Influence of postprinting cleaning methods on the cleaning efficiency and surface and mechanical properties of three-dimensionally printed resins.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: The outcome of photopolymerized 3-dimensional (3D) printing is influenced by the methods used for postprinting cleaning, yet information on postprinting cleaning is sparse. PURPOSE: The purpose of this in vitro study was to assess the cleaning efficiency and surface and mechanical properties of 3D printed resin according to postprinting cleaning methods. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Specimens were fabricated from a 3D model using resin materials (NextDent C&B MFH and DIOnavi-P. MAX) and were tested for postprinting cleaning methods for 5 minutes with isopropyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol + ultrasonic, ethyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol + ultrasonic, and ultrasonic alone. Postpolymerization was followed for 5 minutes. The cleaning efficiency, microcomputed tomography (µCT), surface roughness, Vickers hardness, and flexural strength of the specimens were evaluated. The 1-way ANOVA test was performed after considering normality. A post hoc analysis with Bonferroni was also performed (α=.008 or.005). RESULTS: Ultrasonic in addition to cleaning solutions significantly improved the cleaning efficiency in NextDent C&B MFH specimens (P<.005), whereas ultrasonic did not affect the efficiency in DIOnavi-P. MAX specimens. No significant differences were found in surface roughness by postprinting cleaning methods in either NextDent C&B MFH or DIOnavi-P. MAX (P>.005). No significant changes in surface hardness were observed by postprinting cleaning methods (P>.008). In the NextDent C&B MFH, ethyl alcohol + ultrasonic significantly decreased the flexural strength (P<.005). There were no significant differences in the flexural strength in the DIOnavi-P. MAX (P>.005). CONCLUSIONS: Ethyl alcohol was comparable with isopropyl alcohol for use as a postprinting cleaning solution for both NextDent C&B MFH and DIOnavi-P. MAX. The addition of ultrasonic to cleaning solutions should be applied with caution. These findings suggest that different postprinting cleaning methods can be recommended depending on the 3D printed resin materials.

Effect of intra-alveolar delivery of Frondoside A on inflammatory response of delayed tooth replantation.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Frondoside A is a sea cucumber extract which is well known for its anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of Frondoside A application in the alveolar socket on inflammatory responses after delayed replantation in rat teeth. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Human periodontal ligament cells were cultured and exposed to Frondoside A. Cell-counting kit-8 assay was performed to evaluate the cell viability and nitric oxide assay was performed to assess the anti-inflammatory effect of Frondoside A. Molars were extracted from 32 Sprague-Dawley rats and randomly divided into control and Frondoside A groups. After 30 min of extra-oral dry time, molars were replanted. In the Frondoside A group, Frondoside A solution was applied in the alveolar socket before replantation. The animals were sacrificed after 28 days and histologically and immunohistochemically evaluated. RESULTS: 0.5 µM Frondoside A showed higher cellular viability at 6 h and lower production of nitric oxide compared with other Frondoside A solutions (p < .05). The Frondoside A group demonstrated lower inflammatory resorption scores in both middle 1/3 and apical 1/3 of root compared to the control group (p < .05). The Frondoside A group showed lower levels of expression in both cathepsin K and CD45 compared with the control group (p < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Within the limits of this study, intra-alveolar delivery of Frondoside A alleviates inflammatory root resorption in delayed replantation of rat teeth.

Influence of limited mouth opening in children on intraoral scanning accuracy: An in vitro study.

BACKGROUND: Although intraoral scanning is highly reliable, little is known about its accuracy in young children with limited mouth-opening ability. AIM: To determine the accuracy of intraoral scans based on the degree of mouth opening. DESIGN: To simulate mouth opening in children with primary dentition, three groups (n = 5 per group) were allocated by maximum mouth opening of 30, 37 and 40 mm. After the primary dentition model was connected to a dental phantom, intraoral scanning was performed using iTero and TRIOS4. The scanned files were digitally evaluated. Root mean square values were calculated to assess trueness and precision. RESULTS: iTero showed deviations of three-dimensional trueness of 0.067 ± 0.008, 0.063 ± 0.001 and 0.065 ± 0.005 mm, and TRIOS4 of 0.07 ± 0.002, 0.064 ± 0.003 and 0.066 ± 0.002 mm in the 30, 37 and 40 mm groups, respectively. There were no significant differences in either mouth opening (p > .017) or the intraoral scanners (p > .05). The same statistical results were obtained for precision, with the exception of the 30 mm of mouth opening. CONCLUSIONS: Within the limits of this study, limited mouth opening hardly influenced the accuracy of intraoral scanning.

Accelerated Oral Healing by Angelica gigas Nakai from Hot Melt Extrusion Technology: An In Vitro Study.

Background and Objectives: In spite of the oral environment being healing-prone, its dynamic changes may affect wound healing. The purpose of this study was to assess the oral wound healing effect of Angelica gigas Nakai (AG) prepared by hot-melt extrusion. Materials and Methods: Human gingival fibroblast (HGF) cells were treated with AG or AG via hot-melt extrusion (AGH) for 24 h to determine the optimal concentration. For evaluating the anti-inflammatory effect of AG and AGH, a nitric oxide assay was performed under lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation. The wound-healing effects of AG and AGH were evaluated using cell proliferation/migration assays and wound-healing marker expression through qRT-PCR. Results: Both AG and AGH showed no cytotoxicity on HGH cells. Regarding nitric oxide production, AGH significantly decreased LPS-induced nitric oxide production (p < 0.05). AGH showed a significantly positive result in the cell proliferation/cell migration assay compared with that in AG and the control. Regarding wound healing marker expression, AGH showed significantly greater VEGF and COL1α1 expression levels than those in the others (p < 0.05), whereas α-SMA expression was significantly different among the groups. Conclusions: Within the limits of this study, AGH accelerated oral wound healing in vitro.

[Multi-component content determination of Dracocephalum tanguticum by quantitative analysis of multi-components by single-marker].

This study aims to establish a method for the simultaneous determination of 7 active components in Dracocephalum tanguticum and to evaluate the quality of medicinal materials from different habitats. The method was established with high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC) and the gradient elution was performed with the mobile phase of acetonitrile-methanol-0.2% phosphoric acid solution at a column temperature of 35 ℃, an injection volume of 15 µL, and a flow rate of 0.6 mL·min~(-1). The detection wavelength was set as 215 nm. With rosmarinic acid as the internal reference, the relative correction factors and the content of other 6 components were calculated. The results were compared with those obtained with the external standard method. The results showed that the samples from Huangzhong county, Qinghai province had the best quality, with the highest content of p-hydroxybenzoic acid, cosmosiin, rosmarinic acid, oleanolic acid, and ursolic acid(9.29, 12.14, 6.02, 3.11, 17.67 mg·g~(-1) respectively). The samples from Chaya county, Tibet autonomous region ranked the second, with the highest content of betulin and betulinic acid(15.53, 7.17 mg·g~(-1), respectively). The method is accurate, reliable, and repeatable and suitable for the simultaneous determination of multiple components in D. tanguticum. The content of functional components varied in the samples from different producing areas and can be used as the indicator for the quality evaluation of medicinal materials.

Prediction of early recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma after liver transplantation based on computed tomography radiomics nomogram.

BACKGROUND: Early recurrence results in poor prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after liver transplantation (LT). This study aimed to explore the value of computed tomography (CT)-based radiomics nomogram in predicting early recurrence of patients with HCC after LT. METHODS: A cohort of 151 patients with HCC who underwent LT between December 2013 and July 2019 were retrospectively enrolled. A total of 1218 features were extracted from enhanced CT images. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator algorithm (LASSO) logistic regression was used for dimension reduction and radiomics signature building. The clinical model was constructed after the analysis of clinical factors, and the nomogram was constructed by introducing the radiomics signature into the clinical model. The predictive performance and clinical usefulness of the three models were evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and decision curve analysis (DCA), respectively. Calibration curves were plotted to assess the calibration of the nomogram. RESULTS: There were significant differences in radiomics signature among early recurrence patients and non-early recurrence patients in the training cohort (P < 0.001) and validation cohort (P < 0.001). The nomogram showed the best predictive performance, with the largest area under the ROC curve in the training (0.882) and validation (0.917) cohorts. Hosmer-Lemeshow testing confirmed that the nomogram showed good calibration in the training (P = 0.138) and validation (P = 0.396) cohorts. DCA showed if the threshold probability is within 0.06-1, the nomogram had better clinical usefulness than the clinical model. CONCLUSIONS: Our CT-based radiomics nomogram can preoperatively predict the risk of early recurrence in patients with HCC after LT.

An MRI study of the tibial nerve in the ankle canal and its branches: a method of multiplanar reformation with 3D-FIESTA-C sequences.

BACKGROUND: The visualization of the tibial nerve and its branches in the ankle canal is helpful for the diagnosis of local lesions and compression, and it is also useful for clinical observation and surgical planning. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of three-dimensional dual-excitation balanced steady-state free precession sequence (3D-FIESTA-C) multiplanar reformation (MPR) display of the tibial nerve and its branches in the ankle canal. METHODS: The subjects were 20 healthy volunteers (40 ankles), aged 22-50 years, with no history of ankle joint disease. The 3D-FIESTA-C sequence was used in the 3.0 T magnetic resonance equipment for imaging. During scanning, each foot was at an angle of 90° to the tibia. The tibial nerve of the ankle canal and its branches were displayed and measured at the same level through MPR. RESULTS: Most of the tibial nerve bifurcation points were located in the ankle canal (57.5%), few bifurcation points (42.5%) were located at the proximal end of the ankle canal, and none of them were found away from the distal end. The bifurcation between the medial plantar nerve and the lateral plantar nerve was on the line between the tip of the medial malleolus and the calcaneus, and it's angle ranged between 6° and 35°. In MPR images, the display rates of both the medial calcaneal nerve and the subcalcaneal nerve were 100%, and the starting point of the subcalcaneal nerve was always at the distal end of the starting point of the medial calcaneal nerve. In 55% of cases, there were more than two medial calcaneal nerve innervations. CONCLUSION: The 3D-FIESTA-C MPR can display the morphological features and positions of the tibial nerve and its branches and the bifurcation point's projection position can be marked on the body surface. This method not only benefited the imaging diagnosis of the tibial nerve and branch-related lesions in the ankle canal, but it also provided a good imaging basis to plan a clinical operation of the ankle canal and avoid surgical injury.

Lupeol impairs herpes simplex virus type 1 replication by inhibiting the promoter activity of the viral immediate early gene α0.

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is an important human pathogenic virus. It is urgent to develop novel antiviral targets because of the limited treatment options and the emergence of drug resistant strains. In this study, we tested the antiviral activity of lupeol, a triterpenoid compound, against HSV-1 and acyclovir (ACV) resistant strains. Lupeol significantly inhibited HSV-1 (F strain) and ACV-resistant strains including HSV-1/106, HSV-1/153, and HSV-1/Blue. Lupeol activity of the HSV-1α0 and α4 promoters, therefore down regulating the expression of the α0, α4, and α27 genes. Collectively, lupeol showed strong antiviral activity against HSV-1 and ACV-resistant strains, and could be a promising therapeutic candidate for HSV-1 pathogenesis. Keywords: herpes simplex virus 1; lupeol; ACV-resistant strains; promoter.

Identifying SSR markers associated with seed characteristics in Perilla (Perilla frutescens L.).

Substantial differences exist in seed dormancy between cultivated crops and their wild progenitors. The purpose of this study was to identify simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers associated with seed characteristics in cultivated and weedy types of Perilla crop. By using an association analysis of 29 SSR markers and three seed traits in 38 Perilla accessions, we detected six SSR markers associated with the seed germination rate (SGR), eight SSR markers associated with seed hardness (SH), and seven SSR markers associated with seed size (SS). Among these SSR markers, three (KNUPF3, KNUPF25, KNUPF60) were associated with the SGR, SH, and SS traits. Correlation analysis among the three seed traits of the 38 Perilla accessions showed a positive correlation coefficient for the combination of SGR and SS (0.811**) and a negative correlation coefficient for the combinations of SGR and SH (- 0.706**), and SS and SH (- 0.899**). A phylogenetic tree constructed using the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) revealed that accessions of cultivated P. frutescens var. frutescens could be distinguished from weedy accessions of P. frutescens var. frutescens and P. frutescens var. crispa using the 29 SSR markers. Selected SSR markers related to the three seed traits distinguished accessions of cultivated and weedy types. Therefore, these results are very important for understanding the seed characteristics of cultivated and weedy types of Perilla crop. It will further help for improving the seed quality of Perilla crop through marker-assisted selection (MAS) breeding programs. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version of this article (10.1007/s12298-021-00933-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Anti-HSV-1 activity of Aspergillipeptide D, a cyclic pentapepetide isolated from fungus Aspergillus sp. SCSIO 41501.

