ObjectiveTo explore the clinical efficacy and mechanism of Bupi Qingfei prescription （BPQF） in treating stable bronchiectasis in the patients with syndromes of lung-spleen Qi deficiency and phlegm-heat accumulation in the lungs. MethodsA randomized， double-blind， placebo-controlled trial was conducted. Patients were randomized into BPQF and placebo control （PC） groups. On the basis of conventional Western medicine treatment， the BPQF granules and placebo were respectively administered at 10 g each time， twice a day， for a course of 24 weeks. The TCM symptom scores， Quality of Life Questionnaire for Bronchiectasis （QOL-B） scores， lung function indicators， T lymphocyte subsets， level of inflammatory factors in the sputum， level of neutrophil elastase （NE） in the sputum， and occurrence of adverse reactions were observed before and after treatment in the two groups. ResultsA total of 64 patients completed the study， encompassing 32 in the BPQF group and 32 in the PC group. After treatment， the BPQF group showed decreased TCM symptom scores （P<0.01）， increased QOL-B scores （P<0.01）， and declined levels of tumor necrosis factor （TNF）-α and NE （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The PC group showed decreased TCM symptom （except spleen deficiency） scores （P<0.01）， increased the QOL-B health cognition and respiratory symptom domain scores （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and a declined TNF-α level （P<0.01）. Moreover， the BPQF group had lower TCM symptom （except chest tightness） scores （P<0.05， P<0.01）， higher QOL-B （except treatment burden） scores （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and lower levels of interleukin-6 and TNF-α （P<0.05） than the PC group. Neither group showed serious adverse reactions during the treatment process. ConclusionBPQF can ameliorate the clinical symptoms of stable bronchiectasis patients who have lung-spleen Qi deficiency or phlegm-heat accumulation in the lungs by regulating the immune balance and inhibiting airway inflammatory responses.

Based on the theory of "sweet-flavored medicinals retaining and restoring body fluid"， this paper proposed that the core pathogenesis of hypercoagulable state in malignant tumors is qi deficiency and fluid consumption， blood stasis and vessels stagnation， which evolves dynamically according to the pattern "qi deficiency → fluid consumption → blood stasis". Accordingly， a staged treatment system is established with the general principle of "fortifying the middle jiao， restoring fluid and activating blood circulation". In the initial stage， invigorating the spleen and boosting qi to generate body fluid， targeting the onset of middle jiao deficiency and body fluid consumption； in the middle stage， nourishing yin and unblocking collaterals to facilitate body fluid circulation， addressing the disorder of body fluid transportation and collateral injury caused by internal dryness； in the late stage， consolidating yin and resolving blood stasis to retain body fluid， resolving yin impairment， fluid exhaustion， and binding of stasis and toxin. By regulating body fluid metabolism to improve the hypercoagulable state， this system is intended to provide insights for the prevention and treatment of hypercoagulable state in malignant tumors with traditional Chinese medicine.

The repair of bone defects is heavily influenced by the dynamic osteogenic microenvironment. Static scaffolds constructed by traditional 3D printing technology cannot simulate the dynamic nature of the microenvironment during bone defect repair due to the fixed structure, uncontrollable release of active factors, and difficult regeneration of blood vessels, among other factors. Breaking through the limitations of these static scaffolds and realizing the intelligent and dynamic regulation of the osteogenic microenvironment is a key scientific issue in the field of bone tissue engineering. 4D printing technology combines the dynamic responsiveness of bone restoration materials with the concept of intelligent design to regulate the micro and macro structure of scaffolds. This technology provides a new method for bone tissue engineering by responding to endogenous and exogenous stimuli and creating a better osteogenic microenvironment through functionalized design, including drug delivery and antibacterial function. However, this technology currently suffers from challenges related to dynamic response material design, insufficient precision of printing technology, and mismatches between multi-stimulus response systems, metabolic rhythms of bone tissue, and functionalized composite scaffolds. Future research should focus on the development of smart response materials with excellent dynamic responses and bioactivity, the creation of new printing technologies, and the design of personalized and precise bone repair solutions. The aim of this paper is to review the current research status of 4D printing for bone tissue engineering in terms of material types, response mechanisms, and applications to provide a theoretical basis for the development and clinical application of functional bone repair materials in the future.

