This paper proposes a two-stage method integrating visual foundation models （VFM） and diffusion models. The segment anything model （SAM） as VFM is combined with the SegRefiner diffusion model to construct the SAM-SegRefiner framework for automated segmentation of edema， inflammation， and thrombus regions in histopathological images of hemorrhoidal tissue， providing a reproducible technical tool for the objective quantification of pathological morphology and its application in traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome research. Trained and validated on multi-center retrospective data， the SAM-SegRefiner model achieved an average pixel accuracy of 95.32% and a mean intersection over union （mIoU） of 66.81% on an independent test set， significantly outperfor-ming comparative models such as U-Net， MixU-Net， and SAM-Med2D， and also demonstrating robust cross-center generalization capability. Furthermore， by correlating the quantitatively segmented results from the model with the patients' TCM syndrome types， the potential associations between pathomorphological features and TCM syndrome differentiation have been explored. The analysis revealed no statistically significant differences in the degree of inflammatory infiltration and thrombus formation among different syndrome types， suggesting a complex relationship between local pathological changes and systemic syndrome manifestations.

OBJECTIVE To explore the effects of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides on the proliferation， migration， and immune escape of oral cancer cells by regulating the T cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain-containing protein 3 （TIM3）/ galectin-9 （Gal-9） signaling pathway. METHODS Human oral cancer cells KB and CAL27 were assigned to control group， L. barbarum polysaccharides low-concentration group （200 μg/mL）， L. barbarum polysaccharides high-concentration group （400 μg/mL）， pcDNA-NC group （transfection of pcDNA-NC plasmid）， pcDNA-TIM3 group （transfection of pcDNA-TIM3 plasmid）， high concentration of L. barbarum polysaccharides+pcDNA-NC group （400 μg/mL L. barbarum polysaccharides + transfection of pcDNA-NC plasmid）， and high concentration of L. barbarum polysaccharides+pcDNA-TIM3 group （400 μg/mL L. barbarum polysaccharides + transfection of pcDNA-TIM3 plasmid）. The proliferation， migration and invasion abilities of the cells， T cell killing rate as well as the levels of interferon-γ （IFN-γ） and interleukin-2 （IL-2） in the cell supernatant were measured. mRNA expressions of TIM3 and Gal-9 and protein expressions of indoleamine 2，3-dioxygenase 1 （IDO1）， programmed death-ligand 1 （PD-L1）， TIM3 and Gal-9 in the cells were also determined. RESULTS Compared with control group， the clone formation rate， scratch healing rate， the number of invasive cells， protein expressions of IDO1 and PD-L1， mRNA and protein expressions of TIM3 and Gal-9 in both cell types of L. barbarum polysaccharide low- and high-concentration groups were decreased significantly （P＜0.05）， while the proliferation inhibition rate， T cell killing rate， and the levels of IFN-γ and IL-2 were significantly increased （P＜0.05）. Compared with control group and pcDNA-NC group， the clone formation rate， scratch healing rate， the number of invasive cells， and protein expressions of IDO1 and PD-L1， mRNA and protein expressions of TIM3 and Gal-9 in both cell types of the pcDNA-TIM3 group were all significantly increased （P＜0.05）， while the proliferation inhibition rate， T cell killing rate， IFN-γ and IL-2 levels were significantly decreased （P＜0.05）. Compared with L. barbarum polysaccharides high-concentration group and high concentration of L. barbarum polysaccharides+pcDNA-NC group， the clone formation rate， scratch healing rate， the number of invasive cells， and protein expressions of IDO1 and PD-L1， mRNA and protein expressions of TIM3 and Gal-9 in both cell types of high concentration of L. barbarum polysaccharides+pcDNA-TIM3 group were significantly increased （P＜0.05）， while the proliferation inhibition rate， T cell killing rate， and the levels of IFN-γ and IL-2 were significantly decreased （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS L. barbarum polysaccharides may inhibit the proliferation， migration， and immune escape of oral cancer cells by suppressing TIM3/Gal-9 signaling pathway.

Objective: To investigate the spatio-temporal clustering characteristics of influenza in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region from 2014 to 2023, so as to provide the basis for strengthening influenza prevention and control. Methods: Data pertaining to influenza cases reported in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region from 2014 to 2023 were retrieved from the Infectious Disease Surveillance System of the Chinese Disease Prevention and Control Information System, including age, sex, current residence, onset date, and reporting date. The seasonal incidence of influenza was analyzed using seasonal index. The spatio-temporal clustering characteristics of influenza were identified using spatial autocorrelation analysis and spatio-temporal scan analysis. Results: A total of 20 377 influenza cases were reported in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region from 2014 to 2023, with a male-to-female ratio of 1.15∶1. The majority were children under 15 years, with 10 950 cases accounting for 53.74%. Influenza was highly prevalent in January, February, March, and December, with seasonal indices of 219.06%, 111.00%, 246.65%, and 366.24%, respectively. The average annual reported incidence was 29.55/100 000, among which Pengyang County, Jinfeng District, Dawukou District, Xiji County, and Litong District had higher average annual reported incidence, at 63.99/100 000, 55.71/100 000, 55.70/100 000, 49.49/100 000, and 49.04/100 000, respectively. Spatial autocorrelation analysis showed that in 2023, there was spatial clustering of influenza cases in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region (Moran's I=0.333, P<0.05), with a high-high cluster in Jingyuan County, while in other years, the distribution of influenza cases was random (all P>0.05). Spatio-temporal scan analysis showed that from 2014 to 2023, there were four space-time clusters in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, including one type Ⅰ cluster in Hongsibao District of Wuzhong City, with the clustering period from January 20 to 26, 2014; and three type Ⅱ clusters, mainly in January, February, March and December, covering one area in Shizuishan City, five areas in Guyuan City, one area in Zhongwei City, three areas in Wuzhong City, and four areas in Yinchuan City. Conclusions From 2014 to 2023, children under 15 years were the primary population affected by influenza in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, with distinct spatio-temporal distribution characteristics. The peak incidence occurred during the winter and spring seasons, and the main clustering areas were in the southern regions.

Objective: To investigate the dynamic changes in oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) and self-esteem (SE) across different stages of adolescent orthodontic treatment and the influence of psychosocial factors, thereby providing scientific evidence for the clinical development of individualized treatment protocols that integrate both functional correction and psychological intervention. Methods : This study was reviewed and approved by the medical ethics committee, and informed consent was obtained from patients. A cross-sectional design was employed to randomly select 355 adolescent patients with malocclusion (133 pre-treatment, 112 during treatment, and 110 post-treatment) who received care at the Department of Stomatology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University in April 2025. The Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP)-14 was used to assess OHRQoL levels, the Global Self-Esteem Scale (GSE) was used to evaluate SE levels, and an additional questionnaire on dental appearance-related psychosocial aspects was administered. Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to compare differences between treatment stage groups, followed by Dunn post hoc tests. Spearman correlation analysis was employed to assess the associations between variables, including orthodontic treatment stages, OHRQoL, and SE, as well as SE and dental appearance-related psychosocial aspects. Results : OHRQoL and its four dimensional scores showed significant differences across different stages of orthodontic treatment. Specifically, the total OHIP-14 score showed no significant difference between pre-treatment and during treatment [12.0 (7.0, 18.0) vs. 13.0 (9.0, 17.0)], but significantly decreased to 4.0 (0.8, 11.0) post-treatment (P<0.001). The total scores for physical pain and discomfort dimension and physical disability dimension demonstrated a pattern of during treatment > pre-treatment > post-treatment (P<0.05). The total scores for handicap dimension showed no significant difference between pre-treatment and during treatment, but post-treatment scores were significantly lower than both pre-treatment and during treatment levels (P < 0.001). The total scores for psychological discomfort dimension showed a significant decreasing trend across treatment stages (P<0.001). The total GSE score showed significant differences only between pre-treatment and during treatment [18.0 (12.0, 23.0) vs. 13.5 (9.3, 20.8), P=0.014], with recovery to 14.0 (12.0, 18.0) post-treatment. Different treatment stages showed a moderate negative correlation with total OHIP-14 score (r=-0.362, P<0.001) and a weak negative correlation with total GSE score (r=-0.104, P=0.049). The appearance satisfaction index showed a significant increasing trend across treatment stages (P<0.001), while being teased about teeth and hiding teeth and avoiding smiling index significantly decreased (both P<0.001). Being teased about teeth index (r=0.349, P<0.001) and hiding teeth and avoiding smiling index (r=0.412, P<0.001) were significantly correlated with total GSE score. Conclusion Adolescents undergoing orthodontic treatment experience a significant improvement in quality of life, with self-esteem levels notably increasing during the mid-treatment phase and a continuous reduction in negative psychosocial experiences related to dental appearance. This suggests that orthodontists should prioritize psychological support and social adaptation guidance throughout the treatment process, with consistent attention to changes in patients’ self-esteem.

