Objective To study the effect of dampness-eliminating and spleen-strengthening Prescription (ESP) on expression levels of adiponectin (APN) , tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) , and hepatic fat content in type 2 diabetes mellitus ( T2DM) patients complicated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease ( NAFLD) . Methods One hundred and twenty T2DM patients complicated with NAFLD were randomized into ESP group and pioglitazone group, 60 cases in each group. Based on the fundamental treatment for decreasing glucose, ESP group and pioglitazone group were given oral use of ESP and pioglitazone respectively. Twenty-four weeks constituted one treatment course. Before and after treatment, we observed the hepatic fat content, serum concentrations of APN and TNF-α, blood glucose, blood lipid, and hepatic function with the virtual touch tissue quantification technique ( VTQ) , enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay ( ELISA) , biochemical analysator respeetively in the two groups. Results After treatment, the levels of fasting plasma glucose ( FPG) , 2-hour postprandial plasma glucose ( 2hPG) , glycosylated hemoglobin ( HbA1c) fasting insulin ( FINS) , total cholesterol ( TC) , triglyceride ( TG) , low density lipoprotein cholesterol ( LDL-C) and TNF-α, and hepatic acoustic radiation force impulse ( ARFI) scores in the two groups were significantly lower than those before treatment (P<0.05) . On the other hand, the serum levels of high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and APN in both groups were significantly higher than those before treatment ( P<0.05) . The difference values of FINS and NF-α before and after treatneat in ESP group were higher than those in pioglitazone group ( P<0.05) . Conclusion ESP can significantly ameliorate the metabolic disorders of glucose and lipid , protect the pancreatic function and reduce hepatic fat, which is possibly related with the increase of APN level and the de-crease TNF-αlevel.

Objective:To survey the status quo of job burnout among rural general practitioners and to analyze its influencing factors.Methods:A total of 2 805 rural general practitioners in three counties in southwest Shandong province were enrolled in the study. The survey was conducted with a basic information questionnaire and the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Service Survey (MBI-HSS). The influencing factors of job burnout were analyzed by Pearson chi-square test (χ2) and binary logistic regression model.Results:A total of 2 272 rural general practitioners completed the survey with a completion rate of 81.0%. The rates of middle or high job burnout in the dimensions of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and reduced personal sense of achievement were 55.1%(1 251/2 272), 34.0%(772/2 272) and 91.3%(2 075/2 272), respectively. Binary logistic regression model showed that working hours/week ≥ 60 h ( OR=1.341, 95 %CI:1.057-1.702, P<0.05), monthly shift times ≥20 ( OR=1.434, 95 %CI:1.182-1.739, P<0.05), daily consultation time≥13 h ( OR=1.294, 95 %CI:1.055-1.589, P<0.05), daily consultation of 11-20 patients ( OR=1.317, 95 %CI:1.075-1.614, P<0.05), no part-time job ( OR=1.583, 95 %CI:1.201-2.087, P<0.05), insomnia ( OR=2.638, 95 %CI:2.225-3.128, P<0.05), feeling depressed at work ( OR=3.170, 95 %CI:2.661-3.776, P<0.05) were risk factors for emotional exhaustion; participation in public health services ( OR=1.485, 95 %CI:1.155-1.910, P<0.05), being married ( OR=2.273, 95 %CI:1.198-4.313), no part-time jobs ( OR=1.677, 95 %CI:1.276-2.203, P<0.05), insomnia ( OR=1.487, 95 %CI:1.211-1.827, P<0.05), and feeling depressed at work ( OR=1.642, 95 %CI:1.339-2.015, P<0.05) were risk factors for depersonalization; working hours/week ≥ 60 h ( OR=2.089, 95 %CI:1.454-3.002, P<0.05), daily consultation time ≥ 9 h ( OR=2.495, 95 %CI:1.748-3.561, P<0.05), insomnia ( OR=2.061, 95 %CI:1.519-2.796, P<0.05), and feeling depressed at work ( OR=1.894, 95 %CI:1.383-2.593, P<0.05) were risk factors for reduced personal achievement. Protective factors included monthly income ≥3 000 Yuan ( OR=0.589, 95 %CI: 0.353-0.982, P<0.05) and monthly shift of 10-19 times ( OR=0.581, 95 %CI:0.411-0.820, P<0.05). Conclusion:The overall job burnout among rural general practitioners in southwest Shandong province is serious, especially the depersonalization and the reduction of personal sense of achievement. It is suggested to improve the salary, reduce the working intensity, optimize the working hours, and pay attention to their physical and mental health for rural general practitioners to alleviate the current situation of their occupational burnout.

