Objective To observe the safety and effectiveness of acupuncture in young and middle-aged women suffering from insomnia with liver-depression using liver-soothing and mind-regulating method.Methods Totally 76 female patients with insomnia of liver-depression were randomly divided to the acupuncture group and the sham-acupuncture group,with 38 cases in each group.The treatment group received acupuncture with the method of liver-soothing and mind-regulating,while the sham-acupuncture group used the same acupoints with simulated stimulation using blunt-tip needles.Treatment lasted 8 weeks,with a total of 18 sessions,as well as a 3-month follow-up period.The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index(PSQI),Insomnia Severity Index(ISI),and Self-Rating Anxiety Scale(SAS)were measured before treatment,at the week 4 and week 8,and at 1-and 3-month follow-ups.The adverse reaction of both groups were monitored.Results Four cases in the acupuncture group and 2 cases in the sham-acupuncture group were lost.Compared with before treatment,the total score and factor scores of PSQI,ISI and SAS of the two groups at 4 and 8 weeks of treatment and the first and third months of follow-up significantly decreased(P<0.05);compared with the sham-acupuncture group at the same time point,the total score of PSQI,ISI and SAS in the acupuncture group decreased significantly at 8 weeks of treatment(P<0.05).No serious adverse events occurred in the two groups during the treatment.Conclusion The acupuncture of liver-soothing and mind-regulating method is a safe and effective treatment for improving sleep quality and anxious mood of young and middle-aged female patients with liver-depression type of insomnia.

Objective To analyze the risk factors for chronic cough following pulmonary surgery in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 427 NSCLC patients who underwent pulmonary surgery in the Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of the University of Science and Technology of China, between January 2021 and June 2023. Patients were categorized into a chronic cough group (103 patients) and a non-chronic cough group (324 patients) based on the presence of cough at 8 weeks post-surgery. A comparative analysis was performed between the two groups, considering gender, age, smoking history, comorbidities, preoperative pulmonary function indicators, pleural adhesion, anesthesia duration, surgical site, operative techniques, lymph node dissection methods, tumor maximum diameter, and postoperative chest tube duration. Factors showing statistical significance in univariate analysis underwent multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results Among the 427 patients undergoing pulmonary surgery, there were 165 males and 262 females, with an average age of (59.93±12.11) years. The incidence of chronic cough was 24.12%. Univariate analysis revealed significant differences in smoking history, preoperative pulmonary function indicators, pleural adhesion, anesthesia duration ≥135.5 minutes, surgical site, operative techniques, lymph node dissection methods, tumor maximum diameter, and postoperative chest tube duration (P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that the surgical site (right upper lung), operative techniques (lobectomy), lymph node dissection, and anesthesia time ≥135.5 minutes were independent risk factors for chronic cough following pulmonary surgery. Conclusion Patients undergoing right upper lung surgery, lobectomy, lymph node dissection, and experiencing anesthesia duration ≥135.5 minutes are at a higher risk of developing chronic cough post-pulmonary surgery.

Objective:To explore the operioperative and long-term outcomes of inflatable mediastinoscopic resection of esophageal carcinoma (IVMTE) and minimally invasive Mckeown resection of esophageal carcinoma (MIME) in early esophageal cancer.Methods:This is a retrospective cohort study. A retrospectively analysis was conducted on 176 patients with cT1N0M0 esophageal cancer who underwent IVMTE or MIME at the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Anhui Provincial Hospital Affiliated with Anhui Medical University from April 2017 to April 2019. There were 128 males and 48 females, aged (66.4±7.7) years (range: 45 to 87 years). General data, perioperative outcomes, pathological data of the tumors, and complications were recorded. Independent sample t-test, χ2 test, or Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used to compare the data between the two groups. Propensity score matching was performed with gender, age, tumor location, differentiation degree, pT stage, pN stage, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification, smoking history, and alcohol history were considered as covariates. The IVMTE group and MIME group were matched in a 1∶2 ratio using nearest neighbor match method with a caliper value of 0.02. Kaplan-Meier method was used to plot survival curves, with Log-rank test for univariate survival analysis. The Cox proportional hazards model was applied to analyze prognostic factors for overall survival, and subgroup stratification analysis was performed for pT stage. Results:After matching, the MIME group consisted of 54 cases, and the IVMTE group consisted of 27 cases. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in terms of gender, age, smoking history, alcohol history, ASA classification, tumor location, and other factors. The IVMTE group had shorter surgery time ( M(IQR), 220 (45) minutes vs. 245 (56) minutes, Z=2.950, P=0.003) and less intraoperative blood loss (100 (50) ml vs. 125 (100) ml, Z=2.193, P=0.028) compared to the MIME group. There were no differences between the two groups in the number and quantity of lymph node stations dissected, and the IVMTE group was not at a disadvantage in terms of the number of lymph nodes dissected around the recurrent laryngeal nerve (all P>0.05). The 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival (OS) rates and recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates were not significantly different between the two groups (all P>0.05). Subgroup analysis showed no significant difference in OS and RFS rates between the pT1 and pT2 subgroups (all P>0.05). Multivariate Cox regression analysis suggested that ASA classification ( HR=2.516, 95% CI: 1.126 to 5.624, P=0.025), pN stage ( HR=2.485, 95% CI: 0.984 to 6.274, P=0.046), and whether adjuvant therapy was given postoperatively ( HR=2.915, 95% CI: 1.304 to 6.515, P=0.009) were independent risk factors affecting 5-year OS rate. For 5-year RFS, pT stage ( HR=0.403, 95% CI: 0.194 to 0.838, P=0.011), pN stage ( HR=5.219, 95% CI: 2.401 to 11.346, P<0.01), and whether adjuvant therapy was given postoperatively ( HR=5.644, 95% CI: 2.691 to 11.838, P<0.01) were independent risk factors, while the surgical approach was not an independent risk factor affecting patient prognosis. Conclusion:The short-term and long-term effect of IVMTE in the treatment of early esophageal cancer is good, and it can achieve effects comparable to MIME.

Objective To observe the safety and effectiveness of acupuncture in young and middle-aged women suffering from insomnia with liver-depression using liver-soothing and mind-regulating method.Methods Totally 76 female patients with insomnia of liver-depression were randomly divided to the acupuncture group and the sham-acupuncture group,with 38 cases in each group.The treatment group received acupuncture with the method of liver-soothing and mind-regulating,while the sham-acupuncture group used the same acupoints with simulated stimulation using blunt-tip needles.Treatment lasted 8 weeks,with a total of 18 sessions,as well as a 3-month follow-up period.The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index(PSQI),Insomnia Severity Index(ISI),and Self-Rating Anxiety Scale(SAS)were measured before treatment,at the week 4 and week 8,and at 1-and 3-month follow-ups.The adverse reaction of both groups were monitored.Results Four cases in the acupuncture group and 2 cases in the sham-acupuncture group were lost.Compared with before treatment,the total score and factor scores of PSQI,ISI and SAS of the two groups at 4 and 8 weeks of treatment and the first and third months of follow-up significantly decreased(P<0.05);compared with the sham-acupuncture group at the same time point,the total score of PSQI,ISI and SAS in the acupuncture group decreased significantly at 8 weeks of treatment(P<0.05).No serious adverse events occurred in the two groups during the treatment.Conclusion The acupuncture of liver-soothing and mind-regulating method is a safe and effective treatment for improving sleep quality and anxious mood of young and middle-aged female patients with liver-depression type of insomnia.

Objective:To explore the operioperative and long-term outcomes of inflatable mediastinoscopic resection of esophageal carcinoma (IVMTE) and minimally invasive Mckeown resection of esophageal carcinoma (MIME) in early esophageal cancer.Methods:This is a retrospective cohort study. A retrospectively analysis was conducted on 176 patients with cT1N0M0 esophageal cancer who underwent IVMTE or MIME at the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Anhui Provincial Hospital Affiliated with Anhui Medical University from April 2017 to April 2019. There were 128 males and 48 females, aged (66.4±7.7) years (range: 45 to 87 years). General data, perioperative outcomes, pathological data of the tumors, and complications were recorded. Independent sample t-test, χ2 test, or Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used to compare the data between the two groups. Propensity score matching was performed with gender, age, tumor location, differentiation degree, pT stage, pN stage, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification, smoking history, and alcohol history were considered as covariates. The IVMTE group and MIME group were matched in a 1∶2 ratio using nearest neighbor match method with a caliper value of 0.02. Kaplan-Meier method was used to plot survival curves, with Log-rank test for univariate survival analysis. The Cox proportional hazards model was applied to analyze prognostic factors for overall survival, and subgroup stratification analysis was performed for pT stage. Results:After matching, the MIME group consisted of 54 cases, and the IVMTE group consisted of 27 cases. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in terms of gender, age, smoking history, alcohol history, ASA classification, tumor location, and other factors. The IVMTE group had shorter surgery time ( M(IQR), 220 (45) minutes vs. 245 (56) minutes, Z=2.950, P=0.003) and less intraoperative blood loss (100 (50) ml vs. 125 (100) ml, Z=2.193, P=0.028) compared to the MIME group. There were no differences between the two groups in the number and quantity of lymph node stations dissected, and the IVMTE group was not at a disadvantage in terms of the number of lymph nodes dissected around the recurrent laryngeal nerve (all P>0.05). The 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival (OS) rates and recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates were not significantly different between the two groups (all P>0.05). Subgroup analysis showed no significant difference in OS and RFS rates between the pT1 and pT2 subgroups (all P>0.05). Multivariate Cox regression analysis suggested that ASA classification ( HR=2.516, 95% CI: 1.126 to 5.624, P=0.025), pN stage ( HR=2.485, 95% CI: 0.984 to 6.274, P=0.046), and whether adjuvant therapy was given postoperatively ( HR=2.915, 95% CI: 1.304 to 6.515, P=0.009) were independent risk factors affecting 5-year OS rate. For 5-year RFS, pT stage ( HR=0.403, 95% CI: 0.194 to 0.838, P=0.011), pN stage ( HR=5.219, 95% CI: 2.401 to 11.346, P<0.01), and whether adjuvant therapy was given postoperatively ( HR=5.644, 95% CI: 2.691 to 11.838, P<0.01) were independent risk factors, while the surgical approach was not an independent risk factor affecting patient prognosis. Conclusion:The short-term and long-term effect of IVMTE in the treatment of early esophageal cancer is good, and it can achieve effects comparable to MIME.

Objective To investigate the feasibility, safety, and short-term efficacy of minimally invasive McKeown esophagectomy (MIME) in patients with locally advanced thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (TESCC) after neoadjuvant immunotherapy. Methods The clinical data of the patients with locally advanced TESCC in the First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China from July 2022 to March 2023 were restrospectively analyzed. They were divided into a neoadjuvant immunotherapy (NI) group and a non-neoadjuvant immunotherapy (NNI) group according to different preoperative neoadjuvant therapy. The perioperative clinical data and 3-month follow-up data were compared between the two groups. Results A total of 47 patients were collected, including 31 males and 16 females with a mean age of (67.57±7.64) years. There were 29 patients in the NI group and 18 patients in the NNI group. There were no statistical differences in baseline data, perioperative complications, short-term complications, surgical time, intraoperative bleeding, postoperative adjuvant therapy, metastasis/recurrence within 3 months, R0 resection rate, postoperative pathological staging decline, or College of American Pathologists (CAP) tumor regression grade between the two groups (P＞0.05). Conclusion Neoadjuvant immunotherapy combined with minimally invasive McKeown esophagectomy can be safely and effectively performed for patients with locally advanced TESCC without increasing operation time, intraoperative blood loss and perioperative complications.

Objective:To investigate the response of mandibular condylar chondroprogenitors to flow fluid shear stress(FFSS).Methods:Chondroprogenitors were in vitro cultured and stimulated with FFSS that can cause cell degeneration,and treated with sec-ond-generation high-throughput RNA sequencing.Differential gene expression was screened using DESeq2 software for gene ontology(GO)functional enrichment analysis,kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes(KEGG)pathway enrichment analysis and protein-protein interaction(PPI)network analysis.qRT-PCR was performed to validate the core genes screened by PPI.Results:A total of 1996 differentially expressed genes were obtained,mainly including inflammatory response and cell cycle related molecules.Among them,Actal,Atf3,Ccl2,116,Nfkbia,Ret and Vcaml were identified as the core genes.Conclusion:FFSS stimulation affects chondroprogenitor function by acting on inflammatory responses and cell cycle-related signaling pathways in chondroprogenitors.

Objective:To explore the predictive value of uterine artery blood flow parameters of Doppler ultrasound combined with coagulation related indicators on the pregnancy outcome of recurrent abortion caused by thrombophilia.Methods:A total of 82 patients with recurrent abortion who admitted to the department of gynecology outpatient of Beijing Haidian Hospital from January 2020 to January 2023 were selected.All patients received relevant treatment,and the follow-up results were calculated as statistic method.Before treatment on the day after admission,uterine artery pulse index(PI),resistance index(RI),the ratio of the maximum blood flow velocity of systolic pressure(S)to the maximum blood flow velocity of end-diastolic(D)(S/D),and activated partial thromboplastin time(APTT),prothrombin time(PT),fibrinogen(FIB),thrombin time(TT)and D-dimer(D-D)of all patients were detected.Pearson correlation analysis was adopted to analyze the correlations between PI,RI,S/D and each of APTT,PT,FIB,TT and D-D.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to analyze the values of single PI,RI,S/D,APTT,PT,FIB,TT and D-D,and the value of the combined detection of them in predicting the pregnancy outcome of recurrent abortion caused by thrombophilia.Results:Follow up results showed that 49 cases of 82 patients with recurrent abortion were successful pregnancy and 33 cases of them occurred pregnancy loss,and the PI,RI and S/D of pregnant women with successful pregnancy were significantly lower than those of pregnant women who occurred pregnancy loss,with statistical significance(t=10.598,6.693,3.059,P<0.05).The levels of APTT,PT,FIB,TT and D-D of pregnant women with successful pregnancy were significantly lower than those of pregnant women who occurred pregnancy loss,and the differences were statistically significant(t=9.552,96.462,22.767,5.100,95.805,P<0.05),respectively.PI appeared respectively positive correlation with APTT,PT,FIB,TT and D-D(r=3.178,P<0.05),and RI appeared respectively positive correlation with APTT,PT,FIB and D-D(r=3.246,P<0.05),and S/D also appeared respectively positive correlation with PT,FIB,TT and D-D(r=3.246,P<0.05).The sensitivities of single PI,RI,S/D,APTT,PT,FIB,TT and D-D detection,and the combined detection of them were respectively 42.40%,48.50%,39.40%,48.50%,63.60%,72.70%,42.40%,39.40%and 84.80%in predicting the pregnancy outcome of recurrent abortion caused by thrombophilia.The specificities of them were respectively 98.00%,71.40%,55.10%,75.50%,59.20%,71.40%,77.60%,85.70%and 98.80%,and the AUC values of them were respectively 0.674,0.685,0.409,0.646,0.784,0.788,0.566,0.563 and 0.941.Conclusion:Both single and combination of PI,RI and S/D of uterine artery blood flow parameters,as well as APTT,PT,FIB,TT and D-D of coagulation related indicators,have a certain value in predicting pregnancy outcome of recurrent abortion caused by thrombophilia,and the combined detection has higher predictive value.

Background and objective Cough is one of the main complications after pulmonary surgery,which seriously affects the postoperative quality of life.Preserving the pulmonary branch of vagus nerve may reduce the incidence of postoperative cough.Therefore,the aim of this study was to investigate whether preserving the pulmonary branch of the vagus nerve could reduce the incidence of postoperative chronic cough in patients with stage I peripheral lung adenocarcinoma.Methods A total of 125 patients who underwent single-port thoracoscopic radical resection for lung cancer in the Depart-ment of Thoracic Surgery,The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China from June 2022 to June 2023 were retrospectively selected,and divided into two groups according to whether the vagopulmonary branch was preserved during the operation,namely,the vagopulmonary branch group(n=61)and the traditional group(n=64).The general clinical data,perioperative conditions,lymph node dissection,Mandarin Chinese version of The Leicester Cough Questionnaire(LCQ-MC)scores before and 8 weeks after operation were recorded in the two groups.Both the two groups were divided into tamponade group and non-tamponade group according to whether autologous fat or gelatin sponge was tamponade after lymph node dissection.LCQ-MC scores and postoperative chronic cough of both groups were calculated.Results The LCQ-MC score of the traditional group was significantly lower than that of the vagopulmonary branch group in physiological,psychological,social and total scores at 8 weeks after surgery,and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).There were more cough patients in the traditional group than the vagopulmonary branch group at 8 weeks after surgery,with significant difference(P=0.006).Subgroup analysis was conducted separately for the vagopulmonary branch group and the traditional group.Among the patients in the vagopulmonary branch group and the traditional group,the LCQ-MC scores of the non-tamponade group 8 weeks after surgery were lower than those of the tamponade group(P<0.05).There were more patients with cough in the group 8 weeks after surgery than in the tamponade group(P=0.001,P=0.024).Conclusion For patients with stage I peripheral lung adenocarcinoma,the preservation of the pulmonary branch of vagus nerve is safe and effective,which can reduce the incidence of postoperative chronic cough and improve the postoperative quality of life of the patients.

Background and objective With further understanding and research into non-small cell lung cancer with tumours ≤2 cm in maximum diameter,segmental lung resection is able to achieve the same long-term prognosis as lobec-tomy.However,there are few studies on the prognostic effect of wedge resection on small volume invasive lung adenocarci-noma with an invasion depth of 0.5 to 1.0 cm.Therefore,this study focuses on the clinical efficacy and prognosis of wedge re-section in patients with small-volume invasive lung adenocarcinoma.Methods A retrospective analysis of the medical records of 208 patients who underwent surgery in the Department of Thoracic Surgery of the Affiliated Provincial Hospital of Anhui Medical University from February 2016 to December 2017 was made,and the postoperative pathological results confirmed small volume invasive lung adenocarcinoma.According to their surgical methods,they were divided into lobectomy group(n=115),segmentectomy group(n=48)and wedge resection group(n=45).Kaplan-Meier survival curve estimation and Cox proportional risk regression model were used to explore the influence of different surgical methods on the prognosis of patients with small volume invasive lung adenocarcinoma.Results The wedge resection group had better perioperative outcomes compared with the segmentectomy group and lobectomy group,with statistically significant differences in intraoperative bleed-ing(P=0.036),postoperative drainage(P＜0.001),operative time(P=0.018),postoperative time with tubes(P=0.001),and postoperative complication rate(P=0.006).There were no significant differences when comparing the three groups in terms of survival rate(lobectomy group vs segmentectomy group,P=0.303;lobectomy group vs wedge resection group,P=0.742;and segmentectomy group vs wedge resection group,P=0.278)and recurrence-free survival rate(lobectomy group vs segmentec-tomy group,P=0.495;lobectomy group vs wedge resection group,P=0.362;segmentectomy group vs wedge resection group,P=0.775).Univariate and multivariate survival analyses showed that consolidation tumor ratio(CTR)was the prognostic factor of overall survival and revurrence-free survival for patients with small-volume invasive lung adenocarcinoma(P＜0.05).Conclusion Wedge resection in patients with small volume invasive lung adenocarcinoma can achieve long-term outcomes similar to segmentectomy and lobectomy.When the CTR≤0.5,wedge resection is preferred in such patients.