Objective:To evaluate the efficacy of multimodal prehabilitation in patients with refractory functional constipation undergoing Jinling procedure(modified Duhamel surgery).Methods:In this prospective randomized controlled trial,80 patients with refractory functional constipation scheduled for Jinling procedure at the Department of General Surgery,the General Hospital of Eastern Theater Command between January 2020 and December 2021 were enrolled.Participants were randomly assigned to either the observation group(n=40,multimodal prehabilitation)or control group(n=40,routine nursing care).Outcome measures included:time to first flatus,time to first ambulation,defecation volume on postoperative day 5,length of hospitalization,nutritional markers(hemoglobin,albumin,total protein at postoperative day 7),anxiety/depression scores(Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale,HADS),and total complication rates.Results:Compared to controls,the first ventilation time(48.02±6.15)h,first ambulation time(49.92±5.58)h,defecation volume on the fifth day(234.50±51.03)mL,hospital stay(13.15±2.64)d,anxiety score(43.68±3.45)points,depression score(43.81±1.58)points,and the total incidence of postoperative complications(15%)were significantly lower in the observation group(all p values<0.05).By contrast,the serum levels of hemoglobin(115.60±11.60)g/l,albumin(41.19±5.79)g/L and total protein(61.64±4.94)g/L on day 7 post-operatively were significantly higher in the observation group than those in the control group(P<0.05).Conclusions:Multimodal prehabilitation enhances postoperative intestinal recovery,reduces complications,improves nutritional status,and shortens hospital stays in refractory functional constipation patients undergoing Jinling procedure,supporting its clinical adoption.

Objective To construct 5 machine-learning models and compare their performance in predicting the associations between pre-pregnancy socio-psycho-behavioral exposures of both spouses and preconception outcomes.Methods Based on Chongqing Preconception Reproductive Health and Birth Outcome Cohort of volunteers recruited from Chongqing Health Center for Women and Children during January 2019 and March 2022,5 447 couples were recruited and surveyed through interviewer-interview for the demographic and social-psychological-behavioral data of both spouses(221 variables).According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria,4 097 couples were finally included,and randomly assigned into a training set(n=2 867 spouses)and a validation set(n=1 230 spouses)at a ratio of 7∶3.Feature analysis and collinear screening were applied to select the potential exposure factors.In consideration of difficulty to carry out semen parameters analysis in primary healthcare institutions,feature Set 1 including sperm parameters and feature Set 2 excluding semen parameters were constructed by including or excluding sperm quality simultaneously in the training set and the validation set.Five algorithms,that is,Logistic Regression,Naive Bayes,Random Forest,Gradient Boosting Machine,and Support Vector Machine,were used to construct preconception outcome prediction models,and the parameters of each model were optimized using random search combined with grid search.The predictive performance of each model was compared using precision,recall,F1 score,area under the receiver operating characteristic curve(AUC),and calibration curve.The optimal model was then selected by comparing the changes in the predictive ability of the questionnaire data for fertility outcomes with or without semen parameters.Results There were 24 variables screened out in feature Set 1,and 16 variables in feature Set 2.In feature Set 1,the gradient boosting machine performed better,with a relatively higher AUC value(0.651)and better F1 score(0.61).The logistic regression model performed stably(AUC value=0.647)and was suitable as the reference model.The random forest(AUC value=0.641),Naive Bayes(AUC value=0.641),and support vector machine(AUC value=0.634)performed second-best.By utilizing the gradient boosting machine,comparable results were found between the predictions from feature sets with or without semen parameters,as in feature Set 1,the AUC value of its validation set was 0.651(95%CI:0.629～0.681),the prediction accuracy was 0.63,the recall rate was 0.65,and the average precision value F1 was 0.61;and in feature Set 2,the AUC value of its validation set was 0.649(95%CI:0.624～0.663),and both the calibration curves were close to the ideal curve.The prediction results indicated that in feature Set 1,the features highly negatively correlated with preconception outcomes were female age,male age,and no pregnancy within 1 year without contraception,while the features highly positively correlated with preconception outcomes were female pregnancy history,total sperm vitality,and use of contraceptive measures before enrollment.Conclusion Among the 5 machine-learning algorithms performed in this cohort data,the gradient boosting machine shows slightly better performance.There are 24 factors being associated with preconception outcomes in both spouses,and the performance of the simplified model excluding semen parameters is not significantly declined.It is feasible to use machine-learning methods to predict human preconception outcomes through social-psychological-behavioral questionnaires.

