Growth, spectroscopy and laser operation of Tm,Ho:GdScO3 perovskite crystal.

We report on the growth, polarized spectroscopy and first laser operation of an orthorhombic (space group Pnma) Tm3+,Ho3+-codoped gadolinium orthoscandate (GdScO3) perovskite-type crystal. A single crystal of 3.76 at.% Tm, 0.35 at.% Ho:GdScO3 was grown by the Czochralski method. Its polarized absorption and fluorescence properties were studied revealing a broadband emission around 2 µm. The parameters of the Tm3+ ↔ Ho3+ energy transfer was quantified, P28 = 1.30 × 10-22 cm3µs-1, and P71 = 0.99 × 10-23 cm3µs-1, and the thermal equilibrium lifetime was measured to be 3.5 ms. The crystal-field splitting of Tm3+ and Ho3+ multiplets in Cs symmetry sites of the perovskite structure was determined by low-temperature spectroscopy and the mechanism of spectral line broadening is discussed. The continuous-wave Tm,Ho:GdScO3 laser generated 1.16 W at ∼2.1 µm with a slope efficiency of 50.5%, a laser threshold of 184 mW, a linear laser polarization (E || c) and a spatially single-mode output. The Tm,Ho:GdScO3 crystal is promising for broadly tunable and femtosecond mode-locked lasers emitting above 2 µm.

Racial disparities in chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma accounting for small molecule inhibitors: A real-world cohort analysis.

Kaplan-Meier curve depicting overall survival from CLL treatment start by race. For patients with CLL, no overall survival difference was observed between races in this real-world US database.

Documenting the need for teaching resourcefulness skills to family caregivers.

BACKGROUND: Before pursuing randomized controlled trials to determine intervention effectiveness and translating interventions into clinical practice, the need for a specific intervention within a particular population must be established. This need can be determined by using established cut scores on validated measures of relevant constructs. AIM: This study examined differences on caregiver burden and resourcefulness among family caregivers of adults with various health conditions to determine their need for resourcefulness training. METHODS: This cross-sectional study sampled 234 caregivers of persons with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, cancer, dementia, mental illness, Parkinson's disease, stroke, traumatic brain injury, and multiple or other conditions. They completed validated measures of caregiver burden and resourcefulness. Differences were examined using analysis of variance. Need for intervention was evaluated by comparison with established cut scores. RESULTS: Caregivers differed significantly on caregiver burden (F = 2.46; p = .014) and resourcefulness (F = 2.08; p = .038). Across the groups, average caregiver burden scores indicated severe to very severe burden with caregivers of persons with stroke scoring the highest (M = 26.33) and a moderate or greater need for resourcefulness with the greatest needs in caregivers of persons with stroke, traumatic brain injury, and dementia (M's = 74.83, 72.31, and 77.12). CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest the need for intervention among all family caregiver groups to reduce their burden, with caregivers of persons with stroke showing greatest need. Specifically regarding resourcefulness training, the needs of family caregivers differed by care recipient condition. Using pre-determined cut scores on established, relevant measures provides support for proposing clinical trials, translation into practice, and intervention sustainability.

Antibacterial and Antifungal Sesquiterpenoids: Chemistry, Resource, and Activity.

Infectious diseases caused by bacteria and fungi are threatening human health all over the world. It is an increasingly serious problem that the efficacies of some antibacterial and antifungal agents have been weakened by the drug resistance of some bacteria and fungi, which makes a great need for new antibiotics. Sesquiterpenoids, with abundant structural skeleton types and a wide range of bioactivities, are considered as good candidates to be antibacterial and antifungal agents. In the past decades, many sesquiterpenoids were isolated from plants and fungi that exhibited good antibacterial and antifungal activities. In this review, the names, source, structures, antibacterial and antifungal degrees, and mechanisms of sesquiterpenoids with antibacterial and antifungal activity from 2012 to 2022 are summarized, and the structure-activity relationship of these sesquiterpenoids against bacteria and fungi is also discussed.

Lenalidomide potentially reduced the level of cell- associated HIV RNA and improved persistent inflammation in patients with HIV-associated cryptococcal meningitis a pilot study.

Background: The HIV-1 reservoir is a major barrier to curative strategies. Inflammation is an important factor for HIV-1 reservoir persistence. Lenalidomide regulates inflammatory cytokines efficiently. We examined whether lenalidomide could inhibit HIV-1 transcription and reduce systemic inflammation in people living with HIV. Methods: Lenalidomide was administered orally for 48 weeks to patients with HIV-associated cryptococcal meningitis (HIV-CM). A HIV-1 latency model was treated with or without lenalidomide ex vivo for 5 days. The primary endpoints were change in HIV reservoir markers and inflammatory cytokines in both the cohort and cell model. Results: Thirteen participants were enrolled from May 2019 to September 2020. The median change in cell-associated (CA) HIV RNA between baseline and 48 weeks was 0.81 log10 copies/million peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). The CA HIV RNA decreased significantly in the cohort (P = 0.021). Serum tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) gradually diminished with lenalidomide treatment until 48 weeks (P = 0.007, P = 0.014, respectively). C-reactive protein/IL-6/TNF-α and CA HIV RNA were significantly correlated (P = 0.0027, 0.0496, and 0.0346, respectively). Lenalidomide also significantly decreased HIV core P24 (P = 0.0038) and CA HIV RNA in CD8-depleted PBMCs (P = 0.0178) ex vivo. TNF-α and IL-6 were significantly reduced in the CD8-depleted PBMC supernatant (P = 0.004, P < 0.0001, respectively) while IL-10 levels increased significantly on lenalidomide compared to no-lenalidomide treatment (P < 0.0001). Conclusions: Lenalidomide was preliminarily confirmed to reduce the level of cell- associated HIV RNA and improve persistent inflammation in patients with HIV-Associated cryptococcal meningitis, which was a potential intervention for clinical use to inhibit viral transcription of the HIV-1 reservoir and reduced HIV-related inflammation in HIV-1 patients during ART.

Regulation of coordination and doping environment via target molecular transformation for boosting selective photocatalytic ability.

Here, a novel transformed CdO with low coordination and N doping environment was simply synthesized through the involvement of the target molecule tetracycline (TC). The results showed that the shedding of surface hydroxyl groups led to a low coordination environment, and N doping formed a new doping energy level, which increased the charge density and promoted the migration and separation of photo-generated carriers. Its photocatalytic performance was 4.32 times higher than that of hydroxy-rich CdO and the selectivity coefficient was 4.8. Combined with theoretical calculation and in situ Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR-FTIR) analysis, the significant improvement of selectivity was due to the interaction of the doped N atom with the methyl carbon in TC. This work provided a new idea for the simultaneous construction of low coordination environment and N-doped materials for efficient selective photocatalysis.

A meta-analytic study of the effects of early maternal separation on cognitive flexibility in rodent offspring.

Adverse early life experiences, such as maternal separation, are associated with an increased risk for several mental health problems. Symptoms induced by maternal separation that mirror clinically relevant aspects of mental problems, such as cognitive inflexibility, open the possibility of testing putative therapeutics prior to clinical development. Although several animal (e.g., rodent) studies have evaluated the effects of early maternal separation on cognitive flexibility, no consistent conclusions have been drawn. To clarify this issue, in this study, a meta-analysis method was used to systematically explore the relationship between early maternal separation and cognitive flexibility in rodent offspring. Results indicate that early maternal separation could significantly impair cognitive flexibility in rodent offspring. Moderator analyses further showed that the relationship between early maternal separation and cognitive flexibility was not consistent in any case, but was moderated by variations in the experimental procedures, such as the deprivation levels, task characteristics, and rodent strains. These clarify the inconsistent effects of maternal separation on cognitive flexibility in rodents and help us better understand the association between early life adversity and cognitive development.

Hepatopancreas-Intestinal Health in Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) Fed with Hydrolyzable Tannin or Rapeseed Meal.

This study evaluated the effect of dietary rapeseed meal (RM) and hydrolyzable tannin on grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) and determined the possible role of tannin on health when RM was added to the diet. Eight diets were formulated. Four were semipurified-diets with 0, 0.75, 1.25, and 1.75% hydrolyzable tannin (T0, T1, T2, and T3), and the other four were practical diets containing 0, 30, 50, and 70% RM (R0, R30, R50, and R70), which had similar tannin contents as semipurified-diets. After the 56 d feeding trial, the antioxidative enzymes and relative biochemical indexes showed a similar tendency in practical and semipurified groups. In hepatopancreas, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities increased with RM and tannin levels, respectively, while glutathione (GSH) content and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity increased. Malondialdehyde (MDA) content increased and decreased in T3 and R70, respectively. In the intestine, MDA content and SOD activity increased with RM and tannin levels, while GSH content and GPx activity decreased. The expression levels of interleukin 8 (IL-8) and interleukin 10 (IL-10) were upregulated with RM and tannin levels, and the Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1) expression was upregulated in T3, whereas it was downregulated in R50. This study demonstrated that 50% of RM and 0.75% of tannin induced oxidative stress, injured hepatic antioxidant ability, and resulted in intestinal inflammation in grass carp. Therefore, the tannin in rapeseed meal cannot be neglected in aquatic feeding.

