Objective:To evaluate the association between pre-pregnancy urolithiasis and pre-eclampsia and to further explore the mediating effect of hyperuricemia in early pregnancy on the relationship between urolithiasis and pre-eclampsia.Methods:Pregnant women attending prenatal care in early pregnancy at 7 Maternal and Child Health Hospitals in Hunan Province from August 2014 to December 2019 were recruited to construct a cohort of early pregnancy. The paper questionnaire collected demographic data on pregnant women, pre-pregnancy disease history, and living habits, etc. Besides, the early pregnancy laboratory examination and pregnancy outcome for this pregnancy were derived from the hospital's electronic medical record system. Logistic regression models were used to analyze the association between pre-pregnancy urolithiasis and pre-eclampsia, and causal mediation analysis was used to investigate the mediating role and magnitude of hyperuricemia in early pregnancy in the association pathway between pre-pregnancy urolithiasis and pre-eclampsia. Results:A total of 33 579 naturally conceived singleton pregnant women were included in the analysis, of which 3 230 cases (9.6%) had hyperuricemia in early pregnancy, and 666 cases (2.0%) had pre-eclampsia. The multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that pre-pregnancy urolithiasis increased the risk of pre-eclampsia ( OR=2.65, 95% CI: 1.56-4.51). Mediation analysis showed that after controlling for confounders, hyperuricemia in early pregnancy could mediate the association between pre-pregnancy urolithiasis and pre-eclampsia, with a mediation effect proportion of 46% ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Pre-pregnancy urolithiasis is an independent risk factor for pre-eclampsia, and early pregnancy hyperuricemia has a certain mediating effect between urolithiasis and pre-eclampsia.

Objective:To evaluate the diagnostic performance of artificial intelligence-assisted diagnostic systems in cervical cytopathological examination.Methods:Cervical cytology slide data were retrospectively collected from four hospitals for the external validation of the developed artificial intelligence-assisted diagnostic system. Subsequently, prospective data collection was conducted for human-machine assisted studies.Results:In the retrospective study, a total of 3 162 valid samples were collected as external validation data. The system showed an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.890 (95% CI: 0.878-0.902), accuracy of 0.885 (95% CI: 0.873-0.896), sensitivity of 0.928 (95% CI: 0.914-0.941), and specificity of 0.852 (95% CI: 0.834-0.867). In the prospective study, 212 valid samples were collected, and five junior cytologists participated in the human-machine assisted study. Without artificial intelligence assistance, the average AUC for the five cytologists was 0.686 (95% CI: 0.650-0.722), the accuracy was 0.699 (95% CI: 0.671-0.727), the sensitivity was 0.653 (95% CI: 0.599-0.703), the specificity was 0.719 (95% CI: 0.685-0.750), the Fleiss κ value was 0.510, and the reading time was 223 seconds. With artificial intelligence assistance, the AUC, accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity increased by 0.166, 0.143, 0.225, and 0.107, respectively. Additionally, Fleiss κ was 0.730 and the reading time decreased by 188 seconds. All differences were statistically significant (all P<0.001). Conclusions:Artificial intelligence-assisted diagnosis system shows excellent performance and good generalizability, significantly improving the diagnostic accuracy, consistency, and efficiency of junior cytologists. It can be an effective auxiliary tool for junior cytologists in clinical practice.

Objective:To identify the change trajectory of intrinsic capacity in people aged ≥50 years in Shanghai and explore the impact of intrinsic capacity trajectory change on overall function and dalily life activities in this population.Methods:The longitudinal data from round 1 to 3 Study of Global Ageing and Adult Health in Shanghai were used. The total intrinsic ability scores from five dimensions of cognition, psychology, sensory, vitality and locomotion were calculated. The censored normal model of group-based trajectory was used to identify the trajectory of intrinsic capacity change over time. Linear regression model and multivariate logistic regression model were used to analyse the effects of different levels intrinsic capacity trajectory on the scores of the WHO Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS), the activity of daily living (ADL) and the instrumental activities of daily living (IADL).Results:A total of 2 302 study participants aged ≥50 years with 3 round complete data were included in this study, and 3 levels of intrinsic capacity trajectory were identified, low-level trajectory (9.3%), medium-level trajectory (41.7%), and high-level trajectory (49.0%). Compared with the high-level group, the medium-level and low-level groups had higher WHODAS scores, which increased by 3.578 (95% CI: 2.028-5.129) and 12.620 (95% CI: 9.951-15.289), respectively, and those with more severe disability and those in the low-level group were at higher risk for severe difficulty in ADLs ( OR=12.450, 95% CI: 4.310-35.966) and IADLs ( OR=5.479, 95% CI: 1.311-22.904). Conclusions:Heterogeneity in trajectory of intrinsic capacity exists in people aged ≥50 years in Shanghai. Middle-aged and elderly people with low initial level and rapid decline trajectory of intrinsic capacity are at greater risk for the decline of daily life ability and the increase of disability. It is necessary to strengthen the long-term dynamic monitoring and evaluation of the change trajectory of intrinsic capacity in this population.

