Sufficient bone tissue is required to ensure the long-term stability of implants. Based on the principles of guided bone regeneration, Dr. Istvan Urban proposed the “sausage technique”. Research indicates that the horizontal bone augmentation observed with the sausage technique averages (5.3 ± 2.3) mm and the vertical bone augmentation averages (4.2 ± 1.9) mm, which is significantly greater than the outcomes achieved with traditional guided bone regeneration techniques. The sausage technique is reliable because the biological membrane has sufficient elasticity and toughness with the application of membrane screws, which stabilizes the mixture of autologous bone and bone graft materials in the bone grafting area and prevents the grafting materials from being displaced. Using substitute materials for autologous bone graft balances the osteogenic activity and the low graft absorption rate. A ball drill is used to prepare nourishing holes in the cortical bone of the recipient area, providing a pathway for mesenchymal stem cells and bone progenitor cells to migrate to the bone regeneration area. Furthermore, this method accelerates the early angiogenesis of wound healing, fully reduces tension during suturing, and ensures that excessive pressure is not applied to the healing area during suturing. Thus, the sausage technique is consistent and reliable. Despite the good outcomes demonstrated by the sausage technique in clinical applications, its potential complications related to soft and hard tissue have attracted widespread attention. These complications negatively affect the patient’s recovery process and influence the final results of the surgery. Therefore, a complete understanding of the complications associated with the sausage technique and their underlying causes is necessary to enhance the clinical safety and effectiveness of the sausage technique. This article summarizes the application principles, clinical effects, barrier membrane applications, selection of bone transplant materials, and related complications of the sausage technique, aiming to provide a reference for clinical application.

The efficacy of root canal therapy, as a core intervention for endodontic and periapical diseases, is highly dependent on the effectiveness of antimicrobial drugs. Although traditional drugs such as calcium hydroxide, chlorhexidine, and antibiotic pastes commonly used in the clinic play a role in preventing and controlling infections, they have obvious limitations. These drugs influence the mechanical properties of dentin, insufficiently solubilize necrotic tissues, and are susceptible to bacterial resistance, which makes achieving the desired effectiveness and safety difficult. Traditional macromolecular root canal drugs also face the challenge of the complexity of the root canal system. With the rapid development of material science in recent years, new antimicrobial agents have emerged. Metallic nanomaterials such as silver nanoparticles and zinc oxide nanoparticles are widely used in the medical field due to their unique physicochemical properties and superior antimicrobial properties. Chitosan nanoparticles have superior biosafety, calcium hydroxide nanoparticles compensate for the limitations of traditional calcium hydroxide formulations, and quaternary ammonium polyethyleneimine nanoparticles can confer antimicrobial properties to existing oral materials. Novel antimicrobial nanoparticles using nano-delivery systems, such as mesoporous calcium silicate and mesoporous silica, carry antimicrobial molecules with significant advantages in terms of anti-biofilm, biosafety, and promotion of tissue repair. Further, these agents reduce drug resistance, which improves prospects for application compared to traditional root canal disinfection drugs. The breakthrough of nanotechnology provides a novel direction for the innovation of root canal treatment drugs. Therefore, this paper reviews the research progress of nano-antimicrobial materials in root canal therapy.

A high-performance liquid chromatographic(HPLC)method for the assay of pregabalin gastric retention sustained-release tablets was established,successfully solving the problem of low recovery of pregabalin through a special sample pretreatment method.By comparing salting-out and excipient dispersion,the pretreatment methods to overcome the viscosity of the test solution were established.Both methods can be used for the determination of the product content,but the salting-out method is easier to operate.The HPLC conditions were Inertsil ODS-3(4.6 mm×0.25 m,5 μm)column with mobile phase of 3.4 g/L potassium dihydrogen phosphate(pH adjusted to 6.3 by ammonia)and methanol(85︰15);the column temperature was 30℃;the flow rate was 1.0 mL/min;the sample size was 50 μL;and the detection wavelength was 210 nm.Through the validation of the salting-out method,the average recovery of the drug was 99.74%and the RSD was 0.43%;the precision test RSD was 0.77%;the test solution was stable within 12 h;the chromatographic system had good durability;and the excipient did not interfere with the content detection.The method is stable,reliable and suitable for the assay of pregabalin gastric retention sustained release tablets.

