OBJECTIVE: To investigate the biomechanical characteristics of retrograde tibial nailing (RTN) and distal tibial L-shaped plating in the internal fixation of distal tibial fractures. METHODS: Fourteen fresh adult tibia specimens were selected, comprising 7 males and 7 females aged from 34 to 55 years old. The specimens were randomly divided into experimental group and control group by numerical table method with 7 specimens in each group. RTN was used for internal fixation of distal tibial fractures in the experimental group, and L-shaped plate was used for internal fixation of distal tibial fractures in the control group. The axial compression properties of the two groups of specimens were tested under the pressure of 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 N after operation, and torsional resistance at torque levels of 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0 N·m. The anti-fatigue performance of the specimens was tested at 500 N pressure for 3 000 and 10 000 cycles. X-ray fluoroscopy was performed to observe whether the the internal fixator was deformed and whether the screw was loosened or broken. RESULTS: When the pressure was 400 N and 500 N, the axial compression displacement of the experimental group was (1.11±0.06) mm and (1.24±0.05) mm, which were smaller than those of the control group (1.21±0.08) mm and (1.37±0.11) mm, and the differences were statistically signific (P<0.05). Under the pressure of 500 N, the axial compression stiffness of the experimental group was (389.24±17.79) N·mm^-1, which was significantly higher than that of the control group (362.37±14.44) N·mm^-1(P<0.05). When the torque was 4 and 5 N·m, the torsion angles of the experimental group were (2.97±0.23) ° and (3.41±0.17) °, which were smaller than those of the control group (3.31±0.28) ° and (3.76±0.20) °, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). When the torque was 5 N·m, the torsional stiffness of the experimental group was (1.48±0.07) N·m per degree, which was higher than that of the control group (1.36±0.06) N·m per degree, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). For the intragroup comparison of fatigue resistance, the differences in axial compression displacement between the two groups were not statistically significant at 3 000 and 10 000 cycles (all P>0.05). When 3 000 times and 10 000 times of compression, the axial compression displacement of the experimental group was (1.38±0.08), (1.43±0.07) mm, which was smaller than that of the control group (1.51±0.10), (1.54±0.08) mm, the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). In the experimental group, no screw loosening, fracture or internal fixation deformation was found, while in the control group, locking screw loosening occurred in 2 models after 10 000 pressures. CONCLUSION The biomechanical performance of RTN is obviously better than that of the distal tibial L-shaped plate, which provides biomechanical data support for the clinical application of RTN.
Humans ; Female ; Male ; Adult ; Tibial Fractures/physiopathology* ; Middle Aged ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Bone Plates ; Fracture Fixation, Internal/instrumentation* ; Bone Nails ; Tibia/surgery*

Testicular histology based on testicular biopsy is an important factor for determining appropriate testicular sperm extraction surgery and predicting sperm retrieval outcomes in patients with azoospermia. Therefore, we developed a deep learning (DL) model to establish the associations between testicular grayscale ultrasound images and testicular histology. We retrospectively included two-dimensional testicular grayscale ultrasound from patients with azoospermia (353 men with 4357 images between July 2017 and December 2021 in The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China) to develop a DL model. We obtained testicular histology during conventional testicular sperm extraction. Our DL model was trained based on ultrasound images or fusion data (ultrasound images fused with the corresponding testicular volume) to distinguish spermatozoa presence in pathology (SPP) and spermatozoa absence in pathology (SAP) and to classify maturation arrest (MA) and Sertoli cell-only syndrome (SCOS) in patients with SAP. Areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUCs), accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were used to analyze model performance. DL based on images achieved an AUC of 0.922 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.908-0.935), a sensitivity of 80.9%, a specificity of 84.6%, and an accuracy of 83.5% in predicting SPP (including normal spermatogenesis and hypospermatogenesis) and SAP (including MA and SCOS). In the identification of SCOS and MA, DL on fusion data yielded better diagnostic performance with an AUC of 0.979 (95% CI: 0.969-0.989), a sensitivity of 89.7%, a specificity of 97.1%, and an accuracy of 92.1%. Our study provides a noninvasive method to predict testicular histology for patients with azoospermia, which would avoid unnecessary testicular biopsy.
Humans ; Male ; Azoospermia/diagnostic imaging* ; Deep Learning ; Testis/pathology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Adult ; Ultrasonography/methods* ; Sperm Retrieval ; Sertoli Cell-Only Syndrome/diagnostic imaging*

BACKGROUND: Based on the China-VHD database, this study sought to develop and validate a Valvular Heart Disease- specific Age-adjusted Comorbidity Index (VHD-ACI) for predicting mortality risk in patients with VHD. METHODS & RESULTS: The China-VHD study was a nationwide, multi-centre multi-centre cohort study enrolling 13,917 patients with moderate or severe VHD across 46 medical centres in China between April-June 2018. After excluding cases with missing key variables, 11,459 patients were retained for final analysis. The primary endpoint was 2-year all-cause mortality, with 941 deaths (10.0%) observed during follow-up. The VHD-ACI was derived after identifying 13 independent mortality predictors: cardiomyopathy, myocardial infarction, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pulmonary artery hypertension, low body weight, anaemia, hypoalbuminaemia, renal insufficiency, moderate/severe hepatic dysfunction, heart failure, cancer, NYHA functional class and age. The index exhibited good discrimination (AUC, 0.79) and calibration (Brier score, 0.062) in the total cohort, outperforming both EuroSCORE II and ACCI (P < 0.001 for comparison). Internal validation through 100 bootstrap iterations yielded a C statistic of 0.694 (95% CI: 0.665-0.723) for 2-year mortality prediction. VHD-ACI scores, as a continuous variable (VHD-ACI score: adjusted HR (95% CI): 1.263 (1.245-1.282), P < 0.001) or categorized using thresholds determined by the Yoden index (VHD-ACI ≥ 9 vs. < 9, adjusted HR (95% CI): 6.216 (5.378-7.184), P < 0.001), were independently associated with mortality. The prognostic performance remained consistent across all VHD subtypes (aortic stenosis, aortic regurgitation, mitral stenosis, mitral regurgitation, tricuspid valve disease, mixed aortic/mitral valve disease and multiple VHD), and clinical subgroups stratified by therapeutic strategy, LVEF status (preserved vs. reduced), disease severity and etiology. CONCLUSION The VHD-ACI is a simple 13-comorbidity algorithm for the prediction of mortality in VHD patients and providing a simple and rapid tool for risk stratification.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a hospital-made resuscitation pack, a Chinese medicinal herbal compound formula designed to enhance recovery in post-bronchoscopy patients. METHODS: In this randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, eligible patients were randomly assigned 1:1 to either the treatment or control groups. The patients in the treatment group applied the resuscitation pack, which contained aromatic compounded Chinese herbs. The patients in the control group applied a hospital-made, single herb placebo pack. Packs were placed on the Tiantu (CV 22) acupuncture point for 4 h as soon as the bronchoscopy finished. Efficacy indicators, such as recovery time, patients' symptoms including nausea and dizziness, and adverse events (AEs) were observed and compared. The outcome indices were evaluated at baseline, 1 and 24 h after the bronchoscopy. Subgroup analysis was further performed by patients' age and depth of sedation. RESULTS: When applying generalized estimating equations (GEE) to evaluate the intensity of post-bronchoscopy nausea and vomiting, the intensity was lower in the treatment group (163 cases) compared with the control group (162 cases; 95% CI: 0.004, 0.099, P=0.03]. Also, significantly lower intensity of nausea was observed in the 60-70 years of age subgroup (95% CI: 0.029, 0.169, P=0.006) and deep sedation subgroup (95% CI: 0.002, 0.124; P=0.04). There was no significant difference in dizziness between two groups by GEE (95% CI: -0.134, 0.297; P=0.459). In addition, no serious AEs were observed in either group. CONCLUSIONS Our study found that the resuscitation pack markedly improved patients' symptoms by reducing nausea and vomiting after bronchoscopy without AEs, compared with placebo in the perioperative period. (Trial registration No. ChiCTR2000038299).
Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Female ; Bronchoscopy/adverse effects* ; Single-Blind Method ; Aged ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/adverse effects* ; Treatment Outcome ; Resuscitation ; Adult ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2022.05.019.].

Osteoporosis is a prevalent skeletal condition characterized by reduced bone mass and strength, leading to increased fragility. Buqi-Tongluo (BQTL) decoction, a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescription, has yet to be fully evaluated for its potential in treating bone diseases such as osteoporosis. To investigate the mechanism by which BQTL decoction inhibits osteoclast differentiation in vitro and validate these findings through in vivo experiments. We employed MTS assays to assess the potential proliferative or toxic effects of BQTL on bone marrow macrophages (BMMs) at various concentrations. TRAcP experiments were conducted to examine BQTL's impact on osteoclast differentiation. RT-PCR and Western blot analyses were utilized to evaluate the relative expression levels of osteoclast-specific genes and proteins under BQTL stimulation. Finally, in vivo experiments were performed using an osteoporosis model to further validate the in vitro findings. This study revealed that BQTL suppressed receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL)-induced osteoclastogenesis and osteoclast resorption activity in vitro in a dose-dependent manner without observable cytotoxicity. The inhibitory effects of BQTL on osteoclast formation and function were attributed to the downregulation of NFATc1 and c-fos activity, primarily through attenuation of the MAPK, NF-κB, and Calcineurin signaling pathways. BQTL's inhibitory capacity was further examined in vivo using an ovariectomized (OVX) rat model, demonstrating a strong protective effect against bone loss. BQTL may serve as an effective therapeutic TCM for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis and the alleviation of bone loss induced by estrogen deficiency and related conditions.
Animals ; NFATC Transcription Factors/genetics* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Ovariectomy ; Osteoclasts/metabolism* ; Female ; Osteogenesis/drug effects* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rats ; NF-kappa B/genetics* ; Osteoporosis/genetics* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Bone Resorption/genetics* ; Cell Differentiation/drug effects* ; Humans ; RANK Ligand/metabolism* ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases/genetics* ; Transcription Factors

A microchannel-based electrochemiluminescence(ECL)sensor was developed for detection of tetracycline(TC)utilizing luminol/H2O2 as ECL reporting system.The low excitation potential of luminol/H2O2 effectively mitigated the impact of clamping voltage,thereby enhancing the detection performance of the microchannel-based ECL sensor.The microchannel modified with TC aptamer selectively recognized and captured target TC.The positively charged TC reduced the surface charge density within the microchannel,thereby increasing the ionic current in the microchannel,leading to change of ECL signal of system.The experimental conditions such as electrolyte concentration,TC-aptamer concentration,and reaction time between TC and TC-aptamer were optimized.Under optimal conditions,the difference of ECL signal in the absence and presence of TC(?ECL)exhibited a good linear relationship with TC concentration in the range from 1.00 ng/mL to 200 ng/mL,with a detection limit as low as 0.69 ng/mL.The sensor had good selectivity and was successfully used in detection of TC in milk samples.

Objective To investigate the predictive value of temperature gradients on the mortality of sepsis patients and their correlation with fluid input.Methods By means of a prospective observational method,154 patients with sepsis or septic shock admitted to the Department of Critical Care Medicine at Nanfang Hospital,Southern Medical University from November 2019 to November 2021 were included as research subjects.They were divided into a survivor group(n=118)and a non-survivor group(n=36)according to whether they survived within 28 days.The core-to-toe temperature gradient(CTTG)and toe-to-room temperature gradient(TRTG)were monitored and calculated immediately upon admission to the intensive care unit(ICU)and 6 hours after admission.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to explore the predictive value of temperature gradients on mortality,and multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed to explore the risk factors of 28-day mortality in sepsis patients.The results were verified through survival analysis.Correlation analysis and multivariate analysis of variance were used to explore the correlation between temperature gradients and fluid input,as well as noradrenaline doses.Results Among the 154 patients,118 survived within 28 days(survivor group),and 36 died(non-survivor group).ROC curve and multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that a toe-to-room temperature gradient of≤5.35℃within 6 hours after admission was a risk factor for 28-day mortality.Compared with patients with a high toe-to-room temperature gradient(>5.35℃),patients with a low toe-to-room temperature gradient(≤5.35℃)had a 2.74-fold increase in the risk of 28-day mortality(P=0.004,95%CI 1.54,9.12).The CTTG and TRTG upon admission to the ICU and 6 hours after admission were not significantly associated with fluid input or noradrenaline doses(P>0.05).Conclusions A toe-to-room temperature gradient of less than or equal to 5.35℃within 6 hours after ICU admission is a risk factor for 28-day mortality in sepsis patients.The improvement of temperature gradients at different time points is not associated with fluid input.

Tuberculosis （TB） and human immunodeficiency virus infection / acquired immune deficiency syndrome （HIV/AIDS） are both serious global public health threats. Early detection of infected persons and/or patients through TB/HIV bi-directional screening is crucial for prevention and control strategy in China and globally. In recent years， with the promotion and application of new TB and HIV detection technologies worldwide， TB/HIV bi-directional screening technologies and strategies have made remarkable changes. This expert consensus introduces the significance and challenges of TB/HIV bi-directional screening， summarizes important progress of research and applications， and makes recommendations on screening measures and procedures to further strengthen TB/HIV bi-directional screening in China.

Objective:To investigate the feasibility, safety and reasonable operation of nasointestinal canal indwelling guided by miniature system in severe neurosurgery patients, and compare its advantages and disadvantages with traditional blind insertion.Methods:A prospective randomized controlled trial design was used to select 128 critically ill patients in need of enteral nutrition support at the Department of Neurosurgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from March 2022 to October 2023 by convenient sampling method. They were divided into blind insertion group and visualization group by random number table method, with 64 cases in each group. Nasointestinal canal indwelling was performed in the blind insertion group by traditional blind insertion method, and in the visualization group, nasointestinal canal indwelling was performed by indentations guided by the miniature visualization system. The success rate of initial catheterization, the time of catheterization, complications, changes of vital signs during catheterization and changes of nutritional indexes after catheterization were evaluated in 2 groups.Results:In the blind insertion group, there were 35 males and 29 females, aged (59.44 ± 13.84) years old. In the visualization group, there were 41 males and 23 females, aged (58.28 ± 12.08) years old. The success rate of the first catheter placement in the visual group was 96.8% (62/64), higher than that in the blind group 82.8% (53/64), and the difference was statistically significant ( χ2=6.94, P<0.05). The catheter placement time of the visualization group was (20.08 ± 2.69) min, which was shorter than that of the blind insertion group (38.19 ± 3.79) min, and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant ( t=29.99, P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of complications, changes of vital signs during catheterization and the changes of nutritional indexes after catheterization between two groups (all P>0.05). Conclusions:Compared with traditional blind nasointestinal canal indwelling, nasointestinal canal indwelling guided by the miniature visualization system can improve the success rate of the first catheterization and shorten the catheterization time. Although there is no difference in the complication rate, changes in vital signs during catheterization and changes in nutritional indexes after catheterization, it is believed that with the continuous development and upgrading of this technology, it will further reflect the advantages of this technology, which is worthy of further clinical trials and application.