Biomaterial-based strategies for maxillofacial tumour therapy and bone defect regeneration

Issues caused by maxillofacial tumours involve not only dealing with tumours but also repairing jaw bone defects.In traditional tumour therapy,the systemic toxicity of chemotherapeutic drugs,invasive surgical resection,intractable tumour recurrence,and metastasis are major threats to the patients’lives in the clinic.Fortunately,biomaterial-based intervention can improve the efficiency of tumour treatment and decrease the possibility of recurrence and metastasis,suggesting new promising antitumour therapies.In addition,maxillofacial bone tissue defects caused by tumours and their treatment can negatively affect the physiological and psychological health of patients,and investment in treatment can result in a multitude of burdens to society.Biomaterials are promising options because they have good biocompatibility and bioactive properties for stimulation of bone regeneration.More interestingly,an integrated material regimen that combines tumour therapy with bone repair is a promising treatment option.Herein,we summarized traditional and biomaterial-mediated maxillofacial tumour treatments and analysed biomaterials for bone defect repair.Furthermore,we proposed a promising and superior design of dual-functional biomaterials for simultaneous tumour therapy and bone regeneration to provide a new strategy for managing maxillofacial tumours and improve the quality of life of patients in the future.

Evaluation of gas production from multiple coal seams： A simulation study and economics

Gas production from multiple coal seams has become common practice in many coal basins around the world. Although gas production rates are typically enhanced, the economic viability of such practice is not well studied. In order to investigate the technical and economic feasibility of multiple coal seams production, reservoir simulation integrated with economics modelling was performed to study the effect of important reservoir properties of the secondary coal seam on production and economic performance using both vertical and horizontal wells. The results demonstrated that multiple seam gas production of using both vertical and horizontal wells have competitive advantage over single layer production under most scenarios. Gas content and permeability of the secondary coal seam are the most important reservoir properties that have impact on the economic feasibility of multiple seam gas production. The comparison of vertical well and horizontal well performance showed that horizontal well is more economically attractive for both single well and gas field. Moreover, wellhead price is the most sensitive to the economic performance, followed by operating costs and government subsidy. Although the results of reservoir simulation combined with economic analysis are subject to assumptions, multiple seam gas production is more likely to maintain profitability compared with single layer production.

The LncRNA FEZF1-AS1 promotes tumor proliferation in colon cancer by regulating the mitochondrial protein PCK2

LncRNAs and metabolism represents two factors involved in cancer initiation and progression.However,the interaction between lncRNAs and metabolism remains to be fully explored.In this study,lncRNA FEZF1-AS1(FEZF1-AS1)was found upregulated in colon cancer after screening all the lncRNAs of colon cancer tissues deposited in TCGA,the result of which was further confirmed by RNAscope staining on a colon tissue chip.The results obtained using FEZF1-AS1 knockout colon cancer cells(SW480 KO and HCT-116 KO)constructed using CRISPR/Cas9 system confirmed the proliferation,invasion,and migration-promoting function of FEZF1-AS1 in vitro.Mechanistically,FEZF1-AS1 associated with the mitochondrial protein phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase(PCK2),which plays an essential role in regulating energy metabolism in the mitochondria.Knockdown of FEZF1-AS1 greatly decreased PCK2 protein levels,broke the homeostasis of energy metabolism in the mitochondria,and inhibited proliferation,invasion,and migration of SW480 and HCT-116 cells.PCK2 overexpression in FEZF1-AS1 knockout cells partially rescued the tumor inhibitory effect on colon cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo.Moreover,PCK2 overexpression specifically rescued the abnormal accumulation of Flavin mononucleotide(FMN)and succinate,both of which play an important role in oxidative phosphorylation(OXPHOS).Overall,these results indicate that FEZF1-AS1 is an oncogene through regulating energy metabolism of the cell.This research reveals a new mechanism for lncRNAs to regulate colon cancer and provides a potential target for colon cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Characterization of Mechanical Properties of Waste Slurry Modified by Recycled Sand and Cement

In order to study the modification effect of recycled sand on cement reinforced waste slurry(CWS),triaxial test,scanning electron microscope test and X-ray diffraction test were carried out.The mechanical test of recycled sand and cement reinforced waste slurry(RCWS)shows that the deviatoric stress–strain curve of RCWS samples changes from hardening type to softening type with the increase of recycled sand content;the peak stress increases with the increase of recycled sand content;recycled sand can enhance the shear strength of CWS by increasing both cohesion and internal friction angle.The microscopic test shows that recycled sand can improve the structural compactness by cementing with hydrated calcium silicate and can reduce the void ratio and orientation index of RCWS samples.Finally,the mathematical model between shear strength parameters and void ratio is established.The research shows that adding an appropriate amount of recycled sand and cement has a good modification effect on waste slurry.This is an effective method to treat two kinds of construction wastes:construction waste slurry and waste concrete.

粤港澳大湾区视角下珠海制造业产业结构分析

珠海作为粤港澳大湾区的重要节点城市,已基本形成医药谷、航空城、电子产业园等一系列产业集群。但从经济规模、产业结构、产业层级来看,珠海制造业仍存在规模小、与广东其他城市产业错位性不明显、产业专业化程度低等问题。本文以粤港澳大湾区经济数据为分析样本,从多个维度来讨论珠海制造业产业发展状况,并提出夯实特色制造业基础、注重基础交通建设等建议,以提高珠海制造业产业发展。

Mechanism underlying the retarded nuclear translocation of androgen receptor splice variants

As shown in our previous study, two alternatively spliced androgen receptor(AR) variants, which are exclusively expressed in the granulosa cells of patients with polycystic ovary syndrome, exhibit retarded nuclear translocation compared with wild-type AR. However, researchers have not yet determined whether these abnormalities correlate with heat shock protein 90(HSP90)and importin α(the former is a generally accepted co-chaperone of AR, and the latter is a component of classical nuclear import complexes). Here, these two variants were mainly retained in cytoplasm with HSP90 and importin α in the presence of dihydrotestosterone(DHT), and their levels in nucleus were significantly reduced, according to the immunofluorescence staining. The binding affinity of two AR variants for importin α was consistently decreased, while it was increased in WT-AR following DHT stimulation, leading to reduced nuclear import, particularly for the insertion-AR(Ins-AR). However, the binding affinities of two AR variants for HSP90 were increased in the absence of DHT compared with WT-AR, which functioned to maintain spatial structural stability, particularly for the deletion-AR(Del-AR). Therefore, the retarded nuclear translocation of two AR variants is associated with HSP90 and importin α, and the abnormal binding affinities for them play critical roles in this process.

Gold nanorods and nanohydroxyapatite hybrid hydrogel for preventing bone tumor recurrence via postoperative photothermal therapy and bone regeneration promotion

Osteosarcoma is a malignant bone tumor,which often occurs in adolescents.However,surgical resection usually fails to completely remove the tumor clinically,which has been the main cause of postoperative recurrence and metastasis,resulting in the high death rate of patients.At the same time,osteosarcoma invades a large area of the bone defect,which cannot be self-repaired and seriously affects the life quality of the patients.Herein,a bifunctional methacrylated gelatin/methacrylated chondroitin sulfate hydrogel hybrid gold nanorods(GNRs)and nanohydroxyapatite(nHA),which possessed excellent photothermal effect,was constructed to eradicate residual tumor after surgery and bone regeneration.In vitro,K7M2wt cells(a mouse bone tumor cell line)can be efficiently eradicated by photothermal therapy of the hybrid hydrogel.Meanwhile,the hydrogel mimics the extracellular matrix to promote proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells.The GNRs/nHA hybrid hydrogel was capable of photothermal treatment of postoperative tumors and bone defect repair in a mice model of tibia osteosarcoma.Therefore,the hybrid hydrogel possesses dual functions of tumor therapy and bone regeneration,which shows great potential in curing bone tumors and provides a new hope for tumor-related bone complex disease.

Mitochondrial fusion protein 2 regulates endoplasmic reticulum stress in preeclampsia

Preeclampsia(PE)refers to a group of dysfunction syndromes associated with elevated blood pressure and proteinuria in women with previously normal blood pressure after 20 weeks of pregnancy,and it may be accompanied by symptoms including headache。

A novel preimplantation genetic testing strategy for a subtelomeric genetic disorder:A case study

Preimplantation genetic testing(PGT)is a precise and effective technique for detecting inherited pathogenic mutations to prevent birth defects.However,there are few reports on PGT for pseudo-autosomal genetic diseases.