Objective: To analyze the characteristics of first-visit cases of herpes zoster in Zhoushan City, Zhejiang Province from 2021 to 2023, so as to provide the reference for improving herpes zoster prevention and control measures. Methods: Data on the incidence and vaccination of first-visit herpes zoster cases at all levels of public medical institutions in Zhoushan City from 2021 to 2023 were collected through the Zhoushan Comprehensive Health Information Platform and Zhoushan Immunization Program Information Management System. The incidence and outpatient proportion were calculated. The population distribution, seasonal distribution, and clinical consultation status of first-visit herpes zoster cases were described. Results: From 2021 to 2023, a total of 15 156 first-visit herpes zoster cases were reported in Zhoushan City, with an average annual incidence of 5.36‰. The incidences for each year were 5.78‰, 5.29‰ and 5.02‰, respectively, and the outpatient proportions were 0.15%, 0.14% and 0.11%, respectively, showed decreasing trends (both P<0.05). The number of doses of recombinant herpes zoster vaccine or live attenuated herpes zoster vaccine administered were 130, 312, and 633, respectively. The main consultation department was dermatology, with 11 004 cases (72.60%). The primary clinical diagnosis was visceral herpes zoster, with 5 901 cases (38.94%). A total of 1 936 cases (12.77%) had at least one underlying medical condition. The mean age of onset was (56.08±16.23) years, and the incidence showed an upward trend with increasing age (P<0.05). There were 7 386 male cases and 7 770 female cases, with a male-to-female ratio of 0.95∶1. The incidence among males aged ≥50 years was lower than that among females (6.53‰ vs. 8.69‰, P<0.05). The onset of the disease exhibited a significant seasonal pattern, with a peak period from June 21st to August 21st, covering 75% of the cases Conclusions From 2021 to 2023, the incidence and outpatient proportion of herpes zoster in Zhoushan City decreased. Summer was the peak season for onset, and women and the elderly were the key populations. It is necessary to strengthen the collaborative diagnostic and treatment capabilities of key departments such as dermatology and enhance the enthusiasm for vaccination among key populations.

Following the core outcome set standards for development(COS-STAD), this study aims to construct core outcome set(COS) for clinical research on traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) treatment of simple obesity. Firstly, a comprehensive review was conducted on the randomized controlled trial(RCT) and systematic review(SR) about TCM treatment of simple obesity that were published in Chinese and English databases to collect reported outcomes. Additional outcomes were obtained through semi-structured interviews with patients and open-ended questionnaire surveys for clinicians. All the collected outcomes were then merged and organized as an initial outcome pool, and then a preliminary list of outcomes was formed after discussion by the working group. Subsequently, two rounds of Delphi surveys were conducted with clinicians, methodology experts, and patients to score the importance of outcomes in the list. Finally, a consensus meeting was held to establish the COS for clinical research on TCM treatment of simple obesity. A total of 221 RCTs and 12 SRs were included, and after integration of supplementary outcomes, an initial outcome pool of 141 outcomes were formed. Following discussions in the steering advisory group meeting, a preliminary list of 33 outcomes was finalized, encompassing 9 domains. Through two rounds of Delphi surveys and a consensus meeting, the final COS for clinical research on TCM treatment of simple obesity was determined to include 8 outcomes: TCM symptom scores, body mass index(BMI), waist-hip ratio, waist circumference, visceral fat index, body fat rate, quality of life, and safety, which were classified into 4 domains: TCM-related outcomes, anthropometric measurements, quality of life, and safety. This study has preliminarily established a COS for clinical research on TCM treatment of simple obesity. It helps reduce the heterogeneity in the selection and reporting of outcomes in similar clinical studies, thereby improving the comparability of research results and the feasibility of meta-analysis and providing higher-level evidence support for clinical practice.
Humans ; Obesity/therapy* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Treatment Outcome ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use*

