The sterile electrode acupuncture needle for single use is an innovative product that combines traditional acupuncture with modern electronic technology, and it has obtained Class Ⅱ medical device registration certificate. This acupuncture device consists of a needle body and a handle. The diameter of the needle body ranges from 0.16 mm to 0.55 mm, and the length from 7 mm to 150 mm. The spiral spray technology is adopted to modify the micron-level insulating coat on stainless steel needle body. The needle holder is connected to the electroacupuncture device (conductive), the micro-film insulated needle body (non-conductive) and the membrane-free needle tip (conductive) can provide a precise electrical stimulation for different tissue layers of acupoints (such as deep nerves and fascia). The intradermal stimulation test, cytotoxicity test and hypersensitivity reaction test have showed a favorable biocompatibility, laying a solid and reliable safety for clinical application. This acupuncture device is suitable for the in-depth invasive stimulation at the sites of human body surface in combination with electroacupuncture equipment in medical institutions.
Humans ; Needles ; Acupuncture Therapy/instrumentation* ; Electrodes ; Equipment Design ; Electroacupuncture/instrumentation* ; Acupuncture Points ; Animals

To verify whether chaperones can promote the soluble expression of PlpE in Escherichia coli and whether the expressed protein is active,prokaryotic expression and Western blot detection were performed.The results showed that:The PlpE prokaryotic expression vector pET-32a(+)-plpE was expressed as inclusion body,and the expression form was not changed by changing the concentration of inducer,induction time and temperature.The companion proteins pG-KJE8,pGro7,pKJE7 and pG-Tf2 were co-expressed with pET-32a(+)-plpE in Eschierichia coli expres-sion system,respectively.When the final concentration of IPTG of 0.5 mmol/L,L-arabinose of 0.5 g/L or tetracycline of 5.0 μg/L were added as inducers and induced at 37 ℃ for 8 h,the results showed that the molecular companion pGro7 could change the expression of rp-PlpE from inclu-sion body to soluble expression.pG-KJE8,pKJE7 and pG-Tf2 had no effect on the expression of rp-PlpE.The soluble rp-PlpE can react specifically with the positive serum of Mannheimia haemolyti-ca.Therefore,the study showed that the co-expression of the chaperone protein pGro7 can make the rp-PlpE protein express in a soluble form,and the purified protein exhibits reactogenicity.These findings lay the foundation for the establishment of a subunit vaccine and serological diagno-sis methods for Mannheimia haemolytica.

Objective To evaluate the reliability of Vitek 2 AST-N335 card for determining the susceptibility of Acinetobacter bauman-nii(AB)to cefoperazone/sulbactam.Methods A total of 318 non-repeated clinical isolates of AB collected in 2023 were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility to cefoperazone/sulbactam using broth microdilution(BMD),the AST-N335 card,and the Kirby-Bauer(K-B)disk diffusion method.Using BMD as the reference method,the reliability of AST-N335 card was assessed,and the accuracy of K-B disk diffusion method as the confirmatory test was validated.Results Compared with BMD,the susceptibility testing of 318 AB strains to cefoperazone/sulbactam using the AST-N335 card showed categorical agreement(CA)of 87.8％(279/318),very major er-ror(VME)of 6.0％(19/318),major error(ME)of 0％(0/318),and minor error(mE)of 1.9％(6/318),which fall outside of the acceptable error range.In contrast,the K-B method achieved CA of 99.4％(316/318),VME of 0％,ME of 0.3％(1/318),and mE of 0.3％(1/318),all within acceptable limits.Of these,the errors with AST-N335 card occurred within the minimum inhibitory concentration(MIC)range of 8-32 μg/mL.Using BMD as the reference method,further analysis was performed on the 171 AB strains with AST-N335 card MIC values of 8-32 μg/mL for cefoperazone/sulbactam.It was revealed that at MIC of 32 μg/mL,the CA was 0％;at MIC of 16 μg/mL,CA was 5.3％(1/19)and VME rate was 84.2％(16/19),both of which substantially exceeded accepta-ble error ranges.At MIC of 8 μg/mL,the CA was 94.9％(131/138)and VME was 2.2％(3/138),both approaching the acceptable ranges.Conclusion The results obtained with Vitek 2 AST-N335 card in determining for cefoperazone/sulbactam are unreliable when the MIC values fall within the range of 8-32 μg/mL,which leads to an underestimation of the resistance rate to cefoperazone/sulbac-tam.This issue requires urgent attention in both laboratories and clinical practice.The K-B disk diffusion method could serve as a sup-plementary verification approach in routine laboratories.

