OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects of triptolide （TP） exposure during pregnancy and lactation on the reproductive system development and function in male offspring of rats， providing a reference for medication safety during pregnancy and lactation. METHODS Pregnant rats were randomly divided into control group （12 rats， normal saline） and T1-T4 groups [12， 13， 14， 17 rats that received TP at 200， 400， 600， and 800 μg/（kg·d） respectively]. They were given relevant medicine/normal saline intragastrically， once a day， until the offspring were born and naturally weaned， the intragastric administration volume of each rat was consistently 2 mL. After 60 days of feeding， reproductive organ weights and coefficients were measured in male offspring， testicular and epididymal histology and sperm morphology were observed. Sperm motility， sperm count， and serum levels of gonadotropin-releasing hormone （GnRH）， follicle stimulating hormone （FSH）， luteinizing hormone （LH）， and testosterone （T） in the epididymides were analyzed. Protein expressions of glycogen synthase kinase 3α （GSK3α）， phosphorylated GSK3α （p-GSK3α）， and phosphatase 1γ2 （PP1γ2） in sperm were also determined. RESULTS Compared with the control group， the testicular and epididymal weights， serum levels of GnRH and T， the relative protein expression of PP1γ2 were significantly decreased in T1-T4 groups. Additionally， in the T2 to T4 groups， there were significant reductions in the weight and coefficient of the seminal vesicle， total number of sperm， sperm concentration， sperm motility as well as relative protein expressions of GSKα， p-GSK3α in the offspring rats. Furthermore， the epididymal coefficient in the T3 and T4 groups， the testicular coefficient， mean sperm track velocity and sperm curvature velocity in the T4 group were significantly decreased （P＜ 0.05）； the number of abnormal sperm， rate of sperm abnormality， and levels of FSH and LH in the offspring rats of the T1 to T4 groups were all significantly increased （P＜0.05）； in the offspring rats of the T1 to T4 groups， there was a decrease in the number of epithelial cells in the seminiferous tubules of the testes. Within the epididymal tissue， degenerative and necrotic changes in the epithelial cells were visible， accompanied by mild infiltration of inflammatory cells in the stroma. CONCLUSIONS TP exposure during pregnancy and lactation disrupts reproductive organ development， impairs spermatogenesis and sperm motility， as well as suppresses androgen synthesis in male offspring，thereby having a negative impact on the development of the reproductive system. These effects may be mechanistically linked to regulation of GSK3α， p-GSK3α and PP1γ2 protein expressions.

Background/Aims: The World Health Organization set the goal of eliminating hepatitis C virus (HCV) by 2030, with 80% and 65% reductions in HCV incidence and mortality rates, respectively. We aimed to evaluate the health benefits, cost-effectiveness and return on investment (ROI) of HCV elimination. Methods: Using an HCV transmission compartmental model, we evaluated the benefits and costs of different strategies combining screening and treatment for Chinese populations. We identified strategies to achieve HCV elimination and calculated the incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) per disability-adjusted life year (DALY) averted for 2022–2030 to identify the optimal elimination strategy. Furthermore, we estimated the ROI by 2050 by comparing the required investment with the economic productivity gains from reduced HCV incidence and deaths. Results: The strategy that results in the most significant health benefits involves conducting annual primary screening at a rate of 14%, re-screening people who inject drugs annually and the general population every five years, and treating 95% of those diagnosed (P14-R4-T95), preventing approximately 5.75 and 0.44 million HCV infections and deaths, respectively, during 2022–2030. At a willingness-to-pay threshold of $12,615, the P14-R4-T95 strategy is the most cost-effective, with an ICER of $5,449/DALY. By 2050, this strategy would have a net benefit of $120,997 million (ROI=0.868). Conclusions Achieving HCV elimination in China by 2030 will require significant investment in large-scale universal screening and treatment, but it will yield substantial health and economic benefits and is cost-effective.

Background/Aims: The World Health Organization set the goal of eliminating hepatitis C virus (HCV) by 2030, with 80% and 65% reductions in HCV incidence and mortality rates, respectively. We aimed to evaluate the health benefits, cost-effectiveness and return on investment (ROI) of HCV elimination. Methods: Using an HCV transmission compartmental model, we evaluated the benefits and costs of different strategies combining screening and treatment for Chinese populations. We identified strategies to achieve HCV elimination and calculated the incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) per disability-adjusted life year (DALY) averted for 2022–2030 to identify the optimal elimination strategy. Furthermore, we estimated the ROI by 2050 by comparing the required investment with the economic productivity gains from reduced HCV incidence and deaths. Results: The strategy that results in the most significant health benefits involves conducting annual primary screening at a rate of 14%, re-screening people who inject drugs annually and the general population every five years, and treating 95% of those diagnosed (P14-R4-T95), preventing approximately 5.75 and 0.44 million HCV infections and deaths, respectively, during 2022–2030. At a willingness-to-pay threshold of $12,615, the P14-R4-T95 strategy is the most cost-effective, with an ICER of $5,449/DALY. By 2050, this strategy would have a net benefit of $120,997 million (ROI=0.868). Conclusions Achieving HCV elimination in China by 2030 will require significant investment in large-scale universal screening and treatment, but it will yield substantial health and economic benefits and is cost-effective.

Background/Aims: The World Health Organization set the goal of eliminating hepatitis C virus (HCV) by 2030, with 80% and 65% reductions in HCV incidence and mortality rates, respectively. We aimed to evaluate the health benefits, cost-effectiveness and return on investment (ROI) of HCV elimination. Methods: Using an HCV transmission compartmental model, we evaluated the benefits and costs of different strategies combining screening and treatment for Chinese populations. We identified strategies to achieve HCV elimination and calculated the incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) per disability-adjusted life year (DALY) averted for 2022–2030 to identify the optimal elimination strategy. Furthermore, we estimated the ROI by 2050 by comparing the required investment with the economic productivity gains from reduced HCV incidence and deaths. Results: The strategy that results in the most significant health benefits involves conducting annual primary screening at a rate of 14%, re-screening people who inject drugs annually and the general population every five years, and treating 95% of those diagnosed (P14-R4-T95), preventing approximately 5.75 and 0.44 million HCV infections and deaths, respectively, during 2022–2030. At a willingness-to-pay threshold of $12,615, the P14-R4-T95 strategy is the most cost-effective, with an ICER of $5,449/DALY. By 2050, this strategy would have a net benefit of $120,997 million (ROI=0.868). Conclusions Achieving HCV elimination in China by 2030 will require significant investment in large-scale universal screening and treatment, but it will yield substantial health and economic benefits and is cost-effective.

ObjectiveTo explore the incremental cost of central line-associated bloodstream infections （CLABSI） after central venous catheterization （CVC） in critically ill patients in the intensive care unit （ICU）， as well as the main cost of nosocomial infection prevention and control. By comparing these two costs， the medical personnel to pay more attention should CLABSI prevention and control from the perspectives of medical quality and economic benefits， and promote the implementation of prevention and control measures. MethodsCluster sampling was used to select 126 critically ill patients who underwent CVC in the ICU of a tertiary traditional Chinese medicine hospital from January 2021 to December 2023， including 65 cases in the CLABSI group and 61 in the non-CLABSI group. Patients’ data were retrospectively collected from the hospital medical records， including the disease type， gender， age， length of hospital stay， outcome， and hospitalization expenses. The costs of different hand hygiene methods and differing approaches to environmental cleaning and disinfection were analyzed and compared. ResultsThere were significant differences in the length of hospital stay （Z=-5.35， P<0.05） and total hospitalization expenses （Z=-6.79， P<0.05） between the CLABSI and non-CLABSI group. Total hospitalization expenses showed significant differences among patients with different lengths of hospital stay （H=43.01， P<0.05）， with much higher median one in those with 60 or more days of hospital stay than other patients. Greater differences of median total hospitalization expenses were found in males than in females （Z=-3.98， P<0.05）， as well as in patients aged 60-80 years than in patients of other ages （Z=-5.79， P<0.05）. ConclusionsThe occurrence of CLABSI significantly increases the ICU patients’ length of hospital stay and hospitalization expenses. There are differences in the costs of different hand hygiene methods and differing approaches to environmental cleaning and disinfection， but these costs are acceptable compared to the incremental costs directly attributable to CLABSI. Therefore， medical institutions should attach importance to the investment in prevention and control of nosocomial infections such as hand hygiene and environmental cleaning and disinfection， formulate practical， reasonable and feasible plans， and ensure their implementation， in order to avoid nosocomial infections， improve the medical quality， effectively control patients’ length of hospital stay and hospitalization costs， and strive to maintain patient safety.

