Objective Heart failure(HF)complicated by acute kidney injury(AKI)significantly impacts patient outcomes,and it is crucial to make early predictions of short-term mortality.This study is focused on developing an interpretable machine learning model to enhance early prediction accuracy in such clinical scenarios.Methods This retrospective cohort study utilized data from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care Ⅳ(MIMIC-Ⅳ,version 2.0)database.Data from the first 24 hours after admission to the ICU were extracted and divided into a training set(70％)and a validation set(30％).We utilized the SHapley Additive exPlanation(SHAP)method to interpret the workings of an extreme gradient boosting(XGBoost)model and identify key prognostic factors.The XGBoost model's predictive ability was evaluated against three other machine learning models using the area under the curve(AUC)metric,and its interpretation was enhanced using the SHAP method.Results The study included 8 028 patients with HF complicated by AKI.The XGBoost model outperformed the other models,achieving an AUC of 0.93(95％confidence interval[CI]:0.78-0.94;accuracy=0.89),while neural network model showed the worst performance(AUC=0.79,95％CI:0.77-0.82;accuracy=0.82).Decision curve analysis showed the superior net benefit of the XGBoost model within the 9％to 60％threshold probabilities.SHAP analysis was performed to identify the top 20 predictors,with age(mean SHAP value 1.29)and Glasgow Coma Scale score(mean SHAP value 1.24)emerging as significant factors.Conclusions Our interpretable model offers an enhanced ability to predict mortality risk in HF patients with AKI in ICUs.This model can be used to assist in formulating effective treatment plans and optimizing resource allocation.

BACKGROUND:Photothermal therapy is a novel tumor treatment strategy that uses photothermal agents to transform light energy into heat energy to accomplish non-invasive tumor ablation.The rise of photothermal therapy and nanotechnology has provided a new perspective on breast cancer treatment.OBJECTIVE:To prepare a new type of near-infrared biomimetic nanoprobe that has been modified by breast cancer cell membrane,to investigate the effect of near-infrared fluorescence/ultrasound imaging in vitro,and to observe its targeting ability and photothermal therapy effect on homologous tumor cells in vitro.METHODS:Organic small molecule ITIC-4CI with A-D-A structure was used as photothermal agents;polylactic acid/glycolic acid copolymer as nanocarrier;4T1 cell membrane of mouse breast cancer cells as a surface modifier of nanoparticles;perfluorohexane(PFH)was loaded.A novel near-infrared biomimetic nanoprobe(4T1m/ITIC-4CI/PFH)was prepared by the double emulsion evaporation method and sonication method.The basic characterization of the nanoprobe and the homologous targeting ability were detected.The photothermal properties and photothermal stability of the probe were investigated,and the near-infrared fluorescence/ultrasound imaging effect of the probe under laser irradiation was observed.The CCK-8 assay and calcein/propidium iodide staining were used to assess the efficacy of photothermal therapy.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The prepared 4T1m/ITIC-4CI/PFH nanoprobes had uniform size,high stability,and an average particle size of(92.7±2.3)nm.The probe's protein composition was identical to that of the 4T1 cell membrane.The nanoprobe's ability to target homologous 4T1 cells was validated by an in vitro cell uptake assay.(2)The nanoprobe had a red-shift absorption spectrum and tail emission extending to the near-infrared-Ⅱ,which emitted a bright near-infrared-Ⅱ fluorescence signal under laser irradiation.(3)After laser irradiation,the nanoprobe 4T1m/ITIC-4CI/PFH could be turned into microbubbles and enhanced ultrasound imaging.The results of CCK-8 assay and calcein/propidium iodide staining showed that the nanoprobe 4T1m/ITIC-4CI/PFH had an obvious photothermal killing effect on 4T1 cells.(4)The results show that the nanoprobe 4T1m/ITIC-4CI/PFH has the ability to target homologous tumors and enhance near-infrared-Ⅱ fluorescence imaging/ultrasound imaging and photothermal therapy effects.

Pregnant women are affected by various biological,psychological and social pressures,and the incidence of perinatal vulnerability is relatively high.The existence of perinatal vulnerability seriously affects the physical and mental health of pregnant women and infants.Attention to perinatal vulnerability can help reduce the risk of adverse matemal and infant outcomes.This paper reviews the concept,classification,assessment tools,influencing factors,intervention measures,limitations and prospects of perinatal vulnerability,providing references for formulating management programs of perinatal vulnerability.

