Hyperuricemia and elevated uric acid/creatinine ratio are associated with stages III/IV periodontitis: a population-based cross-sectional study (NHANES 2009-2014).

Objectives: To explore the association between hyperuricemia and having periodontitis.

Materials And Methods: A representative cross-sectional dataset of 10,158 adults was extracted from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2009-2014. The association between hyperuricemia (the primary exposure) and having periodontitis (outcome) were evaluated using weighted logistic regression models.

A low-kiloelectronvolt focused ion beam strategy for processing low-thermal-conductance materials with nanoampere currents.

Ion beam-induced heat damage in thermally low conductive specimens such as biological samples is gaining increased interest within the scientific community. This is partly due to the increased use of FIB-SEMs in biology as well as the development of complex materials, such as polymers, which need to be analyzed. The work presented here looks at the physics behind the ion beam-sample interactions and the effect of the incident ion energy (set by the acceleration voltage) on inducing increases in sample temperature and potential heat damage in thermally low conductive materials such as polymers and biological samples.

mm3DSNet: multi-scale and multi-feedforward self-attention 3D segmentation network for CT scans of hepatobiliary ducts.

Image segmentation is a key step of the 3D reconstruction of the hepatobiliary duct tree, which is significant for preoperative planning. In this paper, a novel 3D U-Net variant is designed for CT image segmentation of hepatobiliary ducts from the abdominal CT scans, which is composed of a 3D encoder-decoder and a 3D multi-feedforward self-attention module (MFSAM). To well sufficient semantic and spatial features with high inference speed, the 3D ConvNeXt block is designed as the 3D extension of the 2D ConvNeXt.

Bioceramic micro-fillers reinforce antibiofilm and remineralization properties of clear aligner attachment materials.

Clear aligners, while offering a more hygienic alternative to fixed appliances, are still associated with challenges including plaque accumulation and enamel demineralization. The aim of the present study was to investigate the antibiofilm and remineralization effectiveness of innovative flowable composite attachments containing bioceramic micro-fillers. Four experimental attachments were formulated and bonded to human enamel specimens: 3M Filtek Supreme flowable composite (Filtek SF) + 10% bioactive glass 45S5 (BAG), Filtek SF + 30% BAG, Filtek SF + 10% Bredigite (BRT), Filtek SF + 30% BRT.

SCAN: sequence-based context-aware association network for hepatic vessel segmentation.

Accurate segmentation of hepatic vessel is significant for the surgeons to design the preoperative planning of liver surgery. In this paper, a sequence-based context-aware association network (SCAN) is designed for hepatic vessel segmentation, in which three schemes are incorporated to simultaneously extract the 2D features of hepatic vessels and capture the correlations between adjacent CT slices. The two schemes of slice-level attention module and graph association module are designed to bridge feature gaps between the encoder and the decoder in the low- and high-dimensional spaces.

Engineered adult stem cells: Current clinical trials status of disease treatment.

Regenerative medicine is an interdisciplinary field involving the process of replacing and regenerating cells/tissues or organs by integrating medicine, science, and engineering principles to enhance the intrinsic regenerative capacity of the host. Recently, engineered adult stem cells have gained attention for their potential use in regenerative medicine by reducing inflammation and modulating the immune system. This chapter introduces adult stem cell engineering and chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR T) gene therapy and summarises current engineered stem cell- and extracellular vesicles (EVs)-focused clinical trial studies that provide the basis for the proposal of a personalised medicine approach to diseases diagnosis and treatment.

Clinical usage of dental stem cells and their derived extracellular vesicles.

Stem cell-based therapies remain at the forefront of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine because stem cells are a unique cell source with enormous potential to treat incurable diseases and even extend lifespans. The search for the best stem cell candidates continues to evolve and in recent years, dental stem cells have received significant attention due to their easy accessibility, high plasticity, and multipotential properties. Dental stem cells have been the subject of extensive research in both animal models and human clinical trials over the past two decades, and have demonstrated significant potential in ocular therapy, bone tissue engineering, and, of course, therapeutic applications in dentistry such as regenerative endodontics and periodontal tissue regeneration.

A High-Precision Multi-Beam Optical Measurement Method for Cylindrical Surface Profile.

To automatically measure the surface profile of a cylindrical workpiece, a high-precision multi-beam optical method is proposed in this paper. First, some successive images for the cylindrical workpiece's surface are acquired by a multi-beam angle sensor under different light directions. Then, the light directions are estimated based on the feature regions in the images to calculate surface normal vectors.

Goniothalamin prevents lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury and inflammation via TLR-4/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Goniothalamin (GTN) is a natural compound isolated from Goniothalamus species. It is a potent anti-inflammatory agent. However, there is a paucity of scientific data about its toxicity.

Plasma-activated medium triggers immunomodulation and autophagic activity for periodontal regeneration.

Periodontitis is an infection-induced inflammation, evidenced by an increase in inflammatory macrophage infiltration. Recent research has highlighted the role of plasma-activated medium (PAM) as a regulator of the innate immune system, where macrophages are the main effector cells. This study therefore aims to investigate the immunomodulatory effects of PAM on macrophages and its potential applications for periodontitis management.

mRNA of Salivary Small Extracellular Vesicles in Periodontitis: A Pilot Study.

This cross-sectional pilot study explored extracellular vesicle (EV)-derived gene expression of markers for bone turnover and pro-inflammatory cytokines in periodontal disease. Whole unstimulated saliva was collected from 52 participants (18 healthy, 13 gingivitis, and 21 stages III/IV periodontitis), from which salivary small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) were enriched using the size-exclusion chromatography method, and characterized by morphology, EV-protein, and size distribution, using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (NTA), respectively. Bone turnover markers and pro-inflammatory cytokines in salivary sEVs were evaluated using reverse transcription PCR.

