ObjectiveTo construct a large language model （LLM）-based intelligent pre-consultation system for traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） to improve efficacy of clinical practice. MethodsA TCM large language model was fine-tuned using DeepSpeed ZeRO-3 distributed training strategy based on YAYI 2-30B. A weighted undirected graph network was designed and an agent-based syndrome differentiation model was established based on relationship data extracted from TCM literature and clinical records. An agent collaboration framework was developed to integrate the TCM LLM with the syndrome differentiation model. Model performance was comprehensively evaluated by Loss function， BLEU-4， and ROUGE-L metrics， through which training convergence， text generation quality， and language understanding capability were assessed. Professional knowledge test sets were developed to evaluate system proficiency in TCM physician licensure content， TCM pharmacist licensure content， TCM symptom terminology recognition， and meridian identification. Clinical tests were conducted to compare the system with attending physicians in terms of diagnostic accuracy， consultation rounds， and consultation duration. ResultsAfter 100 000 iterations， the training loss value was gradually stabilized at about 0.7±0.08， indicating that the TCM-LLM has been trained and has good generalization ability. The TCM-LLM scored 0.38 in BLEU-4 and 0.62 in ROUGE-L， suggesting that its natural language processing ability meets the standard. We obtained 2715 symptom terms， 505 relationships between diseases and syndromes， 1011 relationships between diseases and main symptoms， and 1 303 600 relationships among different symptoms， and constructed the Agent of syndrome differentiation model. The accuracy rates in the simulated tests for TCM practitioners， licensed pharmacists of Chinese materia medica， recognition of TCM symptom terminology， and meridian recognition were 94.09%， 78.00%， 87.50%， and 68.80%， respectively. In clinical tests， the syndrome differentiation accuracy of the system reached 88.33%， with fewer consultation rounds and shorter consultation time compared to the attending physicians （P＜0.01）， suggesting that the system has a certain pre- consultation ability. ConclusionThe LLM-based intelligent TCM pre-diagnosis system could simulate diagnostic thinking of TCM physicians to a certain extent. After understanding the patients' natural language， it collects all the patient's symptom through guided questioning， thereby enhancing the diagnostic and treatment efficiency of physicians as well as the consultation experience of the patients.

Electroencephalogram (EEG) is a non-invasive, high temporal-resolution technique for monitoring brain activity. However, affected by the volume conduction effect, EEG has a low spatial resolution and is difficult to locate brain neuronal activity precisely. The surface Laplacian (SL) technique obtains the Laplacian EEG (LEEG) by estimating the second-order spatial derivative of the scalp potential. LEEG can reflect the radial current activity under the scalp, with positive values indicating current flow from the brain to the scalp (“source”) and negative values indicating current flow from the scalp to the brain (“sink”). It attenuates signals from volume conduction, effectively improving the spatial resolution of EEG, and is expected to contribute to breakthroughs in neural engineering. This paper provides a systematic overview of the principles and development of SL technology. Currently, there are two implementation paths for SL technology: current source density algorithms (CSD) and concentric ring electrodes (CRE). CSD performs the Laplace transform of the EEG signals acquired by conventional disc electrodes to indirectly estimate the LEEG. It can be mainly classified into local methods, global methods, and realistic Laplacian methods. The global method is the most commonly used approach in CSD, which can achieve more accurate estimation compared with the local method, and it does not require additional imaging equipment compared with the realistic Laplacian method. CRE employs new concentric ring electrodes instead of the traditional disc electrodes, and measures the LEEG directly by differential acquisition of the multi-ring signals. Depending on the structure, it can be divided into bipolar CRE, quasi-bipolar CRE, tripolar CRE, and multi-pole CRE. The tripolar CRE is widely used due to its optimal detection performance. While ensuring the quality of signal acquisition, the complexity of its preamplifier is relatively acceptable. Here, this paper introduces the study of the SL technique in resting rhythms, visual-related potentials, movement-related potentials, and sensorimotor rhythms. These studies demonstrate that SL technology can improve signal quality and enhance signal characteristics, confirming its potential applications in neuroscientific research, disease diagnosis, visual pathway detection, and brain-computer interfaces. CSD is frequently utilized in applications such as neuroscientific research and disease detection, where high-precision estimation of LEEG is required. And CRE tends to be used in brain-computer interfaces, that have stringent requirements for real-time data processing. Finally, this paper summarizes the strengths and weaknesses of SL technology and envisages its future development. SL technology boasts advantages such as reference independence, high spatial resolution, high temporal resolution, enhanced source connectivity analysis, and noise suppression. However, it also has shortcomings that can be further improved. Theoretically, simulation experiments should be conducted to investigate the theoretical characteristics of SL technology. For CSD methods, the algorithm needs to be optimized to improve the precision of LEEG estimation, reduce dependence on the number of channels, and decrease computational complexity and time consumption. For CRE methods, the electrodes need to be designed with appropriate structures and sizes, and the low-noise, high common-mode rejection ratio preamplifier should be developed. We hope that this paper can promote the in-depth research and wide application of SL technology.

