Injectable ultrasound-powered bone-adhesive nanocomposite hydrogel for electrically accelerated irregular bone defect healing.

The treatment of critical-size bone defects with irregular shapes remains a major challenge in the field of orthopedics. Bone implants with adaptability to complex morphological bone defects, bone-adhesive properties, and potent osteogenic capacity are necessary. Here, a shape-adaptive, highly bone-adhesive, and ultrasound-powered injectable nanocomposite hydrogel is developed via dynamic covalent crosslinking of amine-modified piezoelectric nanoparticles and biopolymer hydrogel networks for electrically accelerated bone healing. Depending on the inorganic-organic interaction between the amino-modified piezoelectric nanoparticles and the bio-adhesive hydrogel network, the bone adhesive strength of the prepared hydrogel exhibited an approximately 3-fold increase. In response to ultrasound radiation, the nanocomposite hydrogel could generate a controllable electrical output (-41.16 to 61.82 mV) to enhance the osteogenic effect in vitro and in vivo significantly. Rat critical-size calvarial defect repair validates accelerated bone healing. In addition, bioinformatics analysis reveals that the ultrasound-responsive nanocomposite hydrogel enhanced the osteogenic differentiation of bone mesenchymal stem cells by increasing calcium ion influx and up-regulating the PI3K/AKT and MEK/ERK signaling pathways. Overall, the present work reveals a novel wireless ultrasound-powered bone-adhesive nanocomposite hydrogel that broadens the therapeutic horizons for irregular bone defects.

Spectral Classification of Large-Scale Blended (Micro)Plastics Using FT-IR Raw Spectra and Image-Based Machine Learning.

Microplastics (MPs) are currently recognized as emerging pollutants; their identification and classification are therefore essential during their monitoring and management. In contrast to most studies based on small datasets and library searches, this study developed and compared four machine learning-based classifiers and two large-scale blended plastic datasets, where a 1D convolutional neural network (CNN), decision tree, and random forest (RF) were fed with raw spectral data from Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, while a 2D CNN used the corresponding spectral images as the input. With an overall accuracy of 96.43% on a small dataset and 97.44% on a large dataset, the 1D CNN outperformed other models. The 1D CNN was the best at predicting environment samples, while the RF was the most robust with less spectral data. Overall, RF and 2D CNNs might be evaluated for plastic identification with fewer spectral data; however, 1D CNNs were thought to be the most effective with sufficient spectral data. Accordingly, an open-source MP spectroscopic analysis tool was developed to facilitate a quick and accurate analysis of existing MP samples.

Changes in Water Chemistry Associated with Rainstorm Events Increase Carbon Emissions from the Inflowing River Mouth of a Major Drinking Water Reservoir.

Large reservoirs are hotspots for carbon emissions, and the continued input and decomposition of terrestrial dissolved organic matter (DOM) from upstream catchments is an important source of carbon emissions. Rainstorm events can cause a surge in DOM input; however, periodic sampling often fails to fully capture the impact of these discrete rainstorm events on carbon emissions. We conducted a set of frequent observations prior to and following a rainstorm event in a major reservoir Lake Qiandao (China; 580 km2) from June to July 2021 to investigate how rainstorms alter water chemistry and CO2 and CH4 emissions. We found that the mean CO2 efflux (FCO2) (13.2 ± 9.3 mmol m-2 d-1) and CH4 efflux (FCH4) (0.12 ± 0.02 mmol m-2 d-1) in the postrainstorm campaign were significantly higher than those in the prerainstorm campaign (-3.8 ± 3.0 and +0.06 ± 0.02 mmol m-2 d-1, respectively). FCO2 and FCH4 increased with increasing nitrogen and phosphorus levels, elevated DOM absorption (a350), specific UV absorbance SUVA254, and terrestrial humic-like fluorescence. Furthermore, FCO2 and FCH4 decreased with increasing chlorophyll-a (Chl-a), dissolved oxygen (DO), and pH. A five-day laboratory anoxic bioincubation experiment further revealed a depletion of terrestrial-DOM concurrent with increased CO2 and CH4 production. We conclude that rainstorms boost the emission of CO2 and CH4 fueled by the surge and decomposition of fresh terrestrially derived biolabile DOM in this and likely many other reservoir's major inflowing river mouths.

Smart Nanosized Drug Delivery Systems Inducing Immunogenic Cell Death for Combination with Cancer Immunotherapy.

Cancer immunotherapy, which suppresses tumor relapse and metastasis by boosting host immunity and inducing long-term immune memory effects, is emerging as a vital approach to improve the prognosis of patients. Although remarkable efficacy has been observed in some patients, challenges including low response rate, drug resistance, and immune-related adverse effects still limit the clinical application of cancer immunotherapy in broad types of tumors. Immunotherapeutic agents are used to enhance tumor immunogenicity and reverse the effects of the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (ITM), but the benefits of monotherapy are mild and transient due to off-target distribution of drugs. To overcome these issues, smart nanosized drug delivery systems (sNDDS) have been developed to enhance tissue specificity, co-deliver multiple drugs, prime immune cells, and amplify immune responses in tumors. Moreover, accumulating knowledge in cancer biology, immunology, and material science has also greatly promoted the development of sNDDS for enhancing cancer immunotherapy.In this Account, we will discuss the approaches of our group in designing sNDDS to induce immunogenic cell death (ICD) for combination with cancer immunotherapy. We propose a brief overview on the design of nanocarriers, intelligent moieties and immunotherapeutic agents in sNDDS. Then, we discuss the strategies to remodel ITM by leveraging ICD as well as cooperating with programmed cell death protein 1 ligand blockade and indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 inhibition. We have synthesized a series of stimuli-responsive polymers and prodrugs to fabricate sNDDS and have integrated multiple immunotherapeutic drugs into one platform for combinational immunotherapy. Last, we present an outlook on future design of sNDDS and possible directions for enhancing cancer immunotherapy. Building on the concept of enhancing tumor immunogenicity and reversing ITM, we hope this Account will contribute to the rational design of sNDDS for co-delivery of multiple drugs with amplified immunotherapeutic efficacy.

In situ controllable synthesis of Schiff base networks porous polymer coatings for open-tubular capillary electrochromatography.

A uniform Schiff base network (SNW) film was synthesized in situ in a controllable way through continuous flow of reactants inside the capillary. The properties and application of the as-prepared capillary was investigated in capillary electrochromatography. The effects of reaction monomer concentration and reaction time on coating thickness were studied by SEM. The results show that the reaction condition has a significant influence on the morphology and thickness of the SNW films. The thickness of the film can be controlled by changing the concentration of reaction solution and reaction time. Capillaries coated under different conditions were employed to separate four nucleotides by capillary electrochromatography, which demonstrated significant variation of migration time, peak order, and separation efficiency. Analytes containing nitrogen heterocycle structures, such as nucleotides, methylimidazole isomers, and ß-lactam antibiotics, were successfully separated with the prepared open-tubular columns. Under the selected separation conditions, theoretical plate number of four nucleotides is in a range 45,237-104,505 plates·m-1, and the resolutions are 1.98-8.07. A resolution of 1.75 is obtained for methylimidazole isomers. The nucleotides in a real sample, chicken essence seasoning, were determined using the prepared capillary column with satisfactory recoveries in the range 95 to 105%.

Poly(indole-5-carboxylic acid)/reduced graphene oxide/gold nanoparticles/phage-based electrochemical biosensor for highly specific detection of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis.

Yersinia pseudotuberculosis is an enteric bacterium causing yersiniosis in humans. The existing Yersinia pseudotuberculosis detection methods are time-consuming, requiring a sample pretreatment step, and are unable to discriminate live/dead cells. The current work reports a phage-based electrochemical biosensor for rapid and specific detection of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. The conductive poly(indole-5-carboxylic acid), reduced graphene oxide, and gold nanoparticles are applied for surface modification of the electrode. They possess ultra-high redox stability and retain 97.7% of current response after performing 50 consecutive cycles of cyclic voltammetry.The specific bacteriophages vB_YepM_ZN18 we isolated from hospital sewage water were immobilized on modified electrodes by Au-NH2 bond between gold nanoparticles and phages. The biosensor fabricated with nanomaterials and phages were utilized to detect Yersinia pseudotuberculosis successfully with detection range of 5.30 × 102 to 1.05 × 107 CFU mL-1, detection limit of 3 CFU mL-1, and assay time of 35 min. Moreover, the biosensor can specifically detect live Yersinia pseudotuberculosis without responding to phage-non-host bacteria and dead Yersinia pseudotuberculosis cells. These results suggest that the proposed biosensor is a promising tool for the rapid and selective detection of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis in food, water, and clinical samples.

Engineering Polymeric Prodrug Nanoplatform for Vaccination Immunotherapy of Cancer.

Neoantigen-based cancer vaccines are promising for boosting cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses. However, the therapeutic effect of cancer vaccines is severely blunted by functional suppression of the dendritic cells (DCs). Herein, we demonstrated an acid-responsive polymeric nanovaccine for activating the stimulator of interferon genes (STING) pathway and improving cancer immunotherapy. The nanovaccines were fabricated by integrating an acid-activatable polymeric conjugate of the STING agonist and neoantigen into one single nanoplatform. The nanovaccines efficiently accumulated at the lymph nodes for promoting DC uptake and facilitating cytosol release of the neoantigens. Meanwhile, the STING agonist activated the STING pathway in the DCs to elicit interferon-ß secretion and to boost T-cell priming with the neoantigen. The nanovaccine dramatically inhibited tumor growth and occurrence of B16-OVA melanoma and 4T1 breast tumors in immunocompetent mouse models. Combination immunotherapy with the nanovaccines and anti-PD-L1 antibody demonstrated further improved antitumor efficacy in a 4T1 breast tumor model.

Dry powder aerosol containing muco-inert particles for excipient enhanced growth pulmonary drug delivery.

Tenacious sputum poses a critical diffusion barrier for aerosol antibiotics used to treat cystic fibrosis (CF) lung infection. We conducted a proof-of-concept study using dense poly(ethylene glycol) coated polystyrene nanoparticles (PS-PEG NPs) as model muco-inert particles (MIPs) formulated as a powder using an excipient enhanced growth (EEG) strategy, aiming to minimize extrathoracic airway loss, maximize deposition in the airway and further overcome the sputum barrier in the CF lungs. The EEG aerosol formulation containing PS-PEG MIPs was prepared by spray drying and produced discrete spherical particles with geometric diameter of approximately 2 µm; and >80% of the powder dose was delivered from a new small-animal dry powder inhaler (DPI). The MIPs released from the EEG aerosol had human airway mucus and CF sputum diffusion properties comparable to the suspension formulation. These properties make this formulation a promising pulmonary drug delivery system for CF lung infections.

Bioactive glass functionalized chondroitin sulfate hydrogel with proangiogenic properties.

Blood vessels play an important role in bone defect repair and growth, and a critical challenge of bone defect repair is the promotion of blood vessel formation. Most of the current methods promote vascularization by adding specific growth factors, which are costly and easy to inactivate. In this study, we developed a covalently cross-linked aminated bioactive glass nanoparticle-chondroitin sulfate methacrylate (ABGN-CSMA) organic-inorganic composite hydrogel with angiogenic properties. The amino groups of the ABGNs form covalent bonds with the carboxyl groups on CSMA. Surface amination modification of BGNs not only improved the dispersion of BGNs in CSMA but also significantly improved the mechanical properties of the composite hydrogel. The largest storage modulus (1200 Pa), the largest loss modulus (560 Pa) and the strongest resistance to deformation of the hydrogel are seen at 10% concentration of ABGNs. Simultaneously, the local pH stability and sustained ion release of the composite hydrogel are conducive to cell adhesion, proliferation, and angiogenesis. This work provides evidence for the development of covalently cross-linked organic-inorganic composite hydrogels with angiogenic properties.

ADAM28 dramatically regulates the biological features of human gingival fibroblasts.

This study was to explore the effects of a disintegrin and metalloproteinase 28 (ADAM28) on the proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis of human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs) and probable mechanism. After ADAM28 antisense oligodeoxynucleotide (AS-ODN) and sense oligodeoxynucleotide (S-ODN) were transfected into HGFs by Lipofectamine 2000, respectively, the expression discrepancies of ADAM28 among various groups were evaluated by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western-blotting. Methabenzthiazuron (MTT) and cell-cycle assays were used to test the HGFs proliferation activity. Annexin V fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)/propidium iodide (PI) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) analysis were performed separately to measure apoptosis and the cytodifferentiation standard. Immunocytochemistry and Western-blotting were carried out to determine the influence of ADAM28 AS-ODN on HGFs expressing core binding factor α1 (Cbfα1), cementum protein 1 (CEMP1), osteopontin (OPN) and dentin matrix protein 1 (DMP1). The AS-ODN group displayed the lowest expression level in HGFs, meanwhile the ADAM28 S-ODN group showed the highest. Furthermore, blocking of ADAM28 could inhibit the proliferation of HGFs, enhance HGFs differentiation and induce apoptosis of HGFs. Whereas, overexpression of ADAM28 generated the opposite effects and inhibited apoptosis. ADAM28 AS-ODN was able to notably suppress the expressions of Cbfα1 and CEMP1, and ADAM28 had positive correlations with cbfα1 and CEMP1. These provided conspicuous evidence that ADAM28 may play a crucial role in root development as a potential regulator of growth, differentiation, and apoptosis of HGFs.

An up-converting phosphor technology-based lateral flow assay for point-of-collection detection of morphine and methamphetamine in saliva.

Morphine (Mop) and methamphetamine (Met) are highly addictive drugs worldwide. Point-of-collection testing (POCT) for drug-of-abuse screening is important in abuse/rehabilitation clinics and law-enforcement agencies. We established an up-converting phosphor technology-based lateral flow assay (UPT-LFA) as a point-of-collection testing (POCT) method, namely Mop-UPT-LFA and Met-UPT-LFA, for the detection of morphine and methamphetamine without complicated sample pre-treatment, respectively, in saliva. The sensitivities of the Mop-UPT-LFA and the Met-UPT-LFA were 5 and 10 ng mL-1 with accurate quantitation of 5-100 ng mL-1 and 10-250 ng mL-1 for morphine and methamphetamine, respectively, for a detection time of 15 min. In reference to the detection limits of 20 and 25 ng mL-1 for morphine and methamphetamine, respectively, in the Driving Under the Influence of Drugs, Alcohol and Medicines (DRUID) program of the European Union, the percentage test/control (T/C) ratio of the UPT-LFA between 2 and 15 min reached 101% and 86%, and the UPT-LFA produced accurate qualitative results in 2 min for 100 simulated-saliva samples with the exception of a few weakly positive samples. The sample and sample treating buffer were mixed and added to the test strip, and the test was conducted 15 min later. Although we found no significant difference between the UPT-LFA quantitative test and the liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS) test, compared with the latter, the UPT-LFA was substantially faster and had higher detection efficiency. The UPT-LFA showed more accurate qualitative results than the LC-MS for 50 simulated-saliva samples. The ease of operation, high sensitivity, and accuracy of the UPT-LFA make it a valid candidate POCT method for drug-of-abuse screening.

Comparison of early osseointegration between laser-treated/acid-etched and sandblasted/acid-etched titanium implant surfaces.

This study was designed to compare the early osseointegration of titanium surfaces prepared via laser-treated/acid-etched (LA) and sandblasted/acid-etched (SLA) in dogs. Titanium implants were divided into two groups: Surfaces of the experimental group were treated via LA, while in the control group, surfaces were treated via SLA. The physical and chemical properties of LA and SLA surfaces were tested and compared. Sixteen implants with LA or SLA surfaces were placed into the tibias of four beagle dogs, each treatment group received two implants per single tibia. The dogs were sacrificed two and four weeks after implant placement. Scanning electron microscopy showed that both the LA and SLAs surface exhibited rough structures with micro pores sized 1-3 µm. In the LA surface, regular melting points were observed. However, in the SLA surface, the structure was irregular and few oxide aluminum particles still remained. Only titanium and a small amount of titanium compounds were detected on LA surfaces, while Al was found of SLA surfaces. The LA surface roughness was above that of SLA surfaces (LA: Ra: 2.1 µm; SLA: Ra :1.53 µm; P < 0.01). Both groups exhibited good osseointegration and no significant differences were found in the BIC% at two or four weeks between both groups (P > 0.05). Both groups exhibited good osseointegration; however, the LA surface was cleaner and more uniform than the SLA surface, and no significant differences were found between both groups.

Intracellular and in Vivo Cyanide Mapping via Surface Plasmon Spectroscopy of Single Au-Ag Nanoboxes.

Cyanide is extremely toxic to organisms but difficult to detect in living biological specimens. Here, we report a new CN- sensing platform based on unmodified Au-Ag alloy nanoboxes that etch in the presence of this analyte, yielding a shift in plasmon frequency that correlates with the analyte concentration. Significantly, when combined with dark field microscopy, these particle probes can be used to measure CN- concentrations in HeLa cells and in vivo in Zebra fish embryos. The limit of detection (LOD) of the novel method is 1 nM (below the acceptable limit defined by the World Health Organization), and finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) calculations are used to understand the CN- induced spectral shifts.

Comparison of fibrin glue and Vicryl sutures in conjunctival autografting for pterygium surgery.

PURPOSE: To compare clinical parameters and the tear levels of inflammatory cytokines between pterygium surgery using sutures or fibrin glue. METHODS: Fifty-six patients with primary pterygium were divided into the suture group and the glue group, in which the autograft was secured with 10-0 Vicryl sutures and fibrin glue, respectively. A questionnaire, slit-lamp examination, Schirmer test, and visual acuity test were performed in all participants. Real-time quantitative PCR (q-PCR) was used to analyze the expression of genes in pterygium and healthy conjunctival tissues. Based on the qPCR results and literature reports, five inflammatory cytokines, including hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2), transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1), matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), were selected, and their protein levels were measured with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in patient tears before surgery as well as at postoperative day 1, 7, and 30. RESULTS: There are 28 patients in either the suture or the glue group. The average duration of surgery was 20.17 ± 3.23 min for the glue group and 32.42 ± 4.47 min for the suture group (p = 0.000). Visual acuity in both groups was improved (p = 0.002) after the surgical procedures. There were more symptoms in the suture group than in the glue group at postoperative day 7 (p = 0.002). Postoperative symptoms disappeared in both groups at 1 month after surgery. Recurrence was observed in one case in the glue group and in two cases in the suture group at the 6 month postoperative follow-up (p = 0.714). In comparison to the preoperative levels (4.33 ± 0.43 ng/ml for the suture group; 4.20 ± 0.26 ng/ml for the glue group), the levels of TNF-α in tears increased in the suture group (5.02 ± 0.49 ng/ml, p = 0.016) and decreased in the glue group (3.84 ± 0.35 ng/ml, p = 0.052) on postoperative day 1. The glue treatment induced higher HGF production (4.78 ± 1.25 ng/ml) than the suture treatment (3.04 ± 1.18 ng/ml) at postoperative day 1 (p = 0.020). Higher levels of TGF-ß1 in the glue group were detected at postoperative day 1 (3.71 ± 0.18 ng/ml) and postoperative day 30 (4.50 ± 0.51 ng/ml), compared to those in the suture group, respectively (2.74 ± 0.21 ng/ml, p = 0.000 for day 1; 3.36 ± 0.96 ng/ml, p = 0.017 for postoperative day 30). CONCLUSIONS: Fibrin glue is effective and safe for attaching conjunctival autografts with an easy surgical procedure, shortened operating time, and less postoperative discomfort. In the early postoperative period, the protein expression of inflammatory cytokines implicates that fibrin glue may induce accelerated healing and subdued inflammation on the ocular surface compared to sutures.

Prognostic Value of Red Blood Cell Distribution Width on Bleeding Events in Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation Patients Taking Dabigatran (110 mg b.i.d.) after Catheter Ablation.

OBJECTIVES: Recent research has indicated that red blood cell distribution width (RDW) is associated with the prognosis of cardiovascular diseases such as chronic heart failure and coronary heart disease. We aimed to study the predictive value of RDW for bleeding events in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) during the administration of 110 mg of dabigatran twice a day after catheter ablation. METHODS: One hundred and seventy-two NVAF patients who were hospitalized and received catheter ablation in Jiangsu Provincial People's Hospital from January 2014 to January 2015 were enrolled (110 mg of dabigatran was administered orally to outpatients preoperatively twice a day for 3 weeks). The enrolled patients were divided into the high RDW (>12.8%) group (n = 85) and the low RDW (≤12.8%) group (n = 87) according to the median RDW. The activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) at dabigatran trough concentration was also detected. Patients were followed up for 3 months to observe the occurrence of bleeding events, and the predictive value of RDW as well as APTT for bleeding events was assessed from receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analyses. RESULTS: In all patients, preoperatively, no bleeding events were observed and the APTT did not exceed twice the normal upper limit. Thirteen cases of bleeding events, all minor bleeding, occurred after a 3-month follow-up: 3 of gingival bleeding, 3 of urinary tract bleeding, 3 conjunctival hemorrhages and 4 subcutaneous hemorrhages. The incidence of bleeding events in the low RDW group was lower than in the high RDW group (3.4 vs. 11.8%, p = 0.039). The areas under the ROC curve for RDW and APTT to predict the occurrence of bleeding events were 0.737 (cutoff point 13.25%; p < 0.05) and 0.558 (p > 0.05), respectively. CONCLUSION: RDW was associated with the occurrence of bleeding events in NVAF patients on dabigatran (110 mg twice a day) after ablation, while also being an independent predictor of bleeding events. RDW had superior predictive value for bleeding events over APTT when APTT did not exceed twice the normal upper limit.

miR-140-5p-mediated regulation of the proliferation and differentiation of human dental pulp stem cells occurs through the lipopolysaccharide/toll-like receptor 4 signaling pathway.

Human dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) are oral mesenchymal stem cells with potential to differentiate into various cell types. Recent studies of DPSCs have focused on microRNAs (miRNAs), a class of small noncoding RNAs that play crucial roles in regulating DPSC phenotypes. In the current study, the expression of miR-140-5p was significantly decreased during lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-mediated differentiation of DPSCs in vitro. Overexpression of miR-140-5p enhanced proliferation of DPSCs and inhibited DPSC differentiation, whereas suppression of miR-140-5p produced the opposite effect. Moreover, the expression of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR-4), a critical regulator of DPSCs, was negatively correlated with the levels of miR-140-5p. A luciferase reporter analysis confirmed that miR-140-5p could regulate TLR-4 by directly binding to the 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) of the TLR4 mRNA. Additionally, we suppressed TLR-4 expression by treating cells with a TLR-4 inhibitor, CLI-095, and demonstrated that the effect of the miR-140-5p inhibitor on DPSC proliferation and differentiation could be partially reversed by blocking TLR-4. Taken together, our data suggest that miR-140-5p is a novel miRNA that regulates DPSC proliferation and differentiation.

Interrelationships among hydrogen permeation, physiochemical properties and early adsorption abilities of titanium.

