Prostate cancer (PCa) ranks as the second most prevalent malignancy among men worldwide. Early diagnosis, personalized treatment, and prognosis prediction of PCa play a crucial role in improving patients' survival rates. The advancement of artificial intelligence (AI), particularly the utilization of deep learning (DL) algorithms, has brought about substantial progress in assisting the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis prediction of PCa. The introduction of the foundation model has revolutionized the application of AI in medical treatment and facilitated its integration into clinical practice. This review emphasizes the clinical application of AI in PCa by discussing recent advancements from both pathological and imaging perspectives. Furthermore, it explores the current challenges faced by AI in clinical applications while also considering future developments, aiming to provide a valuable point of reference for the integration of AI and clinical applications.
Humans ; Prostatic Neoplasms/diagnosis* ; Male ; Artificial Intelligence ; Deep Learning ; Prognosis

Synthetic CT (sCT) generated from CBCT has proven effective in artifact reduction and CT number correction, facilitating precise radiation dose calculation. However, the quality of different regions in sCT images is severely imbalanced, with soft tissue region exhibiting notably inferior quality compared to others. To address this imbalance, we proposed a Multi-Task Attention Network (MuTA-Net) based on VGG-16, specifically focusing the enhancement of image quality in soft tissue region of sCT. First, we introduced a multi-task learning strategy that divides the sCT generation task into three sub-tasks: global image generation, soft tissue region generation and bone region segmentation. This approach ensured the quality of overall sCT image while enhancing the network's focus on feature extraction and generation for soft tissues region. The result of bone region segmentation task guided the fusion of sub-tasks results. Then, we designed an attention module to further optimize feature extraction capabilities of the network. Finally, by employing a results fusion module, the results of three sub-tasks were integrated, generating a high-quality sCT image. Experimental results on head and neck CBCT demonstrated that the sCT images generated by the proposed MuTA-Net exhibited a 12.52% reduction in mean absolute error in soft tissue region, compared to the best performance among the three comparative methods, including ResNet, U-Net, and U-Net++. It can be seen that MuTA-Net is suitable for high-quality sCT image generation and has potential application value in the field of CBCT guided adaptive radiation therapy.
Cone-Beam Computed Tomography/methods* ; Humans ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted/methods* ; Artifacts ; Algorithms ; Bone and Bones/diagnostic imaging* ; Neural Networks, Computer

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy is a common complication of diabetes. There are various screening and assessment methods available, but most of them are not widely adopted in China. The diagnostic efficacy varies, making it somewhat challenging to choose the appropriate examination methods for conducting related clinical work and research. This article provides an overview of the existing screening and assessment methods for diabetic peripheral neuropathy and introduces and evaluates the latest research developments.

The aldo-keto reductase super family (AKRs) has a wide range of substrate specificity. However, the systematic identification of insect AKR gene family members has not been reported. In this study, bioinformatics methods were used to predict the phylogenetic evolution, physical and chemical properties, chromosome location, conserved motifs, and gene structure of AKR family members in Bombyx mori (BmAKR). Transcriptome data or quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) were used to analyze the expression level of BmAKR genes during different organizational periods and silkworm eggs in different developmental states. Moreover, Western blotting was used to detect the expression level of the BmAKR in silkworm eggs. The results showed that 11 BmAKR genes were identified. These genes were distributed on 4 chromosomes of the silkworm genome, all of which had the (α/β) 8-barrel motif, and their physical and chemical characteristics were relatively similar. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the BmAKR genes could be divided into 2 subgroups (AKR1 and AKR2). Transcriptome data analysis showed that the expression of BmAKR genes were quite different in different tissues and periods. Moreover, the expression analysis of BmAKR genes in silkworm eggs showed that some genes were expressed significantly higher in nondiapause eggs than in diapause eggs; but another gene, BmAKR1-1, was expressed significantly higher in diapause eggs than in nondiapause eggs. The detection of protein level found that the difference trend of BmAKR1-1 in diapause eggs and non-diapause eggs was consistent with the results of qRT-PCR. In conclusion, BmAKR1-1 was screened out as candidates through the identification and analysis of the BmAKR genes in silkworm, which may regulate silkworm egg development is worthy of further investigation.
