Meconium is changed from defoliated intestinal villi with apoptosis. A meconium corpuscle is a limited architecture in the meconium at the light microscopic level. In histological and immunohistochemical sections of the abdomen from 40 fetuses at 20–31 weeks of gestation, we found 12 fetuses with meconium and examined the architecture.A solid or loose meconium was seen depending on sites. The solid meconium in the colon and rectum contained numerous spherical or rugby ball-like corpuscles comprising of a core with tightly-packed atrophied cells and a laminar fibrous sheath.The solid meconium surrounded and incorporated villi that maintained the original architecture. The loose meconium was seen not only in the stomach and duodenum but also, depending on specimens, in the colon and rectum. It was composed of a large mucosal fold, a single small villus and/or fragmented epithelia. Notably, these mucosal tissues still contained chromogranin-positive gastrointestinal cells and cytokeratin-positive epithelia. A large ring-like meconium was composed of the entirely circular mucosa or epithelia that seemed to be detached along the muscularis mucosae or the basal lamina.A sheath-like fibrous structure in meconium seemed to originate from the lamina propria and basal lamina of villi. A defoliation of villi with apoptosis seemed difficult to explain a detachment of the entirely circular mucosa or epithelia in large fetuses examined. The latter event might require a specific mechanism such as an in utero intussusception in which a proximal side of the colon was invaginated into the distal lumen.

Objective To evaluate the value of serum Mac-2 binding protein (M2BP) for assessment of the severity of schisto somiasis-induced liver fibrosis, so as to provide insights into non-invasive diagnosis and disease surveillance of liver fibrosis caused by schistosomiasis. Methods A total of 234 individuals with a history of Schistosoma japonicum infection were sampled from Xinhua Village, Lushan City, Jiangxi Province from 2019 to 2020, and 234 serum samples were collected from all participants. All participants received B-ultrasound examinations of the liver. Serum samples were categorized into four groups (grades 0, Ⅰ, Ⅱ and Ⅲ schistosomiasis-induced liver fibrosis groups) according to B-ultrasound examination results, and then, each group was randomly divided into a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve group and an efficacy assessment group at a ratio of 7∶3. Serum M2BP concentration was measured in four groups using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and differences in serum M2BP concentrations were compared with analysis of variance and Spearman correlation analysis. Serum M2BP concentration was subjected to ROC curve analysis among individuals with different grades of schistosomiasis-induced liver fibrosis in the ROC curve group to determine the optimal diagnostic threshold of M2BP concentration at different fibrosis grades, and the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was calculated to evaluate the diagnostic performance. The diagnostic accuracy was verified by comparing the accordance rate and Kappa consistency test in the efficacy assessment group. Results Among 234 serum samples, there were 79 samples with grade 0 schistosomiasis-induced liver fibrosis, 87 samples with Grade Ⅰ, 46 samples with Grade Ⅱ and 22 samples with Grade Ⅲ according to the B-ultrasound examinations. The mean serum M2BP concentrations were (0.40 ± 0.31) [95% confidence interval (CI): (0.33, 0.47)], (0.64 ± 0.48) [95% CI: (0.53, 0.74)], (1.76 ± 0.58) [95% CI: (1.59, 1.93)] μg/mL and (2.56 ± 0.93) [95% CI: (2.14, 2.97)] μg/mL in the four groups, respectively (F = 150.796, P < 0.001), and the severity of schistosomiasis-induced liver fibrosis significantly positively correlated with serum M2BP concentration (rs = 0.715, P < 0. 001). The sample sizes of grades 0, Ⅰ, Ⅱ and Ⅲ schistosomiasis-induced liver fibrosis sera were randomly allocated as follows: 55 versus 24, 61 versus 26, 32 versus 14, and 15 versus 7 in the ROC curve and efficacy assessment groups, respectively, and the serum M2BP concentrations were (0.39 ± 0.29) μg/mL and (0.42 ± 0.36) μg/mL (F = 0.196, P > 0.05), (0.59 ± 0.47) μg/mL and (0.75 ± 0.51) μg/mL (F = 1.967, P > 0.05), (1.73 ± 0.59) μg/mL and (1.85 ± 0.57) μg/mL (F = 0.417, P > 0.05), and (2.46 ± 0.64) μg/mL and (2.76 ± 1.41) μg/mL (F = 0.491, P > 0.05), respectively. ROC curve analysis showed that the optimal diagnostic thresholds of serum M2BP concentration were 0.347 86 μg/mL (AUC = 0.635, P < 0.05), 1.188 83 μg/mL (AUC = 0.938, P < 0.000 1) and 2.021 21 μg/mL (AUC = 0.821, P < 0.000 1) for grade Ⅰ, Ⅱ and Ⅲ schistosomiasis-induced liver fibrosis. In addition, the accordance rates between the optimal diagnostic threshold of serum M2BP and B-ultrasound examinations for predicting grade Ⅰ, Ⅱ and Ⅲ schistosomiasis-induceed liver fibrosis were 69.23%, 85.71% and 71.43% (χ2 = 1.340, P > 0.05), and the overall Kappa consistency test showed moderate consistency [Kappa = 0.608, 95% CI: (0.428, 0.788); Z = 6.609, P < 0.000 1]. Conclusions Serum M2BP may serve as a potential biomarker for assessing moderate to advanced schistosomiasis-induced liver fibrosis; however, its diagnostic value for early-stage schistosomiasis-induced liver fibrosis remains limited.

Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic performance of magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) in discriminating fumarate hydratase-deficient (FH-d) uterine leiomyomas (ULs) from FH-preserved ULs. Materials and Methods: This study consisted of three stages, with independent cohorts recruited for each stage: 1) sample-size estimation was retrospectively performed on UL specimens (diameter ≥3 cm; age, 20–40 years) from our database with immunohistochemistry (IHC) for 2-succinocysteine (2-SC) as the reference, without genetic testing, 2) MRS sequence optimization in confirmed FH germline mutation participants with ultrasound-detected ULs (diameter ≥3 cm), without IHC analysis, and 3) prospective diagnostic test accuracy was evaluated in consecutive participants with ultrasound-detected ULs (diameter ≥3 cm;age, 20–40 years), using IHC for 2-SC for determining the FH status and subsequent genetic testing in those with positive 2-SC results to identify whether FH mutations were germline or somatic in origin. The choline and fumarate peaks in MRS were classified as positive, negative, or technical failure (TF). TFs were analyzed separately and excluded from the primary diagnostic accuracy calculations. T1-, T2-, and diffusion-weighted images were interpreted as hyperintense or hypointense. The enhancement rate and apparent diffusion coefficient were also acquired. Diagnostic performance was compared between MRS and various magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features. Results: The optimal MRS parameters for the fumarate peak were echo time (TE) = 140 ms and an average of 256. Among the 360 prospective participants, 37 were confirmed to have FH-dULs. MRS showed positive fumarate peaks in 35 of 37 FH-dULs.After excluding six TFs, the positive fumarate peak on MRS showed 94.6% (35/37) sensitivity, 99.7% (316/317) specificity, and 99.2% (351/354) accuracy, all of which were significantly superior to those of other MRI features (P ≤ 0.002). Conclusion A positive fumarate peak on MRS may be a useful imaging biomarker for diagnosing FH-dULs.

Abstract To clarify the service targets, service contents, and safeguard mechanisms of the basic public service program for student vision health management, the study grounded in the current status of child and adolescent myopia prevention and control in China and integrated with the practical experience and innovative practices of Wuhan National Demonstration Area for Student Vision Health Management, takes education as the main thread and schools as the base, consolidating resources from multiple stakeholders including education administrative departments, schools, families, and professional technical service institutions. Centering on four core components—vision health education, monitoring and record keeping, risk prevention and control, and dynamic management, the study constructs a multi tiered basic public service system for vision health management of primary and secondary school students. It further proposes the use of an intelligent management platform and a "three tier color coded early warning" mechanism (red, yellow, blue) to prevent and control student myopia at the source, providing schools with replicable and operable implementation pathways to enhance the level of student vision health management.

AIM:To investigate the prevalence and associated factors of comorbid myopia and scoliosis among primary and junior school students in Binhu District, Wuxi, China.METHODS:A stratified cluster random sampling method was used to select students from 10 primary and junior schools in Binhu District for visual acuity testing, scoliosis examination, and a questionnaire survey on related factors. The relationship between scoliosis and myopia was detected using univariate analysis. A binary multivariable logistic regression model was applied to analyze the risk factors associated with comorbid myopia and scoliosis.RESULTS: A total of 17 951 students were selected, including 8948(49.85%)boys and 9003(50.15%)girls; 9784(54.50%)primary school students and 8167(45.50%)junior school students. The detection rates of myopia, scoliosis, and comorbidity were 68.30%, 2.95%, and 2.76%, respectively. The comorbidity rate was higher in girls(3.78%)than in boys(1.74%). Junior school students(3.67% in Grade 7-9)had a higher total comorbidity detection rate than primary school students(2.00% in Grade 4-6; all P<0.001). Logistic regression analysis showed that being in Grade 7-9 [odds ratio(OR)=4.43, 95% confidence interval(CI): 2.36-7.85], spending 2-3 h(OR=1.46, 95%CI: 1.02-2.16)or ≥3 h(OR=1.5, 95%CI: 1.21-2.55)on homework or reading after school, engaging in >60 min of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity >6 days per week(OR=1.39, 95%CI: 1.08-1.7), and not adjusting desk and chair height to match the student's height(OR=1.73, 95%CI: 1.2-2.25)were positively associated with comorbidity(all P<0.05).CONCLUSION: The prevalence of comorbid myopia and scoliosis among primary and junior school students in Binhu District of Wuxi is concerning. Reducing the time ofhomework or reading and writing after school and engaging in ≥60 min of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity at least three days per week may help lower the risk of comorbid myopia and scoliosis in this population.

This study aims to describe the population and regional distribution characteristics of smoking behavior among adult twins in the China Twin Registry (CNTR), as well as the concordance rates for smoking behavior in monozygotic and dizygotic twins, and estimate the heritability. The study population included adult twins in CNTR who had smoking questionnaire data. A random-effects regression model was used to describe the distribution of smoking behavior among different subgroups based on various characteristics. The concordance of smoking behavior between different zygosity groups was calculated, and heritability was estimated. A total of 28 444 twin pairs were included in this study, with an average age of (36.6±12.0) years. Among male twins, 41.2% were current smokers, while only 1.2% of females smoked. Higher smoking rates were observed among male smokers in the 50-59 age group ( z=23.0, P<0.001), northern regions ( z=2.9, P<0.01), rural areas ( z=-5.2, P<0.001), those who were divorced/widowed ( z=3.8, P<0.001), and first-born twins ( z=-4.3, P<0.001), while lower smoking rates were found in those with higher education ( z=-16.1, P<0.001) and unmarried individuals ( z=-16.0, P<0.001). The smoking concordance rate for male monozygotic twins was 69.6%, significantly higher than the 57.3% concordance rate for dizygotic twins ( χ 2=105.0, P<0.05). The heritability of smoking behavior in male twins was estimated at 28.9% (95% CI: 24.3%-33.4%). Stratified analyses showed differences in heritability across regions and age groups: the heritability in northern regions was 32.6% (95% CI: 27.3%-38.0%), higher than the 21.0% (95% CI: 12.4%-29.5%) observed in southern regions; the highest heritability of 35.1% (95% CI: 26.3%-43.9%) was found in the 18-29 age group, with heritability decreasing with age. In conclusion, the smoking rate and influencing factors in the twin population are similar to those in the general population, with unique characteristics, such as higher smoking rates in first-born twins. Genetic factors have a significant impact on smoking behavior.

Objective:To summarize the clinical characteristics of elderly patients with stage Ⅰ diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and analyze the factors associated with prognosis.Methods:A case series study was conducted by retrospectively collecting clinical data from patients aged over 60 years with newly diagnosed stage Ⅰ DLBCL across 20 medical centers in Jiangsu Province, China, between June 2010 and April 2023. The involved site, classification and treatment plan were summarized. The primary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Statistical analyses were performed using the Kaplan-Meier method, and Cox regression model.Results:The study included 255 patients with a median age of 69 years, of whom 130 (51.0%) were male, 66 (25.9%) were aged ≥75 years and 26 (10.1%) had a high Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) score of ≥2. Extranodal involvement was observed in 163 (63.9%) patients, with the stomach (37.4%, 61/163), intestine (19.0%, 31/163), testes (11.0%, 18/163), and breast (7.4%, 12/163) being the most frequently affected sites. The non-germinal center B-cell (non-GCB) subtype was prevalent in 63.7% of patients (142/223), with no significant difference between the nodal and extranodal groups ( P=0.681). Furthermore, 73.9% (184/249) and 11.7% (29/249) of patients received the R-CHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone) and R-miniCHOP regimen, respectively. The overall 3-year PFS rate was 81.5%, and the 3-year OS rate was 85.6%. Patients aged ≥75 years ( HR=2.910, 95% CI 1.565-5.408, P=0.001) and/or with a CCI score ≥2 ( HR=2.324, 95% CI 1.141-4.732, P=0.020) had a significantly poorer PFS. Incorporating age ≥75 years and CCI score ≥2 into the stage-modified international prognostic index (sm-IPI) can better stratify the prognosis of elderly patients with stage Ⅰ DLBCL. The 3-year PFS rate was 48.7% in the high-risk group versus 85.7% in the low-risk group ( P<0.001). Conclusions:Our findings show that the elderly patients with stage Ⅰ DLBCL were predominantly characterized by extranodal involvement (particularly in the stomach and intestinal tract) and non-GCB subtype. Age ≥75 years and CCI ≥2 were identified as independent prognostic factors. The newly established sm-IPI-75-CCI incorporating these factors demonstrated superior prognostic discrimination compared to conventional risk assessment systems.

Objective:To explore the value and related mechanism of preoperative serum sialic acid (SA) on evaluating microvascular invasion (MVI) in patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC).Methods:A total of 91 patients who underwent surgical resection and were pathologically diagnosed with ICC from December 2020 to September 2024 at the Oriental Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital affiliated to the Naval Medical University were included in this retrospective analysis. The patients were divided into non-MVI (41 cases) and MVI groups (50 cases). The general data and laboratory examination indexes were collected and analyzed. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify independent risk factors for predicting MVI. The predictive value of serum indicators for MVI was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic curves. The correlation between MVI and SA was analyzed by point-biserial correlation. ICC cells stably overexpressing β-galactoside α2, 6-sialyltransferase 1 (ST6GAL1) were generated through lentiviral transfection. ST6GAL1 protein expression and mRNA expression were detected by Western blot and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, respectively. Sambucus nigra (SNA) lectin fluorescence staining was used to detect α2, 6-sialylation levels on cells. Cell migration ability was assessed by wound healing and Transwell assays, and cell proliferation was evaluated by colony formation assays.Results:Compared with the non-MVI group, patients in the MVI group exhibited significantly higher levels of fibrinogen, aspartate aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyl transferase, alkaline phosphatase, SA and 5′-nucleotidase (5′-NT) (all P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that SA ( OR=1.01,95% CI 1.01-1.02, P=0.023) was the only independent predictor for MVI. The area under curve of SA in predicting MVI was 0.757 (95% CI 0.640-0.870), sensitivity 67.65%, specificity 77.78%. SA was positively correlated with MVI ( r=0.443, P<0.001). ICC cells overexpressing ST6GAL1 were featured with increased mean fluorescence intensity of SNA lectin, and increased level of α2, 6-sialylation on the cell surface (both P<0.05). The number of colonies formed by hypersialylated ICC cells was also increased ( P<0.05), and both the migration rate and the number of migrating cells were significantly higher ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Serum SA is an independent predictor for MVI in ICC patients. Hypersialylation in ICC cells is associated with higher malignancy.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the efficacy of Ningmitai Capsules combined with cefoperazone/sulbactam on the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)complicated with urinary tract infections(UTIs)and its impact on soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1(sTREM-1),microRNA(miRNA)-34 b and Toll-like receptor-4(TLR4),so as to provide a new combined regimen for clinical treatment of such patients.METHODS From May 2022 to May 2024,122 patients with T2DM complicated with UTIs treated at the Affiliated People's Hospital of Shandong First Medical University were randomly divided into a conventional group and a combination group by the odd-even randomization method,with 61 cases in each group.The conventional group was treated with cefoperazone/sulbactam,whereas the combination group received Ningmitai capsules in combination with cef-operazone/sulbactam.The efficacy,improvement time of related symptoms,T lymphocyte subsets(CD3+,CD4+,CD4+/CD8+),sTREM-1,miRNA-34b,TLR4 levels and occurrence of adverse reactions were compared between the two groups.RESULTS The total effective rate in the combination group was higher than that in the conventional group after treatment(93.44%vs.80.33%,χ2=4.604,P=0.032).There were statistically signifi-cant differences between the two groups in the time for urine routine to return to normal,disappearance of urinary irritation symptoms,conversion of urine pathogens to negative and defervescence(P<0.05).After treatment,the levels of CD3+,CD4+and CD4+/CD8+in both groups were lower than those before treatment(P<0.05),and the levels in the combination group were higher than those in the conventional group(P<0.05).Moreover,the levels of sTREM-1,miRNA-34b and TLR4 in both groups decreased after treatment(P<0.05),and the levels in the combination group were lower than those in the conventional group(P<0.05).During the treatment period,no severe adverse reactions were observed in either group,and laboratory test results for blood routine and hepatic and renal functions showed no abnormalities.CONCLUSION The application of Ningmitai capsules combined with cef-operazone/sulbactam in the treatment of T2DM complicated with UTIs has good efficacy,can effectively control infec-tions,shorten the time for symptom relief,improve immune function and attenuate inflammation level with high safety.