Under the current legal framework， living will， as an important legal tool for safeguarding patients’ autonomy and dignity， have been widely recognized and implemented in many countries and regions. In China， the promotion of living will also has a solid legal foundation， with their legitimacy reflected in several provisions of the Civil Code of the People’s Republic of China. One of the highlights of the Medical Regulations of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone （revised in 2022） is the clarification of the legal effect of living will. To ensure that patients’ living will can be accurately implemented at critical moments， the rights and obligations of patients， family members， and healthcare professionals should be clearly defined within the legal framework， and clear guidance should be provided at every stage of implementation.

There is a substantial unmet need for treatments in the field of pediatric rare diseases, and investigator initiated trial(IIT) provide a critical pathway for testing and developing new drugs or treatment strategies. However, healthcare institutions, when conducting such research, must address compliance risks related to project approval, contract management, data protection, and conflict of interest management. This study aims to analyze the particularities and challenges of IIT in pediatric rare diseases, review relevant regulations and regulatory requirements, and provide healthcare institutions with a reference framework for compliance risk management to maximize the benefits of IIT. Based on literature review, analysis of laws and regulations, practical work experience, and frameworks from other institutions, we summarize the unique aspects of pediatric rare disease IIT in terms of participant characteristics, innovative technologies, and organizational structures.On this basis, targeted compliance management recommendations are proposed, which include establishing a risk rating and full-cycle risk monitoring mechanism, a consent and ethical review mechanism tailored to pediatric participants, a robust contract management mechanism, a comprehensive data security management mechanism, and a multidisciplinary team and multi-channel compensation mechanism. The study concludes that healthcare institutions, funders, and other collaborating entities should implement compliance management in line with the characteristics of IIT to ensure the safety and effectiveness of research and facilitate innovation and development in the treatment of pediatric rare diseases.

OBJECTIVE: To propose a machine learning-based method for predicting the trajectories during manual acupuncture manipulation (MAM), aiming to improve the precision and consistency of acupuncture practitioner' operation and provide the real-time suggestions on MAM error correction. METHODS: Computer vision technology was used to analyze the hand micromotion when holding needle during acupuncture, and provide a three-dimensional coordinate description method of the index finger joints of the holding hand. Focusing on the 4 typical motions of MAM, a machine learning-based MAM trajectory predictive model was designed. By integrating the changes of phalangeal joint angle and hand skeletal information of acupuncture practitioner, the motion trajectory of the index finger joint was predicted accurately. Besides, the roles of machine learning-based MAM trajectory predictive model in the skill transmission of acupuncture manipulation were verified by stratified randomized controlled trial. RESULTS: The performance of MAM trajectory predictive model, based on the long short-term memory network (LSTM), obtained the highest stability and precision, up to 98%. The learning effect was improved when the model applied to the skill transmission of acupuncture manipulation. CONCLUSION The machine learning-based MAM predictive model provides acupuncture practitioner with precise action prediction and feedback. It is valuable and significant for the inheritance and error correction of manual operation of acupuncture.
Humans ; Acupuncture Therapy/instrumentation* ; Machine Learning ; Adult ; Male ; Female

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of manual acupuncture manipulations (MAMs) on subcutaneous muscle tissue, by developing quantitative models of "lifting and thrusting" and "twisting and rotating", based on machine learning techniques. METHODS: A depth camera was used to capture the acupuncture operator's hand movements during "lifting and thrusting" and "twisting and rotating" of needle. Simultaneously, the ultrasound imaging was employed to record the muscle tissue responses of the participants. Amplitude and angular features were extracted from the movement data of operators, and muscle fascicle slope features were derived from the data of ultrasound images. The dynamic time warping barycenter averaging algorithm was adopted to align the dual-source data. Various machine learning techniques were applied to build quantitative models, and the performance of each model was compared. The most optimal model was further analyzed for its interpretability. RESULTS: Among the quantitative models built for the two types of MAMs, the random forest model demonstrated the best performance. For the quantitative model of the "lifting and thrusting" technique, the coefficient of determination (R²) was 0.825. For the "twisting and rotating" technique, R² reached 0.872. CONCLUSION Machine learning can be used to effectively develop the models and quantify the effects of MAMs on subcutaneous muscle tissue. It provides a new perspective to understand the mechanism of acupuncture therapy and lays a foundation for optimizing acupuncture technology and designing personalized treatment regimen in the future.
Humans ; Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; Machine Learning ; Male ; Adult ; Female ; Subcutaneous Tissue/diagnostic imaging* ; Young Adult

To address the limitations of traditional minimally invasive thermal ablation technology such as poor conformability, carbonization and electromagnetic radiation, this paper proposes a steam thermal ablation technology that uses saturated steam internal energy to replace the traditional electromagnetic radiation energy. Through the steam thermal ablation system and the steam thermal ablation needle designed based on simulation, the ex vivo pig liver experiments were carried out. The results have the characteristics of the maximum ablation axis ratio (short diameter / long diameter) and non-carbonization with the same type of thermal ablation technology. Based on the near-infrared light, in this paper the curative effect of the reduced scattering coefficient of the steam thermal ablation results was evaluated. The reduced scattering coefficients of the coagulation area all exceeded 16, reaching the completely damaged state, which verified that the steam thermal ablation can effectively inactivate the tumor cells.
Steam ; Animals ; Swine ; Liver Neoplasms/surgery* ; Ablation Techniques/methods* ; Liver/surgery* ; Equipment Design

The minimally invasive thermal ablation technology differs from traditional surgical operations, which requires auxiliary equipment to evaluate ablation results. However, the ultrasound and CT currently used in clinical practice have shortcomings such as artifacts and radiation. Therefore, this paper proposes a design for a minimally invasive thermal ablation evaluation system based on the principle of electrical impedance tomography technology to monitor the ablation range. At the same time, the innovative introduction of a programmable gain feedforward signal as the parameter signal of the multiplier demodulator in the electrical impedance tomography system design can effectively solve the problem of weak signals being submerged in noise and improve imaging accuracy. The system controls the amplitude of the excitation current signal and the acquisition / processing of boundary voltages via an STM32, uploads the collected data to an upper computer, and reconstructs the conductivity distribution using the Newton-Raphson algorithm to map the size of the ablation area. Experimental results show that the system can effectively reflect the size of the microwave ablation area. Under the same minimally invasive ablation parameters, the average imaging errors are 0.6 mm for the long diameter, 0.8 mm for the short diameter, and 1.75% for the axial ratio (long diameter / short diameter), demonstrating high consistency. This verifies the technical potential of electrical impedance tomography in minimally invasive thermal ablation.
Electric Impedance ; Tomography/instrumentation* ; Equipment Design

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) features complex compatibility mechanisms involving multi-component, multi-target, and multi-pathway interactions. This study presents an interpretable graph artificial intelligence (GraphAI) framework to quantify such mechanisms in Chinese herbal formulas (CHFs). A multidimensional TCM knowledge graph (TCM-MKG; https://zenodo.org/records/13763953) was constructed, integrating seven standardized modules: TCM terminology, Chinese patent medicines (CPMs), Chinese herbal pieces (CHPs), pharmacognostic origins (POs), chemical compounds, biological targets, and diseases. A neighbor-diffusion strategy was used to address the sparsity of compound-target associations, increasing target coverage from 12.0% to 98.7%. Graph neural networks (GNNs) with attention mechanisms were applied to 6,080 CHFs, modeled as graphs with CHPs as nodes. To embed domain-specific semantics, virtual nodes medicinal properties, i.e., therapeutic nature, flavor, and meridian tropism, were introduced, enabling interpretable modeling of inter-CHP relationships. The model quantitatively captured classical compatibility roles such as "monarch-minister-assistant-guide," and uncovered TCM etiological types derived from diagnostic and efficacy patterns. Model validation using 215 CHFs used for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) management highlighted Radix Astragali-Rhizoma Phragmitis as a high-attention herb pair. Mass spectrometry (MS) and target prediction identified three active compounds, i.e., methylinissolin-3-O-glucoside, corydalin, and pingbeinine, which converge on pathways such as neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, xenobiotic response, and neuronal function, supporting their neuroimmune and detoxification potential. Given their high safety and dietary compatibility, this herb pair may offer therapeutic value for managing long COVID-19. All data and code are openly available (https://github.com/ZENGJingqi/GraphAI-for-TCM), providing a scalable and interpretable platform for TCM mechanism research and discovery of bioactive herbal constituents.

Objective:To explore the central regulatory mechanisms of exercise to alleviate the behavioral effects of anxiety and depression in post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD)and to promote hippocampal neurogenesis.Methods:Male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into control group(Control),PTSD modeling group(PTSD),PTSD-mod-eling with low-intensity exercise group(PTSD+LE)and PTSD-modeling with high-intensity exercise group(PTSD+HE).A combination of conditioned foot shock(CF)and single-sustained stress(SPS)was used to construct the PTSD compound stress model.The anxiety and depression-like behaviors of mice were assessed using the open field test and the tail suspension test,respectively.Newborn mature neurons and proliferating cells in the DG area of mice hippocam-pus were observed by immunofluorescence double-labeling experiment.The expression of mice hippocampal adiponectin receptor 1(AdipoR1)was detected by Western Blot.Results:The results of the open field test showed that the mice in the PTSD+HE group showed a significantly longer distance and stay in the central area than those in the PTSD group and the PTSD+LE group(P＜0.05);the results of the tail suspension test showed that the immobility time of the mice in the groups with different levels of locomotor training was significantly reduced compared with that of the mice in the PTSD group(P＜0.05),and it was more significant in the PTSD+HE group(P＜0.05).In addition,BrdU+,Br-dU+/NeuN+and MCM2+cell densities in the hippocampal DG region of mice in the PTSD+HE group were significant-ly higher(P＜0.05).And the hippocampal AdipoR1 protein expression of mice in the PTSD+HE group was signifi-cantly upregulated(P＜0.05).Conclusion:Anxiety and depression-like behaviors in PTSD mice are associated with decreased levels of hippocampal neurogenesis.Exercise can improve their anxiety and depression-like behaviors,and the mechanism of the effect may be related to the promotion of AdipoR1 expression and hippocampal neurogenesis.

Alzheimer's disease is a common central neurodegenerative disease， mainly manifested by cognitive impairment and non-cognitive neuropsychiatric symptoms that severely affect patients' daily life and behavioral functioning. The pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease is still unclear， and the western medicine currently used to treat Alzheimer's disease is only symptomatic， with a single pathway， limited efficacy， and many side effects. In recent years， with the deepening of research on Alzheimer's disease， the study and application of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease have gradually increased. Several studies have shown that TCM and its effective components can exert anti-Alzheimer's disease effects by regulating molecular mechanisms such as pathological protein production and aggregation， oxidative stress， neuroinflammation， ferroptosis， mitochondrial dysfunction， neurogenesis and neurotransmission， and brain-gut axis. This paper summarized the research progress of TCM in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease in recent years， so as to provide a reference for further study of the specific mechanism of TCM in the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease and the discovery of effective components of TCM.

OBJECTIVE To explore the regulatory mechanism of Danshen decoction on dyslipidemia in hyperlipidemia model rats. METHODS The experimental rats were divided into blank group （n＝9， no modeling）， model group （n＝8， modeling）， and Danshen decoction group （n＝9， modeling）. Starting from the 9th week of feeding with the high-fat diet， rats in the Danshen decoction group were given the corresponding medication solution （3.6 g/kg） intragastrically， while blank group and model group were given equal volume of normal saline， once a day， for 4 consecutive weeks. After 4 weeks of administration， the plasma levels of triglycerides （TG）， total cholesterol （TC）， low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C）， and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL-C） were measured in each group of rats； the pathological and morphological changes of liver tissue were observed； the differential proteins between samples were screened out by TMT quantitative proteomic analysis； the expression levels of the key differentially expressed proteins in the liver， including epoxide hydrolase 2 （EPHX2）， perilipin 2 （PLIN2）， peroxisome proliferator activated receptor γ （PPAR γ） and glycogen synthase kinase-3β （GSK-3β）were detected. RESULTS Compared with the model group， the plasma levels of TC， TG and LDL-C in the Danshen decoction group were significantly reduced （P＜0.05）， while the level of HDL-C was significantly increased （P＜0.05）. The liver tissue of rats inmodel group showed uneven staining， disordered arrangement of liver plates， disappearance of liver sinusoids， nuclearcondensation or disappearance of some cells， swelling and fusion of cytoplasm， proliferation of connective tissue， and diffuse vacuolar-like fat droplet changes. The liver tissue of Danshen decoction group showed varying degrees of improvement in the above pathological and morphological. The results of differential protein analysis showed that the total number of differential proteins was 298 between the model group and the blank group； the total number of differential proteins was 139 between the model group and Danshen decoction group. Compared with the model group， the expression levels of EPHX2 and PLIN2 proteins in the liver tissue of rats in the Danshen decoction group were significantly reduced （P＜0.01）， while the expression levels of GSK-3β and PPARγ were significantly increased （P＜0.01）. CONCLUSIONS Danshen decoction has a significant improvement effect on the plasma lipid levels and the pathological and morphological of the liver tissue in hyperlipidemia model rats. Its regulatory mechanism may be related to the up-regulation of PPARγ and GSK-3β expression and down-regulation of EPHX2 and PLIN2 expression， and the signaling pathways involved may include PPAR-γ signal pathway.