1.Surgical treatment of hepatic alveolar echinococcosis: challenges and innovations
Pei ZHANG ; Lu ZHAO ; Yunfei FANG ; Hui YANG ; Yifan WANG ; Yanqiong MA ; Yu MENG
Organ Transplantation 2026;17(3):512-518
Hepatic alveolar echinococcosis is a highly invasive zoonotic parasitic disease with poor prognosis. Surgical intervention serves as the pivotal approach to achieve radical cure and improve the prognosis of hepatic alveolar echinococcosis patients. In recent years, with the popularization of the concept of precision surgery and the development of the multidisciplinary diagnosis and treatment model, the surgical treatment strategies for hepatic alveolar echinococcosis have been continuously enriched, and the selection of surgical procedures has become increasingly diversified. Although key surgical techniques such as radical hepatectomy, autologous liver transplantation and allogeneic liver transplantation have achieved remarkable progress in clinical application, many insurmountable challenges still remain. Therefore, by sorting out the latest evidence-based advances in the field of surgical treatment for hepatic alveolar echinococcosis, this article focuses on discussing the application status and bottlenecks of radical hepatectomy, autologous liver transplantation and allogeneic liver transplantation in hepatic alveolar echinococcosis, aiming to provide a reference for the clinical treatment of hepatic alveolar echinococcosis.
2.Study on the variation patterns of corneal biomechanical parameters and binocular symmetry in children of different genders aged 8 to 16 years
Mei LI ; Biao WANG ; Fen ZHANG ; Yuting ZHANG ; Ze PEI ; Ning LU ; Feng CHANG
International Eye Science 2026;26(3):483-488
AIM: To investigate variation patterns of corneal biomechanical parameters and binocular symmetry among children of different genders aged 8-16 years.METHODS:A retrospective study was conducted, and children who underwent optometric examinations at the ophthalmology department of our hospital were enrolled between January 2022 and December 2024. Measurements included the flat keratometry(K1), steep keratometry(K2), and mean curvature(Km)of the anterior corneal surface, horizontal visible iris diameter(HVID), central corneal thickness(CCT), corneal endothelial cell density(CECD), average cell size(ACS), coefficient of variation(CV), and hexagonality(HEX). Corneal parameters and binocular differences were compared between genders and across age groups.RESULTS:A total of 621 children(1 242 eyes)were enrolled in this study, including 284 males(568 eyes), 337 females(674 eyes), 528 children aged 8-12 years(1 056 eyes), and 93 children aged 13-16 years(186 eyes). In children aged 8-16 years, the K1, K2, Km and CV of both eyes, as well as the interocular CCT differences in boys were significantly lower than those in girls(all P<0.05), while the HVID and HEX of both eyes, as well as the CCT of the left eye in boys were significantly higher than those in girls(all P<0.05). Children aged 8-12 years had significantly higher K1, Km, CECD and HEX in both eyes, and significantly lower ACS in both eyes than those aged 13-16 years(all P<0.05). K1, K2, Km, CECD and HEX in both eyes were negatively correlated with age(P<0.05); ACS in both eyes was positively correlated with age(P<0.001); K1 and Km of the right eye were positively correlated with the CECD of the right eye(P<0.05), and K1 and CCT of the left eye were positively correlated with the CECD of the left eye(P<0.05).CONCLUSION:Significant gender differences exist in corneal parameters among children aged 8 to 16 years, while binocular symmetry remained stable.
3.Analysis of related factors for the comorbidity of allergic rhinitis and obesity among primary and secondary school students in Inner Mongolia
Chinese Journal of School Health 2026;47(1):27-31
Objective:
To investigate the factors influencing the co-prevalence of allergic rhinitis and obesity among primary and secondary school students in Inner Mongolia, so as to provide a data foundation and theoretical basis for developing targeted intervention measures.
Methods:
In September and October 2024, a stratified cluster random sampling method was employed to select 139 102 students from 539 schools across 12 leagues/cities and 103 banners/counties in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Participants who were diagnosed with allergic rhinitis by a doctor at least once within one year and had a body mass index ≥ 28 kg/m 2 were considered to have comorbid conditions.
Results:
The coprevalence rate of allergic rhinitis and obesity among primary and secondary school students in Inner Mongolia was 6.4% (8 931 cases). Lasso-Logistic regression revealed that nonboarding status, higher maternal education, consuming high protein foods ≥1 time daily, occasionally or never eating breakfast, engaging in moderate to vigorous physical activity for ≥60 minutes on fewer than half of holidays, and having been exposed to second hand smoke in person within the past seven days were associated with higher odds ratios for co-prevalence of allergic rhinitis and obesity( OR = 1.23 , 1.22-1.63, 1.20, 1.19, 1.38, 1.35); being female, higher grade level, residence in flag/county/district areas, non only child status, never having consumed a full glass of alcohol, non hypertensive status, and households without pets were associated with lower co-prevalence risks ( OR =0.65, 0.67-0.77, 0.81, 0.87, 0.73, 0.41, 0.68) (all P <0.05). The ROC curve indicated an area under the curve of 0.64 for the predictive model, demonstrating satisfactory discriminatory ability. The calibration curve showed consistency between predicted and actual occurrence probabilities.
Conclusions
The co-prevalence of allergic rhinitis and obesity among primary and secondary school students in Inner Mongolia is closely associated with demographic characteristics, dietary behaviours, and lifestyle habits. Future prevention and control strategies should prioritize these factors to implement targeted interventions.
4.Risk factors and altered functional connectivity of brain networks in end-stage renal disease complicated with frailty
Zhaohua SUN ; Dashan LI ; Nan FENG ; Zilian CHEN ; Pei ZHANG ; Yonggui WU
Acta Universitatis Medicinalis Anhui 2026;61(5):894-900
ObjectiveTo explore the risk factors and alterations in functional connectivity of brain networks in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients complicated by frailty. MethodsA total of 84 patients with ESRD were enrolled and divided into the frailty group (31 cases) and non-frailty group (53 cases) according to the Chinese version of the Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI). Cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data, neuropsychological test results and clinical data were collected for all subjects. Logistic regression analysis was used to explore risk factors for frailty in ESRD patients, and image preprocessing and independent component analysis were performed to compare differences in brain network functional connectivity between the two groups. ResultsLogistic regression analysis showed that high blood urea nitrogen level, depression, malnutrition, and sleep disturbance were risk factors for frailty in patients with ESRD (P<0.05), while a higher level of education served as a protective factor (P<0.05). Compared with the non-frailty group, the frailty group exhibited significantly weakened functional connectivity between the sensorimotor network and the visual network (P<0.05). ConclusionHigh levels of blood urea nitrogen, depression, malnutrition, and sleep disorders can increase the risk of frailty in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), while a higher educational level may reduce this risk. Patients with ESRD complicated by frailty exhibit a significant decrease in functional connectivity between the sensorimotor network (SMN) and visual network (VN), which provides novel imaging evidence for exploring the central neural mechanisms underlying the development of frailty in ESRD patients.
5.Research advances in robot-assisted partial nephrectomy for anterior and posterior lip tumors of the kidney:focusing on postoperative complications
Yuanhao PEI ; Lulin MA ; Shuilong ZHAI ; Yimin WANG ; Zhang LIANG
Journal of Modern Urology 2026;31(4):376-381
Renal hilar tumors pose significant surgical challenges due to their proximity to major renal vessels and the collecting system. In robot-assisted partial nephrectomy, although both anterior and posterior lip tumors are considered renal hilar tumors, their operative difficulty and complication profiles differ markedly owing to distinct anatomical relationships and vascular adjacency. Anterior lip tumors, often involving tributaries of the renal vein, carry a relatively higher risk of intraoperative and postoperative bleeding. In contrast, posterior lip tumors, closer to the renal artery, are more likely to prolong warm ischemia time, thereby increasing the risk of postoperative renal impairment. Regarding urine leakage, although anterior lip tumors are theoretically closer to the collecting system and may pose a slightly elevated risk, precision reconstruction strategies—such as lip reconstruction based on sinus space anatomy—can effectively mitigate this risk. However, the specific difference in urine leakage risk between anterior and posterior lip tumors warrants further investigation. Both anterior and posterior lip tumors of the kidney can achieve low positive surgical margin rates in experienced centers. Complication risks are affected by multiple factors, including tumor anatomical complexity, warm ischemia time, and surgeon experience. Notably, R.E.N.A.L. score>8 is associated with significantly increased complication risks. Preoperative meticulous imaging evaluation, selection of an appropriate surgical approach based on tumor location, controlled warm ischemia time, and application of delicate suturing and reconstruction techniques are essential strategies to reduce complications.
