With the emergence of deep learning techniques based on convolutional neural networks, artificial intelligence (AI) has driven transformative developments in the field of medical image analysis. Recently, large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT have also started to achieve distinction in this domain. Increasing research shows the undeniable role of AI in reshaping various aspects of medical image analysis, including processes such as image enhancement, segmentation, detection in image preprocessing, and postprocessing related to medical diagnosis and prognosis in clinical settings. However, despite the significant progress in AI research, studies investigating the recent advances in AI technology in the aforementioned aspects, the changes in research hotspot trajectories, and the performance of studies in addressing key clinical challenges in this field are limited. This article provides an overview of recent advances in AI for medical image analysis and discusses the methodological profiles, advantages, disadvantages, and future trends of AI technologies.
Artificial Intelligence ; Humans ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted/methods* ; Neural Networks, Computer ; Deep Learning ; Diagnostic Imaging/methods*

Cardiac fibrosis is characterized by an elevated amount of extracellular matrix (ECM) within the heart. However, the persistence of cardiac fibrosis ultimately diminishes contractility and precipitates cardiac dysfunction. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are emerging as important regulators of cardiac fibrosis. Here, we elucidate the functional role of a specific circular RNA CELF1 in cardiac fibrosis and delineate a novel feedback loop mechanism. Functionally, circ-CELF1 was involved in enhancing fibrosis-related markers' expression and promoting the proliferation of cardiac fibroblasts (CFs), thereby exacerbating cardiac fibrosis. Mechanistically, circ-CELF1 reduced the ubiquitination-degradation rate of BRPF3, leading to an elevation of BRPF3 protein levels. Additionally, BRPF3 acted as a modular scaffold for the recruitment of histone acetyltransferase KAT7 to facilitate the induction of H3K14 acetylation within the promoters of the Celf1 gene. Thus, the transcription of Celf1 was dramatically activated, thereby inhibiting the subsequent response of their downstream target gene Smad7 expression to promote cardiac fibrosis. Moreover, Celf1 further promoted Celf1 pre-mRNA transcription and back-splicing, thereby establishing a feedback loop for circ-CELF1 production. Consequently, a novel feedback loop involving CELF1/circ-CELF1/BRPF3/KAT7 was established, suggesting that circ-CELF1 may serve as a potential novel therapeutic target for cardiac fibrosis.

Enamel demineralization, the formation of white spot lesions, is a common issue in clinical orthodontic treatment. The appearance of white spot lesions not only affects the texture and health of dental hard tissues but also impacts the health and aesthetics of teeth after orthodontic treatment. The prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of white spot lesions that occur throughout the orthodontic treatment process involve multiple dental specialties. This expert consensus will focus on providing guiding opinions on the management and prevention of white spot lesions during orthodontic treatment, advocating for proactive prevention, early detection, timely treatment, scientific follow-up, and multidisciplinary management of white spot lesions throughout the orthodontic process, thereby maintaining the dental health of patients during orthodontic treatment.
Humans ; Consensus ; Dental Caries/etiology* ; Dental Enamel/pathology* ; Tooth Demineralization/etiology* ; Tooth Remineralization

Objective:To study the longitudinal trends and spatial clustering characteristics of healthcare service efficiency in China and in North,Northeast,East,Central,South,Southwest,and Northwest China.Methods:The Malmquist index model is used to measure China's healthcare service efficiency from 2012 to 2021,the Dagum Gini coefficient as well as the decomposition method are used to measure the magnitude and source of regional gaps in healthcare service efficiency,and the Kernel density estimation is used to study the longitudinal trend of change and spatial agglomeration characteristics of China's healthcare service efficiency.Results:China's overall healthcare service efficiency is growing,and the inter-regional gap is gradually narrowing,characterized by a concentration trend;the gap in the level of healthcare service efficiency between regions did not widen during the period under examination,but it was found that the gap within some regions was still significant.Conclusion:The national health service efficiency is growing slightly,and the regional gap is generally decreasing,but the Gini coefficient shows that the inter-regional contribution is still the main source of the gap.National health service efficiency is generally concentrated,but some regions are less efficient,with significant internal disparities.

Objective:To study the longitudinal trends and spatial clustering characteristics of healthcare service efficiency in China and in North,Northeast,East,Central,South,Southwest,and Northwest China.Methods:The Malmquist index model is used to measure China's healthcare service efficiency from 2012 to 2021,the Dagum Gini coefficient as well as the decomposition method are used to measure the magnitude and source of regional gaps in healthcare service efficiency,and the Kernel density estimation is used to study the longitudinal trend of change and spatial agglomeration characteristics of China's healthcare service efficiency.Results:China's overall healthcare service efficiency is growing,and the inter-regional gap is gradually narrowing,characterized by a concentration trend;the gap in the level of healthcare service efficiency between regions did not widen during the period under examination,but it was found that the gap within some regions was still significant.Conclusion:The national health service efficiency is growing slightly,and the regional gap is generally decreasing,but the Gini coefficient shows that the inter-regional contribution is still the main source of the gap.National health service efficiency is generally concentrated,but some regions are less efficient,with significant internal disparities.

