Automatic Recognition of Concealed Fish Bones under Laryngoscopy: A Practical AI Model Based on YOLO-V5.

BACKGROUND: Fish bone impaction is one of the most common problems encountered in otolaryngology emergencies. Due to their small and transparent nature, as well as the complexity of pharyngeal anatomy, identifying fish bones efficiently under laryngoscopy requires substantial clinical experience. This study aims to create an AI model to assist clinicians in detecting pharyngeal fish bones more efficiently under laryngoscopy. METHODS: Totally 3133 laryngoscopic images related to fish bones were collected for model training and validation. The images in the training dataset were trained using the YOLO-V5 algorithm model. After training, the model was validated and its performance was evaluated using a test dataset. The model's predictions were compared to those of human experts. Seven laryngoscopic videos related to fish bone were used to validate real-time target detection by the model. RESULTS: The model trained in YOLO-V5 demonstrated good generalization and performance, with an average precision of 0.857 when the intersection over union (IOU) threshold was set to 0.5. The precision, recall rate, and F1 scores of the model are 0.909, 0.818, and 0.87, respectively. The overall accuracy of the model in the validation set was 0.821, comparable to that of ENT specialists. The model processed each image in 0.012 s, significantly faster than human processing (p < 0.001). Furthermore, the model exhibited outstanding performance in video recognition. CONCLUSION: Our AI model based on YOLO-V5 effectively identifies and localizes fish bone foreign bodies in static laryngoscopic images and dynamic videos. It shows great potential for clinical application. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3 Laryngoscope, 134:2162-2169, 2024.

USP9X expression is functionally related to laryngeal cancer.

An increasing number of studies have shown that USP9X is closely related to cancer. However, its role in carcinogenesis and progression of laryngeal cancer has not yet been investigated. In this study, we found that USP9X was upregulated in laryngeal cancer tissues. The expression of USP9X was significantly correlated with degree of laryngeal cancer differentiation and lymphatic metastasis. USP9X knockdown led to a decrease in the ability of proliferation, migration, and invasion of FaDu cells. The proportion of FaDu apoptotic cells increased by interfering with the endogenous expression of USP9X. We speculated that inhibiting USP9X might induce apoptosis in FaDu cells by downregulating Mcl-1 and upregulating Bax protein expression. Our findings for the first time suggest the expression level and trend of USP9X in laryngeal cancer tissue and USP9X may plays an important role in promoting the occurrence and progression of laryngeal cancer. USP9X may be a potential target for intervention in treatment of laryngeal cancer.

Association between secretory otitis media and laryngopharygeal reflux in adults.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between Secretory Otitis Media (SOM) and Laryngopharygeal Reflux (LPR) hasn't been well investigated in adult. PURPOSE: To study the involvement of LPR- in adult SOM. METHODS: We analyzed 60 adult SOM patients who were admitted to Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, China from January 2022 to October 2022. First, we instructed the patients to fill Reflux Symptom Index (RSI) form and Reflux Finding Score (RFS). Second, Dx-ph monitor was used to monitor patients' oropharyngeal PH for 24 h. Finally, we obtained Ryan index based on the characteristics of reflux events in different body postures. In addition, all patients were evaluated by the Eustachian Tube Dysfunction Questionnaire-7 (ETDQ-7). RESULTS: The positive rate of RSI and/or RFS scale was 73.33% (44/60) in 60 SOM patients. The positive rate of Ryan index was 76.67% (46/60), and the index was the highest in upright position in 60 SOM patients. The positive rate of ETDQ-7 was 100% (46/46) in 46 SOM patients with LPR. CONCLUSION: LPR may be involved in SOM in adults by impairing the function of the eustachian tube.

Texture and digestion properties of hybrid rice: A comparison between two cultivars released 18 years apart.

Field experiments were conducted to compare two hybrid rice cultivars-a recently released high-quality cultivar (Jingliangyou 1468, JLY1468) and a relatively older cultivar (Liangyoupeijiu, LYPJ). Results showed that hardness, springiness, cohesiveness, resilience, and chewiness of cooked milled rice were all lower in JLY1468 than in LYPJ, due to its lower amylose content and altered paste properties of milled rice flour. Active digestion duration of cooked milled rice was 26% shorter and the glucose production rate from starch digestion was 33% faster in JLY1468 compared with LYPJ. Texture and starch digestion properties of cooked milled rice as a factor of temperature during the grain-filling period were different between LYPJ and JLY1468 due to differing amylose contents and gel consistencies of milled rice flour in response to temperature. This study highlights that attention should be paid to potential health risks associated with the development of high-quality hybrid rice cultivars with soft texture.

Study on the effects of desloratadine citrate disodium on the postoperative complications and inflammatory response in patients with chronic sinusitis undergoing endoscopic sinus surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects of desloratadine citrate disodium on the postoperative complications and inflammatory markers in patients with chronic sinusitis undergoing endoscopic sinus surgery. METHODS: From June 2019 to December 2020, the patients with chronic sinusitis who received treatment in our hospital were selected and divided into the control group (CG) and experimental group (EG). In both groups, patients were given endoscopic sinus surgery. On this basis, patients were treated with desloratadine citrate disodium in the EG. The total effective rate of the operation and the incidence of complications were compared between the two groups, and the VAS scores of clinical symptoms were compared between the two groups after treatment. Meanwhile, the changes of serum TIgE, ECP and inflammatory factors were compared between the two groups, and the nasal mucociliary clearing function was compared between the two groups before and after treatment. RESULTS: After treatment, the total effective rate was 94.9% in the EG, which was significantly higher than that in the CG (82.2%). The levels of serum interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in the EG were significantly lower than those in the CG, and the levels of serum TIgE and ECP were also significantly lower than those in the CG. After treatment for 3 months, the mucociliary clearance rate and mucociliary clearance rate in the EG were significantly higher than those in the CG, while the saccharin clearance time was significantly shorter than that in the CG. The incidence of complications in the EG was significantly lower than that in the CG (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Desloratadine citrate disodium combined with endoscopic sinus surgery can improve the clinical efficacy, reduce the level of inflammatory factors and effectively reduce the incidence of complications in patients with chronic sinusitis.

Impact of soil metals on earthworm communities from the perspectives of earthworm ecotypes and metal bioaccumulation.

The current study elucidates the impact of soil metal contamination on earthworm communities at the ecotype level. A total of 292 earthworms belonging to 13 species were collected in metal-contaminated soils from Wanshou (WSC), Daxing (DXC) and Lupu (LPC) plots (1.40-6.60, 29.4-126, 251-336 and 91.9-109 mg/kg for soil Cd, Cu, Zn and Pb, respectively) in Hunan Province, southern China. The results showed that the total earthworm density and biomass significantly decreased along the increasing metal-contaminated gradient while epigeic earthworms became more dominant than anecic and endogeic earthworms. Redundancy analysis (RDA) showed that soil pH, total nitrogen and Cd concentration were the primary factors influencing earthworm communities, explaining 33.7%, 29.1% and 26.7% of the total variance, respectively. In addition, epigeic earthworm Metaphire californica bioaccumulated more Cd (0.27-0.60 mmol/kg), while endogeic earthworm Amynthas hupeiensis and anecic earthworm Amynthas asacceus bioaccumulated more Cu (0.55-1.62 mmol/kg) and Zn (2.86-6.46 mmol/kg) from soil, respectively, which were related to their habit soils and showed the species-specific bioaccumulation features. Our study discovered the diverse responses of earthworm ecotypes to metal contamination and their specific features of metal bioaccumulation, provide insight for soil risk assessments and for biodiversity conservation from a niche partitioning perspective. CAPSULE: Earthworms of different ecotypes showed different responses to soil metal contamination and species-specific features of metal bioaccumulation.

[Efficacy analysis of use of absorbable sinus drug stents in functional endoscopic sinus surgery].

Objective:To explore the efficacy of functional endoscopic sinus surgery（FESS） with an absorbable sinus drug stent in the treatment of chronic sinusitis. Method:107 patients with chronic sinusitis who underwent FESS were divided into two groups: 58 patients were set as stent group who were treated with sinus drug elution during surgery; 49 patients who did not receive a sinus drug stent were included in the non-stent group. The same postoperative treatment were used in the two groups. The patients were followed up for 1 month and reviewed 3 months after surgery. Efficacy is mainly evaluated by endoscopy. The evaluation indicators include whether the sinus mucosa is congested and edema, whether there is adhesion in the middle turbinate, whether vesicles or polyp-like mucosa are formed, whether the sinus mouth is stenosed or reoccluded, whether the sinus mucosa is epithelialized, and whether the patient had intervention after surgery. Result:Stents were successfully implanted in 58 patients in the stent group. The difference of the above six indexes between the stent group and the non-stent group was statistically significant at 1 month after operation. The postoperative complication rate and postoperative intervention rate were significantly lower in the stent group than in the control group（P<0.01）, the incidence of sinus mucosal epithelialization in the stent group was significantly higher than that in the non-stent group（P<0.01）. The sinus mucosal epithelialization were all completed in both groups after 3 months of surgery. The postoperative complication rate and postoperative intervention rate were significantly lower in the stent group than in the non-stent group（P<0.05 or P<0.01）. Conclusion:FESS combined with the absorption of sinus drug stents for the treatment of chronic sinusitis is safe and effective which can control the complications further after surgery while relieving the clinical symptoms of patients with sinusitis effectively.

Soil bacterial communities in three rice-based cropping systems differing in productivity.

Soil microorganisms play an important role in determining productivity of agro-ecosystems. This study was conducted to compare diversity, richness, and structure (relative abundance at the phylum level) of soil bacterial communities among three rice-based cropping systems, namely, a winter fallow-rice-rice (FRR), green manure (Chinese milk vetch)-rice-rice (MRR), and oilseed rape-rice-rice (ORR), in which MRR and ORR had significantly higher productivity than FRR. A 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis showed that no significant differences were observed in diversity and richness indices (observed species, Shannon, Simpson, Chao1, abundance-based coverage estimators, and phylogeny-based metrics) of soil bacterial communities among the three cropping systems. However, relative abundances of dominant phyla in soil bacterial communities, including Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Nitrospirae, Gemmatimonadetes, and Verrucomicrobia, were significantly different among the three cropping systems. In particular, a significant reduction in the relative abundance of Nitrospirae was observed in both MRR and ORR compared with FRR. These results indicate that bacterial community structure was affected by cropping systems in the tested paddy soils. Based on the results of our studies and existing knowledge bases, we speculate that benefits to rice yield may be obtained by reducing the relative abundance of Nitrospirae and increasing the ratio of abundances of Proteobacteria/Acidobacteria in paddy soils.

Yield performance of machine-transplanted double-season rice grown following oilseed rape.

Growing oilseed rape in the fallow season may be a feasible alternative to growing green manure (e.g. Chinese milk vetch) for improving rice productivity. The objective of this study was to determine the yield performance of machine-transplanted double-season rice (i.e. early- and late-season rice) grown following oilseed rape. Field experiments were conducted to compare machine-transplanted double-season rice grown following oilseed rape, Chinese milk vetch and fallow (i.e. no crop) at Hengyang and Yueyang, Hunan Province, China in three cropping cycles from 2014 to 2017. Results showed that machine-transplanted double-season rice grown following oilseed rape and Chinese milk vetch produced similar grain yield, which was higher than that grown following fallow across two sites and three cropping cycles. The higher grain yield of machine-transplanted double-season rice grown following oilseed rape and Chinese milk vetch was attributable to improvement in both sink size (spikelet number per m2) and source capacity (total biomass). However, the reasons for the improved sink size of machine-transplanted double-season rice grown following oilseed rape and Chinese milk vetch were not entirely the same. Growing oilseed rape increased panicle size (spikelet number per panicle) and panicle number in early- and late-season rice, respectively, while growing Chinese milk vetch increased panicle number in both the early- and late-season rice. Our study suggests that growing oilseed rape in the fallow season is a useful alternative strategy for improving productivity of machine-transplanted double-season rice.

Influence of metal-contamination on distribution in subcellular fractions of the earthworm (Metaphire californica) from Hunan Province, China.

Earthworms have the ability to accumulate of heavy metals, however, there was few studies that addressed the metals in earthworm at subcellular levels in fields. The distributions of metals (Cd, Cu, Zn, and Pb) in subcellular fractions (cytosol, debris, and granules) of earthworm Metaphire californica were investigated. The relationship between soil metals and earthworms were analyzed to explain its high plasticity to inhabit in situ contaminated soil of Hunan Province, south China. The concentration of Cd in subcellular compartments showed the same pattern as Cu in the order of cytosol > debris > granules. The distribution of Zn and Pb in earthworms indicated a similar propensity for different subcellular fractions that ranked as granules > debris > cytosol for Zn, and granules > cytosol > debris for Pb. The internal metal concentrations in earthworms increased with the soil metals (p<0.05). Significant positive correlations were found between soil Cd and Cd concentrations in cytosol and debris (p<0.01). Moreover, the soil Pb concentration significantly influenced the Pb concentrations in cytosol and debris (p<0.01), similar to that of Cd. The soil Cu concentrations was only associated with the Cu in granules (p<0.05). Soil Zn concentrations correlated with the Zn concentrations in each subcellular fraction (p<0.05). Our results provide insights into the variations of metals partitioning in earthworms at subcellular levels and the relationships of soil metals, which could be one of the detoxification strategies to adapt the long-term contaminated environment.

Structural equation model of the relationship between metals in contaminated soil and in earthworm (Metaphire californica) in Hunan Province, subtropical China.

Earthworms have the ability to take up heavy metals in soil and partition them in different subcellular compartments. In this study, we used a structural equation model (SEM) to investigate the two-step causal relationship between environmental availability (EA) and environmental bioavailability (EB) of heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Zn, and Pb), as reflected by their levels in soil fractions and in earthworms from field-contaminated areas in Southern China. In the SEM, the correlation between EA and EB reflected the bioavailability of Cd, Zn, and Pb. For Cd, the causal relationship between the latent variables EA and EB was reflected by DTPA fractions in soil as well as by earthworm internal and subcellular cytosol fractions. The extractable and oxidizable fractions of Zn in soil influenced Zn concentrations in the cytosol and debris. The DTPA and reducible Pb fractions were bioavailable to earthworm internal Pb concentrations and those in cytosol fractions. These results implied that the DTPA, extractable, oxidizable, or reducible fractions of different metals could be the bioavailable sources to earthworm internal metals and partitioned in their subcellular compartments.