Objective To investigate the longitudinal clinical manifestations of acute radiation dermatitis(ARD)induced by particle therapy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients and to analyze associated risk factors.Methods A longitudinal study design was employed,encompassing nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients who underwent particle therapy at the Shanghai Proton and Heavy Ion Center from Mar to Sept 2023.Participants were assessed weekly(1-12 weeks)following the commencement of radiotherapy and at baseline,prior to the start of treatment.Data collection included the patient demographic questionnaire,the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group(RTOG)grading criteria for acute radiation injury,and the radiation-induced skin reaction assessment scale(RISRAS).Photographic documentation was utilized to capture changes in the irradiated skin area.The enrolled patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma were grouped according to different particle therapy regimens.Survival data were analyzed by Log-rank and Cox regression methods,while a linear mixed-effects model was applied to repeated measures data.Results A total of 119 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma were enrolled.The overall incidence of ARD was 89.1%,which included 39.5%of grade 1,45.4%of grade 2 and 4.2%of grade 3.With the extension of time,the severity of ARD peaked at week 7(RISRAS=13.26±4.512),then began to decrease,ultimately reaching a lower level.Multiple Cox proportional hazards models were constructed,revealing that proton/heavy ion radiotherapy was associated with a lower risk of ARD compared to photon/proton plus heavy ion radiotherapy(HR=0.19,95%CI:0.04-0.92,P=0.039).Additionally,concurrent cisplatin/nedaplatin chemotherapy was identified as a risk factor for the development of ARD.Least squares(LS)mean differences were calculated at different time points,and the results demonstrated that the RISRAS scores of the photon/proton plus heavy ion group were consistently and significantly higher from week 5 to week 7 compared with the proton plus heavy ion group,and despite a decrease by week 8,statistical differences remained(week 5:LS mean difference 3.35,95%CI:0.94-5.76,P=0.007;week 6:LS mean difference 5.23,95%CI:2.20-8.26,P=0.001;week 7:LS mean difference 7.13,95%CI:3.67-10.59,P<0.001;week 8:LS mean difference 4.04,95%CI:0.74-7.34,P=0.017).Patients undergoing concurrent cisplatin chemotherapy had higher RISRAS scores from week 7 to week 8 of radiotherapy compared with those not receiving chemotherapy[week 7:adjusted mean difference(Adj.MD)4.20,95%CI:1.96-6.57,P=0.006;week 8:Adj.MD 2.79,95%CI 0.55-5.03,P=0.015].Similarly,patients on concurrent nedaplatin chemotherapy had higher RISRAS scores from weeks 6 to 7 compared with those not on chemotherapy(week 6:Adj.MD 3.75,95%CI:1.54-5.96,P=0.001;week 7:Adj.MD 4.41,95%CI:2.12-6.70,P<0.001).Skin care measures during treatment and accompanying symptoms such as weight loss were not statistically associated with the development of ARD.Conclusion Proton/heavy ion radiotherapy has a lower risk of ARD,while concurrent cisplatin/nedaplatin chemotherapy is a risk factor for ARD.

Tujia ethnic group medicine Xuetong is derived from Kadsura heteroclita, the stem of which has the medicinal value for anti-rheumatoid arthritis, liver protection, anti-tumor, anti-oxidation effects, and has been widely used in Hunan and Guangdong in China. The selection of reliable and stable reference genes is the basis for subsequent molecular research on K. heteroclita. In this study, GAPDH, TUA, Actin, UBQ, EF-1α, 18S-rRNA, CYP, UBC, TUB, H2A, and RPL were selected as candidate reference genes in Kadsura heteroclita. The gene expression levels of the 11 candidate reference genes of K. heteroclita in its 6 different parts(stem-inside of the cambium, stem-outside of the cambium, fruit, flower, root, and leaf) and under different intervention conditions [drought stress, salt stress, and methyl jasmonate(MeJA) treatment] were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR). The expression stability of the 11 candidate reference genes was comprehensively analyzed and evaluated by geNorm, NormFinder, ΔCT algorithm, and RefFinder software. The results showed that the expression of UBC and RPL was relatively stable in 6 different parts, and UBC and GAPDH genes were relatively stable under different intervention conditions. To verify the reliability of reference genes for K. heteroclita, this study further examined the relative expression levels of KhFPS, KhIDI, KhCAS, KhSQE, KhSQS, KhSQS-2, KhHMGS, KhHMGR, KhMVD, KhMVK, KhDXR, KhDXS, KhPMVK, and KhGGPS in different parts and under different intervention conditions, which might relate to the synthesis of the main component(Xuetongsu) of K. heteroclita. The results showed that with UBC and RPL or UBC and GAPDH as the reference genes, the expression trends of these 14 genes were basically consistent in different parts or under different intervention conditions for K. heteroclita. In conclusion, UBC can be used as a reference gene of K. heteroclita for its different parts and different intervention conditions, which lays a foundation for further research on the biosynthetic pathway of main components in K. heteroclita.
Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction/methods* ; Reference Standards ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Plant Proteins/metabolism* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal

BACKGROUND: China is seeing a growing demand for rehabilitation treatments for post-stroke upper limb spastic paresis (PSSP-UL). Although acupuncture is known to be effective for PSSP-UL, there is room to enhance its efficacy. OBJECTIVE: This study explored a semi-personalized acupuncture approach for PSSP-UL that used three-dimensional kinematic analysis (3DKA) results to select additional acupoints, and investigated the feasibility, efficacy and safety of this approach. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTIONS: This single-blind, single-center, randomized, controlled trial involved 74 participants who experienced a first-ever ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke with spastic upper limb paresis. The participants were then randomly assigned to the intervention group or the control group in a 1:1 ratio. Both groups received conventional treatments and acupuncture treatment 5 days a week for 4 weeks. The main acupoints in both groups were the same, while participants in the intervention group received additional acupoints selected on the basis of 3DKA results. Follow-up assessments were conducted for 8 weeks after the treatment. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was the Fugl-Meyer Assessment for Upper Extremity (FMA-UE) response rate (≥ 6-point change) at week 4. Secondary outcomes included changes in motor function (FMA-UE), Brunnstrom recovery stage (BRS), manual muscle test (MMT), spasticity (Modified Ashworth Scale, MAS), and activities of daily life (Modified Barthel Index, MBI) at week 4 and week 12. RESULTS: Sixty-four participants completed the trial and underwent analyses. Compared with control group, the intervention group exhibited a significantly higher FMA-UE response rate at week 4 (χ² = 5.479, P = 0.019) and greater improvements in FMA-UE at both week 4 and week 12 (both P < 0.001). The intervention group also showed bigger improvements from baseline in the MMT grades for shoulder adduction and elbow flexion at weeks 4 and 12 as well as thumb adduction at week 4 (P = 0.007, P = 0.049, P = 0.019, P = 0.008, P = 0.029, respectively). The intervention group showed a better change in the MBI at both week 4 and week 12 (P = 0.004 and P = 0.010, respectively). Although the intervention group had a higher BRS for the hand at week 12 (P = 0.041), no intergroup differences were observed at week 4 (all P > 0.05). The two groups showed no differences in MAS grades as well as in BRS for the arm at weeks 4 and 12 (all P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Semi-personalized acupuncture prescription based on 3DKA results significantly improved motor function, muscle strength, and activities of daily living in patients with PSSP-UL. TRIAL REGISTRATION Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR2200056216. Please cite this article as: Huang XY, Liao OP, Jiang SY, Tao JM, Li Y, Lu XY, Li YY, Wang C, Li J, Ma XP. Three-dimensional kinematic analysis can improve the efficacy of acupoint selection for post-stroke patients with upper limb spastic paresis: A randomized controlled trial. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(1): 15-24.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Acupuncture Points ; Upper Extremity/physiopathology* ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Single-Blind Method ; Aged ; Stroke/therapy* ; Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; Stroke Rehabilitation/methods* ; Adult ; Muscle Spasticity/therapy* ; Paresis/physiopathology* ; Treatment Outcome

Objective To investigate the longitudinal clinical manifestations of acute radiation dermatitis(ARD)induced by particle therapy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients and to analyze associated risk factors.Methods A longitudinal study design was employed,encompassing nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients who underwent particle therapy at the Shanghai Proton and Heavy Ion Center from Mar to Sept 2023.Participants were assessed weekly(1-12 weeks)following the commencement of radiotherapy and at baseline,prior to the start of treatment.Data collection included the patient demographic questionnaire,the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group(RTOG)grading criteria for acute radiation injury,and the radiation-induced skin reaction assessment scale(RISRAS).Photographic documentation was utilized to capture changes in the irradiated skin area.The enrolled patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma were grouped according to different particle therapy regimens.Survival data were analyzed by Log-rank and Cox regression methods,while a linear mixed-effects model was applied to repeated measures data.Results A total of 119 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma were enrolled.The overall incidence of ARD was 89.1%,which included 39.5%of grade 1,45.4%of grade 2 and 4.2%of grade 3.With the extension of time,the severity of ARD peaked at week 7(RISRAS=13.26±4.512),then began to decrease,ultimately reaching a lower level.Multiple Cox proportional hazards models were constructed,revealing that proton/heavy ion radiotherapy was associated with a lower risk of ARD compared to photon/proton plus heavy ion radiotherapy(HR=0.19,95%CI:0.04-0.92,P=0.039).Additionally,concurrent cisplatin/nedaplatin chemotherapy was identified as a risk factor for the development of ARD.Least squares(LS)mean differences were calculated at different time points,and the results demonstrated that the RISRAS scores of the photon/proton plus heavy ion group were consistently and significantly higher from week 5 to week 7 compared with the proton plus heavy ion group,and despite a decrease by week 8,statistical differences remained(week 5:LS mean difference 3.35,95%CI:0.94-5.76,P=0.007;week 6:LS mean difference 5.23,95%CI:2.20-8.26,P=0.001;week 7:LS mean difference 7.13,95%CI:3.67-10.59,P<0.001;week 8:LS mean difference 4.04,95%CI:0.74-7.34,P=0.017).Patients undergoing concurrent cisplatin chemotherapy had higher RISRAS scores from week 7 to week 8 of radiotherapy compared with those not receiving chemotherapy[week 7:adjusted mean difference(Adj.MD)4.20,95%CI:1.96-6.57,P=0.006;week 8:Adj.MD 2.79,95%CI 0.55-5.03,P=0.015].Similarly,patients on concurrent nedaplatin chemotherapy had higher RISRAS scores from weeks 6 to 7 compared with those not on chemotherapy(week 6:Adj.MD 3.75,95%CI:1.54-5.96,P=0.001;week 7:Adj.MD 4.41,95%CI:2.12-6.70,P<0.001).Skin care measures during treatment and accompanying symptoms such as weight loss were not statistically associated with the development of ARD.Conclusion Proton/heavy ion radiotherapy has a lower risk of ARD,while concurrent cisplatin/nedaplatin chemotherapy is a risk factor for ARD.

Objective To provide theoretical basis for determining whether disinfection is necessary before reco-nnecting the infusion device after intermittent administration of medicine via needleless connectors(NC)during in-travenous infusion.Methods The actual situation of clinical intravenous infusion was simulated in a laboratory en-vironment.Taking intravenous injection as an example,microorganisms on the surface of NC and in the remaining liquid after infusion at different intermittent administration times(1-9 times)were detected by adenosine triphos-phate(ATP)bioluminescence detection technique.The experiment was repeated in 15 groups for each administra-tion frequency,and a total of 270 specimens were detected and statistically analyzed.ATP detection value ≤25 rela-tive light unit(RLU)was considered to be qualified.Results With the increase of intermittent administration fre-quency,the overall microorganisms on NC surface gradually increased,but all were ≤25 RLU.Microorganisms on the surface of NC among different disconnection times were statistically different(P＜0.001).Compared with the microorganisms when disconnecting 9 times,numbers of microorganisms on the surface of NC with disconnection of 1,2,3,and 4 times were all statistically different,respectively(all P＜0.05),while those with other disconnec-tion frequencies did not show statistical differences among each other(all P＞0.05).Microorganisms in liquid after infusion among different intermittent administration frequencies were not statistically different(P=0.946).Conclusion In laboratory environment,with the increase of intermittent administration frequency,microorganisms on the sur-face of NC increase,but the safety of the infusion process is not compromised.

The purpose of this study was to understand the prevalence of Neoehrlichia mikurensis in rodents in Yunnan commensal rodent plague foci.Lianghe Country,Mangshi City,and Mile City in Yunnan Province were chosen as sampling sites,where rodents were captured with dead-traps.The N.mikurensis groEL gene in rodent spleen samples was detected with nested PCR,and the positive products were sequenced with Sanger bidirectional assays.The infection rate of N.mikurensis a-mong plague foci,habitats,species,and sexes was compared with Chi-square tests or Fisher's exact probability method.Of 656 rodent spleen samples,12 N.mikurensis positive samples were detected in R.tanezumi,R.sladeni,N.confucianus,and B.bowersi.The positivity rate was 1.83％.No significant difference in the N.mikurensis positivity rate was observed a-mong plague foci,habitats,species,and sexes(P＞0.05).Genetic evolution analysis of the groEL gene indicated that the se-quence similarity of nucleic acid sequences in 12 positive samples was 99.5％-100％,and the nucleic acid sequences of N.mikurensis were in the same branch,belonging to cluster Ⅳ.Thus,four species of rodents were found to have low frequency infection with N.mikurensis in Yunnan commensal rodent plague foci.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of brexpiprazole in treating acute schizophrenia.Methods Patients with schizophrenia were randomly divided into treatment group and control group.The treatment group was given brexpiprozole 2-4 mg·d-1 orally and the control group was given aripiprazole 10-20 mg·d-1orally,both were treated for 6 weeks.Clinical efficacy of the two groups,the response rate at endpoint,the changes from baseline to endpoint of Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale(PANSS),Clinical Global Impression-Improvement(CGI-S),Personal and Social Performance scale(PSP),PANSS Positive syndrome subscale,PANSS negative syndrome subscale were compared.The incidence of treatment-related adverse events in two groups were compared.Results There were 184 patients in treatment group and 186 patients in control group.After treatment,the response rates of treatment group and control group were 79.50％(140 cases/184 cases)and 82.40％(150 cases/186 cases),the scores of CGI-I of treatment group and control group were(2.00±1.20)and(1.90±1.01),with no significant difference(all P＞0.05).From baseline to Week 6,the mean change of PANSS total score wese(-30.70±16.96)points in treatment group and(-32.20±17.00)points in control group,with no significant difference(P＞0.05).The changes of CGI-S scores in treatment group and control group were(-2.00±1.27)and(-1.90±1.22)points,PSP scores were(18.80±14.77)and(19.20±14.55)points,PANSS positive syndrome scores were(-10.30±5.93)and(-10.80±5.81)points,PANSS negative syndrome scores were(-6.80±5.98)and(-7.30±5.15)points,with no significant difference(P＞0.05).There was no significant difference in the incidence of treatment-related adverse events between the two group(69.00％vs.64.50％,P＞0.05).Conclusion The non-inferiority of Brexpiprazole to aripiprazole was established,with comparable efficacy and acceptability.

A male infant,aged 6 days,was admitted to the hospital due to respiratory distress and systemic desquamative rash after birth.The infant presented with erythema and desquamative rash,respiratory failure,recurrent infections,chronic diarrhea,hypernatremic dehydration,and growth retardation.Comprehensive treatment,including anti-infection therapy,intravenous immunoglobulin administration,and skin care,resulted in improvement of the rash,but recurrent infections persisted.Second-generation sequencing revealed a homozygous mutation in the SPINK5 gene,consistent with the pathogenic variation of Netherton syndrome.The family opted for palliative care,and the infant died at the age of 2 months after discharge.This report documents a case of Netherton syndrome caused by the SPINK5 gene mutation in the neonatal period,and highlights multidisciplinary diagnosis and therapy for this condition.

Objective To explore the regulatory role of transient receptor potential channel 6(TRPC6)on podocyte autophagy under the influence of homocysteine(Hcy)in mouse kidney.Methods Mouse renal podocytes were divided into control group and Hcy groups(stimulated by Hcy at 40,60,80 and 100 μmol/L for 48 h).The level of TRPC6 mRNA was assessed using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR)to identify the optimal Hcy concentration for subsequent experiments.Western blotting was employed to evaluate the expression levels of autophagy-related proteins LC3 Ⅱ and p62,as well as the expression levels of podocyte structural proteins Nephrin and Podocin.The expression levels of TRPC6 mRNA and protein in both groups were determined using qRT-PCR,Western blotting and immunofluorescence.Transfections of cells with TRPC6 overexpression or interference were set as follows:(1)control group(untreated),negative control group of TRPC6 overexpression,and TRPC6 overexpression group;(2)control group(untreated),negative control group of TRPC6 interference,and TRPC6 interference group(si-1,si-2,si-3).The expression level of TRPC6 was detected using qRT-PCR.The cells after overexpressing or interfering of TRPC6 were further set as follows:(1)control group(untreated),Hcy group(80 μmol/L Hcy added),TRPC6 overexpression control+Hcy group,TRPC6 overexpression+Hcy group;(2)control group(untreated),Hcy group,TRPC6 interference control+Hcy group,and TRPC6 interference+Hcy group.The expression levels of p62,LC3 Ⅱ,and TRPC6 proteins were detected using Western blotting.Results qRT-PCR detection results showed that compared with control group,the expression level of TRPC6 mRNA in Hcy group increased with the increase of Hcy concentration,with the highest expression level observed at 80 μmol/L Hcy.Therefore,80 μmol/L Hcy was selected as the optimal concentration for intervention.At this time,the expression level of autophagy-related protein LC3 Ⅱ increased,and the expression level of p62 decreased(P<0.05).Western blotting results showed that compared with control group,the expression levels of podocyte-related proteins Nephrin and Podocin in Hcy group were significantly decreased(P<0.05).qRT-PCR results showed that compared with control group,the expression level of TRPC6 mRNA in Hcy group was significantly increased(P<0.05).Compared with negative control group for TRPC6 overexpression,both mRNA and protein expression levels of TRPC6 in TRPC6 overexpression group were significantly higher(P<0.05).Compared with negative control group for TRPC6 interference,both mRNA and protein expression levels of TRPC6 in TRPC6 interference group were significantly decreased(P<0.05).Western blotting results showed that compared with negative control group for TRPC6 overexpression,the expression level of autophagy-related protein LC3 Ⅱ in TRPC6 overexpression+Hcy group was significantly increased,and the expression level of p62 was significantly decreased(P<0.05).Compared with TRPC6 negative control+Hcy group for TRPC6 interference+Hcy,the expression level of autophagy-related protein LC3 Ⅱ in TRPC6 interference+Hcy group was significantly decreased,and the expression level of p62 was significantly increased(P<0.05).Conclusion Hcy can induce autophagy of renal podocytes.Inhibiting the expression of TRPC6 can significantly reduce the autophagy damage to podocytes.

Objective:To investigate the risk factors affecting the prognosis of penile cancer after surgery.Methods:We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data on 112 cases of penile cancer treated in Weifang People's Hospital from January 2013 to De-cember 2023.Using the Kaplan-Meier survival curve,χ2 test,Fisher's exact test,and univariate and multivariate Cox risk regression analyses,we compared the clinical characteristics among different groups,and determined the independent prognostic risk factors for cancer-specific survival(CSS)of the patients.Results:The 1-,3-and 5-year CSS rates of the penile cancer patients were 78.2%,66.1% and 63.7%,respectively.Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated a significant correlation of a higher neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio(NLR)with a lower CSS rate(P<0.001).Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed high NLR(HR=2.6;95% CI:1.031-6.558;P=0.043)to be an independent risk factor for CSS.Conclusion:Preoperative NLR is an independent risk factor for the prognosis of penile cancer.In addition,older age,farmer or worker occupation,lower education,preoperative lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio(LMR)≤2.81,preoperative fibrinogen(FIB)≥3.41 g/L,advanced tumor stage and tumor differentiation are associated with the poor prognosis the malignancy.