Objective To examine the impact of different numbers of microsatellite markers on the analysis of population genetic diversity of Schistosoma japonicum, so as to provide insights into studies on the population genetic diversity of S. japonicum. Methods Oncomelania hupensis snails were collected from a wasteland in Gong’an County, Hubei Province, and 37 S. japonicum-infected O. hupensis snails were identified using the cercarial shedding method. A single cercaria released from each S. japonicum-infected O. hupensis snail was collected, and 10 cercariae were randomly collected from DNA extraction. Nine previously validated microsatellite loci and 15 additional microsatellite loci screened from literature review and the GenBank database and confirmed with stable amplification efficiency were selected as molecular markers. Genomic DNA from cercariae was subjected to three multiplex PCR amplifications of microsatellite markers with the Type-it Microsatellite PCR kit, and genotyped using capillary electrophoresis. The population genetic diversity of S. japonicum cercariae DNA was analyzed with observed number of alleles (Na), effective number of alleles (Ae), observed heterozygosity (Ho), expected heterozygosity (He), and polymorphism information content (PIC), and tested for Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) and linkage disequilibrium (LD). To further investigate the impact of the number of microsatellite loci on the population genetic diversity of S. japonicum, the number of microsatellite markers was sequentially assigned from 1 to 24, and the mean and standard deviation of Na were calculated for S. japonicum populations at different locus numbers. In addition, the coefficient of variation (CV) of allelic number (defined as the ratio of the standard deviation to the mean) was determined, and the variation in Na with increasing microsatellite locus numbers was analyzed. Results Genomic DNA from 345 S. japonicum cercariae was selected for genotyping of 24 microsatellite markers, and all 24 microsatellite loci met linkage equilibrium (standardized linkage disequilibrium coefficient D′ < 0.7, r² < 0.3) and deviated from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (P < 0.001). The mean Na, Ae, Ho and He were 27.46 ± 2.18, 12.46 ± 0.95, 0.46 ± 0.03, and 0.91 ± 0.01 for 24 microsatellite loci in S. japonicum cercarial populations, respectively, and PIC ranged from 0.85 to 0.96, indicating high genome-wide representativeness of 24 microsatellite loci. The mean value of Na-Ae was higher in genotyping with 9 previously validated microsatellite loci (19.88 ± 8.43) than with all 24 loci (14.99 ± 8.09). As the number of microsatellite loci increased, the mean Na showed no significant variation; however, the standard deviation gradually decreased. Notably, if the locus number reached 18 or more, the variation in the standard deviation of Na remarkably reduced. In addition, the standard deviation of Na at 18 loci was less than 5% of the mean Na at 24 loci, with a CV of 4.6%. Conclusions The number of microsatellite loci significantly affects the population genetic diversity analysis of S. japonicum. Eighteen or more microsatellite loci are recommended for analysis of the population genetic diversity of S. japonicum under the current conditions of low-prevalence infection and unbalanced genetic distribution of S. japonicum.

Cerebrovascular diseases, characterized by high incidence, disability, and mortality rates, have emerged as a leading global cause of death and long-term disability. Organoid technology, a three-dimensional in vitro culture system derived from stem cells or tissue cells, enables the simulation of organ development, physiological processes, and pathological mechanisms, demonstrating significant potential in cerebrovascular disease research and therapeutic development. This review summarizes recent advances in organoid applications for cerebrovascular diseases, with a focus on strategies for constructing vascularized cerebral organoids, including in vivo transplantation, in vitro culture systems, and bioengineering approaches. Studies reveal that these models not only recapitulate neurovascular unit interactions but also serve as powerful platforms for drug screening and mechanistic investigations, offering novel therapeutic strategies for cerebrovascular disorders. Current challenges include insufficient vascularization efficiency and limited integration capacity with host tissues. Future integration of gene editing, microfluidic chips, and high-throughput 3D bioprinting technologies is expected to enhance the functionality and clinical translatability of vascularized cerebral organoids, thereby advancing personalized medicine and precision healthcare.

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors worldwide and a major cause of cancer-related deaths. Early-stage lung cancer is often manifested as pulmonary nodules, and accurate assessment of the malignancy risk is crucial for prolonging survival and avoiding overtreatment. This study aims to construct a model based on image feature parameters automatically extracted by artificial intelligence (AI) to evaluate its effectiveness in predicting the malignancy of part-solid nodule (PSN). METHODS: This retrospective study analyzed 229 PSN from 222 patients who underwent pulmonary nodule resection at Lanzhou University Second Hospital between October 2020 and February 2025. According to pathological results, 45 cases of benign lesions and precursor glandular lesion were categorized into the non-malignant group, and 184 cases of pulmonary malignancies were categorized into the malignant group. All patients underwent preoperative chest computed tomography (CT), and AI software was used to extract imaging feature parameters. Univariate analysis was used to screen significant variables; variance inflation factor (VIF) was calculated to exclude highly collinear variables, and LASSO regression was further applied to identify key features. Multivariate Logistic regression was used to determine independent risk factors. Based on the selected variables, five models were constructed: Logistic regression, random forest, XGBoost, LightGBM, and support vector machine (SVM). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to assess the performance of the models. RESULTS: The independent risk factors for the malignancy of PSN include roughness (ngtdm), dependence variance (gldm), and short run low gray-level emphasis (glrlm). Logistic regression achieved area under the curves ( AUCs) of 0.86 and 0.89 in the training and testing sets, respectively, showing good performance. XGBoost had AUCs of 0.78 and 0.77, respectively, demonstrating relatively balanced performance, but with lower accuracy. SVM showed an AUC of 0.93 in the training set, which decreased to 0.80 in the testing set, indicating overfitting. LightGBM performed excellently in the training set with an AUC of 0.94, but its performance declined in the testing set, with an AUC of 0.88. In contrast, random forest demonstrated stable performance in both the training and testing sets, with AUCs of 0.89 and 0.91, respectively, exhibiting high stability and excellent generalizability. CONCLUSIONS The random forest model constructed based on independent risk factors demonstrated the best performance in predicting the malignancy of PSN and could provide effective auxiliary predictions for clinicians, supporting individualized treatment decisions.
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Humans ; Male ; Female ; Lung Neoplasms/pathology* ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Artificial Intelligence ; Aged ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Adult ; Solitary Pulmonary Nodule/diagnostic imaging* ; ROC Curve

Bone repair remains an important target in tissue engineering, making the development of bioactive scaffolds for effective bone defect repair a critical objective. In this study, β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) scaffolds incorporated with processed pyritum decoction (PPD) were fabricated using three-dimensional (3D) printing-assisted freeze-casting. The produced composite scaffolds were evaluated for their mechanical strength, physicochemical properties, biocompatibility, in vitro pro-angiogenic activity, and in vivo efficacy in repairing rabbit femoral defects. They not only demonstrated excellent physicochemical properties, enhanced mechanical strength, and good biosafety but also significantly promoted the proliferation, migration, and aggregation of pro-angiogenic human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). In vivo studies revealed that all scaffold groups facilitated osteogenesis at the bone defect site, with the β-TCP scaffolds loaded with PPD markedly enhancing the expression of neurogenic locus Notch homolog protein 1 (Notch1), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2), and osteopontin (OPN). Overall, the scaffolds developed in this study exhibited strong angiogenic and osteogenic capabilities both in vitro and in vivo. The incorporation of PPD notably promoted the angiogenic-osteogenic coupling, thereby accelerating bone repair, which suggests that PPD is a promising material for bone repair and that the PPD/β-TCP scaffolds hold great potential as a bone graft alternative.
Calcium Phosphates/chemistry* ; Animals ; Bone Regeneration ; Rabbits ; Tissue Scaffolds ; Printing, Three-Dimensional ; Humans ; Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells ; Neovascularization, Physiologic ; Osteogenesis ; Tissue Engineering/methods* ; Biomimetic Materials ; Cell Proliferation ; Angiogenesis

Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of silicosis complicated with cavity-pulmonary tuberculosis.Methods:The clinical data of 63 patients with silicosis complicated with cavity-pulmonary tuberculosis (group A) and silicosis patients (group B) admitted to Yantaishan Hospital from July 2018 to July 2022 were collected and analyzed.Results:Patients in group A were all male, and the common symptoms were cough, expectoration, chest tightness, shortness of breath, and hemoptysis. CT cavity lesions involving the lung, often occurs in the lung after the tip section, after the back section and basal segment, thick-walled cavity, may be accompanied by satellite lesions, endobronchial spread focal, pneumothorax, pleural effusion, etc. 1225 cases of group B patients haemoptysis of 59 patients, cavity in 3 patients, haemoptysis and/or cavity rate was lower than that in group A, the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.05) . In group A, CT reexamination 6-24 months after anti-tuberculosis treatment showed that 52 cases (82.5%) had cavity reduction/healing, 8 cases (12.7%) had recurrence, and 3 cases (4.8%) had damaged lung (2 died) . Conclusion:Silicosis patients with hemoptysis and/or CT in cavity should be more vigilant about combined tuberculosis, anti-tuberculosis treatment and/or dynamic CT follow-up helps laboratory diagnosis negative patients.

Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis is the most common type of pulmonary aspergillosis. This paper reported a patient with pulmonary aspergillosis secondary to obstructive pulmonary disease and other underlying diseases. The clinical manifestations included wheezing, cough, fever and wheezing rale in the lungs. Diagnosis was ultimately confirmed through pathogens targeted next generation sequencing and pathological examination of respiratory coughs. Following comprehensive treatment that included antifungal therapy, the patient was cured and discharged with a good prognosis.

Objective:To investigate the influence of curative-intent resection with textbook outcomes of liver surgery (TOLS) on long-term prognosis of gallbladder carcinoma (GBC).Methods:The retrospective cohort study was conducted. The clinicopathological data of 824 patients with GBC in the national multicenter database of Biliary Surgery Group of Elite Group of Chinese Journal of Digestive Surgery, who were admitted to 15 medical centers from January 2014 to January 2021, were collected. There were 285 males and 539 females, aged (62±11)years. According to the evalua-tion criteria of TOLS, patients were divided into those who achieved TOLS and those who did not achieve TOLS. Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as Mean± SD, and com-parison between groups was conducted using the independent sample t test. Measurement data with skewed distribution were represented as M( Q1, Q3), and comparison between groups was conducted using the Mann-Whitney U test. Count data were described as absolute numbers, and comparison between groups was conducted using the chi-square test. Comparison of ordinal data were conduc-ted using the Mann-Whitney U test. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate survival rate and draw survival curve, and the Log-rank test was used for survival analysis. The COX stepwise regression model with backward Wald method was used for univariate and multivariate analyses. Results:(1) Achievement of TOLS. Of the 824 patients undergoing curative-intent resection for GBC, there were 510 cases achieving TOLS and 314 cases not achieving TOLS. (2) Follow-up. Of the 824 patients undergoing curative-intent resection for GBC, after excluding 112 deaths within 90 days after discharge, 712 cases were included for the survival analysis. The median follow-up time, median overall survival time and 5-year overall survival rate of the 510 patients achieving TOLS were 22.1(11.4,30.1)months, 47.6(30.6,64.6)months and 47.5%. The median follow-up time, median overall survival time and 5-year overall survival rate of the 202 patients not achieving TOLS were 14.0(6.8,25.5)months, 24.3(20.0,28.6)months and 21.0%. There was a significant difference in overall survival between patients achieving TOLS and patients not achieving TOLS ( χ2=58.491, P<0.05). (3) Analysis of factors influencing prognosis of patients. Results of multivariate analysis showed that TOLS, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), CA19-9, poorly differentiation of tumor, T2 stage of eighth edition of American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging, T3 and T4 stage of eighth edition of AJCC staging, N1 stage of the eighth edition of AJCC staging, N2 stage of the eighth edition of AJCC staging, adjuvant therapy were independent factors influencing overall survival time of patients undergoing curative-intent resection for GBC ( hazard ratio=0.452, 1.479, 1.373, 1.612, 1.455, 1.481, 1.835, 1.978, 0.538, 95% c onfidence interval as 0.352-0.581, 1.141-1.964, 1.052-1.791, 1.259-2.063, 1.102-1.920, 1.022-2.147, 1.380-2.441, 1.342-2.915, 0.382-0.758, P<0.05). Conclusion:Patients under-going curative-intent resection for GBC with TOLS can achieve better long-term prognosis.