Objective:To evaluate the expression characteristics of the FBJ murine osteosarcoma viral oncogene homolog B(FOSB)gene in immunoglobulin A nephropathy(IgAN)and common chronic kidney diseases(CKDs),and to determine its value as a potential key candidate gene or biomarker.Methods:The RNA sequencing datasets for IgAN,diabetic kidney disease(DKD),membranous nephropathy(MN),and minimal change disease(MCD)glomerular samples were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus(GEO)database.The feature genes for CKD were identified using machine learning methods including least absolute shrinkage and selection operator(LASSO)regression,random forest(RF),and support vector machine(SVM).Gene Ontology(GO)functional enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)signaling pathway enrichment analyses were performed on the identified IgAN feature genes.The"pROC"package was used to plot the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of IgAN feature genes.The gene with the highest diagnostic value was selected for Gene Set Enrichment Analysis(GSEA)and correlation analysis with core immune cells in IgAN.Clinical correlation analysis between the FOSB expression level in kidney tissue and renal function was performed using the Nephroseq v5 platform.Kidney tissue samples were collected from 5 cases of IgAN patients,DKD patients,MCD patients,and MN patients,respectively,along with 5 samples of adjacent normal kidney tissues(control group).Immunohistochemistry staining method was used to detect the expression levels of FOSB protein in tissue samples in various groups.Results:A total of 110 differentially expressed genes(DEGs)were identified in IgAN glomeruli,among which FOSB,NR4A2,and DUSP1 were identified as the feature genes.Compared with control group,the expression level of FOSB mRNA in IgAN group was significantly decreased(P＜0.05).The GO fuctional enrichment analysis results revealed that these IgAN feature genes were primarily enriched in biological processes related to dopamine biosynthesis,midbrain dopaminergic neuron differentiation,peptidyl-serine/threonine dephosphorylation,and response to corticosterone.The KEGG signaling pathway enrichment analysis results showed that the DEGs were significantly enriched in cocaine addiction,amphetamine addiction,interleukin 17(IL-17)signaling pathway,aldosterone synthesis and secretion,and serotonergic synapse.The ROC curve analysis results demonstrated that FOSB showed high diagnostic accuracy for IgAN.GSEA analysis revealed that arginine and proline metabolism,butyrate metabolism,erythroblastic leukemia viral oncogene homolog(ERBB)signaling pathway,mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK)signaling pathway,and fructose and mannose metabolism pathways were enriched in FOSB high-expression group,while allograft rejection,extracellular matrix receptor interaction,and type 1 diabetes pathways were significantly enriched in FOSB low-expression group.The immune cell infiltration analysis results identified natural killer cells,neutrophils,and M1 macrophages as core immune cells in IgAN,and the expression of FOSB gene was positively correlated with neutrophil infiltration(r=0.42,P＜0.05).The immunohistochemistry analysis results demonstrated that compared with control group,the expression level of FOSB protein in glomeruli of the patients in IgAN,DKD,MN,and MCD groups were significantly decreased(P＜0.05).Conclusion:The expressions of FOSB gene in the glomeruli tissue of IgAN,DKD,MN,and MCD patients ware decreased,suggesting FOSB may represent a potential biomarker for IgAN.

