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Orthodontic tooth movement (OTM) is a tissue remodeling process based on orthodontic force loading. Compressed periodontal tissues have a complicated aseptic inflammatory cascade, which are considered the initial factor of alveolar bone remodeling. Since skeletal and immune systems shared a wide variety of molecules, osteoimmunology has been generally accepted as an interdisciplinary field to investigate their interactions. Unsurprisingly, OTM is considered a good mirror of osteoimmunology since it involves immune reaction and bone remolding. In fact, besides bone remodeling, OTM involves cementum resorption, soft tissue remodeling, orthodontic pain, and relapse, all correlated with immune cells and/or immunologically active substance. The aim of this paper is to review the interaction of immune system with orthodontic tooth movement, which helps gain insights into mechanisms of OTM and search novel method to short treatment period and control complications.

High-precision assembly conditions tend to necessitate consideration of the vibration modes of industrial robots. The modal characteristics of complex systems such as industrial robots are highly nonlinear. It means that mechanics experiments and finite element methods (FEM) to evaluate such features are usually expensive. Surrogate models combined with simulation-based design are widely used in engineering issues. However, few investigations apply surrogate models to industrial robots' modal analysis. We propose a practical scheme, i.e., the Blind-Kriging (KRG-B) based natural frequency prediction of the industrial robot, utilizing the Latin Hypercube Sampling (LHS) technique. A reliable dataset with 120 samples is generated for surrogate models based on the FEM. Then, the fourteen surrogate models with different optimization algorithms are evaluated to identify the optimal model for the natural frequency. In addition, the accuracy and robustness of the optimal surrogate model are investigated under different training samples. KRG-B model has better robustness (good fitting accuracy for both higher and lower order modes) and higher computational efficiency (1.133 s, the shortest time among all models). The proposed scheme mapping robot's joint angle and the natural frequency offers a valuable basis for further studying dynamic characteristics in industrial robotics.

The toxic heavy metal cadmium has been proven to cause pancreatic dysfunction and lead to the development of DM. However, the underlying mechanisms have not been completely elucidated. Here, we investigated the effects of cadmium on the pancreatic β cell line MIN6 and explored the underlying mechanisms. The Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK8) assay and flow cytometry were used to determine cell viability and apoptosis in MIN6 cells. The expression levels of signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 (STAT6) were assessed by western blotting. We further assessed the effects of cadmium on the function of pancreatic β cells under high glucose levels using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and western blotting. Insulin secretion and expression were decreased by cadmium in MIN6 cells. In addition, cadmium suppressed cell viability and promoted apoptosis of MIN6 cells, downregulated insulin secretion and genesis of MIN6 cells under high glucose conditions, while inhibiting STAT6. Furthermore, after treatment with IL-4, the activator of STAT6, the MIN6 cell viability suppression and apoptosis promotion effect caused by cadmium were blocked. In conclusion, cadmium inhibits pancreatic β cell MIN6 growth by regulating the activation of STAT6. Our findings reveal a new mechanism of cadmium toxicity in pancreatic β cells.

Xiehuo Xiaoying decoction (XHXY) has shown great potential in the treatment of GD, but its mechanism remains obscure. Increase of follicular helper T (Tfh) cells and reduction of follicular regulatory T (Tfr) cells contribute to a high thyrotropin receptor antibodies (TRAb) level and possible Graves' disease (GD). Oxidative stress (OS) disrupts T helper cell differentiation and aggravates autoimmunity.This study aimed to investigate whether XHXY decoction can ameliorate autoimmunity in GD via inhibiting OS and regulating Tfh and Tfr cells.The main XHXY bioactive compounds were identified using high-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. GD was induced in the mice through three intramuscular injections of adenovirus expressing the TSH receptor. Then, the mice received oral gavage of XHXY (17 g/kg·d) and 34 g/kg·d) for 4 weeks. OS indicators were assessed. Flow cytometry was used to confirm the proportion of Tfh and Tfr cells in the lymph nodes and spleens of the mice. Cytokine expression levels were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Factors including interleukin-21, B-cell lymphoma-6, and forkhead box P3 (Foxp3) were detected using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The mRNA and protein expression levels of Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1), nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), and haem oxygenase 1 (HO-1) were detected using quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting, respectively.Twelve main ingredients of XHXY were identified. XHXY relieved GD by lowering thyroxine (p 0.01) and TRAb levels (p 0.01). XHXY ameliorated OS by decreasing the levels of NADPH oxidase 2 (p 0.05), 4-hydroxynonenal (p 0.01), and 8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine (p 0.001). It inhibited Tfh cell expansion (p 0.05), as well as the production of cytokine interleukin -21 (p 0.01), interleukin -4 (p 0.01) and transcription factor B-cell lymphoma 6 (p 0.05). XHXY also induced Tfr cell amplification (p 0.05), increased the production of interleukin -10 (p 0.05) and transforming growth factor β (p 0.05) and the mRNA levels of Foxp3 (p 0.05). Finally, the Tfh/Tfr ratio returned to normal. In addition, XHXY activated Nrf2 and HO-1 expression, but inhibited Keap1 activation.XHXY relieves autoimmunity in GD via inhibiting Tfh cell amplification and Tfr cell reduction, a mechanism which probably involves the Keap1/Nrf2 signaling pathway.

A novel matrix certified reference material (CRM) of docosahexaenoic acid in milk powder [GBW (E) 100641] was first developed. The CRM candidates was prepared by adding appropriate levels of docosahexaenoic acid to cow's milk, then powder sprayed, lyophilized, mixed, dispensed and sterilized. An optimized acetylchloride-methanol method was proposed and used for the characterization. The CRM characterization was carried out in six laboratories in accordance with ISO Guide 35 requirements. The certified value of CRM was 0.69 mg/g with an uncertainty of 0.08 mg/g (k = 2). The CRM was sufficiently homogeneous between and within bottles and stable up to 6 month at -20℃ and 7 days below 50 ℃. The uncertainty was evaluated by combing the contributions from characterization, homogeneity and stability. Thus, the CRM can be used for quality control and method validation to ensure the accurate and reliable measurements of docosahexaenoic acid in milk for quality monitoring.

Piezoelectric materials are well known for their applications in self-powered sensing and mechanical energy harvesting. With the development of the Internet of things and wearable electronics, piezoelectric polymers are attracting more attention due to their advantages of flexibility, ease of fabrication and biocompatibility. However, low piezoelectric properties weaken their electrical response to external excitation. Doping is one convenient measure to improve their piezoelectric properties. Here we reported AlN-doping-induced piezoelectric enhancement in electrospun poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) nanofiber membranes. Piezoelectric property measurements under both perpendicular and transverse modes verified that a limited AlN doping of 0.1 wt% could effectively enhance the piezoelectric responses of P(VDF-TrFE)/AlN nanocomposite membranes. Based on such optimized nanofiber membranes, flexible and wearable piezoelectric sensors were further designed to detect finger movement, wrist artery pulse and multi-touch recognition. Our work provided a facile measure to fabricate high-electroactivity nanocomposite membranes for sensing applications in wearable and flexible electronics.

Formation of pure gaseous water cluster in the supersonic gas flow from a conical nozzle was investigated by simulation. The simulation results show that average size of water cluster indicates a different size evolution along the gas flow, i.e., the average cluster size firstly increases to a maximum size and then decreases slowly, rather than keeps increasing like other gases. By further calculations of the nucleation rate and the growth rate of water cluster, it is found that the decrease of average size results from a high nucleation rate and a low size growth rate in the downstream of gas flow far away from conical nozzle throat. Formation of pure gaseous water cluster in the supersonic gas flow from a conical nozzle was investigated by simulation. The simulation results show that average size of water cluster indicates a different size evolution along the gas flow, i.e., the average cluster size firstly increases to a maximum size and then decreases slowly, rather than keeps increasing like other gases.

This study aimed to investigate the toxic effects of microcystin-LR (MC-LR), which is released from several bloom-forming cyanobacteria, on the glucose metabolism of pancreatic β cells in vivo and in vitro. Male mice and the pancreatic MIN6 cells were respectively treated with varying concentrations of MC-LR. After 3- or 6- months of MC-LR exposure, increase in the body weight of mice was found to be inhibited, and the structure of their pancreatic tissues was damaged with impaired glucose tolerance and impaired insulin secretion. Further, these toxic effects became more pronounced with time and with increased dosages. Direct cytotoxic effects of MC-LR were observed in the MIN6 pancreatic β-cells possibly due to their expression of the MC-LR specific transporter. MC-LR entered the MIN6 cells that significantly reduced the cell viability. Both in vivo and in vitro experiments demonstrated that MC-LR was able to induce apoptosis, possibly associated with mitochondrial damage. Above all, these findings implied that MC-LR may be transported into the pancreatic β cells and cause subsequent cytotoxicity.

Pancreatitis is the most common complication of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). To assess the prevalence and factors associated with post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP) in a Chinese pediatric population. Sixty-six children who underwent ERCP between March 2018 and March 2019 at Shanghai Children’s Medical Center were retrospectively recruited for the study. Clinical data, including demographics, indications, comorbidities, and procedural data, were reviewed to identify the prevalence and factors associated with PEP. Ninety-two ERCPs were performed on 66 pediatric patients aged from 8 months to 14 years. The indications for ERCP were chronic pancreatitis (49, 53.2%), pancreaticobiliary maljunction (19, 20.7%), pancreas divisum (19, 20.7%), and pancreatic pseudocyst (5, 5.4%). All ERCPs were performed for therapeutic purposes. PEP was identified in 19 (20.7%) patients; there were ten mild cases, eight moderate cases, and one severe case. The univariate analysis revealed that a history of chronic pancreatitis was negatively associated with PEP (P = 0.033), and sphincterotomy was positively associated with PEP (P = 0.01). The multivariate analysis showed that sphincterotomy was a risk factor for PEP (P = 0.017, OR 4.17; 95% CI, 1.29, 13.54). Our data revealed a high prevalence of PEP in a Chinese pediatric population. Chronic pancreatitis was a protective factor, and sphincterotomy was a risk factor for PEP development.

Objective To explore the association between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its component and thyroid volume in Chinese adolescents, and to compare the detection rate of MetS under the three different diagnostic criteria. Methods A total of 1097 school students (610 males and 487 females, ages 12–15 years) were enrolled. All the participants underwent physical examination, biochemical test, and thyroid gland ultrasonography. The thyroid volume of normal, overweight and obese group was compared. We also analyzed the association between the number of MetS components and thyroid volume. Linear and multiple linear regression were applied to explore the association between metabolic parameters and thyroid volume. Results The thyroid volume of the males in overweight (t = 3.784, P t = 5.068, P t = 4.627,P F = 10.64, P P all P β = 0.029, 95 %CI: 0.015 ~ 0.042; P β = 3.317, 95 %CI: 1.661 ~ 4.973; P Conclusions Overweight, obesity and metabolic syndrome was associated with adolescent thyroid volume. Central obesity may be an independent risk factor for thyroid enlargement in adolescents.

In recent years, compared with traditional refrigeration technology, the electrocaloric refrigeration technology has been applied in variety of green cooling devices due to its high efficiency and environmentally friendly. Recent findings reveal that the ceramics system with additives (such as, LiBiO2, PbO) can create large ECE under low electric field. In this work, the ternary glass BaO-CaO-SiO2 (BCS) was used as a sintering aid to enhance the electrocaloric (EC) response of 0.2Ba(Ti0.9Sn0.1)O3−0.8Ba(Zr0.18Ti0.82)O3(BZSnT20) bulk ceramics. The EC properties of BZSnT20 could be also improved via controlling sintering temperature and the content of BCS sintering aid. It was found that BZSnT20 with 0.5wt% BCS show the maximum EC response of 3.2K under 7MV/m with sintering temperature of 1262℃. These results demonstrated that the ECE of BZSnT20 can be boosted by using appropriate additives, which provides an effective route to realize large ECE under low electric fields.

Several studies have indicated an association between serum copper and zinc levels and colorectal cancer, but results were controversial. This study assessed the association of serum copper, zinc, and copper/zinc ratio with colorectal cancer in US adults aged 20 years and older through the use of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011–2016 data. Serum concentrations of copper and zinc were measured using inductively coupled plasma dynamic reaction cell mass spectrometry (ICP-DRC-MS). Odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals (ORs with CIs) were calculated for serum copper, zinc, and copper/zinc ratio by multivariate logistic regression. A total of 4663 participants (2320 males and 2343 females) with 24 colorectal cancer patients were included in the analyses. We did not observe a statistically significant association between serum copper level and colorectal cancer (top vs bottom quartile multivariate OR 1.71; 95% CI, 0.37–7.88; P for trend = 0.429). In addition, serum zinc level was also not significantly associated with colorectal cancer (top vs bottom quartile multivariate OR 0.72; 95% CI, 0.12–4.27; P for trend = 0.346). While in the age- and gender-adjusted model, there seemed to be a trend that participants with higher copper/zinc ratio level had higher odds of colorectal cancer than participants with lower copper/zinc ratio level; no statistically significant association was observed in multivariate-adjusted models. Our findings did not support a significant association between serum copper and zinc level and colorectal cancer risk in the general US population. Furthermore, large longitudinal studies should be needed to confirm these findings.

Microcystin -leucine-arginine (MC-LR), produced by freshwater cyanobacteria, is a potential pancreatic β-cell toxin. In this study, the function of the mouse pancreatic β-cell line, MIN6, was evaluated after MC-LR exposure, and the underlying molecular mechanisms were explored. Exposure to MC-LR for 24 h was found to inhibit cell viability and impair insulin secretion. Such findings indicate that β-cell function would be impaired following MC-LR treatment. The microarray results revealed altered miRNA and mRNA expression profiles that might be responsible for the abnormal function of MIN6 cells. Further, miRNA-gene network analysis demonstrated that miR-29b-3p, miR-6967–5p, miR-3473, miR-7061–5p, Xkr4, Tmem178b, Scp2, Ypel2, and Kcnj11 are key miRNAs and genes in the MC-LR-induced MIN6-cell toxicity. The altered expression levels of several miRNAs (e.g., miR-320–5p, miR-770–5p, miR-99a-3p, and miR-375–5p) and genes (e.g., Pklr and Gpd2) involved in insulin secretion or the onset of diabetes were also identified in MIN6 cells after treatment with MC-LR. Collectively, these findings provide evidence of the toxic effects of MC-LR on β-cells and the underlying molecular mechanisms of its glycometabolism toxicity. MCs may thus possibly play an important role in the development of diabetes mellitus in humans.

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common highly malignant bone tumor in teens. Vasculogenic mimicry (VM) is defined as de novo extracellular matrix-rich vascular-like networks formed by highly aggressive tumor cells. We previously reported the presence of VM and it is an unfavorable prognostic factor in OS patients. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are aberrantly expressed in OS and involved in cancer cell VM. However, lncRNAs in VM formation of OS have not been investigated. We, therefore, profiled the expression of lncRNAs in highly aggressive OS cell line 143B compared with its parental poorly aggressive cell line HOS. The differentially expressed (DE) lncRNAs and messenger RNA (mRNAs) were subjected to constructed lncRNA-mRNA coexpressed network. The top-ranked hub gene lncRNA n340532 knockdown 143B cells were used for in vitro and in vivo VM assays. The annotation of DE lncRNAs was performed according to the coexpressed mRNAs by Gene Ontology and pathway analysis. A total of 1360 DE lncRNAs and 1353 DE mRNAs were screened out. lncRNA MALAT1 and FTX, which have known functions related to VM formation and tumorigenesis were identified in our data. The coexpression network composed of 226 lncRNAs and 118 mRNAs in which lncRNA n340532 had the highest degree number. lncRNA n340532 knockdown reduced VM formation in vitro. The suppression of n340532 also exhibited potent anti-VM and antimetastasis effect in vivo, suggesting its potential role in OS VM and metastasis. Furthermore, n340532 coexpressed with 10 upregulation mRNAs and 3 downregulation mRNAs. The enriched transforming growth factor-β signaling pathway, angiogenesis and so forth were targeted by those coexpressed mRNAs, implying n340532 may facilitate VM formation in OS through these pathways and gene functions. Our findings provide evidence for the potential role of lncRNAs in VM formation of OS that could be used in the clinic for anti-VM therapy in OS.

We propose a simple, controllable and highly efficient all-optical guide for a cw cold molecular beam in a blue-detuned parallel hollow beam over a long distance of ∼ 1 m. The hollow beam is generated by a beam shaper composed of a nonlinear ZnSe crystal. We demonstrate theoretically our optical molecular-beam guide and study its dynamic process by using Monte Carlo simulations. Our results show that the guiding efficiency can be easily controlled by adjusting the light intensity, and an ultracold collimated molecular beam with a transverse mean velocity of a few meters per second (the corresponding temperature is 13.67 mK) can be obtained. This guiding scheme has potential applications in molecule optics.

Background Acute pancreatitis is the most common complication of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in children. To date, there is no suitable medicine for post-ERCP pancreatitis prophylaxis in children and few study has prospectively evaluated an intervention to prevent post-ERCP pancreatitis in children. Mirabilite, a well-known traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) has good therapeutic effects on acute pancreatitis and no side effect for children by basic research and clinical studies. Our protocol is designed to assess the efficacy and safety of the external use of mirabilite to prevent post-ERCP pancreatitis in children. Methods/design: 520 patients planned for diagnostic and therapeutic ERCP will be enrolled according to the eligibility criteria‎. The patients will be randomly divided into two equal groups (Mirabilite and control, the external use of mirabilite in a bag on the projected abdominal area over the pancreas within 30 min before ERCP). The primary end point is incidence of post-ERCP pancreatitis. Secondary end points include abdominal pain scores, the levels of inflammatory markers [tissue necrosis factor (TNF)-α, IL-6, and IL-8] and intestinal barrier function markers (diamine oxidase, D-lactic acid, and endotoxin). Additionally, the side effects of topical mirabilite is investigated. Conclusion This trial would be the first experiment to determine mirabilite to prevent post-ERCP pancreatitis in children. Mirabilite maybe provide potential clinical benefits and a new avenue with tremendous potential for the future preventing of post-ERCP pancreatitis. Trial registration number: ChiCTR1900022642. Registered on 19 April 2019- Retrospectively registered, http://www.chictr.org.cn.

This study was designed to clarify whether Shikonin causes proliferation, apoptosis, and invasion in cholangiocarcinoma cells and to investigate the mechanism of action. QBC939 cells were cultured with different doses of Shikonin, and then 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl) -2,5-diphenyltetrazolium assay was used to detect cell viability. Apoptosis of cells was detected using flow cytometry with Annexin V/propidium iodide (PI) assay after being stained with Hoechst 33242. The role of Shikonin on the invasive and metastasis ability was detected using Transwell invasion assay. Real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting were used to detect the expression of caspase-3, caspase-8, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9. Shikonin inhibited proliferation and invasive ability of QBC939 cells in a dose-dependent manner; at the same time, apoptosis of cells was also observed in a concentration-dependent fashion. Moreover, Annexin V/PI assay and Transwell invasion assay results indicated that Shikonin induced apoptosis and invasion inhibitory probably due to upregulation of caspase-3 and caspase-8 expression and downregulation of MMP-9 and EGFR expression in a concentration-dependent fashion. Shikonin could enhance apoptosis and inhibit proliferation and invasion of QBC939 cells; such biological behaviors mainly occurred via upregulating the expression of caspase-3 and caspase-8 and downregulating the expression of MMP-9 and EGFR.

In this paper, the dielectric properties of barium titanate/polyvinylidene fluoride (BT/PVDF) composites are investigated. The doped BT particles were prepared using a simple heat treatment. It was found that 1000 °C was the optimal temperature for the doped BT particles to improve the dielectric properties of the BT/PVDF composites. Furthermore, we also found that the breakdown strength of the BT/PVDF composites could be significantly enhanced when the surface of the doped BT particles were pre-modified with phthalic acid or KH550. In particular, the BT/PVDF composites doped with KH550-modified BT particles had a maximum energy-storage density of 4.08 J cm−3, which is 81.33% higher than that of BT/PVDF composites doped with BT particles and without any treatment. Therefore, we can conclude that heat treatment and surface modification of doped BT particles could become a new approach to enhance the energy-storage performance of BT/PVDF composites, and which has good application prospects in the field of dielectric energy-storage materials.

The study aims to determine the timing of application for high efficacy of Metarhizium anisopliae as a biocontrol agent. A field experiment was undertaken with M. anisopliae applied to the soil at five intervals during the peanut crop lifecycle, at seed germination (day 0) through to pod filling period [75 days after sowing (DAS)], and assessed the change of M. anisopliae density by sampling rhizospheric soil, subsequently at regular intervals and testing counts (CFU/g dry soil) through to harvest. The crop was sown into soil with an established white grub population, with larval density determined at harvest when the trial was concluded. Applications at 0, 15 and 30 days in the crop growth cycle, saw M. anisopliae mean propagule counts drop significantly after 15 days before increasing over the following 15–45 days. We observed an elevated mean increase in counts 30–45 days after application at the early flowering stage (30 DAS). Irrespective of application timing, in general, M. anisopliae densities declined to less than the initial 10% in the late stages of peanut development. At harvest, larval densities in all M. anisopliae treatments were significantly less compared to the control, with the highest mortality (72%) in M. anisopliae treatment applied at early flowering (30 DAS). Relationship analysis showed that white grub density was significantly related to peanut yield. A regression of yield on number of damaged pods also supported that treatment at the early flowering caused the highest impact in terms of reducing damage to pods and improving yield. These results suggest that applying M. anisopliae at the early flowering stage optimizes survival of M. anisopliae in the soil profile, meaning greater probability of larvae contacting the pathogen, leading to greater mortality.