Cucurbituril Enhanced Electrochemiluminescence of Gold Nanoclusters via Host-Guest Recognition for Sensitive D-Dimer Sensing.

Gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) are promising electrochemiluminescence (ECL) signal probes for their outstanding biocompatibility, unusual molecule-like structures, and versatile optical and electrochemical properties. Nevertheless, their relatively low ECL efficiency and poor stability in aqueous solutions hindered their application in the ECL sensing field. Herein, a facile host-guest recognition strategy was proposed to enhance the ECL efficiency and stability of Au NCs by rigidifying the surface of ligand-stabilized AuNCs via supramolecular self-assembly between cucurbiturils[7] (CB[7]) and l-phenylalanine (l-Phe). Meanwhile, mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) was introduced as a ligand in order to cooperatively enhance the performance of the AuNCs and facilitate the link between AuNCs and bioactive substances. The prepared CB[7]/l-Phe/MPA-AuNCs had a higher ECL emission efficiency, achieving about 2-fold stronger ECL intensity than that of l-Phe/MPA-AuNCs. In addition, after non-covalent modification with CB[7], the finite stability of the papered AuNCs was significantly improved. The prepared CB[7]/l-Phe/MPA-AuNCs showed excellent D-dimer sensing results, exhibiting a linear range from 50.00 fg/mL to 100.0 ng/mL and a detection limit of 29.20 fg/mL (S/N = 3). Our work demonstrated that the host-guest self-assembly strategy provided a universal approach for strengthening the ECL efficiency and stability of nanostructures on an ultra-small scale.

Bimetallic Metal-Organic Frameworks as an Efficient Capture Probe in Signal On-Off-On Electrochemiluminescence Aptasensor for Microcystin-LR Detection.

To ensure drinking water quality, the development of rapid and accurate analytical methods is essential. Herein, a highly sensitive electrochemiluminescence (ECL) aptasensor-based on the signal on-off-on strategy was developed to detect the water pollutant microcystin-LR (MC-LR). This strategy was based on a newly prepared ruthenium-copper metal-organic framework (RuCu MOF) as the ECL signal-transmitting probe and three types of PdPt alloy core-shell nanocrystals with different crystal structures as signal-off probes. Compounding the copper-based MOF (Cu-MOF) precursor with ruthenium bipyridyl at room temperature facilitated the retention of the intrinsic crystallinity and high porosity of the MOFs as well as afforded excellent ECL performance. Since bipyridine ruthenium in RuCu MOFs could transfer energies to the organic ligand (H3BTC), the ultra-efficient ligand luminescent ECL signal probe was finally obtained, which greatly improved the sensitivity of the aptasensor. To further improve the sensitivity of the aptasensor, the quenching effects of noble metal nanoalloy particles with different crystal states were investigated, which contained PdPt octahedral (PdPtOct), PdPt rhombic dodecahedral (PdPtRD), and PdPt nanocube (PdPtNC). Among them, the PdPtRD nanocrystal exhibited higher activity and excellent durability, stemming from the charge redistribution caused by the hybridization of Pt and Pd atoms. Moreover, PdPtRD could also load more -NH2-DNA strands because it exposed more active sites with a large specific surface area. The fabricated aptasensor exhibited outstanding sensitivity and stability in MC-LR detection, with a linear detection range of 0.0001-50 ng mL-1. This study provides valuable directions for the application of alloy nanoparticles of noble metals and bimetallic MOFs in the field of ECL immunoassay.

Effect of low-level laser therapy on orthodontic dental alignment: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

The aim of this study is to systematically summarize the available evidence regarding low-level laser therapy (LLLT) speed-up effect on dental alignment in comprehensive orthodontic treatment. An extensive electronic search was conducted in PubMed, ScienceDirect, Cochrane, Web of Science, and Scopus up to February 20, 2023. The Cochrane risk of bias tool and the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Form were used by two authors independently to assess the risk of bias (RoB). Statistical analysis was performed by Review Manager 5.3. The eight eligible trials were reviewed and included in qualitative synthesis. Four studies reported the overall time of leveling and alignment (OLAT, days), enabling a synthesizing of the data. The meta-analysis results showed that LLLT significantly reduced the overall time of leveling and alignment compared to control group (MD=-30.36, 95% CI range -41.50 to -19.22, P<0.0001), with moderate heterogeneity (χ2=4.10, P=0.25, I2=27%). Based on the data available, statistically significant evidence with moderate risk of bias suggests that LLLT may have a positive effect on accelerating dental alignment. However, due to the differences in intervention strategy and evaluating method, the conclusions should be interpreted with caution.

Cost-Effective Fabrication of Micro-Nanostructured Superhydrophobic Polyethylene/Graphene Foam with Self-Floating, Optical Trapping, Acid-/Alkali Resistance for Efficient Photothermal Deicing and Interfacial Evaporation.

Solar evaporation is one of the most attractive and sustainable approaches to address worldwide freshwater scarcity. Unfortunately, it is still a crucial challenge that needs to be confronted when the solar evaporator faces harsh application environments. Herein, a promising polymer molding method that combines melt blending and compression molding, namely micro extrusion compression molding, is proposed for the cost-effective fabrication of lightweight polyethylene/graphene nanosheets (PE/GNs) foam with interconnected vapor escape channels and surface micro-nanostructures. A contact angle of 155 ± 2°, a rolling angle of 5 ± 1° and reflectance of ≈1.6% in the wavelength range of 300-2500 nm appears on the micro-nanostructured PE/GNs foam surface. More interestingly, the micro-nanostructured PE/GNs foam surface can maintain a robust superhydrophobic state under dynamic impacting, high temperature and acid-/alkali solutions. These results mean that the micro-nanostructured PE/GNs foam surface possesses self-cleaning, anti-icing and photothermal deicing properties at the same time. Importantly, the foam exhibits an evaporation rate of 1.83 kg m-2 h-1 under 1 Sun illumination and excellent salt rejecting performance when it is used as a self-floating solar evaporator. The proposed method provides an ideal and industrialized approach for the mass production of solar evaporators suitable for practical application environments.

Matrix stiffness and shear stresses modulate hepatocyte functions in a fibrotic liver sinusoidal model.

Extracellular matrix (ECM) rigidity has important effects on cell behaviors and increases sharply in liver fibrosis and cirrhosis. Hepatic blood flow is essential in maintaining hepatocytes' (HCs) functions. However, it is still unclear how matrix stiffness and shear stresses orchestrate HC phenotype in concert. A fibrotic three-dimensional (3-D) liver sinusoidal model is constructed using a porous membrane sandwiched between two polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) layers with respective flow channels. The HCs are cultured in collagen gels of various stiffnesses in the lower channel, whereas the upper channel is pre-seeded with liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) and accessible to shear flow. The results reveal that HCs cultured within stiffer matrices exhibit reduced albumin production and cytochrome P450 (CYP450) reductase expression. Low shear stresses enhance synthetic and metabolic functions of HC, whereas high shear stresses lead to the loss of HC phenotype. Furthermore, both mechanical factors regulate HC functions by complementing each other. These observations are likely attributed to mechanically induced mass transport or key signaling molecule of hepatocyte nuclear factor 4α (HNF4α). The present study results provide an insight into understanding the mechanisms of HC dysfunction in liver fibrosis and cirrhosis, especially from the viewpoint of matrix stiffness and blood flow.NEW & NOTEWORTHY A fibrotic three-dimensional (3-D) liver sinusoidal model was constructed to mimic different stages of liver fibrosis in vivo and to explore the cooperative effects of matrix stiffness and shear stresses on hepatocyte (HC) functions. Mechanically induced alterations of mass transport mainly contributed to HC functions via typical mechanosensitive signaling.

Novel 2,3-Dialdehyde Cellulose-Based Films with Photodynamic Inactivation Potency by Incorporating the ß-Cyclodextrin/Curcumin Inclusion Complex.

Antibacterial packaging film mediated by photodynamic inactivation (PDI) is a new concept in food industry. The objective of this study was to fabricate a green 2,3-dialdehyde cellulose (DAC)-based antimicrobial film with PDI potency by incorporating the ß-cyclodextrin/curcumin (ß-CD/Cur) complex as a photosensitizer. The PDI-mediated films were characterized by evaluating the surface morphology, chemical structure, light transmittance, mechanical properties, photochemical and thermal stability, and water solubility. The results showed that the DAC-CD/Cur films were soluble in water and mechanically strong with a tensile strength of 63.87 MPa and an elongation break of 1.32%, which was attributed to the formation of hydrogen bonds between DAC and ß-CD/Cur molecules. Meanwhile, the composite films possessed a good light transmittance but impeded the penetration of ultraviolet light and efficiently delayed the degradation of curcumin. More importantly, the PDI-mediated films exhibited a broad-spectrum ability to kill Listeria monocytogenes, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, and Shewanella putrefaciens in pure culture. Notably, they also potently inactivated these harmful bacteria on ready-to-eat salmon with a maximum of ∼4 Log CFU/g (99.99%) reduction after 60 min irradiation (13.68 J/cm2). Therefore, the PDI-mediated DAC-CD/Cur films are novel and promising antimicrobial food packaging films in food industry.

Liposome encapsulated electron donor strategy for signal-on CYFRA 21-1 photoelectrochemical analysis.

A novel electron donor controlled-release system is proposed based on liposome encapsulated L-cysteine for the sensitive determination of cytokeratin 19 fragment 21-1 (CYFRA 21-1). On the one hand, a defective TiO2 modified with methylene blue was employed as a photoactive platform which exhibited a high photoelectrochemical (PEC) response owing to the introduction of oxygen vacancies and the high  photosensitivity of the dye. On the other hand, L-cysteine as the sacrificial electron donor was encapsulated in the vesicles of liposomes, and this composite was used as the signal amplification factor, which is labeled on the secondary antibody of CYFRA 21-1 to further improve the photocurrent sensitivity. The excellent electron transfer path in photoactive materials coupled with the skilful electron donor controlled-release system, contributed to the sensitive  PEC analysis of CYFRA 21-1 underoptimum conditions. The PEC immunoassay showed a linear current response in the range 0.0001-100 ng/mL with a detection limitof 37 fg/mL. Enhanced stability and satisfactory reproducibility were also achieved. The proposed concept  provides a novel signal-on strategy for the sensitive detection of other cancer markers in the electrochemical sensing field.

[Effect of Dendrobium officinale superfine powder on stomach Yin deficiency model mice induced by "spicy overeating"].

Dendrobium officinale is a traditional Chinese medicine for nourishing Yin and benefiting stomach. Its superfine powder has many advantages, such as good dissolution, high utilization rate, strong integrity and easy to use. However, the researches on effect of D. officinale superfine powder on stomach Yin deficiency model are still not sufficient. In this experiment, we explored the effect of D. officinale superfine powder in mice model with stomach Yin deficiency caused by "spicy overeating", and provided certain reference value for its application in gastrointestinal diseases. Male ICR mice were randomly divided into normal group, model group, Yiweitang group, omeprazole group, and D. officinale superfine powder high, medium and low dose groups. The mixture of wine and pepper liquid was given by gavage administration for 30 d, and the corresponding drug was given for 60 d while the model was conti-nued. The body weight, food intake, water intake, fecal moisture content and particle number, foot temperature of mice were measured. The levels of serum gastrin(Gas), motilin(MTL) and somatostatin(SS) were measured by ELISA. Gastric histomorpho-logy was observed by HE staining. The expression levels of nuclear factor kappa B(NF-κB) and cyclooxygenase-2(COX-2) were determined by immunohistochemistry. The expression levels of B-cell lymphoma-2(Bcl-2) and Bcl-2 associated X protein(Bax) in gastric tissues were detected by Western blot. The results showed that D. officinale superfine powder could increase the food intake, water intake, fecal moisture content and particle number, reduce the foot temperature, improve the pathological changes of gastric mucosa, reduce the expression of NF-κB, COX-2 protein in gastric tissues, and increase the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2. D. officinale superfine powder can "nourish Yin and benefit the stomach", improve the syndrome of stomach Yin deficiency, such as "hunger but not want to eat, dry mouth but not want to drink, hand and feet hot, constipation", and reduce the damage of gastric mucosa. The mechanism may be related to regulating the secretion of gastrointestinal hormones, inhibiting the inflammation of gastric tissues and promoting the apoptosis of abnormal cells in gastric tissues.

