Healthy dental pulp is essential for preserving teeth and maintaining their normal function. Vital pulp therapy (VPT) is widely used in clinical applications because it aims to preserve vital pulp and enhance the long-term survival of teeth. An accurate diagnosis of pulp vitality is a prerequisite for successful VPT. However, accurately assessing pulp viability remains challenging in clinical practice. Pulp viability is influenced by various factors, including the type of pulp exposure, caries status, periodontitis, trauma, treatment factors, patient age, and individual differences. Assessing pulp viability requires a comprehensive consideration of medical history and clinical manifestations, along with a combination of various auxiliary methods, such as pulp sensibility tests, pulp blood flow tests, imaging techniques and molecular diagnostics. In the future, the technology for assessing pulp vitality should evolve toward chairside, visualization, and precision techniques, to achieve consistency between clinical and histological diagnoses, thereby providing patients with the most effective treatment.

Objective To evaluate the postoperative analgesia efficacy and clinical safety of hydro-morphone patients-controlled intravenous analgesia(PCIA)in patients with scar pregnancy after auxiliary uterine artery embolization(UAE).Methods A total of 116 patients with scar pregnancy,who received auxiliary UAE at the Fuyang Municipal People's Hospital of China between January 2021 and September 2022,were enrolled in this study.According to the intravenous self-controlled analgesic drugs used after UAE,the patients were randomly and equally divided into observation group(n=58)and control group(n=58).Ten minutes before the procedure,intravenous injection of 2 mg hydromorphone(observation group)or 2 μg/kg sufentanyl(control group)was performed,and the PCIA pump was connected.In the observation group,the mixed solution of 10 mg hydromorphone+100 mg flurbiprofen axetil+100 mL saline was put in the analgesic pump,while in the control group,the mixed solution of 2 μg/kg sufentanyl+flurbiprofen axetil 100 mg+100 mL saline was put in the analgesic pump.The post-UAE 0.5-h,4-h,8-h,12-h,24-h and 48-h visual analogue scale(VAS)scores,the Bruggrmann comfort scale(BCS)scores,the number of pressing analgesic pump times within postoperative 48 hours,the used dosage of analgesic drugs,the adverse reactions,and the incidence of postoperative complications were recorded.Results The difference in the post-UAE 0.5-h VAS scores between the observation group and the control group was not statistically significant(P＞0.05),while the post-UAE 4-h,8-h,12-h,24-h and 48-h VAS scores in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group,and the differences were statistically significant(all P＜0.05).The post-UAE 0.5-h,4-h,8-h,12-h,24-h and 48-h BCS scores in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group,and the differences were statistically significant(all P＜0.05).The number of pressing analgesic pump times and the used dosage of analgesic drugs within postoperative 48 hours in the observation group were lower than those in the control group,and the differences were statistically significant(all P＜0.05).No statistically significant differences in the complications such as drowsiness,skin itching,hypoxia,or respiratory depression,etc.existed between the two groups,while the difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups was statistically significant(P＜0.05).Conclusion Hydromorphone and sufentanil PCIA can relieve the pain in scar pregnancy patients after UAE.Hydromorphone is superior to sufentanil in reducing the number of pressing analgesic pump times within postoperative 48 hours,reducing the used dosage of analgesic drugs,and decreasing the incidence of adverse reactions,therefore,hydromorphone PCIA has a certain promotion value.(J Intervent Radiol,2024,33:240-244)

Objective To investigate the clinical features and risk factors of primary biliary cholangitis(PBC)comorbid with metabolic associated fatty liver disease(MAFLD)and the interaction between the two diseases.Methods A total of 187 patients who were diagnosed with PBC,MAFLD,or PBC with MAFLD in The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University from January 2019 to December 2022 were enrolled and divided into PBC group with 70 patients,PBC+MAFLD group with 38 patients,and MAFLD group with 79 patients.Related data were collected,including general information,clinical symptoms,serological parameters,transient elastography(FibroScan),and non-invasive fibrosis markers,which were compared between the three groups.A one-way analysis of variance or the Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for comparison of continuous data between groups,the chi-square test or the Fisher's exact test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups,and the binary Logistic regression analysis was used for multivariate analysis.Results There were significant differences between the three groups in sex,age,height,weight,body mass index(BMI),and history of autoimmune diseases(P<0.05).In the PBC+MAFLD group,female patients accounted for 89.5%,with a mean age of 57.26±12.72 years and a BMI of 23.35±3.70 kg/m2,and in the PBC group,the detection rate of autoimmune diseases was 25.7%(18 patients).There were significant differences between the three groups in the incidence rates of weakness,poor appetite,pruritus,jaundice,varices,ascites,and splenomegaly(all P<0.05).The PBC+MAFLD group had the common symptoms of weakness in 18 patients(47.4%),poor appetite in 15 patients(39.5%),abdominal pain in 14 patients(36.8%),and abdominal distension in 16 patients(42.1%);the MAFLD group had the common symptoms of abdominal pain in 34 patients(43%)and abdominal distension in 32 patients(40.5%);the PBC group had the common symptoms of weakness in 37 patients(52.9%),poor appetite in 25 patients(35.7%),jaundice in 25 patients(35.7%),abdominal pain in 18 patients(25.7%),abdominal distension in 25 patients(35.7%),varices in 19 patients(27.9%),ascites in 23 patients(32.9%),and splenomegaly in 44 patients(62.9%).The PBC+MAFLD group had a controlled attenuation parameter(CAP),which was higher than that of the PBC group,and the PBC group had significantly higher levels of liver stiffness measurement,aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index(APRI),and fibrosis-4(FIB-4)than the MAFLD group(all P<0.05).The factors without multicollinearity were included in the regression analysis,and with the PBC group as the reference group,FIB-4(odds ratio[OR]=0.218,95%confidence interval[CI]:0.069-0.633,P<0.05)and history of autoimmune diseases(OR=0.229,95%CI:0.067-0.810,P<0.05)were influencing factors for the onset of PBC with MAFLD;with the MAFLD group as the reference group,ALT(OR=0.157,95%CI:0.025-1.000,P<0.05)and TBil(OR=0.995,95%CI:0.990-0.999,P<0.05)were influencing factors for the onset of PBC with MAFLD.Conclusion PBC with MAFLD lacks specific clinical manifestations,and PBC patients tend to have more severe clinical manifestations and a higher incidence rate of liver function decompensation.PBC comorbid with MAFLD may not aggravate the disease progression of PBC.

Objective To investigate the equivalent conversion of head injury criterion(HIC)under anterior-posterior(AP)and lateral-medial(LM)craniocerebral impact for mild craniocerebral injury in rats using motor evoked potential(MEP)and β-amyloid precursor protein(β-APP)immunohistochemistry(IHC).Methods Sixty healthy adult male SD rats were randomly divided into 0 m control group,0.5 m-AP and 0.5 m-LM injury groups,and 1 m-AP and 1 m-LM injury groups(12 rats in each group).The control group did not undergo any impact injury experiment.After the impact injury experiment,the injury and control groups were subjected to excessive anesthesia to produce β-APP immunohistochemical stained slices,and the percentage of positive area and integral optical density(IOD)in the brainstem pyramidal tract area of the slices were determined.The MEP groups were divided in the same manner as the IHC groups and the MEP amplitudes of the MEP and control groups were measured after the impact injury experiment.Results With an increase in the degree of injury,the decrease in MEP amplitude,percentage of positive areas,and IOD in the injury groups significantly increased.When the degree of injury was low,the sensitivity of IHC was higher than that of MEP.When the degree of injury was the same,the HIC in the LM direction was lower than that in the AP direction.When the HIC was the same,the degree of injury in the LM direction was greater than that in the AP direction.Conclusions The joint evaluation of MEP and β-APP can provide experimental references for the study of HIC equivalent conversion in AP-LM craniocerebral impact injury.

