BACKGROUND:The highest incidence of spinal fracture is in the thoracolumbar segment,and its symptoms are back pain,posterior convexity deformity,activity limitation,or with spinal cord nerve injury causing lower limb pain,numbness,and even paraplegia and other complications.The finite element method is a digital computer modeling technique,which can simulate the physical model and carry out force analysis realistically.OBJECTIVE:To review the application of finite element method in thoracolumbar spine fractures.METHODS:We searched the Chinese and English literature databases PubMed,Web of Science,and CNKI for relevant literature on the application of the finite element analysis method in spinal thoracolumbar fracture published before March 2024.The search terms in Chinese and English were:finite element analysis methods,biomechanical phenomena,stress analysis,thoracolumbar fractures,spinal fractures.Finally,55 papers were included.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The exploration of thoracolumbar fractures caused by different etiologies(osteoporotic,traumatic,and pathological)through the finite element method is conducive to a deeper understanding of the biomechanics of various types of thoracolumbar fractures,and to improve the individualized and fine-tuned treatment of thoracolumbar fractures.(2)The finite element analysis of a single sample or a small number of samples has the chance,and a larger number of samples are required for the future finite element analysis to reduce the chance caused by the sample.(3)The rigid structure of bones alone cannot meet the biomechanical working conditions of the integrity of the physical object,and future finite element models need to incorporate all the structures of the physical object(e.g.,soft tissues,such as muscles and ligaments)as far as possible.(4)The finite element method has been used in more studies on osteoporotic and traumatic thoracolumbar spine fractures,which will need to be more in-depth in the future,and less in the field of pathologic thoracolumbar fractures,which has a wider scope for future research.

OBJECTIVES: We propose a new melanoma segmentation model, SG-UNet, to enhance the precision of melanoma segmentation in dermascopy images to facilitate early melanoma detection. METHODS: We utilized a U-shaped convolutional neural network, UNet, and made improvements to its backbone, skip connections, and downsampling pooling sections. In the backbone, with reference to the structure of VGG, we increased the number of convolutions from 10 to 13 in the downsampling part of UNet to achieve a deepened network hierarchy that allowed capture of more refined feature representations. To further enhance feature extraction and detail recognition, we replaced the traditional convolution the backbone section with self-calibrated convolution to enhance the model's ability to capture both spatial and channel dimensional features. In the pooling part, the original pooling layer was replaced by Haar wavelet downsampling to achieve more effective multi-scale feature fusion and reduce the spatial resolution of the feature map. The global attention mechanism was then incorporated into the skip connections at each layer to enhance the understanding of contextual information of the image. RESULTS: The experimental results showed that the SG-UNet model achieved significantly improved segmentation accuracy on ISIC 2017 and ISIC 2018 datasets as compared with other current state-of-the-art segmentation models, with Dice reached 92.41% and 86.62% and IoU reaching 92.31% and 86.48% on the two datasets, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The proposed model is capable of effective and accurate segmentation of melanoma from dermoscopy images.
Melanoma/diagnosis* ; Humans ; Neural Networks, Computer ; Dermoscopy/methods* ; Skin Neoplasms ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted/methods* ; Calibration ; Algorithms

BACKGROUND:Degenerative scoliosis is defined as a condition that occurs in adulthood with a coronal cobb angle of the spine>10° accompanied by sagittal deformity and rotational subluxation,which often produces symptoms of spinal cord and nerve compression,such as lumbar pain,lower limb pain,numbness,weakness,and neurogenic claudication.The finite element method is a mechanical analysis technique for computer modelling,which can be used for spinal mechanics research by building digital models that can realistically restore the human spine model and design modifications. OBJECTIVE:To review the application of finite element method in the etiology and treatment of degenerative scoliosis. METHODS:The literature databases CNKI,PubMed,and Web of Science were searched for articles on the application of finite element method in degenerative scoliosis published before October 2023.Search terms were"finite element analysis,biomechanics,stress analysis,degenerative scoliosis,adult spinal deformity"in Chinese and English.Fifty-four papers were finally included. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The biomechanical findings from the degenerative scoliosis model constructed using the finite element method were identical to those from the in vivo experimental studies,which proves that the finite element method has a high practical value in degenerative scoliosis.(2)The study of the etiology and treatment of degenerative scoliosis by the finite element method is conducive to the prevention of the occurrence of the scoliosis,slowing down the progress of the scoliosis,the development of a more appropriate treatment plan,the reduction of complications,and the promotion of the patients'surgical operation.(3)The finite element method has gradually evolved from a single bony structure to the inclusion of soft tissues such as muscle ligaments,and the small sample content is increasingly unable to meet the research needs.(4)The finite element method has much room for exploration in degenerative scoliosis.

