Objective To explore the recognition capabilities of electronic nose combined with machine learning in identifying the breath odor map of benign and malignant pulmonary nodules and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) syndrome elements. Methods The study design was a single-center observational study. General data and four diagnostic information were collected from 108 patients with pulmonary nodules admitted to the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery of Hospital of Chengdu University of TCM from April 2023 to March 2024. The patients' TCM disease location and nature distribution characteristics were analyzed using the syndrome differentiation method. The Cyranose 320 electronic nose was used to collect the odor profiles of oral exhalation, and five machine learning algorithms including random forest (RF), K-nearest neighbor (KNN), logistic regression (LR), support vector machine (SVM), and eXtreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) were employed to identify the exhaled breath profiles of benign and malignant pulmonary nodules and different TCM syndromes. Results (1) The common disease locations in pulmonary nodules were ranked in descending order as liver, lung, and kidney; the common disease natures were ranked in descending order as Yin deficiency, phlegm, dampness, Qi stagnation, and blood deficiency. (2) The electronic nose combined with the RF algorithm had the best efficacy in identifying the exhaled breath profiles of benign and malignant pulmonary nodules, with an AUC of 0.91, accuracy of 86.36%, specificity of 75.00%, and sensitivity of 92.85%. (3) The electronic nose combined with RF, LR, or XGBoost algorithms could effectively identify the different TCM disease locations and natures of pulmonary nodules, with classification accuracy, specificity, and sensitivity generally exceeding 80.00%.Conclusion Electronic nose combined with machine learning not only has the potential capabilities to differentiate the benign and malignant pulmonary nodules, but also provides new technologies and methods for the objective diagnosis of TCM syndromes in pulmonary nodules.

Objective To analyze the differences in distribution of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome elements and salivary microbiota between the individuals with pulmonary nodules and those without, and to explore the potential correlation between the distribution of TCM syndrome elements and salivary microbiota in patients with pulmonary nodules. Methods We retrospectively recruited 173 patients with pulmonary nodules (PN) and 40 healthy controls (HC). The four diagnostic information was collected from all participants, and syndrome differentiation method was used to analyze the distribution of TCM syndrome elements in both groups. Saliva samples were obtained from the subjects for 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing to obtain differential microbiota and to explore the correlation between TCM syndrome elements and salivary microbiota in the evolution of the pulmonary nodule disease. Results The study found that in the PN group, the primary TCM syndrome elements related to disease location were the lung and liver, and the primary TCM syndrome elements related to disease nature were yin deficiency and phlegm. In the HC group, the primary TCM syndrome elements related to disease location were the lung and spleen, and the primary TCM syndrome elements related to disease nature were dampness and qi deficiency. There were differences between the two groups in the distribution of TCM syndrome elements related to disease location (lung, liver, kidney, exterior, heart) and disease nature (yin deficiency, phlegm, qi stagnation, qi deficiency, dampness, blood deficiency, heat, blood stasis) (P<0.05). The species abundance of the salivary microbiota was higher in the PN group than that in the HC group (P<0.05), and there was significant difference in community composition between the two groups (P<0.05). Correlation analysis using multiple methods, including Mantel test network heatmap analysis and Spearman correlation analysis and so on, the results showed that in the PN group, Prevotella and Porphyromonas were positively correlated with disease location in the lung, and Porphyromonas and Granulicatella were positively correlated with disease nature in yin deficiency (P<0.05). Conclusion The study concludes that there are notable differences in the distribution of TCM syndrome elements and the species abundance and composition of salivary microbiota between the patients with pulmonary nodules and the healthy individuals. The distinct external syndrome manifestations in patients with pulmonary nodules, compared to healthy individuals, may be a cascade event triggered by changes in the salivary microbiota. The dual correlation of Porphyromonas with both disease location and nature suggests that changes in its abundance may serve as an objective indicator for the improvement of symptoms in patients with yin deficiency-type pulmonary nodules.

