There is controversy over the specific and non-specific components in the efficacy evaluation of acupuncture therapy.The placebo effect,as a key non-specific factor,needs to be clarified in terms of its mechanism and clinical value.This article reviewed the research progress in the placebo effect of acupuncture from three aspects:cognitive process,influencing factors,and mechanism.It focused on the regulatory effects of patient expectations,doctor-patient interaction,and individual differences on the effect,summarized key mechanisms such as endogenous opioid system,dopamine reward pathway,and neural projection of rostral anterior cingulate cortex to pontine nucleus,and pointed out the methodological limitations of current comfort acupuncture designs,in order to provide theoretical basis for the optimization of acupuncture clinical research models and the deepening of the effect mechanism.

There is controversy over the specific and non-specific components in the efficacy evaluation of acupuncture therapy.The placebo effect,as a key non-specific factor,needs to be clarified in terms of its mechanism and clinical value.This article reviewed the research progress in the placebo effect of acupuncture from three aspects:cognitive process,influencing factors,and mechanism.It focused on the regulatory effects of patient expectations,doctor-patient interaction,and individual differences on the effect,summarized key mechanisms such as endogenous opioid system,dopamine reward pathway,and neural projection of rostral anterior cingulate cortex to pontine nucleus,and pointed out the methodological limitations of current comfort acupuncture designs,in order to provide theoretical basis for the optimization of acupuncture clinical research models and the deepening of the effect mechanism.

Objective:To investigate the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) clearance condition and its predictive factors after treatment with nucleos(t)ide analogues to pegylated interferon-α add-on therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis B.Methods:Patients with chronic hepatitis B who visited the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from 2018~2019 were prospectively enrolled. HBsAg≤ 1500 IU/mL, hepatitis B e antigen-negative, HBV DNA undetectable, received antiviral treatment with nucleos(t)ide analogues for at least one year, and pegylated interferon-α add-on therapy for 48 weeks were included. The primary endpoint of study was to determine the proportion of HBsAg clearance at 72 weeks. Concurrently, the predictive factors for HBsAg clearance were analyzed. Quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed using a t-test or non-parametric test and a Fisher's exact test.Results:A total of 38 cases were included in this study, of which 13 cases obtained HBsAg clearance at 48 weeks of therapy and another six cases obtained HBsAg clearance throughout the extended treatment period of 72 weeks, accounting for 50.00% of all enrolled patients. There was a significant difference in HBsAg dynamics between the HBsAg clearance group and the non-clearance group (P < 0.05). Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that patients' age, baseline, 12-and 24-week HBsAg levels, and early HBsAg reduction were predictive factors for HBsAg clearance at 72 weeks of treatment. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age (OR = 1.311; P = 0.016; 95% confidence interval: 1.051~1.635) and HBsAg levels at 24 weeks of treatment (OR = 4.481; P = 0.004; 95% confidence interval: 1.634~12.290) were independent predictors for HBsAg clearance.Conclusion:Hepatitis B e antigen-negative, nucleos(t)ide analogue treated, HBsAg ≤ 1500 IU/mL, and HBV DNA undetectable, peg-IFNα add-on treatment for 48 weeks could promote HBsAg clearance in patients with chronic hepatitis B. Six of the sixteen cases (37.50%) who did not obtain HBsAg clearance at week 48 did so with the course of therapy extended to week 72. Hence, the optimal individualized treatment strategy should be customized according to the predictors rather than the fixed 48-week course. Age (≤ 38), baseline HBsAg level (≤2.86 log 10IU/ml), HBsAg level at 24 weeks (≤ 0.92 log 10IU/ml), and 12-week HBsAg decrease from baseline (≥ 0.67 log 10IU/ml) indicate that patients are highly likely to obtain HBsAg clearance at the 72 weeks of combination therapy, in which the combined indicator based on HBsAg level ≤0.92 log 10IU/ml at 24 weeks will identify 85.0% to 100.0% of patients with HBsAg clearance.

Objective:This study aims to investigate the prevalence of internet addiction, morningness-eveningness preference of sleep-wake chronotype, and sleep quality and the correlates of internet addition among first-year undergraduate students.Methods:The newly admitted undergraduates ( n=9 157) of a comprehensive university in 2019 were invited to participate in an online survey from September 2019 to December 2019. The Young′s 20-item Internet Addiction Test, the Pittsburgh sleep quality index, and the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ) were used to measure internet addiction, sleep quality, and the types of morningness-eveningness preference respectively. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze factors independently related to internet addiction with demographic variables (i.e., gender and age), sleep problems, and morningness-eveningness preference adjusted. Results:A total of 7 457 (81.4%) newly admitted undergraduates completed the questionnaires. The prevalence of internet addiction in the total sample was 8.86% (661/7 457), while the corresponding figures were 10.04% (348/3 466) in female students and 7.84% (313/3 991) in male students. The prevalence of sleep problems was 11.73% (875/7 457). For chronotype, the prevalence of evening type, intermediate type, and morning type was 54.73% (4 081/7 457), 43.02% (3 208/7 457) and 2.25% (168/7 457) respectively. After adjusting the interaction of related factors in the logistic regression analysis, being female ( OR=1.26), having sleep quality ( OR=4.12), and having sleep-wake chronotype of intermediate type ( OR=0.37) and morning type ( OR=0.24) were independently associated with internet addiction. Conclusions:Female students had higher prevalence of internet addiction than male students. Majority of students had a chronotype of intermediate or evening type. The sleep-wake chronotype was independently associated with internet addiction after controlling sleep quality, which indicated that sleep biological rhythm may be involved in the mechanism of the occurrence of internet addiction.

Objective:This study aims to investigate the prevalence of internet addiction, morningness-eveningness preference of sleep-wake chronotype, and sleep quality and the correlates of internet addition among first-year undergraduate students.Methods:The newly admitted undergraduates ( n=9 157) of a comprehensive university in 2019 were invited to participate in an online survey from September 2019 to December 2019. The Young′s 20-item Internet Addiction Test, the Pittsburgh sleep quality index, and the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ) were used to measure internet addiction, sleep quality, and the types of morningness-eveningness preference respectively. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze factors independently related to internet addiction with demographic variables (i.e., gender and age), sleep problems, and morningness-eveningness preference adjusted. Results:A total of 7 457 (81.4%) newly admitted undergraduates completed the questionnaires. The prevalence of internet addiction in the total sample was 8.86% (661/7 457), while the corresponding figures were 10.04% (348/3 466) in female students and 7.84% (313/3 991) in male students. The prevalence of sleep problems was 11.73% (875/7 457). For chronotype, the prevalence of evening type, intermediate type, and morning type was 54.73% (4 081/7 457), 43.02% (3 208/7 457) and 2.25% (168/7 457) respectively. After adjusting the interaction of related factors in the logistic regression analysis, being female ( OR=1.26), having sleep quality ( OR=4.12), and having sleep-wake chronotype of intermediate type ( OR=0.37) and morning type ( OR=0.24) were independently associated with internet addiction. Conclusions:Female students had higher prevalence of internet addiction than male students. Majority of students had a chronotype of intermediate or evening type. The sleep-wake chronotype was independently associated with internet addiction after controlling sleep quality, which indicated that sleep biological rhythm may be involved in the mechanism of the occurrence of internet addiction.

Objective To investigate abnormal cortical complexity in first-episode treatment-naive schizophrenia (FES) and its correlation with clinical symptom.Methods Structural brain images of 77 FES patients and 84 health controls were acquired with Philip 3.0 T MRI.Fractal dimension (FD) was calculated as a proxy of cortical complexity by Computational Anatomy toolbox in SPM12.Partial correlation analysis was conducted to explore relationship between cortical complexity and clinical symptoms.Results FD of left superior frontal lobe (SFL) decreased statistically significantly in FES patients (MNI:x=-5,x=22,z=58;voxel-level P＜0.001,cluster-level family-wise error P＜0.05).FD of left SFL was negatively correlated with PANSS total score (r=-0.357,P=0.028) and negative symptom score of PANSS (r=-0.373,P=0.021) in female patients but not male patients.Conclusions Cortical complexity of left SFL decreased in FES patients and correlated with negative symptoms in female,which suggested that there is early abnormal neural development in schizophrenia.

Objective To investigate abnormal cortical complexity in first-episode treatment-naive schizophrenia (FES) and its correlation with clinical symptom.Methods Structural brain images of 77 FES patients and 84 health controls were acquired with Philip 3.0 T MRI.Fractal dimension (FD) was calculated as a proxy of cortical complexity by Computational Anatomy toolbox in SPM12.Partial correlation analysis was conducted to explore relationship between cortical complexity and clinical symptoms.Results FD of left superior frontal lobe (SFL) decreased statistically significantly in FES patients (MNI:x=-5,x=22,z=58;voxel-level P＜0.001,cluster-level family-wise error P＜0.05).FD of left SFL was negatively correlated with PANSS total score (r=-0.357,P=0.028) and negative symptom score of PANSS (r=-0.373,P=0.021) in female patients but not male patients.Conclusions Cortical complexity of left SFL decreased in FES patients and correlated with negative symptoms in female,which suggested that there is early abnormal neural development in schizophrenia.

