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The formation dynamics of excitons in 2D transition metal dichalcogenides are challenging to probe directly because of their inherently fast timescales. Here, the authors use extremely short optical pulses to excite an electron-hole plasma, and show the formation of 2D excitons in MoS2 on the timescale of 30 fs.

Abstract Background The correlation between central airway anatomical parameters and demographic factors, such as sex, age, weight, height, body mass index (BMI), and cardiac factors, remains unclear. This study examined the correlation between these factors and central airway anatomical parameters in adult patients. Methods All consecutive patients who underwent lung mass surgery at our hospital between December 2020 and December 2023 were included in this study. DeepInsight software was used to analyze high-resolution chest computed tomography (HRCT) images and to measure various central airway anatomical parameters, including tracheal diameter (TD), tracheal length (TL), left main bronchus diameter (LBD), left main bronchus length (LBL), right main bronchus diameter (RBD), right main bronchus length (RBL), and subcarinal angle (SCA). A multivariate linear regression analysis was performed to evaluate the independent effects of sex, age, weight, height, BMI, left atrial diameter, and diastolic left ventricular internal diameter (LVIDd) on these anatomical parameters. Results Among the 391 patients included in this study, all were over 18 years old, with 192 male and 199 female. The multivariate linear regression analysis indicated that in male patients with lung masses, TD exhibited a negative correlation with age (β = − 0.032, P = 0.015) and a positive correlation with height (β = 0.099, P

Abstract Background This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of the newly revised International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) grading system (2020) on the 5-year overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) in patients with lung adenocarcinoma (LADC). Methods Clinical studies that investigated the prognostic value of revised IASLC staging system in patients with LADC were retrieved from the PubMed, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and Cochrane Library databases. This study was conducted in accordance to the 2020 Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and checklists. Results Based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, we included 12 studies for analysis. The grade of LADC was assessed by revised IASLC system, which included three grades. Compared to Grade 3 LADC, grade 1 (total [95% CI]: 1.38 [1.19, 1.60]) and grade 2 (total [95% CI]: 1.29 [1.15, 1.44]) LADC had higher 5-year OS rates. Similarly, Grade 1 (total [95% CI]: 1.76 [1.42, 2.18]) and Grade 2 (total [95% CI]: 1.51 [1.28, 1.77]) had higher 5-year RFS rates Grade 3 LADC. However, 5-year OS and RFS had no significant difference between Grade 1 and Grade 2 patients. Conclusion This systematic review and meta-analysis provides evidence that the newly revised IASLC grading system is significantly associated with the prognosis of patients with LADC, where Grade 3 indicated unfavorable prognosis.

BackgroundOxidative stress has been reported to participant in the pathogenesis of gallstones. Oxidative balance score (OBS) represents pro-oxidant and antioxidant exposures to diet and lifestyle, closely associated with multiple metabolic disorders. However, the relationship between OBS and gallstones remains unclear.MethodsThis study analyzed cross-sectional data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2017–2020. OBS was calculated based on the 24-h recall interviews or questionnaires. We used weighted logistic regression, restricted cubic splines (RCS), weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression and the Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) model to identify the relationship between OBS and gallstones. Subgroup analysis and sensitivity analysis were used to explore potential heterogeneity and stability of the results. Mediation analysis was performed to assess the mediating effects of serum lipid in the association between OBS and gallstones.ResultsA total of 7,618 participants were finally included in this study. Weighted logistics regression showed that total OBS was associated with gallstones risk (OR = 0.98, p = 0.03), particularly in individuals who were under 60 years old, Hispanic, educated below high school, non-smokers, had hypertension or malignancy. Dietary and lifestyle OBS independently contribute to the protection against gallstones. RCS analysis indicated a non-linear relationship between OBS and gallstones (p = 0.03). WQS and BKMR model identified that BMI, vitamin E, vitamin B6, magnesium and carotene played relatively important role among 20 components. Mediation analysis showed serum TG and HDL as mediators of the association between OBS and gallstones.ConclusionHigher OBS or increased oxidative balance are positively associated with reduction of gallstone risk. This findings provide valuable insights for surveillance and interventions targeting for antioxidant-rich diet and lifestyle for gallstone disease.

Abstract Background This study aimed to evaluate the impact of preoperative inflammatory indices and postoperative pneumonia (POP) on postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) in non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Methods All consecutive patients who underwent pulmonary resection at our hospital (January 2016-October 2019) were enrolled. Preoperative inflammatory indices, demographic data, surgical details, and postoperative conditions were analyzed. Univariate and multivariate analyses of risk factors associated with POAF were also conducted. Results Among the 382 patients included in the study, 32 (8.38%) developed POAF. Compared to non-POAF patients, POAF patients had greater incidence of POP (P = 0.09). Approximately 31 patients (96.9%) developed atrial fibrillation within three days after surgery. The POAF group had a significantly greater mean age (68.94 years) than did the non-POAF group (63 years) (P = 0.002). Additionally, compared to non-POAF patients, POAF patients exhibited an increased number of resected mediastinal lymph nodes (P

Abstract The causal relationships between plasma metabolites and cholelithiasis/cholecystitis risks remain elusive. Using two-sample Mendelian randomization, we found that genetic proxied plasma campesterol level showed negative correlation with the risk of both cholelithiasis and cholecystitis. Furthermore, the increased risk of cholelithiasis is correlating with the increased level of plasma campesterol. Lastly, genetic colocalization study showed that the leading SNP, rs4299376, which residing at the ABCG5/ABCG8 gene loci, was shared by plasma campesterol level and cholelithiasis, indicating that the aberrant transportation of plant sterol/cholesterol from the blood stream to the bile duct/gut lumen might be the key in preventing cholesterol gallstone formation.

Abstract Osteoarthritis is a worldwide prevalent disease that imposes a significant socioeconomic burden on individuals and healthcare systems. Achieving cartilage regeneration in patients with osteoarthritis remains challenging clinically. In this work, we construct a multiple hydrogen-bond crosslinked hydrogel loaded with tannic acid and Kartogenin by polyaddition reaction as a cell-free scaffold for in vivo cartilage regeneration, which features ultra-durable mechanical properties and stage-dependent drug release behavior. We demonstrate that the hydrogel can withstand 28000 loading-unloading mechanical cycles and exhibits fast shape memory at body temperature (30 s) with the potential for minimally invasive surgery. We find that the hydrogel can also alleviate the inflammatory reaction and regulate oxidative stress in situ to establish a microenvironment conducive to healing. We show that the sequential release of tannic acid and Kartogenin can promote the migration of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells into the hydrogel scaffold, followed by the induction of chondrocyte differentiation, thus leading to full-thickness cartilage regeneration in vivo. This work may provide a promising solution to address the problem of cartilage regeneration.

Abstract Background and aims Common variable immunodeficiency disorder (CVID) patients may have gastrointestinal (GI) involvement and suffer from infections, which are poorly understood. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical, endoscopic, and histopathological features of CVID patients with GI symptoms and determine their correlation with infections. Methods We performed a retrospective study on 21 CVID patients with GI symptoms who underwent endoscopic examination in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from 2000 to 2020. The clinical, infectious, endoscopic, and histopathological features were reassessed. Results Chronic diarrhea was the most prevalent GI symptom, observed in 95.2% of our CVID cohort. Over 85% of patients had low body weight and malabsorption. Small bowel villous atrophy was found in 90.5% of patients under endoscopy and mostly confirmed by histopathology. GI infections were identified in 9 (42.9%) patients. Of these, 7 patients with diffuse and obvious nodular lymphoid hyperplasia (NLH) of small bowel under endoscopy had significantly higher infection rate (85.7% vs 21.4%, p

