Objective To explore the diagnosis and treatment strategies for elderly patients with ground-glass opacity (GGO). Methods The imaging features and postoperative pathological findings of the elderly patients with pulmonary GGO receiving surgery in our hospital from 2017 to 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into an elderly patient group and a non-elderly patient group based on their age. Results Finally 575 patients were included in the study. There were 281 elderly patients, including 83 males and 198 females, with an average age of (67.0±5.3) years. There were 294 non-elderly patients, including 88 males and 206 females, with an average age of (49.1±7.3) years. Compared with the non-elderly patients, elderly GGO patients showed the following distinct clinical features: long observation time for lesions (P=0.001), high proportion of rough edges of GGO (P<0.001), significant pleural signs (P＜0.001) and bronchial signs (P＜0.001), and high proportion of type Ⅱ-Ⅳ GGO (P<0.001), lobectomy type (P=0.013), and invasive lesions reported in postoperative pathology (P<0.001). There was no statistical difference in the average hospital stay between the two groups (P=0.106). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that GGO diameter and GGO type were the main factors affecting the operation. Observation time, GGO diameter, GGO type and pleural signs were the main influencing factors for postoperative pathological infiltrative lesions. The cut-off value of GGO diameter in predicting infiltrating lesions was 10.5 mm in the elderly patients group. Conclusion The size and type of GGO are important factors in predicting invasive lesions and selecting surgical methods. Elderly patients with radiographic manifestations of type Ⅱ-Ⅳ GGO lesions with a diameter greater than 10.5 mm should be closely followed up.

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.

Artificial intelligence (AI), particularly deep learning, has demonstrated remarkable performance in medical imaging across a variety of modalities, including X-ray, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound, positron emission tomography (PET), and pathological imaging. However, most existing state-of-the-art AI techniques are task-specific and focus on a limited range of imaging modalities. Compared to these task-specific models, emerging foundation models represent a significant milestone in AI development. These models can learn generalized representations of medical images and apply them to downstream tasks through zero-shot or few-shot fine-tuning. Foundation models have the potential to address the comprehensive and multifactorial challenges encountered in clinical practice. This article reviews the clinical applications of both task-specific and foundation models, highlighting their differences, complementarities, and clinical relevance. We also examine their future research directions and potential challenges. Unlike the replacement relationship seen between deep learning and traditional machine learning, task-specific and foundation models are complementary, despite inherent differences. While foundation models primarily focus on segmentation and classification, task-specific models are integrated into nearly all medical image analyses. However, with further advancements, foundation models could be applied to other clinical scenarios. In conclusion, all indications suggest that task-specific and foundation models, especially the latter, have the potential to drive breakthroughs in medical imaging, from image processing to clinical workflows.
Humans ; Artificial Intelligence ; Deep Learning ; Diagnostic Imaging/methods* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Positron-Emission Tomography

Objective:To investigate the distribution of pathogenic bacteria in the ear canal secretions of patients with chronic suppurative otitis media（CSOM）, the changes in the levels of interleukin-8（IL-8） and Toll like receptor 4（TLR4） in the ear canal secretions, and their clinical significance. Methods:This study selected 128 CSOM patients who visited our hospital from January 2022 to February 2024 as the study subjects and recorded them as the CSOM group. Additionally, 135 volunteers who underwent physical examinations at our hospital during the same period were regarded as the control group. Video otoscopy was used to collect and cultivate ear canal secretions, and a fully automated microbial identification instrument was used to identify the bacterial species. ELISA was applied to detect levels of IL-8, TLR4. Multivariate logistic regression was employed to examine the factors that affect the occurrence of CSOM. Pearson correlation was applied to analyze the correlation between IL-8, TLR4 levels and various influencing factors. ROC curve was applied to analyze the diagnostic value of IL-8 and TLR4 levels for the occurrence of CSOM. Z-test was applied to compare the differences in AUC. Results:Among 128 patients, the detection rate was 89.06%, and a total of 181 strains of pathogenic bacteria were cultured, among them, Gram positive bacteria accounted for the highest proportion of 54.14%, followed by Gram negative bacteria, accounting for 34.25%, and finally fungi, accounting for 11.60%. The common bacteria were Staphylococcus aureus （20.44%）, Pseudomonas aeruginosa （13.26%）, and Staphylococcus epidermidis （8.29%）. The resistance of Gram-positive bacteria to penicillin, clindamycin, erythromycin, and amoxicillin is high. Gram-negative bacteria are highly resistant to penicillin, ampicillin and erythromycin. Fungi are resistant to ketoconazole and fluconazole. The levels of IL-8 and TLR4 in CSOM group were higher than those in the control group, and gradually increased with the increase of hearing impairment. （P<0.05）. Elevated levels of IL-8, TLR4 were independent risk factors for the occurrence of CSOM（P<0.05）. The AUC of CSOM diagnosed by IL-8 and TLR4 alone was 0.790 and 0.777, respectively, while the AUC of combined diagnosis was 0.898, which was better than their respective individual diagnoses（both P<0.05）. Conclusion:The distribution of pathogenic bacteria in the ear canal secretions of CSOM patients is mainly Gram positive, with common ones being Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The levels of IL-8 and TLR4 in CSOM patients are higher than those in the control group. The higher the levels, the higher the degree of hearing loss, which can be used for clinical diagnosis.
Humans ; Toll-Like Receptor 4/metabolism* ; Interleukin-8/metabolism* ; Otitis Media, Suppurative/metabolism* ; Ear Canal/metabolism* ; Chronic Disease ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Clinical Relevance

