Noise exposure and its impact on health in an auto parts manufacturing enterprise / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

Objective: To learn about the noise exposure and health status of workers and analyze factors that may affect the health outcomes of workers in an auto manufacturing enterprise in Tianjin City. Methods: In September 2020, occupational hygiene survey, noise exposure level detection and occupational health examination data collection were carried out in an auto parts manufacturing enterprise. Chi square test and unconditional logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the health effects of noise exposure and hearing loss of 361 noise exposure workers. Results: The rates of over-standard noise exposure, hearing loss and hypertension were 69.39% (34/49) , 33.24% (120/361) and 11.36% (41/361) , respectively. There were upward trends on age and noise-working years for hearing loss and hypertension rates (χ(2)=-5.95, -6.16, -2.81, -2.74, P<0.05) . Unconditional logistic regression analysis showed that age>35 years old, noise exposure length of service >10 years and noise L(EX, 8 h)>85 dB (A) were risk factors for hearing loss (OR=3.57, 95%CI: 1.09, 11.75; OR=4.05, 95%CI: 1.97, 8.25; OR=1.75, 95%CI: 1.00, 3.05; P=0.036, 0.001, 0.047) . Conclusion: This company has a high rate of job noise exceeding the standard, and noise-exposed workers have more serious hearing loss. Age, noise exposure and high noise exposure are risk factors for hearing loss.

Low cement distribution index is a risk factor for refracture of the adjacent segments after percutaneous vertebroplasty / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the impact of cement distribution index on the occurrence of refracture in the adjacent segments after percutaneous vertebroplasty.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>This retrospective analysis was conducted among 143 patients who received percutaneous vertebroplasty for osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture between April, 2011 and April, 2014. Of the 134 patients with complete follow-up data, 18 had adjacent segment fracture within 1 year following the surgeries (re-fracture group), and 116 patients without new fracture served as the control group. All the patients underwent X-ray examinations after the surgery and according to the position and shape, the cement in the vertebrae were classified into 5 types (I to V), and the volume-cubage index was computed based on the cement volume and vertebral cubage. Age, gender, bone mineral density (BMD), cement distribution index, volume-cubage index, and cement leakage were evaluated in the 2 groups, and the variables with significant differences between the 2 groups were analyzed in Logistic regression analysis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>BMD was significantly lower and the rate of cement leakage was significantly higher in the re-fracture group than in the control group (P<0.05). Significant difference was found in cement distribution index between the 2 groups (P<0.05) but not in age, gender, cement volume or volume-cubage index (P>0.05). Logistic regression analysis indicated that BMD, cement leakage and cement distribution index all significantly affected the occurrence of adjacent vertebral fractures following percutaneous vertebroplasty.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>A low BMD, cement leakage and a low cement distribution index are all risks factor of adjacent vertebral fracture after percutaneous vertebroplasty.</p>

MicroRNA expression in the serum of dust exposure population / 中国职业医学

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the microRNA levels in the serum of dust exposure population. METHODS: By cluster random sampling method,479 dust exposure workers were selected as dust exposure group. Four hundred and thirty-four normal healthy people without occupational dust exposure history were selected as control group. Forty-three pneumoconiosis patients were selected as pneumoconiosis group. The peripheral venous blood of the objects of 3 groups were collected,and the plasma serum were separated for detecting the relative expression of miR-16,miR-21,miR-29 a,miR-155,miR-200 c,miR-204 and miR-206 in serum by real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The difference of microRNA expression in the above 3 groups was observed. RESULTS: From high to low,the relative expression levels of miR-16,miR-29 a and miR-200 c were pneumoconiosis group > dust exposure group > control group( P < 0. 05),while the relative expression levels of miR-204 were control group > dust exposure group > pneumoconiosis group( P < 0. 05).The relative expression levels of miR-21 in dust exposure and pneumoconiosis groups were higher than that of control group,respectively( P < 0. 05). The relative expression level of miR-155 in dust exposure group was lower than that of control group( P < 0. 05). The relative expression level of miR-206 in pneumoconiosis group was higher than those of dust exposure group and control group respectively( P < 0. 05). CONCLUSION: The miR-16,miR-29 a,miR-200 c and miR-204 could be used as biomarkers in early diagnosis of pneumoconiosis disease.

Feasibility of volume perfusion CT (VPCT) imaging in antiangiogenic treatment of rabbit VX2 soft-tissue tumor / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the feasibility of volume perfusion CT imaging to dynamically monitor and evaluate the response of rabbit VX2 soft-tissue tumor to antiangiogenic treatment.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>To establish an experimental animal model of VX2 soft tissue tumor on 20 New Zealand white rabbits. Twenty rabbits were randomly divided into 2 groups. The therapy group was treated with recombinant human endostatin (3 mg·kg⁻¹·d⁻¹) for 7 days, and the control group received saline in the same dose only. Four times of CT volume perfusion scan were performed before treatment and on the second, forth, seventh days of treatment, respectively. The value of blood flow (BF), blood volume (BV), mean transit time (MTT), and permeability (PMB) in the VX2 tumors were measured after scanning. The microvessel density (MVD) and expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the tumors were determined using immunohistochemical staining.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The tumor volume of the therapy group was (1.36 ± 0.73) cm³ on the forth day of treatment and (1.69 ± 0.68) cm³ on the seventh day of the treatment. The tumor volume of the control group was (2.35 ± 0.62) cm³ on the fourth day of treatment and (3.87 ± 0.93) cm³ on the seventh day of the treatment (P < 0.05). On the seventh day of treatment, tumor necrosis ratio of the therapy group and the control group was (25.58 ± 5.51)% and (42.93 ± 4.34)%, respectively (P < 0.05). Comparing the perfusion parameters between the two groups on the same day, and the second, forth, seventh days of treatment, the value of PMB of the therapy group was (70.36 ± 23.46) ml·100 ml⁻¹·min⁻¹, (79.64 ± 13.68) ml·100 ml⁻¹·min⁻¹ and (84.76 ± 3.55) ml·100 ml⁻¹·min⁻¹, respectively, and that in the control group was (26.61 ± 6.47) ml·100 ml⁻¹·min⁻¹, (33.74 ± 16.47) ml·100 ml⁻¹·min⁻¹ and (30.47 ± 10.64) ml·100 ml⁻¹·min⁻¹, respectively (P < 0.05). The value of BF in the therapy group and control group was (71.19 ± 12.21) ml·100 ml⁻¹·min⁻¹ and (43.56 ± 12.21) ml·100 ml⁻¹·min⁻¹, respectively, on the seventh day of treatment (P < 0.05). The parameters on different days in the same group were compared. In the control group, the value of BF on the seventh day of treatment was significantly lower than that before and on the second and forth days of treatment (P < 0.05). However, in the therapy group, the value of PMB on the second, forth, and seventh days of treatment was significantly higher than that before treatment (P < 0.05). MVD of tumor in the control group was increased gradually, whereas increased on the first day and then decreased more in the therapy group. The VEGF expressions did not differ significantly between the experimental and control groups.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Volume perfusion CT is helpful to quantify the tumor perfusion and evaluate the functional changes of tumor vasculature, and then evaluate the early therapeutic effect of antiangiogenic treatment.</p>