Objective To investigate the temporal changes in pathological damage and macrophage polarization in liver and spleen tissues of mice infected with Angiostrongylus cantonensis, and to preliminarily unravel the peripheral immune responses during the early stage of A. cantonensis infection. Methods Forty female BALB/c mice at ages of 6 to 8 weeks were randomly divided into four groups, including the control group and 7-, 14-, and 21-day infection groups, with 10 mice in each group. Each mouse in the infection groups was inoculated with 30 third-stage (L3) larvae of A. cantonensis by oral gavage, and five mice were randomly selected from each infection group on days 7, 14, and 21 post-infection, while mice in the control group were given the same volume of physiological saline and five mice were randomly selected from the control group on the day of oral gavage. Mouse liver and spleen tissues were sampled. The histopathological changes of mouse liver and spleen tissues were observed using hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining, and the percentage of positive staining area and the co-localization positive rates of the macrophage surface antigens F4/80, CD86, and CD206 were quantified in mouse liver and spleen tissues using immunohistochemical and immunofluorescence staining. In addition, five mice were collected from each infection group on days 7, 14, and 21 post-infection, and five mice were collected from the control group on the day of oral gavage. Mouse liver and spleen tissues were sampled for detection of macrophage markers CD86 and CD206 and macrophage phenotyping using flow cytometry, and the expression of M1 macrophage markers, including inducible nitric oxide synthase (Nos2), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and M2 markers, including arginase 1 (Arg1), mannose receptor C-type 1 (Mrc1) and chitinase-like protein 3 (Chil3) was quantified in mouse liver and spleen tissues using real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) assay. Results Proliferative lesions of the hepatocyte were observed in mouse liver tissues and the follicular structures of the mouse spleen white pulp were disrupted 21 days post-infection with A. cantonensis. Immunohistochemical staining showed that there were significant differences in the percentages of F4/80, CD86 and CD206 positive staining areas in the liver and spleen tissues among the four groups of mice (F = 242.40, 197.14, 183.19, 157.65, 242.35 and 146.24; all P values < 0.001), and the percentages of positive staining in the liver and spleen tissues of mice in the 14-day infection group [(4.45 ± 0.51)%, (3.74 ± 0.67)%, (8.32 ± 0.72)%, (16.56 ± 1.14)%, (11.62 ± 0.52)%, and (8.29 ± 0.72)%, respectively] and the 21-day infection group [(3.70 ± 0.11)%, (3.22 ± 0.43)%, (11.53 ± 1.03)%, (12.59 ± 1.05)%, (9.02 ± 0.83)%, and (11.67 ± 1.10)%, respectively] were higher than in the control group [(0.35 ± 0.16)%, (0.40 ± 0.02)%, (0.93 ± 0.05)%, (2.78 ± 0.26)%, (2.33 ± 0.20)%, and (1.85 ± 0.20)%, respectively] (all P values < 0.05). Immunofluorescence staining showed significant differences in the positive rates of F4/80 co-localization with CD86 and CD206 in mouse liver and spleen tissues among the four groups (F = 24.42, 25.28, 54.51 and 130.55; all P values < 0.001). Flow cytometry detected significant differences in the proportions of CD86⁺ and CD206⁺ macrophages in mouse liver and spleen tissues among the four groups (F = 67.98, 18.41, 29.77, 172.80; all P values < 0.001), and the proportions of CD206⁺ macrophages in the liver and spleen of the 21-day infection group were significantly higher than those in the control group [(9.25 ± 2.55)% vs (3.83 ± 0.72)%, and (4.22 ± 0.56)% vs (0.47 ± 0.18)%, respectively] (both P values < 0.05). In addition, RT-qPCR assay quantified significant differences in the relative mRNA expression of M1 macrophage markers (IL-1β, TNF-α and Nos2) and M2 macrophage markers (Arg1, Chil3 and Mrc1) in mouse liver and spleen tissues among the four groups (F = 41.30, 31.82, 199.33, 19.96, 62.01, 119.76, 23.67, 95.90, 72.27, 82.59, 123.41 and 29.75; all P values < 0.05). Conclusions A. cantonensis infection may cause progressive pathological damage in mouse liver and spleen tissues, accompanied by dynamic temporal changes in macrophage polarization. M1 macrophage polarization predominates at the early stage of A. cantonensis infection and shifts towards M2 polarization at the later stages, suggesting that M2 polarization may participate in immune regulation at late stages of A. cantonensis infection by suppressing excessive inflammatory responses and promoting tissue repair.

ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanisms of Tongmai Yangxin pills （TMYX） and Tongxinluo capsules （TXL） in treating no-reflow （NR） after myocardial ischemia and reperfusion following the concept of treating the same disease with different methods， based on integrative pharmacology and experimental validation. MethodsEighty 8-week-old SPF-grade SD rats were randomly assigned into four groups （n=20）： sham operation， NR， TMYX （4 g·kg^-1）， and TXL （2 mg·kg^-1）. A rat model of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion no-reflow was established by in-situ ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery. Gastric gavage was first performed 4 h after the operation， and samples were collected on day 7. Thioflavin S staining was used to observe the NR area in rat myocardium. Echocardiography was performed to examine the cardiac function. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was conducted to observe the pathological changes of the myocardial tissue. An automatic biochemical analyzer was adopted to measure myocardial enzyme activity. Then， integrated pharmacology was applied for Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes （KEGG） enrichment analysis. Finally， Western blot was employed to quantify the protein levels of key targets in the myocardial tissue， including soluble guanylyl cyclase （sGC）， cyclic guanosine monophosphate （cGMP）/dependent protein kinase （PKG）， phosphorylated phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （p-PI3K）， phosphorylated protein kinase B （p-Akt）， and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α （HIF-1α）. ResultsCompared with the sham operation group， the NR group showed increased NR area of myocardium， decreased left ventricular ejection fraction （EF）， left ventricular fractional shortening （FS）， left ventricular outflow tract peak velocity （LVOT Peak）， and left ventricular stroke volume （LVSV） （P<0.01）， fractured and disordered myocardial fibers as well as inflammatory cell infiltration in the myocardial tissue， enhanced activities of creatine kinase （CK）， creatine kinase isoenzyme （CK-MB）， and lactate dehydrogenase （LDH） in the myocardial tissue （P<0.01）， and downregulated protein levels of sGC， PKG， phosphorylated （p）-PI3K （Tyr458）， and p-Akt （Tyr315） in the myocardial tissue （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The expression level of HIF-1α protein showed a downward trend. Compared with the NR group， the TMYX group and TXL group exhibited a decreasing trend in myocardial NR area， EF， FS， and LVOT Peak significantly increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）， LVSV showed an upward trend， ameliorated myocardial pathological morphology and inflammatory infiltration， reductions in CK， CK-MB， and LDH activities （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and upregulated protein levels of sGC， PKG， p-PI3K （Tyr458） in myocardial tissue （P<0.05， P<0.01）， the protein expressions of p-Akt （Tyr315） and HIF-1α showed an upward trend. A comparison of the therapeutic effects between the two compound prescriptions showed that TMYX tended to exert a better effect in restoring cardiac function and protecting cardiac structure in NR rats， whereas TXL was more effective in reducing myocardial NR area and lowering myocardial enzyme activities in NR rats. Integrative pharmacology analysis combined with experimental verification demonstrated that both TMYX and TXL could alleviate NR through the following mechanisms： activating the cyclic cGMP/PKG signaling pathway to regulate vascular tone， activating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway to dilate blood vessels， and activating the HIF-1 signaling pathway to inhibit oxidative stress. However， TMYX had an advantage in activating the cGMP/PKG pathway， while TXL was superior in activating the PI3K/Akt pathway. The two compound prescriptions exerted comparable effects on the HIF-1 signaling pathway， which might serve as their common therapeutic pathway. ConclusionBoth TMYX and TXL could alleviate NR damage. TMYX exerts its protective effect against NR mainly by activating the cGMP/PKG signaling pathway， while TXL exerts its effect mainly through the PI3K/Akt pathway. The HIF-1α signaling pathway may be a common pathway for the two compound prescriptions to exert their protective effects against NR. This study reveals the similarities and differences between TMYX and TXL in the treatment effect and mechanism for NR， providing an experimental basis and a theoretical basis for better clinical application of the two compound prescriptions.

