BACKGROUND:Traditional 3D dental segmentation methods usually utilize predefined spatial geometric features,such as curvature and normal vectors,as the reference information for tooth segmentation. OBJECTIVE:To propose an algorithm for complex 3D dental segmentation and deeply explore the correlation between segmentation results and application scenarios. METHODS:A 3D dental segmentation algorithm based on dual stream extraction of structural features and spatial features was established,and the modular design of split flow was used to avoid feature confusion.Among them,the attention mechanism on the structural feature flow was used to capture the fine-grained semantic information required for tooth segmentation,and the Tran Net based on the spatial feature flow was used to ensure the robustness of the model to complex tooth and jaw segmentation.This algorithm verified its effectiveness and reliability based on clinical datasets including healthy dental jaws and complex dental jaws such as missing teeth,malocclusion and dentition crowding.The segmentation performance of the model was measured in terms of overall accuracy,mean intersection over union,and directional cut discrepancy. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The overall segmentation accuracy of this algorithm in the clinical data set is 97.08%,and the segmentation effect is superior to that of other competitive methods from the qualitative and quantitative perspectives.It is verified that the structural feature flow designed in this paper can extract more precise local details of tooth shape from coordinate and normal information by constructing an attention aggregation mechanism,and the spatial feature flow designed in this paper can ensure the robustness of the model to complex teeth such as missing teeth,dislocated teeth,and crowded dentition by constructing a transformation network(Tran Net).Therefore,this tooth segmentation algorithm is highly reliable for clinicians'practical reference.

Myocardial fibrosis is an important pathological process in the development of cardiovascular diseases, which is closely related to the prognosis of patients. Activated cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) are the main effector cells, whose surface specifically overexpress fibroblast activation protein (FAP). Radionuclide-labeled FAP inhibitors (FAPIs) can specifically bind to FAP to visualize activated CFs in vivo, showing preliminary clinical application in the early diagnosis, prognosis prediction and interventional guidance of various cardiovascular diseases. This article reviews the progress of researches on the application of radionuclide-labeled FAPIs in cardiovascular diseases imaging.

To analyze the factors affecting the cost of hospitalization for patients and provide insights using the intrauterine lesion surgery group (DRG code NE19) as an example.

Objective To explore the risk factors of apathy and correlations with cognitive function in patients with hypertension combined with cerebral small vessel disease(CSVD).Methods Totally 141 patients with hypertension combined with CSVD were prospectively enrolled and were divided into apathy group(n=43)and non-apathy group(n= 98)according to neuropsychiatric inventory-apathy scale(NPI-Apathy)scores.The general data,imaging marker scores and total imaging burden scores were compared between groups.In hypertension combined with CSVD patients,multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to screen the independent risk factors of apathy,and Spearman correlation analysis was also performed to observe the correlation of apathy and cognitive function.Results The patients'age,high density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C),Fazekas scores of lateral periventricular white matter hyper-intensity(WMH),cerebral microbleed of depth/infratentorial and total imaging burden scores of apathy group were all higher,while mini-mental state examination(MMSE)and Montreal cognitive assessment(MoCA)scores were both lower than those of non-apathy group(all P＜0.05).HDL-C and Fazekas scores of lateral periventricular WMH were both independent risk factors for apathy(both P＜0.05),while NPI-Apathy scores were moderately negatively correlated with cognitive function in patients with hypertension combined with CSVD(r=-0.543,-0.484,both P＜0.001).Conclusion HDL-C and Fazekas scores of lateral periventricular WMH were both independent risk factors for apathy in patients with hypertension combined with CSVD.The more severe the apathy,the lower the cognitive function.