Aim To investigate the protective effect of remimazolam(Re)combined with thoracic sympathetic nerve block(TSNB)on myocardial ischemia/reperfusion(MI/R)rats.Methods Rats were randomly separated into control group,MI/R group,Re group,TSNB group,and Re+TSNB group,with 12 rats in each group.Except for the control group,the remaining rats were subjected to left anterior descending coronary artery(LAD)ligation to construct an MI/R model.In the Re group,20 mg/kg Re was intraperitoneally injected 30 min before ischemia.In TSNB group,0.2％ropivacaine 50 μL was injected into the thoracic epidural catheter 30 min before ischemia.In the Re+TSNB group,20 mg/kg Re was intraperitoneally injected and 0.2％ropivacaine 50 μL was injected into the thoracic epidural catheter 30 min before ischemia.The control group and MI/R group were injected with normal saline only.Rats in each group were evaluated for cardiac function and infarct size.HE staining and TUNEL staining were applied to observe pathological changes in myocardial tissue and myocardial cell apoptosis.Serum myocardial injury markers creatine kinase(CK)and aspartate transaminase(AST),cardiac troponin(cTnⅠ),myocardial inflammatory factors interleukin-8(IL-8),tumor nec-rosis factor-α(TNF-α),and oxidative stress factors malondialdehyde(MDA),superoxide dismutase(SOD)were detec-ted.Western blot was applied to detect the expression of IL-8,TNF-α,B lymphoblastoma-2-associated X protein(Bax),and B-lymphoblastoma-2(Bcl-2)in myocardial tissue.Results Compared with the control group,the myocardial cells of rats showed edema and myocardial fiber disorder in the MI/R group,the left ventricular developmental pressure(LVDP),maximal left ventricular pressure rising rate(+dp/dtmax),maximal left ventricular pressure decreasing rate(-dp/dtmax),SOD activity,and level of Bcl-2 were significantly reduced,the myocardial infarction area,cell apoptosis rate,levels of cTnⅠ,CK,AST,IL-8,TNF-α,MDA,and Bax were increased(P＜0.05).Compared with the MI/R group,the morphology of myocardial fibers and myocardial cells was significantly improved in the Re group,TSNB group and Re+TSNB group,the LVDP,±dp/dtmax,SOD activity,and level of Bcl-2 were significantly increased,the myocardial infarction area,cell apoptosis rate,levels of cTnI,CK,AST,IL-8,TNF-α,MDA,and Bax were significantly decreased(P＜0.05).Compared with the Re group and TSNB group,the LVDP,±dp/dtmax,SOD activity,and level of Bcl-2 were significantly increased in the Re+TSNB group,the myocardial infarction area,cell apoptosis rate,levels of cTnⅠ,CK,AST,IL-8,TNF-α,MDA,and Bax were significantly decreased(all P＜0.05).Conclusion The combination of Re and TSNB may protect against MI/R injury by reducing myocardial infarction and myocardial cell apoptosis,and inhibiting inflammatory response and oxidative stress.

Objective To investigate the expression levels of selenoprotein genes in the patients with coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)and the possible regulatory mechanisms.Methods The dataset GSE177477 was obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus,consisting of a symptomatic group(n=11),an asymptomatic group(n=18),and a healthy control group(n=18).The dataset was preprocessed to screen the differentially expressed genes(DEG)related to COVID-19,and gene ontology functional annotation and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes enrichment analysis were performed for the DEGs.The protein-protein interaction network of DEGs was established,and multivariate Logistic regression was employed to analyze the effects of selenoprotein genes on the presence/absence of symptoms in the patients with COVID-19.Results Compared with the healthy control,the symptomatic COVID-19 patients presented up-regulated expression of GPX1,GPX4,GPX6,DIO2,TXNRD1,SELENOF,SELENOK,SELENOS,SELENOT,and SELENOW and down-regulated ex-pression of TXNRD2 and SELENON(all P＜0.05).The asymptomatic patients showcased up-regulated expres-sion of GPX2,SELENOI,SELENOO,SELENOS,SELENOT,and SELENOW and down-regulated expression of SELP(all P＜0.05).The results of multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that the abnormally high expression of GPX1(OR=0.067,95％CI=0.005-0.904,P=0.042)and SELENON(OR=56.663,95％CI=3.114-856.999,P=0.006)was the risk factor for symptomatic COVID-19,and the abnormally high expres-sion of SELP was a risk factor for asymptomatic COVID-19(OR=15.000,95％CI=2.537-88.701,P=0.003).Conclusions Selenoprotein genes with differential expression are involved in the regulation of COVID-19 development.The findings provide a new reference for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19.

