BACKGROUND: The effects of acupuncture have varied in different randomized controlled trials (RCTs), and there are many factors that influence treatment effect of acupuncture in different outcomes, with conflicting results. OBJECTIVE: To identify factors and their impact on the treatment effect of acupuncture in different outcomes. METHODS: Acupuncture RCTs were searched from 7 databases including Medline (PubMed), Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Database, VIP Database, and China Biology Medicine disc between January 1st, 2015 and December 31st, 2019. Eligible studies must compare acupuncture to no acupuncture, sham acupuncture, or waiting lists, and report at least 1 patient-important outcome. A multi-level meta-regression was conducted using a 3-level robust mixed model and univariate analyses were performed for all independent variables, even those excluded from the multivariable model due to collinearities. We used thresholds of 0.2 and 0.4 for the difference of standardized mean differences (SMDs), categorising them as small (<0.2), moderate (0.2-0.4), or large (>0.4) effects. RESULTS: The pain construct analysis involved 211 effect estimates from 153 studies and 14 independent variables. High-frequency acupuncture treatment sessions produced larger effects compared to low-frequency sessions [large magnitude, the difference of adjusted SMDs 0.46, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.07 to 0.84; P=0.02]. The non-pain symptoms construct analysis comprised 323 effect estimates from 231 studies and 15 independent variables. Penetrating acupuncture showed moderately larger effects when compared to non-penetrating acupuncture (0.30, 95% CI 0.06 to 0.53; P=0.01). The function construct analysis included 495 effect estimates from 274 studies and 14 independent variables. Penetrating acupuncture and the flexible acupuncture regimen showed moderately larger effects, compared to non-penetrating acupuncture and fixed regimen, respectively (0.40, 95% CI 0 to 0.80; P=0.05; 0.29, 95% CI 0.06 to 0.53; P=0.01). CONCLUSIONS High-frequency acupuncture sessions appear to be a more effective approach to managing painful symptoms. Penetrating acupuncture demonstrated greater effect in relieving non-painful symptoms. Both penetrating acupuncture type and flexible acupuncture regimen were linked to significant treatment effects in function outcomes. Future studies should consider the factors that are significantly associated with the effects of acupuncture in patient-important outcomes.
Humans ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; Pain ; Pain Management ; China

Constipation is a prevalent ailment which might significantly impact the quality of people's life and rise some associated deseases risks. In this study, a chronic constipation mouse model was established using loperamide hydrochloride. Mice were gavaged an Angelica sinensis Cistanche Fiber Compound, comprised of Dang Gui [Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels], Rou Cong Rong (Cistanche deserticola Y.C.Ma), wheat fiber, and low-molecular-weight xylan at high dosage (3.6 g·kg^-1, 30 times the recommended human dose) and low dosage (0.6 g·kg^-1, 5 times the recommended human dose) for 14 days. The study assessed the therapeutic efficacy of the compound by observing fecal morphology, measuring water content, and conducting small intestine motility experiments. Furthermore, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) were conducted to evaluate the serum levels of gastrointestinal hormones including motilin (MTL), gastrin (GAS), the inflammatory factors interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). Histopathological examination with H&E staining was employed to evaluate colonic tissue damage. Additionally, Western blot and immunohistochemistry experiments were conducted to examine the expression levels of aquaporin-3 (AQP3) and c-Kit in the colon. The results indicated that the Angelica sinensis Cistanche Fiber Compound could improve fecal morphology, increase fecal water content, enhance small intestinal transit rates in mice. Additionally, there was a significant elevation in the serum levels of gastrointestinal hormones and a notable reduction in the levels of inflammatory factors. The improvement in colonic histopathological damage was accompanied by a marked decrease in the expression of the colonic water channel protein AQP3 and a significant increase in c-Kit expression. These results collectively suggested the presence of a dose-response relationship. These findings indicate that the Angelica sinensis Cistanche Fiber Compound effectively alleviates constipation in mice. Its action is associated with the regulation of colonic water channel protein AQP3 and c-Kit expression, along with the modulation of serum inflammatory factors and gastrointestinal hormones. This experiment was approved by the Animal Experiment Ethics Committee of Jinan University.

