CsPAT1, a GRAS transcription factor, promotes lignin accumulation by antagonistic interacting with CsWRKY13 in tea plants.

Lignin is an important component of plant cell walls and plays crucial roles in the essential agronomic traits of tea quality and tenderness. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of lignin biosynthesis in tea plants remain unclear. CsWRKY13 acts as a negative regulator of lignin biosynthesis in tea plants. In this study, we identified a GRAS transcription factor, phytochrome A signal transduction 1 (CsPAT1), that interacts with CsWRKY13. Silencing CsPAT1 expression in tea plants and heterologous overexpression in Arabidopsis demonstrated that CsPAT1 positively regulates lignin accumulation. Further investigation revealed that CsWRKY13 directly binds to the promoters of CsPAL and CsC4H and suppresses transcription of CsPAL and CsC4H. CsPAT1 indirectly affects the promoter activities of CsPAL and CsC4H by interacting with CsWRKY13, thereby facilitating lignin biosynthesis in tea plants. Compared with the expression of CsWRKY13 alone, the co-expression of CsPAT1 and CsWRKY13 in Oryza sativa significantly increased lignin biosynthesis. Conversely, compared with the expression of CsPAT1 alone, the co-expression of CsPAT1 and CsWRKY13 in O. sativa significantly reduced lignin accumulation. These results demonstrated the antagonistic regulation of the lignin biosynthesis pathway by CsPAT1 and CsWRKY13. These findings improve our understanding of lignin biosynthesis mechanisms in tea plants and provide insights into the role of the GRAS transcription factor family in lignin accumulation.

Bionic Jaw-Like Micro One-Way Valve for Rapid and Long-Distance Water Droplet Unidirectional Spreading.

A surface with asymmetric microstructures for self-driven directional spreading of liquid has attracted keen interest from researchers in recent years for its great application prospects. Inspired by the jaws of tiny insects, such as ants, a surface textured with novel jaw-like microstructures as micro one-way valves is reported. These microstructures are almost two-dimensional, thus being simple and easy to fabricate. Whereas surfaces with such jaw-like micro one-way valves exhibit amazing rapid and long-distance water droplet unidirectional spreading behaviors. The maximum forward-backward distance ratio of water droplets on surfaces with the optimized microstructures is about 14.5, almost twice those of previous research. The capillary attraction at the location of the mouth of the jaws and the pinning effect brought by the sharp edge of the jaws for the precursor film are analyzed and deduced as the main mechanisms. The findings open a promising avenue for 2D asymmetric microstructure design and effective self-driven liquid unidirectional spreading.

The spatiotemporal matching pattern of Ezrin/Periaxin involved in myoblast differentiation and fusion and Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease-associated muscle atrophy.

BACKGROUND: Clinically, Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT)-associated muscle atrophy still lacks effective treatment. Deletion and mutation of L-periaxin can be involved in CMT type 4F (CMT4F) by destroying the myelin sheath form, which may be related to the inhibitory role of Ezrin in the self-association of L-periaxin. However, it is still unknown whether L-periaxin and Ezrin are independently or interactively involved in the process of muscle atrophy by affecting the function of muscle satellite cells. METHOD: A gastrocnemius muscle atrophy model was prepared to mimic CMT4F and its associated muscle atrophy by mechanical clamping of the peroneal nerve. Differentiating C2C12 myoblast cells were treated with adenovirus-mediated overexpression or knockdown of Ezrin. Then, overexpression of L-periaxin and NFATc1/c2 or knockdown of L-periaxin and NFATc3/c4 mediated by adenovirus vectors were used to confirm their role in Ezrin-mediated myoblast differentiation, myotube formation and gastrocnemius muscle repair in a peroneal nerve injury model. RNA-seq, real-time PCR, immunofluorescence staining and Western blot were used in the above observation. RESULTS: For the first time, instantaneous L-periaxin expression was highest on the 6th day, while Ezrin expression peaked on the 4th day during myoblast differentiation/fusion in vitro. In vivo transduction of adenovirus vectors carrying Ezrin, but not Periaxin, into the gastrocnemius muscle in a peroneal nerve injury model increased the numbers of muscle myosin heavy chain (MyHC) I and II type myofibers, reducing muscle atrophy and fibrosis. Local muscle injection of overexpressed Ezrin combined with incubation of knockdown L-periaxin within the injured peroneal nerve or injection of knockdown L-periaxin into peroneal nerve-injured gastrocnemius muscle not only increased the number of muscle fibers but also recovered their size to a relatively normal level in vivo. Overexpression of Ezrin promoted myoblast differentiation/fusion, inducing increased MyHC-I+ and MyHC-II + muscle fiber specialization, and the specific effects could be enhanced by the addition of adenovirus vectors for knockdown of L-periaxin by shRNA. Overexpression of L-periaxin did not alter the inhibitory effects on myoblast differentiation and fusion mediated by knockdown of Ezrin by shRNA in vitro but decreased myotube length and size. Mechanistically, overexpressing Ezrin did not alter protein kinase A gamma catalytic subunit (PKA-γ cat), protein kinase A I alpha regulatory subunit (PKA reg Iα) or PKA reg Iß levels but increased PKA-α cat and PKA reg II α levels, leading to a decreased ratio of PKA reg I/II. The PKA inhibitor H-89 remarkably abolished the effects of overexpressing-Ezrin on increased myoblast differentiation/fusion. In contrast, knockdown of Ezrin by shRNA significantly delayed myoblast differentiation/fusion accompanied by an increased PKA reg I/II ratio, and the inhibitory effects could be eliminated by the PKA reg activator N6-Bz-cAMP. Meanwhile, overexpressing Ezrin enhanced type I muscle fiber specialization, accompanied by an increase in NFATc2/c3 levels and a decrease in NFATc1 levels. Furthermore, overexpressing NFATc2 or knocking down NFATc3 reversed the inhibitory effects of Ezrin knockdown on myoblast differentiation/fusion. CONCLUSIONS: The spatiotemporal pattern of Ezrin/Periaxin expression was involved in the control of myoblast differentiation/fusion, myotube length and size, and myofiber specialization, which was related to the activated PKA-NFAT-MEF2C signaling pathway, providing a novel L-Periaxin/Ezrin joint strategy for the treatment of muscle atrophy induced by nerve injury, especially in CMT4F.

Polysaccharide-Based Composite Hydrogel with Hierarchical Microstructure for Enhanced Vascularization and Skull Regeneration.

Critical-size skull defects caused by trauma, infection, and tumor resection raise great demands for efficient bone substitutes. Herein, a hybrid cross-linked hierarchical microporous hydrogel scaffold (PHCLS) was successfully assembled by a multistep procedure, which involved (i) the preparation of poly(lactic-co-glycolic)/nanohydroxyapatite (PLGA-HAP) porous microspheres, (ii) embedding the spheres in a solution of dopamine-modified hyaluronic acid and collagen I (Col I) and cross-linking via dopamine polyphenols binding to (i) Col I amino groups (via Michael addition) and (ii) PLGA-HAP (via calcium ion chelation). The introduction of PLGA-HAP not only improved the diversity of pore size and pore communication inside the matrix but also greatly enhanced the compressive strength (5.24-fold, 77.5 kPa) and degradation properties to construct a more stable mechanical structure. In particular, the PHCLS (200 mg, nHAP) promoted the proliferation, infiltration, and angiogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in vitro, as well as significant ectopic angiogenesis and mineralization with a storage modulus enhancement of 2.5-fold after 30 days. Meanwhile, the appropriate matrix microenvironment initiated angiogenesis and early osteogenesis by accelerating endogenous stem cell recruitment in situ. Together, the PHCLS allowed substantial skull reconstruction in the rabbit cranial defect model, achieving 85.2% breaking load strength and 84.5% bone volume fractions in comparison to the natural cranium, 12 weeks after implantation. Overall, this study reveals that the hierarchical microporous hydrogel scaffold provides a promising strategy for skull defect treatment.

