OBJECTIVE: To observe the efficacy and safety of moxibustion in treating patients with central obesity of phlegm-dampness constitution. METHODS: A total of 66 patients with central obesity of phlegm-dampness constitution were randomly assigned to a moxibustion group (n=33, 3 cases dropped out) and a sham moxibustion group (n=33, 4 cases dropped out). The moxibustion group received mild moxibustion combined with lifestyle intervention; the moxibustion was applied at Shenque (CV8) and bilateral Zusanli (ST36), 30 min per session, maintaining a local skin temperature of (43±1) ℃. The sham moxibustion group received simulated moxibustion combined with lifestyle intervention; the simulated moxibustion was applied at the same acupoints, with the same session length, but with a maintained skin temperature of (37±1) ℃. Both groups were treated once every other day, three times per week for 8 consecutive weeks. Obesity-related physical indicators (waist circumference, hip circumference, body weight, body fat percentage, body mass index [BMI]), constitution evaluation indicators (phlegm-dampness constitution conversion score, symptom score), the impact of weight on quality of life-lite (IWQOL-Lite), the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS), and the incidence of adverse events were measured before and after treatment, and after 4 weeks of follow-up. RESULTS: Compared with before treatment, both groups showed significant reductions in waist circumference, hip circumference, body weight, body fat percentage, BMI, phlegm-dampness constitution conversion score and symptom score, IWQOL-Lite, and both anxiety and depression subscale scores of HADS after treatment and at follow-up (P<0.001). These improvements were significantly greater in the moxibustion group than those in the sham moxibustion group (P<0.001, P<0.01, P<0.05). One patient in the moxibustion group experienced a mild burn that resolved with routine care; the incidence of adverse reactions was 3.0% (1/33) in the moxibustion group and 0% (0/33) in the sham moxibustion group, with no statistically significant difference (P>0.05). CONCLUSION On the basis of lifestyle intervention, moxibustion effectively improves obesity-related physical indicators, enhances quality of life, alleviates anxiety and depression, and improves the phlegm-dampness constitution in patients with central obesity. These benefits persist for at least 4 weeks after treatment.
Humans ; Moxibustion ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Obesity, Abdominal/psychology* ; Acupuncture Points ; Treatment Outcome ; Aged ; Quality of Life ; Young Adult ; Body Mass Index

Objective To understand the prevalence and risk factors of hyperuricemia in electronics factory workers in Wuhan, and to provide evidence for the health protection of electronics factory workers. Methods A total of 1 415 employees in an electronics factory in Wuhan were selected as the research subjects, and the physical examination and determination of various biochemical indicators, as well as questionnaire survey were carried out. Results The detection rate of hyperuricemia among workers in the electronics factory in Wuhan was 32.43%, with 36.33% for men and 14.11% for women, and the difference was statistically significant ( χ²＝46.077，P＜0.001). The detection rate of hyperuricemia was the highest (33.77%) among those with university or college education, followed by graduate students and above (31.50%). Compared with subjects with good lifestyle habits, people with drinking habits had higher hyperuricemia detection rate (49.38%), and the difference was statistically significant (P =0.001). The detection rates of hyperuricemia in those with central obesity and elevated alanine aminotransferase were 48.23% and 61.29%, respectively, which were significantly higher than those in the subjects without the above diseases (26.91% and 27.21%, respectively), and the differences were statistically significant (P <0.001). Obese people had the highest detection rate of hyperuricemia (66.95%), followed by overweight people (43.75%), and the difference was statistically significant (P <0.001). Multivariate logistic analysis showed that alcohol drinking (OR=1.836, 95% CI=1.139-2.961, P =0.013) and body mass index ≥ 24 kg/m² (OR=2.175, 95% CI=1.686 -2.806, P <0.001) were risk factors for hyperuricemia in electronic factory workers. Elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) was significantly correlated with hyperuricemia (OR=2.964, 95%CI=2.146-4.095 , P <0.001). Female gender was a protective factor for hyperuricemia in workers in the electronics factory (OR=0.441, 95%CI=0.297-0.653 , P <0.001). Conclusion The detection rate of hyperuricemia among workers in an electronics factory in Wuhan is high, and the detection rate of hyperuricemia in men is higher than that in women. Alcohol consumption, overweight and obesity will increase the risk of hyperuricemia. Elevated ALT is associated with hyperuricemia. Maintaining an ideal body mass index and establishing a good lifestyle play an important role in preventing hyperuricemia.

