Mandibular Coronoidectomy Could Significantly Accelerate the Healing Process of Infratemporal Fossa Abscess.

PURPOSE: Management of an infratemporal fossa abscess (IFA), which is a specific form of severe and advanced deep fascial space infection (DFI), is based mainly on traditional methods. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of mandibular coronoidectomy in accelerating IFA healing. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This research is a single-center retrospective study composed of 23 patients with IFA. The predictor variables were gender, age, diabetes, severity score, and mandibular coronoidectomy. The outcome variables included hospitalization time (HT) and irrigating time (IT). A comparison of treatment outcomes between the improved and traditional surgical interventions for IFA was performed. RESULTS: Compared with patients who did not receive mandibular coronoidectomy (NC group; HT, 17.54 ± 1.80 days; IT, 38.54 ± 3.73 days), patients who underwent mandibular coronoidectomy (AC group) had significantly decreased HT (7.20 ± 1.19 days) and IT (15.10 ± 1.27 days; P < .01). In addition, 4 patients (31%) in the NC group received reoperation for osteomyelitis, whereas no osteomyelitis and DFI recurrence occurred in the AC group. CONCLUSIONS: Mandibular coronoidectomy with extra intraoral drainage could considerably accelerate the healing process of IFAs and obviously decrease the reoperation rate for osteomyelitis.

Do Open Reduction and Internal Fixation With Articular Disc Anatomical Reduction and Rigid Anchorage Manifest a Promising Prospect in the Treatment of Intracapsular Fractures?

PURPOSE: In response to the increased attention to soft tissue reduction in the treatment of intracapsular condylar fractures (ICFs), a modified open reduction technique is proposed and its functional and radiographic outcomes were evaluated in this study. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective case series study of patients with all ICF types that were treated with open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) with articular disc anatomic reduction and rigid anchorage. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were strictly applied. Preoperative and postoperative clinical examinations of malocclusion, maximum incisor opening (MIO), laterotrusion, and temporomandibular disorder symptoms were recorded and analyzed. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were used to assess articular position and condylar morphology and position. RESULTS: Thirty-four patients with ICFs (47 sides) were treated with the modified ORIF technique. At 6 months of follow-up, no malocclusion was found and the MIO considerably expanded to 3.56 ± 0.13 cm. Only 4 patients (12%) had temporomandibular joint discomfort with mouth opening. Interestingly, for unilateral type B ICFs, the laterotrusion distance to the ORIF sides was notably longer than to the non-ORIF sides. Postoperative CT and MRI showed that all fragments were properly reduced and the condyles were in the normal position. Postoperative anterior disc displacement occurred in 4 sides and condylar morphologic abnormalities (slight surface roughening and articular cartilage absorption) occurred in 3 sides (6.4%). CONCLUSIONS: This modified ORIF technique, which achieved good outcomes after treatment of all ICF types, shows promise for the treatment of ICFs.

[Microbial Community Structure on the Root Surface of Patients with Periodontitis.]

OBJECTIVES: To study the microbial community structure on the root surface of patients with periodontitis. METHODS: Bacterial plaque and tissues from the root neck (RN group),root middle (RM group) and root tine (RT group) of six teeth with mobility 3 in one patient with periodontitis were sampled.The V3V4 region of 16S rRNA was sequenced on the Illumina MiSeq platform.The microbial community structure was analyzed by Mothur,Qiime and SPSS software. RESULTS: The principal component analysis (PCoA) results indicated that the RM samples had a similar microbial community structure as that of the RT samples,which was significant different from that of the RN samples.Thirteen phyla were detected in the three groups of samples,which included 7 dominant phyla.29 dominant genera were detected in 184 genera.The abundance of Bacteroidetes_[G-6] and Peptostre ptococcaceae_[XI][G-4] had a positive correlation with the depth of the collection site of samples (P<0.05),while the abundance of Prevotella,Selenomonas,Corynebacterium and Olsenella had a negative correlation with the depth of the collection site of samples (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: There is region-specificity of microbial community structure on the root surface of patients with periodontitis.

