Three dyes for use in tissue marking inks for biopsies and other small specimens.

In histological processing, the loss of a small biopsies can prevent diagnosis by the pathologist. Appropriate specimen marking dyes are helpful, but those sold for the purpose have trade-secret components. The purpose of this study is to find suitable dyes with known chemistry to improve the visibility of small specimens. Samples of various organs, including stomach, lung, nasopharynx, small intestine and sentinel lymph nodes, were labeled with Rose red D-FR (CI 282855, Direct red 227), Blue 2RL (CI 24315, Direct blue 80), and Purple D-5BL (CI 29120, Direct violet 66). Clinical pathologists evaluated the dyeing capability and determined any interference of the marking dyes with diagnosis of stained sections. Direct red 227, Direct blue 80, and Direct violet 66 all increased the visibility of small specimens, without interfering with hematoxylin & eosin (HE) staining or immunohistochemistry. All three dyes can therefore be recommended for marking small specimens such as biopsies.

Low-temperature solution-processed LaNiO3 hole-transport layer for UV-stable inverted perovskite solar cells.

We report a solution-processing method to prepare an inorganic LaNiO3 (LNO) hole-transport layer (HTL) under low temperature (<150 °C) for the first time. The inverted PSCs prepared with LNO exhibit high UV-stability and promising efficiency (17.15%). Our preliminary results show great potential for LNO HTL in the fabrication of efficient and photostable inverted perovskite solar cells (PSCs).

Manipulation of the Buried Interface for Robust Formamidinium-based Sn-Pb Perovskite Solar Cells with NiOx Hole-Transport Layers.

Low band gap tin-lead perovskite solar cells (Sn-Pb PSCs) are expected to achieve higher efficiencies than Pb-PSCs and regarded as key components of tandem PSCs. However, the realization of high efficiency is challenged by the instability of Sn2+ and the imperfections at the charge transfer interfaces. Here, we demonstrate an efficient ideal band gap formamidinium (FA)-based Sn-Pb (FAPb0.5 Sn0.5 I3 ) PSC, by manipulating the buried NiOx /perovskite interface with 4-hydroxyphenethyl ammonium halide (OH-PEAX, X=Cl- , Br- , or I- ) interlayer, which exhibits fascinating functions of reducing the surface defects of the NiOx hole transport layer (HTL), enhancing the perovskite film quality, and improving both the energy level matching and physical contact at the interface. The effects of different halide anions have been elaborated and a 20.53 % efficiency is obtained with OH-PEABr, which is the highest one for FA-based Sn-Pb PSCs using NiOx HTLs. Moreover, the device stability is also boosted.

Regulating the Interplay at the Buried Interface for Efficient and Stable Carbon-Based CsPbI2Br Perovskite Solar Cells.

Buried interface modification is promising for preparing high-performance perovskite solar cells (PSCs) by improving the film quality and adjusting the interfacial energy level alignment. In this work, multifunctional ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid diammonium (EAD)-modulated ZnO is employed as an effective buried interface to regulate the interplay between SnO2 and CsPbI2Br in carbon-based inorganic PSCs (C-IPSCs). The burying of EAD into the ZnO interlayer not only enhances the photoelectric properties of ZnO by passivating oxygen defects but also adjusts the energy level alignment of the buried interface. More importantly, the perovskite quality is optimized and the buried interface defects are passivated due to the formation of coordination and hydrogen bondings. Benefiting from such a robust and efficient charge transfer configuration, a maximum power conversion efficiency of 14.58% is achieved in the optimized device, which represents the highest performance reported among those of low-temperature CsPbI2Br C-IPSCs. In addition, the unencapsulated device demonstrates better long-term and thermal stability.

Small Molecules Functionalized Zinc Oxide Interlayers for High Performance Low-Temperature Carbon-Based CsPbI2 Br Perovskite Solar Cells.

The charge recombination resulting from bulk defects and interfacial energy level mismatch hinders the improvement of the power conversion efficiency (PCE) and stability of carbon-based inorganic perovskite solar cells (C-IPSCs). Herein, a series of small molecules including ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and its derivatives (EDTA-Na and EDTA-K) are studied to functionalize the zinc oxide (ZnO) interlayers at the SnO2 /CsPbI2 Br buried interface to boost the photovoltaic performance of low-temperature C-IPSCs. This strategy can simultaneously passivate defects in ZnO and perovskite films, adjust interfacial energy level alignment, and release interfacial tensile stress, thereby improving interfacial contact, inhibiting ion migration, alleviating charge recombination, and promoting electron transport. As a result, a maximum PCE of 13.94% with a negligible hysteresis effect is obtained, which is one of the best results reported for low-temperature CsPbI2 Br C-IPSCs so far. Moreover, the optimized devices without encapsulation demonstrate greatly improved operational stability.

