ObjectiveThis study aims to develop a prediction model for the compatibility of Chinese medicinal pairs based on Graph Convolutional Networks （GCN）， named HC-GCN. The model integrates the properties of herbs with modern pharmacological mechanisms to predict pairs with specific therapeutic effects. It serves as a demonstration by applying the model to predict and validate the efficacy of blood-activating herb pairs. MethodsThe training dataset for herb pair prediction was constructed by systematically collecting commonly used herb pairs along with their characteristic data， including Qi， flavor， meridian tropism， and target genes. Integrating traditional characteristics of herb with modern bioinformatics， we developed an efficacy-oriented herb pair compatibility prediction model （HC-GCN） using graph convolutional networks （GCN）. This model leverages machine learning to capture the complex relationships in herb pair compatibility， weighted by efficacy features. The performance of the HC-GCN model was evaluated using accuracy （ACC）， recall， precision， F1 score （F1）， and area under the ROC curve （AUC）. Its predictive effectiveness was then compared to five other machine learning models： eXtreme Gradient Boosting （XGBoost）， logistic regression （LR）， Naive Bayes， K-nearest neighbor （KNN）， and support vector machine （SVM）. ResultsUsing herb pairs with blood-activating effects as a demonstration， a prediction model was constructed based on a foundational dataset of 46 blood-activating herb pairs， incorporating their Qi， flavor， meridian tropism， and target gene characteristics. The HC-GCN model outperforms other commonly used machine learning models in key performance metrics， including ACC， recall， precision， F1 score， and AUC. Through the predictive analysis of the HC-GCN model， 60 herb pairs with blood-activating effects were successfully identified. Among of these potential herb pairs， 44 include at least one herb with blood-activating effects. ConclusionIn this study， we established an efficacy-oriented compatibility prediction model for herb pairs based on GCN by integrating the unique characteristics of traditional herbs with modern pharmacological mechanisms. This model demonstrated high predictive performance， offering a novel approach for the intelligent screening and optimization of traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions， as well as their clinical applications.

Objective To establish a rat model of Alzheimer's disease (AD) expressing human triple mutant amyloid precursor protein (APP) in the hippocampus, and to provide a model for the study of disease mechanisms and drug development. Methods Twenty-four 12-week-old SPF-grade female SD rats were randomly divided into a blank control group, a virus control group and an experimental group, with eight rats in each group; among them, the experimental group received a stereotaxic injection of adeno-associated virus (AAV) carrying the human triple mutant APP and NanoLuc luciferase genes into the hippocampus. In vivo imaging was used to observe viral expression in the brains of rats in each group, the novel object recognition test was used to assess the recognition memory of the rats in each group, real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR was used to detect the expression level of the APP gene, HE staining was used to examine the brain histopathology, Nissl staining was used to assess the hippocampal lesions, and immunohistochemistry was used to detect the deposition of amyloid β-protein (Aβ). Results In vivo imaging showed that reporter fluorescence was detected in the brains of rats in both experimental and virus control groups. Fluorescence quantitative PCR showed that the expression level of the APP gene was significantly increased in the brains of rats in the experimental group (P<0.01). Novel object recognition test revealed that the recognition memory of rats in the experimental group was significantly reduced compared with that of the blank control group (P<0.01). Six months after recombinant AAV virus infection, HE staining and Nissl staining of brain tissues showed that the number of neurons and Nissl bodies in the CA1 region of the hippocampus in the experimental group was reduced and disorganized; immuno-histochemistry testing of the CA1 region of the hippocampus and the pyramidal cell layer of the experimental group revealed prominent brown deposits, indicating Aβ protein deposition. Conclusion The rat model successfully established by stereotaxic injection and AAV-mediated delivery of human triple mutant APP gene exhibits typical AD features, providing a valuable animal model for studying AD pathology and developing drug therapies targeting Aβ protein deposition.

Objective To establish a rat model of Alzheimer's disease (AD) expressing human triple mutant amyloid precursor protein (APP) in the hippocampus, and to provide a model for the study of disease mechanisms and drug development. Methods Twenty-four 12-week-old SPF-grade female SD rats were randomly divided into a blank control group, a virus control group and an experimental group, with eight rats in each group; among them, the experimental group received a stereotaxic injection of adeno-associated virus (AAV) carrying the human triple mutant APP and NanoLuc luciferase genes into the hippocampus. In vivo imaging was used to observe viral expression in the brains of rats in each group, the novel object recognition test was used to assess the recognition memory of the rats in each group, real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR was used to detect the expression level of the APP gene, HE staining was used to examine the brain histopathology, Nissl staining was used to assess the hippocampal lesions, and immunohistochemistry was used to detect the deposition of amyloid β-protein (Aβ). Results In vivo imaging showed that reporter fluorescence was detected in the brains of rats in both experimental and virus control groups. Fluorescence quantitative PCR showed that the expression level of the APP gene was significantly increased in the brains of rats in the experimental group (P<0.01). Novel object recognition test revealed that the recognition memory of rats in the experimental group was significantly reduced compared with that of the blank control group (P<0.01). Six months after recombinant AAV virus infection, HE staining and Nissl staining of brain tissues showed that the number of neurons and Nissl bodies in the CA1 region of the hippocampus in the experimental group was reduced and disorganized; immuno-histochemistry testing of the CA1 region of the hippocampus and the pyramidal cell layer of the experimental group revealed prominent brown deposits, indicating Aβ protein deposition. Conclusion The rat model successfully established by stereotaxic injection and AAV-mediated delivery of human triple mutant APP gene exhibits typical AD features, providing a valuable animal model for studying AD pathology and developing drug therapies targeting Aβ protein deposition.

Objective: To investigate the role of ferroptosis in transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI) and evaluate the efficacy of the specific inhibitor Ferrostatin-1 (Fer-1), thereby to provide a basis for the prevention and treatment of TRALI. Methods: This study utilized a ”2-hit” model to induce TRALI in mice. The mouse model of TRALI was validated through survival curve analysis, lung tissue wet/dry weight ratio (W/D), myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, and total protein concentration in lung tissue. Samples from the TRALI model group, LPS group, and control group (n=6) were collected. The occurrence of ferroptosis in TRALI was confirmed by measuring key ferroptosis indicators, including iron concentration in lung tissue, malondialdehyde (MDA) level, lipid peroxidation products (LPO) level, and expression levels of related proteins (GPX4, ACSL4). Additionally, a Fer-1 intervention group was added to evaluate its preventive and therapeutic effects. The survival rates and clinical symptoms of the four groups (n=6) were dynamically monitored, and the degrees of lung injury were assessed. Ferroptosis-related indicators were also measured to elucidate the protective mechanism of Fer-1. Results: A mouse model of TRALI was successfully established. Compared to the control and LPS groups, the TRALI group showed significantly higher levels of ferrous iron [(18.32±1.11) nmol/well, MDA [(14.68±0.96) μmol/L], and LPO [(1.60±0.02) μmol/L] in lung tissue (all P<0.01), along with a downregulation of GPX4 and an upregulation of ACSL4. Fer-1 pretreatment significantly reversed these abnormalities: the W/D ratio decreased to 4.01±0.43, and MPO activity significantly decreased [Fer-1 group: (21 606±4 235) pg/mL vs TRALI group: (30 724±2 616) pg/mL], the total protein concentration in lung tissue of the Fer-1 group decreased by approximately 40.8% compared to the TRALI group (all P<0.01). These changes indicate that the lung injury in mice was alleviated after treatment. Following Fer-1 intervention, ferrous iron concentration [(7.46±1.83) nmol/well] was restored to a level close to that of the control group [(5.48±0.70) nmol/well]. Lipid peroxidation tests further revealed that Fer-1 intervention reduced MDA and LPO levels by 35.8% and 29.4%, respectively (P<0.001). Additionally, the expression levels of GPX4 and ACSL4 proteins returned to near-normal levels in the treated mice (both P>0.05). Conclusion: The progression of TRALI is closely related to the activation of ferroptosis, characterized by iron overload, lipid peroxidation accumulation, and the imbalance of GPX4/ACSL4. Ferrostatin-1 significantly alleviates pulmonary edema and inflammatory damage by inhibiting the ferroptosis pathway, suggesting that targeting ferroptosis may provide a new therapeutic strategy for TRALI.

Objective: To explore the independent effects and gender differences of different types of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on the co-occurrence of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicide attempts (SA), so as to provide a reference for the precise prevention and control of self-harm in junior high school students. Methods: From May to June 2023, a total of 7 360 junior high school students were selected from 12 schools in three districts/counties of Chongqing using a combination of stratified cluster sampling and convenience sampling methods. Information on NSSI, SA, ACEs, and depressive symptom, as well as other related data were collected through the Adolescent Non-suicidal Self-injury Assessment Questionnaire (ANSAQ), suicide related section of the Chinese Adolescent Health related Behavior Questionnaire (Junior High School Version), Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form ( CTQ- SF), and Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D). Statistical analyses of the data were performed using the Chi-square test and multiple Logistic regression. Results: The detection rates of NSSI, SA, NSSI+SA and ACEs in junior high school students were 19.2%, 4.6%, 3.5% and 57.9% respectively. After controlling for factors such as gender, grade, family type, self rated family economic status, self rated academic performance, self rated academic pressure, number of close friends, and depressive symptom scores, results from the multiple Logistic regression analysis showed that junior high school students with physical abuse ( OR = 1.98, 95% CI =1.23-3.18), emotional abuse ( OR =2.83, 95% CI =1.92-4.19), sexual abuse ( OR = 1.70, 95% CI =1.07- 2.69 ), physical neglect ( OR =1.67, 95% CI =1.20-2.33) and witnessing domestic violence ( OR =2.10, 95% CI =1.41-2.87) in childhood had higher risks for the occurrence of NSSI+SA (all P <0.05). After stratification by gender, boys with sexual abuse in childhood had a high risk for the occurrence of NSSI+SA ( OR =2.17, 95% CI =1.06-4.43), whereas girls with emotional abuse ( OR =3.69, 95% CI =2.29-5.94), physical neglect ( OR =1.62, 95% CI =1.07-2.45) and witnessing domestic violence ( OR =2.17, 95% CI =1.41-3.34) in childhood had hgih risks for the occurrence of NSSI+SA (all P <0.05). Conclusions Different types of ACEs have different effects on the co-occurrence of self-harm in junior high school students and there are gender differences. When family interventions are conducted for the combined model, emphasis should be placed on aspects of emotional abuse and domestic violence while optimizing the interventions based on gender differences.

BACKGROUND: In China, lung cancer remains the cancer with the highest incidence and mortality rate. Among early-stage lung adenocarcinomas (LUAD), the micropapillary (MPP) component is prevalent and typically exhibits high aggressiveness, significantly correlating with early metastasis, lymphatic infiltration, and reduced five-year survival rates. Therefore, the study is to explore the similarities and differences between MPP and non-micropapillary (non-MPP) components in malignant pulmonary nodules characterized by GGOs in early-stage LUAD, identify unique mutational features of the MPP component and analyze the relationship between the ZNF469 gene, a member of the zinc-finger protein family, and the prognosis of early-stage LUAD, as well as its correlation with immune infiltration. METHODS: A total of 31 malignant pulmonary nodules of LUAD were collected and dissected into paired MPP and non-MPP components using microdissection. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) was performed on the components of early-stage malignant pulmonary nodules. Mutational signatures analysis was conducted using R packages such as maftools, Nonnegative Matrix Factorization (NMF), and Sigminer to unveil the genomic mutational characteristics unique to MPP components in invasive LUAD compared to other tumor tissues. Furthermore, we explored the expression of the ZNF469 gene in LUAD using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database to investigate its potential association with the prognosis. We also investigated gene interaction networks and signaling pathways related to ZNF469 in LUAD using the GeneMANIA database and conducted Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis. Lastly, we analyzed the correlation between ZNF469 gene expression and levels of immune cell infiltration in LUAD using the TIMER and TISIDB databases. RESULTS: MPP components exhibited a higher number of genomic variations, particularly the 13th COSMIC (Catalogue of Somatic Mutations in Cancer) mutational signature characterized by the activity of the cytidine deaminase APOBEC family, which was unique to MPP components compared to non-MPP components in tumor tissues. This suggests the potential involvement of APOBEC in the progression of MPP components in early-stage LUAD. Additionally, MPP samples with high similarity to APOBEC signature displayed a higher tumor mutational burden (TMB), indicating that these patients may be more likely to benefit from immunotherapy. The expression of ZNF469 was significantly upregulated in LUAD compared to normal tissue, and was associated with poor prognosis in LUAD patients (P<0.05). Gene interaction network analysis and GO/KEGG enrichment analysis revealed that COL6A1, COL1A1, COL1A2, TGFB2, MMP2, COL8A2 and C2CD4C interacted with ZNF469 and were mainly involved in encoding collagen proteins and participating in the constitution of extracellular matrix. ZNF469 expression was positively correlated with immune cell infiltration in LUAD (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS The study has unveiled distinctive mutational signatures in the MPP components of early-stage invasive LUAD in the Asian population. Furthermore, we have identified that the elevated expression of mutated ZNF469 impacts the prognosis and immune infiltration in LUAD, suggesting its potential as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in LUAD.
Humans ; Lung Neoplasms/genetics* ; Adenocarcinoma of Lung/genetics* ; China ; Prognosis ; Transcription Factors

AIM: To establish a method for quantitation of cefepime and avibactam in M-H broth, and applicated in the in vitro dynamic PK/PD model. METHODS: The cefepime was also determined using the high-performance liquid chromatography method (HPLC), the avibactam was also determined using the liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), an in vitro dynamic PK/PD model was established to study the PK/PD relationship of cefepime/avibactam against carbapenem resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP). RESULTS: The linear ranges of cefepime and avibactam were good at (0.5-20) and (0.1-25) μg/mL (r=0.999), and the lower limit concentrations were 0.5 and 0.1 μg/mL. The extraction recoveries of cefepime and avibactam in M-H broth were 88.0%-101.7% and 90.9%-95.2%, the relative standard deviation of intra-day precision and inter-day precision were less than 5.2%. The concentration-time curves were well simulated by the PK/PD model. All observed concentrations in each experiment were in the range of 20% of the targeted values. For the CRKP of MIC=8 μg/mL and MIC=16 μg/mL, the colony decreased to 2.783Log10 CFU/mL and 1.325Log10 CFU/mL at the cefepime/avibactam 2.5 g q8 h administration after 24 h. CONCLUSION: The determination method of cefepime and avibactam in broth established in this study has high sensitivity and good stability. For the CRKP with MIC≤8 μg/mL,cefepime/avibactam showed that good anti-CRKP activity under routine administration in vitro dynamic PK/PD model.

Objective: To investigate the characteristics of breakthrough cases of varicella in Haishu District, Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province from 2017 to 2022, so as to provide the evidence for varicella prevention and control. Methods: Information on reported cases of varicella and vaccination in Haishu District from 2017 to 2022 were collected through the China Infectious Disease Reporting Management Information System and the Immunization Program Information Management System of Zhejiang Province. The breakthrough cases who had received 1 or 2 doses of varicella vaccine 42 days before the onset of disease were selected. The distribution of sex, age, region and the interval between onset and last immunization were descriptively analyzed. Results: A total of 1 563 varicella cases were reported from 2017 to 2022. There were 928 breakthrough cases (59.37%), of which 660 cases with 1-dose immunization history (42.23%) and 268 cases with 2-dose immunization history (17.15%). The proportion of 1-dose breakthrough cases in total annual cases showed a decreasing trend (P<0.05) from 2017 to 2022, while there was no significant tendency on the proportion of cases with 2-dose immunization history (P>0.05). There were 392 males (59.39%) and 268 females (40.61%) with 1-dose immunization history. There were 150 males (55.97%) and 118 females (44.03%) with 2-dose immunization history. Breakthrough cases with 1- and 2- dose immunization history had an median age of 13.00 (interquartile range, 4.00) and 9.00 (4.00) years, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The regional distribution of the breakthrough cases with 1- and 2- dose immunization history was mainly in the rural-urban fringe, with 319 cases (48.33%) and 137 cases (51.12%), respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The median interval between onset and last immunization was 12.00 (interquartile range, 3.00) and 4.00 (3.00) years, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusions The breakthrough cases of varicella in Haishu District from 2017 to 2022 were mainly cases with 1-dose immunization history, males, and residents in rural-urban fringe. The age was older and the interval between onset and the last immunization was longer in cases with 1-dose immunization history than in cases with 2-dose immunization history.

ObjectiveTo explore the efficacy-driving mechanism of Danhong injection （DHI） in the treatment of stable angina pectoris （SAP） based on the composition-activity relationship of target modules and clarify the pharmacological effects of DHI. MethodAccording to the angina frequency （AF） in the Seattle Angina Questionnaire （SAQ） that was obtained in the previous clinical trial， the patients before and after DHI treatment were grouped based on efficacy. The transcriptomic data of the patients before treatment and in the best efficacy group 30 days post-treatment were selected as the data source， and then weighted gene co-expression network analysis （WGCNA） was employed to construct the co-expression network. Relevant modules in the network were identified and associated with clinical features. In addition， the On-modules （Z value below 0） were identified by Zsummary. The topological indicators such as density， centrality， and clustering coefficient were adopted to explore the dynamics of DHI efficacy at the network level and module level， respectively. In addition， the driver genes were screened by the personalized network control （PNC） algorithm. Finally， rat H9C2 cells were used to establish the model of hypoxia/reoxygenation （H/R）， which was used to confirm the potential therapeutic target of DHI for SAP and provide a scientific basis for revealing the therapeutic mechanism of DHI. ResultWe identified 19 modules in the best efficacy group of DHI for SAP， and the comparison between day 0 and day 30 revealed 12 On-modules. The changes of network topological indicators at the network and module levels confirmed the correlation between the best efficacy of DHI treatment and topological dynamics. Finally， the driver genes， Klotho and fibroblast growth factor 22 （FGF22）， in DHI treatment of SAP were verified by the H9C2 cell model of H/R. ConclusionBased on clinical transcriptome data， this study determined the composition-activity relationship of target modules of DHI for SAP， which provided a scientific basis for deciphering the efficacy-driven mechanism of DHI for SAP.

Objective: To investigate the epidemiological characteristics of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) in Haishu District, Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province from 2011 to 2022, so as to provide the basis for the formulation of HFMD prevention and control strategies. Methods: Data of HFMD in Haishu District from 2011 to 2022 were collected from Chinese Disease Prevention and Control Information System, and the epidemiological and etiological characteristics were analyzed using a descriptive epidemiological method. The trends in incidence of HFMD and prevalence of positive etiological tests were analyzed using annual percent change (APC). Results: A total of 33 334 cases of HFMD were reported in Haishu District from 2011 to 2022, with an average annual reported incidence of 279.16/105, showing no significant trend (APC=-5.492%, P>0.05). The average annual reported incidence of HFMD was lower after the enterovirus 71 vaccine was launched (from 2017 to 2022) than before (from 2011 to 2016; 219.69/105 vs. 343.70/105, P<0.05). The incidence of HFMD showed seasonal characteristics, with a peak from May to July. There were 19 720 male and 13 614 female cases, with a male-to-female ratio of 1.45∶1. The age of the HFMD cases ranged from 27 days to 63 years old, and the children aged 5 years and below were predominant (30 657 cases, 91.97%). A total of 1 976 specimens of HFMD cases were collected from 2011 to 2022, and 1 509 enterovirus positive specimens were detected, with a positive rate of 76.37%. The positive rates of enterovirus 71 decreased (APC=-32.599%, P<0.05), the positive rates of coxsackievirus A16 increased (APC=9.226%, P<0.05), while the positive rates of other enteroviruses showed no significant change (APC=0.808%, P>0.05). Conclusions The average annual reported incidence of HFMD in Haishu District from 2011 to 2022 decreased after the enterovirus 71 vaccine was launched, with a peak in spring and summer. Children aged 5 years and below were the high-incidence population, and coxsackievirus A16 was the main serotype.