1.Factors affecting and identification of key environmental determinants of the Oncomelania hupensis snail density in the Yangtze River Delta based on machine learning models
Yinlong LI ; Qin LI ; Suying GUO ; Shizhen LI ; Lijuan ZHANG ; Chunli CAO ; Jing XU
Chinese Journal of Schistosomiasis Control 2026;38(1):14-19
Objective To identify factors affecting and key environmental factors of the Oncomelania hupensis snail density in the Yangtze River Delta region using machine learning methods. Methods Administrative village-level O. hupensis snail survey data in the Yangtze River Delta (including Shanghai Municipality, Jiangsu Province, Zhejiang Province and Anhui Province) from 2011 to 2021 were retrieved from the Information Management System for Parasitic Disease Control of Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Environmental factor data were captured from the Google Earth Engine platform, including elevation, slope, terrain, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), vegetation type, soil type, total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH), ammonium nitrogen, inorganic nitrogen, dissolved oxygen, pH of water, chemical oxygen demand (COD) and inorganic phosphorus, and climatic factor data in the study region were retrieved from the Copernicus Climate Data Store, including annual precipitation, aridity index and annual mean temperature (AMT). O. hupensis snail survey data in the Yangtze River Delta region from 2011 to 2021 were randomly divided into a training set (70%) and a test set (30%), and five machine learning models were selected for machine learning model construction and comparative analysis of the O. hupensis snail density using the software R 4.3.0, including random forest (RF), eXtreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), support vector machine (SVM), gradient boosting machine (GBM) and neural network (NN). The XGBoost model was employed to construct a predictive model for the O. hupensis snail density, and the impact of each environmental factor on O. hupensis snail distribution was quantified. The SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAPs) values were calculated to estimate the average contribution of each variable to the model prediction, and the core environmental factors affecting the O. hupensis snail population density were screened. Results Among the five machine learning models, the XGBoost model exhibited the optimal comprehensive performance, with the coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.855, mean squared error (MSE) of 0.188, root mean squared error (RMSE) of 0.434 and mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.155, respectively. Analysis of factors affecting the O. hupensis snail density with the XGBoost model showed that among the 16 environmental factors, the top four high-impact factors ranked by SHAPs values included annual precipitation, elevation, aridity index and NDVI, with cumulative SHAPs contributions of 75%, which was higher than that of other environmental factors. If NDVI was higher than 0.6, the O. hupensis snail density increased with NDVI and peaked if NDVI was 0.8 (1.60 snails/0.1 m2). The O. hupensis snail density increased with elevation if the elevation ranged from 14 to 40 m, and slowly rose if the annual precipitation ranged from 900 to 1 300 mm, and then increased rapidly to the peak (1.52 snails/0.1 m2) if the annual precipitation ranged from 1 300 to 1 500 mm. In addition, the O. hupensis snail density increased rapidly to the maximum (1.60 snails/0.1 m2) if the aridity index ranged from 0.8 to 1.1, and decreased gradually if the aridity index exceeded 1.1. Conclusions The XGBoost model shows excellent performance in prediction of the O. hupensis snail density and identification of key environmental factors in the Yangtze River Delta region. Annual precipitation, elevation, aridity index and NDVI are key environmental factors affecting the distribution and density of O. hupensis snails in the Yangtze River Delta region.
