Clinical effect of acupuncture at ghost points combined with fluoxetine hydrochloride on mild-to-moderate depression.

Background: Depression is a common, chronic, and recurrent mood disorder that has become a worldwide health hazard. Fluoxetine hydrochloride, a common treatment method, can inhibit 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) recycling in the presynaptic membrane; however, the efficacy of a single drug is inadequate. At present, mild-to-moderate depression can be treated with acupuncture of ghost caves, but the clinical curative effect of combined therapy with fluoxetine hydrochloride has not been sufficiently reported.

[Clinical effect of acupuncture for gastroesophageal reflux disease based on the "heart-stomach connection" theory and its effects on serum gastrointestinal hormones].

Objective: To observe the effect of acupuncture on gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) based on the "heart-stomach connection" theory, and to explore its possible mechanisms.

Methods: Seventy patients with GERD were randomly divided into an acupuncture group (35 cases, 2 cases dropped out) and a medication group (35 cases, 1 case dropped out). The patients in the acupuncture group received acupuncture at bilateral Shenmen (HT 7), Neiguan (PC 6), Burong (ST 19), Tianshu (ST 25), Zusanli (ST 36), Gongsun (SP 4), and Zhongwan (CV 12), with needles retained for 30 min, every other day, three times a week.

Mass spectrometry-based assays for assessing replicative bypass and repair of DNA alkylation in cells.

Endogenous metabolism and environmental exposure can give rise to DNA alkylation, which can elicit deleterious biological consequences. In the search for reliable and quantitative analytical methods to elucidate the impact of DNA alkylation on the flow of genetic information, mass spectrometry (MS) has attracted increasing attention, owing to its unambiguous determination of molecular mass. The MS-based assays obviate conventional colony-picking methods and Sanger sequencing procedures, and retained the high sensitivity of postlabeling methods.

Takayasu Arteritis Coexisting with Cutaneous Leishmaniasis.

Takayasu arteritis (TA) is a rare large-vessel vasculitis that can result in significant morbidity and mortality. The coexistence of TA with leishmaniasis infection has not been reported previously. Case description: An 8-year-old girl presented with recurrent skin nodules that heal spontaneously for four years.

Result of a year-long animal survey in a state-owned forest farm in Beijing, China.

Background Artificial forest can have great potential in serving as habitat to wildlife, depending on different management methods. As the state-owned forest farms now play a new role in ecological conservation in China, the biological richness of this kind of land-use type is understudied. Once owned by a mining company, a largest state-owned forest farm, Jingxi Forest Farm, has been reformed to be a state-owned forest farm with the purpose of conservation since 2017.

Meta-analysis of acupuncture combined with paroxetine in the treatment of depression.

Objective: To systematically evaluate the clinical efficacy of acupuncture combined with paroxetine in the treatment of depression.

Methods: The research literature on the treatment of depression with acupuncture and moxibustion combined with paroxetine was collected using keywords in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, CNKI, World Wide Web, Chinese Biomedical Literature and other public publication databases. Collaborative screening of literature was performed according to pre-established inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Electroacupuncture improves follicular development and metabolism and regulates the expression of adiponectin, AMPK and ACC in an obese rat model of polycystic ovary syndrome.

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder characterized by hyperandrogenism and follicular arrest. Electroacupuncture (EA) has been shown to be effective at improving hyperandrogenism and follicular arrest in PCOS; however, its mechanism of action remains to be deciphered.

Objective: In this study, we investigated whether EA improved follicular development in an obese rat model of PCOS and regulated the expression of adiponectin, AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC).

Volumetric changes in specific neurofunctional subfields of the hippocampus in major depressive disorder.

Objective: There is evidence that hippocampal volume is abnormal in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), but there have been no studies on volumetric changes in different subfields based on functional topography. This was investigated in the present study by comparing hippocampal neurofunctional subfield volumes between MDD patients and healthy control (HC) subjects.

Methods: Patients with MDD (n = 44) and HCs (n = 27) recruited at Shanghai Traditional Chinese Medicine Integrated Hospital underwent a T1-weighted anatomical MRI scan in the sagittal orientation, and the data were used to calculate hippocampal subfield volumes.

Long-term effect of moxibustion on irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea: a randomized clinical trial.

Background: Moxibustion is increasingly used for treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). This study investigated the long-term effects of moxibustion for IBS with diarrhea (IBS-D).

Methods: Patients with IBS-D were assigned to receive moxibustion or sham moxibustion (52 each, 3× per week, 6 weeks) and were followed up to 24 weeks.

Efficacy of acupuncture at ghost points combined with fluoxetine in treating depression: A randomized study.

Background: Depression affects more than 350 million people worldwide. In China, 4.2% (54 million people) of the total population suffers from depression.

Effectiveness of herb-partitioned moxibustion combined with electroacupuncture on polycystic ovary syndrome in patients with symptom pattern of kidney deficiency and phlegm-dampne.

Objective: To observe the effect of herb-partitioned moxibustion combined with electroacupuncture on polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in patients with symptom pattern of kidney deficiency and phlegm-dampness.

Methods: Totally 62 PCOS patients who met the inclusion criteria were randomly divided into intervention group and control group. In the intervention group, acupoints were subjected to (43 ± 1) ℃ herb-partitioned moxibustion and electroacupuncture treatment.

Herb-partitioned moxibustion regulated the miRNA expression profile in the thyroid tissues of rats with experimental autoimmune thyroiditi.

Objective: To observe the effect of herb-partitioned moxibustion (HPM) on the miRNA expression profile of thyroid tissue in experimental autoimmune thyroiditis (EAT) rats.

Methods: Rats were randomly divided into normal control (NC) group, EAT model (EAT) group, HPM group and western medicine (Med) group. EAT model rats were prepared by a combined immunization with complete and incomplete Freund's adjuvant emulsified with porcine thyroglobulin and iodine.

Effectiveness of Electroacupuncture for Simple Obesity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of electroacupuncture in the treatment of simple obesity.

Methods: Randomized clinical trials concerning electroacupuncture as a treatment of simple obesity published prior to October 31, 2019, were searched in the following Chinese and English databases: Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), WanFang Database, China Science and Technology Journal Database (VIP), Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Scopus. After data collection and quality evaluation, meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.

Effect of iterative reconstruction techniques on image quality in low radiation dose chest CT: a phantom study.

Purpose: We aimed to evaluate the quality of chest computed tomography (CT) images obtained with low-dose CT using three iterative reconstruction (IR) algorithms.

Methods: Two 64-detector spiral CT scanners (HDCT and iCT) were used to scan a chest phantom containing 6 ground-glass nodules (GGNs) at 11 radiation dose levels. CT images were reconstructed by filtered back projection or three IR algorithms.

Neurobiological Mechanism of Acupuncture for Relieving Visceral Pain of Gastrointestinal Origin.

It is currently accepted that the neural transduction pathways of gastrointestinal (GI) visceral pain include the peripheral and central pathways. Existing research on the neurological mechanism of electroacupuncture (EA) in the treatment of GI visceral pain has primarily been concerned with the regulation of relevant transduction pathways. The generation of pain involves a series of processes, including energy transduction of stimulatory signals in the sensory nerve endings (signal transduction), subsequent conduction in primary afferent nerve fibers of dorsal root ganglia, and transmission to spinal dorsal horn neurons, the ascending transmission of sensory signals in the central nervous system, and the processing of sensory signals in the cerebral cortex.

Moxibustion treatment for diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a worldwide disease with high morbidity. The effect of current treatment with Western medicine is not satisfactory. Although moxibustion treatment is widely used for gastrointestinal diseases, randomized controlled trials on the use of this treatment for IBS are limited.

[YANG's pricking-cupping therapy for knee osteoarthritis: a multi-center randomized controlled trial].

Objective: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of YANG's pricking-cupping therapy for knee osteoar thritis (KOA). Methods This was a multi-center randomized parallel controlled trial. One hundred and seventy one patients with KOA were randomly allocated to a pricking-cupping group (89 cases) and a conventional acu puncture group (82 cases).

Preparation and characterization of aminoethyl hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose modified with nisin.

Nisin grafted aminoethyl hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (AEHPMC) was prepared by an enzyme-catalyzed reaction in the presence of microbial transglutaminase (MTGase). AEHPMC was synthesized with 2-chloroethylamine hydrochloride (CEH) which was as an intermediate reactant. The parameters, which influenced the NH2% and the degree of substitution (DS), including reaction time, reaction temperature and the mass ratio of the reactants were investigated.

Feasibility Study of Radiation Dose Reduction in Adult Female Pelvic CT Scan with Low Tube-Voltage and Adaptive Statistical Iterative Reconstruction.

Objective: To evaluate image quality of female pelvic computed tomography (CT) scans reconstructed with the adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASIR) technique combined with low tube-voltage and to explore the feasibility of its clinical application.

Materials And Methods: Ninety-four patients were divided into two groups. The study group used 100 kVp, and images were reconstructed with 30%, 50%, 70%, and 90% ASIR.

Preparation and characterization of quaternary ammonium chitosan hydrogel with significant antibacterial activity.

Quaternary ammonium chitosan (HACC)/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/polyethylene oxide (PEO) hydrogels were prepared using gamma radiation. The chemical structure of the hydrogels was characterized using FT-IR. The results revealed that HACC, PVA and PEO were perfectly compatible and interacted via the hydrogen bonds.

Impact of the adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction technique on image quality in ultra-low-dose CT.

Aim: To evaluate the relationship between different noise indices (NIs) and radiation dose and to compare the effect of different reconstruction algorithm applications for ultra-low-dose chest computed tomography (CT) on image quality improvement and the accuracy of volumetric measurement of ground-glass opacity (GGO) nodules using a phantom study.

Materials And Methods: A 11 cm thick transverse phantom section with a chest wall, mediastinum, and 14 artificial GGO nodules with known volumes (919.93 ± 64.