1.Ethical reflections on the clinical application of medical artificial intelligence
Fangfang CUI ; Zhonglin LI ; Xianying HE ; Wenchao WANG ; Yuntian CHU ; Xiaobing SHI ; Jie ZHAO
Chinese Medical Ethics 2025;38(2):159-165
Medical artificial intelligence (AI) is a new type of application formed by the combination of machine learning, computer vision, natural language processing, and other technologies with clinical medical treatment. With the continuous iteration and development of relevant technologies, medical AI has shown great potential in improving the efficiency of diagnosis and treatment, and service quality, but it also increases the possibility of triggering ethical issues. Ethical issues resulting from the clinical application of medical AI were analyzed, including the lack of algorithmic interpretability and transparency of medical AI, leading to information asymmetry and cognitive discrepancies; the concerning status of security and privacy protection of medical data; and the complex and unclear division of responsibilities due to the collaborative participation of multiple subjects in the clinical application of medical AI, resulting in increased difficulty in the identification of medical accidents and clarification of responsibilities. The paper proposed the principles of not harming patients’ interests, physician’s subjectivity, fairness and inclusiveness, and rapid response. It also explored the strategies and implementation paths for responding to the ethical issues of medical AI from multiple perspectives, including standardizing the environment and processes, clarifying responsibility attribution, continuously assessing the impact of data protection, guaranteeing data security, ensuring model transparency and interpretability, carrying out multi-subject collaboration, as well as the principles of being driven by ethical values and adhering to the “human health-centeredness.” It aimed to provide guidance for the healthy development of medical AI, ensuring technological progress while effectively managing and mitigating accompanying ethical risks, thereby promoting the benign development of medical AI technology and better serving the healthcare industry and patients.
2.Research progress on impacts of air pollutants, gut microbiota, and seminal microbiota on semen quality
Wenchao XIA ; Jiahua SUN ; Yuya JIN ; Ruixin LUO ; Ruyan YAN ; Yuming GUI ; Yongbin WANG ; Fengquan ZHANG ; Wei WU ; Weidong WU ; Huijun LI
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2025;42(8):1003-1008
In recent years, China has been facing the dual challenges of declining fertility rates and births, with male reproductive health issues, especially the decline in semen quality, identified as a pivotal contributor to this phenomenon. Meanwhile, accumulating evidence indicates that air pollutants, an increasingly severe environmental problem, can damage semen quality not only directly through their biological toxicity but also indirectly by disrupting the composition of microbial communities in the gut and semen, thereby dysregulating immune function, endocrine homeostasis, and oxidative stress responses. The gut microbiota and semen microbiota, as important components of the human microecosystem, play crucial roles in maintaining reproductive health. This article comprehensively reviewed the research progress on the potential effects of air pollutants (particulate matter and gaseous pollutants), gut microbiota, and semen microbiota on semen quality. Specifically, it elucidated the mechanisms of interaction between these factors and explored how they affect male fertility.
3.Research on machine-learning quantitative evaluative model of manual acupuncture manipulation based on three-dimensional motion tracking technology.
Jiayao WAN ; Binggan WANG ; Tianai HUANG ; Fan WANG ; Wenchao TANG
Chinese Acupuncture & Moxibustion 2025;45(9):1201-1208
OBJECTIVE:
To develop an objective quantitative evaluative model of manual acupuncture manipulation (MAM) using three-dimensional motion tracking technology and machine learning, so as to provide a new approach to the study on acupuncture and moxibustion education and manipulation standardization.
METHODS:
A total of 120 undergraduate students in the major of acupuncture-moxibustion and tuina were recruited. The Simi Motion Ver.8.5 motion tracking system was used to collect the data of three types of MAM, balanced reinforcing and reducing by twisting, reinforcing technique by twisting and reducing technique by twisting. Eight quantitative parameters covering movement performance and stability were established. With 5 types of machine learning algorithms (logistic regression, random forest, support vector machine, K-nearest neighbor, and decision tree) adopted, the evaluative model was constructed, and the feature importance analyzed.
