Insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) is a critical endocrine mediator implicated in male reproductive physiology. To investigate the correlation between IGF2 protein levels and various aspects of male infertility, specifically focusing on sperm quality, inflammation, and DNA damage, a cohort of 320 male participants was recruited from the Women's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine (Hangzhou, China) between 1 st January 2024 and 1 st March 2024. The relationship between IGF2 protein concentrations and sperm parameters was assessed, and Spearman correlation and linear regression analysis were employed to evaluate the independent associations between IGF2 protein levels and risk factors for infertility. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to measure IGF2 protein levels in seminal plasma, alongside markers of inflammation (tumor necrosis factor-alpha [TNF-α] and interleukin-1β [IL-1β]). The relationship between seminal plasma IGF2 protein levels and DNA damage marker phosphorylated histone H2AX (γ-H2AX) was also explored. Our findings reveal that IGF2 protein expression decreased notably in patients with asthenospermia and teratospermia. Correlation analysis revealed nuanced associations between IGF2 protein levels and specific sperm parameters, and low IGF2 protein concentrations correlated with increased inflammation and DNA damage in sperm. The observed correlations between IGF2 protein levels and specific sperm parameters, along with its connection to inflammation and DNA damage, underscore the importance of IGF2 in the broader context of male reproductive health. These findings lay the groundwork for future research and potential therapeutic interventions targeting IGF2-related pathways to enhance male fertility.
Humans ; Male ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor II/metabolism* ; Infertility, Male/genetics* ; DNA Damage ; Adult ; Inflammation/metabolism* ; Spermatozoa/metabolism* ; Semen Analysis ; Semen/metabolism* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolism* ; Histones/metabolism* ; Interleukin-1beta/metabolism*

Objective:To investigate the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of human parainfluenza viruses (HPIVs) infection among hospitalized children with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in China, and provide basic data for diagnosis, treatment and prevention of HPIVs infection.Methods:From November 2014 to February 2020, 5 448 hospitalized children with CAP were enrolled in 14 hospitals in 11 provinces and municipalities directly under the Central Government in southern China and northern China. Nasopharyngeal aspirates or throat swabs were collected, and the nucleic acids of 18 types respiratory viruses including HPIV1-4 were screened by suspension array technology. Demographic data and clinical information were collected for statistical analysis.Results:The total detection rate of HPIVs in 5 448 children with CAP was 8.83% (481/5 448), and the detection rate in males was higher than that in females (62.79% vs. 37.21%; χ2=0.000, P=0.992). The detection rate of HPIVs in 1~< 3 years age group was higher than that in other age groups, and the difference was statistically significant ( χ2=61.893, P<0.001). The detection rate of HPIVs in the northern region was higher than that in the southern region (9.02% vs 8.65%), but the difference was not statistically significant ( χ2=0.239, P=0.625). The prevalence of HPIV1-4 in northern and southern China was not completely same. HPIV1 was mainly prevalent in autumn in both northern and southern regions. HPIV2 was prevalent in summer in northern China, and the detection rate was low in southern China. HPIV3 reached its peak in both spring and summer in both northern and southern China, but its duration was longer in southern China than in northern China. HPIV4 is mainly popular in autumn in both southern China and northern China. Among 481 children infected with HPIVs, 58.42% (281/481) were infected with HPIV alone, and the main clinical manifestations were cough (90.75%) and fever (68.68%). Out of the HPIV-positive cases, 42.62% (205/481) were co-infected with another type of HPIV or a different virus, while 11.43% (55/481) had co-infections with two or more different viruses. HPIV3 was the most common type of co-infection with other viruses. HPIV3 infection accounted for the largest proportion (76.80%) in 47 HPIVs-positive children with severe pneumonia. Conclusions:HPIVs is one of the most important pathogens causing CAP in children in China, and children under 3 years of age are the main populations of HPIVs infection. The prevalence characteristics of all types of HPIVs in children in the north and south are not completely same. HPIV3 is the dominant type of HPIV infections and causes more severe diseases.

