Analysis of influencing factors and interaction of body weight and disease outcome in patients with prediabetes.

BACKGROUND: The trend of prediabetes progressing to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is prominent, and effective intervention can lead to a return to prediabetes. Exploring the factors influencing the outcome of prediabetes is helpful to guide clinical intervention. The weight change in patients with prediabetes has not attracted much attention. AIM: To explore the interaction between body weight and the factors affecting the progression of prediabetes to T2DM. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of 236 patients with prediabetes and 50 with normal glucose tolerance (NGT), and collected clinical data and follow-up results of all patients. Based on natural blood glucose outcomes, we classified 66 patients with progression to T2DM into the disease progression (DP) group, and 170 patients without progression to T2DM into the disease outcome (DO) group. We analyzed the factors that influenced prediabetes outcome and the influence of body weight on prediabetes blood glucose outcome by unconditional logistic regression. A general linear model (univariate) was used to analyze the inter-action between body weight and independent influencing factors. RESULTS: There were 98 cases of impaired fasting glucose (IFG), 90 cases of impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), and 48 cases of coexistent IFG and IGT. The body weight, waist circumference, body mass index, fasting blood glucose, and 2 h plasma glucose of patients with IFG, IGT, and coexistent IFG and IGT were higher than those in patients with NGT (P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that body weight, glycosylated hemoglobin, uric acid, fasting insulin, and homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance were independent factors affecting progression of prediabetes to T2DM (P < 0.05). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the area under the curve predicted by the above indicators combined was 0.905 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.863-0.948], which was greater than that predicted by each indicator alone. Logistic regression analysis with baseline body weight as an independent variable showed that compared with body weight 1, the odds ratio (95%CI) of body weight 3 was 1.399 (1.142-2.126) (P = 0.033). There was a multiplicative interaction between body weight and uric acid (ß = 1.953, P = 0.005). CONCLUSION: High body weight in patients with prediabetes is an independent risk factor for progression to T2DM, and the risk of progression is increased when coexisting with high uric acid level.

Experiences of seeking and accessing medical care among persons with major depression: A qualitative descriptive study of persons with depression in China.

Introduction: A large number of people in China are affected by depression, yet tend to delay seeking treatment. This study aims to explore persons living with depression and their journey of diagnoses and seeking professional medical help in China. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 persons who visiting physicians to be diagnosed and receive professional help from a large mental health center in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, China. Individual interviews were conducted and data were analyzed using content analysis. Results: Three themes were identified from the findings: (1) "noticed something was wrong"; (2) negotiated decisions with their own narratives and the personal suggestions of others; and (3) gave new meaning to their experiences of depression, whereby they sought medical treatment. Discussion: The findings of the study indicated that the impact of progressive depressive symptoms on the participants' daily lives was a strong motivation for them to seek professional help. The obligation to care for and support their family prevented them from initially disclosing their depressive symptoms to family members, but eventually prompted them to seek professional help and persist in follow-up treatment. Some participants experienced unexpected benefits (e.g., relief at no longer feeling "alone") during their first visit to the hospital for depression or when they were diagnosed with depression. The results suggest a need to continue to actively screen for depression and provide more public education to prevent negative assumptions and reduce public and personal stigmatization of those with mental health problems.

Ectopic expression of Populus MYB10 promotes secondary cell wall thickening and inhibits anthocyanin accumulation.

Secondary cell wall (SCW) formation is regulated by a multilevel transcriptional regulatory network, in which MYB transcription factors (TFs) play key roles. In woody plants, hundreds of MYB TFs have been identified, most of which have unknown functions in wood SCW biosynthesis. Here, we characterized the function of a Populus MYB gene, PtoMYB10. PtoMYB10 was found to encode an R2R3-MYB TF and exhibit dominant expression in xylem tissues. PtoMYB10 was determined to be located in the nucleus with the ability to activate transcription. Overexpression of PtoMYB10 in Populus resulted in a drastic increase in SCW thickening in xylem fiber cells as well as ectopic deposition of lignin in cortex cells. The expression of genes associated with lignin biosynthesis was induced in PtoMYB10 overexpressing plants, whereas repressed gene expression was found with the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway. Lignin and anthocyanin are both produced from metabolites of the phenylpropanoid pathway. Accordingly, the anthocyanin content of Populus overexpressing PtoMYB10 decreased by more than 68%. These results indicate that PtoMYB10 can positively regulate xylary fiber SCW thickening, accompanied by the reprogramming of phenylpropanoid metabolism, which redirects metabolic flux from anthocyanin biosynthesis to monolignol biosynthesis.

Molecular evolution and functional characterization of chitinase gene family in Populus trichocarpa.

Chitinases, the chitin-degrading enzymes, have been shown to play important role in defense against the chitin-containing fungal pathogens. In this study, we identified 48 chitinase-coding genes from the woody model plant Populus trichocarpa. Based on phylogenetic analysis, the Populus chitinases were classified into seven groups. Different gene structures and protein domain architectures were found among the seven Populus chitinase groups. Selection pressure analysis indicated that all the seven groups are under purifying selection. Phylogenetic analysis combined with chromosome location analysis showed that Populus chitinase gene family mainly expanded through tandem duplication. The Populus chitinase gene family underwent marked expression divergence and is inducibly expressed in response to treatments, such as chitosan, chitin, salicylic acid and methyl jasmonate. Protein enzymatic activity analysis showed that Populus chitinases had activity towards both chitin and chitosan. By integrating sequence characteristic, phylogenetic, selection pressure, gene expression and protein activity analysis, this study shed light on the evolution and function of chitinase family in poplar.

[Effects of Ferrous Sulfate and Ferric Nitrate on Cadmium Transportation in the Rhizosphere Soil-Rice System].

Cadmium (Cd) contamination in the agricultural soils of China is a serious and growing environmental problem that urgently needs to be controlled and completely remediated. The biogeochemical cycles of nitrogen (N), sulfur (S), and iron (Fe), and the coupled cycles of Fe-N and Fe-S have been reported to control Cd transportation in the soil-rice system. Exploring practical remediation strategies for Cd from the perspective of the application of nutrients such as N, S, and Fe for rice growth is expected to obtain farm-specific and state-of-the-art technologies and products to reduce the accumulation of Cd in rice grains. Using our earlier study as a basis, the rhizosphere bag-pot experiment with ferrous sulfate (FeSO4) and ferric nitrate[Fe(NO3)3] treatments was conducted to investigate Cd bioavailability in rhizosphere soil and Cd translocation in rice plants, and to highlight some possible factors and mechanisms controlling Cd accumulation in rice grains. The results showed that both FeSO4 and Fe(NO3)3 treatments reduced the bioavailable Cd (NH4Ac-Cd) content in rhizosphere soil, with the decreasing extent being significantly lower in the former (55.6%) than in the latter (76.0%). Both FeSO4 and Fe(NO3)3 treatments changed the distribution characteristics of Cd in rice tissues, and the FeSO4 treatment increased the Cd content in brown rice (0.6 mg·kg-1), but the Fe(NO3)3 treatment decreased the Cd content in brown rice (0.1 mg·kg-1). Adsorption or co-precipitation of Cd by iron plaque, increased accumulations of Cd in root, stem, and leaf, and enhanced translocations of Cd from root, stem, and nodule to brown rice occurred with the increased Cd content in brown rice of the FeSO4 treatment. However, the decreased Cd content in brown rice with the Fe(NO3)3 treatment was ascribed to adsorption or co-precipitation of Cd by poorly crystalline Fe oxides and solid Fe sulfides, decreased accumulations of Cd in stem and nodule, and weakened translocations of Cd from root, leaf, and nodule to brown rice. These findings provide a scientific basis for the exploration and application of nutritive soil amendment, and will have significance in regards to the remediation of Cd-contaminated agricultural soils in China.

[Determination of trace extractable lead in artificial acid sweat from ecological textiles by GFAAS].

Extractable trace level lead in artificial sweat solution from ecological textiles is a key item limited by eco-textile standard. But the content of this extractable Pb is not so easy to determine for the strict limit of eco-textile standard, the complicatedness of extractable solution matrix and the strong background interference of NaCl. In the present paper a method for the determination of trace extractable lead in artificial acid sweat from ecological textiles by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) is described. Based on a number of experiments by using different single and mixed matrix modifiers including (NH4)2 H2PO4, NH4 NO3, Pd(NO3)2, Ni(NO3)2 and ascorbic acid, an effective modifier and its quantity were selected and the graphite furnace operating parameters were optimized. Experimental test results revealed that adding 5 mL (1 : 1) mixed solution of 50 g x L(-1) ammonium nitrate and 100 mg x L(-1) palladium regent was an effective way to inhibit volatile lead and reduce background signals. The detection limit could reach a low level of 0.7 microg x L(-1). The relative standard deviation was 3.2%. Under the optimum experimental conditions, the recoveries ranged between 95.5% and 105%.

[Clinical research of vacuum sealing drainage combined with artificial dermis for the treatment of ankle and foot soft tissue defects].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of vacuum sealing drainage (VSD) combined with artificial dermis for treatment of the ankle and foot soft tissue defects. METHODS: A total of 15 patients with skin and soft tissue defect of ankle and foot were treated from January 2011 to December 2013, including 10 males and 5 females, with an average age of 32.5 years old ranging from 3 to 55 years old, involving 8 cases by traffic accident, 2 cases by machine accident, 5 cases by crush injury;8 cases with soft tissue exposure, 2 cases with tendor exposure, 5 cases with bone exposure. VSD was used to cover the wounds and continuous negative pressure drainage after debridement, the wounds covered with artificial dermis after the second granulation tissue grew well, again VSD was used to cover the wounds and negative pressure suction was applied, after 7 to 14 days negative pressure closed drainage was removed, free skin graft was transplanted above the artificial dermis, sterile gauze was used to compression bandage. RESULTS: All cases were followed up for 3 to 14 months with an average of 6.5 months. Skin graft of 15 of patients survived after transplantation, artificial dermis graft interval was 7 to 14 days with an average of 9.5 days. There was no obvious scar hyperplasia and contracture, no obvious pigmentation, appearance and functional recovery. CONCLUSIONS: After the implantation of artificial dermis and traditional skin graft method need for 2 to 3 weeks, vacuum sealing drainage technique combined with artificial dermis in treatment of soft tissue defect of foot and ankle skin has advantages of simple operation, significantly shorten the time of the second phase of the skin, without flap to repair, little injury to donor skin area, wound healing quality high, clinical effect of satisfaction.