OBJECTIVES: To investigate the underlying causes and clinical manifestations in infants undergoing colonoscopy, and to analyze changes in disease spectrum. METHODS: Clinical data from 180 infants who underwent a total of 184 colonoscopies at the Department of Gastroenterology, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University from January 2015 to December 2024 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were grouped by age: ≤6 months (n=41) and >6-12 months (n=139); and by examination period: 2015-2019 (n=83) and 2020-2024 (n=97). Primary causes for performing colonoscopy, final diagnoses, and disease spectrum evolution were assessed. RESULTS: Among 184 colonoscopies, the leading causes prompting examination were hematochezia (37.8%, 68/180), diarrhea (36.7%, 66/180), and co-occurring hematochezia and diarrhea (21.1%, 38/180). Causes for performing colonoscopy differed significantly by age group (P<0.05). Colonic polyps were only detected in the >6-12 months group (P<0.05). Compared to the 2015-2019 group, the 2020-2024 group had fewer food allergy-related gastrointestinal diseases (P<0.05) but more colitis (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Colonoscopy is essential for diagnosing infantile digestive disorders, with disease spectra varying by age and time period.
Humans ; Infant ; Colonoscopy ; Male ; Female ; Retrospective Studies ; Infant, Newborn ; Diarrhea/etiology* ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage/etiology*

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the impact of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection on oral microbiota and metabolites in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) and the underlying mechanisms. METHODS: This prospective study was conducted in 47 MAFLD patients complicated with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and 48 MAFLD patients without CHB enrolled from November, 2023 to January, 2024. Fasting tongue coating samples were collected from the patients for analyzing microbial community structures and metabolites using high-throughput 16S rDNA sequencing and non-targeted metabolomics techniques, and their associations with clinical indicators and biological pathways were explored using correlation analysis and functional annotation. RESULTS: The levels of fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol (TC), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), and severity of fatty liver were all significantly lower in MAFLD+CHB group than in MAFLD group. Microbiota analysis showed that the abundances of Patescibacteria (at the phylum level), Hydrogenophaga, and Absconditabacteriales (at the genus level) were significantly increased, while the abundance of Megasphaera was decreased in MAFLD+CHB group. The differential microbiota were significantly correlated with TC, GGT and low-density lipoprotein (r=-0.68‒0.75). Metabolomics analysis revealed that 469 metabolites (including lipids and amino acids) were upregulated and 2306 (including organic oxygen-containing compounds and phenylpropanoids) were downregulated in MAFLD+CHB group, for which KEGG enrichment analysis suggested abnormal activation of the linoleic acid metabolism and glycerophospholipid metabolism pathways. Correlation analysis between microbiota and metabolites indicated that Patescibacteria and Megasphaera, which were positively correlated with lipid metabolites and negatively with fatty acid metabolites, respectively, jointly affected glycolipid metabolism and oxidative stress pathways. CONCLUSIONS Compared to patients with MAFLD alone, MAFLD patients with concurrent chronic HBV infection showed lower levels in some lipid metabolism indicators and the degree of hepatic steatosis, accompanied by alterations in oral microbiota structure and metabolic profiles. The precise mechanisms involved require further investigation to be fully elucidated.
Humans ; Lipid Metabolism ; Prospective Studies ; Microbiota ; Hepatitis B, Chronic/microbiology* ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Fatty Liver/microbiology* ; Middle Aged ; Mouth/microbiology* ; Metabolomics

Objective:To investigate immunotherapy effects and mechanism of BCG and recombinant BCG(rBCG)with c-di-AMP as adjuvant on melanoma in mice model.Methods:Melanoma mice model was established by B16F10 cell subcutaneous injec-tion in groin,and treated with 1×106 CFU of BCG and rBCG by adjacent injection of subcutaneous tumor for 3 times,respectively.Survival of melanotic mice,tumor growth and metastasis were observed.Tumor tissues of mice were isolated to prepare cell suspen-sion,and proportion of immune cells were detected by flow cytometry.Transcriptional levels of immune-related genes in tumor tissues were detected by qRT-PCR.Results:Both BCG and rBCG immunotherapy could significantly inhibit growth in melanoma mice and prolong survival time of mice.rBCG showed better inhibition on metastasis than BCG.Both strains significantly reduced proportion of M2-type macrophages and myeloid-derived suppressor cell associated with tumor growth and metastasis.Both two strains promoted infiltration of lymphocytes in tumor tissues,and rBCG significantly increased proportion of B cells in tumor.BCG immunotherapy upregulated transcription levels of metastasis-related cytokines,while rBCG therapy had no effects on transcriptions of these genes.Conclusion:Both BCG and rBCG have immunotherapeutic effects on melanotic mice,and rBCG with c-di-AMP as adjuvant shows better inhibition on tumor metastasis than BCG,which mechanism was related to regulation of immune response in tumor tissues.

The study was aimed at identifying the diversity of tick species in selected areas of Qinghai,to analyze the genetic differentiation characteristics of tick-borne spotted fever group rickettsiae(SFGR),and to provide the theoretical basis for SFGR prevention and control in the region.The 16S rRNA gene was used for molecular biological identification of 446 collected tick samples,and the infection characteristics of SFGR in tick samples were determined according to the SFGR outer membrane protein A(ompA)gene.Haplotype analysis,phylogenetic tree construction,and estimation of differentiation times for SFGR were conducted in DNASP v6,IQ-tree v2.2.0,and BEAST v2.7.4 software.The obtained 446 tick samples belonged to three categories:(1)Haemaphy-salis spp.,including Haemaphysalis qinghaiensis(n=192)and H.danieli(n=37);(2)Dermacentor spp.,including Dermacentor ever-estianus(n=121),D.nuttalli(n=55),and D.silvarum(n=36);and(3)Hyalomma marginatum(n=5).Rickettsia raoultii was de-tected in D.everestianus,D.silvarum,D.nuttalli,H.qinghaiensis,and H.danieli,with infection rates of 95.9%,80.6%,69.1%,4.1%,and 2.7%,respectively.R.sibirica subsp.sibirica BJ-90 was found only in D.silvarum and D.nuttalli,with infection rates of 5.6%and 1.8%,respectively.The Candidatus R.gannanii F107 was found in H.danieli and H.qinghaiensis,with infection rates of 16.2%and 7.8%,respectively.Ca.R.hongyuanensis was detected only in H.qinghaiensis,with a prevalence of 16.3%.The prevalence of R.aeschlimannii was 20%and 2.7%in Hy.marginatum and H.danieli,respectively.Haplotype and nucleotide polymorphism analy-ses revealed 13 haplotypes in R.raoultii,with haplotype H13 as the dominant haplotype(42/192);seven haplotypes in Ca.R.ganna-nii F107,with haplotype H4 as the dominant haplotype(4/18);and three haplotypes in Ca.R.hongyuanensis,with haplotype H1 as the dominant haplotype(11/13).The phylogenetic tree indicated that the sequences of R.raoultii in selected areas of Qinghai and R.rhipicephali clustered into one branch;Ca.R.hongyuanensis and Ca.R.gannanii F107 clustered into one branch;and R.sibirica subsp.sibirica BJ-90 clustered into one branch with R.sibirica.Estimates of differentiation time revealed that the mean differentiation time for the six Rickettsia was approximately 2 000 Mya(95%CI:1 999.08-2 001.02 Mya).The tick species distributed in selected ar-eas of Qinghai are diverse,and this study provides the first report of Hy.marginatum in Qinghai Province.SFGR significantly varied in prevalence among tick species and showed high genetic diversity.

Objective To propose a dynamic electrical impedance tomography imaging algorithm based on complementary information fusion network(CIFN)to enhance image quality of dynamic electrical impedance imaging.Methods There were three modules for initialization,multi-frame complementary information extraction and information fusion involved in the CIFN.Firstly,multi-frame dynamic conductivity distribution images were obtained by the initialization module;secondly,spatial complementary information was extracted from the images by using the multi-frame complementary information extraction module;finally,the fusion of lesion target distribution information and target re-reconstruction were realized by the information fusion module to aquire high-quality EIT images.With a 16-electrode multilayer cranial simulation model,the CIFN-based imaging method was compared with Tikhonov regularization algorithm,spectral constraint algorithm and U-Net algorithm in terms of imaging results of types of lesions to verify its performance.Results Compared with the Tikhonov regularization algorithm,spectral constraint algorithm and U-Net algorithm,the proposed CIFN-based algorithm exhibited the lowest mean absolute error(MAE)and the highest structural similarity(SSIM)when used to image different lesion targets,which accurately reconstructed the distribution of lesion targets and gained high imaging stability under common noise levels.Conclusion The proposed CIFN-based imaging algorithm obtains high imaging quality on a cranial simulation model and reconstruction results close to the real model distribution,which provides algorithmic support for subsequent clinical studies on electrical impedance imaging.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2025,46(6):1-6]

Objective:To investigate the value of biparametric-MRI (bpMRI) based peritumoral radiomics for preoperative prediction of extraprostatic extension (EPE) in prostate cancer (PCa).Methods:In this cross-sectional study, consecutive bpMRI of patients undergoing prostatectomy for PCa were retrospectively collected from the First Medical Center (center 1) and the Third Medical Center (center 2) of Chinese PLA General Hospital. A total of 274 patients were finally enrolled. Patients at center 1 from January 2020 to December 2022 were randomly divided into a training set (149 cases) and an internal validation set (63 cases) by stratified random sampling. Patients at center 2 from January 2023 to March 2024 were assigned to the external test set (62 cases). Patients were categorized into EPE-positive group and EPE-negative group according to pathological assessment postoperatively. In the training set, there were 49 cases in EPE-positive group and 100 cases in EPE-negative group. In the internal validation set, there were 26 cases in EPE-positive group and 37 cases in EPE-negative group. In the external test set, there were 22 cases in EPE-positive group and 40 cases in EPE-negative group. Axial T 2WI and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) images were manually annotated to obtain index lesion regions of interest (ROIs), with the peritumoral ROIs subsequently delineated by semi-automatic segmentation technique. Radiomics features were extracted from intra-tumoral, peri-tumoral, and intra-tumoral plus peri-tumoral ROIs. The training set data was employed to select and optimize features to build the radiomics models. The logistic regression analysis was used to develop radiomics, clinical, and integrated models. The predictive performance was assessed by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) in the external test set, and compared by the DeLong test. The sensitivity and specificity were compared by the exact McNemar test. Results:In the external test set, the peri-tumoral radiomics model based on bpMRI showed the highest performance in evaluating EPE, with an AUC of 0.739 (95% CI 0.611-0.842), which was identified as the optimal radiomics model. EPE grade ( OR=6.151, 95% CI 3.371-11.226, P<0.001) was incorporated into the clinical model, with an AUC of 0.780 (95% CI 0.657-0.875) in the external test set. The integrated model had an AUC of 0.817 (95% CI 0.698-0.904) in the external test set. There was no statistically significant difference in comparisons of AUCs among the three models (all P>0.05). The sensitivity of the integrated model (68.2%) showed no significant difference from those of the clinical model and the optimal radiomics model (77.3% and 86.4%, respectively; P=0.500 and P=0.289). However, the specificity of the integrated model (85.0%) was significantly higher than those of the clinical model (67.5%, P=0.016) and the optimal radiomics model (50.0%, P<0.001). Conclusion:A bpMRI-based peritumoral radiomics integrating clinical model demonstrates high performance for preoperative prediction of EPE in PCa.

AIM To explore the clinical effects of Supplemented Baihe Gujin Decoction on elderly patients with postoperative pulmonary infection following non-small cell lung cancer surgery.METHODS Ninety-two patients were randomly assigned into control group(46 cases)for 1-week intervention of conventional treatment,and observation group(46 cases)for 1-week intervention of both Supplemented Baihe Gujin Decoction and conventional treatment.The changes in clinical effects,TCM syndrome scores,immune function indices(CD3+,CD4+,CD8+,CD4+/CD8+),inflammatory indices(CRP,PCT,TNF-α),serum indices(sTREM-1,CD40L,NLR)and incidence of adverse reactions were detected.RESULTS The observation group demonstrated higher total effective rate than the control group(P＜0.05).After the treatment,the two groups displayed decreased TCM syndrome scores,CD8+,inflammatory indices,serum indices(P＜0.05),and increased CD3+,CD4+,CD4+/CD8+(P＜0.05),especially for the observation group(except for CD4+,CD8+)(P＜0.05).CONCLUSION For the elderly patients with postoperative pulmonary infection following non-small cell lung cancer surgery,Supplemented Baihe Gujin Decoction can safely and effectively relieve clinical symptoms,enhance immune functions,reduce serum sTREM-1,CD40L levels and NLR,and control inflammatory responses.

Spine fracture and dislocation are common traumatic spinal conditions that often require surgical intervention due to compromised spinal stability. Surgical approaches include anterior, posterior, and combined anterior-posterior spinal procedures. According to the specific surgical requirements, patients may be placed in the prone position or repositioned between prone and supine positions during surgery. Intraoperative repositioning has become an essential step in patient positioning. However, during repositioning, patients with spinal fracture and dislocation are at increased risk for complications such as hemodynamic instability, nerve injury, and pressure injuries to the skin and soft tissue. Notably, due to the instability of the spinal cord, even minor manipulations can further exacerbate the damage, potentially leading to severe outcomes like paraplegia. Although the current clinical guidelines provide instructive recommendations for standard position, there remains no specific protocols for intraoperative repositioning in patients with spine fracture and dislocation. With a concern for the lack of clinical studies on positioning techniques, risk prevention, and operational norms for special patients, no applicable guidelines or standards are available. A consensus was required to provide clinical reference, meet the requirements of surgical treatment, and minimize the safety risks of patients caused by improper placement of positions. Professional Committee of Operating Room Nursing of Shaanxi Nursing Association organized experts in nursing management and operating room nursing from major hospitals across China to formulate Expert consensus on intraoperative repositioning for patients with spinal fracture and dislocation ( version 2025). The consensus provides 11 recommendations covering pre-repositioning preparation, intraoperative maneuvers, and post-repositioning observation, aiming to provide references for clinical standardization of the intraoperative repositioning process and protection of patients′ safety.