Ion-Induced Reassembly between Protein Nanotubes and Nanospheres.

Proteins used as building blocks to template nanostructures with manifold morphologies have been widely reported. Understanding their self-assembly and reassembly mechanism is important for designing functional biomaterials. Herein, we show that enzyme-hydrolyzed α-lactalbumin (α-lac) can self-assemble into either nanotubes in the presence of Ca2+ ions or nanospheres in the absence of Ca2+ in solution. Remarkably, such assembled α-lac nanotubes can be elongated by adding preassembled α-lac nanospheres and Ca2+ solution, which suggests that the self-assembled α-lac nanospheres undergo disassembly and reassembly processes into existing nanotube nuclei. By performing atomic force microscopy (AFM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), it indicates that there is an equilibrium among nanotubes, nanospheres, hydrolyzed α-lac, and Ca2+ in solution. The structural transition between nanotubes and nanospheres is driven from a less stable structure into a more stable structure determined by the conditions. During the transition from nanospheres into nanotubes, the hydrolyzed α-lac in nanospheres transfers into helical ribbon form at both nanotube extremities. Then helical ribbons close into mature nanotubes, extending the length of the initial nuclei. Besides, by dilution or adding ethylene glycol bis(2-aminoethyl ether) tetraacetic acid (EGTA), the decreased Ca2+ concentration in solution drives the Ca2+ dissociating from nanotubes into solution, leading to the transitions from nanotubes into nanospheres. The reversible transformation between nanotubes and nanospheres is achieved by adjusting the pH value from 7.5 to 5.0 and back to 7.5. This is because the stability of nanotubes decreases from pH 7.5 to 5 but increases from 5 to 7.5. Significantly, this approach can be used for the fabrication of various responsive nanomaterials from the same starting material.

Quantitative parameters of digital occlusal analysis in dental implant supported restorative reconstruction recent 5 years: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: The aims of this systematic review were to evaluate the clinical masticatory performance of implant-supported restorations, observe the occlusal force changes in the distribution of the implant restoration and reveal the positive and negative contributing factors of implant design and components based on the outcomes of digital occlusal measurement. MATERIAL AND METHODS: An extensive search was conducted through PubMed and CENTRAL to identify clinical trials on implant-retained restorations using digital occlusal analysis methods. Two researchers assessed the identified studies and data extraction independently, and the data synthesis strategies without meta-analysis that summarizes the effect estimates were adopted. RESULTS: The search screened 3821 titles and abstracts, then full-text analysis for 26 articles was performed, and 14 studies were included in the quantitative synthesis. Four of six studies for implant-retained overdenture showed statistically significant improved bite force when immediate loading (p = .00045, .00005, .00055, and .00005, respectively), and no statistically significant results in the other two studies (p = .225, .371, respectively.) However, the results of the favoured intervention were not statistically significant (p = .104, .166, respectively) in two studies of single posterior implant restorations. In all three studies, the bite force distributed on the implant prostheses of partially fixed implant-retained restoration increased statistically significantly (p = .013, .001, .05, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The edentulous restoration supported by implants seems to significantly improves bite force and chewing efficiency compared with conventional dentures. Regular quantitative occlusal measurement is recommended to avoid the possible risk of overload. Smaller implants size and relatively small and flexible attachment designs may be more conducive to the stability and retention of the restoration of atrophy of alveolar bone.

Study on the Preparation and Properties of Jute Microcrystalline Cellulose Membrane.

