BackgroundPoor sleep quality and depression negatively impact the health-related quality of life of patients with type 2 diabetes, but the combined effect of the two factors is unknown. This study aimed to assess the interactive effects of poor sleep quality and depression on the quality of life in patients with type 2 diabetes.MethodsPatients with type 2 diabetes (n = 944) completed the Diabetes Specificity Quality of Life scale (DSQL) and questionnaires on sleep quality and depression. The products of poor sleep quality and depression were added to the logistic regression model to evaluate their multiplicative interactions, which were expressed as the relative excess risk of interaction (RERI), the attributable proportion (AP) of interaction, and the synergy index (S).ResultsPoor sleep quality and depressive symptoms both increased DSQL scores. The co-presence of poor sleep quality and depressive symptoms significantly reduced DSQL scores by a factor of 3.96 on biological interaction measures. The relative excess risk of interaction was 1.08. The combined effect of poor sleep quality and depressive symptoms was observed only in women.ConclusionsPatients with both depressive symptoms and poor sleep quality are at an increased risk of reduction in diabetes-related quality of life, and this risk is particularly high for women due to the interaction effect. Clinicians should screen for and treat sleep difficulties and depressive symptoms in patients with type 2 diabetes.

BackgroundA few studies have examined the association between ambient temperature and preterm birth (PTB), and the results have been inconsistent. This study explored the association between ambient temperature and PTB in Shenzhen, China.MethodsData of daily singleton PTB, air pollution and meteorological variables from 2005 to 2011 were collected in Shenzhen. A distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM) was used to investigate the association of the low and high temperatures (1st, 5th, 95th, and 99th percentiles) with PTB.ResultsThe median temperature was 24.5 °C and the 1st, 5th, 95th, and 99th percentiles of daily mean temperatures were 9, 12.5, 29.9 and 30.7 °C, respectively. The prevalence of singleton PTB was 5.61 % in Shenzhen. The association between temperature and PTB was not linear. There was an immediate positive association of low temperature (1st and 5th percentiles) and a negative association of high temperature (95th and 99th percentiles) with PTB. The effect of low temperature 9 °C (1st) on PTB on the current day was stronger than that of 12.5 °C (5th), with a relative risk (RR) of 1.54 (95 % CI: 1.36–1.75) and 1.49 (95 % CI: 1.35–1.63), respectively. The cumulative RR (up to 30 days) of 9 and 12.5 °C was 1.72 (95 % CI: 1.28–2.33) and 1.96 (95 % CI: 1.60–2.39), respectively. The cumulative effects (up to 30 days) of high temperature (95th and 99th percentiles) on PTB were 0.69 (95 % CI: 0.60–0.80) and 0.62 (95 % CI: 0.52–0.74), respectively. The cumulative effect (up to 30 days) of low temperatures on vaginal delivery PTB was lower than that of the cesarean section PTB with an RR of 1.58 (95 % CI: 1.12–2.22) and 1.93 (95 % CI: 1.21–3.08), respectively.ConclusionsThis study suggests that low temperature might be a risk factor, while high temperature might be a protective factor of PTB in Shenzhen.

BackgroundPlant allelochemicals act as toxins, inhibitors of digestion, and deterrents that affect the fecundity of insects. These compounds have attracted significant research attention in recent decades, and much is known about the effects of these xenobiotic plant secondary metabolites on insect development. To date, although ecological interactions between xenobiotic plant secondary chemicals that retard insect growth have been observed in many species, it remains unclear how particular allelochemicals influence insect development in a life stage-dependent manner.ResultsWe found that 2-tridecanone can affect insect development; this effect appears similar to the symptoms induced by the physiological imbalance between juvenile and molting hormones in cotton bollworm. We later detected that a decrease in the concentration of 20-hydroxyecdysone occurred alongside the observed symptoms. We next identified the transcriptome of Helicoverpa armigera and eightdigital gene expression libraries for shading light on how 2-tridecanone retarded the development of cotton bollworm. The expression of CYP314A1, CYP315A1, CYP18A1, CYP307A1, and CYP306A1 (unigenes 16487, 15409, 40026, 41217, 35643, 16953, 8199, 13311, and 13036) were found to be induced by 2-tridecanone; these are known to be related to the biosynthesis or metabolism of 20-hydroxyecdysone. Expression analysis and RNA interference studies established that the retardant effect of 2-tridecanone on the development of cotton bollworm is mediated by P450 genes.ConclusionsThe candidate P450 gene approach described and exploited here is useful for identifying potential causal genes for the influence of plant allelochemicals on insect development.

BackgroundThoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) has been chosen as a less invasive alternative for type B aortic dissections (TBADs). However, the therapeutic effect of TEVAR has been challenged by postoperative adverse events, which were induced by inflammatory response. Glucocorticoids have been widely used because of the powerful and effective anti-inflammatory properties. Nevertheless, the prognostic effect of glucocorticoids after TBAD patients underwent TEVAR remains unclear. The objective of this study was to assess the potential effect of postoperative glucocorticoids on the prognosis of TEVAR for TBADs.MethodsA total of 92 chronic TBADs patients underwent TEVAR with epidural anesthesia between June 2012 and June 2014 was retrospectively reviewed. The patients were stratified into dexamethasone (DXM) and non-dexamethasone group (N-DXM). The indications for TEVAR were as following: malperfusion (n = 28); contained or impending rupture (n = 17); persistent intractable chest/back pain (n = 32); refractory hypertension (n = 15).ResultsNo 30-day mortality and incision infection occurred in each group. The postoperative pain score on the second day was significantly higher in N-DXM group (3.60 ± 0.21 versus 4.83 ± 0.32, P = 0.001). The differences of white blood cell, body temperature and heart rate were pronounced in both groups judged by the peak values (13.01 ± 0.58 × 109/L versus 10.04 ± 0.61 × 109/L, 37.67 ± 0.08 °C versus 37.92 ± 0.09 °C and 89.06 ± 1.21 bpm versus 95.95 ± 1.70 bpm, P = 0.002, 0.04 and 0.001, respectively). The white blood cells in DXM group significantly increased on the second and third postoperative day (P = 0.009 and 0.023), while the body temperature and heart rate showed an apparent decline on the second (P = 0.001 and 0.028), third (P = 0.007 and 0.005) and fourth postoperative days (P = 0.024 and 0.018). However, the changes of false lumen volumes and the endoleak incidence at 3-month follow-up were comparable in the two groups. No significant difference of post-implantation syndrome was observed either.ConclusionsAlthough postoperative prophylactic glucocorticoids administration was unable to influence mortality, incision infection or the change of false lumen volumes, it enabled to enhance the recovery of vital signs and alleviate the postoperative pain. A prospective, randomized controlled trial has been registered (NCT02523300), which will be warranted before prophylactic administration of glucocorticoids after TEVAR procedure could be recommended in the clinical work.

BackgroundMaternal-infant transmission of hepatitis B virus(HBV) occurs even after passive-active immunization. Some scholars speculate that in-utero infection may be the main cause of immunoprophylaxis failure. However, there is a lack of evidence about the possible occurrence periods of perinatal transmission.MethodsFrom 2008 to 2012, 428 pairs of HBsAg-positive mothers and neonates were enrolled and 385 infants aged 8–12 months were followed. HBV markers (HBsAg, anti-HBs, HBeAg, anti-HBe, anti-HBc, HBV-DNA) were performed on all subjects.ResultsOf mothers who were positive for HBsAg, HBeAg, HBV-DNA, 35.1 %, 94.3 %, 12.7 % of their neonates were positive for those indices, respectively. Neonates’ mean titers of those indices were significantly lower than their mothers’. There were no significant differences in rates of positivity and mean titers of anti-HBe and anti-HBc between neonates and mothers. Most of the positive indices turned negative during the follow-up period. Immunoprophylaxis failed in seventeen infants: four infants had HBV-DNA > 6 log 10copies/mL both at birth and in follow-up; in six infants, mean viral load was 3.72 ± 0.17 log 10copies/mLat birth and 7.62 ± 0.14 log 10copies/mL at follow-up; seven infants were HBV-DNA negative at birth but were found to have > 6 log 10copies/mL during follow-up. Infants that were immunoprophylaxis failures were all born to HBeAg-positive mothers with HBV-DNA > 6 log 10copies/mL.ConclusionsThe placental barrier can partly prevent maternal HBsAg, HBeAg, HBV-DNA from passing through to fetus. Performing HBsAg, HBeAg, HBV-DNA once at birth can neither diagnose nor exclude maternal-infant transmission. The diagnosis of infection period depends on the dynamic changes in viral load from birth through the follow-up period but whether the infection occurred in utero, at delivery or during the neonatal period could not be determined.

BackgroundThe 1980’s economic boom has been associated with a rapid expansion of China’s sex industry over the past three decades. Consequently, the spread of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and hepatitis infections among female sex workers (FSW) has become an important public health issue in China. This study identifies prevalence and risks of hepatitis and STIs in Chinese FSWs.MethodFour electronic databases were searched for Chinese and English language peer-reviewed studies conducted between 01/2000-12/2011 that reported prevalence of hepatitis and STIs (excluding HIV) among Chinese FSW. Following the PRISMA guidelines, meta-analysis was used to estimate pooled prevalence and 95 % confidence intervals for each infection.ResultThree hundred and thirty nine articles (34 in English and 305 in Chinese) investigating 603,647 FSWs in 29 Chinese provinces were included in this review. Over the period 2000–2011, the seroprevalence of active hepatitis B and hepatitis C among FSW were 10.7 % (7.3–15.5 %) and 1.0 % (0.7–1.3 %), respectively. The most prevalent STI was human papillomavirus (HPV, 27.0 % [10.1–55.1 %]), followed by herpes simplex virus-2 (HSV-2, 15.8 % [11.7–20.9 %]), chlamydia (13.7 % [12.1–15.4 %]), gonorrhoea (6.1 % [5.3–7.0 %]), syphilis (5.2 % [4.8–5.7 %]), genital warts (3.3 % [2.5–4.2 %]) and Trichomonas vaginitis (2.1 % [1.5–24.2 %]). Disease burden of both hepatitis and STI among FSW were concentrated in South Central and Southwest China. In particular, chlamydia and syphilis demonstrated a significant declining trend during the studied period (P < 0.05). Compared with the general Chinese population, FSW had significantly higher prevalence of all STIs except Trichomonas vaginitis. Further, compared to the general FSW population, HIV-positive FSW had significantly higher prevalence of syphilis, chlamydia, HSV-2 and Trichomonas vaginitis.ConclusionPrevalence of hepatitis and STIs remained high and mostly stable among Chinese FSW over the period of 2000–2011. Targeted STI and hepatitis surveillance and interventions should be strengthened among Chinese FSWs, especially those who are HIV-positive.