A nature-inspired multifunctional adhesive for cartilage tissue-biomaterial integration.

Surgical adhesives play a crucial role in tissue integration and repair, yet their application in wet conditions has been severely limited by inadequate adhesive strength and subpar biocompatibility. Furthermore, tissue adhesives have rarely been reported in cartilage tissue repair. In this study, a three-armed dopamine-modified hyaluronic acid derivative adhesive was prepared to function as a bio-inspired adhesive in moist environments. To meet the clinical requirements for cartilage tissue adhesion, we studied its chemical structure, including microscopic morphology, adhesion properties with materials and tissues, in vivo degradation rules, and biological evaluation. The OGMHA8-DOPA adhesive with the optimal aldehyde substitution degree and dopamine-grafting rate was determined by analyzing the experimental conditions. SEM results revealed that the cartilage tissue adhered to a porous interconnected structure. The excellent biocompatibility of the material not only facilitated chondrocyte adhesion but also supported their proliferation on its surface. Animal experiments have demonstrated that this material has no observable inflammatory response or incidence of fibrous capsule formation. The degradation timeline of the material extends beyond the duration of two weeks. The dopamine-modified adhesive exhibited a tight interfacial binding force between the biomaterial and cartilage tissue and excellent biocompatibility in watery tissue, revealing its potential for application in cartilage tissue repair and minimally invasive surgery.

Archaic human remains from Hualongdong, China, and Middle Pleistocene human continuity and variation.

Middle to Late Pleistocene human evolution in East Asia has remained controversial regarding the extent of morphological continuity through archaic humans and to modern humans. Newly found ∼300,000-y-old human remains from Hualongdong (HLD), China, including a largely complete skull (HLD 6), share East Asian Middle Pleistocene (MPl) human traits of a low vault with a frontal keel (but no parietal sagittal keel or angular torus), a low and wide nasal aperture, a pronounced supraorbital torus (especially medially), a nonlevel nasal floor, and small or absent third molars. It lacks a malar incisure but has a large superior medial pterygoid tubercle. HLD 6 also exhibits a relatively flat superior face, a more vertical mandibular symphysis, a pronounced mental trigone, and simple occlusal morphology, foreshadowing modern human morphology. The HLD human fossils thus variably resemble other later MPl East Asian remains, but add to the overall variation in the sample. Their configurations, with those of other Middle and early Late Pleistocene East Asian remains, support archaic human regional continuity and provide a background to the subsequent archaic-to-modern human transition in the region.

[Revealing the Cell Structure and Formation of Bamboo with Confocal Raman Microscopy].

Parenchyma cell (PAC), transition tissue between parenchyma cell and fiber cell (TC) and fibre cell (FC) of bamboo were studied by confocal Raman microscopy in this paper. Partial least squares regression was applied to establish a quantitative differentiation model for the three types of cells. The result showed that the determination coefficients (R²) of calibration and validation were respectively 0.810 and 0.800, and the root mean square error (RMSE) were respectively 0.323 and 0.332. What's more, three raman bands of 1,095, 1,319 and 1,636 cm⁻¹, verified to the characteristic peaks of pectin, hemicellulose and lignin, were found to be the important bands for the differentiation. Subsequently, these three raman bands were used to establish a multiple linear regression (MLR) model, and the determination coefficients (R²) of calibration and validation of the model were respectively 0.644 and 0.643, and the root mean square error (RMSE) were respectively 0.442 and 0.443. This result showed that there existed obvious difference among the three types of cells in these three raman bands. Finally, the raman spectral signal processed by wavelet transform to eliminate baseline were used to chemical imaging analysis. These results showed a rather large microfibril angle between cellulose fibrils and fibre axis, which contributed to higher modulus and hardness of cells. Hemicellulose and cellulose have similar distribution in the raman chemical image, due to the connection of hemicellulose and cellulose microfiber through hydrogen bond and the closely combination under the action of van der Waals force. The cell corners (CC) and compound middle lamella (CML) were heavily lignified, and a gradual decrease of lignification from the outer layer to the inner layer of the three cells indicate that lignification was first occurred at the CC and CML, and the lignification was not fully completed.

Three-dimensional poly-(ε-caprolactone) nanofibrous scaffolds directly promote the cardiomyocyte differentiation of murine-induced pluripotent stem cells through Wnt/ß-catenin signaling.

