Background As common public facilities essential to daily life, hair and beauty salons frequently contain various airborne toxic and hazardous pollutants potentially leading to adverse health effects for salon practitioners. Objective To characterize the indoor air pollution profiles of common contaminants in hair and beauty salons in Shanghai and to evaluate the associated health risks for practitioners, in order to provide a scientific basis for strengthening the public health management in Shanghai and protecting the health of practitioners. Methods The air quality monitoring data of hair and beauty salons in Shanghai from 2016 to 2024 were obtained from the “Health Hazard Factors Monitoring Program for Public Places” of the National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Monitoring indicators included particulate matter ≤10 μm in aerodynamic diameter (PM₁₀), particulate matter ≤2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter (PM_2.5), formaldehyde, ammonia, benzene, toluene, and xylene. Indicator compliance rates were calculated across various years in accordance with GB 9666-1996 Hygienic standard for barber shop and beauty shop and GB 37488-2019 Hygiene indicators and limit for public places; specifically, PM_2.5 was assessed against the limits stipulated in GB/T 18883-2022 Standards for indoor air quality. A questionnaire survey was conducted among salon practitioners to collect weekly working days and daily working hours. The non-carcinogenic risks associated with inhalation exposure to formaldehyde, ammonia, benzene, toluene, and xylene as well as the carcinogenic risks posed by formaldehyde and benzene were evaluated following WS/T 777-2021 Technical guide for environmental health risk assessment of chemical exposure and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency inhalation risk model. Results The overall compliance rates of PM₁₀, formaldehyde, ammonia, benzene, and toluene in the air of hair and beauty salons in Shanghai from 2016 to 2024 were 92.13%, 96.59%, 96.15%, 94.93%, and 94.97%, respectively; the overall compliance rate of xylene was a little lower (85.92%), and the overall compliance rate of PM_2.5 was 57.18%. The P₅₀ concentrations of PM₁₀, PM_2.5, formaldehyde, ammonia, benzene, toluene, and xylene did not exceed the corresponding limits. The P₅₀ of non-carcinogenic risk indicator (hazard quotient, HQ) for formaldehyde, ammonia, benzene, toluene, and xylene were <1. The probabilities of non-carcinogenic risk HQ >1 for formaldehyde and xylene were 41.4% and 10.9%, respectively, which were higher than that of other pollutants. The P₅₀ of carcinogenic risk (CR) for formaldehyde and benzene were between 1.0×10⁻⁶ and 1.0×10⁻⁴, while the probabilities of CR >1.0×10⁻⁴ were 16.9% and 14.0%, respectively. Conclusion The overall compliance rate of common pollutant concentrations in the air of hair and beauty salons in Shanghai is high, and the hygienic condition meets the requirements of national standards. The non-carcinogenic health risks posed by formaldehyde and xylene to employees (with formaldehyde being more prominent), as well as the carcinogenic risks associated with formaldehyde and benzene, deserve heightened attention in future health supervision.

Protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5) acts as an oncogene in liver cancer, yet its roles and in-depth molecular mechanisms within the liver cancer immune microenvironment remain mostly undefined. Here, we demonstrated that disruption of tumor-intrinsic PRMT5 enhances CD8⁺ T-cell-mediated antitumor immunity both in vivo and in vitro. Further experiments verified that this effect is achieved through downregulation of the inhibitory immune checkpoint molecule, fibrinogen-like protein 1 (FGL1). Mechanistically, PRMT5 catalyzed symmetric dimethylation of transcription factor 12 (TCF12) at arginine 554 (R554), prompting the binding of TCF12 to FGL1 promoter region, which transcriptionally activated FGL1 in tumor cells. Methylation deficiency at TCF12-R554 residue downregulated FGL1 expression, which promoted CD8⁺ T-cell-mediated antitumor immunity. Notably, combining the PRMT5 methyltransferase inhibitor GSK591 with PD-L1 blockade efficiently inhibited liver cancer growth and improved overall survival in mice. Collectively, our findings reveal the immunosuppressive role and mechanism of PRMT5 in liver cancer and highlight that targeting PRMT5 could boost checkpoint immunotherapy efficacy.

The cooccurrence of NPM1, FLT3-ITD, and DNMT3A mutations (i.e., triple mutation) is related to dismal prognosis in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) receiving chemotherapy alone. In this multicenter retrospective cohort study, we aimed to identify whether allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) could overcome the poor prognosis of DNMT3A^mutNPM1^mutFLT3-ITD^mut AML across four transplant centers in China. Fifty-three patients with triple-mutated AML receiving allo-HSCT in complete remission were enrolled. The 1.5-year probabilities of relapse, leukemia-free survival, and overall survival after allo-HSCT were 11.9%, 80.3%, and 81.8%, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that more than one course of induction chemotherapy and allo-HSCT beyond CR1 were associated with poor survival. To our knowledge, this work is the largest study to explore the up-to-date undefined role of allo-HSCT in patients with triple-mutated AML. Our real-world data suggest that allo-HSCT could overcome the poor prognosis of DNMT3A^mutNPM1^mutFLT3-ITD^mut in AML.
Humans ; Nucleophosmin ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/mortality* ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation/methods* ; Male ; Female ; DNA Methyltransferase 3A ; Adult ; China ; Retrospective Studies ; DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases/genetics* ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 3/genetics* ; Mutation ; Young Adult ; Transplantation, Homologous ; Nuclear Proteins/genetics* ; Adolescent ; Aged

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of palliative care on drug use, medical service utilization and medical expenditure of patients with advanced cancer. METHODS: A cohort of patients including pal-liative care and standard care was constructed using the medical records of the patients in Peking University Cancer Hospital from 2018 to 2020, and coarsened exact matching was used to match the two groups of patients. The average monthly opioid consumption, hospitalization rate, intensive care unit (ICU) rate and operation rate, and the average monthly total cost were selected to evaluate drug use, medical service utilization and medical expenditure. Chi-square test and Wilcoxon signed rank test were used to compare the differences between the two groups before and after exposure and the change in the palliative care group. The net impact of palliative care on the patients was calculated using the difference-in-differences analysis. RESULTS: In this study, 180 patients in the palliative care group and 3 101 patients in the stan-dard care group were finally included in the matching, and the matching effect of the two groups was good (L₁ < 0.1). Before and after exposure, the average monthly opioid consumption in the palliative care group was significantly higher than that in the standard care group (Before exposure: 0.3 DDD/person-month vs. 0.1 DDD/person-month, P < 0.01; After exposure: 0.7 DDD/person-month vs. 0.1 DDD/person-month, P < 0.01; DDD refers to defined daily dose), palliative care significantly increased the average monthly opioid consumption in the patients (0.3 DDD/person-month, P < 0.01). The hospitalization rate (48.9% vs. 74.3%, P < 0.01) and operation rate (3.9% vs. 8.8%, P < 0.01) of the patients in palliative care group were significantly lower than those in standard care group, and the ICU rate became similar between the two groups (1.1% vs. 1.6%, P=0.634). Palliative care significantly reduced the patients ' hospitalization rate (-25.6%, P < 0.01), ICU rate (-4.9%, P < 0.01) and operation rate (-14.5%, P < 0.01). Before and after exposure, the average monthly total costs of pal-liative care group were slightly higher than those of standard care group (Before exposure: 20 092.3 yuan vs. 19 132.8 yuan, P=0.725; After exposure: 9 719.8 yuan vs. 8 818.8 yuan, P=0.165). Palliative care increased the average monthly total cost by 2 208.8 yuan, but it was not statistically significant (P=0.316). CONCLUSION Palliative care can increase the opioid consumption in advanced cancer patients, reduce the rates of hospitalization, ICU and surgery, but has no significant effect on medical expenditure.
Humans ; Palliative Care/economics* ; Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Analgesics, Opioid/economics* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Hospitalization/economics* ; Intensive Care Units/statistics & numerical data* ; Health Expenditures/statistics & numerical data* ; Adult ; Drug Utilization/statistics & numerical data* ; Patient Acceptance of Health Care/statistics & numerical data*

Objective:To establish a rapid,quantitative and visualized method for the rapid detection of Streptococcus mutans(S.mutans)based on loop-mediated isothermal amplification(LAMP).Methods:Nucleic acid of S.mutans was extracted for LAMP reaction,the detection experimental conditions were optimized.Finally the positive results of the experiments were quantita-tively analyzed by using the mobile-based detection equipment.Results:The system detected the samples within 23 min and showed good specificity and sensitivity with an accuracy of 1.625×10-3 ng/μL.Positive results were captured,identified and quantified u-sing a mobile application,and the quantified results showed a good linear relationship between the absolute G value and the DNA concentration,with an equation of y=3.2x+57.133(R2=0.988 2).Conclusion:Quantitative detection of S.mutans by LAMP has the characteristics of high sensitivity,high specificity,result visualization,convenience and time-saving,and can quantify bacterial DNA.It is a new method for the early detection of caries susceptibility,and can be widely used in clinic.

Objective:To establish a rapid,quantitative and visualized method for the rapid detection of Streptococcus mutans(S.mutans)based on loop-mediated isothermal amplification(LAMP).Methods:Nucleic acid of S.mutans was extracted for LAMP reaction,the detection experimental conditions were optimized.Finally the positive results of the experiments were quantita-tively analyzed by using the mobile-based detection equipment.Results:The system detected the samples within 23 min and showed good specificity and sensitivity with an accuracy of 1.625×10-3 ng/μL.Positive results were captured,identified and quantified u-sing a mobile application,and the quantified results showed a good linear relationship between the absolute G value and the DNA concentration,with an equation of y=3.2x+57.133(R2=0.988 2).Conclusion:Quantitative detection of S.mutans by LAMP has the characteristics of high sensitivity,high specificity,result visualization,convenience and time-saving,and can quantify bacterial DNA.It is a new method for the early detection of caries susceptibility,and can be widely used in clinic.

The biofilms formed by pathogenic microorganisms seriously threaten human health and significantly enhance drug resistance, which urgently call for developing drugs specifically targeting on biofilms. Chitooligosaccharides extracted from shrimp and crab shells are natural alkaline oligosaccharides with excellent antibacterial effects. Nevertheless, their inhibition efficacy on biofilms still needs to be improved. Spirulina (SP) is a microalga with negatively charged surface, and its spiral structure facilitates colonization in the depth of the biofilm. Therefore, the complex of Spirulina and chitooligosaccharides may play a synergistic role in killing pathogens in the depth of biofilm. This research first screened chitooligosaccharides with significant bactericidal effects. Subsequently, Spirulina@Chitooligosaccharides (SP@COS complex was prepared by combining chitooligosaccharides with Spirulina through electrostatic adsorption. The binding of the complex was characterized by zeta potential, z-average size, and fluorescence labeling. Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis) showed the encapsulation efficiency and the drug loading efficiency reached up to 90% and 16%, respectively. The prepared SP@COS2 exhibited a profound synergistic inhibition effect on bacterial and fungal biofilms, which was mainly achieved by destroying the cell structure of the biofilm. These results demonstrate the potential of Spirulina-chitooligosaccharides complex as a biofilm inhibitor and provide a new idea for addressing the harm of pathogenic microorganisms.
Humans ; Spirulina ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/chemistry* ; Chitosan/pharmacology* ; Biofilms ; Chitin/pharmacology*

With the development of modern sequencing techniques and bioinformatics, genomes that were once thought to be noncoding have been found to encode abundant functional micropeptides (miPs), a kind of small polypeptides. Although miPs are difficult to analyze and identify, a number of studies have begun to focus on them. More and more miPs have been revealed as essential for energy metabolism homeostasis, immune regulation, and tumor growth and development. Many reports have shown that miPs are especially essential for regulating glucose and lipid metabolism and regulating mitochondrial function. MiPs are also involved in the progression of related diseases. This paper reviews the sources and identification of miPs, as well as the functional significance of miPs for metabolism-related diseases, with the aim of revealing their potential clinical applications.
Humans ; Open Reading Frames ; Peptides ; Glucose ; Genome ; Metabolic Diseases

Objective:To explore the relative concentration changes of oxygenated hemoglobin (Oxy Hb) in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and brain region activation during emotional face recognition tasks in women with perimenopausal depression.Methods:From February to April 2023, forty perimenopausal women were recruited, including 20 women with perimenopausal depression (experimental group) and 20 women with non-perimenopausal depression (control group). All participants were evaluated by the modified Kupperman score, 24-item Hamilton depression scale (HAMD-24), and patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9). Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) equipment was used to measure the relative concentration of Oxy-Hb in the PFC in two groups under the emotional face recognition task. Statistical analysis was performed by SPSS 26.0 software. Data were analyzed by a t-test, rank sum test, and Pearson correlation. Results:There were statistically significant differences in the results of the modified Kupperman score((23.20±3.66), (18.10±1.28)), HAMD-24((15.95±5.47), (3.35±1.84)), and PHQ-9(7.00(5.00, 10.75), 1.50(1.00, 3.00)) scales between the the experimental group and control group ( P<0.05). There was a positive correlation between the modified Kupperman score and the HAMD-24 score in the experimental group ( r=0.685, P=0.01). The reaction time of the experimental group in identifying negative and neutral emotional faces was statistically significant compared to the control group( t=4.01, 4.80, both P<0.05). Compared with identifying neutral emotions, PFC activation was stronger in the experimental group and control group when identifying negative emotions ( P<0.05). The PFC activation in the experimental group was stronger than that in the control group when identifying negative emotions ( P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the activation level between the two groups when identifying neutral emotions ( P>0.05). Conclusion:Women with perimenopausal depression exhibit specificity in emotional processing, with increased PFC activation when identifying negative emotions, impaired emotional processing function of PFC, and dysfunction of aerobic metabolism.

BACKGROUND: The hemoglobin glycation index (HGI) was developed to quantify glucose metabolism and individual differences and proved to be a robust measure of individual glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) bias. Here, we aimed to explore the relationship between different HGIs and the risk of 5-year major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) by performing a large multicenter cohort study in China. METHODS: A total of 9791 subjects from the Risk Evaluation of Cancers in Chinese Diabetic Individuals: a Longitudinal Study (the REACTION study) were divided into five subgroups (Q1-Q5) with the HGI quantiles (≤5th, >5th and ≤33.3th, >33.3th and ≤66.7th, >66.7th and ≤95th, and >95th percentile). A multivariate logistic regression model constructed by the restricted cubic spline method was used to evaluate the relationship between the HGI and the 5-year MACE risk. Subgroup analysis between the HGI and covariates were explored to detect differences among the five subgroups. RESULTS: The total 5-year MACE rate in the nationwide cohort was 6.87% (673/9791). Restricted cubic spline analysis suggested a U-shaped correlation between the HGI values and MACE risk after adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors ( χ2 = 29.5, P <0.001). After adjustment for potential confounders, subjects with HGIs ≤-0.75 or >0.82 showed odds ratios (ORs) for MACE of 1.471 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.027-2.069) and 2.222 (95% CI, 1.641-3.026) compared to subjects with HGIs of >-0.75 and ≤-0.20. In the subgroup with non-coronary heart disease, the risk of MACE was significantly higher in subjects with HGIs ≤-0.75 (OR, 1.540 [1.039-2.234]; P = 0.027) and >0.82 (OR, 2.022 [1.392-2.890]; P <0.001) compared to those with HGIs of ≤-0.75 or >0.82 after adjustment for potential confounders. CONCLUSIONS We found a U-shaped correlation between the HGI values and the risk of 5-year MACE. Both low and high HGIs were associated with an increased risk of MACE. Therefore, the HGI may predict the 5-year MACE risk.
Humans ; Cohort Studies ; Longitudinal Studies ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/diagnosis* ; Maillard Reaction ; Glycated Hemoglobin ; Cardiovascular Diseases