ObjectiveTo address the key challenges in breast electrical impedance tomography (EIT) reconstruction including the severe ill‑posedness of the inverse problem, limited measurement information from the electrodes, low contrast of small lesions, as well as the common drawbacks of traditional reconstruction methods such as boundary blurring, low spatial resolution, and weak small-target detection capability, and to overcome the limitations of existing deep learning approaches namely low training efficiency, insufficient physical consistency, and substantial information loss during the low‑to‑high dimensional mapping process, this study proposes a multi‑scale attention and dynamic sparse mask fusion network (MADS‑Net). The proposed method aims to enhance high‑resolution reconstruction accuracy, small-lesion detectability, noise robustness, and computational efficiency in breast‑screening-oriented EIT, thereby providing a feasible solution for the application of EIT in breast functional imaging. MethodsThe proposed network adopts a strategy of “locate first, reconstruct later”. It realizes adaptive allocation of computational resources through a dynamic mask module, alleviates information loss in the low-to-high dimensional mapping process via a multi-scale attention mechanism, and embeds physical constraints to improve the physical rationality of reconstruction results. The performance of the proposed method was validated through systematic numerical simulations, agar phantom experiments, and porcine tissue experiments. Comparisons were made with mainstream methods including the Gauss-Newton algorithm, convolutional neural networks, U-Net, and Deep D-Bar. The image correlation coefficient (ICC), root mean square error (RMSE), and peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) were adopted as quantitative evaluation metrics. Furthermore, lesion‑level evaluation metrics were introduced to assess the capability of different methods in reconstructing abnormal target boundaries and small‑sized target regions. ResultsExperimental results demonstrate that MADS-Net outperforms all comparison methods across all test scenarios. In numerical simulations, it achieves higher accuracy in target morphology and spatial location recovery as well as better background suppression. In agar phantom experiments, its detection and imaging reliability for small targets is significantly superior to the comparison methods. In porcine tissue experiments, the model maintains good generalization performance and can adapt to complex biological tissue imaging scenarios. Quantitative results show that MADS-Net achieves an average ICC of 0.917 6±0.048 8, an RMSE as low as0.060 6±0.031 6, and a PSNR of (23.893 9±2.685 3) dB. It successfully detects tiny targets as small as 5 mm within a 100 mm diameter sensing field, reduces the total training duration by 23.5% compared with the baseline method, and maintains stable reconstruction performance even under strong noise interference. ConclusionThe results demonstrate that MADS-Net achieves favorable EIT reconstruction performance in numerical simulations, agar phantom experiments, and porcine tissue experiments, even under common practical imaging challenges including low signal-to-noise ratio and blurred tissue boundaries. This study provides a methodological reference for further research on EIT in breast-screening-related scenarios and other medical functional imaging tasks, and also offers a low-cost, radiation-free alternative for breast lesion screening that aligns with the clinical demand for non-invasive diagnostic tools. It should be noted that real clinical breast data have not yet been used for validation in this study, and the clinical applicability of the proposed method requires further investigation. Future work will prioritize collecting multi-center real clinical breast datasets, and further optimize the model’s generalization ability to adapt to individual differences in breast tissue composition to promote its clinical application.

Objective To observe the efficacy of a nomogram based on conventional ultrasonic manifestations for predicting malignant risk of breast non-mass lesions(NML).Methods A total of 120 NML diagnosed with ultrasound in 113 female patients were retrospectively included and divided into malignant group(n=44)and benign group(n=76)based on pathological results.Patients' age,ultrasonic manifestations of NML and ipsilateral axillary lymph node were compared between groups.Then a nomogram was constructed using a multivariable logistic regression model,and its diagnostic performance and accuracy were validated.Results The ratios of patients' aged≥45 years,with abnormal ipsilateral axillary lymph nodes,NML with maximum diameter≥2 cm,posterior echo attenuation,rich blood flow signals,architectural distortion and microcalcification were significantly different between groups(all P＜0.05).Patient's age≥45 years,with abnormal ipsilateral axillary lymph nodes,and NML with rich blood flow signals,architectural distortion and microcalcification were all independent predictive factors for high malignant risk of breast NML(all P＜0.05).The constructed nomogram achieved an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.901 for predicting malignant risk of breast NML,and its predicting probabilities demonstrated good agreement with the actual probabilities(Hosmer-Lemeshow test P＞0.05).Conclusion The nomogram incorporating patient's age,ultrasonic manifestations of NML and ipsilateral axillary lymph node could effectively quantify malignancy risk of breast NML.

