Objectives: . The prognostic value of the pretreatment albumin-to-alkaline phosphatase ratio (AAPR) in head and neck cancer (HNC) remains uncertain. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the predictive role of AAPR for survival outcomes in patients with HNC. Methods: . A comprehensive search of the Cochrane Library, PubMed, and Embase databases was conducted to identify relevant studies published up to July 30, 2024. We included studies on AAPR and survival outcomes in HNC patients. Results: . Eight studies comprising 1,737 HNC patients were analyzed using random-effects models. Lower AAPR values were significantly correlated with worse overall survival (hazard ratio [HR], 2.08), progression-free survival (HR, 2.00), and disease-free survival (HR, 2.18). Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of these results, with no significant publication bias detected. Conclusion . Our findings suggest that pretreatment AAPR could serve as a valuable and cost-effective prognostic indicator in HNC, potentially aiding clinicians in risk stratification and treatment decision-making. However, additional validation studies are warranted to confirm its clinical applicability.

In March 2024, three male and two female specimens of the genus Lispe were intercepted on cargo ships inbound for Wan Zai Port under Gongbei Customs. Based on morphological characteristics and molecular analysis, the specimens were identified as Lispe pumila. In this study, we describe the morphological features, diagnostic characteristics, and geographical distribution of L. pumila, with the aim of providing a reference for the identification of this species when intercepted at ports.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effectiveness and safety of coblopasvir hydrochloride combined with sofosbuvir （CLP/SOF） in the treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis C （CHC） and those with genotype 3b in terms of virologic response rate， changes in liver and renal function parameters， and adverse events， and to provide a reference for clinical diagnosis and treatment. MethodsThe patients with CHC who were admitted to Maanshan Fourth People’s Hospital from March 1， 2023 to July 31， 2024 were enrolled and treated with CLP/SOF for a course of 12 weeks. Follow-up assessments were conducted at weeks 4， 8， and 12 of treatment and at 12 weeks after the end of treatment， and related data were collected， including HCV RNA， routine blood test results， and liver and renal function parameters. Sustained virologic response at 12 weeks after treatment （SVR12） and safety profile were evaluated. The Friedman test was used for comparison of liver and renal function parameters， routine blood test results， and liver fibrosis score at different time points. ResultsA total of 107 CHC patients treated with CLP/SOF were enrolled， with an age of 22 — 92 years， and there were 55 male patients. The predominant genotypes were 1b （46.73%） and 3b （28.97%）. Comorbidities mainly included liver cirrhosis （15 patients）， fatty liver disease （27 patients）， syphilis （15 patients）， HBV infection （8 patients）， and HIV infection （2 patients）. The overall SVR12 rate was 100% （107/107）， with an SVR12 rate of 100% for subgroups with different genotypes and those with liver cirrhosis， fatty liver disease， syphilis， HBV infection， or HIV infection. The patients with HCV genotype 3b comorbid with liver cirrhosis， fatty liver disease， syphilis， HBV infection， hypertension or diabetes also achieved an SVR12 rate of 100%. After CLP/SOF treatment， the patients showed significant reductions in the levels of the liver function parameters alanine aminotransferase， aspartate aminotransferase， total bilirubin， and hemoglobin （all P<0.001） and significant reductions in the liver fibrosis scores fibrosis-4 and aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index （both P<0.001）. The median creatinine level was 66 μmol/L before treatment， which decreased to 52 μmol/L at week 12 of treatment （P<0.001）. No adverse events were reported. ConclusionPatients with CHC achieve a high SVR12 rate and significant improvements in liver function parameters and liver fibrosis markers after treatment with the CLP/SOF regimen， and this regimen has no significant impact on renal function and shows a favorable safety profile. Therefore， it holds promise for clinical application.

