Browse Articles

Sodium Bicarbonate for Critically Ill Adults with Metabolic Acidosis and Shock

HPA-UNet-LSNet: An LSNet-based U-Net with hybrid pooling attention for accurate segmentation of Haloxylon ammodendron crowns from UAV RGB imagery

Accurate segmentation of Haloxylon ammodendron crowns from UAV RGB imagery remains challenging in desert environments because of sparse crown distribution, weak crown–background contrast, and interference from sandy soil and co-occurring shrubs. To address this problem, this study developed HPA-UNet-LSNet , an enhanced U-Net framework that replaces the original encoder with LSNet and introduces hybrid pooling attention (HPA) for feature fusion. On the independent test set, HPA-UNet-LSNet achieved a Precision of 0.8890, a Recall of 0.9198, an F1-score of 0.9041, and an mIoU of 0.8456. Compared with the baseline U-Net, it reduced false positives from 454 ± 53 to 267 ± 18 and false negatives from 224 ± 11 to 185 ± 10. The improvement was especially evident for small crowns, where the F1-score increased from 0.7318 ± 0.0179 to 0.7611 ± 0.0102, and the mIoU increased from 0.6498 ± 0.0045 to 0.6929 ± 0.0089. Grad-CAM results further showed more concentrated responses over crown regions and relatively reduced activation in irrelevant background areas. Overall, HPA-UNet-LSNet provides an effective and practical RGB-based solution for Haloxylon ammodendron crown segmentation in desert environments.

Lonvoguran Ziclumeran — In Vivo CRISPR Gene Editing in Hereditary Angioedema

“Picking the right person … can make or break the whole deal”: Development of a layperson injector selection tool for administration of home-based long-acting injectable antiretroviral therapies

Background Clinic-based administration of long-acting injectable antiretroviral therapy (LAI-ART) is resource-intensive and may exacerbate disparities in access to care. Home-based administration by trained layperson injectors, or treatment buddies (TBYs), could expand access to LAI-ART; however, maintaining high-quality clinical care requires selecting suitable TBYs for its implementation. This paper describes the development of the TBY Selection Tool to support people with HIV (PWH) in identifying appropriate TBYs. Methods The tool development process consisted of 5 phases. In Phase 1, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 clinicians, 16 PWH, and 15 candidate TBYs. Transcripts were thematically coded to identify domains influencing TBY suitability. In Phase 2, draft items were developed and refined into a structured survey. In Phase 3, 7 PWH completed the tool during a 2-month pilot. In Phase 4, a Community Advisory Panel (CAP) (n = 10) reviewed items for clarity, relevance, and comprehensiveness. In Phase 5, feedback was incorporated to finalize the tool. Results Clinicians emphasized the reliability of TBYs, the confidentiality of home-based injections, and the importance of adhering to injection schedules. PWH prioritized trust in the TBYs, TBY availability, and comfort with bodily intimacy. TBYs highlighted emotional steadiness, willingness to learn, and responsibility for continuity of care. These domains were operationalized into a survey assessing relationship history, reliability, confidentiality, availability, proximity, and comfort with injections. Pilot testing showed 100% completion without difficulties. CAP feedback led to refined wording, expanded response options, and clearer phrasing, which were used to finalize a 12-item survey. Conclusions The TBY Selection Tool provides a structured framework to support PWH in identifying appropriate TBYs for home-based LAI-ART. By integrating clinical, individual, and community perspectives, the tool addresses factors important for the safe, acceptable, and feasible implementation of home-based LAI-ART. Psychometric assessment, scoring, and further validation in larger, more diverse populations is needed.

Drug-induced gastric motility disorders: A disproportionality analysis from the FAERS and CVARD databases

Background Delayed gastric emptying and gastroesophageal reflux represent critical yet frequently underrecognized complications in hospitalized patients, particularly in the context of polypharmacy. While multiple medication classes have been implicated in disrupting gastrointestinal motility, the comprehensive risk spectrum of individual drugs remains poorly characterized. This study aimed to conduct a comprehensive disproportionality analysis to identify drugs associated with delayed gastric emptying and reflux using large-scale pharmacovigilance data. Methods We analyzed adverse event reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS; 2004–2025; n > 58 million) and validated findings against the Canada Vigilance Adverse Reaction Online Database (CVARD). Disproportionality analysis was performed using Reporting Odds Ratio (ROR), Proportional Reporting Ratio (PRR), and Bayesian Confidence Propagation Neural Network (BCPNN). Weibull time-to-onset analysis was conducted to characterize temporal patterns of adverse event onset. Results Among the top 50 drugs screened, 20 demonstrated positive signals across all three algorithms. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists exhibited the strongest associations with gastric motility disorders, with semaglutide showing the highest ROR for impaired gastric emptying (ROR: 80.27; 95% CI: 76.39–84.34), validated in CVARD (ROR: 54.17). Insulin formulations, particularly insulin degludec (ROR: 18.90), bisphosphonates, angiotensin receptor blockers, and trofinetide also demonstrated significant signals. Weibull analysis revealed divergent temporal patterns, ranging from early-onset (trofinetide: median 6.6 days) to late-onset (immunoglobulin G: median 535.1 days). Conclusion This study identifies a broad spectrum of drug-associated gastric motility disorders with distinct temporal profiles. These findings provide evidence-based priorities for enhanced pharmacovigilance and inform clinical decision-making to mitigate this preventable cause of morbidity.

Correction: Efficacy and safety of the ayurvedic formulation ‘Trikatu’ as an add-on to standard care in dyslipidemia: Study protocol for a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial evaluating lipid parameters, and gut microbiota

Dynamic analysis of critical maternal complications in tertiary hospitals in Wuxi: A study based on four years of monitoring data

Background Severe maternal morbidity (SMM) is a significant public health concern. This study analyzed the incidence, trends, causes, and pregnancy outcomes of SMM in Wuxi to inform future clinical and public health strategies. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 315 critical maternal cases identified from 156,435 deliveries in Wuxi between October 1, 2020, and September 30, 2024. Data were extracted from a citywide near-miss maternal surveillance system. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 25.0, employing chi-square tests and Cochran-Armitage trend tests to evaluate trends, and chi-square tests for comparisons between groups. Results The overall incidence of SMM was 0.20%. Initially, this rate remained stable at 0.19% across the first three cycles (P > 0.05); however, it significantly increased to 0.24% during the cycle from October 2023 to September 2024 (χ² = 5.24, P = 0.02). This increase was closely associated with a rise in the proportion of women of advanced maternal age (≥35 years), which reached 26.03% (χ² = 11.76, P = 0.001). Over time, the distribution of risk levels shifted. Initially, the high-risk group was dominant (63.29%), but in recent cycles, the moderate-risk group became more prominent (64.44%). The moderate-risk group was associated with a higher rate of adverse outcomes (25.00–25.71%) compared to the high-risk group (17.11–20.69%; χ² = 10.83, P = 0.01). Direct obstetric factors were the primary causes, accounting for 79.05% of cases, with obstetric hemorrhage being the most prevalent (53.97%). In contrast, the proportion of cases attributable to indirect obstetric factors increased from 17.81% to 26.67%, primarily due to heart disease and infectious diseases. Conclusion Improving maternal safety involves dynamic risk assessments, tiered referrals for moderate-risk pregnancies, better multidisciplinary management of complications, optimized emergency responses in primary care, and refined regional referral systems to reduce preventable SMM and mortality.

THSD7B promotes tumor progression and is associated with prognosis in gastric adenocarcinoma

THSD7B (thrombospondin type-1 domain-containing 7B) has been implicated in several malignancies; however, its role in gastric adenocarcinoma remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the expression pattern, clinical significance, and biological function of THSD7B in gastric adenocarcinoma. Public datasets from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) were analyzed to evaluate THSD7B expression and its association with clinical outcomes. Functional enrichment analysis was performed to explore potential biological processes. In vitro assays, including cell proliferation, colony formation, wound healing, and Transwell invasion, were conducted following THSD7B knockdown or overexpression in gastric cancer cell lines. In addition, a xenograft model was established to assess tumor growth in vivo. THSD7B expression was significantly elevated in gastric adenocarcinoma tissues compared with normal controls and was associated with patient survival. Functional analyses suggested that THSD7B-related genes were mainly enriched in cell adhesion and cytoskeleton-associated processes. In vitro experiments showed that THSD7B knockdown suppressed cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, whereas overexpression produced the opposite effects. Consistent with these findings, THSD7B modulation was accompanied by alterations in adhesion-related signaling molecules and phenotype-associated protein expression. In vivo, THSD7B promoted tumor growth in xenograft models. In conclusion, THSD7B is associated with tumor progression and clinical outcomes in gastric adenocarcinoma and may be involved in the regulation of cell motility-related processes. These findings suggest that THSD7B may serve as a potential biomarker in gastric cancer.

Editorial Note: Soil quality indicator-based land productivity modelling for agricultural sustainability

State and federal policies and school meal participation: A descriptive analysis from Arizona

Starting in 2023, the state of Arizona implemented a series of policies to improve access to school meals: (1) A state policy to eliminate co-pays for reduced-price meals, implemented in January, 2023; (2) the federal Medicaid Direct Certification demonstration project, implemented in August, 2023; and (3) a federal policy to expand eligibility for Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), implemented in October, 2023. We track changes in school meal participation rates and number of meals served for breakfast and lunch after implementation of these policies using longitudinal data from 1,730 public and charter schools in Arizona. Outcomes were compared across different policy periods with baseline- the period prior to implementation of the three policies. Following the co-pay policy elimination, compared to baseline, participation among students eligible for reduced-price category increased significantly by about 10%, for both breakfast and lunch. After the implementation of all three policies, compared to baseline, student participation across all eligibility categories increased by 4.8% and 7.2% for breakfast and lunch, respectively. Similarly, compared to baseline, with all three policies in place, the average number of free meals served daily increased by 27.9% and 26.8% for breakfast and lunch, respectively. School CEP participation expanded from 451 to 737 schools- a 63% increase following the implementation of the lower eligibility threshold for CEP participation. As a result of increased school CEP participation, an additional 147,125 children had access to free school meals. Participation trends across eligibility categories varied by school urbanicity, grade level, and demographic characteristics of enrolled students. These findings suggest that implementing state and federal policies can enhance access to and participation in school meal programs.

KYNU in macrophages contributes to the unique immune feature of LUAD via integrating single-cell and bulk RNA sequencing data: an exploratory analysis

Background Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is a predominant subtype of lung cancer associated with an unfavorable prognosis. However, the roles of the tumor microenvironment (TME) and Kynureninase (KYNU) in LUAD remain largely unclear. This study aimed to investigate the potential role of KYNU in macrophages and LUAD. Methods All LUAD related data were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases. The expression of KYNU was analyzed across different cell types following dimensionality reduction analysis. Immune cell infiltration and immunotherapy response prediction were performed using CIBERSORT and TIMER, respectively. Gene set variation analysis (GSVA) was employed for functional enrichment. Results Among all immune cells in LUAD, KYNU was primarily expressed in monocytes and macrophages. The upregulated genes in KYNU+macrophages group were significantly enriched in in gene ontology (GO) terms related to antigen processing and presentation. There were increased MHC-I/ MHC-II signal interactions between KYNU+macrophages and B cells as well as T cells. In LUAD patients with higher proportions of KYNU+macrophages, a significantly greater number of patients benefited from immunotherapy ( p  = 0.033). GSVA results indicated that the MHC pathway was significantly activated in high KYNU+macrophage group. Conclusions KYNU is primarily in LUAD macrophages, contributing to the distinct immune features and correlating with the enhanced antigen presentation in LUAD. This study preliminarily confirms that KYNU may serve as a potential biomarker for immunotherapy.

Identification of AC025811.3 and AC012354.6 as two critical survival-related lncRNAs for uterine corpus cancer

Uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma (UCEC) ranks as the most frequently diagnosed gynecologic malignancy and the second leading cause of gynecologic cancer-related mortality. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as critical regulators of gene expression and tumor biology; however, their prognostic significance in UCEC remains largely unexplored. To systematically identify survival-associated lncRNA biomarkers, we integrated clinical and transcriptomic data from two independent cohorts: TCGA-UCEC (548 tumor, 35 normal) and CPTAC-Uterus (102 tumor, 15 normal). Following upper quartile normalization and ComBat-based batch effect correction, differentially expressed lncRNAs (FDR < 0.01, |log2FC| > 2) were identified using Student’s t-test. The intersecting set of consistently dysregulated lncRNAs from both cohorts was subjected to Cox proportional hazards regression to identify survival-associated candidates. Functional inference was performed through Spearman correlation with protein-coding genes and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) of KEGG pathways. A total of 550 lncRNAs were consistently downregulated and 148 were upregulated in UCEC across both cohorts. Cox regression identified 30 survival-associated lncRNAs (FDR < 0.01), all with elevated expression correlating with worse overall survival. The top two candidates, AC025811.3 and AC012354.6, showed significant stage-dependent expression patterns across FIGO stages I–IV and were functionally enriched in immune regulation and carbohydrate metabolism pathways. In conclusions, AC025811.3 and AC012354.6 represent novel candidate prognostic lncRNA biomarkers in UCEC. Experimental validation, including FISH-based tissue localization and staged quantification, and functional assays, is warranted to confirm their biological roles.

