Work–rest pattern,alertness and performance assessment among naval personnel deployed at sea: A cross sectional study

BackgroundThe combat naval vessels require continuous operational preparedness for guarding the vast coastline. Sailors onboard these ships are at risk for sleep deprivation. Sailors may be vulnerable to chronic fatigue; and decreased performance, vigilance, and cognitive functioning owing to sleep debt, which may affect safety during tactical operations and while transportation of ships. In this study we assessed the work-rest pattern and level of alertness during sailing and non sailing days.MethodsThirty-two male participants maintained a 24-h sleep and activity log for 5 days. Furthermore, qualitative gross motor activity was recorded using an actiwatch during these 5 days. Participants also completed four test sessions of personal digital assistant (PDA) based psychomotor vigilance task (PVT) test: pre-sleep, post-sleep, pre-work, and post-work. A comparison of data was performed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test.ResultsSailors received approximately 1 h less of rest while sailing. There was a significant difference in bedtime, wake-up time, total sleep time, sleep onset latency (SOL), wake up after sleep onset (WASO), and the number of awakenings during the non-sailing and the sailing days. PVT data showed significantly higher reaction times during the sailing days on pre-work and post-sleep sessions.ConclusionOur study shows that although the sailors are not getting sufficient restorative sleep while sailing as compared to non-sailing days, this is not affecting their cognitive functioning while working.     

Distribution and desirable value of body mass index in middle and oldaged Shanghai urban residents

ＤｉｓｔｒｉｂｕｔｉｏｎａｎｄｄｅｓｉｒａｂｌｅｖａｌｕｅｏｆｂｏｄｙｍａｓｓｉｎｄｅｘｉｎｍｉｄｄｌｅａｎｄｏｌｄａｇｅｄＳｈａｎｇｈａｉｕｒｂａｎｒｅｓｉｄｅｎｔｓＧｕｏＱｉａｎｇ（郭强）;ＸｕｅＧｕａｎｇｂｏ（薛广波）;ＺｈｅｎｇＨｕｉｍｉｎ（...     

A comparative study of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of vecuronium in children and adults.

ＡｃｏｍｐａｒａｔｉｖｅｓｔｕｄｙｏｆｐｈａｒｍａｃｏｋｉｎｅｔｉｃｓａｎｄｐｈａｒｍａｃｏｄｙｎａｍｉｃｓｏｆｖｅｃｕｒｏｎｉｕｍｉｎｃｈｉｌｄｒｅｎａｎｄａｄｕｌｔｓＸｕｅＦｕｓｈａｎ薛富善，ＬｉｕＱｉｎｇｈｕａ刘青华，ＺｏｕＱｉｎ邹勤ａｎｄＬｕ...     

A comparison of elderly （20-65 yrs） life style with body mass index （BMI）〈and〉25

Objective：compare the habits and features of obese （BMI〉25） and normal （BMI〈25） individuals and express a method to ameliorate the life styles using a cross-sectional experiment. Methods：A total of 220 randomly selected cases were divided into case group （n= 110） and control group （n= 100） according to the calculated BMI level. Samples with BMI〉25 kg/m^2 were assigned to the case （obsess） group and those with BMI ranging from 20 to 25 were assigned to control （normal） group. The Miller-Smith life style questionnaires consisting 20 questions each with 5 different answers were given to both groups. Data of the questionnaires were collected and analyzed using t-test and Chi-square with SPSS. Results：No significant differences were found among the two groups in terms of the mean age, gender, level of education, marital status, insurance, breakfast, lunch or dinner, fried meat, legumes, eaffeinated beverages, the length of sleep during 24 h, cigarette smoking and losing job or spouse. However, in regards to use of vegetables, sausage, fried potatoes, enriched breads, low fat milk, low salt, candies and chocolates significant relations were found （P〈0.05）. Conclusion： The present study suggests one way to control obesity and prevent diseases is to ameliorate the life styles. There is a relation between health and stress and irregularity of meals, such as breakfast skipping, is associated with overweight and obesity in adolescence.     

Does domperidone, a D2-antagonist alter gastric emptying rates and appetite sensations in healthy adults with high-fat meal? A block-randomised, single-blind placebo-controlled study

Background

Accelerated gastric emptying (GE) may lead to reduced satiation, increased food intake and is associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes. Domperidone is a dopamine 2 (D₂) receptor antagonist with claims of gastrointestinal tract pro-kinetic activity. In humans, domperidone is used as an anti-emetic and treatment for gastrointestinal bloating and discomfort.

Aim

To determine the effect of acute domperidone administration on GE rate and appetite sensations in healthy adults.

Methods

A single-blind block randomised placebo-controlled crossover study assessed 13 healthy adults. Subjects ingested 10?mg domperidone or placebo 30?min before a high-fat (HF) test meal. GE rate was determined using the ¹³CO₂ octanoic acid breath test. Breath samples and subjective appetite ratings were collected in the fasted and during the 360?min postprandial period.

Results

Gastric emptying half-time was similar following placebo (254?±?54?min) and 10?mg domperidone (236?±?65?min). Domperidone did not change appetite sensations during the 360?min postprandial period (P?>?0.05).

Conclusions

In healthy adults, acute administration of 10?mg domperidone did not change GE or appetite sensations following a HF test meal (NCT01347814).     

Serum immunoreactive bone sialoprotein in children ,healthy adults,andpatients with renaland hepaticfailure:physiologicaland pathologicalvariability

ｅｒｒｕｍｉｍｍｕｎｏｒｅａｃｔｉｖｅｂｏｎｅｓｉａｌｏｐｒｏｔｅｉｎ（ＢＳＰ）ｉｓａｎｏｎｃｏｌｌａｇｅｎｅｏｕｓｐｒｏｔｅｉｎｏｆｂｏｎｅａｎｄａｌｔｈｏｕｇｈｉｔｉｓｍａｉｎｌｙｓｙｎｔｈｅｓｉｚｅｄｂｙｏｓｔｅｏｂｌａｓｔｓ，ｉｔｉｓｂｅｌｉｅｖｅｄｔｈａｔｉｔｓｑｕａｎｔｉｆｉｃａｔｉｏｎｒｅｐｒｅｓｅｎｔｓｐｒｏｃｅｓｓｅｓｐｒｅｆｅｒｅｎｔｉａｌｌｙｌｉｎｋｅｄｔｏｂｏｎｅｒｅｓｏｒｐｔｉｏｎ．Ｔｈｉｓｅｆｆｅｃｔｍａｙｂｅｄｕｅｔｏｔｈｅｐｒｏｔｅｉｎ’ｓｒｏｌｅｉｎｃｅｌｌ…     

A comparison of suicide rates between older adults in Ireland and the UK: 1975–2005

Background  In recent years suicide among older adults has been increasing internationally. The suicide rate among older adults in Ireland is no exception. Aims  The aim of the current study was to report the rate of suicide among older adults in Ireland and to compare these rates to those of the UK. Method  Suicide rates from 1975–2005 for older adults in both Ireland and the UK were obtained and compared. Results  Suicide rates among older adults in Ireland are increasing, while for that same period suicide rates among older adults in the UK are decreasing. Conclusions  The increased consumption of alcohol in Ireland compared to the UK as well as a higher prevalence of depression among older people in Ireland may account for the observed difference. Findings have implications for suicide prevention in Ireland. An erratum to this article can be found at     

Molecular Characterization and Correlation with β-lactam Resistance of Streptococcus pneumonia Isolates in Hangzhou,China

Penicillin-binding proteins(PBPs) are the target of β-lactam antibiotics(the major treatment for Streptococcus pneumoniae infections),and mutations in PBPs are considered as a primary mechanism for the development of β-lactam resistance in S.pneumoniae.This study was conducted to investigate the mutations in the PBPs of clinical S.pneumoniae isolates in Hangzhou,China,in correlation with β-lactam resistance.Results showed that 19 F was the predominant serotype(7/27) and 14 of the S.pneumoniae isolates were resistant to both penicillin G and cephalosporin.Genotyping results suggested that β-lactam-resistant isolates primarily exhibited single-site mutations in both the STMK and SRNVP motifs of pbp1 a in combination with double-site mutations in the STMK motif of pbp2 x,which might be the primary mechanisms underlying the β-lactam resistance of the isolates in this study.     