BACKGROUND:The highest incidence of spinal fracture is in the thoracolumbar segment,and its symptoms are back pain,posterior convexity deformity,activity limitation,or with spinal cord nerve injury causing lower limb pain,numbness,and even paraplegia and other complications.The finite element method is a digital computer modeling technique,which can simulate the physical model and carry out force analysis realistically.OBJECTIVE:To review the application of finite element method in thoracolumbar spine fractures.METHODS:We searched the Chinese and English literature databases PubMed,Web of Science,and CNKI for relevant literature on the application of the finite element analysis method in spinal thoracolumbar fracture published before March 2024.The search terms in Chinese and English were:finite element analysis methods,biomechanical phenomena,stress analysis,thoracolumbar fractures,spinal fractures.Finally,55 papers were included.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The exploration of thoracolumbar fractures caused by different etiologies(osteoporotic,traumatic,and pathological)through the finite element method is conducive to a deeper understanding of the biomechanics of various types of thoracolumbar fractures,and to improve the individualized and fine-tuned treatment of thoracolumbar fractures.(2)The finite element analysis of a single sample or a small number of samples has the chance,and a larger number of samples are required for the future finite element analysis to reduce the chance caused by the sample.(3)The rigid structure of bones alone cannot meet the biomechanical working conditions of the integrity of the physical object,and future finite element models need to incorporate all the structures of the physical object(e.g.,soft tissues,such as muscles and ligaments)as far as possible.(4)The finite element method has been used in more studies on osteoporotic and traumatic thoracolumbar spine fractures,which will need to be more in-depth in the future,and less in the field of pathologic thoracolumbar fractures,which has a wider scope for future research.

Objective:To evaluate the correlation between the degree of posterior longitudinal ligament (PLL) injury and various parameters of vertebral body injury in patients with thoracolumbar burst fractures.Methods:A total of 48 patients with thoracolumbar burst fractures were admitted to the Spine Surgery Center of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University between December 2022 and January 2024. The cohort consisted of 31 males and 17 females, with a mean age of 44.1±11.8 years (range, 18-65 years). Based on the PLL injury grading method proposed by Sun Zhaoyun, patients were classified into three groups: mild, moderate, and severe. However, due to an insufficient number of patients in the severe group ( n=3), the moderate and severe groups were combined for statistical analysis, resulting in two groups: mild, and moderate-to-severe. Patient demographic and clinical data were collected. Local kyphosis (LK), inversion angle (IA), horizontal rotation angle (HRA), increased interspinous distance (IISD), anterior vertebral body compression ratio (AVBCR), posterior vertebral body compression ratio (PVBCR), middle vertebral body compression ratio (MVBCR), the ratio of height of bone fragment (RHBF), the ratio of width of bone fragment (RWBF), and mid-sagittal canal diameter compression ratio (MSDCR) were measured. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 25.0. Categorical variables were expressed as frequency (percentage) and analyzed using chi-square and Fisher exact tests. Continuous variables were tested for normality, with non-normally distributed data analyzed using the rank-sum test and expressed as median (interquartile range). Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify independent risk factors, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted to calculate the area under the curve (AUC) to evaluate predictive performance. Results:Among the 48 patients, only 3 were found to have severe PLL injury, necessitating the combination of the moderate and severe groups for statistical purposes. Patients in the moderate-to-severe group demonstrated significantly higher AVBCR, PVBCR, RHBF, MVBCR, MSDCR, and IA compared to the mild group ( P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression identified AVBCR, PVBCR, MSDCR, and IA as independent risk factors for moderate-to-severe PLL injury ( OR>1, P<0.05). ROC curve analysis revealed that AVBCR, PVBCR, MSDCR, IA, and their combined index could effectively predict moderate-to-severe PLL injury ( P<0.05). Notably, the combined index showed superior predictive performance (AUC=0.970) compared to individual parameters. Threshold values were determined as follows: AVBCR>45.30%, PVBCR>12.17%, MSDCR>27.13%, IA>5.90°, and the combined index >0.61, indicating PLL damage. Conclusion:AVBCR, PVBCR, MSDCR, IA, and their combined index are significantly associated with moderate-to-severe PLL injury in thoracolumbar burst fractures. The combined index demonstrates superior predictive ability compared to single parameters, providing a reliable tool for assessing PLL integrity.

Humans ; Aminoquinolines/therapeutic use* ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/genetics* ; Lung Neoplasms/genetics* ; Mutation/genetics* ; Standard of Care

Promoting rapid and good vascularization is still a great challenge for the research and development of biomaterials for wound repair. Current studies have shown that wound vascularization is closely related to the pores, components, and channels of biomaterials. Although the research and development of new medical functional materials have made rapid progress in recent years, and gratifying achievements have been made in the reconstruction of skin barrier function, regulation of wound microenvironment, and antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects, etc., the problem of rapid wound vascularization has not been solved. This paper introduces the process of wound vascularization, the strategy of biomaterials promoting wound vascularization, the construction of biomaterials promoting wound vascularization based on three-dimensional printing technology, and the influence of nanotechnology on wound vascularization, in order to provide new enlightenment for research and development of wound repair materials with rapid vascularization in the future.

Objective To explore the relationship between life events and depression of patients with primary sjgren's syndrome (PSS).Methods 80 patients with PSS complicating depressive disorder were tested by self-rating depression scale(SDS) and life event scale (LES),and compared with the control group including 80 PSS patients with non-depressive disorder matched with age and sex.Then the correlation between SDS and LES were analyzed.Results The total score of life events (32.72 ± 13.93),the score of negative life events (24.36 ±11.24),the score of SDS(58.60 ± 16.78) and the frequency of life events(91.3％) in the research group were higher than those in control group(P ＜ 0.05),but the positive life events score (7.15 ± 5.84) was lower than that in control group (9.76 ± 7.29),and there was statistically significant difference between the two groups (P ＜ 0.05),there were more negative life events,especially on the aspects of family,work and study in the research group.There was positive correlation among the negative life events score,total score of life events and SDS score in the research group(P＜ 0.01),meanwhile,negative correlation was revealed between the score of positive life events and SDS score in the research group(P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion Patients with PSS complicating depressive disorder experienced more negative life events which play an important role in depression of patients with PSS.

ObjectiveTo explore the best measurement of waist circumference related with intra-abdominal fat volume evaluated by CT scan.MethodsHeight,weight,and hip circumference were measured among 147 subjects aged over 18 years old.Waist circumference was measured at 3 different levels:the upper brim of the iliac crest ( WC1 ),the midpoint between costal brim and iliac crest ( WC2 ),and the umbilicus ( WC3 ).The intra-abdominal fat volume was evaluated by CT scan.ResultsIntra-abdominal fat volume was significantly higher in men than in women [ ( 1 236.0±608.4 vs 931.0±665.0)cm3,P＜0.01 ].Correlation analysis showed that WC1 ( r =0.634),WC2( r=0.677),and WC3 (r =0.712)were positively correlated with intra-abdominal fat volume ( all P＜0.01 ).Partial correlation analysis adjusted by gender,weight,or body mass index showed that the correlation of intra-abdominal fat volume with WC3 ( r were 0.488 and 0.432) was better than that with WC1( r were 0.347 and 0.293 ) and WC2 ( r were 0.424 and 0.365 ).Multiple linear stepwise regression analysis demonstrated that WC2 and WC3 were independently associated with intra-abdominal fat volume and WC3 was the strongest impact factor (β =0.270,R2c =0.504,P＜0.01 ).ConclusionsWaist circumference is a simple anthropometric measurement parameter reflecting the degree of intraabdominal fat accumulation.All three different measurements of waist circumference may reflect intra-abdominal fat volume,while waist circumference at umbilical level is the best among them.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the priority application of thin adrenal CT scanning in out-patients with hypertension for early diagnosis of adrenal hypertension.MethodsThe patients with hypertension were collected from January to August 2009,in whom the secondary hypertension ( including endocrine and renal hypertension) and malignant cancers were excluded.All patients accepted the adrenal CT scan firstly,and then the patients with the positive result of morphological abnormalities in the adrenal CT( including adenoma and hyperplasia)were evaluated for endocrine function of adrenal glands.Results A total 362 cases of hypertension were studied,in.cluding 162 males and 200 females.The average age was (60.9 ±9.3 ) year-old,the average duration of hypertension was ( 13.8 ±5.3 ) year.After adrenal thin layer scanner CT scan,35 patients ( 9.6％ ) with adrenal abnormalities were found.Endocrine functional assessments of adrenal glands were carried out among these patients,17 cases (4.7％) with functional lesions were diagnosed,including 14 cases(3.9％ )with primary hyperaldosteronism,2 cases(0.6％ )with Cushing's syndrome,and 1 case ( 0.3％ ) with pheochromocytoma.Conclusion This study revealed that the percentage of adrenal lesions in outpatients with hypertension was 9.6％.The percentage of adrenal hypertension was 4.7％.Thin layer CT scan seems to effectively screen the adrenal hypertension with adrenal lesions,and would be helpful to the diagnosis of endocrine hypertension.