ObjectiveTo explore the changes in volatile components， total polysaccharides， enzyme activity， and chromaticity value of Myristicae Semen Koji（MSK） during the fermentation process， and conduct correlation analysis. MethodsBased on gas chromatography-mass spectrometry（GC-MS）， the changes of volatile components in MSK at different fermentation times were identified. The phenol sulfuric acid method， dinitrosalicylic acid method（DNS）， and carboxymethyl cellulose sodium salt method（CMC-Na） were used to investigate the total polysaccharide content， amylase activity， and cellulase activity during the fermentation process. Visual analysis technology was used to explore the changes in chromaticity values， revealing the fermentation process of MSK and the dynamic changes of various measurement indicators， partial least squares-discriminant analysis（PLS-DA） was used to explore the differential compounds of MSK at different fermentation degrees， and Pearson correlation analysis was used to explore the correlation between volatile components of MSK and total polysaccharides， enzyme activity， and chromaticity values. ResultsA total of 60 volatile compounds were identified from MSK， the relative contents of components such as （+）-α-pinene， β-phellandrene， β-pinene， （+）-limonene， and p-cymene obviously increased， while the relative contents of components such as safrole， methyl isoeugenol， methyleugenol， myristicin， and elemicin significantly decreased. During the fermentation process， the total polysaccharide content showed an upward trend， while the activities of amylase and cellulase showed an initial increase followed by a decrease， and reached their maximum value at 40 h. the overall brightness（L^*） and total color difference（ΔE^*） gradually increased， while the changes in red-green value（a^*） and yellow-blue value（b^*） were not obvious. PLS-DA results showed that MSK could be clearly distinguished at different fermentation times， and 13 differential biomarkers were screened out. Pearson correlation analysis results showed that the contents of α-terpinene， β-phellandrene， methyleugenol， β-cubebene and myristic acid had an obvious correlation with chromaticity values. ConclusionAfter fermentation， the volatile components， total polysaccharides， amylase activity， and cellulase activity of MSK undergo significant changes， and there is a clear correlation between them and chromaticity values， which reveals the dynamic changes in the fermentation process and related indicators of MSK， laying a foundation for the quality control.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the effect and safety of Jiuxin Pill （救心丸） on exercise tolerance and quality of life in patients with stable angina pectoris （SAP）. MethodsA randomised， double-blind， placebo-controlled， multicentre study design was used to enroll 170 patients of SAP from nine centres， which were divided into 85 patients each in the trial group and control group with 1∶1 ratio. Both groups maintained the original western medicine treatment plan， and added Jiuxin Pill or placebo respectively， 2 pills （0.05 g） each time twicely for 28 days. The main outcomes were total exercise time （TED） in the exercise treadmill test and Seattle Angina Questionnaire （SAQ） scores including physical limitation （PL）， angina stability （AS）， angina frequency （AF）， treatment satisfaction （TS）， and disease perception （DP）. The secondary outcomes were exercise treadmill test indicators including heart rate recovery in 1 min （HRR1）， metabolic equivalents （METs）， maximum magnitude of ST-segment depression， and the Borg rating of perceived exertion scale， the average number of angina attacks per week， withdrawal and reduction rate of nitroglycerin， traditional Chinese medicine syndrome scores， incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events. Safety indicators were evaluated and the occurrence of adverse events during the trial was recorded. Data was collected before treatment， day 28±2 in treatment period， and follow-up at day 56 which is 28±2 days after treatment period finished. ResultsEighty-four and eighty-five patients respectively from trial group and control group were included to the full analysis set （FAS） and safety analysis set （SS）. Compared with the group before treatment and with the control group after treatment， the trial group had higher TED， HRR1， and METs， and lower maximum magnitude of ST-segment depression and Borg rating of perceived exertion scores after treatment （P＜0.01）. Compared with the group before treatment and with the control group after treatment and at follow-up， the total SAQ score and scores of AS， AF， TS and DP of the trial group after treatment and at follow-up elevated， while the average number of angina attacks per week and traditional Chinese medicine syndrome scores reduced （P＜0.01）. There was no statistically significant difference in the withdrawal and reduction rate of nitroglycerin between groups （P＞0.05）. Major adverse cardiovascular events occurred in 1 case （1/84， 1.19%） in the trial group and 1 case （1/85， 1.18%） in the control group， and the difference between groups was not statistically significant （P＞0.05）. A total of 3 cases of adverse events occurred in the trial group （3/84， 3.57%）， and a total of 6 cases of adverse events occurred in the control group （6/85， 7.06%）， and there was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of adverse events between groups （P＞0.05）. ConclusionIn the treatment of SAP， Jiuxin Pill combined with conventional western medicine can further enhance exercise tolerance， improve quality of life， and demonstrate great safety.

BACKGROUND:At present,there are some limitations in evaluating the severity of acute spinal cord injury,and a rapid and accurate evaluation method is urgently needed. OBJECTIVE:To analyze the correlation between the expression levels of serum oxidative stress and nerve injury indexes and the severity of the disease in patients with acute spinal cord injury. METHODS:A total of 65 patients were included in the study from August 2020 to May 2022,including 32 patients in the experimental group(acute spinal cord injury)and 33 patients in the control group(simple spinal fracture).American Spinal Injury Association(ASIA)Impairment Scale and neurological function score were evaluated within 8 hours of admission.Meanwhile,serum levels of superoxide dismutase,malondialdehyde,glutathione,nitric oxide,glial fibrillary acidic protein and neuron-specific enolase were detected and compared between the two groups.The correlation between the expression levels of the above serological indicators in serum and ASIA impairment grade and AISA neural function score was analyzed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The average serum levels of superoxide dismutase and glutathione in the experimental group were significantly lower than those of the control group(P<0.001),while the average serum levels of malondialdehyde,nitric oxide,glial fibrillary acidic protein and neuron-specific enolase in the experimental group were higher than those of the control group(P<0.01).The serum levels of superoxide dismutase and glutathione in the experimental group were positively correlated with the damage grade of AISA(r=0.862 4,0.849 3,P<0.01),while the serum levels of malondialdehyde,nitric oxide,glial fibrillary acidic protein and neuron-specific enolase were negatively correlated with the damage grade of AISA(r=-0.866 1,-0.638 1,-0.746 6,P<0.001),and the serum level of nitric oxide was not significantly correlated with the damage grade of AISA(r=-0.177 5,P>0.05).The serum level of glutathione in the experimental group was positively correlated with AISA sensory function scores(r=0.569 9,P<0.001),while the serum levels of malondialdehyde,glial fibrillary acidic protein and neuron-specific enolase were negatively correlated with AISA sensory function scores(r=-0.574 1,-0.099 2,-0.708 6,P<0.05),and the serum levels of superoxide dismutase and nitric oxide were not significantly correlated with AISA sensory function scores(r=0.230 8,-0.376 2,P>0.05).The serum levels of superoxide dismutase and glutathione in the experimental group were positively correlated with ASIA motor function scores(r=0.380,0.524 7,P<0.05);the serum levels of malondialdehyde,glial fibrillary acidic protein and neuron-specific enolase were negatively correlated with AISA motor function scores(r=-0.577 9,-0.452 2,-0.662 8,P<0.05);and the level of nitric oxide had no significant correlation with AISA motor function scores(r=-0.049 7,P>0.05).To conclude,the serum levels of superoxide dismutase,malondialdehyde,glutathione,nitric oxide,glial fibrillary acidic protein and neuron-specific enolase in serum of patients with acute spinal cord injury are significantly correlated with ASIA impairment grade and ASIA neural function score,which could be used as biomarkers for early clinical assessment of disease severity.

Objective:To investigate the effect and mechanism of Grifola frondosa extract on inflammatory response of colon tissue in rats with ulcerative colitis(UC)by regulating interleukin-6(IL-6)/Janus kinase 2(JAK2)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(STAT3)signaling pathway.Methods:Forty SD rats were randomly divided into blank control group,UC model group,Grifola frondosa treatment group,western medicine treatment group and combined treatment group,with 8 rats in each group.After UC rats were established by free drinking 3%DSS for 7 days,the treatment group were given Grifola frondosa extract 10 mg/(kg·d),sulfasalazine 0.3 g/(kg·d),and the same amount of two drugs,for 14 consecutive days.During the experiment,general state of rats were observed,and the disease activity index(DAI)score was calculated;pathological changes of rats colon tissue were observed by HE staining;protein expression levels of IL-6,JAK2,STAT3 and p-STAT3 in rats colon tissue were detected by Western blot;content of IL-6 in rats serum was detected by ELISA;protein contents and expressions of IL-6R and MPO in rats colon tissue were determined by immunohistochemistry.Results:Compared with blank control group,general state of rats in UC model group was poor,DAI score was increased,obvious tissue mucosal defects and inflammatory cell infiltration were observed by HE staining;protein expression levels of IL-6,JAK2,STAT3 and p-STAT3 in rats colon tissue and contents of IL-6R and MPO were significantly increased(P<0.01);content of IL-6 in rats serum was significantly increased(P<0.01),the difference was statistically significant.Compared with UC model group,general condition of rats in each treatment group was improved,DAI score was decreased,HE staining showed that mucosal defects were improved to varying degrees,and occasionally inflammatory cell infiltration was observed;protein expression levels of IL-6,JAK2,STAT3 and p-STAT3 in colon tissue were significantly decreased(P<0.01),contents of IL-6R and MPO in colon tissue and content of IL-6 in serum were significantly decreased(P<0.01 or P<0.05),the differences were statistically significant.Conclusion:Grifola frondosa extract can reduce the inflammatory response in colon tissue of UC rats by regulating expressions of IL-6/JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway related factors.

Objective To investigate the expression of Thymosinβ10(TMSB10)in gastric cancer and its molecular mechanism in promoting the progression of gastric cancer.Methods We collected pathological sections of 70 patients with gastric cancer in our hospital,detected expression of TMSB10 in gastric adenocarcinoma by immunohistochemistry,and analyzed its prognostic effect.In order to study the mechanism of action,the effects of TMSB10 on the proliferation and glycolysis of gastric cancer cells and its related mechanism were observed by trans-fection technique,CCK8 test,EDU assay,Transwell assay,scratch test,glycolysis assay and Western blot.Results Immunohistochemistry showed that TMSB10 was highly expressed in gastric cancer,while the expression level of TMSB10 was correlated with tumor size(P=0.032),TNM stage(P=0.002)and distant metastasis.In the mechanism study,we found that overexpression of TMSB10 promoted the proliferation,invasion,migration and glycolytic phenotype of gastric cancer cells through in vitro CCK-8 test,EDU assay,Transwel assay and glycolysis assay,and vice versa.Western blot results showed that overexpression of TMSB10 may regulate the occurrence of gastric cancer through up-regulation of the AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway.Conclusions TMSB10 promotes the proliferation,invasion,migration and glycolysis gastric cancer through the AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway.

Objective To investigate the value of serum hepatitis B virus(HBV)RNA for predicting hepatitis B virus e antigen(HBeAg)clearance and seroconversion after nucleoside(acid)analogs(NAs)treatment in patients with chronic hepatitis B(CHB).Methods Serum samples were collected from 178 CHB patients who received NAs monotherapy in Weihai Hospital affiliated to Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from February 12,2017 to February 21,2019.Serum HBV RNA levels were analyzed by real-time fluorescence-based quantitative PCR at baseline and after NAs treatment.Results The patients with HBeAg clearance and seroconversion showed significantly lower serum HBV RNA levels at baseline,6 months and 12 months of treatment compared with those without HBeAg clearance and seroconversion(P＜0.001).During follow-up,the patients with lower baseline HBV RNA levels had higher rate of cumulative HBeAg clearance(Log Rank x2=11.282,P=0.001)or seroconversion(Log Rank x2=10.739,P=0.001)than the patients with higher baseline HBV RNA levels.Cox regression model analysis indicated that serum HBV RNA levels at baseline,6 months and 12 months of treatment were an independent predictor for HBeAg clearance and seroconversion in CHB patients(P＜0.05).The area under the ROC curve(AUC)of baseline serum HBV RNA level was 0.808(95％CI:0.743-0.872)for predicting HBeAg clearance and 0.824(95％CI:0.763-0.885)for predicting seroconversion.The AUC of HBV RNA level at 6 months of treatment was 0.830(95％CI:0.765-0.894)for predicting HBeAg clearance and 0.732(95％CI:0.657-0.808)for predicting seroconversion.The AUC of HBV RNA level at 12 months of treatment was 0.737(95％CI:0.641-0.833)for predicting HBeAg clearance and 0.757(95％CI:0.671-0.842)for predicting seroconversion.The AUC of baseline HBV RNA level combined with HBV RNA decline at 6 months of treatment was 0.856(95％CI:0.795-0.917)for predicting HBeAg clearance and 0.864(95％CI:0.802-0.926)for predicting seroconversion.The AUC of baseline HBV RNA level combined with HBV RNA decline at 12 months of treatment was 0.881(95％CI:0.826-0.936)for predicting HBeAg clearance and 0.848(95％CI:0.784-0.911)for predicting seroconversion.Conclusions Serum HBV RNA levels have high predictive value for HBeAg clearance and seroconversion after NAs therapy in CHB patients,suggesting that HBV RNA levels are helpful for identifying non-responders and informing combination therapy.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the performance of machine learning models and traditional Cox regression model in predicting postoperative outcomes of patients with esophagogastric junction adenocarcinoma (AEG). METHODS: This study was conducted among 203 AEG patients with complete clinical and follow-up data, who were treated in our hospital between September, 2015 and October, 2020. The clinicopathological data of the patients were processed for analysis using R language package and divided into training and validation datasets at the ratio of 3:1. The Cox proportional hazards regression model and 4 machine learning models were constructed for analyzing the datasets. ROC curves, calibration curves and clinical decision curves (DCA) were plotted. Internal validation of the machine learning models was performed to assess their predictive efficacy. The predictive performance of each model was evaluated by calculating the area under the curve (AUC), and the model fitting was assessed using the calibration curve. RESULTS: For predicting 3-year survival based on the validation dataset, the AUC was 0.870 for Cox proportional hazard regression model, 0.901 for eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), 0.791 for random forest, 0.832 for support vector machine, and 0.725 for multilayer perceptron; For predicting 5-year survival, the AUCs of these models were 0.915, 0.916, 0.758, 0.905, and 0.737, respectively. For internal validation, the AUCs of the 4 machine learning models decreased in the order of XGBoost (0.818), random forest (0.758), support vector machine (0.0.804), and multilayer perceptron (0.745). CONCLUSION The machine learning models show better predictive efficacy for survival outcomes of patients with AEG than Cox proportional hazard regression model, especially when proportional odds assumption or linear regression models are not applicable. XGBoost models have better performance than the other machine learning models, and the multi-layer perception model may have poor fitting results for a limited data volume.
Humans ; Adenocarcinoma ; Prognosis ; Machine Learning ; Esophagogastric Junction

