Regenerative endodontic procedures (REPs) is a biologic-based treatment modality for immature permanent teeth diagnosed with pulp necrosis. The ultimate objective of REPs is to regenerate the pulp-dentin complex, extend the tooth longevity and restore the normal function. Scientific evidence has demonstrated the efficacy of REPs in promotion of root development through case reports, case series, cohort studies, and randomized controlled studies. However, variations in clinical protocols for REPs exist due to the empirical nature of the original protocols and rapid advancements in the research field of regenerative endodontics. The heterogeneity in protocols may cause confusion among dental practitioners, thus guidelines and considerations of REPs should be explicated. This expert consensus mainly discusses the biological foundation, the available clinical protocols and current status of REPs in treating immature teeth with pulp necrosis, as well as the main complications of this treatment, aiming at refining the clinical management of REPs in accordance with the progress of basic researches and clinical studies, suggesting REPs may become a more consistently evidence-based option in dental treatment.
Humans ; Consensus ; Regenerative Endodontics ; Dental Pulp Necrosis/therapy* ; Dentists ; Professional Role ; Dental Care

An increasing number of studies have recently indicated the important effects of gut microbes on various functions of the central nervous system.However, the underlying mechanisms by which gut microbiota regulate brain functions and behavioral phenotypes remain largely unknown. We therefore used isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ)-based quantitative proteomic analysis to obtain proteomic profiles of the hippocampus in germ-free (GF), colonized GF, and specific pathogen-free (SPF) mice. We then integrated the resulting proteomic data with previously reported mRNA microarray data, to further explore the effects of gut microbes on host brain functions. We identified that 61 proteins were upregulated and 242 proteins were downregulated in GF mice compared with SPF mice. Of these, 124 proteins were significantly restored following gut microbiota colonization. Bioinformatic analysis of these significant proteins indicated that the glucocorticoid receptor signaling pathway and inflammation-related pathways were the most enriched disrupted pathways. This study provides new insights into the pathological mechanisms of gut microbiota-regulated diseases.

Objective:To investigate the effect of multidisciplinary team-based precise nursing on fatigue-pain-sleeping disorder symptom cluster of lung cancer patients received chemotherapy.Methods:A total of 110 lung cancer patients who received chemotherapy were randomly divided into study group (55 cases) and control group (55 cases) . The control group received routine nursing, while the study group carried out multidisciplinary team-based precise nursing. The degree of fatigue, pain and sleeping disorder was assessed by Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory-20 (MFI-20), Brief Pain Inventory-Chinese version (BPI-C) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), respectively.Results:Before intervention, the scores of fatigue, pain and sleep quality showed no significant difference ( P>0.05). After intervention, the scores of physical fatigue, psychological fatigue, mental fatigue and total fatigue in MFI-20 were 17.78±3.96, 8.02±1.58, 10.19±2.01, 35.98±4.96 in the study group; the scores of pain right now, pain at least in the 24 hours, pain at worst in the 24 hours and pain on the average in BPI-C were 3.76±0.53, 2.15±0.39, 4.11±0.77, (2.72±0.43) in the study group; the scores of the habitual sleep efficiency, sleep latency, subjective sleep quality, sleep duration, sleep disturbances, daytime dysfunction, use of sleeping medication scores and total scores in PSQI were 0.96±0.20, 1.66±0.27, 1.74±0.36, 1.58±0.22, 1.12±0.21, 1.70±0.30, 1.45±0.28, 10.20±0.61 in the study group. However, those scores were 18.84±2.99, 9.15±1.95, 11.06±3.71, 39.05±5.28 and 5.42±1.18, 3.58±0.59, 6.18±1.44, 3.85±0.78 and 1.12±0.19, 1.74±0.27, 1.91±0.25, 1.66±0.46, 1.33±0.32, 1.75±0.29, 1.33±0.42, 10.85±0.70 in the control group. The scores of psychological fatigue, total fatigue, pain right now, pain at least in the 24 hours, pain at worst in the 24 hours, pain on the average and habitual sleep efficiency, subjective sleep quality, sleep disturbances and total PSQI scores were all significantly decreased in the study group compared to the control group ( t values were 2.815-14.873, P<0.01). Conclusion:Multidisciplinary team-based precise nursing can alleviate fatigue-pain-sleeping disorder symptom cluster of lung cancer patients during received chemotherapy.

The oral microbiota is associated with oral diseases and digestive systemic diseases. Nevertheless, the causal relationship between them has not been completely elucidated, and colonisation of the gut by oral bacteria is not clear due to the limitations of existing research models. The aim of this study was to develop a human oral microbiota-associated (HOMA) mouse model and to investigate the ecological invasion into the gut. By transplanting human saliva into germ-free (GF) mice, a HOMA mouse model was first constructed. 16S rRNA gene sequencing was used to reveal the biogeography of oral bacteria along the cephalocaudal axis of the digestive tract. In the HOMA mice, 84.78% of the detected genus-level taxa were specific to the donor. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that the donor oral microbiota clustered with those of the HOMA mice and were distinct from those of specific pathogen-free (SPF) mice. In HOMA mice, OTU counts decreased from the stomach and small intestine to the distal gut. The distal gut was dominated by Streptococcus, Veillonella, Haemophilus, Fusobacterium, Trichococcus and Actinomyces. HOMA mice and human microbiota-associated (HMA) mice along with the GF mice were then cohoused. Microbial communities of cohoused mice clustered together and were significantly separated from those of HOMA mice and HMA mice. The Source Tracker analysis and network analysis revealed more significant ecological invasion from oral bacteria in the small intestines, compared to the distal gut, of cohoused mice. In conclusion, a HOMA mouse model was successfully established. By overcoming the physical and microbial barrier, oral bacteria colonised the gut and profiled the gut microbiota, especially in the small intestine.
Animals ; Bacteria ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Germ-Free Life ; Humans ; Mice ; Microbiota ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S

Objective: To investigate the safety and long-term efficacy of a new treatment, echocardiography-guided transthoracic laser ablation of the animal interventricular septum (IVS), for obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HOCM). Methods: Ten healthy sheep were randomly divided into two groups: experimental group: sheath puncture with laser ablation (energy: 3 W, 1000 J), sham control group: sheath puncture only without laser ablation. Echocardiography and electrocardiogram (ECG) were recorded before operation, immediately after operation, and 1, 3 and 6-month after the operation. Left ventricular systolic and diastolic function, longitudinal strain, difference of time to peak between the ablation segment and the surrounding segments were analyzed. Blood samples were collected before and one hour after the operation to examine the serological results. Results: Immediately and 6 months after the operation, all animals survived with normal cardiac function. No severe complications such as cardiac tamponade or bundle branch block occurred. The Troponin I level was significantly elevated immediately after the operation(P<0.05). The thickness of the ablated IVS was significantly reduced 6 months after the operation compared with before the operation[(3.23±1.21)mm vs (8.53±0.44)mm, P<0.05]. M-mode echocardiography showed that the amplitude of movement of the ablated region of the experimental group 6 months after the operation was significantly decreased compared with the control group(P<0.05). Three dimensional strain analysis showed that for the experimental group, the longitudinal strain of the ablation segment was significantly reduced and the difference of time to peak was significantly delayed, compared with the control group(P<0.05). Conclusions Echocardiography-guided transthoracic laser ablation of IVS is a safe, effective, and minimally invasive method. It is capable to reduce the volume of IVS without influencing the cardiac function, which makes it a potential alternative for HOCM treatment.