Characteristics, risk factors and outcomes of gastrointestinal hemorrhage in COVID-19 patients: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a cause of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), mainly targets the respiratory system. However, recent studies also show its role in causing gastrointestinal hemorrhage, potentially affecting morbidity and mortality-related outcomes of the patients. There is still no consensus on the risk factors, characteristics, and the overall outcome of the gastrointestinal hemorrhage in COVID-19 patients. The main aim of this study was to summarize current evidence, assessing risk factors that promote the onset of gastrointestinal hemorrhage in COVID-19 patients, and to compare the incidences of the different sites of gastrointestinal lesions, the events of abdominal pain, diarrhea, intensive care unit admissions, and mortality between COVID-19 patients with or without gastrointestinal bleeding. METHODS: A search of the academic literature was performed according to the PRISMA guidelines across five databases i.e., Web of Science, EMBASE, CENTRAL, Scopus, and MEDLINE. A random-effect meta-analysis was conducted to analyze the influence of the history of drugs consumption, gastrointestinal bleeding, the different incidence of gastrointestinal lesions, events of abdominal pain, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and mortality between COVID-19 patients with/without gastrointestinal bleeding. RESULTS: Out of 458 studies, three eligible studies with 663 participants (mean age: 69.7 ± 4.3 years) were included. A meta-analysis showed a medium-to-large influence of the history of gastrointestinal bleeding (Hedge's g: 1.01) and anticoagulant drug consumption (g: 0.33) on the gastrointestinal bleeding in COVID-19 patients. Moreover, the incidence of gastroduodenal ulcers was higher as compared to esophagitis (37.5% versus 9.9%). CONCLUSIONS: The study provides preliminary evidence regarding the risk factors associated with the onset of gastrointestinal hemorrhage among COVID-19 patients. The study also outlines the characteristics and the outcomes of gastrointestinal hemorrhage in COVID-19 patients.

Associations between dialysate interleukin-6 and Tie-2 and peritoneal solute transport rate and outcomes for patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis: A prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: We designed this prospective observational study to clarify the associations between dialysate IL-6, a marker of ongoing peritoneal inflammation, Tie2, an important factor in angiogenesis in the peritoneum, and a high peritoneal solute transport rate (PSTR) in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD) and to investigate their outcome predictive roles. METHODS: A total of 60 stable continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients from a single center in China were analyzed in this prospective study. We measured dialysate levels of IL-6 and Tie-2 using ELISAs. Our primary study endpoint was all-cause mortality with 10 years' follow-up. RESULTS: For the evaluation of PSTR, we used the Dialysis/Plasma creatinine (D/Pcr) ratio. We subdivided the patients into two groups for statistical evaluation: low and low average D/Pcr (<0.64; L/A), and high and high average D/Pcr (≥0.65; H/A) transporters. The mean levels of dialysates IL-6 (21.71 ± 8.88 pg/mL) and Tie-2 (1.23 ± 0.43 ng/mL) were significantly higher in the H/A (high and high average, group than those in the L/A group (13.94 ± 5.43 pg/mL, p<0.001 and 0.95 ± 0.43 ng/mL, p=0.019; respectively). Moreover, IL-6 and Tie-2 were positively correlated with D/Pcr (r=0.366, p=0.004 and r=0.402, p=0.001; respectively). Both dialysates IL-6 and Tie-2 were independent determinants of a high peritoneal solute transport rate. After follow-up for 42.65±18.08 months, 30 patients (50.0%) had died. An increased D/Pcr increased the risk of all-cause mortality in patients with CAPD (p=0.018), but the dialysates IL-6 and Tie2 were not independent predictors of all-cause mortality (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that patients undergoing CAPD have a high peritoneal solute transport status with local peritoneal inflammation and angiogenesis. Increased D/Pcr is a relative risk factor for mortality and technique failure in patients undergoing CAPD.

