OBJECTIVE: To explore the association between acupuncture during controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) and the live birth rate (LBR) using different propensity score methods. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, eligible women who underwent a COH were divided into acupuncture and non-acupuncture groups. The primary outcome was LBR, as determined by propensity score matching (PSM). LBR was defined as the delivery of one or more living infants that reached a gestational age over 28 weeks after embryo transfer. The propensity score model encompassed 16 confounding variables. To validate the results, sensitivity analyses were conducted using three additional propensity score methods: propensity score adjustment, inverse probability weighting (IPW), and IPW with a "doubly robust" estimator. RESULTS: The primary cohort encompassed 9751 patients (1830 [18.76%] in the acupuncture group and 7921 [81.23%] in the non-acupuncture group). Following 1:1 PSM, a higher LBR was found in the acupuncture cohort (41.4% [755/1824] vs 36.4% [664/1824], with an odds ratio of 1.23 [95% confidence interval, 1.08-1.41]). Three additional propensity score methods produced essentially similar results. The risk of serious adverse events did not significantly differ between the two groups. CONCLUSION This retrospective study revealed an association between acupuncture and an increased LBR among patients undergoing COH, and that acupuncture is a safe and valuable treatment option. Please cite this article as: Zheng XY, Jiang ZY, Li YT, Li CL, Zhu H, Yu Z, Yu SY, Yang LL, Tang SY, Lü XY, Liang FR, Yang J. Association between acupuncture and live birth rates after fresh embryo transfer: A cohort study based on different propensity score methods. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(5):528-536.
Humans ; Female ; Propensity Score ; Embryo Transfer ; Adult ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Retrospective Studies ; Pregnancy ; Live Birth ; Birth Rate ; Cohort Studies

To explore the diagnostic value of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) combined with modified biopsy forceps for suspected malignant biliary obstruction, 72 patients with suspected malignant biliary obstruction who underwent ERCP using modified biopsy forceps from January 2017 to April 2023 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Chinese Medicine were selected as the modified group, while 61 contemporaneous patients who underwent ERCP with traditional biopsy forceps were selected as the control group at the same time. The stenosis site was identified during the operation, and the effective pathological tissue was obtained by biopsy. Benign or malignant tumor was determined according to the medical history and clinical follow-up data. The sensitivity and specificity of the two groups were compared. The success rate of biopsy was 100.00% in the two groups. All patients had no serious complications and were diagnosed histologically. Sixty-seven cases were finally diagnosed as malignant and 5 cases were benign in the modified group. In the control group, 58 cases were malignant and 3 cases were benign. The sensitivity for diagnosis of malignant biliary stricture was 79.10% (54/67) in the modified group, and 60.34% (35/58) in the control group, with significant difference ( χ2=6.218, P= 0.013). The specificity of the two methods for the diagnosis of malignant stenosis was 100.00%. Therefore, it is safe and effective to apply ERCP combined with the modified biopsy forceps in the diagnosis of extrahepatic malignant bile duct stenosis.

Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy of robot-assisted navigation with percutaneous lag screw treatment for Hangman's fracture.Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 5 patients treated with robot-assisted C2 percutaneous lag screw for Hangman's fracture in our hospital from September 2021 to August 2023.Patients were positioned with moderate head-neck flexion in a Mayfield head clamp.After closed reduction with manual traction under general anesthesia,the C2 percutaneous lag screws were implanted under TINAVI orthopedic surgical robot assistance.Postoperative cervical CT scans were used to assess screw placement accuracy and fracture healing quality.Clinical efficacy was evaluated by the Odom grading system.Results All the 5 patients were operated successfully without vertebral artery injury or neurological complications.A total of 10 screws were implanted.According to the Gertzbein-Robbins standard,9 screws belonged to the grade A,and 1 belonged to the grade B,with an accuracy of 90％(9/10)and an excellent rate of 100％(10/10).The neck incision length ranged 20-30 mm(mean,27 mm).The operation time was 86-160 min(mean,112.8 min).The intraoperative blood loss was 10-50 ml(mean,30 ml).The postoperative hospitalization was5-18 d(mean,8 d).The patients were followed up for 12-34 months(mean,23.6 months).All fractures healed without screw breakage or loosening.According to the Odom grading,4 cases were excellent,and 1 case was good.Conclusion Robot-assisted navigation C2 percutaneous lag screw treatment for Hangman's fracture is accurate and minimally invasive,safe and effective.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the distribution of pathogenic bacteria,imaging manifestations on single photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography(SPECT/CT)and the role of Wnt/β-catenin path-way in upper urinary tract infections.METHODS From Jan.2021 to Jan.2024,53 patients with upper urinary tract infection and 53 urinary calculi patients without upper urinary tract infections who had urinary system stones were selected from the Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University as the infected group and the non-infected group,respectively.The distribution of pathogens in the infected group,SPECT/CT imaging manifestations and SPECT/CT imaging manifestations after 7 days of anti-infective treatment were statistically analyzed and com-pared.The levels of Wnt-1 andβ-catenin in both groups and the infection group before and after 3 and 7 days of an-ti-infective treatment were compared.The diagnostic values of Wnt-1 andβ-catenin for urinary calculi complicated with upper urinary tract infection were analyzed.RESULTS A total of 53 strains were yielded from the middle-seg-ment urine of the infection group,predominantly gram-negative bacteria.SPECT/CT imaging showed small nodu-lar dense shadows were in the upper segment of left ureter,the upper segment of the ureter,renal pelvis and calyx dilated,and visible striated shadows were around the kidney after 7 days of anti-infective treatment,the cystic low-density shadow under the left renal capsule was basically absorbed,the perirenal strip shadow slightly re-duced,but the perinephric fascia remained thickened,and the surrounding fat space was blurred.Wnt-1 and β-catenin levels elevated in the infection group compared with the non-infection group(P<0.05).The area under the curveof combined detection of Wnt-1 andβ-catenin was 0.907.CONCLUSIONS Gram-negative bacteria are the main pathogens causing upper urinary tract infections in patients with urinary calculi.SPECT/CT imaging shows inflammatory changes,and the Wnt/β-catenin pathway is activated.The combination of Wnt-1 andβ-catenin has high diagnostic value.After anti-infective treatment,the inflammation showed on SPECT/CT imaging improves and the Wnt/β-catenin pathway is inhibited.

Objective To discuss the effect of different particle activities and tumor shrinkage speed on the dosimetric parameters of the target area at the same prescription dose after 125I particle implantation.Methods A 6cm-sized cube tumor model was outlined by using a computerized three-dimensional treatment planning system(3D-TPS)with a prescription dose(PD)of 100 Gy,and 125I particle activities of 0.4 mCi and 0.8 mCi were selected.Assuming that the tumor shrinks centripetally after seed implantation and that the 125I particles were uniformly and centripetally concentrated without shedding or wandering,the tumor volume shrank at different rates every month after implantation(0,5％,10％,15％,20％,25％,30％,35％,40％,45％and 50％),according to the different activities of 125I particles,the experiments were divided into A1-K1 group(0.4 mCi)and A2-K2 group(0.8 mCi).Based on the 125I particle decay law,the validation program(using TPS simulation of the A1-K1 group and A2-K2 group at postoperative 1,2,3,4,5 and 6 months)obtained the dose received by 90％of the target volume(D90)in the two groups with different 125I particle activities at different postoperative time points,the percentages of the target volume covered by the 100％,150％and 90％prescription dose(V100,V150,V90),and the mean dose(Dmean).By comparing the differences in D90,V100,V150,V90 and Dmean after tumor implantation of 125I particles with different activities,the dosimetric impact of the tumor target area shrinking at a rate of 0～50％after implantation of 125I particles with different activities into tumor tissues was analyzed.Results When the monthly shrinkage rate of the tumor target area was≤30％,there was no obvious difference in D90 between the 0.4 mCi group and 0.8 mCi group in 1～6 months after surgery.When the monthly shrinkage rate of the tumor target area was＞30％,the D90 of 0.8 mCi group was higher than that of 0.4 mCi group;when the monthly shrinkage rate of the tumor target area was＜25％,the V90 of 0.4 mCi group was higher than that of 0.8 mCi group,and the changes of V90 of the two groups tended to be the same in the 5th～6th month after surgery.When the monthly shrinkage rate of the tumor target area was ≥30％,the V90 of 0.8 mCi group was higher than that of 0.4 mCi group,and with the increasing of shrinkage rate,the difference between the two groups become more and more significant,the results of V100 were consistent with those of V90.When the monthly shrinkage rate of tumor target area＜35％,V150 of 0.4 mCi group was higher than that of 0.8 mCi group,when the monthly shrinkage rate of tumor target area ≥35％,V150 of 0.8 mCi group was higher than that of 0.4 mCi group,and with the increasing of shrinkage rate,the difference between the two groups become more and more prominent.When the monthly shrinkage rate of tumor target area＜25％,Dmean of 0.4 mCi group was higher than that of 0.8 mCi group,when the monthly shrinkage rate of tumor target area ≥25％,Dmean of 0.8 mCi group was higher than that of 0.4 mCi group,and with the increasing of shrinkage rate,the difference between the two groups become more and more obvious.Conclusion With the same prescription dose,when the tumor target area shrinks at a rate of＜30％per month,the activity of 125I particles has little effect on D90,and all V90,V100,V150 and Dmean in the low activity group are higher than those in the high activity group,meanwhile the homogeneity of the target area is relatively good;when the monthly shrinkage rate of tumor target area ≥35％,all D90,V90,V100,V150 and Dmean in the high activity group are higher than those in the low activity group,and the duration of the presence of high-dose area is long.This difference becomes more obvious with the increasing of the monthly shrinkage rate of the target area.

Objective To investigate the effect of different strand lengths of 125I seeds with the same activity on the dose of different reference points around the seeds.Methods The scanned images were transferred to the three-dimensional treatment planning system(3D-TPS)according to DICOM format.The target volume was delineated at 5 mm and 10 mm above and below the center of the phantom,and a 0.8 mCi seeds strand was simulated.The 1-20 seeds were arranged with an equal spacing of 5 mm(5 mm-100 mm).The 5 mm points above and below the center of the seeds strand were defined as point A and point A',and the 10 mm points above and below the center were defined as point B and point B'.5 mm above and below the edge of the seeds strand on the left side were defined as AL points and AL'points,and 5 mm above and below the edge of the seeds strand on the right side were defined as AR points and AR'points.Similarly,points 10 mm above the above mentioned positions were defined as BL points,BL'points,BR points,BR'points.The average dose symmetry points were measured at AL,AL',AR,and 5 mm,10 mm,15 mm and 20 mm inside AR' of the 45 mm-100 mm seeds strand.The dose at the center was compared with the dose at the end points.The dose at the center point A was compared with the average dose at the symmetry points of 5 mm,10 mm,15 mm and 20 mm inside of the end points AL,AL',AR and AR',and the dose at each point was curve fitting.The correlation between each point and seeds strands of different lengths was analyzed.Results There was a positive correlation between the dose and the length of each point.There was no statistically significant difference between the center point and the end point.There was a statistically significant difference in dosage at points 5 mm and 10 mm inside from point A,while there was no statistically significant difference in dosage at points 15 mm and 20 mm inside from point A.The dose of A,A',B and B' point increased steadily with the increase of seed chain length,and the fitting curves were obtained respectively:y=e(-0.620/x+5.28)(R2=0.992),y=e(-0.640/x+5.34)(R2=0.987),y=e(-0.82/x+4.80)(R2=0.984),y=e(-0.82/x+4.83)(R2=0.9g1).Conclusion The doses at points A,A',B,and B'are positively correlated with seeds strand length and have a high degree of stability.Point A can be used as a reference point for the target area dose of the seeds strand,and point B can be used as a reference point for the dose to critical organs.The dose at other positions is more variable and thus has a certain degree of uncertainty as a reference point for the seeds strand dose.

Objective To investigate the impact of different 125I seeds strand radian on the dose of different reference points around the seeds.Methods CT scan of self-developed radioactive particle radiation dose measurement phantom was performed,the scanned images were transferred to the three-dimensional treatment planning system(TPS).The target area at the middle level of the model was drawn.The target volume was delineated at 5 mm and 10 mm above and below the center of the phantom.125I seeds strand plans were designed with different radians,with a total length of 8 cm,seed spacing of 0 cm,activity of 0.8 mCi,and a total of 16 particles,with radians ranging from 30°to 170°,increasing by 10° increment.The point 5 mm vertically away from the center of the seeds strand towards the center was named A',and the point away from the center was named A.The point 10 mm vertically away from the center of the seeds strand towards the center was named B',and the point away from the center was named B.The doses at different radians were recorded,and the actual absorbed dose at 1-2 months after operation was calculated based on the particle activity decay formula.Results The doses at points A'and A were(218.3±23.1)and(201.5±16.0)Gy respectively(P=0.001).The actual absorbed doses at 1 month after operation were(65.5±6.9)and(60.5±4.8)Gy respectively(P=0.001),and the actual absorbed doses at 2 months after operation were(109.2±11.5)Gy and(100±7.9)Gy respectively(P=0.001).The doses at points B'and B were(95.9±11.0)Gy and(81.7±4.9)Gy respectively(P＜0.001),and the actual absorbed doses at 1 month after operation were(28.8±3.3)Gy and(24.5±1.5)Gy respectively(P＜0.001).The actual absorbed doses at 2 month after operation were(48.0±5.5)Gy and(41.0±2.4)Gy respectively(P＜0.001).The doses at points A'and A gradually decreased with the increase of the radians,reaching the minimum value at 100 degrees,and then increased gradually,showing a cubic function change.The actual absorbed dose showed the same trend.The doses at points B'and B increased gradually with the increase of the radians,showing a cubic function change.Conclusion At different radians,the point doses and absorbed doses on the centrifugal side of the seeds strand are both less than those on the centripetal side.There is a cubic function relationship between the dose at the reference points and the radian of the seeds strand.

HDAC7, a member of class IIa HDACs, plays a pivotal regulatory role in tumor, immune, fibrosis, and angiogenesis, rendering it a potential therapeutic target. Nevertheless, due to the high similarity in the enzyme active sites of class IIa HDACs, inhibitors encounter challenges in discerning differences among them. Furthermore, the substitution of key residue in the active pocket of class IIa HDACs renders them pseudo-enzymes, leading to a limited impact of enzymatic inhibitors on their function. In this study, proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) technology was employed to develop HDAC7 drugs. We developed an exceedingly selective HDAC7 PROTAC degrader B14 which showcased superior inhibitory effects on cell proliferation compared to TMP269 in various diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells. Subsequent investigations unveiled that B14 disrupts BCL6 forming a transcriptional inhibition complex by degrading HDAC7, thereby exerting proliferative inhibition in DLBCL. Our study broadened the understanding of the non-enzymatic functions of HDAC7 and underscored the importance of HDAC7 in the treatment of hematologic malignancies, particularly in DLBCL and AML.