OBJECTIVE: To observe the efficacy and safety of Tiaowei Jiannao acupuncture (acupuncture for regulating defensive qi and nourishing brain) for post-ischemic stroke insomnia (PISI). METHODS: A total of 96 patients with PISI were randomized into an acupuncture group (32 cases, 1 case was excluded), a medication group (32 cases, 1 case dropped out, 1 case was excluded) and a sham-acupuncture group (32 cases, 1 case dropped out, 1 case was excluded). In the acupuncture group, Tiaowei Jiannao acupuncture was applied at bilateral Shenmai (BL62), Zhaohai (KI6), Hegu (LI4), Taichong (LR3), and Baihui (GV20), Sishencong (EX-HN1), Yintang (GV24⁺), Shenting (GV24), once a day, 1-day interval was taken after 6-day treatment, for 3 weeks totally. In the medication group, eszopiclone tablet was given orally, 1-3 mg a time, once a day for 3 weeks. In the sham-acupuncture group, non-invasive sham acupuncture was applied, the acupoint selection, frequency and course of treatment were the same as the acupuncture group. Before treatment, after 2,3 weeks of treatment, the scores of Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), self-rating sleep scale (SRSS), National Institutes of Health Stroke scale (NIHSS), Hamilton depression scale-17 (HAMD-17) were observed; before and after treatment, the sleep parameters were recorded using polysomnography (PSG); and the efficacy and safety were evaluated after treatment in the 3 groups. RESULTS: After 2,3 weeks of treatment, the scores of PSQI, HAMD-17 and SRSS in the acupuncture group and the medication group, as well as the SRSS scores in the sham-acupuncture group were decreased compared with those before treatment (P<0.05); after 2 weeks of treatment, the NIHSS score in the acupuncture group was decreased compared with that before treatment (P<0.05); after 3 weeks of treatment, the NIHSS scores in the acupuncture group, the medication group and the sham-acupuncture group were decreased compared with those before treatment (P<0.05). After 3 weeks of treatment, the scores of PSQI, SRSS, HAMD-17 and NIHSS in the acupuncture group and the medication group, as well as the NIHSS score in the sham-acupuncture group were decreased compared with those after 2 weeks of treatment (P<0.05). After 2,3 weeks of treatment, the scores of PSQI, SRSS and HAMD-17 in the acupuncture group and the medication group were lower than those in the sham-acupuncture group (P<0.05), the NIHSS scores in the acupuncture group were lower than those in the medication group and the sham-acupuncture group (P<0.05); after 3 weeks of treatment, HAMD-17 score in the acupuncture group was lower than that in the medication group (P<0.05), the NIHSS score in the medication group was lower than that in the sham-acupuncture group (P<0.05). Compared before treatment, after treatment, the total sleep time was prolonged (P<0.05), the wake after sleep onset, sleep latency, and non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep latency were shortened (P<0.05), the sleep efficiency was improved (P<0.05), the number of awakenings was reduced (P<0.05), the percentage of rapid eye movement (REM%) and the percentage of NREM stage 1 (N1%) were decreased (P<0.05), the percentage of NREM stage 2 (N2%) and the percentage of NREM stage 3 (N3%) were increased (P<0.05) in the acupuncture group and the medication group; the sleep latency was shortened in the sham-acupuncture group (P<0.05). After treatment, the PSG indexes in the acupuncture group and the medication group were superior to those in the sham-acupuncture group (P<0.05); in the acupuncture group, the number of awakenings was less than that in the medication group (P<0.05), the REM% and N1% were lower than those in the medication group (P<0.05), the N2% and N3% were higher than those in the medication group (P<0.05). The total effective rate were 93.5% (29/31) and 90.0% (27/30) in the acupuncture group and the medication group respectively, which were higher than 10.0% (3/30) in the sham-acupuncture group (P<0.05). There was no serious adverse events in any of the 3 groups. CONCLUSION Tiaowei Jiannao acupuncture improves the insomnia symptoms in patients with ischemic stroke, improves the quality of sleep, increases the deep sleep, promotes the recovery of neurological function, and relieves the depression. It is effective and safe for the treatment of PISI.