BACKGROUND: It is inaccurate to reflect the level of dust exposure through working years. Furthermore, identifying a predictive indicator for lung function decline is significant for coal miners. The study aimed to explored whether club cell secretory protein (CC16) levels can reflect early lung function changes. METHODS: The cumulative respiratory dust exposure (CDE) levels of 1,461 coal miners were retrospectively assessed by constructed a job-exposure matrix to replace working years. Important factors affecting lung function and CC16 were selected by establishing random forest models. Subsequently, the potential of CC16 to reflect lung injury was explored from multiple perspectives. First, restricted cubic spline (RCS) models were used to compare the trends of changes in lung function indicators and plasma CC16 levels after dust exposure. Then mediating analysis was performed to investigate the role of CC16 in the association between dust exposure and lung function decline. Finally, the association between baseline CC16 levels and follow-up lung function was explored. RESULTS: The median CDE were 35.13 mg/m³-years. RCS models revealed a rapid decline in forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV₁), and their percentages of predicted values when CDE exceeded 25 mg/m³-years. The dust exposure level (<5 mg/m³-years) causing significant changes in CC16 was much lower than the level (25 mg/m³-years) that caused changes in lung function indicators. CC16 mediated 11.1% to 26.0% of dust-related lung function decline. Additionally, workers with low baseline CC16 levels experienced greater reductions in lung function in the future. CONCLUSIONS CC16 levels are more sensitive than lung indicators in reflecting early lung function injury and plays mediating role in lung function decline induced by dust exposure. Low baseline CC16 levels predict poor future lung function.
Uteroglobin/blood* ; Humans ; Dust/analysis* ; Occupational Exposure/analysis* ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Retrospective Studies ; Lung Injury/chemically induced* ; Coal Mining ; Biomarkers/blood* ; China/epidemiology* ; Air Pollutants, Occupational ; Female

Background and Objectives: The Fractional Flow Reserve and Intravascular UltrasoundGuided Intervention Strategy for Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Intermediate Stenosis (FLAVOUR) trial demonstrated non-inferiority of fractional flow reserve (FFR)-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) compared with intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)-guided PCI. We sought to investigate the cost-effectiveness of FFR-guided PCI compared to IVUS-guided PCI in Korea. Methods: A 2-part cost-effectiveness model, composed of a short-term decision tree model and a long-term Markov model, was developed for patients who underwent PCI to treat intermediate stenosis (40% to 70% stenosis by visual estimation on coronary angiography).The lifetime healthcare costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) were estimated from the healthcare system perspective. Transition probabilities were mainly referred from the FLAVOUR trial, and healthcare costs were mainly obtained through analysis of Korean National Health Insurance claims data. Health utilities were mainly obtained from the Seattle Angina Questionnaire responses of FLAVOUR trial participants mapped to EQ-5D. Results: From the Korean healthcare system perspective, the base-case analysis showed that FFR-guided PCI was 2,451 U.S. dollar lower in lifetime healthcare costs and 0.178 higher in QALYs compared to IVUS-guided PCI. FFR-guided PCI remained more likely to be cost-effective over a wide range of willingness-to-pay thresholds in the probabilistic sensitivity analysis. Conclusions Based on the results from the FLAVOUR trial, FFR-guided PCI is projected to decrease lifetime healthcare costs and increase QALYs compared with IVUS-guided PCI in intermediate coronary lesion, and it is a dominant strategy in Korea.

