Carcinogens ; Occupational Exposure

Animals ; Humans ; MicroRNAs ; Pneumonia ; genetics ; Pulmonary Fibrosis ; genetics

Health Personnel ; psychology ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Multivariate Analysis ; Professional Competence ; statistics & numerical data ; Stress, Psychological ; epidemiology

Objective To evaluate the performance of the ABX Micro C-reactive protein(CRP)in determination of CRP.Methods The analytic characteristics including precision,carry-over,linearity, stability,interference and comparability were examined.Results The coefficient of variation(CV)was less than 5.1%,10% and d.3% for within-run,between-run and between-day,respectively.Carryover was less than 1.2%.Whole blood samples held at either room temperature or 4℃ were stable for 48 hours with relative deviation less than 6.0% relatively.Linear range was 1.0-70.0 mg/L using undiluted samples.The comparison between the ABX Micro CRP and Behring Nephelometer Ⅱ was well correlated Both serum:Y=0.996 7X-0.398 5,r~2=0.965 9;serum for BN Ⅱ,whole-blood samples for the ABX Micro CRP:Y=0.908 8X-0.138 2,r~2=0.959 4;both serum and whole-blood samples for the ABX Micro CRP: Y=1.001 7X-0.898 2,r~2=0.952 7.No obvious interference was observed by hyperhemoglobinemia and hyperlipidemia.Conclusion The determination of CRP test with ABX Micro is accurate and reliable.

To explore the effect of magnitude and duration on the performance of Cumulative Sum (CUSUM),with simulation method used on the subject after the insertion of 11 outbreak events into baseline data with Poisson distribution.Sensitivity fluctuated from 9.1％ to 100.0％ with specificities higher than 98.6％.Sensitivity was significantly correlated with magnitude,and increased along with the increase of magnitude.However,no significant correlation was observed between sensitivity and duration.A magnitude which was at least 2.6 times higher than that of the mean daily baseline could result in the sensitivity of 100.0％.Time-lag would be improved along with the increase of magnitude.Time between onset and detection of an outbreak was no longer than one day when magnitude was more than 1.8 of the mean daily baseline.In summary,the performance of CUSUM was influenced by magnitude,but not by duration.CUSUM had the advantage of good time-lag and high sensitivity when the outbreak magnitude was more than 2.4 time over the baseline data.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the correlation between thresholds in the chirp-ABR and behavior audiogram in order to find out if it is possible to be used as an clinical application of the chirp-ABR in estimating hearing sensitivity.

METHODSTwenty-two cases with hearing loss or normal hearing were enrolled in the study. The behavior audiogram and the response thresholds of chirp ABR (including chirp ABR, L-chirp ABR and U-chirp ABR) were obtained from 35 ears.

RESULTSTwenty-two cases were of both genders. The age was between 3.3- 6.5-years-old with the average age of 4.8-years-old. Divided by the degree of hearing loss, in the 35 ears, there were 6 with normal hearing, 2 with slightly hearing loss, 4 with moderate hearing loss, 10 with severe hearing loss and 13 with profound hearing loss. The Pearson correlation coefficients were 0.939, 0.900 and 0.930, respectively, which got from the data between the average of 0.5 - 4 kHz and chirp ABR respond threshold, 0.5 kHz and L-chirp ABR, and the average of 1 - 4 kHz and U-chirp ABR.

CONCLUSIONAs an objective test, the response threshold of chirp-ABR and the behavior audiogram were a highly correlated with each other, but more application in more subjects is needed.

Acoustic Stimulation ; Audiometry, Evoked Response ; Auditory Threshold ; physiology ; Child ; Child Behavior ; Child, Preschool ; Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem ; physiology ; Female ; Hearing Tests ; Humans ; Male

OBJECTIVETo clarify the dose-response relationship between asbestos dust exposure and lung cancer incidence in chrysotile asbestos miners by fixed cohort study and to investigate the incidence rates of lung cancer in exposure to different concentrations of asbestos dust.

METHODSA retrospective cohort study was conducted in 1932 asbestos miners who registered from January 1, 1981 to December 31, 1988, had worked for at least 1 year, and had no obvious cardiopulmonary diseases; the cohort study began in July 2009 and covered a time span of 29 years (1981 - 2009). The personal information, occupational history, disease history, and health data of these miners were recorded, and the monitoring data on dust concentrations in the mine over the years were collected. The dose-response relationship between asbestos dust concentration and lung cancer incidence was established by the method of life table; a regression equation was fitted to predict the excess incidence rates of lung cancer under the conditions of different working years and dust concentrations.

RESULTSA significant dose-response relationship was observed between cumulative exposure (Ce) and cumulative probability (Px) of lung cancer incidence, and the smokers hada higher Px than nonsmokers. When Ce was less than 2000 mg/m(3)·each year, Px reached 6.58/10000; when Ce was not less than 2000 mg/m(3)·and less than 3000 mg/m(3)·each year, Px reached 91.72/10000; when Ce was more than 5000 mg/m(3)·each year, Px was as high as 141.02/10000. The three models were fitted to obtain the optimal regression equation: Px = -0.0004Ce(2) + 0.0052Ce - 0.0011 (r(2) = 0.9387). In the workshop of asbestos mine in this study, the average dust concentration was 85 times higher than the limit in 2009, so the excess incidence rate of lung cancer was 112.598/10000 if the miners worked under this condition for 40 years, according to the equation.

CONCLUSIONThere is a significant dose-response relationship between cumulative asbestos exposure and lung cancer incidence in chrysotile asbestos miners. The risk for lung cancer rises as asbestos exposure increases.

Asbestos, Serpentine ; toxicity ; Dust ; Female ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; etiology ; Male ; Mining ; Occupational Exposure ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVETo investigate the distribution characteristics and influencing factors of mental workload of teachers in primary schools.

METHODSNational Aeronautics and Space Administration-Task Load Index (NASA-TLX) was used to assess the mental workload levels for 397 teachers of primary schools in a city.

RESULTSThe mental workload (64.34+10.56) of female teachers was significantly higher than that (61.73+ 9.77) of male teachers (P<0.05). The mental workload (65.66+10.42) of "-35" years old group was the highest. When age of teachers was younger than 35 years old, there was a positive correlation between the mental workload and age (r=0.146, P<0.05). When age of teachers was older than 35 years old, there was a negative correlation between the mental workload and age (r=-0.190, P<0.05). The teachers with higher education level felt higher mental workload (unstandardized coefficients B=1.524, standardized coefficients /=0.111, P<0.05). There was a positive correlation between the mental workload and working hours per day (unstandardized coefficients B =4.659, standardized coefficients/3 =0.223, P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONMental workload of the teachers in primary schools is closely related to age, educational level and work hours per day. Work hours per day is an important risk factor for mental workload. Reducing work hours per day (8 hours) is an effective measure of alleviating the mental workload of teachers in primary schools.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Faculty ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Schools ; Stress, Psychological ; epidemiology ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Workload ; psychology ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship between simple exposure to chrysotile and lung cancer.

METHODSThe nested case-control study method was used. All of lung cancer cases collected from a male fixed prospective cohort with follow-up of 30 years served as cases and a 1:4 matched proportion was used to select non-cancer case as controls. Controls matched for sex age (+/-5 years old), work time (+/-5 years) and smoking were collected in the same cohort.

RESULTSForty cases died of lung cancer in the study cohort, and the incidence was higher than the average incidence (SMR =1.77). The top four work types of death density were raw material (741.5), combing and spinning (424.3), weaving (365.0), and repairing (285.5), which was consistent with exposed level. According to the exposed level of chrysotile, the research objects were divided into the high level group and the low level group. The result demonstrated that lung cancer incidence of the high exposed level group of chrysotile was higher (OR = 3.7 95% CI 2.30 approximately 8.16), compared with the low exposed level group.

CONCLUSIONSimple exposure to chrysotile can increase the risk of lung cancer for workers who are exposed to chrysotile.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Asbestos, Serpentine ; adverse effects ; Case-Control Studies ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Occupational Exposure ; adverse effects

OBJECTIVETo assess the association of TNF-α and IL-1RA SNPs with the risk of silicosis in Chinese workers exposed to silica particles.

METHODSCase-control study design was used to enroll 68 silicotic patients induced by silica particles and 68 healthy workers matched for length of silica particle exposure as controls. Both cases and controls were from the same company in southwest China, and each of them was requested to complete a questionnaire. Blood samples were drawn for genomic DNA extraction from each participant. The genotyping of TNF-α (-238 and -308) and IL-1RA (+2018) was performed using polymerase chain reaction-based restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and SYBR green-based quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), respectively. Unconditional logistic regression model was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidential intervals (CI) for SNPs.

RESULTSNo significant differences were found between cases and controls in particles exposure length, body mass index (BMI), and status of smoking and alcohol consumption except for age (P=0.001) and blood type (P=0.042). The frequencies of TNF-α (-238) and IL-1RA (+2018) genotypes in cases were significantly different from those in controls, (P=0.001 and P=0.002, respectively), while a borderline significant difference was found in the frequencies of TNF-α (-308) between cases and controls (P=0.063). The variants of three SNPs increased the risk of silicosis in the Chinese workers exposed to silica particles. The adjusted ORs of TNF-α (-308), TNF-α (-238) and IL-1RA (+2018) were 2.8 (95% CI: 1.1-7.5), 20.9 (95% CI: 1.8-236.4) and 4.0 (95% CI: 1.6-10.1), respectively.

CONCLUSIONIt is suggested that cytokine polymorphisms of TNF-α (-238, -308) and IL-1RA (+2018) are associated with the risk of silicosis in the Chinese workers exposed to silica particles. Further independent studies on the interaction between SNPs and exposure to silica particles with a larger sample size are therefore warranted.

Adult ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Case-Control Studies ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Genotype ; Humans ; Interleukin 1 Receptor Antagonist Protein ; genetics ; metabolism ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Odds Ratio ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Silicon Dioxide ; toxicity ; Silicosis ; genetics ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; genetics ; metabolism