Objective:To explore the clinical and genetic characteristics of patients with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) and gastrointestinal involvement.Methods:We retrospectively collected the clinical data of patients with EDS and gastrointestinal involvement from the electronic medical records at Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH) from January 2003 to September 2023. Additionally, we conducted a systematic review by searching cases with EDS and gastrointestinal involvement in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library databases from January 2000 to September 2023.Results:Ninety-four patients with EDS and gastrointestinal involvement were retrieved, including five patients from PUMCH and 89 patients from 80 published articles. The average age of patients was (29±14) years. The most common manifestation of gastrointestinal involvement was gastrointestinal perforation ( n=46, 48.9%), followed by functional gastrointestinal symptoms ( n=33, 35.1%), and digestive arterial disorders ( n=10, 10.6%). The most common clinical subtype was vascular-EDS (vEDS) ( n=50, 53.2%) followed by hypermobile-EDS (hEDS) ( n=20, 21.3%). The most frequent genetic mutation occurred in the COL3A1 gene ( n=30, 31.9%). Among patients with vEDS, gastrointestinal manifestations included gastrointestinal perforation ( n=33, 66.0%), arterial lesions ( n=9, 18.0%), and functional gastrointestinal symptoms ( n=7, 14.0%). Among patients with hEDS, gastrointestinal manifestations included functional gastrointestinal symptoms ( n=18, 90.0%), visceral prolapse ( n=3, 15.0%) and intestinal volvulus ( n=1, 5.0%). Conclusions:The most common subtypes of gastrointestinal involvement in EDS were vEDS and hEDS. Patients with hEDS mainly presented with functional gastrointestinal symptoms, whereas those with vEDS primarily showed gastrointestinal perforation and digestive arterial disorders.

Objective:To discuss the effect of azathioprine(AZA)on ferroptosis in spermatocytes of the mice induced by reduced glutathione(GSH)peroxidase 4 inhibitor RSL3,and to clarify the potential mechanism.Methods:The spermatogonia GC-2 cells of the mice were randomly divided into control group(no treatment),RSL3 group(treated with 10 nmol·L-1 RSL3 for 24 h),RSL3+ferroptosis inhibitor(Ferrostatin-1,Fer-1)group(treated with 10 nmol·L-1 RSL3 for 24 h+2 μmol·L-1 Fer-1 for 12 h),RSL3+low dose of AZA group(treated with 10 nmol·L-1 RSL3 for 24 h+5 μmol·L-1 AZA for 12 h),RSL3+medium dose of AZA group(treated with 10 nmol·L-1 RSL3 for 24 h+10 μmol·L-1 AZA for 12 h),and RSL3+high dose of AZA group(treated with 10 nmol L-1 RSL3 for 24 h+20 μmol·L-1 AZA for 12 h).The MTT method was used to detect the activities of the GC-2 cells in various groups after treated with different concentrations of AZA and RSL3;the GSH and GSSG levels in the GC-2 cells were detected by GSH and oxidized glutathione(GSSG)detection kits;the malondialdehyde(MDA)levels in the GC-2 cells in various groups were detected by MDA detection kit;Western blotting method was used to detect the expression levels of long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase 4(ACSL4),heme oxygenase-1(HO-1),and glutathione peroxidase 4(GPX4)proteins in the cells in various groups;immunofluorescence staining was used to detect the expressions of ACSL4 protein in the cells in various groups.Results:Compared with control group,the differences in activities of the GC-2 cells in 5,10,and 20 μmol·L-1 AZA groups had no significant differences(P＞0.05),while the activities of the GC-2 cells in 30 and 40 μmol·L-1 AZA groups were significantly decreased(P＜0.01);therefore,the AZA concentration was selected to be within 20 μmol·L-1.Compared with control group,the differences of the activities of the GC-2 cells in 1,5,and 10 nmol·L-1 RSL3 groups had no significant differences(P＞0.05),while the activities of the GC-2 cells in 50,100,500,and 1 000 nmol·L-1 RSL3 groups were significantly decreased(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01);therefore,the RSL3 concentration was set to be within 10 nmol·L-1.The GSH and MDA detection kits results showed that compared with control group,the levels of GSSG and MDA in the GC-2 cells in RSL3 group were significantly increased(P＜0.05),while the GSH levels were significantly decreased(P＜0.05);compared with RSL3 group,the levels of GSSG and MDA in the GC-2 cells in RSL3+Fer-1 group and RSL3+AZA group were significantly decreased(P＜0.01),while the GSH levels were significantly increased(P＜0.01).The Western blotting results showed that compared with control group,the expression levels of ACSL4 and HO-1 proteins in the GC-2 cells in RSL3 group were significantly increased(P＜0.05),while the expression level of GPX4 protein was significantly decreased(P＜0.01);compared with RSL3 group,the expression levels of GPX4 protein in the GC-2 cells in RSL3+Fer-1 group and RSL3+AZA group were significantly increased(P＜0.05),while the expression levels of ACSL4 and HO-1 proteins were significantly decreased(P＜0.01).The immunofluorescence staining results showed that compared with control group,the expression amount of ACSL4 protein in the GC-2 cells in RSL3 group was significantly increased,and compared with RSL3 group,the expression amounts of ACSL4 protein in the cells in RSL3+Fer-1 group and RSL3+AZA group were significantly decreased.Conclusion:AZA can alleviate the ferroptosis-induced by RSL3 in spermatocytes of the mice.

