Comparisons of different extraction methods and solvents for saliva samples.

INTRODUCTION: Changes in the categories and concentrations of salivary metabolites may be closely related to oral, intestinal or systemic diseases. To study salivary metabolites, the first analytical step is to extract them from saliva samples as much as possible, while reducing interferences to a minimum. Frequently used extraction methods are protein precipitation (PPT), liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) and solid-phase extraction (SPE), with various organic solvents. The types and quantities of metabolites extracted with different methods may vary greatly, but few studies have systematically evaluated them. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to select the most suitable methods and solvents for the extraction of saliva according to different analytical targets. METHODS: An untargeted metabolomics approach based on liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was applied to obtain the raw data. The numbers of metabolites, repeatability of the data and intensities of mass spectrometry signals were used as evaluation criteria. RESULTS: PPT resulted in the highest coverage. Among the PPT solvents, acetonitrile displayed the best repeatability and the highest coverage, while acetone resulted in the best signal intensities for the extracted compounds. LLE with the mixture of chloroform and methanol was the most suitable for the extraction of small hydrophobic compounds. CONCLUSION: PPT with acetonitrile or acetone was recommended for untargeted analysis, while LLE with the mixture of chloroform and methanol was recommended for small hydrophobic compounds.

Advances in imaging of the lacrimal gland in Sjögren's syndrome: A narrative review.

Due to lymphocytic infiltration of the salivary and lacrimal glands, Sjogren's syndrome (SS), a systemic autoimmune illness that mostly affects the exocrine glands, causes dry mouth (xerostomia) and dry eyes (xerophthalmia). Additionally, SS is associated with various comorbidities such as cardiovascular diseases, infections, musculoskeletal diseases, and cancers. Among patients with SS, xerophthalmia frequently arises as a complication, leading to insufficient tear production or rapid tear evaporation, thereby causing discomfort, irritation, and a gritty sensation in the eyes. This article aims to examine recent advancements in the imaging of the lacrimal gland in Sjögren's syndrome and briefly discusses the utilization of various imaging examinations for the lacrimal gland in this particular disease.

Effect of transverse thoracic muscle plane block on postoperative cognitive dysfunction after open cardiac surgery: A randomized clinical trial.

The transversus thoracis muscle plane (TTMP) block provides effective analgesia in cardiac surgery patients. The aim of this study was to assess whether bilateral TTMP blocks can reduce the incidence of postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) in patients undergoing cardiac valve replacement. A group of 103 patients were randomly divided into the TTM group (n = 52) and the PLA (placebo) group (n = 51). The primary endpoint was the incidence of POCD at 1 week after surgery. Secondary outcome measures included a reduction of intraoperative mean arterial pressure (MAP) >20% from baseline, intraoperative and postoperative sufentanil consumption, length of stay in the ICU, incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), time to first faeces, postoperative pain at 24 h after surgery, time to extubation and the length of hospital stay. Interleukin (IL)-6, TNF-α, S-100ß, insulin, glucose and insulin resistance were measured at before induction of anaesthesia, 1, 3and 7 days after surgery. The MoCA scores were significantly lower and the incidence of POCD decreased significantly in TTM group compared with PLA group at 7 days after surgery. Perioperative sufentanil consumption, the incidence of PONV and intraoperative MAP reduction >20% from baseline, length of stay in the ICU, postoperative pain at 24 h after surgery, time to extubation and the length of hospital stay were significantly decreased in the TTM group. Postoperatively, IL-6, TNF-α, S-100ß, HOMA-IR, insulin, glucose levels increased and the TTM group had a lower degree than the PLA group at 1, 3 and 7 days after surgery. In summary, bilateral TTMP blocks could improve postoperative cognitive function in patients undergoing cardiac valve replacement.

Targeted co-delivery of curcumin and erlotinib by MoS2 nanosheets for the combination of synergetic chemotherapy and photothermal therapy of lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Curcumin (Cur), a bioactive component of Chinese traditional medicine, has demonstrated inhibitory properties against cancer cell proliferation while synergistically enhancing the anticancer efficacy of erlotinib (Er). However, the individual limitations of both drugs, including poor aqueous solubility, lack of targeting ability, short half-life, etc., and their distinct pharmacokinetic profiles mitigate or eliminate their combined antitumor potential. RESULTS: In this study, we developed a molybdenum disulfide (MoS2)-based delivery system, functionalized with polyethylene glycol (PEG) and biotin, and co-loaded with Cur and Er, to achieve efficient cancer therapy. The MoS2-PEG-Biotin-Cur/Er system effectively converted near-infrared (NIR) light into heat, thereby inducing direct photothermal ablation of cancer cells and promoting controlled release of Cur and Er. Biotin-mediated tumor targeting facilitated the selective accumulation of MoS2-PEG-Biotin-Cur/Er at the tumor site, thus enhancing the synergistic antitumor effects of Cur and Er. Remarkably, MoS2-PEG-Biotin-Cur/Er achieved the combination of synergistic chemotherapy and photothermal therapy (PTT) upon NIR irradiation, effectively suppressing lung cancer cell proliferation and inhabiting tumor growth in vivo. CONCLUSIONS: The as-synthesized MoS2-PEG-Biotin-Cur/Er, featuring high targeting ability, NIR light-responsive drug release, and the integration of synergistic chemotherapy and PTT, may provide a promising strategy for the treatment of lung cancer in clinical practice.

[Preparation and quality evaluation of total flavonoids microemulsion of "Pueraria lobata-Hovenia dulcis"].

The effective components of flavonoids in the "Pueraria lobata-Hovenia dulcis" drug pair have low bioavailability in vivo due to their unstable characteristics. This study used microemulsions with amphoteric carrier properties to solve this problem. The study drew pseudo-ternary phase diagrams through titration compatibility experiments of the oil phase with emulsifiers and co-emulsifiers and screened the prescription composition of blank microemulsions. The study used average particle size and PDI as evaluation indicators, and the central composite design-response surface method(CCD-RSM) was used to optimize the prescription; high-dosage drug-loaded microemulsions were obtained, and their physicochemical properties, appearance, and stability were evaluated. The results showed that when ethyl butyrate was used as the oil phase, polysorbate 80(tween 80) as the surfactant, and anhydrous ethanol as the cosurfactant, the maximum microemulsion area was obtained. When the difference in results was small, K_(m )of 1∶4 was chosen to ensure the safety of the prescription. The prescription composition optimized by the CCD-RSM was ethyl butyrate(16.28%), tween 80(9.59%), and anhydrous ethanol(38.34%). When the dosage reached 3% of the system mass, the total flavonoid microemulsion prepared had a clear and transparent appearance, with average particle size, PDI, and potential of(74.25±1.58)nm, 0.277±0.043, and(-0.08±0.07) mV, respectively. The microemulsion was spherical and evenly distributed under transmission electron microscopy. The centrifugal stability and temperature stability were good, and there was no layering or demulsification phenomenon, which significantly improved the in vitro dissolution of total flavonoids.

Controllable bisubstrate multi-colorimetric assay based on peroxidase-like nanozyme and complementary colorharmonic principle for semi-quantitative detection of H2O2 with the naked eye.

Naked-eye semi-quantitative (NEQ) assays should exhibit vivid color variations and one-to-one correspondence between the analyte concentrations and the color display. Herein, we report a bisubstrate multi-colorimetric system, constituted by 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) and dopamine (DA), which carries out a controllable NEQ assay based on the complementary colorharmonic principle. This bisubstrate system is a universal threshold NEQ assay with tunable sensitivity and detection window depending on the H2O2 concentration. The peroxidase-like activity of PEG@Fe3O4 NPs was used to catalyze the oxidations of TMB and DA by H2O2 to the colored products. On the basis of UV-vis spectra data, it was speculated that the oxidation product of TMB (TMB·+) could oxidize DA in this system. The concentration of DA controls the consumption of oxidant (H2O2) and the oxidation of TMB. By controlling the molar ratio of TMB to DA, the bisubstrate system precisely showed multicolor displays (e.g., three-color display: orange, gray, and blue) at submillimolar and millimolar concentrations of H2O2. The detection limit and sensitivity for H2O2 were 0.4 mM and 0.1 mM, respectively. Next, the system was applied to the threshold detection of hypoglycemia (orange), normal (gray), and hyperglycemia (blue) in spiked samples on both gel- and paper-based test strips. Digitalized colorimetric results using the red-green-blue (RGB) analysis with smartphone application were achieved. This work provides a new strategy of multi-colorimetric assay that takes advantages of controllability, threshold detection, vivid color variations, and reproducibility (CVs were 1.1-2.1%), which could be potentially useful for in-field and point-of-care applications.

