Clinical sonochemotherapy of inoperable pancreatic cancer using diagnostic ultrasound and microbubbles: a multicentre, open-label, randomised, controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: Sonochemotherapy, which uses microbubble (MB)-assisted ultrasound (US) to deliver chemotherapeutic agents, has the potential to enhance tumour chemotherapy. The combination of US and MB has been demonstrated to prolong the survival of patients with pancreatic cancer. This phase 2 clinical trial aimed to determine the clinical efficacy and safety of sonochemotherapy for inoperable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma by using US and MB. METHODS: Eighty-two patients with stage III or IV pancreatic cancer were recruited from July 2018 to March 2021 and followed up until September 2022. US treatment was performed with a modified diagnostic US scanner for 30 min after chemotherapeutic infusion. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS), and the secondary endpoints were Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) status < 2, progression-free survival (PFS), disease control rate (DCR), and adverse events. RESULTS: Seventy-eight patients were randomly allocated (40 to chemotherapy and 38 to sonochemotherapy). The median OS was longer with sonochemotherapy than with chemotherapy (9.10 vs. 6.10 months; p = 0.037). The median PFS with sonochemotherapy was 5.50 months, compared with 3.50 months (p = 0.080) for chemotherapy. The time of ECOG status < 2 was longer with sonochemotherapy (7.20 months) than with chemotherapy (5.00 months; p = 0.029). The DCR was 73.68% for sonochemotherapy compared with 42.50% for the control (p = 0.005). The incidence of overall adverse events was balanced between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: The use of sonochemotherapy can extend the survival and well-being time of stage III or IV pancreatic cancer patients without any increase in serious adverse events. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ChineseClinicalTrials.gov ChiCTR2100044721 CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: This multicentre, randomised, controlled trial has proven that sonochemotherapy, namely, the combination of diagnostic ultrasound, microbubbles, and chemotherapy, could extend the overall survival of patients with end-stage pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma from 6.10 to 9.10 months without increasing any serious adverse events. KEY POINTS: • This is the first multicentre, randomised, controlled trial of sonochemotherapy for clinical pancreatic cancer treatment using ultrasound and a commercial ultrasound contrast agent. • Sonochemotherapy extended the median overall survival from 6.10 (chemotherapy alone) to 9.10 months. • The disease control rate increased from 42.50% with chemotherapy to 73.68% with sonochemotherapy.

A quick and effective method for thermostability differentiation in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.).

High temperature affects the growth and production of cucumber. Selecting thermotolerant cucumber cultivars is conducive to coping with high temperatures and improving production. Thus, a quick and effective method for screening thermotolerant cucumber cultivars is needed. In this study, four cucumber cultivars were used to identify heat resistance indexes. The morphological, physiological and biochemical indexes were measured. When exposed to high temperatures, thermotolerant cucumber had a more stable photosystem, membrane, and oxidation-reduction systems. The impact of high temperatures on plants is multifaceted, and the accurate discrimination of heat resistance cannot be achieved solely based on a single or multiple indicators. Therefore, principal component analysis (PCA) was employed to comprehensively evaluate the heat resistance of cucumber plants. The results showed that the heat resistance obtained by PCA was significantly correlated with the heat injury index. In addition, the stepwise regression equation identified two heat-related indices, hydrogen peroxide content (H2 O2 ) and photosynthetic operating efficiency (Fq'/Fm'), and they can quickly distinguish the heat resistance of the other 8 cucumber cultivars. These results will help to accelerate the selection of thermotolerant resources and assist in cucumber breeding.

Unraveling the Synergistic Mechanism of Ir Species with Various Electron Densities over an Ir/ZSM-5 Catalyst Enables High-Efficiency NO Reduction by CO.