Animals ; Bombyx/metabolism* ; Phylogeny ; Diapause ; Genes, Insect ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Insect Proteins/metabolism*

OBJECTIVES: The automatic delineation of organs at risk (OARs) can help doctors make radiotherapy plans efficiently and accurately, and effectively improve the accuracy of radiotherapy and the therapeutic effect. Therefore, this study aims to propose an automatic delineation method for OARs in cervical cancer scenarios of both after-loading and external irradiation. At the same time, the similarity of OARs structure between different scenes is used to improve the segmentation accuracy of OARs in difficult segmentations. METHODS: Our ensemble model adopted the strategy of ensemble learning. The model obtained from the pre-training based on the after-loading and external irradiation was introduced into the integrated model as a feature extraction module. The data in different scenes were trained alternately, and the personalized features of the OARs within the model and the common features of the OARs between scenes were introduced. Computer tomography (CT) images for 84 cases of after-loading and 46 cases of external irradiation were collected as the train data set. Five-fold cross-validation was adopted to split training sets and test sets. The five-fold average dice similarity coefficient (DSC) served as the figure-of-merit in evaluating the segmentation model. RESULTS: The DSCs of the OARs (the rectum and bladder in the after-loading images and the bladder in the external irradiation images) were higher than 0.7. Compared with using an independent residual U-net (convolutional networks for biomedical image segmentation) model [residual U-net (Res-Unet)] delineate OARs, the proposed model can effectively improve the segmentation performance of difficult OARs (the sigmoid in the after-loading CT images and the rectum in the external irradiation images), and the DSCs were increased by more than 3%. CONCLUSIONS Comparing to the dedicated models, our ensemble model achieves the comparable result in segmentation of OARs for different treatment options in cervical cancer radiotherapy, which may be shorten time for doctors to sketch OARs and improve doctor's work efficiency.
Female ; Humans ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted/methods* ; Machine Learning ; Organs at Risk/radiation effects* ; Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted/methods* ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms/radiotherapy*

Objective: : EID3 (EP300-interacting inhibitor of differentiation) was identified as a novel member of EID family and plays a pivotal role in colorectal cancer development. However, its role in glioma remained elusive. In current study, we identified EID3 as a novel oncogenic molecule in human glioma and is critical for glioma cell survival, proliferation and invasion. Methods: : A total of five patients with glioma were recruited in present study and fresh glioma samples were removed from patients. Four weeks old male non-obese diabetic severe combined immune deficiency (NOD/SCID) mice were used as transplant recipient models. The subcutaneous tumor size was calculated and recorded every week with vernier caliper. EID3 and AMP-activated protein kinase α1 (AMPKα1) expression levels were confirmed by real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot assays. Colony formation assays were performed to evaluate cell proliferation. Methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assays were performed for cell viability assessment. Trypan blue staining approach was applied for cell death assessment. Cell Apoptosis DNA ELISA Detection Kit was used for apoptosis assessment. Results: : EID3 was preferentially expressed in glioma tissues/cells, while undetectable in astrocytes, neuronal cells, or normal brain tissues. EID3 knocking down significantly hindered glioma cell proliferation and invasion, as well as induced reduction of cell viability, apoptosis and cell death. EID3 knocking down also greatly inhibited tumor growth in SCID mice. Knocking down of AMPKα1 could effectively rescue glioma cells from apoptosis and cell death caused by EID3 absence, indicating that AMPKα1 acted as a key downstream regulator of EID3 and mediated suppression effects caused by EID3 knocking down inhibition. These findings were confirmed in glioma cells generated patient-derived xenograft models. AMPKα1 protein levels were affected by MG132 treatment in glioma, which suggested EID3 might down regulate AMPKα1 through protein degradation. Conclusion : Collectively, our study demonstrated that EID3 promoted glioma cell proliferation and survival by inhibiting AMPKα1 expression. Targeting EID3 might represent a promising strategy for treating glioma.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy and safety of dexmedetomidine and dexamethasone in inhibiting opioid-induced cough (OIC) during general anesthesia induction in patients with gynecological tumors.Methods:A total of 180 patients who were scheduled for elective gynecological tumor surgery under general anesthesia in Shanxi Provincial Cancer Hospital from March to November 2019 were selected. They were randomly divided into blank control group, dexmedetomidine group and dexamethasone group according to the random number table method, each group had 60 cases. Firstly, all patients had a 10-minute rest (T 0) after they entered the operate room. Treatment before general anesthesia induction:dexmedetomidine group was pumped dexmedetomidine 0.5 μg/kg (diluted to 10 ml with 0.9% NaCl injection) using an electronic infusion pump; dexamethasone group was injected intravenously dexamethasone 10 mg; blank control group was pumped with 10 ml 0.9% NaCl injection. The pumping was finished within 5 minutes, and the end time of pumping was denoted as T 1. Induction of general anesthesia was performed 5 minutes after the end of pumping: firstly, sufentanil was given intravenously at 0.3 μg/kg, and the injection was finished within 5 seconds (T 2). Two minutes after sufentanil injection (T 3), cis-atracurium 0.3 mg/kg and propofol medium/long-chain injection 2 mg/kg were sequentially injected. Then preoxygenation, endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation were implemented in turn. One minute after intubation was recorded as T 4. The incidence and severity of cough in patients within T 2-T 3 of each group were recorded, as well as the incidence of tachycardia, bradycardia, hypertension, hypotension, respiratory depression and myotonia during T 1-T 4. Results:The incidence of OIC in the dexmedetomidine group (10.0%, 6/60) and dexamethasone group (8.3%, 5/60) was lower than that in the blank control group (33.3%, 20/60), and the difference among the three groups was statistically significant ( χ2 = 16.445, P < 0.01), while there was no significant difference in the incidence of OIC between the dexmedetomidine group and the dexamethasone group ( P > 0.05). The incidence of sinus bradycardia in the dexmedetomidine group (16.3%, 10/60) was higher than that in the blank control group (0, 0/60) and dexamethasone group (8.4%, 1/60), and the difference was statistically significant ( P < 0.05). Respiratory depression and myotonia did not occur in the three groups. Conclusions:Pretreatment with dexmedetomidine or intravenous dexamethasone before anesthesia induction can effectively reduce the incidence of OIC in patients with gynecological tumors, and there is no significant difference between the effects of the two drugs. The incidence of sinus bradycardia increases significantly after dexmedetomidine infusion.

Objective:To compare the detection rate of genital Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) DNA between urine and urethral/cervical swab samples. Methods:From December 2018 to December 2019, a total of 1 475 outpatients were collected from sexually transmitted disease clinics in 7 medical institutions, such as Department of Venereology, Guangzhou Institute of Dermatology, including 1 118 males and 357 females. One urethral/cervical swab sample and one urine sample were collected successively from each patient. Real-time fluorescence-based PCR was performed to detect CT DNA in urine and urethral/cervical swab samples, and paired chi-square test was used to compare the positive rate of CT DNA between the 2 kinds of samples. Random- or fixed-effect meta-analysis was conducted for the test of heterogeneity and merging of positive rates of CT DNA in the urine and urethral/cervical swabs among 7 medical institutions.Results:The positive rate of