Biomolecular condensates are formed through phase separation of biomacromolecules such as proteins and RNAs. These condensates exhibit liquid-like properties that can futher transition into more stable material states. They form complex internal structures via multivalent weak interactions, enabling precise spatiotemporal regulations. However, the use of inconsistent and non-standardized terminology has become increasingly problematic, hindering academic exchange and the dissemination of scientific knowledge. Therefore, it is necessary to discuss the terminology related to biomolecular condensates in order to clarify concepts, promote interdisciplinary cooperation, enhance research efficiency, and support the healthy development of this field.

ObjectiveTo explore the effect of different drying conditions on the appearance and intrinsic quality indicators of Pinelliae Rhizoma for screening suitable drying conditions， so as to provide reference for its standardized production and quality evaluation. MethodsDifferent dried samples of Pinelliae Rhizoma were prepared by lime-assisted sweating method and intermittent drying method. Visual analysis was employed to measure the color brightness values（L^*） of the surface， cross-section and powder of the samples， texture analyzer was used to determine the hardness of the samples under different drying conditions. The total starch content was calculated by measuring the contents of amylose and amylopectin in the samples with ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. High performance liquid chromatography（HPLC） was used to determine the contents of seven nucleoside components（uracil， hypoxanthine， uridine， inosine， guanosine， β-thymidine and adenosine） in the samples. Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to explore the correlation between the external characteristics and intrinsic indicators of the different dried samples. Principal component analysis（PCA） was used to comprehensively rank the data of various indicators， and partial least squares-discriminant analysis（PLS-DA） was used to screen differential components with variable importance in the projection（VIP） value>1. Furthermore， the difference between the optimal drying condition for Pinelliae Rhizoma and the traditional sun-drying method was explored by independent samples t-test. ResultsWith the increase of temperature， the color of the intermittently dried samples gradually deepened， while their hardness gradually decreased. Concurrently， the contents of extract， total starch， uridine and adenosine exhibited an upward trend， whereas the contents of uracil， hypoxanthine and inosine displayed a downward trajectory. Compared with the intermittent drying group， the content of extract in the samples subjected to lime-assisted sweating increased. With the increase of lime dose， the hardness and the total content of nucleoside components in the samples showed a downward trend， while the total starch content showed an upward trend. Correlation analysis showed that the comprehensive score of L^* was negatively correlated with the contents of uracil， hypoxanthine and inosine， and positively correlated with the contents of uridine， guanosine and adenosine. Hardness was negatively correlated with adenosine content， and positively correlated with the contents of inosine， uracil and hypoxanthine. Through comprehensive consideration and comprehensive score of principal components， the method of 5% lime-mixed sweating for 6 days emerged as the top-ranking approach. Except for the extract， the results of independent samples t-test showed that there was no significant difference between the 5% lime-mixed sweating for 6 days and the traditional sun-drying in terms of other content indicators. ConclusionThe whiteness and firmness of Pinelliae Rhizoma exhibit significant correlations with its chemical composition， while uridine， uracil， guanosine， adenosine and inosine are the key constituents responsible for the quality difference of Pinelliae Rhizoma under different drying conditions. The lime-assisted sweating method optimized in this study can be proposed as a viable alternative to the traditional sun-drying method. This method not only ensures the quality of the medicinal material but also effectively reduces the drying time and prevents mold contamination， which provides a valuable reference for the standardization of drying conditions and the establishment of quality evaluation criteria for Pinelliae Rhizoma.

Objective To explore the modal testing method for the three-axis manned centrifuge under elastic boundary conditions with considerations on its complicated structure and high rotational inertia.Methods Modal testing was carried out with a three-axis manned centrifuge under elastic boundary conditions as the subject and a force hammer as the excitation source according to GJB 2706A-2008 Modal tests method for spacecraft and GB/T 11349.3-1992 Experimental determination of mechnical mobility measurements using impact excitation.Four times of hammering were carried out at each excitation position,and the data of the four times of hammering underwent linear average computation.Data acquisition was implemented with a three-axis accelerometer and a 64-channel data collector,and the modal data were analyzed using a frequency response function based on the Test.Lab modal test and analysis software.Results The coherence coefficient of the excitation signal was not lower than 0.8 in the 30 Hz band;the first three orders of the system's intrinsic vibrations were all torsional vibrations,with the frequencies of 9.15,15.66 and 19.22 Hz,respectively;the first order frequency of the system was about 9.15 Hz for both Z18 and Z21 excitation positions,and each of the second and third order frequencies similar situations were observed for also had a roughly equal value for the two excitation positions.Conclusion The force hammer testing method is applicable for the modal testing of the three-axis manned centrifuge,ensuring equipment safety and subject comfort.Referen-ces are provided for the following structural optimization design.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2024,45(8):38-43]

Objective To investigate the changes of brain networks function in patients with primary dysmenorrhea(PDM)during menstruation based on topological attributes of brain network.Methods Brain resting-state functional MRI of 57 PDM patients(PDM group)and 50 healthy women(health control[HC]group)were prospectively collected within the first or the second day of menstruation.Clinical scores were obtained and compared between groups.Results Visual analogue scale,cox menstrual symptom scale,self-rating anxiety scale and self-rating depression scale scores in PDM group were all higher than those in HC group(all P＜0.05).At the sparsity of 0.04-0.50,brain networks in both groups conformed to the small world attribute characteristics,and no significant difference of global attributes of brain network was found between groups(all P＞0.05).The node efficiency(Ne)and node degree(Dc)of bilateral posterior cingulate gyrus(PCG),as well as De and node betweenness(Bc)of left middle frontal gyrus(MFG)in PDM group were all higher than those in HC group,while Ne and De of left inferior temporal gyrus in PDM group were lower than those in HC group(all P＜0.01).Compared with HC group,the functional connections between left PCG and right calcarine fissure and surrounding cortex,right lingual gyrus and left MFG,as well as between right PCG and right dorsolateral superior frontal gyrus and left MFG,between right insula and left middle occipital gyrus enhanced in PDM group(all P＜0.001).Conclusion In PDM patients,local brain networks function such as default mode network,central executive network and salience network were over-activated during menstruation,yet the overall brain network still had good coordination and organization.

Prostate cancer(PCa)ranks as the second most prevalent malignancy among males worldwide at present,and its prevalence keeps rising.Focal therapy not only results in tumor necrosis but also encourages the release of autoantigens originating from the tumor into the bloodstream and activates the host immune system to effectively fight the tumor.However,focal therapy alone may not achieve the total ablation of cancer cells and may cause locoregional recurrence.Immunotherapy,by boosting the body's immune re-sponse,destroys tumor cells and prevents immune escape.Recent studies show that focal therapy combined with immunotherapy can produce a better clinical efficacy by enhancing the initial immune response,especially for low-to intermediate-risk confined PCa.This article offers some fresh perspectives on the management of PCa by reviewing the etiology and progression of the malignancy,focal ther-apeutic options,and advantages and vista of focal therapy combined with immunotherapy.

Objective To investigate the effect of sanguinarine(SAN)on proliferation and ferroptosis of colorectal cancer cells.Methods SW620 and HCT-116 cells treated with different concentrations of SAN were examined for cell viability changes using CCK8 assay to determine the IC50 of SAN in the two cells.The inhibitory effects of SAN on proliferation,invasion and migration of the cells were evaluated using colony-forming assay and Transwell assays.ROS production in the treated cells was analyzed with flow cytometry,and lipid peroxide production was assessed by detecting malondialdehyde(MDA)level.Glutathione(GSH)levels in the cells were detected,and Western blotting was used to detect the expressions of ferroptosis-related proteins STUB1 and GPX4.Results SAN significantly inhibited the proliferation,invasion and migration of SW620 and HCT-116 cells.SAN treatment significantly promoted ROS production,increased intracellular MDA level,and lowered GSH level in the two cells(P<0.05).Western blotting showed that SAN significantly upregulated the expression of STUB1 and down-regulated the expression of its downstream protein GPX4(P<0.05).Conclusion SAN induces ferroptosis in colorectal cancer cells by regulating STUB1/GPX4,which may serve as a new therapeutic target for colorectal cancer.

Objective To investigate the effect of sanguinarine(SAN)on proliferation and ferroptosis of colorectal cancer cells.Methods SW620 and HCT-116 cells treated with different concentrations of SAN were examined for cell viability changes using CCK8 assay to determine the IC50 of SAN in the two cells.The inhibitory effects of SAN on proliferation,invasion and migration of the cells were evaluated using colony-forming assay and Transwell assays.ROS production in the treated cells was analyzed with flow cytometry,and lipid peroxide production was assessed by detecting malondialdehyde(MDA)level.Glutathione(GSH)levels in the cells were detected,and Western blotting was used to detect the expressions of ferroptosis-related proteins STUB1 and GPX4.Results SAN significantly inhibited the proliferation,invasion and migration of SW620 and HCT-116 cells.SAN treatment significantly promoted ROS production,increased intracellular MDA level,and lowered GSH level in the two cells(P<0.05).Western blotting showed that SAN significantly upregulated the expression of STUB1 and down-regulated the expression of its downstream protein GPX4(P<0.05).Conclusion SAN induces ferroptosis in colorectal cancer cells by regulating STUB1/GPX4,which may serve as a new therapeutic target for colorectal cancer.

Orodispersible films (oral dispersible films), a novel form of oral solid dosage forms, are widely used for patients with dysphagia and those with uncontrollable autonomic behavior. In this study, suvorexant orodispersible film was prepared by hot melt extrusion technology, and the disintegration time, mechanical properties, in vitro dissolution and pharmacokinetics were evaluated, compared with other orodispersible films and commercially available tablets Belsomra. All experiments were approved by the Committee on the Management and Use of Laboratory Animals of Academy of Military Medical Sciences (IACUC-DWZX-2024-504). The results showed that the dissolution rate of suvorexant orodispersible film was faster and the mechanical strength was better than that of other commercially available orodispersible film, which could meet the needs of storage and transportation. Differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction results showed that suvorexant was dispersed within the orodispersible film in an amorphous state. The in vitro dissolution of the film was observed to be four times faster than that of the commercial tablets, achieving complete dissolution within five minutes. Pharmacokinetic evaluations in Beagle dogs revealed that the self-formulated orodispersible film exhibited no significant differences in the area under the blood concentration-time curve when compared with Belsomra. However, the film showed a faster onset of action, with a peak time that was twice as rapid, and a maximum blood concentration that was twice as high as that of Belsomra. Leveraging hot melt extrusion technology, the suvorexant orodispersible film offers a straightforward, continuous production process with consistent quality. It serves as an excellent platform for the development of solvent-free film preparations tailored for patients with special needs.

The rheological properties of drug and carrier materials have a wide range of guiding significance for the formulation and process development of solid dispersions. In this study, the rheological properties of materials with different drug carrier ratios were systematically studied with suvorexant as the model drug and copovidone as the carrier material, which provided a sufficient basis for determining the formulation and process of solid dispersions. The optimal suvorexant-copovidone ratio obtained by oscillating temperature scanning was 1∶4. If the ratio is greater than 1∶ 4, the glass transformation temperature of the material will increase significantly, and the solubilization effect of the solid dispersion will show a downward trend. The results of oscillation temperature scanning and oscillation temperature sweep can show that when the extrusion temperature is greater than 150 ℃, the viscosity of the material is less than 10 000 Pa·s, and the melt can be extruded smoothly, and the best extrusion temperature of 160-180 ℃ can be obtained by combining the dissolution results. Finally, the dissolution of suvorexant tablets guided by rheological property studies in multiple media is similar to that of the commercially available tablets Belsomra. Therefore, rheological studies can screen and optimize the formulation and process of suvorexant solid dispersions at the mechanism level, which is of great significance to improve the success rate of R&D and shorten the R&D cycle of solid dispersions prepared by hot melt extrusion.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the intervention effect and mechanism of Lycium barbarum leaves on letrozole-induced polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) mice. The PCOS model was prepared by letrozole combined with high-fat diet. After successful modeling, 40 mice were randomly divided into PCOS group, positive drug metformin group, low-dose Lycium barbarum leaves group, and high-dose Lycium barbarum leaves group. The corresponding drugs were given by gavage for 29 days. At the end of the experiment, the eyeballs were removed for blood collection and ovarian tissue was collected. The ovarian mass, fasting blood glucose (FBG), fasting insulin (FINS), testosterone (T), anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH), luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), and estradiol (E₂) levels were measured in each group. The morphology of ovarian tissue was observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining, and the oocytes, cystic follicles and corpus luteum were counted. Cecal contents of mice were collected for analysis of intestinal flora composition and differential flora. The animal experiment process was approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The results showed that the estrous cycle of PCOS mice was disordered. Compared with the PCOS group, the Lycium barbarum leaves group can significantly reduce the ovarian damage of mice, reduce the number of cystic dilated follicles, and normalize the estrous cycle. After the intervention of Lycium barbarum leaves, the levels of FBG, FINS, T, AMH, LH, FSH and LH/FSH were significantly decreased (P < 0.05), while the level of E₂ was significantly increased (P < 0.001). In addition, Lycium barbarum leaves can regulate the disorder of intestinal flora diversity in PCOS mice, increase the abundance of Bacteroidetes, and reduce the abundance of Firmicutes, Ileibacterium, Romboutsia and Faecalibaculum. In summary, Lycium barbarum leaves can play a therapeutic role in PCOS mice by improving insulin resistance, regulating reproductive hormone disorders and gut microbiota imbalance. It provides scientific basis and useful reference for the rational utilization and development of Lycium barbarum leaves.