Quality control is a key link in the modernization process of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM). Studies have shown that the effects of active components in TCM depend on not only their chemical composition but also their suitable physical forms and states. The physical phase structures, such as micelles, vesicles, gels, and nanoparticles, can improve the solubility, delivery efficiency, and targeting precision of active components. These structures significantly enhance the pharmacological activity while reducing the toxicity and side effects, demonstrating functional activity surpassing that of active components and highlighting the key effects of "structures" on "functions" of active components. Taking the physical phase structure as a breakthrough point, this paper outlines the common types of TCM physical phase structures. Furthermore, this paper explores how to realize the quality upgrading of TCM through the precise regulation of physical phase structures based on the current applications and potential of TCM physical phase structures in processing to increase the efficacy and reduce the toxicity, compounding and decocting processes, drug delivery systems, and quality control, aiming to provide novel insights for the future quality control of TCM.
Quality Control ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/standards* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/standards* ; Humans ; Drug Delivery Systems

Objectives:To determine the effect of glucose-6-phosphate-dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency on patients’ complications and prognosis following allogeneic stem cell hematopoietic transplantation (allo-HSCT) .Methods:7 patients with G6PD deficiency (study group) who underwent allo-HSCT at Peking University People's Hospital from March 2015 to January 2021 were selected as the study group, and thirty-five patients who underwent allo-HSCT during the same period but did not have G6PD deficiency were randomly selected as the control group in a 1∶5 ratio. Gender, age, underlying diseases, and donors were balanced between the two groups. Collect clinical data from two patient groups and perform a retrospective nested case-control study.Results:The study group consisted of six male patients and one female patient, with a median age of 37 (range, 2-45) years old. The underlying hematologic diseases included acute myeloid leukemia ( n=3), acute lymphocytic leukemia ( n=2), and severe aplastic anemia ( n=2). All 7 G6PD deficiency patients achieved engraftment of neutrophils within 28 days of allo-HSCT, while the engraftment rate of neutrophils was 94.5% in the control group. The median days of platelet engraftment were 21 (6–64) d and 14 (7–70) d ( P=0.113). The incidence rates of secondary poor graft function in the study group and control group were 42.9% (3/7) and 8.6% (3/35), respectively ( P=0.036). The CMV infection rates were 71.4% (5/7) and 31.4% (11/35), respectively ( P=0.049). The incidence rates of hemorrhagic cystitis were 57.1% (4/7) and 8.6% (3/35), respectively ( P=0.005), while the bacterial infection rates were 100% (7/7) and 77.1% (27/35), respectively ( P=0.070). The infection rates of EBV were 14.3% (1/7) and 14.3% (5/35), respectively ( P=1.000), while the incidence of fungal infection was 14.3% (1/7) and 25.7% (9/35), respectively ( P=0.497). The rates of post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD) were 0% and 5.7%, respectively ( P=0.387) . Conclusions:The findings of this study indicate that blood disease patients with G6PD deficiency can tolerate conventional allo-HSCT pretreatment regimens, and granulocytes and platelets can be implanted successfully. However, after transplantation, patients should exercise caution to avoid viral infection, complications of hemorrhagic cystitis, and secondary poor graft function.

From October 2021 to February 2023, we retrospectively analyzed the clinical and laboratory data of six patients (three male and three female, median age: 54 years, age range: 29-73 years) with mast cell leukemia (MCL) diagnosed in the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University (The Mastocytosis Collaborative Network of China). All patients had acute MCL, with at least one C-finding present. The main clinical presentations were hypoalbuminemia ( n=4), fatigue ( n=3), fever ( n=2), abdominal discomfort ( n=2), osteolytic lesions ( n=2), dizziness ( n=1), skin flushing ( n=1), and weight loss ( n=1). Splenomegaly and lymphadenopathy were noted in six and three patients, respectively. Six patients were strongly positive for CD117, five were positive for CD30 and CD25, and four were positive for CD2. Four patients had a normal karyotype and two patients had an abnormal karyotype. Gene mutations were detected in 4/6 cases. The median serum tryptase level was 24.9 (range: 20.1-171.9) μg/L. Two patients were treated with venetoclax and azacitidine for induction (one patient achieved partial remission by combination with afatinib, while there was no remission after combination with dasatinib in the other patient). Two patients did not achieve complete remission despite treatment with cladribine and imatinib, respectively. One patient treated with interferon combined with glucocorticoids was lost to follow-up, and one patient abandoned treatment. The follow-up time ranged from 1.1 to 21.7 months. Three patients died and two survived. Overall, MCL is a rare subtype of systemic mastocytosis with heterogeneous clinical course, and these patients have poor outcome. A better understanding of the clinical characteristics, treatment, and prognosis of MCL is urgently needed.

