With the continuous development of digital technology, three-dimensional (3D) facial scanning technology is becoming more and more widely used in dentistry, where it enhances the precision of various processes of clinical diagnosis and treatment, and provides new perspectives and tools for dental research and application. Nowadays, 3D facial scanning technology meets clinical needs in terms of accuracy, and most facial scanners have an accuracy of 140-1 330 μm, and the 3D facial scanning related applications of smartphones can also meet the clinical application needs to a certain extent. In the clinical field, the 3D scanner can be combined with a variety of technologies to achieve multi-modal data fusion and create virtual patients, and its prediction rate in obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome is as high as 91%, which has great clinical application value. This article aims to explore the research status, clinical applications, and accuracy analysis of 3D facial scanning techniques in the field of dentistry.

BACKGROUND: Acupuncture therapy provides a complementary and alternative approach to treating major depressive disorder (MDD), but its efficacy and safety have still not been comprehensively assessed. Recently published systematic reviews remain confusing and inconclusive. OBJECTIVE: This systematic review evaluated the efficacy and safety of acupuncture therapy alone or combined with antidepressants for adult patients with mild and moderate MDD. SEARCH STRATEGY: Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database, Wanfang Database, Chinese Science and Technology Journal Database, PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library were searched from their inceptions to March 2025. INCLUSION CRITERIA: Randomized controlled trials that compared acupuncture therapy with antidepressants, or acupuncture therapy plus antidepressants with acupuncture therapy or antidepressants for adult patients with mild and moderate MDD were included. DATA EXTRACTION AND ANALYSIS: Five reviewers independently extracted data from original literature using a standardized form, and the data were verified by two reviewers to ensure accuracy. Statistical meta-analyses, publication bias analyses, and subgroup analyses were performed by using Review Manager 5.3 software. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach was used to assess the certainty of the evidence. RESULTS: A total of 60 eligible studies including 4675 participants were included. Low-certainty evidence showed that compared with antidepressants, acupuncture therapy (standardized mean difference [SMD] = -0.57; 95% confidence interval [CI] = [-0.87, -0.27]; I² = 86%; P = 0.006) or acupuncture therapy plus antidepressants (SMD = -1.00; 95% CI = [-1.18, -0.81]; I² = 77%; P < 0.00001) may reduce the severity of depression at the end of treatment. Low-certainty evidence indicated that compared with acupuncture therapy alone, acupuncture therapy plus antidepressants slightly reduced the severity of depression at the end of treatment (SMD = -0.38; 95% CI = [-0.61, -0.14]; I² = 18%; P = 0.002). Similar results were also found for acupuncture's relief of insomnia. The reported adverse effects of acupuncture therapy were mild and transient. For most of the subgroup analyses, acupuncture type, scale type, and the course of treatment did not show a significant relative effect. CONCLUSION Acupuncture therapy may provide antidepressant effects and relieve insomnia with mild adverse effects for adult patients with mild and moderate MDD. But the certainty of evidence was very low. More high-quality, well designed, large-scale studies with long-term follow-up are needed in the future. Please cite this article as: Kuang HJ, Yang HS, Feng YX, Tang H, Fan Q, Xu YQ, Cui S, Musil R, Luxenburger H, Zhang YX, Zhao H, Zhang YQ. Efficacy and safety of acupuncture therapies for adult patients with mild and moderate major depressive disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(5):471-491.
Humans ; Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; Depressive Disorder, Major/therapy* ; Adult ; Antidepressive Agents/therapeutic use* ; Treatment Outcome ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic

Real-time analysis of major element content in raw ore slurry represents a crucial part in mining extraction processes.A self-developed real-time online detection system based on laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy(LIBS)was applied for rapid detection of primary elements in raw ore slurry.Using 72 synchronized samples collected from mining enterprises,with 58 samples allocated for model construction and 14 for validation,this research focused on addressing the industrial requirements for real-time monitoring of sulfur(S),arsenic(As),and copper(Cu)elements.Multiple characteristic spectral lines were selected from LIBS detection system's spectral data.The analytical approach combined multiple linear regression(MLR)for initial model development with partial least squares(PLS)full-spectrum analysis for model refinement,ultimately establishing calibration and prediction models for the three target elements.The results demonstrated that the integrated MLR-PLS methodology achieved high precision,with calibration model determination coefficients(R2)of 0.95,0.97,and 0.99,and prediction model R2 values of 0.96,0.94,and 0.99 for S,As and Cu,respectively.The mean relative prediction errors were 1.65%,2.10%and 0.86%,respectively,which could meet the practical production requirements of mining operations.This approach provided an effective technical solution for real-time quality monitoring in mineral slurry processing.

With the continuous development of digital technology, three-dimensional (3D) facial scanning technology is becoming more and more widely used in dentistry, where it enhances the precision of various processes of clinical diagnosis and treatment, and provides new perspectives and tools for dental research and application. Nowadays, 3D facial scanning technology meets clinical needs in terms of accuracy, and most facial scanners have an accuracy of 140-1 330 μm, and the 3D facial scanning related applications of smartphones can also meet the clinical application needs to a certain extent. In the clinical field, the 3D scanner can be combined with a variety of technologies to achieve multi-modal data fusion and create virtual patients, and its prediction rate in obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome is as high as 91%, which has great clinical application value. This article aims to explore the research status, clinical applications, and accuracy analysis of 3D facial scanning techniques in the field of dentistry.

Objective To investigate the protective effects and mechanism of Shuilian Fengkui Formula(SFF)of Yao medicine on sequelae pelvic inflammatory disease(SPID)in rats.Methods The SPID rat model was established by mechanical injury coupled with bacterial infection,and then the rats were randomly divided into:the SPID group,the positive drug(Fukeqianjin tablets)group,SFF groups at low,medium and high doses,and the sham-operation group,with 8 rats in each group;SPID group,SFF groups,TLR4 agonist CRX-527(CRX-527)group,SFF plus CRX-527 group,with 8 rats in each group.Corresponding drug intervention was given for 21 consecutive days.The indexes of uterus,spleen,thymus and other organs were calculated.The histopathological changes in rat uterus were observed by HE staining.The levels of interleukin-1β(IL-1β),interleukin-6(IL-6),tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),immunoglobulin G(IgG),immunoglobulin M(IgM)in serum were detected by ELISA;The protein expression levels of Toll receptor 4(TLR4),myeloid differentiation factor(MyD88),nuclear factor kappa B p65(NF-κB p65),and phosphorylated nuclear factor kappa B p65(p-NF-κB p65)in rat uterine tissues were detected by Western blot.Results Compared with the sham operation group,the uterine index of SPID group significantly increased(P<0.01),the spleen index and thymus index significantly decreased(P<0.01),the pathological damage of uterine tissue was serious,the contents of IL-1β,IL-6,TNF-α in serum significantly increased(P<0.01),the contents of IgG and IgM significantly decreased(P<0.01),the TLR4,MyD88 protein and the ratio of p-NF-κB p65/NF-κB p65 protein in uterine tissue significantly increased(P<0.01).Compared with the SPID group,the uterine index of the positive drug group and the SFF groups significantly decreased(P<0.05),the spleen index and thymus index significantly increased(P<0.05),the pathological damage of uterine tissue significantly improved,the contents of IL-1β,IL-6 and TNF-α in serum were significantly lowered(P<0.05),the contents of IgG and IgM significantly increased(P<0.05),and the TLR4,MyD88 protein and the ratio of p-NF-κB p65/NF-κB p65 protein in uterine tissue significantly downregulated(P<0.01).However,CRX-527 significantly reversed the effects of SFF on SPID in rats.Conclusion SFF could improve SPID in rats by impeding the inflammatory response,and its mechanism might be attributed to inhibition of TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Objective To investigate the protective effects and mechanism of Shuilian Fengkui Formula(SFF)of Yao medicine on sequelae pelvic inflammatory disease(SPID)in rats.Methods The SPID rat model was established by mechanical injury coupled with bacterial infection,and then the rats were randomly divided into:the SPID group,the positive drug(Fukeqianjin tablets)group,SFF groups at low,medium and high doses,and the sham-operation group,with 8 rats in each group;SPID group,SFF groups,TLR4 agonist CRX-527(CRX-527)group,SFF plus CRX-527 group,with 8 rats in each group.Corresponding drug intervention was given for 21 consecutive days.The indexes of uterus,spleen,thymus and other organs were calculated.The histopathological changes in rat uterus were observed by HE staining.The levels of interleukin-1β(IL-1β),interleukin-6(IL-6),tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),immunoglobulin G(IgG),immunoglobulin M(IgM)in serum were detected by ELISA;The protein expression levels of Toll receptor 4(TLR4),myeloid differentiation factor(MyD88),nuclear factor kappa B p65(NF-κB p65),and phosphorylated nuclear factor kappa B p65(p-NF-κB p65)in rat uterine tissues were detected by Western blot.Results Compared with the sham operation group,the uterine index of SPID group significantly increased(P<0.01),the spleen index and thymus index significantly decreased(P<0.01),the pathological damage of uterine tissue was serious,the contents of IL-1β,IL-6,TNF-α in serum significantly increased(P<0.01),the contents of IgG and IgM significantly decreased(P<0.01),the TLR4,MyD88 protein and the ratio of p-NF-κB p65/NF-κB p65 protein in uterine tissue significantly increased(P<0.01).Compared with the SPID group,the uterine index of the positive drug group and the SFF groups significantly decreased(P<0.05),the spleen index and thymus index significantly increased(P<0.05),the pathological damage of uterine tissue significantly improved,the contents of IL-1β,IL-6 and TNF-α in serum were significantly lowered(P<0.05),the contents of IgG and IgM significantly increased(P<0.05),and the TLR4,MyD88 protein and the ratio of p-NF-κB p65/NF-κB p65 protein in uterine tissue significantly downregulated(P<0.01).However,CRX-527 significantly reversed the effects of SFF on SPID in rats.Conclusion SFF could improve SPID in rats by impeding the inflammatory response,and its mechanism might be attributed to inhibition of TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Objective:To develop and validate clinical predictive models for identifying poor short-term response to recombinant human growth hormone(rhGH) treatment in children with short stature.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 118 children diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency or idiopathic short stature who were treated at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University and two other hospitals between January 1, 2020, and January 1, 2024. A poor response to rhGH was defined as a height increase of less than 0.2 standard deviation score(SDS) after 6 months of rhGH treatment. LASSO regression was used to identify predictive variables from baseline and follow-up data. Two logistic regression models were conducted: Model A(incorporating baseline variables only) and model B(incorporating both baseline and follow-up variables), and nomograms were created for visualization. External data and internal resampling were used for dual validation of the models, and their performance was compared.Results:A total of 118 children with short stature were included. Six baseline predictive variables(diagnosis, initial height SDS, bone age, bone age-chronological age difference, rhGH dose, and gender) and one follow-up variable(height SDS after 3 months of rhGH treatment) were identified. Area under the curve values for Model A and Model B were 0.753(95% CI 0.696-0.811) and 0.930(95% CI 0.891-0.975), respectively. Calibration curves, decision curve analysis, and other evaluation metrics demonstrated good discrimination and clinical utility for both models. Model B, incorporating the 3-month follow-up variable, showed superior predictive performance compared to Model A. Conclusions:The clinical prediction models developed in this study(Model A and Model B) are practical and reliable tools for quantitatively, conveniently, and intuitively identifying children with short stature at risk of poor response to rhGH treatment.

Objective:To develop and validate clinical predictive models for identifying poor short-term response to recombinant human growth hormone(rhGH) treatment in children with short stature.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 118 children diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency or idiopathic short stature who were treated at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University and two other hospitals between January 1, 2020, and January 1, 2024. A poor response to rhGH was defined as a height increase of less than 0.2 standard deviation score(SDS) after 6 months of rhGH treatment. LASSO regression was used to identify predictive variables from baseline and follow-up data. Two logistic regression models were conducted: Model A(incorporating baseline variables only) and model B(incorporating both baseline and follow-up variables), and nomograms were created for visualization. External data and internal resampling were used for dual validation of the models, and their performance was compared.Results:A total of 118 children with short stature were included. Six baseline predictive variables(diagnosis, initial height SDS, bone age, bone age-chronological age difference, rhGH dose, and gender) and one follow-up variable(height SDS after 3 months of rhGH treatment) were identified. Area under the curve values for Model A and Model B were 0.753(95% CI 0.696-0.811) and 0.930(95% CI 0.891-0.975), respectively. Calibration curves, decision curve analysis, and other evaluation metrics demonstrated good discrimination and clinical utility for both models. Model B, incorporating the 3-month follow-up variable, showed superior predictive performance compared to Model A. Conclusions:The clinical prediction models developed in this study(Model A and Model B) are practical and reliable tools for quantitatively, conveniently, and intuitively identifying children with short stature at risk of poor response to rhGH treatment.

In the past few decades, the global obesity population has been increasing, and still has an upward trend. With obesity, the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases has increased. It’s found that an increase in body mass index is associated with the occurrence of some cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases Hypertension and hyperlipidemia, as common chronic cardiovascular diseases, are particularly affected by obesity, which has attracted extensive attention in recent years. Moreover, the occurrence of hypertension and hyperlipidemia under the influence of obesity is significantly related, and their synergy can also cause a variety of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. However, there is still less work to study these three factors at the same time. Therefore, on the basis of summarizing the molecular mechanisms of obesity affecting hypertension and hyperlipidemia, this paper summarizes the relevant molecular mechanisms of hypertension and hyperlipidemia under the influence of obesity, and points out the co-acting molecules, providing a reference for future research on cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.

Objective To understand the types, proportions, and radiation dose levels of pediatric cardiac interventional procedures. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted using the basic information and radiation dose data from all cases of pediatric cardiac interventional procedures performed at two tertiary medical institutions in Beijing from July 2023 to August 2024. The data included air kerma-area product, reference point air kerma, and fluoroscopy time. Descriptive statistical analysis was conducted to evaluate the basic information and dosimetric indicators of the procedures. Non-parametric tests were employed to examine the differences between variables, and Spearman’s correlation coefficient was utilized to investigate the relationships among various factors. All cases were categorized into the diagnostic group and the therapeutic group. In the diagnostic group, the majority of procedures involved catheter examinations and angiography for identifying the type of disease. In the therapeutic group, the primary procedures included patent ductus arteriosus, atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect, patent foramen ovale, pulmonary stenosis, radiofrequency catheter ablation, major aortopulmonary collateral arteries, complex congenital heart diseases, and other interventional procedures. Results The survey comprised 1008 cardiac interventional procedures involving 476 males and 532 females. The ages of the participants ranged from 0 to 15 years and the body weights from 4.5 to 105 kg. Among these participants, 92 and 916 were classified in the diagnostic and therapeutic groups, respectively. The proportions of interventional procedures were in the order of atrial septal defect (36.9%), radiofrequency catheter ablation (22.3%), patent ductus arteriosus (15.1%), complex congenital heart disease (4.8%), patent foramen ovale (3.1%), pulmonary stenosis (3.1%), ventricular septal defect (2.2%), other procedures (2.0%), and major aortopulmonary collateral arteries (1.5%). The radiation doses of different interventional procedures were statistically different (P < 0.05), with air kerma-area product ranging from 0.02 to 658.4 Gy·cm², reference point air kerma from 0.1 to 2524 mGy, and fluoroscopy time from 0.2 to 62 min. Conclusion In pediatric cardiac interventional procedures, there is considerable variability in radiation doses for the same type of procedure. Additionally, radiation doses for identical procedures vary between different medical institutions, and a few cases carry a risk of deterministic effects.