ObjectiveTo systematically evaluate the methodological quality and measurement properties of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome efficacy evaluation scales， and to provide evidence-based references for selecting high-quality assessment tools in TCM clinical practice. MethodsChina National Knowledge Infrastructure （CNKI）， Wanfang Data， VIP Database， Chinese Biomedical Literature Database （CBM）， PubMed， the Cochrane Library， Embase， and Web of Science were searched from inception to April 2， 2025， for studies evaluating the measurement properties of TCM syndrome efficacy evaluation scales. Data were extracted， and the methodological quality and measurement properties of the included scales were assessed according to the consensus-based standards for the selection of health measurement instruments （COSMIN）. Recommendation levels were formulated based on the grading of evidence. ResultsA total of 46 studies were included， involving 22 generic syndrome efficacy evaluation scales and 24 disease-specific syndrome efficacy evaluation scales. None of the scales reported cross-cultural validity or measurement error. According to the recommendation grades， 2 scales met Grade A recommendations and are suggested for clinical use； 38 scales were classified as Grade B， indicating potential applicability but requiring further validation； and 6 scales were classified as Grade C， suggesting the need for further refinement. ConclusionExisting TCM syndrome efficacy evaluation scales exhibit substantial variability in methodological quality， incomplete reporting of measurement properties， and insufficient attention to scale revision. Future efforts should emphasize standardized design in the development of TCM syndrome scales， strengthen validation procedures for key measurement properties， and prioritize dynamic revision of scales， thereby providing high-quality tools to support the precise evaluation of syndrome efficacy.

ObjectiveTo investigate the incidence rate of post-endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography （ERCP） pancreatitis （PEP） in patients with difficult common bile duct intubation undergoing pancreatic duct stenting during surgery， as well as the effect of pancreatic duct stenting in the prevention and treatment of PEP， and to provide a basis for clinical treatment. MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of 186 patients with biliary tract disease who underwent initial ERCP and had difficult common bile duct intubation in The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2016 to December 2024， and according to the condition of pancreatic duct stenting， the patients were divided into control group with 73 patients （without pancreatic duct stenting）， 5Fr-5 cm stent group with 67 patients， and 7Fr-5 cm stent group with 46 patients. The three groups were compared in terms of baseline data， intraoperative procedures， and postoperative outcomes. A one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between multiple groups， and the least significant difference t-test was used for further comparison between two groups； the Kruskal-Wallis H rank sum test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between multiple groups， and the Dunn method was used for further comparison between two groups； the chi-square test or the Fisher’s exact test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups. The Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the influencing factors for PEP in patients with difficult intubation during ERCP. ResultsThe overall incidence rate of PEP was 12.37% （23/186）. Compared with the 5Fr-5 cm stent group and the 7Fr-5 cm stent group， the control group had a significantly higher incidence rate of PEP， a significantly higher score of postoperative abdominal pain， and a significantly longer length of postoperative hospital stay （all P0.01）， and 55.56% of the patients in the control group had moderate-to-severe PEP. The univariate Logistic regression analysis showed that intradiverticular papilla， double guide wire intubation， needle knife precut， the application of basket and balloon for removal of common bile duct stones， intraoperative biopsy， pancreatic duct stenting， intubation time≤10 minutes， frequency of intubation≤5 times， preoperative CRP≤5 mg/L were influencing factors for PEP （all P0.05）， and the multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that intraoperative pancreatic duct stenting， needle knife precut， and intraoperative biopsy were independent influencing factors for the onset of PEP （all P0.05）. ConclusionPancreatic duct stenting during ERCP can effectively reduce the risk of PEP in patients with difficult intubation， while needle knife precut and intraoperative biopsy can increase the risk of PEP in patients with difficult intubation.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate pharmacologically active components of Yiqi Zishen Formula (YZF) and their mechanisms for alleviating airway inflammation in mice with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). METHODS: Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole-orbitrap mass spectrometry was employed to characterize the chemical components in YZF and YZF-medicated rat serum. A compound-disease target network was constructed based on serum components of YZF to screen the key pathways and targets using enrichment analysis. A mouse model of cigarette smoke-induced COPD was used to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of YZF and validate the expression of key proteins in network pharmacology-enriched pathways. Fifty male C57BL/6J mice were randomized equally into control group, COPD model group, high- and low-dose YZF treatment groups, and N-acetylcysteine treatment group. Pulmonary function of the mice was assessed using whole-body plethysmography, and lung histopathology, alveolar structure, and airway remodeling were analyzed using HE staining. The levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF‑α in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were determined with ELISA, and pulmonary expressions of PI3K, Akt, phosphorylated Akt (p-Akt), p65, and phosphorylated p65 (p-p65) were detected using immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: We identified a total of 156 chemical components (including 26 flavonoids or flavonoid glycosides, 27 alkaloids, and 11 saponins) in YZF and 43 prototype components in medicated rat serum. Network pharmacology revealed 704 YZF-related targets and 1199 COPD-associated targets. Integrated analysis suggested that the anti-COPD effects of YZF were associated with the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. In mouse models of COPD, YZF treatment significantly increased mean alveolar number and peak expiratory flow (P<0.05), reduced mean linear intercept, bronchial wall thickness, lung coefficient, and BALF cytokine levels, and suppressed the expressions of PI3K, Akt, p-Akt, p65, and p-p65 in the lung tissues. CONCLUSIONS YZF alleviates COPD symptoms and airway inflammation in mice possibly by inhibiting the PI3K/Akt/NF‑κB pathway through its multiple components that interact with multiple targets.
Animals ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/metabolism* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Male ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mice ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism* ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/metabolism* ; NF-kappa B/metabolism* ; Inflammation/drug therapy* ; Rats

Objective:To investigate the changes of respiratory function and lung volume after bariatric surgery using spiral CT three-dimensional imaging technology.Methods:Using the prospective study method, the medical records of 30 subjects undergoing sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) in the Eighth Department of General Surgery, the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University from Jan. 2023 to Jun. 2024 were collected. Among them, 12 were males and 18 were females, aged from 20 to 45 years, with the average age of 31.1 years old. Chest CT scans were completed within 1 week before surgery and 6 months after surgery. The subject′s CT plain scan reconstructed thin-layer images of the mediastinal window were transferred to a GE workstation, and the lung volumes of both lungs and each lobe and the tracheal wall area of the five bronchial segments (RB1, RB4, RB10, LB1 + 2 and LB10) were calculated as a percentage of the airway cross-sectional area (WA%), and the posterior intercostal position corresponding to the diaphragm was recorded. Paired t-test and rank-sum test were used to compare preoperative and postoperative differences.Results:Compared with pre-operation, the subject′s body mass index decreased significantly 6 months after bariatric surgery [(42.22±7.31) kg/m 2vs (30.12±5.59) kg/m 2,t=7.31, P<0.001)]. Except for left lower lobe [(1.15±0.23) L vs (1.27±0.24) L, t=1.97, P=0.054] and right middle lobe [(0.57±0.16) L vs (0.83±0.16) L, t=1.38, P=0.172], the remaining lung parts were significantly larger after surgery than before surgery: right upper lobe [(0.80±0.17) L vs (0.94±0.19) L, t=2.79, P=0.007], right lower lobe [(1.08±0.14) L vs (1.22±0.19) L, t=3.23, P=0.002], left upper lobe [(1.12±0.20) L vs (1.24±0.23) L, t=2.26, P=0.014]. Overall, right lung volume [(2.44±0.33) L vs (2.79±0.41) L, t=3.62, P=0.001], left lung volume [(2.27±0.36) L vs (2.52±0.39) L, t=2.53, P=0.014] and total lung volume [(4.71±0.60) L vs (5.30±0.71) L, t=3.48, P=0.001] all increased significantly at 6 months after surgery compared with before surgery. All five segments of bronchus (WA%) were significantly reduced after surgery than before surgery: RB1: [(62.82±4.66) vs (66.85±3.99), t=3.60, P=0.001]; RB4: [(61.24±5.28) vs (64.31±5.51), t=2.20, P=0.031]; RB10: [(60.03±4.64) vs (62.97±5.73), t=2.18, P=0.033]; LB1+ 2: [(63.61±5.05) vs (67.90±4.30), t=3.54, P=0.001]; LB10: [(58.73±6.49) vs (62.01±5.06), t=2.17, P=0.034)]. The posterior intercostal position corresponding to the diaphragm dropped from an average of 7-8 intercostal spaces to 8-9 intercostal spaces, with a significant difference (rank mean 22.77 vs 38.23, Z=-3.67, P<0.001). Conclusion:Bariatric surgery can significantly reduce weight, reduce the pressure of chest and abdominal, improve lung compliance, reduce the internal pressure of the chest, lower the diaphragm, expand the lung volume and airway cross-sectional area, restore the original airway anatomy and respiratory physiology, so it can effectively improve the respiratory function and lung structure abnormalities caused by obesity.

Granulation tissue hyperplasia after tracheotomy is a common clinical complication. Endoscopic treatment can temporarily relieve airway obstruction， however， it is associated with a high recurrence rate and poor long-term prognosis. Based on the traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） Kenang （窠囊） theory and combined with modern pathological mechanisms， this paper explores its correlation with the pathogenesis of post-tracheotomy granulation tissue hyperplasia. Drawing from clinical experience in applying the Kenang theory for treatment， this paper proposes that the fundamental pathogenesis of this condition lies in qi deficiency and organ dysfunction， while phlegm and blood stasis interlocking serve as the symptomatic manifestations. The treatment focuses on resolving phlegm and promoting blood circulation， dispersing nodules and eliminating stagnation， regulating qi flow， and reinforcing the body's vital energy while expelling pathogenic factors. This approach aims to dissolve phlegm and blood stasis， dissipate the Kenang， and ultimately prevent and treat granulation tissue hyperplasia.

Community-acquired pneumonia （CAP） is a common respiratory infectious disease in the elderly， and traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） and integrated TCM and western medicine showed effectiveness. According to the clinical characteristics of CAP， the staging concepts of CAP infection and recovery are proposed， and the prevention and treatment goals and strategies of staging and grading are put forward in combination with the disease seve-rity of mild， moderate and severe infections. The main objectives are to increase the cure rate of mild and moderate pneumonia， to reduce the case fatality rate of severe pneumonia， and to reduce the incidence of new upper and lower respiratory tract infections during the recovery period， respectively. TCM prevention and treatment strategies： for mild pneumonia， treatments should scatter and dissipate external pathogens， diffuse and descend lung qi， dispel dampness and dissolve phlegm， or clear lung and dissolve phlegm； for moderate pneumonia， treatments should clear lungs and resolve toxins， dry dampness and dissolve phlegm， and supplementing with tonifying lungs and strengthen spleen， or benefit qi and nourish yin； for severe pneumonia， the treatment of dispelling pathogen and supporting healthy qi should be emphasised according to the primary and secondary levels of excess pathogen and deficiency healthy qi； and for the recovery period， treatments should mainly support healthy qi， and supplement with dispelling pathogen. Relevant clinical studies have been conducted for practical verification， and the results showed that integrated TCM and Western medicine treatment can improve the cure rate of mild to moderate pneumonia， decrease the case fatality rate of severe pneumonia， and reduce the re-hospitalisation of pneumonia during the recovery period， indicating that the staged and graded prevention and treatment strategy has important guiding value for improving the diagnosis and treatment of CAP.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy and safety of modified Qingjin Huatantang combined with Western medicine in the treatment of phlegm-heat and to provide reference for the clinical application of this therapy and development of new drugs. MethodChina Biology Medicine （CBM），Chinan National Knowledge Infrastructure （CNKI），Wanfang Data，VIP，and PubMed were searched for the randomized controlled trials （RCTs） of modified Qingjin Huatantang in the treatment of phlegm-heat that were published from inception to November 1，2023. Two researchers independently screened the RCTs and extracted data according to pre-set inclusion and exclusion criteria. The Cochrane Collaboration's tool for assessing risk of bias was used for quality evaluation. Revman 5.4 was used for the Meta-analysis of outcome indicators. ResultA total of 91 RCTs were included，involving 7 868 patients （3 942 patients in the experimental group and 3 926 patients in the control group）. The results of Meta-analysis showed that compared with simple Western medicine treatment，modified Qingjin Huatantang combined with Western medicine improved the clinical response rate ［relative risk （RR）=1.16，95% confidence interval （CI）［1.14，1.19］，P<0.000 01］ and PaO₂ ［mean difference （MD）=4.65，95%CI ［1.88，7.43］，P=0.001］. The combined therapy had advantages in decreasing the scores of clinical symptoms including cough ［MD=-0.69，95%CI ［-1.33，-0.06］，P=0.03），expectoration ［MD=-1.04，95%CI ［-2.02，-0.07］，P=0.04），phlegm volume ［MD=-0.38，95%CI ［-0.69，-0.07］，P=0.02］，fever ［MD=-0.22，95%CI ［-0.36，-0.09］，P=0.000 8］，wheezing ［MD=-0.34，95%CI ［-0.40，-0.29］，P<0.000 01］，chest tightness ［MD=-0.32，95%CI ［-0.39，-0.26］，P<0.000 01］，and rales ［MD=-0.35，95%CI ［-0.42，-0.27］，P<0.000 01］）. Moreover，the combined therapy outperformed Western medicine treatment alone in reducing PaCO₂ （MD=-5.42，95%CI ［-7.12，-3.72］，P<0.000 01］， white blood cell count （WBC） ［MD=-1.27，95%CI ［-1.56，-0.97］，P<0.000 01］，C-reactive protein （CRP） ［standard mean difference （SMD）=-1.52，95%CI ［-1.96，-1.07］，P<0.000 01］， procalcitonin （PCT） ［SMD=-1.23，95%CI ［-1.87，-0.58］，P=0.000 2］，and tumor necrosis factor （TNF）-α ［SMD=-2.63，95%CI ［-3.19，-2.08］，P<0.000 01］）， shortening hospital stay ［MD=-2.45，95%CI ［-3.34，-1.57］，P<0.000 01］， and lowering the incidence of adverse reactions ［RR=0.66，95%CI （0.49，0.88），P=0.005］. ConclusionModified Qingjin Huatantang combined with Western medicine in the treatment of patients with phlegm-heat syndrome has advantages in improving clinical response rate and PaO₂， reducing symptom scores and inflammatory factors， and shortening hospital stay， with high safety.

Background Heavy metals may play an important role in environmental risk factors associated disorders of activities of daily living (ADL) in older adults. Objective To investigate the associations between plasma levels of six heavy metals (zinc, arsenic, cadmium, lead, manganese, and copper) and ADL disorders in older adults. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted from 2018 to 2019 among 1412 rural elderly people in Gongcheng Yao Autonomous County, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The plasma metal concentrations were detected by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), and subsequently classified into three groups (T1-T3) based on tertiles, with the T1 group as the reference. The samples were assessed for ADL disorders using the ADL scale. Logistic regression and restricted cubic spline model (RCS) were used to estimate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) to assess the associations between heavy metals and the prevalence of reporting ADL disorders. Results The mean age of the study population was (68.52 ± 5.92) years, 825 (58.4%) female and 587 (41.6%) male. Of these, 372 (26.34%) subjects reported ADL disorders, and most of them were female (74.30%). The results of logistic regression showed that the participants in the cadmium T2 group (0.15-0.25 µg·L⁻¹) had a higher risk of ADL disorders compared to the T1 group (≤0.15 μg·L⁻¹) (OR=1.552, 95%CI: 1.086, 2.134). After stratification by sex, the relative risk of ADL disorders was lower in the plasma copper T3 group (>1019.58 µg·L⁻¹) compared to the T1 group (≤868.12 μg·L⁻¹) in men (OR=0.481, 95%CI: 0.232, 0.998). The relative risk of ADL disorders was higher in the plasma cadmium T2 group (0.15-0.25 µg·L⁻¹) compared to the T1 group (≤0.15 μg·L⁻¹) in women (OR=1.758, 95%CI: 1.182, 2.616). The RCS results showed that the risk of ADL disorders in men was nonlinearly associated with copper (P_nonlinear=0.011, P_overall<0.05). Conclusion High levels of cadmium are positively associated with the risk of reporting ADL disorders, while high levels of copper are negatively associated with the risk of reporting ADL disorders in men.

ObjectiveTo explore the method of optimizing the performance of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome diagnostic models using Stacking ensemble learning. MethodsTaking the construction of TCM syndrome diagnostic model for lung cancer as an example， 2598 cases of clinical symptoms and signs from lung cancer patients in 9 hospitals were used as independent variables （i.e.， feature variables）， TCM syndrome information as dependent variables， and the clinical data were divided into training set and testing set in 8：2 ratio according to random number table method using Python 3.7 software. The stable features of TCM syndrome of lung cancer were screened using chi-square test， Spearman's correlation test， and Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator （LASSO） logistic regression analysis； nine machine learning algorithms are trained， including support vector machines （SVMs）， k-nearest neighbors （KNN） algorithm， Random Forest （RF）， Extremely Randomized Trees， Extreme Gradient Boosting （XGBoost）， Lightweight Gradient Boosting （LightGBM）， Adaptive Boosting （AdaBoost）， Gradient Boosting （GB） and the multi-layer perceptron （MLP）， to obtain 9 basic models. Four models with better performance were screened out from the above basic models and fused to form a fusion model by using the Stacking ensemble learning， and the fusion model was trained twice by the above nine machine learning algorithms and evaluated by accuracy rate， micro-average ROC curves， area under the curve （AUC）， and confusion matrix metrics， to screen the optimal diagnostic model. ResultsAfter data processing， 79 stable features and 13 TCM syndromes were obtained. In the basic model training， the comprehensive performance of RF， ExtraTrees， MLP and SVM basic models were better， so the predicted distributions of the syndromes of these four models were used as the secondary training data， and nine fusion models were obtained based on the Stacking ensemble learning （SVM， KNN， RF， ExtraTree， XGBoost， LightGBM， GB， AdaBoost， MLP）. Among them， the XGBoost fusion model performed the best， with an accuracy of 0.850 and 0.838 in the training set and test set， respectively， an overfitting difference of 0.012， and an area under the micro-average ROC curve of 0.996. All fusion models showed an improvement in accuracy and area under the micro-average ROC curve compared with the base model in the test set. ConclusionTaking the TCM syndrome information of lung cancer as an example， the XGBoost fusion model has significant advantages in improving the diagnostic performance of TCM syndrome information of lung cancer through Stacking ensemble learning. It can be seen that the advantages of Stacking ensemble learning to integrate multiple models and effectively improve the diagnostic efficiency of TCM diagnostic models， which provided a methodological reference for similar studies.