Objective To compare the macular retinal thickness characteristics of diabetic kidney disease(DKD)patients with different blood pressure levels and explore the relationship between blood pressure and macular retinal damage in DKD patients.Methods A total of 435 DKD patients were selected and divided into four groups based on medical history and blood pressure:the non-hypertensive group(NH group,n=100),the well-controlled blood pressure group(G0 group,n=176),the grade 1 hypertension group(G1 group,n=118)and the grade 2 hypertension group(G2 group,n=41).General information,routine laboratory test results as well as the average thickness of the macular retinal nerve fiber layer(RNFL),ganglion cell layer(GCL),ganglion cell complex(GCC),choroidal layer(CL)and central macular retinal thickness(CMT)were compared between the four groups.The correlation between macular retinal thickness in both eyes and clinical data was analyzed.Results Compared with the G1 group and the G2 group,the G0 group had a longer duration of hypertension.Compared to the NH group,the G2 group had higher fasting plasma glucose(FPG).Compared to the G0 group,the G1 group and the G2 group had higher FPG,and the G2 group had higher glycated hemoglobin(HbA1c)and lower estimated glomerular filtration rate(eGFR).Compared to the NH group,the G0 group had decreased thickness in the GCL and GCC(P<0.05).The macular retinal thickness of the GCL and GCC in both eyes was negatively correlated with diastolic blood pressure(r=-0.158 and-0.195,respectively,P<0.05).Conclusion Macular retinal thickness is helpful in assessing the long-term effects of hypertension on optic nerve and microvascular damage in DKD patients.

Objective:To observe any impact of supplementing conventional rehabilitation training with electrothermal acupuncture on the upper limb motor functioning of hemiplegic stroke survivors.Methods:Thirty-six hemiplegic persons who had recently survived a stroke were divided at random into an electrothermal acupuncture group ( n=18) and a control group ( n=18). Both groups received conventional rehabilitation training, while the electrothermal acupuncture group was additionally provided with daily 30-minute sessions of electrothermal acupuncture, 6 days per week for 3 weeks. Before and after the treatment everyone′s upper limb motor functioning was quantified using the Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA-UE), and their ability in the activities of daily living (ADL) was assessed using the modified Barthel index (MBI). The Hong Kong version of the functional test for the hemiplegic upper extremity (FTHUE-HK) was also administered. Surface electromyography (sEMG) was employed to compute the co-contraction ratios (CRs) of the agonist to antagonist muscles during elbow flexion and extension. Results:After the treatment, both groups exhibited significant improvements in their average FMA-UE, FTHUE-HK and MBI results, but with significantly greater improvement in the electrothermal acupuncture group. The root mean square values of the wrist flexor and extensor and elbow flexor muscles during flexion showed significant improvement in both groups, with the average values in the electrothermal acupuncture group significantly better than those of the control group. The CR values during elbow extension in the electrothermal acupuncture group demonstrated significant improvement compared to before the treatment.Conclusions:Supplementing conventional rehabilitation measures with electrothermal acupuncture can better increase the strength of the elbow and wrist extensor muscles in the early days after a stroke. It promotes the recruitment of muscle fibers in the extensor muscle group, reduces abnormal coordination patterns in the elbow joint, and improves upper limb motor function, the practicality of hand function, and ability in the activities of daily living.

