Instrument separation is a critical complication during root canal therapy, impacting treatment success and long-term tooth preservation. The etiology of instrument separation is multifactorial, involving the intricate anatomy of the root canal system, instrument-related factors, and instrumentation techniques. Instrument separation can hinder thorough cleaning, shaping, and obturation of the root canal, posing challenges to successful treatment outcomes. Although retrieval of separated instrument is often feasible, it carries risks including perforation, excessive removal of tooth structure and root fractures. Effective management of separated instruments requires a comprehensive understanding of the contributing factors, meticulous preoperative assessment, and precise evaluation of the retrieval difficulty. The application of appropriate retrieval techniques is essential to minimize complications and optimize clinical outcomes. The current manuscript provides a framework for understanding the causes, risk factors, and clinical management principles of instrument separation. By integrating effective strategies, endodontists can enhance decision-making, improve endodontic treatment success and ensure the preservation of natural dentition.
Humans ; Root Canal Therapy/adverse effects* ; Consensus ; Root Canal Preparation/adverse effects*

BACKGROUND: The use of inserted sham acupuncture as a placebo in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) is controversial, because it may produce specific effects that cause an underestimation of the effect of acupuncture treatment. OBJECTIVE: This systematic survey investigates the magnitude of insert-specific effects of sham acupuncture and whether they affect the estimation of acupuncture treatment effects. SEARCH STRATEGY: PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched to identify acupuncture RCTs from their inception until December 2022. INCLUSION CRITERIA: RCTs that evaluated the effects of acupuncture compared to sham acupuncture and no treatment. DATA EXTRACTION AND ANALYSIS: The total effect measured for an acupuncture treatment group in RCTs were divided into three components, including the natural history and/or regression to the mean effect (controlled for no-treatment group), the placebo effect, and the specific effect of acupuncture. The first two constituted the contextual effect of acupuncture, which is mimicked by a sham acupuncture treatment group. The proportion of acupuncture total effect size was considered to be 1. The proportion of natural history and/or regression to the mean effect (PNE) and proportional contextual effect (PCE) of included RCTs were pooled using meta-analyses with a random-effect model. The proportion of acupuncture placebo effect was the difference between PCE and PNE in RCTs with non-inserted sham acupuncture. The proportion of insert-specific effect of sham acupuncture (PIES) was obtained by subtracting the proportion of acupuncture placebo effect and PNE from PCE in RCTs with inserted sham acupuncture. The impact of PIES on the estimation of acupuncture's treatment effect was evaluated by quantifying the percentage of RCTs that the effect of outcome changed from no statistical difference to statistical difference after removing PIES in the included studies, and the impact of PIES was externally validated in other acupuncture RCTs with an inserted sham acupuncture group that were not used to calculate PIES. RESULTS: This analysis included 32 studies with 5492 patients. The overall PNE was 0.335 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.255-0.415) and the PCE of acupuncture was 0.639 (95% CI, 0.567-0.710) of acupuncture's total effect. The proportional contribution of the placebo effect to acupuncture's total effect was 0.191, and the PIES was 0.189. When we modeled the exclusion of the insert-specific effect of sham acupuncture, the acupuncture treatment effect changed from no difference to a significant difference in 45.45% of the included RCTs, and in 40.91% of the external validated RCTs. CONCLUSION The insert-specific effect of sham acupuncture in RCTs represents 18.90% of acupuncture's total effect and significantly affects the evaluation of the acupuncture treatment effect. More than 40% of RCTs that used inserted sham acupuncture would draw different conclusions if the PIES had been controlled for. Considering the impact of the insert-specific effect of sham acupuncture, caution should be taken when using inserted sham acupuncture placebos in RCTs. Please cite this article as: Luo XC, Liu JL, Yao MH, Chen YM, Fan AY, Liang FR, Zhao JP, Zhao L, Zhou X, Zhong XY, Yang JH, Li B, Zhang Y, Sun X, Li L. Specific effect of inserted sham acupuncture and its impact on the estimation of acupuncture treatment effect in randomized controlled trials: A systematic survey. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(6):630-640.
Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; Humans ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Placebo Effect ; Placebos ; Treatment Outcome

