Analysis on prevalence and epidemic risk of animal plague in different ecological plague foci in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region / 中华预防医学杂志

The risk of plague epidemics and relapse of various types of plague foci persists in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. For Marmota sibirica plague foci, the animal plague has not been found but antibody has been detected positive. Nowadays, Marmota sibirica has been increasing in population and distribution in China. In bordering countries Mongolia and Russia, the animal plague has been continuously prevalent. For Spermophilus dauricus plague foci, the animal plague has been taken place now and then. Compared to the above foci, the animal plague is most prevalent in Meriones unguiculatus plague foci and frequently spread to humans. Due to higher strain virulence and historical disaster in Marmota sibirica plague foci and Spermophilus dauricus plague foci, plague prevention and control should be strengthened on these foci. In addition to routine surveillance, epidemic dynamics need to be further monitored in these two foci, in order to prevent their relapse and spread to humans.

Effects of Interactive Dynamic Scalp Acupuncture on Motor Function and Gait of Lower Limbs after Stroke: A Multicenter, Randomized, Controlled Clinical Trial / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate the effects of interactive dynamic scalp acupuncture (IDSA), simple combination therapy (SCT), and traditional scalp acupuncture (TSA) on motor function and gait of the lower limbs in post-stroke hemiplegia patients.@*METHODS@#A total of 231 patients with post-stroke hemiplegia was randomly divided into IDSA (78 cases), SCT (78 cases), and TSA (75 cases) groups by a random number table. Scalp acupuncture (SA) and lower-limb robot training (LLRT) were both performed in the IDSA and SCT groups. The patients in the TSA group underwent SA and did not receive LLRT. The treatment was administered once daily and 6 times weekly for 8 continuous weeks, each session lasted for 30 min. The primary outcome measures included Fugl-Meyer assessment of the lower extremity (FMA-LE), berg balance scale (BBS), modified barthel index (MBI), and 6-min walking test (6MWT). The secondary outcome measures included stride frequency (SF), stride length (SL), stride width (SW), affected side foot angle (ASFA), passive range of motion (PROM) of the affected hip (PROM-H), knee (PROM-K) and ankle (PROM-A) joints. The patients were evaluated before treatment, at 1- and 2-month treatment, and 1-, and 2-month follow-up visits, respectively. Adverse events during 2-month treatment were observed.@*RESULTS@#Nineteen patients withdrew from the trial, with 8 in the IDSA and 5 in the SCT groups, 6 in the TSA group. The FMA-LE, BBS, 6MWT and MBI scores in the IDSA group were significantly increased after 8-week treatment and 2 follow-up visits compared with the SCT and TSA groups (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Compared with pre-treatment, the grade distribution of BBS and MBI scores in the 3 groups were significantly improved at 1, 2-month treatment and 2 follow-up visits (P<0.05 or P<0.01). The SF, PROM-H, PROM-K and PROM-A in the IDSA group was significantly increased compared with the SCT and TSA groups after 8-week of treatment (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Compared with the SCT group, ASFA of the IDSA group was significantly reduced after 8-week of treatment (P<0.05). SF, SL, PROM-K and PROM-A were significantly increased at the 2nd follow-up visit whereas the ASFA was significantly reduced in the IDSA group compared with the SCT groups at 1st follow-up visit (P<0.05 or P<0.01). The SF was significantly increased in the SCT group compared with the TSA group after 8-week treatment (P<0.05). Compared with the TSA group, PROM-K, PROM-A were significantly increased at the 2nd follow-up visit (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#The effects of IDSA on lower-limb motor function and walking ability of post-stroke patients were superior to SCT and TSA. The SCT was comparable to TSA treatment, and appeared to be superior in improving the motion range of the lower extremities. (Registration No. ChiCTR1900027206).

