A digital technique for occlusal design of a posterior full crown based on physiological tooth displacement and occlusion of adjacent teeth.

This article presents a digital technique to construct a virtual occlusion in the maximal intercuspal position (MIP), considering physiological tooth displacement and reducing intermesh penetrations between occlusal surfaces, in order to design more precise and accurate occlusal contacts of a posterior full crown.

Effect of a novel interocclusal recording method on occlusal accuracy of implant-supported fixed prostheses: A randomized clinical trial.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effect of a novel interocclusal recording method on the occlusal accuracy of implant-supported fixed prostheses for partially dentate patients with distal extension. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty patients with two or more adjacent teeth missing in the distal extension and scheduled to receive implant-supported fixed prostheses were enrolled. Two interocclusal recording methods were used: placing polyvinyl siloxane (PVS) on the interocclusal recording caps (test), and placing PVS on healing abutments (control). The intraoral occlusal contacts in maximal intercuspal position (MIP) were compared with those in the mounted casts to calculate sensitivity and positive predictive value (PPV). Then, patients were randomly allocated into two groups to determine which interocclusal record would be used. The implant prostheses' evaluations mainly included occlusal adjustment height, volume, and time, occlusal contact score based on articulating paper examination. Paired-samples t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, and least squares regression analyzed the statistic differences. RESULTS: The test method had higher sensitivity to detect intraoral occlusal contacts than the control method (p = .002), but similar PPV (p = .10). During the prostheses' evaluations, the occlusal adjustment height in the test group was significantly lower than that in the control group [99.4 (53.2, 134.2) vs. 159.0 (82.3, 247.8) µm, p = .03], while the occlusal contact score before adjustment was higher (p = .006). The groups had similar occlusal adjustment volume and time. CONCLUSIONS: The novel interocclusal recording method for implant-supported fixed prostheses was more accurate and could reduce the occlusal adjustment.

Digital replication and transfer of interim to definitive complete arch implant-supported fixed prostheses by using a laboratory scanner.

The present technique describes an effective digital approach for the replication and transfer of occlusion, maxillomandibular relationship, and esthetic parameters from interim to definitive complete arch implant-supported fixed prostheses by laboratory scanning with transfer plates. Monolithic zirconia complete arch implant prostheses have been fabricated with satisfactory functional and esthetic outcomes.

Occlusal contact and clearance of posterior implant-supported single crowns designed by two different methods: a self-controlled study.

BACKGROUND: Precise occlusal design of implant-supported fixed prostheses is difficult to achieve by the conventional wax-up method, often requiring chairside adjustments. The computer-aided design (CAD) method is promising. This study aims to compare the occlusal contacts and clearance of posterior implant-supported single crowns designed by the CAD and conventional methods. METHODS: Sample size calculation indicated fourteen samples per group. Two sets of type-IV plaster casts with a single implant analog inserted in the posterior teeth region were mounted as master casts in a mechanical articulator in maximal intercuspal position (MIP). Seven working cast sets were obtained from each master cast by a closed tray technique, and mounted in MIP. Two implant-supported single crowns were designed with an occlusal clearance to achieve light occlusal contact in each working cast set by CAD and conventional method, separately. For the CAD group, the crown was designed in digital models obtained by scanning the working casts. For the conventional group, wax-up of the crown was prepared on the working casts and scanned to generate a STL file. In the working and master casts, mean and minimum occlusal clearances in the designed occlusal contact area of the both finished prostheses were calculated using the occlusal clearance (OC) and occlusal record (OR) method. The prostheses' occlusion was evaluated in master casts. RESULTS: For the evaluation in the working casts, both design methods had similar mean occlusal clearances by the OC method (195.4 ± 43.8 vs. 179.8 ± 41.8 µm; P = 0.300), while CAD group resulted in a significantly larger minimum occlusal clearance in the designed occlusal contact area (139.5 ± 52.3 vs. 99.8 ± 43.8 µm; P = 0.043). Both design methods had similar mean and minimum occlusal clearances by the OR method (P > 0.05). For the evaluation in the master casts, both design techniques had similar mean and minimum occlusal clearances, number and distribution of occlusal contacts, and lateral interference ratios (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Occlusal contact and clearance of posterior implant-supported single crowns designed by the CAD method can be at least as good as those designed by the conventional wax-up method.

Development of a Prolonged-Release Pramipexole Transdermal Patch: In Vitro and In Vivo Evaluation.

