OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a hospital-made resuscitation pack, a Chinese medicinal herbal compound formula designed to enhance recovery in post-bronchoscopy patients. METHODS: In this randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, eligible patients were randomly assigned 1:1 to either the treatment or control groups. The patients in the treatment group applied the resuscitation pack, which contained aromatic compounded Chinese herbs. The patients in the control group applied a hospital-made, single herb placebo pack. Packs were placed on the Tiantu (CV 22) acupuncture point for 4 h as soon as the bronchoscopy finished. Efficacy indicators, such as recovery time, patients' symptoms including nausea and dizziness, and adverse events (AEs) were observed and compared. The outcome indices were evaluated at baseline, 1 and 24 h after the bronchoscopy. Subgroup analysis was further performed by patients' age and depth of sedation. RESULTS: When applying generalized estimating equations (GEE) to evaluate the intensity of post-bronchoscopy nausea and vomiting, the intensity was lower in the treatment group (163 cases) compared with the control group (162 cases; 95% CI: 0.004, 0.099, P=0.03]. Also, significantly lower intensity of nausea was observed in the 60-70 years of age subgroup (95% CI: 0.029, 0.169, P=0.006) and deep sedation subgroup (95% CI: 0.002, 0.124; P=0.04). There was no significant difference in dizziness between two groups by GEE (95% CI: -0.134, 0.297; P=0.459). In addition, no serious AEs were observed in either group. CONCLUSIONS Our study found that the resuscitation pack markedly improved patients' symptoms by reducing nausea and vomiting after bronchoscopy without AEs, compared with placebo in the perioperative period. (Trial registration No. ChiCTR2000038299).
Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Female ; Bronchoscopy/adverse effects* ; Single-Blind Method ; Aged ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/adverse effects* ; Treatment Outcome ; Resuscitation ; Adult ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional

BACKGROUND: The use of inserted sham acupuncture as a placebo in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) is controversial, because it may produce specific effects that cause an underestimation of the effect of acupuncture treatment. OBJECTIVE: This systematic survey investigates the magnitude of insert-specific effects of sham acupuncture and whether they affect the estimation of acupuncture treatment effects. SEARCH STRATEGY: PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched to identify acupuncture RCTs from their inception until December 2022. INCLUSION CRITERIA: RCTs that evaluated the effects of acupuncture compared to sham acupuncture and no treatment. DATA EXTRACTION AND ANALYSIS: The total effect measured for an acupuncture treatment group in RCTs were divided into three components, including the natural history and/or regression to the mean effect (controlled for no-treatment group), the placebo effect, and the specific effect of acupuncture. The first two constituted the contextual effect of acupuncture, which is mimicked by a sham acupuncture treatment group. The proportion of acupuncture total effect size was considered to be 1. The proportion of natural history and/or regression to the mean effect (PNE) and proportional contextual effect (PCE) of included RCTs were pooled using meta-analyses with a random-effect model. The proportion of acupuncture placebo effect was the difference between PCE and PNE in RCTs with non-inserted sham acupuncture. The proportion of insert-specific effect of sham acupuncture (PIES) was obtained by subtracting the proportion of acupuncture placebo effect and PNE from PCE in RCTs with inserted sham acupuncture. The impact of PIES on the estimation of acupuncture's treatment effect was evaluated by quantifying the percentage of RCTs that the effect of outcome changed from no statistical difference to statistical difference after removing PIES in the included studies, and the impact of PIES was externally validated in other acupuncture RCTs with an inserted sham acupuncture group that were not used to calculate PIES. RESULTS: This analysis included 32 studies with 5492 patients. The overall PNE was 0.335 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.255-0.415) and the PCE of acupuncture was 0.639 (95% CI, 0.567-0.710) of acupuncture's total effect. The proportional contribution of the placebo effect to acupuncture's total effect was 0.191, and the PIES was 0.189. When we modeled the exclusion of the insert-specific effect of sham acupuncture, the acupuncture treatment effect changed from no difference to a significant difference in 45.45% of the included RCTs, and in 40.91% of the external validated RCTs. CONCLUSION The insert-specific effect of sham acupuncture in RCTs represents 18.90% of acupuncture's total effect and significantly affects the evaluation of the acupuncture treatment effect. More than 40% of RCTs that used inserted sham acupuncture would draw different conclusions if the PIES had been controlled for. Considering the impact of the insert-specific effect of sham acupuncture, caution should be taken when using inserted sham acupuncture placebos in RCTs. Please cite this article as: Luo XC, Liu JL, Yao MH, Chen YM, Fan AY, Liang FR, Zhao JP, Zhao L, Zhou X, Zhong XY, Yang JH, Li B, Zhang Y, Sun X, Li L. Specific effect of inserted sham acupuncture and its impact on the estimation of acupuncture treatment effect in randomized controlled trials: A systematic survey. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(6):630-640.
Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; Humans ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Placebo Effect ; Placebos ; Treatment Outcome

