Objective: To evaluate the application effect of oral health management program based on behavior change wheel (BCW) theory, so as to provide a reference for improving children s awareness of oral self management and the development of healthy oral behaviors. Methods: A total of 120 children aged 5-6 from 2 kindergartens in Yubei District in Chongqing City, selected by convenience sampling method from September 2023 to March 2024, were divided into a experimental group and a control group (60 each). Children in the experimental group were given an oral health education programme based on BCW theory (promoted health awareness, cultivated healthy behavior ability, strengthened awareness and ability, and provided opportunitiess) on the basis of conventional oral health education, and children in the control group were given conventional oral health education; data were collected before and 3 months after the intervention, respectively. Comparisons between groups were made using the Mann-Whitney U test and χ 2 test. Results: Before intervention, there were no significant differences in plaque index [2.00(1.00,2.00), 2.00(1.00,2.00)] and the number of filled teeth [0.00(0.00,1.00), 0.00( 0.00 ,1.00)] between the experimental group and the control group ( Z=-0.88, -0.42, P >0.05). After intervention, the plaque index of the experimental group [1.00(0.00,1.00)] was lower than that of the control group [1.00(0.25,2.00)] and before intervention, and the number of filling teeth in the experimental group [1.00(0.00,2.00)] was higher than that of the control group [1.00(0.00,1.00)] and before intervention, the differences were statistically significant ( Z =-3.14, -5.48; -2.08, -3.02, P <0.05). Before intervention, there were no significant differences in oral health behavior report rate and oral health knowledge mastery rate between the two groups ( χ 2=0.30-0.91, 0.15-1.43, P > 0.05 ). After intervention, the report rates of health tooth brushing (method, frequency and duration) and preventive behavior (using fluoride toothpaste, pit and fissure sealing prevention and fluoride application prevention) in the experimental group were better than those in the control group and before intervention, and the differences were statistically significant ( χ 2=4.88-9.38, 9.13- 22.63 , P <0.05). The mastery rates of oral health knowledge in the experimental group were better than that in the control group, and the differences were statistically significant ( χ 2=4.62-8.54, P <0.05). Conclusion Oral health management programs based on the BCW theory are more conducive to improving children s oral hygiene, as well as enhancing children s basic oral knowledge and promoting the development of oral health behaviors.

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the research on NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein 3(NLRP3) inflammasome inhibitors in the treatment of inflammatory diseases. The NLRP3 inflammasome is integral to the innate immune response, and its abnormal activation can lead to the release of pro-inflammatory cytokine, consequently facilitating the progression of various pathological conditions. Therefore, investigating the pharmacological inhibition pathway of the NLRP3 inflammasome represents a promising strategy for the treatment of inflammation-related diseases. Currently, the Food and Drug Administration(FDA) has not approved drugs targeting the NLRP3 inflammasome for clinical use due to concerns regarding liver toxicity and gastrointestinal side effects associated with chemical small molecule inhibitors in clinical trials. Natural small molecule compounds such as polyphenols, flavonoids, and alkaloids are ubiquitously found in animals, plants, and other natural substances exhibiting pharmacological activities. Their abundant sources, intricate and diverse structures, high biocompatibility, minimal adverse reactions, and superior biochemical potency in comparison to synthetic compounds have attracted the attention of extensive scholars. Currently, certain natural small molecule compounds have been demonstrated to impede the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome via various action mechanisms, so they are viewed as the innovative, feasible, and minimally toxic therapeutic agents for inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation in the treatment of both acute and chronic inflammatory diseases. Hence, this study systematically examined the effects and potential mechanisms of natural small molecule compounds derived from traditional Chinese medicine on the activation of NLRP3 inflammasomes at their initiation, assembly, and activation stages. The objection is to furnish theoretical support and practical guidance for the effective clinical application of these natural small molecule inhibitors.
NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein/metabolism* ; Inflammasomes/metabolism* ; Inflammation/drug therapy* ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents/therapeutic use* ; Humans ; Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Biological Products/therapeutic use* ; Drug Discovery ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/methods*

