1.Optimization of drug dispensing and pickup process in traditional Chinese medicine pharmacy based on data-intelligence-driven
Qi WANG ; Panke ZENG ; Haoxin SONG ; Yonggang FENG ; Lili SUN ; Jingting FENG ; Weiqing NIU ; Haiyan DONG ; Feng WANG
China Pharmacy 2026;37(5):660-664
OBJECTIVE To explore the transformation of the dispensing and drug pickup process in traditional Chinese medicine pharmacy (TCM Pharmacy) in our hospital based on data-intelligence-driven, aiming to improve pharmacists’ work efficiency and patients’ drug pickup experience. METHODS Value stream mapping and journey mapping were used to systematically identify non-value-added links in pharmacists’ dispensing process and key pain points in patients’ drug pickup under the traditional process. An intelligent dispensing and drug pickup system for the TCM Pharmacy was developed based on the C# and Android television platforms, and a machine-learning model was adopted to predict patients’ drug pickup waiting time. A comprehensive evaluation was performed from three perspectives: system performance, prediction accuracy, and satisfaction of pharmacists and patients. RESULTS The system successfully streamlined non-value-added links such as “waiting for writing on the board” and “searching for drugs”, and realized multimodal dynamic prompts of dispensing status through auditory (number calling) and visual (television terminal) channels. The constructed model for predicting drug pickup waiting time exhibited good fitting degree and generalization ability (mean absolute error=4.28 min, R 2 =0.882). The comprehensive satisfaction scores of pharmacists and patients in the traditional mode were significantly increased from (70.99±1.74) and (73.58±1.98) to (90.02±1.30) and (88.61±2.08) in the new system, respectively ( P <0.01). CONCLUSIONS The transformation of the intelligent drug dispensing and pickup system for TCM pharmacy based on data-intelligence-driven effectively improves the efficiency of pharmacists’ dispensing work, realizes process transparency and waiting time predictability, and significantly enhances patients’ drug pickup experience.
2.Relation between parental psychological control and depressive symptoms among secondary school students: the pathway of negative perfectionism and academic stress
Haiping ZENG ; Qiang ZHOU ; Yuan FANG ; Hongli NIU ; Yanzhen REN
Sichuan Mental Health 2025;38(1):71-77
BackgroundDepression is a prevalent emotional problem in adolescents, and parental psychological control is an important predictor of adolescent depression. However, existing research on the acting mechanism between the two is not adequate. ObjectiveTo explore the pathway of negative perfectionism and academic stress between parental psychological control and depressive symptoms among secondary school students, so as to provide references for reducing the incidence risk of depression in such population. MethodsFrom February to April 2023, 1 100 students across 2 middle schools and 2 high schools in Zhongshan city were selected as subjects. The survey was conducted adopting Parental Psychological Control Questionnaire, Chinese Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (CFMPS), sense of academic stress subscale in Mental Health Inventory of Middle School Student (MMHI-60) and Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D). Spearman correlation analysis was adopted to examine the correlation between scores of all scales above, and Amos 24.0 was used to test the mediating path of negative perfectionism and academic stress between parental psychological control and depressive symptoms among secondary school students. ResultsAmong the 1 009 valid questionnaires withdrew (91.73% of the total), 261 students were detected to have depressive symptoms (25.87%). As the results of Spearman correlation analysis showed, the scores of the Parental Psychological Control Questionnaire, score of negative perfectionism dimension in CFMPS, score of sense of academic stress subscale in MMHI-60 and CES-D score were positively correlated with each other (r=0.323~0.644, P<0.05 or 0.01). The direct effect value of parental psychological control on depressive symptoms in secondary school students was 0.128 (95% CI: 0.061~0.201), accounting for 31.37% of the total effect. Negative perfectionism and academic stress played independently as intermediatory roles between parental psychological control and depressive symptoms in secondary school students, and the indirect effect values were 0.099 (95% CI: 0.068~0.133) and 0.100 (95% CI: 0.060~0.143), accounting for 24.27% and 24.51% of the total effect, respectively. Negative perfectionism and academic stress acted combinedly as the chain effect pathway between parental psychological control and depressve symptoms in secondary school students, with the indirect effect value of 0.081 (95% CI: 0.060~0.106) accounting for 19.85% of the total effect. ConclusionParental psychological control can affect the depressive symptoms among secondary school students directly, and through independent or chain paths of negative perfectionism and academic stress indirectly. [Funded by Zhongshan Social Welfare Technology Research Project (number, 2022B1060)]