Background and Objectives: The Fractional Flow Reserve and Intravascular UltrasoundGuided Intervention Strategy for Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Intermediate Stenosis (FLAVOUR) trial demonstrated non-inferiority of fractional flow reserve (FFR)-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) compared with intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)-guided PCI. We sought to investigate the cost-effectiveness of FFR-guided PCI compared to IVUS-guided PCI in Korea. Methods: A 2-part cost-effectiveness model, composed of a short-term decision tree model and a long-term Markov model, was developed for patients who underwent PCI to treat intermediate stenosis (40% to 70% stenosis by visual estimation on coronary angiography).The lifetime healthcare costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) were estimated from the healthcare system perspective. Transition probabilities were mainly referred from the FLAVOUR trial, and healthcare costs were mainly obtained through analysis of Korean National Health Insurance claims data. Health utilities were mainly obtained from the Seattle Angina Questionnaire responses of FLAVOUR trial participants mapped to EQ-5D. Results: From the Korean healthcare system perspective, the base-case analysis showed that FFR-guided PCI was 2,451 U.S. dollar lower in lifetime healthcare costs and 0.178 higher in QALYs compared to IVUS-guided PCI. FFR-guided PCI remained more likely to be cost-effective over a wide range of willingness-to-pay thresholds in the probabilistic sensitivity analysis. Conclusions Based on the results from the FLAVOUR trial, FFR-guided PCI is projected to decrease lifetime healthcare costs and increase QALYs compared with IVUS-guided PCI in intermediate coronary lesion, and it is a dominant strategy in Korea.

Background and Objectives: The Fractional Flow Reserve and Intravascular UltrasoundGuided Intervention Strategy for Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Intermediate Stenosis (FLAVOUR) trial demonstrated non-inferiority of fractional flow reserve (FFR)-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) compared with intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)-guided PCI. We sought to investigate the cost-effectiveness of FFR-guided PCI compared to IVUS-guided PCI in Korea. Methods: A 2-part cost-effectiveness model, composed of a short-term decision tree model and a long-term Markov model, was developed for patients who underwent PCI to treat intermediate stenosis (40% to 70% stenosis by visual estimation on coronary angiography).The lifetime healthcare costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) were estimated from the healthcare system perspective. Transition probabilities were mainly referred from the FLAVOUR trial, and healthcare costs were mainly obtained through analysis of Korean National Health Insurance claims data. Health utilities were mainly obtained from the Seattle Angina Questionnaire responses of FLAVOUR trial participants mapped to EQ-5D. Results: From the Korean healthcare system perspective, the base-case analysis showed that FFR-guided PCI was 2,451 U.S. dollar lower in lifetime healthcare costs and 0.178 higher in QALYs compared to IVUS-guided PCI. FFR-guided PCI remained more likely to be cost-effective over a wide range of willingness-to-pay thresholds in the probabilistic sensitivity analysis. Conclusions Based on the results from the FLAVOUR trial, FFR-guided PCI is projected to decrease lifetime healthcare costs and increase QALYs compared with IVUS-guided PCI in intermediate coronary lesion, and it is a dominant strategy in Korea.

Background and Objectives: The Fractional Flow Reserve and Intravascular UltrasoundGuided Intervention Strategy for Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Intermediate Stenosis (FLAVOUR) trial demonstrated non-inferiority of fractional flow reserve (FFR)-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) compared with intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)-guided PCI. We sought to investigate the cost-effectiveness of FFR-guided PCI compared to IVUS-guided PCI in Korea. Methods: A 2-part cost-effectiveness model, composed of a short-term decision tree model and a long-term Markov model, was developed for patients who underwent PCI to treat intermediate stenosis (40% to 70% stenosis by visual estimation on coronary angiography).The lifetime healthcare costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) were estimated from the healthcare system perspective. Transition probabilities were mainly referred from the FLAVOUR trial, and healthcare costs were mainly obtained through analysis of Korean National Health Insurance claims data. Health utilities were mainly obtained from the Seattle Angina Questionnaire responses of FLAVOUR trial participants mapped to EQ-5D. Results: From the Korean healthcare system perspective, the base-case analysis showed that FFR-guided PCI was 2,451 U.S. dollar lower in lifetime healthcare costs and 0.178 higher in QALYs compared to IVUS-guided PCI. FFR-guided PCI remained more likely to be cost-effective over a wide range of willingness-to-pay thresholds in the probabilistic sensitivity analysis. Conclusions Based on the results from the FLAVOUR trial, FFR-guided PCI is projected to decrease lifetime healthcare costs and increase QALYs compared with IVUS-guided PCI in intermediate coronary lesion, and it is a dominant strategy in Korea.