Intelligent prescription recommendation has become an important research direction in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), offering new opportunities to support clinical decision-making and promote the modernization of TCM practice. With the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI), a variety of computational approaches have been proposed to learn prescription patterns from clinical data and generate personalized treatment recommendations. However, despite increasing research activity, systematic and comprehensive reviews of AI-driven methods for TCM prescription recommendation remain limited. In this study, we present a comprehensive review of computational approaches for herbal prescription recommendation (HPR) in TCM. Existing methods are systematically categorized into several major paradigms, including traditional machine learning methods, topic model methods, sequential generative methods, deep learning and graph-based methods, and large language model–based frameworks. In addition to summarizing methodological developments, we also review commonly used public datasets and evaluation metrics in this field. Furthermore, representative models with publicly available implementations are experimentally evaluated on multiple benchmark datasets to provide a comparative analysis of their performance on the HPR task. Finally, we discuss the key challenges that hinder the practical deployment of intelligent prescription recommendation systems, including data heterogeneity, limited interpretability, and insufficient integration of TCM domain knowledge. Future research directions are outlined to facilitate the development of more reliable, interpretable, and clinically applicable AI-assisted HPR systems for TCM.

Objective:To investigate the sero-conversion rate of HIV antibody and influencing factors in cross-border couples in Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture(Dehong).Methods:A cohort design was used to recruit HIV-negative people in cross-border couples in Dehong in 2017. Follow-up was conducted in 2023, and questionnaire survey and HIV test were carried out to calculate the sero-conversion rate of HIV antibody. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to analyze the influence factors for HIV infections.Results:A total of 36 278 HIV-negative persons in cross-border couples were included in the 2017 baseline survey, of whom 22 438 (61.9%) were tested in follow-up in 2023. The sero-conversion rate between 2017 and 2023 was 0.51% (115/22 438). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that length of marriage <6 years, Jingpo ethnic group, education level of primary school or below, drug use, illegal marriage and HIV infected spouse were the risk factors of HIV infection in male spouses, and length of marriage <6 years, Jingpo ethnic group, illegal marriage and HIV infected spouse were the risk factors in female spouses.Conclusions:The sero-conversion rate of HIV antibody in cross-border couples in Dehong was relatively high. HIV infection was mainly caused by secondary transmission in the couples, and men might also be infected through drug use. It is necessary to strengthen the registration and management of cross-border couples, especially the couples with discordant HIV infection status, and the intervention in drug users to reduce the risk for secondary transmission of HIV in the cross-border couples.

Objective:To investigate the sero-conversion rate of HIV antibody and influencing factors in cross-border couples in Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture(Dehong).Methods:A cohort design was used to recruit HIV-negative people in cross-border couples in Dehong in 2017. Follow-up was conducted in 2023, and questionnaire survey and HIV test were carried out to calculate the sero-conversion rate of HIV antibody. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to analyze the influence factors for HIV infections.Results:A total of 36 278 HIV-negative persons in cross-border couples were included in the 2017 baseline survey, of whom 22 438 (61.9%) were tested in follow-up in 2023. The sero-conversion rate between 2017 and 2023 was 0.51% (115/22 438). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that length of marriage <6 years, Jingpo ethnic group, education level of primary school or below, drug use, illegal marriage and HIV infected spouse were the risk factors of HIV infection in male spouses, and length of marriage <6 years, Jingpo ethnic group, illegal marriage and HIV infected spouse were the risk factors in female spouses.Conclusions:The sero-conversion rate of HIV antibody in cross-border couples in Dehong was relatively high. HIV infection was mainly caused by secondary transmission in the couples, and men might also be infected through drug use. It is necessary to strengthen the registration and management of cross-border couples, especially the couples with discordant HIV infection status, and the intervention in drug users to reduce the risk for secondary transmission of HIV in the cross-border couples.

Objective:To investigate the effect of oral capsaicin stimulation on the cerebral cortex hemodynamics of patients with post-stroke dysphagia (PSD).Methods:Thirty-four PSD patients were subjected to oral stimulation with either a saline or a capsaicin solution. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was used to document any changes in cortical oxyhemoglobin (HbO) concentrations and cortical activation. Functional connectivity (FC) and hemispheric lateralization were analyzed.Results:(1) Capsaicin stimulation significantly increased HbO concentration in the prefrontal and motor areas, producing significantly greater activation than saline stimulation and the resting state. (2) Both saline and capsaicin oral stimulation enhanced whole brain FC, with capsaicin producing a more pronounced increase between the bilateral prefrontal cortex and the right motor cortex. (3) Both saline and capsaicin stimulation induced a right-hemispheric lateralization trend in the whole brain and the prefrontal cortex, while the motor cortex maintained a left-lateralization pattern. Notably, the lateralization index under capsaicin oral stimulation was significantly higher than that under saline oral stimulation.Conclusions:Compared with the resting state and saline stimulation, capsaicin oral stimulation significantly enhances cortical activation above the resting state, and significantly more than saline stimulation. It increases FC between the prefrontal and motor cortices, and promotes adjustments in brain lateralization patterns in persons with PSD.

Oral submucous fibrosis (OSF), characterized by excessive deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) that causes oral mucosal tissue sclerosis, and even cancer transformation, is a chronic, progressive fibrosis disease. However, despite some advancements in recent years, no targeted antifibrotic strategies for OSF have been approved; likely because the complicated mechanisms that initiate and drive fibrosis remain to be determined. In this review, we briefly introduce the epidemiology and etiology of OSF. Then, we highlight how cell-intrinsic changes in significant structural cells can drive fibrotic response by regulating biological behaviors, secretion function, and activation of ECM-producing myofibroblasts. In addition, we also discuss the role of innate and adaptive immune cells and how they contribute to the pathogenesis of OSF. Finally, we summarize strategies to interrupt key mechanisms that cause OSF, including modulation of the ECM, inhibition of inflammation, improvement of vascular disturbance. This review will provide potential routes for developing novel anti-OSF therapeutics.
Humans ; Oral Submucous Fibrosis/immunology* ; Extracellular Matrix/metabolism* ; Myofibroblasts

OBJECTIVE: Exploring the formation and aggregation of human islet amyloid polypeptide (hIAPP) (amylin) fibers is significant for promoting the prevention and treatment of type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Flavones in pomelo peel have visible biological activity in the anti-diabetes aspect. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of five flavones [naringin (NRG), narirutin (NRR), nobiletin (NOB), sinensetin (SIN), and neohesperidin (NHP)] in pomelo peel on peptide aggregation and explore its possible mechanisms. The cell viability of flavones against peptide aggregation was also evaluated. METHODS: The thioflavin T (ThT) assay and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used for evaluating the inhibition and disaggregation of flavones on peptide aggregation. The interaction mechanism was analyzed by endogenous fluorescence, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, ultraviolet spectroscopy (UV) and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) experiments. The 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) and immune assays were performed to characterize the cell viability of flavones against peptide aggregation. RESULTS: The five flavones showed a decrease in fluorescence intensity, fiber number and size under incubation with different molar ratios of hIAPP. The compounds can bind to the aromatic tyrosine (Tyr) residueTyr 37, resulting in the intrinsic fluorescence quenching of the peptides. Five flavones can form hydrogen bonds with hIAPP, which is likely to be based on their phenolic hydroxyl structure. They showed strong binding affinity with peptides. The reaction system of NRG and NRR observed an exothermic reaction, and the others were endothermic reactions. The absorption peaks of the compounds with hIAPP changed and showed hypochromic effects, indicating that there may be π-π stacking interaction. Flavones noticeably increased the cell viability in the presence of amyloid peptides and reduced the absorption intensity induced by peptide oligomers. CONCLUSION A total of five flavones in pomelo peel have inhibitory and depolymerization effects on amyloid fibrils, and can significantly protect cells from the toxic effect of hIAPP and reduce the production of toxic oligomers.

Objective:To investigate the effect of oral capsaicin stimulation on the cerebral cortex hemodynamics of patients with post-stroke dysphagia (PSD).Methods:Thirty-four PSD patients were subjected to oral stimulation with either a saline or a capsaicin solution. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was used to document any changes in cortical oxyhemoglobin (HbO) concentrations and cortical activation. Functional connectivity (FC) and hemispheric lateralization were analyzed.Results:(1) Capsaicin stimulation significantly increased HbO concentration in the prefrontal and motor areas, producing significantly greater activation than saline stimulation and the resting state. (2) Both saline and capsaicin oral stimulation enhanced whole brain FC, with capsaicin producing a more pronounced increase between the bilateral prefrontal cortex and the right motor cortex. (3) Both saline and capsaicin stimulation induced a right-hemispheric lateralization trend in the whole brain and the prefrontal cortex, while the motor cortex maintained a left-lateralization pattern. Notably, the lateralization index under capsaicin oral stimulation was significantly higher than that under saline oral stimulation.Conclusions:Compared with the resting state and saline stimulation, capsaicin oral stimulation significantly enhances cortical activation above the resting state, and significantly more than saline stimulation. It increases FC between the prefrontal and motor cortices, and promotes adjustments in brain lateralization patterns in persons with PSD.

Endometriosis is a common chronic gynecological disease and leads to continuous aggravation of pelvic adhesion, pain and infertility, which seriously affects women's fertility and quality of life. Studies related to vitamin D and endometriosis have received increasing attention, the response of vitamin D in target organs depends on the expression level and biological function of vitamin D receptor (VDR). Thus, the function and characteristics of VDR were summarized in this study, and the expression level, gene polymorphism, mechanism of VDR in endometriosis and the research progress of VDR agonists in the treatment of endometriosis were reviewed, providing new ideas for basic and clinical research on diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis.

Objective:To investigate the effect of endometriosis (EMT) on oocytes, embryo quality and pregnancy and delivery outcomes in infertility patients treated with in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection and embryo transfer (IVF/ICSI-ET). Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted to select the EMT patients (383 cases, EMT group) and the infertility patients with tubal factor (1 613 cases, control group) who underwent IVF/ICSI-ET treatment in the Department of Reproductive Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University from January 2016 to December 2023. The cases were matched with the number of age, body mass index, anti-Müllerian hormone, proportion of infertility type, duration of infertility, ovulation stimulating therapy, insemination mode, number of previous IVF/ICSI cycles of the two groups by 1∶1 propensity score matching. Totally 285 patients with EMT and 285 patients in control group were finally included to analyze the effects of EMT on embryo quality and pregnancy outcome.Results:1) There were no statistically significant differences in the duration of gonadotropin (Gn) used, the total dosage and the initiating dosage of Gn used, and the levels of estradiol, luteinizing hormone, and progesterone on the human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) injection day between the two groups (all P>0.05). 2) The total number of oocytes (7.48±5.15), the number of MⅡ oocytes (6.38±4.61), the number of transferable embryos (4.16±3.16), the number of high-quality embryos [2.00 (0.00, 3.00)] and the rate of two pronuclei (2PN) high-quality embryos [42.33% (602/1 422)] in EMT group were all lower than those in control group [8.45±4.86, P=0.021; 7.32±4.43, P=0.013; 4.95±3.19, P=0.003; 2.00 (1.00, 4.00), P=0.002; 48.76% (747/1 532), P=0.032], the differences were statistically significant. 3) There were no statistically significant differences in clinical pregnancy rate, embryo implantation rate, premature birth rate, early abortion rate, ectopic pregnancy rate, male/female ratio, number of weeks of delivery and cesarean section rate between the two groups with fresh cycle transplantation and with embryo freezing in fresh cycle and embryo transferred in the first resuscitation cycle (all P>0.05), the live birth rate of EMT patients with fresh cycle transplantation [29.71% (41/138)] was lower than that of control group [48.90% (89/182), P=0.023], and the difference was statistically significant. 4) EMT was not an independent factor of clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate after IVF/ICSI treatment, but age and number of embryos transferred were independent factors of clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate of IVF/ICSI treatment ( OR=0.923, 95% CI: 0.868-0.982, P=0.011; OR=0.890, 95% CI: 0.832-0.952, P=0.001; OR=2.408, 95% CI: 1.331-4.356, P=0.004; OR=3.838, 95% CI: 1.869-7.879, P<0.001). Conclusion:EMT may reduce the number of oocytes and MⅡ oocytes in infertility patients treated with IVF/ICSI-ET, and the quality of embryos in patients with EMT treated with IVF is worse, but it does not affect the clinical pregnancy outcome and delivery outcome in patients with EMT.

Endometriosis is a common chronic gynecological disease and leads to continuous aggravation of pelvic adhesion, pain and infertility, which seriously affects women's fertility and quality of life. Studies related to vitamin D and endometriosis have received increasing attention, the response of vitamin D in target organs depends on the expression level and biological function of vitamin D receptor (VDR). Thus, the function and characteristics of VDR were summarized in this study, and the expression level, gene polymorphism, mechanism of VDR in endometriosis and the research progress of VDR agonists in the treatment of endometriosis were reviewed, providing new ideas for basic and clinical research on diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis.