Cone-beam computed tomography study of root length of maxillary and mandibular anterior teeth and central incisor crown-root morphology in high-angle Class Ⅱ open bite patients / 口腔疾病防治

Objective@#This study aimed to explore the root length of maxillary and mandibular anterior teeth and central incisor crown-root morphology in patients with high-angle skeletal Class Ⅱ open bite, aiming to provide a reference for clinical treatment.@*. Methods@#This study was reviewed and approved by the Ethics Committee, and informed consent was obtained from the patients. CBCT images of eighty-one untreated patients (40 anterior open bite patients and 41 normal overbite patients) with high-angle skeletal Class Ⅱ malocclusion were selected before treatment. Dolphin software was used to study the root length of maxillary and mandibular anterior teeth and central incisor crown-root morphology, and the differences between the two groups were analyzed.@*Results@#There was no statistical significance in the root length of maxillary lateral incisor and canine between the open bite group and the normal overbite group, significant differences were found in the root length of maxillary central incisor （11.12 ± 1.37） mm、mandibular central incisor（10.15 ± 1.09）mm, mandibular lateral incisor（11.27 ± 1.15）mm and mandibular canine（12.81 ± 1.48）mm between the open bite group and the normal overbite group（P<0.05）. On the other hand, the two groups were significantly different in crown-root morphology of the maxillary central incisor (1.10° ± 3.62° vs. 4.53° ± 2.30°, P<0.01) but not in the mandibular central incisor.@*Conclusion@#The root length of the maxillary central incisor, mandibular central incisor, mandibular lateral incisor, mandibular canine in high-angle Class Ⅱ open bite patients is shorter than that in high-angle Class Ⅱ normal overbite patients, and the long axis of the crown of the maxillary central incisor in high-angle Class Ⅱ open bite patients obviously deviates toward the labial side relative to the long axis of the root. The crown-root angle is smaller, which is beneficial to torque control or adduction movement of the anterior teeth in high-angle Class Ⅱ open bite patients.

Silicon-Carbon Dots-Loaded Mesoporous Silica Nanocomposites (mSiO2@SiCDs): An Efficient Dual Inhibitor of Cu2+-Mediated Oxidative Stress and Aß Aggregation for Alzheimer's Disease.

The redox-active metal ions, especially Cu2+, are highly correlated to Alzheimer's disease (AD) by causing metal ion-mediated oxidative stress and toxic metal-bound ß-amyloid (Aß) aggregates. Numerous pieces of evidence have revealed that the regulation of metal homeostasis could be an effective therapeutic strategy for AD. Herein, in virtue of the interaction of both amino-containing silane and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid disodium salt for Cu2+, the silicon-carbon dots (SiCDs) are deliberately prepared using these two raw materials as the cocarbon source; meanwhile, to realize the local enrichment of SiCDs and further maximize the chelating ability to Cu2+, the SiCDs are feasibly loaded to the biocompatible mesoporous silica nanoparticles (mSiO2) with the interaction between residual silane groups on SiCDs and silanol groups of mSiO2. Thus-obtained nanocomposites (i.e., mSiO2@SiCDs) could serve as an efficient Cu2+ chelator with satisfactory metal selectivity and further modulate the enzymic activity of free Cu2+ and the Aß42-Cu2+ complex to alleviate the pathological oxidative stress with an anti-inflammatory effect. Besides, mSiO2@SiCDs show an inspiring inhibitory effect on Cu2+-mediated Aß aggregation and further protect the neural cells against the toxic Aß42-Cu2+ complex. Moreover, the transgenic Caenorhabditis elegans CL2120 assay demonstrates the protective efficacy of mSiO2@SiCDs on Cu2+-mediated Aß toxicity in vivo, indicating its potential for AD treatment.

Congo Red-Derived Carbon Dots: Simultaneously as Fluorescence Probe for Protein Aggregates, Inhibitor for Protein Aggregation, and Scavenger of Free Radicals.

