Serpentine fibula — polycystic kidney syndrome and Melnick-Needles syndrome are different disorders

We report on the third patient with serpentine fibula-polycystic kidney syndrome. Main features in the three reported cases were growth retardation, abnormal face, hirsutism, short neck, bowed forearms and lower legs due to bowed radii and elongated serpentine fibulae, and metatarsus adductus. Two patients including our own were deaf. All were mentally normal, all were female and sporadic. In addition, we report on a girl with Melnick-Needles syndrome and illustrate the similarities and differences between these syndromes.     

蛇纹石降氟前后的砖茶水对大鼠骨骼、肾、肝形态学的影响

目的观察蛇纹石降氟前后砖茶水对大鼠骨骼、肾、肝形态学的影响。方法按饮茶型氟中毒病区居民煮砖茶的方法熬制含氟为100mg／L的砖茶水，使用时稀释至5、50mg／L。将Wistar大鼠随机分为5组．饮用含氟5、50mg/L和用蛇纹石分别将氟降至为1．5mg／L的砖茶水，对照组饮自来水。检测血、尿、骨氟，光镜、透射电镜下观察骨骼、肾脏以及肝脏的形态学变化。结果饮用含氟5、50mg／L砖茶水的大鼠尿氟、骨氟增加，骨骼、肾脏、肝脏出现病理改变，50mg／L组改变更为明显。饮用蛇纹石降氟后的砖茶水(1．5mg／L)，大鼠血、尿、骨氟和组织形态学改变与饮用自来水的对照组比较无统计学意义。结论蛇纹石降氟效果显著．大鼠饮用降氟后的砖茶水，骨、肾、肝细胞没有出现形态学的改变。     

The health effects of chrysotile: current perspective based upon recent data

This review substantiates kinetically and pathologically the differences between chrysotile and amphiboles. The serpentine chrysotile is a thin walled sheet silicate while the amphiboles are double-chain silicates. These different chemistries result in chrysotile clearing very rapidly from the lung (T(1/2)=0.3 to 11 days) while amphiboles are among the slowest clearing fibers known (T(1/2)=500 days to infinity). Across the range of mineral fiber solubilities chrysotile lies towards the soluble end of the scale. Chronic inhalation toxicity studies with chrysotile in animals have unfortunately been performed at very high exposure concentrations resulting in lung overload. Consequently their relevance to human exposures is extremely limited. Chrysotile following subchronic inhalation at a mean exposure of 76 fibers L>20 microm/cm(3) (3413 total fibers/cm(3)) resulted in no fibrosis (Wagner score 1.8-2.6), at any time point and no difference with controls in BrdU response or biochemical and cellular parameters. The long chrysotile fibers were observed to break apart into small particles and smaller fibers. Toxicologically, chrysotile which rapidly falls apart in the lung behaves more like non-fibrous mineral dusts while response to amphibole asbestos reflects its insoluble fibrous structure. Recent quantitative reviews of epidemiological studies of mineral fibers have determined the potency of chrysotile and amphibole asbestos for causing lung cancer and mesothelioma in relation to fiber type have also differentiated between these two minerals. The most recent analyses also concluded that it is the longer, thinner fibers that have the greatest potency as has been reported in animal inhalation toxicology studies. However, one of the major difficulties in interpreting these studies is that the original exposure estimates rarely differentiated between chrysotile and amphiboles. Not unlike some other respirable particulates, to which humans are, or have been heavily occupationally exposed, there is evidence that heavy and prolonged exposure to chrysotile can produce lung cancer. The value of the present and other similar studies is that they show that low exposures to pure chrysotile do not present a detectable risk to health. Since total dose over time decides the likelihood of disease occurrence and progression, they also suggest that the risk of an adverse outcome may be low if even any high exposures experienced were of short duration.     

胶质芽孢杆菌对蛇纹石和橄榄石的解硅作用初探

研究了胶质芽孢杆菌对蛇纹石、橄榄石的风化释硅作用。方法:将5 ml细菌分别加入到100 ml含0.5 g蛇纹石和橄榄石矿粉的培养基中,对照组加等量的灭活菌,经不同的时间间隔测量样品释放硅的含量。结果表明,胶质芽孢杆菌对蛇纹石、橄榄石的风化释硅起着重要作用,而且随着时间的变化,释放的硅浓度变化表现出一定的规律性,即呈现出开始逐渐升高,到10 d左右达到最大值,然后有所降低但逐渐趋于稳定的趋势。同时发现蛇纹石和橄榄石被细菌作用后的表观形态有所不同。     

蛇纹石饮水除砷效果实验研究

目的 研究确定蛇纹石除砷效果和最佳除砷条件，为地方性砷中毒病区提出新的饮水除砷措施。方法 通过实验室检验和观察，利用单因素分析和正交实验方法确定蛇纹石不同粒度、高砷水的pH值及不同接触时间对除砷效果的影响。结果 蛇纹石除砷效率最佳的粒度为0．300—0．216mm；原水硬度以中硬水、软水最好。接触时间与除砷效果成正相关，原水的适宜pH值范围为6．5—8．5。结论 蛇纹石可能是一种新的除砷吸附剂。     

Serpentine tongue in long-term metoclopramide treatment

A 57-year-old woman with gastrointestinal disturbances was treated with metoclopramide (30 mg per day). After 3 months of therapy, “serpentine tongue” dyskinesia occurred without further neurological signs. The patient was investigated for metabolic disorders, acanthocytosis, central or peripheral nervous system damage (by 1.5 T MRI and electrophysiological studies), and paraneoplastic syndromes (by tumor marker analysis and whole-body ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT scan). By exclusion the involuntary movement was considered drug-induced.“Serpentine tongue” should describe a dystonia that is strictly isolated to the tongue with different clinical features from the typical tongue protrusion dystonia.     

Stretchable and sensitive sensor based on carbon nanotubes/polymer composite with serpentine shapes via molding technique

Abstract

With the rapid development of wearable devices in recent years, stretchable strain sensors based on electrically conductive composites have attracted a great deal of attention owing to their good stretchability and piezoresistivity. However, due to the intrinsic restriction of these types of composites, the conventional stretchable strain sensors cannot do well in all aspect of sensing performance. A stretchable strain sensor based on carbon nanotubes/poly(dimethylsiloxane) composite with the serpentine shape was devised and fabricated. The sensor was readily manufactured through a molding technique. Not only can this sensor distinguish tension strain from transverse or longitudinal direction, but also exhibits good linearity of response to tensile strain. In terms of sensitivity, hysteresis and response time, the stretchable strain sensor showed significant performance. The sensing performance of this proposed stretchable sensor has been demonstrated to be good in this work and it also shows a good prospect for utilization in multifunctional wearable devices.     

镁钙维C片治疗燃煤污染型氟骨症疗效观察

目的验证镁钙维C片治疗氟骨症的确切效果。方法采用非住院方式对符合氟骨症临床症状的患者进行3个月（1个疗程）的上门送药治疗,主要考察治疗前后自觉症状改善情况。结果治疗组自觉症状好转总有效率达70%以上,其中34.8%的患者自觉症状完全消失。结论镁钙维C片在燃煤污染型氟病区治疗临床氟骨症是有效的。     

Vocal cord paralysis and cystic kidney disease in Hajdu-Cheney syndrome

In this report we describe the clinical history and symptoms in a 36-year-old male with Hajdu-Cheney syndrome, an autosomal dominant condition with dissolution of the terminal phalanges (acro-osteolysis), characteristic craniofacial dysmorphism, and musculoskeletal alterations. He was admitted at that age because of progressive respiratory problems, with Cheyne-Stokes respiration and bilateral vocal cord paralysis. Terminal renal failure with cystic renal disease was diagnosed at the age of 14 years. The findings in the present patient illustrate the risk of progressive neurologic degeneration with involvement of the cranial nerves in patients with Hajdu-Cheney syndrome. Moreover, we confirm that cystic renal changes are an integral part of Hajdu-Cheney syndrome, and agree that Hajdu-Cheney syndrome and Serpentine fibula syndrome are probably variant examples of the same disease.     

蛇纹石降氟前后的砖茶水对大鼠骨代谢的影响

目的通过骨代谢实验研究蛇纹石降氟前后砖茶水对机体氟代谢的影响,为探讨蛇纹石降氟在病区人群中应用提供科学依据。方法按饮茶型氟中毒病区居民的砖茶饮用习惯熬制砖茶水,再用活化后的蛇纹石进行降氟,得到蛇纹石降氟后砖茶水。以Wistar大鼠为实验对象,进行3个月骨代谢实验,各实验组动物分别饮用含氟为50．0、15．0、5．0 mg／L的砖茶水和含氟为15．0、5．0、1．5 mg／L的蛇纹石降氟砖茶水,对照组饮用自来水。实验结束后,检测骨氟、尿氟、尿羟脯氨酸、血氟、血钙、血磷、降钙素、甲状旁腺素。结果氟大于5．0mg／L 的各实验组,尿氟、骨氟、血氟、血磷均高于对照组,差异有统计学意义(P<0．05);氟大于15．0 mg／L的各实验组,尿羟脯氨酸高于对照组(P<0．01);血钙、降钙素、甲状旁腺素与对照组相比差异无统计学意义(P>0．05)。含氟相同的降氟1组与茶氟2组(F-,15．0 mg／L)相比,前者的尿氟高于后者,差异有统计学意义(P<0．01);降氟1组与茶氟2组(F-,15．0 mg／L)、降氟2组与茶氟3组(F-,5．0mg／L)相比,前者的骨氟低于后者(P<0．01)。结论蛇纹石降氟不但可以降低砖茶水中的氟,降低了饮茶氟元素的摄入,还可以促进氟的排泄,降低氟在骨骼中的沉积。