Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have been conducted to evaluate treatment efficacy for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness and safety of 11 promising targets among adults with MASLD.

PubMed, Web of Science, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Scopus, and Embase were searched from inception to November 20, 2024. The primary outcomes were fibrosis improvement ≥1 stage without worsening of steatohepatitis and steatohepatitis resolution without worsening of fibrosis. Additional outcomes included reductions in liver fat content, liver enzymes, metabolic profiles, and selected safety outcomes. The surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA) was used to rank efficacy.

Of 11,584 articles screened, 44 eligible RCTs (11,410 participants, 33 medications) were included. For fibrosis improvement, d-(R)-pioglitazone (SUCRA: 79.3) and fibroblast growth factor (FGF) 21 analogs (SUCRA: 71.9) ranked higher. For steatohepatitis resolution, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1)/glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) dual receptor agonists (RAs) (SUCRA: 91.7) ranked higher. Co-agonists of GLP-1/GIP/GCG and GLP-1/GCG receptors ranked higher for relative and absolute changes in liver fat content, respectively. For liver enzymes and glucose improvement, the combination of a GLP-1 RA and an acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase inhibitor ranked higher. GLP-1 RAs, peroxisome proliferator-activated RAs, and FGF21 analogs showed favorable effects on lipid profile improvement.

Incretin-based co-agonists and FGF21 analogs showed favorable profiles across key endpoints, while d-(R)-pioglitazone and GLP-1/GIP dual RAs ranked higher for fibrosis improvement and steatohepatitis resolution, respectively. SUCRA rankings should be interpreted in conjunction with effect sizes, uncertainty, and available safety data.

Cervical cancer is a major malignancy that threatens women’s health, and early screening is a core strategy for reducing its incidence and mortality. Multimodal fusion artificial intelligence (AI) pathological diagnosis models integrate multidimensional data—including cytological images, colposcopic images, whole-slide histopathological images, clinical data, and molecular testing results—and may enhance the detection sensitivity, grading accuracy, and screening efficiency for early cervical cancer and precancerous lesions. However, traditional cervical cancer screening methods face limitations such as high subjectivity, reliance on single-source information, relatively low efficiency, and insufficient primary care resources. Furthermore, existing reviews mostly focus on single-modal AI models or specific technical aspects, lacking a comprehensive analysis of the full technical framework and clinical translation pathways of multimodal fusion models. This review aims to comprehensively present the development and application of multimodal fusion AI models in pathological diagnosis for early cervical cancer screening. Specifically, it comprehensively details the technical architecture, data modalities, and fusion strategies—including deep learning, attention mechanisms, and cross-modal alignment techniques—that enable the complementary representation of morphological, clinical, and molecular information. Additionally, the review integrates recent advances in clinical applications and evaluates current translational challenges, providing insights into clinical validation pathways to bridge technological innovation and practical healthcare delivery. In conclusion, with further technological refinement and clinical validation, multimodal fusion AI may become a useful tool for improving the precision and efficiency of cervical cancer screening and prevention, and may inform the standardized application and translational research of AI technology in this field.

Non-motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, including sleep disturbance, cognitive impairment, depression, and anxiety, are common and often undertreated, yet their responsiveness to mind-body exercises remains unclear. This scoping review evaluated the currently available evidence on the effects of Tai Chi and Qigong interventions on non-motor symptoms in patients with Parkinson’s disease.

We searched six databases (PubMed, Google Scholar, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science, and PEDro) through February 28, 2026, for randomized controlled trials (RCTs). We included English-language RCTs that evaluated the effects of Qigong and Tai Chi interventions on non-motor outcomes in Parkinson’s disease and excluded non-RCTs, review articles, and protocol articles. We were predominantly interested in the following non-motor outcome measures: cognition, depression, anxiety, fatigue, and sleep quality.

This review identified 18 RCTs that met the inclusion criteria, including nine Tai Chi studies and nine Qigong studies. Most of the reviewed studies were of high quality according to the PEDro scale, but the small sample sizes limited our analysis to identifying trends in outcomes. A strong trend toward a beneficial effect was found for sleep quality and cognition, a moderate trend toward improvement was found in depression, anxiety and quality of life, and weak or unclear effects were found for other non-motor symptoms such as fatigue. Several studies also had high dropout rates.

Although these studies suggest that Tai Chi and Qigong may improve sleep quality and cognition, the evidence supporting their benefits in alleviating other non-motor symptoms is generally weak, primarily because of small sample sizes. The heterogeneity in methodologies across the reviewed studies and high dropout rates in some studies are significant limitations of previous RCTs.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotype C is common in East Asia and is associated with poor outcomes, particularly liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Clinically, genotype C infection is generally associated with persistent viral replication, later HBeAg seroconversion, more active hepatic inflammation, and an increased risk of HCC. Current evidence suggests that these features are driven by several key molecular events, including the A1762T/G1764A double mutation in the basal core promoter, the G1896A mutation in the precore region, abnormal hepatitis B virus X protein function, and viral integration. Together, these changes may reshape viral transcription, antigen expression, host immune interactions, and oncogenic signaling, thereby contributing to disease progression and hepatocarcinogenesis. Other factors, such as epigenetic changes, dysregulated DNA damage responses, impaired tumor protein p53 function, and disrupted autophagy, may also be involved, although their exact roles remain unclear. Notably, even after effective viral suppression with potent nucleos(t)ide analogs, patients with genotype C may still have a relatively high residual risk of HCC. This review summarizes the molecular virological features, pathogenic mechanisms, immune dysregulation, and clinical significance of HBV genotype C, and discusses the potential value of genotype information in risk stratification, long-term surveillance, and clinical assessment of chronic hepatitis B.

Hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (HSOS) is a life-threatening liver vascular disorder with limited treatment options. HSOS results from the activation and injury of liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs). Berberine (BBR) has been shown to protect endothelial cells in various diseases. However, whether BBR can alleviate liver injury and LSEC disruption in HSOS remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of BBR on HSOS.

Two mouse models of HSOS were established using monocrotaline or oxaliplatin. Mice in the treatment groups received a low dose (100 mg/kg) or a high dose (200 mg/kg) of BBR daily. Histology, scanning electron microscopy, immunofluorescence, and flow cytometry were used to evaluate the therapeutic effects of BBR. Cell co-culture, Transwell assays, qRT-PCR, and Western blotting were performed to investigate the molecular pathways involved.

BBR treatment dose-dependently reduced liver injury and disruption of LSECs in murine HSOS models. Moreover, BBR significantly reduced hepatic neutrophil infiltration, thereby attenuating neutrophil-mediated injury to LSECs. Additionally, BBR inhibited the effect of injured LSECs on neutrophil activation. Mechanistically, injured LSECs were identified as one of the major sources of CXCL1 in HSOS, and BBR downregulated CXCL1 expression in injured LSECs by inhibiting MAPK signaling.

In this study, we demonstrate that BBR ameliorates HSOS by inhibiting endothelial-mediated neutrophil recruitment and activation. BBR may be a promising therapeutic option for HSOS treatment.

Post-stroke dysphagia management research has primarily focused on screening, assessment, and intervention strategies, with limited objective indicators for evaluating nursing care quality. This study aimed to develop a dysphagia nursing quality evaluation index system for neurosurgical inpatients with stroke.

Using the “structure-process-outcome” three-dimensional quality model as the theoretical framework, a preliminary quality evaluation index system was constructed through literature analysis and group discussion. A two-round Delphi expert consultation was conducted among 25 purposively selected clinical experts from tertiary Class A hospitals, with inclusion criteria requiring a bachelor’s degree or higher, an intermediate professional title or above, and at least 10 years of clinical experience in stroke nursing or related fields. The analytic hierarchy process was used to determine indicator weights. Outcome measures included expert authority coefficients (Cr), Kendall’s W concordance coefficient, internal consistency reliability (Cronbach’s α), and the final indicator structure.

The Cr values were 0.87 and 0.88 across the two rounds. Kendall’s W concordance coefficient increased from 0.207 to 0.235 (P < 0.001), indicating statistically significant expert agreement. The final index system comprised 3 first-level indicators, 11 second-level indicators, and 44 third-level indicators, with all indicator definitions and weights determined. The overall Cronbach’s α was 0.86, indicating preliminary internal consistency.

This study developed a dysphagia nursing quality evaluation index system for neurosurgical inpatients with stroke using the three-dimensional quality model and the Delphi method. The system showed acceptable expert authority, statistically significant expert agreement, and preliminary internal consistency, suggesting potential applicability for nursing quality monitoring in neurosurgical wards and Neurosurgery Intensive Care Units. Further clinical validation is needed before routine implementation.

Emerging diseases are those that appear in a population for the first time or previously existed, but rapidly increase in incidence or geographic range. During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, ethnopharmacological practices became prominent in Nigeria because herbal remedies were affordable, locally accessible, and supported by longstanding cultural trust. However, despite broad public use and some regulatory progress, evidence for the safety, efficacy, standardization, and clinical application of these remedies remains limited. This narrative review examines the integration of ethnopharmacology into Nigeria’s COVID-19 response, evaluates its strengths, constraints, and lessons, and considers future pathways for incorporating ethnopharmacological practices into epidemic preparedness and response strategies. It reviews literature and regulatory information published from 2015 to 2025, focusing on herbal remedies used during the pandemic, regulatory listing processes, and key research gaps. Common remedies were derived from Zingiber officinale, Allium sativum, Citrus limon, Curcuma longa, and Garcinia kola. The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control in Nigeria accelerated toxicological testing and listed 14 local herbal medicines, including Pax Herbal Cugzin, Niprimune, and IHP Detox Tea. This established a baseline safety for human consumption but did not validate therapeutic efficacy against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, which requires rigorous clinical trials. Although some formulations showed promising findings in preliminary clinical, in silico, and in vitro studies, the evidence was constrained by small pilot samples, absence of multiphase randomized controlled trials, insufficient in vivo pharmacokinetic data, and difficulties in isolating active compounds necessary for batch-to-batch consistency. Strengthening Nigeria’s resilience to future epidemics will require sustained investment in scientific research infrastructure, toxicogenomic and metabolomic studies, robust intellectual property frameworks for indigenous knowledge, and transparent public communication to reduce misinformation and product misuse.

Cerebrospinal fluid leakage and postoperative tissue adhesion are serious complications following dural injury. Current dural substitutes often lack the functional asymmetry of the native dura mater. This study aimed to develop a hydrophilic/hydrophobic Janus polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) hydrogel membrane with a directional structure and dual functionality for effective dural defect repair.

A PVA hydrogel with an aligned porous architecture was fabricated via directional freezing combined with salt leaching, and thermal annealing was applied to enhance mechanical strength and structural stability. The hydrogel was asymmetrically modified to obtain a Janus membrane. Morphology, mechanical properties, degradation, swelling, wettability, in vitro biocompatibility, and cell migration were evaluated by the NIH-3T3 mouse fibroblast cell line. In vivo biocompatibility was assessed using a rat subcutaneous implantation model, including blank control, Durepair®, frozen-salted PVA, and Janus-PVA groups, with 5 rats in each group. Dural repair efficacy was evaluated in a rat cranial dural defect model, including untreated defect control, frozen-salted-annealed PVA, and Janus-PVA groups, with 15 rats in each group.

The Janus membrane exhibited high tensile strength (8.93 ± 1.46 MPa), slow degradation (1.42% mass loss at 28 days), and low swelling (58.13% water content at 28 days). It displayed distinct bilateral wettability, and effectively blocked fibroblast migration on both sides, acting as a physical barrier against fibroblast-driven adhesion. In the rat dural defect model, the Janus membrane reduced cerebrospinal fluid leakage and brain–dura adhesion compared with the untreated defect and frozen-salted-annealed PVA control groups.

The engineered hydrophilic/hydrophobic Janus PVA hydrogel membrane mimics the functional asymmetry of the native dura mater and may serve as a promising candidate for further evaluation as a dural repair material.