Recombinant amelogenin peptide TRAP promoting remineralization of early enamel caries: An in vitro study

Objective: To explore the regulatory effect of recombinant amelogenin peptide TRAP on the remineralization of early enamel carious lesions.Methods: Forty-eight bovine enamel blocks that prepared initial lesions in vitro were split at random into four groups for immersion treatment for 12 days: 1) remineralizing medium; 2) studied peptide 1 (consisting of the N- and C-termini of porcine amelogenin) + remineralizing medium; 3) studied peptide 2 (TRAP) + remineralizing medium; 4) fluoride + remineralizing medium. After demineralization and remineralization immersion, each specimen’s mean mineral loss and lesion depth were measured using micro-computed tomography (micro-CT). The changes in lesion depth (∆LD) and mineral gain (∆Z) were computed following remineralization. The enamel samples were then cut into sections and examined with polarized light microscopy (PLM). The cross-section morphology was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The crystal phase was analyzed by an X-ray micro-diffractometer (XRD). The calcium-binding properties were determined using isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC).Results: Micro-CT analysis revealed a significant reduction in mineral loss in the four groups following the remineralization treatment (p < 0.05). The treatment with fluoride resulted in the greatest ∆Z and ∆LD, whereas the treatment with a remineralizing medium showed the least ∆Z and ∆LD among all groups. The ∆Z and ∆LD of the studied peptide 1 and studied peptide 2 groups were greater than those of the remineralizing medium group. However, there was no significant difference between the studied peptide 1 and studied peptide 2 groups (p > 0.05). All of the samples that the PLM analyzed had a thickening of the surface layer. A negative birefringent band changed in the lesion’s body. The SEM displayed that minerals were formed in all four groups of samples. The XRD results indicated that the products of remineralization of the studied peptide were hydroxyapatite crystals (HA). ITC showed that there were two binding modes between the calcium and peptide TRAP.Conclusion: This study confirmed the potential of the recombinant amelogenin peptide TRAP as a key functional motif of amelogenin protein for enamel remineralization and provided a promising biomaterial for remineralization in initial enamel carious lesion treatment

Case report: Sarcomatoid urothelial carcinoma of the renal pelvis masquerading as a renal abscess

Sarcomatoid urothelial carcinoma (SUC), a rare tumor of the urinary tract epithelium, exhibits a high degree of malignancy and therefore a poor prognosis. Due to the absence of specific clinical presentations and imaging findings, SUC of the renal pelvis masquerades as a renal abscess is frequently under-recognized or misdiagnosed as benign inflammatory disease, resulting in delayed or erroneous treatment. Here, we report a patient with SUC of the renal pelvis who presented with a renal abscess. Repeated anti-inflammatory treatment was ineffective. Unexpectedly, cancerous cells were detected in subsequent exfoliative cytology of nephrostomy drainage fluid. In accordance with this, radical surgery and postoperative chemotherapy were conducted. Fortunately, neither recurrence nor metastasis occurred during a one-year follow-up

LncRNA NORAD promotes the progression of myocardial infarction by targeting the miR-22-3p/PTEN axis

NORAD is a newly identified long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) that plays an important role in cancers. NORAD has been found to be highly expressed in the mouse model of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, the role of NORAD in the regulation of AMI remains unknown. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the function of NORAD in AMI and explore the potential regulatory mechanisms. A mouse model of AMI was established and NORAD was knocked-down. The infarcted size of heart tissues and the cardiac function were evaluated. In addition, two cardiomyocyte cell lines were treated with hypoxia/re-oxygenation (H/R) to mimic AMI in vitro. Luciferase reporter assay, RNA pull-down assay, fluorescence in situ hybridization, qRT-PCR, and western blot analysis were performed. Apoptotic cells and the levels of L-lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were detected. Our results show that downregulation of NORAD efficiently attenuates heart damage in the AMI mouse model. NORAD interacts with miR-22-3p. Knock-down of NORAD inhibits H/R-induced cell apoptosis and reduces LDH and MDA levels, while its effects are abolished by miR-22-3p inhibitor. MiR-22-3p interacts with PTEN and inhibits its expression. Overexpression of miR-22-3p inhibits H/R-induced cell apoptosis and reduces LDH and MDA levels, while its effects are abolished by overexpression of PTEN. Finally, overexpression of NORAD inhibits the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway, and its effects are attenuated by overexpression of miR-22-3p. Taken together, our study reveals that NORAD promotes the progression of AMI by regulating the miR-22-3p/PTEN axis, and the AKT/mTOR signaling may also be involved in the regulatory processes

A Hybrid Improved SAC-IA with a KD-ICP Algorithm for Local Point Cloud Alignment Optimization

