A portion of patients undergoing implant restoration require bone augmentation procedures to ensure that there is sufficient bone volume around the implant. For the patients with horizontal bone ridge defects at edentulous sites, with or without mild to moderate vertical bone defects, the shell technique serves as a reliable and minimally invasive bone augmentation method with effective space maintenance. The shell technique involves fixating 1 mm cortical bone blocks to the recipient site, using retention screws and filling the gap between the bone block and recipient bed with particulate bone substitute materials, and covering the barrier membrane to achieve bone augmentation. The overlying tension-free soft tissue closure seals the surgical site while local peripheral blood releases osteoclasts and cytokines that gradually degrade the bone block. The rigid fixation of the bone block ensures a stable internal environment for osteogenesis and a new bone regeneration cycle. Although this technique demonstrates favorable bone augmentation outcomes, it is highly technique-sensitive. There are certain differences in the application scenarios and osteogenic processes for autologous and allogeneic bone shells. The selection of bone blocks and particulate bone substitute materials significantly influences the osteogenic biological process and the predictability of bone augmentation results. Complications associated with the shell technique possess distinct characteristics, such as the immunogenicity of allogeneic bone fragments, soft tissue cracking, and bone fragment loosening. Their prevention and subsequent management substantially impact the success rate of osteogenesis. This article delves into the biological mechanisms of osteogenesis in the bone block technique, summarizing the indications, clinical outcomes, classification of bone blocks, and surgical workflow management, as well as complication prevention and management, aiming to provide a reference for the future application and development of the bone shell technique.

ObjectiveBiochemistry and Molecular Biology, a discipline that elucidates life phenomena at the molecular level, serves as a core foundational course in medical education. It provides the theoretical basis for studying other basic and clinical medical subjects, as well as for understanding pathogenesis, disease diagnosis, and treatment. However, its complex content and highly abstract concepts have posed a dual challenge to traditional teaching models: “inefficient instruction” and “inadequate learning outcomes”. Within limited classroom hours, how to engage students and stimulate their intrinsic motivation, and how to help them recognize, understand, and develop a passion for biochemistry from the perspective of the discipline’s essence, have long been key focuses of curriculum research. MethodsUsing the lipid metabolism chapter as an example, this study employs “Rain Classroom”, a generative artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted platform, to support education in four dimensions: teaching, learning, evaluation, and research. In teaching, it assists instructors through virtual experiments, lesson preparation support, knowledge mapping, and assignment design. For learning, it serves as an intelligent study assistant for students, providing automated assignment review, enabling educational resource sharing, and facilitating personalized learning pathways. In evaluation, the platform automates assignment grading, analyzes student performance data, and offers diagnostic feedback and teaching recommendations. In research, it aids educators in collecting and analyzing teaching data, as well as searching for and summarizing relevant literature. ResultsThe results indicate that an educational model integrating teacher-led instruction, student-centered learning, and generative AI assistance significantly enhances teaching quality, students’ self-directed learning abilities, and knowledge mastery. Furthermore, with the support of generative AI, curriculum-based ideological education—focusing on cutting-edge disciplinary advances and topical medical issues—helps cultivate students’ medical spirit of “honoring life and healing the wounded”, thereby fostering the establishment of appropriate professional values. Finally, while generative AI presents both opportunities and challenges for higher education, this study also analyzes potential risks in its teaching applications, emphasizing the need for both instructors and students to avoid over-reliance and to ensure that technological tools consistently serve the fundamental goals of education. ConclusionThis study demonstrates that integrating generative AI, specifically via the “Rain Classroom” platform, can effectively enhance biochemistry education. By supporting teaching, learning, evaluation, and research, this approach improves both educational effectiveness and student outcomes. It also facilitates the incorporation of cutting-edge knowledge and professional ethics, nurturing a patient-centered mindset. Additionally, the study addresses potential implementation risks to ensure that such technological tools remain aligned with the core purpose of education.

Objective To investigate the value of 3.0 T MRI in-phase/opposed-phase (IP-OP) imaging features in the quantitative assessment of hepatic steatosis after liver transplantation. Methods Clinical data of 115 patients who underwent liver transplantation and completed MRI IP-OP examination and liver biopsy within 3 months were retrospectively collected. According to the gold standard of pathological results, patients were divided into the steatosis group (n=18) and the non-steatosis group (n=97). The relative signal intensity of hepatic parenchyma was measured on MRI IP-OP sequences, and the hepatic fat fraction (HFF) was calculated. Differences in clinical data and imaging features between the two groups were compared, and the efficacy of HFF in the diagnosis of graft hepatic steatosis was evaluated using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Results Among the 115 recipients, 18 cases were diagnosed with hepatic steatosis by liver biopsy, including 13 cases of mild steatosis, 3 cases of moderate steatosis and 2 cases of severe steatosis. Compared with the non-steatosis group, the steatosis group had a lower proportion of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma, higher proportions of HBV-related liver failure and alcoholic liver cirrhosis, and higher platelet levels (all P<0.05). There were statistically significant differences in hepatic imaging features between the two groups (all P<0.05). The ROC curve showed that the area under the curve (AUC) of the quantitative value calculated by IP-OP in the diagnosis of graft hepatic steatosis was 0.925 (95% confidence interval 0.870-0.980). Conclusions 3.0 T MRI IP-OP sequence may accurately and non-invasively quantitatively assess the severity of hepatic steatosis after liver transplantation, which is of great value for the early detection of graft hepatic steatosis and the guidance of clinical intervention.

Objective:To explore the clinical efficacy and safety of endoscopic rubber band ligation (ERBL) and endoscopic injection sclerotherapy (EIS) in the treatment of grade I-III internal hemorrhoids, to provide a basis for the individualized treatment of patients with internal hemorrhoids in clinical practice.Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted. A total of 613 patients with grade I to III internal hemorrhoids who underwent ERBL or EIS at The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from December 2019 to November 2023 were retrospectively collected. Inclusion criteria: (1) Patients diagnosed with symptomatic grade I-III internal hemorrhoids who failed conservative treatments such as diet adjustment and medication; (2) Patients who were unable or unwilling to receive surgical treatment due to multiple underlying systemic diseases. Exclusion criteria: (1) Patients with grade I-III internal hemorrhoids complicated with incarceration, thrombosis or other complications; (2) Patients with a history of hemorrhoid surgery; (3) Patients complicated with perianal abscess, anal fistula, active proctitis, rectal tumor, polyp, radiation proctitis or inflammatory bowel disease; (4) Patients with incomplete clinical data or lost to follow-up. This study was divided into the ERBL group and the EIS group based on different treatment. Baseline characteristics, postoperative effective rate, recurrence rate, pain score, anal distension, anal edema, complication rate, and treatment satisfaction were compared between the two groups.Results:After balancing with propensity score matching (PSM), a total of 313 patients were included, including 200 in the ERBL group and 113 in the EIS group. There were no statistically significant differences in baseline characteristics, such as gender, age, body mass index, Goligher classification, and laboratory test indicators, between the two groups (all P > 0.05), indicating that the two groups were comparable. The cure rates of the ERBL group and the EIS group were 64.0% (128/200) and 62.8% (71/113), respectively. The marked effective rates were 31.5% (63/200) and 34.5% (39/113), and the ineffective rates were 4.5% (9/200) and 2.7% (3/113), respectively. Statistical analysis revealed no statistically significant difference in efficacy between the two groups within 3 months after the operation (χ2=0.858, P=0.651). The recurrence rate of the ERBL group was lower than that of the EIS group [13.1% (25/191) vs. 18.2% (20/110)], but the difference was not statistically significant (χ2=1.424, P=0.233). Subgroup analysis showed that the recurrence rates of ERBL and EIS were similar in grade I-II internal hemorrhoids [10.3% (15/146) vs. 10.5% (9/86), χ2=0.002, P=0.963]; in grade III internal hemorrhoids, the recurrence rate of the ERBL group was lower than that of the EIS group [22.2% (10/45) vs. 45.8% (11/24), χ2=4.121, P=0.042]. Still, the difference was not statistically significant after Bonferroni correction (χ2=4.121, corrected P>0.025). Compared with the ERBL group, the EIS group had a lower pain score on the first day after operation [0 (0, 0) vs. 1 (0, 3), Z=-8.211, P<0.001] and a lower incidence of anal distension [25.7% (29/113) vs. 61.5% (123/200), χ2=37.122, P<0.001], with statistically significant differences. The total incidence of complications in the ERBL group was significantly higher than that in the EIS group [29.5% (59/200) vs. 4.4% (5/113), χ2=27.910, P<0.001], mainly reflected in postoperative bleeding [18.0% (36/200) vs. 3.5% (4/113), χ2=13.544, P<0.001] and urinary retention [8.5% (17/200) vs. 0, χ2=10.157, P=0.001], with statistically significant differences. There were no statistically significant differences in postoperative satisfaction, health status score, and the proportion of returning to everyday life within 1 month between the two groups (all P>0.05). Conclusions:Both ERBL and EIS are effective minimally invasive therapies for grade I-III internal hemorrhoids. EIS is preferred for grade I and II internal hemorrhoids to reduce complications, while ERBL shows a trend in reducing the recurrence rate of grade III internal hemorrhoids. Clinical decisions should be made comprehensively based on the classification, patient tolerance, and prognosis.

Antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) are one of the most popular types of anti-tumor drugs nowadays. Monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE), as a tubulin binder, is the most common applied payload in ADC and is also the main component that causes peripheral neuropathy (PN). By describing the clinical characteristics of 3 cases with MMAE ADC associated severe PN complications and analyzing reported references, this article summarizes that the occurrence of MMAE ADC associated PN is correlated with therapeutic cycles and duration of ADC, MMAE ADC associated PN is different from traditional chemotherapy-induced PN in the clinical presentation. Patients with MMAE ADC associated PN may present with a length-dependent involvement of peripheral motor and sensory nerves, and generally their weakness and deep sensory deficiency symptoms are more serious compared with traditional chemotherapy-induced PN. Two of the 3 patients achieved a relatively rapid recovery after treated with plasma exchange or immunoglobulin intravenous infusions.

Background Air pollution remains a critical public health issue, with persistent exposure to air pollutants continuing to pose significant health risks. Currently, research investigating the association between air pollution and myocardial infarction mortality in Shenzhen remains inadequate. Objective To quantitatively assess the association between air pollutants and myocardial infarction mortality in residents. Methods Based on the mortality surveillance system of Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, we conducted a time-stratified case-crossover study of 10089 permanent residents who died from myocardial infarction in Shenzhen between 2013 and 2022. Using residential address information, we obtained individual-level exposure data for air pollutants from the China High Air Pollutants dataset and meteorological factors from the China Meteorological Administration Land Data Assimilation System. A time-stratified case-crossover study design was employed to construct a conditional logistic regression model to assess the association between short-term exposure to air pollutants and myocardial infarction mortality. The exposure-response relationship was visualized, and a comprehensive health risk assessment was performed. Results This study included a total of 10 089 cases of myocardial infarction deaths in Shenzhen. The median [interquartile range (IQR)] concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM_2.5), inhalable particulate matter (PM₁₀), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), carbon monoxide (CO), and ozone (O₃) in Shenzhen from 2013 to 2022 were 24.59 (20.19) μg·m⁻³, 42.85 (28.42) μg·m⁻³, 8.53 (3.39) μg·m⁻³, 29.47 (13.56) μg·m⁻³, 0.77 (0.27) mg·m⁻³, and 86.53 (51.39) μg·m⁻³, respectively. The moving average concentrations of PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ over the current day and the previous 2 days (lag02) showed the highest risk of myocardial infarction mortality, with an odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95%CI) of 1.004 (1.001, 1.007) and 1.004 (1.002, 1.006), respectively. At lag05, SO₂ demonstrated the strongest association with the risk of myocardial infarction mortality, with an OR (95%CI) of 1.042 (1.019, 1.065). The exposure-response relationships of PM_2.5, PM₁₀, and SO₂ with myocardial infarction mortality were approximately linear, whereas NO₂ exhibited a nonlinear relationship. At lag05, the highest risk of myocardial infarction mortality associated with NO₂ exposure was observed when the NO₂ concentration was ≤21.92 μg·m⁻³, with an OR (95% CI) of 1.024 (1.003, 1.046). The health risk assessment indicated that, using the WHO Air Quality Guidelines as the reference, the local PM_2.5 and NO₂ exposure led to an excess mortality of 398 and 298 cases, respectively. The sensitivity analysis revealed that after adjusting for O₃ and restricting the study period to 2013—2019, the effect estimates for PM_2.5, PM₁₀, NO₂, and SO₂ on myocardial infarction mortality slightly increased. Conclusion Short-term exposure to air pollutants, including PM_2.5, PM₁₀, NO₂, and SO₂, could increase the risk of myocardial infarction mortality. This study provides important scientific evidence for environmental health risk assessment and environmental management in Shenzhen.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the relationship between the Observer's Assessment of Alertness/Sedation (OAAS) score and the bispectral index (BIS) during propofol titration for general anesthesia induction and analyze the impact of BIS monitoring delay on anesthetic depth assessment. METHODS: This study was conducted among 90 patients (ASA class I-II) undergoing elective surgery under general anesthesia. For anesthesia induction, the patients received propofol titration at the rate of 0.5 mg·kg^-1·min^-1 till OAAS scores of 4, 3, 2, and 1 were reached. After achieving an OAAS score of 1, remifentanil (2 μg·kg⁻¹) and rocuronium (0.6 mg·kg⁻¹) were administered, and tracheal intubation was performed 2 min later. BIS values, mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), and propofol dosage at each OAAS score were recorded, and the correlation between OAAS scores and BIS values was analyzed. The diagnostic performance of BIS values for determining when the OAAS score reaches 1 was analyzed using ROC curve. RESULTS: All the patients successfully completed tracheal intubation. BIS values of the patients at each of the OAAS scores differed significantly (P<0.01), and the mean BIS value decreased by 4.08, 8.32, 5.43 and 5.24 as the OAAS score decreased from 5 to 4, from 4 to 3, from 3 to 2, and from 2 to 1, respectively. There was a significant correlation between the OAAS score and BIS values (ρ=0.775, P<0.001). The median BIS value for an OAAS score of 1 was 76, at which point 83.33% of the patients had BIS values exceeding 60. ROC curve analysis showed that for determining an OAAS score of 1, BIS value, at the optimal cutoff value of 84, had a sensitivity of 88.9%, a specificity of 73.3%, and an area under the curve of 0.842 (0.803-0.881). CONCLUSIONS OAAS score during induction of general anesthesia is strongly correlated with BIS value and is a highly sensitive and timely indicator to compensate for the delay in BIS monitoring.
Humans ; Propofol/administration & dosage* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Anesthesia, General/methods* ; Adult ; Consciousness Monitors ; Aged ; Young Adult ; Monitoring, Intraoperative/methods* ; Electroencephalography

Enamel demineralization, the formation of white spot lesions, is a common issue in clinical orthodontic treatment. The appearance of white spot lesions not only affects the texture and health of dental hard tissues but also impacts the health and aesthetics of teeth after orthodontic treatment. The prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of white spot lesions that occur throughout the orthodontic treatment process involve multiple dental specialties. This expert consensus will focus on providing guiding opinions on the management and prevention of white spot lesions during orthodontic treatment, advocating for proactive prevention, early detection, timely treatment, scientific follow-up, and multidisciplinary management of white spot lesions throughout the orthodontic process, thereby maintaining the dental health of patients during orthodontic treatment.
Humans ; Consensus ; Dental Caries/etiology* ; Dental Enamel/pathology* ; Tooth Demineralization/etiology* ; Tooth Remineralization