Prognostic predictors on the efficacy of oral appliance therapy for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

Objectives: The aim of this study was to identify independent prognostic predictors of the efficacy of oral appliance (OA) therapy for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). Materials and methods: The subjects consisted of 89 patients (77 males and 12 females) in whom OSAS had been treated with an OA. The mean age of the subjects was 52.4 years (range: 20 to 78 years) and mean body mass index (BMI) was 23.9 kg/m2 (range: 17.3 to 32.2 kg/m2). Lateral cephalograms were taken and 15 angle, 15 distance and 5 area measurements were calculated by means of a computerized program. Overnight polysomnography (PSG) was performed before treatment and several months after titration of OA therapy. OA therapy was considered effective if the apnea-hypopnea index several months after titration was under 15 events/h and was reduced to at least 50% of that before treatment. The examined data such as patient age, sex, BMI, data from cephalometric analyses, Epworth sleepiness scale, and data for pretreatment PSG were analyzed statistically, and multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to clarify predictive variables for treatment outcome. Results: LFH (OR = 0.350;p = 0.035) and McN-A (OR = 0.276;p = 0.057) were selected as independent predictors from the explanatory variables. The predictive accuracy of the calculated logistic regression model was 74.2%. Conclusion: This results show that OA therapy for OSAS is more effective in patients with large anteroposterior diameter of the maxilla and large lower facial height.

The famous versus the inconvenient-or the dawn and the rise of 3D-culture systems

One of the greatest impacts on in vitro cell biology was the introduction of three-dimensional(3D)culture systems more than six decades ago and this era may be called the dawn of 3D-tissue culture.Although the advantages were obvious,this field of research was a "sleeping beauty"until the 1970s when multicellular spheroids were discovered as ideal tumor models.With this rebirth,organotypical culture systems became valu-able tools and this trend continues to increase.While in the beginning,simple approaches,such as aggregation culture techniques,were favored due to their simplicity and convenience,now more sophisticated systems are used and are still being developed.One of the boosts in the development of new culture techniques arises from elaborate manufacturing and surface modification tech-niques,especially micro and nano system technologies that have either improved dramatically or have evolved very recently.With the help of these tools,it will soon be possible to generate even more sophisticated and more organotypic-like culture systems.Since 3D per-fused or superfused systems are much more complex to set up and maintain compared to use of petri dishes and culture flasks,the added value of 3D approaches still needs to be demonstrated.

Multi-Factorial Functional Analysis of the Patients with Reconstruction for Oral Carcinoma

This paper is to evaluate postoperative function which has undergone reconstruction with vascularized or pedicled flaps for the treatment of oral carcinomas. The subjects consisted of 22 cases of 17 male and 5 female patients, and their mean age was 55 years. The sites of reconstruction were the tongue in 12 cases, mandible in 10 cases. The reconstruction was performed using deltopectoral (DP) flaps in 6 cases, pectoralis major musculo cutaneous (PMMC) flaps in 3 cases, DP flap + PMMC flap in one case, forearm (FA) flaps in 8 cases and peroneal (P) flaps with fibula in 4 cases. Postoperative masticatory, speech, swallowing functions and facial appearance were evaluated by Multi-factorial analysis. All functional results seem to be related to the type of resection. By multi-factorial analysis, the type of mandibular resection, flap area, and anterior resection were related to the masticatory or speech function in tongue resection. In mandibular resection, masticatory function was subjected to age;speech function was subjected to type of mandibular resection and plate reconstruction. The facial appearance was subjected to flap area. These results suggested that postoperative function was not related to only one factor, but using the classification of each defect site as one of the factor of multi-factorial analysis was useful.

An Experimental Study on the Effects of Platelet Rich Plasma on the Wound Healing of Tooth Extraction-Related Bone Defects

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has been used as a therapeutic tool to promote wound healing, in orthopedics, dermatology, oral surgery, etc. However, the mechanisms underlying the wound healing effects of PRP remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of applying PRP, particularly in the management of tooth extraction sockets. Three upper molars of Fischer rats were extracted, and blood was drawn from the hearts of other rats to prepare PRP. The PRP was activated and applied to the bone defects of the experimental group, and nothing was applied to the bone defects of the control group. On day 3, fibrin network and granulation tissue, which are abundant in blood capillaries, were seen under the PRP layer in the experimental group. On the other hand, only inflammatory cells and a fibrin network were observed in the bone defects of the control group. On day 7, granulation tissue was seen in the bone defects in both the control group and experimental group, although excavation of granulation tissue was noted in the control group. The results demonstrated the presence of a rich fibrin network and early inflammatory reactions in the experimental group, which may lead to rise of thick, vessel-rich granulation tissue. The application of PRP may stimulate wound healing in tooth extraction bone defects, and PRP may confer some beneficial effects on the outcomes.

