OBJECTIVE: Varied acupoint selections represent a potential cause of the uncertainty surrounding the efficacy of acupuncture for knee osteoarthritis (OA). Skin temperature, a guiding factor for acupoint selection, may help to address this issue. This study explored thermal sensitization of acupoints used for the treatment of knee OA. METHODS: This cross-sectional case-control study enrolled cases aged 45-75 years with symptomatic knee OA and age- and gender-matched non-knee OA controls in a 1:1 ratio. All participants underwent infrared thermographic imaging. The primary outcome was the relative skin temperature of acupoint (STA), and the secondary outcome was the absolute STA of 11 acupoints. The Z test was used to compare the relative and absolute STAs between the groups. Principal component analysis was used to extract the common factors (CFs, acupoint cluster) in the STAs. A general linear model was used to identify factors affecting the STA in the knee OA cases. For the group comparisons of relative STA, P < 0.0045 (adjusted for 11 acupoints through Bonferroni correction) was considered to indicate statistical significance. For other analyses, P < 0.05 was used as the threshold for statistical significance. RESULTS: The analysis included 308 participants, consisting of 151 cases (mean age: [64.58 ± 6.67] years; male: 25.83%; mean body mass index: [25.70 ± 3.16] kg/m²) and 157 controls (mean age: [63.37 ± 5.96] years; male: 26.11%; mean body mass index: [24.47 ± 2.84] kg/m²). The relative STAs of ST34 (P = 0.0001), EX-LE2 (P < 0.0001), EX-LE5 (P = 0.0006), SP10 (P < 0.0001), BL40 (P = 0.0012) and GB39 (P = 0.0037) were higher in the knee OA group. No difference was found in the STAs of ST35, ST36, SP9, GB33 and GB34. Four CFs were identified for relative STA in both groups. The acupoints within each CF were consistent between the groups. The mean values of the relative STAs across each CF were higher in the knee OA group. In the knee OA cases, no factors were observed to affect the relative STA, while age and gender were found to affect the absolute STA. CONCLUSION Among patients with knee OA, thermal sensitization occurs in the acupoints of the lower extremity, exhibiting localized and regional thermal consistencies. The thermally sensitized acupoints that we identified in this study, ST34, SP10, EX-LE2, EX-LE5, GB39 and BL40, may be good choices for the acupuncture treatment of knee OA. Please cite this article as: Tu JF, Wang XZ, Yan SY, Wang YR, Yang JW, Shi GX, Zhang WZ, Jing LN, Yang LS, Liu DH, Wang LQ, Mi BH. Thermal sensitization of acupoints in patients with knee osteoarthritis: A cross-sectional case-control study. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(3): 289-296.
Humans ; Osteoarthritis, Knee/physiopathology* ; Male ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Middle Aged ; Female ; Acupuncture Points ; Case-Control Studies ; Aged ; Skin Temperature ; Acupuncture Therapy

Objective:To explore the clinical, imaging, and pathological features of glottic squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx and their relationship with prognosis. Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical, imaging, and pathological data of 130 patients with glottic squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx who were treated at the First People's Hospital of Yinchuan and the General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University from January 2018 to March 2023. Imaging examinations （CT and MRI） were used to evaluate the lesion boundary clarity, density, enhancement nature, and enhancement degree. Postoperative pathological examination was used to determine the pathological nature, immunohistochemistry, etc. Statistical methods such as χ² test, Spearman correlation analysis, multivariate logistic regression analysis, and Kaplan-Meier method were used to analyze the data. Results:Among the 130 patients, 127 were male and 3 were female, with an average age of （61.92±9.595） years. There was a correlation between clinical, imaging, and pathological features. Multivariate analysis showed that heterogeneous MRI density （OR=12.414;P=0.019） and squamous cell carcinoma as a subtype were correlated. The initial symptom of non-hoarseness （HR=6.045;P=0.010） and unclear MRI boundary （HR=12.559; P=0.029） were independent risk factors for poor prognosis in patients with glottic squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx. Conclusion:There is a correlation between the clinical, imaging, and pathological features of patients with glottic squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx, and they can affect prognosis. The initial symptom of non-hoarseness and unclear MRI boundary of the tumor are independent risk factors for poor prognosis.
Humans ; Laryngeal Neoplasms/diagnosis* ; Prognosis ; Male ; Female ; Retrospective Studies ; Middle Aged ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/diagnosis* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Glottis/pathology* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Aged

