Colorimetric analysis is a detection and quantification method based on observable color changes in response to analytes,which offers significant advantages including visually detectable signals,straightforward operation,rapid response,and low cost.Consequently,it plays a crucial role in a variety of fields.With increasingly diverse and complex application,colorimetric analysis requires continuous improvement in sensitivity,adaptability to diverse detection environments,and complex data handling capabilities.In recent years,the development of artificial intelligence technology,particularly within its core domain of machine learning(ML),has led to significant advancements in colorimetric analysis.The ML-assisted colorimetric analysis enables high-throughput and high-sensitivity detection,alongside automated analysis,thereby providing novel strategies to overcome the inherent limitations.This review categorized machine learning techniques and summarized their application in colorimetric analysis,introducing two fundamental categories of supervised learning,and unsupervised learning based on the division of core learning paradigms.The research progress of ML-assisted colorimetric analysis in the fields of environmental monitoring,biochemical detection,and food safety were summarized.Finally,the current challenges facing by this research area were analyzed and the research prospect of ML-assisted colorimetric analysis was outlined.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the dynamic changes of glucocorticoid (GC) dose and the feasibility of GC discontinuation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients under the background of Chinese medicine (CM). METHODS: This multicenter retrospective cohort study included 1,196 RA patients enrolled in the China Rheumatoid Arthritis Registry of Patients with Chinese Medicine (CERTAIN) from September 1, 2019 to December 4, 2023, who initiated GC therapy. Participants were divided into the Western medicine (WM) and integrative medicine (IM, combination of CM and WM) groups based on medication regimen. Follow-up was performed at least every 3 months to assess dynamic changes in GC dose. Changes in GC dose were analyzed by generalized estimator equation, the probability of GC discontinuation was assessed using Kaplan-Meier curve, and predictors of GC discontinuation were analyzed by Cox regression. Patients with <12 months of follow-up were excluded for the sensitivity analysis. RESULTS: Among 1,196 patients (85.4% female; median age 56.4 years), 880 (73.6%) received IM. Over a median 12-month follow-up, 34.3% (410 cases) discontinued GC, with significantly higher rates in the IM group (40.8% vs. 16.1% in WM; P<0.05). GC dose declined progressively, with IM patients demonstrating faster reductions (median 3.75 mg vs. 5.00 mg in WM at 12 months; P<0.05). Multivariate Cox analysis identified age <60 years [P<0.001, hazard ratios (HR)=2.142, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.523-3.012], IM therapy (P=0.001, HR=2.175, 95% CI: 1.369-3.456), baseline GC dose ⩽7.5 mg (P=0.003, HR=1.637, 95% CI: 1.177-2.275), and absence of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs use (P=0.001, HR=2.546, 95% CI: 1.432-4.527) as significant predictors of GC discontinuation. Sensitivity analysis (545 cases) confirmed these findings. CONCLUSIONS RA patients receiving CM face difficulties in following guideline-recommended GC discontinuation protocols. IM can promote GC discontinuation and is a promising strategy to reduce GC dependency in RA management. (Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, No. NCT05219214).
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/drug therapy* ; Glucocorticoids/therapeutic use* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Retrospective Studies

Objective To evaluate the predictive value of dose-surface histogram(DSH)for radiation proctitis(RP)in prostate cancer(PCa)patients undergoing radiotherapy.Methods This prospective randomized controlled clinical trial included 380 PCa patients who underwent image-guided radiotherapy in the First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei Northern University from January 2018 to January 2023.Patients were randomly divided into observation group(n=200)and control group(n=180).The rectal dose distribution of patients in the two groups was evaluated by using DSH and dose-volume histogram(DVH),respectively.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was utilized to evaluate the predictive value of DSH for acute RP,with DVH serving as a reference.Results The difference was not statistically significant in clinical information such as age,KPS score,and body mass index(BMI)between the observation and control groups(P＞0.05),as well as in acute RP incidence(P＞0.05).There were significant differences in S40 and V40,S50 and V50,S60 and V60,S70 and V70,and S78 and V78 between the two groups(P＜0.05).S40,S50,V40,and V50 showed low efficacy(P＜0.001)in predicting acute RP at each level,with AUC≤0.700.S60 and V60 showed moderate efficacy(P＜0.001)in predicting acute RP at each level,with AUC 0.700-0.900.S70,S78,V70 and V78 showed high efficacy(P＜0.001)in predicting acute RP at each level,with AUC＞0.900.Conclusions The predictive value of DSH for rectal toxicity in patients with PCa is basically consistent with that of DVH.It is expected to become a novel and valuable tool for evaluating radiotherapy plans in the future.

OBJECTIVE: To retrospectively analyze the clinical characteristics, co-mutated genes in newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients with NRAS and KRAS gene mutations, and the impact of NRAS and KRAS mutations on prognosis. METHODS: The clinical data and next-generation sequencing results of 80 newly diagnosed AML patients treated at our hospital from December 2018 to December 2023 were collected. The clinical characteristics, co-mutated genes of NRAS and KRAS , and the impact of NRAS and KRAS mutations on prognosis in newly diagnosed AML patients were analyzed. RESULTS: Among 80 newly diagnosed AML patients, NRAS mutations were detected in 20 cases(25.0%), and KRAS mutations were detected in 9 cases(11.3%). NRAS mutations predominantly occurred at codons 12 and 13 of exon 2, as well as codon 61 of exon 3, while KRAS mutations were most commonly occurred at codons 12 and 13 of exon 2, all of which were missense mutations. There were no statistically significant differences observed in terms of age, sex, white blood cell count(WBC), hemoglobin(Hb), platelet count(PLT), bone marrow blasts, first induction chemotherapy regimen, CR1/CRi1 rates, chromosome karyotype, 2022 ELN risk classification and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation(allo-HSCT) among the NRAS mutation group, KRAS mutation group and NRAS/KRAS wild-type group (P >0.05). KRAS mutations were significantly correlated with PTPN11 mutations (r =0.344), whereas no genes significantly associated with NRAS mutations were found. Survival analysis showed that compared to the NRAS/KRAS wild-type group, patients with NRAS mutation had a relatively higher 5-year overall survival (OS) rate and relapse-free survival (RFS) rate, though the differences were not statistically significant (P =0.097, P =0.249). Compared to the NRAS/KRAS wild-type group, patients with KRAS mutation had a lower 5-year OS rate and RFS rate, with no significant differences observed (P =0.275, P =0.442). There was no significant difference in the 5-year RFS rate between the KRAS mutation group and NRAS mutation group (P =0.157), but the 5-year OS rate of patients with KRAS mutation was significantly lower than that of patients with NRAS mutation (P =0.037). CONCLUSION In newly diagnosed AML patients, KRAS mutation was significantly correlated with PTPN11 mutation. Compared to patients with NRAS/KRAS wild-type, those with NRAS mutation showed a more favorable prognosis, while patients with KRAS mutation showed a poorer prognosis; however, these differences did not reach statistical significance. Notably, the prognosis of AML patients with KRAS mutation was significantly inferior compared to those with NRAS mutation.
Humans ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/diagnosis* ; Mutation ; Prognosis ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)/genetics* ; GTP Phosphohydrolases/genetics* ; Retrospective Studies ; Membrane Proteins/genetics* ; Female ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Aged

OBJECTIVE: Circadian rhythm disruption (CRD) is a risk factor that correlates with poor prognosis across multiple tumor types, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, its mechanism remains unclear. This study aimed to define HCC subtypes based on CRD and explore their individual heterogeneity. METHODS: To quantify CRD, the HCC CRD score (HCCcrds) was developed. Using machine learning algorithms, we identified CRD module genes and defined CRD-related HCC subtypes in The Cancer Genome Atlas liver HCC cohort (n = 369), and the robustness of this method was validated. Furthermore, we used bioinformatics tools to investigate the cellular heterogeneity across these CRD subtypes. RESULTS: We defined three distinct HCC subtypes that exhibit significant heterogeneity in prognosis. The CRD-related subtype with high HCCcrds was significantly correlated with worse prognosis, higher pathological grade, and advanced clinical stages, while the CRD-related subtype with low HCCcrds had better clinical outcomes. We also identified novel biomarkers for each subtype, such as nicotinamide n-methyltransferase and myristoylated alanine-rich protein kinase C substrate-like 1. CONCLUSION We classify the HCC patients into three distinct groups based on circadian rhythm and identify their specific biomarkers. Within these groups greater HCCcrds was associated with worse prognosis. This approach has the potential to improve prediction of an individual's prognosis, guide precision treatments, and assist clinical decision making for HCC patients. Please cite this article as: Li XJ, Chang L, Mi Y, Zhang G, Zhu SS, Zhang YX, et al. Integrated-omics analysis defines subtypes of hepatocellular carcinoma based on circadian rhythm. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(4): 445-456.
Humans ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/pathology* ; Liver Neoplasms/pathology* ; Circadian Rhythm/genetics* ; Prognosis ; Male ; Female ; Biomarkers, Tumor/genetics* ; Middle Aged ; Machine Learning ; Computational Biology

