Unveiling the oral-gut connection:chronic apical periodontitis accelerates atherosclerosis via gut microbiota dysbiosis and altered metabolites in apoE^(−/−)Mice on a high-fat diet

The aim of this study was to explore the impact of chronic apical periodontitis(CAP)on atherosclerosis in apoE^(−/−)mice fed high-fat diet(HFD).This investigation focused on the gut microbiota,metabolites,and intestinal barrier function to uncover potential links between oral health and cardiovascular disease(CVD).In this study,CAP was shown to exacerbate atherosclerosis in HFD-fed apoE^(−/−)mice,as evidenced by the increase in plaque size and volume in the aortic walls observed via Oil Red O staining.16S rRNA sequencing revealed significant alterations in the gut microbiota,with harmful bacterial species thriving while beneficial species declining.Metabolomic profiling indicated disruptions in lipid metabolism and primary bile acid synthesis,leading to elevated levels of taurochenodeoxycholic acid(TCDCA),taurocholic acid(TCA),and tauroursodeoxycholic acid(TDCA).These metabolic shifts may contribute to atherosclerosis development.Furthermore,impaired intestinal barrier function,characterized by reduced mucin expression and disrupted tight junction proteins,was observed.The increased intestinal permeability observed was positively correlated with the severity of atherosclerotic lesions,highlighting the importance of the intestinal barrier in cardiovascular health.In conclusion,this research underscores the intricate interplay among oral health,gut microbiota composition,metabolite profiles,and CVD incidence.These findings emphasize the importance of maintaining good oral hygiene as a potential preventive measure against cardiovascular issues,as well as the need for further investigations into the intricate mechanisms linking oral health,gut microbiota,and metabolic pathways in CVD development.

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.

Development and Clinical Application of Shapeable Head Braking Device

Objecfive:To evaluate the application effect of a plastic head brake device after radical resection of oral malignant tumors and flap repair for defects.Methods:2018-2019 years,5 months Sun Yat-sen Memorial patients oral and maxillofacial surgery for oral malignant tumor resection surgery period skin flaps hospital 150 patients randomly divided into groups.Test groups 70 examples and the control group of 80 cases,two different head braking methods were used.The experimental group used a self-designed head brake device,which was prepared to suit the height of the patient before operation.lt was used from 0 to 3 days after operation.After the operation,the head lateral range was adjusted according to the braking requirements,and the pillow height was adjusted.The control group wrapped a 500g salt bag with a treatment towel on both sides of the patient's head for head braking.The incidence of flap vascular crisis,head and neck deviation,head occipital pressure ulcer incidence and patient comfort during braking were evaluated in both groups.ResuIts:The occurrence of vascular crisis in patients with oral tumors was significantly corelated with the patient's gender,alcoholism,and head movement(P0.05),and the movement of patients'head and neck was also significantly correlated with the occurrence of vascular crisis.Compared with the control group,the experimental group had sigmificant differences in head and neck deviation,incidence of vascular crisis,incidence of head ulcer pressure ulcers and patient comfort(P<0.05).Conclusion:The degree of head movement and incidence of vascular crisis in patients Closely related.Mouldable head brake device has more than ordinary salt bag ProA better head and neck braking effect can significantly reduce the incidence of postoperative vascular crisis,improve patient comfort,and have a better clinical application effect.In addition,this device can also be used repeatedly,reducing economic costs and better improving the satisfaction of doctors,nurses and patients.

Mesoscale interplay among composition heterogeneity,lattice deformation,and redox stratification in single-crystalline layered oxide cathode

Single-crystalline layered oxide materials for lithium-ion batteries are featured by their excellent capacity retention over their polycrystalline counterparts,making them sought-after cathode candidates.Their capacity degradation,however,becomes more severe under high-voltage cycling,hindering many high-energy applications.It has long been speculated that the interplay among composition heterogeneity,lattice deformation,and redox stratification could be a driving force for the performance decay.The underlying mechanism,however,is not well-understood.In this study,we use X-ray microscopy to systematically examine single-crystalline NMC particles at the mesoscale.This technique allows us to capture detailed signals of diffraction,spectroscopy,and fluorescence,offering spatially resolved multimodal insights.Focusing on early high-voltage charging cycles,we uncover heterogeneities in valence states and lattice structures that are inherent rather than caused by electrochemical abuse.These heterogeneities are closely associated with compositional variations within individual particles.Our findings provide useful insights for refining material synthesis and processing for enhanced battery longevity and efficiency.

Resolution-enhanced X-ray fluorescence microscopy via deep residual networks

Multimodal hard X-ray scanning probe microscopy has been extensively used to study functional materials providing multiple contrast mechanisms.For instance,combining ptychography with X-ray fluorescence(XRF)microscopy reveals structural and chemical properties simultaneously.While ptychography can achieve diffraction-limited spatial resolution,the resolution of XRF is limited by the X-ray probe size.Here,we develop a machine learning(ML)model to overcome this problem by decoupling the impact of the X-ray probe from the XRF signal.The enhanced spatial resolution was observed for both simulated and experimental XRF data,showing superior performance over the state-of-the-art scanning XRF method with different nano-sized X-ray probes.Enhanced spatial resolutions were also observed for the accompanying XRF tomography reconstructions.Using this probe profile deconvolution with the proposed ML solution to enhance the spatial resolution of XRF microscopy will be broadly applicable across both functional materials and biological imaging with XRF and other related application areas.

X-ray focusing with efficient high-NA multilayer Laue lenses

Multilayer Laue lenses are volume diffraction elements for the efficient focusing of X-rays.With a new manufacturing technique that we introduced,it is possible to fabricate lenses of sufficiently high numerical aperture(NA)to achieve focal spot sizes below 10 nm.The alternating layers of the materials that form the lens must span a broad range of thicknesses on the nanometer scale to achieve the necessary range of X-ray deflection angles required to achieve a high NA.This poses a challenge to both the accuracy of the deposition process and the control of the materials properties,which often vary with layer thickness.We introduced a new pair of materials—tungsten carbide and silicon carbide—to prepare layered structures with smooth and sharp interfaces and with no material phase transitions that hampered the manufacture of previous lenses.Using a pair of multilayer Laue lenses(MLLs)fabricated from this system,we achieved a two-dimensional focus of 8.4×6.8 nm2 at a photon energy of 16.3 keV with high diffraction efficiency and demonstrated scanning-based imaging of samples with a resolution well below 10 nm.The high NA also allowed projection holographic imaging with strong phase contrast over a large range of magnifications.An error analysis indicates the possibility of achieving 1 nm focusing.