[Application of three risk assessment methods to noise risk assessment in an automobile foundry enterprise].

Objective: To explore the applicability of three different kinds of noise occupational health risk assessment methods to the occupational health risk assessment of noise exposed positions in an automobile foundry enterprise. Methods: In July 2020, the occupational-health risk assessment of noise-exposed positions was conducted by using the Guidelines for risk management of occupational noise hazard (guideline method) , the International Commission on Mining and Metals Guidelines for Occupational Health Risk Assessment (ICMM) method and the Occupational-health risk index method (index method) respectively, and the results were analyzed and compared. Results: Through the occupational health field investigation, the noise exposure level of the enterprise's main workstations was between 80.3 and 94.8 dB (A) , among which the noise of the posts of shaking-sand, cleaning and modeling was greater than 85 dB (A) ; The noise risk of each position was evaluated by the three methods, and the adjustment risk level was between 2 and 5 assessed using the guideline method, between 2 and 3 assessed using the index method, and 5 evaluated using the ICMM model. Conclusion: Each of the three risk assessment methods has its own advantages and disadvantages. The ICMM model has a large difference in value assignment, and values in the results are larger than expected. The evaluation results of the guideline method and the index method are consistent in some positions, there is certain subjectivity in the evaluation using the index method, and the guideline method is more objective.

[Basal squamous cell carcinoma of external auditory meatus: a case report].

Summary The patient developed repeated itching and scabbing at the mouth of the left external auditory canal 5 years ago. In the last two years, the tumor is enlarged. After admission, the left external auditory canal can be seen as a reddish mass, brittle and easy to bleed. CT of temporal bone showed that the soft tissue shadow of left external auricle and external auditory canal was thickened. Postoperative pathological findings: (left external auditory canal) basal cell squamous cell carcinoma. According to the history, physical examination and laboratory examination, the diagnosis is considered as basal squamous cell carcinoma of the external auditory meatus.

Note: Optimization and calibration for auto-cumulative flowmeter in horizontal oil-water two-phase flow.

This note presented the optimization and calibration for a novel auto-cumulative flowmeter (ACF) to measure the oil flow rate in horizontal oil-water two-phase segregated flow. By using the finite element method, the electrode geometry of the probe in the ACF was designed, optimized, and simulated for oil accumulation measurement. Considering the practical application of ACF, a novel circuit for ACF with the optimized geometry of the probe was designed, simulated, and analyzed. The experiment for oil-water two-phase segregated flow with the novel circuit was carried out to calibrate the ACF. The calibration results can provide a theoretical basis and technical reference for the practical application of ACF.

[Analysis of four carnitine-acylcarnitine translocase deficiency cases caused by homozygous mutation of SLC25A20 c.199-10T> G].

Objective: To investigate the clinical, biochemical and genetic features of four carnitine-acylcarnitine translocase deficiency cases. Methods: Four cases diagnosed with carnitine-acylcarnitine translocase deficiency from Guangxi Maternal and Child Health Hospital were studied. DNA was extracted from dry blood filter for gene analysis. SLC25A20 gene analysis was performed in 1 case and the whole exon sequence analysis was performed in 3 cases. Results: Retrospective study on unrelated carnitine-acylcarnitine translocase deficiency patients, the age of onset was 1-28 d, the age of death were 1.5-30 d, main clinical features were hypoglycemia (4 cases), arrhythmia (2 cases), sudden death (2 cases). Biochemical test showed hypoglycemia (1.2-2.0 mmol/L) , elevated creatine kinase (955-8 361 U/L) and creatine kinase isozyme(199-360 U/L), normal or decreased free carnitine level (3.70-27.07 µmol/L) , elevated long-chain acylcarnitine (palmityl carnitine 1.85-14.84 µmol/L). The gene tests showed that all 4 cases carried SLC25A20 gene c.199-10T> G homozygous mutation, inherited from their parents. By analyzing the haplotype, we found that the mutation loci of C. 199-10T> G were all in the same haplotype. Conclusion: The c.199-10T> G mutation is an important molecular cause of carnitine-acylcarnitine translocase deficiency, which has relatively high frequency in Guangxi population, and is related to the founder effect.

[The study on the targets of the optical evoked auditory brainstem response on the cochlea of guinea pig stimulating by infrared laser].

Objective: To identify the targets of the infrared laser stimulating on the cochlea of guinea pig which evoked auditory brainstem response (oABR), and explore the mechanisms of the infrared neurostimulation. Methods: A polished optical fiber with 200 µm diameter (NA=0.22) was planted into the scala tympani of guinea pigs to stimulate the cochlea of both the normal hearing and acute deafened guinea pigs. The direction of the fiber distal was changed to radiate different regions of the scala tympani, recording the oABR respectively. Differences of energy thresholds and amplitudes of oABR between normal hearing and acute deafened animals was concerned, and different responses were recorded as the optical path of laser fiber being changed to investigate the targets of the infrared laser stimulation. Immunofluorescence was used to detect the changes of inner and outer hair cells, and spiral ganglion neurons 7 days post-deafening, to looking for the probable association with the oABR changes at the same stimulus. SPSS 18.0 software was used to analyze the data. Results: Inner and outer hair cells were damaged in basal and middle turn, butresidual hair cells were observed in apical turn.Only when the optical fiber pointed to Rosenthal's canal stimulated the spiral ganglion region directly could the oABR be evoked. No response was recorded while the fiber pointed to other directions. Conclusion: Infrared laser stimulates cochlea evoked oABR generats from the response of spiral ganglion directly, the spiral ganglion neurons are the target of infrared stimulation.

Clinical significance of up-regulated lncRNA NEAT1 in prognosis of ovarian cancer.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the present study was to examine the expression levels of lncRNA NEAT1 in fresh ovarian cancer (OC) tissue and matched adjacent normal tissue specimens, and investigate the clinical significance of NEAT1 in OC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: NEAT1 levels in OC tissues and matched adjacent normal tissue specimens were tested by qRT-PCR. Then, statistical analysis was performed to explore the associations of NEAT1 expression with the clinical features and the prognosis of OC. RESULTS: NEAT1 is upregulated in ovarian cancer tissues compared with the corresponding adjacent non-neoplastic tissues. The expression level of NEAT1 was positively correlated with FIGO stage (p = 0.004), tumor grade (p = 0.009) and distant metastasis (p = 0.000). Also, the Kaplan-Meier survival curves revealed that high NEAT1 expression was associated with poor prognosis in OC patients. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that NEAT1 expression level (p < 0.001) was an independent factor in predicting the overall survival of OC patients. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that NEAT1 has a potential to function as a clinical biomarker for predicting disease invasiveness and prognosis of patients with OC.

[Genetic analysis for 5 congenital hypothyroidism patients due to dyshormonogenesis].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze molecular characteristics of 5 congenital hypothyroidism (CH) patients due to dyshormonogenesis. METHOD: We enrolled 5 CH patients due to dyshormonogenesis who were identified in Newborn Screening Center of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. Blood samples were collected from the patients and their parents, and genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood leukocytes. All exons of DUOX2, TG, TPO and NIS gene together with their exon-intron boundaries were screened by next-generation sequencing. Specimens from 100 normal controls were tested for these novel variations. RESULT: No TPO, NIS or TG gene mutations were identified. Direct sequencing of the DUOX2 gene revealed that patient 1 had a compound heterozygote for c. 3340delC and p. R683L, patient 2 was homozygous for p. K530X and patient 3 was a heterozygote for p. E879K. Both biallelic and monoallelic heterozygous mutations in DUOX2 were associated with transient CH. Novel mutations included c. 3340delC and p. R683L, analysis of 100 healthy subjects without thyroid disease did not show the same change. CONCLUSION: Genetic analysis of TPO, NIS, DUOX2 and TG gene in 5 unrelated CH patients with thyroid dyshormonogenesis revealed two novel DUOX2 mutations, both were biallelic and monoallelic heterozygous mutations in DUOX2 associated with transient CH.