Biomonitorization of concentrations of 28 elements in serum and urine among workers exposed to indium compounds.

Many studies have documented the abnormal concentrations of metals/metalloids in serum or urine of occupational workers, but no works systematically analysed the concentrations of elements in serum or urine of indium-exposed workers. This study was aimed to assess 28 elements in serum and urine from 57 individuals with occupational exposure to indium and its compounds. Control subjects were 63 workers without metal exposure. We collected information on occupation and lifestyle habits by questionnaire. Biological samples were collected to quantify elements by inductive coupled plasma-mass spectrometer. Air in the breathing zones was drawn at flow rates of 1.5-3 L/min for a sampling period of 6 to 8 h, using a Model BFC-35 pump. The average ambient indium level was 0.078 mg/m3. Serum/urine Indium levels were significantly higher in indium-exposed workers than in controls (P < 0.01). Moreover, serum/urine indium concentrations in the group with 6-14 years and ≥15 years of employment were significantly higher than those with ≤5 employment years(P < 0.05). Ten of the other 27 elements/metals measured were higher in serum/urine in indium-exposed workers compared to the controls (aluminum, beryllium, cadmium, cesium, chromium, lithium, manganese, magnesium, molybdenum and vanadium). Zinc levels in serum/urine were significantly decreased in the indium-exposed workers. Additionally, other elements/metals were higher in one specimen (serum or urine) but lower in the other (Selenium was lower in serum but higher in urine in the indium-exposed workers compared with the controls; likewise Thallium and Rubidium were higher in serum but lower in urine). Linear regression analyses, revealed significant correlations between serum and urine for indium, aluminum, arsenic, barium, cadmium, cesium, cobalt, selenium, silver, and zinc (P < 0.05). These data suggest that occupational exposure to indium and its compounds may disturb the homeostasis of trace elements in systemic circulation, indium concentrations in serum or urine appear reflective of workers' exposure to ambient indium and their years of working, respectively. The serum/urine levels of essential metals are modified by exposure to indium in occupationally exposed workers. Further studies including larger sample size and more kinds of biological sample are needed to validate our findings

Current situation of job burnout and its influencing factors among workers in a chemical fiber factory in Xinxiang City, Henan Province

BackgroundJob burnout is prevalent among the occupational population, which may lead to individual physical and mental discomfort and affect the quality of life and productivity of suffered workers. Most current chemical fiber factory workers are engaged in hazardous tasks with high frequency and high repetition, which are highly associated with anxiety and depressive symptoms, and subsequently lead to job burnout. ObjectiveTo understand the current situation and influencing factors of job burnout in workers of a chemical fiber factory in Xinxiang City of Henan Province, and to provide empirical evidence for preventing and reducing the occurrence of job burnout in target workers. MethodsIn 2022, the workers of a chemical fiber factory in Xinxiang City were selected by cluster random sampling. The Chinese versions of the Burnout Scale, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 were used to conduct a survey. SPSS 25.0 software was used for rank sum test, correlation analysis, and logistic regression analysis. ResultsA total of 1463 valid questionnaires were collected, with an effective recovery rate of 90.0%. The positive rate of mild and moderate job burnout in the chemical fiber factory employees was 39.4%, and the positive rate of serious job burnout was 14.3%. There were statistical differences in the positive rates of job burnout among the workers by gender, age, education level, position, work shift system, anxiety symptom severity, and depressive symptom severity (P<0.05). The results of Spearman correlation analysis showed that the score of anxiety symptoms was positively correlated with the total score of job burnout, as well as the dimensional scores of exhaustion and cynicism, and negatively correlated with the dimensional score of professional efficacy (r=0.671, 0.764, 0.673, −0.097; P<0.01). The score of depressive symptoms was also positively correlated with the total score of job burnout, as well as the dimensional scores of exhaustion and cynicism, and negatively correlated with the dimensional score of professional efficacy (r=0.688, 0.791, 0.723, −0.087; P<0.01). The results of logistic regression analysis showed that men had a higher risk of serious job burnout than women (OR=1.698, 95%CI: 1.163-2.479); workers aged ≤ 40 years old had a higher probability of serious job burnout than those aged 51 to 60 years old (OR=2.587, 95%CI: 1.310-5.109); non-assembly line production workers and assembly line production workers were more prone to serious job burnout than administrative management and logistics personnel (OR=6.511, 9.707, 95%CI: 1.539-27.548, 2.260-41.700); compared with other shift systems (three shifts and night shifts), the probability of serious job burnout was lower (OR=0.375, 95%CI: 0.254-0.553) in regular day shift workers; compared with frequent overtime work, those reporting no overtime work and occasional overtime work showed a lower risk of serious job burnout, with OR (95%CI) values of 0.114 (0.068-0.192) and 0.331 (0.194-0.564), respectively. ConclusionThe positive rate of job burnout among the employees of the chemical fiber factory is high, and the anxiety symptoms and depressive symptoms are positively correlated with job burnout. Adjustment of work should be strengthened at multiple levels to improve anxiety symptoms and depressive symptoms of employees, and reduce the occurrence of job burnout

Current situation and influencing factors of job burnout in express industry in Xinxiang City, Henan Province

BackgroundJob burnout is common among working populations. The current situation and influencing factors of job burnout have been studied in workers of many industries at home and abroad, except the express industry in China.ObjectiveTo understand the current situation of job burnout in express industry in a city of China, and to provide a scientific basis for developing measures to reduce the occurrence of job burnout. MethodsIn 2022, 432 express delivery workers in a city were selected by cluster random sampling, and their job burnout, anxiety symptoms, and depressive symptoms were evaluated by using the General Burnout Scale, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, and Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Chi-square test was used to compare inter-group positive rates of job burnout. Spearman correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between selected variables. Positive job burnout, high level of exhaustion, and high level of cynicism were selected as dependent variables. Single-factor analysis was firstly carried out to identify statistically significant variables for subsequent logistic regression analysis. ResultsA total of 460 questionnaires were distributed and 432 valid questionnaires were recovered, with an effective recovery rate of 93.9%. There were 286 (66.2%) express delivery workers reporting job burnout. The positive rate of anxiety symptoms was 41.0%, and the positive rate of depressive symptoms was 34.0%. The job burnout score of the express industry workers [M (P25, P75)] was 1.8 (1.0, 2.5); the scores [M (P25, P75)] of exhaustion, cynicism, and professional efficacy were 1.0 (0.0, 2.6), 1.0 (0.0, 2.2), and 3.5 (1.2, 5.8), respectively; the score [M (P25, P75)] of anxiety symptoms was 1.5 (0.0, 7.0); the score [M (P25, P75)] of depressive symptoms was 1.0 (0.0, 8.0). There were statistical differences in the positive rates of job burnout among the express industry workers grouped by gender, education, monthly income, work shift system, overtime, anxiety symptoms, and depressive symptoms (P<0.05). The Spearman correlation analysis showed that there were significant positive correlations between the score of anxiety symptoms and the scores of job burnout, exhaustion, and cynicism (rs=0.596, 0.689, 0.600, P<0.001); the score of depressive symptoms was also positively correlated with the scores of job burnout, exhaustion, and cynicism (rs=0.601, 0.680, 0.607, P<0.001). The logistic regression analysis showed that women had a lower risk of job burnout than men (OR=0.458, 95%CI: 0.273, 0.768), and the risk of reporting positive job burnout was 3.140 times higher for those who worked overtime than those who did not (OR=3.140, 95%CI: 1.732, 5.693). ConclusionThe current situation of job burnout in express industry is serious. Gender, education, monthly income, and overtime are the main influencing factors. Measures should be developed to reduce the occurrence of job burnout

The associations of work style and physical exercise with the risk of work-related musculoskeletal disorders in nurses

Objectives This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD) in nurses, and to explore the association of work style and physical exercise with WMSD in this professional group. Material and Methods In this study, a cross-sectional survey design was applied. A questionnaire survey was conducted on 692 nurses in 5 municipal hospitals, in the period August–October 2015. The survey included personal information, lifestyle, physical exercise and symptoms of WMSD. Chi 2 test and logistic regression were used to identify the risk factors of WMSD. Results The prevalence of WMSD was 84% in all parts of the body in the previous year, with the highest prevalence in the neck (68.2%), followed by waist (67.6%) and shoulder (54.6%). Both univariate and multivariate analyses showed that physical exercise, night shifts and staying up late were associated with WMSD in nurses. The lack of exercise, night shifts and a tendency to stay up significantly increased the risk of WMSD (p < 0.05). Conclusions The prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among the municipal hospital nursing staff is high. An elevated risk of WMSD is observed in nurses who do not do exercises, work shifts and stay up late. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2019;32(1):15–2

Activation of Sirtuin3 by honokiol ameliorates alveolar epithelial cell senescence in experimental silicosis via the cGAS-STING pathway

Background: Silicosis, characterized by interstitial lung inflammation and fibrosis, poses a significant health threat. ATII cells play a crucial role in alveolar epithelial repair and structural integrity maintenance. Inhibiting ATII cell senescence has shown promise in silicosis treatment.However, the mechanism behind silica-induced senescence remains elusive. Methods: The study employed male C57BL/6 N mice and A549 human alveolar epithelial cells to investigate silicosis and its potential treatment. Silicosis was induced in mice via intratracheal instillation of crystalline silica particles, with honokiol administered intraperitoneally for 14 days. Silica-induced senescence in A549 cells was confirmed, and SIRT3 knockout and overexpression cell lines were generated. Various analyses were conducted, including immunoblotting, qRT-PCR, histology, and transmission electron microscopy. Statistical significance was determined using one-way ANOVA with Tukey's post-hoc test. Results: This study elucidates how silica induces ATII cell senescence, emphasizing mtDNA damage. Notably, honokiol (HKL) emerges as a promising anti-senescence and anti-fibrosis agent, acting through sirt3. honokiol effectively attenuated senescence in ATII cells, dependent on sirt3 expression, while mitigating mtDNA damage. Sirt3, a class III histone deacetylase, regulates senescence and mitochondrial stress. HKL activates sirt3, protecting against pulmonary fibrosis and mitochondrial damage. Additionally, HKL downregulated cGAS expression in senescent ATII cells induced by silica, suggesting sirt3's role as an upstream regulator of the cGAS/STING signaling pathway. Moreover, honokiol treatment inhibited the activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway, associated with reduced oxidative stress and mtDNA damage. Notably, HKL enhanced the activity of SOD2, crucial for mitochondrial function, through sirt3-mediated deacetylation. Additionally, HKL promoted the deacetylation activity of sirt3, further safeguarding mtDNA integrity. Conclusions: This study uncovers a natural compound, HKL, with significant anti-fibrotic properties through activating sirt3, shedding light on silicosis pathogenesis and treatment avenues

Fluoride and arsenic exposure impairs learning and memory and decreases mGluR5 expression in the hippocampus and cortex in rats.

Fluoride and arsenic are two common inorganic contaminants in drinking water that are associated with impairment in child development and retarded intelligence. The present study was conducted to explore the effects on spatial learning, memory, glutamate levels, and group I metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) expression in the hippocampus and cortex after subchronic exposure to fluoride, arsenic, and a fluoride and arsenic combination in rats. Weaned male Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned to four groups. The control rats drank tap water. Rats in the three exposure groups drank water with sodium fluoride (120 mg/L), sodium arsenite (70 mg/L), and a sodium fluoride (120 mg/L) and sodium arsenite (70 mg/L) combination for 3 months. Spatial learning and memory was measured in Morris water maze. mGluR1 and mGluR5 mRNA and protein expression in the hippocampus and cortex was detected using RT-PCR and Western blot, respectively. Compared with controls, learning and memory ability declined in rats that were exposed to fluoride and arsenic both alone and combined. Combined fluoride and arsenic exposure did not have a more pronounced effect on spatial learning and memory compared with arsenic and fluoride exposure alone. Compared with controls, glutamate levels decreased in the hippocampus and cortex of rats exposed to fluoride and combined fluoride and arsenic, and in cortex of arsenic-exposed rats. mGluR5 mRNA and protein expressions in the hippocampus and mGluR5 protein expression in the cortex decreased in rats exposed to arsenic alone. Interestingly, compared with fluoride and arsenic exposure alone, fluoride and arsenic combination decreased mGluR5 mRNA expression in the cortex and protein expression in the hippocampus, suggesting a synergistic effect of fluoride and arsenic. These data indicate that fluoride and arsenic, either alone or combined, can decrease learning and memory ability in rats. The mechanism may be associated with changes of glutamate level and mGluR5 expression in cortex and hippocampus

Effects of fluoride, arsenic, and fluoride + arsenic on body weights and daily fluid consumption in rats.

<p>Data represent mean for all animals of each group (<i>n</i> = 14). ^a<i>p</i><0.05, arsenic group and fluoride + arsenic group vs. control group, respectively;^b<i>p</i><0.05, fluoride + arsenic group vs. fluoride group; ^c<i>p</i><0.05, arsenic group vs. fluoride group;^d<i>p</i><0.05, fluoride group vs. control group;^e<i>p</i><0.05, fluoride + arsenic group vs. arsenic group.</p

Effects of fluoride, arsenic, and fluoride + arsenic on glutamate concentrations in serum (A) and the hippocampus and cortex (B) in rats.

<p>The bars indicate the mean ± SD (<i>n</i> = 8). ^a<i>p</i><0.05, ^b<i>p</i><0.01, compared with the control rats.</p

Risk Identification and Prediction of Coal Workers’ Pneumoconiosis in Kailuan Colliery Group in China: A Historical Cohort Study

<div><p>Background</p><p>Prior to 1970, coal mining technology and prevention measures in China were poor. Mechanized coal mining equipment and advanced protection measures were continuously installed in the mines after 1970. All these improvements may have resulted in a change in the incidence of coal workers’ pneumoconiosis (CWP). Therefore, it is important to identify the characteristics of CWP today and trends for the incidence of CWP in the future.</p><p>Methodology/Principal Findings</p><p>A total of 17,023 coal workers from the Kailuan Colliery Group were studied. A life-table method was used to calculate the cumulative incidence rate of CWP and predict the number of new CWP patients in the future. The probability of developing CWP was estimated by a multilayer perceptron artificial neural network for each coal worker without CWP. The results showed that the cumulative incidence rates of CWP for tunneling, mining, combining, and helping workers were 31.8%, 27.5%, 24.2%, and 2.6%, respectively, during the same observation period of 40 years. It was estimated that there would be 844 new CWP cases among 16,185 coal workers without CWP within their life expectancy. There would be 273.1, 273.1, 227.6, and 69.9 new CWP patients in the next <10, 10-, 20-, and 30- years respectively in the study cohort within their life expectancy. It was identified that coal workers whose risk probabilities were over 0.2 were at high risk for CWP, and whose risk probabilities were under 0.1 were at low risk.</p><p>Conclusion/Significance</p><p>The present and future incidence trends of CWP remain high among coal workers. We suggest that coal workers at high risk of CWP undergo a physical examination for pneumoconiosis every year, and the coal workers at low risk of CWP be examined every 5 years.</p></div

mGluR1 and mGluR5 mRNA expression in the hippocampus and cortex in rats.

<p>The bars indicate the mean ± SD (<i>n</i> = 8). ^a<i>p</i><0.05, ^b<i>p</i><0.01, compared with control rats;^c<i>p</i><0.05, compared with fluoride group; ^d<i>p</i><0.05, compared with arsenic group. Panels a, b and c represent mGluR1, mGluR5 and β-actin mRNA expression in the hippocampus. Panels d, e and f represent mGluR1, mGluR5 and β-actin mRNA expression in the cortex. M: marker. The size from top to bottom is 600, 500, 400, 300, 200, and 100 bp, respectively. The PCR product for mGluR1, mGluR5 and β-actin was 100, 138 and 115 bp, respectively.</p