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Zu-Fei Wu,1,* Wen-Tao Su,2,3,* Shi Chen,4 Bai-Da Xu,2 Gang-Jun Zong,2,3 Cun-Ming Fang,1 Zheng Huang,1 Xue-Jun Hu,1 Gang-Yong Wu,2,3 Xiao-Lin Ma1 1Department of Cardiology, Xuancheng People’s Hospital, Xuanchen, Anhui, 242000, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Cardiology, the 904th Hospital of the PLA Joint Logistics Support Force, Wuxi, Jiangsu, 214044, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Cardiology, Wuxi Clinical College of Anhui Medical University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, 214044, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Cardiology, Wuxi No.5 People’s Hospital, Wuxi, Jiangsu, 214044, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Gang-Yong Wu, Department of Cardiology, the 904th Hospital of the PLA Joint Logistics Support Force, Wuxi, Jiangsu, 214044, People’s Republic of China, Email wuwangyi520@sina.comObjective: To investigate the correlation between serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels and in-hospital major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), and establish a risk prediction model based on parameters such as PTH for in-hospital MACE.Methods: This observational retrospective study consecutively enrolled 340 patients who underwent primary PCI for STEMI between January 2016 and December 2020, divided into a MACE group (n=92) and a control group (n=248). The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and logistic regression analyses were used to determine the risk factors for MACE after primary PCI. The rms package in R-studio statistical software was used to construct a nomogram, to detect the line chart C-index, and to draw a calibration curve. The decision curve analysis (DCA) method was used to evaluate the clinical application value and net benefit.Results: Correlation analysis revealed that PTH level positively correlated with the occurrence of in-hospital MACE. Receiver operating characteristic curve analyses revealed that PTH had a good predictive value for in-hospital MACE. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that Killip class II–IV, and FBG were independently associated with in-hospital MACE after primary PCI. A nomogram model was constructed using the above parameters. The model C-index was 0.894 and the calibration curve indicated that the model was well calibrated. The DCA curve suggested that the nomogram model was better than TIMI score model in terms of net clinical benefit.Conclusion: Serum PTH levels in patients with STEMI are associated with in-hospital MACE after primary PCI, and the nomogram risk prediction model based on PTH demonstrated good predictive ability with obvious clinical practical value.Keywords: parathyroid hormone, acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, percutaneous coronary intervention, nomograms

Xin-Yuan Chen,1,&ast; Xin-Jie Zhu,1,&ast; Min Chen,1 Mei-Ping Lu,1 Mei-Lin Wang,2,3 Min Yin,1,4 Ruo-Xi Chen,1 Zhong-Fei Wu,1 Dong-Yun Bu,1 Zheng-Dong Zhang,2,3 Lei Cheng1,4 1Department of Otorhinolaryngology & Clinical Allergy Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Environmental Genomics, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Genetic Toxicology, The Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China; 4International Centre for Allergy Research, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Lei Cheng, Department of Otorhinolaryngology & Clinical Allergy Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029, People’s Republic of China, Email chenglei@jsph.org.cn Zheng-Dong Zhang, Department of Environmental Genomics, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, 101 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, 211166, People’s Republic of China, Email drzdzhang@njmu.edu.cnBackground: Genetic variants in GARP (also known as LRRC32) have been reported to have significant associations with asthma and eczema in special populations, but little is known about allergic rhinitis. This study purposes to evaluate the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in GARP with house dust mite (HDM)-sensitized persistent allergic rhinitis (PER) in a population of Han Chinese.Methods: In this hospital-based case–control study, 534 HDM-sensitized PER patients and 451 healthy controls were recruited from East China. In this population, six SNPs in GARP were identified. Serum total and specific IgE levels were measured with ImmunoCAP. Secondary structure and minimum free energy were predicted by RNAfold.Results: rs79525962 was associated with the risk of HDM-sensitized PER (P < 0.05). The individuals with CT+TT genotype demonstrated a higher risk of HDM-sensitized PER than those with CC genotype (adjusted OR = 1.393, 95% CI = 1.019– 1.904). The homozygous genotype CC of rs3781699 rendered a lower risk of HDM-sensitized PER than the wild-type genotype AA (adjusted OR = 0.646, 95% CI = 0.427– 0.976); however, the genotype and allele frequencies of rs3781699 demonstrated no associations with HDM-sensitized PER (P > 0.05). rs79525962 increased the risk of HDM-sensitized PER in the subgroup aged ≥ 16 years (adjusted OR = 1.745, 95% CI = 1.103– 2.760), and this high risk was also found in the females (adjusted OR = 1.708, 95% CI = 1.021– 2.856). The G-C haplotype of rs1320646-rs3781699 rendered a lower risk of HDM-sensitized PER than the common haplotype G-A (adjusted OR = 0.819, 95% CI = 0.676– 0.993). The secondary structure of GARP altered in response to different genotypes of rs79525962 and rs3781699.Conclusion: SNP rs79525962 in the GARP gene marks a risk locus of HDM-sensitized PER in Chinese Hans.Keywords: allergic rhinitis, mites, GARP, LRRC32, single nucleotide polymorphism, genetic association studies