2.Association between sunshine duration and hospitalization risk for mental and behavioral disorders in Zigong City, Sichuan Province
Xianyan JIANG ; Fengyuan TIAN ; Yang LI ; Shijuan RUAN ; Yue WEN ; Chunli SHI
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2026;43(4):485-492
Background Sunshine duration is closely associated with population mental health and emotional states, although its relationship with mental and behavioral disorders (MBD) remains insufficiently studied. Objective To analyze the effect of sunshine duration on hospital admissions for MBD in Zigong City, Sichuan Province. Methods Hospital admission records for MBD from 10 medical institutions, meteorological data, and ambient air pollutant concentrations were collected in Zigong City from January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2024. A distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM) was employed to calculate single-day and cumulative lag effects of different sunshine duration exposures—0 h (P0, P5, P25), 6 h (P75), and 10.4 h (P95)—on hospitalization risks for MBD, stratified by diagnostic category, sex, and age groups. Results This study analyzed
3.Challenges and Recommendations for Implementing Key Technologies in Decentralized Clinical Trials of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Runze WANG ; Xuehan WEI ; Xiaoying CHEN ; Yingqian ZHANG ; Jin SUN ; Chunli LU
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2026;67(9):926-934
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) clinical trials face challenges such as low participant compliance, insufficient geographical coverage, and cost-effectiveness imbalances. Decentralized clinical trials (DCT), enabled by digital technology for remote data collection and monitoring, offer a new direction for TCM clinical trial research. This article systematically reviews three novel clinical trial design models. Combining the holistic concept and indivi-dualized treatment characteristics of TCM, it analyzes the challenges currently faced in TCM DCT practice, including the digitization and standardization of TCM theory, data security, privacy protection and patient engagement difficu-lties, insufficient ethical review and regulatory system adaptation, inadequate personnel training, and a shortage of interdisciplinary talent. Addressing these challenges, the article proposes methodological recommendations for DCT implementation that align with the principles of TCM diagnosis and treatment. These recommendations include promoting the intelligentization and standardization of TCM practices, constructing a full-chain data security and privacy protection system, improving the ethical framework and clarifying regulatory responsibilities, and cultivating and building interdisciplinary talent and capabilities, which provide theoretical and technical references for establishing standardized DCT practices in TCM.
4.Challenges and Recommendations for Implementing Key Technologies in Decentralized Clinical Trials of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Runze WANG ; Xuehan WEI ; Xiaoying CHEN ; Yingqian ZHANG ; Jin SUN ; Chunli LU
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2026;67(9):926-934
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) clinical trials face challenges such as low participant compliance, insufficient geographical coverage, and cost-effectiveness imbalances. Decentralized clinical trials (DCT), enabled by digital technology for remote data collection and monitoring, offer a new direction for TCM clinical trial research. This article systematically reviews three novel clinical trial design models. Combining the holistic concept and indivi-dualized treatment characteristics of TCM, it analyzes the challenges currently faced in TCM DCT practice, including the digitization and standardization of TCM theory, data security, privacy protection and patient engagement difficu-lties, insufficient ethical review and regulatory system adaptation, inadequate personnel training, and a shortage of interdisciplinary talent. Addressing these challenges, the article proposes methodological recommendations for DCT implementation that align with the principles of TCM diagnosis and treatment. These recommendations include promoting the intelligentization and standardization of TCM practices, constructing a full-chain data security and privacy protection system, improving the ethical framework and clarifying regulatory responsibilities, and cultivating and building interdisciplinary talent and capabilities, which provide theoretical and technical references for establishing standardized DCT practices in TCM.
5.Rapid Qualitative Analysis Methods and Their Application in Implementation Science
Xuehan WEI ; Xiaoying CHEN ; Runze WANG ; Yingqian ZHANG ; Xuehan LIU ; Jin SUN ; Guoyan YANG ; Wei XIAO ; Chunli LU
Medical Journal of Peking Union Medical College Hospital 2026;17(2):546-556
Implementation science (IS) aims to systematically analyze and address the real-world gaps from evidence to practice and the influencing factors of the context. It is necessary to carry out qualitative research to gather relevant implementation outcomes. Nevertheless, traditional qualitative analysis has issues such as consuming a great deal of time and energy, and it is unable to promptly provide the crucial data required for implementation science research. The Rapid Qualitative Analysis (RQA) method, through semi-structured interviews and the adoption of techniques such as immediate data condensation and matrix analysis, can effectively shorten the cycle of qualitative data collection and data processing. RQA can promptly identify social determinants of health such as structural barriers, facilitators, and the behavioral characteristics of target groups. It provides a real-time basis for public health decision-making, the interpretation of complex social phenomena, and the process and effectiveness evaluation of research projects. Although RQA is difficult to conduct in-depth theoretical analysis based on grounded theory, its efficiency and flexibility make it the preferred tool for large-scale and time-sensitive research. Thus, it has been widely applied in implementation science research. This paper sorts out the core concepts and commonly used technical methods of RQA, as well as the differences between RQA and traditional qualitative analysis. It also explores the applications of RQA in intervention optimization, process evaluation, and implementation outcome evaluation. By integrating specific cases, this paper clarifies its application value in the field of implementation science. In the future, it is advisable to explore the integration of RQA with technologies such as artificial intelligence and big data, in order to bridge the gap between the transformation of scientific research achievements into practice. Under circumstances of limited resources or tight time constraints, RQA can be used to efficiently conduct implementation science research, providing convenient and scientific methodological and technical support for accelerating evidence-based practice.
