BACKGROUND:Acupoint embedding and floating needle therapy are two methods for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis,but there are few reports on the combined treatment of the two methods. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the therapeutic effect of acupoint embedding combined with floating needle therapy on different stages of knee osteoarthritis using generalized estimating equations. METHODS:A total of 436 patients with knee osteoarthritis admitted to Dongguan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from February 2019 to February 2023 were selected as the research subjects.All patients were randomly divided into a control group with floating needle therapy(n=218)and an observation group with acupoint embedding method combined with floating needle therapy(n=218).Staging was performed according to the K-L staging method.In the control group,there were 57 cases in stage Ⅰ,62 in stage Ⅱ,49 in phase Ⅲ,and 50 in stage Ⅳ,while in the observation group,there were 48 cases in stage Ⅰ,66 in stage Ⅱ,63 in phase Ⅲ,and 41 in stage Ⅳ.The levels of indexes and clinical efficacy were compared between groups before and after treatment.Generalized estimating equation model was used to analyze the influencing factors of clinical efficacy and the interaction effect of different time points,different methods and different stages on therapeutic efficacy. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:There was no significant difference in baseline data between the observation group and the control group,as well as between the patients of different stages(P>0.05).After treatment,the cure rate of stage Ⅰ patients was the highest after treatment,and the total improvement rate in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group.There were significant differences in the cure rate among different stages in each group(P<0.05).After treatment,all indicators in the two groups were significantly decreased.In the control group,there were significant differences in various indicators of patients at different stages after 4 weeks of treatment(P<0.05).In the observation group,after 2 weeks of treatment,there were significant differences in various indicators of patients at different stages(P<0.05),and all the indexes in the observation were lower than those in the control group after 4 weeks of treatment(P<0.05)and the therapeutic effect in the observation group was better than that in the control group.Generalized estimating equation model analysis showed that trauma history,interleukin-6 level,treatment method,treatment time and K-L stage all significantly affected the clinical efficacy in patients.In the interaction effect analysis,after 2 weeks of treatment,there was a significant difference in the visual analogue scale score between the two groups in stages Ⅲ and Ⅳ(P<0.05).After 4 weeks of treatment,there was a significant difference in the visual analogue scale score between the two groups in stages Ⅱ,Ⅲ,and Ⅳ(P<0.05).To conclude,acupoint embedding combined with floating needle therapy is superior to floating needle therapy alone in the treatment of different stages of knee osteoarthritis.Trauma history,interleukin-6 level,treatment method,treatment time and K-L stage significantly influence the therapeutic effect.

Background The job content of aircraft maintenance workers is complex, with high intensity and high requirements, and they are prone to work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs), but related research is relatively rare. Objective To investigate the positive rate of WMSDs among aircraft maintenance workers, evaluate ergonomic load, and analyze the risk factors of WMSDs. Methods We used a self-compiled questionnaire for WMSDs and the Quick Exposure Checklist (QEC) to investigate the basic situation, positive rate of WMSDs, and the ergonomic load of 2271 male maintenance workers in 6 departments of an aircraft maintenance company, including airline maintenance, overall overhaul, accessory/landing gear overhaul, engine overhaul, product customization, and power assist. We used a logistic regression model to analyze the risk factors of WMSDs in the neck, shoulder, hand/wrist, and lower back. Results The positive rate of WMSDs in the past 12 months was 70.4% (1598/2271) and the positive rate of WMSDs in different body parts ranged from 6.6% to 49.5%, with the top three parts of lower back, neck, and knee, respectively. There were statistically significant differences in the positive rate among different departments (P<0.05). The average QEC scores for neck, hand/wrist, and back (static) were moderate, while those for shoulder and back (dynamic) were high, and the body part specific positive rate of WMSDs increased with the increase of ergonomic load level. Working years (5-<10 years, ≥20 years), working with back flexed or twisted or side bent (moderately, excessively), high maximum force level exerted by one hand, and feeling difficult (sometimes, often) and stressful (moderately, very) while working were associated with higher risks of lower back pain (OR=1.486, 1.505; 2.151, 3.769; 1.637; 2.110, 2.407; 1.637, 1.794; P<0.05). Working years (15-<20 years, ≥20 years), working with head/neck bent or twisted (occasionally, continuously), feeling difficult (sometimes) and stressful (very) while working were associated with higher risks of neck pain (OR=1.731, 1.586; 3.732, 8.341; 1.633; 1.696; P<0.05). Working years (15-<20 years, ≥20 years), working with hands in a high position (at shoulder or above), very frequent shoulder/arm movements, feeling difficult (sometimes, often) and stressful (moderately, very) while working were associated with higher risks of shoulder pain (OR=1.587, 1.709; 1.299; 1.521; 1.643, 2.239; 1.659, 1.977; P<0.05). Working with wrist at deviated or bent angle, high repetition of similar movements, feeling difficult (sometimes, often) and stressful (moderately, very) while working were associated with higher risks of hand/wrist pain (OR=1.692; 1.670; 1.827, 2.884; 2.190, 2.625; P <0.05) . Physical exercise after work (≥3 times·week⁻¹) was associated with a lower risk of neck pain (OR=0.582, P<0.05). Shift workers were at a lower risk of shoulder pain and hand/wrist pain (OR=0.737 and 0.554, P<0.05). Conclusion The high positive rate of WMSDs symptoms among aircraft maintenance workers is related to individual, occupational ergonomic, and psychological factors, and active prevention and intervention should be taken.

