Core-shell magnetic porous organic polymer for magnetic solid-phase extraction of fluoroquinolone antibiotics in honey samples followed by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection.

By monomer-mediated in-situ growth synthesis strategy, with hydroquinone and 1,3,5-tris(4-aminophenyl)benzene as monomers, a core-shell magnetic porous organic polymer was synthesized through a simple azo reaction. Based on this, a magnetic solid-phase extraction-high-performance liquid chromatography-fluorescence detection method was proposed for the analysis of fluoroquinolones in a honey sample. With ofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, enrofloxacin, lomefloxacin, and difloxacin as target analytes, factors affecting the extraction efficiency had been optimized. The LODs were 1.5-5.4 ng/L (corresponding to 0.23-0.81 µg/kg in honey). The linear range was 0.005-20 µg/L for difloxacin, 0.01-20 µg/L for ofloxacin, ciprofloxacin and lomefloxacin, and 0.02-20 µg/L for enrofloxacin. The enrichment factor was 84.4-91.7-fold with a high extraction efficiency of 84.4-91.7%. The method was assessed by the analysis of target fluoroquinolones in honey samples, and the recoveries for the spiked samples were 79.3-95.8%. The results indicated that the established magnetic solid-phase extraction-high-performance liquid chromatography-fluorescence detection method is efficient for the analysis of trace fluoroquinolones in honey.

The novel use of lauromacrogol: A respective study of ultrasound-guided sclerosant injection for cesarean scar pregnancy.

AIM: To introduce the novel use of lauromacrogol for cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP), and to compare the clinical efficacy and safety of curettage combined with ultrasound-guided sclerosant injection (USI) and curettage following uterine artery embolization (UAE) in the treatment of CSP. METHODS: CSP patients undergoing curettage combined with USI (n = 72) from December 2014 to May 2020 were compared to patient with curettage following UAE (n = 72).The basic clinical findings and clinical outcomes were reviewed between the two groups. RESULTS: For USI group, 69 patients underwent successful treatment (95.8% success rate), while the number of cured patients for the UAE group was 70 (97.2% success rate). Differences between USI group and UAE group in intraoperative blood loss (10.0 [10.0-20.0] vs. 10.0 [10.0-20.0] mL) and time for serum ß human chorionic gonadotropin (ß-hCG) to reduce to normal (28.0 [21.0-40.0] vs. 28.0 [21.0-35.0] days) were not statistically significant. The hospital stay for USI group was significantly shorter than that for UAE group (4.0 [4.0-6.0] vs. 6.0 [5.0-7.0] days, respectively). Statistically significant decreases were noted in hospitalization expenses and adverse events in USI group, compared to UAE group. There was no difference in live birth rate between the two groups with fertility intentions during the follow-up. CONCLUSION: For treatment of CSP, curettage combined with USI yielded clinical results comparable to those of curettage following UAE. Curettage combined with USI was associated with lower hospitalization expenses, shorter hospital stay and less complications, and it merited an effective and safe treatment for CSP.

Sustainable method towards magnetic ordered mesoporous polymers for efficient Methylene Blue removal.

The difficulty in achieving high removal efficiency for contaminants in textile wastewater over a wide range of pH impedes the progress of its treatment technique greatly. Herein, a facile and sustainable strategy was adopted for constructing magnetic ordered mesoporous polymers (M-OMPs) without the assistance of organic solvent and catalyst. The prepared M-OMPs were endowed with high special surface area and good superparamagnetism simultaneously, and exhibited high removal efficiency (>99%) for Methylene Blue (MB) within a short time (10 min) at a concentration of 50 mg/L. What's more, high removal efficiency was achieved over a wide range of pH 2-12 and the adsorption capacity for MB on M-OMPs was substantially retained even after 5 adsorption-desorption cycles, further demonstrating the application potential of M-OMPs in the decontamination of textile wastewater.

Spiral stir bar sorptive extraction with polyaniline-polydimethylsiloxane sol-gel packings for the analysis of trace estrogens in environmental water and animal-derived food samples.

A spiral stir bar was proposed by using stainless steel spring as the extraction phase carrier to avoid the extraction phase friction and increase the amount of extraction phase for improving extraction efficiency. The extraction phase is filled in the cavity of the spring, resulting in a larger amount of the extraction phase than that conventionally coated on glass stir bar or stainless steel wire. Polyaniline-polydimethylsiloxane sol-gel packed spiral stir bar was prepared and evaluated for the extraction of five estrogens. The prepared spiral stir bar presented good extraction efficiency/preparation reproducibility and long lifetime (more than 150 reused times) for target estrogens. Based on it, a method of spiral stir bar sorptive extraction combined with high performance liquid chromatography coupled with ultra-violet detection was developed for the analysis of trace estrogens in environmental and food samples. The detection limit for five estrogens was 0.11-.31 µg/L, with the enrichment factors of 83.0-118-fold (maximal enrichment factor: 200-fold). The reproducibility evaluated with each estrogen of 5 µg/L (n = 5) was 5.8-8.9%. The method was successfully applied for the determination of estrogens in environmental water and animal-derived food samples.

Microfluidic array surface ion-imprinted monolithic capillary microextraction chip on-line hyphenated with ICP-MS for the high throughput analysis of gadolinium in human body fluids.

A novel method by hyphenating chip-based array ion-imprinted monolithic microextraction with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was proposed for the online analysis of trace Gd in biological samples in this work. The poly(γ-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane@Gd3+-surface ion-imprinted polymer) [poly(γ-MAPS@Gd3+-SIIP)] monolithic capillary was prepared via in situ polymerization on the vinyl-modified surface of poly(γ-MAPS) using Eu3+ as the mimic template. The prepared ion-imprinted monolithic capillary possessed higher selectivity and adsorption capacity to Gd3+ than the non-imprinted monolithic capillary. Eight poly(γ-MAPS@Gd3+-SIIP) monolithic capillaries were embedded in the channels of a microfluidic chip to fabricate a chip-based array microextraction device. Factors affecting the selectivity of the prepared ion-imprinted monolithic capillary including imprinted time and the composition of the prepolymerization solution, and extraction conditions for the fabricated chip-based array ion-imprinted monolithic capillary microextraction platform were optimized. A sample throughput of 18 h-1 was achieved along with a low detection limit of 1.27 ng L-1 for Gd3+. The proposed chip-based array poly(γ-MAPS@Gd3+-SIIP) monolithic microextraction-ICP-MS method was used for the analysis of trace Gd in human urine and serum, and the recovery for spiking experiments was in the range of 88.1-96.7%. The developed integrated analysis platform possesses good interference resistance, high automation, high sensitivity and low consumption of the sample/agent, which makes it very suitable for the analysis of trace elements in complicated biological samples.

Fe3O4 nanoparticles coated with double imprinted polymers for magnetic solid phase extraction of lead(II) from biological and environmental samples.

Double imprinted polymer coated magnetic nanoparticles were fabricated with 4-nm size ZnO nanoparticles acting as the sacrifice templates, which were co-imprinted with template Pb(II) ions. After template removal, abundant transfer pores derived from ZnO nanoparticles were left around the selective adsorption sites derived from Pb(II) ions. The magnetic sorbent exhibit good selectivity, rapid adsorption kinetic and large adsorption capacity for Pb(II). They were used to extract trace Pb(II) followed by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry detection. After the optimization of extraction conditions, following merits are found: (a) rapid extraction (10 min), (b) high preconcentration factor (100 fold), (c) sensitive detection with the detection limit of 9.4 ng·L-1, and (d) low relative standard deviation (6.9%) at a level of 50 ng·L-1 of Pb(II) analyzed 7 times. The method was employed in extraction and quantification of trace Pb in biological and environmental samples with satisfactory recoveries of 87.5-104%. Graphical abstractDouble imprinted polymer coated magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs@DIP) were fabricated and used for extraction of Pb(II) followed by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) detection. The method was successfully applied for the determination of Pb in environmental and biological samples.

Genetic variants in microRNA biogenesis genes as novel indicators for secondary growth in Populus.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) function as key regulators of complex traits, but how genetic alterations in miRNA biogenesis genes (miRBGs) affect quantitative variation has not been elucidated. We conducted transcript analyses and association genetics to investigate how miRBGs, miRNA genes (MIRNAs) and their respective targets contribute to secondary growth in a natural population of 435 Populus tomentosa individuals. This analysis identified 29 843 common single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; frequency > 0.10) within 682 genes (80 miRBGs, 152 MIRNAs, and 457 miRNA targets). Single-SNP association analysis found SNPs in 234 candidate genes exhibited significant additive/dominant effects on phenotypes. Among these, specific candidates that associated with the same traits produced 791 miRBG-MIRNA-target combinations, suggesting possible genetic miRBG-MIRNA and MIRNA-target interactions, providing an important clue for the regulatory mechanisms of miRBGs. Multi-SNP association found 4672 epistatic pairs involving 578 genes that showed significant associations with traits and identified 106 miRBG-MIRNA-target combinations. Two multi-hierarchical networks were constructed based on correlations of miRBG-miRNA and miRNA-target expression to further probe the mechanisms of trait diversity underlying changes in miRBGs. Our study opens avenues for the investigation of miRNA function in perennial plants and underscored miRBGs as potentially modulating quantitative variation in traits.

Membrane supported liquid-liquid-liquid microextraction combined with field-amplified sample injection CE-UV for high-sensitivity analysis of six cardiovascular drugs in human urine sample.

An effective dual preconcentration method involving off-line membrane supported liquid-liquid-liquid microextraction (MS-LLLME) and on-line field-amplified sample injection (FASI) was proposed for the extraction of six cardiovascular drugs, including mexiletine, xylocaine, propafenone, propranolol, metoprolol, and carvedilol from aqueous solution prior to CE-UV. In MS-LLLME, the analytes were extracted from 9 mL sample solution into toluene, and then back extracted into a drop of acceptor phase of 10 µL 20 mmol/L acetic acid. After that, the acceptor phase was directly introduced into CE for FASI without any modification. In FASI process, water plug was hydrodynamically injected (50 mbar, 3 s) into the capillary prior to sample injection (+6 kV, 18 s). Six target analytes were separated in less than 10 min at 25°C with a BGE consisting of 70 mmol/L Tris-H3 PO4 (pH 2.2) containing 10% v/v methanol. Under the optimized conditions, LODs obtained by the proposed MS-LLLME-FASI-CE-UV method were in the range of 0.02-0.82 µg/L (based on S/N = 3) with enrichment factors of 546- to 7300-fold for the target analytes. The RSDs of the developed method were in the range of 6.7-12.9% (n = 7). Good linearity (R(2) = 0.9928-0.9997) was obtained in concentration range of 0.1-100 µg/L for mexiletine and propranolol, 0.2-100 µg/L for xylocaine and metoprolol, 0.5-100 µg/L for propafenone and 2.0-100 µg/L for carvedilol, respectively. The developed method was successfully applied for real-time determination of metoprolol in human urine samples within 26 h after uptake.

Transcript profiling of Populus tomentosa genes in normal, tension, and opposite wood by RNA-seq.

BACKGROUND: Wood formation affects the chemical and physical properties of wood, and thus affects its utility as a building material or a feedstock for biofuels, pulp and paper. To obtain genome-wide insights on the transcriptome changes and regulatory networks in wood formation, we used high-throughput RNA sequencing to characterize cDNA libraries of mature xylem from tension wood (TW), opposite wood (OW), and normal wood (NW), in the industrial tree species Populus tomentosa. RESULTS: Our sequencing generated 140,978,316 (TW), 128,972,228 (OW), and 117,672,362 (NW) reads, corresponding to 10,127 (TW), 10,129 (OW), and 10,129 (NW) unique genes. Of these, 361 genes were differentially transcribed between TW and OW (log2FC ≥ 1 or ≤ -1, FDR < 0.05), 2,658 differed between OW and NW, and 2,417 differed between TW and NW. This indicates that NW differs significantly from the wood in branches; GO term analysis also indicated that OW experienced more transcriptome remodeling. The differentially expressed genes included 97 encoding transcription factors (TFs), 40 involved in hormone signal transduction, 33 in lignin biosynthesis, 21 in flavonoid biosynthesis, and 43 in cell wall metabolism, including cellulose synthase, sucrose synthase, and COBRA. More than half of the differentially expressed TF showed more than 4-fold lower transcript levels in NW compared with TW or OW, indicating that TF abundances differed dramatically in different wood types and may have important roles in the formation of reaction wood. In addition, transcripts of most of the genes involved in lignin biosynthesis were more abundant in OW compared with TW, consistent with the higher lignin content of OW. We constructed two transcriptomic networks for the regulation of lignin and cellulose biosynthesis, including TFs, based on the co-expression patterns of different genes. Lastly, we used reverse transcription quantitative PCR to validate the differentially expressed genes identified. CONCLUSIONS: Here, we identified the global patterns and differences in gene expression among TW, OW, and NW, and constructed two transcriptomic regulatory networks involved in TW formation in P. tomentosa. We also identified candidate genes for molecular breeding of wood quality, and provided a starting point to decipher the molecular mechanisms of wood formation in Populus.

Restricted accessed nanoparticles for direct magnetic solid phase extraction of trace metal ions from human fluids followed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry detection.

Herein, restricted accessed magnetic nanoparticles were synthesized by self-assembly of a non-ionic surfactant (Tween-20) onto the 4-(2-pyridylazo)resorcinol (PAR) functionalized magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs). A series of analytical techniques were employed for the characterization of the as-prepared restricted accessed Fe3O4@SiO2@PAR, and it was found that the as-prepared restricted accessed Fe3O4@SiO2@PAR nanoparticles have a porous structure with a BET surface area of around 99.4 m(2) g(-1), an average pore size of about 6.14 nm and a pore volume of 0.47 cm(3) g(-1). Besides, the prepared restricted accessed Fe3O4@SiO2@PAR showed good size exclusion properties toward proteins, providing application potential for the direct analysis of biological samples. Based on this, a novel method of restricted accessed magnetic solid phase extraction (MSPE) combined with inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was developed for the direct determination of trace metal ions in human fluids. The parameters affecting the extraction of the target metals by MSPE were studied and the optimized conditions were established. Under the optimum conditions, the adsorption capacity of Cr(III), Cd(II), La(III), Nd(III) and Pb(II) on the as-prepared restricted accessed Fe3O4@SiO2@PAR was 62.9, 56.6, 33.7, 36.9 and 43.3 mg g(-1), respectively. With an enrichment factor of 30, the limits of detection for Cr(III), Cd(II), La(III), Nd(III) and Pb(II) were as low as 11.9, 0.8, 0.7, 1.6 and 4.1 ng L(-1), and the relative standard deviations were 7.6, 8.7, 8.4, 8.1 and 5.0 (C(Cr, Pb) = 0.05 µg L(-1), C(Cd, La) = 0.005 µg L(-1), C(Nd) = 0.01 µg L(-1), n = 7), respectively. The developed method was successfully applied for the direct analysis of free metal ions in human urine and serum samples, and has the advantages of good anti-interference ability, high sensitivity and exhibits great application potential in the direct analysis of trace metals in biological fluids.

Cyromazine imprinted polymers for selective stir bar sorptive extraction of melamine in animal feed and milk samples.

In this work, a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) coated stir bar was prepared using a self-designed polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) mold and in situ polymerization, with cyromazine as the dummy template for the target melamine. The prepared MIP coated stir bar presented a uniform and porous surface as well as good chemical stability and selectivity for melamine. Based on it, a method of MIP coated stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) combined with high performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet detection (HPLC-UV) was developed for the quantification of melamine in food samples. Significant factors affecting the extraction efficiency of melamine by MIP-SBSE, such as the extraction solvent and time, stirring rate, desorption solvent and time, were investigated thoroughly. Under the optimal conditions, the analytical performance of this method was evaluated. The detection limit of the developed method was 0.54 µg L(-1) for melamine with an enrichment factor of 42-fold and the relative standard deviation (RSD) of 6.1% (c = 5 µg L(-1), n = 7), and the linear range was 2-200 µg L(-1). The established method was applied for the determination of melamine in a variety of real samples including cat food, dog food, chicken feed A, chicken feed B and milk powder, and the recoveries for melamine in the spiked samples were in the range of 76.2-98.2%, 80.0-85.5%, 89.5-113%, 85.0-95.5% and 65.0-111%, respectively. The proposed method presented a good specific recognition ability and matrix interference resistance, and was demonstrated to be effective and sensitive for the analysis of melamine in animal food and milk samples.

Development of novel sol-gel coatings by chemically bonded ionic liquids for stir bar sorptive extraction--application for the determination of NSAIDS in real samples.

In this work, a novel ionic liquid (IL) chemically bonded sol-gel coating was prepared for stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) followed by high-performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet detection (HPLC-UV). By using γ-(methacryloxypropyl)trimethoxysilane (KH-570) as a bridging agent, 1-allylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([AIM][BF4]) was chemically bonded onto the bare stir bar, and the prepared IL-bonded sol-gel stir bar coating showed higher extraction efficiency and better adsorption/desorption kinetics for target NSAIDs over other polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based or monolithic stir bar coatings. The mechanical strength and durability (chemical/thermal stability) of the prepared IL-bonded sol-gel coating were excellent. The influencing factors of SBSE, such as sample pH, salt effect, stirring rate, extraction time, desorption solvent, and desorption time, were optimized, and the analytical performance of the developed SBSE-HPLC-UV method was evaluated under the optimized conditions. The limits of detection (LODs) of the proposed method for three NSAIDs were in the range of 0.23-0.31 µg L(-1), and the enrichment factors (EFs) were in the range of 51.6-56.3 (theoretical enrichment factor was 100). The reproducibility was also investigated at concentrations of 5, 20, and 100 µg L(-1), and the relative standard deviations (RSDs) were found to be less than 9.5, 7.5, and 7.6 %, respectively. The proposed method was successfully applied for the determination of NSAIDs in environmental water, urine, and milk samples.

Association among physical activity, anxiety and oral health status in Chinese university students: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Evidence is limited regarding the relationship among physical activity, anxiety, and oral health in Chinese university students. This cross-sectional investigation aimed to assess the potential relationship between physical activity, anxiety, and oral health conditions among university students in China. Methods: An online questionnaire measuring physical activity, anxiety status, and oral health condition was completed by 1604 university students. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form (IPAQ-SF) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) were selected to evaluate physical activity and anxiety, respectively. Oral health condition was assessed through several self-reported variables, including self-reported toothache, gingival bleeding, frequency of tooth brushing, and use of dental floss. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to analyze the underlying relationship between outcome variables. The control variables included age, height, weight, gender, whether only one-child, education level, parental education level, smoking status, drinking habits, and length of sleep. Path analysis was conducted to disentangle the association between physical activity, anxiety, and oral health conditions. Results: Among 1604 university students, 666 (41.5 %) were males and 938 (58.5 %) were females, with an average of 21.9 ± 2.8 years. Only 833 (51.9 %) reported sufficient physical activity, while 684 (42.6 %) of the subjects displayed varying degrees of anxiety. Self-reported gingival bleeding was associated with insufficient physical activity (OR = 1.25; 95%CI: 1.02-1.55), anxiety (OR = 0.45; 95%CI: 0.27-0.74), frequency of tooth brushing (OR = 0.75; 95%CI: 0.60-0.95) and use of dental floss (OR = 0.75; 95%CI: 0.59-0.96), while toothache was not directly influenced by the physical activity and anxiety among university students. Anxiety markedly mediated the relationship between physical activity and oral health conditions. Conclusions: Anxiety was considered a factor associated with the level of physical activity, tooth brushing habits, and self-reported gingival bleeding among university students. Further investigations are required to elucidate whether oral health conditions could be enhanced through the improvement of anxiety and physical activity.

Cystathionine γ-lyase contributes to exacerbation of periodontal destruction in experimental periodontitis under hyperglycemia.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes is one of the major inflammatory comorbidities of periodontitis via 2-way interactions. Cystathionine γ-lyase (CTH) is a pivotal endogenous enzyme synthesizing hydrogen sulfide (H2S), and CTH/H2S is crucially implicated in modulating inflammation in various diseases. This study aimed to explore the potential role of CTH in experimental periodontitis under a hyperglycemic condition. METHODS: CTH-silenced and normal human periodontal ligament cells (hPDLCs) were cultured in a high glucose and Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide (P.g-LPS) condition. The effects of CTH on hPDLCs were assessed by Cell Counting Kit 8 (CCK8), real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The model of experimental periodontitis under hyperglycemia was established on both Cth-/- and wild-type (WT) mice, and the extent of periodontal destruction was assessed by micro-CT, histology, RNA-Seq, Western blot, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining and immunostaining. RESULTS: CTH mRNA expression increased in hPDLCs in response to increasing concentration of P.g-LPS stimulation in a high glucose medium. With reference to WT mice, Cth-/- mice with experimental periodontitis under hyperglycemia exhibited reduced bone loss, decreased leukocyte infiltration and hindered osteoclast formation, along with reduced expression of proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) in periodontal tissue. RNA-seq-enriched altered NF-κB pathway signaling in healthy murine gingiva with experimental periodontitis mice under hyperglycemia. Accordingly, phosphorylation of p65 (P-p65) was alleviated in CTH-silenced hPDLCs, leading to decreased expression of IL6 and TNF. CTH knockdown inhibited activation of nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) pathway and decreased production of proinflammatory cytokines under high glucose and P.g-LPS treatment. CONCLUSION: The present findings suggest the potential of CTH as a therapeutic target for tackling periodontitis in diabetic patients.