The current study aimed to develop a prolonged-release pramipexole (PPX) transdermal patch for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. Permeation parameters of PPX were investigated using human cadaver skin. Pramipexole patches were prepared using DURO-TAK® pressure-sensitive-adhesive (PSA) and evaluated for drug stability, drug loading, in vitro drug release, and in vitro permeation through mouse skin. The results indicated that blends of DURO-TAK® 87-2852 and DURO-TAK® 87-2510 were suitable for creating a prolonged-release PPX patch due to their advantages in drug release, drug loading, and stability. The final formulation consisted of 87-2852/87-2510 (70:30), 10% PG, and 15% PPX and showed a cumulative permeation amount of 1497.19 ± 102.90 µg/cm2 with a continuous flux over 6.0 µg/(cm2·h) across human cadaver skin for 7 days. In vivo studies in rats indicated that PPX patch produced a significantly longer (p < 0.001) half-life (t 1/2, 75.16 ± 17.37 h) and mean residence time (MRT, 135.89 ± 24.12 h) relative to oral tablets (Sifrol®) and had a relative bioavailability of 51.64 ± 21.32%. Therefore, this study demonstrated the feasibility of developing a prolonged-release PPX patch, which proposed the potential to serve as an alternate to conventional oral tablets and may therefore improve patient compliance.

Characterization of the complete chloroplast genome of Thalictrum foliolosum DC. 1817, a folk medicine plant in China.

Thalictrum foliolosum DC. 1817, a widely distributed species in the genus of Thalictrum, is used as a traditional herbal medicine in China. For the first time, the complete chloroplast (cp) genome of T. foliolosum was assembled and characterized for the first time in this study. The cp genome of T. foliolosum was 155,764 bp in length, including a large-single copy region of 85,086 bp, a small-single copy region of 17,636 bp, and a pair of inverted repeats region of 53,042 bp. The overall GC content was 38.50%. A total of 127 genes were predicted, including 82 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and 8 ribosomal RNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that T. foliolosum is closely related to T. petaloideum.

Phylogenetic relationship and characterization of the complete chloroplast genome of Laggera crispata, a folk herbal medicine plant in China.

Laggera crispata, an herbaceous plant, has been used in Chinese medicines as anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and anti-viral. In this study, the complete chloroplast (cp) genome sequence of L. crispata was first reported. The cp genome of L. crispata is 155522 bp in length, with two inverted repeats (IR) regions of 25042 bp, the large single copy (LSC) region of 84198 bp and the small single copy (SSC) region of 21240 bp. 128 genes were predicted, including 87 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes. The phylogenetic analysis suggested that L. crispata is more closely related to Pluchea pteropoda and P. indica with solid bootstrap values belonging to the subfamily Inuleae of Asteraceae.

Comparative analysis of medicinal plant Isodon rubescens and its common adulterants based on chloroplast genome sequencing.

Isodon rubescens (Hemsley) H. Hara is the source of Donglingcao under the monograph Rabdosiae Rubescentis Herba in Chinese Pharmacopoeia. In the local marketplace, this medicine can be accidentally contaminated, deliberately substituted, or mixed with other related species. The contaminants of herbal products are a threat to consumer safety. Due to the scarcity of genetic information on Isodon plants, more molecular markers are needed to avoid misidentification. In the present study, the complete chloroplast (cp) genome of seven species of Isodon was sequenced, de novo assembled and characterized. The cp genomes of these species universally exhibited a conserved quadripartite structure, i.e., two inverted repeats (IRs) containing most of the ribosomal RNA genes and two unique regions (large single copy and small single copy). Moreover, the genome structure, codon usage, and repeat sequences were highly conserved and showed similarities among the seven species. Five highly variable regions (trnS-GCU-trnT-CGU, atpH-atpI, trnE-UUC-trnT-GGU, ndhC-trnM-CAU, and rps15-ycf1) might be potential molecular markers for identifying I. rubescens and its contaminants. These findings provide valuable information for further species identification, evolution, and phylogenetic research of Isodon.

Microbial community diversity and function analysis of Aconitum carmichaelii Debeaux in rhizosphere soil of farmlands in Southwest China.

Understanding how microbial communities affect plant growth is crucial for sustainable productivity and ecological health. However, in contrast with the crop system, there is limited information on the microbial community associated with the medicinal plant. We observed that altitude was the most influential factor on the soil microbial community structures of Aconitum carmichaelii Debeaux. For community composition, bacterial reads were assigned to 48 phyla, with Proteobacteria, Acidobacteriota, and Actinobacteriota being the dominant phyla. The fungal reads were assigned to seven phyla, and Ascomycota was the predominant phylum detected in most groups. The four dominant phyla were categorized as keystone taxa in the co-occurrence networks, suggesting that they may be involved in soil disease suppression and nutrient mobility. Bacterial co-occurrence networks had fewer edges, lower average degree, and lower density at YL1, HQ1, HQ2, BC, and DL than fungal networks, creating less intricate rhizosphere network patterns. Furthermore, the bacterial and fungal communities showed strong distance decay of similarity across the sampling range. Overall, this study improves our understanding of regulating rhizosphere microbial communities in soil systems and also provides potential production strategies for planting A. carmichaelii.

Mechanistic study of the bismuth mediated fluorination of arylboronic esters and further rational design.

Density functional theory (DFT) calculations have been performed to gain insight into the catalytic mechanism of the bismuth redox catalyzed fluorination of arylboronic esters to deliver the widely used arylfluoride compounds (Science 2020, 367, 313-317). The study reveals that the whole catalysis can be characterized via three stages: (i) transmetallation generates the Bi(iii) intermediate 5, capitalizing on the use of KF as an activator. (ii) 5 then reacts with the electrophilic fluorination reagent 1-fluoro-2,6-dichloropyridinium 4via oxidative addition to give the Bi(v) intermediate IM4A. (iii) IM4A undergoes a reductive elimination step to yield aryl fluoride compounds and regenerates the bismuth catalyst for the next catalytic cycle. Each stage is kinetically and thermodynamically feasible. The transmetallation step, with a barrier of 25.4 kcal mol-1, is predicted to be the rate-determining step (RDS) during the whole catalytic cycle. Furthermore, based on a mechanistic study, new catalysts with the framework of tethered bis-anionic ligands were designed, which will help to improve current catalytic systems and develop new bismuth mediated fluorination of arylboronic esters.

Transcriptomic profiling analysis to identify genes associated with PA biosynthesis and insolubilization in the late stage of fruit development in C-PCNA persimmon.

PA-enhanced content causes astringency in persimmon fruit. PCNA persimmons can lose their astringency naturally and they become edible when still on the tree, which allows for conserves of physical and financial resources. C-PCNA persimmon originates in China. Its deastringency trait primarily depends on decreased PA biosynthesis and PA insolubilization at the late stage of fruit development. Although some genes and transcription factors that may be involved in the deastringency of C-PCNA persimmon have been reported, the expression patterns of these genes during the key deastringency stage are reported less. To investigate the variation in PA contents and the expression patterns of deastringency-related genes during typical C-PCNA persimmon 'Xiaoguo-tianshi' fruit development and ripening, PA content and transcriptional profiling were carried out at five late stages from 70 to 160 DAF. The combinational analysis phenotype, PA content, and DEG enrichment revealed that 120-140 DAF and 140-160 DAF were the critical phases for PA biosynthesis reduction and PA insolubilization, respectively. The expression of PA biosynthesis-associated genes indicated that the downregulation of the ANR gene at 140-160 DAF may be associated with PA biosynthesis and is decreased by inhibiting its precursor cis-flavan-3-ols. We also found that a decrease in acetaldehyde metabolism-associated ALDH genes and an increase in ADH and PDC genes might result in C-PCNA persimmon PA insolubilization. In addition, a few MYB-bHLH-WD40 (MBW) homologous transcription factors in persimmon might play important roles in persimmon PA accumulation. Furthermore, combined coexpression network analysis and phylogenetic analysis of MBW suggested that three putative transcription factors WD40 (evm.TU.contig1.155), MYB (evm.TU.contig8910.486) and bHLH (evm.TU.contig1398.203), might connect and co-regulate both PA biosynthesis and its insolubilization in C-PCNA persimmon. The present study elucidated transcriptional insights into PA biosynthesis and insolubilization during the late development stages based on the C-PCNA D. kaki genome (unpublished). Thus, we focused on PA content variation and the expression patterns of genes involved in PA biosynthesis and insolubilization. Our work has provided additional evidence on previous knowledge and a basis for further exploration of the natural deastringency of C-PCNA persimmon.

Effects of Different Chemicals on Sexual Regulation in Persimmon (Diospyros kaki Thunb.) Flowers.

Research on crop sexuality is important for establishing systems for germplasm innovation and cultivating improved varieties. In this study, androecious persimmon trees were treated with various concentrations of ethrel (100, 500, and 1,000 mg/L) and zeatin (1, 5, and 10 mg/L) to investigate the morphological, physiological, and molecular characteristics of persimmon. Ethrel at 1,000 mg/L and zeatin at 10 mg/L both significantly reduced the stamen length and pollen grain diameter in androecious trees. Ethrel treatment also led to reduced stamen development with degenerated cellular contents; zeatin treatment promoted the development of arrested pistils via maintaining relatively normal mitochondrial morphology. Both treatments altered carbohydrate, amino acid, and endogenous phytohormone contents, as well as genes associated with hormone production and floral organ development. Thereafter, we explored the combined effects of four chemicals, including ethrel and zeatin, as well as zebularine and 5-azacytidine, both of which are DNA methylation inhibitors, on androecious persimmon flower development. Morphological comparisons showed that stamen length, pollen viability, and pollen grain diameter were significantly inhibited after combined treatment. Large numbers of genes involving in carbohydrate metabolic, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling, and ribosome pathways, and metabolites including uridine monophosphate (UMP) and cyclamic acid were identified in response to the treatment, indicating complex regulatory mechanisms. An association analysis of transcriptomic and metabolomic data indicated that ribosomal genes have distinct effects on UMP and cyclamic acid metabolites, explaining how male floral buds of androecious persimmon trees respond to these exogenous chemicals. These findings extend the knowledge concerning sexual differentiation in persimmon; they also provide a theoretical basis for molecular breeding, high-yield cultivation, and quality improvement in persimmon.

Lee Silverman Voice Treatment to Improve Speech in Parkinson's Disease: A Systemic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Speech changes occur in the early stages of Parkinson's disease (PD) and cause communication difficulties, leading to social isolation. Lee Silverman voice treatment (LSVT) is a speech therapy approach designed to improve patients' language and voice capabilities. OBJECTIVE: The effectiveness of the LSVT was compared with that of other speech interventions or no treatment to evaluate PD patients with dysarthria. DESIGN: Systematic review with meta-analysis of randomized trials. Data Sources: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, CNKI, and SinoMed library were searched from inception to December 2021 related to PD and LSVT. METHOD: Abstracts were screened and reviewed against the eligibility criteria (intervention group participants were PD assessed based on LSVT (LSVT Loud) and randomized control). RESULT: Ten randomized controlled trials were identified on speech symptoms in patients with PD. Compared with the respiratory therapy (RET) exercise, or no training group, a significant improvement was detected in the sound press level (SPL) after immediate treatment during the reading of vowel and rainbow passages and an increase in semitone standard deviation (STSD). Furthermore, the LSVT training significantly increased the participants' scores on unified Parkinson's disease rating scale (UPDRS-III) and speech intelligibility. CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis demonstrated the efficacy of LSVT in increasing vocal loudness and functional communication among individuals with PD. However, most studies included participants with mild-moderate PD. Thus, additional randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with large sample sizes are needed to validate the efficacy of LSVT in patients with different progressions of PD, including severe PD.

Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of glycyrrhetinic acid with Paeoniflorin after transdermal administration in dysmenorrhea model mice.

BACKGROUND: Glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) and paeoniflorin (PF) are the main active ingredients in Chinese peony- Liquorice Decoction, a widely used Traditional Chinese Medicine. HYPOTHESIS/PURPOSE: The aim of this work was to investigate the combinatory analgesic effect of GA and PF after percutaneous administration and to define their pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) characteristics. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: GA and PF were produced to transdermal patches based on previous research, and the permeation parameters of GA and PF in the patches were investigated with in vitro experiments. Dysmenorrhea model mice were then produced to compare the analgesic effects of the patches with different proportions of GA-PF. In the in vivo assessment, the number of writhes exhibited by the dysmenorrhea mice was recorded at designated time points, and skin, muscle under skin and plasma samples were collected, for assessments of drug distribution, pharmacokinetics parameters and PK/PD characteristics. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: In dysmenorrhea mice, GA-PF and meloxicam (the positive control drug) could relieve pain to equal degrees. Specifically, a single dose of the optimized patches (10%GA-10%PF, wt) exerted a steady analgesic effect for 48h in dysmenorrhea mice, but this effect lagged behind the changes in the plasma concentration. Evaluation with the Bliss Independence criterion revealed that the two ingredients displayed a synergistic effect. Then the PK/PD relationship of GA in this compound preparation was defined with this synergistic effect. The preparation might be suitable for topical spasmolysis and anti-inflammatory therapy.