Objective To investigate the value of CT perfusion imaging (CTP) combined with serum eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)/arachidonic acid (AA) in predicting hemorrhage transformation and short-term prognosis after thrombolysis in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients with leukoaraiosis. Methods Ninety-eight AIS patients with leukoaraiosis admitted to the department of neurology of our hospital from January 2021 to December 2022 were selected and divided into the hemorrhage transformation group and non-hemorrhage transformation group according to whether hemorrhage transformation occurred after thrombolysis. The Fazekas scale was used to evaluate the leukoaraiosis of the patients. CTP parameters and EPA/AA were compared between patients in the two groups and patients with different degrees of leukoaraiosis in the hemorrhage transformation group. The predictive value of CTP parameters and EPA/AA on the occurrence of hemorrhage transformation was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The prognosis was assessed according to the modified Rankin scale (mRS) score 1 month after thrombolysis;the linear and linear combinations are used to evaluate the linear relationship between variables;the ROC curve was used to evaluate the predictive value of CTP parameters and EPA/AA in the short-term prognosis of patients. Results The reactive cerebral blood flow (rCBF),reactive cerebral blood volume (rCBV),CTP integration index and EPA/AA in the hemorrhage transformation group were significantly lower than those in the non-hemorrhage transformation group (P<0.05),while the relative time to peak (rTTP) was significantly longer than that in the non-hemorrhage transformation group (P<0.05). The incidence of hemorrhage transformation increased with the increase of leukoaraiosis degree (P<0.05). In the hemorrhage transformation group,rCBF,rCBV,CTP integration index and EPA/AA of patients with mild leukoaraiosis were higher than those of patients with moderate-severe leukoaraiosis (P<0.05). In patients with mild leukoaraiosis,the area under the curve (AUC) of rCBF and EPA/AA in predicting hemorrhage transforma-tion were 0.712 and 0.720,respectively (P<0.05);in patients with moderate-severe leukoaraiosis,the AUC of rCBF,rCBV,rTTP,CTP integration index and EPA/AA in predicting hemorrhage transformation were 0.738,0.714,0.717,0.739 and 0.742,respectively (P<0.05). Among the 98 patients received thrombolysis,35 patients had a poor prognosis. The AUC of rCBF,rCBV,CTP integration index and EPA/AA in predicting short-term prognosis were 0.742,0.732,0.704 and 0.738,respectively,and the AUC of the four combined prediction was 0.968. Conclusion CTP parameters and EPA/AA have a certain predictive value for the occurrence of hemorrhage transformation after thrombolysis in AIS patients with leukoaraiosis,and rCBV,rCBF,CTP integration index and EPA/AA are important influencing factors of the short-term prognosis for these patients.

Objective To investigate the status of population dynamics and distribution changes of Aedes aegypti in Guangdong Province.Methods Continuous monitoring was conducted from May 2018 to July 2024 in Wushi Town and Qishui Town,Leizhou City,Zhanjiang City,Guangdong Province.Additionally,a survey of the distribution of Ae.aegypti along the Leizhou Peninsula coast was carried out.Results The density of Ae.aegypti in Zhanjiang showed a gradual decline from 2018 to 2024.The last detection of adult Ae.aegypti in Wushi Town was in September 2021,and the last larva was found in October 2023.No Ae.aegypti was detected in Qishui Town during surveys from 2021 to 2024.A survey of 18 coastal villages in the Leizhou Peninsula revealed no detections of Ae.aegypti.Conclusions This study provides a basis for understanding the distribution and population density fluctuations of Ae.aegypti,assessing its invasion risk,and scientifically conducting relevant prevention and control efforts.

Objective To investigate the value of CT perfusion imaging (CTP) combined with serum eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)/arachidonic acid (AA) in predicting hemorrhage transformation and short-term prognosis after thrombolysis in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients with leukoaraiosis. Methods Ninety-eight AIS patients with leukoaraiosis admitted to the department of neurology of our hospital from January 2021 to December 2022 were selected and divided into the hemorrhage transformation group and non-hemorrhage transformation group according to whether hemorrhage transformation occurred after thrombolysis. The Fazekas scale was used to evaluate the leukoaraiosis of the patients. CTP parameters and EPA/AA were compared between patients in the two groups and patients with different degrees of leukoaraiosis in the hemorrhage transformation group. The predictive value of CTP parameters and EPA/AA on the occurrence of hemorrhage transformation was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The prognosis was assessed according to the modified Rankin scale (mRS) score 1 month after thrombolysis;the linear and linear combinations are used to evaluate the linear relationship between variables;the ROC curve was used to evaluate the predictive value of CTP parameters and EPA/AA in the short-term prognosis of patients. Results The reactive cerebral blood flow (rCBF),reactive cerebral blood volume (rCBV),CTP integration index and EPA/AA in the hemorrhage transformation group were significantly lower than those in the non-hemorrhage transformation group (P<0.05),while the relative time to peak (rTTP) was significantly longer than that in the non-hemorrhage transformation group (P<0.05). The incidence of hemorrhage transformation increased with the increase of leukoaraiosis degree (P<0.05). In the hemorrhage transformation group,rCBF,rCBV,CTP integration index and EPA/AA of patients with mild leukoaraiosis were higher than those of patients with moderate-severe leukoaraiosis (P<0.05). In patients with mild leukoaraiosis,the area under the curve (AUC) of rCBF and EPA/AA in predicting hemorrhage transforma-tion were 0.712 and 0.720,respectively (P<0.05);in patients with moderate-severe leukoaraiosis,the AUC of rCBF,rCBV,rTTP,CTP integration index and EPA/AA in predicting hemorrhage transformation were 0.738,0.714,0.717,0.739 and 0.742,respectively (P<0.05). Among the 98 patients received thrombolysis,35 patients had a poor prognosis. The AUC of rCBF,rCBV,CTP integration index and EPA/AA in predicting short-term prognosis were 0.742,0.732,0.704 and 0.738,respectively,and the AUC of the four combined prediction was 0.968. Conclusion CTP parameters and EPA/AA have a certain predictive value for the occurrence of hemorrhage transformation after thrombolysis in AIS patients with leukoaraiosis,and rCBV,rCBF,CTP integration index and EPA/AA are important influencing factors of the short-term prognosis for these patients.

Objective By using the bibliometrics method,the literature about Yinchenhao decoction was visualized and analyzed to explore its research hot spot and frontier.Methods The related literatures on Yinchenhao decoction were retrieved from CNKI database,and CiteSpace 6.1.R6 software was used to analyze the authors,institutions and key words,and the key words were clustered to draw a visual atlas.Results A total of 856 articles were included,and the number of articles showed a fluctuating upward trend.There were 764 authors and 513 related key words,including clinical application,experimental study and signaling pathway of Yinchenhao decoction.Conclusion Although Yinchenhao decoction is a commonly used clinical prescription for liver disease,there is a lack of studies on the mechanism of action and molecular level.Future research hot spot should focus more on large sample randomized controlled clinical studies and experimental studies,so as to provide new directions for researchers.

Objective In order to shorten the transparency time of clear,unobstructed brain imaging cocktails and computational analysis(CUBIC),improve the transparency efficiency,and explore the possibility of applying hydrophilic tissue transparency technique,this study was conducted to optimize the perfusion of CUBIC technique and compare it with four hydrophilic tissue clearing method in terms of tissue transparency effect,transparency time,area change,volume change and adeno-associated virus(AAV)fluorescence retention.Methods Brain,liver,spleen and kidney of 6 adult Institute of Cancer Research(ICR)mice were subjected to clearing treatment by SeeDB,FRUIT,ScaleS and CUBIC method,respectively.The area and gray value of the samples were measured by Image J 1.8.0,and the volume before and after transparency was measured by drainage method to compare the transparency effect,time and size deformation of each group.Perfusion optimization of the CUBIC was performed by improving the perfusion rate with the optimal perfusion dose,each group of the experimental sample size was 6.Fluorescence preservation by different techniques was evaluated by injecting AAV in the motor cortex of 16 adult mice and taking the cervical spinal segments for transparency treatment after four weeks,and the fluorescence photographs were measured by Image J 1.8.0 to measure the mean fluorescent intensity.Results The optimal perfusion rate and dose of CUBIC was 15 ml/min and 200 ml respectively.For transparency ability and speed,the perfusion CUBIC had the lowest mean gray value and took the shortest time,while CUBIC consumed the longest time,and SeeDB,FRUIT,and ScaleS did not show good transparency ability.In terms of area and volume changes,several techniques showed different degrees of expansion after transparency of tissues or organs.In terms of fluorescence retention,perfusion CUBIC showed the best retention of green fluorescent protein(GFP)fluorescence signal,followed by CUBIC,ScaleS,FRUIT,and SeeDB.Conclusion Perfusion CUBIC technique shows the best tissue transparency,the shortest transparency time,and the most AAV fluorescence retention compared with other techniques.

