Objective:To understand the incidence rate of herpes zoster (HZ) and postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) in Beijing, and analyze the incidence trend of HZ and PHN from 2015 to 2022.Methods:Cases of HZ and PHN from 2015 to 2022 were retrieved from the Hospital Information Systems (HIS) of all primary and above hospitals/clinics in three districts representing the urban, inner suburban, and outer suburban areas of Beijing. After duplication screening, the first visit cases were screened, and the incidence characteristics were described. The incidence rate of HZ and PHN in each year by sex and age group and the age-standardized incidence rate were calculated. The annual percentage increase (APC) of incidence rate was calculated using the Joint regression model, and the change trend was analyzed.Results:The age-standardized incidence rate of HZ in Beijing from 2015 to 2022 ranged from 7.44‰ to 10.05‰, with an average annual incidence rate of 8.95 ‰, significantly increasing with age ( P<0.001). The Joinpoint regression model showed that the overall age-standardized incidence of HZ remained relatively stable, with no significant difference (APC=2.28%, t=1.56, P=0.170). However, the incidence rate among the 0-19-year-old group exhibited a trend of decrease (APC=-10.70%, t=-6.29, P<0.001). For PHN, the age-standardized incidence in Beijing ranged from 0.77‰ to 2.67‰, with an average annual incidence rate of 1.59‰ and a proportion of 9.48% to 26.86% among HZ cases. Both the incidence of PHN and its proportion among HZ cases increased with age ( P<0.001). The age-standardized incidence of PHN increased annually (APC=18.56%, t=9.02, P<0.001). Conclusion:The incidence rate of HZ and PHN in Beijing continues to be at a high level, and PHN shows an increasing trend over time.

Objective To investigate status of postoperative kinesiophobia in patients with ankle fracture and to identify the factors influencing kinesiophobia,thereby offering references for developing targeted nursing interventions.Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted between June 2023 and May 2024.With convenience sampling,338 first-time ankle fracture patients who received surgical treatment were recruited from a Tier-IIIA orthopaedic hospital in Xinjiang.Data was collected among the patients at 24 hours after surgery through the general information questionnaire,kinesiophobia scoring scale,pain visual analogue scale,hospital anxiety and depression scale,social support rating scale and general self-efficacy scale.Logistic regression was employed to identify factors influencing kinesiophobia.Results A total of 320 patients completed the study.The prevalence among the patients with kinesiophobia was 38.1%,and scored at(39.6±1.5).Logistic regression analysis identified that the pain,social support and self-efficacy were the independent risk factors of kinesiophobia(all P<0.05).Conclusion Patients with ankle fractures have a high prevalence of postoperative kinesiophobia.Pain,social support and self-efficacy are the key factors that influence kinesiophobia.Intervention strategies should be adopted in response to the influencing factors in order to promote the recovery of patients.

Objective To explore the effect of paeoniflorin on the inflammatory response in rats with periapical periodontitis by regulating the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB pathway.Methods Periapical periodontitis model was established in 72 rats,which were then randomly divided into 6 groups:model group,model+low-dose paeoniflorin(model+paeoniflorin-L,5 mg/kg)group,model+medium-dose paeoniflorin(model+paeoniflorin-M,10 mg/kg)group,model+high-dose paeoniflorin(model+paeoniflorin-H,20 mg/kg)group,and model+paeoniflorin-H+TLR4 activator(LPS)group(model+paeoniflorin-H+LPS,1 μg/kg LPS),with 12 rats in each group.In addition,12 normal rats were included as the control check(CK)group.The levels of CRP,IL-6 and IL-2 were detected by ELISA;the damage of periapical tissues was observed by HE staining;the number of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase(TRAP)-positive osteoclasts was detected by TRAP staining;the level of cathepsin K and the proteins related to the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB pathway were detected by Western blotting.Results There were very few inflammatory cells in the CK group,while there was a large accumulation of inflammatory cells in the model group.The expression levels of CRP,IL-6,IL-2,tissue