ObjectiveTo systematically compare the effects of diverse electromagnetic stimulation protocols on hand function and activities of daily living (ADL) in stroke patients using network meta-analysis (NMA), and screen the optimal stimulation strategy for post-stroke hand dysfunction rehabilitation. MethodsNMA was performed in accordance with the PRISMA-NMA statement. Databases of CNKI, Wanfang data, VIP, CBM, PubMed, Web of Science and Embase were searched from database inception to April, 2026 for eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing different electromagnetic stimulation protocols for post-stroke hand impairment. The Cochrane Risk of Bias tool and PEDro scale were used to assess methodological quality of included studies, while the GRADE system was adopted to grade evidence quality of primary outcomes of Fugl-Meyer Assessment-Upper Extremities (FMA-UE) and modified Barthel Index (MBI). After literature screening, data extraction and bias evaluation, RevMan 5.4 and Stata 17.0 were used for meta-analysis and NMA. ResultsA total of 22 RCT involving 17 electromagnetic stimulation protocols were finally included. The PEDro scores ranged from six to ten. The top five protocols for improving FMA-UE score were repetitive peripheral magnetic stimulation (rPMS) + repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) + rPMS, iTBS + transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) and contralaterally controlled functional electrical stimulation (CCFES). tDCS was the most effective on MBI, followed by TEAS and iTBS+rPMS. Evidence quality for FMA-UE and MBI was moderate. Funnel plots suggested low risk of publication bias, and consistency tests verified good coherence between direct and indirect comparisons in network models. ConclusionElectromagnetic stimulation significantly facilitates upper limb and hand functional recovery, and improves ADL in stroke patients. The combined central-peripheral magnetic stimulation protocol may be the most effective on motor rehabilitation, whereas tDCS on ADL.

BACKGROUND:Studies have shown that patients with premature ovarian failure have changes in the structure of intestinal flora and that imbalance of intestinal microbiota may be one of the important mechanisms in the development of premature ovarian failure. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of Liuwei Dihuang Wan on oxidative stress and intestinal microbiota in premature ovarian failure mice induced by cyclophosphamide. METHODS:Forty-five female ICR mice were randomized into three groups:blank group(normal mice),model group(premature ovarian failure mice),and Liuwei Dihuang Wan group.A mouse model of premature ovarian failure was prepared by one-time intraperitoneal injection of cyclophosphamide(120 mg/kg)in the latter two groups.After successful modeling,the Liuwei Dihuang Wan group was intragastrically administered for 28 continuous days,and the other two groups were intragastrically administered with the same amount of normal saline for 28 days.Mouse body mass was recorded weekly and ovarian index was calculated.The development of mouse follicles was observed using hematoxylin-eosin staining.ELISA method was used to detect serum levels of anti-Mullerian hormone,estradiol,follicle stimulating hormone,superoxide dismutase,glutathione peroxidase,and malondialdehyde.Meanwhile,the gut microbiome of all mice was detected through 16S rDNA sequencing. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The mice in the model group had loose hair,decreased vigor and grip strength,almost no increase in body mass,and decreased ovarian index.Whereas,the mouse body mass and ovarian index were increased after treatment with Liuwei Dihuang Wan(P<0.05).The estrous cycle of mice in the model group was disorganized;Liuwei Dihuang Wan could restore the estrous cycle and reduce the number of atretic follicles in mice with premature ovarian failure.The serum levels of follicle stimulating hormone and malondialdehyde in the model group significantly increased(P<0.01),while the levels of estradiol,anti-Mullerian hormone,superoxide dismutase,and glutathione peroxidase significantly decreased(P<0.01).Liuwei Dihuang Wan could significantly decrease the serum levels of follicle stimulating hormone and malondialdehyde(P<0.01),and increase the levels of estradiol,anti-Mullerian hormone,superoxide dismutase,and glutathione peroxidase.According to the 16S rDNA sequencing results,Liuwei Dihuang Wan could regulate the abundance and diversity of intestinal microbiota,and increase the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria.KEGG pathway analysis showed that the intestinal microbiota and metabolic pathways,biosynthesis of secondary metabolites,microbial metabolism in different environments,and biosynthesis of amino acids were regulated by Liuwei Dihuang Wan.To conclude,the changes in the structure of intestinal microbiome may be one of the potential mechanisms of Liuwei Dihuang Wan in treating premature ovarian failure.Liuwei Dihuang Wan can regulate the structure of intestinal microbiome,increase the number of beneficial bacteria,reduce the number of harmful bacteria,and thus improve the balance of intestinal microbiota.This regulatory effect helps to reduce oxidative stress levels and further inhibit ovarian oxidative stress in mice with premature ovarian failure.

ObjectiveTo investigate the influence of histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3) on the occurrence, development of psoriasis-like inflammation in mice, and the relative immune mechanisms. MethodsHealthy C57BL/6 mice aged 6-8 weeks were selected and randomly divided into 3 groups: control group (Control), psoriasis model group (IMQ), and HDAC3 inhibitor RGFP966-treated psoriasis model group (IMQ+RGFP966). One day prior to the experiment, the back hair of the mice was shaved. After a one-day stabilization period, the mice in Control group was treated with an equal amount of vaseline, while the mice in IMQ group was treated with imiquimod (62.5 mg/d) applied topically on the back to establish a psoriasis-like inflammation model. The mice in IMQ+RGFP966 group received intervention with a high dose of the HDAC3-selective inhibitor RGFP966 (30 mg/kg) based on the psoriasis-like model. All groups were treated continuously for 5 d, during which psoriasis-like inflammation symptoms (scaling, erythema, skin thickness), body weight, and mental status were observed and recorded, with photographs taken for documentation. After euthanasia, hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was used to assess the effect of RGFP966 on the skin tissue structure of the mice, and skin thickness was measured. The mRNA and protein expression levels of HDAC3 in skin tissues were detected using reverse transcription real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and Western blot (WB), respectively. Flow cytometry was employed to analyze neutrophils in peripheral blood and lymph nodes, CD4⁺ T lymphocytes, CD8⁺ T lymphocytes in peripheral blood, and IL-17A secretion by peripheral blood CD4⁺ T lymphocytes. Additionally, spleen CD4⁺ T lymphocyte expression of HDAC3, CCR6, CCR8, and IL-17A secretion levels were analyzed. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the localization and expression levels of HDAC3, IL-17A, and IL-10 in skin tissues. ResultsCompared with the Control group, the IMQ group exhibited significant psoriasis-like inflammation, characterized by erythema, scaling, and skin wrinkling. Compared with the IMQ group, RGFP966 exacerbated psoriasis-like inflammatory symptoms, leading to increased hyperkeratosis. The psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) skin symptom scores were higher in the IMQ group than those in the Control group, and the scores were further elevated in the IMQ+RGFP966 group compared to the IMQ group. Skin thickness measurements showed a trend of IMQ+RGFP966>IMQ>Control. The numbers of neutrophils in the blood and lymph nodes increased sequentially in the Control, IMQ, and IMQ+RGFP966 groups, with a similar trend observed for CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T lymphocytes in the blood. In skin tissues, compared with the Control group, the mRNA and protein levels of HDAC3 decreased in the IMQ group, but RGFP966 did not further reduce these expressions. HDAC3 was primarily located in the nucleus. Compared with the Control group, the nuclear HDAC3 content decreased in the skin tissues of the IMQ group, and RGFP966 further reduced nuclear HDAC3. Compared with the Control and IMQ groups, RGFP966 treatment decreased HDAC3 expression in splenic CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells. RGFP966 treatment increased the expression of CCR6 and CCR8 in splenic CD4⁺ T cells and enhanced IL-17A secretion by peripheral blood and splenic CD4⁺ T lymphocytes. Additionally, compared with the IMQ group, RGFP966 reduced IL-10 protein levels and upregulated IL-17A expression in skin tissues. ConclusionRGFP966 exacerbates psoriatic-like inflammatory responses by inhibiting HDAC3, increasing the secretion of the cytokine IL-17A, and upregulating the expression of chemokines CCR8 and CCR6.

Objective To investigate the changes in eosinophil counts and the activation of microglial cells in the brain tissues of mice at different stages of Angiostrongylus cantonensis infection, and to examine the role of microglia in regulating the progression of angiostrongyliasis and unravel the possible molecular mechanisms. Methods Fifty BALB/c mice were randomly divided into the control group and the 7-d, 14-d, 21-day and 25-d infection groups, of 10 mice in each group. All mice in infection groups were infected with 30 stage III A. cantonensis larvae by gavage, and animals in the control group was given an equal amount of physiological saline. Five mice were collected from each of infection groups on days 7, 14, 21 d and 25 d post-infection, and 5 mice were collected from the control group on the day of oral gavage. The general and focal functional impairment was scored using the Clark scoring method to assess the degree of mouse neurological impairment. Five mice from each of infection groups were sacrificed on days 7, 14, 21 d and 25 d post-infection, and 5 mice from the control group were sacrificed on the day of oral gavage. Mouse brain tissues were sampled, and the pathological changes of brain tissues were dynamically observed using hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining. Immunofluorescence staining with eosinophilic cationic protein (ECP) and ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule 1 (Iba1) was used to assess the degree of eosinophil infiltration and the counts of microglial cells in mouse brain tissues in each group, and the morphological parameters of microglial cells (skeleton analysis and fractal analysis) were quantified by using Image J software to determine the morphological changes of microglial cells. In addition, the expression of M1 microglia markers Fcγ receptor III (Fcgr3), Fcγ receptor IIb (Fcgr2b) and CD86 antigen (Cd86), M2 microglia markers Arginase 1 (Arg1), macrophage mannose receptor C-type 1 (Mrc1), chitinase-like 3 (Chil3), and phagocytosis genes myeloid cell triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (Trem2), CD68 antigen (Cd68), and apolipoprotein E (Apoe) was quantified using real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) assay in the mouse cerebral cortex of mice post-infection. Results A large number of A. cantonensis larvae were seen on the mouse meninges surface post-infection, and many neuronal nuclei were crumpled and deeply stained, with a large number of bleeding points in the meninges. The median Clark scores of mouse general functional impairment were 0 (interquartile range, 0), 0 (interquartile range, 0.5), 6 (interquartile range, 1.0), 14 (interquartile range, 8.5) points and 20 (interquartile range, 9.0) points in the control group and the 7-d, 14-d, 21-d and 25-d groups, respectively (H = 22.45, P < 0.01), and the median Clark scores of mouse focal functional impairment were 0 (interquartile range, 0), 2 (interquartile range, 2.5), 7 (interquartile range, 3.0), 18 (interquartile range, 5.0) points and 25 (interquartile range, 6.5) points in the control group and the 7-d, 14-d, 21-d and 25-d groups, respectively (H = 22.72, P < 0.01). The mean scores of mice general and focal functional impairment were all higher in the infection groups than in the control group (all P values < 0.05). Immunofluorescence staining showed a significant difference in the eosinophil counts in mouse brain tissues among the five groups (F = 40.05, P < 0.000 1), and the eosinophil counts were significantly higher in mouse brain tissues in the 14-d (3.08 ± 0.78) and 21-d infection groups (5.97 ± 1.37) than in the control group (1.00 ± 0.28) (both P values < 0.05). Semi-quantitative analysis of microglia immunofluorescence showed a significant difference in the counts of microglial cells among the five groups (F = 17.66, P < 0.000 1), and higher Iba1 levels were detected in mouse brain tissues in 14-d (5.75 ± 1.28), 21-d (6.23 ± 1.89) and 25-d infection groups (3.70 ± 1.30) than in the control group (1.00 ± 0.30) (all P values < 0.05). Skeleton and fractal analyses showed that the branch length [(162.04 ± 34.10) μm vs. (395.37 ± 64.11) μm; t = 5.566, P < 0.05] and fractal dimension of microglial cells (1.30 ± 0.01 vs. 1.41 ± 0.03; t = 5.266, P < 0.05) were reduced in mouse brain tissues in the 21-d infection group relative to the control group. In addition, there were significant differences among the 5 groups in terms of M1 and M2 microglia markers Fcgr3 (F = 48.34, P < 0.05), Fcgr2b (F = 55.46, P < 0.05), Cd86 (F = 24.44, P < 0.05), Arg1 (F = 31.18, P < 0.05), Mrc1 (F = 15.42, P < 0.05) and Chil3 (F = 24.41, P < 0.05), as well as phagocytosis markers Trem2 (F = 21.19, P < 0.05), Cd68 (F = 43.95, P < 0.05) and Apoe (F = 7.12, P < 0.05) in mice brain tissues. Conclusions A. cantonensis infections may induce severe pathological injuries in mouse brain tissues that are characterized by massive eosinophil infiltration and persistent activation of microglia cells, thereby resulting in progressive deterioration of neurological functions.