The preparation and performance control of the cellulose membrane are one of the hot topics in the environmentally friendly separation membrane field. In this study, microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) was prepared by microwave-assisted acidic hydrolysis of cellulose obtained from jute, followed by the use of a mixture of N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide and water as a solvent to obtain the homogeneous casting liquid, which was scraped and subsequently immersed in the coagulation bath to form a smooth and dense cellulose membrane. During membrane formation, the crystal structure of MCC changed from type I to type II, but the chemical structure remained unchanged. The mechanical strength and separation performance of the membrane were related to the content of MCC in the casting liquid. When the content of MCC was about 7%, the tensile strength of the membrane reached a maximum value of 13.49 MPa, and the corresponding elongation at break was 68.12%. The water flux (J) and rejection rate (R) for the bovine serum albumin were 19.51 L/(m2·h) and 95.37%, respectively, under an optimized pressure of 0.2 MPa. In addition, the coagulation bath had a significant effect on the membrane separation performance, and J and R were positively and negatively correlated with the polarity of the coagulation bath. Among them, it was note-worthy that J and R of membrane formed in ethanol were 33.95 L/(m2·h) and 91.43%, separately. Compared with water as a coagulation bath, J was increased by 74% at the situation and R was roughly equivalent, showing better separation performance. More importantly, the relationship between the structure and separation performances has also been studied preliminarily. This work provides certain guidance for the preparation of high-performance MCC membranes.

Application of a modified osteotomy and positioning integrative template system (MOPITS) based on a truncatable reconstruction model in the precise mandibular reconstruction with fibula free flap: a pilot clinical study.

BACKGROUND: Mandibular defects can greatly affect patients' appearance and functionality. The preferred method to address this issue is reconstructive surgery using a fibular flap. The current personalized guide plate can improve the accuracy of osteotomy and reconstruction, but there are still some problems such as complex design process and time-consuming. Therefore, we modified the conventional template to serve the dual purpose of guiding the mandible and fibula osteotomy and facilitating the placement of the pre-bent titanium. METHODS: The surgery was simulated preoperatively using Computer-Aided Design (CAD) technology. The template and truncatable reconstruction model were produced in the laboratory using 3D printing. After pre-bending the titanium plate according to the contour, the reconstruction model was truncated and the screw trajectory was transferred to form a modified osteotomy and positioning integrative template system (MOPITS). Next, the patient underwent a composite template-guided vascularized fibula flap reconstruction of the mandible. All cases were reviewed for the total operative time and accuracy of surgery. RESULTS: The procedures involved 2-4 fibular segments in 15 patients, averaging 3 fibular segments per procedure. The osteotomy error is 1.01 ± 1.02 mm, while the reconstruction angular error is 1.85 ± 1.69°. The preoperative and postoperative data were compared, and both p > 0.05. During the same operation, implant placement was performed on four patients, with an average operative time of 487.25 ± 60.84 min. The remaining malignant tumor patients had an average operative time of 397.18 ± 73.09 min. The average postoperative hospital stay was 12.95 ± 3.29 days. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the effectiveness of MOPITS in facilitating precise preoperative planning and intraoperative execution of fibula flap reconstruction. MOPITS represents a promising and reliable tool for reconstructive surgery, particularly for inexperienced surgeons navigating the challenges of mandible defect reconstruction.

[Clinical application value of Huanglian Jiedu Pills in improving syndrome of excess heat and fire toxin based on phase â ¡ clinical trial study on plasma ATP, 4-HNE, and ACTH levels].

