Circular RNAs (circRNAs) represent a distinct group of RNA molecules produced through back-splicing of precursor mRNAs. Their covalently closed structure, which lacks both a 5′ cap and a poly(A) tail, renders them highly resistant to exonucleolytic degradation and contributes to their remarkable intracellular stability. Although circRNAs were historically viewed as noncoding transcripts, accumulating evidence indicates that certain circRNAs can undergo translation under appropriate molecular contexts. Two major modes of noncanonical translation have been described so far: initiation mediated by internal ribosome entry sites (IRESs) and translation triggered by N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification. Recent studies have revealed that, beyond their canonical classification as non-coding RNAs, circRNAs can give rise to functional peptides through cap-independent translational mechanisms. Accumulating evidence indicates that circRNA-encoded peptides participate in key biological processes during tumor initiation and progression by modulating tumor-associated signaling pathways and protein-protein interaction networks. Functionally, these peptides may promote tumor cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition, while others exert tumor-suppressive effects by inhibiting oncogenic signaling pathways or interfering with critical protein interactions. Their dual and context-dependent functions highlight the complexity of circRNA-mediated regulation and suggest that these translation products participate in multiple layers of tumor initiation and progression. In this review, we synthesize current knowledge regarding the molecular mechanisms that enable circRNAs to be translated, with particular attention to IRES-driven initiation, m6A-dependent regulation, ribosome accessibility, and the structural determinants required for translation competence. We further summarize well-characterized circRNA-encoded peptides and discuss how they influence tumor-associated signaling networks. In addition, we examine the potential translational applications of these peptides, including their value as diagnostic indicators, prognostic markers, or therapeutic entry points. Their inherent sequence stability, relative expression specificity, and detectability in clinical specimens make circRNA-derived peptides promising candidates for future biomarker and therapeutic development. Overall, circRNA translation research is reshaping our understanding of RNA function and offers new perspectives for studying tumor biology. We propose that expanding investigations into circRNA-encoded peptides will not only improve the mechanistic resolution of cancer research but may also pave the way for innovative strategies in precision oncology, including RNA-based therapeutics and peptide-targeting interventions.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) represent a distinct group of RNA molecules produced through back-splicing of precursor mRNAs. Their covalently closed structure, which lacks both a 5′ cap and a poly(A) tail, renders them highly resistant to exonucleolytic degradation and contributes to their remarkable intracellular stability. Although circRNAs were historically viewed as noncoding transcripts, accumulating evidence indicates that certain circRNAs can undergo translation under appropriate molecular contexts. Two major modes of noncanonical translation have been described so far: initiation mediated by internal ribosome entry sites (IRESs) and translation triggered by N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification. Recent studies have revealed that, beyond their canonical classification as non-coding RNAs, circRNAs can give rise to functional peptides through cap-independent translational mechanisms. Accumulating evidence indicates that circRNA-encoded peptides participate in key biological processes during tumor initiation and progression by modulating tumor-associated signaling pathways and protein-protein interaction networks. Functionally, these peptides may promote tumor cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition, while others exert tumor-suppressive effects by inhibiting oncogenic signaling pathways or interfering with critical protein interactions. Their dual and context-dependent functions highlight the complexity of circRNA-mediated regulation and suggest that these translation products participate in multiple layers of tumor initiation and progression. In this review, we synthesize current knowledge regarding the molecular mechanisms that enable circRNAs to be translated, with particular attention to IRES-driven initiation, m6A-dependent regulation, ribosome accessibility, and the structural determinants required for translation competence. We further summarize well-characterized circRNA-encoded peptides and discuss how they influence tumor-associated signaling networks. In addition, we examine the potential translational applications of these peptides, including their value as diagnostic indicators, prognostic markers, or therapeutic entry points. Their inherent sequence stability, relative expression specificity, and detectability in clinical specimens make circRNA-derived peptides promising candidates for future biomarker and therapeutic development. Overall, circRNA translation research is reshaping our understanding of RNA function and offers new perspectives for studying tumor biology. We propose that expanding investigations into circRNA-encoded peptides will not only improve the mechanistic resolution of cancer research but may also pave the way for innovative strategies in precision oncology, including RNA-based therapeutics and peptide-targeting interventions.

