OBJECTIVE: To observe the efficacy and safety of Tiaowei Jiannao acupuncture (acupuncture for regulating defensive qi and nourishing brain) for post-ischemic stroke insomnia (PISI). METHODS: A total of 96 patients with PISI were randomized into an acupuncture group (32 cases, 1 case was excluded), a medication group (32 cases, 1 case dropped out, 1 case was excluded) and a sham-acupuncture group (32 cases, 1 case dropped out, 1 case was excluded). In the acupuncture group, Tiaowei Jiannao acupuncture was applied at bilateral Shenmai (BL62), Zhaohai (KI6), Hegu (LI4), Taichong (LR3), and Baihui (GV20), Sishencong (EX-HN1), Yintang (GV24⁺), Shenting (GV24), once a day, 1-day interval was taken after 6-day treatment, for 3 weeks totally. In the medication group, eszopiclone tablet was given orally, 1-3 mg a time, once a day for 3 weeks. In the sham-acupuncture group, non-invasive sham acupuncture was applied, the acupoint selection, frequency and course of treatment were the same as the acupuncture group. Before treatment, after 2,3 weeks of treatment, the scores of Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), self-rating sleep scale (SRSS), National Institutes of Health Stroke scale (NIHSS), Hamilton depression scale-17 (HAMD-17) were observed; before and after treatment, the sleep parameters were recorded using polysomnography (PSG); and the efficacy and safety were evaluated after treatment in the 3 groups. RESULTS: After 2,3 weeks of treatment, the scores of PSQI, HAMD-17 and SRSS in the acupuncture group and the medication group, as well as the SRSS scores in the sham-acupuncture group were decreased compared with those before treatment (P<0.05); after 2 weeks of treatment, the NIHSS score in the acupuncture group was decreased compared with that before treatment (P<0.05); after 3 weeks of treatment, the NIHSS scores in the acupuncture group, the medication group and the sham-acupuncture group were decreased compared with those before treatment (P<0.05). After 3 weeks of treatment, the scores of PSQI, SRSS, HAMD-17 and NIHSS in the acupuncture group and the medication group, as well as the NIHSS score in the sham-acupuncture group were decreased compared with those after 2 weeks of treatment (P<0.05). After 2,3 weeks of treatment, the scores of PSQI, SRSS and HAMD-17 in the acupuncture group and the medication group were lower than those in the sham-acupuncture group (P<0.05), the NIHSS scores in the acupuncture group were lower than those in the medication group and the sham-acupuncture group (P<0.05); after 3 weeks of treatment, HAMD-17 score in the acupuncture group was lower than that in the medication group (P<0.05), the NIHSS score in the medication group was lower than that in the sham-acupuncture group (P<0.05). Compared before treatment, after treatment, the total sleep time was prolonged (P<0.05), the wake after sleep onset, sleep latency, and non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep latency were shortened (P<0.05), the sleep efficiency was improved (P<0.05), the number of awakenings was reduced (P<0.05), the percentage of rapid eye movement (REM%) and the percentage of NREM stage 1 (N1%) were decreased (P<0.05), the percentage of NREM stage 2 (N2%) and the percentage of NREM stage 3 (N3%) were increased (P<0.05) in the acupuncture group and the medication group; the sleep latency was shortened in the sham-acupuncture group (P<0.05). After treatment, the PSG indexes in the acupuncture group and the medication group were superior to those in the sham-acupuncture group (P<0.05); in the acupuncture group, the number of awakenings was less than that in the medication group (P<0.05), the REM% and N1% were lower than those in the medication group (P<0.05), the N2% and N3% were higher than those in the medication group (P<0.05). The total effective rate were 93.5% (29/31) and 90.0% (27/30) in the acupuncture group and the medication group respectively, which were higher than 10.0% (3/30) in the sham-acupuncture group (P<0.05). There was no serious adverse events in any of the 3 groups. CONCLUSION Tiaowei Jiannao acupuncture improves the insomnia symptoms in patients with ischemic stroke, improves the quality of sleep, increases the deep sleep, promotes the recovery of neurological function, and relieves the depression. It is effective and safe for the treatment of PISI.
Humans ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Male ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders/physiopathology* ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Acupuncture Points ; Treatment Outcome ; Adult ; Ischemic Stroke/complications* ; Stroke/complications* ; Sleep

Osteoporosis(OP) is a metabolic bone disorder characterized by reduced bone mass and degenerative bone tissue. Osteoporotic pain(OPP) is its most common clinical symptom, significantly affecting the quality of life of patients. With the limitations of modern medical treatments and the intensification of aging, it is imperative to explore more cost-effective interventions for OPP. This paper, based on databases such as China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI), VIP, Wanfang, BioMed, and Web of Science, uncovered the connection between the pathogenesis of OPP in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) and modern medical mechanisms and retrospectively summarized the basic and clinical research methods and evidence of TCM prescriptions in the treatment of OP and related pain diseases. Studies have shown that TCM prescriptions, focusing on treatments such as nourishing the kidney, strengthening the spleen, and activating blood circulation to remove blood stasis, can significantly improve pain symptoms, increase bone mineral density(BMD), and adjust bone metabolic indicators such as C-terminal telopeptide of type Ⅰ collagen(CTX), serum bone Gla-protein(S-BGP), and alkaline phosphatase(ALP). The mechanisms of action of TCM prescriptions in treating OP and improving OPP symptoms were related to signaling pathways such as Wnt/β-catenin, nuclear factor kappa-B(NF-κB), mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K)/protein kinase B(Akt), and the osteoprotegerin(OPG)/receptor activator of NF-κB(RANK)/receptor activator of NF-κB ligand(RANKL) axis. Further strengthening the accumulation and analysis of clinical data, rigorously designing and conducting randomized controlled trials of TCM treatments for OPP with large sample sizes, standardizing outcome measures in basic and clinical research by using methods such as the core outcome set(COS), and incorporating mass spectrometry and omics approaches to uncover more potential active components and mechanisms may contribute to a deeper exploration of the advantages and essence of TCM prescriptions in the treatment of OPP.
Humans ; Osteoporosis/genetics* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Retrospective Studies ; Bone Density/drug effects* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Pain/metabolism* ; Animals

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the feasibility of varicocele ligation with mobile phone microscope. METHODS: The high-performance mobile phone and mobile phone stand were combined to act as a mobile phone microscope. And the varicocele ligation was performed under the mobile phone microscope. RESULTS: All five patients successfully underwent varicocelectomy under the guidance of a mobile phone microscope. The average operation time was （112.8 ± 52.2）with ranged from 74.0 to 195.0 minutes. Three patients completed the follow-up after the operation with the proportion of improved sperm quality reaching 100.0% (3/3). CONCLUSION High- performance mobile phone microscope can be used for varicocele ligation.
Humans ; Male ; Ligation/methods* ; Cell Phone ; Adult ; Varicocele/surgery* ; Microscopy ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: Physical inactivity is a significant yet underappreciated risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), particularly among older adults. The aim of this study was to analyze the global burden of CVD attributable to physical inactivity in individuals aged 70 years and older from 1990 to 2021 using the Global Burden of Disease data. METHODS: We assessed trends in disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and deaths, decomposed changes into population growth, aging, and epidemiological factors, and examined health inequalities across sociodemographic index (SDI) regions. RESULTS: From 1990 to 2021, a substantial rise in DALYs was observed, especially in low and middle SDI regions, with a 120.06% increase in the low SDI region, but a 23.10% decline in the high SDI region. Decomposition analysis identified population aging and growth as primary drivers for the burden, contributing 66.39% and 83.56% to the increase in middle and low SDI regions, respectively. By contrast, epidemiological improvements alleviated burden in the high SDI region (54.91%). Gender disparities persisted, with women experiencing a higher burden. Inequality analysis indicated a shift in CVD burden towards the low SDI region, with declining concentration indices for DALYs (-0.03 to -0.13) and deaths (-0.07 to -0.15). The Bayesian age-period-cohort projections suggest continued increases in DALYs and deaths through 2050, with women disproportionately affected. CONCLUSIONS These findings highlight the urgent need for targeted interventions promoting physical activity, improving healthcare access, and implementing region-specific prevention strategies.

BACKGROUND: Based on the China-VHD database, this study sought to develop and validate a Valvular Heart Disease- specific Age-adjusted Comorbidity Index (VHD-ACI) for predicting mortality risk in patients with VHD. METHODS & RESULTS: The China-VHD study was a nationwide, multi-centre multi-centre cohort study enrolling 13,917 patients with moderate or severe VHD across 46 medical centres in China between April-June 2018. After excluding cases with missing key variables, 11,459 patients were retained for final analysis. The primary endpoint was 2-year all-cause mortality, with 941 deaths (10.0%) observed during follow-up. The VHD-ACI was derived after identifying 13 independent mortality predictors: cardiomyopathy, myocardial infarction, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pulmonary artery hypertension, low body weight, anaemia, hypoalbuminaemia, renal insufficiency, moderate/severe hepatic dysfunction, heart failure, cancer, NYHA functional class and age. The index exhibited good discrimination (AUC, 0.79) and calibration (Brier score, 0.062) in the total cohort, outperforming both EuroSCORE II and ACCI (P < 0.001 for comparison). Internal validation through 100 bootstrap iterations yielded a C statistic of 0.694 (95% CI: 0.665-0.723) for 2-year mortality prediction. VHD-ACI scores, as a continuous variable (VHD-ACI score: adjusted HR (95% CI): 1.263 (1.245-1.282), P < 0.001) or categorized using thresholds determined by the Yoden index (VHD-ACI ≥ 9 vs. < 9, adjusted HR (95% CI): 6.216 (5.378-7.184), P < 0.001), were independently associated with mortality. The prognostic performance remained consistent across all VHD subtypes (aortic stenosis, aortic regurgitation, mitral stenosis, mitral regurgitation, tricuspid valve disease, mixed aortic/mitral valve disease and multiple VHD), and clinical subgroups stratified by therapeutic strategy, LVEF status (preserved vs. reduced), disease severity and etiology. CONCLUSION The VHD-ACI is a simple 13-comorbidity algorithm for the prediction of mortality in VHD patients and providing a simple and rapid tool for risk stratification.

ObjectiveTo explore the impact of autonomic nerve function on motor function in patients with post-stroke depression (PSD) from the perspective of regional homogeneity (ReHo). MethodsFrom January to December, 2020, a total of 60 inpatients and outpatients with cerebral infarction in the Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University were divided into control group (n = 30) and PSD group (n = 30). Two groups were assessed using Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA), modified Barthel Index (MBI) and Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD). Heart rate variability (HRV) was measured. Ten patients in each group were selected randomly to undergo resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) to calculate ReHo. ResultsAll HRV indices were lower in PSD group than in the control group (|t| > 2.092, P < 0.05). In PSD group, FMA and MBI scores showed positive correlations with 24-hour standard deviation of normal-to-normal R-R intervals (SDNN), the root mean square of successive differences between normal heartbeats over 24 hours (RMSSD), the percentage of differences between adjacent normal R-R intervals over 24 hours that were greater than 50 ms (PNN50), total power (TP), very low frequency power (VLF) and low frequency power (LF) (r > 0.394, P < 0.05), and showed negative correlations with HAMD scores (|r| > 0.919, P < 0.001). HAMD scores in PSD group were negatively correlated with SDNN, RMSSD, PNN50, TP and VLF (|r| > 0.769, P < 0.001). Compared with the control group, the ReHo increased in PSD group in the right rectus gyrus (142 voxels, t = 6.575), the left medial and paracingulate gyri (204 voxels, t = 4.925) (GRF correction, P_-Voxel < 0.005，P_-Cluster < 0.05); and reduced in the right cerebellum (191 voxels, t = -6.487), the left middle temporal gyrus (140 voxels, t = -5.516), and the left precentral gyrus (119 voxels, t = -4.764) (GRF correction, P_-Voxel < 0.005，P_-Cluster < 0.05) in PSD group. ConclusionAutonomic nerve function is related to motor dysfunction in patients with PSD. The modulation of emotional, cognitive and motor brain regions by the autonomic nervous system may play a role in influencing the motor function in patients with PSD.

Objective To summarize and analyze the clinical diagnosis, surgical treatment and prognosis of multiple pulmonary nodules (MPNs). Methods The clinical data of lung cancer patients who received surgical treatment in our hospital from 2018 to 2020 were collected. The short-term efficacy of surgical treatment for MPNs was analyzed. Results A total of 97 patients were enrolled, including 30 males and 67 females with an average age of 56.1±10.0 years at onset ill. There were 62 patients with double lesions, 22 patients with three lesions, 4 patients with four lesions, and 9 patients with more than four lesions. A total of 213 lesions were surgically treated, including 88 pure ground-glass nodules, 81 partially solid nodules, and 7 solid nodules. There were 87 simultaneous surgeries and 10 staged surgeries, with an average operation interval of 5.2 months. The pathological combination type included adenocarcinoma-adenocarcinoma in 96 (99.0%) patients, squamous cell carcinoma-squamous cell carcinoma in 1 (1.0%) patient, and no lymph node metastasis was found. The 2-year disease-free survival (DFS) rate was 92.1%, and the overall survival (OS) rate was 100.0%. Univariate analysis showed that high-risk lesion size>2 cm (P=0.316), residual lesions (P=0.782) and pathological combination type (P=0.913) had statistical effect on the 2-year DFS rate. Conclusion MPNs are mainly diagnosed with multiple primary lung cancers, and the pathological combination is mostly adenocarcinoma-adenocarcinoma combination. Imaging examination is of great help to the surgical approach selection, diagnosis and differential diagnosis of MPNs. During the operation, maximal preservation of lung function and complete resection of high-risk nodules should be taken as the principle, and the prognosis is satisfactory.

Based on the long bud stage phenotype of a new Lonicera japonica Flos variety "Huajin 6", using "Huajin 6" and "Da Mao Hua" as materials, probing the mechanism of its phenotype formation. Detection of endogenous Jasmonic acid hormones (JAs) content; the genes related to jasmonic acid (JA) synthesis were identified by transcriptome analysis of Lonicera japonica; flower buds and flowers of "Huajin 6" and "Da Mao Hua" were collected at different periods, and the qRT-PCR (quantitative real-time PCR) technique was used to analyze the trend of the expression of synthesis-related enzyme genes in Lonicera japonica Flos during the bud stage. The study found that the content of JAs in "Huajin 6" Lonicera japonica Flos was significantly lower than that in "Da Mao Hua"; applying exogenous methyl-jasmonate (MeJA) to "Huajin 6" can restore its flowering phenotype, making it close to wild type Lonicera japonica Flos; there are significant differences in the expression of two allene oxide synthase genes (AOS), three lipoxygenase genes (LOX), and two allene oxide cyclase genes (AOC) in the flowers and buds of "Huajin 6" and "Da Mao Hua" at different periods. It is hypothesized that the low expression of JA synthesis-related enzyme genes in " Huajin 6" leads to the blockage of JA synthesis, which causes the formation of the long bud phenotype. This study laid a certain foundation for the genetic breeding of Lonicera japonica, provided a new idea for the improvement of Lonicera japonica varieties, and provided a reference for the study of JAs in plant flower organs.

Objective To explore the characteristics of myocardial injury in patients with acute myocardial infarction(AMI)complicated by pleural effusion and its effect on long-term prognosis.Methods It was a prospective single-center study.Patients with AMI who were admitted to hospital within 15 days from symptom onset and performed echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging(CMR)during hospitalization were consecutively enrolled and assigned to the with-pleural effusion group and the without-pleural effusion group according to the echocardiography result.Baseline data,cardiac magnetic resonance myocardial injury index and echocardiography characteristics were compared between the two groups.The occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events(MACCE)was recorded through outpatient follow-up and telephone follow-up,including all-cause death,re-infarction,revascularization,rehospitalization for congestive heart failure and stroke.Cox regression analysis was performed to analyze influencing factors of all-cause death.Results Among 211 patients,31(14.7%)patients had pleural effusion and 180(85.3%)had no pleural effusion.Compared with the group without pleural effusion,the left ventricular end-diastolic diameter was larger,and left ventricular ejection fraction assessed by echocardiography was lower in the group with pleural effusion(P＜0.05).There were no significant differences in infarct size,left ventricular end-diastolic volume,left ventricular end-systolic volume,left ventricular ejection fraction and the presence of microvascular obstruction and intramyocardial hemorrhage between the two groups in CMR(all P＞0.05).At a median follow-up of 31 months,MACCE occurred in 43(20.4%)patients,and there was no significant difference between the two groups(χ2=3.160,P=0.075).Six cases(2.8%)had all-cause death.The incidence of all-cause death was higher in the group with pleural effusion than that in the group without pleural effusion(9.7%vs.1.7%,P<0.05).There was no significant difference in the incidence of other adverse events between the two groups(P＞0.05).Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that advanced age and presence of pleural effusion were independent risk factors of all-cause death during follow-up.Conclusion Patients with AMI combined with pleural effusion have more severe myocardial injury and higher all-cause mortality.

Objective To explore the current status of H.pylori infection in the natural population of Sanya City,analyze its influencing factors,and provide a reference basis for the prevention and control of H.pylori infection.Methods A total of 677 residents from four districts of Sanya City were selected by overall stratified random sampling method,and were subjected to urea 14C breath test and questionnaire survey to calculate the positive rate of H.pylori in the natural population and analyze the influencing factors of H.pylori infection.Results A total of 606 residents were included,and the number of H.pylori positive detections was 261,with a positive detection rate of 38.5％.Among them,different ethnicity,marital status,smoking,eating vegetables and fruits,and literacy level were associated with H.pylori infection(P＜0.05);gender,age,BMI,alcohol consumption,drinking water source,betel quid chewing,and the number of cohabitants were not significantly associated with H.pylori infection(P＞0.05).Family infection was an independent risk factor for H.pylori infection in the natural population of Sanya City,and Li ethnicity,frequent consumption of fruits and vegetables,and college and higher education level were independent protective factors for H.pylori infection in the natural population of Sanya City.Conclusion The rate of H.pylori infection in the natural population of Sanya City is lower than the national average.Consuming more fruits and vegetables and improving the awareness of hygiene protection are conducive to the prevention of H.pylori infection;and the promotion of the family and related members with the same examination and treatment is important to avoid aggregation of infection within the family.