Nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA), one of the most severe types of male infertility, etiology often remains unclear in most cases. Therefore, this study aimed to detect four biallelic detrimental variants (0.5%) in the minichromosome maintenance domain containing 2 ( MCMDC2 ) genes in 768 NOA patients by whole-exome sequencing (WES). Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) demonstrated that MCMDC2 deleterious variants caused meiotic arrest in three patients (c.1360G>T, c.1956G>T, and c.685C>T) and hypospermatogenesis in one patient (c.94G>T), as further confirmed through immunofluorescence (IF) staining. The single-cell RNA sequencing data indicated that MCMDC2 was substantially expressed during spermatogenesis. The variants were confirmed as deleterious and responsible for patient infertility through bioinformatics and in vitro experimental analyses. The results revealed four MCMDC2 variants related to NOA, which contributes to the current perception of the function of MCMDC2 in male fertility and presents new perspectives on the genetic etiology of NOA.
Humans ; Male ; Azoospermia/genetics* ; Meiosis/genetics* ; Spermatogenesis/genetics* ; Adult ; Exome Sequencing ; Microtubule-Associated Proteins/genetics* ; Alleles ; Infertility, Male/genetics*

An ideal dermal filler should integrate filling, repair, and anti-aging effects, with immediate tissue augmentation, slow degradation, and progressive stimulation of collagen regeneration. However, commonly used hyaluronic acid (HA) hydrogels, while effective for rapid filling, suffer from limited duration of support, weak cell adhesion, and an inability to promote collagen regeneration. Silk fibroin (SF), a natural protein from silkworm cocoons, is known for its excellent cell adhesion and collagen-stimulating abilities. However, its limited gelation capability restricts its potential application as a standalone injectable hydrogel. Based on a complementary strategy, this study combines the rapid gelling properties of HA with the collagen regenerative properties of SF to create a co-crosslinked HA-SF hydrogel. The composite hydrogel merges HA's rapid filling effect with SF's strong tissue adhesion and collagen-stimulating abilities. The formulation, physicochemical properties, degradation, biocompatibility, and filling effects of the HA-SF hydrogel were systematically investigated. HA-SF hydrogel exhibits excellent mechanical properties and ensures long-term support while maintaining injectability. Interestingly, after intradermal injection in the UVB-induced photoaging model, HA-SF hydrogel not only enhances hydrogel-cell interaction but also continues to stimulate collagen regeneration, especially type III collagen. This dual action achieves the biological effects of repair and anti-aging while maintaining the filling effect. Proteomic analysis confirms that repair and anti-aging effects are enhanced by the regulation of skin fibroblasts and modulation of amino acid and lipid metabolism. This composite hydrogel holds strong promise for clinical applications, offering a safer, long-lasting, and more natural injectable filler that combines filling, repair, and anti-aging into one system.

ln the context of the high-quality development of public hospitals,research management is transitioning from a results-oriented approach to a full-process management model,necessitating the exploration of a governance system that integrates topic guidance,process support,and outcome transformation.Based on the Knowledge-to-Action and SECl model,it analyzes the construction logic and application effectiveness of the nursing research rounds mechanism at a teritary grade A hospital in Hainan Province.Through a"three-tier stratification+dual-track collaboration+full-process closed-loop"design,the mechanism bridges the chain from"clinical problem identification to research path optimization to outcome transformation",significantly enhancing research participation,research plan standardization,and research output.The findings validate the practical value of the research rounds mechanism in promoting knowledge transformation,capability enhancement,and organizational knowledge retention.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the association between body mass index (BMI) and mortality based on the 10-year population-based multicenter prospective study. METHODS: A general population-based multicenter prospective study was conducted at four sites in rural China between 2013 and 2023. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models and restricted cubic spline analyses were used to assess the association between BMI and mortality. Stratified analyses were performed based on the individual characteristics of the participants. RESULTS: Overall, 19,107 participants with a sum of 163,095 person-years were included and 1,910 participants died. The underweight (< 18.5 kg/m ²) presented an increase in all-cause mortality (adjusted hazards ratio [ aHR] = 2.00, 95% confidence interval [ CI]: 1.66-2.41), while overweight (≥ 24.0 to < 28.0 kg/m ²) and obesity (≥ 28.0 kg/m ²) presented a decrease with an aHR of 0.61 (95% CI: 0.52-0.73) and 0.51 (95% CI: 0.37-0.70), respectively. Overweight ( aHR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.67-0.86) and mild obesity ( aHR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.59-0.87) had a positive impact on mortality in people older than 60 years. All-cause mortality decreased rapidly until reaching a BMI of 25.7 kg/m ² ( aHR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.92-0.98) and increased slightly above that value, indicating a U-shaped association. The beneficial impact of being overweight on mortality was robust in most subgroups and sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSION This study provides additional evidence that overweight and mild obesity may be inversely related to the risk of death in individuals older than 60 years. Therefore, it is essential to consider age differences when formulating health and weight management strategies.
Humans ; Body Mass Index ; China/epidemiology* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Rural Population/statistics & numerical data* ; Aged ; Follow-Up Studies ; Adult ; Mortality ; Cause of Death ; Obesity/mortality* ; Overweight/mortality*

