Under the background of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, together with 15 national ministries and commissions, has formulated the Implementation Plan on Establishing a Carbon Footprint Management System, and it is urgent for traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) pharmaceutical enterprises to carry out research on carbon footprint accounting methods of related products. Based on the life cycle assessment(LCA) theory, taking mulberry leaf extract produced by a certain enterprise as an example, this study analyzed the carbon footprint of TCM extracts during the life cycle. The results show that for every 1 kg of product produced, the carbon emissions from the stages of raw material acquisition, transportation, and extract production are-20.569, 1.205, and 173.577 kgCO_2eq(CO_2 equivalent), respectively. The carbon footprint of the product is 154.213 kgCO_2eq·kg~(-1). In addition, the carbon emission is the highest in the production stage, in which the consumption of ethanol solvents makes the greatest contribution to the carbon footprint, accounting for 25.71%, more than one-fourth of the total carbon footprint. The second contribution was from the treatment process of TCM residues, accounting for 19.67%, closely followed by wastewater treatment(17.71%), the consumption of hot steam(17.43%), and drinking water(16.90%). The consumption of electric power and packaging materials has a smaller carbon emission of 2.58%. In particular, the carbon emission caused by the consumption of packaging materials is only 0.04%, which is negligible. The results of the study are expected to provide a reference for TCM enterprises to carry out research on the carbon footprint of products, offer ideas for collaborative innovation in reducing pollution and carbon emissions throughout the entire industry chain of TCM, and develop new quality productivity of modern TCM industry based on green and low-carbon manufacturing.
Morus/chemistry* ; Plant Leaves/chemistry* ; Carbon Footprint ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Plant Extracts/analysis* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional

The manufacturing process is crucial for ensuring the safety and efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) preparations. Using advanced technologies, innovative methods, and new equipment tailored for TCM to enhance the quality control of TCM preparations in the manufacturing process helps to ensure the product quality and foster high-quality development of the TCM industry. Upon current technical requirements, such as Guideline for Studies on Pharmaceutical Changes in Marketed Traditional Chinese Medicine Preparations(Trial) and Guideline for Study on Quality Control in Manufacturing Process of Oral Traditional Chinese Medicine Preparations(Trial), this paper analyzes the characteristics and current development of quality control in the manufacturing process of TCM preparations. It also discusses the significant roles that quality control in manufacturing process plays in ensuring the quality consistency and in the evaluation and decision-making of changes in marketed TCM preparations. Furthermore, to benefit the high-quality development of the TCM industry, this paper offers recommendations for improving quality control of TCM preparations in the manufacturing process and implementing new technologies and methods.
Quality Control ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/standards* ; Decision Making ; Humans

Medical institutions, with their clinical practice foundation and abundant human use experience data, have become important carriers for the inheritance and innovation of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) and the "cradles" of the preparation of new TCM. To effectively promote the transformation of new TCM originating from the TCM clinical practice in medical institutions and establish an effective evaluation index system for the transformation of new TCM conforming to the characteristics of TCM, consensus experts adopted the literature research, questionnaire survey, Delphi method, etc. By focusing on the policy and technical evaluation of new TCM originating from the TCM clinical practice in medical institutions, a comprehensive evaluation from the dimensions of drug safety, efficacy, feasibility, and characteristic advantages was conducted, thus forming a comprehensive evaluation system with four primary indicators and 37 secondary indicators. The expert consensus reached aims to encourage medical institutions at all levels to continuously improve the high-quality research and development and transformation of new TCM originating from the TCM clinical practice in medical institutions and targeted at clinical needs, so as to provide a decision-making basis for the preparation, selection, cultivation, and transformation of new TCM for medical institutions, improve the development efficiency of new TCM, and precisely respond to the public medication needs.
Medicine, Chinese Traditional/standards* ; Humans ; Consensus ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of pneumococcal meningitis(PM),and drug sensitivity of Streptococcus pneumoniae(SP)isolates in Chinese children.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical information,laboratory data,and microbiological data of 160 hospitalized children under 15 years old with PM from January 2019 to December 2020 in 33 tertiary hospitals across the country.Results Among the 160 children with PM,there were 103 males and 57 females.The age ranged from 15 days to 15 years,with 109 cases(68.1% )aged 3 months to under 3 years.SP strains were isolated from 95 cases(59.4% )in cerebrospinal fluid cultures and from 57 cases(35.6% )in blood cultures.The positive rates of SP detection by cerebrospinal fluid metagenomic next-generation sequencing and cerebrospinal fluid SP antigen testing were 40% (35/87)and 27% (21/78),respectively.Fifty-five cases(34.4% )had one or more risk factors for purulent meningitis,113 cases(70.6% )had one or more extra-cranial infectious foci,and 18 cases(11.3% )had underlying diseases.The most common clinical symptoms were fever(147 cases,91.9% ),followed by lethargy(98 cases,61.3% )and vomiting(61 cases,38.1% ).Sixty-nine cases(43.1% )experienced intracranial complications during hospitalization,with subdural effusion and/or empyema being the most common complication[43 cases(26.9% )],followed by hydrocephalus in 24 cases(15.0% ),brain abscess in 23 cases(14.4% ),and cerebral hemorrhage in 8 cases(5.0% ).Subdural effusion and/or empyema and hydrocephalus mainly occurred in children under 1 year old,with rates of 91% (39/43)and 83% (20/24),respectively.SP strains exhibited complete sensitivity to vancomycin(100% ,75/75),linezolid(100% ,56/56),and meropenem(100% ,6/6).High sensitivity rates were also observed for levofloxacin(81% ,22/27),moxifloxacin(82% ,14/17),rifampicin(96% ,25/26),and chloramphenicol(91% ,21/23).However,low sensitivity rates were found for penicillin(16% ,11/68)and clindamycin(6% ,1/17),and SP strains were completely resistant to erythromycin(100% ,31/31).The rates of discharge with cure and improvement were 22.5% (36/160)and 66.2% (106/160),respectively,while 18 cases(11.3% )had adverse outcomes.Conclusions Pediatric PM is more common in children aged 3 months to under 3 years.Intracranial complications are more frequently observed in children under 1 year old.Fever is the most common clinical manifestation of PM,and subdural effusion/emphysema and hydrocephalus are the most frequent complications.Non-culture detection methods for cerebrospinal fluid can improve pathogen detection rates.Adverse outcomes can be noted in more than 10% of PM cases.SP strains are high sensitivity to vancomycin,linezolid,meropenem,levofloxacin,moxifloxacin,rifampicin,and chloramphenicol.[Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics,2024,26(2):131-138]

The pharmaceutical manufacturing model is gradually changing from intermittent manufacturing to continuous manufacturing and intelligent manufacturing. This paper briefly reviewed the supervision and research progress in continuous pharmaceutical manufacturing in China and abroad and described the definition and advantages of continuous pharmaceutical manufacturing. The continuous manufacturing of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) at the current stage was summarized in the following three terms: the enhancement of the continuity of intermittent manufacturing operations, the integration of continuous equipment to improve physical continuity between units, and the application of advanced process control strategies to improve process continuity. To achieve continuous manufacturing of TCM, the corresponding key technologies, such as material property characterization, process modeling and simulation, process analysis technology, and system integration, were analyzed from the process and equipment, respectively. It was proposed that the continuous manufacturing equipment system should have the characteristics of high speed, high response, and high reliability, "three high(H~3)" for short. Considering the characteristics and current situation of TCM manufacturing, based on the two dimensions of product quality control and production efficiency, a maturity assessment model for continuous manufacturing of TCM, consisting of operation continuity, equipment continuity, process continuity, and quality control continuity, was proposed to provide references for the application of continuous manufacturing technology for TCM. The implementation of continuous manufacturing or the application of key continuous manufacturing technologies in TCM can help to systematically integrate advanced pharmaceutical technology elements and promote the uniformity of TCM quality and the improvement of production efficiency.
Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Reproducibility of Results ; China ; Quality Control ; Pharmaceutical Preparations

Objective To compare the effects of 4 different shaping angle tubes on the success rate of tracheal intubation and postoperative pharyngeal complications among anesthetic beginners.Methods 160 patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy under general anesthesia,with ASA classification Ⅰ to Ⅱ,no history of difficult airway,were randomly divided into 4 groups according to the catheter shape and tip shaping angle:35°banana-shaped elbow group(A Group),50°banana-shaped bent pipe group(Group B),35°straight pipe group(Group C),50°straight pipe group(Group D),with 40 cases in each group.After induction of general anesthesia,tracheal intubation is performed using a video laryngoscope.The Cormack-Lehane grade of laryngoscope exposure,external laryngeal compression,one-time success rate of intubation and intubation time were recorded.SPO2,HR and MAP were recorded before anesthesia induction(T0),at the end of anesthesia induction drug injection(T1),immediately after intubation(T2)and 1min after intubation(T3).The incidence of pharyngeal pain and hoarseness immediately after extubation and 24 hours after operation were followed up.Results There were no statistically significant differences in Cormack-Lehane classification,HR,and MAP among the four groups of patients at each time point(P>0.05).The number of cases requiring external laryngeal compression,intubation time,first-time intubation success rate,immediate postoperative sore throat,and immediate postoperative hoarseness rates in Groups B and D were all lower than those in Groups A and C,and the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).Conclusion When using video laryngoscope for tracheal intubation,50°banana-shaped curved tube and 50°straight tube can shorten the intubation time,reduce postoperative complications,and have no obvious hemodynamic fluctuations.

Objective: This cross-sectional investigation aimed to determine the incidence, clinical characteristics, prognosis, and related risk factors of olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions related to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain in mainland China. Methods: Data of patients with SARS-CoV-2 from December 28, 2022, to February 21, 2023, were collected through online and offline questionnaires from 45 tertiary hospitals and one center for disease control and prevention in mainland China. The questionnaire included demographic information, previous health history, smoking and alcohol drinking, SARS-CoV-2 vaccination, olfactory and gustatory function before and after infection, other symptoms after infection, as well as the duration and improvement of olfactory and gustatory dysfunction. The self-reported olfactory and gustatory functions of patients were evaluated using the Olfactory VAS scale and Gustatory VAS scale. Results: A total of 35 566 valid questionnaires were obtained, revealing a high incidence of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain (67.75%). Females(χ2=367.013, P<0.001) and young people(χ2=120.210, P<0.001) were more likely to develop these dysfunctions. Gender(OR=1.564, 95%CI: 1.487-1.645), SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status (OR=1.334, 95%CI: 1.164-1.530), oral health status (OR=0.881, 95%CI: 0.839-0.926), smoking history (OR=1.152, 95%CI=1.080-1.229), and drinking history (OR=0.854, 95%CI: 0.785-0.928) were correlated with the occurrence of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to SARS-CoV-2(above P<0.001). 44.62% (4 391/9 840) of the patients who had not recovered their sense of smell and taste also suffered from nasal congestion, runny nose, and 32.62% (3 210/9 840) suffered from dry mouth and sore throat. The improvement of olfactory and taste functions was correlated with the persistence of accompanying symptoms(χ2=10.873, P=0.001). The average score of olfactory and taste VAS scale was 8.41 and 8.51 respectively before SARS-CoV-2 infection, but decreased to3.69 and 4.29 respectively after SARS-CoV-2 infection, and recovered to 5.83and 6.55 respectively at the time of the survey. The median duration of olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions was 15 days and 12 days, respectively, with 0.5% (121/24 096) of patients experiencing these dysfunctions for more than 28 days. The overall self-reported improvement rate of smell and taste dysfunctions was 59.16% (14 256/24 096). Gender(OR=0.893, 95%CI: 0.839-0.951), SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status (OR=1.334, 95%CI: 1.164-1.530), history of head and facial trauma(OR=1.180, 95%CI: 1.036-1.344, P=0.013), nose (OR=1.104, 95%CI: 1.042-1.171, P=0.001) and oral (OR=1.162, 95%CI: 1.096-1.233) health status, smoking history(OR=0.765, 95%CI: 0.709-0.825), and the persistence of accompanying symptoms (OR=0.359, 95%CI: 0.332-0.388) were correlated with the recovery of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to SARS-CoV-2 (above P<0.001 except for the indicated values). Conclusion: The incidence of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain is high in mainland China, with females and young people more likely to develop these dysfunctions. Active and effective intervention measures may be required for cases that persist for a long time. The recovery of olfactory and taste functions is influenced by several factors, including gender, SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status, history of head and facial trauma, nasal and oral health status, smoking history, and persistence of accompanying symptoms.
Female ; Humans ; Adolescent ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Smell ; COVID-19/complications* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; COVID-19 Vaccines ; Incidence ; Olfaction Disorders/etiology* ; Taste Disorders/etiology* ; Prognosis

Objective: To analyze the efficacy of sinonasal adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) with perineural invasion (PNI), and explore the prognostic value of PNI on sinonasal adenoid cystic carcinoma. Methods: The clinical data of 105 patients with sinonasal ACC admitted to Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from January 2000 to December 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. All patients were restaged according to American Joint Committee on Cancer 8th edition. Follow-up visits were conducted to obtain information of treatment failure and survival outcome. The Log rank test was used for univariate analysis of prognostic factors, and Cox regression model was used for multivariate prognostic analysis. Results: The maxillary sinus (n=59) was the most common primary site, followed by the nasal cavity (n=38). There were 93 patients with stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ. The treatment modalities included surgery alone (n=14), radiotherapy alone (n=13), preoperative radiotherapy plus surgery (n=10), and surgery plus postoperative radiotherapy (n=68). The median follow-up time was 91.8 months, the 5-year local control (LC), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) rates were 72.6%, 73.0%, 52.9% and 78.0%, respectively. There were 33 patients (31.4%) with PNI-positive. The 5-year DMFS, PFS, and OS rates of PNI-positive group were 53.7%, 29.4% and 56.5%, respectively, which were significantly inferior to those of PNI-negative group (80.8%, 63.0% and 86.8%, respectively, P<0.05), while there was no significant difference in the 5-year LC rate between both groups (64.5% vs 76.5%, P=0.273). The multivariate Cox regression analysis showed PNI was one of the poor prognostic factors of DMFS (HR=3.514, 95%CI: 1.557-7.932), PFS (HR=2.562, 95%CI: 1.349-4.866) and OS (HR=2.605, 95%CI: 1.169-5.806). Among patients with PNI-positive, the 5-year LC, PFS and OS rates of patients received surgery combined with radiotherapy were 84.9%, 41.3% and 72.7%, respectively, which were significantly higher than 23.3%, 10.0% and 26.7% of patients receiving surgery or radiotherapy alone (P<0.05). Conclusion: The presence of PNI increases the risk of distant metastasis in patients with sinonasal ACC. Compared with patients with PNI-negative, the prognosis of patients with PNI-positive is relatively poor, and surgery combined with radiotherapy for PNI-positive sinonasal ACC results in good clinical outcomes.
Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic/pathology* ; Humans ; Paranasal Sinus Neoplasms/therapy* ; Prognosis ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Retrospective Studies

Senescence is an inevitable natural life process that involves structural and functional degeneration of tissues and organs. Recently, the process of skin aging has attracted much attention. Determining a means to delay or even reverse skin aging has become a research hotspot in medical cosmetology and anti-aging. Dysfunction in the epidermis and fibroblasts and changes in the composition and content of the extracellular matrix are common pathophysiological manifestations of skin aging. Reactive oxygen species and matrix metalloproteinases play essential roles in this process. Stem cells are pluripotent cells that possess self-replication abilities and can differentiate into multiple functional cells under certain conditions. These cells also possess a strong ability to facilitate tissue repair and regeneration. Stem cell transplantation has the potential for application in anti-aging therapy. Increasing studies have demonstrated that stem cells perform functions through paracrine processes, particularly those involving exosomes. Exosomes are nano-vesicular substances secreted by stem cells that participate in cell-to-cell communication by transporting their contents into target cells. In this chapter, the biological characteristics of exosomes were reviewed, including their effects on extracellular matrix formation, epidermal cell function, fibroblast function and antioxidation. Exosomes derived from stem cells may provide a new means to reverse skin aging.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China(CPC), the CPC and the government have highligh-ted the development of traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM) and issued a series of policies, such as the Plan for Protection and Deve-lopment of Chinese Medicinal Materials(2015-2020) forwarded by the General Office of the State Council in 2015, the Plan for Healthy Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine(2015-2020) released by the General Office of the State Council in the same year, the Healthy China 2030 Plan published by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council in 2016, the Law of the People's Republic of China on Traditional Chinese Medicine which took effect on July 2017, On the Preservation and Innovative Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine promulgated by CPC Central Committee and the State Council in 2019, and Plan for the Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine during the 14th Five-Year Plan Period of China released by the General Office of the State Council in March 2022, to promote the development of the TCM industry, which have brought historical opportunities to the TCM industry. However, TCM industry faces various challenges in the development. In terms of drug development in TCM, the current studies mainly focused on the chemical research and technical requests, which neglected TCM characteristics and cased in conformity between new drug transformation of TCM and clinical practice. Therefore, a more considerable and profound authoritative guideline is needed, and innovative thought and research are necessary for academics and the industry. Through the investigation of the development TCM industry in recent years, this study summarized the policies on and trends of Chinese medicinal materials, new drug development in TCM, catalogue of national basic drugs, and national basic health insurance, and proposed suggestions for further development of TCM industry.
China ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; Humans ; Industry ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Policy