Background Depressive moods among occupational population are prevalent, which seriously affect their mental-physical health and socioeconomic productivity. This has become an urgent public health concern. Objective To understand current situation of depressive mood among an occupational population aged 18 to 60 covering 120 cities of China, and to explore the relationship between work-family conflict and depressive mood as well as the role of life stress in the relationship, as to provide a scientific basis for developing measures to reduce depressive mood in the occupational population. Methods Using the data of the Psychology and Behavior Investigation of Chinese Residents in 2021, an occupational population aged 18 to 60 years was selected as study subjects. A total of 3785 subjects were included in the study. The Work-Family Conflict Scale, Subjective Life Stress Scale, and Patient Health Questionnaire-Depression Scale were used to assess the work-family conflict, life stress, and depressive mood of the subjects. Harman's single-factor method was used to evaluate common method bias in the survey data. One-way ANOVA was applied to test the difference in work-family conflict, life stress, and depressive mood among occupational population by demographic characteristics, and chi-square test was used to analyze the difference in reporting depressive mood. Partial correlation analysis was used to evaluate the correlation between selected variables. Process plug-in was used to test potential mediating effect of life stress on work-family conflict and depressive emotion. Results The scores of work-family conflict, life stress, and depressive mood among the occupational population were 24.60±8.28, 9.28±3.78, and 5.43±5.30, respectively. The prevalence rates of depressive mood was 48.7% (1888/3875). The score of depressive mood among occupational population who never smoked was significantly higher than that of those who smoked (P<0.01). The partial correlation analysis showed that work-family conflict and life stress were positively correlated with depressive mood (r=0.472 and 0.447, P<0.001); work-family conflict was positively correlated with life stress (r=0.361, P<0.001). The mediation analysis results showed that work-family conflict positively associated with life stress (b=0.361, P<0.001); life stress positively associated with depressive mood (b=0.318, P<0.001); work-family conflict positively associated with depressive mood (b=0.357, P<0.001), and played a partial mediating role in the relationship between work-family conflict and depressive mood with an effect size of 0.115 (95%CI: 0.099, 0.130) that accounted for 24.36% of the total effect. Conclusion Work-family conflict may not only directly affect depressive mood among occupational population, but also indirectly affect depressive mood through a mediating effect of life stress.

OBJECTIVE To optimize the water extraction technology for Kaixin granules. METHODS UPLC-MS/MS method was established for the simultaneous determination of ginsenoside Rg1， ginsenoside Re， ginsenoside Rb1， tenuifolin， polygalaxanthone Ⅲ and 3， 6′-disinapoyl-sucrose. An orthogonal test was designed with extraction times， extraction duration， and the volume of added water as factors. Using the contents of the aforementioned six indicator components and the extract yield as evaluation indexes， analytic hierarchy process-entropy weight method was employed to determine the combined weights of each indicator. Subsequently， process optimization and validation were conducted by integrating grey relational analysis （GRA） and back propagation （BP） neural network. RESULTS The water extraction technology optimized by the orthogonal test and GRA was 10- fold water for the first decoction and 8-fold water for the subsequent two， extracting 3 times，extracting for 1 h each time； the average comprehensive score of the validation experiment was 91.10 （RSD＝0.31%， n＝3）. The water extraction technology optimized by BP neural network was extracting 3 times with 10-fold water added each time， extracting for 1.5 h each time； the average comprehensive score of the validation experiment was 95.89 （RSD＝0.73%， n＝3）. Considering practical production requirements， the optimal water extraction technology was extraction performed three times， with 10-fold water for the first decoction and 8-fold water for the subsequent two extractions， with an extraction time of 1 h each. CONCLUSIONS The optimized water extraction technology for Kaixin granules is stable and feasible.

