Comparative study of clinical and MRI features of TMD patients with or without joint effusion: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between joint effusion and temporomandibular disorders (TMD) remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation among joint effusion, clinical features and MRI imaging features of TMD. METHODS: A total of 1532 temporomandibular joints (TMJs) from 766 patients (605 females and 161 males) with the mean age of 31.68 ± 13.71 years from January 2022 to June 2023 were included in the study. Clinical and MRI features were collected and analyzed. Chi-Square test, Spearman correlation coefficient and binary logistic regression analysis were performed. RESULTS: Patients with joint effusion were significantly older and had smaller value of MIO (p < 0.001). There were significant differences in the distribution of joint sounds (with or without), joint pain (with or without), disc morphology (biconcave, contracture, irregular and lengthened) and disc position between joint effusion group (JE) and non-joint effusion group (NA) (P < 0.05).The odds of having joint effusion were 1.726 higher in patients with joint sounds when compared to those without joint sounds. The odds of having joint effusion were 8.463 higher in patients with joint pain when compared to those without joint pain. The odds of having joint effusion were 2.277 higher in patients with contracture when compared to those with biconcave. The odds of having joint effusion were 1.740 higher in patients with anterior disc displacement with reduction (ADDWR) when compared to those with normal disc position. The prediction accuracy of this model is 74.9%, and the area under curve (AUC) is 79.5%, indicating that it can be used for the prediction and the judgment effect is average. CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrated that joint sounds, joint pain, contracture, and ADDWR are high risk factors for joint effusion, especially joint pain. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was retrospectively registered on 28/03/2022 and endorsed by the Ethics Committee of Affiliated Stomatology Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University (LCYJ2022014).

Clean hundred-µJ-level sub-6-fs blue pulses generated with helium-assisted solid thin plates.

In this work, 85 µJ, 5.5 fs pulses spanning 350-500 nm with 96% energy concentrated on the main pulse are generated by pulse compression using a helium-assisted, two-stage solid thin plate apparatus. To the best of our knowledge, these are the highest energy sub-6 fs blue pulses obtained to date. Furthermore, during the spectral broadening process, we observe that solid thin plates are much more easily damaged by blue pulses in a vacuum than in a gas-filled environment at the same field intensity. Helium, with the highest ionization energy and extremely low material dispersion, is adopted to create a gas-filled environment. Thus, the damage to solid thin plates is eliminated, and high-energy, clean pulses can be obtained with only two commercially available chirped mirrors in a chamber. Furthermore, the excellent output power stability of 0.39% root mean square (rms) fluctuations over 1 h is maintained. We believe that few-cycle blue pulses at the hundred-µJ level can open the door to numerous new ultrafast and strong-field applications in this spectral region.

Comparison of imaging findings of 714 symptomatic and asymptomatic temporomandibular joints: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: The correlation between temporomandibular disorders (TMD) and imaging features remains unclear. This study compared the cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features in the temporomandibular joints (TMJs) with and without TMD symptoms. METHODS: The participants were recruited from the TMJ Diagnosis and Treatment Center from March 2022 to September 2022. Condylar morphology and condylar position were evaluated by CBCT. Disc morphology, disc position, and joint effusion were evaluated by T2-weighted image of MRI. The Chi-Square test and binary logistic regression analysis were carried out. RESULTS: Eighty-two patients with bilateral symptoms, 196 patients with unilateral symptoms, and 79 asymptomatic participants received MRI and CBCT examination. There were significant differences in the distribution of sex, age, condylar morphology, condylar position, disc morphology, disc position, and joint effusion in symptomatic and asymptomatic TMJs (P < 0.05), which showed a positive correlation with symptoms (P < 0.05). In multiple logistic regression, 19-30-year-age group, > 30-year-age group, abnormal condylar morphology, posterior condylar position, disc displacement with reduction (DDWR), and disc displacement without reduction (DDWoR) were found to be statistically significant (P < 0.05). The odds of having symptomatic TMJ were 1.952 higher in the 19-30-year-age group and 1.814 higher in the > 30-year-age group when compared to those aged ≤ 18-year-age group. The odds of having symptomatic TMJ were 2.360 higher in persons with abnormal condylar morphology when compared to those with normal condylar morphology. The odds of having symptomatic TMJ were 2.591 higher in persons with posterior condylar position when compared to those with the normal condylar position. The odds of having symptomatic TMJ were 2.764 higher in persons with DDWR and 4.189 higher in persons with DDWoR when compared to those with normal disc position. The area under the curve of the model was 0.736 ± 0.019 (95% CI 0.700-0.773, P = 0.000), which indicated that the model has a good fitting effect. CONCLUSIONS: The imaging findings of TMJs were significantly different between symptomatic and asymptomatic TMJs. TMD is affected by multiple factors including > 19-year-age, abnormal condylar morphology, posterior condylar position, DDWR, and DDWoR, which could be risk factors for the development of TMD symptoms. Trial registration This study was retrospectively registered on 28/03/2022 and endorsed by the Ethics Committee of Affiliated Stomatology Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University (LCYJ2022014).

