To promote convergence education among national and international students, Nanjing Medical University designed an optional curriculum Two Sides of the Same Coin in Parasitic Diseases among international students for the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) program, and a research-based teaching method was employed to teach 31 international students. This curriculum contained three parts, including parasitology-related knowledge, basic knowledge and skills of scientific research, and frontier topics in scientific research advances, and the assessment contents included course sign-in, classroom activity participation and scientific research presentation. Curriculum evaluation showed 100.0% (8/8) of students in batch 2018—2021, 81.8% (9/11) in batch 2022, and 83.3% (10/12) in batch 2023 with a total score of 80 points and higher, with median scores (interquartile range) of 91.1 (7.0), 90.8 (5.7) points and 90.8 (5.7) points, respectively (H = 0.04, P > 0.05). In addition, a questionnaire survey was performed with a Likert scale to assess the interests in curriculum learning, and the curriculum practicality and importance among 31 international students, and a total of 27 valid questionnaires were recovered, with a recovery rate of 87.1%. Questionnaire survey showed that the median total scores (interquartile range) were 7.0 (0.8) points among batch 2018—2021 students, 6.4 (1.4) points among batch 2022 students and 6.0 (1.1) points among batch 2023 students (H = 2.64, P > 0.05). Collectively, these data demonstrate that this optional curriculum improves the interests in parasitology learning of the international students for MBBS program, as well as their capability of self-directed learning, teamwork and innovative.

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors worldwide and a major cause of cancer-related deaths. Early-stage lung cancer is often manifested as pulmonary nodules, and accurate assessment of the malignancy risk is crucial for prolonging survival and avoiding overtreatment. This study aims to construct a model based on image feature parameters automatically extracted by artificial intelligence (AI) to evaluate its effectiveness in predicting the malignancy of part-solid nodule (PSN). METHODS: This retrospective study analyzed 229 PSN from 222 patients who underwent pulmonary nodule resection at Lanzhou University Second Hospital between October 2020 and February 2025. According to pathological results, 45 cases of benign lesions and precursor glandular lesion were categorized into the non-malignant group, and 184 cases of pulmonary malignancies were categorized into the malignant group. All patients underwent preoperative chest computed tomography (CT), and AI software was used to extract imaging feature parameters. Univariate analysis was used to screen significant variables; variance inflation factor (VIF) was calculated to exclude highly collinear variables, and LASSO regression was further applied to identify key features. Multivariate Logistic regression was used to determine independent risk factors. Based on the selected variables, five models were constructed: Logistic regression, random forest, XGBoost, LightGBM, and support vector machine (SVM). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to assess the performance of the models. RESULTS: The independent risk factors for the malignancy of PSN include roughness (ngtdm), dependence variance (gldm), and short run low gray-level emphasis (glrlm). Logistic regression achieved area under the curves ( AUCs) of 0.86 and 0.89 in the training and testing sets, respectively, showing good performance. XGBoost had AUCs of 0.78 and 0.77, respectively, demonstrating relatively balanced performance, but with lower accuracy. SVM showed an AUC of 0.93 in the training set, which decreased to 0.80 in the testing set, indicating overfitting. LightGBM performed excellently in the training set with an AUC of 0.94, but its performance declined in the testing set, with an AUC of 0.88. In contrast, random forest demonstrated stable performance in both the training and testing sets, with AUCs of 0.89 and 0.91, respectively, exhibiting high stability and excellent generalizability. CONCLUSIONS The random forest model constructed based on independent risk factors demonstrated the best performance in predicting the malignancy of PSN and could provide effective auxiliary predictions for clinicians, supporting individualized treatment decisions.
.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Lung Neoplasms/pathology* ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Artificial Intelligence ; Aged ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Adult ; Solitary Pulmonary Nodule/diagnostic imaging* ; ROC Curve

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a ubiquitous respiratory virus that affects individuals of all ages; however, there is a notable lack of targeted treatments. RSV infection is associated with a range of respiratory symptoms, including bronchiolitis and pneumonia. Baicalin (BA) exhibits significant therapeutic effects against RSV infection through mechanisms of viral inhibition and anti-inflammatory action. Nonetheless, the clinical application of BA is constrained by its low solubility and bioavailability. In this study, we prepared BA nanodrugs (BA NDs) with enhanced water solubility utilizing the supramolecular self-assembled strategy, and we further conducted a comparative analysis of this pharmacological activity between free drugs and NDs of BA. Both in vitro and in vivo results demonstrated that BA NDs significantly enhanced the dual effects of viral inhibition and inflammation relief compared to free BA, attributed to prolonged lung retention, improved cellular uptake, and increased targeting affinity. Our study confirms that the nanosizing strategy, a straightforward approach to enhance drug solubility, can also increase biological activity compared to free drugs with the same content, thereby providing a potential ND for RSV treatment. This correlation analysis between the existing forms of drugs and their biological activity offers a novel perspective for research on the active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine.

Objective To evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of artificial vision,radiomics(RAD)and deep learning(DL)in distinguishing atypical usual interstitial pneumonia(UIP)from nonspecific interstitial pneumonia(NSIP).Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 300 patients diagnosed with interstitial pneumonia(IP).A total of 56 cases of atypical UIP and 57 cases of NSIP were included.All patients underwent CT examination before biopsy,and were randomly divided into training and test groups.DL and RAD artificial intelligence models were developed and trained.The consistency of artificial vision assessment was performed via Kappa test and receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis was performed via logistic regression.Then,the differences in the area under the curve(AUC)of different models were compared via DeLong analysis.The diagnostic efficiency of the model was evaluated via AUC and accuracy(ACC)as the main indicators and compared with the artificial vision evaluation.Results Two radiologists showed significant consistency in the CT diagnosis and interpretation of atypical UIP and NSIP(Kappa=0.852,P＜0.01).On high-resolution computed tomography(HRCT),the atypical UIP patients mainly showed basal bronchiectasis,honeycombing,and reticular opacities,while,the NSIP patients showed basal reticular opacities,ground glass opacity(GGO)and subpleural avoidance sign.The probability of GGO exceeding the reticular opacities of the NSIP patients was significantly higher than that of the atypical UIP patients(P＜0.05).The DL model showed significantly higher diagnostic efficiency than RAD and artificial vision in the differential diagnosis of atypical UIP and NSIP(AUC:0.94 vs 0.85 vs 0.65,P＜0.01).Conclusion CT and RAD have a certain significant diagnostic value for atypical UIP and NSIP.Atypical UIP and NSIP can be more accurately differentiated and diagnosed based on the DL model,thereby,the management of IP is further strengthened in clinical practice.

Objective Liver cancer is the second leading cause of tumor-related death.The efficacy of local thermal ablation is comparable to surgical resection for the early hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC),and the ablation technique is minimally invasive,repeatable,and has a low complication rate.However,early recurrence((2 years)is the main cause of death after HCC ablation,but there is still a lack of accurate and reliable prediction models for early recurrence.Therefore,this survey intended to construct prediction models for early recurrence of HCC after ablation by using preoperative gadoxetic acid disodium-enhanced magnetic resonance(MR)images data combined with radiomics methods,evaluate and verify their predictive efficacy.To explore the application value of contrast-enhanced MRI imaging before ablation in the prognosis assessment of HCC patients,and to provide reliable data and theoretical basis for clinical treatment decisions.Methods A retrospective study was performed on 120 patients with HCC who underwent ablation and all the patients were underwent contrast-enhanced MRI examination within 1 month.A total of 1318 radiomic features were extracted from each patient by using preoperative T2-weighted sequence(T2WI)images of contrast-enhanced MRI.After feature selection,six machine learning algorithms would be used for construction of models and comparison.Finally,Logistic regression analysis was used to establish a clinical model,a radiomics model and a combined model which included the above risk factors and radiologic features.The nomogram was constructed based the combined model to evaluate the differentiation,accuracy and clinical benefit.Results Five radiomic features most closely related to early recurrence were identified and selected for model construction.The radiomic model had effective predictive performance,with AUC of 0.80 in the training sets.Two clinical risk factors associated with early recurrence,including tumor number and peritumoral hypodensity on the hepatobiliary phase,were selected to established a clinical-radiological-radiomics(CRRM)model,with AUC as high as 0.92 in the validation sets.The nomogram of CRRM model was constructed and the calibration curves indicated the goodness of fit.Decision curve analysis further confirmed the clinical usefulness of CRRM model.Conclusion The radiomics model of preoperatively contrast-enhanced MRI-T2WI image features was identified be effective to predict HCC early recurrence.In contrast,the CRRM model could be used as a more comprehensive and superior tool to predict individual probability of early recurrence.Patients at high risk of early recurrence could be identified and the appropriate and effective preoperative treatments could also be taken,to improve the prognosis and long-term survival rate of HCC patients the individualized treatment strategies should be formulated.

Objective To investigate the effect of auditory brainstem response(ABR)in clinical detection and severity assessment of autism spectrum disorder(ASD)in children with normal hearing.Methods ① A total of 55 autistic children(110 ears)with normal hearing and 55 children(110 ears)with typical development(TD)who did not differ in sex composition ratio and average monthly age were divided into four sub-groups according to age:≤24 months group(22 ears),25～36 months group(40 ears),37～48 months group(28 ears)and＞48 months group(20 ears).The ABR latencies and interpeak latencies were compared between ASD children and age-matched TD children.② ASD children were graded by severity according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Dis-orders(DSM-V),and the correlations between the ABR latencies and interpeak latencies in autistic children with normal hearing and the severity grading were studied.Results ① No statistically significant differences in ABR wave latencies and interpeak latencies were found in autistic children with normal hearing under 24 months of age compared to age-matched TD children(P＞0.05).② Compared with children with TD,autistic children with nor-mal hearing at 25～36 months of age had significantly longer wave Ⅲ latencies and the interpeak latencies of Ⅰ-Ⅲ andⅠ-Ⅴ;the significantly longer wave Ⅲ,Ⅴ latencies,the interpeak latencies of Ⅰ-Ⅲ,Ⅲ-Ⅴ and Ⅰ-Ⅴ in autistic chil-dren with normal hearing at 37～48 months of age.Autistic children with normal hearing in the＞48 months group had significantly longer wave Ⅴ latencies and interpeak latencies of Ⅲ-Ⅴ,Ⅰ-Ⅴ than age-matched TD children(P＜0.05).③ The higher the ASD severity grading the longer the wave Ⅲ and V latencies and the longer interpeak latencies of Ⅰ-Ⅲ,Ⅲ-Ⅴ,and Ⅰ-Ⅴ(P＜0.05).Conclusion Differences in the level of auditory brainstem pathway de-velopment emerged at 25 months of age,and autistic children with normal hearing had significantly lower levels of auditory brainstem development than age-matched TD children.There were correlations between the latencies and interpeak latencies of ABR in autistic children with normal hearing and the severity grading.

BACKGROUND:Studies have shown that poor dynamic postural control may lead to abnormal movement patterns during exercise,which may increase the risk of lower limb joint and anterior cruciate ligament injury.The stability of the body core is the basis of good dynamic postural control. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effects of core stability training on dynamic postural control and risk of injury in landing movements,and to compare the differences in training effects between genders. METHODS:Thirty-five college students(male=19,female=16)were recruited for 6 weeks of core stability training.The results of the Y balance test,trunk extensor endurance test,trunk flexor endurance test,lateral bridge endurance test,and landing error scoring system were analyzed before and after training. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The 6-week core stability training could improve trunk extensor endurance(P＜0.001),flexor endurance(P＜0.001),and lateral abdominal muscle endurance(P＜0.001).Core stability training could improve forward distance(P=0.026),backward inward distance(P＜0.001),backward outward distance(P=0.005)and comprehensive score(P＜0.001)of Y balance test for male and female college students.Landing error scoring system scores of both male and female college students significantly decreased after 6 weeks of core stability training(P＜0.001)while increasing knee(P＜0.001)and hip flexion angles(P＜0.001),decreasing knee valgus angle(P＜0.001)at the moment of touchdown,and could increase the maximum knee flexion angle(P＜0.001)and decrease the maximum knee valgus angle(P＜0.001).It is concluded that core stability training improves dynamic postural control and improves landing movement patterns,suggesting that it may help reduce the risk of anterior cruciate ligament injury.There are no sex differences in core stability training in terms of increased trunk flexor endurance,lateral bridge muscle group endurance,improved dynamic postural control,and reduced risk of anterior cruciate ligament injury.

BACKGROUND:Quercetin plays an important role in the proliferation and differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells,but less research has been done on its mechanism of promoting the migration of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. OBJECTIVE:To study the effect of quercetin on the migration of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells through in vitro experiments,and to explore the regulatory role of CCR1 and CXCR4. METHODS:Human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were selected as experimental subjects.CCK8 assay was used to detect the effect of quercetin on the proliferative activity of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells.Cell scratch assay and Transwell assay were used to detect the in vitro invasive and migratory abilities of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells after quercetin treatment,respectively.The role of quercetin in relation to CCR1 and CXCR4 was demonstrated with the help of molecular docking technology.Western blot assay and real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR were used to detect the migration-related chemokine expression after quercetin treatment. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)5 and 10 μmol/L quercetin could significantly promote the proliferation of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells,and the drug concentration of 10 μmol/L resulted in the highest cell proliferation efficiency.(2)To better explore the dose-effect relationship of quercetin affecting the migration of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells,5 and 10 μmol/L quercetin were selected for the subsequent experiments,and ligustrazine was used as the positive control drug,and the experiments were divided into blank control group,5 μmol/L quercetin group,10 μmol/L quercetin group,and 100 μmol/L ligustrazine group.(3)In vitro migration and invasion ability of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were elevated in a concentration-dependent manner after quercetin treatment,and the migration effect of 10 μmol/L quercetin group was better than that of ligustrazine group.(4)The molecular docking results suggested that there was a strong interaction between quercetin and CCR1 and CXCR4.(5)Quercetin could up-regulate the expression of CCR1 and CXCR4 proteins and mRNA.(6)This study confirmed at the cellular level that quercetin could promote the migration of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells by targeting CCR1 and CXCR4.

