Significant Difference In Constituent Ratio Research Articles

Improvements in protective measures in factories with acetylene hydrochlorination and ethylene oxychlorination techniques declined risk assessment levels and affected liver health status.

Acetylene hydrochlorination and ethylene oxychlorination are the two most common methods of producing vinyl chloride monomer (VCM), which has been linked to liver impairment, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and angiosarcoma of the liver (ASL) in occupational settings. However, whether and how these impairments could be effectively improved from workplace root causes has yet to be discovered. This study aimed to evaluate whether improvements in protective measures in groups Y (408 subjects) and Z (349 subjects) could have an influential impact on the alleviation of liver impairment by comparing risk assessment levels under several semi-quantitative models and results from liver ultrasound detection and liver function tests before and after the improvement. Importantly, significant differences in constituent ratio involved in parameters among age, length of employment, weekly exposure time, smoking status, alcohol consumption, and sleeping quality were found between Y and Z before improvement took place in 2020 (P < 0.05 or P < 0.001), and population distribution by gender between Y and Z was in a large homogeneity with differences in age and length of employment. CSTE involves ore breaking, acetylene generation, steam stripping, outward processing, and welding maintenance, was disqualified in 2020 compared to OEL, and was said to have declined to meet OEL requirements by 2021. Further, a negative correction of fresh air requirement and ventilation air changing rate with ambient concentration toward hazards in Y was stronger in 2021 than in 2020. Significant differences in risk levels in Y between 2020 and 2021 were found as ore breaking, acetylene generation, steam stripping, outward processing, VCM polymerization, welding, and repairing, decreasing to relatively lower risk levels in 2021 from the original ones in 2020 only under the semi-quantitative comprehensive index model. Abnormal rates toward other hepatic symptoms decreased in the majority of positions after the improvement, as referred to by alterations such as ALT, AST, and GGT. Overall, the effect of improvements on protective measures effectively reduced positions' risk assessment levels through ventilation enhancement and airtight strengthening, which further affected abnormal rates toward other hepatic symptoms, and alterations such as ALT, AST, and GGT were much more significant in Y than effect in Z.

Effects of rigid gas permeable contact lens on morphological parameters and vision-related quality of life in keratoconus patients.

To evaluate the effect of rigid gas permeable contact lens (RGP-CL) on corneal morphological parameters and vision-related quality of life in keratoconus (KC) patients. Totally 57 eyes of 30 KC patients who were followed-up for more than two years, including 17 RGP wearers (32 eyes) and 13 non-wearers (25 eyes) were retrospectively analyzed. Initial medical history and corneal topography were collected at baseline. Corneal topography, corneal aberration, optical coherence tomography, and vision-related quality of life questionnaires were performed at the last follow-up. According to corneal topography, increase of the flattest keratometric values was higher in RGP wearers than in non-wearers (P=0.038). The morphological parameters, including symmetry index of front corneal curvature (P=0.004) and Baiocchi-Calossi-Versaci index front (P=0.047), were lower in RGP wearers than in non-wearers. Vertical coma was smaller in RGP wearers than non-wearers in 3.0, 5.0, 6.0, and 7.0 mm pupil diameters, respectively (P<0.05). The environmental triggering domain of ocular surface disease index was worse in RGP wearers as compared to non-wearers (P=0.003). At the last follow-up, there were no significant differences in constituent ratios of KC progression, corneal thickness topography, epithelial thickness topography, morphological parameters of corneal topography, and other questionnaire scores between the two groups (all P>0.05). Long-term use of RGP does not worsen KC but may cause corneal epithelial remodeling to increase symmetry of corneal anterior surface, reduce corneal vertical coma and improve visual quality. However, RGP wearing causes a slight decrease in vision-related quality of life. The occurrence of ocular surface symptoms is mainly associated with environmental triggering factors.

Clinical Characteristics of Infections Caused by Streptococcus Anginosus Group

This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics, distribution of different strains and risk factors of patients infected with Streptococcus anginosus group (SAG). In the population of 463 patients, the male-to-female ratio was 1.95:1, and the patient age ranged from 6 months to 103 years. There were 49 children (10.58%), 311 young and middle-aged adults (67.17%), and 103 elderly adults (22.25%). Approximately 45.4% had underlying conditions, which were mostly malignant tumors and diabetes. Of the 463 specimens, 254 were S. anginosus (54.86%), 173 were S. constellatus (37.37%), and 36 were S. intermedius (7.77%). According to the age distribution, the incidence peaked in the 35–54 year age group. Different sites of infection had statistically significant differences regarding the constituent ratios of these three species. Different age groups also exhibited statistically significant differences in constituent ratios of the pathogenic organisms, as well as organ infections. In our population, 269 were clinically cured, 184 reported satisfactory improvement, and 10 died. SAG, as an opportunistic pathogen, can induce pyogenic infections in patients of all ages and shows no significant gender predilection in any age group. The three pathogenic organisms had differences with respect to patient age and infections of body sites.

Clinical study of low-dose cyclophosphamide in prevention of acute graft versus host disease after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Objective To evaluate efficacy and safety of a novel prevention regimen for acute graft versus host disease (aGVHD) with low-dose cyclophosphamide in place of methotrexate. Methods From January 2013 to May 2015, a total of 75 patients with hematological diseases underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) in Department of Hematology, Sichuan Provincial People′s Hospital were selected as study subjects. Among them, 43 patients received related matched allo-HSCT, 32 patients received haploidentical allo-HSCT. According to different regimens of aGVHD prevention, study subjects were divided into study group (n=32) who received a novel aGVHD prevention regimen with low-dose cyclophosphamide combined with cyclosporine A and mycophenolate mofetil, and control group (n=43) who received a classic aGVHD prevention regimen with methotrexate combined with cyclosporine A and mycophenolate mofetil. The constituent ratio of gender, age, constituent ratio of different diseases, constituent ratio of different allo-HSCT types, the time of neutrophil and platelet engraftment, incidences of aGVHD and chronic graft versus host disease (cGVHD), incidences of oral mucositis associated with transplantation and hemorrhagic cystitis (HC), recurrence rate, overall survival (OS) rate between two groups were analyzed retrospectively, and compared statistically. The study protocol was approved by the Ethical Review Board of Investigation in Human at Sichuan Provincial People′s Hospital. Informed consents were obtained from all participants. Results ①There were no significant differences in constituent ratio of gender, age, constituent ratio of different diseases and constituent ratio of different allo-HSCT types between two groups (P>0.05). ② All patients achieved hematopoietic stem cell engrafted, complete chimerism states after allo-HSCT, and obtained hematopoietic reconstitution. Time of neutrophils engraftment of patients in study group and control group were (13.9±1.6) d and (14.6±1.2) d, respectively. There was no significant difference in time of neutrophils engraftment between two groups (t=0.559, P=0.606). Time of platelet engraftment of patients in study group and control group were (15.1±1.3) d and (17.2±1.4) d, respectively. There was no significant difference in time of platelet engraftment between two groups (t=1.512, P=0.374). ③ Among patients received related matched allo-HSCT, there was no significant difference in incidence of gradeⅠ-Ⅳ aGVHD between two groups within 100 d after allo-HSCT (χ2=0.135, P=0.447). And there were no significant differences in incidences of gradeⅠ-Ⅱ and Ⅲ-Ⅳ aGVHD of patients received related matched allo-HSCT between two groups (χ2=0.157, 0.254; P=0.776, 1.328). At end of the follow-up, there were no significant differences in incidences of localized and extensive cGVHD of patients received related matched allo-HSCT between two groups (χ2=0.018, 1.342; P=0.264, 0.327). Among patients received haploidentical allo-HSCT, there was no significant difference in incidence of gradeⅠ-Ⅳ aGVHD between two groups within 100 d after allo-HSCT (χ2=1.316, P=0.283). And there were no significant differences in incidences of gradeⅠ-Ⅱ and Ⅲ-Ⅳ aGVHD of patients received haploidentical allo-HSCT between two groups (χ2=1.472, 1.087; P=0.296, 0.379). At end of the follow-up, there was no significant difference in the incidence of localized and extensive cGVHD of patients received haploidentical allo-HSCT between two groups (χ2=1.312, 1.129; P=0.287, 0.284). ④ The incidence of oral mucositis associated with transplantation in study group was 29.3% (9/32), which was lower than that in control group (75.6%, 32/43), and the difference was statistically significant (χ2=7.26, P=0.008). The incidence of oral mucositis was only 12.6% (4/32) in study group, and that was 52.8% (23/43) in control group. ⑤There was no significant difference in incidence of HC between two groups after allo-HSCT (χ2=0.596, P=0.142). ⑥ There was no significant difference in recurrence rate and OS rate between two groups at the end of follow-up (χ2=1.317, 0.115; P=0.281, 0.734). Conclusions The novel aGVHD prevention regimen of low-doses cyclophosphamide in place of methotrexate not only has a prophylactic effect of aGVHD similar to that of classic aGVHD prevention regimen, ensures hematopoietic reconstitution, but also significantly reduces incidence of transplant-associated oral mucositis without increasing incidence of HC. Wether the novel aGVHD prevention regimen of low-dose cyclophosphamide in place of methotrexate after allo-HSCT can be used as an alternative to the classic aGVHD prevention regimen requires multicenter, large sample randomized controlled trials to further study and confirm. Key words: Cyclophosphamide; Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation; Graft vs host disease