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-center phase Ⅱ clinical trial design was used in this study to recruit subjects who were in line with the syndrome of excess heat and fire toxin, and were diagnosed as recurrent oral ulcers, gingivitis, and acute pharyngitis. A total of 240 cases were included and randomly divided into a placebo group and a Huanglian Jiedu Pills group. The clinical efficacy of Huanglian Jiedu Pills in treating the syndrome of excess heat and fire toxin was evaluated by using the traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) syndrome scale. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) was used to determine and evaluate the levels of adenosine triphosphate(ATP), 4-hydroxynonenal(4-HNE), and adrenocorticotropic hormone(ACTH) in plasma of the two groups before and after administration and to predict their application value as clinical biomarkers. The results showed that the disappearance rate of main symptoms in the Huanglian Jiedu Pills group was 69.17%, and that in the placebo group was 50.83%. The comparison between the Huanglian Jiedu Pills group and the placebo group showed that 4-HNE before and after administration was statistically significant(P<0.05). The content of 4-HNE in the Huanglian Jiedu Pills group decreased significantly after administration(P<0.05), but that in the placebo group had no statistical significance and showed an upward trend. After administration, the content of ATP in both Huanglian Jiedu Pills group and placebo group decreased significantly(P<0.05), indicating that the energy metabolism disorder was significantly improved after administration of Huanglian Jiedu Pills and the body's self-healing ability also alleviated the increase in ATP level caused by the syndrome of excess heat and fire toxin to a certain extent. ACTH in both Huanglian Jiedu Pills group and placebo group decreased significantly after administration(P<0.05). It is concluded that Huanglian Jiedu Pills has a significant clinical effect, and can significantly improve the abnormal levels of ATP and 4-HNE in plasma caused by the syndrome of excess heat and fire toxin, which are speculated to be the effective clinical biomarkers for Huanglian Jiedu Pills to treat the syndrome of excess heat and fire toxin.

A universal strategy for the fabrication of single-photon and multiphoton NIR nanoparticles by loading organic dyes into water-soluble polymer nanosponges.

The development of optical organic nanoparticles (NPs) is desirable and widely studied. However, most organic dyes are water-insoluble such that the derivatization and modification of these dyes are difficult. Herein, we demonstrated a simple platform for the fabrication of organic NPs designed with emissive properties by loading ten different organic dyes (molar masses of 479.1-1081.7 g/mol) into water-soluble polymer nanosponges composed of poly(styrene-alt-maleic acid) (PSMA). The result showed a substantial improvement over the loading of commercial dyes (3.7-50% loading) while preventing their spontaneous aggregation in aqueous solutions. This packaging strategy includes our newly synthesized organic dyes (> 85% loading) designed for OPVs (242), DSSCs (YI-1, YI-3, YI-8), and OLEDs (ADF-1-3, and DTDPTID) applications. These low-cytotoxicity organic NPs exhibited tunable fluorescence from visible to near-infrared (NIR) emission for cellular imaging and biological tracking in vivo. Moreover, PSMA NPs loaded with designed NIR-dyes were fabricated, and photodynamic therapy with these dye-loaded PSMA NPs for the photolysis of cancer cells was achieved when coupled with 808 nm laser excitation. Indeed, our work demonstrates a facile approach for increasing the biocompatibility and stability of organic dyes by loading them into water-soluble polymer-based carriers, providing a new perspective of organic optoelectronic materials in biomedical theranostic applications.

Novel Pathogenic Mutation of PNPLA1 Identified in Autosomal Recessive Congenital Ichthyosis: A Case Report.

Autosomal recessive congenital ichthyosis (ARCI) is characterized by being born as collodion babies, hyperkeratosis, and skin scaling. We described a collodion baby at birth with mild ectropion, eclabium, and syndactyly. Whole exome sequencing showed a compound heterozygous variant c.[56C>A], p.(Ser19X) and c.[100G>A], p.(Ala34Thr) in the PNPLA1 gene [NM_001145717; exon 1]. The protein encoded by PNPLA1 acts as a unique transacylase that specifically transfers linoleic acid from triglyceride to ω-hydroxy fatty acid in ceramide, thus giving rise to ω-O-acylceramide, a particular class of sphingolipids that is essential for skin barrier function. The variant was located in the patatin core domain of PNPLA1 and resulted in a truncated protein which could disrupt the function of the protein. This case report highlights a novel compound heterozygous mutation in PNPLA1 identified in a Chinese child.

Discovery of Welcome Biopolymers in Surface Water: Improvements in Drinking Water Production.

The presence of biopolymers in surface waters and their significance for potable water supply have received little attention previously owing to their low concentrations. In this paper, we present the results of an extensive study that has investigated the role and benefits of biopolymers during the purification of surface water with reference to their specific biological and physico-chemical properties. Using samples collected from two representative surface waters in China and the United Kingdom, macromolecular biopolymers were separated and concentrated for subsequent investigation of their role in coagulation, metal ion adsorption, and membrane separation. Our results show that biopolymers significantly improve the antifouling capability of membrane nanofiltration, in combination with the enhanced conventional coagulation performance and additional security against several unhealthy metal pollutants (e.g., Fe, Al, and Cr). We believe this is the first study that reveals the versatile benefits and the fate of natural biopolymers in surface water purification processes.

Silica Monolith Nested in Sponge (SiMNS): A Composite Monolith as a New Solid Phase Extraction Material for Environmental Analysis.

We report a new material of a composite silica monolith nested in sponge (SiMNS) and demonstrate an application in the trace analysis of environmental contaminants in water. SiMNS is prepared through sponge absorption of a hydrolyzed mixture of siloxanes and in situ gel formation within the pores. Images obtained using scanning electron microscopy show that the silica and sponge skeletons are mutually nested in SiMNS. This nested composite structure of SiMNS enhances the mechanical flexibility of the material, allowing for reproducible production of desirable sizes and shapes for solid phase extraction (SPE) cartridges without the need to use frits. Functionalization of SiMNS provides appropriate SPE options for selective and efficient extraction of specific contaminants. SPE cartridges packed with functionalized SiMNS-SO3Na have high extraction capacity, good stability in the pH range of 2 to 11, and efficient enrichment of dipeptides in water. Extraction of six dipeptides from water using these new SiMNS-SO3Na SPE cartridges followed by HPLC-MS/MS analysis results in improved method detection limits (MDLs) of 0.02-1.3 ng/L and method quantification limits (MQLs) of 0.05-4.3 ng/L. Successful identification and quantification of three dipeptides, Tyr-Gly, Phe-Gly, and Tyr-Ala, from raw water demonstrates a useful application of the new SPE materials for environmental analysis of trace contaminants. On the basis of this work, a range of functionalized SiMNS materials can be produced and tailored for various environmental and exposomic analyses.

Morphologies Transformation of BODIPY-Based Main Chain Supramolecular Polymers Amphiphiles: From Helical Nanowires to Nanosheets.

The aggregate morphologies of 4,4-difluoro-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene (BODIPY) main chain supramolecular polymer amphiphiles (SPA) are tunable by a fine balance of different non-covalent interactions. When the BODIPY segments and sodium cholate are mixed in aqueous solution, they form SPA by electrostatic attraction and hydrogen-bonds. This SPA displays helical nanowires' morphology. After the third component dimeric ß-cyclodextrin (ß-CD-C) is added, the hydrogen bonds between the cholate are substituted by the host-guest interaction between cholate and ß-CD-C. Therefore, these SPA transform their aggregate morphologies into nanosheets' architecture. Therefore, a simple and effective way to regulate self-assembly by non-covalent forces is developed. This supramolecular method may provide an effective way to prepare various nanostructures in aqueous solution and show promising application in the future.

Comprehensive Application of Autologous Costal Cartilage Grafts in Rhino- and Mentoplasty.

BACKGROUND: Underdevelopment of nose and chin in East Asians is quite common. Rhinoplasty and mentoplasty are effective procedures to solve the above-depicted defects and can achieve remarkable cosmetic effects. An autologous costal cartilage graft has become an ideal material for rhinoplasty, especially for revision surgery. However, many problems in the clinical application of costal cartilage remain unresolved. This study is to investigate application strategies of autologous costal cartilage grafts in rhino- and mentoplasty. METHODS: The methods involved are as follows: application of an integrated cartilage scaffold; comprehensive application of diced cartilage; and chin augmentation of an autologous costal cartilage graft. RESULTS: In this study, satisfactory facial contour appearance was immediately achieved in 28 patients after surgery; 21 patients had satisfactory appearance of the nose and chin during the 6- to 18-month follow-up. Cartilage resorption was not observed. Two patients had nasal tip skin redness and were cured after treatment. CONCLUSION: This procedure can be used to effectively solve: curvature of the costal cartilage segment itself; warping of the carved costal cartilage; and effective use of the costal cartilage segment. The procedure has achieved satisfactory outcomes, and its application is worth extending to clinical practice.

Optimized coagulation pretreatment alleviates ultrafiltration membrane fouling: The role of floc properties and slow-mixing speed on mechanisms of chitosan-assisted coagulation.

To alleviate ultrafiltration (UF) membrane fouling, the pre-coagulation of poly-aluminum chloride (PACl) with the aid of chitosan (CTS) was conducted for synthetic humic acid-kaolin water treatment. Pre-coagulation of three molecular weights (MW) CTSs (50-190 kDa (CTSL), 190-310 kDa (CTSM) and 310-375 kDa (CTSH)) was optimized with slow-mixing speeds of 30, 60 and 90 r/min, respectively. The removal efficiency and floc properties as well as membrane fouling were analyzed, and were compared to results obtained by conventional coagulation with PACl. Results showed that variations in floc properties could be ascribed to the coagulation mechanisms of CTSL/CTSM/CTSH at different slow-mixing speeds, resulting in reduced UF membrane fouling. Specifically, at the low speed of 30 r/min, all three CTS types produced flocs with similar properties, while CTSL resulted in the lowest removal efficiency and aggravated irreversible fouling. At the appropriate speed of 60 r/min, CTSM generated the most compact flocs with the combined effects of bridging and path mechanisms. The compact cake layer formed could alleviate irreversible fouling, which was beneficial for prolonging the operation of the UF membrane. At the high speed of 90 r/min, CTSH formed fragile flocs and aggravated irreversible membrane fouling. We considered membrane fouling to be affected by floc properties and the resultant removal efficiency, which was governed by the MW of the CTS used and the slow-mixing speed applied as well.

Terpolymer Micelles for the Delivery of Arsenic to Breast Cancer Cells: The Effect of Chain Sequence on Polymeric Micellar Characteristics and Cancer Cell Uptake.

In this study, we developed a micellar platform composed of terpolymers for the encapsulation of inorganic arsenite or arsenous acid (AsIII). For this purpose, a series of terpolymers composed of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO, block A), poly(α-carboxylate-ε-carprolactone) (PCCL, block B), and poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL, block C) with either a blocked, i.e., BC or CB, or random, i.e., (B/C)ran block copolymer sequence in the polyester segment was synthesized. The COOH groups on block B were further modified with mercaptohexylamine for AsIII encapsulation. We then investigated how sequence of terpolymers can affect the stability and surface charge of micelles as well as the cellular uptake of their cargo, i.e., AsIII, by MDA-MB-435 cancer cells. 1H NMR spectroscopy in D2O and CDCl3 was also used to study the structure of different terpolymer micelles. Our results showed micelles with ABC sequence to have better stability over those of ACB and A(B/C)ran as reflected by a lower critical micellar concentration. The AsIII-loaded ABC micelles were less negatively charged on the surface than the other two types of terpolymer micelles. In line with this observation, ABC micelles showed a substantially enhanced uptake of AsIII by MDA-MB-435 cancer cells. Stability and surface charge are key parameters that can influence the performance of polymeric micelles as nanodrug carriers. Based on these results, we suggest ABC micelles to have improved characteristics for AsIII delivery compared to ACB and A(B/C)ran micelles.