[Biology behavior of head and neck squamous cell cancer cells changes after knocking down heat shock protein 27].

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to observe the metastatic behavior of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cells after knocking down heat shock protein (Hsp) 27. METHODS: The experiment was divided into three groups: the lentivirus vector plasmid of pLenti-shRNA-Hsp27 was transfected into UM-SCC-22B cells as experimental group (shHsp27 group), routine culture of UM-SCC-22B cells as blank control (ctrl group), UM-SCC-22B cells transfection of pLenti-shRNA-ctrl lentivirus vector as negative control (shctrl group). Through real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and Western blot assay to detect the mRNA expression of Hsp27 in three groups. MTS assay was performed to detect cell-proliferation changes, wounding healing assay was performed to detect cell-migration changes, and Matrigel Transwell invasion assay was performed to detect cell-invasion changes. RESULTS: The expression of Hsp27 in shHsp27 group decreased signifi-cantly; MTS assay showed that UM-SCC-22B before and after Hsp27 knockdown had similar proliferation rates after being cultured for 24 or 48 h. Compared with the ctrl group, the shHsp27 group decreased the metastatic behavior by 4.38-fold in migration and 2.03-fold in cell invasion. CONCLUSIONS: Stably transfected lentivirus vector plasmid of pLenti-shRNA-Hsp27 can efficiently decrease Hsp27 expression and reduce the metastasis ability of UM-SCC-22B.

Tyrosine-protein phosphatase non-receptor type 2 inhibits alveolar bone resorption in diabetic periodontitis via dephosphorylating CSF1 receptor.

Tyrosine-protein phosphatase non-receptor type 2 (PTPN2) is an important protection factor for diabetes and periodontitis, but the underlying mechanism remains elusive. This study aimed to identify the substrate of PTPN2 in mediating beneficial effects of 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 (25(OH)2D3 ) on diabetic periodontitis. 25(OH)2D3 photo-affinity probe was synthesized with the minimalist linker and its efficacy to inhibit alveolar bone loss, and inflammation was evaluated in diabetic periodontitis mice. The probe was used to pull down the lysates of primary gingival fibroblasts. We identified PTPN2 as a direct target of 25(OH)2D3 , which effectively inhibited inflammation and bone resorption in diabetic periodontitis mice. In addition, we found that colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R) rather than JAK/STAT was the substrate of PTPN2 to regulate bone resorption. PTPN2 direct interacted with CSF1R and dephosphorylated Tyr807 residue. In conclusion, PTPN2 dephosphorylates CSF1R at Y807 site and inhibits alveolar bone resorption in diabetic periodontitis mice. PTPN2 and CSF1R are potential targets for the therapy of diabetic periodontitis or other bone loss-related diseases.

Role of quality control circle in sustained improvement of hand hygiene compliance: an observational study in a stomatology hospital in Shandong, China.

BACKGROUND: Hand hygiene is an important element of the WHO multimodal strategy for healthcare-associated infection control, whereas compliance of hand hygiene among healthcare workers (HCWs) remains a challenge to sustain. In order to increase the hand hygiene compliance of HCWs, a quality control circle (QCC) program was carried out in our hospital, and the plan-do-check-act (PDCA) method was applied for 12 months. FINDINGS: Hand hygiene compliance rates improved over time, with significant improvement between preintervention (60.1%) and postintervention (97.2%) periods (P < 0.001). Nurses (88.3%) exhibited higher compliance than dentists (87.3%), and female (88.4%) HCWs were more likely to perform hand hygiene than males (85.6%), both P < 0.001. Overall hand hygiene compliance and observance of the five indications exhibited significant linear increases over time (P < 0.005). CONCLUSION: This study highlights the success of a multifaceted intervention, conducted by QCC program and PDCA method, which led to a significant improvement of hand hygiene compliance. Though training is the most basic intervention element, surveillance, evaluation and feedback should be explored as additional interventions to ensure that hand hygiene compliance is achieved and sustained at high levels.