Objective: To observe the effect of Tuina (Chinese therapeutic massage) on creatine kinase (CK), mitochondrial Ca2+ concentration, and ultrastructure of skeletal muscle in delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) model rats.Methods: A total of 130 healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into a blank group, an exercise control group, a pre-exercise Tuina group, and a post-exercise Tuina group. According to the time points for sample collection, the exercise control group was divided into a 0 h exercise control group, a 24 h exercise control group, a 48 h exercise control group, and a 72 h exercise control group; the pre-exercise Tuina group was further divided into a 0 h pre-exercise Tuina group, a 24 h pre-exercise Tuina group, a 48 h pre-exercise Tuina group, and a 72 h pre-exercise Tuina group; and the post-exercise Tuina group was divided into a 0 h post-exercise Tuina group, a 24 h post-exercise Tuina group, a 48 h post-exercise Tuina group, and a 72 h post-exercise Tuina group. Rats in all groups except for the blank group received DOMS modeling. Professionals performed Nie-Pinching manipulation and finger Nian-Twisting manipulation on the lower limbs of the rats. The samples were collected at 0 h, 24 h, 48 h, or 72 h after exhaustive exercise for each pre-exercise Tuina group. The samples were collected at 0 h, 24 h, 48 h, or 72 h after Tuina for each post-exercise Tuina group. The changes in serum CK, skeletal muscle mitochondrial Ca2+ concentration, and Ca2+-adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) were determined. The ultrastructure changes of skeletal muscles in each group were observed by a transmission electron microscope. Results: The electron microscope showed that compared with the exercise control group, the skeletal muscle structures of the pre-exercise Tuina group and the post-exercise Tuina group were significantly improved, and the overall performance of skeletal muscle in the pre-exercise Tuina group was more similar to that of the blank group. The level of serum CK in the pre-exercise Tuina group and the post-exercise Tuina group was significantly lower than that in the exercise control group (P<0.01). The Ca2+ concentration of skeletal muscle in the 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h pre-exercise Tuina groups was lower than that in the post-exercise Tuina group at the same time point (P<0.01). The Ca2+-ATPase concentration of skeletal muscle in the 24 h and 72 h pre-exercise Tuina groups was lower than that in the post-exercise Tuina group at the same time point (P<0.05).Conclusion: Tuina effectively prevents muscle damage caused by heavy exercise and long-term exercise, which may be related to the increase of skeletal muscle Ca2+-ATPase activity and mitochondrial Ca2+ transport.

Objective To investigate the relationship of serum resistin and pancreatic necrosis in the patients with severe acute pancreatitis. Methods Twenty-eight patients with SAP admitted to our hospital from March 2008 to November 2008 were divided into two groups according to the CT scan imaging: necrotic group and non-necrotic group. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to test the serum resistin levels. An ROC curve was depicted to predict the pancreas necrosis. Results There were 21 patients in the non-necrotic group and 7 in the necrotic group, and there was no significant difference in terms of sex, age and baseline disease (P>0.05). The resitin levels ranged from 0.1730 ng/ml to 7.4923 ng/ml, with a mean (3.7102±1.6987) ng/ml. The area under the curve of resistin values was 0.884±0.108 (95%CI:0.672～1.097), asymptote signals 0.003, then it was calculated that P=0.003, which was>0.50. Conclusions The serum resistin may be of clinical value to predict the pancreatic necrosis.

Background: Resistin level is high in patients with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP), and resistin is expected to be a new marker for evaluating the severity of acute pancreatitis. Objective: To explore the influence of integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine therapy on serum resistin levels in SAP patients. Design, setting, participants and interventions: Twenty-eight SAP patients meeting inclusion criteria from Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University were included, and the patients were randomly divided into treatment group and placebo group. There were 13 patients in the treatment group and 15 patients in the placebo group. Patients in the treatment group were given traditional Chinese herbal medicine in addition to the conventional treatment. Patients in the placebo group were given placebo in addition to the conventional treatment. Main outcome measures: The serum resistin levels on admission, and days 1, 3, 5, and 7 after the admission were detected. Results: The serum resistin levels on admission in all the patients were higher than normal level, and there was no significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05). On days 1, 3, 5, and 7 after admission, the resistin levels in the treatment group were (3.29+/-1.66) mu g/L, (3.71+/-1.05) mu g/L, (3.08+/-1.47) mu g/L and (3.62+/-1.67) mu g/L, and in the control group (5.16+/-1.93) mu g/L, (5.07+/-1.53) mu g/L, (4.88+/-1.47) mu g/L and (5.12+/-1.48) mu g/L, respectively. The resistin levels were lower in the treatment group than in the control group (P<0.05). Conclusion: Serum resistin level in SAP patients can be decreased by integrated traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine therapy.

The main clinical research advances of critical care in 2023 includes: new trials of Chinese herbal medicine, hydroxocobalamin (vitamin B12), methylene blue as well glucocorticoids have shown the potential to improve outcomes of patients with sepsis and septic shock; international committees launched new global definition and managing recommendations for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Besides, a cluster of new evidences has emerged in many aspects as following: fluid control strategy in sepsis (restrictive/liberative), antibiotic infusion strategy (continuous/intermittent), oxygen-saturation targets for mechanical ventilation (conservative/liberative), blood pressure targets after resuscitation from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (hypotension/hypertension), blood pressure targets after successful stroke thrombectomy (intensive/conventional), and nutritional support strategies (low protein-calories/conventional protein-calories, fasting/persistent feeding before extubation). Thus, given above progress, carrying out high -quality domestic multi-center clinical registration researches, constructing shareable standardized databases, as well raising public awareness of sepsis, should be the essential steps to improve our level of intensive care medicine.

OBJECTIVETo identify novel common mutations among patients with non-syndromic hearing loss (NSHL).

METHODSHigh-throughput gene capture technology was used to analyze 18 patients with NSHL in whom common mutations of deafness genes including GJB2, SLC26A4, GJB3, and mtDNA were excluded. Suspected mutation was verified with Sanger sequencing.

RESULTSNext generation sequencing has identified 62 mutations in 29 genes associated with hearing loss, which included 54 missense mutations, 4 splicing mutations, 3 deletional mutations, and 1 nonsense mutation. Mutations occurring more than twice in the 18 patients were verified by Sanger sequencing. This has confirmed 15 mutations in 8 genes, including 3 missense mutations (p.C2184G, p.L2825P, p.H1888Y) which have not been reported previously. Meanwhile, p.L445W, p.D866N, and IVS919-2A>G were common causative mutations.

CONCLUSIONA number of common causative mutations, e.g., p.L445W, p.D866N, IVS919-2A>G, have been identified by high-throughput capture technology, which may facilitate the research and genetic diagnosis for hearing loss.

DNA, Mitochondrial ; genetics ; Deafness ; genetics ; Female ; Hearing Loss ; genetics ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing ; methods ; Humans ; Male ; Mutation ; genetics

Objective To evaluate the short-term outcomes and analyze the complications of medial unicompartmental knee osteoarthritis (MUKOA) treated by unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA).Methods Retrospectively analyzed the patients suffered with MUKOA and registered into our department from Jul 2015 to Jan 2017.71 cases were enrooled in the study,of which 17 are male (19 UKA) and 54 are female (66 UKA).The general information,perioperative data,Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) score,visual analogue score (VAS) and complications of the group were analyzed.Results Females were three times more than males (54∶ 17).The average age of female subjects was lower than that of male,the difference was significant (P ＜ 0.05).The rate of Osteoporosis of females was significantly higher than that of males (P ＜ 0.05).The operative time,length of incision,total overt blood loss and postoperative in-bed time were (54.06 ± 6.24) min,(8.56 ± 0.83) cm,(86.10 ± 5.44) ml,(3.51 ± 1.01) d,respectively.No significant differences were found between males and females (P ＞ 0.05).The preoperative,3 months and 6 months postoperative HSS scores were 45.2 ± 4.5,80.3 ± 5.7 and 88.4 ± 4.2,respectively.No differences were found between males and females (P ＞ 0.05).The preoperative,3 months and 6 months postoperative VAS scores were 6.6 ± 1.2,1.7 ± 0.7 and 0.5 ± 0.5,respectively.No differences were found between males and females (P ＞ 0.05).There were 2 revised cases,and the reasons for revision were infection and unstability caused by sport injury.Conclusions UKA is an ideal choice for patients with MUKOA,Especially for the ones older than 60 years.However,the corrections on lower-limb forceline and joint unstability are limited,thus,the indications for UKA should be controlled strictly.

The Surviving Sepsis Campaign: international guidelines for management of sepsis and septic shock 2021 (2021 guideline) was recently released. The guidelines summarized the evidences from literatures through to July 2019, and composed by 6 parts as "screening and early treatment", "infection", "hemodynamic management", "ventilation", "additional therapies" and "long-term outcomes and goals of care" with a total of 93 items and 99 recommendations. Compared with the 2016 guideline (96 recommendations), although the total number of recommendations in the 2021 guideline is similar, the number of "strong recommendations (recommend)" in 2021 guideline has dropped significantly, while as the number of "weak recommendations (suggest)" has increased significantly, and the level of the quality of evidence on which the recommendations are based has been significantly lowered. Furthermore, 2021 guideline has also markedly deleted or simplified the recommendations regarding infection prevention, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) treatment, nutritional support and so on. While, the most obvious improvement appears in the segment of "long-term outcomes and goals of care", in which the patients and their families could get help in term of determining their physical rehabilitation and discharge follow-up plans and formulating exact goals of care. 2021 guideline did not adopt new and emerging therapies or treatments, such as metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS), diaphragm protective ventilation, timing of initiating renal replacement therapy for acute kidney injury, early mobility, endotoxin adsorption, tranexamic acid, E-medicine and telemedicine, big data & artificial intelligence and other new therapies. Collectively, it may suggest the 2021 guideline tend to be conservative and simplified rather than fairly optimized and logicalized, which may arouse controversy in the future and affect clinician compliance.

The progress of critical care medicine in 2021 is still encouraging. The new international guideline for management of sepsis and septic shock came out after 4 years. Besides, a couple of preferable clinical evidences were released including restrictive blood transfusion strategy for patients with acute myocardial infarction, prevention of peripheral venous catheter infection, heparin inhalation and driving pressure setting in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), lower oxygenation target for acute hypoxemic respiratory failure, low level positive end-expiratory pressure in non-ARDS patients with respiratory failure, light sedation or non-sedation strategy, biological phenotypes, as well machine learning in sepsis and ARDS. However, we also encounter negative results such as balanced solution during fluid resuscitation, hypothermia therapy after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest or traumatic brain injury, adrenomedullin-specific antibody adrecizumab therapy and coupled plasma filtration-adsorption (CPFA) therapy for patients with septic shock, extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal (ECCO 2R) implementation in acute hypoxic respiratory failure, continuous infusion of hypertonic saline in patients with traumatic brain injury. Collectively, in the future, individualized diagnosis and management based on the principle of "wise choice" will become the daily practice scene for all intensivists.