3.Study on Compatibility and Efficacy of Blood-activating Herb Pairs Based on Graph Convolution Network
Jingai WANG ; Qikai NIU ; Wenjing ZONG ; Ziling ZENG ; Siwei TIAN ; Siqi ZHANG ; Yuwen ZHAO ; Huamin ZHANG ; Bingjie HUO ; Bing LI
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(8):228-234
ObjectiveThis study aims to develop a prediction model for the compatibility of Chinese medicinal pairs based on Graph Convolutional Networks (GCN), named HC-GCN. The model integrates the properties of herbs with modern pharmacological mechanisms to predict pairs with specific therapeutic effects. It serves as a demonstration by applying the model to predict and validate the efficacy of blood-activating herb pairs. MethodsThe training dataset for herb pair prediction was constructed by systematically collecting commonly used herb pairs along with their characteristic data, including Qi, flavor, meridian tropism, and target genes. Integrating traditional characteristics of herb with modern bioinformatics, we developed an efficacy-oriented herb pair compatibility prediction model (HC-GCN) using graph convolutional networks (GCN). This model leverages machine learning to capture the complex relationships in herb pair compatibility, weighted by efficacy features. The performance of the HC-GCN model was evaluated using accuracy (ACC), recall, precision, F1 score (F1), and area under the ROC curve (AUC). Its predictive effectiveness was then compared to five other machine learning models: eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), logistic regression (LR), Naive Bayes, K-nearest neighbor (KNN), and support vector machine (SVM). ResultsUsing herb pairs with blood-activating effects as a demonstration, a prediction model was constructed based on a foundational dataset of 46 blood-activating herb pairs, incorporating their Qi, flavor, meridian tropism, and target gene characteristics. The HC-GCN model outperforms other commonly used machine learning models in key performance metrics, including ACC, recall, precision, F1 score, and AUC. Through the predictive analysis of the HC-GCN model, 60 herb pairs with blood-activating effects were successfully identified. Among of these potential herb pairs, 44 include at least one herb with blood-activating effects. ConclusionIn this study, we established an efficacy-oriented compatibility prediction model for herb pairs based on GCN by integrating the unique characteristics of traditional herbs with modern pharmacological mechanisms. This model demonstrated high predictive performance, offering a novel approach for the intelligent screening and optimization of traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions, as well as their clinical applications.
4.Research progress on the role of efferocytosis in liver diseases.
Kaixin WANG ; Hui LI ; Haijian DONG ; Qun NIU ; Xikun YANG ; Xiaoyan ZENG ; Xuan WU
Chinese Journal of Cellular and Molecular Immunology 2025;41(1):71-76
Efferocytosis refers to the process of phagocytes engulfing and clearing the cells after programmed cell death. In recent years, an increasing number of studies have shown that the mechanisms of efferocytosis are closely related to drug-induced liver injury, hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury, viral hepatitis, cholestatic liver diseases, metabolic-associated fatty liver disease, alcoholic liver disease, and other liver disorders. This review summarized the research progress on the role of efferocytosis in liver diseases, with the hope of providing new targets for the prevention and treatment of liver diseases.
Humans
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Liver Diseases/metabolism*
;
Animals
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Phagocytosis/physiology*
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Phagocytes
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Efferocytosis
5.Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome induces metabolomic changes in expressed prostatic secretions and plasma.
Fang-Xing ZHANG ; Xi CHEN ; De-Cao NIU ; Lang CHENG ; Cai-Sheng HUANG ; Ming LIAO ; Yu XUE ; Xiao-Lei SHI ; Zeng-Nan MO
Asian Journal of Andrology 2025;27(1):101-112
Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) is a complex disease that is often accompanied by mental health disorders. However, the potential mechanisms underlying the heterogeneous clinical presentation of CP/CPPS remain uncertain. This study analyzed widely targeted metabolomic data of expressed prostatic secretions (EPS) and plasma to reveal the underlying pathological mechanisms of CP/CPPS. A total of 24 CP/CPPS patients from The Second Nanning People's Hospital (Nanning, China), and 35 asymptomatic control individuals from First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University (Nanning, China) were enrolled. The indicators related to CP/CPPS and psychiatric symptoms were recorded. Differential analysis, coexpression network analysis, and correlation analysis were performed to identify metabolites that were specifically altered in patients and associated with various phenotypes of CP/CPPS. The crucial links between EPS and plasma were further investigated. The metabolomic data of EPS from CP/CPPS patients were significantly different from those from control individuals. Pathway analysis revealed dysregulation of amino acid metabolism, lipid metabolism, and the citrate cycle in EPS. The tryptophan metabolic pathway was found to be the most significantly altered pathway associated with distinct CP/CPPS phenotypes. Moreover, the dysregulation of tryptophan and tyrosine metabolism and elevation of oxidative stress-related metabolites in plasma were found to effectively elucidate the development of depression in CP/CPPS. Overall, metabolomic alterations in the EPS and plasma of patients were primarily associated with oxidative damage, energy metabolism abnormalities, neurological impairment, and immune dysregulation. These alterations may be associated with chronic pain, voiding symptoms, reduced fertility, and depression in CP/CPPS. This study provides a local-global perspective for understanding the pathological mechanisms of CP/CPPS and offers potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets.
Humans
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Male
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Prostatitis/blood*
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Adult
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Pelvic Pain/blood*
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Metabolomics
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Prostate/metabolism*
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Middle Aged
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Chronic Pain/blood*
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Metabolome
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Case-Control Studies
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Tryptophan/blood*
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Depression/blood*
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Oxidative Stress/physiology*
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Chronic Disease
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Lipid Metabolism/physiology*
6.Research advancements in molecular glues derived from natural product scaffolds: Chemistry, targets, and molecular mechanisms.
Lina YIN ; Tingting NIU ; Ling LI ; Wei YU ; Bo HAN ; Asma REHMAN ; Kewu ZENG
Chinese Herbal Medicines 2025;17(2):235-245
The mechanism of action of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) remains unclear. Historically, research on TCM has mainly focused on exploring the mechanisms of active components acting on single targets. However, it is insufficient to explain the complex mechanisms by which these active components in TCM treat diseases. In recent years, the emergence of molecular glues (MGs) theory has provided new strategies to address this issue. MGs are small molecules that can promote interactions between proteins at their interface. The characteristic of MGs is to establish connections between diverse protein structures, thereby enabling a chemically-mediated proximity effect that triggers a wide spectrum of biological functions. Natural products are the result of billions of years of evolutionary processes in the natural environment. Thus, the extensive structural diversity of natural products renders them a rich source of MGs, including polyketides, terpenoids, steroids, lignans, organic acids, alkaloids and other classes. Currently, several well-known natural MGs, including the immunosuppressants cyclosporin A (CsA) and tacrolimus (FK506), as well as the anticancer agent taxol, have been incorporated into clinical practice. Meanwhile, the advancement of new technologies is propelling the discovery of novel MGs from natural products. Thus, we primarily summarize a growing variety of MGs from natural origins reported in recent years and categorize them based on the chemical structural types. Moreover, the main sources of TCM are natural products. The discovery of natural MGs promises to provide a new perspective for the elucidation of the molecular mechanism behind the efficiency of TCM. In summary, this review aims to provide insights from the perspective of natural products that could potentially influence TCM and modern drug development.
