Objective: Inflammatory cascade reactions play a crucial role in secondary neuronal injury in acute ischemic stroke (AIS). The aim of this study was to explore the correlations between specific serological indicators, early neurological deterioration (END), disease prognosis, and syndrome factors in AIS based on this injury mechanism. Methods: The data for this study were collected from 135 patients with AIS admitted to the emergency department of Fangshan Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, within 24 h of onset between November 2019 and May 2021. Among these, 29 patients had complete data and experienced END. Additionally, 9 non-END patients were matched from the remaining 90 patients with complete data, resulting in a total of 38 patients for statistical analysis. Statistical methods, including logistic regression and receiver operating curves, were used to analyze the correlation between serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-10 (IL-10), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) within 24 h of END onset, disease prognosis, and syndrome factors. Grouping criteria included END occurrence, presence of syndrome elements on the first and third day post-onset, and prognosis at 90 days post-onset. Results: All 38 cases had onset time of less than 12 h, and there were no significant differences in age, gender, and onset time between the END and non-END groups. The TNF-α serum level within 24 h of onset was not associated with the occurrence of END but was negatively correlated with all-cause mortality at 90 days [0.110; P<0.05). An elevated IL-10 serum level within 24 h of onset showed a strong negative correlation with non-disabling and good functional outcomes at 90 days post-onset (0.110; P<0.05). When the ICAM-1 serum levels exceeded 233 599.500 μg/L and 125 141.500 μg/L, respectively, the susceptibility to endogenous wind and endogenous fire on the third day of onset was 15.364 times and 6.071 times higher, respectively, than that in patients with serum levels below these thresholds. Conclusion As accessible and objective biomarkers, inflammatory serum indicators are closely associated with both disease progression and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome elements. They enhance AIS diagnosis, assessment, and treatment and contribute to a deeper understanding of the role of TCM syndrome differentiation in AIS diagnosis and treatment.

Jiegengtang is a basic formula for treating sore throat and cough. By means of bibliometrics， this study conducted a textual research and analysis on the key information such as formula origin， decocting methods， and clinical application of Jiegengtang. After the research， it can be seen that Jiegengtang is firstly contained in Treatise on Febrile and Miscellaneous Disease， which is also known as Ganjietang， and it has been inherited and innovated by medical practitioners of various dynasties in later times. The origins of Chinese medicines in this formula is basically clear， Jiegeng is the dried roots of Platycodon grandiflorum， Gancao is the dried roots and rhizomes of Glycyrrhiza uralensis， the two medicines are selected raw products. The dosage is 27.60 g of Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma and 13.80 g of Platycodonis Radix， decocted with 600 mL of water to 200 mL， taken warmly after meals， twice a day， 100 mL for each time. In ancient times， Jiegengtang was mainly used for treating Shaoyin-heat invasion syndrome， with cough and sore throat as its core symptoms. In modern clinical practice， Jiegengtang is mainly used for respiratory diseases such as pharyngitis， esophagitis， tonsillitis and lung abscess， especially for pharyngitis and lung abscess with remarkable efficacy. This paper can provide literature reference basis for the modern clinical application and new drug development of Jiegengtang.

Jiegengtang is a basic formula for treating sore throat and cough. By means of bibliometrics， this study conducted a textual research and analysis on the key information such as formula origin， decocting methods， and clinical application of Jiegengtang. After the research， it can be seen that Jiegengtang is firstly contained in Treatise on Febrile and Miscellaneous Disease， which is also known as Ganjietang， and it has been inherited and innovated by medical practitioners of various dynasties in later times. The origins of Chinese medicines in this formula is basically clear， Jiegeng is the dried roots of Platycodon grandiflorum， Gancao is the dried roots and rhizomes of Glycyrrhiza uralensis， the two medicines are selected raw products. The dosage is 27.60 g of Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma and 13.80 g of Platycodonis Radix， decocted with 600 mL of water to 200 mL， taken warmly after meals， twice a day， 100 mL for each time. In ancient times， Jiegengtang was mainly used for treating Shaoyin-heat invasion syndrome， with cough and sore throat as its core symptoms. In modern clinical practice， Jiegengtang is mainly used for respiratory diseases such as pharyngitis， esophagitis， tonsillitis and lung abscess， especially for pharyngitis and lung abscess with remarkable efficacy. This paper can provide literature reference basis for the modern clinical application and new drug development of Jiegengtang.

