As one of the most common malignant tumors， digestive system tumors exhibit an increase in the incidence and mortality year by year. Its pathogenesis is complex， making it difficult to carry out early prevention. Autophagy is a process in which cells use lysosomes to degrade their organelles and macromolecules to maintain cellular homeostasis under the regulation of autophagy-related genes. Cellular autophagy has a dual regulatory effect on the tumor microenvironment， which always affects the occurrence and development of digestive system tumors. Therefore， the effect and mechanism of action of cellular autophagy on digestive system tumors have become a hot topic in tumor therapy in recent years. Meanwhile， the remarkable research results of targeted autophagy drugs indicate that cellular autophagy may become an important target for anti-digestive system tumors. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） has been widely used in the comprehensive treatment of digestive system tumors with good efficacy. A variety of active ingredients in TCM， such as flavonoids， glycosides， terpenoids， quinones， and alkaloids， can increase the expression of autophagy-associated proteins microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 （LC3）Ⅱ/Ⅰ， autophagy-related gene （ATG）5， ATG7， inhibit the expression of autophagy-related protein p62 ， and induce autophagy in digestive system tumor cells， thereby exerting the anti-digestive system tumor effect. By summarizing the research results in recent years on the modulation of cell autophagy by active ingredients in TCM to fight against digestive system tumors， this paper analyzed the relevant signaling pathways， regulatory factors， and functional characteristics of cell autophagy modulation， so as to elucidate the mechanism by which active ingredients of TCM induce autophagy and to provide ideas and references for clinical application.

As one of the most common malignant tumors， digestive system tumors exhibit an increase in the incidence and mortality year by year. Its pathogenesis is complex， making it difficult to carry out early prevention. Autophagy is a process in which cells use lysosomes to degrade their organelles and macromolecules to maintain cellular homeostasis under the regulation of autophagy-related genes. Cellular autophagy has a dual regulatory effect on the tumor microenvironment， which always affects the occurrence and development of digestive system tumors. Therefore， the effect and mechanism of action of cellular autophagy on digestive system tumors have become a hot topic in tumor therapy in recent years. Meanwhile， the remarkable research results of targeted autophagy drugs indicate that cellular autophagy may become an important target for anti-digestive system tumors. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） has been widely used in the comprehensive treatment of digestive system tumors with good efficacy. A variety of active ingredients in TCM， such as flavonoids， glycosides， terpenoids， quinones， and alkaloids， can increase the expression of autophagy-associated proteins microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 （LC3）Ⅱ/Ⅰ， autophagy-related gene （ATG）5， ATG7， inhibit the expression of autophagy-related protein p62 ， and induce autophagy in digestive system tumor cells， thereby exerting the anti-digestive system tumor effect. By summarizing the research results in recent years on the modulation of cell autophagy by active ingredients in TCM to fight against digestive system tumors， this paper analyzed the relevant signaling pathways， regulatory factors， and functional characteristics of cell autophagy modulation， so as to elucidate the mechanism by which active ingredients of TCM induce autophagy and to provide ideas and references for clinical application.

ObjectiveTo investigate the therapeutic effect of Astragali Radix-mediated changes in gut microbiota on treating type 2 diabetes （T2DM）. MethodsA 12-week randomized， placebo-controlled clinical trial enrolled eighty patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes and poor glycemic control in the Qi deficiency type. All patients received insulin therapy. The observation group （40 cases） was administered with Astragali Radix Granules， while the control group （40 cases） received a placebo. Both treamtents were taken orally twice daily. Changes in gut microbiota were assessed by 16s rDNA sequencing. Serum glucagon-like peptide-1 （GLP-1） levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Glucose metabolism indicators including fasting blood glucose （FPG）， 2-hour postprandial blood glucose （2 h PG），glycated albumin（GA）， and glycated hemoglobin （HbA1c） were evaluated. Pancreatic function was evaluated using fasting C-peptide （FCP）， 2-hour postprandial C-peptide （2 h CP）， and C-peptide area under the curve （AUC_cp）. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome scores， clinical efficacy， and safety indicators were also observed. ResultsIn terms of glucose metabolism indicators， compared with the baseline， both groups exhibited significantly lower FPG， 2 h PG， GA and HbA1C （P<0.01），while FCP， 2 h CP and AUC_cp were significantly higher （P<0.01）. Compared with the control group after the treatment， the observation group showed significantly lower FPG， 2 h PG， GA and HbA1C（P<0.05， P<0.01），and significantly higher FCP， 2 h CP and AUC_cp （P<0.05， P<0.01）， indicating that Astragali Radix can improve glucose metabolism. In terms of the diversity of gut microbiota， no significant differences were detected in the Chao1， Shannon and Simpson indexes of the two groups compared with their respective baselines. However， compared with the post-treatment control group， the observation group demonstrated significant increases in the Chao1， Shannon and Simpson indexes （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The β-diversity analysis showed significant separation in gut microbiota composition before and after treatment in both groups， indicating that Astragali Radix can significantly alter the structure and improve the diversity of gut microbiota. At the phylum level， compared with the baseline， both groups showed a significant increase in the relative abundance of Bacteroidota（P<0.01）. The relative abundance of the potentially harmful phylum Proteobacteria was significantly lower in the observation Group after treatment （P<0.01）. Compared with the post-treatment control group， the observation group had a significantly higher relative abundance of Bacteroidota（P<0.01）. No significant difference was found in Firmicutes/Bacteroidota （F/B） ratio between the two groups after treatment， and other phyla showed no significant differences. At the genus level， compared with the baseline， the observation group exhibited a significant increase in Bacteroides （P<0.01） and a significant decrease in Escherichia-Shigella （P<0.01）， whereas no significant difference was seen in the control group . Compared with the control group after treatment， the observation group after treatment had a significantly higher relative abundance of Bacteroides （P<0.01）. No significant differences were seen in other genera. Linear discriminant analysis （LDA） identified potential characteristics taxa： in the observation group， Bacteroidota at the phylum level and Bacteroides and Dubosiella at the genus level， in the control group， Proteobacteria at the phylum level as well as Barnesiella and Staphylococcus at the genus level. Correlation analysis based on a heatmap revealed that GLP-1 levels were positively correlated with Firmicutes， F/B ratio and Fusobacterium， and negatively correlated with Bacteroidota， Proteobacteria， Bacteroides and Escherichia-Shigella. In terms of clinical efficacy， compared with the control group， the total effective rate of the observation group was significantly higher （P<0.05）. Compared with the baseline， the scores for shortness of breath， fatigue， weakness， spontaneous sweating and reluctance to speak significantly decreased in both groups （P<0.01）. Compared with the control group after treatment， the score for weakness was significantly lower in the observation group （P<0.01），indicating that Astragali Radix could improve clinical symptoms and alleviate weakness symptoms. In terms of safety， compared with the baseline， alanine aminotransferase （ALT） levels significantly decreased in both groups （P<0.05，P<0.01），indicating that Astragali Radix did not induce any significant abnormalities in liver and kidney functions. ConclusionAstragali Radix demonstrates the potential to significantly improve the gut microbiota environment in patients of newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes with Qi deficiency. The therapeutic effect may contribute to glycemic control， possibly mediated by an elevation in GLP-1 level. These findings may support its further clinical investigations and potential applications.

Background Lung cancer, one of the most common malignant tumors worldwide, has long ranked first in cancer incidence and mortality, posing a severe challenge to public health systems. Objective To analyze the trends in incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) of lung cancer among residents in Jing'an District, Shanghai, from 2002 to 2021, explore the impacts of population aging, population growth, and age-specific prevalence on disease burden, and provide a scientific basis for optimizing regional lung cancer prevention and control strategies. Methods Based on the cancer registration and cause-of-death surveillance data of registered residents in Jing'an District, Shanghai, from 2002 to 2021, Joinpoint regression models were used to analyze the annual change trends (APC) and average annual change trends (AAPC) of lung cancer incidence, mortality, DALY rate, and their age-standardized rates. Decomposition analysis was applied to quantify the contribution of population aging, population growth, and age-specific prevalence to changes in the number of new cases, deaths, and DALYs. Results From 2002 to 2021, the crude incidence rate of lung cancer in Jing'an District increased from 68.00 per 100000 to 144.36 per 100000 (AAPC=4.86%, P<0.001), and the age-standardized incidence rate rose from 43.09 per 100000 to 61.46 per 100000 (AAPC=2.89%, P<0.001). The growth rate of incidence was significantly higher in females (AAPC=6.73%) than in males (AAPC=3.62%). The crude mortality rate increased from 58.08 per 100000 to 66.11 per 100000 (AAPC=1.10%, P<0.001), while the age-standardized mortality rate decreased (AAPC=−1.54%, P<0.001). The crude DALY rate showed an upward trend (AAPC=0.94%, P=0.002), whereas the age-standardized DALY rate declined (AAPC=−1.63%, P<0.001). Significant differences were observed across genders and age groups: the mortality and DALY rates increased in males aged 60-64 years, while the fastest incidence growth occurred in females aged 45-64 years. The results of decomposition analysis indicated that the increase in new cases was primarily attributed to age-specific incidence (38.15%) and aging (37.31%); the growth in deaths and DALYs was driven by aging, while age-specific mortality and population growth showed offsetting effects. From 2002 to 2021, the probability of premature death from lung cancer among males (2.04%-2.52%) in Jing'an District showed no statistically significant trend (AAPC=−0.28%, P=0.440), while it presented a decreasing trend in the total population (1.37%-1.89%) and females (0.72%-1.26%) (AAPC=−0.80% and −2.23%, respectively; P=0.029 and <0.001, respectively). Conclusion From 2002 to 2021, the risk of lung cancer incidence in Jing’an District, Shanghai, continue to increase, with a disease burden exhibiting significant heterogeneity by gender and age: key features include a rapid increase in new cases and a trend toward younger onset among females, alongside rising mortality risk among males aged 60–64 years. Population aging and increasing age-specific incidence rates are primary drivers of the growing number of cases, while declining age-specific mortality rates mitigate the rise in mortality burden.