protease K,osteoclast positive cells,TLR4,MyD88,p-NF-κB p65/NF-κB p65 proteins in the model group were higher than those in the CK group(P＜0.05).Compared with the model group,the above-mentioned indicators in the model+paeoniflorin-L group,model+paeoniflorin-M group,and model+paeoniflorin-H group decreased successively(P＜0.05).Compared with the model+paeoniflorin-H group,the above-mentioned indicators in the model+paeoniflorin-H+LPS group increased(P＜0.05).Conclusion Paeoniflorin may alleviate the inflammatory response in rats with periapical periodontitis by inhibiting the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Objective:To analyze the epidemiological characteristics and trend of hospitalization of the patients with herpes zoster in Beijing from 2017 to 2022.Methods:In this retrospective study, the information of hospitalization of herpes zoster patients were collected from all medical institutions at the first level and above in Xicheng, Changping, and Miyun districts of Beijing. The age and gender specific hospitalization rates and age-standardized hospitalization rates were calculated. Joinpoint regression model was used to explore the trend of the hospitalization rates, and the influencing factors of the hospital stay length and complications were analyzed.Results:The age-standardized hospitalization rate of the patients with herpes zoster was 10.82/100 000-18.43/100 000 in Beijing from 2017 to 2022 [annual percent change (APC) =5.86%, 95% CI: -2.80%-15.98%]. The age-standardized hospitalization rate of the cases with herpes zoster as the main diagnosis showed an upward trend (APC=11.35%, 95% CI: 7.21%-16.23%). The age-standardized hospitalization rate showed an upward trend in women (APC=14.34%, 95% CI: 7.95%-22.37%). The hospitalization rate showed a downward trend in age group 30-39 years (APC=-24.92%, 95% CI: -48.56% - -1.85%) and showed upward trends in age group 70-79 years and 80-109 years (APC=23.18%, 95% CI: 13.53%-35.58%; APC=4.90%, 95% CI: 1.18%-9.19%). Complications occurred in 66.28% (680/1 026) of the patients. The median hospital stay length was 9 (5,15) days, and the patients with high age (≥80 years) and two or more complications had longer hospital stay, which were 12 (6, 23) and 14 (7, 27) days respectively ( P<0.001). Conclusions:The hospitalization rate in women and the elderly aged ≥70 years with herpes zoster as the main diagnosis showed upward trends in Beijing in recent years. The elderly aged ≥80 years usually had longer hospital stay, showing a relatively disease burden level. More attention should be paid to development of intervention strategies, such as vaccine, for this population.

Objective:To understand the incidence rate of herpes zoster (HZ) and postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) in Beijing, and analyze the incidence trend of HZ and PHN from 2015 to 2022.Methods:Cases of HZ and PHN from 2015 to 2022 were retrieved from the Hospital Information Systems (HIS) of all primary and above hospitals/clinics in three districts representing the urban, inner suburban, and outer suburban areas of Beijing. After duplication screening, the first visit cases were screened, and the incidence characteristics were described. The incidence rate of HZ and PHN in each year by sex and age group and the age-standardized incidence rate were calculated. The annual percentage increase (APC) of incidence rate was calculated using the Joint regression model, and the change trend was analyzed.Results:The age-standardized incidence rate of HZ in Beijing from 2015 to 2022 ranged from 7.44‰ to 10.05‰, with an average annual incidence rate of 8.95 ‰, significantly increasing with age ( P<0.001). The Joinpoint regression model showed that the overall age-standardized incidence of HZ remained relatively stable, with no significant difference (APC=2.28%, t=1.56, P=0.170). However, the incidence rate among the 0-19-year-old group exhibited a trend of decrease (APC=-10.70%, t=-6.29, P<0.001). For PHN, the age-standardized incidence in Beijing ranged from 0.77‰ to 2.67‰, with an average annual incidence rate of 1.59‰ and a proportion of 9.48% to 26.86% among HZ cases. Both the incidence of PHN and its proportion among HZ cases increased with age ( P<0.001). The age-standardized incidence of PHN increased annually (APC=18.56%, t=9.02, P<0.001). Conclusion:The incidence rate of HZ and PHN in Beijing continues to be at a high level, and PHN shows an increasing trend over time.

