Processing for deodorization is widely used in the production of animal-derived Chinese medicinal materials. In this study, Heracles Neo ultra-fast gas-phase electronic nose combined with chemometrics was employed to analyze the overall odor difference of Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum(focusing on that derived from Cervus nippon Temminck in this study) before and after processing. The results showed that the electronic nose effectively distinguished between the medicinal materials and decoction pieces of Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum. HS-GC-MS was used to identify and quantify the volatile components in the medicinal materials and decoction pieces of Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum, and 35 and 37 volatile components were detected in the medicinal materials and decoction pieces, respectively. The medicinal materials and decoction pieces contained 28 common volatile components contributing to the odor of Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum. The odor activity value(OAV) of each volatile component was calculated based on the olfactory threshold and relative content. The results showed that there were 17 key odor substances such as isovaleraldehyde, 2-methylbutanal, isobutyraldehyde, hexanal, and methanethiol in the medicinal materials and decoction pieces of Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum. All of them had bad odor and were the main source of the odor of Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum. The results of principal component analysis(PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA) showed that there were significant differences in volatile components between the medicinal materials and decoction pieces of Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum. Based on the thresholds of P<0.05 and Variable Importance in Projection(VIP)>1, 21 differential volatile odor components were screened out. Among them, isopentanol, isovaleraldehyde, 2-methylbutanal, n-nonanal, and dimethylamine were the key differential odor compounds between the medicinal materials and decoction pieces of Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum. The odor compounds and their relative content reduced, and some flavor substances such as esters were produced after processing with wine, which was the main reason for the reduction of the odor after processing of Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum.
Odorants/analysis* ; Electronic Nose ; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry/methods* ; Animals ; Volatile Organic Compounds/analysis* ; Deer ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry*

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical symptoms and MRI outcomes of patients with ruptured lumbar disc herniation(LDH) through a multicenter randomized controlled study, and to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of Yiqi Huoxue formula() in the treatment of this disease. METHODS: A total of 160 outpatients and inpatients with ruptured LDH admitted to 4 medical centers from January 2023 to June 2023 were selected and randomly divided into the Yiqi Huoxue formula group and the control group, with 80 patients in each group. In the Yiqi Huoxue formula group, there were 43 males and 37 females, with an age of (41.03±9.56) years and a disease duration of (10.45±25.37) days, and the patients were treated with Yiqi Huoxue formula. In the control group, there were 34 males and 46 females, with an age of (42.14±8.73) years and a disease duration of (11.31±21.14) days;during the acute phase, patients in this group could take celecoxib capsules orally, and methylcobalamin orally at the same time. The Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score, Oswestry disability index (ODI), changes in the volume of herniated disc tissue on MRI, herniation rate, and absorption rate were recorded at the time of enrollment and during follow-ups at the 3rd, 6th, and 12th month after treatment. RESULTS: A total of 156 patients completed the clinical follow-up, and 4 patients withdrew midway. The clinical symptoms of all patients who completed the study were relieved to varying degrees, and reabsorption of herniated disc tissue was observed in all patients in the Yiqi Huoxue formula group after treatment. For the JOA score:in the Yiqi Huoxue formula group, it was (10.73±2.76) points before treatment and (24.65±2.19) points at the 12th month after treatment;in the control group, it was (11.01±1.20) points before treatment and (17.07±3.26) points at the 12th month after treatment. For the ODI score:in the Yiqi Huoxue formula group, it was (26.21±3.55) points before treatment and (5.65±2.19) points at the 12th month after treatment;in the control group, it was (27.92±2.51) points before treatment and (9.09±2.15) points at the 12th month after treatment. At the 12th month after treatment, the JOA and ODI scores of both groups were better than those before treatment, and the scores of the Yiqi Huoxue formula group were better than those of the control group, with statistically significant differences (P<0.05). In terms of the herniated disc volume and herniation rate on MRI, the Yiqi Huoxue formula group was superior to the control group, with statistically significant differences(P<0.05). Reabsorption occurred in 56.96%(45/79) of patients in the Yiqi Huoxue formula group, which was significantly higher than the 37.66%(29/77) in the control group. CONCLUSION After treatment with Yiqi Huoxue formula, patients with ruptured LDH show significant improvement in clinical symptoms and a marked reduction in the volume of herniated discs. During the follow-up period, no obvious adverse drug reactions are observed in patients, and no recurrence of symptoms is found at the last follow-up, indicating that the formula has safe and reliable efficacy.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement/drug therapy* ; Adult ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/adverse effects* ; Middle Aged ; Lumbar Vertebrae