Humans ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Male ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders/physiopathology* ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Acupuncture Points ; Treatment Outcome ; Adult ; Ischemic Stroke/complications* ; Stroke/complications* ; Sleep

Objective To explore the effectiveness of a hospital-to-home transitional health management program for caregivers of children with severe encephalitis,aiming to provide a reference for optimizing transitional care models for these patients.Methods A convenience sampling method was used to select 84 children with severe encephalitis and their caregivers admitted to the neurology department of a tertiary hospital in Zhengzhou between March 2023 and June 2024.According to the admission time,they were divided into an experimental group and a control group,with 42 cases in each group.The experimental group received a hospital-to-home transitional health management program in addition to routine care,while the control group received standard care and discharge instructions.Differences in caregivers' perceived benefits,caregiver burden,disease management ability,and post-intervention outcomes of the children were compared between the 2 groups before and after the intervention.Results All 42 participants in both groups completed the study.After the intervention,the experimental group reported higher perceived benefits of(91.29±9.76)compared to(84.81±12.86)in the control group,lower caregiver burden of(48.55±7.15)compared to(54.71±11.23)in the control group,greater disease management ability of(41.83±4.97)than(37.79±5.23)in the control group,and lower difficulty in disease management of(31.52±7.82)compared to(34.55±3.96)in the control group,with all differences being statistically significant(P＜0.05).No statistically significant difference was found in the prognosis of the children between the 2 groups(P=0.500).Conclusion The hospital-to-home transitional health management program can effectively enhance caregivers'perceived benefits and disease management capabilities,reduce their caregiving burden,and provide scientific evidence for optimizing transitional care for children with severe encephalitis.

Objective:To explore the relationship between gallbladder polyps and colorectal polyps, providing insights into whether the presence of gallbladder polyps can serve as an indicator for colonoscopy screening.Methods:Clinical data from 2 542 patients who underwent colonoscopy and abdominal ultrasound at the First Affiliated Hospital of Shihezi University between January and December 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into colorectal polyp group ( n=1 266) and non-colorectal polyp group ( n=1 276) based on colonoscopy findings. Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression models were used to analyze the relationship between gallbladder polyps and colorectal polyps. Results:The prevalence rates of gallbladder polyp in colorectal polyp group and non-colorectal polyp group were 16.67% (211/1 266) and 11.21% (143/1 276). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed a lower risk of colorectal polyps in women ( P<0.001, OR=0.523, 95% CI: 0.440-0.622). Age ( P<0.001, OR=1.059, 95% CI: 1.050-1.068), and hypertriglyceridemia ( P=0.013, OR=1.350, 95% CI: 1.066-1.709), low level of high-density lipoprotein ( P<0.001, OR=1.588, 95% CI: 1.280-1.969), and gallbladder polyp ( P<0.001, OR=1.712, 95% CI: 1.344-2.180) were independent risk factors for colorectal polyp. There was no significant difference in hypercholesterolemia, elevated low-density lipoprotein, hyperuricemia, or cholecystectomy between colorectal polyp group and non-colorectal polyp group ( P>0.05). Conclusion:The identification of gallbladder polyps via abdominal ultrasound may indicate a higher likelihood of colorectal polyps in patients, underscoring the need for further colonoscopy screening in individuals with gallbladder polyps.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effectiveness of additional anti-rotation steel plate assisted intramedullary nail technology in treatment of aseptic femoral non-union patients. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 21 patients with aseptic femoral non-union who admitted between September 2020 and October 2024 and treated with additional anti-rotation steel plate assisted intramedullary nail technology. There were 17 males and 4 females, aged 25-67 years (mean, 44 years). There were 19 cases of femoral anterograde intramedullary nail fixation, 1 case of femoral retrograde intramedullary nail fixation, and 1 case of steel plate fixation with fatigue fracture. There were 9 cases of hypertrophic non-union and 12 cases of atrophic non-union. All patients had varying degrees of fracture end atrophy/sclerosis. Among them, 20 patients who were fixed with intramedullary nails underwent removal of soft tissue and hardened bone at the fracture end, and cortical treatment resulted in the appearance of "chili sign" at the fracture end. Iliac bone grafting and anti-rotation steel plate fixation were performed. One patient with steel plate fixation was removed the steel palte and fixed with a retrograde intramedullary nail, while the hardened bone at the fracture end was removed, iliac bone grafting and anti-rotation steel plate fixation were performed. Postoperative follow-up observation included the incision healing, maximum knee flexion range of motion, bone healing, length of lower limbs, and subjective satisfaction. The lower extremity functional scale (LEFS) score was used to evaluate the lower limb function. RESULTS: All incisions healed by first intention. All patients were followed up 7-26 months (mean, 15.5 months). At last follow-up, the femoral fracture healed with the obvious callus formation at the fracture end; the maximum knee flexion range of motion was 95°-127° (mean, 112.67°). The LEFS score increased from 29.9±6.7 before operation to 75.9±3.0 at last follow-up, and the difference was significant (t=-29.622, P<0.001). Except for 1 patient who underwent intramedullary nail dynamic treatment before operation and had a lower limb shortening of about 0.9 cm, the other patients had bilateral lower limbs of equal length. All patients had no postoperative infections, mal-union of fractures, deep vein thrombosis, joint stiffness, or other complications. CONCLUSION The use of additional anti-rotation steel plate assisted intramedullary nail technology in the treatment of aseptic femoral non-union not only overcomes the drawbacks of insufficient stability at the fracture end of intramedullary nails, but also overcomes the shortcomings of biased fixation with steel plates. It has the advantages of minimal trauma, effective maintenance of fracture stability, and ideal postoperative functional recovery, making it an effective treatment for aseptic femoral non-union.
Humans ; Male ; Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary/instrumentation* ; Female ; Bone Plates ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Femoral Fractures/surgery* ; Retrospective Studies ; Bone Nails ; Aged ; Fractures, Ununited/surgery* ; Treatment Outcome ; Bone Transplantation/methods* ; Steel ; Fracture Healing

OBJECTIVE To explore the clinical characteristics of bronchial asthma with secondary pulmonary infec-tions in children and compare the expressions of transcriptomes in peripheral blood between the bronchial asthma with secondary pulmonary infections and the bronchial asthma without the secondary pulmonary infections.METHODS The clinical data were collected from 425 children with bronchial asthma who were treated in respirato-ry medicine department of Children's Hospital of Anhui Province from Apr.2022 to Feb.2025 and were retrospec-tively analyzed.The enrolled children were divided into the infection group with 60 cases and the non-infection group with 365 cases according to the status of complication with pulmonary infections.The clinical characteristics were compared between the infection group and the non-infection group.The gene expression profile sequencing was carried out for peripheral blood mononuclear cells by transcriptome high throughput technology,and the bio-logical information was analyzed.RESULTS There were significant differences in course of asthma,frequencies times of acute attack,complication with nasosinusitis or allergic rhinitis,standardized use of antibiotics and intra-venous use of glucocorticoids between the two groups of children(P＜0.05).Totally 60 children had secondary pulmonary infections,with the infection rate 14.12％.Totally 73 strains of pathogens were isolated,43.84％of which were gram-positive bacteria,and 56.16％were gram-negative bacteria.As compared with the non-infection group,there were 1578 genes with the changed expression in the infection group,and the expressions of the genes such as nuclear factor κB were upregulated.The differentially expressed genes were primarily enriched in immuno-regulation-related pathways,including proinflammatory factor signal transduction,interacted networks of cyto-kines and its receptors,T lymphocyte activation signal transduction and other biological processes.CONCLUSION The specific clinical characteristics and abnormal immune pathways may jointly result in the pulmonary infec-tions in children with the asthma and provide theoretical bases for early identification of the children at high risk of pneumonia and targeted intervention.