Chronic heart failure （CHF） is the final stage of cardiovascular diseases. It is a complex syndrome， with dyspnea and edema as the main clinical manifestations， and it is characterized by complex disease conditions， difficult cure， and high mortality. Ferroptosis， a new type of programmed cell death， is different from other types of programmed cell death. Ferroptosis is iron-dependent， accompanied by lipid peroxide accumulation and mitochondrial shrinkage， becoming a hot research topic. Studies have confirmed that ferroptosis plays a key role in the occurrence and development of CHF. The regulation of ferroptosis may become a potential target for the treatment of CHF in the future. The theory of Qi deficiency and stagnation refers to the pathological state of original Qi deficiency and abnormal transportation and distribution of Qi， blood， and body fluid， which has guiding significance for revealing the pathogenesis evolution of some chronic diseases. We believe that Qi deficiency and stagnation is a summary of the pathogenesis of ferroptosis in CHF. Deficiency of Qi （heart Qi） is the root cause of CHF， and stagnation （phlegm turbidity and blood stasis） is the branch of this disease. The two influence each other in a vicious circle to promote the development of this disease. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） plays an important role in the treatment of CHF， improving the prognosis and quality of life of CHF patients. This paper explores the correlation between the theory of Qi deficiency and stagnation and the mechanism of ferroptosis in CHF. Furthermore， this paper reviews the mechanism of Chinese medicines and compound prescriptions in preventing and treating CHF by regulating ferroptosis according to the principles of replenishing Qi and dredging to remove stagnation， aiming to provide new ideas and methods for the treatment of CHF with TCM.

Objective To explore the effect of metformin combined with insulin detemir on intestinal flora in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Methods A total of 176 patients with GDM admitted to Luzhou People's Hospital from May 2022 to July 2023 were selected and randomly divided into a single drug group and a combined group, with 88 cases in each group. The single drug group was treated with insulin detemir, and the combined group was given metformin combined with insulin detemir. The glucose metabolism levels and intestinal flora distribution were compared between the two groups before treatment and during delivery. The maternal-infant outcomes were statistically analyzed and compared between the two groups. Results During delivery, the levels of fasting plasma glucose (FPG), glycosylated hemoglobin (HbAlc), and largest amplitude of glycemic excursions (LAGE), and the contents of Enterobacterium, Enterococcus and Escherichia coli in both groups were reduced compared with those before treatment, and the above indicators in the combined group were lower than those in the single drug group (all P<0.05). The contents of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus were increased in both groups, and the indicators were higher in the combined group than those in the single drug group (all P<0.05). There was no significant difference in adverse maternal-infant outcomes between the two groups (P>0.05). Conclusion Metformin combined with insulin detemir can effectively reduce blood glucose levels and improve intestinal flora distribution in patients with GDM, without increasing adverse maternal-infant outcomes.

Background Previous studies found that high temperature and heatwave increase the risk of traffic injuries. The complex road conditions in Yunnan Province result in frequent traffic accidents. However, there is limited evidence on the correlation between heatwave and traffic injuries in Yunnan Province. Objective To assess the association between heatwave events and traffic injuries, to estimate its disease burden, and to identify relevant sensitive groups. Methods We collected data on traffic injury cases and concurrent meteorological information from four surveillance sites in Yunnan Province, China: Dali, Lufeng, Zhaoyang, and Qilin from May to September each year from 2015 to 2023. Traffic injury cases refer to patients who visited the outpatient or emergency departments of local surveillance hospitals for the first time due to traffic injuries. Meteorological data were derived from the fifth generation atmosphericreanalysis dataset of the global climate provided by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. A time-stratified case-crossover design combined with distributed lag non-linear model was used to analyze the association between short-term exposure to heatwave and traffic injuries. We also conducted subgroup analyses by sex, age, occupation, injury cause, activity at the time of injury occurrence, and severity of injury. Results A total of 34764 traffic injury surveillance cases were included in the analysis. The risk of traffic injuries occurred during heatwave was 1.13 times (95%CI: 1.07, 1.20) greater than those occurred during non-heatwave, and 2.64% (95%CI: 1.49%, 3.73%) of traffic injuries were attributed to heatwave exposure throughout the study period. The results of stratified analysis showed greater impacts of heatwave on the risk of traffic injuries in female [odds ratio (OR)=1.17, attributable fraction (AF)=3.23%], people aged 15-64 years (OR=1.13, AF=2.68%), farmers/workers (OR=1.22, AF=4.07%), people with non-motor vehicle traffic injuries (OR=1.17, AF=3.24%), people who were driving or riding when injuries occurred (OR=1.12, AF=2.43%), and people with minor injuries (OR=1.18, AF=3.49%) ( P<0.05). Longer duration [excess risk (ER)=0.99%] and greater intensity (ER=4.12%) of heatwave had greater impacts on the risk of traffic injuries (P<0.05). Conclusion Heatwave events are associated with an increased risk of traffic injuries. Female, people aged 15-64, farmers/workers, people with non-motor vehicle traffic injuries, those injured while driving/riding a vehicle, and people with minor injuries are particularly vulnerable. The findings suggest that targeted mitigation and adaptation measures should be taken to address the risk of traffic injuries associated with extreme climate events.

Objective To investigate the prevalence of Schistosoma japonicum infections in wild rodents in schistosomiasis-endemic areas of China, so as to provide insights into formulation of technical guidelines for monitoring of and the precise control strategy for S. japonicum infections in wild rodents during the elimination phase. Methods Two administrative villages where schistosomiasis was historically highly prevalent were selected each from Dongzhi County, Anhui Province, and Duchang County, Jiangxi Province as study villages. Wild rodents were captured from study villages with baited traps or cages at night in June and September, 2021. The number of rodents captured was recorded, and the rodent species was characterized based on morphologi-cal characteristics. Liver tissues were sampled from captured rodents for macroscopical observation of the presence of egg granu- lomas, and S. japonicum infection was detected simultaneously using liver tissue homogenate microscopy, examinations of mesenteric tissues for parasites, and modified Kato-Katz thick smear technique (Kato-Katz technique). A positive S. japonicum infection was defined as detection of S. japonicum eggs or adult worms by any of these methods. The rate of wild rodent capture and prevalence of S. japonicum infections in wild rodents were compared in different study villages and at different time periods, and the detection of S. japonicum infections in wild rodents was compared by different assays. Results The overall rate of wild ro- dent capture was 8.28% (237/2 861) in Dongzhi County, and the wild rodent capture rates were 9.24% (133/1 439) and 7.31% (104/1 422) in two study villages (χ² = 3.503, P = 0.061), and were 8.59% (121/1 409) and 7.99% (116/1 452) in June and September, 2021, respectively (χ² = 0.337, P = 0.561). The overall rate of wild rodent capture was 3.72% (77/2 072) in Duchang County, and the wild rodent capture rates were 6.91% (67/970) and 0.91% (10/1 102) in two study villages (χ² = 51.901, P < 0.001), and were 4.13% (39/945) and 3.37% (38/1 127) in June and September, 2021, respectively (χ² = 0.815, P = 0.365). Rattus norvegicus was the predominant rodent species captured in both counties, accounting for 70.04% (166/237) of all captured wild rodents in Dongzhi County and 88.31% (68/77) in Duchang County. No S. japonicum infection was detected in wild rodents captured in Duchang County. Nevertheless, the overall prevalence of S. japonicum infections was 51.05% (121/237) in wild rodents captured in Dongzhi County, with prevalence rates of 50.38% (67/133) and 51.92% (54/104) in two study villages (χ² = 0.098, P = 0.755), and 54.31% (63/116) and 47.93% (58/121) in September and June, 2021, respectively (χ² = 0.964, P = 0.326). Of 237 wild rodents captured in Dongzhi County, there were 140 (59.07%) rodents with visible hepatic egg granulomas, 117 (49.47%) tested positive for S. japonicum eggs by liver tissue homogenate microscopy, 34 (14.35%) tested positive for S. japonicum eggs with Kato-Katz technique; however, no adult S. japonicum worms were detected in mesenteric tissues. In addition, hepatic egg granulomas were found in all wild rodents tested positive for S. japonicum eggs with liver tissue homogenate microscopy. Conclusions The rate of wild rodent capture and prevalence of S. japonicum infection in wild rodents vary greatly in schistosomiasis-endemic areas of China, and the prevalence of S. japonicum infection is slightly higher in wild rodents captured in autumn than in summer. Liver tissue is recommended as the preferred sample for surveillance of S. japonicum infection in wild rodents, and a combination of macroscopical observation of hepatic egg granulomas and liver tissue homogenate microscopy may be a standard method for surveillance of S. japonicum infection in wild rodents.

Gastrointestinal tumors （GTs）， including colorectal cancer， gastric cancer， liver cancer， pancreatic cancer， and esophageal cancer， are increasing in incidence worldwide and have become one of the major diseases threatening human health. Tumor stem cells （TSCs）， an undifferentiated subpopulation within tumor tissues， possess biological characteristics such as self-renewal， multidirectional differentiation， high tumorigenicity， and resistance to radiochemotherapy. They play an important role in the occurrence， progression， recurrence， and metastasis of GTs and have increasingly become a research hotspot in GT treatment. Although modern medicine has made remarkable progress， there remain many problems in therapeutic approaches targeting TSCs. In this context， traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）， with its favorable safety profile and multi-target mechanisms， has shown potential advantages and value in regulating TSCs. It can reduce TSC drug resistance， enhance the sensitivity of tumor cells to chemotherapeutic agents， inhibit tumor growth and metastasis， and has shown unique advantages in improving the quality of life and prolonging the survival of GT patients. Studies have found that active components of Chinese medicine， such as terpenoids， polyphenols， flavonoids， glycosides， and quinones， and Chinese medicine compound formulas， including Zuojin pills， Sijunzi decoction， Biejiajian pills， and Xuanfu Daizhe decoction， can inhibit TSCs-related signaling pathways such as the Notch signaling pathway， the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway， the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B （PI3K/Akt） signaling pathway， and the Hippo signaling pathway. They also reduce the expression of TSC surface markers， including sex-determining region Y-box 2 （SOX2）， sex-determining region Y-box 9 （SOX9）， octamer-binding transcription factor 4 （OCT4）， prominin-1 （CD133）， cluster of differentiation 44 （CD44）， cluster of differentiation 24 （CD24）， and thyroid transmembrane protein 1 （CD90）， thereby hindering TSC differentiation， accelerating their metabolic processes， improving the tumor microenvironment， and consequently inhibiting GT growth. This study collects and analyzes recent research on the regulation of TSCs by TCM in the treatment of GT， aiming to provide a new theoretical basis for tumor therapy with TCM， expand its application in the comprehensive treatment of GT， and offer new therapeutic ideas and methods for clinical practice.

Objective:To explore the factors influencing adherence to voice therapy among patients with voice disorders in China. Methods:Patients with voice disorders who visited the Voice Therapy Center at Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, from February to May 2022 were enrolled in the study. Adherence was assessed using the URICA-Voice scale, while influencing factors were assessed through the Voice Handicap Index（VHI） scale and a general information questionnaire. Correlation analysis was conducted using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results:A total of 247 patients were included in the study, comprising 57 males（23.08%） and 190 females（76.92%）. The results revealed that: ①Female patients demonstrated higher likelihood of being in the contemplation stage（OR=0.22） compared to males. ②Patients with a monthly family income per capita>6 000 yuan were more likely to be in the contemplation stage than those with<3 000 yuan with an OR = 13.94. ③High vocal-demand occupations increased contemplation stage probability（OR=7.70） compared to moderate-demand occupations. ④Residence within 30-minute commute predicted action/maintenance stages（OR=7.14） versus≥60-minute commute. ⑤Patients whose occupations had high voice demands were more likely to be in the action and maintenance stages than those with average voice demands, with an OR of 16.20. Conclusion:Gender, monthly family income per capita, occupational voice demands, and distance to the hospital significantly impact the URICA-Voice compliance stages of patients. Patients who are female, have higher family income, have occupations with high voice demands, and live closer to the hospital exhibit higher compliance with voice training.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Voice Disorders/therapy* ; Patient Compliance ; Voice Training ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; China ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Voice Quality ; Logistic Models ; Aged