Background Hand-arm vibration disease (HAVD) is a chronic progressive disease caused by long-term exposure to hand-transmitted vibration, but the mechanism by which vibration affects peripheral vascular function of fingers is not completely clear. Objective To study the association between vasoactive factors and HAVD, and to screen specific indicators for its early diagnosis and prevention. Methods Judgmental sampling method was used to select workers with (HAVD group) and without HAVD (vibration contact group), and non-hand-transmitted vibration operation workers (control group), with 60 workers in each group. The levels of leukotriene B4 (LTB4), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), 5-hydroxy tryptamine (5-HT), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in plasma of the three groups were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The association between vasoactive factors and HAVD was analyzed using logistic regression, and the diagnostic HAVD indicators were screened by receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve of a multivariate model indicator \begin{document}$ \widehat{Y} $\end{document}. Results The hand symptom rates of the HAVD group, the vibration contact group, and the control group were 26.7%, 66.7%, and 96.7% respectively, with a significant difference (P<0.05). The levels of LTB4, 5-HT, IL-1β, and CGRP in the HAVD group were the highest followed by the vibration contact group, and lowest levels were in the control group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the VEGF level among the three groups (P>0.05). The logistic regression results showed that higher levels of LTB4 (OR=1.048, 95%CI: 1.022-1.076), 5-HT (OR=1.011, 95%CI: 1.004-1.018), IL-1β (OR=1.148, 95%CI: 1.071-1.230), and CGRP (OR=1.055, 95%CI: 1.008-1.104) were associated with a higher risk of HAVD (P<0.05). The order of the potential indicators' area under the ROC curve from high to low was:\begin{document}$ \widehat{Y} $\end{document} (0.969) > IL-1β (0.907) > LTB4 (0.876) > 5-HT (0.858) > CGRP (0.836). Conclusion The expression levels of LTB4, 5-HT, IL-1β, and CGRP are altered with occupational exposure in hand-transmitted vibration operations and may be associated with HAVD; VEGF is not found to be associated with HAVD. The accuracy of early screening for HAVD can be improved by combining the monitoring of various biochemical indicators.

Background There are few studies on the diet quality of patients with thyroid cancer, and the relationship between diet quality and thyroid cancer remains uncertain. Objective This study aims to assess the diet quality with the Chinese Health Diet Index (CHDI) and to explore the relationship between diet quality and papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). Methods A 1∶1 gender- and age-matched hospital-based case-control study included newly diagnosed PTC patients and matched controls from Shanghai Cancer Hospital and Renji Hospital (East) in Shanghai, China. A structured questionnaire was applied to collect data on general characteristics, history of diseases, dietary intakes, and lifestyles. Food intakes in the past one year were assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire, from which the CHDI score was calculated. The CHDI, according to the Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents, was employed to evaluate the diet quality of the two groups. A multiple conditional logistic regression model was conducted to explore the relationship between diet quality and PTC. Results A total of 350 pairs of cases and controls were recruited. The overall median CHDI score of the cases was lower than that of the controls (67.8 vs. 73.4, P<0.001). The cases had lower median scores of fruits (6.8 vs. 9.5), dairy products (3.6 vs. 5.6), and soybeans (4.6 vs. 5.5) than the controls (P<0.05); the cases had a higher median score of refined grains than the controls (5.0 vs. 4.9), and the percentage of the cases that met diet recommendations for refined grains was higher than the percentage of the controls (65.4% vs. 48.6%) (P<0.05); the cases showed lower median scores of whole grains/beans/tubers, total vegetables, dark vegetables, and fish/shrimps (0.9 vs. 1.4, 3.1 vs. 4.4, 3.6 vs. 5.0, and 3.3 vs. 4.0, respectively), and the percentages of the cases meeting their diet recommendations were lower than the percentages of the controls (6.3% vs. 8.6%, 32.6% vs. 42.0%, 38.6% vs. 50.6%, and 34.0% vs. 40.3%, respectively, P<0.05). The results of multiple conditional logistic regression analysis suggested that qualified and good diet quality were associated with a reduced the risk of PTC (qualified diet quality, OR=0.37, 95%CI: 0.23−0.62; good diet quality, OR=0.19, 95%CI: 0.10−0.36); the statistical significance remained after excluding patients who had a history of benign thyroid conditions (qualified diet quality, OR=0.28, 95%CI: 0.15−0.52; good diet quality, OR=0.20, 95%CI: 0.09−0.43). Conclusion Those with qualified or good diet quality have a lower risk of PTC. PTC patients have insufficient intakes of fruits, dairy, soybeans, whole grains/beans/tubers, vegetables, and fish/shrimps.

