Background: s/Aims: Non-invasive models stratifying clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH) are limited. Herein, we developed a new non-invasive model for predicting CSPH in patients with compensated cirrhosis and investigated whether carvedilol can prevent hepatic decompensation in patients with high-risk CSPH stratified using the new model. Methods: Non-invasive risk factors of CSPH were identified via systematic review and meta-analysis of studies involving patients with hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG). A new non-invasive model was validated for various performance aspects in three cohorts, i.e., a multicenter HVPG cohort, a follow-up cohort, and a carvediloltreating cohort. Results: In the meta-analysis with six studies (n=819), liver stiffness measurement and platelet count were identified as independent risk factors for CSPH and were used to develop the new “CSPH risk” model. In the HVPG cohort (n=151), the new model accurately predicted CSPH with cutoff values of 0 and –0.68 for ruling in and out CSPH, respectively. In the follow-up cohort (n=1,102), the cumulative incidences of decompensation events significantly differed using the cutoff values of <–0.68 (low-risk), –0.68 to 0 (medium-risk), and >0 (high-risk). In the carvediloltreated cohort, patients with high-risk CSPH treated with carvedilol (n=81) had lower rates of decompensation events than non-selective beta-blockers untreated patients with high-risk CSPH (n=613 before propensity score matching [PSM], n=162 after PSM). Conclusions Treatment with carvedilol significantly reduces the risk of hepatic decompensation in patients with high-risk CSPH stratified by the new model.

Background: s/Aims: Non-invasive models stratifying clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH) are limited. Herein, we developed a new non-invasive model for predicting CSPH in patients with compensated cirrhosis and investigated whether carvedilol can prevent hepatic decompensation in patients with high-risk CSPH stratified using the new model. Methods: Non-invasive risk factors of CSPH were identified via systematic review and meta-analysis of studies involving patients with hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG). A new non-invasive model was validated for various performance aspects in three cohorts, i.e., a multicenter HVPG cohort, a follow-up cohort, and a carvediloltreating cohort. Results: In the meta-analysis with six studies (n=819), liver stiffness measurement and platelet count were identified as independent risk factors for CSPH and were used to develop the new “CSPH risk” model. In the HVPG cohort (n=151), the new model accurately predicted CSPH with cutoff values of 0 and –0.68 for ruling in and out CSPH, respectively. In the follow-up cohort (n=1,102), the cumulative incidences of decompensation events significantly differed using the cutoff values of <–0.68 (low-risk), –0.68 to 0 (medium-risk), and >0 (high-risk). In the carvediloltreated cohort, patients with high-risk CSPH treated with carvedilol (n=81) had lower rates of decompensation events than non-selective beta-blockers untreated patients with high-risk CSPH (n=613 before propensity score matching [PSM], n=162 after PSM). Conclusions Treatment with carvedilol significantly reduces the risk of hepatic decompensation in patients with high-risk CSPH stratified by the new model.

Background: s/Aims: Non-invasive models stratifying clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH) are limited. Herein, we developed a new non-invasive model for predicting CSPH in patients with compensated cirrhosis and investigated whether carvedilol can prevent hepatic decompensation in patients with high-risk CSPH stratified using the new model. Methods: Non-invasive risk factors of CSPH were identified via systematic review and meta-analysis of studies involving patients with hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG). A new non-invasive model was validated for various performance aspects in three cohorts, i.e., a multicenter HVPG cohort, a follow-up cohort, and a carvediloltreating cohort. Results: In the meta-analysis with six studies (n=819), liver stiffness measurement and platelet count were identified as independent risk factors for CSPH and were used to develop the new “CSPH risk” model. In the HVPG cohort (n=151), the new model accurately predicted CSPH with cutoff values of 0 and –0.68 for ruling in and out CSPH, respectively. In the follow-up cohort (n=1,102), the cumulative incidences of decompensation events significantly differed using the cutoff values of <–0.68 (low-risk), –0.68 to 0 (medium-risk), and >0 (high-risk). In the carvediloltreated cohort, patients with high-risk CSPH treated with carvedilol (n=81) had lower rates of decompensation events than non-selective beta-blockers untreated patients with high-risk CSPH (n=613 before propensity score matching [PSM], n=162 after PSM). Conclusions Treatment with carvedilol significantly reduces the risk of hepatic decompensation in patients with high-risk CSPH stratified by the new model.

