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.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of Maimendong Yinzi （MMDYZ） on cough with Yin deficiency and lung heat syndrome and explore its potential mechanism of action. MethodsForty-eight Institute of Cancer Research （ICR） mice were randomly divided into a control group， a model group， a Baihe Gujin Tablet （BHGJP） group （1.36 g·kg^-1）， and low-dose， medium-dose， and high-dose MMDYZ groups （5， 10， 20 g·kg^-1·d^-1， based on the weight of crude drug）， with eight mice in each group. The mouse model of cough with Yin deficiency and lung heat syndrome was prepared by a combination of smoke exposure， nasal drip of lipopolysaccharide （LPS）， intragastric gavage with thyroxine， and capsaicin atomization. After successful modeling， drug interventions were administered for seven days. During modeling， the mice were observed for changes in general status， anal temperature， fecal water content， and water intake. After medication， the above indicators were evaluated again， along with assessments of spontaneous activity， cough sensitivity， lung function， lung index， and tracheal phenol red secretion. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid （BALF） was analyzed for cell differential counts， and the level of cyclic adenosine monophosphate （cAMP）， cyclic guanosine monophosphate （cGMP）， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， and interleukin-6 （IL-6） in serum was measured via enzyme linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Lung injury was assessed via hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. Network pharmacology was employed to predict the potential mechanism of MMDYZ in alleviation cough with Yin deficiency and lung heat syndrome. Western blot （WB） was used to measure protease-activated receptor1 （PAR1） and GTPhase α_i subunit （Gα_i） protein expressions in lung tissue. ELISA was used to determine lung cAMP content， and immunohistochemistry （IHC） was employed to evaluate transient receptor potential vanilloid subtype 1 （TRPV1） expression. ResultsCompared with the control group， the model group exhibited significantly increased water intake and anal temperature and significantly decreased fecal water content （P<0.05）. The total distance traveled in 5 min and the central zone duration were reduced， while standing frequency significantly increased （P<0.05）. Cough sensitivity and enhanced pause （PenH） were elevated. Peak expiratory flow （PEF） significantly declined （P<0.05）. BALF neutrophil （NEU） and white blood cell （WBC） counts rose. Serum cAMP and cAMP/cGMP ratio significantly increased， and cGMP significantly decreased （P<0.05）. Serum TNF-α and IL-6 levels were significantly elevated （P<0.05）. The lung injury was obvious， and the lung index was significantly elevated （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， the medium-dose and high-dose MMDYZ groups and the BHGJP group showed significantly improved indicators mentioned above. Additionally， network pharmacology suggested that MMDYZ might alleviate cough with Yin deficiency and lung heat syndrome via cAMP， hypoxia inducible factor-1 （HIF-1）， and TNF signaling pathways. WB， ELISA， and IHC revealed that， compared with the control group， the model group exhibited significantly upregulated PAR1， Gα_i， and TRPV1 expressions and significantly downregulated cAMP in lung tissue （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， MMDYZ reduced PAR1 （P<0.01）， Gα_i （P<0.05）， and TRPV1 （P<0.01） while increasing cAMP level （P<0.01）. ConclusionMMDYZ may alleviate cough with Yin deficiency and lung heat syndrome by modulating the PAR1/Gα_i/cAMP pathway and TRPV1 expression.

ObjectiveTo investigate the migration and distribution characteristics of chemical constituents in blood and hippocampal tissues before and after vinegar processing of Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium Viride（CRPV）， and to explore the potential material basis and mechanisms underlying their regulatory effects on emotional disorders by comparing the effects of raw and vinegar-processed products of CRPV. MethodsUltra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS） was employed to characterize and identify the chemical constituents of raw and vinegar-processed products of CRPV extracts， as well as their migrating components in blood and hippocampal tissues after oral administration. Reference standards， databases， and relevant literature were utilized for compound annotation， with data processing performed using PeakView 1.2 software. Seventy male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into seven groups， including the blank group， model group， diazepam group（2.5 mg·kg^-1）， raw CRPV low/high dose groups（0.6， 1.2 g·kg^-1）， and vinegar-processed CRPV low/high dose groups（0.6， 1.2 g·kg^-1）， with 10 mice per group. Except for the blank group， all other groups underwent chronic restraint stress（2 h·d^-1） for 20 d. Each drug-treated group received oral administration at the predetermined dose starting 10 d after modeling， with a total treatment duration of 10 d. Following model-based drug administration， mice underwent open-field， forced swimming， and elevated plus maze tests. After anesthesia with isoflurane， whole brains were collected from each group of mice， and hippocampi were dissected. Reactive oxygen species（ROS） level in hippocampal tissues was quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay（ELISA）. Hematoxylin-eosin（HE） staining was used to observe hippocampal tissue morphology. Immunofluorescence was performed to detect neuronal nuclei（NeuN） and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha（PPARα） expressions in hippocampal tissue. Then， pharmacodynamic evaluations were conducted to assess the effects of raw and vinegar-processed CRPV on mood disorders， exploring the potential mechanisms. ResultsVinegar processing caused significant changes in the chemical composition of CRPV， with 18 components showing increased relative content and 35 components showing decreased relative content. The primary changes occurred in flavonoid compounds， including 20 flavonoids， 20 flavonoid glycosides， 3 triterpenes， 3 phenolic acids， 1 alkaloid， and 6 other compounds. Twenty-one components were detected in blood（15 methoxyflavones， 4 flavonoid glycosides， and 2 phenolic acids）， with 17 shared between raw and vinegar-processed CRPV. Seven components reached hippocampal tissues（all common to both forms）. In regulating emotional disorders， Vinegar-processed CRPV exhibited superior antidepressant-like effects compared to raw products. HE staining revealed that both treatments improved hippocampal neuronal morphology， particularly in the damaged CA1 and CA3 regions. Immunofluorescence and ELISA analyses demonstrated that both raw and vinegar-processed CRPV significantly modulated NeuN and PPARα expressions in hippocampal tissue while alleviating oxidative stress induced by excessive ROS（P<0.05）. ConclusionThe chemical composition of CRPV undergoes changes after vinegar processing， but the migrating components in blood and hippocampus are primarily methoxyflavonoids. These components may serve as the potential material basis for activating the PPARα pathway， thereby negatively regulating ROS generation in the hippocampus， reducing oxidative stress， and promoting the development of NeuN-positive neurons. These findings provide experimental evidence for enhancing quality standards， pharmacodynamic material research， and active drug development of raw and vinegar-processed CRPV.

Polycystic ovarian syndrome （PCOS） is a common endocrine and metabolic disease mainly occurring among women of childbearing age. Its main symptoms include menstrual disorders， acne， hirsutism， infertility， oily skin， acanthosis nigricans， and obesity. Currently， the etiology and pathogenesis of PCOS remain unclear. Classical formulas， which have rigorous compatibility， concise composition， precise alignment with syndromes， and definitive therapeutic effects， demonstrate unique practical and scientific value in the treatment of PCOS. These formulas exhibit significant clinical efficacy， mild adverse effects， and sustained therapeutic outcomes. To explore the current status and mechanisms of classical formulas in treating PCOS， on the basis of Zhang Zhongjing's academic thoughts on gynecological diseases， this paper reviewed the relevant literature on the treatment of PCOS with classical formulas in recent years. The findings reveal that the pathogenesis of PCOS predominantly involves a combination of internal deficiency and superficial excess， closely related to dysfunction of the liver， spleen， and kidney. The root cause lies in deficiency， and on this basis， there are also symptoms of qi stagnation， blood stasis， phlegm obstruction， and dampness encumbrance. Commonly used classical formulas for treating this disease include Guizhi Fuling pills， Danggui Shaoyao powder， Wenjing decoction， and Jingui Shenqi pills. These classical formulas have good clinical efficacy in treating PCOS. Their mechanisms of action may be related to improving serum levels of sex hormones， increasing the dominant follicle diameter and endometrial thickness， alleviating insulin resistance， lowering glucose and lipid metabolism， inhibiting oxidative and inflammatory reactions in the ovarian tissue， regulating the intestinal flora， correcting the flora disorder， protecting the intestinal barrier function， and regulating the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B signaling pathway. The above research results can help doctors use classical formulas flexibly， broaden diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for PCOS and provide ideas for improving the traditional Chinese medicine diagnosis and treatment plan for PCOS.

Polycystic ovarian syndrome （PCOS） is a common endocrine and metabolic disease mainly occurring among women of childbearing age. Its main symptoms include menstrual disorders， acne， hirsutism， infertility， oily skin， acanthosis nigricans， and obesity. Currently， the etiology and pathogenesis of PCOS remain unclear. Classical formulas， which have rigorous compatibility， concise composition， precise alignment with syndromes， and definitive therapeutic effects， demonstrate unique practical and scientific value in the treatment of PCOS. These formulas exhibit significant clinical efficacy， mild adverse effects， and sustained therapeutic outcomes. To explore the current status and mechanisms of classical formulas in treating PCOS， on the basis of Zhang Zhongjing's academic thoughts on gynecological diseases， this paper reviewed the relevant literature on the treatment of PCOS with classical formulas in recent years. The findings reveal that the pathogenesis of PCOS predominantly involves a combination of internal deficiency and superficial excess， closely related to dysfunction of the liver， spleen， and kidney. The root cause lies in deficiency， and on this basis， there are also symptoms of qi stagnation， blood stasis， phlegm obstruction， and dampness encumbrance. Commonly used classical formulas for treating this disease include Guizhi Fuling pills， Danggui Shaoyao powder， Wenjing decoction， and Jingui Shenqi pills. These classical formulas have good clinical efficacy in treating PCOS. Their mechanisms of action may be related to improving serum levels of sex hormones， increasing the dominant follicle diameter and endometrial thickness， alleviating insulin resistance， lowering glucose and lipid metabolism， inhibiting oxidative and inflammatory reactions in the ovarian tissue， regulating the intestinal flora， correcting the flora disorder， protecting the intestinal barrier function， and regulating the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B signaling pathway. The above research results can help doctors use classical formulas flexibly， broaden diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for PCOS and provide ideas for improving the traditional Chinese medicine diagnosis and treatment plan for PCOS.

ObjectiveTo investigate the possible mechanism of Shufeng Jiedu capsules （SFJD） in alleviating influenza A （H1N1） virus pneumonia and focus on its effect on Toll-like receptor （TLR） signaling pathway in respiratory epithelial cells. MethodsA mouse model of viral pneumonia was established via the A/PR/8/34 （PR8） strain of influenza A virus. Mice were randomly divided into a normal group， a PR8 infection （PR8） group， and an SFJD group （8.4 g·kg^-1）， with 10 mice in each group. The day of infection was designated as day 1. The SFJD group was administered intragastrically at a volume of 20 mL·kg^-1 daily， while the normal and PR8 groups were given an equal volume of deionized water. Micro-computed tomography （Micro-CT） was performed on day 5， and the mice were dissected to collect their lungs， after which the lung index was calculated to verify the therapeutic effect of SFJD. Single-cell sequencing was used to analyze the differentially expressed genes in respiratory epithelial cells. Multiplex fluorescence immunohistochemistry was employed to detect the expression of TLR， tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6 （TRAF6）， and myeloid differentiation factor 88 （MyD88） proteins in epithelial cell adhesion molecule （EpCAM）-positive cells， and the proportion of respiratory epithelial cells expressing TLR pathway proteins was calculated. Respiratory epithelial cells were then sorted by flow cytometry， and Western blot was used to detect the expression of TLR， MyD88， TRAF6， Toll-interleukin receptor domain-containing adaptor inducing interferon-β （TRIF）， inhibitor of κB kinase α （IKKα）， and nuclear factor-κB （NF-κB） in the sorted epithelial cells. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to measure the levels of interleukin-1β （IL-1β） and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） in lung tissue. ResultsAt the transcriptional level， SFJD reversed the expression of TLR signaling pathway genes in respiratory epithelial cells， downregulating multiple TLR signaling pathway-related genes （P<0.01）. At the protein level， SFJD significantly reduced the proportion of respiratory epithelial cells expressing TLR3 （P<0.05）， the expression levels of TLR2， TLR3， TLR4， TRIF， TRAF6， IKKα， and NF-κB in epithelial cells（P<0.05， P<0.01）， as well as the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and TNF-α in lung tissue （P<0.01）. ConclusionSFJD may alleviate viral pneumonia by suppressing the expression of TLR in respiratory epithelial cells and their subsequent signaling cascades.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is the most common chronic liver disease with high global prevalence and long course, which affects more than 30% of the population and seriously endangers human health. Lipid metabolism plays an important role in the occurrence and development of MASLD. An increasing number of studies have shown that active ingredients in traditional Chinese medicine can regulate lipid metabolism to improve MASLD. Due to the obvious advantages of multi-target regulation and fewer side effects, the active ingredients have shown great potential and value for application. However, the pathological mechanism of MASLD is intricate and the active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine can improve MASLD from multiple aspects, there is currently a lack of systematic discussion on lipid metabolism. Therefore, this review focuses on lipid metabolism and reviews the latest research progress of active ingredients from traditional Chinese medicine in ameliorating MASLD from the aspects of lipid uptake, lipid synthesis, lipid oxidation, lipid secretion, etc., in order to provide more theoretical references for active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine in regulating lipid metabolism to improve MASLD.

Objective:To investigate the influence of maternal autoimmune diseases and anticoagulants, including low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) and aspirin, on the fetal fraction of maternal plasma cell-free DNA of non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT).Methods:A prospective cohort study was conducted on women with singleton pregnancies receiving NIPT in the Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital from March 2021 to July 2022. NIPT was carried out using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-free amplification platform. In this study, four types of maternal autoimmune diseases, which were antiphospholipid syndrome, undifferentiated connective tissue disease, Sj?gren's syndrome, and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and two anticoagulants, LMWH and aspirin, were studied. Univariate and multivariate linear regression models were used to analyze the factors influencing fetal fraction of maternal plasma cell-free DNA.Results:A total of 4 102 singleton pregnant women were enrolled in the prospective cohort, and 3 948 were finally included after excluding the cases with unclear dosing time of LMWH or aspirin, other autoimmune diseases, conceiving through ovulation induction alone, and having true positive or failed NIPT result. There were 96 cases with antiphospholipid syndrome, 35 with undifferentiated connective tissue disease, 34 with Sj?gren's syndrome, and 18 with SLE. A total of 108 patients only received LMWH treatment, 121 only received aspirin treatment, and 113 received both LMWH and aspirin treatment. Univariate linear regression analysis showed that maternal body mass index at blood collection ( B=－0.423), conceived by assisted reproductive technology ( B=－0.803), male fetus ( B=－0.458), undifferentiated connective tissue disease ( B=1.774), and SLE ( B=3.467) had influence on the fetal fraction (all P<0.05). Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that maternal body mass index at blood collection ( B=－0.415), conceived by assisted reproductive technology ( B=－0.585), male fetus ( B=－0.322), SLE ( B=3.347) and undifferentiated connective tissue disease ( B=1.336) were factors influencing fetal fraction (all P<0.05). Conclusions:Maternal use of LMWH or aspirin does not affect fetal fraction when performing NIPT on a PCR-free amplification platform, but undifferentiated connective tissue disease and SLE are the influencing factors. Therefore, pregnant women should be informed before the NIPT that the fetal fraction of maternal plasma cell-free DNA may be affected by maternal autoimmune diseases.

OBJECTIVE To optimize hematopoietic stem cell transplantation therapy and provide support for drug research by investigating the dynamic process of hematopoietic and immune system reconstitution after bone marrow transplantation(BMT)in mice.METHODS CD45.2+C57BL/6 mice were used as recipient mice and randomly divided into the normal control group and transplantation group,with 30 mice in each.The transplantation group was irradiated by a lethal dose of cobalt-60 rays.Bone marrow cells were prepared from CD45.1+C57BL/6 mice and transfused into recipient mice through the tail vein.Peripheral blood,spleens,lymph nodes,thymuses and bone marrow were collected at 1,2,4,8 and 16 weeks after transplantation.Blood routine examination was performed with peripheral blood and total cell numbers in suspensions of other organs were counted by an automated cell counter.Cell classification analysis of white blood cells in peripheral blood,cell suspensions of other organs was performed by flow cytometry.RESULTS Four weeks after BMT,the numbers of white blood cells and red blood cells in peripheral blood of recipient mice returned to the same level of or higher level than normal control(P<0.05).Although the number of platelets recovered significantly,it was still mark-edly lower than that of normal control until 16 weeks post BMT(P<0.05).In addition,the percentages of myeloid leukocytes and B cells in peripheral blood,spleens,lymph nodes,and bone marrow,as well as megakaryocytes and erythrocyte progenitor cells in bone marrow also returned to normal,and the majority of myeloid leukocytes and B cells were CD45.1+cells from the donors.Eight weeks after BMT,T cells in peripheral blood,spleens,lymph nodes,thymuses,and bone marrow of recipient mice returned to normal,and CD45.1+T cells were dominating.CONCLUSION The hematopoietic and immune reconstitution of recipient mice is nearly completed eight weeks after BMT.However,the reconstruction speed of different kinds of cells and the reconstruction status of same kind of cell in different organs vary widely.

Objective:To explore the association between insulin resistance (IR) and genome-wide DNA methylation based on Shanghai twin study.Methods:Monozygotic twins (MZ) from Shanghai were recruited during 2012-2013, 2017-2018, and 2022-2023. Data were collected by questionnaire survey, physical examination and laboratory tests. Genome-wide DNA methylation was quantified. Generalized linear mixed effect model was applied to analyze the association between methylation level at each site and homeostatic model assessment 2-insulin resistance (HOMA2-IR). Non-paired and paired designs were used to assess the association between DNA methylation and phenotype of IR. Cluster analysis was conducted to identify the clusters of top significant sites. Generalized linear regression was performed to examine the differential methylation patterns from clusters.Results:A total of 100 MZ pairs were included in this study. Hypermethylated cg10535199-2q23.1 ( β=0.74%, P=1.51×10 -7, OR=1.06, 95% CI: 1.03-1.09) and ch.17.49619327- SPOP ( β=0.23%, P=7.54×10 -7, OR=1.17, 95% CI: 1.08-1.28) were identified with suggestive significance. After correcting for multiple testing, no sites reached genome-wide significance. There was no statistical significance in the paired analysis. Two clusters with hypomethylated ( β=-0.39%, P<0.001) and hypermethylated ( β=0.47%, P<0.001) patterns were observed for HOMA2-IR. Conclusions:IR was significantly associated with DNA methylation, and genetic factors might contribute to the association.