Journal of Zhejiang University SCIENCE B最新文献

Over the past decade, dramatic progress has been made in dental research areas involving laser therapy. The photobiomodulatory effect of laser light regulates the behavior of periodontal tissues and promotes damaged tissues to heal faster. Additionally, photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT), a non-invasive treatment, when applied in orthodontics, contributes to alleviating pain and reducing inflammation induced by orthodontic forces, along with improving tissue healing processes. Moreover, PBMT is attracting more attention as a possible approach to prevent the incidence of orthodontically induced inflammatory root resorption (OIIRR) during orthodontic treatment (OT) due to its capacity to modulate inflammatory, apoptotic, and anti-antioxidant responses. However, a systematic review revealed that PBMT has only a moderate grade of evidence-based effectiveness during orthodontic tooth movement (OTM) in relation to OIIRR, casting doubt on its beneficial effects. In PBMT-assisted orthodontics, delivering sufficient energy to the tooth root to achieve optimal stimulation is challenging due to the exponential attenuation of light penetration in periodontal tissues. The penetration of light to the root surface is another crucial unknown factor. Both the penetration depth and distribution of light in periodontal tissues are unknown. Thus, advanced approaches specific to orthodontic application of PBMT need to be established to overcome these limitations. This review explores possibilities for improving the application and effectiveness of PBMT during OTM. The aim was to investigate the current evidence related to the underlying mechanisms of action of PBMT on various periodontal tissues and cells, with a special focus on immunomodulatory effects during OTM.

This study investigated the perceptions and medical history of third molars (M3s) and assessed the prevalence of visible M3s (V-M3s) among 904 Chinese adults. The enrolled participants were interviewed to complete a structural questionnaire focused on sociodemographic information and their understanding of, attitudes toward, behaviors regarding, and medical history with respect to M3s. In addition, the number of V-M3s in the cohort was determined by oral examination. Logistic regression analysis was performed to explore the association between individuals' sociodemographic characteristics and their perception of M3s or the presence of V-M3s. The Chi-square test was used to compare the actions taken against symptomatic M3s and the corresponding outcomes among different groups divided according to respondents' sociodemographic factors. In total, 904 completed questionnaires were gathered and analyzed. Nearly half (43.9%) of the respondents knew nothing about M3s, and only 12.7% provided correct answers to all the questions asked. Male sex, older age, occupation involving physical labor, and no previous dental experience were active factors in unawareness of M3s. Male sex was also significantly associated with the presence of at least one V-M3 and negative behavior about symptomatic M3s. In terms of medical history, 192 participants reported having had at least one M3 extracted (438 in total), and 72.6% of the M3s were removed due to the presence of related symptoms or pathologies. In conclusion, the population investigated had a shortage of knowledge about M3s and adopted negative attitudes and actions about M3-related problems.

This study aims to gain insight into the DNA-specific recognition mechanism of c-Myb transcription factor during the regulation of cell early differentiation and proliferation. Therefore, we chose the chicken myeloid gene, mitochondrial import protein 1 (mim-1), as a target to study the binding specificity between potential dual-Myb-binding sites. The c-Myb-binding site in mim-1 is a pseudo-palindromic sequence AACGGTT, which contains two AACNG consensuses. Simulation studies in different biological scenarios revealed that c-Myb binding with mim-1 in the forward strand (complex F) ismore stable than that inthereverse strand (complex R). The principal component analysis (PCA) dynamics trajectory analyses suggested an opening motion of the recognition helices of R2 and R3 (R2R3), resulting in the dissociation of DNA from c-Myb in complex R at 330 K, triggered by the reduced electrostatic potential on the surface of R2R3. Furthermore, the DNA confirmation and hydrogen-bond interaction analyses indicated that the major groove width of DNA increased in complex R, which affected on the hydrogen-bond formation ability between R2R3 and DNA, and directly resulted in the dissociation of DNA from R2R3. The steered molecular dynamics (SMD) simulation studies also suggested that the electrostatic potential, major groove width, and hydrogen bonds made major contribution to the DNA‍-specific recognition. In vitro trials confirmed the simulation results that c-Myb specifically bound to mim-1 in the forward strand. This study indicates that the three-dimensional (3D) structure features play an important role in the DNA-specific recognition mechanism by c-Myb besides the AACNG consensuses, which is beneficial to understanding the cell early differentiation and proliferation regulated by c-Myb, as well as the prediction of novel c-Myb-binding motifs in tumorigenesis.

Aeriscardovia aeriphila, also known as Bifidobacterium aerophilum, was first isolated from the caecal contents of pigs and the faeces of cotton-top tamarin. Bifidobacterium species play important roles in preventing intestinal infections, decreasing cholesterol levels, and stimulating the immune system. In this study, we isolated a strain of bacteria from the duodenal contents of broiler chickens, which was identified as A. aeriphila, and then evaluated the effects of A. aeriphila on growth performance, antioxidant functions, immune functions, and gut microbiota in commercial broiler chickens. Chickens were orally gavaged with A. aeriphila (1×10⁹ CFU/mL) for 21 d. The results showed that A. aeriphila treatment significantly increased the average daily gain and reduced the feed conversion ratio (P<0.001). The levels of serum growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) were significantly increased following A. aeriphila treatment (P<0.05). Blood urea nitrogen and aspartate aminotransferase levels were decreased, whereas glucose and creatinine levels increased as a result of A. aeriphila treatment. Furthermore, the levels of serum antioxidant enzymes, including catalase (P<0.01), superoxide dismutase (P<0.001), and glutathione peroxidase (P<0.05), and total antioxidant capacity (P<0.05) were enhanced following A. aeriphila treatment. A. aeriphila treatment significantly increased the levels of serum immunoglobulin A (IgA) (P<0.05), IgG (P<0.01), IgM (P<0.05), interleukin-1 (IL-1) (P<0.05), IL-4 (P<0.05), and IL-10 (P<0.05). The broiler chickens in the A. aeriphila group had higher secretory IgA (SIgA) levels in the duodenum (P<0.01), jejunum (P<0.001), and cecum (P<0.001) than those in the control group. The messenger RNA (mRNA) relative expression levels of IL-10 (P<0.05) and IL-4 (P<0.001) in the intestinal mucosa of chickens were increased, while nuclear factor-‍κB (NF‍-‍κB) (P<0.001) expression was decreased in the A. aeriphila group compared to the control group. Phylum-level analysis revealed Firmicutes as the main phylum, followed by Bacteroidetes, in both groups. The data also found that Phascolarctobacterium and Barnesiella were increased in A. aeriphila-treated group. In conclusion, oral administration of A. aeriphila could improve the growth performance, serum antioxidant capacity, immune modulation, and gut health of broilers. Our findings may provide important information for the application of A. aeriphila in poultry production.

Aeriscardovia aeriphila, also known as Bifidobacterium aerophilum, was first isolated from the caecal contents of pigs and the faeces of cotton-top tamarin. Bifidobacterium species play important roles in preventing intestinal infections, decreasing cholesterol levels, and stimulating the immune system. In this study, we isolated a strain of bacteria from the duodenal contents of broiler chickens, which was identified as A. aeriphila, and then evaluated the effects of A. aeriphila on growth performance, antioxidant functions, immune functions, and gut microbiota in commercial broiler chickens. Chickens were orally gavaged with A. aeriphila (1×10⁹ CFU/mL) for 21 d. The results showed that A. aeriphila treatment significantly increased the average daily gain and reduced the feed conversion ratio (P<0.001). The levels of serum growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) were significantly increased following A. aeriphila treatment (P<0.05). Blood urea nitrogen and aspartate aminotransferase levels were decreased, whereas glucose and creatinine levels increased as a result of A. aeriphila treatment. Furthermore, the levels of serum antioxidant enzymes, including catalase (P<0.01), superoxide dismutase (P<0.001), and glutathione peroxidase (P<0.05), and total antioxidant capacity (P<0.05) were enhanced following A. aeriphila treatment. A. aeriphila treatment significantly increased the levels of serum immunoglobulin A (IgA) (P<0.05), IgG (P<0.01), IgM (P<0.05), interleukin-1 (IL-1) (P<0.05), IL-4 (P<0.05), and IL-10 (P<0.05). The broiler chickens in the A. aeriphila group had higher secretory IgA (SIgA) levels in the duodenum (P<0.01), jejunum (P<0.001), and cecum (P<0.001) than those in the control group. The messenger RNA (mRNA) relative expression levels of IL-10 (P<0.05) and IL-4 (P<0.001) in the intestinal mucosa of chickens were increased, while nuclear factor-‍κB (NF‍-‍κB) (P<0.001) expression was decreased in the A. aeriphila group compared to the control group. Phylum-level analysis revealed Firmicutes as the main phylum, followed by Bacteroidetes, in both groups. The data also found that Phascolarctobacterium and Barnesiella were increased in A. aeriphila-treated group. In conclusion, oral administration of A. aeriphila could improve the growth performance, serum antioxidant capacity, immune modulation, and gut health of broilers. Our findings may provide important information for the application of A. aeriphila in poultry production.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been utilized in soft-tissue analysis and prediction in orthodontic treatment planning, although its reliability has not been systematically assessed. This scoping review was conducted to outline the development of AI in terms of predicting soft-tissue changes after orthodontic treatment, as well as to comprehensively evaluate its prediction accuracy. Six electronic databases (PubMed, EBSCOhost, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Scopus) were searched up to March 14, 2023. Clinical studies investigating the performance of AI-based systems in predicting post-orthodontic soft-tissue alterations were included. The Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 (QUADAS-2) and Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) appraisal checklist for diagnostic test accuracy studies were applied to assess risk of bias, while the Grading of Recommendation, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) assessment was conducted to evaluate the certainty of outcomes. After screening 2500 studies, four non-randomized clinical trials were finally included for full-text evaluation. We found a low level of evidence indicating an estimated high overall accuracy of AI-generated prediction, whereas the lower lip and chin seemed to be the least predictable regions. Furthermore, the facial morphology simulated by AI via the fusion of multimodality images was considered to be reasonably true. Since all of the included studies that were not randomized clinical trials (non-RCTs) showed a moderate to high risk of bias, more well-designed clinical trials with sufficient sample size are needed in future work.

