Background The positive rate of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) among coal mine workers remains high, which seriously affects the quality of life of the workers. Objective To estimate the prevalence of WMSDs among coal miners in Shanxi Province and analyze their influencing factors. Methods From May to December 2023, 2315 coal miners from a coal mine enterprise inShanxi Province were selected by convenience sampling, and the self-administered Basic Situation Survey Scale, Musculoskeletal Disorders Questionnaire, Effort-Reward Imbalance Questionnaire, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Scale were used to evaluate general demographic characteristics, work organization characteristics, living habits, sleep quality, occupational stress, and occurrence of WMSDs symptoms and the corresponding absences (sickness absence) in past 1 year. The positive rate and absenteeism rate of WMSDs were caculated, and Pearson's chi-square test was used for identify influencing factors of WMSDs, and finally a binary logistic regression method was used to further studying the factors. Results A total of 2577 questionnaires were distributed in this survey, and 2315 valid questionnaires were recovered, with an effective recovery rate of 89.9%. The positive rate of WMSDs symptoms was 48.7% (1127/2315), the absenteeism rate due to WMSDs was 22.6% (523/2315), and the waist (17.5%), neck (11.7%), and knee (9.0%) were the most common areas presenting WMSDs symptoms. The results of logistic regression showed that compared with ≤10 years of service, the risk of WMSDs was higher for those with > 20 years of service (OR=2.167, 95%CI: 1.419, 3.311). Compared with the daily working time of ≤8 h, the risk of WMSDs was higher for those >8 h daily working time (OR=1.463, 95%CI: 1.211, 1.767). A higher risk of WMSDs was reported in workers with moderate labor intensity (OR=1.247, 95%CI: 1.009, 1.542) or heavy labor intensity (OR=1.570, 95%CI: 1.215, 2.027) than those with light labor intensity. The higher the education level (OR _{high school and technical secondary school}=1.866, 95%CI: 1.435, 2.425; OR _{junior college/bachelor degree or above}=1.953, 95%CI: 1.445, 2.639), the higher the risk of WMSDs. The risk of WMSDs was higher in workers reporting smoking (OR=1.225, 95%CI: 1.021, 1.470) or alcohol consumption (OR=1.345, 95%CI: 1.122, 1.612). The risk of WMSDs in coal miners with high occupational stress (OR=1.229, 95%CI:1.030, 1.466) or those with sleep disorders (OR=3.616, 95%CI:2.824, 4.629) was higher than that in workers with low occupational stress or no sleep disorders respectively. Conclusion The positive rate of WMSDs among coal mine personnel in Shanxi Province is high, and education level, length of service, daily working hours, smoking, alcohol consumption, labor intensity, sleep disorders, and occupational stress are influencing factors for WMSDs.

Background Unhealthy lifestyle behaviors may be associated with an increased risk of cardiometabolic risk factor aggregation (CMRF≥ 2), and few studies have focused on the correlation between the two in occupational populations. Objective To investigate the current status of CMRF≥2 and the compliance of healthy lifestyle in male occupational personnel, explore the effect of lifestyle on cardiometabolic risk, and provide reference for formulating healthy behavior promotion strategies and reducing cardiometabolic risk in occupational populations. Methods The study subjects were selected from male workers who completed occupational health examinations at an occupational disease prevention and control hospital in Shanxi Province from May to December 2023, and 15125 study subjects aged 18−60 years were finally included according to pre-determined inclusion and exclusion criteria. All subjects received a series of assessments including questionnaires (basic information, lifestyle habits, and occupational factors), physical examination, laboratory tests, and six cardiometabolic risk factors (central obesity, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, hypertriglyceridemia, low-density lipoprotein cholesterolemia, and hyperuricemia). A healthy lifestyle score was calculated based on six behavioral factors (smoking, drinking, physical activity, diet, sleep, sedentary behavior) and 1 point for one positive healthy behavior. The enrolled workers were then divided into three groups according to their total scores: 0−1 points (poor group), 2−3 points (moderate group), and 4−6 points (good group). Logistic regression models were used to analyze the statistical associations between lifestyle and CMRF≥2. Results The median age of the 15125 male study participants was 40 years, and the positive rate of CMRF≥2 was 53.5%. Adherence to moderate alcohol consumption was the most compliant healthy behavior (79.4%), followed by current non-smoking (41.7%), while adherence to adequate sedentary behavior (23.6%) and healthy eating (21.1%) were relatively low, and only 17.4% were able to adhere to four or more healthy lifestyle behaviors. After adjusting for confounders, when compared with the poor group high lifestyle score was found to be a protective factor for CMRF≥2 (moderate group: OR=0.70, 95%CI: 0.63, 0.77; good group: OR=0.66, 95%CI: 0.58, 0.75). In stratified analyses across different job types (coal miners, auxiliary workers, ground workers, and others), occupational stress (with or without), shift patterns (day shift, night shift, or rotating shift), dust exposure (with or without), and noise exposure (with or without), individuals with higher lifestyle scores exhibited a consistently lower risk of CMRF≥2. There was an interaction between shift pattern and lifestyle on CMRF≥2 (P_interaction<0.05). Conclusion This occupational group has a high positive rate of CMRF≥2 and a high prevalence of poor lifestyles with low adherence to some healthy behaviors. High healthy lifestyle scores are associated with a lower risk of aggregation of cardiometabolic risk factors, which may be reduced through lifestyle interventions.

Background The prevalence of hyperuricemia (HUA) among Chinese residents has been increasing annually, with occupational populations facing a higher risk of HUA due to shift work or obesity. Objective To investigate the impact of shift work and obesity on HUA among coal miners, and to provide scientific data for the prevention of HUA in this occupational group. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted with 25619 workers from a coal mining group in 2023 as the study population, using a questionnaire survey and occupational health check-ups. Workers who were retired or on medical leave, as well as those who provided incomplete responses to the questionnaire or did not complete anthropometric measurements or blood tests, were excluded. A total of 23173 participants were included in the study. An unconditional logistic regression model was used to analyze the association between HUA and selected factors such as shift work status, years of shift work, daily shift work hours, body mass index (BMI), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), and visceral adiposity index (VAI), as well as the interaction between obesity and shift work on HUA. Restricted cubic spline functions were used to analyze the dose-response relationship between years of shift work, daily shift work hours, and HUA. Results The average age of the included workers was (42.38 ± 9.82) years. A total of 6735 workers reported positive HUA, with a positive rate of 29.1%, and the prevalence was higher in men compared to women (31.8% vs. 13.9%). After adjusting for confounding factors, the restricted cubic spline model revealed a nonlinear dose-response relationship between years of shift work, daily shift work duration, and HUA: ① When the years of shift work exceeded 3.25 years, the risk of HUA in workers gradually increased with longer work duration. At 20 years of shift work, the risk increase showed a "saturation effect," meaning that the risk of HUA no longer increased with additional years of shift work. ② When daily shift work duration was below 10 h, the risk of HUA increased with the length of shift work, but after exceeding 10 h, the risk stabilized. After adjusting for confounding factors, the logistic regression model showed that, compared to non-shift workers, shift workers, those with 10-20 years and over 20 years of shift work experience, as well as those working less than 8 h and more than 8 h per day, had a higher risk of HUA, with odds ratios (OR) of 1.14 (95%CI: 1.06, 1.22), 2.42 (95%CI: 2.20, 2.67), 2.23 (95%CI: 2.00, 2.48), 1.41 (95%CI: 1.29, 1.54), and 1.90 (95%CI: 1.75, 2.06), respectively. Additionally, compared to individuals with normal obesity indices, those with overweight and obesity based on BMI, high and very high VAI and excessive WHtR had a higher risk of HUA, with ORs of 2.01 (95%CI: 1.85, 2.17), 3.51 (95%CI: 3.20, 3.84), 1.42 (95%CI: 1.32, 1.54), 2.10 (95%CI: 1.91, 2.30), and 1.82 (95%CI: 1.69, 1.97), respectively. The interaction analysis showed no interaction between shift work and obesity index (both P_s < 0.001). Conclusion Shift work, longer shift work years, and longer daily shift work hours increase the risk of HUA among coal miners. Additionally, the role of obesity in the development of HUA cannot be ignored.

Background Thyroid hormones are crucial for development and proper functioning of human physiological systems. Current research on the thyroid mainly focuses on the impacts of lifestyle factors on thyroid dysfunction, while less attention is paid to the factors affecting thyroid hormone levels, especially occupational hazards, which warrants further investigation. Objective To investigate the associations between occupational hazard exposure and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and thyroid hormone levels in male coal mine workers. Methods A cross-sectional study design was adopted. A total of 12564 workers who participated in the occupational health check-ups at the Xishan Coal Electricity (Group) Corporation Occupational Disease Prevention and Control Institute in 2023 and met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were selected as research subjects. A self-designed electronic questionnaire was used to collect basic information, occupational history, and lifestyle habits of all study subjects. Height, weight, thyroid function test results, and occupational hazard exposure of the study subjects were obtained through occupational health examinations and routine workplace occupational hazard detection records. Generalized linear regression was used to analyze the associations between occupational hazard exposure and the levels of TSH and thyroid hormones. Results The median (P₂₅, P₇₅) levels of triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), free triiodothyronine (FT3), free thyroxine (FT4), and TSH in the included 12564 male coal mine workers were 1.16 (1.03, 1.29) ng·mL⁻¹, 7.70 (6.70, 8.90) μg·dL⁻¹, 3.63 (3.40, 3.84) pg·mL⁻¹, 1.19 (1.08, 1.30) ng·dL⁻¹, and 1.93 (1.36, 2.78) μIU·mL⁻¹, respectively. The overall abnormality rate of thyroid hormones was 2.83%, with the highest rate for subclinical hypothyroidism (1.83%), followed by hyperthyroidism (0.37%), hypothyroidism (0.32%), and subclinical hyperthyroidism (0.31%). After adjustment for confounding factors, the generalized linear regression model showed that long working hours were associated with higher levels of T3 and FT3, with β (95%CI) values of 0.011 (0.003, 0.019) and 0.038 (0.019, 0.057) respectively. Night shift work was linked to increased TSH levels and decreased FT4 levels, with β (95%CI) values of 0.171 (0.016, 0.326) and −0.012 (−0.019, −0.006) respectively. Coal dust exposure was associated with decreased levels of T3 and T4, with β (95%CI) values of −0.022 (−0.037, −0.008) and −0.320 (−0.434, −0.207) respectively. Noise exposure was related to decreased levels of T4 and FT4, with β (95%CI) values of −0.102 (−0.166, −0.038) and −0.020 (−0.027, −0.013) respectively. Conclusion The TSH and thyroid hormone levels of coal miners are mostly within the normal reference ranges, with a low abnormality rate. Long work hours, night shift work, coal dust, and noise are associated with the levels of TSH and thyroid hormone levels in the male miners. Coal companies should reasonably arrange working hours, optimize the night shift scheduling system, and enhance protection against coal dust and noise to promote occupational health and safeguard the physical health of miners.

Objective To analyze the structural and phylogenetic characteristics of the mitochondrial genome from Bulinus globosus, so as to provide a theoretical basis for classification and identification of species within the Bulinus genus, and to provide insights into understanding of Bulinus-schistosomes interactions and the mechanisms of parasite transmission. Methods B. globosus samples were collected from the Ruya River basin in Zimbabwe. Mitochondrial DNA was extracted from B. globosus samples and the corresponding libraries were constructed for high-throughput sequencing on the Illumina NovaSeq 6000 platform. After raw sequencing data were subjected to quality control using the fastp software, genome assembly was performed using the A5-miseq and SPAdes tools, and genome annotation was conducted using the MITOS online server. Circular maps and sequence plots of the mitochondrial genome were generated using the CGView and OGDRAW software, and the protein conservation motifs and structures were analyzed using the TBtools software. Base composition and codon usage bias were analyzed and visualized using the software MEGA X and the ggplot2 package in the R software. In addition, a phylogenetic tree was created in the software MEGA X after sequence alignment with the software MAFFT 7, and visualized using the software iTOL. Results The mitochondrial genome of B. globosus was a 13 730 bp double-stranded circular molecule, containing 2 ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes, 22 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, and 13 protein-coding genes, with a marked AT preference. The mitochondrial genome composition of B. globosus was similar to that of other species within the Bulinus genus. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the complete mitochondrial genome sequence of B. globosus was clustered with B. truncatus, B. nasutus, and B. ugandae into the same evolutionary clade, and gene superfamily analysis showed that the metabolism-related proteins of B. globosus were highly conserved, notably the cytochrome c oxidase family, which showed a significant consistency. Conclusions This is the first whole mitochondrial genome sequencing to decode the compositional features of the mitochondrial genome of B. globosus from Zimbabwe and its evolutionary relationship within the Bulinus genus, which provides important insights for further understanding of the phylogeny and mitochondrial genome characteristics of the Bulinus genus.

Background In recent years, the detection rate of thyroid nodules in China's occupational population has shown an upward trend. The prevalence of this disease needs to be taken seriously and targeted measures should be taken to address its influencing factors. Objective To analyze the detection and influencing factors of thyroid nodules among adult male workers in coal mining enterprises in Shanxi Province, and provide a theoretical basis for the prevention of thyroid nodules. Methods A total of 5195 adult male workers from coal mining enterprises who ordered physical examination provided by the Xishan Coal Electricity (Group) Corporation Occupational Disease Prevention and Control Institute in Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province from May 2023 to December 2023 were selected as research subjects. A questionnaire survey, physical examination, ultrasound examination, and biological sample collection and testing were conducted. Thyroid nodules were diagnosed based on ultrasound results, classified and evaluated according to the Chinese-Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (C-TIRADS), and the crude detection rate and standardized detection rate of thyroid nodules in adult male coal mine workers in Shanxi Province wereestimated. Occupational history and occupational exposure information were retrieved from their annual occupational health examination reports provided by the employer. Logistic regression modeling was used to analyze the influencing factors of thyroid nodule. Results A total of 1688 cases of thyroid nodules were detected, with a crude detection rate of 32.49% and an age-standardized detection rate of 31.17%. The cases (constitution ratio) of thyroid nodules by category in the detected cases was as follows: 358 cases (21.21%) were classified as category 2, 1261 cases (74.70%) as category 3, 67 cases (3.97%) as category 4a, and 2 cases (0.12%) as category 4b. The results of logistic regression showed that the duration of exposure to occupational hazards for 11-20 years, 21-30 years, ≥31 years, average monthly working>26 days, and shift work were positively correlated with the detection of thyroid nodules (P<0.05), and the associated ORs (95%CIs) were 1.29 (1.01, 1.65), 1.55 (1.20, 1.99), 1.68 (1.26, 2.55), 1.19 (1.00, 1.40), and 1.15 (1.02, 1.29), respectively. Conclusion The duration of exposure to occupational hazards, average monthly working days, and shift work are influencing factors of thyroid nodules. Intervention measures should be developed based on these influencing factors to prevent the occurrence of thyroid nodules.

BACKGROUND:Animal models of diabetic encephalopathy that have been studied mainly include streptozotocin-induced model,high-sugar and high-fat diet-induced model and spontaneous animal model.Establishing a simple,easy,short-cycle,safe and effective model of diabetic encephalopathy can help to explore the subsequent pathogenesis and screen therapeutic drugs. OBJECTIVE:To further explore and evaluate the method of building diabetic encephalopathy rat models. METHODS:Twenty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into control(n=10)and model(n=10)groups.Rats in the model group were given a single injection of 45 mg/kg streptozotocin in the left lower abdominal cavity,and those in the control group were given the same amount of citrate buffer.During the experiment,the body mass,feed intake,water intake and blood glucose were measured.After 8 weeks,the glucose tolerance and oxidative stress levels were measured,and the pathological changes of brain tissue and the expression of apoptotic proteins were compared between groups. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Compared with the control group,the food intake,water intake,encephalization quotient,blood glucose and area under the blood glucose curve were significantly increased in the model group,while the body mass decreased significantly(P<0.01).Histopathological examination of the brain showed that compared with the control group,the number of surviving nerve cells was significantly reduced in the model group(P<0.01),with more significant pathological damage of nerve cells.Compared with the control group,the activities of serum superoxide dismutase,catalase and glutathione in the model group were significantly decreased(P<0.01),and the content of oxidative malondialdehyde was significantly increased(P<0.05).The expression levels of apoptosis-related proteins Bax and Caspase-3 in brain tissue increased in the model group compared with the control group,while the expression of Bcl-2 decreased(P<0.01).In conclusion,an 8-week injection of 45 mg/kg streptozotocin can cause obvious pathological damage to the brain tissue of diabetic rats,to successfully establish the rat model of diabetic encephalopathy.

Currently, single-cell multi-omics technologies including single-cell DNA sequencing (scDNA-seq) and single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) have been used to reveal the heterogeneity of malignant tumor cells, elucidate their pathogenesis, drug resistance and recurrence mechanisms, which provide new strategies for the diagnosis and prognostic assessment of malignant tumors. This article reviews the application of single-cell sequencing technology in the diagnosis and prognostic assessment of acute leukemia based on the progress reported at the 65th American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting.

AIM: To explore the correlation between remnant cholesterol(RC)and anterior ischemic optic neuropathy(AION).METHODS: A total of 80 cases of AION patients hospitalized in the department of ophthalmology of Linyi People's Hospital from January 2020 to December 2023 were selected as the observation group, and 80 cases of those who had completed health checkups in Linyi People's Hospital during the same period(without ischemic optic neuropathy and other fundus vasculopathies)were selected as the control group. The general data and biochemical indexes of the two groups were compared to evaluate the correlation between RC and AION.RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the levels of RC, fasting blood glucose(FBG), triglyceride(TG), total cholesterol(TC), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C)in patients with AION were significantly higher than those in the control group(all P<0.01). Spearman correlation analysis showed that RC was positively correlated with TG, TC, and LDL-C(all P<0.01). Logistic regression analysis showed that RC and FBG were risk factors for the development of AION. The analysis of receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves showed that the level of RC had a better predictive value for the development of AION compared with FBG.CONCLUSION: RC is associated with the development of AION and is a risk factor for the development of AION. Clinical standardization of the management of people with high RC values can reduce the risk of the development of AION, which is of clinical significance.

Objective To analyze the prevalence of chronic diseases and its influencing factors of dust-exposed male workers in a coal mine. Methods A total of 9 782 dust-exposed male workers from a coal mine in Shanxi Province were selected as the study subjects using the purposive sampling method. Their occupational health examination results were collected to analyze the prevalence of chronic diseases and its influencing factors. Results The prevalence of dyslipidemia, hyperuricemia, hypertension and diabetes were 40.3%, 30.7%, 23.5% and 5.6%, respectively. The prevalence of chronic diseases was 64.8%. Among them, the prevalence of having one, two, three or more chronic diseases were 36.5%, 21.6% and 6.7%, respectively. The prevalence of comorbid chronic diseases was 28.3%, with the highest prevalence of concurrent dyslipidemia and hyperuricemia of 11.0%. The results of binary logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of chronic disease was higher in workers <40 years old, smoking, overweight, obesity and total working years >20 years (all P<0.05). The results of multinomial logistic regression analysis showed that workers <40 years old, overweight, obesity and total working years >20 years were risk factors for having one chronic disease (all P<0.05). The workers <40 years old, smoking, overweight, obesity and total working years >20 years were risk factors for having two chronic diseases (all P<0.05). The workers <40 years old, smoking, alcohol consumption, overweight, obesity, other types of work, and working years >20 years were risk factors for having three or more chronic diseases (all P<0.05). Conclusion The prevalence of chronic diseases is high and the comorbidity of chronic diseases is common among dust-exposed male workers. The main influencing factors were age, smoking, alcohol consumption, overweight, obesity, type of work, and working year. Workers with more contributing factors have higher risk of chronic comorbidities.