Comprehensive occupational hazard risk assessment in employers is a core component of the pilot program for occupational health classification supervision and law enforcement. The quality and effectiveness of classification-based supervision are directly affected by both the assessment process and its outcomes. However, several issues have emerged since the implementation of the pilot program on the comprehensive risk assessment, including an excessive number of self-assessment items, lack of implementation basis for certain self-assessment items, misinterpretation for certain self-assessment items, inconsistencies between evaluation criteria and existing standards, incomplete implementation of some items, omission of comprehensive risk assessment elements, unclear definitions of key industries and key occupational hazards, and inconvenient assessment procedures on comprehensive risk assessment. To enhance the applicability, accuracy, and objectivity of the comprehensive risk assessments conducted by employers, it is recommended to optimize self-assessment items, standardize risk assessment content, tailor comprehensive risk assessments to actual workplace conditions, refine the identification of key industries and key occupational hazards, improve comprehensive risk assessment methodologies, and establish clear grading rules for the comprehensive risk assessment.

Objective: This study aimed to construct an animal model of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) that integrates disease and syndrome based on the "deficiency-blood stasis-toxin" pathogenesis and to evaluate it comprehensively. Methods: The HFpEF mouse model was constructed using a combination of Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) and a high-fat diet. According to the random number table method, SPF-grade male C57BL/6J mice were randomly assigned to the control, L-NAME, high-fat diet, and model groups, 10 in each group. Comprehensive observations and data collection on macroscopic signs (e.g., fur condition, mental state, stool and urine, oral and nasal condition, paw and body condition, etc.) and cardiac function were performed after 10 and 16 weeks of model induction. Additionally, the syndrome evolution was elucidated based on diagnostic criteria for clinical syndromes of heart failure. Furthermore, pathological and molecular biological examinations of myocardial tissue were performed to assess the stability and reliability of the model. Results: Mice in the model group showed typical characteristics of syndrome of qi deficiency and blood stasis, as well as syndrome of internal heat accumulation, including lethargy, slow response, dull paw color and oral/nasal color, exercise intolerance, abnormal platelet activation, dry feces, and dark yellow urine. The time window for these syndromes was between 10 and 16 weeks post-modeling. Cardiac function assessments revealed severe diastolic dysfunction, concentric myocardial hypertrophy, and myocardial fibrosis in the model group. Pathological examinations showed a significantly increased collagen deposition in the myocardial interstitium, enlarged cross-sectional area of cardiomyocytes, and sparse coronary microvasculature in the model group. Molecular biological analyses indicated marked activation of the inducible nitric oxide synthase/nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells/NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 inflammatory pathway and significantly elevated inflammation levels in the myocardial tissue of the model group. Although mice in the L-NAME and high-fat diet groups also showed certain manifestations of qi deficiency syndrome, the substantial cardiac damage was relatively limited compared to the control group. Conclusion This study has constructed an animal model of HFpEF that integrates disease and syndrome based on the "deficiency-blood stasis-toxin" pathogenesis. The macroscopic and microscopic characteristics of this model are consistent with the manifestations of syndrome of qi deficiency and blood stasis, toxin syndrome, and syndrome of internal heat accumulation. Moreover, it can stably simulate the HFpEF state and reflect phenotypic changes in human disease. This model provides a suitable experimental platform to explore the pathogenesis of HFpEF, evaluate the effectiveness of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatment regimens, and promote in-depth research on TCM syndromes of heart failure.

Objective: To investigate the role and mechanism of the heat-clearing and detoxifying drug Laggerae Herba in regulating the nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor-2(Nrf2)/solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11)/glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) signaling pathway to inhibit ferroptosis and improve chronic heart failure induced by transverse aortic arch constriction in mice. Methods: Twenty-four male ICR mice were divided into the sham (n=6) and transverse aortic arch constriction groups (n=18) according to the random number table method. The transverse aortic arch constriction group underwent transverse aortic constriction surgery to establish models. After modeling, the transverse aortic arch constriction group was further divided into the model, captopril, and Laggerae Herba groups according to the random number table method, with six mice per group. The captopril (15 mg/kg) and Laggerae Herba groups (1.95 g/kg) received the corresponding drugs by gavage, whereas the sham operation and model groups were administered the same volume of ultrapure water by gavage once a day for four consecutive weeks. After treatment, the cardiac function indexes of mice in each group were detected using ultrasound. The heart mass and tibia length were measured to calculate the ratio of heart weight to tibia length. Hematoxylin and eosin staining were used to observe the pathological changes in myocardial tissue. Masson staining was used to observe the degree of myocardial fibrosis. Wheat germ agglutinin staining was used to observe the degree of myocardial cell hypertrophy. Prussian blue staining was used to observe the iron deposition in myocardial tissue. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the amino-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and glutathione (GSH) contents in mice serum. Colorimetry was used to detect the malondialdehyde (MDA) content in mice serum. Western blotting was used to detect the Nrf2, GPX4, SLC7A11, and ferritin heavy chain 1 (FTH1) protein expressions in mice cardiac tissue. Results: Compared with the sham group, in the model group, the ejection fraction (EF) and fractional shortening (FS) of mice decreased, the left ventricular end-systolic volume (LVESV) and left ventricular end-systolic diameter (LVESD) increased, the left ventricular anterior wall end-systolic thickness (LVAWs) and left ventricular posterior wall end-systolic thickness (LVPWs) decreased, the ratio of heart weight to tibia length increased, the myocardial tissue morphology changed, myocardial fibrosis increased, the cross-sectional area of myocardial cells increased, iron deposition appeared in myocardial tissue, the serum NT-proBNP and MDA levels increased, the GSH level decreased, and Nrf2, GPX4, SLC7A11, and FTH1 protein expressions in cardiac tissue decreased (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, in the captopril and Laggerae Herba groups, the EF, FS, and LVAWs increased, the LVESV and LVESD decreased, the ratio of heart weight to tibia length decreased, the myocardial cells were arranged neatly, the degree of myocardial fibrosis decreased, the cross-sectional area of myocardial cells decreased, the serum NT-proBNP level decreased, and the GSH level increased. Compared with the model group, the LVPWs increased, the iron deposition in myocardial tissue decreased, the serum MDA level decreased, and Nrf2, GPX4, SLC7A11, and FTH1 protein expressions in cardiac tissue increased (P<0.05) in the Laggerae Herba group. Conclusion Laggerae Herba improves the cardiac function of mice with chronic heart failure caused by transverse aortic arch constriction, reduces the pathological remodeling of the heart, and reduces fibrosis. Its mechanism may be related to Nrf2/SLC7A11/GPX4 pathway-mediated ferroptosis.

Objective To investigate the association between D-dimer levels within 2 hours of admission and in-hospital major adverse events (MAEs) in patients with acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) who underwent total arch replacement combined with frozen elephant trunk (FET) implantation. Methods This retrospective study included patients with ATAAD who underwent total arch replacement with FET implantation at Fuwai Yunnan Cardiovascular Hospital from September 2017 to December 2022. Patients were divided into two groups based on the occurrence of in-hospital MAEs: a MAEs group and a non-MAEs group (control). Perioperative data were compared between the two groups. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify risk factors for in-hospital MAEs, which included in-hospital death, gastrointestinal bleeding, paraplegia, acute kidney injury, low cardiac output syndrome, stroke, respiratory failure, multiple organ dysfunction syndrome, and severe infection. The predictive value of D-dimer was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Results A total of 218 patients were included (157 males, 61 females), with a mean age of (51.54±9.79) years. There were 152 patients in the non-MAEs group and 66 in the MAEs group. The overall incidence of in-hospital MAEs was 30.3%, and the in-hospital mortality rate was 2.8% (6/218). Compared to the non-MAEs group, the MAEs group had significantly higher levels of D-dimer and lactate, as well as longer cardiopulmonary bypass time, aortic cross-clamp time, and ICU length of stay (all P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified D-dimer as an independent risk factor for in-hospital MAEs [OR=1.077, 95%CI (1.020, 1.137), P=0.013]. The AUC for the D-dimer level within 2 hours of admission to predict in-hospital MAEs was 0.83 [95%CI (0.736, 0.870), P<0.001]. The optimal cutoff value was 2.2 μg/mL, with a sensitivity of 84.8% and a specificity of 73.0%. Conclusion The serum D-dimer level is an independent risk factor for in-hospital MAEs in patients with ATAAD following total arch replacement with FET implantation. D-dimer levels on admission can help clinicians optimize risk stratification and perioperative management, potentially reducing the incidence of early adverse events.