Objective To evaluate the reliability of Vitek 2 AST-N335 card for determining the susceptibility of Acinetobacter bauman-nii(AB)to cefoperazone/sulbactam.Methods A total of 318 non-repeated clinical isolates of AB collected in 2023 were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility to cefoperazone/sulbactam using broth microdilution(BMD),the AST-N335 card,and the Kirby-Bauer(K-B)disk diffusion method.Using BMD as the reference method,the reliability of AST-N335 card was assessed,and the accuracy of K-B disk diffusion method as the confirmatory test was validated.Results Compared with BMD,the susceptibility testing of 318 AB strains to cefoperazone/sulbactam using the AST-N335 card showed categorical agreement(CA)of 87.8％(279/318),very major er-ror(VME)of 6.0％(19/318),major error(ME)of 0％(0/318),and minor error(mE)of 1.9％(6/318),which fall outside of the acceptable error range.In contrast,the K-B method achieved CA of 99.4％(316/318),VME of 0％,ME of 0.3％(1/318),and mE of 0.3％(1/318),all within acceptable limits.Of these,the errors with AST-N335 card occurred within the minimum inhibitory concentration(MIC)range of 8-32 μg/mL.Using BMD as the reference method,further analysis was performed on the 171 AB strains with AST-N335 card MIC values of 8-32 μg/mL for cefoperazone/sulbactam.It was revealed that at MIC of 32 μg/mL,the CA was 0％;at MIC of 16 μg/mL,CA was 5.3％(1/19)and VME rate was 84.2％(16/19),both of which substantially exceeded accepta-ble error ranges.At MIC of 8 μg/mL,the CA was 94.9％(131/138)and VME was 2.2％(3/138),both approaching the acceptable ranges.Conclusion The results obtained with Vitek 2 AST-N335 card in determining for cefoperazone/sulbactam are unreliable when the MIC values fall within the range of 8-32 μg/mL,which leads to an underestimation of the resistance rate to cefoperazone/sulbac-tam.This issue requires urgent attention in both laboratories and clinical practice.The K-B disk diffusion method could serve as a sup-plementary verification approach in routine laboratories.

To verify whether chaperones can promote the soluble expression of PlpE in Escherichia coli and whether the expressed protein is active,prokaryotic expression and Western blot detection were performed.The results showed that:The PlpE prokaryotic expression vector pET-32a(+)-plpE was expressed as inclusion body,and the expression form was not changed by changing the concentration of inducer,induction time and temperature.The companion proteins pG-KJE8,pGro7,pKJE7 and pG-Tf2 were co-expressed with pET-32a(+)-plpE in Eschierichia coli expres-sion system,respectively.When the final concentration of IPTG of 0.5 mmol/L,L-arabinose of 0.5 g/L or tetracycline of 5.0 μg/L were added as inducers and induced at 37 ℃ for 8 h,the results showed that the molecular companion pGro7 could change the expression of rp-PlpE from inclu-sion body to soluble expression.pG-KJE8,pKJE7 and pG-Tf2 had no effect on the expression of rp-PlpE.The soluble rp-PlpE can react specifically with the positive serum of Mannheimia haemolyti-ca.Therefore,the study showed that the co-expression of the chaperone protein pGro7 can make the rp-PlpE protein express in a soluble form,and the purified protein exhibits reactogenicity.These findings lay the foundation for the establishment of a subunit vaccine and serological diagno-sis methods for Mannheimia haemolytica.

