[Lung and gut microbiota and their interaction with the carcinogenesis and development of lung cancer: a review].

Lung microbiota and gut microbiota are closely related to lung cancer. Studies have shown that the dysbiosis, i.e., the significantly altered composition and structure of gut and lung microbiota, usually occurs in patients with lung cancer. With the introduction of "Gut-Lung Axis", an increasing attention has been paid to the close relationship between the lung and gut microbiota in human body. A deeper insight into this relationship would facilitate understanding the mechanisms behind the carcinogenesis and development of lung cancer. This article summarizes the composition of lung and gut microbiota in patients with lung cancer and the possible interaction mechanisms, highlighting the importance of the immune system in the Gut-Lung Axis. The effects of lung and gut microbiota on the clinical treatment of lung cancer were summarized, based on which the authors propose that the lung and gut microbiota can be used as novel targets for early diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer.

Tantalum Particles Induced Cytotoxic and Inflammatory Effects in Human Monocytes.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the biological safety of tantalum (Ta) particles and to further explore the effects of Ta particles on human monocyte toxicity and inflammatory cytokine expression. Human monocyte leukemia (THP-1) cells were cultured with Ta and hydroxyapatite (HA) particles. Cell counting kit-8 method was used to evaluate the cytotoxicity of Ta and HA particles. The apoptosis effects were evaluated by flow cytometry, and the protein expression levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were evaluated by ELISA. The protein levels of inflammation-related signaling pathways including nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and extracellular regulated kinase (ERK) were detected by western blotting. The cytotoxicity test showed that the toxicity level of Ta in vitro was grade l, which is within the clinically acceptable range. Compared with the HA control, Ta had no significant effect on THP-1 cell apoptosis, IL-6, and TNF-α release. The phosphorylated levels of NF-κB and ERK at 3 h in the Ta group were lower than those in the HA and control groups (P < 0.001 both). These results reveal Ta particles behave good biosafety properties and provide some new insights for the future clinical use of Ta.

[Phosphate Removal on Zirconium Alginate/Poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) Hydrogel Beads with a Semi-interpenetrating Network].

Zirconium alginate/poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) hydrogel beads with a semi-interpenetrating network (ZA/PNIPAM) were prepared by using the ionic crosslinking and radical polymerization method and investigated for phosphate removal from aqueous solutions. The effects on the adsorption performance of hydrogel beads, including initial pH, adsorbent dose, initial phosphate concentration, and co-existing anions, were evaluated systematically. Results showed that the ZA/PNIPAM could exhibit a maximum uptake capacity of phosphate at pH 2.The uptake capacity of the adsorbent increased with a decrease in the dose or an increase in the initial phosphate concentration. The presence of SO42- had a more negative effect on phosphate removal compared to Cl- and NO3-. The kinetics fitted a pseudo-second-order model and intraparticle diffusion model, suggesting the adsorption rate was mainly controlled by surface adsorption and diffusion into the interior of the hydrogel beads. The isotherm data could be described by the Freundlich model, indicating that the adsorption process was heterogeneous multilayer adsorption. The studies of FTIR, XPS, and zero point of charge with relevant adsorption data revealed that the phosphate adsorption mechanisms could be electrostatic attraction (physical adsorption) and ligand exchange reactions (chemical adsorption). After four cycles of regeneration, ZA/PNIPAM exhibited a stable uptake capacity, indicating favorable reusability.

Pre-programmed robotic osteotomies for fibula free flap mandible reconstruction: A preclinical investigation.

Bony free flap reconstruction of the facial skeleton remains a challenging area of reconstructive surgery. Despite technological advances that have aided planning and execution of these procedures, surgical inaccuracy is not insignificant. One source of error that has not been wholly addressed is that attributable to a human operator. In this study, we investigate the feasibility and accuracy of performing osteotomies robotically in pre-programmed fashion for fibula free flap mandible reconstruction as a method to reduce inaccuracies related to human error. A mandibular defect and corresponding free fibula flap reconstruction requiring six osteotomies were designed on a CAD platform. A methodology was developed to translate this virtual surgical plan data to a robot (KUKA, Augsburgs, Germany), which then executed osteotomies on three-dimensional (3D) printed fibula flaps with the aid of dynamic stereotactic navigation. Using high-resolution computed tomography, the osteotomized segments were compared to the virtually planned segments in order to measure linear and angular accuracy. A total of 18 robotic osteotomies were performed on three 3D printed fibulas. Compared to the virtual preoperative plan, the average linear variation of the osteotomized segments was 1.3 ± 0.4 mm, and the average angular variation was 4.2 ± 1.7°. This preclinical study demonstrates the feasibility of pre-programmed robotic osteotomies for free fibula flap mandible reconstruction. Preliminarily, this method exhibits high degrees of linear and angular accuracy, and may be of utility in the development of techniques to further improve surgical accuracy.

The effect of graded glass-zirconia structure on the bond between core and veneer in layered zirconia restorations.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that a graded glass-zirconia structure can strengthen the core-veneer bond in layered zirconia materials. METHODS: A graded glass-zirconia structure was fabricated by infiltrating glass compositions developed in our laboratory into a presintered yttria tetrahedral zirconia polycrystal (Y-TZP) substrate by the action of capillary forces. The wettability of the infiltrated glass and Y-TZP substrate was investigated by the sessile drop technique. The microstructures of the graded glass-zirconia structure were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The phase structure characterization in the graded glass-zirconia structure were identified by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The elastic modulus and hardness of the graded glass-zirconia structure were evaluated from nanoindentations. Further, the shear bond strength (SBS) of the graded glass-zirconia structure and veneering porcelain was also evaluated. RESULTS: SEM images confirmed the formation of the graded glass-zirconia structure. Glass frits wet the Y-TZP substrate at 1200 °C with a contact angle of 43.2°. Only a small amount of t-m transformation was observed in as-infiltrated Y-TZP specimens. Nanoindentation studies of the glass-zirconia graded structure showed that the elastic modulus and hardness of the surface glass layer were higher than those of the dense Y-TZP layer. The mean SBS values for the graded glass-zirconia structure and veneering porcelain (24.35 ± 0.40 MPa) were statistically higher than those of zirconia and veneering porcelain (9.22 ± 0.20 MPa) (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: A graded glass-zirconia structure can be fabricated by the glass infiltration/densification technique, and this structure exhibits a strong core-veneer bond.

Optical coherence tomography guided laser cochleostomy: towards the accuracy on tens of micrometer scale.

Lasers have been proven to be precise tools for bone ablation. Applying no mechanical stress to the patient, they are potentially very suitable for microsurgery on fragile structures such as the inner ear. However, it remains challenging to control the laser-bone ablation without injuring embedded soft tissue. In this work, we demonstrate a closed-loop control of a short-pulsed CO2 laser to perform laser cochleostomy under the monitoring of an optical coherence tomography (OCT) system. A foresighted detection of the bone-endosteum-perilymph boundary several hundred micrometers before its exposure has been realized. Position and duration of the laser pulses are planned based on the residual bone thickness distribution. OCT itself is also used as a highly accurate tracking system for motion compensation between the target area and the optics. During ex vivo experimental evaluation on fresh porcine cochleae, the ablation process terminated automatically when the thickness of the residual tissue layer uniformly reached a predefined value. The shape of the resulting channel bottom converged to the natural curvature of the endosteal layer without injuring the critical structure. Preliminary measurements in OCT scans indicated that the mean absolute accuracy of the shape approximation was only around 20 µm.