Objective: To evaluate the performance of 5T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in visualizing dental pulp and periodontal ligament (PDL) tissues in vivo in the young adult population, thereby providing a basis for the application of high-field MRI technology in clinical oral examinations. Methods: The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the hospital. A total of 15 healthy volunteers (413 permanent teeth altogether) were recruited and underwent full-mouth 5T MRI scans. Among them, six volunteers (168 permanent teeth) also received both 3T MRI and cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans. Two dental specialists independently evaluated the imaging quality of the dental pulp and PDL on the images using a 5-point Likert scale and recorded the number of detectable root canals for each tooth. Inter-rater agreement was assessed using weighted kappa statistics and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Non-parametric tests were employed to compare differences in imaging performance among different tissue structures, tooth positions, and imaging modalities. Results: 5T MRI can achieve in vivo imaging for most dental pulp tissues and partial periodontal membrane structures. There was a high level of agreement between the two raters in their imaging scores for the dental pulp and PDL (dental pulp κ = 0.934, PDL κ = 0.737). The imaging scores for dental pulp were significantly higher than those for PDL (P < 0.001), and the scores for molar dental pulp were lower than those for premolars and anterior teeth. In the multimodal comparison involving six volunteers, the raters showed good consistency in scoring dental pulp and PDL imaging across 5T MRI, 3T MRI, and CBCT, as well as in root canal counts (5T MRI for dental pulp κ = 0.971, 3T MRI for dental pulp κ = 0.933, CBCT for dental pulp κ = 0.964; 5T MRI for PDL κ = 0.625, 3T MRI for PDL κ = 0.667, CBCT for PDL κ = 0.571; ICC for root canal counts all ≥ 0.990). The imaging scores for dental pulp and PDL using 5T MRI were significantly higher than those using 3T MRI (dental pulp: P < 0.001; PDL: P = 0.022), but there was no statistically significant difference in the detection rate of the number of root canals between the two (P > 0.05). Although the imaging scores for dental pulp and PDL as well as the detection rate of the number of root canals with 5T MRI were inferior to those with CBCT (dental pulp: P < 0.001; PDL: P = 0.02; number of root canals: P < 0.05), 5T MRI can truly achieve "direct imaging" of these two soft tissues. Conclusion 5T MRI enables effective in vivo direct imaging of dental pulp and PDL tissues in the young adult population, indicating its potential clinical application value in the diagnosis and treatment of pulp and periodontal diseases.

Objective:To explore the characteristics and evolutionary features of cognitive impairment and clinical transformation in early-stage Parkinson′s disease (PD) patients.Methods:Based on the cohort of patients with primary unmedicated PD admitted to the Parkinson′s Specialized Outpatient Clinic of Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from November 2018 to July 2022, follow-up was conducted for PD patients who completed the baseline assessment and had a follow-up time of 1.5 years or more, and a total of 87 patients finally completed the follow-up and were included in the study. At follow-up, the 87 patients were divided into a cognitively impaired group ( n=36) and a cognitively normal group ( n=51) according to the norm proposed by Professor Jia Jianping and colleagues in 2011 for the Chinese elderly population. Differences in baseline clinical characteristics between the 2 groups were compared, and binary Logistic regression analysis was used to explore risk factors for cognitive impairment in PD patients. In addition, transformed grouping according to cognitive assessment results at baseline and follow-up was used to compare differences in patients′ baseline clinical characteristics among the 3 groups: a reversal group [Parkinson′s disease-mild cognitive impairment (PD-MCI), reverting to Parkinson′s disease-cognitively normal (PD-CN); n=15], a non-reversal group (persistent PD-MCI; n=24), and a stable group (stable PD-CN; n=36). Results:Cognitive reversal occurred at follow-up in 36.6% (15/41) of patients with cognitive impairment at baseline, and 21.7% (10/46) of patients with normal cognition at baseline had cognitive impairment at follow-up. At the end of the follow-up, the 87 patients with PD had higher Unified Parkinson′s Disease Rating Scale Ⅱ (UPDRS-II) scores [8 (6, 11)], Unified Parkinson′s Disease Rating Scale Ⅲ (UPDRS-Ⅲ) scores [23 (16, 30)], and Hoehn-Yahr stages [2.0 (1.5, 2.5)] than those at baseline [7(4, 10), 19(14, 25), 1.5(1.0, 2.0)]. The differences were statistically significant ( Z=-2.498, P=0.012; Z=-3.039, P=0.002; Z=-4.436, P<0.001). The cognitively impaired group had lower Montreal Cognitive Assessment scores [22.00(19.00, 23.75)] and fewer years of education [9.00(8.00, 11.75) years] but higher Parkinson′s Disease Non-Motor Symptoms Questionnaire (PD-NMSQ) scores [8.00(5.25, 12.00)] than the cognitively normal group [25.00(24.00, 27.00), 12.00(9.00, 15.00) years, 6.00(3.00, 8.00)], and the differences were statistically significant ( Z=-4.764, P<0.001; Z=-3.016, P=0.003; Z=-3.281, P=0.001). Multivariate Logistic regression showed that years of education ( OR=0.829, 95%CI 0.715-0.960, P=0.012) and PD-NMSQ scores ( OR=1.200, 95%CI 1.040-1.384, P=0.012) were independent predictors of cognitive impairment in patients with PD. There were statistically significant differences among the reversal, non-reversal, and stable groups in years of education ( F=5.366, P=0.010), PD-NMSQ scores ( H=10.795, P=0.005), and UPDRS-Ⅱ scores ( H=6.957, P=0.031). Pairwise comparisons showed lower PD-NMSQ scores [4.00(3.00, 7.00) vs 8.00(6.25, 12.75); Z=-2.989, P=0.003] and lower UPDRS-Ⅱ scores [6.00(3.00, 6.00) vs 7.00(6.00, 10.00); Z=-2.756, P=0.006] in the reversal group than in the non-reversal group, indicating better baseline quality of life in cognitive reversal patients. Conclusions:Low educational level and severe non-motor symptoms were risk factors predicting cognitive impairment in PD patients. Conversely, mild non-motor symptoms with high quality of life (lower UPDRS-Ⅱ scores) were important factors for cognitive reversal.

