BACKGROUND: There is a gap in understanding the effects of different acupoints and treatment methods (acupuncture and moxibustion) on microcirculatory changes in the lumbar region. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the thermal effects of acupuncture at Weizhong (BL40), with acupuncture at Chize (LU5) and moxibustion at both acupoints as control interventions. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTIONS: In this randomized controlled trial, 140 healthy participants were equally divided into four groups: acupuncture at BL40 (Acu-BL40), acupuncture at LU5 (Acu-LU5), moxibustion at BL40 (Mox-BL40) and moxibustion at LU5 (Mox-LU5). Participants underwent a 30-minute session of their assigned treatment. Infrared thermal imaging was used to collect temperature data on the areas of interest for analysis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary measure was the change in average temperature of the observed area after the intervention. The secondary measures included periodic temperature changes every 5 min and the temperature changes of the Governor Vessel and Bladder Meridian in the observed area after the intervention. RESULTS: Significant interactions were observed between treatments and acupoints affecting temperature (P < 0.001). The Acu-BL40 group showed a notably higher increase in mean temperature after 30 min compared to the Acu-LU5 and Mox-BL40 groups, with increases of 0.29 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.17 to 0.41) and 0.24 (95% CI = 0.08 to 0.41) °C, respectively. CONCLUSION: Acupuncture at BL40 acupoint can significantly increase the mean temperature in the observed area, highlighting the specific thermal effect of acupuncture compared to moxibustion in the lumbar area. This suggests a potential therapeutic benefit of acupuncture at BL40 for managing lumbar conditions. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05665426). Please cite this article as: Zheng SY, Wang XY, Lin LN, Liu S, Huang XX, Liu YY, Yu XS, Pan W, Fang JQ, Liang Y. Lumbar temperature change after acupuncture or moxibustion at Weizhong (BL40) or Chize (LU5) in healthy adults: A randomized controlled trial. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(2): 145-151.
Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Young Adult ; Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Body Temperature ; Healthy Volunteers ; Lumbosacral Region/physiology* ; Moxibustion ; Adolescent

OBJECTIVE: To distinguish the ambiguous genotyping results of human leukocyte antigen (HLA), identify a novel HLA-B allele and analyze the nucleotide sequence. METHODS: A total of 2 076 umbilical core blood samples from the Zhejiang Cord Blood Bank in 2022 were detected using the next generation sequencing technology (NGS) based on the Ion Torrent S5 platform. Among these a rare HLA-B allele with ambiguous combination result containing a base mutation was identified, and was further confimed by the third-generation sequencing (TGS) based on the nanopore technology. RESULTS: The NGS typing result of HLA-B locus showed HLA-B* 46:18, 54:06 or HLA-B*46:01, 54:XX (including a base mutation), and nanopore sequencing confirmed the typing as HLA-B*46:01, 54:XX (including a base mutation). Compared with HLA-B*54:01:01:01, the HLA-B*54:XX allele showed one single nucleotide substitution at position 1014 T>C in exon 6, with no amino acid change. The nucleotide sequence of the novel HLA-B*54:XX has been submitted to the GenBank nucleotide sequence database and the accession number OP853532 was assigned. CONCLUSION A ambiguous genotyping of the HLA-B Locus detected by NGS was distinguished by nanopore sequencing and a new HLA-B allele was successfully identified, which was officially named as HLA-B*54:01:11 by the World Health Organization Nomenclature Committee for Factors of the HLA System.
Humans ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing ; Alleles ; HLA-B Antigens/genetics* ; Genotype ; Mutation ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Base Sequence

Poloxamer， as a non-ionic surfactant， exhibits a unique triblock [polyethylene oxide-poly （propylene oxide）-polyethylene oxide] structure， which endows it with broad application potential in various fields， including solid dispersion technology， nanotechnology， gel technology， biologics， gene engineering and 3D printing. As a carrier， it enhances the solubility and bioavailability of poorly soluble drugs. In the field of nanotechnology， it serves as a stabilizer etc.， enriching preparation methods. In gel technology， its self-assembly behavior and thermosensitive properties facilitate controlled drug release. In biologics， it improves targeting efficiency and reduces side effects. In gene engineering， it enhances delivery efficiency and expression levels. In 3D printing， it provides novel strategies for precise drug release control and the production of high-quality biological products. As a versatile material， poloxamer holds promising prospects in the pharmaceutical field.

Objective:This study aims to develop a questionnaire for transsexualism screening and validate its reliability and validity, to provide a culturally adapted screening tool for Chinese clinicians.Methods:Referencing internationally validated instruments related to transsexualism, items closely aligned with the diagnostic criteria of the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10) for transsexualism were extracted. Items reflecting Chinese family cultural characteristics were integrated. The overall structure of the questionnaire was refined through expert consultations. A total of 111 patients diagnosed with transsexualism according to ICD-10 diagnostic criteria (78 male-to-female (MtF), 33 female-to-male (FtM)) were recruited from the outpatient clinic of Shanghai Mental Health Center between June 2021 and April 2024. Additionally, 232 cisgender participants, whose self-reported gender identity aligned with their birth sex, were recruited via the Wenjuanxing platform from June 14 to 22, 2022, comprising 64 heterosexual males, 16 non-heterosexual males, 120 heterosexual females, and 32 non-heterosexual females. Both the transsexual and cisgender groups completed the screening questionnaire. The internal consistency reliability was assessed using Cronbach′s α coefficient, and the corrected item-total correlation (CITC) was employed to measure the relationship between individual items and the total score. Structural validity was verified through structural equation modeling (SEM) using AMOS software. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was conducted to determine the optimal screening cutoff value, with the area under the curve (AUC) used to evaluate diagnostic accuracy. Effect sizes (Cohen's d) were calculated to compare the average scores of the questionnaire across groups. Results:The Transsexualism Screening Questionnaire consists of 15 items including 4 reverse-scored questions, rated on a 5-point Likert scale. The Cronbach′s α coefficient was 0.953 and the CITC for all items exceeded the recommended threshold of 0.3. After rotation based on eigenvalues>1, one principal component explained 61.67% of the total variance. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated acceptable model fit (χ2/ df = 3.887, standardized root mean square residual (SRMR) = 0.064, root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA)=0.092, comparative fit index (CFI)=0.952, normed fit index (NFI)=0.936, Tucker-Lewis index (TLI)=0.943, incremental fit index (IFI)=0.952). Factor loadings for each item ranged from 0.435 to 0.914. ROC curve analysis revealed that the optimal cutoff values were a mean score of 2.83 and a total score of 42.5, achieving 100% sensitivity and 98.7% specificity, with a Youden index of 0.987. Effect size comparisons showed a Cohen′s d of 6.112 between MtF individuals and cisgender heterosexual males, and a Cohen′s d of 9.287 between FtM individuals and cisgender heterosexual females. Conclusion:The Transsexualism Screening Questionnaire exhibits acceptable reliability, validity, sensitivity, and specificity, and is suitable for screening transsexualism in the Chinese population.

Aim To investigate the effects of circ_0071653 targeting miR-197-3p on the proliferation and metastasis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ES-CC)cells.Methods The circular structure of circ_0071653 was confirmed by Sanger sequencing and ribo-nuclease R tolerance experiments.Real-time quantita-tive polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR)and tissue fluorescence in situ hybridization assay were performed to detect the circ_0071653 expression levels and ana-lyze its clinical relevance.Cell fluorescence in situ hy-bridization and nuclear cytoplasmic separation assays were used to verify the subcellular localization of circ_0071653 and miR-197-3p.Bioinformatics analysis,dual luciferase reporter gene and RT-qPCR assays were conducted to validate the interactions between circ_0071653 and miR-197-3p.Moreover,the cell counting Kit-8(CCK-8),colony formation,scratch,Transwell invasion and subcutaneous tumor formation in nude mice assays were used to evaluate the effects of circ_0071653 and miR-197-3p on cell viability,prolifera-tion,migration,and invasion and in vivo tumorigenesi-sability.Results Circ_0071653 was a circular RNA,which showed high expression in ESCC cell lines and tissues.The expression of circ_0071653 was signifi-cantly correlated with lymph node metastasis and clini-cal stage of ESCC patients.Circ_0071653 and miR-197-3p were mainly localized in the cytoplasm.The databases predict that circ_0071653 had complementa-ry binding sites with miR-197-3p,and their binding were confirmed by dual luciferase reporter geneand RT-qPCR assays.Moreover,the activity,proliferation,migration,invasion and in vivo tumorigenesis abilities of ESCC cells were significantly reduced after knocking down circ_0071653,and this effect could be reversed by downregulating the expression of miR-197-3p.Con-clusions Circ_0071653 promotes the malignant pro-gression of ESCC through targeted regulation of miR-197-3p.

Aim To investigate the effects of circ_0071653 targeting miR-197-3p on the proliferation and metastasis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ES-CC)cells.Methods The circular structure of circ_0071653 was confirmed by Sanger sequencing and ribo-nuclease R tolerance experiments.Real-time quantita-tive polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR)and tissue fluorescence in situ hybridization assay were performed to detect the circ_0071653 expression levels and ana-lyze its clinical relevance.Cell fluorescence in situ hy-bridization and nuclear cytoplasmic separation assays were used to verify the subcellular localization of circ_0071653 and miR-197-3p.Bioinformatics analysis,dual luciferase reporter gene and RT-qPCR assays were conducted to validate the interactions between circ_0071653 and miR-197-3p.Moreover,the cell counting Kit-8(CCK-8),colony formation,scratch,Transwell invasion and subcutaneous tumor formation in nude mice assays were used to evaluate the effects of circ_0071653 and miR-197-3p on cell viability,prolifera-tion,migration,and invasion and in vivo tumorigenesi-sability.Results Circ_0071653 was a circular RNA,which showed high expression in ESCC cell lines and tissues.The expression of circ_0071653 was signifi-cantly correlated with lymph node metastasis and clini-cal stage of ESCC patients.Circ_0071653 and miR-197-3p were mainly localized in the cytoplasm.The databases predict that circ_0071653 had complementa-ry binding sites with miR-197-3p,and their binding were confirmed by dual luciferase reporter geneand RT-qPCR assays.Moreover,the activity,proliferation,migration,invasion and in vivo tumorigenesis abilities of ESCC cells were significantly reduced after knocking down circ_0071653,and this effect could be reversed by downregulating the expression of miR-197-3p.Con-clusions Circ_0071653 promotes the malignant pro-gression of ESCC through targeted regulation of miR-197-3p.

Objective:This study aims to develop a questionnaire for transsexualism screening and validate its reliability and validity, to provide a culturally adapted screening tool for Chinese clinicians.Methods:Referencing internationally validated instruments related to transsexualism, items closely aligned with the diagnostic criteria of the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10) for transsexualism were extracted. Items reflecting Chinese family cultural characteristics were integrated. The overall structure of the questionnaire was refined through expert consultations. A total of 111 patients diagnosed with transsexualism according to ICD-10 diagnostic criteria (78 male-to-female (MtF), 33 female-to-male (FtM)) were recruited from the outpatient clinic of Shanghai Mental Health Center between June 2021 and April 2024. Additionally, 232 cisgender participants, whose self-reported gender identity aligned with their birth sex, were recruited via the Wenjuanxing platform from June 14 to 22, 2022, comprising 64 heterosexual males, 16 non-heterosexual males, 120 heterosexual females, and 32 non-heterosexual females. Both the transsexual and cisgender groups completed the screening questionnaire. The internal consistency reliability was assessed using Cronbach′s α coefficient, and the corrected item-total correlation (CITC) was employed to measure the relationship between individual items and the total score. Structural validity was verified through structural equation modeling (SEM) using AMOS software. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was conducted to determine the optimal screening cutoff value, with the area under the curve (AUC) used to evaluate diagnostic accuracy. Effect sizes (Cohen's d) were calculated to compare the average scores of the questionnaire across groups. Results:The Transsexualism Screening Questionnaire consists of 15 items including 4 reverse-scored questions, rated on a 5-point Likert scale. The Cronbach′s α coefficient was 0.953 and the CITC for all items exceeded the recommended threshold of 0.3. After rotation based on eigenvalues>1, one principal component explained 61.67% of the total variance. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated acceptable model fit (χ2/ df = 3.887, standardized root mean square residual (SRMR) = 0.064, root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA)=0.092, comparative fit index (CFI)=0.952, normed fit index (NFI)=0.936, Tucker-Lewis index (TLI)=0.943, incremental fit index (IFI)=0.952). Factor loadings for each item ranged from 0.435 to 0.914. ROC curve analysis revealed that the optimal cutoff values were a mean score of 2.83 and a total score of 42.5, achieving 100% sensitivity and 98.7% specificity, with a Youden index of 0.987. Effect size comparisons showed a Cohen′s d of 6.112 between MtF individuals and cisgender heterosexual males, and a Cohen′s d of 9.287 between FtM individuals and cisgender heterosexual females. Conclusion:The Transsexualism Screening Questionnaire exhibits acceptable reliability, validity, sensitivity, and specificity, and is suitable for screening transsexualism in the Chinese population.

Bayesian network Meta-analysis was conducted to assess the efficacy and safety of different Chinese medicine injections for dilated cardiomyopathy(DCM). CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, SinoMed, PubMed, Web of Science, EMbase, Cochrane Library, ProQuest, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, ClinicalTrials.gov were searched for the randomized controlled trial(RCT) from the inception to January 2024. The quality of the included RCT was evaluated using the Cochrane's risk of bias assessment tool, and the quality of evidence for outcomes was assessed by GRADE. Stata 16.0 and RevMan 5.4 softwares were used for Meta-analysis. A total of 57 RCTs involving 4 812 subjects, 6 Chinese medicine injections and 6 outcome indicators were included. Bayesian network Meta-analysis indicated that:(1) In terms of increasing clinical total effectiveness rate, except Shenqi Fuzheng Injection + conventional western medicine, other 5 Chinese medicine injections combined with conventional western medicine outperformed conventional western medicine alone, and Xinmailong Injection + conventional western medicine had the best effect.(2) In terms of improving left ventricular ejection fraction, all of the 6 Chinese medicine injections combined with conventional western medicine were superior to conventional western medicine alone, and Shengmai Injection + conventional western medicine had the highest likelihood of being the best intervention.(3) On account of reducing left ventricular end-diastolic dimension, Shenfu Injection + conventional western medicine, Shenmai Injection + conventional western medicine, Huangqi Injection + conventional western medicine, and Xinmailong Injection + conventional western medicine outperformed conventional western medicine alone except Shengmai Injection + conventional western medicine, and Huangqi Injection + conventional western medicine had the highest probability of being the best treatment.(4) In terms of decreasing BNP, Huangqi Injection + conventional western medicine, Shenfu Injection + conventional western medicine, and Shenmai Injection + conventional western medicine were better than conventional western medicine alone, and Huangqi Injection + conventional western medicine had the highest likelihood of being the best treatment.(5) Considering the improvement in 6-min walk test, Shenmai Injection + conventional western medicine were superior to conventional western medicine alone.(6) In the case of improving cardiac output, Shenmai Injection + conventional western medicine, Shengmai Injection + conventional western medicine, Xinmailong Injection + conventional western medicine, and Shenqi Fuzheng Injection + conventional western medicine outperformed conventional western medicine alone except Shenfu Injection + conventional western medicine, thereinto, Shenmai Injection + conventional western medicine might be the optimal choice for increasing cardiac output level.(7) For safety, no statistically significant difference in adverse events was recorded between the experimental group and the control group(P=0.24). Bayesian network Meta-analysis showed that the addition of Chinese medicine injections to conventional western medicine exerted a more positive effect for DCM, and had advantages in alleviating clinical symptoms and improving cardiac function. However, due to the overall low quality of the included articles, the low inclusion of certain Chinese medicine injections, and the lack of direct comparison between different Chinese medicine injections, the results need to be further confirmed.
Humans ; Bayes Theorem ; Cardiomyopathy, Dilated/physiopathology* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Injections ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Treatment Outcome