BACKGROUND:The exact pathogenesis of temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis is currently unclear.Traditional clinical treatment strategies for temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis are symptomatic treatments such as pain relief and reduction of inflammation,which can stop the progression of the disease to a certain degree but cannot reverse the destruction of the cartilage.Cartilage degeneration,as one of the most prominent pathologic features in the development of temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis,has been the subject of an increasing number of studies that focus on its pathogenesis.Consequently,we hope to provide an ideal radical solution for the regeneration of the temporomandibular joint.OBJECTIVE:To review the progress of research on cartilage degeneration in temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis.METHODS:The search terms were"temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis,degradation of cartilage matrix,synovitis,oxidative stress,chondrocyte hypertrophy,chondrocyte apoptosis,ferroptosis,autophagy,angiogenesis,extracellular vesicles"in Chinese and English.Literature search was conducted in PubMed database and CNKI,and the time limit for the search was from January 2004 to October 2024.Screening was performed by analyzing and reading the literature,and according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria,81 papers were finally included for review.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Increased secretion of cartilage matrix degrading enzymes causes degradation of the cartilage matrix,leading to cartilage degeneration.(2)Synovitis promotes cartilage degeneration through macrophage M1-type polarization and production of inflammatory mediators.(3)Oxidative stress promotes cartilage degeneration by exacerbating the inflammatory response through overproduction of reactive oxygen species.(4)Chondrocyte phenotypic changes and death lead to the decrease of cartilage matrix synthesis,resulting in cartilage degeneration.(5)Blood vessels of subchondral bone penetrate the calcified cartilage layer to reach the superficial cartilage layer,which destroys the cartilage structure and leads to cartilage degeneration.(6)Bioactive substances carried by serum-derived extracellular vesicles in inflammatory states also promote cartilage degeneration in temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis.

BACKGROUND:The exact pathogenesis of temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis is currently unclear.Traditional clinical treatment strategies for temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis are symptomatic treatments such as pain relief and reduction of inflammation,which can stop the progression of the disease to a certain degree but cannot reverse the destruction of the cartilage.Cartilage degeneration,as one of the most prominent pathologic features in the development of temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis,has been the subject of an increasing number of studies that focus on its pathogenesis.Consequently,we hope to provide an ideal radical solution for the regeneration of the temporomandibular joint.OBJECTIVE:To review the progress of research on cartilage degeneration in temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis.METHODS:The search terms were"temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis,degradation of cartilage matrix,synovitis,oxidative stress,chondrocyte hypertrophy,chondrocyte apoptosis,ferroptosis,autophagy,angiogenesis,extracellular vesicles"in Chinese and English.Literature search was conducted in PubMed database and CNKI,and the time limit for the search was from January 2004 to October 2024.Screening was performed by analyzing and reading the literature,and according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria,81 papers were finally included for review.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Increased secretion of cartilage matrix degrading enzymes causes degradation of the cartilage matrix,leading to cartilage degeneration.(2)Synovitis promotes cartilage degeneration through macrophage M1-type polarization and production of inflammatory mediators.(3)Oxidative stress promotes cartilage degeneration by exacerbating the inflammatory response through overproduction of reactive oxygen species.(4)Chondrocyte phenotypic changes and death lead to the decrease of cartilage matrix synthesis,resulting in cartilage degeneration.(5)Blood vessels of subchondral bone penetrate the calcified cartilage layer to reach the superficial cartilage layer,which destroys the cartilage structure and leads to cartilage degeneration.(6)Bioactive substances carried by serum-derived extracellular vesicles in inflammatory states also promote cartilage degeneration in temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis.

