Stroke is the leading cause of death and disability among adults in China， and its common complications include digestive system abnormalities， cognitive impairment， depression， stroke-associated pneumonia， and hemiplegia. The combination of traditional Chinese and Western medicine has great potential in treating post-stroke complications. Xinglou Chengqitang （XLCQT） is a representative prescription of alleviating the disease in the upper part by treating the lower part. It has definite therapeutic effect and high safety. Clinically， XLCQT is often used to treat stroke and its complications. However， the quantity and quality of clinical trials of XLCQT in treating post-stroke complications need to be improved. Additionally， since the basic research is weak， the material basis and multi-target mechanism for the efficacy of this prescription are unknown. This article reviews XLCQT in terms of the pharmacodynamic basis， medicinal properties， safety evaluation， and progress in clinical research and mechanisms in treating post-stroke complications. This article summarizes 22 key active ingredients of XLCQT in treating acute stroke complicated with syndrome of phlegm heat and fu-organ excess. Among these key active ingredients， resveratrol， kaempferol， luteolin， chrysoeriol， apigenin， （+）-catechin， and adenosine have good pharmacokinetic properties and high bioavailability. The mechanisms of XLCQT in treating post-stroke complications are complex， including inflammatory response， brain-gut axis， hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal （HPA） axis， intestinal flora， neurotrophic factors， autophagy， oxidative stress， and free radical damage. This review helps to deeply understand the pharmacodynamic basis and mechanisms of XLCQT in treating post-stroke complications and provides a theoretical basis for the clinical application of XLCQT against post-stroke complications and the development of drugs.

Diabetic kidney disease（DKD） is a chronic kidney structural and functional disorder caused by diabetes. With the global prevalence of diabetes continuing to rise， DKD has gradually become a major cause of chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease（ESRD）， posing a serious threat to patients' quality of life and long-term health outcomes. Studies have shown that apoptosis plays a pivotal role in the development and progression of DKD， with its mechanisms involving abnormal activation of multiple signaling pathways such as Toll-like receptor 4（TLR4）/nuclear transcription factor-κB（NF-κB）/B-cell lymphoma-2（Bcl-2）/cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteinase（Caspase）-3， protein kinase R-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase（PERK）/eukaryotic initiation factor 2α（eIF2α）/activating transcript factor 4（ATF4）/CCAAT enhancer-binding protein homologous protein（CHOP）， phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase（PI3K）/protein kinase B（Akt）/glycogen synthase kinase-3β（GSK-3β）， Janus kinase 2（JAK2）/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3（STAT3）， adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase（AMPK）/mammalian target of rapamycin（mTOR） and silent information regulator 1（SIRT1）/tumor suppressor protein 53（p53）， thereby accelerating renal pathological damage in DKD. Extensive evidence-based medical studies have confirmed that traditional Chinese medicine（TCM）， leveraging its unique therapeutic advantages of multi-target， multi-component and multi-pathway approaches， has demonstrated remarkable efficacy and favorable safety profiles in treating DKD. Recent studies have demonstrated that active components of TCM can specifically target and modulate key effectors in apoptotic signaling pathways. Meanwhile， traditional compound formulations exert synergistic effects through multiple approaches such as replenishing deficiency and activating blood circulation， detoxifying and dredging collaterals， tonifying kidney essence， and removing stasis and purging turbidity， thereby comprehensively regulating critical pathological processes including endoplasmic reticulum stress and mitochondrial apoptosis pathways. This combined therapeutic approach of molecular targeting and holistic regulation provides novel strategies for delaying the progression of DKD. Based on this， this paper provides an in-depth analysis of key apoptotic signaling pathways and their regulatory mechanisms， while systematically summarizing recent research advances regarding the therapeutic effects of TCM active components， compound formulations， and proprietary Chinese medicines on DKD through modulation of these pathways， with particular emphasis on their underlying molecular mechanisms. These findings not only elucidate the modern scientific connotation and theoretical basis of TCM in treating DKD but also establish a solid theoretical and practical foundation for promoting the wider clinical application and further research of TCM in the field of DKD treatment.

Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） diagnostics is a discipline that studies the basic theories and fundamental skills of diagnostic methods， disease diagnosis， and differentiation in accordance with the theories of TCM. The artificial intelligence （AI） technology has gained remarkable achievements in the intelligentization of the four diagnostic methods in TCM and the standardization of differentiation and diagnosis. However， it still faces many challenges. The standardization of clinical data collection is difficult， and the data quality is uneven， which affects the usability of the data. The integration of the four diagnostic information is insufficient. Most instruments can only collect data from a single diagnostic method， lacking overall integrity. The scientific nature of the diagnostic model needs to be improved. The existing models lack dynamics and the reasoning logic of TCM differentiation. The accuracy of intelligent methods needs to be improved， and the existing evaluation indicators cannot fully reflect the practical application effect of the model. Furthermore， the relevant laws and regulations are still not perfect， and data security and patient privacy lack guarantees. The cultivation of compound talents is insufficient， and there is a lack of interdisciplinary talents who are proficient in both TCM and AI. On this basis， this paper expounded on the current development status， difficulties， and bottlenecks of AI in TCM diagnosis and then explored the development trend of AI in the field of TCM diagnosis. It proposed solutions such as optimizing the data collection process， constructing multimodal diagnostic models， facilitating multi-disciplinary exchanges and cooperation， improving laws and regulations， and cultivating compound talents. It is hoped that modern， standardized， normalized， and intelligent TCM diagnosis can be further promoted， thereby providing new impetus and methods for the inheritance and innovation of TCM.

Chronic heart failure （CHF） is a group of complex clinical syndromes caused by abnormal changes in the structure and/or function of the heart due to various reasons， resulting in disorders of ventricular contraction and/or diastole. CHF is a condition where primary diseases such as coronary heart disease， hypertension and pulmonary heart disease recur frequently and persist for a long time， presenting blood stasis in meridians and collaterals， stagnation of water and dampness， and accumulation of Qi in collaterals. Its pathogenesis is complex and may involve myocardial energy metabolism disorders， oxidative stress responses， myocardial cell apoptosis， autophagy， inflammatory responses， etc. According to the theory of restraining hyperactivity to acquire harmony， we believe that under normal circumstances， the adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase （AMPK） signaling pathway functions normally， maintaining human physiological activities and energy metabolism. Under pathological conditions， the AMPK signaling pathway is abnormal， causing energy metabolism disorders， inflammatory responses， and myocardial fibrosis. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） can regulate the AMPK signaling pathway through multiple mechanisms， targets， and effects， effectively curbing the occurrence and development of CHF. It has gradually become a research hotspot in the prevention and treatment of this disease. Guided by the theory of TCM， our research group， through literature review， summarized the relationship between the AMPK pathway and CHF and reviewed the research progress in the prevention and control of CHF with TCM active ingredients， TCM compound prescriptions， and Chinese patent medicines via regulating the AMPK pathway. The review aims to clarify the mechanism and targets of TCM in the treatment of CHF by regulating the AMPK pathway and guide the clinical treatment and drug development for CHF.

The ethical review of clinical research involving mental disorders in the ethical governance of scientific and technological has obvious particularities， especially in the field of artificial intelligence and brain-computer interfaces which are reflected in the impact on mental autonomy， the impaired informed consent ability of participants with severe mental disorders in research， and other aspects. In addition， the stigma of illness， the use of placebo， and psychological assessment methods in clinical research have also drawn attention to the ethical review of psychiatry. In 2020， the Beijing Municipal Health Commission issued the Guidelines for Ethical Review of Clinical Research Involving Mental Disorders （Guidelines）. Shen Yucun’s Psychiatry， compiled in 2023， revised the application of the Guidelines in the context of ethical governance. An analysis was conducted on the purpose and significance of its issuance and revision， its scope of application， the principal responsibility of ethical review in medical and health institutions， and the key content of ethical review in psychiatry， to improve the quality of ethical review in clinical research involving mental disorders and promote the standardized development of clinical research in psychiatry.

