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Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of low‑intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) for the treatment of Peyronie's disease (PD). Methods: To analyze the treatment effect of 106 PD patients, 56 patients treated with LIPUS as therapy group and 50 patients with oral L‐carnitine and vitamin E as control group. 56 patients were treated with LIPUS three times per week for four consecutive weeks (12 times totally). Penile erectile pain, erectile function, the size of penile plaques, and penile curvature were assessed for all of these 106 PD patients before treatment and at 4‐ and 24‐week follow‐ups to evaluate the treatment effect. Erectile pain was assessed by visual analog scale (VAS), while erectile function using the International Index of Erectile Function scale (IIEF‐5), and penile plaque size was measured by ultrasound. After alprostadil was injected into the penile body to induce a full erection, the penis was measured with a protractor at the maximum bending degree. Results: After 4‐weeks follow‐up, the VAS scores of the LIPUS group were significantly lower than the baseline (P < 0.01), while no significant differences were found in the control group (P > 0.05). After 24‐weeks follow‐up, the VAS scores of the control group reduced significantly but also were significantly higher than the LIPUS group (P < 0.01). The IIEF‐5 scores of the LIPUS group were significantly higher than the baseline (P < 0.01). While the IIEF‐5 scores of the control group showed no significant differences both after 4‐ and 24‐weeks follow‐up (P > 0.05). The penile plaque size showed no significant differences after 4‐ and 24‐weeks follow‐up both in the LIPUS group and the control group (P > 0.05). The penile curvature degrees showed a significant reduction after 4‐weeks follow‐up in LIPUS group (P < 0.01). While the penile curvature degrees of the control group showed no significant differences both after 4‐ and 24‐weeks follow‐up (P > 0.05). No complications, such as penile pain, hematoma, or skin ecchymosis, were observed during the entire process of LIPUS treatment, nor did they appear during follow‐up. Conclusions: In patients with acute PD, LIPUS could relieve erectile pain and improve erectile dysfunction. Moreover, it appears not to reduce plaque size and not to have a clinically significant effect on penile curvature. Furthermore, LIPUS also shows a good safety profile during the management of PD and should be recommended for the clinical management of PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address the critical issue of slope stability in jointed rock masses with complex and rough structural planes, a rough joint network model using the Fourier transform was proposed and applied to the Shilu open pit mine. The on-site structural plane survey results were combined with MATLAB and PFC2D to establish numerical models for slope stability analysis considering both linear-jointed and rough-jointed rock slopes. By comparing the slip body and fracture distribution, it was found that the rough-jointed slope was stabler than the linear-jointed slope. In addition, the fracture patterns and slip displacement were significantly influenced by the inclination and undulation of the bedding planes. Slip failure patterns occurred when the angle of inclination was set at 60°. The joints played a crucial role in inducing the shear strength of slope rock masses, and the slide area was mainly observed in the shallow slope surface for inclination angles of 0° and 45°, and in the middle deep area for 60° and 90°. These results demonstrated the importance of considering rough non-persistent fractures when developing a new numerical model for slope failure modes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective The aim of this study was to assess the awareness of fertility protection among male patients and their healthcare providers in the treatment process of cancer. Methods In a cross-sectional study, we applied a questionnaire survey among patients and healthcare providers who were selected randomly: the physician group consisted of oncologists and hematologists, and the patient group included participants with cancer from 15 to 45 years old, who were recruited from hos-pitals in Qingdao. Meanwhile, data from male cancer patients, who received sperm cryopreservation in our hospital, were also analyzed. Results Data collected from healthcare provider group showed that more than 80% of clinicians warned patients of the fertility impairment along with chemotherapy or other treatments, whereas a few clinicians recommended specific methods for reproductive protection to patients with special attention be paid to the follow-up fertility result. In patient group, more than 50% indicated they would accept the loss of fertility caused by cancer therapies. The rate of awareness of sperm cryopreservation, as an effective way of reproductive protection, was low among both physician and patient groups. In the past 3 years, only 63 samples of semen from 54 cancer patients were cryopreserved in our hospital.