Background The quality of occupational health technical services is directly linked to the protection of workers' health rights and the efficacy of occupational disease prevention and control. However, the industry still faces critical challenges: sporadic instances of institutional non-compliance and persistent irregularities in professional practice continue to undermine overall service performance. Objective To assess the current quality status of occupational health technical services in Zhejiang Province and propose countermeasures for quality improvement, providing a scientific basis for policy optimization and service delivery quality enhancement. Methods A total of 69 occupational health technical service institutions in Zhejiang Province that obtained formal accreditation as of April 30, 2024, were sampled, including 3 public institutions and 66 private institutions (comprising 3 formerly Class-A, 28 formerly Class-B, 11 formerly Class-C, and 24 newly certified institutions). Following the Technical Protocol for Quality Monitoring of Occupational Health Technical Service in Zhejiang Province and the Technical Protocol for Proficiency Testing of Occupational Health Detection in Zhejiang Province, a quality assessment task force comprising national and provincial experts was established. Evaluation was conducted across four dimensions: qualification maintenance and compliance, standardization of technical services, authenticity of technical services, and proficiency testing, utilizing a combination of document review, on-site inspections, and technical skill assessments. Results The occupational health technical service institutions in Zhejiang Province were predominantly private entities (82.5%), with significant disparities in overall service quality. The pass rates for qualification maintenance and compliance, technical service standardization, technical service authenticity, and the excellence rate for laboratory proficiency testing were 81.5%, 80.7%, 97.3%, and 90.4%, respectively. Regarding qualification maintenance, the pass rates for "environmental conditions" (49.8%, 56.7%) and "instrumentation and equipment" (58.2%、65.6%) were significantly lower for formerly Class-C and newly certified institutions compared to other categories. In terms of technical standardization, "standardized on-site inspections" recorded the lowest pass rate (67.4%), with newly certified institutions at only 48.0%. Regarding technical service authenticity, formerly Class-C institutions exhibited issues such as missing raw chromatograms for blank samples (85.7% pass rate). In laboratory proficiency testing, public and formerly Class-A institutions achieved 100% excellence rates, but the performance of formerly Class-C and newly certified institutions was comparatively weak; specifically, the failure rate for organic analysis in formerly Class-C institutions reached 20%; the failure rate for dust testing items in newly certified institutions was 10.3%. Conclusion The overall quality of occupational health technical services in Zhejiang Province still requires significant improvement, particularly in basic institutional conditions, the standardization of on-site inspections, and laboratory proficiency in organic and dust analysis. Formerly Class-C and newly certified institutions should be the primary focus of quality management efforts. Differentiated regulatory strategies are recommended, alongside strengthening interim and ex-post supervision to gradually enhance the quality of occupational health technical services across all institutions.

ObjectiveHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents 90% of all primary liver cancers. The main risk factors associated with HCC include viral hepatitis (B and/or C), alcohol abuse, and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), which progressively advance to liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, and ultimately evolve into HCC. Surgical resection represents the most effective treatment for HCC, while recent advances in immunotherapy, including immune checkpoint inhibitors and adoptive cell therapies, have provided improved treatment prospects for patients with unresectable HCC. However, the complex metabolic heterogeneity of HCC limits the therapeutic efficacy. Metabolic intermediates acyl-CoA not only provide energy and substrates for numerous biochemical reactions but also serve as donors for protein lysine acylation, a major class of post-translational