Fungi pose a severe threat to human health worldwide, especially to patients with weakened immune systems. Perioperative patients are at a high risk of fungal infection and death because of the immunosuppression caused by the surgery, as well as the use of surgical instruments. Perioperative patients in ICU are at greater risk of fungal infection. Fungal infections are often difficult to identify, and the treatment is particularly challenging. A well-functioning host immune and an appropriate level of inflammation is essential for controlling fungal infections. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play critical roles in regulating host immune function, primarily through participating in the post-transcriptional regulation of target genes. After fungal infection, miRNAs are differentially expressed in various tissues, cells, and extracellular vesicles, promoting or inhibiting antifungal effects through different mechanisms to modulate the host immune response. In addition, differentially expressed miRNAs could serve as potential biological markers for the diagnosis and treatment of fungal infections. In this review, we discuss the role and significance of miRNAs in fungal infections.

Basic medical education is the cornerstone of healthcare development, directly impacting the well-being of a nation’s population. The advancement of modern medicine has raised increasing demands on the research capabilities of medical students. Therefore, it is crucial to foster their research interests and cultivate their research skills early in their education. As core components of basic medical science and introductory courses to immerse medical students in the intricate microscopic world of the human body, histology and embryology are indispensable in medical education, igniting their curiosity. Incorporating cutting-edge research into education courses can effectively stimulate medical students’ research interests. This article primarily focuses on histology and embryology to explore how the latest scientific advancements and emerging technologies can be incorporated into basic medical curricula, offering insights and suggestions for future developments in medical education.

Objective: To study temperature distribution in different electrodes and to evaluate thermal spread during colonic anastomosis induced by radiofrequency energy through finite element modeling, aiming to provide the basis for optimizing the design of new electrodes with improved effectiveness of electrosurgical welding.

Methods: Three electrodes with the feature of concave-convex (CC), rail coupled concave-convex (rail-CC), and cross rail coupled concave-convex (cross rail-CC) were designed for radiofrequency-induced serosa-to-serosa colonic anastomoses to evaluate the thermal spread process by finite element modeling using COMSOL Multiphysics. Parameters used in the modeling were set with a peak voltage of 45 V, a duty cycle of 10% and a repetition rate of 1 s. Additionally, a three-dimensional finite element model of the cross rail-CC electrode was further constructed to compare temperature variation and distribution when the voltage Fwas applied to ridges of upper electrode alternately.

Results: The electrode with CC design produced similar temperature between 'gap' and 'compressed' areas, whereas the electrode with rail-CC design exhibited the highest temperature at 'gap' and 'compressed' areas compared with those with CC and cross rail-CC designs. Moreover, the cross rail-CC electrode, by tightly occluding the upper and lower electrodes, could create uniform compression and temperature variation. When electric voltage was applied to ridges of upper electrode of the cross rail-CC electrode alternately, the temperature at 'gap' was half of that at the 'compressed' section, which was comparable to the temperature at 'compressed' area in the rail-CC electrode (p=0.241).

Conclusion: Alternating application of voltage to ridges of upper electrode of the cross rail-CC electrode can potentially produce an optimal fusion zone by reducing thermal damage with low 'gap' temperature while keeping the 'compressed' temperature high.

With the development of medical-engineering integration technology and the growing clinical rehabilitation demands, intelligent rehabilitation robots have emerged as a prominent area of research in stroke rehabilitation. The application of exoskeleton rehabilitation robots holds significant potential to alleviate the pressure on rehabilitation resources in China. These robots offer high-intensity, high-repetition rehabilitation training for stroke patients, helping to restore limb motor function, improve daily living independence, and contribute to neuroplasticity. As such, they are becoming an essential treatment modality for patients with motor function disorders. In this review, we first categorize ankle-foot rehabilitation robots based on the interaction methods between the robot and the user, detailing their structural characteristics and application scenarios. Additionally, we classify existing control strategies, including admittance control, impedance control, electromyography control, trajectory tracking control, and Proportional-Integral-Derivative control, based on the rehabilitation needs at various stages of recovery. Each control method is summarized, and their current research status is analyzed. Besides, current research status of key technologies in rehabilitation robots, both domestically and internationally are also summarized in this paper. Finally, the key challenges in the development of ankle-foot rehabilitation robots and future research directions are discussed, providing a reference for the research and design of these robots.

Anesthetic pharmacology, a specialized branch of pharmacology, differs significantly from the foundational phar macology taught in undergraduate medical programs. A key challenge lies in effectively distinguishing and inte grating these two courses to enhance students' theoretical understanding and foster their clinical anesthesia skills. This paper explores strategies for optimizing lesson preparation and delivery in anesthetic pharmacology, focusing on course positioning, student knowledge assessment, clinical integration, objective setting, content development, instructional design, innovative teaching tools, and classroom management. The ultimate aim is to enhance teaching effectiveness and train anesthesiology professionals with robust theoretical knowledge and practical competence.

Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) is a simple, sensitive and non-invasive marker that can monitor eosinophilic airway inflammation. Its levels are influenced by height, weight, gender, ethnicity and smoking status. FeNO was first introduced as a biomarker to assist in asthma detection, and now plays an important auxiliary role in its diagnosis, management, and prognosis evaluation, including treatment guidance and drug efficacy assessment. With continuous exploration, exhaled nitric oxide has demonstrated utility in a variety of respiratory diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic cough and interstitial lung disease. It can also serve as a biomarker after lung surgery to indicate the risk of postoperative complications and impaired lung function. This article summarizes the clinical value of exhaled nitric oxide in common pulmonary diseases, aiming to provide a reference for its clinical application.