Metal-organic framework glass composites.

The melting phenomenon in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) has been recognised as one of the fourth generation MOF paradigm behaviours. Molten MOFs have high processibility for producing mechanically robust glassy MOF macrostructures, and they also offer highly tunable interfacial characteristics when combined with other types of functional materials, such as crystalline MOFs, inorganic glass and metal halide perovskites. As a result, MOF glass composites have emerged as a family of functional materials with dynamic properties and hierarchical structural control.

An Optimized Method for Microcomputed Tomography Analysis of Trabecular Parameters of Metal Scaffolds for Bone Ingrowth.

Owing to its superior mechanical and biological properties, titanium metal is widely used in dental implants, orthopedic devices, and bone regenerative materials. Advances in 3D printing technology have led to more and more metal-based scaffolds being used in orthopedic applications. Microcomputed tomography (μCT) is commonly applied to evaluate the newly formed bone tissues and scaffold integration in animal studies.

Association between periodontitis and uric acid levels in blood and oral fluids: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Uric acid, a formerly-known antioxidant that has recently been linked to numerous inflammatory diseases as a pro-inflammatory and -oxidative mediator in pathological conditions. It is imperative to reassess the association between periodontitis and uric acid locally and systematically. The aim of this systematic review was to systemically evaluate the association between periodontitis and the uric acid (UA) levels in blood, saliva and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF).

Immunomodulatory nanotherapeutic approaches for periodontal tissue regeneration.

Periodontitis is an infection-induced inflammatory disease characterized by progressive destruction of tooth supporting tissues, which, if left untreated, can result in tooth loss. The destruction of periodontal tissues is primarily caused by an imbalance between the host immune protection and immune destruction mechanisms. The ultimate goal of periodontal therapy is to eliminate inflammation and promote the repair and regeneration of both hard and soft tissues, so as to restore the physiological structure and function of periodontium.

Osteoimmunomodulatory Nanoparticles for Bone Regeneration.

Treatment of large bone fractures remains a challenge for orthopedists. Bone regeneration is a complex process that includes skeletal cells such as osteoblasts, osteoclasts, and immune cells to regulate bone formation and resorption. Osteoimmunology, studying this complicated process, has recently been used to develop biomaterials for advanced bone regeneration.

Osteo-Immunomodulatory Role of Interleukin-4-Immobilized Plasma Immersion Ion Implantation Membranes for Bone Regeneration.

Barrier membranes for guided tissue regeneration are essential for bone repair and regeneration. The implanted membranes may trigger early inflammatory responses as a foreign material, which can affect the recruitment and differentiation of bone cells during tissue regeneration. The purpose of this study was to determine whether immobilizing interleukin 4 (IL4) on plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII)-activated surfaces may alter the osteo-immunoregulatory characteristics of the membranes and produce pro-osteogenic effects.

Current Advances in 3D Dynamic Cell Culture Systems.

The traditional two-dimensional (2D) cell culture methods have a long history of mimicking in vivo cell growth. However, these methods cannot fully represent physiological conditions, which lack two major indexes of the in vivo environment; one is a three-dimensional 3D cell environment, and the other is mechanical stimulation; therefore, they are incapable of replicating the essential cellular communications between cell to cell, cell to the extracellular matrix, and cellular responses to dynamic mechanical stimulation in a physiological condition of body movement and blood flow. To solve these problems and challenges, 3D cell carriers have been gradually developed to provide a 3D matrix-like structure for cell attachment, proliferation, differentiation, and communication in static and dynamic culture conditions.

Characteristic analysis of clinical trials for new traditional Chinese medicines in mainland China from 2013 to 2021.

Objective: Based on the clinical trials registered on the platform for the registry and publicity of clinical drug trials of the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA), the registration and approval of clinical trials of traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) in mainland China from 2013 to 2021 were reviewed.

Methods: Clinical trials of new TCMs published in Chinese were retrieved from the platform for the registry and publicity of clinical drug trials. The number of registered trials and approved trials, status of clinical trials, therapeutic area of clinical trials for the treatment of diseases, type of trial design, sample size, sponsors, and leading clinical trial centers were evaluated.

Phase control of ZIF-7 nanoparticles mechanochemical synthesis.

Mechanochemical synthesis is a greener synthesis route to form functional metal organic frameworks (MOFs) compared to the typical solvothermal method. Here we demonstrate the crystal phase control of a widely functional zeolitic imidazolate framework, ZIF-7, and its variations the mechanochemical synthesis route.

Inflammatory macrophages interrupt osteocyte maturation and mineralization via regulating the Notch signaling pathway.

Background: It is well-known that both macrophages and osteocytes are critical regulators of osteogenesis and osteoclastogenesis, yet there is limited understanding of the macrophage-osteocyte interaction, and how their crosstalk could affect bone homeostasis and mineralization. This research therefore aims to investigate the effects of macrophage polarization on osteocyte maturation and mineralization process.

Methods: A macrophage-derived conditioned medium based osteocyte culture was set up to investigate the impact of macrophages on osteocyte maturation and terminal mineralization.

Dual photothermal nanocomposites for drug-resistant infectious wound management.

Management of antibiotic-resistant bacteria-induced skin infections for rapid healing remains a critical clinical challenge. Photothermal therapy, which uses mediated hyperthermia to combat such problems, has recently been recognised as a promising approach to take. In this study, bacterial cellulose-based photothermal membranes were designed and developed to combat bacterial infections and promote rapid wound healing.