High altitude heart disease(HAHD)is a chronic mountain sickness in which the body is exposed to high altitude(＞2 500 m)hypobaric hypoxia environment for a long time.HAHD has high morbidity and poor prognosis,and pulmonary hypertension is the main causative mechanism for its develop-ment.The phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor sildenafil has become a hot drug for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension.This paper reviews the progress of HAHD and discusses the mechanism of action and effectiveness of sildenafil in the treatment of HAHD,with a view to providing a basis for the treatment of HAHD with sildenafil.

Biofilm is one of the important reasons for bacterial resistance and persistent infection in Staphylococcus aureus,which poses a significant threat to the dairy farming industry in southern Xinjiang.Although quercetin has antibacterial properties,its poor hydrophilicity and low solubility limit its clinical application.Therefore,quercetin nanogel was prepared by the electrostatic interac-tion between guar gum(positive charge)and hyaluronic acid(negative charge)under the action of sodium tripolyphosphate in this study.Using encapsulation efficiency and loading capacity as indi-cators,the optimal formula was screened through single factor experiments and response surface methodology,and characterized.The minimal inhibitory concentration(MIC)and minimal mem-brane inhibitory concentration(MBIC)of quercetin nanogel against Staphylococcus aureus were determined by micro broth dilution method and micro plate semi quantitative method.The results showed that the optimal formulation of quercetin nanogel was 11.6 g/L guar gum,10.0 g/L hyalu-ronic acid and 50.0 g/L sodium tripolyphosphate.The encapsulation efficiency and loading capacity were 79.4％and 7.6％,respectively.The particle size and Zeta potential were(396.0±4.2)nm and(-25.0±0.8)mV,respectively,indicating that the nanogel had good dispersion,high stability and excellent drug loading capacity.The MIC and inhibitory rate of quercetin nanogel against Staphy-lococcus aureus were 8.0 mg/L and 83.8％,respectively.The MBIC and inhibitory rate of quercetin nanogel against Staphylococcus aureus were 8.0 mg/L and 38.3％,respectively.Therefore,the pre-pared quercetin nanogel solved the problems of low solubility and poor hydrophilicity of quercetin,improved the inhibitory effect of quercetin on the membrane of Staphylococcus aureus,and was expected to be further applied to the treatment of cow bacterial diseases in southern Xinjiang.

Biofilm is one of the important reasons for bacterial resistance and persistent infection in Staphylococcus aureus,which poses a significant threat to the dairy farming industry in southern Xinjiang.Although quercetin has antibacterial properties,its poor hydrophilicity and low solubility limit its clinical application.Therefore,quercetin nanogel was prepared by the electrostatic interac-tion between guar gum(positive charge)and hyaluronic acid(negative charge)under the action of sodium tripolyphosphate in this study.Using encapsulation efficiency and loading capacity as indi-cators,the optimal formula was screened through single factor experiments and response surface methodology,and characterized.The minimal inhibitory concentration(MIC)and minimal mem-brane inhibitory concentration(MBIC)of quercetin nanogel against Staphylococcus aureus were determined by micro broth dilution method and micro plate semi quantitative method.The results showed that the optimal formulation of quercetin nanogel was 11.6 g/L guar gum,10.0 g/L hyalu-ronic acid and 50.0 g/L sodium tripolyphosphate.The encapsulation efficiency and loading capacity were 79.4％and 7.6％,respectively.The particle size and Zeta potential were(396.0±4.2)nm and(-25.0±0.8)mV,respectively,indicating that the nanogel had good dispersion,high stability and excellent drug loading capacity.The MIC and inhibitory rate of quercetin nanogel against Staphy-lococcus aureus were 8.0 mg/L and 83.8％,respectively.The MBIC and inhibitory rate of quercetin nanogel against Staphylococcus aureus were 8.0 mg/L and 38.3％,respectively.Therefore,the pre-pared quercetin nanogel solved the problems of low solubility and poor hydrophilicity of quercetin,improved the inhibitory effect of quercetin on the membrane of Staphylococcus aureus,and was expected to be further applied to the treatment of cow bacterial diseases in southern Xinjiang.

High altitude heart disease(HAHD)is a chronic mountain sickness in which the body is exposed to high altitude(＞2 500 m)hypobaric hypoxia environment for a long time.HAHD has high morbidity and poor prognosis,and pulmonary hypertension is the main causative mechanism for its develop-ment.The phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor sildenafil has become a hot drug for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension.This paper reviews the progress of HAHD and discusses the mechanism of action and effectiveness of sildenafil in the treatment of HAHD,with a view to providing a basis for the treatment of HAHD with sildenafil.

Objective: To describe fertility and explore factors associated with it among pre-conception couples of childbearing age. Methods: Based on the pre-conceptional offspring trajectory study of the School of Public Health of Fudan University, couples of childbearing age who participated in the pre-conception physical examination in Shanghai Jiading District from 2016 to 2021 were recruited and followed up. Couples' time to pregnancy (TTP) was analyzed and Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to explore the factors associated with TTP. Kaplan-Meier was used to calculate each menstrual cycle's cumulative pregnancy rate. Results: A total of 1 095 preconception couples were included in the analysis, the M(Q₁,Q₃)of TTP was 4.33 (2.41, 9.78) menstrual cycles. Age of women (FR=0.90, 95%CI: 0.85-0.95, P<0.001), women who were overweight or obese before pregnancy (FR=0.36, 95%CI: 0.24-0.55, P<0.001), women who were exposed to second-hand smoking (FR=0.63, 95%CI: 0.44-0.92, P=0.016), women whose home or office had been renovated in the past 2 years and had a particular smell (FR=0.46, 95%CI: 0.26-0.81, P=0.008) were risk factors for impaired fertility. Regular menstrual cycles (FR=1.64, 95%CI: 1.16-2.31, P=0.005), females who often drank tea/coffee (FR=1.55, 95%CI: 1.11-2.17, P=0.011) and males who took folic acid before conception (FR=2.35, 95%CI: 1.38-4.23, P=0.002) were associated with better fertility. The cumulative pregnancy rate of 3, 6, and 12 menstrual cycles was 37.6%, 64.4%, and 78.4%, respectively. Conclusion: Older couples, overweight or obesity before pregnancy, irregular menstruation, exposure to secondhand smoke and decoration pollutants in females are associated with impaired fertility. Frequent tea/coffee drinking before pregnancy in females and taking folic acid before pregnancy in males are associated with shortened conception time.
Pregnancy ; Male ; Humans ; Female ; Cohort Studies ; Overweight/complications* ; Coffee ; Intention ; China/epidemiology* ; Fertility ; Obesity/complications* ; Tea

To design a treatment plan for patients with epididymal obstruction, we explored the potential impact of factors such as body mass index (BMI) and age on the surgical outcomes of vasoepididymostomy (VE). In this retrospective study, 181 patients diagnosed with obstructive azoospermia (OA) due to epididymal obstruction between September 2014 and September 2017 were reviewed. All patients underwent single-armed microsurgical intussusception VEs with longitudinal two-suture placement performed by a single surgeon (KH) in a single hospital (Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China). Six factors that could possibly influence the patency rates were analyzed, including BMI, age, mode of anastomosis, site of anastomosis, and sperm motility and quantity in the intraoperative epididymal fluid. Single-factor outcome analysis was performed via Chi-square test and multivariable analysis was performed using logistic regression. A total of 159 (87.8%, 159/181) patients were followed up. The follow-up time (mean ± standard deviation [s.d.]) was 27.7 ± 9.3 months, ranging from 12 months to 48 months. The overall patency rate was 73.0% (116/159). The multivariable analysis revealed that BMI and age significantly influenced the patency rate (P = 0.008 and 0.028, respectively). Younger age (≤28 years; odds ratio [OR] = 3.531, 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 1.397-8.924) and lower BMI score (<26.0 kg m^-2; OR = 2.352, 95% CI: 1.095-5.054) appeared to be associated with a higher patency rate. BMI and age were independent factors affecting the outcomes of microsurgical VEs depending on surgical expertise and the use of advanced technology.
Humans ; Male ; Adult ; Retrospective Studies ; Body Mass Index ; Epididymis/surgery* ; Vas Deferens/surgery* ; Treatment Outcome ; Sperm Motility ; Microsurgery ; Surgeons ; Vasovasostomy

Objective To investigate the prevalence and influencing factors of Enterobius vermicularis infections among children in Fanxian County, Henan Province in 2019, so as to provide insights into the management of enterobiasis. Methods Five kindergartens were selected in urban and rural areas of Fanxian County, Henan Province using the stratified sampling method in 2019, and a census of E. vermicularis infections was performed among all children in the kindergartens. E. vermicularis eggs were detected using adhesive and scotch cellophane-tape anal swab methods, and the basic characteristics of children and their families, health habits and the kindergartens’ information were investigated with questionnaires. Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the risk factors and protective factors of pinworm infection in children. Results A total of 671 children were tested, and the mean prevalence of E. vermicularis infections was 15.50% (104/671). The prevalence of E. vermicularis infections was higher among children in rural kindergartens (28.13%, 72/256) than in urban kindergartens (7.71%, 32/415) (χ² = 50.380, P < 0.01), and greater in private kindergartens (32.26%, 60/186) than in public kindergartens (9.07%, 44/485) (χ² = 55.183, P < 0.01). There was no gender-specific prevalence of E. vermicularis infections among children (χ² = 1.442, P > 0.05), and the prevalence of E. vermicularis infections presented a tendency towards a rise with age (χ²_trend = 8.373, P < 0.05) and school grade (χ²_trend = 30.274, P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis identified rural kindergartens and high grades as risk factors, and separate washing of children’s and adults’ cloths, frequent bathing and frequent dinnerware disinfection in kindergartens as protective factors for E. vermicularis infections among children. In addition, there was no significant difference in the detection of E. vermicularis infections among children by using adhesive (73.08%, 76/104) and scotch cellophane-tape anal swab methods (56.73%, 59/104) (χ² = 3.959, P > 0.05). Conclusions The prevalence of E. vermicularis infection is high among children in Fanxian Country, Henan Province. Health education and surveillance of enterobiasis are required to be intensified among children in rural kindergartens and senior grades and their parents and teachers.

Objective: : Shunt infection is a common complication while treating hydrocephalus. The antibiotic-impregnated shunt catheter (AISC) was designed to reduce shunt infection rate. A meta-analysis was conducted to study the effectiveness of AISCs in reduction of shunt infection in terms of age, follow-up time and high-risk patient population. Methods: : This study reviewed literature from three databases including PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library (from 2000 to March 2019). Clinical studies from controlled trials for shunt operation were included in this analysis. A subgroup analysis was performed based on the patient’s age, follow-up time and high-risk population. The fixed effect in RevMan 5.3 software (Cochrane Collaboration) was used for this meta-analysis. Results: : This study included 19 controlled clinical trials including 10105 operations. The analysis demonstrated that AISC could reduce the infection rate in shunt surgery compared to standard shunt catheter (non-AISC) from 8.13% to 4.09% (odds ratio [OR], 0.48; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.40–0.58; p=0.01; I2=46%). Subgroup analysis of different age groups showed that AISC had significant antimicrobial effects in all three groups (adult, infant, and adolescent). Follow-up time analysis showed that AISC was effective in preventing early shunt infections (within 6 months after implant). AISC is more effective in high-risk population (OR, 0.24; 95% CI, 0.14–0.40; p=0.60; I2=0%) than in general patient population. Conclusion : The results of meta-analysis indicated that AISC is an effective method for reducing shunt infection. We recommend that AISC should be considered for use in infants and high-risk groups. For adult patients, the choice for AISC could be determined based on the treatment cost.

BACKGROUND: Prospective analyses have yet to identify a consistent relationship between sleep duration and the incidence of gastrointestinal (GI) cancers. The effect of changes in sleep duration on GI cancer incidence has scarcely been studied. Therefore, we aimed to examine the association between baseline sleep duration and annual changes in sleep duration and GI cancer risk in a large population-based cohort study. METHODS: A total of 123,495 participants with baseline information and 83,511 participants with annual changes in sleep duration information were prospectively observed from 2006 to 2015 for cancer incidence. Cox proportional-hazards models were used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and their confidence intervals (CIs) for GI cancers according to sleep duration and annual changes in sleep duration. RESULTS: In baseline sleep duration analyses, short sleep duration (≤5 h) was significantly associated with a lower risk of GI cancer in females (HR: 0.31, 95% CI: 0.10-0.90), and a linear relationship between baseline sleep duration and GI cancer was observed (P = 0.010), especially in males and in the >50-year-old group. In the annual changes in sleep duration analyses, with stable category (0 to -15 min/year) as the control group, decreased sleep duration (≤-15 min/year) was significantly associated with the development of GI cancer (HR: 1.29; 95% CI: 1.04-1.61), especially in the >50-year-old group (HR: 1.32; 95% CI: 1.01-1.71), and increased sleep duration (>0 min/year) was significantly associated with GI cancer in females (HR: 2.89; 95% CI: 1.14-7.30). CONCLUSIONS Both sleep duration and annual changes in sleep duration were associated with the incidence of GI cancer.
Cohort Studies ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms/etiology* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Prospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Sleep

Objective To investigate the levels of serum Vitamin D(VD) from preconception to pregnancy in Jiading district of Shanghai, and explore the risk factors of VD concentration deficiency in the second and third trimester of pregnancy. Methods A total of 94 women who planned to have antenatal care and delivery in Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Jiading district of Shanghai from September 2016 to December 2018 were recruited as the study participants. Chemiluminescent immunoassay (CLIA) was used to examine the concentration of women’s serum VD from preconception to pregnancy. A total of 282 serum samples were detected. Results The prevalence of VD deficiency among 94 women from preconception to pregnancy were 40.4%,57.4% and 48.9% respectively. Results of the mixed linear model showed that women who had dyed or permed hair within the past 1 year had significantly lower serum VD levels during pregnancy (P<0.05), and women who often drank milk and ate deep-sea fish during pregnancy had higher VD levels during pregnancy (P<0.05). Conclusions VD deficiency was common among women in Jiading district of Shanghai, and it should be emphasized to supplement VD before and during pregnancy.