Objective:To evaluate the diagnostic value of non-targeted detection of metabolic fingerprinting in pulmonary nodules and to analyze the clinical effective model of multi-omics for assessing the malignant risk of pulmonary nodules.Methods:A total of 73 patients who underwent chest CT and completed pathological diagnosis and non-targeted detection of metabolic fingerprinting at Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University from November 2021 to October 2024 were selected as the research subjects. According to the postoperative histopathological diagnosis, the patients were divided into the lung malignant nodule group (61 cases) and the lung benign nodule group (12 cases). General clinical data of the patients, including sex, age, smoking history, and family history of tumors, as well as imaging data, including nodule density, nodule size, nodule location, nodule number, and special imaging manifestations (spiculation, lobulation, vacuole sign, vascular convergence sign, etc.), and non-targeted detection of metabolic fingerprinting results were collected. The above data were compared between the two groups of patients, and the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn to evaluate the predictive value of each model. Results:There were statistically significant differences in age ( t=4.41, P<0.001), nodule size ( Z=2.67, P=0.008), nodule density ( χ2=4.64, P=0.031), and spiculation ( χ2=7.67, P=0.006) between the lung malignant nodule group and the lung benign nodule group. There were no statistically significant differences in sex, smoking history, family history of lung cancer, nodule number, nodule location, lobulation, vacuole sign, vascular convergence sign, pleural indentation sign, calcification sign, bronchial truncation sign, vascular supply sign, and bronchial air sign (all P>0.05). The number of non-targeted detection of metabolic fingerprinting high-risk patients in the lung malignant nodule group (36 cases) was significantly higher than that in the lung benign nodule group (0 case) ( χ2=13.97, P<0.001). ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve of the Brock model combined with non-targeted detection of metabolic fingerprinting was 0.930 (95% CI: 0.872-0.988), which was greater than that of the Brock model (0.856, 95% CI: 0.769-0.942, Z=0.27, P=0.040) and non-targeted detection of metabolic fingerprinting (0.768, 95% CI: 0.650-0.887, Z=0.30, P=0.004) alone. Conclusions:Non-targeted detection of metabolic fingerprinting risk assessment may serve as a non-invasive method to assist the Brock model in the diagnosis of pulmonary nodules and has good application value. The combination of the Brock model and non-targeted detection of metabolic fingerprinting can more accurately distinguish the benign and malignant nature of pulmonary nodules.

Objective:To establish HPLC fingerprint and methods for determining the contents of four iridoid glycosides of Gentiana rigescens; To evaluate the quality of Gentiana rigescens from different origins; To improve the quality control level of Gentiana rigescens medicinal materials.Methods:Using 15 batches of Gentiana rigescens from the main production areas and authentic production areas as raw materials, the common mode of HPLC fingerprints of Gentiana rigescens was established, and the chemical components of the common peaks were identified. Referring to the common mode of fingerprints, similarity analysis was conducted on the fingerprints of Gentiana rigescens from different origins. Using chemometric methods, cluster analysis (HCA), principal component analysis (HCA), and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) were performed on 15 batches of Gentiana rigescens, with the common peak area of fingerprint as the variable. The contents of four types of iridoid glycosides in Gentiana rigescens were determined. Combined with the fingerprints and the content results of four types of iridoid glycosides, the quality of Gentiana rigescens from different origins was evaluated.Results:The fingerprints of Gentiana rigescens contained 9 common peaks, with 4 identified iridoid glycosides. The similarity of the fingerprints of 15 batches of Gentiana rigescens ranged from 0.962 to 0.999. HCA and PCA divided the 15 batches of Gentiana rigescens into two categories. OPLS-DA analyzed 3 significantly different components, namely gentiopicroside, peak 7, and loganic acid. The content determination results showed that the average contents of loganic acid, swertiamarin, and gentiopicroside in Gentiana rigescens from Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture and Yunnan Province were the highest, and the total amount of four iridoid glycosides was also significantly higher than that from other regions, indicating that the overall quality of Gentiana rigescens from Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture and Yunnan Province was relatively good.Conclusion:This method is simple, fast, accurate, and can provide reference for improving the quality standards of Gentiana rigescens.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a ubiquitous respiratory virus that affects individuals of all ages; however, there is a notable lack of targeted treatments. RSV infection is associated with a range of respiratory symptoms, including bronchiolitis and pneumonia. Baicalin (BA) exhibits significant therapeutic effects against RSV infection through mechanisms of viral inhibition and anti-inflammatory action. Nonetheless, the clinical application of BA is constrained by its low solubility and bioavailability. In this study, we prepared BA nanodrugs (BA NDs) with enhanced water solubility utilizing the supramolecular self-assembled strategy, and we further conducted a comparative analysis of this pharmacological activity between free drugs and NDs of BA. Both in vitro and in vivo results demonstrated that BA NDs significantly enhanced the dual effects of viral inhibition and inflammation relief compared to free BA, attributed to prolonged lung retention, improved cellular uptake, and increased targeting affinity. Our study confirms that the nanosizing strategy, a straightforward approach to enhance drug solubility, can also increase biological activity compared to free drugs with the same content, thereby providing a potential ND for RSV treatment. This correlation analysis between the existing forms of drugs and their biological activity offers a novel perspective for research on the active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine.

