This article systematically reviews the current research status as well as diagnosis and treatment strategies of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） for gastroesophageal reflux disease （GERD）. Studies demonstrate that TCM， based on the "disease-syndrome combination" approach， exhibits multi-target advantages in alleviating symptoms of various GERD subtypes， promoting mucosal repair， regulating emotions， and facilitating the reduction of western medication. To address clinical challenges such as symptom overlap and limited therapeutic efficacy， strategies have been proposed including "treating different diseases with the same method" and integrated regulation based on viscera correlation. Future efforts should focus on elucidating the mechanisms of compound prescriptions， promoting TCM drug development under the "three-combination" evaluation framework that integrates TCM theory， human experience and clinical trial evidence， and optimizing integrated traditional and western medicine models to enhance GERD management.

Clinical trials represent a pivotal stage in the development of pharmaceutical drugs. Nevertheless， given the unique characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） and the diagnostic and treatment principle of syndrome differentiation and treatment in TCM， the clinical evaluation techniques and methods that can comprehensively reflect the characteristics of TCM and are tailored to its specificities are still in need of refinement and innovation. This paper systematically summarizes the key techniques and methods for designing and evaluating the clinical research on the treatment of the spleen and stomach diseases with TCM from three aspects including clinical research design， evaluation， and platform construction， compares domestic and international research landscapes， and proposes for future directions. It is suggested that a multidimensional evaluation system integrating modern medicine and TCM theory should be established， and further innovation is needed in TCM research design and methodologies， leveraging intelligent devices and technologies powered by next-generation information technology to transform clinical data into high-quality TCM evidence. Moreover， standardized and shared platforms for TCM clinical data should be accelerated， so as to provide references for the design， implementation， and evaluation of future clinical research on the treatment of the spleen and stomach diseases with TCM.

Based on the theory of Zi Wu Liu Zhu （子午流注， the ebb and flow of midnight and midday） and the clinical characteristics of diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome （IBS-D） that its symptoms mainly occur during chou （丑） period （01：00—03：00）， mao （卯） period （5：00—7：00）， and si （巳） period （9：00—11：00）， this paper proposes a temporal pathogenesis chain of "liver constraint during chou period， intestinal stagnation during mao period， and spleen deficiency during si period". Within this chain， liver constraint serves as the initiating factor， and intestinal stagnation manifests as the branch， while spleen deficiency constitutes the root of the disease. Accordingly， a chronotherapeutic principle of "soothing the liver， regulating the intestines， and fortifying the spleen" is proposed， establishing a corresponding time-based syndrome differentiation and treatment system. During chou period， the treatment should focus on soothing the liver to relieve constraint and calming the mind to tranquilize the spirit， thereby blocking the mechanism of liver constraint overacting on the spleen. During mao period， the focus is regulating qi to resolve dampness and harmonizing the intestine to alleviate the branch symptoms of morning abdominal pain and diarrhea. During si period， the suggested method is fortifying the spleen and supplementing qi to drain dampness and stop diarrhea， thereby restoring the pivot of spleen-stomach transportation and transformation. These methods are complemented by strategies to optimize medication compliance， thereby providing a new chronotherapeutic approach for clinical diagnosis and treatment of IBS-D.

Objective To analyze the efficacy of arsenic-containing TCM compounds in treating high-risk myelodysplastic syndromes(HR-MDS)with spleen-kidney deficiency and toxic stagnation and blood stasis syndrome;To provide references for the clinical treatment of HR-MDS.Methods The medical records of HR-MDS with spleen-kidney deficiency and toxic stagnation and blood stasis syndrome treated with arsenic-containing TCM compounds in Xiyuan Hospital of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences from January 2016 to September 2022 were retrospectively analyzed.The patients were divided into arsenic-containing TCM compounds combined with demethylation drugs(HMAs)treatment group and arsenic-containing TCM compounds combined with androgen treatment group.The clinical efficacy of both groups were evaluated,including overall response rate(ORR),median overall survival(OS),1-,2-and 3-year survial rates,median progression free survival(PFS),and 1-,2-and 3-year PFS rates.Results Among 200 cases of HR-MDS,68 cases were treated with arsenic-containing TCM compounds combined with HMAs,and 132 cases were treated with arsenic-containing TCM compounds combined with androgen.The ORR was 30%,and the OS of HR-MDS after treatment was 42 months.The 1-,2-and 3-year survival rates were 78.6%,60.4%and 50.2%respectively.The median PFS was 15 months,and the 1-year,2-year and 3-year PFS rates were 57.8%,28.8%and 18.2%respectively.The ORR of 68 cases HR-MDS treated with arsenic-containing TCM compounds combined with HMAs was 44.1%.After treatment,the median OS of HR-MDS was 42 months,and the survival rates of 1-,2-and 3-years were 84%,75.6%and 61.9%respectively,and the median PFS was 24 months,and the PFS rates of 1-,2-and 3-years were 74.3%,48.5%and 35.2%,respectively.The ORR of 132 cases of HR-MDS treatmented with arsenic-containing TCM compounds combined with androgen was 26.5%,including 33.3%in the high-risk group of HR-MDS and 13.3%in the extremely high-risk group of HR-MDS.There was statistical significance between the two groups(P=0.014).After treatment,the median OS of HR-MDS was 29 months,and the survival rates of 1-,2-and 3 years were 78.6%,54.1%and 45.1%respectively.The median PFS was 13 months,and the PFS rates of 1-,2-and 3 years were 54.1%,28.2%and 12.9%respectively.Conclusion The arsenic-containing TCM compounds combined with HMAs can significantly prolong survival and delay disease progression in HR-MDS.Although the arsenic-based TCM compounds combined with androgen therapy demonstrate inferior efficacy compared to HMAs-based regimens,it has achieved significantly higher OS and PFS than historical controls,serving as an effective alternative for patients intolerant to HMAs.

Objective To analyze the hearing screening effect of newborns in Ningbo City and provide references for further promoting neonatal hearing screening.Methods Otoacoustic emission was applied to screen the hearing of 835 323 newborns in Ningbo City from 2013 to 2023.Those who failed the initial screening were re-checked within 30 to 42 days.Those who failed the re-checking were referred to the municipal hearing diagnosis center for audiological diagnosis.The diagnosis data were enrolled,analyzed,and reported.Results Among a total of 835 323 newborns,828 043 of them actually underwent hearing screening,with an initial screening rate of 99.13％,761 369 newborns passed the initial screening with an initial screening pass rate of 91.95％.64 580 newborns were re-checked with a re-checking rate of 96.86％.There were 10 487 newborns re-checking failures,with a re-checking failure rate of 16.24％.A total of 10 164 cases were diagnosed with hearing loss,with a diagnosis rate of 96.92％.There were 323 cases of loss to follow-up with a loss to follow-up rate of 3.08％.A total of 1582 cases of hearing loss were diagnosed,with an incidence of hearing abnormalities of 1.91‰.Among the 1582 confirmed cases of hearing abnormalities,the diagnosis rate within 3 months was 12.01％,within 6 months was 57.90％,and within 12 months was 90.52％.The average diagnosed age was(7.21±6.55)months,while the median diagnosed age was 5.70 months.Conclusion The initial screening rate,initial screening pass rate,re-screening rate,re-checking recall rate,and diagnosis rate of Ningbo City have met the requirements of the guidelines and are at a leading level in China.The next step is to upgrade the information network to improve the diagnosis rate at 3 months of age,the intervention rate at 6 months of age,and the follow-up management of children with hearing loss are the key points in the future work of neonatal hearing screening.

