Background China is a major coal producer and consumer country in the world. Coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP) is a primary factor endangering the occupational health of coal miners. Research on the disease burden of CWP and its changing trend is significant for disease prevention & control and associated policies. Objective To analyze the disease burden of CWP in China from 1990 to 2021 and its changing trend, and predict the disease burden from 2022 to 2035. Methods Using the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) database of 2021, numbers ofincident cases, prevalent cases, deaths, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) as well as crude and age-standardized rates of CWP in China were retrieved. Linear regression model was used to calculate the estimated annual percentage change (EAPC) of the age-standardized rates. Joinpoint regression model was used to analyze the temporal trend of disease burden and the disease burden of different sexes and age groups, and Bayesian age-period-cohort (BAPC) model was used to forecast the trend of CWP disease burden. Results In 1990, the incident, prevalent, and deaths cases of CWP in China were 3266, 18872, and 1561, respectively, and the DALYs of CWP were 44614.718 person-years. In 2021, the incident, prevalent, and deaths cases of CWP were 3446, 23975, and 1229, respectively, and the DALYs of CWP were 29610.754 person-years. From 1990 to 2021, the age-standardized incidence, prevalence, mortality, and DALYs rates of CWP in China all showed a downward trend, with the EAPCs of −3.121%, −2.532%, −4.018%, and −4.268%, respectively. The disease burden of CWP in China was mainly concentrated in the male population. The annual average percent change analysis indicated that each standardized rate showed a fluctuating downward trend in different periods. The BAPC model showed that from 2022 to 2035, the age-standardized rates of CWP in China would continue to decline steadily. In 2035, the age-standardized incidence, prevalence, mortality, and DALYs rates of CWP would be reduced to 0.10 per 100000, 0.74 per 100000, 0.03 per 100000, and 0.74 per 100000, respectively. Conclusion The disease burden contributed by CWP in China generally show a downward trend from 1990 to 2021, and it is expected that the age-standardized rates will continue to decline steadily from 2022 to 2035.

The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern and repeated outbreaks of coronavirus epidemics in the past two decades emphasize the need for next-generation pan-coronaviral therapeutics. Drugging the multi-functional papain-like protease (PLpro) domain of the viral nsp3 holds promise. However, none of the known coronavirus PLpro inhibitors has been shown to be in vivo active. Herein, we screened a structurally diverse library of 50,080 compounds for potential coronavirus PLpro inhibitors and identified a noncovalent lead inhibitor F0213 that has broad-spectrum anti-coronaviral activity, including against the Sarbecoviruses (SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2), Merbecovirus (MERS-CoV), as well as the Alphacoronavirus (hCoV-229E and hCoV-OC43). Importantly, F0213 confers protection in both SARS-CoV-2-infected hamsters and MERS-CoV-infected human DPP4-knockin mice. F0213 possesses a dual therapeutic functionality that suppresses coronavirus replication via blocking viral polyprotein cleavage, as well as promoting antiviral immunity by antagonizing the PLpro deubiquitinase activity. Despite the significant difference of substrate recognition, mode of inhibition studies suggest that F0213 is a competitive inhibitor against SARS2-PLpro via binding with the 157K amino acid residue, whereas an allosteric inhibitor of MERS-PLpro interacting with its 271E position. Our proof-of-concept findings demonstrated that PLpro is a valid target for the development of broad-spectrum anti-coronavirus agents. The orally administered F0213 may serve as a promising lead compound for combating the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and future coronavirus outbreaks.
Animals ; Coronavirus Papain-Like Proteases/antagonists & inhibitors* ; Cricetinae ; Humans ; Mice ; Pandemics ; SARS-CoV-2/enzymology* ; COVID-19 Drug Treatment

Objective To investigate the diagnostic value of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptides ( CCP ) antibodies combined rheumatoid factors (RF) on elderly patients with rheumatoid arthritis.Methods From January 2012 to December 2014, 29 cases of elder patients in our hospital with rheumatoid arthritis (elder RA group, age >60 year), 47 cases of elderly health control group (elder RA group, age≥60), and 48 cases of elder patients without rheumatoid arthritis (non-elder RA group, age<60 year) were selected.The anti-CCP antibodies and rheumatoid factor (RF) levels of three groups were detected, and the significance of anti-CCP antibody combined RF on the diagnosis of elderly rheumatoid arthritis was analyzed.Results Diagnostic positive rate of anti-CCP antibodies +RF was significantly higher than that of anti-CCP antibodies, and the difference was significant (χ2 =7.632, P =0.006).Diagnostic positive rate of anti-CCP antibodies +RF was higher than that of RF, but the difference was not statistically significant (χ2 =3.107, P=0.078).The diagnostic positive rate of anti-CCP antibodies, RF, and anti-CCP antibodies +RF for diagnosis of elderly rheumatoid arthritis had no statistically difference with that of non-elderly RA group.The sensitivity and negative predictive value of anti-CCP antibodies +RF was higher than that of only anti-CCP antibodies and RF.The area under the ROC curve of detecting anti-CCP +RF was 0.786, which was higher than that of anti-CCP antibodies (0.699) and RF (0.663), indicated that the reliability of anti-CCP antibodies +RF was higher than that of anti-CCP antibodies and RF.Conclusion The anti-CCP antibodies and RF can diagnose elderly rheumatoid arthritis, and anti-CCP antibodies combined RF has more clinical significance.

PurposeTo explore the value of gemstone spectral imaging (GSI) in diagnosis of thyroid nodule hemorrhage.Materials and Methods Seventeen patients with surgery and pathology confirmed thyroid nodule hemorrhage underwent thyroid spectrum CT scan. The CT value, iodine concentration value, water concentration value and the effective atomic ordinal value as well as spectral curve slope of hemorrhagic nodules and surrounding normal thyroid tissue were measured respectively.Results Hemorrhagic thyroid nodules showed equal or high CT value, low concentration of iodine, high concentration of water, low spectral curve slope, and low effective atomic ordinal value on spectral CT imaging. There were statistically significant differences in concentration of iodine value, concentration of water value, and spectral curve slope between hemorrhagic nodules and surrounding normal thyroid tissue (Z=-5.438,-4.679 and-5.317,P<0.01), and there were statistically significant differences in CT value and effective atomic ordinal value (Z=-2.097 and-2.230,P<0.05).Conclusion Energy spectrum CT scan is important in detection and accurate diagnosis of thyroid nodule hemorrhage.