With the continuous advancement of deep space exploration missions, maintaining astronaut skin health has become a critical medical issue affecting the safety and effectiveness of long-duration missions. Deep space environmental stressors, including microgravity, ionizing radiation, lunar dust exposure, and microbiome dysbiosis, can synergistically disrupt the skin barrier structure, leading to immune homeostasis imbalance and impaired wound healing. In recent years, research on skin protection in deep space has gradually evolved into a systematic "multi-dimensional integrated protective" framework. From the engineering protection perspective, optimization of multi-layer composite spacesuit structures, the use of hydrogen-rich and boron-containing shielding materials, as well as cabin temperature-humidity regulation and debris-resistant technologies, have greatly enhanced environmental defense capacity. From the biomedical protection perspective, functional hydrogels, antimicrobial dressings, and active compounds derived from traditional Chinese medicine have demonstrated remarkable potential in repairing the skin barrier, modulating immunity, and providing antioxidant defense. Meanwhile, the development of skin microecological interventions and wearable physiological monitoring systems has fostered a trend toward personalized health management. Future research should focus on elucidating the interactive mechanisms among the space environment, skin, and immune barrier, while exploring intelligent monitoring and nanotechnology-based protection strategies. Establishing a predictive and preventive skin health safeguarding system will provide comprehensive medical support for future deep space missions.
Humans ; Astronauts ; Skin/radiation effects* ; Space Flight ; Weightlessness/adverse effects* ; Wound Healing ; Extraterrestrial Environment

The unique characteristics of the deep space environment, microgravity, cosmic radiation, and extreme temperature fluctuations, are emerging as major driving forces for pharmaceutical innovation. These factors provide new avenues for optimizing drug formulations, improving crystal structure quality, and accelerating the discovery of therapeutic targets. Advances in deep space research not only help overcome critical bottlenecks in terrestrial drug development but also promote progress in structure-based drug design and deepen understanding of cellular stress-response mechanisms. Current progress in space-based pharmaceutical research primarily includes the study of disease mechanisms under microgravity, protein crystallization in microgravity, and drug development utilizing deep space radiation and resources. However, the operational complexity, high costs, and limited data reproducibility of space experiments remain key challenges hindering widespread application. Looking ahead, with the integration of automation, artificial intelligence analysis, and on-orbit manufacturing, deep space drug development is expected to achieve greater scalability and precision, opening a new frontier in biopharmaceutical science.
Drug Design ; Drug Development/methods* ; Humans ; Weightlessness ; Space Flight ; Artificial Intelligence ; Extraterrestrial Environment

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the mechanism by which the pyramidal neurons of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) modulate the effects of enriched environment (EE) for relieving anxiety-like behaviors in mice. METHODS: C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into control group, restraint stress (RS) group, and RS+EE group (n=8). The mice in the latter two groups were subjected to RS for 2 h daily for 3 days, and those in RS+EE group were housed in an EE during modeling. Anxiety-like behaviors of the mice were evaluated using the elevated plus-maze tests (EPM) and open field test (OFT). Changes in c-Fos expression in the ACC of the mice were detected with immunofluorescence assay, and pyramidal neuron excitability in the ACC (Pyn^ACC) was measured using patch-clamp technique. The miniature excitatory and inhibitory postsynaptic currents (mEPSC and mIPSC, respectively) were analyzed to assess synaptic transmission changes. RESULTS: Behavioral tests showed obvious anxiety-like behaviors in RS mice, and such behavioral changes were significantly improved in RS+EE mice. Immunofluorescence staining revealed significantly increased c-Fos expression in the ACC in RS mice but lowered c-Fos expression in RS+EE group. Compared with the control mice, the RS mice showed increased action potential firing rate of Pyn^ACC, which was significantly reduced in RS+EE group. Compared with the RS mice, the RS+EE mice showed also decreased frequency of mEPSCs of Pyn^ACC, but the amplitude exhibited no significant changes. No obvious changes in the frequency or amplitude of mIPSCs were observed in RS+EE mice. CONCLUSIONS EE reduces excitability of Pyn^ACC to alleviate anxiety-like behaviors induced by RS in mice.
Animals ; Anxiety/physiopathology* ; Gyrus Cinguli ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mice ; Pyramidal Cells/physiology* ; Restraint, Physical ; Stress, Psychological ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos/metabolism* ; Male ; Behavior, Animal ; Environment ; Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effect of age-friendly social and family care environment on the long-term care (LTC) services for the disabled elderly people. METHODS: A questionnaire-based survey was conducted among disabled elderly people in three cities of Zhejiang province from June to August 2022, involving 311 subjects from Ningbo city (LTC service insurance pilot site, insured group) and 542 subjects from Hangzhou and Quzhou cities (uninsured group). The service provisions, including ensuring daily activities, preventive healthcare, and satisfying spiritual comfort, were compared among the groups. The family friendly care environment was evaluated with the Family Function Scale and assistance of daily activities, financial support and emotional comfort. The social friendly care environment was measured with the revised WHO recommended age-friendly city environmental framework, including accessibility guarantee environment, information dissemination environment, social participant environment, and life security environment. After controlling for covariates such as sociodemographic, elderly care status, and health risk characteristics, the impact of environment on the effectiveness of service provision of LTC insurance was explored by multiple logistic regression analysis. The mediating and moderating effects were tested to explore the role of age-friendly care environment. A fixed effects model was used to test the service provision effects of LTC insurance policy. RESULTS: Disabled elderly with LTC insurance had a higher proportion of their preventive health care and spiritual comfort needs met. Additionally, a multifactorial analysis found a significant positive association between LTC insurance and meeting the spiritual comfort needs. Compared with insured group (Ningbo city), disabled elderly people in Hangzhou urban area (OR=0.45, 95%CI:0.27-0.74, P<0.01) and Quzhou rural area (OR=0.21, 95%CI:0.12-0.37, P<0.01) were more likely to feel unsatisfied with spiritual comfort. The results of mediation analysis showed that the scores of accessibility guarantee environment (OR=1.22, 95%CI:1.02-1.45, P<0.05), information dissemination environment (OR=1.19, 95%CI:1.02-1.39, P<0.05), and social participation environment (OR=1.40, 95%CI:1.17-1.67, P<0.01) in a socially friendly care environment were positively correlated with the satisfaction rate of mental comfort services. The results of the moderation effect analysis indicated that a socially friendly care environment (OR=1.46, 95%CI:1.16-1.84, P<0.01) could compensate for the difference in effectiveness between insured (Ningbo) and uninsured (Hangzhou and Quzhou) areas of LTC insurance. A fixed effect model confirmed the policy chain of LTC insurance policy-social friendly care environment-mental health service satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS The implementation of LTC insurance has improved service accessibility, making disabled elderly people feel "seen and valued", and generating psychological and spiritual satisfaction. Accelerating the establishment and improvement of the LTC insurance system requires systematic design, especially emphasizing the supportive role of a socially friendly care environment, and promoting it in urban and rural areas according to the local conditions.
Humans ; Aged ; Persons with Disabilities ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Long-Term Care ; Female ; Male ; China ; Social Environment ; Middle Aged ; Aged, 80 and over

BACKGROUND: To date, results on relationship between CYP3A4 gene polymorphism were limited and inconclusive, and no study focused on the influence of CYP3A4 gene-obesity interaction on breast cancer risk, especially in Chinese women. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of CYP3A4 gene, the SNP-SNP and gene-environment interactions on the susceptibility to breast cancer in Chinese women. METHODS: Logistic regression was used to explore the relationship between four SNPs of CYP3A4 gene and the risk of breast cancer. Generalized multifactor dimensionality reduction (GMDR) was used to screen the best SNP-SNP and gene-abdominal obesity interaction combinations among four SNPs and abdominal obesity. Haplotype examination among 4 SNPs was conducted using the SHEsis web-based platform. RESULTS: Logistic regression analysis showed that carriers of rs2242480- T allele have significantly higher breast cancer risk, than those with rs2242480- CC genotype, adjusted OR (95%CI) was 1.68 (1.23-2.16) and 2.03 (1.53-2.58) for participants with CT genotype and TT genotype under additive model. We did not find any notable interactions between the four SNPs within the CYP3A4 gene. GMDR model found a significant association in a two-locus model involving rs2242480 and obesity, with a p-value of 0.018. Stratified analysis found that breast cancer risk was the highest in obese participants with rs2242480- CT or TT genotype, compared to those non-obese participants with rs2242480- CC genotype, OR (95%CI) was 3.02 (1.83-4.25). We found that all haplotype combinations were not correlated with breast cancer risk. CONCLUSIONS We found that the T allele of rs2242480 within the CYP3A4 gene and interaction between rs2242480 and obesity were associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. However, the results of this study were only applicable to the Han ethnic group and cannot be generalized to other ethnic groups in China, and more SNPs of CYP3A4 gene should been enrolled in the analysis in the future, to verify the results obtained in this study.
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Breast Neoplasms/etiology* ; China/epidemiology* ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP3A/metabolism* ; Gene-Environment Interaction ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Haplotypes ; Obesity/epidemiology* ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Risk Factors ; East Asian People

As global greenhouse gases continue rising, the urgency of more ambitious action is clearer than ever before. China is the world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gases and one of the countries affected most by climate change. The evidence about the impacts of climate change on the environment and human health may encourage China to take more decisive action to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate impacts. This article aimed to review the evidence of environmental damages and health risks posed by climate change and to provide a new science-based perspective for the delivery of sustainable development goals. Over recent decades, China has experienced a strong warming pattern with a growing frequency of extreme weather events, and the impacts of climate change on China's environment and human health have been consistently observed, with increasing O ₃ air pollution, decreases in water resources and availability, land degradation, and increased risks for both communicable and non-communicable diseases. Therefore, China's climate policy should target the key factors driving climate change and scale up strategic measures to curb carbon emissions and adapt to inevitable increasing climate impacts. It provides new insights for not only China but also other countries, particularly developing and emerging economies, to ensure climate and environmental sustainability whilst pursuing economic growth.
Climate Change ; China ; Humans ; Greenhouse Gases ; Air Pollution ; Sustainable Development ; Environment

The ability of cells to sense and adapt to metabolic changes and environmental variations is essential for their functions. Recent advances in synthetic biology have uncovered increasing mechanisms through which cells detect changes in metabolism and environmental conditions, leading to broader applications. However, a systematic review on the regulation of cellular metabolism and environmental adaption is currently lacking. This article presents a comprehensive overview of this field from three perspectives. First, it introduces key transmembrane and sensor proteins involved in the cellular perception of metabolic and environmental changes. Next, it summarizes the adaptive regulation mechanisms that natural cells employ when confronted with intracellular and extracellular metabolic changes. Finally, the review explores the application scenarios based on cellular adaptive regulation in three aspects: dynamic control, rational metabolic engineering, and adaptive evolution and makes an outlook on the future development directions in this field. This review not only provides a comprehensive perspective on the mechanisms by which cells sense metabolic and environmental variations, but also lays a theoretical foundation for further innovations in the field of synthetic biology. With the continuous advancement of future technologies, a deeper understanding of cellular adaptive regulation mechanisms holds great potential to drive the development and application of novel biomanufacturing platforms.
Adaptation, Physiological ; Synthetic Biology ; Metabolic Engineering/methods* ; Environment ; Bacteria/genetics*

OBJECTIVES

o demonstrate the utility of the supraclavicular artery island flap (SCAIF) as a viable alternative to free tissue transfer for reconstruction of large cervicofacial defects.

METHODS

Design:Case Report

Setting:Tertiary National University Hospital

Patient: One

RESULTS

A 43-year-old woman with a giant cavernous hemangioma measuring 21.43 x 9.91 x 20.75cm underwent tumor resection and immediate reconstruction using SCAIF. Following preoperative embolization and complete tumor excision, an 11 x 15cm cervicofacial defect was successfully reconstructed using SCAIF. The patient experienced post-operative complications including multiple wound dehiscences and hypertrophic scar formation but achieved significant functional and aesthetic improvement. At three months follow up, the patient reported cessation of bleeding episodes, improved feeding capacity, and enhanced quality of life despite persistent tracheostomy dependence. Plans for secondary surgery include scar revision, commissuroplasty, and intralesional steroid injections.

CONCLUSION

The supraclavicular artery island flap presents a practical, cost-effective alternative to free tissue transfer for extensive cervicofacial reconstruction, particularly in resource-limited environments or in patients where free tissue transfer is contraindicated. Advantages include good color match, wide arc of rotation, and ease of harvest. Despite potential complications, it offers excellent functional and aesthetic outcomes with acceptable donor site morbidity.

Human ; Female ; Young Adult: 19-24 Yrs Old ; Aids-related Complex ; Neoplasms ; Costs And Cost Analysis ; General Surgery ; Environment ; Research Report ; Steroids ; Tracheostomy ; Hospitals

BACKGROUND

Organizational commitment strengthens care delivery and system responsiveness, yet high turnover and workforce exhaustion threaten healthcare stability. Understanding factors that sustain commitment is especially critical during crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

AIM

This study examined how nurses' attitudes toward their practice environment predict organizational commitment at King Abdullah Medical City (KAMC), Makkah, Saudi Arabia.

DESIGN

Across-sectional predictive correlational design was used.

METHODS

Data was collected from 275 staff nurses between October and November 2020 using convenience sampling. Attitudes toward the practice environment were assessed with the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index (PESNWI), while organizational commitment was measured using the Revised Three-Component Model Employee Commitment Survey. Descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlations, and multiple regression were conducted in SPSS version 21.

RESULTS

Nurses reported positive work attitudes, with the highest ratings for nursing care and interdisciplinary relationships, followed by management and leadership, and the lowest for adequate resources. Organizational commitment was moderate across affective, normative, and continuance domains. Regression analyses identified nursing care and interdisciplinary relationships as the most consistent predictor across all domains of commitment, including affective (p < .001), normative (p = .047), continuance (p = .004), and overall organizational commitment (p < .001). Adequate resources significantly predicted affective (p = .014) and overall commitment (p = .050), while management and leadership predicted normative commitment (p = .016).

CONCLUSION

Nurses' perceptions of their practice environment significantly shape organizational commitment during crisis conditions. Interdisciplinary collaboration consistently emerged as the strongest predictor, underscoring the value of teamwork and nurse–physician partnerships. Adequate staffing and resources also reinforced commitment, particularly in sustaining affective bonds. These findings underscored that supportive practice environments, through collaboration, adequate resources, and participatory leadership, enhance nurses' autonomy and sense of meaningful work, which in turn strengthen organizational commitment, retention, and resilience during crises.

Human ; Nurses ; Nursing ; Workforce ; Health Resources ; Covid-19 ; Work ; Leadership ; Environment ; Saudi Arabia

INTRODUCTION

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are a leading global health concern. Modifiable behavioral risk factors are increasingly recognized in young adults, especially among medical students who often live independently. This study investigated the association between living alone and modifiable cardiovascular risk factors—sleep quality, sodium intake, physical activity, and body mass index (BMI)—among medical students at UERMMMCI during the 2022-2023 academic year.

METHODS

Researchers conducted an analytical cross-sectional study among 220 medical students. Validated tools were used: Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Scored Sodium Questionnaire, International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), and BMI classification. Researchers performed statistical analyses using Chi-square tests and calculated relative risks (RR) with 95% confidence intervals.

RESULTS

A significant positive association was found between living alone and poor sleep quality (RR 2.132 p = 0.047). No significant associations were observed between living alone and sodium intake (RR 0.96 p = 0.6868), physical activity (RR 1.18 p = 0.2239), or BMI (RR 1.03 p = 0.7367).

CONCLUSION

Among the studied cardiovascular risk factors, only poor sleep quality was significantly more prevalent among students living alone. These findings highlight the importance of interventions targeting sleep hygiene in this demographic.

Human ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Risk Factors ; Students, Medical ; Sleep Quality ; Living Alone ; Home Environment