ObjectiveTo observe the clinical efficacy of tonifying kidney and replenishing essence on asthenozoospermia patients with the syndrome of kidney essence deficiency and the effects of this method on the adenosine 5′-monophosphate-activated protein kinase （AMPK）/mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 （mTORC1） signaling pathway. MethodsSeventy-two eligible asthenozoospermia patients with the syndrome of kidney essence deficiency treated in the Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from February 2023 to January 2024 were selected and randomly assigned into an observation group and a control group， with 36 patients in each group. The observation group received oral administration of Guilu Tianjing capsules， while the control group received oral administration of L-carnitine oral solution. The treatment course lasted for 4 weeks in both groups. The observed indicators included sperm progressive motility rate （PR）， total sperm motility （PR+NP）， percentage of normal mitochondrial membrane potential （MMP）， and traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） symptom scores before and after treatment in both groups. A three-month follow-up was instituted to record the conception status of the patients’ spouses. Additionally， eight patients were randomly selected from the eligible patients in the observation group， and four healthy males with normal semen routine examination results were included as the control group for the determination of protein expression. Western blotting was conducted to assess the expression of AMPK， phosphorylated （p）-AMPK， regulatory-associated protein of mTOR （RAPTOR） and p-RAPTOR， and PTEN-induced putative kinase 1 （PINK1） in sperms from the observation group before and after treatment， as well as in the sperms of the control group. ResultsThe pregnancy rate of spouses in the observation group was 9.09% （3/33）， which was higher than that （3.33%， 1/30） in the control group. The total response rate was 84.8% （28/33） in the observation group and 66.7% （20/30） in the control group， with no statistically significant difference. After treatment， both groups were improved considering PR， PR+NP， MMP， and TCM symptom scores （P<0.01）. Moreover， the observation group exhibited more pronounced decreases in TCM symptom scores than the control group （P<0.05）， while the changes in PR， PR+NP， and MMP showed no statistical significance between groups. Compared with the control group， the asthenozoospermia group exhibited upregulations in phosphorylation levels of AMPK and RAPTOR and protein level of PINK （P<0.01）. The administration of Guilu Tianjing Capsules led to downregulations in the phosphorylation levels of AMPK and RAPTOR and protein level of PINK1 （P<0.01）. However， the protein levels of AMPK and RAPTOR demonstrated no significant difference between before and after treatment. During the study period， neither group of patients exhibited any notable adverse reactions. ConclusionGuilu Tianjing capsules can enhance the sperm motility and percentage of normal mitochondrial membrane potential in asthenozoospermia patients with the syndrome of kidney essence deficiency by downregulating the AMPK/mTORC1 signaling pathway， lowering the protein level of PINK1， and inhibiting excessive activation of mitophagy.

ObjectiveTo observe the clinical efficacy of tonifying kidney and replenishing essence on asthenozoospermia patients with the syndrome of kidney essence deficiency and the effects of this method on the adenosine 5′-monophosphate-activated protein kinase （AMPK）/mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 （mTORC1） signaling pathway. MethodsSeventy-two eligible asthenozoospermia patients with the syndrome of kidney essence deficiency treated in the Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from February 2023 to January 2024 were selected and randomly assigned into an observation group and a control group， with 36 patients in each group. The observation group received oral administration of Guilu Tianjing capsules， while the control group received oral administration of L-carnitine oral solution. The treatment course lasted for 4 weeks in both groups. The observed indicators included sperm progressive motility rate （PR）， total sperm motility （PR+NP）， percentage of normal mitochondrial membrane potential （MMP）， and traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） symptom scores before and after treatment in both groups. A three-month follow-up was instituted to record the conception status of the patients’ spouses. Additionally， eight patients were randomly selected from the eligible patients in the observation group， and four healthy males with normal semen routine examination results were included as the control group for the determination of protein expression. Western blotting was conducted to assess the expression of AMPK， phosphorylated （p）-AMPK， regulatory-associated protein of mTOR （RAPTOR） and p-RAPTOR， and PTEN-induced putative kinase 1 （PINK1） in sperms from the observation group before and after treatment， as well as in the sperms of the control group. ResultsThe pregnancy rate of spouses in the observation group was 9.09% （3/33）， which was higher than that （3.33%， 1/30） in the control group. The total response rate was 84.8% （28/33） in the observation group and 66.7% （20/30） in the control group， with no statistically significant difference. After treatment， both groups were improved considering PR， PR+NP， MMP， and TCM symptom scores （P<0.01）. Moreover， the observation group exhibited more pronounced decreases in TCM symptom scores than the control group （P<0.05）， while the changes in PR， PR+NP， and MMP showed no statistical significance between groups. Compared with the control group， the asthenozoospermia group exhibited upregulations in phosphorylation levels of AMPK and RAPTOR and protein level of PINK （P<0.01）. The administration of Guilu Tianjing Capsules led to downregulations in the phosphorylation levels of AMPK and RAPTOR and protein level of PINK1 （P<0.01）. However， the protein levels of AMPK and RAPTOR demonstrated no significant difference between before and after treatment. During the study period， neither group of patients exhibited any notable adverse reactions. ConclusionGuilu Tianjing capsules can enhance the sperm motility and percentage of normal mitochondrial membrane potential in asthenozoospermia patients with the syndrome of kidney essence deficiency by downregulating the AMPK/mTORC1 signaling pathway， lowering the protein level of PINK1， and inhibiting excessive activation of mitophagy.

OBJECTIVE To enhance the training quality of anticoagulation specialty clinical pharmacists， address the resource limitations of a single training base， and promote homogenization of training quality. METHODS A multi-base joint training system for anticoagulation specialty clinical pharmacists in the Beijing area was established. A mixed research method was employed， collecting data through performance comparisons， questionnaires， and qualitative interviews to compare the differences between the joint training model （experimental group， n＝16） and traditional teaching model （the control group， n＝17）. RESULTS The established joint training system encompassed a unified joint training teaching plan， the formation of a joint training teaching team， the establishment of joint theoretical teaching courses， the implementation of joint case discussions and literature presentations， as well as strengthening the assessment throughout the joint training process. Compared to the control group [theoretical assessment of （76.44±3.66） points， case assessment of （84.31±3.27） points]， the experimental group students achieved higher scores in theoretical assessment （[ 79.85±4.64） points] and case assessment （[ 88.70±5.51） points] （P＜0.05）. Through questionnaires and qualitative interviews， the trainees in experimental group were highly satisfied with the joint training model in terms of theoretical learning， communication skills， and teaching interaction. CONCLUSIONS The multi-base collaborative training system for anticoagulation specialty clinical pharmacists can integrate advantageous resources and significantly enhance the training effectiveness of anticoagulation specialty clinical pharmacists， offering value for wider promotion.

Background::In the clinic, practitioners encounter many patients with an abnormal pattern of dense punctate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) signal in the basal ganglia, a phenomenon known as "cheese sign". This sign is reported as common in cerebrovascular diseases, dementia, and old age. Recently, cheese sign has been speculated to consist of dense perivascular space (PVS). This study aimed to assess the lesion types of cheese sign and analyze the correlation between this sign and vascular disease risk factors.Methods::A total of 812 patients from Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH) dementia cohort were enrolled. We analyzed the relationship between cheese sign and vascular risk. For assessing cheese sign and defining its degree, the abnormal punctate signals were classified into basal ganglia hyperintensity (BGH), PVS, lacunae/infarctions and microbleeds, and counted separately. Each type of lesion was rated on a four-level scale, and then the sum was calculated; this total was defined as the cheese sign score. Fazekas and Age-Related White Matter Changes (ARWMC) scores were used to evaluate the paraventricular, deep, and subcortical gray/white matter hyperintensities.Results::A total of 118 patients (14.5%) in this dementia cohort were found to have cheese sign. Age (odds ratio [OR]: 1.090, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.064-1.120, P <0.001), hypertension (OR: 1.828, 95% CI: 1.123-2.983, P = 0.014), and stroke (OR: 1.901, 95% CI: 1.092-3.259, P = 0.025) were risk factors for cheese sign. There was no significant relationship between diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and cheese sign. The main components of cheese sign were BGH, PVS, and lacunae/infarction. The proportion of PVS increased with cheese sign severity. Conclusions::The risk factors for cheese sign were hypertension, age, and stroke. Cheese sign consists of BGH, PVS, and lacunae/infarction.

Aim To explore the improvement effect of Bazi Bushen capsule on thymic degeneration in SAMP6 mice and the possible mechanism.Methods Twenty 12 week old male SAMP6 mice were randomly divided into the model group(SAMP6)and the Bazi Busheng capsule treatment group(SAMP6+BZBS).Ten SAMR1 mice were assigned to a homologous control group(SAMR1).The SAMP6+BZBS group was oral-ly administered Bazi Bushen capsule suspension(2.8 g·kg-1)daily,while the other two groups were orally administered an equal amount of distilled water.After nine weeks of administration,the morphology of the thymus in each group was observed and the thymus in-dex was calculated;HE staining was used to observe the structural changes of thymus tissue;SA-β-gal stai-ning was used to detect thymic aging;flow cytometry was used to detect the proportion of thymic CD3+T cells in each group;Western blot was used to detect the levels of p16,Bax,Bcl-2,and cleaved caspase-3 proteins in thymus;immunofluorescence was applied to detect the proportion of cortical thymic epithelial cells in each group;ELISA was employed to detect IL-7 lev-els in thymus.Results Compared with the SAMP6 group,the thymic index of the SAMP6+BZBS group significantly increased(P＜0.05);the disordered thy-mic structure was significantly improved;the positive proportion of SA-β-gal staining significantly decreased(P＜0.01);the proportion of CD3+T cells apparently increased(P＜0.05);the level of p16 protein signifi-cantly decreased(P＜0.05);the level of Bcl-2 pro-tein significantly increased(P＜0.05),while the lev-el of cleaved caspase-3 protein markedly decreased(P＜0.05);the proportion of cortical thymic epithelial cells evidently increased;the level of IL-7 significantly increased(P＜0.01).Conclusions Bazi Bushen capsule can delay thymic degeneration,inhibit cell ap-optosis in thymus and promote thymic cell development in SAMP6 mice,which may be related to increasing the proportion of cortical thymic epithelial cells and promoting IL-7 secretion.

Vascular calcification is a highly regulated process of ectopic calcification in cardiovascular system while no effective intervention can be clinically performed up to date.As vascular calcification undergoes a common regulatory mechanism within bone formation,bone morphogenetic protein 7(BMP-7)main-tains contractile phenotype of vascular smooth muscle cells and further inhibits vascular calcification via promoting the process of osteoblast differentiation,reducing ectopic calcification pressure by increasing bone formation and reducing bone resorption.This work systematically reviews the role of BMP-7 in vascular calcifi-cation and the possible mechanism,and their current clinical application as well.The current proceedings may help develope early diagnostic strategy and therapeutic treatment with BMP-7 as a new molecular marker and potential drug target.The expec-tation could achieve early prevention and intervention of vascular calcification and improve poor prognosis on patients.

