Integration of 1H-NMR-Based Metabolomics Approach with Traditional Chinese Pulse Diagnosis to Evaluate the Qi-Enhancing Activity of Herbal Tea

Human metabolism is intricately linked to an individual’s health status. Regardless of living habits, it will be reflected in the metabolic characteristics of urine. The utilization of the 1H NMR-based metabolomics method has enabled examine the metabolomic changes in urine under various physiology conditions, providing valuable insights into metabolites. In this particular study, volunteers were divided into two groups based on the strength of their spleen pulses, using the pulse diagnosis method employed in traditional Chinese medicine. Subsequently, their urine samples were analyzed, revealing notable variances in urea, creatinine, citric acid, succinic acid, trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO), alanine, hippuric acid, and glycine between the two groups. Interestingly, individuals with weak spleen pulses showed significant improvements after consuming herbal tea. Furthermore, we conducted LC-MS analysis on herbal tea and performed adenosine triphosphate (ATP) activity tests on the C2C12 mouse skeletal muscle cell line. The results indicated that within a reasonable concentration range, exposure to herbal tea led to an increase in the mitochondrial ATP production capacity of C2C12 cells. These findings shed light on the relationship between traditional Chinese medicine pulse diagnosis and urine metabolites, highlighting their potential as non-invasive and straightforward health assessment indicators. They can aid in the preliminary determination of necessary dietary and lifestyle changes to enhance overall bodily health.

A new interpretation of TCM pulse diagnosis based on quantum physical model of the human body

Following the quantum theory-based physical model of the human body,a new interpretation of the traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)principle of"Cunkou reads viscera"is presented.Then,a Gaussian pulse wave model as a solution to the Schrodinger equation is shown to accurately describe 19 different pulse shapes,and to quantitatively capture the degree of YinYang attributes of 13 pulse shapes.Furthermore,the model suggests using pulse depth and strength as leading-order quantity and pulse shape as first-order quantity,to characterize the hierarchical resonance between the human body and the environment.The future pulse informatics will focus on determining an individual’s unique quantum human equilibrium state,and diagnose its health state according to the pulse deviation from its equilibrium state,to truly achieve the high level of TCM:"knowing the normal state and reaching the change".

A correlation between pulse diagnosis of human body and health monitoring of structures

The concept of health monitoring is a key aspect of the field of medicine that has been practiced for a long time. A commonly used diagnostic and health monitoring practice is pulse diagnosis, which can be traced back approximately five thousand years in the recorded history of China. With advances in the development of modern technology, the concept of health monitoring of a variety of engineering structures in several applications has begun to attract widespread attention. Of particular interest in this study is the health monitoring of civil structures. It seem natural, and even beneficial, that these two health-monitoring methods, one as applies to the human body and the other to civil structures, should be analyzed and compared. In this paper, the basic concepts and theories of the two monitoring methods are first discussed. Similarities are then summarized and commented upon. It is hoped that this correlation analysis may help provide structural engineers with some insights into the intrinsic concept of using pulse diagnosis in human health monitoring, which may of be some benefit in the development of modern structural health monitoring methods.

A Protocol for Digitalized Collection of Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM)Pulse Information Using Bionic Pulse Diagnosis Equipment

Pulse diagnosis equipment used in Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM)has long been developed for collecting pulse information and in TCM research.However,it is still difficult to implement pulse taking automatically or efficiently in clinical practice.Here,we present a digital protocol for TCM pulse information collection based on bionic pulse diagnosis equipment,which ensures high efficiency,reliability and data integrity of pulse diagnosis information.A four-degree-of-freedom pulse taking platform together with a wrist bracket can satisfy the spatial positioning and angle requirements for individually adaptive pulse acquisition.Three-dimensional reconstruction of a wrist surface and an image localization model are combined to provide coordinates of the acquisition position and detection direction automatically.Three series elastic joints can not only simulate the TCM pulse taking method that“Three fingers in a straight line,the middle finger determining the‘Guan’location and finger pulp pressing on the radial artery,”but also simultaneously carry out the force-controlled multi-gradient pressing process.In terms of pulse information integrity,this proposed protocol can generate rich pulse information,including basic individual information,pulse localization distribution,multi-gradient dynamic pulse force time series,and objective pulse parameters,which can help establish the fundamental data sets that are required as the pulse phenotype for subsequent comprehensive analysis of pulse diagnosis.The implementation of this scheme is beneficial to promote the standardization of the digitalized collection of pulse information,the effectiveness of detecting abnormal health status,and the promotion of the fundamental and clinical research of TCM,such as TCM pulse phenomics.

Pulse rate estimation based on facial videos:an evaluation and optimization of the classical methods using both self-constructed and public datasets

Pulse rate is one of the important characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine pulse diagnosis,and it is of great significance for determining the nature of cold and heat in diseases.The prediction of pulse rate based on facial video is an exciting research field for getting palpation information by observation diagnosis.However,most studies focus on optimizing the algorithm based on a small sample of participants without systematically investigating multiple influencing factors.A total of 209 participants and 2,435 facial videos,based on our self-constructed Multi-Scene Sign Dataset and the public datasets,were used to perform a multi-level and multi-factor comprehensive comparison.The effects of different datasets,blood volume pulse signal extraction algorithms,region of interests,time windows,color spaces,pulse rate calculation methods,and video recording scenes were analyzed.Furthermore,we proposed a blood volume pulse signal quality optimization strategy based on the inverse Fourier transform and an improvement strategy for pulse rate estimation based on signal-to-noise ratio threshold sliding.We found that the effects of video estimation of pulse rate in the Multi-Scene Sign Dataset and Pulse Rate Detection Dataset were better than in other datasets.Compared with Fast independent component analysis and Single Channel algorithms,chrominance-based method and plane-orthogonal-to-skin algorithms have a more vital anti-interference ability and higher robustness.The performances of the five-organs fusion area and the full-face area were better than that of single sub-regions,and the fewer motion artifacts and better lighting can improve the precision of pulse rate estimation.

Classification research of TCM pulse conditions based on multi-label voice analysis

Objective To explore the feasibility of remotely obtaining complex information on traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)pulse conditions through voice signals.Methods We used multi-label pulse conditions as the entry point and modeled and analyzed TCM pulse diagnosis by combining voice analysis and machine learning.Audio features were extracted from voice recordings in the TCM pulse condition dataset.The obtained features were combined with information from tongue and facial diagnoses.A multi-label pulse condition voice classification DNN model was built using 10-fold cross-validation,and the modeling methods were validated using publicly available datasets.Results The analysis showed that the proposed method achieved an accuracy of 92.59%on the public dataset.The accuracies of the three single-label pulse manifestation models in the test set were 94.27%,96.35%,and 95.39%.The absolute accuracy of the multi-label model was 92.74%.Conclusion Voice data analysis may serve as a remote adjunct to the TCM diagnostic method for pulse condition assessment.

Clinical research progress of acupuncture after pulse diagnosis

Acupuncture after pulse diagnosis has good efficacy in treatment of cancer,pain,etc.,and has advantages when compared with conventional acupuncture according to analysis of the its origin,clinical application,mechanism research,etc..However,this therapy has not been applied widely clinically due to the lack of large-scale clinical randomized controlled trials,large sample and longterm efficacy observation,and in-depth mechanism research.In the future,large sample and long-term efficacy study should be conducted in order to determine the efficacy of acupuncture after pulse diagnosis,further illuminate its mechanism,and promote its clinical application.

Artificial intelligence meets traditional Chinese medicine: a bridge to opening the magic box of sphygmopalpation for pulse pattern recognition

Artificial intelligence(AI) aims to mimic human cognitive functions and execute intellectual activities like that performed by humans dealing with an uncertain environment. The rapid development of AI technology provides powerful tools to analyze massive amounts of data, facilitating physicians to make better clinical decisions or even replace human judgment in healthcare.Advanced AI technology also creates novel opportunities for exploring the scientific basis of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) and developing the standardization and digitization of TCM pulse diagnostic methodology. In the present study, we review and discuss the potential application of AI technology in TCM pulse diagnosis. The major contents include the following aspects:(1) a brief introduction of the general concepts and knowledge of TCM pulse diagnosis or palpation,(2) landmark developments in AI technology and the applications of common AI deep learning algorithms in medical practice,(3) the current progress of AI technology in TCM pulse diagnosis,(4) challenges and perspectives of AI technology in TCM pulse diagnosis. In conclusion, the pairing of TCM with modern AI technology will bring novel insights into understanding the scientific principles underlying TCM pulse diagnosis and creating opportunities for the development of AI deep learning technology for the standardization and digitalization of TCM pulse diagnosis.

Constitutional/Conditional Acupuncture

A new style of acupuncture,named constitutional/conditional acupuncture(CCA),based on traditional Asian medical practices,was revealed in Kunming in 2017.This method is primarily based on pulse diagnosis,as developed in China,Korea,and India.The basic methods of CCA are briefly described,and a few case results from the 3‑day Kunming workshop are presented to reveal the efficacy of CCA.

Investigation of the Test–Retest Reliability and Inter-Rater Agreement of Traditional Chinese Medicine-Based Pulse Practitioners

Objective:The objective of this study was to assess the test–retest reliability and inter-rater agreement between the traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)pulse diagnosis between two Indian TCM practitioners.Methods:A total of 300 participants were evaluated for their bilateral pulse based on TCM independently by two investigators with similar years of experience but who graduated from different medical schools.The investigators who were blinded diagnosed the participants as per TCM based on the depth,rate,and strength of their pulse.Cronbachαand weighted kappa were used for assessing the reliability and repeatability.Results:The data of all the 300 participants were included in the analysis.The test–retest reliability computed using Cronbach's alpha indicated high reliability between the investigators(α=0.963).There were a total of 37 different types of diagnoses identified by both investigators.The investigators diagnoses matched for 116 participants out of 300 participants;whereas 184 cases were not matched between the investigators.The inter-rater agreement for the TCM diagnosis tested by weighted Kappa did not returned any significant agreement(Kappa=0.370).Discussion:The present study shows higher reliability between the pulse diagnoses between the investigators.However,the inter-rater agreement for TCM diagnosis based on pulse diagnosis was not significant probably due to the variation in subjective assessments.This calls for the standardization of training in TCM diagnostic methods among practitioners.Future studies should include the differences in training,medical education,and experience among the practitioners while determining the reliability of pulse diagnosis.

Relationship between Renying pulse augmentation index and Cunkou pulse condition in different blood pressure groups

OBJECTIVE： To explore the relationship between Renying pulse （carotid） augmentation index （AI） and Cunkou pulse condition in different blood pres- sure groups, and the clinical significance of Reny- ing and Cunkou pulse parameters to reflect vascu- lar function. METHODS： Eighty-six patients with essential hyper- tension （EH） and 52 individuals with normal blood pressure （control group） between and January 2012 were included September 2010 this study. Reny- ing pulse AI was examined by a new diagnostic tool （ALOKA ProSound Alpha 10） --wave intensity （Wl） that is calculated as the product of the deriva- tives of the simultaneously recorded blood pres- sure changes （dP/dt） and blood-flow-velocity changes （dU/dt）, while Cunkou pulse condition was detected by DDMX-100 Pulse Apparatus inboth EH and control groups. A multifactorial corre- lation analysis was performed for data analysis. RESULTS： After adjusting for potential confound- ing variables, in the EH group, AI was positively cor- related with ts, w2/t （rts=0.225, P〈0.05; rw2/t=0.230, P〈 0.05） and negatively correlated with hs, hs/hl and w2 （rhs=- 0.393,P〈0.01 ;rhs/l=- 0.444, P〈0.01 ;rw2=- 0.389, P〈0.01）. In the control group, AI was positively cor- related with t3, t4, ts and w, （rt3=0.595, P〈0.01; r,4= 0.292, P〈0.05; rt5=0.318, P〈0.05; rw1=0.541, P〈0.01） and negatively correlated with h1, h2, h3, Ad and A （rh1= - 0.368, P〈0.05; rh2= - 0.330, P〈0.05; rh3= - 0.327, P〈 0.05; rAd=- 0.322, P〈0.05; rA=- 0.410, P〈0.01）. In the total sample group （EH plus control group, n= 138）, AI was positively correlated with t, ts, w1 and w, （rt=0.257, P〈0.01; rt5=0.266, P〈0.01; rw1=0.184, P〈 0.05; rw/t=0.210, P〈0.05） and negatively correlated with hs, hs/hl, w2 and Ad （rhs= - 0.230, P〈0.01; rh5/h1= - 0.218, P〈0.05; rw2= - 0.267, P〈0.01; rAd= - 0.246, P〈0.01）. Multiple linear regression analysis was car- ried out to model the relationship （F=7.887, P〈 0.001）.CONCLUSION： Renying pulse AI can effectively pre- dict arterial stiffness in synchrony with the manifes- tations of Cunkou pulse in elderly patients with hy- pertension. Cunkou pulse apparatus is a valuable tool for evaluating AI in clinical practice, The close correlations reported above reflect the holistic con- cept of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

An innovative method to evaluate the severe level of general Qi deficiency

OBJECTIVE:The study aim was to use existing relevant indexes to establish an index series for the quantitative measurement of Qi deficiency pattern(QDP) in Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM).METHODS:Seventeen indexes of arterial oxygen saturation(SaO_2),TCM pulse diagnosis,heart rate,and blood pressure were integrated into an index series,and 94 selected subjects were divided into a healthy control group,a mild QDP group,and a typical QDP group.All three groups were then synchronously given a breath-holding(BH) test and index detections using TCM apparatus for auxiliary diagnosis and treatment and a photoplethysmograph.The detections were carried out repeatedly until there was no monotonic change in the value of the minimal SaO_(2d)uring a BH measurement(SaO_(2 min)) or in the duration of BH during a BH measurement(TBH).RESULTS:BH measurement and index detection data from 380 eligible cases were analyzed and a significant intergroup difference was found for 12 indexes.CONCLUSION:An index series for quantitative QDP measurement could comprise the 12 effective indexes:RSaO_(2d)(rate of decline of SaO_(2d)uring a BH measurement),RSaO_(2r)(recovery rate of SaO_2 after a BH measurement),SaO_(2 min),BFV(blood flow velocity),TSaO_(2d)(the time at which SaO_2 started declining during a BH measurement),TBH,TSa_(O2 min)(the time of occurrence of the minimal SaO_(2d)uring a BH measurement),TSa O_(2 max)(the time of occurrence of the maximal SaO_2 after a BH measurement),PTP(pulse-touching pressure),SBP(systolic blood pressure),PWV(pulse wave velocity),and DBP(diastolic blood pressure).Of the indexes,RSaO_(2d)could play akey role in quantitative QDP measurement;RSaO_(2r) and Sa O_2 mincould be used to differentiate the QDP symptom of shortness of breath and as early-warning indexes for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.BFV,TSaO_(2d),and TBHcould be used to quantitatively assess the QDP symptoms of spontaneous perspiration and shortness of breath.