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.

The mental health management of laboratory animals is a critical factor in ensuring the reliability of scientific research data. However, due to the subtle nature of mental state alterations and the limitations of current assessment methods, the mental health of laboratory animals is often overlooked by researchers. Therefore, there is an urgent need to explore a new, objective, simple, and practical method for evaluating mental health. Stress, as a primary factor inducing alterations in the mental state of animals, can influence experimental results across multiple research fields through the neuroendocrine-immune network. This paper first elucidates the necessity of mental health management in laboratory animals from three perspectives: factors contributing to stress, neural mechanisms of stress, and research areas affected by stress. It highlights that excluding animals with abnormal mental states before experiments can enhance the efficiency and reproducibility of biomedical studies. Second, this paper briefly summarizes existing methods for assessing the health of laboratory animals, pointing out that approaches such as behavioral tests and metabolomics have many limitations in evaluating stress responses. Existing methods struggle to meet the demand for simple, objective, and non-invasive assessment methods in animal management. Therefore, this paper focuses on hair, a biological sample with the advantages of cumulative information and non-invasive collection, and systematically describes the theoretical basis and technological advances in using hair characteristics as indicators of stress responses from three perspectives: hair traits, the levels of substances in hair, and artificial intelligence (AI). It proposes and supports an innovative technical pathway that combines hair traits with AI-based image analysis, with the aim of offering an improved solution for non-invasive and objective stress assessment, while providing theoretical support for improving the health management system of laboratory animals.

Public health laboratory testing involves a wide range of sample types,complex matrices,diverse target analytes with varying concentrations,and multiple application contexts with different analytical requirements.As a critical step in public health laboratory analysis and testing,sample pretreatment plays a decisive role in ensuring the reproducibility and efficiency of the analytical methods.It directly affects the accuracy,sensitivity,and reliability of testing results,as well as the feasibility of downstream analyses.Traditional sample pretreatment techniques face persistent challenges,including low efficiency,limited throughput,restricted universal applicability,high organic solvent consumption,and poor compatibility with downstream analytical procedures.These limitations constrain their capacity to meet the evolving demands of research and practice in public health and preventive medicine.In recent years,technological advances have focused on improving efficiency and automation,enhancing selectivity and sensitivity,facilitating online testing capabilities,and promoting environmental sustainability.Sample pretreatment techniques in public health laboratory testing have been undergoing progressive upgrades,and numerous novel technologies have emerged.The paper provides a comprehensive review of new technologies and applications in the field.We focused on the development of new materials,the application of artificial intelligence,connections for online processing,and the approaches tailored to the demands of specific testing settings.We also discussed sample processing for omics analyses and mass spectrometry imaging methods relevant to public health laboratory testing.These advances are expected to support the development of greener and higher-throughput sample pretreatment and foster innovation in the public health laboratory testing system.

OBJECTIVE: To carry out genetic testing and clinical phenotypic characterization on a four-generation Chinese pedigree affected with Stickler syndrome type I and explore its genotype-phenotype correlation. METHODS: A child presented at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in February 2023 for micrognathia, glossoptosis and cleft palate and his family members were selected as the study subjects. Clinical data were collected from the affected members, and peripheral blood samples were obtained from 17 participants (including 4 patients and 13 asymptomatic individuals). Whole exome sequencing (WES) was carried out. Candidate variant was verified by Sanger sequencing. Genotype-phenotype correlation was analyzed by integrating the sequencing data with evidence from existing literature. This study has bee granted by the Ethics Committee of Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center (Ethics No.: 2022-406B00). RESULTS: The four-generation pedigree has comprised 19 members. In addition to the proband, 5 affected individuals had manifested with high myopia, congenital cataracts, and progressive vision loss. Two deceased members reportedly exhibited similar ocular manifestations. Among the four living patients, two had developed retinal detachment, while two others presented with chronic joint pain onset between 35 ~ 40 years of age. One patient required hip replacement surgery at age 42 secondary to femoral head necrosis. The proband, the youngest affected member, exhibited characteristic phenotypes including congenital micrognathia and cleft palate, consistent with Pierre-Robin syndrome. Genetic analysis revealed a heterozygous nonsense mutation in COL2A1 (NM_001844.5: c.2668C>T; p.Gln890Ter) segregating with the disease in all four symptomatic patients. This variant was absent in asymptomatic family members and unaffected controls. While the mutation is listed in ClinVar, no clinical case report has associated it with this phenotypic spectrum. It was not recorded in population databases (gnomAD v4.1.0, 1000 Genomes Project, or ExAC), supporting its potential pathogenicity. CONCLUSION This study has diagnosed a four-generation Chinese pedigree with Stickler syndrome type I attributed to the pathogenic COL2A1 variant c.2668C>T (p.Gln890Ter), which is a rare nonsense mutation associated with ocular predominance and variable skeletal involvement. Notably, this family exhibited marked clinical heterogeneity despite sharing the identical genotype, which highlighted the challenges in phenotype-genotype correlation. The autosomal dominant transmission pattern observed in this pedigree has provided critical insights into COL2A1-related collagenopathies and underscored the necessity of ultrasonographic monitoring for ocular anomalies during prenatal diagnosis. Above findings have advanced our understanding of the pleiotropic effects in type Ⅱ collagen disorders and laid the foundation for precision-based genetic counseling, enabling targeted cascade screening and implementation of tertiary prevention strategies against congenital disabilities for high-risk families.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Arthritis/genetics* ; Collagen Type II/genetics* ; Connective Tissue Diseases/genetics* ; Exome Sequencing ; Genetic Association Studies ; Genotype ; Hearing Loss, Sensorineural/genetics* ; Mutation ; Pedigree ; Phenotype ; Retinal Detachment/genetics* ; East Asian People/genetics*

Objective To explore the correlation between triglyceride glucose(TyG)index and per-cutaneous coronary intervention(PCI)following drug treatment in elderly patients with unstable angina pectoris(UAP).Methods A total of 221 elderly UAP patients admitted to the Hyperbaric Oxygen Department of the First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital from March 2016 to March 2024 were enrolled,and based on the tertiles of the TyG index,they were divided into low,medium and high TyG index groups(the index:≤8.48,8.49-8.92,＞8.92;with 74,74 and 73 cases,respectively).Clinical data of all patients were collected,and whether undergoing PCI after discharge was defined as the endpoint event.The follow-up ended on May 10,2024.The clini-cal data were compared in the three groups.Kaplan-Meier survival curves were plotted to compare the survival rates among the groups,and Cox proportional hazards regression model was em-ployed to analyze the influencing factors for occurrence of endpoint event.Results There were significant differences in the three groups in terms of TyG index,BMI,diabetes,FPG,TC,TG,LDL-C,HDL-C,HbA1c,NT-proBNP,and incidence of endpoint event(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).Univa-riate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis showed that the TyG index,diabetes,and HbA1c were risk factors for endpoint events in elderly patients with UAP(HR=2.523,95％CI:1.593-3.996;HR=2.543,95％CI:1.263-5.118;HR=1.434,95％CI:1.159-1.774).Further multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis showed that,after adjusting for diabetes and HbA1c,the TyG index was an independent risk factor for PCI after discharge in UAP patients(HR=2.023,95％CI:1.209-3.384).Conclusion In elderly UAP patients receiving drug treat-ment,a high TyG index is positively correlated with undergoing PCI after discharge,and the index is an independent risk factor for PCI in them.

Objective To investigate the relationship of TyG index and IC.Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted with 1000 older adults living in Wanshou Road Community from May to December 2023.Finally 820 participants were enrolled,and based on the TyG index,they were divided into lower TyG index group(≤7.349,404 cases)and higher TyG index group(＞7.349,416 cases).After PSM,there were only 522 participants subjected,including 261 individuals in the lower TyG index group 1 (≤7.349)and 416 ones in the higher TyG index group 2(＞7.349).Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to assess the correlation between IC and the TyG index as both continuous and categorical variables.PSM was employed to eliminate the confounding effects of covariates to identify the relationship between TyG index and IC in different categories.Results Before PSM,the neutrophil count,WBC count,and Hcy,FPG,TC,TG and HbA1c levels were significantly lower,and lymphocyte count,monocyte count,and AST level were obviously higher in the low TyG index group than the high TyG index group(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).After PSM,the low TyG index group still had notably lower FPG,TG and HbA1c than the high TyG index group(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).ROC curve analysis revealed that the cutoff value of TyG index was 7.349.Taking 7.349 as the cutoff value and TyG index as the cate-gorical variable,multivariate logistic regression analysis displayed that TyG index was correlated with IC[OR=3.921,95％CI:2.800-5.491,P=0.001(Model 1);OR=2.744,95％CI:1.739-4.329,P=0.001(Model 2);OR=2.744,95％CI:1.805-4.171,P=0.001(Model 3);OR=2.722,95％CI:1.530-4.843,P=0.001(after PSM)],indicating that TyG index remains an independent risk factor for IC.Conclusion IC is still correlated with TyG index in community-dwelling elderly individuals under different baseline conditions after adjusting for relevant laboratory indicators.As an indicator generated from routine blood test,TyG index has advantages in terms of cost and time.With further validation,TyG may provide a direction for studying IC prediction.

