Bio-Inspired Interlocking Structures for Enhancing Flexible Coatings Adhesion.

The flexible protective coatings and substrates frequently exhibit unstable bonding in industrial applications. For strong interfacial adhesion of heterogeneous materials and long-lasting adhesion of flexible protective coatings even in harsh corrosive environments. Inspired by the interdigitated structures in Phloeodes diabolicus elytra, a straightforward magnetic molding technique is employed to create an interlocking microarray for reinforced heterogeneous assembly. Benefiting from this bio-inspired microarrays, the interlocking polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) coating recorded a 270% improvement in tensile adhesion and a 520% increase in shear resistance, approaching the tensile limitation of PDMS. The elastic polyurethane-polyamide (PUPI) coating equipped with interlocking structures demonstrated a robust adhesion strength exceeding 10.8 MPa and is nearly unaffected by the corrosion immersion. In sharp contrast, its unmodified counterpart exhibited low initial adhesion and maintain ≈20% of its adhesion strength after 30 d of immersion. PUPI coating integrated with microarrays exhibits superior resistance to corrosion (30 d, |Z|0.01HZ ≈1010  Ω cm2 , Rct ≈108  Ω cm2 ), cavitation and long-term adhesion retention. These interlocking designs can also be adapted to curved surfaces by 3D printing and enhances heterogeneous assembly of non-bonded materials like polyvinylidene fluoride (PTFE) and PDMS. This bio-inspired interlocking structures offers a solution for durably bonding incompatible interfaces across varied engineering applications.

Implications of MCU complex in metabolic diseases.

Metabolic diseases are considered the primary culprit for physical and mental health of individuals. Although the diagnosis of these diseases is relatively easy, more effective and convenient potent drugs are still being explored. Ca2+ across the inner mitochondrial membrane is a vital intracellular messenger that regulates energy metabolism and cellular Ca2+ homeostasis and is involved in cell death. Mitochondria rely on a selective mitochondrial Ca2+ unidirectional transport complex (MCU complex) in their inner membrane for Ca2+ uptake. We found that the channel contains several subunits and undergoes dramatic transformations in various pathological processes, especially in metabolic diseases. In this way, we believe that the MCU complex becomes a target with significant potential for these diseases. However, there is no review linking the two factors, thus hindering the possibility of new drug production. Here, we highlight the connection between MCU complex-related Ca2+ transport and the pathophysiology of metabolic diseases, adding understanding and insight at the molecular level to provide new insights for targeting MCU to reverse metabolism-related diseases.

The role of mitochondria in the peri-implant microenvironment.

NEW FINDINGS: What is the topic of this review? In this review, we consider the key role of mitochondria in the peri-implant milieu, including the regulation of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species and mitochondrial metabolism in angiogenesis, the polarization of macrophage immune responses, and bone formation and bone resorption during osseointegration. What advances does it highlight? Mitochondria contribute to the behaviours of peri-implant cell lines based on metabolic and reactive oxygen species signalling modulations, which will contribute to the research field and the development of new treatment strategies for improving implant success. ABSTRACT: Osseointegration is a dynamic biological process in the local microenvironment adjacent to a bone implant, which is crucial for implant performance and success of the implant surgery. Recently, the role of mitochondria in the peri-implant microenvironment during osseointegration has gained much attention. Mitochondrial regulation has been verified to be essential for cellular events in osseointegration and as a therapeutic target for peri-implant diseases in the peri-implant microenvironment. In this review, we summarize our current knowledge of the key role of mitochondria in the peri-implant milieu, including the regulation of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species and mitochondrial metabolism in angiogenesis, the polarization of macrophage immune responses, and bone formation and resorption during osseointegration, which will contribute to the research field and the development of new treatment strategies to improve implant success. In addition, we indicate limitations in our current understanding of the regulation of mitochondria in osseointegration and suggest topics for further study.

Comparative surgical outcomes of transoral endoscopic and robotic thyroidectomy for thyroid carcinoma: a propensity score-matched analysis.

