ObjectivePhotoacoustic tomography (PAT) holds significant potential for high-resolution deep-tissue imaging. In preclinical research, custom-designed concave arc-shaped ultrasound transducer arrays are often used to maximize the detection aperture. However, manufacturing limitations and assembly tolerances frequently cause the actual physical positions of array elements to deviate from their theoretical design. Additionally, concave arrays are typically covered with an acoustic lens, which introduces a mismatch in the speed of sound between the coupling medium and the lens material. The combination of these geometric and acoustic-phase errors leads to severe image artifacts, reduced contrast, and degraded resolution. This study proposes a systematic two-step calibration strategy to address these issues and substantially improve image quality. MethodsFirst, a high-intensity isotropic photoacoustic point source was constructed using a multi-mode optical fiber coated with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to acquire high signal-to-noise ratio calibration data. The Akaike information criterion (AIC) was employed to accurately determine the time of arrival (ToA) of photoacoustic signals. Subsequently, a geometric calibration algorithm based on nonlinear least-squares (NLS) estimation was developed. This algorithm iteratively solves for the true spatial coordinates of each array element by minimizing the residual between theoretical and measured acoustic path lengths. To further address sound-speed inhomogeneity caused by the acoustic lens, a phase compensation algorithm based on bilinear interpolation was proposed. This algorithm computes a pixel-specific phase delay map across the imaging region and performs point-by-point signal correction during delay-and-sum (DAS) reconstruction. The proposed methods were validated using a custom 96-channel concave arc-shaped array (center frequency: 12  MHz) through both phantom imaging and in vivo mouse tumor models. ResultsPhantom experiments showed that at an imaging depth of14 mm, the reconstruction position deviation of the point source in the uncalibrated system reached up to 1  mm. After applying the combined calibration, the lateral resolution (full width at half maximum, FWHM) at the focal point of the arc array reached 95  μm—representing a 85% reduction compared to the uncalibrated state and a 79% reduction compared to geometric calibration alone without phase compensation. In vivo experiments demonstrated that the calibrated system clearly resolved the microvascular network of subcutaneous tumors in mice. Photoacoustic signals were strictly confined within tumor boundaries delineated by ultrasound imaging (USI), eliminating the vascular spillover artifacts commonly observed in uncalibrated images. Furthermore, after intravenous injection of indocyanine green (ICG), the system successfully detected weak photoacoustic signals at a depth of 5 mm, performing significantly better than the uncalibrated system. ConclusionThe proposed calibration method, which integrates nonlinear least-squares estimation with phase compensation, significantly improves image fidelity and spatial resolution consistency across a wide field of view by correcting systemic geometric errors and acoustic phase aberrations. This approach demonstrates high robustness and provides a reliable technical foundation for the clinical translation of photoacoustic probes with non-standard geometries.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy and safety of Janus kinase （JAK） inhibitors combined with Chinese herbal medicine （CHM） in treating rheumatoid arthritis （RA）. MethodsClinical data from 169 RA patients were retrospectively collected. Among them， 71 cases received JAK inhibitors as the control group， while 98 cases received JAK inhibitors plus CHM as the observation group， both treated for 24 weeks. The rheumatoid factor （RF）， cyclic citic peptide antibody （anti-CCP）， erythrocyte sedimentation rate （ESR）， C-reactive protein （CRP）， and white blood cell count （WBC） were recorded before and after treatment. Databases including CNKI， Wanfang， VIP， PubMed and Web of Science were searched from inception till August 31st， 2025 for randomized controlled trials （RCTs） on the combined use of JAK inhibitors and CHM for RA. The methodological quality of the included studies was evaluated using the risk of bias assessment tool. Meta-analyses were performed for RF， anti-CCP， ESR， CRP， 28-joint disease activity score （DAS28）， overall clinical effective rate， and incidence of adverse events. Sensitivity analysis were also performed. ResultsThe retrospective study demonstrated that after treatment， ESR， CRP， and anti-CCP levels decreased in the observation group， while ESR and CRP levels decreased in the control group （P＜0.05）. Moreover， ESR and RF levels in the observation group were lower than those in the control group （P＜0.05）. A total of 9 RCTs involving 770 patients were included in the meta-analysis. The results indicated that the JAK inhibitors plus CHM group was superior to the JAK inhibitors group in reducing RF （MD=-8.97， 95%CI -15.01 to -2.94， P=0.004）， CRP （MD=-3.34， 95%CI -3.82 to -2.86， P＜0.001）， ESR （MD=-5.33， 95%CI -7.98 to -2.69， P＜0.001）， and DAS28 score （MD=-0.54， 95%CI -0.74 to -0.34， P＜0.001）， as well as in improving the overall clinical effective rate （OR=4.53， 95%CI 2.55 to 8.03， P＜0.001）. No statistically significant differences were observed between groups in anti-CCP levels （SMD=-2.08， 95%CI -4.41 to 0.24， P=0.080） or incidence of adverse events （OR=0.93， 95%CI 0.55 to 1.57， P=0.790）. ConclusionThe combination of JAK inhibitors and CHM demonstrates remarkable efficacy in treating RA， contributing to improved disease activity and reduced inflammatory markers with a favorable safety profile.