Purpose: Metastatic rectal cancer (mRC) is a highly lethal and complex disease that demands a multidisciplinary treatment approach. However, the clinical effectiveness of radiotherapy (RT) for de novo mRC remains controversial and uncertain. Methods: This retrospective cohort study examined medical records from Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital for patients with histologically confirmed de novo mRC diagnosed between January 2015 and December 2020. All patients received standard systemic therapy and radical surgery when feasible. The primary outcome, overall survival (OS), was assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Multivariable analysis was performed using a Cox regression model. Results: Among 271 patients included in the analysis, 117 received RT and 154 did not. The median OS was significantly longer in the RT group compared with the non-RT group (27.8 months vs. 21.9 months; P=0.046). Multivariate analysis identified several independent predictors of OS: age ≥65 years (hazard ratio [HR], 1.69; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.26–2.27; P=0.001), primary tumor resection (HR, 2.62; 95% CI, 1.90–3.61; P<0.001), M1b or M1c disease (HR, 1.97; 95% CI, 1.44–2.69; P<0.001), and receipt of RT (HR, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.02–1.94; P=0.036). Conclusion RT significantly improves OS in patients with mRC, underscoring its role in treatment strategies. These findings support its inclusion in therapeutic protocols and highlight the need for larger, multicenter trials to confirm and extend these results.

This consensus focuses on the clinical application of domestic ultra-high-definition (UHD) medical endoscopes in cardiovascular surgery, addressing their clinical value, key technical aspects, and strategies for broader implementation. It traces the evolution of domestic endoscopic platforms from high-resolution imaging toward integrated advanced functionalities such as fluorescence imaging, three-dimensional visualization, and intelligent assistance. The document outlines standardized procedural steps and perioperative management pathways for minimally invasive endoscopic cardiovascular surgery and summarizes specific application scenarios and technical considerations in congenital heart disease, valvular disorders, coronary artery disease, arrhythmias, and cardiac tumors. Furthermore, recommendations are provided regarding professional training, multicenter collaboration, the establishment of clinical evaluation systems, and coordinated policy-industry support to promote standardized adoption and high-quality dissemination of domestic medical devices. Based on available evidence and expert agreement, 16 consensus statements are presented, aiming to offer authoritative and actionable guidance for clinical practice.

In proton therapy,prompt gamma-ray imaging is considered as one of the most promising methods for assessing proton beam range.Prompt gamma-ray imaging detector evaluates the proton beam range based on the prompt gamma-ray distribution obtained by the prompt gamma-ray imaging system,which enables high-precision measurement of the proton beam range.Herein a proton beam range verification algorithm is designed for the newly developed prototype of the range verification detector(pixelated prompt gamma-ray imaging detector),which verifies the range estimation accuracy of the prototype for different phantoms and different energies of homogeneous media through Monte Carlo simulation.The results show that the accuracy of the proton beam range verification algorithm is within 0.5 mm of the safety margin error of the Bragg peak,and the measurement accuracy is significantly improved with the increase of the number of protons,indicating that the prototype algorithm is feasible for proton beam range verification.

Objective:To investigate the association of serum levels of myoglobin(Myo)and reticulocyte(Ret)with cardiac function class in patients with chronic heart failure(CHF).Methods:A total of 106 CHF patients treated in First Rongjun Special Care Hospital of Hebei Province between February 2020 and February 2024 were retrospec-tively selected as the observation group.According to New York Heart Association(NYHA)cardiac function class,patients were divided into class Ⅱ group(n=61)and class Ⅲ～Ⅳ group(n=45),and 107 healthy people with nor-mal physical examination results were selected from our hospital simultaneously as control group.The Myo and Ret levels were compared between control group and observation group,class Ⅱ group and class Ⅲ～Ⅳ group.Spearman correlation analysis was used to analyze the association of Myo and Ret levels with NYHA class in CHF patients.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to analyze the diagnostic value of Myo,Ret and their combined detection for NYHA class Ⅲ～Ⅳ in CHF patients.Results:Compared to participants in the control group,those in the observation group had significant higher Myo level[(50.42±9.98)μg/ml vs.(35.22±5.36)μg/ml]and significant lower Ret level[(2.24±0.68)％vs.(2.91±0.61)％](P＜0.001 all).Compared to those in class Ⅱ group,those in class Ⅲ～Ⅳ group had significant higher Myo level[(60.77±5.94)μg/ml vs.(42.79±2.97)μg/ml]and significant lower Ret level[(1.73±0.31)％vs.(2.62±0.62)％](P＜0.001 all).Spearman correlation analysis showed that Myo(r=0.654)was positively correlated with NYHA cardiac function class in CHF patients,while Ret(r=-0.589)was inversely correlated with it(P＜0.001 all).ROC analysis showed that a combination of Myo and Ret had significant higher predictive efficacy(AUC=0.926,95％CI 0.858～0.968)for NYH A class Ⅲ～Ⅳ in CHF patients than Myo(AUC=0.804,95％CI 0.716～0.875)and Ret(AUC=0.701,95％CI 0.604～0.786)alone(Z=2.745,4.183,P＜0.01 both).Conclusion:Our study showed that Myo and Ret levels were significantly correlated with NYHA class in CHF patients.Moreover,a combination of Myo and Ret levels showed better diagnostic value for NYHA class Ⅲ～Ⅳ in this population.

Objective To establish a high-throughput non-targeted screening and prioritization method for emerging pollutants(EPs)in sewage using direct injection high-resolution mass spectrometry(HRMS).Methods The sewage samples were filtered by membrane filter and directly subjected to the liquid chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometer based on a method modified from our previous study.A C18 chromatographic column was applied for a gradient elution separation,and accurate mass and mass spectral fragment information were obtained through the MS full scan mode and MS/MS DIA data collection mode.After peak detection and alignment,the features from the raw data through open source software MZmine 3,and then high-throughput screening strategies such as MassBank and PubChem databases were used for compound annotation.Finally,the candidate features were confirmed with chemical standards by compared their retention time and mass spectrum fragmentation ion peaks.Results 13 EPs were identified,including 7 industrial chemicals,4 pharmaceuticals,1 pesticide and 1 metabolite.High detection rates were observed for metformin(86.2％),2-hydroxybenzothiazole(79.3％),1,2-benzisothiazole-3-one(72.4％),and 1,2-benzisothiazole-3-one(72.4％).The quantitative concentration range of EPs was 1.37～19.05 ng/mL,with the high concentrations observed for melamine(19.05 ng/mL)and furosemide(18.49 ng/mL).Ecological risk assessment identified 1,2-benzisothiazol-3-one,4-aminoacetophenone,creatinine,2-hydroxybenzothiazole,and furosemide as key pollutants.Conclusion This direct injection coupled with HRMS workflow enables efficient non-targeted screening and prioritization of emerging EPs in sewage samples,highlighting five ecotoxicologically critical EPs.The methodology enhances environmental monitoring capabilities and provide critical technical support for interdisciplinary research such as environmental forensics and health risk assessment.

Objective:To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of cases involving monkey injuries at medical institutions surrounding Qianlingshan Park in Guiyang City, and to provide a reference basis for preventive measures to reduce monkey injuries and standardized post-exposure treatment.Methods:A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted, collecting 1 900 cases of monkey-induced injuries in Qianlingshan Park treated at the outpatient clinic of Guizhou Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Surgery at Qianling Hospital, Guiyang City, from 2021 to 2024. Statistical analysis was performed using Pearson′s chi-square test.Results:Total of 1 900 cases of monkey-related injuries in Qianlingshan Park were collected from 2021 to 2024. The exposure time distribution exhibited significant seasonality, with 48.58% of cases occurring during July and August, totaling 923 cases, indicating a peak in the summer. There were 774 male patients and 1 126 female patients, with a ratio of 1∶1.45.and significant differences were observed between different age groups and genders (χ2=195.00, P<0.001), with the highest number of cases occurring in the 0-9 and 20-29 age groups, accounting for 22.05%(419 cases) and 21.79%(414 cases), respectively. The upper limbs were the most common injury site, accounting for 50.84% of the total cases(966 cases in total), with significant differences between gender and injury location (χ2=22.00, P<0.001), Among females, the proportion of injuries to the upper and lower limbs (30.11% and 16.47%, respectively) was higher than that among males (20.74% and 8.63%, respectively). The majority of injuries were classified as Grade Ⅲ, making up 57.38% of cases(1 069 cases in total). Self-treatment after exposure was the most common approach(60.44%), with significant differences observed between wound severity and treatment method (χ2=6.90, P=0.032), Patients with Grade Ⅱ and Grade Ⅲ wounds were more likely to choose self-management (26.84% and 33.23%, respectively) than outpatient management (15.14% and 24.15%). Approximately 98.05% (1 863 cases) of monkey-injured patients had received rabies vaccinations. Conclusions:This study analyzes monkey-related injuries in Qianlingshan Park from 2021 to 2024, clarifying the temporal distribution of injuries, demographic characteristics, injury sites, and treatment methods. The findings provide references for optimizing human-monkey conflict management and the prevention and control of zoonotic diseases in urban ecological parks.

