The global burden of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has shifted from viral to nonviral etiologies.However, successful antiviral therapy does not fully eliminate the risk of HCC, underscoring the demand for more effective surveillance strategies. Current screening methods, such as semi-annual ultrasonography and the measurement of α-fetoprotein levels, offer suboptimal sensitivityfor early detection. A cost-effective, reliable surveillance approach remains an unmet need. The Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer staging system provides a framework to guide HCC therapy; yet, some gray zone exists, particularly for patients with intermediate-stage disease. Although tyrosine kinase inhibitors and immunotherapies have transformed the therapeutic landscape, their efficacies vary among patients, highlighting the necessity for personalized treatment strategies.In response to these challenges, artificial intelligence (AI) approaches have emerged as transformative tools in healthcare. By processing complex, nonlinear relationships and uncovering hidden patterns in clinical data, AI methods offer capabilities beyond those of traditional statistical methods. Furthermore, AI-driven multi-omics analysis holds promise for identifying novel biomarkers, thereby advancing precision medicine for HCC patients. This review introduces the potential of AI applications in enhancing the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of HCC.

Objective To investigate the therapeutic potential of human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells(hUCMSCs)in modulating the cGAS-STING-NF-κB signaling pathway in chronic intermittent hypoxia(CIH)mice.Methods Twenty-four C57BL/6 mice were divided into the control group,the model group,the hUCMSCs group and the hUCMSCs+STING agonist(DMXAA)group,with 6 mice in each group.Except for the control group,the other groups were exposed to hypoxic conditions for 8 hours daily for a total of 8 weeks to establish the CIH mouse model.After 8 weeks,mice were anesthetized for cardiac blood collection followed by euthanasia and lung tissue collection.Serum levels of IL-6,TNF-α,IL-1β and IL-17A were measured by ELISA.Pulmonary inflammatory infiltration and collagen deposition were assessed by HE and Masson staining.E-Cadherin and α-SMA expression levels were evaluated by immunohistochemistry.Expression levels of cGAS,STING and NF-κB mRNA were detected by RT-qPCR,while protein expression levels of E-Cadherin,N-Cadherin,α-SMA,Vimentin,cGAS,STING and NF-κB were analyzed by Western blot assay.Results Compared with the control group,levels of IL-6,IL-1β,TNF-α and IL-17A increased in the model group,inflammation and fibrosis scores increased,mRNA expression levels of cGAS,STING and NF-κB increased,and protein expression levels of N-Cadherin,α-SMA,Vimentin,cGAS,STING and NF-κB increased.In contrast,E-Cadherin protein expression was significantly decreased(P＜0.05).Compared with the model group,IL-6,IL-1β,TNF-α and IL-17A decreased in the hUCMSCs group,mRNA expression levels of cGAS,STING and NF-κB were decreased,protein expression levels of N-Cadherin,α-SMA,Vimentin,cGAS,STING and NF-κB were also decreased.Meanwhile,E-Cadherin protein expression was significantly increased(P＜0.05).STING activator DMXAA reversed the protective effects of hUCMSCs in CIH mice(P＜0.05).Conclusion Intravenous administration of hUCMSCs alleviates pulmonary inflammatory infiltration and epithelial-mesenchymal transition in mouse model of intermittent hypoxia,which may be related to the down-regulation of the cGAS-STING-NF-κBsignaling pathway.

Aim To explore the mechanism by which dioscin regulates IL-17+γδT cells in the treatment of arthritis.Methods A collagen-induced arthritis(CIA)model was established in DBA/1 mice using bovine type Ⅱ collagen.The mice were randomly divid-ed into the CIA model group,methotrexate(MTX)positive control group,and dioscin low-dose(Dioscin-L),medium-dose(Dioscin-M),and high-dose(Dios-cin-H)groups.After intervention,the therapeutic effects were evaluated using scoring methods.Joint pathological damage was analyzed by hematoxylin and eosin(HE)staining.The levels of anti-collagen-spe-cific antibodies and the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-17 were measured by ELISA.The expressions of γδT cells and their subtypes,as well as the secretion level of IL-17,were detected by flow cytometry.Results Dioscin significantly reduced the arthritis severity score in collagen-induced arthritis(CIA)mice,alleviated joint pathological damage,inhibited the production of IL-17 by splenic lymphocytes and the levels of anti-col-lagen-specific antibodies total IgG and IgG3,and de-creased the proportion of γδT cells in the lymph nodes,splenic γδT cells,and the Vδ4+T-cell subset.The level of IL-17 produced by the Vδ4 subtype in the lymph nodes of the intervention groups was lower than that in the model group,but the difference was not sta-tistically significant.Conclusion Dioscin has signifi-cant therapeutic effect on CIA,and its mechanism may be through the inhibition of γδT cells,but it is unlikely to be related to IL-17 derived from γδT cells.

Hypokalemia,a common clinical electrolyte disorder,can affect multiple systems and can be life-threatening in severe cases.Identifying the cause of hypokalemia is crucial for its prevention and treatment.However,the etiology of hypokalemia is complex and often requires detailed differential diagnosis.This article reports a rare clinical case of hypokalemia caused by long-term excessive consumption of strong tea and discusses its pathogenesis.The aim is to raise clinical awareness and understanding of the etiology of such cases of hypokalemia and reduce misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis.

Objective:To observe the early efficacy of intense pulsed light(IPL)combined with non-ablative fractional laser(NAFL)in preventing postoperative pathological scar formation and intervention of inflammatory factors.Methods:93 patients with postoperative pathological scar formation who were admitted to our hospital from March 2022 to September 2024 were selected,they were divided into control group A(silicone gel treatment,n=31),control group B(NAFL on the basis of control group A,n=31)and study group(IPL on the basis of control group B,n=31)using the random number table method.The clinical efficacy,simple quality of life scale(SF-36),vancouver scar scale(VSS),inflammatory factors[interleukin-6(IL-6),tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),C-reactive protein(CRP)],and adverse reactions among three groups were compared.Results:The clinical total effective rate in the study group were higher than those in the control group A and control group B(P＜0.05).SF-36 increased sequentially and VSS decreased sequentially in control group A,control group B,and study group after treatment(P＜0.05).CRP,IL-6,and TNF-α decreased sequentially in control group A,control group B,and study group after treatment(P＜0.05).There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions among the three groups(P＞0.05).Conclusion:IPL combined with NAFL in preventing postoperative pathological scar formation,can effectively reduce scar formation,reduce inflammatory factors levels,improve patients' quality of life,and be safe and reliable.

Objective A new occipital bone removal technology was applied to improve the success rate of brain removal.Methods The skull was sawed based on the traditional brain removal technology,and part of the occipital bone was removed downward centered in external occipital protuberance to the foramen magnum,then exposed the telencephalon,cerebellum and posterior medulla oblongata.After that,removed the tentorium cerebelli and cut down the medulla oblongata and the related cranial nerves at the skull base,then removed the brain tissues.Results The removed brain tissues had structurally intact telencephalon,cerebellum and brain stem,clear vessels in the cerebral sulci,and relatively intact optic chiasm,olfactory tracts and vertebro-basilar arteries.Conclusion Brain removal through a fenestration on the external occipital protuberance can effectively preserve the integrity of brain specimens,and improve the success rate of brain removal,which is of great significance for central nervous system teaching and improvement of human brain tissue repositories.

Objective To investigate the therapeutic potential of human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells(hUCMSCs)in modulating the cGAS-STING-NF-κB signaling pathway in chronic intermittent hypoxia(CIH)mice.Methods Twenty-four C57BL/6 mice were divided into the control group,the model group,the hUCMSCs group and the hUCMSCs+STING agonist(DMXAA)group,with 6 mice in each group.Except for the control group,the other groups were exposed to hypoxic conditions for 8 hours daily for a total of 8 weeks to establish the CIH mouse model.After 8 weeks,mice were anesthetized for cardiac blood collection followed by euthanasia and lung tissue collection.Serum levels of IL-6,TNF-α,IL-1β and IL-17A were measured by ELISA.Pulmonary inflammatory infiltration and collagen deposition were assessed by HE and Masson staining.E-Cadherin and α-SMA expression levels were evaluated by immunohistochemistry.Expression levels of cGAS,STING and NF-κB mRNA were detected by RT-qPCR,while protein expression levels of E-Cadherin,N-Cadherin,α-SMA,Vimentin,cGAS,STING and NF-κB were analyzed by Western blot assay.Results Compared with the control group,levels of IL-6,IL-1β,TNF-α and IL-17A increased in the model group,inflammation and fibrosis scores increased,mRNA expression levels of cGAS,STING and NF-κB increased,and protein expression levels of N-Cadherin,α-SMA,Vimentin,cGAS,STING and NF-κB increased.In contrast,E-Cadherin protein expression was significantly decreased(P＜0.05).Compared with the model group,IL-6,IL-1β,TNF-α and IL-17A decreased in the hUCMSCs group,mRNA expression levels of cGAS,STING and NF-κB were decreased,protein expression levels of N-Cadherin,α-SMA,Vimentin,cGAS,STING and NF-κB were also decreased.Meanwhile,E-Cadherin protein expression was significantly increased(P＜0.05).STING activator DMXAA reversed the protective effects of hUCMSCs in CIH mice(P＜0.05).Conclusion Intravenous administration of hUCMSCs alleviates pulmonary inflammatory infiltration and epithelial-mesenchymal transition in mouse model of intermittent hypoxia,which may be related to the down-regulation of the cGAS-STING-NF-κBsignaling pathway.

Objective:This study aimed to explore the molecular mechanisms of the maladaptation of H3N2 influenza virus in chicken embryos, provide a theoretical basis for the restoration of H3N2 influenza vaccine production in chicken embryos.Methods:Samples of respiratory secretions from patients with influenza-like symptoms (Influenza-like Illness, ILI) caused by H3N2 influenza virus were inoculated into chicken embryos and Madin-Darby Canine Kidney cells (MDCK), respectively. After isolating the virus, hemagglutination experiments were conducted to detect hemagglutination titers and hemagglutination inhibition experiments were used to compare antigenic differences; further, whole-genome sequencing of H3N2 influenza virus was performed using second-generation high-throughput gene sequencing (Next Generation High-Throughput Gene Sequencing, NGS), and key amino acid sites of mutations were identified through sequence alignment; combined with sialic acid receptor binding experiments, the differences in the binding of wild-type and mutant receptor binding sites (RBS) to sialic acid receptors were compared; finally, molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation method were used to explore the specific molecular mechanisms of how mutation sites affect the differences in the affinity of the RBS pocket for sialic acid receptors.Results:The hemagglutination assay result indicated that both chicken embryos and MDCK cells could isolate the influenza virus, and the hemagglutination inhibition test showed that no antigenic differences were produced in the isolated strains. NGS analysis revealed that the H3N2 virus underwent an F195Y mutation in the (RBS) region of the hemagglutinin (HA) protein after adaptation through chicken embryo passages. Receptor-binding experiments demonstrated that the F195Y mutation enhanced the virus′s binding ability to α2, 3-linked sialic acid glycan (Neu5Acα2-3Galβ1-4GlcNAcβ-PAA, 3′SLN), while the mutation did not affect the affinity of the RBS pocket for α2, 6-linked sialic acid glycan (Neu5Acα2-6Galβ1-4GlcNAcβ-PAA, 6′SLN). Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation result indicate that the F195Y mutation, by replacing a hydrophobic amino acid with a hydrophilic one, leads to a significant decrease in the structure of the RBS pocket, enhancing the binding stability of the H3N2 influenza virus with α2, 3-sln. This is specifically manifested by an increase in binding time and an increase in the number of hydrogen bonds at the RBS site with the receptor. Furthermore, the F195Y mutation does not alter the binding of the virus to other receptors.Conclusions:The F195Y mutation in the RBS pocket of H3N2 influenza virus is a key site affecting the viral chicken embryo inadaptability.

Objective:This study identifies independent predictive indicators to distinguish autoimmune gastritis from Helicobacter pylori ( H. pylori)-induced atrophic gastritis and validates their diagnostic performance to compare laboratory indicators of autoimmune gastritis and H. pylori-induced atrophic gastritis. Methods:A retrospective comparison of laboratory examination indicators was conducted for chronic atrophic gastritis patients with involvement of the gastric fundus and corpus, who were followed up at the Department of Gastroenterology, Xijing Hospital, from January 2014 to September 2024. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were utilized to determine the optimal cutoff points and corresponding diagnostic thresholds. In addition, multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify independent predictive indicators for autoimmune gastritis, with further assessment in a validation cohort.Results:A total of 139 patients with autoimmune gastritis and 209 patients with H. pylori-induced atrophic gastritis were included. Pepsinogen (PG) Ⅰ levels and the PG Ⅰ/PG Ⅱ ratio in patients with autoimmune gastritis were significantly lower than in those with H. pylori-induced atrophic gastritis [11.0 (4.8, 22.5) vs. 41.8 (32.2, 59.9) μg/L, U=722.00, P<0.001; 1.24 (0.75, 3.54) vs. 5.76 (4.31, 7.12), U=817.00, P<0.001], while gastrin levels were significantly higher [375 (84, 738) vs. 49 (35, 81) ng/L, U=378.00, P<0.001]. PG Ⅰ was identified as an independent predictive variable, with an area under the ROC curve of 0.847 (95% CI 0.791-0.904), sensitivity of 77.6%, specificity of 91.8%, positive predictive value of 80.5%, and negative predictive value of 90.5%. Conclusions:Significant differences in laboratory indicators were observed between autoimmune gastritis and H. pylori-induced atrophic gastritis in chronic atrophic gastritis involving gastric fundus and corpus. Besides, PG Ⅰ demonstrated good diagnostic performance in identifying autoimmune gastritis and can effectively differentiate between different types of atrophic gastritis.

AIM To prepare the sustained-release microspheres of ginsenosides.METHODS The sustained-release microspheres were prepared by SPG membrane emulsification technology with poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)(PLGA)as a shell carrier.With PLGA concentration,feed rate and Span 60 concentration as influencing factors,comprehensive score for appearance,drug loading and encapsulation efficiency as an evaluation indice,the preparation process was optimized by response surface method.The morphology of sustained-release microspheres was observed,after which the particle size,drug loading and encapsulation efficiency were determined,and the in vitro drug release was investigated.RESULTS The optimal conditons were determined to be 45 s for agitation time of primary emulsion,74.68 mg/mL for PLGA concentration,11％for feed rate,and 4.18 mg/mL for Span 60 concentration,the comprehensive score was 74.98.The round sustained-release microspheres demonstrated the average particle size of 4.33 μm,drug loading of(8.24±0.13)％,and encapsulation efficiency of(74.94±1.17)％,respectively.At 336 h,ginsenosides Rg1,Rb1,Rb2 displayed the accumulative release rates of 84.12％,78.04％,65.88％,respectively.CONCLUSION This reasonable and feasible method can be used for the preparation of sustained-release microspheres of ginsenosides with good appearance and high drug loading,which can provide references for the preparation of other water-soluble drug microspheres and solution of microsphere collapse problem.