[Removal of the displaced implant from the maxillary sinus: report of one case].

Accidental displacement of end osseous implants into the maxillary sinus is an uncommon but potential complication in implant surgery due to the special features of the posterior aspect of the maxillary bone. The authors reported one case implant displacement into the maxillary sinus by lateral window technique. The causes for displacement, preventive measures were summarized, in order to avoid this kind of complication.

Effects of nano tantalum implants on inducing osteoblast proliferation and differentiation.

In the present study, we examined the effects of nano tantalum (Ta) dental implants on inducing osteoblast proliferation and differentiation. The MG-63 osteoblasts were divided into 3 groups after recovery, passage and storage: i) Osteoblast culturing group (control group); ii) osteoblast and titanium (Ti) implant co-culturing group (Ti group); and iii) osteoblast and Ta implant co-culturing group (Ta group). After 7 days, a scanning electron microscope was used to observe the growth status, number and morphological changes of the cells on the surfaces of the materials. An MTT assay was used to detect cell proliferation after culturing for 1, 3 and 7 days. ELISA assay was used to detect the levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) after 1, 3 and 7 days. Western blot analysis was used to detect the expression levels of collagen type I (Col-1) and osteocalcin after 1, 3 and 7 days. There was significant cell spreading on the surfaces of Ti and of Ta after 7 days, flat and with many pseudopodia. Additionally, there were more cell components in the Ta group. Concurrently, cell proliferation in the Ti and Ta groups increased. There was also an increase in the level of ALP and the expression level of Col-1 over time. The indexes of the Ta group were more apparent than those of the Ti group at each time-point, and the differences were statistically significant (p<0.05). In conclusion, compared with Ti implants, Ta implants induced more osteoblast proliferation and differentiation.

A disposable indium-tin-oxide sensor modified by gold nanorod-chitosan nanocomposites for the detection of H2O2 in cancer cells.

Integrating a disposable ITO electrode modified by gold nanorod-chitosan nanocomposites, a paper-based electroanalytical device for the real-time detection of H2O2 released from cancer cells has been developed. It provided a portable platform for biological and biomedical studies dealing with living cells.

[Short-term evaluation of clinical effect of bone ring grafting and immediate insertion].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the short-term clinical effectiveness of bone ring graft technique and to summarize the key points of related surgical operation to provide comprehensive clinical guidelines. METHODS: Fifteen patients with severe alveolar bone absorption were selected to receive bone ring grafting and immediate dental implant. Final fixed prostheses were cemented five months after initial implantation. Cone beam CT scans were conducted on all subjects before the procedure, as well as four months post-operation to evaluate alveolar bone height and level of bone height and absorption around the implants. Four to six months after prosthesis installation, each implant's Jemt classification, gingiva attachment, and probing depth (PD) were analyzed. The difference of PD between implants and adjacent teeth, as well as the difference of the bone absorption between labial and lingual sides, was compared. The survival rate of the bone ring and the retention rate of implants were calculated. Complications and patient satisfaction were also investigated. RESULTS: Bone graft survival rate was 94.4% and dental implantation retention rate was 100% four months post-operation. Average bone level increase was (6.06 +/- 1.06) mm, average bone absorption was (1.33 +/- 0.84) mm, and average bone thickness at the neck of the dental implant body was (6.94 +/- 0.73) mm. Approximately 4 to 6 months after crown restoration, average bone level increase was (5.62 +/- 1.03) mm, average bone absorption was (1.51 +/- 1.02) mm, and average bone thickness at the neck of the dental implant body was (6.77 +/- 0.72) mm. The PD around the implant body and the adjacent teeth was statistically insignificant. No major post-operative complication was observed, restorations were successful, and patient satisfaction level was high. CONCLUSION: Bone ring graft technique and immediate dental implantation are relatively simple to perform, and these techniques facilitate reduction in required treatment time. Short-term effect is reliable and satisfactory, whereas long-term outcomes require further follow up and study.

A new disposable electrode for electrochemical study of leukemia K562 cells and anticancer drug sensitivity test.

