Pattern of microimplant displacement during maxillary skeletal expander treatment: A cone-beam computed tomography study.

Objective: To analyze the microimplant (MI) displacement pattern on treatment with a maxillary skeletal expander (MSE) using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT).

Methods: Thirty-nine participants (12 males and 27 females; mean age, 18.2 ± 4.

Improvement of Precision in Recombinant Adeno-Associated Virus Infectious Titer Assay with Droplet Digital PCR as an Endpoint Measurement.

Recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) has been utilized successfully for gene delivery for treatment of a variety of human diseases. To sustain the growth of recombinant AAV gene therapy products, there is a critical need for the development of accurate and robust analytical methods. Fifty percent tissue culture infectious dose (TCID) assay is an cell-based method widely used to determine AAV infectivity, and this assay is historically viewed as a challenge due to its high variability.

Disaster risk management system in Vietnam: progress and challenges.

Background: Vietnam is one of the countries most impacted by disasters in Asia- Pacific. Floods, droughts and storms are the most common catastrophes. These risks endanger millions of lives and create massive financial and production losses.

A simple strategy for addition of degron tags to endogenous genes harboring prior insertions of fluorescent protein.

There exist insufficient validated "entry portal" sites in the genome for CRISPR/Cas9-dependent insertion into endogenous genes to confer diverse spatiotemporal patterns and levels of expression on exogenous sequences. Consequently, we recognized the most common potential "entry portal" sequences: genes previously tagged with fluorescent proteins using CRISPR/Cas9. As proof of concept, we used existing mKate2-encoding sequences inserted in the 5' end of genes as an insertion point for the auxin inducible degron, AID*.

An expanded auxin-inducible degron toolkit for Caenorhabditis elegans.

The auxin-inducible degron (AID) system has emerged as a powerful tool to conditionally deplete proteins in a range of organisms and cell types. Here, we describe a toolkit to augment the use of the AID system in Caenorhabditis elegans. We have generated a set of single-copy, tissue-specific (germline, intestine, neuron, muscle, pharynx, hypodermis, seam cell, anchor cell) and pan-somatic TIR1-expressing strains carrying a co-expressed blue fluorescent reporter to enable use of both red and green channels in experiments.

Insulated Switches: Dual-Function Protein RalGEF Promotes Developmental Fidelity.

The vulva is an excellent model for the study of developmental biology and cell-cell signaling. The developmental induction of vulval precursor cells (VPCs) to assume the 3°-3°-2°-1°-2°-3° patterning of cell fates occurs with 99.8% accuracy.

The Rheb-TORC1 signaling axis functions as a developmental checkpoint.

In many eukaryotes, the small GTPase Rheb functions as a switch to toggle activity of TOR complex 1 (TORC1) between anabolism and catabolism, thus controlling lifespan, development and autophagy. Our CRISPR-generated, fluorescently tagged endogenous RHEB-1 and DAF-15/Raptor are expressed ubiquitously and localize to lysosomes. LET-363/TOR and DAF-15/Raptor are required for development beyond the third larval stage (L3).

Ral Signals through a MAP4 Kinase-p38 MAP Kinase Cascade in C. elegans Cell Fate Patterning.

C. elegans vulval precursor cell (VPC) fates are patterned by an epidermal growth factor (EGF) gradient. High-dose EGF induces 1° VPC fate, and lower dose EGF contributes to 2° fate in support of LIN-12/Notch.

Design Optimization of Hybrid-Switch Soft-Switching Inverters Using Multiscale Electrothermal Simulation.

A multiscale electrothermal simulation approach is presented to optimize the design of a hybrid switch soft-switching inverter using a library of dynamic electrothermal component models parameterized in terms of electrical, structural, and material properties. Individual device area, snubber capacitor, and gate drive timing are used to minimize the total loss of the soft-switching inverter module subject to the design constraints including total device area and minimum on-time consideration. The proposed multiscale electrothermal simulation approach allows for a large number of parametric studies involving multiple design variables to be considered, drastically reducing simulation time.

Disordered eating behaviors in university students in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Background: The aim of the study was to examine disordered eating behaviors in university students in Vietnam.

Methods: A total of 244 female university students participated, and 203 data could be analyzed. The Body Mass Index, the SCOFF screening questionnaire and the Eating Disorder Inventory 2 were used to explore disordered eating behaviors.

Cyclohexane-1,2-dicarboxylic acid diisononyl ester and metabolite effects on rat epididymal stromal vascular fraction differentiation of adipose tissue.

Plastics are generally mixed with additives like plasticizers to enhance their flexibility, pliability, and elasticity proprieties. Plasticizers are easily released into the environment and are absorbed mainly through ingestion, dermal contact, and inhalation. One of the main classes of plasticizers, phthalates, has been associated with endocrine and reproductive diseases.

Disruption of rat testis development following combined in utero exposure to the phytoestrogen genistein and antiandrogenic plasticizer di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate.

Fetal exposure to environmental endocrine disruptors (EDs) is thought to contribute to reported idiopathic increases in adult male reproductive abnormalities. Although humans are exposed to myriad EDs from conception to adulthood, few studies have evaluated the effects of combined EDs on male reproduction. In the present study, we demonstrate that simultaneous gestational exposure to the phytoestrogen genistein and the antiandrogenic plasticizer di-(2-ethyhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) induces long-term alterations in testis development and function.

Cell-permeable parkin proteins suppress Parkinson disease-associated phenotypes in cultured cells and animals.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder of complex etiology characterized by the selective loss of dopaminergic neurons, particularly in the substantia nigra. Parkin, a tightly regulated E3 ubiquitin ligase, promotes the survival of dopaminergic neurons in both PD and Parkinsonian syndromes induced by acute exposures to neurotoxic agents. The present study assessed the potential of cell-permeable parkin (CP-Parkin) as a neuroprotective agent.

VEGFD regulates blood vascular development by modulating SOX18 activity.

Vascular endothelial growth factor-D (VEGFD) is a potent pro-lymphangiogenic molecule during tumor growth and is considered a key therapeutic target to modulate metastasis. Despite roles in pathological neo-lymphangiogenesis, the characterization of an endogenous role for VEGFD in vascular development has remained elusive. Here, we used zebrafish to assay for genetic interactions between the Vegf/Vegf-receptor pathway and SoxF transcription factors and identified a specific interaction between Vegfd and Sox18.

PTRF/Cavin-1 decreases prostate cancer angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis.

Caveolae are specialized plasma membrane subdomains implicated in cellular functions such as migration, signalling and trafficking. Caveolin-1 and polymerase I and transcript release factor (PTRF)/cavin-1 are essential for caveola formation. Caveolin-1 is overexpressed and secreted in prostate tumors and promotes aggressiveness and angiogenesis.

The effect of intracellular protein delivery on the anti-tumor activity of recombinant human endostatin.

Endostatin (ES), a 20 kDa protein derived from the carboxy-terminus of collagen XVIII is a potent angiogenesis inhibitor, but clinical development has been hindered by poor clinical efficacy and insufficient functional information from which to design agents with improved activity. The present study investigated protein uptake by cells as a determinant of ES activity. We developed a cell-permeable ES protein (HM73ES) with enhanced capacity to enter cells by adding a macromolecule transduction domain (MTD).

Antitumor activity of cell-permeable RUNX3 protein in gastric cancer cells.

Purpose: Gastric cancer is a leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Limited therapeutic options highlight the need to understand the molecular changes responsible for the disease and to develop therapies based on this understanding. The goal of this study was to develop cell-permeable (CP-) forms of the RUNT-related transcription factor 3, RUNX3-a candidate tumor suppressor implicated in gastric and other epithelial cancers-to study the therapeutic potential of RUNX3 in the treatment of gastric cancer.

Antitumor activity of cell-permeable p18(INK4c) with enhanced membrane and tissue penetration.

Practical methods to deliver proteins systemically in animals have been hampered by poor tissue penetration and inefficient cytoplasmic localization of internalized proteins. We therefore pursued the development of improved macromolecule transduction domains (MTDs) and tested their ability to deliver therapeutically active p18(INK4c). MTD103 was identified from a screen of 1,500 signal peptides; tested for the ability to promote protein uptake by cells and tissues; and analyzed with regard to the mechanism of protein uptake and the delivery of biologically active p18(INK4c) into cancer cells.

Genetic ablation of SOX18 function suppresses tumor lymphangiogenesis and metastasis of melanoma in mice.

The lymphatic vasculature provides a major route for tumor metastasis and inhibiting neolymphangiogenesis induced by tumors can reduce metastasis in animal models. Developmental biology studies have identified the transcription factor SOX18 as a critical switch for lymphangiogenesis in the mouse embryo. Here, we show that SOX18 is also critical for tumor-induced lymphangiogenesis, and we show that suppressing SOX18 function is sufficient to impede tumor metastasis.

Tumor lymphangiogenesis as a potential therapeutic target.

Metastasis the spread of cancer cells to distant organs, is the main cause of death for cancer patients. Metastasis is often mediated by lymphatic vessels that invade the primary tumor, and an early sign of metastasis is the presence of cancer cells in the regional lymph node (the first lymph node colonized by metastasizing cancer cells from a primary tumor). Understanding the interplay between tumorigenesis and lymphangiogenesis (the formation of lymphatic vessels associated with tumor growth) will provide us with new insights into mechanisms that modulate metastatic spread.