The randomized controlled trials (RCTs) regarding acupuncture direction published from January 1st, 2013, to November 7th, 2023 were searched in China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform, and VIP Chinese Journal Database. As a result, 21 RCTs were included. The problems identified included conceptual misunderstandings regarding acupuncture direction, incomplete selection strategies, confounding research factors, and inaccuracies in reporting. Based on the findings, four strategic approaches for enhancing therapeutic efficacy through acupuncture direction were summarized: aligning needle direction with the meridian pathway, directing the needle toward the lesion site, orienting the needle toward adjacent acupoints, and targeting special anatomical structures. Two additional strategies were proposed for optimizing the procedure: simplifying acupuncture operations and directing the needle toward safe anatomical sites. Recommendations were made to improve the rationality of research factor settings and the completeness of acupuncture operation reporting. Furthermore, three methods for reporting acupuncture direction were discussed: reporting the tip-pointed position, reporting the insertion angle and orientation, and reporting azimuth and polar angles, aiming to promote greater standardization and completeness in acupuncture practice and reporting.
Acupuncture Therapy/standards* ; Humans ; Acupuncture Points ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Meridians

Objective: To explore the independent and interactive effects of school green space exposure and outdoor activity duration on screening myopia among primary and secondary school students, so as to provide theoretical support for the prevention and control of screening myopia in children and adolescents. Methods: From September to November 2023, 117 487 primary and secondary school students from 497 schools were selected using a cluster random sampling method, covering 98 counties (cities, districts) in Jiangsu Province. Data on the students screening myopia status and associated health influencing factors were collected and analyzed. School green space exposure was quantified using the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), which was extracted with ArcGIS Pro software; meanwhile, information on students outdoor activity duration was gathered through self reported questionnaires. Multivariate Logistic regression was applied to assess the independent and interactive effects of green space exposure and outdoor activity duration on screening myopia among primary and secondary school students. Results: Univariate analysis showed that there were statistically significant differences in screening myopia detection rates among primary and secondary school students of different genders, NDVI groups, every outdoor activity duration, monitoring points, school stages, parents educational level, and whether they lived on campus or had parents with screening myopia ( χ 2=88.91-1 950.08, all P <0.05); as the school age and sedentary time increased, the detection rate of screening myopia in primary and secondary school students also increased ( χ 2 trend =8 410.15, 2 028.91, both P <0.05). Independent effects showed that compared to the low NDVI group, the medium and high NDVI groups had lower risks of screening myopia ( OR =0.93, 0.95, both P <0.05). Compared to those with outdoor activity duration<2 h/d, students with outdoor activity duration≥2 h/d had a lower risk of screening myopia ( OR =0.96, P <0.05). When stratified by school level, compared to the low NDVI group, the medium NDVI group had lower risks of screening myopia in primary and junior high schools (primary school: OR =0.91; junior high school: OR =0.88, both P <0.05). Compared to those with outdoor activity duration<2 h/d, junior high school students with outdoor activity duration≥2 h/d had a lower risk of screening myopia ( OR = 0.90, P <0.05). When stratified by monitoring site, urban primary and secondary school students in the medium and high NDVI groups and those with outdoor activity duration≥2 h/d had lower risks of screening myopia ( OR =0.92, 0.92, 0.93, all P <0.05). Interactive effects showed that when medium or high NDVI was combined with outdoor activity duration≥2 h/d, the risks of screening myopia among primary and secondary school students were lower (medium NDVI×≥2 h/d: OR =0.89; high NDVI×≥ 2 h/d : OR =0.89, both P <0.05), and the combined effect was superior to that of a single factor. Conclusion Green space exposure and outdoor activity duration have negative correlations with screening myopia among primary and secondary students, and the combined effect is better than that of a single factor.

Subtype classification of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) based on optical coherence tomography (OCT) images serves as an effective auxiliary tool for clinicians in diagnosing disease progression and formulating treatment plans. To improve the classification accuracy of AMD subtypes, this study proposes a keypoint-based, attention-enhanced residual network (KPA-ResNet). The proposed architecture adopts a 50-layer residual network (ResNet-50) as the backbone, preceded by a keypoint localization module based on heatmap regression to outline critical lesion regions. A two-dimensional relative self-attention mechanism is incorporated into convolutional layers to enhance the representation of key lesion areas. Furthermore, the network depth is appropriately increased and an improved residual module, ConvNeXt, is introduced to enable comprehensive extraction of high-dimensional features and enrich the detail of lesion boundary contours, ultimately achieving higher classification accuracy of AMD subtypes. Experimental results demonstrate that KPA-ResNet achieves significant improvements in overall classification accuracy compared with conventional convolutional neural networks. Specifically, for the wet AMD subtypes, the classification accuracies for inactive choroidal neovascularization (CNV) and active CNV reach 92.8% and 95.2%, respectively, representing substantial improvement over ResNet-50. These findings validate the superior performance of KPA-ResNet in AMD subtype classification tasks. This work provides a high-accuracy, generalizable network architecture for OCT-based AMD subtype classification and offers new insights into integrating attention mechanisms with convolutional neural networks in ophthalmic image analysis.
Tomography, Optical Coherence/methods* ; Humans ; Macular Degeneration/diagnostic imaging* ; Neural Networks, Computer

Objective:To identify the key epithelial cell characteristics that can accurately diagnose eosinophilic chronic sinusitis with nasal polyps（ECRSwNP） through nasal brush sampling and comparing with the pathological results of nasal polyp tissue sections. Methods:Ninety-one patients underwent surgery in the Ophthalmology and ENT Department of the Second People's Hospital of Longgang District, Shenzhen, from January 2022 to July 2024 were selected. The cohort comprised 58 males and 33 females（mean age: 41.4 years; range: 12.0-71.0）. The clinical characteristics of the patients, including gender, age, disease duration, smoking and drinking history, asthma history, subjective symptoms, sinus CT, and nasal endoscopy scores, were recorded. Nasal brush sampling of nasal polyps and inferior turbinate mucosa was performed before surgery to obtain cytological specimens, and nasal polyp tissues were collected during surgery. The demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with eosinophilic and non-eosinophilic nasal polyps were compared, as well as the relationship between nasal brush cytology of nasal polyps and inferior turbinate and nasal polyp histopathology. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 23.0 software. Results:Among the 91 patients, no significant differences were observed between ECRSwNP and NECRSwNP patients in terms of age, gender, smoking status, alcohol consumption, and disease duration. The nasal brush cell population in ECRSwNP patients was more likely to contain eosinophils（P<0.001） and less likely to contain lymphocytes and plasma cells（P<0.001）. Additionally, the ciliated cells in ECRSwNP patients exhibited larger widths（P=0.036）, shorter cilium lengths（P<0.001）, and more disordered arrangements（P<0.001） compared to NECRSwNP patients. In nasal brush cells from the inferior turbinate, ECRSwNP patients also showed shorter cilium lengths（P<0.001） and shorter cilia（P=0.024） compared to NECRSwNP patients. Conclusion:There are significant differences in obtaining epithelial cytological information from nasal polyps or inferior turbinates through nasal brush sampling between ECRSwNP and NECRSwNP patients.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Nasal Polyps/complications* ; Sinusitis/complications* ; Aged ; Chronic Disease ; Adolescent ; Nasal Mucosa/pathology* ; Young Adult ; Rhinitis/complications* ; Eosinophilia/pathology* ; Child ; Eosinophils/pathology* ; Rhinosinusitis

OBJECTIVE To investigate the improvement mechanism of Huatan tongmai decoction on rats with polycystic ovary syndrome （PCOS） by regulating autophagy through phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase（PI3K）/protein kinase B（AKT）/mammalian target of rapamycin （mTOR） pathway. METHODS A total of 40 rats were randomly divided into blank group （purified water）， model group （purified water）， traditional Chinese medicine group [Huatan tongmai decoction， 24 g/（kg·d）] and chemical drug group [metformin， 0.16 g/（kg·d）]， with 10 rats in each group. Except for blank group， other groups were given a combination of high-fat diet and intragastric administration of 1 mg/kg letrozole suspension to establish PCOS rat model. After modeling， they were given relevant medicine or water intragastrically， once a day， for 42 consecutive days. After the last administration， the pathological and ultrastructural changes of ovarian tissue were observed. The levels of follicle stimulating hormone （FSH）， testosterone （T）， estradiol （E2） ，luteinizing hormone （LH） in serum were detected，and the LH/FSH ratio was calculated. mRNA expressions of Beclin-1， p62 and microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 （LC3） in ovarian tissue were detected. The expressions of related proteins of PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway and autophagy in rat ovarian tissues were also detected. RESULTS Compared with blank group， the pathological damage and ultrastructural changes of the ovarian tissue in the model group rats were obvious， and a large number of autophagosomes could be seen in cells. The levels of T and LH and the LH/FSH ratio in serum， as well as mRNA and protein expressions of Beclin-1 and LC3， were increased significantly （P＜0.05）， while the levels of E2 and FSH in serum， as well as mRNA and protein expressions of p62 and the phosphorylation levels of PI3K， AKT and mTOR proteins in ovarian tissue， were significantly decreased （P＜0.05）. Compared with model group， the pathological damage of ovarian tissue in the administration groups was significantly reduced， the number of autophagosomes was smaller， and the expression levels of the above indicators were significantly reversed （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Huatan tongmai decoction can inhibit autophagy in ovarian granular cells by activating the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway， regulate the secretion of sex hormones， alleviate pathological damage in ovarian tissues， and promote normal follicular development， thereby exerting an ameliorative effect on PCOS rats.

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are multifunctional growth factors of the transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) superfamily. They regulate steroid secretion from mammalian granulosa cells, promote granulosa cell survival and proliferation, and inhibit follicular atresia, luteinization, and granulosa cell apoptosis, thereby promoting the development and maturation of mammalian follicles. At the same time, BMPs play an important role in embryonic morphogenesis, induction of uterine receptivity, and blastocyst attachment. This paper describes the effects of BMPs on mammalian follicular and embryonic development and the roles of BMPs in female reproduction, focusing on the process in which BMPs promote follicular maturation by regulating steroid secretion from granulosa cells during mammalian oocyte maturation. This review aims to provide a reference for further research on mammalian oocyte culture and improvement of reproductive efficiency in female animals.
Animals ; Embryonic Development/drug effects* ; Female ; Bone Morphogenetic Proteins/pharmacology* ; Reproduction/physiology* ; Humans ; Granulosa Cells/cytology* ; Oocytes

Objective To evaluate the survival of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma(DLBCL)after chemotherapy using Fuzheng Jiedu Formula and to explore the intrinsic correlation between the lymphocyte subset level and the survival of patients with DLBCL.Methods A total of 234 patients with DLBCL who had completed chemotherapy and achieved complete or partial response in the Department of Hematology,Longhua Hospital Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Shanghai East Hospital,Tongji University from January 1,2013,to December 31,2023,were recruited.A cohort study design was adopted,with"whether to receive continuous Fuzheng Jiedu Formula treatment for≥6 months after chemotherapy"as the exposed factor.Patients meeting this exposed factor were divided into the traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)cohort,whereas those who did not meet this exposed factor were divided into the observation cohort.The 1-and 2-year progression-free survival(PFS)rate,overall survival(OS)rate,and duration of response(DOR)of the two cohorts were compared.The survival curves of PFS and OS of the two cohorts were drawn,and subgroup survival analysis was performed to determine factors affecting disease progression.The effect of Fuzheng Jiedu Formula on lymphocyte subset count level was observed.Results The study included 126 and 108 patients in the TCM and observation cohorts,respectively.Compared with the observation cohort,the 2-year PFS rate,2-year OS rate,and DOR were increased in the TCM cohort(P<0.05).The PFS in the TCM cohort was higher than that in the observation cohort[HR=0.542,95%CI(0.345-0.853),P<0.01].The result of subgroup analysis showed that PFS in the TCM cohort was higher than that in the observation cohort in the age≥60 years,AA stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ,CD4+

Objective To evaluate the survival of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma(DLBCL)after chemotherapy using Fuzheng Jiedu Formula and to explore the intrinsic correlation between the lymphocyte subset level and the survival of patients with DLBCL.Methods A total of 234 patients with DLBCL who had completed chemotherapy and achieved complete or partial response in the Department of Hematology,Longhua Hospital Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Shanghai East Hospital,Tongji University from January 1,2013,to December 31,2023,were recruited.A cohort study design was adopted,with"whether to receive continuous Fuzheng Jiedu Formula treatment for≥6 months after chemotherapy"as the exposed factor.Patients meeting this exposed factor were divided into the traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)cohort,whereas those who did not meet this exposed factor were divided into the observation cohort.The 1-and 2-year progression-free survival(PFS)rate,overall survival(OS)rate,and duration of response(DOR)of the two cohorts were compared.The survival curves of PFS and OS of the two cohorts were drawn,and subgroup survival analysis was performed to determine factors affecting disease progression.The effect of Fuzheng Jiedu Formula on lymphocyte subset count level was observed.Results The study included 126 and 108 patients in the TCM and observation cohorts,respectively.Compared with the observation cohort,the 2-year PFS rate,2-year OS rate,and DOR were increased in the TCM cohort(P<0.05).The PFS in the TCM cohort was higher than that in the observation cohort[HR=0.542,95%CI(0.345-0.853),P<0.01].The result of subgroup analysis showed that PFS in the TCM cohort was higher than that in the observation cohort in the age≥60 years,AA stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ,CD4+

Objective To investigate the expressions of H3.3G34W,p63 and SATB2 in giant cell tumor of bone(GCTB)and the effect and value of their combined application in the diagnosis of GCTB.Methods We collected the samples and medical records of 54 cases of GCTB and 83 cases of non-giant cell tumor of bone(14 cases of aneurysmal bone cyst,16 cases of chondroblastoma and 53 cases of non-ossifying fibroma)diagnosed between 2020 and 2022 in the Department of Pathology of Honghui Hospital Affiliated to Xi'an Jiaotong University.The expressions of H3.3G34W,p63 and SATB2 were detected by EliVision immunohistochemical method.X2 test was used to determine whether there are significant differences in the positive rates of H3.3G34W,p63 and SATB2 among all the groups.The combined diagnostic model including H3.3G34W,p63 and SATB2 was established by Logistic regression analysis,and the diagnostic value of the model was evaluated by ROC curve analysis.Results The positive rates of H3.3G34W,p63 and SATB2 in GCTB group were 81.5％,90.7％and 92.6％,respectively;the positive rates in NGCTB group were 2.4％,28.9％and 62.7％.Compared with NGCTB group,the age of GCTB group was significantly older[(41.222±14.849)vs.(16.566±9.439),P＜0.001],and the prevalence was higher in women than in men(51.9％vs.48.1％,P＜0.001).In addition,compared with the NGCTB group,the positive rates of H3.3G34W(81.5％vs.2.4％,P＜0.001),p63(90.7％vs.28.9％,P＜0.001)and SATB2(92.6％vs.62.7％,P＜0.001)were significantly higher in the GCTB group.Univariate regression analysis built a univariate prediction modeland ROC curve analysis showed that age(AUC=92.9％,P＜0.001),sex(AUC=64.5％,P=0.004),H3.3G34W positive rate(AUC=89.5％,P＜0.001),p63 positive rate(AUC=80.9％,P＜0.001)and SATB2 positive rate(AUC=65.0％,P=0.003)were independent predictors of diagnosis of giant cell tumor of bone.Multivariate regression analysis(Logistic)constructed a hybrid prediction model.ROC curve analysis suggested that the hybrid model showed better prediction value than the single factor model(AUC=98.4％,P＜0.001).Conclusion H3.3G34W,p63 and SATB2 are effective molecular markers for the diagnosis of GCTB,and their combined application can improve the prediction efficiency of the diagnosis of GCTB.

Background::Highly expressed in various human cancers, circular RNA Protein Kinase C Iota (circPRKCI) has been reported to play an important role in cancer development and progression. Herein, we sought to reveal the prognostic and clinical value of circPRKCI expression in diverse human cancers.Methods::We searched the Pubmed, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library databases from inception until May 16, 2021. The relationship between circPRKCI expression and cancer patients’ survival, including overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS), was assessed by pooled hazard ratios (HR) with corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI). The correlation between circPRKCI expression and clinical outcomes was evaluated using odds ratios (OR) with corresponding 95% CI. The data were analyzed by STATA software (version 12.0) or Review Manager (RevMan 5.3).Results::A total of 15 studies with 1109 patients were incorporated into our meta-analysis. The results demonstrated that high circPRKCI expression was significantly related to poor OS (HR = 1.96, 95% CI: 1.61, 2.39, P <0.001) when compared with low circPRKCI expression in diverse human cancers. However, elevated circPRKCI expression was not associated with DFS (HR = 1.34, 95% CI: 0.93, 1.95, P = 0.121). Furthermore, the patient with a higher circPRKCI expression was prone to have a larger tumor size, advanced clinical stage, and lymph node metastasis, but it was not significantly correlated with age, gender, and distant metastasis. Conclusion::Elevated circPRKCI expression was correlated with worse OS and unfavorable clinical features, suggesting a novel prognostic and predictive role of circPRKCI in diverse human cancers.