Objective:To investigate the clinical value of puncture biopsy for the diagnosis of vessels that encapsulate tumor clusters (VETC) and macrotrabecular-massive (MTM) subtypes of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Methods:One hundred and eighty-four patients with HCC who underwent surgical resection at the Fifth Medical Centre of Chinses PLA General Hospital from November 2023 to July 2024 were prospectively collected, including 154 males and 30 females, aged (57.1±8.6) years. By simulating the clinical puncture procedure, puncture biopsy tissue specimens were obtained postoperatively from the patient's isolated tumors. The puncture biopsies and surgical resection specimens were stained with HE and CD34, and evaluated for VETC and MTM. Patients were divided into two groups based on the histopathological VETC results of surgically resected specimens: the VETC-positive group ( n=41) and the VETC-negative group ( n=143); and two groups based on the histopathological MTM results of surgically resected specimens: the MTM-positive group ( n=39) and the MTM-negative group ( n=145). Clinical data such as gender, age, tumor length, and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) were recorded. Logistic regression analysis was performed to screen the risk factors of VETC and MTM. Evaluating the diagnostic efficacy of puncture biopsy for VETC and MTM. Results:The results of multivariable logistic analysis showed that puncture biopsy VETC-positive ( OR=63.97, 95% CI: 16.28-251.29), grade of M2 microvascular invasion ( OR=5.07, 95% CI: 1.31-19.59) and tumor length ≥5 cm ( OR=3.42, 95% CI: 1.11-10.52) were the risk factors for VETC-positive (all P<0.05); whereas the risk factors for MTM-positive were only puncture biopsy MTM-positive ( OR=34.78, 95% CI: 12.06-100.29, P<0.001). Puncture biopsy correctly diagnosed VETC subtype in 163 patients with a diagnostic accuracy of 0.89, sensitivity of 0.61, specificity of 0.97, positive predictive value (PPV) of 0.83, and negative predictive value (NPV) of 0.90; MTM subtype was correctly diagnosed in 164 patients with a diagnostic accuracy of 0.89, sensitivity of 0.72, specificity of 0.94, PPV of 0.76, and NPV of 0.93. Using the three indicators of puncture biopsy diagnosis, tumor length and AFP level as a combined indicator, the accuracy to diagnose VETC was 0.83, sensitivity was 0.71, specificity was 0.87, PPV was 0.60, and NPV was 0.91; and the combined indicator diagnosis of MTM had a diagnostic accuracy of 0.85, a sensitivity of 0.82, specificity of 0.86, PPV of 0.68 and NPV of 0.95. Conclusion:Puncture biopsy has high specificity and accuracy in the diagnosis of VETC and MTM subtypes, but the sensitivity is relatively limited, and the role of puncture combined with clinical factors in improving diagnostic efficacy is limited.

Objective To explore the mechanism of Shuangshu Decoction(SSD)for inhibiting growth of gastric cancer xenografts in nude mice.Methods Network pharmacology analysis was conducted to identify the common targets of SSD and gastric cancer cell ferroptosis,and bioinformatics analysis and molecular docking were used to validate the core targets.In the cell experiment,AGS cells were treated with SSD-medicated serum,Fer-1(a ferroptosis inhibitor),or both,and the changes in cell viability,ferroptosis markers(ROS,Fe2+and GSH),expressions of P53,SLC7A11 and GPX4,and mitochondrial morphology were examined.In a nude mouse model bearing gastric cancer xenografts,the effects of gavage with SSD,intraperitoneal injection of Fer-1,or their combination on tumor volume/weight,histopathology,and expressions of P53,SLC7A11 and GPX4 levels were evaluated.Results The active components in SSD(quercetin and wogonin)showed strong binding affinities to P53.In AGS cells,SSD treatment dose-dependently inhibited cell proliferation,increased ROS and Fe2+levels,upregulated P53 expression,and downregulated the expressions of SLC7A11 and GPX4,but these effects were effectively attenuated by Fer-1 treatment.SSD also induced mitochondrial shrinkage and increased the membrane density,which were alleviated by Fer-1.In the tumor-bearing mouse models,gavage with SSD significantly reduced tumor size and weight,caused tumor cell necrosis,upregulated P53 and downregulated SLC7A11 and GPX4 expression in the tumor tissue,and these effects were obviously mitigated by Fer-1 treatment.Conclusion SSD inhibits gastric cancer growth in nude mice by inducing cell ferroptosis via the P53/SLC7A11/GPX4 axis.

Objective:To investigate the clinical value of puncture biopsy for the diagnosis of vessels that encapsulate tumor clusters (VETC) and macrotrabecular-massive (MTM) subtypes of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Methods:One hundred and eighty-four patients with HCC who underwent surgical resection at the Fifth Medical Centre of Chinses PLA General Hospital from November 2023 to July 2024 were prospectively collected, including 154 males and 30 females, aged (57.1±8.6) years. By simulating the clinical puncture procedure, puncture biopsy tissue specimens were obtained postoperatively from the patient's isolated tumors. The puncture biopsies and surgical resection specimens were stained with HE and CD34, and evaluated for VETC and MTM. Patients were divided into two groups based on the histopathological VETC results of surgically resected specimens: the VETC-positive group ( n=41) and the VETC-negative group ( n=143); and two groups based on the histopathological MTM results of surgically resected specimens: the MTM-positive group ( n=39) and the MTM-negative group ( n=145). Clinical data such as gender, age, tumor length, and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) were recorded. Logistic regression analysis was performed to screen the risk factors of VETC and MTM. Evaluating the diagnostic efficacy of puncture biopsy for VETC and MTM. Results:The results of multivariable logistic analysis showed that puncture biopsy VETC-positive ( OR=63.97, 95% CI: 16.28-251.29), grade of M2 microvascular invasion ( OR=5.07, 95% CI: 1.31-19.59) and tumor length ≥5 cm ( OR=3.42, 95% CI: 1.11-10.52) were the risk factors for VETC-positive (all P<0.05); whereas the risk factors for MTM-positive were only puncture biopsy MTM-positive ( OR=34.78, 95% CI: 12.06-100.29, P<0.001). Puncture biopsy correctly diagnosed VETC subtype in 163 patients with a diagnostic accuracy of 0.89, sensitivity of 0.61, specificity of 0.97, positive predictive value (PPV) of 0.83, and negative predictive value (NPV) of 0.90; MTM subtype was correctly diagnosed in 164 patients with a diagnostic accuracy of 0.89, sensitivity of 0.72, specificity of 0.94, PPV of 0.76, and NPV of 0.93. Using the three indicators of puncture biopsy diagnosis, tumor length and AFP level as a combined indicator, the accuracy to diagnose VETC was 0.83, sensitivity was 0.71, specificity was 0.87, PPV was 0.60, and NPV was 0.91; and the combined indicator diagnosis of MTM had a diagnostic accuracy of 0.85, a sensitivity of 0.82, specificity of 0.86, PPV of 0.68 and NPV of 0.95. Conclusion:Puncture biopsy has high specificity and accuracy in the diagnosis of VETC and MTM subtypes, but the sensitivity is relatively limited, and the role of puncture combined with clinical factors in improving diagnostic efficacy is limited.

The incidence of cancer continues to rise, and improving treatment outcomes and quality of life for cancer patients has become a major goal. Death anxiety is prevalent throughout the entire disease trajectory of cancer patients. It not only severely impairs their psychological well-being and quality of life but also undermines treatment confidence and rational decision-making. Therefore, it warrants significant clinical attention. This paper reviews the current status of assessment, influencing factors, and intervention strategies for death anxiety in cancer patients, aiming to provide a reference for healthcare professionals.

Objective To investigate the role of Glycoprotein non-metastatic melanoma protein B(GPNMB)in hypoxia-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT)in human chorionic trophoblast HTR-8/SVneo cells.Methods HTR-8/SVneo cells were cultured in vitro to investigate the effect of hypoxia on GPNMB expression.The cells were transfected with either a GPNMB overexpression plasmid(pcDNA3.1-GPNMB),small interfering RNA targeting GPNMB(si-GPNMB-1/2),or their respective negative controls(pcDNA3.1-NC or si-NC),and were also treated with the autophagy agonist rapamycin(Rap).The experimental groups were categorized as follows:Normoxia,Hypoxia,Normoxia/Hypoxia+si-NC or si-GPNMB,Normoxia/Hypoxia+pcDNA3.1-NC or pcDNA3.1-GPNMB,Normoxia/Hypoxia+Rap,and Hypoxia+Rap+pcDNA3.1-NC or pcDNA3.1-GPNMB.GPNMB expression levels were evaluated using qRT-PCR,Western blotting,and immunofluorescence staining.The expression of autophagy-related proteins(LC3B Ⅱ/Ⅰ,p62)and epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT)markers(E-cadherin,N-cadherin)was analyzed by Western blotting.Cell migration and invasion capacities were assessed using wound healing and Transwell assays.Results Compared with the Normoxia group,the mRNA and protein levels of GPNMB were downregulated in the Hypoxia group.Additionally,the protein levels of p62 and N-cadherin were reduced,while LC3B Ⅱ/Ⅰ and E-cadherin expression levels were increased(P<0.05).Compared with the Hypoxia+si-NC group,the Hypoxia+si-GPNMB-2 group showed significantly decreased protein levels of p62 and N-cadherin,along with elevated levels of LC3B Ⅱ/Ⅰ and E-cadherin(P<0.05).Compared with the Hypoxia+pcDNA3.1-NC group,the Hypoxia+pcDNA3.1-GPNMB group exhibited opposite trends.Notably,compared with the Hypoxia group,the Hypoxia+Rap group showed increased LC3B Ⅱ/Ⅰ and E-cadherin levels,accompanied by reduced p62 and N-cadherin levels(P<0.05).However,compared with the Hypoxia+pcDNA3.1-GPNMB group,the Hypoxia+Rap+pcDNA3.1-GPNMB group attenuated the promoting effect of GPNMB overexpression on EMT in HTR-8/SVneo cells,as evidenced by decreased p62 and N-cadherin protein expression levels and increased LC3BⅡ/Ⅰ and E-cadherin protein expression levels(P<0.05).Conclusion In hypoxia-induced HTR-8/SVneo cells,GPNMB inhibits autophagy,promotes the epithelial-mesenchymal transition,and enhances cell migration and invasion.