Selective catalytic reduction using CO as a reducing agent (CO-SCR) has exhibited its application potential in coal-fired, steel, and other industrial sectors. In comparison to NH3-SCR, CO-SCR can achieve synergistic control of CO and NO pollutants, making it a powerful denitrification technology that treats waste with waste. Unfortunately, the competitive adsorption of O2 and NO on CO-SCR catalysts inhibits efficient conversion of NOx under O2-containing conditions. In this work, we obtained two Ir sites with different electron densities, Ir1 single atoms in the oxidized Irδ+ state and Ir0 nanoparticles in the metallic state, by controlled pretreatment of the Ir/ZSM-5 catalyst with H2 at 200 °C. The coexistence of Ir1 single atoms and Ir0 nanoparticles on ZSM-5 creates a synergistic effect, which facilitates the reduction of NO through CO in the presence of O2, following the Langmuir-Hinshelwood mechanism. The ONNO dimer is formed on the Ir1 single atom sites and then spills over to the neighboring Ir0 nanoparticles for subsequent reduction to N2 by CO. Specifically, this tandem reaction enables 83% NO conversion and 100% CO conversion on an Ir-based catalyst at 250 °C under 3% O2.

Catalytic removal of gaseous pollutant NO using CO: Catalyst structure and reaction mechanism.

Carbon monoxide (CO) has recently been considered an ideal reducing agent to replace NH3 in selective catalytic reduction of NOx (NH3-SCR). This shift is particularly relevant in diesel engines, coal-fired industry, the iron and steel industry, of which generate substantial amounts of CO due to incomplete combustion. Developing high-performance catalysts remain a critical challenge for commercializing this technology. The active sites on catalyst surface play a crucial role in the various microscopic reaction steps of this reaction. This work provides a comprehensive overview and insights into the reaction mechanism of active sites on transition metal- and noble metal-based catalysts, including the types of intermediates and active sites, as well as the conversion mechanism of active molecules or atoms. In addition, the effects of factors such as O2, SO2, and alkali metals, on NO reduction by CO were discussed, and the prospects for catalyst design are proposed. It is hoped to provide theoretical guidance for the rational design of efficient CO selective catalytic denitration materials based on the structure-activity relations.

Biomechanical evaluation of modified and traditional cortical bone trajectory technique on adjacent segment degeneration in transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion-finite element analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Modified cortical bone trajectory (MCBT) technique was proposed by our team in previous studies, but its biomechanical properties at adjacent segments have not been discussed yet. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the biomechanical properties of modified cortical bone trajectory (MCBT) technique on adjacent segment degeneration (ASD) in transforaminal intradiscal lumbar disc fusion (TLIF) compare to traditional bone trajectory (TT) technique and cortical bone trajectory (CBT) technique. METHODS: The four human cadaveric lumbar specimens were provided by the anatomy teaching and research department of Xinjiang Medical University and four intact finite element models of the L1-S1 segment were generated. For each of these, three transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion procedures with three different fixation techniques were reconstructed at the L4-L5 segment, as follows: TT-TT (TT at both L4 and L5 segments), CBT-CBT (CBT at both L4 and L5 segments), MCBT-MCBT (MCBT at both L4 and L5 segments). The range of motion and von Mises stress of the intervertebral disc of the L3-L4 and L5-S1 segments were recorded with a 400N compressive load and 7.5 Nm moments in flexion, extension, left-right bending, and left-right rotation. RESULTS: The peak ROM of the L3-L4 segment in the MCBT-MCBT group was reduced by 10.5%, 6.1%, 12.2%, 4.1%, and 1.5% in flexion, extension, left-right bending, and left rotation compared to the TT-TT group and reduced by 1.8%, 5.5%, 10.0%, 12.8%, and 8.8% in flexion, left-right bending, and left-right rotation compared to the CBT-CBT group, respectively. The MCBT-MCBT group has the lowest peak ROM of the L3-L4 segment in flexion, left bending, and right rotation, the lowest peak ROM of the L5-S1 segment in extension and right rotation, and the lowest peak von Mises stress of the intervertebral disc at the L5-S1 segment in right rotation compared to the TT-TT and CBT-CBT group. In addition, the peak von Mises stress at the L3-L4 segment was lowest and more dispersed in all motions, the MCBT-MCBT group exhibited lower peak ROM of the L5-S1 segment in flexion, extension, and right rotation, and showed lower peak von Mises stress of the disc at the L5-S1 segment in flexion, extension, and right rotation compared with the TT-TT group. CONCLUSION: The modified cortical bone trajectory technique may have a beneficial effect on reducing the incidence of ASD in the L4-L5 TLIF model compared to the traditional bone trajectory technique and cortical bone trajectory technique.

