1.An Attention-weighted Tri-modal Ultrasound Network (TUS-Net) for Screening of Atypical Hepatocellular Carcinoma From LR-M Liver Nodules
He-Chong ZHANG ; Liang-Hui HUANG ; Xue-Hua WANG ; Shang-Lin JIANG ; Ying-Ying CHEN ; Ya-Guang ZENG ; Wei ZHENG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(5):1485-1498
ObjectiveDiscriminating atypical hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) from other malignancies in liver nodules classified as Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System category M (LR-M) remains a significant diagnostic challenge on conventional ultrasound examination. The LR-M category, originally intended to capture non-HCC malignancies, paradoxically contains up to 63% of atypical HCCs that deviate from classic enhancement patterns, leading to potential misdiagnosis and suboptimal treatment planning. While deep learning has shown promise in HCC diagnosis, most existing models rely exclusively on single-modality ultrasound, overlooking the diagnostic benefits of integrating complementary information from multiple imaging sources. To address this gap, we propose a novel attention-weighted tri-modal ultrasound network (TUS-Net) that integrates contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), B-mode ultrasound (BUS), and time-intensity curves (TICs) to improve diagnostic accuracy for these clinically challenging lesions. MethodsOur framework incorporates a three-dimensional convolutional neural network (C3D) backbone to extract spatiotemporal features from CEUS videos, capturing dynamic vascular patterns critical for lesion characterization. To effectively fuse complementary modalities, we introduce a dual-channel feature fusion module (DCFFM) that adaptively combines features from CEUS and BUS through channel-wise attention mechanisms, allowing the model to dynamically weigh the contribution of each modality based on diagnostic relevance. Additionally, we propose a temporal intensity feature fusion module (TIFFM) that leverages quantitative hemodynamic information from TICs to guide the model’s attention toward diagnostically critical temporal phases, such as arterial wash-in and portal venous washout. The model is further enhanced by automated lesion localization using YOLOX and class activation mapping for interpretability, ensuring that predictions align with clinically meaningful imaging features. ResultsEvaluated on a tri-modal ultrasound dataset comprising 161 patients with pathologically confirmed LR-M nodules (131 atypical HCC and 30 non-HCC malignancies), our model achieved an accuracy of 86.83%, a sensitivity of 92.50%, a specificity of 75.50%, and an AUC of 89.32% in screening atypical HCC. Compared to single-modality baselines, TUS-Net demonstrated superior specificity, a clinically critical metric given the higher risk associated with misclassifying non-HCC malignancies. Ablation studies confirmed the contribution of each module, with the full model outperforming both standard C3D and 3D ResNet backbones integrated with attention mechanisms. A reader study involving junior and senior radiologists further validated the clinical utility of AI assistance, showing consistent improvements in specificity and inter-reader consistency, particularly for less experienced clinicians. ConclusionThese results surpass existing benchmark models and demonstrate the potential of our approach to enhance diagnostic precision in clinically specific cases. By intelligently fusing multi-modal ultrasound data with attention-guided mechanisms, TUS-Net offers a reliable and interpretable tool that holds promise for improving the non-invasive diagnosis of atypical HCC in challenging LR-M liver nodules.
2.An Attention-weighted Tri-modal Ultrasound Network (TUS-Net) for Screening of Atypical Hepatocellular Carcinoma From LR-M Liver Nodules
He-Chong ZHANG ; Liang-Hui HUANG ; Xue-Hua WANG ; Shang-Lin JIANG ; Ying-Ying CHEN ; Ya-Guang ZENG ; Wei ZHENG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(5):1485-1498
ObjectiveDiscriminating atypical hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) from other malignancies in liver nodules classified as Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System category M (LR-M) remains a significant diagnostic challenge on conventional ultrasound examination. The LR-M category, originally intended to capture non-HCC malignancies, paradoxically contains up to 63% of atypical HCCs that deviate from classic enhancement patterns, leading to potential misdiagnosis and suboptimal treatment planning. While deep learning has shown promise in HCC diagnosis, most existing models rely exclusively on single-modality ultrasound, overlooking the diagnostic benefits of integrating complementary information from multiple imaging sources. To address this gap, we propose a novel attention-weighted tri-modal ultrasound network (TUS-Net) that integrates contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), B-mode ultrasound (BUS), and time-intensity curves (TICs) to improve diagnostic accuracy for these clinically challenging lesions. MethodsOur framework incorporates a three-dimensional convolutional neural network (C3D) backbone to extract spatiotemporal features from CEUS videos, capturing dynamic vascular patterns critical for lesion characterization. To effectively fuse complementary modalities, we introduce a dual-channel feature fusion module (DCFFM) that adaptively combines features from CEUS and BUS through channel-wise attention mechanisms, allowing the model to dynamically weigh the contribution of each modality based on diagnostic relevance. Additionally, we propose a temporal intensity feature fusion module (TIFFM) that leverages quantitative hemodynamic information from TICs to guide the model’s attention toward diagnostically critical temporal phases, such as arterial wash-in and portal venous washout. The model is further enhanced by automated lesion localization using YOLOX and class activation mapping for interpretability, ensuring that predictions align with clinically meaningful imaging features. ResultsEvaluated on a tri-modal ultrasound dataset comprising 161 patients with pathologically confirmed LR-M nodules (131 atypical HCC and 30 non-HCC malignancies), our model achieved an accuracy of 86.83%, a sensitivity of 92.50%, a specificity of 75.50%, and an AUC of 89.32% in screening atypical HCC. Compared to single-modality baselines, TUS-Net demonstrated superior specificity, a clinically critical metric given the higher risk associated with misclassifying non-HCC malignancies. Ablation studies confirmed the contribution of each module, with the full model outperforming both standard C3D and 3D ResNet backbones integrated with attention mechanisms. A reader study involving junior and senior radiologists further validated the clinical utility of AI assistance, showing consistent improvements in specificity and inter-reader consistency, particularly for less experienced clinicians. ConclusionThese results surpass existing benchmark models and demonstrate the potential of our approach to enhance diagnostic precision in clinically specific cases. By intelligently fusing multi-modal ultrasound data with attention-guided mechanisms, TUS-Net offers a reliable and interpretable tool that holds promise for improving the non-invasive diagnosis of atypical HCC in challenging LR-M liver nodules.
3.Expert consensus on visualized tele-round and quality control management based on the improvement of clinical practice ability
Wanhong YIN ; Xiaoting WANG ; Ran ZHOU ; Dawei LIU ; Yan KANG ; Yaoqing TANG ; Xiaochun MA ; Jianguo LI ; Zhenjie HU ; Haitao ZHANG ; Wei HE ; Lixia LIU ; Wenjin CHEN ; Ran ZHU ; Jun WU ; Hongmin ZHANG ; Lina ZHANG ; Wenzhao CHAI ; Shihong ZHU ; Wangbin XU ; Rongqing SUN ; Xiangyou YU ; Tianjiao SONG ; Ying ZHU ; Hong REN ; Ai SHANMU ; Qing ZHANG ; Wei FANG ; Xiuling SHANG ; Liwen LYU ; Shuhan CAI ; Xin DING ; Heng ZHANG ; Guang FENG ; Lipeng ZHANG ; Bo HU ; Dong ZHANG ; Weidong WU ; Feng SHEN ; Xiaojun YANG ; Zhenguo ZENG ; Qibing HUANG ; Xueying ZENG ; Tongjuan ZOU ; Milin PENG ; Yulong YAO ; Mingming CHEN ; Hui LIAN ; Jingmei WANG ; Yong LI ; Feng QU ; Gang YE ; Rongli YANG ; Xiukai CHEN ; Suwei LI ; Juxiang WANG ; Yangong CHAO
Chinese Journal of Internal Medicine 2025;64(2):101-109
Turning to critical illness is a common stage of various diseases and injuries before death. Patients usually have complex health conditions, while the treatment process involves a wide range of content, along with high requirements for doctor′s professionalism and multi-specialty teamwork, as well as a great demand for time-sensitive treatments. However, this is not matched with critical care professionals and the current state of medical care in China. Telemedicine, which shortens the distance of medical professionals and the gap of disease diagnosis and treatments in various regions through electronic information, can effectively solve the current problem. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a standardized, high-quality visualization telemedicine round system .Therefore, experts have been organized to search domestic and foreign literature on telemedicine round for critically ill patients and to form this consensus based on clinical experiences so as to further improve the level of critical care treatments in regions.
4.Hypoglycemic Effect and Mechanism of ICK Pattern Peptides
Lin-Fang CHEN ; Jia-Fan ZHANG ; Ye-Ning GUO ; Hui-Zhong HUANG ; Kang-Hong HU ; Chen-Guang YAO
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(1):50-60
Diabetes is a very complex endocrine disease whose common feature is the increase in blood glucose concentration. Persistent hyperglycemia can lead to blindness, kidney and heart disease, neurodegeneration, and many other serious complications that have a significant impact on human health and quality of life. The number of people with diabetes is increasing yearly. The global diabetes prevalence in 20-79 year olds in 2021 was estimated to be 10.5% (536.6 million), and it will rise to 12.2% (783.2 million) in 2045. The main modes of intervention for diabetes include medication, dietary management, and exercise conditioning. Medication is the mainstay of treatment. Marketed diabetes drugs such as metformin and insulin, as well as GLP-1 receptor agonists, are effective in controlling blood sugar levels to some extent, but the preventive and therapeutic effects are still unsatisfactory. Peptide drugs have many advantages such as low toxicity, high target specificity, and good biocompatibility, which opens up new avenues for the treatment of diabetes and other diseases. Currently, insulin and its analogs are by far the main life-saving drugs in clinical diabetes treatment, enabling effective control of blood glucose levels, but the risk of hypoglycemia is relatively high and treatment is limited by the route of delivery. New and oral anti-diabetic drugs have always been a market demand and research hotspot. Inhibitor cystine knot (ICK) peptides are a class of multifunctional cyclic peptides. In structure, they contain three conserved disulfide bonds (C3-C20, C7-C22, and C15-C32) form a compact “knot” structure, which can resist degradation of digestive protease. Recent studies have shown that ICK peptides derived from legume, such as PA1b, Aglycin, Vglycin, Iglycin, Dglycin, and aM1, exhibit excellent regulatory activities on glucose and lipid metabolism at the cellular and animal levels. Mechanistically, ICK peptides promote glucose utilization by muscle and liver through activation of IR/AKT signaling pathway, which also improves insulin resistance. They can repair the damaged pancrease through activation of PI3K/AKT/Erk signaling pathway, thus lowering blood glucose. The biostability and hypoglycemic efficacy of the ICK peptides meet the requirements for commercialization of oral drugs, and in theory, they can be developed into natural oral anti-diabetes peptide drugs. In this review, the structural properties, activity and mechanism of ICK pattern peptides in regulating glucose and lipid metabolism were summaried, which provided a reference for the development of new oral peptides for diabetes.
5.Predicting Hepatocellular Carcinoma Using Brightness Change Curves Derived From Contrast-enhanced Ultrasound Images
Ying-Ying CHEN ; Shang-Lin JIANG ; Liang-Hui HUANG ; Ya-Guang ZENG ; Xue-Hua WANG ; Wei ZHENG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(8):2163-2172
ObjectivePrimary liver cancer, predominantly hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), is a significant global health issue, ranking as the sixth most diagnosed cancer and the third leading cause of cancer-related mortality. Accurate and early diagnosis of HCC is crucial for effective treatment, as HCC and non-HCC malignancies like intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) exhibit different prognoses and treatment responses. Traditional diagnostic methods, including liver biopsy and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), face limitations in applicability and objectivity. The primary objective of this study was to develop an advanced, light-weighted classification network capable of distinguishing HCC from other non-HCC malignancies by leveraging the automatic analysis of brightness changes in CEUS images. The ultimate goal was to create a user-friendly and cost-efficient computer-aided diagnostic tool that could assist radiologists in making more accurate and efficient clinical decisions. MethodsThis retrospective study encompassed a total of 161 patients, comprising 131 diagnosed with HCC and 30 with non-HCC malignancies. To achieve accurate tumor detection, the YOLOX network was employed to identify the region of interest (ROI) on both B-mode ultrasound and CEUS images. A custom-developed algorithm was then utilized to extract brightness change curves from the tumor and adjacent liver parenchyma regions within the CEUS images. These curves provided critical data for the subsequent analysis and classification process. To analyze the extracted brightness change curves and classify the malignancies, we developed and compared several models. These included one-dimensional convolutional neural networks (1D-ResNet, 1D-ConvNeXt, and 1D-CNN), as well as traditional machine-learning methods such as support vector machine (SVM), ensemble learning (EL), k-nearest neighbor (KNN), and decision tree (DT). The diagnostic performance of each method in distinguishing HCC from non-HCC malignancies was rigorously evaluated using four key metrics: area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUC), accuracy (ACC), sensitivity (SE), and specificity (SP). ResultsThe evaluation of the machine-learning methods revealed AUC values of 0.70 for SVM, 0.56 for ensemble learning, 0.63 for KNN, and 0.72 for the decision tree. These results indicated moderate to fair performance in classifying the malignancies based on the brightness change curves. In contrast, the deep learning models demonstrated significantly higher AUCs, with 1D-ResNet achieving an AUC of 0.72, 1D-ConvNeXt reaching 0.82, and 1D-CNN obtaining the highest AUC of 0.84. Moreover, under the five-fold cross-validation scheme, the 1D-CNN model outperformed other models in both accuracy and specificity. Specifically, it achieved accuracy improvements of 3.8% to 10.0% and specificity enhancements of 6.6% to 43.3% over competing approaches. The superior performance of the 1D-CNN model highlighted its potential as a powerful tool for accurate classification. ConclusionThe 1D-CNN model proved to be the most effective in differentiating HCC from non-HCC malignancies, surpassing both traditional machine-learning methods and other deep learning models. This study successfully developed a user-friendly and cost-efficient computer-aided diagnostic solution that would significantly enhances radiologists’ diagnostic capabilities. By improving the accuracy and efficiency of clinical decision-making, this tool has the potential to positively impact patient care and outcomes. Future work may focus on further refining the model and exploring its integration with multimodal ultrasound data to maximize its accuracy and applicability.
6.Research progress on pain assessment tools
Hui LI ; Bing CHEN ; He HUANG ; Guang-you DUAN
Journal of Regional Anatomy and Operative Surgery 2025;34(3):263-267
Accurate pain assessment is a prerequisite for pain management.However,pain is a relatively subjective feeling greatly affected by the environment,education,and emotional state.Therefore,in diagnosing and treating pain,it is necessary not only to assess the subjective feelings of patients,but also to have stable and reliable objective indicators to evaluate the pain status of different patients.At present,there are many clinical tools for assessing and monitoring pain.This paper introduces the commonly used subjective assessment tools(single-dimensional pain assessment scale,multi-dimensional pain assessment scale)and objective assessment tools(surgical pleth index,analgesia and nociception index,nociceptive level index,and biomarkers),and analyzes their advantages and disadvantages,so as to provide reference for future clinical pain assessment.
7.Research progress on pain assessment tools
Hui LI ; Bing CHEN ; He HUANG ; Guang-you DUAN
Journal of Regional Anatomy and Operative Surgery 2025;34(3):263-267
Accurate pain assessment is a prerequisite for pain management.However,pain is a relatively subjective feeling greatly affected by the environment,education,and emotional state.Therefore,in diagnosing and treating pain,it is necessary not only to assess the subjective feelings of patients,but also to have stable and reliable objective indicators to evaluate the pain status of different patients.At present,there are many clinical tools for assessing and monitoring pain.This paper introduces the commonly used subjective assessment tools(single-dimensional pain assessment scale,multi-dimensional pain assessment scale)and objective assessment tools(surgical pleth index,analgesia and nociception index,nociceptive level index,and biomarkers),and analyzes their advantages and disadvantages,so as to provide reference for future clinical pain assessment.
8.Expert consensus on visualized tele-round and quality control management based on the improvement of clinical practice ability
Wanhong YIN ; Xiaoting WANG ; Ran ZHOU ; Dawei LIU ; Yan KANG ; Yaoqing TANG ; Xiaochun MA ; Jianguo LI ; Zhenjie HU ; Haitao ZHANG ; Wei HE ; Lixia LIU ; Wenjin CHEN ; Ran ZHU ; Jun WU ; Hongmin ZHANG ; Lina ZHANG ; Wenzhao CHAI ; Shihong ZHU ; Wangbin XU ; Rongqing SUN ; Xiangyou YU ; Tianjiao SONG ; Ying ZHU ; Hong REN ; Ai SHANMU ; Qing ZHANG ; Wei FANG ; Xiuling SHANG ; Liwen LYU ; Shuhan CAI ; Xin DING ; Heng ZHANG ; Guang FENG ; Lipeng ZHANG ; Bo HU ; Dong ZHANG ; Weidong WU ; Feng SHEN ; Xiaojun YANG ; Zhenguo ZENG ; Qibing HUANG ; Xueying ZENG ; Tongjuan ZOU ; Milin PENG ; Yulong YAO ; Mingming CHEN ; Hui LIAN ; Jingmei WANG ; Yong LI ; Feng QU ; Gang YE ; Rongli YANG ; Xiukai CHEN ; Suwei LI ; Juxiang WANG ; Yangong CHAO
Chinese Journal of Internal Medicine 2025;64(2):101-109
Turning to critical illness is a common stage of various diseases and injuries before death. Patients usually have complex health conditions, while the treatment process involves a wide range of content, along with high requirements for doctor′s professionalism and multi-specialty teamwork, as well as a great demand for time-sensitive treatments. However, this is not matched with critical care professionals and the current state of medical care in China. Telemedicine, which shortens the distance of medical professionals and the gap of disease diagnosis and treatments in various regions through electronic information, can effectively solve the current problem. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a standardized, high-quality visualization telemedicine round system .Therefore, experts have been organized to search domestic and foreign literature on telemedicine round for critically ill patients and to form this consensus based on clinical experiences so as to further improve the level of critical care treatments in regions.
9.Internal iliac artery ligation as a damage control method in hemodynamically unstable pelvic fractures: A systematic review of the literature
Hui LI ; Tao AI ; Guang-Bin HUANG ; Jun YANG ; Gong-Bin WEI ; Jin-Mou GAO ; Ping HE ; Xue-Mei CAO ; Ding-Yuan DU
Chinese Journal of Traumatology 2024;27(5):288-294
Purpose::Internal iliac artery ligation (IIAL) has been used as a damage control procedure to treat hemodynamically unstable pelvic fracture for many years. However, there is ongoing debate regarding the effectiveness and safety of this hemostatic method. Therefore, we performed a systematic literature review to assess the efficacy and safety of IIAL for pelvic fracture hemostasis.Methods::Three major databases, PubMed, Embase, and Google Scholar, were searched to screen eligible original studies published in English journals. Two reviewers independently read the titles, abstracts, and full texts of all literature. Articles were included if they reported the use and effects of IIAL.Results::A total of 171 articles were initially identified, with 22 fully meeting the inclusion criteria. Among the analyzed cases, up to 66.7% of patients had associated abdominal and pelvic organ injuries, with the urethra being the most frequently injured organ, followed by the bowel. The outcomes of IIAL for achieving hemostasis in pelvic fractures were found to be satisfactory, with an effective rate of 80%. Hemorrhagic shock was the leading cause of death, followed by craniocerebral injury. Notably, no reports of ischemic complications involving the pelvic organs due to IIAL were found.Conclusion::IIAL has a good effect in treating hemodynamically unstable pelvic fracture without the risk of pelvic organ ischemia. This procedure should be considered a priority for hemodynamically unstable pelvic fracture patients with abdominal organ injuries.
10.Effects of hesperidin in promoting acute skin wound healing
Yi-Ming HUANG ; Fei-Fei CHEN ; Rong-Rong ZHANG ; Guang-Hui ZHU
The Chinese Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 2024;40(14):2093-2097
Objective To study the effects of hesperidin on the migration ability of human keratinocytes(HaCaT)and human skin fibroblasts(HSF).Additionally,this research aims to preliminary investigate the influence and underlying mechanism of Hesperidin in facilitating the healing process of acute skin wounds in mice.Methods HaCaT and HSF were divided into blank group(without any treatment),control group(added 0.1%dimethyl sulfoxide)and experimental group(added 5.0 μg·mL-1 hesperidin)for 48 h.The healing ability of cells in vitro was detected by scratch test.The migration of cells was detected by Transwell migration test.C57 mice were randomly divided into model group,experimental-L,-H groups.The acute full-thickness skin defect wound model was established by surgical clipping of the full-thickness skin of the back of mice.The model group was given 0.5%dimethyl sulfoxide,and the experimental-L,-H groups were given 10,50 mg·kg-1 hesperidin solution,respectively.The protein expressions levels of β-catenin,proliferating cell nuclear antigen(PCNA),keratin 14 and collagen Ⅰ were detected by Western blot.Results The scratch healing rates of HaCaT-blank group,HaCaT-control group and HaCaT-experimental group were(21.05±1.10)%,(22.33±1.72)%and(41.61±2.90)%;the cell migration numbers were 57.00±11.36,60.38±10.11 and 287.75±20.21,respectively.The scratch healing rates of HSF-blank group,HSF-control group and HSF-experimental group were(17.82±1.62)%,(19.81±3.87)%and(64.22±1.94)%,the cell migration numbers were 43.25±7.98,40.75±6.70 and 140.88±14.35,respectively.The HaCaT-experimental group was compared with HaCaT-blank group and HaCaT-control group,and the HSF-experimental group was compared with HSF-blank group and HSF-control group,the differences were statistically significant(all P<0.05).The protein expression levels of β-catenin in the model group,experimental-L,-H groups were 0.53±0.06,0.74±0.17 and 1.44±0.11;the protein expression levels of keratin 14 were 0.33±0.06,0.54±0.07 and 1.26±0.16;the protein expression levels of PCNA were 0.46±0.05,0.72±0.09 and 1.14±0.11;the protein levels of collagen Ⅰ were 0.52±0.03,0.77±0.05 and 1.28±0.13,respectively.There were significant differences in the above indexes between the experimental-L,-H groups and the model group(P<0.05,P<0.01).Conclusion Hesperidin may promote the healing of acute skin wounds in mice by activating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and increasing the migration of HaCaT and HSF.

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