Introduction::Observational studies have revealed an association between waist circumference (WC) and atrial fibrillation (AF). However, it is difficult to infer a causal relationship from observational studies because the observed associations could be confounded by unknown risk factors. Therefore, the causal role of WC in AF is unclear. This study was designed to investigate the causal association between WC and AF using a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis.Methods::In our two-sample MR analysis, the genetic variation used as an instrumental variable for MR was acquired from a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of WC (42 single nucleotide polymorphisms with a genetic significance of P <5 × 10 –8). The data of WC (from the Genetic Investigation of ANthropometric Traits consortium, containing 232,101 participants) and the data of AF (from the European Bioinformatics Institute database, containing 55,114 AF cases and 482,295 controls) were used to assess the causal role of WC on AF. Three different approaches (inverse variance weighted [IVW], MR–Egger, and weighted median regression) were used to ensure that our results more reliable. Results::All three MR analyses provided evidence of a positive causal association between high WC and AF. High WC was suggested to increase the risk of AF based on the IVW method (odds ratio [OR] = 1.43, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.30–1.58, P = 2.51 × 10 -13). The results of MR–Egger and weighted median regression exhibited similar trends (MR–Egger OR = 1.40 [95% CI, 1.08–1.81], P = 1.61 × 10 -2; weighted median OR = 1.39 [95% CI, 1.21–1.61], P = 1.62 × 10 -6). MR–Egger intercepts and funnel plots showed no directional pleiotropic effects between high WC and AF. Conclusions::Our findings suggest that greater WC is associated with an increased risk of AF. Taking measures to reduce WC may help prevent the occurrence of AF.

Objective:To summarize the clinical and genetic characteristics, treatment and prognosis of four children with Steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS) due to variants of TRPC6 gene. Methods:Clinical data of four children with SRNS admitted to Children′s Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University between May 2020 and August 2022 were collected. Peripheral blood samples were collected from the children and their parents, and whole exome sequencing was carried out. Sanger sequencing was used to verify the pathogenicity of the candidate variants among the children and their parents.Results:All of the four children were found to harbor heterozygous variants of the TRPC6 gene, including c. 523C>T (p.R175W), c. 1327T>A (p.F443I), c. 430G>C (p.E144Q) (unreported previously), and c. 523C>T (p.R175W), which were all missense variants. Two of the children have shown a simple type, whilst two have shown a nephritis type, none had extrarenal phenotype. Comprehensive renal pathology of three children revealed focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). Two children were treated with steroids combined with calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs), among whom one showed significant improvement in symptoms. Conclusion:Discoveries of the novel c. 430G>C variant and the new SRNS phenotype of the c. 1327T>A variant have expanded the mutational and phenotypic spectrum of the TRPC6 gene, which has provided a reference for clinical diagnosis and genetic counseling for the families.

Objectives:To compare the diagnostic efficacy of non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) and the predictive value for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) of the 0/3-hour algorithm for high-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs-cTn) recommended by the 2015 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines for the management of non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) and the 2021 "Chinese Expert Consensus on Laboratory Testing and Clinical Application of Cardiac Troponin" in suspected acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients in the Chinese population. Methods:This is a multicenter prospective observational study,including 1527 patients with suspected ACS from three clinical centers from January 2017 to September 2020.Plasma hs-cTnI levels were measured using the ARCHITECT assay at the time of presentation and 3 hours later in patients with suspected ACS (test determination).Clinical judgment (independent clinical judgment by cardiac experts,independent of the test results) was used as the gold standard to compare the sensitivity,specificity,and consistency of the two diagnostic algorithms,and to analyze their predictive value for MACE at 30 days and 180 days.MACE in this study was defined as a composite event of cardiovascular death,myocardial infarction,and unplanned coronary revascularization. Results:According to clinical judgment,there were 400 patients with NSTEMI and 1127 patients without NSTEMI.The 0/3-hour algorithm recommended by the 2021 Chinese Expert Consensus showed higher sensitivity in diagnosing NSTEMI than the 2015 ESC guidelines (91.50％[95％ CI:88.32％-94.04％]vs.87.75％[95％ CI:84.13％-90.80％]),but slightly lower specificity (93.88％[95％ CI:92.32％-95.21％]vs.95.56％[95％ CI:94.19％-96.69％]),with both differences being statistically significant (both P<0.001).In the follow-up at 30 days and 180 days,the incidence of MACE in patients diagnosed with NSTEMI by both algorithms was higher than in those without NSTEMI (P<0.001).The incidence of MACE at 30 days and 180 days for the group excluded from the diagnosis of NSTEMI by 2015 ESC guidelines was 0.19％ and 1.120％,respectively,and for the NSTEMI group was 2.89％ and 3.68％,respectively;for the group excluded from NSTEMI by the 2021 Chinese Expert Consensus,the incidence was 0.096％ and 0.770％,respectively,and for the NSTEMI group was 2.91％ and 4.36％,respectively.Cox analysis showed that the HR ratio for MACE at 180 days in the NSTEMI group diagnosed by both algorithms was 3.418 and 5.892,respectively,significantly higher than the group excluded from NSTEMI. Conclusions:The 0/3-hour algorithm recommended by the 2021 Chinese Expert Consensus has superior diagnostic sensitivity compared to the 2015 ESC NSTE-ACS guidelines,at the cost of slightly lower specificity.Both algorithms can effectively predict MACE within 180 days,but based on the data from this study,the algorithm recommended by the 2021 Chinese Expert Consensus is more sensitive in predicting the risk of MACE,and patients excluded from the diagnosis of NSTEMI by this method have a lower incidence of MACE,suggesting that its application in clinical practice may be more helpful in terms of long-term safe management of patients.

