OBJECTIVE To evaluate the quality differences of Alpinia katsumadai from different habitats. METHODS High- performance liquid chromatography（HPLC） was used to establish the fingerprints of A. katsumadai from 18 batches of different habitats， and the quality of A. katsumadai from different habitats was comprehensively evaluated by similarity evaluation， cluster analysis （CA）， principal component analysis （PCA）， orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis （OPLS-DA） and the content determination results of alpinetin， pinocembrin， cardamonin and alnustone in A. katsumadai. RESULTS The similarity of HPLC fingerprints for 18 batches of A. katsumadai was ＞0.9. Eleven common peaks were identified from the chromatogram， and four of them were specifically characterized. Both CA and PCA grouped 18 batches of A. katsumadai into 3 categories， extracting 2 principal components （the cumulative variance contribution rate reached 89.798%）. OPLS-DA identified 9 quality difference markers， namely the components corresponding to peaks 4， 9， 3， 2， 7 （pinocembrin）， 8 （cardamonin）， 6 （alpinetin）， 10 and 11 （alnustone）. The content of alpinetin， pinocembrin， cardamonin， and alnustone ranged from 4.507 1-11.579 7， 5.154 4-14.183 3， 5.109 5-13.588 3 and 4.494 6-11.277 2 mg/g， respectively. CONCLUSIONS The quality of A. katsumadai from different habitats is quite different， and the quality of A. katsumadai from Hainan is the best.

Although clinical evidence suggests that nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is an established major risk factor for heart failure, it remains unexplored whether sleep disorder-caused hepatic damage contributes to the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Here, our findings revealed that sleep fragmentation (SF) displayed notable hepatic detrimental phenotypes, including steatosis and oxidative damage, along with significant abnormalities in cardiac structure and function. All these pathological changes persisted even after sleep recovery for 2 consecutive weeks or more, displaying memory properties. Mechanistically, persistent higher expression of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase 4 (NOX4) in the liver was the key initiator of SF-accelerated damage phenotypes. SF epigenetically controlled the acetylation of histone H3 lysine 27 (H3K27ac) enrichment at the Nox4 promoter and markedly increased Nox4 expression in liver even after sleep recovery. Moreover, fine coordination of the circadian clock and hepatic damage was strictly controlled by BMAL1-dependent Sirtuin 1 (Sirt1) transcription after circadian misalignment. Accordingly, genetic manipulation of liver-specific Nox4 or Sirt1, along with pharmacological intervention targeting NOX4 (GLX351322) or SIRT1 (Resveratrol), could effectively erase the epigenetic modification of Nox4 by reducing the H3K27ac level and ameliorate the progression of liver pathology, thereby counteracting SF-evoked sustained CVD. Collectively, our findings may pave the way for strategies to mitigate myocardial injury from persistent hepatic detrimental memory in diabetic patients.

A major obstacle in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is sleep fragmentation (SF), which negatively affects testicular function. However, the underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated. In this study, we demonstrate that SF induces testicular damage through a mechanism involving lipid metabolism, specifically mediated by melatonin (MEL) receptor 1a (MT1). T2DM mice with SF intervention displayed several deleterious phenotypes such as apoptosis, deregulated lipid metabolism, and impaired testicular function. Unexpectedly, sleep recovery (SR) for 2 consecutive weeks could not completely abrogate SF's detrimental effects on lipid deposition and testicular function. Interestingly, MEL and MT1 agonist 2-iodomelatonin (2IM) effectively improved lipid homeostasis, highlighting MEL/2IM as a promising therapeutic drug for SF-trigged testicular damage. Mechanistically, MEL and 2IM activated FGFR1 and sequentially restrained the crosstalk and physical interaction between TAB1 and TAK1, which ultimately suppressed the phosphorylation of TAK1 to block lipid deposition and cell apoptosis caused by SF. The ameliorating effect of MEL/2IM was overtly nullified in Fgfr1 knockout (Fgfr1-KO ^+/- ) diabetic mice. Meanwhile, testicular-specific overexpression of Tak1 abolished the protective effect of FGF1^mut on diabetic mouse testis. Our findings offer valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the testicular pathogenesis associated with SF and propose a novel therapeutic approach for addressing male infertility in T2DM.