ObjectiveTo improve the accuracy of discrete element method in simulating the processing of traditional Chinese medicine（TCM） powder system under low shear conditions. MethodsIn this study， extract powders of Tongsaimai tablets and Qige granules were used as the research objects， the angle of repose（AOR） and effective angle of internal friction of the two materials were determined by AOR test method and shear cell test method. Based on the Hertz-Mindlin with JKR V2 contact model and particle scaling theory， taking the particle-particle restitution coefficient（A）， particle-particle static friction coefficient（B）， particle-particle rolling friction coefficient（C）， particle-steel restitution coefficient（D）， particle-steel static friction coefficient（E）， particle-steel rolling friction coefficient（F） and Johnson-Kendall-Roberts（JKR） surface energy（G） as test factors， the simulated contact parameters of Tongsaimai tablets extract powder were first calibrated with a single reference value using AOR as the reference value， and then the simulated contact parameters of Tongsaimai tablets extract powder as well as Qige granules extract powder were co-calibrated with AOR and effective angle of internal friction as the joint reference value， respectively. Then， Plackett-Burman design was used to screen the critical contact parameters that have a significant effect on the simulated reference value， and the steepest ascent design was used to determine the optimal range of the critical contact parameters， finally， the regression model between the critical contact parameters and the simulated reference values was established through the design of the response surface test， and the critical contact parameters were calibrated based on the regression model and the desirability function approach. ResultsThe optimal combination of discrete elemental contact parameters A-G for Tongsaimai tablets extract powder under a single reference value was 0.100， 0.718， 0.616， 0.100， 0.400， 0.250 and 0.075 J·m^-2， which was validated to have relative errors of 0.10% and -8.64% for the simulated AOR and the simulated effective angle of internal friction， respectively. And the optimal combination of discrete elemental contact parameters A-G for Tongsaimai tablets extract powder at the joint reference values was 0.100， 0.682， 0.598， 0.100， 0.521， 0.294 and 0.075 J·m^-2， which was verified to have relative errors of 0.10% and -0.18% for the simulated AOR and the simulated effective angle of internal friction， respectively. The optimal combination of discrete elemental contact parameters A-G for Qige granules extract powder at the joint reference values was 0.150， 0.370， 0.330， 0.150， 0.500， 0.500 and 0.100 J·m^-2， which was verified to have relative errors of 2.70% and -1.30% for the simulated AOR and the simulated effective angle of internal friction， respectively. Compared with the single reference value method， the joint calibration method not only increased the number of the critical contact parameters for characterizing particle-device interactions， but also was more accurate and reliable. ConclusionCompared with the results of single reference value calibration， the results obtained by the method of joint calibration of discrete element simulation contact parameters with AOR and effective angle of internal friction as the reference values are more accurate， which can provide more accurate and reliable simulation physical property data for the simulation experiments of TCM extract powder under low shear process conditions.

Objective: To analyze respiratory syncytial virus(RSV) outbreaks surveillance results and the epidemiological characteristics in kindergarten and school in Shenzhen during 2017-2023 , so as to provide a scientific reference for control and prevention of RSV. Methods: Epidemiological data and surveillance results of RSV outbreaks in kindergarten and school from 2017 to 2023 were collected for descriptive analyses. Results: A total of 31 RSV outbreaks were identified in kindergarten and school in 2017-2023 in Shenzhen, 346 cases were reported, the average incidence rate was 22.02%. The most annual RSV outbreaks were reported in 2020 with 14 outbreaks, followed by 8 outbreaks in 2023. A total of 64.52% of RSV outbreaks were identified in kindergarten with rest occurring in primary school or middle school. The greatest monthly count of outbreak was 18 (58.06%) in September, followed by 3 outbreaks (9.68%) in March and October. A total of 244 swab samples were collected, 169 samples were positive for respiratory viruses, the positive rate was 69.26%, 121 samples were positive for RSV,from 31 respiratory syncytical virus outbreaks 57 and samples were positive for other respiratory viruses(9 samples were positive for two respiratory viruses). A toral of 14(45.16%) outbreaks are caused by RSV alone, 17 outbreaks (54.84%) were caused by RSV and other respiratory viruses. Conclusions Most RSV outbreaks in kindergarten and school are reported after 2020 in Shenzhen, most RSV outbreaks occur in kindergarten, peak seasons of RSV outbreaks are autumn and spring.