Generation of 5.2 fs, energy scalable blue pulses.

In this Letter, ultrashort blue pulses spanning 350-500 nm are generated by combining the broadband frequency doubling technology with the two-stage multiplate continuum (MPC) generation scheme. We prepare relatively broadband input pulses and use a two-stage configuration for MPC generation, allowing us to employ thinner and less solid plates for further spectral broadening. Therefore, the deteriorations of the spectral phase, energy conversion efficiency, and beam quality, which occur more easily for 400 nm pulses, are effectively suppressed. After fine dispersion management, we obtain clean 5.2 fs blue pulses with a root-mean-square energy stability of 0.69% over one hour and excellent beam quality. Furthermore, lower than 8% energy loss during the spectral broadening process at each stage is achieved. The overall optimized performances and energy scalability of this blue pulse, as well as the possibility of further compressing the pulse duration, are likely to motivate more strong-field research with sub-cycle time resolution in this extended wavelength range.

Decaying and revival dynamics of molecules revealed by attosecond wave-mixing spectroscopy.

We theoretically investigate the decaying dynamics in model molecules by using attosecond wave-mixing spectroscopy. We find that transient wave-mixing signal in molecular systems can be used to measure the lifetimes of vibrational states with attosecond time resolution. Typically, there are many vibrational states in the molecular system, and the molecular wave-mixing signal with a specific energy at a specific emitting angle is contributed by many possible wave-mixing pathways. In addition, the vibrational revival phenomenon in the previous ion detection experiments has also been observed in this all-optical approach. This work provides a new, to the best of our knowledge, route for the decaying dynamics detection and wave packet control of molecular systems.

Differential Proteomic Profiles of Coronary Serum Exosomes in Acute Myocardial Infarction Patients with or Without Diabetes Mellitus: ANGPTL6 Accelerates Regeneration of Endothelial Cells Treated with Rapamycin via MAPK Pathways.

PURPOSE: Delayed re-endothelialization after coronary drug-eluting stent implantation is associated with an increased incidence of late in-stent thrombosis. Serum exosomes exhibit controversial effects on promoting endothelialization. This study aimed to compare the angiogenic effects of serum exosomes derived from patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and AMI plus diabetes mellitus (DM) and to explore the underlying mechanisms. METHODS: Serum exosomes derived from patients in the control (Con-Exos), AMI (AMI-Exos), and AMI plus DM (AMI+DM-Exos) groups were isolated and identified using standard assays. CCK-8, wound healing, and tube formation assays were performed to detect the angiogenic abilities of serum exosomes on rapamycin-conditioned human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Differential proteomic profiles between AMI-Exos and AMI+DM-Exos were analyzed by mass spectrometry. The effects and potential mechanisms of exosomal angiopoietin-like 6 (ANGPTL6) were investigated. RESULTS: Functional assays indicated that compared with Con-Exos, AMI-Exos enhanced, whereas AMI+DM-Exos inhibited the cell proliferation, migration, and tube formation of rapamycin-conditioned HUVECs. Subsequently, 28 differentially expressed proteins between AMI-Exos and AMI+DM-Exos were identified, which were correlated with material transportation, immunity, and inflammatory reaction. Moreover, ANGPTL6 was highly enriched in AMI-Exos. Overexpression and knockdown of ANGPTL6 enhanced and inhibited angiogenesis, respectively. Furthermore, the effect of ANGPTL6 on angiogenesis was mediated via the activation of ERK 1/2, JNK, and p38 pathways. The inhibition of ERK 1/2 signaling markedly attenuated the migration abilities of overexpressing ANGPTL6. CONCLUSION: Diabetes impairs the regenerative capacities of serum exosomes. Exosomal ANGPTL6 contributes to endothelial repair and is a novel therapeutic target for enhanced stent endothelization.