Objective To detect the expression of p-ERK5 and WT-1 in cancer tissues of the patients with high-grade serous ovarian cancer(HSOC),and to analyze their relationship with the prognosis of the pa-tients to provide a basis for judging the prognosis of HSOC patients.Methods Fifty-four patients with HSOC visiting in the gynecology and obstetrics department of the Affiliated Hospital of North China University of Technology from January 2008 to December 2019 were selected as the study subjects.The age,clinical stage,lymph node metastasis,complicating ascites,recurrence within 3 years,platinum sensitive,interval debulking surgery(IDS)and CA125 level at first visit were collected.The ovarian cancer tissue samples were collected.The expression levels of p-ERK5 and WT-1 protein in ovarian cancer tissues were detected by immunohisto-chemistry.The expression situation of the two kinds of factors were compared among different clinicopatho-logical features.The Kaplan-Meier method and COX regression analysis were used to evaluate the prognosis of the patients with HSOC.Results The median progress free survival(PFS)in the p-ERK5 and WT-1 protein low-expression groups was 36.0 months and 37.0 months respectively,which in the high-expression groups was 17.0 months and 15.0 months respectively.The median overall survival(OS)in the p-ERK5 and WT-1 protein low expression group was 90.0 months,which in the high expression group was 40.0 months,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.001).Conclusion The high expression of p-ERK5 and WT-1 protein is associated with PFS time and OS time.

Objective To compare the positive rate ofthyroid autoantibodies in infertile women with different ovarian reserve function,and investigate the immune factors of diminished ovarian reserve.Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted on infertile women admitted to Department of Reproductive Medicine of Beijing Gynaecology and Obstetrics Hospital from June to December,2020.The levels of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH ),thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH ),thyroglobulin antibody (TGAb ) and thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb)were detected in the 526 enrolled infertile patients.According to their AMH level,they were divided into normal ovarian reserve group and diminished ovarian reserve group.After they were stratified according to their age,the differences of TSH,TGAb and TPOAb levels were compared in the different age groups to analyze the related factors for diminished ovarian reserve.Results Univariate analysis showed that the diminished ovarian reserve group had significantly higher positive rates of TPOAb (18.8％ vs 11.1％,P=0.024)and TGAb (18.8％ vs 8.0％,P=0.001 )than the normal ovarian reserve group.Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that age and TGAb positivity were related to diminished ovarian reserve[OR=1.083(95％ CI:1.021～1.150),P=0.008;OR=1.159(95％ CI:1.034～1.301 ),P=0.011].Subgroup analysis suggested that the positive TGAb and TPOAb were significantly correlated with AMH level in the 36-～40-year-old group (P<0.05).Conclusion The infertile women with diminished ovarian reserve have higher TGAb and TPOAb levels,and the diminishment in those aged 36～40 years might be related to the positive TGAb and TPOAb.

Objective:To observe the effect of Xuebijing injection on sepsis combined with acute gastrointestinal injury (AGI), and analyze the risk factors of sepsis combined with AGI.Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted. Patients with non-gastrointestinal origin admitted to the department of intensive care medicine of the First Hospital of Qinhuangdao from May 1, 2021 to October 30, 2023 were enrolled. The baseline data, source of sepsis infection, vital signs, acute physiology and chronic health evaluationⅡ(APACHEⅡ), sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA), laboratory tests, comorbidities, interventions during treatment, and the 28-day prognosis were collected. The patients were divided into Xuebijing group and non-Xuebijing group according to whether Xuebijing injection was used or not. According to whether AGI was merged or not, patients were divided into merged AGI group and non-merged AGI group. The main observational indexes were the difference in the incidence of AGI between the Xuebijing group and non-Xuebijing group and the difference in the magnitude of the decline in procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP), and white blood cell count (WBC) at 7 days after admission, and the difference in the 28-day morbidity and mortality. Risk factors for AGI in septic patients were explored by univariate analysis, and statistically significant indicators were screened and included in binary Logistic regression analysis to determine independent risk factors.Results:A total of 129 patients with sepsis of non-gastrointestinal origin were enrolled, including 57 patients in the Xuebijing group and 72 patients in the non-Xuebijing group. Among 129 patients, 80 patients in the merged AGI group and 49 patients in the non-merged AGI group. There were no statistically significant differences between Xuebijing group and non-Xuebijing group in gender, age, body mass index (BMI), underlying disease, source of infection, vital sign, APACHEⅡscore, SOFA score, and clinical intervention, and there were no statistically significant differences in laboratory tests except for aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN). The incidence of AGI was significantly lower in the Xuebijing group than that in the non-Xuebijing group [50.87% (29/57) vs. 70.83% (51/72), P < 0.05], and the 28-day mortality was slightly lower than that in the non-Xuebijing group [24.56% (14/57) vs. 30.56% (22/72), P > 0.05]. In the Xuebijing group, the decreases in CRP, PCT and WBC at 7 days after admission were greater than those in the non-Xuebijing group, with statistically significant differences in the decreases of CRP and PCT [CRP (mg/L): 47.12±67.34 vs. 7.76±111.03, PCT (μg/L): 14.08 (-1.22, 50.40) vs. 2.94 (-1.27, 14.80), all P < 0.05]. Univariate analysis showed that the use of acid suppressants, the use of analgesic sedation, the non-use of Xuebijing injections, pulmonary infections, and urinary tract infections were the risk factors for the development of AGI in patients with sepsis. Binary Logistic regression analysis further showed that the use of acid suppressants [odds ratio ( OR) = 2.450, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was 1.021-5.883, P = 0.045], use of analgesic sedatives ( OR = 2.521, 95% CI was 1.074-5.918, P = 0.034), and urinary tract infection ( OR = 4.011, 95% CI was 1.085-14.831, P = 0.037) were independent risk factors for sepsis combined with AGI, in which the use of Xuebijing injection was a protective factor ( OR = 0.315, 95% CI was 0.137-0.726, P = 0.007). Conclusions:Xuebijing injection reduced the incidence of AGI in patients with non-gastrointestinal sepsis. PCT and CRP decreased more markedly than in patients who did not use Xuebijing injection. The use of acid-suppressing agents, analgesic and sedative agents, and urinary tract infections were independent risk factors for sepsis in combination with AGI, while the use of Xuebijing injection is a protective factor.

Obesity and related metabolic syndromes have been recognized as important disease risks,in which the role of adipokines cannot be ignored.Adiponectin(ADP)is one of the key adipokines with various beneficial effects,including improving glucose and lipid metabolism,enhancing insulin sensitivity,reducing oxidative stress and inflammation,promoting ceramides degradation,and stimulating adipose tissue vascularity.Based on those,it can serve as a positive regulator in many metabolic syndromes,such as type 2 diabetes(T2D),cardiovascular diseases,non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD),sarcopenia,neurodegenerative diseases,and certain cancers.Therefore,a promising therapeutic approach for treating various metabolic diseases may involve elevating ADP levels or activating ADP receptors.The modulation of ADP genes,multimerization,and secretion covers the main processes of ADP generation,providing a comprehensive orientation for the development of more appropriate therapeutic strategies.In order to have a deeper understanding of ADP,this paper will provide an all-encompassing review of ADP.