ObjectiveTo evaluate the effectiveness of stone needle thermocompression and massage compared to flurbiprofen gel patch in relieving chronic musculoskeletal pain in the shoulder and back， and to explore the potential mediating mechanism through muscle elasticity. MethodsA total of 120 patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain in the shoulder and back were randomly assigned to either stone needle group or flurbiprofen group， with 60 patients in each. The stone needle group received stone needle thermocompression and massage for 30 minutes， three times per week； the flurbiprofen group received flurbiprofen gel patch twice daily. Both groups were treated for 2 weeks. Pain improvement， as the primary outcome， was assessed using the Global Pain Scale （GPS） at baseline， after 2 weeks of treatment， and again 2 weeks post-treatment. To explore potential mechanisms， a mediator analysis was conducted by measuring changes in superficial and deep muscle elasticity using musculoskeletal ultrasound at baseline and after the 2-week treatment period. ResultsThe stone needle group showed significantly greater pain relief than the flurbiprofen group 2 weeks post-treatment. After adjusting for confounders related to pain duration， the between-group mean difference was -8.8 ［95% CI （-18.2， -0.7）， P＜0.05］. Part of the therapeutic effect was mediated by changes in deep muscle elasticity， with a mediation effect size of -1.5 ［95% CI （-2.0， -0.9）， P = 0.024］， accounting for 17.9% of the total effect. ConclusionStone needle thermocompression and massage can effectively relieve chronic musculoskeletal pain in the shoulder and back， partly through a mediating effect of improved deep muscle elasticity.

Objective To examine the anti-central-fatigue function of maca and its underlying mechanism.Methods Forty Sprague-Dawley rats were divided randomly into a negative control group,model control group,and low-,medium-,and high-dose maca groups(0.6,1.2,and 2.4 g/kg·body weight).Rats in all groups except the negative control group were subjected to multi-factor stimulation,including cold-water swimming,sleep deprivation,restraining,and tail-clamping,to establish central fatigue rat models.Rats in the low-,medium-,and high-dose maca groups received 0.6,1.2,or 2.4 g/kg maca,respectively,by gavage for 35 days.Behavioral testing was carried out using the Morris water-maze,sucrose-preference,and tail-suspension tests.Markers of oxidative stress in the hippocampus,including superoxide dismutase(SOD),malondialdehyde(MDA),and catalase(CAT),were detected using test kits.Proteins connected with the AMP-activated protein kinase(AMPK)/sirtuin 1(SIRT1)/peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator 1-α(PGC-1α)signaling pathway in the hippocampus were detected by Western blot.Results Rats in the low-,medium-,and high-dose maca groups spent significantly more time in the target quadrant compared with the model control group(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01),but there was no significant dose-effect relationship.Rats in the medium-and high-dose maca groups showed decreased escape latency(P＜0.05),increased time crossing the platform location(P＜0.05),increased sucrose preference(P＜0.05),decreased tail suspension time(P＜0.05),increased the activities of CAT(P＜0.01)and SOD(P＜0.05),and decreased MDA content(P＜0.01).Rats in the low-,medium-,and high-dose maca groups also showed significantly increased protein expression levels of AMPK and nuclear respiratory factor 1(P＜0.01 or P＜0.05),but no significant dose-effect relationship was observed.Rats in the medium-and high-dose maca groups showed increased protein expression of PGC-1α(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01),and rats in the high-dose maca group showed increased protein expression of SIRT1 and mitochondrial transcription factor A(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01).Conclusions Maca can improve the indicators of central fatigue in rats,determined by behavioral testing and oxidative stress-related factors.The underlying mechanism may be related to its regulatory effects on the AMPK/SIRT1/PGC-1α signaling pathway.

Objective To explore characteristics of time-domain and time-frequency of task-related electroencephalogram(EEG)in patients with post-stroke aphasia(PSA).Methods From January,2018 to December,2021,18 PSA patients(PSA group)were recruited from Dongzhimen Hospi-tal,Beijing University of Chinese Medicine,and nine healthy subjects(control group)were recruited with matched gender,age and education level.EEG data based on the Chinese word-picture matching task were col-lected,and the average amplitude of N400 and event-related synchronization(ERS)/desynchronization(ERD)were analyzed.The PSA group was assessed with Chinese Rehabilitation Research Center Aphasia Examination(CRRCAE).Results The effect of N400 was significant on left frontal,central frontal,right frontal,left central and central areas.The average amplitude of N400 was higher on the frontal area in PSA group than in the control group,and it was low-er on right temporal-parietal area.For word-picture mismatching,average amplitude of N400 at FPZ was moder-ately correlated with auditory comprehension(r=0.483,P<0.05),the average amplitude of N400 at T8 was moderately correlated with repetition(r=0.584,P<0.05)and reading aloud(r=0.556,P<0.05),and the aver-age amplitude of N400 at P6 was moderately correlated with speaking(r=0.476,P<0.05)and reading(r=0.502,P<0.05).For word-picture matching,the average amplitude of N400 at P7 was moderately negatively cor-related with calculation(r=-0.481,P<0.05).Compared with the control group,the energy decreased in θ and αfrequency bands with absence of ERS in PSA group,and it increased in β frequency band with absence of ERD.Conclusion The activities of Chinese word-picture matching task-related EEG have been inhibited on right temporal-pa-rietal area for PSA patients,and it compensatively increases on frontal area,while the energy decreases in θ and αfrequency bands with ERS deficiency,and increases in β frequency band with ERD deficiency.

Objective To evaluate the effect of optical body surface monitoring system(OSMS)in setup of intensity modulated radiotherapy(IMRT)for thoracic tumorsand to analyze its relationship with BMI.Methods Thesetup errors of CBCT and location CT with body membrane and the registration errors of OSMS and first body surface reference image without body membrane were obtained in 49 patients with thoracic tumor who received routine intensity modulated radiotherapy.The paired t-test was used to analyze the difference of registration errors between the two image guidance methods.Pearson′s correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between CBCT errors and OSMS errors,and Bland-Altman analysis was employed to evaluatethe agreement of the two errors.The correlation and consistency of the two registration errors in patients with different BMI index were analyzed.PTV external marginsby the two registration methods were calculated using Van Herk formula.Results The OSMS and CBCT groups demonstrated significant differences in setup errors in the ventrodorsal direction(P<0.05),while no significant differences were found in the left-right,head-foot translation directions,or RTN rota-tion directions(P>0.05).Although the two methods showed a significant correlation in setup errors(P<0.05),this correlation was only moderate in the head-foot and left-right directions(r=0.500,0.408),weak in the RTN rotation direction(r=0.339),and very weak in the ventrodorsal direction(r=0.152).The limits of agreement(LOA,95％CI)between the two methods were[-0.45,0.45]cm in the left-right direction,[-0.59,0.57]cm in the head-foot direction,and[-0.48,0.40]cm in the ventrodorsal direction,with(-2.08°～2.19°)in the RTN rotation direction.Different BMI levels influenced the results of the two registration methods,particularly in patients with a BMI of 18.5～23.9 kg/m2.In this group,OSMS and CBCT exhibited a strong correlation in the head-foot direction(r=0.731),a moderate correlation in the left-right direction(r=0.512),and weak correlations in the ventrodorsal and RTN rotation directions(r=0.345,0.267).The absolute difference in setup errors between the two imaging systems was 0.4～0.5 cm/2°.Using CBCT and OSMS image guidance,the margins in the left-right,head-foot,and ventrodorsal directions were[0.5 cm,0.7 cm,0.3 cm]for CBCT,and[0.5 cm,0.7 cm,0.5 cm]for OSMS.Conclusion In chest tumor patients with a BMI of 18.5～23.9 kg/m2,OSMS and CBCT image guidance methods show good correlation in the head-foot and left-right directions,but their limits of agreement exceed the clinically acceptable range.OSMS cannot yet replace CBCT for image guidance in chest tumor intensity-modulated radiotherapy.Further improvements to tumor motion surrogates are necessary to enhance the accuracy of OSMS image guidance.

Objective:To explore the effect of non-invasive intervention on preventing maternal breast tenderness, and to provide references for clinicians to select the optimal non-invasive intervention for the prevention of maternal breast tenderness.Methods:Literature focused on the effect of different non-invasive interventions to prevent maternal breast tenderness by randomized controlled trials design was searched in the databases, including China National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP, Wanfang, SinoMed, PubMed, Web of Science, Embase and Cochrane Library, from inception to April 8, 2024. Two researchers independently screened the literature, extracted the data and evaluated the quality of the literature. Stata 16.0 was used to conduct a network Meta-analysis.Results:A total of 21 studies involving 2 298 women, covering 5 non-invasive interventions (low-frequency pulse electrotherapy, breast massage combined with low-frequency pulse electrotherapy, breast massage and acupoint massage, breast massage and acupoint massage combined with ear point pressure bean, breast massage and acupoint massage combined with external application of Chinese medicine). The network meta-analysis results showed that, compared with routine care, five non-invasive interventions had statistically significant differences in reducing the incidence of maternal breast tenderness ( OR values ranging from 0.20 to 0.39, all P<0.05). Breast massage combined with low-frequency pulse electrotherapy ranked first in terms of effectiveness on preventing of breast tenderness. Conclusions:All five non-invasive interventions are effective on preventing maternal breast tenderness, with breast massage combined with low-frequency pulse electrotherapy being the most effective.

Objective To examine the anti-central-fatigue function of maca and its underlying mechanism.Methods Forty Sprague-Dawley rats were divided randomly into a negative control group,model control group,and low-,medium-,and high-dose maca groups(0.6,1.2,and 2.4 g/kg·body weight).Rats in all groups except the negative control group were subjected to multi-factor stimulation,including cold-water swimming,sleep deprivation,restraining,and tail-clamping,to establish central fatigue rat models.Rats in the low-,medium-,and high-dose maca groups received 0.6,1.2,or 2.4 g/kg maca,respectively,by gavage for 35 days.Behavioral testing was carried out using the Morris water-maze,sucrose-preference,and tail-suspension tests.Markers of oxidative stress in the hippocampus,including superoxide dismutase(SOD),malondialdehyde(MDA),and catalase(CAT),were detected using test kits.Proteins connected with the AMP-activated protein kinase(AMPK)/sirtuin 1(SIRT1)/peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator 1-α(PGC-1α)signaling pathway in the hippocampus were detected by Western blot.Results Rats in the low-,medium-,and high-dose maca groups spent significantly more time in the target quadrant compared with the model control group(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01),but there was no significant dose-effect relationship.Rats in the medium-and high-dose maca groups showed decreased escape latency(P＜0.05),increased time crossing the platform location(P＜0.05),increased sucrose preference(P＜0.05),decreased tail suspension time(P＜0.05),increased the activities of CAT(P＜0.01)and SOD(P＜0.05),and decreased MDA content(P＜0.01).Rats in the low-,medium-,and high-dose maca groups also showed significantly increased protein expression levels of AMPK and nuclear respiratory factor 1(P＜0.01 or P＜0.05),but no significant dose-effect relationship was observed.Rats in the medium-and high-dose maca groups showed increased protein expression of PGC-1α(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01),and rats in the high-dose maca group showed increased protein expression of SIRT1 and mitochondrial transcription factor A(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01).Conclusions Maca can improve the indicators of central fatigue in rats,determined by behavioral testing and oxidative stress-related factors.The underlying mechanism may be related to its regulatory effects on the AMPK/SIRT1/PGC-1α signaling pathway.

Objective To evaluate the effect of optical body surface monitoring system(OSMS)in setup of intensity modulated radiotherapy(IMRT)for thoracic tumorsand to analyze its relationship with BMI.Methods Thesetup errors of CBCT and location CT with body membrane and the registration errors of OSMS and first body surface reference image without body membrane were obtained in 49 patients with thoracic tumor who received routine intensity modulated radiotherapy.The paired t-test was used to analyze the difference of registration errors between the two image guidance methods.Pearson′s correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between CBCT errors and OSMS errors,and Bland-Altman analysis was employed to evaluatethe agreement of the two errors.The correlation and consistency of the two registration errors in patients with different BMI index were analyzed.PTV external marginsby the two registration methods were calculated using Van Herk formula.Results The OSMS and CBCT groups demonstrated significant differences in setup errors in the ventrodorsal direction(P<0.05),while no significant differences were found in the left-right,head-foot translation directions,or RTN rota-tion directions(P>0.05).Although the two methods showed a significant correlation in setup errors(P<0.05),this correlation was only moderate in the head-foot and left-right directions(r=0.500,0.408),weak in the RTN rotation direction(r=0.339),and very weak in the ventrodorsal direction(r=0.152).The limits of agreement(LOA,95％CI)between the two methods were[-0.45,0.45]cm in the left-right direction,[-0.59,0.57]cm in the head-foot direction,and[-0.48,0.40]cm in the ventrodorsal direction,with(-2.08°～2.19°)in the RTN rotation direction.Different BMI levels influenced the results of the two registration methods,particularly in patients with a BMI of 18.5～23.9 kg/m2.In this group,OSMS and CBCT exhibited a strong correlation in the head-foot direction(r=0.731),a moderate correlation in the left-right direction(r=0.512),and weak correlations in the ventrodorsal and RTN rotation directions(r=0.345,0.267).The absolute difference in setup errors between the two imaging systems was 0.4～0.5 cm/2°.Using CBCT and OSMS image guidance,the margins in the left-right,head-foot,and ventrodorsal directions were[0.5 cm,0.7 cm,0.3 cm]for CBCT,and[0.5 cm,0.7 cm,0.5 cm]for OSMS.Conclusion In chest tumor patients with a BMI of 18.5～23.9 kg/m2,OSMS and CBCT image guidance methods show good correlation in the head-foot and left-right directions,but their limits of agreement exceed the clinically acceptable range.OSMS cannot yet replace CBCT for image guidance in chest tumor intensity-modulated radiotherapy.Further improvements to tumor motion surrogates are necessary to enhance the accuracy of OSMS image guidance.

Objective To explore characteristics of time-domain and time-frequency of task-related electroencephalogram(EEG)in patients with post-stroke aphasia(PSA).Methods From January,2018 to December,2021,18 PSA patients(PSA group)were recruited from Dongzhimen Hospi-tal,Beijing University of Chinese Medicine,and nine healthy subjects(control group)were recruited with matched gender,age and education level.EEG data based on the Chinese word-picture matching task were col-lected,and the average amplitude of N400 and event-related synchronization(ERS)/desynchronization(ERD)were analyzed.The PSA group was assessed with Chinese Rehabilitation Research Center Aphasia Examination(CRRCAE).Results The effect of N400 was significant on left frontal,central frontal,right frontal,left central and central areas.The average amplitude of N400 was higher on the frontal area in PSA group than in the control group,and it was low-er on right temporal-parietal area.For word-picture mismatching,average amplitude of N400 at FPZ was moder-ately correlated with auditory comprehension(r=0.483,P<0.05),the average amplitude of N400 at T8 was moderately correlated with repetition(r=0.584,P<0.05)and reading aloud(r=0.556,P<0.05),and the aver-age amplitude of N400 at P6 was moderately correlated with speaking(r=0.476,P<0.05)and reading(r=0.502,P<0.05).For word-picture matching,the average amplitude of N400 at P7 was moderately negatively cor-related with calculation(r=-0.481,P<0.05).Compared with the control group,the energy decreased in θ and αfrequency bands with absence of ERS in PSA group,and it increased in β frequency band with absence of ERD.Conclusion The activities of Chinese word-picture matching task-related EEG have been inhibited on right temporal-pa-rietal area for PSA patients,and it compensatively increases on frontal area,while the energy decreases in θ and αfrequency bands with ERS deficiency,and increases in β frequency band with ERD deficiency.

Objective:To explore the effect of non-invasive intervention on preventing maternal breast tenderness, and to provide references for clinicians to select the optimal non-invasive intervention for the prevention of maternal breast tenderness.Methods:Literature focused on the effect of different non-invasive interventions to prevent maternal breast tenderness by randomized controlled trials design was searched in the databases, including China National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP, Wanfang, SinoMed, PubMed, Web of Science, Embase and Cochrane Library, from inception to April 8, 2024. Two researchers independently screened the literature, extracted the data and evaluated the quality of the literature. Stata 16.0 was used to conduct a network Meta-analysis.Results:A total of 21 studies involving 2 298 women, covering 5 non-invasive interventions (low-frequency pulse electrotherapy, breast massage combined with low-frequency pulse electrotherapy, breast massage and acupoint massage, breast massage and acupoint massage combined with ear point pressure bean, breast massage and acupoint massage combined with external application of Chinese medicine). The network meta-analysis results showed that, compared with routine care, five non-invasive interventions had statistically significant differences in reducing the incidence of maternal breast tenderness ( OR values ranging from 0.20 to 0.39, all P<0.05). Breast massage combined with low-frequency pulse electrotherapy ranked first in terms of effectiveness on preventing of breast tenderness. Conclusions:All five non-invasive interventions are effective on preventing maternal breast tenderness, with breast massage combined with low-frequency pulse electrotherapy being the most effective.

The importance of question bank construction in medical education has been well proved.However,there are still some weaknesses in the clinical teaching assessment question bank,including the inconsistency be-tween assessment and clinical practice,the lack of coherence in question bank updates,and the mismatch be-tween proposition and student learning stage.To address these issues,this article explores a teaching model which connects flipped classroom with student independent proposition and analyzes the advantages of applying flipped classroom to question bank construction.The connection between the two effectively established a regular updating mechanism for question banks,thus improve the construction of question banks in current medical education.It may support the capacity building of students' self-oriented and regulated learning and improve the quality of teaching assessment.