ObjectiveMicrotube associated protein-2 （MAP-2）， alpha-tubulin （α-tubulin）， and synaptophysin （SYP） are important proteins in neuronal signal communication. This paper observed the effects of modified Zhigancao Tang on the expression of serum α-Synuclein （α-Syn） and its oligomers， MAP-2， α-tubulin， and SYP of patients with liver and kidney deficiency of Parkinson's disease （PD）， analyzed their correlation， and evaluated the therapeutic effect of modified Zhigancao Tang in patients with liver and kidney deficiency of PD based on α-Syn transmission pathway mediated by neuronal communication in vivo. MethodsA total of 60 patients with PD who met the inclusion criteria were randomly divided into a treatment group （30 cases） and a control group （30 cases）. Both groups were treated on the basis of PD medicine， and the treatment group was treated with modified Zhigancao Tang. Both groups were treated for 12 weeks. The changes in UPDRS score， TCM syndrome score， and expression of serum α-Syn and its oligomers， MAP-2， α-tubulin， and SYP were observed before and after 12 weeks of treatment in each group. The correlation between the above-mentioned serum biological indexes and the levels of serum α-Syn and its oligomers was analyzed. ResultsAfter treatment， the TCM syndrome score， UPDRS score， UPDRS-Ⅱ score， and UPDRS-Ⅲ score of the treatment group were significantly decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The UPDRS score， UPDRS-Ⅱ score， and UPDRS-Ⅲ scores in the treatment group were significantly decreased compared with those in the control group after treatment （P<0.05）. After treatment， the total effective rate of the control group was 63.3% （19/30）， and that of the treatment group was 86.7% （26/30）. The clinical effect of the observation group was better than the control group （Z=-2.03， P<0.05）. The total effective rate of the observation group was better than that of the control group， and the difference was statistically significant （χ²=5.136， P<0.05）. After treatment， the oligomer level of serum α-Syn and MAP-2 level in the treatment group were significantly decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The levels of serum α-Syn and its oligomers， as well as α-tubulin in the treatment group， were significantly decreased compared with those in the control group after treatment （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Serum α-Syn was correlated with serum MAP-2 and α-Syn oligomer in patients with PD （P<0.05， P<0.01） but not correlated with serum SYP . Serum α-Syn oligomers of patients with PD were correlated with serum MAP-2 and α-tubulin （P<0.05， P<0.01） but not correlated with serum SYP level. Serum SYP of patients with PD was correlated with serum MAP-2 （P<0.05）. ConclusionModified Zhigancao Tang has a therapeutic effect on patients with liver and kidney deficiency of PD by inhibiting the production of α-Syn oligomers and intervening α-Syn microtubule transport pathway in vivo.

19 cinnamamide/ester-triazole compounds were designed, synthesized and evaluated for their anti-Alzheimer's disease (AD) activity. Among them, compound 4f displayed excellent anti-β-amyloid protein (Aβ)-mediated cytotoxicity (EC₅₀ = 2.03 ± 2.45 μmol·L^-1) in APPswe cells and acetylcholinesterase inhibiton (IC₅₀ = 4.88 ± 4.70 μmol·L^-1). Further study indicated that, at dosages of (1, 5 and 25 mg·kg^-1), compound 4f was effective in improving spatial learning and memory deficits in Aβ_1-42-impaired mice, which was achieved by promoting the nonamyloidogenic signaling and inhibiting the amyloidogenic pathway, along with the suppression of Aβ-induced Tau phosphorylation. All animal experiments in this study were approved by the Experimental Animal Care and Use Committee of the Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology (IMB-20220908D701). In conclusion, compound 4f holds promise as a lead candidate for AD treatment, and the present study lays the foundation for its subsequent development.

Hospital culture is the sum of common values， codes of conduct， and working methods formed by internal employees within the hospital， and it is the spiritual pillar and core of cohesion of the hospital. Party-building leadership plays an important role in promoting hospital culture construction， including strengthening values guidance， enhancing team cohesion， facilitating management system innovation， and shaping social image and brand value. By analyzing the effectiveness of a series of Party-building activities carried out by Xi’an No. 9 Hospital in recent years， this paper explored the effect and significance of Party-building leadership in promoting hospital culture construction in the new era， as well as proposed guiding strategies for strengthening Party-building work in promoting hospital culture construction in the new era， so as to promote high-quality development of the hospital.

Objective:To relate the changes in electroencephalography (EEG) signals after a spinal cord injury (SCI) with functional independence.Methods:The EEG data describing ninety SCI patients in both open and closed eye states were compared with those collected from 45 healthy counterparts. The SCI patients′ EEG data were correlated with their spinal cord independence measure (SCIM) scores at corresponding time points. The SCI patients were divided into a cervical SCI group (SCI-C group) and a non-cervical SCI group (SCI-NC group), with 45 cases in each group. The difference in EEG data between them and its correlation with the SCIM scores were also compared and analyzed.Results:In the eyes-open state, the EEG power in the frontal, central, temporal, and right occipital regions of the SCI group was lower than among the control group, on average. There were significant differences in the δ and θ low-frequency bands. The α1 band power in the frontal and right parietal regions was significantly higher in the SCI group, on average. With the eyes closed the δ band power in the right prefrontal, frontal, left central, and temporal regions of the SCI group was lower than among the control group, while the α1 band power in the right prefrontal, frontal, central, and parietal regions was significantly higher. The reactivity to eye opening of the α1 band in the right prefrontal, frontal, central, parietal, and temporal regions was less in the SCI patients compared to healthy subjects. Among the SCI patients, higher EEG power in the β2 band of the right frontal lobe and the α2 and β bands of the right temporal lobe was significantly positively correlated with higher SCIM scores during the eyes-open measurements. And the higher EEG power in the α2 band of the prefrontal and frontal lobes, the β2 band of the frontal lobe, the α2 band of the right central region, the α2 and β bands of the temporal lobe, and the α2 and β2 bands of the occipital lobe was significantly positively correlated with higher SCIM scores during the eyes-closed state. The subgroup analysis showed that the δ band power in the left temporal lobe and the α2 band power in the parietal lobe were lower among the SCI-C compared with the SCI-NC patients in the eyes-open state. With the eyes closed, the δ band power in the left frontal, left parietal, and left temporal lobes and the α2 band power in the frontal, central, parietal, temporal, and right occipital lobes was significantly lower in the SCI-C group compared to the SCI-NC group, on average. The reactivity to eye opening of the δ band in the temporal lobe, the α2 band in the left prefrontal, frontal, central, parietal, temporal, and right occipital lobes, and the β2 band in the right parietal and left occipital lobes was less in the SCI-C group than in the SCI-NC group ( P≤0.05). Among the SCI-C patients, higher EEG power in the β1 and β2 bands of the right temporal lobe with the eyes open was significantly positively correlated with higher SCIM scores. With the eyes closed, higher EEG power in the α2 and β1 bands of the right prefrontal lobe was significantly positively correlated with higher SCIM scores. Among the SCI-NC patients, higher EEG power in the δ band of the prefrontal lobe, the β1 and β2 bands of the left prefrontal lobe, and the δ bands of the frontal, central, right parietal, and right temporal lobes during the eyes open measurements was significantly positively correlated with higher SCIM scores. Conclusions:The EEG power of cervical and non-cervical SCI patients shows characteristic changes which correlate with their functional independence.

Objective:To investigate the experiences of residents in completing case reports, the support needed in writing case reports, and the necessary conditions for future case report education.Methods:Using purposive sampling, one-on-one semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with residents who had published case reports. A thematic analysis was employed to analyze the data.Results:The study included 15 residents [3 males, 12 females; mean age: (27.20±2.57) years], with 8 undergoing standardized residency training and 7 receiving specialized physician training. The study identified three themes, including the challenges, strategies, and desired support during data collection prior to writing the case report, the writing process, and the submission and publication. The following specific needs were identified. Before writing, residents sought access to free and official research resources, guidance on the value of case publication, high-quality case resources, comprehensive supervision of data collection, access to interdepartmental collaboration, and funding support. During the writing period, they sought case report templates, experiences in writing case reports, guidance on article composition, and motivational support. After writing, they expected operational guidance of submission websites, recommendations for target journals, and templates for revision response letters.Conclusions:This study explored the challenges, strategies, and expected support in the continuous stages of before, during, and after writing case reports, thereby initially identifying the essential support conditions for case report instruction from the perspective of resident physicians.

Objective To systematically evaluate the effectiveness and acceptability of antidepressant drugs in the treatment of postpartum depression(PPD).Methods The PubMed,Cochrane Library,Embase,Web of Science,China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI),Wanfang Database,VIP Journals of Chinese Scienc were searched,and Chinese Biomedical Literature Service System(SinoMed)database until November 2023.Screen randomized controlled trials(RCTs)of antidepressant drugs for the treatment of PPD.The treatment group was given antidepressant drugs,and the control group was given placebo or another antidepressant drug.Meta-analysis of effectiveness and acceptability is performed using Stata 17.0 software.Results A total of 27 RCTs with a total of 2 202 patients were included.The results of meta-analysis showed:The top three efficacy relative to placebo were mirtazapine[odds ratio(OR)=2.25,95％confidence interval(CI)=(1.20-3.30),P＜0.05],nortriptyline[OR=1.50,95％CI=(0.55-2.44),P＞0.05],venlafaxine[OR=1.35,95％CI=(0.13-2.56),P＞0.05].Acceptability is compared with placebo in the top three Chinese herbal medicine[OR=0.47,95％CI=(-0.72-1.66),P＞0.05],nortriptyline[OR=-0.08,95％CI=(-1.16-1.33),P＞0.05],venlafaxine[OR=-0.12,95％CI=(-1.47-1.24),P＞0.05].Conclusion Nortriptyline,venlafaxine,trazodone,and duloxetine are effective in treating PPD without obvious adverse drug reactions.

Objective To investigate the electroencephalography(EEG)signal characteristics in patients with neuropathic pain(NP)associated with spinal cord injury(SCI).Methods A total of 90 patients with SCI from January,2018 to November,2023 were selected from the EEG database of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine,Xijing Hospital,and divided into NP group(n=46)and non-NP group(n=44)according to their symptoms.The resting-state EEG power and reactivity to eye-opening were compared between two groups.Results Compared with non-NP group,EEG power increased in frontal lobe in α and β1 bands,central lobe in δ,θ,α1 and β1 bands,parietal lobe in α and β1 bands,temporal lobe in α and β1 bands,left occipital lobe in α2 band,and occipital lobe in α1 and β1 bands(|Z|>1.998,P<0.05)in NP group during eye-opening;during eye-closing,EEG power increased in prefrontal lobe in α1 and β1 bands,right frontal lobe in θ band,frontal lobe in α and β1 bands,left frontal lobe in β2 band,central lobe in δ,α1 and β1 bands,parietal lobe in α1 and β1 bands,left pari-etal lobe in α2 and β2 bands,right temporal lobe in θ band,temporal lobe in α and β bands,occipital lobe in α1 and β1 bands,and left occipital lobe in β2 band(|Z|>1.970,P<0.05);while the reactivity to eye-opening de-creased in right prefrontal lobe in β1 band,frontal lobe in θ,α and β bands,right central lobe in β1 band,parietal lobe in α1 and β1 bands,right parietal lobe in β2 band,right temporal lobe in δ and θ band,temporal lobe in α1 and β bands,left occipital lobe in α1 band,and occipital lobe in β1(|Z|>1.967,P<0.05).Conclusion Resting-state EEG power characteristically elevates in NP patients after SCI,and the reactivity to eye-open-ing reduces.

Objective To investigate the protective effects of secretomes released by three-dimensional cultured mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs)on neurons subjected to seawater immersion(SW)and stretch injury(SI),and to provide new insights into neuronal repair following SW combined with traumatic brain injury(TBI).Methods MSCs were cultured using the hanging drop method,and the conditioned medium(CM)containing MSCs secretomes was collected.A cellular model combining SW with SI was established using mouse hippocampal neuronal cells(HT22 cells).HT22 cells were randomly assigned to five groups:control,SI,SI+SW,SI+CM,and SI+SW+CM groups.Cell viability was assessed using the CCK-8 assay,apoptosis rate was measured by flow cytometry,cell migration ability was evaluated by scratch assay,and the expression levels of apoptosis-related proteins Bcl-2 and Bcl-2-associated protein(Bax),and ferroptosis-related proteins long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase 4(ACSL4)and cyclooxygenase-2(COX-2)were detected by Western blotting.Results Immersion in 15%seawater for 12 h significantly decreased HT22 cell viability(P<0.05).The CCK-8 assay indicated that cell viability in both the SI and SI+SW groups was significantly lower than that in control group after 12 h of treatment(P<0.05).Treatment with CM containing MSCs secretomes significantly increased cell viability in SI+CM group compared to SI group(P<0.0001),and in SI+SW+CM group compared to SI+SW group(P<0.001).Flow cytometry results revealed that the apoptosis rate in SI and SI+SW groups was significantly higher than that in control group(P<0.05 or P<0.001),while in SI+CM group was lower than that in SI group(P<0.05),and in SI+SW+CM group was lower than that in SI+SW group(P<0.05).Western blotting showed that compared to control group,SI and SI+SW groups exhibited reduced Bcl-2 expression level(P<0.01 or P<0.0001)and increased expression levels of Bax,ACSL4,and COX-2(P<0.01 or P<0.0001).Compared to SI group,the SI+CM group displayed increased Bcl-2 expression level(P<0.05)and decreased expression levels of Bax,ACSL4,and COX-2(P<0.05).Compared to SI+SW group,SI+SW+CM group exhibited increased Bcl-2 expression level(P<0.01)and decreased expression levels of Bax,ACSL4,and COX-2(P<0.01 or P<0.001).Scratch assay results demonstrated that at both 12 h and 24 h,the cell migration rate in SI and SI+SW groups was significantly lower than that in control group(P<0.01 or P<0.0001),while the migration rate in SI+CM group was significantly higher than that in SI group(P<0.0001 or P<0.01),and the migration rate in SI+SW+CM group was significantly higher than that in SI+SW group(P<0.0001).Conclusion Secretomes derived from MSCs cultured using the hanging drop method can alleviate neuronal damage caused by SW and TBI,potentially offering a therapeutic approach for SW combined with TBI.