Background::Liver cancer remains the sixth most commonly diagnosed cancer and the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, causing a heavy burden globally. An updated assessment of the global epidemiology of the liver cancer burden that addresses geographical disparities is necessary to better understand and promote healthcare delivery.Methods::Data were extracted from the GLOBOCAN 2022 database, including the number, crude, and age-standardized rates of incidence and mortality at the global, country, continent, and human development index (HDI) regional levels. Age-standardized rates (incidence and mortality) per 100,000 person-years were adjusted based on the Segi-Doll World standard population. The mortality-to-incidence ratios (MIR) for each region and country were calculated. The HDI and gross national income (GNI) for 2022 were obtained, and a Pearson correlation analysis was conducted with the incidence, mortality, and MIR.Results::In 2022, approximately 866,136 new liver cancer cases and 758,725 related deaths were recorded worldwide, with a global MIR of 0.86. Males had a disproportionately higher burden than females across all levels, and the highest burden was observed in the elderly population. Geographically, the regions with the highest incidence rates included Micronesia, Eastern Asia, and Northern Africa, and the regions with the highest mortality rates included Northern Africa, Southeastern Asia, Eastern Asia, and Micronesia. Notably, Mongolia had a strikingly high burden compared to other countries. The highest MIR was observed in North America and the lowest in Africa. Negative associations of HDI and GNI with liver cancer mortality and MIR were identified, irrespective of sex.Conclusions::The current liver cancer burden underscores the presence of remarkable geographic heterogeneity, which is particularly evident across countries with varying HDI levels, highlighting the urgent need to prioritize health accessibility and availability to achieve health inequities.

Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics, treatment, and outcomes of children with complete left bundle branch block (CLBBB) mediated by maternal autoantibodies.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on nine children diagnosed with maternal autoantibody-mediated CLBBB, treated at Beijing Anzhen Hospital and Fujian Provincial Hospital from March 2015 to August 2023. Their clinical characteristics, electrocardiographic and echocardiographic findings before and after treatment were reviewed. Paired sample t-test was used for inter-group comparison. Results:Among the mothers, 6 had positive antinuclear antibodies (ANA), 5 had anti-Sjogren syndrome antigen A antibodies, and 3 had anti-Ro-52 antibodies. The cohort included one female and eight male children, diagnosed with CLBBB at the age of 1 (2, 13) months. The positive autoantibodies in the infants, consisted with maternal antibodies, were detected within the first 3 months of life among 3 cases. Treatments included anti-heart failure therapy, myocardial nutritional support, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) and glucocorticoids. Before treatment, the levels of troponin I (0.175 (0.060, 10.270) μg/L) and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (420 (327, 12 865) ng/L) were elevated, which normalized in most cases after treatment. Post-treatment, the QRS duration significantly shortened compared to pre-treatment ((137±15) vs.(169±25) ms, t=3.76, P<0.001), and the QTc interval significantly decreased ((433±41) vs. (514±27) ms, t=4.95, P=0.001). Before treatment, varying degrees of mitral and tricuspid regurgitation and marked interventricular septal dyskinesia were observed in echocardiography. After treatment, valve regurgitation and ventricular septum motion significantly improved, with a marked increase in left ventricular ejection fraction ((51±13)% vs. (27±6)%, t=-6.66, P<0.001). Conclusions:Maternal autoantibody-mediated CLBBB in children presents with chronic heart failure in infancy. Early treatment with anti-heart failure medications, IVIG and glucocorticoids can improve clinical symptoms.

Objective:To explore the effect of paeoniflorin on LPS-induced bronchial epithelial cell inflammatory response by regulating NF-κB pathway.Methods:BEAS-2B cells were cultured in vitro for paeoniflorin toxicity assay and concentration screening.BEAS-2B cells were divided into control group,LPS group,LPS+CAPE group,LPS+PF group and LPS+CAPE+PF group.Inflammatory responses were induced in BEAS-2B cells using LPS(1 μg/ml),and cell viability was detected by CCK-8 assay after administration of paeoniflorin or CAPE interventions.Apoptosis and cell cycle were detected by flow cytometry.The levels of IFN-γ,IL-4,IL-17C and IL-10 were detected by ELISA.The protein expression levels of p53,Bcl-2,Bax,Cyclin1,NF-κB and p-p65 were detected by Western blot.Results:Paeoniflorin increased cell viability,inhibited apoptosis,increased IFN-γ and IL-10 levels(P<0.01),de-creased IL-4 and IL-17C levels(P<0.01),down-regulated the protein expression levels of p53,Bax,NF-κB and p-p65(P<0.01),and up-regulated the protein expression levels of Bcl-2 and Cyclin1(P<0.01).The effect of paeoniflorin was more significant after the intervention of NF-κB inhibitor CAPE.Conclusion:Paeoniflorin reduces LPS-induced inflammatory factor levels in bronchial epithelial cells by regulating the NF-κB pathway,thereby suppressing the asthmatic inflammatory response.

Objective:To explore the status quo and influencing factors of death anxiety among middle-aged and young adult patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) .Methods:Totally 176 middle-aged and young adult CHF patients treated at Fuwai Central China Cardiovascular Hospital between January 2021 and February 2023 were selected by convenience sampling and investigated with a general information questionnaire, the Medical Coping Modes Questionnaire (MCMQ), and the Death Anxiety Scale.Results:A total of 176 questionnaires were distributed, with 170 valid responses, yielding an effective response rate of 96.59%. Among the 170 middle-aged and young adult CHF patients, 136 had low death anxiety, while 34 had high death anxiety. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that educational level, per capita monthly family income, duration of illness, cardiac function classification, physical exercise, and coping style (yielding) were influencing factors of death anxiety in middle-aged and young adult CHF patients ( P<0.05) . Conclusions:Death anxiety in middle-aged and young adult CHF patients is primarily associated with educational level, per capita monthly family income, duration of illness, cardiac function classification, physical exercise, and coping style (yielding). Clinical assessments should focus on these factors to provide timely and targeted psychological interventions.

Objective:To explore the effects of the transtheoretical model (TTM) -based intervention in patients undergoing coronary angiography (CAG) .Methods:Totally 146 patients who were scheduled to undergo CAG at Fuwai Central China Cardiovascular Hospital from May 2021 to May 2022 were selected by convenience sampling. Patients admitted from May to November 2021 were assigned to the control group ( n=73), and those admitted from December 2021 to May 2022 were assigned to the observation group ( n=73). The control group received routine care, while the observation group received TTM-based intervention. The effects of the intervention were evaluated using the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), the Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), and a self-designed CAG compliance assessment form. Results:After the intervention, SAS and SDS scores decreased in both groups, with the observation group scoring significantly lower than the control group ( P< 0.05). The CAG compliance in the observation group was also significantly higher than that in the control group ( P<0.05) . Conclusions:The TTM-based intervention can improve the psychological state of CAG patients and enhance their compliance with CAG procedures.

Humans ; COVID-19/genetics* ; SARS-CoV-2/genetics* ; Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats/genetics* ; CRISPR-Cas Systems/genetics* ; RNA, Viral/genetics*

Objective:To observe the effect of Ba Duan Jin(Eight-brocade Exercise)plus Tuina(Chinese therapeutic massage)in treating primary dysmenorrhea due to cold-induced blood stasis in female college students and on the score of fatigue scale-14(FS-14). Methods:Seventy-two female college students with primary dysmenorrhea due to cold-induced blood stasis were randomized into a Tuina group and a joint group,with 36 cases in each group.The Tuina group only received Tuina manipulations.In the joint group,besides the same Tuina manipulations,patients practiced Ba Duan Jin.For both groups,the once-daily intervention was conducted from 6 d before the menstrual period until menstrual day 1 for 3 menstrual cycles.Changes in the scores of COX menstrual symptom scale(CMSS),visual analog scale(VAS),and FS-14 after the intervention were observed.Clinical efficacy was also estimated. Results:During the process,1 case dropped out in the Tuina group,and 35 cases completed the intervention;2 cases dropped out in the joint group,and 34 cases completed the intervention.The total effective rate was 94.1%in the joint group,higher than 88.6%in the Tuina group(P<0.05).After treatment,the symptom duration and intensity scores in the scores of CMSS,VAS,and FS-14 declined in both groups(P<0.05 or P<0.01);the CMSS symptom duration score and FS-14 score were lower in the joint group than in the Tuina group(P<0.05). Conclusion:Tuina manipulations alone or combined with Ba Duan Jin practice can effectively treat primary dysmenorrhea due to cold-induced blood stasis in female college students;when combined with Ba Duan Jin practice,Tuina manipulations can more significantly improve pain duration and fatigue,suggesting the advantages of combining Tuina Gongfa and manipulations.

Drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics (DMPK) is an important branch of pharmaceutical sciences. The nature of ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion) and PK (pharmacokinetics) inquiries during drug discovery and development has evolved in recent years from being largely descriptive to seeking a more quantitative and mechanistic understanding of the fate of drug candidates in biological systems. Tremendous progress has been made in the past decade, not only in the characterization of physiochemical properties of drugs that influence their ADME, target organ exposure, and toxicity, but also in the identification of design principles that can minimize drug-drug interaction (DDI) potentials and reduce the attritions. The importance of membrane transporters in drug disposition, efficacy, and safety, as well as the interplay with metabolic processes, has been increasingly recognized. Dramatic increases in investments on new modalities beyond traditional small and large molecule drugs, such as peptides, oligonucleotides, and antibody-drug conjugates, necessitated further innovations in bioanalytical and experimental tools for the characterization of their ADME properties. In this review, we highlight some of the most notable advances in the last decade, and provide future perspectives on potential major breakthroughs and innovations in the translation of DMPK science in various stages of drug discovery and development.

Inducing durable and effective immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) via vaccination is essential to combat the current pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). It has been noticed that the strength of anti-COVID-19 vaccination-induced immunity fades over time, which calls for an additional vaccination regime, as known as booster immunization, to restore immunity among previously vaccinated populations. Here we report a pilot open-label trial of a third dose of BBIBP-CorV, an inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine (Vero cell), on 136 participants aged between 18 to 63 years. Safety and immunogenicity in terms of neutralizing antibody titers and cytokine/chemokine responses were analyzed as the main endpoint until day 28. While systemic reactogenicity was either absent or mild, SARS-CoV-2-specific neutralizing antibody titers rapidly arose in all participants within 4 weeks, surpassing the peak antibody titers elicited by the initial two-dose immunization regime. Broad increases of cellular immunity-associated cytokines and chemokines were also detected in the majority of participants after the third vaccination. Furthermore, in an exploratory study, a newly developed recombinant protein vaccine, NVSI-06-08 (CHO Cells), was found to be safe and even more effective than BBIBP-CorV in eliciting humoral immune responses in BBIBP-CorV-primed individuals. Together, these results indicate that a third immunization schedule with either homologous or heterologous vaccine showed favorable safety profiles and restored potent SARS-CoV-2-specific immunity, providing support for further trials of booster vaccination in larger populations.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Antibodies, Neutralizing ; Antibodies, Viral ; COVID-19/prevention & control* ; COVID-19 Vaccines/adverse effects* ; China ; Humans ; Immunogenicity, Vaccine ; Middle Aged ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Vaccination ; Young Adult

Objective:To assess the validity and reliability of the depression and somatic symptoms scale among patients with coronary heart disease.Methods:Totally 246 patients with coronary heart disease were assessed with depression and somatic symptoms scale (DSSS), Hamilton depression rating scale for depression (HAMD) and patients’ health questionnaire depression scale-9 item (PHQ-9). The structural validity was evaluated with exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. The validity as a screening tool was evaluated with the gold standard diagnosed by psychiatrists who were trained with the mini international neuropsychological interview (MINI) according to ICD-10. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to identify cutoff scores for depression. Cronbach α coefficient was used to evaluate the internal consistency.Results:Exploratory factor analysis yielded two factors: depression factor and somatic factor, and the cumulative variance was 51.8%. The fitting indexes of confirmatory factor analysis were as follows: χ2/ df=3.636, RMR=0.077, RMSEA=0.104, IFI=0.804, TLI=0.781, CFI=0.802. The intraclass correlation coefficient of DSSS and HAMD was 0.54. The area under ROC curve (AUC) was 0.828, and the best boundary value was 17 points (sensitivity and specificity: 81% and 75%, respectively). The total scores and subscale scores for internal consistency of DSSS were higher in the depression group than those in the non-depression group ( P<0.01). Cronbach α coefficient for internal consistency of DSSS was 0.917. Conclusion:The DSSS has good validity and reliability among patients with coronary heart disease for screening depression, and can be used to screen depression among patients with coronary heart disease in general hospital.