To address the problem of data silos in dental specialties caused by equipment heterogeneity, this study developed an Intelligent Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled dental chair platform (hereinafter referred to as the intelligent platform) based on the concept of medical-engineering integration. The platform adopts a three-tier chair-domain interconnection architecture: the bottom tier integrates multi-source sensors and standardized interfaces for automated data acquisition and linkage with hospital information systems; the middle tier provides clinic-level management and remote teaching collaboration; and the top tier employs a blockchain-based secure cloud database for resource allocation and data management. Clinical validation at The Affiliated Stomatological Hospital of Nanjing Medical University demonstrated that, compared with a control group from the same period in 2023, the trial group achieved a 38.0% increase in average daily patient visits (80.6±6.8 vs. 58.4±5.2, t=15.16, P<0.001), a 24.6% reduction in average treatment time [(36.1±6.3) min vs. (47.9±8.5) min, t=7.72, P<0.001], a 39.2% reduction in waiting time [23.3 (16.5, 30.1) min vs. 38.3 (28.3, 48.3) min, U=32.00, P<0.001], a 30.4% reduction in equipment idle rate [8.7% (5.1%, 12.3%) vs. 12.5% (7.4%, 17.6%), U=251.00, P=0.003], and an increase in patient satisfaction from 88.2% (1 519/1 723) to 94.3% (2 186/2 318) ( t=7.26, P<0.001). User research confirmed that the functions most favored by clinicians and patients were "dental chair parameter updating and clinical data integration" [74.7% (80/107)] and "chairside display of diagnostic images" [76.8% (119/155)], respectively. Looking forward, the intelligent platform has the potential to integrate artificial intelligence-assisted diagnosis and 5G-enabled multicenter collaboration to further expand its clinical applications and accelerate the digital transformation of dental healthcare.

Background and aims:Studies indicate that the gut microbiota and its metabolites are involved in the progression of cardiovascular diseases,and enterohepatic circulation plays an important role in this progression.This study aims to identify potential probiotics for the treatment of unstable angina(UA)and elucidate their mechanisms of action.Methods:Initially,the gut microbiota from patients with UA and control was analyzed.To directly assess the effects of Bifidobacterium supplementation,10 patients with UA were enrolled and administered Bifidobacterium(630 mg per intake twice a day for 1 month).The fecal metagenome,serum trimethyl-amine N-oxide(TMAO)levels,and other laboratory parameters were evaluated before and after Bifido-bacterium supplementation.Results:After supplementing with Bifidobacterium for 1 month,there were statistically significant dif-ferences(P＜0.05)in TMAO,aspartate aminotransferase,total cholesterol,and low-density lipoprotein compared to before.Additionally,the abundance of Bifidobacterium longum increased significantly,although the overall abundance of Bifidobacterium did not reach statistical significance.The gut micro-biota,metabolites,and gut-liver axis are involved in the progression of UA,and potential mechanisms should be further studied.Conclusions:Metagenomic analysis demonstrated a reduced abundance of Bifidobacterium in patients with UA.Supplementation with Bifidobacterium restored gut dysbiosis and decreased circulating TMAO levels in patients with UA.This study provides evidence that Bifidobacterium may exert cardiovascular-protective effects through the gut-liver-heart axis.

Objective To explore the effects of probiotic-assisted conventional treatment on in-testinal flora,blood glucose homeostasis and neurological function in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus complicated with stroke.Methods A total of 93 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus com-plicated by stroke were selected as the study subjects and randomly divided into control group(n=46)and experimental group(n=47)using random number table method.The control group received conventional therapy,while the experimental group received probiotics(oral Bifidobacterium,Lacto-bacillus,and Enterococcus triple viable tablets,4 tablets/time,twice daily)in addition to convention-al therapy.Both groups were treated continuously for 7 days.The intestinal flora(counts of Bifidobacterium,Lactobacillus and Bacteroides),inflammatory markers[tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),interleukin-6(IL-6),and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein(hs-CRP)],glycemic pa-rameters[fasting blood glucose(FBG),glycosylated hemoglobin(HbA1c),largest amplitude of glycemic excursions(LAGE),average blood glucose(BGL-ave),standard deviation of mean blood glucose(BGL-sd),and coefficient of variation of blood glucose(BG-cv)],and neurological function[National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale(NIHSS)score,improvement rate of neurological func-tion,proportion of patients with modified Rankin Scale(mRS)score ≤ 3,and Loewenstein Occupa-tional Therapy Cognitive Assessment(LOTCA)score]were compared between the two groups after treatment.Results After treatment,the counts of intestinal flora(Bifidobacterium,Lactobacillus,and Bacteroides)in both groups were higher than those before treatment,and the counts in the ex-perimental group were higher than those in the control group,with statistically significant differences(P＜0.05).The levels of TNF-α,IL-6 and hs-CRP in both groups were lower than those before treatment,and the levels in the experimental group were lower than those in the control group,with statistically significant differences(P＜0.05).The levels of FBG and HbA1c in both groups were lower than those before treatment.The FBG level,LAGE,BGL-sd,and BG-cv in the experimental group were lower than those in the control group,with statistically significant differences(P＜0.05),but there were no statistically significant differences in HbA1c and BGL-ave between the two groups(P＞0.05).After treatment,the NIHSS score in the experimental group was lower than that in the control group,while the LOTCA score and improvement rate of neurological function were higher than those in the control group,with statistically significant differences(P＜0.05).There was no statistically significant difference in the proportion of patients with an mRS score ≤3 between the two groups(P＞0.05).Conclusion Probiotic-assisted conventional treatment can regulate the number of intestinal flora in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus complicated with stroke,relieve inflammatory responses,stabilize blood sugar levels,and improve neurological function.

