OBJECTIVE To predict and validate the mechanisms of Chaiqi yigan granules （CQYG） improving hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC）. METHODS The signaling pathways of CQYG intervention in HCC were predicted using network pharmacology. A mice model of transplanted hepatocellular carcinoma was established by injecting H22 hepatoma cells into the axilla. Successfully modeled mice were randomly divided into model group （normal saline）， sorafenib group （positive control， 50 mg/kg）， and CQYG low-， medium- and high-dose groups （24.83， 49.66， 99.32 g/kg）， with 10 mice in each group. Mice in each group were administered the corresponding drug solution or normal saline intragastrically， once a day， for 14 consecutive days. After last administration， pathological morphological changes in the tumor tissues of mice were observed in each group. Immunohistochemical staining was performed to detect the expression of the nuclear proliferation antigen Ki-67 in tumor tissues of mice. Western blot assay was used to measure the expression of proteins related to epithelial-mesenchymal transition （EMT） [N-cadherin， E-cadherin， Vimentin， matrix metalloproteinase 7 （MMP7）] and the mitogen-activated protein kinase （MAPK） signaling pathway [p38 MAPK， phosphorylated p38 MAPK， c-Jun N-terminal kinase （JNK）， phosphorylated JNK， extracellular regulated protein kinase 1/2 （ERK1/2）， phosphorylated ERK1/2] in tumor tissue of mice. RESULTS Network pharmacology analysis revealed that metabolic pathways， pathways in cancer， and the MAPK signaling pathway were key signaling pathways through which CQYG exert their anti-hepatocellular carcinoma effects. In animal experiments， the tumor tissues of mice in the model group exhibited dense tumor cells and vigorous growth. Compared with model group， CQYG high-dose group showed a decreased density of tumor cells in the tumor tissues of mice. Moreover， the expression levels of Ki-67， N-cadherin， MMP7 and Vimentin proteins， along with the phosphorylation levels of ERK1/2 and JNK proteins， were all significantly reduced （ P ＜0.05）. The expression level of E-cadherin protein was significantly increased （ P ＜0.05）， the phosphorylation level of p38 MAPK protein was increased， the difference was not statistically significant （ P ＞0.05）. CONCLUSIONS CQYG can inhibit EMT by regulating the MAPK signaling pathway， thereby suppressing tumor cell invasion and metastasis and ultimately exerting a therapeutic effect in improving HCC.

Optical brain-computer interface (OBCI) represents an emerging class of neural interaction technologies that use “light” as an information carrier to enable the acquisition, decoding, and modulation of neural signals. Compared with conventional electrical brain-computer interface (BCI), OBCI demonstrates distinct advantages in spatial resolution, cell-type specificity, and the capacity for simultaneous multiparametric monitoring. Driven by rapid advances in functional near-infrared spectroscopy, optical neuroimaging, and optogenetics, optical approaches have progressively extended across the full “read, decode, write” continuum of neural activity, providing a novel technological framework for the development of high-precision closed-loop brain-computer systems. This review systematically summarizes the principal technological strategies and recent advances in OBCI, and further discusses the key challenges encountered during clinical translation, as well as future development direction.

ObjectiveTo explore the biological mechanism of bone loss caused by perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) through transcriptomic analysis, and to provide new insights into regulating perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) applications and the prevention of hazards affecting bone health. MethodsMouse embryonic osteoblast precursor cells (MC3T3-E1) were exposed to 0.1, 1, 10, and 100 μmol·L^-¹ PFOA for 24 hours to assess the effects on cell viability and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, and to determine the critical concentration of PFOA toxicity. The transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) induced by PFOA. Gene ontology (GO) analysis and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) were conducted to identify significantly affected gene pathways. Additionally, Seahorse XF metabolic phenotyping and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) were used to validate the key pathways. ResultsExposure to 10 and 100 μmol·L^-¹ PFOA significantly reduced the cell viability and ALP activity of MC3T3-E1 cells. Therefore, the results of transcriptomic analysis for 10 μmol‧L^-1 PFOA exposure found that a total of 80 DEGs were identified, including 32 upregulated genes and 48 downregulated genes. According to GO analysis, PFOA mainly affected cellular components such as mitochondrion and nucleus, molecular functions involving GTPase activity and GTP binding, as well as biological process related to mRNA processing. GSEA identified the downregulation of the β-oxidation of fatty acid pathway in mitochondria. Metabolic phenotyping reserches showed that PFOA indeed reduced mitochondrial aerobic respiration capacity and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production, and the ratio of ATP production from cellular aerobic respiration to glycolysis was significantly decreased as well. The mRNA expression of glucose metabolism-related genes (GK, G6PD, and CS), as well as fatty acid metabolism-related genes (CPT1A and CPT2), were significantly downregulated. ConclusionPFOA reduces bone formation by inhibiting energy metabolism and β-oxidation of fatty acid pathways in osteoblasts, whihc lays the foundation for revealing the mechanism of PFOA exposure induced bone loss.

Objective: To evaluate the radiation dose, operational standardization, and image quality of computed tomography (CT) Ningbo City Medical Imaging Cloud Platform, so as to provide references for optimizing the quality of CT examinations. Methods: Six CT devices were randomly selected from the Ningbo City Medical Imaging Cloud Platform. Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine (DICOM) image data from CT examinations of the head, neck, chest, and abdomen in males aged 36 to 60 years were collected from January 2023 to December 2024. The radiation dose levels were evaluated using the volume CT dose index (CTDIvol) and dose length product (DLP). The coefficient of variation (CV) of CTDIvol and scan length were calculated to assess scan stability. Operational standardization was evaluated using the redundancy rate of scan length and protocol matching degree. Imaging quality was assessed using the signal to noise ratio (SNR) and contrast to noise ratio (CNR). Results: A total of 28 897 DICOM images were collected, including 6 730 axial scans of the skull, 2 778 plain scans of the neck, 15 496 plain scans of the chest, and 3 893 plain scans of the abdomen. The typical values of CTDIvol and DLP radiation doses for the head, neck, and chest were all lower than the diagnostic reference levels. The maximum typical values of CTDIvol and DLP for the abdomen were 22.49 mGy and 941.45 mGy·cm, respectively, which were higher than the diagnostic reference levels. The CV values of CTDIvol and scan length ranged from 14.59% to 37.88% and from 8.27% to 44.96%, respectively. The scan stability of head CT was relatively poor, with CV values ranging from 21.74% to 37.88% and from 12.66% to 44.96%, respectively. The redundancy rate of scan length ranged from 6.02% to 74.40%, and the protocol matching degree ranged from 79.80% to 100.00%. The operational standardization of neck CT was relatively poor, with redundancy rates ranging from 45.70% to 74.40% and protocol matching degrees ranging from 79.80% to 95.36%. The mean SNR and mean CNR of the pulmonary arteries in the chest were relatively high, ranging from 15.81 to 17.65 and from 6.33 to 7.41, respectively. Conclusions The radiation doses from abdominal CT examinations on some CT devices exceed the diagnostic reference levels. The scan stability of head CT examinations and the operational standardization of neck CT examinations represent weak points in quality control. It is recommended to carry out targeted quality control training to enhance the overall quality level of CT examinations.

Objective:To evaluate the impact of postoperative radiotherapy (RT) and associated risk factors on the prognosis of patients undergoing postmastectomy breast reconstruction (PMBR) for breast cancer.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 1593 breast cancer patients who underwent PMBR at Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital between January 2010 and October 2023. Patients were divided into an RT group ( n = 351) and a non-RT group ( n =1242) based on whether postoperative radiotherapy was administered. The primary endpoints were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS), and the secondary endpoint was the incidence of revision surgery. Propensity score matching (PSM) and inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) were used for pairing. Continuous variables were compared between the two groups using the independent samples t-tests, while categorical variables were compared using chi-square tests, and survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Cox proportional hazards model was used to analyze survival influencing factors, and include propensity factors with P<0.2 in univariate analysis into multivariate analysis. Results:In the RT group, there were 3 deaths (0.9%) and 21 cases of disease progression (6.0%); in the non-RT group, 7 patients died (0.56%) and 40 experienced disease progression (3.22%). The median OS was 20.1 months (range: 0.1-164.9), and the median PFS was 19.5 months (range: 0.1-160.9). Pregnancy-associated breast cancer and higher N stage were identified as significant risk factors for OS, while neoadjuvant therapy, absence of adjuvant chemotherapy or endocrine therapy, and higher T stage were significant risk factors affecting patients' PFS. Radiotherapy significantly reduced the survival risk for PMBR patients with pregnancy-associated breast cancer or those receiving neoadjuvant therapy ( P=0.019, 0.027). Compared with other reconstruction methods, implant-based reconstruction was associated with a lower incidence of postmastectomy revision surgery(10.5% vs. 17.0%, P<0.001). Even after radiotherapy, the revision surgery incidence for implant-based reconstruction remained lower than that of other methods (12.2% vs. 14.2%, P=0.591). Compared with other reconstruction types, expander-based reconstruction was associated with an increased incidence of revision surgery (31.9% vs. 10.9%, P<0.001). Conclusions:Postmastectomy radiotherapy can reduce survival risk in PMBR patients with pregnancy-associated breast cancer or who received neoadjuvant therapy, showing positive effects on OS and PFS in high-risk patients. Pregnancy, higher T/N stage, and specific treatment strategies are critical factors influencing the prognosis of PMBR patients. Implant-based reconstruction is associated with a lower incidence of revision surgery, which remains low even after RT, whereas expander-based reconstruction may increase the long-term risk of revision surgery.

Objective:To investigate the dosimetric impact of dwell position spacing in the design of three-dimensional (3D) interstitial brachytherapy plans for cervical cancer, and to provide a reference for selecting dwell spacing in clinical planning.Methods:A total of 15 patients with cervical cancer who underwent 3D interstitial brachytherapy at Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital between March 2022 and March 2024 were selected using simple random sampling. For each patient, 10 brachytherapy plans were generated with different dwell position spacings set at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 mm, respectively. Key parameters among different dwell spacings compared included D 90%, V 100%, V 200%, and V 300% for the high-risk clinical target volume (HRCTV); D 90% for the intermediate-risk clinical target volume (IRCTV); D 2 cm3 for organs at risk (OARs) (bladder, small intestine, colon, and rectum); and the total dwell time. Statistical analyses were performed using repeated measurement ANOVA or the Friedman test. Results:Among different dwell spacings, there were no statistically significant differences in HRCTV D 90%, HRCTV V 100%, bladder D 2 cm3, and rectum D 2 cm3 among different dwell spacings ( P=0.075, 0.061, 0.480, 0.639). All plans with dwell spacings ≤ 3 mm met clinical dose requirements. When the dwell spacing was set to 1 mm, HRCTV V 200% and V 300% had the smallest mean values, while IRCTV D 90% and total dwell time had the largest mean values; all differences were statistically significant ( P<0.05). When the dwell spacing was ≥6 mm, an increase in spacing led to a decrease in mean small intestine D 2 cm3, and total dwell time, but an increase in HRCTV V 200% and a decrease in IRCTV D 90%, with statistically significant differences compared to spacings of 1-4 mm ( P<0.05). When the dwell spacing was ≥8 mm, the median colon D 2 cm3 decreased, with statistically significant differences compared to spacings of 1-3 mm ( P<0.05). Conclusions:For 3D interstitial brachytherapy planning in cervical cancer, dwell position spacings ≤ 3 mm can meet clinical dose requirements, with 1 mm providing optimal target coverage. Spacings ≥6 mm / ≥8 mm can reduce radiation dose to the small intestine and colon, respectively, while also shortening dwell time.

Objective:To investigate the change trend in the burden of 5 common malignant tumors of digestive system (esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer and liver cancer) in the Chinese population from 1990 to 2021.Methods:The descriptive epidemio-logic method was conducted. The number of new cases, crude incidence rate, age-standardized incidence rate, the number of deaths, crude mortality rate and age-standardized mortality rate of 5 common malignant tumors of digestive system in the Chinese population from 1990 to 2021 of the Global Burden of Disease were collected. The age-standardized rate was calculated based on the standardized demographics of the whole world in the Global Burden of Disease for the year 2021. Observation indicators: (1) The incidence of 5 common malignant tumors of digestive system in the Chinese population from 1990 to 2021; (2) the mortality of 5 common malignant tumors of digestive system in the Chinese population from 1990 to 2021; (3) the change trend of age-standardized incidence rate of 5 common malignant tumors of digestive system in the Chinese population from 1990 to 2021; (4) the change trend of age-standardized mortality rate of 5 common malignant tumors of digestive system in the Chinese population from 1990 to 2021. The Joinpoint regression model was constructed for trend analysis, specifically to calculate the annual percentage change, average annual percentage change (AAPC), and their 95% confidence interval ( CI) for age-standardized incidence and mortality rates for each cancer type at different time periods. Results:(1) The incidence of 5 common malignant tumors of digestive system in the Chinese population from 1990 to 2021. The number of new cases of esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer and liver cancer in the Chinese population changed from 207 495, 407 471, 158 389, 37 818 and 96 434 in 1990 to 320 805, 611 799, 658 321, 118 665 and 196 637 in 2021. The crude incidence rates of the above cancer types changed from 17.64/100 000, 34.64/100 000, 13.46/100 000, 3.21/100 000, 8.20/100 000 in 1990 to 22.55/100 000, 43.00/100 000, 46.27/100 000, 8.34/100 000, 13.82/100 000 in 2021. The new cases of esophageal cancer, stomach cancer, colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, and liver cancer all showed an increasing trend, with absolute changes of 54.61%, 50.15%, 315.64%, 213.78%, and 103.91%, respectively. (2) The mortality of 5 common malignant tumors of digestive system in the Chinese population from 1990 to 2021. The number of deaths of esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer and liver cancer in the Chinese population changed from 210 821, 374 066, 119 303, 38 883 and 94 937 in 1990 to 296 443, 445 013, 275 129, 119 602 and 172 068 in 2021. The crude death rates of the above cancer types changed from 17.92/100 000, 31.80/100 000, 10.14/100 000, 3.31/100 000, 8.07/100 000 in 1990 to 20.84/100 000, 31.28/100 000, 19.34/100 000, 8.41/100 000, 12.09/100 000 in 2021. Death cases of esophageal cancer, stomach cancer, colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, and liver cancer all showed an increa-sing trend, with absolute changes of 40.61%, 18.97%, 130.61%,207.59%, and 81.24%, respectively. (3) The change trend of age-standardized incidence rate of 5 common malignant tumors of digestive system in the Chinese population from 1990 to 2021. The change trends of age-standardized incidence rates of esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, and liver cancer in the Chinese population were divided into 5, 5, 4, 5, and 5 periods, respectively, and the AAPCs of age-standardized incidence rates of the above cancer types were -1.60% (95% CI as -1.78% to -1.42%), -1.60% (95% CI as -1.78% to -1.43%), 1.66% (95% CI as 1.39% to 1.94%), 0.72% (95% CI as 0.36% to 1.08%), and -0.31% (95% CI as -0.39% to -0.23%). (4) The change trend of age-standardized mortality rate of 5 common malignant tumors of digestive system in the Chinese population from 1990 to 2021. The change trend of age-standardized mortality rates of esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, and liver cancer in the Chinese population were divided into 5, 5, 4, 5, and 4 periods, respectively, and the AAPC of age-standardized mortality rates for each of the above mentioned cancer types were -1.96% (95% CI as -2.03% to -1.90%), -2.44% (95% CI as -2.50% to -2.38%), -0.49% (95% CI as -0.58% to -0.41%), 0.56% (95% CI as 0.48% to 0.63%), and -0.68% (95% CI as -0.89% to -0.52%). Conclusions:From 1990 to 2021, the disease burden of esophageal cancer, gastric cancer and liver cancer in the Chinese population show a downward trend. The standardized incidence of colorectal cancer shows an upward trend, and the standardized mortality rate shows a downward trend. The disease burden of pancreatic cancer shows an upward trend.

Tuberculosis (TB) is still a major public health issue today. A novel TB vaccine is a key approach to reaching the targets of WHO's End-TB Strategy. In recent years, significant progress has been made in the research and development of TB vaccines both in China and abroad. A breakthrough has been made in both application scenarios and technological routes, and several vaccine candidates have entered phase Ⅲ clinical trials. This review summarizes information from clinical trials involving key TB vaccine candidates under development in China and abroad. It highlights six candidates that are most promising for marketing or inspiring future research and development, analyzes the current difficulties in the research and development of novel TB vaccines, and provides an outlook for the future.

This study aims to describe the population and regional distribution characteristics of smoking behavior among adult twins in the China Twin Registry (CNTR), as well as the concordance rates for smoking behavior in monozygotic and dizygotic twins, and estimate the heritability. The study population included adult twins in CNTR who had smoking questionnaire data. A random-effects regression model was used to describe the distribution of smoking behavior among different subgroups based on various characteristics. The concordance of smoking behavior between different zygosity groups was calculated, and heritability was estimated. A total of 28 444 twin pairs were included in this study, with an average age of (36.6±12.0) years. Among male twins, 41.2% were current smokers, while only 1.2% of females smoked. Higher smoking rates were observed among male smokers in the 50-59 age group ( z=23.0, P<0.001), northern regions ( z=2.9, P<0.01), rural areas ( z=-5.2, P<0.001), those who were divorced/widowed ( z=3.8, P<0.001), and first-born twins ( z=-4.3, P<0.001), while lower smoking rates were found in those with higher education ( z=-16.1, P<0.001) and unmarried individuals ( z=-16.0, P<0.001). The smoking concordance rate for male monozygotic twins was 69.6%, significantly higher than the 57.3% concordance rate for dizygotic twins ( χ 2=105.0, P<0.05). The heritability of smoking behavior in male twins was estimated at 28.9% (95% CI: 24.3%-33.4%). Stratified analyses showed differences in heritability across regions and age groups: the heritability in northern regions was 32.6% (95% CI: 27.3%-38.0%), higher than the 21.0% (95% CI: 12.4%-29.5%) observed in southern regions; the highest heritability of 35.1% (95% CI: 26.3%-43.9%) was found in the 18-29 age group, with heritability decreasing with age. In conclusion, the smoking rate and influencing factors in the twin population are similar to those in the general population, with unique characteristics, such as higher smoking rates in first-born twins. Genetic factors have a significant impact on smoking behavior.

[Purpose]To analyze the trends of disease burden for lung cancer worldwide and in China from 1990 to 2021.[Methods]Data of the disease burden of lung cancer and population demographics in 1990 and 2021 stratified by sex and age groups for global,five SDI quintiles re-gions,and eight countries including China,Japan,Republic of Korea,United Kingdom,France,United States,Canada,and Australia were extracted from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021(GBD 2021)database.The age-standardized mortality rate(ASMR)and age-standard-ized disability-adjusted life year rate(ASDR)of lung cancer attributable to 7 level-3 risk factors in China for 1990 and 2021 were also extracted.Counterfactual analysis was used to decompose changes in lung cancer deaths and DALY from 1990 to 2021 into four contributing factors:popu-lation size,population structure,age-standardized incidence or prevalence,and lung cancer case fatality or disease severity.The percentage changes in lung cancer deaths and DALY attributed to these four factors were calculated respectively.[Results]In 2021,there were 934 704 new cases and 814 364 deaths of lung cancer in China.From 1990 to 2021,the incidence,preva-lence,mortality,and DALY rates of lung cancer in China increased faster than those worldwide and in high-middle SDI regions,which was similar to Japan and Republic of Korea.In contrast,the mortality rates of lung cancer decreased in United States and United Kingdom;and the DALY rates of lung cancer decreased in United States,United Kingdom,Canada and Australia.From 1990 to 2021,the age-related lung cancer deaths and DALY in China increased by 193.91％and 146.20％,respectively.The primary contributor to the increase in lung cancer deaths was population aging(102.82％)among men and rising age-standardized incidence(119.00％)among women,while the primary contributor to the increase in DALY was rising age-standardized prevalence for both men(153.12％)and women(218.77％).In 2021,the top three risk factors contributing to lung cancer ASMR and ASDR in China were smoking,particulate matter pollution and occupational carcinogen exposure.Compared with 1990,the ASMR of lung cancer and its proportion at-tributable to particulate matter pollution and low dietary fruits were decreased,while the propor-tions in ASDR of lung cancer attributable to smoking and secondhand smoke increased.[Conclu-sion]Lung cancer is a major public health challenge in China.Compared with worldwide,high-middle SDI regions and certain developed countries,China has experienced faster growth in the incidence,prevalence,mortality and DALY of lung cancer,especially among women.To reduce disease burden,sustained efforts on lung cancer prevention and control are urgently required in China.