As bones age in most mammals, they typically become more fragile. This state of bone fragility is often associated with more homogenous collagen fiber orientations (CFO). Unlike most mammals, bats maintain mechanically competent bone throughout their lifespans, but little is known of positional and age-related changes in CFO within wing bones. This study tests the hypothesis that age-related changes in CFO in big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) differ from those of the standard mammalian model for skeletal aging, the C57BL/6 laboratory mouse. We used data from quantitative polarized light microscopy (qPLM) to compare CFO across the lifespan of long-lived big brown bats and age matched C57BL/6 mice. Eptesicus and C57BL/6 mice displayed idiosyncratic patterns of CFO. Consistent age-related changes were only apparent in the outer cortical bone of Eptesicus, where bone tissue is more longitudinally arranged and more anisotropic in older individuals. Both taxa displayed a ring of more transversely oriented bone tissue surrounding the medullary cavity. In Eptesicus, this tissue represents a greater proportion of the overall cross-section, and is more clearly helically aligned (arranged at 45° to the bone long axis) than similar bone tissue in mice. Bat wing bones displayed a proximodistal gradient in CFO anisotropy and longitudinal orientation in both outer and inner cortical bone compartments. This study lays a methodological foundation for the quantitative evaluation of bone tissue architecture in volant and non-volant mammals that may be expanded in the future.

UNASSIGNED: To compare the efficacy of casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate (CPP-ACP) (GC Tooth Mousse) and tricalcium phosphate formulation (Clinpro) by topical application and iontophoresis.
UNASSIGNED: Noninvasive treatment of dental caries is a major advance in the clinical management of the disease.
UNASSIGNED: A total of 20 primary anterior and 20 primary molars were included in the study to be analyzed by transverse microradiography (TMR) and polarized light microscopy (PLM). The samples were coated with acid-resistant varnish, leaving a window on the buccal/lingual surface of enamel and immersed in demineralizing solution for 96 hours. Each sample was coated with varnish on the left half (control), and the right half served as a test. All the samples were divided into four groups. The test windows of specimens in groups I (GC Tooth Mousse) and II (Clinpro) were subjected to remineralization treatments for 10 days. Similarly, groups III and IV were subjected to iontophoresis using GC Tooth Mousse and Clinpro for 7 minutes. The samples were analyzed by TMR and PLM.
UNASSIGNED: There was no significant difference in the mean difference of mineral loss among the four groups. There was a significant difference in the mean difference of lesion depth among the four groups.
UNASSIGNED: Both iontophoresis and topical application were equally efficient, but one remineralization by iontophoresis equals 10 topical applications.
UNASSIGNED: VC R, Muppa R, Nallanchakrava S, et al. Evaluation of Iontophoresis as a Tool in Comparison to Topical Remineralization Systems by Transverse Microradiography and Polarized Light Microscopy: An In Vitro Study. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2023;16(S-1):S85-S90.

Herein, a label-free aptasensor was designed through forming a double-stranded DNA skeleton on the glass substrate for ultrasensitive quantification of ochratoxin A (OTA) as a case study. The function fundament of the dual-responsive aptasensor was the perturbation of the vertical alignment of the liquid crystals (LCs) and intercalation of the SYBR Green I (SGI) dye molecules between the base pairs of the double-stranded DNA structure. The presence of OTA decomposed the double-stranded structure of DNA by releasing the OTA-specific aptamer from the sensing platform that induced an apparent alteration of the optical and fluorescent responses. The aptasensor specifically detected the ultra-low levels of OTA as 47.0E-9 pM (0.047 aM) and 34.0E-3 pM (34 fM) based on the polarized and fluorescent responses, respectively. The aptasensor monitored OTA in the coffee and grape drink samples. The aptasensor provides promising insight for manufacturing real-time, cost-effective, and portable sensing devices for food control usage.

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Herein we aimed at assessing whether Myo-Inositol (MI), Alpha-Lipoic acid (ALA), and Folic acid (FA) could improve oocyte quality and embryo development in non-PCOS overweight/obese women undergoing IVF. Three hundred and twenty-four mature oocytes were obtained from non-PCOS overweight/obese patients, randomized to receive either MI, ALA, and FA (MI + ALA + FA group, n = 155 oocytes) or FA alone (FA-only group, n = 169 oocytes). Oocytes were examined using Polarized Light Microscopy to assess morphological features of zona pellucida (ZP) and meiotic spindle (MS). One hundred and seventy-six embryos (n = 84 in the MI + ALA + FA group, n = 92 in the FA-only group) were assessed by conventional morphology on days 2 and 5, as well as using the Time-Lapse System morphokinetic analysis. A significantly higher ZP retardance, area, and thickness (p < 0.05), and a shorter MS axis (p < 0.05) were observed in the MI + ALA + FA group, suggesting a positive effect on oocyte quality. Conventional morphology evaluation on day 2 showed a higher mean embryo score in the MI + ALA + FA group, whereas embryo morphokinetic was comparable in the two groups. Overall, our data show a possible beneficial effect of the combination of MI, ALA, and FA on oocyte and embryo morphology, encouraging testing of this combination in adequately powered randomized trials to assess their impact of clinical IVF results.

This study aimed to establish the baseline characteristics in humeral and femoral cartilage in rabbit, using quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) relaxation times (T2, T1ρ, and T1) at 9.75 and 70-82 µm pixel resolutions, and quantitative polarized light microscopy (PLM) measures (retardation, angle) at 1.0 and 4.0 µm pixel resolutions. Five intact (i.e., unopened) shoulder joints (the scapula and humeral heads) and three femoral heads of the hip joints from five healthy rabbits were imaged in MRI at 70-82 µm resolution. Thirteen cartilage-bone specimens were harvested from these joints and imaged in µMRI at 9.75 µm resolution. Subsequently, quantitative PLM study of these specimens enabled the examination of the fibril orientation and organization in both intact joints and individual specimens. Quantitative MRI relaxation data and PLM fibril structural data show distinct features in tissue properties at different depths of cartilage, different in individual histological zones. The thicknesses of the histological zones in µMRI and PLM were successfully obtained. This is the first correlated and quantitative MRI and PLM study of rabbit cartilage at sub-10 µm resolutions, which benefits future investigation of osteoarthritis using the rabbit model. © 2019 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 38:1052-1062, 2020.

OBJECTIVE: To compare CPP-ACP, Tri-calcium phosphate and Hydroxyapatite on remineralization of artificial caries like lesions on primary enamel.
METHODS: Ten extracted Primary molars coated with nail varnish, leaving a window of 2×4 mm on buccal and lingual surface were immersed in demineralizing solution for 96 hours and sectioned longitudinally to obtain 40 sections (4 sections per tooth) and were randomly divided into 4 groups (A to D) n=10; Group A: negative control, Group B: CPP-ACP, Group C: Tri-calcium phosphate, Group D: Hydroxyapatite. Sections were subjected to pH cycling for 10 days and were evaluated by polarized light microscope before and after treatment.
RESULTS: Intra group comparison of demineralization and remineralization was done by paired t-test. One way ANOVA was used for multiple group comparisons followed by post HOC TUKEY\'S Test for group wise comparisons. Remineralization was found more with Group D followed by Group B, C and A.
CONCLUSIONS: Hydroxyapatite showed better remineralization when compared to CPP-ACP and Tri-calcium phosphate.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of 2 different meniscal scaffolds in treating patients with irreparable partial medial meniscal tear and patients complaining of pain in the medial compartment of the knee due to a previous partial medial meniscectomy. Based on previous studies, we hypothesized that both the scaffolds are effective in improving clinical outcomes in these patient populations.
METHODS: Twenty-eight patients underwent collagen-based medial meniscus implantation (CMI-Menaflex) and 25 with a second-generation scaffold (Actifit). All patients were assessed with Lysholm, Tegner scale, and MRI evaluation-preoperatively, at 6 months, at 12 moths, and followed-up for a minimum of 2 years. Second look arthroscopy and concomitant biopsy were performed in 7 and 12 patients of CMI and Actifit groups, respectively.
RESULTS: The CMI group at final follow-up showed improvement in Lysholm score from 58.4 ± 17.3 to 94.5 ± 6.0, while the Actifit group showed improvement from 67.0 ± 15.7 to 90.3 ± 13.1; the improvement was statistically significant in both the groups but intergroup difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.1061). Tegner Activity Scale score improved in both the groups, but intergroup difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.5918). MRI evaluation showed in situ scaffold and no progression of degenerative arthritis in both the groups at final follow-up. Histological evaluation showed more fibrous tissue with blood vessels in the CMI group and the Actift group showed avascular cartilaginous features.
CONCLUSIONS: Both the scaffolds are effective in improving patients\' symptoms and joint function at short-term follow-up.

OBJECTIVE: To explore whether an association exists between oocyte meiotic spindle morphology visualized by polarized light microscopy at the time of intracytoplasmic sperm injection and the ploidy of the resulting embryo.
METHODS: Prospective cohort study.
METHODS: Private IVF clinic.
METHODS: Patients undergoing preimplantation genetic screening/diagnosis (n = 113 patients).
METHODS: Oocyte meiotic spindles were assessed by polarized light microscopy and classified at the time of intracytoplasmic sperm injection as normal, dysmorphic, translucent, telophase, or no visible spindle. Single blastomere biopsy was performed on day 3 of culture for analysis by array comparative genomic hybridization.
METHODS: Spindle morphology and embryo ploidy association was evaluated by regression methods accounting for non-independence of data.
RESULTS: The frequency of euploidy in embryos derived from oocytes with normal spindle morphology was significantly higher than all other spindle classifications combined (odds ratio [OR] 1.93, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.33-2.79). Oocytes with translucent (OR 0.25, 95% CI 0.13-0.46) and no visible spindle morphology (OR 0.35, 95% CI 0.19-0.63) were significantly less likely to result in euploid embryos when compared with oocytes with normal spindle morphology. There was no significant difference between normal and dysmorphic spindle morphology (OR 0.73, 95% CI 0.49-1.08), whereas no telophase spindles resulted in euploid embryos (n = 11). Assessment of spindle morphology was found to be independently associated with embryo euploidy after controlling for embryo quality (OR 1.73, 95% CI 1.16-2.60).
CONCLUSIONS: Oocyte spindle morphology is associated with the resulting embryo\'s ploidy. Oocytes with normal spindle morphology are significantly more likely to produce euploid embryos compared with oocytes with meiotic spindles that are translucent or not visible.