Objective:To clarify the potential correlation between biological changes of meninges in periodontitis mice and cognitive impairment by analyzing the biological changes of meninges in periodontitis mice using single-cell RNA sequencing.Methods:Thirty C57BL/6 mice were divided into two groups by using random number table method (15 mice in each group). Mice in the control group were locally administered 2% carboxyl methyl cellulose (CMC) without Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) on both buccal sides. A mixture of Pg W83 and 2% CMC was applied on both buccal sides in the experimental group mice three times a week, lasting for 16 weeks in total. The absorption of alveolar bone, locomotor activity and cognitive function, the activation of microglia and astrocytes in the cortex were observed and assessed. The mRNA expression levels of Occludin in meninges and brain were detected in two groups. Single-cell RNA sequencing data of meninges were processed by uniform manifold approximation and projection (UMAP). Differential genes expressions of endothelial cells were processed by gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis. In addition, real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) was used to verify the expressions of transcription activating factor 3 (Atf3) and apolpoprotein L domain-containing 1 (Apold 1). Results:Methylene blue staining found the distances of buccal and palatal cement-enamel junction-alveolar bone crest in experimental mice [(185.60±17.60), (206.90±13.37) μm] increased significantly compared with the control group [(135.33±9.57), (163.05±14.98) μm] ( t=5.02, P=0.002; t=4.37, P=0.005). Open field experiment showed the total distance and average speed of mice in the experimental group [(971.88±164.57) cm, (3.25±0.55) cm/s] were not statistically significant compared with the control group [(914.24±278.81) cm, (3.05±0.93) cm/s] ( t=0.65, P=0.525; t=0.65, P=0.520). The recognition index of the experimental group [(48.02±16.92) %] was lower than the control group [(66.27±17.90) %] ( t=2.40, P=0.027) by novel object recognition tests. Compared with the control group [(63.56±11.88) %], the alternation of experimental group [(50.99±14.17) %] was significantly decreased in Y maze tests ( t=2.33, P=0.030). Immunohistochemistry results showed microglia and astrocytes were activated in the cortex of experimental mice. Compared with the control group (1.02±0.25, 1.04±0.31), the relative mRNA expressions of Occludin decreased significantly in the meninges and brain of periodontitis mice, respectively (0.61±0.10, 0.64±0.20) ( t=3.47, P=0.010; t=2.66, P=0.024). By single-cell RNA sequencing, meninges cells were divided into 11 types, such as endothelial cells, fibroblasts, immune cells and so on. Endothelial cells were the main cell types in meninges [the control group: 26.47% (1 589/6 004), the experimental group: 26.26% (807/3 073)]. Compared with the control group [5.56% (334/6 004)], the percentage of granulocytes increased in the periodontitis mice [11.65% (358/3 073)]. Using clustering analysis to further focus on endothelial cells, GO enrichment analysis revealed differential genes were mainly related to angiogenesis, cell adhesion, apoptosis and so on. KEGG enrichment analysis revealed that differential genes were related to signaling pathways of interleukin-17, relaxin and so on. The relative mRNA expressions of Atf3 and Apold1 in meninges of periodontitis mice (0.42±0.24, 0.54±0.27) were significantly lower than the control group (1.03±0.26, 1.02±0.23) ( t=3.88, P=0.005; t=3.02, P=0.017). Conclusions:The mice chronically infected with Pg W83 occurred memory impairment, neuroinflammation and changes of barrier function. In the meninges of periodontitis mice, there were infiltration of immune cells and down-regulation expressions of Atf3 and Apold1 by single-cell RNA sequencing. Meningeal immunity and changes of barrier function may play an important role in the cognitive impairment caused by periodontitis.

OBJECTIVE To explore the phenotypic changes and possible mechanisms of lncRNA OIP5-AS1 on the proliferation, migration, apoptosis, invasion and cycle of ovarian epithelial cells IOSE80. METHODS The clinical data of patients were collected from TCGA database and GEO database. After R package analysis, the differential expression of OIP5-AS1 was visualized in the volcanic map. The correlation between survival rate and OIP5-AS1 was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier. The IOSE80 cell model of OIP5-AS1 over expression and silencing was constructed with lentivirus vector. The expression of OIP5-AS1 was verified by RT-qPCR. Cell proliferation was detected by CCK-8. Invasion was detected by Transwell. Cell migration was detected by scratch test. Cell cycle and apoptosis were detected by flow cytometry. Western blotting was used to detect the expression of E-cadherin and N-cadherin, as well as the expression of cyclin-dependent kinase(CDK) and cyclin-G-related kinase(GAK). RESULTS RT-qPCR results showed that IOSE80 cell lines over expressing and silencing OIP5-AS1 were successfully constructed. CCK-8 results showed that overexpressing OIP5-AS1 promoted the proliferation of IOSE80 cells. Scratch test results showed that overexpressing OIP5-AS1 promoted the migration of IOSE80 cells. Transwell results showed that overexpressing OIP5-AS1 would increase the invasiveness of IOSE80 cells. Flow cytometry results showed that overexpression of OIP5-AS1 weakened the apoptosis of IOSE80 cells and promoted the progress of cell cycle. Western blotting results showed that overexpression of OIP5-AS1 downregulated the expression of E-cadherin and upregulated the expression of N-cadherin, while overexpression of OIP5-AS1 increased the expression of CDK and GAK proteins. CONCLUSION LncRNA OIP5-AS1 further interferes with the regulation of IOSE80 cell cycle by up regulating the expression of CDK and GAK, and then indirectly regulates the malignant phenotype of ovarian epithelial cells.

Objective: To find a viable alternative to reduce the number of doses required for the patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and to improve efficacy and patient compliance. Methods: In this study, we used ginger oil, a phytochemical with potential therapeutic properties, to prepare ginger oil patches. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to quantify the main active component of ginger oil, 6-gingerol. Transdermal absorption experiments were conducted to optimize the various pressure-sensitive adhesives and permeation enhancers, including their type and concentration. Subsequently, the ginger oil patches were optimized and subjected to content determination and property evaluations. A PTSD mouse model was established using the foot-shock method. The therapeutic effect of ginger oil patches on PTSD was assessed through pathological sections, behavioral tests, and the evaluation of biomarkers such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and melatonin (MT). Results: The results demonstrated that ginger oil patches exerted therapeutic effects against PTSD by inhibiting inflammatory responses and modulating MT and BDNF levels. Pharmacokinetic experiments revealed that ginger oil patches maintained a stable blood drug concentration for at least one day, addressing the rapid metabolism drawback of 6-gingerol and enhancing its therapeutic efficacy. Conclusions Ginger oil can be prepared as a transdermal drug patch that meets these requirements, and the bioavailability of the prepared patch is better than that of oral administration. It can improve PTSD with good patient compliance and ease of administration. Therefore, it is a promising therapeutic formulation for the treatment of PTSD.

Objective:To study the longitudinal trends and spatial clustering characteristics of healthcare service efficiency in China and in North,Northeast,East,Central,South,Southwest,and Northwest China.Methods:The Malmquist index model is used to measure China's healthcare service efficiency from 2012 to 2021,the Dagum Gini coefficient as well as the decomposition method are used to measure the magnitude and source of regional gaps in healthcare service efficiency,and the Kernel density estimation is used to study the longitudinal trend of change and spatial agglomeration characteristics of China's healthcare service efficiency.Results:China's overall healthcare service efficiency is growing,and the inter-regional gap is gradually narrowing,characterized by a concentration trend;the gap in the level of healthcare service efficiency between regions did not widen during the period under examination,but it was found that the gap within some regions was still significant.Conclusion:The national health service efficiency is growing slightly,and the regional gap is generally decreasing,but the Gini coefficient shows that the inter-regional contribution is still the main source of the gap.National health service efficiency is generally concentrated,but some regions are less efficient,with significant internal disparities.

Objective:To study the longitudinal trends and spatial clustering characteristics of healthcare service efficiency in China and in North,Northeast,East,Central,South,Southwest,and Northwest China.Methods:The Malmquist index model is used to measure China's healthcare service efficiency from 2012 to 2021,the Dagum Gini coefficient as well as the decomposition method are used to measure the magnitude and source of regional gaps in healthcare service efficiency,and the Kernel density estimation is used to study the longitudinal trend of change and spatial agglomeration characteristics of China's healthcare service efficiency.Results:China's overall healthcare service efficiency is growing,and the inter-regional gap is gradually narrowing,characterized by a concentration trend;the gap in the level of healthcare service efficiency between regions did not widen during the period under examination,but it was found that the gap within some regions was still significant.Conclusion:The national health service efficiency is growing slightly,and the regional gap is generally decreasing,but the Gini coefficient shows that the inter-regional contribution is still the main source of the gap.National health service efficiency is generally concentrated,but some regions are less efficient,with significant internal disparities.