Ruo-Xi Chen,1,&ast; Meng-Di Dai,1,&ast; Qing-Zhao Zhang,1 Mei-Ping Lu,1 Mei-Lin Wang,2,3 Min Yin,1,4 Xin-Jie Zhu,1 Zhong-Fei Wu,1 Zheng-Dong Zhang,2,3 Lei Cheng1,4 1Department of Otorhinolaryngology & Clinical Allergy Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Environmental Genomics, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Genetic Toxicology, The Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China; 4International Centre for Allergy Research, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Lei Cheng, Department of Otorhinolaryngology & Clinical Allergy Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029, People’s Republic of China, Email chenglei@jsph.org.cn Zheng-Dong Zhang, Department of Environmental Genomics, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, 101 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, 211166, People’s Republic of China, Email drzdzhang@njmu.edu.cnABSTRACT: Background: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a nasal inflammatory disease resulting from a complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors. The association between Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling pathway and environmental factors in AR pathogenesis remains to be explored. This study aims to assess the genetic association of AR with single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in TLR signaling pathway, and investigate the roles of gene–gene and gene–environment interactions in AR.Methods: A total of 452 AR patients and 495 healthy controls from eastern China were enrolled in this hospital-based case–control study. We evaluated putatively functional genetic polymorphisms in TLR2, TLR4 and CD14 genes for their association with susceptibility to AR and related clinical phenotypes. Interactions between environmental factors (such as traffic pollution, residence, pet keeping) and polymorphisms with AR were examined using logistic regression. Models were stratified by genotype and interaction terms, and tested for the significance of gene–gene and gene–environment interactions.Results: In the single-locus analysis, two SNPs in CD14, rs2563298 (A/C) and rs2569191 (C/T) were associated with a significantly decreased risk of AR. Compared with the GG genotype, the GT and GT/TT genotypes of TLR2 rs7656411 (G/T) were associated with a significantly increased risk of AR. Gene–gene interactions (eg, TLR2 rs7656411, TLR4 rs1927914, and CD14 rs2563298) was associated with AR. Gene–environment interactions (eg, TLR4 or CD14 polymorphisms and certain environmental exposures) were found in AR cases, but they were not significant after Bonferroni correction.Conclusion: The genetic polymorphisms of TLR2 and CD14 and gene–gene interactions in TLR signaling pathway were associated with susceptibility to AR in this Han Chinese population. However, the present results were limited to support the association between gene–environment interactions and AR.Keywords: allergic rhinitis, toll-like receptors, CD14, single nucleotide polymorphism, gene–gene interaction, gene–environment interaction

'Shenmai' injection is derived from traditional Chinese medicine 'Shenmaisan' and made from Radix ginseng Rubra and Radix Ophiopogonis. Ginsenoside-Rg(1), as a major constituent of Radix ginseng Rubra, is considered responsible for the efficacy of this injection. A rapid, simple and accurate method has been established for determination of ginsenoside-Rg(1) in Shenmai injection and human plasma using LC-ESI-MS/MS, and to study the pharmacokinetics of Rg(1) in ten healthy volunteers after intravenous single dosing of 60 mL of Shenmai injection. Following solid-phase extraction (SPE), samples were separated on a C(18) column coupled with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. The protonated analyte was quantified by multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) with a quadruple mass spectrometer in positive mode. Linearity was confirmed in the concentration range of 1 to 1000 ng/mL for Rg(1), and the lower limit of quantification (LLOQ, S/N > 10) was 1 ng/mL. The intraday and interday RSDs were within 15% and mean extraction recoveries ranged from 98.6% to 104.9%. The pharmacokinetics of Rg(1) in healthy volunteers conforms to the two-compartment open model. The main pharmacokinetics parameters were as follows: t(1/2beta), 2.09 +/- 1.89 h; CL, 0.03 +/- 0.01 L kg(-1) h(-1); AUC (0 approximately infinity), 124.4 +/- 35.9 2 ng mL(-1) h and AUC (0 approximately infinity), 127.9 +/- 37.2 ng mL(-1) h, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this work was to estimate the present periodontal problems of people in China, based on an epidemiological investigation of adults. Material and Methods: The data were collected from the northwest, southwest, northeast and east regions (400 subjects from each region) of China. All subjects were over 25 years of age. About half of the subjects were farmers and about half were urban professionals. Everyone was asked to fill out a questionnaire and to undergo a professional oral examination. Periodontal health status was evaluated by a simplified oral hygiene index (OHI-S), gingival index (GI), bleeding on probing (BOP), probing pocket depth (PD), clinical attachment loss (CAL), and tooth mobility. Results: Of the 1590 subjects enrolled in this investigation, 45.7% were male, 45.5% were farmers, and the remaining were urban professionals, and 27.7% of the subjects were smokers. There was a significant difference in the educational background but not smoking between the rural and urban groups. While 34.9% of the subjects in the urban group brushed only once per day, 56.1% of the subjects in the rural group did so. The prevalence of bleeding during brushing was 71.1%, while about 61.4% of the subjects know nothing about scaling. All periodontal indices were significantly higher in males than in females and higher in the rural group than in the urban group. PD, CAL and tooth mobility increased with age. The percentage of sites with CAL>3 mm in the rural group (49.5%) was significantly higher than that in the urban group (37.5%). Both current and former smokers showed increased CAL than non-smokers. Conclusion: Gingivitis and periodontitis are common findings in China. Most Chinese have no knowledge of common periodontal prevention and treatment and very few have regular dental care. The data of this study suggest that age, smoking, and limited education are significantly associated with Chinese adult periodontal attachment loss. Preventive periodontal care and education should be reinforced in the future by establishing relevant oral health projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main bioavailable phenolics from of Gongju (GJ) and their mechanism for hepato-protection remain unclear. To select the GJ phenolics with high bioavailability, chrysanthemum digestion and Caco-2 cells were used and their hepato-protective potential were examined by using AML-12 cells. The digestive recovery and small intestinal transit rate of the main phenolic compounds ranged from 28.52 to 69.53% and 6.57% ∼ 15.50%, respectively. Among them, chlorogenic acid, 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid, and 1,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid, showed higher small intestinal transit rates and digestive recoveries. Furthermore, we found that by increasing intracellular Catalase (CAT) and Superoxide dismutase (SOD) viability and lowering Malondialdehyde (MDA) level (P < 0.05), 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid significantly mitigated the oxidative damage of AML-12 liver cells more than the other two phenolics. Our results demonstrated that 3,5-dicaffeoylquninic acid was the primary phenolic compounds in GJ that effectively reduced liver damage, providing a theoretical basis for the development of GJ as a potentially useful resource for hepatoprotective diet., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors confirm that they have no conflicts of interest with respect to the work described in this manuscript., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Introduction: The World Health Organization declared an end to the global emergency status of COVID-19 in May of 2023. However, the impact of COVID-19 is far from over. Individuals who have recovered from COVID-19 continue to experience physiological, psychological, or cognitive symptoms, such as fatigue, shortness of breath, dizziness, and loss of smell or taste, known as long COVID. This review aims to describe the clinical characteristics of the upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) caused by SARS-CoV-2, and provide evidence for the prevention and treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection by using nasal irrigation. COVID-19 and nasal irrigation: Nasal irrigation presents a promising adjunct to standard COVID-19 prevention and treatment protocols. This practice is theorized to diminish viral presence in the upper respiratory tract, a region identified as a primary site for SARS-CoV-2 replication and shedding. By facilitating the removal of viral particles and enhancing mucociliary clearance, nasal irrigation could potentially lessen the severity of URTI symptoms and slow transmission rates. The review consolidates current evidence of the efficacy and safety of this approach across various populations, underscoring its practicality in both preventive and therapeutic contexts., Conclusions: We recommend that saline nasal irrigation is an effective, safe and convenient strategy to prevent the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and alleviate the symptoms of URTI across various age groups., Competing Interests: No Conflict of Interest is declared, (Copyright (c) 2024 Song Li, Xi-Cai Sun, Zhong-Fei Wu, Li Hu, Jing-Jing Wang, Min Yin, Lei Cheng, De-Hui Wang.)