Objective:To analyze the echocardiographic features of different subtypes of Takayasu arteritis（TA）complicated with heart failure（HF），and to explore the clinical application value of echocardiography in the assessment of TA-HF.Methods:Comprehensive clinical and echocardiographic data were collected from 328 consecutive patients with TA who were admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University between January 2010 and December 2023. HF was diagnosed and classified according to the criteria outlined in the China guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of heart failure 2024. A total of 38 TA-HF patients was selected and enrolled. Based on left ventricular ejection fraction（LVEF），they were grouped into preserved LVEF（HFpEF）group（LVEF≥50%， n=22）and the reduced LVEF（HFmr/rEF）group（LVEF<50%， n=16）. Clinical and echocardiographic data were compared between the HFpEF group and the HFmr/rEF group. Multivariate analysis was performed to evaluate the risk factors for the occurrence of heart failure. Results:① The incidence of HF was 11.6% in patients with TA（38/328）. In the patients with TA-HF，Numano Type Ⅴ accounted for 52.6%（20/38）. According to HF classification standard，TA-HF most commonly manifested as HFpEF at 57.9%（22/38），HFmrEF and HFrEF each accounted for 21.05%（8/38）respectively. ②Echocardiographic analysis revealed the following findings in TA-HF patients：34（89.5%）patients exhibited left heart dilation，4（10.5%）patients demonstrated right heart dilation，23（60.5%）patients presented with left ventricular myocardial hypertrophy，18（47.4%）patients had moderate/severe aortic valve regurgitation，9（23.7%）patients showed diffuse left ventricular myocardial wall motion abnormalities，8（21.1%）patients displayed segmental left ventricular myocardial wall motion abnormalities，and 11（28.9%）patients were diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension. ③Intergroup comparisons demonstrated significantly lower levels of erythrocyte sedimentation rate，reduced proportions of patients in clinical active phase，and lower incidence of moderate/severe aortic regurgitation in HFmr/rEF group versus HFpEF group（all P<0.05）. Conversely，HFmr/rEF group exhibited significantly higher rates of myocardial motion abnormalities，left atrial anteroposterior diameter，left ventricular end-systolic anteroposterior diameter，and left ventricular end-systolic volume compared to HFpEF group（all P<0.05）. ④Multivariate regression analysis identified left ventricular wall motion abnormality，pulmonary hypertension，moderate/severe aortic regurgitation and left ventricular myocardial hypertrophy as independent risk factors for TA-HF development. Conclusions:TA-HF exhibits diverse echocardiographic manifestations，with distinct echocardiographic features observed among different subtypes. Echocardiography plays a crucial role in the diagnosis，classification，and risk stratification of TA-HF.

Objective:To evaluate the clinical utility of an intelligent endoscope transportation system in the digestive endoscopy center.Methods:A parallel-group controlled trial was conducted at Digestive Endoscopy Center of Qilu Hospital of Shandong University from June 1st to December 31st 2024, comparing robotic intelligent endoscope transport (experimental group) versus manual transport (control group). Performance metrics, including response time, transportation speed, labor efficiency, contamination prevention, closed-loop traceability, and nursing staff satisfaction, were statistically analyzed. Full-time equivalent (FTE) was introduced to quantify the operational efficiency of the experimental group.Results:The study included a total of 60 206 instances of intelligent endoscope transportation and 60 485 instances of manual transportation data. The robotic group demonstrated significantly shorter response times versus manual group for initial dispatch (51.08±14.97 seconds VS 54.44±13.61 seconds, t=35.8, P<0.001) and recovery response time (32.52±11.26 seconds VS 40.20±11.40 seconds, t=103.93, P<0.001). During the 148 days operational period, the success rate was 99.83% (60 104/60 206) and the failure rate was 0.17% (102/60 206) for robotic transports. Primary failure causes were wireless disconnection, pathfinding errors, and mechanical faults, averaging 1.05 malfunctions/month with no adverse events. The success and failure rate was 99.26% (60 043/60 485) and 0.74% (442/60 485) respectively for manual transports. Staff satisfaction was significantly higher for robotic transport in endoscopic transportation (4.65±0.55 scores VS 3.97±0.98 scores, t=96.5, P<0.001) and delivery process (4.71±0.59 scores VS 3.90±1.04 scores, t=210.3, P<0.001). and workload intensity was significantly lower (4.06±0.77 scores VS 4.48±0.63 scores, t=59.9, P=0.025). The system reduced labor requirements by 3.68 FTE, yielding annual savings of ￥657 000. Conclusion:The robotic intelligent endoscope transport system improves work efficiency, reduces nursing labor costs and physical workload, enhances job experience and satisfaction, and enables full-process smart traceability, providing a validated solution for endoscopy center logistics.

ln the context of the high-quality development of public hospitals,research management is transitioning from a results-oriented approach to a full-process management model,necessitating the exploration of a governance system that integrates topic guidance,process support,and outcome transformation.Based on the Knowledge-to-Action and SECl model,it analyzes the construction logic and application effectiveness of the nursing research rounds mechanism at a teritary grade A hospital in Hainan Province.Through a"three-tier stratification+dual-track collaboration+full-process closed-loop"design,the mechanism bridges the chain from"clinical problem identification to research path optimization to outcome transformation",significantly enhancing research participation,research plan standardization,and research output.The findings validate the practical value of the research rounds mechanism in promoting knowledge transformation,capability enhancement,and organizational knowledge retention.

Objective:To analyze the echocardiographic features of different subtypes of Takayasu arteritis（TA）complicated with heart failure（HF），and to explore the clinical application value of echocardiography in the assessment of TA-HF.Methods:Comprehensive clinical and echocardiographic data were collected from 328 consecutive patients with TA who were admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University between January 2010 and December 2023. HF was diagnosed and classified according to the criteria outlined in the China guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of heart failure 2024. A total of 38 TA-HF patients was selected and enrolled. Based on left ventricular ejection fraction（LVEF），they were grouped into preserved LVEF（HFpEF）group（LVEF≥50%， n=22）and the reduced LVEF（HFmr/rEF）group（LVEF<50%， n=16）. Clinical and echocardiographic data were compared between the HFpEF group and the HFmr/rEF group. Multivariate analysis was performed to evaluate the risk factors for the occurrence of heart failure. Results:① The incidence of HF was 11.6% in patients with TA（38/328）. In the patients with TA-HF，Numano Type Ⅴ accounted for 52.6%（20/38）. According to HF classification standard，TA-HF most commonly manifested as HFpEF at 57.9%（22/38），HFmrEF and HFrEF each accounted for 21.05%（8/38）respectively. ②Echocardiographic analysis revealed the following findings in TA-HF patients：34（89.5%）patients exhibited left heart dilation，4（10.5%）patients demonstrated right heart dilation，23（60.5%）patients presented with left ventricular myocardial hypertrophy，18（47.4%）patients had moderate/severe aortic valve regurgitation，9（23.7%）patients showed diffuse left ventricular myocardial wall motion abnormalities，8（21.1%）patients displayed segmental left ventricular myocardial wall motion abnormalities，and 11（28.9%）patients were diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension. ③Intergroup comparisons demonstrated significantly lower levels of erythrocyte sedimentation rate，reduced proportions of patients in clinical active phase，and lower incidence of moderate/severe aortic regurgitation in HFmr/rEF group versus HFpEF group（all P<0.05）. Conversely，HFmr/rEF group exhibited significantly higher rates of myocardial motion abnormalities，left atrial anteroposterior diameter，left ventricular end-systolic anteroposterior diameter，and left ventricular end-systolic volume compared to HFpEF group（all P<0.05）. ④Multivariate regression analysis identified left ventricular wall motion abnormality，pulmonary hypertension，moderate/severe aortic regurgitation and left ventricular myocardial hypertrophy as independent risk factors for TA-HF development. Conclusions:TA-HF exhibits diverse echocardiographic manifestations，with distinct echocardiographic features observed among different subtypes. Echocardiography plays a crucial role in the diagnosis，classification，and risk stratification of TA-HF.

Objective:To evaluate the clinical utility of an intelligent endoscope transportation system in the digestive endoscopy center.Methods:A parallel-group controlled trial was conducted at Digestive Endoscopy Center of Qilu Hospital of Shandong University from June 1st to December 31st 2024, comparing robotic intelligent endoscope transport (experimental group) versus manual transport (control group). Performance metrics, including response time, transportation speed, labor efficiency, contamination prevention, closed-loop traceability, and nursing staff satisfaction, were statistically analyzed. Full-time equivalent (FTE) was introduced to quantify the operational efficiency of the experimental group.Results:The study included a total of 60 206 instances of intelligent endoscope transportation and 60 485 instances of manual transportation data. The robotic group demonstrated significantly shorter response times versus manual group for initial dispatch (51.08±14.97 seconds VS 54.44±13.61 seconds, t=35.8, P<0.001) and recovery response time (32.52±11.26 seconds VS 40.20±11.40 seconds, t=103.93, P<0.001). During the 148 days operational period, the success rate was 99.83% (60 104/60 206) and the failure rate was 0.17% (102/60 206) for robotic transports. Primary failure causes were wireless disconnection, pathfinding errors, and mechanical faults, averaging 1.05 malfunctions/month with no adverse events. The success and failure rate was 99.26% (60 043/60 485) and 0.74% (442/60 485) respectively for manual transports. Staff satisfaction was significantly higher for robotic transport in endoscopic transportation (4.65±0.55 scores VS 3.97±0.98 scores, t=96.5, P<0.001) and delivery process (4.71±0.59 scores VS 3.90±1.04 scores, t=210.3, P<0.001). and workload intensity was significantly lower (4.06±0.77 scores VS 4.48±0.63 scores, t=59.9, P=0.025). The system reduced labor requirements by 3.68 FTE, yielding annual savings of ￥657 000. Conclusion:The robotic intelligent endoscope transport system improves work efficiency, reduces nursing labor costs and physical workload, enhances job experience and satisfaction, and enables full-process smart traceability, providing a validated solution for endoscopy center logistics.

BACKGROUND:Peripheral nerves play an important role in bone metabolism.In clinical practice,the specific impact of nerve injury on bone transport technology needs further study. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of tibial nerve injury on the treatment of tibial slip by single-plane osteotomy. METHODS:Thirty-two patients with tibial bone defects admitted to Tangshan Second Hospital from May 2011 to June 2022 were selected.According to the presence or absence of tibial nerve injury,patients were divided into the tibial nerve injury group(n=16)and the non-tibial nerve injury group(n=16).Both groups were treated with single-plane osteotomy and bone slip.After treatment,the patients were followed up to collect the mineralization zone healing index,external fixation index,docking point healing and needle infection.After the removal of external fixation,the bone healing and functional evaluation were evaluated by a classification of the Association for the Study and Application of the Method of Ilizarov(ASAMI). RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)All 32 patients were followed up for(25.28±4.79)months.There were no significant differences in bone healing time,external fixation time,healing index and external fixation index between the two groups(P＞0.05).Needle infection occurred in two cases of the tibial nerve injury group and one case of the non-tibial nerve injury group,all of which were PALEY I,and there was no significant difference between the two groups(P＞0.05).The non-union rate of the occlusal end of the tibial nerve injury group was 31%,and that of the non-tibial nerve injury group was 13%;there was no statistical difference between the two groups(P＞0.05).The excellent and good rate of ASAMI bone healing score in the two groups was 100%;the excellent and good rate of limb score was 81%in the tibial nerve injury group and 94%in the non-tibial nerve injury group;there was no statistical difference between the two groups(P＞0.05).(2)Our research shows that tibial nerve injury has no significant effect on the mineralization speed,external fixation time,union of the occlusal end,infection of the needle tract,and the quality of bone formation in the mineralized area of the single-plane osteotomy.