Radiographic outcomes of lateral sinus floor elevation at sites without perforations and sites with perforations managed with a resorbable membrane: A retrospective study.

AIM: To evaluate the radiographic outcomes of lateral sinus floor elevation with simultaneous implant placement at sites without sinus membrane perforation (SMP) and sites with SMP managed with a resorbable membrane. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and thirty-nine patients and 170 implants (56 perforation, 114 non-perforation) were included. Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images were taken before surgery (T0), immediately after surgery (T1) and 6 months after surgery (T2). Post-operative augmentation parameters, including endo-sinus bone gain (ESBG) along the implant axis, mean new bone height (NBH) surrounding the implant and augmentation volume (AV), were measured at T1 and T2. RESULTS: At T1, there were no significant differences in ESBG, NBH and AV between the two groups. At T2, although ESBG did not significantly differ between the two groups, NBH (8.50 ± 1.99 mm vs. 9.99 ± 2.52 mm, p = .039) and AV (519.37 ± 258.38 mm3 vs. 700.99 ± 346.53 mm3, p < .001) were significantly lower in the perforation group. The shrinkage of graft material from T1 to T2, including ΔESBG (p = .002), ΔNBH (p < .001) and ΔAV (p < .001), was higher in the perforation group. CONCLUSIONS: SMP during LSFE with simultaneous implant placement is associated with greater resorption of the grafted area at a 6-month follow-up.

Knockdown of LRP5 Promotes Proliferation and Invasion of Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma through Compensatory Activation of Akt Signaling.

The role of LRP5, a critical receptor in the Wnt signaling pathway, remains unexplored in tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC). This study investigates the impact of LRP5 knockdown on the biological behaviors of TSCC cell lines both in vitro and in vivo. Our findings indicate that LRP5 knockdown significantly enhances cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in CAL27 and SCC25 cell lines. RNA-seq analysis reveals compensatory activation of the Akt pathway, with 119 genes significantly upregulated post-LRP5 knockdown. Elevated MMP1 expression suggests its potential involvement in TSCC progression. Western blot analysis demonstrates increased Akt phosphorylation, upregulated proliferation-related PCNA, and downregulated apoptosis-related caspase-3 after LRP5 knockdown. Down-regulation of E-cadherin and ß-Catenin, proteins associated with cell adhesion and invasion, further elucidates the molecular mechanism underlying increased cell migration and invasion. Our study concludes that compensatory Akt pathway activation is essential for the LRP5 knockdown-induced migration and proliferation of CAL27 and SCC25 cells. These results highlight LRP5 as a potential therapeutic target for TSCC. Simultaneous inhibition of Wnt and Akt signaling emerges as a promising approach for TSCC treatment.

Bone alteration and esthetics associated with implant-supported prostheses in the anterior maxilla under different implant placement timing: A retrospective clinical study of 1 to 3 years.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: Different factors influence alterations in facial bone thickness and esthetic outcomes after implant placement. Whether the timing of implant placement influences alterations in the bone dimensional and esthetic outcomes is unclear. PURPOSE: The purpose of this retrospective clinical study was to assess the influence of the timing of implant placement on alveolar bone alterations and esthetic outcome. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Data were collected from 40 patients who had received guided bone regeneration (GBR) performed simultaneously with immediate, early, or delayed single-tooth implant placement in the anterior maxilla. Facial and palatal horizontal bone thicknesses (FHBT, PHBT) and vertical bone level (FVBL, PVBL) immediately after surgery (T0), at 6 months after implant placement (T1), and at 1 to 3 years follow-up (T2) were measured, and the changes calculated. The pink esthetic score (PES) and white esthetic score (WES) were evaluated at the 1- to 3-year follow-up. The Kruskal-Wallis followed by the Dunn t test was applied to evaluate bone alteration among groups, and the Bonferroni method was used for adjusting multiple comparisons. The 1-way ANOVA test was used to determine any significance in the esthetic outcome in the 3 groups (α=.05). RESULTS: The reduction in the FHBT0 of the immediate, early, and delayed implant placement group (T2-T0) was -1.17 (-1.70, -0.61) mm, -1.53 (-1.69, -0.49) mm, and -1.47 (-2.30, -0.20) mm, respectively. The FHBT around the implant apices remained basically stable. No obvious changes in the PHBT around the implants of the immediate and delayed implant placement group were noted. The FVBL significantly decreased in each group during the follow-up period (-1.34 (01.88, -0.56) mm, immediate; -2.88 (-3.79, -1.07) mm, early; -1.26 (-2.52, -0.48) mm, delayed). The PVBL change in the early implant placement group (-2.18 (-3.26, -0.86) mm) was more significant than that in the immediate (-0.55 (-2.10, -0.17) mm) and delayed (-0.51 (-1.29, 0.02) mm) implantation groups (P =.013). The mean ±standard deviation PES/WES score of the immediate (15.6 ±1.84) and early (15.00 ±1.13) implant placement groups was higher than that of the delayed implant placement group (13.92 ±2.10) without significant difference. CONCLUSIONS: Similar bone changes and esthetic outcomes were found around implants of the immediate, early, and delayed implant placement groups.

In vitro and in vivo accuracy of autonomous robotic vs. fully guided static computer-assisted implant surgery.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the accuracy of autonomous robotic and fully guided static computer-assisted implant surgery (sCAIS) performed on models and patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was divided into in vitro and in vivo sections. In vitro, 80 operators were assigned to two groups randomly. Forty operators performed forty autonomous robotic implant (ARI group) surgeries and the remaining forty operators carried out forty fully guided sCAIS (FGI group) surgeries on maxillary models, respectively. Each operator placed an implant in one maxillary model. In vivo, 60 patients with 113 implants from 2019 to 2023 (ARI group: 32 patients, 58 implants; FGI group: 28 patients, 55 implants) receiving implant surgeries were incorporated in this retrospective research. The preoperative and postoperative cone beam computer tomographs (CBCTs) were utilized to estimate the linear deviations and angular deviations in two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) space. The Pearson's chi-square test, Shapiro-Wilk test, Student's t test, Mann-Whitney U test and mixed models were applied, and p <0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: In vitro, a total of 80 implants were enrolled and significant differences were found between the two groups (p < 0.001): The 3D deviation at the platform of ARI and FGI group was 0.58 ± 0.60 mm and 1.50 ± 1.46 mm, respectively, at the apex was 0.58 ± 0.60 mm and 1.78 ± 1.35 mm, respectively, and angle was 1.01 ± 0.87° and 2.93 ± 1.59°, respectively. Also, except for mesiodistal deviation at the implant platform, the rest linear and angular deviations in the ARI group were significantly lower than those in the FGI group in 2D space (p < 0.001). In vivo, a significantly lower mean of angular deviation (0.95 ± 0.50°, p < 0.001) and the linear deviation at both platform (0.45 ± 0.28 mm, p < 0.001) and apex (0.47 ± 0.28 mm, p < 0.001) were observed in ARI group when compared to the FGI group (4.31 ± 2.60°; 1.45 ± 1.27 mm; 1.77 ± 1.14 mm). CONCLUSIONS: The use of autonomous robotic technology showed significantly higher accuracy than the fully guided sCAIS.

Uric acid and evaluate the coronary vascular stenosis gensini score correlation research and in gender differences.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Recent studies have shown that the negative effect of uric acid (UA) on coronary arteries determines the severity of atherosclerotic disease. This study aims to explore the relationship between serum UA level and Gensini score, which reflects the severity of coronary artery disease. METHODS: A total of 860 patients with suspected coronary heart disease who were admitted to hospital due to angina pectoris or myocardial ischemia related symptoms and received coronary angiography were selected. Based on the findings of the angiography, they were categorized into two groups: the coronary heart disease (CHD) group (n = 625) and the control group (n = 235). The uric acid levels and other clinical data were compared between these groups. Additionally, the prevalence of coronary heart disease and Gensini score were compared between the groups, considering gender-specific quartiles of uric acid levels. The clinical baseline data were analyzed using appropriate statistical methods, and multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify independent risk factors for coronary heart disease. RESULTS: Of 860 patients (mean age, 63.97 ± 11.87 years), 528 were men (mean age, 62.06 ± 11.5 years) and 332 were women (mean age, 66.99 ± 10.11 years). The proportion of smoking, diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia in the coronary heart disease group was higher than that in the control group (P < 0.05). HbA1C, Gensini score, BMI, TG and hsCRP in the coronary heart disease group were higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05), and HDL-C was lower than that in the control group (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in age, heart rate, Cr, TC and LDL-C between the two groups (P > 0.05).Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age, hypertension, hsCRP and SUA levels increased the risk of coronary heart disease, and the difference was statistically significant(OR = 1.034,95%CI 1.016-1.052, P = 0.001; OR = 1.469,95%CI 1.007-2.142, P = 0.046;OR = 1.064,95%CI 1.026-1.105, P = 0.001; OR = 1.011,95%CI 1.008-1.014, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Serum uric acid is positively correlated with Gensini score in patients with coronary heart disease, which is an independent factor for evaluating the degree of coronary artery stenosis and has a predictive effect.

Trimming Crystallizable Fragment (Fc) Glycans Enables the Direct Enzymatic Transfer of Biomacromolecules to Antibodies as Therapeutics.

Glycoengineering has provided powerful tools to construct site-specific antibody conjugates. However, only small-molecule payloads can be directly transferred to native or engineered antibodies using existing glycoengineering strategies. Herein, we demonstrate that reducing the complexity of crystallizable fragment (Fc) glycans could dramatically boost the chemoenzymatic modification of immunoglobulin G (IgG) via an engineered fucosyltransferase. In this platform, antibodies with Fc glycans engineered to a simple N-acetyllactosamine (LacNAc) disaccharide are successfully conjugated to biomacromolecules, such as oligonucleotides and nanobodies, in a single step within hours. Accordingly, we synthesized an antibody-conjugate-based anti-human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)/ cluster of differentiation 3 (CD3) bispecific antibody and used it to selectively destroy patient-derived cancer organoids by reactivating endogenous T lymphocyte cells (T cells) inside the organoid. Our results highlight that this platform is a general approach to construct antibody-biomacromolecule conjugates with translational values.

Survival analysis of implants placed simultaneously with lateral sinus floor elevation in severely atrophic maxilla: A 3- to 12-year retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: To retrospectively evaluate whether implants placed simultaneously with lateral sinus floor elevation (LSFE) in severely atrophic maxilla (residual bone height [RBH] ≤3 mm) could achieve long-term survival and comprehensively analyze the factors influencing their survival rates. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 123 patients receiving LSFE and simultaneous implant placement from 2010 to 2019 and their 123 implants in sites with RBH ≤3 mm were included in this study. Basic characteristics of patients and implants were collected from the medical record system and cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were applied to estimate cumulative survival rates (CSRs) and Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to detect factors influencing implant survival. RESULTS: The 6-year and 12-year CSR of implants placed in sites with RBH ≤3 mm were 95.7% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 92.1%-99.5%) and 76.6% (95% CI: 58.1%-100%), respectively. Eight patients presented late implant failure. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses demonstrated that RBH ≤2 mm (hazard ratio [HR]: 20.63, p = 0.000) and smoking habit (HR: 6.055, p = 0.024) were significantly associated with long-term implant survival. Specifically, the 10-year CSR of implants in sites with RBH ≤2 mm (53.3%, 95% CI: 27.5%-100%) was dramatically lower than those in sites with RBH >2 mm (92.9%, 95% CI: 81.7%-100%, p = 0.000). CONCLUSIONS: Implants placed simultaneously with LSFE in sites with RBH ≤3 mm can achieve long-term survival. However, caution is required especially for implantation in sites with RBH ≤2 mm. Besides, the smoking habit is also considered a risk factor jeopardizing long-term implant survival.

The association of work physical activity and recreational physical activity with periodontitis in the NHANES (2009-2014).

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between different types and intensity of physical activities (PA) and periodontitis in a nationally representative sample of adults in the United States. METHODS: The data of periodontal condition and PA of 10,714 individuals were obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2009 to 2014 and the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ). The association between the prevalence of periodontitis and two PAs (work PA and recreational PA) was respectively analyzed and adjusted by uni- and multi-variable logistic regression models. The odd ratios (ORs), adjusted odd ratios (ORad ), and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were calculated as the main outcome indicators. RESULTS: After adjusted by age, sex, race, poverty-income ratio (PIR), diabetes, smoking status, alcohol use, and floss frequency, moderate and vigorous work PAs were significantly correlated with higher odds of periodontitis (ORad  = 1.22, 95% CI = 1.02-1.46; ORad  = 1.40, 95% CI = 1.04-1.89, respectively) while moderate and vigorous recreational PAs were correlated with lower odds of periodontitis (ORad  = 0.81, 95% CI = 0.69-0.95; ORad  = 0.55, 95% CI = 0.43-0.71, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Work PAs and recreational PAs have opposite associations on the prevalence of developing periodontitis and their aggravating or protective associations enhance with the increase of intensity.

