Examining the association between delay discounting, delay aversion and physical activity in Chinese adults with type-2 diabetes mellitus.

BACKGROUND: The role of physical activity in diabetes is critical, influencing this disease's development, man-agement, and overall outcomes. In China, 22.3% of adults do not meet the minimum level of physical activity recommended by the World Health Organization. Therefore, it is imperative to identify the factors that contributing to lack of physical activity must be identified. AIM: To investigate the relationship among delay discounting, delay aversion, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and various levels of physical activity in Chinese adults diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). METHODS: In 2023, 400 adults with T2DM were recruited from the People's Hospital of Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture of Gansu Province. A face-to-face questionnaire was used to gather demographic data and details on physical activity, delay discounting, and delay aversion. In addition, HbA1c levels were measured in all 400 participants. The primary independent variables considered were delay discounting and delay aversion. The outcome variables included HbA1c levels and different intensity levels of physical activity, including walking, moderate physical activity, and vigorous physical activity. Multiple linear regression models were utilized to assess the relationship between delay discounting, delay aversion, and HbA1c levels, along with the intensity of different physical activity measured in met-hours per week. RESULTS: After controlling for the sample characteristics, delay discounting was negatively associated with moderate physical activity (ß = -2.386, 95%CI: -4.370 to -0.401). Meanwhile, delay aversion was negatively associated with the level of moderate physical activity (ß = -3.527, 95% CI: -5.578 to -1.476) in the multiple linear regression model, with statistically significant differences. CONCLUSION: Elevated delay discounting and increased delay aversion correlated with reduced levels of moderate physical activity. Result suggests that delay discounting and aversion may influence engagement in moderate physical activity. This study recommends that health administration and government consider delay discounting and delay aversion when formulating behavioral intervention strategies and treatment guidelines involving physical activity for patients with T2DM, which may increase participation in physical activity. This study contributes a novel perspective to the research on physical activity in adults with T2DM by examining the significance of future health considerations and the role of emotional responses to delays.

[Health damage assessment due to PM2.5 exposure during haze pollution events in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region in January 2013].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the human health damage due to particulate matter ≤ 2.5 µm (PM2.5) exposure during the haze pollution events in 12 cities of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region in January 2013. METHODS: The data were collected for urban population, ambient air quality, baseline mortality rate and emergency visits in Beijing, Tianjin, Shijiazhuang, Baoding, Chengde, Handan, Langfang, Hengshui, Qinhuangdao, Tangshan, Xingtai and Zhangjiakou. Then the exposure-response relationship was constructed between short-term PM2.5 exposure and mortality and emergency room visits with meta-analysis. Thus the excess deaths and emergency room visits due to PM2.5 exposure were estimated during the haze pollution events using city-specific exposure population, PM2.5 daily concentration and exposure-response coefficients. RESULTS: Three serious PM2.5 pollution events occurred on January 12, January 19 and January 27 in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region respectively. From January 10 to January 31, the 24 h mean concentrations of PM2.5 in Beijing, Tianjin, Shijiazhuang, Tangshan, Qinhuangdao, Handan, Xingtai, Baoding, Zhangjiakou, Chengde, Langfang, Hengshui were 705, 411, 675, 506, 255, 598, 698, 667, 231, 178, 718 and 405 µg/m(3). Xingtai, Shijiazhuang, Handan, Baoding, Langfang and Beijing were the more polluted areas. And there were 17 days (77.3%), 13 days (59.1%), 12 days (54.5%), 11 days (50.0%), 10 days (45.5%) and 8 days (36.4%) of Air Quality Index reaching the serious level respectively. The short-term PM2.5 exposure caused 2725 excess death including 846 excess deaths duo to respiratory disease and 1878 excess deaths due to circulatory disease in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region from January 10 to January 31. CONCLUSIONS: The haze pollution events led to serious public health damage. And it is imperative to take actions of controlling PM2.5 pollution.

Apidaecin-type peptides: biodiversity, structure-function relationships and mode of action.

Apidaecins (apidaecin-type peptides) refer to a series of small, proline-rich (Pro-rich), 18- to 20-residue peptides produced by insects. They are the largest group of Pro-rich antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) known to date. Structurally, apidaecins consist of two regions, the conserved (constant) region, responsible for the general antibacterial capacity, and the variable region, responsible for the antibacterial spectrum. The small, gene-encoded and unmodified apidaecins are predominantly active against many gram-negative bacteria by special antibacterial mechanisms. The mechanism of action by which apidaecins kill bacteria involves an initial non-specific binding of the peptides to an outer membrane (OM) component. This binding is followed by invasion of the periplasmic space, and by a specific and essentially irreversible combination with a receptor/docking molecule that may be a component of a permease-type transporter system on inner membrane (IM). In the final step, the peptide is translocated into the interior of the cell where it meets its ultimate target. Evidence that apidaecins are non-toxic for human and animal cells is a prerequisite for using them as novel antibiotic drugs. This review presents the biodiversity, structure-function relationships, and mechanism of action of apidaecins.

The nisin-controlled gene expression system: construction, application and improvements.

Lactic acid bacteria are widely used in industrial fermentation. The potential use of these bacteria as homologous and heterologous protein expression hosts has been investigated extensively. The NIsin-Controlled gene Expression system (the NICE system) is an efficient and promising gene expression system based on the autoregulation mechanism of nisin biosynthesis in the Lactococcus lactis. In the NICE system, the membrane-located histidine kinase NisK senses the inducing signal nisin and autophosphorylates, then transfers phosphorous group to intracellular response regulator protein NisR which activates nisA promoter to express the downstream gene(s). The NICE system allows regulated overproduction of a variety of interest proteins by several Gram-positive bacteria, especially L. lactis. The essential elements for system construction, its application for expression of some biotechnologically important proteins and further improvements of this system are discussed.