Acute respiratory tract infection is the most common infectious disease in children, which seriously threatens children′s health.Rapid and accurate etiological diagnosis is of great significance for the clinical treatment and control of these diseases.Pathogen nucleic acid test was applied and became the main method of respiratory tract infection diagnosis for its high sensitivity and specificity.To regulate the application of pathogen nucleic acid amplification test in respiratory tract infection in children, improve the diagnosis level, expert consensus on nucleic acid amplification test of respiratory pathogens in children was prepared to guide the application and promote pathogens diagnosis ability.

Group A Streptococcus (GAS) is a very important pathogen, especially for children.On a global scale, GAS is an important cause of morbidity and mortality.But the burden of disease caused by GAS is still unknown in China and also has not obtained enough attention.For this purpose, the expert consensus is comprehensively described in diagnosis, treatment and prevention of GAS diseases in children, covering related aspects of pneumology, infectiology, immunology, microbiology, cardiology, nephrology, critical care medicine and preventive medicine.Accordingly, the consensus document was intended to improve management strategies of GAS disease in Chinese children.

OBJECTIVE: To establish a method for simultaneous determination of 15 kinds of vapor state organic acids in workplace air by solvent desorption-gas chromatography.METHODS: A total 15 kinds of vapor state organic acids such as acetic acid, propanoic acid, butyric acid and pentanoic acid in the air of workplace were collected by silica gel, eluted with acetone, separated by DB-FFAP capillary chromatograph column, and detected by gas chromatography with flame ionization detection. RESULTS: There was a good linear relationship in the selected range of 15 kinds of organic acids. The coefficient correlation was 0.999 97-0.999 98. The limit of detection of this method was 0.04-0.29 mg/L, and the minimum detection concentration was 0.03-0.19 mg/m~(3 )(collected sample volume was 1.50 L). The average desorption efficiency was 92.9%-98.5%. The within-run and between-run relative standard deviation was 0.3%-1.6% and 1.5%-3.0%, respectively. The samples could be kept for at least 15 days at room temperature. CONCLUSION: The method is simple for operation, with high sensitivity, and good precision, which is suitable for simultaneous determination of 15 kinds of vapor state organic acids in the air of workplace and sites of emergency accident.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the clinical effects of iliolumbar fixation for the sacrum fractures of Denis type II.

METHODSThe clinical data of 86 patients with sacrum fracture of Denis type II treated by iliolumbar fixation from January 2008 to January 2012 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 55 males and 31 females, aged from 17 to 55 years old with an average of 39.1 years. Among them, 73 cases complicated with pelvis fracture and 13 cases with acetabular fracture; 37 cases with sacral neurological symptoms and 49 cases without sacral neurological symptoms. Fracture healing time, nerve function, clinical function and complications were observed in the patients.

RESULTSIn 86 cases, 6 cases were out of followed-up and 80 cases were followed up from 24 to 71 months with an average of 36 months. The mean fracture healing time was 13 weeks (ranged, 10 to 38 weeks). According to Gibbons scoring to evaluate the neurological function, preoperative nerve rehabilitation, lower limbs feeling, lower limbs activity,bladder and rectum function,total score respectively were 0.62 +/- 0.04, 1.54 +/- 0.35, 1.12 +/- 0.18, 0.23 +/- 0.01, 3.46 +/- 0.47 and postoperative respectively were 0.82 +/- 0.12, 0.36 +/- 0.04, 0.05 +/- 0.01, 0.03 +/- 0.01, 1.25 +/- 0.22, there were statistically significant differences between preoperative and postoperative (P < 0.05). According to Majeed scoring to evaluate the clinical function, postoperative pain, standing, sitting, sexual life, work ability, total score respectively were 22.54 +/- 4.02, 27.93 +/- 5.46, 8.47 +/- 3.61, 2.54 +/- 1.33, 16.46 +/- 4.34, 81.32 +/- 8.73, 60 cases got excellent results, 17 good, 3 fair. The main complications including fracture nonunion of 5 cases,deep incision infection of 1 case, and screw prominence resulting uncomfortable of 8 cases.