6.Id2 regulates the metabolic reprogramming of Tcm cells through the PI3K/AKT pathway to inhibit colorectal cancer cell growth
Fang LIU ; Chunli PAN ; Zhifeng ZHOU ; Shuping CHEN ; Yunbin YE
Chinese Journal of Cancer Biotherapy 2025;32(6):570-578
Objective:To investigate the role of inhibitor of differentiation 2(Id2)in inducing the generation of central memory T(Tcm)cells and enhancing the anti-tumor persistence of T cells.Methods:CD8+na?ve T cells were sorted with magnetic beads and then co-cultured with carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA)-loaded dendritic cells(DCs).These cells were induced into effector T(Teff)or Tcm cells by interleukin-2(IL-2)or IL-7/15/21/23,respectively.The mRNA and protein expression of Id2 and Id3 in T cells were detected using qPCR and WB,respectively.Id2 gene in T cells was knocked down using lentivirus,and the T cell memory phenotype was analyzed by flow cytometry.The expression of PI3K/AKT pathway-related proteins was examined by WB.The extracellular acidification rate(ECAR)and oxygen consumption rate(OCR)were assessed using a Seahorse extracellular flux analyzer.A zebrafish colorectal cancer HCT116 xenograft model was employed to analyze the anti-tumor differences between Teff and Tcm cells.The effect of Id2 gene knockdown in Tcm cells(Tcm-shId2)on the growth inhibition of secondary xenografts was also observed.Results:Tcm cells exhibited high expression of Id3 mRNA(P<0.05),whereas Teff cells showed high expression of Id2 mRNA(P<0.001).Tcm cells with Id2 knockdown(Tcm-shId2)were successfully constructed,showing significantly upregulated Id3 expression.Knockdown of Id2 promoted the formation of Tcm cell(P<0.05).Tcm-shId2 cells underwent metabolic reprogramming via the PI3K/AKT pathway,which effectively suppressed the growth of colorectal cancer xenografts in zebrafish and also produced significant inhibitory effects on secondary tumor growth(P<0.01).Conclusion:Id2 gene may regulate T cell metabolism through the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway,promoting the differentiation of CD8+T cells into Tcm cells and effectively inhibiting the growth of colorectal cancer xenografts.
7.Established cell model and mechanism of visceral hypersensitivity and nerve hyperplasia in IBS using P815 and N2a co-culture
Hongbin LI ; Chunli GAN ; Xiangyu XIE ; Shan LIU ; Qin LU ; Wei KE ; Shi-yu QI ; Yusheng HUANG ; Hongmei TANG
Chinese Journal of Pathophysiology 2025;41(4):825-832
AIM:To establish a cell model of visceral hypersensitivity and nerve hyperplasia in irritable bowel syndrome(IBS)by conducting an in vitro co-culture of mouse P815 mast cells and N2a nerve cells and explore its possible mechanism.METHODS:Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)with three replicates was used to confirm the C48/80-induced P815 degranulation.The length of neurites was observed under bright field microscopy to determine the number of differentiated neurons,thereby selecting the concentration of retinoic acid(RA)for stimulating the differentia-tion of N2a cells,with four replicates.A co-culture system of P815 and N2a cells was established using Transwell cham-bers with four replicates.The following groups were established:N2a cells cultured alone,N2a cells co-cultured with P815 cells,N2a cells co-cultured with P815 cells plus C48/80,and N2a cells plus RA group.After co-culturing,the num-ber of differentiated N2a cells was observed under bright field.The expression of nerve growth factor(NGF),tyrosine ki-nase receptor A(TRKA),growth-associated protein-43(GAP43),neuron-specific enolase(NSE),synapsin(SYN),and postsynaptic density protein-95(PSD-95)at both protein and gene levels in N2a cells was detected using Western blot and polymerase chain reaction(PCR),with four replicates.RESULTS:The best condition for N2a differentiation was stimulation with 10 μmol/L RA for 24 hours,whereas the best condition for degranulation was stimulation of P815 cells with 20 mg/L C48/80 for 24 hours.Compared with N2a cells cultured alone,the differentiation ratio of the N2a+P815+C48/80 and N2a+RA groups was significantly increased(P<0.01),and the protein and mRNA expressions of NGF,TRKA,GAP43,NSE,SYN,and PSD-95 were significantly increased(P<0.05).CONCLUSION:Our results revealed that mast cell degranulation enhances the level of nerve hyperplasia in enteric nerve cells and promotes changes in nerve structure and function.Synaptic remodeling regulated by abnormal expression of key proteins such as NGF,TRKA,and GAP43 is involved in the nerve hyperplasia induced by mast cell degranulation.
8.CXCL8 expression and its clinical significance in cervical cancer tissues
Hua ZHANG ; Ibibulla NURBIA ; Pengfei LU ; Chunli JIA ; Xuanxuan PEI ; Yongxing BAO
Journal of China Medical University 2025;54(10):914-918,925
Objective To assess the expression of CXCL8 in cervical cancer and its association with clinicopathological features and therapeutic efficacy of patients.Methods Bioinformatic analysis was performed using The Cancer Genome Atlas and Genotype-Tissue Expression databases to compare CXCL8 expression between cervical cancer and normal tissues.R software(version 4.4.0)was used for data analysis,with the timeROC package applied to construct time-dependent receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves for evalua-ting the prognostic predictive efficacy of CXCL8.The survival package with the survfit function was used to compare survival differences between CXCL8 high-and low-expression groups.Clinical data and tissue specimens were collected from 94 patients with cervical squa-mous cell cancer treated at The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University between January 2017 and December 2021.Immu-nohistochemical staining was used to detect CXCL8 expression levels and analyze its correlation with clinicopathological characteristics,therapeutic efficacy,and prognosis.Results Bioinformatic analysis showed that CXCL8 was highly expressed in cervical cancer tissues than in normal tissues(P<0.05).Time-dependent ROC curves and survival analyses showed that patients with high CXCL8 expression had significantly shorter overall survival than those with low CXCL8 expression(P<0.001).Immunohistochemical results showed that CXCL8 expression in cervical cancer tissues was significantly higher than that in adjacent tissues(P<0.000 1).Clinical correlation analy-sis revealed that CXCL8 expression levels were associated with treatment regimen(P<0.001)and short-term therapeutic efficacy(P=0.017).Compared to the low-expression group,the high-expression group showed a significantly lower therapeutic efficacy and shorter overall survival(P<0.05).Conclusion CXCL8 is highly expressed in cervical cancer tissues,and patients with high CXCL8 expression have poor prognosis.Thus,CXCL8 may be an effective target for assessing the prognosis and clinical treatment of cervical cancer.
