AIM: To evaluate clinical efficacy of recombinant human epidermal growth factor(rhEGF)combined with adjuvant amniotic membrane transplantation in corneal alkaline burns. METHODS:In the prospective, randomized controlled study, patients with corneal alkaline burns treated in the hospital were enrolled between November 2022 and November 2024. After emergency treatment, patients were divided into combined treatment group and routine treatment group by random number table method. The routine treatment group was given basic treatment(rhEGF), while combined treatment group additionally underwent adjuvant amniotic membrane transplantation. The clinical efficacy, healing time of corneal epithelium, best corrected visual acuity, VAS scores, corneal neovascularization area, break-up time, score of corneal opacity, and levels of inflammatory factors(IL-6, hs-CRP, TNF-α)in the two groups were observed and compared. RESULTS:There were 110 patients(110 eyes)in this study, including 55 cases(55 eyes)in each group. The combination group had a mean age of 46.82±10.38 y, including 26 males and 29 females. The routine treatment group had a mean age of 45.13±11.57 y, with 31 males and 24 females. The total response rate of combined treatment group [94.5%(52/55)] was significantly higher than that of routine treatment group [81.8%(45/55), P<0.05]. The healing time of corneal epithelium in combined treatment group was significantly shorter than that in routine treatment group(P<0.001), and VAS score for pain severity after treatment was significantly lower than that in routine treatment group(P<0.001). The corneal neovascularization area in combined treatment group was significantly smaller than that in routine treatment group(P<0.001), break-up time was significantly longer than that in routine treatment group(P<0.001),and score of corneal opacity was significantly lower than that in routine treatment group(P<0.001). After treatment, levels of inflammatory factors in combined treatment group were significantly lower than those in routine treatment group(all P<0.05). CONCLUSION:Adjuvant amniotic membrane transplantation combined with rhEGF presents prominent clinical advantages in the treatment of alkaline corneal burns. It can enhance therapeutic efficacy, accelerate wound healing, relieve pain, reduce corneal neovascularization, prolong tear film break-up time, alleviate corneal opacification, and reduce the levels of inflammatory factors.

Apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1(APE 1)is a multifunctional protein that plays important roles in DNA repair and regulation of gene expression.Because APE 1 is overexpressed in various cancers,it can serve as a cancer biomarker for aiding clinical diagnosis,guiding therapy,and monitoring prognosis.On this basis,a label-free fluorescent probe was designed based on the primer exchange reaction(PER)strategy for highly sensitive detection of APE 1 activity.In the absence of APE 1,the structure of catalytic hairpin(HP)was stable and could not form G-quadruplex.Therefore,the background fluorescence of this sensing system was very low due to the dissociation of thioflavin T(ThT).In the presence of APE 1,the apurinic/apyrimidinic(AP)site of HP was cleaved by APE 1 and a short nucleic acid fragment that acted as a primer to initiate PER was generated.After PER reaction,a large number of G-quadruplex were produced,which could specifically bind with ThT and resulted in significant increase of fluorescence signal.The combination of low background design of HP and PER amplification made this biosensor had high sensitivity with a detection limit(3σ)of 0.0008 U/mL.Furthermore,the primer sequence was directly generated by the cleavage of APE 1 without additional addition,which not only increased the specificity of the reaction,but also simplified the experiment procedure.Moreover,the use of label-free fluorescence signal reduced the cost of the experiment,and realized rapid detection of APE 1.Finally,this sensor was used to detect APE 1 in human serum samples with spiked recoveries of 91%-104%,proving great potential in study of biological enzyme.

Objective:To analyze risk factors associated with false-positive results of quantitative fecal immunochemical testing (FIT), evaluate its performance for detecting advanced colorectal neoplasia across different subgroups, and explore the optimal positivity thresholds for each subgroup.Methods:Individuals who participated in the Zhejiang Colorectal Cancer Screening Program in 2020-2021, completed questionnaire-based risk assessment and quantitative FIT for initial screening, and undertook colonoscopy for confirmed diagnosis were included in this study. The information of individuals, including demographic characteristics, lifestyles, history of diseases, and family history of colorectal cancer (CRC), was collected by using questionnaires. The diagnostic outcomes of the individuals were obtained through colonoscopy and pathological examination. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify factors associated with false-positive FIT results. The optimal threshold of FIT was determined based on the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and 10-fold cross-validation. The effectiveness of FIT screening in different subgroups was compared using the unified threshold of 100 ng/ml or optimal positivity thresholds.Results:There were 25 874 individuals included in the analysis, with 14 694 (56.79%) having fecal hemoglobin concentrations ≥100 ng/ml. A total of 3 830 advanced adenoma cases (14.80%) and 362 CRC cases (1.40%) were identified. Age below 60 years old, females, underweight, smoking, drinking, use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, no family history of CRC, no history of intestinal disease, no history of hypertension, and physical inactivity were associated with an elevated risk of false-positive results in FIT ( P<0.05). Compared to the predetermined threshold of 100 ng/ml, the false positive rate (FPR) of quantitative FIT decreased from 52.3% to 37.3% in all individuals, and decreased by more than 20% in females, individuals with normal weight, smokers, and those without a history of intestinal disease when adopting the optimal threshold (all P<0.001). Conclusion:The risk of false-positive results in quantitative FIT varies across different subgroups. Adopting the optimal thresholds could improve the specificity and reduce the FPR of quantitative FIT for CRC screening.

[Purpose]To analyze the incidence and mortality of lung cancer in Zhejiang cancer regi-stration areas in 2021 and trends from 2000 to 2021.[Methods]Using data from Zhejiang cancer registration areas from 2000 to 2021,the crude rate,age-standardized rate by Chinese standard population(ASRC)and the world standard population(ASRW),and composition ratio were calcu-lated to describe the incidence and mortality in 2021.Joinpoint regression was employed to ana-lyze temporal trends over the 22 years,calculating the annual percentage change(APC),average annual percentage change(AAPC),and their 95％confidence intervals(CI).[Results]The crude incidence rate of lung cancer in 2021 was 128.58/105,with an ASRC of 68.74/105,ac-counting for 24.22％of all cancers;the crude mortality rate was 51.55/105,with an ASRC of 21.58/105,constituting 27.98％of all cancer deaths.Both crude incidence rate(AAPC=5.73％,P＜0.001)and ASIRC(AAPC=4.14％,P＜0.001)of lung cancer showed significant increasing trends from 2000 to 2021.The crude mortality rate increased slowly(AAPC=1.76％,P＜0.001),while the ASMRC(AAPC=-0.40％,P=0.035)exhibited a modest decline.The increase in incidence was more pronounced in females than males,though no statistically significant difference was observed in mortality trends.The incidence rates in urban and rural areas showed similar growth trends;the crude mortality rate in rural areas was growing significantly faster than that in urban areas,and the decline in the ASRC was only statistically significant in urban areas.The incidence rate was in-creasing in all age groups.The mortality rate was declining among younger people(＜65 years old).The age group of 15～44 years old demonstrated a greater increase in incidence and a sharper decline in mortality than those aged 45 years old and above.[Conclusion]From 2000 to 2021,Zhejiang Province experienced a marked rise in lung cancer incidence with escalating disease burden.Despite severe population aging,ASRC of mortality declined steadily,reflecting effective prevention and control measures.

[Purpose]To analyze the incidence and mortality of prostate cancer in Zhejiang cancer registration areas in 2021 and the trends from 2000 to 2021.[Methods]Data of prostate cancer incidence and mortality in Zhejiang cancer registration areas from 2000 to 2021 were collected.The crude incidence/mortality rates,age-standardized incidence/mortality rates by Chinese stan-dard population(ASIRC/ASMRC)and world standard population(ASIRW/ASMRW),cumulative rates(0～74 years old)were calculated.Joinpoint regression model was used to estimate the annual percentage change(APC)and average annual percentage change(AAPC)to assess trends.[Results]In 2021,6 683 new prostate cancer cases were reported in Zhejiang cancer registration areas,the crude incidence rate and ASIRC of prostate cancer were 61.21/105 and 26.78/105,respec-tively.The number of prostate cancer deaths was 1 036,the crude mortality rate and ASMRC were 9.49/105 and 3.28/105,respectively.From 2000 to 2021,a total of 30 876 new prostate cancer cases and 7 458 deaths were reported.The average crude incidence rate was 25.50/105,and the ASIRC was 13.35/105;the crude mortality rate and ASMRC rates were 6.16/105 and 2.82/105,respectively.The ASIRC was higher in urban areas(13.58/105)than that in rural areas(12.84/105),while the ASMRC was lower in urban areas(2.60/105)than that in rural areas(3.33/105).From 2000 to 2021,both the ASIRC and ASMRC showed significant upward trends in Zhejiang cancer registration areas with AAPC of 13.88％(95％CI:11.43％～16.08％,P＜0.001)and 4.35％(95％CI:2.21％～6.18％,P＜0.001),respectively.[Conclusion]Prostate cancer incidence in Zhejiang Province had risen rapidly in last two decades,with rural areas facing a heavier mortality burden.Special attention should be paid to the elderly male population in rural areas,and the three-level prevention strategy should be strengthened to reduce the disease burden.

