Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) processing is a unique and highly distinctive pharmaceutical technology in China. Utilizing modern scientific methods to elucidate the connotations of traditional processing theory and its effects is expected to facilitate the inheritance, development, innovation, and enhancement of TCM processing, and lead to more original research outcomes in the field of TCM. The breakthrough in TCM processing lies in the study of its underlying principles, and analyzing these principles involves researching the transformation mechanisms of chemical components and the biological effect mechanisms of the transformed components. This paper proposed the concept of "TCM processing chemical biology"(TCMPCB) for the first time. Under the guidance of TCM theory, the active components transformed during TCM processing were used as chemical tools to study their targets and molecular regulatory mechanisms, aiming to clarify the scientific principles by which TCM processing affected biological effects in the organism. The research findings also provided new directions for discovering novel active components, new lead compounds, creating new decoction pieces, and developing new TCM drugs. This paper provided a detailed introduction to the background, definition, research content, research ideas, research methods, and prospects of TCMPCB, with the aim of offering new research perspectives for analyzing the principles of TCM processing and providing new pathways for achieving the "four new and eight transformations" in TCM processing.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/methods* ; Humans ; Animals

Objective To analyze the stress changes of thoracic vertebra(T)11-sacrum(S)titanium rods in patients with ankylosing spondylitis after vertebral column decancellation(VCD)osteotomy,and provide reference for the selection and improvement of titanium rods before surgery.Methods The original data of the continuous scanning tomographic images of patients with ankylosing spondylitis after VCD osteotomy were imported into Mimics 21.0 in DICOM format,and T11-S vertebrae,screws and titanium rods were respectively reconstructed.They were imported into 3-Matic to establish a preliminary geometric modeling,and then processed with noise removal,paving,smoothing,etc.The improved model was imported into Hypermesh 10 software for grid division,and the material was imported into ANSYS 19.2 to display the finite element model after attribute assignment,Set the boundary and load conditions,and measure the stress value at the connection between the screw and the titanium rod.Results Under neutral position,forward bending,lateral bending,and axial rotation conditions,the titanium rod had the highest stress at the upper vertebrae(T11)and the lowest stress at the top vertebrae(L3);Under the backward extension condition,the titanium rod has the highest stress at the lower end vertebra(L5).Conclusion In the upper and lower vertebrae,it is possible to consider increasing the diameter of the titanium rod,enhancing its hardness,or changing it to a double rod.

Objective:To investigate the effects of an immersive virtual reality system for nasal anatomy in improving the learning interest and theoretical level of eight-year program medical students for nasal anatomy in otolaryngology.Methods:A total of 57 medical students of the 2019 eight-year program in Peking University Health Science Center were divided into three groups naturally, with 19 students in each group. Two of the groups (38 students) were randomly selected as experimental group to receive traditional teaching in combination with the immersive virtual reality system for nasal anatomy, while the remaining group (19 students) served as control group to receive traditional teaching. The teaching effectiveness of the two groups was evaluated through questionnaire surveys and theoretical assessment scores in otolaryngology and nasal anatomy. SPSS 27.0 was used to perform statistical analysis. The two groups were compared using the independent samples t-test and the chi-squared test. Results:According to the survey results, both groups considered rhinology theory and anatomy learning as a challenge during rhinology internship. A significantly higher proportion of students in the experimental group believed that they gained the greatest achievement in rhinology theory and anatomy learning during internship, as compared with the control group (33/38 vs. 12/19, P=0.039). The theoretical score for nasal anatomy-related assessment was significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group [(19.0±1.3) vs. (18.1±1.3), P=0.024]. Conclusions:The use of the immersive virtual reality system for nasal anatomy in otolaryngology teaching can promote eight-year program medical students' interest in learning and improve teaching effectiveness.

Objective:To analyze the short-term clinical efficacy and safety of arsenic trioxide (ATO) combined with a modified N7 induction regimen in the treatment of children with high-risk neuroblastoma (NB).Methods:This study was a prospective, single-arm, multicenter phase Ⅱ clinical study. Sixty-seven high-risk NB children from eight units of Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Wuhan Children′s Hospital of Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Hainan General Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Kunming Children′s Hospital, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, and Guangdong Provincial Agricultural Reclamation Center Hospital were enrolled from January 2019 to August 2023 and were treated with ATO combined with a modified N7 induction regimen. The efficacy and adverse effects at the end of induction chemotherapy were assessed and analyzed, and the differences in the clinical characteristics were further compared between the treatment-responsive and treatment-unresponsive groups by using the Fisher′s exact test.Results:Among 67 high-risk NB children, there were 40 males (60%) and 27 females (40%), with the age of disease onset of 3.5 (2.6, 4.8) years. Primary NB sites were mostly in retroperitoneum (including adrenal gland) (56/67, 84%) and the common metastases sites at initial diagnosis were distant lymph node in 25 cases (37%),bone in 48 cases (72%),bone marrow in 56 cases (84%) and intracalvarium in 3 cases (4%). MYCN gene amplification were detected in 28 cases (42%). At the end of induction, 33 cases (49%) achieved complete remission, 29 cases (43%) achieved partial remission, 1 case (1%) with stable disease, and 4 cases (6%) were assessed as progressive disease (PD). The objective remission rate was 93% (62/67) and the disease control rate was 94% (63/67). The percentage of central system metastases at the initial diagnosis was higher in the treatment-unresponsive group than in the treatment-responsive group (2/5 vs. 2% (1/62), P=0.013), whereas the difference in MYCN gene amplification was not statistically significant between two groups (3/5 vs.40% (25/62), P=0.786). Grade Ⅲ or higher adverse reactions during the induction chemotherapy period were myelosuppression occurred in 60 cases (90%), gastrointestinal symptoms occurred in 33 cases (49%), infections occurred in 20 cases (30%), hepatotoxicity occurred in 4 cases (6%), and cardiovascular toxicity occurred in 1 case (2%). There were no chemotherapy-related deaths. Conclusion:ATO combined with N7-modified induction regimen had a superiority in efficacy and safety, which deserved further promotion in clinical practice.

