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.

ObjectiveTo investigate the regulatory effect of icariin （ICA） on transforming growth factor-β₁ （TGF-β₁）/Smad pathway in bone microvascular endothelial cells （BMECs） and the effect on autophagy in BMECs. MethodsBMECs were isolated and cultured， and the cell types were identified by immunofluorescence. Cells were divided into the control group， model group （0.1 g·L^-1 methyl prednisolone）， ICA group （0.1 g·L^-1 methyl prednisolone +1×10^-5 mol·L^-1 ICA）， and TGF-β inhibitor group （0.1 g·L^-1 methyl prednisolone +1×10^-5 mol·L^-1 ICA +1×10^-5 mol·L^-1 LY2157299）. Transmission electron microscopy was used to observe the ultrastructure and autophagosome number of BMECs. Autophagy double-standard adenovirus was used to monitor the confocal autophagy flow generation of each cell. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） and Western blot were used to detect the gene and protein expression of autophagy in the TGF-β₁/ Smad pathway. ResultsAfter cell separation culture， platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule （CD31） and von willebrand factor （vWF） immunofluorescence identified BMECs. Transmission electron microscopy showed that the cell membrane was damaged， and the nucleus was pyknotic and broken in the model group. Compared with the model group， the ICA group had complete cell membranes， clear structures， with autophagy-lysosome sparsely distributed. The confocal photo showed that BMECs had autophagosomes and autophagy-lysosomes， and the autophagy expression of the ICA group was similar to that of the blank group. Compared with the blank group， in the model group and the LY2157299 group， autophagosomes and autophagy-lysosomes were barely seen in the autophagy flow. Compared with the blank group， the mRNA and protein expressions of autophagy effector protein 1 （Beclin1） and microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3B （LC3B） in the model group were significantly decreased （P<0.01）， and those of ubiquitin-binding protein （p62） were significantly increased （P<0.01）. The mRNA expression of TGF-β₁， Smad homolog 2 （Smad2）， and Smad homolog 3 （Smad3） decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The protein expressions of TGF-β₁， p-Smad2， and p-Smad3 were significantly decreased （P<0.01）. Compared with those of the model group， the mRNA and protein expression of Beclin1 and LC3B in BMECs of the ICA group increased （P<0.01）， and those of p62 significantly reduced （P<0.01）. The mRNA expression of TGF-β₁， Smad2， and Smad3 increased significantly （P<0.01）. The protein expression of TGF-β₁， p-Smad2， and p-Smad3 increased significantly （P<0.01）. Compared with those in the model group， the mRNA and protein expressions of Beclin1， LC3B， and p62 in the inhibitor group were not statistically significant. The expression of key genes and proteins of the TGF-β₁ pathway in the inhibitor group was not statistically significant. ConclusionICA can promote glucocorticoid-induced autophagy expression of BMECs， and its mechanism may be related to activating the TGF-β₁/Smad signaling pathway.

Steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head （SONFH） is a severe musculoskeletal disorder often induced by the prolonged or excessive use of glucocorticoids. Characterized by ischemia of bone cells， necrosis， and trabecular fractures， SONFH is accompanied by pain， femoral head collapse， and joint dysfunction， which can lead to disability in severe cases. The pathogenesis of SONFH involves hormone-induced osteoblast apoptosis， bone microvascular endothelial cell （BMEC） apoptosis， oxidative stress， and inflammatory responses. The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B （PI3K/Akt） signaling pathway plays a pivotal role in the development of the disease. Modulating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway can promote Akt phosphorylation， thereby stimulating the osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and osteoblasts， promoting angiogenesis in BMECs， and inhibiting osteoclastogenesis. The research on the treatment of SONFH with traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） has gained increasing attention. Recent studies have shown that TCM monomers and compounds have potential therapeutic effect on SONFH by intervening in the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. These studies not only provide a scientific basis for the application of TCM in the treatment of SONFH but also offer new ideas for the development of new therapeutic strategies. This review summarized the progress in Chinese and international research on the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in SONFH over the past five years. It involved the composition and transmission mechanisms of the signaling pathway， as well as its regulatory effects on osteoblasts， mesenchymal stem cells， osteoclasts， BMECs， and other cells. Additionally， the review explored the TCM understanding of SONFH and the application of TCM monomers and compounds in the intervention of the PI3K/Akt pathway. By systematically analyzing and organizing these research findings， this article aimed to provide references and point out directions for the clinical prevention and treatment of SONFH and promote further development of TCM in this field. With in-depth research on the PI3K/Akt pathway and the modern application of TCM， it is expected to bring safer and more effective treatment options for patients with SONFH.

