Chemical cleaning and disinfection are crucial steps for eliminating infection in root canal treatment.However,irrigant selection or irrigation procedures are far from clear.The vapor lock effect in the apical region has yet to be solved,impeding irrigation efficacy and resulting in residual infections and compromised treatment outcomes.Additionally,ambiguous clinical indications for root canal medication and non-standardized dressing protocols must be clarified.Inappropriate intracanal medication may present side effects and jeopardize the therapeutic outcomes.Indeed,clinicians have been aware of these concerns for years.Based on the current evidence of studies,this article reviews the properties of various irrigants and intracanal medicaments and elucidates their effectiveness and interactions.The evolution of different kinetic irrigation methods,their effects,limitations,the paradigm shift,current indications,and effective operational procedures regarding intracanal medication are also discussed.This expert consensus aims to establish the clinical operation guidelines for root canal irrigation and a position statement on intracanal medication,thus facilitating a better understanding of infection control,standardizing clinical practice,and ultimately improving the success of endodontic therapy.

Objective:To establish the ultra high performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) fingerprints of Mume flos at different flowering stages; To provide reference for the quality research of Mume flos.Methods:The fingerprints of Mume flos were established by UPLC method, and the common peaks were identified by high performance liquid chromatography high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Chemometrics analysis was carried out with the fingerprints' common peak area of plum blossom at different flowering stages as a variable. Semiquantitative analysis of changes in flavonoids and phenolic acids in Mume flos at different flowering stages was conduct using peak area calculation method.Results:Totally 31 common peaks were identified in the fingerprints of plum blossom medicinal materials at different flowering stages and 9 components were identified. Clustering analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA) both classified plum blossom medicinal herbs at different flowering stages into three categories. Among them, there were significant differences between the groups at the bud stage, blooming period, and final flowering period, while the differences between the groups at blooming period and final flowering period were relatively small. The orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) screened 16 different components with VIP>1.0. The contents of phenolic acids in different flowering stages were as follows: bud stage>blooming period>final flowering period, while the contents of flavonoids were as follows: blooming period>final flowering period>bud stage.Conclusions:This method is simple and reliable, and can provide reference for the quality evaluation of plum blossom medicinal materials at different flowering stages.

OBJECTIVE To estimate the quality markers of antioxidant activity for standard decoction of Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus.METHODS 15 batches of Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus standard decoctions were subjected to quality evaluation by ultra high-performance liquid chromatography(UPLC)based on single-marker(QAMS)method,before being summarized by chemometrics analysis.The antioxidant abilities of 15 batches of samples were determined by DPPH and ABTS methods,while gray correlation analy-sis(GRA)and the partial least squares regression(PLSR)methods were subsequently applied to investigating the relationship between the contents of 8 components and the antioxidant activity.Ultimately,molecule docking was utilized to explore the binding properties between candidate quality markers and the core targets of anti-oxidation,with the experimental verification being executed on the indi-vidual compound by in vitro anti-oxidation.RESULTS There was no remarkable difference between the results of QAMS and external standard method(ESM),with P valued greater than 0.05.And it was speculated that protocatechuic acid,gomisin A,schizantherin B and schisandrin B were the constituents of quality difference.Moreover,the 4 quality variation components were reckoned to be the al-ternative markers on antioxidant according to the results of GRA and PLSR.The molecule docking result also showed that 4 candidate quality markers presented good binding affinity with the antioxidant core targets.The antioxidant capacity was presumably originated from the collaborated effects by multi-components in the standard decoction of Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus.In the interim,protocate-chuic acid exhibited noteworthy antioxidant efficacy with dosage-depended manner in the results of single-compound verification,which was best conformed to the characteristics of quality markers and supposed to be the antioxidant quality marker for Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus standard decoction.CONCLUSION This research predicts the potential antioxidant substances on the basis of content deter-mination by UPLC and in vitro antioxidant assay,but also provides rational foundation for quality assessment on other preparations of Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus.

BACKGROUND: Vaccination has been shown effective in controlling the global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and reducing severe cases. This study was to assess the flare and change in disease activity after COVID-19 vaccination in patients with stable rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: A prospective cohort of RA patients in remission or with low disease activity was divided into a vaccination group and a non-vaccination group based on their COVID-19 vaccination status. Each of them was examined every 3 to 6 months. In the vaccination group, disease activity was compared before and after vaccination. The rates of flare defined as disease activity scores based on 28-joint count (DAS28) >3.2 with ΔDAS28 ≥0.6 were compared between vaccination and non-vaccination groups. RESULTS: A total of 202 eligible RA patients were enrolled. Of these, 98 patients received no vaccine shot (non-vaccination group), and 104 patients received two doses of vaccine (vaccination group). The median time interval from pre-vaccination visit to the first immunization and from the second dose of vaccine to post-vaccination visit was 67 days and 83 days, respectively. The disease activity scores at pre-vaccination and post-vaccination visits in the vaccination group patients were similar. At enrollment, gender, RA disease course, seropositivity, and disease activity were comparable across the two groups. Flare was observed in five (4.8%) of the vaccination group patients and nine (9.2%) of the non-vaccination group patients at post-vaccination assessment ( P  = 0.221). In terms of safety, 29 (27.9%) patients experienced adverse events (AEs) after vaccination. No serious AEs occurred. CONCLUSIONS COVID-19 vaccinations had no significant effect on disease activity or risk of flare in RA patients in remission or with low disease activity. Patients with stable RA should be encouraged to receive the COVID-19 vaccination.
Humans ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Cohort Studies ; COVID-19/prevention & control* ; COVID-19 Vaccines/adverse effects* ; East Asian People ; Prospective Studies ; Vaccination/adverse effects*

BackgroundThe incidence of delirium in critically ill psychiatric patients is high， and there are many factors affecting delirium occurrence. At present， epidemiological studies on delirium among critically ill patients in psychiatric hospitals are limited. ObjectiveTo explore the risk factors for delirium in critically ill patients in a psychiatric hospital， so as to guide the clinical management of delirium in psychiatric hospitals. MethodsThis retrospective study included 427 critically ill patients who were admitted to Shenzhen Kangning Hospital from January 1， 2019 to May 31， 2021. The delirium situation， gender， age， pre-admission course of illness （duration from the onset of acute mental state changes to in-patient registration at a psychiatric hospital）， history of mental illness， history of cognitive dysfunction， history of using psychoactive substances， history of using sedative and hypnotic drugs， number of combined chronic diseases， number of combined drugs and type of disease were examined as potential risk factors for delirium. Single Logistic regression was used to analyze the potential risk factors for delirium， and the potential risk factors were incorporated into the multi-factor Logistic regression analysis model so as to gradually screen out the risk factors for delirium in critically ill psychiatric patients. ResultsDelirium was present in 33.49% （143/427） of critically ill patients. Multi-factor Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that the presence of delirium was associated with mental and behavioral disorders caused by psychoactive substances （OR=8.949， P<0.01）， absent history of mental illness （OR=4.202， P<0.01）， number of combined chronic diseases （OR=1.249， P<0.01）， age （OR=1.031， P<0.01） and pre-admission course of illness （OR=0.942， P<0.01） . ConclusionDelirium was present in nearly 1/3 critically ill patients in the psychiatric hospital. The risk factors for delirium included short course of illness before admission， age， more combined chronic diseases， absent history of mental illness， mental and behavioral disorders caused by psychoactive substances. ［Funded by Shenzhen Fund for Guangdong Provincial High-level Clinical Key Specialties （number， SZGSP013）］

Background Experimental studies have shown that radiofrequency electromagnetic waves emitted by mobile phones can cause adverse effects on male reproductive health, including decreased semen quality and altered sex hormones. However, the results of epidemiological studies on the relationship between mobile phone use and male semen quality are inconsistent. Furthermore, there are few epidemiological studies on the association of mobile phone use with sex hormones. Objective To explore the associations of mobile phone use with male semen quality and sex hormones. Methods A total of 2045 men visited the reproductive medicine center of a hospital in Wuhan and ordered infertility examination were recruited from December 2018 to January 2020. Information on mobile phone use was obtained using a questionnaire. Among them, 1232 and 1694 men were eligible for semen quality analyses and sex hormone analyses, respectively. Multiple linear and logistic regression models were used to analyze the associations of mobile phone use with male semen quality and sex hormones. Results After adjusting for potential confounders, there was no statistically significant associations of mobile phone use with sperm progressive motility, sperm total motility, sperm concentration, sperm count, or serum luteinizing hormone (P>0.05). However, serum total testosterone showed a declined tendency with increasing daily duration of mobile phone use (P_trend=0.08). Compared with men with daily mobile phone use of 0-2 h, men with daily mobile phone use of 2.1-5, 5.1-8, and >8 h showed decreased serum total testosterone concentrations by 6.29% (95%CI: 0.40%-11.84%), 6.01% (95%CI: 0.60%-12.19%), and 7.87% (95%CI: 0.40%-14.79%), respectively. Conclusion Mobile phone use is not associated with male semen quality and serum luteinizing hormone, but increasing daily duration of mobile phone use is potentially associated with a tendency to lower male serum total testosterone.

Objective:Analysis of subtype distribution characteristics of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, pathological findings of HPV-positive patients operated colposcopy and cervical histopathological examination in Changsha from 2020 to 2022.Methods:Retrospective analysis of HPV infection status of 60 354 patients was treated in the First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine from Jan. 2020 to Oct. 2022. They were divided into<25 years old group (3 250 cases), 25-34 years old group (19 406 cases), 35-44 years old group (17 297 cases), 45-54 years old group (13 104 cases), 55-64 years old group (4 793 cases) and≥65 years old group (2 504 cases). Cervical exfoliated cells were collected from women and specimen of lesion site were collected from men. HPV genotyping detection used polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and flow fluorescence hybridization, which could detect 27 HPV genotypes. Analyze the distribution of HPV subtypes in patients of different age groups and different treatment departments. Analyze the relationship between the infection of HPV subtypes and the outcome of 224 patients with HPV positive who also underwent colposcopy and cervical histopathology. Pearson correlation test was used for correlation analysis, and two-tailed P<0.05 was statistically significant; Pearson chi-square test or continuous correction chi-square test was used to compare the rates between groups, and two-tailed P<0.05 was statistically significant; Chi-square split test was used to compare multiple sample rates. The standard test was corrected according to the number of groups and then compared. The difference was statistically significant when the two-tailed P value was less than the corrected standard test. Results:The overall positive rate of HPV was 16.4% (9 909/60 354). Among all HPV positive patients, affection of single type HPV accounted for 75.5% (7 479/9 909) and affection of multi-type HPV accounted for 24.5% (2 430/9 909). The top six HPV types with infection rates from high to low were: HPV52 22.8% (2 256/9 909), HPV58 11.1% (1 097/9 909), HPV53 10.5% (1 045/9 909), HPV16 9.0% (890/9 909), HPV61 7.8% (774/9 909) and HPV6 7.6% (750/9 909). The difference of overall infection rate between different age groups was statistically significant (χ 2=536.90, P<0.001). The HPV infection rate was the highest in the<25 years old group, 30.1% (978/3 250), and it is higher than the age groups of 25-34 years old, 15.6% (3 035/19 406), group of 35-44 years old, 14.2% (2 464/17 297), group of 45-54 years old, 16.1% (2 115/13 104), group of 55-64 years old, 19.1% (915/4 793) and group of≥65 years old, 16.1% (402/2 504), with statistical significance( P<0.001 respectively). The most common types of HPV infection were type 6, 16.7% (378/2 266) and type 11, 10.5% (239/2 266) in dermatology clinics. The positive rate of HPV16 accounted for 12/17 in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 3 and cervical cancer cases, it was significantly higher than that in the inflammatory cases, 25.0% (35/140) and CIN1 cases, 23.0% (11/48), the statistical values were χ 2=15.02, P<0.001 and χ 2=12.48, P<0.001, respectively, all of which were statistically significant. Conclusions:HPV infection rate is highest in young people under 25 years old. Low-risk HPV6 and 11 are the main types of skin and venereal diseases. Among the total cases, high-risk HPV52, 58 and 53 are the most common types of infection with women in Changsha. However, high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and cervical cancer are more closely related to HPV16 infection.

Objective:To investigate the differential diagnostic value of 18F-FDG PET/CT in multiple myeloma (MM) and unknown osteolytic metastasis (UOM). Methods:A retrospective study was performed on 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging of 43 patients (29 males, 14 females, age: (61.5±12.9) years) with multiple bone destructions and without extraosseous primary malignant tumor between June 2017 and March 2020 in Tenth People′s Hospital of Tongji University. Through follow-up, 20 patients (13 males, 7 females, age: (61.1±12.2) years) were pathologically confirmed as MM and 23 patients (16 males, 7 females, age: (61.4±13.9) years) were pathologically confirmed as UOM. The whole body skeleton was categorized to 8 sites including skull, spine, ribs, pelvis, sternum, clavicle, scapula and limb bone. The differences of the cross-sectional length of the lesion, cortical bone damage, SUV max and the distribution of imaging agent were compared between the two groups in different parts. Independent-sample t test and Mann-Whitney U test were used to analyze data. Results:The UOM group was invisible on clavicles, and spine and pelvis were the most predilection sites in both MM and UOM groups (spine: 41.30%(299/724) and 49.37%(117/237); pelvis: 24.45%(177/724) and 26.58%(63/237)). The cross-sectional length of lesions in the skull, spine, ribs, pelvis and limb bone in MM group were significantly shorter than those in UOM group (5.45(4.30, 8.06) vs (13.89±11.66) mm, 6.15(3.89, 10.06) vs 11.48(7.73, 16.90) mm, 7.01(4.59, 10.56) vs (24.61±16.22) mm, 8.20(5.14, 13.71) vs (21.12±13.31) mm, (8.48±5.75) vs (19.13±14.26) mm; z values: from -8.88 to -2.52, t=-2.76, P<0.001 or P<0.05) and SUV max of above lesions and scapula in MM group were significantly lower than those in UOM group (1.50(1.00, 2.20) vs 17.15±11.40, 2.60(2.00, 4.10) vs 8.20(5.65, 11.90), 2.30(1.40, 5.28) vs 10.58±5.52, 2.50(1.80, 3.90) vs 9.34±6.01, 3.08±2.41 vs 11.38±6.38, 2.45(1.50, 4.43) vs 6.90(4.63, 17.80); z values: from -13.87 to -2.41, t=-4.85, P<0.001 or P<0.05). The imaging agents in lesions on the skull, spine, ribs, pelvis, scapula and limb bone were more evenly distributed in MM group, while the imaging agents in lesions were more unevenly distributed in UOM group. On the skull, spine and ribs sites, the MM group was more likely to show no cortical bone damage; however, the UOM group showed cortical bone damage in the above sites. Conclusion:It is helpful for doctors to distinguish MM and UOM by comparing the cross-sectional length of the lesion, cortical bone damage, SUV max and the distribution of imaging agent in 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging before getting pathologic results.

Objective:To investigate the levels and influencing factors of serum pertussis toxin (PT)-IgG antibody in children with pertussis.Methods:The clinical data including age, course of disease and vaccination status of children with laboratory-confirmed pertussis and tested for PT-IgG antibody in Shenzhen Children′s Hospital from July 2015 to December 2018 were collected. Venous blood samples were obtained to detect PT-IgG antibody levels. Nasopharyngeal swabs were taken for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test to detect Bordetella pertussis nucleic acid and culture of Bordetella pertussis. Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison between two groups.Kruskal-Wallis test was used for comparison among multiple groups. Multiple linear regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of PT-IgG antibody levels. Results:A total of 871 children aged 4(2, 7) months were included, among whom, 592(68.0%) cases were under six months and 754 (86.6%) cases were under one year old. The course of disease was 15 (11, 20) days. Among 871 cases, 864 (99.2%) cases were PCR test and (or) culture positive, including 696 cases positive only for PCR test, 35 cases positive only for culture and 133 cases positive for both PCR test and culture. There were 452 (51.9%) children who were not vaccinated and 346 (39.7%) children vaccinated with at least one dose. In terms of age, the PT-IgG amtibody levels of children aged 0 to two months, three to five months, six months to two years and ≥three years were 0.7 (0, 8.2) IU/mL, 2.3 (0, 23.0) IU/mL, 24.6 (0, 112.3) IU/mL and 24.9 (0, 114.7) IU/mL, respectively. The PT-IgG antibody levels of children after onset of symptoms at 0 to two weeks, more than two to four weeks, more than four to eight weeks and more than eight weeks were 0(0, 7.9) IU/mL, 8.7(0, 56.0) IU/mL, 26.6(5.1, 82.9) IU/mL and 68.0(15.3, 118.8) IU/mL, respectively. The differences were both statistically significant ( H=88.346 and 94.076, respectively, both P<0.01). The PT-IgG antibody levels in children who were unvaccinated and vaccinated with at least one dose were 0.9 (0, 12.7) IU/mL and 14.6(0, 86.3) IU/mL, respectively. The difference was statistically significant ( Z=-8.520, P<0.01) PT-IgG≥80 IU/mL accounted for 16%(139/871) in the whole range of age, 34.3%(12/35) in children ≥three years old. There were 13 patients aged ≥three years old with a disease course >two weeks, among whom, six patients had PT-IgG≥80 IU/mL. Age, course of disease and vaccination status were independent influencing factors of PT-IgG levels ( β=0.108, 0.189 and 0.250, respectively, all P<0.01). Conclusions:The levels of PT-IgG antibody in children with pertussis are influenced by age, course of disease and vaccination status. The single serum PT-IgG of 80 IU/mL as cut-off value in the diagnosis of pertussis may lead to a increase of missed diagnosis. Therefore, it is necessary to further explore the standards suitable for children in China.

Astragali radix(AR,the dried root of Astragalus)is a popular herbal remedy in both China and the United States.The commercially available AR is commonly classified into premium graded(PG)and ungraded(UG)ones only according to the appearance.To uncover novel sensitive and specific markers for AR grading,we took the integrated mass spectrometry-based untargeted and targeted metabolomics ap-proaches to characterize chemical features of PG and UG samples in a discovery set(n=16 batches).A series of five differential compounds were screened out by univariate statistical analysis,including arginine,calycosin,ononin,formononetin,and astragaloside Ⅳ,most of which were observed to be accumulated in PG samples except for astragaloside Ⅳ.Then,we performed machine learning on the quantification data of five compounds and constructed a logistic regression prediction model.Finally,the external validation in an independent validation set of AR(n=20 batches)verified that the five com-pounds,as well as the model,had strong capability to distinguish the two grades of AR,with the pre-diction accuracy＞90％.Our findings present a panel of meaningful candidate markers that would significantly catalyze the innovation in AR grading.