Objective This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of intelligent bed management model in integrating bed resources in a large comprehensive hospital.Methods Inpatient data from a tertiary hospital between January 2021 and De-cember 2024 were collected.An intelligent hospital-wide bed management platform was constructed to implement bed resource sharing mechanisms and establish a standardized bed reservation grading system.The implementation effect of the system was e-valuated from the perspective of bed occupancy rate,average length of stay,and patient satisfaction.Results After implementa-tion,bed occupancy rates in key monitored departments moved into a reasonable range:Rehabilitation Medicine Department fell from 113.18％to 101.48％(t=4.26,P＜0.01),while Neurology Department increased from 88.18％to 96.20％(t=3.85,P＜0.01).Annual inpatient admissions increased from 83,931 to 103,852(x2=156.82,P＜0.001),and average length of stay shortened from 7.15 days to 6.21 days(t=4.73,P＜0.01).The admission waiting time was cut by 72.7 hours(-43.1％),and satisfaction with bed allocation rationality improved by 11.2 points(t=5.94,P＜0.001).Staff time spent on bed-assignment fell by 42 minutes per shift(t=8.92,P＜0.001),and cross-department transfers increased by 378 episodes per month(x2=145.26,P＜0.001).Conclusion The intelligent bed management model can effectively improve hospital bed utili-zation efficiency,enhance healthcare service quality,reduce staff workload,and merits wider application in similar hospitals.

Objective:To explore the relationship of metacognitive regulation, self-efficacy, and motivation regulation with learning engagement among medical students in military academies.Methods:A total of 439 students from the Air Force Medical University were selected by convenience sampling in March to April 2023. The Metacognitive Self-Regulation Scale, Self-Efficacy Scale, Learning Engagement Scale, and Motivation Regulation Questionnaire were adopted for investigation. SPSS 25.0 was used for Pearson correlation analysis, and the Process procedure for analysis and testing of mediating effects.Results:A total of 436 usable questionnaires were collected. Metacognitive regulation, self-efficacy, motivation regulation, and learning engagement were significantly positively correlated ( r>0.477, P<0.01). The mediating effect of self-efficacy and motivation regulation and the chain mediating effect of self-efficacy-motivation regulation were significant between metacognitive regulation and learning engagement, and the effect sizes were 0.449, 0.244, and 0.130, accounting for 44.37%, 24.11%, and 12.85% of the total effect, respectively. The proportion of the total indirect effect was 81.32%. Conclusions:The metacognitive regulation of medical students in military academies directly affects learning engagement, which is also indirectly affected through the independent mediating effect of self-efficacy and motivation regulation or the chain mediating effect of self-efficacy-motivation regulation.

Objective To develop a static progressive ankle stretcher for the treatment of functional disorders caused by scar contracture of the Achilles tendon after burn,and to evaluate its application effect.Methods The static progressive ankle stretcher was composed of a plantar support section and a calf support section,which was mainly made of a 3.2 mm-thick medical low-temperature thermoplastic plate,a commercially available 1 mm-diameter steel wire rope,grooved wheels,ice fishing reels with a diameter of about 50 mm,curved folding hinges and a locking threader with a hole diameter of about 1.5 mm.Totally 49 patients with scar contracture after deep Ⅱ to Ⅲ-degree burns of the Achilles tendon admitted to some hospital from March 2021 to January 2023 were prospectively selected and divided into a conventional rehabilitation group(25 cases)and a combined rehabilitation group(24 cases)using a randomized numerical table method.The patients in the conventional rehabilitation group underwent routine scar care such as anti-scarring medication application at home,scar massage,resistance training,joint loosening training in the hospital and compression therapy with the customized compression stockings/pants at the rest of the time,the patients in the combined rehabilitation group were treated with the static progressive ankle stretcher besides the measures taken for the conventional group.The two groups were compared in terms of scarring,ankle function and active dorsiflexion mobility of the ankle joint before and 12 weeks after the treatment,balance and walking ability 4 weeks and 12 weeks after the treatment,adverse events during the treatment and patient satisfaction 12 weeks after the treatment.SPSS 23.0 statistical software was used for data analysis.Results In terms of scarring condition,ankle function and active dorsiflexion mobility of the ankle joint all the patients were improved 12 weeks after the treatment,and the ones in the combined rehabilitation group behaved better than the ones in the conventional group,with the differences being statistically significant(P<0.05).The balance and walking ability 12 weeks after the treatment was better than that 4 weeks after the treatment in the two groups,and the combined rehabilitation group gained advantages over the conventional group in balance and walking ability,with the difference being statistically significant(P<0.05).During the treatment no adverse events due to the static progressive ankle stretcher were found,such as muscle tissue strain,scarred skin rupture,instrument friction and pressure injury.The combined rehabilitation group had higher patient satisfaction than the conventional group 12 weeks after the treatment,with the differences being statistically significant(P<0.05).Conclusion The static progressive ankle stretcher combined with the conventional rehabilitation treatment contributes to improving contracture scar conditions and joint mobility at the Achilles tendon area of the post-burn patients,which helps accelerate the recovery of ankle function after burns and enhance the balance and walking ability of the patients.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2025,46(10):54-59]

Objective:To observe the characteristics of brain functional activity in patients with chronic non-specific low back pain(CNLBP)and to explore the potential mechanism of brain functional remodeling in acupuncture treatment based on resting-state fMRI.Method:The 22 patients with CNLBP were included as the CNLBP group,and 22 healthy subjects(HCs)were included as the HCs group.The visual analogue scale(VAS)for pain,Oswestry disability index(ODI),Japanese Orthopedic Association(JOA)score for lumbar spine were collected before and after acu-puncture treatment in the CNLBP group.Resting-state fMRI data were acquired for all participants.The frac-tional amplitude of low frequency fluctuation(fALFF)values of the different brain regions in CNLBP patients before treatment compared with the HCs group were extracted and correlated with the differences in VAS,ODI,and JOA scores.Result:Acupuncture treatment significantly improved the VAS,ODI,and JOA scores in the CNLBP group(P＜0.001);Before treatment,the CNLBP group showed higher fALFF values in the right orbital middle frontal gy-rus,right anterior cingulate gyrus,left anterior cingulate gyrus and left precuneus compared to the HCs group,while lower fALFF values were observed in the right precentral gyrus/right postcentral gyrus,left precentral gy-rus/left postcentral gyrus,right thalamus,right postcentral gyrus/precentral gyrus,and left thalamus.After treat-ment,the CNLBP group exhibited increased fALFF values in the right precentral gyrus/postcentral gyrus,left precentral gyrus/postcentral gyrus,and left middle temporal gyrus,and decreased fALFF values in the left me-dial superior frontal gyrus,right precuneus/left precuneus compared to pre-treatment.Additionally,pre-treatment fALFF value in the right orbital part of the middle frontal gyrus,right anterior cingulate gyrus and left anteri-or cingulate gyrus in the CNLBP group was negatively correlated with the changes in VAS scores(r=-0.699,P=0.000).Conclusion:Acupuncture treatment can significantly improve pain intensity and lumbar spinal dysfunction in CNLBP.CNLBP has multiple abnormalities in brain functional activities related to pain regulation pathways and the default mode network(DMN),and acupuncture treatment can restore most of these abnormal brain ac-tivities;the characteristic of brain functional activity in the right orbital part of the middle frontal gyrus,right anterior cingulate gyrus and left anterior cingulate gyrus before CNLBP treatment is related to the difference in VAS score,providing a potential imaging biomarker for predicting treatment efficacy.