9.Enriched environment regulates neural stem cell migration in ischemic stroke rats mediated by NT3/p75NTR signaling pathway
Huiyan ZHU ; Min CHEN ; Chunli LI
Chinese Journal of Pathophysiology 2025;41(10):1963-1971
AIM:By establishing ischemic stroke(IS)rats and cell models,this study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effect of an enriched environment(EE)and to explore its impact on the neurotrophin 3(NT3)/p75 neuro-trophin receptor(p75NTR)signaling pathway.METHODS:The study consisted of in vivo and in vitro experiments.In vi-vo,Sprague-Dawley(SD)rats were randomly divided by weight into sham,IS,and IS+EE groups(n=10),with 8 addi-tional rats per group reserved for supplementary analyses.The IS model was established by the Longa suture occlusion method.Neurological and motor function deficits were assessed on days 1,3,7 and 14 post-modeling using the modified neurological severity score(mNSS).On days 3,7 and 14,4 additional rats from each group were sacrificed,and the whole-brain tissue was collected to measure infarct volume via 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride(TTC)staining.On day 14,brain tissue was harvested for immunofluorescence staining to evaluate neuronal proliferation markers,while the ischemic penumbra was analyzed by Western blot for NT3/p75NTR pathway protein expression.In vitro,primary neural stem cells(NSCs)were isolated from fetal rats and cultured as neurospheres.These cells were divided into CON group and experimental groups treated with different concentrations of NT3 to evaluate the effects of NT3 on NSC proliferation and migration.Additionally,SH-SY5Y cell lines were used to establish an in vitro model of ischemic stroke through oxy-gen-glucose deprivation(OGD).These cells were treated with varying concentrations of NT3,along with CON and CON+NT3 groups,and a scratch assay was performed to assess the impact of NT3 on cell migration.RESULTS:EE significant-ly reduced neurological function scores in IS rats(P<0.05),prolonged latency in the rotarod test(P<0.05),and de-creased cerebral infarct area(P<0.05).EE further enhanced the protein expression of BrdU and Ki67 in the ischemic penumbra(P<0.05),as well as increased the co-expression of BrdU/DCX and BrdU/NeuN(P<0.05).Additionally,EE further upregulated the protein expression of NT3,p75NTR,PI3K,and Akt in the subventricular zone(SVZ)(P<0.05).In vitro,NT3(1 and 10 μg/L)significantly increased nestin expression(P<0.05)in the primary neural stem cell system.In the neural stem cell sphere system,compared to the CON group,1 μg/L NT3 markedly enhanced tubulin and phalloidin protein expression(P<0.05).In the scratch assay,1 ug/L NT3 significantly promoted the migration of both normal SH-SY5Y cells and OGD-induced SH-SY5Y cells compared to the CON group(P<0.05).CONCLUSION:Enriched envi-ronment activates the NT3/p75NTR signaling pathway,promoting the proliferation of NSCs in the SVZ and their migration to the ischemic penumbra,where they ultimately differentiate into neurons to replace those damaged,thereby contributing to the improvement of neurological function in rats with IS.
10.Relationship Between Quadriceps Micro-Perfusion Assessed by IVIM and Muscle Strength After Low-Load Resistance Training in Healthy Volunteers
Jiahang LU ; Yilong HUANG ; Jiawen DENG ; Zhenguang ZHANG ; Chao GAO ; Chunli LI ; Kuanjun LI ; Bo HE
Chinese Journal of Medical Imaging 2025;33(10):1133-1138
Purpose To investigate the changes in quadriceps femoris microcirculatory perfusion level after low-load blood flow restriction training and its relationship with muscle strength.Materials and Methods Twenty-five healthy subjects were prospectively recruited in the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University from September to November 2022.A 200 mmHg pressure cuff was applied at the root of the left thigh for blood flow restriction,and the subjects completed regular knee extension training within 4 weeks.Before the first training session and within 24 hours after the last training session,all subjects underwent scanning with the 3.0T MRI intravoxel incoherent motion sequence and the multi-echo steady-state acquisition three-dimentional imaging sequence.After image post-processing,the quadriceps femoris cross-sectional area,perfusion fraction and pseudo-diffusion coefficient were obtained,and the peak torque was measured using an isokinetic dynamometer.The MRI and muscle strength test parameters before and after training were compared,and correlation analyses were performed between the change of peak torque and the change of perfusion fraction,cross-sectional area,and pseudo-diffusion coefficient respectively.Results After low-load blood flow restriction training,the cross-sectional area of the left quadriceps femoris in subjects increased(t=-4.515,P<0.05).Among its components,the cross-sectional area of the left rectus femoris,vastus intermedius and vastus lateralis all increased(t=-3.302,-2.877,-3.207,all P<0.05).The perfusion fraction value of the left quadriceps femoris increased(t=-5.447,P<0.05);the perfusion fraction values of the left rectus femoris,vastus intermedius,vastus lateralis and vastus medialis all increased(t=-5.723,-4.621,-3.767,-4.682,all P<0.05);the muscle strength of the left quadriceps femoris increased(t=-3.983,P<0.05).There was a highly positive correlation between change of perfusion fraction and peak torque of the left quadriceps femoris in subjects(r=0.708,P<0.05).Conclusion After low-load blood flow restriction training,the changes in quadriceps femoris muscle microperfusion quantified by intravoxel incoherent motion are related to muscle strength,which is helpful for formulating rehabilitation training strategies for young patients.

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