Background: Most ovarian cancer cases are diagnosed at an advanced stage, leading to poor outcomes and a relatively low 5-year survival rate. While tumor resection in the early stages can be highly effective, recurrence following primary treatment remains a significant cause of mortality. Propofol is a commonly used intravenous anesthetic agent in cancer resection surgery. Previous research has shown that propofol anesthesia was associated with improved survival in patients undergoing elective surgery for epithelial ovarian cancer. However, the underlying antitumor mechanisms are not yet fully understood., Methods: This study aimed to uncover the antitumor properties of propofol alone and combined with cisplatin or doxorubicin, in human SKOV3 and OVCAR3 ovarian cancer cells. We applied flowcytometry analysis for mitochondrial membrane potential, apoptosis, and autophagy, colony formation, migration, and western blotting analysis., Results: Given that chemotherapy is a primary clinical approach for managing advanced and recurrent ovarian cancer, it is essential to address the limitations of current chemotherapy, particularly in the use of cisplatin and doxorubicin, which are often constrained by their side effects and the development of resistance. First of all, propofol acted synergistically with cisplatin and doxorubicin in SKOV3 cells. Moreover, our data further showed that propofol suppressed colony formation, disrupted mitochondrial membrane potential, and induced apoptosis and autophagy in SKOV3 and OVCAR3 cells. Finally, the effects of combined propofol with cisplatin or doxorubicin on mitochondrial membrane potential, apoptosis, autophagy, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition were different in SKOV3 and OVCAR3 cells, depending on the p53 status., Conclusion: In summary, repurposing propofol could provide novel insights into the existing chemotherapy strategies for ovarian cancer. It holds promise for overcoming resistance to cisplatin or doxorubicin and may potentially reduce the required chemotherapy dosages and associated side effects, thus improving treatment outcomes., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Since time immortal, people have used the well-known Chinese Chaenomeles fruit Xuan-Mugua for both traditional medicine and nourishment. With an aim to explore the digestive and antioxidant properties of the phenolics, Xuan-Mugua peel and pulp were extracted, digested and analyzed in vitro . Our results indicated that the total phenolics content (TPC), total flavonoids content (TFC) and the antioxidant activity of the peel were 3.24-8.89 times higher than that of pulp. The contents and activity of the peel and pulp consistently dropped in the sequence of oral, gastric, and small intestine digestions, from 22.78 % to 52.16 %. With a level of 1.590 ± 0.060 and 0.395 ± 0.015 mg g -1 dried weight in the peel and pulp, respectively, chlorogenic acid was the primary phenolic ingredient in Xuan-Mugua, with a promising recovery (81.39-82.23 %) during the digestion. According to these results, Xuan-Mugua exhibited an appreciable level of phenolic content and antioxidant activity during digestion, making it a suitable ingredient for use in functional foods., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest.

Feeding silkworms with functional materials as additives to produce naturally modified silk is a facile, diverse, controllable, and environmentally friendly method with a low cost of time and investment. Among various additives, carbon dots (CDs) show unique advantages due to their excellent biocompatibility and fluorescence stability. Here, a new type of green fluorescent carbon dots (G-CDs) is synthesized with a high oil-water partition ratio of 147, a low isoelectric point of 5.16, an absolute quantum yield of 71%, and critically controlled surface states. After feeding with G-CDs, the silkworms weave light yellow cocoons whose green fluorescence is visible to the naked eye under UV light. The luminous silk is sewn onto the cloth to create striking patterns with beautiful fluorescence. Such G-CDs have no adverse effect on the survival rate and the life cycle of silkworms and enable their whole bodies to glow under UV light. Based on the strong fluorescence, chemical stability, and biological safety, G-CDs are found in the digestive tracts, silk glands, feces, cocoons, and even moth bodies. G-CDs accumulate in the posterior silk glands where fibroin protein is secreted, indicating its stronger combination with fibroin than sericin, which meets the requirements for practical applications.

Primary failure of eruption (PFE) is a rare disorder that is characterized by the inability of a molar tooth/teeth to erupt to the occlusal plane or to normally react to orthodontic force. This condition is related to hereditary factors and has been extensively researched over many years. However, the etiological mechanisms of pathogenesis are still not fully understood. Evidence from studies on PFE cases has shown that PFE patients may carry parathyroid hormone 1 receptor (PTH1R) gene mutations, and genetic detection can be used to diagnose PFE at an early stage. PTH1R variants can lead to altered protein structure, impaired protein function, and abnormal biological activities of the cells, which may ultimately impact the behavior of teeth, as observed in PFE. Dental follicle cells play a critical role in tooth eruption and root development and are regulated by parathyroid hormone-related peptide (PTHrP)-PTH1R signaling in their differentiation and other activities. PTHrP-PTH1R signaling also regulates the activity of osteoblasts, osteoclasts and odontoclasts during tooth development and eruption. When interference occurs in the PTHrP-PTH1R signaling pathway, the normal function of dental follicles and bone remodeling are impaired. This review provides an overview of PTH1R variants and their correlation with PFE, and highlights that a disruption of PTHrP-PTH1R signaling impairs the normal process of tooth development and eruption, thus providing insight into the underlying mechanisms related to PTH1R and its role in driving PFE., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: The tumour mutation burden (TMB) is a valuable indicator of the accumulation of somatic mutations, and is thought to be associated with the biological behaviour and prognosis of tumours. However, the related genetic mechanism for these association is still unclear. The aim of the present study was to identify the key gene(s) associated with TMB in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and to investigate its biological functions, downstream transcription factors, and mechanism of action., Methods: Patients in The Cancer Genome Atlas-Liver Hepatocellular Carcinoma (TCGA-LIHC) database were classified according to TMB signature-related genes. Key genes related to the TMB signature and tumour prognosis were identified. Immunohistochemistry and Quantitative Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) were then used to assess gene expression in clinical HCC tissues and HCC cells. Cells with altered gene expression were evaluated for the effect on cell proliferation and apoptosis, both in vitro and in vivo . Three independent databases and cell sequencing data were used to identify the mechanisms involved and the downstream transcription factors. The mechanism was also studied by altering the expression of downstream transcription factors in vitro ., Result: The integrated cluster (IC) 2 group, characterized by 99 TMB signature-related genes, showed a significant different TMB score compared to the IC1 group ( p < 0.001), as well as more favourable tumour prognosis ( p = 0.031). We identified five key prognostic genes that were differentially expressed between IC2 and IC1 and were associated with overall survival. The expression of one of these key prognostic genes, RCAN2 , was negatively correlated with TMB in 18 out of 33 tumour types examined. A high level of RCAN2 was correlated with better overall survival in HCC ( p = 0.0009). Overexpression of RCAN2 enhanced apoptosis in vitro and in vivo , whereas knockdown of RCAN2 attenuated apoptosis. The mechanism by which RCAN2 promotes apoptosis may involve upregulation of the expression of ETS homologous factor ( EHF ) and of death receptor 5 ( DR5 )., Conclusions: Downregulation of RCAN2 expression was found to correlate with elevated TMB in multiple cancer types. RCAN2 was also found to be a biomarker of HCC prognosis, and to promote the apoptosis of HCC cells through the EHF/DR5 pathway. These findings provide a new perspective on systemic treatment for advanced HCC with a high TMB., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2024 The Author(s). Published by IMR Press.)

Aim: This study explores the efficacy of electroacupuncture (EA) in treating cerebral palsy (CP) in Sprague-Dawley (SD) pups, specifically CP animal models, and its molecular mechanisms., Methods: Gait analysis and Y-maze were used to detect the improvement of motor ability and cognitive function of CP rats after EA treatment. Transcription sequencing was used to determine the key pathway for EA to improve the symptoms of CP. PPAR agonists were used to verify the causal relationship between the pathway and the improvement of CP phenotype., Results: The motor ability and cognitive function of CP pups were improved after EA treatment. The results of transcriptome sequencing suggest that the improvement of CP phenotype may be caused by the activation of PPAR pathway. PPAR pathway is widely activated in the epithelium of CP pups treated with EA, which is verified by qPCR. Rosiglitazone (Ros), a PPAR agonist, can improve CP phenotype while activating PPAR pathway, which proves the causal relationship between PPAR pathway activation and CP phenotype improvement., Conclusion: Our study demonstrated behavioral improvements and enhanced cognitive functions in CP models after EA treatment by activating PPAR pathway, suggesting new perspectives for CP rehabilitation, and providing theoretical support for acupuncture treatment of CP., (© 2024 The Author(s). CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

In recent years, the application of numerical simulation in the research and development(R&D) as well as the pharmaceutical processes of new drugs has expanded considerably. The discrete element method(DEM), an important approach among numerical simulation methods, offers an effective tool for the simulation of discontinuous media. Referring to the research progress of DEM and the formulation of solid traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) preparations in recent years, this paper summarizes and analyzes the application of DEM in the pharmaceutical processes of solid TCM preparations, and discusses the challenges of its application in these processes, in order to provide new methods and ideas for promoting the high-quality production of TCM preparations.

Regional odontodysplasia (ROD) is a rare localized dental developmental anomaly. The typical clinical manifestations of ROD are abnormal tooth eruption, abnormal development of enamel and dentin. The radiographic characteristic is "ghost teeth". Its etiology still remains unknown. The care and treatment of a patient with ROD needs a multidisciplinary approach. And the treatment should be taken after the assessment of each individual case of ROD. This paper reviews the definition, etiology, epidemiological features, clinical manifestations, imaging features, dental microstructure and treatment strategies of ROD to provide reference for clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is an autosomal recessive neuromuscular disorder. With the emergence of disease-modifying therapies, the prognosis of SMA has significantly improved, drawing increased attention to the importance of home rehabilitation and nursing management. Long-term, standardized home rehabilitation and nursing can delay the progression of SMA, enhance the psychological well-being, and improve the quality of life of both patients and caregivers. This article provides an overview of the goals of home rehabilitation, basic functional training methods, respiratory management, and nutritional management for SMA patients, as well as psychological health issues, emphasizing the significance of obtaining appropriate home rehabilitation and support during the care process.

