BACKGROUND: China is seeing a growing demand for rehabilitation treatments for post-stroke upper limb spastic paresis (PSSP-UL). Although acupuncture is known to be effective for PSSP-UL, there is room to enhance its efficacy. OBJECTIVE: This study explored a semi-personalized acupuncture approach for PSSP-UL that used three-dimensional kinematic analysis (3DKA) results to select additional acupoints, and investigated the feasibility, efficacy and safety of this approach. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTIONS: This single-blind, single-center, randomized, controlled trial involved 74 participants who experienced a first-ever ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke with spastic upper limb paresis. The participants were then randomly assigned to the intervention group or the control group in a 1:1 ratio. Both groups received conventional treatments and acupuncture treatment 5 days a week for 4 weeks. The main acupoints in both groups were the same, while participants in the intervention group received additional acupoints selected on the basis of 3DKA results. Follow-up assessments were conducted for 8 weeks after the treatment. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was the Fugl-Meyer Assessment for Upper Extremity (FMA-UE) response rate (≥ 6-point change) at week 4. Secondary outcomes included changes in motor function (FMA-UE), Brunnstrom recovery stage (BRS), manual muscle test (MMT), spasticity (Modified Ashworth Scale, MAS), and activities of daily life (Modified Barthel Index, MBI) at week 4 and week 12. RESULTS: Sixty-four participants completed the trial and underwent analyses. Compared with control group, the intervention group exhibited a significantly higher FMA-UE response rate at week 4 (χ² = 5.479, P = 0.019) and greater improvements in FMA-UE at both week 4 and week 12 (both P < 0.001). The intervention group also showed bigger improvements from baseline in the MMT grades for shoulder adduction and elbow flexion at weeks 4 and 12 as well as thumb adduction at week 4 (P = 0.007, P = 0.049, P = 0.019, P = 0.008, P = 0.029, respectively). The intervention group showed a better change in the MBI at both week 4 and week 12 (P = 0.004 and P = 0.010, respectively). Although the intervention group had a higher BRS for the hand at week 12 (P = 0.041), no intergroup differences were observed at week 4 (all P > 0.05). The two groups showed no differences in MAS grades as well as in BRS for the arm at weeks 4 and 12 (all P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Semi-personalized acupuncture prescription based on 3DKA results significantly improved motor function, muscle strength, and activities of daily living in patients with PSSP-UL. TRIAL REGISTRATION Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR2200056216. Please cite this article as: Huang XY, Liao OP, Jiang SY, Tao JM, Li Y, Lu XY, Li YY, Wang C, Li J, Ma XP. Three-dimensional kinematic analysis can improve the efficacy of acupoint selection for post-stroke patients with upper limb spastic paresis: A randomized controlled trial. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(1): 15-24.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Acupuncture Points ; Upper Extremity/physiopathology* ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Single-Blind Method ; Aged ; Stroke/therapy* ; Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; Stroke Rehabilitation/methods* ; Adult ; Muscle Spasticity/therapy* ; Paresis/physiopathology* ; Treatment Outcome

AIM To study the secondary metabolites from the endophytic fungi Candida sp.of Berberis atrocarpa Schneid.METHODS The ethyl acetate fraction and petroleum ether fraction from the secondary metabolites of Candida sp.fermentation extract were separated and purified by silica gel,Sephadex LH-20 and preparative liquid chromatography,then the structures of obtained compounds were identified by physicochemical properties and spectral data.RESULTS Eighteen compounds were isolated and identified as 1-phenyl-1,2-ethanediol(1),4-hydroxyphenethyl alcohol(2),4-hydroxybenzoic acid(3),4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid(4),3-hydroxyphenylacetic acid(5),3-methylsulfinyl propionic acid(6),phenylacetic acid(7),(S)-N-nitroso-1-amino-p-hydroxy phenylethanol(8),2-phenylacetamide(9),p-hydroxybenzaldehyde(10),ethyl 2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)acetate(11),dibutyl phthalate(12),5,5'-dimethoxybiphenyl-2,2'-diol(13),3-indolealdehyde(14),N-acetyl-L-phenylalanine(15),9-hydroxy-10E,12Z-octadecadienoic acid(16),9-hydroxy-10E,12E-octadecadienoic acid(17),(6E)-5-methylene-6-tetradecenoic acid(18).CONCLUSION Compounds 1,3-8 and 10-18 are isolated from Candida sp for the first time.