Aim To explore the relevant mechanisms of isoliquiritigenin(ISL)in inhibiting the proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells(VSMCs)by regulating the GRB2/ERK signaling pathway.Methods Human primary vascular smooth muscle cells(hVSMCs)were cultured,and stimulated with different concentrations of ISL and fixed concen-trations of growth factors PDGF-BB and EGF,respec-tively.Subsequently,the effect of overexpressing GRB2 on the efficacy of ISL was observed.CCK-8 assay was used to detect cell proliferation;BrdU assay was used to detect DNA synthesis;Western blot was used to de-tect the expression levels of OPN,ICAM-1,VCAM-1,GRB2,ERK1/2,and p-ERK1/2;wound healing assay was used to detect cell migration;transwell assay was used to detect cell invasion.Results Compared with the blank control group and the ISL 20 mg·L-1 group,the PDGF-BB group and the EGF group showed increased cell viability and DNA synthesis,decreased cell migration distance,and increased number of inva-sive cells.Additionally,the expression levels of GRB2 and p-ERK1/2 increased.Compared with the PDGF-BB 40 μg·L-1group or the EGF 10 mg·L-1 group,the ISL drug intervention group showed decreased cell viability and DNA synthesis,increased migration dis-tance of cells,decreased number of invasive cells,and decreased expression levels of GRB2 and p-ERK1/2.Compared with the ISL 20 mg·L-1+PDGF-BB and ISL 20 mg·L-1+EGF groups,the groups with ISL+PDGF-BB+pcDNA-GRB2 group and ISL+EGF+pcDNA-GRB2 group showed increased expression lev-els of GRB2,p-ERK1/2,OPN,ICAM-1,and VCAM-1,increased cell viability and DNA synthesis,decreased migration distance,and increased number of invasive cells.Compared with the ISL+PDGF-BB+pcDNA-GRB2 group and the ISL+EGF+pcDNA-GRB2 group,the pcDNA-GRB2+PDGF-BB group or the pcDNA-GRB2+EGF group showed increased expres-sion levels of GRB2,p-ERK1/2,OPN,ICAM-1,and VCAM-1,increased cell viability and DNA synthesis,decreased migration distance,and increased number of invasive cells.Conclusions Isoliquiritigenin inhibits the proliferation and migration of vascular smooth mus-cle cells by regulating the GRB2/ERK signaling path-way.

Objective To investigate the relationship between high DNA stainability(HDS)and routine semen parameters.Methods Semen samples were collected from 396 men of childbearing age who were admitted to our department.Correlations of HDS with routine semen parameters and age were analyzed.Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to identify the routine semen parameters that had the greatest influence on HDS.The correlation of HDS and DNA fragmentation index(DFI)with routine semen parameters and age in 244 patients with teratozoospermia was analyzed.The 244 patients were divided into extremely severe,severe,moderate,and mild teratozoospermia groups,and differences in HDS,DFI,and routine semen parameters were compared among the four groups.Results HDS was negatively correlated with total sperm count,sperm concentration,sperm progressive motility,and normal sperm morphology rate(NSMR)(P<0.01).After adjusting for potential confounders,including total sperm count,sperm concentration,sperm progressive motility,NSMR,and DFI,NSMR had the most significant negative effect on HDS(P<0.05).In the 244 patients with teratozoospermia,HDS was negatively correlated with NSMR(P<0.01)and positively correlated with the percentage of sperm head and tail abnormalities(P<0.05),while DFI was positively correlated with the percentage of sperm tail abnormalities(P<0.01).There was a significant difference in the percentage of sperm head abnormalities among the four teratozoospermia groups.The more severe the malfor-mation,the higher the percentage of sperm head abnormalities was(P<0.001).HDS in the extremely severe teratozoospermia group was significantly higher than that in the mild and moderate teratozoospermia groups(P<0.05).No significant differences in DFI were found among the four groups(P>0.05).Conclusion HDS was closely correlated with routine semen parameters and was a crucial biomarker for assessing sperm quality,particularly the extent of sperm head abnormalities.