Intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) is the predominant pathological contributor to chronic low back pain, a pervasive musculoskeletal condition affecting over 630 million people globally and imposing tremendous socioeconomic and public health burdens. The etiopathogenesis of IVDD is remarkably complex and multifactorial, involving intricate crosstalk among chronic inflammatory responses, extracellular matrix (ECM) catabolism, cellular senescence, aberrant programmed cell death (including apoptosis, pyroptosis, and ferroptosis), mitochondrial dysfunction, and oxidative damage. Compelling evidence indicates that the inflammatory microenvironment acts as a decisive driving force throughout the entire degenerative course of IVDD. Among the diverse inflammatory mediators, interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) serve as core pro-inflammatory cytokines that initiate and perpetuate the degenerative cascade. These two pivotal cytokines collectively activate an array of canonical intracellular signaling pathways, including nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), nucleotide-binding domain leucine-rich repeat and pyrin domain-containing receptor 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, and the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt) cascade. Such interconnected signaling networks trigger a self-reinforcing positive feedback loop, which exacerbates inflammatory reactions, disrupts the anabolic-catabolic homeostasis of the ECM, promotes oxidative stress and mitochondrial injury, induces multiple forms of disc cell death, and ultimately leads to progressive structural collapse and functional deterioration of the intervertebral disc. Conventional therapeutic strategies, dominated by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and surgical interventions, are limited by systemic adverse reactions, suboptimal long-term efficacy, and the risk of adjacent segment degeneration. In contrast, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) exhibits prominent advantages in the prevention and treatment of IVDD by virtue of its holistic regulation, syndrome differentiation, and multi-component, multi-target, multi-pathway pharmacological properties. This review systematically elucidates the molecular mechanisms by which inflammation-associated signaling pathways modulate disc cell fate and ECM metabolic homeostasis, and comprehensively summarizes the experimental progress over the past five years on TCM monomers and compound formulas for intervening in IVDD. Accumulating studies have confirmed that numerous natural active ingredients isolated from herbal medicines (ferulic acid, mangiferin, paeonol, astragaloside IV) and representative TCM compound prescriptions (Bushen Huoxue Formula, Shensuitongzhi Formula, Fuzi Decoction) exert synergistic protective effects by coordinately targeting core signaling hubs. These TCM agents demonstrate potent anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-apoptotic, anti-pyroptotic, anti-ferroptotic, ECM-protective, and autophagy-regulating bioactivities, thereby effectively decelerating the pathological progression of IVDD. Despite remarkable progress, current investigations are still confronted by several critical limitations. Most studies are restricted to validating the regulatory effects of single TCM components on individual signaling pathways, leaving the systematic, dynamic, and synergistic mechanisms of TCM compound formulas within multi-pathway regulatory networks largely unexplored. Furthermore, clinical translation of TCM is severely hampered by the lack of efficient targeted drug delivery systems, unclear pharmacokinetic profiles, suboptimal local bioavailability, and incomplete long-term safety assessments. Therefore, future research should adopt an interdisciplinary paradigm integrating multi-omics technologies, artificial intelligence, organoid models, and organ-on-chip systems to systematically decipher the scientific basis of TCM against IVDD. Concurrently, the development of intelligent, site-specific delivery systems (hydrogels, nanoparticles, exosome-based carriers) is urgently needed to enhance the local accumulation and sustained release of TCM ingredients. By deepening mechanistic exploration and accelerating translational research, TCM is expected to evolve into safe, effective, and personalized precision therapeutic regimens for IVDD, offering novel and reliable solutions for the clinical management of chronic low back pain.

