Aged ; Coal Mining ; Electrocardiography ; Heart Rate ; physiology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pneumoconiosis ; physiopathology

Objective To analyze the clinical features,and prognosis of the interstitial lung disease (ILD) in patients with dermatomyositis (DM) and polymyositis (PM) by chest X-ray,chest high-resolution CT scan (HRCT) and pulmonary lung function.Methods Thirty-three patients hospitalized with DM/PM associated ILD were retrospectively analyzed.Results Thirty-three patients with ILD were confirmed by HRCT.Abnormal pulmonary function tests were available in 82% of patients.Clinical-imaging analysis revealed that the pathological features of ILD were non-specific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP,57%) and unusual interstitial pneumonia (UIP,25%).UIP types showed a poor prognosis and high mortality (70%).Conclusion This study shows that HRCT is more sensitive for the diagnosis of ILD than lung function tests and chest X-ray.Combined HRCT and chest X-ray with lung function tests and blood gas analysis have shown that the major pathological types of ILD are NSIP and UIP,in which UIP are associated with high mortality and poor prognosis.

Research factors are a very important element in any research design. Research factors include experimental and non-experimental factors. The former is the general term used to describe the similar experimental conditions that researchers are interested in, while the latter are other factors that researchers have little interest in but may influence the result. This article mainly focuses on the following issues: the definition of research factors, the selection and arrangement of experimental factors and non-experimental factors, the interaction between research factors, the standardization of research factors and the common mistakes frequently made by researchers.

Aged ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; diagnosis ; physiopathology ; Coal Mining ; Electrocardiography ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pneumoconiosis ; complications ; physiopathology

The research subject is the first key element of the three key elements in the research design. An appropriate selection of research subjects is crucial to the success of the research. This article summarizes the general principles for the selection of research subjects, the types and numbers of research subjects and the common mistakes that researchers tend to make in the selection of the research subjects. This article also provides the methodology suggestions for the selection of research subjects.

Observed index is a very important element in a research design, because it is a specific reflection of the effects of research factors on the research subjects and is indispensable in any research. Generally, there are two types of observed indexes: the indexes that reflect natural attributes, habits or states of the research subjects and the indexes that reflect the effects of different drugs or treatments on research subjects. This article mainly introduces the definition, characteristics, selection and observation of research indexes and the major and minor indexes.

Mitochondria play a key role in cell metabolism. In addition to synthesizing ATP, they also participate in many physiological and pathological processes, including apoptosis, inflammation, oxidative stress, neuronal disease, tumor development, and aging. Most gene transcription of mitochondrial proteins occurs in the nucleus, so the biogenesis of mitochondria and the maintenance of mitochondrial homeostasis mainly depend on the expression of nuclear genes (nDNA) and mitochondria-nucleus interactions. Conversely, mitochondria can affect the expression of nuclear genes through nuclear transcription factors, a process called mitochondrial retrograde signaling. This review summarizes the research progress on mitochondria-nucleus retrograde signaling and its regulation, including the ways by which mitochondria regulate nuclear genes and affect biological processes, and discusses new strategies for the treatment of diseases that involve mitochondrial retrograde signaling in disease pathology.

Objective: To observe the effects of recombinant adenovirus TRAIL (AdS-TRAIL & Ad5F35-TRAIL) on apoptosis of non-small cell lung (NSCLC) cells, so as to assess the value of Ad-TRAIL in gene therapy of NSCLC. Meth-ods: CAR and CD46 expression levels in lung cancer cell lines (A549, Z793, QG56 and NCI-H520) and the primary lung cancer cells from samples of 10 NSCLC patients were assayed by flow cytometry analysis. The lung cancer cell lines and primary lung cancer cells were infected with Ad5-TRAIL & Ad5F35-TRAIL adenoviral vectors at MOI 10 or 50, re-spectively; the percentage of apoptosis cells labeled by Annexin V-FITC in different cells were measured by flow cytometry 48 h after transfection. Results: The expression of CD46 were higher than that of CAR in all the lung cancer lines (A549, Z793, QG56 and NCI-H520) and the primary lung cancer cells. Significant apoptosis was observed in Z793 and QG56 cells transfected with Ad5-TRAIL or Ad5F35-TRAIL at MOI 10, with the apoptosis rate being (1.76±2.10)% (Ad5-TRAIL), (15.96±2.89) % (Ad5F35-THAIL) and (6.05±1.58) % (Ad5-TRAIL), (10.11±1.26) % (Ad5F35-TRAIL), respectively, compared to no adenovirus-transfected cells ([2.33±0.37] % and [5.95±1.89]%, respectively, P < 0.05). Less than 10% of apoptosis cells were detected in NCI-H520 cells transfected with Ad5- or Ad5F35-TRAIL at MOI 50 ([12.89±3.2] % for AdS-TRAIL and [9.08±1.35]% for Ad5F35-TRAIL, respectively) compared to no adenovirus-transfected cells ([7.04±2.17] %, P > 0.05). Moreover, apoptosis induced by Ad5- or Ad5F35-TRAIL transfection in A549 cells was not detected both at MOI 10 and 50. About half of the primary lung cancer cells from 10 patients induced apoptosis after transfected with Ad5-TRAIL or Ad5F35-TRAIL vector. A higher percentage of apoptotic cells were found in Ad5F35-TRAIL group than those in Ad5-TRAIL and control groups. Conclusion: Ad5-TRAIL can induce apoptosis of NSCLC cells in vitro, and Ad5F35-TRAIL is more potent than Ad5-TRAIL, so Ad5F35-TRAIL is more suitable for gene therapy of NSCLC.

Objective:To summarize the experiences of the surgical treatment of tumors in the posterior part of the third ventricle and pineal region. Methods: Twenty-seven patients with tumors in this region treated microsurgically from 1990 to 2000 were analyzed. The surgical indications, approaches, and operative key points were discussed. The prognostic factors were also analyzed. Results:Tumors were removed totally in 11 patients, removed subtotally in 7 and removed partially in 5. Biopsy and ventriculo-peritoneal shunt was performed in 4 patients. Of 17 patients in follow-up, 13 patients survived longer than 5 years. Conclusions: Most tumors in the posterior part of the third ventricle and pineal region can be surgically removed.Sufficient specimen obtained in the operation can confirm pathologic property of the tumor,guiding next chemotherapy and radiotherapy.