This paper introduces the academic characteristics of Professor ZHANG Ren in treatment with acupuncture for refractory eye diseases in modern times, guided by "homotherapy for heteropathy" (same therapy for different diseases sharing the same pathogenesis). The refractory eye diseases in modern times include a variety of conditions such as glaucoma, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, high myopia and its complications, dry eye, cortical visual impairment and genetic eye diseases. The same therapy is used because these diseases share the similar location and pathogenesis. Professor ZHANG optimizes the methods of acupoint selection and provides the comprehensive prescriptions, "basic prescription, prescription based on disease differentiation, and supplementary prescription". A variety of acupuncture manipulation techniques are operated in clinical practice, such as compound needling methods, penetration needling, manipulations for promoting qi movement and conducting qi flow. "Early, regular and persistent" treatment is the common requirement with "the same acupoints, the same prescription and the same acupuncture method" as well as at "the same time". It is also proposed that the treatment should be provided flexibly according to the different symptoms, "identifying the differences within similarities".
Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; Humans ; Eye Diseases/history* ; Acupuncture Points ; History, 20th Century ; China ; History, 21st Century

Objective:This study investigated the awareness and consumption of Trogia venenata among populations in regions affected by Yunnan unexplained sudden death (YUSD). The findings aim to support etiological research on YUSD and contribute to the formulation of preventive measures against Trogia venenata poisoning. Methods:This study was a case-control study. From 2018 to 2021, surveys were conducted in 90 villages across 25 counties within YUSD-affected areas in Yunnan Province. Households with YUSD cases were designated as case households, whereas households without YUSD cases served as controls, ande were selected through convenience sampling at a 3:1 ratio. An enhanced questionnaire was designed to collect information on the consumption of Trogia venenata, and symptoms following consumption. Frequency data were presented as percentages, and group comparisons were conducted using χ 2 tests or Fisher’s exact tests. Results:A total of 711 questionnaires were collected (response rate: 100%), comprising 175 case households and 536 control households. Trogia venenata was present in 80.82% of the villages surveyed. Among the 711 households, 15.89% reported consuming Trogia venenata, primarily through stir-frying (53.10%), followed by boiling (29.20%), boiling and stir-frying (15.93%), and steaming (1.77%). Most households (94.69%) consumed fresh fruiting bodies, with 69.02% consuming them fewer than three times annually. The consumption rates were higher among the case households than among the control households. Of the 113 households with a history of Trogia venenata consumption, 35.40% reported symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and limb soreness. The proportions of affected families in each group were compared according to their source, cooking method, fruiting body status and consumption frequency. The proportion of affected families with high consumption frequency (≥3 times/year) was higher than that with low consumption frequency (<3 times/year). Among 421 YUSD cases, 63 cases (14.96%) had a history of Trogia venenata consumption before death, with 43 cases showing symptoms within the longest known latency period (14 d) for poisoning by this mushroom. Conclusions:Trogia venenata is prevalent in 80.82% of YUSD-affected regions, with 16.67% of the population reporting its consumption, predominantly as fresh fruiting bodies prepared by stir-frying or boiling. Confirmed Trogia venenata consumption was identified in 14.96% of YUSD cases, suggesting that mushroom poisoning is a significant risk factor for YUSD. Ongoing health education and interventions are critical for mitigating the risk of Trogia venenata poisoning.

Promoting the international acceptance of clinical studies about traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) interventions is a key strategy for internationalization of TCM. However, the complexities of TCM interventions—in terms of the theories, practice patterns, and components—pose challenges to the design and implementation of clinical studies that are well accepted by the international community. This article summarized the current status of clinical studies about TCM interventions that were published in international journals, explored underlying barriers hindering the international acceptance, and discussed potential strategies for future development.

Promoting the international acceptance of clinical studies about traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) interventions is a key strategy for internationalization of TCM. However, the complexities of TCM interventions—in terms of the theories, practice patterns, and components—pose challenges to the design and implementation of clinical studies that are well accepted by the international community. This article summarized the current status of clinical studies about TCM interventions that were published in international journals, explored underlying barriers hindering the international acceptance, and discussed potential strategies for future development.

Promoting the international acceptance of clinical studies about traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) interventions is a key strategy for internationalization of TCM. However, the complexities of TCM interventions—in terms of the theories, practice patterns, and components—pose challenges to the design and implementation of clinical studies that are well accepted by the international community. This article summarized the current status of clinical studies about TCM interventions that were published in international journals, explored underlying barriers hindering the international acceptance, and discussed potential strategies for future development.

Arsenic, as a toxic substance that can affect human health, can cause various neurological disorders, including cognitive impairment, when excessive. Relevant epidemiological surveys and animal experimental studies have shown that exposure to arsenic can not only cause intellectual impairment and peripheral neuropathy in humans, but also lead to abnormal behavior in humans and animals. However, so far, the mechanism of arsenic induced damage to the nervous system is still unclear. Peroxisome proliferator activated receptor γ auxiliary activation factor 1α (PGC-1α), as a nuclear transcription coactivator, can interact with transcription factors or other coactivators and plays a role in biological processes such as mitochondrial biogenesis and energy metabolism. PGC-1α, by activating mitochondrial biogenesis, affecting energy metabolism, activating oxidative stress regulatory factors [catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), superoxide dismutase (SOD), etc.], mitigates the damage to the central nervous system (CNS), peripheral nervous system (PNS), and blood-brain barrier (BBB) caused by arsenic. This article summarize the research progress of arsenic-induced neurological injury and the mechanism of PGC-1α's role in arsenic-induced neurological injury to provide a theoretical basis for further prevention and treatment of neurological diseases caused by arsenic.

Objective:To understand the electrocardiogram and echocardiography examination results of population in key areas of unexplained sudden death in Yunnan Province (referred to as Yunnan sudden death).Methods:From 2014 to 2022, electrocardiogram examination was performed on population (including same incident cases, relatives of the cases, villagers of the affected villages, and control individuals) in key areas of Yunnan sudden death from May to October each year. Echocardiography examination was performed on relatives of the cases and villagers of the affected villages, and the types of electrocardiogram and echocardiography changes were sorted out and analyzed.Results:Electrocardiogram examination was conducted on 1 same incident case, 241 relatives of the cases, 464 villagers of the affected villages, and 99 control individuals, respectively. The types of electrocardiogram changes in the same incident case were Q-T interval prolongation and sinus tachycardia. A total of 17 types of electrocardiogram changes were detected in the relatives of the cases, mainly including sinus arrhythmia (12.45%, 30/241), sinus bradycardia (11.20%, 27/241), and left axis deviation (8.30%, 20/241). A total of 21 types of electrocardiogram changes were detected in the villagers of the affected villages, mainly including left axis deviation (9.48%, 44/464), sinus bradycardia (8.19%, 38/464), and T-wave abnormalities (7.76%, 36/464). A total of 10 types of electrocardiogram changes were detected in the control individuals, mainly including sinus arrhythmia (12.12%, 12/99), T-wave abnormalities (9.09%, 9/99), and sinus bradycardia (7.07%, 7/99). Echocardiography examination was conducted on 49 relatives of the cases and 365 villagers of the affected villages, respectively. A total of 12 types of echocardiography changes were detected in the relatives of the cases, mainly including tricuspid regurgitation (18.37%, 9/49), decreased right ventricular diastolic function (8.16%, 4/49), aortic regurgitation (6.12%, 3/49), and atrial septal defect (6.12%, 3/49). A total of 15 types of echocardiography changes were detected in the villagers of the affected villages, mainly including tricuspid regurgitation (8.77%, 32/365), aortic regurgitation (6.85%, 25/365), and decreased left ventricular diastolic function (6.58%, 24/365).Conclusion:There are many types of changes in electrocardiogram and echocardiography in the population of key areas of Yunnan sudden death.

Background Individuals may experience significant alterations in sleep hygiene during the major public health emergencies,consequently impacting their sleep quality.Objective To explore the relationship between sleep quality and sleep hygiene among adult residents during the major public health emergencies,so as to provide references for improving the sleep quality of residents during such a period.Methods A sample of 1 364 adult residents were enrolled as the research subjects from February 20 to 29,2020.All participants were asked to complete self-administered questionnaire to obtain basic-demographic information and sleep hygiene.Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index(PSQI)was applied to assess sleep quality.Residents were classified into poor sleepers with PSQI score≥8 and good sleepers defined as PSQI score<8.Binary Logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with sleep quality.Radar chart was used to visualize and compare the sleep hygiene between poor sleepers and good sleepers.Results According to PSQI score,891(65.32%)residents were good sleepers,while 473(34.68%)residents were poor sleepers.Comparison revealed that age(χ2=3.887),past medical history(χ2=27.938),awareness rate of importance of sleeping before major public health emergencies(χ2=4.337),impact of sleep quality on quality of life during the major public health emergencies(χ2=178.138),frequency of staying up late during the major public health emergencies(χ2=139.390),compensatory sleep behaviors(χ2=39.257),impact of sleep problems on daytime functioning(χ2=285.879),change of bedtime(χ2=63.031),sleep latency(χ2=168.672),wake-up time(χ2=59.221),changes in sleep duration(χ2=172.332),time spent in the bedroom(χ2=23.071),and sum of money spent on improving sleep environment(χ2=58.584)yielded statistical difference between poor sleepers and good sleepers(P<0.05 or 0.01).Logistic regression analysis denoted that past medical history(OR=1.680,95%CI:1.185～2.382),negative impact of sleep quality on quality life(OR=4.181,95%CI:2.722～6.422),staying up late 3 to 4 times per week(OR=3.145,95%CI:1.497～6.605),staying up late almost every day(OR=4.271,95%CI:1.970～9.260),negative impact of sleep problems on daytime functioning(OR=7.169,95%CI:5.188～9.907),prolonged sleep latency(OR=2.836,95%CI:2.019～3.982)and shortened sleep duration(OR=3.518,95%CI:2.144～5.772)were risk factors of poor sleep quality.The sum of money spent on improving sleep environment following the major public health emergencies≤500 RMB(OR=0.334,95%CI:0.134～0.830)was related to the incidence rate of poor sleep quality.Radar chart showed that poor sleepers were characterized by extravagant concerns,excessive cleanliness and poor sleep hygiene practices during the major public health emergencies,and poor sleepers were more likely to stay up late due to stress and emotional issues.Conclusion Some residents are facing poor sleep quality during the major public health emergencies,and poor sleep hygiene practice also contributes to poor sleep quality.

Objective:To explore the effect of the absent in melanoma 2 (AIM2) -mediated neuroinflammation in noise-induced cognitive dysfunction in rats.Methods:In April 2023, sixteen male Wistar rats were randomly divided into control group and noise group, with 8 rats in each group. The rats in the noise group were placed in 50 cm×50 cm×40 cm transparent boxes and exposed to 100 dB (A) white noise with a sound pressure level of 100 dB (A) (4 h/d for 30 d) . At the same time, rats in the control group were kept in similar boxes with environmental noise less than 60 dB (A) . After 30 days of noise exposure, the Morris water maze experiment was applied to test the learning and memory abilities of the rats; the pathological morphology of hippocampal tissues was observed by Hematoxylin-Eosin (HE) staining. Western blot was used to detect the protein expression levels of AIM2, cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase-1 (caspase-1) , apoptosis-associated speck-like protein (ASC) , interleukin-1β (IL-1β) , IL-18, ionic calcium-binding articulation molecule-1 (Iba-1) , and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) . The expression of both Iba-1 and GFAP in hippocampal tissue was assessed by immunohistochemical staining. The co-localization of AIM2 with Iba-1 or GFAP was determined by immunofluorescence double staining.Results:Compared with the control group, the escape latency of rats in the noise group was increased by 16.29 s, 17.71 s, and 20.26 s on days 3, 4, and 5, respectively. On day 6, the noise-exposed rats spent shorter time in the target quadrant and had fewer times in crossing the platform[ (7.25±2.27) s and (1.13±0.64) times] than the control group[ (15.64±3.99) s and (4.25±2.12) times] ( P<0.05) . After noise exposure, hippocampal neurons of rats displayed marked nuclear hyperchromatic and pyknosis phenomenon. The noise-exposed rats had higher numbers of both microglia and astrocytes (27.00±2.65 and 43.33±5.51) in the DG area of the hippocampus relative to the control group (14.67±3.06 and 20.00±4.58) ( P<0.05) . Moreover, the glial cells in the noise group had larger cell cytosol with more and thicker branches. The protein expression levels of inflammatory cytokines Cleaved-IL-1β and Cleaved-IL-18 in the hippocampus of rats in the noise group (1.55±0.19 and 1.74±0.12) were significantly higher than the control group (1.00±0.11 and 1.00±0.13) ( P<0.05) . After noise exposure, the protein expression levels of AIM2, Cleaved-Caspase-1 and ASC (1.19±0.09, 1.34±0.07 and 1.14±0.01) were higher than the control group (1.00±0.07, 1.00±0.14 and 1.00±0.06) and differences between the two groups were statistically significant ( P<0.05) . A significant increase in the number of cells co-localizing AIM2 with Iba-1 or GFAP in the noise group (28.67±4.04 and 40.67±5.13) compared with the control group (15.67±4.04 and 17.67±3.79) , and statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups ( P<0.05) . Conclusion:Noise exposure may activate the AIM2 inflammasome in hippocampal glial cells of rats, releasing excessive inflammatory cytokines and causing neuroinflammation that damages neurons.

AIM:To explore the molecular mecha-nism of Fuyangjing gel in the treatment of chronic eczema rats model based on janus protein kinase 1(JAK1)/signal transducer and activator of transcrip-tion 5(STAT5)signaling pathway.METHODS:Thirty-six SPF Wistar rats were randomly divided into nor-mal group,model group,Qingpeng ointment group,Fuyangjing gel low,medium and high dose groups.Except the normal group,the other groups of rats were treated with 2,4-dinitrochlorophenone solution to induce chronic eczema-like lesions on the back.After 3 weeks of modeling,Qingpeng ointment group and Fuyangjing gel low,medium and high dose groups were respectively treated with corresponding drugs.The model group was smeared with blank gel matrix once a day for 2 weeks,while the normal group was not treated.The severity and pathological changes of back le-sions in chronic eczema rats were observed.The ex-pression of phosphorylated protein tyrosine kinase 1(p-JAK1)and phosphorylated signal transduction and transcriptional activator 5(p-STAT5)in rat dor-sal skin was detected by Western blot.Detection of thymic stromallymphopietin(TSLP),JAK1,STAT5,in-terleukin-10(IL-10)and IL-17 mRNA expression lev-els in rat back skin by qRT-PCR;The levels of IL-4,IL-6,IL-10,IL-13 and IL-17 in serum of rats were deter-mined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELI-SA).RESULTS:Compared with normal group,the se-rum levels of IL-4,IL-6,IL-13 and IL-17 in model group were significantly increased,while IL-10 lev-els were significantly decreased(P＜0.05).The ex-pression levels of p-JAK1,p-STAT5 protein and TSLP,JAK1,STAT5 and IL-17 mRNA in back lesions were significantly increased,while IL-10 mRNA levels were significantly decreased(P＜0.05).Compared with model group,serum levels of IL-4,IL-6,IL-13 and IL-17 in Qingpeng ointment group and Fuy-angjing gel low,medium and high dose groups were significantly decreased,while IL-10 levels were significantly increased(P＜0.05).The expres-sion levels of p-JAK1,p-STAT5 protein and TSLP,JAK1,STAT5 and IL-17 mRNA in back lesions were significantly decreased,while the mRNA levels of IL-10 were significantly increased(P＜0.05).The serum levels of IL-4,IL-6,IL-13 and IL-17 in Qingpeng oint-ment group were decreased,while IL-10 levels were increased(P＜0.05).The expression levels of p-JAK1,p-STAT5 protein and TSLP,JAK1,STAT5 and IL-17 mRNA in back lesions were decreased,while the mRNA levels of IL-10 were increased(P＜0.05).Com-pared with Qingpeng ointment group,there were no significant differences in serum levels of IL-4,IL-6,IL-10,IL-13 and IL-17 in Fuyangjing gel high-dose group(P＞0.05).There were no significant differenc-es in the expression levels of p-JAK1,p-STAT5 pro-tein and TSLP,JAK1,STAT5,IL-10 and IL-17 mRNA in back lesions(P＞0.05).CONCLUSION:Fuyangjing gel may play a role in the treatment of chronic eczema by regulating the expression of JAK1/STAT5 signal-ing pathway related inflammatory factors,proteins and genes.