Comparative effects of progestin-based combination therapy for endometrial cancer or atypical endometrial hyperplasia: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Objectives: The objective of this network meta-analysis is to systematically compare the efficacy of diverse progestin-based combination regimens in treating patients diagnosed with endometrial cancer or atypical endometrial hyperplasia. The primary goal is to discern the optimal combination treatment regimen through a comprehensive examination of their respective effectiveness. Methods: We systematically searched four prominent databases: PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, for randomized controlled trials addressing the efficacy of progestins or progestin combinations in the treatment of patients with endometrial cancer or atypical endometrial hyperplasia. The search spanned from the inception of these databases to December 2023. Key outcome indicators encompassed survival indices, criteria for assessing efficacy, as well as pregnancy and relapse rate. This study was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42024496311). Results: From the 1,558 articles initially retrieved, we included 27 studies involving a total of 5,323 subjects in our analysis. The results of the network meta-analysis revealed that the mTOR inhibitor+megestrol acetate (MA)+tamoxifen regimen secured the top rank in maintaining stable disease (SD) (SUCRA=73.4%) and extending progression-free survival (PFS) (SUCRA=72.4%). Additionally, the progestin combined with tamoxifen regimen claimed the leading position in enhancing the partial response (PR) (SUCRA=75.2%) and prolonging overall survival (OS) (SUCRA=80%). The LNG-IUS-based dual progestin regimen emerged as the frontrunner in improving the complete response (CR) (SUCRA=98.7%), objective response rate (ORR) (SUCRA=99.1%), pregnancy rate (SUCRA=83.7%), and mitigating progression (SUCRA=8.0%) and relapse rate (SUCRA=47.4%). In terms of safety, The LNG-IUS-based dual progestin regimen had the lowest likelihood of adverse events (SUCRA=4.2%), while the mTOR inhibitor regimen (SUCRA=89.2%) and mTOR inbitor+MA+tamoxifen regimen (SUCRA=88.4%) had the highest likelihood of adverse events. Conclusions: Patients diagnosed with endometrial cancer or atypical endometrial hyperplasia exhibited the most favorable prognosis when undergoing progestin combination therapy that included tamoxifen, mTOR inhibitor, or LNG-IUS. Notably, among these options, the LNG-IUS-based dual progestin regimen emerged as particularly promising for potential application. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO, identifier CRD42024496311.

Stable, intense supercontinuum light generation at 1 kHz by electric field assisted femtosecond laser filamentation in air.

Supercontinuum (SC) light source has advanced ultrafast laser spectroscopy in condensed matter science, biology, physics, and chemistry. Compared to the frequently used photonic crystal fibers and bulk materials, femtosecond laser filamentation in gases is damage-immune for supercontinuum generation. A bottleneck problem is the strong jitters from filament induced self-heating at kHz repetition rate level. We demonstrated stable kHz supercontinuum generation directly in air with multiple mJ level pulse energy. This was achieved by applying an external DC electric field to the air plasma filament. Beam pointing jitters of the 1 kHz air filament induced SC light were reduced by more than 2 fold. The stabilized high repetition rate laser filament offers the opportunity for stable intense SC generation and its applications in air.

The role of SLC39A4 in the prognosis, immune microenvironment, and contribution to malignant behavior in vivo and in vitro of cervical cancer.

