ObjectiveTo investigate the changing trends of the incidence rate， prevalence rate， mortality rate， and disability-adjusted life years （DALYs） of benign hepatobiliary and pancreatic diseases among people aged 15 — 39 years in China in 1990 — 2021. MethodsThe data of 2021 Global Burden of Disease Study were downloaded to obtain the epidemiological data of liver fibrosis/chronic liver disease， benign gallbladder/biliary tract diseases， and pancreatitis among people aged 15 — 39 years in China， and estimated annual percentage change （EAPC） was calculated to assess the changing trends of incidence， prevalence， mortality， and DALY rates. The Bayesian age-period-cohort model was used to predict the incidence and mortality rates from 2022 to 2030. ResultsIn 2021， there were 10 448 778 new cases of benign hepatobiliary and pancreatic diseases among the individuals aged 15 — 39 years in China， which was increased by 3.8% compared with the data in 1990， while the numbers of prevalent cases， deaths， and DALYs were reduced by 20.4%， 59.6%， and 50.2%， respectively. In 2021， the age-standardized incidence rates of liver fibrosis/chronic liver disease， benign gallbladder/biliary tract diseases， and pancreatitis were 1 104.40/100 000， 1 045.05/100 000， and 16.64/100 000， respectively； the age-standardized prevalence rates were 20 592.37/100 000， 2 364.85/100 000， and 9.43/100 000， respectively； the age-standardized mortality rates were 1.61/100 000， 0.04/100 000， and 0.18/100 000， respectively. From 1990 to 2021， there was a tendency of increase in the age-standardized incidence rate of liver fibrosis/chronic liver disease （EAPC=0.43， 95% confidence interval ［CI］： 0.23 — 0.63）， and there was also a tendency of increase in the age-standardized incidence and prevalence rates of benign gallbladder/biliary tract diseases （incidence rate： EAPC=1.07， 95%CI： 0.91 — 1.24； prevalence rate： EAPC=0.75， 95%CI： 0.59 — 0.89）， while there was a tendency of reduction in the age-standardized mortality rate of all three disease categories. Predictions for 2022 — 2030 indicated a potential reduction in the incidence rate of benign gallbladder/biliary tract diseases and an increase in the incidence rate of pancreatitis. ConclusionThere has been an overall upward trend in the incidence rate of liver fibrosis/chronic liver disease and gallbladder/biliary tract diseases over the past three decades， and it is needed to pay attention to the disease burden of benign hepatobiliary diseases among the people aged 15 — 39 years in China.

Tooth pulpitis is a prevalent oral disorder. Understanding the underlying mechanisms of pulpitis and developing effective treatment strategies hold great significance. Ferroptosis has recently emerged as a new form of cell death, but the role of ferroptosis in pulpitis remains largely unknown. In our study, single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) was used to identify cellular heterogeneity between 3 pulpitis tissue and 3 healthy pulp tissue, and explored ferroptosis occurrence in pulpitis tissue and inflamed dental pulp cells (DPCs). In scRNA-seq, 40 231 cells (Pulpitis: 17 814; Healthy pulp: 22 417) were captured, and visualized into 12 distinct cell clusters. Differentially expressed ferroptosis-related genes (DE-FRGs) were almost presented in each cluster in pulpitis vs healthy pulp. ROS and Fe²⁺ levels significantly rose, and immunohistochemistry showed low expression of GPX4 and high expression of PTGS2 in pulpitis. In LPS-stimulated DPCs, thymosin α1 increased the expression of GPX4 and FTL, and decreased expression of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and Fe²⁺ levels. In rat pulpitis models, both prothymosin α (PTMA, precursor of thymosin α1) gelatin sponge placed at the hole of pulp (LPS-P(gs)) and PTMA injection in pulp (LPS-P(i)) significantly reduced infiltration of inflammatory cells and expression of PTGS2, and increased the expression of GPX4. In RNA sequencing, the expression of DE-FRGs were reversed when thymosin α1 were added in LPS-stimulated DPCs. Collectively, single-cell atlas reveals cellular heterogeneity between pulpitis and healthy pulp, and ferroptosis occurrence in pulpitis. Thymosin α1 may reduce ferroptosis in DPCs to alleviate pulpitis and thus potentially has the ability to treat pulpitis.
Ferroptosis/drug effects* ; Dental Pulp/drug effects* ; Animals ; Pulpitis/pathology* ; Rats ; Thymalfasin/pharmacology* ; Humans ; Male ; Thymosin/pharmacology* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Oral and maxillofacial CBCT(cone beam computed tomography)as a kind of oral imaging techniques,can accurately show the tooth pulp in an all-round way.Especially for showingthe morphologyof special root canals,it has incomparable advantages over two-dimensional X ray film.With the development of digital technology and artificial intelligence technology,CBCT has been widely used in stomatology.In this paper,we will systematically review the applicationprogress of CBCT combined with oral digital technology and arti-ficial intelligence technology,with a view to providing references for clinical diagnosis and treatmentand technical development of the discipline.

