ObjectiveStroke poses a heavy burden due to its high mortality and morbidity rates. Accurate and real-time detection of lesions is pivotal for prompt clinical intervention and favorable prognosis. Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) and microwave tomography (MWT) have emerged as compelling alternatives for stroke screening, owing to their non-ionizing, non-invasive and portable nature. EIT provides information on tissue conductivity, and MWT offers high sensitivity to changes in dielectric properties. However, single-modality imaging is inherently limited, EIT suffers from low sensitivity to deep-seated tissues and severe ill-posedness of inverse problems, whereas MWT is challenged by strong nonlinearity in inverse scattering and susceptibility to modeling errors. Consequently, the clinical utility of standalone EIT or MWT for stroke diagnosis remains constrained by poor spatial resolution and imaging artifacts. To improve the accuracy and robustness of stroke imaging, a dual-modality fusion conditional denoising diffusion probabilistic model (DM-DDPM) was proposed for high-precision dual-modality image reconstruction. MethodsA dual-encoder network with a symmetric architecture and independently trained parameters was constructed to extract heterogeneous features separately from EIT boundary voltage measurements and MWT scattered field signals. Attentional feature fusion (AFF) is employed to integrate complementary information from the two modalities adaptively, generating robust fused priors that suppress redundant noise while preserving key physical characteristics. Subsequently, the fused priors are embedded into a Transformer-based diffusion model via a cross attention mechanism to guide the reverse denoising process. This approach effectively reduces artifacts and enhances the stability of conductivity distribution reconstruction. Time step embedding is introduced to enable the network to perceive the diffusion stage and further improve the accuracy of noise prediction. ResultsSimulated experiments demonstrated that DM-DDPM significantly outperforms single-modality and multi-modality networks under various noise levels. A head model simulation dataset was constructed based on COMSOL Multiphysics, and tests were carried out under 50 dB, 40 dB and 30 dB signal-to-noise ratio levels. At 30 dB, the average relative error (RE) was below 0.20, while the structural similarity index measure (SSIM) and correlation coefficient (CC) remained above 0.90 and 0.89, respectively. Compared with single-modality and multi-modality networks, artifacts were significantly reduced, lesion edges were clearer, and localization was more accurate. The model maintains high reconstruction quality and strong robustness for single, double, and triple lesions simultaneously. Furthermore, physical experiments were conducted using a 16-electrode EIT system and a 16-antenna MWT system with asynchronous data acquisition. These experiments confirmed the feasibility of the method in real-world scenarios and demonstrated that it can robustly reconstruct simulated lesions despite environmental interference and measurement noise, validating its reliability for practical clinical applications. ConclusionThe proposed method effectively combines complementary dual-modality information with a conditional diffusion model. Low accuracy and poor noise resistance in single-modality imaging were effectively addressed, while the noise amplification issue caused by direct multimodal data fusion was avoided. The proposed algorithm exhibits strong anti-noise interference ability and high imaging stability in both simulation and physical experiments. Precise localization of stroke lesions with different quantities was achieved, providing a high-precision, and practical technical support for clinical stroke detection.

Osteoarthritis (OA), a highly prevalent degenerative joint disease worldwide, is defined by articular cartilage degradation, abnormal bone remodeling, and persistent chronic inflammation. It severely compromises patients’ quality of life, and currently, there is no radical cure. Abnormal mechanical stress is widely regarded as a core driver of OA pathogenesis, and the exploration of mechanical signal perception and transduction mechanisms has become crucial for deciphering OA’s pathophysiological processes. Piezo1, a key mechanosensitive cation channel belonging to the Piezo protein family, has recently gained significant attention due to its pivotal role in mediating cellular responses to mechanical stimuli in joint tissues. This review systematically examines Piezo1’s expression patterns, regulatory mechanisms, and pathological functions in OA, with a particular focus on its dual roles in modulating chondrocyte homeostasis and bone metabolism disorders, while also delving into the underlying molecular signaling pathways and potential therapeutic implications. Piezo1, consisting of approximately 2 500 amino acids and forming a unique trimeric propeller-like structure, is widely expressed in chondrocytes, osteocytes, mesenchymal stem cells, and synovial cells. It exhibits permeability to cations such as Ca²⁺, K⁺, and Na⁺, and directly responds to membrane tension changes induced by mechanical stimuli like fluid shear stress and mechanical overload. In OA patients and animal models, Piezo1 expression is significantly upregulated, especially in cartilage regions subjected to abnormal mechanical stress (e.g., human temporomandibular joint cartilage). This overexpression is closely associated with aggravated cartilage degeneration, increased chondrocyte apoptosis, accelerated cellular senescence, and intensified inflammatory responses. Mechanical overload and pro-inflammatory cytokines (e.g., IL-1β) are key inducers of Piezo1 upregulation: IL-1β activates the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway to enhance Piezo1 expression, forming a pathogenic positive feedback loop that inhibits chondrocyte autophagy, promotes apoptosis, and further accelerates joint degeneration. Mechanistically, Piezo1 mediates OA progression through multiple interconnected pathways. When activated by mechanical stress, Piezo1 triggers excessive Ca²⁺ influx, leading to endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) and mitochondrial dysfunction, which directly induce chondrocyte apoptosis. This process involves the activation of downstream signaling cascades such as cGAS-STING and YAP-MMP13/ADAMTS5. YAP, a transcriptional regulator, upregulates the expression of matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP13) and aggrecanase (ADAMTS5), thereby accelerating cartilage matrix degradation. Additionally, Piezo1-driven Ca²⁺ overload promotes the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and upregulates senescence markers (p16 and p21), accelerating chondrocyte senescence via the p38MAPK and NF-κB pathways. Senescent chondrocytes secrete senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) factors (e.g., IL-6, IL-1β), further amplifying joint inflammation. In terms of bone metabolism, Piezo1 maintains joint homeostasis by promoting the differentiation of fibrocartilage stem cells into chondrocytes and balancing bone formation and resorption through regulating the FoxC1/YAP axis and RANKL/OPG ratio. Therapeutically, targeting Piezo1 shows promising potential. Preclinical studies have demonstrated that Piezo1 inhibitors (e.g., GsMTx4) can reduce joint damage and alleviate pain in OA mice. Simultaneously, siRNA-mediated co-silencing of Piezo1 and TRPV4 (another mechanosensitive channel) decreases intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration, inhibits chondrocyte apoptosis, and promotes cartilage repair. Conditional knockout of Piezo1 using Gdf5-Cre transgenic mice alleviates cartilage degeneration in post-traumatic OA models by downregulating MMP13 and ADAMTS5 expression. Despite existing challenges, such as off-target effects of inhibitors, inefficient local drug delivery, and interindividual genetic variability, strategies like developing selective Piezo1 antagonists, optimizing targeted nanocarriers, and combining Piezo1-targeted therapy with physical therapy provide viable avenues for clinical translation. The authors propose that Piezo1 serves as a critical therapeutic target for OA, and future research should focus on deciphering its context-dependent regulatory networks, developing tissue-specific intervention strategies, and validating their efficacy and safety in clinical trials to address the unmet medical needs of OA patients.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of community comprehensive management model intervention among patients with dyslipidemia, so as to provide the reference for optimizing community management strategies and improving the target achievement rate for blood lipids among this population. Methods: From May to June 2023, a multi-stage stratified random sampling method was employed to select patients with dyslipidemia from primary healthcare institutions in Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province. Eligible participants were randomly assigned to either a control group or an intervention group. The control group received routine management, while the intervention group was subjected to a community comprehensive management model in addition to the routine care. Both groups were followed up for 24 months. Data on demographic characteristics, lifestyle behaviors, physical examination indices, and blood biochemical indicators were collected at baseline and after the intervention through questionnaires, physical examinations, and laboratory tests. Changes in obesity rate, central obesity rate, target achievement rates for blood lipids, blood pressure, and blood glucose, as well as lifestyle modifications, were analyzed. Differences between the two groups before and after the intervention were assessed using generalized estimating equations (GEE). Results: The control group consisted of 560 patients, including 303 females (54.11%) and 430 individuals aged ≥65 years (76.79%). The intervention group also included 560 patients, with 300 females (53.57%) and 431 individuals aged ≥65 years (76.96%). Before the intervention, no statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups in terms of gender, age, educational level, history of chronic diseases, and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk stratification (all P>0.05). After 24 months of intervention, interaction effects between group and time were observed for obesity rate, central obesity rate, target achievement rate for blood lipids, target achievement rate for blood glucose, composite target achievement rate, physical activity rate, and medication adherence (all P<0.05). Specifically, the intervention group demonstrated lower rates of obesity and central obesity, and higher target achievement rate of blood lipids, target achievement rate of blood glucose, composite target achievement rate, physical activity rate, and medication adherence compared to the control group. Conclusion The community comprehensive management model contributed to improvements in multiple metabolic parameters (including body weight, waist circumference, blood lipids, and blood glucose) among patients with dyslipidemia, and was associated with increased physical activity rate and medication adherence.

Aging has emerged as a cutting edge and hotspot in global life science field， with anti-aging and geriatric disease prevention and treatment becoming critical issues urgently demanding solutions in international medical communities. In the face of the challenge of accelerating global population aging， in-depth exploration of aging mechanisms and the development of effective intervention strategies hold significant scientific and clinical value. This study supported by the national key research and development program of China， employed the essence-Qi-spirit theory of Qiluo doctrine as its guiding framework， focusing on the key scientific issue of the core traditional Chinese pathogenesis of aging， namely "depletion of kidney essence， deficiency of primordial Qi， and impairment of body and spirit". The treatment principle of "tonifying the kidney to replenish essence， harmonizing Yin and Yang， warming and invigorating primordial Qi， and nourishing the body and spirit" was established. Centered on holistic aging， systemic aging， and aging-related diseases， the research integrated multidisciplinary research approaches to construct multi-modal aging models and a multi-dimensional evaluation system， and it utilized multi-omics technologies to deeply analyze aging mechanisms. By systematically reviewing historical kidney-tonifying and anti-aging formulas and combining big data with artificial intelligence technologies， an information database of anti-aging traditional Chinese medicine substance was developed to reveal the differences and synergistic effects of various treatment methods and formulas on anti-aging. Based on this treatment method， the research integrated two millennia of kidney-tonifying medicinal experience to develop the innovative anti-aging traditional Chinese medicine， namely Bazhi Bushen capsules. It was validated that this capsule can delay holistic and systemic aging through multiple targets and mechanisms， thereby elucidating the scientific connotation of the essence-Qi-spirit theory of Qiluo doctrine in guiding anti-aging research from multiple dimensions and providing robust support for leveraging the advantages of traditional Chinese medicine to occupy the commanding heights of international anti-aging research.

National biological standards for antibiotics are critical components of the antibiotic quality control system and serve as reference materials for measuring and calibrating the biological activity of antibiotics. This article systematically reviews the classification, definition of potency units, and current research status of commercially available national antibiotic biological standards in China. At present, these standards can be categorized based on chemical structure, number of components, and development methods. The definition of potency units has evolved from an early “arbitrarily assigned unit” to “being represented by the mass of the antibiotic salt” and, more recently, to the current mainstream approach of “being represented by the mass of the active ingredient”. This evolution reflects a shift in quality control philosophy from primarily biological analysis to a system dominated by chemical analysis supplemented by biological methods. Current research focuses on optimizing potency determination methods, studying the unification of content and potency, and implementing dual quality control of both the potency and the ratio/content of active components in multi-component antibiotics. For complex multi-component antibiotics, the microbiological assay based on biological activity remains irreplaceable in quality control. Future efforts should emphasize further method optimization, ensuring batch-to-batch consistency of standards, and advancing precision quality control as key research priorities for antibiotic biological standards.

Objective To study the photodynamic performance and the killing effect of photodynamic therapy on lung cancer of novel chlorin compounds 2-（4-（5,15,20-triphenyl-7H,8H-porphyrin-10-yl） phenoxy） acetic acid（D1）and 4-（4-（5,15,20-triphenyl-7H,8H-porphyrin-10-yl） phenoxy） butanoic acid （D2）. Methods The ultraviolet visible absorption spectrum and fluorescence spectrum of D1 and D2 were determined. The singlet oxygen generation capacity of D1 and D2 was measured by using DPBF as singlet oxygen capture agent. Fluorescence assay was used to detect the cellular phagocytosis rate of the compounds in A549 cells, and MTT assay was used to detect their dark toxicity and phototoxicity. A nude mouse model of lung cancer was established to investigate the antitumor activity of the compounds mediated photodynamic action in vivo, and the blood concentration of D2 in nude mice, its distribution in tumor tissue and skin tissue were further detected. Results D1 and D2 had strong absorption at 652 nm with the best excitation wavelength at 429 nm and 427 nm, and the optimal emission wavelength was at about 659 nm. They also had a higher singlet oxygen generation rate than the control drug m-THPC. D1 and D2 had no dark toxicity at concentrations below 10 μmol/L, and could be ingested by A549 cells, basically reaching saturation in 18~24 hours. After laser irradiation at 650 nm wavelength, D1 and D2 showed significant antitumor activity in vivo and in vitro （P<0.01）. However, D2 could selectively accumulate in tumor tissues after administration, and the optimal treatment time was less than 30 min after administration. Conclusion D2 had excellent photodynamic antitumor activity and could selectively aggregate in tumor tissues, which had the potential to be a candidate drug for photosensitizer and treatment of lung cancer with independent intellectual property rights, and was worth further research.