OBJECTIVES: To study the molecular mechanisms of LDH-loaded si-NEAT1 for regulating paclitaxel resistance and tumor-associated macrophage (TAM) polarization in breast cancer. METHODS: qRT-PCR and Western blotting were used to detect the expression of lncRNA NEAT1, miR-133b, and PD-L1 in breast cancer SKBR3 cells and paclitaxel-resistant SKBR3 cells (SKBR3-PR). The effects of transfection with si-NEAT1 and miR-133b mimics on MRP, MCRP and PD-L1 expressions and cell proliferation, migration and apoptosis were investigated using qRT-PCR, Western blotting, scratch and Transwell assays, and flow cytometry. Rescue experiments were conducted using si-NEAT1 and miR-133b inhibitor. Human THP-1 macrophages were cultured in the presence of conditioned media (CM) derived from SKBR3 and SKBR3-PR cells with or with si-NEAT1 transfection for comparison of IL-4-induced macrophage polarization by detecting the surface markers. LDH@si-NEAT1 nanocarriers were constructed, and their effects on MRP, MCRP and PD-L1 expressions and cell behaviors of the tumor cells were examined. THP-1 cells were treated with the CM from LDH@si-NEAT1-treated tumor cells, and the changes in their polarization were assessed. RESULTS: SKBR3-PR cells showered significantly upregulated NEAT1 and PD-L1 expressions and lowered miR-133b expression as compared with their parental cells. Transfection with si-NEAT1 and miR-133b mimics inhibited viability, promoted apoptosis and enhanced MRP and BCRP expressions in SKBR3-PR cells. NEAT1 knockdown obvious upregulated miR-133b and downregulated PD-L1, MRP and BCRP expressions. The CM from SKBR3-PR cells obviously promoted M2 polarization of THP-1 macrophages, which was significantly inhibited by CM from si-NEAT1-transfected cells. Treatment with LDH@si-NEAT1 effectively inhibited migration and invasion, promoted apoptosis, and reduced MRP, BCRP and PD-L1 expressions in the tumor cells. The CM from LDH@si-NEAT1-treated SKBR3-PR cells significantly downregulated Arg-1, CD163, IL-10, and PD-L1 and upregulated miR-133b expression in THP-1 macrophages. CONCLUSIONS LDH@si-NEAT1 reduces paclitaxel resistance of breast cancer cells and inhibits TAM polarization by targeting the miR-133b/PD-L1 axis.
Humans ; MicroRNAs/genetics* ; RNA, Long Noncoding/genetics* ; Paclitaxel/pharmacology* ; Breast Neoplasms/metabolism* ; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm ; B7-H1 Antigen/metabolism* ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Female ; Tumor-Associated Macrophages ; Apoptosis ; Cell Proliferation ; Macrophages ; Cell Movement

Objective:To improve the understanding of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) with pulmonary cryptococcosis.Methods:The clinical data of 1 DLBCL patient with pulmonary cryptococcosis in the Central Hospital of Fengxian District of Shanghai in May 2023 were retrospectively analyzed, and the relevant literatures were reviewed.Results:This 75-year-old female patient was asymptomatic after 2 cycles of R-CHOP chemotherapy. The high-resolution CT of lung showed that lung nodules were progressively enlarged. Antibacterial treatment was ineffective. Pulmonary cryptococcosis was confirmed by bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) targeted high-throughput sequencing (tNGS) and cryptococcus capsular antigen (CrAg) detection. The central nervous system was not involved. And the long-term adequate-dose fluconazole was prescribed for 6 months, and the treatment against lymphoma was given synchronously. The lung nodule lesions reduced after antifungal therapy for 1 month. The lung nodules disappeared after the follow-up of 6 months after completion of final chemotherapy. The evaluation of lymphoma indicated complete remission.Conclusions:Pulmonary cryptococcosis occurs insidiously and shows no specific symptoms; its imaging manifestations are variable and routine anti-infection is ineffective. Immunochemotherapy for lymphoma patients is a high-risk factor for cryptococcal infection. tNGS and CrAg testing for BALF are effective methods of the confirmed diagnosis. The early and long-term adequate-dose antifungal treatment is the key to preventing the recurrence or progression.

Objective To evaluate the degree of invasion of placental implantation by quantitative delin-eation of MRI placental bed abnormal hyperplasia vessels by 3D-Slicer software.Methods Fifty-seven pa-tients with placenta implantation requiring MRI in Quanzhou Maternal and Child Health Hospital from July 2020 to December 2023 were retrospectively collected and divided into the penetrating placenta implantation group(n=11)and the non-penetrating placenta implantation group(n=46),and the differences of MRI mor-phological signs between the two groups were analyzed.Among them,37 patients with placental bed xenogenic vessels scanned by MRI were screened and there were 11 cases in the penetrating placental implantation group and 26 cases in the non-penetrating placental implantation group.3D-Slicer software was used to delineate the surface area and volume of placental bed xenogenic vessels,the differences between the two groups were ana-lyzed.Results There were significant differences in the surface area and volume of xenogenic blood vessels in placental bed between the two groups(P＜0.05).The large surface area of xenogenic vessels in the placental bed was an independent risk factor for penetrative placental implantation,and the predicted area under the curve(AUC)of penetrative placental implantation was 0.927.When the surface area of the placental bed was 1 079.25 mm2,the sensitivity was 81.8%and the specificity was 88.5%.Conclusion According to 3D-Slicer soft-ware,the diagnostic efficacy of placental bed allogenic blood vessel surface area for penetrating placental implanta-tion is high.The larger the allogenic blood vessel surface area is,the deeper the placental invasion of uterus is.

Objective To explore the effectiveness of a hospital-to-home transitional health management program for caregivers of children with severe encephalitis,aiming to provide a reference for optimizing transitional care models for these patients.Methods A convenience sampling method was used to select 84 children with severe encephalitis and their caregivers admitted to the neurology department of a tertiary hospital in Zhengzhou between March 2023 and June 2024.According to the admission time,they were divided into an experimental group and a control group,with 42 cases in each group.The experimental group received a hospital-to-home transitional health management program in addition to routine care,while the control group received standard care and discharge instructions.Differences in caregivers' perceived benefits,caregiver burden,disease management ability,and post-intervention outcomes of the children were compared between the 2 groups before and after the intervention.Results All 42 participants in both groups completed the study.After the intervention,the experimental group reported higher perceived benefits of(91.29±9.76)compared to(84.81±12.86)in the control group,lower caregiver burden of(48.55±7.15)compared to(54.71±11.23)in the control group,greater disease management ability of(41.83±4.97)than(37.79±5.23)in the control group,and lower difficulty in disease management of(31.52±7.82)compared to(34.55±3.96)in the control group,with all differences being statistically significant(P＜0.05).No statistically significant difference was found in the prognosis of the children between the 2 groups(P=0.500).Conclusion The hospital-to-home transitional health management program can effectively enhance caregivers'perceived benefits and disease management capabilities,reduce their caregiving burden,and provide scientific evidence for optimizing transitional care for children with severe encephalitis.

OBJECTIVE To explore the clinical characteristics of bronchial asthma with secondary pulmonary infec-tions in children and compare the expressions of transcriptomes in peripheral blood between the bronchial asthma with secondary pulmonary infections and the bronchial asthma without the secondary pulmonary infections.METHODS The clinical data were collected from 425 children with bronchial asthma who were treated in respirato-ry medicine department of Children's Hospital of Anhui Province from Apr.2022 to Feb.2025 and were retrospec-tively analyzed.The enrolled children were divided into the infection group with 60 cases and the non-infection group with 365 cases according to the status of complication with pulmonary infections.The clinical characteristics were compared between the infection group and the non-infection group.The gene expression profile sequencing was carried out for peripheral blood mononuclear cells by transcriptome high throughput technology,and the bio-logical information was analyzed.RESULTS There were significant differences in course of asthma,frequencies times of acute attack,complication with nasosinusitis or allergic rhinitis,standardized use of antibiotics and intra-venous use of glucocorticoids between the two groups of children(P＜0.05).Totally 60 children had secondary pulmonary infections,with the infection rate 14.12％.Totally 73 strains of pathogens were isolated,43.84％of which were gram-positive bacteria,and 56.16％were gram-negative bacteria.As compared with the non-infection group,there were 1578 genes with the changed expression in the infection group,and the expressions of the genes such as nuclear factor κB were upregulated.The differentially expressed genes were primarily enriched in immuno-regulation-related pathways,including proinflammatory factor signal transduction,interacted networks of cyto-kines and its receptors,T lymphocyte activation signal transduction and other biological processes.CONCLUSION The specific clinical characteristics and abnormal immune pathways may jointly result in the pulmonary infec-tions in children with the asthma and provide theoretical bases for early identification of the children at high risk of pneumonia and targeted intervention.