7.Analysis of doses to glandular tissue from digital mammography in Tianjin
Jimian ZHANG ; Zhen NIU ; Chunxu LIU ; Chunying LI ; Shoulong YANG ; Qiang ZENG
Chinese Journal of Radiological Medicine and Protection 2024;44(10):857-861
Objective:To understand the level of radiation doses from digital mammography in Tianjin and the associated influencing factors.Methods:The stratified quota sampling method was used for analysis of 374 digital mammography-examined individuals by using 12 digital mammography devices in 12 selected medical institutions. The examinations were carried out in terms of exposure positions[(craniocaudal (CC) and mediolateral oblique (MLO)], compressed breast thickness, tube voltage, time product of tube current (mAs) and target/filter.Results:The median age of the examined individuals in this survey was 43 years, the median tube voltage (kV) was 29 kV, the median tube current time product was 60.3 mAs, the median compressed breast thickness was 48 mm, and the median average glandular dose (AGD) was 1.32 mGy. The mean dose to the analyzed glandular tissue in the conditions of different target/filters varies in the descent order of Mo/Mo > Mo/Rh > Rh/Rh > W/Rh > W/Al, with the difference being statistically significant difference ( χ2=885.90, P<0.05). The mean dose to the glandular tissue increased with the increase in compressed breast thickness, and the difference was statistically significant ( χ2=31.58, 8.56, 76.13, 118.47, 24.09, P<0.05). Conclusions:The median average glandular dose in Tianjin was 1.32 mGy. This level is lower than in Guangxi province and Fuzhou city, similar to that in Beijing and Guangdong province, and lower than the national survey result of average breast dose. The efforts should be dedicated to further strengthening the research on the related factors of the average glandular dose in order to protect the health and safety of the examined individuals.
8.The regulatory effect of Huangzhi oral liquid on hepatocyte apoptosis and ferroptosis in acute hyperlipidemia mice based on abnormal lipid metabolism
Zhe ZHANG ; Xiaoyan PANG ; Mengyuan NIU ; Weibo DAI ; Congyan ZENG
China Pharmacist 2024;28(9):2-11
Objective To investigate the effect of Huangzhi oral liquid on ferroptosis and apoptosis of hepatocytes in acute hyperlipidemia mice based on abnormal lipid metabolism.Methods Forty SPF grade C57BL/6 mice were randomly assigned to the normal control group,the model group,Huangzhi oral liquid low-dose and high-dose groups,and fenofibrate group,with 8 mice in each group.All administration groups were given Huangzhi oral liquid and fenofibrate by gavage at corresponding doses,while the normal control group and the model group were given the same dose of distilled water for a period of 5 days.on the third day of administration,in addition to the normal control group,other groups were injected intramuscularly with Triton WR-1339 to establish a hyperlipidemia model.After the administration,the serum lipid levels and liver function in mice were detected.The pathological changes of liver were observed by HE staining and lipid accumulation was observed by oil red O staining.The iron content in liver tissues was detected by tissue iron assay kit.The changes in protein expression of ABCA1,ABCG5,LXRα,ASGR1,cleaved-PARP,cleaved-caspase 3,Bcl2,Bax,TFR1,SLC7A11,GCLM,GPX4 and FTH1 in liver were detected by Western Blot.Results Compared with the model group,Huangzhi oral liquid could reduce the lipid vacuoles in liver tissues,alleviate the degree of lipid degeneration,reduce the content of TC,TG,LDL-C,AST and ALT in serum,increase the content of HDL-C,increase the protein expression levels of ABCA1,ABCG5,LXRα,Bcl-2,SLC7A11,GCLM,GPX4 and FTH1 in mice liver tissues,reduce the protein expression levels of ASGR1,cleaved-PARP,cleaved-caspase 3,Bax and TFR1.Conclusion Huangzhi oral liquid can alleviate the abnormal lipid metabolism in acute hyperlipidemia mice,thus alleviates hepatocyte apoptosis and ferroptosis.
