1.QingNangTCM: a parameter-efficient fine-tuning large language model for traditional Chinese medicine
Xuming TONG ; Liyan LIU ; Yanhong YUAN ; Xiaozheng DING ; Huiru JIA ; Xu YANG ; Sio Kei IM ; Mini Han WANG ; Zhang XIONH ; Yapeng WANG
Digital Chinese Medicine 2026;9(1):1-12
Objective:
To develop QingNangTCM, a specialized large language model (LLM) tailored for expert-level traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) question-answering and clinical reasoning, addressing the scarcity of domain-specific corpora and specialized alignment.
Methods:
We constructed QnTCM_Dataset, a corpus of 100 000 entries, by integrating data from ShenNong_TCM_Dataset and SymMap v2.0, and synthesizing additional samples via retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) and persona-driven generation. The dataset comprehensively covers diagnostic inquiries, prescriptions, and herbal knowledge. Utilizing P-Tuning v2, we fine-tuned the GLM-4-9B-Chat backbone to develop QingNangTCM. A multi-dimensional evaluation framework, assessing accuracy, coverage, consistency, safety, professionalism, and fluency, was established using metrics such as bilingual evaluation understudy (BLEU), recall-oriented understudy for gisting evaluation (ROUGE), metric for evaluation of translation with explicit ordering (METEOR), and LLM-as-a-Judge with expert review. Qualitative analysis was conducted across four simulated clinical scenarios: symptom analysis, disease treatment, herb inquiry, and failure cases. Baseline models included GLM-4-9B-Chat, DeepSeek-V2, HuatuoGPT-II (7B), and GLM-4-9B-Chat (freeze-tuning).
Results:
QingNangTCM achieved the highest scores in BLEU-1/2/3/4 (0.425/0.298/0.137/0.064), ROUGE-1/2 (0.368/0.157), and METEOR (0.218), demonstrating a balanced and superior normalized performance profile of 0.900 across the dimensions of accuracy, coverage, and consistency. Although its ROUGE-L score (0.299) was lower than that of HuatuoGPT-II (7B) (0.351), it significantly outperformed domain-specific models in expert-validated win rates for professionalism (86%) and safety (73%). Qualitative analysis confirmed that the model strictly adheres to the “symptom-syndrome-pathogenesis-treatment” reasoning chain, though occasional misclassifications and hallucinations persisted when dealing with rare medicinal materials and uncommon syndromes.
Conclusion
Combining domain-specific corpus construction with parameter-efficient prompt tuning enhances the reasoning behavior and domain adaptation of LLMs for TCM-related tasks. This work provides a technical framework for the digital organization and intelligent utilization of TCM knowledge, with potential value for supporting diagnostic reasoning and medical education.
2.Screening of Lu(a-b-) phenotype in Shenzhen and a comparative study on the population polymorphism of genes related to the Lutheran blood group system
Tong LIU ; Fan WU ; Liyan SUN ; Jin QIU ; Shuang LIANG
Chinese Journal of Blood Transfusion 2026;39(2):217-223
Objective: To investigate the distribution frequency and molecular mechanism of the rare blood type Lu(a-b-) in Shenzhen, and to compare the polymorphisms of the Lutheran blood group system encoding gene LU and the In (Lu) phenotype-related gene KLF1 among Han Chinese, Indian, and Uyghur populations in Xinjiang. Methods: Serological methods were used to screen the Lu(a-b-) phenotype of blood donors in Shenzhen. Third-generation sequencing was employed to sequence the full-length of the LU and KLF1 genes in Lu (a-b-) phenotype samples as well as the samples from the Han Chinese, Indians, and Uyghur population, followed by analysis of gene haplotypes frequencies. Results: Ten individuals with the Lu(a-b-) phenotype were screened out of 14 367 blood donors in Shenzhen, yielding a frequency of approximately 0.07%. Only 2 cases showed mutations in the coding region of the LU gene, while all individuals showed heterozygous mutations in the coding region of the KLF1 gene. The highest mutation frequencies of the LU and KLF1 genes were observed in the Uyghur population in Xinjiang and the Han Chinese in Shenzhen, respectively. Conclusion: All Lu(a-b-) phenotypes are of the In (Lu) type, and their formation mechanism is mainly related to KLF1 gene mutations. Both the LU and KLF1 genes exhibit significant polymorphism in the Han Chinese, Indians, and Uyghur populations.
3.Clinical Efficacy of Janus Kinase Inhibitors in Combination with Chinese Herbal Medicine for Rheumatoid Arthritis:A Retrospective Study and A Meta-analysis
Chenguang ZHAN ; Shengqin YANG ; Xin LI ; Yu WEN ; Peng ZHANG ; Xingrui YAN ; Haifang DU ; Maojie WANG ; Xiaodong WU ; Liyan MEI ; Xiumin CHEN ; Yanlin LI ; Runyue HUANG
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2026;67(5):534-543
ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy and safety of Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors combined with Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) in treating rheumatoid arthritis (RA). MethodsClinical data from 169 RA patients were retrospectively collected. Among them, 71 cases received JAK inhibitors as the control group, while 98 cases received JAK inhibitors plus CHM as the observation group, both treated for 24 weeks. The rheumatoid factor (RF), cyclic citic peptide antibody (anti-CCP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), and white blood cell count (WBC) were recorded before and after treatment. Databases including CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, PubMed and Web of Science were searched from inception till August 31st, 2025 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the combined use of JAK inhibitors and CHM for RA. The methodological quality of the included studies was evaluated using the risk of bias assessment tool. Meta-analyses were performed for RF, anti-CCP, ESR, CRP, 28-joint disease activity score (DAS28), overall clinical effective rate, and incidence of adverse events. Sensitivity analysis were also performed. ResultsThe retrospective study demonstrated that after treatment, ESR, CRP, and anti-CCP levels decreased in the observation group, while ESR and CRP levels decreased in the control group (P<0.05). Moreover, ESR and RF levels in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). A total of 9 RCTs involving 770 patients were included in the meta-analysis. The results indicated that the JAK inhibitors plus CHM group was superior to the JAK inhibitors group in reducing RF (MD=-8.97, 95%CI -15.01 to -2.94, P=0.004), CRP (MD=-3.34, 95%CI -3.82 to -2.86, P<0.001), ESR (MD=-5.33, 95%CI -7.98 to -2.69, P<0.001), and DAS28 score (MD=-0.54, 95%CI -0.74 to -0.34, P<0.001), as well as in improving the overall clinical effective rate (OR=4.53, 95%CI 2.55 to 8.03, P<0.001). No statistically significant differences were observed between groups in anti-CCP levels (SMD=-2.08, 95%CI -4.41 to 0.24, P=0.080) or incidence of adverse events (OR=0.93, 95%CI 0.55 to 1.57, P=0.790). ConclusionThe combination of JAK inhibitors and CHM demonstrates remarkable efficacy in treating RA, contributing to improved disease activity and reduced inflammatory markers with a favorable safety profile.
4.Construction of the research question system of the Guideline for the Management of Therapeutic Drug Monitoring based on modified Delphi method
Rong DUAN ; Liyan MIAO ; Zhengxiang LI
China Pharmacy 2026;37(10):1241-1245
OBJECTIVE To construct a research question system of the Guideline for the Management of Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (hereinafter referred to as the Guideline ), so as to provide the basis for the formulation of the Guideline . METHODS Based on literature research and expert interviews, the questionnaire about research questions of the Guideline was initially constructed. Through the modified Delphi method, the online questionnaire survey and expert consensus meeting were conducted among the Guideline development experts to determine the research question system of the Guideline . RESULTS A total of 59 questionnaires were distributed, and 52 valid questionnaires were collected. The positive coefficient of experts was 88.14%. The experts came from 21 provinces/autonomous regions/municipalities directly under the central government, covering multidisciplinary experts related to therapeutic drug monitoring, all of whom held senior professional titles. After one round of survey, a consensus was reached on the research questions, and a research question framework encompassing four research parts was constructed, including: indications for conducting therapeutic drug monitoring (4 first-level research questions,10 second-level research questions, 31 third-level research questions); therapeutic drug monitoring technical process (3 first-level research questions, 9 second-level research questions, 13 third-level research questions); result interpretation and clinical application (3 first-level research questions and 3 second-level research questions); quality control (8 first-level research questions and 12 second-level research questions). The importance scores for the four parts ranged from 4.71 to 4.88, with full-score rates all no less than 73.08%. The expert authori ty coefficients were all no less than 0.90, the coefficients of variation of importance scores were all no higher than 0.11, and Kendall’s W ranged from 0.464 to 0.626 (all P <0.05). CONCLUSIONS The constructed research question system has high authority, scientificity, and reliability, laying a foundation for the standardized formulation of the Guideline .