Light-controlled scaffold- and serum-free hard palatal-derived mesenchymal stem cell aggregates for bone regeneration.

Cell aggregates that mimic in vivo cell-cell interactions are promising and powerful tools for tissue engineering. This study isolated a new, easily obtained, population of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from rat hard palates named hard palatal-derived mesenchymal stem cells (PMSCs). The PMSCs were positive for CD90, CD44, and CD29 and negative for CD34, CD45, and CD146. They exhibited clonogenicity, self-renewal, migration, and multipotent differentiation capacities. Furthermore, this study fabricated scaffold-free 3D aggregates using light-controlled cell sheet technology and a serum-free method. PMSC aggregates were successfully constructed with good viability. Transplantation of the PMSC aggregates and the PMSC aggregate-implant complexes significantly enhanced bone formation and implant osseointegration in vivo, respectively. This new cell resource is easy to obtain and provides an alternative strategy for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

High prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in Asia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Vitamin D deficiency is a worldwide health problem. However, the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in Asian populations is unclear. The aims of our study were to investigate the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and its association with different health outcomes in Asia. Searches for studies published from January 2009 to January 2021 were performed in the MEDLINE (via PubMed), EMBASE, and Web of Science databases. This study was registered in the PROSPERO database (CRD42021229841). In total, 472 studies with 746,564 subjects were included in the meta-analysis. The mean serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) concentration was 49.39 nmol/L; 20.93% of the participants had 25(OH)D levels <25 nmol/L, 22.82% had levels <30 nmol/L, 57.69% had levels <50 nmol/L, and 76.85% had levels <75 nmol/L. This review found that the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in Asia is high. The factors significantly related to vitamin D deficiency were gender, age, altitude, region, and specific diseases (diabetes, cancer, fracture, systemic lupus erythematosus [SLE], fatty liver disease, osteopenia, thyroiditis, anemia, hepatitis, metabolic diseases, and dermatitis). These findings may serve as the foundation for more detailed public health strategies and policies on this issue.Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2021.1990850.

Porous composite hydrogels with improved MSC survival for robust epithelial sealing around implants and M2 macrophage polarization.

The application of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-based therapy is expected to make a significant contribution to the improvement of epithelial sealing around implants. However, there is currently no optimal MSC delivery biomaterial for clinical application in peri-implant epithelium (PIE) integration. In this study, we show that injectable photo-cross-linkable porous gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA)/silk fibroin glycidyl methacrylate (SilMA) hydrogels encapsulating gingival tissue-derived MSCs (GMSCs) are a simple and practical approach for re-epithelization applications. The hydrogels played a prominent role in supporting the proliferation, survival, and spread of GMSCs. Moreover, it was found that GMSCs-laden Porous GelMA/SilMA hydrogels could significantly upregulate the hemidesmosomes (HDs)-related genes and proteins expression and promote M2 polarization while inhibiting M1 polarization in vitro. Based on a rat model of early implant placement, application of the MSC-loaded hydrogels could enhance the protein expression of LAMA3 and BP180 (COL17A1) at the implant-PIE interface and reduce horseradish peroxidase (HRP) penetration between the implants and PIE. Noticeably, hydrogel-based MSC therapy contributed to augmenting M2 macrophage infiltration at two time points in the gingival connective tissue around implants. These findings demonstrated that GMSCs-laden Porous GelMA/SilMA hydrogels could facilitate epithelial sealing around implants and M2-polarized macrophages and may be a novel and facile therapeutic strategy for implant-PIE integration. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: In the case of poor integration between the implant and gingival epithelium, peri-implantitis can develop, which is one of the main causes of implant failure. While stem cell therapy has tremendous potential for addressing this issue, poor cell survival and engraftment compromise the effectiveness of the therapy. Due to the excellent modifiable and tunable properties of gelatin and silk fibroin, injectable photo-cross-linkable porous hydrogels were developed using gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) and silk fibroin glycidyl methacrylate (SilMA) as delivery vehicles for gingiva-derived MSCs (GMSCs). Porous GelMA/SilMA not only enhanced the proliferation and viability of GMSCs but also promoted their immunomodulatory capability for favorable epithelial sealing around implants. Overall, GMSCs-seeded porous hydrogels could be promising strategies for re-epithelization treatment.

Maxillary sinus floor augmentation comparing removing versus retaining antral pseudocyst: A retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: To retrospectively compare multilevel volumetric changes in both hard and soft tissues between antral pseudocyst (AP) removal and retainment before maxillary sinus floor augmentation (MSFA) and immediate implant placement. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty-six patients with 38 implants placed from 2016 to 2021 were included and divided according to a cohort design as follows: 13 removing the cyst (RC group) and 13 "leaving alone" the cyst (LC group). 3D radiographic parameters (primary outcome), 2D parameters and clinical records (secondary outcome) involving both hard and soft tissues were evaluated for four periods (T1: immediate postoperative, T2: 6-month, T3: 12-month, and T4: 2- to 5- year follow-up). Possible confounding factors, including sinus anatomical features and implant distribution, were also analyzed to eliminate their disturbance. RESULTS: The 3D volumetric change rate of bone grafts in the RC group (-9.32% ± 10.01%) from T2 to T3 was significantly lower than that in the LC group (-19.8% ± 10.59%) (p < .05). The change rate of apical bone height (ABH), endo-sinus bone gain (ESBG) and other 2D parameters were not significantly different between the two groups. 5.3% implants in RC group and 9.1% implants in LC group failed during follow-ups. 0% postoperative complications were observed in RC group. The Schneiderian membrane of RC group was significantly thinner than that of LC group at two measuring points in sinus. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrated that compared to AP retainment, AP removal before MSFA and immediate implant placement can obtain higher bone graft volumetric stability and favorable prognosis.

Antifouling poly(PEGMA) grafting modified titanium surface reduces osseointegration through resisting adhesion of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells.

As an alternative strategy to achieve the desired bone augmentation, tenting screw technology (TST) has considerably broadened the indications for implant treatment. Titanium tenting screws are typically used in TST to maintain the space for bone regeneration. However, a high degree of osteogenic integration complicate titanium tenting screw removal and impact the bone healing micro-environment. Previous efforts have been focused on modifying titanium surfaces to enhance osseointegration while ignoring the opposite process. Due to the vital role of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) in bone regeneration, it might be feasible to reduce osseointegration around titanium tenting screws by resisting the adhesion of BMSCs. Herein, poly(ethylene glycol)methyl ether methacrylate (poly(PEGMA)) with an optimal length of PEG chain was incorporated with a Ti surface in terms of surface-initiated activators regenerated by electron transfer atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ARGET ATRP). The cell apoptosis analysis showed that the new surface would not induce the apoptosis of BMSCs. Then, the adhesive and proliferative behaviors of BMSCs on the surface were analyzed which indicated that the poly(PEGMA) surface could inhibit the proliferation of BMSCs through resisting the adhesion process. Furthermore, in vivo experiments revealed the presence of the poly(PEGMA) on the surface resulted in a lower bone formation and osseointegration compared with the Ti group. Collectively, this dense poly(PEGMA) surface of Ti may serve as a promising material for clinical applications in the future. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: The poly(ethylene glycol)methyl ether methacrylate (poly(PEGMA)) with an optimal length of PEG chain was grafted onto a Ti surface by surface-initiated activators regenerated by electron transfer atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ARGET ATRP). The PEGMA surface could reduce the osteogenic integration by preventing the adhesion of cells, resulting in a lower pullout force of the modified implant and thereby desirable and feasible applications in dental surgery.

ANGPTL4 regulates the osteogenic differentiation of periodontal ligament stem cells.

