OBJECTIVE: To elucidate the rules of temporal and spatial variations in distal skin potential at Hegu (LI4) under different stimulation modes by extracting nonlinear characteristic parameters from array multichannel data and adopting multivariate statistical analysis. METHODS: Seven healthy subjects were selected and the surface potential at the left Quchi (LI11) was collected using 14×9 array multichannel electrodes. Using Hegu (LI4) on the left as the stimulation point, four stimulation modes were applied, i.e. being quiescent, point pressing, moxibustion, and manual needling manipulation. Electrical signals were collected for 30 s in each mode, with a 5-min interval between operations, and a sampling frequency of 16 384 Hz. The data was denoised using ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD), and sample entropy (SaEn) features were extracted. Statistical analysis was conducted on these data using factor analysis and multivariate analysis of variance. RESULTS: The SaEn values of most electrode channels were higher under point pressing, moxibustion and manual needling manipulation compared with those under quiescent condition. Under manual needling manipulation, the SaEn value of the electrode channel reached the peak in the first time interval (1-5 s) and it was declining thereafter. Factor analysis showed that the specificity of activation channels was concentrated at the left Quchi (LI11) (loading capacity ≥0.90). Analysis of variance indicated that the significant differences were presented in average sample entropy (SaEn()) values of activation channels among different stimulation modes at Hegu (LI4) (P<0.001), but there was no statistically significant interaction effect between groups and time intervals (P>0.05). CONCLUSION Through nonlinear characteristic parameter extraction and multivariate statistical analysis, we have uncovered the complex temporal and spatial dynamical rules of distal skin potential at Hegu (LI4) under various stimulation modes and successfully identified the specific activation characteristics at Quchi (LI11).
Humans ; Moxibustion ; Acupuncture Points ; Male ; Adult ; Female ; Young Adult ; Acupuncture Therapy/instrumentation*

OBJECTIVE: To explore the pain-location interaction between pressure-sensitive points on the body surface and traditional acupoints in patients with chronic non-specific low back pain (CNLBP) under different disease courses, using Euclidean distance and multivariate statistical analysis. METHODS: A pressure-sensitive point detection was performed on 30 CNLBP patients with varying disease courses. A constant pressure was applied using an FDK20 algometer within a designated lumbar area, a total of 50 points were tested, and the tested points were numbered; the visual analogue scale (VAS) pain score was recorded simultaneously. MatlabR2022a9.12. software was used to extract the positions of pressure-sensitive points, and preprocessing and normalization of point location and VAS scores data were conducted. Under constraint conditions (VAS≥8.0 ∩ Euclidean distance to acupoint≤0.5), the proportion of pressure-sensitive points within the Euclidean distance threshold to each acupoint (PVD_acupoint) was calculated, followed by multivariate statistical analysis. RESULTS: ①Constrained analysis of PVD_acupoint showed that PVD_{Qihaishu (BL24)} and PVD_{Dachangshu (BL25)} were positively correlated with disease course (r=0.55, P<0.01). ②Factor analysis and silhouette analysis revealed that PVD_{Shenshu (BL23)} and PVD_{Dachangshu (BL25)} exhibited trends consistent with disease course progression (P>0.05), with different degree (P<0.01). CONCLUSION The PVD_acupoint value based on Euclidean distance can characterize the pressure sensitivity features of traditional acupoints associated with disease. Multivariate statistical analysis of PVD_acupoint confirms that selecting the acupoint combination of Shenshu (BL23) and Dachangshu (BL25) for CNLBP is associated with the distribution of surrounding pressure-sensitive points and the pathological characteristics of the condition.
Humans ; Acupuncture Points ; Low Back Pain/physiopathology* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Aged ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Young Adult ; Pressure

Cells and exosomes derived from them are extensively used as biological carrier systems. Cells demonstrate superior targeting specificity and prolonged circulation facilitated by their rich array of surface proteins, while exosomes, due to their small size, cross barriers and penetrate tumors efficiently. However, challenges remain, cells' large size restricts tissue penetration, and exosomes have limited targeting accuracy and short circulation times. To address these challenges, we developed a novel concept termed exosomal spheres. This approach involved incorporating platelet-derived exosomes shielded with phosphatidylserine (PS) and linked via pH-sensitive bonds for drug delivery applications. The study demonstrated that, compared with exosomes, the exosomal spheres improved blood circulation through the upregulation of CD47 expression and shielding of phosphatidylserine, thereby minimizing immune clearance. Moreover, the increased expression of P-selectin promoted adhesion to circulating tumor cells, thereby enhancing targeting efficiency. Upon reaching the tumor site, the hydrazone bonds of exosome spheres were protonated in the acidic tumor microenvironment, leading to disintegration into uniform-sized exosomes capable of deeper tumor penetration compared to platelets. These findings suggested that exosome spheres addressed the challenges and offered significant potential for efficient and precise drug delivery.