BACKGROUND: Cervical squamous cell carcinoma and endocervical adenocarcinoma (CESC) are becoming more common in younger women. Solute carrier family 39 member 4 (SLC39A4) produces a zinc ion transporter involved in metastasis and invasion of tumors. METHODS: The Cancer Genome Atlas RNA-seq data was used to investigate the expression of SLC39A4 and its prognostic potential. The assessment of the effect of SLC39A4 on cell growth and migration in CESC was conducted using MTT, colony formation, and Transwell assays. SLC39A4 was studied in vivo using a xenograft mouse model, and its functional involvement in oncogenesis was investigated by identifying the associated differentially expressed genes (DEGs). We evaluated the relationships among SLC39A4 levels, chemosensitivity, radiosensitivity and immune infiltration. RESULTS: SLC39A4 was upregulated in CESC samples, and individuals with greater SLC39A4 mRNA expression had shorter overall survival. SLC39A4 has been identified to be a regulator of tumor cell metastasis and proliferation in vivo and in vitro, with an area under the curve of 0.874 for diagnosing CESC. In total, 948 DEGs were discovered to be enriched in key CESC progression-related signaling pathways. Additionally, intratumoral immune checkpoint and infiltration activity were associated with SLC39A4 expression. High SLC39A4 expression exhibited poor chemosensitivity and radiosensitivity profiles. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, SLC39A4 is a key regulator of CESC development, prognosis, and the composition of the tumor immune microenvironment. SLC39A4 could be used as a prognostic or diagnostic screening tool and as a potential target for CESC treatment.

S100A10 Overexpression Correlates with Adverse Prognosis, Tumor Microenvironment, and Aggressive Behavior In Vitro and In Vivo of Cervical Cancer.

Background: The incidence of cervical squamous cell carcinoma and endocervical adenocarcinoma (CESC) is increasing in women. S100A10 overexpression is commonly reported in various malignancies and is closely associated with tumor cell characteristics and prognosis. Methods: The expression of S100A10 and its prognostic relevance were assessed utilizing RNA-seq data from The Cancer Genome Atlas. S100A10 regulation of CESC cell growth and migration was investigated using CCK-8, colony-forming, and Transwell-based approaches. Xenograft model mice were used to examine the in vivo effects of S100A10, and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) linked to S100A10 were identified to explore its functional role in oncogenesis. Associations between S100A10 levels, chemosensitivity, and the immune microenvironment were assessed, and the mutational and methylation status of S100A10 was evaluated using the cBioPortal and MethSurv databases, respectively. Results: S100A10 was upregulated in CESC samples, and higher S100A10 mRNA levels were associated in poor prognostic outcomes. The area under the curve for S100A10 when diagnosing CESC was 0.935, and S100A10 was found to regulate tumor cell proliferation and metastasis both in vitro and in vivo. Overall, 1125 DEGs enriched in crucial CESC progression-associated signaling pathways were identified. S100A10 expression was also associated with the intratumoral immune microenvironment and immune checkpoint activity. Patients expressing elevated S100A10 levels exhibited distinct chemotherapeutic susceptibility, and methylation of the S100A10 gene was correlated with patient survival outcomes. Conclusion: In summary, this research demonstrated that S100A10 plays a crucial role in regulating CESC development, prognosis, and the intratumoral immune microenvironment. Thus, S100A10 shows potential as a prognostic or diagnostic tool and as a potential target for CESC immunotherapy.

TPM3: a novel prognostic biomarker of cervical cancer that correlates with immune infiltration and promotes malignant behavior in vivo and in vitro.

Cervical squamous cell carcinoma and endocervical adenocarcinoma (CESC) has become increasingly prevalent in younger women. Tropomyosin 3 (TPM3), a thin filament actin-binding protein, has been implicated in various malignancies. In this study, TPM3 expression was evaluated using RNA-seq data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), and its relationship with CESC prognosis was examined with receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. The effects of TPM3 on cellular proliferation and migration were examined in CESC cell lines using Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), colony formation, and Transwell assays, while in vivo effects were assessed in mouse xenograft models. Furthermore, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with TPM3 were investigated to determine their tumorigenic functions. Associations between TPM3, chemosensitivity, and immune infiltration were analyzed, as were links between mutations, methylation, and prognosis using the cBioPortal and MethSurv databases. Upregulation of TMP3 mRNA and protein levels was observed in CESC samples, with elevated mRNA levels associated with reduced overall survival. TPM3 showed an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.946 for CESC diagnosis and was found to regulate tumor proliferation and metastasis in vitro and in vivo. Overall, 3099 DEGs were identified and found to be enriched in key CESC progression-related signaling pathways. TPM3 expression was also correlated with intratumoral immune cell infiltration and immune checkpoint activity. Patients with higher TPM3 expression showed distinctive chemosensitivity profiles, and TPM3 gene methylation was linked to poorer CESC patient prognostic outcomes. In conclusion, TPM3 is a key regulator of CESC progression, prognosis, and the tumor immune microenvironment, suggesting its potential as a diagnostic or prognostic biomarker and target for CESC immunotherapy.

