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Abstract Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a prevalent gastrointestinal cancer characterized by high mortality and an unfavorable prognosis. While combination therapies involving surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy are advancing, targeted therapy for ESCC remains underdeveloped. As a result, the overall five‐year survival rate for ESCC is still below 20%. Herein, ESCC‐specific DNA aptamers and an innovative aptamer‐modified nano‐system is introduced for targeted drug and gene delivery to effectively inhibit ESCC. The EA1 ssDNA aptamer, which binds robustly to ESCC cells with high specificity and affinity, is identified using cell‐based systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (cell‐SELEX). An EA1‐modified nano‐system is developed using a natural egg yolk lipid nanovector (EA1‐EYLNs‐PTX/siEFNA1) that concurrently loads paclitaxel (PTX) and a small interfering RNA of Ephrin A1 (EFNA1). This combination counters ESCC's proliferation, migration, invasion, and lung metastasis. Notably, EFNA1 is overexpressed in ESCC tumors with lung metastasis and has an inverse correlation with ESCC patient prognosis. The EA1‐EYLNs‐PTX/siEFNA1 nano‐system offers effective drug delivery and tumor targeting, resulting in significantly improved therapeutic efficacy against ESCC tumors. These insights suggest that aptamer‐modified nano‐systems can deliver drugs and genes with superior tumor‐targeting, potentially revolutionizing targeted therapy in ESCC.

Objective To study how blood donation intention among college students was influenced by publicity information (framework effect), individual characteristic (altruistic personality) and micro-system of the social ecological systems(organization trust) through the viewpoints of social psychology, sociology and behavioral economics, aiming at providing new strategies for donors recruitment in colleges. Methods A total of 1 225 questionnaires were distributed to four universities in Xiamen and Quanzhou, Fujian Province from June 2021 to December 2021, with blood donation publicity information included, to investigate the blood donation intention, altruistic personality, organization trust and demographic characteristics. Results A total of 99.18%(1 215/1 225)of the collected questionnaires were valid.The average score of blood donation intention was (76.40 ± 24.31) (the range of value was 0-100). Multiple linear regression showed that altruistic personality and organization trust were positively associated with donation intention (P

Abstract Background Esophageal cancer is the fifth most common cancer affecting men in China. The primary treatment options are surgery and traditional radio-chemotherapy; no effective targeted therapy exists yet. Self-assembled RNA nanocarriers are highly stable, easily functionally modified, and have weak off-tumor targeting effects. Thus, they are among the most preferred carriers for mediating the targeted delivery of anti-tumor drugs. miR-375 was found to be significantly down-regulated in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) tissues and its overexpression effectively inhibits the proliferation, migration, and invasion of ESCC cells. Moreover, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) was overexpressed in ESCC cells, and accumulation of RNA nanoparticles in ESCC tumors was enhanced by EGFR-specific aptamer (EGFRapt) modification. Results Herein, a novel four-way junction RNA nanocarrier, 4WJ-EGFRapt-miR-375-PTX simultaneously loaded with miR-375, PTX and decorated with EGFRapt, was developed. In vitro analysis demonstrated that 4WJ-EGFRapt-miR-375-PTX possesses strong thermal and pH stabilities. EGFRapt decoration facilitated tumor cell endocytosis and promoted deep penetration into 3D-ESCC spheroids. Xenograft mouse model for ESCC confirmed that 4WJ-EGFRapt-miR-375-PTX was selectively distributed in tumor sites via EGFRapt-mediating active targeting and targeted co-delivery of miR-375 and PTX exhibited more effective therapeutic efficacy with low systemic toxicity. Conclusion This strategy may provide a practical approach for targeted therapy of ESCC. Graphical Abstract

This study reports secondary outcome findings on depressive symptoms from a randomized clinical trial testing three interventions for substance-abusing runaway adolescents. In particular, the effect of a family systems therapy, Ecologically Based Family Therapy (EBFT), and two individual therapies, the Community Reinforcement Approach (CRA) and Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET), on adolescent and primary caretaker (PC) depressive symptoms were compared. Findings showed that youth's depressive symptoms were significantly reduced in each treatment to 2 years postbaseline. However, the trajectory of change differed across treatments, with adolescents receiving MET showing a more rapid reduction in depressive symptoms but a quicker increase in symptoms compared with adolescents receiving EBFT. PCs receiving EBFT showed a statistically significant decline in depressive symptoms, hut this was not observed for the CRA and MET conditions. These findings can be interpreted to favor EBFT, although future research is needed to test training and implementation strategies for family systems therapies in community-based runaway shelters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Follow-up rates reported among longitudinal studies that focus on runaway adolescents and their families are relatively low. Identifying factors associated with follow-up completion might be useful for improving follow-up rates and therefore study validity. The present study explored how individual- and family-level constructs, as well as research project activities, influence the follow-up completion rate among runaway adolescents ( N = 140) and their primary caregiver. Results showed that follow-up completion rates decreased as the number of research assistants (RA) assigned to each case increased and as participants' address changes increased. Additionally, among adolescents, more frequent alcohol use was associated with lower follow-up rates. The current findings suggest that researchers should (1) design their research so that one RA is assigned to each specific case, and (2) adjust their retention strategies to account for the differences in follow-up rates based upon the participants' drug of choice and residential stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research efforts to reduce human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) risk behavior among street living youth have shown disappointing outcomes, with few studies reporting reduced risk behaviors. The current study tested the impact of an integrated HIV prevention intervention, and predictors of change, for youth (N = 270) between ages 14 and 20 years receiving substance use treatment through a drop-in center. Condom use, HIV knowledge, number of sexual partners and behaviors associated with an overall HIV risk index were assessed at baseline, 3, 6 and 12 months post-baseline. Findings suggest that HIV prevention integrated with substance use treatment is associated with increased condom use and reduced sex partners. However, the effects on condom use were short lived and dissipated by 12 months post-baseline. Higher treatment attendance and baseline substance use predicted increased condom use. Although no significant change was observed in the overall HIV risk index, increases in depressive symptoms were associated with increases in the index score, as well as more sexual partners. Future research should determine whether successful intervention requires reinforcement of risk reduction behaviors while youth remain homeless. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]