ObjectiveTo explore the potential mechanism underlying electroacupuncture therapy with the midnight-noon ebb-low method with hour-prescription for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease （COPD） with lung-qi deficiency syndrome from the perspective of brain and muscle basic helix-loop-helix ARNT-like 1 （BMAL1） as well as neutrophil extracellular traps （NETs）. MethodsThe experiment was conducted in two phases. For the therapeutic effectiveness observation， 24 rats were randomly allocated into control group 1， model group 1， midnight-noon electro-acupuncture group 1 and conventional electro-acupuncture group， with 6 rats per group. Rat models of COPD with lung-qi deficiency syndrome were established via cigarette smoke exposure combined with intratracheal instillation of lipopolysaccharide （LPS）. After successful modelling， rats in midnight-noon electro-acupuncture group 1 received electro-acupuncture at acupoints "Taiyuan （LU 9）"， "Feishu （BL 13）" and "Zusanli （ST 36）" during 05：00—07：00， 30 minutes per treatment once every other day for 14 consecutive days （7 sessions in total）. Rats in the conventional electro-acupuncture group received identical electroacupuncture manipulation at random daytime hours （08：00—18：00）. Pulmonary function parameters including forced expiratory volume in 0.3 second （FEV_0.3）， forced vital capacity （FVC） and FEV_0.3/FVC ratio were detected. Pulmonary histopathological changes were observed via hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. Plasma levels of pro-inflammatory factors interleukin-1β （IL-1β） and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， as well as pulmonary reactive oxygen species （ROS） content， BMAL1 protein expression and the levels of neutrophil extracellular traps （NETs） biomarkers such as myeloperoxidase （MPO）， neutrophil elastase （NE）， and citrullinated histone H3 （CitH3） in lung tissue were determined. For the mechanistic verification phase， 36 rats were divided into control group 2， model group 2， midnight-noon electro-acupuncture group 2， overexpression empty group， overexpression BMAL1 group and overexpression with midnight-noon electro-acupuncture group， with 6 rats in each group. At the 5th week of model construction， rats in the overexpression BMAL1 group and overexpression with midnight-noon electro-acupuncture group received intratracheal instillation of 100 μl adenoviral suspension carrying overexpressed Bmal1 gene. Rats in the overexpression empty group were injected with an equal titer and equal volume of blank adenovirus without the Bmal1 coding sequence into the lung at the identical time point. Midnight-noon electro-acupuncture group 2 and overexpression with midnight-noon electro-acupuncture group were consistent with the aforementioned protocol. Finally， pulmonary levels of MPO， NE and CitH3 were measured in all groups. ResultsCompared with the control group 1， the model group 1 exhibited decreased FEV_0.3， FVC and FEV_0.3/FVC ratio， elevated plasma IL-1β， TNF-α and pulmonary ROS levels， downregulated lung BMAL1 protein expression， and increased contents of MPO， NE and CitH3 （all P＜0.05）； typical NETs-like structures with sparse granular substances attached to fibrous networks were observed under scanning electron microscopy； HE staining revealed damaged alveolar architecture accompanied by inflammatory cell infiltration. Compared with model group 1， both the midnight-noon electro-acupuncture group 1 and conventional electro-acupuncture group achieved obvious improvements in all above indicators， with superior therapeutic effects in midnight-noon electro-acupuncture group 1 （P＜0.05）. Consistently， midnight-noon electro-acupuncture group 1 showed more prominent alleviation of NETs-like structure formation and lung pathological injury compared to the conventional electro-acupuncture group. Mechanistic validation results demonstrated that compared with model group 2， the average optical density of MPO as well as the protein levels of MPO， NE and CitH3 were markedly reduced in midnight-noon electro-acupuncture group 2， overexpression BMAL1 group and overexpression with midnight-noon electro-acupuncture group （P＜0.05）； furthermore， these parameters were significantly lower in the overexpression with midnight-noon electro-acupuncture group than in midnight-noon electro-acupuncture group 2 （P＜0.05）. ConclusionElectro-acupuncture based on the midnight-noon ebb-low method with hour-prescription may alleviate pulmonary inflammation in COPD by upregulating the expression of clock protein BMAL1 and inhibiting excessive accumulation of NETs in lung tissue.

Temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJ-OA) is a common disease often accompanied by pain, seriously affecting physical and mental health of patients. Abnormal innervation at the osteochondral junction has been considered as a predominant origin of arthralgia, while the specific mechanism mediating pain remains unclear. To investigate the underlying mechanism of TMJ-OA pain, an abnormal joint loading model was used to induce TMJ-OA pain. We found that during the development of TMJ-OA, the increased innervation of sympathetic nerve of subchondral bone precedes that of sensory nerves. Furthermore, these two types of nerves are spatially closely associated. Additionally, it was discovered that activation of sympathetic neural signals promotes osteoarthritic pain in mice, whereas blocking these signals effectively alleviates pain. In vitro experiments also confirmed that norepinephrine released by sympathetic neurons promotes the activation and axonal growth of sensory neurons. Moreover, we also discovered that through releasing norepinephrine, regional sympathetic nerves of subchondral bone were found to regulate growth and activation of local sensory nerves synergistically with other pain regulators. This study identified the role of regional sympathetic nerves in mediating pain in TMJ-OA. It sheds light on a new mechanism of abnormal innervation at the osteochondral junction and the regional crosstalk between peripheral nerves, providing a potential target for treating TMJ-OA pain.
Animals ; Osteoarthritis/physiopathology* ; Mice ; Sympathetic Nervous System/physiopathology* ; Temporomandibular Joint Disorders/physiopathology* ; Arthralgia ; Sensory Receptor Cells ; Disease Models, Animal ; Norepinephrine ; Male ; Temporomandibular Joint/physiopathology* ; Pain Measurement

Objective:To explore potential categories of disease progression fear and self-management ability in patients with maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) and their influencing factors.Methods:Convenience sampling was used to select MHD patients in the Blood Purification Center of the Affiliated Nantong Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, the Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, and the Affiliated Huaian First People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from November 2022 to May 2023 as study subjects. General Information Questionnaire, Fear of Progression Questionnaire-short form (FoP-Q-SF), Hemodialysis Self-management Instrument (HDSMI), and Perceived Social Support Scale (PSSS) were used to conduct the survey. Mplus 8.7 software was applied to conduct latent profile analysis, and multiple Logistic regression was used to explore the factors influencing the disease progression fear and self-management ability of different MHD patients.Results:A total of 380 questionnaires were distributed, and 364 valid questionnaires were recovered, with an effective recovery rate of 95.79%. The mean scores of FoP-Q-SF and HDSMI in 364 MHD patients were (2.53±0.84) and (2.81±0.54), respectively. MHD patients' fear of disease progression and self-management ability were manifested in three different potential categories, named high fear-general self-management (59.34%, 216/364), moderate fear-low self-management (24.45%, 89/364), and low fear-good self-management (16.21%, 59/364). Multiple Logistic regression showed that age, education level, marital status, comorbidities, duration on dialysis, and social support were influencing factors in the potential categories of fear of disease progression and self-management ability in MHD patients, and the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.05) . Conclusions:Healthcare professionals should give appropriate interventions to MHD patients with different types of fear of progression and self-management ability in order to reduce patients' fear of disease progression and improve their self-management ability.

Objective:To explore the trajectories of kinesiophobia in initial hemodialysis patients and their influencing factors.Methods:A convenience sampling method was used to recruit patients undergoing their first hemodialysis treatment at Hemodialysis Center, the Affiliated Huai'an No.1 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from June to December 2023. Baseline data were collected using a general information questionnaire, the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK), the Dialysis Patient Symptom Burden Index (DFSSBI), the Fear of Progression Questionnaire-Short Form (FoP-Q-SF), the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI-20), and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The TSK was used to measure kinesiophobia levels at 1, 3, and 6 months post-dialysis. Data were analyzed using a latent class growth mixture model, univariate analysis, and multinomial Logistic regression.Results:A total of 251 patients were surveyed, and 239 completed follow-ups. Three latent classes of kinesiophobia trajectories were identified: persistently high kinesiophobia group (32.22%, 77/239), moderate kinesiophobia-declining group (28.45%, 68/239), and persistently low kinesiophobia group (39.33%, 94/239). Multinomial Logistic regression analysis indicated that age, marital status, presence of sleep disorders, history of falls in the past year, symptom burden, fear of disease progression, and fatigue significantly influenced kinesiophobia trajectory classes ( P<0.05) . Conclusions:Kinesiophobia in initial hemodialysis patients exhibits distinct trajectories. Healthcare professionals should implement targeted interventions based on the influencing factors of kinesiophobia trajectory development.