BACKGROUND: Surgical outcomes of patients with thyroid carcinoma who underwent transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy vestibular approach (TOETVA) versus transoral robotic thyroidectomy (TORT) were compared. METHODS: Patients who underwent TOETVA or TORT between July 2016 and February 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. TOETVA and TORT groups were propensity score-matched (1:1) based on age, sex, body mass index, surgical extent, tumor size, and presence of thyroiditis. RESULTS: A total of 185 patients underwent transoral thyroidectomy (142 TOETVA and 43 TORT). Final diagnoses consisted of 135 papillary and seven follicular thyroid carcinomas in the TOETVA group and 43 papillary thyroid carcinomas in the TORT group (p = 0.138). Mean operative time was shorter for the TOETVA group than the TORT group (106.3 vs. 158.9 min, p < 0.001), whereas mean hospital stay was longer for the TOETVA group than the TORT group (2.2 vs. 1.9 days, p = 0.031). After 1:1 propensity score matching, each group included 43 patients. Mean operative time was shorter in the TOETVA group than the TORT group (106.2 vs. 158.9 min, p < 0.001), whereas mean hospital stay was longer in the TOETVA group (2.3 vs. 1.9 days, p = 0.031). There was no significant difference in vocal cord palsy incidences between the groups (one transient, one permanent in the TOETVA group vs. none in the TORT group, p = 0.359). The learning curve was 71 cases for TOETVA and 25 cases for TORT. CONCLUSION: TOETVA had shorter mean operative time, and TORT had shorter learning curve and shorter mean hospital stay. Surgeons should be familiar with the advantages and disadvantages of each procedure.

Combined exercise and nutrition intervention for older women with spinal sarcopenia: an open-label single-arm trial.

PURPOSE: Spinal sarcopenia is a multifactorial disorder associated with atrophy and fatty changes in paraspinal muscles. Interventional studies for spinal sarcopenia are limited. We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a combined exercise and nutrition intervention for the treatment of spinal sarcopenia. METHODS: 35 community-dwelling older women diagnosed with spinal sarcopenia in a previous cohort study were included. The 12-week combined intervention consisted of back extensor strengthening exercises and protein supplementation. The following outcomes were measured at baseline (week 0), after the intervention (week 12), and follow-up (week 24): conventional variables of sarcopenia (appendicular skeletal muscle mass, handgrip strength, 6-meter gait speed, and short physical performance battery); lumbar extensor muscle mass; lumbar extensor muscle volume and signal intensity; back extensor isokinetic strength; and back performance scale. We used the intention-to-treat analysis method, and repeated measures analysis of variance was used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Of the total 35 potential participants, 26 older women participated in the study (mean age 72.5 ± 4.0 years old). After 12 weeks of combined exercise and nutrition intervention, there were no changes in the appendicular skeletal muscle mass, lumbar extensor muscle mass, volume, or signal intensity. Handgrip strength and back extensor isokinetic strength did not change significantly. Short physical performance battery significantly increased (P = 0.042) from 11.46 ± 0.86 to 11.77 ± 0.53 at week 12 and 11.82 ± 0.40 at week 24. The back performance scale sum score also significantly improved (P = 0.034) from 2.68 ± 1.81 to 1.95 ± 1.21 at week 12 and 2.09 ± 1.34 at week 24. CONCLUSION: The combined exercise and nutrition intervention for community-dwelling older women with spinal sarcopenia could be feasible and helpful in improving the physical performance as well as back performance.

Growth Factor-Decorated Ti3 C2 MXene/MoS2 2D Bio-Heterojunctions with Quad-Channel Photonic Disinfection for Effective Regeneration of Bacteria-Invaded Cutaneous Tissue.

Phototherapy has recently emerged as a competent alternative for combating bacterial infection without antibiotic-resistance risk. However, owing to the bacterial endogenous antioxidative glutathione (GSH), the exogenous reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by phototherapy can hardly behave desired antibacterial effect. To address the daunting issue, a quad-channel synergistic antibacterial nano-platform of Ti3 C2 MXene/MoS2 (MM) 2D bio-heterojunctions (2D bio-HJs) are devised and fabricated, which possess photothermal, photodynamic, peroxidase-like (POD-like), and glutathione oxidase-like properties. Under near-infrared (NIR) laser exposure, the 2D bio-HJs both yield localized heating and raise extracellular ROS level, leading to bacterial inactivation. Synchronously, Mo4+ ions can easily invade into ruptured bacterial membrane, arouse intracellular ROS, and deplete intracellular GSH. Squeezed between the "ROS hurricane" from both internal and external sides, the bacteria are hugely slaughtered. After being further loaded with fibroblast growth factor-21 (FGF21), the 2D bio-HJs exhibit benign cytocompatibility and boost cell migration in vitro. Notably, the in vivo evaluations employing a mouse-infected wound model demonstrate the excellent photonic disinfection towards bacterial infection and accelerated wound healing. Overall, this work provides a powerful nano-platform for the effective regeneration of bacteria-invaded cutaneous tissue using 2D bio-HJs.

Patients' and parents' satisfaction with, and preference for, haemophilia A treatments: a cross-sectional, multicentre, observational study.

INTRODUCTION: Reports on patients' satisfaction and preferred characteristics for treatments would be worthwhile when choosing an optimal treatment reflecting patients' perspectives. AIM: To identify the characteristics and treatment patterns of patients with haemophilia A, or their caregivers, in Korea and explore patient preferences and satisfaction with their treatment. METHODS: This cross-sectional, multicentre, observational study was conducted from April 2018 to September 2019 at six nationwide hospitals and three Korea Hemophilia Foundation clinics. Patients aged ≥16 years, or legal caregivers of paediatric patients, who had used factor VIII (FVIII) concentrates for ≥1 month were enrolled. Satisfaction with treatment was measured using the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication (TSQM); preference was evaluated using discrete choice experiment (DCE), with 10 series of two hypothetical treatment options created from D-efficient block design, which varied across five attributes. RESULTS: Overall, 505 patients (mean age 31 years) were enrolled in the study. Patients had received FVIII concentrate for an average of 102.9 months (prophylaxis: 53.5%; on-demand: 22.2%). Mean TSQM scores were 64.6 (effectiveness domain), 97.9 (side effects), 57.1 (convenience) and 66.8 (global satisfaction). The number of vials per injection, and the frequency of drug administration, was significantly associated with treatment satisfaction. According to DCE, simpler treatment options were preferred by patients/caregivers. CONCLUSION: The lowest satisfaction levels were shown in the treatment convenience domain. Patients/parents preferred simpler and easier treatment characteristics. In an attempt to enhance the overall satisfaction of patients and caregivers with treatment, consideration of more convenient characteristics is required in future decisions regarding treatment selection.

Multi-institutional validation of the 8th AJCC TNM staging system for gastric cancer: Analysis of survival data from high-volume Eastern centers and the SEER database.

BACKGROUND: The clinical relevance and general applicability of the 8th American Joint Committee on Cancer TNM gastric cancer staging system vs the 7th version have not been examined using datasets from both the East and West. METHODS: Patients (n = 29 984) treated for gastric adenocarcinoma at two high-volume centers (Severance Hospital [SH] and Gangnam Severance Hospital [GSH]) in Korea and data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database were retrospectively analyzed. Survival curves, the performance of tumor staging, and the homogeneity of modified subgroups were compared. RESULTS: Minute changes were noted in the stage IIB subgroup; most changes were noted in stage III. Applying the 8th staging system facilitated better prediction of survival than applying the 7th version for SH data according to the log-rank test, C-index, and AIC (8444.5 vs 9263.8, 0.796 vs 0.798, and 104152 vs 103909, respectively). Its performance was also superior for GSH and SEER data. In a subgroup analysis of stages IIB to IIIC in SH, GSH, and SEER data, the 8th staging system showed similar or more homogeneous survival for each sub-classification than the 7th version. CONCLUSION: Compared with the 7th gastric cancer staging system, the newer version more accurately predicted prognosis and stratified subgroups more homogeneously.

Evaluation of the directional relationship between handgrip strength and cognitive function: the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing.

BACKGROUND: recent studies suggest that handgrip strength is linked with cognitive impairment at older ages. However, it remains unclear as to whether muscular strength influences subsequent cognitive performance, or whether lower levels of cognitive function increase the likelihood of muscle strength decline. OBJECTIVE: to investigate the directional relationship between handgrip strength and cognitive impairment using longitudinal data among older adults. METHODS: repeated measures of handgrip strength and cognitive function were collected in a sample of 5,995 participants of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA) over a period of 8 years. Time-lagged general estimating equations, while accounting for correlation among repeated measures, was used to assess the temporal effect of handgrip strength on cognitive impairment and vice versa with adjustment for other confounding factors. RESULTS: after adjustment, greater handgrip strength was related to subsequent reduction in the risk of cognitive impairment, such that participants in the highest quartile presented approximately 50% decrease in their risk of cognitive impairment [adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 0.499 (95% CI 0.422 to 0.589] compared to the lowest quartile after controlling for potential confounding factors. Conversely, cognitive impairment was a significant predictor of reduced muscular strength [ß regression coefficient -0.804, 95% CI, -1.168 to -0.439, for participants with dementia compared with those with normal cognitive function]. CONCLUSIONS: in conclusion, a significant bi-directional relationship was found between muscular strength and cognitive function, suggesting that these may have shared common pathways that are worthy of being further elucidated in future studies.

Art therapy based on appreciation of famous paintings and its effect on distress among cancer patients.

PURPOSE: We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of art therapy based on appreciation of famous paintings on the distress of cancer patients receiving radiotherapy. In particular, we focused on anxiety, depression, and cancer-related symptoms. METHODS: Between October 2015 and February 2016, cancer patients receiving radiotherapy were recruited prospectively to participate in the art therapy based on famous painting appreciation. The art therapy took place in two parts comprising 4 sessions of famous painting appreciation and 4 sessions of creative artwork generation; these sessions were performed twice weekly over four weeks. Cancer-related distress was measured using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), and Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS) at three points: before the art therapy began, after the fourth session of art therapy, and after the eighth session. RESULTS: Of the 24 enrolled patients, 20 (83%) completed all eight sessions. We observed significant improvements in HADS anxiety and total scores over time according to linear mixed models with Bonferroni corrections (all p < 0.05). Furthermore, HDRS scores demonstrated significant decreases according to linear mixed models (p = 0.001). Fewer patients met the HADS or HDRS criteria for severe anxiety or depression after the intervention. We observed no changes in ESAS mean scores. CONCLUSIONS: Art therapy based on famous painting appreciation significantly improved cancer-related anxiety and depression and reduced the prevalence of severe anxiety and depression during cancer treatment.

The hydraulic mechanism of the unfolding of hind wings in Dorcus titanus platymelus (order: Coleoptera).

In most beetles, the hind wings are thin and fragile; when at rest, they are held over the back of the beetle. When the hind wing unfolds, it provides the necessary aerodynamic forces for flight. In this paper, we investigate the hydraulic mechanism of the unfolding process of the hind wings in Dorcus titanus platymelus (Oder: Coleoptera). The wing unfolding process of Dorcus titanus platymelus was examined using high speed camera sequences (400 frames/s), and the hydraulic pressure in the veins was measured with a biological pressure sensor and dynamic signal acquisition and analysis (DSA) during the expansion process. We found that the total time for the release of hydraulic pressure during wing folding is longer than the time required for unfolding. The pressure is proportional to the length of the wings and the body mass of the beetle. A retinal camera was used to investigate the fluid direction. We found that the peak pressures correspond to two main cross-folding joint expansions in the hind wing. These observations strongly suggest that blood pressure facilitates the extension of hind wings during unfolding.

Energy consumption during insect flight and bioinspiration for MAV design: A review.

The excellent biological characteristics of insects provide an important source of inspiration for designing micro air vehicles (MAVs). Insect flight is an incredibly complex and energy-intensive process. Unique insect flight muscles and contraction mechanisms enable flapping at high frequencies. Moreover, the metabolic rate during flight can reach hundreds of times the resting state. Understanding energy consumption during flight is crucial for designing efficient biomimetic aircraft. This paper summarizes the structures and contraction mechanisms of insect flight muscles, explores the underlying metabolic processes, and identifies methods for energy substrate identification and detection, and discusses inspiration for biomimetic MAV design. This paper reviews energy consumption during insect flight, promotes the understanding of insect bioenergetics, and applies this information to the design of MAVs.

Bionic 3D Path Planning for Plant Protection UAVs Based on Swarm Intelligence Algorithms and Krill Swarm Behavior.

The protection of plants in mountainous and hilly areas differs from that in plain areas due to the complex terrain, which divides the work plot into many narrow plots. When designing the path planning method for plant protection UAVs, it is important to consider the generality in different working environments. To address issues such as poor path optimization, long operation time, and excessive iterations required by traditional swarm intelligence algorithms, this paper proposes a bionic three-dimensional path planning algorithm for plant protection UAVs. This algorithm aims to plan safe and optimal flight paths between work plots obstructed by multiple obstacle areas. Inspired by krill group behavior and based on group intelligence algorithm theory, the bionic three-dimensional path planning algorithm consists of three states: "foraging behavior", "avoiding enemy behavior", and "cruising behavior". The current position information of the UAV in the working environment is used to switch between these states, and the optimal path is found after several iterations, which realizes the adaptive global and local convergence of the track planning, and improves the convergence speed and accuracy of the algorithm. The optimal flight path is obtained by smoothing using a third-order B-spline curve. Three sets of comparative simulation experiments are designed to verify the performance of this proposed algorithm. The results show that the bionic swarm intelligence algorithm based on krill swarm behavior reduces the path length by 1.1~17.5%, the operation time by 27.56~75.15%, the path energy consumption by 13.91~27.35%, and the number of iterations by 46~75% compared with the existing algorithms. The proposed algorithm can shorten the distance of the planned path more effectively, improve the real-time performance, and reduce the energy consumption.

Research on Deployable Wings for MAVs Bioinspired by the Hind Wings of the Beetle Protaetia brevitarsis.

Deployable hind wings of beetles led to a bio-inspired idea to design deployable micro aerial vehicles (MAVs) to meet the requirement of miniaturization. In this paper, a bionic deployable wing (BD-W) model is designed based on the folding mechanism and elliptical wing vein structure of the Protaetia brevitarsis hindwing, and its structural static and aerodynamic characteristics are analyzed by using ANSYS Workbench. Finally, the 3D-printed bionic deployable wing was tested in a wind tunnel and compared with simulation experiments to explore the effects of different incoming velocity, flapping frequency, and angle of attack on its aerodynamic characteristics, which resulted in the optimal combination of the tested parameters, among which, the incoming velocity is 3 m/s, the flapping frequency is 10 Hz, the angle of attack is 15°, and the lift-to-drag ratio of this parameter combination is 4.91. The results provide a theoretical basis and technical reference for the further development of bionic flapping wing for MAV applications.

Differential response to roflumilast in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: real-world evidence.

Background: Roflumilast is effective in reducing acute exacerbation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) at high risk of severe exacerbation. Clinical traits related to the benefits of roflumilast need to be evaluated in patients with COPD. Methods: A longitudinal observational study in patients newly diagnosed with COPD was conducted using claims data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service in South Korea from 2012-2020 after a 2-year washout period. The primary outcome was to estimate the ratio of hazard ratio (RHR) of roflumilast for moderate-to-severe exacerbation in prespecified subgroups. A time-dependent Cox regression model was used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) for moderate-to-severe exacerbations. Results: Among 823,862 patients with COPD, 0.6% used roflumilast. The adjusted HR of roflumilast for moderate-to-severe exacerbations was reduced when treated for ≥3 months (RHR =0.558). Interaction effects of the variables on the HR of roflumilast for moderate-to-severe exacerbation were identified. The adjusted HR of roflumilast for moderate-to-severe exacerbation was significantly reduced in several subgroups: older age (65 years > age ≥50 years, RHR =0.838; age ≥65 years, RHR =0.818), a higher Charlson comorbidity index (1, RHR =0.832; 2, RHR =0.798; ≥3, RHR =0.790), history of exacerbation (RHR =0.886), bronchiectasis (RHR =0.774), chronic bronchitis (RHR =0.793), inhaled therapy [mono-bronchodilator, RHR =0.824; inhaled corticosteroid (ICS)/long-acting beta-agonist (LABA), RHR =0.591; LABA/long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA), RHR =0.822; ICS/LABA/LAMA, RHR =0.570], methylxanthine (RHR =0.853), and statin (RHR =0.888). Conclusions: The benefit of roflumilast in moderate-to-severe exacerbations was estimated to be greater in specific subgroups of patients with COPD. Personalised approaches to roflumilast based on clinical phenotypes would be effective for COPD.

Review of insect-inspired wing micro air vehicle.

Micro air vehicles (MAVs) have wide application prospects in environmental monitoring, disaster rescue and other civil fields because of their flexibility and maneuverability. Compared with fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft, flapping wing micro air vehicles (FWMAVs) have higher energy utilization efficiency and lower cost and have attracted extensive attention from scientists. Insects have become excellent bionic objects for the study of FWMAVs due to their characteristics of low Reynolds number, low noise, hoverability, small size and light weight. By mimicking flying insects, it may be possible to create highly efficient biomimetic FWMAVs. In this paper, insect flight aerodynamics are reviewed, and the mechanism designs of insect-inspired FWMAVs and their aerodynamics are summarized, including the wing type effect, vibration characteristics and aerodynamic characteristics of the flapping wing.

GelMA/κ-carrageenan double-network hydrogels with superior mechanics and biocompatibility.

Hydrogels are crosslinked hydrophilic polymer networks of high-water content. Although they have been widely investigated, preparing hydrogels with excellent mechanical properties and biocompatibility remains a challenge. In the present work, we developed a novel GelMA/κ-carrageenan (GelMA/KC) double network (DN) hydrogel through a dual crosslinking strategy. The three-dimensional (3D) microstructure of KC is the first network, and covalently crosslinked on the κ-carrageenan backbone is the second network. The GelMA/KC hydrogel shows advantages in physical properties, including higher compression strength (10% GelMA/1% KC group, 130 kPa) and Young's modulus (10% GelMA/1% KC group, 300), suggesting its excellent elasticity and compressive capability. When using a higher concentration of GelMA, the hybrid hydrogel has even higher mechanical properties. In addition, the GelMA/KC hydrogel is favorable for cell spreading and proliferation, demonstrating its excellent biocompatibility. This study provides a new possibility for a biodegradable and high-strength hydrogel as a new generation material of orthopedic implants.

The interplay between hydrogen and halogen bonding: substituent effects and their role in the hydrogen bond enhanced halogen bond.

The hydrogen bond enhanced halogen bond (HBeXB) has recently been used to effectively improve anion binding, organocatalysis, and protein structure/function. In this study, we present the first systematic investigation of substituent effects in the HBeXB. NMR analysis confirmed intramolecular HBing between the amine and the electron-rich belt of the XB donor (N-H⋯I). Gas-phase density functional theory studies showed that the influence of HBing on the halogen atom is more sensitive to substitution on the HB donor ring (R1). The NMR studies revealed that the intramolecular HBing had a significant impact on receptor performance, resulting in a 50-fold improvement. Additionally, linear free energy relationship (LFER) analysis was employed for the first time to study the substituent effect in the HBeXB. The results showed that substituents on the XB donor ring (R2) had a competing effect where electron donating groups strengthened the HB and weakened the XB. Therefore, selecting an appropriate substituent on the adjacent HB donor ring (R1) could be an alternative and effective way to enhance an electron-rich XB donor. X-ray crystallographic analysis demonstrated that intramolecular HBing plays an important role in the receptor adopting the bidentate conformation. Taken together, the findings imply that modifying distal substituents that affect neighboring noncovalent interactions can have a similar impact to conventional para substitution substituent effects.

Perturbation of mitochondrial dynamics links to the aggravation of periodontitis by diabetes.

Diabetes and periodontitis are prevalent diseases that considerably impact global economy and diabetes is a major risk factor of periodontitis. Mitochondrial dynamic alterations are involved in many diseases including diabetes and this study aims to evaluate their relevance with diabetes aggravated periodontitis. Sixty mice are randomly divided into 4 groups: control, periodontitis, diabetes and diabetic periodontitis. Periodontitis severity is evaluated by alveolar bone loss, inflammation and oxidative stress status. Mitochondrial structural and functional defects are evaluated by the mitochondrial fission/fusion events, mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, complex activities and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production. Advanced glycation end product (AGE) and Porphyromonas gingivalis are closely related to periodontitis occurrence and development. Human gingival fibroblast cells (HGF-1) are used to investigate the AGE role and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Porphyromonas gingivalis (P-LPS) in aggravating diabetic periodontitis by mitochondrial dynamic and function alterations. In vivo, diabetic mice with periodontitis show severe bone loss, increased inflammation and oxidative stress accumulation. Among mice with periodontitis, diabetic mice show worse mitochondrial dynamic perturbations than lean mice, along with fusion protein levels inducing more mitochondrial fission in gingival tissue. In vitro, AGEs and P-LPS co-treatment causes severe.

Distinct Clinical and Laboratory Features of COVID-19 in Children During the Pre-Delta, Delta and Omicron Wave.

BACKGROUND: The SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern exhibit distinct features in terms of transmissibility and virulence. This study compared the clinical characteristics of COVID-19 in children during pre-Delta, Delta and Omicron waves. METHODS: Medical records of 1163 children <19 years of age with COVID-19 admitted to a designated hospital in Seoul, South Korea, were analyzed. Clinical and laboratory findings during the pre-Delta (March 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021; 330 children), Delta (July 1, 2021, to December 31, 2021; 527 children) and Omicron (January 1, 2022, to May 10, 2022; 306 children) waves were compared. RESULTS: Children during the Delta wave were older and had a higher proportion of fever ≥5 days and pneumonia than children during the pre-Delta and Omicron waves. The Omicron wave was characterized by younger age and a higher proportion of fever ≥39.0 °C, febrile seizure and croup. More children <2 years of age and adolescents aged 10 to <19 years experienced neutropenia and lymphopenia, respectively, during the Delta wave. Children aged 2 to <10 years had a higher incidence of leukopenia and lymphopenia during the Omicron wave. CONCLUSIONS: Distinct features of COVID-19 were observed in children during the Delta and Omicron surges. Continuous scrutiny of the manifestations of variants of concern is needed for appropriate public health response and management.