BACKGROUND:Research on carbon nanomaterials in the biomedical field is booming,and related scientific research results are increasing year by year.However,visualization analysis of the annual number of publications,the research status of countries,institutions,authors,and research hotspots and trends in this field is relatively scarce. OBJECTIVE:To present the research status of carbon nanomaterials in biomedical field,reveal the main research subjects,explore the research hotspots and development trends,and provide a reference for the future development of this field. METHODS:The core data set of Web of Science was used as the literature source to search the relevant researches on carbon nanomaterials in the biomedical field from 2012 to 2023.The knowledge map was generated by using Citespace software with countries,institutions,authors,keywords,and co-citations as nodes and for visualization analysis. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)A total of 2 932 papers were included in this study.In the medical field,carbon nanomaterials had a large number of papers and a fast growth rate.The United States has a large number of papers;China is an emerging force in this field,although the number of papers is the largest,but the level of research and influence need to be improved.The Chinese Academy of Sciences is the largest cooperative network institution,which mainly targets domestic institutions and lacks cooperation with well-known foreign institutions.(2)Keyword analysis displays that the green synthesis method and application of displaying carbon points have been the focus of research,followed by the new method of combining carbon nanomaterials with cancer phototherapy and immunotherapy,the key direction of future research.(3)The dynamic development trend of co-citations suggests that tissue engineering is a hot research topic of carbon nanomaterials in the field of biomedicine,mainly including the research of carbon nanomaterials for the repair and regeneration of heart and nerve tissue and as a bio-ink additive for 3D and 4D bioprinting.(4)In the future,with the development of the biomedical field in the direction of precision and treatment,researchers should speed up the creation of carbon-based systems formed by the combination of scientific and effective carbon nanomaterials with science and technology,new polymers or organic molecules,and new therapeutic methods,so as to give full play to the maximum effect of carbon nanomaterials.

Objective To establish an acute rejection model of cervical heart transplantation in mice and evaluate the survival and dynamic rejection process post-transplantation. Methods Mice were randomly divided into sham operation group (n=10), syngeneic transplantation group (n=21), and allogeneic transplantation group (n=65). Sham operation, syngeneic cervical heart transplantation, and allogeneic cervical heart transplantation were performed respectively. The survival of recipient mice and grafts, histopathological changes of graft tissues, subpopulations of splenic lymphocytes, and expression of inflammatory factors in serum and grafts were observed. Results The survival rate and graft survival rate of the sham operation group and syngeneic transplantation group were 100% at 7 days after surgery. In the allogeneic transplantation group, 5 cases failed and died on the first day after surgery. The survival rate at 7 days after surgery was 86%, and all surviving mice had grafts that stopped beating at 7 days after surgery. The allogeneic transplantation group showed significant rejection at 7 days after surgery, accompanied by tissue damage and CD8⁺ T cell infiltration. The proportion of CD8⁺ T cells in the spleen continued to rise post-operation, while the proportion of CD4⁺ T cells showed a downward trend. The expression of interferon-γ in serum and grafts peaked at 5 days after surgery, while the expression of tumor necrosis factor-α showed no statistical significance. Conclusions Acute rejection following heart transplantation in mice intensifies between 5 to 7 days after surgery, which may be a critical time window for immunological intervention.

Objective: To investigate the current status of iron metabolism among apheresis donors in Guangzhou and analyze the improvement effects of health education on iron deficiency in frequent apheresis donors. Methods: Using a generalized linear mixed model (GLMM), a 180-day follow-up was conducted on 261 eligible apheresis donors at the Guangzhou Blood Center from January to July 2024. Hemoglobin (Hb), serum ferritin (SF), unsaturated iron-binding capacity (UIBC), total iron-binding capacity (TIBC), and transferrin saturation (TS) were selected as outcome variables. The effects of gender, age group, and number of donations within 180 days on these outcomes were analyzed and modeled. A general linear model (GLM) with repeated measures was applied to 55 donors who received health education interventions, comparing changes in Hb and iron metabolism-related indicators before and after follow-up and health education. Results: No significant difference in Hb levels was observed between first-time and regular apheresis donors, but SF levels were significantly higher in first-time donors (F=6.195, P<0.05). The GLMM revealed that female donors exhibited more significant reductions in Hb (T=-12.546) and SF (T=-5.829)(P<0.05 for both). Age group showed no interactive effects on Hb or SF changes. While number of donations within 180 days had no interactive effect on Hb, SF levels significantly decreased with increased number of donations (using ≥9 donations as the reference group; P<0.05 for all groups). After health education, Hb levels remained unchanged, but SF increased compared to pre-intervention levels (mean difference: -18.571, P<0.05), though a declining trend persisted compared to baseline (mean difference from baseline to post-intervention: 23.068,P<0.05). Conclusion: Female and number of donations are primary factors contributing to SF reduction in apheresis donors. Health education interventions promote SF recovery. Extending donation intervals and reinforcing iron deficiency-related health education may improve iron status in donors.

Objective To analyze the prevalence status of cardiometabolic risk factor (CMRF) and its aggregation among workers engaged in new forms of employment. Methods A total of 5 429 new employment workers (including couriers, online food delivery workers, and ride hailing drivers) who underwent health medical examinations at a tertiary hospital in Beijing City were selected as the research subjects using the judgment sampling method. Data on waist circumference, blood pressure, blood glucose, and blood lipid levels were collected to analyze their CMRF [central obesity, elevated blood pressure, elevated blood glucose, elevated triglycerides, and reduced high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C)] and their aggregation (with ≥ 2 of the above 5 risk factors) status. Results The detection rates of central obesity, elevated blood pressure, elevated blood glucose, elevated triglycerides, and reduced HDL-C were 61.2%, 38.2%, 29.5%, 40.9% and 22.6%, respectively. The detection rates of CMRF aggregation was 57.8%. The result of multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that male, age ≥45 years, smoking, overweight, and obesity were risk factors for CMRF aggregation (all P<0.05). Conclusion The detection rate of CMRF and its aggregation among workers with new forms of employment in Beijing City is relatively high. Targeted prevention and control efforts should be strengthened for high-risk populations, especially males, workers aged ≥45 years, smokers, and those who are overweight or obese.

Background::Hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury (HIRI) remains a common complication during liver transplantation (LT) in patients. As a key downstream effector of the Hippo pathway, Yes-associated protein (YAP) has been reported to be involved in various physiological and pathological processes. However, it remains elusive whether and how YAP may control autophagy activation during ischemia-reperfusion.Methods::Human liver tissues from patients who had undergone LT were obtained to evaluate the correlation between YAP and autophagy activation. Both an in vitro hepatocyte cell line and in vivo liver-specific YAP knockdown mice were used to establish the hepatic ischemia-reperfusion models to determine the role of YAP in the activation of autophagy and the mechanism of regulation. Results::Autophagy was activated in the post-perfusion liver grafts during LT in patients, and the expression of YAP positively correlated with the autophagic level of hepatocytes. Liver-specific knockdown of YAP inhibited hepatocytes autophagy upon hypoxia-reoxygenation and HIRI ( P <0.05). YAP deficiency aggravated HIRI by promoting the apoptosis of hepatocytes both in the in vitro and in vivo models ( P <0.05). Attenuated HIRI by overexpression of YAP was diminished after the inhibition of autophagy with 3-methyladenine. In addition, inhibiting autophagy activation by YAP knockdown exacerbated mitochondrial damage through increasing reactive oxygen species ( P <0.05). Moreover, the regulation of autophagy by YAP during HIRI was mediated by AP1 (c-Jun) N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling through binding to the transcriptional enhanced associate domain (TEAD). Conclusions::YAP protects against HIRI by inducing autophagy via JNK signaling that suppresses the apoptosis of hepatocytes. Targeting Hippo (YAP)-JNK-autophagy axis may provide a novel strategy for the prevention and treatment of HIRI.