Objective To investigate the effect of chronic psychological stress on testicular cell senescence in rats and the role of glucocorticoid receptor(GR)in the process.Methods Thirty-two male SD rats(4～6 weeks old,weighing 120～140 g)were randomly assigned into dimethyl sulfoxide(DMSO)group,mifepristone(RU486)group,chronic unpredictable mild stress(CUMS)group,and CUMS+RU486 group.DMSO of 0.5 ml/(kg·d)was injected subcutaneously into the rats of DMSO group.After the rats of the CUMS group were exposed to CUMS,mifepristone of 1 mg/(kg·d)was given to the rats of the RU486 group and CUMS+RU486 group.All the above 4 groups were inflicted for 42 consecutive days.After modeling,the psychological stress status of rats was evaluated with animal behavioral experiments.Computer-aided sperm analysis(CASA)system was used to detect sperm density.ELISA was employed to measure the serum levels of corticosterone(CORT),sex hormones and inflammation factors.The contents of malondialdehyde(MDA),H2O2,NAD+/NADH and ATP in the testicular tissues were tested with corresponding reagent kits.Western blotting was utilized to detect protein levels of[3-gal,p16,and GR in testicular tissue,and transmission electron microscopy was used to observe mitochondrial structure of spermatogenic cells.Results Compared with the DMSO group,the sperm density,serum levels of testosterone(T),luteinizing hormone(LH)and follicle stimulating hormone(FSH)were decreased while those of CORT and estradiol(E2)were increased in the CUMS group(all P＜0.001).Serum pro-inflammatory factors IL-6 and TNF-α concentrations were increased while anti-inflammatory factor IL-10 concentration was decreased in the CUMS group than the DMSO group(all P＜0.05).And,ATP content and NAD+/NADH ratio were decreased while MDA and H2O2 levels were elevated in testicular tissues in the CUMS group(all P＜0.05).Moreover,the protein levels of testicular cell aging markers β-gal,p16 and GR were significantly enhanced in the CUMS group(all P＜0.01),accompanied by swelling and vacuolization of mitochondrial structures in spermatogenic cells.RU486 treatment effectively improved sperm density and increased CORT level and down-regulated the testicularβ-gal,p16 and GR protein level(all P＜0.05).Conclusion Chronic psychological stress induces testicular damage in rats,presenting declines in sperm density and CORT level,which is possibly associated with GR-mediated cell senescence.

Dynamic tracking analysis of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) biotransformation in vivo is crucial, as certain modifications could inactivate the protein and reduce drug efficacy. However, a particular challenge (i.e. immune recognition deficiencies) in biotransformation studies may arise when modifications occur at the paratope recognized by the antigen. To address this limitation, a multi-epitope affinity technology utilizing the metal organic framework (MOF)@Au@peptide@aptamer composite material was proposed and developed by simultaneously immobilizing complementarity determining region (CDR) mimotope peptide (HH24) and non-CDR mimotope aptamer (CH1S-6T) onto the surface of MOF@Au nanocomposite. Comparative studies demonstrated that MOF@Au@peptide@aptamer exhibited significantly enhanced enrichment capabilities for trastuzumab variants in comparison to mono-epitope affinity technology. Moreover, the higher deamidation ratio for LC-Asn-30 and isomerization ratio for HC-Asn-55 can only be monitored by the novel bioanalytical platform based on MOF@Au@peptide@aptamer and liquid chromatography-quadrupole time of flight-mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF-MS). Therefore, multi-epitope affinity technology could effectively overcome the biases of traditional affinity materials for key sites modification analysis of mAb. Particularly, the novel bioanalytical platform can be successfully used for the tracking analysis of trastuzumab modifications in different biological fluids. Compared to the spiked phosphate buffer (PB) model, faster modification trends were monitored in the spiked serum and patients' sera due to the catalytic effect of plasma proteins and relevant proteases. Differences in peptide modification levels of trastuzumab in patients' sera were also monitored. In summary, the novel bioanalytical platform based on the multi-epitope affinity technology holds great potentials for in vivo biotransformation analysis of mAb, contributing to improved understanding and paving the way for future research and clinical applications.

After implantation, complex and highly specialized molecular events render functionally distinct organ formation, whereas how the epigenome shapes organ-specific development remains to be fully elucidated. Here, nano-hmC-Seal, RNA bisulfite sequencing (RNA-BisSeq), and RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) were performed, and the first multilayer landscapes of DNA 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) and RNA 5-methylcytosine (m⁵C) epigenomes were obtained in the heart, kidney, liver, and lung of the human foetuses at 13-28 weeks with 123 samples in total. We identified 70,091 and 503 organ- and stage-specific differentially hydroxymethylated regions (DhMRs) and m⁵C-modified mRNAs, respectively. The key transcription factors (TFs), T-box transcription factor 20 (TBX20), paired box 8 (PAX8), krueppel-like factor 1 (KLF1), transcription factor 21 (TCF21), and CCAAT enhancer binding protein beta (CEBPB), specifically contribute to the formation of distinct organs at different stages. Additionally, 5hmC-enriched Alu elements may participate in the regulation of expression of TF-targeted genes. Our integrated studies reveal a putative essential link between DNA modification and RNA methylation, and illustrate the epigenetic maps during human foetal organogenesis, which provide a foundation for for an in-depth understanding of the epigenetic mechanisms underlying early development and birth defects.
Humans ; DNA Methylation ; RNA ; Epigenesis, Genetic ; DNA/genetics* ; Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors/genetics*

Effective treatments for neuropathic pain are lacking due to our limited understanding of the mechanisms. The circRNAs are mainly enriched in the central nervous system. However, their function in various physiological and pathological conditions have yet to be determined. Here, we identified circFhit, an exon-intron circRNA expressed in GABAergic neurons, which reduced the inhibitory synaptic transmission in the spinal dorsal horn to mediate spared nerve injury-induced neuropathic pain. Moreover, we found that circFhit decreased the expression of GAD65 and induced hyperexcitation in NK1R⁺ neurons by promoting the expression of its parental gene Fhit in cis. Mechanistically, circFhit was directly bound to the intronic region of Fhit, and formed a circFhit/HNRNPK complex to promote Pol II phosphorylation and H2B monoubiquitination by recruiting CDK9 and RNF40 to the Fhit intron. In summary, we revealed that the exon-intron circFhit contributes to GABAergic neuron-mediated NK1R⁺ neuronal hyperexcitation and neuropathic pain via regulating Fhit in cis.
Rats ; Animals ; Posterior Horn Cells/pathology* ; Spinal Cord Dorsal Horn/metabolism* ; Neuralgia ; Synaptic Transmission

Objective To analyze the prevalence of coronary heart disease among community residents over 18 years old in Jinjiang district of Chengdu city,Sichuan province,and explore its associated factors,so as to provide a reference for the prevention and control of coronary heart disease in communities.Methods From October 15 to November 10 in 2021,a total of 5220 adult residents from 33 communities in Jinjiang were selected by multi-stage stratified random sampling for face-to-face questionnaire survey,physical examination,and laboratory blood test.Binary Logistic regression was employed to predict the factors associated with coronary heart disease among adult residents in Jinjiang.Results The crude and standard prevalence rates of coronary heart disease among 5220 adult residents were 3.39% and 2.11%,respectively.Logistic regression analysis showed that age (OR=1.068,95%CI=1.051-1.086,P<0.001),depressive symptoms (OR=1.639,95%CI=1.037-2.591,P=0.034),regular exercise (OR=0.584,95%CI=0.378-0.902,P=0.015),elevated blood pressure (OR=3.529,95%CI=2.344-5.312,P<0.001),dyslipidemia (OR=2.152,95%CI=1.291-3.587,P=0.003),and core knowledge score of chronic diseases (OR=1.144,95%CI=1.066-1.228,P<0.001) were associated with coronary heart disease among adult residents in Jinjiang.Conclusions The prevalence of coronary heart disease is high among adult residents in Jinjiang district of Chengdu.The urban residents who are older,have depressive symptoms,lack of exercise,elevated blood pressure,dyslipidemia,and score higher on core knowledge of chronic diseases are prone to coronary heart disease.
Adult ; Humans ; Adolescent ; Risk Factors ; Coronary Disease/epidemiology* ; Hypertension ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Dyslipidemias ; China/epidemiology* ; Prevalence