Despite the recognized benefits of silicon (Si) fertilizer in crop production, the agronomic mechanisms underlying Si-mediated improvements in lodging resistance and yield stability under low-phosphorus (P) management in sweet corn remain poorly understood. To address this, a three-season field experiment was conducted using a two-factor split-plot design with two Si levels (Si0: 0 kg ha-¹ SiO2; Si1: 50 kg ha-¹ SiO2) as main plots and five P levels (P0-P4: 0-125 kg ha-¹ P2O5) as sub-plots, at a planting density of 60,000 plants ha-¹ (33% above local high-yield practice). Our results demonstrated that Si application combined with low-P management (P1: 50 kg ha-¹ P2O5) simultaneously enhanced lodging resistance and yield. This synergistic effect was attributed to four interrelated mechanisms: (1) elevated soil enzyme activities (phosphatase, urease, sucrase, and peroxidase), which might facilitate nutrient and sucrose metabolism; (2) strengthened root-soil anchorage via stimulated brace root formation, with root traits exerting the largest negative direct effect on lodging rate (path coefficient = -0.782, P< 0.001); (3) reinforced basal stem node development through enhanced accumulation of structural carbohydrates (lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose); and (4) optimized canopy architecture, characterized by favorable leaf angles and a greater proportion of leaf area distributed to the middle canopy layer, which was negatively correlated with lodging rate (r = -0.54, P< 0.001) and positively correlated with yield (r = 0.39, P< 0.01). Collectively, these findings indicate that Si fertilization under low-P regimes offers a promising strategy for improving both stability and productivity in sweet corn production systems.

Permanent-tooth impaction during the mixed dentition is time-sensitive because eruption potential, root formation, arch space, and relationships with adjacent structures change during growth. This comprehensive narrative review evaluated evidence concerning pediatric diagnosis, interception, surgical exposure, orthodontic traction, treatment failure, and post-treatment outcomes. PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched from inception through August 2026, with supplementary targeted searching. Diagnosis should integrate eruption symmetry and progression, space conditions, tooth-specific warning signs, and clinically directed imaging. Barrier removal and space provision may permit spontaneous eruption in favorable immature teeth, whereas primary-canine extraction may benefit selected palatal displacements but is not uniformly predictive. When definitive treatment is required, surgical access and orthodontic mechanics should be designed together. Evidence does not establish a universally superior exposure technique; tissue management, attachment placement, traction direction, and anchorage should follow anatomy and the intended eruption pathway. A defined path, usable space, stable anchorage, and staged movement away from vulnerable structures are more defensible than prescribing a named appliance or universal force threshold. Although alignment is often achievable in selected cases, periodontal, pulpal, root, esthetic, and stability outcomes remain relevant, together with repeat exposure, ankylosis, and adjacent-tooth injury. The literature is predominantly retrospective, concentrated on maxillary canines, and heterogeneous in definitions, protocols, and follow-up. The clinically responsible objective is not preservation of the impacted tooth at any cost, but selection of the strategy most likely to provide the growing child with a healthy periodontium, maintainable occlusion, and acceptable long-term restorative options.

Osseointegration of metal implants refers to the formation of a direct, intimate, and stable interface between bone and the implant surface under physiological loads, without intervening fibrous tissue. This concept is largely based on the long-term fixation of non-degradable implants, where bone remodeling occurs around a permanent material. However, there is no equivalent framework defining de biological integration of biodegradable scaffolds used for scaffold-guided bone regeneration (SGBR), whose architecture, mechanical properties, and surface chemistry are intentionally desined to change over time. Consequently, definitions developed for permanent mettalic are frequently applied to biodegradable scaffolds, leading to uncertainty regarding whether these scaffolds truly "osseointegrate". We argue that the biological processes at biodegradable scaffold-bone interfaces fundamentally differs from that of metallic implants, and should be distinguished. Rather than classical "bone anchorage", biodegradable scaffolds support a dynamic, immunologically active, and mechanically evolving bone-scaffold interface in which fibrous encapsulation and bone formation compete. This paper aims to clarify these issues not by redefining osseointegration in general, but by adapting it specifically to osteoconductive biodegradable scaffolds in SGBR. Using evidence from a series of studies in well-characterised large-animal models of segmental bone defects, we propose a new framework that captures the temporal, cellular, and structural complexities of osseointegration of biodegradable scaffolds in living organisms. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Biodegradable scaffolds are intended to facilitate bone regeneration and gradually degrade as new tissue develops. Nevertheless, there is limited knowledge about how these materials interact with bone over extended periods. This research examines the bone-scaffold interface over 36-months using histology, immunohistochemistry, scanning electron microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. Results indicate that biodegradable scaffolds do not form the permanent bonds commonly defined as osseointegration in metallic implants. Instead, they establish a dynamic interface that evolves as the organ bone, composed of mineralised tissue, blood vessels, and extracellular matrix, remodels around the degrading scaffold. These insights improve our understanding of scaffold-guided bone regeneration and will guide the development of next-generation biodegradable scaffolds that shorten the timeframe and better support long-term bone growth.

Engineered epithelial models require three-dimensional extracellular matrix environments that support organized cell growth and allow independent access to luminal and basal compartments.However, many organ-on-chip (OoC) fabrication strategies rely on planar geometries, nonnative materials, or multi-step assembly workflows that limit architectural complexity and experimental control. Here, we report a direct in-chip volumetric printing strategy for fabricating stretchable and perfusable collagen-I scaffolds inside custom OoC devices. A vitamin C-regulated ruthenium/sodium persulfate photocrosslinking system enabled highfidelity printing of collagen-I into open-lumen architectures with ductal-and alveolar-inspired features. By generating scaffolds directly within the final culture device, this workflow eliminates post-print transfer and integrates defined collagen architectures with compartmentalized fluidic access and a mechanically actuable chip format. To support chipbased culture, printed collagen constructs were stabilized after fabrication using EDC/NHS chemistry, which limited thermally induced collagen densification, improved shape retention, and maintained scaffold anchorage during perfusion. The chip design provided separate access to the printed lumen and surrounding basal compartment, which enabled compartment-specific fluid handling while preserving scaffold integrity during inflation, stretching, and perfusion of the printed construct. On the collagen-I scaffolds, human milk-derived mammary epithelial cells formed epithelial layers with tight junctions and lactation associated markers. The platform further supported perfusion culture, in situ staining, and whole-chip volumetric imaging. Together, this work establishes direct in-chip collagen-I volumetric printing as a biofabrication strategy for creating perfusable epithelial tissue chips with native matrix architecture and compartment-specific fluidic access.

Cell clustering during anchorage-independent growth (AIG) is a key hallmark of malignant progression, supporting survival under detachment during metastatic dissemination. However, bioenergetic profiling of cell clusters grown under AIG conditions remains technically challenging, in part because of steep nutrient and oxygen gradients and irregular cell cluster shapes that complicate Seahorse XF assay normalization. Here, we present a dissociation-based Seahorse XF96/XF Pro method that enables high-throughput quantification of the average bioenergetic state of anchorage-independent cancer cell clusters. In this workflow, clusters generated in ultra-low adherent plates are enzymatically and mechanically dissociated into a single-cell suspension immediately prior to Seahorse XF Mito Stress Test analysis on poly-D-lysine-coated 2D microplates. This approach ensures that all viable cells throughout each cluster contribute equally to oxygen consumption rate (OCR) measurements and reduces the need for complex post hoc normalization. We further apply this workflow to an in vitro metastasis model in which A549 lung cancer cells are studied as attached, detached (anchorageindependent), and reattached populations, mimicking primary tumor cells, circulating/clustered cells, and secondary lesions, respectively. Detached cells exhibit reduced mitochondrial membrane potential and diminished basal and maximal OCR, whereas reattached cells largely restore membrane potential and respiratory capacity to levels comparable to attached cells, demonstrating that detachment-induced mitochondrial dysfunction is reversible upon reattachment. These findings align with previous work showing that anchorage-independent and clustered cancer cells undergo reversible metabolic reprogramming, including suppression of oxidative metabolism, engagement of reductive pathways to support redox homeostasis, and altered ROS handling to facilitate metastatic colonization. Collectively, this dissociation-based Seahorse workflow provides a practical and accessible platform to interrogate metabolic adaptations to anchorage-independent growth and cell clustering and identify bioenergetic vulnerabilities of metastasis-relevant cancer cell states. Key features • Dissociation-based Seahorse XF Mito Stress Test enabling per-cell bioenergetic profiling of anchorage-independent cancer cell clusters grown in ultra-low adherent plates. • Overcomes structural heterogeneity by enzymatically dissociating clusters into single-cell suspensions immediately before analysis, ensuring each viable cell contributes equally to OCR measurements. • Compatible with adherent monolayer, anchorage-independent, and reattached cell populations, enabling direct bioenergetic comparison across conditions that model primary tumor, circulating, and metastatic colonization states. • Validated in the A549 lung adenocarcinoma cell line; includes PDL coating, in-house DMEM preparation, and BAM15 concentration optimization steps adaptable to other cancer cell lines.

Background/Objectives: Evidence integrating patient-reported outcomes with the clinical performance of orthodontic miniscrews remains limited. This study evaluated pain, miniscrew-related oral impact, and six-month clinical outcomes following miniscrew placement. Methods: In this single-centre prospective observational cohort, 111 patients were screened, 104 were enrolled, and 100 patients receiving 270 clinically indicated miniscrews contributed complete data. Pain was assessed using a visual analogue scale immediately after placement, at 24 h, and at one week. A preliminary eight-item miniscrew-related oral-impact questionnaire was completed at one week. Analyses included the Friedman test with Holm-adjusted pairwise comparisons, Spearman correlations, and logistic generalised estimating equations (GEEs) accounting for within-patient clustering. Results: Median pain decreased from 6.0 (IQR, 3-8) immediately after placement to 4.0 (IQR, 0-7.25) at 24 h and 0.0 (IQR, 0-2) at one week (p < 0.001; Kendall's W = 0.568; pairwise r = 0.366-0.758). Analgesics were used by 57% of participants. The mean oral-impact score was 6.08 ± 5.92 on a 0-32 scale. Greater immediate post-placement pain was associated with higher oral-impact scores (ρ = 0.431; p < 0.001). At six months, 250 of 270 miniscrews were successful (92.6%). At the miniscrew level, soft-tissue injury and localised inflammation affected 7.8% and 4.4%, respectively. No examined factor was reliably associated with failure in the clustered GEE model. At the patient level, 78% were satisfied or very satisfied, and 92% would recommend the procedure. Conclusions: Pain decreased substantially within one week, while greater early pain was associated with less favourable oral-impact scores. A 92.6% six-month success rate and favourable patient acceptance were observed. The questionnaire requires further validation, and the exploratory failure estimates require confirmation.