Objective To understand the prevalence characteristics of influenza and changes of influenza virus strains,and provide reference for the prevention and control of influenza in the province.Methods Surveillance da-ta about influenza in Hunan Province from 2014 to 2023 were exported from China Influenza Surveillance Informa-tion System.Differences in the percentage of influenza-like illness(ILI)cases(percentage of influenza-like cases[ILI％]in outpatient and emergency department visits)among different years and different populations,as well as the positive rate of influenza virus in ILI specimens were compared.Results From 2014 to 2023,over 2.65 million cases of ILI were reported,with an ILI％of 4.70％.ILI％among different years presented statistically significant differences(P＜0.001).People aged 0-14 years old were the main population with ILI,accounting for 82.90％.The positive rate of influenza virus in ILI specimens was 14.14％,the positive rate of influenza virus among diffe-rent years and age groups were both significantly different(both P＜0.001).The main prevalent influenza strains from 2014 to 2023 included types A(H1N1),A(H3N2),B(Victoria),and B(Yamagata),alternating among di-fferent years.However,type B(Yamagata)strains were not detected from 2020 to 2023.There were basically two influenza prevalence seasons every year,namely winter-spring and summer.Conclusion People＜15 years old are the main population of influenza,and the prevalence peaks are in winter-spring and summer.From 2021 to 2023,the prevalence alternates mainly among 3 types:A(H1N1),A(H3N2),and B(Victoria).

Objective:To explore the standardization of totally implantable venous power port of nursing process in CT enhancement and application effect of contrast medium injection, so as to provide a safer and more efficient way for contrast medium injection in CT enhanced examination for patients with malignant tumors.Methods:A non-randomized prospective study was conducted, 358 patients with malignant tumors were selected in Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University who underwent CT enhanced examination from August 1, 2022 to July 31, 2023, 179 patients who had been implanted totally implantable venous power port were selected as the experimental group, and the standardized nursing procedure was given. The other 179 patients were the control group, using radiology routine high-pressure intravenous indwelling needle as the contrast medium access, with routine peripheral venous nursing process. The incidence of contrast medium extravasation during CT enhanced examination was observed and compared between the two groups.Results:All the patients were included. There were 85 males and 94 females, aged (55.50±11.72) years old in the control group. There were 83 males and 96 females, aged (54.50±12.24) years old in the experimental group. The incidence of contrast medium extravasation was 0 in the experimental group and 3.35%(6/179) in the control group. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant (Fisher exact probability, P<0.05). Conclusions:The application of standardized nursing procedure of totally implantable venous power port to the injection of contrast medium in CT enhanced examination of malignant tumor patients, can significantly reduce the incidence of contrast medium extravasation.

Objective To observe the therapeutic effect and mechanism of acupuncture at Zusanli-Zhongwan combined matching points on rats with exercise-induced stress gastric ulcer.Methods Forty male SD rats were randomly divided into blank group,model group,acupuncture group and Omeprazole group,with 10 rats in each group.Except for the blank group,the rats in the other groups were used to construct the model of exercise stress gastric ulcer by daily exhaustive swimming.After successful modeling,the acupuncture group was intervened by acupuncture at Zusanli(ST36)and Zhongwan(RN12),once a day,10 minutes each time.Rats in the Omeprazole group were given Omeprazole Enteric-Coated Tablets distilled water suspension by gavage two hours before daily swimming.After continuous 7-day intervention,the overall state and behavior of rats were observed,the gastric mucosal injury index was calculated by Guth method,the pathological morphology of gastric mucosa was observed by hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining,the contents of superoxide dismutase(SOD),glutathione peroxidase(GSH-PX)and malondialdehyde(MDA)in serum were correspondingly determined by WST-1 method,colorimetry and TBA method,respectively,enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)was used to detect the contents of gastrin(GAS),somatostatin(SS),tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),interleukin-1 β(IL-1β),interleukin-6(IL-6)and interleukin-10(IL-10)in serum,the expression levels of epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR),matrix metalloproteinase 3(MMP3),nuclear factor erythroid-related factor 2(NRF2),heme oxygenase 1(HO-1)and mitochondrial SOD2,TNF-α,IL-1β,IL-6 and IL-10 mRNA in gastric mucosa were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction(qPCR).Results Compared with the blank group,the body mass of rats in the model group was increased slowly,the activity distance and activity in the open field test were decreased,the gastric mucosal ulcer index was increased significantly,the gastric mucosal function indexes involving GAS level was increased and SS level was decreased in serum,the mRNA expression level of EGFR in gastric mucosa was decreased and the mRNA expression level of MMP3 in gastric mucosa was increased.The serum levels of antioxidant substances SOD and GSH-PX were decreased significantly,and the serum level of oxidation product MDA was increased significantly.The mRNA expression levels of antioxidant genes NRF2,HO-1 and SOD2 in gastric mucosa were significantly decreased.The serum contents and the gastric mucosa mRNA levels of inflammatory factors TNF-α,IL-1α,IL-6 were significantly increased,while the serum content and the gastric mucosa mRNA level of IL-10 were significantly decreased.The differences were statistically significant(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01 or P＜0.001).HE staining showed obvious gastric mucosal injury.Compared with the model group,the above indexes in the acupuncture group and the Omeprazole group were significantly improved(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01 or P＜0.001).HE staining showed that the gastric mucosal injury was significantly reduced.Conclusion Acupuncture at Zusanli-Zhongwan combined matching points can reduce the local oxidative stress and inflammatory response in rats with exercise-induced stress gastric ulcer,reduce gastric mucosal injury,improve the emotional state of rats,and maintain the overall vitality of rats.

Purpose To explore the value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound(CEUS)in the differential diagnosis of gallbladder polypoid lesions(GPLs)(diameter≥10 mm).Materials and Methods A prospective enrollment of 229 patients with GPLs who underwent cholecystectomy in 17 hospitals from December 1 2021 to June 30 2024 was conducted to analyze the relationship between general data,conventional ultrasound,CEUS characteristics and the nature of GPLs.Multivariate Logistic regression was employed to identify independent risk factors for neoplastic polyps,the differential diagnostic value of different indicators was compared.Results Among 229 patients with GPLs,there were 108 cases of cholesterol polyps,102 cases of adenoma and 19 cases of gallbladder cancer.Age(Z=-4.476,P<0.001),polyp number(χ2=15.561,P<0.001),diameter(Z=-8.149,P<0.001),echogenicity(χ2=9.241,P=0.010),vascularity(χ2=23.107,P<0.001),enhancement intensity(χ2=47.610,P<0.001),enhancement pattern(χ2=6.468,P=0.011),vascular type(χ2=84.470,P<0.001),integrity of gallbladder wall(χ2=7.662,P=0.006)and stalk width(Z=-9.831,P<0.001)between cholesterol polyps and neoplastic polyps were statistically significant.Age,location,diameter,echogenicity,enhancement pattern,vascular type and stalk width between adenoma and gallbladder cancer were statistically significant(Z=-4.333,-3.902,-5.042,all P<0.05).Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that hyper-enhancement,branched vascular type and stalk width were independent risk factors for neoplastic polyps(OR=4.563,5.770,3.075,all P<0.001).The combination of independent risk factors was better than single factor and diameter in the differential diagnosis of cholesterol polyps and neoplastic polyps(all P<0.01).Conclusion CEUS can effectively identify the nature of GPLs and provide a valuable imaging reference for the selection of treatment methods.

Objective:To examine the application of a novel pedagogical approach multidimensional supportive psychological intervention(MSPI)in the clinical practice teaching of andrological nursing care.Methods:Using the Hamilton Depression Scale(HAMD),we assessed the psychology of 100 nursing interns about to enter clinical practice in the Department of Andrology from De-cember 2021 to December 2022.We equally randomized the subjects into an experimental and a control group,the former receiving MSPI and the latter trained on the conventional teaching model without any psychological support intervention.Results:Compared with the baseline,the HAMD scores were significantly decreased in the experimental group after intervention(12.4±2.1 vs 8.9±2.4,P＜0.01),but increased in the controls(13.1±1.8 vs 14.7±1.9,P＜0.01);the skill scores dramatically increased in the experimental group(82.6±4.7 vs 91.2±2.4,P＜0.01),but decreased in the control group after intervention(81.0±3.5 vs 80.4±2.7,P=0.28).Conclusion:MSPI can significantly enhance the learning enthusiasm of nursing students in a short period,re-duce their psychological stress and improve teaching outcomes.This approach,combining psychology with teaching,can also strength-en the mental resilience of nursing students and better confront them with future professional challenges.

As artificial intelligence technology rapidly advances, its deployment within the medical sector presents substantial ethical challenges. Consequently, it becomes crucial to create a standardized, transparent, and secure framework for processing medical data. This includes setting the ethical boundaries for medical artificial intelligence and safeguarding both patient rights and data integrity. This consensus governs every facet of medical data handling through artificial intelligence, encompassing data gathering, processing, storage, transmission, utilization, and sharing. Its purpose is to ensure the management of medical data adheres to ethical standards and legal requirements, while safeguarding patient privacy and data security. Concurrently, the principles of compliance with the law, patient privacy respect, patient interest protection, and safety and reliability are underscored. Key issues such as informed consent, data usage, intellectual property protection, conflict of interest, and benefit sharing are examined in depth. The enactment of this expert consensus is intended to foster the profound integration and sustainable advancement of artificial intelligence within the medical domain, while simultaneously ensuring that artificial intelligence adheres strictly to the relevant ethical norms and legal frameworks during the processing of medical data.
Artificial Intelligence/legislation & jurisprudence* ; Humans ; Consensus ; Computer Security/standards* ; Confidentiality/ethics* ; Informed Consent/ethics*

This study aims to establish a rapid and non-destructive method for recognizing the origins and cultivation patterns of Astragali Radix. A hyperspectral imaging system(spectral ranges: 400-1 000 nm, 900-1 700 nm; detection time: 15 s) was used to examine the samples of Astragali Radix with different origins and cultivation patterns. The collected hyperspectral datasets were highly correlated and numerous, which required the establishment of stable and reliable dimension reduction and classification models. Firstly, the original spectra were preprocessed by normalization, Gaussian smoothing, and masking. Then, principal component analysis(PCA), partial least squares-discriminant analysis(PLS-DA), and competitive adaptive reweighted sampling(CARS) were performed to reduce the dimension of the hyperspectral data. Finally, support vector machine(SVM), feedforward neural network(FFNN), and convolutional neural network(CNN) were used for data training of the spectral images and spectral curves with dimension reduction. The results showed that applying CARS as a variable selection method before PLS-DA on the hyperspectral data of Astragali Radix achieved the accuracy, precision, and recall of 100% on the CNN test dataset. The F_1-score and area under the curve of ROC(AUC) reached 1. This method is convenient, quick, sample-saving, and non-destructive, providing technical support for rapid identification of the origins and cultivation patterns of Astragali Radix.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Neural Networks, Computer ; Algorithms ; Support Vector Machine ; Principal Component Analysis ; Discriminant Analysis ; Hyperspectral Imaging/methods* ; Least-Squares Analysis ; Astragalus Plant/growth & development* ; Astragalus propinquus/growth & development*

OBJECTIVE: To explore clinical effect of percutaneous endoscopic posterolateral trans-facet lumbar interbody fusion (PE-PTLIF) in treating degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis. METHODS: The data of 38 patients with degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis treated with PE-PTLIF from December 2019 to June 2021 were retrospectively analyzed, including 18 males and 20 females, aged from 39 to 75 years old with an average of (60.2±8.9) years old;1 patient with L_3,4, 23 patients with L_4,5, 14 patients with L₅S₁;29 patients with degreeⅠand 9 patients with degreeⅡaccording to Meyerding grading. Operative time, intraoperative blood loss, drainage volume, postoperative hospital stay and complcations were observed, visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to evaluate degree of lumbar and leg pain before operation, 3 d and 3, 6 and 12 months after operation, respectively. Oswestry disability index (ODI) was used to evaluate degree of low back pain dysfunction before operation, 3, 6 and 12 months after operation. The modified MacNab standard was used to evaluate clinical efficacy at 12 months after operation. Dural sac cross-sectional area (DSCSA), intervertebral disc height (IDH), lumbar spondylolisthesis rate (SR), lumbar lordosis angle (LL) and segmental lordosis angle (SL) were compared before operation and 12 months after operation. Interbody fusion at 12 months was evaluated according to Bridwell intervertebral fusion standard. RESULTS: All patients were followed up for 13 to 28 months with an average of (18.47±4.12) months. The operative time was (181.68±19.34) min, intraoperative blood loss was (152.87±57.03) ml, drainage volume was (48.18±11.43) ml, and postoperative hospital stay was (9.45±2.18) d and 3 patients occurred complications. VAS of lumbar pain before operation, 3 days, 3, 6 and 12 months after operation were (6.68±1.16), (4.32±1.13), (2.18±0.70), (1.89±0.56) and (1.57±0.72), respectively. VAS of leg pain were (6.24±1.42), (2.95±1.09), (1.76±0.71), (1.68±0.74) and (1.26±0.69) respectively. Preoperative and postoperative 3, 6 and 12 months of ODI were (63.21±11.21) %, (25.24±6.46) %, (20.97±6.26) % and (17.73±5.88) %, respectively. Postoperative VAS of lumbar and leg pain and ODI were significantly lower than those of preoperative time points (P<0.05). According to the modified MacNab standard, 23 patients got excellent result, 10 good, 3 fair, and 2 poor at 12 months after operation. Postoperative DSCSA, IDH, SR, LL and SL at 12 months were (128.32±21.95) mm², (11.19±1.66) mm, (4.44±2.19)%, (49.32±5.63)°, (9.16±1.90)°, respectively, and were improved compared with preoperative [(58.36±18.11) mm², (8.19±2.06) mm (18.43±4.78) %, (42.38±4.94) ° and (8.06±2.06) °] (P<0.05). Thirty-four patients obtained gradeⅠfusion, 3 patients woth gradⅡfusion and 1 patient with grade Ⅲ fusion at 12 months after operation according to Bridwell intervertebral fusion standard. CONCLUSION PE-PTLIF could provide effective method for the treatment of gradeⅠand gradeⅡdegenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis. It has advantages of less bleeding, sufficient decompression, fast postoperative recovery and high fusion rate, which could effectively relieve lumbar and leg pain, restore vertebral space height and improve lumbar sagittal balance. PE-PTLIF is a safe and minimally invasive surgery.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Spondylolisthesis/surgery* ; Middle Aged ; Spinal Fusion/methods* ; Lumbar Vertebrae/surgery* ; Aged ; Adult ; Retrospective Studies ; Endoscopy/methods*