Objective: To explore the value of contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) radiomics combined with machine learning algorithms in the preoperative prediction of perineural invasion (PNI) in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), aiming to provide evidence for assisting clinical treatment decision-making. Methods​: This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine. A total of 250 OSCC patients confirmed by postoperative pathology were included, comprising 128 PNI-positive and 122 PNI-negative cases. The dataset was randomly divided into training (n=175), validation (n=38), and independent testing (n=37) sets in a ratio of 7:1.5:1.5. Regions of interest were delineated on preoperative images, and radiomic features were extracted. After dimensionality reduction and feature selection using methods like Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) regression, multiple machine learning models, including support vector machine (SVM), random forest, Light gradient boosting machine (LightGBM), and a Stacking ensemble model, were constructed. Model performance was evaluated using metrics such as the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), sensitivity, calibration curves, and decision curve analysis (DCA). Model interpretability was analyzed using Shapley additive explanations (SHAP) and grouped permutation feature importance analysis. Results ​: ​ Among the 250 samples analyzed, the LightGBM model based on radiomics demonstrated the best performance on the independent test set, with an AUC of 0.781, outperforming models like SVM (AUC = 0.730) and Random Forest (AUC = 0.691), as well as clinical models (AUCs ranging 0.549-0.711). The LightGBM model showed good calibration (Brier score 0.198), and DCA indicated high clinical net benefit over a wide threshold probability range. Paired DeLong tests revealed no statistically significant differences in AUC between the ensemble (Stacking) model and the corresponding best-performing radiomics-based model. SHAP analysis and grouped permutation feature importance analysis further indicated that the primary discriminative information for the model came from radiomic texture features. Conclusion ​ The LightGBM model based on contrast-enhanced CT radiomics demonstrated good discriminative ability for preoperative prediction of PNI in OSCC. In the independent test set, it achieved the highest AUC. This model holds promise as a non-invasive auxiliary tool for preoperative risk assessment. Given the limited sample size of the independent test set, these results require further validation in larger cohorts and external datasets.

ObjectiveCell adhesion is a critical process that regulates cellular physiological functions. Quantitative characterization of adhesion dynamics is essential for elucidating the intrinsic mechanical mechanisms underlying cellular activities. Although atomic force microscopy-based single-cell force spectroscopy is widely used for single-cell adhesion measurements, it requires complex chemical modifications for preparation of live-cell probes, leading to limitations such as cumbersome operation, low throughput, and potential impacts on cell viability. Fluidic force microscopy, which combines atomic force microscopy with microfluidic probes, is a technique allowing the operation of force-controlled nanopipettes in aqueous environments. By applying negative or positive pressure via a pressure controller, a single living cell can be captured onto or released from the cantilever under physiological conditions. This procedure offers a simple workflow and high assay throughput for single-cell adhesion measurements without the need for chemical functionalization. In this study, fluidic force microscopy-based single-cell force spectroscopy was adopted to achieve long-term quantitative characterization of single-cell adhesion dynamics in a simpler and more efficient manner, comparing the dynamic differences in adhesion establishment between two cell lines with different differentiation levels. MethodsHEK 293T and hTERT RPE-1 cells were non-invasively captured on the cantilever of a fluidic force microscope via its integrated microfluidic system during 40 h of adhesion culture. Cell-substrate detachment assays were performed, and force-distance curves were recorded to extract key mechanical adhesion parameters, including adhesion force, adhesion energy, and maximum detachment distance. These measurements were combined with real-time monitoring of cell spreading area to systematically characterize the dynamic evolution of single-cell adhesion. ResultshTERT RPE-1 cells rapidly entered a stable adhesion phase within 1 h after seeding, with both area-normalized adhesion force and area-normalized adhesion energy reaching peak values. In contrast, HEK 293T cells required 4 h to achieve stable adhesion. Subsequently, the adhesion force, adhesion energy and maximum detachment distance of hTERT RPE-1 and HEK 293T cells stabilized at approximately 240 nN vs. 30 nN, 2.2 pJ vs. 0.12 pJ and 6 μm vs. 4 μm, respectively. hTERT RPE-1 cells reached the peak of area-normalized adhesion parameters earlier than HEK 293T cells, with their peak area-normalized adhesion force and area-normalized adhesion energy being substantially elevated relative to HEK 293T cells. HEK 293T cells presented stronger linear correlations among adhesion energy, maximum detachment distance and adhesion force compared with hTERT RPE-1 cells. For both cell lines, cell spreading area exhibited a weak correlation with adhesion force. Whereas the area-normalized adhesion parameters of HEK 293T cells remained relatively constant throughout the adhesion process, hTERT RPE-1 cells exhibited elevated values in the early phase, followed by a gradual decline. These results indicated distinct dynamic adhesion patterns between the two cell types, with hTERT RPE-1 cells exhibiting stronger adhesion strength and higher adhesion efficiency. ConclusionIn this study, fluidic force microscopy-based single-cell force spectroscopy was successfully applied to perform long-term in situ quantitative measurement of the adhesion dynamics in single adherent cells. The approach revealed divergent adhesion patterns between HEK 293T and hTERT RPE-1 cells, suggesting a close association between cell differentiation and adhesion behaviors. These findings provide quantitative mechanical evidence for further understanding the underlying mechanisms of cell adhesion.