Nonunion of osteoporotic vertebral fractures (OVF), predominantly affecting the elderly, can lead to intractable pain, vertebral collapse, progressive kyphotic deformity, and neurological impairment, significantly compromising patients′ quality of life. There exists considerable debate on diagnosis and management of OVF, encompassing key issues such as clinical diagnosis and staging criteria for nonunion, surgical indications and procedure selection, and postoperative rehabilitation planning. Currently, there lacks standardized clinical guideline and expert consensus on the diagnosis and management of OVF nonunion in China. To address this gap, Minimally Invasive Surgery Group of Chinese Orthopedic Association, Osteoporosis Committee of Chinese Association of Orthopedic Surgeons, Prevention and Rehabilitation Committee for Osteoporosis of Chinese Association of Rehabilitation Medicine and Minimally Invasive Orthopedic Surgery Branch of China Association for Geriatric Care jointly organized domestic experts in spinal surgery, endocrinology, and rehabilitation to formulate the Clinical guideline for the diagnosis and treatment for nonunion of osteoporotic vertebral fractures ( version 2025), based on existing literature and clinical experience and adhering to principles of scientific rigor and practicality. The guideline provided 13 evidence-based recommendations encompassing diagnosis and treatment of OVF nonunion, aiming to standardize its clinical management.

Background and aims:Advanced hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)with pulmonary metastasis(PM)has a poor prognosis,and optimal treatment strategies remain controversial.This study aimed to compare the long-term outcomes of patients with advanced HCC with PM who were treated with resection of pul-monary metastases versus those treated with targeted therapies combined with immunotherapy.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the medical records of HCC patients with PM who underwent either pulmonary metastasectomy or immunotherapy combined with targeted therapies at the Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital,Changhai Hospital of Shanghai,Fujian Provincial Hospital,and West China Hospital of Sichuan University from September 2013 to October 2022.One-to-one propensity score matching(PSM)was employed to control the influence of potential confounders,and the survival outcomes were compared.Results:A total of 119 HCC patients with PM were included in this study.The overall survival(OS)of patients who underwent pulmonary metastasectomy was significantly longer than that of patients who received immunotherapy targeted combinations(OS:1-year,80.0％vs.59.3％;2-year,31.7％vs.20.3％;3-year,20.0％vs.0;P＜0.001).After PSM,the long-term prognosis of the pulmonary metastasectomy group remained significantly better than that of the immunotherapy combination group(OS:1-year,87.0％vs.69.6％;2-year,34.8％vs.30.4％;3-year,21.7％vs.0;P=0.005).Multivariate analysis revealed that treat-ment allocation(hazard ratio(HR)=2.177,95％confidence interval(CI)=1.068-4.439)and hepatic tumor T stage(HR=2.342,95％CI=1.209-4.538)were independent risk factors for OS.Conclusions:Pulmonary metastasectomy was associated with improved survival compared to immu-notherapy combined with targeted therapies and may represent an optimal treatment option for highly selected HCC patients with resectable PM.

Objective To comparatively analyze the clinical characteristics of primary bilateral macronodular adrenal hyperplasia(PBMAH)and adrenal cortisol-producing Adenoma(CPA),and enhance the understanding of two diseases.Methods The clinical data of 85 PBMAH patients(PBMAH group)and 195 CPA patients(CPA group)diagnosed at Department of Endocrinology,the First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital,from September 2014 to August 2024 were retrospectively analyzed.The demographic characteristics,comorbidities,biochemical indicators,adrenocorticotropic hormone-cortisol(ACTH-F)levels,and adrenal imaging features and treatment conditions were compared between the two groups.Results(1)General characteristics:Compared with CPA group,PBMAH group had older age at diagnosis and a higher proportion of male patients.(2)Clinical characteristics:Compared with CPA group,PBMAH group had a longer disease duration,a higher proportion of subclinical Cushing's syndrome(CS),and a higher proportion of hypertension,impaired glucose tolerance/diabetes,bone mass reduction or osteoporosis,with higher serum potassium levels,and the differences were statistically significant(P<0.01).(3)Hormone levels:Both PBMAH and CPA groups showed ACTH-F rhythm disorder,significantly increased cortisol levels and suppressed ACTH.Compared with PBMAH group,CPA group had stronger autonomous cortisol secretion ability,manifested by increased midnight serum cortisol(F0:00),16:00 serum cortisol(F16:00),24-hour urinary free cortisol(24 h UFC)levels and lower 8:00 serum ACTH(ACTH8:00)and 16:00 serum ACTH(ACTH16:00)(P<0.01).After low-dose dexamethasone suppression test(LDDST),CPA group showed lower suppression rates of ACTH and cortisol,and higher proportions of paradoxical elevation in serum cortisol and 24 h UFC compared with PBMAH(P<0.01).Conclusions PBMAH has a longer disease course and higher proportions of comorbid metabolic disorders than CPA,mostly manifested as subclinical Cushing's syndrome.CPA has stronger autonomous cortisol secretion ability,with cortisol less likely to be suppressed after LDDST and more obvious paradoxical elevation of cortisol and 24 h UFC.