Objective: To investigate the potential of conventional cranial computed tomography (CT) in assessing the early neurological deterioration(END), long-term prognosis, and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome elements during the acute phase in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Methods: This study included 101 patients with AIS onset within 24 h in the Emergency Department of Fangshan Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, from November 2019 to May 2021. To investigate the correlation between the relevant characteristics of the first conventional cranial CT in patients with AIS onset within 24 h and END, 90 d prognosis, and initial syndrome elements, the presence or absence of END, the 90 d prognosis (non-disabling outcome or functionally independent outcome), and the establishment of syndrome elements (internal fire, phlegm-dampness, blood stasis, qi deficiency, yin deficiency) were used as dependent variables and grouping criteria. Results: This study included 61 males and 40 females, with an age of (64.43±10.56) years. The time from onset to conventional cranial CT examination was 3.50 (1.50, 9.75) h. Among the patients, there were 70 cases (69.3%) of mild AIS, 30 cases (29.7%) of moderate AIS, and one case (1.0%) of severe AIS. Fifteen patients (14.9%) received intravenous thrombolysis. Among the 101 patients, six syndrome elements were observed within 24 h of onset: internal wind in 101 cases (100.0%), internal fire in 58 cases (57.4%), phlegm-dampness in 60 cases (59.4%), blood stasis in 67 cases (66.3%), qi deficiency in 39 cases (38.6%), and yin deficiency in 23 cases (22.8%). The incidence of END was higher in patients with lesions in the contralateral cerebral hemisphere to the affected limb (32.9%) than in those without such lesions (10.7%), showing a strong positive correlation with END occurrence (OR=4.082, P = 0.026). The incidence of END was higher in patients with lesions in the basal ganglia region (33.3%) and the carotid system blood supply area (32.8%) than in those without lesions in the basal ganglia region (15.8%) and the carotid system territory (14.7%), showing moderate positive correlations with END occurrence (OR=2.667, P =0.047; OR=2.836, P=0.044). The proportion of non-disabling outcomes was lower among patients with white matter degeneration (30.8%) and lesions in the contralateral cerebral hemisphere to the affected limb (52.1%) than in those without white matter degeneration (63.6%) and without such lesions in the contralateral cerebral hemisphere to the affected limb (78.6%), both showing strong negative correlations with the occurrence of non-disabling outcomes (OR=0.254, P=0.034; OR=0.296, P=0.015). Similarly, the proportion of functionally independent outcomes was lower among individuals with white matter degeneration (30.8%) and lesions in the contralateral cerebral hemisphere to the affected limb (64.4%) than in those without white matter degeneration (77.3%) and without such lesions in the contralateral cerebral hemisphere to the affected limb (89.3%), both also showing strong negative correlations with the occurrence of functionally independent outcomes (OR=0.131, P=0.001; OR=0.217, P=0.014). The incidence rates of internal fire, blood stasis, and yin deficiency syndrome elements were 66.7%, 73.0%, and 30.2%, respectively, among patients with lesions in the basal ganglia region, compared to 42.1%, 55.3%, and 10.5% among those without lesions in this region. The presence of lesions in the basal ganglia region showed moderate to strong positive correlations with internal fire and yin deficiency syndrome elements (OR=2.750, P=0.016; OR=3.670, P=0.028). Patients with lesions in the centrum semiovale and corona radiata regions (66.7%) had a higher incidence of qi deficiency than those without lesions in this region (33.7%), showing a strong positive correlation with the occurrence of qi deficiency (OR=3.931, P=0.022). No CT characteristics were found to be correlated with phlegm-dampness syndrome elements. Conclusion The first cranial CT in patients with AIS has potential application value in predicting disease progression, assessing prognosis, and diagnosing syndromes, which can provide physicians with diagnostic and treatment decisions to improve the long-term prognosis of patients with AIS.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of warfarin anticoagulation therapy guided by gene test in patients undergoing left ventricular assist device （LVAD） implantation， and to analyze the influencing factors of warfarin anticoagulation efficacy. METHODS Patients who underwent LVAD implantation at the Heart and Vascular Center of Northern Jiangsu People’s Hospital from January 2023 to October 2024 and required warfarin anticoagulant therapy were selected as the study subjects. They were divided into genetic testing group （n＝51） and empirical treatment group （n＝17） based on whether they underwent CYP2C9 and VKORC1 gene test. The gene test group was given warfarin based on the predicted dose calculated by gene test， while the empirical treatment group was given warfarin by clinical doctors based on international normalized ratio （INR） experience， all patients were given warfarin once a day. Follow-up observation was conducted for 6 months to compare the effectiveness [time in therapeutic range（TTR）， the time required to reach INR for the first time， the incidence of embolic events， the incidence of INR＜1.5 events] and safety （the incidence of major and minor bleeding events，the incidence of INR＞3.5 events） of warfarin treatment between two groups of patients. According to whether the patient’s TTR was ≥60%， they were divided into TTR≥60% group （n＝20） and TTR＜60% group （n＝48）. Univariate and multivariate binary Logistic regression analysis were used to determine the factors affecting the anticoagulant effect of warfarin in patients. RESULTS The TTR of patients in the gene test group was significantly higher than that in the empirical treatment group （P＜0.05）. The incidence of INR＜1.5 events in the gene test group was significantly lower than in the empirical treatment group （P＜0.05）. The incidence of minor bleeding events and INR＞3.5 events in the gene test group were lower than in the empirical treatment group， but the difference was not statistically significant （P＞0.05）. The results of multivariate binary Logistic regression analysis showed that gene test was an independent protective factor for warfarin anticoagulant therapy [odds ratio （OR）＝10.842， 95% confidence interval （CI）： 1.211-27.037， P＝0.033]， and the combination of statins was an independent risk factor for warfarin anticoagulant therapy [OR＝0.196， 95%CI： 0.045-0.861， P＝0.031]. CONCLUSIONS Under the guidance of gene test， warfarin anticoagulation therapy for LVAD patients after implantation can improve TTR， shorten the anticoagulation target time， and has good safety； meanwhile， it should be noted that the combination of statins may enhance the anticoagulant effect of warfarin， thereby increasing the risk of bleeding in patients.

ObjectiveTo investigate the immunomodulatory effect of polysaccharides from Astragali Radix-Angelicae Sinensis Radix herb pair（Qi-gui polysaccharides） on lipopolysaccharide（LPS）-induced RAW264.7 macrophages and to characterize the structure of the active component Qi-gui homogeneous polysaccharide（AAPS-4a）， and evaluate its protective effect on ulcerative colitis（UC）. MethodsThe effects of six Qi-gui polysaccharides（0.01-100 mg·L^-1） on the proliferation of RAW264.7 cells were assessed by cell proliferation and activity assay（CCK-8）， and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay（ELISA） was used to investigate the effects of the six polysaccharides（3， 10 mg·L^-1） on the secretion levels of tumor necrosis factor（TNF）-α， interferon（IFN）-β， and nitric oxide（NO） in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells. After screening for active polysaccharides， high-performance size-exclusion chromatography（HPSEC） was used to determine its homogeneity and relative molecular weight， then its characteristic functional groups were identified by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy（FT-IR）， monosaccharide composition was analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography（HPLC）， methylation analysis combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry（GC-MS） was performed to determine the types and linkage modes of sugar residues， and one- and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance（NMR） were used to identify the sugar residue composition and configuration of the active polysaccharide. Finally， experimental animals were divided into the normal group， model group， AAPS-4a low-dose group（50 mg·kg^-1）， AAPS-4a high-dose group（100 mg·kg^-1）， and sulfasalazine（SASP） group （75 mg·kg^-1）. Except for the normal group， the acute UC mouse model was induced using 3.5% dextran sulfate sodium salt（DSS）. Each treatment group was administered the corresponding dose via oral gavage for 7 days， and changes in body weight were recorded. After treatment， the spleen index and disease activity index（DAI） score were calculated， TNF-α and interleukin-6（IL-6） levels in the serum were detected by ELISA， and histopathological changes in colon tissue were observed by hematoxylin-eosin（HE） staining. ResultsAt the cellular level， AAPS-4a exhibited a dose-dependent inhibition of LPS-induced increases in TNF-α， IFN-β， and NO levels（P<0.01）. Structural characterization of AAPS-4a revealed that it was a homogeneous polysaccharide with a relative molecular weight of 7.6×10³ Da， consisting of mannose（Man）， glucose（Glc）， and galactose（Gal） in a molar ratio of 1.3∶23.9∶1.0. It was primarily composed of five sugar residues of 1，6-α-D-Glcp， T-α-D-Glcp， 1，3-β-D-Galp， 1，4-α-D-Manp， and 1，2-α-D-Galp. In vivo experiments showed that compared with the normal group， the model group demonstrated markedly increased DAI score and spleen index， significantly reduced colon length， and significantly elevated levels of TNF-α and IL-6（P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the AAPS-4a high-dose group significantly reduced the DAI score and spleen index， as well as TNF-α and IL-6 levels， and improved colonic atrophy（P<0.05， P<0.01）. Pathological observations showed that AAPS-4a significantly inhibited inflammatory cell infiltration in colon tissue and alleviated pathological damage. ConclusionAAPS-4a， a neutral homogeneous polysaccharide composed of 1，6-α-D-Glcp， T-α-D-Glcp， 1，3-β-D-Galp， 1，4-α-D-Manp and 1，2-α-D-Galp， is identified as a key bioactive component contributing to the anti-UC effect of the Qi-gui herb pair. Its immunoregulatory and anti-UC properties suggest its potential as a therapeutic agent for UC.

ObjectiveTo investigate whether there are differences in the efficacy of Gegen Qinliantang with different contents of Puerariae Lobatae Radix on the acute enteritis （AE） model mice and provide a scientific basis for the interpretation of Gegen Qinliantang in the treatment of "Xie Re Li". MethodsA total of 112 male BALB/c mice were randomly divided into a blank group，model group，single Puerariae Lobatae Radix group，non-Puerariae Lobatae Radix group，regular dose Gegen Qinliantang group （regular dose group），half-dose Puerariae Lobatae Radix group，and doubled-dose Puerariae Lobatae Radix group， with 16 mice in each group. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was used to observe the pathological changes of the colon tissue. Western blot was employed to detect the expression of ZO-1 （a protein in the tight junction） and Occludin in the colon tissue， as well as the changes of tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） and interleukin-1β （IL-1β）. ResultsCompared with the blank group，the DAI scores of the mice in the model group were significantly higher （P<0.05），and the histopathological sections of their colon tissues showed mucosal damage，glandular atrophy，disordered arrangement，and a large number of inflammatory cells infiltration，and the expression of ZO-1 and Occludin proteins in their colon tissues was significantly down-regulated （P<0.05，P<0.01）. The expression of inflammatory factors TNF-α and IL-1β was significantly up-regulated （P<0.05，P<0.01）. Compared with the model group，the DAI scores of mice in all dosing groups decreased significantly （P<0.05），with the most significant effect in the regular dose group. After 7 d of drug administration，the regular dose group had the best impact on the repair of colonic mucosa in the AE mouse model. The regular dose group significantly down-regulated the expression of TNF-α （P<0.05） and significantly up-regulated the expression of ZO-1 protein （P<0.05）. The doubled-dose Puerariae Lobatae Radix group significantly down-regulated the expression of IL-1β protein （P<0.01），and there was no significant difference between all dosing groups and the model group in terms of the expression of Occludin protein. After 14 d of drug administration，the best effect on the repair of colonic mucosa in the AE mouse model was observed in the doubled dose Puerariae Lobatae Radix group. All groups except the non-Puerariae Lobatae Radix group significantly down-regulated the expression of TNF-α （P<0.01）. Meanwhile，the regular dose group and doubled-dose Puerariae Lobatae Radix group significantly elevated the expression level of Occludin protein （P<0.01）. The doubled-dose Puerariae Lobatae Radix group also significantly inhibited the expression of IL-1β protein （P<0.05） and up-regulated ZO-1 protein expression （P<0.05）. ConclusionGegen Qinliantang can reduce the pathological damage of colon tissue， protect the barrier function and structure of intestinal epithelial cells， and reduce the expression of inflammatory factors， so as to achieve the therapeutic effect of AE model mice. When comparing the therapeutic efficacy of Gegen Qinliantang containing different Gegen contents， Gegen Qinliantang with the proportion of the original formula of Zhongjing was the most effective in AE model mice.

ObjectiveTo investigate whether there are differences in the efficacy of Gegen Qinliantang with different contents of Puerariae Lobatae Radix on the acute enteritis （AE） model mice and provide a scientific basis for the interpretation of Gegen Qinliantang in the treatment of "Xie Re Li". MethodsA total of 112 male BALB/c mice were randomly divided into a blank group，model group，single Puerariae Lobatae Radix group，non-Puerariae Lobatae Radix group，regular dose Gegen Qinliantang group （regular dose group），half-dose Puerariae Lobatae Radix group，and doubled-dose Puerariae Lobatae Radix group， with 16 mice in each group. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was used to observe the pathological changes of the colon tissue. Western blot was employed to detect the expression of ZO-1 （a protein in the tight junction） and Occludin in the colon tissue， as well as the changes of tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） and interleukin-1β （IL-1β）. ResultsCompared with the blank group，the DAI scores of the mice in the model group were significantly higher （P<0.05），and the histopathological sections of their colon tissues showed mucosal damage，glandular atrophy，disordered arrangement，and a large number of inflammatory cells infiltration，and the expression of ZO-1 and Occludin proteins in their colon tissues was significantly down-regulated （P<0.05，P<0.01）. The expression of inflammatory factors TNF-α and IL-1β was significantly up-regulated （P<0.05，P<0.01）. Compared with the model group，the DAI scores of mice in all dosing groups decreased significantly （P<0.05），with the most significant effect in the regular dose group. After 7 d of drug administration，the regular dose group had the best impact on the repair of colonic mucosa in the AE mouse model. The regular dose group significantly down-regulated the expression of TNF-α （P<0.05） and significantly up-regulated the expression of ZO-1 protein （P<0.05）. The doubled-dose Puerariae Lobatae Radix group significantly down-regulated the expression of IL-1β protein （P<0.01），and there was no significant difference between all dosing groups and the model group in terms of the expression of Occludin protein. After 14 d of drug administration，the best effect on the repair of colonic mucosa in the AE mouse model was observed in the doubled dose Puerariae Lobatae Radix group. All groups except the non-Puerariae Lobatae Radix group significantly down-regulated the expression of TNF-α （P<0.01）. Meanwhile，the regular dose group and doubled-dose Puerariae Lobatae Radix group significantly elevated the expression level of Occludin protein （P<0.01）. The doubled-dose Puerariae Lobatae Radix group also significantly inhibited the expression of IL-1β protein （P<0.05） and up-regulated ZO-1 protein expression （P<0.05）. ConclusionGegen Qinliantang can reduce the pathological damage of colon tissue， protect the barrier function and structure of intestinal epithelial cells， and reduce the expression of inflammatory factors， so as to achieve the therapeutic effect of AE model mice. When comparing the therapeutic efficacy of Gegen Qinliantang containing different Gegen contents， Gegen Qinliantang with the proportion of the original formula of Zhongjing was the most effective in AE model mice.