Objective: To evaluate the performance of 5T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in visualizing dental pulp and periodontal ligament (PDL) tissues in vivo in the young adult population, thereby providing a basis for the application of high-field MRI technology in clinical oral examinations. Methods: The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the hospital. A total of 15 healthy volunteers (413 permanent teeth altogether) were recruited and underwent full-mouth 5T MRI scans. Among them, six volunteers (168 permanent teeth) also received both 3T MRI and cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans. Two dental specialists independently evaluated the imaging quality of the dental pulp and PDL on the images using a 5-point Likert scale and recorded the number of detectable root canals for each tooth. Inter-rater agreement was assessed using weighted kappa statistics and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Non-parametric tests were employed to compare differences in imaging performance among different tissue structures, tooth positions, and imaging modalities. Results: 5T MRI can achieve in vivo imaging for most dental pulp tissues and partial periodontal membrane structures. There was a high level of agreement between the two raters in their imaging scores for the dental pulp and PDL (dental pulp κ = 0.934, PDL κ = 0.737). The imaging scores for dental pulp were significantly higher than those for PDL (P < 0.001), and the scores for molar dental pulp were lower than those for premolars and anterior teeth. In the multimodal comparison involving six volunteers, the raters showed good consistency in scoring dental pulp and PDL imaging across 5T MRI, 3T MRI, and CBCT, as well as in root canal counts (5T MRI for dental pulp κ = 0.971, 3T MRI for dental pulp κ = 0.933, CBCT for dental pulp κ = 0.964; 5T MRI for PDL κ = 0.625, 3T MRI for PDL κ = 0.667, CBCT for PDL κ = 0.571; ICC for root canal counts all ≥ 0.990). The imaging scores for dental pulp and PDL using 5T MRI were significantly higher than those using 3T MRI (dental pulp: P < 0.001; PDL: P = 0.022), but there was no statistically significant difference in the detection rate of the number of root canals between the two (P > 0.05). Although the imaging scores for dental pulp and PDL as well as the detection rate of the number of root canals with 5T MRI were inferior to those with CBCT (dental pulp: P < 0.001; PDL: P = 0.02; number of root canals: P < 0.05), 5T MRI can truly achieve "direct imaging" of these two soft tissues. Conclusion 5T MRI enables effective in vivo direct imaging of dental pulp and PDL tissues in the young adult population, indicating its potential clinical application value in the diagnosis and treatment of pulp and periodontal diseases.

Objective To explore the association between meteorological factors and suicide in cancer patients. Methods Based on the Shandong Multicenter Healthcare Big Data Platform, data on suicide deaths of cancer patients were collected from January 2010 to December 2021. Meteorological data were extracted for the corresponding time. Conditional logistic regression models were constructed using case-crossover design to explore the association between meteorological factors and suicide risk. Results A total of 80 patients with cancer suicide deaths were included, including 48 males, 32 females, and 43 patients aged 60 and above. Suicide risk in cancer patients increased with increasing monthly average temperatures, with an OR of 1.20 (95% CI: 1.12 - 1.28). The ORs for monthly average maximum and minimum temperatures were 1.20 (95% CI: 1.13 - 1.29) and 1.19 (95% CI: 1.12 - 1.27), respectively. Monthly average sunshine duration and monthly average precipitation were negatively associated with the risk of suicide in cancer patients. However, no associations were observed on daily and weekly scales. In all subgroups, the increase in monthly mean temperature, monthly mean minimum temperature, and monthly mean maximum temperature was associated with the increased suicide risk of cancer patients. The risk of suicide among males, females and cancer patients ≥ 60 years were affected by monthly mean sunshine duration, while cancer patients < 60 years were more susceptible to the influence of monthly mean precipitation. Conclusion The meteorological factors are highly related to the risk of suicide in cancer patients, and psychological interventions for cancer patients during weather changes should be strengthened to reduce their suicide risk.

Objective: To explore the temporal variation in physical health status among college students, analyze the correlation and dose response relationship between body mass index (BMI) and physical fitness indicators, so as to provide a scientific basis for physical health intervention among college students in universities. Methods: A total of 4 910 freshmen in the 2021 grade at Xi an Jiaotong University were selected. The BMI and changes in five physical fitness indicators (50 meter run, endurance run, standing long jump, sit and reach, and pull up or 1 minute sit up) were continuously assessed during follow up evaluations from 2021 to 2024. One way analysis of variance, generalized estimating equation (GEE), and other statistical methods were used to analyze the trends in temporal variation among the physical fitness indicators as well as the correlation characteristics and dose response relationship between BMI and physical fitness. Results: In 2021 the overweight and obesity rates among male freshmen were 20.36 % and 8.62%, respectively, and 12.91% and 2.91% among female freshman, respectively. From 2021 to 2024 the BMI of male and female students showed an upward trend with a significant increase( F =87.29,3.69,both P <0.05). The physical fitness indicators for both male and female students, including the 50 meter run, standing long jump, pull up and 1 minute sit up, first increased and then decreased, the endurance run performance decreased, and the sit and reach performance first decreased and then increased. The GEE model showed that BMI was negatively correlated with the performance of standing long jump, pullup/1 minute sit up, and sit and reach in both male and female students（ β =-1.72，-0.34，-0.15；-0.94，-0.26，-0.12）, and positively correlated with the time of 50 meter run and endurance run（ β =0.05，3.16；0.03，1.86）（all P ＜0.05）. The increase in BMI was associated with physical fitness decline in a non linear dose response relationship, while the sit and reach performance reached a peak at a BMI of approximately 22 kg/m 2, then decreased with the further increase in BMI. Conclusions A significant negative correlation is demonstrated between BMI and physical fitness indicators and male students are more sensitive to changes in BMI. College students should be guided to actively manage their weight and attach importance to physical exercise to improve their physical health.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of Wenshen Yangxue decoction combined with endometrial microstimulation in the treatment of infertile patients with polycystic ovary syndrome （PCOS， syndrome of kidney-Yang deficiency and blood stasis）. MethodsA randomized， positive-drug parallel-controlled， open-label clinical study was conducted. A total of 240 infertile PCOS patients with the syndrome of kidney-Yang deficiency and blood stasis who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were randomly assigned into 4 groups， with 60 patients in each group. The control group was treated with clomiphene citrate （50-100 mg·d^-¹， orally for 5-10 consecutive days） for ovulation induction. On the basis of the therapy in the control group， the Wenshen group was additionally treated with Wenshen Yangxue decoction （250 mL， warm oral administration， twice daily， in the morning and evening）， and the stimulation group received endometrial microstimulation during the early follicular phase. The combined group was treated with clomiphene citrate plus Wenshen Yangxue decoction （at the same dosages as aforementioned） and endometrial microstimulation. The course of treatment for all the groups was 3 menstrual cycles. The pregnancy rate， ovulation status， sex hormone levels， glucose metabolism indicators， coagulation function， endometrial thickness， traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） symptom scores， and adverse reactions were observed in each group. ResultsA total of 239 patients were included in the final analysis， with 59 patients in the Wenshen group and 60 patients in each of the other three groups. The pregnancy rates were 43.3%（26/60） in the combined group and 32.2%（19/60） in the Wenshen group， both significantly higher than that （10%） in the control group （χ²=17.56，P<0.01）. Compared with the control group， the combined and Wenshen groups had increased mature follicle rates （P<0.01）， while the Wenshen group showed a decreased luteinization rate （P<0.05）. All the groups exhibited significant reductions in TCM symptom scores after treatment， and the Wenshen and combined groups had lower scores than the control group （P<0.01）. No statistically significant difference was found in the incidence of adverse events among the four groups， and all the adverse events were mild. ConclusionWenshen Yangxue decoction combined with endometrial microstimulation can alleviate the TCM symptoms of infertile PCOS patients with the syndrome of kidney-Yang deficiency and blood stasis， promote follicular maturation and ovulation， increase the cumulative pregnancy rate， and has good safety. It can provide new clinical evidence for the integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine treatment of PCOS infertility.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of Wenshen Yangxue decoction combined with endometrial microstimulation in the treatment of infertile patients with polycystic ovary syndrome （PCOS， syndrome of kidney-Yang deficiency and blood stasis）. MethodsA randomized， positive-drug parallel-controlled， open-label clinical study was conducted. A total of 240 infertile PCOS patients with the syndrome of kidney-Yang deficiency and blood stasis who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were randomly assigned into 4 groups， with 60 patients in each group. The control group was treated with clomiphene citrate （50-100 mg·d^-¹， orally for 5-10 consecutive days） for ovulation induction. On the basis of the therapy in the control group， the Wenshen group was additionally treated with Wenshen Yangxue decoction （250 mL， warm oral administration， twice daily， in the morning and evening）， and the stimulation group received endometrial microstimulation during the early follicular phase. The combined group was treated with clomiphene citrate plus Wenshen Yangxue decoction （at the same dosages as aforementioned） and endometrial microstimulation. The course of treatment for all the groups was 3 menstrual cycles. The pregnancy rate， ovulation status， sex hormone levels， glucose metabolism indicators， coagulation function， endometrial thickness， traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） symptom scores， and adverse reactions were observed in each group. ResultsA total of 239 patients were included in the final analysis， with 59 patients in the Wenshen group and 60 patients in each of the other three groups. The pregnancy rates were 43.3%（26/60） in the combined group and 32.2%（19/60） in the Wenshen group， both significantly higher than that （10%） in the control group （χ²=17.56，P<0.01）. Compared with the control group， the combined and Wenshen groups had increased mature follicle rates （P<0.01）， while the Wenshen group showed a decreased luteinization rate （P<0.05）. All the groups exhibited significant reductions in TCM symptom scores after treatment， and the Wenshen and combined groups had lower scores than the control group （P<0.01）. No statistically significant difference was found in the incidence of adverse events among the four groups， and all the adverse events were mild. ConclusionWenshen Yangxue decoction combined with endometrial microstimulation can alleviate the TCM symptoms of infertile PCOS patients with the syndrome of kidney-Yang deficiency and blood stasis， promote follicular maturation and ovulation， increase the cumulative pregnancy rate， and has good safety. It can provide new clinical evidence for the integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine treatment of PCOS infertility.

Objective To analyze the current application status,research hotspots and develop-ment trends of sedation strategies from both domestic and international perspectives in mechanically ventilated patients in the intensive care unit(ICU).Methods Relevant literature on the application of sedation strategies in mechanically ventilated patients from 2014 to 2024 was retrieved from data-bases including China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI),Wanfang and Web of Science.Visual analysis of publication volume and keywords was conducted using CiteSpace 6.2.R3 software.Results A total of 475 Chinese-language articles and 405 English-language articles were included.Significant differences were observed in publication volume between domestic and international re-search,with early domestic activity followed by a decline,while international research had demonstra-ted robust and sustained growth over the past five years.International studies primarily emphasized protocol-driven sedation processes and standardized strategies,whereas domestic research focused on optimizing the concept of comfort-oriented sedation management and exploring postoperative sedation strategies.Analysis of research hotspots revealed that precise pharmacological regulation,the development of disease-specific sedation strategies,and the establishment of multidisciplinary collaborative protocols were key areas of focus in sedation strategies for ICU mechanically ventilated patients.Conclusion Future research should prioritize shortening the update cycle of clinical guidelines,enhancing the transla-tion of evidence-based practices into clinical settings,establishing clear application standards for disease-specific sedation strategies,improving multicenter collaborative research capabilities,and developing artificial intelligence-based sedation monitoring technologies.

Since the introduction of monoamine oxidase and monoamine neurotransmitter reuptake inhibitors for the treatment of major depression in the 1950s, their strengths and limitations have been fully and accurately determined. Therefore, the development of novel drugs for the treatment of depression has become a priority for researchers who aim to address treatment resistance and improve patient outcomes. Panax ginseng C. A. Mey (P. ginseng, Ren Shen) is a Chinese medicine used to treat neurological and psychiatric disorders. Numerous studies have shown that ginsenosides, the primary active constituents of P. ginseng, exert a wide range of effects on the central nervous system. Recent studies have demonstrated that ginsenosides possess significant antidepressant properties in animal models. Ginsenosides, such as Rb1 and Rg1, are steroidal molecules, and steroid derivatives have been successfully used in anesthesia, epilepsy, and more recently, postpartum depression treatment. Based on these findings, ginsenosides are promising candidates for the treatment of depression. This raises the following question: What are the prospects of using ginsenosides to treat depression? To gain a clearer understanding, this review provides a comprehensive analysis of recent research on the antidepressant potential of ginsenosides, along with insights and suggestions for future development in this field.

Rice is the world's largest food crop, and its yield and quality are directly related to food security and human health. Grain size, as one of the important factors determining the rice yield, has been widely concerned by breeders and researchers for a long time. To decipher the regulatory mechanism of rice grain size, we obtained a multi-tiller, dwarf, and small-grain mutant htd1 by ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) mutation from the Japonica rice cultivar 'Zhonghua 11' ('ZH11'). Genetic analysis indicated that the phenotype of htd1 was controlled by a single recessive gene. Using the mutation site map (Mutmap) method, we identified the candidate gene OsHTD1, which encoded a carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase involved in the biosynthesis of strigolactone (SL). The SL content in htd1 was significantly lower than that in 'ZH11'. Cytological analysis showed that the grain size of the mutant decreased due to the reductions in the length and width of glume cells. The function of htd1 was further verified by the CRISPR/cas9 gene editing technology. The plants with the gene knockout exhibited similar grain size to the mutant. In addition, gene expression analysis showed that the expression levels of multiple grain size-related genes in the mutant changed significantly, suggesting that HTD1 may interact with other genes regulating grain size. This study provides a new theoretical basis for research on the regulatory mechanism of rice grain size and potential genetic resources for breeding the rice cultivars with high yields.
Oryza/growth & development* ; Mutation ; Edible Grain/growth & development* ; Alleles ; Plant Proteins/genetics* ; Dioxygenases/genetics* ; Lactones/metabolism* ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Genes, Plant ; Gene Editing ; CRISPR-Cas Systems ; Phenotype

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is an important food crop. The appearance of lesion mimics in rice leads to phytohormone disorders, which affects rice adaptation to environmental stresses and ultimately reduces the yield and quality. To explore whether the changes in the adaptability of rice lesion-mimic mutants to stressful environments are caused by the disorder of phytohormone metabolism in plants. In this study, we screened an ethyl methane sulfonate-treated population of the japonica cultivar 'Taipei 309' for a mutant with rust-like spots on leaves at the early tillering stage and brown-red spots at maturity and named it rsl1 (rust spotted leaf 1). Compared with the wild type, rsl1 showed decreases in plant height, panicle length, primary branch number, secondary branch number, filled grains per panicle, seed-setting rate, and 1 000-grain weight, and an increase in number of effective panicles. Genetic analysis indicated that rsl1 was controlled by a single recessive nuclear gene. RSL1 was localized between two molecular markers, B7-7 and B7-9, on rice chromosome 7 by map-based cloning. PCR sequencing of the annotated genes in this interval revealed a mutation of C1683A on the eighth exon of SPL5 (LOC_Os07g10390) in rsl1, which resulted in premature termination of protein translation. Exogenous phytohormone treatments showed that rsl1 was less sensitive to salicylic acid (SA), abscisic acid (ABA), and indo-3-acetic acid (IAA) and more sensitive to methyl jasmonate (MeJA) and gibberellin acid (GA) than the wild type. In addition, the survival rate of rsl1 was lower than that of the wild type under salt, alkali, drought, and high temperature stresses, and it was higher than that of the wild type under cold stress. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) results showed that RSL1 was involved in the regulation of ABA, SA, MeJA, IAA, and GA-related genes under abiotic stresses. The present study showed that the RSL1 mutation led to the appearance of lesion mimics and affected the growth, development, and stress resistance of rsl1 under abiotic stresses. The study of the functional mechanism of this gene can provide theoretical guidance for the research on rice stress resistance.
Oryza/microbiology* ; Stress, Physiological/genetics* ; Plant Diseases/genetics* ; Cloning, Molecular ; Chromosome Mapping ; Plant Growth Regulators/metabolism* ; Plant Proteins/genetics* ; Mutation ; Cyclopentanes ; Genes, Plant ; Plant Leaves/genetics* ; Oxylipins

Synthetic biology, recognized as one of the most revolutionary interdisciplinary fields in the 21st century, has established innovative strategies for the genetic improvement of rice through the integration of multidisciplinary technologies including genome editing, genetic circuit design, metabolic engineering, and artificial intelligence. This review systematically summarizes recent research advancements and breakthrough achievements in the application of synthetic biology in the genetic improvement of rice, focusing on three critical domains: yield improvement, nutritional quality fortification, and reinforcement of disease resistance and abiotic stress tolerance. It elucidates that synthetic biology enables precise genomic and metabolic pathway engineering through modular, standard, and systematic approaches, effectively overcoming the limitations of conventional breeding methods characterized by prolonged cycles and restricted trait modification capabilities. The implementation of synthetic biology has facilitated synergistic improvement of multi-traits, thereby providing critical technical references for developing elite rice cultivars with superior productivity and nutritional value. These technological breakthroughs hold significant implications for ensuring global food security and promoting green and sustainable development of agriculture.
Oryza/growth & development* ; Synthetic Biology/methods* ; Metabolic Engineering ; Plant Breeding/methods* ; Gene Editing ; Genetic Engineering/methods* ; Plants, Genetically Modified/genetics* ; Disease Resistance/genetics*