Historical reconstruction of glacier mass balance and its contribution to water resources in the Sawir Mountains from 2000 to 2020.

Glacial changes are crucial to regional water resources and ecosystems in the Sawir Mountains. However, glacial changes, including the mass balance and glacial meltwater of the Sawir Mountains, have sparsely been reported. Three model calibration strategies were constructed including a regression model based on albedo and in-situ mass balance of Muz Taw Glacier (A-Ms), regression model based on albedo and geodetic mass balance of valley, cirque, and hanging glaciers (A-Mr), and degree-day model (DDM) to obtain a reliable glacier mass balance in the Sawir Mountains and provide the latest understanding in the contribution of glacial meltwater runoff to regional water resources. The results indicated that the glacial albedo reduction was significant from 2000 to 2020 for the entire Sawir Mountains, with a rate of 0.015 (10a)-1, and the spatial pattern was higher in the east compared to the west. Second, the three strategies all indicated that the glacier mass balance has been continuously negative during the past 20 periods, and the average annual glacier mass balance was -1.01 m w.e. Third, the average annual glacial meltwater runoff in the Sawir Mountains from 2000 to 2020 was 22 × 106 m3, and its contribution to streamflow was 25.81 % from 2000 to 2018. The glacier contribution rates in the Ulkun- Ulastu, Lhaster, and Kendall River basins were 31.37 %, 22.51 %, and 19.27 %, respectively.

The improvement of periodontal tissue regeneration using a 3D-printed carbon nanotube/chitosan/sodium alginate composite scaffold.

Periodontal disease is a common disease in the oral field, and many researchers are studying periodontal disease and try to find some biological scaffold materials to make periodontal tissue regenerative. In this study, we attempted to construct a carbon nanotube/chitosan/sodium alginate (CNT/CS/AL) ternary composite hydrogel and then prepare porous scaffold by 3D printing technology. Subsequently, characterizing the materials and testing the mechanical properties of the scaffold. Additionally, its effect on the proliferation of human periodontal ligament cells (hPDLCs) and its antibacterial effect on Porphyromonas gingivalis were detected. We found that CNT/CS/AL porous composite scaffolds with uniform pores could be successfully prepared. Moreover, with increasing CNT concentration, the degradation rate and the swelling degree of scaffold showed a downward trend. The compressive strength test indicated the elastic modulus of composite scaffolds ranged from 18 to 80 kPa, and 1% CNT/CS/AL group had the highest quantitative value. Subsequently, cell experiments showed that the CNT/CS/AL scaffold had good biocompatibility and could promote the proliferation of hPDLCs. Among 0.1%-1% CNT/CS/AL groups, the biocompatibility of 0.5% CNT/CS/AL scaffold performed best. Meanwhile, in vitro antibacterial experiments showed that the CNT/CS/AL scaffold had a certain bacteriostatic effect on P. gingivalis. When the concentration of CNT was more than 0.5%, the antimicrobial activity of composite scaffold was significantly promoted, and about 30% bacteria were inactivated. In conclusion, this 3D-printed CNT/CS/AL composite scaffold, with good material properties, biocompatibility and bacteriostatic activity, may be used for periodontal tissue regeneration, providing a new avenue for the treatment of periodontal disease.

Aberrant ARMCX1 Expression Is an Independent Predictor of Poor Prognosis in Gastric Cancer.

