ObjectiveTo explore the construction of a machine learning model for the diagnosis of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndromes in chronic cough and the optimization of this model using the Voting ensemble algorithm. MethodsA retrospective analysis was conducted using clinical data from 921 patients with chronic cough treated at the Respiratory Department of Dongfang Hospital， Beijing University of Chinese Medicine. After standardized processing， 84 clinical features were extracted to determine TCM syndrome types. A specialized dataset for TCM syndrome diagnosis in chronic cough was formed by selecting syndrome types with more than 50 cases. The synthetic minority over-sampling technique （SMOTE） was employed to balance the dataset. Four base models， logistic regression （LR）， decision tree （dt）， multilayer perceptron （MLP）， and Bagging， were constructed and integrated using a hard voting strategy to form a Voting ensemble model. Model performance was evaluated using accuracy， recall， precision， F1-score， receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curve， area under the curve （AUC）， and confusion matrix. ResultsAmong the 921 cases， six syndrome types had over 50 cases each， phlegm-heat obstructing the lung （294 cases）， wind pathogen latent in the lung （103 cases）， cold-phlegm obstructing the lung （102 cases）， damp-heat stagnating in the lung （64 cases）， lung yang deficiency （54 cases）， and phlegm-damp obstructing the lung （53 cases）， yielding a total of 670 cases in the specialized dataset. High-frequency symptoms among these patients included cough， expectoration， odor-induced cough， throat itchiness， itch-induced cough， and cough triggered by cold wind. Among the four base models， the MLP model showed the best diagnostic performance （test accuracy： 0.9104； AUC： 0.9828）. Compared with the base models， the Voting ensemble model achieved superior performance with an accuracy of 0.9289 on the training set and 0.9253 on the test set， showing a minimal overfitting gap of 0.0036. It also achieved the highest AUC （0.9836） in the test set， outperforming all base models. The model exhi-bited especially strong diagnostic performance for damp-heat stagnating in the lung （AUC： 0.9984） and wind pathogen latent in the lung （AUC： 0.9970）. ConclusionThe Voting ensemble algorithm effectively integrates the strengths of multiple machine learning models， resulting in an optimized diagnostic model for TCM syndromes in chronic cough with high accuracy and enhanced generalization ability.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of palliative care on drug use, medical service utilization and medical expenditure of patients with advanced cancer. METHODS: A cohort of patients including pal-liative care and standard care was constructed using the medical records of the patients in Peking University Cancer Hospital from 2018 to 2020, and coarsened exact matching was used to match the two groups of patients. The average monthly opioid consumption, hospitalization rate, intensive care unit (ICU) rate and operation rate, and the average monthly total cost were selected to evaluate drug use, medical service utilization and medical expenditure. Chi-square test and Wilcoxon signed rank test were used to compare the differences between the two groups before and after exposure and the change in the palliative care group. The net impact of palliative care on the patients was calculated using the difference-in-differences analysis. RESULTS: In this study, 180 patients in the palliative care group and 3 101 patients in the stan-dard care group were finally included in the matching, and the matching effect of the two groups was good (L₁ < 0.1). Before and after exposure, the average monthly opioid consumption in the palliative care group was significantly higher than that in the standard care group (Before exposure: 0.3 DDD/person-month vs. 0.1 DDD/person-month, P < 0.01; After exposure: 0.7 DDD/person-month vs. 0.1 DDD/person-month, P < 0.01; DDD refers to defined daily dose), palliative care significantly increased the average monthly opioid consumption in the patients (0.3 DDD/person-month, P < 0.01). The hospitalization rate (48.9% vs. 74.3%, P < 0.01) and operation rate (3.9% vs. 8.8%, P < 0.01) of the patients in palliative care group were significantly lower than those in standard care group, and the ICU rate became similar between the two groups (1.1% vs. 1.6%, P=0.634). Palliative care significantly reduced the patients ' hospitalization rate (-25.6%, P < 0.01), ICU rate (-4.9%, P < 0.01) and operation rate (-14.5%, P < 0.01). Before and after exposure, the average monthly total costs of pal-liative care group were slightly higher than those of standard care group (Before exposure: 20 092.3 yuan vs. 19 132.8 yuan, P=0.725; After exposure: 9 719.8 yuan vs. 8 818.8 yuan, P=0.165). Palliative care increased the average monthly total cost by 2 208.8 yuan, but it was not statistically significant (P=0.316). CONCLUSION Palliative care can increase the opioid consumption in advanced cancer patients, reduce the rates of hospitalization, ICU and surgery, but has no significant effect on medical expenditure.
Humans ; Palliative Care/economics* ; Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Analgesics, Opioid/economics* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Hospitalization/economics* ; Intensive Care Units/statistics & numerical data* ; Health Expenditures/statistics & numerical data* ; Adult ; Drug Utilization/statistics & numerical data* ; Patient Acceptance of Health Care/statistics & numerical data*

Gut microbial communities are likely remodeled in tandem with accumulated physiological decline during aging, yet there is limited understanding of gut microbiome variation in advanced age. Here, we performed a metagenomics-based enterotype analysis in a geographically homogeneous cohort of 367 enrolled Chinese individuals between the ages of 60 and 94 years, with the goal of characterizing the gut microbiome of elderly individuals and identifying factors linked to enterotype variations. In addition to two adult-like enterotypes dominated by Bacteroides (ET-Bacteroides) and Prevotella (ET-Prevotella), we identified a novel enterotype dominated by Escherichia (ET-Escherichia), whose prevalence increased in advanced age. Our data demonstrated that age explained more of the variance in the gut microbiome than previously identified factors such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) or diet. We characterized the distinct taxonomic and functional profiles of ET-Escherichia, and found the strongest cohesion and highest robustness of the microbial co-occurrence network in this enterotype, as well as the lowest species diversity. In addition, we carried out a series of correlation analyses and co-abundance network analyses, which showed that several factors were likely linked to the overabundance of Escherichia members, including advanced age, vegetable intake, and fruit intake. Overall, our data revealed an enterotype variation characterized by Escherichia enrichment in the elderly population. Considering the different age distribution of each enterotype, these findings provide new insights into the changes that occur in the gut microbiome with age and highlight the importance of microbiome-based stratification of elderly individuals.
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Bacteroides ; China ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/microbiology* ; Escherichia coli/classification* ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome/genetics* ; Metagenomics ; East Asian People

Background: Twenty-four-hour urinary free cortisol (UFC) measurement is the initial diagnostic test for Cushing’s syndrome (CS). We compared UFC determination by both direct and extraction immunoassays using Abbott Architect, Siemens Atellica Solution, and Beckman DxI800 with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). In addition, we evaluated the value of 24-hr UFC measured by six methods for diagnosing CS. Methods: Residual 24-hr urine samples of 94 CS and 246 non-CS patients were collected.A laboratory-developed LC-MS/MS method was used as reference. UFC was measured by direct assays (D) using Abbott, Siemens, and Beckman platforms and by extraction assays (E) using Siemens and Beckman platforms. Method was compared using Passing–Bablok regression and Bland–Altman plot analyses. Cut-off values for the six assays and corresponding sensitivities and specificities were calculated by ROC analysis. Results: Abbott-D, Beckman-E, Siemens-E, and Siemens-D showed strong correlations with LC-MS/MS (Spearman coefficient r = 0.965, 0.922, 0.922, and 0.897, respectively), while Beckman-D showed weaker correlation (r = 0.755). All immunoassays showed proportionally positive bias. The areas under the curve were 0.975 for Abbott-D, 0.972 for LCMS/MS, 0.966 for Siemens-E, 0.948 for Siemens-D, 0.955 for Beckman-E, and 0.877 for Beckman-D. The cut-off values varied significantly (154.8–1,321.5 nmol/24 hrs). Assay sensitivity and specificity ranged from 76.1% to 93.2% and from 93.0% to 97.1%, respectively. Conclusions Commercially available immunoassays for measuring UFC show different levels of analytical consistency compared to LC-MS/MS. Abbott-D, Siemens-E, and Beckman-E have high diagnostic accuracy for CS.

