Cohort study on the treatment of BRAF V600E mutant metastatic colorectal cancer with integrated Chinese and western medicine

BACKGROUND Patients with BRAF V600E mutant metastatic colorectal cancer(mCRC)have a low incidence rate,poor biological activity,suboptimal response to conventional treatments,and a poor prognosis.In the previous cohort study on mCRC conducted by our team,it was observed that integrated Chinese and Western medicine treatment could significantly prolong the overall survival(OS)of patients with colorectal cancer.Therefore,we further explored the survival benefits in the population with BRAF V600E mutant mCRC.AIM To evaluate the efficacy of integrated Chinese and Western medicine in the treatment of BRAF V600E mutant metastatic colorectal cancer.METHODS A cohort study was conducted on patients with BRAF V600E mutant metastatic colorectal cancer admitted to Xiyuan Hospital of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences and Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region from January 2016 to December 2022.The patients were divided into two cohorts.RESULTS A total of 34 cases were included,with 23 in Chinese-Western medicine cohort(cohort A)and 11 in Western medicine cohort(cohort B).The median overall survival was 19.9 months in cohort A and 14.2 months in cohort B,with a statistically significant difference(P=0.038,hazard ratio=0.46).The 1-3-year survival rates were 95.65%(22/23),39.13%(9/23),and 26.09%(6/23)in cohort A,and 63.64%(7/11),18.18%(2/11),and 9.09%(1/11)in cohort B,respectively.Subgroup analysis showed statistically significant differences in median OS between the two cohorts in the right colon,liver metastasis,chemotherapy,and first-line treatment subgroups(P<0.05).CONCLUSION Integrated Chinese and Western medicine can prolong the survival and reduce the risk of death in patients with BRAF V600E mutant metastatic colorectal cancer,with more pronounced benefits observed in patients with right colon involvement,liver metastasis,combined chemotherapy,and first-line treatment.

Idiom Comprehension of Chinese Patients With Aphasia: A Case Study

Previous studies on idiom comprehension of patients with aphasia(PWAs)mainly focused on Indo-European speakers,examining whether PWAs could correctly extract the target meaning of idioms,while among Chinese PWAs,idiom familiarity,context and other variables affecting idiom comprehension were rarely studied.Hence,this study aims to explore whether Chinese PWAs can correctly comprehend the target meaning of idioms,and further investigate the role of familiarity and context.For three Chinese PWAs,this study adopted the string-to-word matching task,taking Chinese four-character idioms as the experimental stimuli,and provided decoy words containing target meaning,literal meaning,unrelated abstract meaning and unrelated concrete meaning as the matching words of idiom items by manipulating the familiarity and contextual presence of idiom items.The results suggested that the PWAs could not correctly extract the target meaning of idioms and presented both the literal meaning tendency and the weak abstract meaning tendency,and the influence of familiarity on the comprehension of idioms was stronger than that of context.These results support the Graded Salience Hypothesis.

Mendelian Randomization Study of Causal Relationship between Inflammatory Factors and Vascular Dementia and Chinese Herbal Medicines Screening for Prevention and Treatment

Objective: This study aims to examine the causal relationship between inflammatory factors and the probability of developing vascular dementia (VD) using Mendelian Randomization (MR) and Chinese herbal medicine prediction method, and to screen potential Chinese herbal medicines for the prevention and treatment of VD. Methods: Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that exhibit a strong association with vascular dementia (VD) were identified as instrumental variables from the summary statistics of genome-wide association studies (GWAS). The primary analytical method employed was inverse variance weighting (IVW), while auxiliary analyses included the MR-Egger method, weighted median method, simple model, and weighted model. A two-way Mendelian randomization analysis was conducted to assess the causal relationship between inflammatory factors and the risk of VD, thereby identifying the key inflammatory factors involved. The MR-Egger intercept test and Cochran’s Q test were employed to assess the horizontal polymorphism and heterogeneity of instrumental variables. A sensitivity analysis was conducted by excluding one method at a time. Ultimately, based on key inflammatory factors, predictions for the prevention and treatment using traditional Chinese medicine were made, along with the screening of homologous herbal remedies. Results: Based on the results of the forward MR, the probability of developing VD was elevated when the inflammatory factors CXCL10 and CXCL5 were expressed at higher levels, whereas the probability of developing VD decreased as the expression levels of IL-13 and IL-20RA increased. These findings were supported by the assessment of pleiotropy, heterogeneity, and sensitivity. The results of the reverse MR analysis showed that there was no causal relationship between VD, as an exposure dataset, and these four inflammatory factors. According to the key inflammatory factors, 37 Chinese herbal medicines such as Siraitia grosvenorii were selected. Their characteristics including four natures, five flavors, channel tropism and treatment efficiency were cold, warm, neutral, pungent, sweet, bitter, lung meridian, spleen meridian, liver meridian, kidney meridian and clearing heat. Among them, Siraitia grosvenorii, Poria with hostwood, Perilla frutescens, and Radix Platycodi were all medicine and food homologous Chinese herbal medicines. Conclusions: The increase of CXCL10 and CXCL5 expression levels can increase the risk of VD, and the increase of IL-13 and IL-20 RA expression levels can reduce the risk of VD. Siraitia grosvenorii and other Chinese herbal medicines might be potential sources of therapeutic drugs for the treatment of VD. Medicine and food homologous Chinese herbal medicines, such as Siraitia grosvenorii, Poria with hostwood, Perilla frutescens, and Radix Platycodi, may help the elderly population with corresponding Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) constitutions to prevent VD.

Research and Analysis of Grammatical Error Correction Technology for Chinese Documents

With the widespread use of Chinese globally, the number of Chinese learners has been increasing, leading to various grammatical errors among beginners. Additionally, as domestic efforts to develop industrial information grow, electronic documents have also proliferated. When dealing with numerous electronic documents and texts written by Chinese beginners, manually written texts often contain hidden grammatical errors, posing a significant challenge to traditional manual proofreading. Correcting these grammatical errors is crucial to ensure fluency and readability. However, certain special types of text grammar or logical errors can have a huge impact, and manually proofreading a large number of texts individually is clearly impractical. Consequently, research on text error correction techniques has garnered significant attention in recent years. The advent and advancement of deep learning have paved the way for sequence-to-sequence learning methods to be extensively applied to the task of text error correction. This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of Chinese text grammar error correction technology, elaborates on its current research status, discusses existing problems, proposes preliminary solutions, and conducts experiments using judicial documents as an example. The aim is to provide a feasible research approach for Chinese text error correction technology.

A Descriptive Translation Study of Chinese Translation of French Musical Roméo et Juliette

This paper presents a Descriptive Translation Study(DTS)analysis of the Chinese translation of the French musical adaptation of Romeo and Juliet,titled Roméo et Juliette:de la Haineàl’Amour.Romeo and Juliet,a timeless play by Shakespeare,has captivated audiences since its premiere in 1597 and has been adapted into various forms,including stage productions,films,musicals,and operas.The focus of this study is to analyze the Chinese translation of the French musical adaptation from a DTS perspective.DTS is an approach that aims to understand the translation process and its reception in the target culture.By examining language choices,cultural references,and adaptation strategies,this study seeks to shed light on how the Chinese translation of the French musical functions within the target culture and influences the reception and interpretation of the source text.This analysis is expected to gain insights into the challenges and strategies employed in translating a musical adaptation of Romeo and Juliet into Chinese.The findings of this study will contribute to the field of translation studies and provide a deeper understanding of the complexities involved in the translation of musical works.

A Comparative Study on the Tense-Aspect of Auxiliary in English and Chinese

The aim of the paper is to give a general comparison about the structural composition of the AUX in English and Chinese mainly from the perspective of tense-aspect.Based on the basic construction of English AUX system,which includes such elements as Tense,Modal,Perfect aspect,Progressive aspect and Passive,the paper focuses on comparing the syntactic characteristics of tense element in the two languages.The final part of the paper briefly summarized predicted learning problems that Chinese learners of English as well as English learners of Chinese would have in learning English and Chinese respectively.

Study protocol: A national cross-sectional study on psychology and behavior investigation of Chinese residents in 2023

Introduction:This study protocol specifies the primary research line and theoretical framework of the 2023 Survey of the Psychology and Behavior of the Chinese Population.It aims to establish a consistent database of Chinese residents'psychological and behavioral surveys through multi-center and large-sample cross-sectional surveys to provide robust data support for developing research in related fields.It will track the public's physical and psychological health more comprehensively and systematically.Methods:The study was conducted from June 20,2023 to August 31,2023,using stratified and quota sampling methods.A total of 150 cities across 800 communities/villages were surveyed,selected from China(Despite extensive coordination,we have been unable to contact our counterparts in the Taiwan region of China to obtain relevant statistical data).The questionnaires were distributed to the public one-on-one and face-to-face by trained surveyors.The questionnaires included basic information about the individual,personal health status,basic information about the family,the social environment in which the individual lives,psychological condition scales,behavioral level scales,other scales,and attitudes towards topical social issues.Supervisors conducted quality control during the distribution process and returned questionnaires,logically checked and cleaned for data analysis.Discussion:Data collection has been finished,and scientific outputs based on this data will support the development of health promotion strategies in China and globally.In the aftermath of the pandemic,it will guide policymakers and healthcare organizations to improve their existing policies and services to maximize the physical and mental health of the Chinese population.Trial Registration:This study was filed in the National Health Security Information Platform(Record No.:MR-37-23-017876)and officially registered in the China Clinical Trials Registry(Registration No.:ChiCTR2300072573).

Tea Consumption is Associated with Increased Risk of Kidney Stones in Northern Chinese： A Cross-sectional Study

Kidney stones are a common urinary system condition that can progress to kidney disease. Previous studies on the association between tea consumption and kidney stones are inconsistent. A cross-sectional study to investigate the association between tea consumption and kidney stones was conducted from 2013 to 2014 and recruited 9,078 northern Chinese adults. A total of 8,807 participants were included in the final analysis. Participants＇ prevalence of kidney stones was 1.07%, 1.73%, and 2.25% based on their tea consumption frecluencv of never, occasionally,

The effect of long-term traditional Chinese medicine treatment on disease-free survival of postoperative stage I-III lung cancer patients:a retrospective cohort study

Objective:Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)has been extensively used as one of popular alternative therapies for several cancers.However,it remains unclear whether TCM treatment is associated with longer survival in lung cancer patients.In this study,we explored the effect of long-term TCM treatment on patients with different stages of lung cancer.Methods:All information of lung cancer patients with stage I-III disease from January 2007 to September 2015 was collected for this retrospective cohort study.Those who were treated with TCM after surgery were divided into TCM group and the others were into the non-TCM group(control group).All patients were regularly followed up by clinic appointment or phone,and all survival data were collected from databases after the last follow-up in October 2017.Results:A total of 575 patients were included in this study,with 299 patients in the TCM group and 276 in the control group.For all patients,5-year disease-free survival(DFS)was 62.2% in TCM group and 42.1% in the control group,and 6-year DFSs were 51.8% and 35.4%,respectively(HR=0.51,95% CI:0.40 to 0.66,log-rank P≤0.001).For patients with stage I,5-year DFSs were 83.7%(TCM group)and 57.5%(control group)and 6-year DFSs were 73.7% and 51.9%,respectively(HR=0.30,95% CI:0.18 to 0.50,log-rank P≤0.001).For patients with stage II in the TCM group and the control group,5-year DFSs were 59.4% and 17.6% and 6-year DFSs were 44.7% and 17.6%,respectively(HR=0.31,95% CI:0.19 to 0.52,log-rank P≤0.001),and for patients with stage III,5-year and 6-year DFSs in the TCM group were 18.7% and 12.5% compared with 28.4% and 20.3% in the control group(HR=1.06,95% CI:0.72 to 1.56,log-rank P=0.76).Conclusions:This study demonstrated that long-term TCM treatment as an adjuvant therapy is able to improve the DFS of postoperative stage I-III lung cancer patients,especially in patients with stage I and II disease.However,these observational findings need being validated by large sample randomized controlled trials.

Expert panel’s guideline on cervicogenic headache:The Chinese Association for the Study of Pain recommendation

Cervicogenic headache(CEH)has been recognized as a unique category of headache that can be difficult to diagnose and treat.In China,CEH patients are managed by many different specialties,and the treatment plans remain controversial.Therefore,there is a great need for comprehensive evidence-based Chinese experts’recommendations for the management of CEH.The Chinese Association for the Study of Pain asked an expert panel to develop recommendations for a series of questions that are essential for daily clinical management of patients with CEH.A group of multidisciplinary Chinese Association for the Study of Pain experts identified the clinically relevant topics in CEH.A systematic review of the literature was performed,and evidence supporting the benefits and harms for the management of CEH was summarized.Twenty-four recommendations were finally developed through expert consensus voting for evidence quality and recommendation strength.We hope this guideline provides direction for clinicians and patients making treatment decisions for the management of CEH.

A Contrastive Study of the Phatic Communion in English and Chinese

Through the comparative analysis of the phatic communion in English and Chinese,we found that they have similar functions in their language,but the basic form and content have a big difference.This article introduces definition of phatic communion,explains that the pragmatic difference is the reflection of cultural differences between China and Western countries.

Editorial for the special issue of the Chinese Association for the Study of Pain

The Ministry of Health of China officially issued a document,adding the first level diagnosis and treatment discipline“Algology”in the list of diagnosis and treatment subjects of medical institutions on July 16,2007.As the most important pain academic organization in China,the Chinese Association for the Study of Pain has made outstanding contributions in promoting the development of pain discipline and in establishing pain standards and disease diagnosis and treatment guidelines.In this special issue,under the leadership of Yan-Qing Liu,Chairman of the 7th Committee of the Chinese Association for the Study of Pain,nine consensus and one guideline were included.

Effects of adjuvant Chinese patent medicine therapy on major adverse cardiovascular events in patients with coronary heart disease angina pectoris:a population-based retrospective cohort study

Objective: This study aimed to explore the effects of Chinese patent medicine(CPM) in reducing the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events(MACE) in patients with coronary heart disease(CHD) angina pectoris and improving clinical effectiveness and provide evidence for its use as clinical adjuvant therapy.Methods: Twenty-eight thousand five hundred and seventeen patients hospitalized with CHD angina pectoris from 6 hospitals were divided into CPM group(n = 11,374) and non-CPM group(n = 17,143) to evaluate the incidence of MACE, including myocardial infarction, percutaneous coronary intervention, and coronary artery bypass grafting.Results: The incidence of MACE in the CPM group was lower than that in the non-CPM group. CPM therapy was an independent protective factor that reduced the overall risk of MACE [adjusted hazard ratio = 0.40, 95% confidence interval(0.33;0.49)]. Patients in the CPM group who received one, two, or three types of CPM could benefit from adjuvant treatment with CPM, and taking more types of CPM was associated with a lower risk of MACE. In addition, the male population was better than the female population at taking CPM, and middle-aged people aged 55 to 64 were more suited to take CPM based on Western medicine.Conclusions: The use of CPM as adjuvant therapy can decrease the occurrence of MACE in patients with CHD angina pectoris,especially in men and middle-aged people, and the drug treatment plan should be optimized accordingly. However, this conclusion needs further verification by prospective cohort studies in the future.

The Application of Geographic Information System(GIS) to the Study of Chinese History

Historical geographic information system construction echoes the call of academic development in the information era and demonstrates the in-depth advancement of history studies. In recent years, an increasing number of data platforms have been built to facilitate historical information storage, display, management and analysis. In such a context, the geographic information system(GIS) begins to contribute to the study of Chinese history. Its contribution is highlighted in nine areas: historical climate, fluvial landforms, town economies, rural settlements, hydraulic societies, environmental changes, ancient cities, ancient maps and HGIS-enabled research methods. The application of GIS to the study of Chinese history initiates a reform in research methods and at the same time upgrades the philosophy of history studies, facilitating the utilization of a diversity of historical data(documents, ancient maps, remote-sensing images, archaeological information, etc.) for dynamic tracing and multi-factor comprehensive research. At present, restricted by traditional disciplinary boundaries, the construction of HGIS platforms remains slow and insufficient, making it difficult to extensively apply GIS to the study of Chinese history.

Correlation between Tibetan and traditional Chinese medicine body constitutions: A cross-sectional study of Tibetan college students in the Tibet Autonomous Region

Objective:To evaluate the correlation between the body constitution types of Tibetan medicine and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).Methods:The cluster sampling method was employed to recruit participants from a university in the Tibet Autonomous Region.Tibetan medicine and TCM questionnaires were respectively used to assess the participants' constitution information.Descriptive statistics were applied to analyze the baseline and constitution characteristics of the participants.Two-factor correlation analysis and the paired chi-square test were applied to analyze the correlation between Tibetan and TCM constitution types.Results:Data from 466 Tibetan students were analyzed.The mean scores of the rlung,mkhris pa,and bad kan constitution types in Tibetan medicine were 43.2 (11.1),42.1 (10.1),and 45.0 (8.0),respectively;participants with the three-factor convergence body constitution type accounted for 13.7% of the whole population.Among the TCM constitution types,qi stagnation was the most common (21.5%),followed by the balance type (16.5%);the other constitutions detected were qi deficiency,yin deficiency,and yang deficiency.The rate of consistency for the identification of the three-factor convergence constitution in Tibetan medicine and the balance constitution in TCM was 89.1%,with a Kappa coefficient of 0.57 (P >.05).The rlung constitution in Tibetan medicine was associated with the yin deficiency,yang deficiency,and blood stasis constitutions in TCM.The mkhhris pa constitution in Tibetan medicine was associated with the damp heat and yin deficiency constitutions in TCM.The bad kan constitution in Tibetan medicine was associated with the phlegm dampness,qi deficiency,and yin deficiency constitutions in TCM.Conclusion:There is a correlation between the body constitution types of Tibetan medicine and TCM.The reliability and validity of the Questionnaire for TibetanMedicine Constitution requires improvement,and more studies with larger sample sizes and more varied populations are warranted to verify the correlation between Tibetan medicine and TCM constitutions.

Study on the Key to Massage Therapy of Traditional Chinese Medicine

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High-dose ruthenium-106 plaque therapy for circumscribed choroidal hemangioma: a retrospective study of 25 Chinese patients

AIM:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of ruthenium-106(106Ru)plaque radiotherapy at a dose(>50 Gy)higher than recommended(29-50 Gy)for treatment of circumscribed choroidal hemangioma(CCH)in Chinese patients.METHODS:This retrospective study included 25symptomatic CCH patients undergoing 106Ru plaque brachytherapy involving 25 eyes between January 2005and August 2016.Ophthalmic examination was performed at the baseline and at each post-treatment follow-up visit,using best-corrected visual acuity(BCVA),dilated fundus examination,and B-scan ultrasonography.The primary efficacy outcome measures included the changes in BCVA and hemangioma dimensions at the last followup visit from the baseline.RESULTS:The mean follow-up duration was 28.0±26.6(range,12-110)mo.All the hemangiomas were located in the posterior pole except for two involving the fovea.The mean apex dose of 106Ru plaque radiotherapy was84.4±19.7 Gy.The mean BCVA improved from 41.4±29.3(0-97)at the baseline to 53.0±33.8(0-97)ETDRS letters at the last visit(P=0.01).The mean hemangioma height declined from 3.98±0.88(2.40-5.50)mm to 0.84±1.63(0-6.47)mm(P≤0.001),and the greatest linear diameter(GLD)reduced from 9.36±2.23(6.80-15.00)to 7.40±2.45(0-13.00)mm(P≤0.001).Hemangioma size increased in one(4%)eye with a worsened vision,and subretinal fluid completely resolved in all but one patient(4%).Radiationrelated retinopathy was observed in two patients at posttreatment 9 and 11mo,respectively.CONCLUSION:106Ru plaque brachytherapy at a dose(>50 Gy)higher than recommended(29-50 Gy)is an effective treatment regimen for symptomatic CCH associated with significantly improved visual acuity and a favorable safety profile in Chinese patients.

Efficacy and Safety of the Chinese Herbal Compound TJAOA101 in Treating Diminished Ovarian Reserve: A Protocol for Multicenter, Prospective, and Pre-Post Study

Objective Diminished ovarian reserve(DOR)can lead to early menopause,poor fecundity,and an increased risk of disorders such as osteoporosis,cardiovascular disease,and cognitive impairment,seriously affecting the physical and mental health of women.There is still no safe and effective strategy or method to combat DOR.We have developed a novel Chinese herbal formula,Tongji anti-ovarian aging 101(TJAOA101),to treat DOR.However,its safety and efficacy need to be further validated.Methods In this prospective and pre-post clinical trial,100 eligible patients aged 18–45 diagnosed with DOR will be recruited.All participants receive TJAOA101 twice a day for 3 months.Then,comparisons before and after treatment will be analyzed,and the outcomes,including anti-mullerian hormone(AMH)and follicle-stimulating hormone(FSH)levels and the antral follicle count(AFC),the recovery rate of menopause,and the Kupperman index(KMI),will be assessed at baseline,every month during medication(the intervention period),and 1,3 months after medication(the follow-up period).Assessments for adverse events will be performed during the intervention and follow-up periods.Conclusion A multicenter,prospective study will be conducted to further confirm the safety and efficacy of TJAOA101 in treating DOR and to provide new therapeutic strategies for improving the quality of life in DOR patients.

Exploring the compatibility theory of traditional Chinese medicine formulae:the disassembled prescriptions study

Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)has become very popular in the treatment of complex diseases worldwide in recent decades.Despite the promising performance of TCM,how herbs work synergistically in a formula and their therapeutic targets remain ambiguous.This largely limits the correct use and modernization of TCM formulas clinically.The study of disassembled prescriptions is important for investigating the compatibility theory of Chinese medicines.By dissecting the mechanisms of TCM formulae,the compatibility principles of some well-known formulae,such as Realgar-Indigo naturalis,have been elucidated to a certain extent.In this review,several common methods of disassembled prescription studies are summarized,including those of single herb or mineral,sub-prescription,active ingredients or effective parts,large formulae,and systems pharmacology studies,as well as the methods of grouping based on the properties or efficacy of Chinese medicines,in order to provide evidence for formulae study.Moreover,some challenges to be addressed in disassembled prescriptions studies have been identified in this review.

Developing a Framework of the Sourcing Process A Case Study of Finnish Companies With Chinese Suppliers

The paper analyzes five Finnish case companies to study the sourcing process from China. A framework of a six-stage sourcing process is developed that includes finding and choosing suppliers, making contracts and orders, performing production and quality control, planning logistics, inspecting purchases, and developing supply chain management. Each stage describes the activities from the channels of seeking suppliers to cooperative areas for further development. The case study illustrates the practices of sourcing from China are actually quite similar to the sourcing process in other countries. The study highlights that quality control is the core issue in sourcing from China. Moreover, the difference in understanding sustainable quality affects supplier screening and quality control. Close cooperation on quality control is the key to managing the supply chain to increase competitive advantage through sourcing from China.