Expert consensus on difficulty assessment of endodontic therapy

Endodontic diseases are a kind of chronic infectious oral disease. Common endodontic treatment concepts are based on the removal of inflamed or necrotic pulp tissue and the replacement by gutta-percha. However, it is very essential for endodontic treatment to debride the root canal system and prevent the root canal system from bacterial reinfection after root canal therapy(RCT). Recent research, encompassing bacterial etiology and advanced imaging techniques, contributes to our understanding of the root canal system’s anatomy intricacies and the technique sensitivity of RCT. Success in RCT hinges on factors like patients, infection severity, root canal anatomy, and treatment techniques. Therefore, improving disease management is a key issue to combat endodontic diseases and cure periapical lesions. The clinical difficulty assessment system of RCT is established based on patient conditions, tooth conditions, root canal configuration, and root canal needing retreatment, and emphasizes pre-treatment risk assessment for optimal outcomes. The findings suggest that the presence of risk factors may correlate with the challenge of achieving the high standard required for RCT. These insights contribute not only to improve education but also aid practitioners in treatment planning and referral decision-making within the field of endodontics.

A Review on Silk Fibroin as a Biomaterial in Tissue Engineering

Regenerative medicine progress is based on the development of cell and tissue bioengineering. One of the aims of tissue engineering is the development of scaffolds, which should substitute the functions of the replaced organ after their implantation into the body. The tissue engineering material must meet a range of requirements, including biocompatibility, mechanical strength, and elasticity. Furthermore, the materials have to be attractive for cell growth: stimulate cell adhesion, migration, proliferation and differentiation. One of the natural biomaterials is silk and its component (silk fibroin). An increasing number of scientists in the world are studying silk and silk fibroin. The purpose of this review article is to provide information about the properties of natural silk (silk fibroin), as well as its manufacture and clinical application of each configuration of silk fibroin in medicine. Materials and research methods. Actual publications of foreign authors on resources PubMed, Medline, E-library have been analyzed. The selection criteria were materials containing information about the structure and components of silk, methods of its production in nature. This article placed strong emphasis on silk fibroin, the ways of artificial modification of it for use in various sphere of medicine.

Identification of Hirudo Species from Different Sources

[Objectives] To identify the species of Hirudo from different sources. [Methods] In accordance with morphological, anatomical and molecular taxonomic characteristics, the identification conclusion was drawn. [Results] The living samples of Hirudo belong to 1 order, 2 families, 3 genera and 5 species, and the dry samples of medicinal leeches belong to 4 species. [Conclusions] The sources of medicinal leeches are complex, and there is a problem that Hirudo from different basic sources are mixed for medication.

Helicobacter pylori infection with intestinal metaplasia: An independent risk factor for colorectal adenomas

AIM To explore the association between Helicobacter pylori(H. pylori) infection status, intestinal metaplasia(IM), and colorectal adenomas.METHODS We retrospectively reviewed 1641 individuals aged ≥ 40 years who underwent physical examination, laboratory testing, 13C-urea breath testing, gastroscopy, colonoscopy, and an interview to ascertain baseline characteristics and general state of health. Histopathological results were obtained by gastric and colorectal biopsies.RESULTS The prevalence of H. pylori infection and adenomas was 51.5%(845/1641) and 18.1%(297/1641), respectively. H. pylori infection was significantly correlated with an increased risk of colorectal adenomas(crude OR = 1.535, 95%CI: 1.044-1.753, P = 0.022; adjusted OR = 1.359, 95%CI: 1.035-1.785, P = 0.028). Individuals with IM had an elevated risk of colorectal adenomas(crude OR = 1.664, 95%CI: 1.216-2.277, P = 0.001; adjusted OR = 1.381, 95%CI: 0.998-1.929, P = 0.059). Stratification based on H. pylori infection stage and IM revealed that IM accompanied by H. pylori infection was significantly associated with an increased risk of adenomas(crude OR = 2.109, 95%CI: 1.383-3.216, P= 0.001; adjusted OR = 1.765, 95%CI: 1.130-2.757, P = 0.012).CONCLUSION H. pylori-related IM is associated with a high risk of colorectal adenomas in Chinese individuals.

Research Progress of Hirudo

This article reviews the species,identification,chemical composition and pharmacological effects of hirudo.Hirudo is widely sourced,difficult to identify,contains a variety of active ingredients,and has a variety of pharmacological effects.In-depth research on hirudo is of great significance to the quality control and clinical application of hirudo.

Age, alcohol, sex, and metabolic factors as risk factors for colonic diverticulosis

BACKGROUND The pathogenesis of colonic diverticulosis is not well understood.Moreover,only a few studies on colonic diverticulosis have been reported in China's Mainland.AIM To evaluate the prevalence of and risk factors for asymptomatic colorectal diverticulosis in Eastern China.METHODS From August 2016 to July 2020,6180 asymptomatic individuals were enrolled in this cross-sectional study.These individuals had undergone physical examinations,laboratory testing,and colonoscopy.Data regarding the baseline characteristics and their general health status were obtained through interviews.RESULTS The prevalence of colonic diverticulosis was 7.3%(449/6180).Colonic diverticulosis was detected predominantly on the right side of the colon(88.4%).Logistic regression analysis revealed that an age≥60 years(adjusted odds ratio[OR]2.149,95%confidence interval[CI]1.511-3.057,P<0.001),male sex(adjusted OR:1.878,95%CI:1.373-2.568,P<0.001),obesity(adjusted OR:1.446,95%CI:1.100-1.902,P=0.008),alcohol intake(adjusted OR:1.518,95%CI:1.213-1.901,P<0.001),hypertension(adjusted OR:1.454,95%CI:1.181-1.789,P<0.001),hypertriglyceridemia(adjusted OR:1.287,95%CI:1.032-1.607,P=0.025),and hyperuricemia(adjusted OR:1.570,95%CI:1.257-1.961,P<0.001)significantly increased the risk of colonic diverticulosis.CONCLUSION Advanced age,male sex,alcohol intake,obesity,and other metabolic-related factors,such as hypertension,hypertriglyceridemia,and hyperuricemia,were independent risk factors for colonic diverticulosis.Understanding the true prevalence of colonic diverticulosis and its associated risk factors will aid in its prevention and treatment.

Culture and Sustainable Utilization of Hirudos

In this paper,the resource distribution,pharmacological action and culture status of hirudos were reviewed.Hirudo resources are widely distributed and have a variety of pharmacological effects,but culture is difficult,so the scientific development of hirudos culture and solving the problem of hirudos breeding can alleviate the contradiction in the medicine market and contribute to the sustainable development of hirudo medicine.

Flexible and multifunctional triboelectric nanogenerator based on liquid metal/polyvinyl alcohol hydrogel for energy harvesting and self-powered wearable human-machine interaction

Hydrogel-based triboelectric nanoge nerator(TENG)has a promising applied prospect in wearable electronic devices.However,its low performance,poor stability,insufficient recyclability and inferior self-healing seriously hinder its development.Herein,we report a robust route to a liquid metal(LM)/polyvinyl alcohol(PVA)hydrogel-based TENG(LP-TENG).Owing to the intrinsically liquid feature of conductive LM within the flexible PVA hydrogel,the as-prepared LP-TENG exhibited comprehensiye advantages of adaptability,biocompatibility,outstanding electrical performance,superior stability,recyclability and diverse applications,which were unattainable by traditional systems.Concretely,the LP-TENG delivered appealing open circuit voltage of 250 V,short circuit current of 4μA and transferred charge of 120 nC with high stability,outperforming most advanced TENG systems.The LP-TENG was successfully employed for versatile applications with multifunctionality,including human motion detection,handwriting recognition,energy collection,message transmission and human-machine interaction.This work presents significant prospects for crafting advanced materials and devices in the fields of wearable electronics,flexible skin and smart robots.

Machine learning will revolutionize perovskite solar cells

With the emergence of ChatGPT and its rapid iteration speed,artificial intelligence(AI)has undoubtedly become the driving force behind a new wave of technological revolution.After more than half a century of development,AI has become akin to the steam engine of the Industrial Revolution,propelling humanity into the era of intelligence.The global industrial chain has also recognized that AI technology will spearhead a new wave of industrial transformation and development.Machine learning(ML),driven by data,abstracts real-life problems into mathematical problems and solves them using computers.It is currently the mainstream method for addressing many AI problems.Perovskite solar cells(PSCs)are currently the focus of researchers around the world due to their high efficiency,low cost,and simple manufacturing process.They are considered the most promising third-generation solar cell for commercialization.In 2011,the United States proposed the Materials Genome Initiative(MGI).The main idea is to utilize the“trinity”approach of computing,data,and experiments to transform the conventional“trial and error”model of materials research and development,which relies heavily on experience and experimentation,in order to enhance the quality,speed of discovery,development,production,and application of new materials.Driven by the MGI,research on the combination of ML with great application potential and rapidly developing PSC(ML&PSC)emerged(Figure 1).

[(CH_(3))_(4)N]_(2)Mn_(0.6)Zn_(0.4)Br_(4):Lead-free MnII-based hybrid halide with high photoluminescence quantum yield for backlight displays

High efficient lead halide perovskites with wide-color gamut properties have emerged as new candidates for backlight displays.However,the toxicity of lead and the instability of halide perovskites greatly limit their practical applications.Herein,the luminescent powders of[(CH_(3))4N]2MnBr_(4)and[(CH_(3))4N]MnBr3 were synthesized via a simple yet robust solvent evaporation method.[(CH_(3))4N]2MnBr_(4)with tetrahedral coordination Mn^(2+)and[(CH_(3))4N]MnBr3 with octahedral coordination Mn^(2+)show green at 517 nm and red emission peaks at 620 nm,respectively,originating from the^(4)T1-^(6)A_(1)transition of Mn^(2+).To enhance optical of manganese halide via effective alloying,Zn^(2+)-doped[(CH_(3))4N]2MnBr_(4)was successfully prepared,and the quantum efficiency of[(CH_(3))_(4)N]_(2)Mn_(0.6)Zn_(0.4)Br_(4)was as high as 65%.Furthermore,[(CH_(3))4N]2Mn0.6Zn0.4Br_(4)exhibits better optical and thermal stability compared to[(CH_(3))4N]2MnBr_(4).[(CH_(3))_(4)N]_(2)Mn_(0.6)Zn_(0.4)Br_(4)@CsPbBr_(1.2)I_(1.8)light conversion films with different green-to-red ratios are placed in backlight display devices,and their color gamut exceeds 106%of the National Television Standards Committee(NTSC)1953 standard,which is superior to the currently reported Mn-based perovskite.This work broadly shows that the[(CH_(3))_(4)N]_(2)Mn_(0.6)Zn_(0.4)Br_(4)will provide effective route to fabricate stable and high-performance lead-free liquid crystal displays.