ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of the traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） compound Chaiqin Xiaoyong Decoction （柴芩消痈饮， CXD） combined with Jinhuang Ointment （金黄膏， JO） in treating the nodular stage of acne mastitis of liver meridian heat accumulation type. MethodsA randomized， double-blind， placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted. A total of 108 patients with liver meridian heat accumulation type acne mastitis in the nodular stage were randomly assigned to a treatment group and a control group， with 54 patients in each group. Both groups received topical application of JO once daily at a thickness of 3~5 mm for 8 hours， along with standard nursing care. On this basis， the treatment group received oral CXD granules， while the control group received placebo granules， administered twice daily， 3 sachets per dose， for 14 consecutive days. Clinical efficacy， TCM symptom scores， nodule size， visual analogue scale （VAS） pain scores， white blood cell （WBC） count， C-reactive protein （CRP） level， and systemic immune-inflammation index （SII） were compared. At the end of treatment， efficacy and safety indicators were evaluated. A 6-month follow-up was conducted to compare the proportion of patients undergoing surgical treatment. ResultsThe total clinical efficacy rate in the treatment group was 90.38% （47/52）， significantly higher than 32.00% （16/50） in the control group （P＜0.01）. The treatment group also showed significantly lower TCM symptom scores， VAS scores， nodule size， WBC count， CRP level， and SII （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. During follow-up， the surgical intervention rate in the treatment group was 5.77% （3/52）， lower than 14.00% （7/50） in the control group， with a statistically significant difference （P＜0.01）. No significant abnormalities were observed in safety indicators before and after treatment in either group. ConclusionCXD effectively reduces nodule size and alleviates symptoms such as redness and pain in patients with acne mastitis of liver meridian heat accumulation type， improves TCM symptom scores， enhances overall clinical efficacy， and demonstrates good safety.

Thanks to the application of gene modification technology, the development of new immunosuppressant and the shift towards using pigs as the main organ donors, xenotransplantation has embarked on a new round of "ice-breaking journey". Xenotransplantation demonstrates strong positive value in addressing the imbalance between organ supply and demand, extending the lives of patients with organ failure and enhancing human physical functions. However, xenotransplantation also raises a series of ethical risks, such as safety concerns over health damage and virus transmission, the hollowing out of the principle of informed consent, the impairment of individual identity and independence, and the distribution fairness of access and capability for trials. To address these issues, a mechanism combining prior general consent and specific consent during the process should be established, along with a dynamic and traceable consent procedure to safeguard patient autonomy. A "waterfall-style" regulatory system and a mechanism for aggregating cutting-edge technologies should be created to enhance the safety of xenotransplantation. Distribution and governance rules should be formulated according to different stages and goals of xenotransplantation exploration to improve fairness. A typological approach should be used to determine which groups of people can undergo xenotransplantation under current medical conditions to achieve the minimization of harm.

Objective To explore the clinical efficacy of prone position ventilation(PPV)in improving hypoxemia in patients with severe brain damage.Methods A retrospective research method was conducted,140 patients with severe brain damage who were admitted to the department of critical care medicine of the First Affiliated Hospital,Zhejiang University School of Medicine from August 2020 to August 2021 were selected as subject objected.According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria,20 patients with oxygenation index≤200 mmHg(1 mmHg≈0.133 kPa)who were treated with PPV were statistically analyzed.The patients'blood gas analysis related indicators[including arterial partial pressure of oxygen(PaO2),fractional of inspired oxygen(FiO2),oxygenation index,arterial oxygen saturation(SaO2),arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide(PaCO2),pH value],ventilator-related parameters[including peak inspiratory pressure(PIP),positive end-expiratory pressure(PEEP),tidal volume(VT),lung dynamic compliance(Cdyn),etc.],and mean arterial pressure(MAP),heart rate(HR)were compared before PPV,12 hours after PPV,and 12 hours after reverting to supine position.At the same time,the related complications of patients during PPV were recorded.Results There were 15 males and 5 females,the mean age of the patients was(46.10±17.22)years old,the average PPV time was(22.20±5.94)hours.Compared with before PPV,patients showed significant increases in PaO2,oxygenation index,SaO2,VT,and Cdyn at 12 hours after PPV and 12 hours after recovery from supine position[PaO2(mmHg):98.35±21.85,98.45±17.90 vs.72.15±10.14,oxygenation index(mmHg):198.82±40.51,202.27±46.39 vs.133.20±33.95,SaO2:0.97±0.02,0.97±0.01 vs.0.94±0.03,VT(mL):558.42±111.23,580.29±119.44 vs.484.82±123.77,Cdyn(mL/cmH2O):26.11±5.42,27.90±5.80 vs.24.15±6.13,all P<0.05];Compared with 12 hours after PPV,the Cdyn of the patient still showed a significant increase after 12 hours of recovery from supine position(P<0.05).There were no statistical differences in the FiO2,PaCO2,pH value,PIP,PEEP,HR,and MAP of patients at various time points before and after PPV(all P>0.05).Five patients developed redness and swelling at the skin compression site mainly on the face after PPV,which gradually improved after returning to a supine position.During this period,there was no occurrence of catheter detachment,malignant arrhythmia,or significant hemodynamic instability.Conclusion PPV has a certain clinical effect on improving hypoxemia in patients with severe brain damage.

Objective To explore the epidemiological characteristics of mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) infection in hospitalized children between 2019 and 2022, and to provide a basis for the prevention and treatment of the disease in the clinic. Methods Blood samples of 12 830 children hospitalized for respiratory tract infection in our hospital between January 2019 and December 2022 were collected, and tested for MP infection, then the prevalence of MP infection in different years, seasons, genders and ages was analyzed. Results The total positive rate of MP was 16.55% (2 123 / 12 830). The annual prevalence rate of MP infection decreased from 17.97% in 2019 to 16.48% in 2022, with statistical difference (P<0.05). In terms of gender, the prevalence of MP infection was higher in females at a rate of 19.38% (1 198 / 6 182) compared with a rate of 13.91% (925 / 6 648) in males, with statistical difference (χ²=69.277, P<0.05).The positive rates in summer (19.84%) and autumn (19.57%) were higher than those in spring (12.97%) and winter (12.38%) (P<0.05) In terms of age, the positive rate of MP infection was 9.68% in < 1 age group, 12.95% in 1-3 age group, 18.23% in 4-6 age group and 23.23% in > 6 age group (P<0.05), with the highest positive rate in > 6 age group. The positive rate of MP infection was 15.49% in acute upper respiratory tract infection , 17.28% in acute lower respiratory tract infection , 16.43% in severe pneumonia, and 16.71% in other diseases, with no statistical difference (P>0.05). Conclusion MP is one of the main pathogens of respiratory infections in hospitalized children. Despite the decreasing trend in MP infection rate in hospitalized children between 2019 and 2022, it remains above the norm. MP infection is characterized by a high prevalence in summer and autumn, children >6 years of age, and girls, so effective measures should be taken to guide clinical anti-infection strategies to improve the physical and mental health of children in this region.

Objective To examines the correlation between lifestyle factors and semen quality among sperm donors at Anhui human sperm bank.Methods Demographic and lifestyle data were collected from 1,222 volunteers who donated sperm between January 2021 and December 2023,and their association with semen quality was analyzed.Results Univariate chi-square analysis revealed significant associations between several lifestyle factors and abnor-mal semen parameters(P＜0.05),including non-student status,frequent masturbation,short-term abstinence,low exercise frequency,frequent staying up late,smoking,drinking,and short sleep duration.Moreover,multiva-riate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that non-student status,longer abstinence time,and insufficient sleep were linked to abnormal semen volume.Additionally,abstinence time,exercise frequency,staying up late,smok-ing,and sleep duration were significantly correlated with abnormal semen concentration and sperm motility(P＜0.05).Conclusion Analysis reveals a close relationship between semen quality and volunteers'lifestyles,inclu-ding factors such as abstinence time,staying up late,sleep duration,smoking,drinking,and exercise frequency.

