Objective To investigate and analyze the occupational stress levels and influencing factors among radiation workers in China, and provide a reference for alleviating occupational stress and promoting mental health. Methods Using the general situation questionnaire, Effort-Reward Imbalance questionnaire, and radiation protection knowledge questionnaire, a convenience sampling method was adopted to investigate the occupational stress of 243 radiation workers in Liaoning, Fujian, Guangdong, and Xinjiang provinces. The independent samples t-test, one-way analysis of variance, chi-square test, and binary logistic regression were used to analyze the influencing factors. Results The average score of Effort-Reward Imbalance was 0.97 ± 0.22, and 100 (41.15%) radiation workers had occupational stress. There were significant differences in the detection rate of occupational stress among radiation workers of different ages, working years in radiation positions, monthly incomes, daily sleep durations, and daily working hours (P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis identified daily working hours as a factor contributing to occupational stress. Conclusion The occupational stress among radiation workers in China is relatively severe. It is recommended to pay attention to the associated risks and implement targeted intervention measures to reduce the impact of occupational stress.

Objective: To investigate the clinical efficacy of oral microscope-assisted microflap periodontal bone grafting in treating class Ⅱ furcation involvement in mandibular molars, and to provide clinical evidence for its treatment in furcation involvement. Methods: This study was reviewed and approved by the institutional ethics committee, and informed consent was obtained from all patients. Sixty mandibular molars with class II furcation involvement caused by periodontitis were enrolled in a randomized controlled clinical study, utilizing a random number table method. Patients were categorized into a control group (n=30) and an experimental group (n=30) based on the surgical procedure employed. The control group underwent periodontal flap surgery with an internal oblique incision and vertical incision; this procedure was performed without the aid of a microscope. Conversely, the experimental group underwent micro flap periodontal bone grafting surgery without vertical incision; an oral microscope was used for this procedure. Both groups were analyzed 6 months after surgery, and postoperative gingival recession (GR), probing depth (PD), bleeding index (BI), vertical bone height increase (VBHI), pain level, and complications were recorded. Results: Both groups showed improvement in PD and BI after 6 months compared to preoperative levels: the control group had a preoperative PD of (7.33 ± 1.72 mm) and a 6-month postoperative PD of (3.37 ± 0.96 mm), with statistically significant differences (P<0.001). The preoperative PD of the experimental group was (7.27 ± 1.57 mm), and the 6-month postoperative PD was (3.00 ± 0.69 mm), with statistically significant differences (P<0.001). The BI of the control group decreased from 3.03 ± 1.03 before surgery to 0.77 ± 0.82 at 6 months after surgery (P<0.001), while the BI of the experimental group decreased from 3.20 ± 1.09 before surgery to 0.73 ± 0.64 at 6 months after surgery (P<0.001), and the differences were statistically significant. The experimental group showed a significant improvement in GR (0.70 ± 0.59 mm) compared to preoperative GR (1.26 ± 0.94 mm) at 6 months after surgery (P=0.007), while the control group showed an increase in GR (1.37 ± 0.89 mm) at 6 months after surgery compared to preoperative GR (1.13 ± 0.97 mm), but the difference was not statistically significant (P=0.337). The inter group comparison results showed that there were no statistically significant differences in PD and BI between the two groups at 6 months after surgery (PD: P=0.096, BI: P=0.861); The GR of the experimental group was lower than that of the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P=0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in postoperative VBHI between the two groups (P=0.128). The pain level scores of the experimental group were lower than those of the control group at 4 and 24 hours after surgery (P<0.001). None of the patients experienced complications. Conclusion Microflap periodontal bone grafting assisted by an oral microscope effectively improves the periodontal condition of patients with grade Ⅱ root bifurcation lesions of mandibular molars, and the bone grafting effect is good, with mild pain and good safety.

