Process analytical technology(PAT) is a key means for digital transformation and upgrading of the traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) manufacturing process, serving as an important guarantee for consistent and controllable TCM product quality. Near-infrared(NIR) spectroscopy has become the core technology for measuring the TCM manufacturing process. By incorporating NIR spectroscopy into PAT and starting from the construction of a smart platform for the TCM manufacturing process, this paper systematically described the development history and innovative application of the combination of NIR spectroscopy with chemometrics in measuring the TCM manufacturing process by the research team over the past two decades. Additionally, it explored the application of a validation method based on accuracy profile(AP) in the practice of NIR spectroscopy. Furthermore, the software development progress driven by NIR spectroscopy supported by modeling technology was analyzed, and the prospect of integrating NIR spectroscopy in smart factory control platforms was exemplified with the construction practices of related platforms. By integrating with the smart platform, NIR spectroscopy could improve production efficiency and guarantee product quality. Finally, the prospect of the smart platform application in measuring the TCM manufacturing process was projected. It is believed that the software development for NIR spectroscopy and the smart manufacturing platform will provide strong technical support for TCM digitalization and industrialization.
Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared/methods* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/analysis* ; Software ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Quality Control

The genome tagging project (GTP) plays a pivotal role in addressing a critical gap in the understanding of protein functions. Within this framework, we successfully generated a human influenza hemagglutinin-tagged sperm-specific protein 411 (HA-tagged Ssp411) mouse model. This model is instrumental in probing the expression and function of Ssp411. Our research revealed that Ssp411 is expressed in the round spermatids, elongating spermatids, elongated spermatids, and epididymal spermatozoa. The comprehensive examination of the distribution of Ssp411 in these germ cells offers new perspectives on its involvement in spermiogenesis. Nevertheless, rigorous further inquiry is imperative to elucidate the precise mechanistic underpinnings of these functions. Ssp411 is not detectable in metaphase II (MII) oocytes, zygotes, or 2-cell stage embryos, highlighting its intricate role in early embryonic development. These findings not only advance our understanding of the role of Ssp411 in reproductive physiology but also significantly contribute to the overarching goals of the GTP, fostering groundbreaking advancements in the fields of spermiogenesis and reproductive biology.
Animals ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Mice ; Spermatids/metabolism* ; Spermatogenesis/physiology* ; Spermatozoa/metabolism* ; Thioredoxins/genetics*

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between angiotensin Ⅱ type 1 receptor autoantibody (AT1-AA) and semen parameters. Methods： The semen samples of 820 male patients who were treated in the Reproductive Medicine Center of Taiyuan Central Hospital from August 2022 to August 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. The levels of AT1-AA and Ang Ⅱ of semen were detected by ELISA, and the function of AT1-AA was detected by cardiomyocyte beating assay in suckling rats. The patients were divided into low group, median group and high group according to the OD values of AT1-AA. The differences in general data and semen parameters between different groups were analyzed. And the correlation between AT1-AA level and semen parameters in semen of all study subjects was analyzed by the method of Spearman analysis. And the relationships between AT1-AA OD value, Ang Ⅱ level and semen parameters in the AT1-AA high value group were analyzed as well. RESULTS: AT1-AA was present in semen with good function. There was no significant difference in the general data of patients in different AT1-AA levels (P>0.05). In the comparison of semen parameters among the groups with different levels of AT1-AA, there were differences in sperm concentration, PR concentration, NP％, and ALH among the three groups (P<0.05). And AT1-AA OD value was positively correlated with total sperm count, sperm concentration, PR concentration, and NP％, and negatively correlated with semen volume (P<0.05). In the AT1-AA high value group, the OD value of AT1-AA in semen was negatively correlated with inactive sperm, and positively correlated with total motility (［PR+NP］％), curve rate, mean path rate, and ALH. However, there was no correlation between the level of Ang Ⅱ in semen and semen parameters (P>0.05). CONCLUSION The presence of AT1-AA in semen may be associated with the promotion of sperm motility.
Male ; Humans ; Autoantibodies ; Sperm Motility ; Semen ; Retrospective Studies ; Receptor, Angiotensin, Type 1/immunology* ; Animals ; Rats ; Angiotensin II ; Adult ; Sperm Count ; Semen Analysis ; Receptor, Angiotensin, Type 2/immunology*

