Objective To investigate differential patterns of oxygenated hemoglobin concentration in prefron-tal cortical regions between major depressive disorder patients with or without psychotic symptoms during verbal flu-ency task(VFT)performance using functional near-infrared spectroscopy(fNIRS).Methods A total of 108 pa-tients with major depression who were hospitalized in the psychiatric department of the hospital from July 2023 to April 2024 were selected as the study objects.They were divided into two groups(n=60)with or without psychotic symptoms(n=48).fNIRS devices were used to measure and compare the changes in the relative concentration of cerebral hemoglobin in 52 brain channels between the two groups during VFT.Re-sults Compared with the unaccompanied group,the relative concentration of cerebral oxygenated hemoglobin in channel 13 was higher(0.003±0.001 vs.0.002±0.001),and the relative concentration of cerebral oxygen-ated hemoglobin in channel 33 was lower(0.003±0.001 vs.0.007±0.002),the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).There was no significant difference in the relative concentration of oxygenated hemo-globin in other brain areas between the two groups(P＞0.05).Conclusion There are abnormal oxygen activ-ity in brain functional areas associated with psychotic symptoms,and fNIRS technique is helpful for early as-sessment of cerebral aerobic function in depressed patients with psychotic symptoms.

Objective:To compare the burden of benign prostatic hyperplasia（BPH）between China and the United States from 1990 to 2021.Methods:The prevalence，incidence，years lived with disability（YLD），and their age-standardized rates for BPH in China and the United States from 1990 to 2021 were obtained from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021（GBD 2021）. The average annual percentage change（AAPC）of the age-standardized incidence rate（ASIR）and the age-standardized YLD rate（ASYR）was calculated using Joinpoint regression analysis. In addition，the YLD burden of BPH，prostate cancer，kidney cancer，bladder cancer，and three other urological diseases were compared between the two countries.Results:From 1990 to 2021，the number of BPH cases in China increased from 1.460 4 million to 3.244 5 million，the number of prevalent cases rose from 9.940 5 million to 23.111 2 million，and YLDs grew from 0.2 million person-years to 0.460 2 million person-years，with AAPCs of 2.63%，2.78%，and 2.75%，respectively. In 2021，the numbers of incident cases，prevalent cases，and YLDs were 0.577 9 million，4.930 3 million，and 0.095 9 million person-years in the United States，and 13.787 6 million，112.502 million，and 2.235 7 million person-years globally. China’s ASIR decreased from 363.07/100 000 to 299.14/100 000（AAPC -0.60%），and ASYR from 57.33/100 000 to 45.84/100 000（AAPC -0.70%），both of which were higher than those in the United States but lower than the global level. Age-specific analyses showed declining incidence and YLD rates across all age groups in China，while certain age groups in the United States demonstrated increasing trends. From 1990 to 2021，the proportion of YLDs attributable to BPH among seven urological diseases in China rose from 61.4% to 69.2%. In 2021，YLDs due to prostate cancer accounted for the highest proportion among seven urinary system diseases in the United States，reaching 54.5%. Projections indicate that although ASIR and ASYR in China will decline from 2022 to 2040，the absolute numbers of incident cases and YLDs are projected to continue to rise，reaching 4.97 million and 0.78 million，respectively，by 2040.Conclusions:Between 1990 and 2021，the number of incidence cases，prevalence cases，and YLDs of BPH in China increased markedly，while ASIR and ASYR declined. The disease burden of BPH remains substantial，with a higher proportion of YLDs among urological diseases compared with the United States. By 2040，the number of BPH cases and YLDs in China is projected to further increase，underscoring the need for greater public health attention.