[Objective] To explore the risk factors of postoperative fever in primary aldosteronism (PA) patients. [Methods] Clinical data of 116 PA patients undergoing adrenalectomy in Peking University People's Hospital during Jan.2018 and Jul.2021 were retrospectively analyzed.Based on postoperative body temperature, the patients were divided into fever group (body temperature ≥38.0 ℃, n=41) and non-fever group (body temperature <38.0 ℃, n=75). Clinical features were analyzed between the two groups.The fever group was subdivided into low fever group (38.0 ℃≤body temperature <38.5 ℃, n=19) and high fever group (body temperature ≥38.5 ℃, n=22). The clinical data of the subgroups were compared. [Results] The incidence of postoperative fever was 35.3%.Logistic regression analysis showed that lower lowest potassium on records (OR=0.419, 95%CI: 0.196-0.894, P=0.025), lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (OR=0.112, 95%CI: 0.018-0.687, P=0.018), and postoperative adrenal insufficiency (OR=4.158, 95%CI: 1.731-9.989, P=0.001) were independent risk factors for postoperative fever.There was no difference between the high and low fever groups.After surgery, infection occurred in 1 patient, adrenal insufficiency in 40 (34.5%) patients, but long-term follow-up indicated that no patients needed lifelong glucocorticoid replacement. [Conclusion] Fever is a common postoperative complication in PA patients, most likely due to transient adrenal insufficiency.Glucocorticoid supplementation should be administered appropriately and timely based on laboratory tests and clinical manifestations.Evaluation of adrenal function is highly recommended for patients undergoing adrenalectomy.

To address the problem of data silos in dental specialties caused by equipment heterogeneity, this study developed an Intelligent Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled dental chair platform (hereinafter referred to as the intelligent platform) based on the concept of medical-engineering integration. The platform adopts a three-tier chair-domain interconnection architecture: the bottom tier integrates multi-source sensors and standardized interfaces for automated data acquisition and linkage with hospital information systems; the middle tier provides clinic-level management and remote teaching collaboration; and the top tier employs a blockchain-based secure cloud database for resource allocation and data management. Clinical validation at The Affiliated Stomatological Hospital of Nanjing Medical University demonstrated that, compared with a control group from the same period in 2023, the trial group achieved a 38.0% increase in average daily patient visits (80.6±6.8 vs. 58.4±5.2, t=15.16, P<0.001), a 24.6% reduction in average treatment time [(36.1±6.3) min vs. (47.9±8.5) min, t=7.72, P<0.001], a 39.2% reduction in waiting time [23.3 (16.5, 30.1) min vs. 38.3 (28.3, 48.3) min, U=32.00, P<0.001], a 30.4% reduction in equipment idle rate [8.7% (5.1%, 12.3%) vs. 12.5% (7.4%, 17.6%), U=251.00, P=0.003], and an increase in patient satisfaction from 88.2% (1 519/1 723) to 94.3% (2 186/2 318) ( t=7.26, P<0.001). User research confirmed that the functions most favored by clinicians and patients were "dental chair parameter updating and clinical data integration" [74.7% (80/107)] and "chairside display of diagnostic images" [76.8% (119/155)], respectively. Looking forward, the intelligent platform has the potential to integrate artificial intelligence-assisted diagnosis and 5G-enabled multicenter collaboration to further expand its clinical applications and accelerate the digital transformation of dental healthcare.