Objective Hand-foot syndrome is a dose-limiting toxicity of capecitabine.At present,there is no unified gold standard for the establishment of hand-foot syndrome model.To induce hand-foot syndrome and provide a reference for the establishment of hand-foot syndrome model by administering capecitabine in ICR mice.Methods 42 male ICR mice were randomly divided into control group(6 mice)and experimental group(36 mice).The experimental group was given capecitabine(275 mg/kg,twice/d)by intragastric administration for two weeks,and the control group was given 0.5%CMC-Na(4 ml/kg,twice/d),to evaluate whether the animal model of hand-foot syndrome was successfully constructed through H&E staining of mouse foot skin samples and observe morphological changes and the characteristic appearance of mouse foot skin.After the experiment,the mice were sacrificed,and plasma was collected to quantify the concentrations of capecitabine and metabolites.Results Control mice did not showed symptoms of hand-foot syndrome.The skin of the feet of 19 mice in the experimental group showed symptoms such as erythema and swelling,and H&E staining results showed that the plantar skin angular epidermis was thickened,and part of the keratin was exfoliated and damaged,which was considered to be hand-foot syndrome.There were no significant differences in the concentrations of capecitabine and its metabolites between mice with and without hand-foot syndrome.Conclusion The model of hand-foot syndrome induced by capecitabine in mice was successfully established.Differences in exposure levels of capecitabine and metabolites may not be the cause of hand-foot syndrome.

Objective To explore the effect of muscle energy technique(MET)on dynamic posture control and lumbar neuromuscu-lar function in patients with non-specific low back pain. Methods From March to June,2022,30 college students with non-specific low back pain from Shandong Sport Universi-ty were randomly divided into control group(n=15)and intervention group(n=15).The control group received health education,and the intervention group received MET,for four weeks.They were assessed with Visual Ana-logue Scale(VAS)of pain,Oswestry Disability Index(ODI),Y-balance test and trunk flexion-relaxation test be-fore and after intervention. Results VAS scores decreased in both groups after intervention(|t|>2.449,P<0.05),and it was less in the intervention group than in the control group(t=-5.068,P<0.001);while ODI score decreased in the intervention group(t=4.785,P<0.001),and it was less in the intervention group than in the control group(t=-2.895,P=0.007);the performance of Y-balance test increased(t=-3.662,P=0.003)in the intervention group,as well as flexion-re-laxation ratio of multifidus(t=-2.460,P=0.029). Conclusion MET is effective on alleviating pain and lumbar dysfunction,improving dynamic posture control and en-hancing the function of the multifidus during flexion in patients with non-specific low back pain.

BACKGROUND:Lower limb peri-knee muscle strength training and neuromuscular electrical stimulation are generally safe and effective rehabilitation methods for patellofemoral joint pain,but the mechanism of their intervention is still unclear. OBJECTIVE:To determine the effect of muscle strength training combined with neuromuscular electrical stimulation on pain,lower extremity function and biomechanical characteristics in patients with patellofemoral pain. METHODS:Thirty-seven patients with patellofemoral pain were randomly divided into muscle strength training combined with electrical stimulation group(trial group,n=19)and muscle strength training group(control group,n=18).Both groups underwent intervention training for 6 weeks,three times a week.The visual analog scale and anterior knee pain scale were used to evaluate the pain level and functional level of the knee.Kinematic and kinetics data during running were collected by using an infrared motion capture system and a three-dimensional force platform simultaneously.A two-way analysis of variance with repeated measures(group*time)was applied to analyze the data. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)After the intervention,the visual analog scale scores of the trial group and the control group were significantly decreased(P<0.001),and the anterior knee pain scale scores were significantly increased(Ptrial group<0.001,Pcontrol group=0.001)in the trial group and control group.The anterior knee pain scale scores of the trial group were significantly higher compared to the control group after the intervention(P=0.001).(2)The peak knee flexion angle(P=0.011),peak knee extension moment(P<0.001),the peak knee internal rotation moment(P=0.008),the peak patellofemoral stress(P<0.001)and the peak patellofemoral contact force(P<0.001)were significantly decreased in the trial and control groups during running after the intervention compared with those before the intervention.(3)In conclusion,both muscle strength training and muscle strength training combined with electrical stimulation training are helpful to improve the subjective pain and lower limb function of patellofemoral pain patients,enhance the movement pattern during running and reduce the stress of the patellofemoral joint.Compared with muscle strength training alone,muscle strength training combined with electrical stimulation can improve lower limb function more significantly.