1.An Attention-weighted Tri-modal Ultrasound Network (TUS-Net) for Screening of Atypical Hepatocellular Carcinoma From LR-M Liver Nodules
He-Chong ZHANG ; Liang-Hui HUANG ; Xue-Hua WANG ; Shang-Lin JIANG ; Ying-Ying CHEN ; Ya-Guang ZENG ; Wei ZHENG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(5):1485-1498
ObjectiveDiscriminating atypical hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) from other malignancies in liver nodules classified as Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System category M (LR-M) remains a significant diagnostic challenge on conventional ultrasound examination. The LR-M category, originally intended to capture non-HCC malignancies, paradoxically contains up to 63% of atypical HCCs that deviate from classic enhancement patterns, leading to potential misdiagnosis and suboptimal treatment planning. While deep learning has shown promise in HCC diagnosis, most existing models rely exclusively on single-modality ultrasound, overlooking the diagnostic benefits of integrating complementary information from multiple imaging sources. To address this gap, we propose a novel attention-weighted tri-modal ultrasound network (TUS-Net) that integrates contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), B-mode ultrasound (BUS), and time-intensity curves (TICs) to improve diagnostic accuracy for these clinically challenging lesions. MethodsOur framework incorporates a three-dimensional convolutional neural network (C3D) backbone to extract spatiotemporal features from CEUS videos, capturing dynamic vascular patterns critical for lesion characterization. To effectively fuse complementary modalities, we introduce a dual-channel feature fusion module (DCFFM) that adaptively combines features from CEUS and BUS through channel-wise attention mechanisms, allowing the model to dynamically weigh the contribution of each modality based on diagnostic relevance. Additionally, we propose a temporal intensity feature fusion module (TIFFM) that leverages quantitative hemodynamic information from TICs to guide the model’s attention toward diagnostically critical temporal phases, such as arterial wash-in and portal venous washout. The model is further enhanced by automated lesion localization using YOLOX and class activation mapping for interpretability, ensuring that predictions align with clinically meaningful imaging features. ResultsEvaluated on a tri-modal ultrasound dataset comprising 161 patients with pathologically confirmed LR-M nodules (131 atypical HCC and 30 non-HCC malignancies), our model achieved an accuracy of 86.83%, a sensitivity of 92.50%, a specificity of 75.50%, and an AUC of 89.32% in screening atypical HCC. Compared to single-modality baselines, TUS-Net demonstrated superior specificity, a clinically critical metric given the higher risk associated with misclassifying non-HCC malignancies. Ablation studies confirmed the contribution of each module, with the full model outperforming both standard C3D and 3D ResNet backbones integrated with attention mechanisms. A reader study involving junior and senior radiologists further validated the clinical utility of AI assistance, showing consistent improvements in specificity and inter-reader consistency, particularly for less experienced clinicians. ConclusionThese results surpass existing benchmark models and demonstrate the potential of our approach to enhance diagnostic precision in clinically specific cases. By intelligently fusing multi-modal ultrasound data with attention-guided mechanisms, TUS-Net offers a reliable and interpretable tool that holds promise for improving the non-invasive diagnosis of atypical HCC in challenging LR-M liver nodules.
2.An Attention-weighted Tri-modal Ultrasound Network (TUS-Net) for Screening of Atypical Hepatocellular Carcinoma From LR-M Liver Nodules
He-Chong ZHANG ; Liang-Hui HUANG ; Xue-Hua WANG ; Shang-Lin JIANG ; Ying-Ying CHEN ; Ya-Guang ZENG ; Wei ZHENG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(5):1485-1498
ObjectiveDiscriminating atypical hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) from other malignancies in liver nodules classified as Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System category M (LR-M) remains a significant diagnostic challenge on conventional ultrasound examination. The LR-M category, originally intended to capture non-HCC malignancies, paradoxically contains up to 63% of atypical HCCs that deviate from classic enhancement patterns, leading to potential misdiagnosis and suboptimal treatment planning. While deep learning has shown promise in HCC diagnosis, most existing models rely exclusively on single-modality ultrasound, overlooking the diagnostic benefits of integrating complementary information from multiple imaging sources. To address this gap, we propose a novel attention-weighted tri-modal ultrasound network (TUS-Net) that integrates contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), B-mode ultrasound (BUS), and time-intensity curves (TICs) to improve diagnostic accuracy for these clinically challenging lesions. MethodsOur framework incorporates a three-dimensional convolutional neural network (C3D) backbone to extract spatiotemporal features from CEUS videos, capturing dynamic vascular patterns critical for lesion characterization. To effectively fuse complementary modalities, we introduce a dual-channel feature fusion module (DCFFM) that adaptively combines features from CEUS and BUS through channel-wise attention mechanisms, allowing the model to dynamically weigh the contribution of each modality based on diagnostic relevance. Additionally, we propose a temporal intensity feature fusion module (TIFFM) that leverages quantitative hemodynamic information from TICs to guide the model’s attention toward diagnostically critical temporal phases, such as arterial wash-in and portal venous washout. The model is further enhanced by automated lesion localization using YOLOX and class activation mapping for interpretability, ensuring that predictions align with clinically meaningful imaging features. ResultsEvaluated on a tri-modal ultrasound dataset comprising 161 patients with pathologically confirmed LR-M nodules (131 atypical HCC and 30 non-HCC malignancies), our model achieved an accuracy of 86.83%, a sensitivity of 92.50%, a specificity of 75.50%, and an AUC of 89.32% in screening atypical HCC. Compared to single-modality baselines, TUS-Net demonstrated superior specificity, a clinically critical metric given the higher risk associated with misclassifying non-HCC malignancies. Ablation studies confirmed the contribution of each module, with the full model outperforming both standard C3D and 3D ResNet backbones integrated with attention mechanisms. A reader study involving junior and senior radiologists further validated the clinical utility of AI assistance, showing consistent improvements in specificity and inter-reader consistency, particularly for less experienced clinicians. ConclusionThese results surpass existing benchmark models and demonstrate the potential of our approach to enhance diagnostic precision in clinically specific cases. By intelligently fusing multi-modal ultrasound data with attention-guided mechanisms, TUS-Net offers a reliable and interpretable tool that holds promise for improving the non-invasive diagnosis of atypical HCC in challenging LR-M liver nodules.
3.Serum growth hormone of children with infectious pneumonia and its association with blood biochemistry and body immunity
Yamin SHANG ; Ying LI ; Xiaojian MA ; Ying DAI ; Qiwei WANG
Chinese Journal of Nosocomiology 2025;35(6):900-903
OBJECTIVE To explore the serum growth hormone(GH)of the children with infectious pneumonia and analyze its association with blood biochemistry and body immunity.METHODS A total of 211 children with infec-tious pneumonia who were treated in Huaihe Hospital,Henan University from Jan.2023 to Jan.2024 were recrui-ted as the research subjects and were divided into the mild group with 156 cases and the severe group with 55 cases according to the severity of disease.The change of serum GH and the levels of blood biochemical indexes and im-munity indexes were observed and compared between the two groups.Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed for the influencing factors,receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves were drawn to analyze the predictive efficiencies.Linear regression analysis was performed to observe the relationship between the infectious pneumonia and the blood biochemistry and body immunity.RESULTS The GH level of the severe group was(18.34±4.33)μg/L,higher than(10.16±2.84)μg/L of the mild group(t=15.853,P<0.001).There were sig-nificant differences in the blood biochemistry indexes,cellular and humoral immunity indexes between the severe group and the mild group(P<0.05).The difference values of changes of C-reactive protein(CRP),CD4+and immunoglobulin(Ig)G were the most(t=16.023,87.639,111.957,all P<0.001).ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve(AUC)of CD23+was the highest,with the sensitivity 100.00%,the specificity 98.88%.The result of the linear regression analysis showed that the GH was only positively correlated with the cellular immunity index CD23+(P<0.05).CONCLUSION The GH level of the children with infectious pneumonia is reduced;the chang of GH level is closely associated with the blood biochemical indexes CRP and the body im-munity of the children.