Purpose: Zinc finger protein 639 (ZNF639) is often found within the overlapping amplicon of PIK3CA, and previous studies suggest its involvement in the pathogenesis of esophageal and oral squamous cell carcinomas. However, its expression and significance in breast cancer remain uncharacterized. Methods: Immunohistochemical analysis of ZNF639 was performed using tissue microarrays.Functional studies, including colony formation, Transwell cell migration, and in vivo metastasis, were conducted on breast tumor cells with ZNF639 knockdown via small interfering RNA transfection. Results: Reduced ZNF639 immunoreactivity was observed in 82% of the breast cancer samples, independent of hormone receptor and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 status. In multivariate Cox regression analyses, ZNF639 expression was associated with favorable survival outcomes, including recurrence-free survival (hazard ratio, 0.35; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.14–0.89) and overall survival (hazard ratio, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.16– 1.05). ZNF639 knockdown increased clonogenicity, cell motility, and lung metastasis in NOD/ SCID mice. Following the ZNF639 knockdown, the expression of Snail1, vimentin, and C-C chemokine ligand 20 (CCL20) was upregulated, and the changes in cell phenotype mediated by ZNF639 were reversed by the subsequent knockdown of CCL20. Conclusion Low ZNF639 expression is a novel prognostic factor for recurrence-free survival in patients with breast cancer.

Purpose: Zinc finger protein 639 (ZNF639) is often found within the overlapping amplicon of PIK3CA, and previous studies suggest its involvement in the pathogenesis of esophageal and oral squamous cell carcinomas. However, its expression and significance in breast cancer remain uncharacterized. Methods: Immunohistochemical analysis of ZNF639 was performed using tissue microarrays.Functional studies, including colony formation, Transwell cell migration, and in vivo metastasis, were conducted on breast tumor cells with ZNF639 knockdown via small interfering RNA transfection. Results: Reduced ZNF639 immunoreactivity was observed in 82% of the breast cancer samples, independent of hormone receptor and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 status. In multivariate Cox regression analyses, ZNF639 expression was associated with favorable survival outcomes, including recurrence-free survival (hazard ratio, 0.35; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.14–0.89) and overall survival (hazard ratio, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.16– 1.05). ZNF639 knockdown increased clonogenicity, cell motility, and lung metastasis in NOD/ SCID mice. Following the ZNF639 knockdown, the expression of Snail1, vimentin, and C-C chemokine ligand 20 (CCL20) was upregulated, and the changes in cell phenotype mediated by ZNF639 were reversed by the subsequent knockdown of CCL20. Conclusion Low ZNF639 expression is a novel prognostic factor for recurrence-free survival in patients with breast cancer.

Purpose: Zinc finger protein 639 (ZNF639) is often found within the overlapping amplicon of PIK3CA, and previous studies suggest its involvement in the pathogenesis of esophageal and oral squamous cell carcinomas. However, its expression and significance in breast cancer remain uncharacterized. Methods: Immunohistochemical analysis of ZNF639 was performed using tissue microarrays.Functional studies, including colony formation, Transwell cell migration, and in vivo metastasis, were conducted on breast tumor cells with ZNF639 knockdown via small interfering RNA transfection. Results: Reduced ZNF639 immunoreactivity was observed in 82% of the breast cancer samples, independent of hormone receptor and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 status. In multivariate Cox regression analyses, ZNF639 expression was associated with favorable survival outcomes, including recurrence-free survival (hazard ratio, 0.35; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.14–0.89) and overall survival (hazard ratio, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.16– 1.05). ZNF639 knockdown increased clonogenicity, cell motility, and lung metastasis in NOD/ SCID mice. Following the ZNF639 knockdown, the expression of Snail1, vimentin, and C-C chemokine ligand 20 (CCL20) was upregulated, and the changes in cell phenotype mediated by ZNF639 were reversed by the subsequent knockdown of CCL20. Conclusion Low ZNF639 expression is a novel prognostic factor for recurrence-free survival in patients with breast cancer.

