This article systematically explores the traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） pathogenesis evolution and metastatic mechanisms of advanced gastric cancer from the perspective of "phlegm-toxin flowing infusion". Based on this theory， it is proposed that advanced gastric cancer presents a pathogenesis evolution characterized by healthy qi depletion， phlegm-toxin flowing infusion， and collateral damage with blood stasis. Healthy qi depletion is the root of the disease， in which spleen and kidney insufficiency leads to weakened healthy qi and inability to resist pathogenic factors. Phlegm-toxin flowing infusion is the core pathogenesis， where phlegm-dampness and cancer toxin intertwine and migrate to other organs along with qi movement. Collateral damage with blood stasis constitutes the final pathological stage of metastasis， where phlegm-toxin obstruction damages the collaterals， and congealed qi and blood form accumulations. On this basis， the meridian pathways and metastasis mechanisms of advanced gastric cancer spreading to multiple sites such as the liver， peritoneum， lungs， bones， brain， ovary， and lymph nodes are further analyzed， providing references for clinical management and research of this disease.

ObjectiveTo investigate the current status of assistive device use and unmet needs among persons with disabilities in Sichuan-Chongqing region, and to identify the key factors associated with satisfaction with these devices. MethodsFrom October, 2024 to February, 2025, quota sampling was adopted to recruit 1 040 persons with disabilities in Sichuan and 260 persons with disabilities in Chongqing. Telephone and online questionnaires were used to collect data on demographic characteristics, status of assistive device utilization and unmet assistive device needs, as well as satisfaction with assistive device use. Correlation analysis, multiple linear regression analysis and structural equation modeling were performed to identify key factors associated with satisfaction. ResultsA total of 1 186 valid responses were collected, of which 942 were from Sichuan Province and 244 from Chongqing Municipality. The utilization rate of assistive devices among persons with disabilities in Sichuan-Chongqing region was 61.9%, and the rate of unmet assistive device needs was 30.6%. The assistive device utilization rate of participants with agricultural household registration (57.98%) was lower than that of participants with non-agricultural household registration (66.86%). The utilization rate showed a J-shaped upward trend with the increase of educational attainment. Educational attainment (P = 0.002), perceived usefulness of assistive devices (P < 0.001), home living environment (P < 0.001), public environment (P < 0.001) and disability type (significant differences were found in visual and hearing disabilities compared with physical disability, P < 0.05) were key predictors of satisfaction with assistive device use. The impact of public environment on satisfaction was exerted through two indirect mediating paths: mediating effect via perceived usefulness of assistive devices (ind₁ = 0.357, 95%CI 0.279 to 0.437, P < 0.001), contributing approximately 70% of the total indirect effect; mediating effect via home living environment (ind₂ = 0.129, 95%CI 0.006 to 0.242, P = 0.038), contributing approximately 25% of the total indirect effect. ConclusionThere is a structural imbalance between assistive device use and demand in Sichuan-Chongqing region. People with psycho-intellectual disabilities are most likely to be excluded from the service chain because they neither perceive need nor access information. Education exerts a robust positive effect on both adoption and satisfaction, so training content must be tailored to different educational levels. Satisfaction is shaped by disability type, device usefulness and environmental factors. Future product development should therefore integrate functional and psychosocial dimensions. Priority should be given to micro-scale home-and-community accessibility retrofits before extending upward to public transportation and employment settings, to maximize the cost-effectiveness of limited funds.