Objective:To analyze the epidemiological characteristics and trend of hospitalization of the patients with herpes zoster in Beijing from 2017 to 2022.Methods:In this retrospective study, the information of hospitalization of herpes zoster patients were collected from all medical institutions at the first level and above in Xicheng, Changping, and Miyun districts of Beijing. The age and gender specific hospitalization rates and age-standardized hospitalization rates were calculated. Joinpoint regression model was used to explore the trend of the hospitalization rates, and the influencing factors of the hospital stay length and complications were analyzed.Results:The age-standardized hospitalization rate of the patients with herpes zoster was 10.82/100 000-18.43/100 000 in Beijing from 2017 to 2022 [annual percent change (APC) =5.86%, 95% CI: -2.80%-15.98%]. The age-standardized hospitalization rate of the cases with herpes zoster as the main diagnosis showed an upward trend (APC=11.35%, 95% CI: 7.21%-16.23%). The age-standardized hospitalization rate showed an upward trend in women (APC=14.34%, 95% CI: 7.95%-22.37%). The hospitalization rate showed a downward trend in age group 30-39 years (APC=-24.92%, 95% CI: -48.56% - -1.85%) and showed upward trends in age group 70-79 years and 80-109 years (APC=23.18%, 95% CI: 13.53%-35.58%; APC=4.90%, 95% CI: 1.18%-9.19%). Complications occurred in 66.28% (680/1 026) of the patients. The median hospital stay length was 9 (5,15) days, and the patients with high age (≥80 years) and two or more complications had longer hospital stay, which were 12 (6, 23) and 14 (7, 27) days respectively ( P<0.001). Conclusions:The hospitalization rate in women and the elderly aged ≥70 years with herpes zoster as the main diagnosis showed upward trends in Beijing in recent years. The elderly aged ≥80 years usually had longer hospital stay, showing a relatively disease burden level. More attention should be paid to development of intervention strategies, such as vaccine, for this population.

Objective To investigate status of postoperative kinesiophobia in patients with ankle fracture and to identify the factors influencing kinesiophobia,thereby offering references for developing targeted nursing interventions.Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted between June 2023 and May 2024.With convenience sampling,338 first-time ankle fracture patients who received surgical treatment were recruited from a Tier-IIIA orthopaedic hospital in Xinjiang.Data was collected among the patients at 24 hours after surgery through the general information questionnaire,kinesiophobia scoring scale,pain visual analogue scale,hospital anxiety and depression scale,social support rating scale and general self-efficacy scale.Logistic regression was employed to identify factors influencing kinesiophobia.Results A total of 320 patients completed the study.The prevalence among the patients with kinesiophobia was 38.1%,and scored at(39.6±1.5).Logistic regression analysis identified that the pain,social support and self-efficacy were the independent risk factors of kinesiophobia(all P<0.05).Conclusion Patients with ankle fractures have a high prevalence of postoperative kinesiophobia.Pain,social support and self-efficacy are the key factors that influence kinesiophobia.Intervention strategies should be adopted in response to the influencing factors in order to promote the recovery of patients.

Objective To explore the effect of paeoniflorin on the inflammatory response in rats with periapical periodontitis by regulating the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB pathway.Methods Periapical periodontitis model was established in 72 rats,which were then randomly divided into 6 groups:model group,model+low-dose paeoniflorin(model+paeoniflorin-L,5 mg/kg)group,model+medium-dose paeoniflorin(model+paeoniflorin-M,10 mg/kg)group,model+high-dose paeoniflorin(model+paeoniflorin-H,20 mg/kg)group,and model+paeoniflorin-H+TLR4 activator(LPS)group(model+paeoniflorin-H+LPS,1 μg/kg LPS),with 12 rats in each group.In addition,12 normal rats were included as the control check(CK)group.The levels of CRP,IL-6 and IL-2 were detected by ELISA;the damage of periapical tissues was observed by HE staining;the number of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase(TRAP)-positive osteoclasts was detected by TRAP staining;the level of cathepsin K and the proteins related to the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB pathway were detected by Western blotting.Results There were very few inflammatory cells in the CK group,while there was a large accumulation of inflammatory cells in the model group.The expression levels of CRP,IL-6,IL-2,tissue protease K,osteoclast positive cells,TLR4,MyD88,p-NF-κB p65/NF-κB p65 proteins in the model group were higher than those in the CK group(P＜0.05).Compared with the model group,the above-mentioned indicators in the model+paeoniflorin-L group,model+paeoniflorin-M group,and model+paeoniflorin-H group decreased successively(P＜0.05).Compared with the model+paeoniflorin-H group,the above-mentioned indicators in the model+paeoniflorin-H+LPS group increased(P＜0.05).Conclusion Paeoniflorin may alleviate the inflammatory response in rats with periapical periodontitis by inhibiting the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway.

