Objective To preliminarily investigate the safety and efficacy of donor pancreas needle biopsy in simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation. Methods Clinical data of 7 cases undergoing donor pancreas biopsy were collected retrospectively. All cases underwent donor pancreas biopsy before or during simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation. Frozen section or paraffin sectioning techniques were used for tissue preparation, and hematoxylin-eosin and Masson staining were performed to histologically evaluate the donor pancreas. The quality of donor pancreas was comprehensively assessed by combining histological findings with the donor's clinical data. Postoperative follow-up data of 5 simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplant recipients were collected to summarize the safety of donor pancreas biopsy and the prognosis of transplant recipients. Results The 7 pancreas donors were aged 28 to 62 years, with a body mass index ranging from 20.76 to 27.68 kg/m². Liver ultrasound indicated fatty liver in 3 cases, while pancreatic ultrasound did not reveal any significant abnormalities. Among them, biopsy was performed on 2 donors after completion of pancreatic procurement and processing, and the frozen section histology showed moderate acute pancreatitis changes (edema of acinar cells, necrosis and inflammatory cell infiltration). Combined with a serum amylase level elevated more than 3 times the upper limit of normal value, these two donor pancreases were finally discarded. The remaining 5 cases underwent biopsy immediately after pancreatic vascular anastomosis during simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation, and histological evaluation was performed on paraffin-embedded sections. No biopsy-related complications (such as bleeding, pancreatic fistula, etc.) occurred after transplantation. One recipient died of severe infection 2 months after transplantation, while the other 4 recipients were followed up for more than 5 years, with well-functioning transplant kidneys and pancreases. Conclusions Donor pancreas biopsy is relatively safe, and the risk of biopsy-related complications after transplantation is controllable. Comprehensive assessment of donor pancreas quality by combining histological evaluation with the donor's clinical indicators is conducive to improving the accuracy of donor pancreas selection and organ utilization.

Objective To gain insights into the biological characteristics of different populations of Culex tritaeniorhynchus within and around the Yellow Sea wetland from the perspective of the occurrence of resistance, we investigated the levels of resistance to deltamethrin and kdr gene mutation in the wetland and its peripheral areas. Methods Specimens were collected from Cx. tritaeniorhynchus populations at two monitoring sites in the Rare Bird National Nature Reserve and Tiaozi Ni Wetland Scenic Area, and also from two populations in Yancheng City and the Liuhe District of Nanjing, and the resistance of these mosquitoes to deltamethrin was determined using the CDC biotest bottle method. For each concentration of deltamethrin assessed, a random subset of exposed specimens was selected for amplification of the kdr gene fragment, followed by Sanger sequencing to identify and analyze resistance-associated mutations. Results The LC50 levels of deltamethrin among mosquitoes from the four populations in Luhe, Yancheng, the Rare Bird National Nature Reserve and the Tiaozi Ni Wetland Scenic Area were 2.048 5, 7.798 2, 3.473 3, and 17.695 5 mg/mL, respectively, with corresponding concentrations of deltamethrin ranging from 0.005 to 5.000,0.050 to 50.000,0.050 to 25.000 and 0.050 to 50.000 mg/mL, respectively. Furthermore, the ranges of the KT50 values were 11.76-107.43, 67.05-216.30,29.77-107.43 and 28.40-329.51 min; the 1-h knockdown rates were 34.58%-99.15%, 9.52%-43.80%, 55.09%-73.01%, and 10.09%-68.07%; and the 24-h mortality rates were 12.15%-67.52%,9.52%-79.56%,13.17%-82.21%, and 11.01%-78.99%, respectively. With respect to kdr gene mutation, we assayed a total of 63,70,59, and 57 mosquitoes for the four populations, for which we detected L1014F mutation frequencies of 14.29%, 35.00%, 20.34%, and 31.58%, respectively, with a majority of these mutations being heterozygous for resistance. In addition, five adult mosquitoes were identified has having synonymous mutations at site 1011[i. e. , AAT(asparagine)mutation to AAC(asparagine)]. Conclusions Our findings revealed the clear resistance of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus to deltamethrin in the Yancheng region of the Yellow Sea wetland, and the resistance phenotype and kdr frequency of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus in the wetland environment were comparable to those of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus in the wetland environment, thereby indicating that the resistance of different populations of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus was homogeneous under the pressure of different insecticide selection within and around the wetland. However, the underlying mechanisms need to be further studied.