Objective: To systematically analyze the revisions content and technological development trends of microbiological standards in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia (ChP) 2025 Edition, and explore its novel requirements in risk-based pharmaceutical product lifecycle management.
Methods: A comprehensive review was conducted on 26 microbiological-related standards to summarize the revision directions and scientific implications from perspectives including the revision overview, international harmonization of microbiological standards, risk-based quality management system, and novel tools and methods with Chinese characteristics.
Results: The ChP 2025 edition demonstrates three prominent features in microbiological-related standards: enhanced international harmonization, introduced emerging molecular biological technologies, and established a risk-based microbiological quality control system.
Conclusion: The new edition of the Pharmacopoeia has systematically constructed a microbiological standard system, which significantly improves the scientificity, standardization and applicability of the standards, providing a crucial support for advancing the microbiological quality control in pharmaceutical industries of China.

The digital economy promotes economic growth and changes in employment patterns,but it also exposes platform workers to the risk of losing their basic medical insurance rights and interests.Based on the theory of inclusive governance,this paper constructs a three-dimensional analysis framework of opportunity-process-result for the participation mechanism,analyzes the international experiences of basic medical insurance participation mechanism for platform workers,and puts forward suggestions for optimizing the basic medical insurance participation mechanism in light of China's actual situation.The finding shows that the value orientation of realizing the universal health of medical insurance,the inclusive and coordinated participation mechanism,and the fair treatment of sharing and unification are the main strategies to deal with the issue of medical insurance participation of platform workers in the international arena.Therefore,it is recommended to firstly,expand and improve the basic medical insurance system covering the whole population with the concept of the supremacy of the right to health;secondly,promote the synergistic development among the stakeholders to enhance the systemic resilience of the basic medical insurance;and lastly,strengthen the function of mutual assistance and mutual aid of the basic medical insurance to promote the common prosperity effect of the basic medical insurance.

Objective:To investigate the impact of ionizing radiation(IR)on the structure and function of the testis and pro-vide some strategies for the prevention and treatment of IR-induced damage(IRD).Methods:Using radiation dose simulation,se-men analysis,hormone testing,electron microscopy and single-cell transcriptome sequencing,we assessed and analyzed a case of IRD.We established a mouse model of IRD to validate the results of single-cell sequencing,and investigated the specific biological mecha-nisms of IRD and potential strategies for its intervention.Results:IR at 1-2 Gy significantly reduced sperm concentration and mo-tility,which gradually recovered after 12 months but the percentage of morphologically normal sperm remained low.It also caused im-balanced levels of various steroid hormones,decreased testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate,increased progesterone,prolac-tin,luteinizing hormone,and follicle-stimulating hormone.Electron microscopy revealed damages to the testis structure,including loss of germ cells,atrophy of the seminiferous tubules,nuclear membrane depression of the spermatocytes,mitochondrial atrophy and de-formation,and reduction of mitochondrial cristae.Single-cell sequencing indicated significant changes in the function of the Leydig cells and macrophages and disrupted lipid-related metabolic pathways after IRD.Administration of L-carnitine to the mouse model im-proved lipid metabolism disorders and partially alleviated IRD to the germ cells.Conclusion:Ionizing radiation can cause disorders of testicular spermatogenesis and sexual hormones and inhibit lipid metabolism pathways in Leydig cells and macrophages.Improving lipid metabolism can alleviate IRD to germ cells.

BACKGROUND:In clinical practice,Cibotium barometz and Epimedium have shown significant efficacy in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis,but the complex active ingredients contained in the two have an unclear mechanism of action at the molecular level for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. OBJECTIVE:Based on network pharmacology and molecular docking technology,to establish a collagen-induced arthritis model and to verify the potential targets and pathways of Cibotium barometz and Epimedium in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis,providing reliable experimental evidence for the use of clinical formulas with Cibotium barometz and Epimedium as the main components. METHODS:Utilizing traditional Chinese medicine research platforms,traditional Chinese medicine encyclopedias,and databases of traditional Chinese medicine and chemical components from the Shanghai Institute of Organic,effective ingredients were retrieved and identified.3D molecular formulas were obtained from the PubChem platform and target predictions were made using PharmMapper and SwissTargetPrediction.Disease targets for rheumatoid arthritis were obtained from gene databases such as DrugBank,GeneCards,and OMIM.The intersections of targets and Cibotium barometz and Epimedium were plotted using VENNY 2.1 after calibration with the Uniport database.A protein-protein interaction network graph was constructed using the STRING platform.Gene Ontology function analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis were performed using the Metascape platform for data visualization.A four-layered network model of traditional Chinese medicine,ingredients,targets,diseases,and pathways was constructed using Cytoscape 3.9.0.The main effective ingredients were docked with core targets using AutoDock-Vina software to explore the best binding targets.A type II collagen+adjuvant-induced arthritis rat model was established,and the effects of Cibotium barometz and Epimedium on relevant pathway targets and inflammatory cell factors were observed after 21 days of intervention. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:A total of 28 active ingredients from Cibotium barometz and Epimedium were selected,yielding 288 intersection targets for rheumatoid arthritis.The main ingredients included isobavachalcone,cibotium,and epimedium.The main targets included protein kinase 1 for serine/threonine(AKT1),tumor necrosis factor,and vascular endothelial growth factor A.Gene ontology analysis yielded 2 232 biological processes,mainly related to serine protein phosphorylation,positive regulation of serine/threonine protein kinase,and reactive oxygen metabolism.Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis yielded 202 pathways,mainly involving the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and epidermal growth factor receptor signaling pathway,which may exert therapeutic effects by regulating synovial cell apoptosis and proliferation and suppressing inflammatory factors.Molecular docking results showed the strongest binding activity and stable structure of Cibotium barometz and Epimedium with AKT1 and estrogen receptor transcription factor 1,which was closely related to apoptosis and proliferation and inflammatory signaling pathways such as PI3K/AKT.Cibotium barometz and Epimedium reduced the expression of interleukin-1β,interleukin-6,and tumor necrosis factor-α in the serum of collagen-induced arthritis rat models.Cibotium barometz and Epimedium reduced the expression of p-PI3K,p-AKT,and p-FOXO1 in the synovium of collagen-induced arthritis rat models.The results indicate that the combination of Cibotium barometz and Epimedium may exert therapeutic effects by inhibiting the proliferation of synovial cells and suppressing the expression of inflammatory factors via the PI3K/AKT/FOXO1 signaling pathway.This may be closely related to the occurrence of inflammation and bone destruction in rheumatoid arthritis,and provides a reference for the rational use and development of new drugs in clinical practice.

Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) are major outer membrane components of Gram-negative bacteria. Unlike most Gram-negative bacteria, Acinetobacter baumannii can still survive and acquire polymyxin resistance after complete loss of LPS. Previous studies of LPS-deficient Acinetobacter baumannii mostly focused on LPS-deficient strains induced by polymyxin, whose background was complex and unstable. To investigate LPS loss-mediated polymyxin resistant-Acinetobacter baumannii, this study constructed a stable and clear background LPS-deficient strain by knocking out lpxC gene in Acinetobacter baumannii ATCC 19606 with CIRSPR/Cas9, and then studied the phenotypic changes of the lpxC-deficient strain including morphology, growth rate, antibiotic susceptibility, virulence, membrane permeability, and membrane potential. Animal experiments were approved by the Animal Care and Welfare Committee Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, CAMS and PUMC (approval number: IMB-20240119D₉). The results indicated that the lpxC gene of Acinetobacter baumannii ATCC 19606 was successfully knocked out. After losing the lpxC, the strain underwent the morphological change from rod-shaped to spherical. Furthermore, it leads to reduced growth rate, enhanced membrane permeability, decreased membrane potential, lower virulence, and increased antibiotic susceptibility to β-lactams, quinolones, aminoglycosides, macrolides, glycopeptides. The lpxC deletion results in significant changes in membrane homeostasis and adaptability of Acinetobacter baumannii. Understanding the phenotypic changes of colistin-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii mediated by LPS loss is useful for exploring the resistance mechanism of Acinetobacter baumannii and developing new therapeutic strategies.

Objective To investigate the regulatory role of ubiquitin-specific protease 10(USP10)on the protein expression of Krüppel-like factor 4(KLF4)and its impact on the proliferation and invasion ability of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)cells.Methods The protein expression differences of USP10 and KLF4 in normal liver cell line L02 and HCC cell lines,including HepG2,HUH7,HCCLM3 were detected by immunoblotting(Western blot)methods.HCCLM3 and HUH7 cells were selected,and lentiviral particles overexpressing or silencing USP10(oe-USP10 or sh-USP10)was transfected into the cells,and they were designated as the oe-USP10 group and oe-NC group,respectively.Immunoprecipitation(Co-IP)experiments were conducted to examine whether USP10 could di-rectly interact with KLF4 in HCCLM3 or HUH7 cells.The Co-IP assay was repeated in HCC cells transfected with oe-USP10 or sh-USP10,with the addition of the proteasome inhibitor MG132,which used to detect the ubiquitina-tion level of KLF4 protein in the transfected HCC cells.The pcDNA3.1 vector containing overexpressed KLF4 or its negative control plasmid(pc-KLF4 or pc-NC)was co-transfected into cells of the sh-USP10 group or sh-NC group.These cells were designated as the sh-NC+pc-NC group,sh-USP10+pc-NC group,sh-NC+pc-KLF4 group,and sh-USP10+pc-KLF4 group.The cell proliferation activity of each group was measured using the CCK-8 assay,and the cell invasion ability was assessed using the Transwell assay.Results Compared to L02 cells,the protein expres-sion of USP10 and KLF4 significantly decreased in HepG2,HUH7,HCCLM3,and other cells(P＜0.05).In HC-CLM3 and HUH7 cells,USP10 protein directly interacted with KLF4.Furthermore,treatment with MG132 resulted in a time-dependent increase in KLF4 protein expression in HCCLM3 and HUH7 cells.Silencing USP10 increased the ubiquitination of KLF4 in HCCLM3 or HUH7 cells,while overexpressing USP10 decreased the ubiquitination level of KLF4 in cells.Compared to the sh-NC+pc-NC group,both the proliferation activity and invasion ability of HCCLM3 and HUH7 cells significantly increased in the sh-USP10+pc-NC group(P＜0.01),while they signifi-cantly decreased in the sh-NC+pc-KLF4 group and sh-USP10+pc-KLF4 group(P＜0.05).Compared to the sh-USP10+pc-NC group,the proliferation activity and invasion ability of cells significantly decreased in the sh-USP10+pc-KLF4 group(P＜0.05).Conclusion USP10 can promote the stability of KLF4 protein through deubiquiti-nation in HCC cell lines,thereby inhibiting the proliferation and invasion of tumor cells.

Objective To clone the full-length sequence,subcellular localization,and analyze the expression patterns of the β-caryophyllene synthase gene(AaCPS)of Artemisia argyi,in order to lay a foundation for the gene function analysis of sesquiterpene biosynthesis pathway in A.argyi.Methods The genes annotated as CPS were selected from the transcriptome data of A.argyi.The full-length cDNA sequence of the target gene was obtained by PCR,and the coding region was analyzed using bioinformatics.A prokaryotic expression vector was constructed and transformed into Escherichia coli competent cells to express recombinant protein.A green fluorescent protein(GFP)fused expression vector was constructed,and the subcellular localization of AaCPS was observed using Agrobacterium tumefaciens transient expression method in tobacco.Real-time quantitative PCR(qRT-PCR)was used to analyze the expression patterns of the AaCPS at different harvest times(April,May,June,July).Determination of β-caryophyllene by HS-SPME-GC-MS and correlation analysis.Results The AaCPS gene was cloned from A.argyi.The full-length open reading frame(ORF)was 1647 bp,encoding 548 amino acids.The molecular weight was 63 667 Da with a theoretical pI of 5.94.AaCPS contained conserved Terpen_synth and Terpen_synth_C domains.Phylogenetic analysis indicated that AaCPS was closely related to the CPS protein of Artemisia annua.SDS-PAGE showed the presence of target protein bands between 75 000-120 000 Da(containing 28 132 Da of the labeled protein),indicating successful expression of the AaCPS protein.The protein was found to be localized in the cytoplasm.As shown by qRT-PCR,the expression of AaCPS gene showed an upward trend,reaching the highest in July.The results of HS-SPME-GC-MS showed that the content of β-caryophyllene increased gradually from April to the highest in June.It is consistent with the trend of AaCPS gene expression from April to June.Conclusion Through the cloning and analysis of AaCPS gene,a foundation has been laid for further study of the functional identification of the AaCPS gene in the sesquiterpenes biosynthesis pathway in A.argyi.