Tropical diseases, the transmission of which is affected by multiple natural and social factors, pose a great challenge to global public health, notably in African countries. During the past several decades, China and African countries have continuously collaborated for the control of neglected tropical diseases and malaria, which has become an important part of global South-to-South cooperation and global health governance. This article reviews the history of China-Africa cooperation for tropical diseases control, summarizes the experiences and achievements over the past decade, analyzes the current challenges in the coopera tion, and proposes future recommendations. The China-Africa cooperation has achieved significant progress in the control of tropical diseases, such as malaria, schistosomiasis, and filariasis, and established a China-Africa cooperation network for tropical diseases control. Through the "Three-Step" strategy of China-Africa cooperation, the effectiveness of China's integrated control strategies has been validated in Africa, and the application of China's tropical disease control technologies has been promoted in African disease-epidemic countries. Currently, China-Africa collaboration, however, still experiences multiple realistic challenges, such as insufficient resources, difficulty in technology transfer, and weak primary healthcare systems. In the future, both sides are recommended to further strengthen policy coordination, deepen technological cooperation, innovate cooperation models, aiming to continuously promote the high-quality development of China-Africa cooperation for tropical diseases control.

Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) have emerged as a serious global health issue due to its high rates of occurrence, disability, and mortality. DFU exhibit an exceptionally high recurrence rate, driven by a combination of behavioral and biological factors, leading to the recognition of fully epithelialized ulcers as being in "remission" rather than cured. However, the pathogenic factors underlying recurrent DFU (RDFU) remain poorly understood. This review examines the epidemiological characteristics and pathophysiological mechanisms of RDFU. Key mechanisms include neuropathy, angiopathy, epigenetic modifications, and metabolic memory. Research demonstrates that RDFU development results from the interplay of multiple factors: hyperglycemia-induced metabolic abnormalities, chronic inflammatory responses, vascular and neurological damage, as well as dysregulated epigenetic control. These factors interact synergistically, creating a vicious cycle that increases the risk of recurrence and delays recovery. By synthesizing current knowledge, this review aims to provide a foundation for future research and clinical management of RDFU. The insights presented support the development of personalized treatment strategies and effective preventive measures to reduce recurrence and improve patient outcomes.

Objective To explore the relationship between carotid atherosclerosis(CAS)and cognitive impairment in the stroke high-risk population aged 40 years and above in the rural area of Xi'an City and determine whether CAS is a risk factor for cognitive impairment.Methods In this study,stroke high-risk population found in the Community and Rural Population Stroke High-risk Group Screening and Intervention Project carried out in Huyi District,Xi'an City,from October 2014 to March 2015 were selected as the research subjects.Color Doppler ultrasound was used to evaluate CAS,and CAS was defined as:carotid intima-media thickness(CIMT)≥1.0 mm,or carotid arteries(including common carotid artery,carotid sinus,internal carotid artery,and external carotid artery)have atherosclerotic plaques,or carotid stenosis.Mini-Mental State Examination(MMSE)was used to assess cognitive function.The MMSE score lower than the cut-off value(illiteracy ≤17,primary school ≤ 20 points,and junior high school and above education level ≤24 points)is defined as cognitive impairment.The study population was grouped according to the presence of CAS or cognitive impairment;univariate difference test and bivariate logistic regression were used to analyze the relationship between CAS and cognitive impairment.Results A total of 451 subjects were included in the analysis.The average age of the subjects was(58.7±9.83)years old,and 44.3％were female.Among them,329 cases(72.9％)had CAS and 57 cases(12.6％)met the diagnostic criteria for cognitive impairment.The prevalence of cognitive impairment in CAS group was significantly higher than that in non-CAS group(14.6％vs.7.4％,P=0.041).Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that cognitive impairment was significantly correlated with age(OR=1.121,95％CI:1.056-1.189,P＜0.001),but not with CAS(OR=1.008,95％CI:0.202-5.170,P=0.992).Conclusion No significant association between CAS and cognitive impairment was found in high stroke risk group aged 40 and above in rural areas of Xi'an.

Age-related macular degeneration(AMD)is a disease that affects the vision of elderly individuals worldwide.Although current therapeutics have shown effectiveness against AMD,some patients may remain unresponsive and continue to experience disease progression.Therefore,in-depth knowledge of the mechanism underlying AMD pathogenesis is urgently required to identify potential drug targets for AMD treatment.Recently,studies have suggested that dysfunction of mitochondria can lead to the ag-gregation of reactive oxygen species(ROS)and activation of the cyclic GMP-AMP synthase(cGAS)/stimulator of interferon genes(STING)innate immunity pathways,ultimately resulting in sterile inflammation and cell death in various cells,such as cardiomyocytes and macrophages.Therefore,combining strategies targeting mitochondrial dysfunction and inflammatory mediators may hold great potential in facilitating AMD management.Notably,emerging evidence indicates that natural products targeting mitochondrial quality control(MQC)and the cGAS/STING innate immunity pathways exhibit promise in treating AMD.Here,we summarize phytochemicals that could directly or indirectly influence the MQC and the cGAS/STING innate immunity pathways,as well as their interconnected mediators,which have the potential to mitigate oxidative stress and suppress excessive inflammatory responses,thereby hoping to offer new insights into therapeutic interventions for AMD treatment.

Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) have emerged as a serious global health issue due to its high rates of occurrence, disability, and mortality. DFU exhibit an exceptionally high recurrence rate, driven by a combination of behavioral and biological factors, leading to the recognition of fully epithelialized ulcers as being in "remission" rather than cured. However, the pathogenic factors underlying recurrent DFU (RDFU) remain poorly understood. This review examines the epidemiological characteristics and pathophysiological mechanisms of RDFU. Key mechanisms include neuropathy, angiopathy, epigenetic modifications, and metabolic memory. Research demonstrates that RDFU development results from the interplay of multiple factors: hyperglycemia-induced metabolic abnormalities, chronic inflammatory responses, vascular and neurological damage, as well as dysregulated epigenetic control. These factors interact synergistically, creating a vicious cycle that increases the risk of recurrence and delays recovery. By synthesizing current knowledge, this review aims to provide a foundation for future research and clinical management of RDFU. The insights presented support the development of personalized treatment strategies and effective preventive measures to reduce recurrence and improve patient outcomes.

OBJECTIVE To explore the clinical effect of Kangfuxin solution on wound healing,wound stromal cell-derived factor-1a(SDF-1a),vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)and angiopoietin-2(ANG-2)of the peri-anal abscess patients complicated with wound infection.METHODS A total of 118 perianal abscess patients compli-cated with postoperative wound infection who were treated in Wuhan Eighth Hospital from Jun.2018 to Oct.2023 were enrolled in the study and were randomly divided into the Kangfuxin solution group and the potassium per-manganate group,with 59 cases in each group.Both groups were treated with debridement of infection foci in a timely manner,the potassium permanganate group was given potassium permanganate for daily cleaning and treat-ment,and the Kangfuxin solution group was given Kangfuxin solution for daily treatment.The wound healing time,time of disappearance of wound edema and shedding time of slough were recorded,and the reduced rate of wound surface was determined after the treatment.The pain degree was evaluated by visual analogue scale(VAS)after the treatment,and the levels of wound SDF-1a,VEGF and Ang-2 levels were detected.RESULTS The wound healing time[(12.53±2.57)days],time of disappearance of wound edema[(6.89±1.06)days]and shed-ding time of slough[(3.06±0.68)days]were shorter in the Kangfuxin solution group than in the potassium per-manganate group(P＜0.05).The reduced rates of wound surface were higher after the treatment for 2,7 and 14 days,the VAS score was lower,and there were significant differences(P＜0.05).The levels of SDF-1a,VEGF and Ang-2 of the two groups were higher after the treatment than before the treatment,the levels of SDF-1a,VEGF and Ang-2 of the Kangfuxin solution group were higher than those of the potassium permanganate group,and there were significant differences(P＜0.05).CONCLUSIONS Kangfuxin solution can be used for wound repair of the perianal abscess patients complicated with wound infection,which may accelerate the wound healing.The action mechanisms may be associated with the regulation of expressions of wound SDF-1a,VEGF and Ang-2.

Objective To compare the segmenting efficacy of automatic segmentation models for advanced gastric cancer(AGC)on CT virtual monoenergetic images(VMI),non-linear blending images(NLBI)and mixed-energy images(MEI)based on 3D-nnU-Net.Methods Totally 216 cases of AGC were retrospectively enrolled,among them 185 cases were used to construct,train and validate models and divided into training set(n=154)and test set(n=31)at the ratio of 5∶1,while the other 31 cases were used as validation set to evaluate the generalization of the models.The 70 keV energy level VMI(VMI70 keV),NLBI and MEI were reconstructed with whole-abdominal dual-energy mode venous CT,and automatic segmentation models of AGC,including VMI70 keV,NLBI and MEI models were constructed using 3D-nnU-Net,respectively.Taken manually segmented results as golden standards,the efficacy of each model for segmenting all lesions and T2 stage lesions in test set and validation set were evaluated using Dice similarity coefficient(DSC),intersection over union(IoU)and average symmetric surface distance(ASSD).Results For all lesions in test and validation sets,DSC of 3 models were all＞0.80.DSC and IoU of VMI70 keV and NLBI models were both higher,while their ASSD was lower than those of MEI model(all P＜0.05).For T2 stage AGC in both test set and validation set(each n=5),DSC of MEI model was lower than that of VMI70 keV and NLBI models(both P＜0.05),while IoU of MEI model was lower than that of VMI70 keV model(P＜0.05),and its ASSD was higher than that of NLBI model(P＜0.05).Conclusion All 3D-nnU-Net-based VMI70 keV,NLBI and MEI models could effectively segment AGC on dual-energy CT images,and the segmentation efficacy of the former two were better.

Objective To investigate the distribution and antimicrobial resistance profiles of common pathogens isolated from cerebrospinal fluid(CSF)in CHINET program from 2015 to 2021.Methods The bacterial strains isolated from CSF were identified in accordance with clinical microbiology practice standards.Antimicrobial susceptibility test was conducted using Kirby-Bauer method and automated systems per the unified CHINET protocol.Results A total of 14 014 bacterial strains were isolated from CSF samples from 2015 to 2021,including the strains isolated from inpatients(95.3％)and from outpatient and emergency care patients(4.7％).Overall,19.6％of the isolates were from children and 80.4％were from adults.Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria accounted for 68.0％and 32.0％,respectively.Coagulase negative Staphylococcus accounted for 73.0％of the total Gram-positive bacterial isolates.The prevalence of MRSA was 38.2％in children and 45.6％in adults.The prevalence of MRCNS was 67.6％in adults and 69.5％in children.A small number of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium(2.2％)and linezolid-resistant Enterococcus faecalis(3.1％)were isolated from adult patients.The resistance rates of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae to ceftriaxone were 52.2％and 76.4％in children,70.5％and 63.5％in adults.The prevalence of carbapenem-resistant E.coli and K.pneumoniae(CRKP)was 1.3％and 47.7％in children,6.4％and 47.9％in adults.The prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii(CRAB)and Pseudomonas aeruginosa(CRPA)was 74.0％and 37.1％in children,81.7％and 39.9％in adults.Conclusions The data derived from antimicrobial resistance surveillance are crucial for clinicians to make evidence-based decisions regarding antibiotic therapy.Attention should be paid to the Gram-negative bacteria,especially CRKP and CRAB in central nervous system(CNS)infections.Ongoing antimicrobial resistance surveillance is helpful for optimizing antibiotic use in CNS infections.

Objective To investigate the antimicrobial resistance of clinical isolates from elderly patients(≥65 years)in major medical institutions across China.Methods Bacterial strains were isolated from elderly patients in 52 hospitals participating in the CHINET Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Program during the period from 2015 to 2021.Antimicrobial susceptibility test was carried out by disk diffusion method and automated systems according to the same CHINET protocol.The data were interpreted in accordance with the breakpoints recommended by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute(CLSI)in 2021.Results A total of 514 715 nonduplicate clinical isolates were collected from elderly patients in 52 hospitals from January 1,2015 to December 31,2021.The number of isolates accounted for 34.3％of the total number of clinical isolates from all patients.Overall,21.8％of the 514 715 strains were gram-positive bacteria,and 78.2％were gram-negative bacteria.Majority(90.9％)of the strains were isolated from inpatients.About 42.9％of the strains were isolated from respiratory specimens,and 22.9％were isolated from urine.More than half(60.7％)of the strains were isolated from male patients,and 39.3％isolated from females.About 51.1％of the strains were isolated from patients aged 65-＜75 years.The prevalence of methicillin-resistant strains(MRSA)was 38.8％in 32 190 strains of Staphylococcus aureus.No vancomycin-or linezolid-resistant strains were found.The resistance rate of E.faecalis to most antibiotics was significantly lower than that of Enterococcus faecium,but a few vancomycin-resistant strains(0.2％,1.5％)and linezolid-resistant strains(3.4％,0.3％)were found in E.faecalis and E.faecium.The prevalence of penicillin-susceptible S.pneumoniae(PSSP),penicillin-intermediate S.pneumoniae(PISP),and penicillin-resistant S.pneumoniae(PRSP)was 94.3％,4.0％,and 1.7％in nonmeningitis S.pneumoniae isolates.The resistance rates of Klebsiella spp.(Klebsiella pneumoniae 93.2％)to imipenem and meropenem were 20.9％and 22.3％,respectively.Other Enterobacterales species were highly sensitive to carbapenem antibiotics.Only 1.7％-7.8％of other Enterobacterales strains were resistant to carbapenems.The resistance rates of Acinetobacter spp.(Acinetobacter baumannii 90.6％)to imipenem and meropenem were 68.4％and 70.6％respectively,while 28.5％and 24.3％of P.aeruginosa strains were resistant to imipenem and meropenem,respectively.Conclusions The number of clinical isolates from elderly patients is increasing year by year,especially in the 65-＜75 age group.Respiratory tract isolates were more prevalent in male elderly patients,and urinary tract isolates were more prevalent in female elderly patients.Klebsiella isolates were increasingly resistant to multiple antimicrobial agents,especially carbapenems.Antimicrobial resistance surveillance is helpful for accurate empirical antimicrobial therapy in elderly patients.

Objective To explore the relationship between carotid atherosclerosis(CAS)and cognitive impairment in the stroke high-risk population aged 40 years and above in the rural area of Xi'an City and determine whether CAS is a risk factor for cognitive impairment.Methods In this study,stroke high-risk population found in the Community and Rural Population Stroke High-risk Group Screening and Intervention Project carried out in Huyi District,Xi'an City,from October 2014 to March 2015 were selected as the research subjects.Color Doppler ultrasound was used to evaluate CAS,and CAS was defined as:carotid intima-media thickness(CIMT)≥1.0 mm,or carotid arteries(including common carotid artery,carotid sinus,internal carotid artery,and external carotid artery)have atherosclerotic plaques,or carotid stenosis.Mini-Mental State Examination(MMSE)was used to assess cognitive function.The MMSE score lower than the cut-off value(illiteracy ≤17,primary school ≤ 20 points,and junior high school and above education level ≤24 points)is defined as cognitive impairment.The study population was grouped according to the presence of CAS or cognitive impairment;univariate difference test and bivariate logistic regression were used to analyze the relationship between CAS and cognitive impairment.Results A total of 451 subjects were included in the analysis.The average age of the subjects was(58.7±9.83)years old,and 44.3％were female.Among them,329 cases(72.9％)had CAS and 57 cases(12.6％)met the diagnostic criteria for cognitive impairment.The prevalence of cognitive impairment in CAS group was significantly higher than that in non-CAS group(14.6％vs.7.4％,P=0.041).Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that cognitive impairment was significantly correlated with age(OR=1.121,95％CI:1.056-1.189,P＜0.001),but not with CAS(OR=1.008,95％CI:0.202-5.170,P=0.992).Conclusion No significant association between CAS and cognitive impairment was found in high stroke risk group aged 40 and above in rural areas of Xi'an.