BACKGROUND:Rheumatoid arthritis is widely prevalent worldwide,with its high incidence and universality that considerably affects patients' quality of life.Previous studies have focused on a few immune cells or cytokines,whereas this study comprehensively provides a more complete view of the immune mechanisms in rheumatoid arthritis.OBJECTIVE:To explore the causal relationship between 731 immune cell phenotypes and rheumatoid arthritis using the Mendelian randomization method,thereby providing evidence of causality.METHODS:The 731 immune cell phenotypes used in this study were sourced from the GWAScatalog database,jointly developed by the National Human Genome Research Institute(NHGRI)and the European Bioinformatics Institute(EBI).The rheumatoid arthritis data were from the Finngen database,developed by the Finnish Institute for Molecular Medicine(FIMM).The inverse variance weighting method was employed as the primary analytical approach.Additionally,multiple analytical methods,including MR-Egger,weighted mode,simple mode,and weighted median,were concurrently utilized to complement the final results.Sensitivity analyses(Cochran's Q test,MR-Egger regression,and MR-presso analysis)were also conducted to verify the stability and feasibility of the data.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)After excluding results through heterogeneity testing,the inverse variance weighting analysis indicated that 10 absolute cell counts,15 median fluorescence intensities of surface antigen levels,1 morphological characteristic,and 9 relative cell counts had a causal relationship with the occurrence of rheumatoid arthritis.(2)According to cell classification,this study found that seven types of B cells,seven types of classical dendritic cells,six types of mature T cells,four types of monocytes,three types of myeloid cells,three types of TBNK cells(lymphocyte subset T cells,B cells and natural killer cells),and five types of Tregs had a causal association with the occurrence of rheumatoid arthritis.(3)Through comprehensive bidirectional two-sample MR analysis,we demonstrated the complex causal relationships between multiple immune phenotypes and rheumatoid arthritis,highlighting the intricate interaction patterns between the immune system and rheumatoid arthritis.These results provide new biomarkers for the early screening and diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis in China,and help to improve the diagnostic accuracy and sensitivity.

ObjectiveTo investigate the current professional competency among full-time and part-time personnel of the nosocomial infection control administration in Shanghai, so as to provide a scientific basis for future training programmes. MethodsIn December 2024, a questionnaire survey was conducted by the Shanghai Nosocomial Infection Quality Control Center among full-time and part-time personnel of the nosocomial infection control administration across medical institutions at various levels and types in Shanghai using convenience sampling method. The questionnaire consisted of two parts: demographic information and professional competency assessment. The professional competency scale comprised four dimensions: fundamental cognition, basic skills, professional expertise, and personal qualities, totaling 35 items. ResultsA total of 1 179 questionnaires were distributed, with 1 144 valid responses collected, yielding an effective response rate of 97.03%. Statistically significant differences were observed among full-time and part-time personnel of the nosocomial infection control administration in terms of age (t=5.32, P=0.021), professional background (χ²=9.90, P=0.019), educational qualifications (χ²=19.10, P<0.001), professional titles (χ²=12.60, P=0.002), and the levels of medical institutions (χ²=111.08, P<0.001). The scores of full-time personnel of the nosocomial infection control administration in fundamental cognition [92 (82, 99) points] and basic skills [88 (78, 96) points] were significantly higher than those of part-time personnel(Z=-2.21, P=0.027;Z=-2.74, P=0.006). Statistically significant differences were found in fundamental cognition scores between full-time and part-time personnel of the nosocomial infection control administration regarding occupational safety protection, definition of healthcare-associated infection outbreaks, types of drug-resistant bacteria and their prevention and control strategies, and transmission routes of different infectious diseases (all P<0.05). Statistically significant differences were also observed in basic skills scores including proficient use of monitoring platforms, formulation and revision of standard operating procedures (SOPs), independent completion of targeted surveillance, guidance on basic infection control skills, guidance for key departments, and follow-up of personnel with occupational exposure (all P<0.05). However, no statistically significant differences were found in scores of professional knowledge and personal qualities (P>0.05). ConclusionThere are certain differences in professional competency between full-time and part-time personnel of the nosocomial infection control administration in Shanghai in terms of fundamental cognition and basic skills. Part-time personnel can effectively improve their professional competency through systematic training on basic infection control knowledge and practical skills, thereby comprehensively enhancing the overall quality of the nosocomial infection administration team.

BACKGROUND:Rheumatoid arthritis is widely prevalent worldwide,with its high incidence and universality that considerably affects patients' quality of life.Previous studies have focused on a few immune cells or cytokines,whereas this study comprehensively provides a more complete view of the immune mechanisms in rheumatoid arthritis.OBJECTIVE:To explore the causal relationship between 731 immune cell phenotypes and rheumatoid arthritis using the Mendelian randomization method,thereby providing evidence of causality.METHODS:The 731 immune cell phenotypes used in this study were sourced from the GWAScatalog database,jointly developed by the National Human Genome Research Institute(NHGRI)and the European Bioinformatics Institute(EBI).The rheumatoid arthritis data were from the Finngen database,developed by the Finnish Institute for Molecular Medicine(FIMM).The inverse variance weighting method was employed as the primary analytical approach.Additionally,multiple analytical methods,including MR-Egger,weighted mode,simple mode,and weighted median,were concurrently utilized to complement the final results.Sensitivity analyses(Cochran's Q test,MR-Egger regression,and MR-presso analysis)were also conducted to verify the stability and feasibility of the data.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)After excluding results through heterogeneity testing,the inverse variance weighting analysis indicated that 10 absolute cell counts,15 median fluorescence intensities of surface antigen levels,1 morphological characteristic,and 9 relative cell counts had a causal relationship with the occurrence of rheumatoid arthritis.(2)According to cell classification,this study found that seven types of B cells,seven types of classical dendritic cells,six types of mature T cells,four types of monocytes,three types of myeloid cells,three types of TBNK cells(lymphocyte subset T cells,B cells and natural killer cells),and five types of Tregs had a causal association with the occurrence of rheumatoid arthritis.(3)Through comprehensive bidirectional two-sample MR analysis,we demonstrated the complex causal relationships between multiple immune phenotypes and rheumatoid arthritis,highlighting the intricate interaction patterns between the immune system and rheumatoid arthritis.These results provide new biomarkers for the early screening and diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis in China,and help to improve the diagnostic accuracy and sensitivity.

Objective:To construct a questionnaire to measure parents′ behavioral and social drivers (BeSD) in administering rotavirus vaccine to their children, and to test the reliability and validity of the questionnaire.Methods:A questionnaire was constructed to investigate the BeSD of rotavirus vaccination among parents based on the WHO BeSD questionnaire. A survey was conducted among parents of children aged 0-3 years old in vaccination clinics from 15 community health service centers in Nanjing City of Jiangsu Province, Yuhuan and Kaihua Counties of Zhejiang Province, Anqing City of Anhui Province, and Yangpu District of Shanghai City from April to May in 2024. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used to analyze the reliability (internal consistency reliability, combination reliability and split half reliability) and validity (structural validity, convergence validity and discriminative validity) of the questionnaire.Results:A total of 850 questionnaires were collected, of which 614 were valid, with an effective response rate of 72.20%. The EFA resulted in the refinement of the rotavirus vaccine BeSD questionnaire from 37 to 35 items (including 24 core items), and suggested a five-factor structure including the perceptions of vaccine, confidence in vaccine, social process of vaccination, motivation for vaccination, and practical problems of vaccination. The cumulative variance contribution rate reached 56.27%. The CFA confirmed an ideal five-factor model fit (GFI=0.82,CFI=0.86,PNFI=0.67,RMSEA=0.07). The AVE of each dimension was greater than 0.50. The AVE square root of each dimension of the questionnaire was greater than its correlation coefficient. The Cronbach′s α coefficient of the total questionnaire was 0.79.Conclusion:The developed BeSD questionnaire of rotavirus vaccine has good reliability and validity, and can be used to measure parents′ behavioral and social factors in administering rotavirus vaccine to their children.

Polygalae Japonicae Herba has the functions of expectorant and relieving cough,promoting blood circulation and detumescence,detoxification and relieving pain.It mainly contains triterpene saponins,flavonoids,xanthones,oligosaccharides and other active components,which has many pharmacological effects,such as anti-inflammatory,analgesic,neuroprotective,anti-tumor,regulation of lipid metabolism,anti-infective preterm birth,etc.,and shows good efficacy in in the treatment of nervous,metabolic and other system diseases.This article reviewed the chemical composition and pharmacological effects of Polygalae Japonicae Herba,combining the concept of quality markers of Chinese materia medica,predicted and analyzed the quality markers of Polygalae Japonicae Herba based on plant phylogenetics,uniqueness of chemical components,efficacy of Chinese materia medica,pharmacological properties of Chinese materia medica,new pharmacological effects,detectability of chemical components,network pharmacology and molecular docking technology,in order to provide reference for the study on the material basis of the medicinal effects and quality standards of Polygalae Japonicae Herba.

Objective To investigate the clinical effect of digital subtraction angiography(DSA)-guided percutaneous transhepatic cholangial drainage(PTCD)in treatment of acute obstructive suppurative cholangitis(AOSC).Methods The relevant data of DSA-guided PTCD in treatment of AOSC patients were collected to analyze its safety and effectiveness.Results Among the 70 patients,there were 2 cases of bleeding,1 case of drainage tube blockage,and 1 case of drainage tube detachment,and no other serious surgical related complications occurred.The symptoms of 66 patients were improved from 3 to 7 d after PTCD compared with those before PTCD,and 4 patients died during hospitalization.The average daily bile drainage volume of patients was(650±130)m L,and the changes of leukocyte,total bilirubin,alanine aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase indexes before and after surgery were statisti-cally significant(P<0.05).Conclusion DSA-guided PTCD in treatment of AOSC is a safe and effective minimally invasive method with high technical success rate,which can timely relieve obstruction,improve symptoms,reduce mortality,and create opportunities and conditions for secondary surgery or interventional therapy.

Medical ultrasound technology is widely used for diagnosis and therapy in clinical practice.Ultrasound probes,which are directly contact with patients,pose a potential risk of pathogen transmission.This expert consen-sus was developed by a multidisciplinary team based on international guidelines,standards in China,and the results of a national survey,aiming to reduce the risk of healthcare-associated infection through standardizing reprocessing of medical ultrasound probes,and formulating consensus recommendations with the Delphi method.The consensus clarifies the reprocessing principles for three types of ultrasound probes of different infection risks:external-use ul-trasound probes,interventional percutaneous ultrasound probes,and internal-use ultrasound probes,puts forward systematic suggestions on the reprocessing standards and disinfection levels of ultrasound probe isolation covers and coupling agents,the reprocessing procedures and methods of ultrasound probes,as well as architectural layout and management of reprocessing,so as to provide a scientific prevention and control framework for ensuring ultrasound diagnosis and therapy safety.

Objective To establish a flow cytometric assay for detecting heat shock protein A2(HSPA2)in sperm and explore the role of HSPA2 expression levels in predicting low fertilization rates in in vitro fertilization(IVF).Methods The principle of in-direct immunofluorescence(IIF)was used to fluorescently stain sperm HSPA2.After the sperm sample was permeabilized and sealed,rabbit anti-human HSPA2 antibody(primary antibody)and fluorescein isothiocyanate(FITC)labeled goat anti-rabbit IgG antibody(secondary antibody)were sequentially added as detection tubes.At the same time,a sample without primary anti-body was set up as a control tube,and the positive rates of the two tubes were measured by flow cytometer.The ratio of the posi-tive rate of the detection tube to the control tube(positive rate ratio)was calculated.The optimal number of sperm for detection and the optimal working dilutions of primary and secondary antibodies were explored using the chessboard method.Under the optimal conditions,the repeatability,linear range and reference range of the method were evaluated separately,in order to estab-lish a preliminary method for detecting sperm HSPA2 expression levels using flow cytometry.After the establishment of the method,preliminary testing was conducted on a total of 85 sperm samples from couples who underwent IVF at the Reproductive Medicine Center of Jiangmen Central Hospital in 2023.The ratio of HSPA2 positivity rates between the group with IVF success-ful(n=63)and the group with low fertilization rate(n=22)was compared,and the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to analyze the threshold.Results The positive rate of HSPA2 in the control tube was relatively low,showing a low background signal,while the fluorescence signal of the detection tube was significantly enhanced,indicating that this method can effectively detect HSPA2.The optimal number of sperm samples for detection determined by the chessboard method was 2×106,and the optimal working dilutions for primary and secondary antibodies were 1∶300 and 1∶400,respectively.Evaluation of repeatability and linear range showed good methodological performance.Comparative analysis between the group with IVF success-ful and the group with low fertilization rate showed that the ratio of sperm HSPA2 positivity rate in the group with low fertilization rate(6.19±4.07)was lower than successful fertilization group(10.69±8.26),the difference was statistically significant(t=2.446,P<0.05).The ROC curve and Youden index showed that the best predictive power was achieved when the cutoffvalue for the ratio of positivity rate was 5.5067,with a sensitivity and a specificity of 71.4%,55.5%,respectively.Conclusion A flow cytometric method for detecting HSPA2 in sperm is successfully established.The expression level of sperm HSPA2 detected by this method suggests its predictive value for low fertilization rate in IVF,providing a basis for future clinical scientific selection of fertilization methods.

Objective To investigate the association between intestinal microbiota dysbiosis and colonic polyps,Helicobacter pylori(Hp)infection,and intestinal metaplasia.Methods A total of 200 patients diagnosed with colonic polyps,Hp infection,or both conditions.These patients were classified into three groups:the colonic polyp group(n=90),the Hp infection with intestinal metaplasia group(n=49),and the colonic polyp combined with Hp infection and intestinal metaplasia group(n=61).Additionally,62 individuals who underwent routine health examinations at our hospital during the same period were enrolled as a control group.The study compared gut microbiota imbalances across these groups to investigate the association between intestinal dysbiosis and colonic pol-yps,Hp infection,and the co-occurrence of colonic polyps with Hp-related intestinal metaplasia.Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify risk factors associated with the development of intestinal metaplasia due to Hp infection in patients with colonic polyps.Results Compared to the control group,intestinal flora imbalance was significantly more prevalent in the colorectal polyp group,the Hp infection with intestinal metaplasia group,and the colorectal polyp combined with Hp infection and intestinal metaplasia group(P<0.05).Moreover,intestinal flora imbalance in the colorectal polyp with Hp infection and intestinal metaplasia group was significantly higher than that in both the colorectal polyp group and the Hp infection with intestinal metaplasia group(P<0.05).Regarding exhaled gas levels,H2 and CH4 concentrations were significantly elevated in the groups with colorectal polyps accom-panied by Hp infection and intestinal metaplasia,those with colorectal polyps alone,and those with Hp infection and intestinal metaplasia,compared to the control group(P<0.05).Similarly,exhaled H2S levels were significantly higher in the group with colorectal polyps complicated by Hp infection and intestinal metaplasia than in the control group(P<0.05).Furthermore,exhaled H2 and CH4 levels showed positive correlations with the presence of colorectal polyps,Hp infection with intestinal metaplasia,and colorectal polyps combined with Hp infection and intestinal metaplasia(P<0.05).Exhaled H2S levels were positively correlated with colorectal polyps complicated by Hp infec-tion and intestinal metaplasia(P<0.05).Logistic regression analysis indicated that a history of smoking,atrophic gastritis,peptic ulcer,and intestinal flora imbalance are independent risk factors for Hp infection-associated intesti-nal metaplasia in patients with colorectal polyps(P<0.05).Conclusion Intestinal flora imbalance is associated with colorectal polyps and Hp-induced intestinal metaplasia,suggesting that microbial dysbiosis may represent a potential risk factor for the development of these conditions.

Objective To analyze the effect of percutaneous transhepatic cholangial drainage(PTCD)combined with percutaneous transhepatic papillary balloon dilation(PTPBD)in the treatment of common bile duct stone in elderly patients.Methods The clinical data of elderly patients treated with PTCD combined with PTPBD under digital subtraction angiography(DSA)for common bile duct stone were retrospectively collected,the changes in liver function,postoperative complications,and prognosis were analyzed.Results All 70 patients were successfully treated with PTCD,and other 3 patients died after PTCD operation,mainly due to severe infection combined with a variety of underlying diseases.Among the remaining 67 patients,65 cases(97.00%)were successfully treated with PTPBD,while other 2 cases(3.00%)experienced technical failure due to excessive stone size(>20 mm).Among the 70 cases after the pro-cedure,there were 5 cases with abdominal pain,2 cases with bleeding,4 cases with fever,and no serious complications occurred,such as bile duct perforation,intestinal perforation,or pancreatitis.The symptoms of 67 patients were improved from 3 to 7 days after PTCD,and the changes in leukocyte,total bilirubin,alanine aminotransferase and C-reactive protein before and after surgery were sta-tistically significant(P<0.05).Conclusion PTCD combined with PTPBD is a minimally invasive treatment method for common bile duct stone with a high success rate,safety,and effectiveness,which is especially suitable for elderly patients with multiple under-lying diseases,an inability to tolerate surgical and endoscopic treatments.It is worthy of clinical promotion and application.