Objective: To analyze the trends, gender, and age differences in the incidence of lip and oral cavity cancer in Chinese population from 1990 to 2021 and predict future incidence trends, providing a scientific basis for disease prevention and public health policy. Methods: Incidence data of lip and oral cavity cancer in Chinese population from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) database from 1990 to 2021 were analyzed. The Joinpoint regression model was used to assess temporal trends, the age-period-cohort model was used to evaluate the independent effects of age, period, and cohort, and the Bayesian age-period-cohort model (BAPC) model was used to predict incidence trends from 2022 to 2044. Results: From 1990 to 2021, the age-standardized incidence rate of lip and oral cavity cancer in Chinese population increased from 2.39/100 000 to 3.76/100 000, and the crude incidence rate rose from 1.71/100 000 to 4.85/100 000. The incidence rate in males was higher and increased more rapidly than in females. Higher incidence rates were prevalent among older populations, a rapid increase in incidence rates occurred during 2003 to 2012, and earlier birth cohorts showed overall higher risks. BAPC predictions indicated a continued rise in incidence from 2022 to 2044. During this period, male incidence stabilized while female incidence increased at a relatively faster rate. Conclusion The incidence of lip and oral cavity cancer in Chinese population has revealed a continuous upward trend, particularly among males and older populations. Future prevention strategies should focus on these high-risk populations.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of relaxing needling at the contracted sites of meridian-muscle regions in the patients with post-stroke shoulder-hand syndrome (SHS) at acute stage. METHODS: Eighty patients with post-stroke SHS at acute stage were randomized into an observation group (40 cases, 1 case dropped out) and a control group (40 cases, 1 case was eliminated). In the control group, the routine medication, basic rehabilitation training, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy were administered. In the observation group, besides the treatment as the control group, relaxing needling was delivered at the contracted sites of meridian-muscle regions. These contracted sites were distributed along three yin meridians of hand and three yang meridians of hand on the affected upper limbs. The intervention was given once daily, 5 times a week and for 4 weeks. Before and after treatment, the scores of visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain, edema degree, modified Barthel index (MBI), and Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA) for motor function, and the integrated electromyography (iEMG) of surface electromyogram (sEMG) were observed in the two groups. The curative effect was evaluated after treatment and in follow-up of 2 months after treatment in the two groups. RESULTS: After treatment, VAS scores and the scores of edema degree were reduced when compared with those before treatment in the two groups (P<0.05), and the scores in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). MBI and FMA scores increased after treatment compared with those before treatment in the two groups (P<0.05), and the scores in the observation group were higher than those in the control group (P<0.05) after treatment. The iEMG values of the biceps brachii, triceps brachii, and wrist extensors were elevated after treatment in comparison with those before treatment (P<0.05) in the two groups, and the values in the observation group were larger than those in the control group after treatment (P<0.05). The total clinical effective rate in the observation group was 92.3% (36/39), which was better than that of the control group (74.4%, 29/39, P<0.05) after treatment; and that of the observation group was 97.4% (38/39), which was better than 82.1% (32/39) in the control group (P<0.05) in follow-up. CONCLUSION Relaxing needling at the contracted sites of meridian-muscle regions in treatment of post-stroke SHS at acute stage can attenuate the symptoms such as upper limb pain, swelling and spasm, improve motor function and the activity of daily living of patients.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Aged ; Meridians ; Stroke/complications* ; Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy/etiology* ; Adult ; Acupuncture Points

Sennoside A (SA), a typical prodrug, exerts its laxative effect only after its transformation into rheinanthrone catalyzed by gut microbial hydrolases and reductases. Hydrolases have been identified, but reductases remain unknown. By linking a photoreactive group to the SA scaffold, we synthesized a photoaffinity probe to covalently label SA reductases and identified SA reductases using activity-based protein profiling (ABPP). From lysates of an active strain, Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum (B. pseudocatenulatum), 397 proteins were enriched and subsequently identified using mass spectrometry (MS). Among these proteins, chromate reductase/nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) phosphate (NADPH)-dependent flavin mononucleotide (FMN) reductase/oxygen-insensitive NADPH nitroreductase (nfrA) was identified as a potent SA reductase through further bioinformatic analysis and The Universal Protein Resource (UniProt) database screening. We also determined that recombinant nfrA could reduce SA. Our study contributes to further illuminating mechanisms of SA transformation to rheinanthrone and simultaneously offers an effective method to identify gut bacterial reductases.

