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The traditional phase-resolved Doppler method demonstrates great success for in-vivo imaging of blood flow and blood vessels. However, the phase-resolved method always requires high phase stability of the system. In phase instable situations, the performance of the phase-resolved methods will be degraded. We propose a modified Doppler variance algorithm that is based on the intensity or amplitude value. Performances of the proposed algorithm are compared with traditional phase-resolved Doppler variance and color Doppler methods for both phase stable and phase instable systems. For the phase instable situation, the proposed algorithm demonstrates images without phase instability induced artifacts. In-vivo imaging of window-chamber hamster skin is demonstrated for phase instable situation with a spectrometer-based Fourier domain OCT system. A microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) based swept source OCT (SSOCT) system is also used to demonstrate the performance of the proposed method in a phase instable situation. The phase stability of the SSOCT system is analyzed. In-vivo imaging of the blood vessel of human skin is demonstrated with the proposed method and the SSOCT system. For the phase stable situation, the proposed algorithm also demonstrates comparable performance with traditional phase-resolved methods. In-vivo imaging of the human choroidal blood vessel network is demonstrated with the proposed method under the phase stable situation. Depth-resolved fine choroidal blood vessel networks are shown. © 2011 Optical Society of America.

Hu Li,1,2,* Cong Cong Yang,3,* Tianyu Bai,1 Jian Sun,4,5 Zhonghua Fu,4,6 Jia Mi,3 Li-Wei Chou7– 9 1Department of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Shandong Provincial Third Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, 250031, People’s Republic of China; 2School of Acupuncture and Tuina, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, 250355, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Ultrasound, Shandong Provincial Third Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, 250031, People’s Republic of China; 4Clinical Medical College of Acupuncture & Moxibustion and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, People’s Republic of China; 5Second Clinical Medical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, People’s Republic of China; 6Institute of Fu’s Subcutaneous Needling, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, People’s Republic of China; 7Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, 404332, Taiwan; 8Department of Physical Therapy and Graduate Institute of Rehabilitation Science, China Medical University, Taichung, 406040, Taiwan; 9Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Asia University Hospital, Asia University, Taichung, 413505, Taiwan*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Li-Wei Chou, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, No. 2 Yuh-Der Road, Taichung, 404332, Taiwan, Email chouliwe@gmail.comBackground: Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a leading cause of disability worldwide, with clinicians often observing increased muscle stiffness associated with joint pain and dysfunction. This study examines the impact of Fu’s Subcutaneous Needling (FSN), a non-pharmacological technique, on muscle stiffness in the lower limbs of individuals with knee OA.Materials and Methods: This study protocol is a pilot, single-center, randomized controlled trial. Sixty knee OA patients will be allocated equally for FSN or electroacupuncture (EA) treatments. Interventions will be applied thrice weekly for the first two weeks and twice weekly for the subsequent two weeks for a total of ten sessions. Assessments will be conducted at baseline, post-initial session, after four weeks of intervention, and at the end of a four-week follow-up. The primary outcome will be the muscle stiffness in the lower extremities, as measured by shear wave elastography (SWE). Secondary outcomes include response rate, a reduction in the mean pain intensity on the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) by at least two points and on the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) function subscale by six points at week four compared with baseline. Weekly monitoring of the NRS and WOMAC scores will determine the rapidity of pain alleviation and functional improvement, along with 12-item short-form (SF-12) score changes from baseline to week four.Results: This is the first standardized protocol examining the effects of FSN on lower limb muscle stiffness in patients with knee OA by SWE. We hypothesize that FSN could outperform EA in alleviating lower limb stiffness associated with knee OA. Findings will contribute to the body of knowledge regarding the efficacy of acupuncture-derived interventions in managing muscle stiffness and may guide future research directions.Study Registration: The trial has been registered on the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (Registered number: ChiCTR2300073615). Registered 17 July 2023.Keywords: Fu’s subcutaneous needling, electroacupuncture, muscle stiffness, knee osteoarthritis, shear wave elastography

Chih-Ying Wu,1– 3 Li-Wei Chou,4– 6 Shih-Wei Huang,7 Wen-Ling Liao,1,8 Shiaw-Meng Chang,9 Han-Chung Lee,10 Cheng-Di Chiu,3,11– 14 Chih-Hsin Tang,13,15– 18 Ching-Liang Hsieh16,19,20 1Graduate Institute of Integrated Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; 2Department of Neurosurgery, China Medical University Hsinchu Hospital, China Medical University, Hsinchu, Taiwan; 3Department of Neurosurgery, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; 4Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; 5Department of Physical Therapy and Graduate Institute of Rehabilitation Science, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; 6Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Asia University Hospital, Asia University, Taichung, Taiwan; 7Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, China Medical University Hsinchu Hospital, China Medical University, Hsinchu, Taiwan; 8Center for Personalized Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; 9Department of Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan; 10Neuroscience center, Everan Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; 11Spine Center, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; 12School of Medicine, College of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; 13Graduate Institute of Biomedical Science, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; 14Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan; 15Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; 16Chinese Medicine Research Center, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; 17Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, College of Health Science, Asia University, Taichung, Taiwan; 18Department of Medical Research, China Medical University Hsinchu Hospital, Hsinchu, Taiwan; 19Department of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; 20Graduate Institute of Acupuncture Science, China Medical University, Taichung, TaiwanCorrespondence: Chih-Hsin Tang, Graduate Institute of Biomedical Science, College of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, 40402, Taiwan, Email chtang@mail.cmu.edu.tw Ching-Liang Hsieh, Graduate Institute of Acupuncture Science, China Medical University, 91 Hsueh-Shih Road, Taichung, 40402, Taiwan, Tel +886-4-22053366, Fax +886-4-22037690, Email clhsieh0826@gmail.comBackground: Fu’s subcutaneous needling (FSN) is a novel acupuncture technique for pain treatment. This study investigated the effects of postsurgical FSN on postoperative pain in patients receiving surgery for degenerative spinal disorders.Methods: This single-center, single-blind, randomized-controlled study involved patients undergoing surgery for degenerative spinal disorders. Participants were randomized into either an FSN group or a control group that received sham FSN. The primary outcomes were scores on the Brief Pain Inventory Taiwan version (BPI-T) and Oswestry Disability Index before and at 1, 24, and 48 hours after surgery. Secondary outcomes were muscle hardness, pethidine use, and inflammatory biomarker presence.Results: Initially, 51 patients met the inclusion criteria and were allocated (26 in the FSN group and 25 in the control group). Two patients were lost to follow-up, and finally, 49 patients (25 in the FSN group and 24 in the control group) who completed the study were analyzed. The FSN group had significantly lower pain intensity measured on the BPI-T compared with the control group at 1, 24, 48, and 72 hours after surgical treatment (all p < 0.001). Additionally, pain interference as measured on the BPI-T was lower in the FSN group than in the control group 1 hour (p = 0.001), 24 hours (p = 0.018), 48 hours (p = 0.001), and 72 hours (p = 0.017) after surgical treatment. Finally, the FSN group exhibited less muscle hardness in the latissimus dorsi and gluteus maximus 24, 48, and 72 hours (all p < 0.05) after surgery compared with the control group; patients in the FSN group also exhibited less muscle hardness in the L3 paraspinal muscle 48 hours (p = 0.001) and 72 hours (p < 0.001) after surgery compared with the control group. There were no significant differences in serum CRP, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-6, and TNF-α levels between the FSN and control groups at 24 hours, 72 hours, and 1-month post-surgery (all p > 0.05).Conclusion: FSN treatment can reduce postoperative pain in patients receiving surgery for degenerative spinal disorders. However, larger sample sizes and multicenter clinical trials are required to verify these findings.Keywords: Fu’s subcutaneous needling, degenerative spinal disorders, postoperative pain, surgical treatment, clinical trial

This in vitro pilot study was performed to determine whether a treatment algorithm including mechanical debridement, followed by air powder abrasion with glycine, followed by citric acid conditioning with vigorous flushing of the surface with sterile water after each step, is capable of decontaminating an infected implant surface. A total of 14 dental implants that were deemed hopeless due to advanced peri-implantitis were extracted. Of these, 6 implants served as tests and had their exposed surfaces treated with the decontamination protocol, 6 served as untreated controls, and 2 were mechanically treated only, followed by rubbing the surface with sterile saline. All implants were placed in culture with human osteoprogenitor cells for 72 hours, and evaluation was performed using scanning electron microscopy. The 6 test implants all demonstrated attachment and proliferation of the normal human osteoprogenitor cells on their prior exposed and decontaminated surfaces. All of the untreated control and the mechanically debrided, sterile water--treated implants failed to demonstrate this same success. The results suggest that this protocol can decontaminate an implant surface affected by peri-implantitis. Further studies are warranted to determine if this technique would demonstrate similar success over a greater number of implants and whether this outcome may occur in humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]