Comprehensive 3-dimensional Positional and Morphological Analyses of Condyle and Glenoid Fossa in Patients with Skeletal Class II Malocclusion following Bimaxillary Orthognathic Surgery.

This study aimed to comprehensively and quantitatively characterize 3-dimensional (3D) positional and morphological changes of the condyle and glenoid fossa in patients with skeletal Class II malocclusion treated with bimaxillary orthognathic surgery. Twenty eligible patients treated at our institution from January 2016 to December 2021 with more than 12 months of postoperative follow-up were retrospectively enrolled. Radiographic data of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) for each patient were collected at 3 stages: 1 week preoperatively (T0), immediately after surgery (T1), and at least 12 months postoperatively (T2). Positional changes, surface and volumetric alterations of condyle, and bone remodeling in glenoid fossa were measured and compared based on voxel- and surface registrations in visual 3D methods. Most patients exhibited a tendency for condyles to shift posteriorly, laterally, superiorly, and rotated outward, downward, and forward immediately after surgery. Posterior, medial, superior movement and outward, upward, and backward rotation of condyles were observed during follow-up (T1-T2). Bone resorption frequently occurred in the posterior area of condylar surfaces, while bone remodeling was more common in the anterior region of the glenoid fossa. Reduced volume of the condyle was found in most cases, which was not associated with the amount of mandibular advancement. Overall, the condyle and its corresponding glenoid fossa remained relatively stable during the follow-up. Our results reveal positional and morphological alterations in the condyle and the glenoid fossa after bimaxillary orthognathic surgery in patients with skeletal class II malocclusion. These changes predominantly fall within the spectrum of physical adaption.

Controlling the Polarization of Nitrogen Ion Lasing.

Air lasing provides a promising technique to remotely produce coherent radiation in the atmosphere and has attracted continuous attention. However, the polarization properties of N2+ lasing with seeding have not been understood since it was discovered 10 years ago, in which the polarization behaviors appear disordered and confusing. Here, we performed an experimental and theoretical investigation of the polarization properties of N2+ lasing and successfully revealed its underlying physical mechanism. We found that the optical gain is anisotropic, owing to the permanent alignment of N2+ induced by the preferential ionization of the pump light. As a result, the polarization of the N2+ lasing tends to align with that of the pump light after amplification, which becomes more pronounced as the amplification factor increases. Based on the permanent alignment of N2+, we built a theoretical model that analytically interpreted and numerically reproduced the experimental observations, which points out the key factors for controlling the polarization of N2+ lasing.

Spatial pattern of isoniazid-resistant tuberculosis and its associated factors among a population with migrants in China: a retrospective population-based study.

Background: Isoniazid-resistant, rifampicin-susceptible tuberculosis (Hr-TB) globally exhibits a high prevalence and serves as a potential precursor to multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). Recognizing the spatial distribution of Hr-TB and identifying associated factors can provide strategic entry points for interventions aimed at early detection of Hr-TB and prevention of its progression to MDR-TB. This study aims to analyze spatial patterns and identify socioeconomic, demographic, and healthcare factors associated with Hr-TB in Shanghai at the county level. Method: We conducted a retrospective study utilizing data from TB patients with available Drug Susceptible Test (DST) results in Shanghai from 2010 to 2016. Spatial autocorrelation was explored using Global Moran's I and Getis-Ord Gi∗ statistics. A Bayesian hierarchical model with spatial effects was developed using the INLA package in R software to identify potential factors associated with Hr-TB at the county level. Results: A total of 8,865 TB patients with DST were included in this analysis. Among 758 Hr-TB patients, 622 (82.06%) were new cases without any previous treatment history. The drug-resistant rate of Hr-TB among new TB cases in Shanghai stood at 7.20% (622/8014), while for previously treated cases, the rate was 15.98% (136/851). Hotspot areas of Hr-TB were predominantly situated in southwestern Shanghai. Factors positively associated with Hr-TB included the percentage of older adult individuals (RR = 3.93, 95% Crl:1.93-8.03), the percentage of internal migrants (RR = 1.35, 95% Crl:1.15-1.35), and the number of healthcare institutions per 100 population (RR = 1.17, 95% Crl:1.02-1.34). Conclusion: We observed a spatial heterogeneity of Hr-TB in Shanghai, with hotspots in the Songjiang and Minhang districts. Based on the results of the models, the internal migrant population and older adult individuals in Shanghai may be contributing factors to the emergence of areas with high Hr-TB notification rates. Given these insights, we advocate for targeted interventions, especially in identified high-risk hotspots and high-risk areas.

Corrigendum: Assessing heterogeneity of patient and health system delay among TB in a population with internal migrants in China.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1354515.].

Correction: RNAi-Mediated Silencing of Atp6i and Atp6i Haploinsufficiency Prevents Both Bone Loss and Inflammation in a Mouse Model of Periodontal Disease.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0058599.].

A DEA game cross-efficiency based improved method for measuring urban carbon emission efficiency in China.

An accurate evaluation of carbon emission efficiency (CEE) at the city level can provide guidelines for understanding low carbon performance, which is crucial to achieving dual carbon targets. Existing CEE studies focused on national, industrial, and provincial scales while neglecting the city level and failing to consider competing relationships among decision-making units in their measurement models. To fill these gaps, this paper introduces the data envelopment analysis game cross-efficiency model (DEA-GCE) to measure urban CEE performance and compares it with the traditional Super-SBM model using the data from 283 Chinese cities between 2006 and 2019. The results show that (1) the DEA-GCE method provided more intensive and stable results. (2) Overall CEE of Chinese cities declined slightly amidst fluctuations during this period. (3) CEE in cities exhibits spatial clustering characteristics. CEE performance in Northeast China has improved, while CEE in Northwest China continues to lag behind. This study introduced an innovative method for calculating urban CEE and conducted an empirical study of 283 Chinese cities, which has implications for formulation of emission reduction policies.

Assessment and evaluation of online education and virtual simulation technology in dental education: a cross-sectional survey.

BACKGROUND: The global outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has led medical universities in China to conduct online teaching. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a blended learning approach that combines online teaching and virtual reality technology in dental education and to evaluate the acceptance of the blended learning approach among dental teachers and students. METHODS: The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) checklist was followed in this study. A total of 157 students' perspectives on online and virtual reality technology education and 54 teachers' opinions on online teaching were collected via questionnaires. Additionally, 101 students in the 2015-year group received the traditional teaching method (TT group), while 97 students in the 2017-year group received blended learning combining online teaching and virtual reality technology (BL group). The graduation examination results of students in the two groups were compared. RESULTS: The questionnaire results showed that most students were satisfied with the online course and the virtual simulation platform teaching, while teachers held conservative and neutral attitudes toward online teaching. Although the theoretical score of the BL group on the final exam was greater than that of the TT group, there was no significant difference between the two groups (P = 0.805). The skill operation score of the BL group on the final exam was significantly lower than that of the TT group (P = 0.004). The overall score of the BL group was lower than that of the TT group (P = 0.018), but the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.112). CONCLUSIONS: The blended learning approach combining online teaching and virtual reality technology plays a positive role in students' learning and is useful and effective in dental education.

Assessing heterogeneity of patient and health system delay among TB in a population with internal migrants in China.

Backgrounds: The diagnostic delay of tuberculosis (TB) contributes to further transmission and impedes the implementation of the End TB Strategy. Therefore, we aimed to describe the characteristics of patient delay, health system delay, and total delay among TB patients in Shanghai, identify areas at high risk for delay, and explore the potential factors of long delay at individual and spatial levels. Method: The study included TB patients among migrants and residents in Shanghai between January 2010 and December 2018. Patient and health system delays exceeding 14 days and total delays exceeding 28 days were defined as long delays. Time trends of long delays were evaluated by Joinpoint regression. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was employed to analyze influencing factors of long delays. Spatial analysis of delays was conducted using ArcGIS, and the hierarchical Bayesian spatial model was utilized to explore associated spatial factors. Results: Overall, 61,050 TB patients were notified during the study period. Median patient, health system, and total delays were 12 days (IQR: 3-26), 9 days (IQR: 4-18), and 27 days (IQR: 15-43), respectively. Migrants, females, older adults, symptomatic visits to TB-designated facilities, and pathogen-positive were associated with longer patient delays, while pathogen-negative, active case findings and symptomatic visits to non-TB-designated facilities were associated with long health system delays (LHD). Spatial analysis revealed Chongming Island was a hotspot for patient delay, while western areas of Shanghai, with a high proportion of internal migrants and industrial parks, were at high risk for LHD. The application of rapid molecular diagnostic methods was associated with reduced health system delays. Conclusion: Despite a relatively shorter diagnostic delay of TB than in the other regions in China, there was vital social-demographic and spatial heterogeneity in the occurrence of long delays in Shanghai. While the active case finding and rapid molecular diagnosis reduced the delay, novel targeted interventions are still required to address the challenges of TB diagnosis among both migrants and residents in this urban setting.

Perceptual Pattern of Cleft-Related Speech: A Task-fMRI Study on Typical Mandarin-Speaking Adults.

Congenital cleft lip and palate is one of the common deformities in the craniomaxillofacial region. The current study aimed to explore the perceptual pattern of cleft-related speech produced by Mandarin-speaking patients with repaired cleft palate using the task-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (task-fMRI) technique. Three blocks of speech stimuli, including hypernasal speech, the glottal stop, and typical speech, were played to 30 typical adult listeners with no history of cleft palate speech exploration. Using a randomized block design paradigm, the participants were instructed to assess the intelligibility of the stimuli. Simultaneously, fMRI data were collected. Brain activation was compared among the three types of speech stimuli. Results revealed that greater blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) responses to the cleft-related glottal stop than to typical speech were localized in the right fusiform gyrus and the left inferior occipital gyrus. The regions responding to the contrast between the glottal stop and cleft-related hypernasal speech were located in the right fusiform gyrus. More significant BOLD responses to hypernasal speech than to the glottal stop were localized in the left orbital part of the inferior frontal gyrus and middle temporal gyrus. More significant BOLD responses to typical speech than to the glottal stop were localized in the left inferior temporal gyrus, left superior temporal gyrus, left medial superior frontal gyrus, and right angular gyrus. Furthermore, there was no significant difference between hypernasal speech and typical speech. In conclusion, the typical listener would initiate different neural processes to perceive cleft-related speech. Our findings lay a foundation for exploring the perceptual pattern of patients with repaired cleft palate.

Impaired Efferocytosis Enables Apoptotic Osteoblasts to Escape Osteoimmune Surveillance During Aging.

Macrophage efferocytosis of apoptotic osteoblasts (apoOBs) is a key osteoimmune process for bone homeostasis. However, apoOBs frequently accumulate in aged bone marrow, where they may mount proinflammatory responses and progressive bone loss. The reason why apoOBs are not cleared during aging remains unclear. In this study, it is demonstrated that aged apoOBs upregulate the immune checkpoint molecule CD47, which is controlled by SIRT6-regulated transcriptional pausing, to evade clearance by macrophages. Using osteoblast- and myeloid-specific gene knockout mice, SIRT6 is further revealed to be a critical modulator for apoOBs clearance via targeting CD47-SIRPα checkpoint. Moreover, apoOBs activate SIRT6-mediated chemotaxis to recruit macrophages by releasing apoptotic vesicles. Two targeting delivery strategies are developed to enhance SIRT6 activity, resulting in rejuvenated apoOBs clearance and delayed age-related bone loss. Collectively, the findings reveal a previously unknown linkage between immune surveillance and bone homeostasis and targeting the SIRT6-regulated mechanism can be a promising therapeutic strategy for age-related bone diseases.

Amplification of light pulses with orbital angular momentum (OAM) in nitrogen ions lasing.

Nitrogen ions pumped by intense femtosecond laser pulses give rise to optical amplification in the ultraviolet range. Here, we demonstrated that a seed light pulse carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) can be significantly amplified in nitrogen plasma excited by a Gaussian femtosecond laser pulse. With the topological charge of ℓ = ±1, we observed an energy amplification of the seed light pulse by two orders of magnitude, while the amplified pulse carries the same OAM as the incident seed pulse. Moreover, we show that a spatial misalignment of the plasma amplifier with the OAM seed beam leads to an amplified emission of Gaussian mode without OAM, due to the special spatial profile of the OAM seed pulse that presents a donut-shaped intensity distribution. Utilizing this misalignment, we can implement an optical switch that toggles the output signal between Gaussian mode and OAM mode. This work not only certifies the phase transfer from the seed light to the amplified signal, but also highlights the important role of spatial overlap of the donut-shaped seed beam with the gain region of the nitrogen plasma for the achievement of OAM beam amplification.

Oral pathogen aggravates atherosclerosis by inducing smooth muscle cell apoptosis and repressing macrophage efferocytosis.

Periodontitis imparting the increased risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases is partially due to the immune subversion of the oral pathogen, particularly the Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis), by inducing apoptosis. However, it remains obscure whether accumulated apoptotic cells in P. gingivalis-accelerated plaque formation are associated with impaired macrophage clearance. Here, we show that smooth muscle cells (SMCs) have a greater susceptibility to P. gingivalis-induced apoptosis than endothelial cells through TLR2 pathway activation. Meanwhile, large amounts of miR-143/145 in P.gingivalis-infected SMCs are extracellularly released and captured by macrophages. Then, these miR-143/145 are translocated into the nucleus to promote Siglec-G transcription, which represses macrophage efferocytosis. By constructing three genetic mouse models, we further confirm the in vivo roles of TLR2 and miR-143/145 in P. gingivalis-accelerated atherosclerosis. Therapeutically, we develop P.gingivalis-pretreated macrophage membranes to coat metronidazole and anti-Siglec-G antibodies for treating atherosclerosis and periodontitis simultaneously. Our findings extend the knowledge of the mechanism and therapeutic strategy in oral pathogen-associated systemic diseases.

Three-dimensional quantitative changes of condyle in patients with skeletal class III malocclusion after bimaxillary orthognathic surgery with 5-year follow-up.

OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to characterize three-dimensional (3D) long-term quantitative condyle change including positional, surface, and volumetric alterations in patients with skeletal class III malocclusion treated with bimaxillary orthognathic surgery. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty-three eligible patients (9 males, 14 females, mean age: 28.28 years old) treated from Jan. 2013 to Dec. 2016 with postoperative follow-up over 5 years were retrospectively enrolled. Cone-beam computed tomography scan for each patient was conducted at 4 stages: 1 week preoperatively (T0), immediately after surgery (T1), 12 months postoperatively (T2), and 5-year postoperatively (T3). Positional changes, surface, and volumetric remodeling of condyle were measured in segmented visual 3D models and statistically compared between stages. RESULTS: Our 3D quantitative calibrations revealed that the condylar center shifted in anterior (0.23 ± 1.50 mm), medial (0.34 ± 0.99), and superior (1.11 ± 1.10 mm) directions and rotated outward (1.58 ± 3.11°), superior (1.83 ± 5.08°), and backward (4.79 ± 13.75°) from T1 to T3. With regard to condylar surface remodeling, bone formation was frequently observed in the anteromedial areas, while bone resorption was commonly detected in the anterolateral area. Moreover, condylar volume remained largely stable with a minimal reduction during the follow-up. CONCLUSION: Collectively, although condyle undergoes positional changes and bone remodeling after bimaxillary surgery in patients with mandibular prognathism, these changes largely fall in the range of physical adaptations in the long run. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: These findings advance the current understanding of long-term condylar remodeling after bimaxillary orthognathic surgery in skeletal class III patients.

Integrative Single-Cell and Bulk Transcriptomes Analyses Identify Intrinsic HNSCC Subtypes with Distinct Prognoses and Therapeutic Vulnerabilities.

