Periodontitis, a chronic inflammatory disease caused by plaque biofilm, is characterized by the irreversible pathological destruction of periodontal supporting tissues, including gums, periodontal membranes, alveolar bone, and cementum, resulting in tooth loosening and dislocation in severe cases. Currently, research on the pathogenesis, early diagnosis, and treatment of periodontitis is limited. Circular RNAs (circRNAs), previously considered “splicing noise”, have gained increasing research attention with the development of high-throughput sequencing technologies and bioinformatics. CircRNAs are non-coding RNAs lacking a 5' cap and 3' poly(A) tail, with a unique covalently closed ring structure, high expression, long half-life, and resistance to nuclease degradation, which can regulate splicing, encode proteins, and act as microRNA and RNA-binding protein sponges. In recent years, circRNAs have been reported to be involved in the occurrence and development of periodontitis, suggesting its potential role as a therapeutic target for periodontitis treatment. In this study, we described the biological function of circRNAs and their role in the development of periodontitis and the regulation of periodontal homeostasis and immune microenvironment. We found that circRNAs affect periodontal homeostasis and immune microenvironment by regulating the apoptosis of periodontal tissue cells (such as periodontal ligament stem cells and gingival fibroblasts) and regulating immune cells or cytokines, respectively. This review article summarizes the latest research progress on the association between circRNAs and periodontitis to provide a scientific basis for the development of novel diagnostic, therapeutic, and prognostic strategies for periodontitis.

Objective:To analyze and predict the incidence and mortality rate condition from 1990 to 2021 and 2022 to 2045 in China so as to evaluate the impact of different ages, periods, and birth cohorts on liver cancer.Methods:The 2021 Global Burden of Disease Study database was used. The variation trend of standardized incidence and mortality of liver cancer was analyzed using the Joinpoint regression model. The age, period, and cohort effects were used to explore liver cancer incidence and mortality rates based on the age-period-cohort model. The Nordpred prediction model was used to fit the trend of standardized incidence and mortality rates in liver cancer. Simultaneously, the standardized incidence and mortality rates were predicted from 2022 to 2045 for liver cancer. Joinpoint regression analysis was performed using the GBDASR_aapc package.Results:The standardized incidence and mortality rate from 1990 to 2021 of liver cancer showed an overall downward trend year by year in China ( P<0.01). Age, period, and cohort effects were all risk factors for the incidence of liver cancer. The incidence and mortality rates both increase with age, reaching a peak in the 85～89 age group. The risk of HCC morbidity and mortality was higher in the population of early-stage birth cohorts. Although the period effect showed a slight upward trend over time, the change in the period effect was relatively small. The incidence and mortality rates after the age of 40 were significantly higher in males than those of females. The prediction results showed that the standardized incidence and mortality rates from 2022 to 2045 of liver cancer have had a downward trend in China. Conclusion:The standardized incidence and mortality rates of liver cancer show an overall downward trend in China, but the burden in males is still high. Therefore, liver cancer prevention and control work in the future should continue to strengthen intervention in high-risk groups.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy and treatment adherence of digital cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (dCBT-I) in patients with insomnia disorder accompanied by anxiety and depressive symptoms, and to provide empirical evidence for its clinical application.Methods:From December 2023 to December 2024, 102 patients with insomnia disorder accompanied by anxiety and depressive symptoms were recruited from the outpatient department of Inner Mongolia Brain Hospital and randomly assigned to either the dCBT-I group ( n=56) or the digital sleep hygiene education (dSHE) group ( n=46). The dCBT-I group received a 4-week intervention comprising 5 core modules, while the dSHE group received 4 weeks of digital sleep hygiene education. Both groups received weekly guidance from clinical psychologists. Subjective sleep quality (Insomnia Severity Index, ISI), anxiety (Hamilton Anxiety Scale, HAMA), and depressive symptoms (17-item Hamilton Depression Scale, HAMD 17) were assessed at baseline, week 4, week 8, and week 12. Objective sleep parameters (polysomnography, PSG) and cognitive function (Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status, RBANS) were evaluated at baseline and week 4. Linear mixed-effects model was used to analyze the effects of group, timepoint, and their interaction on outcome measures, after controlling medication history, age, sex, education level, ethnicity, and marital status as covariates. Results:A total of 76 patients (dCBT-I: n=42; dSHE: n=34) completed the 4-week intervention, yielding a treatment adherence rate of 74.5%(76/102). At weeks 4, 8, and 12, the dCBT-I group demonstrated significantly lower scores on the ISI, HAMA, and HAMD 17 scales compared to the dSHE group (β=-1.70--0.66, t=-15.38--6.21, all P<0.05), along with higher rates of medication reduction (χ 2=16.40, 9.22, 6.66, all P<0.05). No significant differences were observed in PSG parameters between the two groups. However, the dCBT-I group demonstrated significant improvements in RBANS subdomains, including immediate memory, language function, and delayed memory (β=0.45, 0.86, 1.43, t=3.09, 2.67, 4.36, all P<0.05). Conclusion:dCBT-I is an effective and well-adhered intervention for patients with insomnia disorder accompanied by anxiety and depressive symptoms, warranting broader clinical implementation.

