Objective To explore the efficiency improvement in segmenting neural network with the application of Transformer + U-Net artificial intelligence (AI) and modeling with the application of Python scripts in three-dimensional (3D) printing brachytherapy. Methods A Transformer + U-Net AI neural network model was constructed, and Adam optimizer was used to ensure rapid gradient descent. Computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging data of patients were standardized and processed as self-made data sets. The training set was used to train AI and the optimal result weight parameters were saved. The test set was used to evaluate the AI ability. Python programming language was used to write an automated script to obtain the output segmentation image and convert it to the STL file for import. The source applicator and needle could be automatically modeled. The time of automatic segmentation and modeling and the time of manual segmentation and modeling were entered by two people, and the difference was verified by paired t-test. Results Dice similarity coefficient (DSC), mean intersection over union (MIOU), and Hausdorff distance (HD95) were used for evaluation. DSC was 0.9341, MIOU was 0.8762, and mean HD95 was 2.516. The mean time of manual segmentation was 1187 s, and the mean time of AI segmentation was 145 s (P < 0.01). The mean time of manual modeling was 321 s, and the mean time of modeling with Python automated scripts was 18 s (P < 0.01). Conclusion The application of Transformer + U-Net automatic segmentation and Python automated scripts can effectively improve work efficiency in the 3D printing brachytherapy for cervical cancer.

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*

This consensus will introduce the characteristics of fillers used in the surgical cavities of domestic nasal surgery patients based on relevant literature and expert opinions. It will also provide recommendations for the selection of cavity fillers for different nasal diseases, with chronic sinusitis as a representative example.
Humans ; Nasal Cavity/surgery* ; Nasal Surgical Procedures ; China ; Consensus ; Sinusitis/surgery* ; Dermal Fillers

Objective:To investigate the prevalence of adult skeletal fluorosis caused by drinking tea-type endemic fluorosis in Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (hereinafter referred to as Yushu Prefecture), Qinghai Province, and provide scientific basis for prevention and control of the disease.Methods:In August 2021, one village was selected as a survey site in six counties (cities) in Yushu Prefecture, including Nangqian, Chindu, Yushu, Zadoi, Qumarlêb, and Zhiduo. Drinking water samples and 10 brick tea samples were collected from each village to determine the fluoride content in water and brick tea; at least 100 permanent residents aged ≥ 25, who had a habit of drinking brick tea and had lived in the local area for more than 5 years, were selected for X-ray imaging to examine the prevalence of adult skeletal fluorosis.Results:A total of 75 samples of residential drinking water were collected, with a fluoride content of (0.21 ± 0.05) mg/L, ranging from 0.11 to 0.34 mg/L; 60 samples of brick tea, with a fluoride content of (626.70 ± 157.27) mg/kg, ranging from 324.00 to 2 102.00 mg/kg. A total of 1 136 adults were examined, and 318 cases of skeletal fluorosis were diagnosed, with a detection rate of 27.99%. Among them, the detection rates of mild, moderate, and severe skeletal fluorosis were 20.95% (238/1 136), 6.07% (69/1 136), and 0.97% (11/1 136), respectively, with mild symptoms being the main. The detection rates of skeletal fluorosis in males and females were 29.09% (121/416) and 27.36% (197/720), respectively, with no statistically significant difference between the gender (χ 2 = 0.39, P = 0.533). Comparison of the skeletal fluorosis in different gender, the differences were statistically significant (χ 2 = 22.31, P < 0.001). The detection rates of skeletal fluorosis in the age groups of 25 - 35, 36 - 45, 46 - 55, 56 - 65, 66 - 75, and ≥76 years old were 6.86% (7/102), 22.37% (51/228), 24.02% (92/383), 37.44% (73/195), 43.48% (70/161), and 37.31% (25/67), respectively. The differences between the groups were statistically significant (χ 2 = 59.84, P < 0.001). Moreover, there was a statistically significant difference in the composition of skeletal fluorosis among different age groups ( H = 37.66, P < 0.001). The Spearman correlation analysis results showed that the severity of adult skeletal fluorosis was positively correlated with age ( r = 0.34, P < 0.001). Conclusions:There is a certain degree of prevalence of adult skeletal fluorosis in Yushu Prefecture. And as age increases, the condition of skeletal fluorosis becomes more severe.

Objective As important components in the microenvironment of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC),hepatic stellate cells(HSCs)and hydrogen sulfide(H2S)participate in various biological processes that regulate the development and progression of HCC.Through the co-culture of HSCs and HCC cells,this article aims to investigate the role and mechanism of HSCs in regulating the apoptosis of HCC cells by secreting H2S.Methods The HSC cell line(LX-2)and HCC cell lines(HepG2 and PLC/PRF/5)were used for experiment.RT-qPCR and Western Blot(WB)were used to measure the mRNA and protein expression levels of cystathionine γ-lyase(CSE),a key synthase for H2S;ELISA was used to measure the concentration of H2S in supernatant;next-generation sequencing,cell immunofluorescence assay,chromatin immunoprecipitation(ChIP),and WB were used to measure the JNK/JunB-TNFSF14 signaling pathway genes,binding sites,and related proteins after HepG2 cells were treated by H2S.LX-2 cells were co-cultured with HepG2 or PLC/PRF/5 cells in a Transwell chamber;CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry were used to measure the viability and apoptosis of HCC cells,and WB was used to measure the H2S-TNFSF14 signaling pathway-related proteins.All cell experiments were repeated three times.The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of continuous data between two groups;a one-way analysis of variance or the analysis of variance with repeated measures was used for comparison between multiple groups,and the Dunnett-t test was used for further comparison between two groups.Results LX-2 cells synthesized H2S mainly through CSE,and the concentration of H2S in supernatant of LX-2 cells gradually increased over time(22.89±0.08 pg/mL vs 28.29±0.15 pg/mL vs 36.19±1.90 pg/mL,F=79.63,P<0.05).In LX-2 cells,the mRNA expression level of CSE was significantly higher than that of CBS and MPST(1.008±0.13 vs 0.320±0.014 vs 0.05±0.02,F=80.84,P<0.05).When CSE was inhibited by PPG,the concentration of H2S decreased with the increase in the concentration of PPG(P<0.05).LX-2 cells were co-cultured with HepG2 or PLC/PRF/5 cells,and over the time of culture,there were significant reductions in the viability of HepG2 cells(87.48%±0.82%vs 70.48%±0.641%vs 52.89%±0.57%vs 45.20%±0.69%,F=1 517.13,P<0.001)and PLC/PRF/5 cells(92.41%±0.48%vs 74.10%±0.73%vs 53.70%±0.60%vs 44.00%±0.27%,F=2626.21,P<0.001)and significant increases in the apoptosis of HepG2 cells(12.88%±0.64%vs 15.5%±0.16%vs 18.43%±0.37%vs 13.01%±0.58%,F=142.15,P<0.001)and PLC/PRF/5 cells(8.51±0.05 vs 12.80±0.33 vs 15.59±0.21 vs 10.72±0.30,F=676.40,P<0.001),with the most significant changes on day 3.Next-generation sequencing showed that endogenous H2S and NaHS(endogenous H2S donor)were involved in regulating the expression of various genes in HepG2 cells.By releasing H2S,NaHS and LX2 activated the JNK/JunB signaling pathway and upregulated the expression of the apoptosis gene TNFSF14 in HCC cells,with increased binding between p-JunB and the transcriptional regulatory regions of the TNFSF14 gene.Conclusion In the microenvironment of HCC,HSCs activate the JNK/JunB signaling pathway in HCC cells through the signal molecules CSE/H2S,and there is an increase in the expression of TNFSF14,thereby promoting the apoptosis of HCC cells.

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging infectious disease caused by Dabie bandavirus (DBV), characterized by fever, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia and multiple organ damage. Immune dysfunction induced by DBV is closely associated with the pathogenesis of SFTS. Monocytes/macrophages that are essential in innate immunity are the target cells of DBV, and their interaction with DBV plays an important role in the pathogenesis of SFTS. The review summarizes the progress in the features and mechanisms of monocyte/macrophage-mediated immune responses to DBV infection.

Viral myocarditis(VMC)is one of the most common acquired heart diseases in children and teenagers.However,its pathogenesis is still unclear,and effective treatments are lacking.This study aimed to investigate the regulatory pathway by which exosomes alleviate ferroptosis in cardiomyocytes(CMCs)induced by coxsackievirus B3(CVB3).CVB3 was utilized for inducing the VMC mouse model and cellular model.Cardiac echocardiography,left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF),and left ventricular fractional shortening(LVFS)were implemented to assess the cardiac function.In CVB3-induced VMC mice,cardiac insufficiency was observed,as well as the altered levels of ferroptosis-related indicators(glutathione peroxidase 4(GPX4),glutathione(GSH),and malondialdehyde(MDA)).However,exosomes derived from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells(hucMSCs-exo)could restore the changes caused by CVB3 stimulation.Let-7a-5p was enriched in hucMSCs-exo,and the inhibitory effect of hucMSCs-exolet-7a-5p mimic on CVB3-induced ferroptosis was higher than that of hucMSCs-exomimicNC(NC:negative control).Mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 2(SMAD2)increased in the VMC group,while the expression of zinc-finger protein 36(ZFP36)decreased.Let-7a-5p was confirmed to interact with SMAD2 messenger RNA(mRNA),and the SMAD2 protein interacted directly with the ZFP36 protein.Silencing SMAD2 and overexpressing ZFP36 inhibited the expression of ferroptosis-related indicators.Meanwhile,the levels of GPX4,solute carrier family 7,member 11(SLC7A11),and GSH were lower in the SMAD2 overexpression plasmid(oe-SMAD2)+let-7a-5p mimic group than in the oe-NC+let-7a-5p mimic group,while those of MDA,reactive oxygen species(ROS),and Fe2+increased.In conclusion,these data showed that ferroptosis could be regulated by mediating SMAD2 expression.Exo-let-7a-5p derived from hucMSCs could mediate SMAD2 to promote the expression of ZFP36,which further inhibited the ferroptosis of CMCs to alleviate CVB3-induced VMC.

Objective To investigate the regulatory effect of miR-132-3p on calmodulin-binding transcription activator 1(CAMTA1)and Schwann cell activity in rats with facial nerve injury(FNI)treated with I-125 seeds.Methods Rat Schwann cells were irradiated with I-125 seeds and transfected with miR-132-3p mimic,miR-132-3p inhibitor or sh-CAMTA1.The expressions of S100B and β-tubulin Ⅲ in the cells were detected with immunofluorescence assay,and the expressions of miR-132-3p and CAMTA1 protein were determined using RT-qPCR and Western blotting,respectively.EdU staining and Transwell assay were used to evaluate the changes in cell proliferation and migration ability.In a rat model of FNI,I-125 seeds were implanted into the facial tissues near the facial nerve 2 weeks before modeling,and miR-132-3p mimic was injected subcutaneously in the face after modeling.The pathologies of the facial nerve was assessed by HE,LFB and immunofluorescence staining.The targeting relationship between miR-132-3p and CAMTA1 was verified using StarBase v2.0 database and dual-luciferase reporter assay.Results Rat Schwann cells showed high expressions of S100B and β-tubulin Ⅲ.I-125 seeds radiation significantly decreased miR-132-3p expression and repressed proliferation and migration of the cells(P<0.001).Overexpression of miR-132-3p or CAMTA1 knockdown obviously enhanced proliferation and migration of the Schwann cells,while miR-132-3p knockdown produced the opposite effect.MiR-132-3p negatively regulated CAMTA1 expression.In the rat models of FNI,miR-132-3p injection significantly inhibited CAMTA1 expression and attenuated I-125 seeds-induced exacerbation of FNI.Conclusion Overexpression of miR-132-3p suppresses CAMTA1 expression and promotes Schwann cell proliferation and migration to alleviate I-125 seeds-induced exacerbation of FNI in rats.

Objective Using the weighted gene co-expression network analysis(WGCNA)to explore the key genes of aging associated with Alzheimer's disease(AD).Methods GSE132903 was selected from GEO database as the analysis dataset.The differential expressed genes(DEGs)of AD were screened,and visualized with volcano and heat map.Aging and senescence-associated genes(ASAGs)were downloaded from MsigDB,Aging Altas and CellAge databases.WGCNA screened the gene modules with the highest correlation with AD,and genes of key modules subsequently performed with gene ontology(GO),Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)enrichment analysis.AD age-related differential expressed genes(ARDEGs)were obtained by taking intersection genes of DEGs,key module genes of WGCNA and ASAGs.Protein-protein interaction(PPI)network analysis was performed using the STRING database to find key node genes.The co-expression networks and associated functions of key genes were analyzed using the GeneMANIA database.The key genes were validated in Alzdata database.Results 226 DEGs,606 ASAGs and 8 ARDEGs were obtained.The top 5 key genes selected by PPI were SYP,STXBP1,VAMP2,CPLX1 and STX1A.Alzdata database verified that the expressions of 5 key genes in other brain regions of AD were down-regulated,except for no significant changes of VAMP2 in hippocampus and STXBP1 in frontal cortex,as well as no expression of CPLX1 in frontal cortex.The differential expression of VAMP2,STXBP1 and STX1A appeared in the early stage of AD,and CPLX1 was related to the pathological process of Tau.SYP and STXBP1 were related to the pathological processes of amyloid β-protein and Tau.Conclusion SYP,STXBP1,VAMP2,CPLX1 and STX1A are ARDEGs,which are expected to be potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets for AD.

Objective To study the diagnostic efficacy of magnifying endoscopy with narrow-band imaging(ME-NBI)in the diagnosis of early gastric cancer and intraepithelial neoplasia,and their manifestations under ME-NBI.Methods In this retrospective research,we enrolled 131 cases of early gastric cancer and intraepithelial neoplasia.Then analyze the ME-NBI manifestations of lesions,compare the diagnostic efficacy of ME-NBI and white light endoscopy(WLI)+biopsy methods in early gastric cancer and intraepithelial neoplasia and study the ME-NBI manifestations of different degrees of lesions.Results The diagnostic accuracy of ME-NBI for diagnosing early gastric cancer,high grade intraepithelial neoplasia(HGIN)and low grade intraepithelial neoplasia(LGIN)was 77.96%,77.96%and 77.96%,respectively.The diagnostic accuracy of WLI+biopsy for above lesions was 60.53%,58.47%and 69.70%,respectively.There was no statistically significant difference in the accuracy of two diagnostic methods for LGIN(P>0.05),while there was a statistically significant difference in the accuracy of two diagnostic methods for early gastric cancer and HGIN(P<0.05).In LGIN,the highest rate of cerebral gyrus glandular duct emergence was 60.46%.The incidence of papillary and villous ducts is highest in HGIN and early gastric cancer,with rates of 57.14%and 52.00%,respectively.Conclusion ME-NBI has more diagnostic efficiency in early gastric cancer than WLI+biopsy.The demarcation line has better sensitivity in differentiated early gastric cancer and intraepithelial neoplasia.Micro-surface tube like villous,papillary structures has higher occurrence rates in early gastric cancer.The cerebral gyrus microglandular duct appeares significantly higher in LGIN than other groups.