OBJECTIVE To construct a dual-verification system integrating image pre-screening and Raman spectroscopy for inpatient pharmacy unit-dose dispensing in response to the issue of recognition blind spots for drugs of “same appearance but different spectrum” by drug inspection machines. METHODS An image feature and Raman spectroscopy database， covering 296 oral medications， were established. Spectral matching was performed using a cosine similarity algorithm （decision threshold 0.95）. A dual-verification system of “image pre-screening and Raman spectroscopy confirmation” was designed， and a self-controlled before-and-after study was conducted across 5 clinical wards. RESULTS The system achieved a mean recognition accuracy of 99.2% for all medications in the database， with 100% accurate identification of representative “same-appearance but different-spectrum” drugs. The average verification time per-unit in the experimental group （image recognition+Raman spectroscopy confirmation and verification） was reduced by 31.5%-43.3%， compared with the control group （image recognition+manual visual comparison with actual objects）（ P ＜0.001）. Nurses’ satisfaction scores in the dimensions of operational convenience， identification efficiency， verification confidence， and psychological stress relief in the experimental group were all significantly superior to those of the control group （ P ＜0.01）. CONCLUSIONS The dual-verification system of “image pre-screening and Raman spectroscopy confirmation” effectively overcomes the technical limitations of conventional machine vision. It enhances work efficiency and staff satisfaction while ensuring medication safety.

Network pharmacology has gained widespread application in drug discovery, particularly in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) research, which is characterized by its "multi-component, multi-target, and multi-pathway" nature. Through the integration of network biology, TCM network pharmacology enables systematic evaluation of therapeutic efficacy and detailed elucidation of action mechanisms, establishing a novel research paradigm for TCM modernization. The rapid advancement of machine learning, particularly revolutionary deep learning methods, has substantially enhanced artificial intelligence (AI) technology, offering significant potential to advance TCM network pharmacology research. This paper describes the methodology of TCM network pharmacology, encompassing ingredient identification, network construction, network analysis, and experimental validation. Furthermore, it summarizes key strategies for constructing various networks and analyzing constructed networks using AI methods. Finally, it addresses challenges and future directions regarding cell-cell communication (CCC)-based network construction, analysis, and validation, providing valuable insights for TCM network pharmacology.
Medicine, Chinese Traditional/methods* ; Artificial Intelligence ; Network Pharmacology/methods* ; Humans ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Drug Discovery

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is largely attributed to impaired endogenous repair. Nucleus pulposus-derived stem cells (NPSCs) senescence leads to endogenous repair failure. Small extracellular vesicles/exosomes derived from mesenchymal stem cells (mExo) have shown great therapeutic potential in IDD, while whether mExo could alleviate NPSCs senescence and its mechanisms remained unknown. We established a compression-induced NPSCs senescence model and rat IDD models to evaluate the therapeutic efficiency of mExo and investigate the mechanisms. We found that mExo significantly alleviated NPSCs senescence and promoted disc regeneration while knocking down thioredoxin (TXN) impaired the protective effects of mExo. TXN was bound to various endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) proteins. Autocrine motility factor receptor (AMFR) mediated TXN K63 ubiquitination to promote the binding of TXN on ESCRT proteins and sorting of TXN into mExo. Knocking down exosomal TXN inhibited the transcriptional activity of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) and activator protein 1 (AP-1). NRF2 and AP-1 inhibition reduced endogenous TXN production that was promoted by exosomal TXN. Inhibition of NRF2 in vivo diminished the anti-senescence and regenerative effects of mExo. Conclusively, AMFR-mediated TXN ubiquitination promoted the sorting of TXN into mExo, allowing exosomal TXN to promote endogenous TXN production in NPSCs via TXN/NRF2/AP-1 feed-forward circuit to alleviate NPSCs senescence and disc degeneration.

Methods: The clinical data of 26 patients diagnosed with irreducible atlantoaxial dislocation complicated by atlantodental bony obstruction were analyzed retrospectively. All patients underwent anterior retropharyngeal atlantodentoplasty, followed by posterior occipitocervical fusion. Details including surgical duration and blood loss volume were recorded. Radiographic data such as the anterior atlantodental interval, O–C2 angle, space available for the cord, clivus–canal angle, and cervical medullary angle, and clinical data including the Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score were assessed. The fusion time of the grafted bone and the development of complications were examined. Results: In patients undergoing anterior retropharyngeal atlantodentoplasty, the surgical duration and blood loss volume were 120.1±16.4 minutes and 100.6±33.5 mL, respectively. The anterior atlantodental interval decreased significantly after the surgery (p <0.001). The O–C2 angle, space available for the cord, clivus–canal angle, and cervical medullary angle increased significantly after the surgery (p <0.001). The JOA score during the latest follow-up significantly increased compared with that before the surgery (p <0.001). The improvement rate of the JOA score was 80.8%±18.1%. The fusion time of the grafted bone was 3–8 months, with an average of 5.7±1.5 months. In total, 11 patients presented with postoperative dysphagia and three with irritating cough. However, none of them exhibited other major complications. Conclusions Anterior retropharyngeal atlantodentoplasty can anatomically reduce the atlantoaxial joint with a satisfactory clinical outcome in patients with irreducible atlantoaxial dislocation with atlantodental bony obstruction.

Abstract Modern western medicine typically focuses on treating specific symptoms or diseases, and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) emphasizes the interconnections of the body’s various systems under external environment and takes a holistic approach to preventing and treating diseases. Phenomics was initially introduced to the field of TCM in 2008 as a new discipline that studies the laws of integrated and dynamic changes of human clinical phenomes under the scope of the theories and practices of TCM based on phenomics. While TCM Phenomics 1.0 has initially established a clinical phenomic system centered on Zhenghou (a TCM definition of clinical phenome), bottlenecks remain in data standardization, mechanistic interpretation, and precision intervention. Here, we systematically elaborates on the theoretical foundations, technical pathways, and future challenges of integrating digital medicine with TCM phenomics under the framework of “TCM phenomics 2.0”, which is supported by digital medicine technologies such as artificial intelligence, wearable devices, medical digital twins, and multi-omics integration. This framework aims to construct a closed-loop system of “Zhenghou–Phenome–Mechanism–Intervention” and to enable the digitization, standardization, and precision of disease diagnosis and treatment. The integration of digital medicine and TCM phenomics not only promotes the modernization and scientific transformation of TCM theory and practice but also offers new paradigms for precision medicine. In practice, digital tools facilitate multi-source clinical data acquisition and standardization, while AI and big data algorithms help reveal the correlations between clinical Zhenghou phenomes and molecular mechanisms, thereby improving scientific rigor in diagnosis, efficacy evaluation, and personalized intervention. Nevertheless, challenges persist, including data quality and standardization issues, shortage of interdisciplinary talents, and insufficiency of ethical and legal regulations. Future development requires establishing national data-sharing platforms, strengthening international collaboration, fostering interdisciplinary professionals, and improving ethical and legal frameworks. Ultimately, this approach seeks to build a new disease identification and classification system centered on phenomes and to achieve the inheritance, innovation, and modernization of TCM diagnostic and therapeutic patterns.

AIM:To evaluate the characteristics of ocular biometric parameters and the distribution of corneal astigmatism(CA)in patients with high myopia before cataract surgery.METHODS:A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted, and 695 cataract patients(695 eyes)with high myopia [defined as an axial length(AL)≥26.00 mm] scheduled to undergo cataract surgery at our hospital from January 2022 to December 2024 were consecutively enrolled, another 695 cataract patients(695 eyes)with normal ALs(22.00 mm ≤AL≤25.00 mm)who underwent cataract surgery at our hospital during the same period were included in the control group. For patients with both eyes eligible, the right eye was used for analysis. Before cataract surgery, IOL Master 700 was used to measure the ocular biometric parameters of both eyes for each patient in the two groups. The medical records and ocular biometric data in the two groups were recorded and collected.RESULTS:There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in genger, age, corneal diameter, and central corneal thickness(all P>0.05). In the high myopia group, the mean AL was 29.20±2.61 mm, and 252 eyes(34.1%)had AL ≥30.00 mm(extremely high myopia). The mean anterior chamber depth(ACD), lens thickness, vitreous chamber depth(VCD), CA, AL/corneal radius of curvature and VCD/AL in the high myopia group were 3.45±0.40, 4.41±0.47, 21.34±2.60 mm, 1.18±0.78 D, 3.79±0.38, and 0.73±0.03, respectively, which were all greater than those in the control group(all P<0.01). In the high myopia group, 350 eyes(50.4%)had CA ≥1.00 D, 192 eyes(27.6%)had CA ≥1.50 D, and 94 eyes(13.5%)had CA ≥2.00 D, which were all higher than those in the control group(32.8%, 15.1%, and 6.6%, respectively; all P<0.001). In the high myopia group, 87 eyes(12.5%)had flat corneas, 424 eyes(61.0%)had moderate CA, and 40 eyes(5.8%)had high CA. These proportions were all higher than those in the control group(6.0%, 46.9%, and 2.9%, respectively; all P<0.001). In the high myopia group, ACD and ACD/AL were negatively correlated with AL(r=-0.162 and -0.661, respectively; all P<0.001), while both ACD and ACD/AL in the control group were positively correlated with AL(r=0.338 and 0.105, respectively; both P<0.01). In the high myopia group, CA increased with age when the patient's age was ≥50 years(r=0.197, P<0.001), which was consistent with the control group.CONCLUSION: The standardized ocular biometric data of cataract patients with high myopia before cataract surgery are helpful for ophthalmologists to accurately calculate the intraocular lens(IOLs)power and select the appropriate IOL type. The majority of high myopia patients need simultaneous correction of CA during cataract surgery.

This study aims to investigate the effects and mechanisms of the effective-compounds of Jinshui Huanxian formula (ECC-JHF) in improving pulmonary fibrosis. Animal experiments were approved by the Ethics Committee of the Animal Experiment Center of Henan University of Chinese Medicine (approval number: IACUC-202306012). The mouse model of pulmonary fibrosis was induced using bleomycin (BLM). Hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining was used to detect the histopathological changes of lung tissues. Masson staining was used to assess the degree of fibrosis in lung tissues. Immunofluorescence (IF) and real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) were performed to measure the expression of collagen type I (COL I), α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), fibronectin (FN), interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) in lung tissues. Flow cytometry (FCM) was employed to detect the proportion of M1 and M2 macrophages in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of mice. IF and qPCR were also used to detect the expression of lipase family member N (LIPN) in lung tissues. Free fatty acid assay kit was used to detect the level of free fatty acids in lung tissue. Bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) were treated with interleukin-4 (IL-4) to induce M2 polarization. FCM was used to measure the proportion of CD206⁺ M2 macrophages. IF was utilized to detect LIPN expression and lipid droplet decomposition. The results showed that in BLM-induced pulmonary fibrosis mice, ECC-JHF significantly attenuated BLM-induced alveolar inflammation and collagen deposition, inhibited fibroblast activation in lung tissues, and decreased the proportion of M2 macrophages in BALF. It also significantly suppressed LIPN expression and free fatty acid level in lung tissues. In the IL-4 induced BMDMs M2 polarization model, ECC-JHF significantly inhibited the proportion of CD206⁺ M2 macrophages, down-regulated the expression of LIPN, and blocked lipid droplet catabolism. These results suggest that ECC-JHF may alleviate bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis by inhibiting lipid droplet decomposition and M2 macrophage polarization.

Objective To investigate the intervention effects of a progressive upper limb exercise rehabilitation program based on the multi-process action control theory on upper limb function,rehabilitation compliance,and quality of life in patients with permanent pacemaker implantation(PPI).Methods A total of 130 patients scheduled for PPI from March to August 2024 were selected using a convenience sampling method.Among them,65 patients admitted from June to August were assigned to the experimental group,and 65 patients admitted from March to May formed the control group.The experimental group received the progressive upper limb exercise program in addition to routine care,while the control group received routine care only.The intervention lasted for 3 months.The differences were compared between the 2 groups in terms of primary outcome measures,including the Shoulder Pain and Disability Index(SPADI)and grip strength.The secondary outcome measures were the Quality of Life Instrument for Chinese Patients with Pacemaker(QLICPP),hospital stay and incidence of complications.Results A total of 122 patients(62 in the experimental group and 60 in the control group)completed this study.Repeated-measures analysis of variance showed significant interaction effects between time and group for the total SPADI score and its pain and disability dimensions,as well as for the physical function,psychological function,and total score of QLICPP(P＜0.001).Simple effects analysis indicated that the experimental group had better grip strength than the control group at l month postoperatively,and lower SPADI scores and total score than the control group at 1 and 3 months postoperatively.At 1 month postoperatively,the total QLICPP score and each dimension of the experimental group were higher than those of the control group(P＜0.05).There were no significant differences between the 2 groups in the incidence of complications and length of hospital stay(P＞0.05).Conclusion The progressive upper limb exercise rehabilitation program developed in this study effectively addressed the issue of low rehabilitation compliance in PPI patients,improved their upper limb function and quality of life,and it was safe.It provides a feasible and effective new pathway for the rehabilitation of PPI patients.

Objective:To identify risk factors associated with endoscopic atrophic progression of gastric mucosa after Helicobacter pylori ( HP) eradication and to develop a risk scoring system for establishing an individualized endoscopic follow-up strategy for patients with chronic gastritis. Methods:This retrospective cohort study included chronic gastritis patients with successful HP eradication at the Department of Gastroenterology, Beijing Friendship Hospital between January 2018 and October 2021. Demographic characteristics, endoscopic findings, and other clinical data were analyzed. Endoscopic outcomes of gastric mucosal atrophy before and after follow-up were compared to classify patients into progression and non-progression groups. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify independent risk factors for endoscopic atrophic progression. A risk scoring system was then constructed based on these factors. Results:A total of 218 patients with chronic gastritis were included, including 153 in the non-progression group and 65 in the progression group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that gastric ulcer ( P=0.008, OR=4.24, 95% CI: 1.46-12.25), history of proton pump inhibitor use ( P=0.007, OR=4.06, 95% CI: 1.46-11.27), alcohol consumption ( P=0.002, OR=3.77, 95% CI: 1.64-8.67), high-salt diet ( P=0.008, OR=2.90, 95% CI: 1.32-6.41), and high red meat intake ( P=0.025, OR=2.33, 95% CI: 1.11-6.31) were independent risk factors for endoscopic atrophic progression after HP eradication. The predictive model based on these 5 factors demonstrated strong discriminative capacity, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.813 (95% CI: 0.755-0.876, P<0.001). The optimal cut-off value was 1.5 points, stratifying patients into low-risk (0-2 points) and high-risk (3-5 points) groups. Conclusion:Patients with chronic gastritis remain susceptible to progression even after successful HP eradication. Individualized endoscopic follow-up strategies should be considered based on patients' medical history, medication use, lifestyle, and dietary habits.

Objective:To compare clinicopathological features between differentiated and undifferentiated early gastric cancer (EGC) following successful Helicobacter pylori eradication and identify risk factors for undifferentiated EGC. Methods:A retrospective case-control study was performed on data of patients who were found to have EGC and underwent endoscopic submucosal dissection one year after successful Helicobacter pylori eradication from January 2018 to May 2022 in Beijing Friendship Hospital. The patients were divided into differentiated EGC group and undifferentiated EGC group and all clinicopathological data were analyzed. Univariate and multivariate logistic analysis were performed to identify the risk factors for undifferentiated EGC. Results:A total of 152 patients were included, among whom 143 had differentiated EGC and 9 had undifferentiated EGC. There was no difference between differentiated and undifferentiated EGC in age, gender, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, hyperlipemia, smoking or family history of gastric cancer ( P>0.05). Flat/depressed-type lesions predominated in undifferentiated EGC [88.9% (8/9)] versus elevated-type in differentiated EGC [56.6% (81/143), P=0.005]. Submucosal invasion [33.3% (3/9) VS 4.2% (6/143), P=0.010] and metachronous gastric cancer [33.3% (3/9) VS 1.4% (2/143), P<0.001] were more common in the undifferentiated group. Multivariate logistic analysis identified female gender ( P=0.028, OR=14.24, 95% CI:1.34-151.28) and flat-type ( P=0.026, OR=48.96, 95% CI: 1.60-1 495.39) as independent risk factors for undifferentiated EGC. Conclusion:Undifferentiated EGC after Helicobacter pylori eradication demonstrates higher rates of flat/depressed morphology, submucosal invasion, and metachronous lesions. Female gender and flat-type lesions are independent risk factors for undifferentiated histology.