Alteration of circular RNA expression in rat dental follicle cells during osteogenic differentiation.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are novel noncoding RNAs and play crucial roles in various biological processes. However, little is known about the functions of circRNAs in osteogenic differentiation. The current study aimed to investigate the differential expression of circRNAs in rat dental follicle cells (rDFCs) during osteogenic differentiation, identified by RNA high-throughput sequencing and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses were performed to further explore the biofunctions of circRNA biofunctions. Two hundred sixty-six differentially-expressed circRNAs that are involved in several important signaling pathways, including mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) and transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) signaling pathways were revealed. Among these, circFgfr2 and its predicted downstream targets, miR-133 and BMP6 (bone morphogenetic protein-6), were identified both in vivo and in vitro. For further validation, circFgfr2 was overexpressed in rDFCs, the results showed that the expression of miR-133 was downregulated and the expression of BMP6 was upregulated. Taken together, the results revealed the circRNA expression profiles and indicated the importance of circRNAs of rDFCs. In addition, circFgfr2 might promote osteogenesis by controlling miR-133/BMP6, which is a potential new target for the manipulation of tooth regeneration and bone formation.

Dental Follicle Stem Cells Ameliorate Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Inflammation by Secreting TGF-ß3 and TSP-1 to Elicit Macrophage M2 Polarization.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Increasing evidence has demonstrated the novel roles of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in immunotherapy. However, difficulty in acquiring these cells and possible ethical issues limited their application. Recently, we have isolated a unique MSC population from dental follicles with potent stem cell-like properties. This study focused on the effects of dental follicle stem cells (DFSCs) on macrophage activation and polarization to determine their role in immunomodulation and to test if DFSCs are a promising cell source for MSC-based immunotherapy. METHODS: Rat acute lung injury (ALI) models induced by Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were applied to test the immune-modulatory effects of DFSC/DFSC-CM in vivo. The pulmonary permeability was determined by the dry / wet weight ratios of the left upper lung lobe. The lung histopathological damage was graded on a 0 to 4+ scale. And the inflammatory cytokines in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were tested by ELISA. Then we established LPS-induced inflamed macrophage models in vitro. Inflammatory cytokine production and polarization marker expression were measured by RT-qPCR, ELISA, western blot and flow cytometric analysis in macrophages following DFSC-CM treatment. The paracrine factors in DFSC-CM were revealed by a RayBiotech Protein Array. Thereafter, neutralization studies were performed to confirm the potential immune regulators in DFSC-CM. RESULTS: The DFSC/DFSC-CM not only attenuated histopathological damage and pulmonary permeability, but also downregulated pro-inflammatory cytokines MCP-1, IL-1, IL-6 and TNF-α, and upregulated anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 in BALF. Immunofluorescence staining revealed the increased expression of macrophage M2 marker Arg-1. Further in vitro study revealed that macrophages switched to an anti-inflammatory M2 phenotype when co-cultured with DFSC-CM, characterized by suppressed production of pro-inflammatory cytokines MCP-1, IL-1, IL-6, TNF-α and M1-polarizing markers iNOS and CD86; and increased expression of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 and the M2-polarizing markers Arg-1 and CD163. A RayBiotech Protein Array revealed 42 differentially expressed (> 2-fold) paracrine factors in DFSC-CM compared with the serum-free Ham's F-12K medium, among which TGF-ß3 and Thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) were upregulated by 18- and 105-fold, respectively. Neutralization studies confirmed the immunoregulatory roles of TGF-ß3 and TSP-1 in macrophage activation and polarization. CONCLUSION: These results indicated that DFSCs can reprogram macrophages into the anti-inflammatory M2 phenotype, the paracrine factors TGF-ß3 and TSP-1 may be one of the underlying mechanisms. This study supports the hypothesis that DFSCs are promising for MSC-based immunotherapy.

[Role of Pediatric Critical Illness Score in evaluating severity and prognosis of severe hand-foot-mouth disease].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of Pediatric Critical Illness Score (PCIS) in evaluating the prognosis and severity of severe hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD). METHODS: This study included 424 children with severe HFMD, consisting of 390 survivors and 34 deceased patients. Related physiological parameters and clinical data were collected for calculating PCIS scores. The area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was employed to assess the performance of PCIS in evaluating the complications and outcomes. RESULTS: The median of PCIS scores for survivors was higher than that for deceased patients (P<0.01). Of the 424 children with severe HFMD, only 26 (6.1%) had critical illness according to the severity assessment using PCIS. The AUC (95%CI) of PCIS was 0.74 (0.66, 0.82) in predicting pulmonary edema, 0.82 (0.74, 0.90) in predicting pulmonary hemorrhage, and 0.83 (0.75, 0.92) in predicting death. CONCLUSIONS: PCIS can predict the complications and prognosis in children with severe HFMD. However, the existing scoring system of PCIS cannot fully assess the severity of HFMD.

CircFgfr2 promotes osteogenic differentiation of rat dental follicle cells by targeting the miR-133a-3p/DLX3 signaling pathway.

Dental follicle cells (DFCs) promote bone regeneration in vivo and in vitro. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) play crucial roles in bone development and regeneration. Our previous study demonstrated the upregulation of circFgfr2 expression during the osteogenic differentiation of DFCs. However, the molecular mechanisms and functional roles of circFgfr2 in DFCs osteogenesis remain unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the subcellular localization of circFgfr2 in DFCs using fluorescence in situ hybridization. In vitro investigations demonstrated that circFgfr2 overexpression promoted osteogenic differentiation, as evidenced by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. By integrating the outcomes of bioinformatics analyses, dual luciferase reporter experiments, and chromatin isolation by RNA purification, we identified circFgfr2 as a sponge for miR-133a-3p, a key regulator of osteogenic differentiation. Moreover, miR-133a-3p suppressed osteogenic differentiation by targeting DLX3 and RUNX2 in DFCs. We validated that circFgfr2 promoted the osteogenic differentiation of DFCs through the miR-133a-3p/DLX3 axis. To further investigate the therapeutic potential of circFgfr2 in bone regeneration, we conducted in vivo experiments and histological analyses. Overall, these results confirmed the crucial role of circFgfr2 in promoting osteogenesis. In summary, our findings demonstrated that the circFgfr2/miR-133a-3p/DLX3 pathway acts as a cascade, thereby identifying circFgfr2 as a promising molecular target for bone tissue engineering.

Preservation effects of photodynamic inactivation-mediated antibacterial film on storage quality of salmon fillets: Insights into protein quality.

The preservation effects of a photodynamic inactivation (PDI)-mediated polylactic acid/5-aminolevulinic acid (PLA/ALA) film on the storage quality of salmon fillets were investigated. Results showed that the PDI-mediated PLA/ALA film could continuously generate reactive oxygen species by consuming oxygen to inactivate native pathogens and spoilage bacteria on salmon fillets. Meanwhile, the film maintained the content of muscle proteins and their secondary and tertiary structures, as well as the integrity of myosin by keeping the activity of Ca2+-ATPase, all of which protected the muscle proteins from degradation. Furthermore, the film retained the activity of total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD), suppressed the accumulation of lipid peroxides (e.g., MDA), which greatly inhibited four main types of protein oxidations. As a result, the content of flavor amino acids and essential amino acids in salmon fillets was preserved. Therefore, the PDI-mediated antimicrobial packaging film greatly preserves the storage quality of aquatic products by preserving the protein quality.

[Clinical Analysis of Mitoxantrone Liposome in the Treatment of Children with High-Risk Acute Myeloid Leukemia].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the safety and efficacy of mitoxantrone liposome in the treatment of children with high-risk acute myeloid leukemia (AML). METHODS: The children with high-risk AML who received the mitoxantrone liposome regimen at Wuhan Children's Hospital from January 2022 to February 2023 were collected as the observation group, and the children with high-risk AML who received idarubicin regimen were enrolled as controls, and their clinical data were analyzed. Time to bone marrow recovery, the complete remission rate of bone marrow cytology, the clearance rate of minimal residual disease, and treatment-related adverse reactions were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The patients treated with mitoxantrone liposome showed shorter time to recovery of leukocytes(17 vs 21 day), granulocytes(18 vs 24 day), platelets(17 vs 24 day), and hemoglobin(20 vs 26 day) compared with those treated with idarubicin, there were statistical differences (P <0.05). The effective rate and MRD turning negative rate in the observation group were 90.9% and 72.7%, respectively, while those in the control group were 94.1% and 76.4%, with no statistical difference (P >0.05). The overall response rate of the two groups of patients was similar. CONCLUSION: The efficacy of mitoxantrone liposome is not inferior to that of idarubicin in children with high-risk AML, but mitoxantrone liposome allows a significantly shorter duration of bone marrow suppression and the safety is better.

Proteomics Sequencing Reveals the Role of TGF-ß Signaling Pathway in the Peripheral Blood of Offspring Rats Exposed to Fluoride.

The underlying mechanism of fluorosis has not been fully elucidated. The purpose of this study was to explore the mechanism of fluorosis induced by sodium fluoride (NaF) using proteomics. Six offspring rats exposed to fluoride without dental fluorosis were defined as group A, 8 offspring rats without fluoride exposure were defined as control group B, and 6 offspring rats exposed to fluoride with dental fluorosis were defined as group C. Total proteins from the peripheral blood were extracted and then separated using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The identified criteria for differentially expressed proteins were fold change > 1.2 or < 0.83 and P < 0.05. Gene Ontology function annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis were performed using the oeCloud tool. The 177 upregulated and 22 downregulated proteins were identified in the A + C vs. B group. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis revealed that transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) signaling pathway significantly enriched. PPI network constructed using Cytoscape confirmed RhoA may play a crucial role. The KEGG results of genes associated with fluoride and genes associated with both fluoride and inflammation in the GeneCards database also showed that TGF-ß signaling pathway was significantly enriched. The immunofluorescence in HPA database showed that the main expression sites of RhoA are plasma membrane and cytosol, while the main expression site of Fbn1 is the Golgi apparatus. In conclusion, long-term NaF intake may cause inflammatory response in the peripheral blood of rats by upregulating TGF-ß signaling pathway, in which RhoA may play a key role.

Effect of sodium alginate-gelatin-polyvinyl pyrrolidone microspheres on cucumber plants, soil, and microbial communities under lead stress.

Lead is highly persistent and toxic in soil, hindering plant growth. Microspheres are a novel, functional, and slow-release preparation commonly used for controlled release of agricultural chemicals. However, their application in the remediation of Pb-contaminated soil has not been studied; furthermore, the remediation mechanism involved has not been systematically assessed. Herein, we evaluated the Pb stress mitigation ability of sodium alginate-gelatin-polyvinyl pyrrolidone composite microspheres. Microspheres effectively attenuated the Pb toxic effect on cucumber seedlings. Furthermore, they boosted cucumber growth, increased peroxidase activity, and chlorophyll content, while reducing malondialdehyde content in leaves. Microspheres promoted Pb enrichment in cucumber, especially in roots (about 4.5 times). They also improved soil physicochemical properties, promoted enzyme activity, and increased soil available Pb concentration in the short term. In addition, microspheres selectively enriched functional (heavy metal-tolerating and plant growth promoting) bacteria to adapt to and resist Pb stress by improving soil properties and nutrients. These results indicated that even a small amount (0.025-0.3 %) of microspheres can significantly reduce the adverse effects of Pb on plants, soil, and bacterial communities. Composite microspheres have shown great value in Pb remediation, and their application potential in phytoremediation is also worth evaluating to expand the application.

Cicada Wing-Inspired Transparent Polystyrene Film Integrating Self-Cleaning, Antifogging, and Antibacterial Properties.

A transparent film integrating antifouling, antifogging, and antibacterial properties is crucial for its application as a protective mask, goggles, or lens. Herein, applying dynamic injection molding coupled with a bionic gradient template, a fast and efficient method is proposed for the preparation of the bionic polystyrene surface (BNPPS) with a cicada wing-inspired nanopillar structure. The contact angle of the BNPPS film increases continuously along the wing vein, while the sliding angle decreases continuously, mimicking the gradient wetting state of a cicada wing and providing excellent self-propelled removal properties for tiny water droplets. Notably, the BNPPS film has a transmittance higher than 90% and a reflectivity lower than 5% in the visible light range. Dyeing water, milk, juice, cola, and ink can slide smoothly from the BNPPS film surface without leaving any residue. Importantly, the nanopillars on the BNPPS film surface can penetrate and kill most of the Escherichia coli within 20 min. Therefore, the prepared BNPPS film with sufficient mechanical strength gathers the unique properties of the cicada wing together. The proposed research is expected to offer valuable guidance for fabricating self-cleaning, antifogging, and antibacterial optical devices that could be utilized in medical and vision systems operating in harsh environments.

Topographic Cues of a PLGA Scaffold Promote Odontogenic Differentiation of Dental Pulp Stem Cells through the YAP/ß-Catenin Signaling Axis.

PURPOSE: The underlying mechanism of how topographic cues of artificial scaffolds regulate cell function remains poorly understood. Yes-associated protein (YAP) and ß-catenin signaling have both been reported to play important roles in mechano-transduction and dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) differentiation. We investigated the effects of YAP and ß-catenin in spontaneous odontogenic differentiation of DPSCs induced by topographic cues of a poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) membrane. METHODS: The topographic cues and function of a fabricated PLGA scaffold were explored via scanning electron microscopy (SEM), alizarin red staining (ARS), reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and pulp capping. Immunohistochemistry (IF), RT-PCR, and western blotting (WB) were used to observe the activation of YAP and ß-catenin when DPSCs were cultured on the scaffolds. Further, YAP was inhibited or overexpressed on either side of the PLGA membrane, and YAP, ß-catenin, and odontogenic marker expression were analyzed using IF, ARS, and WB. RESULTS: The closed side of the PLGA scaffold promoted spontaneous odontogenic differentiation and nuclear translocation of YAP and ß-catenin in vitro and in vivo compared to the open side. The YAP antagonist verteporfin inhibited ß-catenin expression, nuclear translocation, and odontogenic differentiation on the closed side, but the effects were rescued by LiCl. YAP overexpressing DPSCs on the open side activated ß-catenin signaling and promoted odontogenic differentiation. CONCLUSION: The topographic cue of our PLGA scaffold promotes odontogenic differentiation of DPSCs and pulp tissue through the YAP/ß-catenin signaling axis.

Covalent Grafting of 5-Aminolevulinic Acid onto Polylactic Acid Films and Their Photodynamic Potency in Preserving Salmon.

A novel photodynamic inactivation (PDI)-mediated antimicrobial film of polylactic acid/5-aminolevulinic acid (PLA/ALA) was successfully fabricated by a covalent grafting method using low-temperature plasma. The chemical structure, surface morphology, hydrophilic ability, and mechanical and barrier properties of the films were characterized, and their antibacterial, anti-biofilm potency and preservation effects on ready-to-eat salmon were investigated during storage. Results showed that the amino group of ALA was covalently grafted with the carboxyl group on the surface of PLA after the plasma treatment, with the highest grafting rate reaching ∼50%. The fabricated PLA/ALA films displayed an enhanced barrier ability against water vapor and oxygen. Under blue light-emitting diode illumination, the PLA/ALA films generated massive reactive oxygen species from the endogenous porphyrins in cells induced by ALA and then fatally destroyed the cell wall of planktonic cells and the architectural structures of sessile biofilms of the pathogens (Listeria monocytogenes and Vibrio parahaemolyticus) and spoilage bacterium (Shewanella putrefaciens). More importantly, the PDI-mediated PLA/ALA films potently inhibited 99.9% native bacteria on ready-to-eat salmon and significantly suppressed the changes of its drip loss, pH, and lipid oxidation (MDA) during storage, and on this basis, the shelf life of salmon was extended by 4 days compared with that of the commercial polyethylene film. Therefore, the PDI-mediated PLA/ALA films are valid in inactivating harmful bacterial and preserving the quality of seafood.

Expert consensus on digital guided therapy for endodontic diseases.

Digital guided therapy (DGT) has been advocated as a contemporary computer-aided technique for treating endodontic diseases in recent decades. The concept of DGT for endodontic diseases is categorized into static guided endodontics (SGE), necessitating a meticulously designed template, and dynamic guided endodontics (DGE), which utilizes an optical triangulation tracking system. Based on cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images superimposed with or without oral scan (OS) data, a virtual template is crafted through software and subsequently translated into a 3-dimensional (3D) printing for SGE, while the system guides the drilling path with a real-time navigation in DGE. DGT was reported to resolve a series of challenging endodontic cases, including teeth with pulp obliteration, teeth with anatomical abnormalities, teeth requiring retreatment, posterior teeth needing endodontic microsurgery, and tooth autotransplantation. Case reports and basic researches all demonstrate that DGT stand as a precise, time-saving, and minimally invasive approach in contrast to conventional freehand method. This expert consensus mainly introduces the case selection, general workflow, evaluation, and impact factor of DGT, which could provide an alternative working strategy in endodontic treatment.