OBJECTIVE: To investigate the variability of bone metabolism levels among different populations and its association with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) pain. METHODS: A total of 50 people (control group) who participated in physical examination from January 2023 to June 2023 were selected, including 26 males and 24 females, wtih a mean aged of (52.14±9.04) years old ranging 41 to 65 years old. The other 50 patients with knee osteoarthritis(case group) who attended the outpatient clinic of the Orthopedics and Traumatology Department in the same time period, including 19 males and 31 females, with a mean age of (53.60±7.76) years old ranging 40 to 65 years. The two groups of Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index(WOMAC) and bone metabolism markers, such as 25-hydroxy-cholecalciferol[25(OH)D], β-isomerized typeⅠcollagen C-telopeptide breakdown products (β-CTX), total typeⅠprocollagen N-terminal propeptide (t-PINP), osteocalcin (OC), parathormone (PTH) levels were compared. Pearson correlation analysis was used to compare the correlation between two groups of bone metabolism related markers and WOMAC. RESULTS: The WOMAC score of the case group (39.90±2.34) was higher than that of the control group (3.60±0.57), with significant difference (P<0.05). There was no significant difference between the two groups of 25 (OH)D, β-CTX and PTH (P>0.05). The t-PINP and OC of the case group were (62.90±52.40) and (19.88±10.15) ng·ml-1, respectively, and those of the control group were (38.86±10.82) and (14.90±3.62) ng·ml^-1, respectively;the t-PINP and OC of the case group were higher than those of the control group, with significant difference (P<0.05). Pearson correlation analysis showed that t-PINP was positively correlated with WOMAC pain score in the case group (r²=0.045, P<0.01). CONCLUSION Bone metabolism levels in the serum of patients with knee osteoarthritis are different from those of healthy people, and the difference between OC and t-PINP is the most obvious, and the concentration of t-PINP levels is positively correlated with pain symptoms in patients with KOA. However, the specific mechanism of correlation between the bone metabolism levels of patients with KOA and their pain symptoms needs to be further elucidated by basic experimental research as well as by enlarging the samples.
Humans ; Female ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Osteoarthritis, Knee/metabolism* ; Aged ; Adult ; Bone and Bones/metabolism* ; Pain/etiology* ; Biomarkers/metabolism*

PURPOSE: The rate of complications among patients undergoing surgery has increased due to infection with SARS-CoV-2 and other variants of concern. However, Omicron has shown decreased pathogenicity, raising questions about the risk of postoperative complications among patients who are infected with this variant. This study aimed to investigate complications and related factors among patients with recent Omicron infection prior to undergoing orthopedic surgery. METHODS: A historical control study was conducted. Data were collected from all patients who underwent surgery during 2 distinct periods: (1) between Dec 12, 2022 and Jan 31, 2023 (COVID-19 positive group), (2) between Dec 12, 2021 and Jan 31, 2022 (COVID-19 negative control group). The patients were at least 18 years old. Patients who received conservative treatment after admission or had high-risk diseases or special circumstances (use of anticoagulants before surgery) were excluded from the study. The study outcomes were the total complication rate and related factors. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to identify related factors, and odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated to assess the impact of COVID-19 infection on complications. RESULTS: In the analysis, a total of 847 patients who underwent surgery were included, with 275 of these patients testing positive for COVID-19 and 572 testing negative. The COVID-19-positive group had a significantly higher rate of total complications (11.27%) than the control group (4.90%, p < 0.001). After adjusting for relevant factors, the OR was 3.08 (95% CI: 1.45-6.53). Patients who were diagnosed with COVID-19 at 3-4 weeks (OR = 0.20 (95% CI: 0.06-0.59), p = 0.005), 5-6 weeks (OR = 0.16 (95% CI: 0.04-0.59), p = 0.010), or ≥7 weeks (OR = 0.26 (95% CI: 0.06-1.02), p = 0.069) prior to surgery had a lower risk of complications than those who were diagnosed at 0-2 weeks prior to surgery. Seven factors (age, indications for surgery, time of operation, time of COVID-19 diagnosis prior to surgery, C-reactive protein levels, alanine transaminase levels, and aspartate aminotransferase levels) were found to be associated with complications; thus, these factors were used to create a nomogram. CONCLUSION Omicron continues to be a significant factor in the incidence of postoperative complications among patients undergoing orthopedic surgery. By identifying the factors associated with these complications, we can determine the optimal surgical timing, provide more accurate prognostic information, and offer appropriate consultation for orthopedic surgery patients who have been infected with Omicron.
Humans ; COVID-19/complications* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Postoperative Complications/epidemiology* ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Orthopedic Procedures/adverse effects* ; Aged ; Nomograms ; Adult ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors

This study explores whether the current external quality assessment (EQA) level and acceptable bias for basic semen analysis in China are clinically useful. We collected data of semen EQA from Andrology laboratories in the Hunan Province (China) in 2022 and searched for data in the published literature from January 2000 to December 2023 in China. On the basis of these data, we analyzed the coefficients of variation and acceptable biases of different quality control materials for basic semen analysis through robust statistics. We compared these findings with quality specifications based on biological variation from optimal, desirable, and minimum levels of bias to seek a unified and more suitable semen EQA bias evaluation standard for China's national conditions. Different sources of semen quality control material exhibited considerable variation in acceptable biases among laboratories, ranging from 8.2% to 56.9%. A total of 50.0% of the laboratories met the minimum quality specifications for progressive motility (PR), whereas 100.0% and 75.0% of laboratories met only the minimum quality specifications for sperm concentration and total motility (nonprogressive [NP] + PR), respectively. The Z value for sperm concentration and PR+NP was equivalent to the desirable performance specification, whereas the Z value for PR was equivalent only to the minimum performance specification. This study highlights the feasibility of operating external quality assessment schemes for basic semen analysis using quality specifications based on biological variation. These specifications should be unified among external quality control (EQC) centers based on biological variation.
Semen Analysis/standards* ; Humans ; China ; Male ; Quality Control ; Sperm Motility ; Sperm Count/standards*

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*

Functional dyspepsia (FD), characterized by persistent or recurrent dyspeptic symptoms without identifiable organic, systemic or metabolic causes, is an increasingly recognized global health issue. The objective of this guideline is to equip clinicians and nursing professionals with evidence-based strategies for the management and treatment of adult patients with FD using traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). The Guideline Development Group consulted existing TCM consensus documents on FD and convened a panel of 35 clinicians to generate initial clinical queries. To address these queries, a systematic literature search was conducted across PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), VIP Database, China Biology Medicine (SinoMed) Database, Wanfang Database, Traditional Medicine Research Data Expanded (TMRDE), and the Traditional Chinese Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System (TCMLARS). The evidence from the literature was critically appraised using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. The strength of the recommendations was ascertained through a consensus-building process involving TCM and allopathic medicine experts, methodologists, pharmacologists, nursing specialists, and health economists, leveraging their collective expertise and empirical knowledge. The guideline comprises a total of 43 evidence-informed recommendations that span a range of clinical aspects, including the pathogenesis according to TCM, diagnostic approaches, therapeutic interventions, efficacy assessments, and prognostic considerations. Please cite this article as: Zhang SS, Zhao LQ, Hou XH, Bian ZX, Zheng JH, Tian HH, Yang GH, Hong WS, He YY, Liu L, Shen H, Li YP, Xie S, Shu J, Zeng BF, Li JX, Liu Z, Xiao ZH, Xiao JD, Zheng PY, Huang SG, Chen SL, Fei GJ. International clinical practice guideline on the use of traditional Chinese medicine for functional dyspepsia (2025). J Integr Med. 2025; 23(5):502-518.
Dyspepsia/drug therapy* ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/methods* ; Practice Guidelines as Topic ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use*

Objective:To investigate the distribution characteristics of urinary tract pathogens in patients with community-acquired urinary tract infection and their sensitivity to nenoxacin and levofloxacin.Methods:This prospective, multicenter clinical trial included patients with community-acquired urinary tract infection who were admitted to urological clinics at 9 clinical research centers from November 2021 to August 2022.Inclusion criteria: Patients aged 18-70 years with community-acquired acute uncomplicated cystitis(AUC), recurrent acute episodes of urinary tract infection(rUTI), and non-febrile complicated urinary tract infection(cUTI) with signs of urinary tract irritation and abnormal elevation of routine white blood cells in urine. Exclusion criteria: ①Patients who received effective antimicrobial therapy within 72 h before enrollment and lasted for more than 24 h. ②Fever (>37.3℃) or symptoms of upper urinary tract infection such as low back pain, tapping pain in the kidney area, etc. ③Indwelling urinary catheter. At the first visit, clean midstream urine samples were taken for bacterial culture, and the distribution characteristics of urinary pathogens of different types of urinary tract infections were analyzed. Extended spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) were measured for Gram-negative bacteria. The susceptibility of nenoxacin and levofloxacin to urinary tract pathogens was determined by disk diffusion method. Drug resistance rate, sensitivity rate were analyzed between different disease groups.Results:There were 404 enrolled patients from 9 hospitals, including 364 (90.1%) females and 40 (9.9%) males. A total of 177 strains of pathogenic bacteria were isolated, among which the highest proportion of Escherichia coli was 66.1% (117/177).Klebsiella pneumoniae was followed by 6.8% (12/177) and Streptococcus agalactis 5.1% (9/177). The bacterial spectrum distribution of AUC and rUTI were similar, and the proportions of Escherichia coli were 70.6% (85/119) and 65.9% (29/44), respectively. However, the proportions of Escherichia coli isolated from cUTI patients were only 28.6% (4/14) and Enterococcus faecalis 7.1%(1/14). The overall detection rate of ESBLs in Gram-negative bacteria was 30.9%(43/139). The sensitivity rate of nenoxacin was 74.6%(91/122), and the resistance rate was 25.4%(31/122). The overall sensitivity rate of levofloxacin was 44.9%(70/156) and the resistance rate was 36.5%(57/156). The rate of resistance of urinary tract pathogens to levofloxacin was 48.2% (27/56) in patients with previous urinary tract infection history, and 30.0% (30/100) in patients with no previous urinary tract infection history, the difference was statistically significant( P=0.023).The sensitivity rate of Gram-negative bacteria to nenofloxacin was 70.7% (65/92) and that to levofloxacin was 50.0% (46/92, P<0.001). The sensitivity of Gram-positive bacteria to nenofloxacin was 80.0% (16/20), and that to levofloxacin was 70.0% (14/20, P=0.009). Conclusions:The bacterial profile of out-patient community acquired urinary tract infection varies greatly according to different diseases. The proportion of Escherichia coli in AUC and rUTI patients is higher than that in cUTI. The detection rate of ESBLs in Gram-negative bacteria was lower than the domestic average.Patients with a history of urinary tract infection had a high risk of treatment failure with levofloxacin. The sensitivity of common urinary tract pathogens to nenofloxacin was higher than levofloxacin.

Objective To establish the method for content determination of three lignans of Dendrobium Fimbriatum Hook..Methods The lignans in Dendrobium tasselii were identified by high-performance liquid chromatography/multi-stage mass spectrometry(HPLC-ESI/MSn)coupled with ultraviolet absorption spectrometry(UV)coupled with retention time localization of high-performance liquid chromatography(HPLC).The separation was carried out on a Kromasil 100-5 C18 column(4.6 mm×250 mm,5 μm)using a gradient elution of acetonitrile-0.1%formic acid solution as the mobile phase,the volume flow rate was 0.8 mL·min-1 and the column temperature was 35℃,and the mass spectrometry was performed using an ESI ion source with the data collected in the negative ion mode.The HPLC content was determined on the same column as that of MS analysis,with the mobile phase methanol + acetonitrile(V/V=1∶1)-0.01 mol/L ammonium acetate solution,gradient elution,flow rate of 0.8 mL·min-1,column temperature of 40℃,and detection wavelength of 215 nm.Results Syringaresinol di-O-glucoside and(-)-Syringaresinol 4-O-β-D-glucopyranoside and DL-Syringaresinol were identified from Dendrobium fimbriatum Hook.,and the results of content determination showed that the linear ranges of above three components were respectively 0.1701-3.4020,0.1020-2.0400,0.0403-0.8060 μg(r≥0.9995),the average recoveries were in the range of 97.71%-101.67%,and the relative standard deviations(RSDs)were all less than 3.0%.The contents of Syringaresinol di-O-glucoside and(-)-Syringaresinol 4-O-β-D-glucopyranoside and DL-Syringaresinol in the 10 batches of samples were 0.7779-1.3852,0.0734-0.1966,0.0295-0.1882 mg·g-1.Conclusion This research method can provide a reference basis for the quality evaluation method of Dendrobium fimbriatum Hook..

