Objective
We identified predictive factors and developed a novel machine learning (ML) model for predicting mortality risk in patients with sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE).
Methods
In this ...retrospective cohort study, data from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV (MIMIC-IV) and eICU Collaborative Research Database were used for model development and external validation. The primary outcome was the in-hospital mortality rate among patients with SAE; the observed in-hospital mortality rate was 14.74% (MIMIC IV: 1112, eICU: 594). Using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO), we built nine ML models and a stacking ensemble model and determined the optimal model based on the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). We used the Shapley additive explanations (SHAP) algorithm to determine the optimal model.
Results
The study included 9943 patients. LASSO identified 15 variables. The stacking ensemble model achieved the highest AUC on the test set (0.807) and 0.671 on external validation. SHAP analysis highlighted Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and age as key variables. The model (https://sic1.shinyapps.io/SSAAEE/) can predict in-hospital mortality risk for patients with SAE.
Conclusions
We developed a stacked ensemble model with enhanced generalization capabilities using novel data to predict mortality risk in patients with SAE.
Endometriosis is a chronic gynecological disease that is characterized by the presence of endometrial tissue outside the uterine cavity. The main symptoms include dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, chronic ...pelvic pain, and infertility. These symptoms impair the lives of most of the women suffering from the disease. Surgical resection of endometriotic lesions is an effective means of treating dysmenorrhea, but the risk of recurrence is high. Western medicine has limited use for treating it due to side effects and ineffectiveness. The purpose of this study is to verify the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture.
This trial will be carried out in four parts. A total of 106 eligible patients with pelvic pain related to endometriosis will be randomly assigned into two groups, in a 1:1 ratio, as the treatment group or the control group. The participants assigned to the treatment group will be treated with acupuncture treatment at Guanyuan (CV4), Sanyinjiao (SP6), Taichong (LR3), Zhaohai (KI6) and Qichong (ST30) while the control group will receive acupuncture at non-acupoints. The trial will include three menstrual cycles of treatment and three menstrual cycles of follow-up. The primary outcome is pelvic pain that will be assessed by means of a 10-cm visual analog scale (VAS). At each stage, we will evaluate the safety of the acupuncture treatment.
The study will compare the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture with comfort needles on pelvic pain related to endometriosis in the hope of providing significant evidence for using acupuncture on pelvic pain related to endometriosis.
ClinicalTrials.gov, ID: NCT03125304 . Registered on 30 April 2017.
The incidence of sepsis-induced coagulopathy (SIC) is high, leading to increased mortality rates and prolonged hospitalization and intensive care unit (ICU) stays. Early identification of SIC ...patients at risk of in-hospital mortality can improve patient prognosis. The objective of this study is to develop and validate machine learning (ML) models to dynamically predict in-hospital mortality risk in SIC patients. A ML model is established based on the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV (MIMIC-IV) database to predict in-hospital mortality in SIC patients. Utilizing univariate feature selection for feature screening. The optimal model was determined by calculating the area under the curve (AUC) with a 95% confidence interval (CI). The optimal model was interpreted using Shapley Additive Explanation (SHAP) values. Among the 3112 SIC patients included in MIMIC-IV, a total of 757 (25%) patients experienced mortality during their ICU stay. Univariate feature selection helps us to pick out the 20 most critical variables from the original feature. Among the 10 developed machine learning models, the stacking ensemble model exhibited the highest AUC (0.795, 95% CI: 0.763-0.827). Anion gap and age emerged as the most significant features for predicting the mortality risk in SIC. In this study, an ML model was constructed that exhibited excellent performance in predicting in-hospital mortality risk in SIC patients. Specifically, the stacking ensemble model demonstrated superior predictive ability.
The progress of modern society and changes in lifestyle have not only increased the proportion of sub-healthy people, but also caused many people to suffer from sleep disorders and mental anxiety. ...Long-term lack of high-quality sleep will not only cause psychological problems such as anxiety and fatigue, but also cause physical abnormalities, such as abnormal hormone secretion, weakened immunity, neuroendocrine disorders, and high blood pressure. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to systematically evaluate the effectiveness of aromatherapy in improving sleep quality in people with sleep disorders.
Computer search CNKI, SinoMed, Wanfang, PubMed, Web of science, and EMbase collect randomized controlled trials on aromatherapy to improve sleep quality of people with sleep disorders. The search time limit is to build the database until April 5, 2021. RevMan5.3 software is used for meta-analysis.
This systematic review will provide an assessment of the current state of sleep disorders, aiming to assess the efficacy of aromatherapy for patients with sleep disorders.
This systematic review will provide a credible evidence-based for the clinical treatment of sleep disorders with aromatherapy.
Endometriosis (EMs) affects about 10% of women of childbearing age. It is defined as functional endometrial tissue appearing in other parts of the uterine cavity, manifested by varying degrees of ...pelvic pain and pelvic mass, etc. Therefore, to improve the therapeutic effect of endometriosis, we must constantly explore new ways to treat the disease. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of the combined use of laparoscopy and traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of patients with EMs.
A systematic literature search will be conducted at China National Knowledge Infrastructure, WanFang databases, VIP, SinoMed, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane library. The search period limit is from the time the date of database establishment to June 21, 2021. To ensure the comprehensiveness of the search, relevant references and conference literature are also included. The risk of bias in the final included studies will be evaluated based on the guidelines of the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. The RevMan software will be employed to perform data synthesis and statistical analysis.
The effectiveness and safety of laparoscopic surgery combined with traditional Chinese medicine decoction in the treatment of patients with EMs will be systematically evaluated.
The results of this study will provide strong evidence for judging whether laparoscopy combined with traditional Chinese medicine decoction is an effective strategy for the treatment of patients with EMs.
Tumor has been considered as a serious public health concern and a prominent contributing factor to the prevalence of cancer and global mortality rates. Extensive epidemiological investigations have ...consistently established a correlation between a high consumption of fungal polysaccharides-rich foods, and a decreased risk of tumorigenesis. Although numerous studies have exemplified the anti-tumor properties exhibited by fungal polysaccharides compounds, a comprehensive and systematic evaluation of their efficacy and mechanisms in treating tumors remains notably limited.
This article reviews clinical trials and experimental studies regarding the anti-tumor effects and respective molecular mechanisms of common dietary fungal polysaccharides from 2011 to 2023 available in PubMed.
Based on published investigations, dietary fungal polysaccharides exhibit various mechanisms of action that contribute to their anti-tumor potentials, including the effects of antioxidation, anti-angiogenesis, apoptosis induction, cell cycle regulation and immunomodulation. This comprehensive review also highlights recent advancements in understanding the bioavailability of fungal polysaccharides, as well as the essential role played by gut microbes in their metabolism. However, further research is needed to enhance our understanding of the intricate mechanisms underlying fungal polysaccharides' bioavailability. Such studies will undoubtedly facilitate the development of precise dietary interventions for preventing and treating tumors.
•This article reviews the antitumor effects and mechanisms of polysaccharides in fungi.•High consumption of polysaccharides in fungi decreases risk of tumor.•Gut microbes closely related to polysaccharides in fungi.
Objectives. In this systematic review, the effects of acupuncture combined with moxibustion on reproductive and metabolic outcomes in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) were evaluated. ...Methods. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing acupuncture combined with moxibustion + basic treatment (experimental group) versus basic treatment alone (control group) for treating PCOS were identified from English and Chinese databases up to November 3, 2021. Outcomes related to pregnancy, ovulation, miscarriage, sex hormones, and metabolic disorders were of interest. In the meta-analysis, risk ratios (RRs) and mean differences (MDs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used as effect measures. Results. Twenty-five RCTs (n = 1991) were included. The pooled results showed that the experimental group had significant increases in the pregnancy rate (RR 1.81, 95% CI 1.58 to 2.08) and ovulation rate (RR 1.31, 95% CI 1.22 to 1.40) and decreases in the miscarriage rate (RR 0.45, 95% CI 0.28 to 0.73), and ovarian volume (MD −0.75 cm3, 95% CI −1.30 to −0.20). In the experimental group, improvements in the luteinizing hormone (LH) level, the LH-to-follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) ratio, total testosterone level, fasting insulin level, and body mass index, but not in FSH, oestradiol, or dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate levels, were significantly greater. All reported adverse events were mild. Based on the limitations of risk of bias, inconsistency, imprecision, and/or publication bias, the level of evidence was judged to be moderate for the pregnancy rate, ovulation rate, miscarriage rate, LH level, and LH/FSH ratio and very low for the other outcomes. Conclusion. Among patients with PCOS, using acupuncture combined with moxibustion as a complementary therapy to basic treatments can improve pregnancy, ovulation, and miscarriage rates, the levels some sex hormones, and metabolic indicators, with good safety. Additionally, this combination therapy may have no effect on the FSH, oestradiol, or dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate level.
Zishen Qingre Lishi Huayu recipe (ZQLHR) is a herbal recipe created on the basis on the theory of traditional Chinese medicine and clinical practice, and is mainly used in the treatment of polycystic ...ovary syndrome (PCOS). However, the underlying mechanism for this fact has not been clearly elucidated.
To verify whether ZQLHR regulates granulosa cells (GCs) proliferation and apoptosis through the Krüppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) - CCATT enhancer-binding proteinβ (C/EBPβ) pathway, and to provide in vitro molecular mechanism supporting for the effects of ZQLHR to enhance follicular development and treat patients with PCOS.
Based on previous experiments, we performed the following experiments. Firstly, we treated KGN cells (a steroidogenic human granulosa-like tumor cell line) for 48 h using different concentrations of ZQLHR in order to observe apoptosis in each group. Secondly, the mRNA and protein expression levels of KLF4 and C/EBPβ in KGN cells after administrated with ZQLHR were examined by quantitative real-time PCR(q-PCR) and Western blot assay. Thirdly, after knocking down KLF4 and C/EBPβ using siRNAs, the relationship between KLF4 and C/EBPβ in KGN cells was detected. Further, cell counting kit-8 assay, colony formation assay and flow cytometry were used to verify whether ZQLHR promotes proliferation and facilitates apoptosis in KGN cells through the KLF4-C/EBPβ pathway. Finally, q-PCR and Western blot were used to test whether ZQLHR mediated proliferation and apoptosis-related factors such as B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), Bcl-2-associated X (BAX), proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and cleaved caspase-3 to affect the proliferation and apoptosis of KGN cells through the KLF4-C/EBPβ pathway.
ZQLHR, containing 0.2% by volume, administered to KGN cells resulted in the lowest rate of apoptosis. The expression levels of KLF4 and C/EBPβ were increased in KGN cells following ZQLHR treatment. Additionally, ZQLHR promoted proliferation and inhibited apoptosis of KGN cells by modulating proliferation and apoptosis-related factors via the KLF4-C/EBPβ pathway. Furthermore, we confirmed that KLF4 and C/EBPβ regulate each other in KGN cells. These findings indicate that ZQLHR enhances the proliferation of GCs and suppresses their apoptosis, which constitutes a therapeutic mechanism for treating patients with PCOS.
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•ZQLHR increases proliferation and inhibit apoptosis of GCs.•ZQLHR enhances KLF4 and C/EBPβ mRNA and protein abundances.•ZQLHR can regulate the balance of proliferation and apoptosis-related factors.•Increasing proliferation is one of the potential mechanisms of ZQLHR treated PCOS.•Inhibiting apoptosis of GCs is the other of the potential mechanisms of ZQLHR treated PCOS.
Circ_ATRNL1 is significantly highly expressed in cartilage tissues of patients with osteoarthritis. This study explored the role and mechanism of circ_ATRNL1 in cartilage differentiation of human ...adipose‐derived mesenchymal stem cells (hAMSCs). hAMSCs were isolated and identified by flow cytometry. The degree of chondrocyte and adipogenic differentiation was assessed using Alcian blue staining and Oil Red O staining, respectively. The expressions of cartilage‐ and adipogenic‐related genes, circ_ATRNL1, and SOX9 were detected by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The correlation between SOX9 and circ_ATRNL1 was analyzed using Pearson test. Bioinformatics and luciferase analysis were used to detect the overlapped target miRNAs of circ_ATRNL1 and SOX9. The role of circ_ATRNL1/miRNA/SOX9 was examined using functional rescue assays. hAMSCs were identified as CD90‐, CD105‐, and CD44‐positive. The degree of cartilage differentiation of hAMSCs was significantly enhanced after 2 weeks. Cartilage‐related genes, circ_ATRNL1 and SOX9, were significantly upregulated, and positively correlated with each other. Circ_ATRNL1 overexpression enhanced hAMSC proliferation and differentiation into chondrogenesis, and promoted the expressions of COL2, Aggrecan, and SOX9. Overexpression of circ_ATRNL1 inhibited the adipogenic differentiation of hAMSCs and the expressions of adipogenic‐related genes. miR‐145‐5p was a target miRNA for circ_ATRNL1 and SOX9. miR‐145‐5p mimic inhibited hAMSC differentiation toward cartilage, and inhibited the expression of cartilage‐related factors. miR‐145‐5p mimic effectively reversed the regulating effect of circ_ATRNL1 on hAMSCs. Circ_ATRNL1 regulates the promotion of SOX9 expression to promote chondrogenic differentiation of hAMSCs mediated by miR‐145‐5p.