ObjectiveTo investigate the role and mechanism of podoplanin （PDPN） in hepatic stellate cell （HSC） activation and liver fibrosis. MethodsLiver biopsy samples were collected from 75 patients with chronic hepatitis B who attended Department of Infectious Diseases， Putuo Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine， for the first time from September 2019 to June 2022， and RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry were used to measure the expression of PDPN in liver tissue of patients in different stages of liver fibrosis. A total of 12 male C57/BL6 mice were randomly divided into control group and model group. The mice in the model group were given intraperitoneal injection of 10% CCl₄， and those in the control group were injected with an equal volume of olive oil， for 6 weeks. HE staining and Sirius Red staining were used to observe liver histopathological changes； primary mouse liver cells were separated to measure the mRNA expression of PDPN in various types of cells； primary mouse HSCs were treated with PDPN protein， followed by treatment with the NF-‍κB inhibitor BAY11-708， to measure the expression of inflammatory factors in HSCs induced by PDPN. The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups； a one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison between multiple groups， and the least significant difference t-test was used for further comparison between two groups. The Spearman correlation analysis was used to investigate data correlation. ResultsAs for the liver biopsy samples， there was a relatively low mRNA expression level of PDPN in normal liver， and there was a significant increase in the mRNA expression level of PDPN in liver tissue of stage S3 or S4 fibrosis （all P<0.001）. Immunohistochemical staining showed that PDPN was mainly expressed in the fibrous septum and the hepatic sinusoid， and the PDPN-positive area in S4 liver tissue was significantly higher than that in S0 liver tissue （t=8.892， P=0.001）. In normal mice， PDPN was mainly expressed in the hepatic sinusoid， and there was a significant increase in the expression of PDPN in CCl₄ model mice （t=0.95， P<0.001）， mainly in the fibrous septum. RT-PCR showed a significant increase in the mRNA expression of PDPN in the CCl₄ model mice （t=11.25， P=0.002）. Compared with hepatocytes， HSCs， Kupffer cells， and bile duct endothelial cells， hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cells showed a significantly high expression level of PDPN （F=20.56， P<0.001）. Compared with the control group， the primary mouse HSCs treated by PDPN protein for 15 minutes showed significant increases in the mRNA expression levels of the inflammation-related factors TNFα， CCL3， CXCL1， and CXCR1 （all P<0.05）， and there were significant reductions in the levels of these indicators after treatment with BAY11-7082 （all P<0.05）. ConclusionThere is an increase in the expression of PDPN mainly in hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cells during liver fibrosis， and PDPN regulates HSC activation and promotes the progression of liver fibrosis via the NF-κB signaling pathway.

