1.Recognition of breath odor map of benign and malignant pulmonary nodules and Traditional Chinese Medicine syndrome elements based on electronic nose combined with machine learning: An observational study in a single center
Shiyan TAN ; Qiong ZENG ; Hongxia XIANG ; Qian WANG ; Xi FU ; Jiawei HE ; Liting YOU ; Qiong MA ; Fengming YOU ; Yifeng REN
Chinese Journal of Clinical Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2025;32(02):185-193
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.
2.Efficacy Evaluation of Initial Double Filtration Plasmapheresis in NMOSD with Respiratory Insufficiency
Sai ZHANG ; Xi CHEN ; Tao ZENG
Journal of Sun Yat-sen University(Medical Sciences) 2025;46(1):154-160
ObjectiveTo discuss the clinical manifestations and image features of Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder (NMOSD)with respiratory insufficiency. We present a retrospective review about the use of double filtration plasmapheresis in the treatment of the acute attack of NMOSD in these patients. MethodsAll of our patients with central respiratory insufficiency who suffered attacks of NMOSD were retrospectively considered for inclusion. Extended Disability Status Scale(EDSS)scores were compared within six months after double membrane filtration plasma exchange. ResultsThe clinical data of the six patients included were analyzed. Magnetic Resonance Imaging confirmed that the demyelinating plaques in our patients could involve the medulla oblongata and upper spinal cord. They were managed by plasma exchange given as an initial therapy. The clinical symptoms improved significantly and the patients were successfully withdrawn from the ventilator,with EDSS scores significantly reduced (P<0.001). ConclusionDemyelination of medulla oblongata and upper spinal cord in NMOSD may lead to acute life-threatening respiratory compromise, and early initiation of double filtration plasmapheresis can be a safe and effective treatment.
3.Serological characteristics of hemolytic transfusion reactions caused by Rh and Kidd antibodies
Qunjuan ZENG ; Hecai YANG ; Xi LI ; Yulin QIAN ; Xin JIAO
Chinese Journal of Blood Transfusion 2025;38(4):551-556
[Objective] To retrospectively analyse the serological characteristics of hemolytic transfusion reactions caused by Rh and Kidd antibodies, and to provide reference for safe, timely, and effective blood transfusion. [Methods] Two cases of patients with RhCcEe and Kidd blood type who experienced allogeneic transfusion at Dazhou Central Hospital were selected. A series of immunohematological tests were performed, including ABO, RhDCcEe and Kidd blood typing, unexpected antibody screening and identification, crossmatching, direct antiglobulin test, acid elution test, and capillary centrifugation to separate the patient's own red blood cells from donated red blood cells. [Results] Unexpected antibody screening, antibody identification, and direct antiglobulin test were positive in both patients. Case 1 had anti-Jk
in the plasma, but no specific antibodies were found in the eluate. Case 2 had anti-c and E in the plasma, and anti-E was detected in the eluate. High-speed capillary centrifugation revealed corresponding antigen-positive erythrocytes at the distal end of the blood samples of both patients. [Conclusion] Case 1 received Kidd allogeneic red blood cells, and case 2 received RhCcEe allogeneic red blood cells, and both patients developed the corresponding unexpected antibodies, which led to the occurrence of immune haemolytic blood transfusion reaction.
4.The constituent elements, experiences, and popularization significance of the palliative care model of integrated elderly care and medical services
Zehuan HUANG ; Mengdong XIN ; Lidan QI ; Long ZHAO ; Minyu WANG ; Lu QIN ; Zhenhua LU ; Zhao LI ; Yue HE ; Xi ZENG
Chinese Medical Ethics 2025;38(7):914-923
Under the trend of increasing aging, integrated elderly care and medical services is an important measure to optimize the supply of elderly care services and promote the good death of the elderly. Using the cooperative production theory and the classical grounded theory, a qualitative analysis was conducted on 38 cases of elderly palliative care and 25 cases of hospital-based palliative care under the integrated elderly care and medical services model from a hospital in Nanning City using Nvivo 20.0 software. This paper found that the integrated elderly care and medical services mode emphasized the deep integration of medical and elderly care services by integrating resources and improving service efficiency, to achieve the basic experience of comprehensive health care for the elderly. The promotion of these experiences has a positive significance for building a multi-agent cooperative production system, strengthening personnel training, perfecting the performance distribution mechanism, and further promoting the development of the national palliative care pilot.
5.tRF Prospect: tRNA-derived Fragment Target Prediction Based on Neural Network Learning
Dai-Xi REN ; Jian-Yong YI ; Yong-Zhen MO ; Mei YANG ; Wei XIONG ; Zhao-Yang ZENG ; Lei SHI
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(9):2428-2438
ObjectiveTransfer RNA-derived fragments (tRFs) are a recently characterized and rapidly expanding class of small non-coding RNAs, typically ranging from 13 to 50 nucleotides in length. They are derived from mature or precursor tRNA molecules through specific cleavage events and have been implicated in a wide range of cellular processes. Increasing evidence indicates that tRFs play important regulatory roles in gene expression, primarily by interacting with target messenger RNAs (mRNAs) to induce transcript degradation, in a manner partially analogous to microRNAs (miRNAs). However, despite their emerging biological relevance and potential roles in disease mechanisms, there remains a significant lack of computational tools capable of systematically predicting the interaction landscape between tRFs and their target mRNAs. Existing databases often rely on limited interaction features and lack the flexibility to accommodate novel or user-defined tRF sequences. The primary goal of this study was to develop a machine learning based prediction algorithm that enables high-throughput, accurate identification of tRF:mRNA binding events, thereby facilitating the functional analysis of tRF regulatory networks. MethodsWe began by assembling a manually curated dataset of 38 687 experimentally verified tRF:mRNA interaction pairs and extracting seven biologically informed features for each pair: (1) AU content of the binding site, (2) site pairing status, (3) binding region location, (4) number of binding sites per mRNA, (5) length of the longest consecutive complementary stretch, (6) total binding region length, and (7) seed sequence complementarity. Using this dataset and feature set, we trained 4 distinct machine learning classifiers—logistic regression, random forest, decision tree, and a multilayer perceptron (MLP)—to compare their ability to discriminate true interactions from non-interactions. Each model’s performance was evaluated using overall accuracy, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, and the corresponding area under the ROC curve (AUC). The MLP consistently achieved the highest AUC among the four, and was therefore selected as the backbone of our prediction framework, which we named tRF Prospect. For biological validation, we retrieved 3 high-throughput RNA-seq datasets from the gene expression omnibus (GEO) in which individual tRFs were overexpressed: AS-tDR-007333 (GSE184690), tRF-3004b (GSE197091), and tRF-20-S998LO9D (GSE208381). Differential expression analysis of each dataset identified genes downregulated upon tRF overexpression, which we designated as putative targets. We then compared the predictions generated by tRF Prospect against those from three established tools—tRFTar, tRForest, and tRFTarget—by quantifying the number of predicted targets for each tRF and assessing concordance with the experimentally derived gene sets. ResultsThe proposed algorithm achieved high predictive accuracy, with an AUC of 0.934. Functional validation was conducted using transcriptome-wide RNA-seq datasets from cells overexpressing specific tRFs, confirming the model’s ability to accurately predict biologically relevant downregulation of mRNA targets. When benchmarked against established tools such as tRFTar, tRForest, and tRFTarget, tRF Prospect consistently demonstrated superior performance, both in terms of predictive precision and sensitivity, as well as in identifying a higher number of true-positive interactions. Moreover, unlike static databases that are limited to precomputed results, tRF Prospect supports real-time prediction for any user-defined tRF sequence, enhancing its applicability in exploratory and hypothesis-driven research. ConclusionThis study introduces tRF Prospect as a powerful and flexible computational tool for investigating tRF:mRNA interactions. By leveraging the predictive strength of deep learning and incorporating a broad spectrum of interaction-relevant features, it addresses key limitations of existing platforms. Specifically, tRF Prospect: (1) expands the range of detectable tRF and target types; (2) improves prediction accuracy through multilayer perceptron model; and (3) allows for dynamic, user-driven analysis beyond database constraints. Although the current version emphasizes miRNA-like repression mechanisms and faces challenges in accurately capturing 5'UTR-associated binding events, it nonetheless provides a critical foundation for future studies aiming to unravel the complex roles of tRFs in gene regulation, cellular function, and disease pathogenesis.
6.Correlation of serum metabolites and clinical features in patients with peripheral T-cell lymphoma
Yishuo DUAN ; Jun RAO ; Jing XIA ; Naya MA ; Shijia LIN ; Fu LI ; Shuhan TANG ; Sha ZHOU ; Yunjing ZENG ; Xinlei LI ; Dezhi HUANG ; Qiong LI ; Bangdong LIU ; Xianlan ZHAO ; Jin WEI ; Xi ZHANG
Journal of Army Medical University 2024;46(4):352-358
Objective To explore the changes in serum energy metabolites in patients with peripheral T-cell lymphoma,and investigate serum biomarkers for monitoring peripheral T-cell lymphoma from the perspective of energy metabolism.Methods Multiple/selected reaction monitoring(MRM/SRM)was used to detect the energy-related metabolites in the sera of 16 patients with newly diagnosed peripheral T-cell lymphoma admitted in the Hematology Medical Center of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University from November 2020 to December 2021,as well as 10 recruited healthy volunteers.The corresponding clinical data including medical history,laboratory results and image data were collected and retrospectively analyzed.Results Significant differences were seen in the contents and expression profiles of serum energy metabolism-related products between the patients and the healthy volunteers.The patients had significantly reduced serum contents of cyclic AMP,succinate,citrate and cis-aconitate(P<0.05),and elevated D-glucose 6-phosphate content(P<0.05).The serum contents of citrate and succinate were negatively correlated with the risk stratification(low-,moderate-and high-risk)and clinical stage of the disease(P<0.05).Meanwhile,there was a negative correlation between the contents of L-malic acid and citrate and the mid-term efficacy evaluation results,such as complete/partial response(CR/PR)or stable disease(SD)(P<0.05).For patients with extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma(n=10),there were also significant reductions in the contents of cyclic AMP,succinate,citrate,isocitrate and cis-aconitate in the sera of patients compared with healthy volunteers(P<0.05),and the contents of citrate and succinate were negatively correlated with the clinical stage(P<0.05)and were rather correlated with mid-term efficacy evaluation results(CR/PR or SD)(P<0.05).For patients with angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma(n=6),the serum contents of cyclic AMP,citrate and succinate were significantly lower,while the content of D-glucose 6-phosphate was higher when compared with the healthy volunteers(P<0.05),and the content of succinate was negatively correlated with both clinical stage and risk grade of the patients(P<0.05).Conclusion There are 5 serum differential metabolites identified between patients with peripheral T-cell lymphoma and healthy controls,and succinate and citrate are expected to be serum biomarkers of peripheral T-cell lymphoma.
7.Comparison of clinical efficacy of NOSES combined with ERAS and conventional laparoscopic surgery in treatment of rectal cancer
Feng SONG ; Feng GAO ; Ming XU ; Jian GAO ; Zeng-Xi MAO
Medical Journal of Chinese People's Liberation Army 2024;49(1):31-36
Objective To compare the clinical efficacy of natural orifice specimen extraction surgery(NOSES)combined with enhanced recovery after surgery(ERAS)and conventional laparoscopic surgery in treatment of rectal cancer patients.Methods A hundred patients with rectal cancer in the Department of Colorectal and Anal Surgery,the 940th Hospital of Joint Logistics Support Force of PLA were selected as the research objects from January 2019 to December 2021,including 49 cases treated with NOSES combined with ERAS were set as the observation group,and 51 cases treated with conventional laparoscopic surgery of rectal cancer were set as the control group.Postoperative C-reactive protein(CRP),procalcitonin(PCT),interleukin-6(IL-6),white blood cell count(WBC),percentage of neutrophil(NEUT),K+ concentration,postoperative peristalsis recovery time,first time out-of-bed activity,first liquid feeding time,removal time of urinary,and drainage tubes,hospital stay and intraoperative blood loss,number of lymph node detection,positive margin rate,incidence of complications,and pain score were compared between the two groups.Results The observation group showed significant lower postoperative CRP,PCT,IL-6 levels when compared with control group(P<0.05),while no significant difference in K+ concentration between the two groups(P>0.05).The recovery time of intestinal peristalsis,the time of the first out-of-bed activity,the first liquid feeding time,the time of removal of the urinary tube and the drainage tube,and the number of days of hospitalization in observation group were all superior to the control group(P<0.05).The observation group with the duration of surgery was longer than the control group,and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).There were no significant differences in intraoperative bleeding,number of lymph nodes detected and positive rate of resection margins between the two groups(P>0.05).There was no significant difference in the incidence of complications between the two groups(4.1%vs.7.8%,P>0.05).The observation group showed significant lower pain scores than control group on the 1st,2nd and 3rd day after surgery(P<0.05).Conclusions NOSES combined with ERAS in treatment of rectal cancer patients is safe and feasible,can narrow the surgical incision,alleviate stress response and postoperative pain,improve postoperative efficacy and reduce the occurrence of complications,so is worthy of promotion and application.
8.Indolepropionic acid inhibition of microglial cell M1 polarization for treatment of spinal cord injury
Yilin TENG ; Deshuang XI ; Yanbin FENG ; Yu LIANG ; Hao DENG ; Gaofeng ZENG ; Shaohui ZONG
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2024;28(31):5010-5016
BACKGROUND:Indolepropionic acid has been shown to reduce diabetes-induced central nervous system inflammation.However,there is a lack of research on whether to inhibit microglia M1 polarization for the treatment of spinal cord injury. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the mechanism of indolepropionic acid inhibition of microglial cell M1 polarization for the treatment of spinal cord injury through cell and animal experiments. METHODS:(1)In vitro experiments:BV2 cell viability was assessed using the CCK-8 assay to determine optimal concentrations of indolepropionic acid.Subsequently,BV2 cells were categorized into control group,administration group(50 μmol/L indolepropionic acid),lipopolysaccharide group(100 ng/mL lipopolysaccharide),and treatment group(100 ng/mL lipopolysaccharide + 50 μmol/L indolepropionic acid).Nitric oxide content was quantified using the Griess method.Real-time quantitative PCR and western blot assay were employed to measure mRNA and protein levels of pro-inflammatory factors.Cell immunofluorescence staining was conducted to assess inducible nitric oxide synthase expression.The Seahorse assay was employed to assess glycolytic stress levels in BV2 cells.(2)In vivo experiments:30 SD rats were randomly divided into three groups:sham surgery group,spinal cord injury group,and indolepropionic acid group.Motor function recovery in rats after spinal cord injury was assessed using BBB scoring and the inclined plane test.Immunofluorescence staining of spinal cord tissue was conducted to evaluate the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase in microglial cells.ELISA was employed to measure protein expression levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α in spinal cord tissue. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)In vitro experiments:Indolepropionic acid exhibited significant suppression of BV2 cell viability when its concentration exceeded 50 μmol/L.Indolepropionic acid achieved this by inhibiting the activation of the nuclear factor κB signaling pathway,thereby suppressing the mRNA and protein expression levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines(interleukin-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α),as well as the M1 polarization marker,inducible nitric oxide synthase,in BV2 cells.Additionally,indolepropionic acid notably reduced the glycolytic level in BV2 cells induced by lipopolysaccharides.(2)In vivo experiments:Following indolepropionic acid intervention in spinal cord injury rats,there was a noticeable increase in BBB scores and the inclined plane test angle.There was also a significant decrease in the number of M1-polarized microglial cells in spinal cord tissue,accompanied by a marked reduction in the protein expression levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines(interleukin-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α).(3)These results conclude that indolepropionic acid promotes functional recovery after spinal cord injury by improving the inflammatory microenvironment through inhibition of microglia M1 polarization.
9.Clinical Effect of Runzaoling Combined with Iguratimod on Primary Sjögren's Syndrome
Linru LUO ; Xi MA ; Ping ZENG ; Lei HOU ; Wukai MA
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2024;30(2):127-133
ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of iguratimod combined with the Chinese medicine Runzaoling in the treatment of primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS). MethodSeventy-two patients treated in the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM) from January 2021 to June 2022 who met the Western medical diagnosis of pSS and had the TCM syndrome of Yin deficiency and heat toxin syndrome were randomly assigned into an observation group and a control group, with 36 patients in each group. The observation group was treated with iguratimod combined with Runzaoling, and the control group was treated with iguratimod. The treatment in both groups lasted for 12 weeks. The clinical symptoms, EULAR Sjogren's syndrome patient reported index (ESSPRI), EULAR Sjögren's syndrome disease activity index (ESSDAI), erythrocyte sedimentation Rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), immunoglobulin (IgG), Schirmer score, and saliva flow of the two groups were determined before and after treatment. Furthermore, the incidence of adverse reactions was compared between the two groups. ResultThe total response rate in the observation group was 75.0% (27 patients with response and 9 patients with no response), which was higher than that (61.11%, 22 patients with response and 14 patients without response) in the control group (P<0.05). After treatment, the ESSPRI, ESSDAI, and TCM syndrome scores in both groups decreased and the decreases were more obvious in the observation group than in the control group (P<0.05). The treatment in both groups recovered the ESR, CRP, IgG, Schirmer score, and saliva flow (P<0.05). Moreover, the observation outperformed the control group in terms of the ESR, CRP, IgG, and saliva flow (P<0.05) and had no significant difference in the Schirmer score compared with the control group. During the treatment period, 2 patients in the observation group had nausea, and 1 patient had an abnormal liver function, which were relieved after symptomatic treatment and did not affect the treatment. In the control group, 1 patient withdrew from the study due to rashes and showed no special discomfort in the follow-up 4 weeks, and 1 patient had nausea, which was relieved after symptomatic treatment. ConclusionIguratimod combined with Runzaoling has good clinical efficacy and safety in the treatment of pSS.

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