Objective:To investigate the correlation of the emm genotypes and virulence genes with the isolation sites of Group A Streptococcus (GAS). Methods:It was a retrospective study.The specimens were collected from children with impetigo in Beijing Children′s Hospital, Capital Medical University from 2006 to 2008 for GAS isolation and identification.A total of 24 GAS strains were isolated from 16 children with impetigo, among which 7 pairs of strains were isolated from the throat and skin of 7 children, and 1 pair of strains was isolated from the vulva and skin of one child, and the remaining 8 GAS strains were isolated from the skin pus samples of 8 children.Polymerase chain reaction was applied to detect the emm genotypes and 13 virulence genes ( speA, speB, speC, speF, speG, speH, speI, speJ, speK, speL, speM, smeZ and ssa). The correlation of the emm genotypes and virulence genes with the isolation sites of GAS strains was analyzed. Results:In this study, four emm genotypes were detected, including emm1.0 (15/24), emm12.0 (4/24), emm22.0 (2/24) and emm160.0 (1/24), and one subtype emm12.19 (2/24) was detected as well.The carrying rates of 13 virulence genes speA, speB, speC, speF, speG, speH, speI, speJ, speK, speL, speM, smeZ and ssa were 58.3%, 100%, 91.7%, 100%, 50.0%, 12.5%, 54.2%, 66.7%, 16.7%, 25.0%, 12.5%, 100% and 91.7%, respectively.All strains carried 5 to 11 virulence genes and they all carried speB, speF and smeZ.There were significant differences in the carrying rate of speA and speJ among the strains with different emm genotypes (all P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the distribution of virulence genes between skin isolates and pharyngeal isolates, including the 5 pairs of strains carrying the emm1.0 genotype (all P>0.05). Conclusions:The distribution of virulence gene of GAS in children with impetigo is significantly correlated with the emm genotype, rather than the isolation site.

Objective:To investigate the diagnostic value of serum ferritin in intestinal failure-associated liver disease. Methods:Clinical data of adult patients with short bowel syndrome admitted to the Department of General Surgery of Jinling Hospital affiliated to Nanjing University from January 2019 to December 2022 were retrospectively analyzed to determine the correlation between serum ferritin and liver enzyme profiles by linear regression,to screen the potential risk factors of liver injury by multifactorial Logistic regression analysis,and to establish a prediction model for liver fibrosis. The area under the curve was also calculated to assess the accuracy of the model. Results:A total of 106 patients with short bowel syndrome were included,of whom 55 (51.9％) had elevated serum ferritin (SF). Linear regression analysis showed a positive correlation between serum ferritin and ALT (r=0.427,P<0.001),ALP (r=0.365,P<0.001),and γ-GT (r=0.423,P<0.001),and one-way Logistic regression analysis showed that the higher the level of serum ferritin,the more pronounced the difference was (SF>ULN) The one-way logistic regression analysis showed that the higher the serum ferritin level,the more significant the difference was[SF>ULN (upper limit of normal value of serum ferritin),P=0.033;SF>1.5×ULN,P=0.018;SF>2.5×ULN,P=0.006]. Multifactorial logistic regression analysis showed that PN dependence (OR=3.366,P=0.017) and serum ferritin>2.5 ULN (OR=3.292,P=0.014)were independent risk factors for intestinal failure-associated liver disease-liver fibrosis,and the receiver operating curve (ROC) of the subjects showed area under the curve of 74.8％,95％ CI:0.652～0.844. Conclusion:Serum ferritin can be used as a reliable clinical biomarker to help identify intestinal failure-associated liver disease.

Objective:To observe the changes in the nutritional status of pediatric patients after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation(allo-HSCT)for one year,and to analyze the risk factors.Methods:We collected data from 88 pediatric patients who underwent allo-HSCT at the Department of Hematology and Oncology in Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University between May 2018 and November 2022.All pediatric patients underwent nutritional status analysis before transplantation,at enrollment,3 months,6 months and 1 year after allo-HSCT.Linear regression model was used to analyze the risk factors for growth rate.Results:The body mass index Z score(BMI-Z)before allo-HSCT was(0.096±1.349),and decreased to(-0.258±1.438)、(-0.715±1.432)、(-0.584±1.444)at enrollment,3 months,6 months after allo-HSCT,and(-0.130±1.317)at 1 year after allo-HSCT(P<0.001).There was no significant change in BMI-Z between pre-transplantation and 1 year after transplantation(P=1.000).Height for age Z score(HAZ)before transplantation was(0.137±1.305)and decreased to(-0.083±1.267)、(-0.221±1.299)、(-0.269±1.282)in 3 months,6 months and 1 year after allo-HSCT(P<0.001).Multivariate linear regression showed that age≥10 years old(P=0.015)and chronic graft-versus-host disease(cGVHD)(P=0.005)were independent risk factors for change in HAZ.Conclusion:The BMI-Z of pediatric patients treated with allo-HSCT returned to the pre-transplantation level after one year,while HAZ continued to decrease.Allo-HSCT may cause impaired growth rate in pediatric patients.Attention should be paid to HAZ changes in pediatric patients before and after allo-HSCT,especially in pediatric patients≥10 years old of age and those with cGVHD.Effective nutritional intervention should be provided in time.

RNA fluorescence aptamers are RNA sequences that can specifically bind to non-toxic,cell permeable,and self-fluorescent target molecules and activate their luminescent properties.These aptamers provide powerful tools for biosensing and imaging researches due to their simple structure,easy synthesis,and easy transfection.This article summarized the characteristics and development history of various RNA fluorescent aptamers,including Malachite Green,Spinach,Broccoli,Mango,Corn,and Pepper family,as well as their corresponding fluorescent groups.The applications of RNA fluorescent aptamers were also reviewed from two aspects:extracellular detection and cell imaging.This review might provide guidance for labeling,detection and interactions of molecules from proof of concept and clinical assessment to practical clinical and biomedical applications.

Aim To investigate the mechanism of icar-itin(ICT)on D-galactose(D-gal)-induced TM4 ser-toli cell junctional function damage in vitro.Methods TM4 cells were divided into the normal control group and D-gal treatment group with different concentra-tions.The expression changes of TM 4 cell junction function-related proteins(ZO-1,Occludin,β-catenin and Cx43)and ERα/FAK signaling pathway-related proteins(ERα,FAK and pY397-FAK)were detected by Western blot.The concentration of ICT was screened by MTT method.TM4 cells were divided into normal control group,D-gal treatment group,and D-gal treatment+different concentrations of ICT group.The expression levels of the above proteins were detected by Western blot.Molecular docking was used to study the interaction between ERα and ICT,meanwhile predict the affinity between them.Finally,TM4 cells were di-vided into normal control group,D-gal treatment group,ERα inhibitor group,D-gal+ICT group,and ERα inhibitor+ICT group.The expression levels of the above proteins were detected by Western blot.Re-sults Compared with the normal control group,the ex-pression of junctional function-related proteins(ZO-1,Occludin,β-catenin and Cx43)and ERα/FAK signa-ling pathway-related proteins(ERα,FAK and pY397-FAK)were significantly down-regulated.After treat-ment with ICT,the expression of above proteins were significantly up-regulated.The docking results of ERα and ICT molecules revealed the formation of two hydro-gen bonds between Asp351 amino acid residue of ERα and ICT,with bond distances measuring 3.4? and 2.4?.Additionally,the docking binding energy be-tween them was found to be lower than-7 kcal·mol-1.After TM4 cells were treated with ERα inhibi-tor,the expression of above proteins and ERα/FAK signaling pathway-related proteins were significantly down-regulated,while the expression levels of the a-bove proteins did not change significantly after being given ICT protected group.Conclusions D-gal can cause damage to the junctional function of TM4 cells,and ICT can improve this damage,which may be related to the up-regulation of ERα/FAK signaling pathway.