Objective:To evaluate the application of metagenomic next-generation sequencing（mNGS）in the identification of non-tuberculous mycobacteria（NTM）.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on mNGS results of 358 bronchoalveolar lavage fluid（BALF）samples positive for NTM collected at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine from February 2021 to January 2024. The analysis included the distribution of NTM species，the detection of mixed pathogens，and the performance of conventional mycobacterial detection methods.Results:The results showed that 362 strains of 15 NTM species were identified from 350 specimens，8 specimens were not precise to the species level. The most frequently detected species were Mycobacterium intracellulare（37.3%，135/362）， Mycobacterium abscessus（26.8%，97/362），followed by Mycobacterium avium（11.0%，40/362）， Mycobacterium kansasii（8.0%，29/362）and Mycobacterium chelonae（7.7%，28/362）. Single NTM species were detected in 339 specimens，while two or three NTM species were simultaneously detected in 11 specimens（3.1%，11/358）. Non-NTM microorganisms co-infected were detected in 53.4%（191/358）of NTM-positive BALF samples，including common pathogens such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa， Staphylococcus aureus，and Aspergillus fumigatus；and difficult-to-identify pathogens such as Legionella pneumophila and Talaromyces marneffei. In NTM-positive patients detected by mNGS，the results supported the diagnosis of NTM infection in 298 cases（298/358，83.2%）and 105 cases（105/358，29.3%）initiated anti-NTM treatment accordingly；while in 60 cases（60/358，16.8%）the positive results were considered as colonization or unrelated to clinical infection. For samples tested with acid-fast staining，mycobacterial liquid culture，and DNA microarray，the positivity rates for NTM were 31.5%（73/232），48.7%（57/117），and 43.0%（46/107），respectively. Conclusions:mNGS demonstrates advantages in identification of NTM. However，the test may detect multiple microorganisms，in that case，the interpretation with clinical and radiological results is requried to determine the main pathogens.

Objective To investigate the mechanism by which ginkgetin attenuates H9c2 cells injury.Methods H9c2 cells were divided into five groups:control,lipopolysaccharide(LPS),LPS+3-methyladenine(3-MA,an autophagy inhibitor),LPS+ginkgetin,and LPS+3-MA+ginkgetin.Cell viability and cytotoxicity were assessed using the cell CCK-8 and lactate dehydrogenase assays,respectively.Immunofluorescence staining for LC3,monodansylcadaverine staining for autophagosomes,and flow cytometry were used to measure apop-tosis rates.Quantitative real-time PCR was performed to measure the expression of NR4A2/p53/Bax pathway.Western blotting was used to detect the expression of NR4A2,p53,Bax,LC3,Beclin-1,p62,cleaved caspase-3,and Bcl-2 proteins.Results Compared to the LPS group,ginkgetin significantly increased LC3 fluorescence levels and monodansylcadaverine fluorescence intensity,decreased apoptosis,upregulated NR4A2,downregulated p53 and Bax,increased LC3,Beclin-1,and Bcl-2 proteins,and decreased p62 and cleaved caspase-3(P＜0.05).The autophagic inhibitor,3-MA,confirmed that ginkgetin protected H9c2 cells from LPS-induced apoptosis via autophagy regulation.Conclusion Ginkgetin mitigated cardiomyocyte injury by enhancing autophagic flux and alleviating LPS-induced H9c2 cells apoptosis by modulating the NR4A2/p53/Bax pathway.

BackgroundThe functional changes of the default mode network （DMN） are closely related to the onset of major depressive disorders. However， the relationship between the DMN subsystem （core subsystem， dorsomedial prefrontal cortex subsystem， medial temporal lobe subsystem） and symptoms of first-episode major depressive disorder remains unclear. ObjectiveTo investigate abnormal functional connectivity between DMN subsystems and the whole brain in first-episode major depressive disorder patients during the resting-state， and to analyse the correlations between these functional connectivity patterns and clinical symptoms， so as to reveal the potential neural mechanisms from the perspective of DMN subsystem. MethodsFrom September 2020 to September 2023， a total of 64 first-episode outpatients and inpatients meeting the diagnostic criteria for major depressive disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders， fourth edition （DSM-IV） were enrolled at the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Mental Health Center as the study group. During the same period， 54 healthy volunteers matched for age， gender， and years of education were recruited from the community as the control group. Both groups were assessed using the Hamilton Depression Scale-24 item （HAMD-24）. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance images （rs-fMRI） of the two groups were acquired using a Siemens 3.0 T scanner， and differences in functional connectivity between DMN subsystems （core subsystem， dorsomedial prefrontal cortex subsystem， medial temporal lobe subsystem） and the whole brain were compared. The functional connectivity values of brain regions with statistically significant differences between the two groups were extracted. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient analysis was used to investigate the correlation between these functional connectivity values and HAMD-24 scores of the study group. ResultsUltimately， 46 patients and 43 controls completed the study. Compared with the control group， the study group exhibited significantly stronger functional connectivity in the following pathways： between the right superior parietal lobule （core subsystem） and right cerebellar lobule VIII （t=3.954， P<0.05， GRF-corrected）， between the right lateral temporal cortex （dorsomedial prefrontal cortex subsystem） and right cerebellar lobule VIII， right and left hippocampi， right medial， and paracingulate gyrus （t=4.595， 4.208， 5.200， 4.038， P<0.05， GRF-corrected）， and between the temporoparietal junction （dorsomedial prefrontal cortex subsystem） and left lingual gyrus and right cerebellar lobule VIII （t=3.557， 4.274， P<0.05， GRF-corrected）. Conversely， weaker functional connectivity was observed between the right inferior frontal gyrus and left gyrus rectus （t=-3.824， P<0.05， GRF-corrected）. Furthermore， within the study group， the functional connectivity values between the right lateral temporal cortex and right hippocampus， as well as between the temporoparietal junction and right cerebellar lobule VIII， were both negatively correlated with the HAMD-24 cognitive impairment factor score （r=-0.306， -0.318， P<0.05）. ConclusionIncreased functional connectivity between the DMN （specifically its core and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex subsystems） and cerebellum， partial limbic system， and lingual gyrus may be associated with the neuropathology of first-episode major depressive disorder. Furthermore， alterations in functional connectivity between the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex subsystem and both the cerebellum and hippocampus in these patients may be related to cognitive function. ［Funded by 2019 Annual Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Natural Science Foundation Project （number， 2019MS03038）； 2023 Annual Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Natural Science Foundation Project （number， 2023MS08028）］

Objective To investigate the predictive value of atherosclerotic index of plasma(AIP)for the risk of coronary heart disease(CHD)in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD).Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted in 299 patients with NAFLD.Based on presence or absence of CHD,the patients were divided into NAFLD with CHD group(n=177)and NAFLD group(n=122).Clinical data were collected from both groups,and AIP was calculat-ed.Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was performed to explore the independent risk factors for CHD in patients with NAFLD.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves were plotted to evalu-ate the predictive value of AIP for the risk of CHD in patients with NAFLD.Results The NAFLD with CHD group had a higher proportion of males,smokers,and higher levels of alanine aminotrans-ferase(ALT),aspartate aminotransferase(AST),fasting plasma glucose(FPG),triglycerides(TG),low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C),γ-glutamyltransferase(GGT),uric acid(UA),and AIP than the NAFLD group.The NAFLD with CHD group also had lower levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C)than the NAFLD group(P＜0.05).Multivariate Logistic regression analysis revealed that males(OR=2.548,95％CI,1.402 to 4.632,P=0.002),high levels of AST(OR=1.038,95％CI,1.002 to 1.077,P=0.041),high levels of LDL-C(OR=1.811,95％CI,1.242 to 2.640,P=0.002),and high AIP(OR=16.117,95％CI,1.874 to 138.609,P=0.011)were independent risk factors for CHD in patients with NAFLD(P＜0.05).ROC curve analysis showed that AIP had an area under the curve of 0.746(95％CI,0.688 to 0.804)for pre-dicting CHD in patients with NAFLD,with a sensitivity of 76.3％and a specificity of 73.0％.Conclusion AIP is an independent influencing factor for CHD in patients with NAFLD and has certain predictive value for the risk of CHD in these patients.

