Objective To develop a predictive model for postoperative mortality risk in patients with acute aortic dissection(AAD)using the Extreme Gradient Boosting(XGBoost)algorithm combined with Shapley Additive Explanation(SHAP),and to establish a prediction website to serve as a diagnostic and therapeutic support platform for clinicians and patients.Methods A retrospective cohort study design was adopted.Data from 782 AAD patients who underwent surgical treatment at the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University from January 2013 to December 2023 were collected,including basic information and initial serum biomarker test results.Patients were randomly divided into training and test sets at a 7:3 ratio.An external validation set consisting of 313 AAD patients admitted to the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University from January 2020 to December 2023 was also established for further model validation.Variables were screened using LASSO regression,and an XGBoost machine learning model was constructed and interpreted using SHAP.The predictive performance of the model was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis.Using the Shiny package,the XGBoost model was deployed to shinyapps.io to create a prediction website for postoperative mortality risk in AAD patients.One patient was selected by simple random sampling from the test set and the external validation set respectively for the prediction example on the Shiny webpage.Results The XGBoost model demonstrated high predictive performance for postoperative mortality in AAD patients,with area under the ROC curve(AUC)values of 0.928(95%CI 0.901-0.956)in the training set,0.919(95%CI 0.891-0.949)in the test set,and 0.941(95%CI 0.915-0.967)in the external validation set.SHAP values indicated the following order of variable importance in the model(from highest to lowest):"lactate dehydrogenase""blood chlorine""multiple organ injury""carbon dioxide combining power""prothrombin time""α-hydroxybutyric acid""creatine kinase isoenzyme""Stanford classification""combined use of bedside blood purification""gender""acute kidney injury""gastrointestinal bleeding""brain injury"and"shock".A risk prediction website for adverse postoperative outcomes in AAD patients was developed using XGBoost-SHAP method(https://dun-dunxiaolu.shinyapps.io/document/)and validated with examples.One randomly selected patient from each of the test and external validation sets was applied:the predicted mortality risk value for patient 1(who died postoperatively)was 0.9539,and that for patient 2(who survived postoperatively)was 0.0206.Conclusions The XGBoost-SHAP model demonstrates high accuracy in predicting postoperative mortality risk for AAD patients.The online prediction tool established based on this model enhances the identification efficiency of high-risk postoperative mortality patients.

The 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones were separated from agarwood of Aquilaria agallocha Roxb. and their anti-KRAS mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) activities were evaluated. 2-(2-Phenyethyl)chromones in agarwood were separated and purified by silica gel, RP-18 reverse phase silica gel, MCI gel CH20P, Diol, and semi preparative HPLC chromatography techniques, while the structures of the compounds were identified by extensive spectroscopic analysis, such as 1D and 2D NMR and ESI-MS. The cell counting kit 8 (CCK-8) assay was used to screen the anti-tumor activity of the isolated monomeric compounds on three KRAS-mutant NSCLC cells. The cell proliferation, cloning formation, adhesion ability, and cell cycle arrest activity of compound 8 were analyzed. Molecular docking and Western blot experiments were used to study the mechanism of compound 8. The in vivo anti-tumor activity of the compound 8 was evaluated by zebrafish cell derived xenograft (CDX) model. Nineteen known 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones were isolated from the ethyl acetate extract of agarwood. On A549 (KRAS G12S) cells, compounds 8, 10, and 19 showed good inhibitory activity, on H23 (KRAS G12C) cells, compounds 7, 8, and 19 showed good inhibitory activity, and on H358 (KRAS G12C) cells, compounds 8, 10, and 16 showed good inhibitory activity. Compound 8 had the best inhibitory activity in all three cell lines. It effectively inhibited cell proliferation, clone formation, adhesion ability, and arrested the H23 cell cycle at G2/M phase. Compound 8 could also inhibit the expression of c-Met and its downstream signaling pathways, effectively inhibiting tumor growth in zebrafish CDX model. In conclusion, among the nineteen known 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones, compound 8 had the best activity and significantly inhibited the proliferation of KRAS-mutant NSCLC cells by arresting the cells in the G2/M phase.

Objective To observe the pharmacokinetic effect of amoxicillin and clavulanate potassium tablets on amoxicillin in Chinese healthy subjects under fasting and high fat and high calorie diet.Methods 71 healthy subjects were given a single dose of amoxicillin potassium clavulanate tablets(0.375 g)on fasting or high fat diet,and venous blood samples were collected at different time points.The concentrations of amoxicillin in human plasma were determined by HPLC-MS/MS method,and the pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated by non-atrioventricular model using PhoenixWinNonlin 8.0 software.Results The main pharmacokinetic parameters of amoxicillin potassium clavulanate tablets after fasting and high fat diet were(5 105.00±1 444.00),(4 593.00±1 327.00)ng·mL-1,and postprandial-fasting ratio 89.40％,90％confidence interval(79.55％-100.19％);t1/2 were(1.52±0.16),(1.39±0.22)h;AUC0-t were(12 969.00±1 841.00),(11 577.00±1 663.00)ng·mL-1·h,and postdietary/fasting ratio 89.20％,90％confidence interval(83.92％-94.28％);AUC0-∞ were(13 024.00±1 846.00),(11 532.00±1 545.00)ng·mL-1·h,and postprandial-fasting ratio 88.60％,90％confidence interval(83.48％-93.50％).The median Tmax(range)were 1.63(0.75,3.00)and 2.50(0.75,6.00)h,respectively,and the Tmax of postprandial medication was delayed(P＜0.01).Conclusion Compared with fasting condition,amoxicillin Tmax was significantly delayed after high fat diet,while Cmax,AUC0-t and AUC0-∞ were not significantly changed,indicating that food could delay the absorption of amoxicillin,but did not affect the degree of absorption.

Objective To explore characteristics of clinical parameters and cytokines in patients with drug-induced liver injury(DILI)caused by different drugs and their correlation with clinical indicators. Method The study was conducted on patients who were up to Review of Uncertainties in Confidence Assessment for Medical Tests(RUCAM)scoring criteria and clinically diagnosed with DILI.Based on Chinese herbal medicine,cardiovascular drugs,non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs(NSAIDs),anti-infective drugs,and other drugs,patients were divided into five groups.Cytokines were measured by Luminex technology.Baseline characteristics of clinical biochemical indicators and cytokines in DILI patients and their correlation were analyzed. Results 73 patients were enrolled.Age among five groups was statistically different(P=0.032).Alanine aminotransferase(ALT)(P=0.033)and aspartate aminotransferase(AST)(P=0.007)in NSAIDs group were higher than those in chinese herbal medicine group.Interleukin-6(IL-6)and tumor necrosis factor alpha(TNF-α)in patients with Chinese herbal medicine(IL-6:P<0.001;TNF-α:P<0.001)and cardiovascular medicine(IL-6:P=0.020;TNF-α:P=0.001)were lower than those in NSAIDs group.There was a positive correlation between ALT(r=0.697,P=0.025),AST(r=0.721,P=0.019),and IL-6 in NSAIDs group. Conclusion Older age may be more prone to DILI.Patients with NSAIDs have more severe liver damage in early stages of DILI,TNF-α and IL-6 may partake the inflammatory process of DILI.

Objective This study aimed to investigate the potential relationship between urinary metals copper (Cu), arsenic (As), strontium (Sr), barium (Ba), iron (Fe), lead (Pb) and manganese (Mn) and grip strength. Methods We used linear regression models, quantile g-computation and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) to assess the relationship between metals and grip strength.Results In the multimetal linear regression, Cu (β=-2.119), As (β=-1.318), Sr (β=-2.480), Ba (β=0.781), Fe (β= 1.130) and Mn (β=-0.404) were significantly correlated with grip strength (P < 0.05). The results of the quantile g-computation showed that the risk of occurrence of grip strength reduction was -1.007 (95％ confidence interval:-1.362, -0.652; P < 0.001) when each quartile of the mixture of the seven metals was increased. Bayesian kernel function regression model analysis showed that mixtures of the seven metals had a negative overall effect on grip strength, with Cu, As and Sr being negatively associated with grip strength levels. In the total population, potential interactions were observed between As and Mn and between Cu and Mn (Pinteractions of 0.003 and 0.018, respectively).Conclusion In summary, this study suggests that combined exposure to metal mixtures is negatively associated with grip strength. Cu, Sr and As were negatively correlated with grip strength levels, and there were potential interactions between As and Mn and between Cu and Mn.

Objective:To conduct a nationwide physician survey to better understand clinicians’ disease awareness, treatment patterns, and experience of Waldenstr?m macroglobulinemia (WM) in China.Methods:This cross-sectional study was conducted from February 2022 to July 2022 by recruiting clinicians with WM treatment experience from hematology, hematology-oncology, and oncology departments throughout China. Quantitative surveys were designed based on the qualitative interviews.Results:The study included 415 clinicians from 219 hospitals spread across thirty-three cities and twenty-two provinces. As for diagnosis, the laboratory tests prescribed by physicians for suspected WM patients were relatively consistent (92% -99% recommendation for laboratory, 79% -95% recommendation for pathology, 96% recommendation for gene testing, and 63% -83% recommendation for imaging examination). However, from a physician's perspective, there was 22% misdiagnosis occurred in clinical practice. The rate of misdiagnosis was higher in lower-level hospitals than in tertiary grade A hospitals (29% vs 21%, P<0.001). The main reasons for misdiagnosis were that WM was easily confused with other diseases, and physicians lacked the necessary knowledge to make an accurate diagnosis. In terms of gene testing in clinical practice, 96% of participating physicians believed that WM patients would require gene testing for MYD88 and CXCR4 mutations because the results of gene testing would aid in confirming diagnosis and treatment options. In terms of treatment, 55% of physicians thought that the most important goal was to achieve remission, while 54% and 51% of physicians wanted to improve laboratory and/or examination results and extend overall survival time, respectively. Among patients with treatment indications, physicians estimated that approximately 21% of them refused to receive treatment, mainly owing to a lack of affordable care and disease awareness. When selecting the most appropriate treatment regimens, physicians would consider patient affordability (63% ), comorbidity (61% ), and risk level (54% ). Regimens containing Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor (BTKi) were most widely recommended for both treatment-na?ve and relapsed/refractory patients (94% for all patients, 95% for treatment-na?ve patients, and 75% for relapsed/refractory patients), and most physicians recommended Ibrutinib (84% ). For those patients who received treatment, physicians reported that approximately 23% of patients did not comply with the treatment regimen due to a lack of affordability and disease awareness. Furthermore, 66% of physicians believe that in the future, increasing disease awareness and improving diagnosis rates is critical. Conclusions:This study is the first national physician survey of WM conducted in China. It systematically describes the issues that exist in WM diagnosis and treatment in China, such as a high rate of misdiagnosis, limited access to gene testing and new drugs, and poor patient adherence to treatment. Chinese doctors believe that improving doctors’ and patients’ understanding of WM is one of the most urgent issues that must be addressed right now.

Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of pneumococcal meningitis(PM),and drug sensitivity of Streptococcus pneumoniae(SP)isolates in Chinese children.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical information,laboratory data,and microbiological data of 160 hospitalized children under 15 years old with PM from January 2019 to December 2020 in 33 tertiary hospitals across the country.Results Among the 160 children with PM,there were 103 males and 57 females.The age ranged from 15 days to 15 years,with 109 cases(68.1% )aged 3 months to under 3 years.SP strains were isolated from 95 cases(59.4% )in cerebrospinal fluid cultures and from 57 cases(35.6% )in blood cultures.The positive rates of SP detection by cerebrospinal fluid metagenomic next-generation sequencing and cerebrospinal fluid SP antigen testing were 40% (35/87)and 27% (21/78),respectively.Fifty-five cases(34.4% )had one or more risk factors for purulent meningitis,113 cases(70.6% )had one or more extra-cranial infectious foci,and 18 cases(11.3% )had underlying diseases.The most common clinical symptoms were fever(147 cases,91.9% ),followed by lethargy(98 cases,61.3% )and vomiting(61 cases,38.1% ).Sixty-nine cases(43.1% )experienced intracranial complications during hospitalization,with subdural effusion and/or empyema being the most common complication[43 cases(26.9% )],followed by hydrocephalus in 24 cases(15.0% ),brain abscess in 23 cases(14.4% ),and cerebral hemorrhage in 8 cases(5.0% ).Subdural effusion and/or empyema and hydrocephalus mainly occurred in children under 1 year old,with rates of 91% (39/43)and 83% (20/24),respectively.SP strains exhibited complete sensitivity to vancomycin(100% ,75/75),linezolid(100% ,56/56),and meropenem(100% ,6/6).High sensitivity rates were also observed for levofloxacin(81% ,22/27),moxifloxacin(82% ,14/17),rifampicin(96% ,25/26),and chloramphenicol(91% ,21/23).However,low sensitivity rates were found for penicillin(16% ,11/68)and clindamycin(6% ,1/17),and SP strains were completely resistant to erythromycin(100% ,31/31).The rates of discharge with cure and improvement were 22.5% (36/160)and 66.2% (106/160),respectively,while 18 cases(11.3% )had adverse outcomes.Conclusions Pediatric PM is more common in children aged 3 months to under 3 years.Intracranial complications are more frequently observed in children under 1 year old.Fever is the most common clinical manifestation of PM,and subdural effusion/emphysema and hydrocephalus are the most frequent complications.Non-culture detection methods for cerebrospinal fluid can improve pathogen detection rates.Adverse outcomes can be noted in more than 10% of PM cases.SP strains are high sensitivity to vancomycin,linezolid,meropenem,levofloxacin,moxifloxacin,rifampicin,and chloramphenicol.[Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics,2024,26(2):131-138]

This study investigated the effect of eleutheroside B on apoptosis and autophagy of lung cancer A549 and H460 cells and its molecular mechanism. MTT assay was used to detect the cytotoxicity of eleutheroside B at 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, and 45 mmol·L~(-1) on lung cancer cells. Trypan blue exclusion assay was used to detect the effect of eleutheroside B on the survival rate of lung cancer A549 and H460 cells at different time. Colony formation assay was used to detect the effect of eleutheroside B on the proliferation of lung cancer A549 and H460 cells. AO/EB fluorescence double staining and Hoechst 33342 fluorescence staining were used to detect the effect of eleutheroside B on apoptosis of lung cancer A549 and H460 cells, and Western blot was used to detect apoptosis-related proteins to explore the apoptosis-related molecular mechanism. AO fluorescence staining and Western blot were used to detect the expression of autophagic vesicles and autophagy-related proteins P62 and LC3. The results showed that compared with the control group, eleutheroside B inhibited the growth of lung cancer A549 and H460 cells in a concentration-dependent manner. The optimal effect time of eleutheroside B on lung cancer A549 and H460 cells was 24 h, and the optimal concentrations were 28.64 and 22.16 mmol·L~(-1), respectively. Eleutheroside B could inhibit the colony formation of A549 and H460 cells. Compared with the control group, eleutheroside B could promote the formation of apoptotic bodies and induce cell apoptosis, as well as induce the expression of mitochondrial pathway-related proteins. Under the effect of eleutheroside B, the acidic autophagy vacuole in lung cancer cells increased, LC3Ⅱ expression increased, P62 protein expression decreased, and PI3K, p-Akt, and p-mTOR protein expression decreased in the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway. Studies have shown that eleutheroside B can inhibit the growth of lung cancer cells, reduce colony formation, induce apoptosis of lung cancer cells through mitochondrial pathway, and induce autophagy. The mechanism may be related to the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway.
Humans ; Lung Neoplasms/metabolism* ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism* ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/metabolism* ; Signal Transduction ; TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases/metabolism* ; Apoptosis ; Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins ; Autophagy ; Cell Proliferation ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Glucosides ; Phenylpropionates

Metabolic associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) has become a prevalent chronic liver disease worldwide because of lifestyle and dietary changes. Gut microbiota and its metabolites have been shown to play a critical role in the pathogenesis of MAFLD. Understanding of the function of gut microbiota and its metabolites in MAFLD may help to elucidate pathological mechanisms, identify diagnostic markers, and develop drugs or probiotics for the treatment of MAFLD. Here we review the pathogenesis of MAFLD by gut microbiota and its metabolites and discuss the feasibility of treating MAFLD from the perspective of gut microbes.
Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Fatty Liver/microbiology* ; Humans

Pulpitis and periapical inflammation are two common diseases in stomatology today. Existing treatment options primarily include root canal therapy and pulp revascularization, which can effectively control inflammation and preserve the affected tooth while also causing permanent deactivation of the pulp tissue, structural failure, and secondary infection. In recent years, research on dental pulp regeneration has progressively entered the public consciousness because of tissue engineering technology that combines stem cells and biomaterials. Due to their multi⁃differentiation and high proliferation, dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) isolated from permanent or deciduous teeth have emerged as a significant stem cell source for dentin or pulp tissue regeneration. However, the number and survival time of live cells in the dam⁃ aged area are impacted, which significantly limits the efficacy of stem cells since they are unable to efficiently be recruited to the injured area. The ability of DPSCs to migrate and multiply must therefore be enhanced. This study sought to determine if miR⁃31 (miR⁃31) may significantly enhance the proliferative and migratory capacities of DPSCs. The tissue block enzyme digestion method was used to successfully separate and culture DPSCs from dental pulp tissues, and the miR⁃31 levels in dental pulp tissues and DPSCs from normal and inflammatory teeth were compared. The results of real⁃time fluorescence quanti⁃ tative PCR (RT⁃qPCR) revealed that the expression level of miR⁃31 in dental pulp tissues and DPSCs from inflammatory teeth was significantly lower when compared to the control group (P<0. 05). Interfer⁃ ence and over⁃expression of miR⁃31 expressions in DPSCs were specifically divided into three groups: the NC group, the miR⁃31 agomir (over⁃expressed) group and the miR⁃31 antagomir (inhibitor) group. RTq⁃PCR results showed that the transfection was successful (P<0. 001). The results of CCK⁃8, wound⁃ healing, and Transwell migration experiments showed that overexpression of miR⁃31 successfully improved the proliferation and migration abilities of DPSCs compared with the control group (P<0. 05). Further⁃ more, Western blotting analysis revealed that miR⁃31 overexpression increased the expression of important migratory proteins, including CXC chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) and matrix metalloproteinase2 (MMP2), as well as key proliferation proteins Ki67 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) (P< 0. 05). This study demonstrates that miR⁃31 can effectively boost the proliferation and migratory ability of DPSCs, providing strong theoretical support for the increased use of DPSCs in regenerative medicine.