ObjectiveTo analyze the distribution of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome elements in patients with immune-related adverse events （irAEs） associated with malignant tumor immunotherapy and to explore the influencing factors for the occurrence of irAEs. MethodsClinical data were retrospectively collected from malignant tumor patients treated with programmed death-1 （PD-1） inhibitors， including demographic information， tumor history， duration of immunotherapy， occurrence of irAEs， types and grades of irAEs （G1-G5）， and TCM four-diagnostic information. Patients were divided into irAEs group and the non-irAEs group based on the occurrence of irAEs. Propensity score matching （PSM） at a 1∶2 ratio was performed to balance baseline characteristics between groups. Syndrome elements before treatment and cumulative contributions of syndrome elements before and after irAEs onset were evaluated using the "Syndrome Elements Differentiation Scale". Logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with the occurrence of irAEs. The use of glucocorticoids in the irAEs group was also analyzed. ResultsAfter 1∶2 matching， 59 patients were included in the irAEs group and 118 were in the non-irAEs group. No statistically significant differences were found between groups in terms of age， gender， primary tumor site， pathological type， or tumor stage （P＞0.05）. Patients in the non-irAEs group were more likely to have received targeted therapy， while the irAEs group had a longer duration of immunotherapy and a higher rate of positive programmed death-ligand 1 （PD-L1） expression （P＜0.05）. In total， 72 irAEs events occurred among 59 patients， with an overall incidence rate of 19.4% （59/304） and a grade 3~5 incidence rate of 6.8% （4/59）， mainly presenting as cardiotoxicity， nephrotoxicity， and pneumotoxicity.Before immunotherapy， the top three syndrome elements in the irAEs group were spleen （71.2%， 42/59）， kidney （42.4%， 25/59）， and lung （39.0%， 23/59）. For the pathogenic nature elements， yin deficiency （52.5%， 31/59）， phlegm （40.7%， 24/59）， and dampness （35.6%， 21/59） ranked highest. Compared to the non-irAEs group， the distribution of spleen， kidney， liver， yin deficiency， and qi deficiency elements showed significant differences in the irAEs group （P＜0.05）. After the occurrence of irAEs， the cumulative contributions of spleen， lung， stomach， heart， yin deficiency， qi deficiency， and yang hyperactivity elements increased significantly （P＜0.05）. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis indicated that duration of immunotherapy， spleen syndrome element， kidney syndrome element， liver syndrome element， yin deficiency element， and qi deficiency element were independent risk factors for irAEs （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Among the irAEs patients， 15 received glucocorticoid combined with TCM treatment， while 6 received glucocorticoid therapy alone. Patients receiving combined treatment required lower doses and shorter courses of glucocorticoids compared to those treated with glucocorticoids alone （P＜0.05）. ConclusionIn malignant tumor patients， spleen， kidney， lung， yin deficiency， phlegm， dampness， and qi deficiency are the predominant syndrome elements before and after the occurrence of irAEs. However， elements such as heat and qi stagnation significantly increase after irAEs onset. Duration of immunotherapy， spleen， kidney， liver syndrome elements， yin deficiency， and qi deficiency are independent risk factors for the development of irAEs.

Objective To explore the value of high-frequency ultrasound in the detection of metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma and displaying lesion characteristics. Methods A total of 38 paitients with hepatocellular carcinoma satellite lesions within 40 mm of subcutaneous tissue were underwent low-frequency (1-5 MHz) and high-frequency (6-9 MHz) ultrasound. Detection rates and ultrasonic features were compared. Results High-frequency grayscale ultrasound had a higher detection rate (71.1% vs. 36.8%, P＜0.001). Subgroup analysis showed higher detection rates with chemotherapy history (88.9% vs. 33.3%, P＝0.002), fatty liver (71.9% vs 31.3%, P＜0.001) or superficial lesion (within 20 mm, 76.5% vs 41.2%, P＝0.031). High-frequency ultrasound also showed clearer margins (P＝0.004) and more arterial-phase rim enhancement (P＝0.007). Conclusions 6-9 MHz ultrasound detects metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma, especially superficial lesions, more effectively than 1-5 MHz ultrasound and better visualizes characteristics.

ObjectiveTo investigate the association between the maintenance treatment of modified Yiqi Huoxue Jiedu Formula （益气活血解毒方） or poly ADP ribose polymerase （PARP） inhibitors and the recurrence and metastasis of advanced ovarian cancer. MethodsA case-control study design was employed， dividing patients with advanced ovarian cancer into two groups based on the occurrence of recurrence and metastasis following first-line maintenance treatment. Patients with recurrence and metastasis comprised the case group， while those without recurrence and metastasis served as the control group. The previous first-line maintenance treatment method was set as the exposure factor in the study （with the use of modified Yiqi Huoxue Jiedu Formula defined as exposed and PARP inhibitors defined as unexposed）. Basic information was collected for both groups， including the achievement of satisfactory R0 surgery， age， stage， neoadjuvant chemotherapy， lymph node metastasis， germline BRCA1/2 mutations， homologous recombination deficiency positivity， first-line maintenance treatment method （modified Yiqi Huoxue Jiedu Formula or PARP inhibitors）， and CA125 levels after the last chemotherapy. The baseline data of the two groups were assessed for differences. If there exists difference， a 1∶1 nearest neighbor matching method was used for propensity score matching. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were employed to evaluate the association between the modified Yiqi Huoxue Jiedu Formula or PARP inhibitors and the recurrence and metastasis of ovarian cancer. ResultsA total of 201 patients with advanced ovarian cancer were included， with 97 in the case group and 104 in the control group. Both groups showed statistically significant differences in R0 surgery， stage， neoadjuvant chemotherapy， and CA125 levels after the last chemotherapy （P＜0.05）， indicating baseline imbalance. After propensity score matching， there were 71 patients in both the case and control groups， achieving baseline balance （P＞0.05）. Univariate logistic regression analysis indicated that the achievement of satisfactory R0 surgery （P = 0.006）， disease stage （P = 0.001）， the use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy （P = 0.024）， treatment modality （P = 0.006）， and CA125 levels after the last chemotherapy （P = 0.013） were associated with the recurrence and metastasis of ovarian cancer. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that disease stage was an independent influencing factor for the recurrence and metastasis of ovarian cancer （P = 0.030）， whereas the P-value for the correlation between first-line maintenance treatment and ovarian cancer was 0.188. ConclusionFirst-line maintenance treatment of ovarian cancer patients with the use of modified Yiqi Huoxue Jiedu Formula or PARP inhibitors does not correlate with the recurrence and metastasis of ovarian cancer.

Objective:To analyze the current status and trend of the mortality burden of cardiovascular disease in China from 2010 to 2021.Methods:Data related to cardiovascular disease mortality and disability-adjusted life year (DALY) were extracted from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 (GBD2021) database. The age-standardized mortality rate and DALY rate were calculated, using the 2021 world standard population estimated by GBD2021. Joinpoint 5.2.0 software was used to calculate the mortality rate, standardized mortality rate, DALY rate, standardized DALY rate, annual percent change (APC), average annual percent change (AAPC), and 95% CI of cardiovascular disease in China from 2010 to 2021. Results:The mortality rate of cardiovascular disease was 357.44/100 000, and the age-standardized mortality rate was 280.11/100 000 in China in 2021. The DALY rate was 7 043.33/100 000, and the age-standardized DALY rate was 5 120.06/100 000. From 2010 to 2021, the mortality rate and DALY rate of cardiovascular disease in China showed an upward trend (AAPC was 1.58% and 0.83%, respectively, both P<0.05), and the standardized mortality rate and standardized DALY rate showed a downward trend (AAPC was -2.13% and -2.02%, respectively, both P<0.05). The mortality burden of cardiovascular disease was higher in males (mortality rate 392.80/100 000, DALY rate 8 156.19/100 000) than in females (mortality rate 320.38/100 000, DALY rate 5 876.87/100 000). With the increase older in age, the mortality burden of cardiovascular disease in China decreased first and then increased. China ranked high in the mortality burden of cardiovascular disease among G20 member countries. Conclusions:The death burden of cardiovascular disease is serious in China. The mortality rate and DALY rate of cardiovascular disease in China showed an increasing trend from 2010 to 2021, and the standardized mortality rate and standardized DALY rate of cardiovascular disease ranked high in G20 member countries. The death burden of cardiovascular disease was more serious in men and the elderly. It is necessary to develop more comprehensive prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation measures for men and the elderly to reduce mortality and disability rates, decrease the disease burden, and improve the quality of life.

Objective To investigate the association of neuregulin 4(NRG4)and meteorin-like protein(Metrnl)with insulin resistance in patients with metabolic syndrome(MS).Methods From September to November 2023,totally 60 MS patients in Anhui No.2 Provincial People's Hospital were selected as MS group,and 60 physical examination healthy people were selected as control group.The changes of human mor-phological indicators,biochemical indicators,blood routine,NRG4,Metrnl,insulin resistance index(HOMA-IR)and other indicators in the two groups were observed,and the correlation between NRG4,Metrnl and HO-MA-IR and each index was analyzed,and the diagnostic value of NRG4 and Metrnl for MS was evaluated.Re-sults Compared with the control group,the levels of white blood cell count(WBC),alanine aminotransferase(ALT),uric acid(UA),triglyceride(TG),total cholesterol(TC),fasting insulin(FINS),HOMA-IR,body weight,body mass index(BMI),waist circumference,hip circumference,waist-hip ratio(WHR),and body fat ratio were significantly increased in MS group(P<0.05),however,high density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C),NRG4,and Metrnl were significantly decreased(P<0.05).Spearman correlation analysis showed that serum NRG4 was positively correlated with Metrnl and HDL-C(P<0.05),and negatively correlated with TG,FINS,HOMA-IR,body weight,waist circumference,hip circumference,WHR,and ALT(P<0.05).Serum Metrnl was positively correlated with NRG4 and HDL-C(P<0.05),and negatively correlated with TG and hip circumference(P<0.05).Binary Logistic regression analysis showed that NRG4 and Metrnl were protective factors for MS(P<0.05).The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the sensitivity of NRG4,Metrnl,and their combination for diagnosing MS was 67%,41%,and 67%,respec-tively,the specificity was 71%,95%,and 86%,respectively,and the area under the curve was 0.713,0.635,and 0.787,respectively.Conclusion The levels of serum NRG4 and Metrnl are decreased in MS patients,and NRG4 is associated with insulin resistance.The combination of NRG4 and Metrnl has a certain diagnostic val-ue for MS.

Objective To investigate the relationship between the mean platelet volume(MPV)to platelet count(PLT)ratio(MPV/PLT),blood urea nitrogen(BUN)to lipoprotein a[Lp(a)]ratio[BUN/Lp(a)]and the prognosis of patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD).Methods A total of 106 patients with acute exacerbation of COPD admitted to the hospital from January 2021 to January 2024 were selected as the research objects.According to the prognosis,they were divided into sur-vival group(72 cases)and death group(34 cases).The results of routine laboratory tests,blood lipid and lipo-protein levels were compared between the two groups.Multivariate Logistic regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of death in patients with acute exacerbation of COPD.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to evaluate the predictive value of MPV/PLT and BUN/Lp(a)for the prognosis of pa-tients with acute exacerbation of COPD.Results Compared with the survival group,the invasive ventilation rate,acute physiology and chronic health evaluation Ⅱ(APACHE Ⅱ)score,C reactive protein(CRP),white blood cell count(WBC),MPV,BUN,MPV/PLT and BUN/Lp(a)were significantly increased in the death group(P＜0.05).The non-invasive ventilation rate,lymphocyte count,PLT and Lp(a)levels were signifi-cantly decreased(P＜0.05).Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that APACHE Ⅱ score,CRP,WBC,lymphocyte count,MPV,PLT,MPV/PLT,BUN,Lp(a)and BUN/Lp(a)were the influencing factors of death in patients with acute exacerbation of COPD(P＜0.05).ROC curve results showed that the sensitivity and specificity of MPV/PLT combined with BUN/Lp(a)for predicting the prognosis of patients with acute exacerbation of COPD were 88.2％and 84.7％,respectively,and the area under curve was 0.887.Conclusion MPV/PLT and BUN/Lp(a)are closely related to the prognosis of patients with acute exacerbation of COPD.The combination of MPV/PLT and BUN/Lp(a)has a high predictive value for the prognosis of patients.

