Objective: To analyze the distribution characteristics of fluoride and trichloromethane in drinking water in rural schools in Guizhou Province and assess their health risks, so as to provide a scientific basis for ensuring the safety of drinking water in rural schools. Methods: During the dry season (March to May) and wet season (July to September) of 2020 to 2022, 788 rural primary and secondary schools in agricultural counties (districts) in Guizhou Province were selected for investigation by using a direct sampling method. A total of 1 566 drinking water samples were collected from these schools, and the mass concentrations of fluoride and trichloromethane in the water samples were detected. The Mann-Whitney U test was used for intergroup comparison, and a health risk assessment model was employed to evaluate the health risks of students oral intake of fluoride and trichloromethane. Results: From 2020 to 2022, the mass concentrations of fluoride and trichloromethane in the drinking water of rural schools in Guizhou Province all met the standards, and the ranges were no detection to 0.99 mg/L and (no detection to 0.06)×10 -3 mg/L, respectively. The mass concentrations of fluoride in dry and wet seasons were 0.05(0.05,0.10), 0.05(0.05,0.10) mg/L, the mass concentrations of trichloromethane were [0.02(0.02,1.00)]×10 -3 , [0.02(0.02,1.00)]×10 -3 mg/L, the mass concentrations of fluoride in factory water and terminal water were 0.05(0.05,0.05), 0.05(0.05,0.10) mg/L, and the differences were not statistically significant ( Z=-0.04, -0.88, - 0.98 , P >0.05). There was a statistically significant difference in the mass concentration of trichloromethane between factory water and peripheral water [0.02(0.02,0.02)×10 -3 , 0.02(0.02,1.05)×10 -3 mg/L]( Z=-2.16, P < 0.05 ). The non-carcinogenic risk assessment values for students oral exposure to fluoride and trichloromethane were in the range of 0.01(0.01,0.03)-0.03(0.03,0.06) and [0.26( 0.26 ,14.54)]×10 -4 -[0.52(0.52,48.62)]×10 -4 , respectively, all of which were at acceptable levels; the carcinogenic risk assessment values for oral exposure to trichloromethane were in the range of [0.08(0.08, 4.51 )]×10 -7 -[0.16(0.16,15.07)]×10 -7 , indicating a low risk. Conclusions The health risks of students expore to fluoride and trichloromethane in drinking water in rural schools of Guizhou Province are low. It is necessary to strengthen the standardized management of disinfection in some rural drinking water projects and the monitoring of fluoride in water sources to reduce the exposure risk to children.

BACKGROUND: Generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP), a rare and recurrent autoinflammatory disease, imposes a substantial burden on patients and society. Awareness of GPP in China remains limited. METHODS: This cross-sectional survey, conducted between September 2021 and May 2023 across 14 hospitals in China, included GPP patients of all ages and disease phases. Data collected encompassed demographics, clinical characteristics, economic impact, disease severity, quality of life, and treatment-related complications. Risk factors for GPP recurrence were analyzed. RESULTS: Among 127 patients (female/male ratio = 1.35:1), the mean age of disease onset was 25 years (1st quartile [Q1]-3rd quartile [Q3]: 11-44 years); 29.2% had experienced GPP for more than 10 years. Recurrence occurred in 75.6% of patients, and nearly half reported no identifiable triggers. Younger age at disease onset ( P  = 0.021) and transitioning to plaque psoriasis ( P  = 0.022) were associated with higher recurrence rates. The median diagnostic delay was 8 months (Q1-Q3: 2-41 months), and 32.3% of patients reported misdiagnoses. Comorbidities were present in 53.5% of patients, whereas 51.1% experienced systemic complications during treatment. Depression and anxiety affected 84.5% and 95.6% of patients, respectively. During GPP flares, the median Dermatology Life Quality Index score was 19.0 (Q1-Q3: 13.0-23.5). This score showed significant differences between patients with and without systemic symptoms; it demonstrated correlations with both depression and anxiety scores. Treatment costs caused financial hardship in 55.9% of patients, underscoring the burden associated with GPP. CONCLUSIONS The substantial disease and economic burdens among Chinese GPP patients warrant increased attention. Patients with early onset disease and those transitioning to plaque psoriasis require targeted interventions to mitigate the high recurrence risk.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Psoriasis/pathology* ; Adult ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Adolescent ; Child ; Young Adult ; Quality of Life ; Middle Aged ; China/epidemiology* ; Recurrence ; Risk Factors ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; East Asian People

This study aimed to comprehensively examine the association of gallstones, cholecystectomy, and cancer risk. Multivariable logistic regressions were performed to estimate the observational associations of gallstones and cholecystectomy with cancer risk, using data from a nationwide cohort involving 239 799 participants. General and gender-specific two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was further conducted to assess the causalities of the observed associations. Observationally, a history of gallstones without cholecystectomy was associated with a high risk of stomach cancer (adjusted odds ratio (aOR)=2.54, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.50-4.28), liver and bile duct cancer (aOR=2.46, 95% CI 1.17-5.16), kidney cancer (aOR=2.04, 95% CI 1.05-3.94), and bladder cancer (aOR=2.23, 95% CI 1.01-5.13) in the general population, as well as cervical cancer (aOR=1.69, 95% CI 1.12-2.56) in women. Moreover, cholecystectomy was associated with high odds of stomach cancer (aOR=2.41, 95% CI 1.29-4.49), colorectal cancer (aOR=1.83, 95% CI 1.18-2.85), and cancer of liver and bile duct (aOR=2.58, 95% CI 1.11-6.02). MR analysis only supported the causal effect of gallstones on stomach, liver and bile duct, kidney, and bladder cancer. This study added evidence to the causal effect of gallstones on stomach, liver and bile duct, kidney, and bladder cancer, highlighting the importance of cancer screening in individuals with gallstones.
Humans ; Mendelian Randomization Analysis ; Gallstones/complications* ; Female ; Male ; Cholecystectomy/statistics & numerical data* ; Middle Aged ; Risk Factors ; Aged ; Adult ; Neoplasms/etiology* ; Stomach Neoplasms/epidemiology*

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical characteristics and related risk factors of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in intensive care unit (ICU). METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted. Patients with diarrhea admitted to the ICU of the General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University from May 1 to August 30, 2023 were selected. Patients were divided into CDI group and non-CDI group based on the presence or absence of CDI. Clinical data from two groups of patients meeting the criteria were collected and compared, including gender, age, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II), length of hospital stay, serum lactic acid, parenteral nutrition time, white blood cell count (WBC), procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP), coagulation indicators, albumin, antibiotic exposure, etc. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was performed to analyze the risk factors for CDI in ICU diarrhea patients. Receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC curve) was drawn to analyze the predictive value of each index for CDI in diarrhea patients. RESULTS: A total of 24 patients with diarrhea were enrolled, including 9 patients in the CDI group and 15 patients in the non-CDI group. The time of parenteral nutrition in the CDI group was significantly longer than that in the non-CDI group [days: 18.0 (13.5, 19.5) vs. 10.0 (4.0, 18.0)], the serum lactic acid level [mmol/L: 4.40 (3.00, 15.25) vs. 2.50 (1.90, 3.20)] and the ratio of serum lactic acid > 3.9 mmol/L [66.67% (6/9) vs. 6.67% (1/15)] were significantly higher than those in the non-CDI group, with statistical significance (all P < 0.05). Multivariate binary Logistic regression analysis showed that the serum lactic acid level of the patients was an independent risk factor for CDI [odds ratio (OR) = 3.193, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) was 1.011-10.080, P = 0.048]. ROC curve showed that serum lactic acid level had a high predictive value for CDI in ICU patients with diarrhea, and the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.815, respectively. When the cut-off value of serum lactic acid was 3.9 mmol/L, the sensitivity was 66.7% and the specificity was 93.3%. CONCLUSION Patients with diarrhea who have higher serum lactate levels (> 3.9 mmol/L) on admission are at increased risk of developing CDI.
Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Intensive Care Units ; Clostridium Infections ; Clostridioides difficile ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Diarrhea/microbiology* ; Logistic Models ; ROC Curve ; Adult

OBJECTIVE: Pneumoconiosis, a lung disease caused by irreversible fibrosis, represents a significant public health burden. This study investigates the causal relationships between gut microbiota, gene methylation, gene expression, protein levels, and pneumoconiosis using a multi-omics approach and Mendelian randomization (MR). METHODS: We analyzed gut microbiota data from MiBioGen and Esteban et al. to assess their potential causal effects on pneumoconiosis subtypes (asbestosis, silicosis, and inorganic pneumoconiosis) using conventional and summary-data-based MR (SMR). Gene methylation and expression data from Genotype-Tissue Expression and eQTLGen, along with protein level data from deCODE and UK Biobank Pharma Proteomics Project, were examined in relation to pneumoconiosis data from FinnGen. To validate our findings, we assessed self-measured gut flora from a pneumoconiosis cohort and performed fine mapping, drug prediction, molecular docking, and Phenome-Wide Association Studies to explore relevant phenotypes of key genes. RESULTS: Three core gut microorganisms were identified: Romboutsia ( OR = 0.249) as a protective factor against silicosis, Pasteurellaceae ( OR = 3.207) and Haemophilus parainfluenzae ( OR = 2.343) as risk factors for inorganic pneumoconiosis. Additionally, mapping and quantitative trait loci analyses revealed that the genes VIM, STX8, and MIF were significantly associated with pneumoconiosis risk. CONCLUSIONS This multi-omics study highlights the associations between gut microbiota and key genes ( VIM, STX8, MIF) with pneumoconiosis, offering insights into potential therapeutic targets and personalized treatment strategies.
Humans ; Male ; East Asian People/genetics* ; Europe ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Lung ; Macrophage Migration-Inhibitory Factors/metabolism* ; Mendelian Randomization Analysis ; Multiomics ; Pneumoconiosis/microbiology* ; Intramolecular Oxidoreductases

Objective To discover 5-HT2A receptor antagonist molecules with novel structures and explore their structure-activity relationship through structure-and mechanism-based drug design,synthesis and activity evaluation.Methods The way in which pimovanserin interacted with 5-HT2A receptor was analyzed via molecular docking,molecular dynamics simulation and binding free energy calculations.Based on the results of this study,the 5-HT2A receptor antagonist target compounds with novel structures were designed using pimovanserin as the lead molecule.According to the structures of target compounds,corresponding synthetic routes were designed.The heterocyclic methylamine intermediates were obtained by reductive amination or reduction reaction from heterocyclic formaldehyde or heterocyclic methanonitrile before being reacted with 4-(4-fluorobenzylamino)-1-methylpiperidine to obtain the target compounds using CDI urea synthesis method.The inhibitory activity of the target compounds against 5-HT2A receptor was tested at the cellular level,and the anti-hallucinogenic effects of the target compounds were tested in the mouse head twitch response model.Results Twelvenovel compounds were synthesized and their structures were confirmed by HR-MS,1H-NMR and 13C-NMR.The results of the activity assay showed that compounds 6a,6c and 6d exhibited better 5-HT2Areceptor inhibitoryactivity with IC50 values of 120,152 and 285 nmol/L,respectively while compounds 6c and 6d exhibited better anti-hallucinogenic activity in mice with inhibition rates of 97.0％and 82.9％(10 mg/kg),respectively.Conclusion The novel compound 6c and 6d have shown strong 5-HT2A receptor inhibitoryactivity and anti-hallucinogenic activity and deserve more research.Structure-activity relationship analyses of target compounds indicate that the repulsion of the heterocyclic ring with basic N atoms and the accommodation of the heterocyclic ring without basic N atoms by the side extended pocket of the 5-HT2A receptor could significantly affect the ex vivo and in vivo effects of antagonists.

Drug resistance presents a significant challenge to achieving positive clinical outcomes in anti-tumor therapy.Prior research has illuminated reasons behind drug resistance,including increased drug efflux,alterations in drug targets,and abnormal activation of oncogenic pathways.However,there's a need for deeper investigation into the impact of drug-resistant cells on parental tumor cells and intricate crosstalk between tumor cells and the malignant tumor microenvironment(TME).Recent studies on extracellular vesicles(EVs)have provided valuable insights.EVs are membrane-bound particles secreted by all cells,mediating cell-to-cell communication.They contain functional cargoes like DNA,RNA,lipids,proteins,and metabolites from mother cells,delivered to other cells.Notably,EVs are increasingly recognized as regulators in the resistance to anti-cancer drugs.This review aims to summarize the mechanisms of EV-mediated anti-tumor drug resistance,covering therapeutic approaches like chemo-therapy,targeted therapy,immunotherapy and even radiotherapy.Detecting EV-based biomarkers to predict drug resistance assists in bypassing anti-tumor drug resistance.Additionally,targeted inhibition of EV biogenesis and secretion emerges as a promising approach to counter drug resistance.We highlight the importance of conducting in-depth mechanistic research on EVs,their cargoes,and functional ap-proaches specifically focusing on EV subpopulations.These efforts will significantly advance the devel-opment of strategies to overcome drug resistance in anti-tumor therapy.

Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of pneumococcal meningitis(PM),and drug sensitivity of Streptococcus pneumoniae(SP)isolates in Chinese children.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical information,laboratory data,and microbiological data of 160 hospitalized children under 15 years old with PM from January 2019 to December 2020 in 33 tertiary hospitals across the country.Results Among the 160 children with PM,there were 103 males and 57 females.The age ranged from 15 days to 15 years,with 109 cases(68.1% )aged 3 months to under 3 years.SP strains were isolated from 95 cases(59.4% )in cerebrospinal fluid cultures and from 57 cases(35.6% )in blood cultures.The positive rates of SP detection by cerebrospinal fluid metagenomic next-generation sequencing and cerebrospinal fluid SP antigen testing were 40% (35/87)and 27% (21/78),respectively.Fifty-five cases(34.4% )had one or more risk factors for purulent meningitis,113 cases(70.6% )had one or more extra-cranial infectious foci,and 18 cases(11.3% )had underlying diseases.The most common clinical symptoms were fever(147 cases,91.9% ),followed by lethargy(98 cases,61.3% )and vomiting(61 cases,38.1% ).Sixty-nine cases(43.1% )experienced intracranial complications during hospitalization,with subdural effusion and/or empyema being the most common complication[43 cases(26.9% )],followed by hydrocephalus in 24 cases(15.0% ),brain abscess in 23 cases(14.4% ),and cerebral hemorrhage in 8 cases(5.0% ).Subdural effusion and/or empyema and hydrocephalus mainly occurred in children under 1 year old,with rates of 91% (39/43)and 83% (20/24),respectively.SP strains exhibited complete sensitivity to vancomycin(100% ,75/75),linezolid(100% ,56/56),and meropenem(100% ,6/6).High sensitivity rates were also observed for levofloxacin(81% ,22/27),moxifloxacin(82% ,14/17),rifampicin(96% ,25/26),and chloramphenicol(91% ,21/23).However,low sensitivity rates were found for penicillin(16% ,11/68)and clindamycin(6% ,1/17),and SP strains were completely resistant to erythromycin(100% ,31/31).The rates of discharge with cure and improvement were 22.5% (36/160)and 66.2% (106/160),respectively,while 18 cases(11.3% )had adverse outcomes.Conclusions Pediatric PM is more common in children aged 3 months to under 3 years.Intracranial complications are more frequently observed in children under 1 year old.Fever is the most common clinical manifestation of PM,and subdural effusion/emphysema and hydrocephalus are the most frequent complications.Non-culture detection methods for cerebrospinal fluid can improve pathogen detection rates.Adverse outcomes can be noted in more than 10% of PM cases.SP strains are high sensitivity to vancomycin,linezolid,meropenem,levofloxacin,moxifloxacin,rifampicin,and chloramphenicol.[Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics,2024,26(2):131-138]

Cryoablation therapy with explicit anti-tumor mechanisms and histopathological manifestations has a long history.A large number of clinical practice has shown that cryoablation therapy is safe and effective,making it an ideal tumor treatment method in theory.Previously,its efficacy and clinical application were constrained by the limitations of refrigerants and refrigeration equipment.With the development of the new generation of cryoablation equipment represented by argon helium knives,significant progress has been made in refrigeration efficien-cy,ablation range,and precise temperature measurement,greatly promoting the progression of tumor cryoablation technology.This consensus systematically summarizes the mechanism of cryoablation technology,indications for oral mucosal melanoma(OMM)cryotherapy,clinical treatment process,adverse reactions and management,cryotherapy combination therapy,etc.,aiming to provide reference for carrying out the standardized cryoablation therapy of OMM.