Objective:To evaluate the diagnostic performance of fecal calprotectin (FC) in predicting endoscopic activity of ulcerative colitis (UC), and to compare it with high-sensitivity C reactive protein (hsCRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) .Methods:A cross-sectional stydy was conducted. UC patients diagnosed at Peking Union Medical College Hospital between May 2023 and July 2025 were retrospective enrolled. Patients were divided into the endoscopically active group and endoscopic remission group according to endoscopic activity. FC levels were measured using latex-enhanced turbidimetric immunoassay (LETIA). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and logistic regression models were used to assess diagnostic efficacy. Subgroup analyses were conducted according to disease extent.Results:A total of 166 UC patients were enrolled, including 92 males and 74 females with the age of 40.00 (32.00, 52.00) years old and disease course 5.00 (2.00, 10.75) years. Forty-six patients were assigned to the active group, while the remaining 120 were assigned to the remission group. FC levels were significantly higher in the active group than in the remission group (620.72 μg/g vs. 29.00 μg/g, P < 0.001), with an AUC of 0.894 at a cutoff value of 122.54 μg/g. hsCRP and ESR had lower AUC (0.712 and 0.736, respectively). The combination of FC, hsCRP, and ESR slightly improved specificity (AUC 0.898). FC was strongly correlated with the endoscopic activity ( r =0.669, P < 0.001) but not with disease extent. Conclusions:FC measured by latex-enhanced turbidimetric immunoassay had comparable diagnostic accuracy to ELISA-based methods commonly used abroad, and provided a reference cutoff value of 122.54 μg/g. FC outperforms hsCRP and ESR in assessing intestinal inflammation in UC and it is less affected by disease extent, making it a reliable non-invasive biomarker for UC monitoring.

Objective:To evaluate the predictive efficacy of fecal calprotectin (FC) for endoscopic activity in patients with Crohn's disease (CD) .Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted and patients diagnosed as CD at Peking Union Medical College Hospital from June 2023 to September 2025 were enrolled consecutively. Data was collected including general information, laboratory tests [hemoglobin (HGB), platelet (PLT), FC, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and so on], and endoscopic results. FC levels were measured by latex-enhanced turbidimetric immunoassay (LETIA). Endoscopic activity was defined as the simplified endoscopic score for Crohn's disease (SES-CD) > 2. Patients were divided into the endoscopically active group and endoscopic remission group according to endoscopic activity, and the differences in clinical data between the two groups were compared. Spearman correlation analysis was used to assess the correlation between FC and endoscopic activity, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the predictive efficacy of FC, hsCRP and ESR for endoscopic activity, and the differences were compared.Results:A total of 90 CD patients were enrolled, including 65 males and 25 females with the age of 30 (22, 41) years old and disease course 4.0 (0.5, 8.0) years. Seventy-one patients (78.9%) had ileocolonic disease involvement (L3), and 55 patients (61.1%) were using biologics. Sixty-nine patients in endoscopic active phase were assigned to the endoscopically active group, while the remaining 21 were assigned to the endoscopic remission group. There were no statistically significant differences in general characteristics such as age and gender between the two groups (all P > 0.05). Compared with endoscopic remission group, HGB was significantly lower in the endoscopically active group, while PLT, hsCRP, ESR, and FC were moderataly higher (all P < 0.05). Among the 90 CD patients, FC levels were moderatly correlated with endoscopic activity (ρ = 0.494). ROC curve analysis indicated that the area under the curve for FC in predicting endoscopic activity was 0.836 (95% CI: 0.737-0.935), with a sensitivity of 0.725, specificity of 0.952, and accuracy of 0.778 at the optimal FC cutoff value of 153.8 μg/g. FC outperformed hsCRP and ESR. Conclusion:FC measured by LETIA demonstrates certain efficacy in predicting endoscopic activity in CD and will assist in efficient clinical monitoring of CD patients.

BACKGROUND:Studies have shown that upregulation of heme oxygenase-1 expression enhances cellular antioxidant and anti-apoptotic abilities.However,the effects of upregulating heme oxygenase-1 expression on the proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells under oxidative stress conditions remain unclear.OBJECTIVE:To investigate the influence of heme oxygenase-1 overexpression on the survival and differentiation capacity of neural stem cells under oxidative stress conditions.METHODS:(1)Mouse primary neural stem cells were isolated and cultured from newborn Balb/c mice.Immunofluorescence was used to detect the neural stem cell marker Nestin.(2)Lentivirus was used to infect neural stem cells to induce heme oxygenase-1 overexpression.Flow cytometry was used to assess green fluorescent protein fluorescence.Western blot assay was performed to detect the expression levels of heme oxygenase-1.(3)H2O2 was added to the lentivirus-infected neural stem cell culture medium to simulate the oxidative stress microenvironment after spinal cord injury.Effects of heme oxygenase-1 overexpression on neural stem cell proliferation and apoptosis levels were analyzed using cell proliferation assay kits,cell apoptosis assay kits,and TUNEL staining kits.(4)The levels of lipid oxidation markers malondialdehyde,catalase,superoxide dismutase,and glutathione peroxidase were detected using assay kits.(5)Flow cytometry was used to measure intracellular reactive oxygen species levels,and neural stem cell differentiation into astrocytes and neurons.(6)The effect of heme oxygenase-1 overexpression on neuronal axon growth during neural stem cell differentiation was observed under optical and fluorescence microscopes.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Mouse neural stem cells exhibited stable morphology,good growth status,and high expression of Nestin as detected by immunofluorescence.(2)Western blot analysis showed that the overexpression of heme oxygenase-1 in the overexpression group was significantly higher than that in the empty carrier control group.Flow cytometry was used to detect the expression of green fluorescent protein in the neural stem cells of the heme oxygenase-1 overexpression group and empty vector control group.(3)Overexpression of heme oxygenase-1 maintained the proliferative activity of neural stem cells and significantly reduced the number of apoptotic cells under oxidative stress conditions.(4)Overexpression of heme oxygenase-1 inhibited lipid peroxidation of neural stem cells under oxidative stress microenvironment,enhanced the expression of enzymes related to maintaining the oxidative-reductive balance,and significantly reduced intracellular reactive oxygen species levels.(5)Overexpression of heme oxygenase-1 promoted the differentiation of neural stem cells into neurons and reduced differentiation into astrocytes.(6)The heme oxygenase-1 overexpression group exhibited longer axons,and more intercellular connections.The above results indicate that overexpression of heme oxygenase-1 can alleviate oxidative damage of H2O2-induced neural stem cells,reduce neural stem cell apoptosis,promote proliferation,and facilitate differentiation of neural stem cells into neurons.

Objective To evaluate the impact of integrated medical and nursing care teaching ward rounds on the theo-retical knowledge learning and clinical operational skill training of primary-level medical staff.Methods A total of 90 clinical healthcare workers(39 physicians and 51 nurses)from our hospital between May and December2024 were randomly assigned to either a control group or an intervention group.The control group participated in traditional three-tier nursing teaching ward rounds,while the intervention group underwent integrated medical and nursing care teaching ward rounds.The two groups were compared in terms of improvements in theoretical knowledge,ward round operational skills,and core clinical competencies.Re-sults Both groups demonstrated improvements in theoretical knowledge and ward round operational skills after the intervention,with the intervention group showing significantly greater gains(P＜0.05).Additionally,scores related to physical fitness,emo-tional well-being,and cognitive function improved in both groups,with significantly higher improvements in the intervention group(P＜0.05).The Clinical Nursing Skills(CINS)scores—including judgment,early warning,anticipatory thinking,and overall clinical competence—also improved significantly in the intervention group compared to the control group(P＜0.05).Conclu-sion Integrated medical and nursing care teaching ward rounds significantly enhance theoretical knowledge,operational profi-ciency,and core clinical competencies among primary healthcare providers.This model fosters higher professional engagement and helps cultivate qualified primary-level medical personnel who are better equipped to meet real-world clinical demands.

BACKGROUND:Formononetin demonstrates potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant abilities.However,its protective effect on nucleus pulposus mesenchymal stem cells is not yet clear.OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect and mechanism of formononetin on nucleus pulposus mesenchymal stem cells under an inflammatory microenvironment.METHODS:(1)Primary nucleus pulposus mesenchymal stem cells were isolated from the intervertebral discs of SD rats,and flow cytometry was performed to identify the surface markers of mesenchymal stem cells.(2)The CCK-8 assay was employed to evaluate the impact of lipopolysaccharide and formononetin on the proliferation viability of nucleus pulposus mesenchymal stem cells,aiming to determine the appropriate concentration of formononetin for subsequent cell treatments.(3)An inflammatory microenvironment was simulated by adding 5 μg/mL lipopolysaccharide to the DMEM/F-12 culture medium,and nucleus pulposus mesenchymal stem cells were treated with different concentrations of formononetin for 24 hours.Levels of inflammation markers were detected using western blot assay,real-time quantitative PCR,and immunofluorescence.Western blot assay was conducted to measure the protein levels of the nuclear factor kappa B signaling pathway.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The nucleus pulposus mesenchymal stem cells cultured in adherent wall were shuttle-shaped with good growth status.The results of flow cytometry showed that the surface markers of mesenchymal stem cells were positive for CD29,CD44,and CD90,and the surface markers of hematopoietic stem cells were negative for CD34 and CD45.(2)The treatment with formononetin at 12.5,25,50,100,and 200 μmol/L concentrations for 24 hours had no significant proliferation inhibitory effect on nucleus pulposus mesenchymal stem cells.Compared with the lipopolysaccharide group,the cell viability of nucleus pulposus mesenchymal stem cells treated with 12.5,25,and 50 μmol/L formononetin for 24 hours was significantly increased,so formononetin at 12.5,25,and 50 μmol/L concentrations was subsequently selected as the low,medium,and high concentrations for treating nucleus pulposus mesenchymal stem cells.(3)Compared with the lipopolysaccharide group,the protein and mRNA expressions of matrix metalloproteinase-3,matrix metalloproteinase-13,and tumor necrosis factor-α in nucleus pulposus mesenchymal stem cells in the low,medium,and high concentrations of formononetin groups were significantly decreased(P＜0.05)in a dose-dependent manner.(4)Compared with the lipopolysaccharide group,the expressions of phosphorylated nuclear factor kappa B and phosphorylated nuclear factor kappa B inhibitor protein in nucleus pulposus mesenchymal stem cells in the low,medium,and high concentrations of formononetin groups were significantly decreased(P＜0.05)in a dose-dependent manner.The above results suggest that formononetin may attenuate lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation in rat nucleus pulposus mesenchymal stem cells by inhibiting the activation of the nuclear factor kappa B signaling pathway.

Objective:To evaluate the association between pre-pregnancy urolithiasis and pre-eclampsia and to further explore the mediating effect of hyperuricemia in early pregnancy on the relationship between urolithiasis and pre-eclampsia.Methods:Pregnant women attending prenatal care in early pregnancy at 7 Maternal and Child Health Hospitals in Hunan Province from August 2014 to December 2019 were recruited to construct a cohort of early pregnancy. The paper questionnaire collected demographic data on pregnant women, pre-pregnancy disease history, and living habits, etc. Besides, the early pregnancy laboratory examination and pregnancy outcome for this pregnancy were derived from the hospital's electronic medical record system. Logistic regression models were used to analyze the association between pre-pregnancy urolithiasis and pre-eclampsia, and causal mediation analysis was used to investigate the mediating role and magnitude of hyperuricemia in early pregnancy in the association pathway between pre-pregnancy urolithiasis and pre-eclampsia. Results:A total of 33 579 naturally conceived singleton pregnant women were included in the analysis, of which 3 230 cases (9.6%) had hyperuricemia in early pregnancy, and 666 cases (2.0%) had pre-eclampsia. The multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that pre-pregnancy urolithiasis increased the risk of pre-eclampsia ( OR=2.65, 95% CI: 1.56-4.51). Mediation analysis showed that after controlling for confounders, hyperuricemia in early pregnancy could mediate the association between pre-pregnancy urolithiasis and pre-eclampsia, with a mediation effect proportion of 46% ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Pre-pregnancy urolithiasis is an independent risk factor for pre-eclampsia, and early pregnancy hyperuricemia has a certain mediating effect between urolithiasis and pre-eclampsia.

Objective:To evaluate the diagnostic performance of artificial intelligence-assisted diagnostic systems in cervical cytopathological examination.Methods:Cervical cytology slide data were retrospectively collected from four hospitals for the external validation of the developed artificial intelligence-assisted diagnostic system. Subsequently, prospective data collection was conducted for human-machine assisted studies.Results:In the retrospective study, a total of 3 162 valid samples were collected as external validation data. The system showed an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.890 (95% CI: 0.878-0.902), accuracy of 0.885 (95% CI: 0.873-0.896), sensitivity of 0.928 (95% CI: 0.914-0.941), and specificity of 0.852 (95% CI: 0.834-0.867). In the prospective study, 212 valid samples were collected, and five junior cytologists participated in the human-machine assisted study. Without artificial intelligence assistance, the average AUC for the five cytologists was 0.686 (95% CI: 0.650-0.722), the accuracy was 0.699 (95% CI: 0.671-0.727), the sensitivity was 0.653 (95% CI: 0.599-0.703), the specificity was 0.719 (95% CI: 0.685-0.750), the Fleiss κ value was 0.510, and the reading time was 223 seconds. With artificial intelligence assistance, the AUC, accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity increased by 0.166, 0.143, 0.225, and 0.107, respectively. Additionally, Fleiss κ was 0.730 and the reading time decreased by 188 seconds. All differences were statistically significant (all P<0.001). Conclusions:Artificial intelligence-assisted diagnosis system shows excellent performance and good generalizability, significantly improving the diagnostic accuracy, consistency, and efficiency of junior cytologists. It can be an effective auxiliary tool for junior cytologists in clinical practice.