AIM: To assess the accuracy of predicting intraocular lens(IOL)power after myopic refractive surgery using the Pentacam system's true net power(TNP)in the 3 mm zone combined with the SRK/T formula [i.e. TNP 3 mm(SRK/T)].METHODS: Retrospective study. This study enrolled 35 cases(50 eyes)of patients undergoing cataract surgery after laser assisted in situ keratomileusis(LASIK)or photorefractive keratectomy(PRK)from July 2019 to December 2021. Preoperatively, IOL power of 50 eyes, 34 eyes and 41 eyes was calculated by TNP 3 mm(SRK/T), Barrett True-K and Olsen 2 formulas, respectively, with at least 2 formulas used to calculate IOL power for each patient. The actual diopter was recorded 3 mo postoperatively. Prediction errors(PE)of IOL power were compared among the three calculation methods, and the proportion of eyes with PE within ±0.5 D and ±1.0 D was analyzed.RESULTS: The PE at 3 mo postoperatively for TNP 3 mm(SRK/T), Barrett True-K, and Olsen 2 was -0.02±0.63, -0.54±0.80, and 0.25±0.80 D, respectively(P<0.001). The proportions of PE within ±0.5 D were 66%(33/50), 44%(15/34)and 37%(15/41), respectively(P<0.05); the proportions of PE within ±1.0 D were 88%(44/50), 71%(24/34)and 80%(33/41), respectively(P>0.05).CONCLUSION: The Pentacam TNP 3 mm(SRK/T)method is simple to operate and provides accurate calculation of IOL power after corneal refractive surgery.

Objective To investigate the expression level and diagnostic value of serum DNA polymerase α(DNA pol α)in Alzheimer's disease(AD),and analyze its diagnostic efficacy in AD.Methods A total of 100 patients of dementia of Alzheimer's type(DAT)and 43 patients of mild cognitive impairment(MCI)from Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University from March 2019 to April 2023 were included in this study,and 68 healthy individuals of the same age group were collected as the HC group.The expression level of DNA pol α was detected in each group,and the diagnostic value of DNA pol α in AD was analyzed by receiver oper-ating characteristic(ROC)curve.Results The expression level of DNA pol α in DAT group was higher than those in the MCI group(P＜0.05)and the HC group(P＜0.001).The expression level of DNA pol α showed an increasing trend as AD progressed.The expression level of DNA pol α was negatively correlated with Mini Intelligent Mental State Examination Scale(MMSE)score and Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale(MoCA)score(r=-0.155 3,-0.203 7,P＜0.05).The area under the curve(AUC)of DNA pol α for diagnosing DAT was 0.682,and the sensitivity was 0.900.The AUC for diagnosing MCI was 0.546,and the sensitivity was 0.977.The AUC for differential diagnosis of MCI and DAT was 0.664,the sensitivity was 0.780,and the specificity was 0.535.Conclusion The expression level of DNA pol α is significantly increased in AD patients with DAT,and its expression level is related to the progression of AD,suggesting that DNA pol α has the pos-sibility to be a potential blood biomarker for the diagnosis of AD.

OBJECTIVE To optimize the pre-audit rules for anesthesia prescriptions， improve the audit quality and rational drug use. METHODS The inpatient medical orders of anesthesia department from prescription pre-audit system of the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University （hereinafter referred to as “our hospital”） were analyzed from April 1 to 30， 2023. The classification statistics and evidence-based inquiry were carried out for irrational drug use issues； combined with our hospital’s current implementation of the Anesthesiology Clinical Pathway Medication Standards， the audit rules were set in details， and audit management and communication feedback processes were established. The total number of monthly audited orders， the number of pre-audit pop ups， system interception rate， physician modification rate after system audit， pharmacist audit rate， and reasonable rate of medical orders after refined setting of rules （May-December in 2023） were compared with before setting （April in 2023）； the average medication cost per anesthesia session after refined setting of rules was also compared with before setting （May- December in 2022）. RESULTS Irrational drug use in the anesthesia department mainly included inappropriate indications， inappropriate administration routes， inappropriate usage and dosage， inappropriate compatibility， medication problems in special populations， and improper medication during the perioperative period. After the refinement of the rules， the number of pre-audit pop ups in the anesthesia department significantly decreased over time， and gradually reached a stable state after continuous improvement. Compared with before setting， the system interception rate after the refinement of rules （P＜0.001）， physician modification rate after system audit （P＜0.001） both increased significantly， while the pharmacist audit rate significantly decreased （P＜0.001）. There was a linear trend between the reasonable rate of medical orders and the month from May to December in 2023 （P＜0.05）. Compared with before the setting， the average medication cost of anesthesia per session decreased from 720.72 yuan to 528.21 yuan， with a decrease of 26.71%. CONCLUSIONS Based on evidence-based reference， refining pre-audit rules for anesthesia prescriptions can significantly improve the quality of prescription examination， promote rational drug use， and save patient’s medical expenses.

Thalamocortical circuitry has a substantial impact on emotion and cognition.Previous studies have demonstrated alterations in thalamocortical functional connectivity(FC),characterized by region-dependent hypo-or hyper-connectivity,among individuals with major depressive disorder(MDD).However,the dynamical reconfiguration of the thalamocortical system over time and potential abnormalities in dynamic thalamocortical connectivity associated with MDD remain unclear.Hence,we analyzed dynamic FC(dFC)between ten thalamic subregions and seven cortical subnetworks from resting-state functional magnetic resonance images of 48 patients with MDD and 57 healthy controls(HCs)to investigate time-varying changes in thalamocortical FC in patients with MDD.Moreover,dynamic laterality analysis was conducted to examine the changes in functional lateralization of the thalamocortical system over time.Correlations between the dynamic measures of thalamocortical FC and clinical assessment were also calculated.We identified four dynamic states of thalamocortical circuitry wherein patients with MDD exhibited decreased fractional time and reduced transitions within a negative connectivity state that showed strong correlations with primary cortical networks,compared with the HCs.In addition,MDD patients also exhibited increased fluctuations in functional laterality in the thalamocortical system across the scan duration.The thalamo-subnetwork analysis unveiled abnormal dFC variability involving higher-order cortical networks in the MDD cohort.Significant correlations were found between increased dFC variability with dorsal attention and default mode networks and the severity of symptoms.Our study comprehensively investigated the pattern of alteration of the thalamocortical dFC in MDD patients.The heterogeneous alterations of dFC between the thalamus and both primary and higher-order cortical networks may help characterize the deficits of sensory and cognitive processing in MDD.

Objective To explore the research hotspots and development trends of Ziziphi Spinosae Semen in the past 20 years,and to provide reference for related research.Methods Literatures on Ziziphi Spinosae Semen were searched from January 1,2000 to December 31,2022 in CNKI,Web of Science Core Collection Database.VOS viewer software was used to visually analyze the citation frequency,research institutions and keyword hotspots of English literatures.CiteSpace software was used to visually analyze research institutions,authors,emergence keywords and keyword overlap time of Chinese literatures,and Microsoft Excel 2021 software was used to analyze of annual publication trends and publication volume of Chinese and English literatures,and download frequency of Chinese literatures.Results A total of 4 872 Chinese and 128 English literatures were included,with an overall upward trend in the number of annual publications.The research institutions with the highest number of publications in Chinese and English were Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Tianjin University of Commerce,and the authors with the highest number of publications were DU Chenhui and XIE Junbo,respectively.The most frequent keywords in Chinese literatures were"Ziziphi Spinosae Semen","composed"and"application of compound therapy",and in English literatures were"performance","oxidative stress".Conclusion From 2000 to 2022,the research hotspots of Ziziphi Spinosae Semen mainly focused on the chemical composition,pharmacological effects and clinical application analysis,compatibility research,formulation and preparation.Quality control and evaluation of Ziziphi Spinosae Semen,and the research on the mechanism of preventing and treating insomnia with Ziziphi Spinosae Semen may become future research directions.