This article presents a case study of a patient who visited the Geriatric Department of Peking Union Medical College Hospital due to "palpitations, shortness of breath for more than 2 years, limb weakness for 6 months, edema, and nocturnal dyspnea for 2 months". The patient exhibited decreased muscle strength in the limbs and involvement of swallowing and respiratory muscles, alongside complications of heart failure and various arrhythmias which were predominantly atrial. Laboratory tests revealed the presence of multiple autoantibodies and notably anti-mitochondrial antibodies. Following a comprehensive multidisciplinary evaluation, the patient was diagnosed with anti-mitochondrial antibody-associated inflammatory myopathy. Treatment involved a combination of glucocorticoids and immunosuppressants, along with resistance exercises for muscle strength and rehabilitation training for lung function, resulting in significant improvement of clinical symptoms. The case underscores the importance of collaborative multidisciplinary approaches in diagnosing and treating rare diseases in elderly patients, where careful consideration of clinical manifestations and subtle abnormal clinical data can lead to effective interventions.

Objective To analyze a case of violations by an occupational medical examination (OME) institution and to explore the key control points for the supervision and management of OME institutions, as well as the core role of quality assessment in this context. Methods An OME institution suspected of illegal activities was used as the study subject. Retrospective analysis was conducted. Clues of suspected violations were identified by an on-site quality assessment. After investigation and verification by the local health authorities, legal action was taken against the institution for its violations. Results During an on-site quality assessment, the Guangdong Province OME quality control expert group discovered that the OME institution violated regulations, including unqualified personnel file, exceeding the scope of services category, issuing false reports, failing to report suspected occupational diseases on time, and failing to notify workers about suspected occupational diseases as required. The evidence was then submitted to the Guangdong Province OME Quality Control Center, which subsequently forwarded the case to local health administration department for filing and investigation. After the investigation, penalties were imposed on the OME institution for its illegal activities. Conclusion The key supervision and inspection points in the quality assessment of OME institutions include personnel file configuration, the quality control management system and its implementation, the quality of OME reports, and information reporting. Quality assessment plays a pivotal role in ensuring the legal and compliant practice of OME institutions, safeguarding the health rights and interests of workers, and enhancing the overall standard of the OME industry.

ObjectiveTo explore the mechanism by which Zuoguiwan improves the pancreas development in the gestational diabetes mellitus （GDM） model by observing the effects of Zuoguiwan on the expression of key regulatory factors in different stages of pancreas development. MethodsPregnant Wistar rats were randomly assigned into blank， model， insulin detemir （20 U·kg^-1） and Zuoguiwan （1.89 g·kg^-1） groups （n=18）. GDM was induced by peritoneal injection of streptozotocin on day 6.5 （E6.5d） in the embryonic stage， and the blank group was given an equal volume of sodium citrate buffer. The modeling performance was assessed by measuring the blood glucose of pregnant rats. Except the blank group and model group， pregnant rats in other groups were administrated with corresponding drugs from E9.5d to delivery. The random blood glucose of pregnant rats was monitored， and the embryos and offspring rats were measured for the length and weighed on E12.5d， E18.5d and day 21 after birth （B21d）. The Lee's index of rats on B21d was calculated. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was employed to measure the fasting insulin （FINS） levels of B22d rats and the Homeostasis Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance （HOMA-IR） was calculated. The serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase （AST）， alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， total bilirubin （TBIL）， total cholesterol （CHO）， triglyceride （TG）， high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL）， and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL） in E18.5d pregnant rats and B22d offspring were determined. The pathological changes in the pancreas of E12.5d， E18.5d and B22d rats were observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. Western blot was used to determine the protein levels of pancreatic duodenal homeobox 1 （Pdx1）， pancreas-specific transcription factor 1a （Ptf1a）， and sex-determining region Y-box protein 9 （Sox9） in the pancreas of E12.5d embryos， Pdx1， Nkx2 homeobox 2 （Nkx2.2）， and hairy and enhancer of split-1 （Hes1） in the pancreas of E18.5d embryos， and Pdx1， v-maf musculoaponeurotic fibrosarcoma oncogene homolog A （Mafa）， and NK transcription factor-related homeobox gene family 6 locus 1 （Nkx6.1） in the pancreas of B22d rats. ResultsCompared with the blank group， the model group showed elevated blood glucose levels in pregnant rats on B0d， E9.5d， E12.5d， E15.5d， and E18.5d （P<0.05， P<0.01）， decreased body weight and body length （P<0.01） and increased Lee's index in the offspring. In addition， the B22d offspring showed rising levels of FBG， FINS， HOMA-IR， AST， and TG （P<0.01）， a declined level of HDL （P<0.01）， and pancreatic acinous cells with edema and loose arrangement. The pregnant rats on E18.5d exhibited raised levels of ALT， AST， and TG （P<0.05， P<0.01） in the pancreas and a declined level of HDL （P<0.05）. The E12.5d embryos showed up-regulated protein levels of Pdx1， Sox9， and Ptf1a in the pancreas （P<0.01） and the E18.5d embryos exhibited down-regulated protein levels of Pdx1， Nkx2.2， and Hes1 in the pancreas （P<0.01）. The protein levels of Pdx1， Nkx6.1， and Mafa in the pancreas of B22d offspring were down-regulated （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the insulin group exhibited lowered blood glucose in pregnant rats on B0d， E15.5d， and E18.5d （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The offspring in all treatment groups showcased increased body weight and body length （P<0.01） and decreased Lee's index. The B22d offspring exhibited declined levels of FBG， FINS， and HOMA-IR in the insulin group （P<0.01） and lowered levels of FBG and HOMA-IR in the Zuoguiwan group （P<0.01）. The B22d offspring in all the treatment groups showed reduced levels of ALT， AST， TBIL， CHO， TG， and LDL， a raised level of HDL， and alleviated edema of pancreatic acinous cells. The pregnant rats on E18.5d demonstrated declined levels of TG and ALT （P<0.05， P<0.01） and an elevated level of HDL （P<0.05）. The pancreas of E12.5d embryos presented down-regulated protein levels of Pdx1 and Sox9 and an up-regulated protein level of Ptf1a in the insulin group （P<0.05）. The pancreas of E12.5d embryos in the Zuoguiwan group presented down-regulated protein levels of Pdx1， Sox9， and Ptf1a （P<0.01）. All the treatment groups showed up-regulated protein levels of Pdx1， Nkx2.2， and Hes1 in the pancreas of E18.5d embryos （P<0.01） and Pdx1， Nkx6.1， and Mafa in the pancreas of B22d embryos （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionZuoguiwan can promote the growth and development and ameliorate the pathological changes in the pancreas of the offspring of GDM model by regulating the expression of Pdx1 pathway-related regulatory factors in different stages of pancreas development.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease with a complex etiology. Monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) infiltration are associated with RA severity. We have reported the deletion of G-protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 (GRK2) reprograms macrophages toward an anti-inflammatory phenotype by recovering G-protein-coupled receptor signaling. However, as more GRK2-interacting proteins were discovered, the GRK2 interactome mechanisms in RA have been understudied. Thus, in the collagen-induced arthritis mouse model, we performed genetic GRK2 deletion using GRK2^f/fLyz2-Cre^+/- mice. Synovial inflammation and M1 polarization were improved in GRK2^f/fLyz2-Cre^+/- mice. Supporting experiments with RNA-seq and dual-luciferase reporter assays identified peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) as a new GRK2-interacting protein. We further confirmed that fms-related tyrosine kinase 1 (Flt-1), which promoted macrophage migration to induce angiogenesis, was inhibited by GRK2-PPARγ signaling. Mechanistically, excess GRK2 membrane recruitment in CIA MDMs reduced the activation of PPARγ ligand-binding domain and enhanced Flt-1 transcription. Furthermore, the treatment of mice with GRK2 activity inhibitor resulted in significantly diminished CIA pathology, Flt-1⁺ macrophages induced-synovial inflammation, and angiogenesis. Altogether, we anticipate to facilitate the elucidation of previously unappreciated details of GRK2-specific intracellular signaling. Targeting GRK2 activity is a viable strategy to inhibit MDMs infiltration, affording a distinct way to control joint inflammation and angiogenesis of RA.

