AZD8055 Is More Effective Than Rapamycin in Inhibiting Proliferation and Promoting Mitochondrial Clearance in Erythroid Differentiation.

Background: As an important downstream effector of various signaling pathways, mTOR plays critical roles in regulating many physiological processes including erythropoiesis. It is composed of two distinct complexes, mTORC1 and mTORC2, which differ in their components and downstream signaling effects. Our previous study revealed that the inhibition of mTORC1 by rapamycin significantly repressed the erythroid progenitor expansion in the early stage but promoted enucleation and mitochondria clearance in the late stage of erythroid differentiation. However, the particular roles and differences of mTORC1 and mTORC2 in the regulation of erythropoiesis still remain largely unknown. In the present study, we investigated the comparative effects of dual mTORC1/mTORC2 mTOR kinase inhibitor AZD8055 and mTORC1 inhibitor rapamycin on erythroid differentiation in K562 cells induced by hemin and erythropoiesis in ß-thalassemia mouse model. Materials and Methods: In vitro erythroid differentiation model of hemin-induced K562 cells and ß-thalassemia mouse model were treated with AZD8055 and rapamycin. Cell Counting Kit-8 was used to detect cell viability. The cell proliferation, cell cycle, erythroid surface marker expression, mitochondrial content, and membrane potential were determined and analyzed by flow cytometry and laser scanning confocal microscopy. Globin gene expression during erythroid differentiation was measured by RT-qPCR. The mTORC2/mTORC1 and autophagy pathway was evaluated using western blotting. Results: Both AZD8055 and rapamycin treatments increased the expression levels of the erythroid differentiation-specific markers, CD235a, α-globin, γ-globin, and ε-globin. Notably, AZD8055 suppressed the cell proliferation and promoted the mitochondrial clearance of hemin-induced K562 cells more effectively than rapamycin. In a mouse model of ß-thalassemia, both rapamycin and AZD8055 remarkably improve erythroid cell maturation and anemia. Moreover, AZD8055 and rapamycin treatment inhibited the mTORC1 pathway and enhanced autophagy, whereas AZD8055 enhanced autophagy more effectively than rapamycin. Indeed, AZD8055 treatment inhibited both mTORC2 and mTORC1 pathway in hemin-induced K562 cells. Conclusion: AZD8055 is more effective than rapamycin in inhibiting proliferation and promoting mitochondrial clearance in erythroid differentiation, which might provide us one more therapeutic option other than rapamycin for ineffective erythropoiesis treatment in the future. These findings also provide some preliminary information indicating the roles of mTORC1 and mTORC2 in erythropoiesis, and further studies are necessary to dissect the underlying mechanisms.

Highly stable and active catalyst in fuel cells through surface atomic ordering.

Shape-controlled alloy nanoparticle catalysts have been shown to exhibit improved performance in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in liquid half-cells. However, translating the success to catalyst layers in fuel cells faces challenges due to the more demanding operation conditions in membrane electrode assembly (MEA). Balancing durability and activity is crucial. Here, we developed a strategy that limits the atomic diffusion within surface layers, fostering the phase transition and shape retention during thermal treatment. This enables selective transformation of platinum-iron nanowire surfaces into intermetallic structures via atomic ordering at a low temperature. The catalysts exhibit enhanced MEA stability with 50% less Fe loss while maintaining high catalytic activity comparable to that in half-cells. Density functional calculations suggest that the ordered intermetallic surface stabilizes morphology against rapid corrosion and improves the ORR activity. The surface engineering through atomic ordering presents potential for practical application in fuel cells with shape-controlled Pt-based alloy catalysts.

Glucose metabolite methylglyoxal induces vascular endothelial cell pyroptosis via NLRP3 inflammasome activation and oxidative stress in vitro and in vivo.