The action of topical application of Vitamin B12 ointment on radiodermatitis in a porcine model.

Radiodermatitis is an inevitable side effect of radiotherapy in cancer treatment and there is currently no consensus on effective drugs for treating the condition. Vitamin B12 is known to be effective for repairing and regenerating damaged skin. However, there are few studies on the use of Vitamin B12 for treating radiodermatitis. This study explored the therapeutic efficacy and mechanism of action of Vitamin B12 ointment on radiodermatitis. A porcine model of grade IV radiodermatitis was established. The ointment was applied for 12 weeks after which histological staining, transmission electron microscopy, RT-qPCR, western blotting, and gene sequencing were performed for the evaluation of specific indicators in skin samples. After 12 weeks of observation, the Vitamin B12 treatment was found to have significantly alleviated radiodermatitis. The treatment also significantly reduced the expression levels of NF-κB, COX-2, IL-6, and TGF-ß in the skin samples. The pathways involved in the effects of the treatment were identified by analysing gene expression. In conclusion, Vitamin B12 ointment was found to be highly effective for treating radiodermatitis, with strong anti-radiation, anti-inflammatory, and anti-fibrosis effects. It is thus a promising drug candidate for the treatment of severe radiodermatitis.

Added value of systemic inflammation markers for monitoring response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: Complete response after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (rNACT) elevates the surgical outcomes of patients with breast cancer, however, non-rNACT have a higher risk of death and recurrence. AIM: To establish novel machine learning (ML)-based predictive models for predicting probability of rNACT in breast cancer patients who intends to receive NACT. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 487 breast cancer patients who underwent mastectomy or breast-conserving surgery and axillary lymph node dissection following neoadjuvant chemotherapy at the Hubei Cancer Hospital between January 1, 2013, and October 1, 2021. The study cohort was divided into internal training and testing datasets in a 70:30 ratio for further analysis. A total of twenty-four variables were included to develop predictive models for rNACT by multiple ML-based algorithms. A feature selection approach was used to identify optimal predictive factors. These models were evaluated by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for predictive performance. RESULTS: Analysis identified several significant differences between the rNACT and non-rNACT groups, including total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, body mass index, platelet count, albumin-to-globulin ratio, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio, and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio. The areas under the curve of the six models ranged from 0.81 to 0.96. Some ML-based models performed better than models using conventional statistical methods in both ROC curves. The support vector machine (SVM) model with twelve variables introduced was identified as the best predictive model. CONCLUSION: By incorporating pretreatment serum lipids and serum inflammation markers, it is feasible to develop ML-based models for the preoperative prediction of rNACT and therefore facilitate the choice of treatment, particularly the SVM, which can improve the prediction of rNACT in patients with breast cancer.

Correlation of the detection rate of upper GI cancer with artificial intelligence score: results from a multicenter trial (with video).

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The quality of EGD is a prerequisite for a high detection rate of upper GI lesions, especially early gastric cancer. Our previous study showed that an artificial intelligence system, named intelligent detection endoscopic assistant (IDEA), could help to monitor blind spots and provide an operation score during EGD. Here, we verified the effectiveness of IDEA to help evaluate the quality of EGD in a large-scale multicenter trial. METHODS: Patients undergoing EGD in 12 hospitals were consecutively enrolled. All hospitals were equipped with IDEA developed using deep convolutional neural networks and long short-term memory. Patients were examined by EGD, and the results were recorded by IDEA. The primary outcome was the detection rate of upper GI cancer. Secondary outcomes were part scores, total scores, and endoscopic procedure time, which were analyzed by IDEA. RESULTS: A total of 17,787 patients were recruited. The total detection rate of cancer-positive cases was 1.50%, ranging from .60% to 3.94% in each hospital. The total detection rate of early cancer-positive cases was .36%, ranging from .00% to 1.58% in each hospital. The average total score analyzed by IDEA ranged from 64.87 ± 16.87 to 83.50 ± 9.57 in each hospital. The cancer detection rate in each hospital was positively correlated with total score (r = .775, P = .003). Similarly, the early cancer detection rate was positively correlated with total score (r = .756, P = .004). CONCLUSIONS: This multicenter trial confirmed that the quality of the EGD result is positively correlated with the detection rate of cancer, which can be monitored by IDEA. (Clinical trial registration number: ChiCTR2000029001.).

Laser ellipticity-dependent supercontinuum generation by femtosecond laser filamentation in air.

We experimentally investigate the laser polarization effect on the supercontinuum (SC) generation through femtosecond laser filamentation in air. By tuning filamenting laser ellipticity from linear polarization to circular polarization, the spectral intensity of the SC after filamentation gradually increases, while the spectral bandwidth of the SC continuously decreases. The laser ellipticity-dependent spectral intensity modulation of the SC is stronger at higher filamenting pulse energy. Laser energy deposits more in linearly polarized laser filaments than in circularly polarized laser filaments. The experimental results are supported by numerical simulations. A physical picture based on the laser ellipticity-dependent clamped intensity inside the filament, together with the Kerr nonlinearity and plasma related self-phase modulations, is proposed to explain the observation.

Magnon-induced optical high-order sideband generation in hybrid atom-cavity optomagnonical system.

The nonlinearity of magnons plays an important role in the study of an optomagnonical system. Here in this paper, we focus on the high-order sideband and frequency comb generation characteristics in the atom coupled optomagnonical resonator. We find that the atom-cavity coupling strength is related to the nonlinear coefficients, and the efficiency of sidebands generation could be reinforced by tuning the polarization of magnons. Besides, we show that the generation of the sidebands could be suppressed under the large dissipation condition. This study provides a novel way to engineer the low-threshold high-order sidebands in hybrid optical microcavities.

Direct measurement of radial fluence distribution inside a femtosecond laser filament core.

Modulation and direct measurement of the radial fluence distribution inside a single filament core (especially less than 100 µm in diameter) is crucial to filament-based applications. We report direct measurements of the radial fluence distribution inside a femtosecond laser filament core and its evolution via the filament-induced ablation method. The radial fluence distributions were modulated by manipulating the input pulse diffraction through an iris. Compared with using a traditionally circular iris, a stellate iris substantially suppressed the diffraction effect, and laser fluence, intensity and plasma density inside the filament core were considerably increased. The radial fluence inside filament cores was also quantitatively measured via the filament drilling diaphragms approach. Furthermore, numerical simulations were performed to support the experimental results by solving nonlinear Schrödinger equations. The effects of the tooth size of the stellate iris were numerically investigated, which indicated that bigger tooth favors higher fluence and longer filament. In addition to being beneficial in understanding the filamentation process and its control, the results of this study can also be valuable for filament-based applications.

Magnon-induced chaos in an optical PT-symmetric resonator.

Optomagnonics supports optical modes with high-quality optical factors and strong photon-magnon interaction on the scale of micrometers. These novel features provide an effective way to modulate the electromagnetic field in optical microcavities. Here in this work, we studied the magnon-induced chaos in an optomagnonical cavity under the condition of parity-time symmetry, and the chaotic behaviors of electromagnetic field could be observed under ultralow thresholds. Even more, the existence optomagnetic interaction makes this chaotic phenomenon controllable through modulating the external field. This research will enrich the study of light matter interaction in the microcavity and provide a theoretical guidance for random number state generation and the realization of the chaotic encryption of information on chips.

Dose distribution of brachytherapy for locally advanced (stage IIB) cervical cancer.

PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to compare the dose distributions of combined intracavitary and interstitial (IC/IS) brachytherapy with 3-catheter IC brachytherapy in treating locally advanced (stage IIB) cervical cancer. METHODS AND MATERIALS: In total, 46 patients were included, each with stage IIB cervical cancer, local lesion sizes ≥5 cm, and tumors that had not regressed after 45 Gy/25 F external intensity-modulated radiotherapy. To identify the dosimetric advantage of delivering a local boost to high-risk (HR)-cervix in IC/IS, patients were divided into two groups: IC/IS and IC/IS + HR-cervix. The differences in dosimetric parameters were compared between the two groups. Comparisons were then made between the parameters of the four planning methods: IC (Point A), IC (three dimensional [3D]), IC/IS, and IC/IS + HR-cervix. RESULTS: In patients with IC/IS implants, the relative uterine tandem dwell time was significantly extended in the IC/IS + HR-cervix group, and the V150 and V200 volumes of HR-cervix were increased (all p < 0.001), whereas the D90 and D100 values of the IC/IS + HR-cervix group were lower than those in the IC/IS group. In pairwise comparisons, HR-cervix V150 and V200 values were lowest in the IC/IS group, followed by the IC (3D), IC/IS + HR-cervix, and IC (Point A) groups. All differences were statistically significant (p < 0.05), with the exception of IC/IS vs. IC (3D). CONCLUSIONS: When treating locally advanced cervical cancer (stage IIB, local residual volume ≥5 cm after external radiotherapy), the IC/IS + HR-cervix optimization method can meet the HR clinical target volume D90 dose requirement, normal tissue dose limits, and can escalate doses to local areas of the cervix.

[Community Structure of Heavy Metal Immobilized Bacteria in the Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) Rhizosphere in Soil Polluted by Heavy Metals and Its Effects on Reducing Heavy Metal Accumulation in Lettuce].

To investigate the diversity of culturable bacteria and heavy metal-immobilizing bacteria in vegetable rhizosphere soil with high concentrations of heavy metals and explore these microbial resources, two samples of Italian lettuce rhizosphere soil with high heavy metal concentration (HY) and low heavy metal concentration (DK) were collected from Xinxiang, Henan Province. The diversity of culturable bacteria and heavy metal-immobilizing bacteria in the rhizosphere soil of lettuce was compared by culturable separation technology and a solution adsorption experiment. The enhancement of Cd and Pb immobilization and lettuce growth by the strains was also investigated in a hydroponic experiment. The results showed that 400 strains belonging to 3 phyla and 14 genera were isolated from the HY sample, with ß-Proteobacteria being the dominant phylum. Meanwhile, 400 strains belonging to 4 phyla and 30 genera were isolated from the DK sample, with Firmicutes being the dominant phylum. A total of 146 strains had a strong ability to immobilize heavy metal and the Cd and Pb removal rates were greater than 80% in the HY sample; Brevundimonas, Serratia, Arthrobacter, and Pseudarthrobacter were the main genera. However, 44 strains had a strong ability to immobilize heavy metal and the Cd and Pb removal rates were greater than 80% in the DK sample, with Bacillus being the main genus. Compared with the control, inoculation with Serratia liquefaciens HY-22, Bacillus thuringiensis HY-53, and Acinetobacter lwoffii HY-157 significantly increased the dry weight of roots (7.5%-77.6%) and shoots (15.4%-67.2%) of the Italian lettuce and cauliflower lettuce and reduced the contents of Cd (38.7%-66.6%) and Pb (34.7%-62.5%) in roots and shoots of Italian lettuce. In addition, the contents of Cd and Pb in the fresh shoots of Italian lettuce and cauliflower lettuce in the presence of Bacillus thuringiensis HY-53 were lower than the Cd and Pb limits set by national food safety standards. Thus, the results provided strain resources and a theoretical basis for the remediation of Cd-and Pb-contaminated farmlands for the safe production of crops.

CircZFR serves as a prognostic marker to promote bladder cancer progression by regulating miR-377/ZEB2 signaling.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been identified as crucial regulators of gene expression in human cancer biology. CircZFR is a novel identified circRNA and its effect in bladder cancer remains unclearly. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the role of circZFR in the progression of bladder cancer. First, we demonstrated that the expression of circZFR was higher in bladder cancer tissues and cells compared with adjacent non-tumor tissues and normal bladder epithelial cells. And higher circZFR levels were positively correlated with bladder cancer patients' pathological T stage, grade, lymphatic metastasis, recurrence, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Functionally, knockdown of circZFR could significantly prohibit cell growth, migration and invasion, arrest cell cycle as well as promote apoptosis of bladder cancer cells in vitro study. Mechanistically, we observed that circZFR could directly bind to miR-377 as sponge to promote ZEB2 expression in bladder cancer cells. In addition, rescue assays demonstrated that restoration of ZEB2 significantly impaired the suppressive effects of circZFR silencing on bladder cancer cells growth, migration and invasion. Taken together, our results illuminated that circZFR could be a prognostic biomarker in bladder cancer and exerted oncogenic roles through regulating miR-377/ZEB2 axis in bladder cancer, which indicated that circZFR could be a potential therapeutic target for bladder cancer patients treatment.

Berry phase in an anti-PT symmetric metal-semiconductor complex system.

Berry phase can be used to generate quantum state which is robust to environmental noises in quantum information processing. Recently, the relationship between Berry phase and quantum phase transition attracts great attention in the research about topological states of matter. Here, we investigate the behavior of Berry phase in an anti parity-time symmetric system consisting of a metal nanoparticle and semiconductor quantum dot. The change of Berry phase undergoes a sudden death around exceptional point, i.e., Berry phase keeps unchanged in symmetry unbroken region, while it can be well adjusted through changing the strength and frequency of input light in symmetry broken region. The result demonstrated in this paper may be of significant importance in quantum computation and topological physics.

Regulatory Mechanisms and Clinical Applications of the Long Non-coding RNA PVT1 in Cancer Treatment.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide, and no obvious decline in incidence and mortality has occurred in recent years. It is imperative to further investigate the mechanisms underlying tumor progression. Long non-coding RNAs have received considerable attention in recent years because of their major regulatory roles in gene expression. Among them, PVT1 is well-studied, and substantial evidence indicates that PVT1 plays critical roles in the onset and development of cancers. Normally, PVT1 acts as an oncogenic factor by promoting cancer cell proliferation, invasion, metastasis, and drug resistance. Herein, we summarize current knowledge regarding the regulatory effects of PVT1 in cancer progression, as well as the related underlying mechanisms, such as interaction with Myc, modulation of miRNAs, and regulation of gene transcription and protein expression. In extracellular fluid, PVT1 mainly promotes cancer initiation, and it normally enhances cellular cancer characteristics in the cytoplasm and cell nucleus. Regarding clinical applications, its role in drug resistance and its potential use as a diagnostic and prognostic marker have received increasing attention. We hope that this review will contribute to a better understanding of the regulatory role of PVT1 in cancer progression, paving the way for the development of PVT1-based therapeutic approaches in cancer treatment.

Effect of metformin on cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion in A172 glioma cells and its mechanisms.

The purpose of the present study was to determine the effects of metformin on the inhibition of proliferation, apoptosis, invasion and migration of A172 human glioma cells in vitro and determine the underlying mechanism. The effects of metformin at different concentrations (0, 0.1, 1 and 10 mmol/l) on the inhibition of A172 cell proliferation were detected using a 3­(4,5­dimethylthiazol­2­yl)­2,5­diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. Cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry. Caspase­3 activity was analyzed by spectrophotometry. The invasion and migration of cells were detected by Transwell assays. The levels of Bcl­2­associated X protein (Bax), B­cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl­2), AMP­activated protein kinase (AMPK), phosphorylated­(p)AMPK and mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) protein expression were detected by western blot analysis, and changes in the malondialdehyde (MDA) content and activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) were determined. Compared with the control group, metformin significantly increased the inhibition of proliferation and apoptosis, and significantly reduced the invasion and migration of A172 cells in dose­ and time­dependent manners (P<0.05). In addition, compared with the control group, metformin significantly enhanced the activity of caspase­3, increased the expression of AMPK/pAMPK/Bax proteins and reduced the expression of mTOR/Bcl­2 proteins (P<0.05). Metformin increased the MDA content and reduced the activity of SOD in a dose­dependent manner (P<0.05). Metformin may inhibit glioma cell proliferation, migration and invasion, and promote its apoptosis; the effects may be associated with the AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway and oxidative stress.

[Changes in root and alveolar bone before and after treatment by retracting the upper incisors].

OBJECTIVE: Using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) in image measurement on the patients with maxillary protrusion, the study aims to identify the changes in root and alveolar bone before and after treatment by upper incisor retraction. METHODS: The study was conducted on 37 patients who have received orthodontic treatment from January 2014 to December 2015. The sample comprised 17 males and 20 females, with an average age of 14.5 years. The patients underwent extraction of bimaxillary premolars and given maximum anchorage to retract the upper incisors. The adducent angle, adducent amount, and the amount of elongation of the upper incisor teeth were measured by cephalograms. The patients were scanned by NewTom VGi to obtain CBCT data before and after treatment with upper incisor retraction. Using the NewTom NNT tool, we obtained the multiple planar reconstruction and then adjusted the coronal, axial, and sagittal axis. The sagittal section of the long axis of the maxillary central incisor through the incisal edge and root apex was selected to measure the changes in the root and alveolar bone before and after incisional treatment. RESULTS: Before and after retracting the upper incisors, the adducent angle of central incisor measured 12.92°±6.43°. Adducent amount of the incisors reached (5.54±2.21) mm. Incisor extension amount totaled (0.60±0.95) mm. Root absorption length was (0.81±0.46) mm. Root absorption rate was 6.80%±3.60%. Statistical differences were observed in the changes in root length before and after incisor retraction (P<0.05). After upper incisor retraction, increasing distance from the labial side alveolar ridge to the cemento-enamel junction reached (0.20±0.22) mm. After treatment, we observed that the height of the labial-side alveolar bones decreased and showed statistical difference with the height of labialside alveolar bones before treatment (P<0.05). The results show the correlation between root absorption and horizontal displacement of maxillary center incisor and the distance from the upper incisor apex to labial cortical bone. A correlation also exists between the variable quantity of the labial-side alveolar bones and adducent angle of the upper incisor, with a correlation coefficient of 0.354. The results also show significant difference (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: After compensatory treatment of patients with maxillary protrusion, the root length of upper incisor was absorbed remarkably. The height of the labial-side alveolar bones was reduced. A greater tooth movement or beyond the anatomical limitations and alteration limits of the alveolar bone can easily lead to root resorption. A negative correlation exists between the variable quantity of the labialside alveolar bones and adducent angle of the upper incisor.

Laser guided ionic wind.

We report on a method to experimentally generate ionic wind by coupling an external large electric field with an intense femtosecond laser induced air plasma channel. The measured ionic wind velocity could be as strong as >4 m/s. It could be optimized by increasing the strength of the applied electric field and the volume of the laser induced plasma channel. The experimental observation was qualitatively confirmed by a numerical simulation of spatial distribution of the electric field. The ionic wind can be generated outside a high-voltage geometry, even at remote distances.