CT DNA in the urine samples was significantly higher than that in the swab samples from 4 medical institutions (all P < 0.05) , while there was no significant difference in the positive rate of CT DNA between the 2 kinds of samples from 3 medical institutions (all P > 0.05) . The heterogeneity ( I2) estimates of the CT-DNA positive rate in urine and swab samples among different medical institutions were 78.6% (95% CI: 55.9% - 89.6%) and 73.7% (95% CI: 43.7% - 87.7%) , respectively; meta-analysis showed that the total merged positive rate of CT DNA in the urine samples was 10.8% (95% CI: 7.2% - 15.9%) , which was significantly higher than that in the swab samples (7.8%, 95% CI: 4.9% - 12.1%; χ2 = 39.2, P < 0.05) . Compared with the swab sample-based CT-DNA detection method, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and consistency rate of the urine sample-based CT-DNA detection method were 97.0% (128/132) , 96.3% (1 293/1 343) , 71.9% (128/178) , 99.7% (1 293/1 297) , and 96.3% (1 421/1 475) , respectively. The positive rate of CT DNA in the urine samples from 1 118 male patients was 11.0% (95% CI: 7.2% - 16.5%) , which was significantly higher than that in the swab samples (7.6%, 95% CI: 4.9% - 11.8%; χ2 = 34.3, P < 0.05) . There was no significant difference in the positive rate of CT DNA between the urine (11.9%, 95% CI: 7.7% - 17.9%) and cervical swab samples from 357 female patients (10.4%, 95% CI: 7.6% - 14.0%; χ2 = 3.2, P > 0.05) . Conclusions:The positive rate of CT DNA in urine samples is higher than or similar to that in urethral/cervical swab samples. The urine sample-based CT-DNA detection method has characteristics of convenience, non-invasiveness, painlessness and low cost, and is worthy of clinical promotion.

Objective:To investigate the effects of dexmedetomidine on perioperative coagulation function and inflammatory factors in patients with malignant ovarian tumors.Methods:A total of 60 patients undergoing cytoreductive surgery for malignant ovarian tumors from September 2019 to May 2020 in the Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University were selected and divided into the dexmedetomidine group and the control group according to the random number table method, 30 cases in each group. Patients in the dexmedetomidine group were pumped with dexmedetomidine 0.5 μg/kg 10 min before induction of anesthesia, and then the intravenous pump was maintained at a rate of 0.2-0.6 μg·kg -1·h -1 until 30 min before the completion of the operation pump injection. The control group was pumped with 0.9% NaCl solution of the same volume at the same time. Before induction of anesthesia (T 0), 2 h after administration (T 1), and 3 h after operation (T 2), the patients' venous blood was collected to detect platelet count (Plt), prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thrombin time (APTT), plasma fibrinogen (FIB), D-dimer; and levels of serum inflammatory factors interleukin 6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) were also detected. The operation time, intraoperative fluid infusion, amount of anesthetics, and total intraoperative blood loss were compared between the two groups. Results:Plt at T 1 and T 2 time were (154±28)×10 9/L, (138±27)×10 9/L of the dexmedetomidine group and (133±44)×10 9/L, (114±50)×10 9/L of the control group, which were lower than those of both groups at T 0 time [(182±46)×10 9/L, (184±55)×10 9/L], and the differences were statistically significant ( F values were 11.975, 16.058, all P < 0.05); and Plt at T 1 and T 2 time of the control group were lower than those of the dexmedetomidine group (all P < 0.05). FIB level at T 1 and T 2 time [(3.2±0.9) g/L, (3.3±0.9) g/L of the dexmedetomidine group; (3.7±0.6) g/L, (4.6±0.9) g/L of the control group] and D-dimer level at T 1 and T 2 time [(0.77±0.25) mg/L, (0.81±0.51) mg/L of the dexmedetomidine group; (0.96±0.31) mg/L, (1.15±0.56) mg/L of the control group] were higher than those of both groups at T 0 time [FIB: (3.0met) g/L, (2.8 met) g/L; D-dimer: (0.65rt T) mg/L, (0.63 rt T) mg/L], and the differences were statistically significant (F values were 5.234, 46.121, 4.358, 11.091, all P < 0.05); FIB and D-dimer levels at T 1 and T 2 time of the control group were higher than those of the dexmedetomidine group (all P < 0.05). PT and APTT at T 2 time of the dexmedetomidine group were (12.7±0.5) s and (33.8±3.7) s, respectively, and the control group were (12.3±0.8) s, (31.8±2.4)s, respectively, which were shorter than those of both groups at T 0 time [PT: (13.0±0.3) s, (13.0±0.3) s; APTT: (35.7±2.0) s, (35.7±2.6) s], and the differences were statistically significant (all P < 0.05), and PT and APTT levels at T 2 time of the control group were shorter than those of the dexmedetomidine group (all P < 0.05). IL-6 level at T 1 and T 2 time [(73.3±2.8) pg/L, (84.7±3.8) pg/L of the dexmedetomidine group; (81.5±3.6) pg/L, (89.8±3.2) pg/L of the control group] and TNF-α level at T 1 and T 2 time [(27.4±4.4) ng/L, (32.9±3.7) ng/L of the dexmedetomidine group; (32.7±2.5) ng/L, (39.8±4.0) ng/L of the control group] were higher than those of both groups at T 0 time [IL-6: (65.9±2.9) pg/L, (65.0±1.8) pg/L; TNF-α: (15.4±3.1) ng/L, (16.6±2.6) ng/L)], and the differences were statistically significant ( F values were 264.650, 553.019, 162.447, and 438.225, respectively, all P < 0.05), and IL-6 and TNF-α levels at T 1 and T 2 time of the control group were higher than those of the dexmedetomidine group (all P < 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in operation time, intraoperative fluid infusion, and intraoperative total blood loss between the two groups (all P > 0.05), but the intraoperative use of propofol and remifentanil of the control group was more than that of the dexmedetomidine group (all P < 0.05). Conclusion:Dexmedetomidine under general anesthesia for malignant ovarian patients undergoing surgery can effectively improve the perioperative coagulation function and reduce the level of inflammatory factors, thereby reducing the risk of postoperative thrombotic events.

Objective:To explore the effect of hand making combined with social skills training on the self-care ability and quality of life of patients with schizophrenia.Methods:According to random number table method, totally 120 patients with schizophrenia admitted to the Second People ′s Hospital of Chuzhou City, Anhui Province from January to December 2019 were divided into observation and control groups, which had 60 patients in each groups, 10 cases and 7 cases fell off respectively. The control group received antipsychotic medication and routine nursing, meanwhile the general recreational activities (circles, radio exercises, etc.) and physical therapy were also carried out in the department and rehabilitation physical therapy center. The observation group was given hand making and social skills training for 12 weeks on the basis of the control group. The self-care ability and quality of life of patients in the two groups were compared before intervention, 6 and 12 weeks after intervention. Results:Before intervention, there was no statistical significance in the scores of World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale (WHOQOL-BREF) and Activities of Daily Living (ADL) in 2 groups ( P>0.05). After 6 and 12 weeks of intervention, ADL scores in the observation group were (96.40±3.79) and (98.50±2.53) points, while those in the control group were (93.96±4.31) and (94.06±4.28) points. And the difference between the two groups was statistically significant ( t values were 3.38, 6.36, P<0.05). However, after 6 weeks of intervention, there was no significant difference in WHOQOL-BREF scores between the two groups ( P>0.05); after 12 weeks of intervention, the scores of WHOQOL-BREF in the domains of G1(patients′ self-rated quality of life), G4(patients′ satisfaction with self-rated health status), physiology, psychology, social relations and environment in the observation group were (3.76±1.14), (3.86±1.03), (14.83±2.56), (15.04±3.07), (14.72±3.67) (14.55±3.22) points. The scores of the control group were (3.00±0.83), (3.34±0.90), (12.79±2.06), (12.70±2.45), (12.70±3.06) and (12.64±2.42) points. And the difference between the two groups was statistically significant ( t values were from 2.73 to 4.47, P<0.01). Conclusions:Hand making combined with social skills training can improve the self-care ability and quality of life of patients with schizophrenia, and it is an effective means of treatment to help the patients with schizophrenia to achieve recovery, out of the hospital, back to society.