ObjectiveThis study aims to compare the modeling effects of submaxillary gland antigen and salivary gland antigen in the establishment of Sjögren syndrome (SS) mouse models, and to characterize the phenotypic and immunological features of these models in comparison with spontaneous SS-prone non-obese diabetic (NOD)/LtJ mice. MethodsAdult C57BL/6J mice (equal numbers of males and females) were immunized with submaxillary gland antigen or salivary gland antigen, respectively, combined with Freund's adjuvant to induce SS models. Mice immunized with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) combined with Freund's adjuvant served as the control group. Immunization was induced via multiple subcutaneous injections in the back with antigen combined with Freund's complete adjuvant (FCA) on Days 1 and 7. A booster immunization was administered via multiple subcutaneous injections in the back with antigen combined with Freund's incomplete adjuvant (FIA) on Day 14. Female NOD/LtJ mice were used as the spontaneous SS model group, with ICR mice as the corresponding control strain for comparative analysis. Body weight, water intake, and salivary flow rate of mice were dynamically monitored for 4 weeks. At the end of the experiment, tissue and serum samples were collected, the weights of submaxillary glands, thymus, and spleen were measured, and organ indices (organ-to-body weight ratios) were calculated. Pathological morphological analysis of the submaxillary gland and spleen was performed with hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining. Serum interleukin-17 (IL-17) level was detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the mRNA expression levels of SS type A (SSA) and SS type B (SSB) in submaxillary gland tissues. ResultsFemale mice in the submaxillary gland antigen group exhibited significantly increased water intake (P<0.05) and reduced salivary flow rate (P<0.05) compared with the female control group. No statistically significant differences were observed in the submaxillary gland index, thymus index and spleen index (P>0.05). Focal lymphocytic infiltration was observed in the submaxillary glands, and the splenic marginal zone was enlarged. Serum IL-17 levels were significantly increased (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in submaxillary gland SSA/SSB expression levels (P>0.05). Compared with the female control group, female mice in the salivary gland antigen group showed no statistically significant differences in water intake, salivary flow rate, submaxillary gland index, and spleen index (P>0.05), whereas the thymus index was significantly reduced (P<0.01). Mild inflammatory cell infiltration and glandular atrophy were observed in the submaxillary glands, and the splenic white pulp and marginal zone were slightly enlarged. Serum IL-17 levels and submaxillary gland SSB mRNA expression levels were significantly increased (P<0.01), whereas no significant change was observed in submaxillary gland SSA expression levels (P>0.05). Compared with the male control group, mild submaxillary gland atrophy was observed in male mice in the submaxillary gland antigen group, whereas no obvious changes were found in other modeling-related indicators (P>0.05). Compared with the ICR control group, NOD/LtJ model mice exhibited elevated water intake (P<0.05), significantly reduced salivary flow rate (P<0.01), no significant differences in the submaxillary gland index or spleen index (P>0.05), but a significantly increased thymus index (P<0.05). Marked focal infiltration was observed in the submaxillary glands, the splenic marginal zone was obviously enlarged, and serum IL-17 concentrations as well as submaxillary gland SSA/SSB expression levels were significantly increased (P<0.05). ConclusionSubmaxillary gland antigen and salivary gland antigen can induce SS-related features in female C57BL/6J mice. The SS-related phenotype is more pronounced in the submaxillary gland antigen group than in the salivary gland antigen group, but weaker than that in spontaneously SS-prone female NOD/LtJ mice. Immunization of male C57BL/6J mice with submaxillary or salivary gland antigens fails to induce an obvious SS phenotype.