Background: Emerging evidence suggests a common pathophysiological basis for metabolic disorders and mental diseases. Despite the existence of reports suggesting a strong connection between dyslipidemia and depression, a comprehensive and reliable indicator to identify depression is still lacking. Cardiometabolic index (CMI) is an integrated index calculated from three vital metabolic indicators, including triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC) and waist height ratio (WHtR)., Objective: This study aims to explore the association between CMI and depression., Methods: Cross-sectional data of participants with complete information of CMI, depression, and other covariates were obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Weighted student's t-test and Chi-square test were used to identify the differences between two groups. Weighted multivariate logistic regression model, restricted cubic spline (RCS) regression analysis, subgroup analysis and interaction tests were conducted to explore the association between CMI and depression. Receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis and area under the curve (AUC) were also utilized to evaluate the performance of CMI in identifying depression., Results: A positive correlation between CMI and depression was observed in 3794 participants included in the study, which was further confirmed to be non-linear via RCS regression analysis, with two significant inflection points being identified, including 0.9522 and 1.58. In the crude or adjusted models, individuals with a CMI level ≥ 0.9522 exhibited remarkably increased risk for developing depression. CMI got an AUC of 0.748 in identifying depression. Subgroup analyses and interaction tests indicate that the association between CMI and depression remained consistent across different subgroups and was not modified by other covariates except drinking. Those who are current drinkers and with a high CMI are more susceptible to suffer depression., Conclusions: An elevated CMI is linked to increased risk for depression. Addressing dyslipidemia and improving lipid levels may potentially lower the risk for depression., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Inadequate antinociception during skull pin fixation may cause hemodynamic instability in intracranial surgery. The optimal concentration of remifentanil to provide adequate antinociception and stable hemodynamics during skull pin fixation under analgesia nociception index monitoring is unknown. This study is to assess the 90% effective concentration of remifentanil for skull pin fixation under hemodynamic and analgesia nociception index monitoring. Twenty-six patients were enrolled for intracranial surgery, anesthesia was induced and maintained under total intravenous anesthesia using target-controlled infusion for remifentanil and propofol under analgesia nociception index and bispectral index monitoring. Skull pin fixation was performed at different effect-site concentrations of remifentanil required for Dixon's up-and-down method with a step size of 0.5 ng/ml under bispectral index 40-60. Inadequate antinociception is defined when either ANI < 30 or > 20% in hemodynamic changes from baseline (e.g. heart rate > 100 beats/min, or blood pressure > 180/100 mmHg) and the effect-site concentration of remifentanil is considered as failure. It is considered success as ANI > 30 and < 20% hemodynamic changes from baseline simultaneously. Seven pairs of failure/success were used for probit analysis. The 90% effective concentration of remifentanil for skull pin fixation with adequate antinociception and hemodynamic stability was 4.7 ng/ml., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The quality of traditional Chinese medicine preparations is directly related to the safety of patients. Among the various factors, the process and corresponding critical equipment are critical factors influencing the quality of the preparations. To improve the quality of traditional Chinese medicine preparations, this article summarizes and analyzes the problems in the process links and corresponding critical equipment in the manufacturing process of traditional Chinese medicine preparations. Furthermore, a critical quality attribute evaluation system is established based on safety and effectiveness combined with the drug properties, preparation process, and preparation characteristics, providing a basis for the process and equipment improvements aimed at quality enhancement.

Processing of Chinese medicinal materials is an important part in the Chinese medicine heritage, and the temperature control in the processing has a direct impact on the quality and efficacy of traditional Chinese medicines. However, the processing of Chinese medicinal materials has the problems of subjective temperature judgement, determination of the end point based on experience, unclear processing mechanism, unstable quality of products, and inconsistent processing standards. The temperature control in the processing is reflected in the appearance and internal quality of Chinese medicinal materials. The theory of quality evaluation through morphological identification is developed based on the comprehensive evaluation of the shape, color, taste, and components, which is associated with the temperature control in the processing. To solve the problems above, this paper puts forward the following solutions. The first is literature mining. By review of the ancient medical works and pharmaceutical experience, the temperature control in processing and the evolution of processing methods can be revealed. Second, according to the ancient method, the processing principle can be explored, on the basis of which the processing technology can be innovated. Third, the standard operating procedure(SOP) should be established to quantify the fire temperature, providing a theoretical basis for the formulation of Chinese medicinal material processing standards. Moreover, it provides a basis for improving the quality of processed products and increasing the safety and effectiveness of traditional Chinese medicines.

Lophatherum gracile Brongn. (L. gracile) is a traditional herb for both medicine and food use, but its digestibility and hepato-protective activity is unknown. Herein we investigated the digestibility and hepato-protective potential of L. gracile leave extract (LGE) using in vitro digestion and alcohol-induced oxidative damage models. Compared to the undigested group, the content of phenolics/flavonoids and the antioxidant activity in LGE generally decreased by 9.30-19.97% in the oral and small intestine phase after digestion, while that increased by 9.96-10.17% in the gastric phase. The main phenolics/flavonoids showed promising stability during digestion and their bio-accessiblity ranged from 67.64% to 84.47%. By reducing cellular reactive oxidative species and malonaldehyde levels, LGE (0.23-0.45 mg/mL) pretreatment significantly ameliorated alcohol-induced oxidative damage in HepG2 cells (P < 0.05), and their survival rate increased from 59.23% to 67.76%. These findings suggested that L. gracile could be used for the development of hepato-protective foods., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Aim: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of perfluoro-n-octane (PFO) for ophthalmic surgery versus F-Octane as an intraoperative tamponade in pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) in management of retinal detachment., Methods: This multicenter, prospective, randomized, double-masked, parallel-controlled, non-inferiority trial was conducted in three ophthalmology clinical centers in China. Patients with retinal detachment, who were eligible for PPV were consecutively enrolled. Participants were assigned to PFO for ophthalmic surgery or F-Octane for intraocular tamponade in a 1:1 ratio. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intraocular pressure (IOP) measurement, and dilated fundus examination were performed preoperatively and at 1, 7±1, 28±3d postoperatively. The primary outcome was complete retinal reattachment rate at postoperative day one. The non-inferiority margin was set at 9.8%. The secondary outcomes included intraoperative retinal reattachment rate, and mean changes in IOP and BCVA from baseline to 1, 7±1, 28±3d postoperatively, respectively. Safety analyses were presented for all randomly assigned participates in this study., Results: Totally 124 eligible patients completed the study between Mar. 14, 2016 and Jun. 7, 2017. Sixty of them were randomly assigned to the PFO for ophthalmic surgery group, and 64 were assigned to the F-Octane group. Baseline characteristics were comparable between the two groups. Both groups achieved 100% retinal reattachment at postoperative day one (difference 0, 95%CI: -6.21% to 5.75%, P =1). The pre-defined noninferiority criterion was met. No significant difference was observed in intraoperative retinal reattachment rate (difference 1.77%, P =0.61), mean changes in IOP (difference 0.36, -0.09, 2.22 mm Hg at 1, 7±1, 28±3d postoperatively, with all P >0.05) and BCVA (difference 0.04, -0.02, 0.06 logMAR at 1, 7±1, 28±3d postoperatively, all P >0.05) between the two groups. No apparent adverse events related to the utilization of PFO were reported., Conclusion: In patients with retinal detachment undergoing PPV, PFO for ophthalmic surgery is non-inferior to F-Octane as an intraocular tamponade, and both are safe and well-tolerated., (International Journal of Ophthalmology Press.)

