1.Five new triterpenoid saponins from the kernels of Momordica cochinchinensis
Ru DING ; Jia-qi WANG ; Yi-yang LUO ; Yong-long HAN ; Xiao-bo LI ; Meng-yue WANG
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica 2025;60(2):442-448
Five saponins were isolated from the kernels of
2.Prediction of Protein Thermodynamic Stability Based on Artificial Intelligence
Lin-Jie TAO ; Fan-Ding XU ; Yu GUO ; Jian-Gang LONG ; Zhuo-Yang LU
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(8):1972-1985
In recent years, the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in the field of biology has witnessed remarkable advancements. Among these, the most notable achievements have emerged in the domain of protein structure prediction and design, with AlphaFold and related innovations earning the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. These breakthroughs have transformed our ability to understand protein folding and molecular interactions, marking a pivotal milestone in computational biology. Looking ahead, it is foreseeable that the accurate prediction of various physicochemical properties of proteins—beyond static structure—will become the next critical frontier in this rapidly evolving field. One of the most important protein properties is thermodynamic stability, which refers to a protein’s ability to maintain its native conformation under physiological or stress conditions. Accurate prediction of protein stability, especially upon single-point mutations, plays a vital role in numerous scientific and industrial domains. These include understanding the molecular basis of disease, rational drug design, development of therapeutic proteins, design of more robust industrial enzymes, and engineering of biosensors. Consequently, the ability to reliably forecast the stability changes caused by mutations has broad and transformative implications across biomedical and biotechnological applications. Historically, protein stability was assessed via experimental methods such as differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and circular dichroism (CD), which, while precise, are time-consuming and resource-intensive. This prompted the development of computational approaches, including empirical energy functions and physics-based simulations. However, these traditional models often fall short in capturing the complex, high-dimensional nature of protein conformational landscapes and mutational effects. Recent advances in machine learning (ML) have significantly improved predictive performance in this area. Early ML models used handcrafted features derived from sequence and structure, whereas modern deep learning models leverage massive datasets and learn representations directly from data. Deep neural networks (DNNs), graph neural networks (GNNs), and attention-based architectures such as transformers have shown particular promise. GNNs, in particular, excel at modeling spatial and topological relationships in molecular structures, making them well-suited for protein modeling tasks. Furthermore, attention mechanisms enable models to dynamically weigh the contribution of specific residues or regions, capturing long-range interactions and allosteric effects. Nevertheless, several key challenges remain. These include the imbalance and scarcity of high-quality experimental datasets, particularly for rare or functionally significant mutations, which can lead to biased or overfitted models. Additionally, the inherently dynamic nature of proteins—their conformational flexibility and context-dependent behavior—is difficult to encode in static structural representations. Current models often rely on a single structure or average conformation, which may overlook important aspects of stability modulation. Efforts are ongoing to incorporate multi-conformational ensembles, molecular dynamics simulations, and physics-informed learning frameworks into predictive models. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the evolution of protein thermodynamic stability prediction techniques, with emphasis on the recent progress enabled by machine learning. It highlights representative datasets, modeling strategies, evaluation benchmarks, and the integration of structural and biochemical features. The aim is to provide researchers with a structured and up-to-date reference, guiding the development of more robust, generalizable, and interpretable models for predicting protein stability changes upon mutation. As the field moves forward, the synergy between data-driven AI methods and domain-specific biological knowledge will be key to unlocking deeper understanding and broader applications of protein engineering.
3.Safety of high-carbohydrate fluid diet 2 h versus overnight fasting before non-emergency endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography: A single-blind, multicenter, randomized controlled trial
Wenbo MENG ; W. Joseph LEUNG ; Zhenyu WANG ; Qiyong LI ; Leida ZHANG ; Kai ZHANG ; Xuefeng WANG ; Meng WANG ; Qi WANG ; Yingmei SHAO ; Jijun ZHANG ; Ping YUE ; Lei ZHANG ; Kexiang ZHU ; Xiaoliang ZHU ; Hui ZHANG ; Senlin HOU ; Kailin CAI ; Hao SUN ; Ping XUE ; Wei LIU ; Haiping WANG ; Li ZHANG ; Songming DING ; Zhiqing YANG ; Ming ZHANG ; Hao WENG ; Qingyuan WU ; Bendong CHEN ; Tiemin JIANG ; Yingkai WANG ; Lichao ZHANG ; Ke WU ; Xue YANG ; Zilong WEN ; Chun LIU ; Long MIAO ; Zhengfeng WANG ; Jiajia LI ; Xiaowen YAN ; Fangzhao WANG ; Lingen ZHANG ; Mingzhen BAI ; Ningning MI ; Xianzhuo ZHANG ; Wence ZHOU ; Jinqiu YUAN ; Azumi SUZUKI ; Kiyohito TANAKA ; Jiankang LIU ; Ula NUR ; Elisabete WEIDERPASS ; Xun LI
Chinese Medical Journal 2024;137(12):1437-1446
Background::Although overnight fasting is recommended prior to endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), the benefits and safety of high-carbohydrate fluid diet (CFD) intake 2 h before ERCP remain unclear. This study aimed to analyze whether high-CFD intake 2 h before ERCP can be safe and accelerate patients’ recovery.Methods::This prospective, multicenter, randomized controlled trial involved 15 tertiary ERCP centers. A total of 1330 patients were randomized into CFD group ( n = 665) and fasting group ( n = 665). The CFD group received 400 mL of maltodextrin orally 2 h before ERCP, while the control group abstained from food/water overnight (>6 h) before ERCP. All ERCP procedures were performed using deep sedation with intravenous propofol. The investigators were blinded but not the patients. The primary outcomes included postoperative fatigue and abdominal pain score, and the secondary outcomes included complications and changes in metabolic indicators. The outcomes were analyzed according to a modified intention-to-treat principle. Results::The post-ERCP fatigue scores were significantly lower at 4 h (4.1 ± 2.6 vs. 4.8 ± 2.8, t = 4.23, P <0.001) and 20 h (2.4 ± 2.1 vs. 3.4 ± 2.4, t= 7.94, P <0.001) in the CFD group, with least-squares mean differences of 0.48 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.26–0.71, P <0.001) and 0.76 (95% CI: 0.57–0.95, P <0.001), respectively. The 4-h pain scores (2.1 ± 1.7 vs. 2.2 ± 1.7, t = 2.60, P = 0.009, with a least-squares mean difference of 0.21 [95% CI: 0.05–0.37]) and positive urine ketone levels (7.7% [39/509] vs. 15.4% [82/533], χ2 = 15.13, P <0.001) were lower in the CFD group. The CFD group had significantly less cholangitis (2.1% [13/634] vs. 4.0% [26/658], χ2 = 3.99, P = 0.046) but not pancreatitis (5.5% [35/634] vs. 6.5% [43/658], χ2 = 0.59, P = 0.444). Subgroup analysis revealed that CFD reduced the incidence of complications in patients with native papilla (odds ratio [OR]: 0.61, 95% CI: 0.39–0.95, P = 0.028) in the multivariable models. Conclusion::Ingesting 400 mL of CFD 2 h before ERCP is safe, with a reduction in post-ERCP fatigue, abdominal pain, and cholangitis during recovery.Trail Registration::ClinicalTrials.gov, No. NCT03075280.
