1.Osler’s view of the physician and physician’s narrative literacy in narrative medicine
Huihui CHEN ; Wenhua CAO ; Yanling TAO ; Ying ZHAO ; Xiaolin YANG
Chinese Medical Ethics 2026;39(3):399-404
In the era of evidence-based medicine, the progress of medical science and technology has enriched medical diagnostic tools and treatment methods, but it has also led to the loss of medical warmth and the alienation of the doctor-patient relationships. William Osler emphasized that while medical technology advances, attention should also be paid to the practice of narrative medicine and the development of physician’s narrative literacy. The view of the physician he advocated reminds us that the core of medicine still lies in the narrative connection between doctors and patients, as well as a deep understanding of human nature. By exploring the relationship between Osler’s view of the physician and narrative medicine as well as physician’s narrative literacy, this paper analyzed the methods of cultivating physician’s narrative literacy, providing references for modern medical education and practice, and assisting in the harmony and unity of science and technology and humanity.
2.The role and mechanism of protein synthesis in muscle atrophy induced by acute kidney injury
Xiaolin LIU ; Qiongzhi ZHAO ; Bin GUO ; Sheng ZHANG
Acta Universitatis Medicinalis Anhui 2026;61(3):416-423
ObjectiveTo investigate the role and mechanism of ribosomal DNA (rDNA) transcription and ribosome biogenesis in muscle atrophy induced by acute kidney injury (AKI). MethodsEight male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into a control group (Ctrl) and a model group (AKI). An AKI model was established via intraperitoneal injection of cisplatin. Muscle atrophy was phenotypically assessed by measuring muscle mass, myofiber cross-sectional area (HE staining), and mRNA expression levels of atrophy-related genes (Murf-1, Atrogin-1, Igf-1) using qRT-PCR. In vivo protein synthesis rates were determined via the SUnSET assay (puromycin incorporation). Ribosome biogenesis was evaluated by assessing rRNA content and 47S pre-rRNA expression levels. Myotubes differentiated from mouse skeletal muscle cell lines (C2C12 myotubes) were treated with serum from AKI mice, and the effects on rDNA transcription, ribosome biogenesis, and protein metabolism were analyzed using chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (ChIP-qPCR) and Western blot. ResultsAKI successfully induced muscle atrophy, as evidenced by a significant reduction in skeletal muscle mass. The most pronounced decrease occurred in the extensor digitorum longus muscle (21.0%, P 0.01), along with a trend toward reduced myofiber cross-sectional area. At the molecular level, AKI inhibited muscle protein synthesis (83.14% reduction in puromycin incorporation, P 0.000 1) and impaired ribosome biogenesis, manifested by suppressed rDNA transcription elongation (52.62% decrease in 47S pre-rRNA ITS-1 levels, P 0.01) and reduced total rRNA content (65.29%, P 0.000 1). In contrast, serum from AKI mice promoted rDNA transcription initiation and protein synthesis in C2C12 myotubes in vitro. ConclusionAKI induces muscle atrophy by suppressing rDNA transcription and ribosome biogenesis in skeletal muscle, leading to impaired protein synthesis. Dysregulated ribosome biogenesis may play a critical role in AKI-induced muscle atrophy.
3.Treatment of Infection-Related Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus from the Perspective of Latent Pathogen and Dryness Disorder
Zhaobo WANG ; Yingying YANG ; Jia WANG ; Linhua ZHAO ; Xiaolin TONG
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2026;67(12):1329-1333
Infection is an important trigger for the initiation of pancreatic islet autoimmunity in type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). From the perspective of latent pathogen and dryness disorder, this study analyzes the core pathogenesis and dynamic evolution of T1DM in the subclinical and clinical stages. Combined with the T1DM "constraint, heat, deficiency, damage" state and target differentiation and treatment theory, the course of infection-induced T1DM is divided into three stages, including latent dryness, dry-heat and collateral damage. The "latent dryness" stage corresponds to the subclinical phase of T1DM, while the "dry-heat" stage corresponds to the clinical phase, and the "collateral damage" stage corresponds to the phase in which chronic complications develop. Treatment principles include supplementing deficiency and dispelling pathogen during the "latent dryness" stage, clearing heat and moistening dryness in the "dry-heat" stage, and dissolving stasis and unblocking collaterals in the "collateral damage" stage. Furthermore, syndrome-targeted and target-directed therapeutic modifications were made according to T1DM-related autoimmune activity, metabolic comorbidities, and vascular comorbidities, providing a reference for clinical management of T1DM.
