This report identifies the top cited papers in the field of periodontal regeneration since inception of the concept. Using the H-classics approach, 132 papers published between 1970 and 2012 were ...identified, with 230.0 ± 175.6 (mean ± SD) citations and 10.4 ± 11.5 citations/year. There were 46 clinical reports, 28 animal studies, 23 in vitro studies, 30 reviews, 3 systematic reviews, and 2 combined animal and in vitro studies. Analysis of covariance showed that institution number (≥3, P = 0.011), journal impact factor at publication (>3.0, P = 0.001) and study type (in vitro/reviews vs. clinical trials/animal studies, P = 0.024) were significantly associated with citations/year. This study has characterized the most influential literature in the field of periodontal regeneration and serves as a quick reference resource.
Background
Periodontitis significantly increases the risk of diabetic complications. This clinical trial investigated the effects of periodontal therapy on cardiac function in patients with type 2 ...diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and periodontitis.
Materials and methods
Fifty‐eight subjects with T2DM and periodontitis were randomly allocated to Treatment Group (n = 29) receiving non‐surgical periodontal therapy, and Control Group (n = 29) having only oral hygiene instructions with delayed periodontal treatment until completion of this 6‐month study. The left ventricle (LV) diastolic function was assessed by echocardiography with the tissue Doppler imaging index (E/e' ratio); and LV hypertrophy was evaluated by LV mass index (LVMI). Blood samples were collected for biochemical analysis.
Results
The intention‐to‐treat analysis showed that periodontal treatment significantly reduced the E/e' ratio by 1.66 (95% CI: −2.64 to −0.68, p < .01), along with marked improvement of periodontal conditions (p < .05). LVMI was not altered at the 6‐month follow‐up. The serum levels of N‐terminal pro‐B type natriuretic peptide (NT‐proBNP) as a cardiac stress biomarker, C‐reactive protein and interleukin‐6 decreased numerically without reaching statistical significance.
Conclusion
The present study provides the first evidence that non‐surgical periodontal therapy may improve cardiac diastolic function in type 2 diabetic patients with periodontitis.
Background and Objective
Subjects with diabetes and periodontitis are at high risk of cardiovascular events, while the subclinical alterations of cardiac function in this cohort remain unclear. This ...cross‐sectional study investigated the association of periodontitis with left ventricle (LV) structural and functional abnormalities in subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).
Material and Methods
A total of 115 subjects with T2DM were divided into Control group (n = 32) with no or mild periodontitis, and the rest with moderate to severe chronic periodontitis (CP) were further categorized into CP‐1 (n = 41) and CP‐2 (n = 42) based on disease severity. Echocardiography was performed to precisely assess (a) LV hypertrophy by LV mass index (LVMi); (b) LV diastolic function by tissue Doppler imaging index E/e’ ratio; and (c) LV systolic function by speckle tracking derived global longitudinal strain (GLS).
Results
Overall, a linear trend in LVMi, E/e’, and GLS existed among the Control, CP‐1, and CP‐2 groups, respectively (P < 0.05). After adjustments of multiple confounders, CP‐2 subjects showed significantly higher E/e’ (log scale, 2.22 ± 0.05 vs 2.07 ± 0.06, P < 0.01) and GLS (−17.42 ± 0.46% vs −18.95 ± 0.54%, P < 0.05) than the Controls. Multivariate analysis revealed that sites% with probing depth ≥4 mm and sites% with clinical attachment loss ≥5 mm were independent indicators for E/e’ (β = 0.005 and β = 0.002, P < 0.01) and GLS (β = 0.03 and β = 0.02, P < 0.05) , respectively. Moreover, the number of missing teeth was significantly associated with LVMi (β = 0.01, P < 0.01).
Conclusion
This study provides the first evidence that severe periodontitis is significantly associated with the exacerbation of LV diastolic and systolic dysfunction in subjects with T2DM.
This report identifies the top cited papers in the field of periodontal regeneration since inception of the concept. Using the H-classics approach, 132 papers published between 1970 and 2012 were ...identified, with 230.0 ± 175.6 (mean ± SD) citations and 10.4 ± 11.5 citations/year. There were 46 clinical reports, 28 animal studies, 23 in vitro studies, 30 reviews, 3 systematic reviews, and 2 combined animal and in vitro studies. Analysis of covariance showed that institution number (≥3, P = 0.011), journal impact factor at publication (>3.0, P = 0.001) and study type (in vitro/reviews vs. clinical trials/animal studies, P = 0.024) were significantly associated with citations/year. This study has characterized the most influential literature in the field of periodontal regeneration and serves as a quick reference resource.
Background
Periodontitis is closely linked with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and endothelial dysfunction. This study investigated the effects of periodontal treatment on immuno‐inflammatory gene ...expression of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in diabetic patients.
Methods
Eighteen T2DM patients with moderate to severe chronic periodontitis were randomly assigned to the Treatment group with oral hygiene instruction (OHI), scaling and root debridement (n = 11), and Control group (n = 7) with OHI alone. Peripheral blood samples were taken for biochemical analysis and culture of EPCs at baseline and 6 months after the treatment. PCR array‐based profiling of 84 Toll‐like receptor signalling‐related genes in EPCs was firstly assessed for four randomly selected patients from the Treatment group. The differentially expressed genes were then further validated by qPCR in both groups.
Results
All subjects in the Treatment group significantly improved their periodontal conditions. Among the 84 genes tested, IL‐6 and IL‐8 transcripts were significantly downregulated with over twofold change after the treatment, and this observation was further validated by qPCR in all subjects from both groups (p < .05).
Conclusion
This preliminary study suggests that periodontal treatment may contribute to a notable reduction in immuno‐inflammatory gene expression measured by IL‐6 and IL‐8 transcripts in EPCs.
The coiled-coil alpha-helical rod protein 1 (CCHCR1) was first identified as a candidate gene in psoriasis and has lately been found to be associated with a wide range of clinical conditions ...including COVID-19. CCHCR1 is located within P-bodies and centrosomes, but its exact role in these two subcellular structures and its transcriptional control remain largely unknown. Here, we showed that CCHCR1 shares a bidirectional promoter with its neighboring gene, TCF19. This bidirectional promoter is activated by the G1/S-regulatory transcription factor E2F1, and both genes are co-induced during the G1/S transition of the cell cycle. A luciferase reporter assay suggests that the short intergenic sequence, only 287 bp in length, is sufficient for the G1/S induction of both genes, but the expression of CCHCR1 is further enhanced by the presence of exon 1 from both TCF19 and CCHCR1. This research uncovers the transcriptional regulation of the CCHCR1 gene, offering new perspectives on its function. These findings contribute to the broader understanding of diseases associated with CCHCR1 and may serve as a foundational benchmark for future research in these vital medical fields.
Colloidal metal chalcogenide quantum dots (QDs) have excellent quantum efficiency in light–matter interactions and good device stability. However, QDs have been brought to the forefront as viable ...building blocks in bottom‐up assembling semiconductor devices, the development of QD solar cell (QDSC) is still confronting considerable challenges compared to other QD technologies due to their low performance under natural sunlight, as a consequence of untapped potential from their quantized density‐of‐state and inorganic natures. This report is designed to address this long‐standing challenge by accessing the feasibility of using QDSC for indoor and concentration PV (CPV) applications. This work finds that above bandgap photon energy irradiation of QD solids can generate high densities of excitons via multi‐photon absorption (MPA), and these excitons are not limited to diffuse by Auger recombination up to 1.5 × 1019 cm−3 densities. Based on these findings, a 19.5% (2000 lux indoor light) and an 11.6% efficiency (1.5 Suns) have been facilely realized from ordinary QDSCs (9.55% under 1 Sun). To further illustrate the potential of the MPA in QDSCs, 21.29% efficiency polymer lens CPVs (4.08 Suns) and viable sensor networks powered by indoor QDSCs matrix have been demonstrated.
Quantum dots (QDs) solar cells (9.55% efficiency) for indoors (19.5% at 2000 lux) and concentration (11.6% at 1.5 Suns) photovoltaics are demonstrated. This work finds above bandgap photon energy irradiation of QD solids can generate high densities of excitons via multi‐photon absorption and these excitons are not limited to diffusion by Auger recombination up to 1.5 × 1019 cm−3 densities.
To determine the prevalence of mitochondrial diseases (MD) in Hong Kong (HK) and to evaluate the clinical characteristics and genetic landscape of MD patients in the region.
This study ...retrospectively reviewed the phenotypic and molecular characteristics of MD patients from participating public hospitals in HK between January 1985 to October 2020. Molecularly and/or enzymatically confirmed MD cases of any age were recruited via the Clinical Analysis and Reporting System (CDARS) using relevant keywords and/or International Classification of Disease (ICD) codes under the HK Hospital Authority or through the personal recollection of treating clinicians among the investigators.
A total of 119 MD patients were recruited and analyzed in the study. The point prevalence of MD in HK was 1.02 in 100,000 people (95% confidence interval 0.81-1.28 in 100,000). 110 patients had molecularly proven MD and the other nine were diagnosed by OXPHOS enzymology analysis or mitochondrial DNA depletion analysis with unknown molecular basis. Pathogenic variants in the mitochondrial genome (72 patients) were more prevalent than those in the nuclear genome (38 patients) in our cohort. The most commonly involved organ system at disease onset was the neurological system, in which developmental delay, seizures or epilepsy, and stroke-like episodes were the most frequently reported presentations. The mortality rate in our cohort was 37%.
This study is a territory-wide overview of the clinical and genetic characteristics of MD patients in a Chinese population, providing the first available prevalence rate of MD in Hong Kong. The findings of this study aim to facilitate future in-depth evaluation of MD and lay the foundation to establish a local MD registry.
Socialization into the workplace is a challenge faced by new foreign workers in multilingual societies. One underexplored factor in the process is code‐switching. We presented a case study of how a ...Filipino migrant integrated into her Hong Kong workplace where the local veterans used code‐switching at work. Conceptualizing the workplace as Communities of Practice (Wenger 1998), we employed Gee's (2011) model of discourse analysis to examine empirical workplace discourse. Our analysis suggests that for a newcomer, code‐switching indicates desire of socialization, negotiation of membership, linguistic competence, and professional abilities, and that for a veteran, code‐switching reveals situated identities, instantaneous relationships, openness to newcomers, and encouragement to them. We argue that code‐switching is performed by foreign newcomers and local veterans for workplace socialization and mutual identification.
融入多語社會的新工作地方，對非本地雇員來說，往往是一大挑戰。語碼轉換（code‐switching）正是其中一個難題。有見及此，本論文旨在研究一名由菲律賓移居中國香港的女性商業專才，如何在同事及自己的語碼轉換過程中，融入該新工作及社交環境。我們先以 Wenger（1998）的實踐群組（Communities of Practice）作理論框架，再用 Gee（2011）的語篇分析法，探討她與同事的日常對話及工作。結果發現，對（非本地）新人來說，語碼轉換能顯示其渴望融入的心理、與舊同事的進退關係、本身的語言溝通能力、本身的專業技能；對（本地的）舊人來說，語碼轉換可展現其身分認同、短暫情感關係、對新人的接納程度、對新人的鼓勵與支持。研究結論指出，語碼轉換是新晉外地雇員和本地舊有員工的溝通橋樑，在社會化過程中擔當著重要角色。
We explore how newcomers learn to socialize into the workplace through instant messaging and microblogging. Findings demonstrate that instant messaging can be one mechanism of learning the normative ...ways of 1) making calls and 2) shifting discussions between the online and offline, while microblogging can be another mechanism of learning the culture of 1) bantering humor and 2) social talk ignoring the physical official hierarchy. We conclude that it is the features of instant messaging and microblogging which characterize newcomers’ use in workplace learning, arguing that the instant messengers and microblogs can function as “situated-learning platforms” on the Internet in which people can learn and practice the normative ways of doing things simultaneously. We suggest that instant messaging and microblogging could be considered as “subjects to be learnt” for teachers and workplace mentors, rather than merely “tools for learning” for workplace newcomers.
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