To overcome incomplete point cloud data obtained from laser scanners scanning complex surfaces, multi-viewpoint cloud data needs to be aligned for use. A hybrid improved SAC-IA with a KD-ICP algorithm is proposed for local point cloud alignment optimization. The scanned point cloud data is preprocessed with statistical filtering, as well as uniform down-sampling. The sampling consistency initial alignment (SAC-IA) algorithm is improved by introducing a dissimilarity vector for point cloud initial alignment. In addition, the iterative closest point (ICP) algorithm is improved by incorporating bidirectional KD-tree to form the KD-ICP algorithm for fine point cloud alignment. Finally, the algorithms are compared in terms of runtime and alignment accuracy. The implementation of the algorithms is based on the Visual Studio 2013 software configurating point cloud library environment for testing experiments and practical experiments. The overall alignment method can be 40%~50% faster in terms of running speed. The improved SAC-IA algorithm provides better transformed poses, combined with the KD-ICP algorithm to select the corresponding nearest neighbor pairs, which improves the accuracy, as well as the applicability of the alignment

Impact of heavy metal cations on deposition and release of clay colloids in saturated porous media

Abstract While the facilitated transport of heavy metals by colloids such as clay particles has been widely recognized, the influence of heavy metals on transport of the colloids has received much less attention. This study conducted saturated column experiments to systematically examine influence of multivalent heavy metal cations on transport of natural clay colloids and fullerene nC60 nanoparticles in glass bead porous media. Results showed that the presence of Cd2+ in the solution can cause more deposition of clay colloids in glass beads compared to Ca2+ at a given ionic strength (IS), and the subsequent release by IS reduction was less, demonstrating that the presence of Cd2+ increased the irreversibility of attachment. When the glass beads were initially adsorbed with Ca2+ and Cd2+, the release of clay colloids was significantly reduced due to strong cation bridge between the clay colloids and collector surfaces via the heavy metal cations. The release of clay colloids was significantly increased upon reduction of solution IS if the Na+ was used to exchange for the Ca2+ or Cd2+ before the IS reduction. Additional experiments showed that the nC60 nanoparticles that were deposited in the presence of Fe3+ and Cu2+ cannot be released by reduction of solution IS. However, the nanoparticle release occurred when the Ca2+ was used to exchange for the Fe3+ and Cu2+. Our work was the first to reveal the influence of heavy metal cations on the irreversibility of colloid attachment, and the findings have important implication to fabrication of functional nanomaterials for stabilization of heavy metals in soil and development of mathematic models for accurate prediction of cotransport of heavy metals and colloids in subsurface environments

Public attention, big data technology, and green innovation efficiency: empirical analysis based on spatial metrology

This study employs the undesirable output super-efficiency SBM-DEA model to reassess the green innovation efficiency (GIE) of 30 Chinese provinces from 2011 to 2020. We pioneer the examination of public attention (PA) influence on GIE and spatial spillover effects, employing the spatial Durbin model. Additionally, a spatial mediation model, incorporating big data technology as a mediator, is adopted. Key findings are as follows: 1) Significant spatial correlations exist in PA and GIE. 2) Improved PA in one province can help enhance the GIE in neighboring provinces but cannot directly impact the local GIE. 3) The positive impact of PA on local GIE follows an indirect path. Specifically, PA elevates the level of big data technology in the local and neighboring provinces, and this positive technological spillover effect significantly enhances the GIE across the entire region. 4) Industrial structure and research and development intensity also influence GIE to some extent.</p

Network meta-analysis on efficacy and safety of different biologics for ulcerative colitis

