AIM:To evaluate the agreement of corneal high-order aberrations from Topcon KR-1W, i.Profiler and OPD-Scan Ⅲ wavefront aberrometers in myopic adults.METHODS:A prospective clinical study. A total of 92 adult patients(92 eyes)with myopia in the department of optometry, the People's Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region from June to August 2022 were enrolled. The third-order and fourth-order corneal aberrations at the pupil diameter of 4 and 6mm were measured by Topcon KR-1W, i.Profiler, and OPD-Scan Ⅲ, respectively. The difference and agreement of the three aberrometers were evaluated.RESULTS: The measurements at 6mm pupil diameter were all greater than those at 4mm pupil diameter. Although there were no statistical differences in the measurements of Z-44、Z-24 by the three aberrometers at 4 pupil diameter(P>0.05), there were statistical differences in other measurements(P<0.05). The aberration results measured by the three aberrometers were statistically different at the 6mm pupil diameter(P<0.05). The 95% limit of agreement(95%LoA)of the measurements of higher-order aberration, including the third-order aberrations at 4mm pupil diameter and the third-order and fourth-order aberrations at 6mm pupil diameter(except for the Z-24)were greater than 0.1μm. The concordance correlation coefficient(Pc)was lower than 0.90, indicating a poor consistency. The correlation coefficients of corneal higher-order aberrations were significantly different among the three aberrometers at 4 and 6mm pupil diameter(r4mm=0.215～0.805, P4mm<0.05; r6mm=0.561～0.916, P6mm<0.001).CONCLUSION:There were significant differences in the measurements of the third- and fourth-order corneal aberrations at 4 and 6mm pupil diameter among Topcon KR-1W, i.Profiler, and OPD-Scan Ⅲ, and the agreements were poor, so they are not interchangeably in clinical applications.

Objective To analyze the detection level and distribution characteristics of occupational contraindications in pre-employment occupational health examination, and to provide a reference for relevant management departments to strengthen the control of personnel exposed to occupational hazards. Methods The data of pre-employment occupational health examination of 2 626 workers in a vehicle manufacturing enterprise from September 2018 to December 2020 were collected. The detection rate of occupational contraindications was calculated according to the judgement standard, and the distribution of occupational contraindications in different gender, length of service and age was analyzed. Results The detection rate of occupational contraindications was 13.71%, and there was no significant difference between the genders. The detection rate in the 40-45 years old group was the highest (31.75%), and the difference among the different age groups was statistically significant (χ²=30.16, P<0.01). Among the workers with different length of occupational employment, the detection rate was the highest in the group with 20-25 working years (30.65%), and the difference was statistically significant (χ²=30.20, P<0.01). Conclusion Relevant departments should strengthen the occupational health supervision and management of vehicle manufacturing enterprises and urge enterprises to pay attention to the pre-job occupational health examination as well as the health of workers.

In December 2019, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a new de novo infectious disease, was first identified in Wuhan, China and quickly spread across China and around the world. The etiology was a novel betacoronavirus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (Lu et al., 2020). On Mar. 11, 2020, World Health Organization (WHO) characterized COVID-19 as a global pandemic. As of Mar. 22, 2020, over 292 000 confirmed COVID-19 cases have been reported globally. To date, COVID-19, with its high infectivity, has killed more people than severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) combined (Wu and McGoogan, 2020).
Adult ; Betacoronavirus ; COVID-19 ; COVID-19 Testing ; China ; Clinical Laboratory Techniques ; Coronavirus Infections/diagnostic imaging* ; Female ; Fever/virology* ; Humans ; Lymphocyte Count ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pandemics ; Pneumonia, Viral/diagnostic imaging* ; Radiography, Thoracic ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Treatment Outcome

Autophagy, as a highly conserved process of recovery and degradation of eukaryotic components, plays an important role in cell hunger response, maintenance of normal cell activity and specific functions in lung tissue. When cells are damaged due to physiological, pathological or chemical factors, autophagosomes and lysosomes fuse to produce a large number of autophagosomes, thus inducing the initiation of autophagy process, which is beneficial to protect cells from injury. Recent studies have found that autophagy related signaling pathways are highly correlated with the occurrence and development of a variety of viral pneumonia, such as swine influenza A (H1N1) virus, highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (H5N1), severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), middle east respiratory syndrome (MERS) and new coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19). This paper will introduce the five viral pneumonia that have a great impact on China and even the whole world, and elaborate the mechanism of autophagy in these disease. Hopefully it could provide theoretical basis and effective methods and means for targeted autophagy treatment of viral pneumonia.

