Effects of circumcision on male sexual functions： systematic review and meta-analysis

This meta-analysis was performed to assess sexual functions following adult male circumcision. We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PUBMED, EMBASE, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Review and Web of Science from their inception until January 2013 to identify all eligible studies that reported on men＇s sexual function after circumcision. The Cochrane Collaboration＇s RevMan 5.2 software was employed for data analysis, and the fixed or the random effect model was selected depending on the proportion of heterogeneity. We identified 10 studies, which described a total of 9317 circumcised and 9423 uncircumcised men who were evaluated for the association of circumcision with male sexual function. There were no significant differences in sexual desire （odds ratio （OR）： 0.99; 95% confidence interval （CI）： 0.92-1.06）, dyspareunia （OR： 1.12; 95% Ch 0.52-2.44）, premature ejaculation （OR. 1.13; 95% Ch 0.83-1.54）, ejaculation latency time （OR： 1.33; 95% Ch 0.69-1.97）, erectile dysfunctions （OR： 0.90; 95% Ch 0.65-1.25） and orgasm difficulties （OR： 0.97; 95% Ch 0.83-1.13）. These findings suggest that circumcision is unlikely to adversely affect male sexual functions. However, these results should be evaluated in light of the low quality of the existing evidence and the significant heterogeneity across the various studies. Well-designed and prospective studies are required for a further understanding of this topic.

Effects of cereal fiber on bowel function: A systematic review of intervention trials

AIM: To comprehensively review and quantitatively summarize results from intervention studies that examined the effects of intact cereal dietary fiber on parameters of bowel function. METHODS: A systematic literature search was conducted using Pub Med and EMBASE. Supplementary literature searches included screening reference lists from relevant studies and reviews. Eligible outcomes were stool wet and dry weight, percentage water in stools, stool frequency and consistency, and total transit time. Weighted regression analyses generated mean change(± SD) in these measures per g/d of dietary fiber. RESULTS: Sixty-five intervention studies among generally healthy populations were identified. A quantitative examination of the effects of non-wheat sources of intact cereal dietary fibers was not possible due to an insufficient number of studies. Weighted regression analyses demonstrated that each extra g/d of wheat fiber increased total stool weight by 3.7 ± 0.09 g/d(P < 0.0001; 95%CI: 3.50-3.84), dry stool weight by 0.75 ± 0.03 g/d(P < 0.0001; 95%CI: 0.69-0.82), and stool frequency by 0.004 ± 0.002 times/d(P = 0.0346; 95%CI: 0.0003-0.0078). Transittime decreased by 0.78 ± 0.13 h per additional g/d(P < 0.0001; 95%CI: 0.53-1.04) of wheat fiber among those with an initial transit time greater than 48 h.CONCLUSION: Wheat dietary fiber, and predominately wheat bran dietary fiber, improves measures of bowel function.

Mid-Term Review of ADEPT Metal-On-Metal Hip Prosthesis. Functional, Radiological and Metal Ion Analysis

Background: There is much interest regarding metal-on-metal implants in medical and general media. Much of this has been regarding failure of specific implant systems and metal ion toxicity. We present our early mid-term experience of the ADEPT metal-on-metal system which has both modular and non-modular hip options. Methods: Functional assessment, blood metal ion quantification, and radiographic analysis were performed for the modular and non-modular ADEPT variants. Fifty implants were implanted with a mean follow up time of 28 months. Unpaired t-tests were used to compare modular and resurfacing groups, standardised hip scores were used to compare function to conventional total hip arthroplasty. Results: Metal ion levels were significantly higher in modular prostheses compared to resurfacing implants, but not at “harmful” levels (as determined by a previous metal-on-metal implant recall). Functional outcomes were excellent and revision rates were lower than expected. Conclusions: At our institution we have good outcomes with the ADEPT hip prosthesis. Though patient selection and implant position are crucial, poor performance of metal-on-metal hip replacements is implant specific.

Irritable bowel syndrome and functional constipation management with integrative medicine: A systematic review

BACKGROUND Irritable bowel syndrome(IBS)and functional constipation(FC)are two commonly encountered functional gastrointestinal disorders in clinical practice and are usually managed with Western medicines in cooperation with traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)interventions.Although clinical practice guidelines(CPGs)have been developed to assist clinicians with their decisions,there are still gaps in management with regard to integrative medicine(IM)recommendations.AIM To comprehensively review the currently available CPGs and to provide a reference for addressing the gaps in IBS and FC management.METHODS We searched mainstream English and Chinese databases and collected data from January 1990 to January 2019.The search was additionally enriched by manual searches and the use of publicly available resources.Based on the development method,the guidelines were classified into evidence-based(EB)guidelines,consensus-based(CB)guidelines,and consensus-based guidelines with no comprehensive consideration of the EB(CB-EB)guidelines.With regard to the recommendations,the strength of the interventions was uniformly converted to a 4-point grading scale.RESULTS Thirty CPGs met the inclusion criteria and were captured as data extraction sources.Most Western medicine(WM)CPGs were developed as EB guidelines.All TCM CPGs and most IM CPGs were identified as CB guidelines.Only the 2011 IBS and IM CPG was a CB-EB set of guidelines.Antispasmodics and peppermint oil for pain,loperamide for diarrhea,and linaclotide for constipation polyethylene glycol and lactulose as osmotic laxatives,bisacodyl and sodium picosulfate as stimulant laxatives,lubiprostone and linaclotide as prosecretory agents,and prucalopride were strongly recommended or recommended in FC.TCM interventions were suggested based on pattern differentiation,while the recommendation level was considered to be weak or insufficient.CONCLUSION WM CPGs generally provide a comprehensive management algorithm,although there are still some gaps that could be addressed with TCM.Specific high-quality trials are needed to enrich the evidence.

Effect of Gum-Chewing after Cesarean Section on Gastrointestinal Function Recovery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Trials

Objective: To evaluate the effect of chewing sugar-free gum on gastrointestinal function recovery after cesarean section. Methods: Randomized controlled trials comparing the use of chewing gum in postoperative recovery with a control group were retrieved from the databases including Pubmed, Cochrane Library, Science Direct, Web of Science, CBM, CNKI, Wanfang and VIP, et al. After screening literatures, evaluating the quality of studies, extracting data, the RevMan5.3 software was used for data analysis. Results: A total of 13 RCTs including 2233 patients were analyzed in the study. The results showed that chewing gum after cesarean delivery can effectively shorten the recovery time of bowel sounds, passage of flatus and first defecation (all P Conclusion: Chewing sugar-free gum after cesarean section can promote the early recovery of gastrointestinal function, but the side effects of chewing gum are still unclear, which needs more clinical, large sample and high-quality studies to further verify.

脑机接口技术在脑卒中患者下肢功能康复中的应用前景

背景:近年来,脑机接口技术通过对动作意图的识别实现对外部设备的操控,改变了人类与计算机的交互方式,可用于脑卒中后下肢功能的治疗,为脑卒中患者康复带来了新的希望。目的:分析和总结近些年脑机接口技术在脑卒中患者下肢运动功能康复中的应用,探讨脑机接口技术在脑卒中患者下肢功能康复中的临床应用价值。方法:以“脑卒中,脑机接口,下肢”为中文检索词,在中国知网进行相关文献检索;以“stroke,brain-computer interfaces,lower extremity”为英文检索词,在PubMed数据库进行相关文献检索,检索时间范围为2014年1月至2024年6月。结果与结论:脑机接口对脑卒中患者下肢运动功能恢复具有良好的应用前景,在康复医学应用领域正在不断扩大,但其机制尚未完全阐释清楚;此外,在采集患者脑电信号方面存在一定的局限,导致脑机接口系统精确识别肢体运动的能力较差,并且目前该技术的解码方法对识别步态周期存在局限性,不能精确定位到下肢各关节与肌肉的随意运动,阻碍了脑机接口技术的应用。未来的研究应该集中在阐明脑机接口技术对脑卒中患者下肢运动功能恢复的神经机制,增强大脑运动信号提取技术和设备,为个体患者制定多模态反馈实现更有效的运动康复,以期推动脑机接口技术在下肢运动功能康复领域的进一步发展,改善患者的康复效果,提高生活质量。

Ecological functions of bamboo forest： Research and Application

Bamboo forest is an important forest type in subtropical and tropical areas.Due to its biological characteristic and growth habits, bamboo is not only an ideal economicinvestment that can be utilized in many different manners but also has enormous potential foralleviating many environmental problems facing the world today. This review describes ecologicalfunctions of the bamboo forest on soil erosion control, water conservation, land rehabilitation, andcarbon sequestration.

Research Progress of C-Peptide and Its Physiological Function

As a product in the process of insulin synthesis, C-peptide’s physiological function is still not very clear. Recent studies have shown that C-peptide has many potential cell targets and has biological effects on a variety of tissue systems in humans and other animals. In this paper, the effects of C-peptide on diabetic complications, reproductive endocrine system, blood system, tissue repair, and neoplastic diseases were reviewed to provide references for further clarification of c-peptide related problems.

Functional reconstruction following brachial plexus root avulsion

OBJECTIVE： To sum up the treatment of brachial plexus root avulsion and the progress in functional reconstruction and rehabilitation following brachial plexus root avulsion. DATA SOURCES： A search of Medline was performed to select functional reconstruction and rehabilitation following brachial plexus injury-related English articles published between January 1990 and July 2006, with key words of ＂brachial plexus injury, reconstruction and rehabilitation＂. Meanwhile, a computer-based search of CBM was carried out to select the similar Chinese articles published between January 1998 and July 2006, with key words of ＂brachial plexus injury, reconstruction and rehabilitation＂. STUDY SELECTION： The materials were checked primarily, and the literatures of functional reconstruction and rehabilitation of brachial plexus injury were selected and the full texts were retrieved. Inclusive criteria： ①Functional reconstruction following brachial plexus injury. ②Rehabilitation method of brachial plexus injury. Exclusive criteria： Reviews, repetitive study, and Meta analytical papers. DATA EXTRACTION： Forty-six literatures about functional reconstruction following brachial plexus injury were collected, and 36 of them met the inclusive criteria. DATA SYNTHESIS： Brachial plexus injury causes the complete or incomplete palsy of muscle of upper extremity. The treatment of brachial plexus is to displace not very important nerves to the distal end of very important nerve, called nerve transfer, which is an important method to treat brachial plexus injury. Postoperative rehabilitations consist of sensory training and motor functional training. It is very important to keep the initiativeness of exercise. Besides recovering peripheral nerve continuity by operation, combined treatment and accelerating neural regeneration, active motors of cerebral cortex is also the important factor to reconstruct peripheral nerve function. CONCLUSION： Consciously and actively strengthening functional exercise after operation is helpful to form cerebral plasticity and produce voluntary movements, can re-educate re-dominated muscle, obviously improves postoperative therapeutic effect and promote functional reconstruction.

左室收缩功能评估的超声新方法:心肌做功

心肌做功是一种无创评估左室收缩功能的超声新方法,其通过整合左室整体长轴应变和无创左室收缩压来评估心肌收缩功能。心肌做功能在心血管疾病的早期阶段评估左室整体和局部收缩功能,随访患者病情进展情况以及预后。为了让超声医师更好地理解和应用这一超声新方法,本文就心肌做功的概念、参数、正常参考值及临床应用做一评述。

Clinical Studies Evaluating Effects of Probiotics on Parameters of Intestinal Barrier Function

The intestinal barrier is important in preventing translocation of bacteria, toxins and antigens from the lumen of the gut into the body. Enhanced permeability, or gut leakiness, has been associated with different diseases. Probiotics can, strain-specifically, improve the epithelial barrier function. However, so far most researches have used cell lines or animal models due to the difficulty of measuring the effects of products on the epithelial barrier function in vivo in humans. Here a systematic literature search was performed to find articles addressing the effects of probiotics on the barrier function in human trials. The Pubmed database was searched (January 2013) to identify human in vivo studies with probiotic products in which parameters for epithelial barrier function were measured. In total 29 studies were identified, but patients, bacterial characteristics and methods to measure intestinal barrier function caused large heterogeneity among these studies. About half of the studies showed positive results of probiotics on the epithelial barrier function, indicating a clear potential of probiotics in this field. In a case series of 14 patients using Ecologica825, a probiotic food supplement with known effect on epithelial barrier function, different markers of intestinal integrity improved significantly. Further studies in this field should consider strain(s), dose and duration of the probiotic supplementation as well as the markers used to measure epithelial barrier function. Besides the lactulose/mannitol test, zonulin and α1-antitrypsin might be valuable markers to measure epithelial barrier function in future experiments.

行政复议规范性文件审查的困境及功能优化

行政复议法规定了规范性文件审查制度,但该制度在实践中呈现出当事人申请意愿低、复议机关抵触情绪大、对规范性文件的监督效果差等诸多问题。上述问题产生的直接原因包括审查主体定位不当、审查标准与行政诉讼趋同、审查机制与审查后果不匹配等,而根本原因则在于该制度的功能定位偏离了行政复议制度的功能定位。根据行政复议法,复议规范性文件审查的首要功能是预防和纠正不合法、不适当的规范性文件,而不是辅助行政争议的解决;同时,该制度还需兼顾保护当事人合法权益和保障行政机关依法行使职权的目标。这与行政诉讼中的规范性文件审查制度以及备案审查制度的功能定位存在明显差异。复议规范性文件审查制度的功能应当与复议制度的整体功能保持协同。以此为指引,复议规范性文件审查主体应被限缩解释为对规范性文件有监督权的上级机关,审查标准应被扩张解释为广义合法性审查标准,审查程序应在考虑有效监督规范性文件的基础上作平衡性设计。

Perceptual and Sensory-Functional Consequences of Skin Care Products

Skin care products are often designed to provide tangible, physical benefits to skin health. Alleviation of dry skin and minimization of the signs of aging and post-injury scarring are important benefits targeted by many products on the market. Equally important to these benefits are favorable, desirable sensory attributes, without which products are unlikely to be used and repurchased. Other products are designed primarily to deliver sensory—or sensual—benefits (e.g., many cosmetic creams). This review considers the tactile sensory experience delivered by skin care products by examining: 1) their instrumentally-measured rheology and tribology;2) their influence on the skin’s mechanics (e.g., compliance);3) their implications for changing sensory function (e.g., tactile sensitivity);and 4) the possibility that skin care products alter their own perception. Products that contain chemosensates (e.g., capsaicin, menthol) or pharmaceutical actives are not considered here. Although numerous perceptual-physical links have been reported, formulation rules by which products can be designed for optimal skinfeels are currently unavailable from the existing literature. This is because of inconsistencies among studies in the perceptual attributes investigated, the physical characterizations chosen to describe the products, and analysis methods employed. To provide a robust method for designing products with beneficial and desirable skinfeels, we propose the use of 1) a consistent lexicon that fully describes the perceptual experience of any product investigated, 2) a means of recording the mechanical events at the fingertip skin that occur when a skin care product is manually applied to the body. This approach contrasts with previous instrumental (in vitro) methods that may not generalize well to product-treated human skin (in vivo). Ongoing studies that record mechanical events at the skin surface show promise in identifying realistic models of the perception of skin care products.

The Effects of Colostrum on Gastrointestinal Function and Related Diseases in Premature Infants: A Comprehensive Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Aim: To systematically evaluate the effects of colostrum intervention on gas-trointestinal function and related diseases in premature infants. Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted in the Cochrane Library, PubMed, EBSCO, CINAHL, Embase, Medline, CBMDISC, CNKI, Wan Fang and VIP databases on the effects of colostrum and oral intervention on gastrointestinal function and related diseases in premature infants. Literature screening, quality evaluation and data extraction were conducted, and data analysis was conducted using Revman 5.3. Results: A total of 7 references were included, including 392 subjects. The combined results showed that: colostrum can effectively reduce the incidence of nosocomial infection [RR = 0.42, 95% CI (0.25, 0.73), P = 0.002]. Conclusion: Colostrums oral intervention can effectively reduce the incidence of nosocomial infection in premature infants. However, there was no advantage in feeding intolerance, necrotizing enters colitis and length of hospital stay.

Anionic Synthesis of Primary and Secondary Amine-Functionalized Polymers Using Imine Chemistry

A review of methods for the anionic synthesis of well-defined, amine-functionalized polymers using imines as functionalizing agents is provided. The disparate results in the literature regarding functionalizations with N -(benzylidene)trimethylsilylamine to form primary amine functionalized polymers are discussed; the efficiency of functionalization depends on the molecular weight of the polymeric organolithium(PLi). Efficient functionalizations are observed for PLi with n>10 000 g/mol. The poor functionalization yields using ketimines with enolizable hydrogens is explained. The use of N -trimethylsilyldiphenylcarbimide as a quantitative primary amine functionalizing reagent is described. Recent results on the anionic synthesis of secondary amine-functionalized polymers using N -(benzylidene)methylamine as the functionalization agent are presented.

基于脑电图的脑机接口技术在脑卒中患者上肢运动功能康复中的应用

背景:目前的康复方案对脑卒中后遗症的干预已取得不错的疗效,但治疗周期较长且人工成本较高。脑机接口技术通过特殊设备提取大脑神经活动信号,并将此信号转换处理为计算机可以识别的指令,可用于脑卒中后遗症的治疗。目的:分析和总结近些年脑机接口技术在脑卒中患者上肢运动功能康复中的应用,探讨脑机接口技术在脑卒中患者上肢功能康复中的临床应用价值。方法:以“脑卒中、脑电图、脑机接口、上肢、虚拟现实技术、功能性电刺激、外骨骼”为中文检索词,在中国知网进行相关文献检索;以“stroke、brain-computer interface、computer assistance、upper limb、virtual reality technology、functional electrical stimulation、exoskeleton”为英文检索词,在PubMed数据库进行相关文献检索,检索时间范围为2000-2022年。结果与结论:脑机接口对脑卒中患者上肢运动功能恢复具有良好的应用前景,并且被证明可以产生常规治疗无法实现的效果,非常值得进一步研究和推广,但是其机制尚未被完全阐释清楚。同时从脑机接口系统采集患者脑电信号的角度来看,准确地解码上肢运动的所有自由度以提供灵活和自然的控制能力仍然是一个挑战。未来的研究应该集中在阐明脑机接口技术促进脑卒中上肢运动恢复的特定神经机制,并确定脑机接口与外接设备相结合等康复方案,以促进脑卒中患者上肢运动功能恢复。

Development of an accurate nursing program based on function in chronic venous leg ulcers:protocol for matching function status with nursing interventions using the Delphi survey

Objective: Venous leg ulceration(VLU) is one of the complications of lower extremity venous reflux and reflux disorder of severe diseases, with many adverse effects on patient’s work and life. Nowadays, more and more patients with VLU accept wound care in community setting. Clinical nurses generally take care of the patients based on their own experiences. Healing in VLU is an incredibly complex process, which puzzles even experts. The majority of general nurses do not have this level of expertise, especially those nurses serving in community. Function is the basis of nursing activities. Patients always show different clinical manifestations and selfcare abilities due to various function states, which cannot be reflected completely by the existing nursing practice. How to describe nursing practice standardized in order to demonstrate the effectiveness of interventions and facilitate interdisciplinary communication is another urgent problem. Therefore, the aim of this project is to develop an accurate nursing program based on function in chronic venous leg ulcers, which can both satisfy the needs of patients and promote nursing revolution.Methods: This study will use International Classification of Functioning Disability and Health as a framework to choose suitable functions and to filter function classification standards of chronic venous leg ulcers through evidence-based systematic research.Nursing interventions related to VLU are selected based on Nursing Interventions Classification, adding other nursing activities by methods of evidence-based systematic review and clinical observation. Then, nursing interventions and function status are matched through steering committee. Finally, the Delphi survey method is adopted to make nursing program native and scientific.Conclusions: This study is expected to be very significant and meaningful in using standardized nursing terminology. The nursing program established could better meet the needs of both patients with chronic venous leg ulcers and clinical nurses, promoting the development of wound specialist and standardized nursing language.