Polymer monolithic capillary microextraction combined on-line with inductively coupled plasma MS for the determination of trace rare earth elements in biological samples.

A rapid and sensitive method based on polymer monolithic capillary microextraction combined on-line with microconcentric nebulization inductively coupled plasma MS has been developed for the determination of trace/ultratrace rare earth elements in biological samples. For this purpose, the iminodiacetic acid modified poly(glycidyl methacrylate-trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate) monolithic capillary was prepared and characterized by SEM and FTIR spectroscopy. Factors affecting the extraction efficiency, such as sample pH, sample flow rate, sample/eluent volume, and coexisting ions were investigated in detail. Under the optimal conditions, the LODs for rare earth elements were in the range of 0.08 (Er) to 0.97 ng/L (Nd) with a sampling frequency of 8.5 h(-1), and the RSDs were between 1.5% (Sm) and 7.4% (Nd) (c = 20 ng/L, n = 7). The proposed method was successfully applied to the analysis of trace/ultratrace rare earth elements in human urine and serum samples, and the recoveries for the spiked samples were in the range of 82-105%. The developed method was simple, rapid, sensitive, and favorable for the analysis of trace/ultratrace rare earth elements in biological samples with limited sample volume.

Clinical outcomes of titanium-zirconium alloy narrow-diameter implants for single-crown restorations: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Evidence is limited on whether titanium-zirconium alloy, narrow-diameter implants (Ti-Zr NDIs) have promising clinical outcomes when used to support single crowns. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate clinical evidence, including survival rates, success rates, and marginal bone loss (MBL) on Ti-Zr NDIs that support single crowns. An extensive search was performed in the databases of PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Embase, and the Cochrane Library for studies published in English up to April 2022. Only peer-reviewed clinical studies with at least 10 patients and a follow-up time of at least 12 months were included. Risk of bias in each study was assessed and data extraction was carried out independently by two reviewers. The outcome variables were survival rates, success rates, and MBL. The search returned 779 results. Eight studies were identified for qualitative analysis and seven for quantitative synthesis. Overall, a total of 256 Ti-Zr NDIs were included. Cumulative implant survival rates and success rates were 97.5% (95% confidence interval (CI): 94.5% to 98.9%) and 97.2% (95% CI: 94.2% to 98.7%), respectively, over a maximum follow-up period of 36 months, with no difference between Ti-Zr NDIs and commercial pure titanium (cpTi) implants. Cumulative mean (SD) MBL was 0.44 (0.04) mm (95% CI: 0.36 to 0.52) after one year. Meta-analysis of MBL indicated a mean difference of 0.02 mm (95% CI: -0.23 to 0.10), with no differences between Ti-Zr NDIs and cpTi implants. Short-term results of Ti-Zr NDIs for single-crown restorations are quite promising, although the number of published studies and follow-up periods are insufficient to determine the real benefit for single crowns. Long-term, follow-up clinical studies are needed to verify the excellent clinical performance of Ti-Zr NDIs.

Porous aromatic framework/polydimethylsiloxane coated stir bar sorptive extraction coupled with high performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection of trace polychlorinated biphenyls analysis in environmental waters.

A porous aromatic framework (PAF-47) synthesized through Suzuki coupling reaction was introduced to prepare PAF-47/polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) coated stir bar by sol-gel technique. PAF-47/PDMS coating provided high extraction recovery (77.6-90.6%, the ratio of actual enrichment factor (EF) to theoretical EF) for five polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in a relatively short time (60 min), exhibiting a faster extraction kinetics over commercial PDMS coating (12/24 h). Based on this, a new method based on PAF-47/PDMS coated stir bar sorptive extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection was proposed for trace analysis of target PCBs in environmental water. Under the optimized conditions, the limits of detection for five PCBs were within 44-70 ng/L, with actual EF of 64.0-71.5-fold (maximal EF of 83.3-fold). This method was successfully used to detect trace PCBs in Yangtze River water and East Lake water, with recoveries of 81.0-113% and 86.1-111%, respectively.

Rough Nanovaccines Boost Antitumor Immunity Through the Enhancement of Vaccination Cascade and Immunogenic Cell Death Induction.

Nanovaccines have attracted intense interests for efficient antigen delivery and tumor-specific immunity. It is challenging to develop a more efficient and personalized nanovaccine to maximize all steps of the vaccination cascade by exploiting the intrinsic properties of nanoparticles. Here, biodegradable nanohybrids (MP) composed of manganese oxide nanoparticles and cationic polymers are synthesized to load a model antigen ovalbumin to form MPO nanovaccines. More interestingly, MPO could serve as autologous nanovaccines for personalized tumor treatment taking advantage of in situ released tumor-associated antigens induced by immunogenic cell death (ICD). The intrinsic properties of MP nanohybrids including morphology, size, surface charge, chemical, and immunoregulatory functions are fully exploited to enhance of all steps of the cascade and induce ICD. MP nanohybrids are designed to efficiently encapsulate antigens by cationic polymers, drain to lymph nodes by appropriate size, be internalized by dendritic cells (DCs) by rough morphology, induce DC maturation through cGAS-STING pathway, and enhance lysosomal escape and antigen cross-presentation through the "proton sponge effect". The MPO nanovaccines are found to efficiently accumulate in lymph nodes and elicit robust specific T-cell immune responses to inhibit the occurrence of ovalbumin-expressing B16-OVA melanoma. Furthermore, MPO demonstrate great potential to serve as personalized cancer vaccines through the generation of autologous antigen depot through ICD induction, activation of potent antitumor immunity, and reversal of immunosuppression. This work provides a facile strategy for the construction of personalized nanovaccines by exploiting the intrinsic properties of nanohybrids.

Biomaterial-Based Gene Delivery: Advanced Tools for Enhanced Cartilage Regeneration.

Gene therapy has emerged as a promising and innovative approach in cartilage regeneration. Integrating biomaterials into gene therapy offers a unique opportunity to enhance gene delivery efficiency, optimize gene expression dynamics, modulate immune responses, and promote tissue regeneration. Despite the rapid progress in biomaterial-based gene delivery, there remains a deficiency of comprehensive discussions on recent advances and their specific application in cartilage regeneration. Therefore, this review aims to provide a thorough overview of various categories of biomaterials employed in gene delivery, including both viral and non-viral vectors, with discussing their distinct advantages and limitations. Furthermore, the diverse strategies employed in gene therapy are discussed and summarized, such as the utilization of growth factors, anti-inflammatory cytokines, and chondrogenic genes. Additionally, we highlights the significant challenges that hinder biomaterial-based gene delivery in cartilage regeneration, including immune response modulation, gene delivery efficiency, and the sustainability of long-term gene expression. By elucidating the functional properties of biomaterials-based gene therapy and their pivotal roles in cartilage regeneration, this review aims to enhance further advances in the design of sophisticated gene delivery systems for improved cartilage regeneration outcomes.

3D printing technology combined with personalized plates for complex distal intra-articular fractures of the trimalleolar ankle.

This study investigated the effectiveness of 3D printing technology in combination with personalized custom-made steel plates in the treatment of complex distal intra-articular trimalleolar fractures, with the aim of providing a new approach to improve ankle joint function in patients. The 48 patients with complex distal intra-articular trimalleolar fractures included in the study were randomly divided into two groups: the personalized custom-made steel plate group (n = 24) and the conventional steel plate group (n = 24). A comparison was made between the two groups in terms of preoperative preparation time, hospitalization duration, surgical time, fracture reduction and internal fixation time, intraoperative fluoroscopy instances, surgical incision length, fracture healing time, follow-up duration, degree of fracture reduction, ankle joint functional recovery, and the occurrence of complications. The personalized steel plate group exhibited longer preoperative preparation time and hospitalization duration compared to the conventional steel plate group (p < 0.001). However, the personalized steel plate group demonstrated significantly shorter surgical duration, time for fracture reduction and internal fixation, reduced intraoperative fluoroscopy frequency, and a shorter overall surgical incision length (p < 0.001). Both groups displayed similar fracture healing times and follow-up durations (p > 0.05). The personalized steel plate group showed a higher rate of successful fracture reduction (87.5% vs. 79.2%, p > 0.05) and a lower incidence of complications (8.3% vs. 20.8%, p = 0.22), although these differences did not reach statistical significance. Furthermore, the personalized steel plate group exhibited superior ankle joint function scores during follow-up compared to the conventional steel plate group (p < 0.05). By utilizing 3D printing technology in conjunction with personalized custom-made steel plates, personalized treatment plans are provided for patients with complex comminuted tri-malleolar ankle fractures, enabling safer, more efficient, and satisfactory orthopedic surgeries.