Structural Disorder Research Articles

Remodeling of the structural components of the capsule and glomerular zone of the adrenal glands cortex of white rats under the influence of a complex of food additives at the late terms of the experimental study

With food additives, we can add flavour to food, extend its shelf life, and make it look good. However, even small amounts of these additives can lead to diseases of various organs and systems. The aim of our work is to establish metrics and morphological changes in the structure of the capsule and the glomerular zone of the cortex of the adrenal glands of rats at the later stages of the experimental study under the conditions of consumption of a complex of food additives: monosodium glutamate, sodium nitrite and Ponceau 4R. The control group of rats consumed oral drinking water and saline. The rats of the experimental groups were orally administered once a day with a 10 % solution of sodium nitrite (E250), sodium glutamate (E621) or Ponceau 4R. The dosages of food additives were two times lower than the permissible norm in food. The rats were withdrawn from the experiment after 8, 12 and 16 weeks. The adrenal glands were removed for the study. Paraffin sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin, and semi-thin sections with toluidine blue, and examined using a light microscope Biorex with a digital microphoto attachment DSM 900. Ultrathin sections were examined in a TEM-125 K electron microscope. For morphometric analysis, the structure of the capsule and the glomerular zone of the cortex of the adrenal glands of rats at the later stages of the experimental study was studied. The study results were analysed using the software package “InStat”. At the late stages of the experimental study, the adrenal capsule underwent irreversible changes. The average thickness of the adrenal connective tissue capsule decreased by the end of the 16th week of the experimental research. Similarly, the average thickness of the cortex decreased with each subsequent week relative to the control values, indicating significant structural and functional disorders. The average thickness of the glomerular zone of the adrenal cortex periodically changed as a compensatory reaction in response to the administration of a complex of food additives to rats. The phenomena of nucleus pyknosis and sludge syndrome were detected, which indicated compensatory and adaptive processes at the microscopic level. The analysis of electron micrographs revealed destroyed granular endoplasmic reticulum cisternae and mitochondrial remnants. Thus, it has been established that using a complex of food additives (monosodium glutamate, sodium nitrite and Ponceau 4R) directly affects the adrenal glands of rats. This effect causes structural changes in the cortex and medulla, causing alteration and hypertrophy of cells in these areas. Additionally, hyperhydration of the connective tissue stroma and compensatory-restorative reactions aimed at transcription factors and internal mechanisms of nitric oxide formation were recorded.

Structural and optical investigation of Nb5+-doped Sn3O4 for photoelectrochemical hydrogen production

We report herein, the microwave-assisted hydrothermal (MAH) synthesis of Nb5+-doped Sn3O4 nanoparticles for the photoelectrochemical production of hydrogen (H2). Nb5+ ions inside the Sn3O4 created structural defects, contributing to a local structural disorder, as confirmed by micro-Raman spectra. Photoluminescence spectroscopy indicated the decrease of the violet-blue–green visible emission after adding Nb5+, revealing the formation of alternative energy pathways for the electron/hole recombination. Through the morphological analysis, it was observed that the Nb5+ dopant slightly changed the morphology of nano-petals in Sn3O4. We demonstrate that the 3 % Nb5+ doped-Sn3O4 photoanode presented higher charge carrier mobility, higher photocurrent density, and an impressive H2 production of 1.50 mmol L−1 in a 3 h experiment, compared to the pure Sn3O4 material. The best performance of the Nb5+ doped Sn3O4 nanomaterial could be ascribed to the formation of new energy levels in the Sn3O4 band gap, thereby inhibiting the electron-hole pair recombination and positively affecting the photoelectrochemical response of the doped material.

Microcrystalline Engineering of Anthracite-Based Carbon Via Salt-Assisted Ball Milling for Enhanced Sodium Storage Performance.

