The relationship between hyperuricemia (HUA) and erectile dysfunction (ED) remains inadequately understood. Given that HUA is often associated with various metabolic disorders, this study aims to explore the multivariate linear impacts of metabolic parameters on erectile function in ED patients with HUA. A cross-sectional analysis was conducted involving 514 ED patients with HUA in the Department of Andrology, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine (Nanjing, China), aged 18 to 60 years. General demographic information, medical history, and laboratory results were collected to assess metabolic disturbances. Sexual function was evaluated using the 5-item version of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) questionnaire. Based on univariate analysis, variables associated with IIEF-5 scores were identified, and the correlations between them were evaluated. The effects of these variables on IIEF-5 scores were further explored by multiple linear regression models. Fasting plasma glucose ( β = -0.628, P < 0.001), uric acid ( β = -0.552, P < 0.001), triglycerides ( β = -0.088, P = 0.047), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ( β = -0.164, P = 0.027), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c; β = -0.562, P = 0.012), and smoking history ( β = -0.074, P = 0.037) exhibited significant negative impacts on erectile function. The coefficient of determination ( R ²) for the model was 0.239, and the adjusted R ² was 0.230, indicating overall statistical significance ( F -statistic = 26.52, P < 0.001). Metabolic parameters play a crucial role in the development of ED. Maintaining normal metabolic indices may aid in the prevention and improvement of erectile function in ED patients with HUA.
Humans ; Male ; Erectile Dysfunction/metabolism* ; Hyperuricemia/metabolism* ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Glycated Hemoglobin/metabolism* ; Blood Glucose/metabolism* ; Uric Acid/blood* ; Young Adult ; Triglycerides/blood* ; Adolescent ; Cholesterol, LDL/blood* ; Penile Erection/physiology* ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical efficacy of moxibustion (Mox) combined with low-dose tadalafil (TAD) in the treatment of diabetes mellitus-induced erectile dysfunction (DMED) with the syndrome of Qi deficiency and blood stasis. METHODS: According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, we selected 90 patients with DMED for this trial and equally randomized them into a Mox, a TAD, and a Mox combined with TAD (Mox+TAD) group to be treated by mild Mox applied to the acupoints Zusanli, Sanyinjiao and Yinlingquan qd alt, oral medication with low-dose TAD at 5 mg per dose qd, and combination of the above two therapies, respectively, all for 4 weeks. We obtained from the patients their IIEF-5 scores, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) symptoms scores, Erectile Hardness Scale (EHS) scores, corpus cavernosal hemodynamic indexes, and the peak systolic velocity (PSV), end diastolic velocity (EDV) and resistance index (RI) of the corpus cavernosal arteries before and after treatment, and compared them among the three groups. RESULTS: The total effectiveness rate was significantly higher in the Mox+TAD (90.0%) than in the Mox (46.7%) and TAD groups (60.0%) (P< 0.05). Compared with the baseline, the IIEF-5 and EHS scores were increased, while the TCM symptoms scores decreased in all the three groups after treatment, more significantly in the Mox+TAD group than in the other two (P< 0.05). And the PSV and RI were remarkably increased, while the EDV decreased (P< 0.05) in all the three groups (P< 0.05) after treatment, with PSV even higher in the Mox+TAD than in the Mox and TAD groups (P< 0.05). CONCLUSION Moxibustion combined with tadalafil has a definite efficacy and safety for the treatment of DMED, which can effectively improve the erectile function of the patients by increasing penile blood supply, benefiting qi and activating blood circulation.
Humans ; Male ; Tadalafil ; Erectile Dysfunction/etiology* ; Moxibustion ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Adult ; Carbolines/administration & dosage* ; Diabetes Complications/therapy* ; Aged ; Treatment Outcome ; Combined Modality Therapy

Objective:To investigate the concern about pollen broadcasting in Chinese population from multiple dimensions and to understand the information about allergic rhinitis (AR) in China by analyzing related factors.Methods:From March 1 to September 30, 2022, a large-scale multi-center cross-sectional survey was conducted based on the Questionnaire Star platform in 21 Chinese hospitals. A total of 7 056 subjects from 7 regions in China: Northeast, North, East, Central, South, Southwest, and Northwest China were included. Basic characteristics (including social demographic characteristics and disease characteristics of AR patients), concern about pollen broadcasting, the willingness of pollen-induced AR (PiAR) patients to receive pollen broadcasting, and the treatment satisfaction rate of AR patients were collected. The chi-square test, multivariate linear regression model, and Logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the concern about pollen broadcasting in the Chinese population and related factors from multiple dimensions.Results:Among 7 056 subjects, 23.02% were concerned about pollen broadcasting. Among 3 176 self-reported AR and 1 019 PiAR patients, 25.60% and 39.16% were concerned about pollen broadcasting, respectively, which was higher than that of non-AR or non-PiAR subjects ( χ2 value was 21.74 and 175.11, respectively, both P<0.001). Among AR patients, the proportion of spring and autumn allergen-positive patients concerned about pollen broadcasting was higher than that in perennial allergen-positive patients ( χ2 value was 20.90 and 19.51, respectively, both P<0.001). The proportion of AR patients with asthma, sinusitis, allergic conjunctivitis, and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases was higher than those without complications ( χ2 value was 50.83, 21.97, 56.78, 7.62, respectively, all P<0.05). The proportion of AR patients in North China who could find pollen broadcasting locally was 31.01%, significantly higher than those in other regions (all P<0.05). Multivariate linear regression model analysis showed that among PiAR patients, those with higher per capita household income and higher AR disease cognition levels had been concerned about pollen broadcasting in the past, and those complicated with allergic conjunctivitis had stronger intention to receive pollen broadcasting (B value was 0.24, 0.13, 0.66, 0.47, respectively, all P<0.05). The higher the disease cognition level of PiAR patients, the stronger their willingness to actively participate in treatment ( R2=0.72, P<0.001). Only 18.89% of AR patients felt satisfied with the treatment effect. Logistic regression analysis showed that in AR patients, the treatment satisfaction rate was significantly higher among those concerned about pollen broadcasting compared to those who were not ( OR=1.83, P<0.001). Conclusions:Currently, the dissemination of pollen broadcasting in China is hindered by various factors such as disease cognition level. The treatment satisfaction among AR patients remains unsatisfactory.

Objective: To explore two visual acuity standards for examining uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) to define poor vision in lower grade elementary school students, and to compare the difference of screening myopia rates when combined with non cycloplegic auto refraction (NCAR), so as to provide a scientific basis for standardizing UCVA examination methods using CAR as the gold standard of authenticity and reliability. Methods: From March 22nd to April 9th, 2023, a total of 549 first and second grade students aged 7-8 years from a primary school in Hefei City were selected for the study by convenient cluster sampling method. Two methods were employed for UCVA examination:the first method involved charts where the student could not make mistakes in identifying at least half of the characters per line (V1), and the second method used charts with character sizes ranging from 4.0 -4.5, 4.6-5.0 and 5.1-5.3, without allowing 1, 2 and 3 errors per line (V2). While NCAR was performed, then 187 students underwent CAR examination. Paired Wilcoxon rank-sum test and McNemar test were used to compare the differences between V1 and V2 methods in defining poor vision and screening myopia rates. Using CAR as the gold standard, the authenticity and reliability of defining screening myopia rates through the combination of V1 and V2 methods along with NCAR were evaluated. Results: The UCVA examination results for V1 and V2 showed statistically significant differences in both the right eye [5.0(4.9,5.0), 4.9(4.8,5.0)] and the left eye [ 5.0 (4.9,5.0), 4.9(4.8,5.0)] ( Z=-13.95, -13.34, P <0.01). The detection rates of poor vision for the right eye were 43.53% for V1 and 63.21% for V2, and the left eye with 44.08% for V1 and 62.11% for V2, with statistically significant differences ( χ 2= 106.01 , 95.09, P <0.01). When screening myopia rates were assessed for UCNA methods combined with NCAR, the right eye rates were 21.49% for V1 and 24.59% for V2, and the left eye rates were 21.31% for V1 and 23.13% for V2, with statistically significant differences ( χ 2=15.06, 8.10, P <0.01). Using CAR as the gold standard, the detection rates in the right eye and left eye were 16.58 % and 17.11%, respectively. The Youden indices for defining screening myopia in the right eye were 0.80 for V1 and 0.79 for V2, and the left eye with 0.85 for V1 and 0.83 for V2. The agreement rates for the right eye were 91.98 % for V1 and 89.30% for V2, and the left eye with 94.12% for V1 and 91.98% for V2. The Kappa values for the right eye were 0.73 for V1 and 0.67 for V2, and the left eye with 0.81 for V1 and 0.75 for V2. Conclusions Authenticity and reliability of two UCVA examination methods combined with NCAR in defining screening myopia are higher in V1 than V2 methods. It is recommended to unify the visual acuity examination methods by requiring the correct identification of more than half of the total number of visual markers in a row.

Objective:To investigate the application value of ultrasound-guided multimodal examinations in the diagnosis of lymph node mycobacterial infection.Methods:The clinical data of 42 patients with suspected lymph node mycobacterial infection who were initially diagnosed at the Affiliated Hospital of Shaoxing University from January 2019 to December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients underwent an ultrasound-guided lymph node-negative pressure puncture. Acid-fast staining, bacterial culture, pathological examination or their combination were used to screen lymph nodes for mycobacterial infection. The results were compared with those of acid-fast staining and bacterial culture of sputum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid smears.Results:The combined application of acid fast staining, bacterial culture, and pathological examination for the puncture fluid smear showed a positive rate of 71.4% (30/42), which was significantly higher than the positive rate [26.2% (11/42)] for acid fast staining of the puncture fluid smear, the positive rate [42.9% (18/42)] for bacterial culture of the puncture fluid, and the positive rate [50.0% (21/42)] of pathological examination ( χ2 = 17.20, 7.00, 4.04, P < 0.001, P < 0.01, P = 0.040). The positive rate for sputum smear and bacterial culture was 21.4% (9/33). The positive rate for acid fast staining and bacterial culture of the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was 28.6% (12/30). The differences were statistically significant ( χ2 = 21.11, 15.43, both P < 0.001). Conclusion:Ultrasound-guided negative pressure aspiration and puncture biopsy of lymph nodes combined with acid fast staining, bacterial culture, and pathological examinations can markedly increase the detection rate and diagnostic rate of mycobacterial infection.

To perform a comprehensive analysis of the pathogenic causes of a food poisoning case in a district of Wuhan Cit-y,we investigated the molecular epidemiological relationships among pathogenic bacteria,to aid in traceability analysis of food-borne disease outbreaks,as well as clinical diagnosis and treatment.The pathogenic bacteria in this food poisoning case were i-solated and identified according to GB789.4-2016.The isolated strains were subjected to genotyping with pulsed field gel elec-trophoresis(PFGE).Drug resistance gene analysis,multi-locus sequence typing(MLST),and genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism analysis(wgSNP)were conducted via whole genome sequencing(WGS).The evolutionary tree for cluster analy-sis was constructed in fasttree software.Drug susceptibility testing was conducted with the broth microdilution method.A total of 12 strains of Salmonella were detected in seven anal swab samples and two fecal samples from the case,as well as three anal swab samples from unaffected individuals.The serotype of the strains was Salmonella typhimurium.The strain exhibited severe multiple drug resistance,including resistance to amikacin,ampi-cillin,cefazolin,gentamicin,piperacillin,and tetracycline,but susceptibility to other antibiotics.The coincidence rate between drug resistance genes and drug resistance phenotypes was high.PFGE revealed that nine strains from this food poisoning case were highly homologous.WGS revealed that the MLST type was ST19,and varying numbers of SNPs(1-6)were present a-mong strains.The phylogenetic tree revealed nine isolated strains forming a distinct cluster,differing from other Salmonella strains in the database and belonging to a novel clonal branch.The single nucleotide site in the strains was highly homologous to that of GCF in Jiangxi_020221795.1.The food poisoning case was caused by Salmonella typhimurium ST19,and all nine iso-lated strains originated from the same source.The chef is closely connected to this food poisoning case.This strain of Salmo-nella typhimurium belongs to a new clonal branch and exhibits multiple drug resistance.

Objective: To analyze the effects of outdoor activities, sedentary behaviors and sleep duration on the risk of poor vision among primary and secondary school students after replacing them with each other, so as to provide a reference for precise intervention in the prevention and control of myopia among children and adolescents. Methods: From March to May 2023, a stratified cluster random sampling method was used to select 6 132 students in grades 4 to 12 in Hefei, Wuhu, Suzhou and Chizhou cities in Anhui Province. A questionnaire survey was conducted to collect the basic information, outdoor activities, sedentary behavior, and sleep duration, and a visual inspection was carried out by 5 m standard logarithmic visual acuity chart. The single activity model, segmentation model and isotemporal substitution model were used to analyze the relationship between outdoor activities, sedentary behaviors, sleep, and poor vision, and stratified analysis was performed by gender. Results: The detection rate of poor vision among the 6 132 primary and secondary school students was 76.9%, and the detection rate of poor vision was higher for girls ( 81.1 %) than for boys (72.6%), and the difference was statistically significant ( χ 2=61.37, P <0.01). The results of the single activity model and segmentation model showed that outdoor activity and sleep duration were correlated with a reduced risk of poor vision in primary and secondary school students ( OR =0.87, 0.88; 0.88, 0.91), while sedentary behavior was correlated with an increased risk of poor vision ( OR =1.05, 1.03) ( P <0.05). The results of the isotemporal substitution model showed that replacing the same amount of sedentary behavior with 1 h/d of outdoor activity was associated with 15% reduction in the risk of poor vision ( OR = 0.85), and replacing the same amount of sedentary behavior with 1 h/d of sleep was associated with a 12% reduction in the risk of poor vision ( OR =0.88) ( P <0.05). The results of the isotemporal substitution model stratified by gender showed that replacing the same amount of sedentary behavior with 1 h/d of outdoor activity and 1 h/d of sleep were associated with 22% and 8% reduction in the risk of poor vision in male students ( OR =0.78, 0.92), and replacing the same amount of sedentary behavior with 1 h/d of sleep was associated with 18% reduction in the risk of poor vision in female students ( OR =0.82) ( P <0.05). Conclusion Replacing sedentary behavior with 1 h/d of outdoor activity for boys and 1 h/d of sleep for girls and boys could reduce the risk of poor vision.

AP2 transcription factors belong to the AP2/ERF superfamily and are involved in the regula-tion of various biological processes in plant growth and development,as well as in response to biotic and abiotic stresses.However,studies on the AP2 transcription factor family of Perilla frutescens have not been reported.In this study,totally 18 AP2 family members were identified from the Perilla frutescens ge-nome and analyzed for gene structure,conserved motifs,and cis-acting elements using bioinformatics.WRINKLED1(WRI1)is a key regulator of lipid biosynthesis in many plant species and plays an impor-tant role in the regulation of lipid synthesis.Sequence comparison revealed that one member of WRI1 is highly homologous to AtWRI1 and contains two conserved AP2 domains,named PfWRI1.The expression levels of PfAP2 family genes were analyzed in different tissues of Perilla frutescens and at different stages of seed development in conjunction with the transcriptome data,and the results showed that PfWRI1 is highly expressed only in the seeds of Perilla frutescens,suggesting that PfWRI1 may be related to the de-velopmental process of the seeds.The overexpression vector of plant pCAMBIA1303-PfWRI1 was con-structed,and wild-type(Col)and mutant(wri1-1)Arabidopsis thaliana were transformed by Agrobacte-rium tumefaciens to obtain overexpression and complementation lines,respectively.The results showed that the expression of P fWRI1 led to an increase in oil content of Arabidopsis seeds by 8.90％-13.57％compared with Col,and promoted the accumulation of oleic acid(C18:1)and linoleic acid(18:2)and reduced the accumulation of palmitic acid(C16:0),arachidonic acid(C20:0),and cis-11-Eicosenoic acid(C20:1)in transgenic Arabidopsis seeds.In addition,PfWRI1 gene expression increased the ex-pression of glycolysis and fatty acid biosynthesis-related genes AtPKP-α,AtPKP-β1,AtBCCP2,AtSUS2,and AtLIP1.Taken together,PfWRI1 may promote lipid accumulation by increasing unsaturated fatty acid content through interaction with the above genes.

Objective To explore the clinical application value of semiconductor laser combined with flat-panel CT guidance in foramen ovale puncture for trigeminal neuralgia(TN).Methods A total of 86 patients with primary TN were selected and randomly divided into control group(n=43)and observation group(n=43).The control group used empirical manual puncture,and the observation group used semiconductor laser combined with flat-panel CT-guided radiofrequency ablation.The first puncture success rate,puncture success time,total operation time,and intraoperative flat-panel CT scan times were carefully evaluated.Results The puncture success time,total operation time,and intraoperative flat-panel CT scan times in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group(P＜0.05).In addition,the first puncture success rate and surgical efficiency 12 months after surgery were significantly improved(P＜0.05).The incidence of facial congestion in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group(P＜0.05),but there was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of chewing weakness,cerebrospinal fluid leakage,and intracranial infection between the two groups(P＞0.05).Conclusion Minimally invasive foramen ovale puncture under the guidance of semiconductor laser combined with flat-panel CT for the treatment of TN has the advantages of simple operation,accurate positioning,low risk,and few complications,with important clinical application value.

Objective　To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of the GenoType MTBDRplus V2.0 (Mycobacterium tuberculosis and resistance gene detection assay kit using PCR-linear probe hybridization with enzyme chromogenic method, referred to as MTBDRplus 2.0) kit for detection of rifampin and isoniazid resistance, providing the basis for improving the detection of drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Methods From January to December 2022, positive strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolated and cultured from designated tuberculosis treatment hospitals in 32 counties (cities, districts) of Yunnan Province were collected. Resistance in 880 strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis was detected by MTBDRplus 2.0, and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) method was used for the drug sensitivity test. 　　　Results Using the MIC method as the gold standard, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of MTBDRplus 2.0 in detecting isoniazid resistance were 67.69%, 98.40%, 77.19%, and 97.45%, respectively. The consistency of the linear probe method and MIC method in detecting isoniazid resistance was moderate, with a Kappa value of 0.701 (P<0.001); the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive values of MTBDRplus 2.0 in detecting rifampicin resistance were 87.80%, 99.40%, 87.80%, and 99.40%, respectively. The consistency of rifampicin resistance detection between MTBDRplus 2.0 and MIC method was relatively good, with a Kappa value of 0.872 (P<0.001). Among the 13 strains showing resistance to isoniazid with MTBDRplus 2.0, but sensitivity according to the MIC method, 11 strains (84.62%) had mutations in the inhA gene (C15T). Out of the 5 strains showing resistance to rifampicin with MTBDRplus 2.0, but sensitivity according to the MIC method, 4 strains (80.00%) had other mutations in the rpoB gene. Conclusions MTBDRplus 2.0 shows high sensitivity and specificity in detecting rifampicin resistance, but slightly low sensitivity in detecting isoniazid resistance. The low sensitivity in detecting isoniazid resistance may be due to insufficient target coverage of the detection kit. inhA gene mutations are poorly correlated with isoniazid resistance, and other mutations in the rpoB gene are poorly correlated with rifampicin resistance.