The pathological aggregation of some proteins is claimed to be highly related to several human diseases, such as ß-amyloid 1-42 (Aß42 ) to Alzheimer's disease (AD), islet amyloid polypeptide, and insulin to type 2 diabetes mellitus. Therefore, it is in desperate need to develop effective methods for detection of protein aggregates and inhibition of abnormal aggregation. Herein, to construct all-in-one probe with both diagnosis and treatment potentials for protein aggregation diseases, Congo red (CR), a classical staining reagent with red fluorescence signal output for protein aggregates, is deliberately adopted to react with three different reductive carbon sources and ammonium persulfate to generate three CR-derived carbon dots (CDs). The obtained CDs exhibit the capabilities of turn-on red fluorescence imaging of protein aggregates, and/or inhibition of protein aggregation as well as scavenging of free radicals. Among them, CA-CDs, using citric acid as the reductive carbon source, demonstrate the superiority to the other two studied CDs in integrating all of these functions, and particularly exert excellent cytoprotection effect against toxic Aß42 species, possessing tremendous potential in diagnosis and treatment of AD for future study. The present study paves a new way to develop all-in-one CDs for the protein disease research.

Aspartate Transaminase AST2 Involved in Sporulation and Necrotrophic Pathogenesis in the Hemibiotrophs Magnaporthe oryzae and Colletotrichum graminicola.

Aspartate family includes five additional amino acids other than aspartate, among which most except aspartate have been reported for their action in pathogenesis by amino acid biosynthesis. However, how aspartate, the initial substrate of this family metabolic pathway, is involved in pathogenesis remains unknown. Here, we focused on aspartate transaminase (AST) that catalyzes transamination reaction between glutamate-aspartate in Magnaporthe oryzae. Three MoAST genes were bioinformatically analyzed, of which MoAST2 was uniquely upregulated when invasive hyphae switched to necrotrophic pathogenesis. MoAST2 deletion (ΔMoast2) caused a drastic reduction in conidiogenesis and appressorium formation. Particularly, ΔMoast2 was observed to be proliferated at the biotrophic phase but inhibited at the necrotrophic stage, and with invisible symptoms detected, suggesting a critical role in necrotrophic phase. Glutamate family restored the ΔMoast2 defects but aspartate family did not, inferring that transamination occurs from aspartate to glutamine. MoAST2 is cytosolic and possessed H2O2 stress tolerance. In parallel, Colletotrichum graminicola AST2, CgAST2 was proven to be a player in necrotrophic anthracnose development. Therefore, conserved AST2 is qualified to be a drug target for disease control.

Feasibility of Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction for Accelerated Cold Brew Coffee Processing: Characterization and Comparison With Conventional Brewing Methods.

A long extraction time for traditional cold coffee brewing considerably reduces the production efficiency of this type of beverage. Herein, a new ultrasound-assisted cold brewing (UAC) method was established. The feasibility of UAC was assessed by comparison with main physicochemical characteristics, non-volatile and volatile compounds in coffee extracts produced by hot brewing and conventional static cold brewing methods. Compared to the static cold brews, the levels of total dissolved solids, total lipids, proteins, and titrated acids of UAC coffee extracts increased by 6-26%, 10-21%, 26-31%, and 12-15%, respectively. Caffeine, chlorogenic acid, and trigonelline concentrations were also determined by HPLC. Based on the volatile profiles obtained by HS-SPME-GC/MS, the aroma compounds in UAC was significantly different (p < 0.05) from hot brews but similar to static cold ones, suggesting that ultrasonication compensated for the time of the static cold brewing, thereby considerably shortening the extraction time (1 h vs. 12 h). This work demonstrated that the combination of ultrasound-assisted with cold brew could produce coffee with good flavor and increase the extraction efficiency, which may provide an option for the acceleration of the cold brew coffee process.

Nfe2l1 deficiency mitigates streptozotocin-induced pancreatic ß-cell destruction and development of diabetes in male mice.

