Volumetric reduction in large cystic jaw lesions postoperative enucleation: a longitudinal clinical study.

BACKGROUND: Enucleation, a surgical procedure, is commonly used to treat large jaw cysts, unicystic ameloblastomas and keratocysts. However, it remains unclear to what extent the jaw bone regenerates after enucleation. We aimed to evaluate the percentage and the survival analysis of jaw bone regeneration, in terms of cavity volume residual (CVR), in patients who underwent enucleation of large jaw cysts, unicystic ameloblastomas and keratocysts. METHODS: We collected data longitudinally from 75 patients who underwent jaw cystic lesions enucleation at the Stomatological Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, between January 2015 and June 2021. All patients had both preoperative and postoperative cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) imaging data. CBCT images were analyzed using Image J. Changes in the CVR were assessed at various follow-up time points, and the Kaplan-Meier method was utilized to evaluate the CVR over time. RESULTS: The patients had a mean age of 31.7 years (range: 5.5-72 years) with 58.66% of them being male. The postoperative CVR was 32.20% at three months, 21.10% at six months, 15.90% at 12 months, and 5.60% at 24 months. The percentage of CVR during follow-up periods for the initial size Quartile (Q)1 (212.54-1569.60 mm3) was substantially lower than those of Q2 and Q3 at and after seven months of follow-up and became statistically significant at the 12-month mark. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that spontaneous bone regeneration can occur after enucleation of large jaw cysts, unicystic ameloblastomas and keratocysts, even without the use of filler materials. The initial size of the lesion had a significant impact on the outcome of cystic lesion enucleation over time. To minimize the risks associated with radiation exposure and expenses, we recommend reducing the frequency of CT imaging follow-ups for patients with small initial cavity sizes (ranging from 212.54 to 1569.60 mm3).

Conservative management of mandibular fractures in pediatric patients during the growing phase with splint fiber and ligature arch wire.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this article is to discuss the effective management of mandibular fractures in pediatric patients during the growing phase of the mandible using splint fiber and ligature wire. METHODS: A retrospective study examined pediatric patients with mandibular fractures who were treated using the splint (Quartz) fiber and ligature wire technique at the Stomatology Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University from August 2021 to January 2023. Data on gender, age, location or site of the fracture, and development of tooth stage were collected from the patient's medical records. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data and evaluate the effectiveness of the splint (Quartz) fiber technique for treating mandibular fractures in pediatric patients. RESULTS: Out of 256 subjects, 6 pediatric patients with mandibular fractures were selected, resulting in an incidence rate of 2.34% with an equal sex ratio. Mental or symphysis fracture was the most common site for fracture in children, accounting for 100% of cases. Right mandibular angle fracture was observed in 16.7% of patients, while 50% of the group (3 individuals) suffered from left condylar fracture and 16.7% had a bilateral condylar fracture. Treatment with Quartz splint fiber and circumdental arch wiring using ligature wire was successful with no observed post-treatment complications or malocclusion. The splint fiber was worn for 30 days and the circumdental arch wiring was for the same. Healing of bone fracture yields good results after 12 weeks. Follow-up care is crucial to monitor for complications, in this study, no post-treatment complications were observed. CONCLUSION: The treatment of pediatric mandibular fractures is complex and requires careful consideration of various factors. Conservative management should be the first choice, with open reduction and internal fixation reserved for specific cases. The use of quartz splint fiber and ligature wire is an effective treatment option for stabilizing the mandible and providing occlusal stability in growing children. A fiber splint along with ligature wire can also be used as an alternative treatment to avoid any adverse effects on the growth and development of the mandible and permanent teeth. A multidisciplinary approach is essential to achieving the best outcomes for pediatric patients with mandibular fractures.

A 30,000-km journey by Apus apus pekinensis tracks arid lands between northern China and south-western Africa.

