To assess the effects of workplace exposure to hardwood dust on lung function and determine a prevalence of respiratory symptoms among wood workers.
Cross-sectional observational study.
Tertiary ...referral center.
Two hundred seventy-six, non-smoker male wood workers and equal number of non-smoker male office workers, referred to pulmonology clinic included in this study. Evaluation of study participants included completion of a questionnaire regarding respiratory symptoms and baseline spirometry was measured according to the actual recommendations.
Respiratory symptoms including cough, phlegm, chest tightness, and wheezing were significantly higher in wood workers than office workers (40.2% versus 29.3% for cough, p = 0.0073; 40.6% versus 23.6% for phlegm, p<0.0001; 38.0% versus 23.1% for chest tightness, p = 0.0001; 25.3% versus 14.5% for wheezing, p = 0.0014). No statistically significant differences were observed for Dyspnea, and upper respiratory tract symptoms among wood workers compared to office workers. While wood workers were more likely to require spirometry test than office workers (21.4% versus 5.4%, p<0.001) the obstructive changes were more prevalent on spirometry test in wood workers (71.4% obstructive pattern versus 28.6% restrictive pattern). Spirometry test revealed the mean values of FEV1 and FEV1/FVC ratio were significantly lower in the wood workers, compared to their mean values in the control group.
Respiratory symptoms associated with work, are more prevalent among wood workers than office workers. Our data revealed that workplace exposure to hardwood dust may compromise respiratory function, indicating the importance and the need for optimizing preventive measures in workplace to protect the respiratory health among exposed workers. Obstructive changes on pulmonary function test is a dominant pathologic pattern in pulmonary function test among wood workers. Further investigation is required by current available tools such as nasal cytology to detect influence of wood dust exposure on the upper respiratory airway.
In this paper, the nonlinear Boussinesq equations with the conformable time-fractional derivative are solved analytically using the well-established modified Kudryashov method. As a consequence, a ...number of new exact solutions for this type of equations are formally derived. It is believed that the method is one of the most effective techniques for extracting new exact solutions of nonlinear fractional differential equations.
Aberrant methylation of DNA plays an important role in the pathogenesis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). In the current study, we aimed to integrate three cohorts profile datasets to identify ...abnormally methylated-differentially expressed genes and pathways associated with NPC.
Data of gene expression microarrays (GSE53819, GSE412452) and gene methylation microarrays (GSE52068) obtained from the GEO database. Aberrantly methylated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were obtained by GEO2R. The David database was utilized to perform enrichment and functional analysis regarding selected genes. To create a protein-protein interaction (PPI), STRING and Cytoscape software were utilized. The MCODE was used for module analysis of the PPI network.
In total, 181 hypomethylation-high expression genes were identified, which were enriched in the biological mechanisms involved in the differentiation of endodermal cell, mitotic nuclear division, mitotic cell cycle process, chromosome segregation and cell cycle phase transition, etc. Pathway enrichment showed ECM-receptor interaction, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, Focal adhesion, Protein digestion and absorption and Amoebiasis, etc. The top 3 hub genes of PPI network were FANCI, POSTN, and IFIH1. Additionally, 210 hypermethylation-low expression genes were identified, and our data revealed enrichment in biological processes including axoneme assembly, micro tubular formation, assembly of axonemal dynein complex, cilium movement and cilium organization, etc. Pathway analysis indicated enrichment in B cell receptor signaling pathway, Hematopoietic cell lineage, Leukocyte transendothelial migration, Complement and coagulation cascades and Fc gamma R-mediated phagocytosis, etc. The ZMYND10, PACRG and POU2AF1 were identified as the top three hub genes of PPI network. After validation in TCGA and GEPIA database, most hub genes remained significant. Patients with high expression of POSTN found to have shorter overall survival, while in patients with high expression of ZMYND10 and POU2AF1 longer overall survival was identified.
The data revealed novel aberrantly methylated-differentially expressed genes and pathways in NPC by bioinformatics analysis, potentially providing novel insights for the molecular mechanisms governing NPC progression. Hub genes including FANCI, POSTN, IFIH1, ZMYND10, PACRG and POU2AF1 might serve as novel biomarkers for precision diagnosis and providing medical treatment for patient with NPC.
The main aim of this article is studying the coupled sine-Gordon equations in nonlinear optics, which describe the propagation of an optical pulse in fibre waveguide. New exact solutions of the ...coupled sine-Gordon equations have been derived through the use of the well-organized modified Kudryashov method.
The geoscience community is increasingly utilizing seismic tomography to interpret mantle heterogeneity and its links to past tectonic and geodynamic processes. To assess the robustness and ...distribution of positive seismic anomalies, inferred as subducted slabs, we create a set of vote maps for the lower mantle with 14 global P-wave or S-wave tomography models. Based on a depth-dependent threshold metric, an average of 20% of any given tomography model depth is identified as a potential slab. However, upon combining the 14 models, the most consistent positive wavespeed features are identified by an increasing vote count. An overall peak in the most robust anomalies is found between 1000-1400 km depth, followed by a decline to a minimum around 2000 km. While this trend could reflect reduced tomographic resolution in the middle mantle, we show that it may alternatively relate to real changes in the time-dependent subduction flux and/or a mid-lower mantle viscosity increase. An apparent secondary peak in agreement below 2500 km depth may reflect the degree-two lower mantle slow seismic structures. Vote maps illustrate the potential shortcomings of using a limited number or type of tomography models and slab threshold criteria.
This paper analytically explores a (2 + 1)-dimensional nonlinear model with the beta time derivative describing the wave propagation in the Heisenberg ferromagnetic spin chain. Particularly, after ...allocating the beta time derivative to the (2 + 1)-dimensional Heisenberg ferromagnetic spin chain (2D-HFSC) model, its 1-soliton solutions are formally derived through utilizing a group of systematic techniques such as the new Kudryashov and exponential methods. Some graphical representations in three-dimensional postures are considered to analyze the impact of the beta parameter on the dynamical behavior of the bright and dark solitons.
The formation of ion-acoustic solitons (IASs) in an unmagnetized plasma with negative ions has been investigated through the KdV equation in both the situations
Q
′
=
m
j
/
m
i
=
negative
to
positive
...ion
mass
ratio
less and greater than one and the mKdV equation only for
Q
′
>
1
. The existence of both KdV and mKdV solitons has been established for
α
=
ion
to
electron
temperature
ratio
>
β
=
negative
ion
to
electron
temperature
ratio
and
α
<
β
, which is the new outcome of the current investigation. Furthermore, the existence of both compressive and rarefactive solitons for
Q
′
>
1
and
Q
′
<
1
has been demonstrated.
Background
Systemic allergic reactions are a risk for allergen immunotherapy that utilizes intact allergen preparations. We evaluated the safety, efficacy and immune mechanisms of short‐course ...treatment with adjuvant‐free Lolium perenne peptides (LPP) following a 6‐week dose‐escalation protocol.
Methods
In a prospective, dose‐escalation study, 61 grass pollen–allergic patients received 2 subcutaneous injections of LPP once weekly for 6 weeks. Safety was assessed evaluating local reactions, systemic reactions and adverse events. The clinical effect of LPP was determined by reactivity to the conjunctival provocation test (CPT). Specific IgE, IgG4 and blocking antibodies were measured at baseline (V1), during (V6) and after treatment (V8).
Results
No fatality, serious adverse event or epinephrine use was reported. Mean wheal diameters after injections were <0.6 cm and mean redness diameters <2.5 cm, independent of dose. Transient and mostly mild adverse events were reported in 33 patients. Two patients experienced a grade I and 4 patients a grade II reaction (AWMF classification). At V8, 69.8% of patients became nonreactive to CPT. sIgG4 levels were higher at V6 (8.1‐fold, P < .001) and V8 (12.2‐fold, P < .001) than at V1. The sIgE:sIgG4 ratio decreased at V6 (−54.6%, P < .001) and V8 (−71.6%, P < .001) compared to V1. The absolute decrease in IgE‐facilitated allergen binding was 18% (P < .001) at V6 and 25% (P < .001) at V8.
Conclusion
Increasing doses of subcutaneous LPP appeared safe, substantially diminished reactivity to CPT and induced blocking antibodies as early as 4 weeks after treatment initiation. The benefit/risk balance of LPP immunotherapy remains to be further evaluated in large studies.
In this relativistic consideration, the energy integral unlike others has been derived in a weakly relativistic plasma in terms of Sagdeev potential. Both compressive and rarefactive subsonic ...solitary waves are found to exist, depending on wave speeds in various directions of propagation. It is found that compressive relativistic solitons have potential depths that are higher than non-relativistic solitons in all directions of propagation, allowing for the presence of denser plasma particles in the potential well. Furthermore, it shows how compressive soliton amplitude grows as the propagation direction gets closer to the magnetic field’s direction.
Under investigation in the present work is to study the unstable nonlinear Schrödinger’s equation which points out the time evolution of disturbances in marginally stable or unstable media. The expa ...and hyperbolic function methods are adopted to carry out this target in a straightforward way. A wide variety of new explicit exact solutions are successfully derived, proving the excellent performance of the schemes.
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