4.Effects of comprehensive moxibustion with Huolong cupping based on meridian theory in patients with lung-spleen qi deficiency type allergic rhinitis
Zhihui WANG ; Xiuhong LONG ; Liyun DING ; Fen LUO ; Hanping WEI ; Aihong MING ; Sihui LIN ; Yunfan YANG ; Tian FENG
Chinese Journal of Modern Nursing 2024;30(5):666-671
Objective:To explore the effect of comprehensive moxibustion with Huolong cupping in patients with lung-spleen qi deficiency type allergic rhinitis.Methods:This study was a randomized controlled trial. From October 2022 to April 2023, convenience sampling was used to select 66 patients with lung-spleen qi deficiency type allergic rhinitis who visited the Otolaryngology Head and Neck Clinic of Ruikang Hospital Affiliated to Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine as the research subject. The patients were randomly divided into an experimental group ( n=33) and a control group ( n=33). Both groups received routine oral Chinese medicine treatment. On the basis of routine treatment, the experimental group performed comprehensive moxibustion with Huolong cupping on the meridians of the Du meridian and bladder meridian. This study compared the scores of Nasal Airway Resistance (NAR), Total Nasal Symptom Score (TNSS), Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), and Chinese version of Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ) between two groups of patients before and after intervention. Results:Eventually 30 patients in each of the experimental group and control group completed the study. After intervention, the NAR score of the experimental group was lower than that of the control group, and the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.05). Repeated measures analysis of variance showed that with the increase of treatment time, the TNSS, VAS, and RQLQ scores of the experimental group were lower than those of the control group with statistical differences ( P<0.05), and the time effect, inter group effect, and interaction effect were statistically significant ( P<0.05) . Conclusions:Huolong cupping comprehensive moxibustion can reduce nasal resistance, meliorate nasal symptoms and accompanying nasal symptoms, and improve the quality of life of patients.
5.Recent advance in oxidative stress after intracranial hemorrhage
Xiaoqi YANG ; Jianlin DING ; Zhong WANG ; Yijiang LI ; Junchi WANG ; Xuehai DENG ; Zixu WANG ; Yiqian CHEN ; Long ZHAO
Chinese Journal of Neuromedicine 2024;23(10):1043-1049
Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a hemorrhagic cerebrovascular disease with high incidence and mortality. Oxidative stress response plays an important role in the pathological and physiological processes of ICH, and is also a potential effective target for clinical treatment. In this paper, the pathogenesis of oxidative stress after ICH, mechanism of nerve and vascular injury in oxidative stress, and detection and treatment of oxidative stress are reviewed in order to provide references for basic research and clinical practice in ICH.
6.Risk factors for bronchopulmonary dysplasia in twin preterm infants:a multicenter study
Yu-Wei FAN ; Yi-Jia ZHANG ; He-Mei WEN ; Hong YAN ; Wei SHEN ; Yue-Qin DING ; Yun-Feng LONG ; Zhi-Gang ZHANG ; Gui-Fang LI ; Hong JIANG ; Hong-Ping RAO ; Jian-Wu QIU ; Xian WEI ; Ya-Yu ZHANG ; Ji-Bin ZENG ; Chang-Liang ZHAO ; Wei-Peng XU ; Fan WANG ; Li YUAN ; Xiu-Fang YANG ; Wei LI ; Ni-Yang LIN ; Qian CHEN ; Chang-Shun XIA ; Xin-Qi ZHONG ; Qi-Liang CUI
Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics 2024;26(6):611-618
Objective To investigate the risk factors for bronchopulmonary dysplasia(BPD)in twin preterm infants with a gestational age of<34 weeks,and to provide a basis for early identification of BPD in twin preterm infants in clinical practice.Methods A retrospective analysis was performed for the twin preterm infants with a gestational age of<34 weeks who were admitted to 22 hospitals nationwide from January 2018 to December 2020.According to their conditions,they were divided into group A(both twins had BPD),group B(only one twin had BPD),and group C(neither twin had BPD).The risk factors for BPD in twin preterm infants were analyzed.Further analysis was conducted on group B to investigate the postnatal risk factors for BPD within twins.Results A total of 904 pairs of twins with a gestational age of<34 weeks were included in this study.The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that compared with group C,birth weight discordance of>25%between the twins was an independent risk factor for BPD in one of the twins(OR=3.370,95%CI:1.500-7.568,P<0.05),and high gestational age at birth was a protective factor against BPD(P<0.05).The conditional logistic regression analysis of group B showed that small-for-gestational-age(SGA)birth was an independent risk factor for BPD in individual twins(OR=5.017,95%CI:1.040-24.190,P<0.05).Conclusions The development of BPD in twin preterm infants is associated with gestational age,birth weight discordance between the twins,and SGA birth.
