Effect of desensitising toothpastes on dentinal tubule occlusion: A dentine permeability measurement and SEM in vitro study

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the in vitro effectiveness of a new bioglass-containing and two commercial desensitising toothpastes on dentinal tubule occlusion after citric acid challenge or artificial saliva (AS) immersion.

Methods

One hundred dentin discs from human third molars were used. Specimens were randomly divided into five groups (n = 20), Group 1: EDTA-treated dentin; Group 2: brushing with distilled water; Group 3: brushing with Novamin; Group 4: brushing with Sensodyne Freshmint; Group 5: brushing with Colgate Sensitive. In each group, samples were then equally split into two subgroups (n = 10) to test two post-treatments: 6% citric acid challenge or 24 h immersion in artificial saliva. Dentine permeability of each specimen was measured before and after each treatment using a hydrostatic device working at 20 cm H₂O pressure. Data were analysed by two-way repeated measures ANOVA to determine if there were any significant differences within or between groups. Dentine morphology and surface deposits were observed by SEM.

Results

All three desensitising toothpastes significantly reduced dentine permeability and created precipitates on the treated dentine surfaces. Moreover, the reductions in dentine permeability showed partial recovery after a citric acid and artificial saliva immersion. Sensodyne showed significant resistant to acid attack and Novamin exhibited the lowest permeability after artificial saliva immersion for 24 h.

Conclusions

The application of the three toothpastes resulted in effective dentinal tubule occlusion. However, the new bioglass-containing toothpaste (Novamin) represented excellent occlusion effects after brushing treatment and AS immersion, while Sensodyne demonstrated more reduction in permeability when citric acid challenged.     

Immunohistochemical demonstration of the plasminogen activator system in human gingival tissues and gingival fibroblasts

The relative distribution of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA), tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA), plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-2 (PAI-2) was studied in cultured human gingival fibroblasts, healthy gingival tissues and inflamed gingival tissues by immunohistochemistry. In cultured gingival fibroblasts t-PA, u-PA and PAI-1 were expressed in cytoplasm; u-PA and PAI-1 were more intensely stained than t-PA; PAI-2 was not detectable in gingival fibroblasts. Following interleukin 1β (IL-1β) stimulation, the intensity of intracellular staining for t-PA was increased and a number of cells staining strongly for PAI-2 were seen; no difference in the intensity of immunostaining level was noted for the expression of u-PA and PAI-1 between IL-1β stimulated cells and unstimulated cells. In healthy gingival tissues, u-PA and PAI-1 displayed a wide distribution throughout all the connective tissue and epithelium; t-PA localized mainly in the connective tissue while PAI-2 showed little association with the connective tissue but did faintly stain in the epithelial layer. In inflamed gingival tissues, staining for t-PA was significantly increased in the extracellular matrix of the connective tissue, whereas staining for u-PA, PAT-I and PAI-2 was found to be slightly increased, but no significant difference was noted for staining when compared with the healthy gingival tissues. A granular distribution of t-PA, u-PA, PAI-1 and PAI-2 was noted around areas of inflammatory cell infiltration. These immunohistochemical findings indicate that the plasminogen activator system produced by fibroblasts may be influenced by the presence of the inflammatory mediator IL-1β. In addition, the significant increase of t-PA in inflamed connective tissue and the wide expression of these components around inflamed cells may contribute to connective tissue degradation and may relate to the migration and localization of monocytes/macrophages in inflamed tissue.     

新型冠状病毒肺炎防控期间居家隔离人群心理健康状况调查及影响因素分析

目的 了解新型冠状病毒肺炎防控期间居家隔离人群心理健康状况并分析其影响因素,为进一步做好疫情防控工作,疏导不良情绪及心理恐慌提供依据.方法 选取2020年2月15 17日本研究团队7名研究生居住地为调查单位,采用自制一般情况调查表及12项一般健康问卷(GHQ-12)量表调查居家隔离的380人的心理健康状况.根据GHQ-12评分,将调查对象分为GHQ-12≥3分为阳性组(n=212)和GHQ-12＜3分为阴性组(n=168).采用Logistic回归模型分析居家隔离人群心理健康状况的影响因素.结果 两组在年龄、性别、是否独生子女、经济收入方面比较,差异无统计学意义(P＞0.05);而在居住地、婚姻状况、生育情况、担心感染、文化程度、职业方面差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05).多因素Logistic回归分析结果显示,居住地农村、初中及以下文化程度、已婚、学生、外出务工人员、担心感染是居家隔离人群心理健康的危险因素,年龄是其保护因素.结论 新型冠状病毒肺炎防控期间,居家隔离人群存在一定心理健康问题,其受多种因素影响.医院或社区卫生中心应针对不同人群进行心理疏导,改善其身心健康.     

Combined Effect of Smoking and Obesity on Coronary Heart Disease Mortality in Male Veterans: A 30-year Cohort Study

Objective Evidence is lacking regarding the combined effects of smoking and obesity on mortality from coronary heart disease in male veterans.This study aimed to explore the combined effect of smoking and obesity on coronary heart disease mortality in male veterans in China.Methods A cohort of 1,268 male veterans from 22 veteran centers in Xi’an(Shaanxi Province,China)were followed up once every 2 years from February 1,1987 to October 30,2016.The endpoint was death from any cause.The hazard ratio(HR)of each risk factor and the 95%confidence interval(CI)were calculated using a multivariate Cox proportional hazard model.Results The total follow-up was 24394.21 person-years;each subject was followed up for a mean duration of 19.24 years.By the end of the study,of the 1,268 veterans,889 had died,363 were alive,and 16 were lost to follow-up.Cox regression analysis results revealed that current smoking(HR:1.552,95%CI:1.074–2.243),obesity(HR:1.625,95%CI:1.024–2.581),and the combined effect of the two factors(HR:2.828,95%CI:1.520–5.262)were associated with coronary heart disease mortality.Conclusion Our results suggest that obese veterans who smoke might be an important target population for coronary heart disease mortality control.     

National Nutrition and Health Systematic Survey for Children 0-17 Years of Age in China

The main purpose of the National Nutrition and Health Systematic Survey for children 0-17 years of age in China (CNHSC) was to collect basic data on the nutrition, development, and health status for children in different regions across China using evidence-based, reliable, and cost-effective approaches. Children and their parents or guardians from seven regions (south, southwest, north, northwest, eastern, central, and northeast China) in China were recruited. A multi-stage stratified randomized sampling method was used. Two provinces were randomly sampled from each of the seven regions, from which one urban district and one rural country were also randomly sampled, resulting in a total of 28 survey counties/districts. Dietary surveys, health examinations, laboratory testing, and questionnaires were used to collect dietary intake, nutritional status, child development, and health status information. Nutrition, health, and lifestyle assessment of children and their parents was determined using the Knowledge Attitude Practice (KAP) survey. Greater than 100,000 children (38,000 children < 6 years of age and 66,000 children 6-17 years of age) completed the survey. The survey provided comprehensive data on child nutrition and health status for future studies and will serve as the basis for an integrated nutrition and health improvement strategies proposal for children in China.     

Comparative Study of the Genetic Diversity,Antimicrobial Resistance,and Pathogenicity of Aeromonas Isolates from Clinical Patients and Healthy Individuals

Objective This study was performed to compare the genetic diversity, virulence, and antimicrobial resistance of Aeromonas strains isolated from patients and healthy individuals. Methods A total of 38 clinical strains and 19 strains from healthy individuals were isolated from the samples collected in Ma'anshan City, Anhui Province. Their taxonomy was investigated using concatenated gyrB-cpn60 sequences, and their resistance to 12 antibiotics was evaluated. The pathogenicity of these strains was examined through beta-hemolysis, protease activity, and virulence gene assays. Results The 57 Aeromonas strains were divided into 55 sequence types. Of these types, 21 were novel, suggesting that their genetic diversity was high. These Aeromonas isolates could be divided into 7 species, and the positive rates of beta-hemolysis and protease activity were 49.1％ and 73.7％, respectively. The detection rate of clinical patients in terms of beta-hemolysis and protease activity was higher than that of healthy individuals. Among the four most common Aeromonas strains, A. dhakensis had the highest detection rate of virulence genes. The multidrug resistance rate of the clinical isolates was much higher than that of the strains isolated from healthy individuals. Conclusions The taxonomy, virulence properties, and antibiotic resistance of Aeromonas isolates from patients differ from those of the isolates from healthy individuals.     

A Risk Prediction Model for Ischemic Stroke in Southern Chinese Population: Impact of Multiple Genetic Variants and Clinical/Lifestyle Factors

With a global prevalence of 7.7 million, ischemic stroke (IS) is one of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide. In China, IS alone contributed to 69.6％? of stroke events and accounted for 37.1％? of the mortality/disability rate[1]. IS is a complex disease that is known to be associated?with?various?genetic?variants?and?clinical and lifestyle risk factors[2]. Genome -wide association studies (GWAS) provided evidence for the?occurrence?of?more?than?160?IS-associated?single nucleotide?polymorphisms?(SNPs).?In?terms?of?clinical risk factors, patients with a history of chronic diseases like hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes mellitus, display a higher risk of developing IS. Among the various lifestyle components, leading a sedentary lifestyle, smoking, and having an unhealthy diet are known to be associated with the risk of IS. Thus, integration of various genetic, clinical, and lifestyle variables might prove to be highly beneficial in the prediction and prevention of IS?at?the?individual?level[3].     

Identification of Boseongicola sediminum sp. nov., a Novel Decabromodiphenyl Ether (BDE-209)-tolerant Strain Isolated from Coastal Sediment in Xiamen,China

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are a group of aromatic organic bromine compounds, which have been used in a broad array of polymeric materials (plastics, foams, resins, and adhesives) as brominated flame retardants. They are used in commercial and household products, including textiles, electronic equipment, airplanes, and automobiles, especially in China and the USA, because they are inexpensive with excellent flame-retardant effects[1]. During the past decade, over 14,000 tonnes of PBDEs have entered the market, and have become ubiquitous environmental contaminants[2].