A Novel Punch Technique for Facial Pigmented Melanocytic Nevus.

The punch tool is a swift and practical instrument in the facial pigmented melanocytic nevus. However, few studies have evaluated the efficacy of the method for facial pigmented nevus. The aim of this study was to evaluate the practicability and effectiveness of removing facial pigmented nevus by punch biopsy technique. This was an observational study of patients with facial pigmented nevus in the Hospital of Plastic Surgery, Weifang Medical University. The ages of patients ranged from 15 to 36 years (average, 25 y). The outcome evaluations included Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS) score, esthetic appearance, and patient satisfaction. Following standard procedures, preoperative surgical excision was performed with safety margins. Anatomopathologic analysis of the surgical specimen was used as the gold standard to evaluate the accuracy of diagnosis by punch biopsy. From January 2019 to January 2020, this punch technique was carried out on 96 patients (151 pigmented nevus) with 35 melanocytic nevus on the forehead, 39 on the cheek, 21 on the eyelid, and 45 on the nose, whereas 11 were on nasolabial folds. The diameters of pigmented nevus are 0.5 to 10 mm on the face. All patients were evaluated at a follow-up visit ranging from 6 to 20 months (average, 11±1.5 mo) and healed with no complication. The histopathological examinations of the skin lesions showed benign outcomes. The mean Vancouver Scar Scale were 1.1±0.4. Ideal cosmetic and functional outcomes were achieved in 94 patients (97.9%). All patients achieved complete satisfaction except 2 patients with partial satisfaction. No recurrences and complications were recorded. This study demonstrated that the punch technique is an effective method to remove facial pigmented melanocytic nevus with acceptable functional and esthetic outcomes without relapse.

[Clinical comparative study on aesthetic effect of all-ceramic micro-veneer and minimally invasive ultra-thin veneer in repairing deformed anterior teeth].

PURPOSE: To compare the aesthetic effects of all-ceramic micro-veneer and minimally invasive ultra-thin veneer in repairing deformed anterior teeth. METHODS: One hundred and twenty patients with deformed anterior teeth were selected for aesthetic restoration. According to the patient's personal condition, a suitable repair protocol was selected. Patients in the experimental group (60 cases) were repaired with all-ceramic micro-adhesive surface, while patients in the control group (60 cases) were treated with minimally invasive ultra-thin veneer. The US Public Health Administration's Evaluation Criteria (USPHS) scores were recorded and compared 6 months, 12 months, and 24 months after restoration. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 25.0 software package. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the integrity, color, marginal closeness, translucency and marginal staining of the restorations between the two groups 24 months after operation (P>0.05). The satisfaction rate of the aesthetics of the experimental group was significantly lower than that of the control group (71.60% vs 93.83%, P<0.05). The incidence of complications such as broken, detached and secondary caries during the follow-up period was significantly lower in the experimental group than in the control group (1.23% vs 11.11%, P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The results showed that there is no significant difference in the success rate between the two methods. All-ceramic micro-veneer technique has good long-term effect, fewer complications, easy to collapse and stain the lip margin, but it has a small amount of teeth preparation and a low incidence of pulpitis in the later period. Minimally invasive super-thin veneer has high aesthetic value, so it is necessary to choose appropriate aesthetic repair methods according to the patients' needs.

Novel 3D Neuron Regeneration Scaffolds Based on Synthetic Polypeptide Containing Neuron Cue.

Neural tissue engineering has become a potential technology to restore the functionality of damaged neural tissue with the hope to cure the patients with neural disorder and to improve their quality of life. This paper reports the design and synthesis of polypeptides containing neuron stimulate, glutamic acid, for the fabrication of biomimetic 3D scaffold in neural tissue engineering application. The polypeptides are synthesized by efficient chemical reactions. Monomer γ-benzyl glutamate-N-carboxyanhydride undergoes ring-opening polymerization to form poly(γ-benzyl-l-glutamate), then hydrolyzes into poly(γ-benzyl-l-glutamate)-r-poly(glutamic acid) random copolymer. The glutamic acid amount is controlled by hydrolysis time. The obtained polymer molecular weight is in the range of 200 kDa for good quality of fibers. The fibrous 3D scaffolds of polypeptides are fabricated using electrospinning techniques. The scaffolds are biodegradable and biocompatible. The biocompatibility and length of neurite growth are improved with increasing amount of glutamic acid in scaffold. The 3D scaffold fabricated from aligned fibers can guide anisotropic growth of neurite along the fiber and into 3D domain. Furthermore, the length of neurite outgrowth is longer for scaffold made from aligned fibers as compared with that of isotropic fibers. This new polypeptide has potential for the application in the tissue engineering for neural regeneration.

Heavy Metal Resistances and Chromium Removal of a Novel Cr(VI)-Reducing Pseudomonad Strain Isolated from Circulating Cooling Water of Iron and Steel Plant.

Three bacterial isolates, GT2, GT3, and GT7, were isolated from the sludge and water of a circulating cooling system of iron and steel plant by screening on Cr(VI)-containing plates. Three isolates were characterized as the members of the genus Pseudomonas on the basis of phenotypic characteristics and 16S rRNA sequence analysis. All isolates were capable of resisting multiple antibiotics and heavy metals. GT7 was most resistant to Cr(VI), with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 6.5 mmol L-1. GT7 displayed varied rates of Cr(VI) reduction in M2 broth, which was dependent on pH, initial Cr(VI) concentration, and inoculating dose. Total chromium analysis revealed that GT7 could remove a part of chromium from the media, and the maximum rate of chromium removal was up to 40.8 %. The Cr(VI) reductase activity of GT7 was mainly associated with the soluble fraction of cell-free extracts and reached optimum at pH 6.0∼8.0. The reductase activity was apparently enhanced by external electron donors and Cu(II), whereas it was seriously inhibited by Hg(II), Cd(II), and Zn(II). The reductase showed a K m of 74 µmol L-1 of Cr(VI) and a V max of 0.86 µmol of Cr(VI) min-1 mg-1 of protein. The results suggested that GT7 could be a promising candidate for in situ bioremediation of Cr(VI).

[Microflora on mucosa under different pontics of fixed partial bridge].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of three pontic types on alveolar ridge mucosal microecosystem. METHODS: Sixty patients ready to accept three unit metal ceramic bridges were selected. The bacterial type and the cultivable flora were counted and the proportions of bacteria detected on the top of alveolar ridge mucosal contact area before tooth preparation and three months after bridge insertion. RESULTS: Type and CFU of bacteria on the alveolar ridge mucosa under modified base-type pontics and modified ridge lap pontics increased significantly (P < 0.05); while there was no significant change under the ovata pontics (P > 0.05). Before tooth preparation and 3 months after fixed prosthesis insertion, the percentages of oral Streptococci and Neisseriae changed significantly (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The ovata pontic had less influence on mucosal microecosystem than the other two pontics and is the appropriate pontic design for clinical dentist.