L-carnitine supplementation in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD)dominates the landscape of modern hepatology.Affecting 25%of the general population,there is critical unmet need to identify broadly available,safe and cost-effective treatments.Cumulative evidence in animal and human models suggests that intrahepatic and skeletal muscle fatty acid oxidation is impaired in NAFLD,such that lipid accretion is not matched by efficient utilisation.L-carnitine is a crucial mediator of fatty acid metabolism in vivo,promoting mitochondrial lipidβ-oxidation and enhancing tissue metabolic flexibility.These physiological properties have generated research interest in L-carnitine as a potentially effective adjunctive therapy in NAFLD.AIM To systematically review randomised trials reporting effects of dietary L-carnitine supplementation on liver biochemistry,liver fat and insulin sensitivity in NAFLD.METHODS Search strategies,eligibility criteria and analytic methods were specified a priori(PROSPERO reference:CRD42018107063).Ovid MEDLINE,Ovid EMBASE,PubMed,Web of Science and the Cochrane Library were searched from their inception until April 2019.Outcome measures included serum concentrations of alanine and aspartate aminotransferase(ALT and AST),liver fat and insulin sensitivity assessed by the homeostasis model of insulin resistance(HOMA-IR).A random effects meta-analysis was performed for,ALT,AST and HOMA-IR measures separately.Between-study heterogeneity was measured using I2 statistics.RESULTS Five eligible randomised trials were included in the qualitative and quantitative synthesis(n=338).All of the 5 included trials assessed the effect of L-carnitine on serum ALT,identified from Italy,South Korea and Iran.Weighted mean difference(WMD)for ALT between L-carnitine and control groups after intervention was-25.34 IU/L[95%CI:-41.74-(-8.94);P=0.002].WMD for AST between L-carnitine and control groups was-13.68 IU/L(95%CI:-28.26-0.89;P=0.066).In three studies(n=204),HOMA-IR was evaluated.WMD for HOMA-IR between L-carnitine and control groups was-0.74 units[95%CI:-1.02-(-0.46);P<0.001].Two studies using validated outcome measures reported a significant reduction in liver fat in L-carnitine vs control groups post-intervention(P<0.001).CONCLUSION Pooled results indicate that L-carnitine supplementation attenuates ALT,liver fat and insulin resistance in NAFLD cohorts,confirming a beneficial effect of Lcarnitine for a highly prevalent condition with a growing economic burden.

首发脑卒中偏瘫患者主动功能锻炼的现状及干预措施研究进展

脑卒中已成为全球第二大死亡和第三大残疾原因,患者发病后有70%~80%会出现不同程度的偏瘫,严重影响患者的生活质量,给家庭和社会带来重大负担。目前首发脑卒中偏瘫患者主动功能锻炼仍处于较低水平。因此,本研究通过对首发脑卒中偏瘫患者主动功能锻炼的概念、现状、影响因素和干预措施方面进行综述,旨在为医护人员调动首发脑卒中偏瘫患者主动功能锻炼积极性和提高家属对主动功能锻炼的重视程度,进而促进患者肢体功能恢复、改善不良功能结局提供理论依据。

A review on assessment and treatment of the trunk in stroke A need or luxury

Trunk function has been identified as an important early predictor of functional outcome after stroke and the same deteriorates on both contralateral and ipsilateral sides of the body following stroke. The primary contribution of the trunk muscles is to allow the body to remain upright, adjust weight shifts, and control movements against constant pull of gravity and is considered central key point of the body. Proximal stability of the trunk is a pre-requisite for distal limb mobility, balance, gait and functional activities and its positive correlation in hemiplegia has been demonstrated in a cross- sectional study. Both isokinetic and handheld dynamometer muscle strength testing demonstrated the weakness of bilateral trunk flexors, extensors and rotator muscles in both acute and chronic hemiplegic patients. This was confirmed by electromyography analysis which identified poor bilateral trunk muscles activity in patients with stroke. Trunk impairment scale is sensitive to evaluate the selective muscle control of upper and lower trunk, and it has been reported that lateral flexion of the trunk is easier than rotation of the trunk and the clinical observation concurs to the difficulty in lower trunk rotation of stroke patients. However, trunk exercises given early after stroke could produce enhanced balance performance post- stroke. This review attempts to report the evidence supporting the involvement of the trunk and its influence on balance and functional performance in post-stroke hemiplegia.