Objective:To explore the significance of any correlation between the cost of the rehabilitation provided to stroke survivors during their hospitalization and the functional levels attained, and to analyze factors influencing that correlation.Methods:The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health Rehabilitation Set (ICF-RS) was used to evaluate the functioning of 304 stroke survivors on their days of hospital admission and discharge, as well as on their 10th day in hospital. The cost of their rehabilitation was computed, and demographic and clinical data were collected. A generalized estimation equation was used to analyze the changes in dysfunction with time and its risk factors. The relationship between functional levels and rehabilitation cost and its influencing factors were analyzed.Results:Length of stay, age≥60 and hemorrhagic stroke were significant risk factors for greater dysfunction among the stroke survivors. On the 10th day in hospital and the day before discharge (the 18th day), the frequency of severe dysfunction had decreased. The significant predictors of increased cost were severe or moderate dysfunction, the stage of stroke (sub-acute stage), and non-first rehabilitation.Conclusion:Functional level is a useful predictor of rehabilitation cost. It is influenced by the stage of stroke and non-first rehabilitation.

As the "main force" for providing health services, there has been a constant increase in the number of health service and management graduates in recent years, but with a lack of satisfactory quality. The concept of outcome-based education (OBE) takes the needs of all parties as the starting point and foothold for practice, which can ensure the consistency between the goal of talent training and the learning achievements of students to the greatest extent. This article proposes to integrate the educational concept of OBE into the training path of health service and management talents, clarify talent training objectives by understanding the needs of all parties, optimize the curriculum system according to training objectives, and construct a diversified evaluation system with the organic combination of process evaluation and summative assessment, in order to continuously optimize the training path of health service and management talents and cultivate applied health management talents with knowledge, ability, and quality.

Objective: To investigate the current status of refractive errors and insufficient hyperopia reserve in preschool children aged 3-6 years in Hefei and to analyze influencing factors, so as to provide a scientific basis for formulating targeted myopia prevention policies and comprehensive interventions. Methods: In May 2022, a stratified cluster random sampling method was used to select 897 preschool children from 8 kindergartens across four districts (Baohe, Yaohai, Shushan, and Economic and Technological Development Zone) in Hefei, and Children’s Visual Health related Behavior Assessment Scale was used to collect personal information and environmental factors. Pre and post cycloplegic refraction tests were conducted to assess insufficient hyperopic reserve and refractive development levels. Group comparisons were conducted using 2 test, t-test or analysis of variance. Multivariate regression analysis was performed to identify key factors influencing hyperopic reserve, axial length and spherical equivalent in preschool children. Results: The detection rates of refractive errors among preschool children were 6.8% for hyperopia, 1.6% for myopia, and 11.1% for astigmatism. Notably, the prevalence of myopia was significantly higher in boys (2.3%) than in girls (0.7%) ( χ 2=3.88, P <0.05). Additionally, 8.8% of the children exhibited insufficient hyperopic reserve. The results of multiple regression analysis showed that preschool children with high myopia in the father, high myopia in the mother, longer daily duration of near work, and longer daily electronic product use time had increased risks of axial growth ( β =0.12, 0.09, 0.15, 0.11), SE reduction ( β =-0.10, -0.07, -0.18, -0.13), and insufficient hyperopic reserve ( OR=1.87, 2.22, 1.40, 1.28) (P <0.05). While, preschool children with longer sleep time and daily outdoor activity duration had lower risks of axial growth ( β =-0.11, -0.10 ), SE reduction ( β =0.39, 0.51), and insufficient hyperopia reserve ( OR =0.54, 0.51) in preschool children ( P <0.05). Conclusions The rates of refractive errors and insufficient hyperopia reserve in preschool children in Hefei are relatively low, which are influenced by many factors. Parents, kindergartens and relevant departments should implement early vision monitoring and intervention for preschool children, and cultivate their scientific eye use habits.

Objective:To observe the effect of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on diabetic rats with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and to explore the role of miR-122 in it.Methods:Forty Wistar rats were randomly divided into a healthy control group, a sedentary group, a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) group and a moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) group using a random number table. All except the healthy control group had type 2 diabetes with NAFLD induced using a high-fat and high-fructose diet. The healthy control and sedentary groups were kept quiet in their cages, while the HIIT and MICT groups performed treadmill exercise of the corresponding intensity for 8 consecutive weeks. At 48h after the last training, plasma was collected to measure biochemical markers, and the livers were resected for histological observation using hematoxylin and eosin staining. miR-122 expression was measured using real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reactions, while the protein expressions of fatty acid synthase (FAS), acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), sterol regulatory element binding protein-1c (SREBP1c) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) were detected using western blotting.Results:Compared with the healthy control group, the average fasting blood glucose (FBG), triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), insulin and insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) had increased significantly in the sedentary group. Compared with the sedentary group, the average FBG, TG, TC, insulin and HOMA-IR had decreased significantly in both the HIIT and MICT groups, and the average ALT and AST in the HIIT group had also decreased significantly. The average TG, TC, ALT and AST levels in the HIIT group were then significantly lower than in the MICT group. Compared with the sedentary group, the average liver steatosis score had decreased significantly in both the HIIT and MICT groups, with that of the HIIT group significantly lower than in the MICT group, on average. Compared with the healthy control group, the expression of miR-122 had decreased significantly, but that of SREBP1c, PPARγ, FAS and ACC had increased significantly in the sedentary group. And compared with the sedentary group, the expression of miR-122 had increased significantly in both the HIIT and MICT groups, on average, but that of SREBP1c, PPARγ, FAS and ACC had decreased significantly. Average miR-122 levels in the HIIT group were then significantly higher, and those of SREBP1c, PPARγ, FAS and ACC were significantly lower than in the MICT group.Conclusions:Either MICT or HIIT training can relieve NAFLD in rats modeling diabetes, but HIIT has a better therapeutic effect. Its therapeutic mechanism may be related to the upregulation of miR-122 in the liver.

Objective:This study investigates the utility of ultrasound in diagnosing eosinophilic fasciitis (EF).Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical and ultrasound data of 109 EF patients seen at the center between January 1, 2006, and March 31, 2024. The diagnostic efficacy of ultrasound for EF was evaluated by comparing forearm fascia ultrasound findings among EF patients, systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients, and healthy controls (HC).Results:Among the 109 EF patients (male-to-female ratio 2.2︰1), the median age of onset was 36 (29, 48) years, with a median disease duration of 7 (3, 12) months. The study also included 20 SSc patients [median age 49 (35, 61) years] and 20 HC individuals [median age 48 (29, 54) years]. Ultrasound assessments of forearm fascia in EF patients revealed a median fascial thickness of 1.9 (1.4, 2.4) mm. The median fascial thickness was 0.8 (0.7, 0.9) mm in SSc patients and 0.7 (0.5, 0.9) mm in HC individuals. Fascial thickness in EF patients was greater than in SSc ( Z=-11.16, P<0.001) and HC groups ( Z=-11.87, P<0.001). There was a correlation between fascia thickness and C-reactive protein ( r=0.148, P=0.004), erythrocyte sedimentation rate ( r=0.143, P=0.005), and immunoglobulin G ( r=0.120, P=0.020) in EF patients. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis demonstrated a sensitivity of 84.0% and specificity of 95.9% for EF diagnosis, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.921 and a cut-off value of 1.005 mm. Conclusion:Ultrasound detection of forearm fascial thickening (>1 mm) aids in diagnosing eosinophilic fasciitis, indicating that ultrasound is a supplementary diagnostic tool for EF.

Objective:To explore the significance of any correlation between the cost of the rehabilitation provided to stroke survivors during their hospitalization and the functional levels attained, and to analyze factors influencing that correlation.Methods:The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health Rehabilitation Set (ICF-RS) was used to evaluate the functioning of 304 stroke survivors on their days of hospital admission and discharge, as well as on their 10th day in hospital. The cost of their rehabilitation was computed, and demographic and clinical data were collected. A generalized estimation equation was used to analyze the changes in dysfunction with time and its risk factors. The relationship between functional levels and rehabilitation cost and its influencing factors were analyzed.Results:Length of stay, age≥60 and hemorrhagic stroke were significant risk factors for greater dysfunction among the stroke survivors. On the 10th day in hospital and the day before discharge (the 18th day), the frequency of severe dysfunction had decreased. The significant predictors of increased cost were severe or moderate dysfunction, the stage of stroke (sub-acute stage), and non-first rehabilitation.Conclusion:Functional level is a useful predictor of rehabilitation cost. It is influenced by the stage of stroke and non-first rehabilitation.