Objective To compare the effect of internal iliac artery block using balloon of different properties in cesarean section for delivery female patients with pernicious placenta previa(PPP).Methods The clinical data of 82 delivery female patients with PPP were retrospectively analyzed.The patients were divided into observation group(n=40)and control group(n=42).The patients of the observation group received compliant Fogarty balloon block of bilateral internal iliac arteries,while the patients of the control group received non-compliant balloon block of bilateral internal iliac arteries.The preoperative and postoperative systolic blood pressure and heart rate,X-ray fluoroscopy time,fetal body surface radiation dose,time spent for cesarean section,intraoperative blood loss amount and blood transfusion quantity,uterine artery embolization rate,hysterectomy rate,1-,5-,and 10-minute neonatal Apgar scores,postoperative hospital stay,and surgery-related complications were compared between the two groups.Results In all patients of both groups,the uterus was successfully preserved and the bilateral internal iliac artery balloon obstruction-assisted cesarean section was successfully accomplished.After the balloon catheter was withdrawn,uterine artery embolization was carried out in some patients,and no patient received ovarian artery embolization and hysterectomy.No statistically significant differences in preoperative,postoperative systolic blood pressure and heart rate existed between the two groups,but in both groups the postoperative systolic blood pressure and heart rate were lower than their preoperative values(all P＜0.05).No statistically significant differences in X-ray fluoroscopy time,fetal body surface radiation dose,uterine artery embolization rate,hysterectomy rate,1-,5-,and 10-minute neonatal Apgar scores,and postoperative hospital stay existed between the two groups.In the observation group the time spent for cesarean section,intraoperative blood loss amount and blood transfusion quantity were lower than those in the control group(all P＜0.05).The difference in the incidence of balloon obstruction-related complications between the two groups was not statistically significant.Conclusion In cesarean section for delivery female patients with PPP,balloon block of bilateral internal iliac,regardless of using compliant Fogarty balloon catheter or non-compliant balloon catheter,is clinically safe and effective.However,the use of compliant Fogarty balloon catheter is superior to the use of non-compliant balloon catheter in reducing the cesarean section operative time,intraoperative blood loss amount,and intraoperative blood transfusion quantity.

Humans ; Hypertension, Pulmonary/surgery* ; Learning Curve ; Angioplasty, Balloon ; Pulmonary Embolism/therapy* ; Chronic Disease ; Pulmonary Artery/surgery*

Objective:To analyze the temperature difference of benign and malignant parotid gland tumors in preoperative infrared thermography (IRT), and to provide the basis for predicting tumor properties.Methods:The clinical data of 98 patients with parotid gland tumor admitted to the Department of Oral and maxillofacial Surgery of the First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, from May 2021 to April 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 61 males and 37 females, aged (51.1±16.0) years (10-86 years). In addition to routine examination, the temperature difference between the lesion site of parotid gland and the contralateral mirror area was measured by infrared thermal imager in all patients one day before surgery. The maximum diameter (dmax) and location of the tumor (deep or superficial lobe) were recorded according to preoperative clinical examination and imaging examinations such as CT and ultrasound. The patients were divided into three groups by tumor size: dmax≤2 cm, 2 cm4 cm. The patients were also divided into different groups: deep lobe group and superficial lobe group (according to the tumor location), benign group and malignant group (according to postoperative pathological results). The relationship between temperature difference, pathology, size and location was analyzed.Results:There were 79 cases in the benign group and 19 cases in the malignant group. The temperature difference of the healthy and affected side in the malignant group [(1.73±0.21) ℃] was significantly higher than that in the benign group [(0.73±0.32) ℃] ( t=16.70, P<0.001). There was no significant difference in temperature difference between the healthy and affected sides of tumors with different diameters ( P>0.05). The temperature difference of healthy and affected side of tumor in superficial lobe [(0.97±0.50) ℃] was significantly higher than that in deep lobe [(0.67±0.44) ℃] ( t=2.24, P=0.028). Conclusions:The difference of temperature difference between benign and malignant parotid gland tumors detected by IRT is statistically significant, which can be used to predict tumor properties, and has certain clinical application value.

Objective : To investigate the activation of the mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) signaling pathway molecules during the process by which kaempferol (Kae) promotes osteogenic differentiation of mouse bone marrow mesenchymal cells (BMMCs) under cyclic and uniaxial tension. Methods : BMMCs isolated and cultured in vitro were subjected to uniaxial dynamic tension with a 10% shape variable. The appropriate concentration of Kae was selected by cytotoxicity testing. The endogenous mTOR signal was inhibited by pp242. Four hours after traction, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and osteocalcin (OCN) were detected by chemical colorimetry and ELISA, and the relative concentration of intracellular calcium was detected by flow cytometry. Phosphorylation of mTOR, 4E/BP1, and ribosomal protein S6 kinases (S6K), which are the main molecules of the endogenous mTORC1 signaling pathway, and expression of osteogenic transcription factors (Runx2 and Osterix) were detected by western blotting (WB), and mRNA expression levels of the above factors were detected by qRT-PCR. Results : The cytotoxicity test showed that 10 μmol/L Kae had little inhibitory effect on cell proliferation but had the strongest osteogenic ability. Four hours after stretching, Kae effectively promoted the osteogenic differentiation of BMMCs. The expression of ALP was （153.04 ± 18.72） U/mg, the expression of OCN was （1.64 ± 0.25） U. The mRNA and protein levels of Runx2 and Osterix were upregulated, and the intracellular calcium content was decreased. The mRNA and protein phosphorylation of mTOR and S6K was upregulated, and the opposite effect was observed with 4E/BP1. After pp242 was added to inhibit mTOR signaling, mTOR and S6K mRNA and protein phosphorylation were downregulated, but 4E/BP1 mRNA and protein phosphorylation was upregulated. The osteogenic differentiation of BMMCs was also significantly inhibited, mRNA and protein expression of Runx2 and Osterix were significantly downregulated, ALP and OCN expression were downregulated, and intracellular calcium content was increased. Conclusion Kae promotes osteogenic differentiation of mouse BMMCs under uniaxial dynamic tension through the mTORC1 signaling pathway.

cFos is one of the most widely-studied genes in the field of neuroscience. Currently, there is no systematic database focusing on cFos in neuroscience. We developed a curated database-cFos-ANAB-a cFos-based web tool for exploring activated neurons and associated behaviors in rats and mice, comprising 398 brain nuclei and sub-nuclei, and five associated behaviors: pain, fear, feeding, aggression, and sexual behavior. Direct relationships among behaviors and nuclei (even cell types) under specific stimulating conditions were constructed based on cFos expression profiles extracted from original publications. Moreover, overlapping nuclei and sub-nuclei with potentially complex functions among different associated behaviors were emphasized, leading to results serving as important clues to the development of valid hypotheses for exploring as yet unknown circuits. Using the analysis function of cFos-ANAB, multi-layered pictures of networks and their relationships can quickly be explored depending on users' purposes. These features provide a useful tool and good reference for early exploration in neuroscience. The cFos-ANAB database is available at www.cfos-db.net .
Animals ; Fear ; Mice ; Neurons ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos ; Rats

Background: The gut microbial dysbiosis and gender differences in the pathogenesis of acne vulgaris have long been postulated respectively. However, there was no data about a genderrelated discrepancy in gut microbiota and microbial metabolism in acne. Objective: This study aimed at identifying the underlying gender-related difference in gut microbiota and metabolism in acne vulgaris. Methods: Fecal samples were collected from 43 acne patients and 43 age and gender-matched controls. Gut microbiota was analyzed by sequencing the V3-V4 region of 16SrDNA gene and microbial metabolites were quantitatively detected using gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Results: Compared with healthy controls, the men had a lower abundance of 18 microbes such as Butyricicoccus, Clostridium sensu stricto, Faecalibaculum, Bacillus, Lactococcus, Blautia, Clostridiales, Lachnospiracea incertae sedis, Ruminococcus at genus level. However, the female patients only showed increased Clostridium sensu stricto and declined Oscillibacter and Odoribacterin. Additionally, the disordered metabolism of fatty acids was identified in male patients, while the dysbiosis of amino acids metabolism in female ones. Conclusion The disorder of gut microbiota and metabolism in acne vulgaris was genderspecific, which supported the potential role of gender difference in the pathogenesis of this disease.