ARMCX1 (Armadillo repeat containing X-linked 1) is identified to be the novel tumor suppressor gene related to multiple tumor types. Nonetheless, its effect on gastric cancer (GC) is still poorly understood. The present work determined ARMCX1 level within GC and the relation with clinicopathological characteristics. This work also collected relevant information in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database for investigating associations of ARMCX1 with clinicopathologic variables and then validated in our GC cohort. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted for assessing whether ARMCX1 expression was significant in diagnosing GC. Kaplan-Meier (KM) and Cox regression analyses were conducted for assessing clinicopathological characteristics associated with overall survival (OS) of GC cases. The data from the Human Protein Atlas (HPA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases was also analyzed for further validation, and biological processes (BPs) were identified by gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). GC tissues showed markedly decreased ARMCX1 level relative to healthy counterparts (P < 0.001). Interestingly, ARMCX1 upregulation predicted low differentiation, poor OS, increased invasion, and late tumor stage. In addition, the area under ROC curve (AUC) and P value were 0.747 and <0.001, separately. Cases showing ARMCX1 upregulation showed significantly poor prognostic outcome compared with patients showing downregulation (P = 0.007). Furthermore, multivariate analysis showed that ARMCX1 upregulation independently predicted the risk of OS (P = 0.0017, hazard ratio, 1.089). GSEA analysis identified that several cancer-related pathways, such as focal adhesion, ECM receptor interaction, JAK/STAT, melanoma, WNT, and cancer, were enriched in GCs. We conclude that ARMCX1 serves as the possibly independent biomarker to diagnose and predict GC prognostic outcome.

Rutin-Loaded Silver Nanoparticles With Antithrombotic Function.

In this paper, we fabricated rutin-loaded silver nanoparticles (Rutin@AgNPs) as the nano-anticoagulant with antithrombotic function. The serum stability, anticoagulation activity, and bleeding risk of Rutin@AgNPs were evaluated. The results showed Rutin@AgNPs had good serum stability, hemocompatibility, and cytocompatibility. The anticoagulation activity of rutin was maintained, and its stability and aqueous solubility were improved. The Rutin@AgNPs could provide a sustained release to prolong the half-life of rutin. The results of the coagulation parameter assay and thrombus formation test in mice model showed that the activated partial thromboplastin time and prothrombin time were prolonged, and Rutin@AgNPs inhibited the thrombosis in the 48 h period. Moreover, the limited bleeding time indicated that the Rutin@AgNPs significantly minimized the hemorrhage risk of rutin. This Rutin@AgNPs is a potential anticoagulant for antithrombotic therapy.

The effect of NLRP inflammasome on the regulation of AGEs-induced inflammatory response in human periodontal ligament cells.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Diabetes influences the frequency and development of periodontitis. Inflammation of human periodontal ligament cells (HPDLCs) participates in this pathologic process. Hence, this study aims to explore whether advanced glycation end products (AGEs), by-products of diabetes, could exaggerate inflammation induced by muramyl dipeptide (MDP) in HPDLCs, and whether nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptors (NLRs) signaling pathway was involved. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Human periodontal ligament cells were pre-treated with 100 µg/mL AGEs for 24 hours and stimulated with 10 µg/mL MDP for 24 hours. IL-6, IL-1ß, and RAGE were detected, and the activation of NF-κB signaling pathway was observed. The expression of NLRs was evaluated with or without silencing RAGE or blocking NF-κB pathway under AGEs stimulation. Statistical analyses were performed by using independent sample t test. RESULTS: Advanced glycation end products induced significant increase of inflammatory cytokines in HPDLCs (P < 0.05). Results of western blot (WB) showed that after 45 minutes stimulation of AGEs, p-p65/p65 ratio peaked; AGEs promoted the expression of NLRP1, NLRP3, and apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD (ASC). After silencing RAGE or blocking NF-κB pathway, the up-regulation of NLRs protein caused by AGEs was attenuated. Additionally, AGEs pre-treatment could enhance the inflammatory response of MDP and the expression of NLRs, which were demonstrated by more expression of IL-6, IL-1ß, NOD2, NLRP1, NLRP3, and ASC. CONCLUSION: Advanced glycation end products induced inflammatory response in HPDLCs via NLRP1-inflammasome and NLRP3-inflammasome activation in which NF-κB signal pathway was involved. Besides, AGEs promoted the inflammatory response of MDP via NOD2, NLRP1-inflammasome, and NLRP3-inflammasome.

The enhancement of osseointegration using a graphene oxide/chitosan/hydroxyapatite composite coating on titanium fabricated by electrophoretic deposition.