Debates persist regarding the efficacy and safety of azvudine, particularly its real-world outcomes. This study involved patients aged ≥60 years who were admitted to 25 hospitals in mainland China with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection between December 1, 2022, and February 28, 2023. Efficacy outcomes were all-cause mortality during hospitalization, the proportion of patients discharged with recovery, time to nucleic acid-negative conversion (T _NANC), time to symptom improvement (T _SI), and time of hospital stay (T _HS). Safety was also assessed. Among the 5884 participants identified, 1999 received azvudine, and 1999 matched controls were included after exclusion and propensity score matching. Azvudine recipients exhibited lower all-cause mortality compared with controls in the overall population (13.3% vs. 17.1%, RR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.67-0.90; P = 0.001) and in the severe subgroup (25.7% vs. 33.7%; RR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.66-0.88; P < 0.001). A higher proportion of patients discharged with recovery, and a shorter T _NANC were associated with azvudine recipients, especially in the severe subgroup. The incidence of adverse events in azvudine recipients was comparable to that in the control group (2.3% vs. 1.7%, P = 0.170). In conclusion, azvudine showed efficacy and safety in older patients hospitalized with COVID-19 during the SARS-CoV-2 omicron wave in China.

Objective To explore the clinical application value of non-inflatable mediastinoscopy combined with laparoscopic radical resection for esophageal cancer patients complicated with cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases.Methods A retrospective analysis was made on clinical data of 20 patients with esophageal cancer complicated with cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases treated with non-inflatable mediastinoscopy combined with laparoscopic radical resection in our hospital from January 2021 to October 2024.The cervical and abdominal surgical teams worked simultaneously.During the operation,a left neck incision was made to free the cervical esophagus.After inserting a mediastinoscope,an ultrasonic knife was used to free the thoracic esophagus from top to bottom and clean the lymph nodes adjacent to the esophagus.The laparoscopic procedure(freeing the stomach and esophagus from bottom to top)was connected in the mediastinum to complete the esophageal freedom,and a tubular stomach was made and anastomosed at the neck.Results All the 20 operations were successfully completed without conversion to thoracotomy.The operation time was(130.5±25.5)min,the intraoperative blood loss was(60.5±32.5)ml,a total of 3-11 mediastinal lymph nodes and1-5 abdominal lymph nodeswerecleared,andthe postoperative hospital stay was(20.0±6.0)d.There were 2 cases of anastomotic leakage,2 cases of anastomotic stenosis,2 cases of pleural effusion,2 cases of pulmonary infection,1 case of chylothorax,and 1 case of recurrent laryngeal nerve injury.After conservative treatment,all of which were cured.Postoperative pathology showed 18 cases of squamous cell carcinoma and 2 cases of adenocarcinoma.Postoperative TNM staging was 6 cases in stage Ⅰ,10 cases in stage Ⅱ,and 4 cases in stage Ⅲ,consistent with preoperative evaluation.All the20 cases were followed up for1-24 months,with a median follow-up time of 12 months.CT re-examinations showed no recurrence,and no death case was recorded.Conclusion Non-inflatable mediastinoscopy combined with laparoscopic radical resection is safe and feasible for esophageal cancer patients complicated with cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases.

Nonunion of osteoporotic vertebral fractures (OVF), predominantly affecting the elderly, can lead to intractable pain, vertebral collapse, progressive kyphotic deformity, and neurological impairment, significantly compromising patients′ quality of life. There exists considerable debate on diagnosis and management of OVF, encompassing key issues such as clinical diagnosis and staging criteria for nonunion, surgical indications and procedure selection, and postoperative rehabilitation planning. Currently, there lacks standardized clinical guideline and expert consensus on the diagnosis and management of OVF nonunion in China. To address this gap, Minimally Invasive Surgery Group of Chinese Orthopedic Association, Osteoporosis Committee of Chinese Association of Orthopedic Surgeons, Prevention and Rehabilitation Committee for Osteoporosis of Chinese Association of Rehabilitation Medicine and Minimally Invasive Orthopedic Surgery Branch of China Association for Geriatric Care jointly organized domestic experts in spinal surgery, endocrinology, and rehabilitation to formulate the Clinical guideline for the diagnosis and treatment for nonunion of osteoporotic vertebral fractures ( version 2025), based on existing literature and clinical experience and adhering to principles of scientific rigor and practicality. The guideline provided 13 evidence-based recommendations encompassing diagnosis and treatment of OVF nonunion, aiming to standardize its clinical management.

Lung cancer exhibits the highest incidence and mortality rates among cancers globally, with a five-year overall survival rate alarmingly below 20%. Targeting autophagy, though a controversial therapeutic strategy, is extensively employed in clinical practice. Current research is actively pursuing various therapeutic strategies using small molecules to exploit the dual function of autophagy. Nevertheless, the pivotal question of enhancing or inhibiting autophagy in cancer therapy merits further attention. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the mechanisms of autophagy in lung cancer. It also explores recent advances in targeting cytotoxic autophagy and inhibiting protective autophagy with small molecules to induce cell death in lung cancer cells. Notably, most autophagy-targeting drugs, primarily natural small molecules, have demonstrated that activating cytotoxic autophagy effectively induces cell death in lung cancer, as opposed to inhibiting protective autophagy. These insights contribute to identifying druggable targets and drug candidates for potential autophagy-related lung cancer therapies, offering promising approaches to combat this disease.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the predictive value of inflammatory indicator and serum cystatin C (Cys C) for the prognosis of patients with sepsis-associated acute kidney injury (SA-AKI). METHODS: A prospective observational study was conducted. Patients with SA-AKI admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of the General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University from January 2022 to December 2023 were selected as the study subjects. General patient data, sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA), acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II), inflammatory indicator, and serum Cys C levels were collected. The 28-day survival status of the patients was observed. A multivariate Logistic regression model was used to analyze the risk factors affecting the poor prognosis of SA-AKI patients. Receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC curve) was plotted to evaluate the predictive efficacy of each risk factor for the prognosis of SA-AKI patients. RESULTS: A total of 111 SA-AKI patients were included, with 65 patients (58.6%) in the survival group and 46 patients (41.4%) in the death group. The SOFA score, APACHE II score, interleukin-6 (IL-6), procalcitonin (PCT), hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and serum Cys C levels in the death group were significantly higher than those in the survival group [SOFA score: 15.00 (14.00, 17.25) vs. 14.00 (11.00, 16.00), APACHE II score: 26.00 (23.75, 28.00) vs. 23.00 (18.50, 28.00), IL-6 (ng/L): 3 731.00±1 573.61 vs. 2 087.93±1 702.88, PCT (μg/L): 78.19±30.35 vs. 43.56±35.37, hs-CRP (mg/L): 266.50 (183.75, 326.75) vs. 210.00 (188.00, 273.00), serum Cys C (mg/L): 2.01±0.61 vs. 1.62±0.50, all P < 0.05]. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that SOFA score [odds ratio (OR) = 1.273, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) was 1.012-1.600, P = 0.039], IL-6 (OR = 1.000, 95%CI was 1.000-1.001, P = 0.043), PCT (OR = 1.018, 95%CI was 1.002-1.035, P = 0.030), and Cys C (OR = 4.139, 95%CI was 1.727-9.919, P = 0.001) were independent risk factors affecting the 28-day prognosis of SA-AKI patients. ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve (AUC) of SOFA score, IL-6, PCT, and Cys C in predicting the 28-day prognosis of SA-AKI patients were 0.682 (95%CI was 0.582-0.782, P = 0.001), 0.753 (95%CI was 0.662-0.843, P < 0.001), 0.765 (95%CI was 0.677-0.854, P < 0.001), and 0.690 (95%CI was 0.583-0.798, P = 0.001), respectively. The combined predictive value of these four indicators for the prognosis of SA-AKI patients were superior to that of any single indicator, with an AUC of 0.847 (95%CI was 0.778-0.916, P < 0.001), a sensitivity of 95.7%, and a specificity of 56.9%. CONCLUSION The combination of SOFA score, IL-6, PCT, and Cys C provides a reliable predictive value for the prognosis of SA-AKI patients.
Humans ; Acute Kidney Injury/mortality* ; APACHE ; C-Reactive Protein ; Cystatin C/blood* ; Interleukin-6/blood* ; Logistic Models ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Procalcitonin/blood* ; Prognosis ; Prospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; ROC Curve ; Sepsis/mortality*