Background: The effects of anesthesia in patients undergoing thyroid cancer surgery are still not known. We investigated the relationship between the type of anesthesia and patient outcomes following elective thyroid cancer surgery., Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of patients who underwent elective surgical resection for papillary thyroid carcinoma between January 2009 and December 2019. Patients were grouped according to the type of anesthesia they received, desflurane or propofol. A Kaplan-Meier analysis was conducted, and survival/recurrence curves were presented from the date of surgery to death/recurrence. Univariable and multivariable Cox regression models were used to compare hazard ratios for recurrence after propensity matching., Results: A total of 621 patients (22 deaths, 3.5%) under desflurane anesthesia and 588 patients (32 deaths, 5.4%) under propofol anesthesia were included. Five hundred and eighty-eight patients remained in each group after propensity matching. Propofol anesthesia was not associated with better survival compared to desflurane anesthesia in the matched analysis (P = 0.086). However, propofol anesthesia was associated with less recurrence (hazard ratio, 0.38; 95% confidence interval, 0.25-0.56; P < 0.001) in the matched analysis., Conclusions: Propofol anesthesia was associated with less recurrence, but not mortality, following surgery for papillary thyroid carcinoma than desflurane anesthesia. Further prospective investigation is needed to examine the influence of propofol anesthesia on patient outcomes following thyroid cancer surgery., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Chiu et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Two {Cu 2 I 2 } cluster-bearing metal organic frameworks (MOFs) of {[Eu(CuI) 2 (INA) 3 DMF]·0.95DMF} n (Eu-CuI-INA) and {K[(CH 3 ) 2 NH 2 ]Sr 4 (INA) 2 (DMF) 2 {(Cu 2 I 2 ) 2 (INA) 8 }·2H 2 O} n (Sr-K-CuI-INA, HINA = isonicotinic acid, DMF = N , N -dimethyl formamide) were prepared and characterized in this work. Both materials feature a three-dimensional (3-D) structure, in which the {Cu 2 I 2 } clusters and Eu 3+ (or Sr 2+ ) metal ions are coordinated by INA - ligands with pyridine and carboxylic groups, respectively. Impressively, Sr-K-CuI-INA exhibits sensitive fluorescence sensing behaviors towards cysteine and nitro-bearing molecules, demonstrating potential FL sensing applications for bio and explosive molecules. This work would provide a good reference for designing fluorescent MOF probes containing CuI molecules.

Using a batch thermophilic anaerobic system established with 60 mL serum bottles, the mechanism on how microbial enrichments obtained from magnetite-amended paddy soil via repeated batch cultivation affected methane production from acetate was investigated. Magnetite-amended enrichments (MAEs) can improve the methane production rate rather than the methane yield. Compared with magnetite-unamended enrichments, the methane production rate in MAE was improved by 50%, concomitant with the pronounced electrochemical response, high electron transfer capacity, and fast acetate degradation. The promoting effects might be ascribed to direct interspecies electron transfer facilitated by magnetite, where magnetite might function as electron conduits to link the acetate oxidizers (Anaerolineaceae and Peptococcaceae) with methanogens (Methanosarcinaceae). The findings demonstrated the potential application of MAE for boosting methanogenic performance during thermophilic anaerobic digestion.

The 21st century is a highly information-driven era, and traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) pharmacy is also moving towards digitization and informatization. New technologies such as artificial intelligence and big data with information technology as the core are being integrated into various aspects of drug research, manufacturing, evaluation, and application, promoting interaction between these stages and improving the quality and efficiency of TCM preparations. This, in turn, provides better healthcare services to the general population. The deep integration of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data, and cloud computing with the TCM pharmaceutical industry will innovate TCM pharmaceutical technology, accelerate the research and industrialization process of TCM pharmacy, provide cutting-edge technological support to the global scientific community, boost the efficiency of the TCM industry, and promote economic and social development. Drawing from recent developments in TCM pharmacy in China, this paper discussed the current research status and future trends in digital TCM pharmacy, aiming to provide a reference for future research in this field.

Accurate segmentation of industrial CT images is of great significance in industrial fields such as quality inspection and defect analysis. However, reconstruction of industrial CT images often suffers from typical metal artifacts caused by factors like beam hardening, scattering, statistical noise, and partial volume effects. Traditional segmentation methods are difficult to achieve precise segmentation of CT images mainly due to the presence of these metal artifacts. Furthermore, acquiring paired CT image data required by fully supervised networks proves to be extremely challenging. To address these issues, this paper introduces an improved CycleGAN approach for achieving semi-supervised segmentation of industrial CT images. This method not only eliminates the need for removing metal artifacts and noise, but also enables the direct conversion of metal artifact-contaminated images into segmented images without the requirement of paired data. The average values of quantitative assessment of image segmentation performance can reach 0.96645 for Dice Similarity Coefficient(Dice) and 0.93718 for Intersection over Union(IoU). In comparison to traditional segmentation methods, it presents significant improvements in both quantitative metrics and visual quality, provides valuable insights for further research.

Background and Objective: Endothelial cell activation, characterized by increased levels of vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1), plays a crucial role in the development of atherosclerosis (AS). Therefore, inhibition of VCAM-1-mediated inflammatory response is of great significance in the prevention and treatment of AS. The tripartite motif (TRIM) protein-TRIM65 is involved in the regulation of cancer development, antivirals and inflammation. We aimed to study the functions of TRIM65 in regulating endothelial inflammation by interacting with VCAM-1 in atherogenesis., Methods and Results: In vitro , we report that human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) treated with oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) significantly upregulate the expression of TRIM65 in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Overexpression of TRIM65 reduces oxLDL-triggered VCAM-1 protein expression, decreases monocyte adhesion to HUVECs and inhibits the production of the inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α as well as endothelial oxLDL transcytosis. In contrast, siRNA-mediated knockdown of TRIM65 promotes the expression of VCAM-1, resulting in increased adhesion of monocytes and the release of the inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α and enhances endothelial oxLDL transcytosis. In vivo , we measured the high expression of TRIM65 in ApoE -/- mouse aortic plaques compared to C57BL/6J mouse aortic plaques. Then, we examined whether the blood levels of VCAM-1 were higher in TRIM65 knockout ApoE -/- mice than in control mice induced by a Western diet. Furthermore, Western blot results showed that the protein expression of VCAM-1 was markedly enhanced in TRIM65 knockout ApoE -/- mouse aortic tissues compared to that of the controls. Immunofluorescence staining revealed that the expression of VCAM-1 was significantly increased in atherosclerotic plaques of TRIM65 -/- /ApoE -/- aortic vessels compared to ApoE -/- controls. Mechanistically, TRIM65 specifically interacts with VCAM-1 and targets it for K48-linked ubiquitination., Conclusion: Our studies indicate that TRIM65 attenuates the endothelial inflammatory response by targeting VCAM-1 for ubiquitination and provides a potential therapeutic target for the inhibition of endothelial inflammation in AS., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

In the past decades, porous coordination polymers (PCPs) based fluorescent (FL) sensors have received intense attention due to their promising applications. In this work, a soluble Zn-PCP is presented as a sensitive probe towards explosive molecules, chromate, and dichromate ions. In former reports, PCP sensors were usually ground into fine powders and then dispersed in solvents to form FL emulsion for sensing applications. However, their insoluble characters would cause the sensing accuracy which is prone to interference from environmental effects. While in this work, the as-made PCP could be directly soluble in organic solvents to form a clear solution with bright blue emission, representing the first soluble PCP based fluorescence sensor to probe explosive molecules under a homogeneous environment. Moreover, the FL PCP solution also shows sensitive detection behaviors towards the toxic anions of CrO 4 2- and Cr 2 O 7 2- , which exhibit a good linear relationship between the fluorescence intensity of Zn-PCP and the concentrations of both analytes. This work provides a reference for designing task-specific PCP sensors utilized under a homogeneous environment.

Patients with hepatobiliary tumors who accept radiotherapy are at risk for radiation-induced liver fibrosis. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of radiation-induced liver damage and possess potential as novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets. However, the role of miR-146a-5p in radiation-induced liver fibrosis is less well understood. The current study was designed to evaluate the role of miR-146a-5p in radiation-induced liver fibrosis in mice and to investigate the possible mechanisms involved in miR-146a-5p-mediated effects. The experiments were performed on Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) mice which received fractionated radiation (30 Gy in 5 fractions) to the liver. The results show radiation could induce histopathological changes, liver dysfunction and fibrosis accompanied with decreased miR-146a-5p expression. miR-146a-5p agomir treatment resulted in recovery of liver function and reduced the amount of alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), collagen 1, protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor type A (PTPRA) and phosphorylated SRC in the livers of irradiated mice. Therefore, our study reveals that miR-146a-5p inhibits the progression of hepatic fibrosis after radiation treatment. And the beneficial role of miR-146a-5p may be relevant to PTPRA-SRC signaling pathway., (©2023 by Radiation Research Society. All rights of reproduction in any form reserved.)

Purpose: To observe the efficacy and safety of intranasal dexmedetomidine combined with midazolam in cranial magnetic resonance imaging of children., Design: A prospective, observational, single-arm, one-center study., Methods: A total of 474 children were scheduled for cranial 3.0 T MRI at the first time. All patients were initially given 3 mcg/kg dexmedetomidine combined with 0.15 mg/kg midazolam. The one-time success rate, vital signs before and after treatment, onset time, recovery time, and incidence of adverse reactions were recorded., Findings: The one-time success rate was 78.1%. There were significant differences in respiration, heart rate, and blood oxygen saturation before and after treatment (P < .001). The onset time was 10 (8-15) minutes. The average recovery time was 2.58 ± 1.10 hours. Only 1.27% (6 cases) of adverse reactions were observed, including bradycardia (3 cases, 0.6%), tachycardia (1 case, 0.2%), and startle (2 cases, 0.4%). No special treatment was needed. The success of the examination was significantly correlated with age (OR 1.320, 95% CI 1.019-1.710, P = .035) and onset time (OR 0.959, 95% CI 0.921-0.998, P = .038)., Conclusion: Dexmedetomidine 3 mcg/kg combined with midazolam 0.15 mg/kg intranasally has a good sedative effect in pediatric cranial magnetic resonance examinations, little impact on breathing and circulation, and few adverse reactions. Age and onset time are related factors affecting the one-time success rate., (Copyright © 2023 American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Two-dimensional (2D) materials offer a prospect of membranes that combine negligible gas permeability with high proton conductivity and could outperform the existing proton exchange membranes used in various applications including fuel cells. Graphene oxide (GO), a well-known 2D material, facilitates rapid proton transport along its basal plane but proton conductivity across it remains unknown. It is also often presumed that individual GO monolayers contain a large density of nanoscale pinholes that lead to considerable gas leakage across the GO basal plane. Here we show that relatively large, micrometer-scale areas of monolayer GO are impermeable to gases, including helium, while exhibiting proton conductivity through the basal plane which is nearly two orders of magnitude higher than that of graphene. These findings provide insights into the key properties of GO and demonstrate that chemical functionalization of 2D crystals can be utilized to enhance their proton transparency without compromising gas impermeability., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Spray drying technology is one of the most commonly used unit operations in the production of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) preparations, offering advantages such as short drying time and uniform product quality. However, due to the properties of TCM extracts, such as high viscosity, strong hygroscopicity, and poor flowability, there is limited scope to solve the problems of wall adhesion and clumping in spray drying from the macroscopic perspective of pharmaceutical production. Therefore, it has become a trend to study and optimize the spray drying process from the microscopic point of view by investigating single droplet evaporation behavior. Based on the reaction engineering approach(REA), the single droplet drying system, as a novel method for studying droplets, collects parameter data on individual TCM droplets during the drying process and uses the REA to process the data and establish predictive models. This approach is crucial for understanding the mechanism of TCM spray drying. This paper summarized and analyzed the cha-racteristics of various single droplet systems, the application of REA in single droplet drying systems, and its significance in optimizing the process, predicting drying states, and shortening the development cycle in the field of TCM spray drying, and looked ahead to the prospects of this method, including the introduction of new parameters and imaging techniques, aiming to provide a reference for further research in the field of TCM spray drying.