Effects of Biochar and Nitrogen Application on Rice Biomass Saccharification, Bioethanol Yield and Cell Wall Polymers Features.

Rice is a major food crop that produces abundant biomass wastes for biofuels. To improve rice biomass and yield, nitrogen (N) fertilizer is excessively used, which is not eco-friendly. Alternatively, biochar (B) application is favored to improve rice biomass and yield under low chemical fertilizers. To minimize the reliance on N fertilizer, we applied four B levels (0, 10, 20, and 30 t B ha-1) combined with two N rates (low-135 and high-180 kg ha-1) to improve biomass yield. Results showed that compared to control, the combined B at 20-30 t ha-1 with low N application significantly improved plant dry matter and arabinose (Ara%), while decreasing cellulose crystallinity (Crl), degree of polymerization (DP), and the ratio of xylose/arabinose (Xyl/Ara), resulting in high hexoses (% cellulose) and bioethanol yield (% dry matter). We concluded that B coupled with N can alter cell wall polymer features in paddy rice resulting in high biomass saccharification and bioethanol production.

Lateral flow immunoassay based on gold magnetic nanoparticles for the protein quantitative detection: Prostate-specific antigen.

Point-of-care testing (POCT) demands for rapidly obtaining test results by means of portable analytical instruments and auxiliary reagents at the sampling site. It's important for tumor marker to be recognized and detected in early clinical diagnosis. Many studies focused on producing small portable devices that would allow fast, accurate, and on-site detection. This study aimed to report a magnetic quantitative lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) system based on poly (acrylic acid) (PAA)-modified gold magnetic nanoparticles (PGMNs) for detecting prostate-specific antigen (PSA) qualitatively and quantitatively. The result was easily achievable with a portable magnetic reader within 15 min. Under optimal conditions, as low as 0.17 ng/mL PSA could be detected. The method was validated using a well-established Solin electrochemiluminescence immunoassay and showed high consistency in detecting 84 serum samples (R2 = 0.98). The quantitative LFIA based on PGMNs established in this study was proven to be rapid, accurate, sensitive, and inexpensive. As a POCT, it can be potentially developed for the quantitative diagnosis of other disease-related protein biomarkers.

Effect of high phosphate diet on the formation of dentin in Fam20c-deficient mice.

FAM20C (family with sequence similarity 20-member C), a kinase that phosphorylates secretory proteins, plays essential roles in various biological processes. In humans, mutations in FAM20C gene cause Raine syndrome, an autosomal recessive hereditary disease manifesting a broad spectrum of developmental defects including skeletal and craniofacial deformities. Our previous studies revealed that inactivation of Fam20c in mice led to hypophosphatemic rickets and that high phosphate (hPi) diet significantly improved the development of the skeleton in Fam20c-deficient mice. In this study, we evaluated the effects of hPi diet on the formation of dentin in Fam20c-deficient mice, using plain x-ray radiography, micro-computed tomography (µCT), histology, and immunohistochemistry. Plain x-ray radiography and µCT analyses showed that the hPi diet improved the dentin volume fraction and dentin mineral density of the Fam20c-deficient mice. Histology analyses further demonstrated that the hPi diet dramatically improved the integrity of the mandibular first molars and prevented pulp infection and dental abscesses in Fam20c-deficient mice. Our results support that the hPi diet significantly increased the formation and mineralization of dentin in Fam20c-deficient mice, implying that hypophosphatemia is a significant contributor to the dentin defects in Fam20c-deficient subjects.

Profiles of neonicotinoid insecticides and their metabolites in paired saliva and periodontal blood samples in human from South China: Association with oxidative stress markers.

Neonicotinoid insecticides (NEOs) are widely used around the world. The distribution of NEOs in paired saliva and periodontal blood samples was not previously documented in China. In this study, the concentrations of six NEOs and three corresponding metabolites were measured in 188 paired saliva and periodontal blood samples collected from South China. NEOs and their metabolites were frequently detected (68-94%) in paired saliva and periodontal blood, with median levels of 0.01-0.99 ng/mL. 1-Methyl-3-(tetrahydro-3-furylmethyl) urea was the most predominant NEO in paired saliva (39%) and periodontal blood (42%). Gender-related differences in NEOs and their metabolite concentrations were found: males showed lower levels than females. We calculated the concentration ratios between saliva and periodontal blood (S/PB ratios), and found that the median S/PB ratios of NEO and their metabolites were higher than 1, indicating that NEOs and their metabolites were easily excreted via saliva. 8-Hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) was measured in paired saliva and periodontal blood as a marker of oxidative stress. 8-OHdG concentrations in saliva and periodontal blood were significantly and positively correlated (p < 0.05) with the concentrations of most NEOs and their metabolites in saliva and periodontal blood samples. These findings indicated that exposure to NEOs and their metabolites is associated with oxidative stress. This study is the first to report NEOs and their metabolites in paired saliva and periodontal blood samples collected from South China.

PDX regulates inflammatory cell infiltration via resident macrophage in LPS-induced lung injury.

Inflammatory cell infiltration contributes to the pathogenesis of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Protectin DX (PDX), an endogenous lipid mediator, shows anti-inflammatory and proresolution bioactions. In vivo, the mice were intraperitoneally injected with PDX (0.1 µg/mouse) after intratracheal (1 mg/kg) or intraperitoneal (10 mg/kg) LPS administration. Flow cytometry was used to measure inflammatory cell numbers. Clodronate liposomes were used to deplete resident macrophages. RT-PCR, and ELISA was used to measure MIP-2, MCP-1, TNF-α and MMP9 levels. In vitro, sorted neutrophils, resident and recruited macrophages (1 × 106 ) were cultured with 1 µg/mL LPS and/or 100 nmol/L PDX to assess the chemokine receptor expression. PDX attenuated LPS-induced lung injury via inhibiting recruited macrophage and neutrophil recruitment through repressing resident macrophage MCP-1, MIP-2 expression and release, respectively. Finally, PDX inhibition of neutrophil infiltration and transmembrane was associated with TNF-α/MIP-2/MMP9 signalling pathway. These data suggest that PDX attenuates LPS-stimulated lung injury via reduction of the inflammatory cell recruitment mediated via resident macrophages.

Thiolated Nanoparticles Overcome the Mucus Barrier and Epithelial Barrier for Oral Delivery of Insulin.

Oral administration is an ideal alternative for drug delivery due to its convenience and safety. However, oral protein delivery is limited by biological barriers such as the mucus barrier and epithelial barrier, which hamper drugs from entering the blood successfully. Here we presented PC6/CS NPs, a thiolated-polymer-based nanodrug delivery system in the form of poly(acrylic acid)-cysteine-6-mercaptonicotinic acid (PAA-Cys-6MNA, PC6), which is a kind of preactivated thiolated polymer, coated on chitosan (CS) nanoparticles (NPs). Its ability to overcome the mucus barrier and epithelial barrier was investigated. The existence of PC6 made the NPs prone to penetrate the mucus layer as well as strengthened the transcellular transport of insulin on epithelial cells. PC6/CS NPs efficiently enhanced the oral bioavailability of insulin to 16.2%. The improvement resulted from the function of PC6: (1) "diluting" mucus to promote nanoparticle penetration, (2) opening a tight junction to help insulin transport via the paracellular pathway, (3) making the nanoparticle more electrically neutral during the penetration process, and (4) uncoating from PC6/CS NPs so that positive CS NPs were adhered and uptaken by epithelial cells. Our study proves that PC6/CS NPs, which can achieve mucus penetration and epithelial permeation efficiently, are a potential nanocarrier for oral protein delivery.

Association between hyperglycemia and the malignant transformation of oral leukoplakia in China.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to examine the association between hyperglycemia and the malignant transformation of oral leukoplakia (OLK). PATIENTS AND METHODS: This retrospective case-control study involved 133 patients with the malignant transformation of OLK into oral squamous cell carcinoma (case group) and 266 patients with untransformed OLK (control group). The clinical history and follow-up data included age, gender, lesion size and location, and fasting plasma glucose. Logistic regression analysis, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, and univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to assess the effects of risk factors on the malignant transformation of OLK. RESULTS: Hyperglycemia (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR] = 4.7, p = .001), non-homogenous OLK (AHR = 3.0, p < .001), location of the lesion on the ventral surface of the tongue or floor of the mouth (AHR = 3.6, p < .001), and epithelial dysplasia (AHR = 2.8, p = .005) had significant effects on the malignant transformation of OLK. CONCLUSION: Hyperglycemia, non-homogenous OLK, location of the lesion on the ventral surface of the tongue or floor of the mouth, and epithelial dysplasia might be associated with malignant transformation of OLK.

Identification of abnormal fucosylated-glycans recognized by LTL in saliva of HBV-induced chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma.

The hepatitis B virus (HBV)-induced chronic liver diseases are serious health threats worldwide. There is evidence to display the alterations of salivary N-linked glycans related to the development of HBV-infected liver diseases. Here, we further investigated the alterations of fucosylated N/O-glycans recognized by LTL in saliva from 120 subjects (30 healthy volunteers (HV), 30 patients with hepatitis B (HB), 30 patients with hepatic cirrhosis (HC), and 30 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)) using salivary microarrys and MALDI-TOF/TOF-MS. The results showed that the expression level of fucosylated glycans recognized by LTL was significantly increased in HCC compared with other subjects (P < 0.0001). Besides, the fucosylated glycoproteins were isolated from pooled saliva of HV, HB, HC, and HCC by LTL-magnetic particle conjugates. Then, N/O- glycans were released from the isolated glycoproteins with PNGase F and NaClO, and were identified by MALDI-TOF-MS, respectively. Totally, there were 21/20, 25/18, 29/19, and 28/24 N/O-glycan peaks that were identified and annotated with proposed structures in saliva of HV, HB, HC, and HCC. Among the total, there were 8 N-glycan peaks (e.g., m/z 1905.634, 2158.777 and 2905.036) and 15 O-glycan peaks (e.g., 1177.407, 1308.444 and 1322.444) that only presented in patients with HBV-induced liver diseases. One N-glycan peak (m/z 2205.766) was unique in HC, and 9 O-glycan peaks (e.g., m/z 1157.420, 1163.417 and 1193.402) were unique in HCC. This study could facilitate the discovery of biomarkers for HC and HCC based on precise alterations of fucosylated N/O-glycans in saliva.

Phase-shifted pentafluorobutane nanoparticles for ultrasound imaging and ultrasound-mediated hypoxia modulation.

The integration of ultrasound (US) contrast enhancement with oxygen-loading nanoagents provide the synergistic strategy for simultaneously US imaging and hypoxic microenvironment modulation. Herein, we synthesize pentafluorobutane (PFB)-loading methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(l-lactide) (PLLA) nanoparticle as the novel US-contrast-enhanced agent and demonstrate that PFB@PLLA effectively loads oxygen. We characterize the nanosize, phase-transformation property and oxygen-loading amount of PFB@PLLA and investigate the effectiveness of these nanoagents in US-contrast-enhanced imaging. The PFB@PLLA displays a perfect temperature-responsive phase-transition property and its liquid-to-gas phase transition temperature is 45°C, which produces microbubbles in the targeted regions. Moreover, PFB@PLLA loads high amount of oxygen and US-triggering PFB@PLLA reoxygenation effectively inhibits the expression of hypoxia-related proteins (HIF-1α and CAIX), reduces lactate secretion and glycolysis, which modulates hypoxic microenvironment and inhibits cancer cell migration and invasion in vitro. This study demonstrates that the US contrast-enhanced activity of PFB@PLLAs and the promising utility of oxygen-loading nanoagents to improve hypoxic microenvironment.

High-Phosphate Diet Improved the Skeletal Development of Fam20c-Deficient Mice.

FAM20C (family with sequence similarity 20 - member C) is a protein kinase that phosphorylates secretory proteins, including the proteins that are essential to the formation and mineralization of calcified tissues. Previously, we reported that inactivation of Fam20c in mice led to hypophosphatemic rickets/osteomalacia along with increased circulating fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) levels and dental defects. In this study, we examined whether a high-phosphate (hPi) diet could rescue the skeletal defects in Fam20c-deficient mice. Fam20c conditional knockout (cKO) mice were generated by crossing female Fam20c-floxed mice (Fam20cfl/fl) with male Sox2-Cre;Fam20cfl/+ mice. The pregnant female Fam20cfi/fl mice were fed either a normal or hPi diet until the litters were weaned. The cKO and control offspring were continuously given a normal or hPi diet for 4 weeks after weaning. Plain X-ray radiography, micro-CT, histology, immunohistochemistry (FGF23, DMP1, OPN, and SOX9), and in situ hybridization (type II and type X collagen) analyses were performed to evaluate the effects of an hPi diet on the mouse skeleton. Plain X-ray radiography and micro-CT radiography analyses showed that the hPi diet improved the shape and mineral density of the Fam20c-deficient femurs/tibiae, and rescued the growth plate defects in the long bone. Histology analyses further demonstrated that an hPi diet nearly completely rescued the growth plate-widening defects in the long bone and restored the expanded hypertrophic zone to nearly normal width. These results suggested that the hPi diet significantly improved the skeletal development of the Fam20c-deficient mice, implying that hypophosphatemia partially contributed to the skeletal defects in Fam20c-deficient subjects.

Hyperbranched Multicyclic Polymer Built from Tailored Multifunctional Monocyclic Prepolymer.

A simple and efficient method to construct a hyperbranched multicyclic polymer is introduced. First, a tailored trithiocarbonate with two terminal anthracene units and three azide groups is successfully synthesized, and this multifunctional trithiocarbonate is used as chain transfer agent (CTA) to afford anthracene-telechelic polystyrene (PS) via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. After that, linear PS is irradiated under 365 nm UV light to achieve the cyclization process. The monocyclic polymer further reacts with sym-dibenzo-1,5-cyclooctadiene-3,7-diyne via "A2 +B3 " strategy based on a self-accelerating click reaction to produce hyperbranched multicyclic polymer. The structures and properties of the polymers are characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), gel permeation chromatography (GPC), UV-vis spectrophotometry, and triple-detection size-exclusion chromatography (TD-SEC). The number of monocyclic units of the resultant hyperbranched multicyclic polymer reaches about 21 based on multi-angle laser light scattering (MALLS) measurements. The plot of intrinsic viscosity versus molecular weight reveals that the α value of the unique hyperbranched multicyclic polymer is lower than both hyperbranched polymers and cyclic polymers.

Abrogation of Fam20c altered cell behaviors and BMP signaling of immortalized dental mesenchymal cells.

FAM20C mutations compromise the mineralization of skeleton and tooth in both human and mouse. Putatively, the mineralization disorder is attributed to the elevated fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23), which reduced the serum phosphorus by suppressing the reabsorption of phosphorus in kidney. Besides the regulation on systemic phosphorus homeostasis, FAM20C was also implicated to regulate cell behaviors and gene expression through a cell-autonomous manner. To identify the primary effects of Fam20c on dental mesenchymal cells, mouse Fam20c-deficient dental mesenchymal cells were generated by removing the floxed alleles from the immortalized mouse Fam20cf/f dental mesenchymal cells with Cre-expressing lentivirus. The removal of Fam20c exerted no impact on cell morphology, but suppressed the proliferation and mobility of the dental mesenchymal cells. Fam20c deficiency also significantly reduced the expression of Osterix, Runx2, type I Collagen a 1 (Col1a1), Alkaline phosphatase (Alpl) and the members of the small integrin-binding ligand, N-linked glycoprotein (SIBLING) family, but increased Fgf23 expression. Consistently, the in vitro mineralization of Fam20c-deficient dental mesenchymal cells was severely disabled. However, supplements of the non-collagenous proteins from wild type rat dentin failed to rescue the compromised mineralization, suggesting that the roles of FAM20C in tooth mineralization are more than phosphorylating local matrices and regulating systemic phosphorus metabolism. Moreover, the down-regulated BMP signaling pathways in the Fam20c deficient dental mesenchymal cells revealed that the kinase activity of FAM20C might be required to maintain BMP signaling. In summary, our study discloses that Fam20c indeed regulates cell behaviors and cell signaling pathway in a cell-autonomous manner.

Electrochemical energy storage devices for wearable technology: a rationale for materials selection and cell design.

Compatible energy storage devices that are able to withstand various mechanical deformations, while delivering their intended functions, are required in wearable technologies. This imposes constraints on the structural designs, materials selection, and miniaturization of the cells. To date, extensive efforts have been dedicated towards developing electrochemical energy storage devices for wearables, with a focus on incorporation of shape-conformable materials into mechanically robust designs that can be worn on the human body. In this review, we highlight the quantified performances of reported wearable electrochemical energy storage devices, as well as their micro-sized counterparts under specific mechanical deformations, which can be used as the benchmark for future studies in this field. A general introduction to the wearable technology, the development of the selection and synthesis of active materials, cell design approaches and device fabrications are discussed. It is followed by challenges and outlook toward the practical use of electrochemical energy storage devices for wearable applications.

FAM20C regulates osteoblast behaviors and intracellular signaling pathways in a cell-autonomous manner.

Recent studies indicate that Family with sequence similarity 20 member C (FAM20C) catalyzes the phosphorylation of secreted proteins, and participates in a variety of biological processes, including cell proliferation, migration, mineralization, and phosphate homeostasis. To explore the local influences of FAM20C on osteoblast, Fam20c-deficient osteoblasts were generated by treating the immortalized Fam20cf/f osteoblasts with CMV-Cre-IRES-EGFP lentivirus. Compared with the normal Fam20cf/f osteoblasts, the expression of Bone sialoprotein (Bsp), Osteocalcin (Ocn), Fibroblast growth factor 23 (Fgf23), and transcription factors that promote osteoblast maturation were up-regulated in the Fam20c-deficient osteoblasts. In contrast, the expression of Dental matrix protein 1 (Dmp1), Dentin sialophosphoprotein (Dspp), Osteopontin (Opn), type I Collagen a 1 (Col1a1), and Alkine phosphatase (Alp) were down-regulated in the Fam20c-deficient cells. These alterations disclosed the primary regulation of Fam20c on gene expression. The Fam20c-deficient osteoblasts showed a remarkable reduction in the ability of forming mineralized nodules. However, supplements of extracellular matrix proteins extracted from the normal bone failed to rescue the reduced mineralization, suggesting that FAM20C may affect the biomineralization by the means more than local phosphorylation of extracellular matrix proteins and systemic phosphorus homeostasis. Moreover, although Fam20c deficiency had little impact on cell proliferation, it significantly reduced cell migration and lowered the levels of p-Smad1/5/8, p-Erk and p-p38, suggesting that the kinase activity of FAM20C might be essential to cell mobility and the activity of BMP ligands. In summary, these findings provide evidences that FAM20C may regulate osteoblast maturation, migration, mineralization, and BMP signaling pathways in a cell-autonomous manner.