Information processing for intelligent diagnosis of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), an important part of the modernization of Chinese medicine, attracts world wide attention from the science circle. This article presents a systematic introduction to the development of information technology, especially the processing of pulse and tongue images and systems of computer-aided Chinese medical diagnosis. Furthermore, it points out four essential areas of future research, including epistemic logic system of syndrome differentiation, system construction technology, data miming technology and information acquisition and analysis in TCM diagnosis.

Objective To realize objectification and detailed quantification of palpation.Metbods A kind of automatic palpation device was developed to meet the needs of safeand easy operation,technique simulation,and multi-parameter monitoring in real time.Results This device mainly consisted of programmable controller and its analog-to-digital converter module,mechanical positioning device,pressing device,force testing device and hand-held touch screen,and it was designed to be operated by attenders independently.The device could collect multiple data including force,time and distance in the process of palpation,and monitor the force thresholds of pressing responses at all levels to achieve desired effects.Conclusion This device can be used in the automatic palpation for suitable body areas,especially in the comprehensive observation of acupoint-pressing responses or soft tissue tenderness.

Objective To extract the specific symptoms of TCM syndromes of chronic fatigue (CF). Methods Epidemiological cluster sampling method was used in this trial. Totally 782 cases of CF patients were selected from universities,secondary schools,primary schools and hospitals of southern Fujian province. The subjects filled in "Scale of Clinical Symptoms of Chronic Fatigue" to record the clinical data of symptoms,tongue,and pulse for the diagnosis of specific TCM symptoms. The random forest (RF) method was adopted to encode the 95 symptoms extracted from the above-mentioned scale to select the main symptoms of common syndromes of CF and to measure the contribution of symptoms to the syndromes. Results Symptom groups of 4 syndromes of CF were achieved. Spleen deficiency syndrome:abdominal distention after eating or in afternoon,loss of appetite,sallow completion,loose stools,and emaciation; Heart deficiency syndrome:palpitation,chest fullness,thready pulse,insomnia or dream-disturbed sleep,and forgetfulness; Liver stagnation syndrome:hot temper or depression,sighing,bitter taste,dry throat,and string-taut pulse; Qi deficiency syndrome:swollen tongue with toothprints,shortness of breath,abrupt breathing,inactive talking,and spontaneous sweating. When the symptoms were inputted to the models,the model prediction accuracy was 96.13%,94.75%,95.89%,and 94.26% respectively. Conclusion The RF method has a good classification function on the syndromes of CF. Spleen deficiency syndrome,heart deficiency syndrome,liver stagnation syndrome,and qi deficiency syndrome are commonly appeared syndromes,each of them is provided with its own specific symptoms.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the therapeutic effects of Chinese materia medica in treating patients with different syndromes by tongue image analysis software 1.0 based on tongue colors, and to discuss the feasibility of applying this computer science-based techniques into drug evaluation. METHODS: The tongue colors and the areas of tongue fur were examined and analyzed by the tongue image analysis software 1.0 in healthy persons and the patients with different syndromes before and after treatment. The parameters of tongue colors consisted of the followings: the hue (H), the lightness (L), the saturation (S), and the values of red (R), green (G) and blue (B). RESULTS: Obvious differences could be revealed in tongue color index between the healthy persons and the patients in five groups of different syndromes. There also existed some significant differences in those index between patients before and after treatment. CONCLUSION: The tongue image analysis software 1.0 based on tongue colors is helpful to evaluate the therapeutic effects of Chinese materia medica.

AIM: To study the effects of [8-(diethylamino) octyl-3, 4, 5 -trimethoxybenzoate] (TMB-8), an intracellular Ca2+ antagonist, on the activation, proliferation and cell-cycle distribution of the mouse T lymphocytes stimulated by concanvalin A (Con A) in vitro. METHODS: After stimulated with Con A, T cells were treated with different concentrations of TMB-8 alone and its combination with cyclosporine A (CsA). The expression of CD69, the early marker of CD3+ T cell activation, was measured by FACS. The proliferation-related index was determined by carboxyl fluorescin diacetate succinmidyl ester (CFDA-SE) flow cytometry. The cell-cycle distribution was analyzed by propidium iodide staining.RESULTS: After 6 h culture, the activation rate of CD69+ T cell in Con A group was (74.88?1.88)%. 10, 20 and 40 ?mol/L of TMB-8 inhibited the expression of CD69 (P

OBJECTIVE: To establish a supplementary diagnostic indicator (infrared radiant intensity) in tongue diagnosis of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in patients with hyperplasia of mammary glands through correlation analysis of infrared radiant intensity between hyperplastic breast tissue and tongue surface. METHODS: Infrared radiant intensity of the hyperplastic breast tissue and different points on tongue surface in 20 cases of hyperplasia of mammary glands with liver-energy stagnation and phlegm retention syndrome and 16 cases of hyperplasia of mammary glands with irregular thoroughfare and conception vessels syndrome were measured with external infrared spectrometer PHE-201 made by Shanghai Institute of Technical Physics. Correlation of infrared radiant intensity between the hyperplastic breast tissue and the different points on tongue surface was assessed by using bivariate correlation analysis. RESULTS: The results showed that the numbers of positive correlated wave bands of infrared radiant intensity between the hyperplastic breast tissue and different detected points on tongue surface in the patients with liver-energy stagnation and phlegm retention syndrome and irregular thoroughfare and conception vessels syndrome were 127 (83.55%) and 71 (46.71%), respectively. Infrared radiant intensity between the hyperplastic breast tissue and the tongue surface had a positive correlation. CONCLUSION: Infrared radiant intensity can be used as one of supplementary diagnostic indicators in TCM tongue diagnosis of hyperplasia of mammary glands.

