Objective To investigate the relationship between tooth loss and the occurrence of esophageal cancer in a natural village in Wenfeng District, Anyang City, Henan Province. Methods A prospective cohort study was conducted to observe the occurrence of tooth loss and esophageal cancer among the asymptomatic residents of the natural village for 16 years from January 2008 to July 2024. Data were analyzed by chi-square test, binary logistic regression, and restricted cubic spline. Results Among the total population of 711 cases, 136 cases were lost to follow-up and 575 cases were included in the final statistics, including 45 cases with esophageal cancer. Significant statistical difference was found between esophageal cancer patients with and without tooth loss (P<0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that tooth loss was associated with the occurrence of esophageal cancer (OR=3.977, 95%CI: 1.543-10.255). After the adjustment for confounders, tooth loss remained significantly associated with the occurrence of esophageal cancer (OR=3.038, 95%CI: 1.035-8.914). A nonlinear dose-response relationship was observed between the number of teeth lost and the incidence of esophageal cancer. When the number of teeth lost was less than 12, the risk of esophageal cancer increased with the number of teeth lost. When more than 12 teeth were lost, the risk of esophageal cancer decreased as the number of teeth lost increased. Conclusion Tooth loss is a risk factor for the occurrence of esophageal cancer in this natural village. When the number of teeth lost is less than 12, the risk of esophageal cancer increases with the number of teeth lost.

Calcium-based biomaterials have been intensively studied in the field of drug delivery owing to their excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability. Calcium-based materials can also deliver contrast agents, which can enhance real-time imaging and exert a Ca²⁺-interfering therapeutic effect. Based on these characteristics, amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC), as a brunch of calcium-based biomaterials, has the potential to become a widely used biomaterial. Highly functional ACC can be either discovered in natural organisms or obtained by chemical synthesis However, the standalone presence of ACC is unstable in vivo. Additives are required to be used as stabilizers or core-shell structures formed by permeable layers or lipids with modified molecules constructed to maintain the stability of ACC until the ACC carrier reaches its destination. ACC has high chemical instability and can produce biocompatible products when exposed to an acidic condition in vivo, such as Ca²⁺ with an immune-regulating ability and CO₂ with an imaging-enhancing ability. Owing to these characteristics, ACC has been studied for self-sacrificing templates of carrier construction, targeted delivery of oncology drugs, immunomodulation, tumor imaging, tissue engineering, and calcium supplementation. Emphasis in this paper has been placed on the origin, structural features, and multiple applications of ACC. Meanwhile, ACC faces many challenges in clinical translation, and long-term basic research is required to overcome these challenges. We hope that this study will contribute to future innovative research on ACC.

Objective:To explore the outcomes and problems of the Beijing Nursing Association Emergency Specialist Nurse Training Course, so as to provide reference for improving the training of emergency specialist nurses.Methods:Convenience sampling was used to select 75 trainees from the 2023 Beijing Nursing Association Emergency Specialist Nurse Training Course as survey subjects. Beijing Nursing Association Emergency Specialist Nurse Training Scoring Criteria was used to score trainees from four aspects of theoretical knowledge, skill operation, case analysis, and review defense, and to summarize and analyze the existing problems.Results:A total of 75 questionnaires were distributed, and 75 valid questionnaires were collected, with a valid response rate of 100.0%. The theoretical knowledge score was (68.4±10.7), with a minimum of 38.0 and a maximum of 91.0, and the pass rate (number of passing trainees divided by the total number of trainees) was 81.3%. The score for the review defense was (78.8±5.7), with a minimum of 65.0 and a maximum of 94.0, and a pass rate of 100.0%. The skill operation score was (93.5±3.7), with a minimum of 85.0 and a maximum of 99.0, and a pass rate of 100.0%. The score for the case analysis was (90.2±5.6), with a minimum score of 80.0 and a maximum score of 100.0, and a pass rate of 100.0%. The main reasons for losing points in the theoretical knowledge were mechanical ventilation and cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The main reasons for losing points in the review defense were topic selection and paper writing. The main reasons for losing points in skill operation were preparation before operation and key points after operation. The main reasons for losing points in the case analysis were the consultation ideas and treatment measures.Conclusions:The trainees of the emergency specialist nurse training course currently have a relatively good overall professional practical skills, but there are significant differences in theoretical knowledge, weak scientific research capabilities, and room for improvement in triage decision-making. It is suggested to give full play to the advantages of teachers and set up a variety of Internet courses for trainees to learn on their own to meet the personalized needs of trainees and improve teaching homogeneity.

