Objective:Discipline construction is the key and effective method for the high-quality development of hospitals. This study summarized the practical and valuable experience of discipline construction with the support of the ″Sanming Project of Medicine″ in Shenzhen, to provide a worthy reference for similar projects and hospital specialty development.Methods:Taking the introduction of the hematology-oncology team of the Canadian Children′s Hospital as an example, we analyzed the background, the process, and the effectiveness of discipline construction of hematology and oncology of Shenzhen Children′s Hospital under the support of the ″Sanming Project of Medicine″, and explored the common rules for rapid specialty development.Results:Through the implementation of two levels supporting policies from cities and hospitals and quantifiable and verifiable annual progressive program, the adoption of the international advanced medical management mode and concepts, and the transformation and application of cutting-edge clinical technologies, we successfully built the largest pediatric hematologic oncology diagnosis and treatment center in South China and the largest pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplant center in China. By executing a multi-level talent developing program, the number of specialists with MD and PhD degrees increased by 6.5 times, and 23 doctors and nurses were trained abroad, leading to the development of provincial key clinical specialties and municipal key scientific research platforms.Conclusions:This project concluded the beneficial experience of introducing high-level overseas medical teams to boost discipline construction, including internationally advanced medical concepts and management modes, tiered talent cultivation schemes, the construction of clinical and basic research platforms, etc., providing references for the rapid improvement of discipline construction in terms of health care for other hospitals in Shenzhen and similar cities.

Objective To investigate the clinical effectiveness of a vestibular-ocular motor rehabilitation device for vestibular vertigo.Methods A total of 102 patients with vestibular vertigo visiting our hospital from September 2021 to February 2023 were assigned to receive either treatment with betahistine mesylate tablets and vestibular-ocular motor reha-bilitation(group A,n=51)or treatment with betahistine mesylate tablets alone(group B,n=51).The Dizziness Handi-cap Inventory(DHI)score,Berg balance scale score,time consumed in the rising-walking test,clinical response,ocular motor abnormalities,and vestibular abnormalities were compared between the two groups using the t test and chi-square test.Results The overall response rate was significantly higher in group A than in group B(95.83%vs.81.23%,P<0.05).After treatment,both groups showed significant reductions in the DHI score,time consumed in the rising-walking test,the rate of ocular motor abnormalities,and the rate of vestibular abnormalities;and these indicators were signifi-cantly lower in group A than group B(all P<0.05).The Berg balance scale score was significantly increased after treat-ment in both groups,with a significantly higher score in group A than in group B(both P<0.05).Conclusion The vestibular-ocular motor rehabilitation device can relieve vertigo symptoms,improve vestibular function,and strengthen balance and walking abilities in patients with vestibular vertigo.

Objective:To investigate the feasibility of predicting the risk of spontaneous preterm birth in singleton pregnancy women with low risk of preterm birth by transabdominal-transvaginal ultrasound cervical length sequential screening in the second trimester.Methods:This prospective longitudinal cohort study included singleton pregnant women at 11-13 +6 gestational weeks who were admitted to Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital from January 2023 to September 2023. Transabdominal and transvaginal cervical lengths were measured during the mid-trimester fetal ultrasound scan at 18-24 weeks, and pregnancy outcomes were obtained after delivery. A short cervix was defined as a transvaginal cervical length of ≤25 mm, and the outcomes were defined as spontaneous preterm birth occurs between 20 and 36 +6 weeks and extremely preterm birth before 32 weeks. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the effectiveness of predicting spontaneous preterm birth by transabdominal and transvaginal cervix length, as well as the effectiveness of predicting short cervix by transabdominal cervical length. The relationship between transabdominal and transvaginal cervical length was evaluated using a scatter plot. Results:A total of 562 cases were included in this study, comprising 33 cases of spontaneous preterm birth (7 cases occurring before 32 weeks) and 529 cases of term birth. (1) Compared to the term birth group, transabdominal cervical length (median: 37.6 vs 33.2 mm; Z=-3.838, P<0.001) and transvaginal cervical length (median: 34.0 vs 29.9 mm, Z=-3.030, P=0.002) in the spontaneous preterm birth group were significantly shorter. (2) The areas under the ROC curve for predicting spontaneous preterm birth by transabdominal and transvaginal cervical length were 0.699 (95% CI: 0.588-0.809) and 0.657 (95% CI: 0.540-0.774), respectively. The sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value of transvaginal cervical length Conclusions:In singleton pregnancy women with low risk of preterm birth, transabdominal-transvaginal cervical length sequential screening can reduce unnecessary transvaginal ultrasounds by approximately 41% without missing the diagnosis of pregnant women with a short cervix. This method also enhances the effectiveness of transvaginal cervical length to spontaneous preterm birth.

Objective:To observe the effect of pecking moxibustion on the pattern characteristics of redness,swelling,heat,and pain in the affected joints,also the synovial cell ultrastructure in rats with rheumatoid arthritis(RA)due to damp heat affecting bones/joints,and to explore the anti-inflammatory mechanism of pecking moxibustion in treating the early stage of RA. Methods:Eighteen rats were randomly selected from 78 female ones as the blank group,and all the other rats were subjected to preparing the"differentiation of disease and pattern"RA model due to damp heat affecting bones/joints by using the method of"collagen-induced arthritis plus windy,damp,and hot environment stimulation".Fifty-four rats with successful modeling were randomly divided into a model group,a drug group,and a pecking moxibustion group,with 18 rats in each group.Rats in the drug group were given methotrexate at a dose of 1 mg/(kg·bw)on the 1st,8th,and 15th days.Rats in the pecking moxibustion group were treated with pecking moxibustion at Quchi(LI11),Dazhui(GV14),and Ashi points,and each point was treated with moxibustion for 15 min every day and a total of 3 courses of treatment,with 6 d as a course of treatment.After treatment,the capillary permeability,joint swelling,joint surface temperature,and plantar thermal pain threshold of the diseased joints in rats were observed,and the ultrastructural changes of synovial cells were observed by transmission electron microscopy. Results:The local swelling,surface temperature,and Evans blue(EB)leakage volume were significantly higher(P<0.05),the thermal pain threshold was significantly lower(P<0.05),and the synovial cell ultrastructure was obviously damaged in the affected joints in the model group compared with the blank group.The swelling degree,surface temperature,and EB leakage volume were significantly reduced(P<0.05),the thermal pain threshold was significantly increased(P<0.05),and the ultrastructural abnormalities of synovial cells were significantly improved in the diseased joints in the drug group and the pecking moxibustion group compared with the model group.The thermal pain threshold of rats in the pecking moxibustion group was significantly improved compared with the drug group(P<0.05). Conclusion:Pecking moxibustion obviously improves the pattern characteristics of local redness,swelling,heat,and pain in the diseased joints of rats with RA due to damp heat affecting bones/joints and effectively repairs the ultrastructure of the damaged synovium.It suggests that the pecking moxibustion intervention has a significant anti-inflammatory effect on early RA.

Objective:To systematically assess the efficacy and safety of acupuncture therapy for essential hypertension.Methods:A computerized literature search of the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI),Chongqing VIP Database(CQVIP),Wanfang Academic Journal Full-text Database(Wanfang),China Biology Medicine Disc(CBM),PubMed,Excerpta Medica Database(EMBASE),and Cochrane Library was conducted to retrieve randomized controlled clinical trials on acupuncture as the main intervention for the treatment of essential hypertension published from the inception of the database to 30 January 2021.The risk-of-bias assessment was carried out for each included study according to the Cochrane Handbook.Data analysis was performed using Review Manager 5.4.1 and Stata 15.0.Results:After the screening,46 randomized controlled trials involving a total of 3 859 subjects were included.Primary outcomes included changes in the diastolic blood pressure after intervention[eight studies showed that the acupuncture plus antihypertensive drug group was better than the antihypertensive drug monotherapy group[mean difference(MD)=1.45,95%confidence interval(CI)(0.48,2.43),P=0.004,fixed effects model;I2=39%]and changes in the systolic blood pressure after intervention{11 studies showed that the acupuncture plus antihypertensive drug group was better than the antihypertensive drug monotherapy group[MD=8.60,95%CI(7.12,10.07),P<0.00001,fixed effects model;I2=26%]}.The secondary outcome was antihypertensive efficacy,12 studies of acupuncture monotherapy group[risk ratio(RR)=1.20,95%CI(1.12,1.28),P<0.00001,fixed effects model;I2=36%]and 15 studies of acupuncture combined with antihypertensive drug group[RR=1.27,95%CI(1.20,1.34),P<0.00001,fixed effects model;I2=6%]showed better results than the antihypertensive drug monotherapy group in antihypertensive efficacy.In terms of the adverse events,four studies showed that the acupuncture monotherapy group had fewer adverse events than the antihypertensive drug monotherapy group[RR=0.10,95%CI(0.04,0.25),P<0.00001,fixed effects model;I2=0%].Conclusion:Acupuncture combined with antihypertensive drugs is superior to antihypertensive drugs alone in reducing blood pressure,and acupuncture therapy is effective and safe for the treatment of essential hypertension with fewer side effects.However,there is still a lack of high-quality multicenter randomized double-blinded controlled trials in this field.Rigorous large-sample clinical trials are needed to validate these findings.

Objective:To investigate the effects of early-life (intrauterine and breastfeeding period) exposure to angiotensin Ⅱ type 1 receptor autoantibody (AT 1-AA) on lipid metabolism in offspring rats. Methods:Thirty-two AT 1-AA negative healthy nonpregnant specific pathogen free female Sprague Dawley rats weighing 150-170 g were randomly divided into two groups. Those in the immune group ( n=16) were subcutaneously injected with the mixture of an equal volume of Freund's adjuvant and the second extracellular loop of human-derived angiotensin Ⅱ receptor type 1 (AT1R-ECⅡ) repeatedly to establish the AT 1-AA-positive rat model by active immunization and those in the control group ( n=16) with normal saline solution. Before each immunization, blood samples were collected from the tail of rats to detect serum AT 1-AA levels of those rats in both groups, and the AT 1-AA-positive rat model was successfully established when the serum AT 1-AA was positive and its level reached a plateau. After eight weeks of immunization, the female rats in the two groups were mated with healthy AT 1-AA-negative male rats to conceive. Serum samples were collected from the maternal and offspring rats at the gestation of 18 days (G18), postnatal 21 days (P21), and from the normally fed offspring rats from the time of weaning to 12 weeks old (W12). Active immunization was not performed on the offspring throughout the experiment. The serum AT 1-AA levels of maternal and offspring rats were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and serum AT1-AA was positive when the ratio of AT1-AA level of the immune group over the control group ≥2.1. The blood lipid levels of maternal and offspring rats were measured by an automatic biochemical analyzer. Serum AT 1-AA levels, total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol [instead of high-density lipoprotein (HDL)], low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and free fatty acid levels of the offspring and maternal rats were determined for correlation analysis. Two independent sample t-test, linear regression analysis, and analysis of variance were adopted for statistical analysis. Results:(1) The serum levels of AT 1-AA in maternal rats at G18 and P21 in the immune group were significantly higher than those in the control group (G18: 1.170±0.190 vs 0.114±0.016, t=14.64; P21: 0.988±0.283 vs 0.084±0.006, t=9.57; both P<0.001). (2) The serum levels of AT 1-AA in the offspring at G18 and P21 in the immune group were significantly higher than those in the control group (offspring at G18: 0.948±0.220 vs 0.105±0.010, t=10.10; male offspring at P21: 0.758±0.273 vs 0.080±0.002, t=7.46; female offspring at P21: 0.774±0.274 vs 0.084±0.005, t=7.55; all P<0.001), which showed a positive correlation with those in maternal rats at the same period (offspring at G18: R=0.78; male offspring at P21: R=0.82; female offspring at P21: R=0.82; all P<0.05). However, there was no significant difference in the serum AT 1-AA level in offspring at W12 between the immune and control group ( P>0.05). (3) The serum levels of TC at G18 and P21, and HDL at P21 in maternal rats in the immune group were all higher than those in the control group [TC at G18: (2.36±0.32) vs (1.95±0.24) mmol/L, t=2.70; P21: (2.82±0.50) vs (2.18±0.26) mmol/L, t=3.41; HDL at P21: (1.94±0.33) vs (1.57±0.23) mmol/L, t=2.80; all P<0.05]. (4) Compared with the offspring in the control group, there was no significant change in lipid metabolism at G18 and W12 in the offspring in the immune group (both P>0.05). The serum levels of TC and HDL in male and female offspring at P21 in the immune group were higher than their counterparts in the control[TC in male offspring: (2.38±0.52) vs (1.83±0.30) mmol/L, t=2.73; HDL in male offspring: (1.44±0.32) vs (1.07±0.18) mmol/L, t=2.98; TC in female offspring: (2.50±0.72) vs (1.70±0.26) mmol/L, t=3.16; HDL in female offspring: (1.41±0.33) vs (1.00±0.14) mmol/L, t=3.41; all P<0.05]. (5) The serum levels of TC and HDL in male and female offspring at P21 in the immune group showed no correlation with those in maternal rats at P21 (all R<0.5, all P>0.05). The serum levels of HDL in male and female offspring at P21 in the immune group had a positive correlation with their own serum TC levels (male offspring: R=0.98; female offspring: R=0.97; both P<0.001) and also with their own serum AT 1-AA levels (male offspring: R=0.74, P=0.023; female offspring: R=0.91, P=0.001). The serum levels of TC in male and female offspring at P21 in the immune group had a positive correlation with their serum AT 1-AA levels (male offspring: R=0.72, P=0.030; female offspring: R=0.90, P=0.001). Conclusion:The early-life exposure to AT 1-AA may cause abnormal expression of TC and HDL in offspring rats.

Objective:To evaluate the performance of biomarkers in aneuploidy screening in the first trimester-pregnancy associated plasma protein A(PAPP-A) combined with Fetal Medicine Foundation (FMF)'s competing risk model in screening preeclampsia among our population.Methods:This study was based on a prospective cohort of singleton pregnant women who underwent aneuploidy screening in the first trimester in Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital from January 2017 to September 2020. Mean arterial pressure (MAP), uterine artery pulsatility index (UtA-PI), and PAPP-A were converted into multiples of median (MoM) using the algorithm disclosed on the website of the FMF (fetalmedicine.org). The predictive outcomes of maternal factors alone or in combination with MAP, UtA-PI, and PAPP-A (alone or in combination) were calculated. Chi-square test, Fisher's exact test or rank sum test were used for comparison among groups and Bonferroni method for pairwise comparisons. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the screening efficiency and to calculate the sensitivities of predicting preeclampsia, term and preterm preeclampsia at false-positive rates of 5% and 10%. The predictive performance of this model was further compared to the screening strategy that was recommended in Diagnosis and treatment of hypertension and pre-eclampsia in pregnancy: a clinical practice guideline in China (2020). Results:Among the 5 144 singleton pregnancy women who were recruited in the cohort, 4 919 cases were included and analyzed in this study. A total of 223 cases were diagnosed as preeclampsia (4.5%), including 55 preterm (1.1%) and 168 term preeclampsia (3.4%). The median of MoM values of MAP, UtA-PI, and PAPP-A in the non-preeclampsia group were around 1.0±0.1. Statistical significance was observed in the difference of MAP, UtA-PI, and PAPP-A Mom between women with preterm preeclampsia and those without preeclampsia [1.061 (0.999-1.150) vs 0.985 (0.935-4.043), 1.115 (0.873-1.432) vs 1.039 (0.864-1.236), 0.820 (0.493-1.066) vs 1.078 (0.756-1.508)], which was also seen in the difference of MAP and PAPP-A Mom between women with term preeclampsia and those without preeclampsia [1.065 (1.002-1.133) vs 0.985 (0.935-4.043), 1.007 (0.624-1.393) vs 1.078 (0.756-1.508)] (all P<0.025). The combination screening with maternal factors+MAP+UtA-PI+PAPP-A was noted for the best efficiency. In predicting preeclampsia preterm and term preeclampsia at the false-positive rate of 10%, the sensitivity of the model was 53.0%, 76.4% and 44.6% respectively. Using the screening method recommended in Diagnosis and treatment of hypertension and pre-eclampsia in pregnancy: a clinical practice guideline in China(2020), the proportion of people at high risk of preeclampsia was 5.9% (290/4 919), and the sensitivity for predicting preterm preeclampsia was 25.5% (14/55), which was significantly lower than the combination screening with maternal factors+MAP+UtA-PI+PAPP-A [65.5% (36/55)] when using the same proportion of high-risk population. Conclusion:The preeclampsia screening model based on aneuploidy screening biomarkers in the first trimester--PAPP-A in combination with materral factors, MAP, UtA-PI, can effectively screen preterm preeclampsia in the local population without increasing the laboratory costs.

Objective: To observe the anti-inflammatory effect, as well as the effect on the expression of microtubule-associated protein light chain 3B (LC3B) and Beclin-1 of herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion in rats with experimental autoimmune thyroiditis (EAT). Methods: Female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into a normal group and a modeling group. The EAT rat model was prepared by a combination of antigen immunization plus iodine agent induction. After the model was prepared, rats in the modeling group were randomly and equally divided into a model group and a herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion group. In the herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion group, moxibustion was alternately applied to two groups of points [Dazhui (GV14)-Mingmen (GV4) and Tiantu (CV22)-Guanyuan (CV4)], and the treatment continued for 30 d. Rats in the normal and model groups were only fixed identically without intervention. Histopathological manifestations of thyroid glands were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining; the concentrations of thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPOAb), thyroglobulin antibodies (TGAb), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry were used to detect the mRNA and protein expression of autophagy-related factors LC3B and Beclin-1 in thyroid tissue. Results: There were massive follicular destruction, lymphocytic infiltration, and interstitial fibrous tissue hyperplasia of the thyroid glands in the model group. Some follicles of the thyroid glands were destroyed with few lymphocyte infiltrations and fibrous tissue hyperplasia in the moxibustion group. Compared with the normal group, the concentrations of serum TPOAb, TGAb, IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α were increased in the model rats (P<0.05); the mRNA and protein expression levels of LC3B and Beclin-1 in thyroid tissue were reduced in the model group (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the concentrations of serum TPOAb, TGAb, IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α were reduced in the herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion group (P<0.05); the mRNA and protein expression levels of LC3B and Beclin-1 in thyroid tissue were increased in the herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion group (P<0.05). The mRNA and protein expression of LC3B and Beclin-1 in thyroid tissue was negatively correlated with the serum levels of TPOAb and TGAb.Conclusion: Herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion reduces the inflammatory response in the thyroid glands of EAT rats and lowers the levels of serum TPOAb and TGAb. This may be related to the regulation of mRNA and protein expression of the autophagy-associated factors LC3B and Beclin-1 in rat thyroid tissue.

Objective: To explore the relationship between fetal nuchal translucency (NT) in the first trimester and pregnancy outcome. Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted in Nanjjing Drum Tower Hospital from December 2015 to December 2018, 4 958 singleton pregnant women were enrolled to screen fetal ultrasound structure and serology in the first trimester, ultrasound in the second trimester and neonatus physical examination 28 days after birth. According to the results of NT, 167 cases of fetus with increased NT (≥3.0 mm) and 4 791 cases of normal NT were divided, moreover, 86 cases with isolate increased NT and 81 cases of increased NT combined with structural abnormality. The prognosis of fetuses with different NT thickness was analyzed, and the pregnancy outcome of fetuses with isolate increased NT or combined with structural abnormality were analyzed. In the first trimester, if the fetal structure was abnormal or the serological screening result was high risk, the chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) would be performed by chorionic villus sampling to determine the prenatal diagnosis. Results: (1) The pregnancy outcome for fetus of normal NT: there were 4 791 cases with normal NT. Totally, 4 726 cases with normal NT and no structural abnormalities were screened out in the firsttrimester. In this group, 5 cases of aneuploidies were diagnosed based on high risk of maternal serum biomarkers and 83 cases of structural abnormalities were screened out in the subsequent ultrasound scan and the neonatal examination. Another 65 cases with normal NT present complicated with structural anomalies were screened out in the first trimester and 4 cases were diagnosed as aneuploidies. (2) The pregnancy outcome for fetus of isolate increased NT: 66 (76.7%, 66/86) cases of isolated increased NT were performed CMA, 3 cases were diagnosed as trisomy 21 and terminated pregnancy. Another 4 cases were terminated pregnancy privately without cytogenetic diagnosis. No further anomalies were found in 79 cases till 6 to 21 months postnatally. (3) The pregnancy outcome for fetus of increased NT with structural anomalies: increased NT present with structural anomalies were screened out by detailed anomaly scan in the first trimester and 32 of them were confirmed as aneuploidies. In this group, 70 cases terminated pregnancy, 2 cases had spontaneous miscarriages and 9 cases had liveborns (1 newborn was found ventricular septal defect). (4) The pregnancy outcome for fetus of increased NT with or without structural anomalies: the percentage of aneuploidies in fetuses with isolated increased NT (3.5%, 3/86) was significantly lower than those with structural abnormalities (39.5%,32/81). The healthy survival rate in fetuses with isolated increased NT (91.9%,79/86) was significantly higher than those with structural abnormalities (9.9%, 8/81). Conclusions A detailed first-trimester anomaly scan could improve prenatal screening efficiency of birth defects. Compared to the fetuses with increased NT combined with structural abnormalities, the healthy survival rate of fetuses with isolated increased NT based on detailed first-trimester anomaly scan is higher and the percentage of fetal aneuploidies is lower.