Objective:To summarize the clinical characteristics of children with mitochondrial short-chain enoyl-CoA hydratase-1 deficiency (ECHS1D) caused by c.489G>A (p.Pro163=) compound heterozygous variants in the ECHS1 gene, and to explore genotype-phenotype correlations.Methods:A case series study was performed to analyze clinical, biochemical, metabolic, imaging, genetic, treatment and follow-up outcomes of 24 children with ECHS1 gene c.489G>A(p.Pro163=) variant, who were diagnosed in the Department of Neurology, Beijing Children′s Hospital from July 2010 to June 2024. Disease severity was assessed using the Newcastle Paediatric Mitochondrial Disease Scale, and Fisher exact test was applied to compare the improvement rate between valine-restricted and non-restricted groups.Results:These 24 children were all diagnosed after 2022, with a disease duration of 3.35 (1.25, 6.52) years at diagnosis. A total of 8 children initially had negative genetic results, and were finally confirmed by abnormal splicing of ECHS1 gene via skin fibroblast RNA sequencing, with the longest diagnostic time of 14 years. All 24 children presented with Leigh syndrome, including 11 boys and 13 girls, with an onset age of 1.46 (0.96, 2.79) years; 16 children (67%) were mild cases. Common initial symptoms included developmental delay (9 cases) and paroxysmal dystonia (9 cases), followed by developmental regression (3 cases), nystagmus (2 cases), and epilepsy (1 case). Main manifestations were dystonia (18 cases), developmental regression (14 cases), nystagmus (12 cases), developmental delay (11 cases), ataxia (10 cases), vision loss (9 cases), seizures (2 cases), and hearing impairment (1 case). Among 22 children who underwent blood and urine metabolic screening, 21 children (95%) had elevated urinary 2, 3-dihydroxy-2-methylbutyric acid and 19 children (86%) had elevated urinary S-(2-hydroxypropyl) cysteamine. All 24 children had symmetric abnormal signals in bilateral globus pallidus on cranial magnetic resonance imaging, 10 children had isolated globus pallidus involvement, and other common involved sites included caudate nucleus and brainstem (9 cases each), putamen (7 cases), and cerebral white matter (5 cases). At last follow-up, all 24 children survived, with a follow-up duration of 5.40 (2.75, 8.02) years and a maximum age of 17.8 years; 17 children (71%) had varying degrees of clinical improvement. There was no statistical difference in the improvement rate between children with or without valine-restricted diet (12/14 vs. 5/8, P=0.309). A total of 18 pathogenic variants in the ECHS1 gene were identified among 24 children, 13 of which were distributed in exons 7 and 8; those carrying c.308T>C, c.523G>A, c.796A>G, and c.832G>A variants were mostly severe cases. Conclusions:Children carrying ECHS1 gene c.489G>A(p.Pro163=) compound heterozygous variants face significant diagnostic delay. Clinical awareness of this synonymous variant needs further improvement for timely diagnosis. All these cases present as Leigh syndrome, mostly mild, with no clear genotype-phenotype correlation identified.

This article briefly introduces the new concept of burnout and the new burnout assessment tool BAT. In the past, the most famous burnout definition was proposed by Maslach and Leiter. The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) developed by Maslach has also been the gold standard for evaluating burnout. With the development of burnout research, the concept of burnout has a certain defect. MBI has also been criticized in conceptual, practical and psychological measurement. It may hinder new research, and urgently needs to improve the concept and evaluation of burnout. Therefore, Schaufeli redefined the concept of burnout, and developed a new burnout assessment tool for groups and individuals based on the new concept of burnout-Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT) . This paper systematically reviews the proposal of the new concept of burnout, the development of the BAT scale and its application at home and abroad, and analyzes the advantages and application prospects of the BAT scale.

Objective:To verify the reliability and validity of the short version of the Chinese version of the new Burnout Assessment Tool (12 items version of Burnout Assessment Tool, BAT-12) .Methods:From October to December 2023, the cluster sampling method was adopted, and the Chinese version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey (MBI-GS) and the BAT-12 scale were used simultaneously. A questionnaire survey was conducted among enterprise employees (4329 people) in Shanghai and Guangdong Province. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis and other methods were employed to analyze its reliability (internal consistency reliability and combination reliability) and validity (structural validity, convergent validity, discriminative validity and criterion validity) .Results:A total of 4329 questionnaires were retrieved, among which 4086 were valid, with an effective recovery rate of 94.39%. The Cronbach's α coefficient of the Chinese version of the BAT-12 total scale was 0.956, and the combination reliability coefficients of each dimension ranged from 0.914 to 0.952. The scale contained 12 items, and 4 common factors were extracted from exploratory factor analysis, including exhaustion, mental distance, cognitive impairment, and emotional impairment. The cumulative variance contribution rate reached 86.63%. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that both the four-factor correlation model and the second-order model were ideally fitted overall, with the four-factor correlation model having the best data fit (comparative fit index 0.972, Tuker-Lewis fit index 0.962, root mean square error of approximation 0.064, and standardized root mean square residual 0.033). The average variance extracted (AVE) of each dimension of the scale ranged from 0.780 to 0.868, and the square roots of AVE (0.883 to 0.932) were all greater than their Pearson correlation coefficients (0.630 to 0.850). The Pearson correlation coefficient between BAT-12 and MBI-GS was 0.787 ( P<0.001) . Conclusion:The Chinese version of the BAT-12 scale demonstrates strong internal consistency and combination reliability, with excellent reliability. Its four-dimensional structure validity has been validated, with good convergent validity, discriminative validity, and ideal criterion validity, demonstrating excellent validity. The Chinese version of the BAT-12 scale can be used to measure the level of occupational burnout among Chinese employees.

Addressing the enduring challenge of evaluating traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs), the integrated evidence chain-based effectiveness evaluation of TCMs (Eff-iEC) has emerged. This paper explored its capacity through a demonstration study that evaluated the effectiveness evidence of six commonly used anti-hepatic fibrosis Chinese patent medicines (CPMs), including Biejiajian Pill (BP), Dahuang Zhechong Pill (DZP), Biejia Ruangan Compound (BRC), Fuzheng Huayu Capsule (FHC), Anluo Huaxian Pill (AHP), and Heluo Shugan Capsule (HSC), using both Eff-iEC and the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) system. The recognition of these CPMs within the TCM academic community was also assessed through their inclusion in relevant medical documents. Results showed that the evidence of BRC and FHC received higher assessments in both Eff-iEC and GRADE system, while the assessments for others varied. Analysis of community recognition revealed that Eff-iEC more accurately reflects the clinical value of these CPMs, exhibiting superior evaluative capabilities. By breaking through the conventional pattern of TCMs effectiveness evaluation, Eff-iEC offers a novel epistemology that better aligns with the clinical realities and reasoning of TCMs, providing a coherent methodology for clinical decision-making, new drug evaluations, and health policy formulation.

Objective:To establish criteria for diagnosing lymph node metastasis (LNM) in newly diagnosed papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) patients based on 18F-FDG PET/MR and evaluate its diagnostic efficiency. Methods:The data of 14 patients with PTC (all females, age (38.8±13.5) years) who underwent 18F-FDG PET/MR and ultrasound sequentially 2 weeks before surgery at the First Affiliated Hospital of the Air Force Medical University from May 2021 to August 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. Visual and semi-quantitative assessments were performed on all patients step by step (Ⅱ-Ⅵ area) and neck by neck (left, right, and central area). The dimensions of all suspected lymph nodes were measured on T 2 weighted imaging (WI)-MRI and SUV max was measured on PET. Taking postoperative pathology as the reference standard, the independent risk factors for predicting LNM were determined by multivariate logistic regression analysis, and the diagnostic efficiency of each model was evaluated by ROC curve analysis. Results:A total of 21 macroscopic regions of lymph nodes(15 were malignant, 6 were benign) and 178 lymph nodes (120 were malignant, 58 were benign) were cleared by surgery. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that SUV max (odds ratio ( OR)=1.865, 95% CI: 1.323-2.630, P<0.001) and short diameter on MRI (SD-MRI) ( OR=1.752, 95% CI: 1.189-2.580, P=0.005) were independent predictors of LNM. The cut-off value of SD-MRI in predicting LNM was 5.7mm (AUC=0.812, Youden index (YI)=0.463). For the SD-MRI cut-off values ≥5.7 or <5.7mm, the corresponding SUV max cut-off values were 1.6 and 1.8, respectively. When " dual threshold" quantitative criteria (SD-MRI≥5.7mm + SUV max≥1.6 or SD-MRI<5.7mm + SUV max≥1.8) was used as the diagnostic criteria of 18F-FDG PET/MR, the AUC and YI could be improved to 0.909 and 0.818. Based on the regional level analysis, sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of LNM diagnosis by ultrasound, MRI, and 18F-FDG PET/MR " dual threshold" criteria were 11/15 vs 12/15 vs 13/15, 5/6 vs 3/6 vs 5/6, 76.2%(16/21) vs 71.4%(15/21) vs 85.7%(18/21), respectively. Conclusion:Compared with the ultrasound and MRI, the 18F-FDG PET/MR " dual threshold" criteria exhibits higher sensitivity and accuracy in determining the scope of LNM clearance for PTC patients.

Objective:To screen potential comorbid genes shared between inflammatory bowel disease(IBD)and colorectal cancer(CRC),and to explore the relationship between the key gene a disintegrin and metalloprotease 8(ADAM8)and the pathogenesis of IBD and CRC,as well as the underlying mechanisms.Methods:Transcriptomic data and corresponding clinical information for IBD and CRC were downloaded from the GEO database and TCGA database.Differential expression analysis,prognostic gene screening,and intersection analysis were performed to identify shared genes.Multiple datasets were used to analyze and validate the expression patterns of ADAM8 in IBD and CRC and its correlation with clinicopathological features.Survival analysis was conducted to evaluate the prognostic value of ADAM8 in CRC.Functional and pathway enrichment analyses were conducted to explore the potential mechanisms by which ADAM8 influences CRC progression.The correlation between ADAM8 and tumor microenvironment components was further assessed using tumor microenvironmental algorithms.The database data was validated by detecting the expression in Chinese CRC tissues using immunohistochemistry(IHC).Results:ADAM8 was identified as a potential shared comorbidity gene in IBD and CRC.ADAM8 was significantly upregulated in both IBD and CRC tissues(all P<0.01),and its high expression was associated with disease progression(P<0.01).CRC patients with high ADAM8 expression had shorter overall survival(OS)(P<0.05 or P<0.01).ADAM8 was also significantly highly expressed in Chinese CRC tissues(P<0.01).Pathway analysis revealed that ADAM8 expression was closely linked to immune cell migration,cytokine production,and immune receptor interactions.Additionally,ADAM8 expression positively correlated with immune cell infiltration,including neutrophils and macrophages(P<0.01 or P<0.001).Conclusion:ADAM8 is highly expressed in IBD and CRC tissues and is closely associated with patient prognosis,disease progression,and immune cell infiltration.It holds promise as a common therapeutic target for both diseases.

This article briefly introduces the new concept of burnout and the new burnout assessment tool BAT. In the past, the most famous burnout definition was proposed by Maslach and Leiter. The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) developed by Maslach has also been the gold standard for evaluating burnout. With the development of burnout research, the concept of burnout has a certain defect. MBI has also been criticized in conceptual, practical and psychological measurement. It may hinder new research, and urgently needs to improve the concept and evaluation of burnout. Therefore, Schaufeli redefined the concept of burnout, and developed a new burnout assessment tool for groups and individuals based on the new concept of burnout-Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT) . This paper systematically reviews the proposal of the new concept of burnout, the development of the BAT scale and its application at home and abroad, and analyzes the advantages and application prospects of the BAT scale.

Objective:To verify the reliability and validity of the short version of the Chinese version of the new Burnout Assessment Tool (12 items version of Burnout Assessment Tool, BAT-12) .Methods:From October to December 2023, the cluster sampling method was adopted, and the Chinese version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey (MBI-GS) and the BAT-12 scale were used simultaneously. A questionnaire survey was conducted among enterprise employees (4329 people) in Shanghai and Guangdong Province. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis and other methods were employed to analyze its reliability (internal consistency reliability and combination reliability) and validity (structural validity, convergent validity, discriminative validity and criterion validity) .Results:A total of 4329 questionnaires were retrieved, among which 4086 were valid, with an effective recovery rate of 94.39%. The Cronbach's α coefficient of the Chinese version of the BAT-12 total scale was 0.956, and the combination reliability coefficients of each dimension ranged from 0.914 to 0.952. The scale contained 12 items, and 4 common factors were extracted from exploratory factor analysis, including exhaustion, mental distance, cognitive impairment, and emotional impairment. The cumulative variance contribution rate reached 86.63%. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that both the four-factor correlation model and the second-order model were ideally fitted overall, with the four-factor correlation model having the best data fit (comparative fit index 0.972, Tuker-Lewis fit index 0.962, root mean square error of approximation 0.064, and standardized root mean square residual 0.033). The average variance extracted (AVE) of each dimension of the scale ranged from 0.780 to 0.868, and the square roots of AVE (0.883 to 0.932) were all greater than their Pearson correlation coefficients (0.630 to 0.850). The Pearson correlation coefficient between BAT-12 and MBI-GS was 0.787 ( P<0.001) . Conclusion:The Chinese version of the BAT-12 scale demonstrates strong internal consistency and combination reliability, with excellent reliability. Its four-dimensional structure validity has been validated, with good convergent validity, discriminative validity, and ideal criterion validity, demonstrating excellent validity. The Chinese version of the BAT-12 scale can be used to measure the level of occupational burnout among Chinese employees.