The rapid development of artificial intelligence （AI） technology provides new opportunities for the modernisation of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） diagnosis. By analysing the foundation， research progress and difficulties of the combination of AI and TCM diagnosis， it is concluded that AI has made remarkable development in intelligence-driven modernization of TCM tongue diagnosis， pulse diagnosis， listening and smelling diagnosis and text processing， and there are useful explorations in the field of constructing data-driven TCM diagnostic model and multidisciplinary integration of TCM diagnostic models. However， the current integration of AI technology in TCM diagnosis still faces many challenges， such as the scarcity and uneven quality of clinical data， the limited ability of AI algorithms to express TCM thinking model of syndrome differentiation and empirical knowledge， and the possible existence of ethical and privacy issues. By systematically sorting out the current research status and development direction of AI-empowered TCM diagnostics， it is proposed to promote the application of AI technology in TCM diagnostics in four aspects， namely， strengthening the construction of TCM big data and talent cultivation， encouraging cross-disciplinary cooperation， improving the legal and ethical framework， and promoting the popularity of the technology in primary care， so as to enhance the modernisation of TCM diagnostics.

BACKGROUND:Knee osteoarthritis is a common disease in middle-aged and elderly people.It is a kind of disease that seriously affects the quality of life of patients and even has the risk of disability.Therefore,the pathogenesis and treatment of knee osteoarthritis have become the focus of research.In Chinese medicine,knee osteoarthritis is often treated as"biness,"which is closely related to"biness"caused by blood stasis and blood vessels blocking collaterals in the theory of"blood stasis"in traditional Chinese medicine.Iron overload is a kind of pathological state caused by iron metabolism disorder,which highly coincides with the pathogenic characteristics and clinical manifestations of the"blood stasis"theory of traditional Chinese medicine,and is a risk factor that promotes the development of knee osteoarthritis. OBJECTIVE:Based on the"blood stasis"theory,to summarize the effects of iron overload on cartilage metabolism and subchondral bone reconstruction,to lay a new theoretical foundation for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis with traditional Chinese medicine,and to explore the therapeutic effect of traditional Chinese medicine for promoting blood circulation after interfering with bone tissue. METHODS:CNKI,WanFang database,PubMed and Web of Science databases were searched for relevant literature.The Chinese search terms were"ferroptosis,iron,iron overload,osteoarthritis,blood stasis"and the English search terms were"ferroptosis,iron,iron overload,osteoarthritis,TCM."In the end,76 articles were included for further review. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:First of all,we explored the potential of the"blood stasis"theory in treating knee osteoarthritis,and found that"blood stasis"is a crucial part in the progress of knee osteoarthritis,indicating that the"blood stasis"theory is the key to the treatment of knee osteoarthritis in traditional Chinese medicine.Secondly,"blood stasis"and iron overload have a high degree of similarity in pathogenic factors,clinical manifestations,and pathogenic characteristics,suggesting the possibility of"blood stasis"theory in treating iron overload.This finding reminds us that iron overload may be an important mechanistic basis for the"blood stasis"theory in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis.The extracts of blood-activating drugs can relieve iron overload and treat knee osteoarthritis,but the specific mechanism is still unclear.Therefore,we believe that the relationship between"blood stasis"theory and iron overload and related mechanisms are important research directions for knee osteoarthritis in the future.The related mechanism of"blood stasis"theory to alleviate iron overload and then treat knee osteoarthritis also provides a theoretical basis for the modernization of traditional Chinese medicine,such as the development of new drugs and innovative usage,and has certain guiding significance for clinical practice.

ObjectiveUsing the Delphi method and analytic hierarchy process （AHP） to screen diagnostic items for qi stagnation syndrome and determine their weights， providing a reference for the development of a diagnostic scale of qi stagnation syndrome. MethodsLiterature related to qi stagnation syndrome were screened from databases including CNKI， Wanfang， VIP， SinoMed （from inception to October 31， 2020）. Through systematic review of literature and expert discussions， the information on the four examinations of traditional Chinese medicine were organized and an item pool was constructed. The Delphi method was used to screen the item indicators， while the AHP was employed to determine their weights. Statistical methods such as mean value， full score ratio， rank sum， unimportant percentage， and coefficient of variation were used for item screening， with the weights calculated by AHP serving as the item weights. ResultsA total of 235 articles and books were included for analysis， resulting in an item pool of 16 items. After three rounds of expert consultation， a total of 84 valid questionnaires were collected， with a total expert enthusiasm coefficient of 99% and authority coefficient of 0.86， 0.84， 0.83， respectively， and the coordination coefficients were 0.45， 0.49， and 0.29， respectively. Through the statistics analysis， 8 diagnosis items were screened out， including distension （stuffi-ness） or distending pain or scurrying pain， wiry pulse， depressed emotions， frequent sighing， deep and wiry pulse， irritability， pale red tongue， and thin white coating. The AHP showed that the order of weights of the first-level indicators from high to low was clinical symptoms， pulse manifestation， and tongue manifestation； the order of weights of the second-level indicators from high to low was distension （stuffiness） or distending pain or scurrying pain， wiry pulse， depressed emotions， frequent sighing， deep and wiry pulse， irritability， pale red tongue， and thin white coating. ConclusionBy applying the Delphi method and AHP to analyze and evaluate the diagnostic items for qi stagnation syndrome， key diagnostic items were screened and their weights determined， laying the foundation for the development of a diagnostic scale for qi stagnation syndrome.

Objective:To explore the reform practice and teaching effect of flipped classroom combined with case-based learning (CBL) in the undergraduate teaching of International Classification of Diseases.Methods:The undergraduates of Chongqing Medical University majoring in information management and information system from the classes of 2018 and 2019 were selected as the control group and the experimental group, respectively, and the undergraduates in the control group received lecture-based learning, while those in the experimental group received flipped classroom combined with CBL. After teaching, theoretical assessment and practical skill assessment were performed to evaluate learning effect. R3.6.3 was used to perform statistical analyses; the t-test or the rank-sum test (Mann-Whitney U test) was used for comparison of continuous data between groups, and the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data. Results:There were no significant differences between the two groups in the general information such as age and sex distribution ( t=-1.22, P=0.227; χ2=1.77, P=0.183). There was no significant difference in theoretical assessment score between the two groups [(78.84±8.97) vs. (76.01±8.65), P=0.140]. Compared with the control group, the experimental group had significantly better results in the correct rate of ICD coding [(94.34±3.22)% vs. (91.36±2.79)%, P=0.006] and the number of coded copies per person per day [15.41 (7.90, 40.97) vs. 7.22 (2.33, 8.83), P=0.006], as well as a better level of practical skills. Conclusions:Flipped classroom combined with CBL can help to enhance the hands-on ability to solve problems among students, thereby improving the overall teaching effect.

Objective To establish a preliminary evaluation system for gastrointestinal qi stagnation syndrome.Methods On the basis of the systematic evaluation of medical literature in the early stage of the research group,24 high-frequency items were subjected to Delphi method,the item indexes were determined through three rounds of expert consultation,and the proportion value of the indexes was determined by AHP,and the evaluation system of gastrointestinal qi stagnation syndrome was initially constructed.Results A total of 84 valid questionnaires were collected by three rounds of Delphi method,including 15 in the first round,32 in the second round and 37 in the third round.According to the statistics,16 items including distention(stuffy)or distending pain or moving pain(epigastric,abdominal,etc.),belching,borborygmus,flatus,etc.were selected.The order of the proportion of the first level indexes obtained by the analytic hierarchy process from high to low is:clinical symptoms,pulse,tongue;The proportion of secondary indicators from high to low is as follows:distention(stuffy)or distending pain or moving pain(epigastric,abdominal,etc.),pulse string,greasy fur,thin white fur,slippery pulse string,pulse sinking string,light red tongue,flatus,borborygmus,belching,induced or aggravated in case of emotional distress,hiccup,abdominal mass,anorexia,vomiting,belching and swallowing acid.Conclusion Delphi method and analytic hierarchy process have been used to study gastrointestinal qi stagnation syndrome,and an evaluation system has been preliminarily formed.The index structure is reasonable,targeted and has strong clinical practicability.

ObjectiveTo study the effect of Guizhi Shaoyao Zhimutang （GSZMD） on cartilage destruction in mice with collagen-induced arthritis （CIA） and its mechanism. MethodThirty-six DBA/1 mice in SPF grades were randomly divided into 6 groups， namely， the normal group， the model group， the methotrexate （MTX） group， the low-dose GSZMD group， the medium-dose GSZMD group， and the high-dose GSZMD group. Except the normal group， mice in the other 5 groups were used to establish the model of CIA by secondary immunization. The mice were given normal saline， MTX （1.5 mg·kg^-1， 2 times a week）， and low， medium， and high-doses GSZMD （6.3， 12.6， 25.2 g·kg^-1·d^-1） by intragastric administration on the day of the onset of hind limb swelling for 4 weeks. The changes in the degree of foot swelling of mice in each group were observed and recorded. The content of matrix metalloproteinase （MMP）-1， MMP-3， MMP-9， and MMP-13 in serum was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. The pathological changes in the ankle joint were observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining， and the cartilage destruction was observed by red fast green staining. The protein expression of the Janus kinase 2/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 （JAK2/STAT3） signaling pathway in ankle joints were detected by Western blot. ResultAs compared with the normal group， the degree of foot swelling， the content of MMP-1， MMP-3， MMP-9， and MMP-13 in serum and the expression levels of phosphorylation （p）-JAK2/JAK2 and p-STAT3/STAT3 in ankle joints of the model group were increased （P<0.01）， and the joint damage was aggravated. As compared with the model group， the degrees of foot swelling of the mice in the MTX group and the low， medium， and high-dose GSZMD group were reduced （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the content of MMP-1， MMP-3， MMP-9， and MMP-13 in serum was decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The pathological joint damage was alleviated， and the expression levels of p-JAK2/JAK2 and p-STAT3/STAT3 in ankle joints were decreased in the MTX group and GSZMD groups （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionGSZMD can reduce the degree of joint swelling in mice with CIA， inhibit the expressions of MMP-1， MMP-3， MMP-9， and MMP-13， and alleviate the destruction of articular cartilage. Its mechanism is related to the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway.

Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is a widespread infectious disease mainly affecting children aged five and under. In China, the current epidemic situation of HFMD remains severe, with a persistently high and increasing incidence rate, causing a substantial disease burden. A monovalent vaccine against Enterovirus A71 (EV-A71), the most common cause of severe and fatal HFMD cases, has been available in China since 2016. Although randomized controlled trials established the vaccine's efficacy among research subjects, this may not reflect the impact under "real world" conditions in the general population. Therefore, based on a systematic literature search, this paper comprehensively reviewed and analyzed relevant studies based on real-world data and collected real-world evidence about the EV-A71 vaccine on the controlling HFMD incidence. It was found that the real-world study of the EV-A71 vaccine on HFMD was few; most were limited to a province or city; there is no study comprehensively considered other important influencing factors in addition to immunization, such as temperature, relative humidity, the age structure of the population, gross domestic product, etc. The progress of using real-world data to study the impact of the EV-A71 vaccine on HFMD reviewed in this study is helpful to have a clear and comprehensive understanding of the status quo and will provide guidance and reference for future studies to assess the short-term and long-term effects of EV-A71 vaccine and other vaccines.

The relationship between chronic psychological stress and tumorigenesis has been well defined in epidemiological studies; however, the underlying mechanism remains underexplored. In this study, we discovered that impaired macrophage phagocytosis contributed to the psychological stress-evoked tumor susceptibility, and the stress hormone glucocorticoid (GC) was identified as a principal detrimental factor. Mechanistically, GC disturbed the balance of the "eat me" signal receptor (low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein-1, LRP1) and the "don't eat me" signal receptor (signal regulatory protein alpha, SIRPα). Further analysis revealed that GC led to a direct, glucocorticoid receptor (GR)-dependent trans-repression of LRP1 expression, and the repressed LRP1, in turn, resulted in the elevated gene level of SIRPα by down-regulating miRNA-4695-3p. These data collectively demonstrate that stress induces the imbalance of the LRP1/SIRPα axis and entails the disturbance of tumor cell clearance by macrophages. Our findings provide the mechanistic insight into psychological stress-evoked tumor susceptibility and indicate that the balance of LRP1/SIRPα axis may serve as a potential therapeutic strategy for tumor treatment.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the quality of Angelica dahurica decoction pieces processed by different drying methods. METHODS Adobe Photoshop 2020 software was used to determine the red green degree （a）， yellow blue degree （b） and brightness （L） values of A. dahurica decoction pieces processed by 3 drying methods as steamed-cut and fresh-cut-dried， and semi- fresh-cut-dried. The contents of nine coumarins such as umbelliferone in A. dahurica decoction pieces processed by 3 drying methods were determined by HPLC. SPSS 26.00 software and SIMCA14.0 software were used to conduct principal component analysis and partial least squares-discriminant analysis on the content of coumarin in 32 batches of A. dahurica decoction pieces. Gray correlation analysis was conducted on the color of the powder and the coumarins contents in A. dahurica decoction pieces. RESULTS The a， b and L were 0-2.4， 6.0-20.3 and 35.6-51.1 in 32 batches of A. dahurica decoction pieces. The contents of umbelliferone， byakangelicin， psoralen， xanthotoxin， bergapten， oxypeucedanin， imperatorin， phellopterin and isoimperatorin were 0.026-0.324， 0.051-0.549， 0-0.113， 0-0.398， 0.256-1.115， 1.434-6.014， 1.866-4.039， 0.742-1.455 and 0.789-2.642 mg/g， respectively. And the total content ranged 6.442-13.382 mg/g， respectively. The results of principal component analysis showed that the comprehensive scores of BZ-27-BZ-30 and BZ-32 batches of semi-fresh-cut-dried decoction pieces were in the top order， and the internal quality of the other two kinds of decoction pieces was quite different. The results of partial least squares discriminant analysis showed that semi-fresh-cut-dried decoction pieces were clustered into one category， poor separation was observed in steamed-cut and fresh-cut-dried decoction pieces. Results of gray correlation analysis showed that the correlationcoefficients of L and b with bergapten， oxypeucedanin，imperatorin， phellopterin， isoimperatorin and b with psoralen were all greater than 0.8， a had a low correlation with all components. CONCLUSIONS The appearance traits of A. dahurica decoction pieces have strong correlation with the contents of coumarins. The quality of the decoction pieces can be roughly judged by the color， i.e. the whiter the color of the decoction pieces， the better the quality. The quality of sample obtained by semi- fresh-cut-dried is better than steamed-cut and fresh-cut-dried decoction pieces.

Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is a common childhood infectious disease caused by various enteroviruses. China has the most significant number of reported cases and deaths of HFMD over the globe. Understanding the epidemic laws of HFMD can provide a scientific basis for designing prevention and control measures. The dynamic transmission models focus on the transmission mechanism of infectious diseases. They can simulate the actual situation to study the epidemic rules of diseases by adding, deleting, and subdividing compartments. More researchers have paid attention to dynamic models because of their high flexibility. To carry out the dynamic model of the HFMD research more effectively, a comprehensive understanding of related research progress in this field is deeply needed. In this paper, based on various researchers' different research purposes of dynamic models, the research progress was classified and summarized, providing meaningful guidance for model construction methods and future research directions and references for dynamic modeling of other models of infectious diseases. It was found that most studies used the SIR dynamic model or its extended model (such as the SEIR model), and few studies contained a complex factor compartment. Some important epidemiological parameters (such as R0) were obtained by studying the HFMD cases in a specific region, simulating different intervention scenarios to evaluate the effect of measures, or revealing the future trend by model prediction. However, there is no dynamic model simultaneously considering age structure, population moving, seasonality and periodicity, and vaccination.