RESULTS:
In the evaluation of different types of MAM, the support vector machine presented the best for the effects of the balanced reinforcing and reducing by twisting, and the reducing by twisting (accuracy rates were both 0.88); and the logistic regression algorithm showed the optimal performance in evaluating the reinforcing by twisting (1.00 of accuracy rate). Feature importance analysis revealed that twisting velocity was the dominant parameter for evaluating the balanced reinforcing-reducing manipulation. The reinforcing and reducing of acupuncture techniques were more dependent on the left-hand twisting parameters and comprehensive performances, respectively.
CONCLUSION
The objective evaluative model of MAM based on three-dimensional motion tracking technology and machine learning demonstrates a reliable evaluative performance, providing a new technical approach to standardized assessment in acupuncture and moxibustion education.
Humans
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Male
;
Acupuncture Therapy/instrumentation*
;
Machine Learning
;
Female
;
Young Adult
;
Adult
;
Motion
5.Clinical outcomes and prognostic factors of pemphigus vulgaris and pemphigus foliaceus: A 20-year retrospective study.
Hongda LI ; Wenchao LI ; Zhenzhen WANG ; Shan CAO ; Pengcheng HUAI ; Tongsheng CHU ; Baoqi YANG ; Yonghu SUN ; Peiye XING ; Guizhi ZHOU ; Yongxia LIU ; Shengli CHEN ; Qing YANG ; Mei WU ; Zhongxiang SHI ; Hong LIU ; Furen ZHANG
Chinese Medical Journal 2025;138(10):1239-1241
6.Effectiveness of innervated medial plantar flap for reconstruction of soft tissue defects following foot tumor resection.
Wenchao ZHANG ; Luqi GUO ; Yan HAO ; Liangya WANG ; Chao ZHANG ; Yun WANG ; Jiuzuo HUANG ; Ang ZENG ; Xiao LONG
Chinese Journal of Reparative and Reconstructive Surgery 2025;39(9):1086-1090
OBJECTIVE:
To evaluate the effectiveness of the innervated medial plantar flap for reconstructing soft tissue defects, particularly in the weight-bearing zone, after resection of foot tumors.
METHODS:
A retrospective analysis was conducted on 12 patients with malignant skin and soft tissue tumors of the foot treated between October 2023 and December 2024. The cohort included 8 males and 4 females, aged 42-67 years (mean, 57.5 years). Tumor types comprised malignant melanoma (5 cases), squamous cell carcinoma (4 cases), arsenical keratosis (2 cases), and tumor-induced osteomalacia (1 case). Soft tissue defects located in the heel weight-bearing region in 10 cases and non-weight-bearing ankle region in 2 cases, with defect sizes ranging from 4.0 cm×3.0 cm to 6.0 cm×4.0 cm. Preoperative photon-counting CT angiography (PC-CTA) was performed to assess the medial plantar artery and its perforators. All patients underwent radical tumor resection with confirmed negative margins. The resulting defects were reconstructed using a innervated medial plantar flap incorporating sensory branches of the medial plantar nerve. The flap donor site was covered with a split-thickness skin graft harvested from the ipsilateral inguinal region.
RESULTS:
The operation was successfully completed in all 12 patients. All flaps survived completely without vascular compromise, partial necrosis, or total loss. Incisions healed primarily without dehiscence or infection. Minor skin graft necrosis occurred at the donor site in 3 patients, which healed within 2-3 weeks with routine dressing changes. No donor site complication (e.g., tendon or nerve injury) occurred. Patients were followed up 2-16 months (mean, 10.3 months). At last follow-up, there was no tumor recurrence. Flaps exhibited good color and texture match with surrounding tissue, restored sensation, and all feet achieved normal weight-bearing activity.
CONCLUSION
The innervated medial plantar flap, precisely designed based on PC-CTA localization, provides reliable blood supply and effective sensory restoration. It is an ideal method for reconstructing soft tissue defects after foot tumor resection, especially in the heel weight-bearing region.
Humans
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Male
;
Middle Aged
;
Female
;
Plastic Surgery Procedures/methods*
;
Adult
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Aged
;
Retrospective Studies
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Soft Tissue Neoplasms/surgery*
;
Surgical Flaps/blood supply*
;
Foot/surgery*
;
Skin Neoplasms/surgery*
;
Soft Tissue Injuries/surgery*
;
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/surgery*
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Treatment Outcome
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Skin Transplantation/methods*
;
Melanoma/surgery*
7.Neurotrophin-3 promotes the recovery of neurological function after cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats
Yan CONG ; Yanfei WANG ; Wenchao DONG ; Jian YU
Chinese Journal of Neuroanatomy 2024;40(1):78-84
Objective:To explore the role and mechanism of neurotrophin-3(NT-3)in promoting neurological func-tion recovery after cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats.Methods:Twenty-four SD rats were randomly divided into sham operation group(Sham),middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion(MCAO/R)group,and MCAO/R+NT-3 group.The neurological function scores of rats in each group were evaluated using the modified Garcia score.Western Blot was used to detect the expression of NT-3 and LC3B in brain tissues of rats.Culture dishes with the same density of neurons were randomly divided into normal group(Normal),oxygen-glucose deprivation(OGD)group,OGD+NT-3 group,OGD+NT-3+PF-06273340(TrkC inhibitor)group,OGD+NT-3+ZSTK474(PI3K inhibitor)group,and OGD+NT-3+CCT128930(AKT inhibitor)group.Western Blot was used to detect the expression of TrkC,the phosphorylation of PI3K/AKT,and LC3B in neurons.The morphological changes of neurons and the phenomenon of neuronal autophagy were observed using autophagy-specific fluorescent staining.Results:The animal experiment found that the expression of NT-3 increased in the brain tissue with ischemia-reperfusion injury(P<0.05),and after the treatment with exogenous NT-3,the modified Garcia score increased(P<0.05),and the level of autophagy weakened(P<0.05).The cell experiment found that NT-3 can inhibit neuronal autophagy under ischemic hypoxia and maintain the neuronal morphology to the maximum extent.After using PF-06273340,the expression of p-PI3K and p-AKT de-creased(P<0.05).After using ZSTK474 and CCT128930,the autophagy-inhibiting effect of NT-3 weakened(P<0.05).Conclusion:NT-3 inhibits autophagy via the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway to maintain neuronal survival,thereby promoting the recovery of neurological function after cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats.
8.The relationship between plasma sCD163/sTWEAK ratio and prognosis in patients with spontaneous acute cerebral hemorrhage
Wenchao ZHANG ; Xuehui YANG ; Tao YIN ; Ruijian WANG ; Mengmeng ZHANG
Tianjin Medical Journal 2024;52(3):297-301
Objective To investigate the relationship between the ratio of soluble hemoglobin scavenger receptor 163 protein(sCD163)/soluble tumor necrosis factor-like weak inducer of apoptosis(sTWEAK)in plasma and prognosis in patients with spontaneous acute cerebral hemorrhage(ACH).Methods From August 2020 to August 2022,90 patients with ACH admitted to the Department of Neurosurgery,Harison International Peace Hospital,Hengshui City were regarded as the research group.According to the Glasgow outcome scale,patients with ACH were separated into the poor prognosis group(n=38)and the good prognosis group(n=52).Another 45 healthy examinee who underwent physical examination were used as the control group.Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)was applied to detect plasma sCD163 and sTWEAK levels,and the sCD163/sTWEAK ratio was calculated.Pearson method was applied to analyze the correlation between plasma sCD163,sTWEAK levels,sCD163/sTWEAK ratio and clinical data.Logistic regression was applied to analyze influencing factors of poor prognosis in patients with ACH.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)was applied to analyze the predictive value of sCD163/sTWEAK ratio for poor prognosis of patients with ACH.Results The plasma levels of sCD163,sTWEAK and sCD163/sTWEAK ratio were obviously higher in the research group than those in the control group(P<0.05).The plasma levels of sCD163,sTWEAK and sCD163/sTWEAK ratio were obviously lower in the good prognosis group than those in the poor prognosis group(P<0.05).Hematoma volume,National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale(NIHSS)scores,hypertension and subtentorial hemorrhage were lower in the good prognosis group than those in the poor prognosis group,and low density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C)was higher in the good prognosis group than that in the poor prognosis group(P<0.05).Correlation analysis showed that plasma sCD163,and sTWEAK levels and the sCD163/sTWEAK ratio were positively correlated with bleeding site,hematoma volume,NIHSS score,white blood cell count,platelet count and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio(NLR)(P<0.05).Results of Logistic regression analysis showed that sCD163,sTWEAK,sCD163/sTWEAK ratio,hematoma volume,bleeding site and NIHSS score were influencing factors for poor prognosis in patients with ACH(P<0.05).Results of receiver operating characteristic showed that the AUC of sCD163/sTWEAK ratio in evaluating poor prognosis of patients with ACH was 0.850,and the sensitivity and specificity were 86.84%and 69.23%.Conclusion The sCD163/sTWEAK ratio has a high level in the plasma of patients with ACH,which is associated with poor prognosis and has important value in predicting the prognosis of patients with ACH.
9.Repair effect of ephedrine on lipopolysaccharide-induced microglia function injury and its mechanism
Tao YIN ; Lizhen JIANG ; Mengmeng ZHANG ; Ruijian WANG ; Wenchao ZHANG
China Pharmacy 2024;35(1):33-37
OBJECTIVE To study the repair effect of ephedrine on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced microglia function injury and its mechanism. METHODS Human microglia cells (HMC3) were used as research objects to investigate the effects of different concentrations of ephedrine (75, 150, 300, 600 μg/mL) on the viability and apoptosis of HMC3 cells. HMC3 cells were divided into control group (without drug intervention), LPS group (1 μg/mL), ephedrine group (1 μg/mL LPS+300 μg/mL ephedrine), BAY11-7082 group [1 μg/mL LPS+5 μmol/L nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathway inhibitor BAY11-7082], inhibitor group (1 μg/mL LPS+300 μg/mL ephedrine+5 μmol/L BAY11-7082) and activator group (1 μg/mL LPS+300 μg/mL ephedrine+1 μmol/L NF-κB pathway activator Prostratin). After 24 hours of drug treatment, cell migration, the levels of soluble interleukin-6(sIL-6), interleukin-10(IL-10), superoxide dismutase(SOD)and malondialdehyde(MDA), and the expressions of NF-κB pathway-related proteins were all detected. RESULTS The viability of HMC3 cells could be increased significantly by 300 μg/mL ephedrine, while the apoptotic rate was decreased significantly (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the number of migrating cells was increased significantly in the LPS group; the levels of sIL-6 and MDA, the phosphorylation of NF-κB protein were increased significantly, while the levels of IL-10 and SOD were decreased significantly (P<0.05). Compared with the LPS group, the above indexes were reversed significantly in the ephedrine group and BAY11-7082 group (P<0.05). Compared with the ephedrine group, the number of migrating cells was decreased significantly in the inhibitor group; the levels of sIL-6 and MDA, the phosphorylation of NF-κB protein were decreased significantly, while the levels of IL-10 and SOD were increased significantly (P<0.05). The above indexes were reversed significantly in the activator group (P<0.05)can repair cell injury by inhibiting LPS induced apoptosis, migration, inflammation and oxidant stress of HMC3 cells, the mechanism of which may be associated with inhibiting the activity of the NF-κB signaling pathway.
10.Advances in research and application of ionizing radiation biomarkers
Hongling OU ; Wenchao AI ; Yan WANG ; Yingying MA ; Lei SHI ; Qiaoyun ZHANG ; Xiujun SONG ; Xinru WANG
Chinese Journal of Pharmacology and Toxicology 2024;38(1):70-78
Exposure to ionizing radiation intervenes in genomic stability and gene expression,resulting in the disruption of normal metabolic processes in cells and organs by causing complex biolog-ical responses.Altered genomic variations,gene expression and metabolite concentrations in blood or tissue samples reflect systemic radiation damage.With the application of new techniques and exten-sive study on the mechanisms for ionizing radiation damage,related indicators such as chromosomal variation,gene expression,lipid and metabolism are being recognized and promise to be the markers for early diagnosis and prognosis of radiation exposure.Therefore,this article reviews recent progress in and potential applications of biomarkers related to ionizing radiation injury.

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