Geriatric oral health care encounters significant challenges with the increase in the proportion of older individuals. Age-related changes in the dentition, muscles, and joints result in a decline in objective masticatory function, subjective restoration requirements, and acceptability among the elderly population, with individual variations influenced by systemic health. Considering functional requirements, the adaptability of stomatognathic and systemic health conditions, health economics and other factors, the authors believe that it should not be limited to the conventional "one-to-one" strategy for replacing missing teeth in geriatric prosthodontics. There is an urgent need for a precise and adaptable restoration strategy that is more suitable for older individuals. The proposal of a new concept of functional tooth loss updates the minimal restoration standards for elderly patients and establishes the theory of age-friendly functional restoration. Based on the restoration strategy of functional tooth loss, this paper proposes a new concept termed "age-friendly functional restoration of the stomatognathic system", which integrates treatment considerations including endodontics, periodontology, mucosa, muscles, temporomandibular joint, and systemic health. Efforts should be made in four areas as follows. Firstly, the "assessment of accessible function" should be enhanced by considering the interrelationship between stomatognathic and systemic health. Secondly, the "evaluation of appropriate function" is supposed to be optimised in view of subjective needs and objective evaluation of the stomatognathic system. Moreover, the "formulation of treatment plans" needs to be accomplished with the aid of assistive technologies, such as artificial intelligence, to accurately exert appropriate functional restoration. Lastly, the "management and maintenance of health" is likely to be strengthened through follow-ups, propaganda and education, and preventive healthcare, so as to improve quality of life and ultimately achieve healthy ageing among older individuals.
Humans ; Tooth Loss/therapy* ; Aged ; Stomatognathic System ; Oral Health ; Dental Care for Aged ; Dental Restoration, Permanent/methods*

Objective To construct 5 machine-learning models and compare their performance in predicting the associations between pre-pregnancy socio-psycho-behavioral exposures of both spouses and preconception outcomes.Methods Based on Chongqing Preconception Reproductive Health and Birth Outcome Cohort of volunteers recruited from Chongqing Health Center for Women and Children during January 2019 and March 2022,5 447 couples were recruited and surveyed through interviewer-interview for the demographic and social-psychological-behavioral data of both spouses(221 variables).According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria,4 097 couples were finally included,and randomly assigned into a training set(n=2 867 spouses)and a validation set(n=1 230 spouses)at a ratio of 7∶3.Feature analysis and collinear screening were applied to select the potential exposure factors.In consideration of difficulty to carry out semen parameters analysis in primary healthcare institutions,feature Set 1 including sperm parameters and feature Set 2 excluding semen parameters were constructed by including or excluding sperm quality simultaneously in the training set and the validation set.Five algorithms,that is,Logistic Regression,Naive Bayes,Random Forest,Gradient Boosting Machine,and Support Vector Machine,were used to construct preconception outcome prediction models,and the parameters of each model were optimized using random search combined with grid search.The predictive performance of each model was compared using precision,recall,F1 score,area under the receiver operating characteristic curve(AUC),and calibration curve.The optimal model was then selected by comparing the changes in the predictive ability of the questionnaire data for fertility outcomes with or without semen parameters.Results There were 24 variables screened out in feature Set 1,and 16 variables in feature Set 2.In feature Set 1,the gradient boosting machine performed better,with a relatively higher AUC value(0.651)and better F1 score(0.61).The logistic regression model performed stably(AUC value=0.647)and was suitable as the reference model.The random forest(AUC value=0.641),Naive Bayes(AUC value=0.641),and support vector machine(AUC value=0.634)performed second-best.By utilizing the gradient boosting machine,comparable results were found between the predictions from feature sets with or without semen parameters,as in feature Set 1,the AUC value of its validation set was 0.651(95%CI:0.629～0.681),the prediction accuracy was 0.63,the recall rate was 0.65,and the average precision value F1 was 0.61;and in feature Set 2,the AUC value of its validation set was 0.649(95%CI:0.624～0.663),and both the calibration curves were close to the ideal curve.The prediction results indicated that in feature Set 1,the features highly negatively correlated with preconception outcomes were female age,male age,and no pregnancy within 1 year without contraception,while the features highly positively correlated with preconception outcomes were female pregnancy history,total sperm vitality,and use of contraceptive measures before enrollment.Conclusion Among the 5 machine-learning algorithms performed in this cohort data,the gradient boosting machine shows slightly better performance.There are 24 factors being associated with preconception outcomes in both spouses,and the performance of the simplified model excluding semen parameters is not significantly declined.It is feasible to use machine-learning methods to predict human preconception outcomes through social-psychological-behavioral questionnaires.

