Abscisic acid collaborates with lignin and flavonoid to improve pre-silking drought tolerance by tuning stem elongation and ear development in maize (Zea mays L.).

Drought is a major abiotic stress reducing maize (Zea mays) yield worldwide especially before and during silking. The mechanism underlying drought tolerance in maize and the roles of different organs have not been elucidated. Hence, we conducted field trials under pre-silking drought conditions using two maize genotypes: FM985 (drought-tolerant) and ZD958 (drought-sensitive). The two genotypes did not differ in plant height, grain number, and yield under control conditions. However, the grain number per ear and the yield of FM985 were 38.1 and 35.1% higher and plants were 17.6% shorter than ZD958 under drought conditions. More 13 C photosynthates were transported to the ear in FM985 than in ZD958, which increased floret fertility and grain number. The number of differentially expressed genes was much higher in stem than in other organs. Stem-ear interactions are key determinants of drought tolerance, in which expression of genes related to abscisic acid, lignin, and flavonoid biosynthesis and carbon metabolism in the stem was induced by drought, which inhibited stem elongation and promoted assimilate allocation to the ear in FM985. In comparison with ZD958, the activities of trehalose 6-phosphate phosphatase and sucrose non-fermentation-associated kinase 1 were higher in the stem and lower in the kernel of FM985, which facilitated kernel formation. These results reveal that, beyond the ear response, stem elongation is involved in the whole process of drought tolerance before silking. Abscisic acid together with trehalose 6-phosphate, lignin, and flavonoid suppresses stem elongation and allocates assimilates into the ear, providing a novel and systematic regulatory pathway for drought tolerance in maize.

Expression patterns of keratin family members during tooth development and the role of keratin 17 in cytodifferentiation of stratum intermedium and stellate reticulum.

Keratins are typical intermediate filament proteins of the epithelium that exhibit highly specific expression patterns related to the epithelial type and stage of cellular differentiation. They are important for cytoplasmic stability and epithelial integrity and are involved in various intracellular signaling pathways. Several keratins are associated with enamel formation. However, information on their expression patterns during tooth development remains lacking. In this study, we analyzed the spatiotemporal expression of keratin family members during tooth development using single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) and microarray analysis. scRNA-seq datasets from postnatal Day 1 mouse molars revealed that several keratins are highly expressed in the dental epithelium, indicating the involvement of keratin family members in cellular functions. Among various keratins, keratin 5 (Krt5), keratin 14 (Krt14), and keratin 17 (Krt17) are highly expressed in the tooth germ; KRT17 is specifically expressed in the stratum intermedium (SI) and stellate reticulum (SR). Depletion of Krt17 did not affect cell proliferation in the dental epithelial cell line SF2 but suppressed their differentiation ability. These results suggest that Krt17 is essential for SI cell differentiation. Furthermore, scRNA-seq results indicated that Krt5, Krt14, and Krt17 exhibited distinct expression patterns in ameloblast, SI, and SR cells. Our findings contribute to the elucidation of novel mechanisms underlying tooth development.

Digenic inheritance accounts for phenotypic variability in amelogenesis imperfecta.

Amelogenesis imperfecta (AI) represents a group of clinically and genetically heterogeneous disorders that affect enamel formation and mineralization. Although AI is commonly considered a monogenic disorder, digenic inheritance is rarely reported. In this study, we recruited two nonconsanguineous Chinese families exhibiting diverse phenotypes of enamel defects among affected family members. Digenic variants were discovered in both probands. In family 1, the proband inherited a paternal frameshift variant in LAMA3 (NM_198129.4:c.3712dup) and a maternal deletion encompassing the entire AMELX gene. This resulted in a combined hypoplastic and hypomineralized AI phenotype, which was distinct from the parents' manifestations. In family 2, whole-exome sequencing analysis revealed the proband carried a maternal heterozygous splicing variant in COL17A1 (NC_000010.11 (NM_000494.3): c.4156 + 2dup) and compound heterozygous variants in RELT (paternal: NM_032871.4:c.260A > T; maternal: NM_032871.4:c.521 T > G). These genetic changes caused the abundant irregular enamel defects observed in the proband, whereas other affected family members carrying heterozygous variants in both COL17A1 and RELT displayed only horizontal grooves as their phenotype. The pathogenicity of the novel COL17A1 splice site variant was confirmed through RT-PCR and minigene assay. This study enhances our understanding by highlighting the potential association between the co-occurrence of variants in two genes and variable phenotypes observed in AI patients.

Molecularly imprinted polymer-based SERS sensing of transferrin in human serum.

Specific detection of glycoproteins such as transferrin (TRF) related to neurological diseases, hepatoma and other diseases always plays an important role in the field of disease diagnosis. We designed an antibody-free immunoassay sensing method based on molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) formed by the polymerization of multiple functional monomers for the sensitive and selective detection of TRF in human serum. In the sandwich surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) sensor, the TRF-oriented magnetic MIP nanoparticles (Fe3O4@SiO2-MIPs) served as capture units to specifically recognize TRF and 4-mercaptophenylboronic acid-functionalized gold nanorods (MPBA-Au NRs) served as SERS probes to label the targets. In order to achieve stronger interaction between the recognition cavities of the prepared MIPs and the different amino acid fragments that make up TRF, Fe3O4@SiO2-MIPs were obtained through polycondensation reactions between more silylating reagents, enhancing the specific recognition of the entire TRF protein and achieving high IF. This sensing method exhibited a good linear response to TRF within the TRF concentration range of 0.01 ng mL-1 to 1 mg mL-1 (R2 = 0.9974), and the LOD was 0.00407 ng mL-1 (S/N = 3). The good stability, reproducibility and specificity of the resulting MIP based SERS sensor were demonstrated. The determination of TRF in human serum confirmed the feasibility of the method in practical applications.

Understanding the Tail Current Behavior of Electroactive Biofilms Realizes the Rapid Measurement of Biochemical Oxygen Demand.

The use of microbial electrochemical sensors, with electroactive biofilms (EABs) as sensing elements, is a promising strategy to timely measure the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) of wastewater. However, accumulation of Coulombic yield over a complete degradation cycle is time-consuming. Therefore, understanding the correlation between current output and EAB metabolism is urgently needed. Here, we recognized a tail stage (TS) on a current-time curve according to current increase rate─a period with the least electron harvesting efficiency. EAB adopted a series of metabolic compensation strategies, including slow metabolism of residual BOD, suspended growth, reduced cell activity, and consumption of carbon storage polymers, to cope with substrate deficiency in TS. The supplementary electrons provided by the decomposition of glycogen and fatty acid polymers increased the Coulombic efficiencies of TS to >100%. The tail current produced by spontaneous metabolic compensation showed a trend of convergent exponential decay, independent of BOD concentration. Therefore, we proposed the TS prediction model (TSPM) to predict Coulombic yield, which shortened BOD measurement time by 96% (to ∼0.5 h) with deviation <4 mg/L when using real domestic wastewater. Our findings on current output in TS give insights into bacterial substrate storage and consumption, as well as regulation in substrate-deficient environment, and provide a basis for developing BOD sensors.

Effects of water fluoridation on early embryonic development of zebrafish.

Fluoride has strong electronegativity and exposes diversely in nature. Water fluoridation is the most pervasive form of occurrence, representing a significant threat to human health. In this study, we investigate the morphometric and physiological alterations triggered by fluoride stimulation during the embryogenesis of zebrafish and reveal its putative effects of stage- and/or dose-dependent. Fluoride exhibits potent biological activity and can be extensively absorbed by the yolk sac, exerting significant effects on the development of multiple organs. This is primarily manifested as restricted nutrient utilization and elevated levels of lipid peroxidation, further leading to the accumulation of superoxide in the yolk sac, liver, and intestines. Moreover, pericardial edema exerts pressure on the brain and eye development, resulting in spinal curvature and reduced body length. Besides, acute fluoride exposure with varying concentrations has led to diverse teratogenic outcomes. A low dose of water fluoridation tends to induce abnormal development of the embryonic yolk sac, while vascular malformation is widely observed in all fluoride-treated groups. The effect of fluoride exposure on blood circulation is universally present, even in zebrafish larvae that do not exhibit obvious deformities. Their swimming behavior is also affected by water fluoridation, resulting in reduced activity and delayed reactions. In conclusion, this study provides valuable insights into the monitoring of environmental quality related to water fluoridation and disease prevention.

Coordinate-based data analysis of the accuracy of five intraoral scanners for scanning completely dentate and partially edentulous mandibular arches.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: Current methods for assessing the accuracy of intraoral scanners (IOSs) that reduce errors and provide comprehensive data compared with previous methods are lacking. PURPOSE: The purpose of this in vitro study was to present a coordinate-based data analysis method to compare the accuracy of 5 IOSs for scanning completely dentate and partially edentulous casts. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Reference scans of 2 complete arch casts (completely and partially dentate) were digitized using a high-precision laboratory scanner (Ceramill Map 600). Each cast was scanned 10 times each using 5 IOSs (3Shape TRIOS 3, Planmeca Emerald, iTero Element 5D, Medit i500, and Shining Aoralscan 3). The dataset of all 10 test groups was analyzed by using a reverse engineering software program (Geomagic Wrap). Each test cast was aligned with the reference cast by 3-dimensional (3D) superimposition to determine the translation and rotation along the x-, y-, and z-axes. The dataset was analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis and post hoc Bonferroni tests (α=.05). RESULTS: Significant differences were observed in all parameters among all scanners when scanning the same cast (P<.05). Significant differences were observed in at least 1 parameter for all scanners, except Element 5D after scanning different casts using the same scanner. Deviations in the test data generally relocated toward the mesial, buccal, and apical sides, and the casts were almost always rotated clockwise around the y-axis and counterclockwise around the z-axis. For the completely dentate cast, among all IOSs, Element 5D demonstrated the highest accuracy in most of the measured parameters, specifically in the y-axis translation (0.06[0.07] mm), z-axis translation (0.08[0.05] mm), and y-axis rotation (0.21[0.16] degree) (P<.05). For the partially edentulous cast, Element 5D displayed higher accuracy in most of the measured parameters, including the x-axis translation (0.11[0.14] mm) and z-axis rotation (0.12[0.18] degree) (P<.05). Emerald also displayed higher accuracy in most of the measured parameters, including the y-axis translation (0.05[0.08] mm) and y-axis rotation (0.14[0.12] degree) (P<.05). Element 5D exhibited no difference in the scanning accuracy between the 2 types of casts (P>.05). CONCLUSIONS: Element 5D offered a high level of accuracy and was an appropriate scanner for both situations. The method presented in this study provides a good assessment of accuracy deviations in complete arch scans using 3D coordinate-based data analysis.

Association between age, gender, and oral traumatic ulcerative lesions: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Oral traumatic ulcerative lesions (OTUL) are commonly encountered in clinical practice, yet there is limited research on their clinical characteristics and traumatic etiological factors. This retrospective study aimed to analyze the age, gender, clinical characteristics, and traumatic etiological factors in a large cohort of patients with OTUL and provide valuable insights for dental clinicians to optimize patient care and prevention strategies. METHODS: A total of 1543 patients with OTUL were enrolled in this study. Age, gender, medical history, clinical characteristics and traumatic etiological factors were collected and analyzed. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the significance of age and gender as factors related to OTUL. RESULTS: The study revealed significant variations in clinical characteristics and traumatic etiological factors among different age groups and between genders. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that both age and gender were significant factors related to OTUL. CONCLUSION: The clinical characteristics of OTUL and traumatic etiological factors appear to be significantly different according to age and gender. More targeted prevention strategies should be implemented for all age and gender groups.

A digital workflow for designing and manufacturing metal frameworks and removable partial dentures: A novel dental technique.

The purpose of this technical report is to demonstrate a fully digital workflow for designing and fabricating metal frameworks and removable partial dentures. After obtaining a digital cast of the dental arch with bilateral distal extension defect, computer-aided design software and 3D printing technology are used for the design and fabrication of the removable partial denture frameworks, denture teeth, and denture bases, instead of the traditional workflow. The assembly of the three components is facilitated through a meticulously structured framework. The technology, which prints metal frameworks, denture bases, and denture teeth through different processes with different materials, achieves full 3D printing technology for making removable partial dentures.

RNASEH2C c.194G>A is a Chinese-specific founder mutation in three unrelated patients with Aicardi-Goutières syndrome 3.

Biallelic pathogenic variants in RNASEH2C cause Aicardi-Goutières syndrome 3 (AGS3, MIM #610329), a rare early-onset encephalopathy characterized by intermittent unexplained fever, chilblains, irritability, progressive microcephaly, dystonia, spasticity, severe psychomotor retardation and abnormal brain imaging. Currently, approximately 50 individuals with AGS3 and 19 variants in RNASEH2C have been revealed. Here, we reported the novel clinical manifestations and genotypic information of three unrelated Chinese patients with AGS3 caused by pathogenic variants in RNASEH2C. In addition to three novel missense variants (c.101G>A, p.Cys34Tyr; c.401T>A, p.Leu134Gln and c.434G>T, p.Arg145Leu), one missense variant (c.194G>A, p.Gly65Asp) reoccurred in all patients but was completely absent in South Asian and other ethnicities. Our study expanded the variant spectrum of RNASEH2C and identified RNASEH2C c.194G>A as a Chinese-specific founder mutation. The novel phenotypes, including mouth ulcers, hip dysplasia, retarded dentition and hypogonadism, observed in our patients greatly enriched the clinical characteristics of AGS3.

Substrate Specificity of LACCASE8 Facilitates Polymerization of Caffeyl Alcohol for C-Lignin Biosynthesis in the Seed Coat of Cleome hassleriana.

Catechyl lignin (C-lignin) is a linear homopolymer of caffeyl alcohol found in the seed coats of diverse plant species. Its properties make it a natural source of carbon fibers and high-value chemicals, but the mechanism of in planta polymerization of caffeyl alcohol remains unclear. In the ornamental plant Cleome hassleriana, lignin biosynthesis in the seed coat switches from guaiacyl lignin to C-lignin at ∼12 d after pollination. Here we found that the transcript profile of the laccase gene ChLAC8 parallels the accumulation of C-lignin during seed coat development. Recombinant ChLAC8 oxidizes caffeyl and sinapyl alcohols, generating their corresponding dimers or trimers in vitro, but cannot oxidize coniferyl alcohol. We propose a basis for this substrate preference based on molecular modeling/docking experiments. Suppression of ChLAC8 expression led to significantly reduced C-lignin content in the seed coats of transgenic Cleome plants. Feeding of 13C-caffeyl alcohol to the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) caffeic acid o-methyltransferase mutant resulted in no incorporation of 13C into C-lignin, but expressing ChLAC8 in this genetic background led to appearance of C-lignin with >40% label incorporation. These results indicate that ChLAC8 is required for C-lignin polymerization and determines lignin composition when caffeyl alcohol is available.

Tailoring Polymerization Controllability and Dispersity Through a Photoswitchable Catalyst Strategy.

Modulating on-demand polymerization is a challenge in synthetic macromolecules. Herein, tailoring polymerization controllability and dispersity during single-electron transfer mediated living radical polymerization (SET-LRP) of methyl methacrylate (MMA) is achieved. Hexaarylbiimidazole (HABI) is employed as a photoswitchable catalyst, allowing reversible control of catalytic activity between an active and inactive state. In the presence of HABI and with the light on (active state), control SET-LRP of MMA follows first-order kinetics, resulting in polymers with a narrow molecular weight distribution. In contrast, polymerization responds to light and reverts to their original uncontrolled state with light off (inactive state). Therefore, repeatable resetting polymerization can be easily performed. The key to photomodulating dispersity is to use an efficient molecular switch to tailor the breadths of dispersity. Besides, the mechanism of HABI-mediated SET-LRP with switchable ability is proposed.

Enamel defects of Axenfeld-Rieger syndrome and the role of PITX2 in its pathogenesis.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the detailed ultrastructural patterns of dental abnormalities affected by Axenfeld-Rieger syndrome (ARS) with a heterozygous microdeletion involving paired-like homeodomain 2 (PITX2) and explored the underlying molecular mechanisms driving enamel defects. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Sanger sequencing, genomic quantitative PCR analysis, and chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) were used to screen the disease-causing mutation in one ARS proband. An exfoliated tooth from an ARS patient was analyzed with scanning electron microscopy and micro-computerized tomography. A stable Pitx2 knockdown cell line was generated to simulate PITX2 haploinsufficiency. Cell proliferation and ameloblast differentiation were analyzed, and the role of the Wnt/ß-catenin pathway in proliferation of ameloblast precursor cells was investigated. RESULTS: An approximately 0.216 Mb novel deletion encompassing PITX2 was identified. The affected tooth displayed a thinner and broken layer of enamel and abnormal enamel biomineralization. PITX2 downregulation inhibited the proliferation and differentiation of inner enamel epithelial cells, and LiCl stifmulation partially reversed the proliferation ability after Pitx2 knockdown. CONCLUSIONS: Enamel formation is disturbed in some patients with ARS. Pitx2 knockdown can influence the proliferation and ameloblast differentiation of inner enamel epithelial cells, and PITX2 may regulate cell proliferation via Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway.

First Report of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides Causing Anthracnose on Peanut in Chongqing, China.

In July 2022, dieback and discoloration were detected on infected stems of peanut in Qijiang District of Chongqing (106.56°E,29.41°N), China, with an incidence up to 5%. These peanut stems had disease symptoms typical of anthracnose with irregular gray-brown spots with dark brown edges, sunken, and necrotic. High temperature and high humidity were favorable for the growth of the pathogen. To isolate the pathogen, we collected 10 typical infected peanuts and cut one piece from each of symptomatic stems, surface sterilized with 0.5% NaClO for 1 min, and 75% ethanol for 30 s, then rinsed three times with sterile distilled water and dried on sterilized filter paper. These pieces were incubated on potato dextrose agar (PDA) at 25°C in the dark. Pure cultures were obtained from hyphal tips of each colony. It was found that isolates with the same colony morphology were isolated from each infected stem. A representative isolate (L7) was used for morphological characterization, molecular analysis, phylogenetic analysis, and pathogenicity tests. The colonies appeared white to gray, with white margins and aerial hyphae, and the reverse of the colonies was gray to brown. Conidia were cylindrical, aseptate, with obtuse to slightly rounded ends, 13.4 to 18.8 × 4.2 to 5.8 µm (n=50). Morphological characteristics were generally consistent with those of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides species complex (Cannon et al., 2012). For molecular identification, genomic DNA was extracted using a CTAB method and partial sequences of ß-tubulin (TUB2), actin (ACT) genes, chitin synthase (CHS) and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) genes were amplified and sequenced using primers T1/T2, ACT-512F/ACT-783R, CHS-79F/CHS-345R, and GDF1/GDR1, respectively (Damm et al., 2012; Dowling et al., 2020). Using the BLAST, TUB2, ACT, CHS and GAPDH gene sequences (GenBank accession No. OR714793, OP168707, OP168708 and OR714794, respectively) were100% (429 bp out of 429 bp), 99.22% (256 bp out of 258 bp), 99.64% (276 bp out of 277 bp) and 100% (253 bp out of 253 bp) identical to C. gloeosporioides CBS:112999 (JQ005587, JQ005500, JQ005326, and JQ005239), respectively. Using Neighbor-Joining algorithm, phylogenetic analysis was conducted based on the concatenated sequences of published TUB2, ACT, CHS and GAPDH genes. The identified isolate (L7) was closely related to C. gloeosporioides. To evaluate pathogenicity, the stems of ten peanut (Zhonghua12) seedlings (2 weeks) were wounded with a sterile toothpick and mycelial plugs (5 mm in diameter) or 20 µl of conidial suspension (105/ml) were inoculated. Non-colonized agar plugs or 20 µl of sterile distilled water were treated as control. After inoculation, the peanuts were kept in a moist chamber at 28°C with 80% humidity in the dark for 24 h, and subsequently transferred to the moist chamber with 12 h light and darkness cycle for 6 days, similar symptoms were observed on all inoculated peanuts. Controls remained asymptomatic. C. gloeosporioides was reisolated from the diseased stems and confirmed using morphological features and sequence analysis of TUB2, ACT, CHS and GAPDH. Anthracnose caused by C. truncatum and C. fructicola has been reported on peanut leaves in China (Gong et al., 2023; Yu et al., 2019). To our knowledge, this is the first report of anthracnose on peanut stem caused by C. gloeosporioides in Chongqing. Our report will provide crucial information for studying on epidemiology and management of this disease.

Patient-Specific Implants for Correction of Midfacial Aging.

The nasolabial folds (NLFs) may be shallowed with the use of nostril base augmentation. This study aimed to design and customize patient-specific implants (PSIs) with computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) to correct NLF deepening caused by midfacial aging. The patient's head computed tomography data obtained and were used for reconstruction. The PSIs were customized by CAD/CAM techniques, which were implanted into a nasal base for shallow NLFs caused by midfacial aging. Preoperative and postoperative photos and a wrinkle severity rating scale were used to evaluate the changes in NLFs. Also, the global esthetic improvement scale was used to investigate the surgical satisfaction of patients. Eleven patients (22 NLFs) received PSIs in the nasal base (22 implants). The customized PSI matched well with premaxilla, reducing the difficulty of operation. After 3 to 12 months of follow-up, PSI was stable without foreign body reaction or inflammatory reaction. Postoperative wrinkle severity rating scale scores showed that NLF severity was reduced in all patients, with a significant esthetic improvement compared with preoperatively ( P < 0.01). The global esthetic improvement scale showed an extremely satisfied improved NLF in 27.27% of patients, much improved in 63.63%, and improved in 9.90% (2/22), and none reported change or poor NLF. Patient satisfaction with their midface appearance differed significantly before and after surgery ( P < 0.01). Individualized PSI designed with high precision and matching degree by CAD and prepared using CAM could be applied to overcome the limitations of noncustomized implants.

Structural Characteristics-Reactivity Relationships for Catalytic Depolymerization of Lignin into Aromatic Compounds: A Review.

Developing renewable biomass resources is an urgent task to reduce climate change. Lignin, the only renewable aromatic feedstock present in nature, has attracted considerable global interest in its transformation and utilization. However, the complexity of lignin's structure, uncertain linkages, stability of side chain connection, and inevitable recondensation of reaction fragments make lignin depolymerization into biofuels or platform chemicals a daunting challenge. Therefore, understanding the structural characteristics and reactivity relationships is crucial for achieving high-value utilization of lignin. In this review, we summarize the key achievements in the field of lignin conversion with a focus on the effects of the ß-O-4 content, S/G ratio, lignin sources, and an "ideal" lignin-catechyl lignin. We discuss how these characteristics influence the formation of lignin monomer products and provide an outlook on the future direction of lignin depolymerization.

Performances and mechanisms of the peroxymonosulfate/ferrate(VI) oxidation process in real shale gas flowback water treatment.

Shale gas flowback water (SGFW), which is an inevitable waste product generated after hydraulic fracturing during development, poses a severe threat to the environment and human health. Managing high-salinity wastewater with complex physicochemical compositions is critical for ensuring environmental sustainability of shale gas development. Desalination processes have been recommended to treat SGFW to adhere to the discharge limits. However, organic fouling has become a significant concern in the steady operation of desalination processes, and the effective removal of organic compounds is challenging. This study aimed to develop an effective oxidation method to mitigate membrane fouling in real SGFW treatment process. It adopted the peroxymonosulfate (PMS)/ferrate (Fe(VI)) process, involving both free and non-free radical pathways that can alleviate the negative effects of high-salinity environments on oxidation. The operating parameters were optimized and removal effects were examined, while the synergistic oxidation mechanism and organic conversion of the PMS/Fe(VI) process were also analyzed. The results showed that the PMS/Fe(VI) process exhibited a synergistic effect compared with the PMS and Fe(VI) processes alone, with a total organic carbon (TOC) removal efficiency of 46.8% under optimal reaction conditions in real SGFW. In the Fe(VI)/PMS process, active species such as Fe(V)/Fe(IV), ·OH, and SO4-· were jointly involved in the oxidation of organic matter. Additionally, 99.5% of the total suspended solids and 95.2% of Ba2+ in the SGFW were removed owing to the formation of a coagulant (Fe3+) and SO42- during the reaction. Finally, an ultrafiltration membrane fouling experiment proved that oxidation processes can increase the membrane-specific flux and alleviate fouling resistance. This study can serve as a reference for the design of real SGFW treatment processes and is significant for the environmental management of shale gas development.

An integrated hollow bulb obturator prosthesis with a metal framework for a soft palate defect fabricated by multiple digital techniques.

The digital workflow to fabricate an integrated hollow bulb obturator prosthesis with a metal framework for a patient with soft palate defect is described. The framework was digitally designed with an open lattice denture base connector to facilitate the assembly of the hollow bulb obturator and printed with titanium. A functional impression of the palatopharyngeal area was made, and an integrated 3-dimensional (3D) cast was obtained by aligning the data of the functional impression to the preliminary intraoral scan data. The hollow bulb obturator and a palatal cover were designed based on the integrated 3D cast and the framework design data and printed with light-polymerizing denture base resin. The printed framework, obturator, and palatal cover were assembled and bonded without a physical cast, and the definitive prosthesis exhibited good fit, retention, and stability.

A digital and cast-free workflow for fabricating a definitive hollow obturator prosthesis for a maxillectomy defect: A dental technique.

This article presents a novel digital and cast-free workflow for fabricating a definitive hollow obturator prosthesis. A digital altered cast is made after the framework-fitting appointment to maximize support. The framework, hollow obturator base, and teeth are digitally designed, additively manufactured, and then assembled precisely without a cast. This method simplifies the laboratory process, reduces human errors, and provides a prosthesis with high accuracy and good fit.

The modification of meteorological factors on the relationship between air pollution and periodontal diseases: an exploration based on different interaction strategies.

We aimed to characterize the association between air pollutants exposure and periodontal diseases outpatient visits and to explore the interactions between ambient air pollutants and meteorological factors. The outpatient visits data of several large stomatological and general hospitals in Hefei during 2015-2020 were collected to explore the relationship between daily air pollutants exposure and periodontal diseases by combining Poisson's generalized linear model (GLMs) and distributed lag nonlinear model (DLNMs). Subgroup analysis was performed to identify the vulnerability of different populations to air pollutants exposure. The interaction between air pollutants and meteorological factors was verified in both multiplicative and additive interaction models. An interquartile range (IQR) increased in nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentration was associated with the greatest lag-specific relative risk (RR) of gingivitis at lag 3 days (RR = 1.087, 95% CI 1.008-1.173). Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure also increased the risk of periodontitis at the day of exposure (RR = 1.049, 95% CI 1.004-1.096). Elderly patients with gingivitis and periodontitis were both vulnerable to PM2.5 exposure. The interaction analyses showed that exposure to high levels of NO2 at low temperatures was related to an increased risk of gingivitis, while exposure to high levels of NO2 and PM2.5 may also increase the risk of gingivitis and periodontitis in the high-humidity environment, respectively. This study supported that NO2 and PM2.5 exposure increased the risk of gingivitis and periodontitis outpatient visits, respectively. Besides, the adverse effects of air pollutants exposure on periodontal diseases may vary depending on ambient temperature and humidity.