Background Thyroid carcinoma is a serious threat to human health in Shanghai and a focus of cancer prevention and treatment. Objective This study aims to assess the relationship between foods rich in iodine and papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC)．Methods In a hospital-based case-control study matched by gender and age (±3 years old), 402 pairs of cases (new incidences) and controls were included and studied. A validated questionnaire and food frequency questionnaire survey was conducted face to face to obtain demographic characteristics and dietary intake. A multiple conditional logistic regression model was applied to explore the relationship between foods rich in iodine (including seaweeds, kelp, and dried shrimps) and PTC. Results The mean age of the participants was (41.17±11.51) years in this study. Compared with the controls, more cases had a lower education and a manual occupation (P<0.05); more cases were overweight or obese, had a history of benign thyroid conditions, and had a family history of thyroid diseases (P<0.05); the two groups were different in the frequency of CT examination in the past ten years (P<0.05). The results of multiple conditional logistic regression analysis showed that consumption of iodine-rich foods was associated with a lower risk of PTC (for <1 time per week, OR=0.20, 95%CI: 0.12−0.35; for 1−2 times per week, OR=0.18, 95%CI: 0.10−0.33; for ≥3 times per week, OR=0.13, 95%CI: 0.04−0.44) (P<0.05). Specifically, those who consumed seaweeds (for <1 time per week, OR=0.18, 95%CI: 0.11−0.30; for 1−2 times per week, OR=0.11, 95%CI: 0.05−0.23; for ≥3 times per week, OR=0.15, 95%CI: 0.03−0.75), kelp (for <1 time per week, OR=0.28, 95%CI: 0.18−0.43; for ≤2 times per week, OR=0.24, 95%CI: 0.11−0.50), and dried shrimps (for <1 time per week, OR=0.44, 95%CI: 0.29−0.69; for ≤2 times per week: OR=0.34, 95%CI: 0.18−0.65) had a lower risk of PTC (P<0.05). After excluding patients who had a history of benign thyroid conditions, the favorable association remained significant among patients who had consumption of iodine-rich foods, seaweeds, shrimps, and kelp (P<0.05). Conclusion Less PTC patients consume iodine-rich foods than the controls.

Background Both domestic and foreign studies on the diet quality of patients with thyroid nodules are rare at present, and the relationship between thyroid nodules and diet quality is still unclear. Objective This study aims to evaluate the diet quality of thyroid nodules with the China Healthy Diet Index (CHDI) and to explore the relationship between diet quality and thyroid nodules. Methods We conducted a hospital-based case-control study in which 387 patients with thyroid nodules were matched individually (1∶1) by gender and age (±3 years) to the controls who ordered a routine physical examine and with negative thyroid nodules reported by B-ultrasound in the same hospital. A structured questionnaire was applied to collect data on general characteristics and diet. CHDI was employed to evaluate the diet quality of the two groups. CHDI is based on the Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents and the recommended food intake in the balanced diet pagoda, combined with the dietary nutritional status of Chinese population. The index contains 13 scoring components, and the highest total score is 100, with a higher score representing better dietary quality. CHDI scores < 60, 60-<80, and ≥80 are recognized as unqualified, qualified, and good diet quality, respectively. Results The scores of the thyroid nodule cases were lower than the scores of the controls in total vegetables, dark vegetables, fruits, and fish/shrimps (all Ps<0.05). The nonparametric test results found that there were significant differences in the distributions of scores in total vegetables, dark vegetables, fruits, soybeans, and fish/shrimps between the case and the control groups (all Ps<0.05). The percentages reaching the full scores in food variety, meat and eggs, and empty calories in both groups exceeded 60%, while the percentages reaching the full scores in whole grains/beans/tubers, dairy, soybeans, and sodium were lower than 30% in the two groups. The median CHDI scores of the thyroid nodule cases and the controls were 69.1 and 72.9, respectively; the cases' CHDI score was lower than the controls' (P<0.05). The proportions of unqualified diet in the case and the control groups accounted for 23.0% and 13.7% respectively (P=0.001). After being adjusted for education level, marital status, occupation, monthly household income per capita, body mass index, hypertension/diabetes, energy, and iodine intake, the results of logistic regression analysis showed that the risk for thyroid nodules was negatively associated with CHDI score (CHDI qualified group vs. CHDI unqualified group, OR=0.484, 95%CI: 0.291-0.804; CHDI good dietary quality group vs. CHDI unqualified group, OR=0.414, 95%CI: 0.230−0.746). Conclusion The diet quality of patients with thyroid nodules is lower than that of the control group, as the former reported lower consumptions of total vegetables, dark vegetables, fruits, and fish/shrimps. Those who have good or qualified diet quality show a reduced risk of thyroid nodules than those with unqualified dietary quality.

