Microplastic enrichment capacity of Ctenochaetus striatus from the habitat environment - An example in Xisha, South China Sea.

Microplastic pollution is a widespread concern in the global marine environment. In this study, microplastic pollution status in Xisha waters was investigated. Microplastics were found in all seawater samples, and 90.76 % of C. striatus samples were detected with microplastics. The average abundance of microplastics in seawater samples was 0.64 ± 0.39 items/L, and the abundance of microplastics in the gills and gastrointestinal tracts (GITs)of C. striatus was 1.14 ± 0.41 items/L and 1.80 ± 0.49 items/L, respectively. Shapes of microplastics in the seawater and in the gills and GITs of C. striatus were mainly fibers and films, and the majority of the particle sizes being <1 mm, and the polymers were mainly PET. In addition, the abundance of microplastics in the gills and GITs of C. striatus was positively correlated with that in the seawater, and the correlation was higher in the gills than in the GITs, which means that the accumulation of microplastics in the gills was more closely related to their habitats. The positive correlation between microplastic abundance in the gills and GITs of C. striatus and its body size may be due to the fact that larger individuals have greater energetic demands, require more energy requirements, consume more food, and thus increase the chances of ingesting microplastics.

Anthropogenic activities altering the ecosystem in Lake Yamzhog Yumco, southern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

Lakes on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) have been subject to multiple environmental pressures from rapid climate change and intensified human activity in recent decades. However, their ecological effects on the lake ecosystem remain largely unclear due to the lack of long-term monitoring data. This study presented the environmental and ecological changes of the lake Yamzhog Yumco (Southern QTP) over the past three decades based on multi-proxy analysis (geochemistry and sedaDNA) on a high-time resolution sediment core. The result showed that the lake exhibited a continuous eutrophication process from 2004 CE, which has accelerated since 2014 CE. The nutrient enrichment was mainly attributed to anthropogenic emissions from the catchment. The sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA) metabarcoding data registered a sensitive response of aquatic communities to the additional nutrient supply. Eukaryotic algae and aquatic invertebrate communities exhibited similar temporal dynamics, characterized by the increase in eutrophic taxa and the decrease in oligotrophic taxa. Change points analysis suggested that lake ecosystems underwent a slight ecological shift in 2003 CE and an abrupt shift in 2012 CE driven by nutrient enrichment. Quantitative analysis revealed that nutrients and human activity accounted for 27.9 % and 21.7 % of the temporal variation in aquatic communities, whereas climate change only explained 6.9 % of the total variation. From a paleolimnological view, our study supported that regional human activity could distinctly alter the nutrient level and aquatic community structure of lake ecosystems in the QTP. Considering that anthropogenic disturbance will continuously increase, it is crucial to strengthen the field monitoring of the lakes on the plateau and make effective management measures to avoid irreversible ecological consequences.

Spatiotemporal patterns of organic carbon burial over the last century in Lake Qinghai, the largest lake on the Tibetan Plateau.

Lakes are important carbon sinks in terrestrial environments. However, the estimation of the global lake carbon sink has large uncertainty. Data from plateau and remote lakes are rare, and most studies of carbon sequestration in large lakes have been based on single or a few sediment cores. Here, twenty-five sediment cores were collected by grid sampling covering Lake Qinghai, the largest lake on the Tibetan Plateau. Age models were established by combining radionuclide 210Pb137Cs dating with magnetic susceptibility chronostratigraphy of sediment cores. Furthermore, the spatiotemporal variations of the organic carbon burial rate (OCBR) over the past century were investigated. The OCBR of Lake Qinghai has increased significantly since the 1990s in association with warm-humid climates, increased nutrient supply and, enhanced land-use changes. The spatial distributions of OCBR were insignificant during the 1900s-1960s and 1960s-1990s and then shifted to a pattern of high values occurring in the southwestern lake areas during the post-1990s period. The spatial distribution of OCBR was mainly determined by sediment mass accumulation rate, primary production, and potential mineralization. The average OCBR in the all sediment cores showed no correlation with water depth (12-30 m) and was within one standard deviation of the whole-lake average value for most cores. These results suggest that the average OCBR of a sediment core in a relatively flat lakebed can generally represent the whole-basin level of Lake Qinghai. The average OCBR was 22.5 ± 5.5 g m-2 yr-1, which is close to those values reported previously for lakes of boreal forest and taiga but significantly higher than those reported for tundra lakes. Our findings highlight that the remote lakes on the Tibetan Plateau have great carbon sequestration potential in sediments and may act as a significant natural carbon sink.

A Chironomid Record of Early-Middle Holocene Environmental Evolution in the Darhad Basin, Northern Mongolia.

Under the influence of various circulation systems, the Holocene humidity conditions on the Mongolian Plateau are spatially heterogeneous and the underlying mechanism is still ambiguous. The complexity of climate change may affect the accuracy of assessing lake ecosystem evolution. In this study, based on the precise chronology, a chironomid assemblage sequence from the Darhad Basin in northern Mongolia is analyzed to elucidate the hydroclimate variation during the early-middle Holocene. The results show that the chironomid communities changed suddenly from littoral taxa to sublittoral/profundal taxa at about 9 cal kyr BP, reflecting an environmental transition from a river or shallow lake condition to a deep lake environment. Thereafter, most parts of the paleolake remained at a relatively high level until 4.5 cal kyr BP. This hydrological pattern resembles the typical humidity variations in the Westerlies affected regions, except that the onset of wetter conditions occurred one thousand years earlier as reflected in our results. The melting of glaciers and permafrost in the basin resulting from the early increased summer solar insolation could be a feasible explanation for these time advances.

A historical record of trace metal deposition in northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau for the last two centuries.

Owing to rapid socio-economic development in China, trace metal emissions have increased and lakes even in remote areas have experienced marked changes in the last century. However, there are limited studies revealing long-term trends, anthropogenic fluxes, and spatial characteristics of trace metals in lakes. In this study, we present a geochemical record from Lake Qinghai in the northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and reconstruct trace metal pollution history during the last two centuries. The lacustrine sediment core was dated by 137Cs and 210Pb, and sediments deposited prior to the 1850s were selected as the pre-industrial background. Factor analysis and enrichment factor indicated Cr, Cu, and Ni generally originated from natural sources, while Cd, Pb, and Zn have been influenced by human contamination since the mid-1980s. The anthropogenic Cd mainly derived from non-ferrous metal smelting in Gansu Province, and fluxes to Lake Qinghai sharply increased after the mid-1980s. The metal reconstruction is similar to other lake sediment records from China and corresponds well with rapid economic development in China. The spatial pattern of anthropogenic Cd fluxes to lakes is primarily attributed to regional industrial emission, phosphate fertilizers, and manure applied in agriculture.

DNA barcodes and morphology reveal two new species of Monodiamesa Kieffer (Diptera: Chironomidae: Prodiamesinae) in Tibetan Plateau.

Two Monodiamesa species collected in all stages and both sexes from the Tibetan Plateau are erected as M. secunditibetica Han and Tang, sp. n. and M. bonalpicola Han and Tang, sp. n. Molecular analysis of barcodes (COI-5P) for some related known species confirms the species validity and allows inference of internal relationships. Detailed description, habitat ecology and geographical information of two new species are provided. Additionally, brief comments on some known eastern Palaearctic species of Monodiamesa are made to give insights on further study.

Association of Polymorphism rs67920064 in ADAMTS9 Gene with Mandibular Retrognathism in a Chinese Population.

BACKGROUND Mandibular retrognathism is a common oral and maxillofacial deformity that may cause a series of physical and psychological diseases. Many studies indicated that genetic factors play an important role in the occurrence of mandibular retrognathism. In this study, we assess the association between polymorphism rs67920064 in ADAMTS9 gene and mandibular retrognathism in a Chinese population. MATERIAL AND METHODS Sixty participants (20 to 45 y, mean age 32.79 y) were classified into Class I or mandibular retrognathism skeletal-facial profile groups in accordance with cephalometric parameters. Thirty patients with mandibular retrognathism were assigned to the subject group; the others were assigned to the control group. Cephalometric parameters including sella-nasion A point, SN point B, condylion-gnathion (Gn), and gonion-Gn were recorded. Saliva samples from these participants were collected and polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism was used to distinguish different genotypes of the rs67920064 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs).We evaluated the correlation between mandibular retrognathism and polymorphism rs67920064 in the ADAMTS9 gene. RESULTS The distribution of rs67920064 gene polymorphism in ADAMST9 gene conforms to Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The A point-nasion-B point angle of the participants with the GA genotype of the rs67920064 SNP showed significantly decreased values (P<0.05), but there was no difference in length of mandibular body. Beyond that, the chi-square test showed that the GA genotype of rs67920064 SNP was highly associated with mandibular retrognathism (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Our research shows that there is an association between polymorphism rs67920064 in the ADAMTS9 gene and mandibular retrognathism in the Chinese population. Individuals with the GA phenotype are more likely to have mandibular retrognathism.

The ADAMTS9 gene is associated with mandibular retrusion in a Chinese population.

OBJECTIVE: Many studies suggest that genetics plays an important role in mandibular retrusion. In this study, we hypothesized that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of ADAMTS9 gene is associated with mandibular retrusion in a Han Chinese population. METHODS: Saliva samples from 60 patients undergoing orthodontic for correction of malocclusion were collected. 130 SNPs genotyping of ADAMTS9 was used to asses the association of polymorphisms with the mandibular retrusion. The general linear model using age,gender and ANB as covariates weighed the relationship between SNP and mandibular retrusion. Additionally we leveraged the generalized multifactor dimensionality reduction (GMDR) method to investigate SNP-SNP interactions. The significance level was set at P < 0.05 in this study. RESULTS: The general linear model results showed that four SNPs (rs1014640,rs7648540,rs75839462 and rs4605539) in the ADAMTS9 gene may be related to the occurrence of mandibular retrusion,even after Bonferroni correction. In addition, we further found that the interaction between the ADAMTS9 rs75839462 and ADAMTS9 rs80118777 promoted the occurrence of mandibular retrusion. CONCLUSION: Our finding suggest that the ADAMTS9 gene may cause mandibular retrsusion independently and through SNP-SNP interactions.

Biodiversity patterns across taxonomic groups along a lake water-depth gradient: Effects of abiotic and biotic drivers.

Understanding biodiversity patterns and the role of biotic attributes in governing these patterns remains one of the most important challenges in ecology. Here, taking water depth in Lake Lugu as a typical geographical gradient, we studied how these different taxa, that is bacteria, diatoms and chironomids, respond to the water depth and environmental gradients using molecular and morphological methods. We further evaluated the relative importance of water depth, environmental variables and biotic attributes in explaining biological characteristics, such as biomass, species richness, and community composition. The biomass of chironomids and the richness of bacteria and chironomids showed a nonlinearly decreasing pattern associated with increased water depth, while biomass and species richness of diatoms showed U-shaped and hump-shaped patterns, respectively. The three taxonomic groups all showed increasing dissimilarity with water depth changes, and there was clear cross-taxon congruence among the variations in community composition. Abiotic variables were pivotal in structuring biological characteristics; however, the biotic attributes also explained a unique portion of their variations. This suggests that biotic interactions significantly influenced the patterns of biomass, species richness, and community compositions along the water depth gradient for the three taxonomic groups studied. Our results provide new evidence that biotic attributes could help in predicting the biodiversity of aquatic communities along geographical gradients, such as water depth.

Impact of the Siloxane-Terminated Side Chain on Photovoltaic Performances of the Dithienylbenzodithiophene-Difluorobenzotriazole-Based Wide Band Gap Polymer Donor in Non-Fullerene Polymer Solar Cells.

To thoroughly disclose the role of the siloxane-terminated side chain with different substituent positions, three difluorobenzotriazole-dithienylbenzodithiophene (FTAZ-BDTT)-based polymers PBZ-1Si, PBZ-2Si, and PBZ-3Si with the siloxane-terminated side chain on the FTAZ unit (PBZ-1Si), on the BDTT unit (PBZ-2Si), and both on BDTT and FTAZ units (PBZ-3Si), respectively, were synthesized. The different side chain substitutions have slight influences on absorption behavior, thermal stability, and frontier molecular orbitals but have shown a great effect on the aggregation of the polymers. Grazing-incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering measurements reveal that, relative to PBZ-1Si with branched alkyl on the BDTT unit, polymers PBZ-2Si and PBZ-3Si, bearing the siloxane-terminated side chains on the BDTT unit, exhibit smaller π-π stacking distances and larger crystal coherence lengths, suggesting that adopting the siloxane-terminated side chain on the BDTT unit can promote the interchain π-π interaction and the ordering of molecular packing. With IT-M as the non-fullerene acceptor, among the three polymers, the PBZ-2Si-based active layer possesses the highest ordered crystals for both polymers and IT-M as well as the purest domain, which affords efficient exciton dissociation, the most balanced hole-electron transport, and reduced recombination, leading to the highest short-circuit current density (Jsc) and fill factor (FF) and then the highest power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 11.14%. In contrast, PBZ-1Si- and PBZ-3Si-based devices show lower PCEs of 8.98 and 9.92%, respectively. Moreover, PBZ-2Si:IT-M also exhibits good thickness tolerance, and its thick active layer of 240 nm shows the most limited decrease of efficiency after 77 days of storage, supplying good potential for mass fabrication. Our work suggests that the fine pairing of a siloxane-terminated side chain and an alkyl side chain is beneficial for the optimizing of a conjugated polymer donor toward high-performance non-fullerene polymer solar cells.

Individualized intervention to reduce anxiety in adult orthodontic patients based on Q methodology.

INTRODUCTION: In this study, we used Q methodology to assess the concerns of adults seeking orthodontic treatment and to determine individualized interventions to reduce their anxiety. METHODS: Statements of concern were derived by in-depth interviews with 70 adult patients. Q sorting methodology was then used to identify the main factors associated with anxiety in a cohort of 40 adults who had not been involved in the first part of the study. The final stage involved a randomized study in which 160 new adult patients were recruited and randomized into intervention and control groups. Participants in the intervention group sorted the statements, after which individualized interventions were implemented. Participants in the control group received routine treatment. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory was used to measure changes in participants' anxiety levels before and during treatment. RESULTS: In total, 41 statements were identified, and participants were classified according to 5 factors. Factor 1 participants were concerned about the lack of treatment information; factor 2 represented concerns about cost and other people's opinions; factor 3 represented concerns about impact on work related to wearing braces; factor 4 encompassed concerns about treatment effects, pain, and dental fears; and factor 5 reflected concerns about side effects and finding a partner. The mean state anxiety inventory scores for both the intervention and control groups were highest 24 hours after bonding (intervention group, 44.63 ± 4.49; control group, 49.43 ± 5.42). The intragroup state anxiety inventory scores differed significantly across the 6 time points (P <0.01), with the state anxiety inventory scores of the intervention group significantly lower than those of the control group (P <0.01) at all time points except baseline. No significant intergroup or intragroup differences were found in relation to trait anxiety. CONCLUSIONS: Adult orthodontic patients expressed diverse concerns. Individualized interventions based on Q methodology may reduce anxiety in this patient population.

Attenuation of Oxidative Stress-Induced Osteoblast Apoptosis by Curcumin is Associated with Preservation of Mitochondrial Functions and Increased Akt-GSK3ß Signaling.

BACKGROUND: Osteoblast apoptosis induced by oxidative stress plays a crucial role in the development and progression of osteoporosis. Curcumin, a natural antioxidant isolated from Curcuma longa, has highly protective effects against osteoporosis. However, the effects of curcumin on oxidative stress-induced osteoblast apoptosis remain unclear. This study aimed to explore the effect of curcumin on hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) induced osteoblast apoptosis and the underlying mechanisms. METHODS: An osteoblastic cell line (Saos-2) was exposed to various concentrations of H2O2 with or without curcumin treatment. Cell viability was evaluated by MTT assays. The apoptosis rate was analyzed by flow cytometry and TUNEL assays. Mitochondrial ROS and membrane potential were determined using a fluorescence microscope. Mitochondrial respiratory enzyme activity was measured using a spectrophotometer. Protein levels were detected by western blotting. RESULTS: Curcumin was cytoprotective because it greatly improved the viability of Saos-2 cells exposed to H2O2 and attenuated H2O2-induced apoptosis. Curcumin treatment also preserved the mitochondrial redox potential, decreased the mitochondrial oxidative status, and improved the mitochondrial membrane potential and functions. Furthermore, curcumin treatment markedly increased levels of phosphorylated protein kinase B (Akt) and phosphorylated glycogen synthase kinase-3ß (GSK3ß). CONCLUSION: Curcumin administration ameliorates oxidative stress-induced apoptosis in osteoblasts by preserving mitochondrial functions and activation of Akt-GSK3ß signaling. These data provide experimental evidence supporting the clinical use of curcumin for prevention or treatment of osteoporosis.

Timing of orthognathic surgery on the changes of oral health-related quality of life in Chinese orthognathic surgery patients.

INTRODUCTION: Although the association between orthognathic surgery and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) has been explored, few studies have been carried out to describe the influence of surgery type on perceived OHRQoL. The aim of this study was to evaluate the difference of OHRQoL between a surgery-first approach and an orthodontics-first approach, using the 14-item Oral Health Impact Profile questionnaire (Chinese version). METHODS: Fifty adult Chinese orthodontic patients who received either surgery-first or orthodontics-first treatment completed 5 distinct sections of the questionnaire. Chi-square tests were used to compare categorical variables. All analyses were carried out with Stata software (version 11.2; StataCorp, College Station, Tex). RESULTS: The quality of life significantly improved after treatment in both groups. However, overall scores were highest before treatment in the surgery-first group but increased significantly from before treatment to 6 months after surgery and then significantly decreased after surgery in the orthodontics-first group. There were relatively lower scores in the surgery-first group than in the orthodontics-first group before surgery, at 12 months after beginning orthodontics, and at the end of treatment, although these differences did not reach significant levels. CONCLUSIONS: Both treatment methods can obtain the same results. The timing of the orthognathic approach did not affect the final OHRQoL in Chinese orthognathic surgery patients.

Clinical application of new mandibular molar intruding appliance / 口腔疾病防治

Objective@# To evaluate the effects and clinical application of molar intrusion with a new mandibular molar intrusion appliance.@*Methods @#7 patients who needed mandibular molars intrusion to correct open-bite were selected. To evaluate effects of molar intrusion, clinical examination, dental model analysis and aphalometric analysis by Winceph 7.0 software were used before and after intrusion treatment, SPSS 17.0 software was used for data analysis. @*Results @#All the mandibular molars were intruded successfully in an average time of 4.0 months. Cephalometric analysis before and after treatment showed that the average amount of mandibular first molars intrusion were (1.92 ± 0.44) mm．The vertical distance to the reference plane (MP plane) per and post treatment was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The average amount of maxillary first molar intrusion was (0.36 ± 0.25) mm, with no significant difference in vertical distances to reference plane (PP plane) (P > 0.05). No signs of root resorption was obsersed in radiograph of the intruded mandibular molars.@*Conclusion @#The new mandibular molar intrusion appliance has a remarkable clinical effect in correcting anterior open bite without obvious periodontal tissue damage and root resorption. teeth intrusion with the new appliance has a significant effect without apparent destruction of the periodontal tissue and root resorption.

The changes of oral health-related quality of life and satisfaction after surgery-first orthognathic approach: a longitudinal prospective study.

BACKGROUND: To our best knowledge, there was little research to assess the changes of quality of life and satisfaction after orthognathic in one trial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the changes of oral health related quality of life and satisfaction between surgery-first and orthodontic-first orthognathic surgery. METHODS: Fifty Chinese orthognathic adluts patients completed two questionnaires: the Dental Impact on Daily Living questionnaire for assessment of his/her satisfaction and 14-item Oral Health Impact Profile for assessment of patient's quality of life. The subjects completed six sets of interviews and clinical evaluations at before treatment; 1 month after surgery (surgery-first); 6 months after treatment; 12 months after treatment ; and 18 month after treatment ; the finished treatment. The pre and post surgical orthodontic period was also recorded. Chi square tests and repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to compare categorical variables and measure results. All analyses were carried out used Stata software. RESULTS: The quality of life was significant improved when finished treatment and the amounts of change did not show any significant difference in each domain and at 1, 6, 12 month after orthognathic surgery between two groups. However, in orthodontic-first group, the quality of life was deteriorated before orthognathic surgery. In surgery-first group, the quality of life was immediately improved which lead to better satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: Although the quality of life scores was no significant difference between two groups, surgery-first treatment could significant reduce treatment during and no deterioration stage of quality of life score which lead to better satisfactory compare to orthodontic-first group. However, some of limitations we need take caution. In future we still need conduct more study to assess the influence of surgery-first method on quality of life.

A feasible method to improve adherence of Hawley retainer in adolescent orthodontic patients: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Retention is an important component of orthodontic treatment; however, poor compliance with retainer use is often encountered, especially in adolescents. The purpose of this study was to prove the hypothesis that verbal instructions combined with images showing the severe consequences of poor compliance can increase retainer use. METHODS: This study was a randomized controlled trial. The sample was recruited from Wenzhou, People's Republic of China, between February 2013 and May 2014, and 326 participants were randomized into three groups. Patients and parents in Group A (n=106) were given routine retainer wear instructions only; in Group B (n=111), images illustrating the severe consequences of poor compliance with Hawley retainer use were shown to patients, combined with routine instructions; and in Group C (n=109), images illustrating the severe consequences of poor compliance with Hawley retainer use were shown to patients and parents, combined with routine instructions. Three months after debonding, questionnaires were used to investigate daily wear time and the reasons for poor compliance. Differences in means between the groups were tested by one-way analysis of variance. RESULTS: The mean daily wear time in Group C (15.09±4.13 hours) was significantly greater than in Group A (12.37±4.58 hours, P<0.01) or Group B (13.50±4.22 hours, P<0.05); the mean daily wear time in Group B was greater than in Group A, but was not significant (P=0.67). Reasons for nonusage were forgetting to wear the retainer (51%) and finding the retainer bothersome to frequently insert and remove (42%). CONCLUSION: Verbal instructions combined with images showing the severe consequences of poor compliance can increase retainer use. Parents play an important role in compliance with retainer use in adolescent patients.

Influence of orthodontic treatment with fixed appliances on enamel color: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: The purposes of this systematic review were to identify and review the orthodontic literature with regard to enamel color alterations after orthodontic treatment with fixed appliances. The effects of clean-up procedures on the surface of enamel were also investigated. METHODS: We searched the following electronic databases: Medline (1950 to 6 July 2014), EMBASE via OVID (1980 to 6 July 2014), Google Scholar, Web of Science (1950 to 6 July 2014), CENTRAL (The Cochrane Library, 2014, Issue 7). We also searched the reference lists of relevant articles. Quality assessment of the included articles was performed. Two authors were responsible for study selection, validity assessment, and data extraction. RESULTS: Five studies met the inclusion criteria, including 3 randomized controlled trials and 2 prospective studies. Four trials were assessed as being unclear with regard to risk of bias. One was assessed as being at high risk of bias. The studies reviewed suggested that orthodontic treatment alters the original color of enamel, and both adhesive systems and resin-removal methods can contribute to this change. CONCLUSION: There is no strong evidence from this review that orthodontic treatment with fixed appliances alters the original color of enamel. Further well-designed and conducted randomized controlled trials are required, to facilitate comparisons of results.

Use of Q methodology to assess the concerns of adult female individuals seeking orthodontic treatment.

BACKGROUND: Orthodontic treatment may cause functional restrictions, discomfort, and pain, which may lead to dental anxiety and noncooperation among patients. This study aimed to assess the concerns of adult female patients with respect to such treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted an explorative study using Q methodology among 40 adult female patients with different educational and social backgrounds in Wenzhou, People's Republic of China. We asked participants to rank a set of 41 statements about seeking orthodontic treatment on an 11-point scale from "agree most" to "disagree most". The collected data were analyzed using the PQ Method 2.35 program. We extracted significant viewpoints using centroid factor extraction and varimax rotation. RESULTS: We identified major factors based on how the patients ranked statements. Patients in group 1 worried about lack of information about orthodontic treatment, and may have suffered from dental phobia; patients in group 2 were all single women, and they were worried that the braces might lower their chances of finding a partner; patients in group 3 worried about appearance and speech with braces; and patients in group 4 worried about cost, pain, and dental hygiene. The remaining participants who had other viewpoints did not load to any of these four groups. CONCLUSION: The concerns of adult female individuals seeking orthodontic treatment are complex. A significant feature of this study was using Q methodology to analyze the psychological characteristics of the patients. This study identified four typical characterizations that are associated with each group, and our findings may aid orthodontists in improving doctor-patient relationships.

MiR-32 functions as a tumor suppressor and directly targets EZH2 in human oral squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: MicroRNA-32 (miR-32) is dysregulated in certain human malignancies and correlates with tumor progression. However, its expression and function in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remain unclear. Thus, the aim of this study was to explore the effects of miR-32 expression on OSCC tumorigenesis and development. MATERIAL/METHODS: Real-time quantitative PCR was applied to evaluate the expression level of miR-32 in OSCC cell lines and primary tumor tissues. The association of miR-32 expression with clinicopathological factors and prognosis was also analyzed. In vitro cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, and migration assays were executed to elucidate biological effects of miR-32. Western blotting and luciferase assays were performed to confirm the regulation of EZH2 by miR-32. RESULTS: Down-regulation of miR-32 was found in OSCC tissues compared with corresponding noncancerous tissues (P<0.001). Decreased miR-32 expression was significantly associated with advanced T classifications, positive N classification, advanced TNM stage, and shorter overall survival (all P<0.05). Multivariate regression analysis corroborated that low-level expression of miR-32 was an independent unfavorable prognostic factor for OSCC patients. In vitro functional assays showed that overexpression of miR-32 reduced OSCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, and promoted cell apoptosis. In contrast, miR-32 knock-down resulted in an increase in cell growth and invasiveness. Finally, we identified EZH2 as the functional downstream target of miR-32 by directly targeting the 3'-UTR of EZH2. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that miR-32 may act as a tumor suppressor in OSCC and could serve as a novel therapeutic agent for miR-based therapy.