Factors and Their Impact on Treatment Effect of Acupuncture in Different Outcomes: A Meta-Regression of Acupuncture Randomized Controlled Trials / 中国结合医学杂志

BACKGROUND@#The effects of acupuncture have varied in different randomized controlled trials (RCTs), and there are many factors that influence treatment effect of acupuncture in different outcomes, with conflicting results.@*OBJECTIVE@#To identify factors and their impact on the treatment effect of acupuncture in different outcomes.@*METHODS@#Acupuncture RCTs were searched from 7 databases including Medline (PubMed), Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Database, VIP Database, and China Biology Medicine disc between January 1st, 2015 and December 31st, 2019. Eligible studies must compare acupuncture to no acupuncture, sham acupuncture, or waiting lists, and report at least 1 patient-important outcome. A multi-level meta-regression was conducted using a 3-level robust mixed model and univariate analyses were performed for all independent variables, even those excluded from the multivariable model due to collinearities. We used thresholds of 0.2 and 0.4 for the difference of standardized mean differences (SMDs), categorising them as small (<0.2), moderate (0.2-0.4), or large (>0.4) effects.@*RESULTS@#The pain construct analysis involved 211 effect estimates from 153 studies and 14 independent variables. High-frequency acupuncture treatment sessions produced larger effects compared to low-frequency sessions [large magnitude, the difference of adjusted SMDs 0.46, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.07 to 0.84; P=0.02]. The non-pain symptoms construct analysis comprised 323 effect estimates from 231 studies and 15 independent variables. Penetrating acupuncture showed moderately larger effects when compared to non-penetrating acupuncture (0.30, 95% CI 0.06 to 0.53; P=0.01). The function construct analysis included 495 effect estimates from 274 studies and 14 independent variables. Penetrating acupuncture and the flexible acupuncture regimen showed moderately larger effects, compared to non-penetrating acupuncture and fixed regimen, respectively (0.40, 95% CI 0 to 0.80; P=0.05; 0.29, 95% CI 0.06 to 0.53; P=0.01).@*CONCLUSIONS@#High-frequency acupuncture sessions appear to be a more effective approach to managing painful symptoms. Penetrating acupuncture demonstrated greater effect in relieving non-painful symptoms. Both penetrating acupuncture type and flexible acupuncture regimen were linked to significant treatment effects in function outcomes. Future studies should consider the factors that are significantly associated with the effects of acupuncture in patient-important outcomes.

Finite element analysis of cervical intervertebral discs after removing different ranges of uncinate processes / 解剖学报

Objective To study the stress change characteristics of the cervical disc after removing different ranges of the uncinate process by establishing a three⁃dimensional finite element model of the C

Association between sedentary behaviors with cardiorespiratory fitness and executive function among adolescents / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To explore the relationship between sedentary behavior with cardiorespiratory fitness and executive function in adolescents, and to provide some references for sedentary behavior prevention and executive function improvement.@*Methods@#From September to December 2022, a total of 5 018 adolescents aged 13 to 18 years were selected by stratified random sampling method in Shanghai, Suzhou, Taiyuan,Wuyuan, Xingyi, and Urumqi to conduct physical activity survey, as well as cardiorespiratory fitness and executive function assessment. Pearson s correlation was used to analyze the relationship between sedentary behavior, cardiorespiratory fitness and executive function. The mediation effect model was fitted by the bootstrap mediation procedure in the PROCESS (version 3.3 ) SPSS macro compiled by Haves, and the mediation effect of adolescents cardiorespiratory fitness in the relationship between static behavior and executive function was examined using model 4 in the PROCESS SPSS macro, where Boosrap method was used to compute the mediation effect of adolescents cardiorespiratory fitness. where the Boosrap method was used to calculate confidence intervals for the mediating effects.@*Results@#Adolescents daily sedentary time was positively correlated with both the refreshing function (1-back and 2-back) and the switch function reaction time ( r =0.05, 0.07, 0.05, P <0.01). Adolescent VO 2max was negatively correlated with both the refreshing function (1-back,2-back) and the switching function ( r =-0.09, -0.14 , -0.11, P <0.01). Adolescents daily sedentary time was negatively correlated with VO 2max ( r =-0.04, P <0.01); cardiorespiratory fitness mediated effect values between sedentary behavior and refreshing function (1-back and 2-back) and converted function were 0.20(95% CI =0.06-0.36), 0.43(95% CI =0.14-0.74) and 0.13 (95% CI =0.04-0.22), with mediating effect shares of 6.87%, 8.33% and 8.59%, respectively.@*Conclusion@#The duration of sedentary behavior in adolescents is related to executive function performance, and cardiorespiratory fitness may serve as a mediator to mediate the association between sedentary behavior and executive function in adolescents.

Fidelity in acupuncture-moxibustion clinical research: application and reflection / 中国针灸

As an indicator that measures the degree of implementation of intervention measures during the implementation process, fidelity could be used for monitoring and quality evaluation of the completion degree of intervention measures, and plays an important role in improving the degree of intervention implementation and clarifying the factors that affect intervention implementation. This article aims to introduce the connotation and significance, measurement, control, and current application status of fidelity, as well as the current application status of fidelity in acupuncture-moxibustion clinical research and its inspiration for future research. Meanwhile, based on the existing evaluation tool development methods of fidelity and the characteristics of acupuncture-moxibustion clinical research, a preliminary fidelity evaluation framework is proposed. Introducing fidelity into acupuncture-moxibustion clinical research could improve the implementation quality and compliance of acupuncture-moxibustion in clinical research, increase the credibility and effectiveness of clinical research results, and promote the transformation of acupuncture-moxibustion experience into easily learnable and promotable treatment plans.

Qualitative systematic review of the safety and feasibility of early mobilization in critically ill patients with femoral catheters / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Objective    To investigate the safety and feasibility of early mobilization in critically ill patients with femoral catheters, and to provide reference for guiding clinical rehabilitation training. Methods    The literature on the safety and feasibility of early mobilization in critically ill patients with femoral catheters included in PubMed, EMbase, OVID, Springer-link, Wiley Online Library, and Web of Science up to June 2021 was searched, and relevant data were extracted for analysis. Results    Seventy-two papers were initially screened, and 12 papers that met the criteria were finally included, covering 1 056 patients, and 489 patients had femoral catheters. Patients underwent 6 495 sessions of physical therapy, and a total of 62 patients had adverse events, including 14 (2.86%, 14/489) patients with catheter-related adverse events. Conclusion    Although early mobilization in critically ill patients with femoral catheters may lead to adverse catheter-related events, the incidence is low. Therefore, the associated risks and benefits should be weighed in clinical practice, and femoral catheter is not recommended as a contraindication for early mobilization in critically ill patients.

Double-pulley combined with suture bridge technique for fixation of comminuted fractures of distal patella pole / 中国骨伤

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the clinical effect of double pulley combined with suture bridge in the treatment of comminuted fracture of the lower pole of the patella.@*METHODS@#From January 2018 to June 2020, 15 patients with comminuted fracture of the lower pole of the patella were treated with double pulley and suture bridge technology, including 9 males and 6 females, aged 28 to 68 years old with an average of (42.4±9.6) years old. All patients had obvious knee joint pain and limited movement after injury. All knee joints were examined by X-ray and CT, which confirmed that they were all comminuted fractures at the lower level of the patella. After operation, X-ray films of the knee joint were taken regularly to understand the fracture healing, the Insall Salvati index was measure, the range of motion of the joint was recorded, and the function of the knee joint was evaluateed by the Bostman scoring system.@*RESULTS@#All the 15 patients were followed up for 7 to 24 months with an average of (11.4±4.2) months, and there was no obvious anterior knee pain. At the last follow-up, the knee joint range of motion of the affected limb was 105° to 140° with an average of (128.5±12.8) °, and the Insall Salvati index was 0.79 to 1.12 with an average of (0.92±0.18). The X-ray film showed that the patella was bone healing, and no anchor fell off, broken, or displaced fracture block was found. Bostman patellar fracture function score was 27.85±2.06, 13 cases were excellent, 2 cases were good.@*CONCLUSION@#Double pulley technique combined with suture bridge technique is reliable for reduction and fixation of comminuted fracture of the lower pole of patella, and patients can start functional exercise early after operation.

Tea consumption and cancer: a Mendelian randomization study / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective: A Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was performed to assess the relationship between tea consumption and cancer. Methods: There were 100 639 participants with the information of gene sequencing of whole genome in the China Kadoorie Biobank. After excluding those with cancer at baseline survey, a total of 100 218 participants were included in this study. The baseline information about tea consumption were analyzed, including daily tea consumption or not, cups of daily tea consumption, and grams of daily tea consumption. We used the two-stage least square method to evaluate the associations between three tea consumption variables and incidence of cancer and some subtypes, including stomach cancer, liver and intrahepatic bile ducts cancer, colorectal cancer, tracheobronchial and lung cancer, and female breast cancer. Multivariable MR and analysis only among nondrinkers were used to control the impact of alcohol consumption. Sensitivity analyses were also performed, including inverse variance weighting, weighted median, and MR-Egger. Results: We used 54, 42, and 28 SNPs to construct non-weighted genetic risk scores as instrumental variables for daily tea consumption or not, cups of daily tea consumption, and grams of daily tea consumption, respectively. During an average of (11.4±3.0) years of follow-up, 6 886 cases of cancer were recorded. After adjusting for age, age2, sex, region, array type, and the first 12 genetic principal components, there were no significant associations of three tea consumption variables with the incidence of cancer and cancer subtypes. Compared with non-daily tea drinkers, the HR (95%CI) of daily tea drinkers for cancer and some subtypes, including stomach cancer, liver and intrahepatic bile ducts cancer, colorectal cancer, tracheobronchial and lung cancer, and female breast cancer, are respectively 0.99 (0.78-1.26), 1.17 (0.58-2.36), 0.86 (0.40-1.84), 0.85 (0.42-1.73), 1.39 (0.85-2.26) and 0.63 (0.28-1.38). After controlling the impact of alcohol consumption and performing multiple sensitivity analyses, the results were similar. Conclusion: There is no causal relationship between tea consumption and risk of cancer in population in China.

Epidemiological distribution characteristics of peripheral blood mosaic chromosomal alteration in adults from 10 regions of China / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective: To describe the epidemiological distribution characteristics of peripheral blood mosaic chromosomal alteration (mCA) in community adults aged 30-79 years in 10 regions of China. Methods: A total of 100 297 participants with complete baseline information (demographic characteristics, lifestyle, physical examination, etc.) and genotyping data of blood-derived DNA in ten regions of the China Kadoorie Biobank study were included. The mCAs were detected with the Mosaic Chromosomal Alterations pipeline, and logistic regression models were used to compare the differences in the detection rate of mCAs in different regions and populations. Results: A total of 5 810 mCA carriers were detected, with the detection rate of 5.8%. The standardized detection rate was 5.1%. The baseline detection rate of mCA increased with age, which were 3.4%, 5.0%, and 9.4% in those aged 30-, 51-, and >60 years, respectively (trend test P<0.001). A more significant proportion of mCAs were found in men (8.0%) than women (4.0%), as well as in urban areas (6.4%) than in rural areas (5.3%), the difference was significant (P<0.001). After adjusting for age and gender, the detection rate of mCA was higher in current smokers or people quitting smoking due to illness and people with low physical activity level, and the mCA detection rate was lower in obesy people (5.3%) than that in people with normal body weight (5.9%) (P=0.006). Conclusions: The detection rate of mCAs varied with region and population in community adults aged 30-79 years in 10 regions of China. The study results might contribute to the molecular identification of aging populations and guide precision prevention of age-related diseases such as cancers.

Prospective association between physical activity and mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective: To investigate the prospective association of physical activity with all-cause, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and chronic kidney disease (CKD) mortality in CKD patients in China. Methods: Cox proportional hazard models were used to evaluate the association of total, domain-specific, and intensity-specific physical activity with the risk of all-cause, CVD, and CKD mortality based on data from the baseline survey of China Kadoorie Biobank. Results: During a median follow-up of 11.99 (11.13, 13.03) years, there were 698 deaths in 6 676 CKD patients. Compared with the bottom tertile of total physical activity, participants in the top tertile had a lower risk of all-cause, CVD, and CKD mortality, with hazard ratios (HRs) (95%CIs) of 0.61 (0.47-0.80), 0.40 (0.25-0.65), and 0.25 (0.07-0.85), respectively. Occupational, commuting, and household physical activity were negatively associated with the risk of all-cause and CVD mortality to varying degrees. Participants in the top tertile of occupational physical activity had a lower risk of all-cause (HR=0.56, 95%CI: 0.38-0.82) and CVD (HR=0.39, 95%CI: 0.20-0.74) mortality, those in the top tertile of commuting physical activity had a lower risk of CVD mortality (HR=0.43, 95%CI: 0.22-0.84), and those in the top tertile of household physical activity had a lower risk of all-cause (HR=0.61, 95%CI: 0.45-0.82), CVD (HR=0.44, 95%CI: 0.26-0.76) and CKD (HR=0.03, 95%CI: 0.01-0.17) mortality, compared with the bottom tertile of corresponding physical activity. No association of leisure-time physical activity with mortality was observed. Both low and moderate-vigorous intensity physical activity were negatively associated with the risk of all-cause, CVD and CKD mortality. The corresponding HRs (95%CIs) were 0.64 (0.50-0.82), 0.42 (0.26-0.66) and 0.29 (0.10-0.83) in the top tertile of low intensity physical activity, and the corresponding HRs (95%CIs) were 0.63 (0.48-0.82), 0.39 (0.24-0.64) and 0.23 (0.07-0.73) in the top tertile of moderate-vigorous intensity physical activity. Conclusion: Physical activity can reduce the risk of all-cause, CVD, and CKD mortality in CKD patients.

Comparative of Forensic DNA Identification Using Cell Lysis Method and Magnetic Beads Method / 法医学杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To compare the effects of cell lysis method and magnetic beads method in forensic DNA identification and to explore these two methods in forensic DNA identification.@*METHODS@#The genome DNA of THP-1 cells in different quantities was extracted by the cell lysis method and magnetic beads method, and the DNA content was quantified by real-time quantitative PCR. The cell lysis method and magnetic beads method were used to type the STR of human blood with different dilution ratios.@*RESULTS@#When the numbers of THP-1 cell were 100, 400 and 800, the DNA content extracted by cell lysis method were (1.219±0.334), (5.081±0.335), (9.332±0.318) ng, respectively; and the DNA content extracted by magnetic beads method were (1.020±0.281), (3.634±0.482), (7.896±0.759) ng, respectively. When the numbers of THP-1 cells were 400 and 800, the DNA content extracted by the cell lysis method was higher than that by the magnetic beads method. The sensitivity of cell lysis method and magnetic beads method was similar in STR typing of human blood at different dilution ratios. Complete STR typing could be obtained at 100, 300 and 500-fold dilutions of blood samples, but could not be detected at 700-fold dilution. STR typing of undiluted human blood could not be detected by cell lysis method.@*CONCLUSIONS@#The cell lysis method is easy to operate and can retain template DNA to the maximum extend. It is expected to be suitable for trace blood evidence tests.