ObjectiveTo analyze the induction effect of Fusobacterium nucleatum （Fn） on endoplasmic reticulum stress-related proteins Glucose-regulating protein 78（GRP78） and X-box binding protein 1（XBP1） in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma （ESCC）， and to explore its potential mechanism and clinical significance. MethodsESCC cells KYSE150 and KYSE140 were infected with Fn for 12 h， 24 h and 48 h. The oxidative stress indexes （ROS， MDA and SOD） and the expression of GRP78 and XBP1 in each group were detected by oxidative stress index kit and Western blot. The experiment was divided into Fn groups， Fn+siNC1 groups， Fn+siGRP78 groups， Fn+siNC2 groups and Fn+siXBP1 groups； the oxidative stress indexes， paclitaxel （PTX） response efficacy， abilities of proliferation， invasion and metastasis in each group were compared. The infection of Fn and the expression of GRP78 and XBP1 in 234 ESCC and paracancerous tissues were detected by RNA scope and immunohistochemistry. The correlation between each factor and clinicopathological characteristics of patients was analyzed by Chi-square test. The influence of each factor on the survival of patients was compared by Kaplan-meier survival estimate. ResultsCompared with Fn uninfected KYSE150 and KYSE140 cells， the content of ROS and MDA was gradually increased， the activity of SOD was gradually decreased， and the expression of GRP78 and XBP1 was gradually increased in Fn infected groups （12 h， 24 h and 48 h） （P < 0.05）. Compared with Fn groups， Fn+siNC1 groups， and Fn+siNC2 groups， ROS and MDA contents were decreased， SOD activity was increased， PTX response efficacy was enhanced， and abilities of proliferation， invasion and metastasis were decreased in Fn+siGRP78 and Fn+siXBP1 groups （P < 0.05）. The rates of Fn， GRP78 and XBP1 in ESCC tissues were 43.16%， 69.66% and 60.68%， respectively. And the three indexes were significantly consistent （P < 0.05）. The patients with positive Fn infection and high expression of GRP78 and XBP1 were mostly males with a history of smoking and drinking， and the tumor differentiation degree was low， the invasion degree was deep， the lymph node metastasis rate was high， and the clinical stage was mostly stage Ⅲ/Ⅳ. The 5-year survival time of patients with above positive indexes was shortened （P < 0.05）. ConclusionsFn could induce endoplasmic reticulum stress by inducing the high expression of GRP78 and XBP1， and promote the malignant evolution of ESCC.

Objective: To evaluate the effects on short-term clinical outcomes and long-term quality of life of laparoscopic-assisted radical proximal gastrectomy with esophageal gastric tube anastomosis versus total gastrectomy with Roux-en-Y anastomosis for adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction. Methods: This was a propensity score matching, retrospective, cohort study. Clinicopathological data of 184 patients with adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction admitted to two medical centers in China from January 2016 to January 2021 were collected (147 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University and 37 in the Affiliated Hospital of Qinghai University). All patients had undergone laparoscopic-assisted radical gastrectomy. They were divided into two groups based on the extent of tumor resection and technique used for digestive tract reconstruction. A proximal gastrectomy with reconstruction by esophageal gastric tube anastomosis group comprised 82 patients and a total gastrectomy with reconstruction by Roux-en-Y anastomosis group comprised 102 patients. These groups differed significantly in the following baseline characteristics: age, preoperative hemoglobin, preoperative albumin, tumor length, tumor differentiation, and tumor TNM stage (all P<0.05). To eliminate potential bias caused by unequal distribution between the two groups, 1∶1 matching was performed by the nearest neighbor matching method. The 13 matched variables comprised sex, age, height, body mass, body mass index, preoperative glucose, preoperative hemoglobin, preoperative total protein, preoperative albumin, neoadjuvant radiotherapy, tumor length, degree of differentiation, and pathological TNM stage. Postoperative complications, postoperative nutritional status, incidence of reflux esophagitis 1 year after surgery, and quality of life were compared between the two groups. Results: After propensity score matching, 60 patients each were enrolled in the proximal gastrectomy with esophageal gastric tube anastomosis and total gastrectomy with Roux-en-Y anastomosis groups. The baseline characteristics were comparable between these groups (all P>0.05). There were no significant differences between the two groups in operative time, intraoperative bleeding, time to semifluid diet, postoperative hospital days, tumor length, and total hospital costs (P>0.05). Patients in the proximal gastrectomy with esophageal gastric tube anastomosis group had earlier postoperative gastric tube and abdominal drainage tube removal time than those in the total gastrectomy with Roux-en-Y anastomosis group (t=-2.183, P=0.023 and t=-4.073, P<0.001, respectively). In contrast, significantly fewer lymph nodes were cleared and significantly fewer lymph nodes were positive in the proximal gastrectomy with esophageal gastric tube anastomosis group than in the total gastrectomy with Roux-en-Y anastomosis group (t=-5.754, P<0.001 and t=-2.575, P=0.031, respectively). The incidence of early postoperative complications was 43.3% (26/60) in the total gastrectomy with Roux-en-Y anastomosis group; this is not significantly higher than the 26.7% (16/60) in the proximal gastrectomy with esophageal gastric tube anastomosis group (χ²=3.663，P=0.056). The incidences of pulmonary infection (31.7%, 19/60) and pleural effusion (30.0%, 18/60) were significantly higher in the total gastrectomy with Roux-en-Y anastomosis group than in the proximal gastrectomy with esophageal gastric tube anastomosis group (13.3%, 8/60 and 8.3%, 5/60, respectively); these differences are significant (χ²=8.711, P=0.003 and χ²=11.368, P=0.001, respectively). All early complications were successfully treated before discharge. The incidence of long-term postoperative complications was 20.0% (12/60) in the total gastrectomy with Roux-en-Y anastomosis group and 35.0% (21/60) in the proximal gastrectomy with esophageal gastric tube anastomosis group; this difference is not significant (χ²=3.386，P=0.066). The incidence of reflux esophagitis was 23.3% (14/60) in the proximal gastrectomy with esophageal gastric tube anastomosis group; this is significantly higher than the 1.7% (1/60) in the total gastrectomy with Roux-en-Y anastomosis group (χ²=12.876, P<0.001). Body mass index had decreased significantly in both groups 1 year after surgery compared with preoperatively; however, the difference between the two groups was not significant (P>0.05). The differences in hemoglobin and albumin concentrations between 1 year postoperatively and preoperatively were not significant (both P>0.05). Quality of life was assessed using the Visick grade. Visick grade I dominated in both groups. The percentage of patients with Visick II and III in the total gastrectomy with Roux-en-Y anastomosis group was 11.7% (7/60), which is significantly lower than the 33.3% (20/60) in the proximal gastrectomy with esophageal gastric tube anastomosis group (χ²=8.076, P=0.004). No patients in either group had a grade IV quality of life. Conclusions: Both proximal gastrectomy with esophageal gastric tube anastomosis and total gastrectomy with Roux-en-Y anastomosis laparoscopic-assisted radical surgery for adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction are safe and feasible. However, both procedures have their own advantages and disadvantages in terms of postoperative complications. The incidence of reflux esophagitis is higher after proximal gastrectomy with esophageal gastric tube anastomosis, whereas the long-term quality of life is lower than that of patients after total gastrectomy with Roux-en-Y anastomosis.
Humans ; Anastomosis, Roux-en-Y ; Retrospective Studies ; Cohort Studies ; Esophagitis, Peptic ; Quality of Life ; Propensity Score ; Gastrectomy/methods* ; Esophagogastric Junction/surgery* ; Anastomosis, Surgical/methods* ; Adenocarcinoma/pathology* ; Stomach Neoplasms/pathology* ; Postoperative Complications ; Treatment Outcome

Alzheimer Disease/genetics* ; Animals ; Apolipoprotein E4/metabolism* ; Gene-Environment Interaction ; Hippocampus/metabolism* ; Male ; Noise/adverse effects* ; Rats

Abstract: Objective　To analyze the pathogenic characteristics and epidemiological significance of human plague related strains in Qinghai Province in recent 30 years, so as to provide scientific basis for on-the-spot disposal and prevention and control measures of plague outbreak in Qinghai Province. Methods　A total of 35 strains of Yersinia pestis isolated from 29 typical human plague outbreaks in Qinghai Province from 1980 to 2011 were selected and studied by biochemical fermentation experiments. Virulence factors detection of Fraction 1 antigen (Fra1), virulence antigen (VW), pigmentation (Pgm) and Yersinia pestis Ⅰ (PstⅠ), determinants and genotyping of differential regions (DFRs) were used to study the pathogenic characteristics. At the same time, according to the epidemic situation of human and animal plague in Qinghai Province in recent years, the current situation of plague prevention and control and epidemic characteristics were analyzed. Results　The biotypes of 35 strains of Yersinia pestis were classical, and the biotypes of 29 strains (82.86%) were of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau type, mainly distributed in southern Qinghai and around lake areas, 2 strains (5.71%) belonged to Qilian Mountains type, mainly distributed in Qilian mountains, and 6 genotypes were identified by DFR. Among them, 16 were type 5, 12 were type 8, 2 were type 10, 1 was type 36, 3 were type 30 and 1 was type 1b, the strains of type 5 and 1b were mainly distributed around the lake and the southern foot of Qilian Mountains, while the strains of type 8, 10, 36 and 30 were mainly distributed in the southern part of Qinghai. Conclusions　The pathogen of Yersinia pestis in Qinghai Plateau has complex biochemical types, the epidemic situation among animals is continuous year after year, the situation of prevention and control is serious, the occurrence and prevalence of plague seriously endanger people's health and social development, so it is necessary to do a solid job in the prevention and control of plague to ensure the safety of people's lives.

Group A Streptococcus (GAS) is a very important pathogen, especially for children.On a global scale, GAS is an important cause of morbidity and mortality.But the burden of disease caused by GAS is still unknown in China and also has not obtained enough attention.For this purpose, the expert consensus is comprehensively described in diagnosis, treatment and prevention of GAS diseases in children, covering related aspects of pneumology, infectiology, immunology, microbiology, cardiology, nephrology, critical care medicine and preventive medicine.Accordingly, the consensus document was intended to improve management strategies of GAS disease in Chinese children.

The present work is to analyze the HPLC fingerprints of mulberry-sourced materials(Mori Ramulus, Mori Folium, Muri Cortex, Mori Fructus) using the fingerprint division total statistical moment method and information entropy, and to study the diffe-rences of the chemical components and the overall characteristics of the imprinting template in different parts of mulberry-sourced medicinal materials, so as to provide the basis for finding the effective substances in response to "homologous and different effect" of mulberry(Morus alba). The fingerprints of 24 batches of mulberry-related materials, such as Mori Ramulus, Mori Folium, Muri Cortex, Mori Fructus, were established, and the similarities and differences of the fingerprints were analyzed by calculating the division total statistical moment parameters and information entropy. The AUC_T, MCRT_T, VCRT_T and H values of 24 batches of mulberry-sourced materials were less than 0.05, with significant difference. Among them, all samples showed absorption peaks within 3-11, and 20-24 min, indicating that the four types had the identical or similar chemical composition in the same time period. After 34 min, none of the four types showed absorption peaks. Greater VCRT_T value of the fingerprints of the four kinds was observed at the retention time ranges of 3-4, 16-18, 25-27, and 31-32 min, indicating that the components of the four kinds were significantly different in these time periods; and VCRT_T value of the mulberry was significantly higher than that of the other three kinds of medicinal materials at the retention time windows of 3-4 and 15-17 min; the VCRT_T value of the mulberry white skin was significantly higher at the time windows of 8-10 and 28-30 min; the VCRT_T value of all four kinds was significantly higher within 21-23 min, indicating that the four herbs contain the same or similar components in the chromatogram during this period, but there may be significant differences between the content and the proportion. In addition, the information entropy of mulberry branches is the largest at 7-12, 23-27 min, and that of mulberry fruits is the largest at 2-8 min, which indicates that the components of mulberry branches and mulberry fruits respond greatly in the corresponding period of time, which is also the main peak period of their chemical components. For the chemical components and corresponding efficacy here. The results showed that there are significant differences in the components and contents of mulberry-sourced medicinal materials. The division total statistical moment and information entropy of the total amount of segments can be used to analyze the differences in the components of "homology and different effects", which could provide a more comprehensive analysis method for the determination of quality markers.
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Entropy ; Fruit ; Morus ; Plant Leaves

Objective: To analyze the current adherence to imatinib in patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) in China and its influencing factors. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted. Study period: from October 1, 2020 to November 31, 2020. Study subjects: GIST patients taking imatinib who were diagnosed and treated in public tertiary level A general hospitals or oncology hospitals; those who had not been pathologically diagnosed, those who never received imatinib, or those who had taken imatinib in the past but stopped afterwards were excluded. The Questionnaire Star online surgery platform was used to design a questionnaire about the adherence to adjuvant imatinib therapy of Chinese GIST patients. The link of questionnaire was sent through WeChat. The questionnaire contained basic information of patients, medication status and Morisky Medication Adherence Scale. Results: A total of 2162 questionnaires from 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities were collected, of which 2005 were valid questionnaires, with an effective rate of 92.7%. The survey subjects included 1104 males and 901 females, with a median age of 56 (22-91) years old. Working status: 609 cases (30.4%) in the work unit, 729 cases (36.4%) of retirement, 667 cases of flexible employment or unemployment (33.3%). Education level: 477 cases (23.8%) with bachelor degree or above, 658 cases (32.8%) of high school, 782 cases (39.0%) of elementary or junior high school, 88 cases (4.4%) without education. Marital status: 1789 cases (89.2%) were married, 179 cases (8.9%) divorced or widowed, 37 cases (1.8%) unmarried. Two hundred and ninety-four patients (14.7%) had metastasis when they were first diagnosed, including 203 liver metastases, 52 peritoneal metastases, and 39 other metastases. One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine patients underwent surgical treatment, of whom 1642 (81.9%) achieved complete resection. The median time of taking imatinib was 25 (1-200) months. Common adverse reactions of imatinib included 1701 cases (84.8%) of periorbital edema, 1031 cases (51.4%) of leukopenia, 948 cases (47.3%) of fatigue, 781 cases (39.0%) of nausea and vomiting, 709 cases (35.4%) of rash, and 670 cases (33.4%) of lower extremity edema. The score of the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale showed that 392 cases (19.6%) had poor adherence, 1023 cases (51.0%) had moderate adherence, and 590 cases (29.4%) had good adherence. Univariate analysis showed that gender, age, work status, economic income, residence, education level, marriage, the duration of taking medication and adverse reactions were associated with adherence to adjuvant imatinib therapy (all P<0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that female (OR=1.264, P=0.009), non-retirement (OR=1.454, P=0.001), monthly income ≤4000 yuan (OR=1.280, P=0.036), township residents (OR=1.332, P=0.005), unmarried or divorced or widowed (OR=1.362, P=0.026), the duration of imatinib medication >36 months (OR=1.478, P<0.001) and adverse reactions (OR=1.719, P=0.048) were independent risk factors for poor adherence to adjuvant imatinib. Among patients undergoing complete resection, 324 (19.7%) had poor adherence, 836 (50.9%) had moderate adherence, and 482 (29.4%) had good adherence. Meanwhile, 55 patients with good adherence (11.4%) developed recurrence after surgery, 121 patients with moderate adherence (14.5%) developed recurrence, 61 patients with poor adherence (18.8%) developed recurrence, and the difference was statistically significant (P=0.017). Conclusions: The adherence to adjuvant therapy with imatinib in Chinese GIST patients is relatively poor. Females, non-retirement, monthly income ≤4000 yuan, township residents, unmarried or divorced or widowed, the duration of imatinib medication >36 months, and adverse reactions are independently associated with poor adherence of GIST patients. Those with poor adherence have a higher risk of recurrence after surgery. Positive interventions based on the above risk factors are advocated to improve the prognosis of patients with GIST.
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Antineoplastic Agents/therapeutic use* ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors/drug therapy* ; Humans ; Imatinib Mesylate/therapeutic use* ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/drug therapy*

OBJECTIVE: To observe the genotypes and composition ratio of thalassemia in couples of reproductive age, and provide a reference for the prevention and control of thalassemia in Haikou. METHODS: Gene diagnosis was performed in 2 494 subjects who were screened for thalassemia before marriage or prenatal by cross-breakpoint PCR, PCR-reverse dot hybridization, and PCR-electrophoresis. RESULTS: A total of 1 037 thalassemia gene carriers were detected in 2 494 samples, with a detection rate of 41.57%, of which 75.02% was α-thalassemia, 18.61% was β-thalassemia, and 6.36% was α-β complex thalassemia. There were 778 cases of α-thalassemia, mainly of deletion type, accounting for 76.99% (599/778). Twenty genotypes were detected, the highest three was -- CONCLUSION In Haikou city, the gene carrying rate of thalassemia is very high, and the genotype distribution is different from other cities in Hainan Province, attention should be paid to the impact of population inflow on the frequency spectrum change of local thalassemia gene.
Cities ; Female ; Genetic Testing ; Genotype ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; alpha-Thalassemia/genetics* ; beta-Thalassemia/genetics*