[Early orthodontic treatment of mouth breathing related to malocclusion in children].

Mouth breathing is one of the most common oral and maxillofacial abnormalities in children. Children with mouth breathing are often accompanied by obstructive sleep apnea, which not only affects children's dentofacial development, leading to the occurrence of malocclusion, but also may lead to a series of serious systemic complications. The diagnosis and treatment of mouth breathing and its related malocclusions require multidisciplinary collaboration. This paper discusses the etiology and harm of mouth breathing, diagnosis of mouth breathing related problems, correlation between mouth breathing and malocclusion, treatment of mouth breathing related malocclusions.

[Accuracy of multi-task network based on vision Transformer in the three-dimensional upper airway analysis].

Objective: To explore the accuracy of a multi-task model based on vision Transformer for analyzing the three-dimensional (3D) upper airway and its subregions, and to evaluate its clinical applicability. Methods: According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, cone-beam CT (CBCT) data of 10 patients [4 males and 6 females, (20.8±2.7) years] who had their first visit to the Department of Orthodontics in the Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University from January 2012 to January 2020 were retrospectively selected. The 3D slicer software was used to segment the upper airway and pharyngeal airway and measure their volumes as the gold standard. The Dolphin 3D software was used to segment the pharyngeal airway and its subregions and measure their volumes as the gold standard. A multi-task model based on vision Transformer developed by the research team for automatic segmentation and volume measurement of the upper airway and its subregions. All the measurements were conducted by the same attending physician. The Bland-Altman analysis and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) were used to evaluate the consistency between the multi-task network and the gold standard in the upper airway segmentation and volume measurements, and the paired t test was used to compare the differences between the multi-tasking model and the gold standard. Results: The mean volume deviation of the upper airway segmented by multi-task model and 3D Slicer was -979.6 mm3, and the ICC was 0.97. The mean volume deviation of the pharyngeal airway, nasopharynx, velopharynx, glossopharynx and hypopharynx segmented by multi-task network and Dolphin 3D were 2 069.5, -950.1, -823.6, -813.9 and 4 003.4 mm3, respectively. In addition, ICC in pharyngeal airway, nasopharynx, velopharynx, glossopharynx and hypopharynx were 0.97, 0.94, 0.96, 0.96 and 0.69, respectively. Conclusions: The multi-task model based on vision Transformer produced different errors in the segmentation of 3D upper airway and its subregions. The segmentation of the nasopharynx, velopharynx and glossopharynx was in good agreement with the gold standard, while the segmentation of hypopharynx was poor, suggesting that the robustness and generalization of this model should be further enhanced.

[Several key and difficult issues related to the grading of urothelial carcinoma of urinary bladder].

Grading and staging are the most important prognostic factors for both non-invasive and invasive urothelial carcinomas, and are also one of the most common difficulties encountered by pathologists in the daily diagnostic practice of urothelial carcinoma. Recently, the International Society of Urological Pathology organized a survey and questionnaire conference on various issues related to the diagnosis, grading, and staging of urothelial carcinoma, and ultimately formed a series of consensus opinions. This article briefly summarizes the consensus opinions of this series, and combines them with the current pathological diagnosis status of urothelial carcinoma in China. It briefly comments on how to apply this series of consensus opinions in the daily diagnostic practice of pathologists, deeply understand relevant diagnostic problems, and carry out relevant clinical pathological research to further solve problems.

Isotropy of Cosmic Rays beyond 10

We report an estimation of the injected mass composition of ultrahigh energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) at energies higher than 10 EeV. The composition is inferred from an energy-dependent sky distribution of UHECR events observed by the Telescope Array surface detector by comparing it to the Large Scale Structure of the local Universe. In the case of negligible extragalactic magnetic fields (EGMFs), the results are consistent with a relatively heavy injected composition at E∼10 EeV that becomes lighter up to E∼100 EeV, while the composition at E>100 EeV is very heavy. The latter is true even in the presence of highest experimentally allowed extragalactic magnetic fields, while the composition at lower energies can be light if a strong EGMF is present. The effect of the uncertainty in the galactic magnetic field on these results is subdominant.

Factors influencing inferior alveolar nerve injury after extraction of mandibular third molar.

