Objective To investigate the epidemiological characteristics and risk factors of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in Jincheng between 2015 and 2020. Methods Clinical data of 8,578 medical check-ups at Physical Examination Center of ou hospital from January 2015 to December 2020 were retrospectively selected. The prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in the last 5 years was recorded, and Logistic regression was utilized to identify the risk factors for the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Results The overall prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in Jincheng was 14.57% in 2015-2020. The prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease was higher in men than in women (16.99% vs 10.98%) and highest in the 40-59 age group (18.76%). No statistical difference was reported in blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatinine (Scr) between groups (P>0.05), while statistical difference was found in diabetes, hypertension, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, weekly exercise frequency, daily vegetable intake, triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and uric acid (UA) between two groups (P<0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis denoted that BMI (OR=2.794, 95% CI: 1.745-4.550), waist circumference (OR=2.586, 95% CI: 1.585-4.299), diabetes (OR=0.644, 95% CI: 1.425-2.781), hypertension (OR=1.479, 95% CI: 1.121-2.290), weekly exercise ≥6h (OR=0.617, 95% CI: 0.519-0.709), daily vegetable intake ≥300g (OR=0.590, 95% CI: 0.467-0.652), TG (OR=1.481, 95% CI: 1.122-1.996), TC (OR=1.562, 95% CI:1.143-2.135), LDL-C (OR=1.440, 95% CI: 1.139-2.048), HDL-C (OR=0.656 , 95% CI: 0.587-0.783) , ALT (OR=1.591, 95% CI: 1.056-2.183), and UA (OR=1.412, 95% CI: 1.009-1.887) were risk factors for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (P<0.05) . Conclusion The prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in Jincheng City from 2015 to 2020 is 14.57%, the prevalence of males is higher than that of females, and the prevalence rate is the highest in the 40-59 age group. Moreover , diabetes mellitus , hypertension , BMI , waist circumference , weekly exercise , daily vegetable intake , serum TG, TC, LDL-C, HDL-C, ALT, and UA are all associated with the risk of the disease.

Acupuncture, a therapeutic treatment defined as the insertion of needles into the body at specific points (ie, acupoints), has growing in popularity world-wide to treat various diseases effectively, especially acute and chronic pain. In parallel, interest in the physiological mechanisms underlying acupuncture analgesia, particularly the neural mechanisms have been increasing. Over the past decades, our understanding of how the central nervous system and peripheral nervous system process signals induced by acupuncture has developed rapidly by using electrophysiological methods. However, with the development of neuroscience, electrophysiology is being challenged by calcium imaging in view field, neuron population and visualization in vivo. Owing to the outstanding spatial resolution, the novel imaging approaches provide opportunities to enrich our knowledge about the neurophysiological mechanisms of acupuncture analgesia at subcellular, cellular, and circuit levels in combination with new labeling, genetic and circuit tracing techniques. Therefore, this review will introduce the principle and the method of calcium imaging applied to acupuncture research. We will also review the current findings in pain research using calcium imaging from in vitro to in vivo experiments and discuss the potential methodological considerations in studying acupuncture analgesia.
Calcium ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Acupuncture ; Acupuncture Analgesia/methods* ; Acupuncture Points ; Technology

Humans ; Tricuspid Valve/surgery* ; Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation ; Surgical Instruments ; Treatment Outcome ; Cardiac Catheterization ; Tricuspid Valve Insufficiency/surgery*

Cardiac Catheterization ; Heart Valve Prosthesis ; Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation ; Humans ; Treatment Outcome ; Tricuspid Valve/surgery* ; Tricuspid Valve Insufficiency/surgery*

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the clinical treatment outcomes and the changes of the outcomes over time in extremely preterm twins in Guangdong Province, China. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed for 269 pairs of extremely preterm twins with a gestational age of <28 weeks who were admitted to the department of neonatology in 26 grade A tertiary hospitals in Guangdong Province from January 2008 to December 2017. According to the admission time, they were divided into two groups: 2008-2012 and 2013-2017. Besides, each pair of twins was divided into the heavier infant and the lighter infant subgroups according to birth weight. The perinatal data of mothers and hospitalization data of neonates were collected. The survival rate of twins and the incidence rate of complications were compared between the 2008-2012 and 2013-2017 groups. RESULTS: Compared with the 2008-2012 group, the 2013-2017 group (both the heavier infant and lighter infant subgroups) had lower incidence rates of severe asphyxia and smaller head circumference at birth (P<0.05). The mortality rates of both of the twins, the heavier infant of the twins, and the lighter infant of the twins were lower in the 2013-2017 group compared with the 2008-2012 group (P<0.05). Compared with the 2008-2012 group, the 2013-2017 group (both the heavier infant and lighter infant subgroups) had lower incidence rates of pulmonary hemorrhage, patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), periventricular-intraventricular hemorrhage (P-IVH), and neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS) and a higher incidence rate of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS There is a significant increase in the survival rate over time in extremely preterm twins with a gestational age of <28 weeks in the 26 grade A tertiary hospitals in Guangdong Province. The incidences of severe asphyxia, pulmonary hemorrhage, PDA, P-IVH, and NRDS decrease in both the heavier and lighter infants of the twins, but the incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia increases. With the improvement of diagnosis and treatment, the multidisciplinary collaboration between different fields of fetal medicine including prenatal diagnosis, obstetrics, and neonatology is needed in the future to jointly develop management strategies for twin pregnancy.
Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia/epidemiology* ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Extremely Premature ; Infant, Newborn ; Pregnancy ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn/epidemiology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome

Objective: To observe the efficacy of long-retaining scalp acupuncture plus interactive training in improving upper- extremity dysfunction in cerebral stroke patients. Methods: Ninety-five patients with upper-extremity dysfunction after cerebral stroke were randomized into two groups, with 48 cases in the treatment group and 47 cases in the control group. Conventional internal medicine treatment was offered to both groups. In both groups, Anterior Oblique Line of Vertex-temporal (MS 6, the middle 2/5) and Posterior Oblique Line of Vertex-temporal (MS 7, the middle 2/5) were selected from the same side of the brain lesion (the side apposing to the hemiplegic limb) for scalp acupuncture treatment. In the treatment group, the scalp acupuncture needles were retained for 7 h, in combination with interactive training, while the needles were also retained for 7 h in the control group but without interactive training. Prior to treatment and at 2-week and 4-week treatment, the two groups were scored using the functional test for the hemiplegic upper extremity-Hong Kong (FTHUE-HK) and simplified Fugl-Meyer assessment-upper extremity (FMA-UE). Results: The total effective rate was 97.9％ in the treatment group, higher than 74.5％ in the control group (P<0.01). The FTHUE-HK score was higher at 2-week and 4-week treatment than before treatment in both groups, presenting statistically significant intra-group differences (all P<0.001); the FTHUE-HK score was higher at 4-week treatment than at 2-week treatment in both groups, presenting statistically significant intra-group differences (both P<0.001). At 2-week and 4-week treatment, the FTHUE-HK score was higher in the treatment group than in the control group, showing significant between-group differences (both P<0.05). During the whole treatment process, the treatment group had higher FTHUE-HK scores compared with the control group, but there was no statistical significance comparing the change of the score between the two groups at 2-week treatment (P>0.05), while the between-group difference in the change of the score was statistically significant at 4-week treatment (P<0.05). The FMA-UE score was higher at 2-week and 4-weeks treatment than before treatment in both groups, presenting statistically significant intra-group differences (all P<0.001); the FMA-UE score was higher at 4-week treatment than at 2-week treatment in both groups, presenting statistically significant intra-group differences (both P<0.001). At 2-week and 4-week treatment, the FMA-UE was higher in the treatment group than in the control group, and the between-group differences were statistically significant (both P<0.01). The FMA-UE score rose gradually with the increase of treatment session, and there was statistical significance comparing the change of the score between the two groups at 2-week and 4-week treatment, respectively (both P<0.05). Conclusion: Long-retaining scalp acupuncture plus interactive training results in more significant efficacy than long-retaining scalp acupuncture alone in improving the upper-limb dysfunction after cerebral stroke and the advantage becomes more notable after 2-week consecutive treatment.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of weight management combined with pharyngoplasty for treatment of obesity-related obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS). METHODS: Sixty obese patients with OSAHS were randomly assigned into the combined treatment group and control group ( RESULTS: After 6 months of treatment, the patients receiving the combined treatment showed significant reductions of BMI, neck circumference and waist circumference as compared with the measurements before treatment and with those in the control group ( CONCLUSIONS Weight management combined with uvulopalatopharyngoplasty can produce a good clinical efficacy for treatment of OSAHS with obesity, and the patients should have strengthened continuous family weight management while receiving surgical treatment.
Body Mass Index ; Humans ; Obesity/surgery* ; Reconstructive Surgical Procedures ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive/surgery* ; Waist Circumference

Objective:To investigate the effects of adherent-invasive Escherichia coli ( E. coli) LF82 on the structure and function of intestinal barrier in mice with ulcerative colitis (UC). Methods:Twenty-four specific pathogen free (SPF) C57BL/6 mice were divided into UC with E. coli LF82 group, UC group and healthy control group with eight mice in each group. The UC mice model was induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS). One week before modeling, the mice of UC with E. coli LF82 group were intragastric administrated with 1×10 9 colony-forming unit (CFU) E. coli LF82 to colonize the bacteria strain. The effects of E. coli LF82 on colitis of mice with UC were evaluated by disease activity index (DAI), gross morphological injury score, colonic mucosal injury index (CMDI), myeoloperoxidase (MPO) activity and pathological features. The ultrastructure and the changes of cytoskeleton F-actin of mice colonic tissues were detected by transmission electron microscope (TEM) and direct immunofluorescence. The ability of colonic mucin production and degree of fibrosis were estimated by periodic acid Schiff reaction (PAS) stain and sirius red stain. T test, least significant difference, repeated measurement analysis of variance and one-way analysis of variance were used for statistical analysis. Results:On the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh day after the modeling, the DAI scores of UC with E. coli LF82 group were all higher than those of UC group ((2.53±0.38) points vs. (2.01±0.53) points, (3.02±0.62) points vs. (2.67±0.24) points, (3.13±0.61) points vs. (2.20±0.24) points, (3.27±0.28) points vs. (2.20±0.69) points, respectively), and the differences were statistically significant ( t=3.37, 2.25, 9.56 and 10.24, all P<0.05). The gross morphological injury score of mice colon of UC with E. coli LF82 group was higher than that of UC group ((6.17±1.94) points vs. (2.83±0.98) points), and the difference was statistically significant ( t=-3.75, P<0.05). The CMDI and MPO activity of UC with E. coli LF82 group were both higher than those of UC group ((16.80±2.79) points vs. (11.80±3.11) points, (729.3±77.5) U/mg vs. (594.4±31.9) U/mg), and the differences were statistically significant ( t=-2.83; mean difference=134.82, 95% confidence interval ( CI) 72.12 to 197.51; both P<0.05). The results of TEM showed that the E. coli LF82 could invade the submucosa of colon and caused further injury of colonic tissues in mice. The distribution of cytoskeleton F-actin of mice colonic tissues changed. The results of PAS staining showed that the percentages of PAS positive cells of UC with E. coli LF82 group and UC group were both lower than that of healthy control group ((32.40±8.02)% and (41.90±8.99)% vs. (57.70±11.52)%), and the difference was statistically significant ( F=17.63, P<0.01). The percentage of PAS positive cells of UC with E. coli LF82 group was lower than that of UC group, and the difference was statistically significant (mean difference=-9.50, 95% CI -18.33 to -0.67, P<0.05). The results of sirius red staining showed that the villous epithelium of colon mucosa of UC with E. coli LF82 group was partially injured and collagen fibers hyperplasia was serious. The area ratios of collagen fiber of UC with E. coli LF82 group and UC group were both higher than that of healthy control group ((51.83±5.78)% and (37.11±5.59)% vs. (15.41±2.25) %), and the difference was statistically significant ( F=86.72, P<0.01). The area ratio of collagen fiber of UC with E. coli LF82 group was higher than that of UC group, the difference was statistically significant (mean difference=14.83, 95% CI 8.91 to 20.76, P<0.05). Conclusions:E. coli LF82 can aggravate DSS-induced colitis in UC mice, leading to changes in colon ultrastructure and cytoskeleton, it can also reduce the ability of mucus secretion of colon of mice and increase the degree of colonic tissues fibrosis.

Modified Da-chai-hu Decoction (MDD), a traditional Chinese medicinal formulation, which was empirically generated from Da-chai-hu decoction, has been utilized to treat severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) for decades. The aim of the present study was to explore its potential organprotective mechanism in SAP. In the present study, rat SAP model was induced by retrograde injection of 3.5% sodium taurocholate into the biliopancreatic duct, MDD (23.35 g/kg body weight, twelve times the clinical dose) were orally given at 2 h before and 10 h after injection. At 12 h after model induction, blood was taken from vena cava for analysis of amylase, diamine oxidase (DAO), pulmonary surfactant protein-A (SP-A), and C-reactive protein (CRP). Histopathological change of pancreas, ileum and lung was assayed by H&E staining, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity were determinated using colorimetric assay, and the expressions of occludin and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) were detected by real-time RT-PCR and western blot, respectively. In addition, the tissue concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The results showed that in SAP rats, MDD significantly alleviated histopathological damage, depressed the MPO activity and the concentrations of TNF-α, IL-1β, and MCP-1 of pancreas, ileum and lung, and reduced the serum levels of amylase [(3283.4 ± 585.5) U·Lvs (5626.4 ± 795.1)U·L], DAO [(1100.1 ± 334.3) U·Lvs (1666.4 ± 525.3) U·L] and CRP [(7.6 ± 1.2) μg·mLvs (17.8 ± 3.8) μg·mL]. However, the serum SP-A concentration [(106.1 ± 16.6) pg·mLvs (90.1 ± 14.9) pg·mL] was elevated when treated SAP rats with MDD. Furthermore, MDD increased the occludin expression and reduced the NF-κB expression in pancreas, ileum and lung of SAP rats. Our findings suggested that MDD administration was an effective therapeutic approach for SAP treatment. It could up-regulate occludin expression to protect intercellular tight junction and down-regulate NF-κB expression to inhibit inflammatory reaction of pancreas, ileum and lung.

Objective: To explore the effects of different drying methods on the quality of medicinal materials, and screen out the optimal drying process of Centella asiatica. Methods: The whole fresh grass of C. asiatica were dried by hot air, drying in the sun, drying in the sun and hot air combined, drying in the shade, microwave and vacuum respectively. Meanwhile, the drying time and rate were determined. The characters, identification, inspection, and leachable content of C. asiatica were analyzed by the method of pharmacopoeia. The content of asiaticoside, madecassoside, asiatic acid, madecassic acid, kaempferol-3-O-tutinoside, kaempferol, and quercetin were detected by HPLC analysis; The weighted scoring method was used to sort the comprehensive evaluation of multiple indexes. Results: Different drying methods consume different time, among which drying in the sun, shade and drying at 50 ℃ for more than 100 h, and the average drying rate was 24.83%. The effects of different drying methods on the properties of medicinal materials are mainly reflected in color and odor, among which 50-70 ℃ hot air drying had a better color, which was light green, and the odor of hot air drying and microwave drying at 80 ℃ and 85 ℃ also changed significantly. Although there were some differences in moisture and ash content, both of them met the pharmacopoeia standards. The drying method also had certain effects on the leachable, the maximum was 45.70%, and the minimum content of dry extract was 29.67%. The highest content of the total active ingredient was determined by HPLC using the method of drying in the shade, which was 83.032 mg/g, and the lowest was is 75 ℃ hot air drying, which was 40.982 mg/g. The highest total content of madecassoside and asiaticoside was 80 ℃ hot air drying, and the lowest was 75 ℃ hot air drying. Weighted score in the top three of line was 70 ℃, dried at 50 ℃ after drying in the sun, hot air drying at 50 ℃, and 85 ℃ hot air drying ranked the bottom. Conclusion: In summary, the suitable drying method for the production area of C. asiatica was 70 ℃ hot air drying.