ObjectiveTo explore whether the intestinal absorption solution containing Banxia Xiexintang （BXT） can inhibit the invasion and migration of gastric cancer cells by interfering with the stromal cell-derived factor 1 （SDF1）-CXC chemokine receptor 4 （CXCR4） axis in tumor-associated bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells （TA-BMSCs）. MethodsThe intestinal absorption solution containing BXT was prepared， and the optimal intervention concentration and duration for MFC cells were determined through the cell counting kit-8 （CCK-8） assay. A co-culture system was established comprising TA-BMSCs conditioned medium （TA-BMSCs-CM） and gastric cancer MFC cells. The experiment was conducted with a blank control group， a TA-BMSCs-CM group， an SDF1 inhibitor （LY2510924） group， and intervention groups with varying concentrations （55%， 70%， 85%） of the intestinal absorption solution containing BXT. Cell proliferation was assessed by the CCK-8 assay. Horizontal and vertical cell migration were evaluated via scratch and Transwell assays， respectively. Cell invasion was examined by a Transwell assay with Matrigel. Cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry. The levels of factors such as SDF1， matrix metalloproteinase-9 （MMP-9）， and vascular endothelial growth factor A （VEGFA）， as well as the protein levels of macrophage migration inhibitory factor （MIF）， CXCR4， VEGFA， and MMP-9， were quantified by ELISA and Western blot， respectively. ResultsThe CCK-8 assay results indicated that compared with the 24 h intervention， the 48 h interventions with all concentrations of the intestinal absorption solution containing BXT increased the inhibition rate on MFC cells （P<0.01）. The half-maximal inhibitory concentration （IC₅₀） of the intestinal absorption solution containing BXT at the time point of 48 h was 68.51%， and subsequent intervention concentrations were selected as 55%， 70%， and 85%. Compared with the TA-BMSCs-CM group， the intestinal absorption solution containing BXT （particularly at concentrations of 70% 85%） suppressed the proliferation， migration， and invasion of MFC cells， promoted the cell apoptosis （P<0.05， P<0.01）， decreased the levels of SDF1， MMP-9， and VEGFA， and downregulated the protein levels of MIF， CXCR4， VEGFA， and MMP-9 （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The inhibitory effects of the intestinal absorption solution containing BXT were comparable to or superior to those of the SDF1 inhibitor （P<0.01）. ConclusionThe intestinal absorption solution containing BXT can inhibit the invasion and migration of gastric cancer cells by interfering with the SDF1-CXCR4 axis in TA-BMSCs. The underlying mechanism may involve the regulation of the MIF/SDF1/CXCR4 signaling pathway and its downstream effector molecules.

ObjectiveTo explore whether the intestinal absorption solution containing Banxia Xiexintang （BXT） can inhibit the invasion and migration of gastric cancer cells by interfering with the stromal cell-derived factor 1 （SDF1）-CXC chemokine receptor 4 （CXCR4） axis in tumor-associated bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells （TA-BMSCs）. MethodsThe intestinal absorption solution containing BXT was prepared， and the optimal intervention concentration and duration for MFC cells were determined through the cell counting kit-8 （CCK-8） assay. A co-culture system was established comprising TA-BMSCs conditioned medium （TA-BMSCs-CM） and gastric cancer MFC cells. The experiment was conducted with a blank control group， a TA-BMSCs-CM group， an SDF1 inhibitor （LY2510924） group， and intervention groups with varying concentrations （55%， 70%， 85%） of the intestinal absorption solution containing BXT. Cell proliferation was assessed by the CCK-8 assay. Horizontal and vertical cell migration were evaluated via scratch and Transwell assays， respectively. Cell invasion was examined by a Transwell assay with Matrigel. Cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry. The levels of factors such as SDF1， matrix metalloproteinase-9 （MMP-9）， and vascular endothelial growth factor A （VEGFA）， as well as the protein levels of macrophage migration inhibitory factor （MIF）， CXCR4， VEGFA， and MMP-9， were quantified by ELISA and Western blot， respectively. ResultsThe CCK-8 assay results indicated that compared with the 24 h intervention， the 48 h interventions with all concentrations of the intestinal absorption solution containing BXT increased the inhibition rate on MFC cells （P<0.01）. The half-maximal inhibitory concentration （IC₅₀） of the intestinal absorption solution containing BXT at the time point of 48 h was 68.51%， and subsequent intervention concentrations were selected as 55%， 70%， and 85%. Compared with the TA-BMSCs-CM group， the intestinal absorption solution containing BXT （particularly at concentrations of 70% 85%） suppressed the proliferation， migration， and invasion of MFC cells， promoted the cell apoptosis （P<0.05， P<0.01）， decreased the levels of SDF1， MMP-9， and VEGFA， and downregulated the protein levels of MIF， CXCR4， VEGFA， and MMP-9 （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The inhibitory effects of the intestinal absorption solution containing BXT were comparable to or superior to those of the SDF1 inhibitor （P<0.01）. ConclusionThe intestinal absorption solution containing BXT can inhibit the invasion and migration of gastric cancer cells by interfering with the SDF1-CXCR4 axis in TA-BMSCs. The underlying mechanism may involve the regulation of the MIF/SDF1/CXCR4 signaling pathway and its downstream effector molecules.

Objective: To construct prediction models of female stress urinary incontinence (SUI), and evaluate the efficacy of each model, so as to provide reference for the early diagnosis of SUI. Methods: Female SUI patients treated in our hospital during Oct. 2019 and Oct. 2023 and healthy women undergoing physical examination during the same period were involved. Women 42 days after delivery were included in the postpartum group (n=611), and perimenopausal and postmenopausal women were included in the non-postpartum group (n=409). The number of random seeds was set and the participants were divided into the training and verification sets in a ratio of 7∶3. Relevant clinical data were collected, and meaningful variables were screened using single factor and Lasso regression, which were then incorporated into the K-nearest neighbor method (KNN), support vector machine (SVM)，decision tree (DT) and random forest (RF) algorithms. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of the models were calculated to screen out the optimal model. Results: There were 352 SUI patients (57.6%) in the postpartum group. According to single factor and Lasso regression, significant variables included age, body mass index (BMI), maximum rapid muscle stage, parity, bladder neck mobility (BND), urethral rotation angle (URA), lateral perineal incision, past incontinence, and constipation. In the verification set, the AUC of KNN，SVM，DT and RF models were 0.881，0.878，0.750 and 0.905,respectively; the AUC, accuracy, F1 index and Kappa value of RF model were the largest. In the non-postpartum group, there were 260 SUI patients, accounting for 63.6%. The significant variables were age，BMI, maximum value and recovery time of fast muscle stage, mean value of slow muscle stage, post-resting stage variability, vaginal delivery, past incontinence, and constipation. In the verification set, the AUC of KNN,SVM，DT and RF models were 0.819,0.805，0.603 and 0.830, respectively; the AUC, accuracy, Kappa value of the RF model were the largest. Conclusion: This study successfully established 4 prediction models for the incidence of SUI in women at 42 days postpartum, perimenopausal and postmenopausal women based on machine learning. Among them, the model adopting the RF algorithm had the best prediction efficiency.

Psoriasis vulgaris is notoriously difficult to treat and prone to recurrence. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）， however， has shown considerable efficacy in mitigating or suppressing such recurrence. The underlying reason lies in the TCM concept of "latent pathogens"， which are prone to be reactivated by external pathogenic factors， thereby triggering relapse. At the early stage of recurrence， manifestations of "latent fire" often appear externally. If treatment is not thorough， the condition may shift into a state of "stalemate between healthy Qi and pathogenic factors"， in which the disease appears on the skin but is rooted in deeper pathological layers， remaining unresolved and accumulating internally. Over time， blood stasis arises from fire， and the fire further congeals due to stasis， leading ultimately to recurrent flare-ups. This aligns with the modern immunological concept of "immunological memory" mediated by tissue-resident memory T cells （T_RM） in the skin， which corroborates the TCM view of "latent fire inducing blood stasis". The interaction between T_RM and keratinocytes （KC） parallels the entanglement of latent fire and latent stasis， both of which are deeply entrenched and difficult to resolve. The core pathogenesis of recurrent psoriasis vulgaris lies in "latent fire causing blood stasis". The hallmark is the deep concealment and persistence of latent fire and stasis， which linger and await an opportunity to reemerge. Based on this understanding， Xijiao Dihuangtang is employed to cool the blood， resolve stasis， and eliminate latent pathogens， and treatment is tailored according to the disease stage through three-phase syndrome differentiation. In the progressive stage， both exterior and interior are treated， with emphasis on clearing latent fire. In the stationary stage， the focus shifts to dispelling latent stasis and simultaneously regulating the Zang-fu organs. In the regressive stage， efforts are made to prevent the retention of latent pathogens and to strengthen healthy Qi. Accordingly， drugs effective in dispersing wind and clearing heat， pungent-moistening and dredging the collaterals， and tonifying deficiency and moistening dryness are often employed to achieve optimal outcomes. The precise mechanisms by which Xijiao Dihuangtang treats recurrent psoriasis vulgaris remain to be fully elucidated. Current research suggests it may intervene in the recurrence process through inhibiting KC proliferation via the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway and glycolysis， regulating the Th1/Th2 and Th17/Treg cell balances to restore immune homeostasis， suppressing inflammatory cytokine production to alleviate the inflammatory response， modulating angiogenesis-related factors， such as vascular endothelial growth factor A （VEGF-A） and matrix metalloproteinase-9 （MMP-9）， to control disease progression， and restructuring the gut microbiota to modulate systemic immunity and thereby influence the course of disease recurrence.

Objective To explore the risk factors for pertussis in children and construct a nomo-gram prediction model for the risk of pertussis in children.Methods A total of 175 children with pro-longed cough admitted from February to June 2024 were selected as modeling group and divided into pertussis group and control group based on whether pertussis was confirmed.The general conditions,clinical characteristics,and laboratory examination indicators of the two groups were compared.Logis-tic regression analysis was used to screen risk factors for pertussis in children,and a nomogram predic-tion model was constructed and internally validated.Additionally,53 children with prolonged cough admitted from July to August 2024 were selected as validation group to externally validate the nomo-gram model.Results Among 175 children in the modeling group,52(29.71％)were diagnosed with pertussis.The proportions of children with poor indoor ventilation,contacting with coughing pa-tients in 3 weeks before onset,passive smoking in 3 weeks before onset,and those who had not re-ceived the pertussis vaccine,as well as platelet levels,were higher in the pertussis group than in the control group(P＜0.05).Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that poor indoor ventila-tion,contacting with coughing patients in 3 weeks before onset,passive smoking in 3 weeks before on-set,and not receiving the pertussis vaccine were independent risk factors for pertussis in children(OR=2.983,4.943,3.998,5.943;P＜0.05).Based on these results,a nomogram model for predicting pertussis in children was constructed.The internal validation results showed that the area under the curve(AUC)of this nomogram model for predicting pertussis in children was 0.824,with a sensi-tivity of 82.70％,a specificity of 74.80％,and a goodness-of-fit Hosmer-Lemeshow test result of x2=7.591,P=0.425.The external validation results showed an AUC of 0.799,with sensitivity of 80.80％,with specificity of 63.40％,and a goodness-of-fit Hosmer-Lemeshow test result of x2=10.369,P=0.169.Conclusion Poor indoor ventilation,contacting with coughing patients in 3 weeks before onset,passive smoking in 3 weeks before onset,and not receiving the pertussis vaccine are independent risk factors for pertussis in children.The nomogram prediction model constructed based on these factors can effectively predict the risk of pertussis in children.

