-
Research (Washington, D.C.) 2024Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) is the progressive form of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), and closely...
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) is the progressive form of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), and closely associated with a high risk of liver-related morbidity and mortality. Although enhanced neutrophil infiltration of the liver is a histological hallmark of MASH, the morphological pattern of hepatic neutrophils and their relevance to the definition of MASH remain unknown. This clinicopathological study aimed to determine the association of neutrophilic crown-like structures (CLSs) in liver biopsies and evaluate their relevance to the histological diagnosis of MASH. A total of 483 morbidly obese adults who underwent bariatric surgery were recruited. Neutrophilic CLSs in liver biopsies were detected by immunohistochemistry for neutrophil elastase and proteinase 3. All participants were classified into 4 histological subgroups: no MASLD (118, 24.4%), MASLD (76, 15.7%), borderline MASH (185, 38.3%), and definite MASH (104, 21.5%). In the discovery cohort ( = 379), the frequency of neutrophilic CLSs increased in line with the severity of liver disease. The number of neutrophilic CLSs was positively correlated with established histological characteristics of MASH. At a cutoff value of <0.3 per 20× microscopic field, the number of neutrophilic CLSs yielded a robust diagnostic accuracy to discriminate no MASLD and MASLD from borderline MASH and definite MASH; a cutoff at >1.3 per 20× microscopic field exhibited a statistically significant accuracy to distinguish definite MASH from other groups (no MASLD, MASLD, and borderline MASH). The significance of neutrophilic CLSs in identifying borderline MASH and definite MASH was confirmed in an external validation cohort ( = 104). The frequency of neutrophilic CLSs was significantly higher than that of macrophagic CLSs. In conclusion, neutrophilic CLSs in the liver represent a typical histological characteristic of MASH and may serve as a promising indicator to improve the diagnostic accuracy of MASH during histological assessment of liver biopsies.
PubMed: 38812532
DOI: 10.34133/research.0382 -
PloS One 2024Animal culture evolves alongside genomes, and the two modes of inheritance-culture and genes-interact in myriad ways. For example, stable geographic variation in culture...
Animal culture evolves alongside genomes, and the two modes of inheritance-culture and genes-interact in myriad ways. For example, stable geographic variation in culture can act as a reproductive barrier, thereby facilitating genetic divergence between "cultural populations." White-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys) are a well-established model species for bird song learning and cultural evolution, as they have distinct, geographically discrete, and culturally transmitted song types (i.e., song dialects). In this study, we tested the hypothesis that divergence between culturally transmitted songs drives genetic divergence within Nuttall's white-crowned sparrows (Z. l. nuttalli). In accordance with sexual selection theory, we hypothesized that cultural divergence between mating signals both preceded and generated genetic divergence. We characterized the population structure and song variation in the subspecies and found two genetically differentiated populations whose boundary coincides with a major song boundary at Monterey Bay, California. We then conducted a song playback experiment that demonstrated males discriminate between songs based on their degree of divergence from their local dialect. These results support the idea that discrimination against non-local songs is driving genetic divergence between the northern and southern populations. Altogether, this study provides evidence that culturally transmitted bird songs can act as the foundation for speciation by sexual selection.
Topics: Animals; Sparrows; Vocalization, Animal; Male; Genetic Variation; Female; California; White
PubMed: 38809922
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0304348 -
Cureus Apr 2024Aim The aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate and compare the accuracy of casts made from two elastomeric impression materials (polyvinyl siloxane (PVS) and...
Aim The aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate and compare the accuracy of casts made from two elastomeric impression materials (polyvinyl siloxane (PVS) and vinylsiloxanether (VSE)) using different impression techniques on parallel and angulated implants. Materials and methods The reference model was fabricated using auto-polymerizing acrylic resin on which three implant analogs were placed of which two were parallel to each other and the third at 20-degree mesial angulation. A total of 60 impressions were made of which 30 were by using PVS and 30 by VSE. For each material, 10 impressions were made by closed tray technique, 10 by open tray technique and 10 by open tray with sandblasting and adhesive coating of the impression copings technique. The inter-analog distances of the casts obtained were evaluated and compared with the reference model by a vision measuring machine. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA), Tukey's Honest Significant Difference (HSD) post hoc and independent samples t-test. Results When the inter-analog distances of the duplicate casts were compared with the reference model, the mean error rates for parallel implants decreased in the order of closed tray technique, open tray technique and open tray with sandblasting and adhesive coating of the impression copings technique for both PVS and VSE impression materials. Similarly, the same order was observed for angulated implants for both impression materials. Using the closed tray technique, there was no statistically significant difference in the accuracy of the cast between the two materials for parallel implants (P = 0.525) and also no significant difference between the two materials for angulated implants (P = 0.307). Similarly, there was no statistically significant difference in the accuracy of the cast between the two materials for parallel implants (P = 0.455) and also no significant difference between the two materials for angulated implants (P = 0.519) using the open tray technique. Whereas for the open tray with sandblasting and adhesive coating of the impression copings technique, VSE produced a more accurate cast than PVS for parallel implants and was statistically significant (P = 0.033); however, there was no significant difference between the two materials for angulated implants (P = 0.375). Conclusion For parallel implants, VSE by an open tray with sandblasting and adhesive coating of the impression copings technique produced a more accurate cast than PVS. For angulated implants, there was no significant difference between the two materials and it was only the technique that significantly affected the accuracy of the cast.
PubMed: 38807829
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.59193 -
Cureus Apr 2024One of the most prevalent types of odontogenic cysts is a dentigerous cyst, which is usually connected to the crown of an immature tooth. We report the case of an...
One of the most prevalent types of odontogenic cysts is a dentigerous cyst, which is usually connected to the crown of an immature tooth. We report the case of an 11-year-old boy, who had a swelling over his left cheek, which was determined to be a dentigerous cyst by radiological imaging and clinical examination. Over the course of two months, the peanut-sized mass grew to 3x2 cm. A massive, well-defined cystic lesion connected to an unerupted premolar tooth was found on a CT scan of the left maxillary alveolar arch and sinus floor. Under general anesthesia, the patient had a Caldwell-Luc surgery to remove the cyst. In order to avoid difficulties related to cyst formation, which can invade surrounding tissues and even result in cancer if left untreated, early detection using radiological imaging is essential. Complete excision of the cyst is the treatment, particularly for big lesions, in order to limit morbidity and lower the likelihood of aggressive behavior. This case emphasizes the necessity of thorough examination and surgical intervention when necessary, underscoring the significance of early identification and adequate therapy to minimize potential problems related to dentigerous cysts. In cases of dentigerous cysts, early intervention, and appropriate surgical procedures are critical to reducing morbidity and improving patient outcomes.
PubMed: 38807792
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.59223 -
Frontiers in Plant Science 2024Winter wheat achieves freezing tolerance (FT) through cold acclimation (CA) - a process which is induced by low positive temperatures in autumn. The increasing...
Winter wheat achieves freezing tolerance (FT) through cold acclimation (CA) - a process which is induced by low positive temperatures in autumn. The increasing occurrences of temperature fluctuations in winter lead to deacclimation (DEA), causing premature loss of FT, and the cultivars capable of reacclimation (REA) are more likely to survive the subsequent cold spells. The genetic mechanisms of DEA and REA remain poorly understood, necessitating further research to bolster climate resilience in winter wheat. Here, we selected two winter wheat genotypes with contrasting levels of FT and conducted a ten-week-long experiment imitating low-temperature fluctuations after CA under controlled conditions. Crown and leaf tissue samples for RNA-sequencing were collected at CA, DEA, and REA time-points. It is the first transcriptomic study covering both short- and long-term responses to DEA and REA in winter wheat. The study provides novel knowledge regarding CA, DEA, and REA and discusses the gene expression patterns conferring FT under temperature fluctuations. The freezing-tolerant genotype "Lakaja DS" showed elevated photosynthetic activity in leaf tissue and upregulated cryoprotective protein-encoding genes in crowns after CA when compared to the freezing-susceptible "KWS Ferrum". "Lakaja DS" also expressed cold acclimation-associated transcripts at a significantly higher level after 1 week of DEA. Following REA, "Lakaja DS" continued to upregulate dehydrin-related genes in crowns and exhibited significantly higher expression of chitinase transcripts in leaves, when compared to "KWS Ferrum". The findings of this study shed light on the genetic mechanisms governing DEA and REA in winter wheat, thus addressing the gaps in knowledge regarding FT under low-temperature fluctuations. The identified genes should be further examined as potential molecular markers for breeding strategies focused on developing freezing-tolerant winter-type crops. Publicly available datasets generated in this study are valuable resources for further research into DEA and REA, contributing towards the enhancement of winter wheat under global climate change.
PubMed: 38807787
DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1395830 -
Critical Care (London, England) May 2024Despite significant progress in our understanding of the pathophysiology of sepsis and extensive clinical research, there are few proven therapies addressing the... (Review)
Review
Despite significant progress in our understanding of the pathophysiology of sepsis and extensive clinical research, there are few proven therapies addressing the underlying immune dysregulation of this life-threatening condition. The aim of this scoping review is to describe the literature evaluating immunotherapy in adult patients with sepsis, emphasizing on methods providing a "personalized immunotherapy" approach, which was defined as the classification of patients into a distinct subgroup or subphenotype, in which a patient's immune profile is used to guide treatment. Subgroups are subsets of sepsis patients, based on any cut-off in a variable. Subphenotypes are subgroups that can be reliably discriminated from other subgroup based on data-driven assessments. Included studies were randomized controlled trials and cohort studies investigating immunomodulatory therapies in adults with sepsis. Studies were identified by searching PubMed, Embase, Cochrane CENTRAL and ClinicalTrials.gov, from the first paper available until January 29th, 2024. The search resulted in 15,853 studies. Title and abstract screening resulted in 1409 studies (9%), assessed for eligibility; 771 studies were included, of which 282 (37%) were observational and 489 (63%) interventional. Treatment groups included were treatments targeting the innate immune response, the complement system, coagulation and endothelial dysfunction, non-pharmalogical treatment, pleiotropic drugs, immunonutrition, concomitant treatments, Traditional Chinese Medicine, immunostimulatory cytokines and growth factors, intravenous immunoglobulins, mesenchymal stem cells and immune-checkpoint inhibitors. A personalized approach was incorporated in 70 studies (9%). Enrichment was applied using cut-offs in temperature, laboratory, biomarker or genetic variables. Trials often showed conflicting results, possibly due to the lack of patient stratification or the potential influence of severity and timing on immunomodulatory therapy results. When a personalized approach was applied, trends of clinical benefit for several interventions emerged, which hold promise for future clinical trials using personalized immunotherapy.
Topics: Humans; Precision Medicine; Sepsis; Immunotherapy
PubMed: 38807151
DOI: 10.1186/s13054-024-04964-6 -
BMC Oral Health May 2024Retrieval of cement-retained implant-supported restorations is intriguing in cases of screw loosening. Detecting the estimated size of the screw access hole (SAH) could...
BACKGROUND
Retrieval of cement-retained implant-supported restorations is intriguing in cases of screw loosening. Detecting the estimated size of the screw access hole (SAH) could decrease destruction to the prosthesis and preserve the crown.
OBJECTIVES
To precisely localize loose implant screws through cemented crowns to reduce crown damage after screw loosening.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
In this in vitro study, 60 cement-retained implants supported 30 zirconia-based, and 30 ceramics fused to metal (CFM) lower molar crowns were invented, and each was subdivided into three subgroups (10 each). In group I (AI/BI) (control), SAH was created with the aid of orthopantomography (OPG). In contrast, in group II (zirconia-crown), SAH was created with the aid of CBCT + 3D printed surgical guide with a 2 mm metal sleeve in subgroups IIA/IIIA and CBCT + MAR was used to develop SAH in subgroups IIB/IIIB. SEM and Micro-CT scanned the SAH openings to determine the diameter of the hole, cracking, chipping, and chipping volume.
RESULTS
Regarding the effect of plane CBCT and CBCT + MAR on prepared crowns, a highly significant association between group I with group II (p = 0.001) and group III (p = 0.002) was detected. Regarding the cracking of SAH, significant differences between the zirconium crown and CFM restoration (p = 0.009) were found, while for the chipping, no significant association was seen between groups (p = 0.19).
CONCLUSIONS
CBCT, either as a plane CBCT or with MAR, significantly improved the accuracy of drilling the screw channel and decreased injury to the existing restoration and abutment, aiding in better localization of SAH in loosened implant abutment screws.
Topics: Crowns; In Vitro Techniques; Dental Prosthesis, Implant-Supported; Humans; Dental Restoration Failure; X-Ray Microtomography; Dental Cements; Cone-Beam Computed Tomography; Cementation; Zirconium; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; Bone Screws
PubMed: 38807096
DOI: 10.1186/s12903-024-04369-5 -
International Journal of Surgery Case... May 2024The soft tissue volume and its stability around dental implants are important for the final aesthetic outcome.
INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE
The soft tissue volume and its stability around dental implants are important for the final aesthetic outcome.
CASE PRESENTATION
A 39-year-old female was referred for dental implant placement for her missing tooth. Following attachment of the cover screw VCMX was used to simultaneously augment buccal ridge defect. Patient was seen 2 weeks after surgery for follow up where sutures were removed. After 3 months, patient received her final crown and been on follow up for 9 months where a successful well-functioning restoration with clinically healthy soft tissue and optimal profilometric outcome were maintained.
CLINICAL DISCUSSION
This approach is relatively simple, less invasive and time saving as it eliminates the need for another surgical donor site to manage the defect.
CONCLUSIONS
The present report showed that VCMX was effective in soft tissue augmentation at implant sites in aesthetic zone.
CLINICAL RELEVANCE
Within the limits of this study, the positive results suggest that the volume stable collagen matrix (VCMX) may be a reliable option in treatment of siebert class I ridge defects. VCMX was associated with less amount of pain or discomfort and reduced patient morbidity.
PubMed: 38805839
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijscr.2024.109792 -
PloS One 2024With the increasing frequencies of extreme weather events caused by climate change, the risk of forest damage from insect attacks grows. Storms and droughts can damage...
With the increasing frequencies of extreme weather events caused by climate change, the risk of forest damage from insect attacks grows. Storms and droughts can damage and weaken trees, reduce tree vigour and defence capacity and thus provide host trees that can be successfully attacked by damaging insects, as often observed in Norway spruce stands attacked by the Eurasian spruce bark beetle Ips typographus. Following storms, partially uprooted trees with grounded crowns suffer reduced water uptake and carbon assimilation, which may lower their vigour and decrease their ability to defend against insect attack. We conducted in situ measurements on windthrown and standing control trees to determine the concentrations of non-structural carbohydrates (NSCs), of phenolic defences and volatile monoterpene emissions. These are the main storage and defence compounds responsible for beetle´s pioneer success and host tree selection. Our results show that while sugar and phenolic concentrations of standing trees remained rather constant over a 4-month period, windthrown trees experienced a decrease of 78% and 37% of sugar and phenolic concentrations, respectively. This strong decline was especially pronounced for fructose (-83%) and glucose (-85%) and for taxifolin (-50.1%). Windthrown trees emitted 25 times greater monoterpene concentrations than standing trees, in particular alpha-pinene (23 times greater), beta-pinene (27 times greater) and 3-carene (90 times greater). We conclude that windthrown trees exhibited reduced resources of anti-herbivore and anti-pathogen defence compounds needed for the response to herbivore attack. The enhanced emission rates of volatile terpenes from windthrown trees may provide olfactory cues during bark beetle early swarming related to altered tree defences. Our results contribute to the knowledge of fallen trees vigour and their defence capacity during the first months after the wind-throw disturbance. Yet, the influence of different emission rates and profiles on bark beetle behaviour and host selection requires further investigation.
Topics: Picea; Monoterpenes; Phenols; Animals; Carbohydrates; Coleoptera; Norway; Climate Change; Wind
PubMed: 38805412
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0302714 -
The Lancet Regional Health. Europe Apr 2024Childhood cancer predisposition (ChiCaP) syndromes are increasingly recognized as contributing factors to childhood cancer development. Yet, due to variable availability...
BACKGROUND
Childhood cancer predisposition (ChiCaP) syndromes are increasingly recognized as contributing factors to childhood cancer development. Yet, due to variable availability of germline testing, many children with ChiCaP might go undetected today. We report results from the nationwide and prospective ChiCaP study that investigated diagnostic yield and clinical impact of integrating germline whole-genome sequencing (gWGS) with tumor sequencing and systematic phenotyping in children with solid tumors.
METHODS
gWGS was performed in 309 children at diagnosis of CNS (n = 123, 40%) or extracranial (n = 186, 60%) solid tumors and analyzed for disease-causing variants in 189 known cancer predisposing genes. Tumor sequencing data were available for 74% (227/309) of patients. In addition, a standardized clinical assessment for underlying predisposition was performed in 95% (293/309) of patients.
FINDINGS
The prevalence of ChiCaP diagnoses was 11% (35/309), of which 69% (24/35) were unknown at inclusion (diagnostic yield 8%, 24/298). A second-hit and/or relevant mutational signature was observed in 19/21 (90%) tumors with informative data. ChiCaP diagnoses were more prevalent among patients with retinoblastomas (50%, 6/12) and high-grade astrocytomas (37%, 6/16), and in those with non-cancer related features (23%, 20/88), and ≥2 positive ChiCaP criteria (28%, 22/79). ChiCaP diagnoses were autosomal dominant in 80% (28/35) of patients, yet confirmed in 64% (18/28). The 35 ChiCaP findings resulted in tailored surveillance (86%, 30/35) and treatment recommendations (31%, 11/35).
INTERPRETATION
Overall, our results demonstrate that systematic phenotyping, combined with genomics-based diagnostics of ChiCaP in children with solid tumors is feasible in large-scale clinical practice and critically guides personalized care in a sizable proportion of patients.
FUNDING
The study was supported by the Swedish Childhood Cancer Fund and the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs.
PubMed: 38803632
DOI: 10.1016/j.lanepe.2024.100881