Search

Abstract Background To verify the validity of diagnosing initial caries on occlusal surface of permanent posterior teeth by laser fluorescence instrument DIAGNOdent pen. Methods Patients from School of Stomatology in Wuhan University were selected and their posterior teeth were examined using DIAGNOdent pen and the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS II) by an experienced dentist. After teeth extraction, histological criteria were used to determine the severity of the lesions. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, the area under the curve (AUC), and correlation of DIAGNOdent pen and ICDAS II were analyzed compared with histological criteria. Examiners’ agreement was measured. Results The sensitivity range was 0.440-1 while that of specificity was 0.750–0.994. The accuracy and AUC were above 80% and 0.7 respectively. Consistency of examiners’ kappa values of ICDAS II, DIAGNOdent pen, and histological criteria were ranged from 0.629 to 0.840. Conclusions ICDAS II and DIAGNOdent pen can be effectively used in tandem or independently for the assessment of initial caries.

We applied Mendelian randomization to explore the causal relationship between obesity and benign paroxysmal vertigo (BPV).

Background The disease burden of esophageal cancer is high in China, more and more studies have shown that tobacco has a greater adverse effect on the development of esophageal cancer. Objective To understand trends in esophageal cancer deaths and burden of disease attributable to tobacco in China from 1990 to 2019, and provide data to inform the development of public health policies and interventions. Methods Global burden of disease 2019 (GBD 2019) data were used to extract the age-specific and sex-specific data on esophageal cancer deaths attributable to tobacco in China from 1990 to 2019. Mortality, disability adjusted life years (DALYs) , years of life lost (YLLs) , and disability adjusted life years (YLDs) were used to assess the disease burden of esophageal cancer attributable to tobacco in China. Joinpoint regression software and age-period-cohort modeling methods were applied to analyze the trends of disease burden and mortality with age, period and cohort. the Bayesian-period-cohort analysis (BAPC) was applied to predict the mortality rate of esophageal cancer attributable to tobacco in China from 2020 to 2030. Results From 1990 to 2019, the number of deaths caused by esophageal cancer attributable to tobacco among Chinese residents rose from 76 400 to 123 900, with an increase of 62.17%, and the standardized mortality rate declined from 9.30/100 000 to 6.20/100 000, with a decrease of 33.33%; the DALYs rose from 1 972 500 person-years to 2 822 600 person-years, with an increase of 43.10%, and the DALYs rate decreased from 220.50/100 000 to 134.47/100 000, with a decrease of 39.02%. In terms of gender, the disease burden of esophageal cancer attributable to tobacco was mainly caused by males, with 117 700 deaths and a standardized mortality rate of 12.82/100 000 in 2019 due to tobacco-attributable esophageal cancer in males, compared to 0.62 million deaths number and a standardized mortality rate of 0.63/100 000 in females. In 2019, the number of esophageal cancer deaths attributable to tobacco among Chinese residents peaked in the age group of >69-74 years, while DALYs peaked in the age group of >64-69 years, at 23 000 and 510 300 cases, respectively. The mortality rate continued to increase with age, especially after 50 years of age. The results of Joinpoint regression analysis showed that the average annual percent change (AAPC) of esophageal cancer mortality attributable to tobacco was -1.4%〔95%CI (-1.6%, -1.2%) 〕 in China from 1990 to 2019, with -3.3%〔95%CI (-3.6%, -2.9%) 〕 for females, and -1.3%〔95%CI (-1.4%, -1.1%) 〕 for males; the AAPC for DALYs rate was -1.7%〔95%CI (-1.9%, -1.5%) 〕, with -3.7%〔95%CI (-4.0%, -3.4%) 〕 for females and -1.5%〔95%CI (-1.7%, -1.3%) 〕 for males. Analysis of the age-period-cohort model of mortality from esophageal cancer attributable to tobacco showed a negative net offset of -1.690%〔95%CI (-2.024%, -1.354%) 〕. It is expected that the number of deaths and mortality rate from tobacco-attributable esophageal cancer among Chinese residents will be relatively stable with a small decrease from 2020 to 2030, with mortality rates declining from 12.64/100 000 in 2020 to 12.63/100 000 in 2030 for males, and from 0.6/100 000 in 2020 to 0.46/100 000 for females. Conclusion Mortality rate and DALYs rate due to tobacco-attributable esophageal cancer among Chinese residents increased and then declined from 1990 to 2019. The burden of disease due to tobacco-attributable esophageal cancer is mainly caused by males in term of gender, by middle-aged and elderly people by age, which should be given sufficient attention. It is expected that the number of deaths and mortality rates from tobacco-attributable esophageal cancer will be stable and slightly decreasing from 2020 to 2030.

Background Diabetes is highly prevalent in China, the prevention and treatment of it and its related complications need a lot of medical resources. Local reports have revealed that although the mortality of diabetes is declining, the burden of diabetes is still increasing. Objective To understand the epidemiological characteristics and burden of diabetes in China from 1990—2019, forecast the incidence of diabetes in China from 2020 to 2030, to provide data for evaluating and formulating diabetes-related prevention and treatment policies and measures. Methods In August 2022, this study used data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. Temporal trends of the incidence, mortality, disability-adjusted life years (DALY), years of life lost (YLL), and years lost due to a disability (YLD) of diabetes in China from 1990 to 2019 were described. The Bayesian-age-period-cohort analysis was used to predict the incidence of diabetes in China from 2020 to 2030. Results Compared with 1990, in 2019, the crude prevalence of diabetes increased to 265.45/100 000, with an increase of 63.12%, the standardized prevalence of diabetes increased to 204.31/100 000, with an increase of 15.93%, the crude mortality rate of diabetes increased to 12.16/100 000, with an increase of 105.41%, and the standardized mortality rate of diabetes increased to 9.44/100 000, with an increase of 2.61%. The YLL rate decreased from 204.71/100 000 in 1990 to 178.45/100 000 in 2019. The YLD rate increased from 260.74/100 000 in 1990 to 316.30/100 000 in 2019. The DALY rate increased from 465.46/100 000 in 1990 to 494.76/100 000 in 2019. Compared with 1990, the DALY rate of diabetes increased by 21.08% in males and decreased by 6.68% in females. The YLL rate, YLD rate and DALY rate increased with age in 2019. According to the prediction of the standardized incidence of diabetes in China from 2020 to 2030, the overall standardized incidence of diabetes would present a decreasing trend during the period, and the standardized incidence of diabetes in 2030 would decrease by 11.45% in men and 18.60% in women compared with 2020. Conclusion The burden of diabetes in China is still heavy, with a large number of illness cases and decreased cases, mainly manifested by a high burden caused by diabetes-related disability. Attention should be paid to early prevention of diabetes to reduce the occurrence of complications. The disease burden of males and middle-aged and elderly people is heavy, so sufficient attention should be paid to them. Although the predicted diabetes incidence will reduce between 2020 and 2030, the number of patients is still increasing, so the prevention and control of diabetes should not be slack.

Utilizing over 31   000 Lg waveforms from 136 crustal earthquakes recorded at 346 regional stations, we conduct detailed tomographic mappings of the Lg Q structure across Eastern Asia in a frequency range from 0.5 to 4.0 Hz. By improving the standard two-station (TS) method, we effectively correct non-unity site response ratios using site responses estimated at individual stations. This innovative approach combines the flexible recording geometry of the TS method with the precision of reversed two-station (RTS) and reversed two-event (RTE) methods, producing a comprehensive data set devoid of source and site effects for Q tomography. To address unsolvable 3-D structural effects in the Lg spectral amplitude modelling, we justify these as modelling errors with a Gaussian distribution. This approach supports our SVD-based tomographic method, allowing for effective inversion of attenuation parameters and quantitative assessment of model resolution and errors. Our results reveal a complex relationship between Lg Q and the tectonic characteristics of Eastern Asia. In well-resolved regions, low Q o (1-Hz Q) values correspond to areas with high heat flow, partial melt, thick sediment and recent tectonic-thermal activities, in contrast to high Q o values in stable, ancient crusts lacking recent tectonic activity. Rift basins are characterized by low Lg Q o, whereas flexural basins generally have high Q o basements. We also note that post-formation factors, such as sedimentation and crustal flow intrusion, significantly impact Q o values. Furthermore, Lg Q shows a complex frequency relationship, though the power-law approximation with positive power η remains useful. The frequency dependence power η is inversely related to Q o: the regions with low Q o typically have high η and vice versa. This study provides reliable attenuation tomographic and relative site response models for Lg waves in Eastern Asia, pertinent for relative geophysical studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanographene oxide (nGO) flakes—graphene oxide with a lateral size of ≈100 nm or less—hold great promise for superior flux and energy‐efficient nanofiltration membranes for desalination and precise ionic sieving owing to their unique high‐density water channels with less tortuousness. However, their potential usage is currently limited by several challenges, including the tricky self‐assembly of nano‐sized flakes on substrates with micron‐sized pores, severe swelling in aqueous solutions, and mechanical instability. Herein, the successful fabrication of a robust membrane stacked with nGO flakes on a substrate with a pore size of 0.22 µm by vacuum filtration is reported. This membrane achieved an unprecedented water permeance above 819.1 LMH bar−1, with a high rejection rate of 99.7% for multivalent metal ions. The nGO flakes prepared using an electron beam irradiation method, have uniquely pure hydroxyl groups and abundant aromatic regions. The calculations revealed the strong hydrogen bonds between two nGO flakes, which arise from hydroxyl groups, coupled with hydrophobic aromatic regions, greatly enhance the stability of stacked flakes in aqueous solutions and increase their effective lateral size. The research presents a simple yet effective approach toward the fabrication of advanced 2D nanographene membranes with superior performance for ion sieving applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chromosomal 1q gains and amplifications (+1q21) are frequently observed in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM). However, the interpretation of the high‐risk (HR) prognostic implications stemming from 1q21 abnormalities remain challenging to implement effectively. Methods: In a comprehensive analysis of 367 consecutive patients with symptomatic MM, we assessed the prognostic significance of +1q21 using FISH with a threshold of 7.4%. The patient cohort was randomly divided into a training set (66.5%, n = 244) and a validation set (33.5%, n = 133). A multivariate Cox regression analysis was conducted to identify significant prognostic factors associated with PFS. Weight scores were assigned to each risk factor based on the β‐value of the corresponding regression coefficient. A predictive risk‐scoring model involving +1q21 was then developed, utilizing the total score derived from these weight scores. The model's discriminative ability was evaluated using the AUC in both the training and validation sets. Finally, we compared the performance of the +1q21‐involved risk with the established R‐ISS and R2‐ISS models. Results: Upon initial diagnosis, 159 patients (43.32%) exhibited +1q21, with 94 (59.11%) having three copies, referred to as Gain(1q21), and 65 (40.89%) possessing four or more copies, referred to as Amp (1q21). Both were significantly linked to a reduced PFS in myeloma (p < 0.05), which could be effectively mitigated by ASCT. The +1q21‐involved risk model, with an AUC of 0.697 in the training set and 0.725 in the validation set, was constructed including Gain(1q21), Amp(1q21), no‐ASCT, and TP53 deletion. This model, termed the ultra‐high‐risk (UHR) model, demonstrated superior performance in predicting shorter PFS compared to the R‐ISS stage 3 and R2‐ISS stage 4. Conclusion: The UHR model, which integrates the presence of +1q21 with no‐ASCT and TP53 deletion, is designed to identify the early relapse subgroup among patients with +1q21 in NDMM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To compare the outcomes associated with the use of probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics for the treatment of chronic constipation in adults. Methods: We searched eight electronic databases from database inception to July 11, 2023, to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that report efficacy and safety for the treatment of chronic constipation. The risk of bias in the included RCTs was evaluated according to the Cochrane tool, and the certainty of the evidence was assessed using the Confidence in Network Meta-Analysis framework. The analysis was conducted using R version 4.3.0. Results: Out of the 37 RCTs, a total of 21 different types of interventions were reported, involving 3,903 patients. This NMA demonstrated that both prebiotics and synbiotics resulted in an increase in frequency of stool movements per week. Compared to placebo, lactulose (Mean difference [MD] = 3.39, 95% Confdence interval [CI] [1.13, 5.65], moderate certainty), mix2 (consisting of Lactulose and Bacillus coagulans) (MD = 3.63, 95% CI [1.37, 5.89], moderate certainty), mix6 (consisting of Lactulose and Bifidobacterium coagulans) (MD = 4.30, 95% CI [1.04, 7.54], low certainty), and mix7 (consisting of Lactulose, Bifidobacterium subtilis, and Enterococcus faecium) (MD = 4.58, 95% CI [1.35, 7.78], moderate certainty) exhibited a significant effect. Notably, mix7 demonstrated the highest probability of being the most effective intervention (94.8%). Furthermore, when compared to L. plantarum, four probiotics and two synbiotics showed significant advantages in the Patient Assessment of Constipation Symptoms (PAC-SYM) score. L. reuteri (MD = -13.74, 95% CI [-22.20, -4.66], very low certainty) exhibited a significant effect in improving the Patient Assessment of Constipation Quality of Life (PAC-QoL) score. In terms of safety, there were no statistically significant differences between the intervention and control groups in all adverse event analyses. Conclusions: Moderate to very low evidence supports the use of lactulose and synbiotics to increase the number of weekly stool movements in patients, particularly highlighting the significant impact of synbiotics in increasing the number of weekly stool movements in patients with constipation. The use of L. paracasei showed improvements in PAC-SYM scores, while L. reuteri demonstrated enhancements in PAC-QoL scores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Male infertility affects approximately 7% of the male population, and about 15% of these cases are predicted to have a genetic etiology. One gene implicated in autosomal dominant male infertility, SYCP2, encodes a protein critical for the synapsis of homologous chromosomes during meiosis I, resulting in impaired spermatogenesis. However, the clinical validity of the gene–disease pair was previously categorized as on the border of limited and moderate due to few reported cases. This study investigates the genetic cause of infertility for three unrelated Chinese patients with oligoasthenozoospermia. Whole exome sequencing (WES) and subsequent Sanger sequencing revealed novel heterozygous loss-of-function (LOF) variants in SYCP2 (c.89dup, c.946_947del, and c.4378_4379del). These cases, combined with the previously reported cases, provide strong genetic evidence supporting an autosomal dominant inheritance pattern. The experimental evidence also demonstrates a critical role for SYCP2 in spermatogenesis. Collectively, this updated assessment of the genetic and experimental evidence upgrades the gene–disease association strength of SYCP2 and autosomal dominant male infertility from on the border of limited and moderate to strong. The reclassification improves SYCP2 variant interpretation and qualifies it for the inclusion on diagnostic male infertility gene panels and prioritization in whole exome or genome studies for related phenotypes. These findings therefore improve the clinical interpretation of SYCP2 LOF variants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]