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.

BACKGROUND:Studies have shown that metformin has anti-inflammatory,anti-tumor,anti-aging and vasoprotective effects,and can inhibit the progression of osteoarthritis,but its specific mechanism of action remains unclear. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the mechanism of metformin on cartilage protection in a rat model of osteoarthritis. METHODS:Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups(n=10 per group):blank,control,sham-operated,and metformin groups.The blank group did not undergo any surgery.In the sham-operated group,the joint cavity was exposed.In the model group and the metformin group,the modified Hulth method was used to establish the osteoarthritis model.At 1 day after modeling,the rats in the metformin group were given 200 mg/kg/d metformin by gavage,and the model,blank,and sham-operated groups were given normal saline by gavage.Administration in each group was given for 4 weeks consecutively.Hematoxylin-eosin staining,toluidine blue staining,and safranin O-fast green staining were used to observe the morphological structure of rat knee joints.Immunohistochemical staining and western blot were used to detect the protein expression of SOX9,type Ⅱ collagen,a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs 5(ADAMTS5),Beclin1,P62,phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K),p-PI3K,protein kinase B(AKT),p-AKT,mammalian target of rapamycin(Mtor),and p-Mtor in rat cartilage tissue. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The results of hematoxylin-eosin,toluidine blue and safranin O-fast green staining showed smooth cartilage surface of the knee joints and normal histomorphology in the blank group and the sham-operated group,while in the model group,there was irregular cartilage surface of the knee joint and cartilage damage,with a decrease in the number of chondrocytes and the content of proteoglycans in the cartilage matrix.In the metformin group,there was a significant improvement in the damage to the structure of the cartilage in the knee joints of the rats,and the cartilage surface tended to be smooth,with an increase in the number of chondrocytes and the content of proteoglycans in the cartilage matrix.Immunohistochemistry staining and western blot results showed that compared with the control and sham-operated groups,the expression of SOX9,type Ⅱ collagen,and Beclin1 proteins in the cartilage tissue of rats in the model group was significantly decreased(P<0.05).Conversely,the expression of ADAMTS5,P62,as well as p-PI3K,p-AKT,and p-Mtor proteins was significantly increased(P<0.05).Furthermore,compared with the model group,the expression of SOX9,type Ⅱ collagen,and Beclin1 proteins in the cartilage tissue of rats in the metformin group was significantly increased(P<0.05),while the expression of ADAMTS5,P62,as well as p-PI3K,p-AKT,and p-Mtor proteins was significantly decreased(P<0.05).To conclude,Metformin can improve the autophagy activity of chondrocytes and reduce the degradation of cartilage matrix in osteoarthritis rats by inhibiting the activation of PI3K/AKT/Mtor signaling pathway,thus exerting a protective effect on articular cartilage.

The accumulation of uremic toxins such as urea nitrogen, blood creatinine, and uric acid of patients with renal failure in vivo would lead to aggravated kidney damage. In this study, coated aldehyde oxy-starch (CAO) was used as an adsorbent to investigate its in vitro adsorption performance on renal failure indexes for urea, indoxyl sulfate (INS), monomethylamine (MMA), dimethylamine (DMA), uric acid (UA), and creatinine (Cr). The effects of variables such as pH, temperature, concentration, dosage, and time on the adsorption capacity of CAO were systematically investigated, employing analytical techniques of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography (GC). The results revealed that CAO exhibited a strong adsorption capacity for urea, INS, and MMA, alongside a moderate adsorption capacity for DMA, UA, and Cr. The adsorption kinetics and thermodynamic studies indicated that the adsorption of urea and UA by CAO were fitted in pseudo-first-order kinetics, and the adsorption isotherm aligned with the Freundlich adsorption model. The enthalpy change ΔH of urea in adsorption was in the range of 40 to 60 kJ·mol^-1, which demonstrated the presence of strong adsorption force due to the interactions of coordinating groups. The ΔH of UA was greater than 80 kJ·mol^-1, indicating the generation of chemical bonds during the adsorption. Both of them, Gibbs free energy ΔG was less than 0, within the range of -20 to 0 kJ·mol^-1, suggested that the adsorption of urea and UA by CAO occurred spontaneously as physical adsorption process. The adsorption entropy ΔS of urea and UA was > 0, which indicated an increase in entropy throughout the adsorption. The infrared spectroscopygram showed the formation of a chemical bond, specifically the imine bond, following the adsorption of urea by CAO, thereby indicating a chemical reaction during the adsorption. This study elucidates the adsorption mechanism of CAO on various indexes of renal failure, providing a scientific basis for its clinical usage.

Objective To investigate the seroprevalence of antibody against Toxoplasma gondii among patients with hematological malignancies, and compare it with that among health individuals, so as to provide insights into unraveling the pathogenesis of hematological malignancies. Methods A total of 225 patients with hematological malignancies in Department of Hematology, Xuzhou Central Hospital and 300 healthy individuals in the same hospital were enrolled from 2017 to 2024. Blood samples were collected from all subjects, and the serum IgG and IgM antibodies against T. gondii were detected using chemiluminescent immunoassay. Demographic and clinical features were collected from patients with hematological malignancies, including gender, age, contact with cats, consumption of raw or undercooked meat, type of malignancy, clinical symptoms, blood transfusion and treatment, and the seroprevalence of anti-T. gondii antibody was compared among patients with different characteristics. Results The age (t = 0.72, P > 0.05) and gender (χ² = 0.93, P > 0.05) were compared between patients with hematological malignancies and healthy individuals. The seroprevalence of T. gondii infection was 20.89% among patients with hematological malignancies and 4.33% among healthy individuals (χ² = 34.81, P < 0.01), and the seroprevalence of anti-T. gondii IgG antibody was 20.89% among patients with hematological malignancies and 4.33% among healthy individuals (χ² = 34.81, P < 0.01), while there was no significant difference in the seroprevalence of anti-T. gondii IgM antibody between patients with hematological malignancies and healthy individuals (1.33% vs. 0; corrected χ² = 2.02, P > 0.05). The seroprevalence of T. gondii infection was 23.08% among patients with leukemia, 16.67% among patients with lymphoma, 19.23% among patients with multiple myeloma, 24.00% among patients with myeloproliferative neoplasm, and 26.09% among patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (χ² = 1.44, P > 0.05), and was all higher than among healthy individuals (corrected χ² = 23.92, 10.74, 13.76, 12.84 and 14.54; all P values < 0.01). In addition, there were no significant differences in the detection of anti-T. gondii antibody among patients with hematological malignancies in terms of gender, age, contact with cats, consumption of raw or undercooked meat, chemotherapy or blood transfusion (χ² = 0.76, 1.97, 0, 2.81, 2.38 and 0.66; all P values > 0.05). Conclusions There is a high risk of T. gondii infection among patients with hematological malignancies, and intensified surveillance of T. gondii infection is recommended among patients with hematological malignancies.

ObjectiveTo compare colonoscopy compliance rates under different screening strategies, to explore ways to enhance colonoscopy compliance among residents with colorectal carcinoma. MethodsResidents aged between 50‒80 years were recruited through extensive community outreach and voluntary participation. A total of 210 630 residents who participated in the colorectal carcinoma screening program in Jiading District, Shanghai, between 2013 and 2019 were selected as the research subjects. All subjects underwent a colorectal carcinoma risk assessment questionnaire survey and two fecal occult blood tests (FOBT). Positive results in the initial screening were defined as a positive questionnaire survey or a positive result in at least one FOBT. Participants with positive initial screening results were advised to undergo colonoscopy screening in a hospital. Colonoscopy results were collected from hospital reports and physician follow-ups. Compliance with colonoscopy was analyzed under different screening strategies to identify possible factors influencing residents’ willingness to undergo the procedure. ResultsA total of 21 403 individuals (10.16%) were identified as positive with the questionnaire survey, 31 595 individuals (15.00%) tested positive with at least one FOBT. Combined questionnaire and FOBT positivity was observed in 3 501 individuals (1.66%). Among the 48 453 individuals with positive initial screening results, 17 230 (35.56%) underwent colonoscopy, and a total of 315 cases of colorectal cancer were detected. The sensitivity, specificity value of FOBT initial screening were 83.81% and 84.66%, respectively. According to the combined risk assessment and FOBT initial screening preliminary screening, the lowest colonoscopy compliance rate (25.63%) was observed among individuals with only a positive questionnaire, and the highest compliance rate (52.55%) was among those with both positive questionnaire survey and two positive FOBT results. Multivariate analysis revealed that FOBT positivity had the greatest impact on colonoscopy compliance. Those with one positive FOBT test result were 2.64 times more likely to undergo colonoscopy screening than those with negative FOBT results, while individuals with two positive FOBT results were 3.18 times more likely to do so. After adjusting for FOBT results, individuals with positive questionnaire survey results were 1.43 times more likely to undergo colonoscopy screening than those with negative results (95%CI: 1.34‒1.52). Compared to questionnaire-based risk assessment, FOBT results were more influential in determining compliance with colonoscopy. ConclusionThe choice of initial screening method significantly impacts residents’ compliance with colonoscopy. While implementing colorectal carcinoma screening programs, it is necessary to strictly adhere to screening protocols, including risk assessment and FOBT. Additionally, efforts should be made to raise public awareness, encouraging residents to actively participate in risk assessments and FOBT, thereby improving their compliance with colonoscopy.

Laparoscopic subtotal cholecystectomy (LSC) has been a safe and viable alternative to conversion to laparotomy in cases of severe cholecystitis. The objective of this study is to determine the utility of intraoperative choledochoscopy in LSC for the exploration of the gallbladder, cyst duct, and subsequent stone clearance of the cystic duct in cases of severe cholecystitis. A total of 72 patients diagnosed with severe cholecystitis received choledochoscopy-assisted laparoscopic subtotal cholecystectomy (CALSC). A choledochoscopy was performed to explore the gallbladder cavity and/or cystic duct, and to extract stones using a range of techniques. The clinical records, including the operative records and outcomes, were subjected to analysis. No LSC was converted to open surgery, and no bile duct or vascular injuries were sustained. All stones within the cystic duct were removed by a combination of techniques, including high-frequency needle knife electrotomy, basket, and electrohydraulic lithotripsy. A follow-up examination revealed the absence of residual bile duct stones, with the exception of one common bile duct stone, which was extracted via endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. In certain special cases, CALSC may prove to be an efficacious treatment for the management of severe cholecystitis. This technique allows for optimal comprehension of the situation within the gallbladder cavity and cystic duct, facilitating the removal of stones from the cystic duct and reducing the residue of the non-functional gallbladder remnant.

Laparoscopic subtotal cholecystectomy (LSC) has been a safe and viable alternative to conversion to laparotomy in cases of severe cholecystitis. The objective of this study is to determine the utility of intraoperative choledochoscopy in LSC for the exploration of the gallbladder, cyst duct, and subsequent stone clearance of the cystic duct in cases of severe cholecystitis. A total of 72 patients diagnosed with severe cholecystitis received choledochoscopy-assisted laparoscopic subtotal cholecystectomy (CALSC). A choledochoscopy was performed to explore the gallbladder cavity and/or cystic duct, and to extract stones using a range of techniques. The clinical records, including the operative records and outcomes, were subjected to analysis. No LSC was converted to open surgery, and no bile duct or vascular injuries were sustained. All stones within the cystic duct were removed by a combination of techniques, including high-frequency needle knife electrotomy, basket, and electrohydraulic lithotripsy. A follow-up examination revealed the absence of residual bile duct stones, with the exception of one common bile duct stone, which was extracted via endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. In certain special cases, CALSC may prove to be an efficacious treatment for the management of severe cholecystitis. This technique allows for optimal comprehension of the situation within the gallbladder cavity and cystic duct, facilitating the removal of stones from the cystic duct and reducing the residue of the non-functional gallbladder remnant.

Laparoscopic subtotal cholecystectomy (LSC) has been a safe and viable alternative to conversion to laparotomy in cases of severe cholecystitis. The objective of this study is to determine the utility of intraoperative choledochoscopy in LSC for the exploration of the gallbladder, cyst duct, and subsequent stone clearance of the cystic duct in cases of severe cholecystitis. A total of 72 patients diagnosed with severe cholecystitis received choledochoscopy-assisted laparoscopic subtotal cholecystectomy (CALSC). A choledochoscopy was performed to explore the gallbladder cavity and/or cystic duct, and to extract stones using a range of techniques. The clinical records, including the operative records and outcomes, were subjected to analysis. No LSC was converted to open surgery, and no bile duct or vascular injuries were sustained. All stones within the cystic duct were removed by a combination of techniques, including high-frequency needle knife electrotomy, basket, and electrohydraulic lithotripsy. A follow-up examination revealed the absence of residual bile duct stones, with the exception of one common bile duct stone, which was extracted via endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. In certain special cases, CALSC may prove to be an efficacious treatment for the management of severe cholecystitis. This technique allows for optimal comprehension of the situation within the gallbladder cavity and cystic duct, facilitating the removal of stones from the cystic duct and reducing the residue of the non-functional gallbladder remnant.

Exercise, as a non-pharmacological intervention, holds a pivotal role in metabolic regulation, neuroplasticity, and immune homeostasis maintenance. However, human exercise studies are constrained by ethical limitations in tissue sampling, especially for key organs such as muscles and the brain. Meanwhile, rodent models like mice exhibit physiological differences in exercise patterns and metabolic rates from human. Despite these challenges, approximately 70% of human and mouse genes are conserved, providing a molecular basis for cross-species comparisons. This paper leverages the GEPREP database, which integrates human and mouse exercise transcriptomic data from multiple platforms, to conduct a comprehensive cross-species analysis of exercise-induced gene expression patterns. We employ a stringent data standardization process, including the conversion of orthologous genes and the filtering of low-expressing genes, to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the analysis. A mixed-effects model is utilized to assess differential gene expression across multiple cohorts, identifying genes that are significantly upregulated or downregulated in response to exercise. The analysis reveals a complex pattern of gene expression, with a significant number of genes showing conserved responses between humans and mice, particularly in acute aerobic exercise, where genes such as ATF3, PPARGC1A, and ANKRD1 are commonly upregulated. These genes are implicated in muscle stress response, metabolic regulation, and muscle adaptation, highlighting the shared molecular pathways activated by exercise across species. However, the study also uncovers substantial species-specific differences in gene expression, especially in chronic aerobic exercise, where the number of divergently regulated genes increases. These differences suggest that while some fundamental biological processes are conserved, the specific regulatory mechanisms and gene expression patterns can vary significantly between humans and mice. Functional enrichment analysis further reveals that conserved genes are involved in muscle development, inflammation regulation, and energy metabolism, while species-specific genes are associated with ion transport, extracellular matrix (ECM) organization, and muscle contraction, indicating the multifaceted impact of exercise on skeletal muscle function. The findings emphasize the importance of considering species-specific differences when interpreting results from animal models and translating them to human health applications. The study highlights the need for a more nuanced understanding of the molecular underpinnings of exercise-induced adaptations and underscores the value of cross-species comparative analyses in uncovering the evolutionary and functional basis of these responses. Future research should focus on integrating multi-omics data and expanding the analysis to include other tissues to provide a more comprehensive view of the systemic effects of exercise. Additionally, the development of species-specific gene editing models and the validation of key genes in exercise physiology will further enhance our understanding of the evolutionary logic behind exercise interventions. This study not only provides valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms of exercise-induced adaptations but also underscores the necessity of validating findings from animal models in human cohorts to ensure the reliability and applicability of translational research in exercise science. By addressing these aspects, the study aims to bridge the gap between basic research and clinical applications, ultimately contributing to the development of personalized exercise prescriptions and interventions that can effectively promote health and prevent diseases.

Objective: To compare the efficacy of heat and acid elution methods for IgG anti-M and anti-Ku. Methods: Ten samples with IgG anti-M and two samples with IgG anti-Ku were selected and standardized to a titer of 64. These antibodies underwent overnight absorption at 4℃ with O-type MM and kk-type erythrocytes, and then heat and acid elution methods were used on the absorbed sensitized erythrocytes respectively by detecting the titer of anti-M and anti-Ku in the eluate to compare the differences in the elution efficiency of IgG anti-M and anti-Ku between the two elution methods. Results: In heat elution tests, all 10 anti-M samples showed positive results with titers ranging from 8 to 64, while 2 anti-Ku samples yielded negative results. In acid elution tests, all 10 anti-M samples demonstrated negative results, whereas both anti-Ku (n=2) samples exhibited positive reactions with consistent titers of 32. Following acid elution with subsequent heat elution, 8 of 10 anti-M samples showed positive results with titers ranging from 8 to 32, while 2 remained negative. Both anti-Ku samples demonstrated positive with titers of 4. Conclusion: Heat elution demonstrated superior efficiency for IgG anti-M compared to acid elution, whereas acid elution showed greater efficacy for IgG anti-Ku than heat elution.