Syntheses and Characterizations of Hetero-Bimetallic Chromium-Dinitrogen Transition-Metal Complexes.

In the domain of N2 activation, hetero-bimetallic dinitrogen complexes are garnering substantial interest due to their potential to induce polarization in nonpolar N2 gas. Herein, we present the syntheses and characterizations of three novel hetero-multimetallic dinitrogen complexes: Cp*Cr(depe)N2V(depe)Me[O, P, O] 5, Cp*Cr(depe)N2V(depe)Tipp[O, P, O] 6, and [Cp*Cr(depe)N2]2TiTipp[O, P, O] 7. These complexes were synthesized via a transmetalation process involving the treatment of [Cr0-N2]- complex 4 with vanadium and titanium chloride complexes bearing alkyl or aryl substituted bis(o-hydroxyphenyl)-phenyl phosphine R[O, P, O] ligand (alkyl = methyl, aryl = 2,4,6-tri-isopropylbenzene). X-ray analysis shows that complexes 5 and 6 exhibit heterodinuclear structures, while complex 7 exhibits a heterotrinuclear core with two N2 ligands concurrently coordinated to two chromium and one titanium atoms. Raman spectroscopic data show that the N-N stretching vibration of the N2 moiety is clearly downshifted relative to free N2 and to mononuclear [Cr0-N2]- complex 4.

Hybrid pedicle screw and modified cortical bone trajectory technique in transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion at L4-L5 segment: finite element analysis.

BACKGROUND: Investigate the biomechanical properties of the hybrid fixation technique with bilateral pedicle screw (BPS) and bilateral modified cortical bone trajectory screw (BMCS) in L4-L5 transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF). METHODS:  Three finite element (FE) models of the L1-S1 lumbar spine were established according to the three human cadaveric lumbar specimens. BPS-BMCS (BPS at L4 and BMCS at L5), BMCS-BPS (BMCS at L4 and BPS at L5), BPS-BPS (BPS at L4 and L5), and BMCS-BMCS (BMCS at L4 and L5) were implanted into the L4-L5 segment of each FE model. The range of motion (ROM) of the L4-L5 segment, von Mises stress of the fixation, intervertebral cage, and rod were compared under a 400-N compressive load with 7.5 Nm moments in flexion, extension, bending, and rotation. RESULTS:  BPS-BMCS technique has the lowest ROM in extension and rotation, and BMCS-BMCS technique has the lowest ROM in flexion and lateral bending. The BMCS-BMCS technique showed maximal cage stress in flexion and lateral bending, and the BPS-BPS technique in extension and rotation. Compared to the BPS-BPS and BMCS-BMCS technique, BPS-BMCS technique presented a lower risk of screw breakage and BMCS-BPS technique presented a lower risk of rod breakage. CONCLUSION:  The results of this study support that the use of the BPS-BMCS and BMCS-BPS techniques in TLIF surgery for offering the superior stability and a lower risk of cage subsidence and instrument-related complication.

A novel antibacterial and fluorescent coating composed of polydopamine and carbon dots on the surface of orthodontic brackets.

Many kinds of antibacterial coatings have been designed to prevent the adherence of bacteria onto the surface of a fixed orthodontic device of brackets. However, the problems such as weak binding force, undetectable, drug resistance, cytotoxicity and short duration needed to be solved. Thus, it has great value in developing novel coating methods with long-term antibacterial and fluorescence properties according to the clinical application of brackets. In this study, we synthesized blue fluorescent carbon dots (HCDs) using the traditional Chinese medicinal honokiol, which could cause irreversible killing effects on both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria through positive charges on the surface and inducing reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Based on this, the surface of brackets was serially modified with polydopamine and HCDs, taking advantage of the strong adhesive properties as well as the negative surface charge of polydopamine particles. It is found that this coating exhibits stable antibacterial properties in 14 days with good biocompatibility, which can provide a new solution and strategy to solve the series of hazards caused by bacterial adhesion on the surface of orthodontic brackets.

Exploring the Incentive Function of Virtual Academic Degrees in a Chinese Online Smoking Cessation Community: Qualitative Content Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies on online smoking cessation communities (OSCCs) have shown how such networks contribute to members' health outcomes from behavior influence and social support perspectives. However, these studies rarely considered the incentive function of OSCCs. One of the ways OSCCs motivate smoking cessation behaviors is through digital incentives. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to explore the incentive function of a novel digital incentive in a Chinese OSCC-the awarding of academic degrees-to promote smoking cessation. It specifically focuses on "Smoking Cessation Bar," an OSCC in the popular web-based Chinese forum Baidu Tieba. METHODS: We collected discussions about the virtual academic degrees (N= 1193) from 540 members of the "Smoking Cessation Bar." The time frame of the data set was from November 15, 2012, to November 3, 2021. Drawing upon motivational affordances theory, 2 coders qualitatively coded the data. RESULTS: We identified five key topics of discussion, including members' (1) intention to get virtual academic degrees (n=38, 2.47%), (2) action to apply for the degrees (n=312, 20.27%), (3) feedback on the accomplishment of goals (n=203, 13.19%), (4) interpersonal interaction (n=794, 51.59%), and (5) expression of personal feelings (n=192, 12.48%). Most notably, the results identified underlying social and psychological motivations behind using the forum to discuss obtaining academic degrees for smoking cessation. Specifically, members were found to engage in sharing behavior (n=423, 27.49%) over other forms of interaction such as providing recommendations or encouragement. Moreover, expressions of personal feelings about achieving degrees were generally positive. It was possible that members hid their negative feelings (such as doubt, carelessness, and dislike) in the discussion. CONCLUSIONS: The virtual academic degrees in the OSCC created opportunities for self-presentation for participants. They also improved their self-efficacy to persist in smoking cessation by providing progressive challenges. They served as social bonds connecting different community members, triggering interpersonal interactions, and inducing positive feelings. They also helped realize members' desire to influence or to be influenced by others. Similar nonfinancial rewards could be adopted in various smoking cessation projects to enhance participation and sustainability.

Genome-Wide Analysis of MBF1 Family Genes in Five Solanaceous Plants and Functional Analysis of SlER24 in Salt Stress.

Multiprotein bridging factor 1 (MBF1) is an ancient family of transcription coactivators that play a crucial role in the response of plants to abiotic stress. In this study, we analyzed the genomic data of five Solanaceae plants and identified a total of 21 MBF1 genes. The expansion of MBF1a and MBF1b subfamilies was attributed to whole-genome duplication (WGD), and the expansion of the MBF1c subfamily occurred through transposed duplication (TRD). Collinearity analysis within Solanaceae species revealed collinearity between members of the MBF1a and MBF1b subfamilies, whereas the MBF1c subfamily showed relative independence. The gene expression of SlER24 was induced by sodium chloride (NaCl), polyethylene glycol (PEG), ABA (abscisic acid), and ethrel treatments, with the highest expression observed under NaCl treatment. The overexpression of SlER24 significantly enhanced the salt tolerance of tomato, and the functional deficiency of SlER24 decreased the tolerance of tomato to salt stress. SlER24 enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity to reduce the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and alleviated plasma membrane damage under salt stress. SlER24 upregulated the expression levels of salt stress-related genes to enhance salt tolerance in tomato. In conclusion, this study provides basic information for the study of the MBF1 family of Solanaceae under abiotic stress, as well as a reference for the study of other plants.

Computed tomography-based deep-learning prediction of induction chemotherapy treatment response in locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Deep learning methods have great potential to predict treatment response. The objective of this study was to evaluate and validate the predictive performance of the computed tomography (CT)-based model using deep learning features for identification of responders and nonresponders to induction chemotherapy (IC) in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: All eligible patients were included retrospectively between January 2012 and December 2018, and assigned to the training (n = 208) or the testing cohort (n = 89). We extracted deep learning features of six pretrained convolutional neural networks (CNNs) via transfer learning method, and handcrafted radiomics features manually. Support vector machine (SVM) was adopted as the classifier. All predictive models were evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC), by which an optimal model was selected. We also built clinical and clinical-radiological models for comparison. RESULTS: The model with features extracted from ResNet50 (RN-SVM) had optimal performance among all models with features extracted from pretrained CNNs with an AUC of 0.811, accuracy of 68.54%, sensitivity of 61.54%, specificity of 87.50%, positive predictive value (PPV) of 93.02%, and negative predictive value (NPV) of 45.65% in the testing cohort. The handcrafted radiomics model was slightly inferior to the RN-SVM model with an AUC of 0.663 and accuracy of 60.67% in the testing cohort. All the imaging-derived models had better predictive performance than the clinical model. CONCLUSION: The noninvasive deep learning method could provide efficient prediction of treatment response to IC in locally advanced NPC and might be a practicable approach in therapeutic strategy decision-making.

Engineering Escherichia coli for anaerobic alkane activation: Biosynthesis of (1-methylalkyl)succinates.

In anoxic environments, microbial activation of alkanes for subsequent metabolism occurs most commonly through the addition of fumarate to a subterminal carbon, producing an alkylsuccinate. Alkylsuccinate synthases are complex, multi-subunit enzymes that utilize a catalytic glycyl radical and require a partner, activating enzyme for hydrogen abstraction. While many genes encoding putative alkylsuccinate synthases have been identified, primarily from nitrate- and sulfate-reducing bacteria, few have been characterized and none have been reported to be functionally expressed in a heterologous host. Here, we describe the functional expression of the (1-methylalkyl)succinate synthase (Mas) system from Azoarcus sp. strain HxN1 in recombinant Escherichia coli. Mass spectrometry confirms anaerobic biosynthesis of the expected products of fumarate addition to hexane, butane, and propane. Maximum production of (1-methylpentyl)succinate is observed when masC, masD, masE, masB, and masG are all present on the expression plasmid; omitting masC reduces production by 66% while omitting any other gene eliminates production. Meanwhile, deleting iscR (encoding the repressor of the E. coli iron-sulfur cluster operon) improves product titer, as does performing the biotransformation at reduced temperature (18°C), both suggesting alkylsuccinate biosynthesis is largely limited by functional expression of this enzyme system.

Effect of Jiangan-Jiangzhi Pill on Gut Microbiota and Chronic Inflammatory Response in Rats with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a chronic liver disease with high rates of occurrence. Research has found that NAFLD patients experience varying degrees of intestinal flora imbalance. There is evidence that traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) positively regulates imbalances in the gut microbiota caused by liver diseases. Jiangan-Jiangzhi pill (JGJZ) is a common Chinese remedy that can treat NAFLD clinically. This article investigates how JGJZ affects NAFLD and assesses related changes in the intestinal flora. We established a NAFLD rat model by feeding them a high-fat diet (HFD) and gave different interventions. After twelve weeks, the results revealed that JGJZ decreased the total cholesterol, triglyceride, alanine aminotransferase, and aspartate aminotransferase in the serum of NAFLD rats. Histopathological staining demonstrated that JGJZ relieved cellular fat accumulation in the liver. Inflammatory cytokine levels (IL-6, IL-1ß, and TNF-α) were down-regulated. Analysis of 16S rRNA demonstrated that JGJZ changed the community compositional structure of gut microbiota, characterized by a decrease in the Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidetes ratio, and increased gut microbiota diversity and the abundance of dominant groups. Accordingly, our study illustrated that JGJZ exerted a better effect in treating HFD-induced NAFLD, which may be closely related to ameliorating gut microbiota dysbiosis.

Comparison of CT values in traditional trajectory, traditional cortical bone trajectory, and modified cortical bone trajectory.

BACKGROUND: To compare the CT values and length of the screw tracks of traditional trajectory (TT), cortical bone trajectory (CBT), and modified cortical bone trajectory (MCBT) screws and investigate the effects on the biomechanics of lumbar fixation. METHODS: CT scan data of 60 L4 and L5 lumbar spine were retrieved and divided into 4 groups (10 male and 10 female cases in the 20-30 years old group and 20 male and 20 female cases in the 30-40 years old group). 3-dimentional (3D) model were established using Mimics 19.0 for each group and the placement of three techniques was simulated on the L4 and L5, and the part of the bone occupied by the screw track was set as the region of interest (ROI). The mean CT value and the actual length of the screw track were measured by Mimics 19.0. RESULTS: The CT values of ROI for the three techniques were significantly different between the same gander in each age group (P < 0.05). The difference of screw track lengths for CBT and MCBT in the male and female is significant (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: According to the CT values of the three screw tracks: MCBT > CBT > TT, the MCBT screw track has greater bone-screw surface strength and longer screw tracks than CBT, which is easier to reach the anterior column of the vertebral body contributing to superior biomechanical properties.

Heat Stress Resistance Mechanisms of Two Cucumber Varieties from Different Regions.

High temperatures affect the yield and quality of vegetable crops. Unlike thermosensitive plants, thermotolerant plants have excellent systems for withstanding heat stress. This study evaluated various heat resistance indexes of the thermotolerant cucumber (TT) and thermosensitive cucumber (TS) plants at the seedling stage. The similarities and differences between the regulatory genes were assessed through transcriptome analysis to understand the mechanisms for heat stress resistance in cucumber. The TT plants exhibited enhanced leaf status, photosystem, root viability, and ROS scavenging under high temperature compared to the TS plants. Additionally, transcriptome analysis showed that the genes involved in photosynthesis, the chlorophyll metabolism, and defense responses were upregulated in TT plants but downregulated in TS plants. Zeatin riboside (ZR), brassinosteroid (BR), and jasmonic acid (JA) levels were higher in TT plants than in TS. The heat stress increased gibberellic acid (GA) and indoleacetic acid (IAA) levels in both plant lines; however, the level of GA was higher in TT. Correlation and interaction analyses revealed that heat cucumber heat resistance is regulated by a few transcription factor family genes and metabolic pathways. Our study revealed different phenotypic and physiological mechanisms of the heat response by the thermotolerant and thermosensitive cucumber plants. The plants were also shown to exhibit different expression profiles and metabolic pathways. The heat resistant pathways and genes of two cucumber varieties were also identified. These results enhance our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of cucumber response to high-temperature stress.

Genome-Wide Analysis and Characterization of Eggplant F-Box Gene Superfamily: Gene Evolution and Expression Analysis under Stress.

F-box genes play an important role in plant growth and resistance to abiotic and biotic stresses. To date, systematic analysis of F-box genes and functional annotation in eggplant (Solanum melongena) is still limited. Here, we identified 389 F-box candidate genes in eggplant. The domain study of F-box candidate genes showed that the F-box domain is conserved, whereas the C-terminal domain is diverse. There are 376 SmFBX candidate genes distributed on 12 chromosomes. A collinearity analysis within the eggplant genome suggested that tandem duplication is the dominant form of F-box gene replication in eggplant. The collinearity analysis between eggplant and the three other species (Arabidopsis thaliana, rice and tomato) provides insight into the evolutionary characteristics of F-box candidate genes. In addition, we analyzed the expression of SmFBX candidate genes in different tissues under high temperature and bacterial wilt stress. The results identified several F-box candidate genes that potentially participate in eggplant heat tolerance and bacterial wilt resistance. Moreover, the yeast two-hybrid assay showed that several representative F-box candidate proteins interacted with representative Skp1 proteins. Overexpression of SmFBX131 and SmFBX230 in tobacco increased resistance to bacterial wilt. Overall, these results provide critical insights into the functional analysis of the F-box gene superfamily in eggplant and provide potentially valuable targets for heat and bacterial resistance.