Objective:To understand the incidence trend of brucellosis over time in Shandong Province from 2004 to 2023, and provide evidence for the prevention and control of brucellosis.Methods:The incidence data of brucellosis in Shandong from 2004 to 2023 were collected from China Disease Prevention and Control Information System. The annual change percentage (APC) and annual average change percentage (AAPC) of the incidence rate were calculated by using Joinpoint regression model. A age-period-cohort model was used to analyze changes in brucellosis incidence with age, period, and birth cohort.Results:The average annual incidence of brucellosis was 1.76/100 000 in Shandong from 2004 to 2023. The Joinpoint regression analysis results showed that the reported incidence of brucellosis increased by an average of 92.0% and 18.9% each year from 2004 to 2010 and from 2010 to 2014, respectively, and decreased by an average of 0.2% each year from 2014 to 2023. The results of APC model showed that the incidence of brucellosis increased first and then decreased with age ( χ2=176.92, P<0.001), and incidence of brucellosis showed slow increase and rapid increase first, then decrease ( χ2=2 921.03, P<0.001) over time. The risk for brucellosis reached peak in 2016 ( RR=5.29, 95% CI: 4.96-5.65) and became the lowest in 2006 ( RR=0.24, 95% CI: 0.21-0.28). The incidence increased in later birth cohort ( χ2=348.88, P<0.001), the AAPCs of all the age groups were between 15.0% and 40.0%, and the older the age, the greater the risk ( χ2=348.77, P<0.001). Conclusions:From 2004 to 2023, the reported incidence of brucellosis in Shandong showed a significant age-period-cohort effect, which increased first and then decreased, first increased and then decreased with age, increased slowly and rapidly first, then decreased over time, and increased in later birth cohort. It is necessary to conduct targeted prevention and control, health education to reduce the risk for brucellosis.

With the rapid development of generative artificial intelligence(GAI)technologies,their widespread application in academic research and writing is continuously expanding the boundaries of sci-entific inquiry.However,this trend has also raised a series of ethical and regulatory challenges,inclu-ding issues related to authorship,content authenticity,citation accuracy,and accountability.In light of the growing involvement of AI in generating academic content,establishing an open,controllable,and trustworthy ethical governance framework has become a key task for safeguarding research integrity and maintaining trust within the academic community.This expert consensus outlines ethical requirements across key stages of AI-assisted academic writing-including topic selection,data management,citation practices,and authorship attribution.It aims to clarify the boundaries and ethical obligations surrounding AI use in academic writing,ensuring that technological tools enhance efficiency without compromising in-tegrity.The goal is to provide guidance and institutional support for building a responsible and sustainable research ecosystem.

Objective:To understand the incidence trend of brucellosis over time in Shandong Province from 2004 to 2023, and provide evidence for the prevention and control of brucellosis.Methods:The incidence data of brucellosis in Shandong from 2004 to 2023 were collected from China Disease Prevention and Control Information System. The annual change percentage (APC) and annual average change percentage (AAPC) of the incidence rate were calculated by using Joinpoint regression model. A age-period-cohort model was used to analyze changes in brucellosis incidence with age, period, and birth cohort.Results:The average annual incidence of brucellosis was 1.76/100 000 in Shandong from 2004 to 2023. The Joinpoint regression analysis results showed that the reported incidence of brucellosis increased by an average of 92.0% and 18.9% each year from 2004 to 2010 and from 2010 to 2014, respectively, and decreased by an average of 0.2% each year from 2014 to 2023. The results of APC model showed that the incidence of brucellosis increased first and then decreased with age ( χ2=176.92, P<0.001), and incidence of brucellosis showed slow increase and rapid increase first, then decrease ( χ2=2 921.03, P<0.001) over time. The risk for brucellosis reached peak in 2016 ( RR=5.29, 95% CI: 4.96-5.65) and became the lowest in 2006 ( RR=0.24, 95% CI: 0.21-0.28). The incidence increased in later birth cohort ( χ2=348.88, P<0.001), the AAPCs of all the age groups were between 15.0% and 40.0%, and the older the age, the greater the risk ( χ2=348.77, P<0.001). Conclusions:From 2004 to 2023, the reported incidence of brucellosis in Shandong showed a significant age-period-cohort effect, which increased first and then decreased, first increased and then decreased with age, increased slowly and rapidly first, then decreased over time, and increased in later birth cohort. It is necessary to conduct targeted prevention and control, health education to reduce the risk for brucellosis.