Humans ; Adolescent ; Acne Vulgaris/therapy* ; Skin Care ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Cognition ; China ; Skin

Objective To understand the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of healthcare-associated infec-tion(HAI)in neonates with different gestational ages and birth weights,and provide guidance for personalized cli-nical diagnosis and treatment.Methods According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria,240 neonates with HAI in the neonatal intensive care unit(NICU)of a hospital in Handan City from January 2018 to December 2022 were selected as the study group,720 neonates without HAI were selected as the control group based on systematic sam-pling method with a ratio of 1∶3.The incidence of HAI,distribution characteristics of infection site,pathogenic features of HAI,as well as the effect of different delivery modes on HAI in neonates with different gestational ages and birth weights were analyzed.Results Neonates with gestational age＜28 weeks and birth weight＜1 000 g had the highest incidence of HAI,which were 19.48％and 20.41％,respectively.Among neonates with gestational age＜28 weeks,unidentified site infection were the most(37.50％),while in all gestational age groups within 28-36+6 weeks,bloodstream infection(BSI)and respiratory system infection were predominant.For neonates with gestational age ≥37 weeks,BSI and unidentified site infection occurred frequently.Among neonates in all weight groups,BSI was the most frequent,followed by respiratory system infection.Pathogens from different sites of in-fections in neonates with different gestational ages and birth weights varied.Among neonates with gestational age of 28-31+6 weeks and birth weight of 1 000-1 499 g,the constituent of birth modes showed statistically significant difference between neonates with and without HAI(both P＜0.05).Conclusion Epidemiological and clinical chara-cteristics of HAI in neonates with different gestational ages and birth weights are different.For the prevention and control of HAI,individualized diagnosis and treatment plans should be developed to achieve precise prevention and control,reduce the incidence of HAI,and improve the overall treatment level of neonates.

Patients with severe trauma require an extremely timely treatment and transfusion plays an irreplaceable role in the emergency treatment of such patients. An increasing number of evidence-based medicinal evidences and clinical practices suggest that patients with severe traumatic bleeding benefit from early transfusion of low-titer group O whole blood or hemostatic resuscitation with red blood cells, plasma and platelet of a balanced ratio. However, the current domestic mode of blood supply cannot fully meet the requirements of timely and effective blood transfusion for emergency treatment of patients with severe trauma in clinical practice. In order to solve the key problems in blood supply and blood transfusion strategies for emergency treatment of severe trauma, Branch of Clinical Transfusion Medicine of Chinese Medical Association, Group for Trauma Emergency Care and Multiple Injuries of Trauma Branch of Chinese Medical Association, Young Scholar Group of Disaster Medicine Branch of Chinese Medical Association organized domestic experts of blood transfusion medicine and trauma treatment to jointly formulate Chinese expert consensus on blood support mode and blood transfusion strategies for emergency treatment of severe trauma patients ( version 2024). Based on the evidence-based medical evidence and Delphi method of expert consultation and voting, 10 recommendations were put forward from two aspects of blood support mode and transfusion strategies, aiming to provide a reference for transfusion resuscitation in the emergency treatment of severe trauma and further improve the success rate of treatment of patients with severe trauma.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of crisaborole 2% ointment in the treatment of childhood atopic dermatitis (AD) at the early stage, and to compare the efficacy of every-other-day (Qod) regimen versus twice-a-week (Biw) regimen against recurrence in the remission stage of AD.Methods:A multicenter, randomized, open-label clinical trial was conducted. Totally, 150 children with mild to moderate AD aged 2 - < 18 years were enrolled from 6 hospitals (including Beijing Children′s Hospital, Capital Medical University, etc), and randomly divided into the Qod group (76 cases) and the Biw group (74 cases). In the acute stage of AD, both groups were treated with topical crisaborole 2% ointment on skin lesions twice a day for 2 - 4 weeks, as well as with emollients throughout the whole body. The improvement of early clinical symptoms was evaluated, and the occurrence of adverse reactions was recorded in the follow up. Once the investigator′s static global assessment (ISGA) scores decreased to 1 point or less, the patient would be enrolled into the remission stage. In the remission stage of AD, patients in the Qod group and Biw group were treated with crisaborole ointment every other day and twice a week respectively; the recurrence rate of AD in the remission stage was evaluated, as well as the severity of skin lesions, itching, life quality, and the occurrence of adverse reactions at weeks 4, 8, and 12. Statistical analysis was carried out with SPSS 23.0 software by using t test for comparisons of normally distributed continuous data between two groups, Mann-Whitney U test for non-normally distributed data, chi-square test for enumeration data, and Kaplan-Meier method for analysis of survival rates. Results:A total of 142 patients were enrolled in the modified intention-to-treat population, including 71 in the Qod group and 71 in the Biw group. In the acute stage of AD, the improvement of itching and skin lesions self-reported by the children or their family members occurred on days 1.9 (1.0, 3.0) and 2.0 (1.0, 4.1) after the application of crisaborole ointment, respectively. At the end of treatment in the acute stage, 89 children (62.7%) achieved ISGA 0/1 and successfully transferred into the remission stage. The follow-up in the remission stage was completed in 83 patients (44 in the Qod group and 39 in the Biw group). In addition, recurrence occurred in 19 (43.2%) and 12 (30.8%) patients in the Qod group and Biw group respectively, and there was no significant difference in the recurrence rate between the two groups ( χ2 = 1.36, P = 0.243) ; the average time to recurrence was 64.25 (95% CI: 53.33 - 75.17) days and 75.78 (95% CI: 65.46 - 86.10) days in the Qod group and Biw group respectively. Among the patients who were in the remission stage and had not yet experienced relapse at weeks 4, 8, and 12, there were no significant differences in the eczema area and severity index (EASI) scores, ISGA scores, pruritus numerical rating scale (NRS) scores, or quality-of-life scores between the two groups (all P > 0.05) at any time points, except for the ISGA scores at week 12 (Biw group: 0 [0, 1] point vs. Qod group: 1 [0, 1] point; Z = -2.31, P = 0.021). A total of 146 patients were enrolled in the safety set. During the study period, 70 adverse events occurred in 65 patients, with an incidence rate of 44.5%, and all were mild or moderate adverse events; 55 (37.7%) patients experienced discomfort at the medication site, which mainly referred to pain (45 cases, 30.8%) and mostly occurred in the tender and skinfold areas. Conclusions:Crisaborole 2% ointment could effectively relieve clinical symptoms in children with mild to moderate AD in the early stage, and intermittent treatment could continuously relieve clinical symptoms in the remission stage. The common adverse reaction was discomfort at the application site in the early stage of AD. There was no significant difference in the impact on AD recurrence in the remission stage between the Qod regimen and Biw regimen.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are mediators of the aging process. The purpose of this work was to analyze the miRNA expression profiles of spermatozoa from men of different ages with normal fertility. Twenty-seven donors were divided into three groups by age (Group A, n = 8, age: 20-30 years; Group B, n = 10, age: 31-40 years; and Group C, n = 9, age: 41-55 years) for high-throughput sequencing analysis. Samples from 65 individuals (22, 22, and 21 in Groups A, B, and C, respectively) were used for validation by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). A total of 2160 miRNAs were detected: 1223 were known, 937 were newly discovered and unnamed, of which 191 were expressed in all donors. A total of 7, 5, and 17 differentially expressed microRNAs (DEMs) were found in Group A vs B, Group B vs C, and Group A vs C comparisons, respectively. Twenty-two miRNAs were statistically correlated with age. Twelve miRNAs were identified as age-associated miRNAs, including hsa-miR-127-3p, mmu-miR-5100_L+2R-1, efu-miR-9226_L-2_1ss22GA, cgr-miR-1260_L+1, hsa-miR-652-3p_R+1, pal-miR-9993a-3p_L+2R-1, hsa-miR-7977_1ss6AG, hsa-miR-106b-3p_R-1, hsa-miR-186-5p, PC-3p-59611_111, hsa-miR-93-3p_R+1, and aeca-mir-8986a-p5_1ss1GA. There were 9165 target genes of age-associated miRNAs. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis of the target genes identified revealed enrichment of protein binding, membrane, cell cycle, and so on. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis of age-related miRNAs for target genes revealed 139 enriched pathways, such as signaling pathways regulating stem cell pluripotency, metabolic pathways, and the Hippo signaling pathway. This suggests that miRNAs play a key role in male fertility changes with increasing age and provides new evidence for the study of the mechanism of age-related male fertility decline.
Humans ; Male ; Young Adult ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; MicroRNAs/genetics* ; Signal Transduction/genetics* ; Spermatozoa/metabolism* ; Gene Expression Profiling

Galectin-3 (Gal-3) belongs to the galectin family and is specific in binding β-galactoside. Through its C-terminal domain, Gal-3 binds to the galactoside group of the glycosylated insulin receptor (IR) and inhibits IR signaling pathway, which leads to the insulin resistance. Thus, Gal-3 is a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Here we report a simple Gal-3 screening model based on the property that Gal-3 binds to the galactoside. We expressed and purified human Gal-3 in Escherichia coli (E.coli), and labeled it with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) in vitro. After incubating FITC labeled Gal-3 (Gal-3-FITC) with PANC-1 cells, which express glycosylated membrane protein, PANC-1 cells started to show green fluorescent signal due to the Gal-3-FITC binding to the glycosylated membrane protein. Gal-3 inhibitor disrupts the binding of Gal-3-FITC and PANC1 cells, subsequently leads to the decrease of the fluorescent signal in PANC-1 cells. We can evaluate the inhibitory efficiency of Gal-3 inhibitors through measurement of the fluorescent signal. Further studies show this model is simple, stable, and repeatable with a Z' factor between 0.7 and 0.85. In sum, we have successfully established an in vitro high-throughput screening model for Gal-3 inhibitors.

Objective: Retrospective analysis of the efficacy and influencing factors of bladder preservation integrated therapy for unresectable invasive bladder cancer confined to the pelvis was done, also including the bladder function preservation and adverse effects analysis. Methods: Sixty-nine patients with unresectable locally invasive bladder cancer who received radiotherapy-based combination therapy from March 1999 to December 2021 at our hospital were selected. Among them, 42 patients received concurrent chemoradiotherapy, 32 underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapyand 43 with transurethral resection of bladder tumors (TURBT) prior to radiotherapy. The late adverse effect of radiotherapy, preservation of bladder function, replase and metastasis and survival were followed-up. Cox proportional hazards models were applied for the multifactorial analysis. Results: The median age was 69 years. There were 63 cases (91.3%) of uroepithelial carcinoma, 64 of stage Ⅲ and 4 of stage Ⅳ. The median duration of follow-up was 76 months. There were 7 grade 2 late genito urinary toxicities, 2 grade 2 gastrointestinal toxicities, no grade 3 or higher adverse events occurred. All patients maintained normal bladder function, except for 8 cases who lost bladder function due to uncontrolled tumor in the bladder. Seventeen cases recurred locally. There were 11 cases in the concurrent chemoradiotherapy group with a local recurrence rate of 26.2% (11/42) and 6 cases in the non-concurrent chemoradiotherapy group with a local recurrence rate of 22.2% (6/27), and the difference in local recurrence rate between the two groups was not statistically significant (P=0.709). There were 23 cases of distant metastasis (including 2 cases of local recurrence with distant metastasis), including 10 cases in the concurrent chemoradiotherapy group with a distant metastasis rate of 23.8% (10/42) and 13 cases in the non-concurrent chemoradiotherapy group with a distant metastasis rate of 48.1% (13/27), and the distant metastasis rate in the non-concurrent chemoradiotherapy group was higher than that in the concurrent chemoradiotherapy group (P=0.036). The median 5-year overall survival (OS) time was 59 months and the OS rate was 47.8%. The 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) time was 20 months and the PFS rate was 34.4%. The 5-year OS rates of concurrent and non-concurrent chemoradiotherapy group were 62.9% and 27.6% (P<0.001), and 5-year PFS rates were 45.4% and 20.0%, respectively (P=0.022). The 5-year OS rates of with or without neoadjuvant chemotherapy were 78.4% and 30.1% (P=0.002), and the 5-year PFS rates were 49.1% and 25.1% (P=0.087), respectively. The 5-year OS rates with or without TURBT before radiotherapy were 45.5% and 51.9% (P=0.233) and the 5-year PFS rates were 30.8% and 39.9% (P=0.198), respectively. Multivariate Cox regression analysis results showed that the clinical stage (HR=0.422, 95% CI: 0.205-0.869) was independent prognostic factor for PFS of invasive bladder cancer. The multivariate analysis showed that clinical stages (HR=0.278, 95% CI: 0.114-0.678), concurrent chemoradiotherapy (HR=0.391, 95% CI: 0.165-0.930), neoadjuvant chemotherapy (HR=0.188, 95% CI: 0.058-0.611), and recurrences (HR=10.855, 95% CI: 3.655-32.638) were independent prognostic factors for OS of invasive bladder cancer. Conclusion: Unresectable localized invasive bladder cancer can achieve satisfactory long-term outcomes with bladder-preserving combination therapy based on radiotherapy, most patients can retain normal bladder function with acceptable late adverse effects and improved survival particularly evident in patients with early, concurrent chemoradiotherapy and neoadjuvant chemotherapy.
Humans ; Aged ; Treatment Outcome ; Retrospective Studies ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Chemoradiotherapy/methods* ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms/radiotherapy* ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use* ; Neoplasm Staging

OBJECTIVE: This study was aimed at investigating the carrier rate of, and molecular variation in, α- and β-globin gene mutations in Hunan Province. METHODS: We recruited 25,946 individuals attending premarital screening from 42 districts and counties in all 14 cities of Hunan Province. Hematological screening was performed, and molecular parameters were assessed. RESULTS: The overall carrier rate of thalassemia was 7.1%, including 4.83% for α-thalassemia, 2.15% for β-thalassemia, and 0.12% for both α- and β-thalassemia. The highest carrier rate of thalassemia was in Yongzhou (14.57%). The most abundant genotype of α-thalassemia and β-thalassemia was -α ^3.7/αα (50.23%) and β ^IVS-II-654/β ^N (28.23%), respectively. Four α-globin mutations [CD108 (ACC>AAC), CAP +29 (G>C), Hb Agrinio and Hb Cervantes] and six β-globin mutations [CAP +8 (C>T), IVS-II-848 (C>T), -56 (G>C), beta nt-77 (G>C), codon 20/21 (-TGGA) and Hb Knossos] had not previously been identified in China. Furthermore, this study provides the first report of the carrier rates of abnormal hemoglobin variants and α-globin triplication in Hunan Province, which were 0.49% and 1.99%, respectively. CONCLUSION Our study demonstrates the high complexity and diversity of thalassemia gene mutations in the Hunan population. The results should facilitate genetic counselling and the prevention of severe thalassemia in this region.
Humans ; beta-Thalassemia/genetics* ; alpha-Thalassemia/genetics* ; Hemoglobinopathies/genetics* ; China/epidemiology* ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing