Fibro/chondrogenic differentiation of dental stem cells into chitosan/alginate scaffolds towards temporomandibular joint disc regeneration

Tissue engineering (TE) may provide effective alternative treatment for challenging temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pathologies associated with disc malpositioning or degeneration and leading to severe masticatory dysfunction. Aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of chitosan/alginate (Ch/Alg) scaffolds to promote fibro/chondrogenic differentiation of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) and production of fibrocartilage tissue, serving as a replacement of the natural TMJ disc. Ch/Alg scaffolds were fabricated by crosslinking with CaCl2 combined or not with glutaraldehyde, resulting in two scaffold types that were physicochemically characterized, seeded with DPSCs or human nucleus pulposus cells (hNPCs) used as control and evaluated for cell attachment, viability, and proliferation. The DPSCs/scaffold constructs were incubated for up to 8 weeks and assessed for extracellular matrix production by means of histology, immunofluorescence, and thermomechanical analysis. Both Ch/Alg scaffold types with a mass ratio of 1:1 presented a gel-like structure with interconnected pores. Scaffolds supported cell adhesion and long-term viability/proliferation of DPSCs and hNPCs. DPSCs cultured into Ch/Alg scaffolds demonstrated a significant increase of gene expression of fibrocartilaginous markers (COLI, COL X, SOX9, COM, ACAN) after up to 3 weeks in culture. Dynamic thermomechanical analysis revealed that scaffolds loaded with DPSCs significantly increased storage modulus and elastic response compared to cell-free scaffolds, obtaining values similar to those of native TMJ disc. Histological data and immunochemical staining for aggrecan after 4 to 8 weeks indicated that the scaffolds support abundant fibrocartilaginous tissue formation, thus providing a promising strategy for TMJ disc TE-based replacement.

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Urine proteomic studies in preeclampsia

Preeclampsia (PE) is a multisystem disorder of pregnancy that develops after 20 wk of gestation in previously normotensive women and complicates 5–8% of pregnancies. This rapidly progressive syndrome is usually diagnosed when the mother develops hypertension and proteinuria. The only effective treatment is delivery of the baby although early low-dose aspirin has been shown to significantly reduce the risk for PE. Recent advances in proteomic methods of protein separation, identification, and quantitation may allow for the identification of proteins and peptides that could facilitate early detection of disease, improve assessment of prognosis, and allow closer monitoring of women at risk for PE. This review summarizes all currently available markers for prediction and diagnosis of PE and presents urine proteomic studies performed for the identification of novel biomarkers.     

A Method of Examining in Detail Electric Arc Furnace Performance

A method of data acquisition and analysis is described that has been developed to assess in detail the performance of electric arc furnaces. The method has been implemented on a small single user minicomputer (a PDP 11/40) and on a large mainframe (an IBM 3033). The method was specifically developed in order to determine reliable statistical parameters that can be used to characterize arc furnace performance. The method is outlined, and its use is illustrated using data recorded on magnetic tape at the new Iron and Steel Company of Trinidad and Tobago (ISCOTT) plant. Results are presented that illustrate the operation of the ISCOTT furnace for scrap and pellet feed.     

A multiplex PCR assay for the identification of five commercially important Portunid crabs: Portunus pelagicus,P. gladiator,P. sanguinolentus,Charybdis natator,and C. feriatus

Portunid crabs of the genus Portunus: P. pelagicus, P. gladiator and P. sanguinolentus and the genus Charybdis: C. natator and C. feriatus are economically important species for many tropical countries. An ongoing problem in the crab industry is involved with food labelling or food fraud in which many food manufacturers may have substituted the cheaper crabmeat for the more expensive ones due to the difficulty of species identification after many steps of food processing. To solve this problem, a convenient and accurate multiplex PCR assay using a species-specific primer set KUGEN_PORTspec was developed based on the nucleotide variation of cytochrome b and 28S ribosomal RNA. The primer set specifically amplified fragments of 286, 348, 418, 124 and 481 bp in P. pelagicus, P. gladiator, P. sanguinolentus, C. natator and C. feriatus, respectively, as well as a 220 bp positive control fragment. Specificity and sensitivity tests showed consistency in product sizes and absence of cross-species amplification with 0.1 ng DNA template limit of detection. Validation of the multiplex PCR assay on crabmeat prepared by steaming, mixing, freezing and canning was done and visualized by either agarose gel electrophoresis or automated capillary electrophoresis. The results indicated that the multiplex PCR assay using KUGEN_PORTspec is an effective tool for portunid species identification from both high- and low-quality DNA obtained from processed food. This newly developed primer set is an effective tool for crabmeat species identification to be used in future food industry and consumer protection programs.     

Effect of Flank Wear on the Topography of Machined Surfaces

The effect of flank wear on the topography of machined surfaces is investigated by studying its effect on the shape of the tool nose. For this purpose, turning experiments were performed to produce surfaces corresponding to different levels of flank wear. The distribution of flank wear at the tool nose during these experiments caused the nose radius to decrease, which when replicated on the machined surface resulted in narrower and deeper feedmarks. This change in the geometry of feedmarks was represented by the increase in the arithmetic average roughness of the surface profile heights.     

First Trimester Maternal Plasma Aberrant miRNA Expression Associated with Spontaneous Preterm Birth

Spontaneous Preterm Delivery (sPTD) is one of the leading causes of perinatal mortality and morbidity worldwide. The present case–control study aims to detect miRNAs differentially expressed in the first trimester maternal plasma with the view to identify predictive biomarkers for sPTD, between 32^0/7 and 36^6/7 weeks, that will allow for timely interventions for this serious pregnancy complication. Small RNA sequencing (small RNA-seq) of five samples from women with a subsequent sPTD and their matched controls revealed significant down-regulation of miR-23b-5p and miR-125a-3p in sPTD cases compared to controls, whereas miR-4732-5p was significantly overexpressed. Results were confirmed by qRT-PCR in an independent cohort of 29 sPTD cases and 29 controls. Statistical analysis demonstrated that miR-125a is a promising early predictor for sPTL (AUC: 0.895; 95% CI: 0.814-0.972; p < 0.001), independent of the confounding factors tested, providing a useful basis for the development of a novel non-invasive predictive test to assist clinicians in estimating patient-specific risk.