Facilitation of Bone Healing Processes Based on the Developmental Function of Meox2 in Tooth Loss Lesion

In the present study, we examined the bone healing capacity of Meox2, a homeobox gene that plays essential roles in the differentiation of a range of developing tissues, and identified its putative function in palatogenesis. We applied the knocking down of Meox2 in human periodontal ligament fibroblasts to examine the osteogenic potential of Meox2. Additionally, we applied in vivo periodontitis induced experiment to reveal the possible application of Meox2 knockdown for 1 and 2 weeks in bone healing processes. We examined the detailed histomorphological changes using Masson’s trichrome staining and micro-computed tomography evaluation. Moreover, we observed the localization patterns of various signaling molecules, including α-SMA, CK14, IL-1β, and MPO to examine the altered bone healing processes. Furthermore, we investigated the process of bone formation using immunohistochemistry of Osteocalcin and Runx2. On the basis of the results, we suggest that the knocking down of Meox2 via the activation of osteoblast and modulation of inflammation would be a plausible answer for bone regeneration as a gene therapy. Additionally, we propose that the purpose-dependent selection and application of developmental regulation genes are important for the functional regeneration of specific tissues and organs, where the pathological condition of tooth loss lesion would be.     

NMR Spectroscopy: Determination of Peroxide Value in Vegetable and Krill Oil by Using Triphenylphosphine as Tagging Reagent

Hydroperoxides are formed as the primary product during lipid oxidation, being analyzed as the peroxide value to detect the degradation level of oils and fats. As an alternative to the classical titration method according to Wheeler, a ¹H‐{³¹P} decoupled NMR method is developed using triphenylphosphine (TPP) as a tagging agent. TPP reacts with peroxides to form TPP oxides. The quantification of the peroxide value is performed by comparing the amount of reacted TPP oxide and non‐reacted TPP. This approach eliminates the requirement for an additional internal standard. Low‐oxidized oils (peroxide value < 3 meq/kg) and high‐oxidized oils with peroxide values of 150 meq/kg are precisely quantified with an relative standard deviation (RSD) of 4.90% and 0.16%, respectively. A total number of 108 oil samples are examined using the newly‐developed ¹H‐{³¹P} decoupled NMR method, indicating the applicability for vegetable oils and krill oils. Practical Applications: The developed NMR method is applicable for the determination of the peroxide value in vegetable, marine and krill oils presenting a powerful alternative for the Wheeler titration method.     

An Engineered Nanocomplex with Photodynamic and Photothermal Synergistic Properties for Cancer Treatment

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT) are promising therapeutic methods for cancer treatment; however, as single modality therapies, either PDT or PTT is still limited in its success rate. A dual application of both PDT and PTT, in a combined protocol, has gained immense interest. In this study, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were conjugated with a PDT agent, meso-tetrahydroxyphenylchlorin (mTHPC) photosensitizer, designed as nanotherapeutic agents that can activate a dual photodynamic/photothermal therapy in SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells. The AuNP-mTHPC complex is biocompatible, soluble, and photostable. PDT efficiency is high because of immediate reactive oxygen species (ROS) production upon mTHPC activation by the 650-nm laser, which decreased mitochondrial membrane potential (^∆ψ_m). Likewise, the AuNP-mTHPC complex is used as a photoabsorbing (PTA) agent for PTT, due to efficient plasmon absorption and excellent photothermal conversion characteristics of AuNPs under laser irradiation at 532 nm. Under the laser irradiation of a PDT/PTT combination, a twofold phototoxicity outcome follows, compared to PDT-only or PTT-only treatment. This indicates that PDT and PTT have synergistic effects together as a combined therapeutic method. Our study aimed at applying the AuNP-mTHPC approach as a potential treatment of cancer in the biomedical field.     

Multicell uplink spectral efficiency of coded DS-CDMA with randomsignatures

A simple multicell uplink communication model is suggested and analyzed for optimally coded randomly spread direct sequence code-division multiple access (DS-CDMA). The model adheres to Wyner's (1994) infinite linear cell-array model, according to which only adjacent-cell interference is present, and characterized by a single parameter 0⩽α⩽1. The discussion is confined to asymptotic analysis where both the number of users and the processing gain go to infinity, while their ratio goes to some finite constant. Single cell-site processing is assumed and four multiuser detection strategies are considered: the matched-filter detector, “optimum” detection with adjacent-cell interference treated as Gaussian noise, the linear minimum mean square error (MMSE) detector and a detector that performs MMSE-based successive interference cancellation for intracell users with linear MMSE processing of adjacent-cell interference. Spectral efficiency is evaluated under three power allocation policies: equal received powers (for all users), equal rates, and a maximal spectral efficiency policy. Comparative results demonstrate how performance is affected by the introduction of intercell interference, and what is the penalty associated with the randomly spread coded DS-CDMA strategy. Finally, the effect of intercell time-sharing protocols as suggested by Shamai and Wyner (1997) is also examined, and a significant system performance enhancement is observed     

An optimisation approach for pre-runtime scheduling of tasks and communication in an integrated modular avionic system

In modern integrated modular avionic systems, applications share hardware resources on a common avionic platform. Such an architecture necessitates strict requirements on the spatial and temporal partitioning of the system to prevent fault propagation between different aircraft functions. One way to establish a temporal partitioning is through pre-runtime scheduling of the system, which involves creating a schedule for both tasks and a communication network. While avionic systems are growing more and more complex, so is the challenge of scheduling them. The scheduling of the system has an important role in the development of new avionic systems, since functionality is typically added to the system over a period of several years and a scheduling tool is used both to detect if the platform can host the new functionality and, if this is possible, to create a new schedule. For this reason an exact solution strategy for avionics scheduling is preferred over a heuristic one. In this paper we present a mathematical model for an industrially relevant avionic system and present a constraint generation procedure for the scheduling of such systems. We apply our optimisation approach to instances provided by our industrial partner. These instances are of relevance for the development of future avionic systems and contain up to 20,000 tasks to be scheduled. The computational results show that our optimisation approach can be used to create schedules for such instances within a reasonable time.     

Impact of Prenatal and Postnatal Exposure to Endocrine Disrupter DDT on Adrenal Medulla Function

Epinephrine is the most abundant catecholamine hormone, produced by the nervous system and adrenal glands. Endocrine disruption of epinephrine synthesis, secretion and signaling is less studied than steroid and thyroid hormones. Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) is recognized as one of the most prominent environmental contaminants with a long half-life. It is a potent endocrine disrupter affecting sex steroid, mineralocorticoid, glucocorticoid and thyroid hormone production. Exposure to low doses of DDT is universal and begins in utero. Therefore, we studied adrenal medulla growth and function in male Wistar rats exposed to low doses of DDT during prenatal and postnatal development until puberty and adulthood, as well as rats exposed to DDT since the first day of postnatal development. All the exposed rats demonstrated lowered epinephrine blood levels, gradually reducing with age. DDT was found to inhibit the synthesis of tyrosine hydroxylase and affect the mitochondrial apparatus of epinephrine-producing cells during puberty and even after maturation. Low-dose exposure to DDT from birth resulted in more pronounced changes in adrenomedullary cells and a more profound decrease (up to 50%) in epinephrine secretion in adult rats. Prenatal onset of exposure demonstrated a mild effect on epinephrine-producing function (30% reduction), but was associated with lower rate of adrenal medulla growth during maturation and 25% smaller adrenal medullar size in adult rats. All subjects exposed to low doses of DDT failed to develop adaptive changes and restore proper epinephrine production. These results indicate a dysmorphogenetic effect of prenatal exposure and disruption of secretory function of adrenal chromaffin cells by postnatal exposure to DDT.     

Correction to: 6G and the UN SDGs: Where is the Connection?

Wireless Personal Communications - With the evolution of smart grid system (SGS), many issues associated with traditional grid network, i.e., power system security, monitoring and control, energy...     

Whole Blood Thromboelastometry by ROTEM and Thrombin Generation by Genesia According to the Genotype and Clinical Phenotype in Congenital Fibrinogen Disorders

The outcome of congenital fibrinogen defects (CFD) is often unpredictable. Standard coagulation assays fail to predict the clinical phenotype. We aimed to assess the pheno- and genotypic associations of thrombin generation (TG) and ROTEM in CFD. We measured fibrinogen (Fg) activity and antigen, prothrombin fragments F1+2, and TG by ST Genesia^® with both Bleed- and ThromboScreen in 22 patients. ROTEM was available for 11 patients. All patients were genotyped for fibrinogen mutations. Ten patients were diagnosed with hypofibrinogenemia, nine with dysfibrinogenemia, and three with hypodysfibrinogenemia. Among the 17 mutations, eight were affecting the Fg γ chain, four the Fg Bβ chain, and five the Fg Aα chain. No statistical difference according to the clinical phenotypes was observed among FGG and FGA mutations. Median F1+2 and TG levels were normal among the different groups. Fg levels correlated negatively with F1+2 and peak height, and positively with lag time and time to peak. The pheno- and genotypes of the patients did not associate with TG. FIBTEM by ROTEM detected hypofibrinogenemia. Our study suggests an inverse link between low fibrinogen activity levels and enhanced TG, which could modify the structure–function relationship of fibrin to support hemostasis.     

Enzyme catalyzed oxidative gelation of sugar beet pectin: Kinetics and rheology

Sugar beet pectin (SBP) is a marginally utilized co-processing product from sugar production from sugar beets. In this study, the kinetics of oxidative gelation of SBP, taking place via enzyme catalyzed cross-linking of ferulic acid moieties (FA), was studied using small angle oscillatory measurements. The rates of gelation, catalyzed by horseradish peroxidase (HRP) (EC 1.11.1.7) and laccase (EC 1.10.3.2), respectively, were determined by measuring the slope of the increase of the elastic modulus (G′) with time at various enzyme dosages (0.125–2.0 U mL⁻¹). When evaluated at equal enzyme activity dosage levels, the two enzymes produced different gelation kinetics and the resulting gels had different rheological properties: HRP (with addition of H₂O₂) catalyzed a fast rate of gelation compared to laccase (no H₂O₂ addition), but laccase catalysis produced stronger gels (higher G′). The main effects and interactions between different factors on the gelation rates and gel properties were examined in response surface designs in which enzyme dosage (0.125–2.0 U mL⁻¹ for HRP; 0.125–10 U mL⁻¹ for laccase), substrate concentration (1.0–4.0%), temperature (25–55 °C), pH (3.5–5.5), and H₂O₂ (0.1–1.0 mM) (for HRP only) were varied. Gelation rates increased with temperature, substrate concentration, and enzyme dosage; for laccase catalyzed SBP gelation the gel strengths correlated positively with increased gelation rate, whereas no such correlation could be established for HRP catalyzed gelation and at the elevated gelation rates (>100 Pa min⁻¹) gels produced using laccase were stronger (higher G′) than HRP catalyzed gels at similar rates of gelation. Chemical analysis confirmed the formation of ferulic acid dehydrodimers (diFAs) by both enzymes supporting that the gelation was a result of oxidative cross-linking of FAs.     

A Design of Compact Ultra Wideband Coupler for Butler Matrix

A design of 3 dB compact ultra wideband (UWB) coupler for a 4 × 4 Butler Matrix, which is operating between 3 and 11 GHz frequency range, is presented in this paper. The proposed design uses multilayer technology that allows having a compact and broad bandwidth coupler. The design uses elliptically shaped broadside coupled strips and a slot created in a common ground plane of two dielectric substrates with the same shape. The design then being fabricated on 0.8 mm thick FR4 substrates and it occupies the dimension of 30 mm × 15 mm. The simulation and experimental results show a good performance in terms of bandwidth, which covers the entire UWB operation. In addition, detailed analysis of air gap effect for S-parameters and phase difference of the designed coupler is presented in this study.