6.A clinical study on the prognostic value of preoperative prognostic nutritional index in patients with renal cell carcinoma undergoing partial nephrectomy
Yishuai ZHANG ; Yanxin ZHUANG ; BAOERBIEKE YELINAER ; Ying WANG ; Chenhui MA ; Jin ZENG ; Xinqi PEI
Journal of Modern Urology 2026;31(5):428-434
Objective To investigate the clinical prognostic value of the prognostic nutritional index (PNI) in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) undergoing partial nephrectomy.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of RCC patients who underwent partial nephrectomy at our hospital during 2020 and 2024.The optimal cutoff value of PNI was determined based on the maximum Youden index from the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.The clinicopathological characteristics, overall survival (OS), and progression-free survival (PFS) between patients with different PNI levels were compared.Cox regression analysis was used to explore the independent prognostic factors for RCC patients. Results Based on the ROC curve, the optimal cutoff value corresponding to the maximum Youden index was calculated to be 46.675, at which point the sensitivity was 65.3% and the specificity was 62.2%.Of the 815 patients included in the study, 293 (36.0%) patients had a PNI<46.675.Cox regression analysis confirmed that preoperative PNI, tumor diameter, ISUP classification, and ECOG score were independent risk factors for postoperative OS in patients with RCC who underwent PN (P<0.05).In addition, preoperative PNI, tumor diameter, ISUP classification and ECOG score were independent risk factors for postoperative PFS (P<0.05).After covariates in the multivariable Cox regression model were adjusted, patients in the low PNI group demonstrated significantly shorter overall survival (HR=2.392, P<0.001) and significantly poorer progression-free survival (HR=2.076, P<0.001) compared to those in the high PNI group.Conclusion Preoperative PNI has significant clinical value in evaluating the prognosis of RCC patients undergoing partial nephrectomy.An elevated preoperative PNI is associated with a better prognosis.
7.ERP-P300 and resting-state fNIRS characteristics of patients with cerebral small vessel disease-related cognition impairment and their correlations with white matter lesions
Shanshan ZHANG ; Pei SUN ; Rui YANG ; Hao TANG ; Xiaoming WANG
Sichuan Mental Health 2026;39(3):212-219
BackgroundThe prevalence, disability rate and mortality rate of cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) are relatively high among the elderly population, imposing a heavy burden on families and society. Among the various clinical manifestations of CSVD, cognitive impairment is the most common, and it is also the most closely related neuro-psychiatric syndrome to clinical practice in psychiatry. Previous studies on CSVD-related cognitive impairment (CSVD-CI) have mostly focused on the field of imaging, while studies on non-invasive electrophysiological and cerebral hemodynamic assessments are relatively scarce. ObjectiveTo analyze the characteristics of event-related potential (ERP) and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) in patients with CSVD-CI, and to explore their correlations with the severity of white matter lesions, in order to provide references for the objective assessment and early identification of CSVD-CI. MethodsA total of 40 patients with CSVD who met the diagnostic criteria of the Chinese Guideline for Diagnosis and Treatment of Cerebral Small Vessel Disease (2020) and had cognitive impairment, as well as were admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College from December 2024 to December 2025, were enrolled as the case group. Meanwhile, 40 healthy volunteers matched for gender, age and education level were recruited as the control group. Both groups underwent assessment using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), ERP-P300 detection, and fNIRS examination. The ERP-P300 indicators, functional connectivity strength of the whole brain and cognitive-related regions of interest (ROI) in fNIRS of the two groups were compared. The severity of the patients' white matter lesions was classified as follows: the Fazekas grade I group (mild white matter lesions) and the Fazekas grades II to III group (moderate to severe white matter lesions). Spearman correlation analysis was employed to investigate the correlation between the Fazekas grading of brain white matter lesions and the latency of ERP-P300, as well as the strength of functional connectivity measured by fNIRS. ResultsThe MMSE score of the CSVD-CI group was lower than that of the control group (Z=-6.250, P<0.01), and ERP-P300 lantency was significantly longer than that of the control group (t=12.291, P<0.01). The MMSE score of the sub-group with Fazekas grade I was higher than that of the sub-groups with grades II to III (Z=-2.420, P<0.05), and showed a shorter P300 latency than that of the sub-groups with grades II to III (Z=-4.210, P<0.01). All the differences were statistically significant. The resting-state whole-brain functional connectivity strength in the CSVD-CI group was lower than that in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (t=10.243, P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the differences in the functional connectivity strength within the left premotor cortex (PMC), right PMC, left frontopolar cortex (FPC), right FPC, left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), right DLPFC, left orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), and right OFC regions in the CSVD-CI group were all statistically significant (PFDR correction<0.01). The differences in the functional connectivity strength between multiple prefrontal-related brain regions between the CSVD-CI group and the control group were all statistically significant (PFDR correction<0.01). The severity of white matter lesions in CSVD-CI patients was positively correlated with the P300 latency (rs=0.891, P<0.05), and negatively correlated with the fNIRS functional connectivity strength (rs=-0.359, P<0.05). ConclusionPatients with CSVD-CI exhibit prolonged P300 latency, as well as decreased functional connectivity strength in multiple brain regions including the whole brain and the prefrontal lobe during the resting state. Moreover, these indicators are correlated with the severity of white matter lesions.
8.Multimodal Interpretable Model for Predicting Pathological Complete Response After Neoadjuvant Therapy in Lung Cancer: a Multicenter Study
Qi LIU ; Junying LIU ; Pei ZHANG ; Ping WEI ; Yueping LIU
Medical Journal of Peking Union Medical College Hospital 2026;17(4):943-953
To develop an multimodal interpretable model that integrates whole slide images(WSI) and clinical features, and to validate its efficacy in predicting pathological complete response(pCR) in lung cancer patients following neoadjuvant therapy. The clinicopathologic data who received neoadjuvant therapy of patients as well as hematoxylin and eosin stained sections were retrospectively collected between March 2015 and March 2025. For the WSI branch, the predictive performance of five pathology foundation models(CTransPath, Virchow2, H-optimus-0, Phikon-Ⅴ2, and UNI-Ⅴ2) was compared within the CLAM-SB framework to identify the optimal feature extractor. The clinical branch was constructed using the extreme gradient boosting(XGBoost) model. Subsequently, a multimodal prediction model for pathologic complete response(MP-pCR) was established through decision-layer logistic regression fusion. Model performance was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve(AUC), accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, F1-score, and Brier score. Interpretability analysis was performed using attention heatmaps and the Shapley Additive Explanations(SHAP) algorithm. A total of 728 patients were enrolled in this study. Among them, a total of 676 patients from the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University were selected as internal dataset, which was randomly divided into training set( MP-pCR model developed and validated based on multicenter data outperforms single-modality models in predicting pCR for lung cancer. The interpretability results demonstrate good consistency with clinicopathologic knowledge, suggesting that the model holds promise as a potential auxiliary reference for the clinical evaluation of treatment response and the optimization of individualized therapeutic decisions.
9.Differential expression of LEFTY1 in peritoneal dialysis-associated peritoneal fibrosis and its clinical value
Guang CHEN ; Lu LI ; Lejia SONG ; Li ZHANG ; Huaina DOU ; Qiufeng WANG ; Qingqing RAO ; Pei ZHANG
Acta Universitatis Medicinalis Anhui 2026;61(7):1269-1276
ObjectiveTo investigate the differential expression of LEFTY1 in peritoneal dialysis (PD)-associated peritoneal fibrosis (PF) and its clinical value. MethodsLevels of LEFTY1, transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), and fibronectin (FN) in peritoneal dialysis effluent were measured in 72 PD patients, and clinical data were collected. Differences in these indicators were compared among groups with different dialysis durations, and the correlation between LEFTY1 and clinical parameters was analyzed to evaluate its predictive value for ultrafiltration insufficiency. ResultsLEFTY1 levels decreased progressively with longer dialysis duration: short-term group [(2 262.49±270.47) ng/mL] > mid-term group [(1 853.52±226.06) ng/mL] > long-term group [(1 767.24±264.57) ng/mL], with significant differences among groups (P<0.001). TGF-β and FN levels increased with prolonged dialysis duration (P<0.05). Correlation analysis revealed that LEFTY1 was significantly negatively correlated with FN (r=-0.327, P=0.004), dialysis duration (r=-0.496,P<0.001), peritoneal Kt/V (r=-0.333, P=0.004), peritoneal creatinine clearance (r=-0.239, P=0.043), and serum calcium (r=-0.410, P<0.001), while positively correlated with total creatinine clearance (r=0.283, P=0.016). The area under the ROC curve for LEFTY1 combined with peritoneal Kt/V and peritoneal Ccr in predicting ultrafiltration insufficiency was 0.739. Multivariate regression analysis identified dialysis duration as an independent influencing factor for LEFTY1 expression (P=0.001). ConclusionThe expression of LEFTY1 in the peritoneal dialysis effluent of PD patients decreases with prolonged dialysis duration and is negatively correlated with pro-fibrotic indicators, suggesting that it may play a potential anti-fibrotic role in the progression of PF. The combined detection of LEFTY1 and solute removal indicators holds value for the early identification of ultrafiltration dysfunction.
10.Determination of benzothiazoles and benzotriazoles in drinking water using automated solid-phase extraction combined with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry
Saifeng PEI ; Chaoye SHEN ; Chao YU ; Yun ZHANG
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2026;43(1):89-95
Background Benzothiazoles and benzotriazoles are ubiquitously detected in drinking water, posing potential health risks. Developing a reliable and sensitive analytical method is critical for assessing their exposure levels and associated risks. Objective To establish an automated solid-phase extraction (SPE) coupled with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method for the simultaneous determination of benzothiazole, 2-aminobenzothiazole, benzotriazole, and 5-chlorobenzotriazole in drinking water. Methods Key parameters were systematically optimized. Three mobile phase systems were compared to evaluate their effects on chromatographic peak shape and separation; three SPE cartridges were tested for extraction efficiency; the influences of water pH on extraction recoveries and matrix effects were investigated; the contributions of pretreatment steps to benzothiazole blank were analyzed, and control measures were established; nitrogen evaporation temperatures were tested to ensure analyte stability. The optimized parameters were used to develop the method, validate its performance, and analyze drinking water samples. Results Drinking water samples were first adjusted to pH 6.0 with formic acid, and then extracted using HLB cartridges. After elution with 6 mL methanol, the eluate was concentrated under nitrogen evaporation at 45 °C, followed by separation on a C18 column using a gradient elution of acetonitrile-0.1% formic acid solution, and tandem mass spectrometry detection. Avoiding nitrogen blow-drying during SPE and eliminating the use of polypropylene materials during nitrogen evaporation can effectively minimize benzothiazole contamination. Good calibration linearity was obtained for the target analytes in the concentration range of 5.0-250 μg·L−1, with a correlation coefficient of r > 0.995. The method detection limits were in the range of 1.0-5.0 ng·L−1. The recoveries of the target analytes in pure water and tap water were 80.2%-119.5% and 72.2%-115.6%, respectively, with relative standard deviations of were 3.2%-12.8% and 2.3%-11.6%, respectively. When applying this method to actual water samples, benzotriazole was detected in 100% of treated and tap water samples, with median concentrations of 79.4 ng·L−1 and 114 ng·L−1, respectively. Benzothiazole was detected in 83.3% of treated water samples and 100% of tap water samples, with median concentrations of 48.3 ng·L−1 and 65.4 ng·L−1, respectively. In addition, 5-chloro-benzotriazole exhibited low detection rates and concentrations, while 2-amino-benzothiazole was undetected. Conclusion The developed method demonstrates high accuracy, reliability, and sensitivity, making it suitable for the analysis of trace levels of benzothiazoles and benzotriazoles in drinking water.


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