Objective To investigate the relationship between sleep duration and obesity, and the risk of common chronic diseases in the occupational population in Shanghai City. Methods A total of 18 775 occupational individuals were selected as the study subjects using convenience sampling method in Shanghai City. Data on personal lifestyle behaviors and medical examination results were collected. The relationship between sleep duration and different types of obesity with dyslipidemia, hyperuricemia, hypertension, and hyperglycemia was analyzed. Results The incidence of dyslipidemia, hyperuricemia, hypertension, and hyperglycemia among the study subjects was 24.9%, 16.2%, 11.5%, and 7.3%, respectively. The incidence of these four chronic diseases were higher in individuals with central obesity and suboptimal sleep compared to the control group (all P<0.01). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that suboptimal sleep combined with general obesity/overweight increased the risk of dyslipidemia, hyperuricemia, hypertension, and hyperglycemia in the study subjects ［odds ratio (OR) were 2.40, 3.47, 3.30, and 2.79, respectively; all P<0.01］, after adjusting for age, gender, education level, marital status, occupation type, labor intensity, smoking, and drinking. Suboptimal sleep combined with central obesity also potentially increased the risk of these four chronic diseases (OR were 2.25, 3.09, 3.09, and 2.98, respectively; all P<0.01). Conclusion The incidence of common chronic diseases is relatively high in the occupational population in Shanghai City. Suboptimal sleep combined with different types of obesity increases the risk of common chronic diseases.

【Objective】 To investigate the risk factors and predictive effectiveness of prostate imaging reporting and data system (PI-RADS) score for patients with clinically significant prostate cancer (CsPCa) whose PI-RADS score was 3, so as to provide evidence for the diagnosis and treatment. 【Methods】 The clinical and multi-parameter magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) data of 153 CsPCa patients treated during Jan.2017 and Dec.2021 whose PI-RADS score was 3 were retrospectively analyzed. With PI-RADS score of 3 as the independent risk factor for CsPCa, the other relevant independent risk factors in predicting CsPCa were evaluated. 【Results】 Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that prostate-specific antigen (PSA) density and apparent dispersion coefficient (ADC) were independent risk factors for the diagnosis of CsPCa (P<0.05). Analysis of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve showed that combined PSA density and ADC were more effective than PSA density and ADC alone (P<0.05). 【Conclusion】 The combination of PSA density and ADC can guide clinicians to identify high-risk CsPCa patients from patients with PI-RADS score of 3 points.

Objective: To establish a three⁃dimensional cephalometric standardized value database for Anhui province , to study the craniofacial characteristics of normal adult population in Anhui , China and to provide effective information for making orthodontic and orthognathic surgery treatment plans of the craniofacial deformity. Methods: 160 normal occlusal volunteers were selected according to the inclusive and exclusive criteria and were photographed by Cone Beam CT (CBCT) . The coordinate system was established for the 3D model reconstructed with Dolphin based on CBCT data , and 38 hard tissue landmarks were located. 40 lines and 20 angles were defined and measured , and measurements were analyzed with SPSS 17. 0 , to evaluate craniofacial features of the overall , midface , maxilla , mandible , alveolar bone , and dentition of the standard population. Results: The 3D cephalometric measurements of craniofacial hard tissues of normal adults in Anhui were obtained. The symmetry of craniofacial hard tissues was good both in males and females with the maximum asymmetry ratio of 2. 2% and the minimum of 0. 01% . The gender comparisons showed that most of lines measured of males were larger than those of females (P< 0. 01) , while there was no significant difference in the measurements of the midline deviation of upper and lower mandible , the relative deviation of the maxillary and mandible and the protrusion of upper and lower incisor. Additionally , there was no statistical significance in angles measured between genders , except for the occlusal plane angle. The results also showed that Chinese had unique facial features based on the measured data , compared with other ethnic populations. Conclusion The normal occlusal and maxillofacial hard tissue of Anhui Han has good symmetry. The gender obviously influences line measurements , with generally the measurements of males larger than females , but it has no effect on most angle measurements.