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Presents a study that demonstrated the influence of plasma shielding on the coupling of laser energy to a target surface during picosecond pulsed laser-material interactions. Information on hellium and argon gas atmosphere; Use of inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometer; Discussion on the mechanisms of shock waves, multiphoton ionization and plasma shielding.

OBJECTIVE: Fragility fracture is one of the common complications of osteoporosis. Elevated oxidative stress-induced apoptosis is thought to be one of the unfavorable factors to osteoblastic dysfunction, which increased the risk of bone fracture. However, the molecular mechanisms for oxidative stress-induced osteoblast cells apoptosis still needs to be elucidated. This study aims to investigate the protective function of miR-214 in H2O2-induced apoptosis of MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts. cMATERIALS AND METHODS: MC3T3-E1 cells were treated with 400 μM H2O2. Flow cytometry was adopted to detect the apoptosis rate; malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione peroxidase (Gpx) levels were used to determine the reactive oxygen species (ROS) level. Reverse transcription- polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was employed to test the expression level of miR-214 and ATF4. After transfected MC3T3-E1 cells with miR-214 mimics and inhibitor, RT-PCR was used to detect activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4) expression level. RESULTS: H2O2 treatment increased ROS induced intracellular oxidative injury. Flow cytometry showed that 400 μM H2O2 induced the apoptosis of MC3T3-E1 cells. Moreover, RT-PCR showed decreased expression level of MiR-214. Furthermore, the apoptosis induced by high ROS level was reversed by increased miR-214 expression level. The regulatory ability of MiR-214 to apoptosis is by regulating ATF4 expression. CONCLUSIONS: miR-214 plays a protective role in H2O2 induced MC3T3 osteoblasts apoptosis and its protective effect is proceeded by regulating ROS level and ATF4 expression level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Femtosecond laser (Ti:sapphire, 100 fs pulse duration) ablation of silicon in air was compared with nanosecond laser (Nd:YAG, 3 ns pulse duration) ablation at ultraviolet wavelength (266 nm). Laser ablation efficiency was studied by measuring crater depth as a function of pulse number. For the same number of laser pulses, the fs-ablated crater was about two times deeper than the ns-crater. The temperature and electron number density of the laser-induced plasma were determined from spectroscopic measurements. The electron number density and temperature of fs-induced plasmas decreased faster than ns-induced plasmas due to different energy deposition mechanisms. Images of the laser-induced plasma were obtained with femtosecond time-resolved laser shadowgraph imaging. Plasma expansion in both the perpendicular and the lateral directions were compared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Femtosecond and nanosecond lasers were compared for ablating brass alloys. All operating parameters from both lasers were equal except for the pulse duration. The ablated aerosol vapor was collected on silicon substrates for particle size measurements or sent into an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer. The diameters and size distribution of particulates were measured from scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of the collected ablated aerosol. SEM measurements showed that particles ablated using nanosecond pulses were single spherical entities ranging in diameter from several micrometers to several hundred nanometers. Primary particles ablated using femtosecond ablation were ∼100 nm in diameter but formed large agglomerates. ICPMS showed enhanced signal intensity and stability using femtosecond compared to nanosecond laser ablation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The orofacial system, an intricate assembly of diverse tissues that underpin the unique biologic and morphological identity of an individual, presents a formidable challenge in the realm of tissue regeneration within oral and maxillofacial surgery. This review conducts a retrospective appraisal of advancements in the field of orofacial tissue regeneration, elucidating the current research landscape while critically addressing the persisting challenges. It underscores the pivotal roles of orofacial mesenchymal stem cells in orchestrating regenerative processes, offering an insightful outlook on future developments. The objective is to demarcate innovative therapeutic avenues and clinical implications by fostering a comprehensive understanding of this domain among dental practitioners. As such, it aspires to serve as a valuable reference for prospective investigations and to elevate the knowledge base pertaining to orofacial tissue regeneration.

Objective: Fragility fracture is one of the common complications of osteoporosis. Elevated oxidative stress-induced apoptosis is thought to be one of the unfavorable factors to osteoblastic dysfunction, which increased the risk of bone fracture. However, the molecular mechanisms for oxidative stress-induced osteoblast cells apoptosis still need to be elucidated. This study aims to investigate the protective function of miR-214 in H2O2-induced apoptosis of MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts., Materials and Methods: MC3T3-E1 cells were treated with 400 μM H2O2. Flow cytometry was adopted to detect the apoptosis rate; malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione peroxidase (Gpx) levels were used to determine the reactive oxygen species (ROS) level. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was employed to test the expression level of miR-214 and ATF4. After transfected MC3T3-E1 cells with miR-214 mimics and inhibitor, RT-PCR was used to detect activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4) expression level., Results: H2O2 treatment increased ROS induced intracellular oxidative injury. Flow cytometry showed that 400 μM H2O2 induced the apoptosis of MC3T3-E1 cells. Moreover, RT-PCR showed decreased expression level of MiR-214. Furthermore, the apoptosis induced by high ROS level was reversed by increased miR-214 expression level. The regulatory ability of MiR-214 to apoptosis is by regulating ATF4 expression., Conclusions: miR-214 plays a protective role in H2O2 induced MC3T3 osteoblasts apoptosis and its protective effect is proceeded by regulating ROS level and ATF4 expression level.

Propylene glycol methyl ether (PGME) exhibits excellent solvent and coupling properties. A toxicity database provided evidence suggesting that PGME might be a useful substitute for xylene in histotechnology and histochemistry applications. Tissue specimens were fixed, cleared in either PGME or xylene, embedded in paraffin wax, then dewaxed in either PGME or xylene. Sections were treated with the following stains: hematoxylin & eosin (H & E), three special stains of the Gordon/Sweet silver staining method, PAS, and Masson's trichrome, and immunostains including actin, CD3, CD34, CK, CK7/CK9, Ki-67, and ER/PR. The sections were mounted in a resinous medium consisting of PGME and pinene copolymer, then examined under a microscope. Variables such as water tolerance, dimension change, organic solvency, and anti-fading efficacy also were assessed. Depending on the application, PGME performance was equal to or exceeded that of xylene. PGME provided better optical clarity and nuclear detail, did not harden the tissue samples, conserved tissue antigenicity, and was amenable to resinous mounting. Tissues not dehydrated with absolute ethanol also were processed properly. Tissues treated with PGME did not warp or contract compared to those treated with xylene (p < 0.0001). PGME, however, exhibited less organic solvency than xylene. There was no discernible change in the colors of stains in sections processed with PGME even after storage for two years. These results suggest that PGME is a novel xylene substitute for applications in histotechnology and histochemistry.

Objective: To observe the efficacy of insulin and hyperosmotic glucose solution for treating pressure sore., Methods: Using moist burn ointment as the control drug, comparisons were made between the two groups in terms of average healing time., Results: In trial group the average healing time of II degree pressure sore was 11.6 +/- 2.7 days, while in the control group 12.9 +/- 3.4 days, The difference was not statistically significant. The average healing time of III degree pressure sore in trial group was significantly shorter than that of the control group (22.3 +/- 4.3 days vs 24.8 +/- 3.9 days, P < 0.05)., Conclusion: Insulin and hyperosmotic glucose solution is effective in treating pressure sore.

Carbohydrate has many important functions in various biologic processes. Capillary electrophoresis (CE) is one of the key tools of carbohydrate analysis. Chip CE is a new but efficient technique in the study of life science. Carbohydrate analysis with CE and Chip CE are reviewed. Separation strategies and detection of CE for various carbohydrates, including monosaccharides, polysaccharides and glycoconjugates are described. The application and potential ability of Chip CE in carbohydrate research are reviewed as well.

We developed an in vitro model to produce urinary dysmorphic RBCs and to investigate the influence of pH and osmolality. The pH and osmolality of the RBCs suspension was made to change systematically within a range of pH 5-8 and 200-800 mOsm/kg, and at a flow rate of 0.5 ml/min through a polycarbonate filter (Calif., USA) with pore diameter of 3 mu. Then the samples were examined with phase-contrast microscopy. Our data showed that: (1) The formation of glomerular RBCs depends on their passage through a narrow pore and the presence of certain suspension, which is also present in glomerulonephritis. Suspension of RBCs in urine with the same osmolality and pH, but without filtration did not produce glomerular shapes. (2) Urine facilitated the production of glomerular shapes. Filtration of RBCs suspension in physiological buffer instead of urine produce less dysmorphic shapes than filtration in urine of various pH and osmolality. (3) Certain types of urinary RBCs shapes occurring predominantly at specific conditions of pH and osmolality (< 400 mOsm/kg) produced glomerular shapes most frequently, e.g. doughnut-like RBCs were produced by urine with pH 7. Our data suggested that the mechanism of glomerular RBCs formation might result from the passage of RBCs through narrow defects in the ruptured glomerular capillary wall and a chemical injury to the RBCs in the tubular lumen induced by urinary constituents.

In this paper, we optimized the solvent systems of sulfa drugs and five traditional Chinese medicines for thin layer chromatography by means of uniform design method. The optimal system for the eleven sulfa drugs is benzene-n-butanol-n-hexane (5.71:2.86:1.43). The optimal systems for Mu Xiang and Jiu Li Xiang are all absolute chloroform. The optimal systems for Liang Mian Zhen and San Cha Ku are all acetonitrile-ethyl ether-methyl chloride-cyclohexane (0.05:0.3:0.1:0.55). The optimal system for Jin Yin Hua is ethyl acetate-methyl chloride-formic acid (1:1:1). The method has been born out to be theoretical, simple and practical. In our opinion, it is an effective systematic method.