Real-World Prevalence of Direct Oral Anticoagulant Off-Label Doses in Atrial Fibrillation: An Epidemiological Meta-Analysis.

Background: The use of direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) off-label doses in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients may result in poor clinical outcomes. However, the true prevalence remains scarce. This study aims at estimating the prevalence of DOAC off-label doses in AF patients. Methods: Databases of MEDLINE, EMBASE, and COCHRANE were searched from inception through February 2020 for real-world studies that reported the off-label definition and prevalence data of AF patients using DOACs. The primacy outcomes were the overall prevalence of DOAC off-label doses and the corresponding underdose and overdose. The random-effects model was used for data synthesis. Variations on individual DOAC and different regions were examined by subgroup analyses. Results: A total of 23 studies involving 162,474 AF patients were finally included. The overall prevalence of DOAC off-label doses was 24% (95% CI, 19-28%), with 18% for dabigatran, 27% for rivaroxaban, 24% for apixaban, and 26% for edoxaban. The prevalence of underdosed DOACs was 20% (95% CI, 16-24%) with significant difference among individual anticoagulants (13% for dabigatran, 22% for rivaroxaban, 22% for apixaban, and 18% for edoxaban; P interaction =0.02). The prevalence of overdosed DOACs was 5% (95% CI, 3-7%), with the lowest prevalence observed in apixaban (2%). Subgroup analyses by regions demonstrated that the prevalence of DOAC off-label doses was higher in Asia (32%) than in North America (14%) and in Europe (22%), with underdose being predominant. Regardless of different regions, the prevalence of overdose was relatively low (4-6%). Conclusion: This study provides an estimation of DOAC off-label doses in the real-world setting. The prevalence rate of DOAC off-label doses in AF patients was relatively high, with underdose being predominant. Clinicians in Asia preferred to prescribe underdose of DOACs to AF patients. More evidence about the appropriateness of DOAC off-label doses in AF patients is urgently needed. Education programs concerning the appropriate prescription of DOACs within the drug labels and accepted guidelines are necessary to DOAC prescribers to ensure the safety and effectiveness of anticoagulation therapy for patients with AF.

Surgical Diagnosis and Treatment of Primary Retroperitoneal Liposarcoma.

Background: Primary retroperitoneal liposarcoma (PRPLS) is the most common soft tissue sarcoma of the retroperitoneum with high recurrence rate and short overall survival (OS). Methods: A retrospective review of 51 patients with PRPLS, treated between September 1, 2009 and November 30, 2020, was conducted to evaluate clinical outcomes of PRPLS resection. Patient demographics, histopathologic subtypes, overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), disease recurrence rate, and tumor stage were reviewed and analyzed. Univariate analysis was done to identify factors potentially affecting OS and PFS of PRPLS patients. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis was used to evaluate the impact of various clinicopathological factors on OS and PFS of PRPLS patients. Results: Fifty-one PRPLS patients (28 Males, 23 Females; mean age 56.25 years) were evaluated. There was no significant effect of age, gender, contiguous organ resection, degree of differentiation and tumor size on the OS and PFS of the patients. Univariate analysis showed that negative surgical margin and early tumor stage significantly correlated with OS and PFS (all P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that tumor stage [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.177, P = 0.001] was an independent predictors of poor progression-free survival, and surgical margins [HR = 4.0674 P = 0.038] and tumor stage [HR = 1.167 P = 0.001] were identified as independent predictors of poor overall survival. Conclusion: Negative surgical margin is a prognostic factor of OS, and can prolong the postoperative survival time of PRPLS patients. Tumor stage is a prognostic factor for OS and PFS, and can influence the survival of PRPLS patients. Earlier tumor stages of PRPLS are associated with significantly better outcomes.

Clinical application of liver stiffness measurement in patients with cavernous transformation of portal vein.

The clinical outcomes differ between patients with cavernous transformation of the portal vein (CTPV) with and without cirrhosis. Therefore, invasive liver biopsy may be needed for the differential diagnosis of patients with CTPV with or without cirrhosis. The present study aimed to investigate the diagnostic efficacy of liver stiffness measurements (LSM) for the prediction of cirrhosis in patients with CTPV. A total of 20 patients with CTPV, 34 with chronic hepatitis B (CHB)-related cirrhosis and 20 healthy volunteers, were retrospectively recruited in the study. CTPV was diagnosed with contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) and ultrasound for the abdomen. LSM values were detected for each patient, while liver biopsy was performed in each patient in the CTPV and cirrhosis groups. The results demonstrated that LSM values were significantly lower in the CTPV group (12.5 kPa; range, 6.8-21.5 kPa) compared with the CHB-related cirrhosis group (21.0 kPa; range, 15.5-27.2 kPa; P=0.017). However, this was still higher compared with healthy volunteers (4.9 kPa; range 4.0-5.8 kPa; P<0.001). In addition, CTPV patients with cirrhosis (17.7 kPa; range, 13.9-30.8 kPa) exhibited significantly increased LSM values compared with those without cirrhosis (6.4 kPa; range, 5.7-7.8 kPa; P<0.001). Furthermore, LSM values in CTPV patients without cirrhosis were slightly higher compared with those of healthy volunteers (P=0.003), while no statistically significant difference was observed in LSM between CTPV patients with cirrhosis and CHB-related cirrhosis group. These findings indicated that LSM values could be used for the differential diagnosis of CTPV patients with or without cirrhosis. However, further validation studies are needed.

Clinical characteristics and risk factors for mortality in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 in intensive care unit: a single- center, retrospective, observational study in China.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a potentially life-threatening contagious disease which has spread all over the world. Risk factors associated with the clinical outcomes of COVID-19 pneumonia in intensive care unit (ICU) have not yet been well determined. METHODS: This was a retrospective, single-centered, observational study, in which 47 patients with confirmed COVID-19 were consecutively enrolled from February 24 to April 5, 2020. The patients were registered from the ICU of Leishenshan Hospital in Wuhan, China. Clinical characteristics and outcomes were collected and compared between survivors and non-survivors. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to analyze the risk factors of death in patients with COVID-19. RESULTS: The study cohort included 47 adult patients with an average age of 70.55±12.52 years, and 30 (63.8%) patients were men. Totally 15 (31.9%) patients died. When compared to survivors, nonsurvivors showed a higher proportion of septic shock [6 (40%) patients vs. 3 (9.4%) patients], disseminated intravascular coagulation [3 (21.4%) vs. 0], and had higher score of APACHE II (25.07±8.03 vs. 15.56±5.95), CURB-65 {3 [2-4] vs. 2 [1-3]}, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) {7 [5-9] vs. 3 [1-6]}, higher level of D-dimer {5.74 [2.32-18] vs 2.05 [1.09-4.00]} and neutrophil count {9.4 [7.68-14.54] vs. 5.32 [3.85-9.34]}. SOFA score (OR 1.47; 95% CI: 1.01-2.13; P=0.0042) and the lymphocyte count (OR 0.02; 95% CI: 0.00-0.86; P=0.042) on admission were independently risk factors for mortality. Patients with higher lymphocyte count (>0.63×109 /L) and lower SOFA score (≤4) on admission had a significantly better prognosis than those with lower lymphocyte count (≤0.63×109 /L) and higher SOFA score (>4) in overall survival. CONCLUSIONS: Higher SOFA score and lower lymphocyte count at admission were connected with poor prognosis of patients with COVID-19 in ICU. Lymphocyte count may serve as a promising prognostic biomarker.

Cytochalasins from Xylaria sp. CFL5, an Endophytic Fungus of Cephalotaxus fortunei.

Three previously undescribed cytochalasins, named xylariasins A‒C (1‒3), together with six known ones (4‒9) were isolated from Xylaria sp. CFL5, an endophytic fungus of Cephalotaxus fortunei. The chemical structures of all new compounds were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic data analyses and electronic circular dichroism calculation, as well as optical rotation calculation. Biological activities of compounds 1, 4‒9 were evaluated, including cytotoxic, LAG3/MHC II binding inhibition and LAG3/FGL1 binding inhibition activities. Compounds 6 and 9 possessed cytotoxicity against AGS cells at 5 µM, with inhibition rates of 94% and 64%, respectively. In addition, all tested isolates, except compound 6, exhibited obvious inhibitory activity against the interaction of both LAG3/MHC II and LAG3/FGL1. Compounds 1, 5, 7, and 8 inhibited LAG3/MHC II with IC50 values ranging from 2.37 to 4.74 µM. Meanwhile, the IC50 values of compounds 1, 7, and 8 against LAG3/FGL1 were 11.78, 4.39, and 7.45 µM, respectively.

Halimane and labdane diterpenoids from Leonurus japonicus and their anti-inflammatory activity.

Ten highly oxygenated diterpenoids (nine undescribed ones) were isolated from the aerial parts of Leonurus japonicus Houtt. 14,15-Dinor-labd-5,8-dien-3,13-dione was a 14,15-dinor-labdane diterpenoid possessing a C18 skeleton. 7ß,9α-Dihydroxy-6-oxo-labd-13-en-15,16-amide represented a rare example of labdane diterpenoid featuring an α,ß-unsaturated-γ-lactam moiety. The structures of all compounds were elucidated using spectroscopic data analyses and comparisons. The effects of these obtained compounds on nitric oxide (NO) production induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in RAW 264.7 cells were evaluated.(10R*,13R*,15R*)-15,16-Epoxy-6,13-dihydroxy-15-methoxy-labda-5,8-dien-7-one inhibited NO production with an IC50 value of 40.1 µM.

Phytotoxic neo-clerodane diterpenoids from the aerial parts of Scutellaria barbata.

Bioactivity guided the isolation of extracts from the aerial parts Scutellaria barbata D. Don to discover neo-clerodane diterpenoids with potent phytotoxic activity. Of the 34 isolates, 13 neo-clerodane diterpenoids were described for the first time. The structures of these undescribed compounds were elucidated by extensive analysis of NMR spectroscopic data, and the absolute configurations of scutebarbolides A and L and scutebata W were determined by X-ray diffraction. The phytotoxic activity of all compounds against the growth of the roots and shoots of L. perenne and L. sativa seedlings were first reported, and some compounds showed considerable inhibitory effects, especially scutebarbolide K, whose inhibition rates were higher than those of the positive control at concentrations ranging from 25 to 200 µg/mL. When L. perenne and L. sativa seedlings were treated at a concentration of 200 µg/mL, scutebarbolide K caused wilting symptoms on and finally death of these two tested plant seedlings. In addition, the structure-activity relationships of these neo-clerodane diterpenoids were also discussed.

Modified Disk-Up Sinus Reamer for Sinus Floor Elevation and Simultaneous Implant Placement: An Animal Study with Miniature Pigs.

Objective: The disk-up sinus reamer (DSR) is a modified instrument used to elevate the maxillary sinus floor. This study aimed to compare the effects of modified DSR sinus floor elevation (DSFE) with osteotome sinus floor elevation (OSFE), both with simultaneous implant placement. Methods: Twelve miniature pigs were treated with DSFE on one side and OSFE on the other. Implants 9 mm in length were placed in six pigs without grafting, while implants 11 mm in length were placed in the other six pigs with grafting. After submerged healing for 3 months, vertical bone gain (VBG), general and histological observation, and bone contact ratio (BCR) were analyzed. Results: The mean maxillary residual bone height (RBH) when implants were placed was 6.45 ± 0.36 mm. In the no-grafting group, DSFE and OSFE had a similar VBG after 3 months. The grafting group with DSFE recorded a significantly higher VBG (VBG0: 7.83 ± 0.44 mm, VBG1: 7.54 ± 0.40 mm) than the graft group with OSFE (VBG0: 5.45 ± 0.56 mm, VBG1: 4.34 ± 2.15 mm) (p < 0.05). One implant became loose and the sinus mucosa of three pigs appeared metallic in color on the control side (OSFE). Conclusions: The effect of OSFE and DSFE is similar when there is no need for grafting. DSFE seems a better alternative method for sinus floor elevation with grafting when more VBG is needed.

Anti-inflammatory evaluation and structure-activity relationships of diterpenoids isolated from Euphorbia hylonoma.

A phytochemical investigation to obtain chemical components with potential anti-inflammatory activity from E. hylonoma led to the isolation of nine new ent-isopimarane diterpenoids (1 and 3-10), a new ent-rosane diterpenoid (11), along with eight known ones (2 and 12-18) using various chromatographic techniques. Compounds 3, 4, 5, and 10 were rare examples of the epoxy-ent-isopimarane. The structures of these new compounds were confirmed by extensive spectroscopic data, crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, and electronic circular dichroism. And the isolates were evaluated for their inhibitory effects on nitric oxide production induced by lipopolysaccharide in RAW 264.7 cells. The results showed that compounds 2 and 12 exhibited noteworthy inhibitory effects against NO production with IC50 values of 7.12 and 12.73 µM, respectively, which were better than positive control (IC50 = 41.41 µM). The possible mechanism that compounds 2 and 12 could inhibit NO production was investigated by the Western blotting experiments.