The biological functions of ion channels in tooth development vary according to the nature of their gating, the species of ions passing through those gates, the number of gates, localization of ...channels, tissue expressing the channel, and interactions between cells and microenvironment. Ion channels feature unique and specific ion flux in ameloblasts, odontoblasts, and other tooth-specific cell lineages. Both enamel and dentin have active chemical systems orchestrating a variety of ion exchanges and demineralization and remineralization processes in a stage-dependent manner. An important role for ion channels is to regulate and maintain the calcium and pH homeostasis that are critical for proper enamel and dentin biomineralization. Specific functions of chloride channels, TRPVs, calcium channels, potassium channels, and solute carrier superfamily members in tooth formation have been gradually clarified in recent years. Mutations in these ion channels or transporters often result in disastrous changes in tooth development. The channelopathies of tooth include altered eruption (CLCN7, KCNJ2, TRPV3), root dysplasia (CLCN7, KCNJ2), amelogenesis imperfecta (KCNJ1, CFTR, AE2, CACNA1C, GJA1), dentin dysplasia (CLCN5), small teeth (CACNA1C, GJA1), tooth agenesis (CLCN7), and other impairments. The mechanisms leading to tooth channelopathies are primarily related to pH regulation, calcium homeostasis, or other alterations of the niche for tooth eruption and development.
Wastewater reuse is currently considered globally as the most critical element of sustainable water management. The dissolved effluent organic matter (dEfOM) present in biologically treated urban ...wastewater, consists of a heterogeneous mixture of refractory organic compounds with diverse structures and varying origin, including dissolved natural organic matter, soluble microbial products, endocrine disrupting compounds, pharmaceuticals and personal care products residues, disinfection by-products, metabolites/transformation products and others, which can reach the aquatic environment through discharge and reuse applications. dEfOM constitutes the major fraction of the effluent organic matter (EfOM) and due to its chemical complexity, it is necessary to utilize a battery of complementary techniques to adequately describe its structural and functional character. dEfOM has been shown to exhibit contrasting effects towards various aquatic organisms. It decreases metal uptake, thus potentially reducing their bioavailability to exposed organisms. On the other hand, dEfOM can be adsorbed on cell membranes inducing toxic effects. This review paper evaluates the performance of various advanced treatment processes (i.e., membrane filtration and separation processes, activated carbon adsorption, ion-exchange resin process, and advanced chemical oxidation processes) in removing dEfOM from wastewater effluents. In general, the literature findings reveal that dEfOM removal by advanced treatment processes depends on the type and the amount of organic compounds present in the aqueous matrix, as well as the operational parameters and the removal mechanisms taking place during the application of each treatment technology.
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•Effects and challenges associated with dEfOM and wastewater reuse are discussed.•The efficiency of advanced treatment in removing dEfOM is assessed.•dEfOM can reduce metal bioavailability or can induce toxicity to microorganisms.•SMPs are mainly responsible for membrane fouling and formation of DBPs.•UV-driven AOPs are an attractive option to minimize dEfOM.
Highlights • CP−/− mice and mice that received FAC had high levels of brain iron. • Brain iron accumulation exacerbated TH-positive neurons apoptosis in MPTP-treated mice. • DFO reduced the neuronal ...damage in MPTP-treated CP−/− mice. • Increased oxidative stress was involved in cell apoptosis exacerbated by the increased brain iron.
A nozzle configuration for technically premixed gas turbine flames was operated with CH
4 and air at atmospheric pressure. The flames were confined by a combustion chamber with large quartz windows, ...allowing the application of optical and laser diagnostics. In a distinct range of operating conditions the flames exhibited strong self-excited thermoacoustic pulsations at a frequency around 290 Hz. A flame with
P
=
25
kW
thermal power and an equivalence ratio of
Φ
=
0.7
was chosen as a target flame in order to analyze the dynamics and the feedback mechanism of the periodic instability in detail. The velocity field was measured by three-component laser Doppler velocimetry, the flame structures were measured by chemiluminescence imaging and planar laser-induced fluorescence of OH, and the joint probability density functions of major species concentrations, mixture fraction, and temperature were measured by laser Raman scattering. All measuring techniques were applied in a phase-locked mode with respect to the phase angle of the periodic pulsation. In addition to the pulsating flame, a nonpulsating flame with increased fuel flow rate (
P
=
30
kW
,
Φ
=
0.83
) was studied for comparison. The measurements revealed significant differences between the structures of the pulsating and the nonpulsating (or “quiet”) flame. Effects of finite-rate chemistry and unmixedness were observed in both flames but were more pronounced in the pulsating flame. The phase-locked measurements revealed large variations of all measured quantities during an oscillation cycle. This yielded a clear picture of the sequence of events and allowed the feedback mechanism of the instability to be identified and described quantitatively. The data set presents a very good basis for the verification of numerical combustion simulations because the boundary conditions of the experiment were well-defined and the most important quantities were measured with a high accuracy.
Aim To determine the efficacy and safety of caesarean section combined with temporary aortic balloon occlusion followed by uterine artery embolisation (UAE) for the treatment of patients with ...placenta accreta. Materials and methods This retrospective study involved 42 patients with placenta accreta. All patients underwent caesarean section combined with temporary aortic balloon occlusion followed by UAE through the right femoral approach. Results All patients were confirmed to have placenta praevia and accreta, including five patients with placenta percreta, at the time of delivery. The technical success rate of the combined treatment was 97.6% (41/42). Forty-one patients underwent successful caesarean section with conservation of the uterus. Hysterectomy was required in one (3.1%) patient. The amount of blood loss and blood transfusion, and the operation time were was 586 ± 355 ml, 422 ± 83 ml and 65.5 ± 10.6 minutes, respectively. The mean postoperative hospital stay, occlusion time and fetal radiation dose were 5.5 ± 2.6 days, 22.4 ± 7.2 minutes and 4.2 ± 2.9 mGy, respectively. There were no significant changes before and 7 days after the endovascular procedure in creatinine levels (56.8 ± 13.8 μmol/l versus 63.4 ± 16.7 μmol/l, p = 0.09) or urea nitrogen (6.3 ± 2.5 μmol/l versus 7.4 ± 3.8 μmol/l, p = 0.17). There were no access-site complications after the endovascular procedure and no complications related to the intervention during follow-up. Conclusion Temporary aortic balloon occlusion followed by UAE can effectively control postpartum haemorrhage during placental dissection, and reduce transfusion requirements, hysterectomy rate, and operation time in patients with placenta accreta.
There is increasing evidence that mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) can be under selection, whereas the selective regimes shaping mitogenome evolution remain largely unclear. To test for mitogenome ...evolution in relation to the climate adaptation, we explored mtDNA variation in two spider mite (Tetranychus) species that distribute across different climates. We sequenced 26 complete mitogenomes of Tetranychus truncates, which occurs in both warm and cold regions, and nine complete mitogenomes of Tetranychus pueraricola, which is restricted to warm regions. Patterns of evolution in the two species’ mitogenomes were compared through a series of dN/dS methods and physicochemical profiles of amino acid replacements. We found that: (1) the mitogenomes of both species were under widespread purifying selection; (2) elevated directional adaptive selection was observed in the T. truncatus mitogenome, perhaps linked to the cold climates adaptation of T. truncatus; and (3) the strength of selection varied across genes, and diversifying positive selection detected on ND4 and ATP6 pointed to their crucial roles during adaptation to different climatic conditions. This study gained insight into the mitogenome evolution in relation to the climate adaptation.
The influence of dexmedetomidine on postoperative delirium (POD) in adult surgical patients remains controversial. We aimed to analyse whether dexmedetomidine use could decrease POD incidence in this ...population and its relation to timing of dexmedetomidine administration and patient age.
We used random-effects modelled meta-analysis, trial sequential analysis, and followed Cochrane methodology with Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE). PubMed and Cochrane library were searched up to July 2017 for randomised controlled trials that analysed POD incidence of adult surgical patients (age ≥18 yr) after dexmedetomidine administration.
Eighteen studies (comprising 3309 patients) were included. There was decreased risk of POD with dexmedetomidine use for the entire adult surgical population odds ratio (OR) 0.35; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.24–0.51), with firm evidence from trial sequential analysis. Pre-specified subgroup analyses confirmed this result with firm evidence for cardiac and non-cardiac surgical patients, (OR 0.41; 95% CI 0.26–0.63) and (OR 0.33; 95% CI 0.18–0.59), respectively. We also found firm evidence for reduction of POD if dexmedetomidine is administered during the postoperative period (OR 0.30; 95% CI 0.21–0.44), in patients aged <65 yr (OR 0.19; 95% CI 0.10–0.36) or ≥65 yr (OR 0.44; 95% CI 0.30–0.65). Evidence for dexmedetomidine's influence on secondary outcomes (in-hospital mortality, intensive care unit and hospital length of stay, bradycardia, and hypotension) is thus far insufficient to draw conclusions.
Dexmedetomidine can reduce POD incidence for adult cardiac and non-cardiac surgical patients. The optimal dose and timing of dexmedetomidine and influence on other outcomes or particular patient populations with risk factors warrants further studies.
PROSPERO: CRD42017072380.
Acute allergic symptoms are caused by allergen-induced crosslinking of allergen-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) bound to Fc-epsilon receptors on effector cells. Desensitization with allergen-specific ...immunotherapy (SIT) has been used for over a century, but the dominant protective mechanism remains unclear. One consistent observation is increased allergen-specific IgG, thought to competitively block allergen binding to IgE. Here we show that the blocking potency of the IgG response to Cat-SIT is heterogeneous. Next, using two potent, pre-selected allergen-blocking monoclonal IgG antibodies against the immunodominant cat allergen Fel d 1, we demonstrate that increasing the IgG/IgE ratio reduces the allergic response in mice and in cat-allergic patients: a single dose of blocking IgG reduces clinical symptoms in response to nasal provocation (ANCOVA, p = 0.0003), with a magnitude observed at day 8 similar to that reported with years of conventional SIT. This study suggests that simply augmenting the blocking IgG/IgE ratio may reverse allergy.
Generation 2 polypropyleneimine octaamine dendrimers were used to generate highly crosslinked collagen with mechanical properties that would make it appropriate for use as a corneal ...tissue-engineering scaffold. Crosslinking of a highly concentrated collagen solution (2–4%) was effected using the water-soluble carbodiimide 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethyl aminopropyl) carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC). The multifunctional dendrimers were introduced as novel multifunctional crosslinkers after the activation of the carboxylic acid groups of glutamic and aspartic acid residues in collagen. Glutaraldehyde, a common collagen crosslinker, was used as comparison, as was EDC, itself an alternative crosslinker, which forms “zero-length or self-crosslinking”. The mechanical properties resultant gels were determined. Young's modulus of the dendrimer crosslinked gels was significantly higher than that observed with the other crosslinkers, increasing to 5
MPa compared with 0.1
MPa for the EDC crosslinked gels. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis of the gels demonstrated the presence of fibrils in the thermally gelled collagen controls; no fibrils were observed in the dendrimer crosslinked gels. As a result, the optical transparency of the dendrimer crosslinked collagen was significantly better than that of the collagen thermal gels. The EDC and glutaraldehyde crosslinked gels were generally less transparent than those crosslinked with the dendrimers. Glucose permeation results demonstrated that the dendrimer crosslinked collagen had higher glucose permeability than natural human cornea. Dendrimer crosslinked collagen gels supported human corneal epithelial cell growth and adhesion, with no cell toxicity. In comparison, some potentially cytotoxic effects were observed with glutaraldehyde crosslinked collagen. Overall, the dendrimer crosslinked collagen gels showed promising properties that suggest that these might be suitable scaffolds for corneal tissue engineering and potentially other tissue engineering applications.
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