Accurate mandibular canal segmentation of dental CBCT using a two-stage 3D-UNet based segmentation framework.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study is to develop a deep learning (DL) model for fast and accurate mandibular canal (MC) segmentation on cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). METHODS: A total of 220 CBCT scans from dentate subjects needing oral surgery were used in this study. The segmentation ground truth is annotated and reviewed by two senior dentists. All patients were randomly splitted into a training dataset (n = 132), a validation dataset (n = 44) and a test dataset (n = 44). We proposed a two-stage 3D-UNet based segmentation framework for automated MC segmentation on CBCT. The Dice Similarity Coefficient (DSC) and 95% Hausdorff Distance (95% HD) were used as the evaluation metrics for the segmentation model. RESULTS: The two-stage 3D-UNet model successfully segmented the MC on CBCT images. In the test dataset, the mean DSC was 0.875 ± 0.045 and the mean 95% HD was 0.442 ± 0.379. CONCLUSIONS: This automatic DL method might aid in the detection of MC and assist dental practitioners to set up treatment plans for oral surgery evolved MC.

Preparation of fluorescein-modified polymer dots and their application in chiral discrimination of lysine enantiomers.

Fluorescein-functionalized fluorescent polymer dots (F-PDs) were prepared by a facile one-pot method by magnetic stirring under mild conditions based on carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) and fluorescein as the precursors. The obtained F-PDs exhibited a nanoscale size of 3.2 ± 1.1 nm, excellent water solubility, and bright yellow fluorescence emission with a fluorescence quantum yield of 12.0%. The fluorescent probe displays rapid and sensitive chiral discrimination for lysine focused on different complexation abilities between lysine enantiomers and Cu2+. The concentration of L-lysine in the range 4 to 14 mM (R2 = 0.997) was measured by the fluorescence intensity ratio (I513/I429); the exitation wavelength was set to λex = 365 nm. The detection limit was 0.28 mM (3σ/slope). Importantly, this sensor accurately predicted the enantiomeric excess (ee) of lysine enantiomers at the designed concentration (lysine: 20 mM; Cu2+: 10 mM) ranges. The proposed sensor was successfully applied to determine L-lys (recovery: 95.8-101%; RSD: 0.465-3.34%) and ee values (recovery: 98.5-102%; RSD: 2.61-3.21%) in human urine samples using the standard addition method.

Main-Side Chain Hydrogen Bonding-Based Self-Healable Polyurethane with Highly Stretchable, Excellent Mechanical Properties for Self-Healing Acid-Base Resistant Coating.

Developing an autonomous self-healing polyurethane (PU) elastomer with excellent mechanical properties and high ductility has attracted increasing attention. Nowadays, the synthesis of elastomers with excellent mechanical properties and rapid self-healing at room temperature faces a huge challenge. Herein, This work reports a new supramolecular PU with excellent mechanical properties and rapid self-healing at room temperature through the introduction of T-type chain extender into the supramolecular polymer chain. The introduction of T-chain extender can be used to enhance the mechanical strength of PU, and the multiple hydrogen bonds on the side-chain provide theoretical support for the rapid self-healing ability of PU. Maximum stress of the synthesized PU can reach 3.4 ± 0.15 Mpa, and maximum elongation at break can reach 3200% ± 160%. Due to flexibility and re-constructability of side-chain hydrogen bonds, PU stress repair efficiency can reach 96.7%, and can be self-healing scratches rapidly and effectively at room temperature. The mechanical properties and self-healing properties of PU can be adjusted by the content of T-type chain extender. The PU is applied to the metal surface coating, which has excellent acid-base resistance, bond strength up to 2.9 ± 0.1 Mpa, and the ability to eliminate local damage on the coating surface quickly at room temperature.

Nanoliposomes encapsulating immunostimulants modulate the innate immune system and elicit protection in zebrafish larvae.

Here we present immunostimulant-loaded nanoliposomes (NLc) as a strategy to protect zebrafish larvae against bacterial infection. The NLc encapsulate crude lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from E. coli and polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (Poly I:C), a synthetic analogue of viral dsRNA. Fluorescently-labeled NLc were ingested by zebrafish larvae 4 days post fertilization, when administrated by bath immersion, and accumulated in the intestine. RT-qPCR analysis showed the expression of innate immune related genes (tnfα, il1ß, nos2a, irf1a and ptgs2a) was significantly upregulated at 48 h post NLc treatment. A zebrafish larvae infection model for Aeromonas hydrophila was set up by bath immersion, achieving bacterial-dose-dependent significant differences in survival at day 5 post infection in both injured and non-injured larvae. Using this model, NLc protected non-injured zebrafish larvae against an A. hydrophila lethal infection. In contrast, neither the empty nanoliposomes nor the mixture of immunostimulants could protect larvae against lethal challenges. Our results demonstrate that nanoliposomes could be further developed as an efficient carrier, widening the scope for delivery of other immunostimulants in aquaculture.

Compartment differences of inflammatory activity in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

BACKGROUND: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with local and systemic inflammation. The knowledge of interaction and co-variation of the inflammatory responses in different compartments is meagre. METHOD: Healthy controls (n = 23), smokers with (n = 28) and without (n = 29) COPD performed spirometry and dental examinations. Saliva, induced sputum, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid and serum were collected. Inflammatory markers were assessed in all compartments using ELISA, flow cytometry and RT-PCR. RESULTS: Negative correlations between lung function and saliva IL-8 and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) were found in smokers with COPD. IL-8 and MMP-9 in saliva correlated positively with periodontal disease as assessed by gingival bleeding in non-smokers.Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in saliva, serum and TNF-α mRNA expression on macrophages in BAL-fluid were lower in smokers than in non-smokers. There were positive correlations between soluble TNF-α receptor 1 (sTNFR1) and soluble TNF-α receptor 2 (sTNFR2) in sputum, BAL-fluid and serum in all groups. Sputum interleukin-8 (IL-8) or interleukin-6 (IL-6) was positively correlated with sTNFR1 or sTNFR2 in non-smokers and with sTNFR2 in COPD. CONCLUSION: Saliva which is convenient to collect and analyse, may be suitable for biomarker assessment of disease activity in COPD. An attenuated TNF-α expression was demonstrated by both protein and mRNA analyses in different compartments suggesting that TNF-α response is altered in moderate and severe COPD. Shedding of TNFR1 or TNFR2 is similarly regulated irrespective of airflow limitation.

Toxicity comparison of nanopolystyrene with three metal oxide nanoparticles in nematode Caenorhabditis elegans.

Using Caenorhabditis elegans as an animal model, we compared the toxicity between nanopolystyrene and three metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs) (Al2O3-NPs, TiO2-NPs, and SiO2-NPs). After exposure from L1-larvae to adult day-1, nanopolystyrene (100 µg/L) reduced brood size and induced severe germline apoptosis, and nanopolystyrene (10-100 µg/L) decreased locomotion behavior, induced obvious reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and activated noticeable mitochondrial unfolded protein response (mt UPR). Using several endpoints (lethality, development, reproduction, and/or locomotion behavior), we found that nanopolystyrene could induce more severe toxicity than SiO2-NPs, although nanopolystyrene did not cause the toxicity comparable to that in Al2O3-NPs or TiO2-NPs exposed nematodes. Our data will be useful for understanding the exposure risk of nanopolystyrene on environmental organisms. Moreover, the detected toxicity difference between nanopolystyrene and three metal oxide NPs were associated with the differences in both induction of oxidative stress and activation of mt UPR in exposed nematodes.

[Bone defect repair with a new tissue-engineered bone carrying bone morphogenetic protein in rabbits].

OBJECTIVE: To construct a new tissue-engineered bone with poly (D, L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA), bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) and bone marrow-derived stem cells (BMSCs) and observe its effect in repairing segmental bone defects. METHODS: A 15-mm bone defect in the right radius was induced in New Zealand white rabbits, and the models were randomized into three groups to receive implantation of the tissue-engineered bone grafts constructed with PLGA carrying 5 mg BMP and about 1 x 10(6) BMSCs (experimental group), grafts of PLGA with about 1 x 10(6) BMSCs (control group), or grafts of exclusive PLGA (blank control group), respectively. The osteogenesis in the bone defect after the implantation on was evaluated X-ray films, and the histological changes of the tissues sampled from the bone defect 4, 8, and 12 weeks after operation were observed and new bone formation was measured by image analysis. RESULTS: The bone defect was completely repaired in the experimental group 12 weeks after the implantation, showing the best results among the 3 groups. The bone defects in the blank control group was filled with only fibrous and connective tissues at 12 weeks. CONCLUSION: This tissue-engineered bone constructed with PLGA, BMP and BMSCs possesses good ability in repairing segmental bone defect.

Experimental study on the characteristics of horizontal flame spread over XPS surface on plateau.

A series of comparative laboratory-scale experiments were carried out in the Lhasa plateau and the Hefei plain respectively to investigate the characteristics of flame spread over the extruded polystyrene (XPS) foam, a typical thermal insulation material. Flame shape and the temperature profile in solid phase were monitored, and the effects of altitude on the heat transfer process were analyzed. The results show that the temperature rise with time undergoes three stages: the preheating stage, the melting stage and the pyrolysis stage. The durations of the melting and pyrolysis stages on plateau are longer than that in plain, which sequentially results in a lower flame spread rate on plateau. Comparing of the temperature change rate curve on plateau with that in plain, it is found that the peak characteristics of the curves in the pyrolysis stage changed from single peak to multi-peaks, which suggests that the altitude difference might change the pyrolysis mechanisms of XPS material. Moreover, the sample scale effects on flame spread are also explored. Two different regimes are found in flame spread behavior with sample scale at the both altitudes. The spread rate drops with sample scale in convection regime and rises in radiation regime.