Early identification of adolescent depression requires objective biomarkers. This study investigated the functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) activation patterns and mismatch negativity (MMN) characteristics in adolescents with first-episode mild-to-moderate depression. We enrolled 33 patients and 33 matched healthy controls, measuring oxyhemoglobin (Oxy-Hb) concentration in the frontal cortex during verbal fluency tasks via fNIRS, and recording MMN latency/amplitude at Fz/Cz electrodes using event-related potentials (ERP). Compared with healthy controls, the depression group showed significantly prolonged MMN latency [Fz: (227.88 ± 31.08) ms vs. (208.70 ± 25.35) ms, P < 0.01; Cz: (223.73 ± 29.03) ms vs. (204.18 ± 22.43) ms, P < 0.01], and obviously reduced Fz amplitude [(2.42 ± 2.18) μV vs. (5.65 ± 5.59) μV, P = 0.03]. A significant positive correlation was observed between MMN latencies at Fz and Cz electrodes ( P < 0.01). Oxy-Hb in left frontopolar prefrontal channels (CH15/17) was significantly decreased in patient group ( P < 0.05). Our findings suggest that adolescents with depression exhibit hypofunction in the left prefrontal cortex and impaired automatic sensory processing. The combined application of fNIRS and ERP techniques may provide an objective basis for early clinical identification.
Humans ; Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared/methods* ; Adolescent ; Prefrontal Cortex/physiopathology* ; Evoked Potentials/physiology* ; Depression/physiopathology* ; Female ; Male ; Oxyhemoglobins ; Electroencephalography

Pitch abnormalities are a common manifestation of various voice disorders, with complex pathophysiological mechanisms involving changes in vocal fold tension, mass, and neuromuscular dysfunction of the larynx. This study aims to investigate the underlying physiological mechanisms of pitch-related disorders and explore diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, providing insights for clinical management.
Humans ; Voice Disorders/therapy* ; Vocal Cords/physiopathology*

The prevalence of Class III malocclusion varies among different countries and regions. The populations from Southeast Asian countries (Chinese and Malaysian) showed the highest prevalence rate of 15.8%, which can seriously affect oral function, facial appearance, and mental health. As anterior crossbite tends to worsen with growth, early orthodontic treatment can harness growth potential to normalize maxillofacial development or reduce skeletal malformation severity, thereby reducing the difficulty and shortening the treatment cycle of later-stage treatment. This is beneficial for the physical and mental growth of children. Therefore, early orthodontic treatment for Class III malocclusion is particularly important. Determining the optimal timing for early orthodontic treatment requires a comprehensive assessment of clinical manifestations, dental age, and skeletal age, and can lead to better results with less effort. Currently, standardized treatment guidelines for early orthodontic treatment of Class III malocclusion are lacking. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the etiology, clinical manifestations, classification, and early orthodontic techniques for Class III malocclusion, along with systematic discussions on selecting early treatment plans. The purpose of this expert consensus is to standardize clinical practices and improve the treatment outcomes of Class III malocclusion through early orthodontic treatment.
Humans ; Malocclusion, Angle Class III/classification* ; Orthodontics, Corrective/methods* ; Consensus ; Child

Instrument separation is a critical complication during root canal therapy, impacting treatment success and long-term tooth preservation. The etiology of instrument separation is multifactorial, involving the intricate anatomy of the root canal system, instrument-related factors, and instrumentation techniques. Instrument separation can hinder thorough cleaning, shaping, and obturation of the root canal, posing challenges to successful treatment outcomes. Although retrieval of separated instrument is often feasible, it carries risks including perforation, excessive removal of tooth structure and root fractures. Effective management of separated instruments requires a comprehensive understanding of the contributing factors, meticulous preoperative assessment, and precise evaluation of the retrieval difficulty. The application of appropriate retrieval techniques is essential to minimize complications and optimize clinical outcomes. The current manuscript provides a framework for understanding the causes, risk factors, and clinical management principles of instrument separation. By integrating effective strategies, endodontists can enhance decision-making, improve endodontic treatment success and ensure the preservation of natural dentition.
Humans ; Root Canal Therapy/adverse effects* ; Consensus ; Root Canal Preparation/adverse effects*

Peri-implant keratinized mucosa (PIKM) augmentation refers to surgical procedures aimed at increasing the width of PIKM. Consensus reports emphasize the necessity of maintaining a minimum width of PIKM to ensure long-term peri-implant health. Currently, several surgical techniques have been validated for their effectiveness in increasing PIKM. However, the selection and application of PIKM augmentation methods may present challenges for dental practitioners due to heterogeneity in surgical techniques, variations in clinical scenarios, and anatomical differences. Therefore, clear guidelines and considerations for PIKM augmentation are needed. This expert consensus focuses on the commonly employed surgical techniques for PIKM augmentation and the factors influencing their selection at second-stage surgery. It aims to establish a standardized framework for assessing, planning, and executing PIKM augmentation procedures, with the goal of offering evidence-based guidance to enhance the predictability and success of PIKM augmentation.
Humans ; Consensus ; Dental Implants ; Mouth Mucosa/surgery* ; Keratins

Starting from the intrinsic relationship between the glymphatic system and the core pathogenesis of vascular cognitive impairment （VCI）， including internal dampness， phlegm turbidity， and blood stasis， this paper explores clinical approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of VCI. Dysfunction of the kidney's role in governing water leads to the accumulation of dampness， phlegm turbidity， and blood stasis， which are key pathological mechanisms underlying the onset and progression of VCI. The glymphatic system participates in the circulation of cerebrospinal fluid within the central nervous system， and its impairment can result in reduced clearance of soluble metabolic waste products in the brain， a crucial factor contributing to VCI. It is proposed that the "kidney governing water" function is related to the glymphatic system， and that the cerebral collaterals correspond structurally to the glymphatic pathways. Clinically， therapies aimed at tonifying the kidney， resolving phlegm， activating blood circulation， and unblocking collaterals， such as modified Kaixin Powder （开心散）， which eliminates dampness and turbidity， transforms phlegm， restores consciousness， enhances cognition， and strengthens the brain， are commonly employed. These treatments may improve VCI prognosis by regulating glymphatic system function， providing a theoretical basis for the prevention and treatment of VCI with traditional Chinese medicine.

Objective To compare the safety and efficacy of 3D-slicer software assisted neuroendo-scopic surgery and craniotomy for elderly patients with supratentorial intracerebral hemorrhage(ICH)due to hypertension.Methods A total of 150 elderly hypertensive patients with supraten-torial ICH admitted in our department from January 2020 to December 2022 were enrolled,and according to their approaches,they were divided into an endoscopic group(n=82)and a cranioto-my group(n=68).Clinical surgical status(operation time,intraoperative bleeding volume and he-matoma clearance rate)and prognosis(length of ICU stay,GCS score,postoperative rebleeding,and in-hospital mortality)were observed and compared between the two groups of patients.Results There were no statistical differences between the two groups in terms of operation time,intraoperative bleeding volume,postoperative rebleeding,or in-hospital mortality(P＞0.05).The endoscopic group had significantly higher hematoma clearance rate[(84.73±6.49)％vs(78.94±7.12)％,P=0.000],shorter length of ICU stay[(5.38±1.48)d vs(7.32±1.26)d,P=0.000],higher GCS scores in 7 d and 3 months after surgery(12.66±0.83 vs 11.82±0.97,P=0.000;13.72±1.27 vs 13.05±0.98,P=0.001),and lower total incidence of complications(4.9％vs 16.2％,P=0.022)when compared with the endoscopic group.Conclusion 3D-slicer software as-sisted neuroendoscopic surgery can significantly improve postoperatively neurological function and reduce the incidence of complications in elderly hypertensive patients with supratentorial ICH.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of Dendrobii Caulis mixture on cell inflammatory response and apoptosis in diabetic rat with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease（NAFLD） and its possible mechanism. MethodForty male SD rats were randomly divided into blank group and model group of type 2 diabetes mellitus（T2DM） with NAFLD according to body weight. The model was established by high-sugar and high-fat diet combined with intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin（STZ）， which was randomly divided into the model group， Dendrobii Caulis mixture group（16.67 g·kg^-1·d^-1） and metformin group（100 mg·kg^-1·d^-1） according to blood glucose and body weight， and 10 rats in each group. Rats in each group were administered by continuous gavage for 4 weeks， the blank and model groups were given saline by gavage at 10 mL·kg^-1·d^-1. Fasting blood glucose（FBG）， serum insulin（INS）， glycosylated serum protein（GSP）， triglyceride（TG）， total cholesterol（TC）， high density lipoprotein（HDL-C）， low density lipoprotein（LDL-C）， alanine aminotransferase（ALT） and aspartate aminotransferase（AST） were detected in each group of rats. The liver tissues of rats in each group were stained with hematoxylin-eosin（HE） to observe the pathological changes， and the positive expressions of nuclear transcription factor（NF）-κB， NOD-like receptor heat protein structural domain-related protein 3（NLRP3）， interleukin（IL）-1β and tumor necrosis factor（TNF）-α were observed by immunohistochemistry. Western blot and fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction（Real-time PCR） were used to detect the protein and mRNA expression of B-cell lymphoma-2（Bcl-2）， Bcl-2 associated X protein（Bax）， Caspase-3 and NF-κB p65， NLRP3， IL-1β， TNF-α in liver tissue of rats in each group. ResultCompared with the blank group， FBG， GSP， TC， TG， LDL-C， AST and ALT levels were increased， INS and HDL-C levels were decreased， Bax， Caspase-3， NLRP3， IL-1β， TNF-α protein and mRNA expression were increased in model group， the ratio of p-NF-κB/NF-κB protein increased， the expression of Bcl-2 protein and mRNA decreased， and the positive immunohistochemical expression of NF-κB， NLRP3， IL-1β and TNF-α increased， and the differences were statistically significant（P<0.01）. The morphological structure of the liver was disrupted， and obvious fat vacuoles were seen. Compared with the model group， FBG， GSP， TC， TG， LDL-C， AST and ALT levels of Dendrobii Caulis mixture group and metformin group were decreased， INS and HDL-C levels were increased， and protein and mRNA expressions of Bax， Caspase-3， NLRP3， IL-1β and TNF-α were decreased， the protein ratio of p-NF-κB/NF-κB decreased， the expression of Bcl-2 protein and mRNA increased， and the positive immunohistochemical expressions of NF-κB， NLRP3， IL-1β and TNF-α decreased， and the differences were statistically significant（P<0.01）. The liver morphology and structure were relatively complete， and the fat vacuoles were reduced. ConclusionDendrobii Caulis mixture can inhibit cell apoptosis， reduce inflammatory response and alleviate liver injury in rats with T2DM and NAFLD， the mechanism may be related to inhibiting the activation of NF-κB pathway， blocking the activation of NLRP3 inflammatory vesicles， reducing IL-1β secretion， attenuating Caspase-3 activity and reducing the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax.

Solenopsis invicta is a kind of invasive pest that causes serious damage to local agriculture, environment, and human health. They attack mainly with venom within stingers. Those who are allergic to the venom would suffer a systemic anaphylaxis, even fatal shock, after being stinged by these ants. Many studies reveal that their venom is mainly composed by water, insoluble alkaloids and trace proteins, within which alkaloids are the main cause of burning sensation and blisters, while allergic reactions are caused by proteins or peptides. The research progress of toxic substances in the venom of Solenopsis invicta as well as the roles and functions of each component were reviewed in this paper.

Objective: To explore the heterogeneity and correlation of clinical phenotypes and genotypes in children with disorders of sex development (DSD). Methods: A retrospective study of 1 235 patients with clinically proposed DSD in 36 pediatric medical institutions across the country from January 2017 to May 2021. After capturing 277 DSD-related candidate genes, second-generation sequencing was performed to analyzed the heterogeneity and correlation combined with clinical phenotypes. Results: Among 1 235 children with clinically proposed DSD, 980 were males and 255 were females of social gender at the time of initial diagnosis with the age ranged from 1 day of age to 17.92 years. A total of 443 children with pathogenic variants were detected through molecular genetic studies, with a positive detection rate of 35.9%. The most common clinical phenotypes were micropenis (455 cases), hypospadias (321 cases), and cryptorchidism (172 cases) and common mutations detected were in SRD5A2 gene (80 cases), AR gene (53 cases) and CYP21A2 gene (44 cases). Among them, the SRD5A2 mutation is the most common in children with simple micropenis and simple hypospadias, while the AMH mutation is the most common in children with simple cryptorchidism. Conclusions: The SRD5A2 mutation is the most common genetic variant in Chinese children with DSD, and micropenis, cryptorchidism, and hypospadias are the most common clinical phenotypes. Molecular diagnosis can provide clues about the biological basis of DSD, and can also guide clinicians to perform specific clinical examinations. Target sequence capture probes and next-generation sequencing technology can provide effective and economical genetic diagnosis for children with DSD.
3-Oxo-5-alpha-Steroid 4-Dehydrogenase/genetics* ; Child ; China/epidemiology* ; Cryptorchidism/genetics* ; Disorders of Sex Development/genetics* ; Female ; Genital Diseases, Male ; Genotype ; Humans ; Hypospadias/genetics* ; Male ; Membrane Proteins/genetics* ; Penis/abnormalities* ; Phenotype ; Retrospective Studies ; Steroid 21-Hydroxylase/genetics*