BACKGROUND: Environmental factors are important for stem cell lineage specification, and increasing evidence indicates that the nanoscale geometry/topography of the extracellular matrix (ECM) directs stem cell fate. Recently, many three-dimensional (3D) biomimetic nanofibrous scaffolds resembling many characteristics of the native ECM have been used in stem cell-based myocardial tissue engineering. However, the biophysical role and underlying mechanism of 3D nanofibrous scaffolds in cardiomyocyte differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) remain unclear. RESULTS: Here, we fabricated a 3D poly-(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) nanofibrous scaffold using the electrospinning method and verified its nanotopography and porous structure by scanning electron microscopy. We seeded murine iPSCs (miPSCs) directly on the 3D PCL nanofibrous scaffold and initiated non-directed, spontaneous differentiation using the monolayer method. After the 3D PCL nanofibrous scaffold was gelatin coated, it was suitable for monolayer miPSC cultivation and cardiomyocyte differentiation. At day 15 of differentiation, miPSCs differentiated into functional cardiomyocytes on the 3D PCL nanofibrous scaffold as evidenced by positive immunostaining of cardiac-specific proteins including cardiac troponin T (cTnT) and myosin light chain 2a (MLC2a). In addition, flow cytometric analysis of cTnT-positive cells and cardiac-specific gene and protein expression of cTnT and sarcomeric alpha actinin (α-actinin) demonstrated that the cardiomyocyte differentiation of miPSCs was more efficient on the 3D PCL nanofibrous scaffold than on normal tissue culture plates (TCPs). Furthermore, early inhibition of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling by the selective antagonist Dickkopf-1 significantly reduced the activity of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling and decreased the cardiomyocyte differentiation of miPSCs cultured on the 3D PCL nanofibrous scaffold, while the early activation of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling by CHIR99021 further increased the cardiomyocyte differentiation of miPSCs. CONCLUSION: These results indicated that the electrospun 3D PCL nanofibrous scaffolds directly promoted the cardiomyocyte differentiation of miPSCs, which was mediated by the activation of the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling during the early period of differentiation. These findings highlighted the biophysical role of 3D nanofibrous scaffolds during the cardiomyocyte differentiation of miPSCs and revealed its underlying mechanism involving Wnt/ß-catenin signaling, which will be helpful in guiding future stem cell- and scaffold-based myocardium bioengineering.

[Studies on Effect of Alkali Pretreatment on Anaerobic Digestion of Rice Straw with Confocal Raman Microscopy].

NaOH pretreatment is a convenient and effective method which is widely used in rice straw anaerobic digestion. But the mechanism of the alkaline (NaOH) hydrolysis of biopolymers compositions and polymeric cross-linked network structures of rice straw cell wall need further study. This paper firstly studied the effect and mechanism of alkali pretreatment on anaerobic digestion and biogas production of rice straw by using a combination of confocal Raman microscopy and transmission electron microscope. First, the original rice straw and the rice straw pretreated by NaOH were taken for mapping scanning by confocal Raman microscopy with micron-scale spatial resolution. Then principal component analysis was adopted to extract main information of Raman spectra, it could be found that the two types of samples were respectively presented with ray-like distribution in the first two principal component space, which were with cumulative contribution of 99%. And there was a clear boundary between the two types of samples without any overlapping, indicating that there was a significant difference of Raman spectral characteristic between original rice leaf and rice leaf pretreated by NaOH. Further analysis of the loading weights of the first two principal components showed that the Raman peaks at 1 739, 1 508 and 1 094 cm(-1) were the important bands, and these three Raman peaks were attributed to the scattering of hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin respectively. Following, chemical imaging analysis of hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin were achieved by combining these Raman peaks and microscopic image information. It could be found that the NaOH pretreatment resulted in a loss of dense spatial uniformity structure of tissue and great decreases of the contents of these three ingredients, particularly lignin. It can be concluded that it is feasible to non-destructively measure hemicellulose, lignin and cellulose in rice straw tissue by confocal Raman microscopy, and to achieve chemical imaging analysis of the three ingredients in tissue, and this research will be much help for revealing the promotion mechanism of NaOH pretreatment for the rice straw fermentation and biogas production.

[Revealing the chemical changes of tea cell wall induced by anthracnose with confocal Raman microscopy].

Healthy tea and tea infected by anthracnose were first studied by confocal Raman microscopy to illustrate chemical changes of cell wall in the present paper. Firstly, Raman spectra of both healthy and infected sample tissues were collected with spatial resolution at micron-level, and ultrastructure of healthy and infected tea cells was got from scanning electron microscope. These results showed that there were significant changes in Raman shift and Raman intensity between healthy and infected cell walls, indicating that great differences occurred in chemical compositions of cell walls between healthy and infected samples. In details, intensities at many Raman bands which were closely associated with cellulose, pectin, esters were reduced after infection, revealing that the content of chemical compounds such as cellulose, pectin, esters was decreased after infection. Subsequently, chemical imaging of both healthy and infected tea cell walls were realized based on Raman fingerprint spectra of cellulose and microscopic spatial structure. It was found that not only the content of cellulose was reduced greatly after infection, but also the ordered structure of cellulose was destroyed by anthracnose infection. Thus, confocal Raman microscopy was shown to be a powerful tool to detect the chemical changes in cell wall of tea caused by anthracnose without any chemical treatment or staining. This research firstly applied confocal Raman microscopy in phytopathology for the study of interactive relationship between host and pathogen, and it will also open a new way for intensive study of host-pathogen at cellular level.

Ten new prenylated flavonoids from Macaranga denticulata and their antitumor activities.

Ten new prenylated flavonoids, named denticulains A-J (1-10), together with seven known prenylated flavonoids (11-17) were isolated from Macaranga denticulata. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of detailed spectroscopic analysis and by comparison with literature data. In addition, compounds 1 and 14 inhibited the proliferation of SW620 and HCT-116 cell lines with an IC50 value of 46.08 µM and 56.83 µM, respectively.

Evaluation of Newly Developed Double-layer Composite Resin Teeth for Crown Preparation Training.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate and compare the crown preparation performance of preclinical dental students training with conventional composite resin teeth and newly developed double-layer composite resin teeth. METHODS: The newly developed composite resin teeth consisted of two layers with different colours and hardnesses. Twenty third-year undergraduate dental students (8 men, 12 women) were randomly assigned to the control group (Group 1, using conventional composite resin teeth; n = 10) or the experimental group (Group 2, using double-layer composite resin teeth; n = 10) to prepare metal-ceramic crowns. To practice, each student prepared one tooth per day for 2 days. For the baseline test and final test before and after the practice period, both groups used traditional teeth. The operation time was recorded and the prepared teeth were scored blindly by two experienced instructors. The time and scores were compared within and between groups to determine the difference (α = 0.05). RESULTS: Students in both groups spent less time (P < 0.05) and achieved better scores (P < 0.001) on the final test than the baseline test (P < 0.01). In the final test, no significant difference in operating time was found between the two groups (P > 0.05), but Group 2 yielded significantly higher scores (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Training with the double-layer composite resin teeth enabled students to progress more quickly in terms of operating time and achieve higher scores. Use of this newly-developed tooth in crown preparation teaching practice therefore yields highly promising results.

A three-year clinical investigation of a Chinese child with craniometaphyseal dysplasia caused by a mutated ANKH gene.

BACKGROUND: Craniometaphyseal dysplasia (CMD) is a rare genetic disorder. Autosomal dominant CMD (AD-CMD) is caused by mutations in the ANKH gene. Affected individuals typically have distinctive facial features including progressive thickening of the craniofacial bones. Treatment for AD-CMD primarily consists of surgical intervention to release compression of the cranial nerves and the brain stem/spinal cord. To alleviate progression of the clinical course and improve the quality of life in children waiting to undergo the necessary surgery, we investigated clinical changes in a diagnosed patient with AD-CMD over three years. CASE SUMMARY: A 17-mo-old boy presented with progressive nasal obstruction, snoring and hearing loss symptoms. Physical examination showed enlargement of the head circumference and clinical features such as wide nasal bridge, paranasal bossing, widely spaced eyes with an increased bizygomatic width, and a prominent mandible. The patient underwent otolaryngological examination, endoscopy, hearing test, laboratory examination of phosphorus and bone metabolism, cranial and femoral computed tomography, X-ray and next-generation sequencing. The patient was diagnosed with AD-CMD due to p.Phe377 deletion (c.1129_1131del) on exon 9 of the ANKH gene. After adherence to a prescribed low-calcium diet, the boy's alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels continuously decreased to within the normal range. However, after 14 mo of dietary intervention, his parents altered his diet to an intermittent low-calcium diet to include milk and eggs. The patient's ALP was slightly higher than normal after the dietary change but remained close to the normal range. His serum osteocalcin changed to within normal levels after dietary regulation for 33 mo. His serum combined beta C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen also continuously decreased after the nutritional intervention, although still slightly higher than normal levels. Despite fluctuating blood test results, the boy's nasal symptoms were markedly relieved and steadily improved after dietary intervention. No significant changes were found in the craniofacial bones by cranial radiography. Close monitoring of clinical features is still ongoing. Calcitriol treatment is currently under consideration and a surgical procedure is planned as necessary in the future. CONCLUSION: We herein report the first Chinese case of AD-CMD with heterozygous mutation of p.Phe377 deletion (c.1129_1131del) on the ANKH gene. Biochemical alterations were significantly improved after dietary intervention indicating that a low-calcium diet may be applied in pediatric AD-CMD patients with ANKH mutations to help alleviate phenotypic manifestations and improve the quality of life before surgical intervention. Further large scale studies are needed to replicate these findings and to establish the appropriate timing for nutritional and surgical interventions.

[Impact of oral health promotion project on periodontal condition and life quality of the elderly in long-term care institutions].

PURPOSE: To assess the impact of oral health promotion project on periodontal condition and life quality of the elderly in long-term care institutions. METHODS: Elder people from 5 nursing homes in Wuhan city were selected and assigned to either the experimental group or the control group by random cluster grouping method. A six-month oral health promotion project was provided to the experimental group. The changes of geriatric oral health assessment index (GOHAI), oral hygiene index-simplified (OHI-S), gingival index (GI), bleeding on probing (BOP) and probing depth (PD) were compared with student's t test and repetitive measure analysis of variance using SPSS21.0 software package. RESULTS: A total of 322 subjects completed the study for 6 months, with 144 from the experimental group and 178 from the control group. No significant difference was observed between the two groups in social demographic characteristics, GOHAI scores, OHI-S, GI, BOP and PD at baseline(P>0.05). Greater improvements were observed in GOHAI scores, OHI-S, GI and BOP in the experimental group than the control group after interventions (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Oral health promotion project can improve the elderly's oral health-related quality of life and periodontal condition.

[Impact of comprehensive health education on oral care knowledge, attitude and practice in the elderly in long-term care institutions].

PURPOSE: To assess the impact of comprehensive health education on oral care knowledge, attitude and practice(KAP) of the elderly in the long-term care institutions and to provide references for oral health education among the elder people. METHODS: Elder people from 2 nursing centers in Wuhan were selected. The follow-up period was 6 months. Questionnaires were used to collect social-demographic characteristics and oral care KAP data at baseline, the third month and the sixth month, respectively. Comprehensive health education, toothpaste and toothbrushes were provided at baseline and the third month. The changes of oral care KAP were observed before and after interventions. SPSS21.0 software package was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: A total of 144 subjects with a mean age of (72.43±9.41) years completed the study after 6 months. At baseline, the KAP scores were (28.57±19.19), (70.66±21.99) and (39.86±24.18), respectively. At the sixth month, the KAP scores were (91.06±9.55), (95.31±10.23) and (90.00±13.38), respectively and significant improvements were observed (F=913.714, P＜0.001; F=114.042, P＜0.001; F=349.887, P＜0.001). Oral care knowledge and attitude, knowledge and practice, attitude and practice were positively correlated（ß=0.173, P=0.038; ß=0.269, P=0.001; ß=0.197, P=0.018）. Social-demographic characteristics had no significant effect on KAP scores (P＞0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Long-term care institutions should strengthen oral health education and improve oral care KAP, oral health status and oral health-related quality of life of the elder people.

Three new prenylated flavonoids from Macaranga denticulata and their anticancer effects.

One rare flavonoid-diterpene heterodimer, denticulatain C (1), one modified geranyl-type side chain substituted flavonoid, denticulatain D (2) and one geranylated flavonoid, denticulatain E (3), as well as 11 known compounds (4-14) were isolated from the fronds of Macaranga denticulata. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic interpretation. Compounds 4 and 8 inhibited the proliferation of A-549 cell line with IC50 values of 48.6 and 20.2 µg/mL, respectively. Compounds 3, 6, and 8 exhibited significant antiangiogenic activity on a zebrafish model with IC50 values of 9.78, 0.34, and 2.55 µg/mL, respectively.

Fluorine-induced apoptosis and lipid peroxidation in human hair follicles in vitro.

Fluoride is an essential trace element for human body; however, exposure to high amounts of fluoride has been documented to be correlated with an increasing risk of hair loss. To date, little is known about the mechanism(s) of how fluoride affects hair follicles. Here, we demonstrated that middle (1.0 mmol/L) and high (10.0 mmol/L) concentrations of sodium fluoride (NaF) significantly inhibited hair follicle elongation in vitro, but low NaF (0.1 mmol/L) showed little influence. Moreover, treatment with high levels of NaF resulted in a marked increase in terminal dUTP nick end labeling-positive cells in the outer layer of the outer root sheath, the dermal sheath, and the lower bulb matrix surrounding dermal papilla. Furthermore, the enhanced apoptosis was coupled with an increased oxidative stress manifested as higher malondialdehyde content. Additionally, the presence of selenium considerably antagonized the effects of middle NaF on hair follicles, with regard to either the suppression of hair growth or the induction of oxidative stress and apoptosis. In conclusion, exposure to high levels of fluoride compromises hair follicle growth and accelerate cell apoptosis in vitro. The toxicity of fluoride can be reduced by selenium, at least partially via the suppression of intracellular oxidative stress.