Occupational chronic n-hexane poisoning incidents have been effectively curtailed in traditional printing and footwear industries, but its hazards are emerging in new industries. In recent years, two cluster incidents involving eight patients with occupational chronic n-hexane poisoning had occurred in Longgang District, Shenzhen City. Unlike the cleaning processes of electronic components in the electronics industry, these two incidents occurred during cleaning operations of non-electronic products. The rapid on-site detection tubes indicated the presence of n-hexane in the organic solvents used at the work site, and subsequent analysis of volatile components of the organic solvents further confirmed the involvement of n-hexane. Although the n-hexane exposure concentration of short term in the workplace air samples were below its occupational exposure limit, all eight cases were diagnosed as occupational chronic n-hexane poisoning, based on occupational exposure history, clinical manifestations, field investigations, and laboratory test results. These two poisoning incidents highlight that in air-conditioned or enclosed workshops with substandard occupational disease prevention facilities, the use of n-hexane containing organic solvents may result in occupational chronic n-hexane poisoning, even when the air monitoring results do not exceed the occupational exposure limits.

Objective To investigate the neurobehavioral development of young children aged 24 to 60 months in Shunde and explore the factors influencing the development of young children and provide reference for the interven-tion of neurobehavioral development delays in young children.Methods A retrospective cohort study was used to enroll the young children who were initially screened by the Pediatric Neuropsychological Developmental Scale(Pe-diatric Heart Scale)with a score of ≤85 was included in the study.With a score of ≤85,the young children might be at risk of developmental delays,and needed to be further diagnosed by the GESELL Developmental Diagnostic Scale,the basic information of the young children and their mothers at the time of birth were investigated,as well as basic information about the young children at the time of completing the GESELL Developmental Diagnostic Scale was collected.Results A total of 271 young children were included,196 males and 75 females.Young children had the lowest developmental quotient(DQ)in the language domain among the five domains(P＜0.001).Multiple lin-ear regression models showed:compared with girls,the language domain DQ of boys decreased by 5.321 points(P=0.049,95％CI:-10.620--0.021),and the personal-social domain DQ decreased by 4.474 points(P=0.023,95％CI:-8.316--0.631).Compared with young children via natural vaginal delivery(NVD),the gross motor domain DQ of young children via caesarean section(CS)decreased by 4.890 points(P=0.008,95％CI:-8.499--1.281),the fine motor domain DQ decreased by 3.373 points(P=0.037,95％CI:-6.532--0.213),the language domain DQ decreased by 7.621 points(P=0.004,95％CI:-12.826--2.416),per-sonal-social domain DQ decreased by 6.232 points(P=0.001,95％CI:-10.006--2.457).The results of bi-nary logistic regression models showed,compared with young children via NVD,the risk of gross motor domain retar-dation in young children increased(OR=1.763,95％CI:1.003-3.100),the risk of fine motor domain retardation increased(OR=2.217,95％CI:1.235-3.980),the risk of language domain retardation increased(OR=3.306,95％CI:1.080-10.124).Conclusion Young children with suspected neurobehavioral delays were more likely to have delayed development in language domain than in other domains,boys had lower DQ in language domain and personal-social domain than girls,and the development of young children via CS was slower than that via NVD.Fo-cus should be on the language development of young children especially on the language and personal-social devel-opment of boys.Carefully chose delivery way.Focus should be placed on assessment of young children's comprehen-sive neurobehavioral development in early time.

Reducing the mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B virus(HBV)is crucial for achieving HBV elimination.Launched in July 2015 at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing,China,the"Zero Hepatitis B Mother-to-Child Transmission Project"(Shield Project)is a public welfare initiative integrating scientific prevention and applied research and aims to perform standardized management of pregnant women with hepatitis B using the mobile application of"Shield Project",in order to further reduce or eliminate the mother-to-child transmission of HBV.At present,the Shield Project has expanded nationwide,offering detailed implementation strategies,successful practices,and reliable data to support the global effort to eliminate the mother-to-child transmission of HBV.This article introduces the implementation strategies and outcomes of the Shield Project in four representative cases,in order to provide strong evidence for further understanding and preventing the mother-to-child transmission of HBV.

Objective:To investigate the iodine nutrition level and thyroid function status of pregnant women in Hubei Province.Methods:According to the requirements of "the National Iodine Deficiency Disorders Monitoring Program (2016 Edition)", in 2020, using a cross-sectional survey method, two mountainous counties and two plain areas in Hubei Province were divided into five districts: east, west, south, north, and central. One township (street) was selected from each district, and 20 pregnant women were selected from each township (street) as survey subjects. Urine iodine content and thyroid function indicators [serum free triiodothyronine (FT 3), free thyroxine (FT 4), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb), thyroglobulin antibody (TgAb)] were tested. Abnormal thyroid function rate and antibody positive rate were analyzed, and correlation analysis of thyroid function indicators was conducted (Spearman method). Results:A total of 321 pregnant women were included, including 43, 114, and 164 in early, middle, and late pregnancy, respectively; The median urinary iodine was 164.80 μg/L. The median serum FT 3, FT 4, TSH, TPOAb, TgAb levels were 4.10, 12.83 pmol/L, 1.85 mU/L, 15.84 and 13.35 U/ml, respectively. There were statistically significant differences in FT 3, FT 4, and TSH levels among different trimesters ( P < 0.05). According to Spearman's correlation analysis, FT 3 in early stage of pregnancy was negatively correlated with TSH and TPOAb levels ( r = - 0.46, - 0.33, P < 0.05), while TSH was positively correlated with TPOAb level ( r = 0.33, P = 0.032); there was a positive correlation between FT 4 and TgAb levels in middle stage of pregnancy ( r = 0.21, P = 0.032); there was a negative correlation between FT 3 and TPOAb levels in late stage of pregnancy ( r = - 0.19, P = 0.017); FT 3 and FT 4, TPOAb and TgAb levels were positively correlated throughout pregnancy ( P < 0.05). There was no correlation between urinary iodine content and thyroid function indicators ( P > 0.05). The total abnormal rate of thyroid function was 7.79% (25/321), with 16.28% (7/43), 5.26% (6/114), and 7.32% (12/164) in early, middle, and late pregnancy, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in the abnormal rate of thyroid function among different pregnancy periods (χ 2 = 4.83, P = 0.097). The detection rates of hypothyroxinemia, hypothyroidism, subclinical hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, and subclinical hyperthyroidism were 4.36% (14/321), 0.31% (1/321), 2.49% (8/321), 0.31% (1/321), and 0.31% (1/321), respectively. The positive detection rate of autospecific antibodies was 10.28% (33/321), with a TPOAb positive detection rate of 9.97% (32/321) and a TgAb positive detection rate of 5.30% (17/321). Conclusions:The iodine nutrition level of pregnant women in Hubei Province is at a suitable level, and the rates of abnormal thyroid function and thyroid autospecific antibody positive are relatively low. It is necessary to continuously monitor the iodine nutrition and thyroid function indexes of pregnant women, strengthen health education on the hazards of iodine deficiency during pregnancy, and minimize the harm to maternal and infant health caused by iodine deficiency.

Objective:In chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients with previous 96-week treatment with tenofovir amibufenamide (TMF) or tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF), we investigated the efficacy of sequential TMF treatment from 96 to 144 weeks.Methods:Enrolled subjects who were previously assigned (2:1) to receive either 25 mg TMF or 300 mg TDF with matching placebo for 96 weeks received extended or switched TMF treatment for 48 weeks. Efficacy was evaluated based on virological, serological, biological parameters, and fibrosis staging. Statistical analysis was performed using the McNemar test, t-test, or Log-Rank test according to the data. Results:593 subjects from the initial TMF group and 287 subjects from the TDF group were included at week 144, with the proportions of HBV DNA<20 IU/ml at week 144 being 86.2% and 83.3%, respectively, and 78.1% and 73.8% in patients with baseline HBV DNA levels ≥8 log10 IU/ml. Resistance to tenofovir was not detected in both groups. For HBeAg loss and seroconversion rates, both groups showed a further increase from week 96 to 144 and the 3-year cumulative rates of HBeAg loss were about 35% in each group. However, HBsAg levels were less affected during 96 to 144 weeks. For patients switched from TDF to TMF, a substantial further increase in the alanine aminotransferase (ALT) normalization rate was observed (11.4%), along with improved FIB-4 scores.Conclusion:After 144 weeks of TMF treatment, CHB patients achieved high rates of virological, serological, and biochemical responses, as well as improved liver fibrosis outcomes. Also, switching to TMF resulted in significant benefits in ALT normalization rates (NCT03903796).

Objective:In chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients with previous 96-week treatment with tenofovir amibufenamide (TMF) or tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF), we investigated the safety profile of sequential TMF treatment from 96 to 144 weeks.Methods:Enrolled subjects that previously assigned (2:1) to receive either 25 mg TMF or 300 mg TDF with matching placebo for 96 weeks received extending or switching TMF treatment for 48 weeks. Safety profiles of kidney, bone, metabolism, body weight, and others were evaluated.Results:666 subjects from the initial TMF group and 336 subjects from TDF group with at least one dose of assigned treatment were included at week 144. The overall safety profile was favorable in each group and generally similar between extended or switched TMF treatments from week 96 to 144. In subjects switching from TDF to TMF, the non-indexed estimated glomerular filtration rate (by non-indexed CKD-EPI formula) and creatinine clearance (by Cockcroft-Gault formula) were both increased, which were (2.31±8.33) ml/min and (4.24±13.94) ml/min, respectively. These changes were also higher than those in subjects with extending TMF treatment [(0.91±8.06) ml/min and (1.30±13.94) ml/min]. Meanwhile, switching to TMF also led to an increase of the bone mineral density (BMD) by 0.75% in hip and 1.41% in spine. On the other side, a slight change in TC/HDL ratio by 0.16 (IQR: 0.00, 0.43) and an increase in body mass index (BMI) by (0.54±0.98) kg/m 2 were oberved with patients switched to TMF, which were significantly higher than that in TMF group. Conclusion:CHB patients receiving 144 weeks of TMF treatment showed favorable safety profile. After switching to TMF, the bone and renal safety was significantly improved in TDF group, though experienceing change in metabolic parameters and weight gain (NCT03903796).

Objective:To investigate the effect of sevoflurane on M1 polarization of alveolar macrophages induced by lipopoly-saccharide(LPS)by regulating p38/MAPK signaling pathway.Methods:RAW264.7 cells were stimulated with 1 μg/ml LPS for 24 h and exposed to different concentrations(1%,2%,4%)of sevoflurane.After that,MTT,ELISA,RT-qPCR and Western blot assays were used to detect cell viability,inflammation factors and signaling pathway-related protein levels.Results:LPS stimulation led to de-creased cell viability and M2-type anti-inflammatory cytokine levels,and increased M1-type pro-inflammatory cytokine levels and phosphorylation of p38/MAPK in RAW264.7 cells(P<0.05).After sevoflurane treatment,the cell viability and anti-inflammatory cyto-kine levels were significantly enhanced,and the pro-inflammatory cytokine levels and phosphorylation of p38 were significantly de-creased in a concentration-dependent manner(P<0.05).The p38/MAPK inhibitor SB202190 intensified the inhibitory effect of sevoflu-rane on M1-type polarization of alveolar macrophages.Conclusion:Sevoflurane inhibits LPS-induced M1 polarization of alveolar mac-rophages,possibly by regulation of the p38/MAPK signaling pathway.

Periodontitis is the most widespread oral disease and is closely related to the oral microbiota. The oral microbiota is adversely affected by some pharmacologic treatments. Systemic antibiotics are widely used for infectious diseases but can lead to gut dysbiosis, causing negative effects on the human body. Whether systemic antibiotic-induced gut dysbiosis can affect the oral microbiota or even periodontitis has not yet been addressed. In this research, mice were exposed to drinking water containing a cocktail of four antibiotics to explore how systemic antibiotics affect microbiota pathogenicity and oral bone loss. The results demonstrated, for the first time, that gut dysbiosis caused by long-term use of antibiotics can disturb the oral microbiota and aggravate periodontitis. Moreover, the expression of cytokines related to Th17 was increased while transcription factors and cytokines related to Treg were decreased in the periodontal tissue. Fecal microbiota transplantation with normal mice feces restored the gut microbiota and barrier, decreased the pathogenicity of the oral microbiota, reversed the Th17/Treg imbalance in periodontal tissue, and alleviated alveolar bone loss. This study highlights the potential adverse effects of long-term systemic antibiotics-induced gut dysbiosis on the oral microbiota and periodontitis. A Th17/Treg imbalance might be related to this relationship. Importantly, these results reveal that the periodontal condition of patients should be assessed regularly when using systemic antibiotics in clinical practice.
Humans ; Mice ; Animals ; Dysbiosis ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology* ; Virulence ; Microbiota ; Periodontitis/chemically induced* ; Cytokines

Objective:To explore any effects of combining virtual reality training with aromatherapy in caring for Alzheimer′s disease patients in a nursing home.Methods:Fifty nursing home residents with Alzheimer′s were divided at random into an observation group and a control group, each of 25. Both groups received routine rehabilitation, while the observation group was additionally given 45 minutes of virtual reality training combined with aromatherapy, 3 times a week for 6 months. Both groups′ cognition was then evaluated using the MMSE and an Alzheimer′s cognition assessment scale (ADAS-cog). Psycho-behavioral symptoms were quantified using the Alzheimer′s disease pathological behavior scale (BEHAVE-AD). Motor functioning was quantified using the timed up and go test (TUGT), the 30-second sit-to-stand test (30sCST), the 30-second arm curl test (30sACT) and the sit-and-reach test (CSRT). Ability in the activities of daily living (ADL) and life quality were quantified using the activity of daily living scale and of the quality of life scale for Alzheimer′s disease (QOL-AD) before and after the intervention.Results:After the intervention the average MMSE, ADAS-cog, BEHAVE-AD and ADL scores of both groups had improved significantly, with the average improvement in the observation group significantly greater than that in the control group. The TUGT, 30sCST, 30sACT and CSRT results of both groups were also significantly better, with those of the observation group again significantly superior, on average, to the control group′s results. The average QOL-AD score in the observation was significantly improved after the intervention, and was then significantly better than the control group′s average.Conclusions:Virtual reality training combined with aromatherapy can significantly improve the cognition, psycho-behavioral symptoms, activity in daily living, motor functioning and life quality of Alzheimer′s patients in a nursing home. It is worthy of promotion and application in nursing homes.

Objective:To observe any effect of virtual reality (VR) training on the cognitive functioning and functional fitness of nursing home residents with subjective cognitive decline (SCD).Methods:Fifty-six of such residents were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, each of 28. Both groups received health education and routine care, but the observation group was additionally provided with 45 minutes of VR training three times a week for 6 months. The training included Baduanjin, magic, flying bird, supermarket shopping, gravity ball and gym episodes. Both groups′ cognition was evaluated using the subjective cognitive decline questionnaire (SCD-Q), the Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA), the Rivermead Behavioural Memory Test (second edition) (RBMT-Ⅱ), a digit symbol substitution test (DSST), an animal fluency test (AFT) and trail-making test A-B (TMT A-B). Functional fitness was quantified using the 8-foot up-and-go test (8UGT), a 30-second arm curl test (30sACT), a 30-second chair stand test (30sCST), a back scratching test (BST), the sit-and-reach test (CSRT) and a 2-minute step test (2MST) before and after the 6-month intervention.Results:After the intervention, the average SCD-Q, MoCA, RBMT-Ⅱ, DSST, TMT-A, and TMT-B scores of the observation group were significantly better than before the intervention, and significantly better than the control group′s averages. And except for the back scratching their functional results were also significantly better, on average, than those of the control group.Conclusions:VR training can effectively improve the cognition and functional fitness of nur-sing home residents with SCD. Such training is worthy of promotion and wider application in nursing homes.