Objective To analyze the effects and differences of two veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation(VA-ECMO)cannulation methods and subsequent left ventricular unloading on cardiac function and hemodynamics.Methods The lumped parameter model(LPM)of VA-ECMO integrated with the cardiovascular system in the MATLAB/Simulink environment was extended to simulate and analyze the changes in ventricular function and blood flow in the heart failure patient model under central VA-ECMO or peripheral VA-ECMO support.The effects of using arterial vasodilators or a left atrial drainage cannula on left ventricular function under central VA-ECMO support at a pump flow rate of 3 L/min were compared.Results Under central VA-ECMO or peripheral VA-ECMO support,left ventricular pressure and volume increased,and stroke volume and ventricular work decreased.Both arterial vasodilators and the left atrial drainage cannula could reduce left ventricular pressure and volume.Arterial vasodilators additionally increased stroke volume and improved left ventricular ejection fraction from 11.6％to 19.5％.Conclusions Both VA-ECMO cannulation methods provide effective circulatory support in the heart failure patient model,with similar effects on ventricular function.Under central VA-ECMO support,arterial vasodilators can improve left ventricular function more effectively than the left atrial drainage cannula.

Objective To analyze the effects and differences of two veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation(VA-ECMO)cannulation methods and subsequent left ventricular unloading on cardiac function and hemodynamics.Methods The lumped parameter model(LPM)of VA-ECMO integrated with the cardiovascular system in the MATLAB/Simulink environment was extended to simulate and analyze the changes in ventricular function and blood flow in the heart failure patient model under central VA-ECMO or peripheral VA-ECMO support.The effects of using arterial vasodilators or a left atrial drainage cannula on left ventricular function under central VA-ECMO support at a pump flow rate of 3 L/min were compared.Results Under central VA-ECMO or peripheral VA-ECMO support,left ventricular pressure and volume increased,and stroke volume and ventricular work decreased.Both arterial vasodilators and the left atrial drainage cannula could reduce left ventricular pressure and volume.Arterial vasodilators additionally increased stroke volume and improved left ventricular ejection fraction from 11.6％to 19.5％.Conclusions Both VA-ECMO cannulation methods provide effective circulatory support in the heart failure patient model,with similar effects on ventricular function.Under central VA-ECMO support,arterial vasodilators can improve left ventricular function more effectively than the left atrial drainage cannula.

Objective To investigate the mechanism by which ginkgetin attenuates H9c2 cells injury.Methods H9c2 cells were divided into five groups:control,lipopolysaccharide(LPS),LPS+3-methyladenine(3-MA,an autophagy inhibitor),LPS+ginkgetin,and LPS+3-MA+ginkgetin.Cell viability and cytotoxicity were assessed using the cell CCK-8 and lactate dehydrogenase assays,respectively.Immunofluorescence staining for LC3,monodansylcadaverine staining for autophagosomes,and flow cytometry were used to measure apop-tosis rates.Quantitative real-time PCR was performed to measure the expression of NR4A2/p53/Bax pathway.Western blotting was used to detect the expression of NR4A2,p53,Bax,LC3,Beclin-1,p62,cleaved caspase-3,and Bcl-2 proteins.Results Compared to the LPS group,ginkgetin significantly increased LC3 fluorescence levels and monodansylcadaverine fluorescence intensity,decreased apoptosis,upregulated NR4A2,downregulated p53 and Bax,increased LC3,Beclin-1,and Bcl-2 proteins,and decreased p62 and cleaved caspase-3(P＜0.05).The autophagic inhibitor,3-MA,confirmed that ginkgetin protected H9c2 cells from LPS-induced apoptosis via autophagy regulation.Conclusion Ginkgetin mitigated cardiomyocyte injury by enhancing autophagic flux and alleviating LPS-induced H9c2 cells apoptosis by modulating the NR4A2/p53/Bax pathway.