Background::Although overnight fasting is recommended prior to endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), the benefits and safety of high-carbohydrate fluid diet (CFD) intake 2 h before ERCP remain unclear. This study aimed to analyze whether high-CFD intake 2 h before ERCP can be safe and accelerate patients’ recovery.Methods::This prospective, multicenter, randomized controlled trial involved 15 tertiary ERCP centers. A total of 1330 patients were randomized into CFD group ( n = 665) and fasting group ( n = 665). The CFD group received 400 mL of maltodextrin orally 2 h before ERCP, while the control group abstained from food/water overnight (>6 h) before ERCP. All ERCP procedures were performed using deep sedation with intravenous propofol. The investigators were blinded but not the patients. The primary outcomes included postoperative fatigue and abdominal pain score, and the secondary outcomes included complications and changes in metabolic indicators. The outcomes were analyzed according to a modified intention-to-treat principle. Results::The post-ERCP fatigue scores were significantly lower at 4 h (4.1 ± 2.6 vs. 4.8 ± 2.8, t = 4.23, P <0.001) and 20 h (2.4 ± 2.1 vs. 3.4 ± 2.4, t= 7.94, P <0.001) in the CFD group, with least-squares mean differences of 0.48 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.26–0.71, P <0.001) and 0.76 (95% CI: 0.57–0.95, P <0.001), respectively. The 4-h pain scores (2.1 ± 1.7 vs. 2.2 ± 1.7, t = 2.60, P = 0.009, with a least-squares mean difference of 0.21 [95% CI: 0.05–0.37]) and positive urine ketone levels (7.7% [39/509] vs. 15.4% [82/533], χ2 = 15.13, P <0.001) were lower in the CFD group. The CFD group had significantly less cholangitis (2.1% [13/634] vs. 4.0% [26/658], χ2 = 3.99, P = 0.046) but not pancreatitis (5.5% [35/634] vs. 6.5% [43/658], χ2 = 0.59, P = 0.444). Subgroup analysis revealed that CFD reduced the incidence of complications in patients with native papilla (odds ratio [OR]: 0.61, 95% CI: 0.39–0.95, P = 0.028) in the multivariable models. Conclusion::Ingesting 400 mL of CFD 2 h before ERCP is safe, with a reduction in post-ERCP fatigue, abdominal pain, and cholangitis during recovery.Trail Registration::ClinicalTrials.gov, No. NCT03075280.

Objective:To establish a bacterial endotoxin test method for nafamostat mesilate for injection.Methods:The interference test of the bacterial endotoxin test method-kinetic chromogenic assay was carried out according to the Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2020 Volume Ⅳ general chapter 1143.Results:The interference effect of naphtholimus mesylate can be effectively eliminated by treating the test solution with an alkaline regulator for a certain period of time and diluting it.Conclusion:The bacteria endotoxin test-kinetic chromogenic assay for nafa-mostat mesilate for injection is applicable.

Acute amnestic syndrome manifests as transient or persistent symptoms of single amnesia,which may also be accompanied by other neurological symptoms,eventually leading to irreversible brain damage.The typical symptoms of acute ischemic stroke include hemiplegia,aphasia,sensory disturbances,and so forth.Acute amnesia is not a typical symptom of acute ischemic stroke,and it is easy to misdiagnose or delay diagnosis in the emergency department.The authors retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of a patient with acute cerebral infarction who started with acute amnesia syndrome,and combined with relevant literature,to explore its clinical characteristics and pathogenesis.The purpose of this article is to provide reference for emergency physician and neurologist in the diagnosis and treatment of similar cases.