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Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4), since the pioneering work on visible-light photocatalytic water splitting in 2009, has emerged as a highly promising advanced material for environmental and energetic applications, including photocatalytic degradation of pollutants, photocatalytic hydrogen generation, and carbon dioxide reduction. Due to its distinctive two-dimensional structure, excellent chemical stability, and distinctive optical and electrical properties, g-C3N4 has garnered a considerable amount of interest in the field of biomedicine in recent years. This review focuses on the fundamental properties of g-C3N4, highlighting the synthesis and modification strategies associated with the interfacial structures of g-C3N4-based materials, including heterojunction, band gap engineering, doping, and nanocomposite hybridization. Furthermore, the biomedical applications of these materials in various domains, including biosensors, antimicrobial applications, and photocatalytic degradation of medical pollutants, are also described with the objective of spotlighting the unique advantages of g-C3N4. A summary of the challenges faced and future prospects for the advancement of g-C3N4-based materials is presented, and it is hoped that this review will inspire readers to seek further new applications for this material in biomedical and other fields.
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BACKGROUND: Ubiquitination, small ubiquitin-related modifiers, and NEDDylation are now found to function in cancer biology; however, its role in the oral cancer patients remains unclear. METHODS: A set of bioinformatic tools was integrated to analyze the expression and prognostic significance of ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like (UB/UBL) genes. A UB/UBL-related risk score was developed via correlation analyses, univariate Cox regression, and multivariate Cox regression. Nomogram analysis evaluates the model's prediction performance. The drug sensitivity analysis, immune profiles of UB/UBL-classified oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) patients, and their related function pathway were investigated, and the role of UB/UBL-related genes in drug therapy was analyzed. RESULTS: A total of six prognostic UB/UBL-related genes were obtained. PSMD3, PCGF2, and H2BC10 were significantly downregulated in OSCC tissue and associated with longer survival time. OSCC patients in the high-risk group showed a significantly lower overall survival and enriched in cancer-related pathways. The prognostic potential of genes associated with UB/UBL was discovered, and patients with high-risk scores showed an increase of protumor immune infiltrates and a high expression of immune checkpoints. Moreover, the area under the curve of the annual survival rate was 0.616, 0.671, and 0.673, respectively. Besides, patients in the high-risk group are more sensitive to docetaxel, doxorubicin, and methotrexate therapy. CONCLUSIONS: We construct a prognosis model for OSCC patients with UB/UBL-related genes and try to find a new approach to treating oral cancer patients. The UB/UBL-related signature is helpful in developing new tumor markers, prognostic prediction, and in guiding treatment for OSCC patients.
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Carcinoma de Células Escamosas , Neoplasias de Cabeza y Cuello , Neoplasias de la Boca , Humanos , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas de Cabeza y Cuello/genética , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas/tratamiento farmacológico , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas/genética , Pronóstico , Sumoilación , Neoplasias de la Boca/genética , Ubiquitinación , Ubiquitina/metabolismo , Biomarcadores de Tumor/genética , Biomarcadores de Tumor/metabolismoRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: The study addresses the long-standing challenge of insufficient length in vascularized fibular flaps when reconstructing large mandibular defects that require dual-barrel grafts. Employing personalized 3D-printed osteotomy guides, the study aims to optimize fibular utilization and minimize the required graft length. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Two reconstruction methods for distal bone defects were compared: a fold-down (FD) group that employed a specialized osteotomy guide for folding down a triangular bone segment, and a traditional double-barrel (DB) group. Metrics for comparison included defect and graft lengths, as well as the graft-to-defect length ratio. Postoperative quality of life was assessed using the University of Washington Quality of Life questionnaire (UW-QoL). RESULT: Both FD and DB groups achieved successful mandibular reconstruction. Despite larger defects in the FD group (117 ± 31.35 mm vs 84 ± 35.34 mm, p = 0.028), the used fibula length was not statistically longer in the FD group. The median ratio of graft-to-defect length was also lower in the FD group (1.327 vs 1.629, p = 0.024), suggesting that FD required only 82.47% of the graft length needed in the DB approach. Quality of life scores post-surgery were comparable between the groups. CONCLUSION: Personalized 3D-printed osteotomy guides enhance fibula graft efficacy for reconstructing larger mandibular defects, necessitating shorter graft lengths while preserving postoperative quality of life. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This study confirms the utility of 3D printing technology as an effective and precise tool in orthopedic surgery, particularly for complex reconstructions like large mandibular defects. It suggests a viable alternative that could potentially revolutionize current practices in bone grafting.
