OBJECTIVE To study the improvement effect and mechanism of Shengmai powder on heart failure （HF） mice with qi-yin deficiency. METHODS The mice were randomly divided into blank group （water）， model group （water）， Shengmai powder low-， medium-， and high-dose groups [2.61， 5.22 and 10.44 g/kg （based on crude drug dosage）] and positive control group （metoprolol， 30 mg/kg）， with 10 mice in each group. Except for the blank group， all other groups were subcutaneously injected with D-galactose， and a qi-yin deficiency HF mice model was established by continuous food restriction and weight-bearing swimming. At the same time of modeling， the corresponding medicine/water was gavaged once a day for five weeks. The general state of mice was recorded and the traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome score was evaluated. Behavioral experiments were conducted to investigate the total distance of open field action， the percentage of immobility time， and the swimming exhaustion time of mice. The contents of aspartate transaminase （AST）， creatine kinase （CK） and lactate dehydrogenase （LDH） in the serum of mice were detected； cardiac function indexes [heart rate， left ventricular ejection fraction （LVEF）， left ventricular end systolic diameter （LVESD）， left ventricular end diastolic diameter （LVEDD）， left ventricular mass index and whole heart mass index] were all detected； the histopathological morphology of mice myocardium was observed； the level of cardiomyocyte apoptosis in mice was detected； mRNA expression levels of B-cell lymphoma 2 （Bcl-2）， Bcl-2 associated X protein （Bax）， and Cleaved-caspase-3 in myocardial tissue of mice were detected； the phosphorylation levels of sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium regulatory related proteins [ryanodine receptor 2 （RyR2） and phospholamban （PLB）] in myocardial tissue of mice were detected. RESULTS Compared with the blank group， the body weight， total distance of open field action， swimming exhaustion time， LVEF， LVEDD， Bcl-2 mRNA expression level in myocardial tissue and PLB protein phosphorylation level in the model group were significantly reduced/shortened （P＜0.05）； TCM syndrome score， the percentage of immobility time， heart rate， LVESD， left ventricular mass index， whole heart mass index， cardiomyocyte apoptosis rate， the contents of CK， LDH and AST in serum， mRNA expression levels of Cleaved-caspase-3 and Bax and the phosphorylation level of RyR2 protein in myocardial tissue were significantly increased （P＜0.05）； there were inflammatory cell infiltration， disordered cell arrangement and obvious myocardial interstitial fibrosis in myocardial tissue. After the intervention of Shengmai powder， most of the above quantitative indexes in mice were significantly reversed （P＜0.05）， the inflammatory cell infiltration in myocardial tissue was reduced， and the degree of fibrosis was significantly reduced. CONCLUSIONS Shengmai powder can improve cardiac function， reduce the level of cardiomyocyte apoptosis and myocardial fibrosis in HF mice with qi-yin deficiency. Its mechanism may be related to the regulation of the expression of sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium regulation related proteins.

Objective To analyze trend changes of disease burden of hypertensive nephropathy (HTN) between 2012 and 2023 in Chongqing, and to provide the suggestion for HTN prevention and treatment. Methods Death cases of HTN from Chongqing death registration data between 2012 and 2023 were analyzed to calculate indicators such as mortality, age standardization mortality rate (ASMR), rate of years of life lost (YLL) and Average years of life lost. The mortality of HTN between male and female, urban and rural were compared by Chi-square test. The trend change was explained by average annual percent of change (AAPC). Results The mortality and standardized mortality of HTN in Chongqing decreased from 5.44/100 000 and 3.13/100 000 in 2012 to 2.76/100 000 and 1.07/100,000 in 2023 respectively. The average annual percent change (AAPC) was -5.41% and -8.35% respectively, and the differences in the change trends were statistically significant (P<0.01). The mortality and standardized mortality of HTN in males and females decreased with AAPC of 5.50%, 8.07%, 5.27% and 8.69% respectively, and the differences in the change trends were all statistically significant (all P< 0.05). From 2012 to 2014, 2019 and 2021, the mortality rate of HTN in rural areas was higher than that in urban areas (all P < 0.05). The mortality and standardized mortality of HTN in rural areas decreased with AAPC of 6.58% and 9.46% respectively, and the differences in the change trends were all statistically significant (all P<0.05). The rate of YLL and standardized YLL of HTN in Chongqing decreased from 96.02/100 000 and 60.42/100 000 in 2012 to 44.98/100 000 and 21.49/100 000 in 2023 respectively. The AAPC was -5.83% and -7.80% respectively, and the differences in the change trends were statistically significant (both P < 0.05). AYLL of HTN were 17.88 years in 2012, and it was 17.08 years in 2023. There were no statistically significant differences in the changes (both P > 0.05). The standardized AYLL of HTN in rural areas increased at an average annual rate of 1.14%, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusion The mortality and YLL rate of HNT in Chongqing was lower than it in China. Moreover, its trend was decreased. It should be strengthened early screening and healthy management of HNT.

OBJECTIVE: To propose a machine learning-based method for predicting the trajectories during manual acupuncture manipulation (MAM), aiming to improve the precision and consistency of acupuncture practitioner' operation and provide the real-time suggestions on MAM error correction. METHODS: Computer vision technology was used to analyze the hand micromotion when holding needle during acupuncture, and provide a three-dimensional coordinate description method of the index finger joints of the holding hand. Focusing on the 4 typical motions of MAM, a machine learning-based MAM trajectory predictive model was designed. By integrating the changes of phalangeal joint angle and hand skeletal information of acupuncture practitioner, the motion trajectory of the index finger joint was predicted accurately. Besides, the roles of machine learning-based MAM trajectory predictive model in the skill transmission of acupuncture manipulation were verified by stratified randomized controlled trial. RESULTS: The performance of MAM trajectory predictive model, based on the long short-term memory network (LSTM), obtained the highest stability and precision, up to 98%. The learning effect was improved when the model applied to the skill transmission of acupuncture manipulation. CONCLUSION The machine learning-based MAM predictive model provides acupuncture practitioner with precise action prediction and feedback. It is valuable and significant for the inheritance and error correction of manual operation of acupuncture.
Humans ; Acupuncture Therapy/instrumentation* ; Machine Learning ; Adult ; Male ; Female

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of manual acupuncture manipulations (MAMs) on subcutaneous muscle tissue, by developing quantitative models of "lifting and thrusting" and "twisting and rotating", based on machine learning techniques. METHODS: A depth camera was used to capture the acupuncture operator's hand movements during "lifting and thrusting" and "twisting and rotating" of needle. Simultaneously, the ultrasound imaging was employed to record the muscle tissue responses of the participants. Amplitude and angular features were extracted from the movement data of operators, and muscle fascicle slope features were derived from the data of ultrasound images. The dynamic time warping barycenter averaging algorithm was adopted to align the dual-source data. Various machine learning techniques were applied to build quantitative models, and the performance of each model was compared. The most optimal model was further analyzed for its interpretability. RESULTS: Among the quantitative models built for the two types of MAMs, the random forest model demonstrated the best performance. For the quantitative model of the "lifting and thrusting" technique, the coefficient of determination (R²) was 0.825. For the "twisting and rotating" technique, R² reached 0.872. CONCLUSION Machine learning can be used to effectively develop the models and quantify the effects of MAMs on subcutaneous muscle tissue. It provides a new perspective to understand the mechanism of acupuncture therapy and lays a foundation for optimizing acupuncture technology and designing personalized treatment regimen in the future.
Humans ; Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; Machine Learning ; Male ; Adult ; Female ; Subcutaneous Tissue/diagnostic imaging* ; Young Adult

Objective: To investigate the distribution of HPA, HLA alleles and haplotypes among apheresis platelet donors in Changsha, China, and to establish an apheresis platelet donor database. Methods: High-resolution genotyping of HLA-A and -B was performed using PCR sequence based typing (SBT) and next generation sequencing (NGS). HPA genotyping was conducted using quantitative PCR (Q-PCR). The allele frequency, haplotype frequency and linkage disequilibrium parameters were calculated using the direct counting method, the maximum likelihood method and Arlequin software (V 3.1). Results: A total of 41 HLA-A alleles and 82 HLA-B alleles were detected, and 457 HLA-A-B haplotypes were found, of which 25 showed strong linkage disequilibrium (RLD>0.50). The HPA-3 and HPA-15 had the highest HPA polymorphism and antigen mismatch rate in apheresis platelet donor database in Changsha, and the dual antigen mismatch rate was 0.3704 and 0.3743, respectively. Conclusion: The polymorphism of apheresis platelet donor database in Changsha is complex and has strong regional characteristics. Establishing a high-resolution donor database will strongly support the provision of genetically matched platelets for clinical use, facilitating precise platelet transfusion therapy.

Objective To study the risk factors of preoperative deep vein thrombosis(DVT)in middle-aged and elderly patients with lower limb fractures,and establish and evaluate the constructed nomogram model.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of totally 240 middle-aged and elderly patients with lower limb fractures at Quanzhou First Hospital Affiliated to Fujian Medical University from July 2023 to June 2024.According to whether the patient had DVT before surgery,they were divided into a DVT group of 75 cases and a non DVT group of 165 cases.The differences in clinical data and some labora-tory indicators levels at the time of initial admission,including platelets(PLT),prothrombin time(PT),ac-tive partial thromboplastin time(APTT),fibrinogen(FIB),thrombin time(TT),D-dimer(D-D),total pro-tein(TP),albumin(ALB),triglycerides(TG),cholesterol(CHOL),high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C),low density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C)between two groups were compared.Logistic binary regression was used to analyze the risk factors of DVT and a nomogram model was constructed.Receiver oper-ating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of various risk factors and nomo-gram model in screening DVT.Results Compared age and D-D levels of the DVT group were significantly higher(P＜0.001),while the levels of APTT,TP and ALB were significantly lower(P＜0.05),and the pro-portion of DVT combined with internal diseases and the proportion of fractures in the femur were significantly higher(P＜0.001).The above-mentioned differential indicators were all single risk factors for DVT.ROC curve analysis showed that except for comorbidities of internal medicine,all other risk factors could effectively screen for DVT(P＜0.05),the area under the curve(AUC)was 0.573-0.706,and the constructed nomo-gram model could effectively improve AUC to 0.797.Conclusion The nomogram model constructed based on single risk factors for DVT in this study is helpful for clinical assessment of the risk of DVT occurrence in pa-tients at the early stage of admission,intuitively and effectively.

Objective To analyze the molecular epidemiology of Candida tropicalis(C.tropicalis)isolates from bloodstream infections,and to investigate preliminarily the underlying mechanisms of fluconazole resistance.Methods Clinical C.tropicalis isolates were collected from bloodstream infections at West China Hospital,Sichuan University and other hospitals in Sichuan Province.All the collected isolates were identified using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry,and the antifungal susceptibility test was performed by the broth microdilution method.Multilocus sequence typing(MLST)was conducted using the first generation sequencing technique.Genes associated with drug-resistance were sequenced and the mutation sites were identified.The relative expression levels of genes associated with drug-resistance were analyzed using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR).Results A total of 39 C.tropicalis isolates from bloodstream infections were collected.The MLST phylogenetic tree showed that most of the strains clustered in the phylogenetic tree shared identical or similar minimal inhibitory concentrations(MICs).All MLST types were not matched with the isolates in the PubMLST database,representing new diploid sequence types(DSTs).A total of 3 sense mutations,including Ser154Phe,Tyr132Phe,and Tyr257His were identified in ERG11,and were present only in drug-resistant strains.UPC2 contained 4 sense mutations,including Ala251Thr,Gln289Leu,Ser279Glu,and Gln313His,which were also present only in drug-resistant strains.Ser279Glu and Gln313His were previously unreported.There were two sense mutations in ERG3,namely Ser112Gly and Ala48Ser,both being previously unreported,and Ser112Gly was found only in drug-resistant strains.The expression levels of ERG11(14.48 vs 7.109,P=0.003)and UPC2(1.922 vs 0.832,P=0.04)in non-sensitive group(MIC>2 mg/L)were higher than those in sensitive group(MIC≤2 mg/L),and the difference was statistically significant.Conclusion There may be a unique genetic relationship among C.tropicalis isolates from Sichuan province,and the MICs of fluconazole against C.tropicalis are associated with molecular typing.ERG11 mutations were the major mechanism underlying fluconazole resistance in C.tropicalis isolates.The upregulation of ERG11 and UPC2 was associated with fluconazole resistance in C.tropicalis.

PURPOSE: Bone cement-reinforced fenestrated pedicle screws (FPSs) have been widely used in the internal fixation and repair of the spine with osteoporosis in recent years and show significant improvement in fixation strength and stability. However, compared with conventional reinforcement methods, the advantages of bone cement-reinforced FPSs remain undetermined. This article compares the effects of fenestrated and conventional pedicle screws (CPSs) combined with bone cement in the treatment of osteoporosis. METHODS: A clinical control study of FPSs and CPSs combined with bone cement reinforcement in osteoporotic vertebral internal fixation was performed using the database PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, CNKI, the Wanfang, and the China Biomedical Literature Service System. Two evaluators screened the relevant literature in strict accordance with the inclusion criteria (diagnosis of participants, type of clinical study, treatment with FPS and CPS, and outcome indicators) and exclusion criteria (duplicate literature and missing or incorrect data) and independently conducted data extraction and quality evaluation. Clinical control studies of direct comparison between FPS and CPS combined with bone cement reinforcement in patients who were definitively diagnosed with thoracolumbar fractures or spinal degenerative diseases were included. Quality evaluation was conducted using the Cochrane risk bias evaluation tool for randomized controlled studies and using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale for retrospective case-control studies. RevMan software (version 5.3) was used for the meta-analysis to compare the clinical efficacy, radiological results, and related complications of the 2 methods. RESULTS: A total of 13 articles were included, including 7 randomized controlled studies and 6 retrospective case-control studies. There were 909 patients in these studies, 451 in the FPS and polymethyl methacrylate (FPS & PMMA) group and 458 in the CPS and polymethyl methacrylate (CPS & PMMA) group. The results of the meta-analysis showed that there was no significant difference between the 2 groups in operation time, hospital stay, visual analogue score, Japanese orthopaedic association score, Oswestry disability index score, Cobb angle, vertebral body deformation index and fusion rate (p > 0.05). The mean difference of intraoperative bleeding volume was -10.45, (95% confidence intervals (CI) (-16.92, -3.98), p = 0.002), the mean difference of loss height of the anterior edge of the vertebral body after surgery was -0.69 (95% CI (-0.93, -0.44), p < 0.001), and the relative risk (RR) of overall complication rate was 0.43 (95% CI (0.27, 0.68), p < 0.001), including the RR of bone cement leakage rate was 0.57 (95% CI (0.39, 0.85), p = 0.005). The screw loosening rate (RR = 0.26, 95% CI (0.13, 0.54), p < 0.001) of the FPS group was significantly lower than that of the CPS group. CONCLUSION The existing clinical evidence shows that compared with the CPS combined with bone cement, the use of FPS repair in the internal fixation of an osteoporotic vertebral body can reduce the amount of intraoperative bleeding, be more conducive to maintaining the height of the vertebral body, and significantly reduce the incidence of postoperative complications such as bone cement leakage and screw loosening.
Humans ; Pedicle Screws ; Bone Cements ; Spinal Fractures/surgery* ; Osteoporotic Fractures/surgery* ; Fracture Fixation, Internal/instrumentation*