OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics of deciduous fused teeth and their inherited permanent-tooth performance type by using panoramic radiographs. METHODS: A total of 14 404 panoramic radiographs of 3- to 6-year-old children with deciduous dentition were collected from January 2023 to July 2024. The incidence of deciduous fused teeth was observed, and the abnormality of permanent teeth was recorded. SPSS 24.0 software was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: The incidence of deciduous fused teeth was 3.06% (441/14 404). The order of dental position was as follows: mandibular deciduous incisors and cusp teeth fused (58.18%) > mandibular deciduous central and lateral incisors fused (30.91%) > maxillary deciduous central and lateral incisors fused (8.89%) > deciduous incisors and supernumerary teeth fused (2.02%). Deciduous fused teeth were found in 226 boys and 215 girls, with no significant difference between the sexes (P>0.05). We observed one pair (87.76%, 387/441) and two pairs (12.24%, 54/441) of fused teeth (54/441), respectively. A total of 287 pairs of fusion teeth on the right side more than 208 pairs on the left side, and the difference between them was statistically significant (P<0.01). More fusion teeth existed in mandibular deciduous teeth (443 pairs) than in maxillary ones (54 pairs), and the difference between them was statistically significant (P<0.01). More unilateral deciduous teeth (387 subjects) were found than bilateral ones (54 subjects), and the difference between them was statistically significant (P<0.01). Three types of deciduous fused teeth with inherited permanent teeth were observed as follows: 1) 49.49% (245/495) of inherited permanent teeth was absent, 2) 46.67% (231/495) of inherited permanent teeth was not absent, and 3) the number of fused permanent teeth accounted for 3.84% (19/495). CONCLUSIONS The incidence of deciduous fused teeth was 3.06%, mostly occurring in the lower anterior teeth region, with no gender difference. One pair of fused teeth is commonly observed, more often on the right than the left. These fusions occur more frequently in the mandible than the maxillary, and unilateral cases are more common than bilateral ones. Deciduous fused teeth had a certain impact on inherited permanent teeth. Pediatric dentists should pay attention to and closely observe whether any abnormality exists in the permanent dentition for early detection to prevent the harm caused by deciduous fused teeth.
Humans ; Tooth, Deciduous/abnormalities* ; Male ; Child ; Female ; Child, Preschool ; Dentition, Permanent ; Radiography, Panoramic ; Fused Teeth/diagnostic imaging* ; Incisor/diagnostic imaging* ; Tooth, Supernumerary/diagnostic imaging* ; Incidence ; Mandible

Objective To compare the ultrasound signs of symptomatic joint lesions in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and gouty arthritis (GA), musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSUS) was utilized.Methods A retrospective analysis was performed for 85 hospitalized patients with RA and 55 hospitalized patients with GA in the same period, and the differences in general data, diseased joints and ultrasound signs between the two groups were compared.Re-sults The gender, age and diseased joints of the two groups were statistically significant (all P<0.05).The de-tection rate of knee joint lesions was the highest;the RA group had high sensitivity, high specificity of meniscal in-jury, and high diagnostic efficiency of bone erosion, while the diagnostic performance of the three combined ultra-sound signs of punctate strong echo, double track sign and tophi in the GA group was higher than that of any indi-vidual diagnosis, and the sensitivity and specificity were also higher.The course of disease in the RA group was positively correlated with bone erosion (P<0.05) , and the course in the GA group was positively correlated with tophi (P<0.05).Conclusion The ultrasound signs of RA and GA are different, and MSUS has good value in the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of the two.

AIM:This study employs Brainbow 2.1 mice to trace myocardial cell lineage and investigates the optimal dose of tamoxifen for labeling proliferating myocardial cells.METHODS:Four-week-old Brainbowfl/+;Myh6-Mer-CreMer+mice were administered tamoxifen at three different doses(3,9 and 27 mg/kg)via intraperitoneal injection to in-duce Cre recombinase expression and label myocardial cells with specific colors.Four weeks later,the samples were stained,and the number of myocardial cells labeled with varying doses of tamoxifen was quantified under confocal micro-scope.This quantification included the proportion of individually labeled cells,adjacent clusters of two cells,and clusters of three or more cells.An appropriate dose(9 mg/kg)of tamoxifen for labeling Brainbow mice was selected to compare myocardial cell proliferation between sham and myocardial infarction(MI)model groups.RESULTS:(1)After 9 mg/kg tamoxifen injection,the proportion of individually labeled cells was 99.13%±0.03%,that of adjacent 2-cell clusters was 0.82%±0.09%,and that of≥3-cell clusters was 0.05%±0.01%.The 3 mg/kg group had fewer total labeled cells,while the 27 mg/kg group showed significant clonal expansion and enrichment.(2)After labeling myocardial cells with 9 mg/kg tamoxifen,the MI mice showed increased proportions of 2-cell and≥3-cell clusters compared with sham group(P<0.01),indicating an increase in myocardial cell proliferation after MI.CONCLUSION:The proportion of adjacent myocardial cell clusters labeled with 9 mg/kg tamoxifen more closely approximates the physiological myocardial cell proliferation rate,indicating 9 mg/kg as the most suitable tamoxifen dose for tracing myocardial cell proliferation.