BACKGROUND: Herpes simplex virus 1, an enveloped DNA virus belonging to the Herpesviridae family, spreads to neurons and causes pathological changes in the central nervous system. The purpose of this study was to investigate the potency and mechanism of antiviral activity of Aspergillipeptide D, a cyclic pentapeptide isolated from a culture broth of marine gorgonian-derived fungus Aspergillus sp. SCSIO 41501, At present, there are many studies on the anti-tumor, anti-clotting, anti-oxidant and immunoinflammatory effects of Aspergillipeptide D, but little research has been done on the anti-HSV-1 activity of Aspergillipeptide D. METHODS: The anti-HSV-1 activity of Aspergillipeptide D was evaluated by plaque reduction assay. The mechanism of action against HSV-1 was determined from the effective stage. Then we assayed the viral DNA replication, viral RNA synthesis and protein expression, respectively. We also identified the proteins that interact with gB by mass spectrometry, and assayed the effect of Aspergillipeptide D on the interaction between the virus gB protein and cell proteins. RESULTS: Plaque reduction experiments showed that Aspergillipeptide D did not affect HSV-1 early infection events, including viral inactivation, attachment and penetration. Interestingly, Aspergillipeptide D dramatically reduced both the gene and protein levels of viral late protein gB, and suppressed its location in the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus. In contrast, overexpression of gB restored viral production. Finally, proteomic analysis revealed that the numbers of cellular proteins that interacted with gB protein was largely decreased by Aspergillipeptide D. These results suggested that Aspergillipeptide D inhibited gB function to affect HSV-1 intercellular spread. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicated that Aspergillipeptide D might be a potential candidate for HSV-1 therapy, especially for ACV-resistant strains.

Correction to: Anti-HSV-1 activity of Aspergillipeptide D, a cyclic pentapeptide isolated from fungus Aspergillus sp. SCSIO 41501.

Following publication of the original article [1], we have been notified that there is a typo in the title of this article.

Preoperative Tumor Staging of Gastric Cancer: Comparison of Double Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound and Multidetector Computed Tomography.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to compare the sensitivity and specificity of double contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) in the preoperative tumor staging of gastric cancer (GC) to stratify patients for suitable treatment. METHODS: Fifty-four patients with GC proved by histologic findings were included. The sensitivity and specificity of double CEUS and MDCT for tumor staging were calculated and compared. The differences between these methods were evaluated by using the area under the curve (AUC) from a receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in AUC values for T1 and T2 stages between double CEUS and MDCT (P = .190 and .256, respectively). However, the sensitivity of double CEUS in the detection of the T1 stage was higher than that of MDCT (88% versus 75%). The AUC values of MDCT for T3 and T4 stages were 0.833 and 0.905, which were both significantly higher than those of double CEUS (0.759 and 0.696; P < .05). The sensitivities of double CEUS and MDCT for the T3 stage were both 89%, but the accuracy and specificity of double CEUS were lower than those of MDCT (76% versus 83% and 63% versus 78%). The specificities of double CEUS and MDCT for the T4 stage were both 98%, but the accuracy and sensitivity of double CEUS were lower than those of MDCT (85% versus 94% and 42% versus 83%). CONCLUSIONS: Multidetector CT is superior to double CEUS for T3 and T4 GC, and double CEUS may be regarded as an important complementary method to MDCT.

Clinical Evaluation of Rapid Diagnostic Test Kit Using the Polysaccharide as a Genus-Specific Diagnostic Antigen for Leptospirosis in Korea, Bulgaria, and Argentina.

Leptospirosis, a zoonotic disease that is caused by many serovars which are more than 200 in the world, is an emerging worldwide disease. Accurate and rapid diagnostic tests for leptospirosis are a critical step to diagnose the disease. There are some commercial kits available for diagnosis of leptospirosis, but the obscurity of a species- or genus-specific antigen of pathogenic Leptospira interrogans causes the reduced sensitivity and specificity. In this study, the polysaccharide derived from lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of nonpathogenic Leptospira biflexa serovar patoc was prepared, and the antigenicity was confirmed by immunoblot and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The performance of the rapid diagnostic test (RDT) kit using the polysaccharide as a diagnostic antigen was evaluated in Korea, Bulgaria and Argentina. The sensitivity was 93.9%, 100%, and 81.0% and the specificity was 97.9%, 100%, and 95.4% in Korea (which is a rare region occurring with 2 serovars mostly), Bulgaria (epidemic region with 3 serovars chiefly) and Argentina (endemic region with 19 serovars mainly) respectively. These results indicate that this RDT is applicable for global diagnosis of leptospirosis. This rapid and effective diagnosis will be helpful for diagnosis and manage of leptospirosis to use and the polysaccharide of Leptospira may be called as genus specific antigen for diagnosis.

Coupling the Isopentenol Utilization Pathway and Prenyltransferase for the Biosynthesis of Licoflavanone in Recombinant Escherichia coli.

Prenylflavonoids are promising candidates for food additives and functional foods due to their diverse biological activities and potential health benefits. However, natural prenylflavonoids are generally present in low abundance and are limited to specific plant species. Here, we report the biosynthesis of licoflavanone from naringenin and prenol by recombinant Escherichia coli. By investigating the activities of seven different sources of prenyltransferases overexpressed in E. coli toward various flavonoid substrates, the prenyltransferase AnaPT exhibits substrate preference when naringenin serves as the prenyl acceptor. Furthermore, licoflavanone production was successfully achieved by coupling the isopentenol utilization pathway and AnaPT in recombinant E. coli. In addition, the effects of fermentation temperatures, induction temperatures, naringenin concentrations, and substrate feeding strategies were investigated on the biosynthesis of licoflavanone in recombinant E. coli. Consequently, the recombinant E. coli strain capable of improved dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP) supply and suitable for prenylflavonoid biosynthesis increased licoflavanone titers to 142.1 mg/L in a shake flask and to 537.8 mg/L in a 1.3 L fermentor, which is the highest yield for any prenylflavonoids reported to date. These strategies proposed in this study provide a reference for initiating the production of high-value prenylflavonoids.

Osteogenic potential of Frondoside A in human periodontal ligament cells: an RNA-Seq analysis.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of Frondoside A (FA) on the osteogenic differentiation of human periodontal ligament (PDL) cells. METHODS: Human PDL cells were cultured in osteogenic medium and treated with FA at concentrations of 0, 0.05, and 0.2 µM for 14 days. The expression levels of genes associated with osteogenic differentiation were assessed using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis. Subsequently, RNA sequencing was performed to identify enriched gene sets following FA treatment. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity was measured to confirm the osteogenic potential of FA. RESULTS: Treatment with 0.2 µM FA significantly increased the expression levels of runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2), ALP, and osteocalcin (OCN) at day 3, while also significantly elevating the expression of dentin sialophosphoprotein (DSPP), RUNX2, ALP, OCN, and osterix (OSX) at day 14 (P<0.017). Hallmark gene sets enriched during FA treatment were associated with the KRAS (normalized enrichment score [NES]=2.02, Q=0.000), interferon alpha (IFN-α) (NES=1.88, Q=0.001), IFN-γ (NES=1.85, Q<0.001), hypoxia (NES=1.79, Q=0.001), and p53 (NES=1.77, Q=0.001) signaling pathways. Additionally, treatment with 0.2 µM FA significantly intensified ALP staining at day 14 (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Within the limitations of this study, FA treatment influenced periodontal regeneration by promoting the osteogenic differentiation of human PDL cells.

Nipple Schwannoma: A Case Report and Literature Review on Nipple Mass.

Schwannomas are slow-growing benign tumors originating from the Schwann cells of the peripheral nerve sheaths. Herein, we report the first documented case of a schwannoma presenting as a painful nipple mass in a 32-year-old woman. This mass initially developed six years ago following a period of breastfeeding. Breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans revealed an iso-intense mass, with an approximate size of 2.2 cm, on a T1-weighted image with internal cystic changes. The mass exhibited heterogeneously delayed enhancement and restricted diffusion. Surgical excision was performed, and the diagnosis of cutaneous plexiform nipple schwannoma was confirmed histopathologically. A literature review revealed that the MRI findings of the nipple mass in our case were consistent with the common features of a schwannoma.

Biocompatibility and Bioactivity of a Dual-Cured Resin-Based Calcium Silicate Cement: In Vitro and in vivo Evaluation.

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to assess the biocompatibility and bioactivity of a dual-cured resin-based calcium silicate cement in vitro and in vivo. METHODS: For in vitro analyses, standardized samples were prepared using TheraCal LC, TheraCal PT, and ProRoot MTA. The amount of residual monomer released from TheraCal LC and TheraCal PT was assessed using liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. Calcium ion release from the materials was evaluated using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy. Scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy were used to determine the calcium weight volume in the materials. For in vivo analysis, a rat direct pulp capping model with TheraCal LC, TheraCal PT, and ProRoot MTA groups (n = 16 per group) was used. The rats were euthanized after 7 or 28 days, and histological and immunohistochemical analyses (CD68 and DSPP) were performed. RESULTS: Bisphenol A-glycidyl methacrylate and polyethylene glycol dimethacrylate release from TheraCal PT was lower than that from TheraCal LC (P < .05). Similar results were obtained for calcium-ion release and calcium weight volume, with ProRoot MTA showing the highest values. In the in vivo evaluation, TheraCal PT showed significantly greater hard tissue formation than TheraCal LC (P < .017). TheraCal PT showed lower CD68 expression and greater DSPP expression than TheraCal LC (P < .017). There were no significant differences in the expression of CD68 or DSPP between the TheraCal PT and ProRoot MTA groups. CONCLUSIONS: Within the limitations of this study, the biocompatibility and bioactivity of TheraCal PT could be comparable to those of ProRoot MTA.

Three-dimensional analysis of the alveolar ridge profiles of maxillary central incisors in children for autotransplantation.

BACKGROUND: Sufficient alveolar housing is fundamental to ensure the favorable prognosis of autotransplanted teeth. However, little is known about the alveolar ridge profiles of the anterior maxilla in children. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the alveolar ridge profiles of the anterior maxilla in growing children. METHODS: A total of 169 Korean children aged 10-13 years old were included in this retrospective study. Demographic data and cone-beam computed tomography scans of 244 maxillary central incisors were collected. For each tooth, the alveolar ridge thickness was determined at 1-, 3-, and 5-mm levels below the cemento-enamel junction. The alveolar process height and labial concavity were also evaluated. Statistical analyses were performed to evaluate differences according to age and sex. RESULTS: The alveolar ridge thickness did not differ according to age. The alveolar ridge thickness in males was significantly greater than that in females among those aged 10 and 11 years. The average alveolar process height was 17.43 ± 2.22 mm. The alveolar process height hardly changed with age from 10-13 years, whereas the alveolar process height of males was significantly greater compared with that of females among those aged 10 years. The labial concavity was approximately 150˚, with no significant differences between age and sex. CONCLUSIONS: Within the limits of this study, the anatomy of the alveolar ridge in the maxillary central incisors showed sufficient capacity as a recipient site for autotransplantation using mandibular premolars, especially in males. These findings serve as a valuable resource for facilitating autotransplantation in children.

Quantum-dot-conjugated graphene as a probe for simultaneous cancer-targeted fluorescent imaging, tracking, and monitoring drug delivery.

We report a novel quantum-dot-conjugated graphene, i.e., hybrid SiO2-coated quantum dots (HQDs)-conjugated graphene, for targeted cancer fluorescent imaging, tracking, and monitoring drug delivery, as well as cancer therapy. The hybrid SiO2 shells on the surface of QDs not only mitigate its toxicity, but also protect its fluorescence from being quenched by graphene. By functionalizing the surface of HQDs-conjugated graphene (graphene-HQDs) with transferrin (Trf), we developed a targeted imaging system capable of differential uptake and imaging of cancer cells that express the Trf receptor. The widely used fluorescent antineoplastic anthracycline drug, doxorubicin (DOX), is adsorbed on the surface of graphene and results in a large loading capacity of 1.4 mg mg(-1). It is advantageous that the new delivery system exhibits different fluorescence color in between graphene-HQDs and DOX in the aqueous core upon excitation at a same wavelength for the purpose of tracking and monitoring drug delivery. This simple multifunctional nanoparticle system can deliver DOX to the targeted cancer cells and enable us to localize the graphene-HQDs and monitor intracellular DOX release. The specificity and safety of the nanoparticle conjugate for cancer imaging, monitoring, and therapy has been demonstrated in vitro.

Improvement of the diagnostic sensitivity of scrub typhus using a mixture of recombinant antigens derived from Orientia tsutsugamushi serotypes.

Diagnosis of scrub typhus is difficult because its symptoms are very similar to other acute febrile illnesses, such as leptospirosis, murine typhus, and other viral hemorrhagic fevers. To differentiate scrub typhus from other acute febrile diseases, a rapid and reliable serological diagnosis is important. We have developed a chimeric recombinant antigen cr56 and two other recombinant antigens, r21 and kr56, from various serotypes of Orientia tsutsugamushi. They were tested for the detection of antibodies against O. tsutsugamushi in the patient's serum samples using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and dot-blot analyses. As of conventional immunofluorescence assay (IFA), when the mixture of these three recombinant antigens was used, both sensitivity and specificity of the recombinant antigens were increased up to 98% in IgM and IgG at ELISA and dot blotting. Additionally, both sensitivity and specificity by detection of IgM and IgG antibodies at rapid diagnostic test (RDT), using the mixture of three antigens and gold conjugated antibodies, were 99%. Our results suggest the use of mixture of these recombinant antigen proteins in ELISA or RDT is suitable as a diagnostic test for scrub typhus.