Normal Structure Research Articles

СИСТЕМАТИЧЕСКИЙ ОБЗОР МЕТОДОВ ВОССТАНОВЛЕНИЯ ПРОКСИМАЛЬНЫХ ПОЛОСТЕЙ ЖЕВАТЕЛЬНЫХ ЗУБОВ: СОВРЕМЕННОЕ СОСТОЯНИЕ И ПЕРСПЕКТИВНЫЕ ТЕХНОЛОГИЧЕСКИЕ ДОСТИЖЕНИЯ

Relevance. To maintain dental health and maintain the normal structure of the dental system, a deep understanding of methods for restoring lost dental tissue is necessary. When restoring class II carious lesions, open and closed sandwich techniques were used, as well as various methods of manipulating composite materials. Systematization of existing research will allow the dentist to better navigate the available techniques and provide better treatment to his patients. Aim: To conduct a systematic review of the effectiveness of the method for restoring proximal contacts of posterior teeth. Materials and methods. As part of the study, a systematic analysis of the technique for restoring contact points of teeth was carried out, in compliance with established criteria. Initial data were obtained by searching the Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, PubMed, ResearchGate, CyberLeninka and eLIBRARY.RU databases using the following key terms: «recovery methods», «contact point», «open sandwich», «closed sandwich», «filling technique», «point of contact», «closed centripetal», «open centripetal». Results. To conduct a systematic review, 7 articles were reviewed on the seal quality of restorations made using the open sandwich, closed sandwich, and total bonding methods. In 85% of cases, the open sandwich method was indicated by the authors as the most appropriate for creating sealed class 2 restorations. Conclusions. The best tightness of restorations in in vitro studies in 85% of cases was achieved using the technique of filling an open sandwich. The tightness of the restoration not only affects the choice of material, but also prevents its application. Further comparative in vivo studies on the survival of class 2 restorations made using the open sandwich or total bonding method are needed.

Adropin Treatment Restores Cardiac Function and Metabolic Flexibility in Diabetic Cardiomyopathy

Background: Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a major complication of diabetes, and has been recognized as a cause of heart failure independent of other common risk factors. Metabolic inflexibility is a hallmark feature, where increased free fatty acid availability and decreased myocardial glucose uptake lead to an over-reliance on fatty acid oxidation, reducing cardiac work effciency. Energetic ineffciency in diabetic hearts may have profound implications for cardiac function under conditions of increased workload, and therefore therapeutic approaches are warranted. Adropin is a liver- and brain-secreted peptide hormone shown to regulate fuel metabolism in the heart. Adropin levels are significantly reduced in obese and diabetic human subjects, and this decrease is linked to increased adiposity, insulin resistance, and impaired glucose tolerance. Our lab recently showed that acute adropin treatment restores glucose oxidation activity in the hearts of prediabetic obese mice. However, the effects of chronic adropin exposure in the heart remains unknown. Hypothesis: We hypothesize that adropin treatment will exhibit beneficial effects on cardiac fuel metabolism that may lead to long-term improvements in functional output. Methods: We used a preclinical model of DCM to investigate the effects of long-term adropin treatment on cardiac structural and metabolic remodeling. Mice were treated with adropin daily for four weeks, and subjected to echocardiography, glucose tolerance tests, histopathology, RNA-sequencing, and metabolomics. Results: We report that long-term adropin treatment restores normal cardiac structure and metabolic function in the diabetic heart, by inhibiting flux of non-oxidative glycolytic intermediates into the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the therapeutic potential of adropin signaling to attenuate cardiac remodeling in DCM. The project described was supported by NIDDK 1F31DK134089 and NHLBI R01HL147861. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

