Objective To analyze the burden and epidemic trends of gastric cancer in China from 1990 to 2021, and to provide a scientific basis for the formulation of effective prevention and control strategies. Methods　Data from the 2021 Global Burden of Disease (GBD) database were used to extract the number of the incidence, prevalence, and death cases, as well as the disability-adjusted life years (DALY) for gastric cancer in China from 1990 to 2021. The corresponding crude rates and age-standardized rates were calculated. The Joinpoint regression model was employed to analyze the trends in the burden of gastric cancer, and a comprehensive examination was conducted from multiple dimensions including age, gender, and time. Results From 1990 to 2021, the age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) of gastric cancer in China decreased from 48.03 per 100,000 to 29.05 per 100,000, the age-standardized prevalence rate (ASPR) decreased from 67.17 per 100,000 to 57.23 per 100,000, the age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR) decreased from 46.05 per 100,000 to 21.51 per 100,000, and the age-standardized DALY rate (ASDR) decreased from 1181.61 per 100,000 to 501.26 per 100,000. The AAPCs of ASIR, ASPR, ASMR, and ASDR were -1.61%, -0.50%, -2.44%, and -2.75%, respectively. The incidence, prevalence, mortality and DALY rates showed a trend of increasing first and then decreasing with age. Although females had higher incidence, prevalence, mortality, and DALY numbers in the older age groups, males exhibited higher crude rates across all age groups. Conclusion　The overall disease burden of gastric cancer in China showed a downward trend from 1990 to 2021, and men and middle-aged and elderly people are the key populations for prevention and control efforts.

OBJECTIVE To construct a prediction model for the efficacy of serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor （SNRI） in inpatients with moderate and severe depression by using a machine learning method. METHODS The case records of inpatients with moderate and severe depression treated with SNRI antidepressants were collected from a third-grade class-A hospital in Xinjiang from January 2022 to October 2024； those patients were divided into effective group and ineffective group based on the Hamilton depression scale-24 score reduction rate. After screening the characteristic variables related to the therapeutic efficacy of SNRI drugs through LASSO regression， five prediction models including support vector machine， k-nearest neighbor， random forest， lightweight gradient boosting machine and extreme gradient boosting were constructed using the training set. Bayesian optimization was used to adjust the hyperparameters of these models. The performance of the models was evaluated in the validation set to select the optimal model. The Shapley additive explanations method was used to perform explainable analysis on the best model. RESULTS The medical records from 355 hospitalized patients with moderate and severe depression were collected， comprising 285 cases in the effective group and 70 cases in the ineffective group， resulting in an overall therapeutic response rate of 80.28%. After feature variable screening， five characteristic variables for therapeutic efficacy were obtained， including Hamilton anxiety scale， blood urea nitrogen， combination of anti-anxiety drugs， drinking history， and first onset of the disease. Compared with other models， the random forest model performed the best. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.85， the area under the precision-recall curve was 0.87， the accuracy was 0.74， and the recall rate value was 0.75. CONCLUSIONS The random forest model constructed based on five characteristic variables demonstrates potential for predicting the therapeutic efficacy of SNRI antidepressants in hospitalized patients with moderate and severe depression.

Objective: To investigate the predictive value of EZH2 expression for malignant transformation in oral leukoplakia (OLK) and to provide a reference for clinical practice. Methods: This study was approved by the institutional ethics committee, and informed consent was obtained from all participants. A total of 114 patients diagnosed with OLK by pathological examination and treated at our hospital between November 2020 and July 2022 were initially enrolled. After excluding those with incomplete data or follow-up, 105 participants were included in the final analysis, comprising 14 in the high EZH2 expression group and 91 in the low EZH2 expression group. Histopathological examination of oral mucosa and immunohistochemical detection of EZH2 protein expression were performed. The follow-up period was 30 months; participants were followed until malignant transformation occurred or until the end of follow-up, at which point they were withdrawn from the study. The exposure factor was the level of EZH2 protein expression, and the outcome was the malignant transformation rate of OLK. Differences in EZH2 expression levels and transformation outcomes were analyzed. Results: There were no statistically significant differences between the high and low EZH2 expression groups in terms of age, sex, history of systemic disease, lifestyle habits, psychological status, diet, and sleep conditions (P > 0.05). Lesions in the high EZH2 expression group were mainly located on the ventral tongue, while in the low EZH2 expression group, they were more commonly found on the dorsal tongue and buccal mucosa. The malignant transformation rate was 28.6% (4/14) in the high expression group and 8.8% (8/91) in the low expression group; these differences were not statistically significant (P=0.053). In univariate Cox regression analysis, the risk of malignant transformation in the high EZH2 expression group was 3.647 times that of the low EZH2 expression group (HR = 3.647, 95% CI: 1.097-12.120, P<0.05). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that over the 30-month follow-up period, the cancer-free survival rate in the high EZH2 expression group was 19.8% lower than in the low expression group, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). In multivariate Cox regression analysis, only moderate and severe epithelial dysplasia were identified as independent risk factors for malignant transformation. The risk of malignant transformation in the moderate and severe dysplasia groups was 10.695 and 13.623 times higher, respectively, than in the mild dysplasia group (HR = 10.695, 95% CI: 2.270-50.396, P<0.05; HR=13.623, 95% CI: 1.918-96.774, P<0.05). EZH2 high expression was not an independent risk factor in the multivariate model (HR= 2.528, 95% CI: 0.752-8.500, P = 0.134). Conclusion High EZH2 protein expression is a risk factor for the malignant transformation of OLK but does not have independent predictive value.

Objective To investigate the impact of esketamine hydrochloride in combination with ultrasound-guided transverse thoracic muscle plane block on stress response and inflammatory levels in patients undergoing cardiac valve replacement under general anesthesia.Methods A total of 120 patients who underwent elective extra-corporeal circulation-supported median open heart valve replacement were selected and randomly assigned into four groups using the random number table method:general anesthesia alone(Group G),general anesthesia with intrave-nous administration of esketamine(Group E),general anesthesia with transverse thoracic plane block(Group T),and esketamine combined with transverse thoracic muscle plane block(Group ET);each group consisted of 30 cases.Patients in group E and group ET received a continuous infusion of esketamine hydrochloride injection at a rate of 0.2 mg/kg-1?h-1 until the completion of the surgical procedure,while patients in group G and group T received an equivalent volume of saline solution until the completion of the surgical procedure.After the induction of general anesthesia,patients in group T and group ET underwent ultrasound-guided bilateral transverse thoracic muscle plane block,while patients in group G and group E did not receive any specific intervention.All four groups received identical protocols for anesthesia induction and maintenance,with self-controlled intravenous analgesic pumps administered to all patients postoperatively.The following time points were recorded:1 day prior to surgery(T0),pre-induction of anesthesia(T1),1 minute post-tracheal intubation(T2),1 minute post-median sternotomy(T3),1 minute prior to initiation of cardiopulmonary circulation(T4),1 minute after cessation of cardiopulmonary circula-tion(T5),1 minute after completion of surgery(T6),1 day post-surgery(T7),2 days post-surgery(T8),and 3 days post-surgery(T9).Mean Arterial Pressure(MAP)and Heart Rate(HR)were continuously monitored from T1 to T6.The levels of blood glucose and lactate were measured and recorded at T1,T4 to T6.The levels of White Blood Cells(WBC)and C-Reactive Protein(CRP)were assessed at T0,as well as at T7 to T9.The occurrence of postoperative adverse reactions was documented in all four groups.Results(1)Comparison of hemodynamics among the four groups:Compared with group G,there was a significant decrease in MAP and HR at T3 in group T(P<0.05).At the T5 time point,MAP was lower in group ET compared to group E,while HR was higher in group ET compared to group T(P<0.05).(2)The lactate and blood glucose levels of the four patient groups after extracorporeal circulation transfer were higher than those at the T1 time point(P<0.05).Patients in group E had lower lactate values at the T5 time point and lower blood glucose values at the T6 time point compared to group G(P<0.05).Additionally,patients in group E exhibited lower lactate and blood glucose values at both the T5 and T6 time points compared to those in group T(P<0.05).(3)Compared to T0,the levels of white blood cells(WBC)and C-reactive protein(CRP)were increased in all four groups after surgery(P<0.05).At the T7 time point,the WBC levels in group E and group T were significantly lower than those in group G(P<0.05).Furthermore,compared to group E and group T,the level of WBC in group ET was significantly lower at T7,while the level of CRP was significantly lower at T8(P<0.05).(4)There were no significant differences observed in postoperative adverse reactions among the four groups(P>0.05).Conclusion Combining low-dose esketamine hydrochloride with transverse thoracic muscle plane block under general anesthesia during open heart valve replacement surgery can effectively stabilize the patient's hemodynamics,mitigate perioperative stress response and postoperative inflammation levels,thereby demonstrating significant clini-cal utility.

Hepatic fibrosis is a pathological process of chronic liver injury. Without timely intervention and treatment， liver fibrosis may eventually lead to liver cirrhosis and cancer. Janus kinase （JAK）/signal transducer and activator of transcription （STAT） signaling pathway is closely associated with the occurrence and development of liver fibrosis. Based on this， this paper summarized and analyzed the mechanism and effects of active ingredients and compounds of traditional Chinese medicine improving liver fibrosis based on JAK/STAT signaling pathway. It is found that the active ingredients and compounds of traditional Chinese medicine that promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis （ingredients such as ethanol extract of Euonymus alatus and paclitaxel， as well as compounds such as Ershiwuwei songshi pill and Ganfukang）， clear away heat and toxic material （ingredients such as betulinic acid， total flavonoids from Persicaria perfoliata， as well as compounds such as Pianzaihuang and Kehuang capsules）， and sooth the liver and promote qi circulation （ingredients such as fraxetin and cucurbitacin B， as well as compounds such as Chaihu shugan powder and Xiaochaihu decoction） can all relieve liver fibrosis by inhibiting the activity of the JAK/STAT signaling pathway， reducing inflammatory reactions， and inhibiting the proliferation of hepatic stellate cells.

Objective To identify inflammation-related genes in atrial fibrillation(AF)and explore the possible role and mechanism of these genes and infiltrating immune cells in the development of AF.Methods A series of bioinformatics analysis combined with machine learning algorithms to identify biomarkers of AF,the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves were used to verify the prediction and diagnostic value of key genes,and Spearman correlation analysis was used to clarify the correlation between key genes and infiltrating immune cells.Results 593 differential genes(| log2(fold change,FC)|>1,P<0.05),7 immune cell subtypes(P<0.05)were selected,190 immune-related differential genes were obtained,3 biomarkers(IGF1,PTGS 2 and PPARG),and the correlation analysis showed that 3 markers were significantly associated with infiltrating immune cells(P<0.05).Conclusion IGF1,PTGS2 and PPARG are inflammation-related genes of AF,which are speculated to be closely related to the process and pathway of immune cell infiltration.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical effectiveness and safety of Bairui Granules （百蕊颗粒） in the treatment of acute pharyngitis with wind-heat syndrome. MethodsA multicenter， double-blind， double-simulation， randomised controlled trial was conducted， in which 162 patients with acute pharyngitis and wind-heat syndrome from 7 centers were recruited， and each center was divided into trial group and control group on the ratio of 2∶1. In the trial group， 108 cases were orally administered with Bairui Granules plus Reyanning Granules （热炎宁颗粒） simulant， and in the control group， 54 cases were orally administered with Reyanning Granules plus Bairui Granules simulant for 5 days， with a follow-up visit on the 6th day. Full analysis set （FAS） analysis and per protocol set （PPS） were used for analysis， respectively. The primary efficacy index was the disappearance rate of sore throat after 5-day treatment； the secondary efficacy indexes were the disappearance rate of sore throat after 3-day treatment， as well as the visual analogue score （VAS） of sore throat before treatment， every day during the treatment， and follow-up on day 6， and the traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome score was performed before treatment and at the follow-up on day 6. The effectiveness on TCM syndrome was evaluated at the follow-up on day 6， and the changes of vital signs， blood routine， urine routine， liver functions， kidney function， the adverse events before and after the treatment were recorded， and safety analysis set （SS） was analysed. Results162 patients entered the FAS and SS analyses， and 158 cases （105 cases in the trial group and 53 cases in the control group） entered the PPS analysis. FAS analysis showed that the disappearance rate of sore throat after 5-day treatment was 80.56% （87/108） in the trial group and 64.81% （35/54） in the control group， and the difference between groups was statistically significant （χ² = 5.10， P = 0.0239）. PPS analysis showed that the disappearance rate of sore throat after 5-day treatment was 80.00% （84/105） in the trial group and 64.15% （34/53） in the control group， and the difference between groups was statistically significant （χ² =4.85， P = 0.0277）. FAS and SS analyses both showed that the difference in disappearance rate of sore throat between groups on 3-day treatment was not statistically significant （P＞0.05）. Compared with those before treatment， the VAS scores of sore throat were lower in both groups during treatment on day 2， 3， 4， 5， and follow-up on day 6 （P＜0.01）， but the difference between groups at each time point was not statistically significant （P＞0.05）. TCM syndrome scores of both groups at the follow-up were lower than that before treatment， and those of the trial group were lower than those of the control group （P＜0.01）. The cure rate and effective rate of TCM syndrome of the trial group were significantly higher than those of the control group （P＜0.01）. There was no significant difference in blood routine， urine routine， liver function， kidney function between groups before and after treatment （P＞0.05）， and no serious adverse events occured in both groups. ConclusionBairui Granules showed clinical effectiveness in the treatment of acute pharyngitis of wind-heat syndrome， and it could significantly improve the clinical symptoms， accelerate the disappearance time of sore throat with good safety.

Objective: To find any differentially expressed circRNAs in oral leukoplakia (OLK) and oral lichen planus (OLP), to investigate the possible role of circRNAs in the pathogenesis of these two diseases. Methods: This study obtained hospital ethical approval. High-throughput sequencing was used to detect differentially expressed circRNAs in OLK, OLP, oral squamous cell carcinoma and normal oral mucosal tissues. CircRNAs were verified by qRT-PCR, enzyme tolerance assays and Sanger sequencing. GO functional analysis and KEGG pathway analysis were performed to predict the functions of circRNAs in OLP. TargetScan and miRanda were applied to predict targeted miRNAs and mRNAs of circRNAs, and ceRNA networks were mapped. Results: A total of 49 circRNAs were differentially expressed in OLK and OLP together, including 30 upregulated and 19 downregulated circRNAs. The five circRNAs confirmed with RT-qPCR, including circHLA-C, circRNF13, circTTN, circSEPN2 and circALDH3A2, were all abnormally expressed in OLK and OLP, among which circHLA-C was a key circRNA with trans splice sites, which was validated by expanding the sample size. ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the circHLA-C curve for predicting OLK was 0.955, and the area under the circHLA-C curve for predicting OLP was 0.988. GO functional analysis showed enrichment of many biological processes related to the immune process. The KEGG pathway with the highest enrichment score was "Natural killer cell mediated cytotoxicity". HLA-C was significantly enriched in these processes/pathways. CeRNA network analysis showed that circHLA-C interacted with a variety of miRNAs, such as hsa-miR-26a-5p, hsa-miR-129-5p, and hsa-miR-29a-3p. Conclusion Many circRNAs were differentially expressed in both OLK and OLP, circHLA-C being the most elevated. CircHLA-C is valuable for the early diagnosis of OLK and OLP and may serve as a potential biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of OLK and OLP.

OBJECTIVE To study the effects of the active component 17-hydroxy-jolkinolide B （HJB） of Euphorbia fischeriana on the proliferation and apoptosis of human triple-negative breast cancers （TNBC） MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468 cells. METHODS MTT assay was adopted to detect the inhibitory rate of MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468 cells proliferation after treated with 0 （blank control），5，10，20，40，80 μmol/L HJB for 24， 48 and 72 h. Laser confocal microscope and flow cytometry were adopted to detect the apoptosis， mitochondrial membrane potential（MMP） and reactive oxygen species （ROS） of above 2 kinds of cells after treated with 0 （blank control）， 10，20，40 μmol/L HJB for 24 h. Western blot assay was used to detect the expressions of B cell lymphoma-2（ Bcl-2）， Bcl-2-associated X protein （Bax）， cytochrome-C （Cyt-C）， caspase-3， cleaved caspase- 3， caspase-9 and cleaved caspase-9. RESULTS Compared with blank control group， 5，10，20，40，80 μmol/L HJB could significantly increase the inhibitory rate of MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468 cells proliferation （P＜0.05）， in dose- and time- dependent trend. After 24 h treatment of HJB （10，20，40 μmol/L）， the apoptosis of above 2 kinds of cells increased， and the total apoptotic rate increased significantly （P＜0.05）； the mitochondrial membrane potential decreased significantly （P＜0.05）； the level of ROS increased significantly （P＜0.05）； the protein expressions of Bcl-2， caspase-3 and caspase-9 were decreased significantly （P＜ 0.05）， while the protein expressions of Cyt-C， Bax， cleaved caspase-3 and cleaved caspase-9 were increased significantly （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS HJB can inhibit the proliferation of MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468 cells， and induce their apoptosis.

Objective:To observe the maximum tongue pressure and study the oropharyngeal activity during swallowing of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) after radiotherapy so as to correlate the maximum tongue pressure with swallowing function.Methods:The mean maximum tongue pressure of nineteen NPC patients with dysphagia was measured at the anterior (TA), middle (TM) and posterior (TP) positions, followed by video fluoroscopy. Oral transit time (OTT), upper esophageal sphincter(UES)opening time (UOT) and UES opening range (UOR) were correlated with the mean maximum tongue pressures.Results:The maximum pressure at the TM and TP positions was significantly negatively correlated with OTT, but there was no significant correlation with the anterior readings. The maximum pressures at all three tongue positions were, however, positively correlated with UOT and UOR.Conclusion:The maximum pressure at the TA, TM and TP positions is strongly correlated with the swallowing function of NPC patients.