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) is the predominant pathological contributor to chronic low back pain, a pervasive musculoskeletal condition affecting over 630 million people globally and imposing tremendous socioeconomic and public health burdens. The etiopathogenesis of IVDD is remarkably complex and multifactorial, involving intricate crosstalk among chronic inflammatory responses, extracellular matrix (ECM) catabolism, cellular senescence, aberrant programmed cell death (including apoptosis, pyroptosis, and ferroptosis), mitochondrial dysfunction, and oxidative damage. Compelling evidence indicates that the inflammatory microenvironment acts as a decisive driving force throughout the entire degenerative course of IVDD. Among the diverse inflammatory mediators, interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) serve as core pro-inflammatory cytokines that initiate and perpetuate the degenerative cascade. These two pivotal cytokines collectively activate an array of canonical intracellular signaling pathways, including nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), nucleotide-binding domain leucine-rich repeat and pyrin domain-containing receptor 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, and the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt) cascade. Such interconnected signaling networks trigger a self-reinforcing positive feedback loop, which exacerbates inflammatory reactions, disrupts the anabolic-catabolic homeostasis of the ECM, promotes oxidative stress and mitochondrial injury, induces multiple forms of disc cell death, and ultimately leads to progressive structural collapse and functional deterioration of the intervertebral disc. Conventional therapeutic strategies, dominated by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and surgical interventions, are limited by systemic adverse reactions, suboptimal long-term efficacy, and the risk of adjacent segment degeneration. In contrast, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) exhibits prominent advantages in the prevention and treatment of IVDD by virtue of its holistic regulation, syndrome differentiation, and multi-component, multi-target, multi-pathway pharmacological properties. This review systematically elucidates the molecular mechanisms by which inflammation-associated signaling pathways modulate disc cell fate and ECM metabolic homeostasis, and comprehensively summarizes the experimental progress over the past five years on TCM monomers and compound formulas for intervening in IVDD. Accumulating studies have confirmed that numerous natural active ingredients isolated from herbal medicines (ferulic acid, mangiferin, paeonol, astragaloside IV) and representative TCM compound prescriptions (Bushen Huoxue Formula, Shensuitongzhi Formula, Fuzi Decoction) exert synergistic protective effects by coordinately targeting core signaling hubs. These TCM agents demonstrate potent anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-apoptotic, anti-pyroptotic, anti-ferroptotic, ECM-protective, and autophagy-regulating bioactivities, thereby effectively decelerating the pathological progression of IVDD. Despite remarkable progress, current investigations are still confronted by several critical limitations. Most studies are restricted to validating the regulatory effects of single TCM components on individual signaling pathways, leaving the systematic, dynamic, and synergistic mechanisms of TCM compound formulas within multi-pathway regulatory networks largely unexplored. Furthermore, clinical translation of TCM is severely hampered by the lack of efficient targeted drug delivery systems, unclear pharmacokinetic profiles, suboptimal local bioavailability, and incomplete long-term safety assessments. Therefore, future research should adopt an interdisciplinary paradigm integrating multi-omics technologies, artificial intelligence, organoid models, and organ-on-chip systems to systematically decipher the scientific basis of TCM against IVDD. Concurrently, the development of intelligent, site-specific delivery systems (hydrogels, nanoparticles, exosome-based carriers) is urgently needed to enhance the local accumulation and sustained release of TCM ingredients. By deepening mechanistic exploration and accelerating translational research, TCM is expected to evolve into safe, effective, and personalized precision therapeutic regimens for IVDD, offering novel and reliable solutions for the clinical management of chronic low back pain.

Objective To summarize the changing prevalence of carbapenem resistance in Enterobacterales based on the data of CHINET Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Program from 2015 to 2021 for improving antimicrobial treatment in clinical practice.Methods Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using a commercial automated susceptibility testing system according to the unified CHINET protocol.The results were interpreted according to the breakpoints of the Clinical & Laboratory Standards Institute(CLSI)M100 31st ed in 2021.Results Over the seven-year period(2015-2021),the overall prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales(CRE)was 9.43％(62 342/661 235).The prevalence of CRE strains in Klebsiella pneumoniae,Citrobacter freundii,and Enterobacter cloacae was 22.38％,9.73％,and 8.47％,respectively.The prevalence of CRE strains in Escherichia coli was 1.99％.A few CRE strains were also identified in Salmonella and Shigella.The CRE strains were mainly isolated from respiratory specimens(44.23±2.80)％,followed by blood(20.88±3.40)％and urine(18.40±3.45)％.Intensive care units(ICUs)were the major source of the CRE strains(27.43±5.20)％.CRE strains were resistant to all the β-lactam antibiotics tested and most non-β-lactam antimicrobial agents.The CRE strains were relatively susceptible to tigecycline and polymyxins with low resistance rates.Conclusions The prevalence of CRE strains was increasing from 2015 to 2021.CRE strains were highly resistant to most of the antibacterial drugs used in clinical practice.Clinicians should prescribe antimicrobial agents rationally.Hospitals should strengthen antibiotic stewardship in key clinical settings such as ICUs,and take effective infection control measures to curb CRE outbreak and epidemic in hospitals.