Objective:To compare clinical characteristics,treatment patterns and physiological indicators in bipolar disorder(BD)patients with different age of onset.Methods:Totally 380 patients with DSM-5 BD were se-lected in this study.Psychiatrists diagnosed the patients using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview.The clinical information questionnaire and the Global Assessment of Functioning scale were utilized to collected clinical characteristics,treatment status,and physiological indicators.The onset age of BD was divided into 21 and 35 years as cut-off points.Multivariate logistic regression and linear regression were used to analyze related factors.Results:Among the 380 patients with BD,199 cases were early-onset group(52.4％),121 cases were middle-onset group(31.8％),and 60 cases were late-onset group(15.8％).There were 26.6％of patients in the early-onset group in-itially diagnosed as depression,23.1％in the middle-onset group,and 11.7％in the late-onset group.Multivariate analysis revealed that compared to the early-onset group of BD,the middle-onset(OR=2.22)and late-onset(OR=4.99)groups had more risk to experience depressive episodes,and the late-onset group(OR=6.74)had 6.74 times of risk to suffer from bipolar Ⅱ disorder.Additionally,patients in the middle-onset(β=-1.52)and late-on-set(β=-4.29)groups had shorter durations of delayed treatment,and those in the middle-onset(β=-1.62)and late-onset(β=-3.14)groups had fewer hospitalizations.Uric acid levels were lower in both the middle-onset(β=-28.39)and late-onset(β=-31.47)groups,and total cholesterol level was lower in the middle-onset group(β=-0.23).Conclusion:Patients with BD in different age of onset show significant differences in clinical charac-teristics,treatment conditions and physiological indicators.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the activation of xanthine oxidase(XO)from the human liver by vitamin K3 and the mechanism.METHODS Using human liver S9(0.1 g·L-1)as the source,XO was incubated with substrate xanthine of 0,2,4,8,and 16 μmol·L-1 at 37℃ for 90 min.The Michaelis constant(Km)of the reaction of xanthine oxidation was determined using the liquid chromatography diode array method.At the concentration of Km,the three-point method(1,10 and 100 μmol·L-1)was used to detect the activity of vitamin K3 activators.The multi-point method(vitamin K3 1,2,5,10,20,50,100,200 and 400 μmol·L-1)was adopted to determine the half effective concentration(EC50)of activated XO.Kinetic parameters(Km and Vmax)and the fit of double reciprocal curves were determined via vitamin K3 of 1/2EC50,EC50 and 2EC50.The changes in kinetic behavior at different concentrations of vitamin K3 were observed and their types of activation were analyzed.The interactions between XO and activator vitamin K3 were explored via molecular docking.RESULTS The Km of XO-mediated xanthine oxidation reac-tion was 4.71 μmol·L-1.As an activator of this reaction,vitamin K3 activated XO in a concentration-dependent manner(according to the logistic fitting formula y=A2+(A1-A2)/(1+(x/x0)^p),with an EC50 of 32.0 μmol·L-1.The kinetic parameters also changed after the addition of vitamin K3.The Km value decreased(4.71-1.34 μmol·L-1)with the increase of vitamin K3 concentrations,while the Vmax value increased(0.08-1.31 μmol·min-1·g-1),leading to an increase in Vmax/Km(17.0-977.6 mL·min·g-1).In addition,the double reciprocal curve fitting found that the activation type of vitamin K3 on XO was mixed.The molecular docking results showed that vitamin K3 bound to the molybdopterin domain of XO and maintained hydrogen bonding interactions with Arg599 and Ser605.CONCLUSION Vitamin K3 is an activator of XO,which can form hydrogen bonds with Arg599 and Ser605 in the XO domain,regu-late its affinity with the substrate xanthine,activate XO and increase the uric acid level.

Objective:To evaluate the clinical efficacy of pulpotomy in elderly patients with caries-related exposed pulp.Methods:A randomized controlled study was conducted at the Department of General Dentistry, Peking University Stomatology Hospital from October 2019 to March 2022.The study included 46 elderly patients with carious exposure, who were randomly divided into two groups: an experimental group with 22 cases and a control group with 24 cases.The teeth in the experimental group underwent pulpotomy, while the teeth in the control group underwent root canal treatment.The patients in both groups were followed up at 1 week, 6 months, and 12 months after the operation.Self-perceived pain symptoms were assessed using a visual analogue scale(VAS)before and 1 week after treatment in the experimental group, and before, at the second visit(visit 1), at the third visit(visit 2), and 1 week after treatment in the control group.Results:The mean preoperative pain score of the patients, as measured by the VAS scale, was(1.09±1.19)in the experimental group.There was no statistically significant difference when compared to the control group(1.13±1.23)( t=-0.096, P=0.924). The postoperative pain score of the experimental group was(0.27±0.77). On the other hand, the average overall pain score of the control group after treatment(visit 1, visit 2, and 1 week postoperatively)was(1.19±1.82). The postoperative pain score of the experimental group was significantly lower than that of the control group( t=-3.416, P=0.001). The effective rates were 95.24%(20/21)(experimental group)and 100%(22/22)(control group)respectively.There was no significant difference between the cure rates of the two groups( χ2=1.458, P=0.488). Conclusions:The findings suggest that pulpotomy can be an effective method for managing elderly patients with exposed pulp due to caries.

Objective:To observe the clinical efficacy of pulpotomy in patients of different ages and to explore the occurrence and characteristics of pulpal calcification.Methods:A total of 77 patients who underwent pulpotomy for mature permanent premolars and molars with caries-derived pulp exposure in the Department of General Dentistry,Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology from October 2019 to August 2022 were selected.Pulpotomies were performed in a single visit using iRoot BP Plus bioceramic material as pulp capping agent.The patients were divided into three groups according to age:25 cases in the adolescent group(11-20 years old)with a mean age of(15.88±2.19)years;27 cases in the middle-aged group(21-50 years old)with a mean age of(34.59±8.67)years;and 25 cases in the elder-aged group(51-83 years old)with a mean age of(63.84±7.40)years.The patients were reviewed 1 year after the operation to evaluate the clinical efficacy and to record the formation of calcified bridge,thickness of calcified bridge,and pulp calcification index(PCI).Results:There was no statisti-cally significant difference between the three groups in terms of gender,dentition,and tooth position(P＞0.05).The 1-year postoperative follow-up rate was 85.71％(66/77),including 88.00％(22/25)in the adolescent group,85.19％(23/27)in the middle-aged group,and 84.00％(21/25)in the elder-aged group.The 1-year follow-up clinical success rates of the three groups were 95.45％(21/22),91.30％(21/23),and 95.24％(20/21),respectively,with no statistically significant difference(P＞0.05).Among the clinical success cases,calcified bridges appeared in 12 cases(57.14％,12/21)in the adolescent group,8 cases(38.10％,8/21)in the middle-aged group,and 3 cases(15.00％,3/20)in the elder-aged group,with statistically significant differences(x2=7.810,P=0.020＜0.05).The difference was statistically significant(F=4.434,P=0.020＜0.05)when comparing the thickness of calcified bridges among the three groups.Calcified bridge thickness was negatively corre-lated with age(r=-0.516,P＜0.05).The changes in pulpal calcification index ΔPCI were 0.67±0.58,0.43±0.51,and 0.25±0.52,respectively,with statistically significant differences among the three groups(F=3.404,P=0.040＜0.05).Conclusion:Pulpotomy for caries-derived pulp exposure in elderly patients could also achieve a high success rate.The incidence of calcified bri-dges after pulpotomy and the acceleration of pulpal calcification were age-related.The adolescent group was more likely to form calcified bridges and also showed more pronounced accelerated root canal calcifi-cation.

Objective To investigate the inhibitory effects of pyruvate-ferredoxin oxidoreductase(PFOR)by luteolin and its anti-Clostridium difficile effect.Methods The PFOR encoding sequence of Clostridium difficile was cloned into the expression vector pET-2a and transformed into competent Escherichia coli.The crude enzyme was prepared after induction with IPTG(Isopropyl β-D-Thiogalactoside).The inhibitory rate of the test compounds on PFOR was determined after an 8-hour anaerobic reaction between PFOR and 40 μmol·L-1 of test compounds at 25℃.The minimum inhibitory concentration(MIC)of PFOR inhibitors against C.difficile strains(ATCC BAA 1382 and ATCC BAA 1870)was determined by monitoring the OD600 of the bacterial culture.Molecular docking was performed to investigate the possible interaction mechanisms between PFOR and inhibitors.Results Among the tested compounds,the luteolin showed the strongest inhibitory activity against PFOR,with a single-point inhibition rate of approximately 33%,which is comparable to that observed with the positive inhibitor nitazoxanide(40%).Molecular docking revealed that luteolin could form hydrogen bonds with Asp428,Val431,Gly429,Asp456,Lys458,Lys459,and other residues in the PFOR domain.The MIC of luteolin against C.difficile was approximately 32 μg·mL-1.Conclusion Luteolin exhibits good activity against C.difficile,and PFOR may be a target for its antibacterial action.

Background The high-quality development of manufacturing in China has spurred industrial transformation and upgrading, placing higher demands on the skills of employees in the electronic manufacturing industry. This situation may induce psychological health problems such as job burnout and depressive symptoms in the employees, and also lead to insomnia, which has become a public health problem that urgently needs attention and solution. Objective To investigate the relationship between job burnout, depressive symptoms, and insomnia among employees in the electronic manufacturing industry. Methods A total of 3034 employees from four electronic manufacturing companies in Beijing City, Shanghai City, and Guangdong Province were selected using judgment sampling from September to November 2019. The Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and Self-Administered Sleep Questionnaire were used to collect data. The correlation between job burnout, depressive symptoms, and insomnia was evaluated by hierarchical regression. Results A total of 3034 survey questionnaires were distributed, and 2614 valid questionnaires were collected, with a response effectiveness rate of 86.2%. The reporting rates of job burnout, depressive symptoms, and insomnia among employees in the electronic manufacturing industry were 47.2%, 19.5%, and 29.1%, respectively. The reporting rates of insomnia of employees in the job burnout group and depressive symptoms group were higher than those in the non-job burnout group and non-depressive symptoms group (35.3% vs. 23.6%, 47.2% vs. 24.7%, P＜0.001). The results of hierarchical regression showed that job burnout explained 2.8% of the variation of insomnia (P<0.001), and the inclusion of depressive symptoms explained 1.2% of the variation of insomnia (P<0.001). Conclusion Job burnout and depressive symptoms could both affect insomnia of employees in the electronic manufacturing industry.