Objective To compare the macular retinal thickness characteristics of diabetic kidney disease(DKD)patients with different blood pressure levels and explore the relationship between blood pressure and macular retinal damage in DKD patients.Methods A total of 435 DKD patients were selected and divided into four groups based on medical history and blood pressure:the non-hypertensive group(NH group,n=100),the well-controlled blood pressure group(G0 group,n=176),the grade 1 hypertension group(G1 group,n=118)and the grade 2 hypertension group(G2 group,n=41).General information,routine laboratory test results as well as the average thickness of the macular retinal nerve fiber layer(RNFL),ganglion cell layer(GCL),ganglion cell complex(GCC),choroidal layer(CL)and central macular retinal thickness(CMT)were compared between the four groups.The correlation between macular retinal thickness in both eyes and clinical data was analyzed.Results Compared with the G1 group and the G2 group,the G0 group had a longer duration of hypertension.Compared to the NH group,the G2 group had higher fasting plasma glucose(FPG).Compared to the G0 group,the G1 group and the G2 group had higher FPG,and the G2 group had higher glycated hemoglobin(HbA1c)and lower estimated glomerular filtration rate(eGFR).Compared to the NH group,the G0 group had decreased thickness in the GCL and GCC(P<0.05).The macular retinal thickness of the GCL and GCC in both eyes was negatively correlated with diastolic blood pressure(r=-0.158 and-0.195,respectively,P<0.05).Conclusion Macular retinal thickness is helpful in assessing the long-term effects of hypertension on optic nerve and microvascular damage in DKD patients.

Objective:To investigate the impact of hysteroscopic surgery on fresh embryo transfer outcomes in patients with transvaginal ultrasound-diagnosed FIGO Type Ⅱ/Ⅲ uterine fibroids that may affect the uterine cavity morphology, providing a reference for clinical practice.Methods:A retrospective cohort study was performed to analyze the clinical data of 346 patients who visited the Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital between January 2020 and December 2022, with transvaginal ultrasound findings indicating uterine fibroids adjacent to or protruding into the uterine cavity (FIGO Type Ⅱ, Ⅲ) and who underwent fresh embryo transfer. Patients were divided into two groups based on whether hysteroscopic surgery were performed: the hysteroscopic surgery group ( n=237, the group that underwent hysteroscopy before embryo transfer) and the non-surgery group ( n=109, the group that proceeded directly to embryo transfer without hysteroscopy). Basic patient characteristics and pregnancy outcomes were compared between the two groups. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors influencing clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate. Results:The baseline characteristics showed no statistically significant differences between the two groups. The clinical pregnancy rate [44.3% (105/237)] and the live birth rate [32.5% (77/237)] following fresh embryo transfer in the hysteroscopic surgery group were significantly higher than those in the non-surgery group [31.2% (34/109), P=0.021; 18.3% (20/109), P=0.007], whereas the pregnancy loss rate showed no significant difference. Stratified analysis by age revealed that for patients aged <35 years, the clinical pregnancy rate [62.1% (54/87)] and the live birth rate [51.7% (45/87)] in fresh embryo transfer cycles were significantly higher in the hysteroscopic surgery group compared with the non-surgery group [30.8% (12/39), P=0.001; 25.6% (10/39), P=0.006]. Multivariate logistic regression analysis further confirmed that hysteroscopic surgery was an independent factor influencing live birth rate ( OR=2.128, 95% CI: 1.152-3.930, P=0.016). Among patients aged <35 years, hysteroscopic surgery was an influencing factor of both clinical pregnancy rate ( OR=4.222, 95% CI: 1.745-10.215, P=0.001) and live birth rate ( OR=3.449, 95% CI: 1.436-8.282, P=0.006). Conclusion:For infertile patients with ultrasound findings of uterine fibroids adjacent to or protruding into the uterine cavity, especially younger patients, hysteroscopy is recommended. It can improve pregnancy outcomes of fresh embryo transfer, increasing both the clinical pregnancy rate and the live birth rate.

Objective:To evaluate the value of ultrasound radiomics combined with machine learning for early diagnosis of seronegative Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (SN-HT) .Methods:This retrospective study included 164 patients from Liaoning Provincial People’s Hospital , Lixin County People’s Hospital, Linghai Dalinghe Hospital, Fengcheng Phoenix Hospital, who underwent thyroidectomy for solitary nodules with normal thyroid function between Nov. 2016 and Jan. 2024. Postoperative pathology confirmed Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) in some cases, who were further categorized into antibody-positive and antibody-negative groups based on serum antibody status. Patients without Hashimoto’s thyroiditis served as the control group. A total of 298 ultrasound images were analyzed. Radiomics features were extracted from hypoechoic non-nodular areas within 0.5 cm surrounding the tumor. Two senior pathologists and two senior ultrasound physicians independently assessed lymphocytic infiltration, eosinophilic changes of follicular epithelium, and the proportion of hypoechoic areas in pathology and ultrasound images, respectively. A machine learning model, CCH-NET, was developed using linear regression and t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (t-SNE) techniques. The dataset was divided into a training set (80%) and a validation set (20%) to compare the diagnostic accuracy of CCH-NET with that of senior ultrasound physicians. Results:In internal validation, CCH-NET achieved a diagnostic accuracy of 88.89% for both antibody-positive and antibody-negative groups, significantly higher than the 66.67% accuracy of senior ultrasound physicians ( P<0.01). In external validation, CCH-NET achieved 75.00% and 66.67% accuracy for the two groups, compared to 50.00% by senior ultrasound physicians. For the control group, both methods achieved 93.33% accuracy. The AUC of CCH-NET was 0.848, outperforming senior ultrasound physicians (0.681) ,demonstrating superior diagnostic performance. Conclusion:The radiomics-based CCH-NET model, using non-nodular hypoechoic areas as a specific indicator, can accurately identify early SN-HT in euthyroid patients. It significantly outperforms senior ultrasound physicians, improving diagnostic accuracy and reducing missed diagnoses.

Objective Through organizing a proficiency evaluation activity for animal illuminance testing laboratories,to assess the accuracy of testing data from participating laboratories,and to propose suggestions for testing methods.Methods In September 2024,China National Institute for Food and Drug Control(NIFDC)organised reference laboratories to conduct on-site testing through open registration.A total of 35 laboratories participated,completed on-site testing,and submitted their reports.The samples to be tested were two adjacent guinea pig breeding rooms in the NIFDC laboratory animal facility.In order to reduce the impact of room voltage fluctuations on animal illumination,chip on board(COB)light sources powered by regulated power supply were used,and brightness was adjusted by regulating voltage output.Split-level test sample pairs were used to set animal illuminance in both rooms,and the reference laboratories conducted testing according to Laboratory animals——Environment and housing facilities(GB 14925-2023).Each reference laboratory was assigned a 3-digit random code,conducted 2 tests for each breeding room,and submitted an on-site test report,original records,and illuminance meter verification or calibration certificate.WPS Spreadsheet 12.1 was used to summarize data,Grubbs' test(α=0.01)was used to check the data and remove outliers,and SPSS 26.0 software was used for data processing and graph drawing.The median value from each reference laboratory was used as the specified value,the robust standard deviation was used as the uncertainty,the robust z-score method(both intra-laboratory and inter-laboratory z-scores)was used to evaluate the test results from each laboratory,and the factors affecting results were analyzed from aspects of personnel,equipment,and operational environment.Results Under the detection level of α=0.01,no outliers were identified.The specified values for Room 1 and Room 2 were 17.80 lx and 19.00 Ix,respectively.The results obtained from 34 laboratories were evaluated as"satisfactory",while the results from one laboratory were"unsatisfactory".Through analysis of illuminance meter calibration certificates from various laboratories,it was found that some reference laboratories had insufficient calibration points and coverage,which caused test results to fail to accurately reflect the actual illuminance of the facility.Conclusion The present study reveals that factors such as personnel,equipment,and operation environment have different impacts on animal illuminance measurements.The present study concentrates exclusively on animal illuminance in guinea pig breeding rooms,where the testing environment is relatively dim.Future research should focus on the development of more efficient methods for selecting measurement sites,with the combination of illuminance meters equipped with wireless probes and storage functions to enhance testing efficiency.