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the partial biomechanical properties of the posterior occipital muscles (rectus capitis posterior major, rectus capitis posterior minor, and obliquus capitis inferior) in patients with cervical vertigo. METHODS: A total of 30 patients with cervical vertigo admitted from April 2024 to September 2024 were included in the vertigo group, and 30 age-and gender-matched healthy subjects were recruited as the normal group. In the vertigo group, there were 21 females and 9 males, with an average age of (24.00±2.25) years;in the normal group, there were 22 females and 8 males, with an average age of (23.00±3.00) years. Shear wave elastography was used to measure the thickness and stiffness of the posterior occipital muscles in both groups. RESULTS: In the vertigo group, there were no statistically significant differences in the Young's modulus values (E) of stiffness of the posterior occipital muscles (rectus capitis posterior major, rectus capitis posterior minor, obliquus capitis inferior) between the left and right sides(P>0.05). The Young's modulus values(E) of stiffness of the right posterior occipital muscles (rectus capitis posterior major, rectus capitis posterior minor, obliquus capitis inferior) in the cervical vertigo group were (39.66±8.21) kPa, (45.61±5.85) kPa, and (43.73±5.22) kPa, respectively, which were significantly higher than those in the normal group 33.97(17.76) kPa, 41.38(8.99) kPa, 38.27(12.58) kPa, with statistically significant differences (P<0.05). In the vertigo group, the Young's modulus values(E) of stiffness of the left rectus capitis posterior major and left obliquus capitis inferior were (40.41±9.13) kPa and (42.11±6.20) kPa, respectively, which were significantly greater than those in the normal group (33.30±11.31) kPa, 38.94(14.62) kPa, with statistically significant differences(P<0.05);however, there was no statistically significant difference in the left rectus capitis posterior minor between the two groups(P>0.05). In the vertigo group, there were no statistically significant differences in the stiffness of the posterior occipital muscles (rectus capitis posterior major, rectus capitis posterior minor, obliquus capitis inferior) between the left and right sides(P>0.05). Additionally, there were no statistically significant differences in the thickness of the bilateral posterior occipital muscles between the vertigo group and the normal group (P>0.05). CONCLUSION The posterior occipital muscles of patients with cervical vertigo are stiffer than those of healthy individuals, while there is no significant difference in muscle thickness between the two groups.
Humans ; Female ; Male ; Elasticity Imaging Techniques/methods* ; Adult ; Vertigo/physiopathology* ; Neck Muscles/physiopathology* ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the role and mechanism of fibroblast growth factor (FGF) 19 in inflammation-induced injury of vascular endothelial cells caused by high glucose (HG). METHODS: Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were randomly divided into four groups: control, HG, FGF19, and HG+FGF19 (n=3 each). The effect of different concentrations of glucose and/or FGF19 on HUVEC viability was assessed using the CCK8 assay. Flow cytometry was utilized to examine the impact of FGF19 on HUVEC apoptosis. Levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD), and malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured by ELISA. Real-time quantitative PCR and Western blotting were used to determine the mRNA and protein expression levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), nuclear factor erythroid 2 related factor 2 (Nrf2), and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). Cells were further divided into control, siRNA-Nrf2 (siNrf2), HG, HG+FGF19, HG+FGF19+negative control, and HG+FGF19+siNrf2 groups (n=3 each) to observe the effect of FGF19 on oxidative stress injury in HUVECs induced by high glucose after silencing the Nrf2 gene. RESULTS: Compared to the control group, the HG group exhibited increased apoptosis rate, increased IL-6, iNOS and MDA levels, and increased VEGF mRNA and protein expression, along with decreased T-SOD activity and decreased mRNA and protein expression of Nrf2 and HO-1 (P<0.05). Compared to the HG group, the HG+FGF19 group showed reduced apoptosis rate, decreased IL-6, iNOS and MDA levels, and decreased VEGF mRNA and protein expression, with increased T-SOD activity and increased Nrf2 and HO-1 mRNA and protein expression (P<0.05). Compared to the HG+FGF19+negative control group, the HG+FGF19+siNrf2 group had decreased T-SOD activity and increased MDA levels (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS FGF19 can alleviate inflammation-induced injury in vascular endothelial cells caused by HG, potentially through the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway.
Humans ; NF-E2-Related Factor 2/genetics* ; Signal Transduction ; Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells/drug effects* ; Fibroblast Growth Factors/pharmacology* ; Heme Oxygenase-1/physiology* ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Glucose ; Inflammation ; Interleukin-6/analysis* ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A/genetics* ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II/analysis* ; Cells, Cultured

OBJECTIVE: To assess the relationship between blood pressure reactivity index (BPRI) and in-hospital mortality risk in patients with sepsis-associated acute kidney injury (SA-AKI). METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted to collect data from patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) and clinically diagnosed with SA-AKI between 2008 and 2019 in the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care-IV (MIMIC-IV) database in the United States. The collected data included demographic characteristics, comorbidities, vital signs, laboratory parameters, sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) and simplified acute physiology scoreII(SAPSII) within 48 hours of SA-AKI diagnosis, stages of AKI, treatment regimens, mean BPRI during the first and second 24 hours (BPRI_0_24, BPRI_24_48), and outcome measures including primary outcome (in-hospital mortality) and secondary outcomes (ICU length of stay and total hospital length of stay). Variables with statistical significance in univariate analysis were included in LASSO regression analysis for variable selection, and the selected variables were subsequently incorporated into multivariate Logistic regression analysis to identify independent predictors associated with in-hospital mortality in SA-AKI patients. Restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis was employed to examine whether there was a linear relationship between BPRI within 48 hours and in-hospital mortality in SA-AKI patients. Basic prediction models were constructed based on the independent predictors identified through multivariate Logistic regression analysis, and receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC curve) was plotted to evaluate the predictive performance of each basic prediction model before and after incorporating BPRI. RESULTS: A total of 3 517 SA-AKI patients admitted to the ICU were included, of whom 826 died during hospitalization and 2 691 survived. The BPRI values within 48 hours of SA-AKI diagnosis were significantly lower in the death group compared with the survival group [BPRI_0_24: 4.53 (1.81, 8.11) vs. 17.39 (5.16, 52.43); BPRI_24_48: 4.76 (2.42, 12.44) vs. 32.23 (8.85, 85.52), all P < 0.05]. LASSO regression analysis identified 20 variables with non-zero coefficients that were included in the multivariate Logistic regression analysis. The results showed that respiratory rate, temperature, pulse oxygen saturation (SpO₂), white blood cell count (WBC), hematocrit (HCT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), lactate, oxygenation index, SOFA score, fluid balance (FB), BPRI_0_24, and BPRI_24_48 were all independent predictors for in-hospital mortality in SA-AKI patients (all P < 0.05). RCS analysis revealed that both BPRI showed "L"-shaped non-linear relationships with the risk of in-hospital mortality in SA-AKI patients. When BPRI_0_24 ≤ 14.47 or BPRI_24_48 ≤ 24.21, the risk of in-hospital mortality in SA-AKI increased as BPRI values decreased. Three basic prediction models were constructed based on the identified independent predictors: Model 1 (physiological indicator model) included respiratory rate, temperature, SpO₂, and oxygenation index; Model 2 (laboratory indicator model) included WBC, HCT, APTT, and lactate; Model 3 (scoring indicator model) included SOFA score and FB. ROC curve analysis showed that the predictive performance of the basic models ranked from high to low as follows: Model 3, Model 2, and Model 1, with area under the curve (AUC) values of 0.755, 0.661, and 0.655, respectively. The incorporation of BPRI indicators resulted in significant improvement in the discriminative ability of each model (all P < 0.05), with AUC values increasing to 0.832 for Model 3+BPRI, 0.805 for Model 2+BPRI, and 0.808 for Model 1+BPRI. CONCLUSIONS BPRI is an independent predictor factor for in-hospital mortality in SA-AKI patients. Incorporating BPRI into the prediction model for in-hospital mortality risk in SA-AKI can significantly improve its predictive capability.
Humans ; Acute Kidney Injury/mortality* ; Sepsis/complications* ; Retrospective Studies ; Hospital Mortality ; Prognosis ; Blood Pressure ; Intensive Care Units ; Male ; Female ; Length of Stay ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Adult ; Logistic Models

Functional dyspepsia (FD), characterized by persistent or recurrent dyspeptic symptoms without identifiable organic, systemic or metabolic causes, is an increasingly recognized global health issue. The objective of this guideline is to equip clinicians and nursing professionals with evidence-based strategies for the management and treatment of adult patients with FD using traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). The Guideline Development Group consulted existing TCM consensus documents on FD and convened a panel of 35 clinicians to generate initial clinical queries. To address these queries, a systematic literature search was conducted across PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), VIP Database, China Biology Medicine (SinoMed) Database, Wanfang Database, Traditional Medicine Research Data Expanded (TMRDE), and the Traditional Chinese Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System (TCMLARS). The evidence from the literature was critically appraised using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. The strength of the recommendations was ascertained through a consensus-building process involving TCM and allopathic medicine experts, methodologists, pharmacologists, nursing specialists, and health economists, leveraging their collective expertise and empirical knowledge. The guideline comprises a total of 43 evidence-informed recommendations that span a range of clinical aspects, including the pathogenesis according to TCM, diagnostic approaches, therapeutic interventions, efficacy assessments, and prognostic considerations. Please cite this article as: Zhang SS, Zhao LQ, Hou XH, Bian ZX, Zheng JH, Tian HH, Yang GH, Hong WS, He YY, Liu L, Shen H, Li YP, Xie S, Shu J, Zeng BF, Li JX, Liu Z, Xiao ZH, Xiao JD, Zheng PY, Huang SG, Chen SL, Fei GJ. International clinical practice guideline on the use of traditional Chinese medicine for functional dyspepsia (2025). J Integr Med. 2025; 23(5):502-518.
Dyspepsia/drug therapy* ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/methods* ; Practice Guidelines as Topic ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use*

OBJECTIVE: Patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection frequently develop central nervous system damage, yet the mechanisms driving this pathology remain unclear. This study investigated the primary pathways and key factors underlying brain tissue damage induced by the SARS-CoV-2 beta variant (lineage B.1.351). METHODS: K18-hACE2 and C57BL/6 mice were intranasally infected with the SARS-CoV-2 beta variant. Viral replication, pathological phenotypes, and brain transcriptomes were analyzed. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis was performed to identify altered pathways. Expression changes of host genes were verified using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot. RESULTS: Pathological alterations were observed in the lungs of both mouse strains. However, only K18-hACE2 mice exhibited elevated viral RNA loads and infectious titers in the brain at 3 days post-infection, accompanied by neuropathological injury and weight loss. GO analysis of infected K18-hACE2 brain tissue revealed significant dysregulation of genes associated with innate immunity and antiviral defense responses, including type I interferons, pro-inflammatory cytokines, Toll-like receptor signaling components, and interferon-stimulated genes. Neuroinflammation was evident, alongside activation of apoptotic and pyroptotic pathways. Furthermore, altered neural cell marker expression suggested viral-induced neuroglial activation, resulting in caspase 4 and lipocalin 2 release and disruption of neuronal molecular networks. CONCLUSION These findings elucidate mechanisms of neuropathogenicity associated with the SARS-CoV-2 beta variant and highlight therapeutic targets to mitigate COVID-19-related neurological dysfunction.
Animals ; COVID-19/genetics* ; Mice ; Brain/metabolism* ; Apoptosis ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; SARS-CoV-2/physiology* ; Pyroptosis ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Transcriptome ; Male ; Female

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between physical activity and genetic risk and their combined effects on the risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. METHODS: This prospective cohort study included 318,085 biobank participants from the UK. Physical activity was assessed using the short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. The participants were stratified into low-, intermediate-, and high-genetic-risk groups based on their polygenic risk scores. Multivariate Cox regression models and multiplicative interaction analyses were used. RESULTS: During a median follow-up period of 13 years, 9,209 participants were diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. For low genetic risk, compared to low physical activity, the hazard ratios ( HRs) for moderate and high physical activity were 0.853 (95% confidence interval [ CI]: 0.748-0.972) and 0.831 (95% CI: 0.727-0.950), respectively. For intermediate genetic risk, the HRs were 0.829 (95% CI: 0.758-0.905) and 0.835 (95% CI: 0.764-0.914), respectively. For participants with high genetic risk, the HRs were 0.809 (95% CI: 0.746-0.877) and 0.818 (95% CI: 0.754-0.888), respectively. A significant interaction was observed between genetic risk and physical activity. CONCLUSION Moderate or high levels of physical activity were associated with a lower risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease across all genetic risk groups, highlighting the need to tailor activity interventions for genetically susceptible individuals.
Humans ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/epidemiology* ; Exercise ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Aged ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Risk Factors ; United Kingdom/epidemiology* ; Incidence ; Adult

Microorganisms can form biofilms, complex, heterogeneous, multicellular communities that adhere to surfaces. Biofilm formation on the surface of structures in water will accelerate structures’ corrosion, seriously affect their service efficiency and life, and significantly impact the growth of animals, plants, and human life. Hence, clarifying the mechanism of biofilm formation contributes to developing new strategies to control biofilm formation on surface and then reduce infections, biofouling, and contaminations. Biofilm-targeting strategies include the regulation of established biofilms or the modulation of single-cell attachment. In most studies, physicochemical mechanism is frequently applied to explain the initial bacterial adhesion phenomena but rarely to explain other stages of biofilm formation. This review presents a five-step comprehensive description of the physicochemical process from film formation to biofilm maturation: (1) period of film formation; (2) period of bacterial adhesion; (3) period of extracellular-polymeric-substances (EPSs) membrane formation; (4) period of regulating biofilm by quorum sensing (QS); (5) period of biofilm maturation. We first clarify how the film formed by compound molecules affects the surface’s physicochemical properties and initial adhesion, summarizing many factors that affect bacterial adhesion. We then review the types of EPSs and signal molecules secreted by bacteria after irreversible adhesion, as well as their role and QS mechanism in biofilm maturation. Finally, we discuss how bacteria or microcolonies separate from the mature biofilm by physicochemical action and summarize the morphology and adhesion characterization methods after the biofilm matures. This review redefines the role of physicochemical in the whole process of biofilm formation and provides a theoretical basis for the prevention, removal, and utilization of biofilm and other related research fields.

Objective:To study the application effect of family integrated ward in maintaining the optimal target pulse oxygen saturation (SpO 2) in premature infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). Methods:This was a retrospective cohort study. Premature infants with BPD admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit of Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from June 2019 to January 2022 were enrolled. Based on whether to stay in family integrated ward and implement family integrated care (FICare), these premature infants were divided into the family ward group and the control group. The ratio of optimal target SpO 2 within 24 h before discharge, the duration of home oxygen therapy, and ratio of readmission due to respiratory disease within 6 months after discharge were analyzed between the two groups. Results:During the study period, a total of 167 premature infants with BPD were admitted, including 101 in the family ward group and 66 in the control group. Compared with the control group, the family ward group showed a higher proportion of achieving the optimal target SpO 2 within 24 h before discharge (58.0% vs. 24.0%), shorter duration for home oxygen therapy (7.0 d vs. 12.0 d), and a lower readmission rate within 6 months after discharge (16.5% vs. 30.2%), which had statistically significant difference (all P<0.05). Further regression analysis showed that participating in the family integrated ward significantly reduced the demand for home oxygen therapy and the duration of home oxygen therapy, but had no significant impact on the readmission rate within 6 months after discharge. Conclusions:Family integrated ward can effectively increase the proportion of achieving the optimal target SpO 2 for premature infants with BPD within 24 h before discharge, reduce the demand for home oxygen therapy, and shorten the time of home oxygen therapy after discharge, which is beneficial for improving the living quality of premature infants with BPD.