Background Occupational groups are facing a "dual health threat". Research indicates that enhancing the occupational health literacy (OHL) of workers is crucial for safeguarding their health and well-being. However, at present, the research on OHL in China is still in its infancy and there is an urgent need to carry out systematic studies. Objective To analyze the OHL level and influencing factors of key industry groups in Huangshan City, and to provide a basis for targeted intervention activities. Methods From 2022 to 2023, a stratified cluster random sampling method was used to select 621 frontline workers from 20 companies in four industries: non-metallic mineral mining and dressing, textile and apparel, rubber and plastic products, and non-metallic mineral products in Huangshan City. The participants were asked to anonymously complete the National Key Population Occupational Health Literacy Monitoring Survey Personal Questionnaire. The overall and 4 dimension levels of OHL were calculated according to the "2022 Calculation Standards for Occupational Health Literacy Levels of Key Populations". The OHL level was defined as the proportion of the target population possessing adequate OHL (indicated by an overall or dimension-specific score rate ≥80% on the questionnaire). Results A total of 621 workers were surveyed during the study period, with 597 valid questionnaires collected, resulting in an effective rate of 96.14%. The participants were mainly frontline workers in small enterprises, presenting the pattern of "three lows and one long". The male-to-female ratio was 1.16∶1. The overall OHL level of the participants was 45.06% during the study period. The dimension-specific levels of occupational health legal knowledge, basic knowledge, basic skills, and healthy working methods and behaviors were 50.25%, 73.53%, 30.49%, and 60.13%, respectively. There were statistically significant differences in the overall OHL level and the four dimension-specific levels among workers across different industries (P<0.05), with the lowest overall OHL level in the textile and apparel industry (32.06%). The results of logistic regression analysis showed that compared with those with a monthly income of less than 3000 yuan, those with a monthly income of 3000 to 4999 yuan, 7000 to 8999 yuan, and ≥9000 yuan had higher OHL levels (OR=4.152, 3.796, 5.382); compared with those working 40 h or less per week, those working 49 to 54 h had lower OHL level (OR=0.491); compared with those with less than 5 years of work experience, those with 5 to 9 years of work experience had higher OHL levels (OR=1.770); compared with workers in the non-metallic mineral products industry, workers in the non-metallic mineral mining and dressing industry and the rubber and plastic products industry had higher OHL levels (OR=3.790, 2.511) (P<0.05). Conclusion The OHL levels of workers in the four key industries of the secondary industry in Huangshan City are generally low and develop unevenly. We should focus on strengthening the occupational health intervention for frontline workers in the textile, clothing and apparel and frontline workers with low incomes, long working hours, and more than 15 years of service, and emphasize the training of practical application of theoretical knowledge to improve the OHL level of workers in all aspects.

Kui was first recorded in The Rites of Zhou and is the earliest domesticated wild vegetable in China. In the Qi Min Yao Shu, Kui was called “the master of all vegetables” and has a long history of application in China. As a medicine, Kuizi was first recorded in Shen Nong’s Herbal Classic, which has a history of more than 2 000 years of medicinal use and a long history of clinical application. By researching the ancient and modern herbal literature, the first herbs texts of Kui were examined, various recorded texts, confused products and the history of the original medicinal use were clarified. It was concluded that the ancient herbal texts recorded the base plant of Kui as Malva verticillata L. belonging to family Malvaceae, which provided scientific basis for the development and utilization of Kui.

Objective To explore the correlation between osteocalcin (OCN) and visceral fat area (VFA) in overweight/obese population. Methods The data of 297 overweight/obese people who underwent health examinations in Health Management Department of Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University from August 2021 to August 2024 were analyzed. According to the VFA value measured by InBody, the subjects were divided into an excessive group (VFA ≥100 cm²) and a normal group (VFA<100 cm2). The baseline data, glucose metabolism indicators, lipid metabolism indicators and OCN were compared between the two groups. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the independent risk factors affecting visceral fat deposition in overweight/obese people. Results According to the VFA value, there were 193 cases (64.98%) in the excessive group and 104 cases (35.02%) in the normal group. There were no statistical differences in gender, age and comorbidities between the two groups (P>0.05). The BMI, FPG, HbA1c, TC, TG, and LDL-C in the excessive group were higher than those in the normal group, while the HDL-C and OCN were lower than those in the normal group (P<0.05). Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that BMI, FPG, HbA1c, TC, TG and LDL-C were independent risk factors for visceral fat deposition in overweight/obese people, while HDL-C and OCN were protective factors (P<0.05). Conclusion Visceral fat deposition in overweight/obese people is closely related to OCN content, and is affected by abnormal glucolipid metabolism, which provides new ideas for the prevention and treatment of obesity-related diseases.

Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a serious intracranial hemorrhage characterized by acute bleeding into the subarachnoid space. The effects of shikonin, a natural compound from the roots of Lithospermum erythrorhizon, on oxidative stress and blood–brain barrier (BBB) injury in SAH was evaluated in this study. A rat model of SAH was established by endovascular perforation to mimic the rupture of intracranial aneurysms. Rats were then administered 25 mg/kg of shikonin or dimethylsulfoxide after surgery. Brain edema, SAH grade, and neurobehavioral scores were measured after 24 h of SAH to evaluate neurological impairment. Concentrations of the oxidative stress markers superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH), and malondialdehyde (MDA) in the brain cortex were determined using the corresponding commercially available assay kits. Evans blue staining was used to determine BBB permeability. Western blotting was used to quantify protein levels of tight junction proteins zonula occludens-1, Occludin, and Claudin-5. After modeling, the brain water content increased significantly whereas the neurobehavioral scores of rats with SAH decreased prominently. MDA levels increased and the levels of the antioxidant enzymes GSH and SOD decreased after SAH. These changes were reversed after shikonin administration. Shikonin treatment also inhibited Evans blue extravasation after SAH. Furthermore, reduction in the levels of tight junction proteins after SAH modeling was rescued after shikonin treatment. In conclusion, shikonin exerts a neuroprotective effect after SAH by mitigating BBB injury and inhibiting oxidative stress in the cerebral cortex.

Background: Maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY) due to variants of hepatocyte nuclear factor 1-beta (HNF1β) (MODY5) has not been well studied in the Chinese population. This study aimed to estimate its prevalence and evaluate the application of a clinical screening method (Faguer score) in Chinese early-onset diabetes (EOD) patients. Methods: Among 679 EOD patients clinically diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus (age at diagnosis ≤40 years), the exons of HNF1β were sequenced. Functional impact of rare variants was evaluated using a dual-luciferase reporter system. Faguer scores ≥8 prompted multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) for large deletions. Pathogenicity of HNF1β variants was assessed following the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) guidelines. Results: Two rare HNF1β missense mutations (E105K and G454R) were identified by sequencing in five patients, showing functional impact in vitro. Another patient was found to have a whole-gene deletion by MLPA in 22 patients with the Faguer score above 8. Following ACMG guidelines, six patients carrying pathogenic or likely pathogenic variant were diagnosed with MODY5. The estimated prevalence of MODY5 in Chinese EOD patients was approximately 0.9% or higher. Conclusion MODY5 is not uncommon in China. The Faguer score is helpful in deciding whether to perform MLPA analysis on patients with negative sequencing results.

Objective To evaluate the effect of donor gender on short-term survival rate of lung transplant recipients. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the data of 1 066 lung transplant recipients. The log-rank test was used to evaluate the differences in short-term fatality among different donor gender groups and donor-recipient gender combination groups. Multivariate Cox regression, propensity score (PS) regression, and propensity score matching (PSM) were employed to control for confounding factors and further assess the differences in fatality. Subgroup analyses were also performed based on donor gender. Results Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed no statistically significant differences in fatality at 30 days, 1 year, 2 years and 3 years postoperatively between male and female donor groups (all P>0.05). After PS regression and PSM, univariate Cox regression analysis indicated that recipients from female donors had a higher fatality at 2 years postoperatively compared to those from male donors, with hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) of 1.29 (1.01-1.65) and 1.36 (1.03-1.80) respectively. Multivariate Cox regression analysis also revealed no statistically significant differences in fatality at various follow-up time points among different donor-recipient gender combination groups (all P>0.05). Subgroup analyses based on donor sex showed no statistically significant differences in fatality among recipients of different gender within either male or female donor groups (all P>0.05). Conclusions Female donors may reduce the short-term postoperative survival rate of lung transplant recipients, but this negative impact is not sustainable in the long term. At present, there is no evidence to support the inclusion of sex as a factor in lung allocation rules.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common clinically critical syndrome in hospitalized patients with high morbidity and mortality. At present, the mechanism of AKI has not been fully elucidated, and no therapeutic drugs exist. As known, glycolytic product lactate is a key metabolite in physiological and pathological processes. The kidney is an important gluconeogenic organ, where lactate is the primary substrate of renal gluconeogenesis in physiological conditions. During AKI, altered glycolysis and gluconeogenesis in kidneys significantly disturb the lactate metabolic balance, which exert impacts on the severity and prognosis of AKI. Additionally, lactate-derived posttranslational modification, namely lactylation, is novel to AKI as it could regulate gene transcription of metabolic enzymes involved in glycolysis or Warburg effect. Protein lactylation widely exists in human tissues and may severely affect non-histone functions. Moreover, the strategies of intervening lactate metabolic pathways are expected to bring a new dawn for the treatment of AKI. This review focused on renal lactate metabolism, especially in proximal renal tubules after AKI, and updated recent advances of lactylation modification, which may help to explore potential therapeutic targets against AKI.
Humans ; Acute Kidney Injury/metabolism* ; Lactic Acid/metabolism* ; Animals ; Glycolysis/physiology* ; Gluconeogenesis/physiology* ; Kidney/metabolism*

Intelligence encompasses various abilities, including logical reasoning, comprehension, self-awareness, learning, planning, creativity, and problem-solving. Extensive research and practical experience suggest that there are sex differences in intellectual development, with females typically maturing earlier than males. However, the key genes and molecular network mechanisms underlying these sex differences in intellectual development remain unclear. To date, Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) have identified 507 genes that are significantly associated with intelligence. This study first analyzed RNA sequencing data from different stages of brain development (from BrainSpan), revealing that during the late embryonic stage, the average expression levels of intelligence-related genes are higher in males than in females, while the opposite is observed during puberty. This study further constructed interaction networks of intelligence-related genes with sex-differential expression in the brain, including the prenatal male network (HELP-M: intelligence genes with higher expression levels in prenatal males) and the pubertal female network (HELP-F: intelligence genes with higher expression levels in pubertal females). The findings indicate that the key genes in both networks are Ep300 and Ctnnb1. Specifically, Ep300 regulates the transcription of 53 genes in both HELP-M and HELP-F, while Ctnnb1 regulates the transcription of 45 genes. Ctnnb1 plays a more prominent role in HELP-M, while Ep300 is more crucial in HELP-F. Finally, this study conducted sequencing validation on rats at different developmental stages, and the results indicated that in the prefrontal cortex of female rats during adolescence, the expression levels of the intelligence genes in HELP-F, as well as key genes Ep300 and Ctnnb1, were higher than those in male rats. These genes were also involved in neurodevelopment-related biological processes. The findings reveal a sex-differentiated intelligence gene network and its key genes, which exhibit varying expression levels during the neurodevelopmental process.
Female ; Intelligence/physiology* ; Male ; Sex Characteristics ; Animals ; Brain/growth & development* ; E1A-Associated p300 Protein/physiology* ; beta Catenin/physiology* ; Transcriptome ; Rats ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Genome-Wide Association Study

Skeletal muscle atrophy is characterized by a reduction in both the size and quantity of skeletal muscle fibers, resulting in impaired muscle strength and function. It mainly includes disuse muscle atrophy, aging muscle atrophy, denervated muscle atrophy and muscle atrophy caused by disease etc. As a cost-effective way, exercise has been widely used in the prevention and treatment of skeletal muscle atrophy, but its mechanism for improving skeletal muscle atrophy remains unclear. Recent studies have indicated that insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) plays an important role in improving muscle atrophy through exercise, in addition to promoting the survival of neurons, lowering blood sugar, and anti-inflammation. This article reviews recent findings on the mechanisms by which IGF-1 mediates exercise-induced improvement in skeletal muscle atrophy, providing a theoretical basis for the prevention and treatment of this disease.
Insulin-Like Growth Factor I/physiology* ; Muscular Atrophy/therapy* ; Humans ; Exercise/physiology* ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Animals ; Insulin-Like Peptides