Clinical research report on traditional Chinese patent medicines and traditional Chinese classic famous prescriptions(2022)

Objective:The paper is to comprehensively summarize and analyze the basic situation and methodological quality of clinical randomized controlled trials(RCTs)of traditional Chinese patent medicines and traditional Chinese classic famous prescriptions published in 2022,to provide evidence and reasonable suggestions for the advancement of clinical research and the formulation of policies and guidelines.Methods:The Evidence Database System of clinical evidence-based evaluation of traditional Chinese medicine was searched,and data from China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI),PubMed,and other databases were supplemented.The search duration was from January 1,2022,to December 31,2022.RCTs of traditional Chinese patent medicines and traditional Chinese classic famous prescriptions were included as the source of clinical evidence,and published information,sample size,intervention,control measures,treatment course,methodological quality,and key link report were analyzed and evaluated.Results:A total of 1,464 RCTs of traditional Chinese patent medicines were included,which comprised 667 types of traditional Chinese patent medicines;“traditional Chinese patent medicines+Western medicine vs.Western medicine”was the most widely used intervention and control setting,involving 417 RCTs(28.48%).A total of 245 RCTs of traditional Chinese classic famous prescriptions were included,comprising 55 types of traditional Chinese classic famous prescriptions.“Decoction+conventional treatment vs.conventional treatment”was the most widely used intervention and control setting,with 87 RCTs(35.51%).Published RCTs on traditional Chinese patent medicines and traditional Chinese classic famous prescriptions were limited by the study design and implementation.Most“allocation concealment”and“blinding of patients and personnel”were rated as medium to high risk.There are insufficient reports on key research links such as experimental registration and ethical approval.Conclusions:The number of RCTs on traditional Chinese patent medicines has decreased in 2022,but there has been a slight improvement in the research quality and impact.There are relatively few studies on traditional Chinese classic famous prescriptions.Measures must be taken to improve clinical trial design,implementation,and reporting.Methodological experts should be invited to provide professional technical guidance on the trial design.In the research implementation process,attention should be paid to quality control,particularly the standardization of the randomized execution.

Reception of Translated Classics of Traditional Chinese Medicine in the Spanish-speaking World:A Survey of Seven Spanish Versions of Huangdi Neijing(The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Classic)

Previous studies on translations of Huangdi Neijing(The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Classic)have focused on English versions;little attention has been given to non-English translations.The present study is the first investigation of the reception of the seven Spanish versions of Huangdi Neijing in terms of three parameters:collection records in libraries worldwide;book reviews and citation counts in international journals;and customer reviews on Amazon.The results revealed four features of Spanish translations and communication of Huangdi Neijing in terms of reception of academia,reception of general readers,the center of translation and communication,and the role of Chinese scholars.These factors demonstrate the marginal status of Spanish translations of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)classics.The implications are summarized in hopes of promoting the translation and communication of TCM classics in the Spanish-speaking world and to provide insights into the communication of TCM culture in the non-English-speaking world.

Letter to the editor: Comment on the Regulatios of the Simplified Registration and Approval Management for Compound Recipe of Classical Prescription of Traditional Chinese Medicine

To the Editor:On Oct 9,2017,China Food and Drug Administration announced1~ the Regulations of the Simplified Registration and Approval Management for Compound Recipe of Classical Prescription of Traditional Chinese Medicine(Exposure Draft)which has been stirring up intense debate in the West.The article China to Roll Back Regulations for Traditional Medicine Despite Safety Concerns lately

Giorgio Vasari’s Mercury: God of Magic and Wisdom

In 1555,assisted by Cristofano Gherardi,Il Doceno(1508-1556),Giorgio Vasari(1511-1574)designed and painted a mythological and cosmological theme in the Sala degli Elementi,an apartment of Cosimo I de’Medici(1519-1574),Duke of Florence,at the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence.The Apartment of the Elements is dedicated to the four elements(air,earth,fire,and water),which in antiquity were considered to be the basis of the material of the world.The four elements are personified as a history painting theme on the ceiling and the walls of the chamber.Accordingly,on the ceiling is the element of Air,personified by several events:Its center depicts Saturn Mutilating Heaven and surrounding this scene are The Chariots of the Sun and the Moon,the images of Day and Night,and the virtues of Peace,Fame,Justice,and Truth.On the walls of the chamber,there are personifications of the elements of Earth(north),Fire(east),and Water(south).The frescoes on the left hand wall relate to the element of Earth.In the center of the north wall,the first fruits of the Earth are offered to Saturn.1 On the adjacent wall,east wall,above the fireplace,are scenes relating to the element of Fire:Vulcan’s Forge is depicted in the center of wall.2 On the adjacent wall,south wall,the element of Water is symbolized with The Birth of Venus.3 On the window wall,west wall,are two large niches containing simulated sculptures of Hermes-Mercury and Hades-Pluto.These two images connect thematically with the wall decoration of the elements and the pantheon of the gods on the ceiling.This essay will focus only on the image of Hermes-Mercury.It consists of two parts:the stylistic impact of classical and Renaissance sources of this astral and pagan god in Vasari’s imagery,and the signification of the personification of Mercury associated and interconnected with Cosimo I de’Medici,Duke of Florence.

For the Future of Chinese Universities:Three Conversations from the Past

This article argues that ideas from the ancient past supply insight about the future of Chinese universities.I make this case by outlining three claims about the nature and purpose of education in Homer,Plato,and Augustine.I propose that conversations based on these ideas illuminate central underlying problems facing Chinese higher education today:Educating the next generation to be properly assertive and make complex judgments,and helping faculty see their own motives and impact clearly.To show this,I explain why discussions of ancient Western authors are useful for the present moment,explaining what vistas these texts open.I conclude by clarifying how the exercise can help China achieve its educational goals.