Environmentally-induced reproductive toxicity is one of the important causes of fertility declines and has become a significant global public health challenge.Elucidating the causal links between exposure to environmental hazards and reproductive damage,unraveling the underlying molecular mechanisms,and establishing precise reproductive injury assessment systems are crucial for development of targeted interventions and safeguarding human reproductive health.In this article,we systematically review the research progress on reproductive toxicity caused by emerging environmental chemical pollutants,common physical factors,and biological factors in the recent 3 years.We summarize the new technologies in the field of toxicology,including novel experimental models,exposomics,and artificial intelligence.We also discuss the potential research directions in risk assessment,prevention and intervention of environmental factors-induced reproductive damage.

Objective To analyze the detrimental effects of exposure to environmental noise alone and combined with carbon monoxide(CO)on spermatogenesis in male rats,investigate the underlying mechanisms involved in such damage,and evaluate the protective role of pterostilbene(PTE)against these adverse effects.Methods Sixty male SD rats(6～8 weeks old,weighing 200±10 g)were randomly divided normal control group(standard housing),sham-exposure control group(restraint stress only),noise exposure(85 dB),CO exposure(460 mg/m3),combined exposure(simultaneous exposure),and PTE intervention(80 mg/kg pretreatment),with 10 animals in each group.The rats were exposed daily for 2 h via a nose-only inhalation exposure system within a multifactorial environmental simulation chamber for 60 consecutive days.Sperm count and viability were measured after exposure.Histopathological changes of testicular tissues were observed with HE staining.qRT-PCR was used to measure stage-specific mRNA levels in germ cells.Serum sex hormone levels and adenosine triphosphate(ATP)concentrations in testes and sperm were detected.Transmission electron microscopy(TEM)was applied to observe the ultrastructural damage in the spermatocytes.Additionally,transcriptome sequencing was performed on testicular tissue,followed by bioinformatics analysis.Results Compared with the negative control group,the combined exposure group exhibited significant reductions in sperm viability and count(P<0.05),and developmental arrest of immature germ cells in the testicular tissue,with obviously less spermatogonia,spermatocytes,and round/elongated spermatids(P<0.01).Additionally,significantly reduced levels of reproductive-related hormones,such as gonadotropin-releasing hormone,follicle-stimulating hormone,luteinizing hormone and testosterone,and ATP levels in testes and sperm were observed in the mice after combined exposure(P<0.01),accompanied by mitochondrial rupture and cristae disruption in spermatocytes.Conversely,the PTE intervention group showed marked alleviation of these impairments,with parameters recovering almost to normal levels.Transcriptome sequencing identified biological processes related to reproductive development and ATP-dependent pathways as potential contributors to testicular injury induced by noise and CO exposure,with key genes including Nppa,Adm,Gnrh1,Ptafr,Atp13a5,Atp8b1,and LOC102555469.Conclusion Noise and CO exposure induce spermatogenic damage in rats,which may be related with energy metabolism and hormonal regulation,while PTE demonstrates significant protective effects against such reproductive impairments.

Objective To investigate the transgenerational effects of paternal PM2.5 exposure on offspring growth and development,and to preliminarily elucidate the role of sperm DNA methylation modifications in mediating these effects.Methods Eight-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into filtered air(FA),unfiltered air(UA),and concentrated PM2.5(CAP)groups,with 10 animals in each group.The exposure was conducted from November 2019 to April 2020,and then,these male mice were mated with unexposed females to generate F1 offspring,which were bred successively to produce F2 and F3 generations.All the offspring were living in PM2.5-free environment.The birth body weight,birth number,and sex ratio of the offspring were recorded,body weight growth was monitored,and organ coefficients of the heart,liver,lung,and brain were calculated.Whole-genome methylation sequencing was performed on the sperm DNA of the CAP group,FA group,and their F1 generation offspring to screen for differentially methylated regions,and the genes and pathways associated with these regions were analyzed.Results When compared with the F1～F3 offspring of the FA group,the CAP group had significantly reduced birth body weight in the F1 generation(P<0.05),no statistical differences were observed in the birth body weight in the F2 and F3 generations(P>0.05),or either in the sex ratio and birth number among the F1,F2 and F3 generations.Compared with the FA group offspring,the F1～F3 offspring of CAP group exhibited delayed body weight gain,especially in the males(P<0.05),the CAP-F1 male generation had obviously elevated liver organ coefficient(P<0.01),but no statistical changes were observed in the heart,lung,or brain coefficients among the F1～F3 generations.Between the FA group and the CAP group,37 997 differentially methylated regions were detected,with a reduction of approximately 50%in the number of differentially methylated regions in the F1 generation.Differentially methylated genes in F0 and F1 sperm were potentially related to developmental processes,including imprinting genes(Gnas,Igf2)and metabolic genes(Ppard,Rps6kb1).Conclusion Paternal exposure to PM2.5 leads to reduced birth weight and intergenerational growth retardation in offspring.Its impact on phenotypic effects is gradually weakened during intergenerational transmission.Changes in the methylation of development-related genes in sperm may be one of the mechanisms mediating this intergenerational effect.

In the context of high-quality development in medical institutions, the supply-processing-distribution(SPD) management mode has gradually been widely applied. The authors described in detail the procurement, supply, inventory, distribution, and settlement management of medical consumables and in vitro diagnostic reagents in a certain hospital under the SPD mode. It was found that SPD was conducive to strengthening the supervision of medical consumables and in vitro diagnostic reagents in the hospital, ensuring quality and safety of use, reducing hospital operating costs, and improving hospital′s competitiveness. However, attention should be paid to preventing data security risks, strengthening operational management, and improving the cost-benefit analysis of in vitro diagnostic reagents.

Objective:To analyze the activation of primary somatosensory cortex(S1)neurons in post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD)mice after tactile stimulation of whiskers and the changes of S1 cortical neurons in PTSD mice.Methods:Using the neuron cytoskeleton-associated protein(Arc)labeling strategy and immunofluorescence staining technique,the Arc of S1 cortical neurons in PTSD mice and control mice after whisker stimulation was marked and ob-served.By analyzing the difference in the spatial expression position of Arc labeled neurons and the number of positive cells,the activation level of S1 cortical neurons in the two groups was compared and analyzed.The pyramidal neurons of S1 cortex were labeled by sparse virus labeling method,and the number of dendrites and the morphology and number distribution of dendritic spines were compared between the two groups.Results:After whisker stimulation,it was found that Arc positive neurons were distributed from shallow layer to deep layer of S1,and more densely distributed in layersⅡ/Ⅲ and V.Compared with the control group,the number of positive neurons in different layers of the PTSD group was significantly increased.The results of cell morphology and structure analysis showed that,compared with the control group,the density of dendritic spines in layer Ⅱ/Ⅲ of mice with PTSD increased,and the number of mushroom dendrit-ic spines increased,while the number of filamentous pseudopod dendritic spines decreased.The number of dendritic spines of Si V layer mushroom type and slender type was higher,but the total number of dendritic spines was not sig-nificantly different.Conclusion:After whisker stimulation in PTSD mice,S1 neurons were over-activated,and the structure and morphology of neurons changed significantly.

Objective:To investigate the relationship between the duration of folic acid supplementation,gesta-tional diabetes mellitus(GDM)and adverse perinatal outcomes based on generalized linear mixed model.Meth-ods:Clinical data was collected of 759 pairs of mothers and children who delivered at the First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei North University from January 2021 to December 2022.The adverse perinatal outcomes of this study in-cluded cesarean section,premature birth,macrosomia,low birth weight(LBW),large for gestational age(LGA),and small for gestational age infant(SGA).Generalized linear mixed model was used to analyze the impact of GDM and supplementation with folic acid for a duration of ≥3 months on the risk of adverse perinatal outcomes.A stratified analysis of the duration of folic acid supplementation was conducted to determine whether it was a con-founding factor or influencing factor of GDM and adverse birth outcomes.Results:A total of 748 patients(98.55％)received folic acid supplementation before and during pregnancy,with a total of 743 patients(97.89％)receiving folic acid supplementation during pregnancy and 496 patients(65.35％)receiving folic acid supplementation before pregnancy.77 mothers were diagnosed with GDM,with an incidence rate of 10.14％.Compared with those who received folic acid supplementation before pregnancy for＜3 months,those who re-ceived folic acid supplementation before pregnancy for ≥ 3 months were associated with an increased risk of GDM.The adjusted RR(aRR)was 1.72(95％CI 1.17-2.53).The GDM patients who received folic acid sup-plementation for≥3 months before pregnancy was associated with a reduced risk of SGA,with an aRR of 0.40(95％CI 0.18-0.89).In the subgroup of pregnant women who received folic acid supplementation for≥3 months,GDM was associated with an increased risk of cesarean section(aRR 1.36,95％CI 1.06-1.75))and macrosomia(aRR2.11,95％CI 1.06-4.20),but both aRR were lower than fixed effect RR of 1.53(95％CI 1.01-2.34)and 2.43(95％CI 12.7-4.66),respectively.and the above differences were statistically signifi-cant(P＜0.01).Conclusions:Supplementing folic acid for≥3 months before pregnancy increases the risk of GDM,but reduces the risk of SGA birth in patients with GDM.Supplementing folic acid during pregnancy for≥3 months has a reducing effect on the risk of adverse perinataloutcomes of cesarean section and macrosomia in women with GDM.

Objective To preliminarily investigate the anti-tumor effects of phytosphingosine(PHS)and the involvement of inducing apoptosis of leukemia cells.Methods Cellular model of leukemia was established in leukemia cell lines K562 and SUP-B15.CCK-8 assay and EdU assay were used to measure the viability and DNA synthesis of K562 and SUP-B15 cells.RNA-seq was carried out to verify the differentially expressed genes(DEGs)after PHS treatment.Gene Ontology(GO)enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)enrichment analyses were applied to analyze the involved functions and signaling pathways.Comparative Toxicogenomics Database(CTD)and Discovery Studio software were employed to predict the underlying targets of PHS and molecular docking.Cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry,mitochondrial membrane potential was evaluated by JC-1 probe,and protein expression of key molecules was validated by Western blotting.Results PHS inhibited the proliferation of K562 and SUP-B15 cells in a time-and dose-dependent manner.The half-maximal inhibitory concentration(IC50)of K562 cells was 17.67 and 12.52 pmol/L for 24 and 48 h,respectively,and the IC50 value of SUP-B15 cells was 17.58 and 14.86 μmol/L for 24 and 48 h,respectively.PHS treatment at a dose of 20 μmol/L for 48 h resulted in significant inhibition of DNA synthesis.GO enrichment analysis of the K562 cells showed that PHS might be involved in positive regulation of apoptotic process,plasma membrane and its integral components,and protein kinase binding and activity.Reverse predictive analysis showed that BCL-2 protein was the most likely target of PHS.PHS significantly increased the apoptotic rate of leukemia cells(P＜0.05)in a dose-dependent manner,reduced the mitochondrial membrane potential,and down-regulated BCL-2 level(P＜0.05)and up-regulated the levels of Cleaved caspase-3 and Cleaved caspase-9(P＜0.05).Conclusion PHS may inhibit the proliferation of leukemia cells by inducing mitochondria-dependent apoptosis,possibly through PHS and BCL-2 interaction.

BACKGROUND:Abnormal extracellular matrix accumulation and excessive proliferation of fibroblasts are the main manifestations of pathological scars.Excessive proliferation of fibroblasts leads to the production of large amounts of collagen-based extracellular matrix.Therefore,to investigate the role of fibroblast fibrosis in the formation of pathological scar will provide a new idea for revealing the mechanism of pathological scar and biological therapy. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of RAS-selective lethal small molecule 3(RSL3)on the fibrosis of human pathological scar fibroblasts. METHODS:Then cases of pathological scar tissue and normal skin tissue samples from the same individuals,provided by the Department of Burn Plastic Surgery,General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University,were collected.Fibroblasts of human pathological scar and human normal skin were extracted and used in the following experiments.The general condition of the pathological scar tissue and the normal skin tissue was detected by hematoxylin-eosin staining.The appearance of fibroblasts from pathological scar and normal skin were observed by inverted microscope.The fibroblasts were verified by immunofluorescence assay.The cells were treated with different concentrations of RSL3(1,3,5,7,9,11,13 μmol/L).The inhibitory concentration of RSL3 on fibroblasts was detected by cell counting kit-8.Control group(without treatment)and RSL3 intervention group(treated with 7 μmol/L RSL3 for 24 hours)were set up.The mRNA and protein expressions of glutathione peroxidase 4,type Ⅰ collagen,type Ⅲ collagen and α-smooth muscle actin were detected by Qrt-PCR and western blot,respectively.Level of malondialdehyde in cells was detected.The residual scratch area was measured by cell scratch test after 24 hours to calculate the percentage of residual scratch area. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The expression of glutathione peroxidase 4 in the pathological scar group was higher than that in the normal skin group(Mrna:t=3.252,P<0.01;protein:t=5.075,P<0.01).The expression of glutathione peroxidase 4 in the pathological scar fibroblast group was higher than that in the normal skin fibroblast group(Mrna:t=10.32,P<0.01;protein:t=26.22,P<0.01).Compared with the control group,the expression of glutathione peroxidase 4 was decreased(Mrna:t=2.798,P<0.05;protein:t=4.643,P<0.01),the content of malondialdehyde was increased(t=2.917,P<0.05),the expression of type Ⅰ collagen(Mrna:t=15.84,P<0.01;protein:t=4.610,P<0.01),type Ⅲ collagen(Mrna:t=28.86,P<0.01;protein:t=7.713,P<0.01)and α-smooth muscle actin(Mrna:t=2.671,P<0.05;protein:t=7.417,P<0.01)were decreased in the RSL3 intervention group.Compared with the control group,the migration ability was weakened in the RSL3 intervention group(t=14.06,P<0.01).To conclude,RSL3 can inhibit the expression of glutathione peroxidase 4 and then inhibit the ability of fibrosis and migration of pathological scar fibroblasts.