BACKGROUND Positioning stent in head and neck radiotherapy seems to have benefit to prevent oral complications but it hasn’t been summarized by an evidence-based method. OBJECTIVES This review aims to evaluate the efficacy of positioning stents in preventing oral complications after radiotherapy. METHODS We conducted an electronic search in MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane CDSR, and Cochrane CENTRAL database for randomized-controlled clinical trials, controlled clinical trials and cohort studies that assessed oral complications after head and neck radiotherapy with positioning stents. Two reviewers extracted information on radiotherapy, follow-up period, oral complications and assessments independently. RESULTS Three RCTs and two cohort studies were included in this review. Oral complications such as mucositis, xerostomia, taste alteration, trismus, salivary changes, dysphagia and pain on swallowing were assessed by different methods in these studies. CONCLUSIONS Oral complications were common in patients after head and neck radiotherapy. There is insufficient evidence that positioning stents have a preventive effect against xerostomia, and it needs more high-quality and prospective trials with long-term follow-up to support it.Nanoparticle based gene delivery systems holds great promise. Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) are being heavily investigated due to good biocompatibility and added diagnostic potential, rendering such nanoparticles theranostic. Yet, commonly used cationic coatings for efficient delivery of such anionic cargos, results in significant toxicity limiting translation of the technology to the clinic. Here, we describe a highly biocompatible, small and non-cationic SPION-based theranostic nanoparticles as novel gene therapy agents. We propose for the first-time, the usage of the microRNA machinery RISC complex component Argonaute 2 (AGO2) protein as a microRNA stabilizing agent and a delivery vehicle. this website In this study, AGO2 protein-conjugated, anti-HER2 antibody-linked and fluorophore-tagged SPION nanoparticles were developed (SP-AH nanoparticles) and used as a carrier for an autophagy inhibitory microRNA, MIR376B. These functionalized nanoparticles selectively delivered an effective amount of the microRNA into HER2-positive breast cancer cell lines in vitro and in a xenograft nude mice model of breast cancer in vivo, and successfully blocked autophagy. Furthermore, combination of the chemotherapy agent cisplatin with MIR376B-loaded SP-AH nanoparticles increased the efficacy of the anti-cancer treatment both in vitro in cells and in vivo in the nude mice. Therefore, we propose that AGO2 protein conjugated SPIONs are a new class of theranostic nanoparticles and can be efficiently used as innovative, non-cationic, non-toxic gene therapy tools for targeted therapy of cancer.BACKGROUND Although participation of children with rare diseases in school is considered beneficial, it poses new challenges for the educational system, but also for the affected children and their families. The aim of this study is to identify which aspects of the schooling experience may have an impact on the health-related quality of life of children with rare diseases. METHOD A qualitative study was conducted using the social-critical paradigm as theoretical perspective. Participants (n = 28) included children with rare diseases (n = 8), parents (n = 12) and school staff (n = 8). Data was obtained through in-depth interviews and focus groups and analysed through discourse analysis as methodological orientation. RESULTS Participants’ discourses placed value on the social benefits of inclusion of children with rare diseases in schooling. Discourses also highlighted how the low numbers of children with rare diseases and the delay, or lack, of a clear diagnosis are among the difficulties experienced in the pursuit of the adaptations that children and teachers need to promote a healthy and normalized school experience. The issues identified in their health-related quality of life were summarized in seven categories Attendance, Knowledge, Participation, Acceptance, Discrimination, Safety, Health-Related Support. CONCLUSION Children with rare diseases remain, in many cases, invisible at the educational level due to the low numbers of children affected, limiting the kind of resources available to the child and teaching staff. This situation requires inter-disciplinary and inter-sector measures between health services and educational environments to articulate a comprehensive approach focused on children’s clinical needs.BACKGROUND Each year, more than 200 international dental graduates start U.S. specialty trainings to become specialists. It is unknown if their life satisfaction is associated with any dental career-related factor before residencies (e.g. dental school class rank, research experience, or private practice experience) and after residencies (e.g. staying in the U.S., teaching status, workplace, or board certification). This cross-sectional study aimed to identify these potential factors by surveying Taiwanese dental graduates who pursued U.S. residencies. METHODS Life satisfaction was measured with a structured questionnaire, Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS), which includes five statements on a 5-point Likert scale. Online surveys were sent out to 290 Taiwanese dental graduates who were known to pursue U.S. residencies. T-test, one way analysis of variance, and multivariable adjusted generalized linear model (GLM) were used to assess the differences of mean SWLS scores from different variables. RESULTS Surveyable adjusted GLM (p = 0.004) analyses. CONCLUSIONS The life satisfaction of Taiwanese dental graduates pursuing U.S. residencies might be associated with some professional factors, such as research experience, dental school class rank, residency timing, specialty type, and specialty board certification. We hope our results may provide some objective information on making career decisions for international dental graduates/students who are preparing for U.S. residency.BACKGROUND Abnormal androgen receptor (AR) genes can cause androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS), and AIS can be classified into complete androgen insensitivity syndrome (CAIS), partial androgen insensitivity syndrome (PAIS) and mild AIS. We investigated the characteristics of clinical manifestations, serum sex hormone levels and AR gene mutations of 39 AIS patients, which provided deeper insight into this disease. METHODS We prospectively evaluated 39 patients with 46, XY disorders of sex development (46, XY DSD) who were diagnosed with AIS at the Department of Endocrinology of Shanghai Children’s Hospital from 2014 to 2019. We analysed clinical data from the patients including hormone levels and AR gene sequences. Furthermore, we screened the AR gene sequences of the 39 AIS patients to identify probable mutations. RESULTS The 39 AIS patients came from 37 different families; 19 of the patients presented CAIS, and 20 of them presented PAIS. The CAIS patients exhibited a higher cryptorchidism rate than the PAIS (100 and 55%, P = 0.