Medicine
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Human walking reflects the state of human health. Numerous medical studies have been conducted to analyze walking patterns and to diagnose disease progression. However, this process requires expensive equipment and considerable time and manpower. ⋯ The arm SGCI measured after applying the 3 kg weight impairment on 1 leg was 22.167 ± 4.705. It was confirmed that the leg SGCI and 3 kg weight arm SGCI were statistically significant, as it yielded a P value of 0.001 (significance level α = 0.05). The SCGI can be automatically and continuously measured with the gyro sensor of the smartwatch and can be used as an indirect indicator of human walking conditions.
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Aging populations, along with low fertility rates, have become a pervasive world-wide problem. To address this challenge, China issued a universal 3-child policy on May 31, 2021. However, little is known regarding the intentions of childbearing-aged Chinese for a third child. ⋯ Overall, increased demands upon time and energy (41.5%), as well as economic burdens (41.4%), were the most prevalent reasons for the refusal of a third child, while achieving mutual care among siblings (52.5%) and reducing child educational costs (33.3%) were the most effective persuasions. In response to the 3-child policy, Chinese childbearing-aged adults showed low rates of intention for a third child, with women showing a higher prevalence of third-child refusal. The identification of risk factors and the reasons for third-child refusal as revealed from the results of this study provide a foundation for the development of programs needed to aid in the implementation of this 3-child policy.
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Diabetes is a chronic disease and has huge pressure on patients and the medical system, especially for patients with diabetic complications, for example, diabetic nephropathy. Diabetic nephropathy is a diabetic complication associated with damage to the kidney. To improve the quality of life of patients with diabetes, it is necessary to understand the factors that are associated with diabetic nephropathy. ⋯ Urinary globulin excretion had a weak association with the presence of nephropathy defined by urinary albumin excretion in patients with diabetes. The presence of other diabetic complications is also an essential parameter for diabetic nephropathy. Males are more susceptible to diabetic nephropathy than females if diabetic (Evidence Level: V; Technical Efficacy: Stage 3).
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Cardiogenic shock (CS) is a common cause of death following acute myocardial infarction (MI). This study aimed to evaluate the adjusted mortality of venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) with intra-aortic balloon counterpulsation (IABP) for patients with MI-CS. We included 300 MI patients selected from a multinational registry and categorized into VA-ECMO + IABP (N = 39) and no VA-ECMO (medical management ± IABP) (N = 261) groups. ⋯ However, better survival benefit 30 days post-ECMO could be supposed (31.6% vs 83.4%; P = .022). Therefore, patients with MI-CS treated with IABP with additional VA-ECMO and those not supported with ECMO have comparable overall 30-day and 1-year mortality risks. However, VA-ECMO-supported survivors might have better long-term clinical outcomes.
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Since coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreaks in December 2019 in Wuhan, almost no studies have systematically described drug-induced liver injury (DILI) in COVID-19 patients. This study aimed to assess the characteristics of liver test abnormality or liver injury in patients with COVID-19, and further to explore DILI in COVID-19 patients during hospitalization. It was a single-center retrospective analysis of confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infected patients in the hospital from January 2020 to March 2020. ⋯ Liver test abnormality or liver injury in patients might be directly caused by the viral infection at admission, but the detrimental effects on liver injury mainly related to certain medications used during hospitalization, particularly methylprednisolone. Severe COVID-19 could increase the occurrence of liver injury (P = .007) during hospitalization, but not a risk factor of liver injury. However, Chinese herbal medicine was a protective factor for liver injury.