Impact of assisted reproductive technology on birth weight discordance in twins / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To explore the association between assisted reproductive technology (ART) and birth weight discordance in twins (BWDT).@*METHODS@#A retrospective analysis was conducted on twin infants born between January 2011 and December 2020 at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, with complete basic birth data. The impact of ART on the occurrence of BWDT was identified by the multivariate logistic regression analysis.@*RESULTS@#A total of 3 974 pairs of twins were included, with 1 431 conceived naturally and 2 543 through ART. Neonates in the ART group had higher birth weights than those in the naturally conceived group (P<0.001). The incidence of BWDT was lower in the ART group compared to the naturally conceived group (16.17% vs 21.09%, P<0.001). The multivariate logistic regression analysis, adjusting for confounding factors such as maternal age, parity, pre-pregnancy body mass index, gestational diabetes, hypothyroidism, gestational age, and chorionic properties, showed no significant difference in the risk of BWDT between the ART and naturally conceived groups (P>0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#ART is not associated with the risk of BWDT.

Application of femoral I.D.E.A.L localization in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with single bundle anterior cruciate ligament / 中国骨伤

OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate the effect of femoral I.D.E.A.L localization in single bundle anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR).@*METHODS@#From January 2019 to October 2022, 122 patients with anterior cruciate ligament injury were treated with ACLR, including 83 males and 39 females. The age ranged from 23 to 43 years old, with an average of (32.19 ±8.55) years old. The course of disease ranged from 1 week to 6 months. According to the different surgical schemes, the patients were divided into two groups, namely the traditional group, which adopted the over-the-top femoral lateral positioning scheme, including 64 patients. The I.D.E.A.L group adopted the I.D.E.A.L femoral lateral positioning scheme, including 58 patients. The patient has pain and dysfunction of knee joint before operation. MRI of knee joint indicates anterior cruciate ligament injury. The visual analogue scale(VAS), International Knee Documentation Committee(IKDC) scoring system and Lysholm scoring system were used to evaluate the knee joint function of the patient. KT-2000 was used to detect the recovery of knee joint after operation and to count the postoperative complications.@*RESULTS@#The wounds healed well after operation. One hundred and twenty-tow patients were followed up for 15 to 46 months, with an average of (25.45±9.22) months. The knee joint stability of patients after operation was significantly increased. The VAS at 1 day and 1 week after operation of patients in the I.D.E.A.L group was significantly lower than that in the traditional group(P<0.05). The IKDC score and Lysholm score of patients in the I.D.E.A.L group were significantly higher than those in the traditional group(P<0.05). In the traditional group, there were 6 cases of short-term (<1 month) complications and 19 cases of long-term (≥1 month)complicatios. In the I.D.E.A.L group, there were 3 cases of short-term complications and 7cases of long-term complications(P<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#The single bundle anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction and femoral I.D.E.A.L positioning can achieve better early postoperative effect and reduce early postoperative pain.

Scoping review of acupuncture-moxibustion treatment for non-specific low back pain / 中国中药杂志

This study systematically searched and sorted out randomized controlled trial(RCT) of acupuncture-moxibustion treatment for non-specific low back pain by scoping review, so as to demonstrate the current state of the research evidence and provide a reference point for future clinical research and healthcare decision-making. Eight commonly used Chinese and English databases were searched, and the search time was from the establishment of the databases to July 7, 2023, so as to analyze the characteristics of the current status of the current research through visualization methods. A total of 50 studies were included, including 23 studies in Chinese and 27 studies in English. The overall number of studies showed an increasing trend. The percentage of studies published in Chinese non-core journals was 42.0%. The disease subtypes of interest were mainly chronic non-specific low back pain, accounting for 68.0% of the studies. The sample sizes of the studies were mainly concentrated in the range of 50-100 cases. A total of 15 types of interventions were categorized, with acupuncture interventions being the most studied. Duration of treatment did not exceed one month in 80.0% of the studies. Only 8.0% of the studies used minimal clinical important difference(MCID) as a basis for judgment. The follow-up period was set within 3 months in 28.0% of the studies, and 82.0% of the studies concluded that acupuncture-moxibustion was effective in the treatment of non-specific lower back pain. Adverse events were reported in 20.0% of the studies. The risk of bias in the included studies was dominated by low risk of bias and uncertain risk of bias, with fewer studies focusing on high risks of bias. In most of the studies, acupuncture-moxibustion was significantly more effective than the control group. The research on acupuncture-moxibustion treatment for non-specific low back pain is developing rapidly, but there are still insufficient studies on psychological state, safety, and other indicators, and there are still some studies with uncertain risks of bias, which is not conducive to the generalization and application of the findings. Therefore, future studies should improve and refine these shortcomings.

Liver cell therapies: cellular sources and grafting strategies / 医学前沿

The liver has a complex cellular composition and a remarkable regenerative capacity. The primary cell types in the liver are two parenchymal cell populations, hepatocytes and cholangiocytes, that perform most of the functions of the liver and that are helped through interactions with non-parenchymal cell types comprising stellate cells, endothelia and various hemopoietic cell populations. The regulation of the cells in the liver is mediated by an insoluble complex of proteins and carbohydrates, the extracellular matrix, working synergistically with soluble paracrine and systemic signals. In recent years, with the rapid development of genetic sequencing technologies, research on the liver's cellular composition and its regulatory mechanisms during various conditions has been extensively explored. Meanwhile breakthroughs in strategies for cell transplantation are enabling a future in which there can be a rescue of patients with end-stage liver diseases, offering potential solutions to the chronic shortage of livers and alternatives to liver transplantation. This review will focus on the cellular mechanisms of liver homeostasis and how to select ideal sources of cells to be transplanted to achieve liver regeneration and repair. Recent advances are summarized for promoting the treatment of end-stage liver diseases by forms of cell transplantation that now include grafting strategies.

Preparation of tanshinone IIA self-soluble microneedles and its inhibition on proliferation of human skin fibroblasts / 中草药·英文版

OBJECTIVE@#Hypertrophic scars (HS) are a variety of skin tissue fibrosis disease that occurs in human skin, the effective therapeutic method of which is still inaccessible up to now. As a bioactive constituent of a well-known medical plant, Salvia miltiorrhiza (Danshen in Chinese), tanshinone IIA (TSA) is reported to inhibit cell proliferation in HS. Therefore, the aim of this study was to prepare TSA self-soluble microneedles to strengthen its dermal retention and break through the difficulty of significantly thickening epidermal connective tissue and stratum corneum at the HS site. The possible mechanism of action in suppressing HS was studied using human skin fibroblasts (HSF).@*METHODS@#Tanshinone IIA self-dissolving microneedles (TSA-MN) was prepared using a negative mold casting method. The prescription process of microneedle was optimized by Box-Behnken effect surface method. Different media were selected to investigate the ability of transdermal absorption and in vitro release. Furthermore, according to Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK8) method as well as the Western blot method, the effect of TSA-MN on the biological characteristics of HSF was investigated.@*RESULTS@#With remarkable slow release effect and dermal retention, the release and transdermal properties of TSA-MN in vitro were better than both TSA and ordinary dosage forms. Its effect of HSF confirmed the essential decrease in cell motility during cell proliferation and cell migration in vitro, which plays a significant role in down-regulating the secretion of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) in HSF and increasing the expression level of Smad7.@*CONCLUSION@#The prepared TSA self-soluble microneedles is helpful in solving the problem of hypertrophic scars, with a stable dermal retention effect after process optimization.

Procedure specifications for transapical transcatheter aortic valve replacement / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) techniques have been rapidly developed in recent years. Current guidelines and studies mainly focus on aortic stenosis patients treated by transfemoral approach, but they are not completely appropriate to patients with isolated aortic regurgitation or other patients who need transapical TAVR (TA-TAVR), which affects the standardized treatment of those patients. Therefore, our team pronounced the operational standards for TA-TAVR, based on fully reviewing the literatures worldwide, combined with the opinions of experts from 15 heart centers with rich experience in carrying out TA-TAVR in China. This standard aims to provide clinicians with standardized diagnosis and treatment principles of TA-TAVR and improve the quality of TA-TAVR in China.

Zisheng Pill Formula （资生丸方） in Treating Malignant Tumor Targeted Therapy-induced Diarrhea with Spleen-stomach Weakness Syndrome：A Randomized-controlled Trial / 中医杂志

ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of Zisheng Pill Formula （资生丸方， ZPF） in the treatment of malignant tumor targeted drugs-related diarrhea with spleen-stomach weakness syndrome. MethodsThis was an randomized controlled study， involving 34 cases in the treatment group and 33 cases in the control group. The treatment group was given ZPF decoction， one dose daily by twice， 200 ml each time， while the control group was given montmorillonite powder， three times per day， 3 g each time， with the first dose doubled， both groups for two weeks. The diarrhea frequency， stool characteristics， common terminology criteria for adverse events （CTCAE） for diarrhea， traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome score， the European organization for research on treatment of cancer （EORTC） quality of life questionnaire （EORTC QOL-C30） score， levels of serum intestinal functional indicators including diamine oxidase （DAO）， D-lactic acid （D-LA）， endotoxin （ET） levels were evaluated before and after treatment， and the safety was assessed. ResultsThere were 33 cases in the treatment group and 32 cases in the control group in terms of the per-protocol set （PPS）. The total effective rate of diarrhea of the treatment group and control group was 84.85% and 37.50%， respectively， and the total effective rate of TCM syndromes was 93.94% and 34.38%， with statistically significant differences between the groups （P＜0.01）. After treatment， the frequency of diarrhea and CTCAE grade decreased in both groups， with improved stool characteristics， increased overall health score， and decreased DAO， D-LA and ET levels； in the treatment group， the frequency of diarrhea， the TCM symptom scores in terms of stool characteristics， fear of cold and cold limbs， fatigue， numbness， nausea and vomiting， abdominal distension and abdominal pain were reduced， while the physical function score increased； in the control group， the frequency of diarrhea， stool characteristics and abdominal pain score decreased （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. The results favored the treatment group than the control group in all the outcomes except for the nausea and vomiting score， abdominal pain score， overall health score， physical function score， and ET level （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. During the treatment， one case of gastrointestinal infection and one case of constipation occurred in the treatment group， while one case of tumor progression in the control group. ConclusionZPF can effectively improve the clinical symptoms， increase quality of life， decrease serum DAO， D-LA and ET levels， and is safe when treating malignant tumor targeted drug-related diarrhea with spleen-stomach weakness syndrome. The possible mechanism may be related to the repair of intestinal mucosa barrier function.

Approach to Assess Adequacy of Acupuncture in Randomized Controlled Trials: A Systematic Review / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To summarize and identify the available instruments/methods assessing the adequacy of acupuncture in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for proposing a new improved instrument.@*METHODS@#A systematic literature search was carried out in 7 electronic databases from inception until 21st November 2022. Any study evaluating the adequacy or quality of acupuncture, specifying specific acupuncture treatment-related factors as criteria of subgroup analysis, or developing an instrument/tool to assess the adequacy or quality of acupuncture in an RCT was included. Basic information, characteristics and contents of acupuncture adequacy assessment were presented as frequencies and percentages.@*RESULTS@#Forty studies were included in this systematic review. Thirty-five studies (87.50%) were systematic reviews, none of which used formal methods to develop the assessment instruments/methods of acupuncture adequacy; of 5 methodological studies, only 1 study used a relatively formal method. Thirty-two studies (82.05%) assessed the components of acupuncture, while 7 (17.95%) assessed the overall quality of acupuncture. An independent assessment instrument/method was used to assess acupuncture adequacy in 29 studies (74.35%), whereas as one part of a methodological quality assessment scale in 10 (25.65%). Only 9 (23.00%) studies used the assessment results for subgroup analysis, sensitivity analysis or the criteria for inclusion in the meta-analysis.@*CONCLUSION@#Assessment contents for adequacy or quality of acupuncture in RCTs hadn't still reached consensus and no widely used assessment tools appeared. The methodology of available assessment instruments/scales is far from formal and rigorous. A new instrument/tool assessing adequacy of acupuncture should be developed using a formal method.

Evaluation of the clinical manifestations of COVID-19 in patients with aplastic anemia undergoing immunosuppressive therapy: a prospective cohort study (NICHE) / 中华血液学杂志

Objective: To investigate the clinical features of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in patients with aplastic anemia (AA) undergoing immunosuppressive therapy (IST) . Methods: In this prospective cohort study, we collected the demographic and clinical data of patients with AA and COVID-19 from December 1, 2022, to January 31, 2023. We described the clinical features of COVID-19 among patients with AA and evaluated the effects of IST on the signs and severity of COVID-19. Results: A total of 170 patients with AA and COVID-19 were included. The common early symptoms, including fever, dizziness or headache, muscle or body aches, and sore throat, disappeared within 1-2 weeks. Approximately 25% of the patients had persistent fatigue within 2 weeks. Many patients experienced cough after an initial 1-3 days of infection, which lasted for more than 2 weeks. There were no differences in the duration of total fever episodes and maximum body temperature when patients were stratified according to whether or not they underwent IST, by IST duration, or by use of anti-lymphocyte globulin (ALG) (P>0.05). No differences were observed in the occurrence of symptoms in either the early or recovery stages when patients with AA were stratified according to whether or not they underwent IST, or by IST duration (P>0.05). However, patients who received ALG had fewer fever episodes within 1 week after infection (P=0.035) and more sore throat episodes within 2 weeks after infection (P=0.015). There were no other significant differences in clinical symptoms between patients who did and patients who did not receive ALG (P>0.05) . Conclusion: The majority of patients with AA and COVID-19 recovered within 2 weeks of noticing symptoms when treated with IST.

Evaluation of the report quality of Chinese and English randomized controlled trials of acupuncture based on CONSORT statement and STRICTA checklist / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate the report quality of Chinese and English randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of acupuncture based on the CONSORT statement and STRICTA checklist.@*METHODS@#The Chinese and English RCTs of acupuncture published from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2019 were searched in 7 databases including PubMed. The report quality of the included RCTs was evaluated with the CONSORT 2010 statement and STRICTA checklist.@*RESULTS@#A total of 506 Chinese RCTs and 76 English RCTs were included. According to the CONSORT statement, in Chinese RCTs, the items with report rate less than 50% accounted for 78.38% of all items, and the report rate of 25 items, such as background and reason, study design, outcome index, and sample size, was less than 10%. In English RCTs, the items with report rate less than 50% accounted for 35.14% of all items, and 5 items had a report rate of less than 10%. The difference of the report rate of 15 items, such as background, reason and study design, was more than 50% between Chinese and English RCTs. The report rate of all items of STRICTA checklist was relatively high in both Chinese and English RCTs. In Chinese RCTs, the items with report rate less than 50% accounted for 29.41% of all items, which included acupuncture rationale and depth of insertion. In English RCTs, only two items had a report rate less than 50%, which were acupuncture rationale, setting and context of treatment. The report rate of five items, including needle retention time, frequency and duration of treatment sessions, details of other interventions administered to the acupuncture group, setting and context of treatment, and precise description of the control or comparator in Chinese RCTs, were higher than in English RCTs.@*CONCLUSION@#The report quality of Chinese acupuncture RCT needs to be improved urgently, and corresponding measures should be taken to further standardize the writing and reporting of acupuncture clinical research.