Rectal cancer, which accounts for approximately 40% of colorectal cancers, remains a major clinical concern. Recent advances in diagnostic imaging, surgical techniques, radiotherapy, and systemic treatment have steadily improved rectal cancer outcomes. Considering this, the Korean Rectal Cancer Multidisciplinary (KRCM) Committee has aimed to provide clinicians and policymakers with up-to-date, evidence-based clinical practice guidelines to support optimal decision-making, reflecting current evidence, the Korean healthcare context, and patient values and preferences. The Clinical Practice Guidelines for Rectal Cancer version 2.0 were developed through multidisciplinary collaboration with related academic societies, building upon and updating the KRCM Clinical Practice Guidelines version 1.0 (titled “Multidisciplinary guidelines for the management of rectal cancer”). These consensus guidelines of the KRCM were established based on a comprehensive literature review, evidence synthesis, with recommendation development guided by the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) methodology, and consideration of applicability in real-world clinical practice under the national health insurance system. Each recommendation has been presented with its strength and level of evidence.

Background: s/Aims: Postoperative pancreatic fistulas (POPF) remain a major cause of morbidity and mortality following pancreatoduodenectomy (PD). Pancreatogastrostomy (PG) and pancreatojejunostomy (PJ) are the two most commonly used reconstruction techniques, yet evidence favoring one over the other is inconclusive. This study evaluates postoperative outcomes following open PD at a single institution that transitioned from PG to PJ as the preferred reconstruction method. Methods: This retrospective comparative study included patients who underwent PD between April 2005 and August 2022. Of 757 patients identified, 522 met the inclusion criteria. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to adjust for clinically relevant covariates. Primary endpoints were clinically relevant (CR) POPF (grade B/C) and Clavien–Dindo (CD) grade ≥ 3 POPFs. Secondary outcomes included post-pancreatectomy hemorrhage (PPH), delayed gastric emptying (DGE), systemic complications, length of hospital stay, and mortality. Results: Overall, CR-POPF and CD grade ≥ 3 POPFs occurred in 21.3% and 8.0% of patients, respectively. Thirty-day and in-hospital mortality rates were 3.1% and 4.2%. After PSM, 368 patients (184 PG and 184 PJ) were analyzed. Grade B POPFs were more frequent following PJ than PG (24.5% vs. 15.8%, p < 0.001). Although CR-POPF and CD grade ≥ 3 POPFs were numerically higher in the PJ group, differences were not statistically significant. In contrast, DGE, PPH, and in-hospital mortality were significantly higher following PG (37.0% vs. 25.0%, p = 0.025; 16.3% vs. 8.7%, p = 0.025; and 7.6% vs. 2.7%, p = 0.049, respectively). Conclusions PG was associated with a lower incidence of grade B POPFs but higher rates of DGE, PPH, and in-hospital mortality.

Background: The effects of perioperative ketamine and esketamine on postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) remain unclear. This study aimed to clarify their impact on PONV and related adverse events. Methods: We performed a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials and observational studies comparing ketamine or esketamine with control agents. The primary outcome was a pooled analysis of PONV and nausea-only data. PONV, postoperative nausea (PON), and postoperative vomiting (POV) were also analyzed separately. Subgroup analyses were conducted by comparator type (placebo, opioid, or non-opioid) and dose categories. Meta-regression was used to assess dose-response relationships. Results: Fifty-five studies (n = 6676) were included. Ketamine and esketamine did not significantly reduce the incidence of pooled PONV risk (risk ratio [RR]: 0.95, 95% CI [0.87–1.04], P = 0.274). No benefit was found versus placebo. Compared with opioids, PONV was reduced (RR = 0.50, 95% CI [0.32–0.77], P = 0.002), but not in the pooled analysis (RR = 0.69, 95% CI [0.43–1.08], P = 0.107). Conversely, compared with non-opioid controls, ketamine/esketamine increased the pooled PONV risk (RR = 1.46, 95% CI [1.03–2.05], P = 0.032). No significant dose-response relationship was found. Both agents increased hallucinations (RR = 1.73, 95% CI [1.35–2.20], P = 0.0002) and drowsiness (RR = 2.18, 95% CI [1.13–4.21], P = 0.024). Conclusions Ketamine and esketamine did not significantly reduce PONV overall. While they showed benefits compared with opioid-based regimens, they may be less effective than non-opioid adjuvants. However, their neuropsychiatric and sedative risks warrant cautious use.

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a prevalent degenerative joint disease characterized by synovial inflammation, cartilage loss. Often manifesting as joint pain and limited mobility, it severely affects the quality of life of patients. Traditional treatment methods such as pharmacological injections and surgical interventions primarily aim to alleviate symptoms but have limited effects on cartilage repair. Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs), due to their anti-inflammatory and chondrogenic capabilities, is considered a new hope for the treatment of KOA. This article synthesizes the latest research findings from both domestic and international sources to discuss the theoretical basis for the clinical application of hUC-MSCs in treating KOA, clinical study design, and efficacy evaluation. It also addresses the challenges in the clinical application of hUC-MSCs and explores future directions, in the hope of providing feasible theoretical support for the treatment of KOA with hUC-MSCs.