This study aimed to investigate if the titanium samples with low hydrogen permeation which treated with a novel etching combination: phosphoric acid and sodium fluoride could influence the surface physiochemical properties and early adsorption ability. Titanium samples were treated with three different concentrations of the new formula, as groups A, B and C, and treated with the traditional etching formula, as group T. Zeta potential, contact angle, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and fibronectin (FN)/vitronectin (VN) adsorption of Sprague-Dawley (SD) rat tibial osteotomies in the initial 30min and MG-63 adsorption in the initial 24 h were detected. Basing on the results of trails and pearson correlation analysis, the low hydrogen permeation into titanium didn't exert an impact on the surface morphology and surface stability. The adsorptions of F, P, S, acid hydroxyl and basic hydroxyl on the surfaces brought no bear on them as well. Surface concave depth and surface skewness showed highly positive correlation and moderate negative correlation with adsorption ability, respectively. Therefore, the surface morphology of titanium treated with the novel etching formula plays the only and primary role on the early adsorption. Because of its specific surface topography, group C showed the best performance which possessed slightly superiority than those of group B and group T, and with the lowest being group A. The low hydrogen permeation into titanium substrate was just benefit for improving the titanium mechanical properties, but not for the surface biochemical traits.

The Endoscopic Prelacrimal Recess Approach to the Pterygopalatine Fossa and Infratemporal Fossa.

PURPOSE: The authors studied the anatomic importance of the endoscopic prelacrimal recess approach (PLRA) to the pterygopalatine fossa (PPF) and infratemporal fossa (ITF). METHODS: Ten adult heads (20 sides) from cadavers fixed in formalin were dissected using the PLRA. Anatomic dissections were detailed and several crucial landmarks measured. RESULTS: Identification of the infraorbital neurovascular bundle is the crucial step for the detection of other branches of the maxillary artery. The distance from the base of columella to inferior orifice of the nasolacrimal duct, sphenopalatine foramen, pterygold canal, foramen rotundum, foramen ovale was (32.97 ±â€Š3.44), (63.93 ±â€Š4.52), (66.81 ±â€Š3.44), (68.13 ±â€Š4.43), and (85.23 ±â€Š6.25) mm, respectively. The PLRA can be used to expose the entire maxillary sinus and PPF, most parts of the ITF (lateral pterygoid muscle, foramen ovale, mandibular division of the trigeminal nerve, and its divisions), maxillary artery and its branches, and the superior part of the medial pterygoid muscle (upon the floor of the maxillary sinus). The lateral boundary can be reached to visualize the temporomandibular joint and vertically oriented temporalis muscle. CONCLUSION: Use of the PLRA to the PPF and ITF offers a clear visual field, wide range of exposure, as well as preservation of the integrity of nasal structures.

Polypyrrole Composite Nanoparticles with Morphology-Dependent Photothermal Effect and Immunological Responses.

Polypyrrole composite nanoparticles with controlled shape are synthesized, which exhibit a morphology-dependent photothermal effect: the raspberry-like composite nanoparticles have a much better photothermal effect than the spherical ones, and the immune responses to the nanocomposites are also dependent on their morphology. The outstanding performance of the nanocomposites promises their potential application in photothermal therapy and immunotherapy of cancer.

In vivo evaluation of a simvastatin-loaded nanostructured lipid carrier for bone tissue regeneration.

Alveolar bone loss has long been a challenge in clinical dental implant therapy. Simvastatin (SV) has been demonstrated to exert excellent anabolic effects on bone. However, the successful use of SV to increase bone formation in vivo largely depends on the local concentration of SV at the site of action, and there have been continuing efforts to develop an appropriate delivery system. Specifically, nanostructured lipid carrier (NLC) systems have become a popular type of encapsulation carrier system. Therefore, SV-loaded NLCs (SNs) (179.4 nm in diameter) were fabricated in this study, and the osteogenic effect of the SNs was evaluated in a critical-sized rabbit calvarial defect. Our results revealed that the SNs significantly enhanced bone formation in vivo, as evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining, immunohistochemistry, and a fluorescence analysis. Thus, this novel nanostructured carrier system could be a potential encapsulation carrier system for SV in bone regeneration applications.