Research in stomatology (dental medicine) continues to expand globally and is oriented towards solving clinical issues, focusing on clarifying the clinical relevance and potential mechanisms of oral‍-‍systemic connections via clinical epidemiology, oral microecological characterization, and the establishment of animal models. Interdisciplinary integration of materials science and tissue engineering with stomatology is expected to lead to the creation of innovative materials and technologies to better resolve the most prevalent and challenging clinical issues such as peri-implantitis, soft and hard tissue defects, and dentin hypersensitivity. With the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI), 5th generation mobile communication technology (5G), and big data applications, "intelligent stomatology" is emerging to build models for better clinical diagnosis and management, accelerate the reform of education, and support the growth and advancement of scientific research. Here, we summarized the current research status, and listed the future prospects and limitations of these three aspects, aiming to provide a basis for more accurate etiological exploration, novel treatment methods, and abundant big data analysis in stomatology to promote the translation of research achievements into practical applications for both clinicians and the public.

Research in stomatology (dental medicine) continues to expand globally and is oriented towards solving clinical issues, focusing on clarifying the clinical relevance and potential mechanisms of oral‍-‍systemic connections via clinical epidemiology, oral microecological characterization, and the establishment of animal models. Interdisciplinary integration of materials science and tissue engineering with stomatology is expected to lead to the creation of innovative materials and technologies to better resolve the most prevalent and challenging clinical issues such as peri-implantitis, soft and hard tissue defects, and dentin hypersensitivity. With the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI), 5th generation mobile communication technology (5G), and big data applications, "intelligent stomatology" is emerging to build models for better clinical diagnosis and management, accelerate the reform of education, and support the growth and advancement of scientific research. Here, we summarized the current research status, and listed the future prospects and limitations of these three aspects, aiming to provide a basis for more accurate etiological exploration, novel treatment methods, and abundant big data analysis in stomatology to promote the translation of research achievements into practical applications for both clinicians and the public.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been utilized in soft-tissue analysis and prediction in orthodontic treatment planning, although its reliability has not been systematically assessed. This scoping review was conducted to outline the development of AI in terms of predicting soft-tissue changes after orthodontic treatment, as well as to comprehensively evaluate its prediction accuracy. Six electronic databases (PubMed, EBSCOhost, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Scopus) were searched up to March 14, 2023. Clinical studies investigating the performance of AI-based systems in predicting post-orthodontic soft-tissue alterations were included. The Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 (QUADAS-2) and Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) appraisal checklist for diagnostic test accuracy studies were applied to assess risk of bias, while the Grading of Recommendation, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) assessment was conducted to evaluate the certainty of outcomes. After screening 2500 studies, four non-randomized clinical trials were finally included for full-text evaluation. We found a low level of evidence indicating an estimated high overall accuracy of AI-generated prediction, whereas the lower lip and chin seemed to be the least predictable regions. Furthermore, the facial morphology simulated by AI via the fusion of multimodality images was considered to be reasonably true. Since all of the included studies that were not randomized clinical trials (non-RCTs) showed a moderate to high risk of bias, more well-designed clinical trials with sufficient sample size are needed in future work.