To develop and validate a model for predicting intensive care unit (ICU) mortality risk in patients with malignant tumors complicated by acute respiratory failure (ARF) based on an explainable machine learning framework.

Objective To investigate the role and regulatory mechanism of LINC00657 in the progression of cervical cancer. Methods Bioinformatics analysis predicted potential binding sites between LINC00657 and miR-30a-5p and between miR-30a-5p and Skp2. These sites were verified by using RNA immunoprecipitation and dual-luciferase reporter experiments. LINC00657, miR-30a-5p, and Skp2 mRNA expression levels in cervical cancer tissues and cell lines were assessed by utilizing RT-qPCR. Western blot analysis was employed to examine the protein levels of Skp2 in cells and subcutaneous xenograft tumor models in nude mice. Immunohistochemistry was applied to analyze Skp2 expression in animal tissues. The cellular processes of cervical cancer cell lines were evaluated through CCK-8, scratch, and Transwell assays. Results LINC00657 and Skp2 presented binding sites for miR-30a-5p. In cervical cancer, LINC00657 and Skp2 showed high expression levels (P<0.05), whereas miR-30a-5p displayed low expression (P<0.05). Functional experiments demonstrated that linc00657 upregulates Skp2 expression, a process that is dependent on its sequestration of miR-30a-5p. Conclusion LINC00657 promoted the malignant progression of cervical cancer by upregulating Skp2 expression through specifically sequestering miR-30a-5p, thereby relieving its inhibitory effect on the target gene Skp2.

To explore the anti-depression effect of Suanzaoren Decoction(SZRD), the regulatory effects on endogenous metabolites in the liver of rats with depression induced by chronic unpredictable mild stress(CUMS) were analyzed by using LC-MS metabolomics. The rats were randomly divided into normal control group, model group, low-dose SZRD group, high-dose SZRD group, and positive drug group. The CUMS depression model was replicated by applying a variety of stimuli, such as fasting and water deprivation, ice water swimming, hot water swimming, day and night reversal, tail clamping, and restraint for rats. Modeling and treatment were conducted for 56 days. The behavioral indexes of rats in each group, including body weight, open field test, sucrose preference test, and tail suspension test, were observed. Plasma samples and liver tissue samples were collected, and the contents of 5-hydroxytryptamine(5-HT), dopamine(DA), and norepinephrine(NE) in plasma were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). Meanwhile, the regulatory effects of SZRD on the liver metabolic profile of CUMS model rats were analyzed by the LC-MS metabolomics method. The results show that SZRD can significantly improve the depression-like behavior of CUMS model rats and increase the neurotransmitter levels of 5-HT, DA, and NE in plasma. A total of 24 different metabolites in the rats' liver are identified using the LC-MS metabolomics method, and SZRD can reverse 13 of these metabolites. Metabolic pathway analysis indicates that nine metabolic pathways are found to be significantly associated with depression, and in the low-dose SZRD group, four pathways can be regulated, including pentose phosphate pathway, purine metabolism, inositol phosphate metabolism, and sphingolipid metabolism. In the high-dose SZRD group, two metabolic pathways can be regulated, including sphingolipid metabolism and glycerol glycerophospholipid metabolism. Sphingolipid metabolism is a metabolic pathway that can be regulated by SZRD at different doses, so it is speculated that it may be the primary pathway through which SZRD can alleviate metabolic disturbances in the liver of CUMS model rats.
Animals ; Rats ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Metabolomics ; Depression/metabolism* ; Male ; Liver/drug effects* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Antidepressive Agents/administration & dosage* ; Serotonin/blood* ; Humans ; Disease Models, Animal ; Behavior, Animal/drug effects*

Process analytical technology(PAT) is a key means for digital transformation and upgrading of the traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) manufacturing process, serving as an important guarantee for consistent and controllable TCM product quality. Near-infrared(NIR) spectroscopy has become the core technology for measuring the TCM manufacturing process. By incorporating NIR spectroscopy into PAT and starting from the construction of a smart platform for the TCM manufacturing process, this paper systematically described the development history and innovative application of the combination of NIR spectroscopy with chemometrics in measuring the TCM manufacturing process by the research team over the past two decades. Additionally, it explored the application of a validation method based on accuracy profile(AP) in the practice of NIR spectroscopy. Furthermore, the software development progress driven by NIR spectroscopy supported by modeling technology was analyzed, and the prospect of integrating NIR spectroscopy in smart factory control platforms was exemplified with the construction practices of related platforms. By integrating with the smart platform, NIR spectroscopy could improve production efficiency and guarantee product quality. Finally, the prospect of the smart platform application in measuring the TCM manufacturing process was projected. It is believed that the software development for NIR spectroscopy and the smart manufacturing platform will provide strong technical support for TCM digitalization and industrialization.
Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared/methods* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/analysis* ; Software ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Quality Control