The molecular mechanism of mechanical force regulating the osteogenic differentiation of periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) has not been clearly elucidated. In this study, two mRNA-seqs, GSE106887 and GSE109167, which contained several samples of PDLSCs under mechanical force, were downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus. Differential expression analysis was firstly taken between GSE106887 and GSE109167, then the common 84 up-regulated genes and 26 down-regulated genes were selected. Function enrichment analysis was used to identify the key genes and pathways in PDLSCs subjected to the tension and compression force. PDLSCs were isolated from human periodontal ligament tissues. The effects of ANGPTL4 knockdown with shRNA on the osteogenic differentiation of PDLSCs were studied in vitro. Then, the orthodontic tooth movement (OTM) rat model was used to study the expression of HIF-1α and ANGPTL4 in alveolar bone remodeling in vivo. ANGPTL4 and the HIF-1 pathway were identified in PDLSCs subjected to the tension and compression force. alizarin red staining, alcian blue staining, and oil red O staining verified that PDLSCs had the ability of osteogenic, chondrogenic, and adipogenic differentiation, respectively. Verification experiment revealed that the expression of ANGPTL4 in PDLSCs significantly increased when cultured under osteogenic medium in vitro. While ANGPTL4 was knocked down by shRNA, the levels of ALPL, RUNX2, and OCN decreased significantly, as well as the protein levels of COL1A1, ALPL, RUNX2, and OCN. During the OTM, the expression of HIF-1α and ANGPTL4 in periodontal ligament cells increased on the tension and compression sides. We concluded the positive relationship between ANGPTL4 and osteogenic differentiation of PDLSCs.

circRNA422 enhanced osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells during early osseointegration through the SP7/LRP5 axis.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) play an important role in biological activities, especially in regulating osteogenic differentiation of stem cells. However, no studies have reported the role of circRNAs in early osseointegration. Here we identified a new circRNA, circRNA422, from rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) cultured on sandblasted, large-grit, acid-etched titanium surfaces. The results showed that circRNA422 significantly enhanced osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs with increased expression levels of alkaline phosphatase, the SP7 transcription factor (SP7/osterix), and lipoprotein receptor-related protein 5 (LRP5). Silencing of circRNA422 had opposite effects. There were two SP7 binding sites on the LRP5 promoter, indicating a direct regulatory relationship between SP7 and LRP5. circRNA422 could regulate early osseointegration in in vivo experiments. These findings revealed an important function of circRNA422 during early osseointegration. Therefore, circRNA422 may be a potential therapeutic target for enhancing implant osseointegration.

Repositioning of the bone window in lateral sinus floor elevation with simultaneous implant placement: A retrospective radiographic study.

OBJECTIVES: To retrospectively evaluate whether repositioning the bone window leads to a better outcome of three-dimensional sinus augmentation in lateral sinus floor elevation (LSFE) with simultaneous implant placement. METHODS: 34 patients with a total of 40 implants (14: test group, 26: control group) receiving LSFE with simultaneous implant placement were included in this retrospective research. CBCT images were taken before surgery, immediately and 6 months after surgery. The two-dimensional augmentation parameters, including apical bone height (ABH), endo-sinus bone gain (ESBG), and palatal/buccal bone height (PBH/BBH), and three-dimensional parameters, including augmentation volume (AV) and palatal/buccal augmentation volume (PAV/BAV), were measured. The lateral defect length (LDL) and lateral window length (LWL) were also measured to evaluate the lateral antrostomy recovery. RESULTS: At the 6-month follow-up, the reduction rates at ABH, ESBG, and BBH of the test group (ABH: 10.41% ± 30.30%, ESBG: 2.55% ± 8.91%, BBH: 2.50% ± 8.65%) were significantly lower than those of the control group (ABH: 25.10% ± 22.02%, ESBG: 11.47% ± 9.79%, BBH: 7.10% ± 5.37%; p < .05). In addition, the test group showed better three-dimensional augmentation stability on the buccal side (BAV reduction: 15.51% ± 10.86% vs. 27.15% ± 12.61%; p < .05). Moreover, the LDL/LWL ratio of the test group was significantly lower than that of the control group (p < .05). CONCLUSION: Within the limitations of this study, repositioning of the bone window in LSFE with simultaneous implant placement could contribute to endo-sinus augmentation stability on the buccal side at the 6-month follow-up. Moreover, it would also facilitate recovery of the lateral antrostomy defect.

