OBJECTIVE: To explore the association between acupuncture during controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) and the live birth rate (LBR) using different propensity score methods. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, eligible women who underwent a COH were divided into acupuncture and non-acupuncture groups. The primary outcome was LBR, as determined by propensity score matching (PSM). LBR was defined as the delivery of one or more living infants that reached a gestational age over 28 weeks after embryo transfer. The propensity score model encompassed 16 confounding variables. To validate the results, sensitivity analyses were conducted using three additional propensity score methods: propensity score adjustment, inverse probability weighting (IPW), and IPW with a "doubly robust" estimator. RESULTS: The primary cohort encompassed 9751 patients (1830 [18.76%] in the acupuncture group and 7921 [81.23%] in the non-acupuncture group). Following 1:1 PSM, a higher LBR was found in the acupuncture cohort (41.4% [755/1824] vs 36.4% [664/1824], with an odds ratio of 1.23 [95% confidence interval, 1.08-1.41]). Three additional propensity score methods produced essentially similar results. The risk of serious adverse events did not significantly differ between the two groups. CONCLUSION This retrospective study revealed an association between acupuncture and an increased LBR among patients undergoing COH, and that acupuncture is a safe and valuable treatment option. Please cite this article as: Zheng XY, Jiang ZY, Li YT, Li CL, Zhu H, Yu Z, Yu SY, Yang LL, Tang SY, Lü XY, Liang FR, Yang J. Association between acupuncture and live birth rates after fresh embryo transfer: A cohort study based on different propensity score methods. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(5):528-536.
Humans ; Female ; Propensity Score ; Embryo Transfer ; Adult ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Retrospective Studies ; Pregnancy ; Live Birth ; Birth Rate ; Cohort Studies

Objective To investigate the trends in the disease burden of schistosomiasis worldwide and in China, and Zimbabwe from 1990 to 2019, so as to provide insights into the formulation of the schistosomiasis control strategy in Zimbabwe. Methods Based on Global Burden of Disease Study 2019 (GBD 2019) data sources, the age-standardized prevalence, mortality, disability-adjusted life year (DALY) rate of schistosomiasis were compared in the world, China, and Zimbabwe and the trends in the disease burden of schistosomiasis from 1990 to 2019 were investigated using Joinpoint regression analysis. In addition, the associations between the burden of schistosomiasis worldwide and in China and Zimbabwe from 1990 to 2019 and socio-demographic index (SDI) were examined using Pearson correlation analysis. Results The age-standardized prevalence, mortality, and DALY rate of schistosomiasis were 1 804.95/10⁵, 0.14/10⁵ and 20.92/10⁵ in the world, 707.09/10⁵, 0.02/10⁵ and 5.06/10⁵ in China, and 2 218.90/10⁵, 2.39/10⁵ and 90.09/10⁵ in Zimbabwe in 2019, respectively. The global prevalence, mortality, and DALY rate of schistosomiasis appeared a tendency towards a rise followed by a decline with age in 2019, while the prevalence and DALY rate of schistosomiasis appeared a tendency towards a sharp rise followed by a fluctuating decline in both China and Zimbabwe, and the mortality of schistosomiasis appeared a tendency towards a rise. The age-standardized prevalence [average annual percent change (AAPC) = −1.31%, −2.22% and −6.12%; t = −20.07, −83.38 and −53.06; all P values < 0.05)] and DALY rate of schistosomiasis (AAPC = −1.91%,−4.17% and −2.08%; t = −31.89, −138.70 and −16.45; all P values < 0.05) appeared a tendency towards a decline in the world, China and Zimbabwe from 1990 to 2019, and the age-standardized mortality of schistosomiasis appeared a tendency towards a decline in the world and China (AAPC = −3.46% and −8.10%, t = −41.03 and −61.74; both P values < 0.05), and towards a rise followed by a decline in Zimbabwe (AAPC = 1.35%, t = 4.88, P < 0.05). In addition, Pearson correlation analysis showed that the age-standardized prevalence (r = −0.75, P < 0.05), mortality (r = −0.73, P < 0.05), and DALY rate of schistosomiasis (r = −0.77, P < 0.05) correlated negatively with SDI in the world, China and Zimbabwe from 1990 to 2019. Conclusions The disease burden of schistosomiasis appeared a remarkable decline in China from 1990 to 2019, and the prevalence of schistosomiasis showed a tendency towards a decline in Zimbabwe from 1990 to 2019; however, the mortality and DALY rate of schistosomiasis in Zimbabwe topped in the world. A schistosomiasis control strategy with adaptations to local epidemiology and control needs of schistosomiasis is needed to facilitate the elimination of schistosomiasis in Zimbabwe.

Objective To analyze the relationship between general gelf-efficacy and life-long learn-ing orientation in medical students of a university for providing scientific evidence for the improvement of their life-long learning orientation. Methods In March 2015, all the fifth grade medical students, altogether 822, were invited to participate in the survey and 748 questionnaires were collected effectively. The instru-ments employed were General Self-efficacy Scale (GSES) and Jefferson Scale of Physician Life-Long Learning Student Version in Chinese (JSPLL-S). The relationship was analyzed by using multiple linear regression. Results The general self-efficacy and life-long learning orientation in medical students had significantly positive correlation (β=0.53,P=0.00). Furthermore the general self-efficacy was significantly correlated with each sub-domain of life-long learning orientation, specifically attention to learning opportunity (β=0.53,P=0.00), technical skills in information seeking (β=0.47,P=0.00) and learning beliefs and motivation (β=0.31, P=0.00) respectively. The results also indicated that the magnitude and significance of these corre-lations were independent from the individual characteristics. Conclusion Medical students' general self-efficacy greatly affects their life-long learning orientation. Thus, the strategy aiming at improving students' general self-efficacy could be affective for the development of life-long learning orientation.

Botryococcus braunii is a unique colonial green microalga and a great potential renewable resource of liquid fuel because of its ability to produce lipids. Due to the dense cell colonies and rigidly thick cell wall of B. braunii, the traditional Nile red method is usually of low sensitivity and bad repeatability and hard for the determination of lipid content in the cells. By dispersing the colony with ultrasonic, assisting permeation of Nile red across the cell wall with dimethyl sulfoxide and optimizing the staining conditions, we established an improved detection method. The details were as follows: after the colonial algal sample was treated by ultrasonic at 20 kHz for 20 s, 100 W transmitting power and with 1 s on/1 s off intermittent cycle, the equivoluminal 15% (V/V) dimethyl sulfoxide and 3 microg/mL Nile red were successively added and mixed evenly, then the staining system was incubated in dark at 40 degrees C for 10 min, and subsequently was measured by fluorescence spectroscopy detection with an excitation wavelength of 490 nm. Compared with the traditional method, the improved one not only had higher detection sensitivity which was increased by 196.6%, but also had obviously better detection repeatability whose characteristic parameter - relative standard deviation (RSD) was decreased from 10.91% to 1.84%. Therefore, the improved method could provide a rapid and sensitive detection of lipid content for B. braunii breeding and cultivation.
Chlorophyta ; chemistry ; Lipids ; analysis ; Microalgae ; chemistry ; Spectrometry, Fluorescence ; methods ; Ultrasonics

Objective To investigate the correlation between carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and glucose fluctuation in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).Methods Sixty-eight T2DM patients admitted to Beijing Military General Hospital from March to August 2012 were enrolled in the study,including 32 cases with CIMT thickening (CIMT ≥ 0.9 mm) and 32 cases with normal CIMT (CIMT ＜0.9 mm).The 72 h continuous blood glucose levels were monitored from the day of admission.Results There were no significant differences in the gender,age,body mass index (BMI),systolic and diastolic blood pressure,HDL-C,LDL-C,CHO,TG,glycosylate hemoglobin (HbA1c),fasting blood glucose(FBG) and postprandial average blood glucose (MPBG) between two groups (P ＞ 0.05).The atherosclerosis (AS) score and mean amplitude of glycemic excursion (MAGE),glucose standard deviation,frequency of glycemic excursion (FGE) and absolute mean of daily differences (MODD) in patients with thickening CIMT were (11 ± 7) years,(6.9 ± 3.0) mmol/L,(2.8 ± 1.2) mmol/L,(3.4 ± 1.5) times/d,(2.8 ± 1.3) mmol/L,(4.5 ± 1.0) score,respectively ; while those in patients with normal CIMT were (8 ±6) years,(4.2 ± 1.1) mmol/L,(1.6 ± 0.5) mmol/L,(2.2 ± 0.8) times/d,(2.0 ± 1.0) mmol/L,(3.3 ±0.6) score,respectively.There were significant differences between two groups (all P ＜ 0.05).Pearson correlation showed that CIMT was positively correlated with MAGE,FGE,MODD,course of disease,diastolic blood pressure,LDL-C,MPBG and AS score (P ＜ 0.05).Multiple stepwise regression analysis showed that MAGE,MBPG were the influencing factors of CIMT.Conclusions The CIMT of patients with T2DM is closely correlated with glucose fluctuation,indicating that reduction of blood glucose fluctuation and MAGE,MPBG levels may delay the occurrence of diabetic macroangiopathy.