OBJECTIVES: To observe the therapeutic effect of Tongyuan needling combined with jingyu herb-separated moxibustion on the patients with recurrent implantation failure (RIF) of kidney deficiency and blood stasis undergoing frozen embryo transfer of the conventional hormone replacement therapy cycle. METHODS: Sixty RIF of kidney deficiency and blood stasis patients who planned for frozen embryo transfer were randomly divided into a combined treatment group (30 cases) and a western medication group (30 cases). In the western medication group, the conventional hormone replacement therapy was performed for endometrial preparation during transfer cycle. On the basis of treatment as the western medication group, in the combined treatment group, Tongyuan needling combined with jingyu herb-separated moxibustion was adopted. Regarding tongyuan needling, the acupoint prescription for Tongdu Tiaoshen (promoting the governor vessel and regulating the spirit, e.g. Dazhui [GV 14], Ganshu [BL 18], Shenshu [BL 23] and back-shu points) and that for Yinqi Guiguan (conducting qi back to the primary, e.g. Zhongwan [CV 12], Qihai [CV 6], Guanyuan [CV 4] and front-mu points) were selected. Acupuncture was delivered at these two prescriptions alternatively each time. After acupuncture, the herb-separated moxibustion (in which, the herbal powder was prepared with the modified Yangjing Zhongyu decoction for cultivating the kidney essence and promoting pregnancy) was operated at Shenque (CV 8). This combined therapy was delivered once every two days, 3 sessions a week till the day of embryo transfer. The pregnancy outcomes (positive rate of human chorionic gonadotropin [β-HCG] and clinical pregnancy rate) were compared between the two groups, as well as the TCM syndrome score, serum estradiol (E₂) and progesterone (P) levels, endometrial thickness and type, endometrial blood flow index (pulsatility index [PI], resistance index [RI]) before and after treatment. RESULTS: After treatment, the clinical pregnancy rate of the combined treatment group was 40.0% (12/30), higher than that of the western medication group (16.7%, 5/30, P<0.05); and the difference in the positive rate of β-HCG was not significant statistically between the two groups (P>0.05). After treatment, the serum levels of E₂ and P were elevated (P<0.05), the endometrial thickness was thickened (P<0.05); the scores of TCM syndrome, and the levels of PI and RI were reduced (P<0.05) when compared with those before treatment in the two groups. The proportion of type A endometrium increased compared with that before treatment in the combined treatment group (P<0.05). Except the levels of E₂ and P, the above indexes in the combined treatment group were superior to the western medication group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS On the basis of frozen embryo transfer of conventional hormone replacement cycle, the intervention of Tongyuan needling combined with jingyu herb-separated moxibustion can effectively relieve the clinical symptoms, increase the endometrial blood flow and its thickness, and improve the endometrial receptivity, thereby ameliorate pregnancy outcomes in RIF patients of kidney deficiency and blood stasis.
Pregnancy ; Female ; Humans ; Moxibustion ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Kidney ; Acupuncture Points

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has rapidly ravaged the world and infected hundreds of millions of people since its outbreak. Early diagnosis of COVID-19 is conducive to the control of virus transmission and the timely treatment of patients. Among the imaging techniques, chest CT is an important basis for the diagnosis and evaluation of COVID-19. 18F-FDG PET is not generally recommended as a routine diagnostic tool for COVID-19, but it plays an important role in the assessment of SARS-CoV-2-related events based on the characteristic of whole-body multi-systemic scan and functional imaging diagnosis. In this paper, the application of 18F-FDG PET in COVID-19 diagnosis, prognostic evaluation and long-term sequelae evaluation, and clinical performance of 18F-FDG PET after COVID-19 vaccine are summarized on the basis of literature research and clinical reports analysis. Furthermore, the application and development direction of other new molecular probes for nuclear medicine in COVID-19 are prospected.

Objective: To investigate the characteristics of attentional bias in emotional faces of policemen with different trait anxiety levels. Methods: By using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), 44 policemen (23 males and 21 females) were included in the higher trait anxiety level group and 44 policemen (25 males and 19 females) were included in the lower trait anxiety level group. The 2 anxiety style ((higher trait anxiety level, lower trait anxiety level) × 2 emotional type (positive, negative) × 2 clue type (identical side, opposite side) hybrid design was used to investigate the attentional bias of the response time differences between the two groups of policemen on keystroke responses of different emotional types and different types of clues by using a dot probe. Results: The positive emotional face reaction of the higher trait anxiety level group was less than that of the negative emotional face reaction[ (638. 0 ± 12. 4) ms vs. (651. 7 ± 13. 1) ms, P ＜ 0. 01], while the lower trait anxiety level police had no statistical significance on the reaction of positive emotional face and negative emotional face (P＞ 0. 05). The clue types in the higher trait anxiety level group were identical side less than opposite side response time [ (640. 3 ± 12. 6) ms vs. (649. 5 ± 13. 0) ms, P ＜ 0. 05], and there was no statistical significance in the lower trait anxiety level group about identical side and opposite side response time (P＞ 0. 05). The clue type in identical side, there was no significant difference in the response of two groups to positive emotional faces and negative emotional faces (P＞ 0. 05); while the clue type in opposite side, the response of higher trait anxiety level group to negative emotional faces was higher than that of positive emotional faces [ (663. 1 ± 9. 8) ms vs. (651. 4 ± 8. 9) ms, P ＜ 0. 05]. Conclusion: It suggests that the policemen with higher level of trait anxiety have selective attentional bias to negative emotional faces, which induced by impaired attentional disengagement.

OBJECTIVETo measure the proportions of blood T cell subsets, Th1, Th2, Th17, Th22, and Treg cells, and other parameters in patients with chronic immune thrombocytopenia (CITP) before and after treatment with Yiqi Tongyang Decoction (, YTD) to explore T cell status of patients with CITP, and to defifine the mechanism of action of YTD.

METHODSThe changes in peripheral blood T lymphocyte subsets, and those of Th1, Th2, Th17, Th22, and Treg cells in 30 patients with CITP (22 females and 8 males) were analyzed using multiparametric flflow cytometry before and after treatment with YTD for 6 months, and 26 healthy volunteers (14 males and 12 females) acted as a control. T-box expressed in T-cells (T-bet) and GATA binding protein 3 (GATA-3) mRNA levels in patients and controls were analyzed using real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction.

RESULTSThe proportions of Th1, Th17, Th22, Th1/Th2, and Th17/Treg cells increased in the peripheral blood of patients with CITP compared to those in controls before YTD therapy (P<0.05). Th1 cell numbers and the Th1/Th2 ratio fell in the treated patients with CITP to approximate the values of the control group (P>0.05). Th17 cell numbers and the Th17/Treg ratio also decreased in the treatment group (P<0.05), but not to the levels of the controls. The number of Treg cells in the peripheral blood of patients with CITP before treatment was lower than that in the control group (P<0.05), but increased after YTD treatment P<0.05), but not to the level of controls. T-bet and GATA-3 mRNA levels in peripheral blood were initially higher in patients before treatment than controls (P<0.05), but decreased after YTD therapy (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSImbalances in T lymphocyte levels, particularly those of Th1/Th2 and Th17/Treg cells, play important roles in the pathogenesis of CITP. YTD effificiently regulated the dynamics of Th1/Th2 and Th17/Treg equilibria.