Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) serves as a treasure trove of ancient knowledge, holding a crucial position in the medical field. However, the exploration of TCM's extensive information has been hindered by challenges related to data standardization, completeness, and accuracy, primarily due to the decentralized distribution of TCM resources. To address these issues, we developed a platform for TCM knowledge discovery (TCMKD, https://cbcb.cdutcm.edu.cn/TCMKD/). Seven types of data, including syndromes, formulas, Chinese patent drugs (CPDs), Chinese medicinal materials (CMMs), ingredients, targets, and diseases, were manually proofread and consolidated within TCMKD. To strengthen the integration of TCM with modern medicine, TCMKD employs analytical methods such as TCM data mining, enrichment analysis, and network localization and separation. These tools help elucidate the molecular-level commonalities between TCM and contemporary scientific insights. In addition to its analytical capabilities, a quick question and answer (Q&A) system is also embedded within TCMKD to query the database efficiently, thereby improving the interactivity of the platform. The platform also provides a TCM text annotation tool, offering a simple and efficient method for TCM text mining. Overall, TCMKD not only has the potential to become a pivotal repository for TCM, delving into the pharmacological foundations of TCM treatments, but its flexible embedded tools and algorithms can also be applied to the study of other traditional medical systems, extending beyond just TCM.

Objective: To explore the regulatory effects of ginkgo biloba extract on airway inflammatory injury and Toll⁃like receptor 4(TLR4)/nucleotide⁃binding oligomerization domain⁃containing 3(NLRP3) pathway in rats with vided into four groups : the normal control group , Methods: Thirty⁃six male SD rats were selected and randomly divided into four groups : the normal control group , the model group , the prednisone treatment group , and the ginkgo biloba extract treatment group , with 9 rats in each group. Except for the normal control group , the COPD rat mod⁃els in the other groups was constructed by intratracheal instillation of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) combined with ciga⁃rette smoke exposure. After successful modeling , the rats were continuously administered drugs for 12 weeks , fol⁃lowed by sampling. The general conditions and respiratory symptoms of the rats were observed. The pathological changes of lung tissues were observed by hematoxylin⁃eosin (HE) staining technique ; the mRNA and protein ex⁃pression levels of TLR4 , tumor necrosis factor⁃α (TNF⁃α ) , interleukin⁃1β (IL⁃1β) and NLRP3 in rat lung tissueswere detected by real⁃time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT⁃qPCR) and Western blot. Results: Com⁃pared with the normal control group , the lung tissues of rats in the model group were significantly damaged , and the protein and mRNA expression of TLR4 , TNF⁃α , IL⁃1β , and NLRP3 increased ( P < 0. 05 ) . Compared with the model group , lung tissue damage was reduced in the prednisone group and the ginkgo biloba extract group , and TLR4 , TNF⁃α , IL⁃1β , NLRP3 protein and mRNA expression decreased (P < 0. 05) . Conclusion Ginkgo biloba airway inflammatory response by inhibiting the TLR4/NLRP3 signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVE:To provide reference for rational selection of antibiotics against non-fermentative Gram-negative bacilli in clinic. METHODS:Etiological data of clinical isolated Pseudomonas aeruginosa(PA),Acinetobacter baumanii(AB) and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia(SM)were collected from the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University(called"our hospital"for short)during Jan. 2004-Dec. 2016. Drug resistance of them to commonly used antibiotics was analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS:Totally 15 587 strains of PA,7 446 strains of AB and 2 950 strains of SM were detected. Resistance rates of PA to commonly used antibiotics fluctuated but were in a decreasing tendency. Except for imipenem,resistance rates of PA to commonly used antibiotics decreased significantly,and resistance rates of PA to amikacin and gentamicin decreased to 4.60% and 7.48%, respectively. Resistance rates of AB to most commonly used antibiotics were more than 40%,but it was sensitive to tigecycline (drug resistance of 0-4.03%). Resistance rates of SM to cefoperazone sodium and sulbactam sodium increased from 3.03% in 2004 to 39.01% in 2016,but it was sensitive to sulfamethoxazole,minocycline and levofloxacin. CONCLUSIONS:Non-fermentative Gram- negative bacilli detected in our hospital are mainly PA. Resistance rate of PA to most of the antibiotics is declining;drug resistance of AB is severe;resistance rates of SM to cefoperazone sodium and sulbactam sodium show increasing tendency.Above 3 non-fermentative Gram-negative bacilli are sensitive to amikacin,tegocycline and minocycline. Clinical selection should be based on the results of drug sensitivity test.

The corona-like spikes or peplomers on the surface of the virion under electronic microscope are the most striking features of coronaviruses. The S (spike) protein is the largest structural protein, with 1,255 amino acids, in the viral genome. Its structure can be divided into three regions: a long N-terminal region in the exterior, a characteristic transmembrane (TM) region, and a short C-terminus in the interior of a virion. We detected fifteen substitutions of nucleotides by comparisons with the seventeen published SARS-CoV genome sequences, eight (53.3%) of which are non-synonymous mutations leading to amino acid alternations with predicted physiochemical changes. The possible antigenic determinants of the S protein are predicted, and the result is confirmed by ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) with synthesized peptides. Another profound finding is that three disulfide bonds are defined at the C-terminus with the N-terminus of the E (envelope) protein, based on the typical sequence and positions, thus establishing the structural connection with these two important structural proteins, if confirmed. Phylogenetic analysis reveals several conserved regions that might be potent drug targets.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Antigens, Viral ; immunology ; Base Composition ; Computational Biology ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Membrane Glycoproteins ; genetics ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Mutation ; genetics ; Phylogeny ; Protein Structure, Tertiary ; SARS Virus ; genetics ; immunology ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Sequence Homology ; Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus ; Viral Envelope Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism