Transcutaneous electrical stimulation equipment is a kind of characteristic therapeutic devices developed on the basis of the integration of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) theory and modern science and technology, which is widely used in clinical practice. Significant breakthroughs have been made in the development of related devices such as transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) devices, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) devices, and transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) devices in recent years. Although the market for these devices is vast, there are still limitations that need to be optimized in terms of electrode materials and power supply methods, bulky instrument size, cumbersome wiring, restricted applications, and inadequate intelligent functionality. In the future, it is still necessary to further build upon the theoretical foundation of TCM acupuncture, integrate a variety of modern scientific technologies to advance the intelligence and modernization of acupuncture equipment, and thereby improving its capabilities to support clinical practice and research.
Humans ; Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation/methods* ; Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy/instrumentation* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional

OBJECTIVE: To reveal the research status of fire needle by analyzing its patent applications, so as to provide reference for the development of fire needle equipment and the promotion of this therapy. METHODS: By searching the incoPat global patent database, from its inception to December 29th, 2024, the patent data on fire needle was collected. The patent analysis was employed on patent application trends, geographical distribution, patent types, current legal status, applicants and inventors, overall technical composition and distribution of applicable diseases. With the help of incoPat's "shared value" evaluation model, the technical efficacy value of patent was comprehensively measured from 3 dimensions, i.e. technical stability, technological advancement and protection scope. Using SWOT analysis, the matrix of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of fire needle technique was constructed, and then its development trend was analyzed systematically. RESULTS: A total of 346 patents were included, comprising 23 granted invention patents (6.65%), 219 utility model patents (63.29%), and 157 patents were in an effective state of validity (45.38%). The number of fire needle patent applications showed a growing trend since 2013 and peaked in 2021. The top 3 provinces and cities in terms of the number of applications were Guangdong, Beijing and Shandong. Existing patents focus on improving convenience, reducing complexity, enhancing safety and increasing efficiency; and are specialized in treatment of dermatological diseases. The results of patent research on fire needle show the application of updated materials, invention of equipment and expansion of applicable diseases. However, there are still some limitations such as technical complexity, high cost, lack of composite talents, lack of awareness of patent maintenance and insufficient international promotion. CONCLUSION Multiple strategies are proposed on the development of fire needle therapy, i.e. enhancing financial support and expanding the number of diseases, giving full play to regional characteristics and advantages to promote resource sharing, deepening the integration of industry, research and education to improve the quality of patents, strengthening supervision to reduce low-quality patents, and carrying out high-level research to promote technical standardization and internationalization, and enhance global competitiveness.
Patents as Topic ; Humans ; Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; Needles ; China

Objective To investigate the pharmacokinetic characteristics of asparaginase-loaded sulfobutyl ether-β-cyclodextrin supramolecule lipidic nanoparticles (ASLN) in rats and its inhibitory effect on the proliferation of small cell lung cancer cells. Methods ASLN were prepared by a reverse phase evaporation method,and their physicochemical properties,including morphology,particle size,zeta potential,and drug entrapment efficiency,were characterized. Twelve male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 2 groups,with 6 rats in each group. After intravenous injection of ASLN and free asparaginase (Aase) 2 kU/kg,the activity of Aase in plasma samples was measured at different time points in 48 h,and the activity-time curve was drawn. The pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated by software DAS 2.1.1. The cytotoxicity of ASLN on H446 cells was explored by the MTT method. Results ASLN showed a spherical shape with a mean particle size of (321.27±1.42) nm,zeta potential of (-9.31±0.42) mV,and entrapment efficiency of (66.46±1.57)％. Pharmacokinetic parameters of ASLN and Aase were as follows:the area under curve (AUC(0-48 h)) (199.48±2.18) U·mL-1·h,(57.63±3.89) U·mL-1·h;the mean residence time (MRT(0-48 h)) (4.40±0.05) h,(2.09±0.07) h;and the peak concentration (Cmax) (35.49±1.11) U/mL,(27.58±1.28) U/mL. The relative bioavailability of ASLN to Aase was 325.96％. The cytotoxicity results indicated that ASLN had a proliferation inhibitory effect on H446 cells,and there was a positive correlation between the inhibition rate and the dose. Conclusion ASLN can improve the pharmacokinetics of Aase,enhance the bioavailability of Aase,and inhibit the proliferation of small cell lung cancer cells.

