Association between short-term exposure to ambient air pollutants and the risk of hospital visits for acute upper respiratory tract infections among adults: a time-series study in Ningbo, China.

Objectives: Acute upper respiratory tract infections (AURTIs) are prevalent in the general population. However, studies on the association of short-term exposure to air pollution with the risk of hospital visits for AURTIs in adults are limited. This study aimed to explore the short-term exposure to air pollutants among Chinese adults living in Ningbo.

Effect of acupotomy combined with electroacupuncture on knee function of patients with knee osteoarthritis.

Objectives: To compare the clinical effect of combined therapy of acupotomy and electroacupuncture (EA) with the simple application of EA on knee osteoarthritis (KOA), and their influence on knee function.

Methods: Sixty-eight KOA patients were randomly divided into 2 groups, an acupotomy group and an EA group. In the acupotomy group, the combined therapy of acupotomy and EA was adopted.

Modeling and Predicting Pulmonary Tuberculosis Incidence and Its Association with Air Pollution and Meteorological Factors Using an ARIMAX Model: An Ecological Study in Ningbo of China.

The autoregressive integrated moving average with exogenous regressors (ARIMAX) modeling studies of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) are still rare. This study aims to explore whether incorporating air pollution and meteorological factors can improve the performance of a time series model in predicting PTB. We collected the monthly incidence of PTB, records of six air pollutants and six meteorological factors in Ningbo of China from January 2015 to December 2019.

[Efficacy and mechanism of electroacupuncture on insulin resistant polycystic ovary syndrome].

Objective: To explore the therapeutic effect and partial mechanism of electroacupuncture (EA) for patients with insulin resistance (IR) polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

Methods: Seventy patients with IR-PCOS were randomly divided into an EA group (36 cases, 5 cases dropped off) and a medication group (34 cases, 4 cases dropped off). The patients in the medication group were treated with oral administration of metformin hydrochloride, 500 mg each time, twice a day.

[Effects of Electroacupuncture on Joint Function in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients of Liver- and Kidney- Deficiency Type].

Objective: To compare the effects between electroacupuncture (EA) plus western medicine and simple western medicine in improving clinical symptoms and local joint function of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients with deficiency of Liver and Kidney.

Methods: A total of 68 RA patients of deficiency of Liver and Kidney were equally randomized into EA+medication group and medication group (=34 in each group). Both groups were given once-a-week methotrexate (7.

ShRNA-targeted MAP4K4 inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma growth.

Purpose: Mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase kinase 4 (MAP4K4) is overexpressed in many types of cancer. Herein, we aimed to investigate its expression pattern, clinical significance, and biological function in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Experimental Design: MAP4K4 expression was examined in 20 fresh HCCs and corresponding nontumor liver tissues.

Electroacupuncture inhibits inflammation reaction by upregulating vasoactive intestinal Peptide in rats with adjuvant-induced arthritis.

Acupuncture is emerging as an alternative therapy for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, the molecular mechanism underlying this beneficial effect of acupuncture has not been fully understood. Here, we demonstrated that electroacupuncture at acupoints Zusanli (ST36), Xuanzhong (GB39); and Shenshu (BL23) markedly decreased the paw swelling and the histologic scores of inflammation in the synovial tissue, and reduced the body weight loss in an adjuvant-induced arthritis rat model.

[Effects of acupuncture on the number and degranulation ratio of mast cells and expression of tryptase in synovium of rats with adjuvant arthritis].

Objective: To observe the effects of acupuncture on synovial pathology, synovial mast cell degranulation and tryptase expression and to investigate the relationship between the functions of mast cells and effects of acupuncture on early adjuvant arthritis in rats.

Methods: Forty-six male Wistar rats were randomly divided into normal control group (n=16), untreated group (n=15) and acupuncture group (n=15). Adjuvant arthritis was induced by injection of 0.

[Advances in studies on the correlation between acupuncture-moxibustion treatment and mast cells].

The present paper reviewed the literatures at home and abroad in the recent ten years; it stated the effects of acupuncture on local mast cells around meridian acupoints and affected area; it stated the advanced development in the possible mechanism of the efficacy of acupuncture treatment for diseases related to mast cells in recent ten years. Currently, the underlying mechanism of the efficacy of acupuncture on mast cells still remains mysterious. It needs further investigations to study the effect of mast cells in acupuncture treatment and the mechanism of the effects of moxibustion on mast cells.