BACKGROUND: As a widely distributed and aerial migratory bird, the Common Swift (Apus apus) flies over a wide geographic range in Eurasia and Africa during migration. Although some studies have revealed the migration routes and phenology of European populations, A. a. apus (from hereon the nominate apus), the route used by its East Asian counterpart A. a. pekinensis (from hereon pekinensis) remained a mystery. METHODS: Using light level geolocators, we studied the migration of adult pekinensis breeding in Beijing from 2014 to 2018, and analysed full annual tracks obtained from 25 individuals. In addition, we used the mean monthly precipitation to assess the seasonal variations in humidity for the distribution ranges of the nominate apus and pekinensis. This environmental variable is considered to be critically relevant to their migratory phenology and food resource abundance. RESULTS: Our results show that the swifts perform a round-trip journey of ca 30,000 km each year, representing a detour of 26% in autumn and 15% in spring compared to the shortest route between the breeding site in Beijing and wintering areas in semi-arid south-western Africa. Compared to the nominate apus, pekinensis experiences drier conditions for longer periods of time. Remarkably, individuals from our study population tracked arid habitat along the entire migration corridor leading from a breeding site in Beijing to at least central Africa. In Africa, they explored more arid habitats during non-breeding than the nominate apus. CONCLUSIONS: The migration route followed by pekinensis breeding in Beijing might suggest an adaptation to semi-arid habitat and dry climatic zones during non-breeding periods, and provides a piece of correlative evidence indicating the historical range expansion of the subspecies. This study highlights that the Common Swift may prove invaluable as a model species for studies of migration route formation and population divergence.

Transcriptional and H3K27ac related genome profiles in oral squamous cell carcinoma cells treated with metformin.

Objectives: Metformin, a first-line drug that has been used for type 2 diabetes treatment, recently attracts broad attention for its therapeutic effects on diverse human cancers. However, its effect and the underlying mechanisms on oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) are not well known. Materials and Methods: OSCC cells were used to evaluate the effect of metformin on cell proliferation and colony formation in vitro. Tumor formation assay in nude mice was conducted to assess the effect of metformin in vivo. Western blotting and immunohistochemistry stain were performed to investigate the effect of metformin on the expression of acetylation at lysine 27 of histone H3 (H3K27ac) and methylation at lysine 27 of histone H3 (H3K27me3) in vitro and in vivo. RNA-seq and ChIP-seq were performed to explore the genome profile to metformin treatment in OSCC cells. Results: Metformin inhibited OSCC cell proliferation and colony formation in vitro, as well as OSCC growth in vivo. Metformin increased the global H3K27ac modification in vitro. Transcriptome analysis suggested that metformin mainly downregulated pluripotency stem cell pathway, development involved pathways and upregulated cytokine and inflammatory pathways. Additionally, H3K27ac was involved in transcription, DNA repair and replication in metformin-treated OSCC cells. Conclusions: Metformin inhibits OSCC growth concomitant upregulated global level of H3K27ac in vitro. This study provides insights into the molecule and epigenome basis on application of metformin in OSCC treatment, and highlights the underlying mechanisms of reprogrammed cancer regulation and epigenetic histone modification.

[Bioinformatics analysis of programmed cell death ligand 1 co-expression genes and their regulatory network in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma].

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to construct a network of programmed celldeath ligand 1 (PD-L1) co-expression genes and screen potential biomarkers for PD-L1 expression in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) by bioinformatics analysis. Moreover, the genes and pathways participating in PD-L1 and regulating the tumor immune status were determined. METHODS: The HNSCC transcriptomic dataset in TCGA was selected to retrieve gene sets on the cBioPortal platform, where PD-L1 co-expressional genes were acquired. With these genes, GO-BP, KEGG, and string analyses were performed in R clusterProfiler. Cytoscape was used for network analysis and hub gene screening. RESULTS: A total of 117 co-expression genes were obtained, most of which were enriched in immune regulation and response to viral processes. Node degree analysis indicated that STAT1, IFNG, CXCL10, CCR5, FCGR3A, CXCL9, GBP5, CD86, GZMB, IRF1 were the highest connected genes and functioned as hub genes. Survival analysis of these hub genes resulted in CCR5, CXCL9, and GZMB as the prognostic biomarkers for patients with HNSCC, all of which were involved in immune regulation and their expression levels were related to PD-L1 (Pearson correlation coefficient was 0.30, 0.35, 0.39; P<0.01). High expression levels of these three hub genes were protective factors in patients with HNSCC. CONCLUSIONS: PD-L1 co-expression hub genes are related to immunity, among which CCR5, CXCL9, and GZMB are prognostic markers with the possibility to be involved in programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1)/PD-L1-induced tumor immune escape. These genes provide new clues to study the mechanism and precision target medicine of PD-1/PD-L1 in HNSCC.

Crude fucoidan content in two North Atlantic kelp species, Saccharina latissima and Laminaria digitata-seasonal variation and impact of environmental factors.

Fucoidans are sulphated fucose-rich polysaccharides predominantly found in the cell walls of brown algae. The bioactive properties of fucoidans attract increasing interest from the medico-pharmaceutical industries and may drive an increase in demand of brown algae biomass. In nature, the biochemical composition of brown algae displays a seasonal fluctuation driven by environmental factors and endogenous rhythms. To cultivate and harvest kelps with high yields of fucoidans, knowledge is needed on seasonal variation and impact of environmental conditions on the fucoidan content of brown algae. The relations between the fucoidan content and key environmental factors (irradiance, nutrient availability, salinity and exposure) were examined by sampling natural populations of the common North Atlantic kelps, Saccharina latissima and Laminaria digitata, over a full year at Hanstholm in the North Sea and Aarhus in the Kattegat. In addition, laboratory experiments were carried out isolating the effects of the single factors. The results demonstrated that (1) seasonal variation alters the fucoidan content by a factor of 2-2.6; (2) interspecific differences exist in the concentrations of crude fucoidan (% of dry matter): L. digitata (11%) > S. latissima (6%); and (3) the effects of single environmental factors were not consistent between species or between different conspecific populations. The ambiguous response to single environmental factors complicates prospective directions for manipulating an increased content of fucoidan in a cultivation scenario and emphasizes the need for knowledge on performance of local kelp ecotypes.

Butanol fermentation of the brown seaweed Laminaria digitata by Clostridium beijerinckii DSM-6422.

Seaweed represents an abundant, renewable, and fast-growing biomass resource for 3rd generation biofuel production. This study reports an efficient butanol fermentation process carried out by Clostridium beijerinckii DSM-6422 using enzymatic hydrolysate of the sugar-rich brown seaweed Laminaria digitata harvested from the coast of the Danish North Sea as substrate. The highest butanol yield (0.42g/g-consumed-substrates) compared to literature was achieved, with a significantly higher butanol:acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) molar ratio (0.85) than typical (0.6). This demonstrates the possibility of using the seaweed L. digitata as a potential biomass for butanol production. For the first time, consumption of alginate components was observed by C. beijerinckii DSM-6422. The efficient utilization of sugars and lactic acid further highlighted the potential of using this strain for future development of large-scale cost-effective butanol production based on (ensiled) seaweed.

Protein enrichment of cassava residue using Trichoderma pseudokoningii (ATCC 26801).

Solid state fermentation of cassava residue with Trichoderma pseudokoningii was conducted for 12 days. The fermentation was carried out at temperature of 24 °C and a pH of 5.0. Urea and ammonium sulphate were used as nutrient sources and moisture content varied at 60 and 70 %. Protein content of the unfermented cassava residue was increased from 8.4 to 12.5 % when urea was used with initial moisture content of 70 % w/v. This study showed that a maximum of 48.1 % protein enrichment was achieved using urea as a source of nutrient for the growth of the fungi, whiles ammonium sulphate achieved 36.9 % protein enrichment under the same condition.

Integrated bioethanol and protein production from brown seaweed Laminaria digitata.

A wild-growing glucose-rich (i.e. 56.7% glucose content) brown seaweed species Laminaria digitata, collected from the North Coast of Denmark in August 2012, was used as the feedstock for an integrated bioethanol and protein production. Glutamic acid and aspartic acid are the two most abundant amino acids in the algal protein, both with proportional content of 10% in crude protein. Only minor pretreatment of milling was used on the biomass to facilitate the subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation. The Separate Hydrolysis and Fermentation (SHF) resulted in obviously higher ethanol yield than the Simultaneous Saccharification and Fermentation (SSF). High conversion rate at maximum of 84.1% glucose recovery by enzymatic hydrolysis and overall ethanol yield at maximum of 77.7% theoretical were achieved. Protein content in the solid residues after fermentation was enriched by 2.7 fold, with similar distributions of amino acids, due to the hydrolysis of polymers in the seaweed cell wall matrix.

Optimisation of enzymatic hydrolysis of cassava peel to produce fermentable sugars.

Enzymatic hydrolysis of cassava peels was evaluated using cellulase and beta-glucanase enzymes and their mixtures at three different enzyme loadings with time. The pH of the medium used for hydrolysis was 5 and the temperature was 50 °C. The efficiency of the hydrolysis using beta-glucanase was better than cellulase and glucose recovery of 69 % was realised when beta-glucanase dosage was increased to 10 % (v/w) at 48 h which rose to 73 % at 120 h, releasing 11.19 g/l and 12.17 g/l of glucose respectively. Less than 20 % of glucose was hydrolysed at 10 % (v/w) cellulase at 120 h releasing 2.6 g/l glucose. The optimum experimental condition for hydrolysis of cassava peel was established at 120 h when glucose recovery increased to 88 % for enzyme mixture of 5 % (v/w) cellulase + 10 % (v/w) beta-glucanase producing 14.67 g/l glucose in the hydrolysate.

Improved inhibitor tolerance in xylose-fermenting yeast Spathaspora passalidarum by mutagenesis and protoplast fusion.

The xylose-fermenting yeast Spathaspora passalidarum showed excellent fermentation performance utilizing glucose and xylose under anaerobic conditions. But this yeast is highly sensitive to the inhibitors such as furfural present in the pretreated lignocellulosic biomass. In order to improve the inhibitor tolerance of this yeast, a combination of UV mutagenesis and protoplast fusion was used to construct strains with improved performance. Firstly, UV-induced mutants were screened and selected for improved tolerance towards furfural. The most promised mutant, S. passalidarum M7, produced 50% more final ethanol than the wild-type strain in a synthetic xylose medium containing 2 g/l furfural. However, this mutant was unable to grow in a medium containing 75% liquid fraction of pretreated wheat straw (WSLQ), in which furfural and many other inhibitors were present. Hybrid yeast strains, obtained from fusion of the protoplasts of S. passalidarum M7 and a robust yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae ATCC 96581, were able to grow in 75% WSLQ and produce around 0.4 g ethanol/g consumed xylose. Among the selected hybrid strains, the hybrid FS22 showed the best fermentation capacity in 75% WSLQ. Phenotypic and partial molecular analysis indicated that S. passalidarum M7 was the dominant parental contributor to the hybrid. In summary, the hybrids are characterized by desired phenotypes derived from both parents, namely the ability to ferment xylose from S. passalidarum and an increased tolerance to inhibitors from S. cerevisiae ATCC 96581.

Enzymatic hydrolysis and ethanol fermentation of high dry matter wet-exploded wheat straw at low enzyme loading.

Wheat straw was pretreated by wet explosion using three different oxidizing agents (H(2)O(2), O(2), and air). The effect of the pretreatment was evaluated based on glucose and xylose liberated during enzymatic hydrolysis. The results showed that pretreatment with the use of O(2) as oxidizing agent was the most efficient in enhancing overall convertibility of the raw material to sugars and minimizing generation of furfural as a by-product. For scale-up of the process, high dry matter (DM) concentrations of 15-20% will be necessary. However, high DM hydrolysis and fermentation are limited by high viscosity of the material, higher inhibition of the enzymes, and fermenting microorganism. The wet-explosion pretreatment method enabled relatively high yields from both enzymatic hydrolysis and simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) to be obtained when performed on unwashed slurry with 14% DM and a low enzyme loading of 10 FPU/g cellulose in an industrial acceptable time frame of 96 h. Cellulose and hemicellulose conversion from enzymatic hydrolysis were 70 and 68%, respectively, and an overall ethanol yield from SSF was 68%.