PURPOSE: Tumor heterogeneity in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) profoundly compromises patient stratification, personalized treatment planning, and prognostic prediction, which underscores the urgent need for more effective molecular subtyping for this malignancy. Here, we sought to define the intrinsic epithelial subtypes for HNSCC by integrative analyses of single-cell and bulk RNA sequencing datasets from multiple cohorts and assess their molecular features and clinical significance. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Malignant epithelial cells were identified from single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) datasets and subtyped on the basis of differentially expressed genes. Subtype-specific genomic/epigenetic abnormalities, molecular signaling, genetic regulatory network, immune landscape, and patient survival were characterized. Therapeutic vulnerabilities were further predicted on the basis of drug sensitivity datasets from cell lines, patient-derived xenograft models, and real-world clinical outcomes. Novel signatures for prognostication and therapeutic prediction were developed by machine learning and independently validated. RESULTS: Three intrinsic consensus molecular subtypes (iCMS1-3) for HNSCC were proposed from scRNA-seq analyses and recapitulated in 1,325 patients from independent cohorts using bulk-sequencing datasets. iCMS1 was characterized by EGFR amplification/activation, stromal-enriched environment, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, worst survival, and sensitivities to EGFR inhibitor. iCMS2 was featured by human papillomavirus-positive oropharyngeal predilection, immune-hot, susceptibilities to anti-PD-1, and best prognosis. Moreover, iCMS3 displayed immune-desert and sensitivities to 5-FU and MEK, STAT3 inhibitors. Three novel, robust signatures derived from iCMS subtype-specific transcriptomics features were developed by machine learning for patient prognostication and cetuximab and anti-PD-1 response predictions. CONCLUSIONS: These findings reiterate molecular heterogeneity of HNSCC and advantages of scRNA-seq in pinpointing cellular diversities in complex cancer ecosystems. Our HNSCC iCMS regime might facilitate accurate patient stratification and individualized precise treatment.

The Highly Conserved Stem-Loop II Motif Is Dispensable for SARS-CoV-2.

The stem-loop II motif (s2m) is an RNA structural element that is found in the 3' untranslated region (UTR) of many RNA viruses, including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Though the motif was discovered over 25 years ago, its functional significance is unknown. In order to understand the importance of s2m, we created viruses with deletions or mutations of the s2m by reverse genetics and also evaluated a clinical isolate harboring a unique s2m deletion. Deletion or mutation of the s2m had no effect on growth in vitro or on growth and viral fitness in Syrian hamsters in vivo. We also compared the secondary structure of the 3' UTR of wild-type and s2m deletion viruses using selective 2'-hydroxyl acylation analyzed by primer extension and mutational profiling (SHAPE-MaP) and dimethyl sulfate mutational profiling and sequencing (DMS-MaPseq). These experiments demonstrate that the s2m forms an independent structure and that its deletion does not alter the overall remaining 3'-UTR RNA structure. Together, these findings suggest that s2m is dispensable for SARS-CoV-2. IMPORTANCE RNA viruses, including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), contain functional structures to support virus replication, translation, and evasion of the host antiviral immune response. The 3' untranslated region of early isolates of SARS-CoV-2 contained a stem-loop II motif (s2m), which is an RNA structural element that is found in many RNA viruses. This motif was discovered over 25 years ago, but its functional significance is unknown. We created SARS-CoV-2 with deletions or mutations of the s2m and determined the effect of these changes on viral growth in tissue culture and in rodent models of infection. Deletion or mutation of the s2m element had no effect on growth in vitro or on growth and viral fitness in Syrian hamsters in vivo. We also observed no impact of the deletion on other known RNA structures in the same region of the genome. These experiments demonstrate that s2m is dispensable for SARS-CoV-2.

The highly conserved stem-loop II motif is dispensable for SARS-CoV-2.

The stem-loop II motif (s2m) is a RNA structural element that is found in the 3' untranslated region (UTR) of many RNA viruses including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Though the motif was discovered over twenty-five years ago, its functional significance is unknown. In order to understand the importance of s2m, we created viruses with deletions or mutations of the s2m by reverse genetics and also evaluated a clinical isolate harboring a unique s2m deletion. Deletion or mutation of the s2m had no effect on growth in vitro , or growth and viral fitness in Syrian hamsters in vivo . We also compared the secondary structure of the 3' UTR of wild type and s2m deletion viruses using SHAPE-MaP and DMS-MaPseq. These experiments demonstrate that the s2m forms an independent structure and that its deletion does not alter the overall remaining 3'UTR RNA structure. Together, these findings suggest that s2m is dispensable for SARS-CoV-2. IMPORTANCE: RNA viruses, including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) contain functional structures to support virus replication, translation and evasion of the host antiviral immune response. The 3' untranslated region of early isolates of SARS-CoV-2 contained a stem-loop II motif (s2m), which is a RNA structural element that is found in many RNA viruses. This motif was discovered over twenty-five years ago, but its functional significance is unknown. We created SARS-CoV-2 with deletions or mutations of the s2m and determined the effect of these changes on viral growth in tissue culture and in rodent models of infection. Deletion or mutation of the s2m element had no effect on growth in vitro , or growth and viral fitness in Syrian hamsters in vivo . We also observed no impact of the deletion on other known RNA structures in the same region of the genome. These experiments demonstrate that the s2m is dispensable for SARS-CoV-2.