Developing cost-effective and simple analysis tools is of vital importance for practical applications in bioanalysis. In this work, a new disposable electrochemical cell sensor with low cost and simple fabrication was proposed to study the electrochemical behavior of leukemia K562 cells and the effect of anticancer drugs on cell viability. The analytical device was integrated by using ITO glass as the substrate of working electrodes and paper as the electrolytic cell. The cyclic voltammetry of the K562 cells at the disposable electrode exhibited an irreversible anodic peak and the peak current is proportional to the cell number. This anodic peak is attributed to the oxidation of guanine in cells involving two protons per transfer of two electrons. For the drug sensitivity tests, arsenic trioxide and cyclophosphamide were added to cell culture media. As a result, the electrochemical responses of the K562 cells decreased significantly. The cytotoxicity curves and results obtained corresponded well with the results of CCK-8 assays. In comparison to conventional methods, the proposed method is simple, rapid and inexpensive. More importantly, the developed sensor is supposed to be a single-use disposable device and electrodes were prepared "as new" for each experiment. We think that such disposable electrodes with these characteristics are suitable for experimental study with cancer cells or other types of pathogens for disease diagnosis, drug selection and on-site monitoring.

MEK inhibition potentiates the activity of Hsp90 inhibitor 17-AAG against pancreatic cancer cells.

The Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK signaling has been implicated in uncontrolled cell proliferation and tumor progression in pancreatic cancer. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the antitumor activity of MEK inhibitor U0126 in combination with Hsp90 inhibitor 17-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17-AAG) in pancreatic cancer cells. Western blotting showed that 17-AAG caused a 2- to 3-fold transient activation of MEK/ERK signaling in pancreatic cancer cells. The activation sustained for 6 h before phospho-ERK (p-ERK) destabilization. The selective MEK inhibitor U0126 completely abolished 17-AAG induced ERK1/2 activation and resulted in more than 80% of phospho-ERK degradation after only 15 min treatment. Moreover, U0126 had complementary effect on 17-AAG regulated oncogenic and cell cycle related proteins. Although 17-AAG downregulated cyclin D1, cyclin E, CDK4 and CDK6, it led to cyclin A and CDK2 accumulation, which was reversed by the addition of U0126. Antiproliferation assay showed that combination of U0126 and 17-AAG resulted in synergistic cytotoxic effect. More importantly, 17-AAG alone only exhibited moderate inhibition of cell migration in vitro, while addition of U0126 dramatically enhanced the inhibitory effect by 2- to 5-fold. Taken together, these data demonstrate that MEK inhibitor U0126 potentiates the activity of Hsp90 inhibitor 17-AAG against pancreatic cancer cells. The combination of Hsp90 and MEK inhibition could provide a promising avenue for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

Silencing heat shock protein 27 decreases metastatic behavior of human head and neck squamous cell cancer cells in vitro.

The small heat shock protein 27 (Hsp27) is a molecular chaperone that is involved in a variety of cellular functions in cancer cells. The purpose of this research is to study Hsp27 in vitro metastatic behaviors of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cells (HNSCC). The expression of Hsp27 in primary and metastatic cell lines derived from the primary HNSCC and a synchronous lymph node metastasis in the same patient was determined using real-time PCR and Western blotting. Proliferation of the primary and metastatic HNSCC cell lines was evaluated using the MTS proliferation assay. Metastatic behavior was assessed using migration and invasion assays. SiRNA knockdown of Hsp27 was performed in the highly migratory metastatic HNSCC cell line. MTS assays showed that the primary (UM-SCC-22A) and metastatic (UM-SCC-22B) HNSCC have similar proliferation rates. However, UM-SCC-22B derived from the metastasis showed 2.3- to 3.6-fold higher migration ability and 2-fold higher invasion ability than UM-SCC-22A. Real-time PCR demonstrated that Hsp27 mRNA is 22.4-fold higher in metastatic UM-SCC-22B than primary UM-SCC-22A. Similarly, Western blotting showed that Hsp27 is rarely detectable in UM-SCC-22A whereas UM-SCC-22B expresses a 25-fold higher level of Hsp27 protein. SiRNA-mediated knockdown of Hsp27 in UM-SCC-22B reduced Hsp27 mRNA expression by nearly 6-fold and protein expression by 23-fold. Furthermore, siRNA knockdown of Hsp27 decreased metastatic behaviors of UM-SCC-22B by 3- to 4-fold in migration and 2-fold in cell invasion reducing cell invasion and migration to levels similar to the primary HNSCC UM-SCC-22A. These data indicate that Hsp27 may regulate metastatic potential of HNSCC cancer cells. Targeting Hsp27 may decrease metastasis in head and neck squamous cell cancer cells.