OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the filling effects of three biomaterial root canal sealers [iRoot SP, C-Root SP, and GuttaFlow Bioseal (GFB)] by using Micro-CT. METHODS: Sixty single-canal detached premolars were selected. After crown amputation, their uniform working length was set at 12 mm and prepared to a 06 taper 30# with M3 nickel-titanium file. The samples were randomly divided into six groups with different sealers and obturation techniques: iRoot SP+single-cone technique (SC), C-Root SP+SC, GFB+SC, iRoot SP+single cone-mediated ultrasonic technique (SU), C-Root SP+SU, and GFB+SU. Samples were scanned by Micro-CT, and the total and segmented filling rates were calculated with Mimics 22.0 software after 3D reconstruction. RESULTS: The overall filling rate of the three biomaterial root canal sealers was higher than 90%. The overall and coronal third and middle third segment filling rate of groups iRoot SP+SC, C-Root SP+SC was higher than that of group GFB+SC (P<0.01), with no significant difference between groups iRoot SP+SC and C-Root SP+SC (P>0.05). On the apical third, no significant difference was found among each group (P>0.05). The overall and segment filling rate of groups iRoot SP+SU and C-Root SP+SU was higher than that of GFB+SU (P<0.01), with no significant difference between groups iRoot SP+SU and C-Root SP+SU (P>0.05). The filling rate of the apical 1/3 of group C-Root+SC was lower than that of group C-Root+SU (P<0.01), and the filling rate of the coronal 1/3 of group GFB+SC was higher than that in the GFB+SU (P<0.01). Nevertheless, no significant difference was found in other filling rate of two obturation techniques (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS The overall filling rate of the three biomaterial root canal sealers using SC and SU are satisfactory. iRoot SP and C-Root SP have similar filling rates, which are significantly higher than that of GFB. C-Root SP combined with SU technique can improve the filling quality of the root apical.
Root Canal Filling Materials ; X-Ray Microtomography ; Humans ; Root Canal Obturation/methods* ; Gutta-Percha ; Dimethylpolysiloxanes ; Drug Combinations ; Dental Pulp Cavity/diagnostic imaging* ; Bicuspid

Objective To investigate the ocular biological parameters of children with idiopathic short stature(ISS)and compare them with those of children with growth hormone deficiency(GHD)and normal children,and to explore the characteristics of ocular biological parameters in this group,so as to provide a reference for the screening of visual acuity and the safety of growth hormone therapy in children with ISS.Methods A total of 15 children aged 5-14 years old with ISS were selected as the observation group,32 children with GHD were selected as the control group,and 47 children of normal height who underwent routine visual acuity screening were selected as normal controls.The ocular biological parameters of children with ISS were studied.The differences of vision-re-lated parameters between the above three groups were compared.The influencing factors affecting the visual devel-opment of children with ISS were analyzed.Results The axial ratio of ISS was significantly higher than that of the GHD group and normal children,and the intraocular pressure of the ISS group was significantly higher than that of the GHD group and normal children.There was no significant difference in axial length between the ISS group and the GHD group,as well as normal children(P＞0.05),but the axial length of the GHD group was significantly shorter than that of normal children.The corneal curvature of ISS was significantly greater than that of normal chil-dren.The axial rate ratio of the ISS group was positively correlated with the peak value and corneal curvature of growth hormone provocation test(β=1.052,P＜0.05;β=0.004,P＜0.05).Conclusion Children with ISS may have high intraocular pressure and high risk of myopia.Higher peak results of growth hormone provocation test and large corneal curvature may be the risk factors for myopia.

Objective:To assess the value of serum tumor specific protein 70 (SP70) for prognostic stratification in acute myeloid leukemia (AML).Methods:A cohort study design was adopted. 129 newly diagnosed AML patients from September 2022 to January 2024 at the Hematology Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University were included, as well as a control group consisted of 120 healthy individuals and 7 cases with benign hematologic diseases during the same period (total 127 cases). Clinical data were collected from Electronic Medical Records. According to the 2023 edition of the Chinese Leukemia Diagnosis and Treatment Guidelines, AML patients with good or moderate prognosis were categorized as low-to-intermediate risk, while those with poor prognosis were high-risk group. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify variables significantly associated with AML prognostic risk. ROC analysis was used to evaluate diagnostic performance. A nomogram for predicting patient prognostic risk was constructed by R 4.0.2 software, and the internal validation was performed using bootstrapping.Results:Among 129 AML patients, there were 71 males (55.0%) and 58 females (45.0%), with 42 (32.6%) classified as high-risk and 87 (67.4%) as low-intermediate risk. The high-risk group had a significantly higher median age [62 (48, 67) years] compared to the low-intermediate risk group [50 (35, 63) years, Z=-2.381, P=0.017], and a significantly higher proportion of males (30 patients, 71.4%) compared to the low-intermediate risk group (41 patients, 47.1%, χ 2=6.760, P=0.009). Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that serum SP70 ( OR=2.54, 95% CI: 1.68-3.84, P<0.001), hemoglobin (HB) ( OR=0.96, 95% CI: 0.93-0.99, P<0.05), and bone marrow blast (BM blast) ( OR=1.07, 95% CI: 1.02-1.13, P<0.05) were independent risk factors for high-risk prognosis in AML patients. ROC analysis showed that the area under the curve (AUC) for SP70 predicting high-risk patients was 0.908 (cut-off value of 5.74 ng/ml, 95% CI: 0.845-0.952, sensitivity 90.5%, specificity 82.8%). The combined model of serum SP70, HB, and BM blasts had an AUC of 0.931 (95% CI: 0.890-0.973); C-index=0.925 (95% CI: 0.876-0.963),with no statistically significant difference compared to serum SP70 alone ( Z=1.693, P>0.05). Conclusion:Serum SP70 may be a promising non-invasive molecular biomarker for prognostic stratification in AML.

Objective:To understand the epidemiology of rubella and the genetic characteristics of the virus circulating during the period 2021-2022, providing basic scientific data for rubella prevention and control in China.Methods:National rubella incidence data for the period 2021-2022 were obtained from the Infectious Disease Surveillance System module and the Surveillance Report Management module of the China′s Disease Prevention and Control Information System. Positive rubella virus(RuV)isolates were obtained from the National Measles/Rubella Laboratory Network. Two nucleotide (nt) fragments [F1-480 (8 633-9 112 nt) and F2-633 (8 945-9 577 nt)] located in the E1 gene were amplified and determined by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and the target gene (E1-739) was obtained after collating and splicing. The sequences obtained in this study were used to construct a phylogenetic tree with the reported reference strains for genotype and lineage identification. Additionally, the phylogenetic analysis was performed to assess their genetic relatedness of RuV strains prevalent in China during 2018-2020 from GenBank database.Results:In 2021-2022, the rubella incidence in China was 0.06/100, 000 (2021: 840 cases; 2022: 784 cases), with cases primarily concentrated in the western and southern provinces. Age distribution analysis showed that rubella cases in 2021-2022 was mainly in children under 5 years of age (2021: 34.17%, 287/840; 2022: 42.09%, 330/784), with the highest proportion in children aged 0-2 years. Further analysis of the immunization history of cases revealed that in the 8-23 months age group, a significant proportion of cases had received only one dose of rubella containing vaccine (RCV); cases in the 2-14 years age group were mainly among children who had received two or more doses of RCV; however, cases over 15 years of age were primarily found in individuals who had not received RCV or had unknown immunization history. National virological surveillance data showed that totally 22 RuV virus isolates were obtained, from 6 provinces in China during 2021-2022, which belonged to lineage 1E-L2 (11 strains) and 2B-L2c (11 strains). And these viruses displayed high genetic homology with RuV prevalent from 2018 to 2020.Conclusions:The incidence of rubella in China was maintained at a low level during 2021-2022, and the prevalent RuV strains were lineage 1E-L2 and 2B-L2c.

Objective:To explore the association between child abuse and suicidal ideation in patients with bi-polar disorder.The mediation of self-esteem and depression in this association was also investigated.Methods:A to-tal of 292 patients with bipolar disorder who met the diagnostic criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,Fifth Edition(DSM-5)were enrolled.Their child abuse,suicidal ideation,self-esteem,depres-sion,and mania were assessed with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire(CTQ),Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation-Chinese Version(BSICV),Self-Esteem Scale(SES),17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale(HAMD-17)and Young Mania Rating Scale(YMRS).The mediating effects were evaluated using PROCESS for SPSS.Results:The BSICV scores were positively associated with the scores of CTQ(r=0.37,P＜0.01)and HAMD-17(r=0.53,P＜0.01)and negatively associated with SES scores(r=-0.50,P＜0.01)in patients with bipolar disorder.Self-esteem and depression played mediating roles between child abuse and suicidal ideation,respectively(95％CI:0.01-0.09,0.01-0.10).Besides,self-esteem and depression sequentially mediated the relationship between child a-buse and suicidal ideation(95％CI:0.02-0.06).Conclusion:Child abuse,low self-esteem,and depression may be related factors of suicidal ideation in patients with bipolar disorder.

Objective:To assess the value of serum tumor specific protein 70 (SP70) for prognostic stratification in acute myeloid leukemia (AML).Methods:A cohort study design was adopted. 129 newly diagnosed AML patients from September 2022 to January 2024 at the Hematology Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University were included, as well as a control group consisted of 120 healthy individuals and 7 cases with benign hematologic diseases during the same period (total 127 cases). Clinical data were collected from Electronic Medical Records. According to the 2023 edition of the Chinese Leukemia Diagnosis and Treatment Guidelines, AML patients with good or moderate prognosis were categorized as low-to-intermediate risk, while those with poor prognosis were high-risk group. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify variables significantly associated with AML prognostic risk. ROC analysis was used to evaluate diagnostic performance. A nomogram for predicting patient prognostic risk was constructed by R 4.0.2 software, and the internal validation was performed using bootstrapping.Results:Among 129 AML patients, there were 71 males (55.0%) and 58 females (45.0%), with 42 (32.6%) classified as high-risk and 87 (67.4%) as low-intermediate risk. The high-risk group had a significantly higher median age [62 (48, 67) years] compared to the low-intermediate risk group [50 (35, 63) years, Z=-2.381, P=0.017], and a significantly higher proportion of males (30 patients, 71.4%) compared to the low-intermediate risk group (41 patients, 47.1%, χ 2=6.760, P=0.009). Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that serum SP70 ( OR=2.54, 95% CI: 1.68-3.84, P<0.001), hemoglobin (HB) ( OR=0.96, 95% CI: 0.93-0.99, P<0.05), and bone marrow blast (BM blast) ( OR=1.07, 95% CI: 1.02-1.13, P<0.05) were independent risk factors for high-risk prognosis in AML patients. ROC analysis showed that the area under the curve (AUC) for SP70 predicting high-risk patients was 0.908 (cut-off value of 5.74 ng/ml, 95% CI: 0.845-0.952, sensitivity 90.5%, specificity 82.8%). The combined model of serum SP70, HB, and BM blasts had an AUC of 0.931 (95% CI: 0.890-0.973); C-index=0.925 (95% CI: 0.876-0.963),with no statistically significant difference compared to serum SP70 alone ( Z=1.693, P>0.05). Conclusion:Serum SP70 may be a promising non-invasive molecular biomarker for prognostic stratification in AML.

Background::Gastric cancer (GC), a malignant tumor with poor prognosis, is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide; consequently, identifying novel therapeutic targets is crucial for its corresponding treatment. NUF2, a component of the NDC80 kinetochore complex, promotes cancer progression in multiple malignancies. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the potential of NUF2 as a therapeutic target to inhibit GC progression. Methods::Clinical samples were obtained from patients who underwent radical resection of GC at Lanzhou University Second Hospital from 2016 to 2021. Cell count assays, colony formation assays, and cell-derived xenotransplantation (CDX) models were used to determine the effects of NUF2 on GC progression. Flow cytometry was used to detect the effect of NUF2 or quercetin on cell cycle progression and apoptosis. A live-cell time-lapse imaging assay was performed to determine the effect of NUF2 on the regulation of mitotic progression. Transcriptomics was used to investigate the NUF2-associated molecular mechanisms. Virtual docking and microscale thermophoresis were used to identify NUF2 inhibitors. Finally, CDX, organoid, and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models were used to examine the efficacy of the NUF2 inhibitor in GC. Results::NUF2 expression was significantly increased in GC and was negatively correlated with prognosis. The deletion of NUF2 suppressed GC progression both in vivo and in vitro. NUF2 significantly regulated the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, promoted G2/M phase transition, and inhibited apoptosis in GC cells. Additionally, quercetin was identified as a selective NUF2 inhibitor with low toxicity that significantly suppressed tumor growth in GC cells, organoids, CDX, and PDX models. Conclusions::Collectively, NUF2-mediated G2/M phase transition and apoptosis inhibition promoted GC progression; additionally, NUF2 inhibitors exhibited potent anti-GC activity. This study provides a new strategy for targeting NUF2 to suppress GC progression in clinical settings.

To improve the current situation of multiple preoperative visits and evaluations for elderly patients and other patients with complex conditions, in December 2022, Peking Union Medical College Hospital established preoperative multidisciplinary evaluation clinic (shorted as joint clinic). The joint clinic established a multidisciplinary team, clarified service targets, and developed standardized clinic workflows to provide patients with a " one-stop" preoperative assessment(physical fitness assessment, nutritional assessment, and frailty assessment, etc.), nutritional optimization intervention, and prerehabilitation education and guidance services. This practice strengthened preoperative risk management, improved preoperative assessment efficiency, and ensured the safety of patients during the perioperative period. As of September 2023, the joint clinic had received a total of 128 patients, of which 86 underwent surgery after preoperative evaluation and prehabilitation optimization. The obesity rate, smoking rate, and number of frailty cases of these patients had decreased from 13.96%, 11.63%, and 18 at the time of visit to 9.30%, 4.65%, and 14 on the day before surgery, respectively. They had recovered well after surgery. This practice had improved the preoperative status of patients and created conditions for high-risk patients to undergo surgery smoothly, so as to provide references for other hospitals to carry out multidisciplinary collaborative preoperative evaluation works.

Objective To evaluate the quality of hypoglycemia fear assessment tools for adults,so as to provide references for the selection of high-quality research tools.Methods PubMed,Embase,Web of Science,CNKI,VIP,Wanfang,CBM were retrieved to collect the literature on the measurement properties of hypoglycemic fear.There were 2 researchers who screened the literature and extracted data,independently.Based on the consensus-based standards for the selection of health measurement instruments(COSMIN)guideline,the methodological and measure-ment properties quality of the included assessment tools were evaluated by the COSMIN risk of bias checklist and quality criteria.Results A total of 17 studies involving 6 hypoglycemia fear assessment tools for adults were included,none of which reported cross-cultural validity,measurement error,and responsiveness.All assessment tools were recommended by grade B.Conclusion The 15-item Fear of Hypoglycemia Scale(FH-15)has the most comprehensive measurement properties in its evaluation,and can be provisionally recommended for use,but it needs further testing.

Objective To monitor the susceptibility of clinical isolates to antimicrobial agents in tertiary hospitals in major regions of China in 2022.Methods Clinical isolates from 58 hospitals in China were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility using a unified protocol based on disc diffusion method or automated testing systems.Results were interpreted using the 2022 Clinical &Laboratory Standards Institute(CLSI)breakpoints.Results A total of 318 013 clinical isolates were collected from January 1,2022 to December 31,2022,of which 29.5％were gram-positive and 70.5％were gram-negative.The prevalence of methicillin-resistant strains in Staphylococcus aureus,Staphylococcus epidermidis and other coagulase-negative Staphylococcus species(excluding Staphylococcus pseudintermedius and Staphylococcus schleiferi)was 28.3％,76.7％and 77.9％,respectively.Overall,94.0％of MRSA strains were susceptible to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and 90.8％of MRSE strains were susceptible to rifampicin.No vancomycin-resistant strains were found.Enterococcus faecalis showed significantly lower resistance rates to most antimicrobial agents tested than Enterococcus faecium.A few vancomycin-resistant strains were identified in both E.faecalis and E.faecium.The prevalence of penicillin-susceptible Streptococcus pneumoniae was 94.2％in the isolates from children and 95.7％in the isolates from adults.The resistance rate to carbapenems was lower than 13.1％in most Enterobacterales species except for Klebsiella,21.7％-23.1％of which were resistant to carbapenems.Most Enterobacterales isolates were highly susceptible to tigecycline,colistin and polymyxin B,with resistance rates ranging from 0.1％to 13.3％.The prevalence of meropenem-resistant strains decreased from 23.5％in 2019 to 18.0％in 2022 in Pseudomonas aeruginosa,and decreased from 79.0％in 2019 to 72.5％in 2022 in Acinetobacter baumannii.Conclusions The resistance of clinical isolates to the commonly used antimicrobial agents is still increasing in tertiary hospitals.However,the prevalence of important carbapenem-resistant organisms such as carbapenem-resistant K.pneumoniae,P.aeruginosa,and A.baumannii showed a downward trend in recent years.This finding suggests that the strategy of combining antimicrobial resistance surveillance with multidisciplinary concerted action works well in curbing the spread of resistant bacteria.