Designing Calcium Silicate Cements with On-Demand Properties for Precision Endodontics

Calcium silicate (C3S) cements are available in kits that do not account for patients' specific needs or clinicians' preferences regarding setting time, radiopacity, mechanical, and handling properties. Moreover, slight variations in powder components and liquid content affect cement's properties and bioactivity. Unfortunately, it is virtually impossible to optimize several cement properties simultaneously via the traditional "one variable at a time" strategy, as inputs often induce trade-offs in properties (e.g., a higher water-to-powder ratio [W/P] increases flowability but decreases mechanical properties). Herein, we used Taguchi's methods and genetic algorithms (GAs) to simultaneously analyze the effect of multiple inputs (e.g., powder composition, radiopacifier concentration, and W/P) on setting time, pH, flowability, diametral tensile strength, and radiopacity, as well as prescribe recipes to produce cements with predicted properties. The properties of cements designed with GAs were experimentally tested, and the results matched the predictions. Finally, we show that the cements increased the genetic expression of odonto/osteogenic genes, alkaline phosphatase activity, and mineralization potential of dental pulp stem cells. Hence, GAs can produce cements with tailor-made properties and differentiation potential for personalized endodontic treatment.

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis-associated genetic loci exhibit spatially constrained gene regulatory effects across multiple tissues and immune cell types

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is an autoimmune, inflammatory joint disease with complex genetic etiology. Previous GWAS have found many genetic loci associated with JIA. However, the biological mechanism behind JIA remains unknown mainly because most risk loci are located in non-coding genetic regions. Interestingly, increasing evidence has found that regulatory elements in the non-coding regions can regulate the expression of distant target genes through spatial (physical) interactions. Here, we used information on the 3D genome organization (Hi-C data) to identify target genes that physically interact with SNPs within JIA risk loci. Subsequent analysis of these SNP-gene pairs using data from tissue and immune cell type-specific expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) databases allowed the identification of risk loci that regulate the expression of their target genes. In total, we identified 59 JIA-risk loci that regulate the expression of 210 target genes across diverse tissues and immune cell types. Functional annotation of spatial eQTLs within JIA risk loci identified significant overlap with gene regulatory elements (i.e., enhancers and transcription factor binding sites). We found target genes involved in immune-related pathways such as antigen processing and presentation (e.g., ERAP2, HLA class I and II), the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines (e.g., LTBR, TYK2), proliferation and differentiation of specific immune cell types (e.g., AURKA in Th17 cells), and genes involved in physiological mechanisms related to pathological joint inflammation (e.g., LRG1 in arteries). Notably, many of the tissues where JIA-risk loci act as spatial eQTLs are not classically considered central to JIA pathology. Overall, our findings highlight the potential tissue and immune cell type-specific regulatory changes contributing to JIA pathogenesis. Future integration of our data with clinical studies can contribute to the development of improved JIA therapy.

Great Safety and Efficacy of a New Drug-eluting-stent manufactured in a developing country at minimal cost: the VSTENT at 3 years follow-up

Background

In the care patients with coronary artery disease, a new drug-eluting stent, the VSTENT, covered with sirolimus was designed and manufactured in a developing country at minimal cost. Beside the clinical concern, from an engineering perspective, the questions were: Was this stent flexible? What was its radial strength? Did this stent brace itself against the wall with a strong strut network? What was the cell size and design?

Methods

From 6.2019 to 8.2020, 150 patients from 5 hospitals underwent PCI with a new VSTENT in 212 lesions. At the index PCI (D1), a subgroup of 61 patients (40%) was preselected to undergo additional imaging procedures including intravascular ultrasound (IVUS=41) or optical coherence tomography (OCT=20). All patients were followed-up clinically every month for one year. At 6 months (D180) they underwent digital subtraction angiography (DSA=143) or a second IVUS or OCT for the intravascular subgroup. The rate of invasive imaging follow-up was 95% for DSA, 92% for IVUS and 95% for OCT. The rate of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE: mortality, in-stent restenosis (ISR), Target lesion revascularization (TLR) and data on radial strength, longitudinal flexibility, expansion and coverage were calculated.

Results

In all patients, the technical success was 100% (successful balloon inflation, complete stent expansion, uneventful balloon removal). The VSTENTs were deployed in arteries of all sizes: small with diameter (D) = 2.5mm in 11.3%, D= 2.75mm in 24.1%, and in large arteries D= or >3mm in 66.6% of patients. The stent length varied from 15–38mm with 80% >20mm. 92% had good apposition as evidenced by OCT or IVUS. There was no acute in-stent thrombus, no loss of side branch and no perforation. There was one cardiac arrest with successful resuscitation. The bench and angiographic data on radial strength, longitudinal flexibility, expansion and coverage were excellent

In Figure 1, The VSTENT design has open cells in the middle and closed cell at both distal segments. This design of mixed closed and open cell increases the radial strength at both ends while preventing the diametric difference (dog-boning effect)

In Figure 2, after deployment of a VSTENT, the size of the open cell design in the middle of the stent is approximately 3.40 mm2 while the size of the distal closed cells design is 1.7 mm2.

At 6 months, the rate of angiographic ISR inside the stent and within the 5 mm from the two ends was 3.5%. The rate of late lumen loss was 0.8mm in the in-stent segment and 0.07mm within 5mm of the two ends. The composite MACE was 4.7% with 1 mortality (0.7%) and 4 TLRs. At 36 months follow-up, only one TLR was reported.

Conclusions

At 3 years follow-up, the rate of angiographic ISR and TLR of the VSTENT was low. The data on radial strength, longitudinal flexibility, expansion and coverage were excellent. The VSTENT could be an affordable choice for interventional cardiology service in developing countries.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: Private company. Main funding source(s): United Healthcare

Implementation of Traffic Light System on food sold at Brockfield House Medium secure unit to help improve healthy food options

Introduction

Public Health England published a report in 2017 on Obesity in Secure Mental Health units. A key finding was that not only is obesity and overweight more prevalenr in the population detained within mental health secure units (reported rates of up to 80%) than in the general population (around 60%), patients appear to be more at risk of weight gain when they are detained.

Objectives

1.To implement a traffic light system on food and confectionaries sold at the shop at a Medium secure hospital. 2. Provide healthier food options at the shop by using traffic light system as a visual aid 3. To achieve weight reduction and promote healthy life style choices in patients admitted to our medium secure Forensic unit

Methods

1.Buying a new till system which is able to quantify what type of food is sold 2.Labelling food sold using traffic light system 3. Calculate the types of food sold following a three- month period after implementation.

Results

/Intended Outcome Traffic light system provides a visual aid to patients in choosing healthier food Patients in our medium secure unit achieve a reduction in their weight Traffic light system can be replicated/ adopted by other secure hospitals

Conclusions

The purpose of this research is to implement a traffic light system on food sold at a shop in our medium secure unit and that this will help improve food choices in the unit.

Disclosure

No significant relationships.

Measuring the arterial phase of the right coronary artery in the patients suspected of coronary artery disease: a dual study by dynamic angiography and deep learning program

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: None.

Background. In the diagnosis of coronary artery disease (CAD), coronary angiography (CA) plays a crucial role in determining the location and severity of the stenosis, the anatomical aspect of a lesion. It does not accurately reflect the flow dynamics in the coronary artery. This study aimed to evaluate the coronary flow abnormalities based on our new angiographic technique and Deep Learning (DL) program in patients suspected of CAD.

Methods. We randomly selected patients who were admitted with suspected CAD. All patients underwent our new technique of CA. After the index coronary artery was filled completely with contrast, we stopped the injection. At that time, the blood in white color flew in. The flow characteristics, the shape of the tip, borders, and direction could be clearly observed above a black background of the contrast. In this study, we measured the arterial phase (AP) from the beginning when the blood moved in until the end when all contrasts in black color washed out of the distal vasculature. In the DL protocol, the U-Net model combined with Dense-Net-121 and a binary image classification model are used to predict the beginning and ending frame. To obtain the best image for the DL program, we analyzed only the flow of the right coronary artery (RCA).

Results. 81 patients were enrolled. In patients with normal coronary angiography, the mean AP was 1.86s (27.4 +/- 5.4 frames). In patients with one significant lesion, the mean AP value was 2.35s (35.3 +/- 7.7 frames). The mean difference of the AP between the two groups was 0.49s (95% confidence interval: 0.295 to 0.694). This difference is statistically significant. Our DL has the mean root square error in predicting the AP was 0.34s.

Conclusion. In patients with CAD, the prolonged arterial phase could be accurately estimated using the DL program, reflecting the slow circulation of highly oxygenated blood. It could be used as a marker of coronary perfusion in future studies.

A New PqsR Inverse Agonist Potentiates Tobramycin Efficacy to Eradicate Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilms

Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) infections can be notoriously difficult to treat and are often accompanied by the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Quorum sensing inhibitors (QSI) acting on PqsR (MvfR) - a crucial transcriptional regulator serving major functions in PA virulence - can enhance antibiotic efficacy and eventually prevent the AMR. An integrated drug discovery campaign including design, medicinal chemistry-driven hit-to-lead optimization and in-depth biological profiling of a new QSI generation is reported. The QSI possess excellent activity in inhibiting pyocyanin production and PqsR reporter-gene with IC50 values as low as 200 and 11 × 10-9 m, respectively. Drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics (DMPK) as well as safety pharmacology studies especially highlight the promising translational properties of the lead QSI for pulmonary applications. Moreover, target engagement of the lead QSI is shown in a PA mucoid lung infection mouse model. Beyond that, a significant synergistic effect of a QSI-tobramycin (Tob) combination against PA biofilms using a tailor-made squalene-derived nanoparticle (NP) formulation, which enhance the minimum biofilm eradicating concentration (MBEC) of Tob more than 32-fold is demonstrated. The novel lead QSI and the accompanying NP formulation highlight the potential of adjunctive pathoblocker-mediated therapy against PA infections opening up avenues for preclinical development.

Identical and Nonidentical Twins: Risk and Factors Involved in Development of Islet Autoimmunity and Type 1 Diabetes

OBJECTIVE

There are variable reports of risk of concordance for progression to islet autoantibodies and type 1 diabetes in identical twins after one twin is diagnosed. We examined development of positive autoantibodies and type 1 diabetes and the effects of genetic factors and common environment on autoantibody positivity in identical twins, nonidentical twins, and full siblings.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Subjects from the TrialNet Pathway to Prevention Study (N = 48,026) were screened from 2004 to 2015 for islet autoantibodies (GAD antibody [GADA], insulinoma-associated antigen 2 [IA-2A], and autoantibodies against insulin [IAA]). Of these subjects, 17,226 (157 identical twins, 283 nonidentical twins, and 16,786 full siblings) were followed for autoantibody positivity or type 1 diabetes for a median of 2.1 years.

RESULTS

At screening, identical twins were more likely to have positive GADA, IA-2A, and IAA than nonidentical twins or full siblings (all P < 0.0001). Younger age, male sex, and genetic factors were significant factors for expression of IA-2A, IAA, one or more positive autoantibodies, and two or more positive autoantibodies (all P ≤ 0.03). Initially autoantibody-positive identical twins had a 69% risk of diabetes by 3 years compared with 1.5% for initially autoantibody-negative identical twins. In nonidentical twins, type 1 diabetes risk by 3 years was 72% for initially multiple autoantibody-positive, 13% for single autoantibody-positive, and 0% for initially autoantibody-negative nonidentical twins. Full siblings had a 3-year type 1 diabetes risk of 47% for multiple autoantibody-positive, 12% for single autoantibody-positive, and 0.5% for initially autoantibody-negative subjects.

CONCLUSIONS

Risk of type 1 diabetes at 3 years is high for initially multiple and single autoantibody-positive identical twins and multiple autoantibody-positive nonidentical twins. Genetic predisposition, age, and male sex are significant risk factors for development of positive autoantibodies in twins.

Does the chromagen blue filter lens affect the reading speed, accuracy and contrast sensitivity

PURPOSE

To determine the effects of ChromaGen blue filter lens in reading speed, accuracy and contrast sensitivity.

METHODS

A cross-over, randomised study was carried out on 40 individuals (11 males and 29 females) aged 21 to 30 years. The rate of reading and reading accuracy was calculated with and without ChromaGen blue filter lens in all subjects. Wilkins Rate of Reading Test was used to measure the rate of reading and reading accuracy. Contrast sensitivity was also evaluated by using with and without the ChromaGen blue filter lens.

RESULTS

The mean rate of reading with and without ChromaGen blue filter lens was 160.58±16.03 words per minute and 150.52±15.66 words per minute respectively, with significant difference of p<0.001. The mean of reading accuracy (words correctly read per minute) in subjects, with ChromaGen blue filter was 149.30±0.79 words and without using filter lens was 148.53±1.11 words and found to be significant (p<0.001). There was no significant difference in the contrast sensitivity between subjects with and without the ChromaGen blue filter lens (p=0.083). No significant correlation was noted between the reading speed with age, spherical equivalent, contrast sensitivity, and reading accuracy.

CONCLUSION

This study concludes that there was an increase of 6.68% in the rate of reading and improvement of 0.52% in accuracy among subjects with ChromaGen blue filter lens.

X-ray streaked refraction enhanced radiography for inferring inflight density gradients in ICF capsule implosions

In the quest for reaching ignition of deuterium-tritium (DT) fuel capsule implosions, experiments on the National Ignition Facility (NIF) have shown lower final fuel areal densities than simulated. Possible explanations for reduced compression are higher preheat that can increase the ablator-DT ice density jump and induce mix at that interface or reverberating shocks. We are hence developing x-ray Refraction Enhanced Radiography (RER) to infer the inflight density profiles in layered fuel capsule implosions. We use a 5 μm slit backlit by a Ni 7.8 keV He-α NIF laser driven x-ray source positioned at 20 mm from the capsule to cast refracted images of the inflight capsule onto a streak camera in a high magnification (M ∼ 60×) setup. Our first experiments have validated our setup that recorded a streaked x-ray fringe pattern from an undriven high density carbon (HDC) capsule consistent with ray tracing calculations at the required ∼6 μm and 25 ps resolution. Streaked RER was then applied to inflight layered HDC capsule implosions using a hydrogen-tritium fuel mix rather than DT to reduce neutron yields and associated backgrounds. The first RER of an imploding capsule revealed strong features associated with the ablation front and ice-ablator interface that are not visible in standard absorption radiographs.

Initial Investigation into Microbleeds and White Matter Signal Changes following Radiotherapy for Low-Grade and Benign Brain Tumors Using Ultra-High-Field MRI Techniques

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

External beam radiation therapy is a common treatment for many brain neoplasms. While external beam radiation therapy adheres to dose limits to protect the uninvolved brain, areas of high dose to normal tissue still occur. Patients treated with chemoradiotherapy can have adverse effects such as microbleeds and radiation necrosis, but few studies exist of patients treated without chemotherapy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Ten patients were treated for low-grade or benign neoplasms with external beam radiation therapy only and scanned within 12-36 months following treatment with a 7T MR imaging scanner. A multiecho gradient-echo sequence was acquired and postprocessed into SWI, quantitative susceptibility mapping, and apparent transverse relaxation maps. Six patients returned for follow-up imaging approximately 18 months following their first research scan and were imaged with the same techniques.

RESULTS

At the first visit, 7/10 patients had microbleeds evident on SWI, quantitative susceptibility mapping, and apparent transverse relaxation. All microbleeds were within a dose region of >45 Gy. Additionally, 4/10 patients had asymptomatic WM signal changes evident on standard imaging. Further analysis with our technique revealed that these lesions were venocentric, suggestive of a neuroinflammatory process.

CONCLUSIONS

There exists a potential for microbleeds in patients treated with external beam radiation therapy without chemotherapy. This finding is of clinical relevance because it could be a precursor of future neurovascular disease and indicates that additional care should be taken when using therapies such as anticoagulants. Additionally, the appearance of venocentric WM lesions could be suggestive of a neuroinflammatory mechanism that has been suggested in diseases such as MS. Both findings merit further investigation in a larger population set.

Beam-Target Helicity Asymmetry for γ[over →]n[over →]→π^{-}p in the N^{*} Resonance Region

We report the first beam-target double-polarization asymmetries in the γ+n(p)→π^{-}+p(p) reaction spanning the nucleon resonance region from invariant mass W=1500 to 2300 MeV. Circularly polarized photons and longitudinally polarized deuterons in solid hydrogen deuteride (HD) have been used with the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer (CLAS) at Jefferson Lab. The exclusive final state has been extracted using three very different analyses that show excellent agreement, and these have been used to deduce the E polarization observable for an effective neutron target. These results have been incorporated into new partial wave analyses and have led to significant revisions for several γnN^{*} resonance photocouplings.

Record power, ultra-broadband supercontinuum source based on highly GeO2 doped silica fiber

We demonstrate highly germania doped fibers for mid-infrared supercontinuum generation. Experiments ensure a highest output power of 1.44 W for a broadest spectrum from 700 nm to 3200 nm and 6.4 W for 800 nm to 2700 nm from these fibers, while being pumped by a broadband Erbium-Ytterbium doped fiber based master oscillator power amplifier. The effect of repetition frequency of pump source and length of germania-doped fiber has also been investigated. Further, germania doped fiber has been pumped by conventional supercontinuum source based on silica photonic crystal fiber supercontinuum source. At low power, a considerable broadening of 200-300 nm was observed. Further broadening of spectrum was limited due to limited power of pump source. Our investigations reveal the unexploited potential of germania doped fiber for mid-infrared supercontinuum generation. These measurements ensure the potential of germania based photonic crystal fiber or a step-index fiber supercontinuum source for high power ultra-broad band emission being by pumped a 1060 nm or a 1550 nm laser source. To the best of our knowledge, this is the record power, ultra-broadband, and all-fiberized supercontinuum light source based on silica and germania fiber ever demonstrated to the date.

Sensitizing basal-like breast cancer to chemotherapy using nanoparticles conjugated with interference peptide

Basal-like breast cancers are highly aggressive malignancies associated with very poor prognosis. Although these cancers may initially respond to first-line treatment, they become highly resistant to standard chemotherapy in the metastatic setting. Chemotherapy resistance in basal-like breast cancers is associated with highly selective overexpression of the homeobox transcription factor Engrailed 1 (EN1). Herein, we propose a novel therapeutic strategy using poly(glycidyl methacrylate) nanoparticles decorated with poly(acrylic acid) that enable dual delivery of docetaxel and interference peptides designed to block or inhibit EN1 (EN1-iPep). We demonstrate that EN1-iPep is highly selective in inducing apoptotic cell death in basal-like cancer cells with negligible effects in a non-neoplastic human mammary epithelial cell line. Furthermore, we show that treatment with EN1-iPep results in a highly synergistic pharmacological interaction with docetaxel in inhibiting cancer cell growth. The incorporation of these two agents in a single nanoformulation results in greater anticancer efficacy than current nanoparticle-based treatments used in the clinical setting.

Cross Sections for the Exclusive Photon Electroproduction on the Proton and Generalized Parton Distributions

Unpolarized and beam-polarized fourfold cross sections (d^{4}σ/dQ^{2}dx_{B}dtdϕ) for the ep→e^{'}p^{'}γ reaction were measured using the CLAS detector and the 5.75-GeV polarized electron beam of the Jefferson Lab accelerator, for 110 (Q^{2},x_{B},t) bins over the widest phase space ever explored in the valence-quark region. Several models of generalized parton distributions (GPDs) describe the data well at most of our kinematics. This increases our confidence that we understand the GPD H, expected to be the dominant contributor to these observables. Through a leading-twist extraction of Compton form factors, these results support the model predictions of a larger nucleon size at lower quark-momentum fraction x_{B}.

High-density carbon capsule experiments on the national ignition facility

Indirect-drive implosions with a high-density carbon (HDC) capsule were conducted on the National Ignition Facility (NIF) to test HDC properties as an ablator material for inertial confinement fusion. A series of five experiments were completed with 76-μm-thick HDC capsules using a four-shock laser pulse optimized for HDC. The pulse delivered a total energy of 1.3 MJ with a peak power of 360 TW. The experiment demonstrated good laser to target coupling (∼90%) and excellent nuclear performance. A deuterium and tritium gas-filled HDC capsule implosion produced a neutron yield of 1.6×10^{15}±3×10(13), a yield over simulated in one dimension of 70%.

Multi-protein delivery by nanodiamonds promotes bone formation

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are well-studied regulators of cartilage and bone development that have been Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved for the promotion of bone formation in certain procedures. BMPs are seeing more use in oral and maxillofacial surgeries because of recent FDA approval of InFUSE(®) for sinus augmentation and localized alveolar ridge augmentation. However, the utility of BMPs in medical and dental applications is limited by the delivery method. Currently, BMPs are delivered to the surgical site by the implantation of bulky collagen sponges. Here we evaluate the potential of detonation nanodiamonds (NDs) as a delivery vehicle for BMP-2 and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). Nanodiamonds are biocompatible, 4- to 5-nm carbon nanoparticles that have previously been used to deliver a wide variety of molecules, including proteins and peptides. We find that both BMP-2 and bFGF are readily loaded onto NDs by physisorption, forming a stable colloidal solution, and are triggered to release in slightly acidic conditions. Simultaneous delivery of BMP-2 and bFGF by ND induces differentiation and proliferation in osteoblast progenitor cells. Overall, we find that NDs provide an effective injectable alternative for the delivery of BMP-2 and bFGF to promote bone formation.

Hard two-body photodisintegration of 3He

We have measured cross sections for the γ(3)He → pd reaction at photon energies of 0.4-1.4 GeV and a center-of-mass angle of 90°. We observe dimensional scaling above 0.7 GeV at this center-of-mass angle. This is the first observation of dimensional scaling in the photodisintegration of a nucleus heavier than the deuteron.

Detection of neural signals with vertically grown single platinum nanowire-nanobud

We developed a nanoscale neural probing device for in vitro sensing of neural activity. Single vertical platinum (Pt) nanowires were fabricated on a microelectrode array by focused ion beam (FIB)-chemical vapor deposition (CVD) in order to improve the spatial resolution of recording and to minimize damage to the cells. Rat neuroblasts were cultured on the electrode array. Electrodes in contact with cells detected prominent spontaneous electrical activity. Our experiments demonstrate the nanoprobes for the real-time detection of electrophysiological signals in neuronal cells.

Photoactivated release of cargo from the cavity of polyelectrolyte capsules to the cytosol of cells

Polyelectrolyte capsules with metal nanoparticles in their walls and fluorescently labeled polymers as cargo inside their cavity were prepared. Capsules were ingested by living cells with no uncontrolled release of the cargo upon the incorporation process. Photoinduced heating of the metal nanoparticles in the capsule walls lead to rupture of the capsule walls, and the polymeric cargo was released to the whole cytosol. Viability tests demonstrate that opening of capsules at moderate light intensities does not impair the cellular metabolism, whereas capsule opening at high light intensities ultimately leads to cell death.

The CD30 gene promoter microsatellite binds transcription factor Yin Yang 1 (YY1) and shows genetic instability in anaplastic large cell lymphoma

CD30 is a member of the TNF receptor family. Our interest lies in understanding the control of CD30 expression, particularly as its over-expression provides a diagnostic marker for a subset of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, particularly anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL), and because anti-CD30 treatment has been shown to be efficacious. We have identified a number of regulatory regions, including an Sp1 element in the minimal promoter, and a downstream promoter element that is required for start site selection. The discovery of both an activating AP1 site and an upstream microsatellite that represses transcriptional activity of CD30 suggests that this region is involved in dysregulation of CD30 expression. We have now identified the major microsatellite binding activity as transcription factor Yin Yang 1 by both one-hybrid cDNA library screening and peptide mass fingerprinting. Due to the strong repressive effect of the microsatellite, we also investigated whether microsatellite instability may induce changes in CD30 expression and hence explain the over-expression of CD30 in ALCL. Laser capture microdissection of ALCL biopsies and CD30 microsatellite typing indicated that the neoplastic cells show a high degree of variation, but this does not correlate with high CD30 expression seen in ALCL.