Objective To investigate the effect of erioside E on myocardial injury after myocardial infarction(MI)by regulating hypoxia-inducible factor-2α(HIF-2α)-mediated pyroptosis of cardiomyocytes and its possible mechanism.Methods Thirty rats were randomly divided into sham-operation group,MI group,and erioside E group,with 10 rats in each group.Cardiomyocytes H9C2 were cultured and divided into control group,hypoxia group,erioside E group and HIF-2α overexpression group.Masson staining was used to observe myocardial fibrosis and infarct size.The protein expressions of HIF-2α,NLRP3,Caspase-1 and GSDMD were detected by Western blotting.RT-qPCR was used to detect the mRNA expressions of HIF-2α,NLRP3,Caspase-1 and GSDMD.EdU kit was used to detect the proliferation of cardiomyocytes.The expressions of NLRP3,Caspase-1 and GSDMD proteins in cardiomyocytes were detected by immunofluorescence staining.Results Compared with the sham-operation group,the myocardial fibrosis level and infarct size were significantly increased in the MI group(P＜0.05),and the protein expressions of HIF-2α,pyroptosis-related proteins of NLRP3,Caspase-1 and GSDMD in myocardial tissue were increased(P＜0.05).Compared with the MI group,the level of myocardial fibrosis and infarct size were significantly decreased(P＜0.05),the protein expression of HIF-2α in myocardial tissue was increased,and the protein expressions of NLRP3,Caspase-1 and GSDMD were decreased in the erioside E group(P＜0.05).Compared with the control group,the hypoxia group had a significant reduction in the proliferation of cardiomyocytes and significant increase in the mRNA and protein expressions of HIF-2α,NLRP3,Caspase-1 and GSDMD(P＜0.05).Compared with the hypoxia group,the proliferation ability of cardiomyocytes was significantly increased,and the expressions of HIF-2α,NLRP3,Caspase-1 and GSDMD mRNA in cardiomyocytes were decreased in the erioside E group(P＜0.05),while the protein expression of HIF-2α in cardiomyocytes was increased in the HIF-2αoverexpression group.The protein expressions of NLRP3,Caspase-1 and GSDMD were significantly decreased(P＜0.05).Conclusion Erioside E can improve myocardial injury by upregulating HIF-2α to inhibit myocardial pyroptosis.

Objective:To explore the factors influencing healthcare-seeking time in diabetic foot patients and to develop and validate a predictive model for healthcare-seeking time.Methods:A total of 299 diabetic foot patients hospitalized in the Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from March 2023 to January 2024 were recruited for model development and internal validation. Sixty additional patients from the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from September 2023 to January 2024 were used for external validation. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were used to estimate healthcare-seeking times. Cox regression analysis identified influencing factors and constructed the model. Random Survival Forest (RSF) was employed for variable selection and model construction. Internal validation was conducted using 10-fold cross-validation, and model evaluation utilized the integrated Brier score, C-index, and prediction error curve. Results:Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that education level, foot self-care ability, lower extremity vascular disease, and disease perception significantly influenced healthcare-seeking time ( P<0.05). Cox regression identified gender, income level, medical payment method, living situation, marital status, ulcer history, social support, disease perception, and healthcare behavior perception as significant influencing factors ( P<0.05). RSF variable selection indicated that social support, disease perception, e-health literacy, healthcare behavior perception, and age were the most valuable factors for model construction. In external validation, the Brier scores for the Cox regression and RSF models were 0.059 and 0.088, respectively, while the C-indices were 0.862 and 0.683. Prediction error curves showed that the Cox regression model had lower prediction errors and higher predictive performance. Conclusions:The Cox regression model demonstrated superior performance and can assist nurses in effectively identifying high-risk populations for delayed healthcare-seeking in diabetic foot patients. This allows for timely interventions to improve healthcare behavior and reduce delays.

Objective To investigate the effect of erioside E on myocardial injury after myocardial infarction(MI)by regulating hypoxia-inducible factor-2α(HIF-2α)-mediated pyroptosis of cardiomyocytes and its possible mechanism.Methods Thirty rats were randomly divided into sham-operation group,MI group,and erioside E group,with 10 rats in each group.Cardiomyocytes H9C2 were cultured and divided into control group,hypoxia group,erioside E group and HIF-2α overexpression group.Masson staining was used to observe myocardial fibrosis and infarct size.The protein expressions of HIF-2α,NLRP3,Caspase-1 and GSDMD were detected by Western blotting.RT-qPCR was used to detect the mRNA expressions of HIF-2α,NLRP3,Caspase-1 and GSDMD.EdU kit was used to detect the proliferation of cardiomyocytes.The expressions of NLRP3,Caspase-1 and GSDMD proteins in cardiomyocytes were detected by immunofluorescence staining.Results Compared with the sham-operation group,the myocardial fibrosis level and infarct size were significantly increased in the MI group(P＜0.05),and the protein expressions of HIF-2α,pyroptosis-related proteins of NLRP3,Caspase-1 and GSDMD in myocardial tissue were increased(P＜0.05).Compared with the MI group,the level of myocardial fibrosis and infarct size were significantly decreased(P＜0.05),the protein expression of HIF-2α in myocardial tissue was increased,and the protein expressions of NLRP3,Caspase-1 and GSDMD were decreased in the erioside E group(P＜0.05).Compared with the control group,the hypoxia group had a significant reduction in the proliferation of cardiomyocytes and significant increase in the mRNA and protein expressions of HIF-2α,NLRP3,Caspase-1 and GSDMD(P＜0.05).Compared with the hypoxia group,the proliferation ability of cardiomyocytes was significantly increased,and the expressions of HIF-2α,NLRP3,Caspase-1 and GSDMD mRNA in cardiomyocytes were decreased in the erioside E group(P＜0.05),while the protein expression of HIF-2α in cardiomyocytes was increased in the HIF-2αoverexpression group.The protein expressions of NLRP3,Caspase-1 and GSDMD were significantly decreased(P＜0.05).Conclusion Erioside E can improve myocardial injury by upregulating HIF-2α to inhibit myocardial pyroptosis.

Objective:To explore the factors influencing healthcare-seeking time in diabetic foot patients and to develop and validate a predictive model for healthcare-seeking time.Methods:A total of 299 diabetic foot patients hospitalized in the Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from March 2023 to January 2024 were recruited for model development and internal validation. Sixty additional patients from the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from September 2023 to January 2024 were used for external validation. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were used to estimate healthcare-seeking times. Cox regression analysis identified influencing factors and constructed the model. Random Survival Forest (RSF) was employed for variable selection and model construction. Internal validation was conducted using 10-fold cross-validation, and model evaluation utilized the integrated Brier score, C-index, and prediction error curve. Results:Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that education level, foot self-care ability, lower extremity vascular disease, and disease perception significantly influenced healthcare-seeking time ( P<0.05). Cox regression identified gender, income level, medical payment method, living situation, marital status, ulcer history, social support, disease perception, and healthcare behavior perception as significant influencing factors ( P<0.05). RSF variable selection indicated that social support, disease perception, e-health literacy, healthcare behavior perception, and age were the most valuable factors for model construction. In external validation, the Brier scores for the Cox regression and RSF models were 0.059 and 0.088, respectively, while the C-indices were 0.862 and 0.683. Prediction error curves showed that the Cox regression model had lower prediction errors and higher predictive performance. Conclusions:The Cox regression model demonstrated superior performance and can assist nurses in effectively identifying high-risk populations for delayed healthcare-seeking in diabetic foot patients. This allows for timely interventions to improve healthcare behavior and reduce delays.

Objective:To compare the burden of benign prostatic hyperplasia（BPH）between China and the United States from 1990 to 2021.Methods:The prevalence，incidence，years lived with disability（YLD），and their age-standardized rates for BPH in China and the United States from 1990 to 2021 were obtained from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021（GBD 2021）. The average annual percentage change（AAPC）of the age-standardized incidence rate（ASIR）and the age-standardized YLD rate（ASYR）was calculated using Joinpoint regression analysis. In addition，the YLD burden of BPH，prostate cancer，kidney cancer，bladder cancer，and three other urological diseases were compared between the two countries.Results:From 1990 to 2021，the number of BPH cases in China increased from 1.460 4 million to 3.244 5 million，the number of prevalent cases rose from 9.940 5 million to 23.111 2 million，and YLDs grew from 0.2 million person-years to 0.460 2 million person-years，with AAPCs of 2.63%，2.78%，and 2.75%，respectively. In 2021，the numbers of incident cases，prevalent cases，and YLDs were 0.577 9 million，4.930 3 million，and 0.095 9 million person-years in the United States，and 13.787 6 million，112.502 million，and 2.235 7 million person-years globally. China’s ASIR decreased from 363.07/100 000 to 299.14/100 000（AAPC -0.60%），and ASYR from 57.33/100 000 to 45.84/100 000（AAPC -0.70%），both of which were higher than those in the United States but lower than the global level. Age-specific analyses showed declining incidence and YLD rates across all age groups in China，while certain age groups in the United States demonstrated increasing trends. From 1990 to 2021，the proportion of YLDs attributable to BPH among seven urological diseases in China rose from 61.4% to 69.2%. In 2021，YLDs due to prostate cancer accounted for the highest proportion among seven urinary system diseases in the United States，reaching 54.5%. Projections indicate that although ASIR and ASYR in China will decline from 2022 to 2040，the absolute numbers of incident cases and YLDs are projected to continue to rise，reaching 4.97 million and 0.78 million，respectively，by 2040.Conclusions:Between 1990 and 2021，the number of incidence cases，prevalence cases，and YLDs of BPH in China increased markedly，while ASIR and ASYR declined. The disease burden of BPH remains substantial，with a higher proportion of YLDs among urological diseases compared with the United States. By 2040，the number of BPH cases and YLDs in China is projected to further increase，underscoring the need for greater public health attention.

Objective To investigate the associations between thyroid hormone sensitivity indices in euthyroid patients with hypertension and the risk of ischemic stroke,as well as gender difference in this association.Methods We selected 760 hypertensive patients admitted to the Geriatric Neurology Department and outpatient clinic in The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University between April 2021 and May 2022.We collected their basic characteristics,blood biochemical parameters,thyroid indices,and brain magnetic resonance imaging information.All the patients were divided into two groups based on the clinical manifestations and brain magnetic resonance imaging:hypertension combined with ischemic stroke(n=526)and control(n=234)groups.Independent sample t-tests or non-parametric tests were used to compare the differences in thyroid hormone sensitivity indicators between the two groups.Spearman correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between serum thyroid indices and ischemic stroke.Multivariate conditional Logistic regression analysis was made to estimate odds ratios(ORs)and 95％confidence intervals(CIs)for thyroid indices and ischemic stroke.Results There were statistically significant differences between the two groups in terms of age,gender,TC,LDL-c,HDL-c,systolic blood pressure,FT3/FT4,TFQI,and PTFQI(all P＜0.05).However,there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in weight,smoking,drinking,history of diabetes,TG,FBG,diastolic blood pressure,TSHI,or TT4RI(all P＞0.05).The results of Spearman correlation analysis showed a negative correlation between FT3/FT4 and ischemic stroke(P＜0.05),but a positive correlation of TFQI and PTFQI with ischemic stroke(P＜0.05)in euthyroid patients with hypertension.Logistic regression analysis showed that FT3/FT4 was significantly associated with ischemic stroke in euthyroid patients with hypertension(P=0.001),with OR(95％CI)of 0.001(0.000,0.058).After stratifying by gender,Logistic regression analysis found that FT3/FT4,TFQI,and PTFQI were associated with an increased risk of ischemic stroke in female patients,with OR(95％CI)of 0.000(0.000,0.001),3.132(1.415,6.930),and 3.010(1.406,6.445),respectively.Conclusion Lower serum FT3/FT4 ratio is associated with an increased risk of ischemic stroke in euthyroid patients with hypertension,and the significant association of TFQI and PTFQI with the risk of ischemic stroke is found in females.

This article introduces the contents of the latest edition Risk of Bias in Non-randomized Studies-of Exposure (ROBINS-E) published in June 2022 [ROBINS-E (2022)], and gives some examples about its usage. ROBINS-E is a tool for assessing the risk of bias in non-randomized studies-of exposure. Compared with ROBINS-E (2019), ROBINS-E (2022) adds more bias for observational studies, covers a more comprehensive range of bias, and adds the assessment of the external authenticity of the study. ROBINS-E (2022) adds a preliminary evaluation process to improve the efficiency of evaluation. In addition, ROBINS-E (2022) visualizes and instrumentalizes the use of signal problems in the form of path graph, making it more convenient to use. ROBINS-E (2022), although more consideration has been given to the issue of co-exposure, still does not address the problem of effect modification in co-exposure, and there is still room to expand the applicable research.

Purpose/Significance To strengthen the management of scientific and technical novelty search of traditional Chinese med-icine(TCM),and to standardize the work of novelty search.Method/Process The process of"Specification for Scientific and Technical Novelty Search of Traditional Chinese Medicine"standard formulation is expounded in detail,and the key points of the standard and its application in science and technology novelty management system are analyzed.Result/Conclusion The standard can better guide the scientific and technical novelty search institutions,standardize the writing of scientific and technical novelty search reports,improve the quality of scientific and technical novelty search reports,and help promote the healthy development of scientific and technical novelty search of TCM.The scientific and technical novelty management system based on the standard improves the efficiency of novelty search.