Objective We aimed to explore the clinical efficacy of precise electro-acupuncture stimulation in the pterygopalatine fossa for the treatment of chronic sinusitis.Methods In total,40 patients with chronic sinusitis who visited the Xiyuan Hospital,China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences between January 2022 and January 2023 were selected.The subjects were randomly divided into two groups:the treatment group(receiving precise electro-acupuncture in the pterygopalatine fossa)and the control group(receiving standard western medical treatment),with 20 cases in each groups.The treatments were administered twice a week for a period of 12 weeks.The effectiveness of the treatments was evaluated through computed tomography(CT)of the sinus changes and the Lund-Mackay scoring system.Results In cases of total opacity and partial opacity,there were significant differences between the two patient groups before and after treatment(P<0.05).Intra-group comparison revealed statistically significant improvements in both groups before and after treatment(P<0.05).The treatment group exhibited significant improvement in various sinus conditions(P<0.05),while in the control group,a significant improvement was only observed in the left maxillary sinus(P<0.05).Inter-group comparison also demonstrated that the treatment group's improvements were superior to those of the control group across multiple indicators(P<0.05).Conclusion The precise electro-acupuncture stimulation technique in the pterygopalatine fossa demonstrated significant therapeutic effects in the treatment of chronic sinusitis,with superior outcomes with respect to radiological changes compared to standard western medicine treatment.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy of different frequencies of modified electroconvulsive therapy in patients with depressive disorder and its effect on cognitive function and functional near infrared spectroscopy.Methods:The clinical data from 60 patients with depressive disorder, admitted to The Third People's Hospital of Huzhou between December 2022 and July 2023, were retrospectively analyzed. This study was designed as a case-control study. These patients were divided into three treatment groups according to different treatment methods: Group 1 ( n = 20), Group 2 ( n = 20), and Group 3 ( n = 20). All patients underwent conventional antidepressant therapy. Additionally, Group 1 received six sessions of modified electroconvulsive therapy, Group 2 received eight sessions, and Group 3 received ten sessions. The treatment duration for all groups was 4 weeks. Comparisons were made among the three groups for pre- and post-treatment scores on the 24-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, 14-item Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, Clinical Global Impression Scale, Mini-Mental State Examination, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Trail Making Test Part A (TMT-A), Trail Making Test Part B (TMT-B), and Digit Symbol Substitution Test. Furthermore, the incidence of adverse reactions during treatment was calculated, and the Treatment Emergent Symptom Scale was used to assess the occurrence of adverse drug reactions. Moreover, functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy was used before and after treatment to evaluate the cognitive function of patients under the Verbal Fluency Task. Results:At 1, 2, and 4 weeks of treatment, the 24-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, 14-item Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, and Clinical Global Impression Scale scores of Group 2 and Group 3 were significantly lower than those of Group 1 ( Finter-group = 32.09, Ftime = 54.27, Finteraction = 7.53, all P < 0.05; Finter-group = 38.14, Ftime = 69.33, Finteraction = 8.59, all P < 0.05; Finter-group = 11.22, Ftime = 28.29, Finteraction = 9.14, all P < 0.05). The Mini-Mental State Examination, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, and Digit Symbol Substitution Test scores of Group 1 and Group 2 were significantly higher than those of Group 3, while Trail Making Test Part A and Trail Making Test Part B scores of Group 1 and Group 2 were significantly lower than those of Group 3 ( Finter-group = 14.20, Ftime = 44.27, Finteraction = 6.24, all P < 0.05; Finter-group = 18.23, Ftime = 67.15, Finteraction = 8.54, all P < 0.05; Finter-group = 9.30, Ftime = 75.16, Finteraction = 9.41, all P < 0.05; Finter-group = 19.47, Ftime = 85.76, Finteraction = 9.33, all P < 0.05; Finter-group = 22.26, Ftime = 46.37, Finteraction = 6.52, all P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions among the three groups ( Finter-group = 3.03, Ftime = 8.36, Finteraction = 1.25, all P > 0.05). After 4 weeks of treatment, the number of Verbal Fluency Task words and oxy-Hb level in Group 2 were significantly higher compared with those in Group 1 and Group 3 ( F = 29.71, 198.57, both P < 0.05). Conclusion:Modified electroconvulsive therapy is highly effective and safe in treating depressive disorders in patients. Eight sessions of modified electroconvulsive therapy administered within 4 weeks have been shown to exhibit better clinical efficacy and lead to greater improvements in cognitive function and functional near-infrared spectroscopy measurements compared with six or ten sessions of treatment.