Motherhood choice in multiple sclerosis (MoMS) – Pilot trial of web-based decision support

Backgroud Uncertainty concerning motherhood is common among women with multiple sclerosis (wwMS). Therefore, we developed and pre-tested a patient decision aid (PtDA) and a nurse-led decision coaching intervention (DC) to support motherhood choice. The DC includes the PtDA, a decision guide on motherhood choice, and decision coaching. Methods We conducted a randomised pilot trial across Germany to test feasibility, with decisional conflict (Decisional Conflict Scale, DCS) as an exploratory endpoint. Initially, we planned a 3:1 randomisation ratio (planned; PtDA = 48, DC = 16). Due to recruitment difficulties, we switched to a 1:1 randomisation ratio to ensure an appropriate sample size (PtDA > 20, DC > 10). Women between 18 and 45 years old with relapsing-remitting MS or clinically isolated syndrome, and who had not yet decided about motherhood, were eligible. We recruited two nurses for our decision coaching training course. We used questionnaires to measure decisional conflict, programme feasibility, knowledge, and worries regarding pregnancy in MS. Interviews were conducted to gain in-depth information on the potential feasibility of the programmes. Interviews were analysed thematically and questionnaires descriptively. We conducted explorative group comparisons and merged findings using joint display analysis. Results We trained two decision coaches in the DC group and recruited 35 wwMS (PtDA = 22; DC = 13) over five months. Median DCS scores in the DC group were 49 at baseline and 15 at follow-up (range 0–100; higher scores indicate greater decisional conflict). In the PtDA group, scores were 54 (baseline) and 31 (follow-up). Explorative group comparison indicated lower decisional conflict at follow-up in the DC group than in the PtDA group (p = 0.035). Interviewees (PtDA = 5; DC = 6; nurses = 2) described both interventions as helpful for decision-making. Qualitative findings indicate greater satisfaction levels in the DC group. Conclusion Both interventions appear useful for wwMS in making motherhood choices. The DC programme seems more promising in supporting decision-making. Trial registration German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS); DRKS00038534.

Delays in diagnosis and treatment of depressive disorder among young adults: A national online survey-based cross-sectional study

Background Depression is highly prevalent among U.S. young adults and associated with long-term functional impairment and increased suicide risk. While delays in diagnosis and treatment of depression are well documented among older adults, the magnitude and predictors of such delays in the younger population are poorly understood. Objective To characterize the time to diagnosis and treatment of depressive disorder and predictors of diagnostic and treatment delay among young adults. Methods This cross-sectional study used a self-reported survey conducted via the online research platform Prolific in May 2025. Eligible participants were U.S. adults aged 18–35 years with a history of at least one depressive episode. Sociodemographic, clinical, and psychosocial characteristics, including age of depressive symptom onset, degree of social support, and frequency of social group engagement, were assessed. Primary outcomes were probability of not receiving a depressive disorder diagnosis despite symptoms, time from symptom onset to diagnosis, probability of not seeking treatment, and time from symptom onset to treatment. Secondary outcomes were perceived treatment effectiveness and current symptom control. Results In total, 871 respondents met inclusion criteria. Of those with one or more lifetime depressive episodes, 46.2% reported never receiving a depressive disorder diagnosis. Median time from symptom onset to diagnosis was 3 years (IQR: 0–7). Over a quarter (27.4%) never sought treatment; among those who did, 93.5% received care, but 31.4% experienced a delay of 1–4 years, and 28.8% experienced a delay of 5 + years. Symptom onset in childhood (ages 0–12) or adolescence (ages 13–17) was associated with longer time to diagnosis and treatment and lower perceived treatment effectiveness. Greater social support was associated with shorter time to diagnosis; lower probability of never receiving a diagnosis, never seeking treatment, or experiencing prolonged treatment delay; and higher perceived treatment effectiveness and current symptom control. Frequent engagement in social groups was also associated with greater perceived treatment effectiveness. Conclusions Among U.S. young adults, prolonged delays in depression diagnosis and treatment are common. Early symptom onset is associated with longer delays and worse outcomes, whereas greater social support is associated with shorter delays and more favorable outcomes. These findings highlight the need for further research to clarify causal mechanisms and for interventions to promote timely diagnosis and treatment among young adults at risk for depression.

Correction: Predicting poor functional outcomes for patients with large computed tomography perfusion core infarctions treated with endovascular thrombectomy

A reliability assessment of the basic erosive wear examination and the tooth wear evaluation system 2.0 utilizing intraoral scan data

Objectives This study assessed the reliability and clinical applicability of two tooth wear screening indices—Basic Erosive Wear Examination (BEWE) and the Tooth Wear Screening module of the Tooth Wear Evaluation System 2.0 (TWES 2.0)—using intraoral scans. Materials and methods A total of 246 anonymized intraoral scans from adult patients were independently evaluated by two calibrated examiners. Examiner calibration was performed prior to the study using a representative set of intraoral scans. Calibration was repeated until consensus regarding the application of the scoring criteria was achieved before formal data collection. Scores for all sextants were recorded for BEWE and TWES 2.0. Inter-rater agreement was primarily assessed using weighted kappa coefficients, as BEWE and TWES 2.0 are ordinal, numerically coded indices. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were additionally used to assess systematic directional differences between paired scores. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results BEWE demonstrated good reliability, with weighted kappa values ranging from 0.760 to 0.851 across sextants, 0.868 for the total BEWE score, and an overall weighted kappa of 0.841. TWES 2.0 showed moderate to good reliability, with weighted kappa values ranging from 0.543 to 0.761 across sextants and an overall weighted kappa of 0.715. Conclusions Both BEWE and TWES 2.0 are reliable and practical for screening noncarious tooth wear via intraoral scans. BEWE showed slightly higher inter-rater consistency, whereas TWES 2.0 allows more detailed evaluation of occlusal and palatal surfaces. These indices can support standardized monitoring, early detection, and clinical management of tooth wear. Examiner calibration remains essential, particularly for TWES 2.0. Clinical trial registration This was a retrospective reliability study and did not involve an interventional clinical trial; therefore, registration was not applicable.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of mammography screening for early detection of breast cancer in Nigeria

Mammography still remains the gold standard for breast cancer screening, considering its impact on breast cancer mortality. However, it has a relatively low utilization rate in Nigeria. Although the National Strategic Cancer Control Plan (NSCCP) has a goal of making screening services and early detection of cancer available for all Nigerians, there is currently no national breast cancer screening program implemented in Nigeria. The modelling study aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of mammography screening from the healthcare provider’s perspective and to determine the appropriate screening interval for Nigerian women, aiming to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of breast cancer detection programs. A state-transition Markov model was adapted to simulate annual and biennial mammography, breast cancer diagnosis, and treatment in a cohort of cancer-free Nigerian women aged 40 years and followed them for a lifetime. The study was conducted from the healthcare provider’s perspective. Disability-adjusted life year (DALY) averted, representing the health outcomes, was used to estimate the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER). Costs and outcomes were discounted at an annual rate of 5%. Annual mammography screening costs US$238.60, averted a DALY of 1.060, and was the most cost-effective intervention with an ICER of US$207.24 (95% CI US$213.31 – US$216.88)/DALY averted, which was below the willingness-to-pay threshold of $1074. Mammography screening strategies were estimated to be cost-effective from the healthcare payer’s perspective under the model assumptions. Annual screening showed the most favorable cost-effectiveness profile among the strategies evaluated, but this finding is model-dependent and should be interpreted as comparative economic evidence rather than a definitive screening recommendation. These results can inform future research, policy discussions, and consideration of sustainable financing for breast cancer screening in Nigeria.

Gender differences in the relationship between adult attachment and self-identity: A network analysis research among Chinese college students

Objective This study aims to investigate the relationship between adult attachment and self-identity among Chinese college students using network analysis, with a specific focus on examining gender differences in network structure, global strength. and edge strength. Methods A convenience sampling method was employed, and a total of 624 university students from China were surveyed using the Experiences in Close Relationships Inventory and the Self-Identity Questionnaire developed by Chinese scholars. Network analysis was conducted to estimate the structure of adult attachment and self-identity, identify central and bridge symptoms, and examine gender differences in network structure, global strength, and edge strength. Results The self-identity items formed a tightly connected cluster. Temporal disintegration constituted the core node bridging adult attachment and self-identity networks, followed by identity diffusion. Attachment anxiety was the strongest bridge node connecting adult attachment to self-identity, primarily associating with temporal disintegration. Network invariance test indicated no significant gender differences. Global strength invariance test was significantly higher in females than in males. Edge strength invariance test revealed that there were significant differences in the strength of some edges between males and females. Conclusion In the adult attachment and self-identity network, temporal disintegration and identity diffusion serve as core nodes, around which close clusters form . Attachment anxiety serving as the key bridge. Although the network structure is similar across genders, females show significantly stronger overall network connectivity. These findings highlight the importance of examining both local and global metrics when studying group differences in psychological networks.

Research on fine-tuning algorithms for Large Language Models integrating Uncertainty Modeling and External Memory Augmentation

This paper proposes a parameter-efficient fine-tuning framework that integrates uncertainty modeling with external memory augmentation, aiming to improve robustness, confidence calibration, and contextual completeness in downstream natural language processing tasks. From the methodological perspective, the uncertainty modeling module explicitly characterizes uncertainty in inputs and intermediate representations through feature-level estimation, cross-layer propagation, and confidence calibration, thereby enhancing training stability and reducing the influence of noisy signals. Meanwhile, the external memory augmentation module employs key-value retrieval and gated fusion mechanisms to provide reusable contextual support, alleviating information loss caused by limited contextual summarization and improving representation quality under heterogeneous evaluation settings. Extensive experiments and ablation studies were conducted on text classification and named entity recognition tasks across multiple public benchmark datasets, using GPT-2 Small, GPT-2 Medium, and LLaMA3-8B as backbone models. The results demonstrate that the proposed framework consistently outperforms several mainstream fine-tuning methods in terms of accuracy, F1 score, and robustness, while also showing stable behavior under learning-rate sensitivity and missing-information settings. Overall, this study provides a novel perspective for efficient and interpretable fine-tuning paradigms, achieving a favorable balance among performance improvement, parameter efficiency, and deployment feasibility, and offering a practical basis for future extensions to more complex downstream scenarios.

Quercetin suppresses the progression of HBV-associated hepatocellular carcinoma by modulating the EGFR signaling pathway

Background Quercetin, a bioactive flavonoid compound widely present in medicinal and edible plants, has demonstrated therapeutic potential against hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, its specific mechanism in hepatitis B virus-associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HBV-HCC) remains unclear. This study aims to systematically elucidate the efficacy and molecular mechanisms of quercetin against HBV-HCC. Methods Integrated in vitro and in vivo experimental models were employed. The inhibitory effects of quercetin on HCC cell viability, proliferation, clonogenicity, and migration were assessed through CCK-8, EdU, colony formation, and scratch assays. Network pharmacology and molecular docking were integrated to identify potential targets of quercetin within HCC. Lentiviral transfection was used to construct HCC cell lines overexpressing HBx and EGFR, with key signaling pathways verified via Western blot. Additionally, a xenograft mouse model was established, and the EGFR inhibitor osimertinib was combined to evaluate quercetin’s therapeutic efficacy and underlying mechanisms in HBV-HCC. Results Through an extensive analysis of the target interaction network analysis of quercetin in HCC, this study identified and prioritized 29 potential therapeutic targets, with the EGFR recognized as the principal target molecule. The results of molecular docking experiments indicated that both EGFR and GSK3β exhibited good binding affinity. Subsequent in vitro studies revealed that quercetin substantially suppresses the growth and migration of HBV-HCC cells. It achieves this by dose-dependently suppressing EGFR, thereby attenuating the signaling of the downstream PI3K/AKT/GSK3β axis and concurrently reversing the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process. In vivo investigations, complemented by control studies using EGFR inhibitors, further validate that quercetin exerts its anti-tumor effects against HBV-HCC through specific targeting of EGFR and the suppression of the EMT program. Conclusion This research validates the therapeutic effectiveness of quercetin in inhibiting HBV-HCC and elucidates the molecular mechanisms responsible for its action. Mechanistically, quercetin inhibits the PI3K/AKT/GSK3β signaling axis by targeting EGFR, thereby reversing the EMT process and ultimately impeding HBV-HCC progression. These critical outcomes provide a novel theoretical foundation for the targeted therapy of HBV-HCC using quercetin.