Search

Introduction: Calcium hydroxide has been used as a traditional pulpotomy agent for a long time but has some disadvantages. iRoot BP Plus (Innovative Bioceramix Inc, Vancouver, Canada) is a newly developed, ready-to-use calcium silicate-based bioactive ceramic with excellent bioactivity and sealing ability. However, whether iRoot BP Plus shows superiority over calcium hydroxide as a pulpotomy material on permanent incisors with complicated crown fractures remains unknown., Methods: This research included 205 permanent incisors with complicated crown fractures. These teeth were treated with pulpotomy and divided into 2 groups according to the pulpotomy material (105 treated with iRoot BP Plus and 100 with calcium hydroxide). Clinical and radiographic information was collected during the 12- to 24-month follow-up period. The formation of reparative dentin bridges and pulp canal obliteration were analyzed using radiographs in both groups., Results: The success rates for recall in the average follow-up period of 17.5 ± 4.4 months (12-24 months) after pulpotomy treatment were significantly different between the 2 groups, with 99% for the iRoot BP Plus group and 93% for the calcium hydroxide group. Reparative dentin bridges were observed in 92.4% of the iRoot BP Plus group and 90% of the calcium hydroxide group, but the difference was not significant. Pulp canal obliteration was observed in 2 teeth (2%) in each group., Conclusions: The success rates obtained in our study indicate that iRoot BP Plus as a pulpotomy agent can be a suitable alternative to calcium hydroxide to manage complicated crown fractures., (Copyright © 2020 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a multifactorial neurological condition associated with genetic profiles that are still not completely understood. We performed a family-based low-density genome-wide association analysis of age at onset (AAO) in AD (244 patients and their relatives) using Illumina 6 K single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) panel and the FBAT-logrank statistic. We observed 10 SNPs associated with AAO in AD with p < 2 × 10(-3). The most significant hit within a known gene, the neuronal protein astrotactin 2 (ASTN2), was SNP rs1334071 (p = 8.74 × 10(-4)). ASTN2 has been implicated in several neuropsychiatric disorders, including cognitive disorders, autism and schizophrenia. We then conducted a replication study focusing on ASTN2 gene in a Canadian sample of 791 AD patients and 782 controls using the logrank test. Five ASTN2 SNPs (highest association is rs16933774 with p = 0.0053) showed associations with AAO in this Canadian sample (p < 0.05). Furthermore, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis of SNP rs16933774 showed that the AAO of AD in individuals heterozygous for AG genotype of rs16933774 (median of AAO = 68.5 years) was approximately 4.5 years earlier than those individuals having the AA genotype (median of AAO = 73 years). In conclusion, a significant association of ASTN2 genetic variants with AAO of AD in two independent samples demonstrates a role for ASTN2 in the pathogenesis of AD. Future functional studies of this gene may help to characterize the genetic architecture of the AAO of AD. Genetic factors in AAO may be a critical factor for early AD intervention and prevention efforts.

Objectives: To investigate attitudes and practices regarding oxygen therapy in intensive care units (ICUs) and to devise quantitative descriptive indices., Setting: Canadian university-affiliated adult ICUs., Participants: Fifty-two medical directors of ICUs in 48 institutions., Intervention: Structured postal questionnaire returned by 48 participants., Measurements and Main Results: Attitudes, beliefs, and stated practices relating to oxygen use in ICUs were determined. Novel descriptors S-50min (minutes of oxygen saturation [Sao2] acceptable to >50% of respondents), F-50max (maximum F(IO)2 above which <50% of respondents would increase F(IO)2), and F-50min (minimum F(IO)2 below which <50% of respondents would decrease F(IO)2) were determined. All respondents believed that oxygen toxicity was a concern. Twenty-nine percent of respondents indicated that they did not always assess tissue oxygenation in critical cases. A stepwise reduction in acceptance of progressive desaturation and increasing duration of hypoxemia was found. Presented with a stable patient with Sao2 of 98%, the maximum level of F(IO)2 above which respondents stated that they would not increase the F(IO)2 was 0.41+/-0.17 (mean +/- SD). For stable patients with Sao2 of 85%, the minimum F(IO)2 below which respondents would not reduce F(IO)2 was 0.59+/-0.23 (mean +/- SD). F-50max was 0.8 vs. 0.5 for Sao2 of 80%-85% vs. 85%-90%, respectively; F-50min was 0.6 vs. 0.21 for Sao2 of 90%-95% vs. 95%-100%, respectively., Conclusions: Considerable variation exists in the attitudes, beliefs, and stated practices relating to the management of oxygen therapy in the ICU. These data are amenable to quantitative description and illustrate the necessity for documentation of actual practice and development of support systems for decision-making in this and similar areas.