Objective To establish a high-throughput non-targeted screening and prioritization method for emerging pollutants(EPs)in sewage using direct injection high-resolution mass spectrometry(HRMS).Methods The sewage samples were filtered by membrane filter and directly subjected to the liquid chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometer based on a method modified from our previous study.A C18 chromatographic column was applied for a gradient elution separation,and accurate mass and mass spectral fragment information were obtained through the MS full scan mode and MS/MS DIA data collection mode.After peak detection and alignment,the features from the raw data through open source software MZmine 3,and then high-throughput screening strategies such as MassBank and PubChem databases were used for compound annotation.Finally,the candidate features were confirmed with chemical standards by compared their retention time and mass spectrum fragmentation ion peaks.Results 13 EPs were identified,including 7 industrial chemicals,4 pharmaceuticals,1 pesticide and 1 metabolite.High detection rates were observed for metformin(86.2％),2-hydroxybenzothiazole(79.3％),1,2-benzisothiazole-3-one(72.4％),and 1,2-benzisothiazole-3-one(72.4％).The quantitative concentration range of EPs was 1.37～19.05 ng/mL,with the high concentrations observed for melamine(19.05 ng/mL)and furosemide(18.49 ng/mL).Ecological risk assessment identified 1,2-benzisothiazol-3-one,4-aminoacetophenone,creatinine,2-hydroxybenzothiazole,and furosemide as key pollutants.Conclusion This direct injection coupled with HRMS workflow enables efficient non-targeted screening and prioritization of emerging EPs in sewage samples,highlighting five ecotoxicologically critical EPs.The methodology enhances environmental monitoring capabilities and provide critical technical support for interdisciplinary research such as environmental forensics and health risk assessment.

Objective:To investigate the association of serum levels of myoglobin(Myo)and reticulocyte(Ret)with cardiac function class in patients with chronic heart failure(CHF).Methods:A total of 106 CHF patients treated in First Rongjun Special Care Hospital of Hebei Province between February 2020 and February 2024 were retrospec-tively selected as the observation group.According to New York Heart Association(NYHA)cardiac function class,patients were divided into class Ⅱ group(n=61)and class Ⅲ～Ⅳ group(n=45),and 107 healthy people with nor-mal physical examination results were selected from our hospital simultaneously as control group.The Myo and Ret levels were compared between control group and observation group,class Ⅱ group and class Ⅲ～Ⅳ group.Spearman correlation analysis was used to analyze the association of Myo and Ret levels with NYHA class in CHF patients.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to analyze the diagnostic value of Myo,Ret and their combined detection for NYHA class Ⅲ～Ⅳ in CHF patients.Results:Compared to participants in the control group,those in the observation group had significant higher Myo level[(50.42±9.98)μg/ml vs.(35.22±5.36)μg/ml]and significant lower Ret level[(2.24±0.68)％vs.(2.91±0.61)％](P＜0.001 all).Compared to those in class Ⅱ group,those in class Ⅲ～Ⅳ group had significant higher Myo level[(60.77±5.94)μg/ml vs.(42.79±2.97)μg/ml]and significant lower Ret level[(1.73±0.31)％vs.(2.62±0.62)％](P＜0.001 all).Spearman correlation analysis showed that Myo(r=0.654)was positively correlated with NYHA cardiac function class in CHF patients,while Ret(r=-0.589)was inversely correlated with it(P＜0.001 all).ROC analysis showed that a combination of Myo and Ret had significant higher predictive efficacy(AUC=0.926,95％CI 0.858～0.968)for NYH A class Ⅲ～Ⅳ in CHF patients than Myo(AUC=0.804,95％CI 0.716～0.875)and Ret(AUC=0.701,95％CI 0.604～0.786)alone(Z=2.745,4.183,P＜0.01 both).Conclusion:Our study showed that Myo and Ret levels were significantly correlated with NYHA class in CHF patients.Moreover,a combination of Myo and Ret levels showed better diagnostic value for NYHA class Ⅲ～Ⅳ in this population.