Abstract Background In Asia, the proportion of patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) with abdominal discomfort alone is significantly higher than that in western countries. The purposes of this study are to understand the cognition of abdominal pain and abdominal discomfort in Chinese patients with IBS and to compare the clinical characteristics of patients with abdominal pain alone and with abdominal discomfort alone. Methods Patients with IBS with diarrhea (IBS-D) who met the Rome III diagnostic criteria and had episodes of at least one day/week were consecutively enrolled. The cognition of abdominal pain and abdominal discomfort were investigated through face-to-face unstructured interview. Patients were divided into a pain group and a discomfort group according to the cognition interviews, then the characteristics and severity of symptoms (IBS symptom severity scale, IBS-SSS), IBS quality of life (IBS-QOL) and psychological state were compared between groups. Results A total of 88 patients with IBS-D were enrolled. Most of the patients with self-reported abdominal pain described their pain as spasm/cramping; patients with self-reported abdominal discomfort had as many as 24 different descriptions of discomfort. Most patients having abdominal pain and discomfort could accurately distinguish the two symptoms. The degree of abdominal pain in the pain group was higher than abdominal discomfort in the discomfort group (P = 0.002). There was no significant difference in IBS-SSS, extra-intestinal pain, IBS-QOL, and psychological state between the two groups. Conclusions For Chinese patients with IBS-D, abdominal pain and abdominal discomfort are two different symptoms, but they have similar clinical features. Trial registration ChiCTR, ChiCTR1900028082. Registered 11 December 2019 - Retrospectively registered, http://www.chictr.org.cn .

Annually, more than 15 million people worldwide suffer from stroke, a condition linked to high mortality and disability rates. This disease significantly affects daily life, impairing everyday functioning, executive function, and cognition. Moreover, stroke severely restricts patients’ ability to perform daily activities, diminishing their overall quality of life. Recent scientific studies have identified cuproptosis, a newly discovered form of cell death, as a key factor in stroke development. However, the role of cuproptosis in stroke remains unclear to researchers. Therefore, it is crucial to investigate the mechanisms of cuproptosis in stroke’s pathogenesis. This review examines the physiological role of copper, the characteristics and mechanisms of cuproptosis, the differences and similarities between cuproptosis and other cell death types, and the pathophysiology of cuproptosis in stroke, focusing on mitochondrial dysfunction and immune infiltration. Further research is necessary to understand the relationship between previous strokes and cuproptosis and to clarify the mechanisms behind these associations.

AbstractBackground Pigment gallstones are not uncommon among patients with chronic haemolytic anaemia. But their clinical characteristics have not been described in detail and not been directly compared with the general gallstone population.Methods Patients at Peking Union Medical College Hospital with haemolytic anaemia and subsequent gallstones from January 2012 to December 2022 were included. Cases were matched (1:2) based on age, sex and location of stones to randomly select non-anaemia patients with gallstones (controls).Results Screening 899 cases of gallstones, we finally included 76 cases and 152 controls. Total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) for cases were 3.02 ± 0.98 mmol/L, 0.89 ± 0.30 mmol/L and 1.58 ± 0.70 mmol/L, respectively, significantly lower than those in the control group (all p

Gastroblastoma is an extremely rare stomach tumor that primarily presents in adolescent and early adulthood, with a biphasic cell morphology of epithelioid and spindle cells. In light of its similarity to other childhood blastomas, it has been named gastroblastoma. Few patients showed a potential of metastasis and recurrence, however, most of the reported cases were alive, with no evidence of the disease after surgical treatment. Commonly, MALAT1-GLI1 fusion has been considered to be the most relevant mutation. Herein, we present a case of an asymptomatic 58-year-old man who happened to find a submucosal gastric mass during a gastroscope and received endoscopic submucosal excavation (ESE). He turned out to have a gastroblastoma with a novel PTCH1::GLI2 fusion confirmed by Sanger sequencing. The patient was discharged two days after ESE without any complication and was recurrence-free during his one-year follow-up. According to the previous literature and our own experience, in cases with characteristic histopathology and immunohistochemistry patterns, a diagnosis of gastroblastoma should be considered even without a MALAT1-GLI1 fusion. Gastroblastoma pursues a favorable clinical outcome and endoscopic therapy could be an effective alternative treatment choice.