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Colgajos Tisulares Libres , Reconstrucción Mandibular , Peroné/cirugía , Calidad de Vida , Mandíbula/cirugía , Colgajos Quirúrgicos , Reconstrucción Mandibular/métodos , Trasplante Óseo/métodos , OsteotomíaRESUMEN
Car-sharing systems require accurate demand prediction to ensure efficient resource allocation and scheduling decisions. However, developing precise predictive models for vehicle demand remains a challenging problem due to the complex spatio-temporal relationships. This paper introduces USTIN, the Unified Spatio-Temporal Inference Prediction Network, a novel neural network architecture for demand prediction. The model consists of three key components: a temporal feature unit, a spatial feature unit, and a spatio-temporal feature unit. The temporal unit utilizes historical demand data and comprises four layers, each corresponding to a different time scale (hourly, daily, weekly, and monthly). Meanwhile, the spatial unit incorporates contextual points of interest data to capture geographic demand factors around parking stations. Additionally, the spatio-temporal unit incorporates weather data to model the meteorological impacts across locations and time. We conducted extensive experiments on real-world car-sharing data. The proposed USTIN model demonstrated its ability to effectively learn intricate temporal, spatial, and spatiotemporal relationships, and outperformed existing state-of-the-art approaches. Moreover, we employed negative binomial regression with uncertainty to identify the most influential factors affecting car usage.
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BACKGROUND & AIMS: The Baveno VII consensus recommends that spleen stiffness measurement (SSM) ≤40 kPa is safe for ruling out high-risk varices (HRVs) and avoiding endoscopic screening in patients who do not meet the Baveno VI criteria. This study aimed to validate the performance of the Baveno VII algorithm in individuals with HBV-related cirrhosis. METHODS: Consecutive individuals with HBV-related cirrhosis who underwent liver stiffness measurement (LSM) and SSM - using a 50 Hz shear wave frequency, spleen diameter measurement, and esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) were prospectively enrolled from June 2020. A 100 Hz probe has been adopted for additional SSM assessment since July 2021. RESULTS: From June 2020 to January 2022, 996 patients were screened and 504 were enrolled for analysis. Among the 504 patients in whom SSM was assessed using a 50 Hz probe, the Baveno VII algorithm avoided more EGDs (56.7% vs. 39.1%, p <0.001) than Baveno VI criteria, with a comparable missed HRV rate (3.8% vs. 2.5%). Missed HRV rates were >5% for all other measures: 11.3% for LSM-longitudinal spleen diameter to platelet ratio score, 20.0% for platelet count/longitudinal spleen diameter ratio, and 8.8% for Rete Sicilia Selezione Terapia-hepatitis. SSM@100 Hz was assessed in 232 patients, and the Baveno VII algorithm with SSM@100 Hz spared more EGDs (75.4% vs. 59.5%, p <0.001) than that with SSM@50 Hz, both with a missed HRV rate of 3.0% (1/33). CONCLUSIONS: We validated the Baveno VII algorithm, demonstrating the excellent performance of SSM@50 Hz and SSM@100 Hz in ruling out HRV in individuals with HBV-related cirrhosis. Furthermore, the Baveno VII algorithm with SSM@100 Hz could safely rule out more EGDs than that with SSM@50 Hz. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: NCT04890730. IMPACT AND IMPLICATIONS: The Baveno VII guideline proposed that for patients who do not meet the Baveno VI criteria, SSM ≤40 kPa could avoid further unnecessary endoscopic screening. The current study validated the Baveno VII algorithm using 50 Hz and 100 Hz probes, which both exhibited excellent performance in ruling out HRVs in individuals with HBV-related cirrhosis. Compared with the Baveno VII algorithm with SSM@50 Hz, SSM@100 Hz had a better capability to safely rule out unnecessary EGDs. Baveno VII algorithm will be a practical tool to triage individuals with cirrhosis in future clinical practice.