Objective:To construct a combined radiomics model based on preoperative enhanced computed tomography (CT) examination for predicting microvascular invasion (MVI) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and provide biological explanations for the radiomics model.Methods:The retrospective cohort study was conducted. The messenger RNA (mRNA) of 424 HCC patients, the clinicopathological data of 39 HCC patients entered into the Cancer Genome Atlas database from its establishment until January 2023, and the clinicopathological data of 53 HCC patients who were admitted to the Gansu Provincial People′s Hospital from January 2020 to January 2023 were collected. The 92 HCC patients were randomly divided into a training dataset of 64 cases and a test dataset of 28 cases with a ratio of 7∶3 based on a random number table method. The CT images of patients in the arterial phase and portal venous phase as well as the corresponding clinical data were analyzed. The 3Dslicer software (version 5.0.3) was used to register the CT images in the arterial phase and portal venous phase and delineate the three-dimensional regions of interest. The original images were preprocessed and the corresponding features were extracted by the open-source software FAE (version 0.5.5). After selecting features using the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator, the radiomics model was constructed and the radiomics score (R-score) was calculated. The nomogram was constructed by integrating clinical parameters, imaging features and R-score based on Logistic regression. The gene modules related to radiomics model were obtained and subjected to enrichment analysis by conducting weighted gene co-expression network analysis and correlation analysis. Observation indicators: (1) comparison of clinical characteristics of patients with different MVI properties; (2) establishment of MVI risk model; (3) evaluation of MVI risk model; (4) clustering of gene modules; (5) functional enrichment of feature-correlated gene modules. Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as Mean± SD, and comparison between groups was conducted using the independent sample t test. Measurement data with skewed distribution were represented as M(range), and comparison between groups was conducted using the Mann-Whitney U test. Comparison of count data was conducted using the chi-square test. The intra-/inter-class correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to assess the inter-observer consistency of radiomics feature extracted by different observers. ICC >0.75 indicated a good consistency in feature extraction. The Logistic regression model was used for univariate and multivariate analyses. The receiver operating characteristic curve was drawn, and the area under curve (AUC), the decision curve and the calibration curve were used to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy and clinical practicality of the model. Results:(1) Comparison of clinical characteristics of patients with different MVI properties. Of 92 HCC patients, there were 47 cases with MVI-positive and 45 cases with MVI-negative, and there were significant differences in hepatitis, tumor diameter, peritumoral enhancement, intratumoral arteries, pseudocapsule and smoothness of tumor margin between them ( χ2=5.308, 9.977, 47.370, 32.368, 21.105, 31.711, P<0.05). (2) Establishment of MVI risk model. A total of 1 781 features were extrac-ted from arterial and portal venous phases of the intratumoral and peritumoral regions. After feature dimension reduction, 8 radiomics features were selected from arterial and portal venous phases to construct the combined model. Results of multivariate analysis showed that peritumoral enhancement, intratumoral arteries, pseudocapsule, smoothness of tumor margins, and R-score were independent risk factors for MVI in patients with HCC [ hazard ratio=0.049, 0.017, 0.017, 0.021, 2.539, 95% confidence interval ( CI) as 0.005-0.446, 0.001-0.435, 0.001-0.518, 0.001-0.473, 1.220-5.283, P<0.05]. A nomogram model was constructed incorporating peritumoral enhancement, intratumoral arteries, pseudocapsule, smoothness of tumor margins, and R-score. (3) Evaluation of the MVI risk model. The AUC of radiomics model was 0.923 (95% CI as 0.887-0.944) and 0.918 (95% CI as 0.894-0.945) in the training dataset and test dataset, respectively. The AUC of nomogram model, incorpora-ting both the R-score and radiomics features, was 0.973 (95% CI as 0.954-0.988) and 0.962 (95% CI as 0.942-0.987) in the training dataset and test dataset, respectively. Results of decision curve showed that the nomogram had better clinical utility compared to the R-score. Results of calibration curve showed good consistency between the actual observed outcomes and the nomogram or the R-score. (4) Clustering of gene module. Results of weighted gene co-expression network analysis showed that 8 gene modules were obtained. (5) Functional enrichment of feature-related gene modules. Results of correlation analysis showed 4 gene modules were significantly associated with radiomics features. The radiomics features predicting of MVI may be related to pathways such as the cell cycle, neutrophil extracellular trap formation, and PPAR signaling pathway. Conclusions:The combined radiomics model based on preoperative enhanced CT imaging can predict the MVI status of HCC. By obtaining mRNA gene expression profiles associated with radiomics features, a biological interpretation of the radiomics model is provided.