Abstract Background Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is a common surgical option for gallstone disease with minimal trauma and rapid recovery. Ascites is a relatively uncommon complication after laparoscopic cholecystectomy and is more frequently observed in patients with preoperative abnormal liver function. However, patients without underlying liver disease develop refractory ascites after laparoscopic cholecystectomy are rare. We report a case of massive ascites caused by lymphatic injury after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Case presentation A 63-year-old woman complained of abdominal discomfort and distension at the twelfth day after a laparoscopic cholecystectomy for gallbladder stones. Subsequently, the patient developed spontaneous bacterial peritonitis and a decreased output of urine. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) identified abdominal effusion. The patient received abdominocentesis and the volume of slightly turbid yellow ascites averaged 1500–2000 ml per day. The results of laboratory analysis of ascitic fluid showed the following: serum-ascites albumin-gradient (SAAG), 11–12 g/L; albumin, 11–14 g/L; triglycerides, 0.91 mmol/L. After the diuretic therapy, repeated large-volume paracentesis with albumin supplementation, administration of antibiotics and renal vasodilating medications, the patient’s symptoms did not relieve. Lymphoscintigraphy found a small amount of radioactive filling in the abdominal cavity. The patient finally received surgery with detection and ligation of the lymphatic leak. The ascites disappeared and the patient recovered well. Conclusions For patients with atypical characteristics of chylous ascites, lymphoscintigraphy could help to localize and qualify the diagnosis. Surgical treatment could be considered when conservative treatment fails.

BackgroundAlthough interleukin-2 (IL-2) has long been associated with cancer development, its roles in the development of cervical cancer remains unclear. Few studies examined the associations between IL-2 and high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) with risk of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN).ObjectiveWe aimed to assess the association of IL-2 and high-risk HPV infection with risk of CIN as well as their interactions on the risk of CIN.DesignWe performed a cross-sectional analysis of screening data in 2285 women aged 19-65 years who participated in an ongoing community-based cohort of 40,000 women in Shanxi, China in 2014-2015. Both categorical and spline analyses were used to evaluation the association between IL-2 in the local vaginal fluids and prevalence of CIN. In addition, 1503 controls were followed up until January 31, 2019), the nested case-control study design was adopted to evaluate the association of vaginal lavage IL-2 levels and the risk of CIN progression.ResultsAfter adjusting for potential confounders, IL-2 levels were statistically inversely associated with prevalence of CIN (the 1st versus 4th quartile IL-2 levels: the respective odds ratio [OR] and 95% confidence intervals [CI] was: = 1.75 [1.37, 2.23] for CIN, 1.32 [1.01, 1.73] for CIN I, and 3.53 [2.26, 5.52] for CIN II/III). Increased IL-2 levels were inversely associated with prevalence of CIN (P-overall

Introduction Cold polypectomy has the advantages of simple operation, less time-consuming and fewer complications. Guidelines have recommended cold snare polypectomy (CSP) to resect small polyps sized ≤5 mm and sessile polyps sized 6–9 mm. However, evidence is scarce regarding cold resection for non-pedunculated polyps sized ≥10 mm. Cold snare endoscopic mucosal resection (CS-EMR) combining CSP and submucosal injection was designed to improve the complete resection rate and reduce adverse events. We hypothesise that CS-EMR is non-inferior to conventional hot snare endoscopic mucosal resection (HS-EMR) in the resection of 10–19 mm non-pedunculated colorectal polyps.Methods and analysis This study is a prospective, randomised, open-label, non-inferiority, single-centre trial. Outpatients scheduled to undergo a colonoscopy and present eligible polyps will be randomised to receive either CS-EMR or HS-EMR. The primary endpoint is the complete resection. Considering that HS-EMR of 10–19 mm colorectal polyps will yield a complete resection rate of at least 92% and a non-inferiority margin of −10%, a total of 232 polyps will be included (one-sided α, 2.5%; β, 20%). The analyses are intended to evaluate first non-inferiority (lower limit 95% CI greater than −10% for group difference) and then superiority (lower limit 95% CI>0%) if non-inferiority is achieved. Secondary endpoints include en-bloc resection, the occurrence of adverse events, the use of endoscopic clips, resection time and cost.Ethics and dissemination The study has been approved by the institutional review board of the Peking Union Medical College Hospital (No. K2203). All participants in the trial will provide written informed consent. The results of this trial will be published in an open-access way.Trial registration number NCT05545787.

Autoimmune diseases are characterized by vast alterations in immune responses, but the pathogenesis remains sophisticated and yet to be fully elucidated. Multiple mechanisms regulating cell differentiation, maturation, and death are critical, among which mitochondria-related cellular organelle functions have recently gained accumulating attention. Mitochondria, as a highly preserved organelle in eukaryotes, have crucial roles in the cellular response to both exogenous and endogenous stress beyond their fundamental functions in chemical energy conversion. In this review, we aim to summarize recent findings on the function of mitochondria in the innate immune response and its aberrancy in autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, etc., mainly focusing on its direct impact on cellular metabolism and its machinery on regulating immune response signaling pathways. More importantly, we summarize the status quo of potential therapeutic targets found in the mitochondrial regulation in the setting of autoimmune diseases and wish to shed light on future studies.

Introduction Chronic gastritis is a common disease worldwide. Studies have consistently shown that chronic gastritis is usually associated with gastric microbial dysbiosis, especially the infection of Helicobacter pylori. However, the interaction between H. pylori and non-H. pylori bacteria in patients with chronic gastritis has not been clearly identified yet. Consequently, we designed a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis, which focused on identifying the changes in gastrointestinal microbiota composition between patients with H. pylori-infective and non-infective chronic gastritis.Method and analysis We will search PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane Library databases to retrieve observational studies on humans. The eligible studies must include data about the relative abundance of the gastrointestinal microbiome in patients with H. pylori-infective or non-infective chronic gastritis. Only the data of adults aged over 18 years will be analysed. Two researchers will extract the data independently, and Newcastle–Ottawa Scale will be used to assess the risk of bias. Random-effects model will be performed in quantitative analyses. Correlation analysis, bioinformatics analysis and function analysis will be performed.Discussion Currently, numerous studies have revealed the role of H. pylori in chronic gastritis. However, the alterations of non-H. pylori bacteria in patients with chronic gastritis remain an open question. The results of our study might provide new insights into future diagnosis and treatments.Ethics and dissemination This study is based on published documents, unrelated to personal data, so ethical approval is not in need. The results of this study are expected to be published in journals or conference proceedings.PROSPERO registration number CRD42020205260; Pre-results.

Background Aerosol-generating procedures such as oesophagogastroduodenoscopy (OGD) result in infectious particles being exhaled by patients. This substantially increases the medical staff’s risk of occupational exposure to pathogenic particles via airway inhalation and facial mucosal deposition. Infectious particles are regarded as a key route of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and, thus, represents a major risk factor for medical staff during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. There is a need for quantitative evidence on medical staff’s risk of multiroute exposure to infectious particles exhaled by patients during OGD to enable the development of practical, feasible and economical methods of risk-reduction for use in OGD and related procedures. This randomised controlled trial (RCT)—Personal protective EquiPment intervention TrIal for oesophagogastroDuodEnoscopy (PEPTIDE)—aims to establish a state-of-the-art protocol for quantifying the multiroute exposure of medical staff to infectious particles exhaled by patients during real OGD procedures.Method and analysis PEPTIDE will be a prospective, two-arm, RCT using quantitative methods and will be conducted at a tertiary hospital in China. It will enrol 130 participants (65 per group) aged over 18. The intervention will be an anthropomorphic model with realistic respiratory-related morphology and respiratory function that simulates a medical staff member. This model will be used either without or with a surgical mask, depending on the group allocation of a participant, and will be placed beside the participants as they undergo an OGD procedure. The primary outcome will be the anthropomorphic model’s airway dosage of the participants’ exhaled infectious particles with or without a surgical mask, and the secondary outcome will be the anthropomorphic model’s non-surgical mask-covered facial mucosa dosage of the participants’ exhaled infectious particles. Analyses will be performed in accordance with the type of data collected (categorical or quantitative data) using SPSS (V.26.0) and RStudio (V.1.3.959).Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval for this RCT was obtained from the Ethics Committee of Peking Union Medical College Hospital (ZS-3377). All of the potential participants who agree to participate will provide their written informed consent before they are enrolled. The results will be disseminated through presentations at national and international conferences and publications in peer-reviewed journals.Trial registration number NCT05321056.