Application of the hydrochemistry, stable isotopes and MixSIAR model to identify nitrate sources and transformations in surface water and groundwater of an intensive agricultural karst wetland in Guilin, China.

Karst water as the vital water supply source is generally suffered from NO3- contamination in intensive agricultural areas worldwide. Identifying NO3- sources and transformations is the key for understanding nitrogen pathways, and also for effectively controlling diffuse NO3- pollution. In this study, chemical variables and stable isotopes (δ2H-H2O, δ18O-H2O, δ15N-NO3- and δ18O-NO3-) were measured in 10 surface water (SW) samples and 13 groundwater (GW) samples collected from the Huixian karst wetland, with the application of a Bayesian stable isotope mixing model (MixSIAR) to identified NO3- sources and biogeochemical transformations. The results showed that the NO3- concentrations ranged from the below detection limit to 117 mg/L, with 30.8% of GW samples obtained from the north central part of the study area exceeding the maximum permissible limit for drinking water, and posing significant non-carcinogenic health risks for native people through drinking water pathway. Moreover, based on characteristics of the hydrochemistry and stable isotopes, different biogeochemical fates were evaluated in SW and GW: nitrification process was a dominant factor in GW, as a result of high NO3- levels, and this microbial process was unlikely occurred in SW associated with relatively anaerobic condition and low NO3- levels; however, the denitrification might not be a main process of degradation NO3- levels throughout the study area. The MixSIAR outputs revealed that the long-term application of synthetic NH4+ fertilizer (36.6%) and soil organic nitrogen (28.0%) were the main contributors to NO3- pollution, followed by synthetic NO3- fertilizer (16.8%) and domestic sewage and manure (15.1%), whereas NO3- in precipitation (3.44%) played a less important role. Additionally, NO3- concentration was significantly influenced by agricultural activities rather than NO3- source's contribution between SW and GW. This work suggests that synthetic NH4+ fertilizer should be the primary target for control to prevent further NO3- pollution of the karst groundwater.

Whole-Cell Display of Phosphotransferase in Escherichia coli for High-Efficiency Extracellular ATP Production.

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP), as a universal energy currency, takes a central role in many biochemical reactions with potential for the synthesis of numerous high-value products. However, the high cost of ATP limits industrial ATP-dependent enzyme-catalyzed reactions. Here, we investigated the effect of cell-surface display of phosphotransferase on ATP regeneration in recombinant Escherichia coli. By N-terminal fusion of the super-folder green fluorescent protein (sfGFP), we successfully displayed the phosphotransferase of Pseudomonas brassicacearum (PAP-Pb) on the surface of E. coli cells. The catalytic activity of sfGFP-PAP-Pb intact cells was 2.12 and 1.47 times higher than that of PAP-Pb intact cells, when the substrate was AMP and ADP, respectively. The conversion of ATP from AMP or ADP were up to 97.5% and 80.1% respectively when catalyzed by the surface-displayed enzyme at 37 °C for only 20 min. The whole-cell catalyst was very stable, and the enzyme activity of the whole cell was maintained above 40% after 40 rounds of recovery. Under this condition, 49.01 mg/mL (96.66 mM) ATP was accumulated for multi-rounds reaction. This ATP regeneration system has the characteristics of low cost, long lifetime, flexible compatibility, and great robustness.

The functions and roles of sestrins in regulating human diseases.

Sestrins (Sesns), highly conserved stress-inducible metabolic proteins, are known to protect organisms against various noxious stimuli including DNA damage, oxidative stress, starvation, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, and hypoxia. Sesns regulate metabolism mainly through activation of the key energy sensor AMP-dependent protein kinase (AMPK) and inhibition of mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1). Sesns also play pivotal roles in autophagy activation and apoptosis inhibition in normal cells, while conversely promoting apoptosis in cancer cells. The functions of Sesns in diseases such as metabolic disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer have been broadly investigated in the past decades. However, there is a limited number of reviews that have summarized the functions of Sesns in the pathophysiological processes of human diseases, especially musculoskeletal system diseases. One aim of this review is to discuss the biological functions of Sesns in the pathophysiological process and phenotype of diseases. More significantly, we include some new evidence about the musculoskeletal system. Another purpose is to explore whether Sesns could be potential biomarkers or targets in the future diagnostic and therapeutic process.