modification (PTM). Therefore, a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying protein lysine acylation and hepatocarcinogenesis is urgently needed. MethodsThe levels of protein lysine acylation and silence information regulator 5 (SIRT5) expression levels in clinical HCC samples were analyzed by Western blot. Quantitative malonylome and succinylome of HCC samples were analyzed by antibody-based affinity enrichment coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. The proliferation of HCC cells was analyzed with Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assays, the apoptosis was quantified by Annexin V-FITC/propidium iodide (PI) staining coupled with flow cytometry, and the ability of cells to migrate was assayed by Transwell assays. The enzymatic activity of glutathione S-transferase Mu 1 (GSTM1) was quantified. Transgenic mice with hepatic overexpression of SIRT5 were constructed using CRISPR-Cas9, and primary hepatocarcinogenesis was induced by administration of diethylnitrosamine. ResultsWestern blot analysis indicated that the expression level of SIRT5 was elevated in clinical samples from HCC patients, and the levels of lysine malonylation, glutarylation, and succinylation were significantly reduced in HCC tissues. Knockout of SIRT5 in MHCC-97H and MHCC-97L hepatoma cells suppressed cell proliferation, and increased the percentage of apoptotic cells significantly. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses of the differentially malonylome and succinylome of HCC samples revealed significant enrichment in two major classes of biological processes: core energy metabolism (e.g., glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, tricarboxylic acid metabolic process, fatty acid beta oxidation) and detoxification and oxidative stress response (e.g., response to toxic substance, chemical carcinogenesis, reactive oxygen species (ROS)). SIRT5 removes malonylation from lysine residues in GSTM1 and restores its detoxification activity, which is crucial for the survival of hepatocytes under stressed conditions. More importantly, in vivo experiment indicated that hepatic-specific overexpression of SIRT5 in mice accelerated diethylnitrosamine-induced liver fibrosis and hepatocarcinogenesis, indicating the critical role of SIRT5 in HCC progression. ConclusionThis study highlights the previously unrecognized SIRT5-GSTM1 axis as a key regulator in hepatocarcinogenesis, and suggests a potential target for the treatment of patients with HCC.

Brain’s neural activities encompass both periodic rhythmic oscillations and aperiodic neural fluctuations. Rhythmic oscillations manifest as spectral peaks of neural signals, directly reflecting the synchronized activities of neural populations and closely tied to cognitive and behavioral states. In contrast, aperiodic fluctuations exhibit a power-law decaying spectral trend, revealing the multiscale dynamics of brain neural activity. In recent years, researchers have made notable progress in studying brain aperiodic dynamics. These studies demonstrate that aperiodic activity holds significant physiological relevance, correlating with various physiological states such as external stimuli, drug induction, sleep states, and aging. Aperiodic activity serves as a reflection of the brain’s sensory capacity, consciousness level, and cognitive ability. In clinical research, the aperiodic exponent has emerged as a significant potential biomarker, capable of reflecting the progression and trends of brain diseases while being intricately intertwined with the excitation-inhibition balance of neural system. The physiological mechanisms underlying aperiodic dynamics span multiple neural scales, with activities at the levels of individual neurons, neuronal ensembles, and neural networks collectively influencing the frequency, oscillatory patterns, and spatiotemporal characteristics of aperiodic signals. Aperiodic dynamics currently boasts broad application prospects. It not only provides a novel perspective for investigating brain neural dynamics but also holds immense potential as a neural marker in neuromodulation or brain-computer interface technologies. This paper summarizes methods for extracting characteristic parameters of aperiodic activity, analyzes its physiological relevance and potential as a biomarker in brain diseases, summarizes its physiological mechanisms, and based on these findings, elaborates on the research prospects of aperiodic dynamics.