Objective: To investigate the status of heat illness, knowledge awareness and adaptive behaviors of heat wave knowledge among food delivery riders, so as to provide a basis for optimizing heat wave response measures for food delivery riders. Methods: In November 2022, food delivery riders from a large food delivery platform in Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province were selected as survey subjects using a cluster sampling method. A self-designed electronic questionnaire was used to select demographic information, work status, lifestyle behaviors and disease history, heat illness status, knowledge awareness and adaptive behaviors of heatwave. Results: A total of 911 questionnaires were distributed, and 830 valid questionnaires were recovered, resulting in a valid response rate of 91.11%. Among the respondents, 796 (95.90%) were male, and 818 (98.55%) worked full-time. The mean age was (27.75±8.00) years. A total of 470 respondents (56.63%) had a work tenure of less than 1 year. The primary working hours were 8-<12 hours, with 504 people accounting for 60.72%. There were 108 cases of heatstroke, with an occurrence rate of 13.01%. And 286 people reported heat-related symptoms, with an occurrence rate of 34.46%. The overall awareness rate of heat wave knowledge was 73.22%, while the awareness rate of heat warning signal classification was relatively low at 9.04%. The heat wave cognition score was (5.86±1.31) points. There were statistically significant differences in heat wave cognition scores among food delivery riders of different ages, educational levels, family annual income, work tenures, and work durations (all P<0.05). Regarding positive adaptive behaviors, the number of riders paying attention to weather forecasts and actively learning about preventive measures was higher (734 people each, accounting for 88.43%). Regarding negative adaptive behaviors, the number of riders who often drank ice-cold beverages was higher (509 people, accounting for 61.33%). The heat wave adaptive behavior score was (6.88±1.77) points. There were statistically significant differences in adaptive behavior scores among riders with different educational levels, family annual income, work tenures, and smoking frequency (all P<0.05). Conclusions The occurrence rates of heatstroke and heat-related symptoms among food delivery riders are relatively high. The knowledge awareness and adaptive behaviors regarding heat wave are at a moderate level. It is suggested to strengthen health education, reinforce risk cognition of heat wave, and promote positive adaptive behaviors among food delivery riders.

ObjectiveThis paper aims to observe the role of Danlou tablet in treating coronary heart disease （CHD） with phlegm-stasis intermingling syndrome in minipigs by improving platelet function and explore the potential pharmacological mechanism of Danlou tablet in regulating platelet function by using proteomics technology. MethodsThirty Bama minipigs were randomly divided into a normal control group （6 pigs） and a high-fat diet group （24 pigs）. After 2 weeks of high-fat diet feeding， the high-fat diet group was randomly subdivided into a model group， an atorvastatin group （1 mg·kg^-1）， and Danlou tablet groups （0.6 g·kg^-1 and 0.3 g·kg^-1）. All groups continued to receive a high-fat diet for 8 weeks after the procedure. The normal control group was given a regular diet， underwent only coronary angiography， and did not receive an interventional injury procedure. The model group and each administration group were fed a high-fat diet. Two weeks later， they underwent a coronary angiography injury procedure. After the procedure， drugs were mixed into the feed every morning for 8 consecutive weeks， with the minipigs maintained on a continuous high-fat diet during this period. Quantitative proteomics technology was further used to study platelet proteins， and differential proteins were obtained by screening. Bioinformatics analysis was performed to analyze key regulatory proteins and biological pathways involved in the therapeutic effect of Danlou tablet on CHD with phlegm-stasis intermingling syndrome. ResultsCompared with the normal control group， the model group showed a significant increase in total cholesterol （TC）， triglyceride （TG）， high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL-C）， and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C） of minipigs' serum （P<0.01）， a significant shortening in prothrombin time of （PT） （P<0.01）， a coagulation function index， and an increase in whole blood viscosity （P<0.01） and platelet aggregation rate （P<0.01）. Moreover， the platelet morphology was altered， and the contents of endothelin-1 （ET-1） and nitric oxide （NO） were significantly increased （P<0.01）. Hemodynamic parameters were obviously abnormal， including significantly decreased systolic blood pressure （SBP）， diastolic blood pressure （DBP）， mean arterial pressure （MAP）， left ventricular systolic pressure （LVSP）， and left ventricular maximal positive dp/dt （LV+dp/dt_max） （P<0.01）. Left ventricular maximal negative dp/dt （LV-dp/dt_max） was significantly increased （P<0.01）. Besides， there were myocardial cell hypertrophy， obvious edematous degeneration， massive interstitial inflammatory cell infiltration， high degree of fibrosis， and coronary endothelial atherosclerosis. TC and TG levels in minipigs' serum were significantly reduced in Danlou tablet groups with 0.6 g·kg^-1 and 0.3 g·kg^-1 （P<0.05， P<0.01）， compared with those in the model group. LDL-C was decreased in the Danlou tablet group with 0.6 g·kg^-1 （P<0.05）. The whole blood viscosity under low and high shear conditions was significantly reduced in the Danlou tablet group with 0.6 g·kg^-1 （P<0.05）. In groups with all doses of Danlou tablet， maximum aggregation rate （MAR） and average aggregation rate （AAR） were significantly decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and platelets' morphological changes such as pseudopodia extension were reduced. ET-1 levels in the serum were significantly reduced. In the Danlou tablet group with 0.6 g·kg^-1， NO level in the serum was reduced （P<0.05）. In groups with all doses of Danlou tablet， DBP and MAP were significantly increased （P<0.05）. In the Danlou tablet group with 0.6 g·kg^-1， LVSP and LV+dp/dt_max were significantly increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and LV-dp/dt_max was significantly decreased （P<0.05）. In groups with all doses of Danlou tablet， edematous degeneration in myocardial tissue was milder， and coronary artery lesion degree was significantly alleviated. Compared with the normal control group， there were 94 differentially expressed proteins in the model group， including 81 up-regulated and 13 down-regulated proteins. Compared with the model group， the Danlou tablet group with 0.6 g·kg^-1 showed 174 differentially expressed proteins， including 100 up-regulated and 74 down-regulated proteins. A total of 30 proteins were reversed after Danlou tablet intervention. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that its pharmacological mechanism may exert anti-platelet activation， aggregation， and adhesion effects through biological pathways such as regulation of actin cytoskeleton， platelet activation pathway， Fcγ receptor-mediated phagocytosis， as well as proteins such as growth factor receptor-bound protein 2 （GRB2）， Ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 2 （RAC2）， RAC1， and heat shock protein 90 alpha family class A member 1 （HSP90AA1）. ConclusionDanlou tablet can effectively reduce platelet activation and aggregation， exerting a good therapeutic effect on CHD with phlegm-stasis intermingling syndrome in minipigs. Its pharmacological mechanism may involve regulating biological pathways such as actin cytoskeleton and platelet activation pathway， as well as proteins like GRB2， RAC2， RAC1， and HSP90AA1， thereby exerting a pharmacological effect in anti-platelet activation， aggregation， and adhesion.

ObjectiveThis study aims to explore the mechanism by which Yishen Huoxue Tongqiao Formula improves metabolism-neuroplasticity and treats unilateral vestibular labyrinth destruction by regulating the metabolic balance of glutamate （Glu）/γ-aminobutyric acid （GABA）. Methods48 Sprague-Dawley （SD） adult rats were randomly divided into the sham operation group， model group， Yishen Huoxue Tongqiao Formula groups with low， medium， and high doses （9.20， 18.39， 36.78 g·kg^-1）， and betahistine group （1.62 mg·kg^-1）. A unilateral vestibular labyrinth destruction （vestibular dysfunction） model was established by intratympanic injection of chloroform into the right ear， while the control group received intratympanic injection of normal saline. Drugs were administered once daily for seven consecutive days. During the period， behavioral tests were performed to evaluate the behaviors of rats after unilateral vestibular labyrinth destruction. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining and Nissl staining were used to observe the neuronal morphology in the medial vestibular nucleus. Golgi staining was employed to assess the number of dendritic spines of neurons in the medial vestibular nucleus. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry （LC-ESI-MS/MS） was utilized to detect Glu/GABA. Immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry were used to detect the expressions of neuronal nuclei （NeuN）， growth-associated protein 43 （GAP-43）， and glial fibrillary acidic protein （GFAP）. Western blot and real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） were applied to determine the expressions of glutamate-immunoreactive （Glu-IR）， GABA， GFAP， postsynaptic density protein 95 （PSD-95）， and GAP-43. ResultsCompared with the sham operation group， the model group presented with head deviation， balance disorder， increased tail suspension score， nuclear consolidation of medial vestibular nerve neurons， and decreased Nissl bodies （P<0.01）. The number of dendritic spines in neurons and NeuN-positive cells decreased. The content of Glu decreased. The content of GABA increased （Glu/GABA decreased）. The expression of GAP-43 was down-regulated， and GFAP was up-regulated （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The expressions of Glu-IR， PSD-95， and GAP-43 proteins， as well as Glu-IR mRNA decreased， while the expressions of GABA and GFAP proteins and mRNA increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with those in the model group， the head deviation， imbalanced behavior， and tail suspension scores in each treatment group decreased， with alleviated neuronal injury and recovered Nissl bodies （P<0.01）. The number of dendritic spines of neurons increased， and the number of NeuN-positive cells rebounded. The content of Glu increased， and the content of GABA decreased （Glu/GABA increased）. GFAP was down-regulated， and GAP-43 was up-regulated （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The expressions of Glu-IR， PMD-95， and GAP-43 proteins， as well as Glu-IR mRNA increased， while the expressions of GABA and GFAP proteins and mRNA decreased. The effect was more significant in the high-dose group （P<0.01）. ConclusionThe Yishen Huoxue Tongqiao Formula can alleviate vestibular dysfunction， and its mechanism may be associated with regulating the metabolic balance of Glu/GABA， mitigating neural damage， improving synaptic plasticity （promoting GAP-43 expression and inhibiting GFAP expression）， and facilitating vestibular compensation.

ObjectiveTo characterize the quality differences among different germplasm and introduced varieties of Bupleurum scorzonerifolium roots（BSR）， and explore the underlying molecular mechanisms， providing a basis for high-quality production and quality control. MethodsWild BSR from Yulin（YLW） served as the quality reference， we conducted comparative analysis among YLW， locally domesticated wild germplasm in Yulin（YLC3）， Daqing germplasm introduced and cultivated in Yulin（YLDQC3）， and locally cultivated germplasm in Daqing（DQC3）. A combination of traditional pharmacognostic methods and modern multi-omics analyses was employed， including macroscopic traits（appearance， odor）， microscopic features（proportions of cork， phloem， xylem）， cell wall component contents（hemicellulose， cellulose， lignin）， carbohydrate contents（starch， water-soluble polysaccharides）， marker compound contents（ethanol-soluble extracts， total saponins， liposoluble extracts， and saikosaponins A， B₂， C， D）， metabolomics， and transcriptomics， in order to systematically characterize quality differences and investigate molecular mechanisms among these samples. ResultsMacroscopically， Yulin-produced BSR（YLW， YLC3， YLDQC3） exhibited significantly greater weight， length， and upper and middle diameters than Daqing-produced BSR（DQC3）. Odor-wise， YLW and YLC3 had a a fragrance taste， YLDQC3 had a rancid oil odor， and DQC3 had a sweet and fragrant taste. Microscopically， Yulin germplasm（YLW， YLC3） and Daqing germplasm（YLDQC3， DQC3） shared similar structural features， respectively. However， Yulin germplasm showed significantly higher proportions of cork and phloem， as well as stronger xylem vessel staining intensity compared to Daqing germplasm. Regarding various component contents， Yulin germplasm contained significantly higher levels of ethanol-soluble extracts， total saponins， and saikosaponins A， B₂， C， D， while Daqing germplasm had significantly higher levels of hemicellulose， starch， and liposoluble extracts. After introduction to Yulin， the Daqing germplasm（YLDQC3） showed increased starch， water-soluble polysaccharides and liposoluble extracts contents， decreased cell wall component content， but no significant difference in other component contents. Metabolomics revealed that saponins and terpenes accumulated significantly in Yulin germplasm， while alcohols and aldehydes accumulated predominantly in Daqing germplasm. Transcriptomics indicated similar gene expression patterns within the same germplasm but specificity between different germplasms. Integrative metabolomic-transcriptomic analysis identified 145 potential key genes associated with the saikosaponin biosynthesis pathway， including one acetyl-coenzyme A（CoA） acetyltransferase gene（ACAT）， one 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A synthase gene（HMGS）， two hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA（HMG-CoA） reductase genes（HMG）， one phosphomevalonate kinase gene（PMK）， one 1-deoxy-D-xylose-5-phosphate synthase gene（CLA）， one hydroxymethylbuten-1-aldol synthase gene（HDR）， two farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase genes（FPPS）， one squalene synthase gene（SQS）， one β-amyrin synthase gene（BAS）， 102 cytochrome P450（CYP450） gene family members， and 32 uridine diphosphate-glucuronosyltransferase（UGT） gene family members. ConclusionAmong the three cultivated types， YLC3 most closely resembles YLW in appearance， microscopic features， contents of major bioactive constituents， metabolomic and transcriptomic profiles. Yulin germplasm exhibits superior saponin synthesis capability compared to Daqing germplasm， and Yulin region is more suitable for the growth of B. scorzonerifolium. Based on these findings， it is recommended that artificial cultivation in northern Shaanxi and similar regions utilize the local Yulin germplasm source cultivated for at least three years.

Objective: To establish a method for determining the molecular weight and molecular weight distribution of Poly(Lactide-co-Glycolide Acid) (PLGA) using Size Exclusion Chromatography-Refractive Index-Multiangle Laser Light Scattering (SEC-RI-MALLS) and Size Exclusion Chromatography-Refractive Index (SEC-RID), and to compare the results obtained from these two methods.
Methods: For SEC-RI-MALLS, tetrahydrofuran was used as the mobile phase, Shodex GPC KF-803L was employed as the chromatographic column with a flow rate of 1 mL·min^-1, column temperature at 30 ℃, and an injection volume of 100 μL. For SEC-RID, tetrahydrofuran was also used as the mobile phase, Agilent PLgel 5 μm MIXD-D was used as the chromatographic column with a flow rate of 1 mL·min^-1, column temperature at 30 ℃, differential detector temperature at 35 ℃, and an injection volume of 20 μL. The molecular weight and molecular weight distribution were calculated using Agilent’s GPC software. The newly established methods were validated methodologically, and the molecular weight and molecular weight distribution of 13 batches of samples were determined.
Results: The precision, accuracy, stability, and repeatability tests for SEC-RI-MALLS showed RSD values of 1.35%, 1.58%, 1.53%, and 1.26%, respectively. The SEC-RID method exhibited good linearity (r=0.999 9), with RSD values for precision, accuracy, stability, and repeatability tests (n=6) of 2.05%, 1.62%, 1.30%, and 2.97%, respectively. The results obtained from SEC-RI-MALLS were lower than those from SEC-RID, and the molecular weight distribution coefficient was smaller, but the results from the paired T-test performed with the value measured by SEC-RID method and the value measured by SEC-RI-MALLS method multiplied a conversion coefficient of 1.5 showed no significant difference between the two methods.
Conclusion: Both methods are stable and reliable, and can be used for the determination of PLGA molecular weight and molecular weight distribution based on the specific situations.

Objective To develop an innovative recognition algorithm that aids physicians in the identification of pulmonary nodules. Methods Patients with pulmonary nodules who underwent thoracoscopic surgery at the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School in December 2023, were enrolled in the study. Chest surface exploration data were collected at a rate of 60 frames per second and a resolution of 1 920×1 080. Frame images were saved at regular intervals for subsequent block processing. An algorithm database for lung nodule recognition was developed using the collected data. Results A total of 16 patients were enrolled, including 9 males and 7 females, with an average age of (54.9±14.9) years. In the optimized multi-topology convolutional network model, the test results demonstrated an accuracy rate of 94.39% for recognition tasks. Furthermore, the integration of micro-variation amplification technology into the convolutional network model enhanced the accuracy of lung nodule identification to 96.90%. A comprehensive evaluation of the performance of these two models yielded an overall recognition accuracy of 95.59%. Based on these findings, we conclude that the proposed network model is well-suited for the task of lung nodule recognition, with the convolutional network incorporating micro-variation amplification technology exhibiting superior accuracy. Conclusion Compared to traditional methods, our proposed technique significantly enhances the accuracy of lung nodule identification and localization, aiding surgeons in locating lung nodules during thoracoscopic surgery.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the protective effect and mechanism of saikosaponin C （SSC） on acute liver injury （ALI） in mice induced by carbon tetrachloride （CCl4） based on serum metabolomics. METHODS Forty mice were divided into blank group （water）， model group （water）， positive control drug group （Biphenyl diester drop pills， 150 mg/kg）， and SSC low- and high-dose groups （2.5， 10 mg/kg） using the random number table method， with 8 mice in each group. They were given water/ relevant drugs， once a day， for 7 consecutive days. One hour after the last administration， all mice were intraperitoneally injected with 0.2% CCl4 olive oil to induce ALI model， except for the blank group. After 17 hours of the modeling， the liver index of mice was calculated. The levels of aspartate aminotransferase （AST）， alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， lactate dehydrogenase （LDH）， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， and IL-1β in serum of mice were detected. The histopathological changes of liver tissue were observed. Meanwhile， the serum metabolomics of mice were analyzed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. RESULTS Compared with the blank group， the levels of liver index， ALT， AST， LDH， TNF-α， IL-6， and IL-1β in the model group were significantly increased （P＜0.01）. Hepatocytes were edema， vacuolar degeneration， more necrosis， and a large number of inflammatory cells were infiltrated. Compared with the model group， liver index and serum index levels of mice were significantly decreased （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）， accompanied by marked improvement in histopathological damage to the liver tissue. The metabolomics results showed that compared with the model group， there were 63 up-regulated and 256 down-regulated differential metabolites in the serum of mice in the SSC high-dose group， including prostaglandin B2， 20-hydroxy-leukotriene B4， 5- hydroxy-L-tryptophan， 7α -hydroxycholesterol， etc.； these metabolites were primarily involved in metabolic pathways such as arachidonic acid metabolism， 5-hydroxytryptamine synapse， primary bile acid biosynthesis. CONCLUSIONS SSC exerts a protective effect against CCl4-induced ALI by down-regulating the level of key metabolites such as prostaglandin B2 and 20-hydroxy-leukotriene B4， and then ruducing metabolic pathways such as arachidonic acid metabolism， 5- hydroxytryptamine synapse， and primary bile acid biosynthesis.