Attachment Rate Research Articles

Evaluation of clear aligners attachment success rate with different composite types

This study aimed to evaluate the survival rate of clear aligner attachment using different composite types. Twelve patients ranging from 15 to 25 years old participated in this research. Patients who met the inclusion criteria were randomly assigned to one of two groups: packable composite, which contained packable composite attachments, or flowable composite, which included flowable composite attachments. There was no statistical difference in attachment failures between the two groups for all cases (2 = 3.003, P = 0.083) and individual cases. However, failures occurred in 75% of the FC group vs. 55.6% for the PC group (categorical data were compared using the Chi-Square or Fisher's exact test). According to the findings of this research, the composite type, whether packable or flowable, did not affect attachment failure.

Maternal Attachment Representations during Pregnancy, Perinatal Maternal Depression, and Parenting Stress: Relations to Child's Attachment.

Background: This paper aimed to explore the associations between maternal representations of attachment evaluated during pregnancy, pre and postnatal maternal depression, parenting stress and child’s attachment at 15 months after childbirth. Methods: Mothers (n = 71), and their infants participated in a longitudinal study of maternal attachment, pre and postnatal depression, parenting stress and child attachment. Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) was conducted between 24 and 26 weeks of pregnancy (Time 1), depression was assessed using the Edinburgh Perinatal Depression Scale (EPDS) (at Time 1 and 6 months after childbirth, i.e., Time 2), parenting stress was assessed using the Parenting Stress Index—Short Form (PS-SF) (at Time 2) and the Strange Situation Procedure (SSP) at child’s 15 months of age (Time 3). Results: Free-autonomous maternal classification of attachment increases the likelihood of secure child classification in her offspring, while decreases that of avoidance and ambivalence. Insecure maternal representation of attachment evaluated during pregnancy and higher levels of parenting stress at six months after childbirth was associated with higher rates of infant insecure attachment at 15 months. Conclusions: Our study validates the importance of considering maternal representations of attachment crucial in determining the quality of the caregiving environment, thereby the healthy development of children, despite the presence of other contextual risk.

The psychological portrait of pregnant women with several complications of multiple pregnancy

BACKGROUND: Multiple pregnancies are high-risk pregnancies from both an obstetric and a psychological point of view.
 AIM: The aim of this study was to identify the features of prenatal experiences of women carrying multiple pregnancies and to determine the influence of several complications of multiple pregnancy on prenatal experience.
 MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study involved 80 individuals aged 19 to 43 years, at a gestational age of 21 to 39 weeks, carrying twins. The patients were divided into five groups by clinical diagnosis and were asked to complete psychodiagnostic questionnaire. The answers to the questions suggested both a quantitative assessment and a qualitative description of their experiences.
 RESULTS: We revealed some differences between the study groups in the frequency of manifestations of different psychological elements of the mothers gestational dominant. Some trends were also found for differences between the groups in terms of prenatal attachment rates. An analysis of pregnant womens descriptions of their ideas about the unborn children and communication with them showed that there were qualitative differences between the groups in the following: ideas about the characters of the unborn children, actual thoughts about them and thoughts about them after delivery, and features of the mothers communication with them in several emotional conditions. The data obtained allowed for describing the psychological portrait of pregnant women with several complications of multiple pregnancy.
 CONCLUSIONS: Depending on the type of multiple pregnancy complications, there are specific psychological experiences associated with pregnancy, future maternity and an emotional bond with the unborn children. Moreover, these experiences influence the behavior of pregnant women and their communication with other people and medical staff.

A coupled bio-chemo-hydro-mechanical model for bio-cementation in porous media

A key challenge involving microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) is lack of rigorous yet practical theoretical models to predict the intricate biological–chemical–hydraulic–mechanical (BCHM) processes and the resulting bio-cement production. This paper presents a novel BCHM model based on multiphase, multispecies reactive transport approach in the framework of poroelasticity, aimed at achieving reasonable prediction of the produced bio-cement, and the enhanced geomechanical characteristics. The proposed model incorporates four key components: (i) coupling of hydro-mechanical stress–strain alterations with bio-chemical processes; (ii) stress–strain changes induced due to precipitation and growth of bio-cement within the porous matrix; (iii) spatiotemporal variability in hydraulic and stiffness characteristics of the treated medium; and (iv) velocity dependency of the attachment rate of bacteria. The fully coupled BCHM model predicts key unknown parameters during treatment including concentration of bacteria and chemical solutions, precipitated calcium carbonate, hydraulic properties of the solid skeleton, and in situ pore pressures and strains. The model was able to reasonably predict bio-cementation from two different laboratory column experiments. The Kozeny–Carman permeability equation is found to underestimate permeability reductions due to bio-cementation, while the Verma–Pruess relation could be more accurate. A sensitivity analysis revealed bio-cement distribution to be particularly sensitive to the attachment rate of bacteria.

Turkey ovarian tissue transplantation: effects of surgical technique on graft attachment and immunological status of the grafts, 6 days post-surgery

Biobanked poultry ovaries can be revived via transplantation into a recipient female, which upon maturity will produce donor-derived progeny. Previously, a large portion of these recipients also produced recipient-derived progeny, making them gonadal chimeras. These were potentially created when portions of the recipient's ovary were inadvertently left behind. Completely removing the recipient ovary would solve this problem; however, leaving a portion of the recipient's ovary may have inadvertently increased the transplant attachment rate by providing a damaged area for attachment. To test this hypothesis in the turkey, we removed various portions (33–100%) of recipient ovarian tissue and determined the transplant attachment rate. Furthermore, the use of the abdominal air sac membrane as an additional anchoring point was tested. The overall attachment rate of transplants was 91% (27/30), while the average size of the transplants was 4.2 ± 0.6 mm2, 6 d postsurgery. There was no difference (P > 0.05) in the attachment rates, or transplant size between groups with varying amounts of recipent tissue removed, or by using the abdominal air sac membrane as an anchor. Finally, the immunological status of the grafts were evaluated by analyzing the presences of CD3 and MUM-1 (T and B cell markers). This showed that all transplants were infiltrated by large numbers of T and B cells. Shown by a high (P ≤ 0.001) percentage of CD3-positive immunostained cytoplasmic area (49.78 ± 3.90%) in transplants compared to remnant recipient tissue (0.30 ± 0.10%), as well as a high (P ≤ 0.001) percentage of MUM-1-positive immunostained nuclear area (9.85 ± 1.95%) in transplants over remnant recipient tissues (0.39 ± 0.12%). From this study we would recommend removing the entire recipient ovary, and not covering the transplants with the abdominal air sac membrane, to prevent gonadal chimeras. The high levels of lymphocytes within the grafts indicate possible tissue rejection, which could be overcome via immunosuppression with or without histocompatibility matching between donors and recipients.

Pet Ownership and Multiple Sclerosis during COVID-19.

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is associated with lower quality of life, reduced social participation, and decreased self-efficacy. The COVID-19 pandemic has had documented effects on the health and wellbeing of people with and without MS. Previous research has demonstrated the positive impact pets can have for people living with long-term conditions. Objectives: To explore the rates of pet ownership and pet attachment in people living with MS and pet ownership associations with quality of life, satisfaction with social roles, and self-efficacy scores; and to explore the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak on people’s perceived relationships with their pets. Materials and Methods: A postal questionnaire was distributed to members of a local MS Register and a control group of people without MS. The questionnaire assessed quality of life, satisfaction with social roles, self-efficacy, the perceived roles of pets, and pet-related concerns experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: No apparent difference in attachment to pets was found between the patient and control groups. Pet ownership and level of attachment were not associated with differences in quality of life or self-efficacy scores in people living with MS. Using multiple regression analysis, pet ownership was associated with a decrease in satisfaction with participation in social roles, but with the estimated effect being small compared to having a diagnosis of MS or being unemployed. Most participants reported that pets had positive roles during the pandemic, and the most reported pet-related concern was access to veterinary treatment. Conclusion: Pet owners both with and without MS reported subjective benefits to their wellbeing from pet ownership during COVID-19, although analysis suggested that pet ownership was associated with a reduction in satisfaction with social roles. The study had several limitations and suggestions are made for future work.

Effect of Magnesium on Dentinogenesis of Human Dental Pulp Cells.

Introducing therapeutic ions into pulp capping materials has been considered a new approach for enhancing regeneration of dental tissues. However, no studies have been reported on its dentinogenic effects on human dental pulp cells (HDPCs). This study was designed to investigate the effects of magnesium (Mg2+) on cell attachment efficiency, proliferation, differentiation, and mineralization of HDPCs. HDPCs were cultured with 0.5 mM, 1 mM, 2 mM, 4 mM, and 8 mM concentrations of supplemental Mg2+ and 0 mM (control). Cell attachment was measured at 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20 hours. Cell proliferation rate was evaluated at 3, 7, 10, 14, and 21 days. Crystal violet staining was used to determine cell attachment and proliferation rate. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity was assessed using the fluorometric assay at 7, 10, and 14 days. Mineralization of cultures was measured by Alizarin red staining. Statistical analysis was done using multiway analysis of variance (multiway ANOVA) with Wilks' lambda test. Higher cell attachment was shown with 0.5 mM and 1 mM at 16 hours compared to control (P < 0.0001). Cells with 0.5 mM and 1 mM supplemental Mg2+ showed significantly higher proliferation rates than control at 7, 10, 14, and 21 days (P < 0.0001). However, cell proliferation rates decreased significantly with 4 mM and 8 mM supplemental Mg2+ at 14 and 21 days (P < 0.0001). Significantly higher levels of ALP activity and mineralization were observed in 0.5 mM, 1 mM, and 2 mM supplemental Mg2+ at 10 and 14 days (P < 0.0001). However, 8 mM supplemental Mg2+ showed lower ALP activity compared to control at 14 days (P < 0.0001), while 4 mM and 8 mM supplemental Mg2+showed less mineralization compared to control (P < 0.0001). The study indicated that the optimal (0.5–2 mM) supplemental Mg2+ concentrations significantly upregulated HDPCs by enhancing cell attachment, proliferation rate, ALP activity, and mineralization. Magnesium-containing biomaterials could be considered for a future novel dental pulp-capping additive in regenerative endodontics.

The Role of Endothelial Superoxide Dismutase 2 in Modulating Sickle Pathology

Sickle cell disease (SCD) patients suffer from hemolysis in microcirculation. On the one hand, hemoglobin and heme released from sickled red blood cells catalyze reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation by Fenton chemistry. On the other hand, sickled red blood cells occlude capillaries, creating a hypoxic condition that exacerbates ROS production. As an essential antioxidant mechanism, superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) detoxifies superoxide by converting it to hydrogen peroxide (H 2O 2) in the mitochondria. In SCD patients, despite the elevated ROS production, we found that SOD2 expression is suppressed in the pulmonary endothelium (Figure 1A,B). Therefore, we hypothesize the depletion of endothelial SOD2 compromises endothelial function and exacerbates the progression of SCD.To examine the role of endothelial SOD2, we silenced SOD2 gene expression (SOD2 KD) with siRNA in primary human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (hPMVECs). Knocking down SOD2 in hPMVECs accelerated mitochondrial superoxide production and compromised mitochondrial potential. However, mitochondrial respiration, the activity of respiratory complexes, and the cellular ATP content were not affected by SOD2 KD. An important function of endothelial cells is to form a barrier and sequester cellular and molecular contents in the blood. SOD2 KD hPMVECs exhibited increased albumin leakage and decreased transendothelial resistance, indicating a disrupted endothelial barrier(Figure 1C). The defect in the endothelial barrier was rescued by adding 4 mM H 2O 2(Figure 1D), suggesting SOD2-derived H 2O 2 may serve as a critical signaling molecule. Moreover, cell migration or proliferation was inhibited in SOD2 KD hPMVECs, which was examined by a scratch assay.Since both cell migration and barrier maintenance require focal adhesion assembly, we next investigated the role of SOD2 in focal adhesion dynamics. In an attachment assay, SOD2 KD reduced cell attachment rate on uncoated plates, which was blunted by fibronectin precoating, indicating a fibronectin-dependent defect in cell adhesion(Figure 1E,F). Notably, although fibronectin protein expression in hPMVECs was not altered, SOD2 KD decreased the dimer/monomer ratio. Furthermore, confocal images showed that fibronectin was retained in SOD2 KD cells(Figure 1G), highlighting the importance of SOD2 in fibronectin assembly.In conclusion, we demonstrated for the first time that SOD2 expression is diminished in the pulmonary endothelium of SCD patients and that endothelial SOD2 is crucial for endothelial function by facilitating fibronectin assembly. The importance of SOD2 in endothelial function may prove therapeutic value in SCD patients, which requires further investigation. [Display omitted] DisclosuresNo relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Tailoring Additively Manufactured Titanium Implants for Short‐Time Pediatric Implantations with Enhanced Bactericidal Activity

Paediatric titanium (Ti) implants are used for the short-term fixation of fractures, after which they are removed. However, bone overgrowth on the implant surface can complicate their removal. The current Ti implants research focuses on improving their osseointegration and antibacterial properties for long-term use while overlooking the requirements of temporary implants. This paper presents the engineering of additively manufactured Ti implants with antibacterial properties and prevention of bone cell overgrowth. 3D-printed implants were fabricated followed by electrochemical anodization to generate vertically aligned titania nanotubes (TNTs) on the surface with specific diameters (∼100 nm) to reduce cell attachment and proliferation. To achieve enhanced antibacterial performance, TNTs were coated with gallium nitrate as antibacterial agent. The physicochemical characteristics of these implants assessed by the attachment, growth and viability of osteoblastic MG-63 cells showed significantly reduced cell attachment and proliferation, confirming the ability of TNTs surface to avoid cell overgrowth. Gallium coated TNTs showed strong antibacterial activity against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa with reduced bacterial attachment and high rates of bacterial death. Thus a new approach for the engineering of temporary Ti implants with enhanced bactericidal properties with reduced bone cell attachment is demonstrated as a new strategy toward a new generation of short-term implants in paediatrics.

Using Parental Attachment in Family Court Proceedings: DMM Theory about the Adult Attachment Interview

Parental attachment refers to the protective and comforting role of parents toward their children. This role has been violated in cases of maltreatment. Understanding the attachment of parents who endanger their children can illuminate the psychological processes behind the harmful behaviour of parents. This paper proposes assessing parental attachment with the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI), classified according to the Dynamic‐Maturational Model of Attachment and Adaptation (DMM). We discuss meta‐analyses of the ‘gold standard' Berkeley method for extracting AAI information. AAIs of maltreating adults classified with the Berkeley method have an improbably high rate of secure attachment, making it inadequate for family forensic applications. In contrast, the DMM uses a theory‐based, developmental expansion of Ainsworth's infant categories to describe a wide array of dimensionally related protective strategies for coping with danger across the lifespan. DMM‐AAIs, classified by trained, reliable professionals and integrated with data from other sources to create an individualised family formulation, meet evidentiary requirements. We call for a programme of research of court‐involved families comparing DMM‐AAI formulations to outcomes of usual methods for determining family services.‘This paper proposes assessing parental attachment with the Adult Attachment Interview, classified according to the Dynamic‐Maturational Model of Attachment and Adaptation (DMM)’Key Practitioner Messages Childhood exposure to danger is crucial to understanding maltreating parents' behaviour. Adult Attachment Interviews, classified with the DMM method by authorised experts, can reveal motivating psychological processes that are not apparent in parental behaviour. Information about parents' attachment, together with other information, can help child protection personnel gauge the risk that parents pose to their children and organise personalised treatment plans to reduce that risk. ABCD Berkeley AAI classifications are not suitable for forensic use.

Influence of flow rate on the transport of nTiO2 and phosphate and its modeling

We studied Zeta potentials of nanoparticles titanium dioxides （nTiO2） in different concentration of NaNO3 and phosphate (P) solutions. In addition, the effect of flow rate on the transport of nTiO2 in P was investigated at pH＝6.5. Experimental results show that the Zeta potential of nTiO2 is compressed with the increasing ion concentration (IC) of NaNO3 at pH＝6.5. The negative charge increases with the augment of P. Therefore, the high P and low NaNO3 induce the stabilization of nTiO2 aggregates. The transport experiments suggest that the rapid flow rate is favorable for the transportability of nTiO2 and soluble phosphate. The breakthrough transport curves (BTCs) of nTiO2 in sand columns can be fitted well with two-site kinetic attachment model. The modeling results suggest that the values of first-order attachment rate coefficients (k2) and detachment rate coefficients (k2d) on site 2 and first-order attachment rate coefficients (k1) on site 1 are responsible to the attaching efficiency of nTiO2 on sands and their transportability.

Second compartment widens plasmid invasion conditions: Two-compartment pair-formation model of conjugation in the gut

Understanding under which conditions conjugative plasmids encoding antibiotic resistance can invade bacterial communities in the gut is of particular interest to combat the spread of antibiotic resistance within and between animals and humans. We extended a one-compartment model of conjugation to a two-compartment model, to analyse how differences in plasmid dynamics in the gut lumen and at the gut wall affect the invasion of plasmids. We compared scenarios with one and two compartments, different migration rates between the lumen and wall compartments, and different population dynamics. We focused on the effect of attachment and detachment rates on plasmid dynamics, explicitly describing pair formation followed by plasmid transfer in the pairs. The parameter space allowing plasmid invasion in the one-compartment model is affected by plasmid costs and intrinsic conjugation rates of the transconjugant, but not by these characteristics of the donor. The parameter space allowing plasmid invasion in the two-compartment model is affected by attachment and detachment rates in the lumen and wall compartment, and by the bacterial density at the wall. The one- and two-compartment models predict the same parameter space for plasmid invasion if the conditions in both compartments are equal to the conditions in the one-compartment model. In contrast, the addition of the wall compartment widens the parameter space allowing invasion compared with the one-compartment model, if the density at the wall is higher than in the lumen, or if the attachment rate at the wall is high and the detachment rate at the wall is low. We also compared the pair-formation models with bulk-conjugation models that describe conjugation by instantaneous transfer of the plasmid at contact between cells, without explicitly describing pair formation. Our results show that pair-formation and bulk-conjugation models predict the same parameter space for plasmid invasion. From our simulations, we conclude that conditions at the gut wall should be taken into account to describe plasmid dynamics in the gut and that transconjugant characteristics rather than donor characteristics should be used to parameterize the models.

Doorway Mechanism for Electron Attachment Induced DNA Strand Breaks.

We report a new doorway mechanism for the dissociative electron attachment to genetic materials. The dipole-bound state of the nucleotide anion acts as the doorway for electron capture in the genetic material. The electron gets subsequently transferred to a dissociative σ*-type anionic state localized on a sugar-phosphate or a sugar-nucleobase bond, leading to their cleavage. The electron transfer is mediated by the mixing of electronic and nuclear degrees of freedom. The cleavage rate of the sugar-phosphate bond predicted by this new mechanism is higher than that of the sugar-nucleobase bond breaking, and both processes are considerably slower than the formation of a stable valence-bound anion. The new mechanism can explain the relative rates of electron attachment induced bond cleavages in genetic materials.

The impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on rhegmatogenous retinal detachment treatment patterns

BackgroundsTo describe changes in rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) surgical procedures in Beijing during the COVID-19 Pandemic.MethodsA retrospective cohort of RRD patients was analyzed. Patients were divided into the COVID-19 pandemic group and pre-COVID-19 group according to their presentation. The presurgery characteristics, surgical procedures, and surgery outcomes were collected. The potential factors related to the choice of pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) or scleral buckling (SB) were analyzed using logistic regression. The differences in the procedure choice under specific conditions were compared. Surgery outcomes were compared between the two groups.ResultsIn the COVID-19 pandemic group, less patients received SB (27.8, 41.3%, p = 0.02) while more patients received PPV (72.2, 58.6%, p = 0.02); in patients who received SB, fewer patients received subretinal fluid drainage (45.4,75.7%, p = 0.01); in patients who received PPV, fewer patients received phacovitrectomy (7.0, 21.0%, p = 0.02). The choice of PPV was related to older age (1.03, p = 0.005), the presence of RRD with choroidal detachment (RRD-CD) (2.92, p = 0.03), pseudophakia (5.0, p = 0.002), retinal breaks located posterior to the equator (4.87, p < 0.001), macular holes (9.76, p = 0.005), and a presurgery visual acuity (VA) less than 0.02 (0.44, p = 0.03). Fewer phakia patients with retinal breaks located posterior to the equator (1/28, 11/30, p = 0.01) and fewer patients with chronic RRD and subretinal strand (1/9, 9/16, p = 0.03) received SB in the COVID-19 pandemic group. There were more patients with improved VA (55.7, 40.2%, p = 0.03) in the COVID-19 pandemic group. The overall single-surgery retinal attachment rate was similar in the two groups (94.9, 94.5%, p = 0.99).ConclusionsDuring the COVID-19 Pandemic, the main reason for the increased number of PPV in RRD treatment was that more complicated cases were presented. However, the surgeons were conservative in procedure choice in specific cases. The adjustments on RRD treatments lead to comparable surgery outcomes.

Physico-chemistry and adhesion kinetics of algal biofilm on polyethersulfone (PES) membrane with different surface wettability

Microalgal biofilm growth on porous substrates has recently garnered extensive attention with the advantage of high biomass productivity with low liquid culture volume. In such cultivation, the surface characteristics of supporting materials play essential role supporting biofilm growth. In view of this, a study on the membrane surface wettability of a commercial polyethersulfone (PES) membrane with two different hydrophilicities was selected in a long-term benthic biofilm cultivation experiment. Findings revealed that both soluble and bounded extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) contributed towards the formation of an adhesive gel layer onto the membrane’s surfaces. The maximum accumulated cell density was achieved by C. fusiformis around 47.64 ± 4.03 × 109 cells m−2 onto phobic PES (79.29°) and the least by N. incerta around 6.40 ± 0.49 × 109 cells m−2 onto philic PES (47.56°). The fact remained that the cell attachment rate was almost similar for both A. coffeaeformis and N. incerta but with gradual reduction after day 12 for phobic PES and day 8 for philic PES for the three benthic species. The change of adhesion ratio was well explained with their respective EPS variation. The XDLVO model employed suggested the dominance of acid-base interactions in high ionic strength liquid, leading to higher global minimum energy occurring on phobic PES. Overall, the findings indicated that biofilm formation is favored on polymer substrate having lower surface energy due to the attractive interaction of the submerged surface with those biomolecules and colloids.

Remarkable high frequency of insecure attachment in children with ADHD persists in a three-year follow-up

Background Studies have pointed to a complicated and mutual relationship between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and attachment. In an observational follow-up study conducted in 2015 60 children from 7 years to 12 years recently diagnosed with ADHD were included and assessed according to attachment representation showing 85% of the children to be insecurely attached. Aim The aim of this study was to investigate the stability of this remarkably high frequency of insecure attachment in the same cohort of children. Methods Children previously assessed using the child attachment interview (CAI) when diagnosed with ADHD were contacted three years later for a follow-up CAI assessment. Results At follow-up, 31 children participated in the CAI-interviews. Since their diagnosis with ADHD, the children had received treatment as usual. The CAI-interviews showed a continued high rate of insecure attachment with 90% of the children classifying as insecurely attached compared to expected 38% in the normal population. Of these, the majority of children (77%) were classified as dismissing. Conclusion Our findings suggest that targeting ADHD-symptoms with our current treatment strategies does not in itself improve attachment security. Attachment security may in turn be a factor of importance when evaluating general functioning and prognosis.

Leukemia Inhibitory Factor Enhanced the Developmental and Implantation Compatibility of Mouse Embryos in Co-culture with Human Endometrial Epithelial Cells

Abstract Objective: Among the various in vitro embryo culture systems, co-culture has demonstrated remarkable effects in pre-implantation embryo development owing to the production of embryo-nourishing factors. Nevertheless, little is known about the secretion of these factors. Therefore, in this study, the effect of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), one of the most important nourishing factors in the early development of mouse embryos, in human endometrial epithelial cells (hEECs) was evaluated. Methods: Two-cell stage embryos were collected from the oviducts of hyper-stimulated and mated mice and cultivated in a co-culture with an hEEC monolayer with or without LIF. The quality and developmental and attachment potential rates of cultured embryos were evaluated by determining the levels of octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (Oct4) and caudal type homeobox 2 (Cdx2) transcripts. Results: LIF significantly increased the developmental rate (82.67% vs. 61.04%, respectively) and attachment rate (64% vs. 45.45%, respectively) of mouse embryos co-cultured with hEECs compared to those in untreated embryos. The expression levels of Oct4 and Cdx2 in blastocysts cultured in the presence of LIF were higher than those in blastocysts cultured without LIF. Conclusions: Despite the secretion of LIF by hEECs during co-culture with embryos, the amount of this factor was insufficient, and its addition to the culture media could increase the developmental potential of embryos.

Design and Characterization of Maltose-Conjugated Polycaprolactone Nanofibrous Scaffolds for Uterine Tissue Engineering

PurposeUterine anomalies are prevalent in women, and the major treatment assisted to them is hysterectomy as donor availability is extremely low. To overcome this, engineering uterine myometrium smooth muscle tissue has become very important. Several studies have shown that polycaprolactone (PCL) nanofibers are very effective in engineering smooth muscles, as this type of scaffold has structural similarities to the extracellular matrices of the cells. Here, we hypothesize that by electrospinning PCL nanofibers, they form a suitable scaffold for uterine tissue engineering.MethodsPolycaprolactone nanofibrous scaffolds were fabricated, and surface modification was performed following two step wet chemistry method. First step is aminolysis which introduces the primary amine groups on the PCL scaffolds following which maltose is conjugated on the scaffolds. This was confirmed by the ninhydrin assay for the presence of amine groups. This was followed by ELLA assay where the presence of maltose on the scaffold was quantified. Modified scaffolds were further characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), contact angle analysis and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). MTT assay, live-dead assay and actin staining were performed on the maltose immobilization to study the improvement of the cell attachment and proliferation rates on the modified scaffolds.ResultsHuman uterine fibroblast (HUF) cells displayed significant proliferation on the maltose-modified PCL scaffolds, and they also exhibited appropriate morphology indicating that these modified fibers are highly suitable for uterine cell growth.ConclusionOur results indicate that the fabricated maltose PCL (MPCL) scaffolds would be a potential biomaterial to treat uterine injuries and promote regeneration.Lay Summary and Future WorkUterine anomalies are prevalent in women, and the major treatment is hysterectomy as donor availability is extremely low. Over the past few years, considerable efforts have been directed towards uterine tissue regeneration. This study is to design a tissue engineered scaffold that could act as a human uterine myometrial patch. We propose to create uterine fibroblast-based synthetic scaffolds that act in a condition similar to the intrauterine microenvironment where the embryos are embedded in the uterine wall. For understanding of the efficiency of the myometrial patch, functional characterization will be performed to study the effects of estrogen and prostaglandins on myometrial activity of the designed patch. Results from these experiments will assist a deeper understanding of how to construct a total bioengineered uterus which can substitute the uterus transplantation procedure, which nonetheless is in its initial stages of development.Graphical

Physical mechanisms of the dynamical patterns and non-equilibrium processes of self-driven particles in an ASEP network affected by a finite external particle source

When confronting complexity science, complexity systems indicating evolution regularities are addressed due to their nonlinearity, uncertainty, emergence and self-organization. Among them, totally asymmetric simple exclusion process (TASEP) belonging to asymmetric simple exclusion process (ASEP) stands out as a paradigm nonlinear dynamical model depicting microscopic non-equilibrium dynamics of real active particles. Motivated by real multi-physics processes of protein motors, TASEP networks with Langmuir kinetics and finite resources are studied. Partially differential equations for boundary and bulk dynamics in stochastically regular and irregular networks are numerically calculated. Connectivity, effective interactions and concentration coefficient are found to govern system dynamics. Six kinds of density profiles are observed. Fruitful dynamical patterns of global density distributions, weight distributions of each phase, local currents, local densities and related phase diagrams are obtained, which lead to acquisitions of evolvement regularities of physical mechanisms of bulk dynamics and non-equilibrium phase transitions. Three kinds of domination mechanisms including three-phase, two-phase and single-phase dominations of global dynamics are found in irregular networks. Global dynamics gradually become high-density dominated with increasing concentration coefficient or effective attachment rate. While, they gradually become low-density dominated with increasing effective detachment rate or connectivity. However, global dynamics are found to be dominated by low and high coexistence phase in general cases of regular networks. Our work is conducive to modelling nonlinear dynamical behaviors and non-equilibrium phase transition mechanisms in mesoscopic self-driven particle systems.

A Two-Step Bioreactor for Decellularized Lung Epithelialization

Bioreactors for the reseeding of decellularized lung scaffolds have evolved with various advancements, including biomimetic mechanical stimulation, constant nutrient flow, multi-output monitoring, and large mammal scaling. Although dynamic bioreactors are not new to the field of lung bioengineering, ideal conditions during cell seeding have not been extensively studied or controlled. To address the lack of cell dispersal in traditional seeding methods, we have designed a two-step bioreactor. The first step is a novel system that rotates a seeded lung every 20 min at different angles in a sequence designed to anchor 20% of cells to a particular location based on the known rate of attachment. The second step involves perfusion-ventilation culture to ensure nutrient dispersion and cellular growth. Compared to statically seeded lungs, rotationally seeded lungs had significantly increased dsDNA content and more uniform cellular distribution after perfusion and ventilation had been administered. The addition of this novel seeding system before traditional culture methods will aid in recellularizing the lung and other geometrically complex organs for tissue engineering.