Objective To study the effect of intervertebral grafting area on the effect of single segment lumbar posterior de-compression and intervertebral bone grafting fusion.Methods The clinical data of 52 patients who underwent single-segment lumbar posterior decompression pedicle internal fixation and bone grafting fusion from January 2020 to December 2022 were retrospective reviewed.The area of the intervertebral bone graft was measured one week postoperatively using Computed To-mography(CT),and based on the ratio of the bone graft area to the average area of the endplates,the patients were divided into three groups:17 cases in group A(the intervertebral bone graft area did not exceed the area of one pedicle)included 9 males and 8 females with an average age of(56.0±1 1.5)years old;15 cases in group B(the intervertebral bone graft area exceeded one pedicle but did not reach the opposite pedicle)included 10 males and 5 females with an average of(52.0±14.0)years old;20 cases in group C(the intervertebral bone graft area exceeded the opposite pedicle)included 12 males and 8 females with an average of(49.5±12.8)years old.X-rays and CT scans were performed at 3,6,12 months,and the final follow-up postopera-tively,the interbody fusion Brantigan scores,pain visual analogue scale(VAS),and Oswestry Disability Index(ODI)at each follow-up were recorded.Results The gender,age,and surgical segments showed no significant differences among three groups(P＞0.05).There was also no significant difference in the preoperative VAS and ODI among three groups(P＞0.05).All patients of three groups were followed up from 12 to 36 months.Compared with preoperative,VAS and ODI scores of three groups showed significant improvement at 1 week postoperatively and the final follow-up(P＜0.05).Compared with preoperative mea-surements,the height of the intervertebral space was restored at 1 week postoperatively in three groups;at the final follow-up,the loss of height in the intervertebral space was less in groups B and C,and the height of the intervertebral space in group B and C was significantly higher than in group A(P＜0.05).The modified Brantigan scores at 3 and 6 months postoperatively were significantly higher in group C than in groups A and B(P＜0.05);at 12 months postoperatively,the scores in groups B and C were significantly higher than in group A(P＜0.05);however,at the final follow-up,there was no significant difference in the modified Brantigan scores among three groups(P＞0.05).The bone graft fusion rate in group C was significantly higher than in groups A and B at 3 months postoperatively(P＜0.05);at 6 and 12 months postoperatively,the fusion rates in groups B and C were significantly higher than in group A(P＜0.05);at the final follow-up,the fusion rate in group A was still lower than in groups B and C,but the difference among three groups was not significant(P＞0.05).Conclusion Single segment posterior lum-bar decompression and interbody fusion surgery can significantly improve the clinical symptoms of patients with lumbar degen-erative related diseases.However,as the proportion of bone grafting area increases,the early bone grafting fusion rate and fu-sion score of patients are significantly improved.

Objective To explore clinical effect of distal tibial tubercle-high tibial osteotomy(DTT-HTO)in treating knee osteoarthritis(KO A)with medial meniscus posterior root tear(MMPRT).Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on 21 patients with varus KOA with MMPRT from May 2020 to December 2021,including 3 males and 18 females,aged from 49 to 75 years old with an average of(63.81±6.56)years old,the courses of disease ranged from 0.5 to 18.0 years with an average of(5.9±4.2)years,and 4 patients with grade Ⅱ,14 patients with grade Ⅲ,and 3 patients with grade Ⅳ according to Kellgren-Lawrence;14 patients with type 1 and 7 patients with type 2 according to MMPRT damage classification.The distance of medi-al meniscusextrusion(MME)and weight-bearing line ratio(WBLR)of lower extremity were compared before and 12 months after operation.Visual analogue scale(V AS),Western Ontarioand and McMaster Universities(WOMAC)osteoarthritis index,and Lysholm knee score were used to evaluate knee pain and functional improvement before operation,1,6 and 12 months after operation,respectively.Results Twenty-one patients were followed up for 12 to 18 months with an average of(13.52±1.72)months.MME distance was improved from(4.99±1.05)mm before operation to(1.87±0.76)mm at 12 months after operation(P＜0.05).WBLR was increased from(15.49±7.04)％before operation to(62.71±2.27)％at 12 months after operation(P＜0.05).VAS was decreased from(7.00±1.14)before operation to(2.04±0.80),(0.90±0.62)and(0.61±0.50)at 1,6 and 12 months after operation.WOMAC were decreased from preoperative(147.90±9.88)to postoperative(103.43±8.52),(74.00±9.54)and(47.62±9.53)at 1,6 and 12 months,and the difference were statistically significant(P＜0.05).Lysholm scores were increased from(46.04±7.34)before oepration to(63.19±8.93),(81.10±6.41)and(89.29±3.04)at 1,6 and 12 months after operation(P＜0.05).Conclusion For the treatment of varus KOA with MMPRT,DTT-HTO could reduce medial meniscus pro-trusion distance,improve the ratio of lower limb force line,and effectively reduce knee pain and improve knee joint function.