title: PeerJ description: Articles published in PeerJ link: https://peerj.com/articles/index.rss3?journal=peerj&page=156 creator: info@peerj.com PeerJ errorsTo: info@peerj.com PeerJ language: en title: The effect of varying thicknesses of mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) and Biodentine as apical plugs on the fracture resistance of teeth with simulated open apices: a comparative in vitro study link: https://peerj.com/articles/18691 last-modified: 2024-12-18 description: BackgroundThis study evaluates the fracture resistance of apical plugs created from Biodentine and mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) in thicknesses of 3 and 5 mm within simulated open apex tooth models.MethodsFifty human maxillary central incisors were obtained from a pool of freshly extracted teeth. In order to replicate open apices without cavity preparation, ten teeth in the control group received apical-to-coronal preparation with Peeso reamers. The remaining 40 teeth were randomly assigned to four experimental groups and received either 3 or 5 mm Biodentine or MTA apical plugs.ResultsThe mean fracture loads observed in this study were as follows: control group, 431.48 N (±34.55); 3 mm MTA, 774.88 N (±62.74); 5 mm MTA, 752.65 N (±73.79); 3 mm Biodentine, 918.25 N (±59.09); and 5 mm Biodentine, 903.42 N (±24.48). Specifically, teeth in the Biodentine group demonstrated considerably stronger fracture resistance compared to those in the MTA group (p < 0.001). However, no significant differences were observed between the 3 and 5 mm thicknesses (MTA: p = 0.98, Biodentine: p = 0.99), suggesting that plug thickness did not affect fracture resistance within both groups.ConclusionBiodentine apical plugs provided the highest fracture resistance among the materials, regardless of thickness. creator: Pankaj Panjwani creator: Kulvinder Banga creator: Jatin Atram creator: Dian Agustin Wahjuningrum creator: Alexander Maniangat Luke creator: Krishna Prasad Shetty creator: Ajinkya M. Pawar uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.18691 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2024 Panjwani et al. title: A comparative perception and impact of pictorial warnings on cigarette packaging among Malaysian smokers and non-smokers link: https://peerj.com/articles/18713 last-modified: 2024-12-18 description: IntroductionIn 2003, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended that pictorial warnings on tobacco products be used to educate consumers on the negative health impacts associated with tobacco use. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of pictorial warnings on cigarette packaging among smokers and non-smokers.MethodsA cross-sectional study using a self-administered questionnaire was conducted in Kuala Lumpur. Four components assessed the respondents’ socio-demographics, smoking status, perceptions, and impact of pictorial warnings. Six standard cigarette pictorial warning images were included in the questionnaire. Data collected were analysed using SPSS version 29.0. Frequencies and percentages were used for categorical data, while means and standard deviations were used for continuous data. Statistically significant results were set at p-value < 0.05. Non-parametric tests, the Chi-square test and the One-Way ANOVA test were used to calculate the differences between the variables, as the data was not normally distributed.ResultsThree hundred seventy-eight respondents participated in this study, with smokers and non-smokers divided equally, 189. Most respondents were 20–29 years old (n = 223, 59.0%) and had tertiary education (n = 207, 54.8%). Most smokers were male (n = 172, 91.0%), and most non-smokers were female (n = 119, 63.0%). Most respondents (n = 364, 96.3%, p = 0.276) noticed the pictorial warnings on cigarette packs. Nevertheless, significantly (p < 0.001) more smokers (n = 73, 38.6%) seldomly read the content compared to non-smokers (n = 57, 30.2%). Most smokers (n = 48, 12.7%) sometimes consider quitting smoking upon exposure to pictorial warnings on cigarette packs. However, most non-smokers (n = 161, 42.6%) never had the urge to smoke upon looking at the pictorial warnings. The most impactful image on cigarette packs among smokers was ‘Lung cancer’ (n = 74, 39.2%), while for non-smokers was ‘Mouth cancer’ (n = 59, 31.2%) with p < 0.001.ConclusionWhile non-smokers demonstrated greater engagement with and emotional responses to the warnings, smokers showed less frequent interaction and a tendency toward desensitisation. Although pictorial warnings play a vital role in raising awareness of the health risks of smoking, particularly lung and mouth cancer, their effectiveness in encouraging smoking cessation among smokers remains limited. creator: Nurul Asyikin Yahya creator: Nur Aqilah Mohamed Kutty creator: Nurul Afira Saleh uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.18713 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2024 Yahya et al. title: Wound healing potential of mouth gel containing isopimarane diterpene from Kaempferia galanga rhizomes for treatment of oral stomatitis link: https://peerj.com/articles/18716 last-modified: 2024-12-18 description: BackgroundOral ulcers have an impact on 25% of the global population including patients who are suffering from chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments. Kaempferia galanga L. has been traditionally used for treatment of mouth sores and tongue blisters. However, the wound healing study of isopimarane diterpenes isolated from K. galanga is still limited.ObjectiveThis study aims to evaluate the wound healing potential of 6β-acetoxysandaracopimaradiene-1α,9α-diol (KG6), a compound isolated from Kaempferia galanga, by examining its biological activities. Additionally, we investigate the physicochemical and biological properties of (KG6) in formulated mouth gels.MethodsThe KG6 mouth gels at 0.10%, 0.25% and 0.50% w/w were formulated using sodium carboxymethylcellulose as a gelling agent, and their physicochemical and biological stabilities were assessed through a heating-cooling acceleration test. The quantification of KG6 contents in KG6 mouth gels was determined using gas chromatography. Both KG6 and KG6 mouth gels were evaluated for their wound healing properties including cell proliferation, cell migration, and antioxidant activity (H2O2-induced oxidative stress) in human gingival fibroblast (HGF-1-ATCC CRL-2014) (HGF-1). In addition, the anti-inflammatory activity against nitric oxide (NO) production was investigated in macrophage cells (RAW 264.7).ResultsAfter KG6 mouth gels were incubated under heating-cooling acceleration condition, the physicochemical properties of the KG6 mouth gels remain stable across various parameters, including appearance, color, smell, texture, pH, viscosity, separation, and KG6 content. The biological studies indicated that the KG6 compound possessed good wound healing potential. The 0.50% KG6 mouth gel exhibited marked anti-inflammatory effect by inhibiting NO production with an IC50 of 557.7 µg/ml, comparable to that of Khaolaor mouth gel, a positive control. The 0.25% KG6 mouth gel increased HGF-1 cell proliferation to 101.7–103.5%, whereas all formulations of KG6 mouth gel enhanced HGF-1 cell migration to 94.7–98.9%, higher than Khaolaor mouth gel (73.5%). Moreover, 0.50% KG6 mouth gel also showed a good antioxidant effect under H2O2-induced oxidative stress.ConclusionThis study substantiates the significant biological activities related to the wound healing property of 0.50% KG6 mouth gel for treatment of aphthous ulcers and oral stomatitis from chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments. creator: Anupon Iadnut creator: Tanawan Sae-lee creator: Supinya Tewtrakul uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.18716 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2024 Iadnut et al. title: First discovery of actinopterygian cutting-edged teeth from the middle Norian (Late Triassic) at the Tulong section, southern Tibet, China link: https://peerj.com/articles/18728 last-modified: 2024-12-18 description: Actinopterygians (ray-finned fishes) successfully passed through the Permian-Triassic Mass Extinction (PTME) and flourished in the Triassic with diverse feeding specializations and occupation of various trophic levels. Birgeria, one of the largest actinopterygian fish of the Triassic, was characterized by a strong, blunt rostrum and three rows of sharp cutting-edged teeth, making them the top predators in the Early Mesozoic oceanic ecosystem. These fishes rapidly radiated and diversified globally during the Early and Middle Triassic, but the fossil record is rare for the Neo-Tethys in the Late Triassic. Here, we report new actinopterygian teeth with cutting edges from Norian-age strata in the Tulong section, which was located on the northern margin of the Indian Plate at that time. The tooth features, such as the polished acrodin cap, the ratio of the acrodin cap in length, and the tiny vertical striae at the tooth base, suggest an affinity with Birgeria, which is reported in this region for the first time. Furthermore, we infer that the carnivorous Birgeria, which co-occurred with the enigmatic ichthyosaur Himalayasaurus tibetensis, played the role of predator in this part of the Neo-Tethys marine realm during the Late Triassic. These new findings increase the known diversity of actinopterygians during the Late Triassic and provide further insight into the marine fauna of this epoch. creator: Zichen Fang creator: Long Cheng creator: Haishui Jiang creator: Xianlang Wu creator: Xulong Lai creator: James G. Ogg uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.18728 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2024 Fang et al. title: Retention of indoxyl sulfate in different genotypes of ABCC2 may explain variation in tacrolimus pharmacokinetics link: https://peerj.com/articles/18729 last-modified: 2024-12-18 description: BackgroundMicrobiota-derived toxins indoxyl sulfate and hippuric acid were previously reported to be associated with altered pharmacokinetics of the immunosuppressant tacrolimus in liver transplant recipients, and ABC transporter proteins are likely to be involved in the transport of such substances, but the in vivo role has not been elucidated. The aim of this study was to assess the retention of indoxyl sulfate and hippuric acid in the plasma of liver transplantation subjects carrying different genotypes of ABCB1 and ABCC2 (changes in transporter activity due to genetic variation), and to explore whether genetic variation is involved in altering the relationship between microbe-derived toxins and tacrolimus pharmacokinetics.MethodsLiver transplantation subjects treated with the immunosuppressive regimen tacrolimus, corticosteroids, and mycophyolate mofetil were included and divided into normal renal function group and chronic kidney disease group. The plasma concentrations of indoxyl sulfate and hippuric acid in two groups of liver transplantation subjects carrying different genotypes of ABCB1 and ABCC2 were compared. For genotype carriers with significant differences, the Pearson Correlation Coefficient method was further used to investigate the correlation between plasma indoxyl sulfate level and tacrolimus dose-corrected trough concentration in patients with different renal function status.ResultsCarriers of the rs717620-24T variant exhibited high plasma indoxyl sulfate retention in patients with normal renal function, and furthermore, chronic kidney disease patients and patients with normal renal function exhibited indoxyl sulfate and tacrolimus in the ABCC2 normal function (β = −0.740, p = 0.020) and reduced function groups (β = −0.526, p = 0.005), respectively, showing a strong correlation with tacrolimus.ConclusionABCC2 may be one of the pathways by which tacrolimus pharmacokinetics is altered by indoxyl sulfate. creator: Jing Wang creator: Siqi Huang creator: Yuanchen Li creator: Qiu Fang creator: Min Wang creator: Huaijun Zhu uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.18729 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2024 Wang et al. title: Validation study on the assay method for anti-factor IIa potency of enoxaparin sodium link: https://peerj.com/articles/18732 last-modified: 2024-12-18 description: Enoxaparin sodium is a low molecular mass heparin essential for effective anticoagulation therapy. However, significant variations in testing methods across different manufacturers have led to poor reproducibility of results, increasing the risks associated with drug quality evaluation by manufacturers and regulatory oversight. This study integrates the strengths of various testing methods to establish a reproducible assay that has been thoroughly validated. The validation results demonstrate that the method exhibits excellent specificity, linearity, robustness, precision, and accuracy, with recovery rates ranging from 98.0% to 102.0%. The new method demonstrated high consistency and reproducibility, with an RSD value of less than 2.0%, and showed the potential to replace the European Pharmacopoeia method by reducing reagent usage, experimental costs, and equipment requirements. The reliable results of this method facilitate its adoption across different laboratories, enhance the quality control of enoxaparin sodium, and provide a reference for new manufacturers and drug regulatory authorities, thereby ensuring medication safety. creator: Xiaorong Yang creator: Hanyan Zou creator: Yixue Dong creator: Bing Liu creator: Ying Wang creator: Mengying Wang uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.18732 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2024 Yang et al. title: The role of circRNA in breast cancer drug resistance link: https://peerj.com/articles/18733 last-modified: 2024-12-18 description: Among women with cancer, breast cancer has surpassed lung cancer to become the most prevalent type of cancer globally. High-throughput sequencing of breast cancer tissues from many patients has revealed significant variations in circRNA expression across different types of breast cancer. Chemotherapy is currently a very important method for treating breast cancer; however, as the number of chemotherapy sessions increases and considering factors such as the patient’s immune response, drug resistance has become a challenging issue in treating breast cancer. It is well known that drug resistance is associated with multiple factors, and different resistance mechanisms involve different roles of circRNA. This review consolidates literature from the past 5 years and addresses the shortcomings in the broad description of circRNA’s role in breast cancer drug resistance. It categorizes and describes the drug resistance and its mechanisms in different types of breast cancer, as well as the roles of circRNA and signaling pathways in drug resistance. creator: Shaofeng Yang creator: Donghai Li uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.18733 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2024 Yang and Li title: Validation and modification of existing bleeding complications prediction models for percutaneous renal biopsy: a prospective study link: https://peerj.com/articles/18741 last-modified: 2024-12-18 description: BackgroundBleeding complications following percutaneous renal biopsy (PRB) are a significant clinical concern. This study aimed to validate and refine existing prediction models for post-biopsy bleeding to support more accurate clinical decision-making.MethodsClinical data from 471 PRB patients were examined in this prospective analysis. Ultrasounds were performed immediately and 6 h post-biopsy to identify perinephric hematomas. Patients exhibiting severe pain, a hemoglobin drop of >10 g/L, symptomatic hypotension, hematuria within 7 days post-procedure underwent repeat ultrasound to assess for bleeding complications. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify factors associated with bleeding risk. The predictive performance of three kidney biopsy risk calculators (KBRC) was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve, net reclassification improvement (NRI), integrated discrimination improvement (IDI), and decision curve analysis (DCA) to determine clinical utility. Nomograms were developed for each model to facilitate clinical application.ResultsUnivariate analysis identified body mass index (BMI), hemoglobin, and ultrasound findings as significant predictors of bleeding complications. In multivariable analysis, BMI, immediate ultrasound, and 6-h ultrasound data remained significant (p < 0.05). The three models compared included: KBRC-5 (age, body mass index (BMI), platelet count, hemoglobin, kidney size), KBRC-5 with immediate ultrasound data (IKBRC), and KBRC-5 with 6-h hematoma size (SKBRC). The AUROC values for these models were 0.683, 0.786, and 0.867, respectively (p < 0.001). NRI and IDI analyses demonstrated that adding immediate or 6-h ultrasound data significantly improved the risk reclassification ability of the KBRC-5 model (p < 0.05). DCA indicated that IKBRC provided the highest net benefit for risk thresholds between 25% and 77%, while SKBRC was superior for thresholds between 10% and 95%. Nomograms were constructed for each model, allowing clinicians to estimate the probability of bleeding complications by summing scores for each predictor. Calibration curves showed good agreement between predicted and observed probabilities.ConclusionIncorporating real-time ultrasound data post-PRB significantly enhances the predictive accuracy and risk reclassification capability of bleeding risk models. These findings provide critical insights for guiding clinical management decisions in patients undergoing renal biopsy. creator: Xing Li creator: Min Liu creator: Di-fei Duan creator: Yu Yan creator: Dengyan Ma uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.18741 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2024 Li et al. title: Effects of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Chinese propolis on dental pulp stem cell viability, migration and cytokine expression link: https://peerj.com/articles/18742 last-modified: 2024-12-18 description: BackgroundPropolis is a natural substance produced by honeybees that has various biological properties including, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Although previous studies have evaluated the antimicrobial effects of propolis in dentistry, its effects on dental pulp stem cell (DPSC) viability, migration, and differentiation are yet not well understood. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of Chinese propolis on viability/proliferation, migration, differentiation and cytokine expression in DPSCs.MethodsCommercially available DPSCs (Lonza) were treated with aqueous extract of propolis (AEP) or ethanolic extract of propolis (EEP), and viability/proliferation was evaluated using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assays and quantification of nuclear staining. DPSC differentiation into mineralizing cells was evaluated with Alizarin red staining and cell migration was assessed using Boyden Chamber Transwell inserts. Cytokine expression was measured by RT-qPCR. AEP and EEP at 0.03 and 0.1 mg/mL did not affect DPSC viability/proliferation for up to 7-days treatment.ResultsHigher doses (0.33–33 mg/mL) induced a dose dependent decrease in DPSC viability/proliferation with a more prominent effect with EEP at 7 days. Neither AEP nor EEP induced DPSC differentiation into mineralizing cells, but both AEP and EEP (0.03–0.1 mg/ml) induced a dose dependent increase in DPSC migration. In addition, EEP prevents the upregulation of IL1b and IL6 but not IL8 and CCL2 in response to lipopolysaccharide stimulation. AEP has less potent anti-inflammatory effects and prevents only IL1b upregulation.ConclusionThis study provides new information about the biologic properties of ethanolic and aqueous extracts of propolis and shows that propolis, at doses that do not affect cell viability, induces DPSC migration and has anti-inflammatory properties. These data highlight the potential use of propolis as an alternative intra-canal medicament for regenerative endodontic procedures. creator: Ha Bin Park creator: Yen Dinh creator: Pilar Yesares Rubi creator: Jennifer L. Gibbs creator: Benoit Michot uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.18742 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2024 Park et al. title: Time series (ARIMA) as a tool to predict the temperature-humidity index in the dairy region of the northern desert of Mexico link: https://peerj.com/articles/18744 last-modified: 2024-12-18 description: The environment in which an animal is situated can have a profound impact on its health, welfare, and productivity. This phenomenon is particularly evident in the case of dairy cattle, then, in order to quantify the impact of ambient temperature (°C) and the relative humidity (%) on dairy cattle, the temperature-humidity index (THI) is employed as a metric. This indicator enables the practical estimation of the stress imposed on cattle by ambient temperature and humidity. A seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (SARIMA) (4,1,0)(0,1,0)365 model was estimated using daily data from the maximum daily THI of 4 years (2016–2019) of the Comarca Lagunera, an arid region of central-northern Mexico. The resulting model indicated that the THI of any given day in the area can be estimated based on the THI values of the previous four days. Furthermore, the data demonstrate an annual increase in the number of days the THI indicates a risk of heat stress. It is essential to continue building predictive models to develop effective strategies to mitigate the adverse effects of heat stress in dairy cattle (and other species) in the region. creator: José Luis Herrera-González creator: Rafael Rodríguez-Venegas creator: Martín Alfredo Legarreta-González creator: Pedro Antonio Robles-Trillo creator: Ángeles De-Santiago-Miramontes creator: Darithsa Loya-González creator: Rafael Rodríguez-Martínez uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.18744 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2024 Herrera-González et al.