Titanium (Ti) has been commonly used as an implant material in dentistry and bone surgery for several decades. Meanwhile, surface modification of titanium can enhance the osseointegration of implants. In this study, a graphene oxide/chitosan/hydroxyapatite (GO/CS/HA) composite coating was fabricated by electrophoretic deposition on Ti substrates. Subsequently, the surface morphology, phase composition, wettability, and bonding strength of this composite coating were researched. Additionally, in vitro cytological examination was performed, including evaluations of cell adhesion, cell viability, cell differentiation, cell mineralization, and osteogenetic factor expression. Finally, the in vivo osteogenetic properties were evaluated through an animal study, including a histological analysis, a microcomputed tomography, and biomechanical tests. The results showed that a homogeneous and crack-free GO/CS/HA composite coating was coated on Ti, and the wettability and bonding strength of the GO/CS/HA composite coating were enhanced compared with HA, GO/HA, and CS/HA coatings. Furthermore, the GO/CS/HA coating greatly heightened the cell-material interactions in vitro. Additionally, this GO/CS/HA-Ti implant could enhance osseointegration in vivo. Consequently, GO/CS/HA-Ti may have potential applications in the field of dental implants. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 2018. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater 107B: 635-645, 2019.

Jumonji domain-containing protein 3 regulates the early inflammatory response epigenetically in human periodontal ligament cells.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of the histone 3 lysine 27 trimethylation (H3K27me3) demethylase Jumonji domain-containing protein 3 (Jmjd3) in the epigenetic regulation of the inflammatory response in human periodontal ligament cells (HPDLs). DESIGN: HPDLs were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide from E. coli. The expression of Jmjd3 in HPDLs was examined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (Q-PCR), Western Blot and immunofluorescent staining. Potential target genes were selected by silencing Jmjd3 and were confirmed by Chromatin Immunoprecipitation (ChIP). RESULTS: Q-PCR, Western Blot and immunofluorescent staining revealed that the expression of Jmjd3 was increased in inflamed HPDLs. Knockdown of Jmjd3 led to the suppression of inflammation-induced up-regulation of interleukin-6 and interleukin-12. Moreover, ChIP assays demonstrated that Jmjd3 was recruited to the promoters of interleukin-6 and interleukin-12b and this recruitment was associated with decreased levels of trimethylated histone 3 lysine 27 (H3K27). CONCLUSIONS: It was concluded that Jmjd3 regulated the activation of interleukin-6 and interleukin-12b in the early inflammatory response of HPDLs via demethylation of H3K27me3 at promoters. This molecular event may play an important role in the regulation of the inflammatory response in HPDLs.

MicroRNA-335-5p Plays Dual Roles in Periapical Lesions by Complex Regulation Pathways.

INTRODUCTION: MicroRNA-335-5p has been reported to regulate osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiations of mesenchymal stem cells. The aim of this study was to explore the function and regulation mechanism of miR-335-5p in apical periodontitis (AP). METHODS: Total RNAs were extracted from human periodontal ligament fibroblasts (HPDLFs), 10 AP tissues, and 6 healthy periodontal ligament tissues using lysis buffer. Gene expression was detected using real-time polymerase chain reaction. The Dual Luciferase Assay (Promega, Madison, WI) was used to test miR-335-5p directly targeted urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) and the receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand (RANKL). Western Blot was used to detect protein expressions of RANKL, uPAR, and the fragile X-related 1 gene (FXR1). The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the secretions of interleukin 6, tumor necrosis factor alpha, and RANKL. Data were analyzed using the Student t test. RESULTS: miR-335-5p acted as a positive mediator in HPDLF inflammation (P < .05). Two targets of miR-335-5p, uPAR and RANKL, were identified. Interestingly, uPAR was repressed by miR-335-5p at the basal level, but it can be relieved from miR-335-5p-mediated repression, which is called derepression, when HPDLFs were subjected to lipopolysaccharide stimulation. miR-335-5p promoted RANKL in HPDLFs regardless of whether or not it was under inflammatory conditions (P < .05). We proved FXR1 was responsible for the derepression of uPAR from miR-335-5p (P < .01). Both FXR1 and uPAR were positive mediators in HPDLF inflammation (P < .05). miR-335-5p, uPAR, RANKL, and FXR1 had the same expression profiles in HPDLF inflammation and AP tissues (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Our data showed that miR-335-5p may play dual roles in AP, and it might be considered as a target for therapeutic potency in clinical applications.