Objective The study aimed to elucidate the population composition and seasonal distribution characteristics of mosquitoes in Laoshan District, Qingdao City, providing a scientific basis for the prevention and control of mosquito-borne infectious diseases. Methods Mosquito surveillance was conducted in Laoshan District in Qingdao City using light traps from April to November 2020-2022. Dominant mosquito species were identified using the Berger-Parker dominance index(I)and mosquito density was compared using the Kruskal-Wallis H test. The seasonal distribution characteristics of adult mosquitoes were analyzed using concentration and circular distribution method. Spearman rank correlation analysis was used to study the relationship between mosquito populations and meteorological factors with mean monthly temperature, mean monthly relative humidity, and mean monthly rainfall. Results The mean mosquito density for the trapping period was 9.771 females/(trap·night)in 2020,9.771 in 2021, and 9.427 in 2022. There was no statistically significant difference in mosquito density between different years(H = 0.095, P = 0.954). In total, 2 781 adult female mosquitoes comprising five species from four genera were captured over three years. Culex pipiens(I = 0.654), Aedes albopictus(I = 0.202), and Aedes aegypti(I = 0.118)were identified as dominant species. Seasonal fluctuations in the adult mosquitoes were unimodal, and primarily concentrated from June to September. The peak period of adult mosquito varied between years with statistical significance. (F = 3.838, P ＜ 0.05). Mosquito density was highly correlated with mean monthly temperature, mean monthly relative humidity and mean monthly precipitation(P＜ 0.05). Conclusions Cx. pipiens pallens, Ae. albopictus, and Ar. inamoratus are the dominant mosquito species in the Laoshan District of Qingdao City. The activity of adult mosquitoes is seasonal, and primarily concentrated in summer and autumn, during which the risk of mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue fever is increased.

Objective:To observe the effect of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) hot ironing on limb function and balance ability in stroke patients with hemiplegia during the recovery period, and to provide more reference schemes for clinical rehabilitation of stroke patients with hemiplegia.Methods:A randomized controlled study was conducted. Stratified random sampling was used to select stroke patients with hemiplegia during the recovery period admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine from June 2023 to January 2024. The patients were divided into a control group and an observation group using the random envelope method. The control group received limb positioning techniques combined with conventional acupuncture intervention, while the observation group received additional TCM hot ironing intervention. Before and after the intervention, the Brunnstrom motor function grading, three-level assessment method, and Activities of Daily Living (ADL) scale were used to evaluate the patients′ limb function, balance function, and daily living ability.Results:Among the 66 patients included, with 33 patients in the control group, includinng 19 males and 14 females, aged (51.02 ± 8.34) years old, and 33 patients in the observation group, including 21 males and 12 females, aged (49.65 ± 8.21) years old. Before the intervention, there were no statistically significant differences in Brunnstrom upper limb motor function, Brunnstrom lower limb motor function, sitting balance, standing balance, and ADL scores between the two groups (all P>0.05). After the intervention, the observation group showed significant improvements in Brunnstrom upper limb motor function (0 cases at levelⅠ, 33 cases at levelⅡor above), Brunnstrom lower limb motor function (1 case at levelsⅠ-Ⅲ, 32 cases at level Ⅳ or above), sitting balance (0 cases at levelsⅠ-Ⅱ, 33 cases at level Ⅲ), and standing balance (1 case at levelsⅠ-Ⅱ, 32 cases at level Ⅲ). The control group showed less improvement in Brunnstrom upper limb motor function (10 cases at levelⅠ, 23 cases at level Ⅱor above), Brunnstrom lower limb motor function (14 cases at levelsⅠ-Ⅲ, 19 cases at level Ⅳ or above), sitting balance (9 cases at levelsⅠ-Ⅱ, 24 cases at level Ⅲ), and standing balance (11 cases at levelsⅠ-Ⅱ, 22 cases at level Ⅲ). The differences between the two groups were statistically significant ( Z values were 9.39-15.51, all P<0.05). The ADL score in the observation group was (80.25 ± 8.89) points, higher than the control group′s score of (69.97 ± 8.17) points, the difference was statistically significant ( t=4.89, P<0.05). Conclusions:TCM hot ironing can effectively improve limb dysfunction, motor function, balance ability, and walking mobility in stroke patients with hemiplegia during the recovery period, thereby enhancing their daily living ability.

Objective:To investigate abnormal blood lipids of military flying personnel and related contributors in order to provide data for health support to military flying personnel.Methods:The physical examination data of 358 military flying personnel between November 2022 and April 2023 was retrospectively analyzed. The flying personnel were divided into 3 groups by age (20-≤29 years, 30-≤39 years and ≥40 years), 3 groups by aircraft types (helicopters, fighters and trainers), 2 groups by flying hours (≤2 000 h and >2 000 h) and 2 groups by body mass index (<24.0 kg/m 2 and ≥24.0 kg/m 2). The blood lipid abnormalities of these military flying personnel were compared across groups. Results:There was a significant difference in levels of total cholesterol ( F=3.77, P=0.024), triglyceride ( H=12.10, P=0.002) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ( F=5.61, P=0.004) across age groups, but there was no significant difference in levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ( P>0.05). There was no significant difference in levels of total cholesterol, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol between military flying personnel working for different types of aircraft (all P>0.05). Levels of total cholesterol ( F=8.69, P=0.003), triglyceride ( Z=2.57, P=0.010) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ( F=10.61, P=0.001) in the >2 000 h group were significantly higher than those in the ≤2 000 h group. There was no significant difference in levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol between groups of different flying hours ( P>0.05). The levels of total cholesterol ( F=10.39, P=0.002), triglyceride ( Z=4.05, P<0.001) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ( F=12.73, P<0.001) in the body mass index ≥24 kg/m 2 group were significantly higher than those in the body mass index <24 kg/m 2 group. There was no significant difference in levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol between different body mass index groups ( P>0.05). Conclusions:There were differences in the blood lipid abnormality among military flying personnel with different ages, flying hours and body mass index. It is critical to better manage the blood lipid indicators of flying personnel, provide early intervention and treatment, improve the rate of normal blood lipids, and ensure the health of flying personnel.

Purpose To measure the spatial resolution in MRI quality control testing automatically based on the American College of Radiology(ACR)phantom using the support vector machine(SVM)method,and the feasibility,accuracy and measurement speed of this method are explored.Materials and Methods Quality control tests were performed using eight MRI devices at Beijing Friendship Hospital of Capital Medical University.A retrospective study was conducted on 71 MRI quality control test images collected based on ACR phantoms between 2017 and 2019.The images were preprocessed by binarization,extraction region of interest and so on.An SVM-based classification model was constructed for analyzing the spatial resolution of dot arrays in row and column directions.The dataset was randomly split into a training set and a test set.The generalization performance of the classification model in this study was evaluated through accuracy,precision,recall and F1 score on the test set.Comparing the results of spatial resolution measurements obtained by both manual and automatic method,we demonstrated the feasibility and accuracy of the method.Additionally,the time taken for the automatic spatial resolution measurement was recorded.Results In this study,the proposed method of automatically measuring the spatial resolution of ACR phantom test images using SVM was feasible,high accuracy and short time.In classification performance test,the accuracy of the spatial resolution of the row directional latices was 95%,the precision was 100%.The accuracy of the spatial resolution of the column directional latices was 97%,the precision was 100%.Among the test cases,the results of automatic measurements matched those of manual measurements in 13 out of 14 cases.On average,automatic spatial resolution measurement took 0.158 seconds per case.Conclusion This study achieves automatic measurement of spatial resolution in MRI quality control based on the ACR phantom using SVM method.The method demonstrates high accuracy and fast measurement speeds,holding significant implications for future rapid MRI quality control stability testing.

Purpose To explore an automatic detection method for quality control performance indicators of radio frequency coils based on American College of Radiology(ACR)phantom,and verify its accuracy stability and computational efficiency.Materials and Methods A retrospective study was conducted on 50 quality control images collected based on ACR phantom in Beijing Friendship Hospital,Capital Medical University from May 2017 to July 2019.The measurement and calculation methods of signal noise ratio(SNR),percent image uniformity(PIU)and percent signal ghosting(PSG)were used to automatically calculate the above indicators using a self-designed program in Python.A simple linear regression analysis on the automatically calculated SNR,PSG and PIU values compared to the manually measured results was performed,and Bland-Altman analysis was used to calculate the percentage difference to evaluate the consistency and bias between the performance indicators calculated by the two methods.The time consumption of two detection methods was compared to verify their computational complexity and efficiency.Results There was a strong correlation between the performance indicators SNR,PSG and PIU of radio frequency coils measured and calculated automatically and manually(r=0.991 4,0.992 8 and 0.909 8,all P<0.0001).The Bland-Altman results showed that most of the data fall within the 95%confidence interval and were evenly distributed.In terms of computational complexity and efficiency,compared to the complex manual delineation and calculation of 2-3 minutes per case,automatic detection could simultaneously obtain SNR,PSG and PIU values in less than 1 second.Conclusion The automatic and manual measurement methods have good consistency,and the automatic detection method is easy to operate,which is helpful for the daily quality control work and performance monitoring of radio frequency coils.

BACKGROUND: The use of inserted sham acupuncture as a placebo in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) is controversial, because it may produce specific effects that cause an underestimation of the effect of acupuncture treatment. OBJECTIVE: This systematic survey investigates the magnitude of insert-specific effects of sham acupuncture and whether they affect the estimation of acupuncture treatment effects. SEARCH STRATEGY: PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched to identify acupuncture RCTs from their inception until December 2022. INCLUSION CRITERIA: RCTs that evaluated the effects of acupuncture compared to sham acupuncture and no treatment. DATA EXTRACTION AND ANALYSIS: The total effect measured for an acupuncture treatment group in RCTs were divided into three components, including the natural history and/or regression to the mean effect (controlled for no-treatment group), the placebo effect, and the specific effect of acupuncture. The first two constituted the contextual effect of acupuncture, which is mimicked by a sham acupuncture treatment group. The proportion of acupuncture total effect size was considered to be 1. The proportion of natural history and/or regression to the mean effect (PNE) and proportional contextual effect (PCE) of included RCTs were pooled using meta-analyses with a random-effect model. The proportion of acupuncture placebo effect was the difference between PCE and PNE in RCTs with non-inserted sham acupuncture. The proportion of insert-specific effect of sham acupuncture (PIES) was obtained by subtracting the proportion of acupuncture placebo effect and PNE from PCE in RCTs with inserted sham acupuncture. The impact of PIES on the estimation of acupuncture's treatment effect was evaluated by quantifying the percentage of RCTs that the effect of outcome changed from no statistical difference to statistical difference after removing PIES in the included studies, and the impact of PIES was externally validated in other acupuncture RCTs with an inserted sham acupuncture group that were not used to calculate PIES. RESULTS: This analysis included 32 studies with 5492 patients. The overall PNE was 0.335 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.255-0.415) and the PCE of acupuncture was 0.639 (95% CI, 0.567-0.710) of acupuncture's total effect. The proportional contribution of the placebo effect to acupuncture's total effect was 0.191, and the PIES was 0.189. When we modeled the exclusion of the insert-specific effect of sham acupuncture, the acupuncture treatment effect changed from no difference to a significant difference in 45.45% of the included RCTs, and in 40.91% of the external validated RCTs. CONCLUSION The insert-specific effect of sham acupuncture in RCTs represents 18.90% of acupuncture's total effect and significantly affects the evaluation of the acupuncture treatment effect. More than 40% of RCTs that used inserted sham acupuncture would draw different conclusions if the PIES had been controlled for. Considering the impact of the insert-specific effect of sham acupuncture, caution should be taken when using inserted sham acupuncture placebos in RCTs. Please cite this article as: Luo XC, Liu JL, Yao MH, Chen YM, Fan AY, Liang FR, Zhao JP, Zhao L, Zhou X, Zhong XY, Yang JH, Li B, Zhang Y, Sun X, Li L. Specific effect of inserted sham acupuncture and its impact on the estimation of acupuncture treatment effect in randomized controlled trials: A systematic survey. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(6):630-640.
Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; Humans ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Placebo Effect ; Placebos ; Treatment Outcome

Objective To develop a knowledge-attitude-practice assessment scale for home prevention and man-agement of parastostomy hernia in ostomy patients,and to test its reliability and validity,to provide a reliable tool for evaluating the knowledge and practice level of home prevention and management of parastostomy hernia in pa-tients with ostomy.Methods Based on the theory of knowledge,attitude and practice,the initial scale was generat-ed through literature review,semi-structured interviews,expert correspondence,research group discussion and pre-sur-vey.From May to December 2023,685 patients with ostomy from the ostomy clinic of a tertiary hospital in Tianjin were investigated by purpose sampling method,and the reliability and validity were tested.Results A total of 673 valid questionnaires were collected,the results showed that the knowledge-attitude-practice assessment scale for pre-venting and managing parastomal hernia of ostomy patients at home included 3 dimensions of knowledge,attitude and practice,with a total of 27 items.The response rates of 2 rounds of the questionnaire were both 100％;the au-thority coefficients were all 0.915;the Kendall's coefficients of concordance were 0.279 and 0.301,respectively.The content validity index of each item was 0.875～1.000;the content validity index of the average scale level was 0.988;after 2 exploratory factor analysis,the cumulative variance contribution rate was 65.920％.The results of con-firmatory factor analysis showed that the model had a good fit,with a chi-square degree of freedom ratio(/df)of 1.945,the fitting goodness index(GFI)of 0.851,the comparative goodness of fit index(CFI)of 0.919,the root means square error of approximation(RMSEA)of 0.060.The Cronbach's alpha coefficient result of the scale is 0.957,with a test-retest reliability of 0.826 and a half reliability of 0.934.Conclusion The knowledge-attitude-practice assessment scale has good reliability and validity,and can be used as an assessment tool for home prevention and management of parastostomy hernia in ostomy patients.