Reproductive system diseases are among the primary contributors to the decline in social fertility rates and the intensification of aging, posing significant threats to both physical and mental health, as well as quality of life. Recent research has revealed the substantial potential of the gut microbiota in improving reproductive system diseases. Under healthy conditions, the gut microbiota maintains a dynamic balance, whereas dysfunction can trigger immune-inflammatory responses, metabolic disorders, and other issues, subsequently leading to reproductive system diseases through the gut-gonadal axis. Reproductive diseases, in turn, can exacerbate gut microbiota imbalance. This article reviews the impact of the gut microbiota and its metabolites on both male and female reproductive systems, analyzing changes in typical gut microorganisms and their metabolites related to reproductive function. The composition, diversity, and metabolites of gut bacteria, such as Bacteroides, Prevotella, and Firmicutes, including short-chain fatty acids, 5-hydroxytryptamine, γ-aminobutyric acid, and bile acids, are closely linked to reproductive function. As reproductive diseases develop, intestinal immune function typically undergoes changes, and the expression levels of immune-related factors, such as Toll-like receptors and inflammatory cytokines (including IL-6, TNF-α, and TGF-β), also vary. The gut microbiota and its metabolites influence reproductive hormones such as estrogen, luteinizing hormone, and testosterone, thereby affecting folliculogenesis and spermatogenesis. Additionally, the metabolism and absorption of vitamins can also impact spermatogenesis through the gut-testis axis. As the relationship between the gut microbiota and reproductive diseases becomes clearer, targeted regulation of the gut microbiota can be employed to address reproductive system issues in both humans and animals. This article discusses the regulation of the gut microbiota and intestinal immune function through microecological preparations, fecal microbiota transplantation, and drug therapy to treat reproductive diseases. Microbial preparations and drug therapy can help maintain the intestinal barrier and reduce chronic inflammation. Fecal microbiota transplantation involves transferring feces from healthy individuals into the recipient’s intestine, enhancing mucosal integrity and increasing microbial diversity. This article also delves into the underlying mechanisms by which the gut microbiota influences reproductive capacity through the gut-gonadal axis and explores the latest research in diagnosing and treating reproductive diseases using gut microbiota. The goal is to restore reproductive capacity by targeting the regulation of the gut microbiota. While the gut microbiota holds promise as a therapeutic target for reproductive diseases, several challenges remain. First, research on the association between gut microbiota and reproductive diseases is insufficient to establish a clear causal relationship, which is essential for proposing effective therapeutic methods targeting the gut microbiota. Second, although gut microbiota metabolites can influence lipid, glucose, and hormone synthesis and metabolism via various signaling pathways—thereby indirectly affecting ovarian and testicular function—more in-depth research is required to understand the direct effects of these metabolites on germ cells or granulosa cells. Lastly, the specific efficacy of gut microbiota in treating reproductive diseases is influenced by multiple factors, necessitating further mechanistic research and clinical studies to validate and optimize treatment regimens.

The tetraspanins are closely associated with the development and therapeutic prognosis of colorectal tumors. These proteins play a role in cell proliferation, metastasis, and invasion, regulate apoptosis and autophagy of colorectal tumor cells. affect immune escape by releasing exosomes, intervening the epithelial-mesenchymal transition process, and altering the tumor microenvironment, and enhance tumor stemness through specific pathways. This paper reviews the mechanisms and current research regarding the status of tetraspanins in colorectal cancer, aiming to improve early diagnosis and providing valuable insights for treatment strategies.

Severe intra-abdominal infections are life-threatening conditions and a significant challenge for surgeons. This article presents a case of an elderly patient with a severe intra-abdominal infection complicated by an anastomotic leak. This patient had experienced prolonged sepsis and multiple surgical traumas. Upon admission to our department, exploratory surgery revealed extensive bowel edema and adhesions, an anastomotic leak, and abdominal contamination with infection. In accordance with the principles of damage control surgery, the anastomotic leak was exteriorized, the abdomen was left open, and continuous intra-abdominal lavage with dual-lumen catheters was implemented to effectively control the infection. Negative pressure wound therapy was used to manage the open abdomen, and a negative pressure-assisted drainage device was used to manage the enteroatmospheric fistula. After granulation of the abdominal wound, split-thickness skin grafting was performed. The enteroatmospheric fistula was converted into an enterocutaneous fistula. A 3D-printed stoma baseplate was used to manage the digestive fistula. Concurrently, enhanced parenteral and enteral nutritional support was provided. Six months later, the patient successfully underwent definitive fistula resection and abdominal wall defect repair.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy of vacuum sealing drainage (VSD) in the comprehensive management of full-thickness perineal wound dehiscence following pelvic exenteration (PE).Methods:This study employed a descriptive case series design. We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 29 patients who developed postoperative perineal wound infections with full-thickness dehiscence after PE. These cases included 16 patients from the Department of General Surgery at Jiangyin People's Hospital (Jiangsu Province) and 13 patients from the Department of Colorectal Surgery at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University (Shanghai Changzheng Hospital). VSD was applied to manage the dehisced wounds, with outcomes assessed based on wound healing time, complications, and follow-up data.Results:A total of 29 patients were included in the study. The operative time for PE was (498 ± 83) minutes. Among them, 23 patients underwent combined sacrococcygeal resection. The median number of VSD devices used was 28 (22, 39). The postoperative perineal wound healing time was 95 (82, 110) days in patients who underwent combined sacrococcygeal resection, 74 (63, 89) days in those without sacrococcygeal resection, 93 (79, 102) days in those treated with simple pelvic-abdominal isolation using a biological basement membrane mesh and 76 (60, 91) days in those who received combined pelvic packing with a pedicled omental flap. All patients uniformly developed Clavien-Dindo grade III complications at 2 weeks postoperatively, manifesting as perineal wound infection and dehiscence, which were successfully managed with VSD therapy. Subsequent evaluation identified delayed (>30 days) grade III complications, including enterocutaneous (3 cases) and urinary (2 cases) fistulae, all requiring surgical revision. All patients completed the follow-up at 6 months postoperatively. Three patients still presented with minimal exudate from the perineal wound, which resolved after standardized wound care and packing with alginate silver ion dressings. Four cases (13.8%) developed stoma high-output syndrome, which improved after oral medication. Eight patients (27.6%) developed adhesive intestinal obstruction, which improved with conservative treatment.Conclusions:VSD demonstrates unique advantages in managing complex wounds. For full-thickness perineal wound dehiscence after PE, VSD is a safe and effective therapeutic strategy.

Objective:To investigate the iodine nutrition level and the prevalence of thyroid nodules in pregnant women in Hubei Province, and to provide a basis for prevention and treatment of iodine deficiency disorders.Methods:According to the requirements of the National Iodine Deficiency Disorders Monitoring Program (2016 Edition), a cross-sectional survey of iodine nutrition status of pregnant women ( n = 321) was conducted from July to October 2020 in two mountainous counties (Tongcheng County and Xingshan County) and two plain counties (Liangzihu District and Xinzhou District) in Hubei Province. Among them, there were 43, 114, and 164 pregnant women in the early, middle, and late stages of pregnancy, respectively. Edible salt samples and once random urine samples were collected to detect salt iodine and urinary iodine, and thyroid ultrasound was performed to calculate the detection rate of thyroid nodules. Results:The coverage rate of iodized salt, qualified rate of iodized salt, and consumption rate of qualified iodized salt in Hubei Province were 99.69% (320/321), 95.94% (307/320) and 95.64% (307/321), respectively. The median urinary iodine level for pregnant women was 164.80 μg/L. Among them, the median urinary iodine levels in Liangzihu District, Tongcheng County, Xinzhou District, and Xingshan County were 175.90, 178.25, 155.80 and 143.00 μg/L, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference in urinary iodine levels among different regions ( H = 8.51, P = 0.037). The median urinary iodine levels of pregnant women in the early, middle, and late stages of pregnancy were 187.20, 144.45, and 172.05 μg/L, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in urinary iodine levels among pregnant women in different stages of pregnancy ( H = 2.94, P = 0.230). Urinary iodine < 150, 150 - < 250, 250 - < 500, ≥500 μg/L accounted for 45.48% (146/321), 33.33% (107/321), 19.63% (63/321), 1.56% (5/321), respectively. The detection rate of thyroid nodules was 16.82% (54/321), and the goiter rate was 0.93% (3/321). Conclusions:In 2020, Hubei Province is in an appropriate state of iodine, and there are still a considerable proportion of pregnant women in a state of iodine deficiency. The detection rate of thyroid nodules is relatively low. It is necessary to continuously monitor the iodine nutrition of pregnant women, strengthen health promotion on the hazards of iodine deficiency during pregnancy, and minimize maternal and infant health damage caused by iodine deficiency.