Objective:To explore the predictive value of lipoproteins on the progression of critically ill patients to chronic critical illness (CCI).Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted to analyze clinical data of patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital from January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2022. The levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and apolipoproteins (ApoA-Ⅰ, ApoB) at 1, 3, 7, 14 and 21 days after admission to ICU were collected. The progression to CCI was recorded. CCI was defined as the length of ICU stay ≥14 days with sustained organ dysfunction [sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score ≥2]. Differences in lipoprotein levels between the patients with and without CCI were compared. Multivariate Logistic regression was used to analyze risk factors for critically ill patients progressing to CCI. Receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC curve) was drawn to evaluate the predictive value of lipoproteins on critically ill patients progressing to CCI.Results:A total of 200 patients were enrolled in the final analysis. 137 patients (68.5%) progressed to CCI, and 63 patients (31.5%) did not. The lipoprotein indicators in the CCI group showed a decrease after the acute phase, while the lipoprotein indicators in the non-CCI group showed an increase. The levels of HDL, LDL, ApoA-Ⅰ, and ApoB at various time points in the CCI group were significantly lower than those in the non-CCI group. HDL at 7 days in the CCI group was significantly lower than that in the non-CCI group [mmol/L: 0.44 (0.31, 0.61) vs. 0.67 (0.49, 0.75), P < 0.01]. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that 7-day HDL was an independent risk factor for critically ill patients progressing to CCI [odds ratio ( OR) = 0.033, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was 0.004-0.282, P = 0.002]. ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 7-day HDL for predicting critically ill patients progressing to CCI was 0.702, with a 95% CI of 0.625-0.779, P < 0.001. When the optimal cut-off value was 0.59 mmol/L, the sensitivity was 69.8%, and the specificity was 72.4%. Conclusions:The low level of lipoproteins is closely related to the progression of critically ill patients, and 7-day HDL has a certain predictive value for critically ill patients progressing to CCI. Continuously observation of the change trend of lipoprotein level is helpful to judge the progression of CCI in critically ill patients.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) in young patients with high-risk multiple myeloma (HRMM) and analyzed the factors affecting patient prognosis.Methods:In this retrospective study, we analyzed the clinical data of 14 patients with HRMM with cytogenetic abnormalities or high-risk biological factors who underwent allo-HSCT at the Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Center of the Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital between November 2016 and November 2022.Results:There were seven males and seven females included in the study, with a median age of 39.5 (31-50) years at the time of allo-HSCT. The median number of treatment lines before transplantation was 2 (1-6) . Before allo-HSCT, 42.9% (6/14) of the patients did not achieve complete remission, while 35.7% (5/14) of the patients achieved measurable residual disease positivity. After transplantation, all patients were evaluated for their treatment response, and the overall response rate was 100% (14/14) . All 14 patients successfully underwent allo-HSCT, with median engraftment times for neutrophils and platelets of 11 (10-14) days and 13 (9-103) days, respectively. Acute grade Ⅱ-Ⅳ graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) occurred in five patients (35.7%) , and two patients (14.3%) developed moderate-to-severe chronic GVHD. The median follow-up time after allo-HSCT was 18.93 (4.10-72.53) months, with an expected 2-year transplant-related mortality rate of 7.1% (95% CI 0%-21.1%) and an expected 2-year overall survival rate of 92.9% (95% CI 80.3%–100.0%) . Moreover, the expected 1-year and 2-year progression-free survival rates were 92.9% (95% CI 80.3%-100.0%) and 66.0% (95% CI 39.4%-100.0%) , respectively, and the 2-year cumulative incidence of relapse was 28.9% (95% CI 0%-56.7%) . Upfront allo-HSCT following complete remission after induced therapy and the presence of chronic GVHD might be favorable prognostic factors. Conclusion:allo-HSCT is an effective treatment for improving the prognosis of young patients with HRMM.

Objective To investigate the role and mechanism of circular RNA(circRNA)has_circ_0003304(circAZIN1)in regulating chondrocyte degeneration in osteoarthritis(OA).Methods Gene chip was used to detect the expression level of circRNA during the chondrogenic differentiation of human adipose-de-rived stem cells(hADSC).The circAZIN1 was further screened through the chondrocyte inflammation model constructed with interleukin-β(IL-β)and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)from the top 10 circRNAs with the most differentiated expression detected by gene chip.Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain re-action PCR(qPCR)was used to detect the effect of circAZIN1 overexpression(transfected with pcDNA3.1-circAZIN1-EF1-ZsGreen plasmid)on the metabolism of chondrocyte extracellular matrix(ECM).RNA-Pull down test was conducted to detect the protein bound by circAZIN1,miRNA-circRNA Interactions predicted the microRNAs(miRNAs)and their sites that circAZIN1 may be sponge-adsorbed,further TargetMiner,miRDB and TargetScan databases were applied to predict miRNAs which circAZIN1 may sponge-adsorbed.circAZIN1,miRNA and downstream mRNA were detected to find whether there was mirror regulation phe-nomenon after overexpression of miRNA.Results CircAZIN1 had the most significant differential expression during the chondrogenic differentiation of hADSC(day 3 and day 21)and in the chondrocyty inflammation model constructed by IL-β,TNF-α(day 3 group vs.day 21 group,the conttrol group vs.the IL-β group,the control group vs.the TNF-α group).Overexpression of circAZIN1 could promote the ECM synthesis in chon-drocytes and inhibit its decomposition.RNA-Pull down test result showed that circAZIN1 obviously bound AGO2 protein,suggesting that circAZIN1 had a high possibility of sponge adsorbing miRNAs.Further data-base predicted that its downstream was hsa-miR-654-3p,and the downstream mRNA of hsa-miR-654-3p was CACNA1I.After the overexpression of hsa-miR-654-3p,qPCR test found that circAZIN1,hsa-miR-654-3p and CACNA1I had a mirror image regulation phenomenon.Conclusion circAZIN1 inhibits the silencing effect of CACNA1I through sponge adsorption of hsa-miR-654-3p and thus plays a role in inhibiting chondrocyte de-generation,which provides a reference for the study of the regulatory mechanism of circRNA in the develop-ment of OA.

Objective:To explore the clinical changes in levels of the new clinical marker serum hepatitis B virus (HBV) pregenomic RNA (pgRNA) in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) with long-term antiviral therapy.Methods:100 CHB cases who were initially treated with nucleos(t)ide analogues (NAs) at Peking University First Hospital were included. The levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), HBV DNA, hepatitis B e-antigen (HBeAg), and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) during the follow-up period were measured. The TaqMan-based real-time quantitative PCR method was used to detect serum HBV pgRNA levels. The independent sample t-test and Mann-Whitney U test were used to compare continuous variables between groups, while Pearson's χ2 test and Fisher's exact test were used to compare categorical variables. Results:HBV pgRNA levels decreased significantly in patients who developed virological responses at 48 weeks ( n = 54) during subsequent treatment compared to those who did not ( n = 46). The HBV pgRNA level was lower in HBeAg-positive patients than in HBeAg-negative patients ( P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Patients with higher HBV DNA and HBeAg-positivity levels at baseline had a higher HBV pgRNA level following antiviral therapy. There was no statistically significant difference in HBV pgRNA levels in patients with different HBV pgRNA levels at baseline after antiviral therapy. There was no correlation between serum HBV pgRNA and HBsAg at baseline, but there was a correlation after long-term antiviral therapy, while there was a weak correlation between HBV pgRNA and HBsAg at the fifth and ninth years of antiviral therapy ( r = 0.262, P = 0.031; r = 0.288, P = 0.008). Conclusion:HBV pgRNA levels were higher with higher HBV activity in CHB patients with long-term antiviral therapy.

Objective: To provide high-quality clinical evidence of the efficacy of Tibetan medicine Honghua Ruyi (HHRY) pills for endometriosis-associated dysmenorrhea. Methods: This study constitutes a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial encompassing a three-menstrual cycle intervention followed by a three-menstrual cycle follow-up period. A total of 164 eligible females with endometriosis-associated dysmenorrhea were randomly divided into HHRY pills and placebo groups in a 1:1 ratio. The primary outcome included dysmenorrhea symptoms assessed using Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scores and quality of life, whereas the secondary outcome measures included the maximum VAS for non-menstrual pelvic pain, duration of pain episodes (in days), frequency and quantity of the consumption of ibuprofen sustained-release capsules (or other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), and days off work/study for staff/student due to dysmenorrhea, ovarian cyst, and/or pelvic nodule size. The safety was monitored throughout the treatment period. All the analyses were based on the intention-to-treat principle. For continuous outcomes, simple or multiple linear regressions were used to estimate the differences between the HHRY pills and placebo groups, with categorical data expressed as the number and percentage of occurrences. Differences were compared using the chi-square test or Fisher's exact test. The predefined analysis was adjusted for concomitant treatment, a variable considered to be associated with outcomes but unaffected by treatment allocation. Estimates of treatment effects were reported with 95% confidence intervals. Two-tailed P values ≤ .05 were considered statistically significant. Conclusion Positive results from this trial, upon completion would provide robust evidence for the efficacy and safety of HHRY pills in treating dysmenorrhea in patients with endometriosis.

Lupus nephritis(LN)is an immune-complex nephritis caused by renal involvement in systemic lupus erythemato-sus(SLE).It is one of the main causes of death in SLE and the end-stage renal disease(ESKD).Early diagnosis,effective treatment and reduction of recurrence are important means to delay LN entering ESKD.Renal biopsy is the"gold standard"for diagnosis and determination of LN typing and activity,but it is invasive and not easy to repeat.Therefore,there are still some clinical indicators that can accurately monitor the degree of kidney damage at an early stage,effectively reflect the histological type,disease activity,and judge the curative effect and prognosis.This article reviews the studies on urine biomarkers related to LN,in order to provide ideas for basic research and clinical treatment of LN.