Abstract. Background:. Endoscopic biopsy can underestimate gastric malignancies as low-grade intraepithelial neoplasia (LGIN). Definitively diagnosed LGIN would progress. This study aimed to evaluate predictive factors to identify malignancies misdiagnosed as LGIN by biopsy and LGIN at high risk of progression. Methods:. The clinical records of patients diagnosed with gastric LGIN by endoscopic biopsy who underwent at least two endoscopies during the first year of follow-up between 2007 and 2017 were retrospectively collected. Three endoscopists reviewed photographs of the initial endoscopy, described lesion characteristics, and made endoscopic diagnoses. Logistic regression was used to analyze predictors to identify malignancies underestimated as LGIN. A receiver operating characteristic curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of these predictors. Patient clinical outcomes of follow-up >1 year were collected. Kaplan–Meier estimates with log-rank tests and Cox proportional hazards regression were used to analyze predictors of progression. Results:. Overall, 48 of 182 (26.4%) patients were proven to have malignancies. A single lesion, a large lesion size, and marked intestinal metaplasia (IM) were independent predictors of initially misdiagnosed malignancies. The area under the curve of these predictors was 0.871, with a sensitivity of 68.7% and specificity of 92.5%. Twelve of 98 patients (12.2%) progressed during the 33-month median follow-up period. A whitish appearance, irregular margins, marked IM, and histological diagnosis of LGIN more than twice within the first year were predictors for progression. Conclusions:. Lesions diagnosed as LGIN by biopsy with marked IM and other predictors above should be prudently treated for high potential to be malignancies or progress. Endoscopic follow-up with repeated biopsies within the first year is recommended.

Abstract Background Dietary patterns and symptoms research among Chinese with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and its precursor lesions is limited, especially as it relates to multiple food consumption and multiple co-occurring symptoms. The aim of our study was to identify the dietary patterns and severity of symptom classes with the risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and its histological precursor lesions, and develop a risk prediction model for different stages of esophageal disease. Methods We analyzed data from a multicenter cross-sectional study carried out in ESCC high incidence areas between 2017 and 2018, which included 34,707 individuals aged 40–69 years. Dietary patterns and severity of symptom classes were derived by applying a latent class analysis (LCA). A multiple logistic regression model was used to derive the odds ratio (ORs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for ESCC and the different stages of esophageal disease according to the dietary patterns and severity of symptom classes identified. We built the risk prediction model by using a nomogram. Results We identified five dietary patterns and three severity of symptom classes. The dietary patterns were classified as follows: “Healthy”, “Western”, “Lower consumers-combination”, “Medium consumers-combination” and “Higher consumers-combination” patterns based on the intake of foods such as red meat, vegetables and fruits. The severity of symptoms was categorized into “Asymptomatic”, “Mild symptoms” and “Overt symptoms” classes based on health-related symptoms reported by the participants. Compared to the “Healthy” pattern, the other four patterns were all associated with an increased risk of esophageal disease. Similarly, the other two symptom classes present different degrees of increased risk of esophageal disease compared to the “Asymptomatic”. The nomograms reflect the good predictive ability of the model. Conclusion Among individuals aged 40–69 years in high incidence regions of upper gastrointestinal cancer, the results supplied that subjects with diets rich in livestock and poultry meat and low in fruits and vegetables and subjects with typical symptoms were at increased ESCC risk. The findings highlight the importance of considering food and symptom combinations in cancer risk evaluation.

Abstract Background Despite research efforts, the causative factors that contribute to esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in high-risk areas have not yet been understood. In this study, we, therefore, aimed to describe the risk factors associated with ESCC and its precursor lesions. Methods We performed an endoscopic examination of 44,857 individuals aged 40–69 years from five high incidence regions of China in 2017–2018. Participants were classified as 4 groups of normal control, esophagitis, low-grade intraepithelial neoplasia (LGIN) and high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia/esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (HGIN/ESCC) using an unconditional logistic regression determine risk factors. Results We identified 4890 esophagitis, 1874 LGIN and 437 HGIN/ESCC cases. Crude odds ratios (ORs) and adjusted odds ratios were calculated using unconditional logistic regression. Drinking well and surface water, salty diet, and positive family history of cancer were the common risk factors for esophagitis, LGIN and HGIN/ESCC. History of chronic hepatitis/cirrhosis was the greatest risk factor of esophagitis (adjusted OR 2.96, 95%CI 2.52–3.47) and HGIN/ESCC (adjusted OR 1.91, 95%CI 1.03–3.22). Pesticide exposure (adjusted OR 1.20, 95%CI 1.05–1.37) was essential risk factor of LGIN. Conclusions Among individuals aged 40–69 years in high incidence regions of upper gastrointestinal cancer, the results provided important epidemiological evidence for the prevention of different precancerous lesions of ESCC.

Magnification endoscopy with narrow-band imaging (ME-NBI) technology is widely used in the early diagnosis of precancerous lesions and gastric cancer, which is critical to reducing the incidence of gastric cancer and improving the survival rate of gastric cancer patients. The diagnosis based on ME-NBI image is mostly in manual way in clinics. In order to improve its objectivity and efficiency, here we proposed a lightweight attention mechanism deep learning model to automatically classify ME-NBI images for artificial intelligence (AI) diagnosis of early gastric cancer, low-grade intraepithelial neoplasia, and non-neoplasm. We collected 4,098 images from 990 patients for model training and validation and evaluated the performance of our model by comparisons with that of other models, such as the benchmark model. An additional 587 images from 296 patients were collected as an independent test set to further evaluate our method’s performance. The validation set showed that the overall accuracy, recall, precision, F1 score, and the area under the curve of our method were higher than those of other methods. The independent test set showed that our method achieved state-of-the-art classification for low-grade intraepithelial neoplasia (accuracy = 93.9%, sensitivity = 92.6%). Our method displayed the advantages of lightweight and high effectiveness in classifying effectiveness, which is the potential for AI diagnosis of early gastric cancer, low-grade intraepithelial neoplasia, and non-neoplasm.

Abstract This study brings insight into interpreting forest structural diversity and explore the classification of individuals according to the distribution of the neighbours in natural forests. Natural forest communities with different latitudes and distribution patterns in China were used. Each tree and its nearest neighbours form a structural unit. Random structural units (or random trees) in natural forests were divided into different sub-types based on the uniform angle index (W). The proportions of different random structural units were analysed. (1) There are only two types of random structural units: type R1 looks similar to a dumbbell, and type R2 looks similar to a torch. These two random structural units coexist in natural forests simultaneously. (2) The proportion of type R1 is far less than that of R2, is only approximately 1/3 of all random structural units or random trees; R2 accounts for approximately 2/3. Furthermore, the proportion of basal area presents the same trend for both random structural units and random trees. R2 has approximately twice the basal area of R1. Random trees (structural units) occupy the largest part of natural forest communities in terms of quantity and basal area. Meanwhile, type R2 is the largest part of random trees (structural units). This study finds that the spatial formation mechanism of natural forest communities which is of great significance to the cultivation of planted forests.

Abstract Background Differentiating between ulcerative colitis (UC), Crohn’s disease (CD) and intestinal tuberculosis (ITB) using endoscopy is challenging. We aimed to realize automatic differential diagnosis among these diseases through machine learning algorithms. Methods A total of 6399 consecutive patients (5128 UC, 875 CD and 396 ITB) who had undergone colonoscopy examinations in the Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 2008 to November 2018 were enrolled. The input was the description of the endoscopic image in the form of free text. Word segmentation and key word filtering were conducted as data preprocessing. Random forest (RF) and convolutional neural network (CNN) approaches were applied to different disease entities. Three two-class classifiers (UC and CD, UC and ITB, and CD and ITB) and a three-class classifier (UC, CD and ITB) were built. Results The classifiers built in this research performed well, and the CNN had better performance in general. The RF sensitivities/specificities of UC-CD, UC-ITB, and CD-ITB were 0.89/0.84, 0.83/0.82, and 0.72/0.77, respectively, while the values for the CNN of CD-ITB were 0.90/0.77. The precisions/recalls of UC-CD-ITB when employing RF were 0.97/0.97, 0.65/0.53, and 0.68/0.76, respectively, and when employing the CNN were 0.99/0.97, 0.87/0.83, and 0.52/0.81, respectively. Conclusions Classifiers built by RF and CNN approaches had excellent performance when classifying UC with CD or ITB. For the differentiation of CD and ITB, high specificity and sensitivity were achieved as well. Artificial intelligence through machine learning is very promising in helping unexperienced endoscopists differentiate inflammatory intestinal diseases. Conference The abstract of this article has won the first prize of the Young Investigator Award during the Asian Pacific Digestive Week (APDW) 2019 held in Kolkata, India.

