1.Coronary CT Angiography-Derived Fractional Flow Reserve in Asia and the United States: 2025 Status Update
Woo Jin AHN ; Maros FERENCIK ; Ming-Yen NG ; Liang ZHONG ; Mona BHATIA ; Akira KURATA ; Pannipa SUWANNASOM ; Yung-Liang WAN ; Trang Ngoc NGUYEN ; Suyon CHANG ; Sung Mok KIM ; Hwan Seok YONG ; Cherry KIM
Korean Journal of Radiology 2026;27(1):27-33
Coronary CT-derived fractional flow reserve (CT-FFR) is a noninvasive alternative to invasive FFR for assessing the hemodynamic significance of coronary artery stenosis. CT-FFR uses routinely acquired coronary CT angiography (CCTA) with artificial intelligence and computational fluid dynamics to estimate pressure gradients, thereby supporting clinical decisionmaking without procedural risk. Adoption and implementation vary widely across regions. In Asia, South Korea exclusively uses HeartMedi+, which enables rapid analysis, streamlined workflow integration, and high user satisfaction. Japan relies primarily on FFR CT, which has national reimbursement and significantly influences treatment strategies, reducing unnecessary invasive procedures. Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam remain in early or exploratory phases due to cost, reimbursement, and infrastructure barriers. In the United States, CT-FFR is guideline-endorsed and reimbursed, where HeartFlow is the most widely used, supported by robust clinical validation and outcome data. Despite regional variability, CTFFR offers a noninvasive solution that enhances patient management, reduces unnecessary invasive testing, and is poised for broader clinical integration as technology and validation advance.
2.Treatment Modalities and Long-Term Outcomes in Unruptured Vertebrobasilar Fusiform Aneurysms: A Nationwide Observational Cohort Study
Linggen DONG ; Dachao WEI ; Xiheng CHEN ; Mingtao LI ; Yang ZHAO ; Yong SUN ; Qingbin NIE ; Jun FENG ; Guomin XIAO ; Jinghua ZHOU ; Shengli HU ; Lifei FENG ; Lifeng QI ; Hongen LIU ; Geng GUO ; Yufang LI ; Renfu TIAN ; Jianghua YU ; Dianshi JIN ; Liang HAO ; Tian TIAN ; Shizhong ZHANG ; Yang WANG ; Liping LIU ; Ming LV
Journal of Stroke 2026;28(2):250-262
Background:
and Purpose Vertebrobasilar fusiform aneurysms (VBFAs) carry substantial morbidity and mortality, but optimal management for unruptured VBFAs remains unclear. We compared the safety and efficacy of conservative management (CM), stent-assisted coiling (SAC), and flow diverters (FDs) in patients with unruptured VBFAs, focusing on long-term prognosis.
Methods:
This study included data from a nationwide Chinese cohort of patients with vertebrobasilar dissecting aneurysms. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) balanced confounders across groups. The primary outcome was poor prognosis (modified Rankin Scale score >2). Secondary outcomes included aneurysm rupture, ischemic stroke, compression symptoms, and VBFA-related deaths. Logistic regression estimated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were performed.
Results:
Among 1,115 patients with unruptured VBFAs, 838 (median age, 54 years; 655 men) were included. After IPTW, baseline characteristics were balanced. Median follow-up was 54 months. FD was associated with a lower risk of poor prognosis than CM (OR, 0.48 [95% CI, 0.30 to 0.77]; p=0.002), with no difference between CM and SAC. FD also reduced aneurysm rupture (OR, 0.20 [95% CI, 0.07 to 0.60]; p=0.004) and compression symptoms (OR, 0.30 [95% CI, 0.13 to 0.68]; p=0.004) versus CM. Time-to-event analyses further revealed significant differences in vertebral artery lesions and Type I–II VBFAs, whereas no significant differences were observed in basilar or vertebrobasilar junction lesions or in Type III–IV VBFAs.
Conclusions
Compared with CM, FD was associated with improved long-term outcomes in unruptured VBFAs, particularly in vertebral artery lesions and Type I–II VBFAs, although residual confounding cannot be excluded.
3.Engineered Bacteriophages for The Treatment of Multidrug-resistant Bacterial Infections
Yu-Ying CHEN ; Chun-Mei HUANG ; Jin-Zhi PAN ; De-Liang LIU ; Yang ZHOU ; Gui-Qin DAI ; Peng-Fei ZHAO ; Hong-Zhou LU ; Ming-Bin ZHENG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(6):1581-1596
Multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial infections have emerged as a serious challenge of global public health crisis. The overuse and misuse of conventional antibiotics have dramatically accelerated the emergence, evolution and worldwide spread of drug-resistant bacterial strains, necessitating urgent exploration of novel antibacterial strategies. Bacteriophages serve as natural bacterial predators offering distinct advantages including high host specificity, autonomous self-replication capabilities and cost-effective large-scale production. However, wild-type phages present significant clinical limitations due to their narrow host ranges, susceptibility to rapid immune clearance and poor penetration of bacterial biofilms, which severely restrict their therapeutic applications. The convergence of synthetic biology, nanotechnology and advanced gene editing technologies has accelerated the development of engineered bacteriophage platforms, providing programmable, scalable and clinically translatable pathways to overcome these inherent biological constraints. Here, we systematically delineate four fundamental strategies for engineered bacteriophage development. Chemical modification utilizes reactive functional groups such as amino, carboxyl and thiol moieties on capsid proteins through esterification, amidation or click chemistry reactions to achieve precise drug conjugation and surface functionalization. In vivo editing encompasses ultraviolet or chemical mutagenesis for random mutation induction, homologous recombination for targeted genetic alterations, recombineering methodologies including electroporation-mediated bacteriophage recombination engineering, and CRISPR-Cas systems for precise genome editing to enable exact genetic reconstruction and host range reprogramming. In vitro synthesis leverages genome engineering platforms where intact phage genomes are transferred into yeast or host bacteria to facilitate highly efficient homologous recombination, enabling large DNA fragment assembly and cross-gene host range expansion without bacterial toxicity constraints. Directed evolution combines artificial selection through mutation library screening with rational design approaches involving chimeric receptor binding protein construction or site-specific mutagenesis, effectively balancing the discovery of unknown adaptive pathways with targeted host specificity modification. Moreover, we comprehensively discuss therapeutic applications across diverse clinical scenarios. Engineered bacteriophage effectively disrupt bacterial biofilms through sophisticated functionalized delivery platforms including nanozyme-conjugated phages, phage-liposome nanoconjugates and bio-responsive hydrogels, demonstrating significantly enhanced bactericidal efficiency compared to unmodified free phages. These bioengineered vectors attenuate bacterial virulence and resensitize pathogens to antibiotics by delivering CRISPR-Cas systems or base editors to disrupt critical virulence factors such as pili, capsule synthesis machineries and quorum sensing systems, or by inactivating antibiotic resistance determinants including beta-lactamase genes. As an intelligent nanomedicine delivery platform, engineered bacteriophage enable precise pathogen elimination an through photocatalytic reactive oxygen species generation, immunomodulatory interventions, or controlled release of antibacterial drugs. Furthermore, oral administration of engineered bacteriophage facilitates microbiota modulation, which selectively eliminate intestinal pathogens while preserve beneficial commensal microbiota, thereby restoring microbial community balance and preventing complications associated with dysbiosis. Finally, we critically analyze persistent challenges including host strain matching complexity, evolution of bacterial resistance mechanisms, pharmacokinetic optimization requirements, optimal administration route selection, large-scale production quality control standards and clinical dosing determination protocols. Through multidisciplinary integration of synthetic biology, infectious disease medicine and immunology, future translational medicine studies of bacteriophage should establish comprehensive technical platforms encompassing rapid phage screening, intelligent rational design, rigorous in vivo evaluation and standardized clinical validation processes, ultimately advancing engineered bacteriophage from laboratory innovations to clinically approved therapeutics for effectively combating MDR bacterial infections.
4.Differences in deltamethrin resistance and kdr gene mutation in Culex tritaeniorhynchus population in and outside the Yellow Sea wetland
Xiao-er ZHANG ; Zhi-ming WU ; Ye TIAN ; Qian CUI ; Yu-qian JI ; Huan WANG ; Shu-juan YANG ; Yi-chao ZHAO ; Yu WANG ; Hua-yu YIN ; Yu DING ; Guo-jin YAN ; Min-sen ZHAO ; Shou-gang ZHANG ; Bing-dong SONG ; Hong-na CHEN ; Jian GAO ; Wei-fang YANG ; Yu-fu ZHANG ; Hui LIU ; Hong-liang CHU
Acta Parasitologica et Medica Entomologica Sinica 2026;33(2):101-107
Objective To gain insights into the biological characteristics of different populations of Culex tritaeniorhynchus within and around the Yellow Sea wetland from the perspective of the occurrence of resistance, we investigated the levels of resistance to deltamethrin and kdr gene mutation in the wetland and its peripheral areas. Methods Specimens were collected from Cx. tritaeniorhynchus populations at two monitoring sites in the Rare Bird National Nature Reserve and Tiaozi Ni Wetland Scenic Area, and also from two populations in Yancheng City and the Liuhe District of Nanjing, and the resistance of these mosquitoes to deltamethrin was determined using the CDC biotest bottle method. For each concentration of deltamethrin assessed, a random subset of exposed specimens was selected for amplification of the kdr gene fragment, followed by Sanger sequencing to identify and analyze resistance-associated mutations. Results The LC50 levels of deltamethrin among mosquitoes from the four populations in Luhe, Yancheng, the Rare Bird National Nature Reserve and the Tiaozi Ni Wetland Scenic Area were 2.048 5, 7.798 2, 3.473 3, and 17.695 5 mg/mL, respectively, with corresponding concentrations of deltamethrin ranging from 0.005 to 5.000,0.050 to 50.000,0.050 to 25.000 and 0.050 to 50.000 mg/mL, respectively. Furthermore, the ranges of the KT50 values were 11.76-107.43, 67.05-216.30,29.77-107.43 and 28.40-329.51 min; the 1-h knockdown rates were 34.58%-99.15%, 9.52%-43.80%, 55.09%-73.01%, and 10.09%-68.07%; and the 24-h mortality rates were 12.15%-67.52%,9.52%-79.56%,13.17%-82.21%, and 11.01%-78.99%, respectively. With respect to kdr gene mutation, we assayed a total of 63,70,59, and 57 mosquitoes for the four populations, for which we detected L1014F mutation frequencies of 14.29%, 35.00%, 20.34%, and 31.58%, respectively, with a majority of these mutations being heterozygous for resistance. In addition, five adult mosquitoes were identified has having synonymous mutations at site 1011[i. e. , AAT(asparagine)mutation to AAC(asparagine)]. Conclusions Our findings revealed the clear resistance of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus to deltamethrin in the Yancheng region of the Yellow Sea wetland, and the resistance phenotype and kdr frequency of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus in the wetland environment were comparable to those of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus in the wetland environment, thereby indicating that the resistance of different populations of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus was homogeneous under the pressure of different insecticide selection within and around the wetland. However, the underlying mechanisms need to be further studied.
5.CiteSpace-based literature visualization analysis of brain-computer interface technology applied in rehabilitation of stroke patients
Yu-wei HAN ; Da HUO ; Li-gang CHEN ; Xin-yu YANG ; Hai JIN ; Xiao-ming LI ; Guo-biao LIANG ; Chun-yong YU
Chinese Medical Equipment Journal 2025;46(9):65-69
Relevant China's literature on the application of brain-computer interface technology in the field of rehabilita-tion of stroke patients was retrieved in the China Knowledge Network database from its establishment to December 31,2024,and CiteSpace visual analysis software was used to analyze the selected literature in terms of trend of annual publica-tion number,author collaboration network,keyword co-occurrences and emergences and to generate a corresponding knowledge map.It's pointed out brain-computer interface technology showed significant application potential for motor function recovery and neurorehabilitation,which had the research hotspots of the cross technologies covering motor imagina-tion,rehabilitation training and virtual reality and the research frontiers of the fusion application of intelligent algorithms of deep learning and pattern recognition.The challenges and future development directions of the field were investigated,and references were provided for promoting the application of brain-computer interface technology to rehabilitation of sroke patients in China.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2025,46(9):65-69]
6.CiteSpace-based literature visualization analysis of brain-computer interface technology applied in rehabilitation of stroke patients
Yu-wei HAN ; Da HUO ; Li-gang CHEN ; Xin-yu YANG ; Hai JIN ; Xiao-ming LI ; Guo-biao LIANG ; Chun-yong YU
Chinese Medical Equipment Journal 2025;46(9):65-69
Relevant China's literature on the application of brain-computer interface technology in the field of rehabilita-tion of stroke patients was retrieved in the China Knowledge Network database from its establishment to December 31,2024,and CiteSpace visual analysis software was used to analyze the selected literature in terms of trend of annual publica-tion number,author collaboration network,keyword co-occurrences and emergences and to generate a corresponding knowledge map.It's pointed out brain-computer interface technology showed significant application potential for motor function recovery and neurorehabilitation,which had the research hotspots of the cross technologies covering motor imagina-tion,rehabilitation training and virtual reality and the research frontiers of the fusion application of intelligent algorithms of deep learning and pattern recognition.The challenges and future development directions of the field were investigated,and references were provided for promoting the application of brain-computer interface technology to rehabilitation of sroke patients in China.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2025,46(9):65-69]
7.Influence of different disinfectants on ultrasound-guided internal jugular vein puncture and adhesive application
Jin-zhu MA ; Hai-yan GAO ; Hao WANG ; Ming-lan YANG ; Chun-hui HU ; Dong-liang WANG
Journal of Regional Anatomy and Operative Surgery 2025;34(2):147-150
Objective To investigate the influence of different disinfectants on the ultrasound-guided internal jugular vein puncture and adhesive application.Methods A total of 102 emergency patients with traumatic hemorrhage who underwent ultrasound-guided internal jugular vein puncture and catheterization were selected as the study subjects and randomly divided into the iodine group(51 cases)and the chlorhexidine-alcohol group(51 cases).Iodophor(0.5%effective iodine)and 2.0%chlorhexidine gluconate+70.0%ethanol were used for disinfection before puncture,respectively.The disinfection effect of the puncture site,puncture condition,ultrasound imaging,and adhesive force of the application of patients were statistically compared between the two groups.Results There was no significant difference in the bacterial count before disinfection,the bacterial count after disinfection or the qualified rate of disinfection at the puncture site of patients between the two groups(P>0.05).There were significant differences in the success rate of one-time puncture,the number of puncture and the time of puncture and catheterization between the two groups(P<0.05).There were significant differences in the rate of clear ultrasound images,adhesive force and rate of warping or shedding of the application between the two groups(P<0.05).Conclusion For emergency patients with traumatic hemorrhage,using iodophor(0.5%effective iodine)and 2.0%chlorhexidine gluconate+70.0%ethanol disinfection before ultrasound-guided internal jugular vein puncture can achieve good disinfection effects.Iodine disinfection can obtain clearer ultrasound images and a higher success rate of one-time puncture,but the adhesive force of the application is poor,making it prone to warping or shedding.
8.Research progress on anti-tumor effect of traditional Chinese medicine intervention on post-transcriptional regulation of HuR
Liu-qing YANG ; Wei-xia LI ; Xiao-yan WANG ; Ming-liang ZHANG ; Hui ZHANG ; Ya-li WU ; Jin-fa TANG
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2025;41(8):1413-1418
Cancer is the main cause of death,and drug therapy has greatly improved the effectiveness of anti-tumor treatment.However,there are problems such as high adverse reactions and the risk of developing drug resistance after long-term use.There is an urgent need to seek new drug targets.Human antigen R(HuR),as an RNA binding protein,promotes the whole process of tumor occurrence,development and metastasis through post transcriptional regulation of mRNA stability,and HuR is general-ly highly expressed in tumor tissue,making it a new target for an-ti-tumor therapy and a standard for prognosis evaluation.Tradi-tional Chinese medicine formulas and their various chemical components can inhibit tumor proliferation,induce tumor cell ap-optosis,inhibit angiogenesis,suppress immune escape,and re-verse tumor drug resistance by regulating HuR activity.This re-view summarizes the importance of HuR in regulation of tumor progression,as well as analyzes the mechanisms of the antitumor effects through active ingredients of Chinese medicine with the regulation of HuR.It is expected to provide new ideas for tumor therapy and guidance for the development of HuR-targeted anti-tumor drugs.
9.Efficacy and safety of intracardiac echocardiography-guided “one-stop” procedures combining radiofrequency catheter ablation and left atrial appendage closure in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation
Xining SHANG ; Mingyu SUN ; Zulu WANG ; Zhiqing JIN ; Ming LIANG ; Jian DING ; Yaling HAN
Chinese Journal of Cardiology 2025;53(1):49-55
Objective:To assess the efficacy and safety of “one-stop” procedures combining radiofrequency catheter ablation and left atrial appendage closure by guidance of intracardiac echocardiography(ICE) in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation.Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted on patients who underwent ICE-guided “one-stop” procedures at the Department of Cardiology, General Hospital of Northern Theater Command between December 2020 and January 2023. Patients were divided into elderly group (age≥60 years old) and non-elderly group (age 18-59 years old). The clinical characteristics, acute success rate, peri-operative complications and follow-up data between two groups were compared. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to analyze whether age was the influencing factor for perioperative complications and atrial fibrillation recurrence.Results:A total of 213 atrial fibrillation patients were enrolled, including 158 (74.18%) in the elderly group (age: (68.3±5.0) years; 56.96% male) and 55 (25.82%) in the non-elderly group (age: (53.7±5.2) years; 81.82% male). The elderly group had lower proportions of males, persistent atrial fibrillation, and left atrial spontaneous echocardiographic contrast compared to the non-elderly group ( P<0.05). CHA 2DS 2-VASc and HAS-BLED scores were higher in elderly group ( P<0.05). The acute success rate,“one-stop” procedure time, fluoroscopy time and the rate of peri-operative complications (6 (3.80%) in elderly group vs. 2 (3.64%) in non-elderly group) were similar between two groups (all P>0.05). The average time of clinical and telephone interviews in elderly group and non-elderly group was (16.9±6.1) months and (17.9±5.9) months, respectively. There was no significant difference in the rate of atrial fibrillation recurrence or clinical events between two groups (47 (30.72%) vs. 14 (26.42%), P=0.554; 10 (6.54%) vs. 2(3.77%), P=0.689, respectively). Iatrogenic atrial septal defects in 3-month transesophageal echocardiography follow up were detected in 44 patients (36.97%) in elderly group and 9 patients (19.57%) in non-elderly group ( P=0.032). Multivariate logistic regression analysis results showed that age was not the influencing factor for peri-operative complications and atrial fibrillation recurrence ( P=0.905 and P=0.676, respectively). Conclusion:Intracardiac echocardiography-guided “one-stop” procedures in the treatment of atrial fibrillation in elderly patients are safe and effective.
10.Safety and long-term efficacy of ablation index-guided radiofrequency catheter ablation and second-generation cryoballoon ablation in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation
Xuan WANG ; Mingyu SUN ; Zulu WANG ; Ming LIANG ; Zhiqing JIN ; Jian DING ; Ping ZHANG ; Yaling HAN
Chinese Journal of Cardiology 2025;53(4):382-387
Objective:To investigate the efficacy and safety of ablation index-guided radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) and second-generation cryoballoon ablation (CBA) in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation (AF).Methods:This retrospective cohort study included 1 986 patients undergoing pulmonary vein isolation for AF at General Hospital of Northern Theater Command from August 2016 to May 2020, comprising 760 RFCA cases and 1 226 CBA cases. Elderly patients were defined as those aged 60 years or older, while non-elderly patients were those under 60 years of age. All patients were followed up for 3 years after the procedure to assess AF recurrence rates. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were plotted and compared by log-rank test. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of AF recurrence.Results:Among 1 986 AF patients (aged (58.7±10.2) years; 1 307 males, 65.81%; 987 elderly patients, 49.70%), the overall AF recurrence rate was 24.37% (484/1 986). Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated a higher AF recurrence rate in the elderly group compared to the non-elderly group (log-rank P=0.007). In the RFCA group, AF recurrence rate was 22.50% (171/760), with no significant difference between the elderly (24.44%, 88/360) and non-elderly (20.75%, 83/400) subgroups ( P=0.223). In the CBA group, recurrence rates were 25.53% (313/1 226), with significantly higher recurrence in elderly patients (28.55%, 179/627) than non-elderly (22.37%, 134/599) ( P=0.013). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that advanced age was not an independent predictor of AF recurrence ( P=0.447). Longer AF duration and larger left atrial diameter were independent risk factors for recurrence, while male sex was a protective factor (all P<0.05). Conclusion:Pulmonary vein isolation with second-generation CBA and RFCA guided by ablation index are safe and effective in the treatment of AF in elderly patients.


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