Following the core outcome set standards for development(COS-STAD), this study aims to construct core outcome set(COS) for clinical research on traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) treatment of simple obesity. Firstly, a comprehensive review was conducted on the randomized controlled trial(RCT) and systematic review(SR) about TCM treatment of simple obesity that were published in Chinese and English databases to collect reported outcomes. Additional outcomes were obtained through semi-structured interviews with patients and open-ended questionnaire surveys for clinicians. All the collected outcomes were then merged and organized as an initial outcome pool, and then a preliminary list of outcomes was formed after discussion by the working group. Subsequently, two rounds of Delphi surveys were conducted with clinicians, methodology experts, and patients to score the importance of outcomes in the list. Finally, a consensus meeting was held to establish the COS for clinical research on TCM treatment of simple obesity. A total of 221 RCTs and 12 SRs were included, and after integration of supplementary outcomes, an initial outcome pool of 141 outcomes were formed. Following discussions in the steering advisory group meeting, a preliminary list of 33 outcomes was finalized, encompassing 9 domains. Through two rounds of Delphi surveys and a consensus meeting, the final COS for clinical research on TCM treatment of simple obesity was determined to include 8 outcomes: TCM symptom scores, body mass index(BMI), waist-hip ratio, waist circumference, visceral fat index, body fat rate, quality of life, and safety, which were classified into 4 domains: TCM-related outcomes, anthropometric measurements, quality of life, and safety. This study has preliminarily established a COS for clinical research on TCM treatment of simple obesity. It helps reduce the heterogeneity in the selection and reporting of outcomes in similar clinical studies, thereby improving the comparability of research results and the feasibility of meta-analysis and providing higher-level evidence support for clinical practice.
Humans ; Obesity/therapy* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Treatment Outcome ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use*

To elucidate the mechanism by which steaming affects the quality of Curcuma kwangsiensis root tubers, methods such as LSCM, RVA, dual-wavelength spectrophotometry, LF-NMR, and LC-MS were employed to qualitatively and quantitatively detect changes in starch gelatinization characteristics, water distribution, and material composition of C. kwangsiensis root tubers under different steaming durations. Based on multivariate statistical analysis, the correlation between differences in gelatinization parameters, water distribution, and terpenoid material composition was investigated. The results indicate that steaming affects both starch gelatinization and water distribution in C. kwangsiensis. During the steaming process, transformations occur between amylose and amylopectin, as well as between semi-bound water and free water. After 60 min of steaming, starch gelatinization and water distribution reached an equilibrium state. The content of amylopectin, the amylose-to-amylopectin ratio, and parameters such as gelatinization temperature, viscosity, breakdown value, and setback value were significantly correlated(P≤0.05). Additionally, the amylose-to-amylopectin ratio was significantly correlated with total free water and total water content(P≤0.05). Steaming induced differences in the material composition of C. kwangsiensis root tubers. Clustering of primary metabolites in the OPLS-DA model was distinct, while secondary metabolites were classified into 9 clusters using the K-means clustering algorithm. Differential terpenoid metabolites such as(-)-α-curcumene were significantly correlated with zerumbone, retinal, and all-trans-retinoic acid(P<0.05). Curcumenol was significantly correlated with isoalantolactone and ursolic acid(P<0.05), while all-trans-retinoic acid was significantly correlated with both zerumbone and retinal(P<0.05). Alpha-tocotrienol exhibited a significant correlation with retinal and all-trans-retinoic acid(P<0.05). Amylose was extremely significantly correlated with(-)-α-curcumene, curcumenol, zerumbone, retinal, all-trans-retinoic acid, and α-tocotrienol(P<0.05). Amylopectin was significantly correlated with zerumbone(P<0.05) and extremely significantly correlated with(-)-α-curcumene, curcumenol, zerumbone, retinal, all-trans-retinoic acid, and 9-cis-retinoic acid(P<0.01). The results provide scientific evidence for elucidating the mechanism of quality formation of steamed C. kwangsiensis root tubers as a medicinal material.
Curcuma/chemistry* ; Starch/chemistry* ; Multivariate Analysis ; Water/chemistry* ; Terpenes/analysis* ; Plant Roots/chemistry* ; Plant Tubers/chemistry* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry*

This study aims to establish the S_(180) tumor-bearing mice model, and to investigate the influence of Shenqi Erpi Granules(SQEPG) on immune function, as well as the drug's tumor-suppressive effect and mechanism. SPF grade KM mice(half male and half female) were randomly divided into 6 groups: a control group, a model group, a cyclophosphamide group(50 mg·kg~(-1)), as well as SQEPG groups in low-, medium-, and high-dose(5.25, 10.5, 21 g·kg~(-1)). The control group and the model group were given distilled water, and the other 4 groups were given the corresponding drugs by gavage. The administration continued for 10 days before the mice were sacrificed. The antitumor and immune regulation effects of SQEPG were evaluated. The effect of SQEPG on delayed type hypersensitivity reaction(DTH), carbon clearance index, and serum hemolysin antibody level was observed to reflect the effect on the immune function of tumor-bearing mice. Tumor weight was recorded to calculate the tumor suppression rate and the immune organ index. Hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining was used to detect morphological changes in tumor tissues. Flow cytometry was employed to detect the percentage of CD4~+ and CD8~+ T-cells in the spleen tissues and the tumor tissue apoptosis levels. Immunohistochemistry was conducted to detect the KI67 protein expression level of tumor tissues. ELISA resorted to the detection of the following expression levels in tumor tissues: tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), interleukin-2(IL-2), interferon-γ(IFN-γ). Western blot was performed to detect the expression levels of caspase-3, B-cell lymphoma-2(Bcl-2), Bcl-2-associated X protein(Bax), cyclin-dependent kinases 4(CDK4), G_1/S-specific cyclin D1(cyclin D1), and vascular endothelial growth factor A(VEGFA). The results showed that, compared with the model group, the SQEPG could increase the swelling of the auricle of the tumor-bearing mice; significantly increase the phagocytic index of carbon granule contour(P<0.05 or P<0.01), and the middle dose of SQEPG could significantly increase the antibody level of hemolysin(P<0.05); different doses of SQEPG significantly inhibit the growth of the tumor, and decrease the mass of the tumor tissues(P<0.05 or P<0.01); the low dose of SQEPG significantly decreased spleen index(P<0.05), low and high doses of SQEPG increased thymus index, while medium doses of SQEPG decreased thymus index. High doses of SQEPG significantly elevated the levels of CD4~+ and CD8~+ T-cells in the spleens of the homozygous mice(P<0.01 or P<0.001), and increased the apoptosis rate of the cells of the tumor tissues(P<0.05); Meanwhile, high-dose SQEPG elevated the levels of immunity factors such as IL-2, IFN-γ and TNF-α in the serum of tumor-bearing mice(P<0.01); medium-and high-dose SQEPG significantly lowered the rate of positive expression of KI67 protein in tumor tissues(P<0.01). Compared with the model group, high-dose SQEPG significantly up-regulated the expression of caspase-3 and Bax proteins in tumor tissues(P<0.05), and significantly down-regulated the expression of CDK4, cyclin D1, and VEGFA proteins(P<0.05 or P<0.01). In conclusion, SQEPG has the effect of improving immune function and inhibiting tumor growth in tumor-bearing mice. Its mechanism of tumor-suppressive effects may be related to apoptosis promotion, cell cycle progression block, and tumor cell proliferation inhibition.
Animals ; Mice ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Male ; Female ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Sarcoma 180/genetics* ; Humans

Hepatic fibrosis is a key pathological process in the development of chronic liver disease to cirrhosis, and its core mechanism involves the activation of hepatic stellate cells(HSC) and abnormal deposition of extracellular matrix(ECM). Although existing treatments, such as antiviral drugs, can delay disease progression, they have the problem of single therapeutic targets and cannot reverse fibrosis. Accordingly, multidimensional intervention strategies are urgently needed. Recent studies have shown that circadian rhythm disorders aggravate hepatic fibrosis by regulating metabolism, immunity, and inflammation. Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) plays a unique role in restoring the circadian clock via multi-target and holistic regulation. This paper establishes a three-dimensional network by systematically integrating biological clock, metabolism, and immunity for the first time to elucidate the scientific connotation of the theory of time-concerned treatment of TCM, and proposes a new strategy for the development of time-targeted compound prescriptions, providing innovative ideas for the treatment of hepatic fibrosis.
Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis/metabolism* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Circadian Rhythm/drug effects* ; Animals ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Hepatic Stellate Cells/drug effects*