OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the filling quality of single cone obturation in root canal model with irregular structure (Hus&Kim Ⅴ, Yin Ⅱ-type isthmus) which established by 3D printing technology using slices and radiographic methods, in order to provide reference for clinical practice. METHODS: (1) Extracted fresh premolars with Hus&Kim Ⅴ and Yin-type Ⅱ isthmus were collected and scanned by cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), then standard root canal models were designed and printed. Rhodamine B staining and bias fitting were used to verify the availability of the models. (2) 30 root canal models were randomly divided into 3 groups according to different filling methods (n=10). CONTROL GROUP: vertical compaction obturation; Experimental group 1: single cone obturation with 0.06-taper cone (30#); Experimental group 2: single cone obturation with 0.04-taper cone (35#), GuttaFlow 2 as canal sealers. Slices were taken at 2, 4, 6, and 8 mm from the root apex in the direction perpendicular to the long axis of the root and observed under a stereomicroscope to calculate the percentage of filling area (PAV), percentage of gutta-percha-filled area (PGFA), percentage of sealer filled area (PSFA). (3) On the basis of the above results, two groups (n=4) were selected to further analyze the filling quality by micro-computed tomography (Micro-CT), the filling volume of main root canal and the isthmus were obtained, and the percentage of filling volume (PFV) was calculated. Two-way ANOVA was used to evaluate the differences between the groups, and Tukey' s multiple comparison was used to compare the data between the groups and within the groups. RESULTS: (1) Rhodamine B staining solution could overflow the apical foramen, and the main root canal system and the isthmus area were stained, showed no remnants of support material. The 3D standard deviation of the printed model data was 0.03 mm, and the average fitting distance was 0.02 mm. (2) The PFA of the two experimental groups were both significantly lower than that of the control group (F=45.04, P < 0.01). There was no statistical difference of the PFA at apical 2 and 4 mm between the two experimental groups (P>0.01), but at the middle and coronal portions of the root canal (6, 8 mm), the PFA of the experimental group 1 was higher than that of the experimental group 2 (P < 0.01). PFA in the apical 2, 4 mm of the two experimental groups were both lower than that in the middle and coronal portions 6, 8 mm of the canal (P < 0.01). There was no difference in the PGFA and PSFA between the two experimental groups at the apical 2, 4 mm (F=2.383, P>0.01). (3) The results of Micro-CT showed that the PFV of the experimental group 1 was statistically different with the control group (F=47.33, P < 0.01). The PFV of the experimental group 1 was 54.33%±4.35% in the isthmus and 78.31%±4.21% in the main root canal, which were both lower than the PFV of the control group of 76.48%±4.89% (isthmus) and 86.90%±3.29% (main root canal, P < 0.01). The PFV of the main root canal in the experimental group 1 was higher than that in the isthmus (P < 0.01), while there was no difference between the isthmus and the main root canal in the control group (P>0.01). CONCLUSION In the irregular root canal structure with isthmus, using large-taper gutta-percha can improve the filling quality of the middle and upper part of the canal, but the percentage of filling volume in the isthmus is lower than that of the main canal, and more technical improvements are needed.
Humans ; Root Canal Obturation/methods* ; Cone-Beam Computed Tomography ; Root Canal Filling Materials ; Dental Pulp Cavity/diagnostic imaging* ; Printing, Three-Dimensional ; In Vitro Techniques ; Gutta-Percha ; Bicuspid

Objective:To assess the effectiveness of a 6-month Ba Duan Jin exercise program in improving the balance of community-dwelling older adults.Methods:A two arms, parallel-group, cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted in 1 028 community residents aged 60-80 years in 40 communities in 5 provinces of China. Participants in the intervention group (20 communities, 523 people) received Ba Duan Jin exercise 5 days/week, 1 hour/day for 6 months, and three times of falls prevention health education, and the control group (20 communities, 505 people) received falls prevention health education same as the intervention group. The Berg balance scale (BBS) score was the leading outcome indicator, and the secondary outcome indicators included the length of time of standing on one foot (with eyes open and closed), standing in a tandem stance (with eyes open and closed), the closed circle test, and the timed up to test.Results:A total of 1 028 participants were included in the final analysis, including 731 women (71.11%) and 297 men (28.89%), and the age was (69.87±5.67) years. After the 3-month intervention, compared with the baseline data, the BBS score of the intervention group was significantly higher than the control group by 3.05 (95% CI: 2.23-3.88) points ( P<0.001). After the 6-month intervention, compared with the baseline data, the BBS score of the intervention group was significantly higher than the control group by 4.70 (95% CI: 4.03-5.37) points ( P<0.001). Ba Duan Jin showed significant improvement ( P<0.05) in all secondary outcomes after 6 months of exercise in the intervention group compared with the control group. Conclusions:This study showed that Ba Duan Jin exercise can improve balance in community-dwelling older adults aged 60-80. The longer the exercise time, the better the improvement.

Objective:To investigate the status of medical care seeking delay and diagnosis delay of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) patients in Tongzhou District and Changping District of Beijing, analyze the related factors and put forward suggestions for early detection and scientific management of PTB patients.Methods:A retrospective epidemiological survey was conducted to collect the incidence data of PTB registered in Tongzhou and Changping from January 1 to December 31, 2021 by using the Chinese Tuberculosis Information Management System, and telephone interview were used for information supplement. Multivariate logistic regression model and decision tree model were used to analyze the influencing factors of medical care seeking delay and diagnosis delay of PTB patients.Results:In 2021, the medical care seeking delay time M( Q1, Q3) in the PTB patients in Tongzhou and Changping was 11 (5, 26) days, with a delay rate of 41.71%. Results from multivariate logistic regression model analysis revealed that factors influencing the medical care seeking delay included regular health check-up ( OR=0.033, 95% CI: 0.008-0.147), coughing for less than 2 weeks or showing any symptom of PTB before medical care seeking ( OR=0.378, 95% CI: 0.215-0.665), showing other symptoms before medical care seeking( OR=2.791, 95% CI: 1.710-4.555), no work or school in medical care seeking ( OR=2.990, 95% CI: 1.419-6.298). The diagnosis delay time M( Q1, Q3) in the PTB patients was 8 (0, 18) days, with a delay rate of 35.20%. Multivariate logistic regression model analysis revealed that the factors influencing the diagnosis delay of PTB included being diagnosed at a specialized tuberculosis hospital ( OR=0.426, 95% CI: 0.236-0.767) or a tuberculosis prevention and control institution ( OR=1.843, 95% CI: 1.061-3.202) and being traced as a source of infection ( OR=2.632, 95% CI: 1.062-6.521). The overall performance of the multivariate logistic regression model was comparable to that of the decision tree model, with the decision tree model exhibiting higher sensitivity but lower specificity. Conclusions:The medical care seeking delay rate and diagnosis delay rate of tuberculosis in Tongzhou and Changping were at low levels in 2021. However, it is still necessary to strengthen the health education and active screening, improve the public awareness of PTB prevention and control, and further improve the level of medical services and medical access to reduce the medical care seeking delay and diagnosis delay of PTB patients.

Abstract: Heterologous boost COVID-19 vaccination can solved the problem of decreased efficacy caused by single dose of vaccine. Heterologous booster with adenoviral-vectored COVID-19 vaccine (Ad5-nCoV) following primary immunization with inactivated COVID-19 vaccines is a widely-used vaccination strategy in clinic, while different routes of Ad5-nCoV administration exist and pose a question which route could be more optimal. In this study, we comprehensively evaluated and compared the vaccine immunity induced in mice immunized according to three different vaccination regimens: “3×phosphate buffered solution(3× PBS)”, “2×inactivated vaccine + 1×inactivated vaccine (3×INA)”, “2×inactivated vaccine + 1×Ad5-nCoV (intramuscular)[2×INA+Ad5(im)]”and“2×inactivated vaccine + 1×Ad5-nCoV (intranasal)[2×INA+Ad5(in)]”. We found that heterologous booster with Ad5-nCoV, irrespective of the route of administration, induced significantly higher levels of anti-Spike IgG and subclasses (IgG1and IgG2c), Spike-specific T cells, class-switched Spike+ memory B cells (MBCs) than homologous booster with 3rd dose of inactivated COVID-19 vaccine. Of note, compared with the intramuscular given, intranasal given of Ad5-nCoV as a booster dose clearly induced higher levels of serum and bronchoalveolar bavage fluid anti-spike immunoglobulin A, and moreover, induced stronger infiltration of major innate effector cells like neutrophils, natural killer cells and dendritic cells into the lung tissue, which suggested that mucosal vaccine responses are generated upon intranasal booster with Ad5-nCoV. Altogether, our study analyzed the vaccine immunity induced by different COVID-19 vaccines administered using different regimens, which may guide the clinical use of other types of prophylactic vaccines aiming to mount improved vaccine responses.

Objective:To explore the mediating chain effect between attachment and coping style of disease perception and hope in patients with advanced lung cancer, and to provide theoretical basis for improving coping style in patients with advanced lung cancer.Methods:From October 2021 to June 2022, 354 patients with advanced lung cancer in the First and Second Affiliated Hospitals of Anhui Medical University were selected by convenience sampling. The general information questionnaire, the Experiences in Close Relationships Inventory, the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire, the Herth Hope Index, and the Medical Coping Modes Questionnaire were used to conduct cross-sectional questionnaire survey. SPSS 25.0 software and Bootstrap method were used to construct and verify the chain mediation model.Results:Finally, 336 patients with advanced lung cancer were included, including 214 males and 122 females, aged 27-79(59.43 ± 8.61) years old. Attachment avoidance score was (3.31 ± 1.01) points, attachment anxiety score was (3.86 ± 1.17) points, illness perception score was (40.07 ± 12.01) points, hope score was (34.05 ± 5.87) points, and face coping score was (18.75 ± 5.34) points in patients with advanced lung cancer. The avoidance coping score was (15.47 ± 1.97) points, and the yielding coping score was (9.62 ± 3.85) points. In patients with advanced lung cancer, attachment avoidance and attachment anxiety were positively correlated with yield coping ( r=0.448, 0.747, both P<0.01), positively correlated with illness perception ( r=0.356, 0.627, both P<0.01), and negatively correlated with hope ( r=-0.406, -0.670, both P<0.01). Illness perception was positively correlated with yield coping ( r=0.744, P<0.01), and negatively correlated with hope ( r=-0.628, P<0.01). Hope was negatively correlated with yield response ( r=-0.769, P<0.01). The mediation model showed that the chain mediating effect of attachment avoidance, illness perception, hope and yield coping was significant in patients with advanced lung cancer, with an effect value of 0.009 and an effect size of 13.95%. The chain mediating effect of attachment anxiety, illness perception, hope and yield coping were significant, with an effect value of 0.010 and an effect size of 8.27%. Conclusions:Attachment can not only directly predict submission coping in advanced lung cancer patients, but also indirectly predict submission coping through the chain mediation of illness perception and hope.

Objective:To translate the Dysfunctional Beliefs and Attitudes about Sleep Scale for Cancer Patients (C-DBAS-14) into Chinese and test its reliability and validity.Methods:The Korean version of C-DBAS-14 was translated, back-translated, and culturally adapted into Chinese based on Brislin's translation model, forming the Chinese version of C-DBAS-14. From October 2022 to May 2023, 361 hospitalized cancer patients at the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University were selected as research objects by convenient sampling method. They were surveyed using a general information questionnaire, the Chinese version of C-DBAS-14, the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) to evaluate the reliability and validity of the scale. The scale's item analysis was based on correlation coefficients and critical ratio values; structural validity, content validity, and convergent validity were used to evaluate the scale's validity; Cronbach's α coefficient and intraclass correlation coefficient were used to assess its reliability.Results:A total of 361 questionnaires were distributed, 356 were effectively returned, with an effective response rate of 98.6% (356/361). The Chinese version of C-DBAS-14 contained 14 items across four dimensions. The scale-level content validity index was 0.976, and the item-level content validity index ranged from 0.833 to 1.000. Totally four common factors were extracted in exploratory factor analysis, explaining 78.8% of the total variance. Confirmatory factor analysis showed a Chi-square/degrees of freedom ratio of 1.286, comparative fit index of 0.991, goodness of fit index of 0.945, incremental fit index of 0.991, Tucker-Lewis index of 0.988, and root mean square error of approximation of 0.036. The total Cronbach's α coefficient of the scale was 0.874, and the intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.863. The C-DBAS-14 score was negatively correlated with the ISI and HADS scores ( r=-0.734, -0.639; P<0.01) . Conclusions:The Chinese version of C-DBAS-14 has good reliability and validity and can be used as an assessment tool for irrational sleep beliefs in Chinese cancer patients.

Objective To investigate the mechanism of Ganmao Qingre Pills(GQP)against lung injury based on network pharmacology,molecular docking and in vivo experiments.Methods The potential targets of GQP in the treatment of lung injury were screened through traditional Chinese medicine systems pharmacology database and analysis platform(TCM-SP)and Genecards.A"Chinese medicine-active ingredients-targets"network was constructed using Cytoscape 3.9.0 software,then gene ontology(GO)function and Kyoto encyclopaedia of genes and genomes(KEGG)pathway enrichment analysis for potential targets were conducted using a bioinformatics cloud platform.We established a protein-protein interaction(PPI)network,which was intersected with"Chinese medicine-active ingredients-targets"network to obtain core targets.The molecular docking between key target proteins and active ingredients was performed.The effect of GQP on these key target proteins was verified by using a mouse model of lung injury.Results A total of 707 targets for the treatment of lung injury by GQP were identified,corresponding to 107 active ingredients in 11 Chinese medicines.It was found that GQP might regulate targets such as PTGS1,AR,and ACHE through active ingredients including stigmasterol,luteolin,and acacetin using the"Chinese medicine-active ingredients-targets"network analysis.Core targets such as SRC,EGFR,and STAT3 were discovered by using the PPI network.Key target proteins,including CDK1,CDK2,EGFR,ESR1 and SRC,were screened through the intersection analysis of the PPI network and"Chinese medicine-active ingredients-targets"network.Molecular docking study showed that stigmasterol,luteolin and acacetin had good binding effects with CDK1,CDK2,EGFR,ESR1,and SRC,respectively.In vivo experiments revealed that GQP dose-dependently attenuated lung injury and inflammatory infiltration,reduced the release of pro-inflammatory factors TNF-α,IL-1β and IL-6,increased the expression of CDK1 and CDK2,and decreased the expression of EGFR,ESR1 and SRC in lung injury mice.Conclusion The therapeutic effect of GQP against lung injury may be achieved through interaction of key active ingredients(stigmasterol,luteolin,and acacetin)and key target proteins(CDK1,CDK2,EGFR,ESR1,SRC),and regulation of key signaling pathways such as neuroactive ligand-receptor interactions,cancer pathways,and calcium signaling pathways.

Objebtive:To investigate the effect of baicalin on cell apoptosis and related cytokines in diabetic retinopathy.Methods:Sixty SD rats were randomly divided into a control group, a model group, and a baicalin group, with 20 rats in each group. The diabetic retinopathy model was established after fed by a high-sugar, high-fat diet for 4 weeks by intraperitoneal injection of 50 mg/kg streptozotocin. Rats in the control group weren’t done any treatment, only with normal diet. Rats in the model group was not given drug treatment,While rats in the baicalin group 50 mg/kg intrabitoneal injection of baicalin. The results of HE staining, TUNEL cell apoptosis, retinal cell apoptosis index, and the expression of cleaved-cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteinase-3 (cleaved-Caspase-3), B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), and Bcl-2-associated X (Bax) protein in the retina of the three groups were observed.Results:The internal limiting membrane of the retina in the control group was smooth. Compared with the control group, the loss of ganglion cells in the model group was significantly increased, the retinal thickness was thinner, and the thickness of the inner nuclear layer and the outer nuclear layer was thinner. Compared with the model group, the number of ganglion cells in the baicalin group was significantly increased, the retinal thickness was thickened, and the thickness of the inner nuclear layer and the outer nuclear layer was thickened. Apoptotic cells were brown after TUNEL labeling. A large number of apoptotic cells were observed in the model group, and the cell arrangement was disordered. Only a few apoptotic cells were observed in the control group, and the cells were arranged neatly. Compared with the model group, the apoptotic cells in the baicalin group were significantly reduced ( P < 0.05), and the cells were arranged neatly. The apoptosis index of retinal cells in the sham group was lower than that in the model group and the baicalin group, and the baicalin group was lower than that in the model group ( P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the expression of cleaved-Caspase-3 and Bax protein in the retina of the model group was significantly increased, and Bcl-2 was significantly decreased; the difference was statistically significant ( P < 0.05). Compared with the model group, the expression of cleaved-Caspase-3 and Bax protein in the baicalin group was down-regulated, and Bcl-2 was significantly up-regulated; the difference was statistically significant ( P < 0.05). Conclusions:Baicalin can improve diabetic retinopathy by inhibiting the apoptosis rate of DR rats, down-regulating the expression of cleaved-Caspase-3 and Bax, and up-regulating the expression of Bcl-2.

The Qa-1 in mice is homologous to human leukocyte antigen E(HLA-E), and both of them belong to the non-classical major histocompatibility complex I b(MHC-I b) molecules. Qa-1 is capable of presenting self or exogenous antigen peptides to interact with two distinct receptors, namely T cell receptor (TCR) and natural killer cell group 2 member A (or C) (NKG2A/C), thus playing an important role in immune response and regulation. Qa-1-restricted regulatory CD8⁺ T cell (CD8⁺ Treg) is one of the most studied CD8⁺ Treg subgroups, which can maintain immune homeostasis and autoimmune tolerance by exerting immunosuppressive effects. Consequently, Qa-1-restricted CD8⁺Treg cells are closely associated with the occurrence and development of various clinical diseases, such as tumors, infections, autoimmune diseases, and transplant rejections. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the phenotypic characteristics, functional effects, regulatory mechanisms of Qa-1-restricted CD8⁺ Treg cells, as well as the latest research progresses of Qa-1-restricted CD8⁺ Treg cells involved in the pathogenesis of infectious diseases.
Humans ; Animals ; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory/immunology* ; Histocompatibility Antigens Class I/immunology* ; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/immunology* ; Communicable Diseases/immunology*