5.A comparative study of the ethical review exemption system between China and the United States
Liyan ZHAO ; Yumei ZHANG ; Ruishuang LIU
Chinese Medical Ethics 2026;39(5):616-623
The ethical review exemption system was introduced to meet the needs of modernized ethical governance, implement hierarchical management for ethical review projects involving human subjects, and explore an ethical management model that reduces procedural supervision for specific types of research involving no greater than minimal risk. Through a comparative study, this paper seeks to elaborate on the differences between China and the United States (US) in the ethical review exemption system from multiple aspects, such as ethical regulations, risk definition, preconditions, applicable scenarios, and operational procedures. The aim is to provide references for ethical review committees to better implement the ethical review exemption system, enhance policy research, and ensure the fairness and objectivity of ethical review. Through the comparative study of the ethics review exemption system in China and the US, the following recommendations are proposed for institutions implementing the ethical review exemption system for reference. First, the system should clearly define the meaning of ethical review exemption to prevent researchers or even committee members from misunderstanding it as falling outside the scope of ethical review, thereby exposing research participants’ rights and interests to unnecessary risks. Second, the system should specifically explain the preconditions, including the requirements for research types and research risks. Among them, risks should be considered from multiple dimensions such as physiology, psychology, society, and economy. Clear explanations should be provided for involving commercial interests and sensitive personal information. Finally, the system should establish basic principles and judgment criteria for applicable scenarios, including specifying exactly what the public data refers to and legal requirements that need to be met, providing a concept of anonymization to distinguish it from deidentified information data, and clarifying the relevant regulations and ethical principles to be followed, as well as the clear requirements for informed consent.
6.Guidelines for the management of therapeutic drug monitoring
Zhengxiang LI ; Liyan MIAO ; Rong DUAN ; Xiaocong ZUO ; Xianglin ZHANG ; Zhuo WANG ; Miao YAN ; Lingli ZHANG ; Rongsheng ZHAO ; Suodi ZHAI ; Guobiao GAO ; Jinhui TIAN
China Pharmacy 2026;37(11):1381-1392
OBJECTIVE To further standardize the technical operations and management processes throughout therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM), clarify the clinical value of TDM implementation, improve the scientific validity and reliability of monitoring results, and provide a solid reference basis for the formulation and optimization of clinical individualized precision dosing regimens. METHODS The Guidelines for the Management of Therapeutic Drug Monitoring were formulated in accordance with the latest definition of guidelines by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies and the standard guideline development methodology of the World Health Organization, and in compliance with the requirements of the appraisal of guidelines for research and evaluation. A modified Delphi method was adopted to establish the research question system; evidence-based medicine research methods were applied to systematically search multiple databases to screen the latest and most comprehensive evidence. Evidence was graded and evaluated based on the evidence grading system of the Chinese Evidence-Based Medicine Center, and the grading criteria for recommendation strength from the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine were used to determine the recommendation strength. The recommendation opinions were formed through multidisciplinary expert consensus. RESULTS The Guidelines for the Management of Therapeutic Drug Monitoring cover four core modules, including TDM application indications, technical procedures, result interpretation and clinical application, and quality control, involving 18 primary research questions, 34 secondary research questions, and yield 82 recommendations. CONCLUSIONS The guidelines systematically standardize the key technical links and management requirements of the whole TDM process, provide scientific and operable standardized tools, help improve the standardization level of TDM work, promote the translation of monitoring results into clinical decision-making, and provide strong support for precision personalized medicine and ensuring the safety and rationality of medication use.
8.Application of network analysis to the associations among depressive symptoms, psychological resilience and mental health literacy in adolescents
Xinyi WANG ; Hongtao XIE ; Liyan SHI ; Li SUN ; Jingyi WANG
Shanghai Journal of Preventive Medicine 2026;38(8):634-639
ObjectiveTo explore the associations among depressive symptoms, psychological resilience, and mental health literacy in adolescents, so as to provide new insights for interventions targeting adolescent depressive symptoms. MethodsA stratified multistage cluster sampling method was employed to select 2 723 students aged 10‒18 years from primary and secondary schools at different educational stages in Putuo District of Shanghai from December 2024 to January 2025. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9, total score0‒27, with a score ≥10 indicating positive depressive symptoms), the Resilience Scale for Chinese Adolescents (RSCA , total score 27‒135), and a mental health core knowledge awareness questionnaire (total score 0‒10) were utilized to assess depressive symptoms, psychological resilience, and mental health literacy, respectively. A network model was constructed using the nine PHQ-9 items (including anhedonia, depressed mood, sleep problems, fatigue, appetite problems, guilt, trouble concentrating, psychomotor symptoms, and self-harm or suicidal thoughts), five RSCA dimensions (including goal orientation, emotion regulation, positive cognition, family support, and interpersonal assistance), and the total mental health literacy score as nodes to analyze the association structure among these nodes. Standardized node strength, standardized expected influence, and standardized bridge expected influence were calculated. ResultsThe PHQ-9 score was 4.62±5.27, yielding a positive screening rate for depressive symptoms of 15.28%. The scores of the RSCA and mental health literacy were 97.71±20.58 and 9.00 (8.00, 10.00), respectively. Network analyses revealed that emotion regulation and depressed mood were core nodes in the network (standardized strength values were 1.74 and 0.97); they constituted the main connection between depressive symptoms and psychological resilience networks (edge weight was -0.17). Mental health literacy and positive cognition served as the main bridge nodes linking depressive symptoms and psychological resilience (standardized bridge expected influence values were 1.42 and 1.27). ConclusionDepressed mood, emotion regulation, positive cognition, and mental health literacy are closely associated with depressive symptoms, psychological resilience, and mental health literacy in adolescents. Strengthening interventions targeting emotion regulation, positive cognition and mental health literacy may contribute to the prevention and control of depressive symptoms among adolescents.
9.Epidemiological characteristics of infectious diseases among children and adolescents in Lanshan District, Linyi City, 2014-2023
LIN Lanfang, XIAO Jinlin, FANG Zhen, TANG Fangqiang, ZHANG Qingji, GUO Liyan
Chinese Journal of School Health 2026;47(9):1339-1343
Objective:
To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of infectious diseases among children and adolescents in Lanshan District, Linyi City, 2014-2023,so as to provide a scientific basis for prevention and control strategies in schools.
Methods:
The surveillance data were obtained from the China Information System for Disease Control and Prevention (CISDCP). Data on reported infectious disease cases and related demographic information among school children and kindergarteners in the study area from 2014 to 2023 were collected. Rate comparison was performed by using the χ 2 test. Trend analysis was conducted by using Joinpoint Regression Progrom, and the annual percent change (APC) and average annual percent change (AAPC) were calculated.
Results:
A total of 10 222 cases of infectious diseases among children and adolescents were reported from 2014 to 2023, with an average annual incidence rate of 273.32 per 100 000. The overall incidence trend remained stable from 2014 to 2023 (AAPC=12.33%, 95%CI=-2.63%-29.59%, P >0.05). Whereas a significant upward trend was observed from 2014 to 2019 (AAPC=37.08%, 95% CI =12.92%-66.41%, P <0.05), followed by a stable trend from 2019 to 2023 (AAPC=-0.31%, 95%CI=-39.70%-64.83%, P>0.05). Seasonal distribution exhibited dual peaks in summer and winter. The incidence rate in urban areas(707.29/100 000) was significantly higher than that in rural areas(257.50/100 000), and the incidence rate among kindergarteners (325.49/100 000) was higher than that among school children (257.07/100 000) (χ2=1 518.60, 116.36, both P<0.01). The reported infectious diseases among children and adolescents were predominantly respiratory and intestinal infectious diseases, with incidence rates of 156.13/100 000 and 108.51/100 000, respectively. Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) was the predominant infectious disease among kindergarteners, accounting for 47.51%. Influenza was the leading condition in the primary school group, accounting for 38.64%, and other infectious diarrheal diseases were most common in junior and senior high school group, accounting for 53.34%. The top six diseases by incidence rate were other infectious diarrheal diseases(65.22/100 000), influenza(63.24/100 000), varicella(46.34/100 000), HFMD(41.07/100 000), mumps(23.42/100 000), and scarlet fever(10.56/100 000). Among them, the incidence of other infectious diarrheal diseases rose significantly (AAPC=35.31%, 95% CI =14.32%-60.14%, P <0.01). The trend transitioned from a rapid escalation during 2014-2019 (APC=69.98%, 95% CI =17.58%-145.74%, P =0.01) to a stable phase during 2019-2023 (APC=1.74%, 95% CI =-15.61%- 22.66%, P >0.05).
Conclusions
In Lanshan, urban educational institutions should prioritize the prevention and control of infectious diseases, with particular emphasis on other infectious diarrheal diseases, influenza and varicella. Targeted interventions should be implemented in accordance with seasonal patterns and the specific characteristics of the school age populations.
10.Results of opportunistic screening for upper gastrointestinal cancer in rural areas of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region
LIU Huimin ; QIAN Yonggang ; CHEN Wenjie ; GE Liyan
Journal of Preventive Medicine 2026;38(6):639-642
:
ObjectiveTo analyze the results of opportunistic screening for upper gastrointestinal cancer in rural areas of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, so as to provide the evidence for optimizing prevention and control strategies for upper gastrointestinal cancer.
Methods:
Data on opportunistic screening for upper gastrointestinal cancer in rural areas of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region from 2022 to 2024 were collected through the Opportunistic Screening Information Management System for Upper Gastrointestinal Cancer, including age, sex, mucosal staining, painless endoscopy, Helicobacter pylori (HP) test, HP test results, pathological examination results, and follow-up as well as treatment information. A descriptive analysis was conducted on the pathological examination results of opportunistic screening for upper gastrointestinal cancer in rural areas of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The detection rate of upper gastrointestinal lesions and the early diagnosis rate of upper gastrointestinal cancer were compared among populations with different characteristics.
Results:
A total of 42 741 individuals were screened, including 20 856 males (48.80%) and 21 885 females (51.20%). The predominant age group was 50-<60 years, with 16 188 individuals (37.87%). Biopsy and pathological examination were performed in 15 355 individuals, with a biopsy rate of 35.93%. The main pathological findings were mild to moderate inflammation, accounting for 8 846 cases (57.61%). A total of 608 upper gastrointestinal lesions were detected, with a detection rate of 1.42%. The detection rate of upper gastrointestinal lesions showed an increasing trend with age (P<0.05). Individuals who were male, underwent mucosal staining, underwent HP testing, or had a positive HP test had higher detection rates of upper gastrointestinal lesions (all P<0.05). A total of 165 cases of early upper gastrointestinal cancer were detected, with an early diagnosis rate of 27.14%. The early diagnosis rate showed a decreasing trend with age (P<0.05). Individuals who were female or underwent mucosal staining had higher early diagnosis rates of upper gastrointestinal cancer (both P<0.05).
Conclusions
The detection rate of upper gastrointestinal lesions and the early diagnosis rate of upper gastrointestinal cancer in rural areas of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region are relatively low. Males, elderly individuals, and HP-positive individuals are the key populations for screening.


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