Background and AimPreoperative endoscopic markers have been extensively used for the localization of colonic neoplastic lesions in laparoscopic surgery. We conducted this respective cohort study to compare the localization accuracy of two commonly used endoscopic marker strategies (endoscopic clip plus abdominal plain film and endoscopic tattooing).MethodsPatients who received preoperative colonoscopy localization for colonic neoplasia and underwent an elective laparoscopic operation afterward between 2013 and 2020 were included in this retrospective study. The localization accuracy of the two endoscopic strategies was compared, and the predictors of successful endoscopic localization were identified by multivariate regression.ResultsIn total, 195 patients [average age 62.4 ± 9.2 years, 123 male (63.1%)] undergoing preoperative colonoscopy localization and subsequent laparoscopic colectomy for colonic neoplasms were included. Endoscopic localization was finally proven to be successful in 150 (76.9%) patients in the surgery. Compared to the tattooing group, patients who had successful localization for colonic lesions were fewer in the clip group (64 of 101 cases, 63.4% vs. 86 of 94 cases, 91.5%, p < 0.001). The multivariate regression analysis showed that the endoscopic tattooing strategy, endoscopic clip strategy, and lesion location were all predictors for successful localization (all with p < 0.001).ConclusionCompared with endoscopic clip plus abdominal plain film, endoscopic tattooing had higher localization accuracy and less intraoperative colonoscopy counseling; the endoscopic clip strategy, tattooing strategy, and colonic lesion location were all predictors of successful endoscopic localization.

Background: The gastric microbiota profile alters during gastric carcinogenesis. We aimed to identify the alterations in the alpha diversity and relative abundance of bacterial phyla and genera of gastric microbiota in the development of gastric cancer (GC).Methods: The systematic review was performed based on a published protocol with the registration number CRD42020206973. We searched through PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane databases, as well as conference proceedings and references of review articles (May 2021) for observational studies reporting either the relative abundance of bacterial phyla or genera, or alpha diversity indexes in both GC and non-cancer groups. Selection of studies and data extraction were performed independently by two researchers, with disagreements resolved through discussion. Risk of bias was assessed using the self-modified Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Results of random-effects meta-analyses were presented as mean differences (MD).Results: Our systematic review included 751 GC patients and 792 non-cancer patients from 14 case-control studies. Gastric cancer group had fewer operational taxonomic units (OTUs) (MD = −68.52, 95%CI: −126.65 to −10.39) and a lower Simpson index (MD = −0.13, 95%CI: −0.20 to −0.07) compared with non-cancer group. At the phylum level, gastric cancer group had a higher abundance of Firmicutes (MD = 7.11, 95%CI: 1.76 to 12.46). At the genus level, Streptococcus (MD = 3.03, 95%CI: 0.07 to 6.00) and Lactobacillus (MD = 5.15, 95%CI: 1.27 to 9.04) were found to be enriched in GCgroup. The relative abundance of the rest bacterial phyla or genera analyzed in our study did not significantly differ between two groups. Subgroup analyses indicated that the source of samples was the major source of interstudy heterogeneity.Conclusion: This systematic review suggested that gastric microbiota dysbiosis occurred in gastric carcinogenesis, with alpha diversity declined and microbiota composition altered.