Functional cure is currently recommended by guidelines as the ideal treatment goal for the prevention and treatment of chronic hepatitis B （CHB） in China and globally， and it is defined as sustained and undetectable serum HBsAg and HBV DNA， HBeAg clearance， and presence or absence of HBsAg seroconversion， accompanied by resolution of liver inflammation， histopathological improvements， and a significant reduction in the incidence rate of end-stage liver disease. HBV can integrate into the host genome and contribute to the continuous production of HBsAg， which can occur in the early stage of chronic HBV infection. In addition to the covalently closed circular DNA that is hard to be eliminated in liver tissue， HBsAg derived from HBV integration independent of viral replication may be the most important factor for the difficulty in achieving functional cure after antiviral therapy in patients with hepatitis B. This article reviews the research advances in HBV integration in recent years and discusses its impact on functional cure.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the inhibitory effect of Danshen Injection on endothelial-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) induced by peritoneal dialysis fluid in HMrSV5 cells and the role of the TGF‑β/Smad signaling pathway in mediating this effect. METHODS: HMrSV5 cells cultured in 40% peritoneal dialysis solution for 72 h to induce EndMT were treated with 0.05%, 0.1% and 0.5% Danshen Injection. CCK-8 assay was used to assess the changes in viability of the treated cells, and the levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the cell supernatant were detected using ELISA; Western blotting was performed to detect the protein expressions of E-cadherin, α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), p-Smad 2/3, and Smad 7 in the cells. RESULTS: Culture in 40% peritoneal dialysis fluid for 72 induced significant EndMT in HMrSV5 cells, which exhibited obviously lowered cell viability. Danshen Injection within the concentration range of 0.025%-1.5% did not significantly affect the viability of the cells. Exposure of HMrSV5 cells to peritoneal dialysis fluid for 72 h significantly increased the production of IL-6, TNF‑α, TGF‑β and VEGF, upregulated the protein expressions of α‑SMA and p-Smad 2/3, and lowered the expressions of E-cadherin and Smad7 proteins. Treatment of the exposed cells with Danshen injection significantly increased cell viability and cellular expressions of E-cadherin and Smad 7 proteins and reduced the production of IL-6, TNF-α, TGF-β and VEGF and the protein expressions of α‑SMA and p-Smad 2/3. CONCLUSIONS Danshen Injection can suppress peritoneal dialysis fluid-induced EndMT in HMrSV5 cells possibly by regulating the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway.
Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Transforming Growth Factor beta/metabolism* ; Humans ; Peritoneal Dialysis/adverse effects* ; Salvia miltiorrhiza ; Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition/drug effects* ; Smad Proteins/metabolism* ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A/metabolism* ; Cell Line ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolism* ; Interleukin-6/metabolism* ; Cadherins/metabolism* ; Actins/metabolism* ; Dialysis Solutions ; Endothelial-Mesenchymal Transition

Objective:To investigate the correlation of antinuclear antibody (ANA) with clinical response to infliximab (IFX) in patients with Crohn′s disease (CD) .Methods:Patients who were diagnosed as CD and treated with IFX in Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital from January 2018 to September 2021 were retrospectively studied. The correlation analysis was used to explore the correlation between ANA and clinical response. These patients were divided into two groups according to the ANA titer after 25 weeks of IFX treatment. The differences in clinical data between the two groups were assessed by univariate analysis. The variables with P<0.15 in univariate analysis and having clinical significance were further analyzed by multivariate Logistic regression to determine the independent risk factors of the induction of ANA. Results:A total of 82 patients with CD were included. Forty-one (50.0%) patients were set as positive group, and 41 (50.0%) patients were set as negative group. In terms of clinical response, the clinical response rates of two groups were 68.3% and 41.5%, and the difference was significant (χ 2 = 5.959, P = 0.015) . Positive group was divided into 1∶100 subgroup ( n = 17) , 1∶320 subgroup ( n = 11) and ≥1∶1000 subgroup ( n = 13) . The clinical response rates of three groups were 41.2%, 45.5% and 7.7% respectively, and the difference was not statistically significant (χ 2 = 5.334, P = 0.084) . The incidences of adverse events in the two groups were 17.1% and 7.3%, and the difference was not significant (χ 2 = 1.822, P = 0.177) . Univariate analysis showed that the difference of total protein (TP) before IFX treatment between the positive group and negative group was statistically significant ( P<0.05) . Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age ( OR = 1.060, 95% CI: 1.015 ~ 1.107, P = 0.008) and the baseline TP ( OR = 1.110, 95% CI: 1.023 ~ 1.205, P = 0.012) were the independent risk factors for the induction of ANA. Conclusions:The formation of ANA may affect the clinical response of IFX, so the ANA titer should be monitored regularly during the IFX therapy. In addition, age and baseline TP are related to the formation of ANA.

Objective To assess the impact of statins combined with sorafenib(SRF)therapy on survival outcomes in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma(mRCC).Methods Clinical data of mRCC patients treated in the 908th Hospital of the Joint Security Force from November 2019 to November 2023 were retrospectively analyzed.They were categorized into statin group and non-statin group according to whether they used statins or not,and the differences in the primary endpoint of overall survival(OS),secondary endpoints of progression-free survival(PFS),objective response rate(ORR),and disease control rate(DCR)were compared between the two groups.Results A total of 80 patients were included in the study,with 27 in the statin group and 53 in the non-statin group.There were no statistically significant differences in partial remission,stable disease,disease progression,and DCR between the two groups(P＞0.05);complete remission and ORR were significantly higher in the statin group than in the non-statin group(P＜0.05).Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that,compared with the non-statin group,the median PFS and OS of the statin group were prolonged,and the difference in median PFS between the two groups was statistically significant(P＜0.05).In terms of safety,the incidence of other adverse events was similar in both groups(P＞0.05).Conclusion Statins combined with SRF treatment regimen can improve ORR and DCR and prolong median PFS and OS in patients with mRCC.

Objective:The study aimed to analyze the risk variables influencing the prognosis of patients with sepsis-associated delirium (SAD) in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and build a prediction nomogram.Methods:This was a retrospective cohort study that includes patients with SAD in the Medical Information Mart for Intensive CareⅢ database (MIMIC-Ⅲ) database as training cohort, and patients who were hospitalized in the First Hospital of Jiaxing from January 2021 to September 2022 as validation cohort. Inclusion criteria: (1) age≥18 years old; (2) being admitted to the ICU for the first time; (3) the length of ICU stay≥24 h; (4) consistent with the diagnosis of sepsis; (5) the diagnosis of delirium was identified by CAM-ICU questionnaire. The general information, vital signs, past medical history and laboratory examination results of the patients were collected, and the outcome was 28-day mortality. Multiple logistic regression was used to identify independent influencing factors and the nomogram was constructed. The validity of the prediction model was determined using multiple indicators, including calibration curve, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), decision curve analysis (DCA), and Hosmer-Lemeshow test.Results:A total of 250 patients were included in the training cohort and 154 patients were in the validation cohort. The multiple logistic regression demonstrated that age ( OR=1.057, 95% CI: 1.030-1.084, P<0.001), respiratory frequency ( OR=1.117, 95% CI: 1.037-1.202, P=0.003), lactic acid ( OR=1.137, 95% CI:1.011-1.279, P=0,032), hemoglobin ( OR=0.983, 95% CI: 0.970-0.997, P=0.020), SOFA score ( OR=1.184, 95% CI: 1.070-1.309, P=0.001) were independent risk factors associated with the 28-day mortality of patients with SAD. The AUC of the nomogram created by the five factors above was 0.773 (95% CI: 0.705-0.841), and the Hosmer-Lemeshow test showed that the model was a good fit ( P=0.875). The DCA curve indicates that the model has potential net benefit. The AUC was 0.864 (95% CI: 0.799-0.928) in the validation cohort, and the Hosmer-Lemeshow test showed that the model was a good fit ( P=0.488). The DCA curve indicates that the model of the validation cohort had potential net benefit. Conclusion:The prediction model based on age, respiratory frequency, lactate, hemoglobin, and SOFA scores shows valuable capability of predicting the prognosis of patients with SAD, which could help clinicians identify risk factors at first time and make earlier intervention.

Objective To investigate the inhibitory effect of Danshen Injection on endothelial-mesenchymal transition(EndMT)induced by peritoneal dialysis fluid in HMrSV5 cells and the role of the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway in mediating this effect.Methods HMrSV5 cells cultured in 40％peritoneal dialysis solution for 72 h to induce EndMT were treated with 0.05％,0.1％and 0.5％Danshen Injection.CCK-8 assay was used to assess the changes in viability of the treated cells,and the levels of interleukin-6(IL-6),tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),transforming growth factor-β(TGF-β),and vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)in the cell supernatant were detected using ELISA;Western blotting was performed to detect the protein expressions of E-cadherin,α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA),p-Smad 2/3,and Smad 7 in the cells.Results Culture in 40％peritoneal dialysis fluid for 72 induced significant EndMT in HMrSV5 cells,which exhibited obviously lowered cell viability.Danshen Injection within the concentration range of 0.025％-1.5％did not significantly affect the viability of the cells.Exposure of HMrSV5 cells to peritoneal dialysis fluid for 72 h significantly increased the production of IL-6,TNF-α,TGF-β and VEGF,upregulated the protein expressions of α-SMA and p-Smad 2/3,and lowered the expressions of E-cadherin and Smad7 proteins.Treatment of the exposed cells with Danshen injection significantly increased cell viability and cellular expressions of E-cadherin and Smad 7 proteins and reduced the production of IL-6,TNF-α,TGF-β and VEGF and the protein expressions of α-SMA and p-Smad 2/3.Conclusion Danshen Injection can suppress peritoneal dialysis fluid-induced EndMT in HMrSV5 cells possibly by regulating the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway.