Objective:To investigate the feasibility of varicocele ligation with mobile phone microscope.Methods:The high-performance mobile phone and mobile phone stand were combined to act as a mobile phone microscope.And the varicocele ligation was performed under the mobile phone microscope.Results:All five patients successfully underwent varicocelectomy under the guidance of a mobile phone microscope.The average operation time was(112.8±52.2)with ranged from 74.0 to 195.0 minutes.Three pa-tients completed the follow-up after the operation with the proportion of improved sperm quality reaching 100.0％(3/3).Conclusion:High-performance mobile phone microscope can be used for varicocele ligation.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the dynamic changes of glucocorticoid (GC) dose and the feasibility of GC discontinuation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients under the background of Chinese medicine (CM). METHODS: This multicenter retrospective cohort study included 1,196 RA patients enrolled in the China Rheumatoid Arthritis Registry of Patients with Chinese Medicine (CERTAIN) from September 1, 2019 to December 4, 2023, who initiated GC therapy. Participants were divided into the Western medicine (WM) and integrative medicine (IM, combination of CM and WM) groups based on medication regimen. Follow-up was performed at least every 3 months to assess dynamic changes in GC dose. Changes in GC dose were analyzed by generalized estimator equation, the probability of GC discontinuation was assessed using Kaplan-Meier curve, and predictors of GC discontinuation were analyzed by Cox regression. Patients with <12 months of follow-up were excluded for the sensitivity analysis. RESULTS: Among 1,196 patients (85.4% female; median age 56.4 years), 880 (73.6%) received IM. Over a median 12-month follow-up, 34.3% (410 cases) discontinued GC, with significantly higher rates in the IM group (40.8% vs. 16.1% in WM; P<0.05). GC dose declined progressively, with IM patients demonstrating faster reductions (median 3.75 mg vs. 5.00 mg in WM at 12 months; P<0.05). Multivariate Cox analysis identified age <60 years [P<0.001, hazard ratios (HR)=2.142, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.523-3.012], IM therapy (P=0.001, HR=2.175, 95% CI: 1.369-3.456), baseline GC dose ⩽7.5 mg (P=0.003, HR=1.637, 95% CI: 1.177-2.275), and absence of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs use (P=0.001, HR=2.546, 95% CI: 1.432-4.527) as significant predictors of GC discontinuation. Sensitivity analysis (545 cases) confirmed these findings. CONCLUSIONS RA patients receiving CM face difficulties in following guideline-recommended GC discontinuation protocols. IM can promote GC discontinuation and is a promising strategy to reduce GC dependency in RA management. (Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, No. NCT05219214).
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/drug therapy* ; Glucocorticoids/therapeutic use* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Retrospective Studies

Objective To investigate the characteristics of coagulation function changes in patients with exertional heat illness(EHI)at different core temperatures(Tc).Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 346 EHI patients admitted to the emergency or intensive care units of 24 military hospitals from March 2021 to November 2022.According to the Tc at admission,patients were divided into 4 groups:Tc<39℃group(n=223),39℃≤Tc<40℃group(n=60),40℃≤Tc<41℃group(n=35),41℃≤Tc<42℃group(n=17),and Tc≥42℃group(n=11).Based on the occurrence of heat stroke,the 346 EHI patients were further divided into heat stroke group(n=63)and non-heat stroke group(n=283).Basic information,complete blood count,coagulation function,liver and kidney function,and other laboratory indicators of the patients in each group were collected and statistically analyzed.Multifactorial logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent risk factors for the development of heat stroke in EHI patients.The diagnostic value of prothrombin time(PT),D-dimer,and platelet count for EHI patients developing heat stroke was assessed using the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve.Results When Tc exceeded 39℃,D-dimer levels in EHI patients increased significantly and further elevated with rising Tc(P<0.05).When Tc exceeded 40℃,platelet count and fibrinogen levels decreased,and PT was prolonged(P<0.05).When Tc exceeded 41℃,activated partial thromboplastin time(APTT)was significantly prolonged,and platelet count and fibrinogen level decreased(P<0.05).Multivariate logistics regression analysis showed that PT(OR=1.120,95%CI 1.015-1.236),D-dimer(OR=1.322,95%CI 1.129-1.549),and platelet count(OR=0.991,95%CI 0.985-0.997)were independent risk factors for heat stroke(P<0.05).The area under the ROC curve(AUC)for D-dimer in diagnosing heat stroke was 0.796(95%CI 0.732-0.860,P<0.001)with sensitivity and specificity of 69%and 80%,respectively,when D-dimer was greater than 0.9 μg/ml.The AUC for PT in diagnosing heat stroke was 0.708(95%CI 0.628-0.788,P<0.001),with sensitivity and specificity of 42%and 97%,respectively,when PT was greater than 16.4 s.The AUC for platelet count in diagnosing heat stroke was 0.724(95%CI 0.642-0.807,P<0.001),with the sensitivity and specificity of 52%and 94%,respectively,when the platelet count was less than 140×109/L.Conclusions The degree of Tc elevation in EHI patients is positively correlated with the severity of coagulation dysfunction.Prolonged PT,increased D-dimer level,and decreased platelet count are independent risk factors for the development of exertional heat stroke in EHI patients.

Objective To investigate the characteristics of coagulation function changes in patients with exertional heat illness(EHI)at different core temperatures(Tc).Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 346 EHI patients admitted to the emergency or intensive care units of 24 military hospitals from March 2021 to November 2022.According to the Tc at admission,patients were divided into 4 groups:Tc<39℃group(n=223),39℃≤Tc<40℃group(n=60),40℃≤Tc<41℃group(n=35),41℃≤Tc<42℃group(n=17),and Tc≥42℃group(n=11).Based on the occurrence of heat stroke,the 346 EHI patients were further divided into heat stroke group(n=63)and non-heat stroke group(n=283).Basic information,complete blood count,coagulation function,liver and kidney function,and other laboratory indicators of the patients in each group were collected and statistically analyzed.Multifactorial logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent risk factors for the development of heat stroke in EHI patients.The diagnostic value of prothrombin time(PT),D-dimer,and platelet count for EHI patients developing heat stroke was assessed using the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve.Results When Tc exceeded 39℃,D-dimer levels in EHI patients increased significantly and further elevated with rising Tc(P<0.05).When Tc exceeded 40℃,platelet count and fibrinogen levels decreased,and PT was prolonged(P<0.05).When Tc exceeded 41℃,activated partial thromboplastin time(APTT)was significantly prolonged,and platelet count and fibrinogen level decreased(P<0.05).Multivariate logistics regression analysis showed that PT(OR=1.120,95%CI 1.015-1.236),D-dimer(OR=1.322,95%CI 1.129-1.549),and platelet count(OR=0.991,95%CI 0.985-0.997)were independent risk factors for heat stroke(P<0.05).The area under the ROC curve(AUC)for D-dimer in diagnosing heat stroke was 0.796(95%CI 0.732-0.860,P<0.001)with sensitivity and specificity of 69%and 80%,respectively,when D-dimer was greater than 0.9 μg/ml.The AUC for PT in diagnosing heat stroke was 0.708(95%CI 0.628-0.788,P<0.001),with sensitivity and specificity of 42%and 97%,respectively,when PT was greater than 16.4 s.The AUC for platelet count in diagnosing heat stroke was 0.724(95%CI 0.642-0.807,P<0.001),with the sensitivity and specificity of 52%and 94%,respectively,when the platelet count was less than 140×109/L.Conclusions The degree of Tc elevation in EHI patients is positively correlated with the severity of coagulation dysfunction.Prolonged PT,increased D-dimer level,and decreased platelet count are independent risk factors for the development of exertional heat stroke in EHI patients.

Objective:To investigate the effect of CD8+CD28-T cells on acute graft-versus-host disease(aGVHD)after haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation(haplo-HSCT).Methods:The relationship between absolute count of CD8+CD28-T cells and aGVHD in 60 patients with malignant hematological diseases was retrospectively analyzed after haplo-HSCT,and the differences in the incidence rate of chronic graft-versus host disease(cGVHD),infection and prognosis between different CD8+CD28-T absolute cells count groups were compared.Results:aGVHD occurred in 40 of 60 patients after haplo-HSCT,with an incidence rate of 66.67％.The median occurrence time of aGVHD was 32.5(20-100)days.At 30 days after the transplantation,the absolute count of CD8+CD28-T cells of aGVHD group was significantly lower than that of non-aGVHD group(P=0.03).Thus the absolute count of CD8+CD28-T cells at 30 days after transplantation can be used to predict the occurrence of aGVHD to some extent.At 30 days after transplantation,the incidence rate of aGVHD in the low cell count group(CD8+CD28-T cells absolute count＜0.06/μl)was significantly higher than that in the high cell count group(CD8+CD28-T cells absolute count ≥0.06/μl,P=0.011).Multivariate Cox regression analysis further confirmed that the absolute count of CD8+CD28-T cells at 30 days after transplantation was an independent risk factor for aGVHD,and the risk of aGVHD in the low cell count group was 2.222 times higher than that in the high cell count group(P=0.015).The incidence of cGVHD,fungal infection,EBV infection and CMV infection were not significantly different between the two groups with different CD8+CD28-T cells absolute count.The overall survival,non-recurrent mortality and relapse rates were not significantly different between different CD8+CD28-T cells absolute count groups.Conclusion:Patients with delayed CD8+CD28-T cells reconstitution after haplo-HSCT are more likely to develop aGVHD,and the absolute count of CD8+CD28-T cells can be used to predict the incidence of aGVHD to some extent.The absolute count of CD8+CD28-T cells after haplo-HSCT was not associated with cGVHD,fungal infection,EBV infection,and CMV infection,and was also not significantly associated with the prognosis after transplantation.

Aim To investigate the mechanism of py-roptosis mediated by the NLRP3/caspase-1/GSDMD signaling pathway and the intervention effect of Radix Angelica Sinensis and Radix Astragalus ultrafiltration extract(RAS-RA)in radiation-induced pulmonary fi-brosis.Methods Fifty Wistar rats were randomly di-vided into five groups,with ten rats in each group.Ex-cept for the blank control group,all other groups of rats were anesthetized and received a single dose of 40 Gy X-ray local chest radiation to establish a radiation-in-duced pulmonary fibrosis rat model.After radiation,the rats in the RAS-RA intervention groups were orally administered doses of 0.12,0.24 and 0.48 g·kg-1 once a day for 30 days.The average weight and lung index of the rats were observed after 30 days of contin-uous administration.Hydroxyproline(HYP)content in lung tissue was determined by hydrolysis method.The levels of IL-18 and IL-1 β in serum were detected by ELISA.Lung tissue pathological changes were ob-served by HE and Masson staining.Ultrastructural changes in lung tissue were observed by transmission e-lectron microscopy.The expression levels of NLRP3/caspase-1/GSDMD pyroptosis pathway-related proteins and fibrosis-related proteins in lung tissue were detec-ted by Western blot.Results Compared with the blank group,the HYP content in lung tissue and the levels of IL-18 and IL-1 β in serum significantly in-creased in the model group(P＜0.01).HE and Mas-son staining showed inflammatory cell infiltration and collagen fiber deposition.Transmission electron mi-croscopy revealed increased damaged mitochondria,disordered arrangement,irregular morphology,shallow matrix,outer membrane rupture,mostly fractured and shortened cristae,mild expansion,increased electron density of individual mitochondrial matrix,mild sparse structure of lamellar bodies,partial disorder,unclear organelles,and characteristic changes of pyroptosis.Western blot analysis showed increased expression of caspase-1,GSDMD,NLRP3,CoL-Ⅰ,α-SMA,and CoL-Ⅲ proteins(P＜0.01).Compared with the model group,the RAS-RA intervention group showed signifi-cant improvement in body mass index and lung index of rats,decreased levels of IL-18 and IL-1 β inflammatory factors(P＜0.01),improved mitochondrial structure,reduced degree of fibrosis,and decreased expression of caspase-1,GSDMD,NLRP3,COL-Ⅰ,COL-Ⅲ,and α-SMA proteins in lung tissue(P＜0.01).Conclusion RAS-RA has an inhibitory effect on radiation-in-duced pulmonary fibrosis,and its mechanism may be related to the inhibition of pyroptosis through the regu-lation of the NLRP3/caspase-1/GSDMD signaling pathway.

Objective To assess the effectiveness and safety of prone positioning in the treatment of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome(NRDS)using invasive respiratory support.Methods A prospective study was conducted from June 2020 to September 2023 at Suining County People's Hospital,involving 77 preterm infants with gestational ages less than 35 weeks requiring invasive respiratory support for NRDS.The infants were randomly divided into a supine group(37 infants)and a prone group(40 infants).Infants in the prone group were ventilated in the prone position for 6 hours followed by 2 hours in the supine position,continuing in this cycle until weaning from the ventilator.The effectiveness and safety of the two approaches were compared.Results At 6 hours after enrollment,the prone group showed lower arterial blood carbon dioxide levels,inspired oxygen concentration,oxygenation index,rates of tracheal intubation bacterial colonization,and Neonatal Pain,Agitation and Sedation Scale scores compared to the supine group(P<0.05).There were no significant differences between the groups in terms of pH,arterial oxygen pressure,positive end-expiratory pressure,duration of mechanical ventilation,accidental extubation,ventilator-associated pneumonia,air leak syndrome,skin pressure sores,feeding intolerance,and grades II-IV intraventricular hemorrhage(P>0.05).Conclusions Compared to supine positioning,prone ventilation effectively improves oxygenation,increases comfort,and reduces tracheal intubation bacterial colonization in neonates requiring mechanical ventilation for NRDS,without significantly increasing adverse reactions.

Objective To analyze the literature on artificial intelligence in forensic research from 2012 to 2022 in the Web of Science Core Collection Database,to explore research hotspots and developmen-tal trends.Methods A total of 736 articles on artificial intelligence in forensic medicine in the Web of Science Core Collection Database from 2012 to 2022 were visualized and analyzed through the litera-ture measuring tool CiteSpace.The authors,institution,country(region),title,journal,keywords,cited references and other information of relevant literatures were analyzed.Results A total of 736 articles published in 220 journals by 355 authors from 289 institutions in 69 countries(regions)were identi-fied,with the number of articles published showing an increasing trend year by year.Among them,the United States had the highest number of publications and China ranked the second.Academy of Forensic Science had the highest number of publications among the institutions.Forensic Science Inter-national,Journal of Forensic Sciences,International Journal of Legal Medicine ranked high in publica-tion and citation frequency.Through the analysis of keywords,it was found that the research hotspots of artificial intelligence in the forensic field mainly focused on the use of artificial intelligence technol-ogy for sex and age estimation,cause of death analysis,postmortem interval estimation,individual identification and so on.Conclusion It is necessary to pay attention to international and institutional cooperation and to strengthen the cross-disciplinary research.Exploring the combination of advanced ar-tificial intelligence technologies with forensic research will be a hotspot and direction for future re-search.

Objective:To explore the effect of clomiphene citrate (CC) with different dosages on the endometrial factor, number of oocytes retrieved, pregnancy outcomes and other factors in diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) patients with minimal stimulation/natural protocol.Methods:This was a retrospective cohort study. The patients who underwent minimal stimulation protocol of in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection and embryo transfer (IVF/ICSI-ET) were divided into 4 groups. Group A: the patients had CC 50 mg/d from the third day of menstruation to the trigger day (1 457 cycles); group B: the patients had 50 mg/d from the third day of menstruation for 3 d (1 533 cycles); group C: the patients had CC 25 mg/d from the third day of menstruation to the trigger day (345 cycles); group D: the patients had CC 25 mg/d for 3 d (319 cycles). The general data, clinical results, pregnancy and delivery outcomes were compared between group A and group B, as well as group C and group D. Results:In the treatment of IVF/ICSI, the dosage of gonadotropin (Gn) used, number of dominant follicles, estradiol level, luteinizing hormone level, progesterone level, number of oocytes retrieved, rate of oocytes retrieved, number of fertilizations, number of transplantable embryos and whole embryo freezing rate in patients of group A were significantly higher than those in group B (all P<0.05). The endometrial thickness [7.10 (5.40,8.65) mm] and the ratio of endometrial type (A/A-B) on trigger day [70.70% (888/1 256)] of group B were significantly better than those of group A [6.00 (4.70,8.00) mm, P<0.001; 63.62% (649/1 020), P<0.001], and the fresh embryo transfer rate of group B was significantly higher than that of group A [20.00% (259/1 295) vs. 42.94% (584/1 360), P<0.001]. There were no statistical differences in the number of high-quality embryos and the rate of no embryo transfer between the two groups (both P>0.05). In group C and group D, the Gn used dosage, the number of dominant follicles, the estradiol level on trigger day, number of oocytes retrieved, embryos/cycles were significantly increased (all P<0.05), the endometrial thickness on trigger day of group D [7.00 (5.40, 8.60) mm] was significantly higher than that of group C [6.10 (5.00,7.93) mm, P<0.001], but there was no statistical difference of the ratio of endometrial type (A/A-B) between the two groups ( P=0.739). In addition, the luteinizing hormone and progesterone values on the trigger day in group C were significantly higher than those in group D ( P=0.014, P=0.005), but there were no significant differences in pre-ovulation rate and all embryos frozen rate between the two groups (all P<0.05), and the rate of fresh embryo transfer in group C [26.04% (75/288)] was significantly lower than that in group D [38.80% (97/250), P<0.001]. Finally, there were no significant differences in cumulative clinical pregnancy rate and fresh/frozen embryo transfer outcome between group A and group B as well as group C and group D (all P>0.05). Conclusion:The use of low-dose and short-time CC in minimal stimulation protocol does not change the final pregnancy outcome, while saving patients' economic and time costs, so it could be an appropriate project for DOR patients.

Objective:To explore the effect of clomiphene citrate (CC) with different dosages on the endometrial factor, number of oocytes retrieved, pregnancy outcomes and other factors in diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) patients with minimal stimulation/natural protocol.Methods:This was a retrospective cohort study. The patients who underwent minimal stimulation protocol of in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection and embryo transfer (IVF/ICSI-ET) were divided into 4 groups. Group A: the patients had CC 50 mg/d from the third day of menstruation to the trigger day (1 457 cycles); group B: the patients had 50 mg/d from the third day of menstruation for 3 d (1 533 cycles); group C: the patients had CC 25 mg/d from the third day of menstruation to the trigger day (345 cycles); group D: the patients had CC 25 mg/d for 3 d (319 cycles). The general data, clinical results, pregnancy and delivery outcomes were compared between group A and group B, as well as group C and group D. Results:In the treatment of IVF/ICSI, the dosage of gonadotropin (Gn) used, number of dominant follicles, estradiol level, luteinizing hormone level, progesterone level, number of oocytes retrieved, rate of oocytes retrieved, number of fertilizations, number of transplantable embryos and whole embryo freezing rate in patients of group A were significantly higher than those in group B (all P<0.05). The endometrial thickness [7.10 (5.40,8.65) mm] and the ratio of endometrial type (A/A-B) on trigger day [70.70% (888/1 256)] of group B were significantly better than those of group A [6.00 (4.70,8.00) mm, P<0.001; 63.62% (649/1 020), P<0.001], and the fresh embryo transfer rate of group B was significantly higher than that of group A [20.00% (259/1 295) vs. 42.94% (584/1 360), P<0.001]. There were no statistical differences in the number of high-quality embryos and the rate of no embryo transfer between the two groups (both P>0.05). In group C and group D, the Gn used dosage, the number of dominant follicles, the estradiol level on trigger day, number of oocytes retrieved, embryos/cycles were significantly increased (all P<0.05), the endometrial thickness on trigger day of group D [7.00 (5.40, 8.60) mm] was significantly higher than that of group C [6.10 (5.00,7.93) mm, P<0.001], but there was no statistical difference of the ratio of endometrial type (A/A-B) between the two groups ( P=0.739). In addition, the luteinizing hormone and progesterone values on the trigger day in group C were significantly higher than those in group D ( P=0.014, P=0.005), but there were no significant differences in pre-ovulation rate and all embryos frozen rate between the two groups (all P<0.05), and the rate of fresh embryo transfer in group C [26.04% (75/288)] was significantly lower than that in group D [38.80% (97/250), P<0.001]. Finally, there were no significant differences in cumulative clinical pregnancy rate and fresh/frozen embryo transfer outcome between group A and group B as well as group C and group D (all P>0.05). Conclusion:The use of low-dose and short-time CC in minimal stimulation protocol does not change the final pregnancy outcome, while saving patients' economic and time costs, so it could be an appropriate project for DOR patients.