Bufalin serves as a pharmaceutic that mitigates drug resistance.

Intrinsic or acquired drug resistance of tumor cells is the main cause of tumor chemotherapy failure and tumor-related death. Bufalin (BF) is the main active monomer component extracted from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Toad venom (secretions of glands behind the ears and epidermis of bufo gargarizans and Bufo Melanostictus Schneider). It is a cardiotonic steroid with broad-spectrum anti-cancer effects and has been widely used against various malignant tumors in clinical practice. Pharmacological studies also found that BF has the effect of reversing drug resistance, which provides a new perspective for the application of Traditional Chinese Medicine as a chemosensitizer in cancer therapy. This article provides an extensive search and summary of published research on mitigating drug resistance to BF and reviews its potential mechanisms.

Effectiveness of high-risk human papillomavirus genotyping for cervical cancer screening. A multicentre screening cohort study in rural China.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) primary testing for cervical cancer screening in China's rural areas. METHODS: Women aged 21-64 years were recruited. Cervical cytology was diagnosed following the Bethesda 2001 classification system, HPV infection (HR-HPV, HPV-16, HPV-18, and other 12 genotypes) identified by Cobas-4800, and colposcopy and biopsy performed when required. Primary outcomes were defined as the cumulative incidence of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2/3/higher (CIN2/3+) and its relative risk at baseline and at the 36-month follow-up. RESULTS: The study included 9,218 women; mean age was 45.15 years (SD: 8.74); 81% completed the follow-up. The most frequent type of cytological lesions (12.4% ) were ASCUS (8.4%) and LSIL (2.2%). HR-HPV infection (16.3%) was more prevalent in HPV-16 than in HPV-18 (3 vs 1.5%); a positive relationship with the severity of the lesions, from 29.8% in ASCUS to 89.6% in HSIL was found. At baseline, 3.5% of the patients underwent colposcopy; 20% had a positive diagnosis. At the 36-month follow-up, the cumulative incidences of CIN2+ and CIN3+ were higher in women with HR-HPV infection (16.9 vs 0.5% and 8.2 vs 0.2%). The relative risk of CIN2/3+ was lower in HR-HPV-negative women compared to those with a negative cytology at baseline (0.4; 95%CI: 0.3-0.4). CONCLUSIONS: High-risk HPV-based screening may significantly reduce the risk of CIN2/3+ compared with cytology testing. This may be a new resource for public health demands in China's rural areas.

Effects of Exosomes on Tumor Bioregulation and Diagnosis.

Exosomes are lipid bilayer vesicles in biological fluids, which can participate in biological processes by mediating intercellular communication and activating intracellular signaling pathways, especially cancerogenic processes, such as proliferation, metastasis, invasion, and immune regulation of cancer cells. Besides, cancer-derived exosomes are also involved in tumor diagnosis and therapy as biomarkers and nanotransport devices. This article reviews the latest research progress on the biological regulation and disease diagnosis of exosomes in tumors, with the aim of providing new ideas for the clinical treatment of cancers.

The role of innate immune cells in the tumor microenvironment and research progress in anti-tumor therapy.

Innate immune cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME) mainly include macrophages, neutrophils, natural killer cells, dendritic cells and bone marrow derived suppressor cells. They play an anti-tumor or pro-tumor role by secreting various cytokines, chemokines and other factors, and determine the occurrence and development of tumors. Comprehending the role of innate immune cells in tumorigenesis and progression can help improve therapeutic approaches targeting innate immune cells in the TME, increasing the likelihood of favorable prognosis. In this review, we discussed the cell biology of innate immune cells, their role in tumorigenesis and development, and the current status of innate immune cell-based immunotherapy, in order to provide an overview for future research lines and clinical trials.

Acceptance of clinical artificial intelligence among physicians and medical students: A systematic review with cross-sectional survey.

Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) needs to be accepted and understood by physicians and medical students, but few have systematically assessed their attitudes. We investigated clinical AI acceptance among physicians and medical students around the world to provide implementation guidance. Materials and methods: We conducted a two-stage study, involving a foundational systematic review of physician and medical student acceptance of clinical AI. This enabled us to design a suitable web-based questionnaire which was then distributed among practitioners and trainees around the world. Results: Sixty studies were included in this systematic review, and 758 respondents from 39 countries completed the online questionnaire. Five (62.50%) of eight studies reported 65% or higher awareness regarding the application of clinical AI. Although, only 10-30% had actually used AI and 26 (74.28%) of 35 studies suggested there was a lack of AI knowledge. Our questionnaire uncovered 38% awareness rate and 20% utility rate of clinical AI, although 53% lacked basic knowledge of clinical AI. Forty-five studies mentioned attitudes toward clinical AI, and over 60% from 38 (84.44%) studies were positive about AI, although they were also concerned about the potential for unpredictable, incorrect results. Seventy-seven percent were optimistic about the prospect of clinical AI. The support rate for the statement that AI could replace physicians ranged from 6 to 78% across 40 studies which mentioned this topic. Five studies recommended that efforts should be made to increase collaboration. Our questionnaire showed 68% disagreed that AI would become a surrogate physician, but believed it should assist in clinical decision-making. Participants with different identities, experience and from different countries hold similar but subtly different attitudes. Conclusion: Most physicians and medical students appear aware of the increasing application of clinical AI, but lack practical experience and related knowledge. Overall, participants have positive but reserved attitudes about AI. In spite of the mixed opinions around clinical AI becoming a surrogate physician, there was a consensus that collaborations between the two should be strengthened. Further education should be conducted to alleviate anxieties associated with change and adopting new technologies.

A collaborative effort of China in combating COVID-19.

A novel coronavirus (COVID-19) was firstly identified in Wuhan by the end of 2019. China has implemented a series of preventive measures to deter COVID-19 spread and its consequences since the beginning of the epidemic. In China, the expansion of COVID-19 has been slowed down significantly through the effort of all contributors, including governments, nongovernments, and civil society. All collaborators have been actively involved in combating the epidemic, using their respective strengths to play their roles. China has mitigated the number of cases due to the mobilization of the whole society and collaborators joining collective efforts and actions in solidarity to tackle and conquer the virus. To date, China has continued to implement actions to control any resurgence of new cases of COVID-19 and keep its population safe. The people's united effort against the virus has enhanced a great insight into China, and it might serve as a model to the global community in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic  in terms of coordination, solidarity, decisiveness, and leadership.

Innovations in communication technologies for measles supplemental immunization activities: lessons from Kenya measles vaccination campaign, November 2012.

BACKGROUND: To achieve a measles free world, effective communication must be part of all elimination plans. The choice of communication approaches must be evidence based, locally appropriate, interactive and community owned. In this article, we document the innovative approach of using house visits supported by a web-enabled mobile phone application to create a real-time platform for adaptive management of supplemental measles immunization days in Kenya. METHODS: One thousand nine hundred and fifty-two Red Cross volunteers were recruited, trained and deployed to conduct house-to-house canvassing in 11 urban districts of Kenya. Three days before the campaigns, volunteers conducted house visits with a uniform approach and package of messages. All house visits were documented using a web-enabled mobile phone application (episurveyor®) that in real-time relayed information collected to all campaign management levels. During the campaigns, volunteers reported daily immunizations to their co-ordinators. Post-campaign house visits were also conducted within 4 days, to verify immunization of eligible children, assess information sources and detect adverse events following immunization. RESULTS: Fifty-six per cent of the 164 643 households visited said that they had heard about the planned 2012 measles vaccination campaign 1-3 days before start dates. Twenty-five per cent of households were likely to miss the measles supplemental dose if they had not been reassured by the house visit. Pre- and post-campaign reasons for refusal showed that targeted communication reduced misconceptions, fear of injections and trust in herbal remedies. Daily reporting of immunizations using mobile phones informed changes in service delivery plans for better immunization coverage. House visits were more remembered (70%) as sources of information compared with traditional mass awareness channels like megaphones (41%) and radio (37%). CONCLUSIONS: In high-density settlements, house-to-house visits are easy and more penetrative compared with traditional media approaches. Using mobile phones to document campaign processes and outputs provides real time evidence for service delivery planning to improve immunization coverage.