PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the applicability of machine learning methods that combine data on age and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels for predicting prostate cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed 943 patients who underwent transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS)-guided prostate biopsy at Chungnam National University Hospital between 2014 and 2018 because of elevated PSA levels and/or abnormal digital rectal examination and/or TRUS findings. We retrospectively reviewed the patients’ medical records, analyzed the prediction rate of prostate cancer, and identified 20 feature importances that could be compared with biopsy results using 5 different algorithms, viz., logistic regression (LR), support vector machine, random forest (RF), extreme gradient boosting, and light gradient boosting machine. RESULTS: Overall, the cancer detection rate was 41.8%. In patients younger than 75 years and with a PSA level less than 20 ng/mL, the best prediction model for prostate cancer detection was RF among the machine learning methods based on LR analysis. The PSA density was the highest scored feature importances in the same patient group. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the prediction rate of prostate cancer using machine learning methods not inferior to that using LR and that these methods may increase the detection rate for prostate cancer and reduce unnecessary prostate biopsy, as they take into consideration feature importances affecting the prediction rate for prostate cancer.
Biopsy ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Digital Rectal Examination ; Forests ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Machine Learning ; Medical Records ; Prostate ; Prostate-Specific Antigen ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; Retrospective Studies ; Support Vector Machine ; Ultrasonography

Objective:Through the analysis of the characteristics and main chemical components of Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma,the correlation between the characteristics and components of Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma was explored,and a new evaluation standard of Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma grade was established to provide a more comprehensive and scientific basis for the quality evaluation of Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma. Method:The appearance characteristics of 48 batches of Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma samples were quantitatively measured. The contents of 9 kinds of Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma were determined. The results of correlation analysis,principal component analysis and cluster analysis were used to classify ginseng medicinal materials according to the analysis results,and the grade evaluation criteria were constructed. Result:First-class ginseng medicinal materials:diameter of main root>1.72 cm,length of reed head>2.61 cm,weight of single branch>14.15 g,content of ginsenoside Rb₁>0.612 1%,content of ginsenoside Re>0.385 8%,content of ginsenoside Rg₁>0.320 8%,no scar,impurities,moth,mildew. Second-class ginseng medicinal materials:the diameter of main root is 1.55-1.72 cm,the length of reed head is 1.74-2.61 cm,the weight of single branch is 10.24-14.15 g,the content of ginsenoside Rb₁ is 0.496 8%-0.612 1%,the content of ginsenoside Re is 0.323 3%-0.385 8%,the content of ginsenoside Rg₁ is 0.263 6%-0.320 8%,and there are no scars,impurities,worms and mildew. Third-class ginseng medicinal materials:main root diameter 1.29-1.55 cm,reed head length 1.34-1.74 cm,single branch weight 6.90-10.24 g,ginsenoside Rb₁ content 0.389 5%-0.496 8%,ginsenoside Re content 0.235 2%-0.323 3%,ginsenoside Rg₁ content 0.217 1%-0.263 6%,no impurities,worms,mildew. Fourth-class ginseng medicinal materials:diameter of main root<1.29 cm,length of reed head<1.34 cm,weight of single branch<6.90 g,content of ginsenoside Rb₁<0.389 5%,the content of ginsenoside Re<0.235 2%,content of ginsenoside Rg₁<0.217 1%,without impurities,worms and mildew. Conclusion:The appearance indexes of ginseng medicinal materials were divided according to the standards of taproot diameter,reed head length and single ginseng weight,and the content of ginsenoside Rg₁,Re,Rb₁ was used as the internal quality evaluation index. Ginseng commercial specifications were divided into four grades,which integrated the appearance and internal indicators,and had more scientific and comprehensive characteristics,which could be used as the basis for the classification of Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma medicinal materials.