Objective To evaluate the characteristics of left ventricular structure ,function ,myocardial mechanics ,hemodynamics and synchrony in different phenotypes of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy ( HCM ) using state‐of‐the‐art echocardiography . Methods A consecutive series of 85 adult HCM patients w ho were admitted to the Xi Jing HCM center from January 2016 to November 2017 were collected . According to the peak left ventricular outflow tract pressure gradient in exercise stress echocardiography ,the patients were divided into three groups :patients with non‐obstructive HCM ( n ＝28) ,those with labile‐obstructive HCM ( n ＝27) ,and those with obstructive HCM ( n ＝ 30 ) . In addition ,16 normal family members of HCM patients were included as control group . T wo‐dimensional speckle tracking imaging ,tissue Doppler imaging and exercise stress echocardiography were used to evaluate the left ventricular function in resting and exercise states . Results ① As compared with the control group ,left ventricular end‐diastolic diameter decreased and left ventricular ejection fraction increased in all three HCM groups ( all P ＜ 0 .05 ) . Left ventricular maximum wall thickness and left ventricular mass index were the highest in obstructive HCM , followed by labile‐obstructive and non‐obstructive HCM ,and the lowest in the control group ( all P ＜0 .05) . ②A t rest ,the left ventricular global longitudinal ,circumferential and radial strain ( GLS ,GCS and GRS) ,as well as the twist of obstructive HCM were significantly lower than the other three groups ( all P ＜0 .05) . As compared with the control group ,the GLS and twist decreased in the labile‐obstructive and non‐obstructive HCM ( all P ＜0 .05 ) ,but there were no significant changes of GCS and GRS ( all P ＞ 0 .05 ) . T he obstructive HCM had the lowest mitral annular plane systolic excursion ( M APSE ) and s′,and the longest systolic peaking time standard deviation( T s‐SD) and early diastolic peaking time standard deviation ( Te‐SD) ( all P ＜0 .05) . T he left ventricular diastolic function of obstructive HCM ( e′,the E/e′ratio and the left atrial volume index ) was the worst ,labile‐obstruction and non‐obstructive HCM were better ,and the control group was the best ( all P ＜ 0 .001 ) . ③ During exercise ,the GLS ,GCS ,GRS ,twist of the left ventricle and the M APSE were the lowest in the obstructive HCM ,which increased in the labile‐obstructive and non‐obstructive HCM ,and were best in the control group . T he T s‐SD and Te‐SD were the shortest in the control group ,were prolonged in non‐obstructive and labile‐obstruction HCM ,and were longest in obstructive HCM ( all P ＜ 0 .05 ) . Additionally ,the exercise time of the control group was the longest , followed by non‐obstructive and labile‐obstruction HCM ,and the shortest in the obstructive HCM ( all P ＜0 .05) . T he M ET s of obstructive HCM were significantly lower than the other three groups ( all P ＜0 .05) . Conclusions In obstructive HCM ,the left ventricular systolic strain and synchronization ,as well as the M APSE ,are significantly impaired in patients both at rest and during exercise . T he patients with labile‐obstructive and non‐obstructive HCM have reduced left ventricular GLS , twist ,and e′,but normal left ventricular GCS ,GRS ,synchrony ,and M APSE at rest ,which are all impaired during exercise .

Objective: To evaluate the characteristics of left ventricular structure, function, myocardial mechanics, hemodynamics and synchrony in different phenotypes of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) using state-of-the-art echocardiography. Methods: A consecutive series of 85 adult HCM patients who were admitted to the Xi Jing HCM center from January 2016 to November 2017 were collected. According to the peak left ventricular outflow tract pressure gradient in exercise stress echocardiography, the patients were divided into three groups: patients with non-obstructive HCM (n=28), those with labile-obstructive HCM (n=27), and those with obstructive HCM (n=30). In addition, 16 normal family members of HCM patients were included as control group. Two-dimensional speckle tracking imaging, tissue Doppler imaging and exercise stress echocardiography were used to evaluate the left ventricular function in resting and exercise states. Results: ①As compared with the control group, left ventricular end-diastolic diameter decreased and left ventricular ejection fraction increased in all three HCM groups(all P<0.05). Left ventricular maximum wall thickness and left ventricular mass index were the highest in obstructive HCM, followed by labile-obstructive and non-obstructive HCM, and the lowest in the control group (all P<0.05). ②At rest, the left ventricular global longitudinal, circumferential and radial strain (GLS, GCS and GRS), as well as the twist of obstructive HCM were significantly lower than the other three groups (all P<0.05). As compared with the control group, the GLS and twist decreased in the labile-obstructive and non-obstructive HCM(all P<0.05), but there were no significant changes of GCS and GRS (all P>0.05). The obstructive HCM had the lowest mitral annular plane systolic excursion (MAPSE) and s′, and the longest systolic peaking time standard deviation(Ts-SD) and early diastolic peaking time standard deviation(Te-SD) (all P<0.05). The left ventricular diastolic function of obstructive HCM (e′, the E/e′ ratio and the left atrial volume index) was the worst, labile-obstruction and non-obstructive HCM were better, and the control group was the best (all P<0.001). ③During exercise, the GLS, GCS, GRS, twist of the left ventricle and the MAPSE were the lowest in the obstructive HCM, which increased in the labile-obstructive and non-obstructive HCM, and were best in the control group. The Ts-SD and Te-SD were the shortest in the control group, were prolonged in non-obstructive and labile-obstruction HCM, and were longest in obstructive HCM (all P<0.05). Additionally, the exercise time of the control group was the longest, followed by non-obstructive and labile-obstruction HCM, and the shortest in the obstructive HCM (all P<0.05). The METs of obstructive HCM were significantly lower than the other three groups (all P<0.05). Conclusions In obstructive HCM, the left ventricular systolic strain and synchronization, as well as the MAPSE, are significantly impaired in patients both at rest and during exercise. The patients with labile-obstructive and non-obstructive HCM have reduced left ventricular GLS, twist, and e′, but normal left ventricular GCS, GRS, synchrony, and MAPSE at rest, which are all impaired during exercise.

Objective To investigate the reliability and validity of a novel hand-held dynamometer, OE-210, for muscles strength of low-er extremities. Methods From March 1st to August 30th, 2016, 38 young adults were tested the muscle strength of quadriceps and ham-strings with OE-210 dynamometer by 2 rators, and were retested by one of the raters three days later. The isokinetic test was also conducted on all the subjects one day afterwards. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of OE-210 test results and the Pearson's correlation coeffi-cient between results of OE-210 and isokinetic test were calculated. Results The ICC of test-retest were 0.718 to 0.924, and the ICC of in-ter-rater were 0.784 to 0.870. The correlation between muscle performance measured with 2 tools were significant (P<0.001), that was light to medium on quadriceps (r=0.270-0.413), and strong on hamstrings (r=0.582-0.668). Conclusion OE-210 dynamometer was reliable for muscle strength measurement on quadriceps and hamstrings, and the conditions for valid application need further research.

Whether the drug is successfuly transported to the focus area is the key to the treatment of the rhinitis disease. The efficiency of drug delivery is dependent on the design of nasal spray device. A three-dimensional model of nasal cavity was constructed from the head CT image data of a healthy human subject. The deposition of drug particles was simulated numericaly by Computational Fluid Dynamics technique. The main variables of the study were the size and density of drug particles, the injecting speed of drugs etc. In conclusion, with the increase of particle intensity and injection speed, the deposition of particles in the affected area trends to increase after first slow decrease.

OBJECTIVETo establish objectively biomechanical criteria for temporomandibular joint disc tissue engineerings.

METHODSEight temporomandibular joint discs from a four-month-old goat were separated completely. A cylindrical sample with diameter of 3 mm in the anterior, intermediate, and posterior bands was obtained, and the samples underwent pre-compression test with three cycles under a speed of 0.025 mm · s⁻¹. With the end condition for the maximum load of less than 4.9 N and 1.5 mm compression displacement, the formal compression test was performed with the same speed. Moreover, this test obtained the stress-strain relationship and elastic modulus of each disc band. Ultrastructure and collagen fiber orientation of the district zone were observed by scanning electron microscope and polarized light microscope.

RESULTS1) The physiological strain range of an articular disc was within 10%, and the quasilinear constitutive equation of articular disc tissues can be fitted with the polynomial function: y = ax + bx² + cx³. 2) The elastic modulus of the intermediate disc zone was the largest (P < 0.05). No significant difference existed between the anterior and posterior bands (P = 0.361). 3) Scanning electron microscope and polarized light microscope showed an annular disc collagen network structure, which was the internal part of the goat temporomandibular joint disc. The collagen arrangement of intermediate bands was tensely arranged anterior-posteriorly. The collagen of anterior and posterior bands went through mediolaterally with intersection of anterior-posterior branch fibersd.

CONCLUSIONAnnular collagen network structure is the basis for goat temporomandibular joint disc compression resistance properties. The intermediate band demonstrated higher compression resistance performance than the anterior and posterior bands.