The randomized controlled trials (RCTs) regarding acupuncture direction published from January 1st, 2013, to November 7th, 2023 were searched in China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform, and VIP Chinese Journal Database. As a result, 21 RCTs were included. The problems identified included conceptual misunderstandings regarding acupuncture direction, incomplete selection strategies, confounding research factors, and inaccuracies in reporting. Based on the findings, four strategic approaches for enhancing therapeutic efficacy through acupuncture direction were summarized: aligning needle direction with the meridian pathway, directing the needle toward the lesion site, orienting the needle toward adjacent acupoints, and targeting special anatomical structures. Two additional strategies were proposed for optimizing the procedure: simplifying acupuncture operations and directing the needle toward safe anatomical sites. Recommendations were made to improve the rationality of research factor settings and the completeness of acupuncture operation reporting. Furthermore, three methods for reporting acupuncture direction were discussed: reporting the tip-pointed position, reporting the insertion angle and orientation, and reporting azimuth and polar angles, aiming to promote greater standardization and completeness in acupuncture practice and reporting.
Acupuncture Therapy/standards* ; Humans ; Acupuncture Points ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Meridians

OBJECTIVE: To explore the anatomical parameters of the cervical uncinate process "inflection point" through cervical CT angiography (CTA) and MRI measurements, offering a reliable and safe anatomical landmark for anterior cervical decompression surgery. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the cervical CTA and MRI imaging data of normal adults who met the selection criteria between January 2020 and January 2024. The CTA dataset included 326 cases, with 200 males and 126 females, aged 22-55 years (mean, 46.7 years). The MRI dataset included 300 cases, with 200 males and 100 females, aged 18-55 years (mean, 43.7 years). Based on the CTA data, three-dimensional models of C ₃-C ₇ were constructed, and the following measurements were obtained from the superior view: uncinate process "inflection point" to vertebral artery distance (UIVD), uncinate process tip to vertebral artery distance (UTVD), uncinate process "inflection point" to "inflection point" distance (UID), uncinate process long-axis to sagittal angle (ULSA), and uncinate process "inflection point" to transverse foramen-sagittal angle (UITSA). From the anterior view, the anterior uncinate process to sagittal angle (AUSA) was measured. From the posterior view, the posterior uncinate process to sagittal angle (PUSA) was measured. Based on the MRI data, uncinate process "inflection point" to dural sac distance (UIDD) and dural sac width (DSW) were measured. The trends in measurement parameters of C ₃-C ₇ were observed, and the differences in measurement parameters between genders and between the left and right sides of the same segment were compared, as well as the difference in UID and DSW within the same segment was compared. RESULTS: The measurement parameters from C ₃ to C ₇ in the CTA data showed a general increasing trend, with no significant difference between the left and right sides within the same segment ( P>0.05). The UIVD, UTVD, and UID were greater in males than in females, with significant differences observed in the UIVD and UTVD at C ₃ and C ₆ and UID at C ₃, C ₆, and C ₇ ( P<0.05). The MRI measured DSW showed a general increasing trend from C ₃ to C ₇, and the DSW at C ₆ was greater in females than in males, with a significant difference ( P<0.05). The UIDD showed a gradual decreasing trend, with the smallest value at C ₆. There was no significant difference between males and females or between the left and right sides within the same segment ( P>0.05). The UID was greater than the DSW at C ₃-C ₇, and the differences were significant ( P<0.05). CONCLUSION The uncinate process "inflection point" is a constant anatomical structure located at the anteromedial aspect of the uncinate process tip and laterally to the dural sac. It maintains a certain safe distance from the vertebral artery. As a decompression landmark in anterior cervical spine surgery, it not only ensures surgical safety but also guarantees complete decompression.
Humans ; Adult ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Cervical Vertebrae/surgery* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Decompression, Surgical/methods* ; Young Adult ; Adolescent ; Computed Tomography Angiography ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Vertebral Artery/anatomy & histology* ; Anatomic Landmarks/diagnostic imaging*

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of reducing posterior malleolar fractures via the modified Rammelt transfibular approach. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 26 patients with ankle fractures who met the selection criteria and were admitted between September 2023 and May 2024. There were 13 males and 13 females, aged from 14 to 59 years (median, 43.5 years). Causes of injury included traffic accident (1 case), falls (7 cases), and sprains (18 cases). Time from injury to operation ranged from 1 to 13 days (mean, 3.9 days). According to the Lauge-Hansen classification, there were 5 supination-external rotation type Ⅲ fractures and 21 supination-external rotation type Ⅳ fractures. According to the Bartoníček classification for posterior malleolar fractures, there were 12 type Ⅱ fractures, 10 type Ⅲ fractures, and 4 type Ⅳ fractures. During operation, the fracture was exposed via the modified Rammelt transfibular approach; then, the fracture reduction was achieved under direct vision using techniques such as towel clip traction, posterolateral compression, and lifting with a posterior transverse periosteal elevator; finally, the fracture was fixed using anteroposterior cannulated screws or Kirschner wires. The incision healing was observed after operation. At 4 months after operation, X-ray film and CT were reviewed to evaluate the quality of fracture reduction. The medial clear space, tibiofibular clear space, and the anterior/posterior tibiofibular syndesmotic distances were measured. At last follow-up, the ankle function was assessed using the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) score and the range of motion. RESULTS: The marginal necrosis occurred in 2 lateral malleolar incisions, and superficial infection occurred in 1 lateral malleolar incision; the remaining incisions healed by first intention. All 26 patients were followed up 13-21 months (mean, 15.6 months). X-ray films showed that fractures in 25 patients achieved clinical union within 3-8 months (mean, 5.4 months); 1 case had delayed union of the lateral malleolus. At 4 months after operation, no significant difference was found between the injured and healthy sides in the medial clear space, tibiofibular clear space, or the anterior/posterior tibiofibular syndesmotic distances ( P>0.05). No malreduction of the posterior malleolus or the tibiofibular syndesmosis occurred. At last follow-up, the AOFAS score ranged from 80 to 100 (mean, 91.9). The range of motion ranged from 17° to 22° (mean, 21.0°) in active ankle dorsiflexion and from 40° to 49° (mean, 44.6°) in plantar flexion. Internal fixator was removed in 12 patients at 1 year after operation, with no ankle instability occurring. Ankle joint degeneration was observed in 1 patient at last follow-up. CONCLUSION The modified Rammelt transfibular approach is a safe and reliable technique. It enables precise reduction under direct vision, improves the quality of reduction for the distal tibial articular surface and the tibiofibular syndesmosis, and provides satisfactory ankle functional recovery in short-term follow-up.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Ankle Fractures/diagnostic imaging* ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Fracture Fixation, Internal/instrumentation* ; Adolescent ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult ; Bone Screws ; Ankle Joint/surgery* ; Fibula/surgery* ; Range of Motion, Articular

Objective: To investigate the timing of puberty onset among primary school students, so as to provide the reference data for early identification of children with suspected precocious puberty. Methods: A study was conducted from October 23 to November 7, 2023, involving 10 225 students(5 412 boys, 4 813 girls) from grade 1 to 6 of four campuses in Meiling Primary School in Yangzhou. Breast development in girls and external genitalia in boys was assessed via visual inspection and palpation, with pubertal stages classified using the Tanner staging method. Puberty onset timing was determined based on age/sex reference values from Chinese Han children s pubertal milestone indicators. Descriptive analysis was performed using SPSS 26.0. Results: The median age for testicular volume reaching 4 mL in boys was 10.49 years, while the median age for breast development onset in girls was 9.70 years. Among boys with testicular volume &ge;4 mL, 16.6%( n =217) were identified as suspected early puberty cases; among girls with Tanner stage Ⅱ and Ⅲ, 123(9.4%) and 165(18.5%) showed earlier breast development than the reference range. Overall, 14.4% of students exhibited suspected precocious puberty. Conclusion The onset age of puberty for girls in primary schools of Yangzhou aligns with findings from other regions, while boys show earlier pubertal initiation.

Periodontitis and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are chronic inflammatory diseases that share similar inflammatory mechanisms and characteristics. Programmed cell death (PCD) has recently garnered attention for its crucial role in regulating inflammation and maintaining tissue homeostasis, as well as for its potential to link these two diseases. The various forms of PCD--including apoptosis, pyroptosis, and necroptosis--are closely controlled by signaling pathways such as Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) /NF-κB and MAPK. These pathways determine cell fate and influence inflammatory responses, tissue destruction, and repair, and they both play important roles in the pathogenesis of RA and periodontitis. In periodontitis, periodontal pathogens such as Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) and its virulence factors, including lipopolysaccharide (LPS), induce pyroptosis and necroptosis in immune cells such as macrophages via the TLR4/NF-κB pathway, which leads to an excessive release of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-1β and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. Concurrently, these pathogens inhibit the normal apoptotic process of immune cells, such as neutrophils, prolonging their survival, exacerbating immune imbalance, and aggravating periodontal tissue destruction. Similarly, in RA synovial tissue, fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) acquire apoptosis resistance through signaling pathways such as the Bcl-2 family, JAK/STAT, and NF-κB, allowing for the consistent proliferation and secretion of matrix metalloproteinases and pro-inflammatory cytokines. Meanwhile, the continuous activation of pyroptotic pathways in neutrophils and macrophages results in the sustained release of IL-1β, further exacerbating synovial inflammation and bone destruction. Notably, dysregulated PCD fosters inter-organ crosstalk through shared inflammatory mediators and metabolic networks. Damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) and cytokines that originate from periodontal lesions can spread systemically, influencing cell death processes in synovial and immune cells, thereby aggravating joint inflammation and bone erosion. By contrast, systemic inflammation in RA can upregulate osteoclastic activity or interfere with the normal apoptosis of periodontal cells via TNF-α and IL-6, ultimately intensifying periodontal immune imbalance. This review highlights the pivotal bridging role of PCD in the pathogenesis of both periodontitis and RA, providing a reference for therapeutic strategies that target cell death pathways to manage and potentially mitigate these diseases.

ObjectiveTo learn the density and seasonal variation of adult mosquitoes in Pudong New Area of Shanghai, and to explore the influence of meteorological factors on the density of adult mosquitoes. MethodsFrom April to November in 2017‒2021, adult mosquito density in Pudong New Area was monitored every ten days a time by using CO₂ trapping light method. Meteorological data were collected during the same time, and Pearson correlation analysis and multiple linear regression model were used to investigate the correlation between adult mosquito density and meteorological factors. ResultsThe seasonal variation of adult mosquito density showed a single-peak pattern, with the peak of 7.09 mosquitoes·(set·time)^-1 in July. The adult mosquito density was positively correlated with the monthly average temperature, monthly maximum temperature, monthly minimum temperature, and monthly average relative humidity (r=0.813, 0.793, 0.820, 0.617, all P<0.05), but negatively correlated with monthly average air pressure (r=-0.738, P<0.05). The regression equation of the adult mosquito density and monthly minimum temperature in Pudong New Area of Shanghai was Y=0.066 X₃-0.884, with a corrected R² of 0.673, indicating a good model fitting. ConclusionThe overall seasonal variation of adult mosquito density in Pudong New Area showed a single-peak pattern. The density of adult mosquitoes was correlated with the monthly average temperature, monthly maximum temperature, monthly minimum temperature, monthly average relative humidity, and monthly average air pressure, and linearly correlated with monthly minimum temperature.

A 36-year-old male patient presented with repeated myocardial infarction. Despite regular dual-antiplatelet therapy and intensive lipid-lowering therapy, he still experienced restenosis after coronary stent implantation. He then transferred to the Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University. According to the disease history, combined with coronary artery inflammation observed by PET/CT and effective anti-inflammatory treatment, he was finally diagnosed with Behçet’s disease (BD) combined with isolated coronary arteritis. BD has been included in the Chinese Second Catalog of Rare Diseases, and the disease that only involves the coronary arteries is even rarer, which makes it very easy to misdiagnose and underdiagnosis in clinical practice. Strengthening the understanding of the complex clinical phenotypes of various vasculitis, attaching importance to multidisciplinary consultation, and dynamically following up are of great value for the early diagnosis of this disease.

[Objective] To analyse and predict the tendencies of using erythrocyte blood in Changsha based on the autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model, long short-term memory (LSTM) and ARIMA-LSTM combination model, so as to provide reliable basis for designing a feasible and effective blood inventory management strategy. [Methods] The data of erythrocyte usage from hospitals in Changsha between January 2012 and December 2023 were collected, and ARIMA model, LSTM model and ARIMA-LSTM combination model were established. The actual erythrocyte consumption from January to May 2024 were used to assess and verify the prediction effect of the models. The extrapolation prediction accuracy of the models were tested using two evaluation indicators: mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) and root mean square error (RMSE), and then the prediction performance of the model was compared. [Results] The RMSE of LSTM model, optimal model ARIMA(1,1,1)(1,1,1)12 and ARIMA-LSTM combination model were respectively 5 206.66, 3 096.43 and 2 745.75, and the MAPE were 18.78%,11.54% and 9.76% respectively, which indicated that the ARIMA-LSTM combination model was more accurate than the ARIMA model and LSTM model, and the prediction results was basically consistent with the actual situation. [Conclusion] The ARIMA-LSTM model can better predict the clinical erythrocyte consumption in Changsha in the short term.

Objective To observe the value of singular value decomposition(SVD)combined with block-matching and three-dimensional(BM3D)filtering for improving imaging quality of contrast-enhanced ultrasound(CEUS).Methods Three subject who would undergo liver,kidney and ovarian CEUS examination respectively were prospectively enrolled,and 250 images unaffected by respiratory movements were acquired in each one.SVD filtering was performed alone and combined with BM3D filtering,and contrast-to-tissue ratio(CTR),contrast-to-noise ratio(CNR)and signal-to-noise ratio(SNR)of the obtained CEUS images were calculated and compared.Results Compared with original CEUS images,CTR,CNR and SNR of SVD alone filtered CEUS images improved,which all further improved after combining with BM3D filtering.Conclusion SVD combined with BM3D filtering could significantly suppress the background tissue signals and remove noise,improving imaging quality of CEUS.

Objective To explore the surgical treatment strategy for patients with thyroid cancer complicated with primary hyperparathyroidism(PHPT).Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the case data of thyroid cancer patients who underwent surgical treatment at Beijing Friendship Hospital,Capital Medical University from January 2016 to January 2022.Among them,22 patients with PHPT were included in study group,and 44 patients were randomly selected from thyroid cancer patients during the same period at a ratio of 1∶2 and included in control group.The operation time,intraoperative blood loss,hospital stay and occurrence of complications of two groups of patients were compared.Results The operation time of patients in study group was significantly longer than that in control group(P＜0.01).There was no statistically significant difference in intraoperative blood loss and hospital stay between two groups of patients(P＞0.05).There were 5 cases of temporary hypocalcemia in study group,12 cases of temporary hypocalcemia and 1 case of incision infection in control group.There was no statistically significant difference in incidence of postoperative complications between two groups of patients(P＞0.05).Conclusion Thyroid cancer complicated with PHPT increases the complexity of treatment.Through adequate preoperative diagnosis and reasonable surgical treatment strategies,the risks of secondary surgery and postoperative complications can be effectively reduced,and the prognosis of patients can be improved.