CONCLUSIONIliolumbar fixation has the advantages of stable fixation, satisfactory functional rehabilitation, less complications, and is a good method in treating sacrum fracture of Denis type II.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Bone Screws ; Female ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Sacrum ; injuries ; surgery ; Spinal Fractures ; surgery ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

Forest bathing trip is a short, leisurely visit to forest. In this study we determined the health effects of forest bathing trip on elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The patients were randomly divided into two groups. One group was sent to forest, and the other was sent to an urban area as control. Flow cytometry, ELISA, and profile of mood states (POMS) evaluation were performed. In the forest group, we found a significant decrease of perforin and granzyme B expressions, accompanied by decreased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and stress hormones. Meanwhile, the scores in the negative subscales of POMS decreased after forest bathing trip. These results indicate that forest bathing trip has health effect on elderly COPD patients by reducing inflammation and stress level.
Aged ; Cytokines ; genetics ; metabolism ; Female ; Forests ; Gene Expression Regulation ; physiology ; Humans ; Lymphocyte Subsets ; physiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive ; pathology ; psychology ; therapy ; Recreation

Objective To study the therapeutic effects of acupuncture therapy for prevent pain of replantation of severed finger. Methods Totals of 80 patients were randomly divided into two groups from March 2012 to March 2014. Patients in the treatment group were treated with acupuncture therapy, and patients in the control group were treated with routine care. Results The pain scores of 4, 6, 12, 24 and 48 hours after the treatment in the treatment group were (2. 13 ± 0. 33), (2. 75 ± 0. 67), (3. 25 ± 0. 59), (3. 43 ± 0. 78) and (2.85 ±0.62), which were significantly lower than those in the control group (t =2. 421, 2. 270, 7. 223, 7. 614, 4. 106, respectively;P<0. 05). In the treatment group, one case had vascular crisis, with an incidence of 2. 5%. In the control group, four cases had vascular crisis, with an incidence of 15. 0%, there was a significant difference between the two groups (χ2 =2. 165,P<0. 05). One case in the treatment group had diclofenac sodium suppositories, with an incidence of 2. 5%. While seven cases had diclofenac sodium suppositories, with an incidence of 17. 5% in the control group, there was a significant difference between the two groups (χ2 =2. 287,P<0. 05). Conclusions Acupuncture therapy can significantly reduce postoperative pain and reduce the incidence of vascular crisis, it is worthy of promotion.

BACKGROUNDTraditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is considered an important complementary therapy with beneficial effects for cancer patients. Elderly patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are a complex patient group with increasing co-morbidity and shrinking physiological reserve, and may derive substantial benefit from the supportive aspects of TCM. Researchers from Shanghai Longhua Hospital found that qi and yin deficiency is a common syndrome in patients with stage III or IV lung cancer. This project was designed to study the combination of single-agent chemotherapy with TCM methods of benefiting qi and yin in elderly patients with advanced NSCLC.

METHODS AND DESIGNThis is a double-blind controlled, multi-center, and prospective study with randomly selected participants from elderly NSCLC patients in China. Seventy-six patients who meet the inclusion criteria will be allocated into two groups, which will receive treatments of 3-week single-agent chemotherapy with TCM or placebo for four cycles. Progression-free survival (PFS) is the primary end point, and the secondary end points are overall survival, objective response rate, time-to-progression, and quality of life (EORTC QLQ-LC43, and TCM syndrome score). Meanwhile, other end points such as toxicity, side effects and safety of the treatments will be assessed.

DISCUSSIONResults from this study may provide evidence on the effectiveness, and parameters for the usage of single-agent chemotherapy combined with or without TCM on PFS of elderly patients with NSCLC.

TRIAL REGISTRATIONClinicalTrials.gov. (Identifier: NCT01780181).

Aged ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; drug therapy ; mortality ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Disease-Free Survival ; Double-Blind Method ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; mortality ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Prospective Studies

Antiviral Agents ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Hepatitis C, Chronic ; complications ; drug therapy ; psychology ; Humans ; Interferon-alpha ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Mental Disorders ; complications ; Middle Aged