Immersive virtual reality as analgesia for women during hysterosalpingography: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Hysterosalpingography (HSG) is an accepted radiologic diagnostic modality for initial infertility workup, and is generally considered uncomfortable and painful. However, the management of pain related to HSG remains inefficient. As an emerging nonpharmacologic and noninvasive pain control strategy, virtual reality (VR) distraction has been successfully used in areas such as burns, blunt force trauma, hospital-based needle procedures, dental/periodontal procedures, and urological endoscopy patients. This study aims to evaluate the analgesic effect of VR during HSG. METHODS/DESIGN: A single-center, parallel-group, randomized controlled trial will be carried out in the Radiology Department of Yinchuan Women and Children Healthcare Hospital, Yinchuan. A total of 200 participants who are scheduled for HSG will be enrolled in this study. The participants will be randomized (1:1) into two groups: a VR group and a blank control group. The VR group will receive routine care plus immersive VR intervention and the blank control group will receive routine care. Outcomes will be monitored at baseline, immediately after HSG and 15 min after HSG for each group. The primary outcome is the worst pain score during HSG by a visual analog scale (VAS). The secondary outcomes include: affective pain, cognitive pain, and anxiety during the HSG procedure; worst pain within 15 min after HSG; patient satisfaction and acceptance with pain management; physiological parameters; adverse effects; HSG results; and immersion perception score of the VR system (for the VR condition only). DISCUSSION: This study will focus on exploring a simply operated, noninvasive and low-cost analgesia during the HSG procedure. The results of this trial will provide data on the feasibility and safety of VR distraction therapy during HSG. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese Clinical Trial Register, ChiCTR1900021342. Registered on 16 February 2019.

Optimization of a quasi-solid-state dye-sensitized solar cell employing a nanocrystal-polymer composite electrolyte modified with water and ethanol.

A quasi-solid-state dye-sensitized solar cell employing a poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PEO-PVDF)/TiO2 gel electrolyte modified by various concentrations of water and ethanol is described. It is shown that the introduction of water and ethanol prevents the crystallization of the polymer matrix, and enhances the free I(-)/I(3)(-) concentration and the networks for ion transportation in the electrolyte, thus leading to an improvement in conductivity. A high energy conversion efficiency of about 5.8% is achieved by controlling the additive concentration in the electrolyte. Optimization of the additive-modified electrolyte performance has been obtained by studying the cross-linking behavior of water and ethanol with Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and viscosity measurements, and the electrical conduction behavior of the electrolyte with impedance spectra measurements.

[Research progress on the relationship between oral microbes and digestive system diseases].

The human microbiome project promoted further understanding on human oral microbes. Besides oral diseases such as dental caries, periodontal disease, and oral cancer, oral microbes are closely associated with systematic diseases. They have a close connection with digestive system diseases and even contribute to the origination and progression of colorectal cancer. By reviewing recent studies involving oral microbe-related digestive systemic diseases, we aim to propose the considerable role of oral microbes in relation to digestive systemic diseases and the way of oral microbes to multiple organs of digestive system.

Assessment of pollution and identification of sources of heavy metals in the sediments of Changshou Lake in a branch of the Three Gorges Reservoir.

To assess the heavy metal pollution in Changshou Lake, sediments were collected from nine sites at three periods (dry, normal, and wet) in 2013. The Hg, As, Cr, Cd, Pb, Cu, and Zn levels were then determined. The index of geoaccumulation (I geo) and the sediment pollution index (SPI) were applied to the sediment assessment, and Pearson's correlation analysis and factor analysis (FA) were performed to identify common pollution sources in the basin. The results showed that heavy metals presented significant spatial variations with Cr, Cd, Pb, Cu, Zn, Hg, and As concentrations of 29.66~42.58, 0.62~0.91, 24.91~37.96, 21.18~74.91, 41.65~86.86, 0.079~0.152, and 20.17~36.88 mg kg(-1), respectively, and no obvious variations were found among the different periods. The average contents of the metals followed the order Zn > Cu > Cr > Pb > As > Cd > Hg, which showed a high pollution in the sediments collected from open water and at the river mouth. The assessment results indicated that toxic heavy metals presented obvious pollution with I Hg of 0.64~1.36 (moderately polluted), I Cd of 1.66~2.22 (moderately to heavily polluted), and I As of 1.21~2.07 (moderately to heavily polluted). The heavy metal pollution states followed the order Cd > As > Hg > Cu > Pb > Zn > Cr, and the SPI showed that the sediment collected from open water area was more polluted than those obtained from the tributaries and the river mouth. Cr, Cd, Hg, Pb, Cu, As, and Zn were mainly attributed to sediment weathering with Hg, Pb, and Cu and partially due to domestic sewage from the upper reaches. These results indicate that the more attention should be paid to the inner loads of sediment in order to achieve improvements in reservoir water quality after the control of external pollution.