Tooth Discoloration from 2 Silver Fluorides Used in Adults with Special Needs: A Randomized Trial

BACKGROUND

Discoloration of carious lesions after application of silver diamine fluoride lowers patient acceptance and limits its wider use for caries arrest.

OBJECTIVE

To assess lesion and tooth color changes from 2 novel silver fluoride (AgF) products and its relationship to caries activity (clinical visuo-tactile scores) and bacterial load (using laser fluorescence with the DIAGNOdent).

METHODS

A split-mouth design was followed, with matched smooth surface carious lesions in the same arch in adults with special needs randomized for 1-min treatments with AgF/potassium iodide (KI) (Riva Star Aqua, SDI) and AgF/stannous fluoride (SnF2) (Caries Status Disclosing Solution; Whiteley). Standardized images taken at baseline, immediately postoperatively, and at 3-mo review were subjected to digital image analysis to calculate delta-E and to track changes in luminosity of carious lesions.

RESULTS

Twelve participants were recruited in the study. A total of 56 teeth (28 pairs) were included. Significantly greater changes were seen in treated lesions than in the adjacent noncarious natural tooth structure, both immediately after treatment and at the 3-mo review (P < 0.0001). Color change and caries activity were not affected by tooth type, tooth location, plaque status, salivary status, or special needs condition. AgF/SnF2 caused transitory darkening immediately on application, while AgF/KI caused the immediate formation of yellow deposits (silver iodide). Both products caused significant darkening of treated lesions at 3 mo (P = 0.0009; P = 0.0361), with no differences between them (P = 0.506). Responding lesions showed larger and more perceptible color changes immediately after either AgF application (P = 0.002; P = 0.024).

CONCLUSIONS

Both AgF products were highly effective for caries arrest in this patient population. Despite minor differences in the appearance of treated lesions at the time of application, both products lead to similar darkening of treated sites at 3 mo.

KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER STATEMENT

This study shows the usefulness of silver fluoride used in conjunction with potassium iodide or stannous fluoride for achieving caries arrest in smooth surface lesions in adults with special needs. Patients need to be informed that long-term staining of the lesion occurs with both, similar to silver diamine fluoride.

A splice acceptor variant in RGS6 associated with intellectual disability, microcephaly, and cataracts disproportionately promotes expression of a subset of RGS6 isoforms

Intellectual disability (ID) is associated with an increased risk of developing psychiatric disorders, suggesting a common underlying genetic factor. Importantly, altered signaling and/or expression of regulator of G protein signaling 6 (RGS6) is associated with ID and numerous psychiatric disorders. RGS6 is highly conserved and undergoes complex alternative mRNA splicing producing ~36 protein isoforms with high sequence similarity historically necessitating a global approach in functional studies. However, our recent analysis in mice revealed RGS6 is most highly expressed in CNS with RGS6L(+GGL) isoforms predominating. A previously reported genetic variant in intron 17 of RGS6 (c.1369-1G>C), associated with ID, may provide further clues into RGS6L(+GGL) isoform functional delineation. This variant was predicted to alter a highly conserved canonical 3' acceptor site creating an alternative branch point within exon 18 (included in a subset of RGS6L(+GGL) transcripts) and a frameshift forming an early stop codon. We previously identified this alternative splice site and demonstrated its use generates RGS6Lζ(+GGL) isoforms. Here, we show that the c.1369-1G>C variant disrupts the canonical, preferred (>90%) intron 17 splice site and leads to the exclusive use of the alternate exon 18 splice site, inducing disproportionate expression of a subset of isoforms, particularly RGS6Lζ(+GGL). Furthermore, RGS6 global knockout mice do not exhibit ID. Thus, ID caused by the c.1369-1G>C variant likely results from altered RGS6 isoform expression, rather than RGS6 isoform loss. In summary, these studies highlight the importance of proper RGS6 splicing and identify a previously unrecognized role of G protein signaling in ID.

Near-Infrared Rechargeable Persistent Luminescence Nanoparticles for Biomedical Implants In Vivo Noninvasive Bioimaging

Luminescent imaging has garnered significant attention for in vivo tracking of biomedical implants during and after surgery due to its human friendliness, affordability, and high sensitivity. However, conventional fluorescent probes are susceptible to background autofluorescence interference from living tissues, often resulting in poor signal-to-noise ratios. Herein, we report a background interference-free persistent luminescent implant (PLI) with excellent persistent luminescence (PL) performance, which can be clearly and long-term detected by an optical imaging system after implantation. Rechargeable near-infrared persistent luminescence nanoparticles (PLNPs) were prepared first via a simple hydrothermal approach and then modified by PEGylation to improve their hydrophilicity, biocompatibility, and compatibility with polymer substrates. The PEGylated PLNPs were facilely complexed into a polymer matrix to fabricate the PLI. The obtained PLIs can well inherit the PL properties of PLNPs, exhibiting good PL optical imaging performance without tissue autofluorescence interference. Furthermore, both PLNPs and PLIs possess good biocompatibility, and the addition of PLNPs has no negative impact on the biocompatibility of the polymer matrix. This work fully utilizes the luminescent properties of PLNPs and adapts this PL to the field of biomedical implant imaging, which provides new insight for designing biomedical imaging systems.

Polyphenol-mediated sandwich-like coating promotes endothelialization and vascular healing

Drug-eluting stents have become one of the most effective methods to treat cardiovascular diseases. However, this therapeutic strategy may lead to thrombosis, stent restenosis, and intimal hyperplasia and prevent re-endothelialization. In this study, we selected 3-aminophenylboronic acid-modified hyaluronic acid and carboxylate chitosan as polyelectrolyte layers and embedded an epigallocatechin-3-gallate-tanshinone IIA sulfonic sodium (EGCG-TSS) complex to develop a sandwich-like layer-by-layer coating. The introduction of a functional molecular EGCG-TSS complex improved not only the biocompatibility of the coating but also its stability by enriching the interaction between the polyelectrolyte coatings through electrostatic interactions, hydrogen bonding, π-π stacking, and covalent bonding. We further elucidated the effectiveness of sandwich-like coatings in regulating the inflammatory response, smooth muscle cell growth behavior, stent thrombosis and restenosis suppression, and vessel re-endothelialization acceleration via in vivo and in vitro. Conclusively, we demonstrated that sandwich-like coating assisted by an EGCG-TSS complex may be an effective surface modification strategy for cardiovascular therapeutic applications.

Near-Infrared Remotely Controllable Shape Memory Biodegradable Occluder Based on Poly(l-lactide-co-ε-caprolactone)/Gold Nanorod Composite

Biodegradable occluders, which can efficiently eliminate the complications caused by permanent foreign implants, are considered to be the next-generation devices for the interventional treatment of congenital heart disease. However, the controllability of the deployment process of degradable occluders remains a challenge. In this work, a near-infrared (NIR) remotely controllable biodegradable occluder is explored by integrating poly(l-lactide-co-ε-caprolactone) (PLCL) with poly(ethylene glycol)-modified gold nanorods (GNR/PEG). The caprolactone structural units can effectively increase the toughness of poly(l-lactide) and reduce the shape-memory transition temperature of the occluder to a more tissue-friendly temperature. Gold nanorods endow the PLCL-GNR/PEG composite with an excellent photothermal effect. The obtained occluder can be easily loaded into a catheter for transport and spatiotemporally expanded under irradiation with near-infrared light to block the defect site. Both in vitro and in vivo biological experiments showed that PLCL-GNR/PEG composites have good biocompatibility, and the PEGylated gold nanorods could improve the hemocompatibility of the composites to a certain extent by enhancing their hydrophilicity. As a thermoplastic shape-memory polymer, PLCL-GNR/PEG can be easily processed into various forms and structures for different patients and lesions. Therefore, PLCL-GNR/PEG has the potential to be considered as a competitive biodegradable material not only for occluders but also for other biodegradable implants.

[A time-series study on the association of ambient temperature with daily outpatient visits of eczema in Huizhou city]

Objective: To explore the impact of environmental temperature exposure on eczema visits. Methods: Eczema clinic data from January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2019 were collected from the Huizhou Dermatology Hospital, and data on meteorological factors (average daily temperature and relative humidity) for the same period were derived from 86 meteorological stations of the Guangdong Provincial Climate Center. A distributed lag nonlinear model (DLNM) was used to assess the lagged effect of environmental temperature exposure on eczema, and a natural smooth spline function was used to control the nonlinear confounding of humidity. Results: There were 254 053 eczema outpatient visits at the Huizhou Dermatology Hospital within four years, with an average of 173.89 visits per day. The relationship between daily average temperature and the number of visits was non-linear (U shape). The risk of eczema increased by 2.20% (1.19%-3.21%) for every 1 ℃ decrease for the low temperature, and increased by 2.35% (1.24%-3.5%) for every 1 ℃ increase for the high temperature. The effect of high temperature was greater than that of low temperature. In all cases, 1.60% (0.44%-2.68%) of eczema outpatient visits were attributed to low temperature and the attributable number was 4 065 (1 128-6 798), while 6.33% (1.40%-10.87%) of eczema outpatient visits were due to high temperature and the attributable number was 16 082 (3 557-27 616). Conclusion: Both high temperature and low temperature are associated with increased risk of eczema.

A Polyphenol-Network-Mediated Coating Modulates Inflammation and Vascular Healing on Vascular Stents

Localized drug delivery from drug-eluting stents (DESs) to target sites provides therapeutic efficacy with minimal systemic toxicity. However, DESs failure may cause thrombosis, delay arterial healing, and impede re-endothelialization. Bivalirudin (BVLD) and nitric oxide (NO) promote arterial healing. Nevertheless, it is difficult to combine hydrophilic signal molecules with hydrophobic antiproliferative drugs while maintaining their bioactivity. Here, we fabricated a micro- to nanoscale network assembly consisting of copper ion and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) via π-π interactions, metal coordination, and oxidative polymerization. The network incorporated rapamycin and immobilized BVLD by the thiol-ene "click" reaction and provided sustained rapamycin and NO release. Unlike rapamycin-eluting stents, those coated with the EGCG-Cu-rapamycin-BVLD complex favored competitive endothelial cell (EC) growth over that of smooth muscle cells, exhibited long-term antithrombotic efficacy, and attenuated the negative impact of rapamycin on the EC. In vivo stent implantation demonstrated that the coating promoted endothelial regeneration and hindered restenosis. Therefore, the polyphenol-network-mediated surface chemistry can be an effective strategy for the engineering of multifunctional surfaces.

Inflammation-Responsive Drug-Loaded Hydrogels with Sequential Hemostasis, Antibacterial, and Anti-Inflammatory Behavior for Chronically Infected Diabetic Wound Treatment

Stimuli-responsive hydrogels possess unique advantages in drug delivery due to their variable performance and status based on the external environment. In the present study, a dual-responsive (pH and reactive oxygen species (ROS)) hydrogel was prepared to realize drug release properties under inflammatory stimulation. By grafting 3-carboxy-phenylboronic acid to the gelatin molecular backbone and cross-linking with poly(vinyl alcohol), we successfully synthesized the inflammation-responsive drug-loaded hydrogels after encapsulation with vancomycin-conjugated silver nanoclusters (VAN-AgNCs) and pH-sensitive micelles loaded with nimesulide (NIM). This novel design not only retained the dynamic functions of hydrogels, such as injectability, self-healing, and remodeling, but also realized sequential and on-demand drug delivery at diabetic-infected wound sites. In this work, we found that the hydrogel exhibited excellent biocompatibility and hemostasis properties owing to the enhanced cell-adhesive property of the gelatin component. The significant antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effect of the hydrogel was demonstrated in an in vitro experiment. Moreover, in the in vivo experiment, the hydrogel was found to play a role in promoting infected wound healing through sequential hemostasis and antibacterial and anti-inflammatory processes. Collectively, this inflammation-responsive hydrogel design containing VAN-AgNCs and NIM-loaded micelles has great potential in the application of chronically infected diabetic wound treatment, as well as in other inflammatory diseases.

Tear inflammatory cytokines and ocular surface changes in patients with active thyroid eye disease treated with high-dose intravenous glucocorticoids

PURPOSE

To evaluate high-dose intravenous glucocorticoid treatment on tear inflammatory cytokines and ocular surface parameters in patients with active TED. Correlations between tear inflammatory cytokines and clinical parameters were also investigated.

METHODS

This prospective pilot study included 15 moderate-to-severe and active TED patients. Control group consist of 15 sex and age-matched healthy subjects. All TED patients were treated with high-dose intravenous methylprednisolone with cumulative dose of 4.5 g during the therapy subdivided into 12 weekly infusions. Tear concentrations of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-17A, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were measured by multiplex bead analysis in TED patients at baseline and 12 weeks after treatment. Ocular surface disease index (OSDI), tear break-up time (TBUT), corneal fluorescent staining, and Schirmer's test were obtained from TED and controls.

RESULTS

All baseline cytokine levels except for IL-17A were significantly elevated in active TED patients compared with controls. Concentrations of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, and VEGF were significantly decreased at 12 weeks compared with baseline. OSDI and TBUT showed significant improvement at 6 and 12 weeks. There were significant positive correlations between IL-6, IL-8, and CAS, and negative correlation was found between IL-6 level and TED duration before methylprednisolone treatment. The reduction of IL-6, IL-8, and VEGF were positive correlated with the reduction in CAS at 12 weeks.

CONCLUSIONS

High-dose glucocorticoids treatment improved ocular surface symptom, increased the tear film stability, and decreased tear inflammatory cytokines in active TED. The reduction of the inflammatory cytokines is consistent with the improvement of clinical parameters.

Circulating miR-374b-5p negatively regulates osteoblast differentiation in the progression of osteoporosis via targeting Wnt3 AND Runx2

Osteoporosis is defined as an aging-related skeletal disorder involving deterioration of bone mass and bone structure, and consequently, increased risk of fractures. Emerging evidence indicates the dysregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs) in the progression of osteoporosis. However, whether such associated miRNAs control osteoblast differentiation or constitute therapeutic targets remains elusive. In the present study, we found elevated circulating miR-374b-5p level associated with postmenopausal osteoporosis. miR-374b-5p served as a critical suppressor of osteoblast differentiation. We further identified that miR-374b-5p directly targeted Wnt family member 3 (Wnt3) and Runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2) through its 3'-untranslated regions (3'UTRs). Moreover, the antagonist of miR-374b-5p could promote bone formation in ovariectomy (OVX)-induced mice. Together, our results revealed that miR-374b-5p directly targeted Wnt3 and Runx2, negatively regulating osteoblast differentiation and bone formation. Collectively, circulating miR-374b-5p in the serum might serve as a potential diagnostic and therapeutic strategy for osteoporosis.

Identification of genetic loci associated with growth traits at weaning in yak through a genome-wide association study

A multilocus GWAS was performed to explore the genetic architecture of four growth traits in yak. In total, 354 female yaks for which measurements of body weight (BW), withers height (WH), body length (BL) and chest girth (CG) at weaning were available underwent genotyping with the Illumina BovineHD BeadChip (770K). After quality control, we retained 98 688 SNPs and 354 animals for GWAS analysis. We identified seven, 18, seven and nine SNPs (corresponding to seven, 17, seven and eight candidate genes) associated with BW, WH, BL and CG at weaning respectively. Interestingly, most of these candidate genes were reported to be involved in growth-related processes such as muscle formation, lipid deposition, feed efficiency, carcass composition and development of the central and peripheral nervous system. Our results offer novel insight into the molecular architecture underpinning yak growth traits. Further functional analyses are thus warranted to explore the molecular mechanisms whereby these genes affect these traits of interest.

Balance of Emission and Dynamical Controls on Ozone During the Korea-United States Air Quality Campaign From Multiconstituent Satellite Data Assimilation

Global multiconstituent concentration and emission fields obtained from the assimilation of the satellite retrievals of ozone, CO, NO2, HNO3, and SO2 from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI), Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment 2, Measurements of Pollution in the Troposphere, Microwave Limb Sounder, and Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS)/OMI are used to understand the processes controlling air pollution during the Korea-United States Air Quality (KORUS-AQ) campaign. Estimated emissions in South Korea were 0.42 Tg N for NO x and 1.1 Tg CO for CO, which were 40% and 83% higher, respectively, than the a priori bottom-up inventories, and increased mean ozone concentration by up to 7.5 ± 1.6 ppbv. The observed boundary layer ozone exceeded 90 ppbv over Seoul under stagnant phases, whereas it was approximately 60 ppbv during dynamical conditions given equivalent emissions. Chemical reanalysis showed that mean ozone concentration was persistently higher over Seoul (75.10 ± 7.6 ppbv) than the broader KORUS-AQ domain (70.5 ± 9.2 ppbv) at 700 hPa. Large bias reductions (>75%) in the free tropospheric OH show that multiple-species assimilation is critical for balanced tropospheric chemistry analysis and emissions. The assimilation performance was dependent on the particular phase. While the evaluation of data assimilation fields shows an improved agreement with aircraft measurements in ozone (to less than 5 ppbv biases), CO, NO2, SO2, PAN, and OH profiles, lower tropospheric ozone analysis error was largest at stagnant conditions, whereas the model errors were mostly removed by data assimilation under dynamic weather conditions. Assimilation of new AIRS/OMI ozone profiles allowed for additional error reductions, especially under dynamic weather conditions. Our results show the important balance of dynamics and emissions both on pollution and the chemical assimilation system performance.

Magnetic-Field Tuning of Light-Induced Superconductivity in Striped La_{2-x}Ba_{x}CuO_{4}

Optical excitation of stripe-ordered La_{2-x}Ba_{x}CuO_{4} has been shown to transiently enhance superconducting tunneling between the CuO_{2} planes. This effect was revealed by a blueshift, or by the appearance of a Josephson plasma resonance in the terahertz-frequency optical properties. Here, we show that this photoinduced state can be strengthened by the application of high external magnetic fields oriented along the c axis. For a 7 T field, we observe up to a tenfold enhancement in the transient interlayer phase correlation length, accompanied by a twofold increase in the relaxation time of the photoinduced state. These observations are highly surprising, since static magnetic fields suppress interlayer Josephson tunneling and stabilize stripe order at equilibrium. We interpret our data as an indication that optically enhanced interlayer coupling in La_{2-x}Ba_{x}CuO_{4} does not originate from a simple optical melting of stripes, as previously hypothesized. Rather, we speculate that the photoinduced state may emerge from activated tunneling between optically excited stripes in adjacent planes.

Realizing Crack Diagnosing and Self-Healing by Electricity with a Dynamic Crosslinked Flexible Polyurethane Composite

Combining self-healing functions with damage diagnosing, which can achieve timely healing autonomously, is expected to improve the reliability and reduce life cycle cost of materials. Here, a flexible conductive composite composed of a dynamically crosslinked polyurethane bearing Diels-Alder bonds (PUDA) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs), which possess both crack diagnosing and self-healing functions, is reported. The introduced dynamic Diels-Alder bonds endow the materials self-healing function and the powder-based preparation route based on the specially designed CNTs-coated PUDA micropowders leads to the formation of segregated CNTs network, which makes the composite possess excellent mechanical properties and high conductivity. Because of the sufficient electrothermal and photothermal effect of CNTs, the composites can be healed rapidly and repeatedly by electricity or near-infrared light based on the retro-Diels-Alder reaction. An obvious color difference in the infrared thermograph resulting from the resistance difference between damaged and undamaged area can be observed when applying the voltage, which can be used for crack diagnosing. Using the same electrical circuit, the crack in the PUDA/CNTs composite can be noninvasively detected first and then be autonomously healed. The composites also exhibit a strain-sensing function with good sensitivity and high reliability, thus will have potential applications in electronic strain sensors.