Streptozotocin (STZ) is a pancreatic ß cell-specific toxicant that is widely used to generate models of diabetes in rodents as well as in the treatment of tumors derived from pancreatic ß cells. DNA alkylation, oxidative stress and mitochondrial toxicity have been recognized as the mechanisms for STZ-induced pancreatic ß cell damage. Here, we found that pancreatic ß cell-specific deficiency of nuclear factor erythroid-derived factor 2-related factor 1 (NFE2L1), a master regulator of the cellular adaptive response to a variety of stresses, in mice led to a dramatic resistance to STZ-induced hyperglycemia. Indeed, fifteen days subsequent to last dosage of STZ, the pancreatic ß cell specific Nfe2l1 knockout [Nfe2l1(ß)-KO] mice showed reduced hyperglycemia, improved glucose tolerance, higher plasma insulin and more intact islets surrounded by exocrine acini compared to the Nfe2l1-Flox control mice with the same treatment. Immunohistochemistry staining revealed a greater amount of insulin-positive cells in the pancreas of Nfe2l1(ß)-KO mice than those in Nfe2l1-Flox mice 15 days after the last STZ injection. In line with this observation, both isolated Nfe2l1(ß)-KO islets and Nfe2l1-deficient MIN6 (Nfe2l1-KD) cells were resistant to STZ-induced toxicity and apoptosis. Furthermore, pretreatment of the MIN6 cells with glycolysis inhibitor 2-Deoxyglucose sensitized Nfe2l1-KD cells to STZ-induced toxicity. These findings demonstrated that loss of Nfe2l1 attenuates pancreatic ß cells damage and dysfunction caused by STZ exposure, partially due to Nfe2l1 deficiency-induced metabolic switch to enhanced glycolysis.

Nrf2 deficiency aggravates the kidney injury induced by subacute cadmium exposure in mice.

Cadmium (Cd) is a heavy metal pollutant that adversely effects the kidney. Oxidative stress and inflammation are likely major mechanisms of Cd-induced kidney injury. Nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2) is crucial in regulating antioxidant and inflammatory responses. To investigate the role of Nrf2 in the development of subacute Cd-induced renal injury, we utilized Nrf2 knockout (Nrf2-KO) and control mice (Nrf2-WT) which were given cadmium chloride (CdCl2, 1 or 2 mg/kg i.p.) once daily for 7 days. While subacute CdCl2 exposure induced kidney injury in a dose-dependent manner, after the higher Cd dosage exposure, Nrf2-KO mice showed elevated blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) levels compared to control. In line with the findings, the renal tubule injury caused by 2 mg Cd/kg, but not lower dosage, in Nrf2-KO mice determined by Periodic acid-Schiff staining was more serious than that in control mice. Further mechanistic studies showed that Nrf2-KO mice had more apoptotic cells and severe oxidative stress and inflammation in the renal tubules in response to Cd exposures. Although there were no significant differences in Cd contents of tissues between Cd-exposed Nrf2-WT and Nrf2-KO mice, the mRNA expression of Nrf2 downstream genes, including heme oxygenase 1 and metallothionein 1, were significantly less induced by Cd exposures in the kidney of Nrf2-KO compared with Nrf2-WT mice. In conclusion, Nrf2-deficient mice are more sensitive to kidney injury induced by subacute Cd exposure due to a muted antioxidant response, as well as a likely diminished production of specific Cd detoxification metallothioneins.

DNA adjuvant Amiloride conjunct long immunization interval promote higher antibody responses to HIV-1 gp41 and gp140 immunogens.

Recent studies have revealed that the interface of gp120 and gp41 and some parts of gp41 are also critical epitopes for elicitation of broadly neutralizing antibodies. Therefore, potential trimeric gp41 or gp140 immunogen candidates are needed. Previously, we developed a trimer motif MTQ and demonstrated that it could help formation of trimeric gp120 and gp140 proteins. In the present study, we immunized Balb/c mice using trimeric gp41-expressing plasmid for prime and monomeric gp41 or trimeric gp140 protein as well as a mutant (Q577A) for boost. The antibody responses in the context of regimens with various immunization intervals and DNA adjuvants including praziquantel (PZQ), cimetidine (CIM), and amiloride (AML) were evaluated. We found that these three adjuvants were not enough to elicit remarkable specific Abs after gp41 DNA immunization, while AML could significantly promote humoral immune responses after protein boosts. Long immunization interval could induce the specific binding Abs earlier and higher and maintain a high level of Abs in the following 27 weeks after final protein boost. Moreover, two times of protein boosts with DNA adjuvant and a longer time interval achieved a higher titer of specific Abs than three times of protein boosts with a shorter time interval. Q577A mutant was benefit for trimeric gp140 boost in the production of binding Abs but harmful to inducing neutralizing Abs, while this mutant in monomeric gp41 presented the opposite trend which may be associated with the immunogen structures. This study highlights the significance of DNA adjuvant Amiloride and long immunization interval in promoting antibody responses and provides new insights into effective HIV immunization regimen design in the future.

[Level and influencing factors of occupational stress and sub-health of the pharmaceutical marketers in Northeast China].

OBJECTIVE: To understand the occupational stress and sub-health level of pharmaceutical marketers in Northeast China, and to analyze their influencing factors and the impact of occupational stress on sub-health. METHODS: From October to December in 2016, we conducted a questionnaire survey about occupational stress and sub-health status of 698 women and 454 men pharmaceutical marketers aged from 22 to 58 years old in northeast China. RESULTS: The rate of occupational stress was 86. 9%. The top 3 stressors with higher scores were the pressure brought about by the intensification of social competition(2. 90±1. 017), the higher standards of job assessment and the great efforts needed by individuals(2. 90±0. 959). The detection rate of sub-health was 82. 1%. There were statistically differences in the rate of sub-health detection among the groups of different genders(χ~2=4. 726, P=0. 030) and different business types(χ~2=7. 961, P=0. 047). There were statistically significant differences in the rate of different ages(χ~2=9. 534, P=0. 009), different marital status(χ~2=7. 010, P=0. 008), different working years(χ~2=18. 082, P<0. 001), and different stress groups(χ~2=152. 565, P<0. 001). Multivariate analysis showed that occupational stress is the key factor affecting sub-health. Mild stress(OR=0. 076, 95%CI 0. 040-0. 143)and moderate stress(OR=0. 348, 95%CI 0. 189-0. 641)are the protected factors of sub-health. CONCLUSION: The occupational stress rate and sub-health detection rate of medical marketers were both higher. Relieving the pressure of pharmaceutical marketers effectively can improve their sub-health status.

The efficacy and adverse effects of the Uniblocker and left-side double-lumen tube for one-lung ventilation under the guidance of chest CT.

One-lung ventilation (OLV) is essential in numerous clinical procedures, in which the left-sided double-lumen tube (LDLT) is the most commonly used device. The application of bronchial blockers, including the Uniblocker or Arndt blocker, has increased in OLV. The present study aimed to compare the efficacy and adverse effects of the Uniblocker and LDLT for OLV under the guidance of chest CT. A total of 60 adult patients undergoing elective left-side thoracic surgery requiring OLV were included in the study. The patients were randomly assigned to the Uniblocker group (U group, n=30) or the LDLT group (D group, n=30). The time for initial tube placement, the number of optimal positions of the tube upon blind insertion, the number of attempts to adjust the tube to the optimal position, incidence of airway device displacement, injury to the bronchi and carina, the duration until lung collapse and the occurrence of sore throat and hoarseness over 24 h following surgery were recorded. The time for successful placement of the LDLT was 83.9±19.4 sec and that for the Uniblocker was 84.3±17.1 sec (P>0.05). The degree of lung collapse 1 min following opening of the pleura was greater in the D group than that in the U group (P<0.01) and the time required for the lung to completely collapse was shorter in the D group (3.3±0.5 min) than that in the U group (8.4±1.2 min; P<0.01). On the contrary, the incidence of injury to the bronchi and carina was lower in the U group (2/30 cases) than in the D group (10/30 cases; P=0.02); the incidence of sore throat was also lower in the U group (2/30 cases) compared with that in the D group (9/30 cases). The mean arterial pressure of patients immediately following intubation was lower in the U group (122.0±13.4 mmHg) than that in the D group (129.2±12.1 mmHg; P<0.05). The results of the present study indicated that the extraluminal use of the Uniblocker under guidance of chest CT is an efficient method with few adverse effects in left-side thoracic surgery. The study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov on 16th December 2017 (no. NCT03392922).

A novel method of Uniblocker placement: extraluminal technique supported by trachea length measurement: A CONSORT-compliant article.

BACKGROUND: The use of bronchial blockers has been increased for one-lung ventilation; however, the placement of bronchial blockers is time consuming. The objective of this study was to compare the novel extraluminal technique of Uniblocker placement supported by trachea length measurement on computerized tomography images with conventional intraluminal Uniblocker placement method. METHODS: Seventy adult patients undergoing left side thoracic surgery were included in the study. All the patients were randomly assigned to one of two groups: conventional intraluminal intubation group (CV-IN group, n = 35) or extraluminal CT guided group (CT-EX group, n = 35). The primary endpoints were the optimal positions of Uniblocker and the injuries of bronchi and carina. The secondary outcomes included the time of Uniblocker placement, the adequacy of lung collapse, the incidences of Uniblocker displacement, sore throat, and hoarseness postoperative. RESULTS: In the CV-IN group, 19 of 35 Uniblockers went to the left main-stem bronchus on the initial blind insertion and 15 of 35 Uniblockers were considered as in optimal depth, whereas in the CT-EX group, 32 of 35 Uniblockers went to the left main-stem bronchus on the initial blind insertion and 31 of 35 Uniblockers were considered as in optimal depth (P < .01). The incidence of bronchi and carina injuries was obviously lower in the CT-EX group (occurred in 1 of 35 cases) than that in the CV-IN group (occurred in 8 of 35 cases) (P < .05). The time of Uniblocker placement took 145.4 s in the CV-IN group and 85.4 s in the CT-EX group (P < .01). The malpositions of Uniblocker, the degree of pulmonary collapse and the adverse events postoperative such as sore throat and hoarseness were not significantly different between the two groups (P > .05). CONCLUSION: The novel extraluminal technique of Uniblocker placement supported by trachea length measurement on computerized tomography images was proved to be more rapid, more accurate and less complications than conventional intraluminal Uniblocker placement method.

Study on the consistency of the position of the brackets on the digital occlusal model and the actual position af-ter indirect bonding / 口腔疾病防治

Objective@#To provide the experimental basis for the coherence of the indirect bond position by comparing the position of the bracket on the digital occlusal model and the position of the transfer to the initial plaster model.@*Methods@#Fifteen digitized models were selected for the brackets on the dental denture model, the brackets were transferred to the initial plaster model by indirect bond transfer trays, The line distance between each bracket position in digital dental model and initial plaster model was measured with OrthoRx software. @*Results @#The difference between the position of the orthodontic brackets and the position of the initial plaster model was less than 0.20 mm, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). @*Conclusion @#The position of the bracket on the digital occlusal model is consistent with that of the original plaster model, which provides a theoretical basis for digital indirect bonding.

Two new steroidal glycosides from Cynanchum otophyllum Schneid.

Two new C21 steroidal glycosides were isolated from Cynanchum otophyllum Schneid. Their structures were elucidated as qinyangshengenin-3-O-ß-d-digitoxopyranoside (1) and rostratamine-3-O-ß-d-cymaropyranosyl-(1 â†’ 4)-ß-d-digitoxopyranoside (2) on the basis of chemical and spectroscopic methods, including 1D and 2D NMR experiments.

Response of cementoblast-like cells to mechanical tensile or compressive stress at physiological levels in vitro.

To clarify the role of cementoblast in orthodontic-related root resorption, this study was attempted to examine whether murine cementoblast-like cells are responsive to mechanical stress, and how mechanical forces regulate bone sialoprotein (BSP) and osteopontin (OPN) gene expression in these cells in vitro. In this force-loading model, defined and reproducible mechanical loadings of different magnitudes and types were applied up to 24 h. Besides a transitory and reversible change in cell proliferation, remarkable alterations in gene transcription of BSP and OPN were found. BSP mRNA was suppressed by the stresses. Three and six hours-loadings at 2,000 microstrain up-regulated the expression of OPN mRNA, while the other loadings inhibited it. The study also concluded that 4,000 microstrain was likely to exert more influence on cementoblast-like cells than 2,000 microstrain. Furthermore, no obvious evidence indicated the difference between tension and compression. These results suggested that cementoblast-like cells are sensitive to mechanical stress, and may play a role in regulating orthodontic-related root resorption/repair.

[Proliferation of myofibroblast in periodental tension side during orthodontic tooth movement of beagle dogs].

OBJECTIVE: To examine the proliferation of myofibroblast in periodental tension side of beagle dog during experimental tooth movement in orthodontics. METHODS: By the fixed orthodontic appliance, the five beagles were treated with 100 g forces that moved medially the maxillary first premolar, and the treatment lasted for four weeks. Using transmission electron microscope and immunohistochemistry, the proliferation of myofibroblast and expression of alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) were evaluated at week 1, 2, 3, 4 or 8 respectively after the orthodontic treatment. RESULTS: During the total of four weeks, the expression of a-SMA increased in week 1 and reached the maximum in week 2; in week 4, the expression of alpha-SMA went back to normal level. Transmission electron microscopy showed that the myofibroblast contained the dense body appearing in cytoplasm. CONCLUSION: The myofibroblast exists in periodontium and is concerned with the orthodontic tooth movement.