OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of bone acupuncture in improving pain and function in degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis (DLSS) and compare it with Jiaji acupuncture. METHODS: From January to December 2023, 80 DLSS patients were treated with acupuncture and divided into bone acupuncture and Jiaji acupuncture groups. Among them, 40 patients in the bone acupuncture group included 15 males and 25 females, with a mean age of (60.60±6.98) years old;anthor 40 patients in the Jiaji acupuncture group included 16 males and 24 females, with a mean age of (61.48±9.55) years old. The Roland Morris disability questionnaire(RMDQ), walking distance, visual analogue scale(VAS), and the MOS item short from health survey(SF-36) of two groups at baseline, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and 12 weeks post-treatment were compared. RESULTS: Eighty patients were followed up for 3 to 5 months with an average of (3.62±0.59) months. There was no significant differences in general data and the scores before treatment between two groups(P>0.05). The RMDQ scores in both groups decreased significantly at 2, 4 and 12 weeks after treatment compared with before treatment(P<0.05), at each time point after treatment, the decrease was more significant in the bone acupuncture group than in the Jiaji acupuncture group(P<0.05). The VAS of waist and leg in both groups was significantly lower at 2, 4 and 12 weeks after treatment that before treatment(P<0.05). At all time points after treatment, the waist VAS in the bone acupuncture group was reduced more significant than in the Jiaji acupuncture group(P<0.05);there was no significant difference in leg VAS at 2 and 12 weeks after treatment between two groups(P>0.05), the improvement was more significant in the bone acupuncture group in the 4 weeks after treatment than in the Jiaji acupuncture group. The SF-36 scores in both groups were significantly higher at 2, 4, and 12 weeks after treatment than before treatment(P<0.05);the SF-36 score raised more significant in the bone acupuncture group than in the Jiaji acupunture group(P<0.05). No significant difference in the walking distance between two groups at 2 weeks after treatment(P>0.05);the walking distance in the bone acupuncture group was significantly higher than that in the Jiaji acupuncture group at 4 and 12 weeks after treatment(P<0.05). CONCLUSION Bone-penetrating acupuncture moderately improves functional impairment, pain, and quality of life in patients with DLSS, showing better efficacy than Jiaji acupuncture.
Humans ; Female ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; Spinal Stenosis/physiopathology* ; Aged ; Lumbar Vertebrae/physiopathology* ; Pain Management

Interferon regulatory factor 4 (IRF4) is a critical transcription factor that governs the differentiation of cluster of differentiation 4⁺ (CD4⁺) T cells. The pathogenesis and progression of psoriasis are primarily attributed to an immune imbalance stemming from the overproduction of interleukin-17A (IL-17A) by T lymphocytes. However, the role of IRF4 in psoriasis remains unexplored. In this study, we found that IRF4 activity is increased in the cutaneous lesions of patients with psoriasis in response to stimulation by IL-23A and IL-1β. This IRF4 elevation heightens its binding to the E1A binding protein p300 (EP300) promoter, triggering the transcription of downstream retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptor-γt (RORγt) and increasing the secretion of IL-17A, thereby establishing the IL-1β/IL-23A-IRF4-EP300-RORC-IL-17A inflammatory cascade in psoriasis. The alleviation of imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriatic-like symptoms was achieved through the creation of a Irf4 ^-/- gene deletion mouse model and pharmacological inhibition using antisense oligonucleotides targeted for Irf4. This amelioration was accompanied by a decreased number of IL-17A-producing CD4⁺ T cells in the skin. The findings of this study suggest that IRF4 plays a crucial role in the promotion of inflammation and exacerbation of IMQ-induced psoriasiform dermatitis. Consequently, IRF4 targeting could be a promising therapeutic strategy.

Prostate cancer is one of the most common male urological malignancies,in which bone metastasis of desmo-plasia-resistant prostate cancer is an important stage in the progression of the disease,which seriously affects the quality of life and survival of patients.With the development of nuclide therapy technology in recent years,223-Ra,as a new type of alpha-targeted therapy,has shown good efficacy in the treatment of desmoplasia-resistant prostate cancer bone metastasis.The purpose of this pa-per is to review the characteristics,mechanism of action,treatment,and the main research results of its treatment of desmoplasia-resistant prostate cancer bone metastasis,and provide a comprehensive review of the clinical application of 223-Ra in the treatment of desmoplasia-resistant prostate cancer bone metastasis for the clinical application of 223-Ra in prostate cancer bone metastasis.

Objective To propose a decision tree-based optimization algorithm to shorten the time spent and to improve the decision-making efficiency for medical device fault diagnosis.Methods Firstly,a binarized fault state space for medical equipment was constructed;secondly,the binarized fault state space was simplified with logical functions;finally,a greedy algorithm was applied to iterative judgment to build a decision tree for medical device fault diagnosis.The algorithm proposed was compared with the greedy algorithm,Gini coefficient method and random forest algorithm in terms of the result accuracy and time cost and the influences of fault probability distribution and time-consuming differences for the algorithms.A case study on gastric lavage machine fault diagnosis was conducted to demonstrate the algorithm.Results The algorithm proposed behaved better than the greedy algorithm,Gini coefficient method and random forest algorithm in lowered time cost and result accuracy.However,the algorithm showed a decrease in accuracy for the logarithmic distribution of the detection method's time consumption,and it was not sensitive to the changes in the failure rate distribution.The gastric lavage machine case study demonstrated that the algorithm was functionally similar to an experienced engineer.Conclusion The proposed algorithm with overall perspective effectively enhances fault judgment efficiency and facilitates rapid diagnostic decision-making in medical equipment maintenance.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2025,46(5):78-83]

Objective To design a combat rescue specialized physical training simulator to solve the problems of the existing combat rescue physical traing in multifunctionality and simulation vividness.Methods The simulator was divided into three types for stretcher handling,land combat rescue and marine rescue based on the application scenerio and functional positioning,and into three grades of basic level,intensive level and ultra intensive level based on the loaded mass and additional weight object.The main components of the simulator included a manikin,a bionic joint and addtional weight objects.The manikin was made up of outer skin,inner liner and skeleton;the bionic joint was made of stainless steel with surface electrophoresis treatment,and was composed of high-strength medal bearing shafts with multiple disc springs and damping mechanisms;the additional weight objects involued in high-intensity cast iron or lead blocks,which were pre-embedded,mounted or srtapped into the simulator.The simulator was verified with body shape and mass detection,drop test,waterproof test and drag test.Results It's proved the simulator gained advantages in vividness for body shape and mass,bionic joint structure and adaptability to training environments and could be used for graded physical training in typical combat rescue scenerios.Conclusion The simulator developed solves the problems of the combat rescue specialized physical training equipment,and facilitates the enhancement of physical training of combat rescue personnel.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2025,46(1):33-37]

Objective To analyze the differences in oral hygiene and oral microbiota between the patients with schizophrenia and healthy individuals in Baoshan City.Methods 26 patients with schizophrenia from Baoshan Third People's Hospital were selected as the SCZ group and 26 healthy individuals matched by age and BMI as the HC(Healthy control)group.Demographic data,physical indicators,and oral conditions were collected.Saliva samples from 52 subjects were collected and 16S rDNA gene sequencing was used to compare the differences in oral hygiene and oral microbiota between the patients with schizophrenia and the healthy individuals.Results The difference in oral microbial community richness between the SCZ group and the HC group was statistically significant(P<0.05),with the SCZ group containing higher species than the HC group;at the genus level,except for Fusobacterium in the SCZ group and Actinomyces in the HC group,the top 5 dominant bacterial species in both groups were consistent;the results of species difference analysis showed that Fusobacterium and Campylobacter in the SCZ group were higher than those in the HC group(P<0.05).Conclusion The partial dominant bacterial species in the oral cavity of the patients with schizophrenia have changed to sulfate-reducing bacteria that produce hydrogen sulfide.Excessive production of hydrogen sulfide or polysulfide may damage the energy metabolism of mitochondria.

Objective To investigate the types of diseases examined by ultrasonography in a certain island clinic,and to summarize the experience of ultrasound medical support in island area.Methods The ultrasound examination results of patients who were admitted to a certain island clinic from January 2017 to August 2022 were reviewed,and the types and characteristics of diseases examined by ultrasound were analyzed.Results A total of 2 043 patients underwent ultrasound examination.There were 76 disease categories and 1 579 diseases.The top five diseases were fatty liver(13.24%),kidney crystals(12.10%),kidney stones(10.70%),gallbladder polyps(6.33%)and ureteral stones with hydronephrosis(6.02%).Ultrasound could predict the pathological types of appendicitis and guide the clinical decision by observing the width of the appendiceal lumen and the layers of the appendiceal wall.Doppler-assessed ureteric jet could be used to determine the renal function of the affected side of ureteral calculi.Conclusion There are wide and varied disease categories in islands.Sonographers should have comprehensive abilities and qualities.This study can provide reference for the follow-up medical support on island area.

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of Dengue virus (DENV) infection among voluntary blood donors in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, and to evaluate the necessity of implementing nucleic acid testing (NAT) for blood donors during the rainy season (May-October). Methods: Prior to initiating donor screening, the Xishuangbanna Central Blood Center conducted in-house validation of reagent performance and participated in external quality assessment (EQA) organized by the National Center for Clinical Laboratories (NCCL). During the surveillance period (August-October 2024), a total of 2 919 donor samples were screened using a 6-sample mini-pool NAT strategy. Daily internal quality controls were recorded. Samples that tested positive in pooled screening were deconvoluted and retested in duplicate; only those reactive in both replicate wells were sent to the NCCL for confirmatory testing. At NCCL, samples underwent re-testing using five domestic NAT reagents, as well as serological assays for NS1 antigen and DENV-specific IgG/IgM. Confirmed positive samples were further characterized by serotyping, envelope (E) gene sequencing, and phylogenetic analysis using the maximum likelihood method. Results: The DENV NAT reagent demonstrated consistent detection of 40 copies/mL controls in individual donor (ID)-NAT test (mean CT: 35.61±0.40). During the 63-day quality control monitoring, DENV detection remained stable (mean CT: 22.53±0.72). The center achieved full marks in EQA assessments for 2023 and 2024. Three reactive pools were identified in initial screening, and subsequent individual testing confirmed three DENV RNA-positive donors (sample numbers: 2401, 2402, and 2403). The confirmatory test results from NCCL were: all five NAT platforms consistently detected DENV RNA in the three samples; for serological tests, 2 samples (2402, 2403) were positive for NS1 antigen, while all three samples were negative for both IgG and IgM antibodies. DENV serotyping reagents identified DENV-2 in all cases, which were further confirmed as DENV-2 Genotype Ⅱ-Cosmopolitan by E gene sequencing. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that samples 2401 and 2402 clustered with Southeast Asian strains (Thailand/MZ636802.1, Laos/PQ775621.1), while sample 2403 closely matched a previously reported local Yunnan strain (PV544686.1). Conclusion: DENV-2 infection was detected among blood donors in Xishuangbanna during the rainy season, indicating concurrent risks of imported and local transmission. We recommend implementing pooled NAT screening for blood donors in high-risk areas during dengue epidemic seasons, along with strengthened laboratory quality control, to enhance blood safety.

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.

Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC),which is essentially primary liver cancer,is closely related to CD8+T cell immune infiltration and immune suppression.We constructed a CD8+T cells related risk score model to pre-dict the prognosis of HCC patients and provided therapeutic guidance based on the risk score.Using integrated bulk RNA sequencing(RNA-seq)and single-cell RNA sequencing(scRNA-seq)datasets,we identified stable CD8+T cell signatures.Based on these signatures,a 3-gene risk score model,comprised of KLRB1,RGS2,and TN-FRSF1B was constructed.The risk score model was well validated through an independent external validation co-hort.We divided patients into high-risk and low-risk groups according to the risk score and compared the differ-ences in immune microenvironment between these two groups.Compared with low-risk patients,high-risk patients have higher M2-type macrophage content(P＜0.0001)and lower CD8+T cells infiltration(P＜0.0001).High-risk patients predict worse response to immunotherapy treatment than low-risk patients(P＜0.01).Drug sensitivity a-nalysis shows that PI3K-β inhibitor AZD6482 and TGFβRII inhibitor SB505124 may be suitable therapies for high-risk patients,while the IGF-1R inhibitor BMS-754807 or the novel pyrimidine-based anti-tumor metabolic drug Gemcitabine could be potential therapeutic choices for low-risk patients.Moreover,expression of these 3-gene mod-el was verified by immunohistochemistry.In summary,the establishment and validation of a CD8+T cell-derived risk model can more accurately predict the prognosis of HCC patients and guide the construction of personalized treatment plans.