Objective To investigate the biological behavior of EMP1 in pancreatic cancer cells and the molecular mechanism of EMP1 in promoting tumor progression.Methods A stable EMP1 knockdown cell line was obtained by lentivirus transfection.The effect of EMP1 on the proliferation of cancer cells was determined by CCK-8 and clonal formation assay.The effect of EMP1 on the migration and invasion of cancer cells was detected by scratch test and Transwell test.The influence of EMP1 on downstream signaling pathways was investigated by Western blot.Results The results of qRT-PCR and Western blot showed that EMP1 was highly expressed in pancreatic cancer cells.The results of CCK-8,colony formation,scratch,and Transwell assays indicated that EMP1 promoted the proliferation,migration,and invasion of pancreatic cancer cells.Western blot results revealed that EMP1 might promote tumor progression through the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.Conclusion This study suggested that EMP1 may activate the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway to promote the proliferation,migration,and invasion of pancreatic cancer cells,thereby positively regulating tumor progression.

Background and Aims:Postoperative pancreatic fistula(POPF)is one of the most severe and common complications following pancreaticoduodenectomy(PD)and is a major cause of mortality after PD.Given the multiple risk factors associated with PD-POPF,developing an effective predictive model is of significant clinical importance.This study was conducted to explore the predictive performance of the triglyceride-glucose(TyG)index combined with serological indicators for POPF following PD.Methods:The preoperative general data,laboratory indicators within one week before surgery,and postoperative complication data of 291 patients who underwent PD at the Department of General Surgery,Second Hospital of Lanzhou University,from January 2019 to June 2024,were retrospectively collected.Patients were randomly divided into a modeling group(203 cases)and a validation group(88 cases)using a computer-generated random number method at a 7∶3 ratio.Univariate Logistic regression and multivariate binary Logistic regression(Back-Wald method)were performed on the modeling group data.Based on regression analysis results,a predictive model was constructed and visualized using a nomogram.The discriminative ability of the nomogram model was evaluated by the area under the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve(AUC).A calibration curve was used to assess the agreement between predicted and actual probabilities,and a decision curve analysis was conducted to evaluate the clinical application value of the model.Subgroup analysis was performed on potential factors influencing the outcome variables.Results:Among the 291 patients,70 developed POPF,with 49 cases in the modeling group and 21 in the validation group.There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups(all P>0.05).Univariate analysis in the modeling group identified body mass index(BMI),triglycerides,TyG index,albumin(ALB),platelet count(PLT),absolute lymphocyte count(LYM),and absolute neutrophil count(NEUT)as significant factors associated with POPF(all P<0.05).Multivariate analysis revealed that BMI,TyG index,ALB,PLT,LYM,and NEUT were independent influencing factors for POPF(all P<0.05).A PD-POPF risk prediction model and nomogram were constructed based on these results.The model achieved an AUC of 0.80(0.73-0.86),and when applied to the validation group,the ROC analysis yielded an AUC of 0.80(0.70-0.90).The calibration curves of both the modeling and validation groups closely aligned with the standard curve.Subgroup analysis indicated that tumor nature and tumor stage had minimal impact on PD-POPF risk factors,demonstrating good model stability.Conclusion:The TyG index,along with BMI,PLT,NEUT,ALB,and LYM,is closely associated with PD-POPF occurrence.The risk prediction model based on the TyG index and these influencing factors exhibits good predictive performance and holds significant clinical value for guiding early intervention.

Background and Aims:Postoperative pancreatic fistula(POPF)is one of the most severe and common complications following pancreaticoduodenectomy(PD)and is a major cause of mortality after PD.Given the multiple risk factors associated with PD-POPF,developing an effective predictive model is of significant clinical importance.This study was conducted to explore the predictive performance of the triglyceride-glucose(TyG)index combined with serological indicators for POPF following PD.Methods:The preoperative general data,laboratory indicators within one week before surgery,and postoperative complication data of 291 patients who underwent PD at the Department of General Surgery,Second Hospital of Lanzhou University,from January 2019 to June 2024,were retrospectively collected.Patients were randomly divided into a modeling group(203 cases)and a validation group(88 cases)using a computer-generated random number method at a 7∶3 ratio.Univariate Logistic regression and multivariate binary Logistic regression(Back-Wald method)were performed on the modeling group data.Based on regression analysis results,a predictive model was constructed and visualized using a nomogram.The discriminative ability of the nomogram model was evaluated by the area under the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve(AUC).A calibration curve was used to assess the agreement between predicted and actual probabilities,and a decision curve analysis was conducted to evaluate the clinical application value of the model.Subgroup analysis was performed on potential factors influencing the outcome variables.Results:Among the 291 patients,70 developed POPF,with 49 cases in the modeling group and 21 in the validation group.There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups(all P>0.05).Univariate analysis in the modeling group identified body mass index(BMI),triglycerides,TyG index,albumin(ALB),platelet count(PLT),absolute lymphocyte count(LYM),and absolute neutrophil count(NEUT)as significant factors associated with POPF(all P<0.05).Multivariate analysis revealed that BMI,TyG index,ALB,PLT,LYM,and NEUT were independent influencing factors for POPF(all P<0.05).A PD-POPF risk prediction model and nomogram were constructed based on these results.The model achieved an AUC of 0.80(0.73-0.86),and when applied to the validation group,the ROC analysis yielded an AUC of 0.80(0.70-0.90).The calibration curves of both the modeling and validation groups closely aligned with the standard curve.Subgroup analysis indicated that tumor nature and tumor stage had minimal impact on PD-POPF risk factors,demonstrating good model stability.Conclusion:The TyG index,along with BMI,PLT,NEUT,ALB,and LYM,is closely associated with PD-POPF occurrence.The risk prediction model based on the TyG index and these influencing factors exhibits good predictive performance and holds significant clinical value for guiding early intervention.

Objective To investigate the biological behavior of EMP1 in pancreatic cancer cells and the molecular mechanism of EMP1 in promoting tumor progression.Methods A stable EMP1 knockdown cell line was obtained by lentivirus transfection.The effect of EMP1 on the proliferation of cancer cells was determined by CCK-8 and clonal formation assay.The effect of EMP1 on the migration and invasion of cancer cells was detected by scratch test and Transwell test.The influence of EMP1 on downstream signaling pathways was investigated by Western blot.Results The results of qRT-PCR and Western blot showed that EMP1 was highly expressed in pancreatic cancer cells.The results of CCK-8,colony formation,scratch,and Transwell assays indicated that EMP1 promoted the proliferation,migration,and invasion of pancreatic cancer cells.Western blot results revealed that EMP1 might promote tumor progression through the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.Conclusion This study suggested that EMP1 may activate the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway to promote the proliferation,migration,and invasion of pancreatic cancer cells,thereby positively regulating tumor progression.

Oral and maxillofacial CBCT(cone beam computed tomography)as a kind of oral imaging techniques,can accurately show the tooth pulp in an all-round way.Especially for showingthe morphologyof special root canals,it has incomparable advantages over two-dimensional X ray film.With the development of digital technology and artificial intelligence technology,CBCT has been widely used in stomatology.In this paper,we will systematically review the applicationprogress of CBCT combined with oral digital technology and arti-ficial intelligence technology,with a view to providing references for clinical diagnosis and treatmentand technical development of the discipline.

In the various diseases of oral and maxillofacial system,the incidence of tissue defects is high and harmful,the reconstruction of the morphology and function is difficult,which seriously affects the physiological and mental health of the patients.Dental and maxillofacial regeneration based on stem cells and tissue engineering technology is a potential way for the treatment of dental and maxillofacial defects,and is also the focus of current international competition.Based on the possible mechanism of stem cells regulating organ development,this paper reviews the current status of dental and maxillofacial regeneration and translation,and proposes future direction in this field in order to pro-mote the sustainable development of dental and maxillofacial regeneration and translation.

Objective To investigate the Carabelli's traits on permanent maxillary molars in Han Chinese college students.Methods Intraoral photos and plaster models from 803 Han Chinese college students were observed and the Carabelli's traits on permanent maxillary molars were categorized by the Arizona State University Dental Anthropology System.Chi-square tests were performed for the comparison of the differences between male and female,permanent maxillary first and second molars.Kendall's tau-b correlation analy-ses were performed for the correlation between bilateral antimeric molars.Results The frequencies of Carabelli's traits on permanent maxillary first and second molars were 37.61％and 3.99％respectively,46.73％and 6.30％in males,27.95％and 1.54％in females,which were statistically significant between permanent maxillary first and second molars(P＜0.01),male and female(P＜0.01).In the positive expression,the low-grade expression(ASUDAS 1-4)was predominant and accounted for 67.37％and 59.52％on the perma-nent maxillary first and second molars.The correlation between bilateral antimeric teeth were statistically significant on permanent max-illary first molars(tau-b=0.756,P＜0.01)and second molars(tau-b=0.477,P＜0.01).Conclusion The Carabelli's traits on perma-nent maxillary molars in Han Chinese college students mostly occur on permanent maxillary first molars with low-grade expression,and understanding this has great anthropological and clinical significance.