The pharmaceutical industry faces challenges in quality digitization for complex multi-stage processes, especially in small-sample systems. Here, an intelligent quality prediction and diagnostic (IQPD) framework was developed and applied to Tong Ren Tang's Niuhuang Qingxin Pills, utilizing four years of data collected from four production units, covering the entire process from raw materials to finished products. In this framework, a novel path-enhanced double ensemble quality prediction model (PeDGAT) is proposed, which combines a graph attention network and path information to encode inter-unit long-range and sequential dependencies. Additionally, the double ensemble strategy enhances model stability in small samples. Compared to global traditional models, PeDGAT achieves state-of-the-art results, with an average improvement of 13.18% and 87.67% in prediction accuracy and stability on three indicators. Additionally, a more in-depth diagnostic model leveraging grey correlation analysis and expert knowledge reduces reliance on large samples, offering a panoramic view of attribute relationships across units and improving process transparency. Finally, the IQPD framework integrates into a Human-Cyber-Physical system, enabling faster decision-making and real-time quality adjustments for Tong Ren Tang's Niuhuang Qingxin Pills, a product with annual sales exceeding 100 million CNY. This facilitates the transition from experience-driven to data-driven manufacturing.

AIM:To investigate the effect of hydrogen sulfide(H2S)on ferroptosis and functional impairment induced by oxidized high-density lipoprotein(ox-HDL)in human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HUVECs),and to ex-plore its mechanisms.METHODS:The HUVECs were cultured in vitro and exposed to 200 mg/L ox-HDL,ferroptosis in-hibitor ferrostatin-1(Fer-1),protein kinase B(PKB/Akt)inhibitor MK-2206 2HCl(MK),Akt agonist SC79,and/or H2S for 24 h.Western blot was used to identify the relevant proteins.Intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species(ROS)were analyzed by flow cytometry and immunofluorescence staining.Intracellular iron was measured using an iron detection kit.The number of monocytes adhering to endothelial cells was counted using the monocyte adhesion assay.RESULTS:Compared with control group,acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 4(ACSL4)protein expression in ox-HDL group was elevated by 1.45-fold(P<0.01),glutathione peroxidase 4(GPX4)protein expression was decreased by 29.79%(P<0.05),and ROS levels and iron ion content were elevated by 4.81-fold and 1.40-fold,respectively(P<0.01).The ratios of p-PI3K/PI3K and p-Akt/Akt were decreased by 45.65%and 41.68%,respectively(P<0.01),endo-thelial cell function-related protein IL-6,ICAM-1 and TNF-α expression was elevated 1.18-fold,1.24-fold and 1.41-fold(P<0.05),respectively,eNOS protein expression was decreased by 35.24%(P<0.01),and monocyte adhesion was ele-vated 3.43-fold(P<0.01).Compared with ox-HDL group,the endothelial cell iron death-related protein ACSL4 was de-creased by 22.32%(P<0.05),GPX4 was increased by 1.27-fold(P<0.01),and the p-Akt/Akt ratio was increased by 1.52-fold(P<0.01)in ox-HDL+H2S group.The fluorescence microscopy results showed that the ROS was decreased by 50.35%(P<0.01).The IL-6,ICAM-1 and TNF-α protein expression was decreased by 13.34%,9.83%and 13.46%(P<0.05),respectively,eNOS was elevated by 1.22-fold(P<0.01),and the number of monocyte adhesion was de-creased by 59.05%(P<0.01).Compared with ox-HDL group,GPX4 protein expression in ox-HDL+SC79 group was ele-vated by 1.49-fold(P<0.01),ACSL4 expression was decreased by 20.72%(P<0.05),and ROS and iron ions were de-creased by 59.31%and 23.85%(P<0.05),respectively.Compared with ox-HDL+H2S group,GPX4 protein expression was decreased by 21.28%,and ACSL4 protein expression was increased by 1.16-fold in ox-HDL+H2S+MK group(P<0.05).CONCLUSION:H2S activates Akt to inhibit ox-HDL-induced ferroptosis in HUVECs and alleviate their func-tional damage.

BACKGROUND:With the increase of patients with cubital tunnel syndrome,ulnar groove plasty does not affect the normal anatomical structure and distribution of the ulnar nerve,which is one of the main surgical procedures for the treatment of cubital tunnel syndrome.3D printing combined with ulnar groove plasty can more accurately position the expansion depth and width of the ulnar groove to avoid some surgical complications. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of 3D printing technology combined with ulnar groove plasty on nerve electrophysiology and prognosis in patients with cubital tunnel syndrome. METHODS:A total of 70 patients with moderate and severe cubital tunnel syndrome who were treated in Cangzhou Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Hospital from March 2020 to March 2022 were selected as the study subjects.They were divided into two groups,with 35 cases in each group.The control group underwent traditional ulnar groove plasty.The observation group underwent 3D printing technology combined with ulnar groove plasty.The patients were followed up for 3 months.The clinical efficacy,latency,amplitude of compound muscle action potential of abductor pollicis brevis of the affected limb and ulnar nerve motor conduction velocity,grip strength on the affected side,pinch strength of the middle and thumb fingers,S-W monofilament of the little finger,two-point discrimination of the little finger,and Disabilities of the Arm,Shoulder and Hand Questionnaire score were compared between the two groups. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Compared with the control group(74%),the excellent and good rate was significantly higher in the observation group(91%)(P<0.05).(2)Compared with pre-treatment,the latency of compound muscle action potential of abductor pollicis brevis of affected limb was significantly shorter and the wave amplitude and ulnar nerve motor conduction velocity were significantly higher in the two groups after treatment.The latency was significantly shorter and the wave amplitude and ulnar nerve motor conduction velocity were significantly higher in the observation group than those in the control group(P<0.05).(3)Compared with pre-treatment,the grip strength,middle finger and thumb pinch strength of the affected side,S-W monofilament of the little finger and two-point discrimination of the little finger were significantly decreased in the two groups after treatment.The grip strength,middle finger and thumb pinch strength on the affected side were greater,S-W monofilament of the little finger and two-point discrimination of the little finger were significantly smaller in the observation group than those in the control group(P<0.05).(4)Compared with pre-treatment,the Disabilities of the Arm,Shoulder and Hand Questionnaire scores of the two groups were significantly reduced after treatment,and the Disabilities of the Arm,Shoulder and Hand Questionnaire scores of the observation group were significantly lower than those of the control group(P<0.05).(5)It is concluded that 3D printing technology combined with ulnar groove plasty in the treatment of cubital tunnel syndrome can effectively improve its clinical efficacy,promote the neurophysiological recovery of patients,and enhance the function of fingers and upper limbs,which has high clinical application value.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy, safety and recurrence rate of oral atenolol in the treatment of infantile hemangioma, so as to provide evidence-based medicine basis and reference for clinic.Methods:Search on the following public databases from January 1, 2008 to June 13, 2022: Web of Science, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, U. S. National Library of Medicine Clinical Trials Registry Platform; China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI), Chinese Biomedical Literature Service System(SinoMed), Chinese Science and Technology Journal Database and Wanfang Data. According to inclusion and exclusion criteria, studies on oral atenolol for the treatment of infantile hemangioma were selected. The outcome indicators were efficiency (complete response rate), incidence of adverse effects and recurrence rate. The single-arm meta-analysis was performed using R software version 4.1.2. Egger’s test was employed and funnel plots were drawn to assess publication bias in the literature.Results:A total of 14 studies were included, comprising 5 randomized controlled trials, 5 single-arm studies, 3 non-randomized controlled trials, and 1 case-control study. The oral administration of atenolol for the treatment of infantile hemangiomas resulted in an efficacy rate (complete remission rate) of 62% (95% CI 52%~71%). The incidence rate of adverse reactions related to the digestive system was 18% (95% CI 7%~30%), while that related to β2 receptor blockade was 4% (95% CI 2%~6%), central nervous system-related adverse reactions occurred at a rate of 10% (95% CI 5%~16%), the recurrence rate was 5% (95% CI 2%~9%). Egger’s test indicated that there was no significant publication bias in the efficacy rate, central nervous system-related adverse reaction rate, and gastrointestinal-related adverse reaction rate of oral atenolol treatment for infantile hemangiomas ( P>0.05). The sensitivity analysis for the efficacy rate, adverse reaction rate, and recurrence rate of oral atenolol treatment for infantile hemangiomas suggested that the result were stable and reliable. Conclusion:Oral administration of atenolol for the treatment of infantile hemangiomas demonstrates significant efficacy, fewer adverse reactions, and a low recurrence rate, making it a promising candidate as a reasonable alternative to oral propranolol for treating infantile hemangiomas.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy, safety and recurrence rate of oral atenolol in the treatment of infantile hemangioma, so as to provide evidence-based medicine basis and reference for clinic.Methods:Search on the following public databases from January 1, 2008 to June 13, 2022: Web of Science, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, U. S. National Library of Medicine Clinical Trials Registry Platform; China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI), Chinese Biomedical Literature Service System(SinoMed), Chinese Science and Technology Journal Database and Wanfang Data. According to inclusion and exclusion criteria, studies on oral atenolol for the treatment of infantile hemangioma were selected. The outcome indicators were efficiency (complete response rate), incidence of adverse effects and recurrence rate. The single-arm meta-analysis was performed using R software version 4.1.2. Egger’s test was employed and funnel plots were drawn to assess publication bias in the literature.Results:A total of 14 studies were included, comprising 5 randomized controlled trials, 5 single-arm studies, 3 non-randomized controlled trials, and 1 case-control study. The oral administration of atenolol for the treatment of infantile hemangiomas resulted in an efficacy rate (complete remission rate) of 62% (95% CI 52%~71%). The incidence rate of adverse reactions related to the digestive system was 18% (95% CI 7%~30%), while that related to β2 receptor blockade was 4% (95% CI 2%~6%), central nervous system-related adverse reactions occurred at a rate of 10% (95% CI 5%~16%), the recurrence rate was 5% (95% CI 2%~9%). Egger’s test indicated that there was no significant publication bias in the efficacy rate, central nervous system-related adverse reaction rate, and gastrointestinal-related adverse reaction rate of oral atenolol treatment for infantile hemangiomas ( P>0.05). The sensitivity analysis for the efficacy rate, adverse reaction rate, and recurrence rate of oral atenolol treatment for infantile hemangiomas suggested that the result were stable and reliable. Conclusion:Oral administration of atenolol for the treatment of infantile hemangiomas demonstrates significant efficacy, fewer adverse reactions, and a low recurrence rate, making it a promising candidate as a reasonable alternative to oral propranolol for treating infantile hemangiomas.

Smart manufacturing still remains critical challenges for pharmaceutical manufacturing. Here, an original data-driven engineering framework was proposed to tackle the challenges. Firstly, from sporadic indicators to five kinds of systematic quality characteristics, nearly 2,000,000 real-world data points were successively characterized from Ginkgo Folium tablet manufacturing. Then, from simplex to the multivariate system, the digital process capability diagnosis strategy was proposed by multivariate C_pk integrated Bootstrap-t. The C_pk of Ginkgo Folium extracts, granules, and tablets were discovered, which was 0.59, 0.42, and 0.78, respectively, indicating a relatively weak process capability, especially in granulating. Furthermore, the quality traceability was discovered from unit to end-to-end analysis, which decreased from 2.17 to 1.73. This further proved that attention should be paid to granulating to improve the quality characteristic. In conclusion, this paper provided a data-driven engineering strategy empowering industrial innovation to face the challenge of smart pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Oligoasthenospermia is the primary cause of infertility. However, there are still enormous challenges in the screening of critical candidates and targets of oligoasthenospermia owing to its complex mechanism. In this study, stem cell factor (SCF), c-kit, and transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) biosensors were successfully established and applied to studying apoptosis and autophagy mechanisms. Interestingly, the detection limit reached 2.787 × 10^-15 g/L, and the quantitative limit reached 1.0 × 10^-13 g/L. Furthermore, biosensors were used to investigate the interplay between autophagy and apoptosis. Schisandrin A is an excellent candidate to form a system with c-kit similar to SCF/c-kit with a detection constant (K_D) of 5.701 × 10^-11 mol/L, whereas it had no affinity for SCF. In addition, it also inhibited autophagy in oligoasthenospermia through antagonizing TRPV1 with a K_D of up to 4.181 × 10^-10 mol/L. In addition, in vivo and in vitro experiments were highly consistent with the biosensor. In summary, high-potency schisandrin A and two potential targets were identified, through which schisandrin A could reverse the apoptosis caused by excessive autophagy during oligoasthenospermia. Our study provides promising insights into the discovery of effective compounds and potential targets via a well-established in vitro-in vivo strategy.

Anti-seizure medications (ASMs) are the main therapy for epilepsy.There are many kinds of ASMs with complex mechanism of action, so it is difficult for pharmacists to examine prescriptions.This paper put forward some suggestions on the indications, dosage forms/routes of administration, appropriateness of usage and dosage, combined medication and drug interaction, long-term prescription review, individual differences in pathophysiology of children, and drug selection when complicated with common epilepsy, for the reference of doctors and pharmacists.

Objective:To establish the normal reference range of neurotransmitters in Han-nationality children aged 3-12 in Hubei province.Methods:A prospective study was conducted on healthy Han-nationality children aged 3-12 who took physical examination in Wuhan Children′s Hospital, Hubei province from January to August 2021.The children were asked for their medical histories, and those with neurological diseases, psychiatric diseases, infection, trauma, and a drug history in the past 2 weeks were excluded.The plasma of 324 children (262 males, 62 females; 217 cases in the 3-7 years old, 107 cases in the 8-12 years old) and urine of 391 children (302 males, 89 females; 266 cases in the 3-7 years old, 125 cases in the 8-12 years old) were collected.They ultra performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry multiple techniques (UPLC-MS/MS) were used to detect 10 kinds of neurotransmitters (e.g., dopamine, epinephrine, glutamic acid, etc.) in plasma and 8 kinds of neurotransmitters (e.g., dopamine, epinephrine, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid, etc.) in random urine.The normal reference range of neurotransmitters in Han-nationality children aged 3-12 in Hubei province was established.The Kruskal- Wallis H test was made for statistical analysis of the differences in neurotransmitter levels among different age groups and gender groups.The neurotransmitter levels between different groups were compared by the Nemenyi test. Results:There were no significant differences in the levels of various neurotransmitters in children of different genders(all P>0.05). There were significant differences in the levels of dopamine, methoxy-norepinephrine, tryptophan and γ-aminobutyric acid in the plasma of children aged 3-7 years and 8-12 years.There were significant differences in the levels of dopamine, epinephrine, norepinephrine, methoxy-norepinephrine, high vanillic acid and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid in the random urine between the 3-7 years old group and the 8-12 years old group. Conclusions:The normal reference range of neurotransmitters in Han-nationality children aged 3-12 in Hubei province is established.This study provides reference for clinical practice and lays a foundation for the study of neurotransmitter-related diseases in children.

Objective:To explore the clinical features of three early-onset infantile epileptic encephalopathy (EIEE) patients with variations in phosphofurin acidic cluster sorting protein 2 (PACS2) gene and to review related literature.Methods:The clinical data and genetic features of three early infantile epileptic encephalopathy 66 (EIEE66) patients with a PACS2 gene variant diagnosed by the Department of Neurology, Wuhan Children′s Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, from January 2019 to January 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. A literature search with "PACS2 gene" "PACS2" "epileptic encephalopathy, early infantile, 66" and"early infantile epileptic encephalopathy 66" as key words was conducted at PubMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform (up to July 2020). Case reports of patients with PACS2 gene variants and related clinical data were chosen and reviewed.Results:Case 1, a girl aged 2 years and 2 months was hospitalized because of repetitive seizures within more than two years and 6 convulsions within 2 days due to fever. The seizures occurred at the age of 7 days, characterized by focal seizures and generalized tonic-clonic seizures. Sometimes, the frequency of seizures increased with high fever. Regular treatment had not been implemented in the early stage, later seizures were controlled by valproic acid treatment. Case 2, a female 5 months of age, was admitted due to recurrent convulsions in nearly five months. Focal seizures occured at the age of 5 days. And the brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) confirmed abnormal cerebellar hemispheres and cerebellar vermis, as well as cerebellar dysplasia. Several antiepileptic drugs and ketogenic diet were ineffective in the early months, and later seizures were controlled with the treatment with levetiracetam and valproic acid. Case 3, a five-month-old girl, was admitted because of recurrent convulsions for nearly five months. At the age of 3 days, she had tonic seizures, and showed good response to levetiracetam and valproic acid. All the three cases were accompanied by development delay and dysmorphic facial appearance, and got seizure-free with the treatment with valproic acid. All copy-number variant analysis and trio whole exome sequencing revealed a recurrent heterozygous missense variant (c.625G>A) in PACS2 gene. No related reports were found in Chinese journals, while 4 reports were found in English literature, describing 17 patients in total. With these 3 patients included, 20 cases had only two missense PACS2 gene variants, in whom 19 cases carried the variant c. 625G>A (p.Glu209Lys) and 1 case carried the variant c. 631G>A (p.Glu211Lys). Epilepsy was the first reported symptom in all patients, and 17 cases had seizures during the first week of life. Out of the various seizure types observed, focal seizures were the predominant types (13 cases), whereas tonic, clonic, tonic-clonic seizures and non-motor seizures (such as facial flushing) were also reported. Almost all patients showed facial dysmorphism and developmental delay to different degrees. Total of 16 patients had abnormal brain MRI recordings, and 13 cases had cerebellar hypoplasia. More specifically, 7 cases showed inferior vermian hypoplasia, and 3 cases showed hypothalamic fusion anomaly. The treatment was mainly aimed to control the symptoms. And the recommended effective treatment for epilepsy has not been reported yet.Conclusions:PACS2-related early infantile epileptic encephalopathy is an autosomal dominant disease, characterized by seizure onset within the first week of life in most cases, dysmorphic facial appearance, and various degrees of developmental retardation. Treatment with valproic acid showed good effect.