[Purpose]To analyze the incidence and mortality of female breast cancer in Zhejiang cancer registration areas in 2021 and the trends from 2000 to 2021.[Methods]The data of cancer inci-dence,mortality and population data reported by cancer registration areas in Zhejiang Province from 2000 to 2021 were collected.The crude incidence/mortality rates,age-standardized rates ad-justed by Chinese standard population(ASIRC,ASMRC)and world standard population(ASIRW,ASMRW),cumulative rates(0～74 years old),truncated rates(35～64 years old),proportion of fe-male breast cancer and age-specific rate were calculated.The average annual percentage change(AAPC)of female breast cancer incidence and mortality rates in Zhejiang from 2000 to 2021 was calculated using Joinpoint software.[Results]In 2021,there were 7 262 new cases of female breast cancer in Zhejiang cancer registration areas,accounting for 12.70％of all new female can-cer cases.The crude incidence rate,ASIRC and ASIRW were 65.71/105,42.03/105 and 39.22/105,respectively.The cumulative incidence rate(0～74 years old)was 4.26％,and the truncated rate(35～64 years old)was 98.34/105.The ASIRC in urban and rural areas were 43.15/105 and 40.15/105,respectively.There were 992 deaths of female breast cancer,accounting for 6.97％of all female cancer deaths.The crude mortality rate,ASMRC and ASMRW were 8.98/105,4.62/105 and 4.47/105,respectively.The cumulative mortality rate(0～74 years old)was 0.48％,and the truncated rate(35～64 years old)was 8.89/105.The ASMRC in urban and rural areas were 4.79/105 and 4.34/105,respectively.The incidence rate of female breast cancer reached the peak at the age group of 60～64 years old,and the mortality rate reached the peak at the age group of 85 years old and above.From 2000 to 2021,the crude incidence rate,ASIRC and ASIRW of female breast cancer in Zhejiang cancer registration areas showed significant increasing trends(all P＜0.05).The crude mortality rate and ASMRW of female breast cancer also showed significant increasing trends(all P＜0.05).[Conclusion]The incidence rate of female breast cancer in Zhejiang Province was higher than the national average,while the mortality rate was lower than the national average in 2021.Both the incidence and mortality rates showed increasing trends from 2000 to 2021.Fur-thermore,distinct urban-rural disparities existed in both incidence and mortality characteristics.

Objective:To investigate the feasibility of areal bone mineral density (aBMD) quantification and the diagnostic performance for abnormal bone mass using the coronal spectral localizer radiography (SLR) from photon-counting detector CT (PCD-CT).Methods:This cross-sectional study prospectively enrolled 67 participants who underwent both dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and dual-source PCD-CT examinations within 7 days at Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine between April 2024 and September 2025. The aBMD values of L1-L4 derived from DXA and calculated based on PCD-CT SLR were obtained (aBMD DXA and aBMD SLR, respectively). Participants were categorized into four groups based on body mass index (BMI): underweight (BMI<18.5 kg/m2, n=3), normal weight (18.5 kg/m2≤BMI<24 kg/m2, n=33), overweight (24 kg/m2≤BMI<28 kg/m2, n=22), and obese (BMI≥28 kg/m2, n=9) groups. Using aBMD DXA as the golden reference, T-scores were calculated, and participants were classified into normal bone mass (T-score≥-1.0, n=42), osteopenia (-2.50.05). Across the normal bone mass, osteopenia, and osteoporosis groups, significant differences were found in aBMD DXA, aBMD SLR, and AE ( P<0.001), but not in RAE ( P=0.426). Using aBMD SLR-based T-score classification, 38, 16, and 13 participants were classifying as having normal bone mass, osteopenia, and osteoporosis. For diagnosing osteoporosis, aBMD SLR achieved an accuracy of 94.0% (63/67), sensitivity of 90.9% (10/11), and specificity of 94.6% (53/56). For detecting abnormal bone mass, the accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were 94.0% (63/67), 100% (25/25), and 90.5% (38/42), respectively. Conclusions:Quantitative bone density assessment based on PCD-CT SLR is feasible and accurate, unaffected by body habitus or bone mass status, and demonstrates high diagnostic performance for osteoporosis and abnormal bone mass.

Objective:To analyze the current status and trends of lung cancer incidence and mortality in China and selected global regions, providing evidence for lung cancer prevention strategies in China.Methods:We extracted data from the GLOBOCAN 2022 database. Age-standardized Incidence rate (ASIR) and Age-standardized Mortality rate (ASMR) were calculated using Segi's world standard population. Epidemiological patterns were analyzed by region, age, sex, and human development index (HDI). Simple linear regression and Spearman's rank correlation coefficient were used to examine associations between HDI and ASIR/ASMR.Results:In 2022, global lung cancer incidence and mortality reached 2.48 million and 1.82 million cases respectively, with age-standardized rates of 23.6 per 100 000 (ASIR) and 16.8 per 100 000 (ASMR). Gender disparities were prominent, with male ASIR and ASMR being 2.0-fold and 2.5-fold higher than females. Elderly populations showed 11.6-fold higher ASIR and 14.4-fold higher ASMR compared to working-age adults. HDI demonstrated strong positive correlations with both ASIR ( r=0.79, P＜0.001) and ASMR ( r=0.74, P＜0.001). China accounted for 1.06 million new cases and 0.73 million deaths, with ASIR (40.8 per 100 000) and ASMR (26.7 per 100 000) exceeding global averages by 1.7-fold and 1.6-fold respectively. Chinese males showed 1.7-fold higher ASIR and 2.7-fold higher ASMR than females. Trend analysis revealed persistently high male incidence in China whereas rapidly increasing female rates, narrowing gender disparities. Projections estimate 1.80 million incident cases and 1.41 million deaths by 2050, representing 69.3% and 92.0% increases from 2022 levels. Conclusions:Significant heterogeneity exists in lung cancer burden across demographics and development levels, with strong HDI correlations. China bears disproportionate disease burden, necessitating intensified prevention efforts. These findings underscore the urgency of targeted interventions in high-risk populations.

Objective: To investigate the characteristics of malignant tumor incidence and mortality in cancer registration areas of Zhejiang Province in 2021. Methods: Based on the 2021 cancer registration data from 22 national cancer registries in Zhejiang Province, the crude incidence, crude mortality, and cumulative rate for 0 to 74 years were calculated. Age standardized was performed using the age composition of the standard population from the Fifth National Population Census in 2000 and Segi's world standard population. The incidence and mortality characteristics of malignant tumor in different genders, urban/rural areas and ages were described. The order of crude incidence and mortality of malignant tumor were analyzed. Results: In 2021, there were 116 639 new malignant tumor cases in Zhejiang Province. The crude, Chinese population standardized, and world population-standardized incidences were 530.93/100 000, 304.83/100 000, and 288.20/100 000, respectively. The cumulative incidence for 0 to 74 years was 31.92%. There were 40 475 death cases. The crude, Chinese population-standardized, and world population-standardized mortalities were 184.24/100 000, 79.40/100 000, and 78.97/100 000, respectively. The cumulative mortality for 0 to 74 years was 8.37%. The Chinese population-standardized incidence for males and females were 286.34/100 000 and 323.45/100 000, respectively, and the Chinese population-standardized mortality were 106.25/100 000 and 54.17/100 000, respectively. The Chinese population-standardized incidence for urban and rural were 316.85/100 000 and 285.11/100 000, respectively, and the Chinese population-standardized mortality were 75.59/100 000 and 85.48/100 000, respectively. The crude incidence and crude mortality of malignant tumor both increased with age, peaking in the groups aged 80-<80 and ≥85 years at 1 845.06/100 000 and 1 656.88/100 000, respectively. The top ten malignant tumors with the highest crude incidence were, in descending order: lung cancer, thyroid cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, colorectal cancer, gastric cancer, liver cancer, cervical cancer, lymphoma, and brain tumors. These accounted for 80.34% of all new malignant tumor cases. The top ten malignant tumors with the highest crude mortality were, in descending order: lung cancer, liver cancer, colorectal cancer, gastric cancer, pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer, esophageal cancer, lymphoma, and gallbladder cancer. These accounted for 82.26% of all malignant tumor deaths. Conclusions In 2021, the cancer registration areas of Zhejiang Province were characterized by a relatively high malignant tumor incidence and a comparatively low mortality compared to national data. Males and the elderly emerged as key populations for targeted prevention and control. It is recommended to enhance screening, early diagnosis, and early treatment for lung cancer, thyroid cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer, and gastric cancer malignancies.