BACKGROUND: This study sought toexplore the manifestations of clinical symptoms and identify the risk factors linked to inferior alveolar nerve injury (IANI) in the context of mandibular third molar extraction. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In this study, 172 patients admitted to our hospital for mandibular third molar extraction from June 2021 to December 2022 were selected for the study, and the clinical data of the participants were retrospectively analyzed, and the risk factors of IANI associated with mandibular third molar extraction were analyzed by uni/multi-factor logisitic regression. RESULTS: Noticeable distinctions were noted between the groups with and without injuries in relation to age, time of surgery, number of broken roots, angle of blockage, CEJ (cementoenamel junction) distance, curved roots of the molar, clarity of the upper and lower walls of the nerve canal, and Pell & Gregory classification. Logistic regression analysis showed that age, time of surgery, number of broken roots, angle of blockage (40°-70°), CEJ distance (10-12 mm, >12 mm), and curved roots of the molar were independent risk factors for IANI. Multi-factor logistic regression analysis further confirmed that age, number of broken roots, angle of blockage (40°-70°), CEJ distance (10-12 mm, >12 mm), and curved roots of the molar were associated with IANI. CONCLUSIONS: Alveolar nerve injury manifests as hyperalgesia or absence of sensation, numbness and abnormal pain in the lower lip. Factors influencing IANI associated with mandibular third molar extraction were age, number of broken roots, angle of blockage (40°-70°), CEJ distance (10-12 mm, >12 mm), and curved roots of the molar.

Wind as a Driver of Peat CO2 Dynamics in a Northern Bog.

Excess CO2 accumulated in soils is typically transported to the atmosphere through molecular diffusion along a concentration gradient. Because of the slow and constant nature of this process, a steady state between peat CO2 production and emissions is often established. However, in peatland ecosystems, high peat porosity could foster additional non-diffusive transport processes, whose dynamics may become important to peat CO2 storage, transport and emission. Based on a continuous record of in situ peat pore CO2 concentration within the unsaturated zone of a raised bog in southern Canada, we show that changes in wind speed create large diel fluctuations in peat pore CO2 store. Peat CO2 builds up overnight and is regularly flushed out the following morning. Persistently high wind speed during the day maintains the peat CO2 with concentrations close to that of the ambient air. At night, wind speed decreases and CO2 production overtakes the transport rate leading to the accumulation of CO2 in the peat. Our results indicate that the effective diffusion coefficient fluctuates based on wind speed and generally exceeds the estimated molecular diffusion coefficient. The balance between peat CO2 accumulation and transport is most dynamic within the range of 0-2 m s-1 wind speeds, which occurs over 75% of the growing season and dominates night-time measurements. Wind therefore drives considerable temporal dynamics in peat CO2 transport and storage, particularly over sub-daily timescales, such that peat CO2 emissions can only be directly related to biological production over longer timescales. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10021-024-00904-1.

[The mechanism of SSO regulating SiO(2)-induced lipid metabolism disorders in macrophages was explored based on lipid metabolomics].

Objective: To investigate the mechanism of Sulfo-N-succinimidyloleate (SSO) regulating lipid metabolism disorder induced by silicon dioxide (SiO(2)) . Methods: In March 2023, Rat alveolar macrophages NR8383 were cultured in vitro and randomly divided into control group (C), SSO exposure group (SSO), SiO(2) exposure group (SiO(2)) and SiO(2)+SSO exposure group (SiO(2)+SSO). NR8383 cells were exposure separately or jointly by SSO and SiO(2) for 36 h to construct cell models. Immunofluorescence and BODIPY 493/ 503 staining were used to detect cluster of differentiation (CD36) and intracellular lipid levels, the protein expression levels of CD36, liver X receptors (LXR), P-mammalian target of rapamycin (P-mTOR) and cholinephosphotransferase 1 (CHPT1) were detected by Western blot, respectively, and lipid metabolomics was used to screen for different lipid metabolites and enrichment pathways. Single-factor ANOVA was used for multi-group comparison, and LSD test was used for pair-to-group comparison. Results: SiO(2) caused the expression of CD36 and P-mTOR to increase (P=0.012, 0.020), the expression of LXR to decrease (P=0.005), and the intracellular lipid level to increase. After SSO treatment, CD36 expression decreased (P=0.023) and LXR expression increased (P=0.000) in SiO(2)+SSO exposure group compared with SiO(2) exposure group. Metabolomics identified 87 different metabolites in the C group and SiO(2) exposure group, 19 different metabolites in the SiO(2) exposure group and SiO(2)+SSO group, and 5 overlaps of different metabolites in the two comparison groups, they are PS (22∶1/14∶0), DG (O-16∶0/18∶0/0∶0), PGP (i-13∶0/i-20∶0), PC (18∶3/16∶0), and Sphinganine. In addition, the differential metabolites of the two comparison groups were mainly concentrated in the glycerophospholipid metabolism and sphingolipid metabolism pathways. The differential gene CHPT1 in glycerophospholipid metabolic pathway was verified, and the expression of CHPT1 decreased after SiO(2) exposure. Conclusion: SSO may improve SiO(2)-induced lipid metabolism disorders by regulating PS (22∶1/14∶0), DG (O-16∶0/18∶0/0∶0), PGP (i-13∶0/i-20∶0), PC (18∶3/16∶0), SPA, glycerophospholipid metabolism and sphingolipid metabolism pathways.

[Sodium butyrate and sorafenib synergistically inhibit hepatocellular carcinoma cells possibly by inducing ferroptosis through inhibiting YAP].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether sodium butyrate (NaB) and sorafenib synergistically induces ferroptosis to suppress proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma cells and the possible underlying mechanisms. METHODS: CCK8 assay and colony formation assay were used to assess the effects of NaB and sorafenib, alone or in combination, on proliferation of HepG2 cells, and ferroptosis of the treated cells was detected with GSH assay and C11-BODIPY 581/591 fluorescent probe. TCGA database was used to analyze differential YAP gene expression between liver cancer and normal tissues. The effects of NaB and sorafenib on YAP and p-YAP expressions in HepG2 cells were invesitigated using Western blotting. RESULTS: NaB (2 mmol/L) significantly reduced the IC50 of sorafenib in HepG2 cells, and combination index analysis confirmed the synergy between sorafenib and NaB. The ferroptosis inhibitor Fer-1 and the YAP activator (XMU) obviously reversed the growthinhibitory effects of the combined treatment with NaB and sorafenib in HepG2 cells. The combined treatment with NaB and sorafenib, as compared with the two agents used alone, significantly inhibited colony formation of HepG2 cells, further enhanced cellular shrinkage and dispersion, and decreased intracellular GSH and lipid ROS levels, and these effects were reversed by Fer-1 and XMU. TCGA analysis revealed a higher YAP mRNA expression in liver cancer tissues than in normal liver tissues. NaB combined with sorafenib produced significantly stronger effects than the individual agents for downregulating YAP protein expression and upregulating YAP phosphorylation level in HepG2 cells. CONCLUSION: NaB combined with sorafenib synergistically inhibit hepatocellular carcinoma cell proliferation possibly by inducing ferroptosis via inhibiting YAP expression.

Variations in water use efficiency and carbon and nitrogen concentrations in red heart Chinese fir.

Temperature can significantly (P < 0.05) affect plant growth by modifying water use strategies, which are determined by intrinsic water use efficiency (WUEi). Red Heart Chinese Fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata) is one of the most important ecological and economic plantation species in China. However, the C. lanceolata water use strategy in response to increased temperatures and uneven temporal distribution of precipitation during the growing season is rarely reported. In a 7-year-old C. lanceolata plantation, differences in WUEi and C and N concentrations in different organs were analysed by anova, and the δ13C stable isotope, C, and N concentrations in stems determined at different tree heights. Stepwise regression and variance inflation factor were used to remove autocorrelated factors, and structural equation modelling was then used to explore relationships between WUEi and climate and biological factors. WUEi differed significantly between leaf and branch at different standardized precipitation evapotranspiration indices (SPEI). WUEi and N concentration decreased with age. The highest WUEi in branches and leaves were 92.7 and 88.4 µmol·mol-1 in 2020 (SPEI = 0.00), respectively. δ13C increased with relative tree height but N concentration and C/N ratio were not affected. Air temperatures has increased in between 2014 and 2020. WUEi and N concentration decreased with increasing branch and leaf age, but C concentration increased. SPEI significantly positively affected WUEi (P < 0.05), and WUEi was significantly negatively related to C concentration, which is consistent with the trade-off between C and water.

Adherence to the EAT-Lancet diet reduces the risk of head and neck cancers in 101,755 American adults: a prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between the EAT-Lancet diet (ELD) and head and neck cancers (HNCs) in 101,755 Americans enrolled in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. METHODS: ELD score was calculated to assess participant's adherence to ELD. Cox hazard regression models were utilised to evaluate the association of ELD and dietary components with HNC risk. Restricted cubic spline (RCS) plots were employed to explore the linearity of the relationships. Predefined subgroup analyses and sensitivity analyses were performed to identify potential effect modifiers and to assess the stability of the findings, respectively. RESULTS: After a mean follow-up of 8.84 years, 279 cases of HNCs, including 169 cases of oral cavity and pharyngeal cancers and 110 cases of laryngeal cancer were recorded. This study observed a dose-response negative correlation between ELD and HNCs (hazard ratio [HR]Q4 vs Q1: 0.52; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.34, 0.80; P-trend = 0.003; HRper SD increment: 0.80; 95% CI: 0.71, 0.91), and oral cavity and pharyngeal cancers (HRQ4 vs Q1: 0.52; 95% CI: 0.31, 0.88; P-trend = 0.008; HRper SD increment: 0.78; 95% CI: 0.66, 0.92). Analysis using RCS plots indicated a significant linear association between adherence to the ELD and reduced risk of HNCs and oral cavity and pharyngeal cancers (P-nonlinearity > 0.05). Subgroup analysis did not reveal significant interaction factors (P-interaction > 0.05), and sensitivity analysis confirmed the robustness of this study. Additionally, negative correlations were found between the consumption of fruits and whole grains and HNCs (fruits: HRQ4 vs Q1: 0.58; 95% CI: 0.40, 0.84; P-trend = 0.010; whole grains: HRQ4 vs Q1: 0.51; 95% CI: 0.26, 0.97; P-trend = 0.004). CONCLUSION: Adherence to ELD contributes to the prevention of HNCs.

[Soil microorganisms and physicochemical properties in marshlands along the Yangtze River basin at different types of land use and their effects on distribution of Oncomelania hupensis snails].

OBJECTIVE: To investigating the microbial communities and physicochemical properties of soil and distribution of Oncomelania hupensis snails in marshlands along the Yangtze River basin at different types of land use, and to examine the effects of soil microorganisms and physicochemical properties on snail distribution, so as to provide insights into snail control and schistosomiasis prevention in marshland along the Yangtze River basin. METHODS: Marshlands with four types of land use were selected along the Yangtze River basin on April 2021, including poplar forest-crops integrated planting, reed areas, agricultural cultivation lands and ditches. The distribution of snails and physicochemical properties of soil were investigated in marshlands with different types of land use, and the V3 to V4 regions of the bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) gene, fungal internal transcribed spacer-1 (ITS1) gene and algal ribulose-bisphosphate carboxylase (rbcL) gene in soils were subjected to high-throughput sequencing. The occurrence of frames with living snails and density of living snails were compared in marshland with different types of land use. The associations of soil microorganisms and physicochemical properties with the density of living snails were examined using Pearson correlation analysis, and the contributions of soil microorganisms and physicochemical properties to the density of living snails were evaluated using variance partitioning analysis. RESULTS: In marshlands with four types of land use, the greatest occurrence of frames with living snails [(4.94 ± 2.14)%] and density of living snails [(0.070 ± 0.026) snails/0.1 m2] were seen in ditches, and the lowest were found in [(1.23 ± 1.23)%] agricultural cultivation lands [(0.016 ± 0.019) snails/0.1 m2]. A total of 2 phyla, 5 classes, 8 orders, 9 families and 11 genera of algae were detected in soils at four types of land use, with Chlorophyta as the dominant phylum and Pseudoneochloris as the dominant genus. A total of 44 phyla, 134 classes, 281 orders, 338 families and 516 genera of bacteria were detected in soils at four types of land use, with Proteobacteria and Acidobacteriota as the dominant phyla and uncultured Acidobacterium, MND1, Mitrospira, Haliangium and Sphingomonas as dominant genera. A total of 11 phyla, 41 classes, 108 orders, 223 families and 408 genera of fungi were detected in soils at four types of land use, with phyla Ascomycota, Basidiomycota and Mortierellomycota presenting high relative abundances and genera Cladorrhinum, Mortierella and Humicola presenting high relative abundances. Pearson correlation analysis revealed that the density of living snails correlated negatively with the relative abundance of Proteobacteria (r = -0.965, P < 0.05) and soil electronic conductivity (r = -0.962, P < 0.05) and positively with soil moisture (r = 0.951, P < 0.05). Variance partitioning analysis demonstrated that the physicochemical properties and microorganisms of soil contributed 69% and 10% to the density of living snails, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The diversity of microbial communities varies in soils at different types of land use in marshland along the Yangtze River basin, and the physicochemical properties and microorganisms of soils may affect the distribution of O. hupensis snails.