PURPOSE: To investigate the incidence and influencing factors of bone loss in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI). METHODS: A retrospective case-control study was conducted. Patients with SCI in our hospital from January 2019 to March 2023 were collected. According to the correlation between bone mineral density (BMD) at different sites, the patients were divided into the lumbar spine group and the hip joint group. According to the BMD value, the patients were divided into the normal bone mass group (t > -1.0 standard deviation) and the osteopenia group (t ≤ -1.0 standard deviation). The influencing factors accumulated as follows: gender, age, height, weight, cause of injury, injury segment, injury degree, time after injury, start time of rehabilitation, motor score, sensory score, spasticity, serum value of alkaline phosphatase, calcium, and phosphorus. The trend chart was drawn and the influencing factors were analyzed. SPSS 26.0 was used for statistical analysis. Correlation analysis was used to test the correlation between the BMD values of the lumbar spine and bilateral hips. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to explore the influencing factors of osteoporosis after SCI. p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The incidence of bone loss in patients with SCI was 66.3%. There was a low concordance between bone loss in the lumbar spine and the hip, and the hip was particularly susceptible to bone loss after SCI, with an upward trend in incidence (36% - 82%). In this study, patients with SCI were divided into the lumbar spine group (n = 100) and the hip group (n = 185) according to the BMD values of different sites. Then, the lumbar spine group was divided into the normal bone mass group (n = 53) and the osteopenia group (n = 47); the hip joint group was divided into the normal bone mass group (n = 83) and the osteopenia group (n = 102). Of these, lumbar bone loss after SCI is correlated with gender and weight (p = 0.032 and < 0.001, respectively), and hip bone loss is correlated with gender, height, weight, and time since injury (p < 0.001, p = 0.015, 0.009, and 0.012, respectively). CONCLUSIONS The incidence of bone loss after SCI was high, especially in the hip. The incidence and influencing factors of bone loss in the lumbar spine and hip were different. Patients with SCI who are male, low height, lightweight, and long time after injury were more likely to have bone loss.
Humans ; Spinal Cord Injuries/complications* ; Male ; Female ; Retrospective Studies ; Incidence ; Adult ; Bone Density ; Middle Aged ; Case-Control Studies ; Osteoporosis/etiology* ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; Bone Diseases, Metabolic/etiology* ; Aged ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the regulatory effects of two traditional mineral medicines (TMMs), Gypsum Fibrosum (Shigao, GF) and Terra Flava Usta (Zaoxintu, TFU), on gut-beneficial bacteria in mice, and preliminarily explore their mechanisms of action. METHODS: Mice were randomly divided into 3 groups (n=10 per group): the control group (standard diet), the GF group (diet supplemented with 2% GF), and the TFU group (diet supplemented with 2% TFU). After 4-week intervention, 16S rRNA gene sequencing was used to analyze the changes in the gut microbiota (GM). Scanning electron microscopy, in combination with coumarin A tetramethyl rhodamine conjugate and Hoechst stainings, was used to observe the bacteria and biofilm formation. RESULTS: Principal coordinate analysis revealed that GF and TFU significantly altered the GM composition in mice. Further analysis revealed that GF and TFU affected different types of gut bacteria, suggesting that different TMMs may selectively modulate specific bacterial populations. For certain bacteria, such as Faecalibaculum and Ileibacterium, both GF and TFU exhibited growth-promoting effects, implying that they may be sensitive to TMMs and that different TMMs can increase their abundance through their respective mechanisms. Notably, Lactobacillus reuteri, a widely recognized and used probiotic, was significantly enriched in the GF group. Random forest analysis identified Ileibacterium valens as a potential indicator bacterium for TMMs' impact on GM. Further mechanistic studies showed that gut bacteria formed biofilm structures on the TFU surface. CONCLUSIONS This study provides new insights into the interaction between TMMs and GM. As safe and effective natural clays, GF and TFU hold promise as potential candidates for prebiotic development.
Animals ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome/drug effects* ; Bacteria/growth & development* ; Mice ; Biofilms/drug effects* ; Male ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics*

The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) has recently been proposed as a key player in the representation of itch stimuli. However, to date, little is known about the contribution of specific ACC interneuron populations to itch processing. Using c-Fos immunolabeling and in vivo Ca²⁺ imaging, we reported that both histamine and chloroquine stimuli-induced acute itch caused a marked enhancement of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP)-expressing interneuron activity in the ACC. Behavioral data indicated that optogenetic and chemogenetic activation of these neurons reduced scratching responses related to histaminergic and non-histaminergic acute itch. Similar neural activity and modulatory role of these neurons were seen in mice with chronic itch induced by contact dermatitis. Together, this study highlights the importance of ACC VIP⁺ neurons in modulating itch-related affect and behavior, which may help us to develop novel mechanism-based strategies to treat refractory chronic itch in the clinic.
Animals ; Pruritus/physiopathology* ; Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide/metabolism* ; Interneurons/metabolism* ; Gyrus Cinguli/metabolism* ; Mice ; Male ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Histamine ; Chloroquine ; Optogenetics ; Mice, Transgenic

Iron is an essential trace element in the human body, crucial in maintaining normal physiological functions. Recent studies have identified iron ions as a significant factor in initiating the ferroptosis process, a novel mode of programmed cell death characterized by iron overload and lipid peroxide accumulation. The iron metabolism pathway is one of the primary mechanisms regulating ferroptosis, as it maintains iron homeostasis within the cell. Numerous studies have demonstrated that abnormalities in iron metabolism can trigger the Fenton reaction, exacerbating oxidative stress, and leading to cell membrane rupture, cellular dysfunction, and damage to tissue structures. Therefore, regulation of iron metabolism represents a key strategy for ameliorating ferroptosis and offers new insights for treating diseases associated with iron metabolism imbalances. This review first summarizes the mechanisms that regulate iron metabolic pathways in ferroptosis and discusses the connections between the pathogenesis of various diseases and iron metabolism. Next, we introduce natural and synthetic small molecule compounds, hormones, proteins, and new nanomaterials that can affect iron metabolism. Finally, we provide an overview of the challenges faced by iron regulators in clinical translation and a summary and outlook on iron metabolism in ferroptosis, aiming to pave the way for future exploration and optimization of iron metabolism regulation strategies.

Objective This study aimed to investigate the lipid-lowering activity of LFBEP-C1 in high glucose-fed Caenorhabditis elegans(C.elegans). Methods In this study,the fermented barley protein LFBEP-C1 was prepared and tested for its potential anti-obesity effects on C.elegans.The worms were fed Escherichia coli OP50(E.coli OP50),glucose,and different concentrations of LFBEP-C1.Body size,lifespan,movement,triglyceride content,and gene expression were analyzed.The results were analyzed using ANOVA and Tukey's multiple comparison test. Results Compared with the model group,the head-swing frequency of C.elegans in the group of LFBEP-C1 at 20 μg/mL increased by 33.88%,and the body-bending frequency increased by 27.09%.This indicated that LFBEP-C1 improved the locomotive ability of C.elegans.The average lifespan of C.elegans reached 13.55 days,and the body length and width of the C.elegans decreased after LFBEP-C1 intake.Additionally,LFBEP-C1 reduced the content of lipid accumulation and triglyceride levels.The expression levels of sbp-1,daf-2,and mdt-15 significantly decreased,while those of daf-16,tph-1,mod-1,and ser-4 significantly increased after LFBEP-C1 intake.Changes in these genes explain the signaling pathways that regulate lipid metabolism. Conclusion LFBEP-C1 significantly reduced lipid deposition in C.elegans fed a high-glucose diet and alleviated the adverse effects of a high-glucose diet on the development,lifespan,and exercise behavior of C.elegans.In addition,LFBEP-C1 regulated lipid metabolism mainly by mediating the expression of genes in the sterol regulatory element-binding protein,insulin,and 5-hydroxytryptamine signaling pathways.

Objective To analyze the characteristics and influencing factors of healthcare-associated bloodstream infection(HA-BSI)of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales(CRE).Methods Retrospective nested case-control study was adopted.Fifty-six patients with CRE HA-BSI in a tertiary general hospital from January 2020 to Decem-ber 2022 were selected as the CRE group.With a 1:1 ratio,56 patients with carbapenem-sensitive Enterobacterales(CSE)BSI during the same period was selected as the CSE group.Distribution of infection strains and departments was analyzed,and the relevant factors for CRE BSI were analyzed by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses.Results The distribution of CRE BSI was mainly in intensive care unit(ICU,n=23,41.07％)and de-partment of hematology(n=17,30.36％).The main infection strains were Klebsiella pneumoniae(n=32,57.14％)and Escherichia coli(n=16,28.57％).Univariate analysis showed that malignant tumor,hospitalization history within 60 days,stay in ICU for＞48 hours before infection,mechanical ventilation,indwelling central venous cathe-ter,combined use of at least two kinds of antimicrobial agents,and duration of antimicrobial use ≥10 days were all related to CRE BSI(all P＜0.05).Multivariate logistic regression analysis found that stay in ICU＞48 hours before infection and duration of antimicrobial use ≥10 days before infection were independent risk factors for CRE HA-BSI(P＜0.05).Conclusion Clinical departments,especially ICU,should pay attention to the epidemiological history of patients,identify patients with high-risk factors for CRE BSI as early as possible,use antimicrobial agents ratio-nally and standardize invasive procedure,so as to reduce the occurrence of CRE HA-BSI.