With the growing emphasis on maternal and child oral health, the significance of managing oral health across preconception, pregnancy, and infancy stages has become increasingly apparent. Oral health challenges extend beyond affecting maternal well-being, exerting profound influences on fetal and neonatal oral development as well as immune system maturation. This expert consensus paper, developed using a modified Delphi method, reviews current research and provides recommendations on maternal and child oral health management. It underscores the critical role of comprehensive oral assessments prior to conception, diligent oral health management throughout pregnancy, and meticulous oral hygiene practices during infancy. Effective strategies should be seamlessly integrated across the life course, encompassing preconception oral assessments, systematic dental care during pregnancy, and routine infant oral hygiene. Collaborative efforts among pediatric dentists, maternal and child health workers, and obstetricians are crucial to improving outcomes and fostering clinical research, contributing to evidence-based health management strategies.
Humans ; Pregnancy ; Female ; Infant ; Consensus ; Mouth Diseases/therapy* ; Pregnancy Complications/therapy* ; Oral Health ; Infant, Newborn ; Delphi Technique ; Oral Hygiene

Nitrogen dioxide(NO 2)is a prevalent air pollutant that poses significant threats to the environment and human health,emphasizing the urgent need for high-performance NO 2 sensors for effective environmental monitoring at room temperature.Sensors based on metal halide perovskites have emerged as promising candidates for gas detection at room temperature,but their long-term stability remains a major challenge.In this study,a methylamine thiocyanate(MT)-doped FA 0.8Cs 0.2PbI 2Br(PVK)gas sensor(MT-PVK)was prepared using a simple one-step spin-coating method and ethyl acetate(EA)anti-solvent extraction technique.The crystalline structure,chemical composition,and particle morphology of the MT-PVK thin film were characterized.The MT-PVK thin film was then utilized as a gas sensor for NO 2 detection at room temperature.The results demonstrated that the sensor exhibited outstanding selectivity and reversibility at low concentrations of NO 2 gas,with a detection limit as low as 33 ppb(10-9,nL/L).For 10 ppm(10-6,μL/L)NO 2,the sensor showed rapid response and recovery time of only 1.6 s and 27 s,outperforming most traditional metal oxide NO 2 sensors.Furthermore,compared to the original PVK,the MT molecules significantly enhanced the structural and sensing stability of the MT-PVK sensor under high humidity conditions(55%±5%).These findings suggested that MT-doped FA 0.8Cs 0.2PbI 2Br perovskite gas sensors offered a promising pathway for the development of rapid-response gas sensing technologies suitable for room temperature operation.

Objective:To analyze clinical characteristics of primary pancreatic lymphoma (PPL) patients.Methods:Clinical features of 22 patients diagnosed as PPL admitted to Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 2002 to May 2023 were analyzed retrospectively.Results:The median age was 56.4±13.3 years. The median time from onset to diagnosis was 1.0 (1.0, 3.0) months. The main clinical manifestations were abdominal pain (15/22), weight loss (14/22) and jaundice (10/22). Elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) was observed in 15/20 (75%) patients. Only 2 (2/9, 22.2%) patients had increased CA199 levels and 2 (2/9, 22.2%) patients had increased CEA levels. The maximum tumor diameter was 5.0 (3.8, 6.9) cm. Contrast-enhanced CT mostly showed low enhancement lesions. Major pancreatic duct dilatation were rare on CT scan (4/20). Fifteen patients were confirmed by pancreatic pathology, of which 8 were obtained by surgery, 4 were obtained by CT or ultrasound-guided percutaneous biopsy, and 3 were obtained by EUS-FNA. The main pathological type was diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (14/22). 19 patients received chemotherapy, and 6 patients died with a median follow-up of 5.0 (1.5, 35.5) months.Conclusions:PPL is rare and easy to be misdiagnosed. Elevated LDH levels, normal tumor markers, and non-dilatation of main pancreatic duct are important diagnostic clues. It is important to obtain pathology by EUS-FNA and other methods for definite diagnosis.

Objective To evaluate the in vitro effect of combinations of 5 β-lactam antibiotics with different β-lac-tamase inhibitors on the activity of multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis(MDR-TB),and identify the most effective combination of β-lactam antibiotics and β-lactamase inhibitors against MDR-TB.Methods MDR-TB strains collected in Henan Province Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Project in 2021 were selected.The mini-mum inhibitory concentrations(MIC)of 5 β-lactam antibiotics or combinations with different β-lactamase inhibitors on clinically isolated MDR-TB strains were measured by MIC detection method,and the blaC mutation of the strains was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction(PCR)and DNA sequencing.Results A total of 105 strains of MDR-TB were included in the analysis.MIC detection results showed that doripenem had the highest antibacterial activity against MDR-TB,with a MIC50 of 16 μg/mL.MIC values of most β-lactam antibiotics decreased significantly after combined with β-lactamase inhibitors.A total of 13.33％(n=14)strains had mutations in blaC gene,mainly 3 nu-cleotide substitution mutations,namely AGT333AGG,AAC638ACC and ATC786ATT.BlaC proteins Ser111 Arg and Asn213Thr enhanced the synergistic effect of clavulanic acid/sulbactam and meropenem on MDR-TB compared with synonymous single-nucleotide mutation.Conclusion The combination of doripenem and sulbactam has the strongest antibacterial activity against MDR-TB.Substitution mutations of BlaC protein Ser111 Arg and Asn213Thr enhances the sensitivity of MDR-TB to meropenem through the synergy with clavulanic acid/sulbactam.

As the search for effective treatments for COVID-19 continues, the high mortality rate among critically ill patients in Intensive Care Units (ICU) presents a profound challenge. This study explores the potential benefits of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as a supplementary treatment for severe COVID-19. A total of 110 critically ill COVID-19 patients at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Vulcan Hill Hospital between Feb., 2020, and April, 2020 (Wuhan, China) participated in this observational study. All patients received standard supportive care protocols, with a subset of 81 also receiving TCM as an adjunct treatment. Clinical characteristics during the treatment period and the clinical outcome of each patient were closely monitored and analysed. Our findings indicated that the TCM group exhibited a significantly lower mortality rate compared with the non-TCM group (16 of 81 vs 24 of 29; 0.3 vs 2.3 person/month). In the adjusted Cox proportional hazards models, TCM treatment was associated with improved survival odds (P < 0.001). Furthermore, the analysis also revealed that TCM treatment could partially mitigate inflammatory responses, as evidenced by the reduced levels of proinflammatory cytokines, and contribute to the recovery of multiple organic functions, thereby potentially increasing the survival rate of critically ill COVID-19 patients.
Humans ; COVID-19 ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Critical Illness ; Treatment Outcome

BACKGROUND:Umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells(UMSCs)have been proven to have therapeutic effects on cartilage injury,and exosomes are the main carriers for UMSCs to exert therapeutic effects in vivo.Our research group previously found that lncRNA H19 is an important active molecule that mediates the activity of UMSCs-derived exosomes regulating chondrocytes.LncRNA H19 could adsorb miR-29b-3p to promote the proliferation and regeneration of chondrocytes,but its downstream mechanism is still unclear. OBJECTIVE:To reveal the specific mechanism of UMSCs in the treatment of cartilage injury from the perspective of exosomes and lncRNAs,so as to provide a new target for the treatment of cartilage injury. METHODS:UMSCs stably overexpressing lncRNA H19 were constructed.H19-Exos were extracted by ultra-centrifugation.The exosomes were identified by transmission electron microscopy,Nanosight,western blot assay and exosome uptake assay.The effect of miR-29b-3p overexpression and silencing on the TGF-β1/Smad3 pathway was detected by western blot assay,qPCR and dual luciferase reporter gene system.The biological effect of H19-Exos on cartilage regeneration was verified by the specific TGF-β1/Smad3 inhibitor in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)H19-Exos showed a typical cup shape under an electron microscope,and the particle size was approximately 130 nm.H19-Exos expressed CD63,CD81 and TSG1010.(2)Overexpression of miR-29b-3p could down-regulate the mRNA and protein levels of TGF-β1 and Smad3,while silencing miR-29b-3p could up-regulate the mRNA and protein levels of TGF-β1/Smad3.(3)Dual-luciferase reporter gene system showed that miR-29b-3p had significant differences in the activities of downstream target genes TGF-β1 and Smad3.(4)The osteoarthritis models of rats were successfully established by injection of type II collagenase into the knee joint.H19-Exos significantly promoted cartilage regeneration.The specific TGF-β1/Smad3 inhibitor SB-431542 could block the biological effect of H19-Exos on cartilage regeneration in vitro and in vivo.(5)This study systematically demonstrated the promotion effect of UMSCs-derived exosomes highly expressing lncRNA H19 on cartilage regeneration,and the specific mechanism is that lncRNA H19 promotes cartilage regeneration by targeting miR-29b-3p/TGF-β1/Smad3 pathway.

According to the codon characteristics of the prokaryotic system,we synthesized the optimized Rv2628c-Rv1737c nucleic acid sequence and constructed the expression plasmid pET24a-Rv2628c-Rv1737c.After sequencing,expression in E.coli was induced.The fusion protein was found in inclusion bodies.After renaturation and affinity chromatography purifi-cation,the Rv2628c-Rv1737c recombinant protein,with a molecular weight of 57 kDa and a purity exceeding 90％,was ob-tained.The recombinant protein was used to stimulate PBMC cells from different patients,and the differences in IFN-γ mRNA expression were analyzed with q-PCR.The Rv2628c-Rv1737c fusion protein stimulated patients with TB,particularly latent TB infection(LTBI).The level of IFN-γ mRNA in PBMC cells was higher than that in healthy controls(P＜0.05).Mice immu-nized with BCG+Rv2628c-Rv1737c/DMT showed significant induction of high levels of IgG antibodies.Rv2628c-Rv1737c re-combinant protein,as a latent infection antigen,is recognized by PBMCs cells infected with TB,with strong immunogenicity,and thus may serve as a potential TB subunit vaccine target antigen.This protein may be used to prevent TB infection,particu-larly latent infection,and to perform laboratory diagnosis.

Objective To investigate the effects and the mechanisms of sulforaphane(SFN)on endothelin-1(ET-1)-induced proliferation in rat vascular smooth muscle cell(VSMC).Methods Rat VSMC were cultured by using the modified tissue explant technique in vitro and were randomly divided into control group(normal culture),model group(treated with 0.1 μmol·L-1 ET-1)and experimental-L,-M,-H groups(treated with 5,10,20 SFN+0.1 μmol·L-1 ET-1).The survival rate of VSMC were measured by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium.The proliferation and apoptosis related genes in mRNA level in VSMC were respectively examined with real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction;the relative fluorescence intensity of reactive oxygen species(ROS)in VSMC were measured by fluorescent probe 2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate;the protein expression of B-cell lymphoma-2(Bel-2),cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteinase-3(caspase-3),p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases(p38MAPK),phosphorylated p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases(p-p38MAPK),and p53 in VSMC were investigated by Western blot.Results The proliferation activities of the control group,model group,experimental-L,-M,-H groups were 0.27±0.02,0.50±0.04,0.40±0.03,0.38±0.03 and 0.34±0.03;the expression levels of Bcl-2 mRNA were 1.57±0.28,1.00±0.00,0.87±0.05,0.75±0.08 and 0.41±0.18;the expression levels of caspase-3 mRNA were 0.84±0.10,1.00±0.00,1.33±0.10,1.61±0.15 and 1.83±0.16;the relative fluorescence intensities of ROS in VSMC were 6.05±1.50,31.45±3.12,30.03±1.85,18.39±5.62 and 17.18±1.97;the relative expression levels of Bel-2 protein were 0.65±0.02,0.60±0.02,0.49±0.02,0.48±0.03 and 0.49±0.01;the relative expression levels of caspase-3 protein were 0.03±0.00,0.25±0.01,0.42±0.01,0.46±0.02 and 0.64±0.03;the protein expression ratios of p-p38MAPK/p38MAPK were 0.97±0.05,1.44±0.04,1.62±0.10,2.18±0.05 and 2.70±0.05;the relative expression levels of p53 protein were 0.20±0.01,0.30±0.01,0.34±0.02,0.37±0.01 and 0.42±0.01 respectively.There were statistically significant differences in the above indicators between model group and control group,between model group and experimental-M,-H groups(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).Conclusion These demonstrate that SFN may inhibit proliferation and prompt apoptosis in ET-1-stimulated VSMC by anti-oxidant and activating p38MAPK and p53-depended apoptosis signal pathway.

Objective To investigate the incidence rate,clinical characteristics,and prognosis of neonatal stroke in Shenzhen,China.Methods Led by Shenzhen Children's Hospital,the Shenzhen Neonatal Data Collaboration Network organized 21 institutions to collect 36 cases of neonatal stroke from January 2020 to December 2022.The incidence,clinical characteristics,treatment,and prognosis of neonatal stroke in Shenzhen were analyzed.Results The incidence rate of neonatal stroke in 21 hospitals from 2020 to 2022 was 1/15 137,1/6 060,and 1/7 704,respectively.Ischemic stroke accounted for 75％(27/36);boys accounted for 64％(23/36).Among the 36 neonates,31(86％)had disease onset within 3 days after birth,and 19(53％)had convulsion as the initial presentation.Cerebral MRI showed that 22 neonates(61％)had left cerebral infarction and 13(36％)had basal ganglia infarction.Magnetic resonance angiography was performed for 12 neonates,among whom 9(75％)had involvement of the middle cerebral artery.Electroencephalography was performed for 29 neonates,with sharp waves in 21 neonates(72％)and seizures in 10 neonates(34％).Symptomatic/supportive treatment varied across different hospitals.Neonatal Behavioral Neurological Assessment was performed for 12 neonates(33％,12/36),with a mean score of(32±4)points.The prognosis of 27 neonates was followed up to around 12 months of age,with 44％(12/27)of the neonates having a good prognosis.Conclusions Ischemic stroke is the main type of neonatal stroke,often with convulsions as the initial presentation,involvement of the middle cerebral artery,sharp waves on electroencephalography,and a relatively low neurodevelopment score.Symptomatic/supportive treatment is the main treatment method,and some neonates tend to have a poor prognosis.