Objective To design and evaluate a dilation incision device capable of facilitating stable support and flexible adjustment during neurosurgical procedures.Methods The dilation incision device was composed of a support plate,an adjustment assembly,a brain support ring,a rotation assembly,an electric motor,an expansion assembly and a neck support ring.The support plate was made of high-strength stainless steel;the adjustment assembly was made up of a first screw,a lifting groove,a slide bar and a nut;the brain support ring was fixed to the adjustment assembly through a support rod,with an outer layer of medical-grade silicone and an inner layer of stainless steel skeleton;the rotation assembly connected the brain support ring with the expansion assembly and consisted of a rotating shaft,a connecting rod and a rotating lug;a high-precision direct current servo motor was selected for the device;the expansion assembly included a spring,an expansion plate and a moving plate,which realized auto expansion or contraction through spring pressure;the neck support ring had its outer layer made of flexible polyurethane foam and inner layer being a stainless steel skeleton.The device had its stability and safety evaluated by static and dynamic tests at different heights(50,100,150 mm)and angles(0°,30°,60°),which was compared with the traditional fixation device to verify its application effect.Results Static and dynamic tests indicated the device showed high stability and safety in different heights and angles,and gained advantages over the traditional device in stability,convenient operation and surgical field visualization.Conclusion The device developed meets the requirements of neurosurgical procedures,and enhances the safety and portability of neurosurgical procedures.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2024,45(10):37-40]

Objective To investigate the effect of varying blood pressure stratification on renal function in the diabetic population.Methods A prospective cohort study was conducted,enrolling 9 489 diabetic patients from a total of 101 510 Kailuan Group employees who underwent health examinations between July 2006 and October 2007.The follow-up period was(8.6±4.0)years.Participants were categorized into four groups based on their baseline blood pressure levels:normal blood pressure(systolic blood pressure<120 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure<80 mmHg),elevated blood pressure(systolic blood pressure 120-130 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure<80 mmHg),stage 1 hypertension(systolic blood pressure 130-140 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure 80-90 mmHg),and stage 2 hypertension(systolic blood pressure≥140 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure≥90 mmHg).The incidence density of chronic kidney disease(CKD)was compared among these groups.A multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression model was employed to assess the effects of different blood pressure levels on renal function in diabetic patients,with the stability of the results confirmed using a multivariate time-dependent Cox proportional hazards model.Sensitivity analysis was conducted after excluding cases of cardiovascular disease(CVD)during follow-up,and cases using antihypertensive and antidiabetic medications at baseline.Results(1)At baseline,stage 1 hypertension patients demonstrated statistically significant higher differences with age and body mass index(BMI)compared to normal blood pressure group(P<0.05).(2)By the end of the follow-up,2 294 cases of CKD were identified,including 1 117 cases of estimated glomerular filtration rate(eGFR)decline and 1 575 cases of urinary protein.The incidences density of CKD,eGFR decline and urinary protein for stage 1 hypertension group were 39.4,16.3 and 25.5 per thousand person-years,respectively,all of which were statistically significant different from normal blood pressure group(log-rank test,P<0.01).(3)Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that,compared to the normal blood pressure group,stage 1 hypertension was associated with a 29%increased risk of CKD(HR=1.29,95%CI 1.09-1.52)and a 40%increased risk of eGFR decline(HR=1.40,95%CI 1.08-1.80)in diabetic individuals.Conclusion Stage 1 hypertension significantly increases the risk of CKD and eGFR decline in diabetic individuals,with a particularly notable effect on the risk of eGFR decline.

Objective To investigate the microbiome composition of deep invasive endometriosis lesions,offering novel insights into its pathogenesis,diagnosis,and treatment strategies.Methods From May 2021 to May 2022,we collected samples of normal endometrium(normal group,n=10),endometrium from patients with deep infiltrating endometriosis(DIE endometrium group,n=14),and lesions from these patients(DIE lesion group,n=10)for 16s rRNA sequencing analysis.We employed the bacterial community diversity algorithm(alpha diversity and beta diversity),principal coordinate analysis(PCoA)distance matrix algorithms(Bray-Curtis and Unifrac matrices),as well as the biological identification algorithm(LeFSe)to investigate microbiome differences between groups and identify differentially abundant bacteria and enriched KEGG functions.Results The diversity of the three groups did not show any significant difference,while the β diversity exhibited a statistically significant distinc-tion(P=0.005 5).The focus group had a relatively low abundance of Firmicutes at the phylum level and a relatively increased abundance of Fusobacteria.At the genus level,there was an increased relative abundance of Enterococcus and Prevotella.LEFse analysis suggested that Proteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria were the main dominant in the lesion group.Notably,Gamma proteobacteria emerged as a key differential species among the three groups'microbial flora with statistical significance(P=0.021 2).Conclusion Compared to the normal group and DIE group,there was a significant increase in the abundance of Fusobacteria,Proteobacteria,Gammaproteobacteria,Enterococcus,and Prevotella.These findings offer novel therapeutic targets for the prevention and intervention of deep infiltrating endometriosis.