Healthy dental pulp is essential for preserving teeth and maintaining their normal function. Vital pulp therapy (VPT) is widely used in clinical applications because it aims to preserve vital pulp and enhance the long-term survival of teeth. An accurate diagnosis of pulp vitality is a prerequisite for successful VPT. However, accurately assessing pulp viability remains challenging in clinical practice. Pulp viability is influenced by various factors, including the type of pulp exposure, caries status, periodontitis, trauma, treatment factors, patient age, and individual differences. Assessing pulp viability requires a comprehensive consideration of medical history and clinical manifestations, along with a combination of various auxiliary methods, such as pulp sensibility tests, pulp blood flow tests, imaging techniques and molecular diagnostics. In the future, the technology for assessing pulp vitality should evolve toward chairside, visualization, and precision techniques, to achieve consistency between clinical and histological diagnoses, thereby providing patients with the most effective treatment.

Serotonin-selective reuptake inhibitors （SSRIs）， as widely used antidepressants in clinical practice， exhibit significant individual differences in antidepressant efficacy. Gut microbiota plays an important role in the development and progression of depression， and the use of SSRIs exerts a significant impact on the gut microbiota of patients with depression. Based on this， this article reviews the research progress on the interactions between the antidepressant effects of SSRIs and gut microbiota. It has been found that SSRIs can influence the diversity， abundance， and function of the gut microbiota directly or indirectly. Conversely， the composition of the gut microbiota and differences in its functional metabolic pathways， and other factors， can in turn affect the antidepressant effects of SSRIs. Therefore， in clinical practice， gut microbiota diversity can be utilized as a predictive indicator for the antidepressant effects of SSRIs. Probiotics can be employed as an adjunct therapy alongside SSRIs， and dietary adjustments， as well as fecal microbiota transplantation， can be used to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of SSRIs. In the future， large-scale， multicenter clinical studies should be conducted， enrolling a broadly representative cohort of patients with depression， to uncover the true association between the antidepressant effects of SSRIs and gut microbiota， thereby opening up more effective avenues for the comprehensive treatment of depression.

In the context of delayed marriage and parenthood, decreased willingness in having children, and population aging in China, maternal and child health has become an important and urgent issue. Being essential platforms for research in maternal and child health, the importance of birth cohorts has been widely recognized. In the past 20 years, tens of birth cohorts have been established in major cities and regions of China, with cohorts ranging from thousands to hundreds of thousands. These cohorts, particularly those large ones launched in recent years, have collected a wide spectrum of data and biological samples from mothers and children. Although they have made considerable preliminary achievements, there remain difficulties and challenges. The significant challenges include small and medium-sized cohorts' lacking of clear research themes; insufficient recognition of and emphasis on behavioral and social determinants of health while emphasizing biological determinants of health; variations in types of variables and quality of data collected, which make it difficult for cohorts to be merged and shared; lack of and difficulties in long-term follow-up; significant uncertainties in resources for long-term sustention of the cohorts, and so on. So, we argue that birth cohorts should focus on essential and urgent issues in maternal and child health in the country and seek recognition and support from the government and the entire society. Last but not least, the overall success of birth cohorts in the country requires scientists to be not only academically capable, but also realistic, persistent, altruistic, and collaborative.

Objective: To examine the association of hypertension onset age with diabetes, so as to provide insights into reducing the the risk of cardiovascular events. Methods: Permanent residents aged 35 to 75 years were selected through the program of early screening and comprehensive intervention for the high-risk cardiovascular disease population in Changning District and Baoshan District, Shanghai Municipality from 2016 to 2020. Demographic information, disease history, hypertension onset age, blood pressure and fasting blood glucose were collected through questionnaire surveys, physical examination and laboratory tests. The residents were divided into four groups based on the onset age of hypertension: <45, 45-<55, 55-<65 and ≥65 years old, and the residents with normal blood pressure were selected as control. The association of hypertension onset age with prediabetes and diabetes were identified using a multivariable logistic regression model. Results: A total of 25 228 residents were recruited, including 8 753 males (34.70%) and 16 475 females (65.30%). The prevalence of hypertension was 43.80%. There were 1 779, 3 274, 3 781 and 2 217 cases with hypertension onset age of <45, 45-<55, 55-<65 and ≥65 years old, respectively, and 14 177 residents with normal blood pressure. The prevalence of prediabetes and diabetes were 24.01% and 11.29%, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that after adjusting for confounding factors such as gender, marital status and educational level, compared with the normal blood pressure group, the risk of prediabetes was higher in the hypertension onset age groups of <45 (OR=1.345, 95%CI: 1.164-1.553), 45-<55 (OR=1.365, 95%CI: 1.212-1.536) and 55-<65 years old (OR=1.376, 95%CI: 1.239-1.527), and the risk of diabetes was higher in the hypertension onset age groups of <45 (OR=2.302, 95%CI: 1.906-2.775), 45-<55 (OR=2.349, 95%CI: 2.016-2.734), 55-<65 (OR=1.909, 95%CI: 1.667-2.184) and ≥65 years old (OR=1.315, 95%CI: 1.131-1.526). Conclusion There are statistically significant associations between hypertension onset age with prediabetes and diabetes.

Objective:To compare the efficacy of radial forearm flap and anterolateral thigh flap in repairing soft tissue defects after oral cancer surgery and to explore their indications.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical data of patients with oral cancer treated at the Department of Stomatology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, from May 2019 to February 2023. Patients were divided into two groups based on the repair method: the radial forearm flap group and the anterolateral thigh flap group. The groups were compared in the following aspects. (1) Surgical parameters including defect area after oral cancer resection, flap area, flap preparation time, operation time, and length of hospital stay. (2) Inflammatory markers (interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein levels) measured 1 day before surgery and 1 day after surgery. (3) Flap survival rate was calculated. (4) Complication rates was calculated in the flap donor area and infection rates in the oral recipient area within 6 months postoperatively. (5) Six months postoperatively, the patient’s oral function was assessed by a physician using the University of Washington quality of life scale (UW-QOL). The evaluation included assessments of oral opening, speech, and eating functions. Each parameter was scored on a scale of 0 to 10 (higher scores indicated better recovery). (6) Quality of life was assessed using the 36-item short form health survey scale(SF-36) at 2, 4 and 6 months postoperatively, with scores ranging from 0 to 100 (higher scores indicated better quality of life). (7) Patient satisfaction was assessed at 6 months postoperatively, with satisfaction levels categorized as satisfied, basically satisfied, and dissatisfied. The satisfaction rate was calculated as (satisfied + basically satisfied ) cases / total cases in each group × 100%. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 22.0. Measurement data were expressed as Mean±SD, and comparisons between groups were conducted using t-tests. Count data were expressed as cases and (or) percentages, and comparisons were made using chi-square test. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results:The radial forearm flap group included 48 cases (32 males, 16 females), aged (49.3±5.0) years, with a body mass index (BMI) of (23.0±1.1) kg/m 2 and a disease course of (6.5±2.1) months. The group had 21 cases of tongue cancer, 12 of floor of mouth cancer, and 15 of buccal cancer, including 40 squamous cell carcinomas and 8 basal cell carcinomas. The anterolateral thigh flap group included 32 cases (20 males, 12 females), aged (50.1±5.0) years, with a BMI of (23.0±1.0) kg/m 2 and a disease course of (7.0±2.2) months. The group had 16 cases of tongue cancer, 7 cases of floor of mouth cancer, and 9 cases of buccal cancer, including 27 squamous cell carcinomas and 5 basal cell carcinomas. There were no significant differences in gender, age, BMI, disease course, tumor location, or pathological type between the two groups ( P>0.05). The defect area after oral cancer resection was smaller in the radial forearm flap group[ (39.0±1.3) cm 2 ] compared to the anterolateral thigh flap group[ (40.3±2.2) cm 2] ( t=3.32, P=0.001). There were no significant differences in flap area, flap preparation time, or length of hospital stay between the two groups ( P>0.05). The operation time was shorter in the radial forearm flap group [(5.1±1.1) h] compared to the anterolateral thigh flap group [(6.8±2.8) h] ( t=0.26, P<0.001). There were no significant differences in interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein levels between the two groups 1 day before surgery and 1 day after surgery ( P>0.05). The flap survival rates were 97.9% (47/48) in the radial forearm flap group and 93.8% (30/32) in the anterolateral thigh flap group, with no significant difference( P>0.05). Postoperative donor site complications mainly included infection, pigmentation, itching, etc. The overall incidence of complications in the donor site of the radial forearm flap [33.3% (16/48)] was higher than that in the anterolateral thigh flap group [12.5% (4/32)], and the difference was statistically significant ( χ2=4.44, P=0.035). There was no significant difference in infection rates in the oral recipient area between the two groups ( P>0.05). Six months postoperatively, the average scores for oral opening, speech, and eating functions were above 7 in both groups, with no significant differences ( P>0.05). Quality of life scores improved over time in both groups, with average scores above 90 at 6 months postoperatively, and no significant differences at any time point ( P>0.05). The patient satisfaction rate was 91.7% (44/48) in the radial forearm flap group and 90.6% (29/32) in the anterolateral thigh flap group, with no significant difference ( P>0.05). Conclusion:Both radial forearm flap and anterolateral thigh flap can effectively repair soft tissue defects after oral cancer resection, significantly improving patients’oral function. The anterolateral thigh flap provides sufficient tissue volume and is suitable for patients with larger defect areas. The radial forearm flap is suitable for patients with a smaller defect area after oral cancer resection. Its surgical procedure is relatively less complex and offers an advantage in reducing surgery time. However, the donor site complications are higher with the radial forearm flap compared to the anterolateral thigh flap.

Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is the most common type of primary liver cancer and the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths,and it is a serious threat to human health and has become a clinical problem that needs to be solved urgently.Extracellular vesicles(EV)are membrane vesicles containing multiple components and play an important role in the development and progression of HCC.This article summarizes the effect of EVs of different origins on HCC and analyzes the mechanism of action of EV on HCC,so as to provide new perspectives for the diagnosis and treatment of HCC.

177Lu-prostate specific membrane antigen(PSMA)radio-ligand therapy has been approved abroad for advanced prostate cancer and has been in several clinical trials in China.Based on domestic clinical practice and experimental data and referred to international experience and viewpoints,the expert group forms a consensus on the clinical application of 177Lu-PSMA radio-ligand therapy in prostate cancer to guide clinical practice.

Objective:To compare the efficacy of radial forearm flap and anterolateral thigh flap in repairing soft tissue defects after oral cancer surgery and to explore their indications.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical data of patients with oral cancer treated at the Department of Stomatology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, from May 2019 to February 2023. Patients were divided into two groups based on the repair method: the radial forearm flap group and the anterolateral thigh flap group. The groups were compared in the following aspects. (1) Surgical parameters including defect area after oral cancer resection, flap area, flap preparation time, operation time, and length of hospital stay. (2) Inflammatory markers (interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein levels) measured 1 day before surgery and 1 day after surgery. (3) Flap survival rate was calculated. (4) Complication rates was calculated in the flap donor area and infection rates in the oral recipient area within 6 months postoperatively. (5) Six months postoperatively, the patient’s oral function was assessed by a physician using the University of Washington quality of life scale (UW-QOL). The evaluation included assessments of oral opening, speech, and eating functions. Each parameter was scored on a scale of 0 to 10 (higher scores indicated better recovery). (6) Quality of life was assessed using the 36-item short form health survey scale(SF-36) at 2, 4 and 6 months postoperatively, with scores ranging from 0 to 100 (higher scores indicated better quality of life). (7) Patient satisfaction was assessed at 6 months postoperatively, with satisfaction levels categorized as satisfied, basically satisfied, and dissatisfied. The satisfaction rate was calculated as (satisfied + basically satisfied ) cases / total cases in each group × 100%. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 22.0. Measurement data were expressed as Mean±SD, and comparisons between groups were conducted using t-tests. Count data were expressed as cases and (or) percentages, and comparisons were made using chi-square test. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results:The radial forearm flap group included 48 cases (32 males, 16 females), aged (49.3±5.0) years, with a body mass index (BMI) of (23.0±1.1) kg/m 2 and a disease course of (6.5±2.1) months. The group had 21 cases of tongue cancer, 12 of floor of mouth cancer, and 15 of buccal cancer, including 40 squamous cell carcinomas and 8 basal cell carcinomas. The anterolateral thigh flap group included 32 cases (20 males, 12 females), aged (50.1±5.0) years, with a BMI of (23.0±1.0) kg/m 2 and a disease course of (7.0±2.2) months. The group had 16 cases of tongue cancer, 7 cases of floor of mouth cancer, and 9 cases of buccal cancer, including 27 squamous cell carcinomas and 5 basal cell carcinomas. There were no significant differences in gender, age, BMI, disease course, tumor location, or pathological type between the two groups ( P>0.05). The defect area after oral cancer resection was smaller in the radial forearm flap group[ (39.0±1.3) cm 2 ] compared to the anterolateral thigh flap group[ (40.3±2.2) cm 2] ( t=3.32, P=0.001). There were no significant differences in flap area, flap preparation time, or length of hospital stay between the two groups ( P>0.05). The operation time was shorter in the radial forearm flap group [(5.1±1.1) h] compared to the anterolateral thigh flap group [(6.8±2.8) h] ( t=0.26, P<0.001). There were no significant differences in interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein levels between the two groups 1 day before surgery and 1 day after surgery ( P>0.05). The flap survival rates were 97.9% (47/48) in the radial forearm flap group and 93.8% (30/32) in the anterolateral thigh flap group, with no significant difference( P>0.05). Postoperative donor site complications mainly included infection, pigmentation, itching, etc. The overall incidence of complications in the donor site of the radial forearm flap [33.3% (16/48)] was higher than that in the anterolateral thigh flap group [12.5% (4/32)], and the difference was statistically significant ( χ2=4.44, P=0.035). There was no significant difference in infection rates in the oral recipient area between the two groups ( P>0.05). Six months postoperatively, the average scores for oral opening, speech, and eating functions were above 7 in both groups, with no significant differences ( P>0.05). Quality of life scores improved over time in both groups, with average scores above 90 at 6 months postoperatively, and no significant differences at any time point ( P>0.05). The patient satisfaction rate was 91.7% (44/48) in the radial forearm flap group and 90.6% (29/32) in the anterolateral thigh flap group, with no significant difference ( P>0.05). Conclusion:Both radial forearm flap and anterolateral thigh flap can effectively repair soft tissue defects after oral cancer resection, significantly improving patients’oral function. The anterolateral thigh flap provides sufficient tissue volume and is suitable for patients with larger defect areas. The radial forearm flap is suitable for patients with a smaller defect area after oral cancer resection. Its surgical procedure is relatively less complex and offers an advantage in reducing surgery time. However, the donor site complications are higher with the radial forearm flap compared to the anterolateral thigh flap.

Objective:To investigate the current situation of satisfaction with graduate education among recent medical graduates in China, and analyze the differences between different populations, and to propose countermeasures and suggestions.Methods:From June to July 2023, a self-made questionnaire was used to survey 16 903 medical graduates who had recently earned a post-graduate degree from 78 institutions about their satisfaction with curriculum sessions, practical sessions, research training, tutoring, and institutional management. The degrees of satisfaction with education among different populations were compared through the t test and analysis of variance with the use of SPSS 26.0. Results:The scores of satisfaction of the graduates with tutoring, curriculum sessions, practical sessions, institutional management, and research training were 4.44, 4.03, 4.02, 3.90, and 3.82, respectively. Satisfaction scores for individual dimensions were significantly higher for males, doctors, non-transfers, comprehensive universities, non-agricultural household registration, moderate-to-high annual household income per capita, parents with high educational levels, and parents with mid- or senior-level occupations ( P<0.05). Conclusions:There is room for improvement in students' satisfaction with medical graduate education. To improve the quality of medical graduate education, attention should be paid to key populations, education policies, school management, and tutoring to provide appropriate education for different students.

Objective To observe the value of B1 corrected T1 mapping for distinguishing pathological types and differentiation degrees of lung cancers.Methods A total of 74 lesions in 65 patients with lung cancers were prospectively enrolled,including 49 poorly differentiated lesions and 25 moderately or well differentiated ones,i.e.42 adenocarcinomas,14 squamous cell carcinomas and 18 small cell lung cancers(all poorly differentiated).B1 corrected T1 mapping was performed,ROI(ROI1 and ROI2)were delineated using 2 methods,and T1 values of different pathological types and differentiation degrees lung cancers were compared.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves were drawn,and the areas under the curve(AUC)were calculated.Results Significant differences of T1 values were found among different pathological types of lung cancer(all P＜0.05),as well as between small cell lung cancer and the rest 2 types of lung cancer(both P＜0.05).There were significant differences of T1 values between poorly differentiated and moderately well differentiated lung cancer(squamous cell carcinoma+adenocarcinoma)(both P＜0.05).Taken ROI1 T1 value=1 524.21 ms as the cut-off value,the AUC of T1 value for distinguishing poorly differentiated and moderately well differentiated lung cancer(squamous cell carcinoma+adenocarcinoma)was 0.698,with sensitivity of 64.50％and specificity of 76.00％.Taken ROI2 T1 value=1 630.68 ms as the cut-off value,the AUC of T1 value was 0.676,with sensitivity of 54.80％and specificity of 80.00％.Conclusion B1 corrected T1 mapping was helpful for distinguishing pathological types and differentiation degrees of lung cancers.