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With the advent of an aging society,Alzheimer's disease(AD)has gradually become a major ailment affecting the elderly.AD is a neurodegenerative disorder associated with cognitive impairments.In AD patients,brain network connections are disrupted,and their topological properties are also affected,leading to the disintegration of anatomical and functional connections.Anatomical connections can be tracked and evaluated using structural magnetic imaging(MRI)and diffusion tensor imaging(DTI),while functional connections are detected through functional MRI to assess their connectivity status.This review incorporates the findings of previous scholars and summarizes the current research of AD.It mainly discusses the imaging characteristics of large-scale brain network changes in AD patients,so as to provide researchers with scientific and objective imaging markers for AD prediction and early diagnosis,as well as future research.

Objective : To investigate the protective effect of melatonin (MT) on formaldehyde (FA) inhalation-in- duced acute lung injury (ALI) in rats and its mechanism through the regulation of nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) signaling pathway． Methods : Fifty female Wistar rats were randomly divided into Control group ，FA group，FA + MT 5 mg / kg group，FA + MT 10 mg / kg group and FA + MT 20 mg / kg group，with 10 rats in each group．Except for the Control group，all other groups inhaled 3 mg / m3 FA daily for 21 d consecutively to construct the tainted model，and then treated with different MT doses for 14 d．The tainting was continued during the MT treatment．Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was used to observe the histopathological changes in lung tissue，lung water content and lung coefficient were weighed and measured，glutathione ( GSH) ，superoxide dismutase (SOD) and 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine ( 8-OHdG) levels were measured by absorbance photometric method ，and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) was used to measure the levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) ，in- terleukin (IL) -6，and IL-1 β concentrations，Western blot to detect the protein expression levels of Nrf2，heme ox- ygenase-1 (HO-1) ，nuclear factor-κB ( NF-κB) ，and phosphorylated nuclear factor-κB ( p-NF-κB) in lung tis- sues，and quantitative polymerase chain reaction(qPCR) to detect the Nrf2，HO-1，and Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1) mRNA expression levels. Results : Compared with the control group，lung injury was obvious in rats in the FA group ; lung tissue GSH and SOD levels were reduced ，and 8-OHdG levels were elevated ( P < 0. 05) ; alveolar lavage fluid TNF-α , IL-6，and IL-1 β levels were elevated (P＜0. 05) ; Nrf 2 and HO-1 protein expression levels were reduced in the lung tissue (P＜0. 05) ，and p-NF-κB protein expression levels were was ele- vated (P＜0. 05) ; the relative mRNA expression of Nrf2 and HO-1 in lung tissue was decreased，and the relative mRNA expression of Keap1 was elevated (P＜0. 05) ．Compared with the FA group，the lung injury of rats in the MT group was improved ; the levels of GSH and SOD in the lung tissue were increased (P＜0. 05) ，and the level of 8-OHdG was decreased (P＜0. 05) ; the levels of TNF-α , IL-6，and IL-1 β in the alveolar lavage fluid were de- creased (P＜0. 05) ; and the expression levels of the Nrf2 and HO-1 proteins in the lung tissue were increased (P ＜0. 05) ．p-NF-κB protein expression level was decreased (P ＜0. 05) ; the relative mRNA expression levels of Nrf2 and HO-1 in lung tissues were increased (P＜0. 05) ，and the relative mRNA expression level of Keap1 was decreased (P＜0. 05) in lung tissues，and all of them were in a dose-dependent manner． Conclusion MT can al- leviate oxidative stress and inflammatory responses and mitigate FA exposure-induced acute lung injury by regula- ting the Nrf2 / Keap1 / HO-1 signaling pathway.

Esketamine,which was recently intro-duced in China,is a type of intravenous general an-esthetic that is widely used in clinical practice for general anesthesia and anti-depression therapy.Studies have found that esketamine can be safely used to intrathecally produce analgesic,sedative,and anti-depressive effects at subanesthetic doses.This review summarizes the mechanism of action,safety,adverse reactions,and various clinical appli-cations of esketamine intrathecally,so as to pro-vide relevant references for further research.