4.A qualitative study on digital-intelligent equipment empowering"generalized"development of traditional Chinese medicine inspection
Chen ZHAO ; Aomeng ZHANG ; Zehui YE ; Jiaying LUO ; Qiang SHI ; Ying YU ; Xiaoyu ZHANG ; Yin JIANG ; Zhicong ZENG ; Fengxia LIN ; Yinghui JIN ; Xue XU ; Xiaowei ZHANG ; Liangzhen YOU ; Yipin FAN ; Dameng YU ; Shaoyang MEN ; Jian DU ; Rui XU ; Ruijin QIU ; Yingjie ZHI ; Zhineng CHEN ; Xuan ZHANG ; Hongcai SHANG
Journal of Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;48(8):1052-1061
Objective This study investigated feasible cases and their significance in promoting the"generalized"development of inspection through digital-intelligent equipment.Methods A qualitative research approach was used,involving interviews conducted between February 2025 and March 2025 with experts in traditional Chinese medicine diagnostics,clinical research methodology,medical engineering integration,and related disciplines,using both online and offline methods.In accordance with the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research,feasible cases involving the specific application of digital equipment in various parts of observation were collected through item enrichment.The significance of extending observation capabilities via these cases was analyzed,along with the overall implications of integrating digital technologies with traditional inspection method.Results Interviews were completed with 11 experts from domestic universities and research institutes in the fields of traditional Chinese medicine diagnosis,medical engineering integration,and related disciplines.A total of 78 feasible cases of digital-intelligent inspection were identified,along with 69 insights regarding the significance of enhancing the inspection capabilities.These insights were synthesized into two dimensions and 23 holistic meanings.The first dimension is to expand the scope of inspection,including obtaining internal environmental characteristics,observing external environmental characteristics,expanding thermodynamic characteristic data,and crossing time and space.The second dimension is to improve the quality of observation and diagnosis information collection and analysis,including 19 specific meanings,such as standardized collection environment,objective quantification,and refined observation.Conclusion Digital-intelligent equipment plays a significant role in expanding the scope of inspection content and achieving high-quality acquisition and analysis of extensive inspection information.These advancements extend and enrich the capabilities of traditional inspection method in traditional Chinese medicine.
5.Analysis of clinical characteristics and current diagnosis and treatment status of IgG4-related diseases in the real world
Xiufang WANG ; Lina CUI ; Gui JIA ; Linhua ZHENG ; Ruiqing SUN ; Juan DENG ; Yulong SHANG ; Changcun GUO ; Ying HAN
Chinese Journal of Hepatology 2025;33(7):645-651
Objective:To retrospectively analyze the current status of consultation, clinical characteristics, and treatment status of patients with IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) in order to provide assistance and a basis for early and standardized diagnosis and treatment.Methods:IgG4-RD cases admitted to our hospital from June 2015 to October 2023 were collected. The details of patients' basic information, initial symptoms, department visits, laboratory and imaging findings, histopathological examination results, and treatment plans were recorded. A statistical descriptive analysis was performed on the data.Results:A total of 105 patients with IgG4-RD were included, with a median age of 59.0 (18.0, 78.0) years. The main departments visited were clinical immunology and gastroenterology (83.8%, 88/105). The median diagnostic duration was eight months, with a maximum of 300 months, and 33.3% (35/105) of patients needed over one year for diagnosis. 92 cases underwent histopathological examinations and IgG4 staining, with a total positivity rate of 87.0% (80/92). Among these, sixteen cases underwent pathological examination after surgery, with a positivity rate of 100%; the remaining 76 cases out of 92 underwent liver biopsy, with a positivity rate of 76.1%. Out of these, there were 22 cases from the pancreas, 21 from the submaxillary gland, nine from the labial gland, and seven each from the duodenal papilla and liver, with positivity rates of 81.8%, 81.0%, 55.6%, 85.7%, and 85.7%, respectively. Eleven cases (10.5%) with normal serum IgG4 were diagnosed based on multi-organ involvement and pathological results. 94 cases (89.5%) had elevated IgG4, with a predominance of>2.70 g/L. The median follow-up period for the 87 cases was 14 months. Two cases had poor response, twelve patients relapsed, five cases relapsed without combined drug treatment after surgery, five cases relapsed due to drug withdrawal, and two cases relapsed while tapering off steroids.Conclusions:As a multisystem disease, IgG4-RD still faces the difficulties of time-consuming diagnosis and inappropriate treatment. Therefore, it is necessary to rely on a multidisciplinary collaboration model to improve the awareness level and promote the early and standardized diagnosis and treatment of patients with IgG4-RD.
6.Surface disinfection efficacy of 254 nm continuous ultraviolet and pulsed ultraviolet laser
Jie ZHAO ; Lei ZHAO ; Yiran SHANG ; Jinhui WU ; Ying YI ; Cheng DENG ; Jiancheng QI ; Zongxing ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Infection Control 2025;24(3):316-322
Objective To compare and analyze the germicidal efficacy of continuous ultraviolet and pulsed ultravio-let(UV)lasers on pathogenic microorganisms.Methods Spore slides of Escherichia coli and Bacillus atrophaeus were irradiated using a 254 nm ultraviolet mercury lamp and UV laser.The carrier quantitative germicidal test was conducted to determine the disinfection efficacy at different irradiation doses.Results When the irradiation dose of the ultraviolet mercury lamp was 245.52 mJ/cm2,the logarithmic killing values of Escherichia coli and Bacillus atro-phaeus spores were 5.00 and 2.92,respectively,and the mean logarithmic killing doses were 49.10 and 84.08 mJ/cm2,respectively;When the UV laser irradiation doses were 208.39 and 206.80 mJ/cm2,the logarithmic killing values for the two microorganisms were 6.29 and 3.32,respectively,and the mean logarithmic killing doses were 33.13 and 62.29 mJ/cm2,respectively.Conclusion Compared with continuous UV radiation,pulsed UV laser has stron-ger penetration ability,better killing efficacy on pathogenic microorganisms at the same radiation dose,and can con-duct targeted disinfection and sterilization on the surface of objects directionally.
7.Establishment and Application of TaqMan qPCR Detection Method for Human DNA Contamination in DNA Laboratory
Gao-Fang SHEN ; Yong-Song ZHOU ; Jian-Qiu ZHANG ; Shi-You JI ; Ying-Feng WU ; Hao SHANG ; Bo-Feng ZHU
Journal of Forensic Medicine 2025;41(1):66-73
Objective To establish a highly sensitive and specific method for detecting human DNA based on real time quantitative PCR(qPCR)technique for the rapid detection of potential DNA con-tamination sources in DNA laboratories.Methods Primers and probes were designed with Primer Ex-pressTM software using the reference sequence of human 18S rRNA gene as a template,and the opti-mal prime-probe combination was screened by matrix method.The PCR products of the target se-quence of human 18S rRNA gene were used to construct the plasmid,and a plasmid standard was used to draw the standard curve of the qPCR system.According to the Minimum Information for Pub-lication of Quantitative Real-time PCR Experiments(MIQE)guidelines,the specificity,sensitivity,re-peatability and application effect of the qPCR system were evaluated.Results The sensitivity of the qPCR system established in this study was 5.3×10-5 ng/μL,which showed good specificity for human DNA samples.The correlation coefficient of the qPCR system was-0.999,and amplification efficiency was 100%.Both the intra-batch and inter-batch variation coefficients were less than 2%.Conclusion The established human DNA detection method based on qPCR technique has good specificity,high sen-sitivity,and robust stability.It can be used for rapid detection of DNA contamination and daily moni-toring of the accumulated human DNA in the laboratory environment.
8.Expert consensus on visualized tele-round and quality control management based on the improvement of clinical practice ability
Wanhong YIN ; Xiaoting WANG ; Ran ZHOU ; Dawei LIU ; Yan KANG ; Yaoqing TANG ; Xiaochun MA ; Jianguo LI ; Zhenjie HU ; Haitao ZHANG ; Wei HE ; Lixia LIU ; Wenjin CHEN ; Ran ZHU ; Jun WU ; Hongmin ZHANG ; Lina ZHANG ; Wenzhao CHAI ; Shihong ZHU ; Wangbin XU ; Rongqing SUN ; Xiangyou YU ; Tianjiao SONG ; Ying ZHU ; Hong REN ; Ai SHANMU ; Qing ZHANG ; Wei FANG ; Xiuling SHANG ; Liwen LYU ; Shuhan CAI ; Xin DING ; Heng ZHANG ; Guang FENG ; Lipeng ZHANG ; Bo HU ; Dong ZHANG ; Weidong WU ; Feng SHEN ; Xiaojun YANG ; Zhenguo ZENG ; Qibing HUANG ; Xueying ZENG ; Tongjuan ZOU ; Milin PENG ; Yulong YAO ; Mingming CHEN ; Hui LIAN ; Jingmei WANG ; Yong LI ; Feng QU ; Gang YE ; Rongli YANG ; Xiukai CHEN ; Suwei LI ; Juxiang WANG ; Yangong CHAO
Chinese Journal of Internal Medicine 2025;64(2):101-109
Turning to critical illness is a common stage of various diseases and injuries before death. Patients usually have complex health conditions, while the treatment process involves a wide range of content, along with high requirements for doctor′s professionalism and multi-specialty teamwork, as well as a great demand for time-sensitive treatments. However, this is not matched with critical care professionals and the current state of medical care in China. Telemedicine, which shortens the distance of medical professionals and the gap of disease diagnosis and treatments in various regions through electronic information, can effectively solve the current problem. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a standardized, high-quality visualization telemedicine round system .Therefore, experts have been organized to search domestic and foreign literature on telemedicine round for critically ill patients and to form this consensus based on clinical experiences so as to further improve the level of critical care treatments in regions.
9.Risk factors for bleeding complications in patients undergoing percutaneous liver biopsy
Gui JIA ; Dawei DING ; Yanqiu FANG ; Tao LI ; Lina CUI ; Yulong SHANG ; Ying HAN
Chinese Journal of Internal Medicine 2025;64(6):542-548
Objective:To investigate the effect of thrombocytopenia and coagulation dysfunction on bleeding complications in patients undergoing percutaneous liver biopsy.Methods:The clinical, laboratory, and demographic data of patients undergoing percutaneous liver biopsy at the First Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University from January 2005 to January 2024 were retrospectively analyzed. The incidence of bleeding was recorded. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to assess the effects of thrombocytopenia and coagulation dysfunction on the risk of postoperative bleeding. Furthermore, we assessed the bleeding risk in patients with autoimmune hepatitis.Results:A total of 2 885 liver perforations were performed in 2 364 patients, 98.4% of whom had an autoimmune liver disease. There were 27 cases of postoperative bleeding (0.9%). The univariate logistic regression analysis showed that platelet count (PLT)( P<0.05, OR=0.975), coagulation dysfunction (international normalized ratio; INR)( P<0.05, OR=6.954), and cirrhosis ( P<0.05, OR=3.857) were associated with bleeding. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that PLT was an independent risk factor for bleeding ( P<0.05, OR=0.975). PLT scores of 40×10 9/L and 65×10 9/L can classify the bleeding risk of patients with thrombocytopenia into high, medium, and low risk. There was no difference in the risk of bleeding between the 40×10 9/L
10.Evaluation of information quality in autoimmune liver disease-related videos on TikTok
Yanqiu FANG ; Gui JIA ; Yansheng LIU ; Lina CUI ; Yulong SHANG ; Ying HAN
Chinese Journal of Internal Medicine 2025;64(8):759-765
Objective:To evaluate the quality of information on autoimmune liver disease in videos on the TikTok short video platform.Methods:The keyword "autoimmune liver disease" was used to search the top 200 videos on TikTok in the default sorting order. Using the DISCERN video quality assessment tool and the structured content integrity evaluation tool, we assessed the quality of the information in each video in relation to the pertinent disease guidelines. Furthermore, we investigated any relationships between the quality of the videos and their characteristics (likes, comments, retweets, days and duration of uploading).Results:A total of 140 videos were included, 96.4% of which were provided by medical professionals. The content completeness scores for each dimension were as follows: definition, 1.0 (0.0, 1.0); symptoms, 0.0 (0.0, 1.0); risk factors, 0.0 (0.0, 0.5); assessment, 0.5 (0.0, 1.5); management, 0.5 (0.0, 1.0); and outcome, 0.0 (0.0, 1.0). Furthermore, 91.4% of videos with DISCERN scores of ≤50 were of "fair" quality or below. Additionally, the difference in DISCERN scores between videos from different publishers was not statistically significant ( P>0.05). The number of likes, comments, favorites, retweets, and video duration had a strong positive correlation with the overall DISCERN score ( r=0.17, 0.18, 0.25, 0.26, 0.44, all P<0.05). Conclusions:The overall quality of videos related to autoimmune liver disease on the TikTok video platform is low. Therefore, publishers should focus on the comprehensiveness and accuracy of the information. Additionally, the TikTok platform should optimize its video review mechanism to provide the public with more accurate and reliable health information.

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