A case of dumbbell-shaped accessory scrotum with concomitant lipoma

BackgroundAccessory scrotum is a congenital scrotal anomaly that is usually located anterior to the anus and frequently presents with a lipoma in a bead-like shape. Herein, we present an unusual case of an accessory scrotum with a lipoma connected by a narrow stalk and located posterior to the anus.Case presentationA 1-month-old boy was referred to our hospital for a perineal mass present at birth. He was born at 37 weeks and 2 days, with a birth weight of 2962 g. No abnormalities occurred during the perinatal period, and the birth was uneventful. The mass had an unusual shape, comprising two masses connected by a narrow stalk. The base of the mass was posterior to the anus and was connected to the rectal mucosa. The proximal mass was elastic and soft without skinfolds, whereas the distal mass was elastic and soft with a scrotum-like skinfolds. Magnetic resonance imaging showed no spina bifida. High-intensity adipose tissues in both masses and low-intensity vessels or fibrous stroma in cord-like structures between the two masses were found on T2-weighted images. At 3 months of age, the patient underwent resection in the prone jackknife position. No tumorous lesions were connected to the mass on the rectal and coccyx sides, and the mass was completely removed, preserving the anal sphincter. Histologically, the distal mass had characteristics of a scrotum, whereas the proximal mass was exclusively a lipoma. The connecting stalk had normal skin structures and a blood vessel with parallel-running nerve bundles. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the patient was discharged on postoperative day 6.ConclusionsThis case of accessory scrotum was unusual in its location and the presence of a stalk connecting the accessory scrotum and lipoma. The mechanism underlying accessory scrotum development remains unclear, and our report may impact the discourse regarding the embryological development of the accessory scrotum.

Cardiomyocyte-specific deletion of adhesion G protein-coupled receptor F5 (ADGRF5) increases susceptibility to stress and arrhythmia

G-Protein Coupled Receptors (GPCR) represent the largest family of cell surface receptors in the human body and serve as targets for more than 30% of all approved drugs. Adhesion GPCRs (AGPCR) are an understudied GPCR family containing numerous extracellular domains that interact with extracellular proteins, including many known mediators of cardiac remodeling responses to pathologic stress. However, their relative expression in the heart and impact on cardiac function normally or during disease has been largely unstudied. To address this, we evaluated RNASeq-attained AGPCR expression from left ventricular (LV) samples of adult mice, of which Adgrf5 was one of the most highly expressed. Notably, decreased ADGRF5 expression is observed across numerous failing human LV tissue GEO datasets, and C57BL6/J mice subjected to transaortic constriction (TAC) surgery to induce pressure overload-induced HF also displayed reduced LV Adgrf5 expression by 12 weeks post-TAC. Analysis of published single cell (sc)-RNASeq datasets confirmed Adgrf5 expression in cardiomyocytes (CM), which also decreased following TAC in mice and in CM from failing human hearts. To investigate the impact of CM-specific ADGRF5 on cardiac function and remodeling normally or during disease progression, we crossed floxed ADGRF5 (ADGRF5f/f) and αMHC-Cre mice to generate constitutive, CM-specific ADGRF5 knockout mice (F5cmKO). These mice display normal cardiac structure and function at 12 weeks of age versus αMHC-Cre mice, as assessed via echocardiography, gravimetrics and immunohistochemistry. However, F5cmKO mice develop cardiac dysfunction, maladaptive remodeling, and increased mortality over time, even in the absence of pathologic insult, suggesting a homeostatic function of CM-specific ADGRF5. Following TAC surgery, F5cmKO mice display similar outcomes including enhanced cardiac dysfunction with accelerated remodeling and increased mortality. To attain mechanistic insight into these outcomes, we performed RNA-sequencing on LV tissue of 12-week-old F5cmKO mice, identifying and subsequently validating Scn1b as significantly upregulated in F5cmKO CM. Scn1b encodes for the β subunits of voltage-gated sodium channels (Scnβ1/β1B), which regulate gating and kinetics of Nav1.5 as well as adhesive CM-CM interactions, disruption of which could lead to arrhythmias. Indeed, conscious electrocardiogram (ECG) readings via telemetry indicated F5cmKO mice had a high burden of premature ventricular contractions (PVC), including ventricular tachycardia associated with cardiac enlargement. Using a combination of luciferase and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) reporters and gene expression analyses in neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (NRVM), we confirmed that ADGRF5 controls Scn1b expression in a Gαq/11 protein-dependent manner. In all, we have discovered that loss of CM-specific ADGRF5 leads to increased Scn1b expression with enhanced susceptibility to stress, arrythmias and sudden death, thus may provide a novel GPCR target to promote the maintenance of cardiac rhythm. AHA Predoctoral Fellowship 834906 to J.M.E. P01 HL147841 to D.T. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Bazi Bushen alleviates reproductive aging in aged male mice

Bazi Bushen (BZBS), a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), has demonstrated therapeutic efficacy in testicular dysfunction within D-galactose and NaNO2 mouse models. This study aimed to ascertain if BZBS could also mitigate the decline in testicular function associated with natural aging. Therefore, male aged mice were employed to evaluate the preventive effects of BZBS on male reproductive aging. This was achieved by assessing sex hormone production, testicular histomorphology, and spermatogenesis. Relative to the untreated aged control group, BZBS administration elevated the levels of sex hormones and spermatocyte populations and preserved normal testicular structure in aged mice. Notably, spermatogenesis was maintained. Further analyses, including malondialdehyde (MDA) assays and real-time PCR, indicated that BZBS diminished testicular oxidative stress and the inflammatory burden. Corroborating these findings, mice treated with BZBS exhibited reductions in the populations of senescent and apoptotic cells within the seminiferous tubules, suggesting alleviated cellular damage. In contrast, we observed that rapamycin, a drug known for its longevity benefits, induced excessive testicular apoptosis and did not decrease lipid peroxidation. Collectively, our results highlight BZBS’s promising clinical potential in counteracting male reproductive aging, underlining its mechanisms of action.

Functional analysis of a novel intronic variant of MCPH1 with autosomal recessive primary microcephaly

Autosomal Recurrent Primary Microscopic (MCPH, OMIM: 251200) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is characterized by a noticeable decrease in brain size, particularly in the cerebral cortex, but with a normal brain structure and a non-progressive intellectual disability. MCPH1 has been identified as the gene that triggers primary microcephaly (MCPH1，OMIM: 607117). Here we report a case of autosomal recessive primary microcephaly as caused by a novel variant in the MCPH1 gene. Head circumference was measured by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), while the Wechsler Intelligence Scale was used to evaluate the intelligence of the individual being tested. B-ultrasound was used to assess gonadal development, and semen routine was used to assess sperm status. The whole-exome sequencing (WES) was performed on the proband. Sanger sequencing was conducted on the parents of the proband to determine if the novel variant in the MCPH1 gene was present. The effect of the mutation on the splicing of MCPH1 was verified by minigene approach. It was observed that the proband had autosomal recessive primary microcephaly and azoospermatism. A novel splice-site homozygous mutation (c.233+2T > G) of the MCPH1 gene was identified, which inherited from his parents. Minigene approach confirmed that c.233+2T > G could affect the splicing of MCPH1. Therefore, our findings contributed to the mutation spectrum of the MCPH1 gene and may be useful in the diagnosis and gene therapy of MCPH.

Comparison of the effect of intra-dermal injection of botulinum toxin and normal saline in the treatment of facial skin pores.

Skin pores (SPs) are normal and benign skin structures that are mostly located on the face (nose, cheeks, etc.) that cause many aesthetic concerns or complaints. One known effective treatment is botulinum toxin A (BTXA), which is also approved for the treatment of strabismus, blepharospasm, muscle spasm, cervical dystonia, glabella wrinkles, and primary axillary hyperhidrosis. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare the effect of intra-dermal injection of botulinum toxin and normal saline serum (NSS) in the treatment of large facial pores. The study included 25 people who referred to the skin clinic of Imam Khomeini Hospital in Ahvaz from June 2021 to January 2022 for the treatment of large facial skin pores. Randomly, some subjects were injected with botulinum toxin at ten points, and each point was equivalent to 2.5 units of Masport (500 units vial of Masport diluted with 10 ml of NSS). Some other people were injected with 0.05 ml of NSS by intra-dermal injection at ten points. Finally, the data were analyzed using SPSS-Ver. 22 software. Based on optical coherence tomography results, it was determined that the diameter of facial pores decreased significantly (P = 0.011). Dermoscopy showed a significant decrease in the average size of facial pores (P < 0.011), and also, the pore score decreased significantly (P = 0.021). In addition, the results showed that the size of skin pores and facial fat on both sides of the face did not decrease significantly from the patients' point of view (P = 0.71). Based on the results of the present study, it can be concluded that intra-dermal injection of botulinum toxin is an effective and safe method to control facial pores, which showed acceptable results after 3 months.

Luminescent coordination polymers with mixed carboxylate and triazole ligands for rapid detection of chloroprene metabolite

Chloroprene is a monomer widely used in the production of neoprene, and 1-hydroxy-2-butanone (1H2B) is one of the metabolites of chloroprene in urine, which can place a significant impact on human health by disrupting the normal structure and function of DNA. Herein, a three-dimensional Zn-based coordination polymer (1) and a two-dimensional Cd-based coordination polymer (2) were synthesized with mixed ligands of 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (H2FDA) and 1,2,4-triazole (Htrz) and fully characterized. 2 exhibits excellent stability and superior sensing performance for 1H2B with fast response within 15 s, good recyclability and a detection limit of 9.24 μM. In addition, 2 demonstrates good selectivity in presence of main coexisting compounds in urine. In-depth investigations of the sensing mechanism revealed that the luminescence sensing is based on the competitive absorption and photoelectron transfer processes.

Long-term clinical outcomes of hypofractionated stereotactic radiotherapy using the CyberKnife robotic radiosurgery system for jugular foramen schwannomas.

Jugular foramen schwannomas (JFSs) are rarely seen, benign tumors with slow growth. Today, management options for JFSs include observation, surgery, and radiation. However, the optimal treatment strategy remains controversial. Stereotactic radiosurgery serves as a minimally invasive alternative or adjuvant therapeutic regimen of microsurgery. Gamma Knife radiosurgery is suitable for patients with JFS who have small- and medium-sized tumors and normal cranial nerve (CN) function. Hypofractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (HSRT) offers a potential radiobiological advantage and may result in better preservation of normal structures compared to single-fraction stereotactic radiosurgery. The aim of the article was to review the clinical and radiographic outcomes of patients with JFS who were treated using HSRT. The authors retrospectively analyzed 74 patients with JFS who received HSRT between January 2009 and January 2020 in the authors' center. Among them, 53 patients were newly diagnosed with JFS, 19 patients had a previous history of microsurgical resection, and the other 2 patients underwent CyberKnife because of tumor recurrence after Gamma Knife radiosurgery. A total of 73 patients had preexisting CN symptoms and signs. The median tumor volume was 14.8 cm3 (range 0.5-41.2 cm3), and most of them (70.3%) were ≥ 10 cm3. The radiation dose regimen was prescribed depending on the tumor size, and more fractions were used in larger tumors. The median margin doses prescribed were 18.2 Gy/2 fractions, 21.0 Gy/3 fractions, and 21.6 Gy/4 fractions. The median follow-up was 103 months (range 18-158 months). After treatment, 42 (56.8%) patients had tumor regression, 27 (36.5%) patients had stable tumors, and 5 (6.8%) experienced tumor progression. Among them, MRI revealed that 1 patient had a complete response. Three patients received surgery at a median of 25 months because of tumor progression. One patient underwent ventriculoperitoneal shunt insertion for hydrocephalus that developed after HSRT independent of tumor progression. The 5-year progression-free survival rate was 93.2%. Preexisting cranial neuropathies improved in 46 patients, remained stable in 14, and worsened in 14. HSRT proved to be a safe and effective primary or adjuvant treatment strategy for JFSs, although 14 patients (18.9%) experienced some degree of delayed symptomatic deterioration posttreatment. This therapeutic option was demonstrated to provide both excellent tumor control and improvement in CN function.

The role of CCN1 in kidney-brain crosstalk

Cognitive impairment and dementia are major global health problems of the aging human population. It is estimated that about 55 million people were living with dementia in 2019 and this number is expected to triple by 2050. Dementia can result from abnormal structure and function of brain blood vessels that may develop in a variety of conditions including chronic kidney disease (CKD). Recent studies from our laboratory suggest that in addition to controlling blood volume and blood pressure (renin), and blood cell count (erythropoietin), the kidney produces novel systemic angiogenic hormones to maintain blood vessels, such as the matricellular protein Cellular Communication Network factor 1 (CCN1). These hormones are then released to the blood and may act as new molecular mechanisms of kidney-brain crosstalk. We hypothesized that kidney-derived CCN1 helps to preserve the normal structure and function of blood vessels throughout the body, including a healthy blood-brain barrier (BBB). We further hypothesized that reduced plasma CCN1 caused by diminished renal production of CCN1 due to kidney disease plays a major role in the development of brain vascular dysfunction, and therefore in the pathogenesis and progression of dementia and cognitive impairment. Intravital multiphoton (MPM) imaging of the intact mouse brain in control or after 5/6 nephrectomy (5/6 Nx), a well-established mouse model of chronic kidney disease (CKD) was used to measure changes in BBB permeability with or without chronic CCN1 treatment. Kidney and BBB structure/function phenotyping was performed using CCN1 ELISA assay, the Medibeacon transdermal GFR measurement system, tissue harvest, and immunohistochemistry. Compared to control, 5/6 Nx mice had reduced plasma CCN1 levels, reduced GFR, but no difference in systolic blood pressure. MPM imaging showed increased fluorescence intensity of mid-size plasma proteins (A680 conjugated Albumin 70 kDa) compared to high molecular weight markers (A488 conjugated Dextran 500 kDa) in brain interstitium in 5/6 Nx compared to control. In addition, the density of cell-to-cell junctions in brain endothelial cells were 20% reduced in CKD compared to control healthy mice. In brain endothelial cells cultured in vitro, CCN1 treatment had protective effects on cell proliferation, motility and angiogenesis as confirmed by scratch and tube formation assays. In summary, this study identified new mechanisms of kidney-brain crosstalk, and helped to improve our mechanistic understanding of cerebrovascular pathology in CKD. DK123564, DK064324, DK135290. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Low-dose versus standard-dose normal temporal bone CT in children: a comparison study

ObjectiveTo compare the image quality of normal anatomical structures and radiation dose on low-dose (LDCT) and standard-dose (SDCT) temporal bone CT in children.MethodsThe study included 45 LDCT (80 kV and 130 mAs) and 45 SDCT (120 kV and 170 mAs) scans in children, 1–15 years of age. LDCT and SDCT scans were analyzed on H60s and H70h reconstruction kernels, respectively. Two readers assessed the image quality for 25 anatomical structures, using a 5-point scale. A score of 3 and above was considered “sufficient” and 2 and below was considered “insufficient” image quality. Image noise, contrast, age and size-specific effective doses were calculated.ResultsDespite an increase in image noise on LDCT, image quality remained sufficient for most structures owing to increased image contrast. The median effective dose on LDCT, calculated with age-specific conversion factor, decreased by 72.9% and that calculated with size-specific conversion factor decreased by 81.8% compared to the dose on SDCT.ConclusionLDCT provides comparable image quality for evaluation of temporal bone with significant reduction in radiation dose in children.

Stroboscopy and acoustic analysis of voice following endotracheal intubation in otological surgeries

BackgroundStroboscopy is an endoscopy that is performed with intermittent light at a frequency that approximates the frequency of a moving object so that it appears in slow motion or motionless. It is used to analyze the structure and motion of the vocal fold.Aim and objectiveTo compare the stroboscopic findings of various vocal parameters such as symmetry, amplitude, periodicity, mucosal wave of vocal folds, and glottis closure before and after elective endotracheal intubation and to compare acoustic analysis of voice using fundamental frequency, intensity, maximum phonation time, and dysphonia severity index in patients before and after elective intubation, who were undergoing otological surgeries. It also assesses the correlation between changes in these vocal and acoustic parameters and the size of the endotracheal tube, duration of intubation, and number of attempts made during intubation. This study creates awareness and provides insights to avoid intubation-related vocal fold injury.MethodsThis was a prospective cohort study involving 31 patients done in a Tertiary Care Centre. All patients who underwent otological surgeries by elective endotracheal intubation were included. All of them underwent stroboscopic and acoustic evaluation preoperatively, 24 h, and 7 days postoperatively.ResultsStatistically significant changes in mucosal wave pattern score were observed in the 1st postoperative day that reverted to normal by the end of 7th postoperative day and in GRBAS which was significant at the end of both 1st and 7th POD. Other parameters like fundamental frequency, intensity, DSI, MPT, amplitude, symmetry, periodicity, and glottis closure remain unaltered. There was a moderate positive correlation between the duration of intubation (minutes) and mucosal wave 1st POD (P-value: 0.003).ConclusionThe majority of the patients (61%) had normal laryngeal structures. A total of 39% had evidence of injury, the most common being right vocal fold hemorrhage improved by the end of 7th postoperative day and became normal.

Restoration of Pregnancy Function Using a GT/PCL Biofilm in a Rabbit Model of Uterine Injury.

Biomaterial scaffolds have been used successfully to promote the regenerative repair of small endometrial lesions in small rodents, providing partial restoration of gestational function. The use of rabbits in this study allowed us to investigate a larger endometrial tissue defect and myometrial injury model. A gelatin/polycaprolactone (GT/PCL) gradient-layer biofilm was sutured at the defect to guide the reconstruction of the original tissue structure. Twenty-eight days postimplantation, the uterine cavity had been restored to its original morphology, endometrial growth was accompanied by the formation of glands and blood vessels, and the fragmented myofibers of the uterine smooth muscle had begun to resemble the normal structure of the lagomorph uterine cavity, arranging in a circular luminal pattern and a longitudinal serosal pattern. In addition, the repair site supported both embryonic implantation into the placenta and normal embryonic development. Four-dimensional label-free proteomic analysis identified the cell adhesion molecules, phagosome, ferroptosis, rap1 signaling pathways, hematopoietic cell lineage, complement and coagulation cascades, tricarboxylic acid cycle, carbon metabolism, and hypoxia inducible factor (HIF)-1 signaling pathways as important in the endogenous repair process of uterine tissue injury, and acetylation of protein modification sites upregulated these signaling pathways.

Breaking New Ground: Unraveling Sinonasal Hemangiopericytoma Through a Rare Case Series on Endoscopic Excision and Postoperative Monitoring.

Hemangiopericytoma is a rare vascular neoplasm derived from pericytes, with uncertain malignant potential. It mainly occurs in the retroperitoneum and lower extremities, with a lower incidence in the head and neck region and nasal cavity. Diagnosis is aided by histopathological examination and immunohistochemistry. Surgical excision is the preferred treatment, with different approaches depending on tumour size. Endoscopic excision is suitable for small tumours, while larger ones may require external approaches. The recurrence rate is approximately 25%, emphasizing the importance of long-term follow-up. Our study aims to discuss a rare series of sinonasal hemangiopericytoma cases, their clinical presentation, and their management. In this study, we are discussing the prospective study of six cases of sinonasal hemangiopericytoma that were presented to a tertiary hospital, from June 2017 to June 2023, with complaints of nasal obstruction and bleeding episodes. They were assessed with a detailed history, blood investigations, radiological investigations, and diagnostic nasal examination, and underwent endoscopic surgical excision of the nasal mass, with the diagnosis confirmed by histopathological examination and immunohistochemistry. All cases were followed up for 1year postoperatively, except one case which missed follow-up after 6months and with no postoperative complications and recurrences. All six cases came with complaints of nasal obstruction and bleeding from the nasal cavity. All six cases underwent endoscopic surgical excision of the tumour and were followed for 1year in five cases; one case missed follow-up after 6months of postoperative follow-up, but no recurrence was noted in all the cases. For small-sized hemangiopericytoma tumours, endoscopic excision offers benefits such as improved visualization, easy resection, preservation of the normal anatomical structure, and maintenance of physiological function in the sinonasal cavities. With a recurrence rate of approximately 25%, surgical excision and long-term follow-up play essential roles in successful tumour management.

A Discourse Analysis of Online Library Resources: A Study of Students’ Projects abstract

Many students in tertiary institutions have not followed the normal structure of writing their projects’ abstracts. Despite lecturers' efforts to supervise students in order for them to follow projects’ writing rules, there are disparities in the patterns of writing project abstracts by undergraduate students in Nigeria. This study investigates online abstract from students’ projects submitted in partial fulfillment for the award of first degrees in Nigeria universities. It adopts Hyland’s (2000) and Swales and Feak’s (2009) Models of Move Analysis. The study also adopts a qualitative research design; with data collected at random from colleges with online abstracts of undergraduates’ projects stored in the library on-line institutional repository. Findings reveal that universities in Nigeria has no agreed patterns of abstract structure for students’ project; none of the projects has complete macro and micro patterns of abstract, and none has the concluding part of a standard abstract. The study concludes that Nigeria University students' abstract writing does not meet the acceptable global standard. However, universities should organize a project writing workshop with a greater emphasis on how to write an acceptable abstract.

The Capacity of Wharton's Jelly to Prolong the Survival of Skin Tissues ex vivo

Developing models for preclinical examinations to avoid using animals has been increasing worldwide. Besides creating cell lines or tissues specialized for in vitro testing, biological wastes are also utilized as a potential tissue source for ex vivo examinations. In particular, the human skin from plastic surgery can be an ideal source of skin models to evaluate the effectiveness of some biological products with the advantage of possessing a natural finished skin structure. However, to maintain skin viability under laboratory conditions, it is necessary to establish ex vivo skin tissue nurturing conditions. Therefore, we tested conditions for culturing skin tissue outside the body using the air-liquid interface tissue culture method and Wharton's Jelly (WJ) from the umbilical cords and nutrient medium. The results showed that the skin tissue could maintain and survive in the air-liquid interface tissue culture conditions. Results from observations showed that the size and color of skin tissues were consistent until ten days and 15 days, when skin tissues were maintained in the nutrient media or nutrient media combined with WJ, respectively. Additionally, the histological analysis indicated that cultured skin tissues could maintain their normal structure of three epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis layers; the epidermis started to separate from the dermis after ten days or 15 days, depending on whether skin tissues were maintained in nutrient media only or nutrient media combined with WJ, respectively. Moreover, hair follicles, melanocytes, and keratinocytes were observed at their right location and typical structure. These results indicated that skin could survive in a nutrient medium for ten days, particularly prolonged over 15 days in a combination of nutrient medium and WJ. These results indicated the potential to maintain skin tissue ex vivo and use it for different tests under laboratory conditions.

Hyperbolic quantum color codes with normal subgroup structure derived from the Reidemeister–Schreier method

Hyperbolic quantum color codes with normal subgroup structure derived from the Reidemeister–Schreier method

α2-macroglobulin alleviates glucocorticoid-induced avascular necrosis of the femoral head in mice by promoting proliferation, migration and angiogenesis of vascular endothelial cells

To explore the mechanism underlying the protective effect of α2-macroglobulin (A2M) against glucocorticoid-induced femoral head necrosis. In a human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) model with injuries induced by gradient concentrations of dexamethasone (DEX; 10-8-10-5 mol/L), the protective effects of A2M at 0.05 and 0.1 mg/mL were assessed by examining the changes in cell viability, migration, and capacity of angiogenesis using CCK-8 assay, Transwell and scratch healing assays and angiogenesis assay. The expressions of CD31 and VEGF-A proteins in the treated cells were detected using Western blotting. In BALB/c mouse models of avascular necrosis of the femoral head induced by intramuscular injections of methylprednisolone, the effects of intervention with A2M on femoral trabecular structure, histopathological characteristics, and CD31 expression were examined with Micro-CT, HE staining and immunohistochemical staining. In cultured HUVECs, DEX treatment significantly reduced cell viability, migration and angiogenic ability in a concentration- and time-dependent manner (P<0.05), and these changes were obviously reversed by treatment with A2M in positive correlation with A2M concentration (P<0.05). DEX significantly reduced the expression of CD31 and VEGF-A proteins in HUVECs, while treatment with A2M restored CD31 and VEGF-A expressions in the cells (P<0.05). The mouse models of femoral head necrosis showed obvious trabecular damages in the femoral head, where a large number of empty lacunae and hypertrophic fat cells could be seen and CD31 expression was significantly decreased (P<0.05). A2M treatment of the mouse models significantly improved trabecular damages, maintained normal bone tissue structures, and increased CD31 expression in the femoral head (P<0.05). A2M promotes proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis of DEX-treated HUVECs and alleviates methylprednisolone-induced femoral head necrosis by improving microcirculation damages and maintaining microcirculation stability in the femoral head.

Current trends in clinical trials and the development of small molecule epigenetic inhibitors as cancer therapeutics.

Epigenetic mechanisms control and regulate normal chromatin structure and gene expression patterns, with epigenetic dysregulation observed in many different cancer types. Importantly, epigenetic modifications are reversible, offering the potential to silence oncogenes and reactivate tumor suppressors. Small molecule drugs manipulating these epigenetic mechanisms are at the leading edge of new therapeutic options for cancer treatment. The clinical use of histone deacetyltransferases inhibitors (HDACi) demonstrates the effectiveness of targeting epigenetic mechanisms for cancer treatment. Notably, the development of new classes of inhibitors, including lysine acetyltransferase inhibitors (KATi), are the future of epigenetic-based therapeutics. We outline the progress of current classes of small molecule epigenetic drugs for use against cancer (preclinical and clinical) and highlight the potential market growth in epigenetic-based therapeutics.

Molluskicidal activity of synthetic organic compounds (on the foot of Achatina fulica (Bowdich)

Terrestrial snails are economically destructive agricultural pests that cause great damage to vegetables and crops. The present study was performed to evaluate the toxicity of synthetic organic derivatives and subsequent histopathological alterations in the feet of Achatina fulica (Bowdich) after exposure to (E)-1-(4-bromophenyl)-3-(4-methylthiazole-5-yl) prop-2-en-1. Accordingly, the LC50 of the synthetic organic derivative was determined to be 1.4206±0.0981. These chemicals can easily penetrate the body of mollusks either by feeding or crawling on the surface, and the foot is the first point of contact. Histopathological and ultrastructural alterations were observed in the foot of Achatina fulica (Bowdich), as these organs play important roles in locomotion and mucus secretion. These alterations include degeneration of the normal structure of the cell by rupturing of the outer protecting membrane, and a large gap is created between the cells. The longitudinal muscle band is destroyed by increasing the space. These results are important from an economic point of view since these synthetic chemical compounds were used as molluskicdes for the control of Achatina fulica (Bowdich), which is an agricultural pest.