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors worldwide and a major cause of cancer-related deaths. Early-stage lung cancer is often manifested as pulmonary nodules, and accurate assessment of the malignancy risk is crucial for prolonging survival and avoiding overtreatment. This study aims to construct a model based on image feature parameters automatically extracted by artificial intelligence (AI) to evaluate its effectiveness in predicting the malignancy of part-solid nodule (PSN). METHODS: This retrospective study analyzed 229 PSN from 222 patients who underwent pulmonary nodule resection at Lanzhou University Second Hospital between October 2020 and February 2025. According to pathological results, 45 cases of benign lesions and precursor glandular lesion were categorized into the non-malignant group, and 184 cases of pulmonary malignancies were categorized into the malignant group. All patients underwent preoperative chest computed tomography (CT), and AI software was used to extract imaging feature parameters. Univariate analysis was used to screen significant variables; variance inflation factor (VIF) was calculated to exclude highly collinear variables, and LASSO regression was further applied to identify key features. Multivariate Logistic regression was used to determine independent risk factors. Based on the selected variables, five models were constructed: Logistic regression, random forest, XGBoost, LightGBM, and support vector machine (SVM). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to assess the performance of the models. RESULTS: The independent risk factors for the malignancy of PSN include roughness (ngtdm), dependence variance (gldm), and short run low gray-level emphasis (glrlm). Logistic regression achieved area under the curves ( AUCs) of 0.86 and 0.89 in the training and testing sets, respectively, showing good performance. XGBoost had AUCs of 0.78 and 0.77, respectively, demonstrating relatively balanced performance, but with lower accuracy. SVM showed an AUC of 0.93 in the training set, which decreased to 0.80 in the testing set, indicating overfitting. LightGBM performed excellently in the training set with an AUC of 0.94, but its performance declined in the testing set, with an AUC of 0.88. In contrast, random forest demonstrated stable performance in both the training and testing sets, with AUCs of 0.89 and 0.91, respectively, exhibiting high stability and excellent generalizability. CONCLUSIONS The random forest model constructed based on independent risk factors demonstrated the best performance in predicting the malignancy of PSN and could provide effective auxiliary predictions for clinicians, supporting individualized treatment decisions.
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Humans ; Male ; Female ; Lung Neoplasms/pathology* ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Artificial Intelligence ; Aged ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Adult ; Solitary Pulmonary Nodule/diagnostic imaging* ; ROC Curve

Objective To explore the regulatory mechanism of angiopoietin 1(ANGPT1)on proliferation,invasion and angiogenesis of prostate cancer cells.Methods Mouse prostate cancer cell line(RM-1)was divided into control group,NC-oe group,ANGPT1-oe group,NC-sh group and ANGPT1-sh group.NC-oe,ANGPT1-oe,NC-sh and ANGPT1-sh were transfected into RM-1 cells by Lipofectamine3000 reagent.The transfection efficiency was verified by RT-qPCR and Western blot,cell proliferation was detected by MTT assay and EdU stai-ning and cell invasion was detected by Transwell assay.The cells were divided into the following groups:control group,Tie2-expressing monocytes/macrophages(TEMs)group,NC-oe+TEM group,ANGPT1-oe+TEM group,NC-sh+TEM group and ANGPT1-sh+TEM groups.RM-1 and TEM were co-cultured.RM-1 cells were collected after 72 hours and subjected to MTT proliferation assay,EdU staining assay and Transwell invasion assay.The co-cultured cell supernatant from each group mouse umbilical vein endothelial cells(MUVECs)were co-incubated with cell supernatant collected from each group cells and then to detect the number of tubules formed.The co-cul-tured cell supernatant of each group was collected,and the level of MMP-9,VEGFA and COX-2 were detected by ELISA.Results 1)Compared with control group and NC-oe group,the level of ANGPT1 mRNA and protein in ANGPT1-oe group was increased(P＜0.05).Compared with control group and NC-sh group,the level of ANGPT1 mRNA and protein in ANGPT1-sh group was decreased(P＜0.05).2)Compared with control group,the cell viability,EdU positive rate,counting of invasive cells and of tubules formed in TEM group significantly increased(P＜0.05),the level of MMP-9,VEGFA and COX-2 in the supernatant was increased(P＜0.05).Compared with TEM group and NC-oe+TEM group,the cell viability,EdU positive rate,counting of invasive cells and of tubules formed in ANGPT1-oe+TEM group decreased(P＜0.05).The level of MMP-9,VEGFA and COX-2 in the supernatant was significantly decreased(P＜0.05).Compared with TEM group and NC-sh+TEM group,the cell viability,EdU positive rate,counting of invasive cell and of tubules formed in ANGPT1-sh+TEM group all increased(P＜0.05).The level of MMP-9,VEGFA and COX-2 in the supernatant were increased(P＜0.05).Conclusions The decreased expression of ANGPT1 in prostate cancer significantly enhances the promotion effect of TEMs on the proliferation,invasion and angiogenesis of prostate cancer cells,thus promoting the progression of prostate cancer.

Objective To analyze the effect of hand transmitted vibration on fingertip thermotactile perception threshold (TPT) among grinding workers in a sports equipment manufacturing enterprise. Methods A total of 151 male grinding workers from a sports equipment manufacturing enterprise in Guangdong Province were enrolled in the vibration exposure group, and 51 male workers without hand-transmitted vibration exposure were enrolled in the control group, using the judgment sampling method. Basic health conditions of the workers were surveyed in both groups. The TPTs of the distal phalanges of the index and little fingers on both hands were tested using an HVLab thermal perception tester. Results The detection rates of finger numbness and tingling among workers in the vibration exposure group were higher than those in the control group (92.1% vs 7.8% and 59.6% vs 0.0%, respectively, both P<0.01). The detection rates of numbness or tingling of different fingers in the vibration exposure group descended in the following order: index finger, middle finger, ring finger, thumb and little finger. The hot threshold of the index finger and little finger increased (all P<0.01), while the cold threshold decreased (all P<0.01) in the vibration exposure group, compared with the control group. The results of generalized linear regression analysis showed that with the increase of the duration of hand-transmitted vibration, the hot threshold of the index finger and the little finger of both hands increased (all P<0.01), and the cold threshold decreased (all P<0.01). The hot thresholds of workers with numbness of both the index fingers and left little finger were higher than those of workers without numbness of the same finger (all P<0.05). The hot threshold of workers with tingling of the left index finger was higher than those without tingling (P<0.05). The cold thresholds of workers with tingling of the both index fingers and left little finger were lower than those without tingling of the same finger (all P<0.05). The hot threshold of the right little finger increased with age (P<0.01), while the cold thresholds of both little fingers decreased with age (all P<0.01). Conclusion Hand-transmitted vibration exposure increases fingertip hot threshold and decreases fingertip cold threshold of workers exposed to hand-transmitted vibration. Years of service in hand-transmitted vibration work, finger numbness or tingling, and age were influencing factors of TPT. Fingertip TPT examination can be used to assist in the early detection of vibration-induced nerve injury in workers exposed to hand-transmitted vibration.

Respiratory syncytial virus(RSV)is a ubiquitous respiratory virus that affects individuals of all ages;however,there is a notable lack of targeted treatments.RSV infection is associated with a range of respi-ratory symptoms,including bronchiolitis and pneumonia.Baicalin(BA)exhibits significant therapeutic effects against RSV infection through mechanisms of viral inhibition and anti-inflammatory action.Nonetheless,the clinical application of BA is constrained by its low solubility and bioavailability.In this study,we prepared BA nanodrugs(BA NDs)with enhanced water solubility utilizing the supramolecular self-assembled strategy,and we further conducted a comparative analysis of this pharmacological activity between free drugs and NDs of BA.Both in vitro and in vivo results demonstrated that BA NDs significantly enhanced the dual effects of viral inhibition and inflammation relief compared to free BA,attributed to prolonged lung retention,improved cellular uptake,and increased targeting affinity.Our study confirms that the nanosizing strategy,a straightforward approach to enhance drug solubility,can also increase biological activity compared to free drugs with the same content,thereby providing a potential ND for RSV treatment.This correlation analysis between the existing forms of drugs and their biological activity offers a novel perspective for research on the active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine.