Alzheimer's disease(AD),a progressive dementia,is one of the most common neurodegenerative dis-eases.Clinical trial results of amyloid-β(Aβ)and tau regulators based on the pretext of straightforward amyloid and tau immunotherapy were disappointing.There are currently no effective strategies for slowing the progression of AD.Herein,we spotlight the dysregulation of lipid metabolism,particularly the elevation of ceramides(Cers),as a critical yet underexplored facet of AD pathogenesis.Our study delineates the role of Cers in promoting microglial pyroptosis,a form of programmed cell death distinct from apoptosis and necroptosis,characterized by cellular swelling,and membrane rupture mediated by the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway.Utilizing both in vivo experiments with amyloid precursor protein(APP)/presenilin 1(PS1)transgenic mice and in vitro assays with BV-2 microglial cells,we investigate the activation of microglial pyroptosis by Cers and its inhibition by icariin(ICA),a flavonoid with known antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.Our findings reveal a significant increase in Cers levels and pyroptosis markers(NOD-like receptor family,pyrin domain containing 3(NLRP3),apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a caspase recruitment domain,caspase-1,gasdermin D(GSDMD),and interleukin-18(IL-18))in the brains of AD model mice,indicating a direct involvement of Cers in AD pathology through the induction of microglial pyroptosis.Conversely,ICA treatment effec-tively reduces these pyroptotic markers and Cer levels,thereby attenuating microglial pyroptosis and suggesting a novel therapeutic mechanism of action against AD.This study not only advances our un-derstanding of the pathogenic role of Cers in AD but also introduces ICA as a promising candidate for AD therapy,capable of mitigating neuroinflammation and pyroptosis through the cyclooxygenase-2(COX-2)-NLRP3 inflammasome-gasdermin D(GSDMD)axis.Our results pave the way for further exploration of Cer metabolism disorders in neurodegenerative diseases and highlight the therapeutic potential of tar-geting microglial pyroptosis in AD.

Objective To retrieve,evaluate,and integrate evidence related to the operational proce-dures of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring(ABPM)in adults,aiming to enhance the accuracy and effec-tiveness of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring.Methods A systematic search was conducted following the"6S"pyramid model of evidence-based resources to identify literature pertaining to ABPM operations in adults from relevant domestic and international databases and websites,with the search period spanning from the inception of each database to April 2024.After screening the literature,the methodological quality of the included studies was evaluated.Evidence was extracted and summarized according to thematic categories.Results Based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria,15 publications were ultimately included,comprising 1 clinical decision,10 guidelines,1 best practice summary,and 3 expert consensus documents.A total of 32 evidence items were synthesized.Conclusions This study consolidates evidence related to ABPM operational procedures,providing an evidence-based foundation for standardizing ABPM practices among healthcare pro-fessionals.

Objective To observe the effects of Bushen Huoxue Prescription on the pathway related to necroptosis of nucleus pulposus cells in a model rabbit of intervertebral disc degeneration;To explore its mechanisms in delaying intervertebral disc degeneration.Methods A intervertebral disc degeneration rabbit model was established using the spinal instability method.Totally 40 model rabbits were randomly divided into model group,ibuprofen group and Bushen Huoxue Prescription low-,medium-and high-dosage groups.Additionally,a normal control group and a sham-operation group were set up,with 8 rabbits in each group.Each treatment groups received the corresponding drugs via gavage for two consecutive weeks.HE staining was used to observe morphology of nucleus pulposus tissue,transmission electron microscopy was used to observe ultrastructure in nucleus pulposus cells,immunohistochemical staining was used to assess the expressions of Aggrecan and Collagen Ⅱ in nucleus pulposus tissue,Western blot was used to detect the expressions of p-RIPK1,p-RIPK3 and p-MLKL protein in nucleus pulposus tissue.Results Compared with the sham-operation group,the model group showed a significant decrease in nucleus pulposus cells,disordered cell arrangement,reduced extracellular matrix,interrupted cell membrane continuity under transmission electron microscopy,organelle swelling,nuclear membrane disruption,partial chromatin loss,and positive expression of Aggrecan and Collagen Ⅱ in nucleus pulposus tissue decreased(P<0.01),while the expressions of p-RIPK1,p-RIPK3 and p-MLKL protein significantly increased(P<0.01).Compared with the model group,the treatment groups showed an increased number of nucleus pulposus cells with orderly arrangement and more extracellular matrix,the ultrastructural damage of the cell membrane,organelle and nucleus in nucleus pulposus cells was partially restored under transmission electron microscopy,the positive expressions of Aggrecan and Collagen Ⅱ significantly increased in Bushen Huoxue Prescription medium-and high-dosage groups and the ibuprofen group(P<0.05,P<0.01),while the expressions of p-RIPK1,p-RIPK3 and p-MLKL protein significantly decreased(P<0.05,P<0.01).Conclusion Bushen Huoxue Prescription may delay intervertebral disc degeneration of the model rabbit by inhibiting the expressions of p-RIPK1,p-RIPK3 and p-MLKL protein in nucleus pulposus cells,and promoting the generation of extracellular matrix components Aggrecan and Collagen Ⅱ.

Objective To observe the effects of Bushen Huoxue Prescription on pressure-induced necroptosis in human nucleus pulposus cells and the expressions of RIPK1/RIPK3/MLKL pathway;To explore its potential mechanism in delaying intervertebral disc degeneration.Methods Human primary nucleus pulposus cells were cultured in vitro,and a model of nucleus pulposus cell degeneration was established using continuous load pressure method.After modeling,the nucleus pulposus cells were divided into model group,Bushen Huoxue Prescription group and inhibitor group,blank serum,Bushen Huoxue Prescription containing serum and necroptotic apoptosis inhibitor(Nec-1)intervention were administered,respectively.Normal group nucleus pulposus cells were cultured routinely.AO/EB fluorescence dual staining method was used for detecting cell apoptosis,flow cytometry was used to detect the necroptosis rate of nucleus pulposus cells,Western blot was used to detect the protein expressions of p-receptor interacting protein kinase(RIPK)1,p-RIPK3 and p-mixed lineage kinase domain like protein(MLKL),RT-qPCR was used to detect the mRNA expressions of RIPK1,RIPK3 and MLKL.Results Compared with the normal group,the model group showed more red fluorescence under AO/EB staining of nucleus pulposus cells,which were round and condensed,the necroptosis rate of nucleus pulposus cells increased(P<0.05),the protein expressions of p-RIPK1,p-RIPK3 and p-MLKL increased(P<0.05,P<0.01),while there was no significant difference in RIPK1 mRNA expression(P>0.05),and RIPK3 and MLKL mRNA expression increased(P<0.01).Compared with the model group,Bushen Huoxue Prescription group and the inhibitor group had less red condensed chromatin in the nucleus pulposus cells,Bushen Huoxue Prescription group had a lower rate of necroptosis(P<0.05),while the inhibitor group showed a decreasing trend in necroptosis rate(P>0.05),the protein expressions of p-RIPK1,p-RIPK3 and p-MLKL decreased in Bushen Huoxue Prescription group and the inhibitor group(P<0.05,P<0.01),while there was no significant difference in RIPK1 mRNA expression(P>0.05),and RIPK3 and MLKL mRNA expressions decreased(P<0.01).Conclusion Bushen Huoxue Prescription can alleviate pressure-induced damage to nucleus pulposus cells and inhibit necroptosis,thereby slowing the progression of intervertebral disc degeneration.Its mechanism may be related to the RIPK1/RIPK3/MLKL pathway mediated necroptosis.

Influenza(flu)is an acute respiratory infection caused by influenza viruses,characterized by high morbidity,strong trans-mission and general susceptibility of the population,and often accompanied by clinical symptoms such as fever,cough and muscle aches,etc.With the global pandemic of influenza,it has become a major challenge in the field of global public health,and therefore,it is particularly important to explore effective treatment methods.Chinese medicine has thousands of years of experience in treating in-fectious diseases and plays an important role in the prevention and treatment of influenza.This paper provides a comprehensive and systematic review of the Chinese medicine name,etiology,identification and typing,treatment methods and mechanism of action of in-fluenza,aiming to make up for the lack of the current summary of Chinese medicine treatment of influenza,with a view to providing cer-tain ideas and theoretical basis for the study of Chinese medicine treatment of influenza.

The ancient Chinese people have accumulated rich experience in the process of struggling against epidemics over thou-sands of years,and established an effective theoretical system of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)for treating epidemics,which has been applied up to now.The application of aromatic traditional Chinese medicine occupies an important position in the theoretical sys-tem of TCM for treating epidemics and the history of epidemic prevention and control.Aromatic prevention of epidemics has a profound theoretical foundation in TCM and is supported by abundant evidence from modern scientific research.It has unique advantages such as comprehensive overall regulation,participation in the whole process,action through multiple pathways,and good safety.In clinical practice,it demonstrates characteristics such as integrity,comprehensiveness,flexibility,and phase-related properties.Both its theory and prevention and treatment experience have high practical value.This article reviews the theoretical connotation,mechanism of ac-tion,and clinical application advantages of aromatic traditional Chinese medicine in preventing and treating epidemics,analyzes the challenges faced,and proposes future prospects,in order to improve the relevant theories of traditional Chinese medicine on epidemics and enhance the level of epidemic prevention and control.

Objective:To describe the epidemiological characteristics of 22 common respiratory patho-gens in patients with pneumonia in Yinzhou,Ningbo,from January 1,2015 to December 21,2024.Methods:The test data of 22 common respiratory pathogens in patients diagnosed with pneumonia or lung infection in the Yinzhou Regional Health Information Platform from January 1,2015 to December 21,2024 were collected.The positive cases,positive rates,and positive proportions were calculated.The epidemiological characteristics were described by the year,sex,age group,season,and coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic period.Results:A total of 77 531 pneumonia patients were included,with 492 696 respiratory pathogen tests performed.The number of respiratory pathogen tests and positive cases of pneumonia patients in Yinzhou showed an upward trend.In the study,34.63％of the pneumo-nia patients tested positive for at least one pathogen,and the pathogen non-detection rate decreased from 79.44％in 2015 to 58.38％in 2024.The overall pathogen positive rate was 9.12％,which decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic and had not returned to the historical level after the COVID-19 pande-mic.The positive rate was highest in children aged 6-17 years(13.99％),and lowest in the elderly over 60 years(4.16％).The top 3 highest number of positive cases was Mycoplasma pneumoniae,influenza A virus,and influenza B virus;the top 3 highest positive rates of pathogen tests were Mycoplasma pneu-moniae(25.26％),rhinovirus(12.02％),and Bordetella pertussis(11.66％).The pathogen spectrum proportion in men was similar to that in women,only showing a higher ratio of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and a slightly lower ratio of Mycoplasma pneumoniae(P＜0.001).Mycoplasma pneumoniae,respiratory syncytial virus,and rhinovirus infections were more common in children,while influenza virus,Mycobac-terium tuberculosis,and Streptococcus pyogenes infections were more common in adults and the elderly(P＜0.001).Influenza virus and human metapneumovirus infections were more common in winter,rhi-novirus and Bordetella pertussis infections were more common in spring,and Mycoplasma pneumoniae in-fections were relatively more common in fall(P＜0.001).After the COVID-19 pandemic,the propor-tions of rhinovirus,respiratory syncytial virus,and human metapneumovirus infections in the pneumonia patients increased signi-ficantly,reaching 7.53％,4.26％,and 2.25％,respectively,while the propor-tions of influenza B virus and Mycobacterium tuberculosis infections decreased to 4.14％and 2.80％,re-spectively(P＜0.001).Conclusion:In the past decade,the scale of respiratory pathogen infection in the pneumonia population in Yinzhou had expanded significantly,and there were differences in distribu-tion by the year,gender,age group,and season.The respiratory pathogen spectrum in pneumonia pa-tients after the COVID-19 pandemic had a trend of diversification.

Objective To review the factors affecting the occurrence of incontinence dermatitis in adults and severe patients,and provide clinical theoretical guidance for clinical nurses to reduce the incidence of incontinence dermatitis.Methods The literatures on the influencing factors of incontinence-associated dermatitis in adult patients with intensive care were searched in PubMed,Web of science,CINAHL,Embase,Cochrane Library,CNKI,Wanfang,Vip and SinoMed.The search period was from the establishment of the database to December 31th,2023(March 31,2025 updated).Results A total of 19 literatures were included,and the influencing factors of IAD mainly included 5 aspects:incontinence type,disease status,medication use,risk assessment and other factors.Conclusion There are many factors affecting the occurrence of incontinence-associated dermatitis in adult patients with intensive care,and nurses should implement diversified skin intervention strategies to reduce the incidence of IAD in adult patients with intensive care.