NeuroMotion: Open-source platform with neuromechanical and deep network modules to generate surface EMG signals during voluntary movement.

Neuromechanical studies investigate how the nervous system interacts with the musculoskeletal (MSK) system to generate volitional movements. Such studies have been supported by simulation models that provide insights into variables that cannot be measured experimentally and allow a large number of conditions to be tested before the experimental analysis. However, current simulation models of electromyography (EMG), a core physiological signal in neuromechanical analyses, remain either limited in accuracy and conditions or are computationally heavy to apply. Here, we provide a computational platform to enable future work to overcome these limitations by presenting NeuroMotion, an open-source simulator that can modularly test a variety of approaches to the full-spectrum synthesis of EMG signals during voluntary movements. We demonstrate NeuroMotion using three sample modules. The first module is an upper-limb MSK model with OpenSim API to estimate the muscle fibre lengths and muscle activations during movements. The second module is BioMime, a deep neural network-based EMG generator that receives nonstationary physiological parameter inputs, like the afore-estimated muscle fibre lengths, and efficiently outputs motor unit action potentials (MUAPs). The third module is a motor unit pool model that transforms the muscle activations into discharge timings of motor units. The discharge timings are convolved with the output of BioMime to simulate EMG signals during the movement. We first show how MUAP waveforms change during different levels of physiological parameter variations and different movements. We then show that the synthetic EMG signals during two-degree-of-freedom hand and wrist movements can be used to augment experimental data for regressing joint angles. Ridge regressors trained on the synthetic dataset were directly used to predict joint angles from experimental data. In this way, NeuroMotion was able to generate full-spectrum EMG for the first use-case of human forearm electrophysiology during voluntary hand, wrist, and forearm movements. All intermediate variables are available, which allows the user to study cause-effect relationships in the complex neuromechanical system, fast iterate algorithms before collecting experimental data, and validate algorithms that estimate non-measurable parameters in experiments. We expect this modular platform will enable validation of generative EMG models, complement experimental approaches and empower neuromechanical research.

Vitamin a potentiates sheep myoblasts myogenic differentiation through BHLHE40-modulated ID3 expression.

BACKGROUND: Vitamin A and retinoic acid (RA, a metabolite of vitamin A), are inextricably involved to the development of skeletal muscle in animals. However, the mechanisms regulating skeletal muscle development by vitamin A remain poorly reported. The current study designed to investigate the underlying mechanism of vitamin A affecting myogenic differentiation of lamb myoblasts through transcriptome sequencing (RNA-Seq) and gene function validation experiments. It provides a theoretical basis for elucidating the regulation of vitamin A on skeletal muscle development as well as for improving the economic benefits of the mutton sheep industry. RESULTS: Newborn lambs were injected with 7,500 IU vitamin A, and longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle tissue was surgically sampled for RNA-Seq analysis and primary myoblasts isolation at 3 weeks of age. The results showed that a total of 14 down-regulated and 3 up-regulated genes, were identified between control and vitamin A groups. Among them, BHLHE40 expression was upregulated in vitamin A group lambs. Furthermore, BHLHE40 expression is significantly increased after initiation of differentiation in myoblasts, and RA addition during differentiation greatly promoted BHLHE40 mRNA expression. In vitro, RA inhibited myoblasts proliferation and promoted myoblasts myogenic differentiation through BHLHE40. Moreover, BHLHE40 was proved to inhibit the expression of the DNA binding inhibitor 3 (ID3), and meanwhile, ID3 could effectively promote myoblasts proliferation and inhibit myoblasts myogenic differentiation. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, our results suggested that vitamin A inhibited myoblasts proliferation and promoted myoblasts myogenic differentiation by inhibiting ID3 expression through BHLHE40.

Genome-wide identification, expression profiling, and protein interaction analysis of the CCoAOMT gene family in the tea plant (Camellia sinensis).

BACKGROUND: The caffeoyl-CoA-O methyltransferase (CCoAOMT) family plays a crucial role in the oxidative methylation of phenolic substances and is involved in various plant processes, including growth, development, and stress response. However, there is a limited understanding of the interactions among CCoAOMT protein members in tea plants. RESULTS: In this study, we identified 10 members of the CsCCoAOMT family in the genome of Camellia sinensis (cultivar 'HuangDan'), characterized by conserved gene structures and motifs. These CsCCoAOMT members were located on six different chromosomes (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 14). Based on phylogenetic analysis, CsCCoAOMT can be divided into two groups: I and II. Notably, the CsCCoAOMT members of group Ia are likely to be candidate genes involved in lignin biosynthesis. Moreover, through the yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) assay, we established protein interaction networks for the CsCCoAOMT family, revealing 9 pairs of members with interaction relationships. CONCLUSIONS: We identified the CCoAOMT gene family in Camellia sinensis and conducted a comprehensive analysis of their classifications, phylogenetic and synteny relationships, gene structures, protein interactions, tissue-specific expression patterns, and responses to various stresses. Our findings shed light on the evolution and composition of CsCCoAOMT. Notably, the observed interaction among CCoAOMT proteins suggests the potential formation of the O-methyltransferase (OMT) complex during the methylation modification process, expanding our understanding of the functional roles of this gene family in diverse biological processes.

Proteomics reveals toxin tolerance and polysaccharide accumulation in Chlorococcum humicola under high CO2 concentration.

Algae have great application prospects in excess sludge reclamation and recovery of high-value biomass. Chlorococcum humicola was cultivated in this research, using sludge extract (mixed with SE medium) with additions of 10%, 20%, and 30% CO2 (v/v). Results showed that under 20% CO2, the dry weight and polysaccharide yield reached 1.389 ± 0.070 g/L and 313.49 ± 10.77 mg/L, respectively. 10% and 20% CO2 promoted the production of cellular antioxidant molecules to resist the toxic stress and the toxicity of 20% CO2 group decreased from 62.16 ± 3.11% to 33.02 ± 3.76%. 10% and 20% CO2 accelerated the electron transfer, enhanced carbon assimilation, and promoted the photosynthetic efficiency, while 30% CO2 led to photosystem damage and disorder of antioxidant system. Proteomic analysis showed that 20% CO2 mainly affected energy metabolism and the oxidative stress level on the early stage (10 d), while affected photosynthesis and organic substance metabolism on the stable stage (30 d). The up-regulation of PSII photosynthetic protein subunit 8 (PsbA, PsbO), A0A383W1S5 and A0A383VRI4 promoted the efficiency of PSII and chlorophyll synthesis, and the up-regulation of A0A383WH74 and A0A2Z4THB7 led to the accumulation of polysaccharides. The up-regulation of A0A383VDH1, A0A383VX37 and A0A383VA86 promoted respiration. Collectively, this work discloses the regulatory mechanism of high-concentration CO2 on Chlorococcum humicola to overcome toxicity and accumulate polysaccharides.

Insights into the Origin of Activity Enhancement via Tuning Electronic Structure of Cu2O towards Electrocatalytic Ammonia Synthesis.

The insight of the activity phase and reaction mechanism is vital for developing high-performance ammonia synthesis electrocatalysts. In this study, the origin of the electronic-dependent activity for the model Cu2O catalyst toward ammonia electrosynthesis with nitrate was probed. The modulation of the electronic state and oxygen vacancy content of Cu2O was realized by doping with halogen elements (Cl, Br, I). The electrocatalytic experiments showed that the activity of the ammonia production depends strongly on the electronic states in Cu2O. With increased electronic state defects in Cu2O, the ammonia synthesis performance increased first and then decreased. The Cu2O/Br with electronic defects in the middle showed the highest ammonia yield of 11.4 g h-1 g-1 at -1.0 V (vs. RHE), indicating that the pattern of change in optimal ammonia activity is consistent with the phenomenon of volcano curves in reaction chemistry. This work highlights a promising route for designing NO3-RR to NH3 catalysts.

Prostaglandin D2 regulates Escherichia coli-induced inflammatory responses through TLR2, TLR4, and NLRP3 in macrophages.