Objective To investigate the regulatory effects of liraglutide(Lira)on adipocyte brown-ing and its underlying molecular mechanisms.Methods Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells were induced to differentiate with palmitic acid(PA)simulating a high-fat environment and lenti-viral transfection to silence the expression of PGC1α.The cell groups included control,Lira(100 nmol/L),PA(200 nmol/L),PA+Lira,scrambled siRNA,scrambled siRNA+Lira,siRNA PGC1α,and siRNA PGC1α+Lira groups(n=3).After corresponding treatments were given,quantitative PCR and Western blotting were employed to detect the mRNA and protein expres-sion levels of UCP-1,Prdm16,Agt,and adiponectin,as well as AMPK and p-AMPK.Results Compared to the control group,the PA group had significantly increased expression of Agt and adiponectin but decreased UCP-1 and Prdm16 at protein and mRNA levels,and the Lira group showed obviously increased protein and mRNA levels of UCP-1 and Prdm16 but decreased Agt and adiponectin levels(P＜0.05).Addition of Lira treatment resulted in increments in UCP-1 and Prdm16 while declines Agt and adiponectin at both mRNA and protein levels when compared with the levels in the PA group(P＜0.05).In comparison to the scrambled siRNA group,the siRNA PGC1α group showed decreases in UCP-1 and Prdm16 expression,accompanied by increa-ses in Agt and adiponectin levels(P＜0.05),similar results were observed in the scrambled siRNA+Lira group(P＜0.05).The p-AMPK/AMPK ratio was significantly increased in the scrambled siRNA+Lira group(1.415±0.176 vs 0.837±0.049,P＜0.05),but decreased in the siRNA PGC1α group(0.534±0.035 vs 0.837±0.049,P＜0.01)when compared with the scram-bled siRNA group.Conclusion Lira promotes adipocyte browning and improves lipid metabolism disorders in a high-fat environment by activating the AMPK/PGC1α signaling pathway.

Objective To investigate the short-term efficacy of arthroscopic total internal suture combined with platelet-rich plasma(PRP)in the treatment of lateral meniscal popliteal hiatus area injuries.Methods Forty-eight patients diagnosed with lateral meniscal popliteal hiatus area injuries in our hospital from January 2020 to December 2022 were selected and divided into Fast-Fix total internal suture group(FF group,n=23)and Fast-Fix total internal suture combined with PRP group(PRP group,n=25)according to treatment methods.The positive rate of McMurray test at 6 and 12 months after surgery,the preoperative and postoperative visual analogue scale(VAS)of pain,the International Knee Documentation Committee(IKDC)scores,the Lysholm Knee Function Scores,and the Knee Society Scores(KSS)were compared between the two groups.Results No adverse events such as vascular and nerve injury,fever and infection occurred in both groups.There was no significant difference between the two groups in the positive rates of McMurray test at 6 and 12 months(χ2=0.880,P=0.348;Fisher's exact test,P=0.479).In the PRP group,25 cases were followed up for11-14 months,with an average of(12.2±0.8)months;in the FF group,23 cases were followed up for11-14 months,with an average of(12.8±0.8)months.The VAS scores at 6 months and 12 months after surgery were significantly lower than those before surgery in both groups(all P=0.000).The VAS scores of the PRP group at 6 and 12 months after surgery were significantly lower than those of the FF group(P<0.05).Both groups showed significant improvements in IKDC,Lysholm,and KSS scores at 6 and 12 months after surgery compared to preoperative levels(all P=0.000).The IKDC,Lysholm,and KSS scores of the PRP group at 6 and 12 months after surgery were significantly higher than those of the FF group(P<0.05).Conclusion Compared to Fast-Fix total internal suture alone,PRP joint cavity adjuvant therapy based on Fast-Fix total internal suture surgery could reduce the postoperative pain of patients,and promote the functional recovery of the knee joint,which is more recommended in clinical practice.

Objective:To carry out genetic testing and clinical phenotypic characterization on a four-generation Chinese pedigree affected with Stickler syndrome type I and explore its genotype-phenotype correlation.Methods:A child presented at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in February 2023 for micrognathia, glossoptosis and cleft palate and his family members were selected as the study subjects. Clinical data were collected from the affected members, and peripheral blood samples were obtained from 17 participants (4 patients and 13 asymptomatic individuals). Whole exome sequencing (WES) was carried out. Candidate variant was verified by Sanger sequencing. Genotype-phenotype correlations were analyzed by integrating the sequencing data with evidence from existing literature. This study has bee granted by the Ethics Committee of Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Guangzhou Women and Children′s Medical Center (Ethics No.: 2022-406B00).Results:The four-generation pedigree has comprised 19 members. In addition to the proband, 5 affected individuals had manifested high myopia, congenital cataracts, and progressive vision loss. Two deceased members reportedly exhibited similar ocular manifestations. Among the four living patients, two had developed retinal detachment, while two others presented with chronic joint pain onset between 35 ~ 40 years of age. One patient required hip replacement surgery at age 42 secondary to femoral head necrosis. The proband, the youngest affected member, exhibited characteristic phenotypes including congenital micrognathia and cleft palate, consistent with Pierre-Robin syndrome. Genetic analysis revealed a heterozygous nonsense mutation in COL2A1 (NM_001844.5: c. 2668C>T; p. Gln890Ter) segregating with the disease in all four symptomatic patients. This variant was absent in asymptomatic family members and unaffected controls. While the mutation is listed in ClinVar, no clinical case reports has associated it with this phenotypic spectrum. It was not observed in population databases (gnomAD v4.1.0, 1000 Genomes Project, or ExAC), supporting its potential pathogenicity. Conclusion:This study has diagnosed a four-generation Chinese pedigree with Stickler syndrome type I attributed to the pathogenic COL2A1 variant c. 2668C>T (p.Gln890Ter), which is a rare nonsense mutation associated with ocular predominance and variable skeletal involvement. Notably, this family exhibited marked clinical heterogeneity despite sharing the identical genotype, which highlighted challenges in phenotype-genotype correlation. The autosomal dominant transmission pattern observed in this pedigree has provided critical insights into COL2A1-related collagenopathies and underscored the necessity of ultrasonographic monitoring for ocular anomalies in prenatal diagnostics. Above findings have advanced our understanding of pleiotropic effects in type Ⅱ collagen disorders and lay the foundation for precision-based genetic counseling, enabling targeted cascade screening and implementation of tertiary prevention strategies against congenital disabilities in high-risk families.

Objective:To develop a nomogram model utilizing serological indicators for predicting in-hospital major adverse cardiovascular events(MACE)in elderly patients diagnosed with acute coronary syndrome(ACS).Methods:This study involved a retrospective analysis of clinical data from 1, 818 elderly patients with ACS who were treated at the First Medical Center of the General Hospital of the People's Liberation Army from January 2022 to May 2024.The patients were randomly assigned to a training set(1, 272 cases)and a validation set(546 cases)in a 7: 3 ratio.Following a comparison of the two groups, the training set was further categorized into non-MACE and MACE groups based on the occurrence of endpoint events.Univariate analysis, Lasso regression, and multivariate logistic regression analyses were sequentially employed to identify factors influencing in-hospital MACE and to construct the nomogram model.The performance of the model was assessed using receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves, calibration curves, and decision curves.Results:Among the 1, 818 ACS patients, the mean age was 67 years(interquartile range: 61.0 to 73.0), with 70.4% being male.Almost all indicators(except platelet count)exhibited no statistically significant differences between the training and validation sets(all P>0.05).However, statistically significant differences(all P<0.05)were observed in age, body mass index, neutrophil count, lymphocyte count, monocyte count, white blood cell count, hemoglobin, red blood cell distribution width, mean platelet volume, C-reactive protein(CRP), fibrinogen, D-dimer, albumin, direct bilirubin, troponin T(TnT), fasting blood glucose(FBG), estimated glomerular filtration rate(eGFR), uric acid, N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide(NT-proBNP), glycated hemoglobin(HbA1c), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C)between the non-MACE and MACE groups in the training set.Ultimately, seven variables—neutrophil count, hemoglobin, red blood cell distribution width, CRP, TnT, FBG, and NT-proBNP—were selected to construct the nomogram model.The model demonstrated high discrimination in both the training and validation sets, with an area under the curve of 0.86(95% CI: 0.82-0.90)for the training set and 0.85(95% CI: 0.81-0.90)for the validation set.Furthermore, the calibration curves for both cohorts indicated a close agreement between predicted and actual risk estimates, suggesting improved model calibration.Decision curve analysis indicated that the predictive model has notable clinical utility. Conclusions:The constructed nomogram enhances the accuracy of predicting in-hospital MACE in elderly patients with ACS, thereby offering a valuable reference for clinical practice.