The pharmaceutical industry faces challenges in quality digitization for complex multi-stage processes, especially in small-sample systems. Here, an intelligent quality prediction and diagnostic (IQPD) framework was developed and applied to Tong Ren Tang's Niuhuang Qingxin Pills, utilizing four years of data collected from four production units, covering the entire process from raw materials to finished products. In this framework, a novel path-enhanced double ensemble quality prediction model (PeDGAT) is proposed, which combines a graph attention network and path information to encode inter-unit long-range and sequential dependencies. Additionally, the double ensemble strategy enhances model stability in small samples. Compared to global traditional models, PeDGAT achieves state-of-the-art results, with an average improvement of 13.18% and 87.67% in prediction accuracy and stability on three indicators. Additionally, a more in-depth diagnostic model leveraging grey correlation analysis and expert knowledge reduces reliance on large samples, offering a panoramic view of attribute relationships across units and improving process transparency. Finally, the IQPD framework integrates into a Human-Cyber-Physical system, enabling faster decision-making and real-time quality adjustments for Tong Ren Tang's Niuhuang Qingxin Pills, a product with annual sales exceeding 100 million CNY. This facilitates the transition from experience-driven to data-driven manufacturing.

With the rapid advancement of synthetic biology, CRISPR-Cas systems have emerged as a powerful tool for gene editing, demonstrating significant potential in various fields, including medicine, agriculture, and industrial biotechnology. This review comprehensively summarizes the significant progress in applying artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to the design, mining, and modification of CRISPR-Cas systems. AI technologies, especially machine learning, have revolutionized sgRNA design by analyzing high-throughput sequencing data, thereby improving the editing efficiency and predicting off-target effects with high accuracy. Furthermore, this paper explores the role of AI in sgRNA design and evaluation, highlighting its contributions to the annotation and mining of CRISPR arrays and Cas proteins, as well as its potential for modifying key proteins involved in gene editing. These advancements have not only improved the efficiency and precision of gene editing but also expanded the horizons of genome engineering, paving the way for intelligent and precise genome editing.
CRISPR-Cas Systems/genetics* ; Artificial Intelligence ; Gene Editing/methods* ; RNA, Guide, CRISPR-Cas Systems/genetics* ; Machine Learning ; Humans ; Genetic Engineering/methods* ; Synthetic Biology

Growth factors (GFs) are a class of peptides that facilitate cell growth by binding to specific receptors on the cell membrane. With unique properties, GFs are widely applied in the repair of injured tissue. To address the limitations associated with natural peptide-based GFs and recombinant GFs, researchers have developed diverse GF mimetics. This article offers a comprehensive review on common types of GFs and their applications in tissue repair and summarizes the features of GF mimetics currently under development. The aim is to provide valuable references for promoting the application of GFs in regenerative medicine.
Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins/therapeutic use* ; Humans ; Tissue Engineering/methods* ; Regenerative Medicine/methods* ; Animals ; Wound Healing/drug effects* ; Biomimetic Materials

Objective:To assess the effects of nutritional interventions combined with Traditional Chinese Med-icine(TCM)physical dialectics on the development of gestational diabetes mellitus(GDM),dietary status during pregnancy,and maternal and infant outcomes in high-risk pregnant women in early pregnancy.Methods:298 high-risk pregnant women with GDM in early pregnancy(gestational week≤14 weeks)registered in the Obstet-rics Department of Urumqi Maternal and Child Health Hospital from 1st December 2022 to 30th March 2023 were selected as the study subjects and randomly divided into the intervention group(149 cases)and the control group(149 cases).During 14 to 23+6 weeks of pregnancy,TCM constitution nutritional intervention was carried out for pregnant women in the intervention group,and routine guidance and healthy dietary education was carried out in the control group.The incidence of GDM in the two groups was compared at 24-28 weeks of pregnancy,and the relationship between early pregnancy nutritional intervention combined with TCM constitution and the risk of GDM was analysed in subgroups using logistic regression and likelihood ratio test.The dietary situation,biochemical in-dexes and delivery outcomes after the intervention were compared at 32-36 weeks of pregnancy.Results:①The incidence of GDM in the intervention group was significantly lower than that in the control group(14.09％vs.23.49％,P＜0.05).The effect of the TCM constitution based nutritional intervention on the risk probability of GDM was statistically significant only among pregnant women with different ranges of gestational weight gain(GWG)(P=0.018).Among them,pregnant women with GWG lower than the recommended range had a reduced risk of GDM after intervention(OR 0.27,95％Cl 0.10-0.68,P=0.008).② After intervention,the evaluation index of di-etary balance index of pregnant women in the intervention group was better than that of the control group(P＜0.05),and the intake of cereals and potatoes,vegetables,and water of pregnant women in late pregnancy in the intervention group was higher than that of the control group(P＜0.05).③The levels of triglycerides,total choles-terol,low-density lipoprotein,glycated haemoglobin,uric acid and creatinine of pregnant women in the intervention group were lower than those of the control group in late pregnancy(P＜0.05).GWG,gestational age at delivery,the rate of low-birth-weight,and the neonatal 1-minute Apgar scores were all better than those of the control group(P＜0.05.Conclusions:Nutritional interventions in early pregnancy combined with TCM constitution can sig-nificantly reduce the incidence of GDM in high-risk pregnant women and the chances of low-birth-weight babies.Obstetrics outpatient clinics can actively develop extensive collaboration with TCM and clinical nutrition depart-ments to reduce adverse pregnancy outcomes for both mother and fetus.

Objective To investigate the correlation between rs712 and rs7973450 located at the 3'UTR region of the KRAS gene and the risk of cervical cancer(CC)and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia(CIN)in Chinese Han population in Yunnan province.Methods A total of 2405 individuals(461 subjects with CIN,961 subjects with CC and 983 healthy controls)were enrolled.The SNPs were genotyped used TaqMan assay and the correlation of these SNPs with CIN and CC was analyzed.Results The A allele of rs7973450 might be a protective factor for the occurrence of CIN(P = 0.004,OR= 0.651,95%CI 0.487～0.871)and CC(P = 7.00×10-4,OR= 0.667,95%CI 0.529～0.844).There was no significant difference in allelic and genotypic distribution of rs712 among CIN,CC and Control groups(P>0.017).The haplotype assay showed thatrs712A-rs7973450G was associated with increased risk of CIN(P = 4.00×10-4;OR= 1.714,95%CI 1.269～2.314)and CC(P = 3.84×10-5,OR= 1.667,95%CI 1.305～2.131).While haplotype rs712A-rs7973450A was associated with a lower risk of CC(P = 0.012,OR= 0.790,95%CI 0.658～0.950).Conclusion The A allele of rs7973450 in 3'UTR of KRAS gene might be the protective factor for the occurrence of CIN and CC in a Chinese Han population in Yunnan province.

Cryptosporidium is an important intestinal parasite that is mainly transmitted through the fecal-oral route. Human infection may occur following ingestion of water and food contaminated by Cryptosporidium oocysts, and children and immunocompromised individuals are at a high risk of infections. The main symptoms of Cryptosporidium infections include diarrhea, vomiting, malnutrition, and even death. Because of high sensitivity and rapid procedures, molecular tests are helpful for the diagnosis of cryptosporidiosis and may reduce the public health risk of cryptosporidiosis. This review summarizes the advances in the latest prevalence and molecular detection of human Cryptosporidium infections during recent years.