Objective: To investigate the trends in incidence and mortality of esophageal cancer in cancer registration areas of Anhui Province from 2014 to 2020, so as to provide the basis for formulating prevention and control measures. Methods: The incidence and mortality data of esophageal cancer in Anhui Province from 2014 to 2020 was collected through the Cancer Registry in Anhui Province. The crude incidence and crude mortality were calculated. The Chinese population-standardized rate was standardized using the age structure of the standard population from the Fifth National Population Census in 2000. The trends in incidence and mortality of esophageal cancer were analyzed using the average annual percent change (APPC), stratified by genders, urban/rural areas, and ages. Results: In Anhui Province, the rank of esophageal cancer incidence dropped from the third in 2014 to the sixth in 2020. Concurrently, the crude incidence and Chinese population-standardized incidence declined from 28.74/100 000 and 20.74/100 000 to 19.23/100 000 and 10.59/100 000, respectively (AAPC=-5.846%, -9.658%, both P<0.05). The mortality rank remained stable at the fourth in 2014 and 2020, while the crude mortality and Chinese population-standardized mortality decreased from 19.96/100 000 and 14.09/100 000 to 16.00/100 000 and 8.41/100 000, respectively (AAPC=-3.542%, -7.784%, both P<0.05). The Chinese population-standardized incidence (AAPC=-9.682%, -9.188%, -6.175% and -12.575%, all P<0.05) and Chinese population-standardized mortality (AAPC=-7.734%. -7.447%. -5.366% and -10.209%, all P<0.05) showed declining trends in males, females, urban, and rural areas, respectively. From 2014 to 2020 in Anhui Province, the crude incidence and mortality of esophageal cancer generally increased with age. However, significant declining trends were observed in crude incidence (AAPC=-12.779%, -11.701%, -11.955% and -5.751%, all P<0.05) and crude mortality (AAPC=-12.255%, -11.120%, -10.985% and -5.751%, all P<0.05) for the age groups of 40-<50, 50-<60, 60-<70, 70-<80 years. A significant declining trend in crude incidence was also seen in the ≥80 years group (APPC=-6.334%, P<0.05), but the trend in crude mortality was no statistically significant (P>0.05). Conclusion In registration areas of Anhui Province, the incidence and mortality of esophageal cancer exhibited a declining trend from 2014 to 2020, calling for focused attention on the middle-aged and elderly population and enhanced health behaviors such as tobacco and alcohol control.

Addressing the enduring challenge of evaluating traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs), the integrated evidence chain-based effectiveness evaluation of TCMs (Eff-iEC) has emerged. This paper explored its capacity through a demonstration study that evaluated the effectiveness evidence of six commonly used anti-hepatic fibrosis Chinese patent medicines (CPMs), including Biejiajian Pill (BP), Dahuang Zhechong Pill (DZP), Biejia Ruangan Compound (BRC), Fuzheng Huayu Capsule (FHC), Anluo Huaxian Pill (AHP), and Heluo Shugan Capsule (HSC), using both Eff-iEC and the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) system. The recognition of these CPMs within the TCM academic community was also assessed through their inclusion in relevant medical documents. Results showed that the evidence of BRC and FHC received higher assessments in both Eff-iEC and GRADE system, while the assessments for others varied. Analysis of community recognition revealed that Eff-iEC more accurately reflects the clinical value of these CPMs, exhibiting superior evaluative capabilities. By breaking through the conventional pattern of TCMs effectiveness evaluation, Eff-iEC offers a novel epistemology that better aligns with the clinical realities and reasoning of TCMs, providing a coherent methodology for clinical decision-making, new drug evaluations, and health policy formulation.

The translocator protein (TSPO) positron emission tomography (PET) can noninvasively detect neuroinflammation associated with epileptogenesis and epilepsy. This study explored the role of the TSPO-targeting radioligand [¹⁸F]F-TFQC, an m-trifluoromethyl ER176 analog, in the PET neuroimaging of epileptic rats. Initially, [¹⁸F]F-TFQC was synthesized with a radiochemical yield of 8%-10% (EOS), a radiochemical purity of over 99%, and a specific activity of 38.21 ± 1.73 MBq/nmol (EOS). After determining that [¹⁸F]F-TFQC exhibited good biochemical properties, [¹⁸F]F-TFQC PET neuroimaging was performed in epileptic rats at multiple time points in various stages of disease progression. PET imaging showed specific [¹⁸F]F-TFQC uptake in the right hippocampus (KA-injected site, i.e., epileptogenic zone), which was most pronounced at 1 week (T/NT 1.63 ± 0.21) and 1 month (T/NT 1.66 ± 0.20). The PET results were further validated using autoradiography and pathological analysis. Thus, [¹⁸F]F-TFQC can reflect the TSPO levels and localize the epileptogenic zone, thereby offering the potential for monitoring neuroinflammation and guiding anti-inflammatory treatment in patients with epilepsy.

Vascular damage plays a significant role in the onset and progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the precise molecular mechanisms underlying the induction of neuronal injury by vascular damage remain unclear. The present study aimed to examine the impact of fibrinogen (Fg) on tau pathology. The results showed that Fg deposits in the brains of tau P301S transgenic mice interact with tau, enhancing the cytotoxicity of pathological tau aggregates and promoting tau phosphorylation and aggregation. Notably, Fg-modified tau fibrils caused enhanced neuronal apoptosis and synaptic damage compared to unmodified fibrils. Furthermore, intrahippocampal injection of Fg-modified tau fibrils worsened the tau pathology, neuroinflammation, synaptic damage, neuronal apoptosis, and cognitive dysfunction in tau P301S mice compared to controls. The present study provides compelling evidence linking Fg and tau, thereby connecting cerebrovascular damage to tau pathology in AD. Consequently, inhibiting Fg-mediated tau pathology could potentially impede the progression of AD.
Animals ; tau Proteins/metabolism* ; Alzheimer Disease/metabolism* ; Fibrinogen/metabolism* ; Mice, Transgenic ; Mice ; Disease Models, Animal ; Memory Disorders/metabolism* ; Male ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Brain/metabolism* ; Hippocampus/metabolism* ; Protein Aggregation, Pathological/metabolism* ; Apoptosis ; Phosphorylation

Advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies are rapidly expanding the exploration of chemical space, facilitating innovative drug discovery. However, the transformation of novel compounds into safe and effective drugs remains a lengthy, high-risk, and costly process. Comprehensive early-stage evaluation is essential for reducing costs and improving the success rate of drug development. Despite this need, no comprehensive tool currently supports systematic evaluation and efficient screening. Here, we present druglikeFilter, a deep learning-based framework designed to assess drug-likeness across four critical dimensions: 1) physicochemical rule evaluated by systematic determination, 2) toxicity alert investigated from multiple perspectives, 3) binding affinity measured by dual-path analysis, and 4) compound synthesizability assessed by retro-route prediction. By enabling automated, multidimensional filtering of compound libraries, druglikeFilter not only streamlines the drug development process but also plays a crucial role in advancing research efforts towards viable drug candidates, which can be freely accessed at https://idrblab.org/drugfilter/.

Drug development encompasses multiple processes, wherein protein subcellular localization is essential. It promotes target identification, treatment development, and the design of drug delivery systems. In this research, a deep learning framework called LocPro is presented for predicting protein subcellular localization. Specifically, LocPro is unique in (a) combining protein representations from the pre-trained large language model (LLM) ESM2 and the expert-driven tool PROFEAT, (b) implementing a hybrid deep neural network architecture that integrates convolutional neural network (CNN), fully connected (FC) layer, and bidirectional long short-term memory (BiLSTM) blocks, and (c) developing a multi-label framework for predicting protein subcellular localization at multiple granularity levels. Additionally, a dataset was curated and divided using a homology-based strategy for training and validation. Comparative analyses show that LocPro outperforms existing methods in sequence-based multi-label protein subcellular localization prediction. The practical utility of this framework is further demonstrated through case studies on drug target subcellular localization. All in all, LocPro serves as a valuable complement to existing protein localization prediction tools. The web server is freely accessible at https://idrblab.org/LocPro/.

Objective:To investigate the relationship between the severity of pharyngolaryngeal sensory impairment and swallowing biomechanics as well as the risk of penetration-aspiration in patients with dysphagia following infratentorial stroke.Methods:This retrospective cross-sectional study enrolled 51 patients with dysphagia following infratentorial stroke hospitalized in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine of The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University between January 2022 and December 2023. Participants were categorized into three groups: normal sensation group [15 males, 2 females; age range 29-76 (56.0±13.3)years], diminished sensation group[16 males, 3 females; age range 38-80(62.0±11.8)years], and absent sensation group [14 males, 1 female; age range 44-75 (60.0±9.7)years]. All patients underwent laryngoscopy and videofluoroscopic swallowing study, which included pharyngolaryngeal sensory testing and Penetration-Aspiration Scale assessment. Swallowing temporal parameters were quantitatively analyzed. Group comparisons for different variable types were conducted using the Chi-square test, one-way ANOVA, and the Kruskal-Wallis test. The correlation between sensory groups and Penetration-Aspiration Scale scores was assessed using Spearman′s correlation analysis. Logistic regression was employed to analyze the impact of pharyngolaryngeal sensory function on penetration-aspiration events.Results:Among the 51 patients, 33.33% (17/51) had normal pharyngolaryngeal sensation, while, 66.67% (34/51) exhibited sensory impairment. The normal sensation group exhibited a significantly longer laryngeal vestibule closure (LVC) time [792 (643, 1 205) ms] compared to the diminished [528 (380, 776) ms] and absent sensation groups [380 (322, 404) ms] ( H=6.502, P=0.039). Additionally, the upper esophageal sphincter opening time was longer in the normal sensation group than in the absent sensation group [528 (371, 710) ms vs 182 (0, 710) ms, H=6.003, P=0.049]. Correlation analysis indicated a significant negative correlation between the severity of sensory impairment and Penetration-Aspiration Scale scores ( r=-0.366, P=0.008). Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that greater sensory impairment was an independent risk factor for penetration-aspiration ( OR=9.29, 95%CI=1.57-54.77, P=0.014). Conclusion:Pharyngolaryngeal sensory deficits are common after infratentorial stroke dysphagia and are significantly associated with impaired swallowing biomechanics and increased aspiration risk. The severity of sensory deficit is a key determinant of penetration-aspiration risk, highlighting its value in risk stratification and therapeutic decision-making for dysphagia.

[Purpose]To analyze cancer incidence and mortality in Anhui cancer registration areas in 2019 and the trends from 2015 to 2019.[Methods]Data from 42 cancer registration areas in Anhui Province in 2019 meeting quality control requirements were collected.The incidence,mor-tality,age-standardized rates by Chinese standard population and world standard population,age-specific rate,accumulation rate(0～74 years old)and the top 10 cancers of high incidence and mortality were calculated by urban and rural areas,sexes and age groups.The standard population of China in 2000 was used for age-standardized incidence or mortality rate(ASIRC or ASMRC),and the Segi world standard population was used for age-standardized incidence or mortality rate(ASIRW or ASMRW),respectively.Joinpoint was used to analyze the incidence and mortality trends from 2015 to 2019,and the annual percentage change(APC)was estimated.[Results]In 2019,the reported incidence rate(crude rate)in Anhui cancer registration areas was 282.87/105(313.24/105 for male,251.19/105 for female),ASIRC and ASIRW were 183.85/105 and 178.94/105,respectively,with the cumulative incidence rate of 20.35％.There was no significant change in the incidence of malignant tumors from 2015 to 2019(APC=-1.00％,P＞0.05).The reported mortality rate(crude rate)was 167.20/105(214.67/105 for male,117.67/105 for female),ASMRC and ASMRW were 98.41/105 and 97.15/105,and the cumulative mortality rate was 10.68％.There was no significant change in the mortality rate of malignant tumors from 2015 to 2019(APC=-3.44％,P＞0.05).The incidence and mortality rate of lung cancer ranked the first in urban and rural popu-lations of all genders.The incidence rate of female breast cancer ranked the third and the mortali-ty rate ranked the sixth of all malignancies.The incidence and mortality of malignant tumors in men were higher than those in women,and higher in rural areas than those in urban areas,and the main cancer types of rural and urban areas tended to be the same.[Conclusion]From 2015 to 2019,there was no significant change in the incidence and mortality of malignant tumors in the cancer registration areas of Anhui Province,but it is still necessary to prevent and treat lung can-cer and female breast cancer.

Objective To explore the potential categories of diet management ability in elderly patients suffering from diabetes and analyze the influencing factors of different potential categories,for the reference of clinical nurs-ing practice.Methods A convenient sampling method was used to select elderly patients suffering from diabetes with the risk of malnutrition treated in endocrinology departments in 2 tertiary hospitals in Zhenjiang City,Jiangsu Province from September 2023 to September 2024.General information questionnaire,Diabetes Diet Management Scale,Electronic Health Literacy Scale,Simple Disease Perception Scale and Perceived Social Support Scale were used for investigation.Results A total of 376 questionnaires were sent out,in which 349 were effectively collected with an effective questionnaire recovery rate of 92.8％.Totally 3 potential categories of diet management behavior were identified through the analysis of effective questionnaire,namely low self-management(24.9％),middle self-man-agement(45.9％)and high self-management(29.2％).Disease duration of diabetes,glycosylated hemoglobin level,Al-bumin level,E-health literacy,perceived family support level and disease perception level were the risk factors of diet management ability in elderly patients suffering from diabetes with the risk of malnutrition(P＜0.05).Conclusion There are significant category characteristics of diet management ability in elderly patients suffering from diabetes with the risk of malnutrition.Medical staff can formulate targeted clinical intervention measures to help patients im-prove their diet management ability according to different category characteristics.

Objective:To analyze the changes in the incidence trend of liver cancer in Taizhou of Jiangsu Province, from 2012 to 2020 and provide reference for tumor prevention and control and management.Methods:Liver cancer incidence data from 2012 to 2020 were extracted from the Taizhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention's tumor registry system. Demographic data were used to calculate the crude incidence rate, age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR), Chinese age-standardized incidence rate (CASIR; based on China's 2010 standard population), and world age-standardized incidence rate (WASIR; based on Segi's world standard population). The Joinpoint regression model was applied to identify inflection points in liver cancer incidence trends during 2012-2020, and annual percentage change (APC) with average annual percentage change (AAPC) were calculated.Results:In 2020, the crude incidence ratio (CIR) of liver cancer in Taizhou was 34.6 per 100 000, with CASIR and WASIR at 19.6 per 100 000 and 14.9 per 100 000, respectively. From 2012 to 2020, the male-to-female ratio of new liver cancer cases was 2.94∶1 (10 455 males vs. 3 559 females), with male incidence consistently higher than female. Overall liver cancer incidence in Taizhou initially increased and then decreased after 2017 (2012-2017: APC=6.4%, P=0.014; 2017-2020: APC=-9.5%, P=0.035), peaking at a CASIR of 26.2 per 100 000 in 2017. The trend in male incidence mirrored the overall pattern, rising before 2017 and declining thereafter (2012-2017: APC=6.2%, P=0.005; 2017-2020: APC=-9.0%, P=0.016). Female incidence remained relatively stable (2012-2016: APC=11.0%, P=0.054; 2016-2020: APC=-6.5%, P=0.130). Conclusions:Liver cancer incidence in Taizhou increased before 2017 and declined thereafter, with 2017 as the turning point. Amid population aging, liver cancer remains a persistent public health challenge requiring sustained attention.