Objective To examine the impact of extreme temperature and drought stress on the survival of Bulinus globosus, so as to provide the theoretical evidence for the genomic research of Bulinus in absence of reference genes. Methods B. globosus snail samples were collected from Kiwani Shehia in Pemba Island, Zanzibar, Tanzania, and offspring snails were obtained through laboratory breeding and reproduction. A total of 120 10-week-old B. globosus snails from the same generation were selected and randomly assigned into four groups, including the high-temperature drought (HD) group, normal temperature drought (D) group, low-temperature drought (LD) group, and the control (C) group, of 30 snails in each group. Snails in HD, D, and LD groups were placed in beakers containing dry soil at the bottom and subsequently housed in climate chambers at 35, 26 ℃, and 10 ℃, respectively, while snails in Group C were maintained in 500 mL petri dishes containing dechlorinated tap water at 26 ℃. Following 3 days of breeding, living snails in each group were collected, and soft tissues were dissected and isolated. Total RNA was extracted from snail soft tissues for library construction, followed by high-throughput sequencing on the Illumina HiSeq 4000 sequencing system. De novo transcriptome assembly was performed using the Trinity software, and the longest transcripts were selected as unigenes. Gene functional annotations of unigenes were conducted using the Diamond software against Gene Ontology (GO) knowledgebase, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway database, NCBI non-redundant (NR) protein sequences database, Protein Family (Pfam) database, and UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot (Swiss-Prot) knowledgebase. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were performed using the topGO and clusterProfiler software, respectively. In addition, four relevant genes were selected for validation using a real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) assay to verify the reliability of transcriptome sequencing results. Results Following 3 days of breeding, there were 7, 20, 28, and 30 survival B. globosus snails in HD, LD, D, and C groups, with corresponding survival rates of 23.33% (7/30), 66.67% (20/30), 93.33% (28/30), and 100.00% (30/30), respectively (χ² = 52.72, P < 0.001). De novo transcriptome assembly generated 176 942 unigenes, with annotation rates of 0.98%, 13.49%, 26.46%, 12.48%, and 14.39% against GO knowledgebase, KEGG pathway database, NR protein sequences database, Pfam database, and Swiss-Prot knowledgebase, respectively. There were 33 up-regulated and 72 down-regulated genes in Group D, 483 up-regulated and 815 down-regulated genes in Group HD, and 245 up-regulated and 172 down-regulated genes in Group LD relative to in Group C. Following removal of overlapping genes across groups and unmatched genes, 11 candidate genes were identified. GO and KEGG analyses revealed 3 heat shock protein (HSP)-related DEGs in these 11 candidate genes, which were annotated as HSP12.2, HSP70, and HSP20 genes and were all significantly up-regulated in each treatment group. Three immune and nervous system-related DEGs were identified, and were all significantly down-regulated in each treatment group, which were involved in the neural cell adhesion molecule L1-like protein pathway, fibrinogen binding protein pathway, and leukocyte elastase inhibitor-like protein pathway. qRT-PCR assay quantified that the expression trends of four genes related to temperature and drought stress across different treatment groups were highly consistent with transcriptome sequencing data. Conclusion The survival rate of B. globosus significantly reduces under combined stresses of extreme temperature and drought, possibly due to an imbalance in its cellular homeostasis regulatory system.

