To explore the advantages of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） and integrative TCM-Western medicine approaches in the treatment of diabetic microvascular complications （DMC）， refine key pathophysiological insights and treatment principles， and promote academic innovation and strategic research planning in the prevention and treatment of DMC. The 38th session of the Expert Salon on Diseases Responding Specifically to Traditional Chinese Medicine， hosted by the China Association of Chinese Medicine， was held in Beijing， 2024. Experts in TCM， Western medicine， and interdisciplinary fields convened to conduct a systematic discussion on the pathogenesis， diagnostic and treatment challenges， and mechanism research related to DMC， ultimately forming a consensus on key directions. Four major research recommendations were proposed. The first is addressing clinical bottlenecks in the prevention and control of DMC by optimizing TCM-based evidence evaluation systems. The second is refining TCM core pathogenesis across DMC stages and establishing corresponding "disease-pattern-time" framework. The third is innovating mechanism research strategies to facilitate a shift from holistic regulation to targeted intervention in TCM. The fourth is advancing interdisciplinary collaboration to enhance the role of TCM in new drug development， research prioritization， and guideline formulation. TCM and integrative approaches offer distinct advantages in managing DMC. With a focus on the diseases responding specifically to TCM， strengthening evidence-based support and mechanism interpretation and promoting the integration of clinical care and research innovation will provide strong momentum for the modernization of TCM and the advancement of national health strategies.

ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanism of Yangxin Tongmai Formula （养心通脉方， YTF） in trea-ting coronary heart disease with blood stasis syndrome based on DNA methylation. MethodsSeventy-two SD rats were randomly divided into a control group （n=12） and a modeling group （n=60）. The modeling group was subjected to a high-fat diet， intragastric administration of vitamin D3， and subcutaneous injection of isoprenaline to establish the rat model of coronary heart disease with blood stasis syndrome. Forty-one successfully modeled rats were then randomly allocated into model group， YTF low-， medium-， and high-dose groups， and the atorvastatin calcium group， with 8 rats in each group and 1 rat reserved. The YTF low-， medium-， and high-dose groups received YTF at 6， 12， and 18 g/（kg·d） by gavage， respectively. The atorvastatin calcium group received atorvastatin calcium tablets at 1.8 mg/（kg·d） by gavage. The control group and the model group received 0.9% sodium chloride injection at 4 ml/（kg·d） by gavage. All administrations were performed once daily for 3 weeks. Twenty-four hours after the last administration， serum lipid levels including total cholesterol （TC）， triglycerides （TG）， low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C）， and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL-C）， myocardial enzymes including cardiac troponin T （cTnT）， creatine kinase MB （CK-MB）， and lactate dehydrogenase （LDH）， and inflammatory factors including interleukin-1β （IL-1β） and interleukin-10 （IL-10） were detected by ELISA. Pathological changes in myocardial tissue were observed via HE staining. Whole blood DNA methylation sequencing was used to analyze differential methylation gene expression among the control group， model group， and YTF high-dose group. Western Blotting was used to verify the protein levels of the key genes and downstream signaling pathways. ResultsCompared to the control group， the model group showed increased levels of TC， TG， LDL-C， cTnT， CK-MB， LDH， and IL-1β， along with decreased levels of HDL-C and IL-10 （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Compared to the model group， all treatment groups exhibited decreased levels of TC， LDL-C， CK-MB， and LDH， along with increased IL-10 levels. Among these， the high-dose YTF group demonstrated superior efficacy in reducing cTnT levels compared to the other TCM groups （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. HE staining indicated that the YTF high-dose group ameliorated myocardial cell swelling， disordered arrangement， pyknosis， and disappearance of nuclei， thereby reducing myocardial cell damage. Whole blood DNA methylation sequencing identified 240 differentially methylated genes shared by the control group， model group， and YTF high-dose group， including 109 hypermethylated and 131 hypomethylated genes； eif2ak3 was identified as a key differentially methylated gene. Compared to the control group， the model group exhibited increased protein levels of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 alpha kinase 3 （eIf2ak3）， phosphorylated protein kinase RNA-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase （p-PERK）， activating transcription factor 4 （ATF4）， C/EBP homologous protein （CHOP）， and Bax， along with a decreased level of B-cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2） protein （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Compared to the model group， the YTF high-dose group showed decreased protein levels of eIf2ak3， p-PERK， ATF4， CHOP， and Bax， and an increased level of Bcl-2 protein （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. ConclusionYTF may regulate key differentially methylated genes such as eIf2ak3 and the PERK/ATF4/CHOP signaling pathway， thereby inhibiting endoplasmic reticulum stress， reducing myocardial cell apoptosis， and exerting therapeutic effects in coronary heart disease blood stasis syndrome.

In recent years， repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation （rTMS） has garnered significant attention as a therapeutic approach for sleep disorders in the elderly. However， the prevailing rTMS protocols are predominantly developed based on normative neurophysiological data derived from young adults and fail to incorporate individualized parameters tailored to the brain characteristics of the elderly. To address this gap， the consensus development group synthesized the latest evidence from 2010 to 2025 and established a standardized rTMS protocol specifically for elderly patients with sleep disorders. Adhering to the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II （AGREE II） framework， systematically screened randomized controlled trials （RCTs） and systematic reviews regarding rTMS in the treatment of sleep disorders across various conditions. Meanwhile， the Grading of Recommendations Assessment， Development and Evaluation （GRADE） system was employed to rigorously grade the quality of evidence and the strength of recommendations. This consensus guideline delineates precise rTMS protocols for the management of sleep disorders in the elderly， highlights the adjustment of stimulation intensity according to scalp-cortex distance recommends either MRI‑guided neuronavigation or the Beam F3/F4 heuristic approach for accurate target localization， thereby providing precise rTMS intervention protocol for sleep disorders in the elderly， aiming to enhance clinical efficacy while ensuring treatment safety. ［Funded by National Key Research and Development Program （number， 2023YFC3603200）； General Program of Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Commission （number， JCYJ20240813112859008， JCYJ20240813112900002）； Youth Program of Shenzhen Kangning Hospital （number， KN2023A004）； www.guidelines-registry.cn number， PREPARE-2026CN530］

Objective: This prospective study evaluated the feasibility of chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) MRI for assessing disease activity in thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO). Materials and Methods: A total of 88 patients with active TAO, 76 with inactive TAO, and 30 healthy controls were enrolled. CEST MRI-derived magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) and MTR asymmetry (MTRasym) at 1 ppm, 2 ppm, and 3.5 ppm were calculated. Clinical data, MTR, and MTRasym values for the extraocular muscles (one representative muscle per eye, yielding two measurements per participant) were compared among the groups. Spearman’s correlation was used to examine associations between imaging parameters and the clinical activity score (CAS) in patients with TAO. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent associations between imaging parameters and disease activity in patients with TAO (active vs. inactive). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was conducted to evaluate the diagnostic performance for discriminating active from inactive TAO. Results: Patients with active TAO showed lower MTR values (P < 0.001) and higher MTRasym (1 ppm), MTRasym (2 ppm), and MTRasym (3.5 ppm) (all P < 0.001) compared with those with inactive TAO. MTR was negatively correlated with CAS (r = -0.402; P < 0.001), while MTRasym (1 ppm), MTRasym (2 ppm), and MTRasym (3.5 ppm) were positively correlated with CAS (r = 0.369, 0.350, and 0.349, respectively;all P < 0.001). MTR and MTRasym (1 ppm) were independently associated with TAO activity. The areas under the ROC curve (AUCs) for MTR and MTRasym (1 ppm) in discriminating active from inactive TAO were 0.772 and 0.730, respectively. Combining MTR with MTRasym (1 ppm) significantly improved diagnostic performance compared with either parameter alone, achieving an AUC of 0.805 (P = 0.029 and 0.001). Conclusion MTR and MTRasym (1 ppm) were independently associated with TAO activity. Their combination further enhanced diagnostic performance in distinguishing active from inactive TAO, suggesting their potential as quantitative imaging biomarkers to guide treatment in patients with TAO.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of gemcitabine and cisplatin (GP) regimen in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitor sintilimab as neoadjuvant therapy for muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) patients and the feasibility of the following selective bladder sparing surgery. Materials and Methods: Patients with histopathologically confirmed urothelial carcinoma without distant metastases (T2-4a, N ≤ 1, M0, American Joint Committee of Cancer 8th) and with adequate organ function will be enrolled. The therapeutic regimen was sintilimab 200 mg once on day 8, gemcitabine 1,000 mg/m2 and cisplatin 35 mg/m2 once on days 1 and 8, every 21 days for four cycles. The primary endpoint was pathologic complete response (pCR, pT0N0) rate. The secondary end points were ypT < 2 rate, R0 resection rate, event-free survival, and safety. Results: From May 4, 2020, to May 20, 2023, 55 patients were enrolled. Forty-six patients were evaluated for efficacy. Among the 42 patients who underwent surgery, 16 patients (38.0%) achieved pCR. Thirty-three patients (78.6%) achieved pT < 2. With a median follow-up of 15.7 months, the 1-year event-free survival was 91.3%. Notwithstanding the poor pathological baseline characteristic of a high T3-T4a proportion (39.1%), a promising bladder preservation (including 22 patients transurethral resection of bladder tumor, 5 patients partial cystectomy, and 4 surveillances) rate was achieved (67.4%). The most common grade ≥ 3 treatment-related adverse events was neutropenia (n=15, 27.3%), which was related to chemotherapy. There were no grade 3 immune-related adverse events. Conclusion Neoadjuvant GP plus sintilimab is a promising regimen for MIBC patients, with relatively high pT < 2 rate and triggering the emerging roles for the multi-disciplinary team decision-making for bladder sparing surgery.

Objective: Machine learning (ML) has been reported to have better predictive capability than traditional statistical techniques. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of ML algorithms and logistic regression (LR) for predicting depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Analyses were carried out in a national cross-sectional study involving 21,916 participants. The ML algorithms in this study included random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM), neural network (NN), and gradient boosting machine (GBM) methods. The performance indices were sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, precision, F1-score, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Results: LR and NN had the best performance in terms of AUCs. The risk of overfitting was found to be negligible for most ML models except for RF, and GBM obtained the highest sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, precision, and F1-score. Therefore, LR, NN, and GBM models ranked among the best models. Conclusion Compared with ML models, LR model performed comparably to ML models in predicting depressive symptoms and identifying potential risk factors while also exhibiting a lower risk of overfitting.

Objective To elucidate the mechanisms of trauma-induced coagulopathy(TIC),clarify the specific pathogenic factors and pathophysiological processes,and discover the effective diagnostic indicators and therapeutic targets.Methods Transcriptomic data of traumatic hemorrhagic shock patients were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus(GEO)to identify differentially expressed genes(DEGs).Coagulation-related genes(CRGs)from the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)were intersected with DEGs.Machine learning algorithms,including least absolute shrinkage and selection operator(LASSO)and random forest(RF),were applied to identify key genes.The CIBERSORT algorithm was used to analyze the correlation between key genes and immune cell infiltration.Through consensus clustering,subtype analysis was conducted on trauma patients to compare the infiltration of immune cells.A rat model of traumatic hemorrhagic shock was established to validate coagulation function and the expression of key genes.Results The dataset included samples from 17 healthy controls and 478 patients with traumatic hemorrhagic shock.A total of 6 315 DEGs were identified under the screening criterion of corrected P<0.05.Gene set enrichment analysis(GSEA)showed that the up-regulated DEGs were significantly enriched in the glucose metabolism pathway,while the down-regulated DEGs were enriched in the immune reaction-related pathways.Through cross-analysis of DEGs and CRGs,a total of 65 differentially expressed coagulation-related genes(DE-CRGs)were screened out.GO functional enrichment showed that these genes were mainly located in secreting granular membranes and platelet α-granules,and were involved in physiological processes such as blood coagulation,regulation of body fluid levels,and wound healing.KEGG pathway analysis revealed that these genes were significantly enriched in pathways such as platelet activation,complement and coagulation cascade reactions,Rap1 signaling pathway,and human cytomegalovirus infection.Six key DE-CRGs were identified through machine learning.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis indicated that these genes had good diagnostic efficacy.CIBERSORT analysis revealed a significant correlation between key genes and immune cell infiltration.Patients were classified into two subtypes based on the six key genes:subtype A was rich in CD8+T cells and activated NK cells,presented an immune-active state;subtype B was mainly composed of monocytes and resting NK cells,with insufficient activation of immune pathways.Animal experiments on rats showed that hemorrhagic shock can lead to coagulation dysfunction.The results of qRT-PCR further confirmed that the expression trend of key genes was consistent with the results of bioinformatics analysis.Conclusion In this study,through transcriptomics and machine learning methods,six key genes closely related to TIC were systematically screened out,namely GNA13,PIK3R3,ITGAM,MAPK14,PPP1CC and LYN,and their close connections with coagulation function and immune infiltration were revealed.Animal experiments have further verified the value of these genes as potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets.

Objective To observe the origin and course of the obturator artery(OA),so as to provide anatomical reference for reducing hemorrhage during pelvic surgery and pubic fracture fixation.Methods A total of 65 human hemi-pelvises specimens with intact structure were dissected to observe the origin,course and other variations of OA.Measure the length of the inner section of OA basin and the outer diameter at the origin,etc.Results OA originated from the internal iliac artery in 57 cases(87.7%),including 3 cases(4.6%)of the superior gluteal artery,5 cases(7.7%)of the inferior gluteal artery,3 cases(4.6%)of the external iliac artery and 5 cases(7.7%)of the inferior epigastric artery.OA participated in the formation of the arterial trunk in 3 cases(4.6%).The length of the pelvic segment of the OA in male and female was(50.87±15.41)mm and(51.71±14.19)mm,respectively,with no statistically significant difference between them(P>0.05).The outer diameters at the origin of the OA in male and female were(2.79±1.05)mm and(2.35±0.86)mm,and there was no statistically significant difference between them(P>0.05).Conclusion OA mainly originated from the anterior trunk of the internal iliac artery,with a few OA originated from the branches of the posterior trunk or the inferior epigastric artery,or participated in the formation of the arterial trunk.In pelvic surgery involving OA area,attention should be paid to the length of its pelvic segment and the outer diameter at the origin of OA,so as to better locate and protect blood vessels during surgery.

Aim To design and synthesize a series of glycyrrhetinic acid derivatives by using glycyrrhetinic acid as the parent nucleus,screen their antitumor activ-ities,and investigate the in vitro and in vivo antitumor effects and mechanisms of the most active compound.Methods MTT assay was used to screen for the com-pound with the most potent antitumor activity.MTT as-say,wound healing assay,colony formation assay and Transwell migration assay were used to evaluate the effects of the compound on tumor cell viability and mi-gration.Flow cytometry was employed to assess the im-pact of the compound on tumor cell cycle progression and apoptosis.Western blot was conducted to verify the effects on the expression of pro-apoptotic proteins Bax,caspase-3 and cleaved caspase-3.A mouse model of hepatocellular carcinoma ascites tumor was estab-lished to examine the antitumor effects of the compound in vivo.Results Compound C22 was identified as having the most significant inhibitory effect on hepato-cellular carcinoma cells.C22 inhibited the viability and migration of hepatocellular carcinoma cells in a time and concentration-dependent manner.C22 upreg-ulated the expression of pro-apoptotic proteins Bax,caspase-3 and cleaved caspase-3 in hepatocellular car-cinoma cells,induced apoptosis,and arrested the cell cycle in the G0/G1 and S phases.C22 significantly re-duced the growth of mouse hepatocellular carcinoma as-cites tumors and prolonged survival.Conclusion Glycyrrhetinic acid derivative C22 significantly inhibits the viability and migration of hepatocellular carcinoma cells in vitro and in vivo,and induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis.

Objective:To investigate the intervention effect of five elements music of traditional Chinese medicine and western classical music on the sleep quality of stroke patients, and to compare the difference between the two, to provide a reference for the clinical care measures to improve the sleep quality of stroke patients.Methods:By adopting a randomized controlled trial, 75 stroke patients who were hospitalized in the rehabilitation hospital of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from July 2022 to July 2023 were selected by convenience sampling method as the study subjects, and the patients were randomly divided the conventional treatment group, the five-element music group, and the classical music group according to the method of randomized numerical table with 25 cases in each group. On the basis of general treatment, the conventional treatment group took sleep health education, the five elements music group were given five-element music intervention based on conventional treatment, and the classical music group were given classical music intervention based on conventional treatment. The changes of Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and polysomnography (PSG) examination parameters in the 3 groups were compared.Results:There were 2 cases of shedding in the conventional treatment group, and 23 cases were finally included, 15 males and 8 females, aged (54.02 ± 7.80) years; there were no cases of shedding in the five-element music group, and 25 cases were finally included, 12 males and 13 females, aged (53.69 ± 6.02) years; and there was 1 case of shedding in the classical music group, and 24 cases were finally included, 10 males and 14 females, aged (52.34 ± 7.08) years. Comparison of AIS, PSQI and PSG scores among the 3 groups of patients before intervention showed no statistically significant differences (all P>0.05). After the intervention, the AIS scores and PSQI scores of the 3 groups were (9.48 ± 1.53) and (12.22 ± 2.94), (6.76 ± 1.36) and (7.64 ± 2.08), (7.46 ± 1.38) and (10.33 ± 2.82), respectively, and the differences were statistically significant ( F=23.21, 18.44, both P<0.05). PSG sleep structure parameters showed that the total sleep time, REM latency time and sleep efficiency of the patients in the five-element music group after the intervention were (399.89 ± 51.76) min, (136.26 ± 25.36) min, (78.87 ± 8.21)%, higher than (368.45 ± 47.88) min, (124.46 ± 26.25) min, (73.36 ± 7.86)% in the classical music group and (345.48 ± 38.69) min, (111.37 ± 23.23) min, (69.44 ± 7.88)% in the conventional treatment group, and the differences between three groups were statistically significant ( F=8.27, 5.93, and 8.49, all P<0.05); the sleep latency time, awakening time, and number of awakenings in the five-element music group were (28.86 ± 17.68) min, (54.37 ± 25.15) min, and (2.72 ± 1.19) times, respectively, which were lower than those in the classical music group (35.67 ± 16.99) min, (64.28 ± 29.34) min, and (3.67 ± 1.12) times and (42.38 ± 18.96) min, (78.38 ± 37.26) min, (4.87 ± 1.46) times in the conventional treatment group, and the differences between three groups were statistically significant ( F=3.51, 3.66, and 17.56, all P<0.05). The results of the PSG sleep progression showed that the duration of the N1 stage of sleep in the five-element music group after the intervention was (95.71 ± 15.23) min, which was higher than (83.20 ± 18.34) min in the classical music group and (80.93 ± 16.47) min in the conventional treatment group, and the difference between three groups was statistically significant ( F=5.53, P<0.01); the N3 stage sleep time and the sleep percentage of the five-element music group after the intervention were respectively (84.23 ± 20.98) min and (23.98 ± 5.89)%, which were higher than (65.33 ± 18.82) min and (18.34 ± 3.78)% in the classical music group and (45.87 ± 18.65) min and (15.03 ± 5.56)% in the conventional treatment group, and the differences between three groups were statistically significant ( F=23.08, 18.50, both P<0.05). Conclusions:Both five elements music and classical music can improve the sleep quality of stroke patients, and the effect of five elements music to improve sleep is more significant.