7.Clinical efficacy of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization combined with lenvatinib and camrelizumab in the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma
Xuexian ZHANG ; Yuhan DING ; Wei LI ; Qingwei LI ; Jun ZHANG ; Dan DUAN ; Yongle LI ; Jian LONG ; Jidong YANG ; Chenglong ZHANG ; Peng WU ; Huijuan SUN ; Geng WU
Journal of Interventional Radiology 2024;33(1):57-62
Objective To evaluate the safety and efficacy of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization(TACE)combined with lenvatinib and camrelizumab in the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).Methods The clinical data of a total of 63 patients with advanced HCC,who received TACE combined with lenvatinib and camrelizumab(triple therapy)or TACE combined with lenvatinib(dual therapy)at the Jingmen Municipal People's Hospital of China between April 2020 and December 2021,were retrospectively analyzed.Triple therapy group had 30 patients,and dual therapy group had 33 patients.The post-treatment tumor response,disease progression-free survival(PFS),overall survival(OS),and the incidence of adverse drug reactions were recorded.Results The median follow-up period of the two groups was 14 months(range of 4-26 months).Compared with the dual therapy group,in the triple therapy group the objective response rate(ORR)was remarkably higher(83.3%vs.57.6%,P=0.026),the disease control rate(DCR)was obviously higher(93.3%vs.69.7%,P=0.039),the median PFS was significantly longer(8.0 months vs.5.0 months,P<0.01),and the median OS was strikingly longer(24.0 months vs.12.0 months,P=0.004).No statistically significant difference in the incidence of adverse drug reactions existed between the two groups(P>0.05).Conclusion For the treatment of advanced HCC,TACE combined with lenvatinib and camrelizumab is clinically safe and effective.(J Intervent Radiol,2024,32:57-62)
8.A retrospective study of occlusal reconstruction in patients with old jaw fractures and dentition defects
Ming-Chao DING ; Bo-Ya JING ; Jin SHI ; Liu YANG ; Xiang-Dong LIU ; Jing-Fu WANG ; Shuang QU ; Jia-Wu LIANG ; Zi-Hao TANG ; Jin-Long ZHAO ; Lei TIAN
Chinese Journal of Traumatology 2024;27(5):272-278
Purpose::This study evaluated the methods and clinical effects of multidisciplinary collaborative treatment for occlusal reconstruction in patients with old jaw fractures and dentition defects.Methods::Patients with old jaw fractures and dentition defects who underwent occlusal reconstruction at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Military Medical University from January 2018 to December 2022 were enrolled. Clinical treatment was classified into 3 phases. In phase I, techniques such as orthognathic surgery, microsurgery, and distraction osteogenesis were employed to reconstruct the correct 3-dimensional (3D) jaw position relationship. In phase II, bone augmentation and soft tissue management techniques were utilized to address insufficient alveolar bone mass and poor gingival soft tissue conditions. In phase III, implant-supported overdentures or fixed dentures were used for occlusal reconstruction. A summary of treatment methods, clinical efficacy evaluation, comparative analysis of imageological examinations, and satisfaction questionnaire survey were utilized to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy in patients with traumatic old jaw fractures and dentition defects. All data are summarized using the arithmetic mean ± standard deviation and compared using independent sample t-tests. Results::In 15 patients with old jaw fractures and dentition defects (an average age of 32 years, ranging from 18 to 53 years), there were 7 cases of malocclusion of single maxillary fracture, 6 of malocclusion of single mandible fracture, and 2 of malocclusion of both maxillary and mandible fractures. There were 5 patients with single maxillary dentition defects, 2 with single mandibular dentition defects, and 8 with both maxillary and mandibular dentition defects. To reconstruct the correct 3D jaw positional relationship, 5 patients underwent Le Fort I osteotomy of the maxilla, 3 underwent bilateral sagittal split ramus osteotomy of the mandible, 4 underwent open reduction and internal fixation for old jaw fractures, 3 underwent temporomandibular joint surgery, and 4 underwent distraction osteogenesis. All patients underwent jawbone augmentation, of whom 4 patients underwent a free composite vascularized bone flap (26.66%) and the remaining patients underwent local alveolar bone augmentation. Free gingival graft and connective tissue graft were the main methods for soft tissue augmentation (73.33%). The 15 patients received 81 implants, of whom 11 patients received implant-supported fixed dentures and 4 received implant-supported removable dentures. The survival rate of all implants was 93.82%. The final imageological examination of 15 patients confirmed that the malocclusion was corrected, and the clinical treatment ultimately achieved occlusal function reconstruction. The patient satisfaction questionnaire survey showed that they were satisfied with the efficacy, phonetics, aesthetics, and comfort after treatment.Conclusion::Occlusal reconstruction of old jaw fractures and dentition defects requires a phased sequential comprehensive treatment, consisting of 3D spatial jaw correction, alveolar bone augmentation and soft tissue augmentation, and implant-supported occlusal reconstruction, achieving satisfactory clinical therapeutic efficacy.