Effect of Interactive Dynamic Scalp Acupuncture on Post-Stroke Cognitive Function, Depression, and Anxiety: A Multicenter, Randomized, Controlled Trial / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To compare the clinical effects of interactive dynamic scalp acupuncture (IDSA), simple combination therapy (SCT), and traditional scalp acupuncture (TSA) on cognitive function, depression and anxiety in patients with post-stroke cognitive impairment.@*METHODS@#A total of 660 patients with post-stroke cognitive impairment who were admitted to 3 hospitals in Shenzhen City between May 2017 and May 2020 were recruited and randomly assigned to the IDSA (218 cases), SCT (222 cases) and TSA groups (220 cases) according to a random number table. All the patients received conventional drug therapy for cerebral stroke and exercise rehabilitation training. Scalp acupuncture and computer-based cognitive training (CBCT) were performed simultaneously in the IDSA group, but separately in the morning and in the afternoon in the SCT group. The patients in the TSA group underwent scalp acupuncture only. The course of treatment was 8 weeks. Before treatment (M0), 1 (M1) and 2 months (M2) after treatment, as well as follow-up at 1 (M3) and 2 months (M4), the cognitive function of patients was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale (MoCA) Scales; depression, anxiety, sleep quality, and self-care ability of patients were assessed using Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and Modified Barthel Index (MBI), respectively. During this trial, all adverse events (AEs) were accurately recorded.@*RESULTS@#There were no significant differences in the MMSE, MoCA, HAMD, HAMA, PSQI, and MBI scores among the 3 groups at M0 (all P>0.05). In the IDSA group, the MMSE, MoCA and MBI scores from M2 to M4 were significantly higher than those in the SCT and TSA groups, while the HAMD, HAMA and PSQI scores were significantly reduced (all P<0.01). The changes of all above scores (M2-M0, M4-M0) were significantly superior to those in the SCT and TSA groups (all P<0.01, except M4-M0 of HAMD). At M2, the severity of MMSE, HAMD, HAMA, PSQI and MBI in the IDSA group was significantly lower than that in the SCT and TSA groups (all P<0.01). There was no serious AE during this trial.@*CONCLUSIONS@#IDSA can not only significantly improve cognitive function, but also reduce depression, anxiety, which finally improves the patient's self-care ability. The effect of IDSA was significantly better than SCT and TSA. (Trial registration No. ChiCTR1900027206).

Influence of Acupuncture on Microcirculation Perfusion of Pericardium Meridian and Heart in Acute Myocardial Ischemia Model Rats / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the influence of acupuncture on microcirculation perfusion of the pericardium meridian and heart in acute myocardial ischemia (AMI) rats and evaluate whether acupuncture can simultaneously affect the meridians and corresponding viscera. Additionally, acupoints at different meridians were compared and whether they exert the same effects was discussed.@*METHODS@#Totally 32 Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to left anterior descending (LAD) ligation to develop an AMI model. Rats were divided into 4 groups, including AMI, acupuncture Neiguan (PC 6), Lieque (LU 7) and Qiansanli (LI 10) groups (n=8). Eight rats received only thoracotomy (sham-operated group). The rats in the acupuncture groups received manual acupuncture at PC 6, LU 7 and LI 10 acupoints for 15 min, respectively. The microcirculation perfusion of pericardium meridian and heart was monitored by laser speckle perfusion imager (LSPI) before, during and after acupuncture manipulation for 15 min. Subsequently, the perfusion unit (PU) was calculated and analyzed by PSI System.@*RESULTS@#After LAD, compared to pre-acupuncture stage, the heart microcirculation perfusion (HMP) in the AMI group decreased continuously at during-acupuncture (P>0.05) and post-acupuncture stages (P0.05). Compared to pre-acupuncture stage, the PMP and HMP in PC 6 group significantly increased during acupuncture manipulation (both P0.05); however, they were significantly reduced after acupuncture manipulation (both P<0.05). Additionally, HMP of LI 10 group was decreased significantly during acupuncture, especially compared to pre-acupuncture stage (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Acupuncture at PC 6 obviously increased the PMP and HMP in AMI rats, and the effects were superior to at LU 7 and LI 10 acupoints. It was further confirmed that acupuncture promoted qi and blood circulation, indicating that acupoint specificity exists and features a meridian-propagated effect.

A case of brain-lung-thyroid syndrome / 中南大学学报(医学版)

Brain-lung-thyroid syndrome is a rare autosomal dominant disorder. More than 100 cases have been reported worldwide, but few cases have been reported in China. In December 2018, a boy with brain-lung-thyroid syndrome, aged 3 years and 10 months, was admitted to Xiangya Hospital of Central South University due to repeated cough for more than 3 years. In infancy of the boy, psychomotor retardation, repeated cough, and hypothyroidism were found. Gene detection showed that there was c.927delc heterozygous variation in NKX2-1 gene (NM-001079668: exon3: c.927delC). The variation of this gene locus has not been reported in relevant literature so far, which indicates a new mutation. According to the above clinical manifestations and examination results, the boy was diagnosed as brain-lung-thyroid syndrome, which mainly characterized by nervous system disorders, accompanied by respiratory manifestations and hypothyroidism. The boy was treated with oral dopasehydrazine to relieve tremor and levothyroxine sodium tablets to relieve hypothyroidism. Anti-infection, atomization, rehabilitation training and other symptomatic supporting treatment were also administered. The boy's language and movement have improved, the thyroid hormone level is normal, and there are still repeated respiratory tract infections.

Revealing characteristics and rules of acupoint sensitization phenomena: based on knee osteoarthritis / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the characteristics and rules of acupoint sensitization phenomena based on knee osteoarthritis (KOA), one of the clinical dominant diseases of acupuncture-moxibustion.@*METHODS@#In combination with literature and expert experiences, the acupoints with the highest use frequency in treatment of KOA were screened, e.g. Heding (EX-LE 2), Liangqiu (ST 34), Mingmen (GV 4), Neixiyan (EX-LE 4), Ququan (LR 8) and Dubi (ST 35). In 814 patients with KOA and 217 healthy subjects, the acupoint temperature, mechanic pain threshold and pressure pain threshold were detected separately. Using machine learning method, the sensitization was judged at each acupoint.@*RESULTS@#Compared with healthy subjects, the acupoint temperature was increased and the mechanic pain threshold and pressure pain threshold were reduced in KOA patients (P<0.05). Besides, the cut-off value was presented to distinguish whether the acupoint was sensitized or not. The results of machine learning showed that the highest prediction accuracy of acupoint sensitization was 86.7% (Shenshu [BL 23]) and the lowest one was 73.9% (Heding [EX LE 2]). The prediction accuracy at the third clinical stage trial was higher, the highest was 93.3% (Ququan [LR 8]) in KOA patients.@*CONCLUSION@#It is confirmed that the acupoint sensitization reflects the characteristics of disease and is correlative with the conditions of illness, which may provide the reference for the auxiliary diagnosis and condition assessment of KOA.

Application of virtual reality technology in the teaching of assisted reproductive technology / 中华医学教育探索杂志

In this study, virtual reality technology is applied to the teaching of ART due to its characteristic of real-time interaction, and a virtual operation platform of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is developed in the scene of ART, which can be used for the practice and training of ICSI during teaching. By this virtual system we can overcome some kinds of teaching limitations brought by scarce experimental materials and expensive equipment, and it is suitable for multi-center and multi-region popularization and application for other ART laboratories.

Effectiveness and Safety of Acupoint Application of Guan Xin Su He Pill () for Patients with Chronic Stable Angina Pectoris: A Multi-Center, Randomized Controlled Trial / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To assess the clinical effectiveness of acupoint application (AP) of Guan Xin Su He Pill (, GXSHP) for patients with chronic stable angina pectoris (CSAP).@*METHODS@#This study was carried out in 3 local hospitals in Chengdu, China. After baseline evaluation, eligible patients were randomly assigned to the placebo application for acupoints (PAA) group or the herbal application for acupoints (HAA) group. Patients in the HAA group underwent AP with herbal powder, which was mainly GXSHP, and patients in the PAA group underwent AP with sham drugs. For each treatment session, unilateral acupoints including Neiguan (PC 6), Danzhong (RN 17), Xinshu (BL 15) and Jueyinshu (BL 14), were stimulated for both groups. AP was performed 3 times a week with a 2-day interval for 4 weeks. The primary outcome was the frequency of angina pectoris attacks per week, while the secondary outcomes included angina pain intensity measured by the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), dose of rescue oral drugs (nitroglycerin), scores on the Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ), Self-Rating Anxiety Scale scores (SAS) and Self-Rating Depression Scale scores (SDS). Clinical outcomes were measured at week 0, 4 and 8. The safety of AP of GXSHP treatment for CSAP were assessed.@*RESULTS@#A total of 121 patients were enrolled. Baseline characteristics were comparable across the 2 groups. After treatment, the angina attack numbers in the HAA group were significantly reduced from 11.00 to 4.81 (P<0.05). While, for PAA group, the angina frequency was not significantly improved (baseline 10.55; post-treatment 11.05). The HAA group had significantly fewer angina attacks than the PAA group (P<0.05). Pain intensity measured by VAS in HAA group was significantly reduced from 4.06 to 3.02 (P<0.05). While, for PAA group, the VAS was significantly increased (baseline 3.62; post-treatment 3.96; P<0.05). Clinical outcomes showed better improvement after treatment in the HAA group than in the PAA group in terms of oral administration of rescue drugs, SAS, SDS and SAQ scores (P<0.05). The adverse events were also reported.@*CONCLUSION@#AP of GXSHP is a safe and effective treatment for CSAP patients (Registration No. NCT02029118).

Acupuncture for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: An Overview of Systematic Reviews / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate the quality of the existing studies and summarize evidence of important outcomes of meta-analyses/systematic reviews (MAs/SRs) of CFS.@*METHODS@#Potentially eligible studies were searched in the following electronic databases from inception to 1 September, 2019: Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), China Science and Technology Journal Database (VIP), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), WanFang Database (WF), Web of Science, Embase, PubMed and Cochrane Library. Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) was used to evaluate the quality of evidence. The methodological quality of the literature was evaluated by A Measure Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews-2 (AMSTAR-2) and the quality of the report was assessed by Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA). The intra-class correlation coefficient was used to assess the consistency of the reviewers, with an overall intraclass correlation coefficient score of 0.967.@*RESULTS@#Ten MAs/SRs were included. The overall conclusions were that acupuncture had good safety and efficacy in the treatment of CFS, but some of these results were contradictory. The GRADE indicated that out of the 17 outcomes, high-quality evidence was provided in 0 (0%), moderate in 3 (17.65%), low in 10 (58.82%), and very low in 4 (23.53%). The results of AMSTAR-2 showed that the methodological quality of all included studies was critically low. The PRISMA statement revealed that 8 articles (80%) were in line with 20 of the 27-item checklist, and 2 articles (20%) matched with 10-19 of the 27 items.@*CONCLUSION@#We found that acupuncture on treating CFS has the advantage for efficacy and safety, but the quality of SRs/MAs of acupuncture for CFS need to be improved.

Retrospect and prospect of researches on acupoint property: commemorating the 40th anniversary of / 中国针灸

The researches on acupoint property at modern times have been reviewed. Under the influence of TCM theory and modern technology, acupoint property is classified into generality, individuality and bidirectional regulation. It is affected mainly by acupoint compatibility, intervention measures, body state, etc. The research of acupoint property should be based on the connotation and clinical application of acupoint, adhere to the guidance of TCM theory, strengthen the exploration on the richness of acupoint property, implement the intersection of multi-disciplines to discover the specificity of acupoint, as well as investigate the relevant factors of acupoint property.

Scalp acupuncture combined with lower-limb intelligent feedback training for lower-limb motor dysfunction after stroke: a randomized controlled trial / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To compare the efficacy of scalp acupuncture combined with lower-limb intelligent feedback training and lower-limb intelligent feedback training alone for lower-limb motor dysfunction after stroke.@*METHODS@#A total of 154 patients with lower-limb motor dysfunction after stroke were randomly divided into an observation group (76 cases, 6 cases dropped off) and a control group (78 cases, 8 cases dropped off). The patients in both groups were treated with conventional medication and exercise rehabilitation training. In addition, the patients in the observation group were treated with scalp acupuncture combined with lower-limb intelligent feedback training. The scalp acupuncture was given at upper 1/5 of the anterior oblique line of parietal temporal area and upper 1/5 of the posterior oblique line of parietal temporal area. The patients in the control group were treated with lower-limb intelligent feedback training alone. All the treatment was given once a day, 6 days a week, totaling for 8 weeks. The affected-side lower-limb Brunnstrom stage and modified Ashworth scale (MAS) grade, 6-minute walk test (6MWT), Berg balance scale (BBS) score and modified Barthel index (MBI) score were evaluated before and after treatment in the two groups. The plantar pressure was measured by gait function evaluation system.@*RESULTS@#Compared before treatment, the Brunnstrom stage in the two groups was improved after treatment (@*CONCLUSION@#The scalp acupuncture combined with lower-limb intelligent feedback training could reduce the muscle tension of lower limbs, promote the separation movement mode of lower limbs, improve the plantar pressure distribution, and improve the balance ability and walking ability in stroke patients, and the curative effect is better than lower-limb intelligent feedback training alone.

Interactive scalp acupuncture for cognitive dysfunction after stroke: a randomized controlled trial / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To compare the efficacy of interactive scalp acupuncture, scalp acupuncture alone and scalp acupuncture plus cognitive training for cognitive dysfunction after stroke.@*METHODS@#A total of 660 patients with cognitive dysfunction after stroke were randomly divided into an interactive scalp acupuncture group (218 cases, 18 cases dropped off), a scalp acupuncture group (220 cases, 20 cases dropped off) and a scalp acupuncture plus cognitive training group (222 cases, 22 cases dropped off). All the patients were treated with routine medication and exercise rehabilitation training. The interactive scalp acupuncture group was treated with scalp acupuncture on the parietal midline, and contralateral anterior parietal temporal oblique line and posterior parietal temporal oblique line at the same time of cognitive training; the scalp acupuncture group was treated with scalp acupuncture alone, and the scalp acupuncture plus cognitive training group was treated with scalp acupuncture and cognitive training in the morning and afternoon respectively. All the treatments were given once a day, 6 times a week for 8 weeks. Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) scale score was used to evaluate the cognitive function before treatment, 4 weeks and 8 weeks into treatment.@*RESULTS@#Compared before treatment, the total score of MoCA was increased after 4-week treatment and 8-week treatment in the three groups (@*CONCLUSION@#The interactive scalp acupuncture could significantly improve the cognitive function in patients with cognitive dysfunction after stroke, and the efficacy is superior to scalp acupuncture alone and scalp acupuncture plus cognitive training.

Revealing the mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of acupuncture on migraine using neuroimaging: a narrative review / 生理学报

Migraine is a neurological disorder characterized by attacks of moderate or severe headache and various neurological symptoms. Acupuncture, as a commonly used non-pharmacological therapy, has the advantage of obvious therapeutic effect and few side effects in the prevention and treatment of migraine. But the underlying mechanism of acupuncture on migraine remains unclear. Recently, advances in neuroimaging technology have helped to objectively assess the effect of acupuncture on treating migraine and offered new opportunities to explore the central mechanism of acupuncture on treating migraine. In order to better understand the current status of neuroimaging studies on the therapeutic mechanism of acupuncture on migraine and shed light on future research, this review aims to overview the neuroimaging studies in recent 10 years from two aspects: (1) Central mechanism of acupuncture on treating acute migraine attack; (2) Central mechanism of acupuncture on preventing migraine attack.

Comparison of long-term outcomes between endoscopic submucosal dissection and surgery on treatment of early esophagogastric junction adenocarcinoma / 中华消化内镜杂志

Objective:To evaluate the long-term efficacy of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) and surgical resection on the treatment of early esophagogastric junction (EGJ) adenocarcinoma.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed on the data of 166 consecutive cases with early EGJ adenocarcinoma in Digestive Endoscopy Center and Department of General Surgery of Shanxi Provincial People′s Hospital from January 2004 to June 2018. Their preoperative assessment conformed to the absolute and expanded criteria of ESD, and postoperative pathological assessment accorded with the absolute and expanded criteria of curative resection. Patients were divided into the ESD group (n=77) and the surgical resection group (n=89), and the recent results (curative resection rate and complications) and long-term results (cumulative survival rate) were compared between the two groups.Results:In the ESD group, 65 (84.4%) patients met the absolute criteria of ESD treatment and 12 (15.6%) patients met the expanded criteria. In the surgical resection group, 60 (67.4%) patients met the absolute criteria of ESD and 29 (32.6%) patients met the expanded criteria. The difference in the composition of ESD criteria was statistically significant between the two groups ( P=0.011). Other baseline indicators showed no significant difference between the two groups ( P > 0.05). In the ESD group, the overall resection rate was 98.7% (76/77), the complete resection rate was 94.8% (73/77), and the curative resection rate was 93.5% (72/77). In the surgical resection group, the curative resection rate was 100.0% (89/89). The difference in the curative resection rate between the two groups was not statistically significant ( P=0.05). In the ESD group, there were 3 (3.9%) cases of intraoperative bleeding, 1 (1.3%) case of early postoperative bleeding, and 2 (2.6%) cases of intraoperative perforation. In the surgical resection group, there was 1 (1.1%) case of intraoperative bleeding, 4 (4.5%) cases of postoperative bleeding, and 2 (2.2%) cases of postoperative anastomotic leakage. There was no death or local recurrence occurred in the both groups within 1 month after treatment. The median follow-up time was 89.3 months (ranged 72.5-105.7 months) in the ESD group and 82.3 months (ranged 69.6-101.0 months) in the surgical treatment group, respectively. There was no tumor-related death or recurrence occurred in the two groups during follow-up. The 5-year survival rate in the ESD group and the surgical resection group was 94.8% (73/77) and 96.6% (86/89), respectively. The difference in the cumulative survival rate was not significant between the two groups ( P=0.648). Subgroup analysis showed that there was no significant difference in the cumulative survival rate between patients receiving ESD and those receiving surgical resection who met the absolute criteria of ESD ( P=0.449) and met ESD expanded criteria ( P=0.505). Conclusion:For EGJ adenocarcinoma conforming to the ESD treatment absolute and expanded criteria, ESD may be an alternative treatment option to surgery with the comparable long-term outcomes.

Genetic Diversity, Antimicrobial Resistance, and Virulence Genes of Isolates from Clinical Patients, Tap Water Systems, and Food / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

Objective@#This study aimed to evaluate the genetic diversity, virulence, and antimicrobial resistance of isolates from clinical patients, tap water systems, and food.@*Methods@#Ninety isolates were obtained from Ma'anshan, Anhui province, China, and subjected to multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) with six housekeeping genes. Their taxonomy was investigated using concatenated sequences, while their resistance to 12 antibiotics was evaluated. Ten putative virulence factors and several resistance genes were identified by PCR and sequencing.@*Results@#The 90 isolates were divided into 84 sequence types, 80 of which were novel, indicating high genetic diversity. The isolates were classified into eight different species. PCR assays identified virulence genes in the isolates, with the enterotoxin and hemolysin genes , , , and found in 47 (52.2%), 13 (14.4%), 22 (24.4%), and 12 (13.3%) of the isolates, respectively. The majority of the isolates (≥ 90%) were susceptible to aztreonam, imipenem, cefepime, chloramphenicol, gentamicin, tetracycline, and ciprofloxacin. However, several resistance genes were detected in the isolates, as well as a new variant.@*Conclusions@#Sequence type, virulence properties, and antibiotic resistance vary in isolates from clinical patients, tap water systems, and food.

Effect and Safety of CX-DZ-II Intelligent Electroacupuncture Therapeutic Instrument for Neck Pain Caused by Cervical Spondylos: Study Protocol for A Randomized Controlled Trial / 中国结合医学杂志

BACKGROUND@#Neck pain caused by cervical spondylosis (CS) is a chronic pain condition, with an increasingly high incidence in the general population. Electroacupuncture is a common analgesic modality that has been widely applied in neck pain treatment. However, current electroacupuncture instruments used in the clinic have low intelligence levels and obscure parameter standards. We here designed this study for assessing the effect and safety of a new, intelligent electroacupuncture instrument, the CX-DZ-II, in treating neck pain.@*METHODS@#The present study is a prospective, two-center, randomized, controlled, open-label, non-inferiority trial for CX-DZ-II on treating neck pain caused by CS. Totally 160 eligible patients will be included in this trial and randomly assigned to an experimental group and a control group in a 1:1 ratio. A semi-standard acupoint selection strategy will be employed. In the experimental group, selected acupoints will be stimulated by CX-DZ-II. Electroacupuncture treatment will be accomplished by a pre-existing electroacupuncture instrument in the control group. The duration of treatment will be 2 weeks. The primary outcome is the change of Visual Analog Scale (VAS) score after one course of treatment. The secondary outcomes include the VAS scores after each treatment, the responder rate, drug-usage rate of non-steroidal antipyretic analgesics, the rate of adverse events occurrence, and the performance of instrument.@*DISCUSSION@#This study will evaluate the effect and safety of the CX-DZ-II intelligent electroacupuncture therapeutic instrument in comparison with a pre-existing non-intelligent instrument in the treatment of neck pain caused by CS. The results will hopefully demonstrate a more optimal electroacupuncture instrument for the treatment of neck pain. (Trial registration No. gov NCT03005301).

Origin and relationship of -well points and Shixuan (EX-UE 11) / 中国针灸

Both the twelve -well points and Shixuan (EX-UE 11) are the commonly used first-aid points. These two kinds of acupoints are located closely and similar in function, hence, they are often confused in application. In order to explore the origin of their location and theory as well as their relationship, the relevant data were retrieved. It has been found that the relationship between -well points and Shixuan (EX-UE 11) is traced at the earliest time to (). It is believed that the -well points refer to the starting points or the ending points of the twelve regular meridians and Shixuan (EX-UE 11) are located at the crossing sites of - related meridians of the regular meridians. These two kinds of acupoints are interconnected, share the same source and are also different from each other. Qiduan (EX-LE 12) is also named as foot-Shixuan. Shixuan (EX-UE 11) and Qiduan (EX-LE 12) can be regarded as the same category, just like -well points. In clinical practice, the -well points are generally selected in treatment of internal diseases, local diseases and those on the running course of meridians. They can be used separately in treatment. Shixuan (EX-UE 11) is the first option, or combined with Qiduan (EX-LE 12) in the emergent treatment of tense syndrome and syncope. The -well points and Shixuan (EX-UE 11) are different even though sharing the same origin. They are mutually benefited and supplemented with each other in clinical practice.

Clinical observation on distribution characteristics and rules of pain sensitivity points on body surface in patients with knee osteoarthritis / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the distribution characteristics and rules of pain sensitivity points on body surface in patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA).@*METHODS@#A total of 916 patients with KOA were selected in this study, the pain sensitivity points of local site of knee joint were probed by thumb palpation. Tape was used to measure the distance between the pain sensitivity points and the most nearby acupoints. The Wagner tenderness measuring instrument was used to measure the tenderness threshold of pain sensitivity points.@*RESULTS@#A total of 3618 pain sensitivity points were probed, among them, 3338 pain sensitivity points were sensitized. The minimum sensitization degree was 1.00, the maximum sensitization degree was 3.39, while the average sensitization degree was (2.16±0.60). Pain sensitivity points were distributed 0.37-1.73 @*CONCLUSION@#The pain sensitivity points of patients with KOA may be the expansion effect of acupoint areas in the disease states, pain sensitivity points are more likely to appear on the medial side of knee joint.

MiR-30b Regulates the Cisplatin-Resistance of Human NK/T Cell Lypnphoma Cell Lines SNK-6 and YTS by Targeting the CCL22 / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the effect and mechanism of miR-30b on cisplatin-resistance of human NK/T cell lymphoma lines SNK-6 and YTS cells.@*METHODS@#Normal NK cells, SNK-6 and YTS cells were cultured, the expression levels of miR-30b and macrophage-derived chemokine (CCL22) were detected by real-time PCR assay, and the CCL22 expression was detected by Western blot. The SNK-6 and YTS cells were transfected with miR-30b mimics and inhibitor respectively, then the effect of cisplatin resistance in SNK-6 and YTS cells was measured by MTT assay, the activity of caspase-3 was detected by caspase-3 assay kit, and the cell apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry. Dual-luciferase reporter gene assay was used to determine the targeting relationship between miR-30b and CCL22. Furthermore, the effect of CCL22 on cisplatin-resistance and caspase-3 actirity was also evaluated.@*RESULTS@#Compared with the normal NK cells, the expression levels of miR-30b significantly decreased in both SNK-6 and YTS cells (P＜0.01), but CCL22 mRNA expression increase in both cells (P＜0.01). MiR-30b mimics decreased the cell activity (P＜0.05), down-regulated the cisplatin-resistance (P＜0.05), and increased cell apoptosis and caspase-3 activity (P＜0.05). The effects of miR-30b inhibitor were contrary to the mimics. Up-regulation of miR-30b expression significantly decreased the luciferase activity in CCL22 3'-UTR-transfected NK cells, but not in Mut-CCL22 3'UTR group, suggesting that CCL22 could act as a direct target of miR-30b. The expressions of CCL22 pathway proteins were down-regulated after SNK-6 cells transfected with miR-30b mimics (P＜0.05), while this effect was restored by overexpression of CCL22. Moreover, CCL22 overexpression also increased the cell activity and decreased caspase-3 activity when SNK-6 cells were transfected with miR-30b mimics.@*CONCLUSION@#MiR-30b inhibits cisplatin-resistance of human NK/TCL SNK-6 and YTS cells by targeting CCL22.