By consulting the ancient Chinese herbal books， medical books and formularies of the past dynasties， and combining with modern research data， this paper makes a systematic textual research on the name， origin， place of origin， traditional quality evaluation， harvesting and processing of Selaginellae Herba， so as to provide a basis for the development and utilization of the relevant famous classical formulas. According to the textual research， Juanbai is the correct name of the herbal medicine in all dynasties， and there are also aliases such as Baozu， Qiugu， Jiaoshi and Jiusi Huanhuncao. The origin of Selaginellae Herba in the ancient herbal books was Selaginella tamariscina in all dynasties. Since the Republic of China， S. pulvinata has been gradually used as another origin of Selaginellae Herba. In ancient times， the producing area of S. tamariscina was mainly in Shandong， Hebei， Henan， Shaanxi， Jiangsu and Sichuan， etc. Nowadays， it is produced all over the country. S. pulvinata is mainly produced in Guangxi， Fujian， Sichuan， Guizhou， Yunnan， Hebei and so on. Since the recent times， it is concluded that the quality of the green color， complete and unbroken is good. Before the Qing dynasty， it was recorded that the harvesting time of Selaginellae Herba was generally from April to July， and it was expanded to all year round since the Qing dynasty. After harvesting， remove the sediment（sand and mud）， cut off the fibrous roots and dry in the shade or in the sun. The processing methods in all dynasties were mainly carbonizing by stir-frying and stir-bake to brown， and some ancient books contained the processing method of brine boiling， which was rarely used in modern times. Based on the results， it is recommended that S. tamariscina should be used as the base material of Selaginellae Herba. Because of more impurities， it should be fully purified to ensure the cleanliness of the herb， and the processing method can be based on the prescription requirements， if the processing requirements are not specified， the raw products can be used， charcoal products is recommended for use as an hemostatic.

Objective The biomechanical model for the musculoskeletal system of a human knee joint was established using a numerical simulation method.The kinematic and dynamic information captured during jumping motion simulated by the human dynamic model was used as driven data of the knee biomechanical model,followed by further analysis of the stress field distribution characteristics of the meniscus under different thermal-force coupling knee brace conditions.Methods Based on computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging of the subject,a realistic human knee model,including bone,articular cartilage,meniscus,ligaments and peripheral soft tissues of the knee joint,was constructed.Furthermore,two gaits,namely taking-off and landing-on,of jumping motion with an increased risk of meniscus injuries were selected according to mechanical features in full-cycle jumping motion.Subsequently,the stress field characteristics of the knee meniscus under four different thermal-force coupling knee braces were analyzed,the changes of the peak stress of the meniscus and its stress concentration area were discussed,and the protective efficacy and mechanical basis of meniscal injuries and wearing knee braces were explored.Results The anterior part of the medial knee meniscus was a vulnerable area under concentrated stress.Under the knee brace thermal-force coupling condition,the stress concentration area of the medial meniscus was transferred from its narrow and weak anterior part to its wide and thick middle part,and the peak stress was also significantly reduced.The peak stress on the medial meniscus and that on the lateral meniscus were similar,indicating that the two parts of the meniscus bore the external load evenly,and the meniscus stress concentration area decreased.Conclusions Thermal-force coupling knee braces have good protective effects against knee meniscus injury.The numerical simulation provides theoretical support and technical guidance for the design of multifunctional thermal knee braces.

Objective:To survey treatment and prognosis of hyperkalemia patients in the emergency department and to analyze factors associated with all-cause in-hospital mortality.Methods:We implemented electronic hospital information system, extracted demographic characteristics, underlying diseases, laboratory findings, potassium lowering therapy and prognosis of hyperkalemia patients [age ≥ 18 years, serum potassium (K +) concentration ≥ 5.5 mmol/L] in the emergency department of Peking Union hospital in Beijing between June 1st 2019 to May 31st 2020. The enrolled subjects were divided into the non-survival group and the survival group according to their prognosis. Univariate analysis and Cox regression model were adopted to analyze factors affecting all-cause in-hospital mortality of hyperkalemia patients. Results:A total of 579 patients [median age 64 (22) years; 310 men (53.5%) and 269 women (46.5%)] with hyperkalemia were enrolled, among which, 317 (54.7%), 143 (24.7%) and 119 (20.6%) were mild, moderate, and severe hyperkalemia, respectively. 499 (86.20%) patients received potassium-lowering therapy, forty-four treatment regimens were administered. Insulin and glucose (I+G, 61.3%), diuretics (Diu, 57.2%), sodium bicarbonate (SB, 41.9%) and calcium gluconate/chloride (CA, 44.4%) were commonly used for the treatment of hyperkalemiain the emergency department. The combination of insulin and glucose, calcium gluconate/chloride, diuretics and sodium bicarbonate (I+G+CA+Diu+SB) was the most favored combined treatment regimen of hyperkalemia in the emergency department. The higher serum potassium concentration, the higher proportion of administrating combined treatment regimen and/or hemodialysis (HD) (the proportion of administrating combined treatment regimen in mild, moderate, and severe hyperkalemia patients were 58.4%, 82.5% and 94.8%; the proportion of administrating HD in mild, moderate, and severe hyperkalemia patients were 9.7%, 13.3% and 16.0%, respectively). The proportion of achievement of normokalaemia elevated as the kinds of potassium lowering treatment included in the combined treatment regimen increased. The proportion of achievement of normokalaemia was 100% in the combined treatment regimen including 6 kinds of potassium lowering therapy. Among various potassium lowering treatments, HD contributed to the highest rate of achievement of normokalaemia (93.8%). 111 of 579 (19.20%) hyperkalemia patients died in hospital. Cox regression model revealed that complicated with cardiac dysfunction predicted higher mortality [hazard ratio ( HR) = 1.757, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was 1.155-2.672, P = 0.009]. Achievement of normokalaemia and administration of diuretics attributed to lower mortality ( HR = 0.248, 95% CI was 0.155-0.398, P = 0.000; HR = 0.335, 95% CI was 0.211-0.531, P = 0.000, respectively). Conclusions:Treatment of hyperkalemia in the emergency department were various. Complicated with cardiac dysfunction were associated with higher mortality. Achieving normokalaemia was associated with decreased mortality.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to determine the effects of low-level laser (LLL) on the expression of interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, osteoprotegerin (OPG), and receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL) in human periodontal ligament cells (HPDLCs) stimulated by high glucose; and identify the molecular mechanism of LLL therapy in the regulation of periodontal inflammation and bone remodeling during orthodontic treatment in diabetic patients. METHODS: HPDLCs were cultured in vitro to simulate orthodontic after loading and irradiated with LLL therapy. The cultured cells were randomly divided into four groups: low glucose Dulbecco's modification of Eagle's medium (DMEM)+stress stimulation (group A), high glucose DMEM+stress stimulation (group B), hypoglycemic DMEM+LLL therapy+stress stimulation (group C), and hyperglycemic DMEM+LLL therapy+stress stimulation (group D). Groups C and D were further divided into C1 and D1 (energy density: 3.75 J/cm²) and C2 and D2 (energy density: 5.625 J/cm²). Cells in groups A, B, C, and D were irradiated by LLL before irradiation. At 0, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h, the supernatants of the cell cultures were extracted at regular intervals, and the protein expression levels of IL-6, TNF-α, OPG, and RANKL were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: 1) The levels of IL-6 and TNF-α secreted by HPDLCs increased gradually with time under static pressure stimulation. After 12 h, the levels of IL-6 and TNF-α secreted by HPDLCs in group A were significantly higher than those in groups B, C1, and C2 (P<0.05), which in group B were significantly higher than those in groups D1, and D2 (P<0.01). 2) The OPG protein concentration showed an upward trend before 24 h and a downward trend thereafter. The RANKL protein concentration increased, whereas the OPG/RANKL ratio decreased with time. Significant differen-ces in OPG, RANKL, and OPG/RANKL ratio were found among group A and groups B, C1, C2 as well as group B and groups D1, D2 (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS 1) In the high glucose+stress stimulation environment, the concentrations of IL-6 and TNF-α secreted by HPDLCs increased with time, the expression of OPG decreased, the expression of RANKL increased, and the ratio of OPG/RANKL decreased. As such, high glucose environment can promote bone resorption. After LLL therapy, the levels of IL-6 and TNF-α decreased, indicating that LLL therapy could antagonize the increase in the levels of inflammatory factors induced by high glucose environment and upregulate the expression of OPG in human HPDLCs, downregulation of RANKL expression in HPDLCs resulted in the upregulation of the ratio of OPG/RANKL and reversed the imbalance of bone metabolism induced by high glucose levels. 2) The decrease in inflammatory factors and the regulation of bone metabolism in HPDLCs were enhanced with increasing laser energy density within 3.75-5.625 J/cm². Hence, the ability of LLL therapy to modulate bone remodeling increases with increasing dose.
Humans ; Osteoprotegerin ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolism* ; Interleukin-6/pharmacology* ; RANK Ligand/pharmacology* ; Periodontal Ligament/metabolism* ; Lasers ; Glucose/pharmacology*

Objective:To investigate the mechanism by which glycoprotein non-transferable melanin B(GPNMB)regulates microglia M2 polarization to reduce nerve damage after cerebral ischemic stroke(CIS).Methods:SD rats were used for establishment of middle cerebral artery occlusion(MCAO)model.Neurons,astrocytes and microglia were cultured under oxygen and glucose depri-vation(OGD)conditions,and the expression of GPNMB in tissues and cells were measured by Western blot.Gpnmb wrapped with adeno-associated virus(AAV)or shRNA-Gpnmb were injected into rat brain tissues for overexpression or inhibition of GPNMB,modified neurological deficit score(mNSS),Rotarod fatigue test and tape removal test were used to evaluate rat nerve function,the proportion of cerebral infarction was determined by TTC staining,microglia M1/M2 polarization markers were detected by immunofluorescence and RT-PCR,and the expression of Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K)/Serine/threonine kinase(Akt)pathway was determined by Western blot.Microglia was cultured under OGD conditions in vitro,Gpnmb was overexpressed and PI3K expression were inhibited by LY294002,and M1/M2 polarization markers were measured.Results:Compared with normal rats or normal cultured cells,the expres-sion of GPNMB in MCAO model or OGD-intervened microglia was up-regulated(P<0.05);when Gpnmb was overexpressed in the brain tissue of MCAO rats,the mNSS score decreased,the Rotarod time of latency to fall lengthened,the contact time and removal time shortened in the tape removal test,the proportion of cerebral infarction decreased,the M1 polarization level of microglia decreased while the M2 polarization level increased,PI3K/Akt pathway activated,and these difference were statistically significant(P<0.05);inhibition of PI3K reversed the effect of overexpression of Gpnmb on promoting M2 polarization of microglia in vitro(P<0.05).Conclusion:GPNMB promotes M2 polarization of microglia by activating the PI3K/Akt pathway,thereby reducing nerve damage after CIS.

As a powerful attempt by government to promote the construction of the multi-level healthcare security system and social and commercial integration in China, " City-customized Medical Insurance" still has many problems to be solved at the beginning of its development, such as unclear boundary between government and enterprises, limited coverage and strength of security. On the basis of clarifying the current situation of " City-customized Medical Insurance", and combing the management experience of social and commercial integration in Medicare Part C plan of the United States, the authors put forward that China should make full use of the advantages of the combination of promising government and efficient market, guide differentiated product design, and establish market access and evaluation mechanism, so as to promote the effective connection between China′s commercial health insurance and basic healthcare insurance, and further reduce the people′s medical burden.

Objective:To retrospectively analyze the prognosis and related risk factors of lymph node metastasis in early-stage (Ⅰ B-Ⅱ A) cervical cancer patients with postoperative positive lymph nodes who were treated with intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted for 292 early-stage cervical cancer patients with postoperative high and/or moderate risk factors who were treated with pelvic-abdominal IMRT with/without concurrent chemotherapy in Ningxia Medical University General Hospital from January 2016 to December 2018. These patients included 239 with negative pelvic lymph nodes and 53 with positive lymph nodes, who were incorporated into the negative group and the positive group, respectively. Multivariate and univariate analyses of the risk factors of lymph node metastasis and prognosis were performed for both groups.Results:The univariate and multivariate analyses showed that the lesion ≥4 cm, deep interstitial invasion, and the number of risk factors were independent factors influencing pelvic lymph node metastasis ( χ2 = 7.11, 9.05, 90.08, P < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the 3- and 5-year OS ( P>0.05) between both groups. The 3-year disease-free survival (DFS) and 5-year DFS of the negative group were 87.6% and 84.5%, respectively, and those of the positive group were 72.5% and 69.3%, respectively ( χ2=8.59, P=0.003). Regarding failure modes, distant metastasis mainly occurred in the positive group, while local recurrence was dominant in the negative group ( χ2=9.40, P<0.05). The univariate analysis of the DFS in 53 patients with postoperative positive lymph nodes showed that deep interstitial invasion affected DFS, with statistically significant differences ( χ2 = 7.25, P < 0.05). The result of the multivariate analysis showed that the lesion size >4 cm, positive residual, and deep interstitial invasion significantly influenced the DFS ( χ2 = 4.37, 4.69, 4.39, P < 0.05). Conclusions:The lesion size, deep interstitial invasion, and risk factor number were independent factors influencing lymph node metastasis, and the DFS after radiotherapy of patients with pelvic lymph node metastasis was significantly lower than the patients with negative lymph nodes. The main recurrence type of patients with lymph node metastasis was distant metastasis. Moreover, the deep interstitial invasion was independent factor affecting the DFS of early-stage cervical cancer patients with postoperative positive lymph nodes.