Objective: To analyze the oral phenotype and gene variation of children with hypophosphatasia (HPP), and explore the genotype-phenotype correlations. Methods: Eight children diagnosed with HPP from January 2008 to January 2023 in Children's Hospital,Zhejiang University School of Medicine were recruited in this study. The pathogenic genes of 5 of them were sequentially analyzed and all of their oral manifestations, laboratory tests and genetic variation types were retrospectively analyzed. Results: A total of 8 children were recruited in the study, 3 males and 5 females, aged from 20 months to 104 months, whose main complaints were premature deciduous tooth loss. Among them, 3 children were diagnosed with odonto HPP, and the other 5 children were diagnosed with childhood HPP, including 2 children was odonto HPP at the first diagnosis and modified as childhood HPP at the age of 5. The age range of first deciduous tooth loss is 9 to 18 months, and the age range of diagnosis is 20 to 104 months. The patients of odonto HPP only showed premature loss of deciduous anterior tooth, while the patients with childhood HPP also showed premature loss of multiple deciduous molars. Panoramic radiographic film revealed enlarged pulp chambers and radicular canals in some primary and permanent teeth. The enamel hypoplasia, hypoplastic short roots, and alveolar resorption of deciduous molar were observed in some cases. The serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) (30-107 U/L) levels of all the patients were lower than that in the normal children of same age and gender, and the ALP value of the 1-3 years old girls with childhood HPP (30-33 U/L) was lower than that of the three children with odonto HPP (61-107 U/L), but there was no significant difference in statistical analysis. There were 8 variation sites of ALP liver/bone/kidney (ALPL) gene detected in 5 children and their families, all of which were missense variation, including the new variants in the mutations of c.1334C>G(p.Ser445Cys) and c.1259G>T(p.Gly420Val) that were not reported in the literature. One case was autosomal dominant inheritance and other 4 cases were complex heterozygous variation with autosomal recessive inheritance. Conclusions: Pediatric stomatologists are often the first doctors to detect childhood and odonto HPP. Diagnosis of mild HPP is often delayed. The severity of HPP is related to serum ALP level and ALPL gene mutation sites.

Herein, we present a new series of CuI-based hybrid materials with tunable structures and semiconducting properties. The CuI inorganic modules can be tailored into a one-dimensional (1D) chain and two-dimensional (2D) layer and confined/stabilized in coordination frameworks of potassium isonicotinic acid (HINA) and its derivatives (HINA-R, R = OH, NO 2 , and COOH). The resulting CuI-based hybrid materials exhibit interesting semiconducting behaviors associated with the dimensionality of the inorganic module; for instance, the structures containing the 2D-CuI module demonstrate significantly enhanced photoconductivity with a maximum increase of five orders of magnitude compared to that of the structures containing the 1D-CuI module. They also represent the first CuI-bearing hybrid chemiresistive gas sensors for NO 2 with boosted sensing performance and sensitivity at multiple orders of magnitude over that of the pristine CuI. Particularly, the sensing ability of CuI-K-INA containing both 1D- and 2D-CuI modules is comparable to those of the best NO 2 chemiresistors reported thus far.

In recent years, continuous manufacturing technology has attracted considerable attention in the pharmaceutical industry. This technology is highly sought after for its significant advantages in cost reduction, increased efficiency, and improved productivity, making it a growing trend in the future of the pharmaceutical industry. Compared to traditional batch production methods, continuous manufacturing technology features real-time control and environmentally friendly intelligence, enabling pharmaceutical companies to produce drugs more efficiently. However, the adoption of continuous manufacturing technology has been slow in the field of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) pharmaceuticals. On the one hand, there is insufficient research on continuous manufacturing equipment and technology that align with the characteristics of TCM preparations. On the other hand, the scarcity of talent with diverse expertise hampers its development. Therefore, in order to promote the modernization and upgrading of the TCM pharmaceutical industry, this article combined the current development status of the TCM industry to outline the development status and regulatory requirements of continuous manufacturing technology. At the same time, it analyzed the problems with existing TCM manufacturing models and explored the prospects and challenges of applying continuous manufacturing technology in the field of TCM pharmaceuticals. The analysis focused on continuous manufacturing control strategies, technical tools, and pharmaceutical equipment, aiming to provide targeted recommendations to drive the development of the TCM pharmaceutical industry.

With the rapid development of computer technology, numerical simulation has gradually become an important method to study drying process and improve drying equipment. Using computer to simulate the drying process of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) is characterized by intuitiveness, scientificity, and low cost, which serves as an auxiliary means for technical innovation in TCM drying. This paper summarizes the theories of different drying methods and the research status of numerical simulation in drying, introduces the modeling methods and software of numerical simulation, and expounds the significance of numerical simulation modeling in shortening the research and development cycle, improving drying equipment, and optimizing drying parameters. However, the current numerical simulation method for drying process has problems, such as low accuracy, lack of quantitative indicators for the control of simulation results on the process, and insufficient in-depth research on the mechanism of drug quality changes. Furthermore, this paper put forward the application prospect of numerical simulation in TCM drying, providing reference for the further study of numerical simulation in this field.

Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest None.