Radiotherapy is a crucial treatment modality for head and neck tumors. However, while effectively killing tumor cells, it significantly disrupts the homeostasis of the oral microecology, which is closely associated with various complications such as radiation-induced oral mucositis. Literature review indicates that as radiotherapy doses accumulate and treatment durations extend, the richness and diversity of the oral microbiota show a declining trend, with the genus Streptococcus decreasing most markedly. In contrast, radiotherapy selectively promotes the proliferation of bacterial phyla such as Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes, which are rich in opportunistic pathogens. Mechanistically, radiotherapy activates the nuclear factor-kappa B pathway, triggering chronic inflammation and oxidative stress, damaging the epithelial barrier, suppressing local immunity, and causing damage to organs such as the salivary glands. It can also induce systemic diseases via the oral-gut axis, forming a multi-level, interconnected pathogenic network. In terms of interventions, treatment strategies including probiotics and prebiotics have shown promising efficacy against side effects such as radiation-induced oral mucositis. Saliva-based oral microbiota transplantation is an emerging strategy that is expected to become widely utilized for restoring oral microecological balance. Existing interventions provide preliminary pathways for clinical practice, but this field still faces several key scientific questions. The association between oral microecology and systemic diseases remains largely correlative, lacking causal evidence. Furthermore, critical parameters for oral microbiota transplantation, such as donor screening criteria, transplantation protocols, and long-term safety, are not yet well-defined. Therefore, future research should focus on conducting large-scale clinical trials to establish standardized protocols and safety evaluation systems for oral microecological interventions, and explore combined treatment therapies such as probiotics, prebiotics, and microbiota transplantation to advance the development of personalized precision modulation. These will enable more effective management of radiotherapy-induced oral microecological dysbiosis and improve treatment outcomes and quality of life for patients with head and neck tumors.

Nucleic acid aptamers are a type of single-stranded oligonucleotides screened through in vitro exponentially enriched ligand phylogenetic technology, and they can bind to various targets with high specificity and high affinity. AS1411 is a 26-base guanine-rich DNA aptamer, and its target nucleolin is widely distributed in multiple locations within the cell, including the nucleolus, nucleoplasm, cytoplasm and cell membrane. AS1411 demonstrates multiple advantages, such as weak immunogenicity, low toxicity, easy structural modification, and strong tissue penetration ability. Despite numerous challenges in the clinical transformation process, with the continuous advancement of molecular imaging technology, AS1411 has demonstrated great potential in the fields of targeted imaging and targeted delivery of cancer drugs. This article mainly focuses on the research progress of AS1411 in the field of molecular imaging, covering its applications in magnetic resonance imaging, fluorescence imaging and nuclear medicine imaging, etc.

To address the problem of data silos in dental specialties caused by equipment heterogeneity, this study developed an Intelligent Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled dental chair platform (hereinafter referred to as the intelligent platform) based on the concept of medical-engineering integration. The platform adopts a three-tier chair-domain interconnection architecture: the bottom tier integrates multi-source sensors and standardized interfaces for automated data acquisition and linkage with hospital information systems; the middle tier provides clinic-level management and remote teaching collaboration; and the top tier employs a blockchain-based secure cloud database for resource allocation and data management. Clinical validation at The Affiliated Stomatological Hospital of Nanjing Medical University demonstrated that, compared with a control group from the same period in 2023, the trial group achieved a 38.0% increase in average daily patient visits (80.6±6.8 vs. 58.4±5.2, t=15.16, P<0.001), a 24.6% reduction in average treatment time [(36.1±6.3) min vs. (47.9±8.5) min, t=7.72, P<0.001], a 39.2% reduction in waiting time [23.3 (16.5, 30.1) min vs. 38.3 (28.3, 48.3) min, U=32.00, P<0.001], a 30.4% reduction in equipment idle rate [8.7% (5.1%, 12.3%) vs. 12.5% (7.4%, 17.6%), U=251.00, P=0.003], and an increase in patient satisfaction from 88.2% (1 519/1 723) to 94.3% (2 186/2 318) ( t=7.26, P<0.001). User research confirmed that the functions most favored by clinicians and patients were "dental chair parameter updating and clinical data integration" [74.7% (80/107)] and "chairside display of diagnostic images" [76.8% (119/155)], respectively. Looking forward, the intelligent platform has the potential to integrate artificial intelligence-assisted diagnosis and 5G-enabled multicenter collaboration to further expand its clinical applications and accelerate the digital transformation of dental healthcare.

Objective:To summarize assessment tools for taste dysfunction in patients with head and neck cancer and provide a reference for clinical evaluation by healthcare professionals.Methods:A computer-based search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, CINAHL, China Biology Medicine disc, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Data, and VIP for literature on taste dysfunction in head and neck cancer from database inception to May 10, 2025.Results:A total of 31 articles were included: five on tool development, three on tool validation, five on cross-cultural adaptation, and 18 on tool application.A total of 16 assessment tools were identified overall: ten subjective instruments and six objective instruments. Reliability and validity were most commonly examined using internal consistency reliability and criterion-related validity.Conclusions:A wide variety of tools exist for assessing taste dysfunction in patients with head and neck cancer. Tool selection should be based on clinical context and patient characteristics. Future work should develop disease-specific, locally adapted instruments aligned with the features of head and neck cancer.

The 2024 World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC) and the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Annual Meeting, two of the most prestigious events in oncology, have concluded sequentially. As the most authoritative annual gatherings in lung cancer and the entire oncology field, the WCLC and ESMO conferences brought together top oncology experts and scientists from around the world to share, discuss, and publish the latest cutting-edge advancements in oncology. In both conferences, lung cancer immunotherapy remained a hot topic of considerable interest. This article aims to summarize and discuss the important research progress on perioperative immunotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer reported at the two conferences.

Objective To explore the mechanism of electroacupuncture in alleviating hyperlipidemia in a rat model by modulating mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1(mTORC1)-mediated lipophagy in hepatocytes.Methods A total of 30 SD rats were randomly divided into blank(n=6)and modeling groups(n=24)using the random number table method.A hyperlipidemic rat model was established by feeding rats a high-fat diet(feeding for 8 weeks).After successful modeling,the modeling group was randomly divided into the model,electroacupuncture,mTORC1 inhibitor,and electroacupuncture+mTORC1 agonist groups,with six rats in each group.Except for the blank group,all other rats were fed with high fat diet.Rats in the electroacupuncture and electroacupuncture+mTORC1 agonist groups received electroacupuncture intervention at bilateral"Fenglong"(ST40)acupoints(dilatational wave 2 Hz/100 Hz,current intensity 1 mA)for 30 min once daily.Rats in the mTORC1 inhibitor group received intraperitoneal injections of the mTORC1 inhibitor,rapamycin(2 mg/kg),once daily.Rats in the electroacupuncture+mTORC1 agonist group received intraperitoneal injections of the mTORC1 agonist MHY1485(10 mg/kg)once daily.The interventions were administered for five consecutive days per week for 4 weeks.Upon completion of the intervention,the following analyses were performed:serum contents of total cholesterol(TC),triglycerides(TAG),low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C),high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C),free fatty acids(FFA),alanine aminotransferase(ALT),and aspartate aminotransferase(AST)were measured using a fully automated biochemical analyzer.Hepatic histopathological changes and lipid deposition were observed using hematoxylin-eosin and oil red O staining.The liver condition was observed and the liver index was calculated.Hepatic TC and TAG levels were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.The ultrastructure of the liver tissue was observed using transmission electron microscopy,and the mean fluorescence intensity of perilipin 2(PLIN2)and microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3(LC3)-Ⅱ in the liver tissue was detected using immunofluorescence.Protein expression of LC3-Ⅱ/LC3-Ⅰ,phosphorylated mammalian target of rapamycin(p-mTOR)/mTOR,and mTORC1 in liver tissue was detected using Western blotting.Results Compared to the blank group,the model group rats showed increased serum TC,TAG,LDL-C,ALT,AST,and FFA levels,along with decreased HDL-C levels(P<0.05).The liver index and hepatic TC and TAG levels were also elevated(P<0.05).Histological examination of liver tissue revealed substantial lipid accumulation,numerous lipid droplets within hepatocytes,abnormal mitochondrial morphology,and scarce autophagic vacuole.The mean fluorescence intensity of PLIN2 increased,whereas that of LC3-Ⅱ decreased(P<0.05).Additionally,the LC3-Ⅱ/LC3-Ⅰ ratio was reduced,whereas the p-mTOR/mTOR ratio and mTORC1 protein expression were increased(P<0.05).Compared to the model group,rats in the mTORC1 inhibitor and electroacupuncture groups exhibited decreased serum TC,TAG,LDL-C,ALT,AST,and FFA levels(P<0.05),along with a reduced liver index and hepatic TC and TAG levels(P<0.05).Histological examination showed markedly attenuated lipid accumulation and visible autophagic vacuole in the hepatocytes.The mean fluorescence intensity of PLIN2 decreased,whereas that of LC3-Ⅱ increased(P<0.05).Moreover,the LC3-Ⅱ/LC3-Ⅰ ratio increased,whereas the p-mTOR/mTOR ratio and mTORC1 protein expression decreased(P<0.05).In comparison with both the electroacupuncture and mTORC1 inhibitor groups,the electroacupuncture+mTORC1 agonist group demonstrated increased serum TAG,TC,LDL-C,ALT,AST,and FFA levels(P<0.05)as well as elevated liver index and hepatic TC and TAG levels(P<0.05).Liver tissues exhibited aggravated lipid deposition and absence of autophagic vacuole in liver cells.The mean fluorescence intensity of PLIN2 was enhanced,whereas that of LC3-Ⅱ was reduced(P<0.05).Furthermore,the LC3-Ⅱ/LC3-Ⅰ ratio decreased,and the p-mTOR/mTOR ratio and mTORC1 protein expression increased(P<0.05).Conclusion Electroacupuncture at"Fenglong"(ST40)may improve blood lipid levels in hyperlipidemic rats by inhibiting mTORC1 and promoting hepatocyte lipophagy.

To investigate the mutations of NF1 and clinical phenotypes in patients with sporadic neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). This is aimed to evaluate the efficacy of high-throughput sequencing in diagnosing atypical cases, to expand the mutational spectrum of NF1, and to provide early diagnosis of NF1. Clinical data from 11 sporadic NF1 patients without family history treated at the Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University (2019-2023) were collected. The mutations of NF1 gene were detected using whole-exome sequencing or chip-capture high-throughput sequencing, followed by bioinformatics analysis. Novel mutations were screened against normal population databases to exclude benign polymorphisms, and pathogenicity of the mutations was classified according to ACMG guidelines. The results showed that two novel frameshift mutations were identified: c.7904del (p.Asp2635Valfs*9) and c.5122_5123del (p.Phe1708Hisfs*9). The patient carrying c.7904del exhibited an undocumented phenotype of posterior medullary ischemic degeneration. Among the 11 NF1 patients, the types of mutations included frameshift (4/11), nonsense (3/11), intronic (2/11), splicing (1/11), and start codon variants (1/11). Common phenotypes were cafe-au-lait macules (8/11) and neurofibromas (6/11), yet significant phenotypic heterogeneity existed among patients sharing identical mutations. In conclusion, this study discovered two novel NF1 mutations and an unreported phenotype, expanding both the NF1 mutational spectra and highlights the need for attention to cerebrovascular status in patients carrying NF1 mutations. High-throughput sequencing significantly enhances molecular diagnostic efficacy for atypical NF1, providing a critical basis for clinical NF1 diagnosis.

The 2025 European Lung Cancer Congress (ELCC) convened in Paris, France, centering on the optimization and innovation of immunotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Key topics at the congress included the application strategies for perioperative immunotherapy, breakthroughs in combination therapy models for advanced NSCLC, and the emerging roles of biomarkers in predicting diverse treatment outcomes. This paper integrates data from several key pivotal studies to systematically analyze the clinical value of neoadjuvant therapy within the perioperative setting, the potential of targeted combination regimens, and the challenges of managing drug resistance, thus offering new directions for clinical practice.

Objective:To summarize assessment tools for taste dysfunction in patients with head and neck cancer and provide a reference for clinical evaluation by healthcare professionals.Methods:A computer-based search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, CINAHL, China Biology Medicine disc, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Data, and VIP for literature on taste dysfunction in head and neck cancer from database inception to May 10, 2025.Results:A total of 31 articles were included: five on tool development, three on tool validation, five on cross-cultural adaptation, and 18 on tool application.A total of 16 assessment tools were identified overall: ten subjective instruments and six objective instruments. Reliability and validity were most commonly examined using internal consistency reliability and criterion-related validity.Conclusions:A wide variety of tools exist for assessing taste dysfunction in patients with head and neck cancer. Tool selection should be based on clinical context and patient characteristics. Future work should develop disease-specific, locally adapted instruments aligned with the features of head and neck cancer.