Objective To characterize multimodal metabolic disorders in subclinical Cushing's syndrome(SCS)patients with different cortisol levels,providing a reference for clinical diagnosis and treatment.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 165 SCS patients diagnosed at the First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital due to adrenal masses from January 2014 to October 2024.Using the serum cortisol levels after the midnight 1 mg dexamethasone suppression test(1 mg DST)as the cut-off point,SCS patients were divided into high-level group(1 mg DST-F>138 nmol/L,n=96)and low-level group(50 nmol/L<1 mg DST-F≤138 nmol/L,n=69).The differences in age,gender,body mass index(BMI),blood pressure,glucolipid metabolism indices,electrolytes,hormone levels,and imaging features of adrenal adenoma(such as CT values)were compared between the two groups.Multivariate linear regression was used to analyze the correlation between CT values and metabolic indices.Results Compared with low-level group,patients in high-level group were younger(54.0±11.3 vs.57.7±10.3,P=0.034),while there were no statistically significant differences in gender ratio or BMI between the two groups(P>0.05).Both groups exhibited decreased adrenocorticotropic hormone(ACTH)levels and disrupted circadian rhythm.Compared with low-level group,high-level group showed significantly higher F0:00 levels[250.00(170.07,422.53)nmol/L vs.110.00(82.74,133.90)nmol/L]and 24-hour urinary free cortisol(24 h UFC)[568.40(377.80,875.45)nmol/24 h vs.369.40(265.40,494.69)nmol/24 h](P<0.001),with no significant differences in serum F8:00,or 1 mg DST ACTH0:00 levels(P>0.05).Except for the fasting C-peptide level in the high-level group being higher than that in low-level group[(2.88±1.01)ng/ml vs.(2.46±0.78)ng/ml,P=0.024],there were no significant differences in blood pressure,blood lipids,glycated hemoglobin(HbA1c),fasting blood glucose,fasting insulin,serum electrolytes,uric acid,and other indices between the two groups(P>0.05).The CT value of adrenal adenoma during contrast-enhanced scanning was higher in high-level group[80.00(17.80,93.00)Hu vs.52.00(35.50,75.00)Hu,P=0.006]compared with low-level group.Multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that diastolic blood pressure was positively correlated with CT values of adrenal adenomas in both plain scanning(β=0.49,95%CI 0.09-0.90)and contrast-enhanced scanning(β=2.08,95%CI 0.76-3.39),while triglyceride levels were negatively correlated with plain scanning CT values(β=-5.77,95%CI-10.88--0.66).Conclusion Patients with SCS at different cortisol levels differ in age,fasting C-peptide levels,and CT values.CT values may serve as potential imaging markers to assess metabolic risk in SCS patients.

Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics of patients with clinical and subclinical Cushing's syndrome caused by primary bilateral macronodular adrenal hyperplasia(PBMAH).Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 198 patients with Cushing's syndrome caused by PBMAH diagnosed in the First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital from January 2004 to October 2024.According to clinical manifestations,the patients were classified into clinical type Cushing's syndrome(n=61)and subclinical type Cushing's syndrome(n=137),and the clinical characteristics of the two types were compared.Results The mean age at diagnosis of patients with PBMAH-induced Cushing's syndrome was(53.5±10.4)years,including 118 males and 80 females,with a male-to-female ratio of 1.475:1.Compared with the subclinical type,the clinical type had a higher proportion of females,higher levels of serum cortisol,24-hour urine free cortisol(24 h UFC),and inhibited serum cortisol after low-dose dexamethasone suppression.Additionally,the clinical type had lower plasma ACTH,larger adrenal nodules and a higher risk of surgery(P<0.05)compared with those in subclinical type.The incidences of hypertension,dyslipidemia,obesity,diabetes mellitus,hypokalemia,vitamin D deficiency,osteoporosis,coronary heart disease,and cerebrovascular disease in patients with Cushing's syndrome caused by PBMAH were 87.9%,50.5%,37.1%,36.9%,27.8%,25.9%,18.7%,18.7%and 12.1%,respectively.Among them,compared with subclinical type patients,clinical type patients had higher incidence of hypokalaemia,vitamin D deficiency and osteoporosis(P<0.05),while there were no statistically significant differences in the incidences of other comorbidities between the two types(P>0.05).The results of postoperative follow-up for PBMAH patients showed that the short-term biochemical remission rate of unilateral total adrenalectomy was 41.5%(22/53)and the long-term biochemical remission rate was 32.0%(8/25).The short-term biochemical remission rate of unilateral partial(or nodular)adrenalectomy was 52.9%(9/17),and the long-term biochemical remission rate was 14.3%(1/7).All patients who underwent unilateral total adrenalectomy plus contralateral partial resection developed adrenal insufficiency(3/3),and 1 patient(1/3)relapsed 3.4 years after surgery.Conclusion Clinical and subclinical types of Cushing's syndrome caused by PBMAH have their distinct clinical characteristics.Surgery is an effective treatment for PBMAH,but a certain proportion of patients fail to achieve biochemical remission after non-bilateral total adrenalectomy.

Objective To develop and evaluate a diagnostic model for autoimmune liver disease(AILD)using clinical indicators.Methods A total of 181 AILD patients(AILD group)diagnosed in the Department of Gastroenterology or Rheumatology and Immunology,the First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital,from June 2019 to February 2024,133 patients with hepatitis B virus cirrhosis(HBVC)(HBVC group),and 100 healthy individuals(HC group)were included in the study cohort for retrospective analysis.Clinical data,blood routine tests,and biochemical indicators were compared among the groups.Propensity score matching was used to balance the effects of factors such as gender and age.Multivariate logistic regression analysis was applied to identify characteristic indicators for AILD.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves were used to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of single and combined indicators,and the optimal diagnostic model for AILD was constructed.The Hosmer-Lemeshow test was performed to assess the model's goodness-of-fit,while ROC analysis was employed to evaluate the predictive validity.Additionally,an independent validation cohort,including 91 AILD patients(AILD validation group),82 HBVC patients(HBVC validation group),and 40 healthy individuals(HC validation group)who visited during the same period,was used to validate the diagnostic model.False-positive and false-negative rates were calculated to assess the diagnostic efficacy and clinical utility of the model.Results The age and the proportion of male patients in AILD and HBVC groups were higher than those in HC group,and the proportion of male patients in AILD group was higher than in HBVC group,the differences were statistically significant(P＜0.05).Prior to matching,compared with HC group,HBVC group and AILD group had significantly lower levels of hemoglobin(HB),red blood cell count(RBC),white blood cell count(WBC),platelet count(PLT),and albumin(ALB)(P＜0.05),but significantly higher levels of alanine aminotransferase(ALT),aspartate aminotransferase(AST),alkaline phosphatase(ALP),gamma-glutamyl transferase(GGT),total bilirubin(TBIL),and direct bilirubin(DBIL)(P＜0.05).Compared with HBVC group,AILD group had significantly higher levels of WBC,PLT,ALB,ALP,and GGT(P＜0.05 or P＜0.001)but significantly lower levels of TBIL and DBIL(P＜0.001).After maching,compared with HC group,AILD group still had significantly lower levels of HB,RBC,WBC,PLT,and ALB,but significantly higher levels of ALT,AST,ALP,GGT,TBIL,and DBIL(P＜0.05).Compared with HBVC group,AILD group had significantly higher levels of HB,RBC,WBC,PLT,ALB,ALT,ALP,and GGT,but significantly lower levels of DBIL(P＜0.05).ROC analysis results showed that AST,GGT,ALP,and DBIL had high predictive values for differentiating AILD from HC(AUC=0.843,0.804,0.802,0.773),while PLT,WBC,GGT,and ALP had high predictive values for differentiating AILD from HBVC(AUC=0.780,0.739,0.729,0.702).For distinguishing AILD from HC,the combined model of AST,ALP,and DBIL(Model e)had an AUC of 0.887,with a sensitivity of 82.2％,and a specificity of 94.7％.For distinguishing AILD from HBVC,the combined model of ALP,GGT,and PLT(Model D)had an AUC of 0.829,with a sensitivity of 78.5％and a specificity of 80.6％.Conclusions The combined diagnostic model based on AST,ALP,and DBIL can effectively differentiate healthy individuals without liver diseases from AILD patients,while the combined diagnostic model based on PLT,ALP,and GGT can effectively distinguish HBVC from AILD patients.

Objective To establish a stable,reliable,and clinically relevant porcine model of endotoxin-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS).Methods Ten 8-month-old male Bama minipigs were deeply sedated,followed by invasive mechanical ventilation and electrocardiographic monitoring.Lipopolysaccharide(LPS)was intravenously pumped at 600 μg/(kg·h)for 3 hours,then maintained at 15 μg/(kg·h)thereafter.Dynamic monitoring was performed at five time points after LPS injection(LPS 0,1,3,5,and 8 h),including arterial blood gas analysis and chest computed tomography(CT)scans.Pathological examination of lung tissues obtained via bronchoscopic biopsy(HE staining and transmission electron microscopy)was conducted.These indicators were comprehensively used to evaluate the success of the animal model.Results At 5 hours after LPS administration,8 minipigs developed symptoms such as skin cyanosis,elevated body temperature,and respiratory distress.The oxygenation index decreased to<300 mmHg.Chest CT scans showed diffuse pulmonary infiltrates.Histopathology revealed alveolar edema and hyaline membrane formation.Transmission electron microscopy demonstrated disruption of pulmonary blood-air barrier,depletion of lamellar bodies in type Ⅱ pneumocytes,inflammatory cell infiltration,and exudation of plasma proteins and fibrin.Compared with LPS 0 h,at LPS 8 h,the oxygenation index and arterial blood pH were significantly decreased(P<0.001),while blood lactic acid and serum potassium were significantly increased(P<0.05);serum calcium and base excess were significantly decreased(P<0.05),and the lung injury score based on HE-stained lung sections was significantly increased(P<0.01).Conclusion The porcine ARDS model established by continuous LPS injection can dynamically simulate the pathophysiological characteristics and typical pathological manifestations of clinical septic ARDS,making it an effective tool to study the pathogenesis,prevention,and treatment strategies of septic ARDS.

Objective To investigate the mechanism by which artesunate(ART)attenuates intestinal mucosal barrier damage in acute graft-versus-host disease(aGVHD)and the synergistic effect of ART in combination with dexamethasone(DXM)in the treatment of aGVHD mice.Methods The aGVHD mouse model was established by bone marrow haematopoietic stem cell transplantation.The mice were divided into 9 groups,including normal mice control(Ctrl),aGVHD mice(aGVHD),normal mice receiving ART[30 mg/(kg·d)],aGVHD mice receiving low-dose ART[10 mg/(kg·d)],aGVHD mice receiving medium-dose ART[30 mg/(kg·d)],aGVHD mice receiving high-dose ART[50 mg/(kg·d)],aGVHD mice receiving DXM[20 mg/(kg·d)],aGVHD mice receiving ART[30 mg/(kg·d)]and DXM[20 mg/(kg·d)],and aGVHD mice receiving ART[30 mg/(kg·d)]and halved DXM[10 mg/(kg·d)].Survival rate and clinical parameters were assessed.HE staining and Alcian blue-periodic acid-Schiff(AB-PAS)staining were used to observe the histopathological changes in the intestinal mucosa of the mice;Real-time PCR,Western blotting and immunohistochemistry were used to detect the structure of the intestinal mucosal barrier,the T cell differentiation related transcription factors and cytokines,and the key enzymes of energy metabolism.Flow cytometry was used to detect the T helper cell 17(Th17)and regulatory T cells(Treg).Results After 30 days of ART treatment,aGVHD mice showed significant relief of systemic symptoms and increase in survival rate.In aGVHD mice treated with ART,the intestinal mucosal barrier structure was restored,and the intestinal mucosal permeability was reduced.The activity of AMP-activated protein kinase(AMPK)/mTOR pathway was inhibited,and the energy metabolism pattern of T cells was dominated by fatty acid synthesis.The balance of Th17/Treg was restored due to the decrease of Th 17 and the increase of Treg.The effect of ART+DXM treatment on aGVHD mice was comparable to that of DXM treatment alone,and the survival rate of mice was higher.In particular,the recovery of the intestinal mucosal barrier function was most obvious in the mice treated with ART+half-dose DXM.Conclusion ART reduces the immune injury of allo-T cells to the intestinal mucosal barrier by recovering the Th17/Treg balance,thus maintaining the integrity of the intestinal mucosal barrier function.The synergistic effect of ART and DXM combination treatment in aGVHD mice can reduce the incidence of DXM side effects by decreasing the dosage of DXM.