Random sperm DNA fragmentation index is not associated with clinical outcomes in day-3 frozen embryo transfer / 亚洲男科学杂志(英文版)

Damage to sperm DNA was proposed to play an important role in embryonic development. Previous studies focused on outcomes after fresh embryo transfer, whereas this study investigated the influence of sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) on laboratory and clinical outcomes after frozen embryo transfer (FET). This retrospective study examined 381 couples using cleavage-stage FET. Sperm used for intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) or in vitro fertilization (IVF) underwent density gradient centrifugation and swim up processing. Sperm DFI had a negative correlation with sperm motility (r = -0.640, P < 0.01), sperm concentration (r = -0.289, P < 0.01), and fertilization rate of IVF cycles (r = -0.247, P < 0.01). Sperm DFI examined before and after density gradient centrifugation/swim up processing was markedly decreased after processing (17.1% vs 2.4%, P < 0.01; 65 randomly picked couples). Sperm progressive motility was significantly reduced in high DFI group compared with low DFI group for both IVF and ICSI (IVF: 46.9% ± 12.4% vs 38.5% ± 12.6%, respectively; ICSI: 37.6% ± 14.1% vs 22.3% ± 17.8%, respectively; both P < 0.01). The fertilization rate was significantly lower in high ( ≥25%) DFI group compared with low (<25%) DFI group using IVF (73.3% ± 23.9% vs 53.2% ± 33.6%, respectively; P < 0.01) but was equivalent in high and low DFI groups using ICSI. Embryonic development and clinical outcomes after FET were equivalent for low and high DFI groups using ICSI or IVF. In this study, sperm DFI did not provide sufficient information regarding embryo development or clinical outcomes for infertile couples using FET.

Application of "kindergarten effect" in radiotherapy for children with tumor aged 3-5 years / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To study the clinical application effect of "kindergarten effect" in radiotherapy for children with tumor based on the psychology of preschool children aged 3-5 years.@*METHODS@#A total of 30 children, aged 3-5 years, who were admitted to the Department of Radiotherapy, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, from January 2020 to August 2021 were enrolled in this prospective study. The children were randomly divided into a control group and a test group, with 15 children in each group. The children in the test group were treated in "kindergarten mode", i.e., all children were treated together at a specified time and left together after all children completed treatment. Those in the control group were treated alternately with adult patients according to the treatment time based on the type of radiotherapy fixation device. The treatment compliance was evaluated for both groups, and the two groups were compared in terms of the setup errors in the superior-inferior (SI), left-right (LR), and anterior-posterior (AP) directions.@*RESULTS@#Compared with the control group, the test group showed a significantly shorter time for finishing the treatment (P<0.05) and a significantly lower proportion of children with treatment interruption (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the test group showed smaller mean errors in the SI, LR and AP directions after image-guided radiotherapy, with significant differences in the mean errors in the SI and LR directions (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#With the application of the "kindergarten effect", most children can actively cooperate in radiotherapy, and it can also improve the accuracy and repeatability of positioning and help to achieve the desired treatment outcome.

Study on the influencing factors in pupils' disequilibrium refractive development / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AIM: To investigate the influencing factors of disequilibrium refractive development in children aged 6-12 years old.METHODS: A total of 607 children with a mean age of 8.2±1.8 years old from two primary schools in Binhai New Area of Tianjin in December 2019 were selected by cluster sampling for optical biometry measurement(axial length and equivalent corneal power), cycloplegia refractive examination and questionnaire survey.RESULTS: The childrens'spherical equivalent was -0.11±1.63D, binocular spherical equivalent difference was -0.08±0.64D and absolute value of spherical equivalent difference was 0.41±0.49D. There were 56 children with anisometropia and 551 children without anisometropia. There was no difference in the absolute value of binocular corneal power difference between anisometropia and non-anisometropia group(0.30±0.34D vs 0.27±0.24D, P=0.430). But the absolute value of axial difference was significantly different(0.67±0.39mm vs 0.13±0.13mm, P=0.005). Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that weekly usage time of phones/computers, weekly close work hours, weekly visual fatigue times and habitual reading distance were the influencing factors of refractive imbalance development(the absolute value of binocular spherical equivalent difference). Habitual reading distance and handedness in writing are the influencing factors of the developmental bias of refractive imbalance(binocular spherical equivalent difference).CONCLUSION: Children aged 6-12 years old who spend more time on phones/computers, and have prolonged close work, more times of visual fatigue and close habitual reading distance may increase the degree of refractive imbalance. Children with right-handed handwriting and severe left or right head deviation have a deeper degree of myopia in the right eye than in the left eye.

Effect of timing of acupuncture on limb dysfunction in patients with cerebral infarction: a multicenter prospective cohort pilot study / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate the clinical efficacy of acupuncture at different timings in acute stage for limb dysfunction in patients with cerebral infarction.@*METHODS@#A total of 101 patients with cerebral infarction limb dysfunction were divided into an early exposure group (@*RESULTS@#Compared before treatment, the mRS grade at 30 and 60 days after onset in the early exposure group was improved (@*CONCLUSION@#The timing of acupuncture is an independent factor affecting the disability status and limb motor dysfunction in patients with cerebral infarction, and the effect of early intervention may be better than late intervention.

Exploration of indication of prophylactic transcatheter arterial chemoembolization on postoperative recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma / 中华外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the efficacy of prophylactic transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) on postoperative recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A retrospective analysis was performed on clinicopathologic data of 260 hepatocellular carcinoma patients who underwent curative hepatectomy in Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University from January 2004 to June 2007. Among the 260 patients, 104 underwent postoperative prophylactic TACE and the other 156 were not.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The overall survival rates at 1- and 2-years were 84.1% and 70.5% respectively. The overall disease-free survival rates at 1- and 2-years were 69.2% and 58.4% respectively. Of 260 overall patients, the disease-free survival rates at 1- and 2-years were 72.8% and 54.9% respectively in TACE group, and 66.9% and 59.7% respectively in non-TACE group, statistically significant difference of the cumulative disease-free survival rates at 1- and 2-years between TACE group and non-TACE group were not observed (P = 0.145, P = 0.405). Of 62 patients with tumor size >or= 10 cm, the disease-free survival rates at 1- and 2-years were respectively 66.6% and 48.7% in TACE group, and respectively 44.6% and 31.2% years between TACE group and non-TACE group were observed (P = 0.025, P = 0.025). Of 38 patients with vascular tumor thrombi, the disease-free survival rates at 1- and 2-years were respectively 33.0% and 0 in TACE group, and respectively 26.2% and 21.8% in non-TACE group, statistically significant difference of the cumulative disease-free survival rates at 1-years between TACE group and non-TACE group was observed (P = 0.025), and not at 2-years (P = 0.122).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>In non-TACE group, statistically significant difference of the cumulative disease-free survival rates at 1- and 2-Prophylactic TACE is preferred for hepatocellular carcinoma patients with high risk factors for recurrence such as tumor size >or= 10 cm and presented vascular tumor thrombi.</p>