Artificial intelligence-enhanced brain-computer interfaces (BCI) are expected to significantly improve the performance of traditional BCIs in multiple aspects, including usability, user experience, and user satisfaction, particularly in terms of intelligence. However, such AI-integrated or AI-based BCI systems may introduce new ethical issues. This paper first evaluated the potential of AI technology, especially deep learning, in enhancing the performance of BCI systems, including improving decoding accuracy, information transfer rate, real-time performance, and adaptability. Building on this, it was considered that AI-enhanced BCI systems might introduce new or more severe ethical issues compared to traditional BCI systems. These include the possibility of making users' intentions and behaviors more predictable and manipulable, as well as the increased likelihood of technological abuse. The discussion also addressed measures to mitigate the ethical risks associated with these issues. It is hoped that this paper will promote a deeper understanding and reflection on the ethical risks and corresponding regulations of AI-enhanced BCIs.
Brain-Computer Interfaces/ethics* ; Artificial Intelligence/ethics* ; Humans ; Deep Learning ; User-Computer Interface ; Electroencephalography

A previous study showed that the length of the foreskin plays a role in the risk of sexually transmitted infections and chronic prostatitis, which can lead to poor quality of sexual life. Here, the association between foreskin length and sexual dysfunction was evaluated. A total of 5700 participants were recruited from the andrology clinic at The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (Hefei, China). Clinical characteristics, including foreskin length, were collected, and sexual function was assessed by the International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5) and Premature Ejaculation Diagnostic Tool (PEDT) questionnaires. Men with sexual dysfunction were more likely to have redundant foreskin than men without sexual dysfunction. Among the 2721 erectile dysfunction (ED) patients and 1064 premature ejaculation (PE) patients, 301 (11.1%) ED patients and 135 (12.7%) PE patients had redundant foreskin, respectively. Men in the PE group were more likely to have redundant foreskin than men in the non-PE group ( P = 0.004). Logistic regression analyses revealed that the presence of redundant foreskin was associated with increased odds of moderate/severe ED (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.31, adjusted P = 0.04), moderate PE (aOR = 1.38, adjusted P = 0.02), and probable PE (aOR = 1.37, adjusted P = 0.03) after adjusting for confounding variables. Our study revealed a positive correlation between the presence of redundant foreskin and the risk of sexual dysfunction, especially in PE patients. Assessment of the length of the foreskin during routine clinical diagnosis may provide information for patients with sexual dysfunction.
Humans ; Male ; Foreskin ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Adult ; Erectile Dysfunction/epidemiology* ; Premature Ejaculation/epidemiology* ; Middle Aged ; China/epidemiology* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological/epidemiology* ; Young Adult

To evaluate the therapeutic effect of a modified Devine procedure with a subcutaneous sliding fixation method for the treatment of congenital concealed penis, we retrospectively selected 45 patients with congenital concealed penises who were admitted to General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University (Yinchuan, China) between September 2020 and November 2023. In all cases, the penis was observed to be short, and retracting the skin at the base revealed a normal penile body, which immediately returned to its original position upon release. All patients underwent the modified Devine procedure with subcutaneous sliding fixation and completed a 12-week postoperative follow-up. A statistically significant increase in penile length was observed postoperatively, with the median length increasing from 4.0 (interquartile range [IQR]: 3.5-4.8; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.9-4.4) cm to 8.0 (IQR: 7.8-8.0; 95% CI: 7.7-7.9) cm, with P < 0.001. The parents were satisfied with the outcomes, including increased penile length, improved hygiene, and enhanced esthetics. Except for mild foreskin edema in all cases, no complications (such as infections, skin necrosis, or penile retraction) were observed. The edema was resolved within 4 weeks after the operation. This study demonstrates that the modified Devine procedure utilizing the subcutaneous sliding fixation method yields excellent outcomes with minimal postoperative complications, reduced penile retraction, and high satisfaction rates among patients and their families.
Humans ; Male ; Penis/abnormalities* ; Retrospective Studies ; Urologic Surgical Procedures, Male/methods* ; Treatment Outcome ; Child ; Plastic Surgery Procedures/methods*

