ObjectiveTo investigate the correlation between neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio （NLR）， platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio （PLR）， systemic immune-inflammation index （SII） and the severity of intrauterine adhesions （IUA）. MethodsThe retrospective study included 380 patients who underwent transcervical resection of adhesions （TCRA） from December 2019 to March 2025. Based on the American Fertility Society （AFS） classification， patients were divided into mild （n=61）， moderate （n=225）， and severe （n=94） groups. NLR， PLR， and SII were calculated from preoperative blood tests. Statistical analyses included Kruskal-Wallis test and ordinal Logistic regression. ResultsNLR， PLR， and SII were significantly higher in the severe IUA group compared to the mild group （P<0.05）， with SII showing the strongest predictive ability （OR=1.004， P=0.001）. The number of intrauterine procedures was an independent risk factor （OR=1.27/level， P=0.016）. The predictive model ［Logit（P）=-0.676+0.241×operation times+0.004×SII］ effectively identified severe IUA cases. ConclusionInflammatory markers （particularly SII） are correlated with IUA severity and may serve as non-invasive tools for clinical assessment.

ObjectiveTo describe the prevalence and dynamic pain characteristics of dysmenorrhea among female medical students through a menstrual diary-based observational study. MethodsFrom April to June 2021, female students were recruited from a medical college in Shanghai to complete menstrual diaries and record dysmenorrhea-related characteristics for two menstrual cycles. Dysmenorrhea severity was assessed using the visual analogue scale (VAS) (no pain: 0; mild: 1‒3; moderate: 4‒6; severe: 7‒10). A total of 323 diaries were collected, of which 303 were 93.81% valid (valid response rate: 93.81%), covering 596 complete menstrual cycles. Among them, 293 participants completed diaries for two cycles and were included in the analysis of persistent dysmenorrhea. Period, point, and persistent prevalence of dysmenorrhea were calculated using the number of participants as the denominator. Paired comparisons were performed using Cochran’s Q test and Bonferroni-adjusted McNemar tests. Using menstrual cycles with dysmenorrhea as the unit of analysis, the distributions of pain onset, peak timing, and pain duration across different severities were compared using the χ² tests or Fisher’s precision probability tests. ResultsAmong 303 female college students, 269 experienced dysmenorrhea during the first recorded cycle, and 288 had dysmenorrhea in any cycle. Among 596 complete menstrual cycles recorded, 527 were associated with dysmenorrhea (88.42%), and among 293 students who completed 2 complete recorded cycles, 239 had persistent dysmenorrhea. The period, point, and persistent prevalence of dysmenorrhea among female college students were 95.05% (288/303), 88.78% (269/303), and 81.57% (239/293), respectively (Q=61.61, P<0.001). The prevalence of persistently severe dysmenorrhea was 5.12% (15/293). Among the 527 dysmenorrheic cycles, there were statistically significant differences in the distribution of pain onset time (P=0.003) and pain duration (P<0.001) among different degrees of dysmenorrhea; mild dysmenorrhea mostly started on the first day of menstruation (52.83%), and moderate dysmenorrhea mostly started before menstruation (50.19%). Pain duration increased with severity; the proportions of cycles with pain lasting ≥4 days were 13.20%, 43.03%, and 51.56% for mild, moderate, and severe dysmenorrhea cycles, respectively. For all severity groups, mean pain scores peaked on the first day of menstruation and then decreased day by day to a stable level. ConclusionDysmenorrhea is highly prevalent among female medical students, and differences exist across pain severity levels in onset time, duration, and dynamic changes in pain. Identification and health guidance for those with persistently moderate-to-severe dysmenorrhea should be strengthened, and medical evaluation should be conducted when necessary.

Readiness for Hospital Discharge(RHD)refers to a multidimensional assessment of a patient's ability to transition safely from hospital to home,encompassing physiological stability,psychological preparedness,and social support adequacy.For patients requiring Home Nutrition Support(HNS),discharge readiness is particularly critical due to their heightened need for post-discharge specialized care,which significantly influences long-term recovery and quality of life.This paper reviews the concept,influencing factors,and unmet needs of RHD in patients with HNS and proposes targeted strategies to enhance discharge preparedness.By addressing gaps in current practices,we aim to optimize RHD in this vulnerable population and provide clinicians with evidence-based guidance for developing effective discharge plans.

Objective To investigate the mechanism of hippocampal neuronal plasticity of newborn neurons in the hippocampus by which exercise improves the fear and anxiety symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD).Methods Totally 40 C57BL/6J male mice were randomly divided into by control group(Ctrl)and PTSD group,the PTSD group was divided into a no-exercise group(PTSD),a low-intensity exercise group(L)and a high-intensity exercise group(H).The PTSD model mice were constructed by combining conditioned plantar-foot shock(CF)and single-session sustained stress(SPS).After the exercise intervention,the fear and anxiety levels of the mice were assessed using the conditioned fear test and the elevated cross maze test;Subsequently,the densities of the newborn mature neurons in dentate gyrus(DG)of hippocampus were detected by immunofluorescent double-labelling staining,and the newborn neuron morphology was marked by injecting retrovirus pRetro-U6-EF1-EGFP-3xFLAG-WPRE in DG of hippocampus to observe its morphology.The morphology of the newborn neurons was labelled to observe their dendritic length and the number of branch points;Meanwhile,the concentration level of adiponctin(APN)in the hippocampal area was determined by ELISA.Results The result showed that both high and low-intensity exercise interventions significantly reduced the freezing time of PTSD mice in the conditioned fear test,and in the elevated cross maze experiment,the residence time and the number of entries in the open arm of the mice in the H group increased significantly compared with those in the PTSD group,while the residence time and the number of entries in the closed arm were significantly reduced.In addition,both high and low-intensity exercise interventions significantly increased the surface density and dendritic length of newborn mature neurons in the hippocampal DG region of PTSD mice,and high-intensity exercise significantly increased the number of dendritic branching points,and the density of newborn mature neurons in the H group was more significantly increased compared with that in the L group.At the same time,the hippocampal APN concentration increased significantly in both L and H groups compared with the PTSD group,and it was more significant in the H group.Conclusion Exercises have an ameliorative effect on anxiety and fear symptoms in PTSD mice,and at the same time,it can increase hippocampal neuroplasticity and adiponctin secretion in PTSD mice,suggesting that the improvement of fear and anxiety symptoms in PTSD by exercise may be related to the increase of hippocampal neuroplasticity and APN secretion,and the improvement effect is better with high-intensity exercise.

Objective To design a phased array ultrasonic focusing control system based on sinusoidal signal excitation in order to avoid the introduction of high-frequency interference components into the ultrasonic transducer and improve the electronic focusing performance of phased array ultrasound.Methods The system designed mainly used the high-speed field programmable gate array(FPGA)chip combined with the high-speed digital to analog converter(DAC)to realize synchronous output and control of multi-channel sinusoidal signals.There were 8 sinusoidal excitation emission modules based on FPGA and DAC and one sinusoidal ultrasonic excitation control module based on ZYNQ MPSoC involved in the hardware part of the system,in which the emission modules generated multi-channel sinusoidal excitations and timing control of sinusoidal signals within the module and the control module was responsible for controlling the triggering timing between each sinusoidal excitation transmitter module.The system developed had its software designed with MATLAB App Designer to improve the human-computer interaction experience.Performance verification was carried out for the system by testing the output waveform,inter-channel delay error and focused sound field of each channel.Results The system developed achieved generation and timing control of 64-channel sinusoidal ultrasound excitations,with the output channel main frequency being 0.5 MHz,amplitude within 0 and±12.5 V and the inter-channel delay errors not higher than 26.0 ns;a focused sound field with a focal spot diameter of 4.2 mm(-3 dB)at a depth of 50 mm was obtained when the system was applied to driving a 64-array phased-array transducer.Conclusion The system designed is capable of realizing ultrasonic electron focusing under sinusoidal excitation,which helps to improve the focusing resolution of non-invasive and precise deep brain stimulation techniques relying on the accuracy of ultrasonic focusing such as transcranial magneto-acoustic stimulation(TMAS)and transcranial ultrasonic stimulation(TUS).[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2025,46(5):14-20]

OBJECTIVE: Comorbid pain and depression are common but remain difficult to treat. Electroacupuncture (EA) can effectively improve symptoms of depression and relieve pain, but its neural mechanism remains unclear. Therefore, we used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) to detect cerebral changes after initiating a mouse pain model via constriction of the infraorbital nerve (CION) and then treating these animals with EA. METHODS: Forty male C57BL/6J mice were divided into 4 groups: control, CION model, EA, and sham acupuncture (without needle insertion). EA was performed on the acupoints Baihui (GV20) and Zusanli (ST36) for 20 min, once a day for 10 consecutive days. The mechanical withdrawal threshold was tested 3 days after the surgery and every 3 days after the intervention. The depressive behavior was evaluated with the tail suspension test, open-field test, elevated plus maze (EPM), sucrose preference test, and marble burying test. The rs-fMRI was used to detect the cerebral changes of the functional connectivity (FC) in the mice following EA treatment. RESULTS: Compared with the CION group, the mechanical withdrawal threshold increased in the EA group at the end of the intervention (P < 0.05); the immobility time in tail suspension test decreased (P < 0.05); and the times of the open arm entry and the open arm time in the EPM increased (both P < 0.001). There was no difference in the sucrose preference or marble burying tests (both P > 0.05). The fMRI results showed that EA treatment downregulated the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations and regional homogeneity values, while these indicators were elevated in brain regions including the amygdala, hippocampus and cerebral cortex in the CION model for comorbid pain and depression. Selecting the amygdala as the seed region, we found that the FC was higher in the CION group than in the control group. Meanwhile, EA treatment was able to decrease the FC between the amygdala and other brain regions including the caudate putamen, thalamus, and parts of the cerebral cortex. CONCLUSION EA can downregulate the abnormal activation of neurons in the amygdala and improve its FC with other brain regions, thus exerting analgesic and antidepressant effects. Please cite this article as: Yin X, Zeng XL, Lin JJ, Xu WQ, Cui KY, Guo XT, Li W, Xu SF. Brain functional changes following electroacupuncture in a mouse model of comorbid pain and depression: a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(2): 159-168.
Animals ; Electroacupuncture ; Male ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Depression/diagnostic imaging* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Brain/diagnostic imaging* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Mice ; Pain/diagnostic imaging* ; Acupuncture Points

Robotic surgical systems, with advantages such as 3D visualization, rotating instruments, and stable imaging, are increasingly utilized in transabdominal and transanal approaches for rectal cancer surgery. Compared to traditional laparoscopy, robotic systems could educe the technical difficulty of total mesorectal excision (TME) and enhance pelvic autonomic nerve preservation, while demonstrating comparable long-term outcomes. However, the high cost and limited clinical benefits have led to reflection. Controversies persist regarding prolonged operative time, lack of haptic feedback and limited cost-effectiveness. Studies suggest robotic surgery may benefit patients with complex conditions such as obesity, narrow pelvis or low rectal tumors. The rapid development of domestic surgical robots is expected to break market monopolies, reduce costs and expand applications through telemedicine. Future efforts should focus on identifying optimal patient cohorts and generating high-quality evidence to refine the clinical utility of robotic surgery.

Robotic surgical systems, with advantages such as 3D visualization, rotating instruments, and stable imaging, are increasingly utilized in transabdominal and transanal approaches for rectal cancer surgery. Compared to traditional laparoscopy, robotic systems could educe the technical difficulty of total mesorectal excision (TME) and enhance pelvic autonomic nerve preservation, while demonstrating comparable long-term outcomes. However, the high cost and limited clinical benefits have led to reflection. Controversies persist regarding prolonged operative time, lack of haptic feedback and limited cost-effectiveness. Studies suggest robotic surgery may benefit patients with complex conditions such as obesity, narrow pelvis or low rectal tumors. The rapid development of domestic surgical robots is expected to break market monopolies, reduce costs and expand applications through telemedicine. Future efforts should focus on identifying optimal patient cohorts and generating high-quality evidence to refine the clinical utility of robotic surgery.

This study employed the "disease-medicine-dose" pattern to mine the medication rules of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) prescriptions containing Astragali Radix in ancient Chinese medical books, aiming to provide a scientific basis for the clinical application of Astragali Radix and the development of new medicines. The TCM prescriptions containing Astragali Radix were retrieved from databases such as Chinese Medical Dictionary and imported into Excel 2020 to construct the prescription library. Statical analysis were performed for the prescriptions regarding the indications, syndromes, medicine use frequency, herb effects, nature and taste, meridian tropism, dosage forms, and dose. SPSS statistics 26.0 and IBM SPSS Modeler 18.0 were used for association rules analysis and cluster analysis. A total of 2 297 prescriptions containing Astragali Radix were collected, involving 233 indications, among which sore and ulcer, consumptive disease, sweating disorder, and apoplexy had high frequency(>25), and their syndromes were mainly Qi and blood deficiency, Qi and blood deficiency, Yin and Yang deficiency, and Qi deficiency and collateral obstruction, respectively. In the prescriptions, 98 medicines were used with the frequency >25 and they mainly included Qi-tonifying medicines and blood-tonifying medicines. Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Angelicae Sinensis Radix, Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma, Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma, and Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium were frequently used. The medicines with high frequency mainly have warm or cold nature, and sweet, pungent, or bitter taste, with tropism to spleen, lung, heart, liver, and kidney meridians. In the treatment of sore and ulcer, Astragali Radix was mainly used with the dose of 3.73 g and combined with Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma to promote granulation and heal up sores. In the treatment of consumptive disease, Astragali Radix was mainly used with the dose of 37.30 g and combined with Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma to tonify deficiency and replenish Qi. In the treatment of sweating disorder, Astragali Radix was mainly used with the dose of 3.73 g and combined with Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma to consolidate exterior and stop sweating. In the treatment of apoplexy, Astragali Radix was mainly used with the dose of 7.46 g and combined with Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma to dispell wind and stop convulsions. Astragali Radix can be used in the treatment of multiple system diseases, with the effects of tonifying Qi and ascending Yang, consolidating exterior and stopping sweating, and expressing toxin and promoting granulation. According to the manifestations of different diseases, when combined with other medicines, Astragali Radix was endowed with the effects of promoting granulation and healing up sores, tonifying deficiency and Qi, consolidating exterior and stopping sweating, and dispelling wind and replenishing Qi. The findings provide a theoretical reference and a scientific basis for the clinical application of Astragali Radix and the development of new medicines.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/history* ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/history* ; History, Ancient ; Astragalus Plant/chemistry* ; China ; Astragalus propinquus