Objective To evaluate and compare the short-term effects of two kinds of plastic mulch on Oncomelania hupensis snail control in irrigation and drainage ditches with snails in Yunnan Province. Methods The irrigation and drainage ditches with high density of Oncomelania hupensis snails were chosen as the investigation sites,and then 4 groups were set,namely a colorless plastic mulch group,black plastic mulch group,colorless plastic mulch with molluscicide group and black plastic mulch with molluscicide group. The snail situation of the 4 groups was surveyed before the experiment and 7,14,21,30 days after covering plastic mulch,and the snail death rates were compared among the 4 groups. Meanwhile,the hourly temperatures of soil surface,soil surface under plastic mulch and soil layer 5,15 cm under the surface as well as the weather situation during the study period were measured and recorded. Results The average snail mortality rate of the colorless plastic mulch group was only 15.29% that was higher than that of the black plastic mulch group(6.56%)(P < 0.01). The average snail mortality rates of the colorless and black plastic mulch with molluscicide groups were 40.80% and 50.15%,respectively,and there was no statis-tic difference between them(P > 0.05). Both kinds of plastic mulches could raise the temperature of the soil surface under plas-tic mulch and the soil layer below it,and the temperature of soil under the mulches increased over the cover time,and the aver-age temperature of the soil surface under the black mulch in 30 days was higher than that under the colorless mulch. Conclu-sion It is not suitable to use plastic mulch only in irrigation and drainage ditches with snails widely in Yunnan Province be-cause of its low effect,and if necessary,the molluscicide should be added.

OBJECTIVEDust sample mass gain is too smaller to satisfy the limit of detection (LOD) even in most cases during dust sampling at workplaces nowdays, especially for respirable fraction. Therefore, it is aimed to solve the problem by increasing sample load with high flow rate samplers.

METHODSIn A and B two shipyards respirable welding fume was sampled by high flow rate cyclone samplers of FSP-10 (10 L/min) for 2-2.5 hours and normal flow rate FSP-2 (2 L/min) for 3-4 hours with a stratigy of parallele sampling at the same workpalce, in order to compare their mass gain, coincidence rate with LOD, and airborn dust concentration.

RESULTSSample mass gain of 0.97±0.40 mg and 1.61±0.86 mg respectively in the two factories by FSP-10 was significantly higher than that of 0.29±0.12 mg and 0.51±0.27 mg by FSP-2 (t-test, P<0.05 in both cases) , increasing herewith the coincidence rate with LOD from 26.8% (when sampling with FSP-2, calculated together with samples of the two factories) to 89.7%. However there was no significant difference in dust concentrations by the two different samplers, 0.53±1.88 vs 0.73±1.61 mg/m(3) by FSP-2 and FSP-10 in the shipyard A and 1.14±1.78 vs 1.01±1.63 mg/m(3) in the factory B (t-test, P>0.05 in every case) . In addtion, sample loading by FSP-2 was found to be correlated to sampling time (R(2)=0.7906, y=0.002 6x) , therefore, it has to sample for ≥192.3 min to meet the LOD (0.5 mg) in case of normal flow rate.

CONCLUSIONBy using of high flow rate cyclone FSP-10 the problem of LOD could be solved, along with increased sample mass and similar respirable dust concentration by the two samplers. Some techincal improvements of FSP-10 and increasing of LOD coincidence rate by other methods was also disscussed.

Air Pollutants, Occupational ; analysis ; Construction Industry ; Dust ; analysis ; Environmental Monitoring ; instrumentation ; Occupational Exposure ; Ships ; Workplace

Objective To investigate the iufluence of coke oven emissions on workers" blood pressure and electrocardiographic findings,and to provide a basis for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases.Methods The concentration of coke oven emissions at the bottom,side,and top of coke ovens was determined in a coking plant.A total of 406 coke oven workers were enrolled as exposure group and 201 office staff members were enrolled as control group.Blood pressure and electrocardiographic findings were compared between the two groups,and the multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to analyze the influencing factors for hypertension and abnormal electrocardiographic findiugs.Results The concentration of coke oven emissions was the highest at the top of coke ovens,followed by the side and bottom of coke ovens,and there was a significant difference between the exposure group and the control group (P＜0.01).The exposure group had significantly higher detection rates of hypertension,abnormal electrocardiographic findings,and abnormal chest X-ray findings than the control group (P＜0.05).The logistic regression analysis showed that high concentration of coke oven emission and age were risk factors for hypertension and abnormal electrocardiographic findings (P＜0.05).The workers exposed to high-concentration coke oven emissions were more likely to experience hypertension and abnormal electrocardiographic findings than those exposed to low-concentration coke oven emissions (OR=1.7 and 1.9).Conclusion Besides lung injury,coke oven emissions also have adverse effects on the cardiovascular system.Therefore,more effective measures are needed to protect the health of coke oven workers.

Objective To investigate the iufluence of coke oven emissions on workers" blood pressure and electrocardiographic findings,and to provide a basis for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases.Methods The concentration of coke oven emissions at the bottom,side,and top of coke ovens was determined in a coking plant.A total of 406 coke oven workers were enrolled as exposure group and 201 office staff members were enrolled as control group.Blood pressure and electrocardiographic findings were compared between the two groups,and the multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to analyze the influencing factors for hypertension and abnormal electrocardiographic findiugs.Results The concentration of coke oven emissions was the highest at the top of coke ovens,followed by the side and bottom of coke ovens,and there was a significant difference between the exposure group and the control group (P＜0.01).The exposure group had significantly higher detection rates of hypertension,abnormal electrocardiographic findings,and abnormal chest X-ray findings than the control group (P＜0.05).The logistic regression analysis showed that high concentration of coke oven emission and age were risk factors for hypertension and abnormal electrocardiographic findings (P＜0.05).The workers exposed to high-concentration coke oven emissions were more likely to experience hypertension and abnormal electrocardiographic findings than those exposed to low-concentration coke oven emissions (OR=1.7 and 1.9).Conclusion Besides lung injury,coke oven emissions also have adverse effects on the cardiovascular system.Therefore,more effective measures are needed to protect the health of coke oven workers.

OBJECTIVETo determine the efficacy of the plant-derived bioflavonoid, quercetin, for treating nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) by using a rat model, and to investigate the molecular mechanism underlying its therapeutic effects.

METHODSOne-hundred Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned into the normal control group (normal group), untreated NAFLD model control group (model group), 75 mg/kg/day quercetin treatment group (low-dose group), and 300 mg/kg/day quercetin treatment group (high-dose group). The NAFLD rat model was established by providing four weeks of a high-fat diet; the normal group received normal rat chow diet. The quercetin treatments were administered for eight weeks after model establishment and control groups received simultaneous gavages of isotonic saline, with continuation of the respective diets. At the end of the eight weeks (experimental week 12), the rats were sacrificed for liver and serum collection. Intergroup differences in liver index, fasting blood glucose (FBG), triglycerides (TG), interleukin (IL)-18, IL-10, malondialdehyde (MDA), and histopathological features were assessed by independent samples t-test (normal vs. model), one-way ANOVA (model vs. treatments), and least significant difference t-test (pairwise comparisons); correlations were assessed by Pearson's correlation coefficient.

RESULTSCompared with the normal group, the model group showed significantly higher liver index (t=-2.327), FBG (t=-3.482), TG (t=-0.302), and serum IL-18 (t=-2.704) (all P less than 0.05), but significantly lower IL-10 (t=2.622, P less than 0.05); the MDA level was also higher in the model group, but the difference was not significant (t=-1.083, P less than 0.05). Livers from the model group showed obvious histological features of inflammation (lymphocyte and neutrophil infiltration) and steatosis (cytoplasmic lipid droplets). Inflammation was positively correlated with IL-18 (P less than 0.05), but negatively correlated with IL-10 (P less than 0.05), while steatosis was negatively correlated with IL-10 (P less than 0.05). Compared to the model group, quercetin treatment (both low- and high-dose) led to significant decreases in the liver index, FBG and IL-18 (all, P less than 0.01), and significant increase in IL-10 (P less than 0.05); however, the changes in liver index, FBG and IL-10 were not significantly different between the low- and high-dose treatment groups, but the high-dose of quercetin did induce a significantly greater decrease in IL-18 than the low-dose (P less than 0.05).

CONCLUSIONNAFLD rats have higher serum levels of IL-18 but lower levels of IL-10 than their healthy counterparts, and these differential cytokine expressions may be related to liver inflammation and steatosis. Quercetin treatment may help to delay the progression of NAFLD, possibly by adjusting the balance of inflammatory cytokines.

Animals ; Fatty Liver ; blood ; drug therapy ; Interleukin-10 ; blood ; Interleukin-18 ; blood ; Male ; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease ; Quercetin ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of quercetin on serum levels of resistin and interleukin (IL)-18 and incidence of insulin resistance (IR) in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) using a rat model.

METHODSNAFLD was induced in Sprague-Dawley rats by administering a high-fat diet for four weeks. The model rats were then treated with quercetin (oral gavage administration; low dose group: 75 mg/kg/day, high dose group: 300 mg/kg/day) for eight weeks. Untreated model rats served as controls. Serum levels of resistin, triglyceride (TG), IL-18, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), fasting insulin (FINS), and malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured by standard biochemical assays before and after the quercetin administration. In addition, the insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) was calculated and pathological changes in liver were observed by histological analysis.

RESULTSCompared to the untreated model rats, the quercetin treated model rats showed significantly lower serum resistin (5.98 vs. 2.70), serum IL-18 (10.93 vs. 8.21), FPG (7.45 vs. 4.99), FINS (12.69 vs. 8.59), and HOMA-IR (4.22 vs. 1.87) (all P less than 0.01). Compared to the untreated model group, the high dose group showed significantly lower TG (t = 4.70) and MDA (t = 5.14) (both P less than 0.01). Serum levels of resistin and IL-18, and levels of TG, FPG and FINS were found to be positively correlated with HOMA-IR and the degree of liver disease (r more than 0, all P less than 0.05). The degree of degeneration was decreased in accordance with the dosages of quercetin, as compared to the untreated model group (U = 4.41 and 2.19, both P less than 0.05), and the pathological degree was less extensive in the high dose group than in the low dose group (U = 2.44, P less than 0.01).

CONCLUSIONQuercetin treatment reduces levels of inflammatory cytokines and improves lipid peroxidation and IR in NAFLD rats, and its beneficial effects appear to increase with higher dosage.

Animals ; Insulin Resistance ; Interleukin-18 ; blood ; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease ; Quercetin ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Resistin