9.Effect of Dunhuang medical prescription Dabupi Decoction combined with oxaliplatin on inflammatory immunity of gastric cancer-bearing mice based on IL-17/NF-κB signaling pathway
Yuanding ZENG ; Yun SU ; Hongxia GONG ; Shiwei NIU ; Han ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Immunology 2024;40(1):92-96
Objective:To study anti-tumor effect of Dunhuang medical prescription Dabupi Decoction on gastric cancer-bearing mice and effect of Dabupi Decoction combined with oxaliplatin on inflammatory immunity of gastric cancer-bearing mice based on IL-17/NF-κB signaling pathway.Methods:Mouse model of MFC gastric cancer subcutaneously bearing tumor was established and ran-domly divided into model group,oxaliplatin group,high,medium and low doses of Dabupi Decoction combined with oxaliplatin groups[21.58,10.79,5.40 g/(kg·d)],with 10 mice in each group,male and female cage rearing.Administration began after 8 days of inoculation and continued for 14 days;next day after the last administration,eyeball blood was taken,mice were killed,tumor tissues were taken and weighed,and tumor inhibition rate was calculated.ELISA was used to detect contents of IL-17 and IL-6 in mice serum,immunohistochemistry(IHC),RT-qPCR and Western blot were used to detect IL-17,IL-6,NF-κB and p-NF-κB mRNA and protein expressions in mice tumor tissues,respectively.Results:Tumor inhibition rates of oxaliplatin group,high,medium and low doses of Dabupi decoction combined with oxaliplatin groups were 33.02%,52.92%,46.33%and 39.52%,respectively,and tumor quality of each treatment group was significantly lower than that of model group(P<0.01).High,medium and low doses of Dabupi Decoction combined with oxaliplatin groups were higher than that of oxaliplatin group.Compared with model group,contents of IL-17 and IL-6 in serum and expressions of IL-17,IL-6,NF-κB p65 and pNF-κB p65 mRNA and protein in tumor tissues in each treatment group were significantly reduced(P<0.01,P<0.05).Compared with oxaliplatin group,levels of IL-17 and IL-6 in serum and expres-sions of IL-17,IL-6,NF-κB p65 and pNF-κB p65 mRNA and protein in tumor tissues in high and medium doses of Dabupi Decoction combined with oxaliplatin groups were significantly reduced(P<0.01,P<0.05).Conclusion:Dunhuang medical prescription Dabupi Decoction has a certain anti-tumor effect on MFC gastric cancer-bearing mice,which can regulate inflammatory immunity and inhibit occurrence and development of gastric cancer by inhibiting IL-17/NF-κB signaling pathway.
10.Analysis of associations between risk factors for cardiovascular disease and breast cancer
Ruijie NIU ; Jun ZENG ; Zhoutong LI ; Cheng WANG ; Jinquan JIANG
Chinese Journal of Clinical Medicine 2024;31(6):932-938
Objective To explore the associations between risk factors for cardiovascular disease and breast cancer. Methods A total of 300 patients with breast cancer and 300 with benign breast diseases diagnosed by postoperative pathology were included in the Department of Breast Surgery, Huangpu Branch of the Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine from January 2023 to June 2023. The main cardiovascular risk factors in patients between the two groups were compared. Stratification was performed according to menstrual status, and the main cardiovascular risk factors in patients with different menstrual status between the two groups were compared. The logistic regression correlation analysis was used to analyze the risk factors related to cardiovascular disease for breast cancer. Results There were statistically significant differences in clinical data and laboratory indicators between the two groups (P<0.01) . Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age (OR=1.03, P=0.029), triglyceride (TG; OR=1.94, P=0.025), C-reactive protein (CRP; OR=2.73, P<0.001), D-dimer (OR=61.19, P<0.001), and homocysteine (Hcy; OR=2.10, P<0.001) were independently associated with breast cancer. The stratified analysis showed age, TG, CRP, D-dimer, and Hcy were independently associated with breast cancer in both premenopausal and postmenopausal patients (P<0.05). Conclusions Among risk factors for cardiovascular disease, advanced age, increased TG, CRP, D-dimer, and Hcy might increase breast cancer risk, which are helpful of screening high-risk individuals for breast cancer.

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