Hygroscopicity research has long been a key focus and hot topic in Chinese materia medica（CMM）. Elucidating hygroscopic mechanisms plays a vital role in formulation design， process optimization， and storage condition selection. Hygroscopic models serve as essential tools for characterizing CMM hygroscopic mechanisms， with various types available. The double exponential model is a kinetic mathematical model constructed based on the law of conservation of energy and Fick's first law of diffusion， tailored to the physical properties of CMM extracts. In recent years， this model has been extensively applied to simulate the dynamic moisture absorption behavior of CMM extracts and solid dosage forms under varying humidity conditions. It has revealed the correlation between moisture absorption kinetic parameters and material properties， offering a new perspective for characterizing the moisture uptake behavior of CMM. This paper systematically reviews the application progress of this model in the field of CMM， analyzes its advantages， disadvantages， and challenges in this domain， and explores its potential application trends in other fields. It aims to provide references for elucidating the moisture absorption mechanisms of CMM and researching moisture-proofing technologies， while also offering insights for its broader application in food and polymer materials.

ObjectiveHistorically documented Zhejiang Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma（Baizhu） possesses premium characteristics such as phoenix-like head and crane-like neck， pronounced sweetness， and fragrant aroma. However， its current market circulation is low， and the processed products with Zhejiang-style characteristics are at the risk of being lost. This study aims to preserve the ancient Zhejiang-style processing techniques and evaluate them using modern scientific methods. MethodsMultidimensional intelligent sensory evaluation was used to digitally characterize the "quality-structure" of the external appearance of nine-steamed and nine-processed Baizhu medicinal materials（intermediate processed products） and the "odor-taste" of the internal quality of its decoction pieces（slices）， and the appearance parameters were digitally characterized by colorimeter， texture analyzer， electronic nose and electronic tongue， the chemical composition was analyzed via ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS）. Then， cluster analysis on the differences in odor between the medicinal materials（intermediate processed products） and decoction pieces（slices） of nine-steamed and nine-processed Baizhu was conducted， as well as the differences in taste between water-soluble and alcohol-soluble extracts of the decoction pieces（slices）， and the correlation analysis of chroma value-alcohol-soluble extract content-component response value. ResultsThe nine-steamed and nine-processed Baizhu had a dark brown to black epidermis， a brownish-yellow to brownish-gray cross-section， a slightly tough texture， a faint odor， and a slightly sweet， bitter and pungent taste. Texture analyzer measurements revealed minimal adhesion and maximum recovery in the middle section of the characteristic processed Baizhu， consistent with the processing endpoint of thorough steaming and cooking. The head section showed the highest internal hardness， elasticity and chewiness， indicating a denser texture in this area. The electronic nose sensor could clearly distinguish the difference between the medicinal materials and its decoction pieces， with a more significant clustering effect at 60 ℃ for 30 minutes compared to ambient temperature headspace for 2 hours， highlighting the significant impact of the baking degree before slicing on the quality. The electronic tongue taste signal map clearly distinguished the differences between water-soluble and alcohol-soluble extracts of nine-steamed and nine-processed Baizhu decoction pieces， and the addition of auxiliary materials during processing could enhance its alcohol-soluble extract content. A total of 82 chemical components were identified in the characteristic processed Baizhu. After processing， the contents of 58 components increased， while 24 components decreased. Correlation analysis revealed significant negative correlations（P<0.01） between ethanol-soluble extract content and colorimetric values of brightness（L^*）， yellow-bule value（b^*）， and total color difference（E^*_ab）. E^*_ab showed marked negative correlations（P<0.05） with the response values of isochlorogenic acid A and C. ConclusionThis study establishes a modern intelligent sensory evaluation model for multidimensional holographic characterization of nine-steamed and nine-processed Baizhu， clarifying the correlation between increased isochlorogenic acid content and the visual color appearance after different steaming cycles， as well as its intrinsic alcohol-soluble extracts. This provides a reference for quality evaluation and processing standards of the Zhejiang-style characteristic processed products.

BACKGROUND:The decreased postural control ability due to mild cognitive impairment in elderly people leads to the increased risk of falls.Dual-task is the primary research paradigm for evaluating the relationship between cognition and postural control in the scenes close to real life.The sample entropy of the plantar center of pressure(COP)displacement during standing can represent the complexity of postural control. OBJECTIVE:Based on the COP displacement sample entropy,to analyze the differences in postural stability characteristics and control strategies between older adults with mild cognitive impairment and cognitively normal older adults during the dual-task with postural control and spatial working memory,aiming to explore the impact of cognitive impairment on the postural control ability during standing. METHODS:Sixteen older adults with mild cognitive impairment and 17 cognitively normal older adults were eligible and selected for the study.They completed five test tasks,including spatial working memory,double-feet balance stance,Romberg stance,double-feet balance stance-spatial working memory dual-task,and Romberg stance-spatial working memory dual-task,with three valid completions of each task.The plantar COP data were collected by the Kistler 3D force platform.The indicators included cognitive behavior(cognitive score and reaction time)and kinematic indexes(COP displacement and sample entropy). RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The older adults with mild cognitive impairment performed the spatial working memory task with the greatest cognitive score and the shortest reaction time,the double-feet balance stance-spatial working memory dual-task with moderate cognitive score and reaction time,and the Romberg stance-spatial working memory dual-task with the smallest cognitive score and the longest reaction time,where the differences were significant among the tasks(P<0.05).In the older adults with mild cognitive impairment,the anterior-posterior and medial-lateral COP displacements were significantly greater,and their sample entropy values were significantly smaller in the double-feet balance stance-spatial working memory dual-task and Romberg stance-spatial working memory dual-task than in the double-feet balance stance and Romberg stance tasks(P<0.05).In the spatial working memory task,there were no significant differences in cognitive score and reaction time between the both groups(P>0.05);however,in the double-feet balance stance-spatial working memory dual-task and Romberg stance-spatial working memory dual-task,cognitive scores were significantly smaller and reaction times were longer in the older adults with mild cognitive impairment compared with the cognitively normal older adults(P<0.05).In the double-feet balance stance-spatial working memory dual-task and Romberg stance-spatial working memory dual-task,the older adults with mild cognitive impairment exhibited significantly greater anterior-posterior and medial-lateral COP displacements and significantly smaller sample entropy values compared with the cognitively normal older adults(P<0.05).All findings indicate that compared with cognitively normal older adults,older adults with mild cognitive impairment exhibit smaller complexity,poorer systematic adaption and decreased automatic regulation of the postural control during performing the dual-tasks,who are more susceptible to spatial working memory interference,leading to the increased risk of falls.

Objective To explore the diagnostic value of exhaled volatile organic compounds (VOCs) for cystic fibrosis (CF). Methods A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, EMbase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, and SinoMed databases up to August 7, 2024. Studies that met the inclusion criteria were selected for data extraction and quality assessment. The quality of included studies was assessed by the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS), and the risk of bias and applicability of included prediction model studies were assessed by the prediction model risk of bias assessment tool (PROBAST). Results A total of 10 studies were included, among which 5 studies only identified specific exhaled VOCs in CF patients, and another 5 developed 7 CF risk prediction models based on the identification of VOCs in CF. The included studies reported a total of 75 exhaled VOCs, most of which belonged to the categories of acylcarnitines, aldehydes, acids, and esters. Most models (n=6, 85.7%) only included exhaled VOCs as predictive factors, and only one model included factors other than VOCs, including forced expiratory flow at 75% of forced vital capacity (FEF75) and modified Medical Research Council scale for the assessment of dyspnea (mMRC). The accuracy of the models ranged from 77% to 100%, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve ranged from 0.771 to 0.988. None of the included studies provided information on the calibration of the models. The results of the Prediction Model Risk of Bias Assessment Tool (PROBAST) showed that the overall bias risk of all predictive model studies was high, and the overall applicability was unclear. Conclusion The exhaled VOCs reported in the included studies showed significant heterogeneity, and more research is needed to explore specific compounds for CF. In addition, risk prediction models based on exhaled VOCs have certain value in the diagnosis of CF, but the overall bias risk is relatively high and needs further optimization from aspects such as model construction and validation.

ObjectiveTo explore the mechanism of Jiebiao Qingli decoction （JQD） in treating pneumonia caused by influenza A virus （IAV） infection. MethodsA total of 132 Balb/c mice were randomly assigned into normal control （NC）， model control （IAV）， oseltamivir （OSV， 37.5 mg·kg^-1）， and high-， medium-， low-dose JQD （H-， M-， and L-JQD： 6.05， 3.02， and 1.51 g·kg^-1， respectively） groups. The NC group was treated with normal saline nasal drops， and the other groups were intranasally inoculated with A/Brisbane/02/2018 （H1N1） ［pdm09-like virus （H1N1）］ for the modeling of IAV infection. Two hours post-modeling， the NC and IAV groups were administrated with normal saline by gavage， while other groups received corresponding drugs for 7 d. The body mass， survival status， and deaths of mice were recorded daily during the administration of the drugs. On days 3 and 7， the lung index was measured for mice in each group. Pathological changes in the lung tissue were observed via hematoxylin-eosin staining. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was conducted to measure the viral load （IAV-M） and the mRNA levels of Toll-like receptor 7 （TLR7）， p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase （p38 MAPK）， and nuclear factor-kappa B （NF-κB） in the lung tissue. Western blot was employed to measure the protein levels of p38 MAPK and NF-κB. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to quantify serum levels of interleukin-2 （IL-2）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， and tumor necrosis factor-alpha （TNF-α）. ResultsCompared with the NC group， the IAV group showed reduced survival quality and survival days （P<0.01）， lung congestion， inflammatory cell infiltration， elevated lung index （P<0.01）， increased viral load （P<0.01）， upregulated TLR7， p38 MAPK， and NF-κB levels （P<0.05， P<0.01）， decreased IL-2 level （P<0.01）， and elevated IL-6 and TNF-α levels （P<0.01）. Compared with the IAV group， H-JQD prolonged survival days （P<0.05）. All JQD groups alleviated pathological changes in the lung tissue and reduced the lung index （P<0.01）. M-JQD and H-JQD decreased the viral load （P<0.01）. H-JQD downregulated the mRNA levels of TLR7， p38 MAPK， and NF-κB （P<0.05， P<0.01） and the protein levels of p38 MAPK and NF-κB （P<0.01）， increased the serum IL-2 level （P<0.01）， and lowered the IL-6 and TNF-α levels （P<0.05， P<0.01）. M-JQD downregulated the mRNA level of NF-κB （P<0.01） and the protein level of p38 MAPK （P<0.05）， elevated the IL-2 level （P<0.01）， and lowered the TNF-α level （P<0.01）. ConclusionM- and H-JQD can prevent and control IAV infection-induced pneumonia dose-dependently by inhibiting the TLR7/MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway， increasing IL-2， and reducing excessive secretion of IL-6 and TNF-α.

ObjectiveTo explore the mechanism of Jiebiao Qingli decoction （JQD） in treating pneumonia caused by influenza A virus （IAV） infection. MethodsA total of 132 Balb/c mice were randomly assigned into normal control （NC）， model control （IAV）， oseltamivir （OSV， 37.5 mg·kg^-1）， and high-， medium-， low-dose JQD （H-， M-， and L-JQD： 6.05， 3.02， and 1.51 g·kg^-1， respectively） groups. The NC group was treated with normal saline nasal drops， and the other groups were intranasally inoculated with A/Brisbane/02/2018 （H1N1） ［pdm09-like virus （H1N1）］ for the modeling of IAV infection. Two hours post-modeling， the NC and IAV groups were administrated with normal saline by gavage， while other groups received corresponding drugs for 7 d. The body mass， survival status， and deaths of mice were recorded daily during the administration of the drugs. On days 3 and 7， the lung index was measured for mice in each group. Pathological changes in the lung tissue were observed via hematoxylin-eosin staining. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was conducted to measure the viral load （IAV-M） and the mRNA levels of Toll-like receptor 7 （TLR7）， p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase （p38 MAPK）， and nuclear factor-kappa B （NF-κB） in the lung tissue. Western blot was employed to measure the protein levels of p38 MAPK and NF-κB. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to quantify serum levels of interleukin-2 （IL-2）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， and tumor necrosis factor-alpha （TNF-α）. ResultsCompared with the NC group， the IAV group showed reduced survival quality and survival days （P<0.01）， lung congestion， inflammatory cell infiltration， elevated lung index （P<0.01）， increased viral load （P<0.01）， upregulated TLR7， p38 MAPK， and NF-κB levels （P<0.05， P<0.01）， decreased IL-2 level （P<0.01）， and elevated IL-6 and TNF-α levels （P<0.01）. Compared with the IAV group， H-JQD prolonged survival days （P<0.05）. All JQD groups alleviated pathological changes in the lung tissue and reduced the lung index （P<0.01）. M-JQD and H-JQD decreased the viral load （P<0.01）. H-JQD downregulated the mRNA levels of TLR7， p38 MAPK， and NF-κB （P<0.05， P<0.01） and the protein levels of p38 MAPK and NF-κB （P<0.01）， increased the serum IL-2 level （P<0.01）， and lowered the IL-6 and TNF-α levels （P<0.05， P<0.01）. M-JQD downregulated the mRNA level of NF-κB （P<0.01） and the protein level of p38 MAPK （P<0.05）， elevated the IL-2 level （P<0.01）， and lowered the TNF-α level （P<0.01）. ConclusionM- and H-JQD can prevent and control IAV infection-induced pneumonia dose-dependently by inhibiting the TLR7/MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway， increasing IL-2， and reducing excessive secretion of IL-6 and TNF-α.

Objective To explore the research hotspots and development trends in the field of cancer treatment in the past decade. Methods The CNKI and Web of Science Core Collection databases were searched for Chinese and English articles related to cancer treatment published over the last 10 years. Bibliometric research methods were employed, including keyword cluster analysis of published literature. Results A total of 45 455 Chinese articles and 866 958 English articles were retrieved. Combining the visualization analysis results and the current research dilemma of tumor treatment revealed that the current research hotspots of tumor treatment domestically and internationally can primarily focus on four key areas. In the realm of targeted therapy, efforts are directed towards the discovery of new drug targets, overcoming resistance to targeted therapy, and the development of monoclonal antibodies and antibody–drug conjugates. In the field of immunotherapy, the emphasis lies in enhancing the response rate to immune checkpoint inhibitors, determining the mechanisms behind resistance to immunotherapy, and improving the safety of treatment. The research in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) covers evidence-based evaluation studies on TCM treatment, the identification of populations that can gain the most benefit from TCM, and strategies for improving the quality of life. In the area of novel drug development, cutting-edge technologies, such as organoid-based screening for anticancer drugs, synthetic biology, and artificial intelligence, are under investigation. Conclusion New targeted drugs, immune efficacy improvement, multidisciplinary integration, nano-delivery, and TCM innovation are the key research directions in the field of tumor therapy in the future.

Lung transplantation is the optimal treatment for end-stage lung diseases and can significantly improve prognosis of the patients. However, postoperative complications such as infection, rejection, ischemia-reperfusion injury, and other challenges (like shortage of donor lungs) , limit the practical application of lung transplantation in clinical practice. Chinese research teams have been making continuous efforts and have achieved breakthroughs in basic research on lung transplantation by integrating emerging technologies and cutting-edge achievements from interdisciplinary fields, which has strongly propelled the development of this field. This article will comprehensively review the academic progress made by Chinese research teams in the field of lung transplantation in 2024, with a focus on the achievements of Chinese teams in basic research on lung transplantation. It aims to provide innovative ideas and strategies for key issues in the basic field of lung transplantation and to help China's lung transplantation cause reach a higher level.

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) in differentiating tumor deposits (TDs) from metastatic lymph nodes (MLNs) in rectal cancer. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 70 patients with rectal cancer, including 168 lesions (70 TDs and 98 MLNs confirmed by histopathology), who underwent pretreatment MRI and subsequent surgery between March 2019 and December 2022. The morphological characteristics of TDs and MLNs, along with quantitative parameters derived from DCE-MRI (K trans , kep, and v e) and DWI (ADCmin, ADCmax, and ADCmean), were analyzed and compared between the two groups.Multivariable binary logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were performed to assess the diagnostic performance of significant individual quantitative parameters and combined parameters in distinguishing TDs from MLNs. Results: All morphological features, including size, shape, border, and signal intensity, as well as all DCE-MRI parameters showed significant differences between TDs and MLNs (all P < 0.05). However, ADC values did not demonstrate significant differences (all P > 0.05). Among the single quantitative parameters, v e had the highest diagnostic accuracy, with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.772 for distinguishing TDs from MLNs. A multivariable logistic regression model incorporating short axis, border, v e, and ADC mean improved diagnostic performance, achieving an AUC of 0.833 (P = 0.027). Conclusion The combination of morphological features, DCE-MRI parameters, and ADC values can effectively aid in the preoperative differentiation of TDs from MLNs in rectal cancer.

Background: In acute and chronic renal inflammatory diseases, the activation of inflammatory cells is involved in the defect of erythropoietin (EPO) production. Ras guanine nucleotide-releasing protein-4 (RasGRP4) promotes renal inflammatory injury in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Our study aimed to investigate the role and mechanism of RasGRP4 in the production of renal EPO in diabetes. Methods: The degree of tissue injury was observed by pathological staining. Inflammatory cell infiltration was analyzed by immunohistochemical staining. Serum EPO levels were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and EPO production and renal interstitial fibrosis were analyzed by immunofluorescence. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting were used to detect the expression of key inflammatory factors and the activation of signaling pathways. In vitro, the interaction between peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and C3H10T1/2 cells was investigated via cell coculture experiments. Results: RasGRP4 decreased the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor 2-alpha (HIF2A) via the ubiquitination–proteasome degradation pathway and promoted myofibroblastic transformation by activating critical inflammatory pathways, consequently reducing the production of EPO in T2DM mice. Conclusion RasGRP4 participates in the production of renal EPO in diabetic mice by affecting the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines in PBMCs, degrading HIF2A, and promoting the myofibroblastic transformation of C3H10T1/2 cells.