Preparation of hollow polyurethane microspheres with tunable surface structures via electrospraying technology

For the first time, electrospraying was employed to fabricate hollow polyurethane microspheres with controlled size and tunable surface morphology.

Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection and its association with lipid profiles

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori, HP) infection in subjects receiving routine physical examination and its associations with age, sex, body mass index (BMI) and lipid profiles.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Clinical information of 22,103 individuals who took routine physical examinations, including that on age, gender, height, weight, triglyceride, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and data of HP infection were collected and analyzed.

RESULTS

H. pylori infection rate in 22,103 subjects taking routine physical examination was 44.5 %. More men tended to be infected with H. pylori than women (45.9 % vs 42.8 %; p < 0.01). The highest positive rate group was in the age group of 30-39 years (46.8 %) and the lowest rate was in the age group younger than 30 years (40.5 %). The obese had higher infection rate than the non-obese (p < 0.01). Mann-Whitney U test was used to explore the relationships between lipid profiles and H. pylori infection. There were significant associations among HDL, triglyceride and HP infection (p < 0.01). However, significant differences were not confirmed between cholesterol, LDL and H. pylori infection.

CONCLUSION

H. pylori infection was common among subjects receiving physical examination in Shanghai and it was most significantly associated with HDL and triglyceride, indicating that H. pylori might be a new cardiovascular risk factor (Tab. 3, Ref. 23).

[A systematic evaluation of the assessment methods of spasmoidc dysphonia]

To review the available subjective and objective evaluation methods used in the assessment of the spasmodic dysphonia.A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed,web of science,EBSCO and Ovid database,date limited from 2000 to 2015,language limited English,using the following key words: "spasmodic dysphonia" OR "spastic dysphonia" AND "evaluat*" OR " diagnosis" OR "treatment" OR "assess*".Screening the titles and abstracts,and reading the full text,studies met the inclusion criteria were enrolled.The references of eligible publications were manually searched to identify additional studies.A total of 967 literatures were retrieved.Finally,twenty-three papers were enrolled in the study according to the inclusion criteria.Evaluation methods were mainly divided into subjective and objective,including perception,subjective self-assessment;and aerodynamic,acoustic analysis,respectively.The assessment of spasmodic dysphonia should be multidimensional.

CCAAT/enhancer binding protein beta protects muscle satellite cells from apoptosis after injury and in cancer cachexia

CCAAT/enhancer binding protein beta (C/EBPβ), a transcription factor expressed in muscle satellite cells (SCs), inhibits the myogenic program and is downregulated early in differentiation. In a conditional null model in which C/EBPβ expression is knocked down in paired box protein 7+ (Pax7+) SCs, cardiotoxin (CTX) injury is poorly repaired, although muscle regeneration is efficient in control littermates. While myoblasts lacking C/EBPβ can differentiate efficiently in culture, after CTX injury poor regeneration was attributed to a smaller than normal Pax7+ population, which was not due to a failure of SCs to proliferate. Rather, the percentage of apoptotic SCs was increased in muscle lacking C/EBPβ. Given that an injury induced by BaCl₂ is repaired with greater efficiency than controls in the absence of C/EBPβ, we investigated the inflammatory response following BaCl₂ and CTX injury and found that the levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), a proinflammatory cytokine, were robustly elevated following CTX injury and could induce C/EBPβ expression in myoblasts. High levels of C/EBPβ expression in myoblasts correlated with resistance to apoptotic stimuli, while its loss increased sensitivity to thapsigargin-induced cell death. Using cancer cachexia as a model for chronic inflammation, we found that C/EBPβ expression was increased in SCs and myoblasts of tumor-bearing cachectic animals. Further, in cachectic conditional knockout animals lacking C/EBPβ in Pax7+ cells, the SC compartment was reduced because of increased apoptosis, and regeneration was impaired. Our findings indicate that the stimulation of C/EBPβ expression by IL-1β following muscle injury and in cancer cachexia acts to promote SC survival, and is therefore a protective mechanism for SCs and myoblasts in the face of inflammation.