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the underlying causes and clinical manifestations in infants undergoing colonoscopy, and to analyze changes in disease spectrum. METHODS: Clinical data from 180 infants who underwent a total of 184 colonoscopies at the Department of Gastroenterology, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University from January 2015 to December 2024 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were grouped by age: ≤6 months (n=41) and >6-12 months (n=139); and by examination period: 2015-2019 (n=83) and 2020-2024 (n=97). Primary causes for performing colonoscopy, final diagnoses, and disease spectrum evolution were assessed. RESULTS: Among 184 colonoscopies, the leading causes prompting examination were hematochezia (37.8%, 68/180), diarrhea (36.7%, 66/180), and co-occurring hematochezia and diarrhea (21.1%, 38/180). Causes for performing colonoscopy differed significantly by age group (P<0.05). Colonic polyps were only detected in the >6-12 months group (P<0.05). Compared to the 2015-2019 group, the 2020-2024 group had fewer food allergy-related gastrointestinal diseases (P<0.05) but more colitis (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Colonoscopy is essential for diagnosing infantile digestive disorders, with disease spectra varying by age and time period.
Humans ; Infant ; Colonoscopy ; Male ; Female ; Retrospective Studies ; Infant, Newborn ; Diarrhea/etiology* ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage/etiology*

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to explore the influencing factors of fertility preservation decision-making in testicular cancer patient and provide a basis for clinical decision. METHODS: A descriptive qualitative study was conducted using purposive sampling in 18 testicular cancer patients. Semi-structured interviews were performed, and data were analyzed through content analysis. RESULTS: A total of 3 themes and 10 subthemes were extracted including individual factors (fertility circumstance, concerns about sperm cryopreservation efficacy/quality, the preferred choice between treatment and fertility preservation, confidence in future fertility), medical factors (physicians' recommendations on fertility preservation, fertility-related information, urgency of treatment), and socio-environmental factors (traditional beliefs of fertility, family/partner support, accessibility/cost of cryopreservation). CONCLUSION This study highlights many influencing factors of fertility preservation decision-making in testicular cancer patients, emphasizing the need for clinicians to enhance awareness of fertility preservation, provide timely and targeted information, and advocate for policy interventions to reduce financial barriers. Strengthening healthcare support and systemic safeguards may optimize patients' decision-making outcomes.
Humans ; Male ; Fertility Preservation ; Testicular Neoplasms/therapy* ; Decision Making ; Qualitative Research ; Cryopreservation ; Adult ; Infertility, Male/prevention & control*

Intervention in chronically activated microglia-mediated neuroinflammation is a novel approach to treat Alzheimer's disease (AD). The low permeability of the blood‒brain barrier (BBB) and non-selective distribution in the brain severely restrict AD drugs' disease-modifying efficacy. Here, an immunosuppressant TREM2-lowing antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) and resveratrol co-loaded cationic liposome is developed as an immune reprogramming nanomodulator modified by acid-cleavable BBB-targeting peptide and microglia-targeting peptide (Res@TcMNP/ASO) for AD management. Res@TcMNP/ASO can enter brain endothelial cells via D-T7 peptides. Then D-T7 undergoes an acid-responsive cleavage, facilitating the escape of Res@MNP/ASO from endo/lysosomes to cross the BBB. The detached Res@MNP/ASO specifically targets M1-phenotype microglia via exposed MG1 peptides to prompt the simultaneous delivery of two drugs into activated microglia. This nanomodulator can not only restore the immune function of microglia through TREM2-lowing ASO but also mitigate the immune stimulation to microglia caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS) through resveratrol, thereby synergistically inhibiting the chronic activation of microglia to alleviate neuroinflammation in AD. Our results indicate that this combination treatment can achieve significant behavioral and cognitive improvements in late APP/PS1 mice.

Receptor-interacting protein kinase 1 (RIPK1) plays an essential role in regulating the necroptosis and apoptosis in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. However, the regulation of RIPK1 kinase activity after cerebral I/R injury remains largely unknown. In this study, we found the downregulation of protein arginine methyltransferase 1 (PRMT1) was induced by cerebral I/R injury, which negatively correlated with the activation of RIPK1. Mechanistically, we proved that PRMT1 directly interacted with RIPK1 and catalyzed its asymmetric dimethylarginine, which then blocked RIPK1 homodimerization and suppressed its kinase activity. Moreover, pharmacological inhibition or genetic ablation of PRMT1 aggravated I/R injury by promoting RIPK1-mediated necroptosis and apoptosis, while PRMT1 overexpression protected against I/R injury by suppressing RIPK1 activation. Our findings revealed the molecular regulation of RIPK1 activation and demonstrated PRMT1 would be a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of ischemic stroke.