Coal-based carbon material, characterized by abundant resources and low cost, has gained considerable interests as a promising anode candidate for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). However, the coal-based carbon generally shows inferior Na-storage performance due to its highly-ordered microstructure with narrow interlayer spacing. Herein, a salt-assisted mechanical ball-milling strategy is proposed to disrupt the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon structure in anthracite molecules, thereby reducing the microcrystalline regularity of the derived carbon during following pyrolysis process. In addition, the induced C─O─C bonds during ball-milling process can alter the pyrolysis behavior of anthracite and restrain the formation of surface defects. Consequently, in contrast to pristine anthracite-based pyrolytic carbon, which exhibits a Na-storage capacity of 198.4 mAh g-1 with a low initial Coulombic efficiency (ICE) of 65.1%, the ball-milling modified carbon assisted by NaCl salt (NAC), with enhanced structural disordering and reduced surface defects, demonstrate significantly improved Na-storage capacity of 332.1 mAh g-1 and ICE value of 82.0%. The NAC electrode also realizes excellent cycle and rate performance, retaining a capacity of 196.0 mAh g-1 at 1 C after 1000 cycles. Furthermore, when coupled with NaNi1/3Fe1/3Mn1/3O2 cathode, the assembled Na-ion full cell deliveres an exceptional electrochemical performance, highlighting its promising prospect as high-performance anode for SIBs.

Interfacial Stabilization of Organic Electrochemical Transistors Conferred Using Polythiophene-Based Conjugated Block Copolymers with a Hydrophobic Coil Design.

The recent interest in developing low-cost, biocompatible, and lightweight bioelectronic devices has focused on organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs), which have the potential to fulfill these requirements. In this study, three types of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT)-based block copolymers (BCPs) incorporating different insulating blocks (poly(nbutyl acrylate) (PBA), polystyrene, and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)) were synthesized for application in OECTs. The morphological, crystallographic, and electrochemical properties of these BCPs are systematically investigated. Accordingly, P3HT-b-PBA demonstrates superior performance in the KCl-based aqueous electrolyte, with a higher product of mobility and capacitance (μC*) at 170 F s-1 cm-1 V-1 than that of the P3HT homopolymer at 58 F s-1 cm-1 V-1. P3HT-b-PBA exhibits better stability over 50 ON/OFF switching cycles than do other BCPs and P3HT homopolymers. With regard to the performance in the KPF6-based aqueous electrolyte, P3HT-b-PBA outperforms with a higher μC* of 9.2 F s-1 cm-1 V-1 than that of 8.6 F s-1 cm-1 V-1 observed from P3HT. Notably, both polymers exhibited almost no decay in device performance over 110 ON/OFF switching cycles. The strongly different performance of polymers in these two electrolytes is due to the side chain's hydrophobicity and interdigitated lamellar structures, thereby retarding the doping kinetics of the highly hydrated Cl- ions compared with the slightly hydrated PF6- ions. Concerning the improved performance of P3HT-b-PBA, this is attributed to its soft and hydrophobic backbone. Our morphological and crystallographic analyses reveal that P3HT-b-PBA experiences minimal structural disorder when swelled by the electrolyte, maintaining its original structure better than the P3HT homopolymer and the hydrophilic BCP of P3HT-b-PEO. The hydrophobic nature of P3HT-b-PBA contributes to the stability of its backbone structure, ensuring enhanced capacitance during the operation of the OECT operation. These findings provide reassurance about the stability and performance of P3HT-b-PBA in the field of OECT applications. In summary, this study represents the first exploration of P3HT-based BCPs for OECT applications and investigates their structure-performance relationships in mixed ionic-electronic conductors.

Immunomodulatory treatment may change functional and structural brain imaging in severe mental disorders

Neuroinflammation has been implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and deviations in brain structure and connectivity are seen in these disorders. Here, we explore the effects of a potent immunomodulatory treatment on neuroimaging. In a pilot study of rituximab treatment in schizophrenia and OCD, a subgroup (n = 13) underwent structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging before and 5 months after treatment, to study longitudinal changes in resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) and voxel-based morphometry (VBM).A hypothesis-free exploratory whole-brain analysis was performed twice to assess changes in rsFC, using anterior cingulate cortex, anterior insula, posterior insula and nucleus accumbens as seed regions. There were significant interactions (diagnosis x time) in connectivity between right posterior insula and two clusters encompassing basal ganglia and anterior frontal pole, and between left anterior insula and a cluster in basal ganglia, where connectivity decreased in OCD and increased in schizophrenia. The increase of connectivity after rituximab, between left anterior insula and parts of cerebellum and lingual gyrus and between left posterior insula and parts of cerebellum, correlated with improved global psychosocial functioning according to the Personal and Social Performance Scale, especially in schizophrenia. VBM analysis identified two clusters with increased grey matter volumes (GMV) after rituximab, one in right insula overlapping one of the seed regions with significant rsFC changes. This pilot study implies that rituximab may influence both brain structure and connectivity and that GMV changes and rsFC changes are regionally associated.

Directional‐Thermal‐Conductive Phase Change Composites Enabling Efficient and Durable Water‐Electricity Co‐Generation Beyond Daytime

AbstractSolar‐driven water‐electricity co‐generation (WEC) emerges as a viable solution to address global freshwater and energy scarcity. Phase change materials (PCMs)‐based WEC systems have been proposed to solve intermittent solar radiation issues. Nevertheless, WEC performances decline significantly leading to limited operating durations in dark. The study proposes a new concept of directional‐thermal‐conductive PCMs to address above challenges. By precisely regulating hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity distribution of Cu substrates, the structural disorder of boron nitride‐based PCMs is effectively tuned to achieve directional thermal transport. These directional‐thermal‐conductive PCMs exhibit a high phase transition enthalpy of 250.4 J g−1 and a large thermal‐conductivity anisotropy index of 3.24, which improves heat exchange between PCMs and photothermal/thermoelectric, and minimizes transverse heat dissipation simultaneously. Consequently, the directional‐thermal‐conductive PCMs‐based WEC achieves evaporation rates of 2.51 kg m−2 h−1 with power outputs of 1759.7 mW m−2 at 1 sun, among the best performance reported in the state‐of‐the‐art studies. More impressively, its evaporation rate still reaches 0.93 kg m−2 h−1 with a superior power output of 411.0 mW m−2 and a prolonged operation time of 90 minutes in nighttime, significantly surpassing previously‐reported devices with nondirectional‐thermal‐conductive designs. Finally, an omniphobic PVDF membrane is demonstrated that can improve the anti‐fouling performance of WEC systems for prolonged lifespan.

Protective role of transforming growth factor-Β3 (TGF-Β3) in the formation of radiation-induced capsular contracture around a breast implant: In vivo experimental study

Postmastectomy radiotherapy causes capsular contracture due to fibroproliferation of the capsular tissue around the implant. In fibrosis, unlike normal wound healing, structural and functional disorders are observed in the tissues caused by excessive/irregular accumulation of extracellular matrix proteins. It has been reported that transforming growth factor-β3 (TGF-β3) prevents and reverses fibrosis in various tissues or provides scarless healing with its antifibrotic effect. Additionally, TGF-β3 has been shown to reduce fibrosis in radiotherapy-induced fibrosis syndrome. However, no study in the literature investigates the effects of exogenously applied TGF-β3 on capsular contracture in aesthetic or reconstructive breast implant application. TGF-β3, which has a very short half-life, has low bioavailability with parenteral administration. Within the scope of this study, free TGF-β3 was loaded into the nanoparticles to increase its low bioavailability and extend its duration of action by providing controlled release. The aim of this study is to investigate the preventive/improving effects of radiation induced capsular contracture using chitosan film formulations containing TGF-β3 loaded poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)-b-poly(ethylene glycol) (PLGA-b-PEG) nanoparticles in implant-based breast reconstruction. In the characterization studies of nanoparticles, the particle size and zeta potential of the TGF-β3-loaded PLGA-b-PEG nanoparticle formulation selected to be used in the treatment group were found to be 123.60 ± 2.09 nm and −34.87 ± 1.42 mV, respectively. The encapsulation efficiency of the formulation was calculated as 99.91 %. A controlled release profile was obtained in in vitro release studies. Chitosan film formulations containing free TGF-β3 or TGF-β3-loaded PLGA-b-PEG nanoparticles were used in in vivo studies. In animal studies, rats were randomly distributed into 6 groups (n = 8) as sham, implant, implant + radiotherapy, implant + radiotherapy + chitosan film containing unloaded nanoparticles, implant + radiotherapy + chitosan film containing free TGF-β3, implant + radiotherapy + chitosan film containing TGF-β3 loaded nanoparticle. In all study groups, a 2 cm incision was made along the posterior axillary line at the thoracic vertebral level in rats to reach the lateral edge of the latissimus dorsi. The fascial attachment to the chest wall was then bluntly dissected to create a pocket for the implants. In the treatment groups, the wound was closed after films were placed on the outer surface of the implants. After administering prophylactic antibiotics, rats were subjected to irradiation with 10 Gy photon beams targeted to each implant site. Each implant and the surrounding excised tissue were subjected to the necessary procedures for histological (capsule thickness, cell density), immunohistochemical, and biochemical (α-SMA, vimentin, collagen type I and type III, TGF-β1 and TGF-β3: expression level/protein level) examinations. It was determined that the levels of TGF-β1 and TGF-β3 collagen type III, which decreased as a result of radiotherapy, were brought to the control level with free TGF-β3 film and TGF-β3 nanoparticle film formulations. Histological analyses, consistent with biochemical analyses, showed that thick collagen and fibrosis, which increased with radiotherapy, were brought to the control level with free TGF-β3 film and TGF-β3 nanoparticle film treatments.In biochemical analyses, the decrease in thick collagen was compatible with the decrease in the collagen type I/type III ratio in the free TGF-β3 film and TGF-β3 nanoparticle film groups. Changes in protein expression show that TGF-β3 loaded nanoparticles are more successful than free TGF-β3 in wound healing. In line with these results and the literature, it is thought that the balance of TGF-β1 and TGF-β3 should be maintained to ensure scarless wound healing with no capsule contracture.

Prophylactic Effects of Betaine on Depression and Anxiety Behaviors in Mice with Dextran Sulfate Sodium-Induced Colitis.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a typical type of inflammatory bowl disease, which is accompanied by an increased risk of depression and anxiety-related psychological symptoms. Betaine is a naturally derived compound that can function as an anti-inflammatory drug and a neuromodulator. In-depth exploration of the potential role of betaine in treating UC-related depression and anxiety is crucial. This study aimed to elucidate the effects of betaine on UC-related depression and anxiety and clarify the underlying mechanisms. A dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced mice model was established by 4% DSS drinking ad libitum for 7 days. The colonic injury was measured using hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and Alcian blue-periodic acid Schiff (AB-PAS) staining. Depression and anxiety-like behaviors were separately evaluated using a forced swimming test (FST), a tail suspension test (TST), a light-dark box test (LDBT), and an open field test (OFT). Immunohistochemistry was used to detect DNA damage and neurogenesis in the hippocampus. Western blotting was applied to detect the protein levels of macrophage polarization in mice colons and the alteration of mitochondrial dysfunction and the cGAS-STING pathway in the hippocampus. Betaine strongly alleviated mucosal structural disorder and mucin secretion reduction and promoted M2-macrophage polarization in the colon of DSS-treated mice. In addition, betaine could mitigate depression- and anxiety-like behaviors in DSS-treated mice, reduce the DNA damage and mitochondrial dysfunction, and inhibit the cGAS-STING signaling pathway. Our study reveals the antidepression/anxiety effects of betaine and further demonstrates the potential mechanism by which betaine inhibits DNA damage and mitochondrial dysfunction to block the cGAS-STING pathway, thereby repairing neurogenesis in the hippocampus.

Deciphering the relationships among phase boundary, domain structure, and excellent electrical properties of ternary Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3-Bi0.2Sr0.7TiO3-NaNbO3 ferroelectrics

Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3-based ferroelectric ceramics have broad application prospects due to their excellent electrical properties and are considered to be one of the most promising functional materials to supersede lead-based materials. Here, 0.9Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3-0.1Bi0.2Sr0.7TiO3-xNaNbO3 (BNT-BST-xNN) ternary lead-free ferroelectric ceramics were prepared, and the origin of their excellent dielectric properties was investigated in terms of phase boundary and domain structure. The introduction of NN led to a phase transition from the ferroelectric rhombohedral phase (R3c) to the relaxor tetragonal phase (P4bm), and the two phases coexisted in the BNT-BST-xNN ternary solid solution with x ranging from 0.06 to 0.2. Meanwhile, the macroscopic domain of BNT-BST was destroyed and replaced by highly active polar nano-regions (PNRs) of the P4bm phase, leading to an increase in local structural disorder and enhanced relaxor behavior. A dielectric constant (εr) of ∼1765 (150 °C) with Δε/ε150 °C less than 15 % over a broad range from 80 to 328 °C was achieved in the BNT-BST-0.15NN, and an excellent energy storage property (Wrec = 3.3 J/cm3) was obtained under a low electric field (190 kV/cm). More specifically, the relationship among phase boundary, domain structure, and excellent electrical properties was achieved based on Rietveld refinements and the dielectric/ferroelectric characterizations. This work provides a deep insight into the phase evolution and its impact on the electrical properties of the BNT-based relaxor ferroelectrics.

Pressure-Promoted Triplet-Pair Separation in Singlet-Fission TIPS-Pentacene Nanofilms Revealed by Ultrafast Spectroscopy.

Singlet fission (SF), as an effective way to break through the Shockley-Queisser limit, can dramatically improve energy conversion efficiency in solar cell areas. The formation, separation, and relaxation of triplet-pair excitons directly affect the triplet yield, especially triplet-pair separation; thus, how to enhance the triplet-pair separation rate becomes one of the key points to improve SF efficiency; the decay mechanism where the singlet state is converted into two triplet states is significant for the study of the SF mechanism. Herein, we employ ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy to study the singlet-fission process of nano-amorphous 6, 13-bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl)-Pentacene (TIPS-pentacene) films in a diamond anvil cell (DAC). A kinetics model related to the structural geometric details, as well as an evaluation of the pressure manipulation impacts, is demonstrated based on the experimental results. The results indicate that pressure manipulation enhanced the triplet-pair separation rates of SF-based materials according to their structural micro-environmental improvement when compressed in DAC, while the triplet-exciton transportation lifetime is prolonged. This work shows that pressure may effectively optimize the structural disorder of SF materials, which were found to improve triplet-pair separation efficiency and potentially offer an effective way to further improve SF efficiency.

Deciphering the work function induced local charge regulation towards activating an octamolybdate cluster-based solid for acidic water oxidation.

The advancement of highly robust and efficient electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) under acidic conditions is imperative for the sustainable production of green hydrogen. In accomplishing sustainable and sturdy electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution at low pH, the challenge is tough for non-iridium/ruthenium-based electrocatalysts. This study elaborates on the intrinsic alterations in electronic arrangements and structural disorder upon the precise activation of an octamolybdate cluster-based solid [{Cu(pz)4}2Mo8O26]·2H2O through room temperature grinding with rGO (reduced graphene oxide), resulting in enhanced conductivity, stability, and activity of the electrocatalyst towards the acidic OER without employing any benchmark metal ion (Ru or Ir). Additionally, the work function of the composites was found to be low compared to that of pristine polyoxometalates (POMs), indicative of the improved conducive behavior, which is lacking in the POM structure. The catalyst displays a notably reduced overpotential of 185 mV to achieve a current density of 10 mA cm-2, coupled with significant stability lasting 24 hours at a higher current density of 100 mA cm-2. These findings propose the manipulation of crystalline POMs with highly conductive non-metallic elements to facilitate superior water oxidation at lower pH levels which can help in the production of green hydrogen.

Histological synovitis score in juvenile idiopathic arthritis and other pediatric synovial inflammatory conditions

ObjectiveThe Krenn’s scoring is a system for histopathological grading of synovial inflammation, and in adults, useful in etiological grouping. The score has only rarely been used in pediatric samples. We aimed to assess the performance of the score in juvenile idiopathic arthritis and other pediatric synovial inflammatory processes in categorization of the disease and in finding characteristic pathological features. DesignWe collected an unselected series of pediatric (age < 16 years) routine synovial biopsy samples to represent normal synovium and inflammatory conditions. The final diagnosis based on clinical follow-up was determined and classified as normal synovium, and different groups according to etiology. Total of 142 patients were analyzed. According to the score, case was classified to normal, low- or high-grade synovitis. ResultsThe synovitis scores in clinically normal synovium were low with 48 % of cases with scores of low-grade synovitis. In structural joint disorders scores varied from normal to low grade synovitis with occasional cases of high grade synovitis. In transient/reactive arthritis scores showed increase, majority clustering to low grade synovitis. In JIA and in bacterial synovitis the scores were higher than in the other groups high grade synovitis being the dominant grade. Extended oligoarthritis showed higher score than persistent oligoarthritis. ROC analysis indicated that JIA could be differentiated from other conditions. ConclusionsThe Krenn’s synovitis score is useful in the etiological classification of pediatric synovial samples, high Krenn’s score suggesting JIA. Observed differences between the subcategories of oligoarthritis may be useful in subclassifying these types of JIA.

Structural and Compositional Optimization of Fe-Co-Ni Ternary Amorphous Electrocatalysts for Efficient Oxygen Evolution in Anion Exchange Membrane Water Electrolysis.

Anion exchange membrane water electrolysis (AEMWE) offers a sustainable path for hydrogen production with advantages such as high current density, dynamic responsiveness, and low-cost electrocatalysts. However, the development of efficient and durable oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts under operating conditions is crucial for achieving the AEMWE. This study systematically investigated Fe-Co-Ni ternary amorphous electrocatalysts for the OER in AEMWE through a comprehensive material library system comprising 21 composition series. The study aims to explore the relationship between composition, degree of crystallinity, and electrocatalytic activity using ternary contours and binary plots to derive optimal catalysts. The findings reveal that higher Co and lower Fe contents lead to increased structural disorder within the Fe-Co-Ni system, whereas an appropriate amount of Fe addition is necessary for OER activity. It is concluded that the amorphous structure of Fe-Co3-Ni possesses an optimal ternary composition and degree of crystallinity to facilitate the OER. Post-OER analyses reveal that the optimized ternary amorphous structure induces structural reconstruction into an OER-favorable OOH-rich surface. The Fe-Co3-Ni electrocatalysts exhibit outstanding performances in both half-cells and single-cells, with an overpotential of 256mV at 10mAcm- 2 and a current density of 2.0 Acm- 2 at 1.89V, respectively.

Linking Electronic and Structural Disorder Parameters to Carrier Transport in a Modern Conjugated Polymer.

Understanding charge transport in conjugated polymers is crucial for the development of next-generation organic electronic applications. It is presumed that structural disorder in conjugated polymers originating from their semicrystallinity, processing, or polymorphism leads to a complex energetic landscape that influences charge carrier transport properties. However, the link between polymer order parameters and energetic landscape is not well established experimentally. In this work, we successfully link statistical surveys of the local polymer electronic structure with paracrystalline structural disorder, a measure of statistical fluctuations away from the ideal polymer packing structure. We use scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy to measure spatial variability in electronic band edges in PM6 films, a high-performance conjugated polymer, and find that films with higher paracrystallinity exhibit greater electronic disorder, as expected. In addition, we show that macroscopic charge carrier mobility in field effect transistors and and trap influence in hole-only diode devices is positively correlated with these microscopic structural and electronic parameters.

A Prospective Randomized Control Trial of Lingual Frenuloplasty with Myofunctional Therapy in Patients with Maxillofacial Deformity in a Polish Cohort.

Introduction: There are few publications concerning ankyloglossia in mixed-aged groups utilizing myofunctional therapy and frenuloplasty in patients undergoing orthodontic treatment and maxillofacial surgery. While it is well known that ankyloglossia is mainly diagnosed in babies, research on functional and structural disorders in different age groups is less common. Thus, there is a high need for specific information about the influence and effectiveness of frenuloplasty with myofunctional therapy on the stomatognathic function and final treatment outcome for a wider variety of patients, especially those with maxillofacial deformities. Aim: This paper aims to evaluate the impact of lingual frenuloplasty as an adjunct to myofunctional therapy for the treatment of ankyloglossia in children and adults with maxillofacial deformity. Methods: Prospective randomized control trial with 155 subjects. Methods were based on visual observation and examination of the oral cavity. There were two groups: myofunctional therapy vs. myofunctional therapy and lingual frenuloplasty. Patients were randomized based on order of entry into the study. χ2 test, Kruskal-Wallis, ANOVA, Student's t-test and others were used for statistical analyses. Results: The presented protocol with myofunctional therapy and surgical procedures proved to be significantly more effective in improving tongue mobility and stomatognathic functions such as swallowing, breathing, and oral resting postures as compared to the reference group who underwent myofunctional therapy only. Conclusions: Lingual frenuloplasty with myofunctional therapy is highly effective in restoring the equilibrium of the orofacial muscles and the skeleton, which is often disturbed and may lead to unstable functional effects among patients considering orthodontic and orthognathic treatments for maxillofacial deformities.

Multidepth quantitative analysis of liver cell viscoelastic properties: Fusion of nanoindentation and finite element modeling techniques.

Liver cells are the basic functional unit of the liver. However, repeated or sustained injury leads to structural disorders of liver lobules, proliferation of fibrous tissue and changes in structure, thus increasing scar tissue. Cellular fibrosis affects tissue stiffness, shear force, and other cellular mechanical forces. Mechanical force characteristics can serve as important indicators of cell damage and cirrhosis. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) has been widely used to study cell surface mechanics. However, characterization of the deep mechanical properties inside liver cells remains an underdeveloped field. In this work, cell nanoindentation was combined with finite element analysis to simulate and analyze the mechanical responses of liver cells at different depths in vitro and their internal responses and stress diffusion distributions after being subjected to normal stress. The sensitivities of the visco-hyperelastic parameters of the finite element model to the effects of the peak force and equilibrium force were compared. The force curves of alcohol-damaged liver cells at different depths were measured and compared with those of undamaged liver cells. The inverse analysis method was used to simulate the finite element model in vitro. Changes in the parameters of the cell model after injury were explored and analyzed, and their potential for characterizing hepatocellular injury and related treatments was evaluated. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: This study aims to establish an in vitro hyperelastic model of liver cells and analyze the mechanical changes of cells in vitro. An analysis method combining finite element analysis model and nanoindentation was used to obtain the key parameters of the model. The multi-depth mechanical differences and internal structural changes of injured liver cells were analyzed.

The structural basis for the collagen processing by human P3H1/CRTAP/PPIB ternary complex

Collagen posttranslational processing is crucial for its proper assembly and function. Disruption of collagen processing leads to tissue development and structure disorders like osteogenesis imperfecta (OI). OI-related collagen processing machinery includes prolyl 3-hydroxylase 1 (P3H1), peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase B (PPIB), and cartilage-associated protein (CRTAP), with their structural organization and mechanism unclear. We determine cryo-EM structures of the P3H1/CRTAP/PPIB complex. The active sites of P3H1 and PPIB form a face-to-face bifunctional reaction center, indicating a coupled modification mechanism. The structure of the P3H1/CRTAP/PPIB/collagen peptide complex reveals multiple binding sites, suggesting a substrate interacting zone. Unexpectedly, a dual-ternary complex is observed, and the balance between ternary and dual-ternary states can be altered by mutations in the P3H1/PPIB active site and the addition of PPIB inhibitors. These findings provide insights into the structural basis of collagen processing by P3H1/CRTAP/PPIB and the molecular pathology of collagen-related disorders.

Effects of interfacial oxygen diffusion on the magnetic properties and thermal stability of Pd/CoFeB/Pd/Ta heterostructure

We investigated the effects of annealing temperatures (TA) on a Pd (5 nm)/CoFeB (10 nm)/Pd (3 nm)/Ta (10 nm) multilayer structure. The as-deposited sample showed an amorphous state with in-plane uniaxial magnetic anisotropy (UMA), resulting in low coercivity and moderate Gilbert damping constant (α) values. Increasing TA led to crystallization, forming bcc-CoFe (110) crystals, which increased in-plane coercivity and introduced isotropic magnetic anisotropy, slightly reducing the α. The two-fold UMA persists up to 600 °C, and the thermal stability of the in-plane magnetic anisotropy remains intact even TA = 700 °C. The TA significantly influenced the magnetic properties such as in-plane saturation magnetization (Ms//), in-plane and out-of-plane coercivities (Hc// and Hc⊥), and in-plane effective magnetic anisotropy energy density (Keff). Above 600 °C, Keff decreased, indicating a transition towards uniaxial perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. Interfacial oxidation and diffusion from the Ta capping layer to the Pd/CoFeB/Pd interfaces were observed, influencing chemical bonding states. Annealing at 700 °C, reduced oxygen within TaOx through a redox reaction involving Ta crystallization, forming TaB, PdO, and BOx states. Ferromagnetic resonance spectra analysis indicated variations in resonance field (Hr) due to local chemical environments. The α reduction, reaching a minimum at 300 °C annealing, was attributed to reduced structural disorder from inhomogeneities. Tailoring magnetic anisotropy and spin dynamic properties in Pd/CoFeB/Pd/Ta structures through TA-controlled oxygen diffusion/oxidation highlights their potential for SOT, DMI, and magnetic skyrmion-based spintronic devices.

The protein domains of vertebrate species in which selection is more effective have greater intrinsic structural disorder.

The nearly neutral theory of molecular evolution posits variation among species in the effectiveness of selection. In an idealized model, the census population size determines both this minimum magnitude of the selection coefficient required for deleterious variants to be reliably purged, and the amount of neutral diversity. Empirically, an 'effective population size' is often estimated from the amount of putatively neutral genetic diversity and is assumed to also capture a species' effectiveness of selection. A potentially more direct measure of the effectiveness of selection is the degree to which selection maintains preferred codons. However, past metrics that compare codon bias across species are confounded by among-species variation in %GC content and/or amino acid composition. Here, we propose a new Codon Adaptation Index of Species (CAIS), based on Kullback-Leibler divergence, that corrects for both confounders. We demonstrate the use of CAIS correlations, as well as the Effective Number of Codons, to show that the protein domains of more highly adapted vertebrate species evolve higher intrinsic structural disorder.

Exploring the Diversity of Nuclear Density through Information Entropy.

This study explores the role of information entropy in understanding nuclear density distributions, including both stable configurations and non-traditional structures such as neutron halos and α-clustering. By quantifying the uncertainty and disorder inherent in nucleon distributions in nuclear many-body systems, information entropy provides a macroscopic measure of the physical properties of the system. A more dispersed and disordered density distribution results in a higher value of information entropy. This intrinsic relationship between information entropy and system complexity allows us to quantify uncertainty and disorder in nuclear structures by analyzing various geometric parameters such as nuclear radius, diffuseness, neutron skin, and cluster structural features.