Objective To observe the effect of freeze-dried sea cucumber powder in the treatment of patients with kidney-yang deficiency of perimenopause syndrome ,and to observe its effect on the levels of gonadal hormone . Methods 30 patients with kidney-yang deficiency of perimenopause syndrome were selected ,the changes of the Kup-perman score,the clinical effect and the levels of serum E2,FSH and LH before and after treatment were observed. Results After treatment,the clinical symptoms were significantly improved and the total effective rate was 90%.The improvement of Kupperman scores had significant difference (P<0.01).The serum level of E2 was increased signifi-cantly after treatment (P<0.05),while the serum levels of FSH and LH were decreased significantly (P<0.05). Conclusion Freeze-dried sea cucumber powder in the treatment of patients with kidney-yang deficiency of perimeno-pause syndrome has preferable clinical effects and can modify gonadal hormone levels .

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the value of combination of thyroid imaging reporting and data system (TI-RADS) and enhanced flow (e-Flow) in the qualitative diagnosis of thyroid nodules; and to compare the diagnostic efficiency between e-Flow and color doppler flow imaging (CDFI. METHOD: The study chose 133 patients with 179 nodules (127 benign, 52 malignant nodules) who had per-operative ultrasound examination of their thyroid using grey-scale ultrasound, CDFI, e-Flow, and their noudles were graded by TI-RADS. Then the ultrasound diagnostic value were compared with their surgical pathology results by TI-RADS; TI-RADS and CDFI; TI-RADS and e-Flow, and diagnostic efficiency between e-Flow and CDFI were compared. RESULT: The results revealed that combination of TI-RADS and e-Flow had a higher sensitivity (94.23%, P < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between TI-RADS and the combination of TI-RADS and CDFI. Likewise, there was no significant difference between the combination of TI-RADS and e-Flow and the combination of TI-RADS and CDFI. The e-Flow showed a higher sensitivity, specificity and accuracy compare to the CDFI. CONCLUSION Combining e-Flow and TI-RADS could improve the sensitivity in qualitative diagnosis of thyroid nodules. Also, e-Flow has a better diagnostic efficiency of thyroid nodules.
Diagnosis, Differential ; Diagnostic Imaging ; Humans ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Thyroid Nodule ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; Ultrasonography

The study included 197 thyroid nodules which were confirmed by fine-needle aspiration cytology or histopathologic examination. All nodules were graded with malignancy risk stratification of thyroids nodule accordingto the 2015 American Thyroid Association(ATA)management guidelines. Both color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI) and superb microvascular imaging(SMI) were used to classify blood flows of thyroid nodules according to Adler's grading criteria. Morphologic and distribution features of blood flow were also observed by monochrome (mSMI). The optimal threshold drawing from ROC curve and diagnostic efficacy of single and combinative modality were calculated. The results showed that mSMI was more sensitive to detect blood flow of thyroid nodules than other Doppler techniques(P<0.01). Microvascular morphologic features between benign and malignant thyroid nodules were significantly different(P<0.01). The area under ROC curves of ATA,mSMI,and ATA+mSMI were 0.745, 0.740,and 0.834,respectively,suggesting that the diagnostic performance of ATA+mSMI is superior to that of ATA or mSMI alone. There was no significant deference in the sensitivity among ATA, mSMI, and ATA+mSMI (P>0.05). But the specficity and accuracy of combinative modality ATA+mSMI was significantly higher than that of ATA or mSMI alone(P<0.05).

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a global health problem that causes major illnesses and disabilities worldwide. Epidemiologic studies have demonstrated that the prevalence of AR has increased progressively over the last few decades in more developed countries and currently affects up to 40% of the population worldwide. Likewise, a rising trend of AR has also been observed over the last 2–3 decades in developing countries including China, with the prevalence of AR varying widely in these countries. A survey of self-reported AR over a 6-year period in the general Chinese adult population reported that the standardized prevalence of adult AR increased from 11.1% in 2005 to 17.6% in 2011. An increasing number of original articles and imporclinical trials on the epidemiology, pathophysiologic mechanisms, diagnosis, management and comorbidities of AR in Chinese subjects have been published in international peer-reviewed journals over the past 2 decades, and substantially added to our understanding of this disease as a global problem. Although guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of AR in Chinese subjects have also been published, they have not been translated into English and therefore not generally accessible for reference to non-Chinese speaking international medical communities. Moreover, methods for the diagnosis and treatment of AR in China have not been standardized entirely and some patients are still treated according to regional preferences. Thus, the present guidelines have been developed by the Chinese Society of Allergy to be accessible to both national and international medical communities involved in the management of AR patients. These guidelines have been prepared in line with existing international guidelines to provide evidence-based recommendations for the diagnosis and management of AR in China.
Adult ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group* ; China ; Comorbidity ; Developed Countries ; Developing Countries ; Diagnosis* ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Epidemiology ; Global Health ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity* ; Prevalence ; Rhinitis, Allergic*

The current document is based on a consensus reached by a panel of experts from the Chinese Society of Allergy and the Chinese Society of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Rhinology Group. Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) affects approximately 8% of Chinese adults. The inflammatory and remodeling mechanisms of CRS in the Chinese population differ from those observed in the populations of European descent. Recently, precision medicine has been used to treat inflammation by targeting key biomarkers that are involved in the process. However, there are no CRS guidelines or a consensus available from China that can be shared with the international academia. The guidelines presented in this paper cover the epidemiology, economic burden, genetics and epigenetics, mechanisms, phenotypes and endotypes, diagnosis and differential diagnosis, management, and the current status of CRS in China. These guidelines—with a focus on China—will improve the abilities of clinical and medical staff during the treatment of CRS. Additionally, they will help international agencies in improving the verification of CRS endotypes, mapping of eosinophilic shifts, the identification of suitable biomarkers for endotyping, and predicting responses to therapies. In conclusion, these guidelines will help select therapies, such as pharmacotherapy, surgical approaches and innovative biotherapeutics, which are tailored to each of the individual CRS endotypes.
Adult ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Biomarkers ; China ; Consensus ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Drug Therapy ; Eosinophils ; Epidemiology ; Epigenomics ; Genetics ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Inflammation ; International Agencies ; Medical Staff ; Neck ; Phenotype ; Precision Medicine

Few studies have focused on the cost of acupuncture treatments although acupuncture has become popular in the United States (U.S.). The purpose of the current study was to examine the out-of-pocket costs incurred from acupuncture services based on an online website, OkCopay.com. We examined descriptive statistics (range, median and 20% intervals) for the cost of acupuncture "first-time visits" and "follow-up visits" in 41 metropolitan regions in the U.S. The acupuncture prices of 723 clinics throughout 39 metropolitan regions were included, except for Birmingham, Alabama and Detroit, Michigan as there was no online data available at the time of the study for these two regions. The cost range for a first-time acupuncture visit was $15-400; the highest median was $150 in Charleston, South Carolina, while the lowest was $45 in St. Louis, Missouri. The top 10 cities for the highest median were: Baltimore, Washington, D.C., New York, San Francisco, San Jose, Boston, Atlanta, Seattle, Portland and Indianapolis, with the median $120, while the median for all 723 clinics was $112. For the follow-up visits, the cost range was $15-300; the highest median was $108 in Charleston, South Carolina, and the lowest $40 in Miami, Florida. The 10 cities with highest median follow-up acupuncture visit costs were: New York, Baltimore, New Orleans, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle, Boston and Atlanta, with the median $85, while for all 723 clinics the median price was $80. The estimation of the average gross annual income of each acupuncturist from the regions studied was $95,760, while the total annual cost of patients seeking acupuncture services in the U.S. was about $3.5 billion in 2018.