The importance of biofilm contamination control for dental unit waterlines: a multicenter assessment of the microbiota diversity of biofilm in dental unit waterlines.

Background: The biofilm formation in Dental Unit Waterlines (DUWLs) could become an important cause of infection during dental care, which could put immunocompromised individuals at risk of cross-infection. The aim of this study was to characterize the microbial communities of biofilms among DUWLs using high-throughput sequencing technology. Methods: Twenty-nine biofilm samples were obtained from 24 dental chair units at 5 hospitals and 2 dental clinics. The genomic DNA of the samples was extracted, then 16S rDNA and ITS2 gene were amplified and sequenced. Alpha-diversity and Beta-diversity were calculated with QIIME2 and the Kruskal - Wallis H-test was adopted for statistical analysis. Results: Microbial communities with a high diversity of bacteria (377 genera) and fungi (83 genera) were detected in the biofilm samples. The dominant phylum of bacteria was Proteobacteria (93.27%) and that of fungi was Basidiomycota (68.15%). Potential human pathogens were detected including 7 genera of bacteria (Pseudomonas, Stenotrophomonas, Hafnia-Obesumbacterium, Burkholderia-Caballeronia-Paraburkholderia, Ralstonia, Enterobacter, Klebsiella) and 6 genera of fungi (Malassezia, Candida, Alternaria, Cryptococcus, Rhodotorula, Rhinocladiella). Conclusions: This multicenter assessment revealed the infectious risk during dental care. It emphasized the importance of biofilm control due to biofilm accumulation and multiple kinds of opportunistic pathogens in DUWLs.

[Temporal and spatial variations and driving factors of phytoplankton in Yongjiang River estuary]. / ç”¬æ±Ÿå£æµ®æ¸¸æ¤ç‰©æ—¶ç©ºåˆ†å¸ƒç‰¹å¾åŠé©±åŠ¨å› å­.

To explore the temporal and spatial variations in phytoplankton community in small estuaries, we collected surface water samples from Yongjiang River estuary during wet, normal, and dry seasons and determined the main driving factors of phytoplankton community. A total of 358 species belonging to nine phyla and 123 genera were identified in all seasons. During wet, normal, and dry seasons, species number was 276, 154 and 151, and the abundance was (170.45±225.43)×103, (51.92±30.28)×103 and (31.65±12.79)×103 cells·L-1, respectively. Diatoms dominated the phytoplankton community, and the main dominant species were Cyclotella meneghiniana, Skeletonema costatum, and Paralia sulcata. Shannon diversity and Pielou evenness indices decreased from inside mouth to outside mouth in wet season, but there was no obvious spatial difference in normal season or dry season. Results of non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis and analysis of similarities showed that phytoplankton community composition differed significantly among different regions (inside, at and outside mouth) and different seasons. In wet season, phytoplankton abundance was significantly positively correlated with temperature, dissolved inorganic nitrogen, and dissolved reactive phosphorus, but significantly negatively correlated with salinity. In normal season, phytoplankton abundance was significantly negatively correlated with temperature. In dry season, it was not significantly correlated with environmental factors. Results of redundancy analysis showed that temperature, salinity, ammonium and dissolved reactive phosphorus explained the variations in phytoplankton community by 19.5%, 11.9%, 9.4% and 8.2%, respectively. These results revealed high dominance of diatoms and the main driving factors (temperature, salinity and nutrients) of phytoplankton community in Yongjiang River estuary.

A Comprehensive Analysis of LYAR in Colorectal Cancer: Prognostic Marker and Therapeutic Target.

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a major global health challenge with a need for new biomarkers and therapeutic targets. This work aimed to investigate the biological mechanisms and clinical value of Ly1 antibody reactive (LYAR) in CRC. Methods: We analyzed LYAR mRNA expression across multiple public databases, including genotype-tissue expression, gene expression omnibus, Oncomine, and the cancer genome atlas, alongside in-house immunohistochemical data to evaluate LYAR protein expression in CRC and non-CRC colorectal tissues. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was used to elucidate LYAR's biological functions, and its impact on the tumor immune microenvironment was assessed using CIBERSORT, ESTIMATE, and single-cell RNA sequencing techniques. In addition, LYAR's association with clinicopathological features and patient prognosis was explored, and its influence on drug sensitivity was investigated using the Connectivity Map database. Results: LYAR was significantly upregulated in CRC tissues compared with non-CRC colorectal counterparts, associated with altered immune cell composition and enhanced RNA processing, splicing, and cell cycle regulation. High LYAR expression correlated with poor disease-free and overall survival, underscoring its prognostic value. GSEA revealed LYAR's involvement in critical cellular processes and pathways, including DNA repair, cell cycle, and mTORC1 signaling. Correlation analysis identified genes positively and negatively associated with LYAR, leading to the discovery of temsirolimus and WYE-354, mTOR inhibitors, as potential therapeutic agents for CRC. Furthermore, LYAR expression predicted increased sensitivity to cetuximab in RAS wild-type metastatic CRC, indicating its utility as a biomarker for treatment responsiveness. Conclusions: LYAR's upregulation in CRC highlights its potential as a biomarker for prognosis and therapeutic targeting, offering insights into CRC pathology and suggesting new avenues for treatment optimization.

Atomic-Thin WS2 Kirigami for Bidirectional Polarization Detection.

The assembly and patterning engineering in two-dimensional (2D) materials hold importance for chip-level designs incorporating multifunctional detectors. At present, the patterning and stacking methods of 2D materials inevitably introduce impurity instability and functional limitations. Here, the space-confined chemical vapor deposition method is employed to achieve state-of-the-art kirigami structures of self-assembled WS2, featuring various layer combinations and stacking configurations. With this technique as a foundation, the WS2 nano-kirigami is integrated with metasurface design, achieving a photodetector with bidirectional polarization-sensitive detection capability in the infrared spectrum. Nano-kirigami can eliminate some of the uncontrollable factors in the processing of 2D material devices, providing a freely designed platform for chip-level multifunctional detection across multiple modules.

Prevalence of dental anxiety among adults in China: a Meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to systematically evaluate the prevalence of dental anxiety in Chinese adults and to provide references for decision making on oral healthcare. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Web of Science, Ebsco, Embase, The Cochrane Library, WanFang Data, CNKI, and VIP database to collect cross-sectional studies on dental anxiety in Chinese adults from the establishment of the databases to 30 September 2022. After literature screening, data extraction, and evaluation of the risk of bias in the included studies by two researchers independently, R 4.0.4 software was used to perform a Meta-analysis. RESULTS: A total of 39 studies were included, including 24 309 subjects. Meta-analysis showed that the prevalence of dental anxiety in Chinese adults was 35.39% [95%CI (31.31%, 40.01%)]. Subgroup analysis showed that the prevalence rates of male and female adults were 32.92% and 44.78%, respectively. The prevalence rates of adults aged 16-39,40-59, ≥60 were 49.37%, 47.13%, and 37.41%, respectively. The prevalence rates of mild, moderate, and severe patients were 13.81%, 15.15%, and 9.24%, respectively. The prevalence rates of adults with elementary school and below, middle school, and university and above education levels were 33.81%, 35.84%, and 36.24%, respectively. The prevalence rates were 39.45% and 45.90% in adults with and without dental-treatment history, respectively. The prevalence rates of adults surveyed in dental and non-dental clinics were 27.10% and 39.31%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of dental anxiety in Chinese adults was relatively high, primarily moderate anxiety, and it was more likely to occur in women, young people, and groups with no history of dental treatment. Early intervention should be performed for adults with dental anxiety to improve their awareness of oral healthcare and treatment compliance and thus to promote the oral-health level of adults in China.