Objective:To evaluate the value of ultrasound radiomics combined with machine learning for early diagnosis of seronegative Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (SN-HT) .Methods:This retrospective study included 164 patients from Liaoning Provincial People’s Hospital , Lixin County People’s Hospital, Linghai Dalinghe Hospital, Fengcheng Phoenix Hospital, who underwent thyroidectomy for solitary nodules with normal thyroid function between Nov. 2016 and Jan. 2024. Postoperative pathology confirmed Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) in some cases, who were further categorized into antibody-positive and antibody-negative groups based on serum antibody status. Patients without Hashimoto’s thyroiditis served as the control group. A total of 298 ultrasound images were analyzed. Radiomics features were extracted from hypoechoic non-nodular areas within 0.5 cm surrounding the tumor. Two senior pathologists and two senior ultrasound physicians independently assessed lymphocytic infiltration, eosinophilic changes of follicular epithelium, and the proportion of hypoechoic areas in pathology and ultrasound images, respectively. A machine learning model, CCH-NET, was developed using linear regression and t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (t-SNE) techniques. The dataset was divided into a training set (80%) and a validation set (20%) to compare the diagnostic accuracy of CCH-NET with that of senior ultrasound physicians. Results:In internal validation, CCH-NET achieved a diagnostic accuracy of 88.89% for both antibody-positive and antibody-negative groups, significantly higher than the 66.67% accuracy of senior ultrasound physicians ( P<0.01). In external validation, CCH-NET achieved 75.00% and 66.67% accuracy for the two groups, compared to 50.00% by senior ultrasound physicians. For the control group, both methods achieved 93.33% accuracy. The AUC of CCH-NET was 0.848, outperforming senior ultrasound physicians (0.681) ,demonstrating superior diagnostic performance. Conclusion:The radiomics-based CCH-NET model, using non-nodular hypoechoic areas as a specific indicator, can accurately identify early SN-HT in euthyroid patients. It significantly outperforms senior ultrasound physicians, improving diagnostic accuracy and reducing missed diagnoses.

Objective To explore the correlation between thyroid autoimmunity(TAI)and gestational diabetes mellitus(GDM)in Chinese euthyroid women.Methods A total of 508 euthyroid women were enrolled in the cross-sectional study,who performed their entire clinical/biological workup and oral glucose tolerance test(OGTT)from the department of Gynecology and Endocrinology of the Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital,Capital Medical University from June 2023 to June 2024.At median 8(6-10)weeks of gestation,thyroid-stimulating hormone(TSH),free thyroxine(fT4),and thyroid peroxidase antibodies(TPOAb)were measured,baseline characteristics were recorded,and an OGTT was performed between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy.According to the OGTT results,they were divided into GDM group(n=169)and non GDM group(n=339).Thyroid parameters,the demographic and obstetric parameters,and the prevalence of TAI were compared with two groups.The factors associated with GDM were analyzed with multivariate Logistic regression analysis.Results The age,body mass index(BMI),and proportion of obese women before pregnancy in the GDM group were all significantly higher than those in the non-GDM group,with statistically significant differences(P<0.001).The proportion of pregnant women over 30 years old in the GDM group was significantly higher than that in the non-GDM group(59.17%vs 6.79%,χ2=168.667,P<0.001).The proportion of obese mothers(BMI≥28 kg/m2)before pregnancy in the GDM group was 24.26%,which was significantly higher than that in the non-GDM group(8.26%)(χ2=24.599,P<0.001).The incidence of TAI in the GDM group was 54.44%,while it was 15.93%in the non-GDM group.The difference between the two groups was statistically significant(χ2=81.659,P<0.001).The results of Logistic regression analysis showed that maternal age over 30 years and pre-pregnancy obesity increased the risk of GDM occurrence in TAI women by 6.08 times(OR=6.08,95%CI 3.61-10.25,P<.001).Conclusion Among early pregnancy women with normal thyroid function,as age increases during follow-up(especially over 30 years old),pre-pregnancy BMI increases(especially in obese individuals),and those with pre-pregnancy TAI,the risk of developing GDM during pregnancy significantly increases.It is necessary to explore preventive strategies for GDM in euthyroid TAI women,with a view to improving adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Objective:To compare pregnancy outcomes between patients undergoing combined hysteroscopy and hysterosalpingo-contrast sonography (HyCoSy) versus hysteroscopy alone prior to intrauterine insemination, and to evaluate the safety and clinical value of the combined procedure in the diagnosis and treatment of infertility.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical data from 385 patients who underwent hysteroscopy at Peking University Third Hospital between October 1, 2020 and September 30, 2022, and subsequently received their first cycle of artificial insemination with donor sperm (AID) within six months. Pregnancy outcomes were compared between the group receiving combined hysteroscopy with four-dimensional HyCoSy (hysteroscopy+4D-HyCoSy group) and the group receiving hysteroscopy alone (hysteroscopy group). Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze factors influencing pregnancy outcomes after AID.Results:Among the 385 patients included, 79 achieved clinical pregnancy. The clinical pregnancy rate (24.9%, 53/213) and live birth rate (21.1%, 45/213) in the hysteroscopy+4D-HyCoSy group were significantly higher than those in the hysteroscopy group [15.1% (26/172) and 12.8% (22/172), respectively; all P<0.05]. There was no significant difference in tubal patency between the two groups ( P>0.05); however, the time interval from tubal patency assessment to intrauterine insemination was significantly longer in the hysteroscopy group compared to the hysteroscopy+4D-HyCoSy group (median: 4.0 vs 2.0 months; P<0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that double insemination significantly increased clinical pregnancy rate compared to single insemination ( OR=2.42, 95% CI: 1.02-5.72; P=0.044). An interval exceeding 6 months between tubal patency assessment and intrauterine insemination was identified as a risk factor for reduced clinical pregnancy ( OR=0.35, 95% CI: 0.14-0.92; P=0.047). Additionally, neither the time interval from hysteroscopy to intrauterine insemination nor hysteroscopic findings and pathological diagnoses had significant effects on clinical pregnancy rates (all P>0.05). Conclusions:The combination of hysteroscopy and HyCoSy provides a safe and efficient approach for fertility assessment in infertile patients and improves clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate in intrauterine insemination cycles. Hysteroscopy is recommended for patients with suspected endometrial or intrauterine abnormalities. If no previous tubal patency assessment has been performed or the last assessment was more than six months prior, combined hysteroscopy and HyCoSy may be considered to enhance the likelihood of clinical pregnancy.

Objective:To observe any impact of supplementing conventional rehabilitation training with electrothermal acupuncture on the upper limb motor functioning of hemiplegic stroke survivors.Methods:Thirty-six hemiplegic persons who had recently survived a stroke were divided at random into an electrothermal acupuncture group ( n=18) and a control group ( n=18). Both groups received conventional rehabilitation training, while the electrothermal acupuncture group was additionally provided with daily 30-minute sessions of electrothermal acupuncture, 6 days per week for 3 weeks. Before and after the treatment everyone′s upper limb motor functioning was quantified using the Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA-UE), and their ability in the activities of daily living (ADL) was assessed using the modified Barthel index (MBI). The Hong Kong version of the functional test for the hemiplegic upper extremity (FTHUE-HK) was also administered. Surface electromyography (sEMG) was employed to compute the co-contraction ratios (CRs) of the agonist to antagonist muscles during elbow flexion and extension. Results:After the treatment, both groups exhibited significant improvements in their average FMA-UE, FTHUE-HK and MBI results, but with significantly greater improvement in the electrothermal acupuncture group. The root mean square values of the wrist flexor and extensor and elbow flexor muscles during flexion showed significant improvement in both groups, with the average values in the electrothermal acupuncture group significantly better than those of the control group. The CR values during elbow extension in the electrothermal acupuncture group demonstrated significant improvement compared to before the treatment.Conclusions:Supplementing conventional rehabilitation measures with electrothermal acupuncture can better increase the strength of the elbow and wrist extensor muscles in the early days after a stroke. It promotes the recruitment of muscle fibers in the extensor muscle group, reduces abnormal coordination patterns in the elbow joint, and improves upper limb motor function, the practicality of hand function, and ability in the activities of daily living.