Abstract Background Therapeutic options for ulcerative colitis (UC) have increased since the introduction of biologics a few decades ago. Due to the wide range of biologics available, physicians have difficulty in selecting biologics and do not know how to balance the best drug between clinical efficacy and safety. This study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of biologics in treating ulcerative colitis. Methods In this study, eight electronic databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane, Embase, Sinomed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chongqing VIP Information, and WanFang Data) were searched to collect eligible studies without language restrictions. Retrieved 1 June 2023, from inception. All articles included in the mesh analysis are randomised controlled trials (RCTs). The inclusion of drugs for each outcome was ranked using a curved surface under cumulative ranking (SUCRA). Higher SUCRA scores were associated with better outcomes, whereas lower SUCRA scores were associated with better safety. This study has registered with PROSPERO, CRD42023389483. Results Induction Therapy: Among the biologic therapies evaluated for induction therapy, vedolizumab demonstrated the highest efficacy in achieving clinical remission (OR vs daclizumab, 9.09; 95% CI, 1.01–81.61; SUCRA 94.1) and clinical response. Guselkumab showed the lowest risk of recurrence of UC (SUCRA 94.9%), adverse events resulting in treatment discontinuation (SUCRA 94.8%), and serious infections (SUCRA 78.0%). Maintenance Therapy: For maintenance therapy, vedolizumab ranked highest in maintaining clinical remission (OR vs mesalazine 4.36; 95% CI, 1.65–11.49; SUCRA 89.7) and endoscopic improvement (SUCRA 92.6). Infliximab demonstrated the highest efficacy in endoscopic improvement (SUCRA 92.6%). Ustekinumab had the lowest risk of infections (SUCRA 92.9%), serious adverse events (SUCRA 91.3%), and serious infections (SUCRA 67.6%). Conclusion Our network meta-analysis suggests that vedolizumab is the most effective biologic therapy for inducing and maintaining clinical remission in UC patients. Guselkumab shows promise in reducing the risk of recurrence and adverse events during induction therapy. Infliximab is effective in improving endoscopic outcomes during maintenance therapy. Ustekinumab appears to have a favorable safety profile. These findings provide valuable insights for clinicians in selecting the most appropriate biologic therapy for UC patients

Changes in forest soil properties in different successional stages in lower tropical China.

BACKGROUND: Natural forest succession often affects soil physical and chemical properties. Selected physical and chemical soil properties were studied in an old-growth forest across a forest successional series in Dinghushan Nature Reserve, Southern China. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The aim was to assess the effects of forest succession change on soil properties. Soil samples (0-20 cm depth) were collected from three forest types at different succession stages, namely pine (Pinus massoniana) forest (PMF), mixed pine and broadleaf forest (PBMF) and monsoon evergreen broadleaf forest (MEBF), representing early, middle and advanced successional stages respectively. The soil samples were analyzed for soil water storage (SWS), soil organic matter (SOM), soil microbial biomass carbon (SMBC), pH, NH4(+)-N, available potassium (K), available phosphorus (P) and microelements (available copper (Cu), available zinc (Zn), available iron (Fe) and available boron (B)) between 1999 and 2009. The results showed that SWS, SOM, SMBC, Cu, Zn, Fe and B concentrations were higher in the advanced successional stage (MEBF stage). Conversely, P and pH were lower in the MEBF but higher in the PMF (early successional stage). pH, NH4(+)-N, P and K declined while SOM, Zn, Cu, Fe and B increased with increasing forest age. Soil pH was lower than 4.5 in the three forest types, indicating that the surface soil was acidic, a stable trend in Dinghushan. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: These findings demonstrated significant impacts of natural succession in an old-growth forest on the surface soil nutrient properties and organic matter. Changes in soil properties along the forest succession gradient may be a useful index for evaluating the successional stages of the subtropical forests. We caution that our inferences are drawn from a pseudo-replicated chronosequence, as true replicates were difficult to find. Further studies are needed to draw rigorous conclusions regarding on nutrient dynamics in different successional stages of forest

Spatial and temporal pattern of benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages in two large Chinese freshwater lakes subjected to different degrees of eutrophication

AbstractFreshwater lakes are subjected to increasing eutrophication and algal blooms worldwide, which have dramatically impacted the aquatic biodiversity. This situation is especially true in the Yangtze River Floodplain, China. However, few researches have been focused on differences in the spatial and temporal patterns of benthic macroinvertebrates assemblages between the two adjacent lakes in this floodplain. In this study, we conducted seasonal investigations in 2021 to compare the spatial and temporal patterns of macroinvertebrates in Lakes Taihu and Lake Chaohu. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) analyses showed Lake Taihu was found to have differences in assemblages within the lake, but Lake Chaohu was found to have uniform assemblage across the entire lake. Macrophyte-dominated lake regions (eastern Lake Taihu) were characterised by the highest species richness and diversity indices than those in other lake regions. The pollution sensitive species (e.g. EPT: Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera) were only distributed in the macrophytic areas of Lake Taihu. Corbicula fluminea, polychaetes Nephtys oligobranchia and Capitella sp. were dominant in the middle central lake regions in Lake Taihu. Lake Chaohu and the northern Lake Taihu, with turbid algal-dominated state, were characterised by dominance of Oligochaetes and Chironomids. These differences were attributed to varying habitats and environmental parameters among different lake regions. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) demonstrated that macrophytes, chemical oxygen demand (CODMn), temperature, ammonium (NH3-N) and electric conductivity (EC) were detected as important factors influencing such macroinvertebrate assemblage patterns between these two lakes. This study contributes to the scientific knowledge of within lake habitats, community assemblages, nutrients and pollution within these lakes