Objective To investigate the influencing factors associated with the comorbidity of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and depression. Methods A case-control study was conducted based on the ^“Healthcare Big Data Platform^” of a tertiary class-A comprehensive hospital in Shandong Province. IBD comorbid with depression was served as the case group and IBD without depression was served as the control group. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed by matching the case group with the control group in a ratio of 1:2 according to the age and gender of the patients. Conditional logistic regression model was used to explore the influencing factors associated with the comorbidity of IBD and depression. Results A total of 405 patients with IBD were enrolled in this study, including 270 patients without depression and 135 patients comorbid with depression. The results of conditional logistic regression showed that the use of immunosuppressants (OR=2.84, 95% CI: 1.00-8.07) and glucocorticoids (OR=2.05, 95% CI: 1.17-3.58), dementia (OR=5.20, 95% CI:1.59-17.05), cardiovascular disease (OR=3.58, 95% CI: 1.84-6.98) and cancer (OR=2.63, 95% CI: 1.16-5.95) were associated with the comorbidity of depression and IBD. Conclusion Attention should be paid to the use of immunosuppressants and glucocorticoids in the population of IBD comorbid with depression, and the coexistence of physical diseases such as dementia, cardiovascular disease and cancer. Early prevention and targeted treatment measures should be taken for high-risk populations to reduce their risk of depression and improve their quality of life and health.

Respiratory syncytial virus(RSV)infection is a major respiratory disease threatening the health of infants and immuno-compromised populations worldwide,with no specific therapeutic drugs available.Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)has shown unique advantages of multi-target and multi-pathway in the prevention and treatment of RSV infection,and its mechanism is closely re-lated to the regulation of cellular signaling pathways.This article systematically reviews the research progress of TCM including mono-mer components and compound prescriptions in intervening RSV infection through nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB),Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription(JAK/STAT),phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B(PI3K/Akt),mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK),nuclear factor E2-related factor 2/heme oxygenase-1(Nrf2/HO-1)and other signaling pathways.Current re-search still has problems such as insufficient analysis of pathway synergy mechanisms,unclear material basis of compounds,and single technical means.Future studies should focus on cross-talk of multiple pathways,identification of active component groups of TCM,and research on"syndrome-type-pathway"association,combined with cutting-edge technologies such as network pharmacology and or-ganoid models,so as to provide a scientific basis for the mechanism and clinical transformation of TCM against RSV infection.

Purpose To explore the role of translesion synthesis-related gene NmrA like redox sensor 1(NMRAL1)in the development of papillary thyroid carcinoma(PTC).Methods Bioinformatics analysis was em-ployed to investigate the expression of the NMRAL1 gene across various cancer types and its correlation with prognosis.Immunohistochemistry was utilized to analyze the expression pattern of NMRAL1 in PTC and conduct clinicopathological correlation analysis.Additionally,stable cell lines overexpressing NMRAL1 were established in TPC-1 cells.The effects of NMRAL1 overexpression on cell proliferation,migration,and invasion of TPC-1 and Nthy-ori 3-1 cells were assessed using CCK-8 assay,clonogenic assay,Transwell assay,and scratch assay,respectively.Furthermore,RT-qPCR experiments were conducted to investigate the regulatory effect of NMRAL1 on the expression of genes associated with translesion DNA synthesis.Results Bioinformatics analysis revealed that NMRAL1 was highly expressed in all 26 types of tumors compared to normal tissues in the TCGA x GTEx dataset.Patients with high expression of NMRAL1 in thyroid cancer had significantly lower survival rates than those with low expression(P＜0.05).In the immunohisto-chemical validation of 30 PTC samples,NMRAL1 had a positive rate of 73.33％,in PTC tissues,while it was not ex-pressed in adjacent normal thyroid tissues.The staining intensity scores of NMRAL1 in PTC and adjacent tissues exhib-it significant differences(P＜0.000 1).High expression of NMRAL1 was associated with the size of the tumor(P=0.027 4)and lymph node metastasis(P=0.044 1).In vitro functional experiments revealed a significant enhance-ment in both cell proliferation and migration/invasion capacities upon overexpression of NMRAL1(P＜0.05).Moreo-ver,mRNA and protein expression levels of translesion synthesis-related genes were upregulated(P＜0.001).Con-clusion NMRAL1 promotes proliferation and migration of thyroid carcinoma cells,suggesting that this function may be achieved by enhancing DNA damage repair capacity,thereby improving the survival of damaged cells.

Respiratory syncytial virus(RSV)infection is a major respiratory disease threatening the health of infants and immuno-compromised populations worldwide,with no specific therapeutic drugs available.Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)has shown unique advantages of multi-target and multi-pathway in the prevention and treatment of RSV infection,and its mechanism is closely re-lated to the regulation of cellular signaling pathways.This article systematically reviews the research progress of TCM including mono-mer components and compound prescriptions in intervening RSV infection through nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB),Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription(JAK/STAT),phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B(PI3K/Akt),mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK),nuclear factor E2-related factor 2/heme oxygenase-1(Nrf2/HO-1)and other signaling pathways.Current re-search still has problems such as insufficient analysis of pathway synergy mechanisms,unclear material basis of compounds,and single technical means.Future studies should focus on cross-talk of multiple pathways,identification of active component groups of TCM,and research on"syndrome-type-pathway"association,combined with cutting-edge technologies such as network pharmacology and or-ganoid models,so as to provide a scientific basis for the mechanism and clinical transformation of TCM against RSV infection.

Purpose To explore the role of translesion synthesis-related gene NmrA like redox sensor 1(NMRAL1)in the development of papillary thyroid carcinoma(PTC).Methods Bioinformatics analysis was em-ployed to investigate the expression of the NMRAL1 gene across various cancer types and its correlation with prognosis.Immunohistochemistry was utilized to analyze the expression pattern of NMRAL1 in PTC and conduct clinicopathological correlation analysis.Additionally,stable cell lines overexpressing NMRAL1 were established in TPC-1 cells.The effects of NMRAL1 overexpression on cell proliferation,migration,and invasion of TPC-1 and Nthy-ori 3-1 cells were assessed using CCK-8 assay,clonogenic assay,Transwell assay,and scratch assay,respectively.Furthermore,RT-qPCR experiments were conducted to investigate the regulatory effect of NMRAL1 on the expression of genes associated with translesion DNA synthesis.Results Bioinformatics analysis revealed that NMRAL1 was highly expressed in all 26 types of tumors compared to normal tissues in the TCGA x GTEx dataset.Patients with high expression of NMRAL1 in thyroid cancer had significantly lower survival rates than those with low expression(P＜0.05).In the immunohisto-chemical validation of 30 PTC samples,NMRAL1 had a positive rate of 73.33％,in PTC tissues,while it was not ex-pressed in adjacent normal thyroid tissues.The staining intensity scores of NMRAL1 in PTC and adjacent tissues exhib-it significant differences(P＜0.000 1).High expression of NMRAL1 was associated with the size of the tumor(P=0.027 4)and lymph node metastasis(P=0.044 1).In vitro functional experiments revealed a significant enhance-ment in both cell proliferation and migration/invasion capacities upon overexpression of NMRAL1(P＜0.05).Moreo-ver,mRNA and protein expression levels of translesion synthesis-related genes were upregulated(P＜0.001).Con-clusion NMRAL1 promotes proliferation and migration of thyroid carcinoma cells,suggesting that this function may be achieved by enhancing DNA damage repair capacity,thereby improving the survival of damaged cells.

Objective:To explore the characteristics and evolutionary features of cognitive impairment and clinical transformation in early-stage Parkinson′s disease (PD) patients.Methods:Based on the cohort of patients with primary unmedicated PD admitted to the Parkinson′s Specialized Outpatient Clinic of Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from November 2018 to July 2022, follow-up was conducted for PD patients who completed the baseline assessment and had a follow-up time of 1.5 years or more, and a total of 87 patients finally completed the follow-up and were included in the study. At follow-up, the 87 patients were divided into a cognitively impaired group ( n=36) and a cognitively normal group ( n=51) according to the norm proposed by Professor Jia Jianping and colleagues in 2011 for the Chinese elderly population. Differences in baseline clinical characteristics between the 2 groups were compared, and binary Logistic regression analysis was used to explore risk factors for cognitive impairment in PD patients. In addition, transformed grouping according to cognitive assessment results at baseline and follow-up was used to compare differences in patients′ baseline clinical characteristics among the 3 groups: a reversal group [Parkinson′s disease-mild cognitive impairment (PD-MCI), reverting to Parkinson′s disease-cognitively normal (PD-CN); n=15], a non-reversal group (persistent PD-MCI; n=24), and a stable group (stable PD-CN; n=36). Results:Cognitive reversal occurred at follow-up in 36.6% (15/41) of patients with cognitive impairment at baseline, and 21.7% (10/46) of patients with normal cognition at baseline had cognitive impairment at follow-up. At the end of the follow-up, the 87 patients with PD had higher Unified Parkinson′s Disease Rating Scale Ⅱ (UPDRS-II) scores [8 (6, 11)], Unified Parkinson′s Disease Rating Scale Ⅲ (UPDRS-Ⅲ) scores [23 (16, 30)], and Hoehn-Yahr stages [2.0 (1.5, 2.5)] than those at baseline [7(4, 10), 19(14, 25), 1.5(1.0, 2.0)]. The differences were statistically significant ( Z=-2.498, P=0.012; Z=-3.039, P=0.002; Z=-4.436, P<0.001). The cognitively impaired group had lower Montreal Cognitive Assessment scores [22.00(19.00, 23.75)] and fewer years of education [9.00(8.00, 11.75) years] but higher Parkinson′s Disease Non-Motor Symptoms Questionnaire (PD-NMSQ) scores [8.00(5.25, 12.00)] than the cognitively normal group [25.00(24.00, 27.00), 12.00(9.00, 15.00) years, 6.00(3.00, 8.00)], and the differences were statistically significant ( Z=-4.764, P<0.001; Z=-3.016, P=0.003; Z=-3.281, P=0.001). Multivariate Logistic regression showed that years of education ( OR=0.829, 95%CI 0.715-0.960, P=0.012) and PD-NMSQ scores ( OR=1.200, 95%CI 1.040-1.384, P=0.012) were independent predictors of cognitive impairment in patients with PD. There were statistically significant differences among the reversal, non-reversal, and stable groups in years of education ( F=5.366, P=0.010), PD-NMSQ scores ( H=10.795, P=0.005), and UPDRS-Ⅱ scores ( H=6.957, P=0.031). Pairwise comparisons showed lower PD-NMSQ scores [4.00(3.00, 7.00) vs 8.00(6.25, 12.75); Z=-2.989, P=0.003] and lower UPDRS-Ⅱ scores [6.00(3.00, 6.00) vs 7.00(6.00, 10.00); Z=-2.756, P=0.006] in the reversal group than in the non-reversal group, indicating better baseline quality of life in cognitive reversal patients. Conclusions:Low educational level and severe non-motor symptoms were risk factors predicting cognitive impairment in PD patients. Conversely, mild non-motor symptoms with high quality of life (lower UPDRS-Ⅱ scores) were important factors for cognitive reversal.

Objective To screen the prevalence and related risk factors of minor hallucinations(MH)in newly diagnosed Parkinson's disease(PD).Methods From November 2018 to December 2022,274 newly diagnosed patients with untreated PD were enrolled in the PD Clinic of Brain Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University.According to the score of item 2 of the unified PD rating scale Ⅰ(UPDRSⅠ),the PD patients with MH were selected(MH group,score≥2).The patients matched in age,sex,education and course of disease level were screened in non-MH PD patients(NMH group,score = 0).Cognitive function,depressive symptoms,anxiety symptoms,sleep quality,non-motor symptoms,rapid eye movement sleep disorder(RBD)symptoms,activities of daily life,motor function and disease severity were evaluated with appropriate scales.The differences between two groups were compared,and the risk factors of MH in PD patients were analyzed by univariate and multivariate progressive Logistic regression.Results Among the 274 newly diagnosed PD patients,11 cases(4.01%)had MH.Compared with those in NMH group(22 cases),MH group had higher Hamilton depression scale(HAMD)scores,higher Hamilton anxiety scale(HAMA)scores,higher PD non motor symptoms(PDNMS)scores and higher RBD scores(all P＜0.05).Univariate Logistic regression analysis showed that high HAMD scores,high HAMA scores,high PDNMS scores and high RBD scores were risk factors for MH in PD patients(all P＜0.05).Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that high HAMD score(OR =1.182,95%CI:1.004-1.392,P =0.045)and high RBD score(OR =4.448,95%CI:1.066-18.557,P =0.041)were independent risk factors for MH in PD patients.Conclusions MH may occur in newly diagnosed PD patients with probability.Depression and RBD are independent risk factors for MH in PD patients.Attention should be paid to screening patients like this and early intervention measures should be taken.

BACKGROUND:Swimming is an important non-pharmacological treatment for knee osteoarthritis,which can effectively alleviate the disease.However,the effect and mechanism of swimming on senile knee osteoarthritis are still unclear. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of swimming exercise on the articular cartilage of aged mice with knee osteoarthritis. METHODS:Six 3-month-old male C57BL/6 mice were selected as the young group,and twelve 18-month-old male C57BL/6 mice were randomized into the aged group and the swimming group,with six mice in each group.Mice in the swimming group received adaptive swimming for 1 week and formal swimming for 8 weeks.After the intervention,stride length analysis and sampling were performed in each group.The total number of leukocytes and lymphocytes in peripheral blood was detected by blood routine examinations.The morphology of the articular cartilage was observed by hematoxylin-eosin and safranin O-fast green staining.Chondrocyte counts and the modified Mankin's score were used to evaluate the degree of articular cartilage damage.The protein and mRNA expressions of type Ⅱ collagen,aggrecan and matrix metalloproteinase 13 in articular cartilage were detected by immunohistochemical staining and RT-qPCR. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Compared with the young group,the mice in the aged group showed significantly decreased stride length(P＜0.05),significantly increased numbers of peripheral leukocytes and lymphocytes(P＜0.05),significantly decreased count of chondrocytes(P＜0.05),significantly increased modified Mankin's score(P＜0.05),significantly decreased protein and mRNA expression of type Ⅱ collagen and aggreca(P＜0.05),and significantly increased matrix metalloproteinase 13 expression(P＜0.05).Moreover,hematoxylin-eosin and safranin O-fast green staining showed the uneven surface of the articular cartilage,abnormal chondrocytes,and proteoglycan loss in the aged group.Compared with the aged group,swimming exercise significantly improved the stride length of mice(P＜0.05),decreased the count of peripheral blood lymphocytes(P＜0.05),increased the count of chondrocytes(P＜0.05),decreased the modified Mankin's score(P＜0.05),increased the protein and mRNA expression of type Ⅱ collagen and aggrecan(P＜0.05),and decreased the expression of matrix metalloproteinase 13(P＜0.05).Hematoxylin-eosin and safranin O-fast green staining showed that the articular surface of mice in the swimming group was smooth,chondrocytes were normal,and proteoglycan loss was less.All these findings indicate that swimming exercise can reduce the number of inflammatory cells in the blood of aged mice,improve articular chondrocytes,matrix composition and cartilage tissue morphology;thus,it has a protective effect on the cartilage of aged mice with knee osteoarthritis.