Objective To analyze the characteristics of males with autologous sperm preservation(ASP)in Anhui human sperm bank,and to explore the future direction of ASP in human sperm bank.Methods The basic infor-mation of males applied for ASP in Anhui human sperm bank from January 2019 to December 2023 was retrospec-tively analyzed.Results During this period,there were 424 males applied for ASP.93.40％(396/424)came from Anhui Province,of which 46.46％(197/424)came from Hefei.The age range of them was 15 to 59 years old.66.04％(280/424)had a college degree or above.23.11％(98/424)were employees of public institutions or enterprises.26.89％(114/424)were unmarried and 89.39％(379/424)were childless.67.45％(286/424)patients applied for ASP because of assisted reproductive technology treatment.15.33％(65/424)patients did it due to tumors,among which testicular cancer,lymphoma,leukemia and seminoma were the main reasons.A total of 1 163 semen samples were saved,and 53 males had used their sperm.Conclusion Only a few people applied for ASP,and the characteristics of males with ASP can be used to further strengthen publicity for key groups,espe-cially cancer patients,so as to benefit more people with autologous sperm preservation.

Objective:To analyze the distribution characteristics of plasma renin concentration (PRC) in patients with aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA) and its impact on diagnosis.Methods:In this retrospective case series, clinical data from 200 patients with APA (80 men and 120 women; mean age 45.6 years) in the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from November 2013 to January 2022 were evaluated. PRC was determined by automated chemiluminescence immunoassay. The distribution characteristics of PRC were analyzed, and 8.2 mU/L was used as the low renin cutoff to evaluate whether renin was suppressed.Results:The median PRC was 1.6 mU/L (range, 0.4-41.5 mU/L). There were 116 patients with APA with PRC of ≤2 mU/L, 41 patients with 28.2 mU/L) in 8.0% (16/200) of the patients with APA. And PRC was not suppressed in 2.5% (5/200) of the patients with APA, resulting in a primary aldosteronism negative screening outcome.Conclusions:Although most patients with APA have low PRC, there are a small number (8%) of patients whose PRC has not been fully suppressed, which can lead to missed diagnoses during primary aldosteronism screening. While primary aldosteronism is highly suspected, further investigations are required to determine the diagnosis, even if PRC is not fully suppressed at screening.

Objective:This study aimed to evaluate the effect of enhanced external counterpulsation(EECP)on left ventricular function in elderly patients with coronary slow flow phenomenon(CSFP)using two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography(2D-STE).Methods:This prospective case-control study included 30 patients aged ≥60 years with no stenotic lesions in the coronary arteries but with slow blood flow phenomenon in more than one major coronary artery who were treated at the Department of Geriatrics, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, between December 2017 and December 2018, and were divided into a medication group with 16 participants and a medication plus EECP group with 14 participants, using the numerical lottery method.Patients in the group treated with EECP received 6-week 36-h EECP therapy in addition to lifestyle modification and drug treatment.Fourteen patients with normal coronary blood flow served as the control group.Conventional echocardiography and 2D-STE were used to evaluate changes in left ventricular function in the CSF patients before and after drug treatment and EECP.Results:Compared with the control group before treatment, patients in the drug treatment group and the drug treatment plus EECP group showed a decrease in mitral annular early diastolic velocity( P<0.01), an increase in the ratio of peak mitral early diastolic blood flow velocity to the mean peak mitral annular early diastolic velocity( P<0.05), and a decrease in left ventricular longitudinal strain during systole( P<0.01), the longitudinal systolic myocardial strain rate( P<0.01)and the early diastolic longitudinal peak strain rate( P<0.01).There was no statistically significant difference in values from conventional echocardiographic parameters before and after treatment in CSF patients of the medication group(all P>0.05).In the group receiving EECP, there were statistically significant differences in pre-and post-treatment values in ventricular septal early diastolic velocity[(6.22 ± 0.64)cm/s vs.(6.69 ± 0.44)cm/s], lateral wall early diastolic velocity[(8.01±0.68)cm/s vs.(8.41±0.29)cm/s], mitral valve to mitral annulus early diastolic peak velocity ratio[(10.51±1.38) vs.(9.74±0.37)], longitudinal left ventricular systolic strain[(-16.21±0.46)% vs.(-16.80±0.48)%], left ventricular systolic longitudinal strain rate[(-1.29±0.03)s -1vs.(-1.35±0.04)s -1], and early diastolic longitudinal strain rate[(1.35±0.03)s -1vs.(1.40±0.03)s -1](t-values were -3.70、-2.74、2.23、10.25、12.30、-19.15, all P<0.05). Conclusions:2D-STE can evaluate subclinical myocardial dysfunction early and quantitatively in elderly patients with CSF, and objectively reflect changes in left ventricular function before and after clinical intervention with EECP.

Objective:To compare the efficacy and side effects of multi-fraction stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) and single-fraction stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) in the treatment of brain metastases from colorectal cancer.Methods:A total of 98 patients with brain metastases from colorectal cancer searched from the database of Professional Committee of Brain Metastasis of Shanghai Anticancer Association were recruited in this study. Among them, 46 patients weretreated with SRT and 52 patients with SRS. Clinical characteristics of all patients were analyzed between two groups and the local tumor control rate, median survival time and the incidence of radiation-induced brain injury were compared between two groups.Results:The objective remission rates (ORR) in the SRT and SRS groups were 76.1% and 67.3%, respectively. The 12-month local tumor control rates were 88.3% and 83.9% between two groups, with no statistical difference ( P=0.689). The median overall survival time of all patients was 11.6 months, 10.8 months in the SRT group and 12.7 months in the SRS group. There was no statistical difference between two groups ( P=0.129). Multivariate analysis showed that the main factors leading to poor prognosis included the number of tumors of >3( P=0.026), low GPA score ( P=0.035), and lack of systematic treatment mode and bevacizumab ( P=0.001). There was no statistical difference in the incidence of acute and late radiation-induced brain injury between two groups. Conclusions:Both SRT and SRS are effective therapies for brain metastases from colorectal cancer. The synergistic application of systematic treatment mode may be one of the main reasons affecting the survival time of the patients.

BACKGROUND: Chemotherapy is a common treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma, but the effect is not satisfactory. The study aimed to retrospectively evaluate the effects of adding all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) to infusional fluorouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin (FOLFOX4) for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: We extracted the data of patients with advanced HCC who underwent systemic chemotherapy using FOLFOX4 or ATRA plus FOLFOX4 at the Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, First Hospital of Jilin University, and Zhejiang Sian International Hospital and retrospectively compared for overall survival. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to calculate the hazard ratios for overall survival and disease progression after controlling for age, sex, and disease stage. RESULTS: From July 2013 to July 2018, 111 patients with HCC were included in this study. The median survival duration was 14.8 months in the ATRA plus FOLFOX4 group and 8.2 months in the FOLFOX4 only group ( P  < 0.001). The ATRA plus FOLFOX4 group had a significantly longer median time to progression compared with the FOLFOX4 group (3.6 months vs. 1.8 months, P  < 0.001). Hazard ratios for overall survival and disease progression were 0.465 (95% confidence interval: 0.298-0.726; P  = 0.001) and 0.474 (0.314-0.717; P  < 0.001) after adjusting for potential confounders, respectively. CONCLUSION ATRA plus FOLFOX4 significantly improves the overall survival and time to disease progression in patients with advanced HCC.
Humans ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/drug therapy* ; Retrospective Studies ; Liver Neoplasms/pathology* ; Oxaliplatin/therapeutic use* ; Fluorouracil/adverse effects* ; Disease Progression ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use* ; Leucovorin/adverse effects* ; Colorectal Neoplasms/drug therapy*