To promote convergence education among national and international students, Nanjing Medical University designed an optional curriculum Two Sides of the Same Coin in Parasitic Diseases among international students for the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) program, and a research-based teaching method was employed to teach 31 international students. This curriculum contained three parts, including parasitology-related knowledge, basic knowledge and skills of scientific research, and frontier topics in scientific research advances, and the assessment contents included course sign-in, classroom activity participation and scientific research presentation. Curriculum evaluation showed 100.0% (8/8) of students in batch 2018—2021, 81.8% (9/11) in batch 2022, and 83.3% (10/12) in batch 2023 with a total score of 80 points and higher, with median scores (interquartile range) of 91.1 (7.0), 90.8 (5.7) points and 90.8 (5.7) points, respectively (H = 0.04, P > 0.05). In addition, a questionnaire survey was performed with a Likert scale to assess the interests in curriculum learning, and the curriculum practicality and importance among 31 international students, and a total of 27 valid questionnaires were recovered, with a recovery rate of 87.1%. Questionnaire survey showed that the median total scores (interquartile range) were 7.0 (0.8) points among batch 2018—2021 students, 6.4 (1.4) points among batch 2022 students and 6.0 (1.1) points among batch 2023 students (H = 2.64, P > 0.05). Collectively, these data demonstrate that this optional curriculum improves the interests in parasitology learning of the international students for MBBS program, as well as their capability of self-directed learning, teamwork and innovative.

Objective:To explore the causal relationship between 1 400 blood metabolites and hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism by using Mendelian randomization(MR) approach.Methods:This study employed a bi-directional Mendelian randomization analysis and sourced data of blood metabolites related to hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism from the genome-wide association study(GWAS) database. R software and TwoSampleMR software package were used for analysis. The inverse variance weighting method(IVW) was used as the main method, and MR-Egger regression, weighted median method, simple mode and weighted mode were used as supplementary methods to analyze the causal relationship between blood metabolites and hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism. The false-positive rate was corrected by false discovery rate(FDR, FDR<0.2) to control for false positives; Meta-analysis of different sample pools was performed for overall assessment. Results:The analysis found three blood metabolites significantly linked to hypothyroidism: pregnenediol disulfate(IVW: OR=1.068, 95% CI 1.032-1.106, P<0.001), 1-(1-enyl-palmitoyl)-2-linoleoyl-GPE(IVW: OR=0.891, 95% CI 0.840-0.944, P<0.001), and linoleic-arachidonic glycerin(IVW: OR =0.923, 95% CI 0.885-0.963, P<0.001). Glutamine was also noted(IVW: OR=0.998, 95% CI 0.997-0.999, P<0.001). Reverse MR showed no significant correlation between hyperthyroidism and the four metabolites(IVW: P>0.05). Validation from FinnGen Biospecimen Library and UKB Biospecimen Library confirmed these findings. Conclusions:Among 1 400 blood metabolites, pregnenediol disulfate showed a positive correlation with hypothyroidism. In contrast, 1-(1-enyl-palmitoyl)-2-linoleoyl-GPE and linoleic-arachidonic glycerin exhibited negative correlations with hypothyroidism, while glutamine showed a negative correlation with hyperthyroidism. This study offers insights into the pathogenesis, early screening, and treatment of hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism.

Objective:To explore the causal relationship between 1 400 blood metabolites and hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism by using Mendelian randomization(MR) approach.Methods:This study employed a bi-directional Mendelian randomization analysis and sourced data of blood metabolites related to hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism from the genome-wide association study(GWAS) database. R software and TwoSampleMR software package were used for analysis. The inverse variance weighting method(IVW) was used as the main method, and MR-Egger regression, weighted median method, simple mode and weighted mode were used as supplementary methods to analyze the causal relationship between blood metabolites and hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism. The false-positive rate was corrected by false discovery rate(FDR, FDR<0.2) to control for false positives; Meta-analysis of different sample pools was performed for overall assessment. Results:The analysis found three blood metabolites significantly linked to hypothyroidism: pregnenediol disulfate(IVW: OR=1.068, 95% CI 1.032-1.106, P<0.001), 1-(1-enyl-palmitoyl)-2-linoleoyl-GPE(IVW: OR=0.891, 95% CI 0.840-0.944, P<0.001), and linoleic-arachidonic glycerin(IVW: OR =0.923, 95% CI 0.885-0.963, P<0.001). Glutamine was also noted(IVW: OR=0.998, 95% CI 0.997-0.999, P<0.001). Reverse MR showed no significant correlation between hyperthyroidism and the four metabolites(IVW: P>0.05). Validation from FinnGen Biospecimen Library and UKB Biospecimen Library confirmed these findings. Conclusions:Among 1 400 blood metabolites, pregnenediol disulfate showed a positive correlation with hypothyroidism. In contrast, 1-(1-enyl-palmitoyl)-2-linoleoyl-GPE and linoleic-arachidonic glycerin exhibited negative correlations with hypothyroidism, while glutamine showed a negative correlation with hyperthyroidism. This study offers insights into the pathogenesis, early screening, and treatment of hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism.