ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of three-dimensional foot-ankle exercises (3DFAE) on mild-to-moderate hallux valgus in young women. MethodsFrom October to December, 2024, 45 female patients aged 18 to 26 years with hallux valgus were recruited from Capital University of Physical Education and Sports. They were randomly divided into control group (n = 15), toe-spread-out (TSO) group (n = 15) and 3DFAE group (n = 15). The control group only received foot health education, while the two intervention groups performed corresponding exercise training, for four weeks. Hallux valgus angle (HVA) was measured with photographic method, abductor hallucis activation was detected with surface electromyography, cross-sectional area of abductor hallucis was measured with Doppler ultrasound, and active ankle dorsiflexion range of motion (ROM) was assessed with a goniometer, before intervention, immediately after intervention, and four weeks after training cessation. A perceived difficulty scale was adopted to evaluate the training difficulty of TSO group and 3DFAE group at the first training session and upon completion of intervention. ResultsThe effects of time and interaction were significant for bilateral HVA, abductor hallucis activation, cross-sectional area of abductor hallucis and ankle dorsiflexion ROM (F > 2.728, P < 0.05), and the effect of group of left ankle dorsiflexion ROM was also significant (F = 4.995, P < 0.05). After intervention, bilateral HVA, abductor hallucis activation, cross-sectional area of abductor hallucis and ankle dorsiflexion ROM were all better than those before intervention (P < 0.05), and most indicators were superior to those measured at the 4-week follow-up (P < 0.05). The left ankle dorsiflexion ROM was better in 3DFAE group than in the control group and TSO group (P < 0.05). At the first intervention session, the perceived training difficulty was lower in 3DFAE group than in TSO group (t = 3.334, P = 0.002), and it decreased (t = 5.292, P < 0.001) after four weeks of training in TSO group, with no significant difference compared with 3DFAE group (P > 0.05). Conclusion3DFAE can improve ankle dorsiflexion ROM in young female patients with hallux valgus, with no more difficulty than TSO, and lower initial operation difficulty.

Understory planting of medicinal plants is a new planting mode that connects Chinese herbal medicine(CHM) with forest resources.The complex and variable understory environmental factors will inevitably affect the yield and quality of understory CHM.This research summarized the research progress on understory planting of medicinal plants based on forest types and environmental factors within the forest from the perspectives of understory light, air temperature and humidity, soil characteristics, and the interaction between crops within the forest.The results showed that the complex and variable light, temperature and humidity, and soil factors(such as fertility, acidity and alkalinity, and microorganisms) under the forest could affect the yield and quality of medicinal plants to varying degrees through physiological activities such as photosynthesis and respiration, resulting in a significant increase or decrease in yield and quality compared to open field cultivation.In addition, the competition or mutual benefit between different crops within the forest could lead to differences in the yield and quality of understory medicinal plants compared to open field cultivation.A reasonable combination of planting could achieve resource sharing and complementary advantages.Therefore, conducting systematic research on the effects of understory environmental factors on the yield and content of medicinal plants with different growth and development characteristics can provide theoretical guidance and technical references for formulating comprehensive strategies for understory planting of medicinal plants, such as selecting suitable medicinal plant varieties, optimizing planting density, and conducting reasonable forest management, thus contributing to the sustainable development and ecological protection of CHM.
Plants, Medicinal/growth & development* ; Forests ; Soil/chemistry* ; Environment ; Ecosystem ; Temperature

Objective:To explore the clinical efficacy of suture-bridge techniques assisted by our self-designed novel auxiliary sleeve in arthroscopic repair of large rotator cuff tear.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted of the clinical data of 35 patients with large rotator cuff tear who had been treated by the arthroscopic suture-bridge technique assisted by our novel auxiliary sleeve at Department of Orthopaedics, The People’s Hospital of Shanxi Province from July 2022 to January 2024. The 35 patients were set as an observation group [14 males and 21 females with an age of (58.3±10.3) years]. According to a 1:1 ratio, another 35 patients with large rotator cuff tear who had been treated by simple arthroscopic suture-bridge technique from January 2021 to June 2022 were selected as a control group [15 males and 20 females with an age of (55.3±10.5) years]. The perioperative efficacy between the 2 groups was evaluated by comparing operation time, total length of incision, and disparity in hemoglobin level between preoperation and postoperative day 1. The American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) score, and visual analogue scale (VAS) pain score at 3 months after operation were compared between the 2 groups to evaluate the functional recovery and shoulder pain relief, and comparisons of the 3 scores were also made between preoperation and 3 months after operation in each group.Results:There were no statistically significant differences in the general preoperative data between the 2 groups, indicating comparability ( P > 0.05). The 70 patients were followed up for 5.7 (5.0, 7.0) months after operation. No such complications as recurrent rotator cuff tear, poor wound healing, infection, or anchor withdrawal occurred in either group after operation. The operation time in the observation group was 133.3 (120.0, 140.0) min, significantly shorter than 171.7 (140.0, 200.0) min in the control group ( P < 0.05). In the control group, the ASES and UCLA scores increased significantly from 29.1 (27.5, 31.4) points and 11.8 (10.0, 13.0) points before operation to 56.0 (51.9, 59.5) points and 24.6 (22.0, 27.0) points at 3-month follow-up, respectively, and the VAS pain score decreased significantly from preoperative 8.1 (7.0, 10.0) points to 2.0 (2.0, 2.0) points at 3-month follow-up ( P < 0.05). In the observation group, the ASES and UCLA scores increased significantly from 29.9 (29.1, 31.2) points and 12.6 (11.0, 14.0) points before operation to 58.8 (53.1, 62.2) points and 26.7 (25.0, 29.0) points at 3-month follow-up, respectively, and the VAS pain score decreased significantly from preoperative 8.0 (7.0, 9.0) points to 1.9 (2.0, 2.0) points at 3-month follow-up ( P < 0.05). At 3 months after operation, the UCLA score for the observation group was significantly better than that for the control group ( P < 0.05). There were no significant differences between the 2 groups in total length of incision, hemoglobin level disparity, ASES score or VAS pain score at 3 months after operation ( P > 0.05). Conclusion:In arthroscopic repair of large rotator cuff tear with suture-bridge techniques, application of our novel auxiliary sleeve can shorten operation time, simplify surgical procedures, and achieve good shoulder joint function and efficacy without increasing the length of surgical incision.

Objective:To explore the clinical efficacy of suture-bridge techniques assisted by our self-designed novel auxiliary sleeve in arthroscopic repair of large rotator cuff tear.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted of the clinical data of 35 patients with large rotator cuff tear who had been treated by the arthroscopic suture-bridge technique assisted by our novel auxiliary sleeve at Department of Orthopaedics, The People’s Hospital of Shanxi Province from July 2022 to January 2024. The 35 patients were set as an observation group [14 males and 21 females with an age of (58.3±10.3) years]. According to a 1:1 ratio, another 35 patients with large rotator cuff tear who had been treated by simple arthroscopic suture-bridge technique from January 2021 to June 2022 were selected as a control group [15 males and 20 females with an age of (55.3±10.5) years]. The perioperative efficacy between the 2 groups was evaluated by comparing operation time, total length of incision, and disparity in hemoglobin level between preoperation and postoperative day 1. The American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) score, and visual analogue scale (VAS) pain score at 3 months after operation were compared between the 2 groups to evaluate the functional recovery and shoulder pain relief, and comparisons of the 3 scores were also made between preoperation and 3 months after operation in each group.Results:There were no statistically significant differences in the general preoperative data between the 2 groups, indicating comparability ( P > 0.05). The 70 patients were followed up for 5.7 (5.0, 7.0) months after operation. No such complications as recurrent rotator cuff tear, poor wound healing, infection, or anchor withdrawal occurred in either group after operation. The operation time in the observation group was 133.3 (120.0, 140.0) min, significantly shorter than 171.7 (140.0, 200.0) min in the control group ( P < 0.05). In the control group, the ASES and UCLA scores increased significantly from 29.1 (27.5, 31.4) points and 11.8 (10.0, 13.0) points before operation to 56.0 (51.9, 59.5) points and 24.6 (22.0, 27.0) points at 3-month follow-up, respectively, and the VAS pain score decreased significantly from preoperative 8.1 (7.0, 10.0) points to 2.0 (2.0, 2.0) points at 3-month follow-up ( P < 0.05). In the observation group, the ASES and UCLA scores increased significantly from 29.9 (29.1, 31.2) points and 12.6 (11.0, 14.0) points before operation to 58.8 (53.1, 62.2) points and 26.7 (25.0, 29.0) points at 3-month follow-up, respectively, and the VAS pain score decreased significantly from preoperative 8.0 (7.0, 9.0) points to 1.9 (2.0, 2.0) points at 3-month follow-up ( P < 0.05). At 3 months after operation, the UCLA score for the observation group was significantly better than that for the control group ( P < 0.05). There were no significant differences between the 2 groups in total length of incision, hemoglobin level disparity, ASES score or VAS pain score at 3 months after operation ( P > 0.05). Conclusion:In arthroscopic repair of large rotator cuff tear with suture-bridge techniques, application of our novel auxiliary sleeve can shorten operation time, simplify surgical procedures, and achieve good shoulder joint function and efficacy without increasing the length of surgical incision.

ObjectiveHuman Ku70 protein mainly involves the non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) repair of double-stranded DNA breaks (DSB) through its DNA-binding properties, and it is recently reported having an RNA-binding ability. This paper is to explore whether Ku70 has RNA helicase activity and affects miRNA maturation. MethodsRNAs bound to Ku protein were analyzed by RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (RIP-seq) and bioinfomatic anaylsis. The expression relationship between Ku protein and miRNAs was verified by Western blot (WB) and quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assays. Binding ability of Ku protein to the RNAs was tested by biolayer interferometry (BLI) assay. RNA helicase activity of Ku protein was identified with EMSA assay. The effect of Ku70 regulated miR-124 on neuronal differentiation was performed by morphology analysis, WB and immunofluorescence assays with or without Zika virus (ZIKV) infection. ResultsWe revealed that the Ku70 protein had RNA helicase activity and affected miRNA maturation. Deficiency of Ku70 led to the up-regulation of a large number of mature miRNAs, especially neuronal specific miRNAs like miR-124. The knockdown of Ku70 promoted neuronal differentiation in human neural progenitor cells (hNPCs) and SH-SY5Y cells by boosting miR-124 maturation. Importantly, ZIKV infection reduced the expression of Ku70 whereas increased expression of miR-124 in hNPCs, and led to morphologically neuronal differentiation. ConclusionOur study revealed a novel function of Ku70 as an RNA helicase and regulating miRNA maturation. The reduced expression of Ku70 with ZIKV infection increased the expression of miR-124 and led to the premature differentiation of embryonic neural progenitor cells, which might be one of the causes of microcephaly.

Objective To observe the effect of multi-modal hand hygiene(HH)intervention on HH compliance,as well as the relationship between HH compliance and the healthcare-associated(HA)case infection incidence.Methods From 2014 to 2022,the infection control team in a tertiary first-class hospital implemented multi-modal HH intervention for health care workers(HCWs).The changing trend of HH monitoring data,the correlation be-tween HH compliance rate and HA case infection incidence were analyzed retrospectively.Results The consump-tion of HH products in the wards showed a stable upward trend;HH compliance rate increased from 64.98％in 2014 to 85.01％in 2022(P＜0.001),and HA case infection incidence decreased from 1.21％to 0.83％(P＜0.05).HH compliance rate was negatively correlated with HA case infection incidence(r=-0.369,P=0.027).HH compliance rates in different regions and job posts in each quarter were increased(P＜0.001).For 5 different HH moments in each quarter,HH compliance rate fluctuated slightly before sterile manipulation and after touching patient;presented rising trend after touching surroundings around patient,and decreased before touching patient and after touching patient's body fluid since 2020(P＜0.001).Conclusion Multi-modal HH intervention can im-prove the HH compliance of HCWs,improving their HH awareness is conducive to reducing HA case infection incidence.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the risk factors for neonatal asphyxia in Hubei Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture and establish a nomogram model for predicting the risk of neonatal asphyxia. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted with 613 cases of neonatal asphyxia treated in 20 cooperative hospitals in Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture from January to December 2019 as the asphyxia group, and 988 randomly selected non-asphyxia neonates born and admitted to the neonatology department of these hospitals during the same period as the control group. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify risk factors for neonatal asphyxia. R software (4.2.2) was used to establish a nomogram model. Receiver operator characteristic curve, calibration curve, and decision curve analysis were used to assess the discrimination, calibration, and clinical usefulness of the model for predicting the risk of neonatal asphyxia, respectively. RESULTS: Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that minority (Tujia), male sex, premature birth, congenital malformations, abnormal fetal position, intrauterine distress, maternal occupation as a farmer, education level below high school, fewer than 9 prenatal check-ups, threatened abortion, abnormal umbilical cord, abnormal amniotic fluid, placenta previa, abruptio placentae, emergency caesarean section, and assisted delivery were independent risk factors for neonatal asphyxia (P<0.05). The area under the curve of the model for predicting the risk of neonatal asphyxia based on these risk factors was 0.748 (95%CI: 0.723-0.772). The calibration curve indicated high accuracy of the model for predicting the risk of neonatal asphyxia. The decision curve analysis showed that the model could provide a higher net benefit for neonates at risk of asphyxia. CONCLUSIONS The risk factors for neonatal asphyxia in Hubei Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture are multifactorial, and the nomogram model based on these factors has good value in predicting the risk of neonatal asphyxia, which can help clinicians identify neonates at high risk of asphyxia early, and reduce the incidence of neonatal asphyxia.
Infant, Newborn ; Humans ; Male ; Pregnancy ; Female ; Nomograms ; Retrospective Studies ; Cesarean Section ; Risk Factors ; Asphyxia Neonatorum/etiology*

Electroacupuncture may play a role in treatment of learning and memory impairment after ischemic stroke by regulating phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) signaling pathway, cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)-dependent protein kinase A (PKA)/cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) signaling pathway, nerve growth factor (NGF)/tyrosine kinase-A (TrkA) signaling pathway, Janus kinase 2 (JAK2)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling pathway, Notch signaling pathway, erythropoietin-producing hepatocyte (Eph)/ephrin signaling pathway. The interactions among these pathways should be further explored in treatment of learning and memory impairment after ischemic stroke.
Humans ; Electroacupuncture ; Ischemic Stroke ; Learning ; Signal Transduction/physiology*

This study explored the protective effect of atractylenolide Ⅰ(AO-Ⅰ) against acetaminophen(APAP)-induced acute liver injury(ALI) in mice and its underlying mechanism. C57 BL/6 J mice were randomly divided into a control group, an APAP group(500 mg·kg~(-1)), a low-dose combination group(500 mg·kg~(-1) APAP + 60 mg·kg~(-1) AO-Ⅰ), and a high-dose combination group(500 mg·kg~(-1) APAP + 120 mg·kg~(-1) AO-Ⅰ). ALI was induced by intraperitoneal injection of APAP(500 mg·kg~(-1)). AO-Ⅰ by intragastric administration was performed 2 hours before APAP treatment, and the control group received the same dose of solvent by intragastric administration or intraperitoneal injection. The protective effect of AO-Ⅰ against APAP-induced ALI was evaluated by detecting alanine aminotransferase(ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase(AST) levels in the plasma and H&E staining in liver tissues of mice. The malondialdehyde(MDA) and glutathione(GSH) content and catalase(CAT) activity in mouse liver tissues were detected to evaluate the effect of AO-Ⅰ on APAP-induced oxidative stress in the liver. The proteins in the liver p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase(p38 MAPK), c-jun N-terminal kinase(JNK), and nuclear factor kappa-B p65(NF-κB p65) signaling pathways were measured by Western blot, and the liver inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1β(IL-1β) and interleukin-6(IL-6) were detected by real-time PCR. Compared with the APAP group, the combination groups showed reduced APAP-induced ALT level and liver MDA content, potentiated liver CAT activity, and elevated GSH content. Mechanistically, AO-Ⅰ treatment significantly inhibited APAP-up-regulated MAPK phosphorylation and NF-κB p65, and significantly reduced the transcriptional activities of IL-1β and IL-6, downstream targets of NF-κB p65. AO-Ⅰ can improve APAP-induced ALI and the underlying mechanism is related to the inhibition of the MAPK/NF-κB p65 signaling pathway in APAP-challenged mice.
Acetaminophen/adverse effects* ; Animals ; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury/drug therapy* ; Lactones ; Mice ; NF-kappa B/metabolism* ; Sesquiterpenes ; Signal Transduction

In recent years， with the change in life style， social environment， and national childbearing policy， the proportion of high-risk pregnant women has increased significantly， triggering the spectrum of obstetric diseases to constantly change， which has brought new challenges to the diagnosis and treatment of obstetrics. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） has been proved effective in dealing with a variety of obstetric diseases， and various treatment methods are available， which can serve as alternative means for solving refractory obstetric diseases. However， most obstetric clinicians are currently less aware of the therapeutic effects of TCM， which has significantly hindered its participation in clinical treatment. Therefore， the China Association of Chinese Medicine （CACM） organized the outstanding young obstetricians of TCM and western medicine to discuss 15 obstetric diseases responding specifically to TCM or integrated TCM and western medicine， including hyperemesis gravidarum， threatened abortion， ectopic gestation， cough during pregnancy， pregnancy-induced hypertension syndrome， maternal-fetal ABO incompatibility， postpartum hypogalactia， residual pregnancy tissue in uterine cavity， puerperal infection， pantalgia after childbirth， hematoma/undesirable healing after caesarean section， postpartum urinary retention， ileus after cesarean section， pelvic floor dysfunction， and postnatal depression. The suggestions for their treatment with TCM or integrated TCM and western medicine were also proposed， aiming to provide patients with effective and personalized treatments in clinical practice and improve the diagnosis and treatment effects of obstetric diseases， thus benefiting the public. At the same time， more obstetrical clinicians are expected to understand the therapeutic effects and advantages of TCM and draw on the strengths of both TCM and western， thereby promoting the establishment of an obstetric diagnosis and treatment system with Chinese characteristics.