Objective To study the correlation between traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)constitution and pathogenic factors in patients with ankylosing spondylitis(AS).Methods One hundred patients of AS and their family members who had medical consultation in the Fifth Hospital of Xi'an(i.e.,Shaanxi Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine)in August 2019 and September 2020 were selected as the study subjects.The guidelines of Classification and Determination of Traditional Chinese Medicine Constitution issued by the China Association of Chinese Medicine were adopted to determine the traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)constitution types of the study subjects.The sociodemographic information,living habits,clinical symptoms,and TCM constitution types of the AS patients and their family members were collected by means of questionnaires and clinical investigations,and then the pathogenic factors of the patients with AS were investigated.The binomial Logistic regression model was used to analyze the correlation between TCM constitution types and pathogenic factors in patients with AS.Results(1)Among the 100 AS patients,the majority of them had the biased constitutions,and the biased constitutions with the occurrence frequency in descending order were yang deficiency constitution,qi deficiency constitution,and damp-heat constitution,which accounted for 33.00%,14.00%,and 18.00%,respectively.(2)The prevalence rates of AS in the first-,second-,and third-degree relatives of AS patients were 56.25%,40.00%and 25.00%,respectively.For the positive rates of human leukocyte antigen B27(HLA-B27)in AS patients and their family members,HLA-B27 in AS patients was all positive,while the positive rates of HLA-B27 in the first-,second-,and third-degree relatives of AS patients were 44.31%,30.67%and 15.63%,respectively.(3)The results of regression analysis showed that the disease duration of AS patients was significantly correlated with qi deficiency constitution,the grading of sacroiliac arthritis was correlated with qi stagnation constitution,and age was correlated with blood stasis constitution(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01).The results indicated that disease duration and age were the important factors affecting the constitution types of AS patients,and disease duration was closely related to qi deficiency while age was closely related to blood stasis.Conclusion AS is a highly hereditary autoimmune disease,and its onset is associated with HLA-B27.Yang deficiency is the basic constitution type of AS,and damp-heat constitution is the main constitution type in the progression of AS(especially in the active stage of the disease).The prolongation of the disease will exacerbate the illness condition of AS and then the manifestations of qi deficiency will be more obvious.

Management and treatment of terminal metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) remains heavily debated. We sought to investigate the efficacy of programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) inhibitor plus anlotinib as a potential solution for terminal mCRPC and further evaluate the association of genomic characteristics with efficacy outcomes. We conducted a retrospective real-world study of 25 mCRPC patients who received PD-1 inhibitor plus anlotinib after the progression to standard treatments. The clinical information was extracted from the electronic medical records and 22 patients had targeted circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) next-generation sequencing. Statistical analysis showed that 6 (24.0%) patients experienced prostate-specific antigen (PSA) response and 11 (44.0%) patients experienced PSA reduction. The relationship between ctDNA findings and outcomes was also analyzed. DNA-damage repair (DDR) pathways and homologous recombination repair (HRR) pathway defects indicated a comparatively longer PSA-progression-free survival (PSA-PFS; 2.5 months vs 1.2 months, P = 0.027; 3.3 months vs 1.2 months, P = 0.017; respectively). This study introduces the PD-1 inhibitor plus anlotinib as a late-line therapeutic strategy for terminal mCRPC. PD-1 inhibitor plus anlotinib may be a new treatment choice for terminal mCRPC patients with DDR or HRR pathway defects and requires further investigation.
Male ; Humans ; Prostate-Specific Antigen ; Treatment Outcome ; Prostatic Neoplasms, Castration-Resistant/drug therapy* ; Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors/therapeutic use* ; Retrospective Studies

As a generally-recognized-as-safe microorganism, Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a widely studied chassis cell for the production of high-value or bulk chemicals in the field of synthetic biology. In recent years, a large number of synthesis pathways of chemicals have been established and optimized in S. cerevisiae by various metabolic engineering strategies, and the production of some chemicals have shown the potential of commercialization. As a eukaryote, S. cerevisiae has a complete inner membrane system and complex organelle compartments, and these compartments generally have higher concentrations of the precursor substrates (such as acetyl-CoA in mitochondria), or have sufficient enzymes, cofactors and energy which are required for the synthesis of some chemicals. These features may provide a more suitable physical and chemical environment for the biosynthesis of the targeted chemicals. However, the structural features of different organelles hinder the synthesis of specific chemicals. In order to ameliorate the efficiency of product biosynthesis, researchers have carried out a number of targeted modifications to the organelles grounded on an in-depth analysis of the characteristics of different organelles and the suitability of the production of target chemicals biosynthesis pathway to the organelles. In this review, the reconstruction and optimization of the biosynthesis pathways for production of chemicals by organelle mitochondria, peroxisome, golgi apparatus, endoplasmic reticulum, lipid droplets and vacuole compartmentalization in S. cerevisiae are reviewed in-depth. Current difficulties, challenges and future perspectives are highlighted.
Saccharomyces cerevisiae/metabolism* ; Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins/metabolism* ; Golgi Apparatus/metabolism* ; Metabolic Engineering ; Vacuoles/metabolism*