Objective:To investigate the effect of visceral fat thickness before operation on the operative difficulty and postoperative complications in renal transplantation recipients.Methods:A total of 179 patients diagnosed with end-stage renal disease who underwent kidney transplantation in Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University from January 2020 to January 2022 were retrospectively included. According to the visceral fat thickness measured by CT before transplantation (distance from anterior wall of abdominal aorta to parietal peritoneum at 1 cm above umbilicus), patients were divided into two groups, with 103 patients in thin visceral fat group with visceral fat thickness ≤7.5 cm and 76 patients in thick visceral fat group with visceral fat thickness>7.5 cm. The epidemiological data before renal transplantation, operative time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative complications, renal function after transplantation and patients′ recovery state were analyzed and compared between the two groups. Measurement data were expressed as mean±standard deviation ( ± s), and independent sample t-test was used for comparison between groups. The Chi-square test was used to compare the count data. Results:The mean age and body mass index of patients in thin visceral fat group [(38.70±11.50) years and (21.28±2.93) kg/m 2] were lower than those in thick visceral fat group [(43.14±11.42) years and (24.78±3.37) kg/m 2], and the differences were statistically significant ( P< 0.05). There was no significant difference in other preoperative epidemiological data between the two groups ( P>0.05). In terms of operation difficulty, the mean operation time of thin visceral fat group was (117.16±34.33) min, which was significantly shorter than that of thick visceral fat group (137.11±20.02) min. The mean intraoperative blood loss in the thin visceral fat group was (89.12±45.95) mL, which was lower than that in the thick visceral fat group (125.39±54.88) mL, the differences were statistically significant ( P<0.001). In terms of postoperative complications, 41 patients in the thin visceral fat group had postoperative infection, incision pain and intraoperative effusion, and the incidence was 39.8% (41/103), which was significantly lower than that in the thick visceral fat group (78.9%, 60/76), the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.001); However, there was no significant difference in the incidence of Clavien-Dindo grade 3 or higher complications between the two groups ( P> 0.05). There was no significant difference in serum creatinine levels at 3, 5, 7 days and 1, 2 months after surgery among patients with different visceral fat thickness ( P> 0.05). However, the mean serum creatinine level in the thin visceral fat group was (116.06±36.45) μmol/L, which was lower than that in the thick visceral fat group (133.35±72.26) μmol/L, and the difference was statistically significant ( P=0.038). There was no significant difference in the incidence of delayed renal function recovery between the two groups ( P> 0.05). At the same time, there was no significant difference in postoperative drainage tube indwelling time and hospital stay between the two groups ( P> 0.05). Conclusions:The thicker visceral fat in end-stage renal disease patients before transplantation, the higher the incidence of general postoperative complications, but the severity of complications, patients′ recovery after transplantation and the short-term function of the transplanted kidney are not significantly related to the thickness of visceral fat in the recipients. Meanwhile, although the visceral fat thickness of the recipients in this study was correlated with serum creatinine levels at 3 months after transplantation, its correlation with long-term graft renal function and graft survival time remains to be further studied.

With the increasing use of lower-extremity arterial angioplasty and the clinical use of a variety of vascular preparation devices. Vascular surgeons have more vascular preparation equipment such as cutting balloon, double wire balloon, chocolate balloon, shock wave balloon, AngioJet, Roterax and Acostream. These options can improve clinical outcomes, improve patient experience, and reduce stent placement and associated complications. This article will review the available vascular preparation devices for volume reduction, endovascular lithotripsy, and other special balloons to help clinicians choose the appropriate vascular preparation for their condition to improve perioperative safety and long-term patency.