Methylglyoxal (MGO), a reactive dicarbonyl metabolite of glucose, plays a prominent role in the pathogenesis of diabetes and vascular complications. Our previous studies have shown that MGO is associated with increased oxidative stress, inflammatory responses and apoptotic cell death in endothelial cells (ECs). Pyroptosis is a novel form of inflammatory caspase-1-dependent programmed cell death that is closely associated with the activation of the NOD-like receptor 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome. Recent studies have shown that sulforaphane (SFN) can inhibit pyroptosis, but the effects and underlying mechanisms by which SFN affects MGO-induced pyroptosis in endothelial cells have not been determined. Here, we found that SFN prevented MGO-induced pyroptosis by suppressing oxidative stress and inflammation in vitro and in vivo. Our results revealed that SFN dose-dependently prevented MGO-induced HUVEC pyroptosis, inhibited pyroptosis-associated biochemical changes, and attenuated MGO-induced morphological alterations in mitochondria. SFN pretreatment significantly suppressed MGO-induced ROS production and the inflammatory response by inhibiting the NLRP3 inflammasome (NLRP3, ASC, and caspase-1) signaling pathway by activating Nrf2/HO-1 signaling. Similar results were obtained in vivo, and we demonstrated that SFN prevented MGO-induced oxidative damage, inflammation and pyroptosis by reversing the MGO-induced downregulation of the NLRP3 signaling pathway through the upregulation of Nrf2. Additionally, an Nrf2 inhibitor (ML385) noticeably attenuated the protective effects of SFN on MGO-induced pyroptosis and ROS generation by inhibiting the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway, and a ROS scavenger (NAC) and a permeability transition pore inhibitor (CsA) completely reversed these effects. Moreover, NLRP3 inhibitor (MCC950) and caspase-1 inhibitor (VX765) further reduced pyroptosis in endothelial cells that were pretreated with SFN. Collectively, these findings broaden our understanding of the mechanism by which SFN inhibits pyroptosis induced by MGO and suggests important implications for the potential use of SFN in the treatment of vascular diseases.

Current Research Status and Future Trends of Vibration Energy Harvesters.

The continuous worsening of the natural surroundings requires accelerating the exploration of green energy technology. Utilising ambient vibration to power electronic equipment constitutes an important measure to address the power crisis. Vibration power is widely dispersed in the surroundings, such as mechanical vibration, acoustic vibration, wind vibration, and water wave vibration. Collecting vibration energy is one of the research hotspots in the field of energy. Meanwhile, it is also an important way to solve the energy crisis. This paper illustrates the working principles and recent research progress of five known methods of vibrational energy harvesting, namely, electromagnetic, piezoelectric, friction electric, electrostatic, and magnetostrictive vibrational energy harvesters. The strengths and weaknesses of each method are summarised. At the end of the article, the future trends of micro-nano vibrational energy collectors are envisioned.

Multi-Axial Self-Driven X-Ray Detection by a Two-Dimensional Biaxial Hybrid Organic-Inorganic Perovskite Ferroelectric.

Metal halide perovskite ferroelectrics combining spontaneous polarization and excellent semiconducting properties is an ideal platform for enabling self-driven X-ray detection. However, achievements to date have been only based on uniaxiality, which increases the complexity of device fabrication. Multi-axial ferroelectric materials have multiple equivalent polarization directions, making them potentially amenable to multi-axial self-driven X-ray detection, but the report on these types of materials is still a huge blank. Herein, a high-quality (BA)2(EA)2Pb3I10 (1) biaxial ferroelectric single crystal was successfully grown, which exhibited significant spontaneous polarization along the c-axis and b-axis. Under X-ray irradiation, bulk photovoltaic effect (BPVE) was exhibited along both the c-axis and b-axis, with open circuit voltages (Voc) of 0.23 V and 0.22 V, respectively. Then, the BPVE revealed along the inversion of polarized direction with the polarized electric fields. Intriguingly, due to the BPVE of 1, 1 achieved multi-axial self-driven X-ray detection for the first time (c-axis and b-axis) with relatively high sensitivities and ultralow detection limits (17.2 nGyair s-1 and 19.4 nGyair s-1, respectively). This work provides a reference for the subsequent use of multi-axial ferroelectricity for multi-axial self-driven optoelectronic detection.

Utility of plasma nucleocapsid protein in predicting severity and prognosis in severe COVID-19 patients with comorbidities.

OBJECTIVES: The COVID-19 pandemic poses ongoing challenges to global public health systems, emphasizing the critical necessity for efficient diagnostic and prognostic markers. This study evaluates the MAGLUMI® SARS-CoV-2 Ag N protein chemiluminescent immunoassay (MAG-CLIA) for its analytical performance and its role in predicting disease severity and prognosis among severe COVID-19 patients with comorbidities. METHODS: Analytical validation of plasma MAG-CLIA SARS-CoV-2 Ag N protein encompassed precision, interference, LoQ and linearity. Plasma N protein concentrations and other biomarkers were measured within 48 h of admission, tracked until discharge or death. The Mann-Whitney U test explored the association between plasma N protein and COVID-19 severity or prognosis. Longitudinal monitoring of plasma N protein dynamics was conducted in representative patients. RESULTS: MAG-CLIA demonstrated precise quantification of plasma N protein with a CV below 10 % and minimal interference. The LoQ was 0.88 ng/L, with a broad linear range. Plasma N protein showed high diagnostic accuracy for COVID-19, achieving 95.42 % specificity and 78.32 % sensitivity at 2.388 ng/L. Plasma N protein emerged as a valuable prognostic indicator, correlating with mechanical ventilation need and patient survival. Plasma N protein concentrations ≥ 424.3 ng/L (AUC 0.8102, sensitivity 78.38 %, specificity 85.48 %) were associated with poor prognosis in severe COVID-19 patients with comorbidities. CONCLUSIONS: MAG-CLIA's SARS-CoV-2 N protein detection in plasma demonstrates both analytical reliability and clinical relevance in our inaugural evaluation. As a promising prognostic biomarker for severe COVID-19 patients, it offers crucial insights into disease severity and progression, emphasizing the significance of early monitoring and intervention, especially for patients with comorbidities.

Identification and validation of ferroptosis related markers in erythrocyte differentiation of umbilical cord blood-derived CD34+ cell by bioinformatic analysis.

Ferroptosis has been observed to play an important role during erythrocyte differentiation (ED). However, the biological gene markers and ferroptosis mechanisms in ED remain unknown. We downloaded the datasets of ED in human umbilical cord blood-derived CD34+ cells from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Using median differentiation time, the sample was categorized into long and short groups. The differentially expressed ferroptosis-related genes (DE-FRGs) were screened using differential expression analysis. The enrichment analyses and a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network were conducted. To predict the ED stage, a logistic regression model was constructed using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO). Overall, 22 DE-FRGs were identified. Ferroptosis-related pathways were enriched using Gene Ontology and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis and Gene Set Variation Analysis revealed the primary involvement of DE-FRGs in JAK-STAT, MAPK, PI3K-AKT-mTORC1, WNT, and NOTCH signaling pathways. Ten-hub DE-FRGs were obtained using PPI analysis. Furthermore, we constructed mRNA-microRNA (miRNA) and mRNA-transcription factor networks. Immune cell infiltration levels differed significantly during ED. LASSO regression analysis established a signature using six DE-FRGs (ATF3, CDH2, CHAC1, DDR2, DPP4, and GDF15) related to the ED stage. Bioinformatic analyses identified ferroptosis-associated genes during ED, which were further validated. Overall, we identified ferroptosis-related genes to predict their correlations in ED. Exploring the underlying mechanisms of ferroptosis may help us better understand pathophysiological changes in ED and provide new evidence for clinical transformation.

Doubling Power Conversion Efficiency of Si Solar Cells.

Improving solar cells' power conversion efficiency (PCE) is crucial to further the deployment of renewable electricity. In addition, solar cells cannot function at exceedingly low temperatures owing to the carrier freeze-out phenomenon. This report demonstrates that through temperature regulation, the PCE of monocrystalline single-junction silicon solar cells can be doubled to 50-60% under monochromatic lasers and the full spectrum of AM 1.5 light at low temperatures of 30-50 K by inhibiting the lattice atoms' thermal oscillations for suppressing thermal loss, an inherent feature of monocrystalline Si cells. Moreover, the light penetration, determined by its wavelength, plays a critical role in alleviating the carrier freeze-out effect and broadening the operational temperature range of silicon cells to temperatures as low as 10 K. Understanding these new observations opens tremendous opportunities for designing solar cells with even higher PCE to provide efficient and powerful energy sources for cryogenic devices and outer and deep space explorations.

Hypericum perforatum-derived exosomes-like nanovesicles for adipose tissue photodynamic therapy.

BACKGROUND: Recent investigations underscore the capacity of photodynamic therapy (PDT) to induce adipocyte apoptosis, thereby mitigating obesity. Nonetheless, extant synthetic photosensitizers manifest limitations that hinder their clinical viability. PURPOSE: In the current study, we used Hypericum perforatum-derived exosomes-like nanovesicles (HPExos) as a novel photosensitizer, and investigated its PDT effects in adipose tissue during obesity. METHOD: HPExos-were administered to high fat diet mice via intraperitoneal injection, followed by targeted irradiation with specialized LED lights. Mass spectrometric analysis was analyzed in adipose tissues. CCK8 assay and Oil Red O staining were used to investigate lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 cells to clarify adipocyte differentiation. The expression levels of related markers associated with adipogenesis and lipogenesis were assessed by RT-PCR. Apoptosis analysis was performed by TUNEL staining of and western blotting. RESULTS: HPExos combined with PDT accumulated in visceral white adipose tissues results in a reduced body weight and improved insulin sensitivity. HPExos combined with PDT induced apoptosis by driving high levels of ROS. In addition, HPExos combined with PDT significantly downregulated the expression of transcription factors, PPARγ, C/EBPα, and SREBP and lipogenesis protein FABP4 both in vitro and in vivo, associated with a decreased FFA levels. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that HPExos could act as an effective photosensitizer in regulating glucose hemostasis by inhibiting adipocyte differentiation and lipogenesis, offering a promising approach for obesity treatment.

Self-Healing and Recyclable Polyurethane/Nanocellulose Elastomer Based on the Diels-Alder Reaction.

With the background of the fossil fuel energy crisis, the development of self-healing and recyclable polymer materials has become a research hotspot. In this work, a kind of cross-linking agent with pendent furan groups was first prepared and then used to produce the Polyurethane elastomer based on Diels-Alder chemistry (EPU-DA). In addition, in order to further enhance the mechanical properties of the elastomer, cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) were added into the Polyurethane system to prepare a series of composites with various contents of CNF (wt% = 0.1~0.7). Herein, the FTIR and DSC were used to confirm structure and thermal reversible character. The tensile test also indicated that the addition of CNF increased the mechanical properties compared to the pure Polyurethane elastomer. Due to their reversible DA covalent bonds, the elastomer and composites were recycled under high-temperature conditions, which extends Polyurethane elastomers' practical applications. Moreover, damaged coating can also be repaired, endowing this Polyurethane material with good potential for application in the field of metal protection.

Reconstruction of High Entropy Alloys on a Metal-Organic Framework Approaching Active Oxygen Reduction Electrocatalysts.

High-entropy alloys (HEAs) have garnered considerable attention as promising nanocatalysts for effectively utilizing Pt in catalysis toward oxygen reduction reactions due to their unique properties. Nonetheless, there is a relative dearth of attention regarding the structural evolution of HEAs in response to electrochemical conditions. In this work, we propose a thermal reduction method to synthesize high entropy nanoparticles by leveraging the confinement effect and abundant nitrogen-anchored sites provided by pyrolyzed metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). Notably, the prepared catalysts exhibit enhanced activity accompanied by structural reconstruction during electrochemical activation, approaching 1 order of magnitude higher mass activity compared to Pt/C in oxygen reduction. Atomic-scale structural characterization reveals that abundant defects and single atoms are formed during the activation process, contributing to a significant boost in the catalytic performance for oxygen reduction reactions. This study provides deep insights into surface reconstruction engineering during electrochemical operations, with practical implications for fuel cell applications.

Enhancing the Biological Performance of Titanium Alloy through In Situ Modulation of the Surface Nanostructure: Near-Infrared-Responsive Antibacterial Function and Osteoinductivity.

The poor clinical performance of titanium and its alloy implants is mainly attributed to their lack of antibacterial ability and poor osseointegration. The key and challenge lie in how to enhance their osteoinductivity while imparting antibacterial capability. In this study, a titanium oxide metasurface with light-responsive behavior was constructed on the surface of titanium alloy using an alkaline-acid bidirectional hydrothermal method. The effects of the acid type, acid concentration, hydrothermal time, hydrothermal temperature, and subsequent heat treatments on the optical behavior of the metasurface were systematically investigated with a focus on exploring the influence of the metasurface and photodynamic reaction on the osteogenic activity of osteoblasts. Results show that the type of acid and heat treatment significantly affect the light absorption of the titanium alloy surface, with HCl and post-heat-treatment favoring redshift in the light absorption. Under 808 nm near-infrared (NIR) irradiation for 10 min, in vitro antibacterial experiments demonstrate that the antibacterial rate of the metasurface titanium alloy against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli were 96.87% and 99.27%, respectively. In vitro cell experiments demonstrate that the nanostructure facilitates cell adhesion, proliferation, differentiation, and expression of osteogenic-related genes. Surprisingly, the nanostructure promoted the expression of relevant osteogenic genes of MC3T3-E1 under 808 nm NIR irradiation. This study provides a method for the surface modification of titanium alloy implants.

Multiple Interlayer Interactions Enable Highly Stable X-ray Detection in 2D Hybrid Perovskites.

Metal halide perovskites have outperformed conventional inorganic semiconductors in direct X-ray detection due to their ease of synthesis and intriguing photoelectric properties. However, the operational instability caused by severe ion migration under a high external electric field is still a big concern for the practical application of perovskite detectors. Here, we report a 2D (BPEA)2PbI4 (BPEA = R-1-(4-bromophenyl)ethylammonium) perovskite with Br-substituted aromatic spacer capable of introducing abundant interactions, e.g., the molecular electrostatic forces between Br atoms and aromatic rings and halogen bonds of Br-I, in the interlayer space, which effectively suppresses ion migration and thus enables superior operational stability. Constructing direct X-ray detectors based on high-quality single crystals of (BPEA)2PbI4 results in a high sensitivity of 1,003 µC Gy-1 cm-2, a low detection limit of 366 nGy s-1, and an ultralow baseline drift of 3.48 × 10-8 nA cm-1 s-1 V-1 at 80 V bias. More strikingly, it also exhibits exceptional operational stability under high flux, long-time X-ray irradiation, and large working voltage. This work shows an integration of multiple interlayer interactions to stabilize perovskite X-ray detectors, providing new insights into the future design of perovskite optoelectronic devices toward practical application.

Chameleon-inspired tunable multi-layered infrared-modulating system via stretchable liquid metal microdroplets in elastomer film.

This report presents liquid metal-based infrared-modulating materials and systems with multiple modes to regulate the infrared reflection. Inspired by the brightness adjustment in chameleon skin, shape-morphing liquid metal droplets in silicone elastomer (Ecoflex) matrix are used to resemble the dispersed "melanophores". In the system, Ecoflex acts as hormone to drive the deformation of liquid metal droplets. Both total and specular reflectance-based infrared camouflage are achieved. Typically, the total and specular reflectances show change of ~44.8% and 61.2%, respectively, which are among the highest values reported for infrared camouflage. Programmable infrared encoding/decoding is explored by adjusting the concentration of liquid metal and applying areal strains. By introducing alloys with different melting points, temperature-dependent infrared painting/writing can be achieved. Furthermore, the multi-layered structure of infrared-modulating system is designed, where the liquid metal-based infrared modulating materials are integrated with an evaporated metallic film for enhanced performance of such system.

Direct in-situ imaging of electrochemical corrosion of Pd-Pt core-shell electrocatalysts.

Corrosion of electrocatalysts during electrochemical operations, such as low potential - high potential cyclic swapping, can cause significant performance degradation. However, the electrochemical corrosion dynamics, including structural changes, especially site and composition specific ones, and their correlation with electrochemical processes are hidden due to the insufficient spatial-temporal resolution characterization methods. Using electrochemical liquid cell transmission electron microscopy, we visualize the electrochemical corrosion of Pd@Pt core-shell octahedral nanoparticles towards a Pt nanoframe. The potential-dependent surface reconstruction during multiple continuous in-situ cyclic voltammetry with clear redox peaks is captured, revealing an etching and deposition process of Pd that results in internal Pd atoms being relocated to external surface, followed by subsequent preferential corrosion of Pt (111) terraces rather than the edges or corners, simultaneously capturing the structure evolution also allows to attribute the site-specific Pt and Pd atomic dynamics to individual oxidation and reduction events. This work provides profound insights into the surface reconstruction of nanoparticles during complex electrochemical processes.

lncRNA Gm20257 alleviates pathological cardiac hypertrophy by modulating the PGC-1α-mitochondrial complex IV axis.

Pathological cardiac hypertrophy, a major contributor to heart failure, is closely linked to mitochondrial function. The roles of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), which regulate mitochondrial function, remain largely unexplored in this context. Herein, a previously unknown lncRNA, Gm20257, was identified. It markedly increased under hypertrophic stress in vivo and in vitro. The suppression of Gm20257 by using small interfering RNAs significantly induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. Conversely, the overexpression of Gm20257 through plasmid transfection or adeno-associated viral vector-9 mitigated angiotensin II-induced hypertrophic phenotypes in neonatal mouse ventricular cells or alleviated cardiac hypertrophy in a mouse TAC model respectively, thus restoring cardiac function. Importantly, Gm20257 restored mitochondrial complex IV level and enhanced mitochondrial function. Bioinformatics prediction showed that Gm20257 had a high binding score with peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor coactivator-1 (PGC-1α), which could increase mitochondrial complex IV. Subsequently, Western blot analysis results revealed that Gm20257 substantially affected the expression of PGC-1α. Further analyses through RNA immunoprecipitation and immunoblotting following RNA pull-down indicated that PGC-1α was a direct downstream target of Gm20257. This interaction was demonstrated to rescue the reduction of mitochondrial complex IV induced by hypertrophic stress and promote the generation of mitochondrial ATP. These findings suggest that Gm20257 improves mitochondrial function through the PGC-1α-mitochondrial complex IV axis, offering a novel approach for attenuating pathological cardiac hypertrophy.

Detecting of Barely Visible Impact Damage on Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer Using Diffusion Ultrasonic Improved by Time-Frequency Domain Disturbance Sensitive Zone.

Based on the decorrelation calculation of diffusion ultrasound in time-frequency domain, this paper discusses the repeatability and potential significance of Disturbance Sensitive Zone (DSZ) in time-frequency domain. The experimental study of Barely Visible Impact Damage (BVID) on Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) is carried out. The decorrelation coefficients of time, frequency, and time-frequency domains and DSZ are calculated and compared. It has been observed that the sensitivity of the scattered wave disturbance caused by impact damage is non-uniformly distributed in both the time and frequency domains. This is evident from the non-uniform distribution of the decorrelation coefficient in time-domain and frequency-domain decorrelation calculations. Further, the decorrelation calculation in the time-frequency domain can show the distribution of the sensitivity of the scattered wave disturbance in the time domain and frequency domain. The decorrelation coefficients in time, frequency, and time-frequency domains increase monotonically with the number of impacts. In addition, in the time-frequency domain decorrelation calculation results, stable and repetitive DSZ are observed, which means that the specific frequency component of the scattered wave is extremely sensitive to the damage evolution of the impact region at a specific time. Finally, the DSZ obtained from the first 15 impacts is used to improve the decorrelation calculation in the 16-th to 20-th impact. The results show that the increment rate of the improved decorrelation coefficient is 10.22%. This study reveals that the diffusion ultrasonic decorrelation calculation improved by DSZ makes it feasible to evaluate early-stage damage caused by BVID.

Clinical influencing factors of vital pulp therapy on pulpitis permanent teeth with 2 calcium silicate-based materials: A randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Compared with traditional root canal therapy (RCT), vital pulp therapy (VPT) is a personalized and minimally invasive method for the treatment of pulpitis caused by dental caries. However, there are still no clear guidelines for VPT because high-quality randomized clinical trials are scarce. This prospective cohort study evaluated the clinical efficacy of VPT with the light-curable calcium silicate-based material TheraCal LC (TH) and bioceramic material iRoot BP Plus (BP) in reversible and irreversible pulpitis permanent teeth with carious exposures. METHODS: 115 teeth with reversible or irreversible pulpitis caused by deep care were randomly divided into 2 groups. TheraCal LC and iRoot BP Plus were used for the pulp capping. Direct pulp capping (DPC), partial pulpotomy (PP) and full pulpotomy (FP) were performed based on observation of the exposed pulp. Postoperative discomforts were enquired and recorded via follow-up phone calls. Clinical and radiographic evaluations were performed 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively. RESULTS: The overall clinical success rate in the first year was 90.4% (47/52) in both groups. The TH group required less operating time, showed lower levels of pain, and had shorter pain duration post-operative (P < .001). According to the binary logistic regression model, preoperative pain duration was significantly correlated with the prognosis of VPT (P = .011). CONCLUSION: VPT with TheraCal LC and iRoot BP Plus in pulpitis permanent carious teeth both achieved good clinical outcomes, and TheraCal LC can be easily operated for clinical use. Preoperative pain duration of the affected tooth might have a significant correlation with the prognosis of VPT.