With the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence technology, chatbots have shown great potential in the healthcare sector. From personalized health advice to chronic disease management and psychological support, chatbots have demonstrated significant advantages in improving the efficiency and quality of healthcare services. As the scope of their applications expands, the relationship between technological complexity and practical application scenarios has become increasingly intertwined, necessitating a more comprehensive evaluation of both aspects. This paper, from the perspective of he althcare applications, systematically reviews the technological pathways and development of chatbots in the medical field, providing an in-depth analysis of their performance across various medical scenarios. It thoroughly examines the advantages and limitations of chatbots, aiming to offer theoretical support for future research and propose feasible recommendations for the broader adoption of chatbot technologies in healthcare.

Objectives:To examine the feasibility of using foundation model in computer vision for echocardiographic left ventricular ejection fraction measurement. Methods:Based on the most extensive publicly accessible repository of echocardiographic loops,EchoNet-Dynamic,featuring 10024 recordings from individual patients,a foundation model in computer vision,VideoMAE V2,was fine-tuned,validated,tested using 7460,1288,and 1276 echocardiographic loops,respectively. Results:The mean absolute error between left ventricular ejection fraction measurements of VideoMAE V2 and expert's measurements was 3.94％ (95％CI:3.79％-4.11％).The Pearson's correlation coefficient was 0.91 (95％CI:0.89-0.92).Additionally,VideoMAE V2 demonstrated exceptional accuracy in identifying patients with a left ventricular ejection fraction below 50％,achieving an AUC of 0.96 (95％CI:0.95-0.97). Conclusions:This study validates the feasibility of using foundation model in computer vision for measuring left ventricular ejection fraction in echocardiographic loops and lays the foundation for the development of a generalized multimodal automated interpretation system for echocardiography.

Periodontitis is associated with abnormal purine metabolism, which is manifested by increased uric acid in host blood and increased expression of the purine-degrading enzyme, xanthine oxidoreductase (XOR), in periodontal tissues. Both XOR and uric acid are pro-oxidative and pro-inflammatory mediators under pathological conditions. Animal studies have found that injection of uric acid promotes the progression of periodontitis and that febuxostat (an XOR inhibitor) improves tissue destruction in periodontitis. Therefore, blocking the source of uric acid may be a therapeutic strategy to control the progression of periodontitis. In this article, the rationality of XOR inhibitors as potential therapeutic drugs for periodontitis is reviewed. The literature review results suggest that XOR inhibitors show antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anti-osteoclastic effects, and XOR inhibitors show clinical efficacy in the treatment of infectious, inflammatory and osteolytic diseases. Although there is no direct evidence to support the finding that XOR inhibitors can ameliorate periodontal microecological dysbiosis, these drugs can modulate intestinal microflora dysbiosis, and there is indirect evidence to support a beneficial effect of XOR inhibitors on periodontal microecological dysbiosis. In conclusion, XOR inhibitors may be used as immunomodulators for the adjuvant treatment of periodontitis by inhibiting inflammation, oxidative stress and anti-osteoclast effects.

ObjectiveTo explore the effect and regulatory mechanism of notoginseng total saponins on apoptosis of mammary gland cells in rats with mammary gland hyperplasia. MethodSixty female non-pregnant SD rats were randomly divided into control group， model group， Notoginseng total saponins low-， medium- and high-dose （10， 20， 40 mg·kg^-1， respectively） groups and tamoxifen group （1.8 mg·kg^-1）， 10 rats per group. Rat model of mammary gland hyperplasia was established by intramuscular injection of estradiol benzoate and progesterone. Oral administration was performed according to the experimental dose of each group， once a day for 30 consecutive days. The rats in the control group and the model group were given equal volume of normal saline by gavage every day. After administration， the diameter of the second pair of nipples of the rats was measured with vernier calipers， and breast tissue samples were collected and stained with hematoxylin and eosin （HE） to observe the pathological changes. Immunohistochemistry was used to determine the expression of apoptosis regulators B-cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2）-associated X （Bax） and Bcl-2， and Western blot was conducted to detect the expression of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin （PI3K/Akt/mTOR） signaling pathway-related proteins. ResultCompared with the control group， the model group had increased diameter of the second pair of nipples （P<0.05）， elevated volume of mammary lobules and number of acinus， diffuse mammary gland hyperplasia， and up-regulated expression of Bcl-2 protein， increased ratio of p-PI3K/PI3K， p-Akt/Akt， p-mTOR/mTOR （P<0.05） and decreased expression of Bax in the mammary gland （P<0.05）. Compared with the conditions in the model group， the diameter of the second pair of nipples of the rats in the notoginseng total saponins low-， medium- and high-dose groups and tamoxifen group was decreased （P<0.05）， and the number of mammary lobules and acinus and the amount of secretions were reduced. In addition， the mammary gland hyperplasia was alleviated， and a decrease was observed in the expression of Bcl-2 protein and the ratio of p-PI3K/PI3K， p-Akt/Akt， p-mTOR/mTOR （P<0.05）， and an increase in the expression of Bax （P<0.05）. ConclusionNotoginseng total saponins could improve mammary gland hyperplasia in rats， and its mechanism was related to regulating PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway and promoting apoptosis of mammary gland cells.

Objective:To explore the clinical value of peripheral remnant lipoproteins (RLP), low density lipoprotein cholesterol particle (LDL-P) and sdLDL particle (sdLDL-P) measurement in the diagnosis of carotid plaque, so as to provide practical basis for the accurate diagnosis of carotid plaque and the control of carotid plaque related cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.Methods:People who underwent carotid plaque ultrasound examination in Xingtai Third Hospital , from January 2020 to June 2021 were selected as the research object. According to the ultrasound results, they were divided into carotid plaque group ( n=146) and control group without carotid plaque ( n=149). The fasting RLP, LDL-P and sdLDL-P of the two groups were measured by vertical auto profile (VAP) centrifugal separation phase, and the fasting TG and LDL-C were detected by routine mixed phase method. The indexes were compared between the two groups and the true positive rate, true negative rate, false positive rate and false negative rate of the diagnosis of carotid plaque were analyzed. The receiver operating characteristic curve of each test index was drawn, and AUC was used to evaluate the clinical diagnostic value of each test index for carotid plaque. Results:The levels of RLP, LDL-P and sdLDL-P in carotid plaque group were significantly higher than those in non-carotid plaque group ([1.07±0.36] mmol/L vs [0.59±0.17] mmol/L,[1 300±370] nmol/L vs [781±215] nmol/L,[435±139] nmol/L vs [156±59] nmol/L, all P<0.01). The true positive rate (78.08% [114/146],81.51% [119/146]) and true negative rate (84.56% [126/149], 86.58%[129/149]) of serum RLP and LDL-P for the diagnosis of carotid plaque were significantly higher than TG (58.90%[86/146], 43.62%[65/149]) and LDL-C (59.59% [87/146], 46.98% [70/149]), and the false positive rate (15.44% [23/149], 13.42% [20/149]) and false negative rate (21.92% [32/146], 18.49% [27/146]) were significantly lower than TG (56.38% [84/149], 41.10% [60/146]) and LDL-C (53.02% [79/149], 40.41% [59/146], all P<0.01). The AUC of the ROC curve of RLP (0.890), LDL-P (0.902) and sdLDL-P (0.973) for the diagnosis of carotid plaque was higher than TG (0.682) and LDL-C (0.712). The AUC of ROC curve of the RLP combined with sdLDL-P (0.977) for the diagnosis of carotid plaque was higher than the RLP and sdLDL-P (all P<0.01). Conclusion:The serum RLP, LDL-P and sdLDL-P can be used as indicators of carotid plaque, and their clinical diagnostic value are superior to TG and LDL-C; the combined diagnostic effect of lipoprotein subclass is better than that of single index alone.

Objective:To explore the relationship between dietary quality and the risk of diabetes and prediabetes among urban women based on alternative healthy eating index-2010（AHEI-2010).Methods:From March to July 2016, a total of 1 061 female residents from 8 cities, Beijing, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Lanzhou, Xuchang, Jilin, Wuhu and Chenzhou in China, were selected by using the multi-stage sampling method. The basic characteristics of all participants were collected by using self-made questionnaire, and the dietary status of the subjects was collected by using 24-hour dietary recall method. AHEI-2010 scores were calculated and the diet was divided into low, medium and high dietary quality group according to the third quartile. All participants received physical examination, systolic blood pressure test, fasting blood glucose test and glycosylated hemoglobin test. Unconditional logistic regression model was used to analyze the relationship between dietary quality and the risk of diabetes and prediabetes.Results:The age of all participants was（48.0±17.5) years old. The median（ P25, P75) of AHEI-2010 score was 46.52（40.04, 54.88). The prevalence of diabetes and prediabetes were 13.3%（141 cases) and 50.0%（530 cases), respectively. Unconditional logistic regression analysis showed that after adjusting for age, city, education, diet control, physical activity, energy intake and waist circumference, compared with the low diet quality group, the OR（95% CI) values of medium, high dietary quality group and diabetes risk were 0.96（0.57-1.62) and 0.63（0.36-1.09), respectively; the OR（95% CI) values of medium, high dietary quality group and prediabetes risk were 0.93（0.64-1.35) and 1.28（0.87-1.88), respectively. Conclusion:The dietary quality of urban women based on AHEI-2010 evaluation is not related to the risk of diabetes and prediabetes.

Objective:To explore the relationship between dietary quality and the risk of diabetes and prediabetes among urban women based on alternative healthy eating index-2010（AHEI-2010).Methods:From March to July 2016, a total of 1 061 female residents from 8 cities, Beijing, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Lanzhou, Xuchang, Jilin, Wuhu and Chenzhou in China, were selected by using the multi-stage sampling method. The basic characteristics of all participants were collected by using self-made questionnaire, and the dietary status of the subjects was collected by using 24-hour dietary recall method. AHEI-2010 scores were calculated and the diet was divided into low, medium and high dietary quality group according to the third quartile. All participants received physical examination, systolic blood pressure test, fasting blood glucose test and glycosylated hemoglobin test. Unconditional logistic regression model was used to analyze the relationship between dietary quality and the risk of diabetes and prediabetes.Results:The age of all participants was（48.0±17.5) years old. The median（ P25, P75) of AHEI-2010 score was 46.52（40.04, 54.88). The prevalence of diabetes and prediabetes were 13.3%（141 cases) and 50.0%（530 cases), respectively. Unconditional logistic regression analysis showed that after adjusting for age, city, education, diet control, physical activity, energy intake and waist circumference, compared with the low diet quality group, the OR（95% CI) values of medium, high dietary quality group and diabetes risk were 0.96（0.57-1.62) and 0.63（0.36-1.09), respectively; the OR（95% CI) values of medium, high dietary quality group and prediabetes risk were 0.93（0.64-1.35) and 1.28（0.87-1.88), respectively. Conclusion:The dietary quality of urban women based on AHEI-2010 evaluation is not related to the risk of diabetes and prediabetes.

Objective To investigate the clinical usefulness of quantitative dual-source dual-energy CT (DECT) iodine enhancement metrics combined with morphological CT features in distinguishing different lung cancer subtypes. Methods One hundred and sixty-two consecutive patients suspected with lung cancer were prospectively enrolled and underwent DECT in arterial phase prior to biopsy or surgery.Tumor histological subtypes were determined in 110 patients. Two radiologists interpreted CT morphologic features of 110 lesions in a consensual manner. In addition, two radiologists independently contoured lesions and placed regions of interest in descending aorta or subclavian artery on the same section for normalization , from which automated computer measurements were generated:iodine density and iodine ratio (the ratio of iodine density of lesion to that of artery on the same section). DECT metrics and morphological CT features were compared among different lung cancer subtypes. Chi-square was used to compare qualitative parameters. One way ANOVA was used to compare quantitative parameters satisfying normal distribution, while those parameters not satisfying normal distribution or ranked data were compared by Kruskal-Wallis rank sum test. Multinomial logistic regression models were used to differentiate the histological subtypes of lung cancer: adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Results There were 48 cases of adenocarcinomas, 36 cases of SCC and 26 cases of SCLC. In analysis of CT features, tumor diameter, distribution, spiculation, pleural retraction, vascular involvement, confluent mediastinal lymphadenopathy, encasement of mediastinal structures and enhancement heterogeneity showed statistical difference (all P<0.05). The diameter of SCC[(5.73 ± 3.67)cm] and SCLC [(6.08 ± 4.39)cm] were larger than adenocarcinoma [(3.75 ± 2.80 cm)] (H=13.806,P<0.05). Adenocarcinomas were mostly located in the periphery (31 cases), while SCC (26 cases) and SCLC (21 cases) were mainly centrally located. Spiculation was mostly found in adenocarcinoma (44 cases) rather than SCLC (13 cases). Pleural retraction was mostly observed in adenocarcinoma (36 cases) rather than SCC (10 cases) and SCLC (5 cases). Vascular involvement was mostly found in SCLC (19 cases) rather than adenocarcinoma (15 cases). Confluent mediastinal lymphadenopathy was more frequently found in SCLC (15 cases) compared with adenocarcinoma (3 cases) and SCC (4 cases). Encasement of mediastinal structures was mostly found in SCLC (13 cases) rather than adenocarcinoma (7 cases). Homogeneous enhancement was more frequently found in SCLC (10 cases) than SCC (6 cases). No significant differences were observed in other CT features between any other two groups. Iodine density and iodine ratio were statistically different among these three subtypes lung cancer (H=16.817,20.338,P<0.001). Iodine density of adenocarcinoma and SCC was (1.50±0.80) and (1.40± 0.40) mg/ml, respectively, higher than the (1.20±0.40) mg/ml for SCLC (P<0.01). Iodine ratio of adenocarcinoma and SCC was (16.10 ± 7.02)％and (15.05 ± 4.62)％, respectively, higher than the (11.55 ± 3.15)％ for SCLC (P<0.01). No significant difference was observed between adenocarcinoma and SCC. Accuracy of the model based on CT features was 69.1％, accuracy of the model based on CT features combined with DECT parameters was 80.9％. Conclusions Quantitative DECT metrics are different among adenocarcinoma, SCC and SCLC, when combined with morphological CT features, higher diagnostic accuracy can be achieved.

BACKGROUND:Annulus puncture method is commonly reported in the establishment of intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) models, but there is a lack of comparative studies concerning complete MRI, pathologyical and extracellular matrix changes. Thereafter, a further exploration is imperative. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the feasibility of establishing IDD models using annulus puncture. METHODS:Thirty New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into two groups (n=15 per group). In experimental group, through extraperitoneal approach, the L1-2, L2-3, and L3-4 intervertebral space were exposed, and then stabbed by 16-gauge hypodermic needles;while rabbits in sham operated group were only subjected to making and incision but not to puncture. Five rabbits in each group were randomly selected for MRI examination at 4, 8 and 16 weeks after modeling, and were sacrificed through air embolism to obtain the nucleus pulposus. Histological changes were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining, and the level of proteoglycan was detected by Safranin O staining. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:In the experimental group, T2-weighted signal in the disc was decreased in a time-dependent manner;an obvious reduction was found at 4 weeks after modeling, and reached the peak at 16 weeks. In contrast, the sham operated group showed no significant changes at each time point. Hematoxylin-eosin staining showed that in the experimental group, cartilage-like cells decreased, while fibroblast-like cells in the disc increased in number and proportion, and extracellular fibers were in disorder;all above changes became obvious at 4 weeks after surgery and the most obvious at 16 weeks, but there were no significant changes in the sham operated group. Safranin O staining revealed that the color of the tissues under puncture became lighter, and this variation became overt at 4 weeks after surgery and the most obvious at 16 weeks. In conclusion, annulus puncture is a reliable method to make IDD models.

Background:Mortality outcomes in trials of low-dose computed tomography (CT) screening for lung cancer are inconsistent.This study aimed to evaluate whether CT screening in urban areas of China could reduce lung cancer mortality and to investigate the factors that associate with the screening effect.Methods:A decision tree model with three scenarios (low-dose CT screening,chest X-ray screening,and no screening) was developed to compare screening results in a simulated Chinese urban cohort (100,000 smokers aged 45-80 years).Data of participant characteristics were obtained from national registries and epidemiological surveys for estimating lung cancer prevalence.The selection of other tree variables such as sensitivities and specificities of low-dose CT and chest X-ray screening were based on literature research.Differences in lung cancer mortality (primary outcome),false diagnoses,and deaths due to false diagnosis were calculated.Sensitivity analyses were performed to identify the factors that associate with the screening results and to ascertain worst and optimal screening effects considering possible ranges of the variables.Results:Among the 100,000 subjects,there were 448,541,and 591 lung cancer deaths in the low-dose CT,chest X-ray,and no screening scenarios,respectively (17.2％ reduction in low-dose CT screening over chest X-ray screening and 24.2％ over no screening).The costs of the two screening scenarios were 9387 and 2497 false diagnoses and 7 and 2 deaths due to false diagnosis among the 100,000 persons,respectively.The factors that most influenced death reduction with low-dose CT screening over no screening were lung cancer prevalence in the screened cohort,low dose CT sensitivity,and proportion of early-stage cancers among low-dose CT detected lung cancers.Considering all possibilities,reduction in deaths (relative numbers) with low-dose CT screening in the worst and optimal cases were 16 (5.4％) and 288 (40.2％) over no screening,respectively.Conclusions:In terms of mortality outcomes,our findings favor conducting low-dose CT screening in urban China.However,approaches to reducing false diagnoses and optimizing important screening conditions such as enrollment criteria for screening are highly needed.