ObjectiveTo investigate the acute effects of compound air pollution on children’s respiratory function. MethodsUsing panel group study design， 223 students in five classes of grade 4 from two primary schools （a， b） in Xuhui and Hongkou districts of Shanghai were randomly selected to measure pulmonary function and exhaled nitric oxide （FeNO）. The first three tests were carried out from May to June in 2020， and the fourth test was carried out from September to December in 2021. At the same time， the daily and hourly mean values of PM_2.5， PM₁₀， SO₂， NO₂， O₃ and CO was collected from the nearby air quality monitoring points of the two schools during the same period ， as well as meteorological monitoring data （temperature， humidity， wind speed and atmospheric pressure）. The linear mixed effect model was used to analyze the effects of air pollution on pulmonary function and respiratory inflammation in the summer. ResultsThe results of single pollutant model showed that PM_2.5， PM_10， SO₂ and NO₂ were positively correlated with FeNO， and the effect was reflected in lag0， lag1 and lag3 （P<0.05）. PM_2.5， PM₁₀ and NO₂ were negatively correlated with the changes of lung function FEF_25%， FEF_50%， FEF_75%， FeF_25%-75%， PEF， FVC， FEV1 and FEV1/FVC， and the effect was reflected in lag0 to lag3 days （P<0.05）. The results of the dual pollutant model showed that the concentration changes of SO₂ and NO₂ were significantly correlated with the decrease of FEV1 when combined with O₃ or PM_2.5 （P<0.01）， and the concentration changes of PM_2.5 was significantly correlated with the increase of FeNO when O₃， SO₂ and NO₂ were combined respectively （P<0.01）. The effects of the dual pollutant model were greater than the effect of PM_2.5 single pollutant model. ConclusionThe health effects of different air pollutants on children’s respiratory tract function indexes in summer are different. The combined effects of two pollutants on the lung function of children increased to different degrees. Although air pollution is light in summer， it still has an impact on children’s respiratory tract function index and inflammation index， and the combined effect of dual pollutants is more significant than that of single pollutant.

Objective To identify the influencing factors of operation time of hand-assisted laparoscopic living donor nephrectomy, and to analyze the relationship between influencing factors and the severity of postoperative complications. Methods Clinical data of 91 donors who underwent hand-assisted laparoscopic nephrectomy were retrospectively analyzed. The correlation between preoperative baseline data of donors and operation time was analyzed. The relationship between operation time and postoperative complications was assessed and the threshold of operation time was determined. Results Multiple donor renal arteries, thick perirenal and posterior renal fat, metabolic syndrome, high Mayo adhesive probability (MAP) score and Clavien-Dindo score prolonged the operation time. By analyzing the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, we found that when the operation time was ≥138 min, the incidence of postoperative complications of donors was significantly increased (P<0.05). Conclusions For donors with multiple renal arteries, thick perirenal and posterior renal fat, metabolic syndrome and high MAP score and Clavien-Dindo score, experienced surgeons should be selected to make adequate preoperative preparation and pay close attention after surgery, so as to timely detect postoperative complications and reduce the severity of complications, enhance clinical prognosis of the donors.

Objective To propose a motion performance-based adaptive assistance strategy to balance the differences in movement intensity caused by varying motor abilities in dual-person upper limb rehabilitation training. Methods A competitive interactive task suitable for dual-person rehabilitation training was designed.Two kinematic evaluation metrics were introduced,and fuzzy logic was applied to comprehensively assess the patients'motor performance.An adaptive control system framework was constructed to dynamically adjust the robot's assistance level through a difference-based adaptive step-size piecewise function.Four healthy persons were recruited ran-domly to test the system. Results The proposed strategy could adaptively adjust the level of assistance based on the participants'motor perfor-mance,balancing the differences in motor abilities between them and enabling both parties to engage at a similar competitive level. Conclusion The motion performance-based adaptive assistance strategy and adaptive control system framework may bal-ance the skill levels between participants with different motor abilities,avoiding the imbalance of training intensi-ty during dual-person interactive rehabilitation.