Objective To explore the diagnostic value of exhaled volatile organic compounds (VOCs) for cystic fibrosis (CF). Methods A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, EMbase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, and SinoMed databases up to August 7, 2024. Studies that met the inclusion criteria were selected for data extraction and quality assessment. The quality of included studies was assessed by the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS), and the risk of bias and applicability of included prediction model studies were assessed by the prediction model risk of bias assessment tool (PROBAST). Results A total of 10 studies were included, among which 5 studies only identified specific exhaled VOCs in CF patients, and another 5 developed 7 CF risk prediction models based on the identification of VOCs in CF. The included studies reported a total of 75 exhaled VOCs, most of which belonged to the categories of acylcarnitines, aldehydes, acids, and esters. Most models (n=6, 85.7%) only included exhaled VOCs as predictive factors, and only one model included factors other than VOCs, including forced expiratory flow at 75% of forced vital capacity (FEF75) and modified Medical Research Council scale for the assessment of dyspnea (mMRC). The accuracy of the models ranged from 77% to 100%, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve ranged from 0.771 to 0.988. None of the included studies provided information on the calibration of the models. The results of the Prediction Model Risk of Bias Assessment Tool (PROBAST) showed that the overall bias risk of all predictive model studies was high, and the overall applicability was unclear. Conclusion The exhaled VOCs reported in the included studies showed significant heterogeneity, and more research is needed to explore specific compounds for CF. In addition, risk prediction models based on exhaled VOCs have certain value in the diagnosis of CF, but the overall bias risk is relatively high and needs further optimization from aspects such as model construction and validation.

Background: s/Aims: Non-invasive models stratifying clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH) are limited. Herein, we developed a new non-invasive model for predicting CSPH in patients with compensated cirrhosis and investigated whether carvedilol can prevent hepatic decompensation in patients with high-risk CSPH stratified using the new model. Methods: Non-invasive risk factors of CSPH were identified via systematic review and meta-analysis of studies involving patients with hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG). A new non-invasive model was validated for various performance aspects in three cohorts, i.e., a multicenter HVPG cohort, a follow-up cohort, and a carvediloltreating cohort. Results: In the meta-analysis with six studies (n=819), liver stiffness measurement and platelet count were identified as independent risk factors for CSPH and were used to develop the new “CSPH risk” model. In the HVPG cohort (n=151), the new model accurately predicted CSPH with cutoff values of 0 and –0.68 for ruling in and out CSPH, respectively. In the follow-up cohort (n=1,102), the cumulative incidences of decompensation events significantly differed using the cutoff values of <–0.68 (low-risk), –0.68 to 0 (medium-risk), and >0 (high-risk). In the carvediloltreated cohort, patients with high-risk CSPH treated with carvedilol (n=81) had lower rates of decompensation events than non-selective beta-blockers untreated patients with high-risk CSPH (n=613 before propensity score matching [PSM], n=162 after PSM). Conclusions Treatment with carvedilol significantly reduces the risk of hepatic decompensation in patients with high-risk CSPH stratified by the new model.

Background: s/Aims: Non-invasive models stratifying clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH) are limited. Herein, we developed a new non-invasive model for predicting CSPH in patients with compensated cirrhosis and investigated whether carvedilol can prevent hepatic decompensation in patients with high-risk CSPH stratified using the new model. Methods: Non-invasive risk factors of CSPH were identified via systematic review and meta-analysis of studies involving patients with hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG). A new non-invasive model was validated for various performance aspects in three cohorts, i.e., a multicenter HVPG cohort, a follow-up cohort, and a carvediloltreating cohort. Results: In the meta-analysis with six studies (n=819), liver stiffness measurement and platelet count were identified as independent risk factors for CSPH and were used to develop the new “CSPH risk” model. In the HVPG cohort (n=151), the new model accurately predicted CSPH with cutoff values of 0 and –0.68 for ruling in and out CSPH, respectively. In the follow-up cohort (n=1,102), the cumulative incidences of decompensation events significantly differed using the cutoff values of <–0.68 (low-risk), –0.68 to 0 (medium-risk), and >0 (high-risk). In the carvediloltreated cohort, patients with high-risk CSPH treated with carvedilol (n=81) had lower rates of decompensation events than non-selective beta-blockers untreated patients with high-risk CSPH (n=613 before propensity score matching [PSM], n=162 after PSM). Conclusions Treatment with carvedilol significantly reduces the risk of hepatic decompensation in patients with high-risk CSPH stratified by the new model.

Background: s/Aims: Non-invasive models stratifying clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH) are limited. Herein, we developed a new non-invasive model for predicting CSPH in patients with compensated cirrhosis and investigated whether carvedilol can prevent hepatic decompensation in patients with high-risk CSPH stratified using the new model. Methods: Non-invasive risk factors of CSPH were identified via systematic review and meta-analysis of studies involving patients with hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG). A new non-invasive model was validated for various performance aspects in three cohorts, i.e., a multicenter HVPG cohort, a follow-up cohort, and a carvediloltreating cohort. Results: In the meta-analysis with six studies (n=819), liver stiffness measurement and platelet count were identified as independent risk factors for CSPH and were used to develop the new “CSPH risk” model. In the HVPG cohort (n=151), the new model accurately predicted CSPH with cutoff values of 0 and –0.68 for ruling in and out CSPH, respectively. In the follow-up cohort (n=1,102), the cumulative incidences of decompensation events significantly differed using the cutoff values of <–0.68 (low-risk), –0.68 to 0 (medium-risk), and >0 (high-risk). In the carvediloltreated cohort, patients with high-risk CSPH treated with carvedilol (n=81) had lower rates of decompensation events than non-selective beta-blockers untreated patients with high-risk CSPH (n=613 before propensity score matching [PSM], n=162 after PSM). Conclusions Treatment with carvedilol significantly reduces the risk of hepatic decompensation in patients with high-risk CSPH stratified by the new model.

Objective: To explore the association between the Internet usage characteristics and suicidal ideation among vocational high school students, so as to provide a theoretical basis for precise intervention of suicide among vocational high school students. Methods: A total of 1 781 students were recruited from three vocational high schools in Wuhan and Xianning in March 2023 by using the cluster random sampling method. The Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale and Revised Chen Internet Addiction Scale were used to measure suicidal ideation and Internet addiction, respectively. LASSO regression model was used to select influential factors related to suicidal ideation, and the gradient boosting decision tree algorithm XGBoost was used to develop prediction models and evaluate predictive performance. By calculating the SHAP values, the contribution of each influential factor was quantified. Results: The prevalence of suicidal ideation among vocational high school students was 42.22% and prevalence of Internet addiction was 26.39%. LASSO regression results indicated that age, gender, experience of being left behind, parental relationship, holding a class cadre position, using the Internet for learning, Internet use during dawn, morning and late night, Internet addiction, and depressive symptoms were all the influential factors of suicidal ideation among vocational high school students ( β= -0.05 , 0.29, 0.09, 0.27, 0.10, -0.01, 0.09, 0.05, 0.24, 0.28, 0.78, all P <0.05). The AUC of the prediction model was 0.75. The results based on SHAP values indicated that all influential factors identified through multivariate analysis contributed positively to the model predictions ( SHAP >0). Among these, depressive symptoms and parental relationship had the greatest impact on suicidal ideation ( SHAP =0.77, 0.26), and the joint effect of features with higher contribution could improve the prediction probability. Conclusions Depressive symptoms, parental relationships, Internet addiction, and time of Internet use are most important risk factors of suicidal behaviors for vocational high school students. Thus, effective interventions should be conducted to reduce their suicidal ideation.

A new Schiff base modified MCM-41 molecular sieve(N-MCM-41)was synthesized via post-grafting method with 2-pyridine formaldehyde for efficient removal of lead ions(Pb2+)from aqueous solution.X-ray diffraction(XRD),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),transmission electron microscopy(TEM),Fourier transform-infrared(FT-IR)spectroscopy,thermogravimetric analysis(TGA),and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS)were employed to characterize the structure,morphology,surface functional groups and chemical states of N-MCM-41.Moreover,the adsorption behavior of Pb2+by N-MCM-41 was systematically studied.Batch adsorption studies revealed that N-MCM-41 showed the maximal adsorption capacity of 101.3 mg/g at 45℃and pH=5.5 under the initial Pb2+ concentration of 80 mg/L after 180 min adsorption.The adsorption process conformed to the Langmuir isotherm model and the pseudo-second-order kinetics model.The adsorption of Pb2+by N-MCM-41 was a spontaneous and endothermic process.Adsorption mechanism analyses suggested that functional groups on N-MCM-41 had strong coordination ability with Pb2+to improve the adsorption capacity.The synthesized N-MCM-41 adsorbent exhibited excellent reusability in five regeneration cycles.Overall,this study showed that the N-MCM-41 had good application prospect to remove Pb2+ from aqueous solution.

Objective To analyze the metabolomics characteristics of chronic atrophic gastritis(CAG)patients with liver-stomach qi stagnation and spleen-stomach weakness syndromes based on non-targeted metabolomics technology,and to identify the serum differentiated metabolites related to traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome of CAG patients,so as to provide a reference for the objectification of syndrome differentiation.Methods Sixty patients with CAG were included,including 30 cases of liver-stomach qi stagnation syndrome and 30 cases of spleen-stomach weakness syndrome.Fasting blood of 5 mL was collected from the cubital vein of patients in the two groups,and the serum levels of metabolites were detected by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry(UPLC-MS)methods.The principal component analysis(PCA),orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA),and cluster analysis were used to screen the differentiated metabolites of CAG patients with liver-stomach qi stagnation syndrome and spleen-stomach weakness syndrome.Finally,metabolite pathway analysis was performed for the obtained differentiated metabolites using the KEGG database.Results The results for the screening of differentiated metabolites showed that significant differences of amino acid derivatives and small peptide metabolites were presented between CAG patients with liver-stomach qi stagnation syndrome and CAG patients with spleen-stomach weakness syndrome.The amino acid derivatives consisted of N-acetylglycine,histamine,O-phosphoserine,selenomethylselenocysteine,and methyl-tyrosine.And the small peptide metabolites consisted of tyrosine-leucine-phenylalanine,histidine-alanine-glutamate-lysine,L-asparagine-L-proline-L-serine,and L-isoleucine-L-isoleucine.Conclusion Differences in amino acid metabolism exist between CAG patients with liver-stomach qi stagnation syndrome and those with spleen-stomach weakness syndrome,and metabolites such as N-acetylglycine,intermethyltyrosine,and O-phosphoserine may be the potential biomarkers for distinguishing liver-stomach qi stagnation syndrome from spleen-stomach weakness syndrome in CAG patients.

Objective To observe the regulatory mechanism of drug-containing serum of Jinghou Zengzhi Prescription based on qi and blood replenishing method on the expression of growth and differentiation factor 9(GDF9)and apoptosis of ovarian granulosa cells in rats with controlled ovarian hyperstimulation(COH).Methods Serum of COH rats(blank serum)and serum of COH rats gavaged by the Jinghou Zengzhi Prescription were prepared.A COH rat model was established and ovarian granulosa cells were collected.The experiment was divided into 5 groups:blank serum group,drug-containing serum group,drug-containing serum+SB203580[p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase(p38MAPK)inhibitor]group,drug-containing serum + PDTC[nuclear transcription factor κB(NF-κB)inhibitor]group,drug-containing serum + SB203580 + PDTC group.The mRNA expression levels of p38MAPK,casein kinase 2(CK2),nuclear transcription factor κB inhibitor α(IκBα),NF-κB and GDF9 were detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR),and GDF9 protein expression level was detected by Western Blot,and ovarian granulosa cell apoptosis was detected by terminal-deoxynucleoitidyl transferase mediated nick end labeling(TUNEL).Results The drug-containing serum of Jinghou Zengzhi Prescription decreased the mRNA expressions of p38MAPK and NF-κB,elevated the mRNA expressions of CK2 and IκBα,increased the mRNA and protein expression levels of GDF9,and decreased the apoptosis rate of ovarian granulosa cells in COH rats.The addition of p38MAPK inhibitor SB203580 alone and the addition of NF-κB inhibitor PDTC alone both promoted the mRNA and protein expressions of GDF9 and reduced the apoptosis rate of granulosa cells.Conclusion The drug-containing serum of Jinghou Zengzhi Prescription based on qi and blood replenishing method can promote the expression of GDF9 and inhibit the apoptosis of ovarian granulosa cells in rats with COH,and its mechanism may be related to the regulation of the expression of genes of the dual signaling pathways of p38MAPK and NF-κB.

BACKGROUND:MRI is important for the diagnosis of early knee osteoarthritis.MRI image recognition and intelligent segmentation of knee osteoarthritis using deep learning method is a hot topic in image diagnosis of artificial intelligence. OBJECTIVE:Through deep learning of MRI images of knee osteoarthritis,the segmentation of femur,tibia,patella,cartilage,meniscus,ligaments,muscles and effusion of knee can be automatically divided,and then volume of knee fluid and muscle content were measured. METHODS:100 normal knee joints and 100 knee osteoarthritis patients were selected and randomly divided into training dataset(n=160),validation dataset(n=20),and test dataset(n=20)according to the ratio of 8:1:1.The Coarse-to-Fine sequential training method was used to train the 3D-UNET network deep learning model.A Coarse MRI segmentation model of the knee sagittal plane was trained first,and the rough segmentation results were used as a mask,and then the fine segmentation model was trained.The T1WI and T2WI images of the sagittal surface of the knee joint and the marking files of each structure were input,and DeepLab v3 was used to segment bone,cartilage,ligament,meniscus,muscle,and effusion of knee,and 3D reconstruction was finally displayed and automatic measurement results(muscle content and volume of knee fluid)were displayed to complete the deep learning application program.The MRI data of 26 normal subjects and 38 patients with knee osteoarthritis were screened for validation. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The 26 normal subjects were selected,including 13 females and 13 males,with a mean age of(34.88±11.75)years old.The mean muscle content of the knee joint was(1 051 322.94±2 007 249.00)mL,the mean median was 631 165.21 mL,and the mean volume of effusion was(291.85±559.59)mL.The mean median was 0 mL.(2)There were 38 patients with knee osteoarthritis,including 30 females and 8 males.The mean age was(68.53±9.87)years old.The mean muscle content was(782 409.18±331 392.56)mL,the mean median was 689 105.66 mL,and the mean volume of effusion was(1 625.23±5 014.03)mL.The mean median was 178.72 mL.(3)There was no significant difference in muscle content between normal people and knee osteoarthritis patients.The volume of effusion in patients with knee osteoarthritis was higher than that in normal subjects,and the difference was significant(P<0.05).(4)It is indicated that the intelligent segmentation of MRI images by deep learning can discard the defects of manual segmentation in the past.The more accuracy evaluation of knee osteoarthritis was necessary,and the image segmentation was processed more precisely in the future to improve the accuracy of the results.

BACKGROUND:The study of the lumbar spine and pelvis in patients with Lenke type 5 lordosis is limited to the coronal and sagittal planes,and the three-dimensional relationship between the scoliosis and the pelvis has not yet been clarified. OBJECTIVE:To analyze the effect of lumbar scoliosis on the pelvis in patients with Lenke type 5 lordosis and to study the correlation between the lumbar spine and the three-dimensional spatial position of the pelvis. METHODS:Imaging data of 60 patients with Lenke type 5 lordosis scoliosis admitted to the 3D Printing Reception Center of Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital,Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine from January 2019 to September 2023 were retrospectively analyzed,including Cobb angle,coronal pelvic tilt,lumbar lordosis,left and right pelvic hip width ratio(sacroiliac-anterior superior iliac spine),spinal rotation angle,pelvic tilt,sacral slope,pelvic incidence,coronal deformity angular ratio,sagittal deformity angular ratio,C7 plumb line-center sacral vertical line,apical vertebral translation,and coronal sacral inclination.The information was summarized as a database.SPSS 22.0 software was used to analyze the data related to the lumbar spine and pelvis of the patients with Lenke type 5 primary lumbar curvature adolescent idiopathic scoliosis using Spearman's correlation analysis and linear regression. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Cobb angle was highly positively correlated with coronal deformity angular ratio,apical vertebral translation,and spinal rotation angle(r=0.91,r=0.841,r=0.736).(2)Coronal deformity angular ratio was highly positively correlated with apical vertebral translation(r=0.737),moderately positively correlated with C7 plumb line-center sacral vertical line(r=0.514),and moderately negatively correlated with sagittal deformity angular ratio(r=-0.595).(3)There was a high positive correlation between lumbar lordosis and sagittal deformity angular ratio(r=0.942)and a moderate negative correlation with coronal deformity angular ratio(r=-0.554).(4)There was a moderate positive correlation between Cobb angle with coronal pelvic tilt and coronal sacral inclination(r=0.522,r=0.534)and a moderate positive correlation between C7 plumb line-center sacral vertical line and coronal pelvic tilt(r=0.507).Apical vertebral translation with coronal pelvic tilt and coronal sacral inclination showed a moderate positive correlation(r=0.507,r=0.506).Lumbar lordosis with sacral slope and pelvic incidence showed a moderate positive correlation(r=0.512,r=0.538).Sagittal deformity angular ratio was moderately positively correlated with sacral slope and pelvic incidence(r=0.614,r=0.621).(5)Studies have found that the relative position of the lumbar spine and the pelvis is closely related in the horizontal,sagittal and coronal planes.When the lumbar spine affects scoliosis and is rotated,the relative position of the pelvis will also change to compensate,which indicates that while correcting scoliosis,the correction of the pelvis cannot be ignored.