIC553 standards. Velocity distribution was basically the same indoors, where wind velocity was large at positions perpendicular to the air supply hole, and the maximum wind velocity was more than 1 m/s, but wind velocity was uniform in the passenger region, which was basically lower than 0.2 m/s and satisfied UIC553 standards. In summer and winter working conditions, distribution of pressure, velocity and temperature was not uniform, where the maximum temperature gradient was near the air inlet in the compartment. Air components in the compartment satisfied requirements for comfort. The most uncomfortable regions in the compartment were concentrated at the passageway. Air supply holes distributed symmetrically on the train roof caused high air flow intensity, high wind velocity, low temperature and high humidity at the passageway in the compartment, so the thermal comfort was low, and it is feasible to adjust the layout of air supply holes appropriately

Multicentre, prospective, randomised controlled trial to evaluate hexaminolevulinate photodynamic therapy (Cevira) as a novel treatment in patients with high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion: APRICITY phase 3 study protocol

INTRODUCTION: High-risk human papilloma virus (HPV)-associated cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women worldwide. Current treatments of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) of the cervix are based on invasive surgical interventions, compromising cervical competence and functionality. APRICITY is a multicentre, prospective, double-blind, randomised controlled phase 3 study further evaluating the efficacy and safety of Cevira, an integrated drug-delivery and light-delivery device for hexaminolevulinate photodynamic therapy, which shows promise as a novel, non-invasive outpatient therapy for women with HSIL. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Patients with biopsy-confirmed HSIL histology are invited to participate in the study planned to be conducted at 47 sites in China and 25 sites in Ukraine, Russia and the European Union. The aim is to include at least 384 patients, which will be randomised to either Cevira or placebo group (2:1). All patients will be assessed 3 months after first treatment and a second treatment will be administered in patients who are HPV positive or have at least low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion. Primary endpoint is the proportion of the responders 6 months after first treatment. Secondary efficacy and safety endpoints will be assessed at 6 months, and data for secondary performance endpoints of the Cevira device will be collected at 3 months and 6 months, in case second treatment was administered. All patients in the Cevira group will be enrolled in an open, long-term extension study for 6 months to collect additional efficacy and safety data (study extension endpoints). ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study was approved by the ethics committee of the Peking Union Medical College Hospital and Hannover Medical University, Germany. Findings will be disseminated through peer review publications and conference presentations. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT04484415; clinicaltrials.gov

Host Plant-Derived miRNAs Potentially Modulate the Development of a Cosmopolitan Insect Pest, Plutella xylostella

Plant microRNAs (miRNAs) have recently been reported to be involved in the cross-kingdom regulation of specific cellular and physiological processes in animals. However, little of this phenomenon is known for the communication between host plant and insect herbivore. In this study, the plant-derived miRNAs in the hemolymph of a cruciferous specialist were identified by small RNAs sequencing. A total of 39 miRNAs with typical characteristics of plant miRNAs were detected, of which 24 had read counts ≥ 2 in each library. Three plant-derived miRNAs with the highest read counts were validated, and all of them were predicted to target the hemocyanin domains-containing genes of . The luciferase assays in the S2 cell demonstrated that miR159a and novel-7703-5p could target and respectively, possibly in an incomplete complementary pairing mode. We further found that treatment with agomir-7703-5p significantly influenced the pupal development and egg-hatching rate when reared on the artificial..

Systematic review and meta-analysis of Chinese herbal formula Tongxie Yaofang for diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome: Evidence for clinical practice and future trials

Introduction: Diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) significantly decreases the quality of life of patients and their families, and affects patients’ mental health. No specific western medications are available. Ancient classical Chinese medical texts have recognized Tongxie Yaofang (TXYF) as a therapy for diarrhea which is widely used in clinical practice. Standard TXYF prescription (S-TXYF) is composed of four herbal medicines: Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz. [Asteraceae; Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae.], Paeonia lactiflora Pall. [Ranunculaceae; Paeoniae Radix Alba], Citrus × aurantium L. [Rutaceae; Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium] and Saposhnikovia divaricata (Turcz. ex Ledeb.) Schischk. [Umbelliferae; Saposhnikoviae Radix]. This review aimed to evaluate the therapeutic effects and safety of S-TXYF for IBS-D. Methods: Eight English and Chinese electronic databases were searched from their inception to 25 December 2021 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing S-TXYF with placebo, western medications or no treatment for IBS-D. The primary outcome was the global improvement of IBS-D symptoms. Data were analyzed using Cochrane’s Revman 5.4 software. Evidence certainty was assessed using the online GRADEpro tool for the primary outcome. Results: Eleven RCTs involving 985 adults with IBS-D were included. For global improvement of symptoms, S-TXYF was superior to western medication and placebo (moderate evidence by GRADE). Regarding the improvement of stool consistency, stool frequency and abdominal pain, S-TXYF was significantly effective than placebo. In addition, S-TXYF was superior to western medication on improving the quality of life and relieving anxiety. Six trials reported adverse events: five of them reported (non-serious) adverse events occurred in both groups, and one trial reported that 3 cases with adverse events (constipation, elevation in liver-enzyme, nausea) occurred in S-TXYF group and 3 cases with adverse events (abdominal distension, nausea) occurred in placebo group. Conclusion: Although current results showed that S-TXYF may have potential to treat IBS-D and its use appears to be safe, no a clear and confirmed conclusion can be drawn from our review as the overall inadequate design of the included trials reviewed. So more rigorous trials are warranted to establish confirmed evidence on its benefits and safety