OBJECTIVE: Baicalein has been reported to have wide therapeutic effects that act through its anti-inflammatory activity. This study examines the effect and mechanism of baicalein on sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy (SIC). METHODS: A thorough screening of a small library of natural products, comprising 100 diverse compounds, was conducted to identify the most effective drug against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated H9C2 cardiomyocytes. The core target proteins and their associated signaling pathways involved in baicalein's efficacy against LPS-induced myocardial injury were predicted by network pharmacology. RESULTS: Baicalein was identified as the most potent protective agent in LPS-exposed H9C2 cardiomyocytes. It exhibited a dose-dependent inhibitory effect on cell injury and inflammation. In the LPS-induced septic mouse model, baicalein demonstrated a significant capacity to mitigate LPS-triggered myocardial deficits, inflammatory responses, and ferroptosis. Network pharmacological analysis and experimental confirmation suggested that hypoxia-inducible factor 1 subunit α (HIF1-α) is likely to be the crucial factor in mediating the impact of baicalein against LPS-induced myocardial ferroptosis and injury. By combining microRNA (miRNA) screening in LPS-treated myocardium with miRNA prediction targeting HIF1-α, we found that miR-299b-5p may serve as a regulator of HIF1-α. The reduction in miR-299b-5p levels in LPS-treated myocardium, compared to the control group, was reversed by baicalein treatment. The reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction, Western blotting, and dual-luciferase reporter gene analyses together identified HIF1-α as the target of miR-299b-5p in cardiomyocytes. CONCLUSION Baicalein mitigates SIC at the miRNA level, suggesting the therapeutic potential of it in treating SIC through the regulation of miR-299b-5p/HIF1-α/ferroptosis pathway. Please cite this article as: Zhou WY, Du JK, Liu HH, Deng L, Ma K, Xiao J, Zhang S, Wang CN. Baicalein attenuates lipopolysaccharide-induced myocardial injury by inhibiting ferroptosis via miR-299b-5p/HIF1-α pathway. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(5):560-575.
Flavanones/pharmacology* ; Animals ; MicroRNAs/genetics* ; Lipopolysaccharides ; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit/genetics* ; Ferroptosis/drug effects* ; Mice ; Myocytes, Cardiac/metabolism* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Rats ; Male ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Cardiomyopathies/etiology* ; Cell Line ; Sepsis/complications*

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the association between body mass index (BMI) and mortality based on the 10-year population-based multicenter prospective study. METHODS: A general population-based multicenter prospective study was conducted at four sites in rural China between 2013 and 2023. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models and restricted cubic spline analyses were used to assess the association between BMI and mortality. Stratified analyses were performed based on the individual characteristics of the participants. RESULTS: Overall, 19,107 participants with a sum of 163,095 person-years were included and 1,910 participants died. The underweight (< 18.5 kg/m ²) presented an increase in all-cause mortality (adjusted hazards ratio [ aHR] = 2.00, 95% confidence interval [ CI]: 1.66-2.41), while overweight (≥ 24.0 to < 28.0 kg/m ²) and obesity (≥ 28.0 kg/m ²) presented a decrease with an aHR of 0.61 (95% CI: 0.52-0.73) and 0.51 (95% CI: 0.37-0.70), respectively. Overweight ( aHR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.67-0.86) and mild obesity ( aHR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.59-0.87) had a positive impact on mortality in people older than 60 years. All-cause mortality decreased rapidly until reaching a BMI of 25.7 kg/m ² ( aHR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.92-0.98) and increased slightly above that value, indicating a U-shaped association. The beneficial impact of being overweight on mortality was robust in most subgroups and sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSION This study provides additional evidence that overweight and mild obesity may be inversely related to the risk of death in individuals older than 60 years. Therefore, it is essential to consider age differences when formulating health and weight management strategies.
Humans ; Body Mass Index ; China/epidemiology* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Rural Population/statistics & numerical data* ; Aged ; Follow-Up Studies ; Adult ; Mortality ; Cause of Death ; Obesity/mortality* ; Overweight/mortality*