OBJECTIVE: Psoriasis, a common chronic inflammatory skin condition with genetic underpinnings, is traditionally managed with cupping therapy. Although used historically, the precise mechanical effects and therapeutic mechanisms of cupping in psoriasis remain largely unexamined. This study aimed to evaluate cupping therapy's efficacy for psoriasis and investigate its role in modulating inflammatory responses and cellular metabolism. METHODS: Psoriasis was induced in mice using topical imiquimod (IMQ). The effects of cupping on psoriatic lesions were assessed using the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index score, histology, immunohistochemistry, and immunofluorescence staining. polymerase chain reaction sequencing (RNA-seq) and Western blotting were conducted to examine changes in mRNA expression and the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling pathway. RESULTS: Cupping therapy significantly reduced inflammation, epidermal thickness, and inflammatory cell infiltration in mice with IMQ-induced psoriasis. Immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence showed lower expression of inflammatory markers and a shift in T-cell populations. RNA-seq and Western blotting indicated that cupping upregulated Piezo1 and activated the AMPK pathway, improving energy metabolism in psoriatic skin. CONCLUSION Cupping therapy reduces epidermal hyperproliferation and inflammation in psoriasis, rebalancing the local immune microenvironment. Mechanistically, cupping promotes calcium influx via Piezo1, activates AMPK signaling, and supports metabolic homeostasis, suggesting therapeutic potential for psoriasis. Please cite this article as: Xi RF, Liu X, Wang Y, Lu HZ, Yuan SJ, Guo DJ, Zhu JY, Li FL, Duan YJ. Mechanosensory activation of Piezo1 via cupping therapy: Harnessing neural networks to modulate AMPK pathway for metabolic restoration in a mouse model of psoriasis. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(6):721-732.
Animals ; Psoriasis/chemically induced* ; Mice ; AMP-Activated Protein Kinases/metabolism* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Cupping Therapy/methods* ; Signal Transduction ; Imiquimod ; Ion Channels/genetics* ; Male ; Mechanotransduction, Cellular

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the association between body mass index (BMI) and mortality based on the 10-year population-based multicenter prospective study. METHODS: A general population-based multicenter prospective study was conducted at four sites in rural China between 2013 and 2023. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models and restricted cubic spline analyses were used to assess the association between BMI and mortality. Stratified analyses were performed based on the individual characteristics of the participants. RESULTS: Overall, 19,107 participants with a sum of 163,095 person-years were included and 1,910 participants died. The underweight (< 18.5 kg/m ²) presented an increase in all-cause mortality (adjusted hazards ratio [ aHR] = 2.00, 95% confidence interval [ CI]: 1.66-2.41), while overweight (≥ 24.0 to < 28.0 kg/m ²) and obesity (≥ 28.0 kg/m ²) presented a decrease with an aHR of 0.61 (95% CI: 0.52-0.73) and 0.51 (95% CI: 0.37-0.70), respectively. Overweight ( aHR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.67-0.86) and mild obesity ( aHR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.59-0.87) had a positive impact on mortality in people older than 60 years. All-cause mortality decreased rapidly until reaching a BMI of 25.7 kg/m ² ( aHR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.92-0.98) and increased slightly above that value, indicating a U-shaped association. The beneficial impact of being overweight on mortality was robust in most subgroups and sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSION This study provides additional evidence that overweight and mild obesity may be inversely related to the risk of death in individuals older than 60 years. Therefore, it is essential to consider age differences when formulating health and weight management strategies.
Humans ; Body Mass Index ; China/epidemiology* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Rural Population/statistics & numerical data* ; Aged ; Follow-Up Studies ; Adult ; Mortality ; Cause of Death ; Obesity/mortality* ; Overweight/mortality*

Objective:To assess the effectiveness of a 6-month Ba Duan Jin exercise program in improving the balance of community-dwelling older adults.Methods:A two arms, parallel-group, cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted in 1 028 community residents aged 60-80 years in 40 communities in 5 provinces of China. Participants in the intervention group (20 communities, 523 people) received Ba Duan Jin exercise 5 days/week, 1 hour/day for 6 months, and three times of falls prevention health education, and the control group (20 communities, 505 people) received falls prevention health education same as the intervention group. The Berg balance scale (BBS) score was the leading outcome indicator, and the secondary outcome indicators included the length of time of standing on one foot (with eyes open and closed), standing in a tandem stance (with eyes open and closed), the closed circle test, and the timed up to test.Results:A total of 1 028 participants were included in the final analysis, including 731 women (71.11%) and 297 men (28.89%), and the age was (69.87±5.67) years. After the 3-month intervention, compared with the baseline data, the BBS score of the intervention group was significantly higher than the control group by 3.05 (95% CI: 2.23-3.88) points ( P<0.001). After the 6-month intervention, compared with the baseline data, the BBS score of the intervention group was significantly higher than the control group by 4.70 (95% CI: 4.03-5.37) points ( P<0.001). Ba Duan Jin showed significant improvement ( P<0.05) in all secondary outcomes after 6 months of exercise in the intervention group compared with the control group. Conclusions:This study showed that Ba Duan Jin exercise can improve balance in community-dwelling older adults aged 60-80. The longer the exercise time, the better the improvement.

Objective:This study aims to obtain the prevalence and features associated with Violence Against Children (VAC) in China and, thus, formulate a prevention strategy.Methods:The mortality-related data of VAC was sourced from the National Disease Surveillance Points System (DSP) during 2013-2021. We analyzed the DSP data regarding children aged 0-17 years old who died from violence. The hospital cases of VAC was sourced from the National Injury Surveillance System (NISS), 2013-2021. We analyzed the data from NISS with the parameter of "intentional injury" caused by VAC in children aged between 0-17 years. Using robust linear regression, we analyze the time trend in the proportion of violence incidence. To understand the variations in the incidence of different types of violence across genders, we apply the chi-square test and adjusted Pearson residuals.Results:The overall trend of death caused by VAC has declined; it was reduced to 0.14/100 000 in 2021 from 0.33/100 000 in 2013. In 2021, male VAC mortality (0.15/100 000) was higher than females (0.13/100 000). The proportion of VAC cases to all injury cases has declined from 3.34% in 2013 to 2.29% in 2021. Among 9 344 VAC cases supervised by hospitals in 2021, the number of males (7 503 cases) was around 4 times that of females (1 841 cases), and the top three modes of violence were blunt tools (64.77%), falls (7.46%) and sharp instruments (6.18%), and 45 cases of sexual violence included 38 girls and 7 boys.Conclusions:The declining death rate due to VAC may be related to the benign development of Chinese society. Prevention strategies targeting training in parenting skills and problem-solving should be prioritized.

Three 2,3-diketoquinoxaline alkaloids were isolated from Heterosmilax yunnanensis Gagnep. Their structures were determined through 1D and 2D NMR, HR-ESI-MS, UV, and IR as 1-[5′-(3″-hydroxy-3″-methyl) glutaryl] ribityl-2,3-diketo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-6,7-dimethylquinoxaline (1), 1-[2′-(3″-hydroxy-3″-methyl) glutaryl]ribityl-2,3-diketo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-6,7-dimethylquinoxaline (2), and 1-ribityl-2,3-diketo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-6,7-dimethylquinoxaline (3). Compounds 1 and 2 are novel compounds, and 3 was isolated from H. yunnanensis for the first time. The hepatoprotective activity of these three compounds was evaluated, with compound 3 showing promising hepatoprotective activity.

Objective To explore the clinical efficacy of double beam double tunnel enhanced reconstruction technique in the treatment of knee anterior cruciate ligament(ACL)training injuries.Methods Twenty-nine cases of ACL injury of knee joint from January 2021 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed.All the cases were underwent ligament reconstruc-tion surgery.Cases were grouped by surgical technique:there were 14 patients in conventional reconstruction group,including 13 males and 1 female,aged from 22 to 31 years old with an average of(27.07±7.28)years old,autogenous hamstring tendon was used for ligament reconstruction.There were 15 patients in the enhanced reconstruction group,including 13 males and 2 females,aged from 25 to 34 years old with an average of(29.06±4.23)years old,double tunnel ligament reconstruction,the autogenous hamstring muscle was used as the anteromedial bundle,and the posterolateral bundle was replaced by a high-strength line.The difference between knee tibial anterior distance,Lysholm score,International Knee Literature Committee(IKDC)subjective score,Tegner motor level score and visual analog scale(VAS)at 6th and 12th months after the surgery,limb symmetry index(LSI)were recorded at the last follow-up and surgery-related adverse effects during follow-up.Results All patients were followed up,ranged from 13 to 15 months with an average of(13.7±0.8)months.There were no serious adverse reactions related to surgery during the period.There was no statistical difference between the preoperative general data and the observation index of the two groups(P＞0.05).The difference in tibial anterior distance at 6 and 12 months in the enhanced re-construction group(1.45±0.62)mm and(1.74±0.78)mm which were lower those that in the conventional reconstruction group(2.42±0.60)mm and(2.51±0.63)mm(P＜0.05).There was no significant difference in postoperative Lysholm score,Tegner motor level score,IKDC score,VAS,and limb symmetry index at the last follow-up(P＞0.05).Conclusion The enhanced recon-struction technique can more effectively maintain the stability of the knee joint and has no significant effect on the postoperative knee joint function compared with the traditional ligament reconstruction technique.The short-term curative effect is satisfac-tory,and it is suitable for the group with high sports demand.

Objective To investigate the expression of m6 A methyltransferase-like protein 14(METTL14)in the hippocampus of depression-like mice,and to provide a theoretical basis for further study of the molecular mecha-nism of depression and new drug targets.Methods 1)Twenty-four male C57BL/6J mice were divided into con-trol group and depression model group.The control group was fed normally,and the model group was kept in single animal cage for 4 months and added with Chronic Unpredictable Animal Stress(CUMS)to establish the depression-like model.2)After modeling,depression-like behaviors in model group were tested using forced swimming test(FST),sucrose preference test(SPT)and tail suspension test(TST).3)Twenty-four hours after completion of behavioral test,the hippocampus tissues of mice were collected,and the expression of m6 A methyltransferase-like protein METTL14 in the hippocampus of mice was detected by molecular biology experiments.Results 1)The mice in the model group showed significant depression-like behavior;2)The expression of MET-TL14 in the hippocampus of the model group showed an increased mRNA expression with the increased m6 A modifi-cation.3)In the model group,the expression of METTL14 in hippocampal CA1,CA3 and DG districts increased and there was neuronal damage found.Conclusions m6 A methylation function has been proved to be more active in the hippocampus of depressed mice.

Objective:To investigate the impact of ionizing radiation(IR)on the structure and function of the testis and pro-vide some strategies for the prevention and treatment of IR-induced damage(IRD).Methods:Using radiation dose simulation,se-men analysis,hormone testing,electron microscopy and single-cell transcriptome sequencing,we assessed and analyzed a case of IRD.We established a mouse model of IRD to validate the results of single-cell sequencing,and investigated the specific biological mecha-nisms of IRD and potential strategies for its intervention.Results:IR at 1-2 Gy significantly reduced sperm concentration and mo-tility,which gradually recovered after 12 months but the percentage of morphologically normal sperm remained low.It also caused im-balanced levels of various steroid hormones,decreased testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate,increased progesterone,prolac-tin,luteinizing hormone,and follicle-stimulating hormone.Electron microscopy revealed damages to the testis structure,including loss of germ cells,atrophy of the seminiferous tubules,nuclear membrane depression of the spermatocytes,mitochondrial atrophy and de-formation,and reduction of mitochondrial cristae.Single-cell sequencing indicated significant changes in the function of the Leydig cells and macrophages and disrupted lipid-related metabolic pathways after IRD.Administration of L-carnitine to the mouse model im-proved lipid metabolism disorders and partially alleviated IRD to the germ cells.Conclusion:Ionizing radiation can cause disorders of testicular spermatogenesis and sexual hormones and inhibit lipid metabolism pathways in Leydig cells and macrophages.Improving lipid metabolism can alleviate IRD to germ cells.