Objective To observe the effects of electroacupuncture on RhoA/ROCK2 signaling pathway in cerebral cortex of mice with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis(ALS);To explore the mechanism of electroacupuncture in improving the motor function of ALS mice.Methods The male hSOD1G93A mice were divided into model group and electroacupuncture group,and wild-type male mice in the same litter were set as blank group,with 12 mice in each group.After the mice were 60 days old,"Baihui"and both side of"Tianzhu","Tianshu"were selected for electroacupuncture for 10 min per day,5 days of continuous treatment and 2 days off for 3 weeks.Rotating rod experiment and open field experiment were used to evaluate the motor function of mice,the damage of neurons in cerebral cortex was observed by Nissl staining,Western blot was used to detect the expressions of Tar DNA binding protein-43(TDP-43),tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-α,interleukin(IL)-1β,RhoA and ROCK2 protein in cerebral cortex.Immunofluorescence staining was used to detect the positive expressions of ion calcium binding adapter molecule 1(Iba-1)and glial fibrillary acidic protein(GFAP)in cerebral cortex.Results Compared with the blank group,the incubation period of rod turning and the total distance of open field movement in the model group were reduced(P<0.01),the neuron damage was obvious in the cerebral cortex,with Nissl body shrinkage and reduction in quantity(P<0.01),the relative expressions of TDP-43,TNF-α,IL-1β,RhoA and ROCK2 protein increased(P<0.01),and the positive expression of Iba-1 and GFAP increased(P<0.01).Compared with the model group,the incubation period of rod turning and the total distance of open field movement increased in electroacupuncture group(P<0.05),the damage of neuron in cerebral cortex was reduced,the number of Nissl bodies increased(P<0.05),the expressions of TDP-43,TNF-α,IL-1β,RhoA and ROCK2 decreased(P<0.05),and the positive expression of Iba-1 and GFAP reduced(P<0.05).Conclusion Electroacupuncture can improve motor function in ALS model mice,and the mechanism may be related to the inhibition of RhoA/ROCK2 signaling pathway activity and then relieve neuroinflammation.

Objective To observe the effects of electroacupuncture on RhoA/ROCK2 signaling pathway in cerebral cortex of mice with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis(ALS);To explore the mechanism of electroacupuncture in improving the motor function of ALS mice.Methods The male hSOD1G93A mice were divided into model group and electroacupuncture group,and wild-type male mice in the same litter were set as blank group,with 12 mice in each group.After the mice were 60 days old,"Baihui"and both side of"Tianzhu","Tianshu"were selected for electroacupuncture for 10 min per day,5 days of continuous treatment and 2 days off for 3 weeks.Rotating rod experiment and open field experiment were used to evaluate the motor function of mice,the damage of neurons in cerebral cortex was observed by Nissl staining,Western blot was used to detect the expressions of Tar DNA binding protein-43(TDP-43),tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-α,interleukin(IL)-1β,RhoA and ROCK2 protein in cerebral cortex.Immunofluorescence staining was used to detect the positive expressions of ion calcium binding adapter molecule 1(Iba-1)and glial fibrillary acidic protein(GFAP)in cerebral cortex.Results Compared with the blank group,the incubation period of rod turning and the total distance of open field movement in the model group were reduced(P<0.01),the neuron damage was obvious in the cerebral cortex,with Nissl body shrinkage and reduction in quantity(P<0.01),the relative expressions of TDP-43,TNF-α,IL-1β,RhoA and ROCK2 protein increased(P<0.01),and the positive expression of Iba-1 and GFAP increased(P<0.01).Compared with the model group,the incubation period of rod turning and the total distance of open field movement increased in electroacupuncture group(P<0.05),the damage of neuron in cerebral cortex was reduced,the number of Nissl bodies increased(P<0.05),the expressions of TDP-43,TNF-α,IL-1β,RhoA and ROCK2 decreased(P<0.05),and the positive expression of Iba-1 and GFAP reduced(P<0.05).Conclusion Electroacupuncture can improve motor function in ALS model mice,and the mechanism may be related to the inhibition of RhoA/ROCK2 signaling pathway activity and then relieve neuroinflammation.

Objective To translate the Context Assessment for Community Health(COACH)scale into Chinese,thereby providing a standardized measurement tool for context assessment in clinical evidence-based practice.Methods The scale was translated following the Brislin translation model,ultimately forming the Chinese version of the COACH scale.Using convenience sampling,584 healthcare professionals were recruited from 3 tertiary hospitals in Jiangxi,Henan,and Liaoning provinces and 2 community hospitals in Liaoning province from May to September 2024 to evaluate the reliability and validity of the scale.In October 2024,the Chinese version of COACH was applied to 44 healthcare professionals in a hypertension specialist ward of a provincial tertiary hospital.Results Of the 584 distributed questionnaires,519 valid questionnaires were collected(the effective response rate of 88.87％).The Chinese version consists of 7 dimensions with 42 items.The overall Cronbach's α coefficient was 0.975;the McDonald's omega coefficient was 0.979;split-half reliability was 0.808,and the test-retest reliability was 0.917.The scale-content validity index/average was 0.950,and the scale-content validity index/universal agreement was 0.980,with item-content validity index ranging from 0.775 to 1.000.Exploratory factor analysis extracted 7 factors,accounting for 79.260％of the cumulative variance,with factor loadings ranging from 0.569 to 0.954.Confirmatory factor analysis showed good model fit.The preliminary application results showed that the total score of the scale was 185.18±17.82.The correlation coefficients between dimensions and total score ranged from 0.116 to 0.905.Conclusion The Chinese version of the COACH scale demonstrates good reliability and validity,making it suitable as a context measurement tool for implementation research at different stages in clinical and public health settings.

Objective:To explore the effects of early electroacupuncture(EA)intervention on the high mobility group box 1(HMGB1)/Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4)signaling pathway-related protein expression and oligodendrocytes in mice with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis(ALS),and uncover the potential molecular mechanisms underlying the improvement of motor function in ALS mice by early EA intervention.Methods:ALS mice carrying the SOD1G93A gene were randomly divided into a model group and an EA group,with 10 mice in each group;10 littermate mice with a negative SOD1G93A genotype served as the control group.In the EA group,Baihui(GV20),Tianzhu(BL10),and Tianshu(ST25)were selected with needles retained for 10 min,5 consecutive days per week,with 2 days of rest.One week constituted a course of treatment,and a total of 3 consecutive courses were performed.The other groups were grasped and fixed similarly,but without intervention.Motor function was assessed using the open field test(OFT)and Morris water maze(MWM).Subsequently,hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to observe neuron morphology in the M1 region of the cerebral cortex.Immunofluorescence was performed to detect the positive cell rate of TAR DNA-binding protein 43(TDP-43),and double immunofluorescence staining was used to observe the positive cell rate and cell states of ionized calcium-binding adaptor molecule 1(Iba-1)and myelin basic protein(MBP)in the M1 region of the cerebral cortex.Western blotting was used to detect the relative expression levels of TDP-43,tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-α,HMGB1,and TLR4 proteins.Results:Compared to the control group,the model group exhibited a reduced total movement distance in the OFT,and an increased escape latency,as well as fewer platform crossings in the MWM,with statistically significant differences(P<0.01).In the model group,the number of degenerated and necrotic neurons in the M1 region of the ALS mouse cerebral cortex increased,with significant nuclear shrinkage and cytoplasmic vacuolization;the percentage of TDP-43 immunofluorescence positive cells in the M1 region of the cerebral cortex increased(P<0.01),and the relative expression level of TDP-43 protein in the cerebral cortex showed a significant increase(P<0.01);the Iba-1 positive cell percentage increased,while the MBP positive cell percentage decreased(P<0.01);the relative expression levels of TNF-α,HMGB1,and TLR4 proteins increased(P<0.05).Compared to the model group,the EA group showed an increased total movement distance(P<0.01),and a reduced escape latency,and more platform crossings in the MWM,with statistically significant differences(P<0.05).In the EA group,neurons showed improvement,with reduced degeneration and necrosis,and larger,clearer nuclei;the percentage of TDP-43 immunofluorescence positive cells in the M1 region of the cerebral cortex decreased(P<0.05),and the relative expression level of TDP-43 protein also decreased(P<0.05);the percentage of Iba-1 positive cells in the M1 region of the cerebral cortex decreased,while the percentage of MBP positive cells increased(P<0.01);the relative expression levels of TNF-α,HMGB1,and TLR4 proteins decreased(P<0.05).Conclusion:EA intervention can suppress microglial activation,improve the state of oligodendrocytes,and reduce abnormal TDP-43 aggregation in the M1 region of the cerebral cortex in ALS model mice;its mechanism of action may be related to the HMGB1/TLR4 signaling pathway.

Objective:To explore the effects of early electroacupuncture(EA)intervention on the high mobility group box 1(HMGB1)/Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4)signaling pathway-related protein expression and oligodendrocytes in mice with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis(ALS),and uncover the potential molecular mechanisms underlying the improvement of motor function in ALS mice by early EA intervention.Methods:ALS mice carrying the SOD1G93A gene were randomly divided into a model group and an EA group,with 10 mice in each group;10 littermate mice with a negative SOD1G93A genotype served as the control group.In the EA group,Baihui(GV20),Tianzhu(BL10),and Tianshu(ST25)were selected with needles retained for 10 min,5 consecutive days per week,with 2 days of rest.One week constituted a course of treatment,and a total of 3 consecutive courses were performed.The other groups were grasped and fixed similarly,but without intervention.Motor function was assessed using the open field test(OFT)and Morris water maze(MWM).Subsequently,hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to observe neuron morphology in the M1 region of the cerebral cortex.Immunofluorescence was performed to detect the positive cell rate of TAR DNA-binding protein 43(TDP-43),and double immunofluorescence staining was used to observe the positive cell rate and cell states of ionized calcium-binding adaptor molecule 1(Iba-1)and myelin basic protein(MBP)in the M1 region of the cerebral cortex.Western blotting was used to detect the relative expression levels of TDP-43,tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-α,HMGB1,and TLR4 proteins.Results:Compared to the control group,the model group exhibited a reduced total movement distance in the OFT,and an increased escape latency,as well as fewer platform crossings in the MWM,with statistically significant differences(P<0.01).In the model group,the number of degenerated and necrotic neurons in the M1 region of the ALS mouse cerebral cortex increased,with significant nuclear shrinkage and cytoplasmic vacuolization;the percentage of TDP-43 immunofluorescence positive cells in the M1 region of the cerebral cortex increased(P<0.01),and the relative expression level of TDP-43 protein in the cerebral cortex showed a significant increase(P<0.01);the Iba-1 positive cell percentage increased,while the MBP positive cell percentage decreased(P<0.01);the relative expression levels of TNF-α,HMGB1,and TLR4 proteins increased(P<0.05).Compared to the model group,the EA group showed an increased total movement distance(P<0.01),and a reduced escape latency,and more platform crossings in the MWM,with statistically significant differences(P<0.05).In the EA group,neurons showed improvement,with reduced degeneration and necrosis,and larger,clearer nuclei;the percentage of TDP-43 immunofluorescence positive cells in the M1 region of the cerebral cortex decreased(P<0.05),and the relative expression level of TDP-43 protein also decreased(P<0.05);the percentage of Iba-1 positive cells in the M1 region of the cerebral cortex decreased,while the percentage of MBP positive cells increased(P<0.01);the relative expression levels of TNF-α,HMGB1,and TLR4 proteins decreased(P<0.05).Conclusion:EA intervention can suppress microglial activation,improve the state of oligodendrocytes,and reduce abnormal TDP-43 aggregation in the M1 region of the cerebral cortex in ALS model mice;its mechanism of action may be related to the HMGB1/TLR4 signaling pathway.

Objective To translate the Context Assessment for Community Health(COACH)scale into Chinese,thereby providing a standardized measurement tool for context assessment in clinical evidence-based practice.Methods The scale was translated following the Brislin translation model,ultimately forming the Chinese version of the COACH scale.Using convenience sampling,584 healthcare professionals were recruited from 3 tertiary hospitals in Jiangxi,Henan,and Liaoning provinces and 2 community hospitals in Liaoning province from May to September 2024 to evaluate the reliability and validity of the scale.In October 2024,the Chinese version of COACH was applied to 44 healthcare professionals in a hypertension specialist ward of a provincial tertiary hospital.Results Of the 584 distributed questionnaires,519 valid questionnaires were collected(the effective response rate of 88.87％).The Chinese version consists of 7 dimensions with 42 items.The overall Cronbach's α coefficient was 0.975;the McDonald's omega coefficient was 0.979;split-half reliability was 0.808,and the test-retest reliability was 0.917.The scale-content validity index/average was 0.950,and the scale-content validity index/universal agreement was 0.980,with item-content validity index ranging from 0.775 to 1.000.Exploratory factor analysis extracted 7 factors,accounting for 79.260％of the cumulative variance,with factor loadings ranging from 0.569 to 0.954.Confirmatory factor analysis showed good model fit.The preliminary application results showed that the total score of the scale was 185.18±17.82.The correlation coefficients between dimensions and total score ranged from 0.116 to 0.905.Conclusion The Chinese version of the COACH scale demonstrates good reliability and validity,making it suitable as a context measurement tool for implementation research at different stages in clinical and public health settings.

Background Perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of synthetic organic fluorides, which have adverse health effects on brain function, and limited research has been conducted on their effects on depression. Objective To assess potential correlation between serum PFAS and depression. Methods Using the 2015—2016 and 2017—2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) datasets, 2626 subjects with complete relevant information in people ≥20 years old were selected. Logistic regression and restricted cubic splines were used to analyze the association and dose-response relationship between serum PFAS concentration and depression. Subgroup analysis was performed on sex, age, race, education level, marital status, family income to poverty ratio, moderate exercise, body mass index, and drinking status. Results Among the 2626 subjects, there were 666 patients (25.4%) with mild or above depression. After adjusting for race, education level, marital status, body mass index, moderate exercise, drinking history, cotinine, and other types of PFAS, serum perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) was positively associated with the risk of depression (OR=1.85, 95%CI: 1.14, 3.02), and showed a nonlinear dose-response relationship (χ²=6.37, P_nonlinear=0.012). Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) was inversely associated with the risk of depression (OR=0.23, 95%CI: 0.14, 0.39), and showed a linear dose-response relationship (P_trend<0.001, χ²=35.13, P_overall<0.001). After subgroup analysis, it was found that males, 20-39 year-olds and 40-64 year-olds were more sensitive to PFNA exposure (OR=0.15, 95%CI: 0.06, 0.37; OR=0.16, 95%CI: 0.06, 0.40; OR=0.18, 95%CI: 0.08, 0.39). PFOS only showed a statistically significant health effect in people aged 20-39 years (OR=3.00, 95%CI: 1.14, 7.94). In addition, among subgroups of non-Hispanic blacks, cohabitants, current drinkers, high school graduates, and obese patients, exposure to PFAS was significantly associated with the risk of depression. Conclusion PFOS exposure may be associated with increased levels of depression, whereas PFNA exposure may be protective.

Undifferentiated connective tissue disease (CTD) usually refers to patients who are presented with certain symptoms and signs related to CTD, and positive serological evidence of autoimmune diseases but don′t fulfill any of the classification criteria for a certain CTD. Mixed CTD refers to patients who are presented with one or more clinical manifestations such as hand swelling, synovitis, myositis, Raynaud′s phenomenon, and acrosclerosis. Patients with mixed CTD always have high-titer anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA) of speckled pattern and high-titer anti-U 1 ribonuclear protein (RNP) antibody in serum, while with negative anti-Sm antibody. The update of diagnosis and treatment of undifferentiated CTD and mixed CTD lags behind other established CTD. There is a lack of evidence from randomized controlled trials or guidelines/recommendations on the treatment of undifferentiated CTD or mixed CTD. At present, the conventional therapy is mainly adopted according to the specific clinical manifestations of the disease. The standardized diagnosis and treatment of undifferentiated CTD and mixed CTD were drafted by the Chinese Rheumatology Association based on the previous guidelines and the progress of available evidence, so as to improve the management of these patients in China.

Objective: To observe the effect of acupuncture on the intestinal flora in Parkinson disease (PD) model mice and explore the mechanism of acupuncture in improving the locomotor function in PD. Methods: Thirty-two C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into a control group, a 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6- tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) group, a MPTP + acupuncture group (MPTP+A), and a MPTP + madopar group (MPTP+M), with 8 mice in each group. Except for the control group, the other groups were intraperitoneally injected [25 mg/(kg·bw)] with MPTP to establish PD mouse models. After successful modeling, the MPTP group received no intervention, the MPTP+A received acupuncture at Tianshu (ST25), Guanyuan (CV4), and Zusanli (ST36), and the MPTP+M was given madopar [125 mg/(kg·bw)] by intragastric gavage. After consecutive 10-day interventions, the intestinal function and behaviors of the mice were detected. The 16S rRNA gene sequence was used to analyze the composition of fecal intestinal flora in each group. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were used to detect the expression levels of inflammatory cytokines in the brain and serum. The expression levels of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and α-synuclein in the substantia nigra (SN) were detected by immunohistochemical staining. Toll-like receptor (TLR) 2 and lipopolysaccharide receptor CD14 (CD14) in the SN were determined by RT-qPCR. Myeloid differentiation factor (MyD) 88, nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) and Akt1 in the SN were detected by Western blotting. Results: After the intervention, compared with the control group, the intestinal motility, fecal water content, and the expression of TH in the SN were significantly decreased in the MPTP group (P<0.05), along with an increased α-synuclein expression (P<0.05). Additionally, the results of the fecal microflora test showed that the alpha diversity of the MPTP decreased, and the levels of inflammatory cytokines [tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6] in the serum and SN, and the expression of NF-κB in the SN were significantly increased (P<0.05). Compared with the MPTP group, acupuncture intervention significantly enhanced the autonomous horizontal movement and coordination ability of PD mice (P<0.05); acupuncture and madopar interventions significantly reduced the levels of α-synuclein, inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, iNOS, IL-1β, and IL-6) in the serum and SN, and the NF-κB expression in the SN, along with significantly increased alpha diversity richness index (P<0.05). In addition, the relative abundance of Bacteroides increased significantly in the MPTP+A (P<0.05), while the relative abundance of Firmicutes and Cyanobacteria decreased significantly (P<0.05). Conclusion: Acupuncture intervention can improve locomotor function, reduce α-synuclein aggregation and inflammatory factors expression, and increase the Akt signaling pathway in PD mice. In addition, acupuncture intervention can benignly regulate the intestinal flora of PD mice. Therefore, it suggests that acupuncture intervention can protect PD model mice probably by regulating intestinal flora and activating Akt signaling pathway.

Objective: To compare the changes of genioglossus electromyography (GGEMG) with and without continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) ventilation in moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients. Methods: Each of subjects, including male snorers and non-snorers, underwent polysomnography (PSG) with synchronous GGEMG recording with intra-oral bipolar silver ball electrodes at the Sleep Center of Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital from August 2016 to Sepember 2017. Manual CPAP pressure titration and with GGEMG were performed in patients diagnosed moderate to severe OSA. T-test was used to compare the changes of GGEMG in OSA group (n=12, AHI (65.90+23.67) events/h) and control group (n=6, AHI(2.30+1.93) events/h) before and after CPAP treatment. Results: Variables of GGEMG (including tonic, peak and phasic GGEMG) were higher in OSA group than in control group during both wakefulness and non rapid eye movement(NREM) sleep. However, with CPAP treatment, the GGEMG variables were significantly decreased in OSA group during NREM sleep(tonic GGEMG: 1.23%±0.73% vs. 2.54%±1.12%, t=4.024, P=0.002; peak GGEMG: 12.37%±13.19% vs. 26.98%±15.52%, t=2.795, P=0.017; phasic GGEMG: 3.81%±2.47% vs. 8.82%±3.84%, t=5.113, P<0.001). Conclusions CPAP treatment can eliminate respiratory events and maintain airway patency. It is helpful to normalize the excessive GGEMG response in OSA patients during sleep, which has therapeutic significance to alleviate and prevent genioglossal neuromuscular lesions.