Prevalence of rheumatic symptoms, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and gout in Shanghai, China: A COPCORD study

Objective: To carry out a cross-sectional survey on prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ankylosing spondylitis (AS), and gout. Methods: Four communities comprising 7 603 inhabitants over 15 years of age in an urban population were randomly selected from 13 communities in Shanghai. Interviews were conducted from September 1997 to March 1998 by trained physicians using the COPCORD Core Questionnaire. Physical and radiographic examinations and serologic tests were carried out when required to classify categories of rheumatic diseases. The diagnosis of RA, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and gout were based on American Rheumatism Association criteria. The diagnosis of AS strictly followed the modified New York criteria of 1984. Crude prevalence rates were standardized according to a standard Chinese population for age and sex structure. Results: A total of 6 584 adults (3 394 women, 3 190 men) were interviewed, and response rate was 86. 6%. The age and sex standardized pre     

Study on the Correlation of Plasma NO, ET-1 and ALT in the Patients with Chronic Hepatitis and Cirrhosis

Nitric oxide ( NO) is a small molecular sub-stance with many biological functions.NO is an un-stable molecule with free radical( or group) struc-ture. Its half life in vivo is 1 to 5s and is reduced tothe stable terminal products( NO2 -/NO3 -) quickly.Atpresent,many researchers reported that the levelof NO is related with the degree of liver disease. Wedetermined the levels of NO,endothelin- 1 ( ET- 1 )and ALT in the in- patients with chronic hepatitis Band active cirrhosisand analyze t…     

Mutation in the NS5A Region of Chinese HCV-1b Isolates and Its Correlation with Efficacy of Interferon Alpha Therapy

Interferonalpha(IFN-α)hasbeenprovenaneffectivetherapeuticdrugforchronichepatitisCvirus(HCV)infection.However,therateofresponsetoIFN-αtherapyisquitelow,andisevenloweramongthepatientswithHCV1binfection[1].Enomotoetal[2]noticedthatHCVRNApersistedinserumduringtherapyinpatientswithHCV1binfectionthatdidnotrespondtoIFN-α,butthatthedistributionofHCVquasispecieschanged.So,theyhypothesizedthatIFN-αtherapywouldleadtoclearanceoftheinterferon-sensitivequasispeciesleavingbehindtheresistanton…     

Tobacco consumption and its association with education among women residing in a rural area of Maharashtra: A?cross-sectional study

Background

Tobacco use is increasing among women and girls across the globe as well as in all parts of India. In India, 8 to 10 lakh people die due to tobacco related diseases every year. This tobacco epidemic among women needs to be prevented.

Objectives

Study was conducted to find the prevalence and pattern of tobacco consumption and it''s association with education among females (15–49 years) in a rural village of Pune, Maharashtra, India.

Material and Methods

A cross-sectional study was carried out among 313 females (15–49 years) in a rural field practice area of a Medical College in Pune during Feb 11 to May 11. Pre-tested questionnaire was used for collecting data by interview after obtaining informed consent. Statistical analysis was performed (Epinfo software version 3.5.3.).

Results

Out of 313 female studied, 14.05% (44) and 0.96% (03) were found to be current and former tobacco user respectively while 84.98% (266) never used any form of tobacco in their lifetime. Mishri consumption (45%) was commonest form of smokeless tobacco use followed by quid use (36%). Majority of the tobacco users (54.55%) were illiterate. There was significant association between tobacco consumption and education level (p = 0.0295). Tobacco consumption was more with increasing age.

Conclusion

Tobacco consumption was found to be prevalent in 14.05% of women. Almost all of them used smokeless tobacco, mainly mishri. Tobacco consumption was directly associated with age and inversely with educational level. Therefore increasing women''s literacy may bring down tobacco use among women.     

Correlation between anthropometric measurement,lipid profile,dietary vitamins,serum antioxidants,lipoprotein (a) and lipid peroxides in known cases of 345 elderly hypertensive South Asian aged 56–64 y–A hospital based study

ObjectiveTo address the association of dietary vitamins, anthropometric profile, lipid profile, antioxidant enzymes and lipid peroxidation in hypertensive participant compared with normotensive healthy controls.MethodsDietary intake of vitamins was assessed by 131 food frequency questionnaire items in both hypertensive participants and normotensive age-sex matched healthy controls. The associated changes in serum antioxidants and lipid peroxidation were also assessed along with lipid profile and anthropometric measurements in both groups of subjects under study.ResultsDietary vitamins intake was higher in hypertensive participants excepting for vitamin B2 and ascorbic acid compared to normotensive controls. Anthropometric variables in the hypertensive showed significant differences in weight, body mass index, waist circumference, hip circumference, waist-hip ratio and mid-arm circumference. The total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglyceride were significantly higher (P<0.001) in hypertensive except high-density lipoprotein cholesterol which was significantly higher (P<0.001) in normotensive. The serum endogenous antioxidants and enzyme antioxidants were significantly decreased in hypertensive except serum albumin levels compared to normotensive along with concomitant increase in serum lipoprotein (a) malondialdehyde and conjugated diene levels.ConclusionsBased on the observations, our study concludes that hypertension is caused due to interplay of several confounding factors namely anthropometry, lipid profile, depletion of endogenous antioxidants and rise in oxidative stress.     

Estrogen and risk of gastric cancer： A protective effect in a nationwide cohort study of patients with prostate cancer in Sweden

BACKGROUND: The global pattern of male predominance in gastric cancer incidence remains unexplained. We tested the hypothesis that estrogen prevents gastric cancer in a cohort of men heavily exposed to estrogen. METHODS : We conducted a nationwide cohort study of men with a diagnosis of prostate cancer recorded in the Swedish Cancer Register in 1961 - 2000. Because estrogen therapy was the treatment of choice for prostate cancer in Sweden between 1950 and 1980,     

A study on the Appearance of HBV DNA in the Liver and Serum of Patients with HDV/HBV Infection

The appearance of HBV DNA in the liver and serum of 15 patients with hepatitisB conifected with HDV was observed and compared with that of 13 HDV-negative cases.Itwas found that HBsAg titer was lower than or equal to 1:4 in 8 HDV-positive patients,inwhom it was temporally negative in 5,and negative during the,two-day hospitalization in 1.No similar result could be observed in the HDV-negative cases.The detection rate of HBVDNA in both the HDV positive and negative groups was 20.0％ (3/15) and 25％ (3.12) in se-rum,and 46.7％ (7/15) and 61.5％ (8/13) in the liver rcspectively.There was no signif-icant statistical difference between the 2 groups.The HBV DNA grains detected with in situ hybridization,with biotinylated HBV DNAprobe were demonstrated in the sparse type of distribution in 3 cases and lightly stained in 2.Itis believed that HBV DNA replication activity might be suppressed by HDV.However activeHRV DNA replication was also present in some HDV-positive patients and HBV DNA was posi-tive in both the liver and serum in 3 such patients.It was concluded that the difference of the detection rate of HBV DNA in HDV-positivepatients might be related to the different stages of HDV infection.     

Correlation between the Expression of Fas, Bcl-2 in Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes and the LeveL of IFN-γ,IL-4 in Serum of Patients with Condyloma Acuminata

Condylomaacuminata (CA)isakindofsexuallytransmitteddiseasecausedbyhumanpapillomavirus(HPV) .Theoccurrence ,progressandresolutionofCAiscloselyrelatedwithimmunologicalfunctionofbody ,especiallycellularimmunologicalfunctionofboby .Theimmunologicalfunctionoft…     

Correlation between the Expression of Fas, Bcl-2 in Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes and the LeveL of IFN-γ,IL-4 in Setum of Patients with Condyloma Acuminata

Summary In order to investigate the correlation between the expression of the apoptotic regulatory proteins (Fas, Blc-2) in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLC) and the level of IFN-γ and IL-4 in serum of the patients with condyloma acuminata (CA) in the immune pathogenesis of CA, indirect immunofluorescence labeling method of flow cytometer and solid sandwich ELISA method were performed for detecting the expression of Fas, Bcl-2 in PBLC and the level of IFN-γ and IL-4 in serum of 60 cases of CA. The results showed the expression level of Fas in PBLC of CA was significantly higher than in the normal control group, but the expression level of Bcl-2 was significantly lower (bothP<0.01). The level of IFN-γ in serum of CA was significantly lower than in the normal control group (P<0.01), but IL-4 was significantly lower (bothP<0.01). The expression of Fas in PBLC had a negative correlation with the level of IFN-γ in serum of patients with CA, but had a positive correlation with the level of IL-4: The expression of Bcl-2 had a positive correlation with the level of IFN-γ, but had a negative correlation with the level of IL-4. All the correlation coefficients had significant differerce byt test (P<0.01). It was suggested abnormal apoptosis in PBLC, the suppressed secretion of the TH1-associated cytokines (eg: IFN-γ) and the increased secretion of the TH2-associated cytokines (eg: IL-4) existed in the patients with CA and might play an important role in the immune pathogenesis of CA. LIU Houjun, male, born in 1963, Associate Professor     

A study of apolipoprotein A-IV genetic polymorphism, serum lipids and lipoproteins in Beijing habitants.

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