Prostaglandin D2 (PGD2) synthesis is closely associated with the innate immune response mediated by pattern recognition receptors (PPRs). We determined PGD2 synthesis whether mediated by Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2), TLR4 and Nod-like receptor pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) in Escherichia coli (E. coli)-, lipopolysaccharide (LPS)- and Braun lipoprotein (BLP)-stimulated macrophages. Our data demonstrate that TLR2, TLR4, and NLRP3 could regulate the synthesis of PGD2 through cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2) and hematopoietic PGD synthase (H-PGDS) in E. coli-, LPS- or BLP-stimulated macrophages, suggesting that TLR2, TLR4, and NLRP3 are critical in regulating PGD2 secretion by controlling PGD2 synthetase expression in E. coli-, LPS- or BLP-stimulated macrophages. The H-PGDS (a PGD2 specific synthase) inhibitor pre-treatment could down-regulate the secretion of TNF-α, RANTES and IL-10 in LPS- and E. coli-stimulated macrophage. Meanwhile, H-PGDS inhibitor could down-regulate the secretion of TNF-α, while up-regulated RANTES and IL-10 secretion in BLP-stimulated macrophages, suggesting that PGD2 could regulate the secretion of cytokines and chemokines in E. coli-, LPS- or BLP-stimulated macrophages. Furthermore, exogenous PGD2 regulates the secretion of cytokines and chemokines through activation of MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathways after E. coli-, LPS- or BLP stimulation in macrophages. Taken together, PGD2 is found able to regulate E. coli-induced inflammatory responses through TLR2, TLR4, and NLRP3 in macrophages.

2D Heterolayer-Structured MoSe2-Carbon with Fast Kinetics for Sodium-Ion Capacitors.

Two-dimensional (2D) layered MoSe2 has been demonstrated to be a promising electrode material for new energy storage systems. However, its nature of poor conductivity and the undesirable interlayer spacing hinder its further application. In this paper, a general and simple plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition method is proposed to produce 2D heterolayer-structured MoSe2-carbon (MoSe2/C) with carbon atoms inserted in the MoSe2 layers. After morphology optimization, when applying flat-type MoSe2/C-200 nanosheets with an enlarged interlayer spacing of 0.79 nm as the anode and activated carbon as the cathode, the assembled sodium-ion hybrid capacitors can reach a maximum energy/power density of 116.5 W h kg-1/107.5 W kg-1 and exhibit superior cycling durability (91.3% capacitance retention after 4000 cycles at 1 A g-1). The good electrochemical property can be ascribed to the enlarged interlayer spacing that can offer fast diffusion channels for Na ions, and the carbon layer sandwiched in the MoSe2 layer can not only enhance the electron transfer, accelerating the reaction kinetics, but also alleviate the volume change of MoSe2, ensuring the good stability of the electrode. The proposed approach can also be extended to other 2D transition metal chalcogenide (TMC) materials for constructing the TMC/C heterostructures for the application in energy storage systems.

3-dimensional analysis of hard- and soft-tissue symmetry in a Chinese population.

BACKGROUND: Facial symmetry severely affects appearance and function. Large numbers of patients seek orthodontic treatment to improve facial symmetry. However, the correlation between hard- and soft-tissue symmetry is still unclear. Our aim was to investigate the hard- and soft-tissue symmetry in subjects with different levels of menton deviation and sagittal skeletal classes with 3D digital analysis and to investigate the relationship between the entire and individual hard- and soft-tissues. METHODS: A total of 270 adults (135 males and 135 females) consisting of 45 subjects of each sex in each sagittal skeletal classification group. All subjects were further classified into relative symmetry (RS), moderate asymmetry (MA) and severe asymmetry (SA) groups based on the degree of menton deviation from the mid-sagittal plane (MSP). The 3D images were segmented into anatomical structures and mirrored across the MSP after establishing a coordinate system. Original and mirrored images were registered by a best-fit algorithm, and the corresponding root mean square (RMS) values and colormap were obtained. The Mann‒Whitney U test and Spearman correlation were conducted for statistical analysis. RESULTS: The RMS increased with greater deviations with regard to the deviation of the menton in most of anatomical structures. Asymmetry was represented in the same way regardless of sagittal skeletal pattern. The soft-tissue asymmetry had a significant correlation with dentition in the RS group (0.409), while in the SA group, it was related to the ramus (0.526) and corpus (0.417) in males and was related to the ramus in the MA (0.332) and SA (0.359) groups in females. CONCLUSIONS: The mirroring method combining CBCT and 3dMD provides a new approach for symmetry analysis. Asymmetry might not be influenced by sagittal skeletal patterns. Soft-tissue asymmetry might be reduced by improving the dentition in individuals with RS group, while among those with MA or SA, whose menton deviation was larger than 2 mm, orthognathic treatment should be considered.

Spheres Multiple Physical Network-Based Triboelectric Materials for Self-Powered Contactless Sensing.

Non-contact mode triboelectric nanogenerators effectively avoid physical contact between two triboelectric materials and achieve long-term reliable operation, providing broad application prospects in the field of self-powered sensing. However, the low surface charge density of triboelectric materials restricts application of contactless sensing. Herein, by controlling Rayleigh Instability deformation of the spinning jet and vapor-induced phase separation during electrostatic spinning, a polyvinylidene fluoride@Mxene (Ti3 C2 Tx ) composite film with spheres multiple physical network structures is prepared and utilized as the triboelectric material of a self-powered contactless sensor. The structure of the composite film and high conductivity of Ti3 C2 Tx provide triboelectric materials with high output performance (charge output and power output up to 128 µC m-2 and 200 µW cm-2 at 2 Hz) and high output stability. The self-powered contactless sensor shows excellent speed sensitivity (1.175 Vs m-1 ). Additionally, it could accurately identify the motion states such as running (55 mV), jumping (105 mV), and walking (40 mV) within the range of 70 cm, and present the signals in different pop forms. This work lays a solid foundation for the development and application of high-performance triboelectric materials, and has guiding significance for the research of self-powered contactless sensing.

Staphylococcus aureus lipoproteins play crucial roles in inducing inflammatory responses and bacterial internalization into bovine mammary epithelial cells.

Bovine mastitis is caused by bacterial infection and characterized by inflammatory and infectious processes. Staphylococcus aureus frequently causes subclinical mastitis in dairy cows. In this study, we aimed to investigate the roles of S. aureus lipoproteins in inducing inflammatory responses and in mediating bacterial internalization into bovine mammary epithelial cells (bMECs). The results showed that TLR2 expression in bMECs infected with S. aureus isogenic mutant deficient in lipoprotein maturation was decreased compared to that in bMECs infected with wild-type S. aureus. Lipoproteins from S. aureus and the engagement of TLR2 were essential for inducing the activation of MAPK and NF-κB signaling, and stimulating the secretion of the inflammatory mediators tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 8 (CXCL8). The production of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and the expression of PTGS2 in S. aureus-infected bMECs were dependent on the presence of bacterial lipoproteins. Furthermore, bacterial lipoproteins contributed to S. aureus internalization into bMECs. These findings suggest the S. aureus lipoproteins are key immunobiologically active compounds that trigger inflammatory responses in bMECs and play an important role in S. aureus internalization into bMECs.

TLR2, TLR4, and NLRP3 mediated the balance between host immune-driven resistance and tolerance in Staphylococcus aureus-infected mice.

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a gram-positive pathogen that can cause infectious diseases in mammals. S. aureus-induced host innate immune responses have a relationship with Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2), TLR4, and Nod-like receptor pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3). However, the detailed roles of TLR2, TLR4, and NLRP3 in regulating the host inflammatory response to S. aureus infection remain unclear. Our data indicated that the S. aureus-induced mortality was aggravated by deficiency of TLR2, TLR4, and NLRP3 in mice. In the subsequent experiment, we found that during S. aureus infection, the roles of TLR2, TLR4, and NLRP3 seemed to be different at multiple timepoints. The deficiency of TLR2, TLR4, or NLRP3 attenuated the expression of High-mobility group box protein 1 (HMGB1) and Hyaluronic acid-binding protein 2 (HABP2), which is accompanied by decreased proinflammatory cytokine (TNF-α), chemokine (RANTES), and anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-10) production in lungs and serum at 3 h and 6 h post-infection. However, with S. aureus infection prolonged (24 h post-infection), the trend was diametrically opposite. The results showed that deficiency of TLR2, TLR4, or NLRP3 aggravated HABP2 and HMGB1 expression, which is accompanied by enhanced proinflammatory cytokine (TNF-α), chemokine (RANTES), and anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-10) production in lungs and serum. These results were consistent with the data observed in S. aureus-infected bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs). All these results suggested that during S. aureus infection, TLR2, TLR4, and NLRP3 has time-dependent effect in regulating the balance between immune-driven resistance and tolerance.

Self-regulation mechanism difference of Chlorella vulgaris and Scenedesmus obliquus in toxic sludge extract caused by hydroquinone biodegradation.

Chlorella vulgaris (C. vulgaris) and Scenedesmus obliquus (S. obliquus) were compared to remove toxicity under conditions of sludge extract cultivation for 30 days. The toxicity of sludge extract, the growth characteristics, photosynthetic pigment, superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzyme and catalase (CAT) enzyme activities of the two microalgae were studied by contrast. The results showed that small molecular organic matter (<500 Da) was more easily utilized by microalgae. The toxicity in the toxic group of C. vulgaris and S. obliquus on the 30th day decreased to 56.8 ± 1.2% and 60.7 ± 2.8%, respectively. In the toxic group, the maximal SOD enzyme activity of C. vulgaris and S. obliquus were 2.02 U/mg proteins and 8.21 U/mg proteins, respectively, demonstrating that toxicity caused more oxidative damage to S. obliquus than to C. vulgaris. Proteomics analysis revealed that C. vulgaris mainly regulates energy synthesis and distribution primarily through sugar metabolism, and biomass synthesis primarily through carbon metabolism, whereas S. obliquus mainly regulates energy synthesis and distribution primarily through sugar metabolism and oxidative phosphorylation, resulting in sludge toxicity stress regulation.

Plateletcrit for predicting prognosis in patients with hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome caused by pyrrolizidine alkaloid.

BACKGROUND: Platelet index was reported to be used as a potential prognostic marker in patients with liver fibrosis. We aimed to explore the association between plateletcrit (PCT) and severity of hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (HSOS). METHODS: Seventy consecutive patients who diagnosed as HSOS by CT and medical history during January 2017-November 2021 were included. All patients were divided into two groups which confirmed as favorable prognosis and poor prognosis on the basis of Child-Turcotte-Pugh score system. The clinical manifestation and laboratory parameters of two groups were retrospectively selected. PCT was evaluated within two groups, and the diagnostic accuracy was evaluated by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. RESULTS: The significant difference between the two groups not only in diarrhea, abdominal pain, abdominal distention, urine volume, and skin ecchymosis (p < 0.005), but also in WBC count, NE count, PLT count, TBIL, and D-Dimer (p < 0.005) were found. The PCT level was significantly higher in HSOS patients with poor prognosis (0.169 ± 0.060) than favorable prognosis patients (0.110 ± 0.047). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of RDW in predicting poor prognosis was 0.781, with 67.70% sensitivity and 79.5%specificity. CONCLUSIONS: The PCT level was correlated positively with the poor prognosis in HSOS patients. PCT can be a promising indicator for predicting prognosis in HSOS.

Effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (Glomus mosseae) and elevated air temperature on Cd migration in the rhizosphere soil of alfalfa.

Cadmium (Cd) migration in the rhizosphere soil is easily affected by plants and microorganisms. Global warming significantly affects plant growth, and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can chelate heavy metals by mycelium, cell wall components, and mycelial secretion. Here, we investigated the regulation of Glomus mosseae on Cd migration in the rhizosphere soil of alfalfa under elevated temperature (ET, + 3 °C). Elevated temperature significantly decreased G. mosseae colonization rate in the roots by 49.5% under Cd exposure. Under ET + G. mosseae + Cd relative to ET + Cd, the contents of free amino acids, total and easily extractable glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP), and root Cd increased significantly; however, the changes in DTPA-Cd in the rhizosphere soil and Cd in the shoots were insignificant. In addition, G. mosseae colonization enhanced the bioconcentration factor of Cd in the roots and the total removal rate of Cd in the rhizosphere soil by 63.4% and 16.3%, respectively, under ET + Cd. However, the changes in the expression of iron-regulated transport 1 (IRT1) and natural resistance-associated macrophage protein 1 genes were insignificant under ET + G. mosseae + Cd relative to ET + Cd. In summary, temperature and G. mosseae significantly affected Cd fate in the rhizosphere soil, and IRT1 gene and rhizosphere soil pH, N, and C/N ratio were significant factors influencing Cd migration. Additionally, G. mosseae improved the remediation efficiency of Cd-contaminated soils by alfalfa under ET. The results will help us understand the regulation of AMF on the phytoremediation of heavy metal-contaminated soils under global warming scenarios.

Identification, Characterization and Expression Profiling of the RS Gene Family during the Withering Process of White Tea in the Tea Plant (Camellia sinensis) Reveal the Transcriptional Regulation of CsRS8.

Raffinose synthetase (RS) is a key enzyme in the process of raffinose (Raf) synthesis and is involved in plant development and stress responses through regulating Raf content. As a sweetener, Raf makes an important contribution to the sweet taste of white tea. However, studies on the identification, analysis and transcriptional regulation of CsRSs (Camellia sinensis RS genes) are still lacking. In this study, nine CsRSs were identified from the tea plant (Camellia sinensis) genome database. The CsRSs were classified into five groups in the phylogenetic tree. Expression level analysis showed that the CsRSs varied in different parts of the tea plant. Transcriptome data showed that CsRSs could respond to persistent drought and cold acclimation. Except for CsRS5 and CsRS9, the expression pattern of all CsRSs increased at 12 h and decreased at 30 h during the withering process of white tea, consistent with the change trend of the Raf content. Furthermore, combining yeast one-hybrid assays with expression analysis, we found that CsDBB could potentially regulate the expression of CsRS8. Our results provide a new perspective for further research into the characterization of CsRS genes and the formation of the white tea flavour.

Social Hierarchy Dictates Intestinal Radiation Injury in a Gut Microbiota-Dependent Manner.

Social hierarchy governs the physiological and biochemical behaviors of animals. Intestinal radiation injuries are common complications connected with radiotherapy. However, it remains unclear whether social hierarchy impacts the development of radiation-induced intestinal toxicity. Dominant mice exhibited more serious intestinal toxicity following total abdominal irradiation compared with their subordinate counterparts, as judged by higher inflammatory status and lower epithelial integrity. Radiation-elicited changes in gut microbiota varied between dominant and subordinate mice, being more overt in mice of higher status. Deletion of gut microbes by using an antibiotic cocktail or restructuring of the gut microecology of dominant mice by using fecal microbiome from their subordinate companions erased the difference in radiogenic intestinal injuries. Lactobacillus murinus and Akkermansia muciniphila were both found to be potential probiotics for use against radiation toxicity in mouse models without social hierarchy. However, only Akkermansia muciniphila showed stable colonization in the digestive tracts of dominant mice, and significantly mitigated their intestinal radiation injuries. Our findings demonstrate that social hierarchy impacts the development of radiation-induced intestinal injuries, in a manner dependent on gut microbiota. The results also suggest that the gut microhabitats of hosts determine the colonization and efficacy of foreign probiotics. Thus, screening suitable microbial preparations based on the gut microecology of patients might be necessary in clinical application.

Efficiency evaluation of maxillary molar distalization using Invisalign based on palatal rugae registration.

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to compare the predicted maxillary molar distalization with the achieved clinical outcome using the palatal rugae area for registration and superimposition of digital models. Understanding Invisalign efficiency may assist clinicians in predicting changes, thus applying specific measures to minimize the chance of midcourse correction later. METHODS: The study sample included 38 patients with a mean age of 25.4 years, eligible for Invisalign treatment and requiring distalization of maxillary molars. Two digital models were acquired using iTero intraoral scanner (Align Technology, Santa Clara, Calif) before treatment and after maxillary first and second molar distalization. The 2 digital models were superimposed using the palatal rugae area for registration. The predicted tooth movement compared to the achieved values. One hundred forty-two maxillary molars (71 first molar and 71 second molar) were measured for distal movement, and 228 maxillary anterior teeth were evaluated for anterior anchorage loss. RESULTS: The predicted distal movement of the maxillary first molar (P <0.0001) and maxillary second molar (P <0.0001) differed significantly from the actual values. There was a statistically significant correlation between the amount of distal molar movement and the amount of anchorage loss (r = 0.3900, P <0.008) for the central incisor, and (r = 0.3595, P <0.013) for the lateral incisor. CONCLUSIONS: Invisalign can be used successfully for adult patients requiring maxillary molar distalization when a mean distalization movement of 2.6 mm was prescribed. Clinicians should be aware of the countereffect if maxillary molars are planned to move distally, especially if the patient presented initially with a large overjet, so the need to prescribe overcorrection or the use of auxiliaries can be addressed earlier.

Lip morphology estimation models based on three-dimensional images in a modern adult population from China.

Lips are the main part of the lower facial soft tissue and are vital to forensic facial approximation (FFA). Facial soft tissue thickness (FSTT) and linear measurements in three dimensions are used in the quantitative analysis of lip morphology. With most FSTT analysis methods, the surface of soft tissue is unexplicit. Our study aimed to determine FSTT and explore the relationship between the hard and soft tissues of lips in different skeletal occlusions based on cone-beam CT (CBCT) and 3dMD images in a Chinese population. The FSTT of 11 landmarks in CBCT and 29 lip measurements in CBCT and 3dMD of 180 healthy Chinese individuals (90 males, 90 females) between 18 and 30 years were analyzed. The subjects were randomly divided into two groups with different skeletal occlusions distributed equally: 156 subjects in the experimental group to establish the prediction regression formulae of lip morphology and 24 subjects in the test group to assess the accuracy of the formulae. The results indicated that FSTT in the lower lip region varied among different skeletal occlusions. Furthermore, sex discrepancy was noted in the FSTT in midline landmarks and linear measurements. Measurements showing the highest correlation between soft and hard tissues were between total upper lip height and Ns-Pr (0.563 in males, 0.651 in females). The stepwise multiple regression equations were verified to be reliable with an average error of 1.246 mm. The method of combining CBCT with 3dMD provides a new perspective in predicting lip morphology and expands the database for FFA.

A coumarin-based fluorescence sensor for rapid discrimination of cysteine/homocysteine and glutathione under dual excitation wavelengths.

Biological thiols (Cys, Hcy and GSH) are crucial biomolecules in living cells and play indispensable roles in maintaining the redox homeostasis of organisms. But due to their similar molecular structure, the development of effective tools for distinguishing two or three of them remains a great difficulty. Herein, we constructed a sensitive sensor (CB) by connecting the bifunctional fluorescent reagent with coumarin derivatives for simultaneous recognition of these three thiols through different pathways. Free CB had no fluorescence; however, with gradual addition of thiols, the chlorine unit was replaced by sulfhydryl. Furthermore, the intramolecular rearrangement occurred between the amino and sulfhydryl groups of Cys/Hcy and yellow fluorescence was observed at 570 nm. However, GSH with a large structure could not undergo intramolecular rearrangement, and green fluorescence was excited at 505 nm. In this way, Cys/Hcy and GSH can be detected distinctively. Under dual excitation wavelengths, CB exhibited high selectivity and fast response to the three thiols. Furthermore, CB was successfully applied to imaging endogenous and exogenous thiols in living cells and zebrafish, providing us with a reliable tool for thiols recognition.

High-Specific Fluorescence Probe for SO32- Detection and Bioimaging.

It is well known that sulfite (SO32-) plays an indispensable role in various physiological processes. Abnormal levels of SO32- can trigger a wide variety of diseases involving respiratory, nervous and cardiovascular systems. Hence, it is necessary to find an efficient approach for detection of SO32-. In this study, a pyrene derivative, (E)-4-(3-oxo-3-(pyren-1-yl)prop-1-en-1-yl)phenyl acrylate (PPA), was designed and synthesized for monitoring SO32-. The probe possessed simple synthetic steps, excellent anti-interference ability and specific response to SO32- in the presence of other substances. The reaction between PPA and SO32- was ascribed to Michael addition and the detection mechanism was confirmed by HRMS spectra analysis and FTIR analysis. Additionally, PPA responded linearly to detect SO32- within the rang of 0-100 µM. The limit of detection was calculated as low as 0.17 µM in accordance with the recommendation of IUPAC (CDL =3sb/m). Notably, PPA was further applied in biological imaging in HepG2 cells, which provided a possibility to monitor SO32- in vivo.