This paper presents a medical image acquisition and analysis method-TRM (Topology Resolve-Map) Model-under natural light condition indoors. Firstly, in accordance to medical image color characteristics, a colorful and grayscale color control patch was made for use as supervised color. "Topology Resolve-Map-Restoration" was carried on in LAB color space of the one-dimensional L* space and the two-dimensional a* b* space. Then, L* value was regulated by subsection regulation and a* b* value was regulated by triangulation topological cutting--close in on center of gravity method. After correction of the 198 color blocks in 22 pictures, the results showed that, by comparison with the standard value, the deltaL*, deltaC* and deltaE decreased significantly (P < 0.01) after correction by TRM. After correction, the difference in image's color is reduced, the color saturation is improved and the value is closer to true value. TRM model can significantly reduce the color difference of the medical image under natural light condition; it has a good effect on color correction.
Artificial Intelligence ; Calibration ; Color ; standards ; Humans ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ; methods ; Pattern Recognition, Automated ; methods ; Photography ; instrumentation ; methods

This study was aimed to investigate the effect of visceral pain and water metabolism on irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea (IBS-D) model rats by moxibustion and its products. A total of 40 SD rats were randomly di-vided into the normal group, model group, moxibustion group, non-smoke moxibustion group, and moxa smoke group. IBS-D model was induced by colorectal distension with an inflatable balloon. The general condition of rats was ob-served. Visceral pain was assessed by abdominal withdrawal reflex (AWR) scores. The immunohistochemical method was used in the detection of claudin-1, AQP3, AQP8 and Na+/K+-ATPase protein expression. The results showed that compared with the normal group, the AWR scores, claudin-1, AQP3, AQP8 and Na+/K+-ATPase protein expres-sion in the colon were decreased in the model group (P < 0.01). The stool was loose, which was on hair around the anus. After moxibustion, non-smoke moxibustion and moxa smoke stimulation, the stool conditions of IBS-D model rats were improved. The AWR scores were decreased in different degrees (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Except Na+/K+-ATPase, expressions of claudin-1, AQP3 and AQP8 in colon were increased in different degrees (P < 0.05 or P <0.01). The comprehensive therapeutic effect showed that moxibustion was better than non-smoke moxibustion; and non-smoke moxibustion was better than moxa smoke stimulation. It was concluded that the combination of warm stimulation, optical radiation and moxa smoke induced best effect in improving visceral pain and water metabolism on IBS-D model rats. Among them, warm stimulation and optical radiation may play the main role.

Based on summarizing the physical features to describe the sphygmus information in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), this paper surveys the methodologies of sphygmus measuring, such as single-probe measurement and multi-probe measurement based on pressure sensors, as well as measurement methods based on non-pressure sensors. It is concluded that to achieve the comprehensiveness on the sphygmus information measurement and analysis, researchers need to do further studies of the underlying mechanism and the information properties of the sphygmus. In addition, the sphygmus system should be modeled physically and mathematically.
Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted ; methods ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods ; standards ; Models, Biological ; Pulse

BACKGROUND: Cutaneous wound healing represents a common fundamental phenomenon requiring the participation of cells of distinct types and a major concern for the public. Evidence has confirmed that photobiomodulation (PBM) using near-infrared (NIR) can promote wound healing, but the cells involved and the precise molecular mechanisms remain elusive. METHODS: Full-thickness skin defects with a diameter of 1.0 cm were made on the back of rats and randomly divided into the control group, 10 J, 15 J, and 30 J groups. The wound healing rate at days 4, 8, and 12 postoperatively was measured. HE and Masson staining was conducted to reveal the histological characteristics. Immunofluorescence staining was performed to label the epidermal stem cells (ESCs) and hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs). Western blot was performed to detect the expressions of proteins associated with ESCs and HFSCs. Cutaneous wound tissues were collected for RNA sequencing. Gene ontology and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis was performed, and the hub genes were identified using CytoHubba and validated by qRT-PCR. RESULTS: PBM can promote reepithelialization, extracellular matrix deposition, and wound healing, increase the number of KRT14+/PCNA+ ESCs and KRT15+/PCNA+ HFSCs, and upregulate the protein expression of P63, Krt14, and PCNA. Three hundred and sixty-six differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 7 hub genes including Sox9, Krt5, Epcam, Cdh1, Cdh3, Dsp, and Pkp3 were identified. These DEGs are enriched in skin development, cell junction, and cadherin binding involved in cell–cell adhesion etc., while these hub genes are related to skin derived stem cells and cell adhesion. CONCLUSION PBM accelerates wound healing by enhancing reepithelialization through promoting ESCs and HFSCs proliferation and elevating the expression of genes associated with stem cells and cell adhesion. This may provide a valuable alternative strategy to promote wound healing and reepithelialization by modulating the proliferation of skin derived stem cells and regulating genes related to cell adhesion.