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the current status of informatization tools applied to antimicrobial stewardship in county hospitals in China， and to provide a reference for promoting the informatization development of antimicrobial stewardship in county hospitals.METHODS From August to September 2025， an online questionnaire survey was conducted among 1 007 county hospitals across 31 provinces（autonomous regions， and municipalities） in China. The survey focused on the application of four types of informatization tools：the real-time monitoring system for antimicrobial use， the pre-prescription review system， the irrational use warning system， and the electronic prescription evaluation system（hereinafter referred to as the “monitoring system”“review system”“warning system”“evaluation system”，respectively）. Correlation analysis and binary Logistic regression analysis were employed to explore the influencing factors.RESULTS Of the county hospitals， 80.83% were equipped with at least one type of informatization tool for antimicrobial stewardship， while 19.17% had no relevant tool. Only 18.87% of the hospitals were equipped with all four types of tools. The monitoring system exhibited the highest equipped rate （70.80%）， whereas the warning system was equipped in only 33.96% of the hospitals. Four types of tools are evenly and adequately deployed in the eastern region， the central and western regions have far lower deployment rates of intervention tools including review system and warning system， accompanied by prominent intra-provincial gaps. The total number of the health technicians， hospital grade， and prescription review rate of outpatient antibacterial drug were significantly and positively correlated with the deployment rates of the four informatization tools （ P ＜0.05）. The results of the Logistic regression model fitting indicated that the model of the review system was rated “excellent” [area under the receiver operating characteristic curve （AUC）＝0.81]， and the model of the warning system was rated “further improvement” （AUC＝0.67）. The total number of health technicians was significantly positively correlated with the deployment rates of all four types of informatization tools （all P ＜0.05）.CONCLUSIONS The informatization of antimicrobial stewardship in county hospitals in China remains in the initial stage of transitioning from “passive statistics” to “active prevention and control”， with challenges such as structural imbalance and regional disparities. In the future， differentiated support strategies should be implemented， the allocation of resources should be optimized， to enhance the level of refined antimicrobial stewardship.

Cardiovascular disease and cancer are the two leading chronic conditions contributing to global mortality. With the rising incidence of cancer, the prevalence of cancer therapy-related cardiovascular complications has also increased, driving the development of the emerging field of cardio-oncology. The advancement of precision medicine offers new opportunities for the individualized and targeted management of cardiovascular toxicities associated with cancer treatment. Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to overcome traditional limitations in medical data integration, dynamic monitoring, and interdisciplinary collaboration, thereby accelerating the application of precision medicine in cardio-oncology. By enabling personalized treatment and reducing cardiovascular complications in cancer patients, AI serves as a critical tool in this domain. This article provides an in-depth interpretation of the 鈥淎rtificial intelligence to enhance precision medicine in cardio-oncology: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association鈥?aiming to inform the integration of AI into precision medicine in China. The goal is to promote its application in the management of cardiovascular diseases related to cancer therapy and to achieve precision management in this context.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) has high morbidity and mortality, but effective clinical drugs and management are lacking. Previous studies have suggested that macrophages play a crucial role in the inflammatory response to AKI and may serve as potential therapeutic targets. Emerging evidence has highlighted the importance of forkhead box protein O1 (FoxO1) in mediating macrophage activation and polarization in various diseases, but the specific mechanisms by which FoxO1 regulates macrophages during AKI remain unclear. The present study aimed to investigate the role of FoxO1 in macrophages in the pathogenesis of AKI. We observed a significant upregulation of FoxO1 in kidney macrophages following ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. Additionally, our findings demonstrated that the administration of FoxO1 inhibitor AS1842856-encapsulated liposome (AS-Lipo), mainly acting on macrophages, effectively mitigated renal injury induced by I/R injury in mice. By generating myeloid-specific FoxO1-knockout mice, we further observed that the deficiency of FoxO1 in myeloid cells protected against I/R injury-induced AKI. Furthermore, our study provided evidence of FoxO1's pivotal role in macrophage chemotaxis, inflammation, and migration. Moreover, the impact of FoxO1 on the regulation of macrophage migration was mediated through RhoA guanine nucleotide exchange factor 1 (ARHGEF1), indicating that ARHGEF1 may serve as a potential intermediary between FoxO1 and the activity of the RhoA pathway. Consequently, our findings propose that FoxO1 plays a crucial role as a mediator and biomarker in the context of AKI. Targeting macrophage FoxO1 pharmacologically could potentially offer a promising therapeutic approach for AKI.

Patients suffering from nerve injury often experience exacerbated pain responses and complain of memory deficits. The dorsal hippocampus (dHPC), a well-defined region responsible for learning and memory, displays maladaptive plasticity upon injury, which is assumed to underlie pain hypersensitivity and cognitive deficits. However, much attention has thus far been paid to intracellular mechanisms of plasticity rather than extracellular alterations that might trigger and facilitate intracellular changes. Emerging evidence has shown that nerve injury alters the microarchitecture of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and decreases ECM rigidity in the dHPC. Despite this, it remains elusive which element of the ECM in the dHPC is affected and how it contributes to neuropathic pain and comorbid cognitive deficits. Laminin, a key element of the ECM, consists of α-, β-, and γ-chains and has been implicated in several pathophysiological processes. Here, we showed that peripheral nerve injury downregulates laminin β1 (LAMB1) in the dHPC. Silencing of hippocampal LAMB1 exacerbates pain sensitivity and induces cognitive dysfunction. Further mechanistic analysis revealed that loss of hippocampal LAMB1 causes dysregulated Src/NR2A signaling cascades via interaction with integrin β1, leading to decreased Ca²⁺ levels in pyramidal neurons, which in turn orchestrates structural and functional plasticity and eventually results in exaggerated pain responses and cognitive deficits. In this study, we shed new light on the functional capability of hippocampal ECM LAMB1 in the modulation of neuropathic pain and comorbid cognitive deficits, and reveal a mechanism that conveys extracellular alterations to intracellular plasticity. Moreover, we identified hippocampal LAMB1/integrin β1 signaling as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of neuropathic pain and related memory loss.
Animals ; Laminin/genetics* ; Hippocampus/metabolism* ; Neuralgia/metabolism* ; Cognitive Dysfunction/etiology* ; Male ; Peripheral Nerve Injuries/metabolism* ; Extracellular Matrix/metabolism* ; Integrin beta1/metabolism* ; Pyramidal Cells/metabolism* ; Signal Transduction

OBJECTIVE: Peritoneal fibrosis (PF) is an adverse event that occurs during long-term peritoneal dialysis, significantly impairing treatment efficiency and adversely affecting patient outcomes. Astragaloside IV (AS-IV), a principal active component derived from Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bunge, has exhibited anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic effects in various settings. This study aims to investigate the potential therapeutic efficacy and mechanism of AS-IV in the treatment of PF. METHODS: The PF mouse model was established by intraperitoneal injection of 4.25% peritoneal dialysis fluid (100 mL/kg). The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of HMrSV5 cells was induced by the addition of 10 ng/mL transforming growth factor β (TGF-β). The differentially expressed genes in HMrSV5 cells treated with AS-IV were screened using transcriptome sequencing analysis. The potential targets of AS-IV were screened using network pharmacology and analyzed using molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations. RESULTS: Administration of AS-IV at doses of 20, 40, or 80 mg/kg effectively mitigated the increase in peritoneal thickness and the development of fibrosis in mice with PF. The expression of the fibrosis marker α-smooth muscle actin in the peritoneum was significantly decreased in AS-IV-treated mice. The treatment of AS-IV (10, 20, and 40 μmol/L) significantly delayed the EMT of HMrSV5 cells induced by TGF-β, as demonstrated by the decreased number of 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine-positive cells, reduced migrated area, and decreased expression of fibrosis markers. A total of 460 differentially expressed genes were detected in AS-IV-treated HMrSV5 cells through transcriptome sequencing, with notable enrichment in the phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase (PI3K)-AKT serine/threonine kinase 1 (AKT) signaling pathway. The reduced levels of phosphorylated PI3K (p-PI3K) and p-AKT were detected in HMrSV5 cells with AS-IV treatment. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) was predicted as a direct target of AS-IV, exhibiting strong hydrogen bond interactions. The activation of the PI3K-AKT pathway by the compound 740Y-P, and the activation of the EGFR pathway by NSC 228155 each partially counteracted the inhibitory effect of AS-IV on the EMT of HMrSV5 cells. CONCLUSION AS-IV delayed the EMT process in peritoneal mesothelial cells and slowed the progression of PF, potentially serving as a therapeutic agent for the early prevention and treatment of PF. Please cite this article as: Huang Y, Chu CL, Qiu WH, Chen JY, Cao LX, Ji SY, Zhu B, Wang GK, Shen QQ. Astragaloside IV delayed the epithelial-mesenchymal transition in peritoneal fibrosis by inhibiting the activation of EGFR and PI3K-AKT pathways. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(6):694-705.
Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition/drug effects* ; Animals ; Saponins/pharmacology* ; Triterpenes/pharmacology* ; Mice ; Peritoneal Fibrosis/pathology* ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism* ; ErbB Receptors/metabolism* ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/metabolism* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Male ; Humans ; Molecular Docking Simulation ; Cell Line ; Mice, Inbred C57BL

OBJECTIVE: The relationship between fish consumption and stroke is inconsistent, and it is uncertain whether this association varies across predicted stroke risks. METHODS: A cohort study comprising 95,800 participants from the Prediction for Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk in China project was conducted. A standardized questionnaire was used to collect data on fish consumption. Participants were stratified into low- and moderate-to-high-risk categories based on their 10-year stroke risk prediction scores. Hazard ratios ( HRs) and 95% confidence intervals ( CIs) were estimated using Cox proportional hazard models and additive interaction by relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI), attributable proportion (AP), and synergy index (SI). RESULTS: During 703,869 person-years of follow-up, 2,773 incident stroke events were identified. Higher fish consumption was associated with a lower risk of stroke, particularly among moderate-to-high-risk individuals ( HR = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.47-0.60) than among low-risk individuals ( HR = 0.64, 95% CI: 0.49-0.85). A significant additive interaction between fish consumption and predicted stroke risk was observed (RERI = 4.08, 95% CI: 2.80-5.36; SI = 1.64, 95% CI: 1.42-1.89; AP = 0.36, 95% CI: 0.28-0.43). CONCLUSION Higher fish consumption was associated with a lower risk of stroke, and this beneficial association was more pronounced in individuals with moderate-to-high stroke risk.
Humans ; China/epidemiology* ; Male ; Female ; Stroke/etiology* ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Incidence ; Aged ; Animals ; Fishes ; Risk Factors ; Diet ; Seafood ; Adult ; Cohort Studies

OBJECTIVE: To explore and quantify the association of hot night exposure during the sperm development period (0-90 lag days) with semen quality. METHODS: A total of 6,640 male sperm donors from 6 human sperm banks in China during 2014-2020 were recruited in this multicenter study. Two indices (i.e., hot night excess [HNE] and hot night duration [HND]) were used to estimate the heat intensity and duration during nighttime. Linear mixed models were used to examine the association between hot nights and semen quality parameters. RESULTS: The exposure-response relationship revealed that HNE and HND during 0-90 days before semen collection had a significantly inverse association with sperm motility. Specifically, a 1 °C increase in HNE was associated with decreased sperm progressive motility of 0.0090 (95% confidence interval [ CI]: -0.0147, -0.0033) and decreased total motility of 0.0094 (95% CI: -0.0160, -0.0029). HND was significantly associated with reduced sperm progressive motility and total motility of 0.0021 (95% CI: -0.0040, -0.0003) and 0.0023 (95% CI: -0.0043, -0.0002), respectively. Consistent results were observed at different temperature thresholds on hot nights. CONCLUSION Our findings highlight the need to mitigate nocturnal heat exposure during spermatogenesis to maintain optimal semen quality.
Humans ; Male ; Semen Analysis ; Adult ; Sperm Motility ; Hot Temperature/adverse effects* ; China ; Middle Aged ; Spermatozoa/physiology* ; Young Adult