This study explores whether the current external quality assessment (EQA) level and acceptable bias for basic semen analysis in China are clinically useful. We collected data of semen EQA from Andrology laboratories in the Hunan Province (China) in 2022 and searched for data in the published literature from January 2000 to December 2023 in China. On the basis of these data, we analyzed the coefficients of variation and acceptable biases of different quality control materials for basic semen analysis through robust statistics. We compared these findings with quality specifications based on biological variation from optimal, desirable, and minimum levels of bias to seek a unified and more suitable semen EQA bias evaluation standard for China's national conditions. Different sources of semen quality control material exhibited considerable variation in acceptable biases among laboratories, ranging from 8.2% to 56.9%. A total of 50.0% of the laboratories met the minimum quality specifications for progressive motility (PR), whereas 100.0% and 75.0% of laboratories met only the minimum quality specifications for sperm concentration and total motility (nonprogressive [NP] + PR), respectively. The Z value for sperm concentration and PR+NP was equivalent to the desirable performance specification, whereas the Z value for PR was equivalent only to the minimum performance specification. This study highlights the feasibility of operating external quality assessment schemes for basic semen analysis using quality specifications based on biological variation. These specifications should be unified among external quality control (EQC) centers based on biological variation.
Semen Analysis/standards* ; Humans ; China ; Male ; Quality Control ; Sperm Motility ; Sperm Count/standards*

Objective To investigate disease characteristics and hospitalization costs of children with Mycoplasma Pneumoniae pneumonia(MPP)admitted to Shanghai municipal medical hospitals from 2019 to 2023.Methods Depending on the Shanghai Municipal Hospital Pediatric Alliance,we retrospectively investigated community acquired MPP pediatric patients hospitalized in 22 municipal hospitals with pediatric qualifications(including 4 children's hospitals)in Shanghai from Jan 2019 to Dec 2023.We collected the patients'diagnosis codes,gender,age,length of hospital stay,hospitalization costs,and whether they progressed to severe Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia(SMPP).Results From 2019 to 2023,a total of 29 045 hospitalized children with MPP were treated,with 6 035 cases(20.8%)identified as SMPP in the 22 hospitals.Trend analysis revealed a rising trend with years in the proportion of SMPP patients(χ2trend=365.498,P<0.001).Among the 4 children's hospitals,there were 18 710 cases with MPP,including 4 078 cases(21.8%)of SMPP.The proportion of SMPP patients also showed an increasing trend with years(χ2trend=14.548,P<0.001),and the proportion in 2023(23.0%)was higher than that in previous years with statistical significance.There were statistical differences in the seasonal distribution of MPP cases between different years,with higher proportions in summer and autumn overall.The age distribution of hospitalized MPP children varied among different years,with school-age children accounting for the majority(56.8%)in 2023.There was no difference in the distribution of severe cases between different genders,but there were differences in the proportion of severe cases among different age groups in different years,with a gradual increase in severe cases among children aged 1 to 3 years(χ2trend=191.567,P<0.001).The average length of hospital stay for MPP during the epidemic was higher than that during non-epidemic periods,and there were statistically significant differences in the average length of hospital stay between different years(P<0.001).The individual hospitalization costs during the epidemic were higher than in other years,and there were statistically significant differences in individual hospitalization costs between different years(P<0.001).The total hospitalization costs were still higher in 2019 and 2023.The individual hospitalization costs for SMPP were higher than for non-SMPP cases.Conclusion MPP outbreaks occurred in Shanghai in 2019 and 2023,with the higher proportions in summer and autumn overall.Compared to previous years,the number of hospitalized MPP children in Shanghai was higher in 2023,with a higher proportion of SMPP cases,especially among children under 3 years old.The individual per capita hospitalization expenses for SMPP cases were higher than for non-SMPP cases.

Objective To analyze the expression level of YEATS2 in hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)about its clinical prognosis and therapeutic value based on biological information from the cancer genome atlas(TCGA)and human protein atlas(HPA)databases.Methods The mRNA expression data and clinical information of HCC were downloaded from the TCGA database,the expression of YEATS2 between HCC tissues and normal tissues was analyzed by using the R software,and the protein expression differences were preliminary verified by the HPA database.The expression differences of YEATS2 between various clinical features of HCC were compared,and their effects on the survival of HCC patients by Kaplan-Meier method and COX regression analysis were then evaluated.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves were plotted to evaluate their diagnostic values.The biological functions of YEATS2 in HCC were analyzed using gene ontology(GO)and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes(KEGG)enrichment analysis.The relationship between YEATS2 expression and tumor microenvironment(TME)was analyzed by the"ESTIMATE"algorithm,and its relationship with tumor-infiltrating immune cells(TIICs)was assessed by CIBERSORT.Analysis of YEATS2 expression levels to immune checkpoints and drug sensitivity was performed using the R package.Results The expression of YEATS2 was increased in HCC tissues(P=4.96e-21),and its expression level was correlated with age,clinical stage,pathological grade and T stage(all P＜0.05).Overall survival(OS)(P＜0.001)and progression-free survival(FPS)(P=0.016)were decreased in HCC patients with high expression of YEATS2,COX regression results showed that the expression level ofYEATS2 was associated with poor prognosis in HCC patients(OS:HR=2.167,95％CI:1.441～3.261,P=2.06e-04),and it was an independent risk factor for predicting poor prognosis in HCC patients(OS:HR=1.891,95％CI:1.243～2.877,P=0.003).The ROC curve suggested the AUCs for 1,3 and 5 years were 0.677,0.622 and 0.612,respectively,indicating good predictive ability.The TCGA database screened a total of 6 764 differential genes in the YEATS2 high and low expression groups,of which 4 094 genes were up-regulated and 2 670 genes were down-regulated in the YEATS2 high expression group.The results of GO and KEGG enrichment analyses showed that the differentially differentiated genes in the YEATS2 high expression group were mainly enriched in immunoregulation,and cell cycle regulation drug resistance pathway.The results of the TME score showed that the YEATS2 high expression group caused a decrease in immunity score(P＜0.01).The correlation between YEATS2 and TIICs showed that YEATS2 expression was positively correlated with the level of M0-type macrophage infiltration levels(r=0.48,P＜0.001)and 23 immune checkpoint genes(r=0.20～0.46,all P＜0.05),and was negatively correlated with the CD8+T-cells,plasma cells and monocyte(r=-0.26,-0.29,-0.30,P=0.021,0.011,0.008).Drug sensitivity analysis showed that the half maximal inhibitory concentration(IC50)of cabozantinib,lincitinib,doxorubicin,and cyclobenzaprine in patients with high expression of YEATS2 was higher than those in patients with low expression(all P＜0.01).Conclusion YEATS2 was highly expressed in HCC,and the expression level was associated with poor prognosis in HCC patients.YEATS2 can be used as a biomarker for the clinical early diagnosis,prognosis and immunotherapy of HCC,which may provide new ideas for clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) diseases are common clinical conditions. The number of patients with TMJ diseases is large, and the etiology, epidemiology, disease spectrum, and treatment of the disease remain controversial and unknown. To understand and master the current situation of the occurrence, development and prevention of TMJ diseases, as well as to identify the patterns in etiology, incidence, drug sensitivity, and prognosis is crucial for alleviating patients′suffering.This will facilitate in-depth medical research, effective disease prevention measures, and the formulation of corresponding health policies. Cohort construction and research has an irreplaceable role in precise disease prevention and significant improvement in diagnosis and treatment levels. Large-scale cohort studies are needed to explore the relationship between potential risk factors and outcomes of TMJ diseases, and to observe disease prognoses through long-term follw-ups. The consensus aims to establish a standard conceptual frame work for a cohort study on patients with TMJ disease while providing ideas for cohort data standards to this condition. TMJ disease cohort data consists of both common data standards applicable to all specific disease cohorts as well as disease-specific data standards. Common data were available for each specific disease cohort. By integrating different cohort research resources, standard problems or study variables can be unified. Long-term follow-up can be performed using consistent definitions and criteria across different projects for better core data collection. It is hoped that this consensus will be facilitate the development cohort studies of TMJ diseases.

Objective To investigate the knowledge and behavioral status of foot care among patients with type 2 diabetes in Xinjiekou Community in Beijing and analyze its influencing factors. Methods A convenient sampling method was used to select 278 diabetes patients from Xinjiekou Community in Beijing for questionnaire surveys, which included general information, foot care knowledge, and behaviors of the patients. Results The average score of foot care knowledge among the 278 patients was (71.65±14.59), indicating a moderate level overall. The average score of foot care behavior was (48.83±8.83), indicating a poor level overall. Multivariate stepwise regression analysis showed that gender, duration of diabetes, and whether the patients had received foot care education or not were independent influencing factors for both the foot care knowledge score and the foot care behavior score among community diabetes patients (P < 0.05). Pearson correlation analysis showed that a positive correlation between foot care knowledge and foot care behavior among community diabetes patients was observed(r=0.593, P < 0.001). Conclusion The level of foocare knowledge among diabetes patients in this community in Beijing is moderate, while the status of foot care behaviors is not optimistic. Community healthcare professionals should strengthen health education on foot care, improve patients' knowledge of foot care and compliance with foot care behaviors, and pay attention to male patients and those with a shorter duration of diabetes to reduce the occurrence of diabetic foot.

In addition to the essential pharmacologi-cal effects of opioids,situational cues associated with drug addiction memory are key triggers for drug seeking.CircRNAs,an emerging hotspot regulator in crown genet-ics-play an important role in central nervous system-relat-ed diseases.However,the internal mediating mechanism of circRNA in the field of drug reward and addiction mem-ory remains unknown.Here,we trained mice on a condi-tional place preference(CPP)model and collected nucle-us accumbens(NAc)tissues from day 1(T0)and day 8(T1)for high-throughput RNA sequencing.qRT-PCR revealed that circTmeff-1 was highly expressed in the NAc core but not in the NAc shell,suggesting that it plays a role in addiction memory formation.Meanwhile,the reverse regulation of circTmeff-1 by adeno-associated viruses could both inhibit the formation of addiction mem-ory in the NAc core or shell.Subsequently,the GO and KEGG analyses indicated 21 that circTmeff-1 might regu-late the addiction memory via the MAPK and AMPK path-ways.These findings suggest that circTmeff-1 in NAc plays a crucial role in morphine-dependent memory for-mation.

Objective:To compare the effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy vs. concurrent chemoradiotherapy on the target volume and organs at risk for locally advanced bulky (>4 cm) cervical cancer. Methods:From March 1, 2019 to June 30, 2021, 146 patients pathologically diagnosed with cervical cancer were selected and randomly divided into two groups using random number table method: the neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) + concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) group ( n=73) and CCRT group ( n=73). Patients in the NACT+CCRT group received 2 cycles of paclitaxel combined with cisplatin NACT, followed by CCRT, the chemotherapy regimen was the same as NACT. In the CCRT group, CCRT was given. Statistical description of categorical data was expressed by rate. The measurement data between two groups were compared by Wilcoxon rank-sum test for comparison of two independent samples, and the rate or composition ratio of two groups was compared by χ2 test. Results:Before radiotherapy, GTV in the NACT+CCRT group was (31.95±25.96) cm 3, significantly lower than (71.54±33.59) cm 3 in the CCRT group ( P<0.01). Besides, CTV and PTV in the NACT+CCRT group were also significantly lower compared with those in the CCRT group (both P<0.05). In terms of target volume dosimetry, D 100GTV, D 95CTV, V 100GTV, V 100CTV and V 95PTV in the NACT+CCRT group were significantly higher than those in the CCRT group (all P<0.05). The complete remision (CR) rates in the NACT+CCRT and CCRT groups were 86.3% and 67.6%, with statistical significance between two groups ( P<0.01) . Regarding organs at risk, NACT+CCRT group significantly reduced the dose to the bladder, rectum, small intestine and urethra compared with CCRT group (all P<0.05). Conclusions:NACT can reduce the volume of tumors in patients with large cervical masses, increase the radiation dose to tumors, reduce the dose to organs at risk, and make the three-dimensional brachytherapy easier. Therefore, NACT combined with CCRT may be a new choice for patients with locally advanced cervical cancer with large masses.

Currently,the research or publications related to the clinical comprehensive evaluation of Chinese patent medicine are increasing,which attracts the broad attention of all circles. According to the completed clinical evaluation report on Chinese patent medicine,there are still practical problems and technical difficulties such as unclear responsibility of the evaluation organization,unclear evaluation subject,miscellaneous evaluation objects,and incomplete and nonstandard evaluation process. In terms of evaluation standards and specifications,there are different types of specifications or guidelines with different emphases issued by different academic groups or relevant institutions. The professional guideline is required to guide the standardized and efficient clinical comprehensive evaluation of Chinese patent medicine and further improve the authority and quality of evaluation. In combination with the characteristics of Chinese patent medicine and the latest research achievement at home and abroad,the detailed specifications were formulated from six aspects including design,theme selection,content and index,outcome,application and appraisal,and quality control. The guideline was developed based on the guideline development requirements of China Assoication of Chinese medicine. After several rounds of expert consensus and public consultation,the current version of the guideline has been developed.
Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Nonprescription Drugs ; Consensus ; China ; Reference Standards ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal

Selective dorsal neurotomy (SDN) is a surgical treatment for primary premature ejaculation (PE), but there is still no standard surgical procedure for selecting the branches of the dorsal penile nerves to be removed. We performed this study to explore the value of intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IONM) of the penile sensory-evoked potential (PSEP) for standard surgical procedures in SDN. One hundred and twenty primary PE patients undergoing SDN were selected as the PE group and 120 non-PE patients were selected as the normal group. The PSEP was monitored and compared between the two groups under both natural and general anesthesia (GA) states. In addition, patients in the PE group were randomly divided into the IONM group and the non-IONM group. During SDN surgery, PSEP parameters of the IONM group were recorded and analyzed. The differences in PE-related outcome measurements between the perioperative period and 3 months' postoperation were compared for the PE patients, and the differences in effectiveness and complications between the IONM group and the non-IONM group were compared. The results showed that the average latency of the PSEP in the PE group was shorter than that in the normal group under both natural and GA states (P < 0.001). Three months after surgery, the significant effective rates in the IONM and non-IONM groups were 63.6% and 34.0%, respectively (P < 0.01), and the difference in complications between the two groups was significant (P < 0.05). IONM might be useful in improving the short-term therapeutic effectiveness and reducing the complications of SDN.
Male ; Humans ; Premature Ejaculation/surgery* ; Intraoperative Neurophysiological Monitoring/methods* ; Prospective Studies ; Neurosurgical Procedures/methods* ; Penis/surgery* ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVES: To explore the application of whole-genome sequencing (WGS) in the rapid clinical diagnosis of critically ill neonates. METHODS: The critically ill neonates who admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit of Children's Hospital of Fudan University and underwent WGS from August to September, 2019 were enrolled in this prospective study. The genetic testing results and clinical outcome were analyzed with reference to the sequencing data and clinical features of the neonates. RESULTS: A total of 15 neonates were tested, among whom there were 9 boys and 6 girls. The main reason for hospitalization included abnormal breathing in 7 neonates, poor response in 2 neonates, feeding difficulty in 2 neonates, fever in 1 neonate, hypothermia in 1 neonate, preterm birth in 1 neonate, and convulsion in 1 neonate. The mean turn-around time was 4.5 days for WGS. Finally a genetic diagnosis was obtained for 3 neonates, with a positive diagnostic rate of 20% (3/15). Among the 3 neonates, 2 neonates were withdrawn from the treatment due to severe conditions and 1 neonate died on the day when the sample was sent for genetic testing, whose etiology could be explained by the results of genetic testing. CONCLUSIONS WGS technique can provide a timely and effective diagnosis for critically ill neonates suspected of genetic diseases and provide genetic evidence for clinical treatment of critically ill cases.
Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Critical Illness ; Prospective Studies ; Premature Birth ; Dyspnea ; Fever