ObjectiveTo address the challenges of unstructured classical Chinese expressions， nested entity relationships， and limited annotated data in famous traditional Chinese medicine（TCM） case records， this study proposes a joint relation extraction framework that integrates data augmentation and entity mapping， aiming to support the construction of TCM diagnostic knowledge graphs and clinical pattern mining. MethodsWe developed an annotation structure for entities and their relationships in TCM case texts and applied a data augmentation strategy by incorporating multiple ancient texts to expand the relation extraction dataset. A cascade binary tagging framework for relation triple extraction（CasRel） model for TCM semantics was designed， integrating a pre-trained bidirectional encoder representations from transformers（BERT） layer for classical TCM texts to enhance semantic representation， and using a head entity-relation-tail entity mapping mechanism to address entity nesting and relation overlapping issues. ResultsExperimental results showed that the CasRel model， combining data augmentation and entity mapping， outperformed the pipeline-based Bert-Radical-Lexicon（BRL）-bidirectional long short-term memory（BiLSTM）-Attention model. The overall precision， recall， and F₁-score across 12 relation types reached 65.73%， 64.03%， and 64.87%， which represent improvements of 14.26%， 7.98%， and 11.21% compared to the BRL-BiLSTM-Attention model， respectively. Notably， the F₁-score for tongue syndrome relations increased by 22.68%（69.32%）， and the prescription-syndrome relations performed the best with the F₁-score of 70.10%. ConclusionThe proposed framework significantly improves the semantic representation and complex dependencies in TCM texts， offering a reusable technical framework for structured mining of TCM case records. The constructed knowledge graph can support clinical syndrome differentiation， prescription optimization， and drug compatibility， providing a methodological reference for TCM artificial intelligence research.

To explore the advantages of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） and integrative TCM-Western medicine approaches in the treatment of diabetic microvascular complications （DMC）， refine key pathophysiological insights and treatment principles， and promote academic innovation and strategic research planning in the prevention and treatment of DMC. The 38th session of the Expert Salon on Diseases Responding Specifically to Traditional Chinese Medicine， hosted by the China Association of Chinese Medicine， was held in Beijing， 2024. Experts in TCM， Western medicine， and interdisciplinary fields convened to conduct a systematic discussion on the pathogenesis， diagnostic and treatment challenges， and mechanism research related to DMC， ultimately forming a consensus on key directions. Four major research recommendations were proposed. The first is addressing clinical bottlenecks in the prevention and control of DMC by optimizing TCM-based evidence evaluation systems. The second is refining TCM core pathogenesis across DMC stages and establishing corresponding "disease-pattern-time" framework. The third is innovating mechanism research strategies to facilitate a shift from holistic regulation to targeted intervention in TCM. The fourth is advancing interdisciplinary collaboration to enhance the role of TCM in new drug development， research prioritization， and guideline formulation. TCM and integrative approaches offer distinct advantages in managing DMC. With a focus on the diseases responding specifically to TCM， strengthening evidence-based support and mechanism interpretation and promoting the integration of clinical care and research innovation will provide strong momentum for the modernization of TCM and the advancement of national health strategies.

Objective: To establish a method for determining the molecular weight and molecular weight distribution of Poly(Lactide-co-Glycolide Acid) (PLGA) using Size Exclusion Chromatography-Refractive Index-Multiangle Laser Light Scattering (SEC-RI-MALLS) and Size Exclusion Chromatography-Refractive Index (SEC-RID), and to compare the results obtained from these two methods.
Methods: For SEC-RI-MALLS, tetrahydrofuran was used as the mobile phase, Shodex GPC KF-803L was employed as the chromatographic column with a flow rate of 1 mL·min^-1, column temperature at 30 ℃, and an injection volume of 100 μL. For SEC-RID, tetrahydrofuran was also used as the mobile phase, Agilent PLgel 5 μm MIXD-D was used as the chromatographic column with a flow rate of 1 mL·min^-1, column temperature at 30 ℃, differential detector temperature at 35 ℃, and an injection volume of 20 μL. The molecular weight and molecular weight distribution were calculated using Agilent’s GPC software. The newly established methods were validated methodologically, and the molecular weight and molecular weight distribution of 13 batches of samples were determined.
Results: The precision, accuracy, stability, and repeatability tests for SEC-RI-MALLS showed RSD values of 1.35%, 1.58%, 1.53%, and 1.26%, respectively. The SEC-RID method exhibited good linearity (r=0.999 9), with RSD values for precision, accuracy, stability, and repeatability tests (n=6) of 2.05%, 1.62%, 1.30%, and 2.97%, respectively. The results obtained from SEC-RI-MALLS were lower than those from SEC-RID, and the molecular weight distribution coefficient was smaller, but the results from the paired T-test performed with the value measured by SEC-RID method and the value measured by SEC-RI-MALLS method multiplied a conversion coefficient of 1.5 showed no significant difference between the two methods.
Conclusion: Both methods are stable and reliable, and can be used for the determination of PLGA molecular weight and molecular weight distribution based on the specific situations.

Background: The transvenous approach to the treatment of cerebral arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is difficult and requires strict blood pressure and blood flow control; however, the cure rate is very high. Appropriate blood pressure control techniques can greatly benefit these patients.Case: A 55-year-old male patient was found to have an aneurysm complicated with a cerebral AVM (length: 2.0 cm, width: 1.6 cm, height: 1.2 cm). Aneurysm embolization was considered for the first-stage surgery and transvenous AVM embolization for the second-stage surgery. Rapid ventricular pacing (RVP) provided a stable blood flow environment for the surgery, which was completed successfully. Conclusion RVP can thus provide an ideal condition for the embolization of cerebral AVM through the transvenous approach and can be a viable surgical option.

ObjectiveThe rapid advancement of bioanalytical technologies has heightened the demand for high-throughput, label-free, and real-time cellular analysis. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) operating in the GHz frequency range (GHz-EIS) has emerged as a promising tool for characterizing cell suspensions due to its ability to rapidly and non-invasively capture the dielectric properties of cells and their microenvironment. Although GHz-EIS enables rapid and label-free detection of cell suspensions, significant challenges remain in interpreting GHz impedance data for complex samples, limiting the broader application of this technique in cellular research. To address these challenges, this study presents a novel method that integrates GHz-EIS with deep learning algorithms, aiming to improve the precision of cell suspension concentration identification and quantification. This method provides a more efficient and accurate solution for the analysis of GHz impedance data. MethodsThe proposed method comprises two key components: dielectric property dataset construction and backpropagation (BP) neural network modeling. Yeast cell suspensions at varying concentrations were prepared and separately introduced into a coaxial sensor for impedance measurement. The dielectric properties of these suspensions were extracted using a GHz-EIS dielectric property extraction method applied to the measured impedance data. A dielectric properties dataset incorporating concentration labels was subsequently established and divided into training and testing subsets. A BP neural network model employing specific activation functions (ReLU and Leaky ReLU) was then designed. The model was trained and tested using the constructed dataset, and optimal model parameters were obtained through this process. This BP neural network enables automated extraction and analytical processing of dielectric properties, facilitating precise recognition of cell suspension concentrations through data-driven training. ResultsThrough comparative analysis with conventional centrifugal methods, the recognized concentration values of cell suspensions showed high consistency, with relative errors consistently below 5%. Notably, high-concentration samples exhibited even smaller deviations, further validating the precision and reliability of the proposed methodology. To benchmark the recognition performance against different algorithms, two typical approaches—support vector machines (SVM) and K-nearest neighbor (KNN)—were selected for comparison. The proposed method demonstrated superior performance in quantifying cell concentrations. Specifically, the BP neural network achieved a mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of 2.06% and an R² value of 0.997 across the entire concentration range, demonstrating both high predictive accuracy and excellent model fit. ConclusionThis study demonstrates that the proposed method enables accurate and rapid determination of unknown sample concentrations. By combining GHz-EIS with BP neural network algorithms, efficient identification of cell concentrations is achieved, laying the foundation for the development of a convenient online cell analysis platform and showing significant application prospects. Compared to typical recognition approaches, the proposed method exhibits superior capabilities in recognizing cell suspension concentrations. Furthermore, this methodology not only accelerates research in cell biology and precision medicine but also paves the way for future EIS biosensors capable of intelligent, adaptive analysis in dynamic biological research.

OBJECTIVE To establish a method for simultaneous determination of 7 anti-tumor drugs （irinotecan， capecitabine， paclitaxel， docetaxel， tamoxifen， letrozole and methotrexate） in human plasma and apply it to the clinic. METHODS After precipitating with a methanol-acetonitrile mixture （1∶ 1， V/V） containing 0.1% formic acid， liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry （LC-MS/MS） was used to determine the plasma concentration， using deuterium isotopes of each analyte as internal standards. The chromatography was performed on the Agilent Eclipse Plus C18 column with a gradient elution of water （containing 0.1% formic acid+0.04% 5 mmol/L ammonium formate） as mobile phase A and acetonitrile （containing 0.1% formic acid） as mobile phase B. The flow rate was 0.6 mL/min， and the column temperature was set at 40 ℃ . The sample size was 10 μL， and the analysis lasted for 5.5 min. Electrospray ionization was used in positive and negative ion mode， and multiple reaction monitoring mode was used. The ion pairs used for quantitative analysis were m/z 587.1→167.1 （irinotecan）， m/z 360.1→244.1 （capecitabine）， m/z 876.4→308.0 （paclitaxel）， m/z 830.3→304.2 （docetaxel）， m/z 372.1→129.1 （tamoxifen）， m/z 284.1→242.1 （letrozole）， and m/z 455.0→ 308.0 （methotrexate）. A total of 97 patients with malignant tumors in our hospital were selected to measure the plasma concentrations of 7 anti-tumor drugs using the above method. RESULTS The linear ranges of irinotecan， capecitabine， paclitaxel， docetaxel， tamoxifen， letrozole and methotrexate were 2-1 000 ng/mL （r＝0.994 3）， 20-10 000 ng/mL （r＝0.997 5）， 2-1 000 ng/mL （r＝0.997 9）， 1-500 ng/mL （r＝0.995 8）， 1-500 ng/mL （r＝0.995 2）， 1-500 ng/mL （r＝0.996 4）， 10-5 000 （r＝0.997 7）， respectively. The quantitative lower limits were 2， 20， 2， 1， 1， 1 and 10 ng/mL； RSDs of intra-assay precision were 0.08%-14.86% （n＝6）. RSDs of inter-batch precision were 1.51%-11.55% （n＝3）， and the accuracies were 89.17%-114.93% （n＝6）. The matrix effects ranged from 89.89%-119.74% （n＝6）. RSDs of the stability tests were 1.98%-14.88% （n＝6）. The results of E-mail：hangpengzhou@163.com clinical application showed， the average plasma concentrations of irinotecan， capecitabine， paclitaxel and docetaxel were 704.09， 909.40， 36.45， 150.43 ng/mL， respectively. The values of the coefficient of variation were 25.24%， 62.65%， 122.69%， and 92.27%. CONCLUSIONS The established LC-MS/MS method is simple and rapid， and can be used for the simultaneous determination of 7 commonly used anti-tumor drugs in the plasma of patients with malignancy.

Ultrasound technology has been applied in the biomedical field,particularly in drug delivery and cell processing.In this study,the effects of different ultrasound power levels(40 W to 100 W)and time durations(1 min,5 min,or 5 min discontinuously)on the morphology of human red blood cells(hRBCs)membranes were systematically investigated using cryo-electron tomography(Cryo-ET).The hRBCs membranes were firstly subjected to ultrasound at power levels of 40 W and 60 W for 5 min each.Cryo-ET observations revealed minimal morphological changes in the hRBCs membranes following the 40 W treatment,with the membrane structure remaining relatively intact and only minor undulations appearing on the membrane surface.These undulations might result from the mild mechanical stress induced by ultrasound,which was insufficient to disrupt the overall membrane structure.At power of 60 W,the hRBCs membranes largely preserved their structural integrity.When the ultrasonic power was increased to 80 W,the structural damage to the hRBCs membranes became more severe.Cryo-ET images showed irregular ruptures and larger pores on the membrane surface,indicating a significant compromise in membrane integrity.At ultrasound power of 100 W,the hRBCs membranes were completely disrupted,resulting in the formation of numerous membrane fragments,and a complete loss of membrane continuity.To further explore the effects of ultrasound duration on erythrocyte membrane morphology,the ultrasonic power was fixed at 100 W and the impacts of varying treatment durations(1 min,5 min,and intermittent ultrasound)on the membrane structure were systematically investigated.After 1 min of ultrasonic treatment,Cryo-ET images showed minimal changes in erythrocyte membrane morphology.Although some small pores and undulations appeared on the membrane surface,the overall structure remained relatively intact.As the ultrasound duration extended to 5 min,the degree of membrane damage increased significantly.Cryo-ET images revealed extensive rupture and detachment of the membrane,with continuity being severely compromised.As to treatment alternating 1 min of ultrasound with 1 min of rest,for a total of 5 min of ultrasound exposure,Cryo-ET observations showed the integrity of the membrane-cytoskeleton attachment remained.Under intermittent ultrasound treatment,although some pores and ruptures were observed on the membrane surface,the overall structure remained more intact compared to continuous ultrasonic treatment.This preservation might be due to the intermittent treatment providing buffer periods for the membrane,allowing partial recovery after mechanical stress,thereby reducing the cumulative damage caused by continuous ultrasound.This work provided experimental basis for further understanding of mechanism of ultrasound induced change of cell membrane and cytoskeleton.

The bottom-up construction of artificial cells to mimic signal transduction is of great significance for a deep understanding of the communication networks of complex living systems.The dynamic coupling of signal secretion and response among artificial cells poses an important challenge.In this work,two types of artificial cells were constructed through a bio-artificial hybrid strategy.One was an artificial cell as an AI-2 signal sender(sender),which contained bacteria capable of autonomously synthesizing AI-2 signaling molecules.The other was an artificial cell as an AI-2 signal receiver(receiver),which contained bacteria expressing green fluorescent protein in response to the corresponding AI-2 signal.When the ratio of senders to receivers was 4∶1,the fluorescent signal of the receivers gradually increased over time and reached a plateau at 240 minutes.The artificial cells capable of sending and receiving quorum sensing signaling molecules constructed in this work laid a foundation for the study of complex signal communication within artificial cell populations.

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of Pinggan Capsules(composed of six Chinese herbs,i.e.Gentianae Radix et Rhizoma,Prunellae Spica,Rehmanniae Radix,Gastrodiae Rhizoma,Gardeniae Fructus and Plantaginis Herba)in treating patients with hypertension complicated with anxiety and depression of liver-yang hyperactivity type,and to explore the related influencing factors of efficacy.Methods A total of 150 patients diagnosed as hypertension complicated with anxiety and depression of liver-yang hyperactivity type treated at Guangdong Second Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital from January 2022 to January 2023 were enrolled.The patients were randomly divided into the trial group and the control group using a random number table,with 75 cases in each group.The control group received conventional medicine treatment(Amlodipine Besylate Tablets plus Losartan Potassium Tablets),while the trial group received Pinggan Capsules in addition to the conventional treatment.The treatment for the two groups lasted for 8 weeks.Before and after treatment,the changes in blood pressure,Self-Rating Anxiety Scale(SAS)scores,Self-Rating Depression Scale(SDS)scores,and scores of each domain of World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF(WHO-QOL-BREF)were observed in the two groups.Antihypertensive efficacy,TCM syndrome efficacy,and drug safety in the two groups were evaluated,and the main factors influencing the efficacy of Pinggan Capsules were analyzed.Results(1)During the treatment period,6 cases dropped out from the trial group and 4 cases dropped out from the control group.A total of 140 patients completed the full course of treatment,including 69 in the trial group and 71 in the control group.(2)After 8 weeks of treatment,the total effective rate for antihypertensive efficacy in the trial group was 89.86%(62/69),significantly higher than that in the control group[64.79%(46/71)].The intergroup(tested by chi-square test)showed that the antihypertensive efficacy of the trial group was significantly superior to that of the control group(P＜0.05).(3)After 8 weeks of treatment,the total effective rate for TCM syndrome efficacy in the trial group was 92.75%(64/69),significantly higher than that in the control group[66.20%(47/71)].The intergroup(tested by chi-square test)showed that the TCM syndrome efficacy of the trial group was significantly superior to that of the control group(P＜0.05).(4)After treatment,systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure were improved in both groups compared to those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the improvement in the trial group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P＜0.05).(5)After treatment,the scores of all domains(physical,psychological,social relationships,and environmental)of WHO-QOL-BREF scale were significantly improved in both groups compared to those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the improvement in the trial group was significantly superior to in the control group(P＜0.05).(6)After treatment,SAS and SDS scores were significantly improved in both groups compared to those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the improvement in the trial group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P＜0.05).(7)No significant adverse reactions occurred in either group during the treatment period,indicating high safety.(8)Sankey diagram and correspondence analysis showed that patients aged＜65 years,male,grade 1 hypertension,mild anxiety,and mild depression achieved significant hypotensive effect and symptom-relief effect(P＜0.05).Conclusion Pinggan Capsules have significant clinical efficacy in treating hypertension complicated with anxiety and depression of liver-yang hyperactivity type and is worthy of clinical promotion and application.