Jiuwei Xifeng Granules have become a Chinese patent medicine in the market. Because the formula contains Os Draconis, a top-level protected fossil of ancient organisms, the formula was to be improved by replacing Os Draconis with Ostreae Concha. To evaluate whether the improved formula has the same effectiveness and safety as the original formula, a randomized, double-blind, parallel-controlled, equivalence clinical trial was conducted. This study enrolled 288 tic disorder(TD) of children and assigned them into two groups in 1∶1. The treatment group and control group took the modified formula and original formula, respectively. The treatment lasted for 6 weeks, and follow-up visits were conducted at weeks 2, 4, and 6. The primary efficacy endpoint was the difference in Yale global tic severity scale(YGTSS)-total tic severity(TTS) score from baseline after 6 weeks of treatment. The results showed that after 6 weeks of treatment, the declines in YGTSS-TSS score showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups. The difference in YGTSS-TSS score(treatment group-control group) and the 95%CI of the full analysis set(FAS) were-0.17[-1.42, 1.08] and those of per-protocol set(PPS) were 0.29[-0.97, 1.56], which were within the equivalence boundary [-3, 3]. The equivalence test was therefore concluded. The two groups showed no significant differences in the secondary efficacy endpoints of effective rate for TD, total score and factor scores of YGTSS, clinical global impressions-severity(CGI-S) score, traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) response rate, or symptom disappearance rate, and thus a complete evidence chain with the primary outcome was formed. A total of 6 adverse reactions were reported, including 4(2.82%) cases in the treatment group and 2(1.41%) cases in the control group, which showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups. No serious suspected unexpected adverse reactions were reported, and no laboratory test results indicated serious clinically significant abnormalities. The results support the replacement of Os Draconis by Ostreae Concha in the original formula, and the efficacy and safety of the modified formula are consistent with those of the original formula.
Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Double-Blind Method ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Tic Disorders/drug therapy* ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVE: To preliminarily investigate the effect of buccal acupuncture therapy on ameliorating postoperative pain and enhancing recovery quality among patients undergoing radical resection of gastrointestinal cancers. METHODS: Fifty-two participants were randomized at a 1:1 ratio to either the buccal acupuncture or the control group. The acupuncture protocol entailed targeting 5 predetermined acupoints [CA-2 (Upper jiao), CA-3 (Middle jiao), CA-4 (Lower jiao), CA-6 (back), and CA-7 (waist) and two adjustable acupoints [CA-1 (head) and CA-8 (sacrum)] on each side of the face. The outcomes included the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) scores for each day within 7 days postoperatively, 15-Item Quality of Recovery Scale (QoR-15) scores, analgesics consumption during and after surgery, incidences of postoperative nausea and vomiting, and perioperative levels of interleukin-6 and glucose. Adverse events related to acupuncture were recorded. RESULTS: Of the initial 52 participants, 46 completed the study and were included in the analysis. Findings indicated that the buccal acupuncture group experienced significantly reduced resting NRS scores in post-anesthesia care unit and throughout the postoperative phase (P=0.001 and P=0.003, respectively), along with enhanced QoR-15 scores on the 3rd postoperative day (P=0.008), compared to the control group. No notable differences were identified in the remaining indicators (P>0.05). CONCLUSION Buccal acupuncture therapy demonstrated significant effectiveness in reducing postoperative pain and improving recovery quality for patients undergoing radical resection of gastrointestinal cancers, presenting a viable intervention without associated adverse outcomes. (Trial registration No. ChiCTR2200060441).
Humans ; Male ; Pilot Projects ; Female ; Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; Pain, Postoperative/therapy* ; Middle Aged ; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms/surgery* ; Aged ; Acupuncture Points ; Adult

Objective To determine the clinical effect of warmed iodophor for preoperative disinfection in elderly patients undergoing laparoscopic hysterectomy.Methods A total of 84 elderly patients who underwent laparoscopic hysterectomy were selected and randomly divided into the room temperature group(disinfected with iodophor at a temperature of 24℃)and the warmed group(disinfected with iodophor at a temperature of 39℃),with 42 cases in each group.The disinfection qualification status,incision infection status,nasopharyngeal temperature,awakening time,adverse reactions,intraoperative blood loss,incision drainage volume,and hidden blood loss of patients in the two groups were compared.Results There was no statistically significant difference in the disinfection qualification rate or incision infection rate between the two groups(P>0.05).At 10 minutes,30 minutes,60 minutes after disinfection and the end of the operation,the nasopharyngeal temperatures of patients in the warmed group were significantly higher than those in the room temperature group(P<0.05).The awakening time of patients in the warmed group was significantly shorter than that in the room temperature group(P<0.05),and the incidences of intraoperative hypothermia and shivering reaction after awakening were significantly lower than those in the room temperature group(P<0.05).There was no statistically significant difference in the intraoperative blood loss or incision drainage volume of patients between the two groups(P>0.05),while the hidden blood loss of patients in the room temperature group was significantly higher than that in the warmed group(P<0.05).Conclusion The iodophor at a temperature of 39℃for preoperative disinfection in elderly patients undergoing laparoscopic hysterectomy can not only ensure the disinfection effect and surgical safety,but also effectively maintain intraoperative body temperature stability,promote postoperative awakening,and reduce hidden blood loss.

An assay was established for detection of toxigenic Clostridioides difficile by combining microfluidic chip analysis with immunochromatography,and its performance was evaluated and compared with those of the Xpert C.difficile/Epi and VIDAS CD AB tests.Primer pairs were designed according to the tcdB and tpi genes in C.difficile.The specificity,limit of detection,reproducibility,and stability were evaluated.A total of 215 stool samples from patients with diarrhea were collected and tested in parallel with the Xpert C.difficile/Epi,VIDAS CDAB,and our assay.C.difficile was isolated from samples,and the tcdB gene was identified when discrepant results were obtained from the three above assays.Our assay showed no cross-reaction with other diarrhea-associated pathogens.Its reproducibility was 100％in testing of two standard plasmids containing tcdB and tpi genes at two concentrations(105 and 102 copies/μL).Two standard plasmids were detected after the PCR and immunochromatography reagents had been stored for 3,6,9,and 12 months,and all the results were posi-tive.The limit of detection was 10 copies/μL for toxigenic C.difficile.Testing of 33 samples positive for C.difficile with our assay(33/215,15.3％)yielded findings statistically coherent with those of the Xpert C.difficile/Epi test(kappa value=0.965).The sensitivity,specificity,positive predictive value,and negative predictive value of our assay,with respect to Xpert C.difficile/Epi as the standard,were 94.3％,100.0％,100.0％,and 98.9％;these values were significantly higher than those of VIDAS CDAB(60.0％,98.9％,91.3％,and 92.7％)(Kappa=0.714,OR=157.50,95％CI:62.03-847.28,P=0.013).In conclusion,our newly developed assay is specific,stable,and reproducible,and may be used for rapid and accu-rate detection of toxigenic C.difficile.The assay could be used for C.difficile infection screening in outpatient and emergen-cy,community medical service center,and epidemiological settings.

Objective To establish two osteoarthritis models of destabilization of the medial meniscus(DMM)and chronic ankle instability(CAI)in mice,and compare the effects of knee osteoarthritis with varus deformity on ipsilateral ankle cartilage degeneration.Methods Thirty 6-week-old C57BL/6J male mice were randomly divided into a control group and two surgical groups(DMM group and CAI group),respectively.The progression of ankle joint degeneration was quantitatively evaluated through behavioral observation,imaging techniques and histopathology analysis in each group of mice over a 12-week period.Results A decline in gait stability and balance was observed in two surgical groups.Compared to the control group,the time required to cross the balance beam was increased by 23.20％,and the number of slips was increased by 43.26％at 12th week postoperatively in the DMM group.The bone volume fraction and bone mineral density of ankle joints also increased.Meanwhile,wear and tear of the ankle cartilage were found,with the formation of osteophytes,and OARSI score was increased by 88.89％.These changes in ankle joint were more pronounced in the CAI group.Conclusions This mouse model-based study revealed a coupling relationship between the knee and ankle motion.Knee osteoarthritis with varus deformity could lead to a significant ankle joint degeneration,while the damage was less severe than that observed in CAI.

Objective:To evaluate the short-term efficacy of endoscopic-laparoscopic regional gastric resection combined with sentinel lymph node basin dissection in patients with early-stage gastric cancer.Methods:This is a retrospective case series study. Data of 17 consecutive early gastric cancer patients from a prospective cohort at Beijing Friendship Hospital,Capital Medical University were analyzed between August 2023 and August 2024. Sixteen cases were from the department of general surgery and 1 from the department of gastroenterology. The cohort included 9 males and 8 females,with a mean age of 61.4 years (range: 46 to 79 years). Clinical data,including demographics,pathological features,surgical procedures,and follow-up outcomes,were collected through medical records and databases. All patients were followed for over 3 months,with follow-up ending on December 5,2024.Results:A total of 17 patients were involved. Among them, 5 patients underwent endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) combined with laparoscopic sentinel lymph node dissection (LSBD),and another 3 patients who underwent complete ESD resection received LSBD due to pathological stage meeting the expanded indications. 6 patients who underwent non-curative ESD resection received laparoscopic gastric regional resection (LRG) combined with LSBD,and another 3 patients directly received LRG combined with LSBD. The average number of sentinel lymph nodes dissected before surgery ( M(IQR)) was 8.9 (4.5) (range: 4 to 21),and the detection rate and accuracy rate were both 100%. Postoperative pathology confirmed that there was no metastasis in the sentinel lymph nodes of 5 patients who underwent ESD combined with LSBD and 3 patients who underwent LSBD after complete ESD resection. The vertical and horizontal margins of ESD were all negative. One patient was an absolute indication for ESD. For the 6 patients who underwent non-curative ESD resection combined with LRG and LSBD,the horizontal margins were all negative. Two patients showed 1 metastasis in each of the 21 and 9 sentinel lymph nodes during the operation,and additional distal gastrectomy was performed during the operation. Postoperatively,73 and 39 lymph nodes were retrieved respectively. The former had 1 additional metastasis,while the latter had no metastasis. Among the 3 patients who underwent direct LRG combined with LSBD,the horizontal margins were negative. One patient was confirmed as an absolute indication for ESD by postoperative pathology,and one patient had 1 metastasis in 8 sentinel lymph nodes during the operation,and additional distal gastrectomy was performed. Postoperatively,there was no metastasis in 54 lymph nodes. All patients had no complications such as infection,bleeding,perforation,or death after surgery. Among the 14 patients who did not receive additional radical surgery,they were able to pass gas and defecate within 3 days after surgery,with an average hospital stay of 6 days. The nutritional indicators and gastric radionuclide emptying imaging half-emptying time were similar to those before surgery at 3 months after surgery. Conclusions:Laparoscopic and endoscopic cooperative regional gastrectomy with sentinel lymph node basin dissection has the advantages of minimal invasiveness,preservation of gastric function,and precise treatment. It maybe suitable for patients with early-stage gastric cancer at high risk of lymph node metastasis and has good short-term efficacy.

Forensic medicine has been designated as a first-level discipline,presenting new opportunities and challenges for the development of forensic medicine.Since the 1980s,the establishment of foren-sic medicine discipline and the cultivation of high-level forensic talents have become hot topics in the development of forensic medicine in China.Since the 13th Five-Year Plan,the forensic team of Shanxi Medical University has been aiming at the forefront,proposing the development goals of"Five First-class"and the discipline development path"Six Major Achievements".It has selected benchmark disci-plines,identified gaps in disciplinary development,unified thoughts,formulated completion timelines,concentrated superior resources,assigned tasks to individuals,and created an"Organized Fill-in-the-Blank Format"forensic medicine discipline construction model with the characteristics of the new era.The construction model of forensic medicine has achieved good results in the goals,discipline frame-work,scientific research,talent cultivation,discipline team and platform construction,forming a rela-tively complete discipline construction and management system,and accumulating valuable experience for the construction of first-level discipline and high-level talent cultivation of forensic medicine.

Objective To investigate the anatomical and microscopic structures of interstitial fluid flow channels in the skin tissue of hand dorsum in human cadavers.Methods Totally 7 fresh cadavers within 12 hours post-mortem were included.MRI was used to observe the distribution of interstitial fluid flow from the first phalanx of the fingers to the wrist,precisely locating the flow channels.Based on imaging results,histological analyses were conducted to determine the histological characteristics of the flow channels.Furthermore,multi-immunofluorescence and microcomputed tomography(Micro-CT)techniques were employed to analyze the channels,and image post-processing was used to elucidate their anatomical structures at the microscopic level.Results After injecting a contrast agent into the first phalanx of ten finger specimens and applying repeated pressure,MRI image revealed centripetal long-range interstitial fluid flow along channels distinct from blood vessels and lymphatic vessels.Histological analysis and Micro-CT further confirmed that the flow primarily occurred within the fibrous connective tissue and adventitia of the skin.Conclusion The orderly fibrous connective tissue and adventitia in the skin form the interstitial fluid flow channels in the human hand dorsum skin,named as"stromal membrane channels"in the skin.

Depression is a psychological disorder that imposes a tremendous social burden, with a high prevalence in China. In recent years, the number of diagnosed cases of depression in China has steadily increased, yet the recognition rate of the disease remains low. Depression demostrates a clear familial aggregation pattern. To improve its recognition, numberous studies have utilized the polygenic risk score for major depressive disorder (MDD-PRS) as a potential genetic marker to identify high-risk populations. This article reviews the latest progress and research on the use of MDD-PRS in depression, aiming to clarify its capacity to capture genetic variations associated with depression, its interaction with environmental factors, and their relationship to the onset of the disorder. Additionally, this review evaluates the predictive performance of existing risk models for depression and proposes potential directions for future research.

An assay was established for detection of toxigenic Clostridioides difficile by combining microfluidic chip analysis with immunochromatography,and its performance was evaluated and compared with those of the Xpert C.difficile/Epi and VIDAS CD AB tests.Primer pairs were designed according to the tcdB and tpi genes in C.difficile.The specificity,limit of detection,reproducibility,and stability were evaluated.A total of 215 stool samples from patients with diarrhea were collected and tested in parallel with the Xpert C.difficile/Epi,VIDAS CDAB,and our assay.C.difficile was isolated from samples,and the tcdB gene was identified when discrepant results were obtained from the three above assays.Our assay showed no cross-reaction with other diarrhea-associated pathogens.Its reproducibility was 100％in testing of two standard plasmids containing tcdB and tpi genes at two concentrations(105 and 102 copies/μL).Two standard plasmids were detected after the PCR and immunochromatography reagents had been stored for 3,6,9,and 12 months,and all the results were posi-tive.The limit of detection was 10 copies/μL for toxigenic C.difficile.Testing of 33 samples positive for C.difficile with our assay(33/215,15.3％)yielded findings statistically coherent with those of the Xpert C.difficile/Epi test(kappa value=0.965).The sensitivity,specificity,positive predictive value,and negative predictive value of our assay,with respect to Xpert C.difficile/Epi as the standard,were 94.3％,100.0％,100.0％,and 98.9％;these values were significantly higher than those of VIDAS CDAB(60.0％,98.9％,91.3％,and 92.7％)(Kappa=0.714,OR=157.50,95％CI:62.03-847.28,P=0.013).In conclusion,our newly developed assay is specific,stable,and reproducible,and may be used for rapid and accu-rate detection of toxigenic C.difficile.The assay could be used for C.difficile infection screening in outpatient and emergen-cy,community medical service center,and epidemiological settings.