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Diagnóstico por Imagen de Elasticidad , Várices Esofágicas y Gástricas , Várices , Humanos , Virus de la Hepatitis B , Cirrosis Hepática/diagnóstico , AlgoritmosRESUMEN
This study used the tert-butylcalix[6]arene (TBC[6]) as the ligand and successfully synthesized six TBC[6]-stabilized titanium-oxo clusters (TOCs) by the one-step solvothermal reaction. These six compounds were [Ti4O2(TBC[6])2] (Ti4), {Ti2(TBC[6])(EtO)2(SaH2)2} (Ti2-SA, H2Sa = squaric acid), {Ti2(TBC[6])2(EtO)2(Oa)} (Ti2-OA, H2Oa = oxalic acid), [H2Ti4(TBC[6])(BA)2(EtO)10] (Ti4-BA, HBA = benzoic acid), [Ti6O2(TBC[6])(BA)4(OiPr)10] (Ti6-BA), and [Ti8(TBC[6])2(Sal)4(EtO)16] (Ti8-Sal, H2Sal = salicylic acid). These clusters contain one or two TBC[6] ligands, with the biconical or monoconical configuration, greatly increasing the variety of TOCs it could support. The introduction of auxiliary carboxylic ligands can further stimulate the growth of structures, with the cluster core gradually increased from {Ti-TBC[6]-Ti} to {Ti2-TBC[6]-Ti2}, to {Ti3-TBC[6]-Ti3}, and finally to {Ti3-TBC[6]-Ti2-TBC[6]-Ti3} with 3.1 nm length. Structural regulation may affect their solution stability, absorption spectra, and photocurrent response. The study of catalytic activities shows that these clusters can be used as recyclable heterogeneous photocatalysts for the oxidation of sulfide to sulfoxide. The catalytic efficiency of the TBC[6]-Tix system is closely related to the cluster structure, and the exposure of the Ti site on the catalyst surface can significantly enhance the catalytic activity of the clusters.
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Pre-hydrolysate liquor, as an inevitable by-product, contains a large amount of xylose, and is therefore an inexpensive feedstock that can be upgraded to value-added chemical xylonic acid. However, inhibitors, simultaneously formed in lignocellulose pretreatment process, are regarded as the major obstacle for effectively bio-converting xylose in pre-hydrolysate into xylonic acid. In this study, Gluconobacter oxydans, with highly selective and efficient, was employed for xylonic acid production; the impacts of five typical toxic inhibitory compounds on xylonic acid productivity and the activity of the membrane-bound dehydrogenase were evaluated. The results revealed that the inhibitors showed different degrees of influence toward xylonic acid production, and the order of inhibitory effect for acidic inhibitors was formic acid > acetic acid > levulinic acid; the inhibitory effect of aldehyde inhibitors was furfural > 5-hydroxymethyl-furfural. This study provides an important basis of metabolic modification and detoxification process for enhancing inhibitor tolerance and xylonic acid productivity.
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Gluconobacter oxydans , Fermentación , Gluconobacter oxydans/metabolismo , Xilosa/metabolismo , Furaldehído/metabolismo , ÁcidosRESUMEN
A noise-resistant linearization model that reveals the true nonlinearity of the sensor is essential for retrieving accurate physical displacement from the signals captured by sensing electronics. In this paper, we propose a novel information-driven smoothing spline linearization method, which innovatively integrates one new and three standard information criterions into a smoothing spline for the high-precision displacement sensors' linearization. Using theoretical analysis and Monte Carlo simulation, the proposed linearization method is demonstrated to outperform traditional polynomial and spline linearization methods for high-precision displacement sensors with a low noise to range ratio in the 10-5 level. Validation experiments were carried out on two different types of displacement sensors to benchmark the performance of the proposed method compared to the polynomial models and the the non-smoothing cubic spline. The results show that the proposed method with the new modified Akaike Information Criterion stands out compared to the other linearization methods and can improve the residual nonlinearity by over 50% compared to the standard polynomial model. After being linearized via the proposed method, the residual nonlinearities reach as low as ±0.0311% F.S. (Full Scale of Range), for the 1.5 mm range chromatic confocal displacement sensor, and ±0.0047% F.S., for the 100 mm range laser triangulation displacement sensor.
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Purple sweet potato (PSP) powder with anthocyanins possesses the ability to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation. Studies have presumed a positive correlation between body fat and dry eye disease (DED) in adults. The regulation of oxidative stress and inflammation has been proposed as the mechanism underlying DED. This study developed an animal model of high fat diet (HFD)-induced DED. We added 5% PSP powder to the HFD to evaluate the effects and underlying mechanisms in mitigating HFD-induced DED. A statin drug, atorvastatin, was also added to the diet separately to assess its effect. The HFD altered the structure of lacrimal gland (LG) tissue, reduced LG secretory function, and eliminated the expression of proteins related to DED development, including α-smooth muscle actin and aquaporin-5. Although PSP treatment could not significantly reduce body weight or body fat, it ameliorated the effects of DED by preserving LG secretory function, preventing ocular surface erosion, and preserving LG structure. PSP treatment increased superoxide dismutase levels but reduced hypoxia-inducible factor 1-α levels, indicating that PSP treatment reduced oxidative stress. PSP treatment increased ATP-binding cassette transporter 1 and acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 levels in LG tissue, signifying that PSP treatment regulated lipid homeostasis maintenance to reduce the effects of DED. In conclusion, PSP treatment ameliorated the effects of HFD-induced DED through the regulation of oxidative stress and lipid homeostasis in the LG.
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Síndromes de Ojo Seco , Ipomoea batatas , Animales , Antocianinas/química , Dieta Alta en Grasa/efectos adversos , Ipomoea batatas/metabolismo , Polvos , Lípidos , Síndromes de Ojo Seco/metabolismo , Inflamación/tratamiento farmacológicoRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the most common malignant tumor of head and neck, which seriously threatens human life and health. However, the mechanism of hypoxia-associated genes (HAGs) in HNSCC remains unelucidated. This study aims to establish a hypoxia-associated gene signature and the nomogram for predicting the prognosis of patients with HNSCC. METHODS: Previous literature reports provided a list of HAGs. The TCGA database provided genetic and clinical information on HNSCC patients. First, a hypoxia-associated gene risk model was constructed for predicting overall survival (OS) in HNSCC patients and externally validated in four GEO datasets (GSE27020, GSE41613, GSE42743, and GSE117973). Then, immune status and metabolic pathways were analyzed. A nomogram was constructed and assessed the predictive value. Finally, experimental validation of the core genes was performed by qRT-PCR. RESULTS: A HNSCC prognostic model was constructed based on 8 HAGs. This risk model was validated in four external datasets and exhibited high predictive value in various clinical subgroups. Significant differences in immune cell infiltration levels and metabolic pathways were found between high and low risk subgroups. The nomogram was highly accurate for predicting OS in HNSCC patients. CONCLUSIONS: The 8 hypoxia-associated gene signature can serve as novel independent prognostic indicators in HNSCC patients. The nomogram combining the risk score and clinical stage enhanced predictive performance in predicting OS compared to the risk model and clinical characteristics alone.