4.Connotation of the Theory of Spirit Collaterals and Its Clinical Application in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Top Jiao (焦) Diseases
Dongsen HU ; Linhua ZHAO ; Jianwen GUO ; Bing XIA ; Juexian SONG ; Xiaolin TONG
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2026;67(18):1925-1930
psychiatric disorders (PD) and neurological disorders (ND) are currently major public health issues. The "four jiao (焦) and eight systems" theory categorizes them respectively into "spirit-system diseases" and "marrow-system diseases", collectively attributing to "top jiao diseases". In the prevention and treatment of these diseases, deficiencies still exist in treating only the physical form while neglecting the spirit, or treating only the spirit while neglecting the physical form, lacking theoretical basis that integrates both form and spirit. Accordingly, the theory of spirit collaterals is proposed, aiming to expand the scope of collateral disease theory based on the concept of the unity of form and spirit, thereby providing a reference for the differentiation and treatment of top jiao diseases. By clarifying the relationships between concepts such as spirit, collaterals, marrow, brain spirit, the five spirit organs, brain orifices, clear orifices and spirit collaterals, and combining modern medical research on neurovascular units and neurovascular bundles, the connotations of spirit collaterals are elucidated from the perspectives of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and western medicine. It is also demonstrated that spirit collaterals takes top jiao as its center, spreads throughout the body, and possesses the attributes of qi collaterals, blood collaterals, and fluid collaterals, achieving the unity of physical structure and functional regulation. Based on the spirit collaterals theory, the core pathogenesis of top jiao diseases is proposed as collateral stasis and failure of spirit mechanism, with an evolutionary pattern of "collateral stagnation-collateral stasis-collateral block". In the clinical differentiation and treatment of top jiao diseases, unblocking and regulating the spirit collaterals is taken as the core therapeutic method. Basic formulas are formulated respectively for spirit-system diseases and marrow-system diseases, and a modification strategy is formed that takes into account the three collaterals, regulates qi and treats the spirit, and performs precise treatment according to the disease location.
5.Analysis of trends in potentially inappropriate medication among elderly cancer patients in the context of DRG-based medical insurance payment reform
Yonghui LIU ; Min ZHAO ; Xiaolin ZHANG ; Mingmei HUANG ; Hongliang ZHANG
China Pharmacy 2026;37(18):2430-2436
OBJECTIVE To analyze the trends of potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) among elderly cancer patients in the context of the diagnosis-related groups(DRG)-based medical insurance payment reform.METHODS Relevant data were extracted for elderly inpatients with cancer at a Grade-A Level-Ⅲ hospital from January 2018 to March 2025. Prescribed medications were screened for PIM using the 2024 Chinese Criteria for Identifying PIM in the Elderly and the US 2023 Beers Criteria, and consistency was evaluated. An interrupted time-series (ITS) model was established, with the period from January 2018 to December 2020 designated as the pre-implementation group, and January 2021 to March 2025 as the post-implementation group. The study analyzed the impact of the medical insurance DRG payment reform on per capita hospitalization costs, per capita length of stay, average number of medication specifications per patient, overall PIM incidence, and PIM incidences for target medications among elderly cancer inpatients. To eliminate the influence of baseline characteristics (age, sex), propensity score matching(PSM) was further applied, followed by an ITS model analysis to assess the impact of the DRG payment reform on the overall PIM incidence among elderly cancer inpatients.RESULTS A total of 16 910 elderly cancer inpatients were included (6 552 in the pre-implementation group, and 10 358 in the post-implementation group); PIMs occurred in 9 138 patients, with an incidence of 54.04%. PIMs involved 198 types of medications, among which six target medications (including Diclofenac sodium enteric capsules and Oxycodone hydrochloride sustained-release tablets), exhibited a higher average PIM incidence or a significant trend change; the Kappa value for the consistency evaluation of the assessments by two pharmacists was 0.931 ( P <0.001) . After the implementation of DRG, the per capita hospitalization costs showed a downward trend of 103.501 yuan per month ( P <0.001); the per capita length of stay showed a slight upward trend (increasing by 0.052 days per month, P =0.017), but the actual slope (-0.036) was less than 0; there was no significant change in the average number of medication specifications per patient ( P =0.193). The DRG payment reform under medical insurance can produce statistically significant instantaneous impact effects on the PIM incidences among users of Diclofenac sodium enteric capsules, Doxofylline injection, and Cimetidine injection ( P values of 0.041, 0.001, and 0.036, respectively), a statistically significant long-term trend effect on the PIM incidences among users of Oxycodone hydrochloride sustained-release tablets ( P =0.008), and statistically significant instantaneous shock and long-term trend effects on the PIM incidences among users of Spironolactone tablets ( P values of 0.035 and 0.031) and Aminophylline injection ( P values of 0.009 and 0.031). Regardless of whether PSM was applied, the overall PIM incidence among patients showed a slight upward trend [an increase of 0.228% per month, P =0.001 (without PSM), or an increase of 0.239% per month, P <0.001 (after PSM)].CONCLUSIONS Following the implementation of the DRG payment reform for medical insurance, the per capita hospitalization cost for elderly inpatients with cancer decreases significantly, while the decline in the per capita length of stay slows. The overall PIM incidence shows a slight upward trend, and the trends in PIM incidence vary across different drug formulations.
6.A study on reciprocal work-family benefits in the context of narrative medicine in China
Xiaolin YANG ; Kangfu LIU ; Ying ZHAO ; Sulin ZHENG
Chinese Medical Ethics 2026;39(9):1227-1236
The “reciprocal work-family benefits” demonstrate that experiences from either professional or family roles enhance the performance and qualities of the other. A total of 4,431 narrative literacy questionnaires were returned from medical and nursing staff across seven provinces and municipalities in China. The results showed a positive correlation between professional development and family interaction (r=0.794, P<0.001), namely, the improvement of medical and nursing staff’s professional narrative competence can facilitate family narrative interaction, and vice versa. Stemming from the viewpoint of reciprocal work-family enrichment from conservation of resources theory, this paper elaborated on why family and professional roles are taken into account during the development of the Chinese Medical Professionals’ Narrative Competence Scale. Traditional views regarded profession and family as opposing relationships in resource competition, whereas Chinese narrative medicine regarded medical professionals, who simultaneously occupy multiple roles, as a “whole.” The latter advocated for the construction of multidimensional positive narrative connections between medical professionals and themselves, families, workplaces, and society, to prevent medical professionals from suffering narrative closure and occupational burnout confined to a single professional identity. This paper analyzed the mediating effect of the improvement of medical professionals’ overall narrative competence in the formation of reciprocal work-family enrichment, and further proposed benefit-enhancing strategies at both individual and organizational levels, thereby improving medical professionals’ comprehensive capabilities and advancing high-quality development of hospitals.
7.Exploration of the Application of Generative Artificial Intelligence to the Challenge of Medical Record Writing
Xiaoyuan GAO ; Xiaolin DIAO ; Fan XU ; Hongxia LI ; Xintong WU ; Zixing WANG ; Wei ZHAO ; Ting SHU
Chinese Hospital Management 2025;45(5):76-79
Generative Artificial Intelligence ishows a broad application prospect in the field of healthcare and has become an important technical means to promote the development of medical informatization.It addresses the multi-faceted challenges of medical record documentation,including efficiency,quality,and doctor-patient communica-tion.It analyzes the adaptability and feasibility of Generative Artificial Intelligence in different clinical scenarios of intelli-gent medical record generation.Additionally,it explores the issues present in current applications and proposes corre-sponding solutions,providing references for the effective application and continuous optimization of Generative Artifi-cial Intelligence in medical record documentation.This provides a theoretical foundation for further expanding the appli-cation scenarios of automatic medical record documentation in China's healthcare industry.
8.The Development and Application of Chatbots in Healthcare: From Traditional Methods to Large Language Models
Zixing WANG ; Le QI ; Xiaodan LIAN ; Ziheng ZHOU ; Aiwei MENG ; Xintong WU ; Xiaoyuan GAO ; Yujie YANG ; Yiyang LIU ; Wei ZHAO ; Xiaolin DIAO
Medical Journal of Peking Union Medical College Hospital 2025;16(5):1170-1178
With the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence technology, chatbots have shown great potential in the healthcare sector. From personalized health advice to chronic disease management and psychological support, chatbots have demonstrated significant advantages in improving the efficiency and quality of healthcare services. As the scope of their applications expands, the relationship between technological complexity and practical application scenarios has become increasingly intertwined, necessitating a more comprehensive evaluation of both aspects. This paper, from the perspective of he althcare applications, systematically reviews the technological pathways and development of chatbots in the medical field, providing an in-depth analysis of their performance across various medical scenarios. It thoroughly examines the advantages and limitations of chatbots, aiming to offer theoretical support for future research and propose feasible recommendations for the broader adoption of chatbot technologies in healthcare.
9.Construction of a risk prediction model for premature delivery after transvaginal cervical cerclage
Ran HUANG ; He LI ; Xiaoyang ZHAO ; Xiaolin DENG ; Hong LI
China Modern Doctor 2025;63(32):37-40
Objective To explore the risk factors for premature delivery after transvaginal cervical cerclage,construct and validate a predictive model.Methods A total of 209 single-tonsus cervicitis patients who underwent McDonald cervical ring ligation at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2022 to December 2024 were selected as subjects,and they were divided into preterm group(n=86)and full-term group(n=123)according to the postoperative pregnancy outcomes.LASSO regression analysis was used to screen variables,and the prediction model was constructed by multivariate Logistic regression.The performance of the model was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic curve,calibration curve and decision curve.Results Body mass index,amniotic sac protrusion,preoperative white blood cell,and cervical length before cerclage<25mm were identified as independent risk factors for preterm birth(P<0.05).The prediction model demonstrated an area under the curve of 0.823(95%CI:0.765-0.881),with sensitivity of 77.91%and specificity of 77.24%.Both the calibration curve and decision analysis confirmed the model's strong consistency and clinical net benefit.Conclusion The predictive model constructed in this study has a good predictive effect and can be used as a reference for the stratification of preterm risk after cervical cerclage.
10.Association between uric acid and new-onset chronic kidney disease in middle-aged and elderly hypertensive patients
Haixin ZHOU ; Xiaolin WU ; Zeya LI ; Yu ZHAO ; Weihua CHEN ; Dongjie DU ; Xianzhong GU ; Rongchong HUANG
Chinese Journal of General Practitioners 2025;24(3):257-262
Objective:To explore the association between uric acid and new-onset chronic kidney disease (CKD) in middle-aged and elderly hypertensive patients.Methods:This was a retrospective cohort study. Middle-aged and elderly hypertensive patients who had attended at least two annual health examinations at Yongshun Community Health Service Center in Tongzhou District, Beijing, from June 2016 to December 2020 were enrolled. The time interval between the two physical examinations was three years. The first physical examination time served as the baseline, and the second as the end of follow-up. Based on the uric acid level at baseline, the participants were divided into the normal uric acid group and the hyperuricemia group. The relevant clinical data of the participants were collected. The endpoint of the study was new-onset CKD. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to analyze the association between uric acid and new-onset CKD in hypertensive patients.Results:A total of 2 472 middle-aged and elderly hypertensive patients with an average age of (62.43±7.02) years were included. Of these, 733(29.7%) were male. There were 710 patients with hyperuricemia (hyperuricemia group) and 1 762 patients with normal uric acid levels (normal uric acid group).After adjusting for age, sex, body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and uric acid-lowering treatment, multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that combined with hyperuricemia was an independent risk factor for new-onset CKD in middle-aged and elderly hypertensive patients ( OR=3.00, 95% CI: 1.87-4.80, P<0.001). The results of multivariate logistic analysis showed that elevated uric acid level was an independent risk factor for new-onset CKD in both male and female middle-aged and elderly hypertensive patients (both P<0.05), and there was no sex interaction ( P for interactio n>0.05). The results of multivariate logistic analysis showed that the combination of asymptomatic hyperuricemia was an independent risk factor for new-onset CKD in middle-aged and elderly hypertensive patients ( OR=3.00, 95% CI: 1.87-4.80, P<0.001), and there was no gender interaction ( P for interactio n>0.05). Conclusions:Hyperuricemia is an independent risk factor for new-onset CKD in middle-aged and elderly hypertensive patients, and elevated uric acid levels increase the risk of new-onset CKD in both male and female patients. Moreover, asymptomatic hyperuricemia may increase the risk of new-onset CKD.

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