Objective:This study aims to explore the changes in brain surface morphology and their association with psychological characteristics in adolescents experiencing their first episode of major depressive disorder.Methods:This study included 48 adolescents with first-episode major depressive disorder (depression group) admitted to the Department of Psychiatry of the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from October 2021 to July 2022. At the same period,35 healthy controls (control group) were also enrolled,from communities of Chongqing. All participants underwent assessments for depressive symptoms, emotion regulation capacity, impulsiveness, and psychological resilience using the 17-item Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD 17), the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ), the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11 (BIS-11), and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC). Structure magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) was utilized to evaluate brain surface morphology. The values of cortical thickness, fractal dimension, sulcus depth, and cortical gyrification index were calculated. The index of brain surface morphology between the two groups was compared using the two-sample t-test, chi-square test, and non-parametric statistical tests with multiple comparisons correction using threshold-free cluster enhancement (TFCE) and false discovery rate (FDR). Pearson correlation analyses were used to analyze the correlation between the scores of each scale (HAMD 17, PHQ-9, ERQ, BIS-11, and CD-RISC) and the cortical thickness values and fractal dimension in the depression group. In addition, multiple linear regression was used to analyze the impact of clinical symptoms on the cortical thickness values in the depression group. Results:Compared with the control group, the depression group exhibited a significant reduction in the cortical thickness of the left occidental (FDR corrected, P<0.05) and an increase of the fractal dimension in the right insula, right superior temporal gyrus, and right transverse temporal gyrus (TFCE uncorrected, P<0.001). Correlation analyses showed that left occipital cortical thickness was positively correlated with the cognitive reappraisal scores of ERQ ( r=0.315, P=0.029), the total score of CD-RISC ( r=0.366, P=0.016), and the unplanned impulsiveness scores of BIS-11 (reverse scoring for this dimension) ( r=0.354, P=0.014). The partial correlation analysis revealed a positive linear correlation between cortical thickness and unplanned impulsiveness scores after controlling for age ( r=0.467, P=0.001). However, after Bonferroni correction, these correlations were not statistically significant. Conclusions:Compared with healthy individuals, adolescents with first-episode depressive disorders demonstrated increased fractal dimension in the right insula, right superior temporal gyrus, and right transverse temporal gyrus and decreased cortical thickness in the left occipital lobe. The decreased cortical thickness in the left occipital lobe was associated with impaired emotion regulation ability and impulse control ability during periods of stress.

Objective:This study aims to explore the changes in brain surface morphology and their association with psychological characteristics in adolescents experiencing their first episode of major depressive disorder.Methods:This study included 48 adolescents with first-episode major depressive disorder (depression group) admitted to the Department of Psychiatry of the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from October 2021 to July 2022. At the same period,35 healthy controls (control group) were also enrolled,from communities of Chongqing. All participants underwent assessments for depressive symptoms, emotion regulation capacity, impulsiveness, and psychological resilience using the 17-item Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD 17), the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ), the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11 (BIS-11), and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC). Structure magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) was utilized to evaluate brain surface morphology. The values of cortical thickness, fractal dimension, sulcus depth, and cortical gyrification index were calculated. The index of brain surface morphology between the two groups was compared using the two-sample t-test, chi-square test, and non-parametric statistical tests with multiple comparisons correction using threshold-free cluster enhancement (TFCE) and false discovery rate (FDR). Pearson correlation analyses were used to analyze the correlation between the scores of each scale (HAMD 17, PHQ-9, ERQ, BIS-11, and CD-RISC) and the cortical thickness values and fractal dimension in the depression group. In addition, multiple linear regression was used to analyze the impact of clinical symptoms on the cortical thickness values in the depression group. Results:Compared with the control group, the depression group exhibited a significant reduction in the cortical thickness of the left occidental (FDR corrected, P<0.05) and an increase of the fractal dimension in the right insula, right superior temporal gyrus, and right transverse temporal gyrus (TFCE uncorrected, P<0.001). Correlation analyses showed that left occipital cortical thickness was positively correlated with the cognitive reappraisal scores of ERQ ( r=0.315, P=0.029), the total score of CD-RISC ( r=0.366, P=0.016), and the unplanned impulsiveness scores of BIS-11 (reverse scoring for this dimension) ( r=0.354, P=0.014). The partial correlation analysis revealed a positive linear correlation between cortical thickness and unplanned impulsiveness scores after controlling for age ( r=0.467, P=0.001). However, after Bonferroni correction, these correlations were not statistically significant. Conclusions:Compared with healthy individuals, adolescents with first-episode depressive disorders demonstrated increased fractal dimension in the right insula, right superior temporal gyrus, and right transverse temporal gyrus and decreased cortical thickness in the left occipital lobe. The decreased cortical thickness in the left occipital lobe was associated with impaired emotion regulation ability and impulse control ability during periods of stress.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has spread worldwide and threatened human's health. With the passing of time, the epidemiology of coronavirus disease 2019 evolves and the knowledge of SARS-CoV-2 infection accumu-lates. To further improve the scientific and standardized diagnosis and treatment of maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection in China, the Chinese Society of Perinatal Medicine of Chinese Medical Association commissioned leading experts to develop the Recommendations for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Maternal SARS-CoV-2 Infection under the guidance of the Maternal and Child Health Department of the National Health Commission. This recommendations includes the epidemiology, diagnosis, management, maternal care, medication treatment, care of birth and newborns, and psychological support associated with maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection. It is hoped that the recommendations will effectively help the clinical management of maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection.