Objective To develop a predictive model for postoperative pulmonary complications (PPC) following video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) in lung cancer patients by integrating cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) parameters and machine learning techniques. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer who underwent CPET and VATS at Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital between October 2021 and July 2023. Patients were divided into a PPC group and a non-PPC group. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression was used to select important features associated with PPC. Six machine learning algorithms were utilized to construct prediction models, including logistic regression, support vector machine, k-nearest neighbors, random forest, gradient boosting machine, and extreme gradient boosting. The optimal model was interpreted using SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP). Results A total of 325 patients were included, with an average age of 60.36 years, and 55.1% were male. Significant differences were observed between the PPC and non-PPC groups in age, diabetes, coronary heart disease, surgical approach, forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), FVC% predicted, peak oxygen uptake (peak VO2), anaerobic threshold (AT), and ventilatory equivalent for carbon dioxide slope (VE/VCO2 slope) (P<0.05). In the predictive model constructed by selecting 7 key features using LASSO regression, the random forest model demonstrated the best overall performance across various metrics, with an area under the receiver operating curve of 0.930, an F1 score of 0.836, and a Brier score of 0.133 in the training set. It also exhibited good predictive ability and calibration in the test set. SHAP analysis ranked feature importance as follows: peak VO2, VE/VCO2 slope, age, FEV1, smoking history, diabetes, and surgical approach. Conclusion Integrating CPET parameters, the random forest model can effectively identify high-risk patients for PPC and has the potential for clinical application.

Non-clinical reproductive toxicity studies typically employ mammals like rats, rabbits, and cynomolgus monkeys, with animal pregnancy being a key challenge in such testing. This article focuses on the difficulties encountered in the animal pregnancy process and potential countermeasures. Rats can be used for fertility and early embryonic development toxicity studies (Segment Ⅰ), embryo-fetal development toxicity studies (Segment Ⅱ), and perinatal toxicity studies (Segment Ⅲ). The estrous cycle of female rats can be determined by vaginal smear, and mating behavior is confirmed through copulatory plug checks the following day after pairing one female with one male in the same cage. Rabbits are commonly used in embryo-fetal development toxicity studies (Segment Ⅱ). Mating behavior between male rabbits and estrous females is observed to determine the time of conception. However, challenges such as atypical estrus of female rabbits, large variations in estrus between batches, and mating failure often occur in reproductive toxicity testing, which may be addressed through prolonged light exposure, increased protein supplementation, optimized mating strategies, and environmental modifications like female and male rabbits are raised adjacent to each other. Non-human primates (NHPs) are typically employed in perinatal toxicity studies (Segment Ⅲ), where one of the key challenges lies in accurately determining sexual maturity in males - a critical factor for reproductive toxicity testing, which can be assessed through comprehensive evaluation of age, body weight, and testicular volume. Generally, male macaques are considered sexually mature when they meet the following criteria: age >4.5 years, body weight >4.5 kg, single testis volume >10 mL, and combined testicular volume >20 mL. For pregnancy confirmation, ultrasound examination demonstrating visible gestational sacs is required, though this necessitates experienced veterinary clinicians to establish standardized ultrasound examination protocols. In conclusion, reproductive toxicity studies should employ species-appropriate detection methods and evaluation criteria based on anatomical characteristics of the reproductive system to ensure successful mating and proper study execution.

Objective To evaluate the effect of bundle intervention on reducing catheter-associated urinary tract in-fection(CAUTI).Methods Hospitalized patients with urinary catheterization in a tertiary first-class hospital were subjected to targeted monitoring of a baseline survey from January to December 2022(pre-intervention).The main causes were found out,and bundle intervention measures were developed and implemented through plan-do-check-act(PDCA)tools from January to March 2023(intervention period).The data from April to December 2023(post-intervention)were collected,difference in catheter use rate and incidence of CAUTI before and after intervention were compared.Results The implementation rate of correctly hanging urine collection bags after intervention was 97.00％,the implementation rate of timely emptying urine collection bags was 91.72％,awareness rate of hand hy-giene among patient's family members was 79.13％,implementation rate of urinary catheter clamping during trans-portation was 74.79％,and daily evaluation implementation rate was 87.68％,which were higher than the pre-in-tervention rates of 85.63％,80.47％,62.75％,60.00％,and 79.93％,respectively.The incidence of CAUTI de-creased from 1.23‰ before intervention to 0.57‰ after intervention,the use rate of urinary catheter decreased from 5.53％before intervention to 5.37％after intervention.Differences of the above indicators were all statistically sig-nificant(all P＜0.05).Conclusion Through targeted monitoring on CAUTI and PDCA quality tools,the weak links in healthcare-associated infection control are identified,more targeted prevention and control measures are for-mulated,the implementation of bundle intervention measures can reduce the incidence of CAUTI.

Objective:To explore the possibility of using a inferior gluteal artery perforator flap (IGAPF) for breast reconstruction in the patient who did not have suitable donor site in back and abdomen.Methods:In November 2024, a 25-year-old unmarried and childless woman with right breast cancer received immediate right breast reconstruction by a right free IGAPF after modified right mastectomy in the Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University. The locations of perforators were confirmed by both Multi-detector computed tomography angiography (MDCTA) and portable Doppler blood flow detector before surgery. The IGAPF was designed to take the inferior gluteal wrinkle as the lower edge, the axis of the flap was parallel to the inferior gluteal wrinkle, and the width of the flap was estimated where the incision could be directly closed. The size of right IGAPF was 6.0 cm×19.0 cm. Sharp dissection was performed between the sarcolemma and muscle fibres of gluteus, then the perforators were dissected along the direction of muscle fibres of gluteus. The vascular pedicle was kept at about 8.0 cm in length. The diameter of artery was about 2.0 mm and that for the veins was about 1.5 mm. End-to-end anastomoses with the right thoracodorsal artery and vein were successfully carried out. The donor site was directly closed, and it was hidden in the inferior gluteal wrinkle. Postoperative outpatient clinical review was made.Results:Pathological examination reported: an invasive carcinoma of right breast, axillary lymph node metastasis (2/10). The patient recovered well and the flap survived without any complication, i.e. ischemic necrosis, infection and haematoma. The patient was off-bed at 3 days and discharged at 13 days after surgery. At the 40 days of postoperative follow-up, the patient achieved a good recovery and the lower limb activity was not affected by the surgery. The patient was satisfied with the reconstructed breast and donor site recovery. The patient followed with scheduled chemotherapy and subsequent radiotherapy. The volume of reconstructed breast was smaller than the other breast, of which the patient was fully informed before the surgery.Conclusion:A free IGAPF provides an alternative donor sites for achieving a breast reconstruction due to the reliable pedicle vessels and invisible donor scars.

Acute myocardial infarction and acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding are both critical internal medicine conditions. The incidence of acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding in patients with acute myocardial infarction ranges from 5.31% to 8.90%, with a mortality rate as high as 20.50% to 35.70%. The pathogenesis may be related to the use of antiplatelet and anticoagulant drugs, as well as stress-induced injury. In treatment, the contradiction between antiplatelet/anticoagulation therapy and bleeding has made this disease a significant challenge in modern medicine. Therefore, re-exploring the etiology, pathogenesis, treatment principles, and methods of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) for acute myocardial infarction and acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding is of great clinical importance. The research team has been working year-round in the coronary care unit(CCU), managing a large number of such severe patients. By revisiting classic texts and delving into the foundational theories of TCM and historical medical literature, it has been found that this disease falls under the category of "distant blood" in the Synopsis of the Golden Chamber. In terms of etiology, it is primarily associated with weakness of healthy Qi and damage caused by drug toxicity. In terms of pathogenesis, in the acute stage, it mainly manifests as insufficient spleen Yang, deficiency of spleen Qi, and failure of the spleen to control blood. In the remission stage, it is characterized by deficiency of both heart Qi and spleen blood. For treatment, during the acute stage, Huangtu Decoction is used to warm Yang and restrain blood, while in the remission stage, Guipi Decoction is administered to tonify Qi and nourish blood. During the treatment process, for patients with acute myocardial infarction complicated with acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding, it is crucial to flexibly apply the treatment principles of "Nil per os" in western medicine and "where there is stomach Qi, there is life; where there is no stomach Qi, there is death" in TCM. Early intervention with Huangtu Decoction can also prevent bleeding, with large doses being key to achieving hemostasis. It is important to address the pathogenesis of heat syndrome in addition to the core pathogenesis of Yang deficiency bleeding and to emphasize the follow-up treatment with Guipi Decoction for a successful outcome.
Humans ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage/etiology* ; Myocardial Infarction/drug therapy* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Acute Disease

Objectives:To investigate the relationship between serum miR-550a-5p levels and spinal metas-tasis in patients with non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC).Methods:The clinical data of 175 patients with NSCLC who received treatment in the Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical College between May 2021 and May 2023 were retrospectively analyzed.According to the results of whole body bone imaging,70 patients with spinal metastasis were enrolled into the metastasis group,and 104 patients without spinal metastasis were enrolled into the none-metastasis group.There were no statistically significant differences in gender,age,smoking,hypertension,thrombosis,and tumor location between the two groups(P＞0.05).The pathological type,clinical stage,lymph node metastasis,and tumor diameter of the patients were collected and compared between the two groups.qRT-PCR was used to detect the expression level of serum miR-550a-5p,enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the serum tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase-5b(TRACP-5b)and type Ⅰ collagen cross-linked C-terminal peptide(ICTP)levels.The differences in serum levels of TRACP-5b,ICTP,and miR-550a-5p were compared between the two groups.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was adopted to evaluate the diagnostic value of miR-550a-5p,TRACP-5b,and ICTP alone and in combination for spinal metastasis in NSCLC patients.Results:Compared with the none-metastasis group,serum TRACP-5b,ICTP,and miR-550a-5p levels were significantly higher in patients in the metastasis group(P＜0.05).The miR-550a-5p level was significantly higher in patients with tumor diameter≥5cm,lung adenocarcinoma,stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ,and lymph node metastasis than in patients with tumor diameter＜5cm,squamous carcinoma,stage Ⅰ-Ⅱ,and no lymph node metastasis(P＜0.05).Elevated serum miR-550a-5p,lung adenocarcinoma,stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ,and lymph node metastasis were the independent risk factors for the development of spinal metastasis in NSCLC patients(P＜0.05).The AUC of miR-550a-5p for diagnosing spinal metastasis in NSCLC patients was 0.851,and the sensitivity and specificity were 74.29％and 85.58％,respectively,at the optimal cut-off value of 0.20.The diagnostic efficacy of serum miR-550a-5p for diagnosing spinal metastasis in NSCLC patients was significantly better than that of TRACP-5b(Z=2.309,P=0.023)and ICTP(Z=1.852,P=0.049).The AUC of miR-550a-5p,TRACP-5b,and ICTP combination for the diagnosis of spinal metastasis in NSCLC patients was 0.931,and the sensitivity and specificity were 88.57％and 87.50％,respectively.The diagnostic efficacy of the three-marker combination was significantly better than that of the two-marker combination of TRACP-5b and ICTP(Z=2.205,P=0.027).Conclusions:Elevated level of serum miR-550a-5p is associated with spinal metastasis,which can be used as a molecular marker for predicting spinal metastasis in NSCLC patients,moreover,its combination use with bone metabolism-related tumor markers,the ICTP and TRACP-5b,can improve diagnostic efficacy.

Gene regulation relies on the precise binding of transcription factors (TFs) at regulatory elements, but simultaneously detecting hundreds of TFs on chromatin is challenging. We developed cFOOT-seq, a cytosine deaminase-based TF footprinting assay, for high-resolution, quantitative genome-wide assessment of TF binding in both open and closed chromatin regions, even with small cell numbers. By utilizing the dsDNA deaminase SsdAtox, cFOOT-seq converts accessible cytosines to uracil while preserving genomic integrity, making it compatible with techniques like ATAC-seq for sensitive and cost-effective detection of TF occupancy at the single-molecule and single-cell level. Our approach enables the delineation of TF footprints, quantification of occupancy, and examination of chromatin influences on TF binding. Notably, cFOOT-seq, combined with FootTrack analysis, enables de novo prediction of TF binding sites and tracking of TF occupancy dynamics. We demonstrate its application in capturing cell type-specific TFs, analyzing TF dynamics during reprogramming, and revealing TF dependencies on chromatin remodelers. Overall, cFOOT-seq represents a robust approach for investigating the genome-wide dynamics of TF occupancy and elucidating the cis-regulatory architecture underlying gene regulation.
Transcription Factors/genetics* ; Humans ; Chromatin/genetics* ; Animals ; Binding Sites ; Mice ; DNA Footprinting/methods*

Haloacetic acids(HAAs),as a class of disinfection byproducts in drinking water,pose potential threats to human health,so the rapid,accurate and simultaneous detection of HAAs is of great significance for ensuring drinking water safety.Aiming at the challenges in HAAs detection and risk analysis,a novel method for synchronous rapid detection of seven kinds of HAAs in drinking water based on in situ derivatization technology and headspace gas chromatography was developed in this study.Through single-factor optimization experiments,the optimal reaction parameters for in situ derivatization were determined,including the type and dosage of salting-out agent,the acidity of reaction system,the amount of phase transfer catalyst,the dosage of derivatization agent,and the extraction solvent volume.Methodologic validation showed that the seven kinds of HAAs exhibited excellent linear relationships within their respective detection concentration ranges(R2>0.998).The method detection limits(MDLs)ranged from 0.04 to 0.33 μg/L,and the limits of quantification(LOQs)were between 0.14 and 1.34 μg/L.For real water samples,the average spiked recoveries of the seven HAAs ranged from 90.9%to 107.7%,with relative standard deviation(RSDs)between 1.55%and 6.49%,and the HAAs contents in all tested samples were below the limits specified in the Standards for Drinking Water Quality(GB 5749-2022)of China.This method was featured with simple operation,fast analysis speed,high sensitivity,and good accuracy,providing an efficient and reliable technical support for routine monitoring of HAAs contaminants in drinking water and showing promising application value for widespread promotion.

Background and purpose:Melanoma is a highly invasive malignant tumor originating from melanocytes,which poses a great threat to human life and health around the world,and its morbidity and mortality have been rising continuously in recent years.Telomerase and autophagy play crucial roles in cell proliferation,survival and stress response.Telomerase maintains the replication ability of cells by prolonging telomeres at the ends of chromosomes,and autophagy,as a self-degradation mechanism of cells,can not only help cells remove damaged components to promote survival,but also induce cell death under certain conditions.In the tumor environment,they are often abnormally activated or out of balance,and participate in the occurrence and development of many cancers,including melanoma.This study investigated the roles of telomerase and autophagy in melanoma progression and evaluated the potential synergistic therapeutic effects of combined application of telomerase inhibitor BIBR1532 and autophagy inhibitor chloroquine(CQ)in melanoma treatment.Methods:Malignant melanoma cells A375 were treated with telomerase inhibitor BIBR1532.The cell viability was assessed using the cell counting kit-8(CCK-8)assay,and the cell apoptosis was detected using the Annexin Ⅴ/propidium iodide(PI)double staining method.Additionally,the expressions of autophagy-related proteins LC3-Ⅱand p62 were detected by Western blot,and the changes in autophagy flux were observed using dual-tagged adenovirus transfection technology.Based on these studies,BIBR1532 and the autophagy inhibitor CQ were further applied in combination to analyze cell proliferation,apoptotic rate,changes in mitochondrial membrane potential,and cell cycle distribution,and the cloning formation experiment was used to verify the cell's proliferative capacity,thereby comprehensively evaluating the efficacy of this combined treatment strategy.Results:Telomerase inhibitor BIBR1532 at a concentration of 50 μmol/L significantly inhibited the growth of malignant melanoma cells A375 and induced apoptosis.At the same concentration,BIBR1532 upregulated the expression of the autophagy-related protein LC3-Ⅱ in A375 cells,while downregulating the expression of p62 protein.By transducing A375 cells with a dual-tagged adenovirus,it was observed that autophagy flux was significantly enhanced after treatment with BIBR1532.Furthermore,the combined application of BIBR1532(50 μmol/L)and the autophagy inhibitor CQ(20 μmol/L)significantly promoted the death of A375 cells,induced apoptosis and destruction of mitochondrial membrane potential,caused cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase,and significantly inhibited the cell's clonogenic ability.Conclusion:Telomerase inhibitor BIBR1532 not only inhibits the proliferation of malignant melanoma cells but also activates the autophagy process in these cells,and inhibition of the autophagy response by autophagy inhibitor CQ can enhance the sensitivity of malignant melanoma cells to telomerase inhibitor BIBR1532.