The therapeutic effects of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) decoction is closely related to its decocting methods. A correct understanding of the scientific connotations of decocting methods in TCM is of great significance for guiding the application of decoctions and the development of modern TCM preparations based on decoctions. The decocting process is not only a hot water extraction process of chemical components but also accompanied by complex chemical and physical changes, forming a complex multiphase system and significantly affecting the absorption and therapeutic effect of TCM. This article reviews the research progress in scientific connotations of decocting methods in TCM from the perspectives of chemical composition changes, phase state differences,absorption behavior changes, and pharmacological and toxicological changes caused by decocting. This review is expected to provide implications for studying decocting methods and their scientific interpretation, boost the innovation and development of TCM decoctions,and promote the design and development of modern TCM preparations.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/isolation & purification* ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/methods* ; Animals

The main active compound, 3,4-dihydroxyacetophenone(3,4-DHAP), in the leaves of Ilex pubescens var. glaber, exhibits various pharmacological activities, including vasodilation and heart protection. Currently, natural extraction and chemical synthesis are the primary methods for obtaining 3,4-DHAP, but both approaches have inherent challenges. To address these problems, this study explored the whole-cell bioconversion of 1-(4-hydroxyphenol)-ethanol to 3,4-DHAP using recombinant Escherichia coli, cultivated in a green, cost-effective medium at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. Firstly, this study successfully constructed recombinant E. coli S1, which contained only the HpaBC gene, and recombinant E. coli S3, which contained both the Hped and HpaBC genes. The ability of S1 and S3 to synthesize 3,4-DHAP from their respective substrates was then evaluated through whole-cell bioconversion. Based on these results, the effects of four factors, i.e., substrate concentration, IPTG concentration, induction temperature, and transformation temperature, on the whole-cell bioconversion yield of S3 were investigated using an orthogonal experiment. The results showed that the factors influenced the yield in the following order: transformation temperature > induction temperature > IPTG concentration > substrate concentration. The optimal conditions were found to be a transformation temperature of 35 ℃, IPTG concentration of 0.1 mmol·L~(-1), induction temperature of 25 ℃, and substrate concentration of 10 mmol·L~(-1). Finally, the effect of transformation time on the yield of 3,4-DHAP was further examined under the optimal conditions. The results indicated that as the transformation time increased, the yield of 3,4-DHAP steadily increased. The highest yield of 260 mg·L~(-1) with a productivity of 17% was achieved after 72 hours of transformation. In conclusion, this study successfully achieved the whole-cell bioconversion of 1-(4-hydroxyphenol)-ethanol to 3,4-DHAP using recombinant E. coli for the first time, laying the groundwork for further optimization and development of the biosynthesis of 3,4-DHAP.
Escherichia coli/genetics* ; Acetophenones/chemistry* ; Ethanol/chemistry* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Biotransformation

By employing the analytic hierarchy process(AHP), the CRITIC method(a weight determination method based on indicator correlations), and the AHP-CRITIC hybrid weighting method, the weight coefficients of evaluation indicators were determined, followed by a comprehensive score comparison. The grey correlation analysis was then performed to analyze the results calculated using the hybrid weighting method. Subsequently, a backpropagation-artificial neural network(BP-ANN) model was constructed to predict the extraction process parameters and optimize the extraction process for Shenxiong Huanglian Jiedu Granules(SHJG). In the extraction process, an L_9(3~4) orthogonal experiment was designed to optimize three factors at three levels, including extraction frequency, water addition amount, and extraction time. The evaluation indicators included geniposide, berberine, ginsenoside Rg_1 + Re, ginsenoside Rb_1, ferulic acid, and extract yield. Finally, the optimal extraction results obtained by the orthogonal experiment, grey correlation analysis, and BP-ANN method were compared, and validation experiments were conducted. The results showed that the optimal extraction process involved two rounds of aqueous extraction, each lasting one hour; the first extraction used ten times the amount of added water, while the second extraction used eight times the amount. In the validation experiments, the average content of each indicator component was higher than the average content obtained in the orthogonal experiment, with a higher comprehensive score. The optimized extraction process parameters were reliable and stable, making them suitable for subsequent preparation process research.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/analysis* ; Neural Networks, Computer

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common cardiac arrhythmia in the elderly. This study aimed to evaluate urban-rural disparities in its prevalence and management in elderly Chinese. METHODS: Consecutive participants aged ≥ 65 years attending outpatient clinics were enrolled for AF screening using handheld single-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) from April 2017 to December 2022. Each ECG rhythm strip was reviewed from the research team. AF or uninterpretable single-lead ECGs were referred for 12-lead ECG. Primary study outcome comparison was between rural and urban areas for the prevalence of AF. The Student's t-test was used to compare mean values of clinical characteristics between rural and urban participants, while the Pearson's chi-square test was used to compare between-group proportions. Multivariate stepwise logistic regression analysis was performed to estimate the association between AF and various patient characteristics. RESULTS: The 29,166 study participants included 13,253 men (45.4%) and had a mean age of 72.2 years. The 7073 rural participants differed significantly (P ≤ 0.02) from the 22,093 urban participants in several major characteristics, such as older age, greater body mass index, and so on. The overall prevalence of AF was 4.6% (n = 1347). AF was more prevalent in 7073 rural participants than 22,093 urban participants (5.6% vs. 4.3%, P < 0.01), before and after adjustment for age, body mass index, blood pressure, pulse rate, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption and prior medical history. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified overweight/obesity (OR = 1.35, 95% CI: 1.17-1.54) in urban areas and cigarette smoking (OR = 1.62, 95% CI: 1.20-2.17) and alcohol consumption (OR = 1.42, 95% CI: 1.04-1.93) in rural areas as specific risk factors for prevalent AF. In patients with known AF in urban areas (n = 781) and rural areas (n = 338), 60.6% and 45.9%, respectively, received AF treatment (P < 0.01), and only 22.4% and 17.2%, respectively, received anticoagulation therapy (P = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS In China, there are urban-rural disparities in AF in the elderly, with a higher prevalence and worse management in rural areas than urban areas. Our study findings provide insight for health policymakers to consider urban-rural disparity in the prevention and treatment of AF.

This consensus will introduce the characteristics of fillers used in the surgical cavities of domestic nasal surgery patients based on relevant literature and expert opinions. It will also provide recommendations for the selection of cavity fillers for different nasal diseases, with chronic sinusitis as a representative example.
Humans ; Nasal Cavity/surgery* ; Nasal Surgical Procedures ; China ; Consensus ; Sinusitis/surgery* ; Dermal Fillers

Wastewater-based epidemiology has emerged as a transformative surveillance tool for estimating substance consumption and monitoring disease prevalence, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. It enables the population-level monitoring of illicit drug use, pathogen prevalence, and environmental pollutant exposure. In this perspective, we summarize the key challenges specific to the Chinese context: (1) Sampling inconsistencies, necessitating standardized 24-hour composite protocols with high-frequency autosamplers (≤ 15 min/event) to improve the representativeness of samples; (2) Biomarker validation, requiring rigorous assessment of excretion profiles and in-sewer stability; (3) Analytical method disparities, demanding inter-laboratory proficiency testing and the development of automated pretreatment instruments; (4) Catchment population dynamics, reducing estimation uncertainties through mobile phone data, flow-based models, or hydrochemical parameters; and (5) Ethical and data management concerns, including privacy risks for small communities, mitigated through data de-identification and tiered reporting platforms. To address these challenges, we propose an integrated framework that features adaptive sampling networks, multi-scale wastewater sample banks, biomarker databases with multidimensional metadata, and intelligent data dashboards. In summary, wastewater-based epidemiology offers unparalleled scalability for equitable health surveillance and can improve the health of the entire population by providing timely and objective information to guide the development of targeted policies.
China/epidemiology* ; Humans ; Wastewater/analysis* ; COVID-19/epidemiology* ; Public Health ; Wastewater-Based Epidemiological Monitoring ; SARS-CoV-2

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement(TAVR)has become one of the effective methods for treating patients with aortic valve disease.With the continuous maturity of technology,innovation of instruments and increasing experience,the indications for TAVR has been expanded.Following international trends,the number of TAVR in China has steadily increased with each passing year.In 2023,the long-term follow-up results of TAVR in low-risk AS patients further confirm the long-term benefits of TAVR.The relevant research on TAVR for patients with aortic regurgitation and patients with bicuspid aortic stenosis provide evidence support for the expansion of TAVR indications.At the same time,the development of valve devices and new technological innovations are emerging in an endless stream,and the new concept of full life cycle management is increasingly being valued.Especially in China,the development of local devices is progressing rapidly,and multiple devices have entered the clinical research stage.The clinical manifestations and research results are worth pursuing.

Objective To summarize the epidemiological and clinical features of infectious diseases of the central nervous system(CNS)by a single-center analysis.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the data of 1247 cases of CNS infectious diseases diagnosed and treated in the First Medical Center of PLA General Hospital from 2001 to 2020.Results The data for this group of CNS infectious diseases by disease type in descending order of number of cases were viruses 743(59.6％),Mycobacterium tuberculosis 249(20.0％),other bacteria 150(12.0％),fungi 68(5.5％),parasites 18(1.4％),Treponema pallidum 18(1.4％)and rickettsia 1(0.1％).The number of cases increased by 177 cases(33.1％)in the latter 10 years compared to the previous 10 years(P<0.05).No significant difference in seasonal distribution pattern of data between disease types(P>0.05).Male to female ratio is 1.87︰1,mostly under 60 years of age.Viruses are more likely to infect students,most often at university/college level and above,farmers are overrepresented among bacteria and Mycobacterium tuberculosis,and more infections of Treponema pallidum in workers.CNS infectious diseases are characterized by fever,headache and signs of meningeal irritation,with the adductor nerve being the more commonly involved cranial nerve.Matagenomic next-generation sequencing improves clinical diagnostic capabilities.The median hospital days for CNS infectious diseases are 18.00(11.00,27.00)and median hospital costs are ￥29,500(￥16,000,￥59,200).The mortality rate from CNS infectious diseases is 1.6％.Conclusions The incidence of CNS infectious diseases is increasing last ten years,with complex clinical presentation,severe symptoms and poor prognosis.Early and accurate diagnosis and standardized clinical treatment can significantly reduce the morbidity and mortality rate and ease the burden of disease.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has been increasingly applied in pediatric intensive care units, however, there is still no consensus on the optimal nutritional support for these children. Malnutrition is common in critically ill children receiving ECMO, and often leads to poor clinical outcomes. Therefore, nutritional support is an important component of ECMO treatment. This study was based on the latest guidelines on nutritional therapy for critically ill and ECMO children. We summarized the current clinical research on various aspects of nutritional therapy for ECMO children, and proposed suggestions and future research directions for the nutritional therapy in such children.

Objective To investigate the nutritional status of children with Crohn's Disease (CD) at diagnosis and its association with clinical characteristics. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data and nutritional status of 118 children with CD who were admitted to Beijing Children's Hospital,Capital Medical University,from January 2016 to January 2024. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the risk factors for malnutrition. Results A total of 118 children with CD were included,among whom there were 68 boys (57.6％) and 50 girls (42.4％),with a mean age of (11±4) years. Clinical symptoms mainly included recurrent abdominal pain (73.7％,87/118),diarrhea (37.3％,44/118),and hematochezia (32.2％,38/118),and 63.6％ (75/118) of the children had weight loss at diagnosis. The incidence rate of malnutrition was 63.6％ (75/118),and the children with moderate or severe malnutrition accounted for 67％ (50/75). There were 50 children (42.4％) with emaciation,8 (6.8％) with growth retardation,and 9 (7.6％) with overweight or obesity. Measurement of nutritional indices showed a reduction in serum albumin in 83 children (70.3％),anemia in 74 children (62.7％),and a reduction in 25 hydroxyvitamin D in 15 children (60％,15/25). The children with malnutrition had significantly higher disease activity,proportion of children with intestinal stenosis,and erythrocyte sedimentation rate and a significant reduction in serum albumin (P<0.05). The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that intestinal stenosis was an independent risk factor for malnutrition in children with CD (OR=4.416,P<0.05). Conclusions There is a high incidence rate of malnutrition in children with CD at diagnosis,which is associated with disease activity and disease behavior. The nutritional status of children with CD should be closely monitored.