Objective To analyze the basic case data and laboratory test index characteristics of patients with myasthenia gravis(MG),so as to evaluate the application value of common clinical laboratory indicators in the construction of a diagnostic model for MG.Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on the basic data and laboratory indicators of MG patients and gender and age-matched healthy controls diagnosed at Beijing Tiantan Hospital,Capital Medical University from April 2021 to April 2023.A diagnostic model was constructed,and the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was drawn to analyze the area under the curve(AUC).Results The BMI,heart rate,systolic blood pressure,and diastolic blood pressure in the MG group were significantly higher than those in the control group,with statistical significance(P＜0.05).There were significant differences in total protein,albumin,white blood cell count,proportion of large platelets,abso-lute value of monocyte and triiodothyronine between MG group and control group(P＜0.05).Seven indexes of heart rate,diastolic blood pressure,albumin,creatine kinase,cholinesterase,triglyceride and apolipoprotein B were selected to construct the diagnostic model.The area under the curve of the combined application of multiple indexes could reach 0.995,with a sensitivity and specificity of 97.60％and 96.10％,respectively.Conclusion In this study,the laboratory test indexes that can be used for the diagnosis of MG are successfully selected,and the sensitivity and specificity of the combined application of multiple indexes are high,which can be used for the auxiliary diagnosis of MG.

Obesity and related metabolic syndromes have been recognized as important disease risks,in which the role of adipokines cannot be ignored.Adiponectin(ADP)is one of the key adipokines with various beneficial effects,including improving glucose and lipid metabolism,enhancing insulin sensitivity,reducing oxidative stress and inflammation,promoting ceramides degradation,and stimulating adipose tissue vascularity.Based on those,it can serve as a positive regulator in many metabolic syndromes,such as type 2 diabetes(T2D),cardiovascular diseases,non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD),sarcopenia,neurodegenerative diseases,and certain cancers.Therefore,a promising therapeutic approach for treating various metabolic diseases may involve elevating ADP levels or activating ADP receptors.The modulation of ADP genes,multimerization,and secretion covers the main processes of ADP generation,providing a comprehensive orientation for the development of more appropriate therapeutic strategies.In order to have a deeper understanding of ADP,this paper will provide an all-encompassing review of ADP.

Heart failure is the leading cause of death worldwide. Compound Danshen Dripping Pill (CDDP) or CDDP combined with simvastatin has been widely used to treat patients with myocardial infarction and other cardiovascular diseases in China. However, the effect of CDDP on hypercholesterolemia/atherosclerosis-induced heart failure is unknown. We constructed a new model of heart failure induced by hypercholesterolemia/atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E (ApoE) and LDL receptor (LDLR) dual deficient (ApoE^-/-LDLR^-/-) mice and investigated the effect of CDDP or CDDP plus a low dose of simvastatin on the heart failure. CDDP or CDDP plus a low dose of simvastatin inhibited heart injury by multiple actions including anti-myocardial dysfunction and anti-fibrosis. Mechanistically, both Wnt and lysine-specific demethylase 4A (KDM4A) pathways were significantly activated in mice with heart injury. Conversely, CDDP or CDDP plus a low dose of simvastatin inhibited Wnt pathway by markedly up-regulating expression of Wnt inhibitors. While the anti-inflammation and anti-oxidative stress by CDDP were achieved by inhibiting KDM4A expression and activity. In addition, CDDP attenuated simvastatin-induced myolysis in skeletal muscle. Taken together, our study suggests that CDDP or CDDP plus a low dose of simvastatin can be an effective therapy to reduce hypercholesterolemia/atherosclerosis-induced heart failure.

Objective:To investigate chromosomal aberrations in peripheral blood lymphocytes of underground miners, in order to explore the influencing factors involved in chromosomal aberration levels of non-uranium metal mines.Methods:Totall 135 workers were recruited from an iron mine and a gold mine located in different cities of Henan province, where 69 workers worked aboveground and 66 miners worked underground in the metal mines. The radon concentration in the mines was measured by solid-state nuclear track detectors. Chromosomal aberrations in peripheral blood lymphocytes from the subjects were detected using conventional analysis method, and the influence factors of chromosomal aberrations were analyzed.Results:Radon concentration was 30-2 943 Bq/m 3 in the aboveground workplace of the mines, and 62-28 314 Bq/m 3 in underground. The age of the underground group was obviously lower than that of the aboveground group( t=2.12, P<0.05), but the frequencies of dicentrics, translocation, acentric fragment, and total chromosome-type aberrations in the underground group were significantly higher than those in the aboveground group ( χ2=10.49, 16.74, 8.15, 29.50, P<0.01). Consistent results were obtained when only male workers were regarded as object of observation ( χ2=8.44, 11.63, 4.94, 20.81, P<0.05). The frequency of translocation ( χ2=8.44, P<0.05) was dependent on the length of service in the underground group. Poisson regression analysis indicated that the aboveground and undergroud grouping partly affected the levels of dicentrics, translocation, acentric fragment, and total chromosome-type aberrations (the underground group IRR=3.25, 2.69, 1.97, 2.18, P<0.05). Conclusions:The radon exposure in the underground workplace of the metal mines may be the main factor resulting in the increase of chromosome-type aberrations of miners. The occupational health and safety of the miners who may be exposed to high radon levels are worthy of great attention.

Objective:To explore the effect of empowerment education in patients with coronary heart disease after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) .Methods:From June 2020 to July 2021, convenience sampling was used to select 90 patients with coronary heart disease who received PCI in the Department of Cardiology of Qinhuai Medical District, Eastern Theater Command General Hospital as the research object. The 45 patients admitted from June to December 2020 were set as the control group, and the 45 patients admitted from January to July 2021 were set as the observation group. The control group received routine health education, and the observation group was given empowerment education on this basis. The physical activity level and aerobic exercise endurance of the two groups of patients were compared.Results:Repeated measures analysis of variance showed that there were between-group, time and interaction effects in the 6-minute walking distance between the two groups before intervention, one month and three months after intervention, and the differences were statistically significant ( P<0.05) . The physical activity levels of patients in the observation group were higher than those in the control group after one and three months of intervention, and the differences were statistically significant ( P<0.05) . Conclusions:Empowerment education can improve physical activity level and aerobic exercise endurance in patients with coronary heart disease after PCI.

Objective:To observe whether endoplasmic reticulum stress and NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation were involved in severe heat stroke induced intestinal mucosal injury and to investigate the potential protective effect of the endoplasmic reticulum stress inhibitor 4-phenylbutyric acid (4-PBA).Methods:Thirty male BALB/c mice were randomly (random number) assigned to 3 groups: the control group, heat stroke group (HS), and 4-PBA pretreatment group (4-PBA+HS, 4-PBA 120 mg/kg, intraperitoneal injection). Mice in the control group were placed at room temperature, while mice in the HS group and 4-PBA+HS group were placed in a prewarmed chamber [temperature (35.5±0.5) °C, humidity (60.0±5.0)%]. A rectal temperature (Tc) that reached 42 °C was considered to indicate severe heat stroke. The concentrations of malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in intestinal homogenate were analyzed by a colorimetric method, serum interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin-18 (IL-18) were assessed by ELISA, intestinal histopathology was evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining, intestinal ultrastructure was observed by electron microscopy, and the protein expression of GRP78, CHOP, NLRP3 and cleaved caspase-1 were analyzed by Western blot. Data were statistically analyzed by ANOVA test and LSD- t multiple comparison test if homogeneous variance, or analyzed by Welch test and Dunnett's T3 multiple comparison test if heterogeneous variance. Results:The concentration of MDA in the HS group was increased ( t=14.243, P<0.01), while SOD was decreased compared with that in the control group ( t=7.781, P<0.01), and the concentrations of serum IL-1β and IL-18 were significantly elevated ( t=12.664, P<0.01; t=16.240, P<0.01). Under light microscopy, extensive destruction of small intestinal villi and inflammatory cell infiltration were observed in the intestines of mice with severe heat stroke. Transmission electron microscopy showed that endoplasmic reticulum structures were significantly expanded, and mitochondria were vacuolated in the intestines of mice with severe heat stroke. Compared with those in the control group, the protein expression levels of GRP78, CHOP, NLRP3 and cleaved caspase-1 in the small intestine were elevated in the HS group ( t=14.824, P <0.01; t=12.667, P<0.01; t=9.298, P<0.01; and t=6.588, P=0.001). Compared with those in the HS group, mice in the 4-PBA pretreatment group exhibited reduced concentrations of MDA ( t=9.167, P<0.01), increased SOD ( t=6.077, P<0.01) , and reduced serum IL-1β and IL-18 levels ( t=4.889, P= 0.001; t=5.693, P<0.01). In addition, 4-PBA pretreatment significantly alleviated the pathological disruption and ultrastructural damage to small intestine tissues. Moreover, 4-PBA pretreatment reduced GRP78, CHOP , NLRP3 and cleaved caspase-1 protein expression ( t=9.080, P<0.01; t=7.152, P<0.01; t=4.249, P=0.005; t=3.650, P=0.011). Conclusions:Endoplasmic reticulum stress and NLRP3 inflammasome are involved in intestinal mucosal injury induced by severe heat stroke. 4-PBA plays a protective role by alleviating endoplasmic reticulum stress and NLRP3 inflammasome activation.