Epidemiological comparison of adult lumbar fractures between Eastern and Western China from 2010 to 2011

Objective To compare and analyze the epidemiological features of adult patients with lumbar fracture between Eastern and Western China from 2010 through 2011. Methods The data of adult patients with lumbar fracture treated from January 2010 to December 2011 in 63 hospitals in Eastern and Western China were collected through the PACS system and case reports checking system. The data of 35 hospitals in Eastern China were classified as group A while the data of 28 hospitals in Western China were classified as group B. The analytic items included gender, age, age distribution and type of AO classification. Results A total of 23,311 cases were collected. The total male/female ratio was 1.04∶1. The adult lumbar fractures predominated in an age range from 51 to 60 years (19.93%). There were 21,289 cases of type 53-A (91.33%), 1,435 ones of type 53-B (6.61%) and 587 ones of 53-C (2.52%). There were 5,984 (48.77%) males and 6,287 (51.23%) females in group A of 12,271 cases, and 5,912 (53.55%) males and 5,128 (46.45%) females in group B of 11,040 cases, showing a significant difference in gender constituent ratio (χ2=53.255, P 60 years old) were respectively 57.21% (7,020/12,271) and 42.79% (5,251/12,271) in group A, and 61.45% (6,784/11,040) and 38.55% (4,256/11,040) in group B, showing a signifi-cant difference (χ2=43.286, P<0.01). The most common segment was 53.01 in both groups, with a proportion of 55.25% (6,780/12,271) in group A and a proportion of 57.52% (6,350/11,040) in group B, showing a significant difference in the constituent ratio of high-risk fracture segment (χ2=49.840, P<0.01). In both groups, the high-risk type of lumbar fracture was type 53-A, with a proportion of 91.20% (11,191/12,271) in group A and a proportion of 91.47% (10,098/11,040) in group B, showing no sig-nificant difference in constituent ratio of fracture type between the 2 groups (χ2=2.833, P=0.243). Conclusions The proportion of male adult lumbar fractures was larger than that of female ones in Eastern China while there were more female ones in Western China. The peak age was from 51 to 60 years old in both Eastern and Western China. The high risk fracture type was type 53-A and the most common fracture segment was 53.01 in both Western and Eastern China too. Key words: Lumbar vertebrae; Fractures, bone; Epidemiology studies; Case-control studies

The clinical characteristics and therapeutic effect of "white-eyed" blowout orbital fracture in children

Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics and surgical efficacy of ( without obvious ecchymosis of conjunctiva and eyelid) blowout fracture in children. Methods The clinical data of 59 patients with blowout orbital fractures, aging 3-18 years old, were retrospectively analyzed. The follow-up time was 6-9 months after the repair surgery for fracture. Results Fifty-nine (54.1%) cases had blowout orbital fracture in 109 children with orbital fractures. The main causes were accidental tumble, assault and car accident. Diplopia was noted in 56 patients accounting for 94.9%, ocular-heart reflex including nausea and vomiting was in 30 patients accounting for 50.1% and ocular motility muscle limitation was in all the patients. There were statistically significant differences in the grading constituent ratios of ocular dyskinesia between the primary position and different scales of ocular motilities (P=0.00). Proved by CT scan, the inferior orbital wall fracture was the most type and occurred in 45 cases (76.3%). Children aging less than 14 years old were more likely to have the inferior orbital wall fracture accounting for 85.0%, which was more than that 57.9% of children aging 14-18 years old (P=0.02). The final visiting was at 6-9 months after the surgery. Twenty-five cases (42.4%) had full ocular motilities and no diplopia. Twenty-four cases (40.7%) had residual diplopia only in peripheral visual field. Ten cases (16.9%) remained diplopia in the primary and reading position though ocular movements improved a lot. There were statistically significant differences in the constituent ratios of binocular single vision among the cases who underwent the surgery at different surgical time (P=0.03). The patients (71.4%) who underwent prompt orbital surgeries within 5 days after initial trauma appeared to have better ocular movement and binocular single vision. Conclusion White-eyed blowout orbital fracture frequently occurs in children and mainly involves the inferior orbital floor. The most important characteristics of white-eyed blowout orbital fracture include symptomatic diplopia with restricted ocular movement, ocular-heart reflex and soft tissue entrapment confirmed by CT scan. The patients who underwent prompt surgeries within 5 days had better ocular movement and binocular single vision. Key words: Orbital fracture, blowout, white-eyed, children; Ocular-heart reflex; Ocular movement; Diplopia