Fresh-cut processing constitutes a pivotal technique in the origin processing of Chinese medicinal materials， with a long history documented in multiple materia medica. In recent years， it has garnered national policy support for its ability to prevent component loss and low processing efficiency associated with traditional drying-before-cutting methods. As of August 2025， 26 provinces and municipalities nationwide have cumulatively published 789 species for fresh-cut processing. Among these， 78 were included in the 2025 edition of the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China. However， the practice continues to face common challenges and difficulties， including ambiguous scientific understanding， fragmented standards， limited quality control approaches， and poor process stability. Based on this， this paper synthesises years of research findings to systematically elucidate the core mechanisms of fresh-cut processing. These encompass alterations to herbal tissue structure during cutting， post-processing changes in constituents， and physiological-biochemical processes such as plant stress responses and shifts in endogenous enzyme activity. It also summarises influencing factors， including inherent herbal properties， cutting timing and methods， and environmental conditions like temperature， humidity， and microbial presence. Based on this overview of fresh-cutting mechanisms， subsequent research should advance in four directions：Clarifying the scientific principles of fresh-cutting， overcoming technical bottlenecks， upgrading intelligent equipment， and establishing quality standards and evaluation systems. This study provides a theoretical foundation and scientific basis for future research on fresh-cutting in traditional Chinese medicine（TCM）， promoting its deeper practical application within the industry and contributing to the high-quality development of TCM industry and the modernization of TCM.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the causal associations between autoimmune diseases and aplastic anemia (AA) using Mendelian randomization analysis. METHODS: Publicly available genome-wide association study (GWAS) data were utilized to obtain single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with autoimmune diseases and AA for analysis. The inverse variance weighted (IVW) method was employed as the primary analytical approach, with MR Egger, Weighted Mode, Weighted Median, and Simple Mode methods serving as complementary analyses. Heterogeneity and pleiotropy analyses were conducted using designated functions, and the robustness of Mendelian randomization results was assessed using leave-one-out analysis. RESULTS: The two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis using the IVW method revealed significant positive causal associations of rheumatoid arthritis (OR=1.094, 95% CI: 1.023-1.170, P=0.009, adjusted P=0.042), systemic lupus erythematosus (OR=1.111, 95% CI: 1.021-1.208, P=0.015, adjusted P=0.036), Hashimoto thyroiditis (OR=1.206, 95% CI: 1.049-1.387, P=0.009, adjusted P=0.029), and Sicca syndrome (OR=1.173, 95% CI: 1.054-1.306, P=0.004, adjusted P=0.035) with AA, which was supported by the results from the Weighted Median method. Sensitivity analyses indicated no evidence of pleiotropy or heterogeneity, and leave-one-out analysis confirmed the robustness of the causal relationships. No direct evidence was found linking Graves' disease, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, autoimmune hepatitis, primary biliary cholangitis, or primary sclerosing cholangitis with AA (P>0.05, adjusted P>0.05), indicating a lack of causal association. Reverse Mendelian randomization results and multiple corrections indicated that AA was not an influencing factor for autoimmune diseases (adjusted P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS Our findings support at the genetic level that rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, Hashimoto thyroiditis, and Sicca syndrome are risk factors for AA, and confirm a causal association of the these 4 autoimmune diseases with an increased risk of AA.
Humans ; Mendelian Randomization Analysis ; Anemia, Aplastic/genetics* ; Autoimmune Diseases/complications* ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/genetics* ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic/genetics* ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease

Background: and Purpose Limited evidence exists on the effectiveness of endovascular treatment (EVT) for acute posterior circulation tandem lesion (PCTL). This study aimed to explore the role of extracranial vertebral artery (VA) stenting in patients with PCTL stroke undergoing EVT. Methods: Individual patient data were pooled from the BASILAR (EVT for Acute Basilar Artery Occlusion Study) and PERSIST (Posterior Circulation Ischemic Stroke) registries. Patients with PCTLs who underwent EVT were included in the present cohort and divided into the stenting and nonstenting groups based on the placement of extracranial VA stents. The primary efficacy outcome was the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores at 90 days and 1 year. Safety outcomes included 24-hour symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) and all-cause mortality at 90 days and 1 year post-surgery. Results: A combined dataset of 1,320 patients with posterior circulation artery occlusion, including 263 (19.9%) with tandem lesions, of whom 217 (median age, 65 years; 82.9% male) met the inclusion criteria for the analysis. The stenting group had 84 (38.7%) patients, while the non-stenting group had 133 (61.3%). After adjustment for the potential confounders, extracranial VA stenting was associated with favorable shifts in mRS scores at both 90 days (adjusted common odds ratio [OR], 2.30; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.23–4.28; P<0.01) and 1 year (adjusted OR [aOR], 2.04; 95% CI [1.05–3.97]; P=0.04), along with lower rate of mortality at both 90 days (aOR, 0.45; 95% CI [0.21–0.93]; P=0.01) and 1 year (aOR, 0.36; 95% CI [0.16–0.79]; P=0.01), with no significant difference in sICH incidence (aOR, 0.35; 95% CI [0.06–1.98]; P=0.24). Conclusion Extracranial VA stenting during EVT may improve functional outcomes and reduce mortality in patients with PCTL strokes.

Background: and Purpose Limited evidence exists on the effectiveness of endovascular treatment (EVT) for acute posterior circulation tandem lesion (PCTL). This study aimed to explore the role of extracranial vertebral artery (VA) stenting in patients with PCTL stroke undergoing EVT. Methods: Individual patient data were pooled from the BASILAR (EVT for Acute Basilar Artery Occlusion Study) and PERSIST (Posterior Circulation Ischemic Stroke) registries. Patients with PCTLs who underwent EVT were included in the present cohort and divided into the stenting and nonstenting groups based on the placement of extracranial VA stents. The primary efficacy outcome was the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores at 90 days and 1 year. Safety outcomes included 24-hour symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) and all-cause mortality at 90 days and 1 year post-surgery. Results: A combined dataset of 1,320 patients with posterior circulation artery occlusion, including 263 (19.9%) with tandem lesions, of whom 217 (median age, 65 years; 82.9% male) met the inclusion criteria for the analysis. The stenting group had 84 (38.7%) patients, while the non-stenting group had 133 (61.3%). After adjustment for the potential confounders, extracranial VA stenting was associated with favorable shifts in mRS scores at both 90 days (adjusted common odds ratio [OR], 2.30; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.23–4.28; P<0.01) and 1 year (adjusted OR [aOR], 2.04; 95% CI [1.05–3.97]; P=0.04), along with lower rate of mortality at both 90 days (aOR, 0.45; 95% CI [0.21–0.93]; P=0.01) and 1 year (aOR, 0.36; 95% CI [0.16–0.79]; P=0.01), with no significant difference in sICH incidence (aOR, 0.35; 95% CI [0.06–1.98]; P=0.24). Conclusion Extracranial VA stenting during EVT may improve functional outcomes and reduce mortality in patients with PCTL strokes.

Background: and Purpose Limited evidence exists on the effectiveness of endovascular treatment (EVT) for acute posterior circulation tandem lesion (PCTL). This study aimed to explore the role of extracranial vertebral artery (VA) stenting in patients with PCTL stroke undergoing EVT. Methods: Individual patient data were pooled from the BASILAR (EVT for Acute Basilar Artery Occlusion Study) and PERSIST (Posterior Circulation Ischemic Stroke) registries. Patients with PCTLs who underwent EVT were included in the present cohort and divided into the stenting and nonstenting groups based on the placement of extracranial VA stents. The primary efficacy outcome was the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores at 90 days and 1 year. Safety outcomes included 24-hour symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) and all-cause mortality at 90 days and 1 year post-surgery. Results: A combined dataset of 1,320 patients with posterior circulation artery occlusion, including 263 (19.9%) with tandem lesions, of whom 217 (median age, 65 years; 82.9% male) met the inclusion criteria for the analysis. The stenting group had 84 (38.7%) patients, while the non-stenting group had 133 (61.3%). After adjustment for the potential confounders, extracranial VA stenting was associated with favorable shifts in mRS scores at both 90 days (adjusted common odds ratio [OR], 2.30; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.23–4.28; P<0.01) and 1 year (adjusted OR [aOR], 2.04; 95% CI [1.05–3.97]; P=0.04), along with lower rate of mortality at both 90 days (aOR, 0.45; 95% CI [0.21–0.93]; P=0.01) and 1 year (aOR, 0.36; 95% CI [0.16–0.79]; P=0.01), with no significant difference in sICH incidence (aOR, 0.35; 95% CI [0.06–1.98]; P=0.24). Conclusion Extracranial VA stenting during EVT may improve functional outcomes and reduce mortality in patients with PCTL strokes.

Objective: To analyze the implementation status and challenges of sex education in special education schools, so as to provide a scientific basis for formulating effective promotion strategies. Methods: From November 2023 to January 2024, a census survey was conducted among 120 in service teachers from 7 special education schools in Luzhou. The questionnaire covered the current status of sex education in schools, teachers attitudes and knowledge toward sex education, and their coping methods for students inappropriate sexual behaviors. Results: About 77.5% of teachers reported having provided sex education to students, but 93.2% indicated a lack of specialized sex education textbooks for special children, 90.4% reported no full time teachers for sex education, and the methods of sex education were relatively limited (50.0% mainly based on lecture method). Nearly 95.8% of teachers held a positive attitude toward sex education, with 98.3% supporting its implementation. Only 26.7% of teachers demonstrated a good grasp of sex education knowledge, with the best understood topic being "recognition and protection of private parts" (21.6%). When dealing with students inappropriate sexual behaviors, the active response rate of teachers was 23.9%, with the highest active response rate observed for "intentionally hugging or kissing the opposite sex" (39.7%). Conclusions The special education schools in Luzhou lack comprehensive sex education curricula, teaching materials and full time teachers, sufficient knowledge among teachers, and adequate proactive responses to students inappropriate sexual behaviors. Greater emphasis should be placed on sex education for special children, including the training of dedicated teachers, to provide comprehensive and high quality sex education services for special children.

Objective To investigate the technical capacity and service quality of occupational health technical service institutions (hereinafter referred to as "occupational health institutions") in Guangdong Province. Methods All occupational health institutions in Guangdong Province that had valid occupational health service qualifications and within the validity period were included for analysis. Data on basic information, employed personnel, and results of professional technical capacity assessments across occupational health institutions were obtained through the Guangdong Provincial Occupational Health Technical Quality Control Center. Results A total of 99 institutions with 2 732 technical staff were included in this study. Occupational health institutions in Guangdong Province were mainly distributed in the Pearl River Delta region, accounting for 87.9% (87/99) of the total. The number of public and private health institutions was 23 and 76, accounted for 23.2% and 76.8% respectively. In terms of technical personnel, the percentage of individuals worked in public or private health institutions was 24.1% and 75.9%, respectively. Personnel titles were predominantly intermediate level and no title, accounting for 38.7% and 26.4%, respectively. Individuals with a bachelor′s degree or above accounted for 67.4%. Engineering and other professionals accounted for 35.4% and 30.5%, respectively. Private institutions undertook 97.3% of testing and evaluation workload related to occupational hazard in the province. The number of occupational health institutes acquiring category Ⅰ and Ⅱ service license were 97 and 13. Among institutions participating in inter-laboratory comparisons, the overall pass rates for quantitative items were 95.5% in public and 70.3% in private institutions, while the pass rates for qualitative items were 100.0% and 94.5%, respectively. Conclusion Occupational health institutions in Guangdong Province face issues such as imbalanced regional distribution, uneven development, and insufficient technical competence and testing capacity of professional personnel. Health authorities at all levels should continue to strengthen supervision and quality control to solidify the technical foundation and comprehensively enhance service capacity and quality.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical significance of a hemizygous c.1042-10G>C variant of the SLC9A7 gene NM_001257291.2) previously identified in individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders, and to provide an evidence-based guidance for prenatal genetic counseling. METHODS: Four families presented at the Medical Genetics Center of Henan Provincial People's Hospital between December 2022 and July 2024 were included in this study. Phenotypic information and biological samples were collected from family members. Genomic DNA was extracted and subjected to whole-exome sequencing and copy number variation analysis to identify candidate pathogenic variants. Sanger sequencing was performed for familial co-segregation analysis. Reverse-transcription PCR was used to assess the RNA splicing pattern of the variant in peripheral blood samples. Quantitative PCR was employed to analyze the expression profiles of various SLC9A7 transcripts in fetal brain tissue and peripheral blood samples. Pathogenicity of the variant was classified based on guidelines from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG). This study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of Henan Provincial People's Hospital (Ethics No.: 2021-171). RESULTS: Six hemizygous males carrying the SLC9A7 c.1042-10G>C variant were identified among the four families, which included three adult males and two male infants with normal phenotypes. Only one affected male from family 3 exhibited global developmental delay, short neck, webbed neck, ocular dysplasia, and congenital corneal leukoma. He also had a history of perinatal asphyxia and carried an additional hemizygous variant HUWE1 c.12283C>G. Reverse-transcription PCR showed no aberrant splicing in heterozygous or hemizygous carriers compared to healthy controls, suggesting that the variant does not affect RNA splicing. Quantitative PCR revealed that NM_001257291.2 is the predominant transcript expressed in fetal brain tissue and peripheral blood. CONCLUSION The SLC9A7 c.1042-10G>C variant does not alter RNA splicing and is present in multiple phenotypically normal males, which supported its classification as a benign variant.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Genetic Counseling ; Pedigree ; Adult ; DNA Copy Number Variations/genetics* ; Sodium-Hydrogen Exchangers/genetics* ; Exome Sequencing

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical phenotype and genetic characteristics of an infertile woman carrying a novel PADI6 gene variant. METHODS: An infertile woman who visited the Medical Genetics Center of Henan Provincial People's Hospital on April 29, 2024 was selected as the study subject. Clinical data of the proband and her family members were collected. Peripheral blood samples were obtained from the proband and her husband for genomic DNA extraction. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) was performed. Candidate variant was verified among the family members by Sanger sequencing. The pathogenicity of candidate variant was classified according to the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) Standards and Guidelines for the Interpretation of Sequence Variants. Relevant literature on the pathogenic variants of the PADI6 gene was reviewed for genotype-phenotype correlation analysis. This study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of Henan Provincial People's Hospital (Ethics No.: 2021-171). RESULTS: The proband was a 35-year-old woman who underwent two oocyte retrieval cycles, yielding a total of five oocytes, with all embryos arrested at day 3 post-fertilization. WES identified a homozygous PADI6 variant, c.367+4_367+7del. In vitro splicing assay confirmed that this variant can cause skipping of exon 3, leading to a frameshift and alterations in the protein structure or premature termination of translation. Literature review identified 12 relevant publications, and the PADI6 c.367+4_367+7del was determined to be a novel variant. CONCLUSION The homozygous PADI6 c.367+4_367+7del variant probably underlay the pathogenesis of infertility in the proband.
Humans ; Female ; Infertility, Female/genetics* ; Adult ; Protein-Arginine Deiminase Type 6/genetics* ; Pedigree ; Exome Sequencing ; Mutation

The Ehlers-Danlos syndrome(EDS)is a rare inherent connective tissue disorder.The prev-alence of EDS in the population is estimated at one out of ten thousand to one out of a hundred thousand.The vascular EDS(vEDS)are rare among the subtypes but are the worst in prognosis.The article reports a case of vEDS admitted to the hospital.The patient was a young man complaining of a sudden onset of aphasia in right hemiparalysis and severe left abdominal pain for unknown reasons.The diagnosis was made after the genetic testing.The patient suffered from vEDS.Then,the multi-disciplinary team(MDT)made a treatment plan tailored to this young patient.The complexity in classification and delusive presentations of the EDS make the correct diagnosis very challenging.This article hopes to report this case and to share the experiences to the bet-ter understanding of this disease.