Temporomandibular disorder patients with excessive daytime sleepiness present greater pain intensity and reduced jaw function.

BACKGROUND: Sleep disorders are associated with temporomandibular disorders (TMDs). Limited studies have focused on excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and its impact on jaw functions in TMD patients. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present investigation was to identify the impact of EDS on pain and jaw function in TMD patients. METHODS: A total of 338 TMD patients (50 males and 288 females) was included. The Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) was used to classify patients into EDS group (score ≥ 10) and non-EDS group (score < 10). The Jaw Functional Limitation Scale 8-item (JFLS-8) was used to assess the severity of jaw dysfunction. Pain intensity was evaluated using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Anxiety and depression were evaluated using the Generalised Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) and the Patient Health Questionnaire 9-item (PHQ-9). All included patients were diagnosed with pain-related TMD (PT), intra-articular TMD (IT) or combined TMD (CT). RESULTS: Compared with non-EDS patients, EDS patients exhibited more severe jaw dysfunction, greater pain intensity and higher PHQ-9 scores (p < .05). Multivariate analyses showed that EDS (B = 3.69), female gender (B = 3.69), and elevated GAD-7 score (B = 0.73) were significantly associated with an increased score on the JFLS-8 (p < .05). Moreover, bivariate logistic regression analysis indicated a significant relationship between EDS and PT (OR = 2.70, p = .007). CONCLUSION: The presence of EDS was more closely related to PT, but the causal relationship between them needs to be further confirmed. More concern and intervention to alleviate poor sleep quality might be highlighted during the treatment of TMD, especially PT subtype.

A comparative study on the adsorption behavior of pesticides by pristine and aged microplastics from agricultural polyethylene soil films.

Compared with pristine agricultural polyethylene (PE) soil films microplastics (MPs), aged agricultural polyethylene (APE) soil films MPs have a rougher surface, more cracks and have some oxygen-containing functional groups that makes them adsorb organic pollutants, such as pesticides more easily. This may be more harmful to human beings than marine MPs as the agricultural soil films are closer to our living environment. But few works focused on the adsorption of pesticides on pristine or aged agricultural polyethylene soil films MPs. In order to promote the risk assessment of co-exposure of pesticides and agricultural polyethylene soil films MPs, a comparative study on the adsorption behavior and mechanism of four pesticides (carbendazim, diflubenzuron, malathion, difenoconazole) by pristine PE MPs and APE MPs were carried out in this paper. The results showed microcracks and surface oxidation observed on APE MPs. The adsorption kinetics and isotherm models indicated that the adsorption capacity of APE MPs was higher than that of PE MPs, which attribute to the larger surface area of APE MPs. The adsorption capacities of pesticides on APE MPs were positively correlated with LogKow (Water octanol partition coefficient) values of these four pesticides, showed the hydrophobic partitioning played the most important part in the adsorption, but also some H-bonding between secondary amines in the molecular of diflubenzuron and polar O-containing functional groups on APE MPs may be formed. And electrostatic forces or interactions are not the determining factor for these pesticides adsorption behavior of PE MPs, and the effect of pH is mainly driven by changes in sorbate properties rather than changes in surface properties of MPs. The results presented herein show the APE MPs can be a better vector of most hydrophobic pesticides than pristine MPs in the agricultural field, and more attention should be paid to the problem of films and pesticides residue in farmland soil.

Proteomics comparison of exosomes from serum and plasma between ultracentrifugation and polymer-based precipitation kit methods.

Exosomes are vesicles with sizes ranging from 30 to 150 nm. The analysis and detection of blood exosomes offers an effective route for cancer diagnosis, prognosis assessment, and therapeutic evaluation of diseases. Due to the difference in separation procedure, collection method and the usage of anticoagulants, serum and plasma samples show diversity test results. In order to evaluate the isolation effect of exosomes in serum and plasma samples, two commonly used exosomal isolation methods, ultracentrifugation and polymer-based precipitation kit, were used, respectively. And the isolation effects were evaluated by comparing the composition and abundant of proteins from isolated exosomes based on MS-based proteomics analysis. The results showed that the plasma exosomes extracted by ultracentrifugation identified more exosome biomarkers, and the concentrations of these biomarkers were higher than others. And plasma exosomes could be a better sample for blood-based proteomics research of exosomes. It would be more useful for future targeted biomarker discovery.

A general gas-assisted three-liquid-phase extraction method for separation and concentration of puerarin, 3'-methoxydaidzin, puerarinxyloside, daidzin and daidzein from puerariae extract.

In this work, a general and novel separation technique gas-assisted three-liquid-phase extraction was established and applied in separating and concentrating isoflavonoids from the actual sample of puerariae extract by one step. For the gas-assisted three-liquid-phase extraction method, optimal conditions were selected: polyethylene glycol 2000 and ethyl acetate as the flotation solvent, pH 5, (NH4 )2 SO4 concentration 350 g/L in aqueous phase, N2 flow rate 30 mL/min, flotation time 50 min, and flotation twice. Five isoflavonoids compounds puerarin, 3'-methoxydaidzin, puerarinxyloside, daidzin and daidzein were separated with recoveries of 82, 84, 80, 88 and 89%, respectively. The separated products were purified by preparative high-performance liquid chromatography, and the purity of the final products was >96%. The established general gas-assisted three-liquid-phase extraction was used to separate anthraquinones from Cassiae Semen under the optimal conditions, and the recoveries were >75%. The experimental results showed that the established gas-assisted three-liquid-phase extraction method is a general technique for separating active compounds from herb extract.

Do Specific Craniomaxillofacial Features Correlate with Psychological Distress in Adult Pretreatment Orthodontic Patients? A Cephalometric Study.

Purpose: To explore the relationship between craniomaxillofacial features and psychological distress among adult pretreatment orthodontic patients. Methods: A group of 190 patients (95 males and 95 females) was included. Questionnaires including the Kessler psychological distress scale (K10) were sent to patients, and cephalograms were collected. Patients were divided into two groups according to K10 score: psychological distress group (score ≥ 20) and no psychological distress group (score < 20). Nineteen hard tissue and thirteen soft tissue parameters were traced on cephalograms to characterize the craniomaxillofacial features. Results: There was no significant difference in gender or age distribution between the two groups. Male patients with psychological distress showed statistically significantly larger anterior facial height (AFH) (126.62 mm vs. 120.97 mm), upper lip length (25.11 mm vs. 23.26 mm), and smaller overbite (1.21 mm vs. 2.75 mm) than patients without psychological distress. Male patients with hyperdivergent pattern and open bite were more likely to have psychological distress. None of the parameters showed statistical differences across groups in females. Frankfort-mandibular plane angle (r = 0.235), Bjork's sum (r = 0.311), AFH (r = 0.322), overbite (r = -0.238), AFH/posterior facial height (r = 0.251), and upper anterior facial height (UAFH)/lower anterior facial height (LAFH) (r = -0.230) were correlated with K10 score in males. After adjusting gender and age, the AFH (B = 0.147) and UAFH/LAFH (B = -14.923) were significantly related with the K10 score. Conclusion: Psychological distress was mainly correlated with hyperdivergent pattern, open bite, and larger lower anterior facial height proportion in pretreatment orthodontic patients. Orthodontists should be aware of the possible underlying psychological distress in patients with specific craniomaxillofacial features. Clinical assessment of psychological distress may need to take into account gender differences in patients.

Craniofacial Morphology of Orthodontic Patients with and without Temporomandibular Disorders: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Purpose: We aimed to explore the relationship between temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) and craniofacial morphology in orthodontic patients. Methods: Altogether, 262 orthodontic patients were included and divided into two groups according to their Fonseca Anamnestic Index (FAI) scores: a no-TMD group (control group, FAI < 20) and a TMD group (FAI ≥ 20). Cephalometric parameters including cranial, maxillary, mandibular, and dental parameters were traced on cephalograms. Craniofacial morphology was compared between TMD and control groups, followed by subgroup analyses based on TMD severity, gender, age, and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) symptoms. Results: The prevalence of TMDs was 52.7% among included patients (138/262). The mean age of TMD patients was higher than that of the control group. No significant difference in gender distribution between the groups was observed. The most commonly reported FAI items were misaligned teeth, neck pain, and emotional tension. The Frankfort-mandibular plane angle (FMA) was larger in the TMD patients than in the control group, whereas no significant differences in other parameters were observed. Subgroup analysis based on TMD severity revealed that FMA and anterior facial height of moderate/severe TMD patients were significantly larger than those of mild or no-TMD patients. Among male patients, the anterior cranial base length was smaller, and the anterior facial height was larger in the TMD group. Among female patients, no significant differences in craniofacial morphology between the groups were observed. In juvenile patients, overjet and overbite were smaller in the TMD group. In adult patients, SNA, ANB, FMA, and gonial angle were larger in the TMD group. Within the TMD group, patients with TMJ pain or noises exhibited characteristic craniofacial features compared to patients without these symptoms. Conclusions: Orthodontic patients with TMDs have specific craniofacial morphology, suggesting a relationship between TMDs and particular craniofacial features in orthodontic patients.

Adsorption behavior and mechanism of five pesticides on microplastics from agricultural polyethylene films.

Polyethylene (PE) agricultural soil films are easily embrittled and decomposed to microplastics (MPs) in environment. As widely used pesticides in vegetable farmland, carbendazim, dipterex, diflubenzuron, malathion, difenoconazole have potential environmental and human safety risks. They are often coexisting with MPs in the environment, and may cause consequential pollution to the ecosystem. Studying the adsorption behavior between pesticides and PE agricultural soil films MPs would be helpful for the risk assessment of co-exposure of pesticides and MPs. Herein, a systematic study on batch adsorption experiments was performed to determine the adsorption process of pesticides on MPs, the environmental factors on adsorption capacity were evaluated, and the adsorption mechanisms were discussed. Results suggested that all these five pesticides can adsorb on MPs, especially for diflubenzuron and difenoconazole. The adsorption kinetics and isotherm fitted to the Pseudo-second-order and Freundlich model, respectively, indicating that besides the adsorption onto surface sites, mass transfer and intraparticle diffusion were involved in the adsorption process, and the adsorption process was mostly controlled by physical and chemical interactions. The adsorption amounts of 5 pesticides on PE MPs follow the order of DIF > DIFE > MAL > CAR > DIP with KF correlated positively with octanol-water partition coefficients (LogKow). The thermodynamic study indicates the adsorption of all pesticides as spontaneous and exothermic processes. The results of this study illustrated that PE MPs can be a good carrier of pesticides in agricultural field.