[Interaction between depression and insomnia under acupuncture treatment: a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial].

Objective: To explore the interaction between emotional and insomnia symptom improvement in comorbid depression and insomnia patients treated with optimized acupuncture.

Methods: A secondary analysis was conducted on a multicenter randomized controlled trial of acupuncture treatment for comorbid depression and insomnia. One hundred and forty patients with comorbid depression and insomnia were randomly assigned to an optimized acupuncture group (70 cases, 8 cases dropped out) and a conventional acupuncture group (70 cases, 8 cases dropped out).

Subregions of the fusiform gyrus are differentially involved in the attentional mechanism supporting visual mental imagery in depression.

Background: Impaired visual mental imagery is an important symptom of depression and has gradually become an intervention target for cognitive behavioral therapy.

Methods: Our study involved a total of 25 healthy controls (HC) and 23 individuals with moderate depressive symptoms (MD). This study explored the attentional mechanism supporting visual mental imagery impairments in depression using the Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire (VVIQ), attentional network test (ANT), and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI).

Development of novel prognostic models based on dynamic changes in risk factors for hepatitis B associated acute-on-chronic liver failure:a 10-year retrospective study.

Background/aims: Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) is associated with high short-term mortality, and early prediction is critical to reduce the deaths of ACLF patients. To date, however, the prognostic accuracy of current models for ACLF is unsatisfactory, particularly, in patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. This study aims to develop novel prognostic models based on the dynamic changes in variables to predict the short-term mortality of HBV-associated ACLF (HBV-ACLF).

Toe stimulation improves tactile perception of the genitals.

The human body is represented in a topographic pattern in the primary somatosensory cortex (S1), and genital representation is displaced below the toe representation. However, the relationship between the representation of the genitals and toe in S1 remains unclear. In this study, tactile stimulation was applied to the big toe in healthy subjects to observe changes in tactile acuity in the unstimulated genital area, abdomen, and metacarpal dorsal.

Pirfenidone alleviates chronic pancreatitis via suppressing the activation of pancreatic stellate cells and the M1 polarization of macrophages.

In the realm of fibroinflammatory conditions, chronic pancreatitis (CP) stands out as a particularly challenging ailment, lacking a dedicated, approved treatment. The potential of Pirfenidone (PFD), a drug originally used for treating idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), in addressing CP's fibrotic aspects has sparked new interest. This investigation focused on the role of PFD in diminishing fibrosis and immune response in CP, using a mouse model induced by caerulein.

NCAM mimetic peptide P2 synergizes with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in promoting functional recovery after stroke.

The neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) promotes neural development and regeneration. Whether NCAM mimetic peptides could synergize with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) in stroke treatment deserves investigation. We found that the NCAM mimetic peptide P2 promoted BMSC proliferation, migration, and neurotrophic factor expression, protected neurons from oxygen-glucose deprivation through ERK and PI3K/AKT activation and anti-apoptotic mechanisms .

Safety and efficacy of lentinan nasal drops in patients infected with the variant of COVID-19: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

Lentinan has antiviral, anti-tumor, immunomodulatory, stimulating interferon production, and other pharmacological effects. Previous animal experiments have shown that lentinan nasal drops can assist [Corona Virus Disease 2019) COVID-19] vaccine to induce high levels of neutralizing antibodies and can effectively resist the invasion of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of lentinan nasal drops in patients infected with Omicron (SARS-CoV-2 variant) through a dose-escalation study and a placebo-controlled trial.

Efficacy and safety of molnupiravir in patients with Omicron variant vaccine breakthrough COVID-19 infection: a randomized, controlled trial.

Randomized, controlled trials of molnupiravir in real-world use during the Omicron wave are scarce. The frequency of hospitalization and death is low, so further research is needed to confirm the virological efficacy of molnupiravir. A single-center, randomized, controlled clinical trial was conducted, and 111 hospitalized coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients were randomly assigned at a ratio of 1:1.

Tunable valley splitting in two-dimensional CrBr/VSevan der Waals heterostructure under strains and electric fields.

Valleytronics opens up fascinating opportunities for using the valley degree of freedom in information storage and quantum computation. Here, based on the first-principles calculations, we investigate the effects of biaxial strains and electric fields on the magnetic, electronic, and valleytronic properties of two-dimensional CrBr/VSevan der Waals (vdW) heterostructure consisting of two ferromagnetic monolayers. An interlayer magnetic phase transition from parallel to antiparallel is found when a compressive strain exceeds-2%or a tensile strain exceeds 4% is applied, while the interlayer magnetic configuration remains parallel under perpendicular electric fields.

Analysis of the influences of social isolation on cognition and the therapeutic potential of deep brain stimulation in a mouse model.

Background: Social interaction is a fundamental human need. Social isolation (SI) can have negative effects on both emotional and cognitive function. However, it is currently unclear how age and the duration of SI affect emotion and recognition function.

Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy for Huntington Disease: A Meta-Analysis.

Objective: Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy has been explored in Huntington disease (HD) as a potential therapeutic approach; however, a complete synthesis of these results is lacking. We conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the effects of MSCs on HD.

Method: Eligible studies published before November 2022 were screened from Embase, PubMed, Web of Science, Medline, and Cochrane in accordance with PRISMA guidelines.

Transcranial low-intensity ultrasound stimulation for treating central nervous system disorders: A promising therapeutic application.

Transcranial ultrasound stimulation is a neurostimulation technique that has gradually attracted the attention of researchers, especially as a potential therapy for neurological disorders, because of its high spatial resolution, its good penetration depth, and its non-invasiveness. Ultrasound can be categorized as high-intensity and low-intensity based on the intensity of its acoustic wave. High-intensity ultrasound can be used for thermal ablation by taking advantage of its high-energy characteristics.

[Effects of electroacupuncture on the expression of serum exosomes and pro-inflammatory factors in spinal cord of rats with spinal cord injury].

Objective: To investigate the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on the morphology and microstructure of spinal cord tissue, the expression of serum exosomes, and the pro-inflammatory factors interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6 in spinal cord of rats with spinal cord injury (SCI), so as to explore the underlying mechanism of EA in the treatment of SCI.

Methods: Twenty-four female Wistar rats were randomly divided into sham operation group, model group, EA group, EA+GW4869 group, with 6 rats in each group. The SCI model was established by impinging spinal cord at T10 with a hammer, while the vertebral lamina was only opened without impingement for rats in sham operation group.

[Effect of acupuncture combined with western medication on depression-insomnia comorbidity due to COVID-19 quarantine: a multi-central randomized controlled trial].

Objective: To observe the effect of acupuncture (acupuncture for soothing the liver and regulating the mentality) combined with western medication on depression and sleep quality in the patients with depression-insomnia comorbidity due to COVID-19 quarantine, and investigate the potential mechanism from the perspective of cortical excitability.

Methods: Sixty patients with depression-insomnia comorbidity due to COVID-19 quarantine were randomly divided into an acupuncture group and a sham-acupuncture group, 30 cases in each one. The patients of both groups were treated with oral administration of sertraline hydrochloride tablets.

Disease Progression of Hospitalized Elderly Patients with Omicron BA.2 Treated with Molnupiravir.

Introduction: The efficacy of molnupiravir (MLN) on Omicron sublineages is limited. We investigated the effectiveness of MLN in older adults diagnosed with Omicron BA.2.

Regulatory B Cells Dysregulated T Cell Function in an IL-35-Dependent Way in Patients With Chronic Hepatitis B.

Unlabelled: Interleukin (IL)-35-secreting B (IL-35+B) cells are critical regulators in autoimmune and infectious diseases and exert suppressive functions in parallel with IL-10-producing B (B10) cells. However, the role of IL-35+B cells in persistent hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains unclear. To elucidate the role of IL-35+B cells in the progress of chronic HBV infection, we determined the frequency of IL-35+B cells and their relationship with the classical human regulatory B cell (Breg) subsets, namely, CD19+CD24CD38 and CD19+CD24CD27+.

Hepatocellular carcinoma with worsened hypoglycemia after transarterial chemoembolization: a case report and systematic review.

Non-islet cell tumor hypoglycemia (NICTH) is an extremely uncommon and serious complication of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Here, we reported a case of a 47-year-old male patient with moderate to poorly differentiated HCC complicated by hypoglycemia that worsened after transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). The patient was admitted into The First Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University due to fatigue, nausea, dizziness and passage of tea colored urine.

LINC01089 inhibits the progression of cervical cancer via inhibiting miR-27a-3p and increasing BTG2.

Background: Increasing evidence confirms that long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) has a vital impact on the procession of cervical cancer (CC). The present study aimed to investigate the clinical significance of LINC01089 in CC, as well as explore its biological functions and potential molecular mechanisms.

Methods: A quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was utilized to investigate the expression of LINC01089 and miR-27a-3p in CC cells and tissues.

Association of TBXA2R, P2Y12 and ADD1 genes polymorphisms with ischemic stroke susceptibility: A metaanalysis.

Background: Ischemic stroke is a common cause of death and disability throughout the world. We aimed to evaluate the association between polymorphisms in TBXA2R (rs4523, rs768963, rs1131882), P2Y12 (rs204693), ADD1 (rs4961) and risk of ischemic stroke.

Methods: A comprehensive retrieval with the databases of Pubmed, Embase, CENTRAL, CNKI and Wan fang data was conducted.