Objective:This study aimed to compare the audiological characteristics between children with unilateral auditory neuropathy (UAN) and single-sided deafness (SSD) to establish a valid basis for the differential diagnosis of children with UAN.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on audiological and imaging evaluations of children with UAN and SSD who were treated at Beijing Children′s Hospital of Capital Medical University between May 2015 and June 2023. There were 17 children with UAN, comprising 10 males and 7 females, with an average age of 4.7 years. Additionally, there were 43 children with SSD, consisting of 27 males and 16 females, with an average age of 6.5 years. Audiological assessments included Auditory brainstem response (ABR), Steady-state auditory evoked potential (ASSR), Behavioural audiometry, Cochlear microphonic potential (CM), Distortino-product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE), and acoustic immittance test. The results of the audiological assessment and imaging phenotypic between the two groups of children were compared and analyzed by applying SPSS 27.0 statistical software.Results:(1) The UAN group (77.8%) had a significantly higher rate of ABR wave III L than the SSD group (20.9%) ( P<0.01). The PA thresholds at 500 Hz and 1 000 Hz of children with SSD were higher than those of children with UAN, while the ASSR thresholds at 500 Hz, 1000 Hz, 2 000 Hz, and 4 000 Hz of children with SSD were significantly higher than those of children with UAN ( P<0.05). (2) The degree of hearing loss in both UAN and SSD children was predominantly complete hearing loss. The percentage of complete hearing loss was significantly higher (χ2=4.353, P=0.037) in the SSD group (93.0%, 40/43) than in the UAN group (63.6%, 7/11). However, the percentage of profound hearing loss was significantly higher in the UAN group (27.3%, 3/11) than in the SSD group (2.3%, 1/43) ( Fisher′s exact test, P=0.023). In terms of hearing curve configuration, the percentage of flat type was significantly higher in the SSD group (76.7%, 33/43) than in the UAN group (36.4%, 4/11). The proportion of the UAN group (27.3%, 3/11) was significantly higher than that in the SSD group (2.3%, 1/43) in ascending type ( P<0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in the hearing curves of the declining type and other types between the two groups ( P>0.05). (3) The proportion of imaging assessment without abnormality was significantly more common in the UAN group (81.8%) than in the SSD group (37.1%) (χ2=6.695, P=0.015). Conclusions:Compared to children with SSD, the occurrence of wave III L on the ABR test was significantly more common in children with UAN. The percentage of ascending hearing curves was significantly higher in children with UAN than in children with SSD. ASSR thresholds were significantly lower in children with UAN. The normal imaging phenotype was significantly more common in children with UAN than in children with SSD.

OBJECTIVE To optimize the water extraction process of Flos Lonicerae-Fructus Forsythuae and determine the range of water extraction process parameters.METHODS The active components were screened by network pharmacology,and the indica-tor ingredients were determined in combination with the quality markers under the relevant terms of Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2020 edition and the literature.Take extraction yield and the extraction rate of the indicative component as the critical quality attributes of the water extraction process to screen critical process parameters.The mathematical model was established by Box-Behnken experimental design to investigate the interaction between CQAs and CPPs and build the design space of the water extraction process of Flos Lonicerae-Fruc-tus Forsythuae.RESULTS The extraction percentages of phenolic acids,forsythoside A and forsythin were screened as the index components;specifications of medicinal slices,extraction time and water addition were the key process parameters.Based on the estab-lishment and optimization of the design space,the optimum water extraction process was obtained as follows:the medicinal slice of Lian-Qiao was broken into 0.8-1.2 cm,adding 12 times the amount of water in the first and extract for 30-50 min,10 times the a-mount of water in the second and extract for 25-30 min.CONCLUSION The verification results show that the measured value ob-tained by using the design space method to optimize the water extraction process is close to the predicted value,indicating that the method is stable and reliable,which can provide ideas for its further process development and quality control for the couple medicines of Flos Lonicerae-Fructus Forsythuae.