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Neoplasias de Cabeza y Cuello , Hipoxia , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas de Cabeza y Cuello , Humanos , Bases de Datos Factuales , Neoplasias de Cabeza y Cuello/genética , Pronóstico , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas de Cabeza y Cuello/genéticaRESUMEN
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a prevalent malignant tumor with high fatality. It has yet to be reported whether circ-SNX27 can affect the progression of HCC. This study attempted to analyze circ-SNX27's precise role and underlying mechanisms in HCC. HCC cell lines and tumor specimens from HCC patients were analyzed using quantitative real-time PCR and Western blotting to quantify the expressions of circ-SNX27, miR-375, and ribophorin I (RPN1). Cell invasion and cell counting kit 8 experiments were conducted for the evaluation of HCC cell invasion and proliferation. Caspase-3 Activity Assay Kit was utilized to gauge the caspase-3 activity. Luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation assays were executed to ascertain the relationships among miR-375, circ-SNX27, and RPN1. To determine how circ-SNX27 knockdown affects the growth of HCC xenografts in vivo, tumor-bearing mouse models were constructed. Elevated expressions of circ-SNX27 and RPN1 as well as a reduced miR-375 expression were observed among HCC cells and HCC patient tumor specimens. Knocking-down circ-SNX27 in HCC cells abated their proliferative and invasive abilities but raised their caspase-3 activity. Moreover, the poor levels of circ-SNX27 inhibited HCC tumor growth among the mice. Circ-SNX27 enhanced RPN1 by competitively binding with miR-375. Silencing miR-375 in HCC cells promoted their malignant phenotypes. Nonetheless, the promotive effect of miR-375 silencing was reversible via the knockdown of circ-SNX27 or RPN1. This research demonstrated that circ-SNX27 accelerated the progression of HCC by modulating the miR-375/RPN1 axis. This is indicative of circ-SNX27's potential as a target for the treatment of HCC.
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Warming is known to reduce soil carbon (C) stocks by promoting microbial respiration, which is associated with the decomposition of microbial residue carbon (MRC). However, the relative contribution of MRC to soil organic carbon (SOC) across temperature gradients is poorly understood. Here, we investigated the contribution of MRC to SOC along two independent elevation gradients of our model system (i.e., the Tibetan Plateau and Shennongjia Mountain in China). Our results showed that local temperature increases were negatively correlated with MRC and SOC. Further analyses revealed that rising temperature reduced SOC via decreasing MRC, which helps to explain future reductions in SOC under climate warming. Our findings demonstrate that climate warming has the potential to reduce C sequestration by increasing the decomposition of MRC, exacerbating the positive feedback between rising temperature and CO2 efflux. Our study also considered the influence of multiple environmental factors such as soil pH and moisture, which were more important in controlling SOC than microbial traits such as microbial life-style strategies and metabolic efficiency. Together, our work suggests an important mechanism underlying long-term soil C sequestration, which has important implications for the microbial-mediated C process in the face of global climate change.
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Carbono , Suelo , Carbono/metabolismo , Dióxido de Carbono , Suelo/química , Microbiología del Suelo , TemperaturaRESUMEN
The Holliday junction (HJ) branch migrator RuvAB complex plays a fundamental role during homologous recombination and DNA damage repair, and therefore, is an attractive target for the treatment of bacterial pathogens. Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa, Pa) is one of the most common clinical opportunistic bacterial pathogens, which can cause a series of life-threatening acute or chronic infections. Here, we performed a high throughput small-molecule screening targeting PaRuvAB using the FRET-based HJ branch migration assay. We identified that corilagin, bardoxolone methyl (BM) and 10-(6'-plastoquinonyl) decyltriphenylphosphonium (SKQ1) could efficiently inhibit the branch migration activity of PaRuvAB, with IC50 values of 0.40 ± 0.04 µM, 0.38 ± 0.05 µM and 4.64 ± 0.27 µM, respectively. Further biochemical and molecular docking analyses demonstrated that corilagin directly bound to PaRuvB at the ATPase domain, and thus prevented ATP hydrolysis. In contrast, BM and SKQ1 acted through blocking the interactions between PaRuvA and HJ DNA. Finally, these compounds were shown to increase the susceptibility of P. aeruginosa to UV-C irradiation. Our work, for the first time, reports the small-molecule inhibitors of RuvA and RuvB from any species, providing valuable chemical tools to dissect the functional role of each individual protein in vivo.
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Proteínas de Escherichia coli , Adenosina Trifosfato/metabolismo , Proteínas Bacterianas/metabolismo , ADN Helicasas , Reparación del ADN , ADN Bacteriano , ADN Cruciforme/metabolismo , Proteínas de Unión al ADN/metabolismo , Escherichia coli/metabolismo , Proteínas de Escherichia coli/metabolismo , Glucósidos , Taninos Hidrolizables , Simulación del Acoplamiento Molecular , Ácido Oleanólico/análogos & derivados , Pseudomonas aeruginosa/metabolismo , Recombinación GenéticaRESUMEN
Gluconic acid is a widely used food and beverage additive, but its production suffers from low efficiency and high cost. In this study, a preferable gluconic acid biosynthesis method without repeated seed culture was proposed and developed using the superior performance of Gluconobacter oxydans. A high oxygen atmosphere satisfying the demand of bio-oxidation increased the productivity of gluconic acid up to ~ 32 g/L/h and the accumulation up to ~ 420 g/L within 24 h of fed-batch fermentation. However, the productivity remarkably decreased when the gluconic acid content was over 350 g/L. Therefore, a continuous fermentation was designed, which in combination with 5 runs of fed-batch fermentation resulted in the final production of 1700 g gluconic acid from 1750 g glucose within 60 h in a 3 L bioreactor. The results suggest that the validity of this model and can enable cost-competitive gluconic acid production in the industry.
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Gluconobacter oxydans , Fermentación , Gluconatos , OxígenoRESUMEN
Lignin nanoparticles, the innovative achievements in the development and utilization of lignin, combine the structural characteristics of nanomaterials and lignin molecules and have a wide range of applications. In this review, we summarize the methods for preparing lignin nanoparticles by solvent exchange method, mechanical method, biological enzymatic method, interface polymerization/crosslinking method, and spray freezing method, and emphatically introduce the application prospects of lignin nanoparticles in ultraviolet protection, antibacterial, nano-filler, drug delivery, and adsorption, aiming to provide a certain reference direction for additional high-value applications of lignin nanoparticles.
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Nanopartículas , Nanoestructuras , Fenómenos Químicos , Lignina/química , Nanopartículas/química , PolimerizacionRESUMEN
Drug-metabolizing enzymes, particularly the cytochrome P450 (CYP450) monooxygenases, play a pivotal role in pharmacokinetics. CYP450 enzymes can be affected by various xenobiotic substrates, which will eventually be responsible for most metabolism-based herb-herb or herb-drug interactions, usually involving competition with another drug for the same enzyme binding site. Compounds from herbal or natural products are involved in many scenarios in the context of such interactions. These interactions are decisive both in drug discovery regarding the synergistic effects, and drug application regarding unwanted side effects. Herein, this review was conducted as a comprehensive compilation of the effects of herbal ingredients on CYP450 enzymes. Nearly 500 publications reporting botanicals' effects on CYP450s were collected and analyzed. The countries focusing on this topic were summarized, the identified herbal ingredients affecting enzyme activity of CYP450s, as well as methods identifying the inhibitory/inducing effects were reviewed. Inhibitory effects of botanicals on CYP450 enzymes may contribute to synergistic effects, such as herbal formulae/prescriptions, or lead to therapeutic failure, or even increase concentrations of conventional medicines causing serious adverse events. Conducting this review may help in metabolism-based drug combination discovery, and in the evaluation of the safety profile of natural products used therapeutically.
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Productos Biológicos/farmacología , Inhibidores Enzimáticos del Citocromo P-450/farmacología , Sistema Enzimático del Citocromo P-450/química , Fitoquímicos/farmacología , Animales , Sistema Enzimático del Citocromo P-450/metabolismo , HumanosRESUMEN
BACKGROUD: Root caries in aging population was prevalent worldwide. Due to the absence of enamel and specific structure of dentine, bacteria are able to penetrate further into dentine at an earlier stage of lesion development. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of adding of a strontium-doped bioactive glass-ceramic (HX-BGC) to a fluoride-free toothpaste on prevention of formation of artificial dentine caries. METHODS: Thirty-six human tooth specimens were allocated to three groups (n = 12 per group). Group 1 treated with slurry containing a fluoride-free toothpaste and 5% HX-BGC, Group 2 was treated with fluoride-free toothpaste slurry, and Group 3 received deionized water as a negative control. The specimens were subjected to four cycles (15 h demineralization and 8 h remineralization for one cycle) of biochemical cycling. A mixed suspension of five bacteria species (Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus sobrinus, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, and Actinomyces naeslundii) were prepared in brain heart infusion broth with 5% sucrose and used as acidic challenge in biochemical cycling. Subsequently, surface morphology of the dentine lesion was assessed by scanning electron microscopy, while the lesion depths and mineral loss were assessed by micro-computed tomography. RESULTS: The mean lesion depths in dentine in Groups 1 to 3 were 87.79 ± 16.99 µm, 101.06 ± 10.04 µm and 113.60 ± 16.36 µm, respectively (p = 0.002). The mean amounts of mineral loss in Groups 1 to 3 were 0.82 ± 0.10 g/cm3, 0.89 ± 0.09 g/cm3 and 0.96 ± 0.11 g/cm3, respectively (p = 0.016). No obvious differences in the surface morphology were seen among the groups. CONCLUSION: Addition of strontium-doped bioactive glass-ceramic to fluoride-free toothpaste has potential to reduce formation of dentine lesions.
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Caries Dental , Pastas de Dientes , Anciano , Cariostáticos/farmacología , Cerámica/uso terapéutico , Caries Dental/prevención & control , Susceptibilidad a Caries Dentarias , Dentina , Fluoruros/farmacología , Humanos , Minerales/farmacología , Estroncio/farmacología , Estroncio/uso terapéutico , Remineralización Dental/métodos , Pastas de Dientes/uso terapéutico , Microtomografía por Rayos XRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is one of the primary types of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), the occurrence of which has been increasing worldwide. Although IBD is an intensively studied human microbiome-associated disease, research on Chinese populations remains relatively limited, particularly on the mucosal microbiome. The present study aimed to analyze the changes in the mucosal microbiome associated with UC from the perspectives of medical ecology and complex network analysis. RESULTS: In total, 56 mucosal microbiome samples were collected from 28 Chinese UC patients and their healthy family partners, followed by amplicon sequencing. Based on sequencing data, we analyzed species diversity, shared species, and inter-species interactions at the whole community, main phyla, and core/periphery species levels. We identified four opportunistic "pathogens" (i.e., Clostridium tertium, Odoribacter splanchnicus, Ruminococcus gnavus, and Flavonifractor plautii) with potential significance for the diagnosis and treatment of UC, which were inhibited in healthy individuals, but unrestricted in the UC patients. In addition, we also discovered in this study: (i) The positive-to-negative links (P/N) ratio, which measures the balance of species interactions or inhibition effects in microbiome networks, was significantly higher in UC patients, indicating loss of inhibition against potentially opportunistic "pathogens" associated with dysbiosis. (ii) Previous studies have reported conflicting evidence regarding species diversity and composition between UC patients and healthy controls. Here, significant differences were found at the major phylum and core/periphery scales, but not at the whole community level. Thus, we argue that the paradoxical results found in existing studies are due to the scale effect. CONCLUSIONS: Our results reveal changes in the ecology and network structure of the gut mucosal microbiome that might be associated with UC, and these changes might provide potential therapeutic mechanisms of UC. The four opportunistic pathogens that were identified in the present study deserve further investigation in future studies.
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Bacterias/aislamiento & purificación , Biodiversidad , Colitis Ulcerosa/microbiología , Microbioma Gastrointestinal/fisiología , Mucosa Intestinal/microbiología , Bacterias/clasificación , Bacterias/genética , China , Colitis Ulcerosa/complicaciones , Colitis Ulcerosa/diagnóstico , Colitis Ulcerosa/terapia , ADN Bacteriano/genética , Disbiosis/complicaciones , HumanosRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Pediatric Tuina has been widely used in children with acute diarrhea in China. However, due to the lack of high-quality clinical evidence, the benefit of Tuina as a therapy is not clear. We aimed to assess the effect of pediatric Tuina compared with sham Tuina as an add-on therapy in addition to usual care for 0-6-year-old children with acute diarrhea. METHODS: Eighty-six participants aged 0-6 years with acute diarrhea were randomized to receive pediatric Tuina plus usual care (n = 43) or sham Tuina plus usual care (n = 43). The primary outcomes were days of diarrhea from baseline and times of diarrhea on day 3. Secondary outcomes included a global change rating (GCR) and the number of days when the stool characteristics returned to normal. Adverse events were assessed. RESULTS: Pediatric Tuina was associated with a reduction in times of diarrhea on day 3 compared with sham Tuina in both ITT (crude RR, 0.73 [95% CI, 0.59-0.91]) and PP analyses (crude RR, 0.66 [95% CI, 0.53-0.83]). However, the results were not significant when we adjusted for social demographic and clinical characteristics. No significant difference was found between groups in days of diarrhea, global change rating, or number of days when the stool characteristics returned to normal. CONCLUSIONS: In children aged 0-6 years with acute diarrhea, pediatric Tuina showed significant effects in terms of reducing times of diarrhea compared with sham Tuina. Studies with larger sample sizes and adjusted trial designs are warranted to further evaluate the effect of pediatric Tuina therapy. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov, Identifier: NCT03005821 , Data of registration: 2016-12-29.
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Terapias Complementarias , Diarrea Infantil/terapia , Diarrea/terapia , Medicina Tradicional China/métodos , Enfermedad Aguda/terapia , Niño , Preescolar , China/epidemiología , Método Doble Ciego , Femenino , Humanos , Lactante , Recién Nacido , MasculinoRESUMEN
The production of α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH), a peptide hormone composed of 13 amino acids, is attempted by recombinant expression using E. coli as the host. To achieve this aim, a synthetic gene containing eight tandem repeats of msh gene (8msh) was designed for ribosomal synthesis of 8 α-MSH. The merit of the strategy is to diminish the peptide toxicity against the host cell and to achieve a higher production yield. Pepsin cleavage sites are introduced between the peptides for enzymatic proteolysis to obtain the monomeric peptide of α-MSH. The constructed plasmid was transformed into different strains of E. coli hosts, and E. coli XL1-Blue with gene 8msh revealed the highest yield of 8 α-MSH. Although 8 α-MSH was fractionalized in the insoluble pellets after cell lysis, pepsin cleavage was able to produce soluble α-MSH peptide, as analyzed and confirmed by mass spectrometry and peptide activity assays. The production of α-MSH was quantified using HPLC with a yield of 42.9 mg/L of LB culture. This study demonstrates the feasibility of producing α-MSH using recombinant expression of tandem repeat gene. The production procedure involves minimal post-treatment and processing and can be scaled up for industrial application.