Application of Hypoxic Exposure Combined with Osteogenic Induction for the Enhancement of Multiple Osteoinductive Capabilities in Rat Mesenchymal Cells

Objective: The enhancement of multiple functions, including osteogenesis, angiogenesis, and cell recruitment, is required for efficient bone regeneration therapy. Recently, special attention has been focused on the microenvironment of stem cells to facilitate bone regeneration. Herein, we examined the effects of various combinations of hypoxic conditions and osteogenic induction on rat mesenchymal cells, to develop a specific protocol for enhancing the multiple cellular functions beneficial to bone regeneration. Methods: Rat mesenchymal cells, isolated from bone marrow, adipose tissue, and periodontal ligament, were examined. The cells were cultured under varied conditions of O2 tension (hypoxia) and duration and timing of hypoxic exposure, with or without osteogenic induction. Consequently, four different protocols were examined by measuring the gene expression levels of Runx2, Vegfa, and Cxcl12, indicating a capability for osteogenesis, angiogenesis, and cell recruitment, respectively. Finally, the mineralization ability of the rat mesenchymal cells was assessed by quantitating their calcified nodule formation. Results: The simultaneous application of hypoxic exposure and osteogenic induction promoted Vegfa expression in all types of cells, but suppressed Runx2. In contrast, hypoxic preconditioning, followed by osteogenic induction, did not increase the expression of these genes;in fact, Vegfa expression decreased significantly. Among the various protocols, 0.5% O2 exposure for 12 h after osteogenic induction exhibited the largest fold changes of gene expression level, especially of Vegfa. Hypoxic post-conditioning enhanced the formation of calcified nodules in periodontal ligament-derived cells. Conclusion: Short-term hypoxic exposure after osteogenic induction could be used to improve the efficiency of mesenchymal cells for bone regeneration.

Flexible wearable sensors:An emerging platform for monitoring of bacterial infection in skin wounds

Persistent inflammatory responses often occur when bacteria and other microorganisms frequently invade and colonize open wounds and eventually result in the formation of chronic wounds.Therefore,achieving real-time detection of invasive bacteria accurately and promptly is essential for efficient wound management and accelerat-ing the healing process.Recently,flexible wearable sensors have garnered significant attention,especially those designed for monitoring real-time biophysical or biochemical signals in wound sites in a minimally invasive manner.They provide more precise and continuous monitoring data,making them as emerging tools for clinical diagnostics.In this review,we first discuss the species and community distribution of different types of bacteria in chronic wounds.Next,we introduce currently developed techniques for detecting bacteria at wound sites.Fol-lowing that,we discuss the recent progress and unresolved issues of various flexible wearable sensors in detecting bacteria at wound sites.We believe that this review can provide meaningful guidance for the development of flexible wearable sensors for bacteria detection.

微结构芯片优化牙种植体穿龈部位形貌特征

目的:通过制备精确控制微结构的材料样品,筛选影响C2C12细胞及S.a和P.g细菌粘附、增殖的关键微结构,探索优化实现软组织密封的经皮/穿龈部位材料形貌特征。方法:①微米结构芯片样品制备:采用纳米HA浆料,制备表面亚微米粗糙度HA片。用激光消融法于HA片上23个大小为400μm×400μm区域(其中一个区域为对照),分别制作尺度为1μm,3μm,5μm,10μm;深度与制备尺度相当;间距10μm,20μm;形状为线条、交叉线条、圆孔和三角形的微结构,形成HA微结构芯片。再以HA微结构芯片为模版,翻制形成与HA微结构一致的PDMS微结构芯片样品。②光镜、激光共聚焦显微镜、扫描电镜研究C2C12细胞、S.a和P.g细菌在微米结构芯片粘附、增殖行为。结果:①SEM示在PDMS与HA制备成一样微结构模式的微结构芯片。②C2C12细胞在不同微米结构区域粘附、增殖数量不同,细胞更容易间距大,微结构尺度小的区域粘附与增殖,特别在亚微米凸凹晶粒及纳米界孔区域。两种细菌均主要粘附于微米结构区,沟裂越多,粘附细菌越多,沟裂宽度越大,粘附细菌越多,与微米结构的形状没有太大关系。而亚微米结构对照区域粘附较少。细胞、细菌在HA、PDMS相同的微结构区均表现出相似的粘附、增殖特性。讨论:生物材料的微结构和局部微环境的微形貌对细胞迁移、粘附、增殖、分化等行为均产生着影响,同时对微生物的粘附、增殖也产生影响。结论:①微米结构芯片可望为实现高通量筛选分析微结构对细胞及细菌行为的影响研究。2.细胞易于在亚微米结构粘附、增殖,细菌易于在微米结构而不易粘附于亚微米结构粘附、增殖,为进一步探索优化器件经皮/穿龈部位材料形貌制备提供初步理论依据。

新一代皮肤再生:生物材料和生物工程的机遇和挑战

Skin regeneration is a critical area of focus in modern medicine due to its potential to repair or replace damaged skin tissue resulting from various causes,including trauma,burns,chronic wounds,and genetic disorders[1].The global burden of skin-related health issues is substantial,with an estimated 1.5 billion people worldwide suffering from chronic skin conditions,and a significant proportion of these individuals require advanced treatments for skin regeneration[2].In China,skin diseases account for approximately20%of all outpatient visits to hospitals[3].