Tongue diagnosis is an indispensable objective basis for TCM diagnosis and treatment of epidemic diseases.To understand its application in an epidemic situation and to support in the diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases using traditional Chinese medicine,the tongue image APP was implemented in this study to monitor the tongue image features of patients with new coronavirus pneumonia.It has been discovered through practice that the tongue image APP enables medical professionals to objectively,conveniently,quickly,and flexibly collect the patient's tongue image.It has also been discovered through the analysis of the tongue image characteristic data that the tongue image APP can,to a certain extent,objectively reflect the general law of the tongue image characteristics of the new crown pneumonia.According to the tongue image data gathered by the Tongue Image APP,Xinguan pneumonia patients'tongues were typically red,their fur was typically white,yellow,or both white and yellow,and they had a greater amount of thick and greasy fur.Nevertheless,there are still several issues with the Tongue APP application that have been noted:①The consistency of tongue shape and coating was poor;for instance,the inconsistency rate between a thin and fat tongue was as high as 62.96%;②The tongue image analysis index in the APP is still mostly a qualitative index,and the degree of discriminating is insufficient.The results of this study demonstrate that the tongue image information of different ages,sexes,disease classifications,and onset times does not reflect obvious differences and certain rules.③The tongue image characteristic indexes gathered by the tongue image APP are insufficient and do not include information on glossiness of tongue image(such as dark tongue)and tongue state.To promote the adoption of the tongue image APP and better support the prevention and treatment of epidemic diseases by traditional Chinese medicine,we should fully integrate modern advanced science and technology,improve the short videos of tongue coating,quantification of qualitative indicators,comprehensive collection of tongue image characteristic indicators,etc.

BACKGROUND: Previous research demonstrated that a homozygous mutation of g.136372044G>A (S12N) in caspase recruitment domain family member 9 ( CARD9 ) is critical for producing Aspergillus fumigatus -induced ( Af -induced) T helper 2 (T H 2)-mediated responses in allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA). However, it remains unclear whether the CARD9S12N mutation, especially the heterozygous occurrence, predisposes the host to ABPA. METHODS: A total of 61 ABPA patients and 264 controls (including 156 healthy controls and 108 asthma patients) were recruited for sequencing the CARD9 locus to clarify whether patients with this heterozygous single-nucleotide polymorphisms are predisposed to the development of ABPA. A series of in vivo and in vitro experiments, such as quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, flow cytometry, and RNA isolation and quantification, were used to illuminate the involved mechanism of the disease. RESULTS: The presence of the p.S12N mutation was associated with a significant risk of ABPA in ABPA patients when compared with healthy controls and asthma patients, regardless of Aspergillus sensitivity. Relative to healthy controls without relevant allergies, the mutation of p.S12N was associated with a significant risk of ABPA (OR: 2.69 and 4.17 for GA and AA genotypes, P = 0.003 and 0.029, respectively). Compared with patients with asthma, ABPA patients had a significantly higher heterozygous mutation (GA genotype), indicating that p.S12N might be a significant ABPA-susceptibility locus ( aspergillus sensitized asthma: OR: 3.02, P = 0.009; aspergillus unsensitized asthma: OR: 2.94, P = 0.005). The mutant allele was preferentially expressed in ABPA patients with heterozygous CARD9S12N , which contributes to its functional alterations to facilitate Af -induced T H 2-mediated ABPA development. In terms of mechanism, Card9 wild-type ( Card9WT ) expression levels decreased significantly due to Af -induced decay of its messenger RNA compared to the heterozygous Card9S12N . In addition, ABPA patients with heterozygous CARD9S12N had increased Af -induced interleukin-5 production. CONCLUSION Our study provides the genetic evidence showing that the heterozygous mutation of CARD9S12N , followed by allele expression imbalance of CARD9S12N , facilitates the development of ABPA.
Humans ; Aspergillosis, Allergic Bronchopulmonary/complications* ; Aspergillus fumigatus/genetics* ; Asthma/genetics* ; Aspergillus ; Mutation/genetics* ; CARD Signaling Adaptor Proteins/genetics*

Nanotechnology has emerged as an ideal approach for achieving the efficient chemo agent delivery. However, the potential toxicity and unclear internal metabolism of most nano-carriers was still a major obstacle for the clinical application. Herein, a novel "core‒shell" co-assembly carrier-free nanosystem was constructed based on natural sources of ursolic acid (UA) and polyphenol (EGCG) with the EpCAM-aptamer modification for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) synergistic treatment. As the nature products derived from food-plant, UA and EGCG had good anticancer activities and low toxicity. With the simple and "green" method, the nanodrugs had the advantages of good stability, pH-responsive and strong penetration of tumor tissues, which was expected to increase tumor cellular uptake, long circulation and effectively avoid the potential defects of traditional carriers. The nanocomplex exhibited the low cytotoxicity in the normal cells

The stability and pharmacokinetic properties of hyaluronic acid-modified asparaginase (Asp) self-assembled bionic nanocapsules (ASNCs) were preliminarily investigated. ASNCs were prepared by molecular self-assembly method to investigate their morphology, particle size, zeta potential and antitrypsin stability. After intravenous injection of free Asp and ASNCs, rat plasma samples at different times were taken to determine Asp activity. Pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated by DAS pharmacokinetic software. The particle size of ASNCs was (99.17 ± 0.21) nm and the potential was -(13.13 ± 0.60) mV. In trypsin solution, ASNCs showed more excellent stability. The area under the activity-time curve (AUC0-48 h) of ASNCs was about 2 times higher than that of Asp; the mean residence time (MRT0-48 h) was about 1.7 times higher than that of Asp, and the bioavailability was 195% of Asp. The results showed that ASNCs could improve the stability and bioavailability of Asp against trypsin and prolong the circulation time of Asp in vivo.

Objective:To explore the incidence and relevant risk factors of acute kidney injury (AKI)after lung transplantation(LT).Methods:Retrospective analysis was performed for clinical data of 70 recipients of LT at China-Japan Friendship Hospital.Results:Among them, 61.4 % developed AKI within 3 days post-LT. As compared with non-AKI and AKI 1 groups, AKI 2~3 group had more plasma transfusion(median 0, 0, 200 ml, P=0.027) and more cardiovascular events during operation(0, 0, 14.3 %, P=0.023). As compared with non-AKI group, AKI 1 and 2~3 groups had lower postoperative hemoglobin in the first day(median 119, 106, 104 g/L, P=0.032). The duration of invasive mechanical ventilation was longer in AKI 2~3 group(median 56 h)than non-AKI group (median 49 h, P=0.034). The 3-month all-cause mortality post-LT was higher in AKI 2~3 (24.1 %)and AKI 1 recipients(21.4 %)than that in non-AKI counterparts(0)( P=0.034, P=0.007). Conclusions:Recipients with more blood transfusion and cardiovascular events during operation and those with more severe anemia in the first day post-LT might be at higher risks for postoperative AKI. Postoperative AKI prolongs the duration of invasive mechanical ventilation and increases 3-month all-cause mortality post-LT.

Objective:To investigate the awareness and knowledge of influenza and vaccine among primary care providers in Shanghai.Methods:An online questionnaires survey was conducted by Shanghai Alliance for Respiratory Diseases in Primary Care from December 2017 to August 2018, healthcare providers in district central hospitals and community health care centers of Shanghai were invited to participate in the survey. The questionnaire contained the following items: the basic information of respondents; knowledge of influenza and its vaccine; current status of influenza vaccination; factors affecting promoting vaccination; the intention, attitude, perception of promoting vaccination and the influencing factors, and suggestions on promoting influenza vaccination.Results:A total of 1 542 valid questionnaires were collected, 88.3% (1 361/1 542) responders correctly recognized main symptoms of influenza; 58.2% (898/1 542) ignored the contact transmission of influenza; 41.6% (641/1 542) didn′t know the frequency of influenza vaccination; 82.7% (1 276/1 542) failed to recognize that pregnant women should also receive influenza vaccination. The survey showed that 31.2% (481/1 542) of responders had been vaccinated against influenza. The vaccination rate in community health care institutions was significantly higher than that in district central hospitals [39.1% (304/778) vs. 23.2% (177/764), χ 2=45.44, P<0.05]. Factors affecting vaccination for healthcare providers were: influenza antigen was variable, and vaccination had no effects [49.5% (404/816)]; the efficacy of the flu vaccine was doubt [48.8% (634/1 298)]; the vaccine wasn′t free [46.5%(604/1 298)]. The respondents believed that the main ways to improve the influenza vaccination were to formulate relevant national vaccination policies [79.7%(1 229/1 542)], to regularly publicize knowledge of influenza and influenza vaccine to residents through communities [65.8% (1 015/1 542)], and to recommend the patients by primary care medical staff [64.4% (993/1 542)]. Conclusion:Many healthcare providers have insufficient knowledge about influenza and vaccine. The vaccination rate of community health institutions is higher than that in district central hospitals in Shanghai. The willingness to promote influenza vaccination can be influenced by some factors. Increasing the willingness of healthcare providers might be helpful to improve the vaccination coverage among residents in the community.

Objective To investigate the clinical and molecular genetic characteristics of hypermethioninemia caused by methionine adenosyltransferase deficiency. Methods The clinical data and related gene analysis of hypermethioninemia caused by methionine adenosyltransferase deficiency in 3 children were retrospectively analyzed. The core pedigree analysis was carried out. Results Three children (2 boys and 1 girl) aged from 5 months to 3 years, were from 3 unrelated families. All of them had no family history. One case was found in neonatal screening. One case was onset with pathological jaundice at 1 month old. Another case was found due to tremor and growth retardation at 2 years old. Blood amino acid ester acyl carnitine spectrum analysis showed that all of them had significantly elevated levels of methionine at 134.50-790.67 μmol/L. All children had MAT1A mutation in methionine adenosyltransferase gene. One case was heterozygous mutations with third exon c.274T>C and seventh exon c.895C>T mutation; one case had sixth exon c.757G>A homozygous mutation; and another case had seventh exon c.791G>A homozygous mutation. The core pedigree analysis showed that the mutations were from theirs parents respectively. Conclusions For children with neurologic impairment, methionine metabolic disorders should be considered. Blood amino acids and gene analysis are important methods for confirmation of the diagnosis. Neonatal screening is an effective way to detect this disease.