The Emerging Regulatory Role of Circular RNAs in Periodontal Tissues and Cells

Periodontitis is a chronic complex inflammatory disease associated with a destructive host immune response to microbial dysbiosis, leading to irreversible loss of tooth-supporting tissues. Regeneration of functional periodontal soft (periodontal ligament and gingiva) and hard tissue components (cementum and alveolar bone) to replace lost tissues is the ultimate goal of periodontal treatment, but clinically predictable treatments are lacking. Similarly, the identification of biomarkers that can be used to accurately diagnose periodontitis activity is lacking. A relatively novel category of molecules found in oral tissue, circular RNAs (circRNAs) are single-stranded endogenous, long, non-coding RNA molecules, with covalently circular-closed structures without a 5’ cap and a 3’ tail via non-classic backsplicing. Emerging research indicates that circRNAs are tissue and disease-specific expressed and have crucial regulatory functions in various diseases. CircRNAs can function as microRNA or RNA binding sites or can regulate mRNA. In this review, we explore the biogenesis and function of circRNAs in the context of the emerging role of circRNAs in periodontitis pathogenesis and the differentiation of periodontal cells. CircMAP3K11, circCDK8, circCDR1as, circ_0062491, and circ_0095812 are associated with pathological periodontitis tissues. Furthermore, circRNAs are expressed in periodontal cells in a cell-specific manner. They can function as microRNA sponges and can form circRNA–miRNA–mRNA networks during osteogenic differentiation for periodontal-tissue (or dental pulp)-derived progenitor cells.     

Alumina-Periclase-Carbon Refractories Produced by OOO Ogneupor

Refractories and Industrial Ceramics - Technology for producing alumina-periclase-carbon refractories of the brands APUK-D and APU-D is developed and implemented. Use of complex antioxidant and...     

Properties of High-Strength Aramid Fiber Textile Materials for Protective Clothing

Fibre Chemistry - An analysis of the aramid fiber market including the range of industrial textile materials containing chemical fibers for specialized protective clothing of metallurgical workers,...     

Down-link OFDRMA communications

Wireless Networks - Orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing with random multiple access (OFDRMA) is discussed for down-link communications, whereby a single base-station transmits information...     

Extremum Strategies of Approach of Controlled Objects in Dynamic Game Problems with Terminal Payoff Function

Cybernetics and Systems Analysis - The authors propose a method for solving the problem of approach of controlled objects in dynamic game problems with a terminal payoff function. The method is...     

Modernization of Air Supply Unit for Oxidation Towers Used in Bitumen Production

Chemical and Petroleum Engineering - The hydrodynamics of oxidation towers used for bitumen production were studied using a model tower having transparent walls. Experiments were carried out in two...     

Structure,Assembly and Function of Cuticle from Mechanical Perspective with Special Focus on Perianth

This review is devoted to the structure, assembly and function of cuticle. The topics are discussed from the mechanical perspective and whenever the data are available a special attention is paid to the cuticle of perianth organs, i.e., sepals, petals or tepals. The cuticle covering these organs is special in both its structure and function and some of these peculiarities are related to the cuticle mechanics. In particular, strengthening of the perianth surface is often provided by a folded cuticle that functionally resembles profiled plates, while on the surface of the petal epidermis of some plants, the cuticle is the only integral continuous layer. The perianth cuticle is distinguished also by those aspects of its mechanics and development that need further studies. In particular, more investigations are needed to explain the formation and maintenance of cuticle folding, which is typical for the perianth epidermis, and also to elucidate the mechanical properties and behavior of the perianth cuticle in situ. Gaps in our knowledge are partly due to technical problems caused by very small thicknesses of the perianth cuticle but modern tools may help to overcome these obstacles.     

Hydraulic reactivity and cement formation of baghdadite

In this study, the hydraulic reactivity and cement formation of baghdadite (Ca₃ZrSi₂O₉) was investigated. The material was synthesized by sintering a mixture of CaCO₃, SiO₂, and ZrO₂ and then mechanically activated using a planetary mill. This leads to a decrease in particle and crystallite size and a partial amorphization of baghdadite as shown by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and laser diffraction measurements. Baghdadite cements were formed by the addition of water at a powder to liquid ratio of 2.0 g/ml. Maximum compressive strengths were found to be ~2 MPa after 3-day setting for a 24-h ground material. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) measurements showed an incongruent dissolution profile of set cements with a preferred dissolution of calcium and only marginal release of zirconium ions. Cement formation occurs under alkaline conditions, whereas the unground raw powder leads to a pH of 11.9 during setting, while prolonged grinding increased pH values to approximately 12.3.     

Structural Aspects of P2-Type Na0.67Mn0.6Ni0.2Li0.2O2 (MNL) Stabilization by Lithium Defects as a Cathode Material for Sodium-Ion Batteries

A known strategy for improving the properties of layered oxide electrodes in sodium-ion batteries is the partial substitution of transition metals by Li. Herein, the role of Li as a defect and its impact on sodium storage in P2-Na_0.67Mn_0.6Ni_0.2Li_0.2O₂ is discussed. In tandem with electrochemical studies, the electronic and atomic structure are studied using solid-state NMR, operando XRD, and density functional theory (DFT). For the as-synthesized material, Li is located in comparable amounts within the sodium and the transition metal oxide (TMO) layers. Desodiation leads to a redistribution of Li ions within the crystal lattice. During charging, Li ions from the Na layer first migrate to the TMO layer before reversing their course at low Na contents. There is little change in the lattice parameters during charging/discharging, indicating stabilization of the P2 structure. This leads to a solid-solution type storage mechanism (sloping voltage profile) and hence excellent cycle life with a capacity of 110 mAh g^-1 after 100 cycles. In contrast, the Li-free compositions Na_0.67Mn_0.6Ni_0.4O₂ and Na_0.67Mn_0.8Ni_0.2O₂ show phase transitions and a stair-case voltage profile. The capacity is found to originate from mainly Ni³⁺/Ni⁴⁺ and O^2-/O^2-δ redox processes by DFT, although a small contribution from Mn⁴⁺/Mn⁵⁺ to the capacity cannot be excluded.