Periodontal disease and emotional disorders: A meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship of periodontal disease with depression and anxiety via a systematic review and meta-analysis. METHOD: We systematically searched the EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and SinoMed databases (until August 4, 2019) with language restricted to English and Chinese. Case-control, cross-sectional, and cohort studies that calculated the risk ratio (RR), odds ratio (OR)/prevalence OR (POR), and hazard ratio (HR) of depression/anxiety with periodontal disease or the OR/POR/RR/HR of periodontal disease caused by depression/anxiety were included. Observational studies that reported the depression/anxiety scale score of patients with periodontal disease and healthy periodontal subjects aged ≥14 years were also included. We used the standard format to extract the following information from each included study: author/s, survey year, study design, age of participants, periodontal disease definition, depression/anxiety measurement, and summary of results. The Newcastle-Ottawa scale was used to ascertain the quality of the included citations. RESULTS: After screening, 40 studies were included. A meta-analysis of the case-control studies showed that periodontal disease was positively associated with depression (OR = 1.70, 95% confidence interval [CI] â€Š= 1.01-2.83). A meta-analysis of 12 studies showed that periodontal disease was significantly correlated with anxiety (OR = 1.36, 95% CI = 1.11-1.66). A meta-analysis of 18 studies showed that subjects with periodontal disease had higher depression scale score (standardized mean difference [SMD] = 1.05, 95% CI = 0.68-1.41) and anxiety scale score (SMD = 0.70, 95% CI = 0.44-0.96). CONCLUSION: Periodontal disease is associated with emotional disorders. However, the high degree of heterogeneity among studies should be considered. More high-quality prospective studies are required to confirm the relationship.

Association between obesity status and successful aging among older people in China: evidence from CHARLS.

BACKGROUND: The paper aimed to examine the association between obesity status and successful aging among elderly adults in China and further find gender differences in the effect of components of successful aging on obesity status. METHODS: The data came from the follow-up survey(2015) of China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) and 4019 dwellers age 60 and over are included. Obesity status were defined by the body mass index (BMI) according to Chinese criteria. Successful aging was defined following Rowe and Kahn's multidimensional model. Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate the relationship between obesity status and successful aging. RESULTS: The rate of successful aging in men and women was 18.87 and 9.48% respectively. For BMI, the proportion of population with underweight, overweight and obesity in men was 10.29, 23.04 and 29.63% respectively and that in women was 1.40, 11.69 and 9.47%. Men with obesity (OR = 1.587 95% CI 1.087 ~ 2.316) has an positive relationship with successful aging than normal weight men; Women with underweight (OR = 0.197 95% CI 0.058 ~ 0.824) has an negative relationship with successful aging than normal weight women; Meanwhile, no matter men and women, the relationship between obesity status and successful aging were not significant among oldest adults(≥75 years). CONCLUSION: Obesity status was significantly association with successful aging in young older adults (60-74 years), and the components of successful aging differently were related with the obesity status of male and female.

Four-Dimensional Deoxyribonucleic Acid-Gold Nanoparticle Assemblies.

Organization of gold nanoobjects by oligonucleotides has resulted in many three-dimensional colloidal assemblies with diverse size, shape, and complexity; nonetheless, autonomous and temporal control during formation remains challenging. In contrast, living systems temporally and spatially self-regulate formation of functional structures by internally orchestrating assembly and disassembly kinetics of dissipative biomacromolecular networks. We present a novel approach for fabricating four-dimensional gold nanostructures by adding an additional dimension: time. The dissipative character of our system is achieved using exonuclease III digestion of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) fuel as an energy-dissipating pathway. Temporal control over amorphous clusters composed of spherical gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and well-defined core-satellite structures from gold nanorods (AuNRs) and AuNPs is demonstrated. Furthermore, the high specificity of DNA hybridization allowed us to demonstrate selective activation of the evolution of multiple architectures of higher complexity in a single mixture containing small and larger spherical AuNPs and AuNRs.

Porphyromonas gingivalis induces depression via downregulating p75NTR-mediated BDNF maturation in astrocytes.

Many cross-sectional epidemiological studies have shown the incidence of periodontitis is positive correlated with that of depression. However, their causal relationship and underlying mechanism are largely unknown. Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) is the main pathogen for periodontitis. Employing female mice treated with Pg every other day for 4 weeks, we found that Pg-mice showed obvious depression-like behavior, an increased number of activated astrocytes and decreased levels of mature brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and astrocytic p75NTR in the hippocampus. Both hippocampal injection of BDNF and overexpression of p75NTR in astrocytes alleviated Pg-induced depression-like behavior in mice. Moreover, Pg-lipopolysaccharides (LPS) generated similar phenotypes, which were reversed by the TLR-4 inhibitor TAK242. Our results suggest that Pg-LPS decreases the level of astrocytic p75NTR and then downregulates BDNF maturation, leading to depression-like behavior in mice. Our study provides the first evidence that Pg is a modifiable risk factor for depression and uncovers a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of depression.