Extensive studies have identified potential adverse effects on semen quality of obesity, based on body mass index, but the association between body fat distribution, a more relevant indicator for obesity, and semen quality remains less clear. We conducted a longitudinal study of 4304 sperm donors from the Guangdong Provincial Human Sperm Bank (Guangzhou, China) during 2017-2021. A body composition analyzer was used to measure total and local body fat percentage for each participant. Generalized estimating equations were employed to assess the association between body fat percentage and sperm count, motility, and morphology. We estimated that each 10% increase in total body fat percentage (estimated change [95% confidence interval, 95% CI]) was significantly associated with a 0.18 × 10 6 (0.09 × 10 6 -0.27 × 10 6 ) ml and 12.21 × 10 6 (4.52 × 10 6 -19.91 × 10 6 ) reduction in semen volume and total sperm count, respectively. Categorical analyses and exposure-response curves showed that the association of body fat distribution with semen volume and total sperm count was stronger at higher body fat percentages. In addition, the association still held among normal weight and overweight participants. We observed similar associations for upper limb, trunk, and lower limb body fact distributions. In conclusion, we found that a higher body fat distribution was significantly associated with lower semen quality (especially semen volume) even in men with a normal weight. These findings provide useful clues in exploring body fat as a risk factor for semen quality decline and add to evidence for improving semen quality for those who are expected to conceive.
Humans ; Male ; Adult ; Semen Analysis ; China ; Body Fat Distribution ; Longitudinal Studies ; Sperm Count ; Sperm Motility ; Body Mass Index ; Tissue Donors ; Obesity/complications* ; Spermatozoa ; Young Adult ; Middle Aged ; East Asian People

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Shexiang Tongxin Dropping Pill (STDP) in treating stable angina patients with phlegm-heat and blood-stasis syndrome by exercise duration and metabolic equivalents. METHODS: This multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial enrolled stable angina patients with phlegm-heat and blood-stasis syndrome from 22 hospitals. They were randomized 1:1 to STDP (35 mg/pill, 6 pills per day) or placebo for 56 days. The primary outcome was the exercise duration and metabolic equivalents (METs) assessed by the standard Bruce exercise treadmill test after 56 days of treatment. The secondary outcomes included the total angina symptom score, Chinese medicine (CM) symptom scores, Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ) scores, changes in ST-T on electrocardiogram and adverse events (AEs). RESULTS: This trial enrolled 309 patients, including 155 and 154 in the STDP and placebo groups, respectively. STDP significantly prolonged exercise duration with an increase of 51.0 s, compared to a decrease of 12.0 s with placebo (change rate: -11.1% vs. 3.2%, P<0.01). The increase in METs was significantly greater in the STDP group than in the placebo group (change: -0.4 vs. 0.0, change rate: -5.0% vs. 0.0%, P<0.01). The improvement of total angina symptom scores (25.0% vs. 0.0%), CM symptom scores (38.7% vs. 11.8%), reduction of nitroglycerin consumption (100.0% vs. 11.3%), and all domains of SAQ, were significantly greater with STDP than placebo (all P<0.01). The changes in Q-T intervals at 28 and 56 days from baseline were similar between the two groups (both P>0.05). Twenty-five participants (16.3%) with STDP and 16 (10.5%) with placebo experienced AEs (P=0.131), with no serious AEs observed. CONCLUSION STDP could improve exercise tolerance in patients with stable angina and phlegm-heat and blood stasis syndrome, with a favorable safety profile. (Registration No. ChiCTR-IPR-15006020).
Humans ; Double-Blind Method ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/adverse effects* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Angina, Stable/physiopathology* ; Aged ; Syndrome ; Treatment Outcome ; Placebos ; Tablets

Cemental tear is a rare and indetectable condition unless obvious clinical signs present with the involvement of surrounding periodontal and periapical tissues. Due to its clinical manifestations similar to common dental issues, such as vertical root fracture, primary endodontic diseases, and periodontal diseases, as well as the low awareness of cemental tear for clinicians, misdiagnosis often occurs. The critical principle for cemental tear treatment is to remove torn fragments, and overlooking fragments leads to futile therapy, which could deteriorate the conditions of the affected teeth. Therefore, accurate diagnosis and subsequent appropriate interventions are vital for managing cemental tear. Novel diagnostic tools, including cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), microscopes, and enamel matrix derivatives, have improved early detection and management, enhancing tooth retention. The implementation of standardized diagnostic criteria and treatment protocols, combined with improved clinical awareness among dental professionals, serves to mitigate risks of diagnostic errors and suboptimal therapeutic interventions. This expert consensus reviewed the epidemiology, pathogenesis, potential predisposing factors, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of cemental tear, aiming to provide a clinical guideline and facilitate clinicians to have a better understanding of cemental tear.
Humans ; Dental Cementum/injuries* ; Consensus ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Cone-Beam Computed Tomography ; Tooth Fractures/therapy*

This paper summarized PENG Qinghua's clinical experience in treating dry eye by applying therapeutic method of maintaining with sweet medicinals and restoring the body fluids. It is believed that the spleen earth insufficiency and fluids damage transforming into dryness are the main pathogenesis of the disease， and the basic therapeutic principle is maintaining with the sweet and restoring the body fluids by mainly using sweet medicines. It is advocated to use mild-sweet herbs， such as Baibiandou （Lablab purpureus subsp. purpureus）， Fuling （Smilax glabra Roxb.）， and Yiyiren （Coix lacryma-jobi L.）， to transport spleen earth， so that qi is restored and body fluids are recovered； moderate-sweet herbs， such as Dangshen （Codonopsis pilosula ［Franch.］ Nannf.）， Taizishen （Pseudostellaria heterophylla ［Miq.］ Pax）， Shanyao （Dioscorea oppositifolia L.） and Zhigancao （Glycyrrhiza glabra L.） are suggested to cultivate earth and generate metal， so as to move qi and circulate fluid； sweet-cool herbs， such as Nanshashen （Adenophora triphylla ［Thunb.］ A.DC.）， Beishashen （Glehnia littoralis ［A.Gray］ F.Schmidt ex Miq.）， Yuzhu （Polygonatum odoratum ［Mill.］ Druce）， Tianhuafen （Trichosanthes kirilowii Maxim.） are suggested to nourish yin and increase body fluids， so as to promote fluid production to moisten dryness. In this way， when the source of fluid is restored and the fluid is circulated， the fluid can be produced continuously， which provides new ideas for the treatment of dry eyes with traditional Chinese medicine.

Objectives:To compare the efficacy of the combination of excimer laser coronary angioplasty(ELCA)and drug-coated balloon(DCB)for in-stent restenosis(ISR)and to evaluate the impact of neointimal tissue characteristics on treatment outcomes. Methods:A total of 96 ISR lesions from 86 patients who underwent optical coherence tomography(OCT)evaluation and DCB with or without ELCA treatment at The First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital from January 2019 to May 2023 were retrospectively analyzed.ISR lesions were divided into ELCA+DCB group(n=30)and DCB group(n=66).Additionally,ISR lesions were classified as homogeneous and non-heterogeneous patterns based on the OCT characteristics of the neointimal tissue,and the impact on acute lumen gains was compared between different ISR patterns.Acute lumen gain(ΔMLA)was defined as the changes in minimum lumen area before and after the intervention. Results:The ELCA+DCB group had a significantly greater ΔMLA than the DCB group([3.2±0.8]mm2 vs.[2.6±1.4]mm2,P=0.015).Among the ISR with a homogeneous pattern,the ΔMLA of the ELCA+DCB group was significantly greater than that of the DCB group([3.0±0.9]mm2 vs.[2.2±1.1]mm2,P=0.030).There was no significant difference in ΔMLA between the two ISR groups with the non-homogeneous pattern([3.4±0.7]mm2 vs.[3.2±1.5]mm2,P=0.533).There was no death,the rate of target lesion revascularization was similar between the patients with lesions receiving DCB treatment and patients receiving ELCA +DCB treatment(7.4%vs.4.2%,P＞0.05). Conclusions:The combination of ELCA and DCB is an effective strategy for treating ISR,which can achieve greater acute lumen gain compared to DCB treatment alone,especially for the treatment of homogenous ISR pattern characterized by OCT.

Objective:To explore the diagnostic value of first-trimester and mid-trimester ultrasound in screening fetal pentalogy of Cantrell, and to analyze missed and misdiagnosed cases.Methods:The fetal ultrasound image characteristics of pentalogy of Cantrell diagnosed in the Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from March 2018 to November 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. The necessary sections and key features of ultrasound images for diagnosing the disease in first-trimester and mid-trimester were summarized. The diagnostic value of ultrasound screenings in first-trimester and mid-trimester was analyzed, and the progression of the disease during pregnancy was understood, the missed diagnosis rate and misdiagnosis rate were calculated, and the reasons for missing diagnosis were analyzed. All fetuses were followed up to birth or induction of labor.Pentalogy of Cantrell was divided into types Ⅰ, Ⅱ, and Ⅲ according to Toyama′s research.Results:Among the 120 190 fetuses, 13 cases of pentalogy of Cantrell were diagnosed by ultrasound in first-trimester and mid-trimester. Ultrasound predominantly showed the fetal heart being malpositioned outside the chest and the fetal abdominal contents bulging outside the abdominal cavity, and the sternumal echo was partially or completely missed in some cases. All 13 cases were confirmed by follow-up, including 1 case of type Ⅱ, and 12 cases of type Ⅲ. In addition, 1 missed case of type Ⅱ pentalogy of Cantrell was followed up after birth. The correct diagnostic rates of fetal pentalogy of Cantrell using standard ultrasound sections during the first-trimester and mid-trimester were 99.9% and 100%, the sensitivity were 88.9% and 100%, the specificity were both 100%, the positive predictive values were both 100%, and the negative predictive values were 99.9% and 100%, respectively.Conclusions:First-trimester and mid-trimester ultrasound screenings have high diagnostic accuracy for pentalogy of Cantrell, and early detection and early diagnosis are of great clinical significance for the guidance of pregnancy outcomes.

Objective:Empirical analysis of the multiple driving paths of service capabilities of home-and community-based integrated health and social care in China,for providing useful reference for promoting the system improvement.Methods:Based on the World Health Organization's Integrated Care for Older People(ICOPE)implementation framework,an analysis framework for service capabilities of home-and community-based integrated health and social care was constructed.39 districts(counties)in Wuxi,Jiaozuo,Changsha,Chengdu,and Chongqing were included.The fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis(fsQCA)method was used to analyze the configuration paths of high or non-high-level service capabilities of home-and community-based integrated health and social care.Results:The service capabilities of home-and community-based integrated health and social care is improved by the configuration of various factors.Four path configurations might contribute to the development of service capabilities of home-and community-based integrated health and social care,and three path configurations might hinder the development.Institutional support,financing mechanism and the demand level of regional aging population are the key factors.Conclusions:Service capabilities of home-and community-based integrated health and social care are affected by the interaction and interrelation between multiple factors.Strategies should be jointly implemented from different aspects to improve service capabilities.

Patients with severe trauma require an extremely timely treatment and transfusion plays an irreplaceable role in the emergency treatment of such patients. An increasing number of evidence-based medicinal evidences and clinical practices suggest that patients with severe traumatic bleeding benefit from early transfusion of low-titer group O whole blood or hemostatic resuscitation with red blood cells, plasma and platelet of a balanced ratio. However, the current domestic mode of blood supply cannot fully meet the requirements of timely and effective blood transfusion for emergency treatment of patients with severe trauma in clinical practice. In order to solve the key problems in blood supply and blood transfusion strategies for emergency treatment of severe trauma, Branch of Clinical Transfusion Medicine of Chinese Medical Association, Group for Trauma Emergency Care and Multiple Injuries of Trauma Branch of Chinese Medical Association, Young Scholar Group of Disaster Medicine Branch of Chinese Medical Association organized domestic experts of blood transfusion medicine and trauma treatment to jointly formulate Chinese expert consensus on blood support mode and blood transfusion strategies for emergency treatment of severe trauma patients ( version 2024). Based on the evidence-based medical evidence and Delphi method of expert consultation and voting, 10 recommendations were put forward from two aspects of blood support mode and transfusion strategies, aiming to provide a reference for transfusion resuscitation in the emergency treatment of severe trauma and further improve the success rate of treatment of patients with severe trauma.

Objective:To establish reference ranges of central nervous system-related fetal intracranial markers during the first trimester in a local population of Suzhou.Methods:Ultrasound images of fetuses with normal birth outcomes in singleton pregnancies who underwent nuchal translucency(NT) screening during the first trimester (11-13 + 6 gestational weeks) from January 2021 to July 2022 at the Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University were retrospectively selected. The images including 3 planes: the midsagittal plane of the fetal head, also known as the plane for NT measurement, the trans-ventricular plane of the fetal head, and the axial plane of the fetal head at the posterior fossa level. The brainstem (BS) thickness, brainstem to occipital bone distance (BSOB), the ratio of BS to BSOB (BS/BSOB), intracranial translucency (IT) thickness, cisterna magna (CM) width, and the midbrain (MB) to falx (F) ratio MB/F were measured in the mid-sagittal plane of the fetal head. Choroid plexus length (CPL) to occipital frontal diameter (OFD) ratio CPL/OFD, and choroid plexus area (CPA) to head area (HA) ratio CPA/HA were measured in the trans-ventricular plane of the fetal head. Anteroposterior diameter of the fourth ventricle (4V) and CM were measured in the axial plane of the fetal head at the posterior fossa level.Statistical analysis was performed to obtain the corresponding normal reference range.Intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to analyze intra-observer and inter-observer consistency. Pearson correlation analysis and linear correlation analysis were used to study the correlations between crown-lump length (CRL) and intracranial markers, and the regression equation was derived. Results:A total of 2 331 fetuses were enrolled, providing 1 023 images of the midsagittal plane, 817 images of the trans-ventricular plane, and 567 images of the axial plane of the fetal head at the posterior fossa level. The intra-observer and inter-observer ICCs of intracranial markers BS, BSOB, BS/BSOB, IT thickness, CM width, MB/F in the mid-sagittal plane, the intracranial markers CPL/OFD, CPA/HA on the trans-ventricular plane, and the intracranial markers 4V and CM width in the axial plane at the posterior fossa level were all >0.75. Fetal intracranial markers were linearly correlated with CRL. The midsagittal plane: BS, BSOB, BS/BSOB, IT thickness, CM width, MB/F were linearly correlated with CRL ( r=0.508, 0.626, -0.234, 0.105, 0.508, -0.493; all P<0.05); the trans-ventricular plane: CPL/OFD, CPA/HA were linearly correlated with CRL( r=-0.324, -0.268; all P<0.001); the axial plane of the fetal head at the posterior fossa level: 4V, CM width were linearly correlated with CRL ( r=0.246, 0.467; all P<0.001). Conclusions:Quantitative analysis of fetal intracranial markers in the first trimester is feasible. This study constructed a normal reference range of multiple intracranial markers related to central nervous system in the first trimester with a local population of Suzhou. And the construction of this normal range can provide an objective basis for the detection of fetal central nervous system malformations in the first trimester.

Objective To explore clinical outcomes and bone resection of interlaminar fenestration decompression and u-nilateral biportal endoscopic(UBE)technique in treating lumbar disc herniation(LDH).Methods A retrospective study was performed on 105 patients with single-level LDH treated from December 2019 to December 2021.Fifty-four patients in UBE group,including 32 males and 22 females,aged from 18 to 50 years old with an average of(38.7±9.3)years old,were treated with UBE,29 patients withL4.5and 25 patients with L5S1.There were 51 patients in small fenestration group,including 27 males and 24 females,aged from 18 to 50 years old with an average of(39.9±10.0)years old,were treated with small fenestra-tion,25 patients with L4.5 and 26 patients with L5S1.Perioperative indexes,such as operation time,postoperative time of getting out of bed and hospital stay were observed and compared between two groups.Visual analogue scale(VAS)and Oswestry dis-ability index(ODI)were compared between two groups before operation and 1,3,6 and 12 months after operation,respective-ly;and modified MacNab evaluation criteria was used to evaluate clinical efficacy.Amount of bone resection and retention rate of inferior articular process laminoid complex were compared between two groups.Results All 105 patients were successfully completed operation.Both of two groups were followed up from 6 to 12 months with an average of(10.69±2.49)months.Oper-ation time,postoperative time of getting out of bed and hospital stay were(58.20±5.54)min,(2.40±0.57)dand(3.80±0.61)d in UBE group,and(62.90±7.14)min,(4.40±0.64)d and(4.40±0.64)d in small fenestrum group,respectively;and had sta-tistically difference between two groups(P＜0.05).Postoperative VAS of low back and leg pain and ODI in both groups were significantly lower than those before surgery(P＜0.05).VAS of lumbar pain in UBE group(1.37±0.49)score was lower than that of small fenestration group(2.45±0.64)score,and had statistically difference(t=9.745,P＜0.05).Postoperative ODI in UBE group at 1 and 3 months were(28.54±3.31)％and(22.87±3.23)％,respectively,which were lower than those in small fenestra group(36.31±9.08)％and(29.90±8.36)％,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).There were no significant difference in VAS and ODI between two groups at other time points(P＞0.05).According to the modified MacNab evaluation criteria at the latest follow-up,49 patients got excellent result,3 good,and 2 fair in UBE group.In small fenestration group,35 patients got excellent,12 good,and 4 fair.In UBE group,amount of bone resection on L4,5 segment was(0.45±0.08)cm3 and(0.31±0.08)cm3 on the segment of L5S1.In small fenestration group,amount of bone resection on L4.5 segment was(0.57±0.07)cm3 and(0.49±0.04)cm3 on the segment of L5S1,and amount of bone resection of lower articular process laminar complex on the same segment in UBE group was less than that in small fenestration group(P＜0.05).In UBE group,retention rate of laminoid complex on L4,5 segment was(0.73±0.04)and L5S1 segment was(0.83±0.03),whileL4,5segment was(0.68± 0.06)and L5S1 segment was(0.74±0.04)in small fenestration group,the lower articular process laminar complex retention rate in UBE group was higher than that in small fenestration group(P＜0.05).Conclusion Both unilateral double-channel endoscopy and small fenestration of laminae could achieve good clinical results in treating LDH,but UBE has advantages of less trauma,higher eficiency,faster postoperative recovery and less damage to bone structure.