Objective:To explore the application effects of modified nest positioning in premature infants.Methods:Totally 104 premature infants admitted to Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital from January 2021 to March 2023 were selected by convenience sampling. The infants were randomly divided into a control group (52 cases) and an observation group (52 cases) according to a random number table. The control group received conventional nest positioning care, while the observation group received a specially designed modified nest positioning intervention in addition to the care provided to the control group. The vital signs and growth and development of the infants were compared before and after the intervention.Results:After the intervention, the post-intervention respiratory rate and heart rate of premature infants in the observation group were lower than those in the control group, and the blood oxygen saturation in the observation group was higher than that in the control group ( P<0.05). In addition, the head circumference, length, and weight of premature infants in the observation group were superior to those in the control group after the intervention ( P<0.05) . Conclusions:The modified nest positioning intervention has a positive impact on the vital signs and growth and development of premature infants.

Background With the aging of China's population, cognitive impairment in the elderly is receiving increasing public attention. Screening and intervention of people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are of great significance to prevent and reduce the occurrence of cognitive impairment. Objective To understand the prevalence and explore potential influencing factors of MCI in the elderly in Songjiang District, Shanghai, and to provide scientific basis for promoting early screening of cognitive impairment and precise intervention of MCI in the elderly in this area. Methods A cross-sectional study design was adopted. From August to October 2022, using multi-stage random sampling, 1800 elderly residents aged 60 years and above were screened for cognitive impairment in 6 neighborhood/village committees in 6 towns in Songjiang District. The survey questionnaires included a sociodemographic questionnaire, a health status and lifestyle questionnaire, the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL), the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Prevalence rates of MCI among the elderly by selected social demographic characteristics, health status, and lifestyle were estimated, and potential influencing factors of MCI were evaluated by binary logistic regression. Results A total of 209 elderly residents with MCI and 1591 healthy elderly residents were detected, and the prevalence of MCI in the elderly aged 60 and above was 11.6% in Songjiang District. Being physically active (OR=0.556, 95%CI: 0.399, 0.774) reduced the risk of MCI. Illiteracy (OR=1.810, 95%CI: 1.239, 2.644), primary school education level (OR=3.454, 95%CI: 2.342, 5.092), non-participation in social activities (OR=1.945, 95%CI: 1.360, 2.781), IADL damaged (OR=3.173, 95%CI: 2.137, 4.712), and depression (OR=1.957, 95%CI: 1.112, 3.443) increased the risk of MCI (P＜0.05). Conclusion The prevalence of MCI among the elderly in Songjiang District is lower than the national average. Educational level, physical activity, participation in social activities, IADL, and depression may be the influencing factors of MCI in the elderly. It is recommended to carry out early screening, early detection, and early intervention for cognitive impairment in the elderly. Improving involvement in physical exercise and increasing participation in social activities are encouraged. Special attention should be paid to the needs of vulnerable groups such as low education level and disabled elderly during a community MCI intervention program.

Objective: To investigate the awareness of air pollution protection knowledge and its influencing factors among primary school students in Shennongjia Forest District, Hubei Province, so as to provide insights into targeting implementation of health education on air pollution protection knowledge. Methods: Students in Grade 3 to 5 in Shennongjia Shiyan primary school were enrolled by stratified cluster sampling method, and students' demographic features and awareness of air pollution protection knowledge were investigated using the Investigation on the Effects of Air Pollution Health Protection of Pupils (Volume A). Factors affecting the awareness of air pollution protection knowledge among primary school students were identified using a multivariable logistic regression model. Results: A total of 897 questionnaires were allocated, and 877 valid questionnaires were recovered, with an effective rate of 97.77%. The respondents included 446 men (50.86%) and 431 women (49.14%), 301 third grade students (34.32%), 284 fourth grade students (32.38%), and 292 fifth grade students (33.30%), and had a mean age of (10.32±0.93) years. The overall awareness of air pollution protection was 55.76%, and the awareness rates of basic concepts, basic knowledge, and basic behaviors and skills were 42.99%, 53.48% and 57.24%, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression analysis identified age (OR=1.453, 95%CI: 1.053-2.005), living with parents (OR=2.638, 95%CI: 1.571-4.429), mother's educational level (below primary school, OR=0.270, 95%CI: 0.084-0.862; primary school, OR=0.169, 95%CI: 0.069-0.416; junior high school, OR=0.309, 95%CI: 0.138-0.691; high school, OR=0.352, 95%CI: 0.160-0.773) and average annual family income (50 000 to 100 000 Yuan, OR=1.629, 95%CI: 1.162-2.282; 100 000 to 150 000 Yuan, OR=1.802, 95%CI: 1.101-2.948; ≥150 000 Yuan, OR=1.939, 95%CI: 1.065-3.529) as factors affecting the awareness of air pollution protection knowledge among primary school students. Conclusion The awareness of air pollution protection knowledge is 55.76% among primary school students in Shennongjia Forest District, and is affected by age, mother's educational level, average annual family income and living with parents.