Objective To observe the clinical effect of Huangqi Yixin Decoction combined with sacubitril/valsartan in treatment of patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction(HFpEF)of Qi deficiency and blood stasis type.Methods A total of 86 patients with HFpEF of Qi deficiency and blood stasis type were randomly divided into western medicine group and combination group using the random number table method,with 43 cases in each group.The western medicine group was trea-ted with sacubitril/valsartan sodium tablets on the basis of conventional anti-heart failure therapy,while the combination group was additionally treated with Huangqi Yixin Decoction on the basis of the western medicine group's treatment.The therapeutic efficacy,traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome scores,cardiac function indicators[Tei index,N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide(NT-proBNP)],exercise tolerance[6-minute walk distance(6MWD),maximum exercise heart rate,metabolic equivalent(MET)],and the occurrence of adverse reactions were compared between the two groups.Results The overall clinical effective rate in the combination group was 93.02％,which was higher than that in the western medicine group(76.74％),and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).After treatment,the TCM syndrome scores in both groups were lower than those before treatment,and the scores in the combination group were lower than those in the western medicine group,with a statistically significant difference(P＜0.05).After treatment,the levels of Tei index and NT-proBNP in both groups were lower than those before treatment,and the levels in the combination group were lower than those in the western medicine group,with a statistically sig-nificant difference(P＜0.05).After treatment,the 6MWD,maximum exercise heart rate,and MET in both groups were higher than those before treatment,and the values in the combination group were higher than those in the western medicine group,with a statistically significant difference(P＜0.05).The incidence of adverse reactions in the western medicine group was 18.60％,which was higher than that in the combination group(4.65％),and the difference was statistically signifi-cant(P＜0.05).Conclusion Huangqi Yixin Decoction combined with sacubitril/valsartan has a good therapeutic effect on HFpEF of Qi deficiency and blood stasis type.It can reduce the TCM syn-drome scores of patients,improve exercise tolerance,and has good safety.

Objective To compare the efficacy and safety of computed tomography (CT)-guided percutaneous versus electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy (ENB)-guided microwave ablation (MWA) for the treatment of pulmonary nodules. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the data of high-risk pulmonary nodule patients who underwent MWA at the Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital between 2022 and 2023. The pathological diagnosis rate, complications, and progression-free survival (PFS) rate were compared between the CT group and the ENB group. Results There were 61 patients in the CT group, including 30 males and 31 females, with an average age of (67.22±9.13) years. There were 53 patients in the ENB group, including 29 males and 24 females, with an average age of (65.29±13.76) years. The pathological diagnosis rate in the CT group was slightly higher than that in the ENB group (88.52% vs. 71.69%, P=0.03). However, the ENB group exhibited a lower incidence of perioperative complications, including pneumothorax (16.39% vs. 3.77%, P=0.03), hemoptysis (19.67% vs. 5.66%, P=0.05), and pain (22.95% vs. 7.55%, P=0.03). There was no statistically significant difference in PFS rate between the two groups [HR=1.17, 95%CI (0.23, 5.81), P=0.85]. Conclusion Both CT-guided and ENB-guided MWA are effective treatment modalities for high-risk pulmonary nodules.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the role of SF3B3 in gastric cancer (GC) progression and prognosis and its possible mechanisms. METHODS: SF3B3 expression levels in pan-cancer and GC were analyzed using TIMER2.0, GEPIA, and UALCAN databases and validated using immunohistochemistry in GC tissues. Survival curves of GC patients were established using Kaplan-Meier Plotter and the data of a patient cohort our hospital. The independent risk factors for 5-year postoperative survival were identified using Cox regression, and their predictive values were evaluated using ROC analysis. SF3B3-associated biological processes were predicted by bioinformatics enrichment analyses. In GC HGC-27 cells, the effects of lentivirus-mediated SF3B3 knockdown and overexpression on cell proliferation and migration were investigated, and the changes in the key glycolytic proteins and extracellular acidification rate (ECAR) were detected. The influence of SF3B3 expression level on tumorigenesis and glycolytic protein expression in vivo were evaluated in a nude mouse xenograft model. RESULTS: High expression of SF3B3 in GC was associated with poor patient prognosis (P<0.05). The factors affecting 5-year survival outcomes following gastric oncological resection included high SF3B3 expression, a CEA level ≥5μg/L, a CA19-9 level ≥37 kU/L, tumor stage T3-4, and lymph node metastasis stage N2-3 (P<0.05). Bioinformatics analysis showed significant enrichment of SF3B3 in glycolysis. In HGC-27 cells, SF3B3 knockdown significantly inhibited while SF3B3 overexpression enhanced cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. SF3B3 knockdown obviously decreased the expressions of HK2, PKM2 and LDHA proteins and ECAR in HGC-27 cells, whereas SF3B3 overexpression produced the opposite effect. In nude mouse xenograft models, SF3B3 knockdown significantly reduced tumor mass and downregulated expression of HK2, PKM2 and LDHA proteins, and SF3B3 overexpression induced the opposite changes. CONCLUSIONS SF3B3 overexpression is associated with poor prognosis of GC patients and promotes GC cell proliferation, migration and invasion possibly by enhancing glycolysis.
Stomach Neoplasms/diagnosis* ; Humans ; Cell Proliferation ; Prognosis ; Animals ; Mice, Nude ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Mice ; Cell Movement ; Male ; Female

Schizophrenia (SZ) stands as a severe psychiatric disorder. This study applied diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data in conjunction with graph neural networks to distinguish SZ patients from normal controls (NCs) and showcases the superior performance of a graph neural network integrating combined fractional anisotropy and fiber number brain network features, achieving an accuracy of 73.79% in distinguishing SZ patients from NCs. Beyond mere discrimination, our study delved deeper into the advantages of utilizing white matter brain network features for identifying SZ patients through interpretable model analysis and gene expression analysis. These analyses uncovered intricate interrelationships between brain imaging markers and genetic biomarkers, providing novel insights into the neuropathological basis of SZ. In summary, our findings underscore the potential of graph neural networks applied to multimodal DTI data for enhancing SZ detection through an integrated analysis of neuroimaging and genetic features.
Humans ; Schizophrenia/pathology* ; Diffusion Tensor Imaging/methods* ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Brain/metabolism* ; Young Adult ; Middle Aged ; White Matter/pathology* ; Gene Expression ; Nerve Net/diagnostic imaging* ; Graph Neural Networks

In the ever-evolving landscape of cancer therapy, while cancer treatments such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and targeted therapy aim to eradicate malignant cells, they also inadvertently trigger cellular senescence in both cancerous and microenvironmental tissues. Therapy-induced senescence (TIS) can act as a barrier against tumor growth by halting cell proliferation in the short term, but the long-term persistence of therapy-induced senescent (TISnt) cells may pose a significant challenge in cancer management. Their distinct characteristics, like senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), metabolic dysregulation, and immune evasion, make them exhibit remarkable heterogeneity to orchestrate the tumor microenvironment (TME), resulting in therapy resistance. However, how these TISnt cells functioning differently in cancer progression, and the intricate mechanisms by which they remodel the senescence-associated immunosuppressive microenvironment present challenges for improving anticancer therapy. Therefore, this review summarizes the heterogeneous TISnt cell phenotypes contributing to an accumulated senescent state, outlines their multidimensional interactions in the senescent microenvironment, and discusses current senescence-targeting strategies. Building on the current understanding of TIS, we propose potential avenues for improving TIS-targeting methodologies in the context of head and neck cancer, a representative heterogeneous malignancy, which can substantially enhance the efficacy of the "one-two punch" sequential treatment approach for head and neck cancer.
Humans ; Cellular Senescence/drug effects* ; Tumor Microenvironment ; Neoplasms/pathology* ; Senescence-Associated Secretory Phenotype