Objective To investigate the effects of ZNF331 overexpression on proliferation and apoptosis of human colon cancer cell HCT116, and the relevant apoptotic mechanism.Methods The lentivirus vector of overexpressed ZNF331,Flag-pLV-Neo-ZNF331,was constructed and packaged.HCT116/p53 +/+(wild type p53)and HCT116/p53 -/-(deficient p53)cells were infected.Clones with ZNF331 overexpression were identified by Western blotting.Cell proliferation assay,colony formation assay and flow cytometry analysis were used to examine the effects of ZNF 331 on cell proliferation and apoptosis.Immunoprecipitation,luciferase reporter gene assay and real-time PCR were performed to detect interactions between ZNF331 and p53, p53 transcriptional activity and the expression of p 53 apoptotic target genes, respectively.Results The lentivirus vector of overexpressed ZNF 331 was successfully generated.Stable clones of ZNF331 overexpression were established.ZNF331 showed no significant effect on cell proliferation of HCT 116/p53 +/+, but inhibited cell proliferation of HCT116/p53 -/-(P<0.01).ZNF331 could interact with p53,dose-dependently inhibit the transcriptional activity of p53 and downregulate the mRNA levels of pro-apoptotic p53 target genes, Puma and p53AIP1 (P<0.05).ZNF331 could suppress p53-induced apoptosis(P <0.01).Conclusion The influence of ZNF331 overexpression on colon cancer cell proliferation is dependent on p 53 status.ZNF331 overexpression can suppress colon cancer cell apoptosis by interacting with p 53 and inhibiting the transcriptional activity of p 53.

Aim To investigate the neuroprotective effects of puerarin on H2O2-induced SH-SY5Y cell ap-optosis and the molecular mechanisms underlying the neuroprotective effects. Methods Neuron injury mod-el was established in vitro through H2O2-induced SH-SY5Y injury. MTT assay was performed to detect the effect of puerarin on H2O2-induced SH-SY5Y survival rates. Hoechst 33342 staining was used to observe the cell apoptosis. JC-1 staining was employed to detect the level of mitochondria membrane poential. Caspase-3 was determined by caspase-3 catalyze the substrate specificity Ac-DEVD-pNA. Caspase-9 was determined by caspase-9 catalyze the substrate specificity Ac-LE-HD-pNA. The effects of puerarin on the protein level of Bcl-2,Bax,p-Akt and Akt were determined by West-ern blot. Results The cell survival rate significantly increased after puerarin pretreatment compared with H2O2model group. Furthermore, puerarin pretreat-ment not only inhibited the decreasing of mitochondrial membrane potential,increasing of caspase-3, caspase-9 enzymatic activity and the expression of Bax,but also promoted the expression of p-Akt and Bcl-2, which was prevented by LY294002, an inhibitor of PI3K/Akt. Conclusion Puerarin can play a neuroprotective role for SH-SY5Y cell apoptosis induced by H2O2, maybe via activating PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

Coronary artery disease (CAD)is a major cause of death and disability worldwide, and consumes a considerable amount of medical resources every year.Clopidogrel is a first-line antiplate-let therapy for CHD, butit is associated with substantial variability in PK and pharmacodynamics re-sponse. To date, gene variants explain only a smallproportion of the variability.The study aimed to identify new genetic loci-modifying antiplatelet response to clopidogrel in Chinese patients with CAD by a systematic analysis combining antiplatelet effects and PK, and further to investigate the PON1 gene promoter DNA methylation and genetic variations possibly influencing clinical outcomes in pa-tients undergoing PCI. We identified novel variants in two transporter genes (SLC14A2rs12456693, ATP-binding cassette [ABC]A1 rs2487032) and in N6AMT1 (rs2254638) associated with P2Y12 reac-tion unit (PRU) and plasma active metabolite (H4) concentration. These new variants dramatically im-proved the predictability of PRU variability to 37.7％. The associations between these loci and PK pa-rameters of clopidogrel and H4 were observed in additional patients, and its function on the activation of clopidogrel was validated in liver S9 fractions (P<0.05). Rs2254638 was further identified to exert a marginal risk effect formajor adverse cardiac events in an independent cohort.Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that PON1methylation level at CpG site-161 (OR=0.95; 95％ CI=0.92–0.98;P<0.01)and the use of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors(OR=0.48;95％ CI=0.26–0.89;P<0.01) were associated with decreased risk of bleeding events. In conclusion, new genetic variants were systematically identified as risk factors for the reduced efficacy of clopidogrel treatment.The ab-normal expression of DNA methylation-regulating key genes in the pharmacokinetic and pharmacody-namics pathways of clopidogrel and aspirin may modify clinical outcomes in dual antiplatelet-treated pa-tients undergoing PCI.

Objective To analyze the medical environmental distribution characteristics of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP).Methods On April 25 and August 29,2016,random sampling was performed be-fore cleaning and disinfecting the surrounding of patients who isolated CRKP in a hospital,sampling were mainly object surfaces and medical devices.Distribution characteristics of CRKP were analyzed.Results The number of environmental sampling in surgical intensive care unit(SICU),respiratory ICU(RICU),and emergency ICU(EICU) were 90,41,and 56 respectively.CRKP was not found in SICU and RICU specimens;6 strains of CRKP were iso-lated in EICU,the isolation rate was 10.71%.In April 2016,103 specimens were taken,and 6 strains of CRKP were isolated,isolation rate was 5.83%,which was higher than in August of 2016(P <0.05).There were no sig-nificant differences in isolation rates of CRKP among different specimens and different responsible persons (all P >0.05).Conclusion Key departments,such as EICU,should be intensified cleaning and disinfection,so as to re-duce the spread of CRKP in the medical environment.

Objective To improve the quality of personal dose equivalent measurement by exploring optimal annealing temperature conditions.Methods Totally 60 pieces of thermoluminescent detectors were randomly and equally divided into 6 groups.The 6 groups underwent 10-min annealing under 200,220,230,240,250 or 260 ℃ respectively,and then were cooled with the same conditions and went through measurement after irradiation by the calibrated radiation source.The above operation of annealing,cooling and measurement were repeated for 10 times,and the 6 groups were compared on dispersity,sensitivity and glow curve.Results Single test proved that under 240 ℃ the dispersity,sensitivity and glow curve gained optimal results comprehensively,while repeated tests showed that the dispersity had the optimal value under 250 ℃ and the sensitivity decreased significantly as the times of annealing rose.Conclusion Annealing conditions have to be selected according to the requirements of the thermoluminescent detector.

To analyze the research status of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) processing and key scientific issues to be resolved by using characteristic of TCM biological supramolecules and reaction theories of 'Qi chromatography' to human being, and then put forward the solution countermeasures. Based on the previous explications of theories of the Chinese medicine with supramolecular chemistry as 'Qi chromatograpy', biological supramolecular chemistry theory was used to explain the root of the problem in TCM processing and form the countermeasures for supramolecular chemistry research in the processing of TCM decoction pieces. TCM is a huge complex biological supramolecular body, so the processing of TCM is in view of the processing of huge complex biological supramolecular body. In nature, it is a TCM pharmaceutical technology with chemical changes of the subject and object of biological supramolecular body with or without auxiliary materials, under the condition of high temperature and high humidity. Supramolecular chemistry was throughout the processing of TCM, so the use of supramolecular technology was appropriate in research. TCM decoction pieces were the product of subject and object molecular changes after supramolecular chemistry reaction, with changes in physical and chemical properties of the subject and object molecules, such as bound water overflow, chemical bond rupture, dehydration, carbonization, and reaction with auxiliary materials. Changes in drug property and drug efficacy after processing depended on the degree of subject and object "imprinting template" change, which can be measured by 'Qi chromatography' function of supermolecular imprinting template in human body. In this paper, the research ideas, methods, variety attribution, processing principle, quality standard and clinical application were analyzed to find out the sticking point of the problems, and form the countermeasures with supramolecular chemistry as the core. The processing of TCM is a chemical technology of biological supramolecular body based on the function of supermolecular 'imprinting template' (medical element) of human meridian-viscera, and its reaction products (decoction pieces) showed determinacy when used alone and compatibility when used together, which may constitute a compatible drug delivery system of TCM in clinical application.

Melanoma is an intractable cancer that is aggressive, lethal, and metastatic. The prognosis of advanced melanoma is very poor because it is insensitive to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The incidence of melanoma has been ascending stably for years worldwide, accompanied by increasing mortality. New approaches to managing this deadly disease are much anticipated to enhance the cure rate and to extend clinical benefits to patients with metastatic melanoma. Due to its high degree of immunogenicity, melanoma could be a good target for immunotherapy, which has been developed for decades and has achieved certain progress. This article provides an overview of immunotherapy for melanoma.
Humans ; Immunotherapy ; Melanoma ; therapy