Objective To investigate associations between three-dimensional(3D)morphology of cervical vertebrae and skeletal mat-uration by cone-beam computed tomography(CBCT)and establish corresponding regression models for quantitatively evaluating cervical vertebral maturation(CVM).Methods The analyzed sample consisted of 358 CBCT images(175 male,183 female),of which 277 images were randomly selected as the model development group and 81 as the performance test group.Twenty-one 3D morphological pa-rameters were defined and measured,incorporating all parts of the cervical vertebrae,including the cervical vertebral bodies,transverse processes,spinous processes,pedicles,lamina,and articular processes.The cervical vertebral maturation index(CVMI)was determined by experienced orthodontists as reference standard.Spearman's rank correlation coefficient and multivariable stepwise regression analysis were used to identify the associations and build regression models.The performance test group was employed to ex-amine each model's reliability.Paired-samples Wilcoxon signed-rank test compared the CVMI of the model prediction with the reference standard.Results Three-dimensional morphological changes in various parts of the cervical vertebrae correlated with CVMI(P＜0.05).Six 3D morphometric parameters were each recognized for male and female models,three of which were identical.The adjusted R2 was 0.899 for males and 0.902 for females,with corresponding accuracies of 85.0%and 85.4%,respectively.These models showed no difference as compared with the reference standard(P＞0.05).Con-clusion New associations were found between 3D morphology of cer-vical vertebrae and skeletal maturation.The 3D-driven morphometric CVM assessment method and corresponding regression models exhibited good credibility and high consistency with experts.

With advancements in radiology,endoscopic techniques,surgical treatments,cell biology and molecular biology,the un-derstanding of temporomandibular disorders(TMD)has increased.The temporomandibular joint(TMJ)is a complex structure comprising both soft and hard tissues.Within the TMJ,the temporomandibular disc is a soft tissue structure that connects the mandible to the skull,providing cushioning and stability during joint movement.Different imaging techniques have their own advantages and limi-tations in the diagnosis and treatment of TMD.Therefore,using image registration technology to assess the condition and position of the articular disc provides new research perspectives for evaluating TMD,which may contribute to the diagnosis and treatment.This article reviews the latest advancements in TMJ imaging,explores the applications of various image registration techniques,particularly in the context of TMD diagnosis and treatment,and discusses future prospects.Combining the research results of some scholars at home and a-broad with the author’s clinical experience,the article aims to provide valuable insights for clinicians.

Objective To identify small molecule inhibitors of APC-mutant colon cancer and provide lead compounds for targeted therapy of colon cancer.Methods APC-mutant colon cancer cell lines that stably express 7*Tcf-GFP/SV40-Cherry(7TGC)dual fluorescence reporter system was constructed for small-molecule inhibitor screening.Cell viability,colony formation,EdU incorporation,and xenograft tumor assay were used to evaluate the inhibitory effect of these inhibitors on APC-mutant colon cancer in vitro and in vivo.Western blot and co-immunoprecipitation assays were used to explore the molecular mechanism.Results Four small molecules that inhibited Wnt activity in APC-mutant colon cancer cells were discovered.Shikonin exhibited significant inhibition of cell viability and proliferation while inducing apoptosis of APC-mutant colon cancer cells.Xenograft tumor assay demonstrated that shikonin significantly reduced tumor growth in vivo.Furthermore,Western blot and co-immunoprecipitation assays revealed that shikonin markedly decreased β-catenin levels.Conclusion Shikonin effectively inhibits Wnt activity and suppresses tumor growth in APC-mutant colon cancer.

The training effects of experimental courses determine the practical abilities of undergraduate students. Therefore, it is essential to establish a comprehensive experimental course system that adapts to the undergraduate education of environmental science. Here, we introduce the "basic-specialized-comprehensive" experimental course system of Xiamen University, which is established following the principles of being systematic, comprehensive, and modular. To establish this course system, we first increased the investment of lab facilities and enhanced the management of student labs. Then, we improved the contexts of teaching and training according to the requirements of industry and society. Showing how this course system is developed stepwise and the training effects of this system, we hope to provide a reference for the experimental courses of environmental science in colleges and universities.
Curriculum ; Environmental Science ; Humans ; Students ; Universities

HMG-CoA reductase (HMGCR) protein is usually upregulated after statin (HMGCR inhibitor) treatment, which inevitably diminishes its therapeutic efficacy, provoking the need for higher doses associated with adverse effects. The proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) technology has recently emerged as a powerful approach for inducing protein degradation. Nonetheless, due to their bifunctional nature, developing orally bioavailable PROTACs remains a great challenge. Herein, we identified a powerful HMGCR-targeted PROTAC (