Adjuvants as essential ingredients amplify the magnitude and durability of immune responses in various vaccine strategies. Polysaccharides with potent immunoenhancing effects are widely applied as promising vaccine adjuvants, however, they have rarely been licensed for use in human vaccines due to the limitation of their efficacy and safety. Moreover, nanoparticles not only act as antigen drug delivery vectors but also possess intrinsic adjuvant functions, revealing the dual effects of nanoparticles in augmenting antigen-specific immune responses. Intriguingly, nanoparticle forms can enhance the immunostimulatory potency of polysaccharide adjuvants, since polysaccharide nanoparticles exert more excellent adjuvant effects than polysaccharides in initiating humoral, cellular and mucosal immune responses. Emerging evidence has also suggested that multiple immune-related signaling pathways including cGAS-STING, NLRP3, TLRs, cell death or metabolism signaling probably participate in the immunomodulation of polysaccharide nanoparticles, but systemic investigations into the adjuvant mechanism are still inadequate. This review aims to give an updated summary and discussion on the adjuvant function and mechanism of polysaccharide nanoparticles for understanding their superior adjuvant property and effectively utilizing them as potent immune adjuvants in vaccine development.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the potential mediating role of plasma phosphorylated tau217 (p-tau217) in the association between periodontitis and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). METHODS: In this case-control study, patients diagnosed with MCI in the Neurology Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong Second Medical University from November 2023 to May 2024 were selected as the case group (MCI group). Cognitively normal (CN) volunteers, matched for age and education level and recruited from the physical examination center during the same period, served as the control group (CN group). The general demographic data of the study participants were collected. The Beijing versions of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), clinical dementia rating (CDR), and activities of daily living scale (ADL) were used to assess neuropsychological functions. Clinical periodontal examinations were conducted, the periodontal inflamed surface area (PISA) was calculated, and the periodontitis stage was determined in accordance with the 2018 classification. Fasting elbow venous blood samples were collected in the morning, and blood biochemical indicators were measured. Plasma p-tau217 levels were detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Statistical analyses were performed using t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, chi-square test, partial correlation analysis, multivariate Logistic regression analysis, multiple linear regression analysis, restricted cubic spline (RCS) regression analysis, and mediation effect analysis. RESULTS: Among the 192 participants, 96 belong to the MCI group and 96 to the CN group. The prevalence of periodontitis was 63.5% in the MCI group and 43.8% in the CN group, with a statistically significant difference (χ²=7.561, P=0.006). The plasma p-tau217 levels in the MCI group were significantly higher than those in the CN group [7.00 (4.27-9.65) ng/mL versus 2.02 (0.80-3.81) ng/mL, Z=-8.108, P<0.001]. Partial correlation analysis revealed that plasma p-tau217 levels were positively correlated with all the clinical periodontal indices (all P<0.001). After adjustments for baseline covariates, multivariate Logistic regression indicated that periodontitis was an independent risk factor for MCI. Patients with periodontitis had a 1.977-fold higher MCI risk than those without periodontitis (OR=1.977, 95%CI: 1.088-3.594, P=0.025). Moreover, the MCI risk for stage Ⅰ/Ⅱ periodontitis and stage Ⅲ/Ⅳ periodontitis was 1.878 times (OR=1.878, 95%CI: 1.029-3.425, P=0.040) and 2.625 times (OR=2.625, 95%CI: 1.073-6.246, P=0.035) higher than that for patients without periodontitis, respectively. Trend test showed that the MCI risk increased with periodontitis severity (P_trend=0.016). After adjustments for baseline covariates, multiple linear regression analysis showed that periodontitis was an independent risk factor for increased plasma p-tau217 levels (β=3.309, 95%CI: 2.363-4.254, P<0.001). Compared with patients without periodontitis, those with stage Ⅰ/Ⅱ periodontitis (β=1.838, 95%CI: 0.869-2.806, P<0.001) and stage Ⅲ/Ⅳ periodontitis (β=5.539, 95%CI: 4.442-6.636, P<0.001) had significantly higher plasma p-tau217 levels. In addition, trend test indicated that plasma p-tau217 levels increased with periodontitis severity (P_trend<0.001). After adjustments for baseline covariates, RCS regression analysis further revealed that PISA had a positive linear dose-response relationship with MCI risk (P_overall=0.002, P_nonlinear=0.344) and plasma p-tau217 levels (P_overall<0.001, P_nonlinear=0.140). After adjustments for baseline covariates, mediation analysis showed that plasma p-tau217 mediated the association between periodontitis and MCI, with a mediation proportion of 13.99% (95% Bootstrap CI: 0.38%-49.39%, P=0.038). CONCLUSIONS Periodontitis was independently positively associated with MCI risk, and plasma p-tau217 plays a mediating role in this association.
Humans ; Cognitive Dysfunction/complications* ; tau Proteins/blood* ; Periodontitis/complications* ; Case-Control Studies ; Male ; Female ; Phosphorylation ; Aged ; Middle Aged ; Activities of Daily Living

The plant F-box protein more axillary growth 2 (MAX2) is a key factor in the signal transduction of strigolactones (SLs) and karrinkins (KARs). As the main component of the SKP1-CUL1-FBX (SCF) complex ubiquitin ligase E3, MAX2 is responsible for specifically recognizing the target proteins, suppressor of MAX2 1/SMAX1-like proteins (SMAX1/SMXLs), which would be degraded after ubiquitination. It can thereby regulate plant morphogenesis and stress responses. There exist homologous genes of MAX2 in the important grain and oil crop soybean (Glycine max). However, its role in plant defense responses has not been investigated yet. Here, GmMAX2b, a homologous gene of MAX2, was successfully cloned from stressed soybean. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that there were two MAX2 homologous genes, GmMAX2a and GmMAX2b, with a similarity of 96.2% in soybean. Their F-box regions were highly conserved. The sequence alignment and cluster analysis of plant MAX2 homologous proteins basically reflected the evolutionary relationship of plants and also suggested that soybean MAX2 might be a multifunctional protein. Expression analysis showed that plant pathogen infection and salicylic acid treatment induced the expression of GmMAX2b in soybean, which is consistent with that of MAX2 in Arabidopsis. Ectopic expression of GmMAX2b compensated for the susceptibility of Arabidopsis max2-2 mutant to pathogen, indicating that GmMAX2b positively regulated plant disease resistance. In addition, yeast two hybrid technology was used to explore the potential target proteins of GmMAX2b. The results showed that GmMAX2b interacted with SMXL6 and weakly interacted with SMXL2. In summary, GmMAX2b is a positive regulator in plant defense responses, and its expression is induced by pathogen infection and salicylic acid treatment. GmMAX2b might exert its effect through interaction with SMXL6 and SMXL2. This study expands the theoretical exploration of soybean disease resistant F-box and provides a scientific basis for future soybean disease resistant breeding.
Glycine max/metabolism* ; Disease Resistance/genetics* ; Plant Diseases/immunology* ; Plant Proteins/genetics* ; Cloning, Molecular ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; F-Box Proteins/genetics* ; Arabidopsis/genetics* ; Phylogeny

ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy of three screening questionnaires for COPD in the community residents of Songjiang District， Shanghai， and to provide a basis for selecting COPD screening questionnaire and process that are more suitable. MethodsCommunity residents aged 40 years or over were randomly selected from the Shanghai Suburban Adult Cohort and Biobank for the study with screening questionnaires and spirometry. Questionnaires included the COPD screening questionnaire （COPD-SQ）， the COPD population screener （COPD-PS） and the revised COPD diagnostic questionnaire （revised-CDQ）. Evaluation of the efficacy of these questionnaires was based on the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve （AUC） of the subjects. DeLong test was used to compare the accuracy of different questionnaires； Z test was used to compare the accuracy of different cut-off values for the same questionnaire. ResultsAmong 3 184 community residents， a total of 259 （8.1%） COPD patients were screened by spirometry. AUC values of these 3 screening questionnaires were >0.7 indicating that they were reliable COPD screening tools. The sensitivity and specificity of the questionnaires at the recommended cut-off values were COPD-SQ （63.7% and 72.2%）， COPD-PS （12.0% and 96.1%）， and revised CDQ （78.8% and 52.7%）， with the COPD-SQ having the highest screening accuracy （AUC=0.754）. The optimal and recommended cut-off values for the three questionnaires differed in this population， but the difference in accuracy was statistically significant only for COPD-PS. The optimal cut-off values for the three questionnaires differed between male and female， and the sensitivity and accuracy of COPD-SQ and COPD-PS improved when lower cut-off values were used for women. The AUC was greater when two questionnaires were utilized simultaneously for screening， but the differences were not statistically significant. ConclusionThe COPD-SQ is recommended for primary COPD screening； a lower cut-off value for women should be considered. The COPD screening questionnaire needs to be further improved for the early diagnosis and treatment of COPD patients.

BACKGROUND:Animal models of diabetic encephalopathy that have been studied mainly include streptozotocin-induced model,high-sugar and high-fat diet-induced model and spontaneous animal model.Establishing a simple,easy,short-cycle,safe and effective model of diabetic encephalopathy can help to explore the subsequent pathogenesis and screen therapeutic drugs. OBJECTIVE:To further explore and evaluate the method of building diabetic encephalopathy rat models. METHODS:Twenty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into control(n=10)and model(n=10)groups.Rats in the model group were given a single injection of 45 mg/kg streptozotocin in the left lower abdominal cavity,and those in the control group were given the same amount of citrate buffer.During the experiment,the body mass,feed intake,water intake and blood glucose were measured.After 8 weeks,the glucose tolerance and oxidative stress levels were measured,and the pathological changes of brain tissue and the expression of apoptotic proteins were compared between groups. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Compared with the control group,the food intake,water intake,encephalization quotient,blood glucose and area under the blood glucose curve were significantly increased in the model group,while the body mass decreased significantly(P<0.01).Histopathological examination of the brain showed that compared with the control group,the number of surviving nerve cells was significantly reduced in the model group(P<0.01),with more significant pathological damage of nerve cells.Compared with the control group,the activities of serum superoxide dismutase,catalase and glutathione in the model group were significantly decreased(P<0.01),and the content of oxidative malondialdehyde was significantly increased(P<0.05).The expression levels of apoptosis-related proteins Bax and Caspase-3 in brain tissue increased in the model group compared with the control group,while the expression of Bcl-2 decreased(P<0.01).In conclusion,an 8-week injection of 45 mg/kg streptozotocin can cause obvious pathological damage to the brain tissue of diabetic rats,to successfully establish the rat model of diabetic encephalopathy.

Objective This study aimed to estimate the therapeutic effects of preformed metal crown(PMC)and pre-fabricated zirconia crowns(ZC)on decayed primary morals in children,as well as to analyze the possible influencing fac-tors.Methods A retrospective cohort study was performed on the data of 192 patients(aged 3 to 8)in the Stomatologi-cal Department of Shenzhen Children's Hospital from October 2021 to December 2021.The decayed mandibular first molars were selected and restored by vital-pulp therapy followed by PMC and ZC,including 96 cases(96 caries)in the PMC group and 96 cases(96 caries)in the ZC group.Oral clinical examination was performed at 3 months,1 year,and 2 years after treatment,overwiewing the clinical therapeu-tic effects and periodontal status of PMC and ZC groups,as well as recording the crown integrity,gingival index(GI),probing bleeding index(BI),plaque index(PLI)and various prosthetic indices.Results No significance differences existed in the periodontal status of PMC and ZC groups at 3 months,1 year,and 2 years after treatment(P>0.05).However,the GI,BI,and PLI in the PMC group were higher than those in the ZC group at 3 months,1 year,and 2 years after treatment,and the difference was dramatically signifi-cant(P<0.05).No significances difference existed in various prosthetic indices(P>0.05),as well as in the GI,BI,and PLI,between the two groups(P>0.05).No significant differences existed in various prosthetic indices between genders after PMC restoration(P>0.05).The scores of girls in various prosthetic indices after ZC restoration were higher than those of boys(P<0.05).Pearson correlation analysis indicated an inverse correlation between age in the PMC group and the GI,BI,PLI,and FDI indices(P<0.01),rather than in the ZC group(P>0.05).Conclusion PMC and ZC can be ap-plied to restore deciduous molar caries.The periodontal status of deciduous teeth in ZC group was superior to that in the PMC group.The periodontal status of deciduous teeth in PMC group may be stable with increased age.

Objective:To analyze the total expendition,developmental changes and flow of the total cost of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)in China from 2016 to 2021,and to study the development of the total cost of TCM in different medical institutions.Methods:Institutional flow method and case-base aggregation method were used to account for the total TCM costs.Results:From 2016 to 2021,the total amount of total TCM costs flowed to TCM-type hospitals was the highest in China,the proportion of total TCM costs in primary healthcare organizations was increased,and TCM-type clinics and outpatient clinics were developed more rapidly.The share of Chinese medicine drug costs in total Chinese medicine costs has been declined,and the share of county hospitals in their total health costs has been risen overall Conclusion:In the future,it would increase the TCM investment,attach importance to the development of TCM services in non-Chinese medicine hospitals,improve the capacity of primary Chinese medicine services,continue to consolidate the policy of"strengthening the primary",and maintain the rapid development of Chinese medicine clinics and outpatient clinics;the value of Chinese medicine technical labor should be emphasized,and the driving force of county hospitals should be brought into full play.