The Wnt signaling pathway plays an important role in maintaining liver homeostasis and liver regeneration.In healthy livers,the Wnt signaling pathway is mostly inactive,but it is continuously overactivated during cell renewal or regeneration processes,as well as in certain pathological conditions,diseases,precancerous states,and cancers.Persistent liver cell injury often leads to chronic liver diseases such as liver fibrosis,liver cirrhosis,and liver cancer.This article summarizes the basic structural features of the Wnt signaling pathway and analyzes its important role in the pathological progression of various liver diseases,so as to provide new ideas for the prevention and treatment of liver diseases in clinical practice.

Lipid metabolism,as the basis of life maintenance,is a prerequisite for cell survival,and lipid homeostasis can rapidly respond to metabolic changes in a coordinated manner.In cancers,there is an increase in lipid metabolism in cancer cells to meet the requirements for plasma membrane synthesis and energy production.Abnormal lipid metabolism plays an important role in the progression of primary liver cancer.This article reviews the association between abnormal lipid metabolism and primary liver cancer,in order to find targets for the prevention and treatment of primary liver cancer.

Objective Sepsis-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS)is an independent risk factor for mortality in critically ill septic patients.However,effective therapeutic targets are still unavailable due to the lack of understanding of its unclear pathogenesis.With increasing understanding in the roles of circulating histones and endothelial dysfunction in sepsis,we aimed to investigate the mechanism of histone-induced endothelial dysfunction leading to sepsis-induced ARDS and to provide experimental support for histone-targeted treatment of sepsis-induced ARDS.Methods First of all,in vitro experiments were conducted.Human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HUVEC)were stimulated with gradient concentrations of histones to explore for the optimal stimulation concentration in vitro.Then,HUVEC were exposed to histones at an optimal concentration with or without resatorvid(TAK-242),a selective inhibitor of Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4),for 24 hours for modeling.The cells were divided into 4 groups:1)the blank control group,2)the blank control+TAK-242 intervention group,3)the histone stimulation group,and 4)the histone+TAK-242 intervention group.HUVEC apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry,VE-Cadherin expression in endothelial cells was determined by Western blot,and the integrity of adhesion connections between endothelial cells was evaluated with confocal fluorescence microscopic images.Male C57BL/6 mice aged 6-8 weeks and weighing 22-25 g were used for the in vivo experiment.Then,the mice were given cecal ligation and puncture(CLP)as well as histone injection at 50 mg/kg via the tail vein for sepsis modeling.The experimental animals were divided into 6 groups:1)the blank control group,2)the blank control+TAK-242 intervention group,3)the CLP model group,4)the CLP+TAK-242 intervention group,5)the histone model group,and 6)the histone+TAK-242 intervention group.After 24 h,the concentrations of serum interleukin-6(IL-6)and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)were determined using ELISA kits.Western blot was performed to determine the expression of vascular endothelial(VE)-cadherin in the lung tissue.Hematoxylin and eosin(HE)staining was performed to observe the pathological changes in the lung tissue of the mice.Evans Blue was injected via the tail vein 30 min before the mice were sacrificed.Lung tissue was collected after the mice were sacrificed.Then,the concentrations of Evans blue dye per unit mass in the lung tissue from mice of different groups were evaluated,the rates of pulmonary endothelial leakage were calculated,and the integrity of the pulmonary endothelial barrier was evaluated.Results The results of the in vitro experiment showed that,compared with those of the control group,HUVEC apoptosis was significantly increased under histone stimulation(P＜0.05),the expression of VE-cadherin was decreased(P＜0.05),and the integrity of adherens junctions between endothelial cells was damaged.TAK-242 can significantly inhibit histone-induced HUVEC apoptosis and VE-cadherin expression reduction and maintain the integrity of adherens junctions between endothelial cells.According to the findings from the in vivo experiments,in mice with CLP-induced and histone-induced sepsis,TAK-242 effectively alleviated the increase in serum concentrations of IL-6 and TNF-α,reduced the downregulation of VE-cadherin expression in the lung tissue(P＜0.05),decreased endothelial permeability of the lung vessels,and improved pathological injury in the lung tissue.Conclusion By binding to TLR-4,histone decreases VE-cadherin expression on the surface of vascular endothelial cells,disrupts the integrity of intercellular adherens junctions,and triggers pathological damage to lung tissue.Using TLR-4 inhibitors can prevent sepsis-induced ARDS in histone-induced sepsis.

Uremic pruritus,a severe complication in patients with chronic kidney disease,is associated with a high prevalence.It can cause depression and sleep disorders,and seriously affect the quality of life and the social relations of patients.Recently,there is growing evidence showing that κ-opioid receptor agonists,including nalfurafine,difelikefalin,and nalbuphine,can effectively and safely reduce itching symptoms in patients with refractory uremic pruritus.Herein,we reviewed the epidemiology,pathogenesis,clinical symptoms,and treatment strategies of uremic pruritus,and summarized in detail the progress in clinical research on the use of κ-opioid receptor agonists,including nalfurafine,difelikefalin,and nalbuphine,in the management of patients with uremic pruritus.