Cemental tear is a rare and indetectable condition unless obvious clinical signs present with the involvement of surrounding periodontal and periapical tissues. Due to its clinical manifestations similar to common dental issues, such as vertical root fracture, primary endodontic diseases, and periodontal diseases, as well as the low awareness of cemental tear for clinicians, misdiagnosis often occurs. The critical principle for cemental tear treatment is to remove torn fragments, and overlooking fragments leads to futile therapy, which could deteriorate the conditions of the affected teeth. Therefore, accurate diagnosis and subsequent appropriate interventions are vital for managing cemental tear. Novel diagnostic tools, including cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), microscopes, and enamel matrix derivatives, have improved early detection and management, enhancing tooth retention. The implementation of standardized diagnostic criteria and treatment protocols, combined with improved clinical awareness among dental professionals, serves to mitigate risks of diagnostic errors and suboptimal therapeutic interventions. This expert consensus reviewed the epidemiology, pathogenesis, potential predisposing factors, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of cemental tear, aiming to provide a clinical guideline and facilitate clinicians to have a better understanding of cemental tear.
Humans ; Dental Cementum/injuries* ; Consensus ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Cone-Beam Computed Tomography ; Tooth Fractures/therapy*

Objective:To explore the effect of Danggui Shaoyao Powder(DGSYP)on the Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4)/Myeloid differen-tiation factor 88(MyD88)/Nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB)signaling pathway in ulcerative colitis(UC)rats.Methods:Forty-eight male SD rats were randomly divided into 6 groups:normal group,model group,DGSYP low-dose group(11.61 g/kg),medium-dose group(23.22 g/kg),high-dose group(46.44 g/kg)and salazosulapyridine group(0.36 g/kg).There were 8 rats in each group.In addition to the normal group,the rats in other groups were induced by 5%sodium trinitrobenzene sulfonate(TNBS)to establish a UC rat model.After successful modeling,each drug treatment group continued to administer the intervention for 14 days.At the same time,the rats in the normal group and the model group were given equal volume of nor-mal saline.The disease activity index(DAI)score was calculated.hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining was used to observe the histo-pathological changes in the colon of rats.The levels of interleukin-6(IL-6),IL-1β,and tumor necrosis factor α(TNF-α)in colon tissue were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain re-action(RT-qPCR)was used to detect the mRNA expression levels of TLR4,MyD88 and NF-κB p65 in colon tissues.The expression levels of TLR4,MyD88 and NF-κB in colon tissues were detected by Western blot(WB).Results:Compared with the normal group,the DAI score of the model group was increased,the colon was shortened,the histopathological changeswere obvious.The levels of in-flammatory factors IL-6,IL-1β and TNF-α in colon tissue of model group were significantly increased(P<0.01),the mRNA and pro-tein expressions of TLR4,MyD88 and NF-κB p65 were also significantly increased(P<0.05,P<0.01).Compared with the model group,the above disease-related conditions of rats in each treatment group of DGSYP were improved to varying degrees,DAI fraction decreased significantly(P<0.05),colon growth,no obvious edema or edema degree decreased,the histopathological changes of colon were improved to varying degrees.The levels of inflammatory factors IL-6,IL-1β and TNF-α in colon tissues were significantly de-creased(P<0.01),and the mRNA and protein expressions of TLR4,MyD88 and NF-κB p65 were significantly decreased(P<0.05,P<0.01).Conclusion:DGSYP can regulate the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway,thereby reducing the release of inflammatory fac-tors,and then alleviating the degree of inflammatory damage in the colon of UC rats.

Objective To investigate the value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound(CEUS)liver imaging reporting and data system version 2017(LI-RADS v2017)in the differential diagnosis between hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)and other hepatic malignancies(OM)less than or equal to 3 cm.Methods The clinical and imaging data of 163 liver lesions less than or equal to 3 cm in 126 patients with pathologically-confirmed liver malignancy were retrospectively analyzed.The patient underwent CEUS from Jan.2018 to Jun.2022 in our hospital,including 133 with HCC and 30 with OM.Nodules were classified based on the CEUS features according to the CEUS LI-RADS v2017.The evaluation of CEUS characteristics and CEUS LI-RADS v2017 in differential diagnosis of HCC and OM were calculated based on pathological findings.Results There were significant differences in the characteristics of arterial phase enhancement,timing of washout onset and washout degree between the HCC group and the OM group(all P＜0.001).The HCC group was mainly LR-3(20 lesions,15.04%),LR-4(25 lesions,18.80%)and LR-5(82 lesions,61.65%),and the OM group was mainly LR-M(28 lesions,93.33%).The specificity and positive predictive value of late washout for HCC were 93.33%(28/30)and 98.06%(101/103),respectively;and the sensitivity of early washout for OM was 93.33%(28/30).With LR-5 as the criterion to diagnose HCC,the sensitivity was 61.65%(82/133),the specificity was 93.33%(28/30),and the positive predictive value was 97.62%(82/84);with LR-4/5 as the criterion to diagnose HCC,the sensitivity was 80.45%(107/133),the specificity was 93.33%(28/30),and the positive predictive value was 98.17%(107/109),with the sensitivity of LR-4/5 being significantly higher than those of LR-5(P=0.001).With LR-M as the criterion to diagnose OM,the sensitivity was 93.33%(28/30)and the specificity was 95.49%(127/133).Conclusion The CEUS LI-RADS v2017 can effectively distinguish HCC from OM less than or equal to 3 cm.LR-5 has a low sensitivity for HCC,while LR-4/5 can improve the sensitivity for HCC.

Objective To investigate the therapeutic mechanism of Shen Wu Yizhi Capsule in the treatment of post-stroke cognitive impairment(PSCI)by using network pharmacology methods and clinical trial validation.Methods A prospective trial was carried out in 90 cases of patients with PSCI admitted to Taihe Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital Affiliated to Anhui University of Chinese Medicine from August 2022 to February 2024.The patients were randomly divided into the control group and the trial group by random number table method,with 45 cases in each group.The control group was treated with conventional treatment for PSCI,and the trial group was treated with Shen Wu Yizhi Capsule orally on the basis of treatment for the control group.The treatment course for the two groups covered 28 days.The changes of Mini-Mental State Examination(MMSE)score,Montreal Cognitive Assessment(MoCA)score,and the serum levels of inflammatory factors such as tumor necrosis factor α(TNF-α)and interleukin 6(IL-6)in the patients of the two groups were observed before and after treatment.Moreover,the incidences of adverse events in the two groups were recorded,thus to evaluate the safety of the treatment regimens in the two groups.And then the network pharmacological research was performed.TCMSP and literature review were used to obtain the active ingredients of Shen Wu Yizhi Capsule,GeneCards and other databases were used to obtain the PSCI disease targets,and the common targets were inputted into the STRING database to construct the PPI network.Cytoscape 3.9.0 was used to construct the network diagram of Shen Wu Yizhi Capsule-PSCI-targets,DAVID was used to perform GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis,and then molecular docking was used to verify the binding activity.Results(1)The results of clinical trial showed that after 28 days of treatment,the MMSE and MoCA scores of patients in the two groups were increased compared with those before treatment(P<0.05),and the increase of the scores in the trial group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P<0.05).The serum levels of TNF-α and IL-6 were decreased compared with those before treatment(P<0.05),and the decrease in the trial group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P<0.05).During the trial,both groups of patients did not show obvious adverse reactions,with high safety.(2)The network pharmacological research of Shen Wu Yizhi Capsule yielded 92 active ingredients,803 targets,5 209 disease targets and 556 intersection targets.The core targets were AKT1,TNF,IL-6,TP53 and IL-1B,and the key compounds were deoxyharringtonine,senkyunone and genkwanin.The GO enrichment analysis obtained 1 812 GO entries,of which 154 entries were related with cellular component(CC),1 332 entries were related with biological process(BP),and 326 entries were related with molecular function(MF).The KEGG pathway enrichment analysis yielded 195 signaling pathways.The molecular docking results showed that the key compounds of Shen Wu Yizhi Capsule had good binding activities with the core targets.Conclusion The clinical efficacy of Shen Wu Yizhi Capsule in the treatment of PSCI is remarkable,and its therapeutic mechanism is probably related with multiple components through the signaling pathways such as AKT1,TNF,and IL-6.The results will provide reference for the in-depth study of Shen Wu Yizhi Capsule.

Objective To observe the effect of deglycerolized red blood cells suspended in MAP on preservation and ex-plore the most effective preservation method.Methods Concentrated red blood cells were prepared by centrifuging 400 mL of whole blood on the third day after collection.40%compound glycerol solution was added using the ACP 215 automatic blood cell analyzer,and the resulting mixture was stored in an ultra-low temperature refrigerator at-65℃for 30 days.After thawing and washing,it was equally separated into two bags.The control group received 0.9%sodium chloride solution,while the experimental group received MAP.Both groups were stored at 2-6℃.Hematological parameters,hemolysis inde-xes and cell metabolism indexes were measured on day 0,1,3,5,7 and 14 after storage.The quality changes of both groups were observed during the 14-day storage period.Results The quality of red blood cells in both groups was assessed through a panel of quality tests,including volume,hemoglobin content,free hemoglobin content,white blood cell residue,glycerin residue and sterility.These results met the Quality Requirements outlined in the"Quality Requirements of Whole Blood and Component Blood"(GB18469-2012),Hematocrit,red blood cell count,Hb recovery rate after washing and MCV meet the detection limit outlined in the"Expert Consensus on Quality Evaluation Indicators for Frozen Red Blood Cells",and the residual amount of platelets exceeds the detection limit(≤1%).There were no significant differences in RBC,Hct,MCV and hemoglobin between the two groups during the 14 day storage period.The level of free hemoglobin,hemolysis rate and K+value increased in both groups over time.Significant differences in free hemoglobin were found on day 3,5,7 and 14 between the two groups(P<0.05).Hemolysis rate was significantly different on days 3,5,7 and 14,while K+value was significantly different only on day 14(P<0.05).On day 14,the osmotic fragility of red blood cells was higher in the control group than in the experimental group(P<0.05);The ATP and pH values of both groups decreased as storage time in-creased,and significant differences in ATP and pH value were found on day 3,5,7 and on day 1,3,5,7 and 14,respec-tively(P<0.05).Conclusion Deglycerolized red blood cells suspended in MAP additive solution can extend the storage period of blood to 7 days.This study provides a reference for the formulation of relevant standards.

Objective To investigate the prevalence of zika virus(ZIKV),dengue virus(DENV)and chikungunya virus(CHIKV)infections in blood donors in Kunming,China.Methods A total of 10 662 samples from blood donors in Kunming from August 2022 to October 2023 were randomly collected,and ZIKV RNA,DENV RNA and CHIKV RNA were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR).Results Effec-tive test results were obtained from 10 554 samples,and no positive case of ZIKV RNA,DENV RNA and CHIKV RNA was found in this investigation.Conclusion The risk of ZIKV,DENV and CHIKV infections among blood donors in Kunming is low,and there is no immediate need for routine screening for these viruses among blood donors in this region.

Objective:To construct a reliability management index system of cardiology medical equipment supply,to form a reliability evaluation strategy,and to improve the effectiveness of reliability management.Methods:13 supply management items were decomposed from the three links of spare parts before use,tracking during use and post-use processing of 126 medical equipment,and the probability of work error,probability of quality problems and risk expectation of diagnosis and treatment were evaluated in the whole process management,and the whole-process management countermeasures of grading and stratification,quality standardization and department cooperation was formed.2,000 pieces(sets)of medical equipment used in The People's Hospital of Longhua from 2021 to 2022 were selected by random sampling method,and the department cooperative management[referred to as collaborative management mode,1,000 pieces(sets)times]and reliability evaluation management[referred to as evaluation management mode,1,000 pieces(sets)times]were adopted respectively.The reliability and satisfaction of medical equipment under different management modes were compared.Results:The work error probabilities of pre-use spare parts,in-use tracking,post-use processing and supply of medical equipment adopting evaluation management mode were(4.74±2.19)%,(4.39±1.85)%,(5.75±1.88)%and(8.29±1.30)%,respectively,which were lower than the collaborative management mode,the difference was statistically significant(t=5.367,5.663,5.432,6.847;P<0.05);the probabilities of quality problems were(4.13±1.67)%,(3.89±1.25)%,(5.28±1.84)%and(7.64±1.18)%,respectively,which were lower than the collaborative management mode,the difference was statistically significant(t=6.504,6.229,5.123,6.166,P<0.05);the risk expectations of diagnosis and treatment were(2.74±0.89)%,(2.47±0.96)%,(3.42±0.95)%and(4.02±1.09)%,respectively,which were lower than the collaborative management mode,the difference was statistically significant(t=7.027,6.509,8.915,9.266,P<0.05).The satisfaction of the relevant staff on the performance quality,sterilization specifications,supply timeliness,level of collaboration and safety of the medical equipment adopting the evaluation management mode were(93.54±4.65)%,(91.67±4.11)%,(94.58±4.34)%,(92.39±3.82)%and(90.97±3.76)%,respectively,which were higher than the collaborative management mode,the difference was statistically significant(t=2.809,3.030,2.843,4.939,3.739,P<0.05).Conclusion:The reliability management model can reduce the work errors and security risks in medical equipment supply,improve the reliability of supply and improve the quality of supply service.