【Objective】 To study the fairness of blood bank resources allocation in China, aimed at providing references for reasonable allocation of blood bank resources. 【Methods】 A questionnaire survey was conducted among 32 provincial blood centers and 321 regional central blood banks across China in August 1~25, 2018. Resource allocation of blood banks in China was analyzed using descriptive methods, and the fairness of resource allocation were analyzed using Lorenz curve, Gini coefficient and Theil index. 【Results】 Blood bank resources and services showed an overall upward trend from 2013 to 2017. The fairness of institutional coverage was optimal in 2017 according to the Lorenz curve and Gini coefficient, suggesting the allocation of blood bank resources according to the population was better than geographic area. The fairness of health technicians staffing was the worst from the perspective of geographic area. The total Theil index was 0.448 5~0.526 7, and the differences was contributed more by intra group comparison than that of inter group. 【Conclusion】 The unbalanced development underlying in the provincial and regional blood centers has been observed, and the service capacity needs to be further improved. The resource allocation varies greatly among regions, and it is recommended to optimize the regional planning of blood bank resources.

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of acupoint thread embedding on the peripheral serum leptin and insulin levels in simple obesity patients, and to further explore the mechanism of acupoint thread embedding in treating simple obesity.Method A total of 120 patients with simple obesity were randomized into a control group, an eletroacupuncture (EA) group and a thread embedding group, 40 cases in each group. The control group was intervened by diet plus exercise intervention, the EA group by EA treatment in addition to the intervention given to the control group and the thread embedding group by acupoint thread embedding treatment in addition to the intervention given to the control group. The levels of blood serum leptin and insulin in the three groups were observed before and after 2 treatment courses and the clinical efficacies were compared among the three groups.Result The total effective rate was 87.5% in the thread embedding group, 85.0% in the EA group, and 47.5% in the control group. The total effective rates in the thread embedding group and EA group were significantly different from the rate in the control group (P<0.05). The levels of the fasting serum leptin and insulin were significantly changed in the thread embedding group and EA group after the treatment (P<0.01). After the treatment, the levels of the fasting serum leptin and insulin in the thread embedding group and EA group were significantly different from those in the control group (P<0.01,P<0.05). The insulin level in the thread embedding group was better than that in the EA group, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05).Conclusion Acupoint thread embedding is an effective approach for simple obesity, and it can down-regulate the fasting peripheral serum leptin and insulin levels.

Objective:The main objective of this study is to analyze the development trend of China's private healthcare providers since the issue of Document No. 58 by the General Office of the State Council in the year 2010. It intends to evaluate the effectiveness of the policy on encouragement and guidance to private healthcare. Methods:(1) Using the statistical data collected from national and provincial healthcare yearbook, we made a comparative a-nalysis on seven indicators regarding the development of private healthcare providers, including the number of health-care providers, the number of beds, the number of healthcare professionals, annual outpatient diagnose-and-treat per-son-times, annual inpatient hospitalization person-times, bed utilization rate and average length of stay for two periods of time (i. e. 2006—2010 and 2011—2015). (2) A field study was conducted to six selected provinces. In these provinces, essential information of the related policy was collected, held stakeholder interviews and focus group dis-cussions among hospital management team and medical workers and visits to several typical private providers were made to understand the policy effectiveness and existing problems. The study also tried to find the key factors for a successful private healthcare provider in China. Results:(1) The results show that since the issue of Document No. 58 in the year 2010 , the number of China's private healthcare providers has greatly increased while the scale and service capabilities of private providers still need to be improved. (2) As per the results again, a great difference ex-ists between provinces in terms of private healthcare provider development during 2010 to 2015 . Conclusion:A posi-tive impact of government regulation on the development of private healthcare providers was noticed. However, China's private healthcare providers are still facing many invisible obstacles and challenges. The government needs to put more focus on building a cross-department coordination and supporting regulation system to advance the sustain-able development of private healthcare providers. Moreover, the government needs to cautiously promote the Public-Private-Partnership ( PPP) to improve the effective allocation of resources in the healthcare market and provide essen-tial support to private healthcare providers in solving the problems they meet during their development process.

Objective The study was to investigate the value of deduction and application of anterior compression index in evaluation of atlantoaxial dislocation and restoration. Method Twenty-eight cases of the control group and 28 cases of atlantoaxial dislocation treated with posterior restoration and screw-rod internal fixation technique before and af?ter surgery were recruited in this study and their data was retrospectively analyzed. All of the people underwent sagittal computerized tomography scan films. The anterior compression index was measured in all cases. Results The mean value of anterior compression index of the control group was 87.86±24.98. The mean value of anterior compression index of the preoperative patients was 230.44 ± 97.60 and the mean value of the postoperative patients was 106.27 ± 73.53. There was significant difference in those two parameters between the preoperative patients and the controls(t=-7.50,P<0.0001). There was no significant difference between the postoperative patients and the control group (t=-1.26, P=0.2171). Anteri?or compression index were significantly lower after surgical operation (t=10.35, compared with before, P<0.0001). Con?clusion Anterior compression index can be an excellent measurement tool for the assessment of relationship of atlas and axis in atlantoaxial dislocation patients before and after posterior restoration operation.