Search

Municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) fly ash is classified as hazardous waste due to high leachable heavy metals, and incineration leachate belongs to organic wastewater with high biodegradability. Electrodialysis (ED) has shown potential for the removal of heavy metals from fly ash, and bioelectrochemical system (BES) employs biological and electrochemical reactions to generate electricity and remove contaminants from a wide range of substrates. In this study, the ED-BES coupled system was constructed for the co-treatment of fly ash and incineration leachate, where the ED was driven by BES. The treatment effect of fly ash by varying additional voltage, initial pH and liquid-to-solid (L/S) ratio was evaluated. Results showed that the highest removal rates of Pb, Mn, Cu and Cd were 25.43%, 20.13%, 32.14% and 18.87% after 14 days treatment of the coupled system, respectively. These values were obtained under 300 mV of additional voltage, L/S 20 and initial pH3. After the treatment of the coupled system, the fly ash leaching toxicity was lower than the threshold of GB5085.3-2007. The highest energy saving for removed Pb, Mn, Cu and Cd were 6.72, 15.61, 8.99 and 17.46 kWh/kg, respectively. The ED-BES can be considered a cleanliness approach to treating fly ash and incineration leachate simultaneously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fangji Huangqi Tang (FHT) is a well‐known Chinese herbal formula that is prescribed as treatment for rheumatoid diseases. In this study, we aimed to investigate the potential therapeutic targets, efficacy, and safety of FHT in the treatment of Sjogren's syndrome (SS). The Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database was used to screen differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in SS. Further, gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were performed to explore the potential biological functions of the DEGs. Subsequently, an FHT‐herb‐active compound‐target network was constructed to identify the relationship between the active compounds in FHT and the related targets. Then, enrichment analysis involving the DEGs and protein–protein interaction (PPI) network analysis were performed to analyze the biological functions of potential targets and screen hub genes. Further, molecular docking was employed to verify the binding affinity between the active compounds and the hub targets, and in vivo experiments involving NOD/LtJ mice were conducted to verify the therapeutic effects of FHT on SS‐like symptoms. Finally, inhibition of PIK3CK/Akt pathway by FHT was validated by WB and rt‐qPCR. A total of 1836 DEGs were identified in SS based on the GSE159574 dataset, and 114 targets of the active compounds in FHT were screened. Further, via network pharmacology analysis and molecular docking, six active compounds and five hub targets were obtained, and enrichment analysis showed that the anti‐SS effect of FHT was predominantly associated with immune cells, such as T cells and neutrophils. In vivo, FHT effectively reduced lymphocyte infiltration foci, increased saliva flow rate, and inhibited increases in the levels of SS‐related autoantibodies (anti‐SSA and anti‐SSB). Furthermore, the biosafety of FHT was verified via the serological examination of liver and kidney function. WB and rt‐qPCR analysis confirmed that FHT could inhibit the expression of PIK3CG and the activation of PIK3CG/Akt pathway. Via network pharmacological analysis, molecular docking, and in vivo verification, we demonstrated the multicomponent and multitarget characteristics of FHT in SS treatment, thereby providing novel insights into the pathogenesis of SS and the therapeutic targets of FHT for SS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Even though China Antarctic medical care has made huge progress, dental care has always been a neglected area. Dental health is well-known to be closely related with life quality and work efficiency. Hence, knowing the dental care situation there and providing ways to improve are urgently needed. We choose doctors who worked in China Antarctic station as a window to see the whole picture by sending questionnaire. The results showed dental visits ranked second high, the ratio of doctors who got pre-departure dental knowledge education and screen is low. What is worse, none of them got any after-departure dental check. Their dental knowledge is not as good as we expect, and they were troubled by dental problems in Antarctic. Interestingly, most dental problems were treated by non-dentist with no essential equipment, but 2/3 of them were satisfied with the outcome. As for the dental-related diet and behaviour, snacks eating and alcohol drinking are the strongest predictors of dental pain and gum problem. Those findings are crucial to Antarctic dental care and research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HA/β-TCP biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP)ceramic materials have a wide application prospect in bone remodeling surgery as bone substitutes. This study extracted BCP from butterfish bone that was calcined at 700–1100 °C. Then, their composition and microstructure was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), inductively coupled plasma optical atom emissions spectroscopy (ICP-OES), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and mercury intrusion porosimeter (MIP). The data showed that BCP containing hydroxyapatite (HA) and β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) can be produced when the butterfish bone is calcined at >800 °C. The calcined butterfish bone contains a variety of trace metal elements. Taken together, the BCP material produced by calcination of butterfish bone above 800 °C shows a concentrated distribution of macropores and micropores, high porosity and nanograin size. Furthermore, it has a wide range of sources and is green and environmental-friendly, which is a potential source of BCP material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. A prospective study focusing on leiomyoma was conducted to investigate the expression of estrogen receptor-α (ERα), estrogen receptor-β (ERβ) and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) to elucidate their roles in the pathogenesis of leiomyoma. Methods. Twenty-one leiomyomal and six paired myometrial tissues were included in the study. The levels of ERα, ERβ and IGF-I mRNAs in leiomyoma and adjacent myometrium were analyzed by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Results. All tissues showed a higher ERα expression level. The correlation between ERα mRNA and IGF-I mRNA levels was significantly positive (r = 0.527, p = 0.014). The correlation between ERβ mRNA and IGF-I mRNA levels was also positive, but not statistically significant. In six paired leiomyoma and myometrium samples, the levels of ERα and ERβ mRNA exhibited no difference, and IGF-I mRNA levels were elevated in leiomyoma compared with paired myometrium (p < 0.05). Conclusions. The expression of IGF-I mRNA increases in leiomyoma and ERα mRNA is positively correlated with IGF-I mRNA, which implies that estrogen upregulates the gene encoding IGF-I through ERα in leiomyoma; ERβ may also be involved in the IGF-I signaling pathway in leiomyoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Statement of Problem: Accurate placement of tilted implants is essential as they are typically close to important anatomic structures. Inaccurate implant position may damage those structures and affect outcomes., Purpose: The purpose of this in vitro study was to compare the accuracy and efficiency of an autonomous dental implant robotic (ADIR) system and a static computer-assisted implant surgery (sCAIS) system in placing tilted implants in edentulous patients., Material and Methods: Ten 3-dimensionally (3D) printed edentulous mandibular casts were assigned to 1 of 2 groups (ADIR and sCAIS). The coronal, apical, and angular deviations of the placement of tilted implants, preoperative preparation time, and surgical time were compared between the 2 groups. The paired samples t test and the independent samples t test were used to compare the groups (α=.05)., Results: The mean ±standard deviation of coronal, apical, and angular deviation in the ADIR group and sCAIS group were 0.47 ±0.06 mm versus 1.09 ±0.11 mm, 0.47 ±0.05 mm versus 1.53 ±0.14 mm, and 0.91 ±0.82 degrees versus 2.83 ±0.55 degrees, respectively. The deviations of the tilted implant positions in the ADIR were relatively small and significantly different from those of sCAIS (P<.05). The preoperative preparation time of the ADIR group was significantly longer than that of the sCAIS group (P<.001), and the surgical time for the 2 groups was statistically similar (P=.259)., Conclusions: Compared with the sCAIS system, the deviation of tilted implants in the ADIR group was smaller, but the preoperative preparation time was longer. The results indicated that using the ADIR for tilted implantation can lead to more accurate implantation positions and reduce the occurrence of complications. However, it is time consuming, and the workflow should be simplified to improve efficiency., (Copyright © 2024 Editorial Council for The Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Lymph node metastasis (LNM) is an important determinant of prognosis in patients with cervical cancer. Members of the angiopoietin family have been demonstrated to regulate tumor-associated angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis. This study aimed to investigate the expression levels of angiopoietin-1 (ANG1) and angiopoietin-2 (ANG2) in clinically early stage of cervical cancer along with their correlations with LNM., Methods: In total, 124 human cervical cancer cases classified into stage IA-IIB in accordance with the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) 2009 staging criteria were included. ANG1 and ANG2 expression levels in the tumor sections were assessed by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models, including age at diagnosis, FIGO stage, tumor size, pathological type, histological grading, depth of stromal invasion, lymph-vascular space invasion (LVSI) and the expression status of ANG1 and ANG2, were used to evaluate the odds ratios (ORs) for LNM., Results: ANG1 and ANG2 were positively expressed in 75 (60.5%) and 89 (71.8%) cervical cancers respectively, with predominant staining in the cytoplasm. ANG1 expression was significantly decreased in tumors with LNM, while no correlation was observed between ANG2 expression and LNM. More importantly, the multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that high ANG1 expression was an independent protective factor of LNM (OR 0.107, 95% confidential interval [CI] 0.020~0.567), while LVSI was an independent risk factor of LNM (OR 34.313, 95% CI 5.914~199.092)., Conclusion: ANG1 is associated with a significantly decreased risk of LNM in early stage cervical cancer. The predictive value and role of ANG1 in LNM needs to be further investigated in future studies.

Background: A prospective study focusing on leiomyoma was conducted to investigate the expression of estrogen receptor-alpha (ER alpha), estrogen receptor-beta (ER beta) and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) to elucidate their roles in the pathogenesis of leiomyoma., Methods: Twenty-one leiomyomal and six paired myometrial tissues were included in the study. The levels of ER alpha, ER beta and IGF-I mRNAs in leiomyoma and adjacent myometrium were analyzed by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction., Results: All tissues showed a higher ER alpha expression level. The correlation between ER alpha mRNA and IGF-I mRNA levels was significantly positive (r = 0.527, p = 0.014). The correlation between ER beta mRNA and IGF-I mRNA levels was also positive, but not statistically significant. In six paired leiomyoma and myometrium samples, the levels of ER alpha and ER beta mRNA exhibited no difference, and IGF-I mRNA levels were elevated in leiomyoma compared with paired myometrium (p < 0.05)., Conclusions: The expression of IGF-I mRNA increases in leiomyoma and ER alpha mRNA is positively correlated with IGF-I mRNA, which implies that estrogen upregulates the gene encoding IGF-I through ER alpha in leiomyoma; ER beta may also be involved in the IGF-I signaling pathway in leiomyoma.