Objective To explore the clinical characteristics of myelodysplastic syndrome(MDS)with U2 small nuclear RNA cofactor 1(U2AF1)mutation in different age groups,as well as the efficacy and prognosis of an arsenic-containing traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)compound prescription(Qinghuang Capsules combined with Bushen Yijing Formula).Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of patients with MDS who were hospitalized in the Hematology Department Ward of Xiyuan Hospital,China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences,and received arsenic-containing TCM compound treatment from November 30,2020,to September 30,2023.Stratified by age,the U2AF1 mutation and wild-type groups aged＜65 years and≥65 years were compared in terms of sex,TCM syndrome,World Health Organization classification,MDS Revised International Prognostic Score System(IPSS-R)score,blood routine indicators,serum lactate dehydrogenase content,nephroblastoma 1(WT1)expression level,bone marrow puncture and biopsy indicators,and chromosomal prognostic grades,et al.Furthermore,the efficacy of arsenic-containing TCM compound were compared in the U2AF1 mutation and wild-type groups among different age groups,as well as the influence of age on the survival prognosis of MDS patients with U2AF1 mutation.Results A total of 201 patients with MDS were included.104 patients were under 65 years old,among whom 20 had U2AF1 mutation,and 84 had wild-type.Ninety-seven patients were aged 65 years or older,among whom 19 patients had the U2AF1 mutation and 78 had the wild-type.Among patients aged＜65 years,the U2AF1 mutation group had a higher proportion of male patients and very low-risk/low-risk patients with an IPSS-R score≤3(P＜0.05),a lower mean corpuscular volume(MCV)(P＜0.05),and a relatively higher proportion of peripheral blood cell line 1 reduction than the wild-type group(P＜0.05).Among patients aged≥65 years,the MCV in the U2AF1 mutation group was lower(P＜0.05),and the expression level of the bone marrow WT1 gene and the proportion of patients with reticular fiber grade 4 were relatively higher than in the wild-type group(P＜0.05).The total effective rate of the arsenic-containing TCM compound for patients with U2AF1 mutation was 61.5％(24/39),and the total response rate was 30.8％(12/39).The total effective rate for the wild-type patients was 67.9％(110/162),and the total response rate was 29.6％(48/162).No significant difference was observed in the total effective and response rates.Kaplan-Meier survival analysis of 39 patients with U2AF1 mutation revealed that the median overall survival(mOS)of patients older than 65 years had not been reached.The 1-,2-,and 3-year survival rates were 93.8％,84.4％,and 84.4％,respectively.The mOS of the patients aged≥65 years was 35 months(95％confidence interval[CI]:7.559-62.441),and the 1-,2-,and 3-year survival rates were 66.2％,58.9％,and 29.4％,respectively.The mOS of patients in the aged≥65 years group was significantly lower than that in the aged＜65 years group(P＜0.05),and no significant difference was observed in median progression-free survival between the two groups.Conclusion The U2AF1 mutation is closely associated with the clinical characteristics of MDS.However,age and the presence of U2AF1 mutation have no significant effect on the total effective and response rates of arsenic-containing TCM compound.Age is a significant factor influencing the prognosis of patients with MDS with U2AF1 mutation.Patients aged 65 years or older have a shorter survival time than those younger than 65 years.

Objective To explore the clinical characteristics of myelodysplastic syndrome(MDS)with U2 small nuclear RNA cofactor 1(U2AF1)mutation in different age groups,as well as the efficacy and prognosis of an arsenic-containing traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)compound prescription(Qinghuang Capsules combined with Bushen Yijing Formula).Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of patients with MDS who were hospitalized in the Hematology Department Ward of Xiyuan Hospital,China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences,and received arsenic-containing TCM compound treatment from November 30,2020,to September 30,2023.Stratified by age,the U2AF1 mutation and wild-type groups aged＜65 years and≥65 years were compared in terms of sex,TCM syndrome,World Health Organization classification,MDS Revised International Prognostic Score System(IPSS-R)score,blood routine indicators,serum lactate dehydrogenase content,nephroblastoma 1(WT1)expression level,bone marrow puncture and biopsy indicators,and chromosomal prognostic grades,et al.Furthermore,the efficacy of arsenic-containing TCM compound were compared in the U2AF1 mutation and wild-type groups among different age groups,as well as the influence of age on the survival prognosis of MDS patients with U2AF1 mutation.Results A total of 201 patients with MDS were included.104 patients were under 65 years old,among whom 20 had U2AF1 mutation,and 84 had wild-type.Ninety-seven patients were aged 65 years or older,among whom 19 patients had the U2AF1 mutation and 78 had the wild-type.Among patients aged＜65 years,the U2AF1 mutation group had a higher proportion of male patients and very low-risk/low-risk patients with an IPSS-R score≤3(P＜0.05),a lower mean corpuscular volume(MCV)(P＜0.05),and a relatively higher proportion of peripheral blood cell line 1 reduction than the wild-type group(P＜0.05).Among patients aged≥65 years,the MCV in the U2AF1 mutation group was lower(P＜0.05),and the expression level of the bone marrow WT1 gene and the proportion of patients with reticular fiber grade 4 were relatively higher than in the wild-type group(P＜0.05).The total effective rate of the arsenic-containing TCM compound for patients with U2AF1 mutation was 61.5％(24/39),and the total response rate was 30.8％(12/39).The total effective rate for the wild-type patients was 67.9％(110/162),and the total response rate was 29.6％(48/162).No significant difference was observed in the total effective and response rates.Kaplan-Meier survival analysis of 39 patients with U2AF1 mutation revealed that the median overall survival(mOS)of patients older than 65 years had not been reached.The 1-,2-,and 3-year survival rates were 93.8％,84.4％,and 84.4％,respectively.The mOS of the patients aged≥65 years was 35 months(95％confidence interval[CI]:7.559-62.441),and the 1-,2-,and 3-year survival rates were 66.2％,58.9％,and 29.4％,respectively.The mOS of patients in the aged≥65 years group was significantly lower than that in the aged＜65 years group(P＜0.05),and no significant difference was observed in median progression-free survival between the two groups.Conclusion The U2AF1 mutation is closely associated with the clinical characteristics of MDS.However,age and the presence of U2AF1 mutation have no significant effect on the total effective and response rates of arsenic-containing TCM compound.Age is a significant factor influencing the prognosis of patients with MDS with U2AF1 mutation.Patients aged 65 years or older have a shorter survival time than those younger than 65 years.

Objective To analyze the efficacy of arsenic-containing TCM compounds in treating high-risk myelodysplastic syndromes(HR-MDS)with spleen-kidney deficiency and toxic stagnation and blood stasis syndrome;To provide references for the clinical treatment of HR-MDS.Methods The medical records of HR-MDS with spleen-kidney deficiency and toxic stagnation and blood stasis syndrome treated with arsenic-containing TCM compounds in Xiyuan Hospital of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences from January 2016 to September 2022 were retrospectively analyzed.The patients were divided into arsenic-containing TCM compounds combined with demethylation drugs(HMAs)treatment group and arsenic-containing TCM compounds combined with androgen treatment group.The clinical efficacy of both groups were evaluated,including overall response rate(ORR),median overall survival(OS),1-,2-and 3-year survial rates,median progression free survival(PFS),and 1-,2-and 3-year PFS rates.Results Among 200 cases of HR-MDS,68 cases were treated with arsenic-containing TCM compounds combined with HMAs,and 132 cases were treated with arsenic-containing TCM compounds combined with androgen.The ORR was 30%,and the OS of HR-MDS after treatment was 42 months.The 1-,2-and 3-year survival rates were 78.6%,60.4%and 50.2%respectively.The median PFS was 15 months,and the 1-year,2-year and 3-year PFS rates were 57.8%,28.8%and 18.2%respectively.The ORR of 68 cases HR-MDS treated with arsenic-containing TCM compounds combined with HMAs was 44.1%.After treatment,the median OS of HR-MDS was 42 months,and the survival rates of 1-,2-and 3-years were 84%,75.6%and 61.9%respectively,and the median PFS was 24 months,and the PFS rates of 1-,2-and 3-years were 74.3%,48.5%and 35.2%,respectively.The ORR of 132 cases of HR-MDS treatmented with arsenic-containing TCM compounds combined with androgen was 26.5%,including 33.3%in the high-risk group of HR-MDS and 13.3%in the extremely high-risk group of HR-MDS.There was statistical significance between the two groups(P=0.014).After treatment,the median OS of HR-MDS was 29 months,and the survival rates of 1-,2-and 3 years were 78.6%,54.1%and 45.1%respectively.The median PFS was 13 months,and the PFS rates of 1-,2-and 3 years were 54.1%,28.2%and 12.9%respectively.Conclusion The arsenic-containing TCM compounds combined with HMAs can significantly prolong survival and delay disease progression in HR-MDS.Although the arsenic-based TCM compounds combined with androgen therapy demonstrate inferior efficacy compared to HMAs-based regimens,it has achieved significantly higher OS and PFS than historical controls,serving as an effective alternative for patients intolerant to HMAs.

Objective To analyze the hearing screening effect of newborns in Ningbo City and provide references for further promoting neonatal hearing screening.Methods Otoacoustic emission was applied to screen the hearing of 835 323 newborns in Ningbo City from 2013 to 2023.Those who failed the initial screening were re-checked within 30 to 42 days.Those who failed the re-checking were referred to the municipal hearing diagnosis center for audiological diagnosis.The diagnosis data were enrolled,analyzed,and reported.Results Among a total of 835 323 newborns,828 043 of them actually underwent hearing screening,with an initial screening rate of 99.13％,761 369 newborns passed the initial screening with an initial screening pass rate of 91.95％.64 580 newborns were re-checked with a re-checking rate of 96.86％.There were 10 487 newborns re-checking failures,with a re-checking failure rate of 16.24％.A total of 10 164 cases were diagnosed with hearing loss,with a diagnosis rate of 96.92％.There were 323 cases of loss to follow-up with a loss to follow-up rate of 3.08％.A total of 1582 cases of hearing loss were diagnosed,with an incidence of hearing abnormalities of 1.91‰.Among the 1582 confirmed cases of hearing abnormalities,the diagnosis rate within 3 months was 12.01％,within 6 months was 57.90％,and within 12 months was 90.52％.The average diagnosed age was(7.21±6.55)months,while the median diagnosed age was 5.70 months.Conclusion The initial screening rate,initial screening pass rate,re-screening rate,re-checking recall rate,and diagnosis rate of Ningbo City have met the requirements of the guidelines and are at a leading level in China.The next step is to upgrade the information network to improve the diagnosis rate at 3 months of age,the intervention rate at 6 months of age,and the follow-up management of children with hearing loss are the key points in the future work of neonatal hearing screening.

ObjectiveTo analyse the current implementation status of Chinese herbal medicine （CHM） placebo and systematically evaluate the placebo effect in randomised controlled trials （RCTs） of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） for the treatment of functional dyspepsia （FD）. MethodsA combination of medical subject terms and free words was used to search six databases， including PubMed， EMBASE， Cochrane Library， Web of Science， China National Knowledge Infrastructure， and Wanfang， for RCTs with CHM placebo group for FD published from January 31st， 1994 to September 30th， 2023. The dosage forms， composition， and methodological quality were collected and evaluated. The quality of the included articles was evaluated by Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool， and meta-analysis was performed on the CHM placebo response rate of patients with FD， and subgroup analysis and meta-regression was performed according to diagnostic criteria， efficacy criteria， duration of treatment， type of placebo， whether it contained active ingredient， and whether it evaluated placebo effects. ResultsA total of 34 publications were included involving 5046 participants， of which 2221 FD patients received CHM placebo treatment. Granules were the predominant placebo preparation， accounting for 71% （24/34）； 32.35% （11/34） of the studies added real CHM to the placebo， and only 12 （35%） of the studies described appearance， odour， and taste. The placebo response rate in FD patients in the placebo group was 41% （95% CI： 0.35 to 0.47； P＜0.01， I² = 87%）； there was significant difference between groups with different diagnostic criteria and different treatment durations （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）， but there was no significant difference between the different efficacy evaluation criteria， the different placebo preparation， the presence of a low-dose active ingredient， and the presence or absence of placebo assessment （P＞0.05）. ConclusionThere was a significant CHM placebo effect in patients with FD， with granules as the main preparation of placebop. Different diagnostic criteria and different treatment times may affect the response rate of patients， and the addition of low-dose real medicine to the CHM placebos has not been seen to have an effect on the response rate. Clinical investigators have not paid enough attention to placebos， and there is a lack of uniform standards and norms for the preparation and evaluation of CHM placebos.