OBJECTIVETo construct an eukaryotic expression plasmid for AY358935 gene and explore its function.

METHODScDNA of the AY358935 gene was amplified by reverse transcription-PCR and cloned into pGEM-Teasy. The pGEM-T-AY was validated by sequencing and served as a template for the construction of eukaryotic expression plasmid. The pcDNA3.1-AY recombinant was validated by double enzyme digestion and used for transient transfection of M14 cells. Expression of the AY358935 protein and proliferation of the M14 cells were determined respectively by Western blotting and 3-(4,5)-dimethylthiahiazo(-z-y1)-3,5-di-phenytetrazoliumromide (MTT) colorimetry.

RESULTSThe amplicons of RT-PCR were confirmed to have similar size with the cDNA fragment of the AY358935 gene as well as cloned region of pcDNA3.1-AY. The cloned region of pGEM-T-AY was sequenced to be identical with cDNA sequence of the AY358935 gene. M14 cells were transfected by the AY358935 gene, pcDNA3.1 and liposomes, respectively. After 48 h, expression of the AY358935 protein in M14 cells transfected with the AY358935 gene was significantly higher than other two groups. They also had a significantly higher absorbance value (A=0.74) than other two groups (A=0.39 and 0.46, respectively; P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONAn eukaryotic expression plasmid of the AY358935 gene was successfully constructed. Product of the AY358935 gene may promote the proliferation of M14 cells.

Objective To compare the value of ultrasound International Ovarian of Tumor Analysis (IOTA) simple rules and gynecologic imaging reporting and data system (GI-RADS) ultrasonographie stratification in the diagnosis of adnexal masses.Methods A total of 463 patients with adnexal masses were classified according to IOTA simple rules by senior doctor.The benign and malignant masses were enrolled in the study.Then the masses were judged according to GI-RADS classification and IOTA simple rules by senior and junior doctors.And junior doctorn in diagnosis of adnexal masses with IOTA was group A1,senior doctor in diagnosis of adnexal masses with IOTA was group B1,junior doctor in diagnosis of adnexal masses with GI-RADS was A2,senior doctor in diagnosis of adnexal masses with GI-RADS was B2.The efficacy of the two methods were compared.Results Among the 463 cases,there were 411 cases (411/463,88.77％) of benign mass and malignant mass by IOTA and 52 cases (52/463,11.23 ％) of uncertain mass.The specificity,positive predictive value,diagnostic accuracy had statistical differences between groups A2 and B2,A1 and A2 (all P＜0.05),and sensitivity and negative predictive value had no statistical differences (all P＞0.05).Diagnostic efficacy index had no statistial signifi cance between group A1 and B1,B1 and B2 (all P＞0.05).Conclusion The diagnostic efficacy of IOTA simple rules and GI-RADS is high and similar in diagnosis of benign and malignant adnexal masse.IOTA simple rules do not depend on experience,but they are not suitable for the diagnosis of all adnexal masses.

Objective To investigate the expression levels of serum vasohibin-1(VASH-1)in type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)patients at different stages of urinary albumin to creatinineratio(UACR)and to attempt to investigate the relationship between VASH-1 and inflammation and fibrosis in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy(DN), one of the microvascular complications of T2DM. Methods 486 patients with T2DMwere divided into four groups:normal albuminuria [ UACR<30 mg/ g, n = 134], microalbuminuria [ UACR at 30-300 mg/ g, n = 122], clinical albuminuria [UACR > 300 mg/ g, n = 106 ], and clinical albuminuria hypertensive [ UACR > 300 mg/ g, with hypertension, n=124] groups. Age, course, serum levels ofVASH1, inflammation markers(CRP, ESR)and fibrosis marker( TGF-β1) with other biochemical indicators were measured, and 130 normal control subjects were also included. Results Compared with normal control group, the levels of UACR, HbA1C ,ESR, CRP, TGF-β1 and VASH-1 in groups ofnormal albuminuria, microalbuminuria, clinical albuminuria, and clinical albuminuria hypertensive were significantly higher(P<0. 05). Pearson correlation analysis showed that levels of VASH-1 were positively correlated with UACR, HbA1C ,ESR, CRPand TGF-β1( r = 0. 521, 0. 261, 0. 519, 0. 523, 0. 479, P<0. 001), while multivariate regression analysis showed that levels of UACR, HbA1C ,ESR, CRP and TGF-β1 were important factors affecting serum VASH-1 levels. Conclusion Serum levels of VASH-1 may become new biomarkers of early diagnosis of DN. Consequently, VASH-1 level may provide a new pattern and direction of inflammation and fibrosis for consideration in diabetic kidney damage.