Vertebral refracture following percutaneous vertebral augmentation (PVA) is commonly seen in elderly patients with osteoporotic thoracolumbar compression fractures (OTLCF). It can lead to recurrent pain, loss of vertebral height, progression of kyphosis, and even neurological dysfunction, significantly impairing patients′ quality of life. Current diagnosis and treatment face multiple challenges, including high misdiagnosis rate, difficulty in choosing between surgical and non-surgical treatment options, lack of standardized surgical protocols, interference from intralesional bone cement during procedures, inadequate stability of internal fixation in osteoporotic bone, and suboptimal compliance of anti-osteoporotic therapy. Establishing a standardized diagnostic and therapeutic framework is urgently needed. To standardize the management process and improve outcomes for vertebral refractures after PVA in elderly OTLCF patients, Spinal Trauma Group of the Orthopedic Branch of Chinese Medical Doctor Association organized experts in the field to develop Guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of vertebral refracture after percutaneous vertebral augmentation in elderly patients with osteoporotic thoracolumbar compression fractures ( version 2025), based on current literature and clinical experience, and adhering to principles of scientific rigor and clinical applicability. A total of 11 recommendations were proposed, encompassing diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of vertebral refracture after PVA in elderly patients with OTLCF, aiming to provide a foundation for a standardized management.

Objective To investigatethe relationship between gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms and clinicopathological characteristics, p53 expression, and survival of Chinese patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma. Methods A total of 3882 patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma, 970 matched patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, and 970 matched patients with gastric cardia adenocarcinoma were included to compare the incidence of GERD symptoms. Patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma were divided into two groups according to the presence and absence of GERD symptoms. The differences in clinicopathological characteristics and p53 expression between the two groups were compared by chi-square test, and the differences in survival between the two groups were compared by landmark analysis. Results The incidence of GERD symptoms increased successively in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, esophageal adenocarcinoma, and gastric cardia adenocarcinoma. In patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma, the proportions of male, less than 65 years old, lower thoracic tumors, tumors without squamous cell carcinoma, poorly differentiation, early tumors (stage 0-I), and p53-positive tumors in the group with GERD symptoms were higher than those in the group without GERD symptoms; moreover, the long-term survival (≥15 years) was better. Conclusion GERD symptom is an important clinical sign of esophageal adenocarcinoma. It is closely related to specific clinicopathological characteristics, p53 overexpression, and good long-term prognosis.

Objective:To compare the efficacy, safety, and cost-effectiveness of the trastuzumab originator (HST) versus its biosimilar (HLX02) combined with pertuzumab and chemotherapy as neoadjuvant treatment in patients with HER-2-positive breast cancer.Methods:This retrospective cohort study included 175 patients with HER-2-positive breast cancer who received neoadjuvant therapy followed by curative surgery at the Cancer Hospital Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences between October 2020 and January 2024. Patients were divided into two groups based on the trastuzumab formulation used: the HST group ( n=89) and the HLX02 group ( n=86).The efficacy, safety, and trastuzumab-related treatment costs were compared between the two groups. Moreover, using Logistic regression model to identify the factors influencing total pathological complete response (tpCR) rates. Results:There were statistically significant differences in clinical T stage and surgical approach between the HST and HLX02 groups ( P＜0.05). Other clinicopathological characteristics, such as age and histological grade, showed no statistically significant differences ( P＞0.05), with most baseline characteristics remaining balanced between the two groups. There were no significant differences in tpCR rates ( P=0.957) or Miller-Payne (MP) grading rates ( P=0.991) between the HST and HLX02 groups. The tpCR rates for the two groups were 55.1% (49/89) and 54.7% (47/86), respectively. The rates of achieving grade 5 (G5) in the postoperative MP pathological grading system were 55.1% (49/89) and 55.8% (48/86), respectively, with no statistically significant difference ( P=0.991). Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analyses showed that hormone receptor status is an independent risk factor affecting tpCR ( OR=0.31, 95% CI; 0.16-0.61, P＜0.001). The incidence of adverse event during neoadjuvant therapy was similar between the groups, with no occurrences of trastuzumab-related cardiac toxicity. The HLX02 regimen showed a lower cost-effectiveness ratio (586.48 vs. 604.96) and reduced trastuzumab treatment costs during neoadjuvant therapy compared to HST [tpCR:(31 208.37±2 191.00) CNY vs. (33 224.49±2 741.00) CNY; non-tpCR: 33 030.05±5 787.00) CNY vs. (33 412.50±4 203.00) CNY, P＜0.05]. Conclusions:In the neoadjuvant treatment of early-stage HER-2-positive breast cancer, HLX02 combined with pertuzumab and chemotherapy demonstrates similar efficacy and safety to the trastuzumab originator, while offering a significant cost advantage.

Background:To compare the efficacy and safety of monthly administrations of gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists LY01005 and Zoladex ? in Chinese patients with premenopausal breast cancer. Methods:From October 2020 to November 2021, 188 premenopausal breast cancer patients were enrolled in 34 hospitals and randomized 1:1 to receive either LY01005 or Zoladex ? every 28 days for a total of three injections. All patients concomitantly received oral tamoxifen (TAM). The primary efficacy endpoint was cumulative probability of maintaining menopausal level [oestradiol (E2) ≤30 pg/ml] from day 29 to day 85. The second efficacy endpoint included changes in E2, luteinizing hormone (LH), and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) compared with the baseline. Pharmacokinetics (PK), pharmacodynamics (PD), and safety were analyzed. The study also evaluated the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic characteristics of LY01005. Results:A total of 188 patients were randomised and 187 patients received either LY01005 or Zoladex ?. Cumulative probabilities of maintaining menopausal level (E2≤30 pg/ml) from day 29 to day 85 were 93.1% for LY01005 and 86.3% for Zoladex ?. The between-group difference was 6.8% (95% CI: -2.3%, 15.9%) and primary efficacy in the LY01005 group was not inferior to that in the Zoladex ? group. Changes in E2, LH, and FSH levels compared with the baseline were equivalent between the two groups (E2: 89.34% to 90.23% vs. 82.11% to 85.02%; LH: 88.89% to 95.52% vs. 89.70% to 97.02%; FSH: 75.36% to 80.85% vs.73.07% to 80.24%, respectively). After three consecutive doses of LY01005, the LH and FSH levels of the subjects showed a transient increase after the first dose, reached a peak on the second day and then started to decrease. The LH and FSH reached a lower level and remained at or below that level until the 85th day. Both treatments were well-tolerated. Conclusion:LY01005 is as effective as Zoladex ? in suppressing E2 to menopausal levels in Chinese patients with premenopausal breast cancer, with a similar safety profile.

Aim To investigate the impact of G pro-tein-coupled estrogen receptor 1(GPER1),also known as GPR30 playing a significant role in the nerv-ous system,on neuronal damage and cognitive dysfunc-tion following epileptic seizures.Methods The pro-tein expression levels of GPER1 and the DNA damage marker γ-H2AX in epileptic rats were assessed using Western blot.The hippocampal neuronal damage and apoptosis in pilocarpine-induced epilepsy models were evaluated using Nissl and TUNEL staining techniques,compared with GPER1 knockdown(GPER1-KD)rats with wild-type(WT)controls.The behavioral activi-ties,including memory and spatial learning,were mo-nitored during the chronic phase of epilepsy using the IntelliCage system.Results Compared to the control group,GPER1 protein expression in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus significantly increased 24 hours post-epilepsy onset.In the GPER1-KD+EP group,hipp-ocampal neuronal damage was more severe,with a sig-nificant increase in apoptotic neurons compared to the WT+EP group.The IntelliCage data revealed that during free exploration,nose contact,position learn-ing,and reverse position learning stages in the GPER1-KD+EP group exhibited fewer visits and a higher error rate than in the WT+EP group.Conclu-sions Deficiency in GPER1 impairs memory and spa-tial learning abilities following epilepsy,potentially due to exacerbated neuronal injury,apoptosis,and inflam-mation.GPER1 represents a promising therapeutic tar-get for mitigating post-epileptic nerve damage and cog-nitive impairment.

Objective:To assess the use of R-R interval (RRI) sequence data collected via wearable devices to evaluate emotional dynamic factors in adolescents with depressive disorders, and to analyze their impact on diagnosis and severity assessment.Methods:Clinical data were prospectively collected from 154 adolescent inpatients with depressive disorders (132 females, 22 males; age 12-18, mean: 13.5±1.6 years) treated at the Child Psychiatry Ward of Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University between January 2023 and January 2024.A control group of 152 healthy adolescents (62 females, 90 males; age 12-18, mean 14.5±1.3 years) was recruited during the same period. RRI data were obtained using the built-in photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor in the HUAWEI Band 7 wearable device. The device′s integrated emotion evaluation system extracted arousal and emotional valence (as indicators of emotional dynamics) from the collected RRIs. A Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) network was employed to develop a model for depression diagnosis and severity prediction, while a random forest model was applied to generate receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves to evaluate model performance. Binary Logistic regression was conducted to investigate the influence of arousal and emotional valence on depression diagnosis and severity.Results:A total of 429 records were collected and analyzed from 306 participants. The LSTM-based diagnosis and severity assessment models achieved area under the curve (AUC) of 0.896 9 and 0.715 3, respectively, indicating good model performance. Binary Logistic regression analysis showed that arousal and emotional valence had significant effects on diagnosis and severity. Specially, lower arousal in both the first 4 hours ( β=-8.906, 95%CI:-17.497 to -0.315) and second 4 hours ( β=-3.033, 95%CI:-5.109 to -0.957) significantly predicted positive depression diagnosis ( β=-1.219, 95%CI:-2.205 to -0.233), while emotional valence in the second 4 hours showed a trend toward a positive association ( β=0.675, 95%CI:-0.107-1.457). First 4-hour emotional valence: significantly positive association with severity ( β=0.322, 95%CI: 0.067-0.577), second 4-hour arousal level: negative association with severity ( β=-0.258, 95%CI:-0.527 to 0.011), whereas arousal in the second 4 hours had a marginal negative effect (β=-0.258, 95% CI:-0.527 to 0.011). Conclusion:RRI may serve as a useful auxiliary measure in diagnosing depressive disorders and predicting severity among adolescents. Wearable smart devices offer promising potential for screening emotional dynamic factors related to adolescent depression.

Objective To investigate the effect of the rs3765467 polymorphism of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor(GLP-1R)gene on the efficacy of Liraglutide(Lir)in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)and metabolic associated fatty liver disease(MAFLD).Methods A total of 281 patients with T2DM from May 2022 to May 2023 were selected,including 125 patients with simple T2DM(T2DM group)and 156 patients with T2DM combined with MAFLD(T2DM+MAFLD group).120 healthy individuals during the same period were selected as the control(NC)group.The related indexes of glucose and lipid metabolism were detected.The polymorphism of GLP-1R gene rs3765467 was detected.Results BMI,FPG,HbA1c,HOMA-IR and TG in each group increased in turn(P<0.05),while the distribution frequency of genotype GG and allele G decreased in turn(P<0.05).TC and LDL-C in T2DM and T2DM+MAFLD groups were higher than those in NC group(P<0.05).TC and TG levels in genotype GA/AA patients were significantly higher than those in genotype GG patients(P<0.05).Compared with before treatment,the levels of BMI,FPG,HbA1c,HOMA-IR,TC,TG and LDL-C in T2DM patients with MAFLD were significantly decreased after Lir treatment(P<0.05).There was no significant difference in BMI and related indexes of glucose and lipid metabolism in GG and GA/AA patients before and after Lir treatment(P>0.05).Conclusions The distribution frequency of GG and G allele at rs3765467 of GLP-1R gene is reduced in T2DM patients with MAFLD.The carrying of allele A was associated with increased TC and TG levels,but did not affect the efficacy of Lir in reducing weight and improving glycolipid metabolism.