Early effects of low-level long-term occupational chromate exposure on workers'health / 北京大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the effects of low-level long-term occupational exposure to chromate on the health of workers, and the potential biomarkers of early health effects in terms of lung function, immune toxicity and genetic damage.@*METHODS@#A total of 22 chromate contact workers and 44 non-chromate contact workers from an electroplating enterprise with long-term occupational environment monitoring in line with the national standards in Inner Mongolia were investigated. The questionnaire survey was conducted to collect the basic situation, the history of smoking, drinking, diseases and so on. The portable lung function instrument, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and cytokinesis-blocked micronucleus test were performed to measure the chromate contact workers'lung function, whole blood Cr (WB-Cr) and micronuclei frequency (MNF) of peripheral blood lymphocytes respectively. The cytometric bead array was used to detect the levels of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12P70 and TNFα in the serum among the two groups. The effects of chromate exposure on the above-mentioned indexes involved biological exposure, lung function, immune response and genetic damage, and their correlation were analyzed with different statistical methods.@*RESULTS@#(1) the average length of service for chromate contact workers was 31 years, and their concentration of WB-Cr was 1.11-4.19 μg/L. They were divided into high and low exposure groups according to the median of 1.72 μg/L. The WB-Cr in the high exposure group (2.17 μg/L) was higher than that in the low exposure group (1.58 μg/L) as well as the reference value of the healthy population (1.74 μg/L, P<0.05); (2) the lung function test showed 10 (45.45%) chromate exposure workers had single or multiple abnormal lung function indexes, among which large airway injury index PEF, and small airway injury indexes MVV and FEF25%-75% were all negatively correlated with WB-Cr (r=-0.53, P<0.05; r=-0.52, P<0.05; r=-0.44, P<0.05); (3) IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8 and TNFα in the serum of chromate contact workers were higher than those in the control group (P<0.05), and there was a positive correlation between TNFα and WB-Cr, and among these cytokines (P<0.05); (4) the average lymphocyte MNF in chromate contact workers was 1.341%, higher than the reference value of the general population (0.436%, P<0.01). Poisson regression analysis showed MNF in thehigh exposure group was higher than that in the low exposure group, OR (95%CI) =1.323 (1.049, 1.669); (5) multiple linear regression analysis showed that the lung function index FEF25%-75% decreased with the increase of TNFα (P<0.05), no significant correlation was found between other cytokines, MNF and lung function indexes.@*CONCLUSION@#Long-term low-level occupational exposure to chromate can cause the decline of lung function, immune inflammatory reaction and genetic damage in workers, in which local or systemic inflammatory response is associated with decreased lung function. Lung function indexes PEF, FEF25%-75% and MVV, serum cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and TNFα, and peripheral blood lymphocyte MNF may be used as early health effects biomarkers of chromate exposure.

Effect of parent training in combination with methylphenidate treatment on family relationships for children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect of parent training combined with methylphenidate treatment on family relationships in children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Fifty-nine parents of children with ADHD under methylphenidate treatment participated in a modified 5-week training program. The intervention effect was evaluated using the Conners Parent Symptom Questionnaire, ADHD Rating Scale-IV Home Version (ADHD-RS-IV Home Version), Caregiver Strain Questionnaire, Parent-Child Relationship Self-rating Scale and Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale. Parents also completed the training satisfaction survey before and after the intervention.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>After the 5-week parent training, compared with the baseline values, total scores of Conners Parent Symptom Questionnaire and scores of conduct problems and anxiety significantly decreased, and scores of attention deficit, hyperactivity, impulsivity and oppositional defiant behaviors of ADHD-RS-IV Home Version, and Caregiver Strain Questionnaire total scores were all significantly decreased (P<0.05), while total scores of the Parent-Child Relationship Self-Rating Scale and Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale were significantly increased (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Modified 5-week parent training program may improve parent-child relationship and reduce parenting stress in ADHD families.</p>

Influential factors for methylphenidate treatment compliance in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate influential factors for the tendency to medicate and medication compliance in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 188 children aged from 5 to 16 years, who were initially diagnosed with ADHD according to DSM-IV criteria, were included in the study. They underwent symptom assessment and cognitive function test. The compliance of methylphenidate treatment was evaluated.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Patients with better emotional state, and fewer oppositional and hyperactive behaviors and those who had a family history of psychiatric diseases and who obtained lower scores in the number cancellation test (NCT), were more prone to medication and/or exhibited better medication compliance. Logistic regression analysis showed that fewer oppositional and hyperactive behaviors and lower NCT scores were the predictive factors for a higher tendency to medicate, and a better emotional state was the predictive factor for better medication compliance. Patients of predominantly inattentive type were more prone to medication and showed better medication compliance, as compared with those of combined type. Gender, age and symptom severity were not associated with the tendency to medicate and/or medication compliance.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>There is a need to enhance medication compliance in children with ADHD who have hyperactive, impulsive and oppositional behaviors, and to improve their long-term social functions.</p>

Study on attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in children based on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To compare resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) findings of children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and normal children, and to investigate the possible mechanism of brain dysfunction in children with ADHD.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Resting-state fMRI was performed on 18 children who met the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for ADHD (ADHD group) and 18 normal children (control group) matched for age, sex, IQ, degree of education and handedness. The two groups were compared in terms of amplitude of low frequency fluctuation (ALFF) and regional homogeneity (ReHo).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the control group, the ADHD group had decreased ALFF in the bilateral posterior lobes of the cerebellum and the left side of the pons, increased ALFF in the right precentral gyrus, decreased ReHo in the left medial frontal gyrus, right superior frontal gyrus, and left precuneus, and increased ReHo in the left anterior lobe of the cerebellum, left caudate nucleus, right parahippocampal gyrus, left precentral gyrus, and right middle frontal gyrus.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>In resting state, children with ADHD have decreased brain activity in some regions, including the cerebellum and frontal cortex, compared with normal children, which supports the hypothesis of dysfunctional fronto-cerebellar circuits in ADHD.</p>

Study on Arbuscular Mycorrhizae of Panax notoginseng / 微生物学通报

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi can infect the roots of Cercidiphyllaceae and form arbuscular mycorrhizae.Infection rate is from 12% to 30%,but infection strength is weak.4 species of Acaulospora and 11 species of Glomus were isolated and identified,including Acaulospora tuberculata,A.spinosa,A.foveata,A.denticulate,Glomus geosporum,G.clarum,G.constrictum,G.monosporum,G.laroideum,G.versifome,G.microcarpum,G.mosseae,G.hoi,G.halonatum and G.reticulatum.Among them,G.cercidiphyllorum is advantage species.So AMF may be a potent resource of biology which can stimulate the growth of Panax notoginseng.