Objective To investigate the levels of serum Vasostatin-1 and Autotaxin and their clinical sig-nificance in patients with pre-eclampsia(PE).Methods A total of 120 patients with PE(PE group)admitted to the hospital from January 2021 to January 2023 and 60 healthy pregnant women who underwent routine prenatal examinations during the same period(control group)were selected as the research subjects.Accord-ing to the severity of the disease,the patients in the PE group were divided into the severe PE group(65 ca-ses)and the mild PE group(55 cases).According to the pregnancy outcomes,they were divided into the poor group(57 cases)and the good group(63 cases).The levels of serum Vasostatin 1 and Autotaxin were detec-ted by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Multivariate unconditional Logistic regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of adverse pregnancy outcomes of PE.The receiver operating characteristic curve was drawn to evaluate the predictive value of serum Vasostatin 1 and Autotaxin levels for adverse pregnancy out-comes of PE.Results Compared with the control group,the levels of serum Vasostatin 1 and Autotaxin in the PE group increased,and the differences were statistically significant(Z=-5.924,-6.188;both P＜0.001).Compared with the mild PE group,the levels of serum Vasostatin 1 and Autotaxin in the severe PE group in-creased,and the differences were statistically significant(Z=-4.667,-4.180;both P＜0.001).Compared with the good group,the levels of serum Vasostatin 1 and Autotaxin in the poor group increased with statisti-cal significance(Z=-5.500,-5.390;both P＜0.001).The results of Logistic regression analysis showed that severe PE(OR=3.383,95％CI:1.270-9.011),high 24 h urine protein(OR=1.888,95％CI:1.199-2.972),high Vasostatin-1(OR=1.022,95％CI:1.008-1.036)and Autotaxin(OR=4.370,95％CI:1.739-10.983)were independent risk factors for adverse pregnancy outcomes in patients with PE(P＜0.05).The area under the curve for the combined prediction of adverse pregnancy outcomes in PE patients by serum Va-sostatin 1 and Autotaxin levels was 0.864(95％CI:0.790-0.920),which was greater than predicted sepa-rately,which were 0.791(95％CI:0.708-0.860),0.786(95％CI:0.701-0.855),and the differences were statistically significant(Z=2.595,2.462;both P＜0.05).Conclusion Elevated serum Vasostatin-1 and Au-totaxin levels in PE patients are associated with the aggravation of the disease and adverse pregnancy out-comes.The combined detection of serum Vasostatin 1 and Autotaxin levels has a high predictive efficacy for the pregnancy outcomes of patients with PE.

Objective To investigate the prognostic role of serum beta 2-microglobulin(β2M)as a systemic inflammatory biomarker in hospitalized patients with exacerbation of COPD,compared with other inflammatory biomarkers.Methods We retrospectively analyzed hospitalized patients with exacerbated COPD as the first diagnosis at Beijing Chao-Yang hospital,P.R.China,from December 31,2012 to December 28,2017.Serum β2M levels,laboratory and clinical indexes were measured or collected on admission,and all patients were followed up for 90 days.The prognostic performance of β2M was compared with the neutrophils-lymphocytes ratio(NLR),C-reactive protein values(CRP)and white blood cell(WBC)using MedCalc.Results For 30-day mortality,β2M,NLR,and CRP showed significant predictive value(all P<0.001)and were better than WBC(P=0.044,0.003 and 0.030,respectively)in hospitalized patients with exacerbated COPD,while WBC had no predictive significance.For 90-day mortality,β2M,NLR,CRP,and WBC were all statistically significant,but only NLR outperformed WBC(P=0.004).No significant differences were observed among β2M,NLR,and CRP.Conclusion As a systemic inflammatory biomarker,serum β2M was a useful prognostic biomarker for short-term death in hospitalized patients with COPD exacerbations.It performed slightly better than NLR and CRP for 30-day mortality prediction and slightly superior to CRP and slightly inferior to NLR for 90-day mortality prediction.