italic>Anoectochilus roxburghii liquid (spray, a hospital preparation of Wu Mengchao Hepatobiliary Hospital of Fujian Medical University) has shown a good clinical treatment effect during the COVID-19 pandemic, but its material basis and mechanism of action are still unclear. In this study, network pharmacology and molecular docking methods were used to predict the molecular mechanism of A. roxburghii liquid against COVID-19, and pharmacodynamic experiments in vitro were conducted to study the interaction between the current targets with clear preventive and therapeutic effects and the key components of A. roxburghii liquid. UPLC-MS and database were used to compare and analyze the active ingredients in the liquid, and 17 potential active ingredients with good drug-like properties were screened by in vivo pharmacokinetics process in SwissADME database. SwissTargetPrediction and GeneCards were searched to find 93 common targets. Cytoscape 3.8.2 software was used to construct the "component-target" network map, and the Metascape platform was used for gene function annotation and pathway enrichment analysis. It was found that the extract could regulate the positive response to external stimuli, inflammatory response, cytokine production and other biological processes by binding the active ingredients such as isorhamnetin, kaempferol, luteolin, quercetin and apigenin to the common targets (NOS3, MPO, MMP3, etc.), and play an anti-COVID-19 role. In the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) activity inhibition assay, it was found that the stock solution of A. roxburghii liquid (for spray), and the supernatant after removing polysaccharides (mainly containing flavonoids) could to some extent inhibit the activity of ACE2. Crucially, in the experiment of 2019-nCOV-S pseudovirus infecting HEK-293T-ACE2 cells, we found that A. roxburghii liquid may exert anti-COVID-19 effects by blocking the binding of SARS-CoV-S protein to ACE2.

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of Chang'an Juntai Granules(mainly composed of Pseudostellariae Radix,Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma,Poria,Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma Praeparata cum Melle,Paeoniae Radix Alba,Saposhnikoviae Radix,Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium,Coptidis Rhizoma,and Aucklandiae Radix)in the treatment of diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome(IBS-D)with liver depression and spleen deficiency syndrome,and to evaluate its safety.Methods A single-center,randomized,double-blind,placebo-controlled clinical trial was designed.A total of 130 patients with IBS-D of liver depression and spleen deficiency were included.The patients were randomly divided into a treatment group and a control group by random number table method,with 65 cases in each group.The treatment group was treated with Chang'an Juntai Granules,and the control group was treated with Chang'an Juntai Placebo Granules.The course of treatment covered 12 weeks.The changes in the scores of IBS Symptom Severity Scale(IBS-SSS),Bristol Stool Form Scale(BSFS),IBS Quality of Life Questionnaire(IBS-QOL)and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale(HADS)in the two groups were observed before and after treatment.After treatment,the clinical efficacy and medication safety in the two groups were evaluated.Results(1)During the trial,six cases in the treatment group and eight cases in the control group fell off.Eventually,a total of 116 patients completed the clinical trial,including 59 cases in the treatment group and 57 cases in the control group.(2)After 12 weeks of treatment,the total effective rate of the treatment group was 88.14％(52/59),and that of the control group was 45.61％(26/57).The intergroup comparison(tested by chi-square test)showed that the clinical efficacy of the treatment group was significantly superior to that of the control group,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.01).(3)After treatment,the IBS-SSS scores of the two groups and the BSFS and IBS-QOL scores of the treatment group were significantly lower than those before treatment(P＜0.01),while the scores of Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Anxiety subscale(HADA)and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Depression subscale(HADD)in the two groups and the BSFS and IBS-QOL scores in the control group showed no obvious changes(P＞0.05).Compared with the control group,the decrease of IBS-SSS,BSFS and IBS-QOL scores in the treatment group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01).(4)During the trial,no serious adverse reactions or adverse events occurred in the two groups,no drug-related abnormalities of liver and kidney function,blood,and heart function were found,either.Conclusion Chang'an Juntai Granules are effective on improving the clinical symptoms and fecal characteristics of IBS-D patients with liver depression and spleen deficiency syndrome,and on enhancing the quality of life of patients.The granules excert definite curative effect and high safety,and has certain value of clinical application.

Mutations in the SAMD9 and SAMD9L genes are associated with MIRAGE syndrome and ATXPC syndrome, respectively. This study reports the clinical characteristics and genetic analysis of one case with SAMD9 mutation (c.3809T > A, p.F1270Y) and two cases with SAMD9L mutations (c.2675T > G, p.M892R; c.1096T > G, p.F366V and c.4517T > C, p.L1506p), none of which have been previously reported. All patients presented with recurrent infections, growth retardation, and myelodys-plasia, with varying degrees of involvement of multiple systems, including respiratory, gastrointestinal, immune, endocrine, neurological, and reproductive systems. In terms of treatment, two patients underwent regular intravenous immunoglobulin and their clinical symptoms improved, while one patient had a favorable recovery following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation at the age of 1 year and 5 months of age. SAMD9/SAMD9L gene mutations, therefore, chould be considered in children with recurrent infections, myelodysplasia, pancytopenia, and growth retardation. Early genetic testing is crucial for timely diagnosis and treatment, which may improve patient outcomes.

Objective:To investigate the effect of spouse smoking cessation(SSC)on the pregnancy outcome of the patients with polycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS)based on a secondary analysis of the results of a large randomized clinical trial.Methods:Basedon the inclusion and exclusion criteria,this secondary analysis included 861 female participants in the Trial of Acu-puncture Combined with Clomiphene for PCOS from 2011 to 2015.According to the smoking status of their husbands,we divided the subjects into a smoking group(n=345),a non-smoking group(n=387),and a smoking cessation group(n=129),collected their general demographics,anthropometric indexes,laboratory results and pregnancy outcomes,compared them among the three groups,and analyzed the relationship of SSC with the pregnancy outcomes of the PCOS patients.Results:The levels of total testos-terone(T)and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C)in the smoking cessation group were similar to those in the non-smoking group,but significantly lower than those in the smoking group(P=0.014 and P=0.011).The contents of fasting insulin,total cho-lesterol,and apolipoprotein B exhibited statistically significant differences among the three groups(P=0.029,P=0.018 and P=0.024),dramatically lower in the smoking cessation and non-smoking groups than in the smoking group,but similar between the for-mer two.The ovulation rate of the smoking cessation group was similar to that of the non-smoking group,remarkably higher than that of the smoking group(P=0.038).No statistically significant differences were observed in other indicators among the three groups(P＞0.05).Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that SSC during pregnancy preparation was a protective factor for ovulation in the PCOS patients(OR=1.74,95％CI:1.04-2.92,P=0.035).Conclusion:SSC can improve androgen and glucolipid me-tabolisms of infertile patients with PCOS,and thereby significantly increase the ovulation rate.It is of positive significance to encourage SSC clinically for improving the pregnancy outcomes of infertile women with PCOS.

Objective:To understand the molecular epidemiological characteristics of unique recombinant forms (URFs) in newly reported HIV-1 patients in Hangzhou, and provide theoretical support for prevention and control of AIDS.Methods:The blood samples of newly-diagnosed HIV-1 infected cases who received no antiviral therapy from 2019 to 2023 were collected, pol gene was amplified by RT-PCR and nested PCR, followed by sequencing. The URFs were screened using phylogenetic tree, followed by recombinant analysis. Genetic distances between URFs sequences were calculated and molecular transmission networks were constructed. The calibrated population resistance program (CPR) was used to analyze transmissible drug-resistant mutations. Results:A total of 222(5.0%, 222/4 471) URFs pol gene sequence were obtained, and the recombination types were CRF01_AE/CRF07_BC (60.4%, 134/222), CRF01_AE/C (11.7%, 26/222), CRF01_AE/B (9.5%, 21/222), CRF01_AE/B/C (8.1%, 18/222), B/C (7.6%, 17/222) and CRF55_01B/CRF07_BC (2.7%, 6/222), respectively. 78.8% (175/222) were infected by men who have sex with man(MSM), whoes mean age was 31.3±10.5. The proportion of URFs increased from 4.0% (34/843) to 7.4% (60/807) from 2019 to 2023. Under the optimal gene distance threshold of 1.5%, the molecular network access rate was 49.5% (110/222), included 23 clusters. We found a large active transmission cluster with 39 cases mixed homosexual and heterosexual, the recombination types was CRF01_AE/CRF07_BC, and the average gene distance was 0.005. Prevalence of URFs transmissible resistance was 3.2% (7/222). Conclusions:URFs are mainly produced and transmitted in young MSM, which shows an increasing trend year by year. There is a large active transmission cluster required major attention and effective intervention to prevent further expansion. At the same time, the occurrence and transmission of URFs should be continuously monitored to understand the clusters and drug resistance dynamics.