Objective To characterize the changing species distribution and antibiotic resistance profiles of respiratory isolates in hospitals participating in the CHINET Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Program from 2015 to 2021.Methods Commercial automated antimicrobial susceptibility testing systems and disk diffusion method were used to test the susceptibility of respiratory bacterial isolates to antimicrobial agents following the standardized technical protocol established by the CHINET program.Results A total of 589 746 respiratory isolates were collected from 2015 to 2021.Overall,82.6％of the isolates were Gram-negative bacteria and 17.4％were Gram-positive bacteria.The bacterial isolates from outpatients and inpatients accounted for(6.0±0.9)％and(94.0±0.1)％,respectively.The top microorganisms were Klebsiella spp.,Acinetobacter spp.,Pseudomonas aeruginosa,Staphylococcus aureus,Haemophilus spp.,Stenotrophomonas maltophilia,Escherichia coli,and Streptococcus pneumoniae.Each microorganism was isolated from significantly more males than from females(P＜0.05).The overall prevalence of methicillin-resistant S.aureus(MRSA)was 39.9％.The prevalence of penicillin-resistant S.pneumoniae was 1.4％.The prevalence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase(ESBL)-producing E.coli and K.pneumoniae was 67.8％and 41.3％,respectively.The overall prevalence of carbapenem-resistant E.coli,K.pneumoniae,Enterobacter cloacae,Pseudomonas aeruginosa,and Acinetobacter baumannii was 3.7％,20.8％,9.4％,29.8％,and 73.3％,respectively.The prevalence of β-lactamase was 96.1％in Moraxella catarrhalis and 60.0％in Haemophilus influenzae.The H.influenzae isolates from children(＜18 years)showed significantly higher resistance rates to β-lactam antibiotics than the isolates from adults(P＜0.05).Conclusions Gram-negative bacteria are still predominant in respiratory isolates associated with serious antibiotic resistance.Antimicrobial resistance surveillance should be strengthened in clinical practice to support accurate etiological diagnosis and appropriate antimicrobial therapy based on antimicrobial susceptibility testing results.

Objective:To investigate the effect of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor BMS-1 on LPS-induced inflammation in mouse microg-lia cells(BV-2 cells).Methods:Bv-2 cells were divided into Control group,LPS group and LPS+BMS-1 group.Bv-2 cells in Control group were cultured in DMEM medium for 78 hours,cells in LPS group were stimulated with 100 ng/ml LPS for 6 hours after 72 hours of normal culture,Bv-2 cells in LPS+BMS-1 group were treated with 50 nmol/ml BMS-1 for 72 hours and then stimulated with 100 ng/ml LPS for 6 hours.Expressions of PD-1 and iNOS mRNA in each group were detected by RT-qPCR,and expressions of PD-1 and iNOS protein in microglia were detected by Western blot.Flow cytometry was used to detect cell apoptosis in each group.Levels of inflamma-tory cytokines IL-1β,IL-6,TNF-α and IL-10 were detected by ELISA.Results:RT-qPCR and Western blot results showed that com-pared with Control group,LPS group had significantly increased expression of PD-1 and iNOS(P<0.05).Compared with LPS group,LPS+BMS-1 group had significantly decreased expression of PD-1(P<0.05)and significantly increased expression of iNOS(P<0.05).Flow cytometry showed that compared with Control group,LPS group had a significantly increased in apoptosis of microglia(P<0.000 1).Compared with LPS group,LPS+BMS-1 group had a significantly increased in apoptosis of microglia(P<0.000 1).ELISA results showed that compared with Control group,LPS group had no significantly increased in pro-inflammatory factors IL-1β and IL-6(P>0.05),while significantly increased in TNF-α(P<0.000 1)and anti-inflammatory factor IL-10(P<0.000 1).Pro-inflammatory cyto-kine IL-1β in LPS+BMS-1 group was significantly higher than that in LPS group(P=0.000 1),IL-6 and TNF-α were also significantly higher than those in LPS group(P<0.000 1),while anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 in LPS+BMS-1 group was significantly lower than that in LPS group(P<0.000 1).Conclusion:BMS-1 can promote LPS-induced inflammatory response or impede the recovery of inflammation,and increase apoptosis of microglia.PD-1/PD-L1 pathway may be a potential therapeutic target for neuroinflammation.

This study aims to clarify the incidence and prevention status of dairy cow mastitis in 79 large-scale pastures in China in 2022,reduce the incidence of dairy cow mastitis,and provide scien-tific basis for formulating prevention and control strategies for dairy cow mastitis in large-scale pastures suitable for China's national conditions.The research team relied on the large-scale ranch of the Comprehensive Experimental Station of National Dairy Industry Technology System to car-ry out research.A total of 79 questionnaires were received.The information on the stock of large-scale farms,the proportion of cows in the herd,the level of cow yields,the incidence and cure rate of cow mastitis,the prevention and control of cow mastitis,diagnosis and treatment programs of cow mastitis,the cost of treating cow mastitis,and the culling rate of farms was collected.Chi-square test and correlation analysis were carried out on the incidence of mastitis in dairy cows and the prevention and control plan,treatment plan,yield level and elimination rate of mastitis in dairy cows by descriptive statistical cross table.The incidence of cow mastitis in some pastures was con-trolled between 5％and 10％,and the cure rate was mostly as high as 98％.According to the co-hort analysis,the importance of prevention and control measures for dairy cow mastitis was as fol-lows:DMT＞DHI＞milk yield＞milk traits＞breast apparent change＞electrical conductivity＞CMT.The importance of treatment measures for dairy cow mastitis is as follows:DMT＞DHI＞milk yield＞milk traits＞breast apparent changes＞electrical conductivity＞CMT.The importance of treatment measures for mastitis is as follows:traditional Chinese medicine＞pathogen detection and drug sensitivity test＞non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs＞regular maintenance of milking equipment＞normal milking without treatment＞broad-spectrum antibiotics.The incidence of mas-titis in dairy cows is moderately positively correlated with the yield per unit area,that is,the in-crease in the incidence of mastitis in dairy cows has a certain impact on the yield per unit area of dairy cows.Economic analysis shows that the treatment cost of mastitis is closely related to the in-cidence rate,and the treatment cost of pasture with higher incidence rate is higher.Pastures with higher yields usually have more efficient means of disease prevention and control,and the corre-sponding treatment costs are lower.In conclusion,China's large-scale pastures should strengthen the scientific feeding management level,improve the prevention and control methods to reduce the incidence of cow mastitis,improve the cure rate,and reduce the cost of pasture treatment.

Objective To investigate the distribution and antimicrobial resistance profiles of common pathogens isolated from cerebrospinal fluid(CSF)in CHINET program from 2015 to 2021.Methods The bacterial strains isolated from CSF were identified in accordance with clinical microbiology practice standards.Antimicrobial susceptibility test was conducted using Kirby-Bauer method and automated systems per the unified CHINET protocol.Results A total of 14 014 bacterial strains were isolated from CSF samples from 2015 to 2021,including the strains isolated from inpatients(95.3％)and from outpatient and emergency care patients(4.7％).Overall,19.6％of the isolates were from children and 80.4％were from adults.Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria accounted for 68.0％and 32.0％,respectively.Coagulase negative Staphylococcus accounted for 73.0％of the total Gram-positive bacterial isolates.The prevalence of MRSA was 38.2％in children and 45.6％in adults.The prevalence of MRCNS was 67.6％in adults and 69.5％in children.A small number of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium(2.2％)and linezolid-resistant Enterococcus faecalis(3.1％)were isolated from adult patients.The resistance rates of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae to ceftriaxone were 52.2％and 76.4％in children,70.5％and 63.5％in adults.The prevalence of carbapenem-resistant E.coli and K.pneumoniae(CRKP)was 1.3％and 47.7％in children,6.4％and 47.9％in adults.The prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii(CRAB)and Pseudomonas aeruginosa(CRPA)was 74.0％and 37.1％in children,81.7％and 39.9％in adults.Conclusions The data derived from antimicrobial resistance surveillance are crucial for clinicians to make evidence-based decisions regarding antibiotic therapy.Attention should be paid to the Gram-negative bacteria,especially CRKP and CRAB in central nervous system(CNS)infections.Ongoing antimicrobial resistance surveillance is helpful for optimizing antibiotic use in CNS infections.

Objective To investigate the antimicrobial resistance of clinical isolates from elderly patients(≥65 years)in major medical institutions across China.Methods Bacterial strains were isolated from elderly patients in 52 hospitals participating in the CHINET Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Program during the period from 2015 to 2021.Antimicrobial susceptibility test was carried out by disk diffusion method and automated systems according to the same CHINET protocol.The data were interpreted in accordance with the breakpoints recommended by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute(CLSI)in 2021.Results A total of 514 715 nonduplicate clinical isolates were collected from elderly patients in 52 hospitals from January 1,2015 to December 31,2021.The number of isolates accounted for 34.3％of the total number of clinical isolates from all patients.Overall,21.8％of the 514 715 strains were gram-positive bacteria,and 78.2％were gram-negative bacteria.Majority(90.9％)of the strains were isolated from inpatients.About 42.9％of the strains were isolated from respiratory specimens,and 22.9％were isolated from urine.More than half(60.7％)of the strains were isolated from male patients,and 39.3％isolated from females.About 51.1％of the strains were isolated from patients aged 65-＜75 years.The prevalence of methicillin-resistant strains(MRSA)was 38.8％in 32 190 strains of Staphylococcus aureus.No vancomycin-or linezolid-resistant strains were found.The resistance rate of E.faecalis to most antibiotics was significantly lower than that of Enterococcus faecium,but a few vancomycin-resistant strains(0.2％,1.5％)and linezolid-resistant strains(3.4％,0.3％)were found in E.faecalis and E.faecium.The prevalence of penicillin-susceptible S.pneumoniae(PSSP),penicillin-intermediate S.pneumoniae(PISP),and penicillin-resistant S.pneumoniae(PRSP)was 94.3％,4.0％,and 1.7％in nonmeningitis S.pneumoniae isolates.The resistance rates of Klebsiella spp.(Klebsiella pneumoniae 93.2％)to imipenem and meropenem were 20.9％and 22.3％,respectively.Other Enterobacterales species were highly sensitive to carbapenem antibiotics.Only 1.7％-7.8％of other Enterobacterales strains were resistant to carbapenems.The resistance rates of Acinetobacter spp.(Acinetobacter baumannii 90.6％)to imipenem and meropenem were 68.4％and 70.6％respectively,while 28.5％and 24.3％of P.aeruginosa strains were resistant to imipenem and meropenem,respectively.Conclusions The number of clinical isolates from elderly patients is increasing year by year,especially in the 65-＜75 age group.Respiratory tract isolates were more prevalent in male elderly patients,and urinary tract isolates were more prevalent in female elderly patients.Klebsiella isolates were increasingly resistant to multiple antimicrobial agents,especially carbapenems.Antimicrobial resistance surveillance is helpful for accurate empirical antimicrobial therapy in elderly patients.

Objective: To evaluate the long-term effectiveness of an intelligent blood transfusion system in intraoperative blood management by comparing its performance with clinicians' decisions. Methods: A retrospective analysis of 26 760 surgical cases (2017-2024) was conducted, comparing pre- and post-implementation (2017-2019 vs 2020-2024) metrics, including transfusion prediction accuracy, rationality of blood use, and clinical outcomes. The system, powered by XGBoost, integrated patient demographics, laboratory results, and surgical data to predict red blood cell transfusion needs. Results: The intelligent blood transfusion systems achieved an accuracy of 80.62% in predicting transfusion necessity, significantly outperforming clinicians (24.83%, P<0.001). Its blood-use rationality rate was 83.92% vs 18.02% for clinicians (P<0.001). Post-implementation, major surgeries (grades Ⅲ-Ⅳ) increased while the requested blood units decreased. High physician compliance (>75%) correlated with 88.18% rationality. Conclusion: The intelligent blood transfusion system significantly improves the accuracy of transfusion decision-making, reduces excessive red blood cell use, optimizes perioperative transfusion management, and enhances the utilization of blood medical resources.

Objective To investigate the impact of phase Ⅱ cardiac rehabilitation on the rehabilitation needs and physical activity status of patients after coronary heart disease intervention.Methods A total of 90 patients with coronary heart disease who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI)in the Coronary Heart Disease Center of the hospital from August 2023 to August 2024 were selected as the research subjects.They were subjected to a 12-week standardized phase Ⅱ cardiac rehabilitation training.General data survey forms,cardiac rehabilitation scales,and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire were used for scale surveys to understand the patients' needs before and after rehabilitation and their weekly physical activity en-ergy expenditure.The cardiopulmonary exercise test gold standard,which reflects exercise capacity through three indicators-maximum oxygen uptake(VO2 max),anaerobic threshold(AT),and metabolic equivalents(MET),were used to compare the physical activity status before and after cardiac rehabilitation.Results Compared with before the implementation,after the implementation of cardiac rehabilitation,the autonomy score in-creased(21.36±1.85 vs.16.73±3.28),the process anxiety(12.60±3.87 vs.14.27±2.12)and outcome anxiety scores(2.31±1.76 vs.4.56±3.56)decreased,the level of low-intensity physical activity decreased[(2 711.62±1 487.09)min/week vs.(3 845.97±2 083.71)min/week],the levels of moderate-intensity[(1 314.67±783.54)min/week vs.(686.22±126.79)min/week],high-intensity[(1 861.33±798.27)min/week vs.(112.00±40.77)min/week],and total physical activity increased[(5 887.62±2 843.54)min/week vs.(4 644.19±2 287.16)min/week].The levels of VO2 max[(28.11±14.28)mL·min-1·kg-1 vs.(23.82±12.34)mL·min-1·kg-1],AT[(16.06±5.41)mL·min-1·kg-1 vs.(13.53±4.56)mL·min-1·kg-1],and MET[(6.89±1.59)mL·min-1·kg-1 vs.(5.78±1.21)mL·min-1·kg-1]all in-creased,with statistically significant differences(P＜0.05).Conclusion Phase Ⅱ rehabilitation after PCI can effectively improve patients' physical activity levels.