Objective: To investigate the quality of life among patients with occupational pneumoconiosis in Jinhua City, Zhejiang Province, so as to provide insights into improving the quality of life among patients with occupational pneumoconiosis. Methods: Patients with occupational pneumoconiosis in Jinhua City from 2009 to 2021 were retrieved from the National Occupational Disease and Health Risk Factors Monitoring Information System. Participants' demographics, diagnosis of pneumoconiosis, stage of pneumoconiosis, pulmonary function and medical expense were collected through questionnaire surveys, and the quality of life was measured using a Chinese version of the Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36). The quality of life was descriptively analyzed among patients with occupational pneumoconiosis by disease stage, pulmonary function, expense for disease diagnosis and treatment and educational level. Results: A total of 244 patients with occupational pneumoconiosis were enrolled, including 225 men (92.21%). The participants had a mean age of (75.20±9.42) years, and mean duration from dust contact to pneumoconiosis onset of (13.11±9.89) years. The scores for physical functioning, role-physical, bodily pain, general health, vitality, social functioning, role-emotional, and mental health were (64.03±31.22), (45.14±44.22), (56.34±26.60), (40.80±19.80), (59.14±17.35), (68.41±19.67), (47.03±44.08) and (61.15±17.06) points among patients with occupational pneumoconiosis, which were all lower than the national constant (P<0.05). Lower scores were measured for physical functioning [(31.17±23.40) points], bodily pain [(45.21±19.50) points] and vitality [(47.00±20.70) points] among patients with stage Ⅲ occupational pneumoconiosis, for physical functioning [(32.27±24.24) points], role-physical [(12.88±30.70) points], bodily pain [(37.44±20.43) points], general health [(14.76±17.17) points], vitality [(38.79±19.33) points], social functioning [(53.33±17.08) points], role-emotional [(9.09±26.71) points], and mental health [(53.21±17.25) points] among occupational pneumoconiosis patients with severe pulmonary function damages, and for physical functioning [(30.97±27.40) points], bodily pain [(37.77±24.34) points], general health [(19.10±18.62) points], vitality [(38.39±23.78) points], social functioning [(55.89±21.00) points] and mental health [(55.35±20.35) points] among occupational pneumoconiosis patients that had personal payments for pneumoconiosis diagnosis and treatment expenses exceeding 30% of annual household incomes, while higher scores were measured for physical functioning [(66.36±17.33) points] and role-physical [(59.09±45.10) points] among occupational pneumoconiosis patients with an educational level of high school and above (all P<0.05). Conclusions The quality of life was low among occupational pneumoconiosis patients in Jinhua City from 2009 to 2021. Stage of pneumoconiosis, pulmonary function, medical expenses and educational level were identified as factors affecting the quality of life among occupational pneumoconiosis patients in Jinhua City.

Objective: To investigate the prevalence and influencing factors of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) in neck and shoulder among workers in pharmaceutical and chemical enterprises, so as to provide the basis for prevention of WMSDs. Methods: Workers in 8 pharmaceutical and chemical enterprises in Jinhua City, Zhejiang Province from July to October 2023 were sampled using a stratified random sampling method, and demography, work conditions and WMSDs prevalence were collected using questionnaire surveys. Factors affecting WMSDs in neck and shoulder were analyzed using a multivariable logistic regression model. Results: A total of 1 343 workers were surveyed, including 496 males (36.93%) and 847 females (63.07%). The mean age of workers was 38 (15) years, and the length of service in current posts was 6 (8) years. There were 356 workers with WMSDs (26.51%), with 206 workers with neck WMSDs (15.34%) and 167 workers with shoulder WMSDs (12.43%). Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that gender (female, OR=1.692, 95%CI: 1.203-2.381), sufficient rest time (OR=0.660, 95%CI: 0.471-0.926) and maintaining same neck posture for a long time (OR=1.690, 95%CI: 1.148-2.510) were factors affecting neck WMSDs; gender (female, OR=1.572, 95%CI: 1.060-2.311), sufficient rest time (OR=0.619, 95%CI: 0.422-0.906), repetitive daily work (OR=1.678, 95%CI: 1.064-2.647), uncomfortable work posture (OR=3.791, 95%CI: 1.330-10.803), multiple repetitive movements per minute (OR: 1.988-2.413, 95%CI: 1.060-4.161) and maintaining same neck posture for a long time (OR=1.926, 95%CI: 1.218-3.043) were factors affecting shoulder WMSDs. Conclusion The prevalence of WMSDs in neck and shoulder are high among workers in pharmaceutical and chemical enterprises in Jinhua City, and mainly affected by gender, rest time and adverse ergonomics.

Objective: To analyze auditory verbal memory impairment after isolated stroke lesions in subcerebral structure. Methods: Auditory verbal memory function was examined in 25 normal elderly and 83 patients at 20th day after their admission to hospital for acute cerebrovascular disease with non-aphasiaand solitary lesions as identified by cranial CT or MRI. Results: Test findings suggested patients with stroke of internal capsule-basal ganglia, cerebellum and pons lesion have processing impairments of recent memory and subjective organization which are related to concentration and arousal levels. Conclusion: Stroke of subcortical regions such as lesions of thalamus,internal capsule-basal ganglia,cerebellum and pons may induce memory impairments with unique impaired cognitive coding modalities.

AIM: To study the chloride channel activity [ICl_(Ca)] in vascular smooth cells of the spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). METHODS: The vascular beds of mesenteric arteries were isolated from the pentobarbital anesthetized rats and perfused with 37 ℃ PSS at a constant flow rate. The vasoconstriction response to norepinphrine (NE) was determined by changes in perfused pressure. The strips of the rat arteries were mounted in an organ chamber filled with 37 ℃ PSS and the vascular tension was measured. RESULTS: (1) The contractile responses of mesenteric arteries to NE in SHR were greater than that in Wistar rats. (2) The inhibitory magnitude of the contractile response by niflumic acid in SHR was significantly less than that in Wistar rats and showed dose-dependent manner. (3) Decreasing the extracellular Cl~- concentration increased the contractile response to NE significantly and the amplitude of enhanced contractile response in SHR was greater than that in Wistar rats. CONCLUSION: It can be concluded that NE-induced contraction is enhanced in SHR, which is partly due to an increase in Cl~- efflux through the Ca~(2+)-activated Cl~- channels. The chloride channel activity may increase in association with the elevation of vascular tone and blood pressure.

Objective To compare the clinical effect of total laparoscopic and open liver resection for tumors in segments Ⅶ and Ⅷ.Methods The clinical data of patients with tumors in segments Ⅶ and Ⅷ of the liver who met the inclusion criteria and received operation at Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University from January 2011 to January 2015 were retrospectively analyzed.Among these patients, there were 17 cases who received total laparoscopic liver resection (LLR group), and 25 cases who received open liver resection (OLR group).Results LLR group has obvious advantages in aspects of the level of serum alanine transaminase (ALT) on 1st and 3rd day postoperation, the time anal exsufflation, the drainage volume of abdominal cavity in 3 days after operation and the postoperative hospital stay than those in OLR group (respectively t =-3.075,-3.175,-2.499,-2.088,-2.419, all P ＜ 0.05).There were no significant differences in blood transfusion rate, the resection margin to the tumor, the postoperative morbidity and the total medical cost between the two groups (x2 =1.437, t =-1.244, x2 =0.209, t =1.079, all P ＞ 0.05).Though the mean operative time and intraoperative blood loss of LLR group compared with OLR group increased obviously (respectively t =3.360, 2.189, all P ＜ 0.05).During the postoperative follow-up, there were no significant differences in the postoperative recurrence rate and the long-term survival rate in patients with malignant tumors (respectively x2 =0.240, 0.000, all P ＞ 0.05).Conclusion The therapeutic effect of total laparoscopic and open liver resection are equal in segments Ⅷ and Ⅷ hepatectomy, while, LLR has advantages of less trauma.

OBJECTIVETo summarize clinical results of the microdecompression for the treatment of intraforaminal lumbar disc herniations.

METHODSFrom September 2005 to May 2013,16 patients( 12 males, 4 females)with intraforaminal lumbar disc herniations underwent microdecompression, ranging in age from 32 to 56 years old with a mean of 38.6 years old. The lumbar disc herniations were located at L(3,4). in one patient, L(4,5) in 10 cases and L5S1 in 5 cases.

RESULTSAll the patients were followed up, and the duration ranged from 20 to 48 months, with a mean period of 36 months. According to Macnab evaluation, 12 cases got an excellent result, 4 good. No apparent complications related to the technique occurred. Satisfactory clinical results were obtained in this series.

CONCLUSIONMicrodecompression may be particularly useful in the treatment of intraforaminal lumbar disc herniations. The microdecompression procedures are more likely to be well tolerated by older patients.

Adult ; Decompression ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement ; surgery ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures ; Treatment Outcome

Objective To observe the effect of enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) on diabetic retinopathy (DR). Methods 179 patients who accepted EECP combined with medication were as group A and the other 190 patients who accepted medication only were as group B. Their visual acuity, fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA) and optical hemodynamics were compared. Results There was significant improvement in group A with visual acuity, FFA and optical hemodynamics (P<0.05), and the incidence of improvement was more in group A than in group B (P<0.05). Conclusion EECP is effective on diabetic retinopathy.

Apoptosis is one of the important forms during cerebral ischemia.Phosphoinositide-3 kinase (PI3K)/serine/threonine kinase (Akt) is the important cell survival signaling pathway,while c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) is the important pro-apoptotic signaling pathway.The dynamic equilibrium of the two signal transduction pathways maintains cell survival and apoptosis under the physiological state.Stimulation during cerebral ischemia breaks this physiological balance and results in the apoptosis of massive neurons.A variety of proved neuroprotective factors are associated with the amplification of enhancement of cell survival signal or inhibition of apoptosis signal,and thrus maintain the balance between the two signal pathways.

A comparable study were carried out by determination of trace elements on five marine-derived shell traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) (Ostreae Concha, Haliotidis Concha, Margaritifera Concha, Meretricis Concha, and Arcae Concha), which were recorded in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2010 version). Seven trace elements in 51 batches of this type of shell TCM were analyzed by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS), combined with principal component analysis (PCA) methods. The content of element Se, which exhibited significant differences among different drugs, could be used as a key element to distinguish this type of drugs. Meanwhile, the contents of elements Co, Cu, Mo, and Ba in Haliotidis Concha, Co and As in Margaritifera Concha, Mo and As in Meretricis Concha, Mo, As, and Ba in Arcae Concha, and Zn in Meretricis Concha were relatively stable. In the PCA plot, Arcae Concha and Meretricis Concha could be efficiently distinguished from Ostreae Concha together with Haliotidis Concha, and Margaritifera Concha. The results also showed a correlation with their medicinal function. In conclusion, trace elements in marine-derived shell TCM could not be neglected for their quality control.
Animal Shells ; chemistry ; Animals ; Aquatic Organisms ; chemistry ; Bivalvia ; chemistry ; Mass Spectrometry ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Trace Elements ; analysis

Objective To explore the relationships between resistin rs1477341 , rs3219175 and type2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in Guangdong. Methods 180 patients of diagnosed T2DM in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University from January 2013 to December 2014 were enrolled in the study as the treatment group and another 180 subjects taking health examination as the control group. The genotype distributions of rs1477341 locus A/T, rs3219175 locus A/G were compared and the relationship between the genotypes and T2DM were anlysed by the logistic regression. Results The frequencies of the rs1477341, rs3219175 locus genotype reached the genetic equilibrium, showed their representativeness of a population group. The frequency distribution of rs1477341 genotype was statistically insignificant across the two groups (P > 0.05). The frequency of rs3219175 genotype AA+AG was decreased while genotype GG increased significantly compared to the control group (P < 0.05). The logistic regression results suggest genotype GG may increase disease risk of T2DM which the morbidity rate of AG homozygote was 0.630 times as high as that of GG homozygote (OR =0.630, 95%CI:0.405 ~ 0.980, P < 0.05) and the morbidity rate of GG homozygote was 1.551 times as higher as that of AA+AG homozygote (OR = 1.551, 95%CI:1.016 ~ 2.368, P < 0.05). Conclusions rs1477341 genotype has no correlation with T2DM among the population in Guangdong , but rs3219175 genotype does. GG may have a higher susceptibility to T2DM.