circFNDC3B Accelerates Vasculature Formation and Metastasis in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Emerging evidence has demonstrated that circular RNAs (circRNA) are involved in cancer metastasis. Further elucidation of the role of circRNAs in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) could provide insights into mechanisms driving metastasis and potential therapeutic targets. Here, we identify a circRNA, circFNDC3B, that is significantly upregulated in OSCC and is positively associated with lymph node (LN) metastasis. In vitro and in vivo functional assays showed that circFNDC3B accelerated the migration and invasion of OSCC cells and the tube-forming capacity of human umbilical vein endothelial cells and human lymphatic endothelial cells. Mechanistically, circFNDC3B regulated ubiquitylation of the RNA-binding protein FUS and the deubiquitylation of HIF1A through the E3 ligase MDM2 to promote VEGFA transcription, thereby enhancing angiogenesis. Meanwhile, circFNDC3B sequestered miR-181c-5p to upregulate SERPINE1 and PROX1, which drove epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) or partial-EMT (p-EMT) in OSCC cells and promoted lymphangiogenesis to accelerate LN metastasis. Overall, these findings uncovered the mechanistic role of circFNDC3B in orchestrating cancer cell metastatic properties and vasculature formation, suggesting circFNDC3B could be a potential target to reduce OSCC metastasis. SIGNIFICANCE: Dual functions of circFNDC3B in enhancing the metastatic ability of cancer cells and promoting vasculature formation through regulation of multiple pro-oncogenic signaling pathways drive lymph node metastasis of OSCC.

Evaluation of a respiratory motion-corrected image reconstruction algorithm in 2-[18F]FDG and [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-NOC PET/CT: impacts on image quality and tumor quantification.

Background: Respiratory motions may cause artifacts on positron emission tomography (PET) images that degrade image quality and quantification accuracy. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a respiratory motion-corrected image reconstruction (MCIR) algorithm on image quality and tumor quantification compared with nongated/nonmotion-corrected reconstruction. Methods: We used a phantom consisting of 5 motion spheres immersed in a chamber driven by a motor. The spheres and the background chamber were filled with 18F solution at a sphere-to-background ratio of 5:1. We enrolled 42 and 16 patients undergoing 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose {2-[18F]FDG} and 68Ga-labeled [1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid]-1-Nal3-octreotide {[68Ga]Ga-DOTA-NOC} PET/computed tomography (CT) from whom 74 and 30 lesions were segmented, respectively. Three reconstructions were performed: data-driven gating-based motion correction (DDGMC), external vital signal module-based motion correction (VSMMC), and noncorrection reconstruction. The standardized uptake values (SUVs) and the volume of the spheres and the lesions were measured and compared among the 3 reconstruction groups. The image noise in the liver was measured, and the visual image quality of motion artifacts was scored by radiologists in the patient study. Results: In the phantom study, the spheres' SUVs increased by 26-36%, and the volumes decreased by 35-38% in DDGMC and VSMMC compared with the noncorrection group. In the 2-[18F]FDG PET patient study, the lesions' SUVs had a median increase of 10.87-12.65% while the volumes had a median decrease of 14.88-15.18% in DDGMC and VSMMC compared with those of noncorrection. In the [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-NOC PET patient study, the lesions' SUVs increased by 14.23-15.45%, and the volumes decreased by 19.11-20.94% in DDGMC and VSMMC. The image noise in the liver was equal between the DDGMC, VSMMC, and noncorrection groups. Radiologists found improved image quality in more than 45% of the cases in DDGMC and VSMMC compared with the noncorrection group. There was no statistically significant difference in SUVs, volumes, or visual image quality scores between DDGMC and VSMMC. Conclusions: MCIR improves tumor quantification accuracy and visual image quality by reducing respiratory motion artifacts without compromised image noise performance or elongated acquisition time in 2-[18F]FDG and [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-NOC PET/CT tumor imaging. The performance of DDG-driven MCIR is as good as that of the external device-driven solution.

SIRT6-regulated macrophage efferocytosis epigenetically controls inflammation resolution of diabetic periodontitis.

Rationale: Diabetes exacerbates the prevalence and severity of periodontitis, leading to severe periodontal destruction and ultimately tooth loss. Delayed resolution of inflammation is a major contributor to diabetic periodontitis (DP) pathogenesis, but the underlying mechanisms of this imbalanced immune homeostasis remain unclear. Methods: We collected periodontium from periodontitis with or without diabetes to confirm the dysfunctional neutrophils and macrophages in aggravated inflammatory damage and impaired inflammation resolution. Our in vitro experiments confirmed that SIRT6 inhibited macrophage efferocytosis by restraining miR-216a-5p-216b-5p-217 cluster maturation through ''non-canonical'' microprocessor complex (RNA pulldown, RIP, immunostaining, CHIP, Luciferase assays, and FISH). Moreover, we constructed m6SKO mice that underwent LIP-induced periodontitis to explore the in vitro and in vivo effect of SIRT6 on macrophage efferocytosis. Finally, antagomiR-217, a miRNA antagonism, was delivered into the periodontium to treat LIP-induced diabetic periodontitis. Results: We discovered that insufficient SIRT6 as a histone deacetylase in macrophages led to unresolved inflammation and aggravated periodontitis in both human and mouse DP with accumulated apoptotic neutrophil (AN) and higher generation of neutrophil extracellular traps. Mechanistically, we validated that macrophage underwent high glucose stimulation resulting in disturbance of the SIRT6-miR-216/217 axis that triggered impeded efferocytosis of AN through targeting the DEL-1/CD36 axis directly. Furthermore, we demonstrated the inhibitory role of SIRT6 for MIR217HG transcription and identified a non-canonical action of microprocessor that SIRT6 epigenetically hindered the splicing of the primary miR-216/217 via the complex of hnRNPA2B1, DGCR8, and Drosha. Notably, by constructing myeloid-specific deletion of SIRT6 mice and locally delivering antagomir-217 in DP models, we strengthened the in vivo effect of this axis in regulating macrophage efferocytosis and inflammation resolution in DP. Conclusions: Our findings delineated the emerging role of SIRT6 in mediating metabolic dysfunction-associated inflammation, and therapeutically targeting this regulatory axis might be a promising strategy for treating diabetes-associated inflammatory diseases.

Identification and Analysis of Key Barriers of BIM Application for Small- and Medium-Sized Fire Protection Enterprises.

The application of Building Information Modeling (BIM) in fire protection discipline has been sufficiently proved to be useful, but has encountered many barriers in China. Among which, small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which are considered sensitive to adoption costs and external funding support, play a critical role in the BIM adoption process in fire protection discipline. Therefore, identifying and analyzing the barriers of BIM application are essential to help small- and medium-sized fire protection enterprises to overcome these barriers. In this study, semantic analysis, which includes word frequency analysis and coword analysis, based on literature review was utilized to identify the main barriers. 20 main barriers, which were classified into software, people, organization, and environment group, were obtained. Then, Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM) approach and Cross-Impact Matrix Multiplication Applied to Classification (MICMAC) analysis were utilized to hierarchically analyze and categorize the main barriers of BIM application in Chinese SMFEs. The findings revealed that the lack of external support and the lack of BIM laws and regulations applicable to fire protection discipline are the key barriers in general for the application of BIM in SMFEs. For the barriers at the enterprise level, through further analysis and discussion based on barriers in the people and organization clusters, the lack of funding support for proper BIM training and the lack of organization culture support were concluded as the key barriers of BIM application inside the scope of SMFEs. According to 80-20 principle, more effort should be focused on the key barriers to gain maximum management effect. The research result categorizes the barriers for easy intervention of fire protection enterprises' managers and policymakers. It contributes to the nascent studies of BIM application and provides guidance for the application of BIM in fire protection discipline.