9.Correlation between the growth speed of cerebral infarction and the symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage occurring in patients with acute anterior circulation large vessel occlusion after mechanical thrombectomy
Xusen YANG ; Peicheng LI ; Long CHEN ; Bo LI ; Yizhi LIU ; Chen YUAN ; Wanci LI ; Yun DING
Journal of Interventional Radiology 2024;33(11):1170-1174
Objective To evaluate the impact of the growth speed of cerebral infarction on the occurrence of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage(sICH)in patients with acute anterior circulation ischemic stroke after mechanical thrombectomy.Methods The clinical data of patients with acute ischemic stroke(AIS),who received mechanical thrombectomy at the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University of China from June 2016 to December 2022,were retrospectively analyzed.After thrombectomy,the patients were divided into sICH group and non-sICH group according to Heidelberg criteria.The clinical data and imaging findings were compared between the two groups.Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify the independent risk factors for sICH after thrombectomy,and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve(AUC)was used to evaluate the efficacy of the growth speed of cerebral infarction in predicting sICH.Results A total of 218 patients were enrolled in this study,sICH group had 23 patients and non-sICH group had 195 patients.The differences in NIHSS score,collateral circulation status,core infarction volume,and growth speed of cerebral infarction between the two groups were statistically significant(all P<0.05).Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that rapid growth speed of cerebral infarction was an independent risk factor for sICH occurring after mechanical thrombectomy.For predicting sICH,the sensitivity and specificity of the growth speed of cerebral infarction were 78.3%and 69.7%respectively,with an AUC of 0.751 and a predicted value of 7.6 mL/h.Conclusion The rapid growth speed of cerebral infarction is a predictive factor for sICH occurring after mechanical thrombectomy in patients with acute anterior circulation ischemic stroke.The risk of sICH becomes higher after mechanical thrombectomy when the growth speed of cerebral infarction is faster than 7.6 mL/h.
10.Analysis of curative effect of interventional therapy for postoperative multiple metastases of breast cancer
Di LIU ; Jun ZHOU ; Xun DING ; Yang ZHU ; Fugang YANG ; Sicheng HE ; Qingyun LONG ; Wei LU
Journal of Practical Radiology 2024;40(10):1695-1698
Objective To investigate the curative effect of interventional therapy on postoperative multiple metastases of breast cancer.Methods A total of 15 patients with multiple metastases after breast cancer surgery were treated with interventional therapy.After comprehensive evaluation,all patients were treated with chemoembolization.The therapeutic regimen was docetaxel loaded on drug-eluting bead(DEB)combined with carboplatin,once in 1 d for 21 d,2 times in total,and then the regimen was changed to docetaxel and carboplatin combined with ordinary embolization microspheres,once in 1 d for 21 d,4 times in total.CT/MRI was performed on every 2 cycles and 1,3,and 6 months after interventional therapy to evaluate its efficacy and record adverse reactions.Results The overall remission rate(ORR)at 3 months after treatment was 75%,and the disease control rate(DCR)was 91.7%.The ORR and DCR at 6 months after treatment were 50%and 83.3%,respectively.Most of the common adverse reactions were below grade Ⅲ.Conclusion Interventional therapy for multiple metastases of breast cancer after operation has a definite short-term effect,with little adverse reactions.It is worthy of further promotion in the comprehensive treatment of postoperative metastases of breast cancer.

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