Comparison of magnetic resonance imaging findings in 880 temporomandibular disorder patients of different age groups: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) in temporomandibular disorder (TMD) patients of different ages are still unclear. The aim of this study was to analyze and compare the characteristics of MRI features of TMJs in different age groups. METHODS: A total of 1760 TMJs from 880 patients were included in the study and divided into three groups: ≤ 18Y (n = 195, 14.89 ± 2.35Y); 19-30Y (n = 475, 24.09 ± 3.23Y); and > 30Y (n = 210, 41.73 ± 10.45Y). T2-weighted image (T2WI) of MRI was obtained to evaluate the relationship between age and disc morphology, the degree of disc displacement, joint effusion, joint movement and changes of condylar bone morphology. Data were analyzed by Pearson Chi square test and Spearman correlation coefficient. RESULTS: There was no statistical difference between left and right sides in all age groups. Except condylar morphology (χ2 = 0.943, P = 0.624), there were significant differences in the distribution of disc morphology, disc position, joint effusion and joint motion among different age groups (χ2 = 24.450, χ2 = 24.829, χ2 = 19.855, χ2 = 39.259, respectively). There were significant differences in the distribution of the degree of anterior disc displacement, condyle morphology and joint effusion in different types of disc morphology among the different age groups (except for joint effusion in > 30Y), among which the first two were significantly correlated with the disc morphology. CONCLUSIONS: The morphology and position of the articular disc changed significantly with age, but the proportion of abnormal condylar bone remained about 50%. The greater the degree of disc folding, the more prone to bone abnormalities. Trial registration This study was retrospectively registered on 28/03/2022 and endorsed by the Ethics committee (LCYJ2022014).

Long-Acting Human Interleukin 2 Bioconjugate Modified with Fatty Acids by Sortase A.

Human Interleukin 2 (IL-2) has already achieved impressive results as a therapeutic agent for cancer and autoimmune diseases. However, one of the limitations associated with the clinical application of IL-2 is its short half-life owing to rapid clearance by the kidneys. Modification with fatty acids, as an albumin noncovalent ligand with the advantage of deep penetration into tissues and high activity-to-mass ratio, is a commonly used approach to improve the half-life of native peptides and proteins. In this investigation, we attempted to extend the half-life of IL-2 through conjugation with a fatty acid using sortase A (srtA). We initially designed and optimized three IL-2 analogues with different peptide linkers between the C-terminus of IL-2 and srtA recognition sequence (LPETG). Among these, analogue A3 was validated as the optimal IL-2 analogue for further modification. Next, six fatty acid moieties with the same fatty acid and different hydrophilic spacers were conjugated to A3 through srtA. The six bioconjugates generated were screened for in vitro biological activity, among which bioconjugate B6 was identified as near-optimal to IL-2. Additionally, B6 could effectively bind albumin through the conjugated fatty acid, which contributed to a significant improvement in its pharmacokinetic properties in vivo. In summary, we have developed a novel IL-2 bioconjugate, B6, modified with fatty acids using srtA, which may effectively serve as a new-generation long-acting IL-2 immunotherapeutic agent.

Nondipole effects on the double-slit interference in molecular ionization by xuv pulses.

The double-slit interference in single-photon ionization of the diatomic molecular ion H2 + is theoretically studied beyond the dipole approximation. Via simulating and comparing the interactions of the prealigned H2 + and the hydrogen atom with the xuv pulses propagating in different directions, we illustrate two kinds of effects that are encoded in the interference patterns of the photoelectrons from H2 +: the single-atom nondipole effect and the two-center-interference one, both associated with the finite speed of light. While the two effects could modify the maxima of the interference fringes, we show that the former one hardly affects the interference minima. Our results and analysis show that the interference minima rule out the influences of the photon-momentum transfer and, potentially, the multielectron effect, thus performing a better role in decoding the zeptosecond time delay for the pulse hitting one and the other atomic centers of the molecule.

Method for high precision measurement of decaying dynamics using attosecond wave-mixing spectroscopy.

Ultrafast wave-mixing spectroscopies involving extreme ultraviolet (EUV) attosecond pulses provide unprecedented insight into electronic dynamics. Here, we proposed a versatile lifetime-detection method for doubly excited states with odd or even parities by mixing an attosecond EUV pulse with two few-cycle near infrared (NIR) pulses in atomic helium under a noncollinear geometry. By properly choosing the time order of the pulse sequence, the spatially resolved nonlinear signals carry significant information of the decaying dynamics of excited states, which can be utilized to retrieve the lifetimes of states with different parities in a single measurement. The validity and robustness of the method has been verified by numerical simulations based on a few-level model of helium including the spatial distribution of atoms. The accuracy of the lifetime measurement method is better than a few hundred attoseconds. It provides a powerful tool for probing decaying dynamics of the electronic wave packet with superb resolution.

Mapping time-dependent quasi-energies of laser dressed helium.

Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) transient absorption spectrum of helium dressed by a moderately intense infrared laser pulse is investigated. Strategies for correct retrieval of the time-dependent quasi-energies of helium with excitation energies covering both singly and doubly excited states are proposed. For long-lived singly excited states, the profound hyperbolic structures due to long lasting dipole can be diminished by convoluting the transient absorption spectrogram with a spectral window, allowing the time-dependent quasi-energies close to 1s2p resonance to be correctly mapped out. For short-lived doubly excited states near 2s2p resonance, the radiation dipole decays rapidly due to autoionization and the transient absorption spectrogram already recovers the main structure of quasi-energies without the convolution operation. The quantum simulation indicates that the convolution operation controls the effective decay speed of the dipole moment, which effectively builds up an instant probe that is essential for mapping time dependent quasi-energies of laser dressed systems.

Analyzing the electron trajectories in strong-field tunneling ionization with the phase-of-the-phase spectroscopy.

By numerically solving the time-dependent Schrödinger equation, we theoretically study strong-field tunneling ionization of Ar atom in the parallel two-color field which consists of a strong fundamental pulse and a much weaker second harmonic component. Based on the quantum orbits concept, we analyzed the photoelectron momentum distributions with the phase-of-the-phase spectroscopy, and the relative contributions of the two parts of the photoelectrons produced during the rising and falling edges of the adjacent quarters of the laser cycle are identified successfully. Our results show that the relative contributions of these two parts depend on both of the transverse and longitude momenta. By comparing the results from model atoms with Coulomb potential and short-range potential, the role of the long-range Coulomb interaction on the relative contributions of these two parts of electrons is revealed. Additionally, we show that the effects of Coulomb interaction on ionization time are vital for identifying their relative contributions.

Few-cycle optical pulse characterization under phase-mismatching.

The phase-matching bandwidth of nonlinear crystal is of great significance in ultrashort laser pulse characterization. In order to satisfy the phase-matching bandwidth, ultra-thin nonlinear crystals are generally required. However, the significantly reduced conversion efficiency, as well as the machining difficulties, limits its applications. Here, we show that sufficient spectrum bandwidth response can be achieved for a thick crystal when the phase-matching wavelength is tuned outside of the spectral window of the measured pulse. By applying this phenomenon to a single-shot second-harmonic generation frequency resolved optical gating (SHG-FROG) device, we successfully characterized a few-cycle pulse using a 150µmß-barium borate (BBO) crystal. The accuracy of the method was verified by comparing the conventional pulse retrieving approach with a 5µm BBO crystal, which has a sufficient phase-matching bandwidth.

Dynamic Core Polarization in High Harmonic Generation from Solids: The Example of MgO Crystals.

Previously, the strong field processes in solids have always been explained by the single-active-electron (SAE) model with a frozen core excluding the fluctuation of background electrons. In this work, we demonstrate the strong field induced dynamic core polarization effect and propose a model for revealing its role in high harmonic generation (HHG) from solids. We show that the polarized core induces an additional polarization current beyond the SAE model based on the frozen cores. It gives a new mechanism for HHG and leads to new anisotropic structures, which are experimentally observed with MgO. Our experiments indicate that the influences of dynamic core polarization on HHG are obvious for both linearly and elliptically polarized laser fields. Our work establishes the bridge between the HHG and the dynamic changes of the effective many-electron interaction in solids, which paves the way to probe the ultrafast electron dynamics.

Proposal for detecting ring current via electron vortices.

In an intense circularly polarized laser field, the excitation of the atoms shows a strong dependence on the orbital helicity. The resonant excitation starting from the ground state with $ m = - 1 $m=-1 occurs much more easily in the left-handed circularly polarized (LCP with $ m = + 1 $m=+1) pulse than in the right-handed circularly polarized (RCP with $ m = - 1 $m=-1) pulse. In this Letter, we numerically demonstrate that the orbital-helicity-dependent two-photon-resonant excitation leads to the photoelectron vortex pattern in the polarization plane being sensitive to the sequence of the two counter-rotating circularly polarized pulses in xenon, which enables the detection of the ring currents associated with different quantum states. These results also provide an effective way for controlling the rotational symmetry of the electron vortex.