Tracing photon transmission in dye-doped DNA-CTMA optical nanofibers.

We experimentally demonstrate the novel phenomena of photoluminescence (PL) and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) assisted three-color PL separating in DNA optical nanofibers consisting of the stretched and connected DNA-cetyltrimethyl ammonium wires. The PL experiments are performed to comparatively trace photon transmission between single dye-doped DNA-CTMA optical nanofiber and PMMA optical nanofiber. A cascade FRET including DNA minor groove binder and DNA intercalators is used to further trace photon transmission inside DNA-CTMA wire. These experimental results will help to intrigue the new applications of DNA-CTMA as molecular waveguide in optobioelectronics area.

Excessive retinoic acid impaired proliferation and differentiation of human fetal palatal chondrocytes (hFPCs).

Chondrocyte proliferation and differentiation is a fundamental process during hard palatogenesis. Excessive retinoic acid (RA), the biologically most active metabolite of vitamin A, has been reported to adversely affect chondrogenesis. The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanisms underlying RA-induced chondrocyte differentiation by using human fetal palatal chondrocytes (hFPCs) aging about 9 weeks of amenorrhea. RA treatment inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis in hFPCs. Alkaline phosphatase activity assay, quantitative alcian blue staining, and real-time PCR analysis revealed that RA treatment stimulated hFPCs to undergo maturation and terminal differentiation, as demonstrated by decreased chondrogenic markers and increased osteogenic markers. Further studies demonstrated that RA treatment increased Wnt/ß-catenin signaling, as demonstrated by Wnt/ß-catenin target gene expression analysis and a luciferase-based ß-catenin-activated reporter assay. To address the role of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling, we treated hFPCs with Dickkopf-related protein 1, an extracellular inhibitor of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling, and the observed all-trans retinoic acid-mediated increases in nuclear accumulation of ß-catenin, alkaline phosphatase activity, and type I collagen mRNA were attenuated, suggesting that RA modulated Wnt signaling at ligand-receptor level. In summary, excessive all-trans retinoic acid inhibited proliferation and promoted ossification of hFPCs by upregulation of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling.

A deep learning method for multi-task intelligent detection of oral cancer based on optical fiber Raman spectroscopy.

In the fight against oral cancer, innovative methods like Raman spectroscopy and deep learning have become powerful tools, particularly in integral tasks encompassing tumor staging, lymph node staging, and histological grading. These aspects are essential for the development of effective treatment strategies and prognostic assessment. However, it is important to note that most research so far has focused on solutions to one of these problems and has not taken full advantage of the potential wealth of information in the data. To compensate for this shortfall, we conceived a method that combines Raman spectroscopy with deep learning for simultaneous processing of multiple classification tasks, including tumor staging, lymph node staging, and histological grading. To achieve this innovative approach, we collected 1750 Raman spectra from 70 tissue samples, including normal and cancerous tissue samples from 35 patients with oral cancer. In addition, we used a deep neural network architecture to design four distinct multi-task network (MTN) models for intelligent oral cancer diagnosis, named MTN-Alexnet, MTN-Googlenet, MTN-Resnet50, and MTN-Transformer. To determine their effectiveness, we compared these multitask models to each other and to single-task models and traditional machine learning methods. The preliminary experimental results show that our multi-task network model has good performance, among which MTN-Transformer performs best. Specifically, MTN-Transformer has an accuracy of 81.5%, a precision of 82.1%, a sensitivity of 80.2%, and an F1_score of 81.1% in terms of tumor staging. In the field of lymph node staging, the accuracy, precision, sensitivity, and F1_score of MTN-Transformer are 81.3%, 83.0%, 80.1%, and 81.5% respectively. Similarly, for the histological grading classification tasks, the accuracy was 83.0%, the precision 84.3%, the sensitivity 76.7%, and the F1_score 80.2%. This code is available at https://github.com/ISCLab-Bistu/MultiTask-OralRamanSystem.