Diabetes and long duration leading to speech-, low/mid-, and high- frequency hearing loss: current evidence from the China National Health Survey 2023.

PURPOSE: To examine the effect of diabetes, duration of diabetes, and blood glucose on speech-, low/mid-, and high-frequency hearing loss. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 2821 participants aged 20-87 years in the China National Health Survey were included. Diabetes was defined as valid fasting blood glucose (FBG) of ≥ 7.0 mmol/L, a self-reported history of diabetes or the use of anti-diabetic medications. Speech-(500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz), low/mid- (500, 1000 and 2000 Hz), and high-frequency (4000, 6000, and 8000 Hz) hearing loss was defined as pure tone average of responding frequencies > 20 dB HL in the better ear, respectively. RESULTS: In fully adjusted models, for speech-, low/mid-, and high-frequency hearing loss, compared with no diabetes, those with diabetes (OR[95%CI]: 1.44 [1.12, 1.86], 1.23 [0.94, 1.61], and 1.75 [1.28, 2.41], respectively) and with diabetes for > 5 years duration (OR[95%CI]: 1.63 [1.09, 2.42], and 1.63 [1.12, 2.36], 2.15 [1.25, 3.70], respectively) were at higher risk. High FBG level was associated with a higher risk of speech-, low/ mid-, and high-frequency hearing loss. And there were stronger associations between HL and diabetes, longer duration and higher in "healthier population" (no hypertension, no dyslipidemia and younger age). CONCLUSION: Diabetes, longer duration, and higher FBG level were independently associated with hearing loss for speech-, low/mid- and high-frequency hearing loss, particularly in higher frequency and "healthier population". Paying more attention to hearing loss in those populations could lower the burden of hearing loss.

PINK1/Park2-Mediated Mitophagy Relieve Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

Up to now, there's a limited number of studies on the relationship between PINK1/Park2 pathway and mitophagy in NAFLD. To investigate the effect of Park2-mediated mitophagy on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Oleic acid was used for the establishment of NAFLD model. Oil red-dyed lipid drops and mitochondrial alternations were observed by transmission electron microscopy. Enzymatic kit was used to test lipid content. The levels of IL-8 and TNF-alpha were determined by ELISA. Lenti-Park2 and Park2-siRNA were designed to upregulate and downregulate Park2 expression, respectively. The changing expression of PINK and Park2 was detected by RT-qPCR and Western blot. Immunofluorescence staining was applied to measure the amount of LC3. Successful NAFLD modeling was featured by enhanced lipid accumulation, as well as the elevated total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), TNF-alpha and IL-8 levels. Mitochondria in NAFLD model were morphologically and functionally damaged. Park2 expression was upregulated by lenti-Park2 and downregulated through Park2-siRNA. The PINK1 expression showed the same trend as Park2 expression. Immunofluorescence staining demonstrated that the when Park2 was overexpressed, more LC3 protein on mitochondrial autophagosome membrane was detected, whereas Park2 knockdown impeded LC3' locating on the membrane. The transmission electron microscopy image exhibited that the extent of damage to the mitochondrial in NAFLD model was revered by enhanced Park2 expression but further exacerbated by reduced Park2 expression. Park2-mediated mitophagy could relive NAFLD and may be a novel therapeutic target for NAFLD treatment. Keywords: Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), Mitophagy, PINK1/Park2, Park2, PINK1.

[The effect of the ratio of aneurysm sac diameter to patient age on the long-term efficacy of different surgical methods for infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm].

Objective: To investigate the effect of the ratio of the maximum diameter of aneurysm sac to age (R) on the long-term efficacy of endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) and open surgical repair (OSR) in patients with infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm (IAAA). Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study.The clinical data of 317 patients with IAAA who underwent surgical repair in the Department of Vascular Surgery,the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University from January 2016 to October 2022 were retrospectively collected.There were 266 males and 51 females,aged (69.7±8.3) years (range:37 to 87 years).The R value of the patient was calculated and the receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curve was used to establish a model to calculate the optimal cut-off value.The propensity score matching method was used to match the baseline data of patients in the EVAR and OSR group by 3∶1 (the caliper value was 0.05),and the patients were stratified according to the cutoff value of R, and the postoperative efficacy and survival of the patients were analyzed.The primary endpoint was the total mortality rate,and the secondary endpoints included the occurrence of postoperative complications and reintervention.Pearson χ2 or Fisher 's exact test was used for categorical variables, and independent sample t test or Wilcoxon rank sum test was used for continuous variables to compare differences between groups.The survival curves of the two groups were described by Kaplan-Meier method. Results: After propensity score matching,198 cases were in the EVAR group and 66 cases were in the OSR group.The ROC model showed that the best cut-off value of R value was 0.90,and the two groups were divided into two layers:R<0.90 and R≥0.90.Among them,112 patients with R<0.90 (84 cases of EVAR,28 cases of OSR);there were 152 patients with R≥0.90 (114 cases of EVAR and 38 cases of OSR).The follow-up time was (23.6±1.6) months (range:1 to 70 months).In the R≥0.90 stratification,the total mortality (26.3% vs.5.3%,χ2=7.600，P=0.006),complication rate (44.7% vs.26.3%, χ2=4.025，P=0.045), and secondary intervention rate (31.6% vs.13.2%, χ2=4.910，P=0.027) in the EVAR group were higher than those in the OSR group.In the R<0.90 stratification,there was no significant difference in the total mortality rate (13.1% vs.10.7%, χ2=0.109，P=0.741), complication rate (28.6% vs.35.7%, χ2=0.507，P=0.477) and secondary intervention rate (14.3% vs.21.4%, χ2=0.353，P=0.552) between the two groups. Conclusions: When R≥0.90 in IAAA patients,OSR maybe more beneficial to patients in terms of survival rate,postoperative complication rate and secondary intervention rate than EVAR.When R<0.90,there are no significant differences in survival rate,complication rate and secondary intervention rate between the two surgical methods.

Convolutional neural network for identifying common bile duct stones based on magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography.

AIMS: To develop an auto-categorization system based on machine learning for three-dimensional magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (3D MRCP) to detect choledocholithiasis from healthy and symptomatic individuals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 3D MRCP sequences from 254 cases with common bile duct (CBD) stones and 251 cases with normal CBD were enrolled to train the 3D Convolutional Neural Network (3D-CNN) model. Then 184 patients from three different hospitals (91 with positive CBD stone and 93 with normal CBD) were prospectively included to test the performance of 3D-CNN. RESULTS: With a cutoff value of 0.2754, 3D-CNN achieved the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 94.51%, 92.47%, and 93.48%, respectively. In the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, the area under the curve (AUC) for the presence or absence of CBD stones was 0.974 (95% CI, 0.940-0.992). There was no significant difference in sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy between 3D-CNN and radiologists. In addition, the performance of 3D-CNN was also evaluated in the internal test set and the external test set, respectively. The internal test set yielded an accuracy of 94.74% and AUC of 0.974 (95% CI, 0.919-0.996), and the external test set yielded an accuracy of 92.13% and AUC of 0.970 (95% CI, 0.911-0.995). CONCLUSIONS: An artificial intelligence-assisted diagnostic system for CBD stones was constructed using 3D-CNN model for 3D MRCP images. The performance of 3D-CNN model was comparable to that of radiologists in diagnosing CBD stones. 3D-CNN model maintained high performance when applied to data from other hospitals.

[Diagnostic value of apparent diffusion coefficient histograms using multiplexed sensitivity encoding diffusion-weighted imaging for distinguishing nasopharyngeal carcinoma from benign hyperplasia].

The data of 115 patients with nasopharyngeal masses (78 males and 37 females) aged between 12 and 78 years at the Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center from May 2022 to July 2023 were retrospectively reviewed, including 70 cases of nasopharyngeal carcinoma and 45 cases of benign hyperplasia. The mean, median, and percentiles (10th, 25th, 75th, and 90th) of the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) histogram derived from multiplexed sensitivity encoding diffusion-weighted imaging (MUSE-DWI) of the benign hyperplasia group were significantly higher than those of the nasopharyngeal carcinoma group (all P<0.05). Conversely, the kurtosis and skewness of benign hyperplasia group were significantly lower than those of the nasopharyngeal carcinoma group (both P<0.05). The area under receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of the combined ADC histogram parameters was 0.812 (95%CI: 0.732-0.892), and the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were 92.86%, 57.78% and 79.13%, respectively. The current study indicates ADC histogram parameters derived MUSE-DWI exhibit significant discriminatory value between nasopharyngeal carcinoma and benign hyperplasia.