Objective To evaluate the association between paroxetine exposure and breast cancer risk by using a multi-omics approach and to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms. Methods A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using NHANES data from 2005 to 2016 to assess paroxetine exposure and breast cancer prevalence. Network pharmacology was employed to identify common targets and pathways, followed by Mendelian randomization analysis to validate causal relationships and molecular docking to further verify key interactions. Results Among 5520 participants, paroxetine users showed a 270% increased risk of breast cancer after multivariate adjustment (adjusted OR=3.70, 95%CI: 1.15-11.99, P=0.032). Network pharmacology identified 92 overlapping targets, with mTOR emerging as a central hub (IVW OR=1.09, 95%CI: 1.06-1.13, P=6.67×10⁻⁷). Molecular docking confirmed a high-affinity binding between paroxetine and mTOR (binding energy: −8.3 kcal/mol). Pathway enrichment analysis indicated that the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, endocrine resistance, and chemical carcinogenesis were key mechanisms. Conclusion Paroxetine use may be linked to an increased risk of breast cancer, possibly mediated through the mTOR pathway.

Objective To develop a predictive model of acute hematologic toxicity (HT) based on preradiotherapy CT radiomic features combined with clinical and dosimetric characteristics for patients with cervical cancer undergoing definitive radiotherapy. Methods Data from 82 patients with cervical cancer who received definitive radiotherapy were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into training and test sets at an 8:2 ratio, with grade ≥2 HT as the study endpoint. Clinical characteristics and dosimetric parameters of pelvic regions were collected, and 1 046 radiomic features were extracted from the overall pelvic structure using PyRadiomics. Radiomic features were processed using Z-score normalization, Spearman correlation analysis (>0.9), and LASSO regression for feature selection. A radiomics model was constructed using K-nearest neighbor machine learning with fivefold cross-validation. For 56 clinical and dosimetric features, independent predictors were identified through univariate and multivariate analyses to establish a clinical-dose model. A hybrid model was further constructed by combining the two sets of features. Model performance was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), decision curve analysis, and calibration curves. Results Forty patients (48.8%) developed grade ≥2 HT. Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that V20 of the lumbosacral spine was significantly associated with grade ≥2 HT (P<0.05). The AUC values for the radiomics, clinical-dose, and hybrid models were 0.802, 0.750, and 0.861 in the training set, respectively, and 0.703, 0.633, and 0.781 in the test set, respectively. Conclusion Preradiotherapy CT radiomic features combined with dosimetric characteristics can predict the occurrence of acute hematologic toxicity in patients with cervical cancer, potentially facilitating early clinical intervention.

ObjectiveTo investigate the impact of a cold environment on the pathophysiological changes in dogs after abdominal gastrointestinal blast injury. MethodsEight healthy common-grade adult male Beagles were selected and randomly divided into a cold group and a normal temperature group, with 4 dogs in each group. Prior to surgery, Beagles dogs were fasted and deprived of water for 12 hours; after establishing a vein at the edge of the ear, propofol （2 mg·kg^-1·min^-1） was continuously infused using a microinfusion pump to maintain anesthesia. Tracheal intubation was performed while preserving spontaneous breathing, and the electroencephalogram bifrequency index was maintained at 40-60 to ensure stable anesthesia. A model of abdominal gastrointestinal blast injury in Beagle dogs was established using a multifunctional combat trauma modeling platform. After blast injury, the cold group was exposed to a cold chamber at -20 ℃ combined with 10% body surface area ice water immersion for 40 min, while the normal temperature group was kept in an environment at (25±2) ℃ for 40 min after blast injury. Vital signs such as heart rate, blood pressure, and blood oxygen saturation were monitored in both groups before blast injury, immediately after blast injury, and 40 min after blast injury. And arterial blood gas parameters, including pH, partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood (PaO₂), partial pressure of carbon dioxide in arterial blood (PaCO₂), actual bicarbonate radical (HCO₃^-), lactic acid (Lac), and blood base excess (BEb), were measured. After the experiment, gastrointestinal tissues (gastric antrum and upper jejunum 5 cm distal to the suspensory ligament of the duodenum) were harvested for pathological analysis via hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining combined with semi-quantitative scoring. ResultsPhysiological indicators showed that the body temperature of the cold group was significantly lower than that of the normal temperature group (P<0.01), and the heart rate and systolic blood pressure of the cold group were significantly higher than those of the normal temperature group (P<0.000 1). PaCO₂ was markedly elevated and BEb was markedly decreased in the cold group relative to the normal temperature group (P<0.000 1), suggesting aggravated respiratory acidosis and metabolic acidosis. Pathological analysis showed that gastro-intestinal tissue damage was more severe in the cold group: the gastric mucosal epithelial shedding rate was > 60% (vs. <25% in the normal temperature group), the necrosis rate of the epithelial cells at the tips of intestinal villi reached more than 70% (vs. < 30% in the normal temperature group), and inflammatory cell infiltration involved the submucosa (vs. limited to the superficial mucosa in the normal temperature group). The semi-quantitative scoring results were consistent with the pathological analysis results, further confirming that the cold environment exacerbated gastrointestinal tissue damage caused by abdominal gastrointestinal blast injury. ConclusionA cold environment can exacerbate circulatory dysfunction and gastrointestinal tissue damage in Beagle dogs after blast injury, providing experimental evidence for early rewarming intervention for combat trauma in cold regions.

Objective To analyze the occurrence status of low blood pressure (BP) in patients with refractory heart failure (RHF) and its relationship with comorbidities. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 360 patients with RHF who were hospitalized in department of cardiology of Affiliated Nantong Hospital of Shanghai University from May 2021 to May 2025. These patients were divided into the RHF with BP group and the RHF group based on their blood pressure at admission. The general data and comorbidities were compared between both groups. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify the risk factors for coexisting BP. Results The heart rate (HR), N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), blood urea nitrogen, high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T, right atrial diameter, proportion of cardiac function grade IV, use rate of diuretics and prevalence rate of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in the RHF with BP group were higher while the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), albumin, left ventricular ejection fraction, use rate of lipid-lowering drugs and prevalence rate of coronary heart disease were lower compared to the RHF group, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis suggested that increased HR (OR=1.685, 95%CI: 1.106-2.569), increased NT-proBNP (OR=1.772, 95%CI: 1.138-2.759), decreased HDL-C (OR=0.605, 95%CI: 0.400-0.917) and DCM (OR=1.956, 95%CI: 1.176-3.255) were independent risk factors affecting BP in RHF patients (P<0.05). Conclusion The incidence rate of low blood pressure in elderly RHF patients is about 19.17%. Increased heart rate, increased NT-proBNP, decreased HDL-C and dilated cardiomyopathy are closely linked to the occurrence of low blood pressure, and they can be used as clinically related factors to identify patients at high risk of low blood pressure.

Objective:To investigate the role of reactive astrocytes expressing aromatase(ARO)in the penumbra during ischemic stroke.Methods:A mouse model of middle cerebral artery occlusion(MCAO/R)was prepared using the suture method.Western blot and immunofluorescence staining were used to observe the expression of ARO in the penumbra after ischemia reperfusion.We generated a glial fibrillary acidic protein promoter-driven aromatase knock-out(GFAP-ARO-KO)mouse model in vivo.Neurologic impairment scores,rotarod test,grip strength test and adhesive removal test on the plantar surface of the paw were performed after MCAO/R modeling.Results:In wild type mice,the expression of ARO was significantly increased in astrocytes in the penumbra after MCAO/R(P<0.01).Compared to the control group,the expression of ARO in the GFAP-ARO-KO group was significantly reduced in astrocytes in the penumbra after MCAO/R.And loss of ARO increased cerebral infarction volume and aggravated sensorimotor impair-ment.Conclusion:After ischemic stroke,reactive astrocytes in the penumbra highly express ARO and play a protective role in post-ischemia reperfusion injury.

ObjectiveTo observe the clinical efficacy and safety of Tangning Tongluo tablets in the treatment of nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy （DR）. MethodsFourteen research centers participated in this study， which spanned a time interval from September 2021 to May 2023. A total of 240 patients with nonproliferative DR were included and randomly assigned into an observation group （120 cases） and a control group （120 cases）. The observation group was treated with Tangning Tongluo tablets， and the control group with calcium dobesilate capsules. Both groups were treated for 24 consecutive weeks. The vision， DR progression rate， retinal microhemangioma， hemorrhage area， exudation area， glycosylated hemoglobin （HbA1c） level， and TCM syndrome score were assessed before and after treatment， and the safety was observed. ResultsThe vision changed in both groups after treatment （P<0.05）， and the observation group showed higher best corrected visual acuity （BCVA） than the control group （P<0.05）. The DR progression was slow with similar rates in the two groups. The fundus hemorrhage area and exudation area did not change significantly after treatment in both groups， while the observation group outperformed the control group in reducing the fundus hemorrhage area and exudation area. There was no significant difference in the number of microhemangiomas between the two groups before treatment. After treatment， the number of microhemangiomas decreased in both the observation group （Z=-1.437， P<0.05） and the control group （Z=-2.238， P<0.05）， and it showed no significant difference between the two groups. As the treatment time prolonged， the number of microhemangiomas gradually decreased in both groups. There was no significant difference in the HbA1c level between the two groups before treatment. After treatment， the decline in the HbA1c level showed no significant difference between the two groups. The TCM syndrome score did not have a statistically significant difference between the two groups before treatment. After treatment， neither the TCM syndrome score nor the response rate had significant difference between the two groups. With the extension of the treatment time， both groups showed amelioration of TCM syndrome compared with the baseline. ConclusionTangning Tongluo tablets are safe and effective in the treatment of nonproliferative DR， being capable of improving vision and reducing hemorrhage and exudation in the fundus.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) are common organic compounds in indoor and outdoor air, and enter the human body primarily through the respiratory tract and directly damage the respiratory system. Previous studies have suggested that exposure to VOCs/SVOCs may associate with the prevalence, incidence, and progression of asthma, but the extent of the associations is still vague. Furthermore, biomarkers for efficient and simple asthma diagnosis, typing, and attack prediction remain unclear at this stage. From the perspective of the collection and detection methods of VOCs/SVOCs, this paper summarized the epidemiological associations and underlying biological mechanisms between VOCs/SVOCs exposure and the prevalence, incidence, and progression of asthma in children/adults. It also demonstrated the application of VOCs/SVOCs in recent years in assisting asthma diagnosis, such as distinguishing asthma patients from the healthy population, differentiating different asthma phenotypes, and predicting asthma acute exacerbations, aiming to provide a scientific basis for improving current asthma management.

Objective: To develop and validate a health literacy assessment scale for junior high school students, providing an effective tool for evaluating and monitoring health literacy among Chinese adolescents. Methods: Based on school health education policy documents, a health literacy assessment framework was constructed, comprising five horizontal and four vertical dimensions. From May to June and August to September in 2024, the framework was refined through Delphi expert consultations and focus group discussions, leading to the development of the Health Literacy Assessment Scale for Junior High School Students. In September 2024, a convenience sample of 625 students from three junior high schools in Beijing and Tianjin completed the questionnaire. Item analysis, reliability, and validity tests were conducted to evaluate the scale. Results: The recovery rate for two rounds of expert consultation questionnaires was 100%. The expert authority coefficients ( Cr ) were 0.86 and 0.87 respectively (both >0.70), with Kendall W values of 0.34 and 0.27 ( P <0.05). The focus group discussions followed a rigorous structure, and after multiple rounds of item screening and revision, the version 3.0 of the junior high school students health literacy assessment scale was developed, comprising 57 items. Three items that failed to meet the comprehensive screening criteria were preliminarily removed, and the final scale contained 54 items. The scale demonstrated excellent reliability, with an overall Cronbach s α coefficient of 0.92 and split half reliability of 0.93. Confirmatory factor analysis [ χ 2/df =2.094, root mean square error of approximation ( RMSEA )=0.042, comparative fit index ( CFI )=0.911, Tucker Lewis index ( TLI )=0.907] indicated good model fit indices. Conclusions The preliminary development of the health literacy assessment scale for junior high school students follows a rigorous item screening process with well designed dimensions, demonstrating good reliability and validity, thus serving as an appropriate evaluation tool for adolescent health literacy.