Determination of Electron Band Structure using Temporal Interferometry.

We propose an all-optical method to directly reconstruct the band structure of semiconductors. Our scheme is based on the temporal Young's interferometer realized by high harmonic generation with a few-cycle laser pulse. As a time-energy domain interferometer, temporal interference encodes the band structure into the fringe in the energy domain. The relation between the band structure and the emitted harmonic frequencies is established. This enables us to retrieve the band structure from the spectrum of high harmonic generation with a single-shot measurement. Our scheme paves the way to study matters under ambient conditions and to track the ultrafast modification of band structures.

Distinction of Electron Dispersion in Time-Resolved Photoemission Spectroscopy.

While recent experiments provided compelling evidence for an intricate dependence of attosecond photoemission-time delays on the solid's electronic band structure, the extent to which electronic transport and dispersion in solids can be imaged in time-resolved photoelectron (PE) spectra remains poorly understood. Emphasizing the distinction between photoemission time delays measured with two-photon, two-color interferometric spectroscopy, and transport times, we demonstrate how the effect of energy dispersion in the solid on photoemission delays can, in principle, be observed in interferometric photoemission. We reveal analytically a scaling relation between the PE transport time in the solid and the observable photoemission delay and confirm this relation in numerical simulations for a model system. We trace photoemission delays to the phase difference the PE accumulates inside the solid and, in particular, predict negative photoemission delays. Based on these findings, we suggest a novel time-domain interferometric solid-state energy-momentum-dispersion imaging method.

Anthropometric Research of Metric Characters in Zygomatic Complex Region.

OBJECTIVES: To get and analyze the metric data of zygomatic region for the plasty of zygoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 108 dry skulls in Chinese Han population were randomly collected and measured. The metrical data were divided into 4 parts, including the relative position of contour height of zygomatic bone, the relative prominence of zygomatic bone, the relative prominence of zygomatic arch, and the angle of the zygomatic bone and arch. RESULTS: The measurements in the 4 parts showed significantly difference between male and female (P < 0.05). For relative position of contour height of zygomatic bone group, the data of male is significantly bigger than female (P < 0.05). For relative prominence of zygomatic bone/zygomatic arch group, zygoma/zygomatic arch of male significantly protruded more than female (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The location of male zygoma is more protruding than female. The female zygoma is squarer than male and marginal process is helpful in zygomatic plasty. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: These studies show and analyze the metric data of zygomatic region in Chinese Han population for the plasty of zygoma. These different characters between males and females could be helpful in zygomatic plasty of Chinese Han population based on this research.

Channel-closing effects of electronic excitation in solids.

We investigate the electronic excitation of solids in strong fields by solving the time-dependent Schrödinger equation. The excitation probability exhibits a strong modulation as a function of laser intensity when the initial states fill in the whole valence band. To have a clear insight into the modulation, we further study the electronic excitation from a single eigenstate in solids. A series of resonance-like enhancements of excitation probability are produced by changing the laser intensity and wavelength. We attribute the resonance-like enhancements to the channel-closing effects in solids. It is shown that the excitation probability exhibits enhancements when the value of channel is odd for intracycle interference and an integer for intercycle interference. This is different from the atom that the enhancement occur in the integer channels. We also reveal that the channel-closing effects can be observed by solid high-order harmonic generation.

Coulomb focusing in retrapped ionization with near-circularly polarized laser field.

The full three-dimensional photoelectron momentum distributions of argon are measured in intense near-circularly polarized laser fields. We observed that the transverse momentum distribution of ejected electrons by 410-nm near-circularly polarized field is unexpectedly narrowed with increasing laser intensity, which is contrary to the conventional rules predicted by adiabatic theory. By analyzing the momentum-resolved angular momentum distribution measured experimentally and the corresponding trajectories of ejected electrons semiclassically, the narrowing can be attributed to a temporary trapping and thereby focusing of a photoelectron by the atomic potential in a quasibound state. With the near-circularly polarized laser field, the strong Coulomb interaction with the rescattering electrons is avoided, thus the Coulomb focusing in the retrapped process is highlighted. We believe that these findings will facilitate understanding and steering electron dynamics in the Coulomb coupled system.