The prevalence of insomnia in the general population in China: A meta-analysis

This is the first meta-analysis of the pooled prevalence of insomnia in the general population of China. A systematic literature search was conducted via the following databases: PubMed, PsycINFO, EMBASE and Chinese databases (China National Knowledge Interne (CNKI), WanFang Data and SinoMed). Statistical analyses were performed using the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis program. A total of 17 studies with 115,988 participants met the inclusion criteria for the analysis. The pooled prevalence of insomnia in China was 15.0% (95% Confidence interval [CI]: 12.1%-18.5%). No significant difference was found in the prevalence between genders or across time period. The pooled prevalence of insomnia in population with a mean age of 43.7 years and older (11.6%; 95% CI: 7.5%-17.6%) was significantly lower than in those with a mean age younger than 43.7 years (20.4%; 95% CI: 14.2%-28.2%). The prevalence of insomnia was significantly affected by the type of assessment tools (Q = 14.1, P = 0.001). The general population prevalence of insomnia in China is lower than those reported in Western countries but similar to those in Asian countries. Younger Chinese adults appear to suffer from more insomnia than older adults

Reply

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/142921/1/hep29806_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/142921/2/hep29806.pd

High Aspect Pattern Formation by Integration of Micro Inkjetting and Electroless Plating

This paper reports on formation of high aspect micro patterns on low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) substrates by integrating micro inkjetting with electroless plating. Micro inkjetting was realized by using an inkjetting printer that ejects ink droplets from a printhead. This printhead consists of a glass nozzle with a diameter of 50 micrometers and a piezoelectric transducer that is coated on the nozzle. The silver colloidal solution was inkjetted on a sintered CT800 ceramic substrate, followed by curing at 200 degrees C for 60 minutes. As a result, the silver trace with a thickness of 200 nm was obtained. The substrate, with the ejected silver thin film as the seed layer, was then immersed into a preinitiator solution to coat a layer of palladium for enhancing the deposition of nickel. Electroless nickel plating was successfully conducted at a rate of 0.39 micrometers /min, and the thickness of traces was plated up to 84 micrometers. This study demonstrates that the integration of inkjetting with plating is an effective method to form high aspect patterns at the demand location.Comment: Submitted on behalf of EDA Publishing Association (http://irevues.inist.fr/handle/2042/16838

Morphology, carbohydrate distribution, gene expression, and enzymatic activities related to cell wall hydrolysis in four barley varieties during simulated malting

Many biological processes, such as cell wall hydrolysis and the mobilisation of nutrient reserves from the starchy endosperm, require stringent regulation to successfully malt barley (Hordeum vulgare) grain in an industrial context. Much of the accumulated knowledge defining these events has been collected from individual, unrelated experiments, and data have often been extrapolated from Petri dish germination, rather than malting, experiments. Here, we present comprehensive morphological, biochemical, and transcript data from a simulated malt batch of the three elite malting cultivars Admiral, Navigator, and Flagship, and the feed cultivar Keel. Activities of lytic enzymes implicated in cell wall and starch depolymerisation in germinated grain have been measured, and transcript data for published cell wall hydrolytic genes have been provided. It was notable that Flagship and Keel exhibited generally similar patterns of enzyme and transcript expression, but exhibited a few key differences that may partially explain Flagship's superior malting qualities. Admiral and Navigator also showed matching expression patterns for these genes and enzymes, but the patterns differed from those of Flagship and Keel, despite Admiral and Navigator having Keel as a common ancestor. Overall (1,3;1,4)-β-glucanase activity differed between cultivars, with lower enzyme levels and concomitantly higher amounts of (1,3;1,4)-β-glucan in the feed variety, Keel, at the end of malting. Transcript levels of the gene encoding (1,3;1,4)-β-glucanase isoenzyme EI were almost three times higher than those encoding isoenzyme EII, suggesting a previously unrecognised importance for isoenzyme EI during malting. Careful morphological examination showed that scutellum epithelial cells in mature dry grain are elongated but expand no further as malting progresses, in contrast to equivalent cells in other cereals, perhaps demonstrating a morphological change in this critical organ over generations of breeding selection. Fluorescent immuno-histochemical labelling revealed the presence of pectin in the nucellus and, for the first time, significant amounts of callose throughout the starchy endosperm of mature grain.Natalie S. Betts, Laura G. Wilkinson, Shi F. Khor, Neil J. Shirley, Finn Lok, Birgitte Skadhauge, Rachel A. Burton, Geoffrey B. Fincher and Helen M. Collin

A risk score to predict the development of hepatic encephalopathy in a populationâ based cohort of patients with cirrhosis

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146442/1/hep29628_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146442/2/hep29628-sup-0001-suppinfo.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146442/3/hep29628.pd

Fatty acid oxidation is essential for egg production by the parasitic flatworm Schistosoma mansoni

Schistosomes, parasitic flatworms that cause the neglected tropical disease schistosomiasis, have been considered to have an entirely carbohydrate based metabolism, with glycolysis playing a dominant role in the adult parasites. However, we have discovered a close link between mitochondrial oxygen consumption by female schistosomes and their ability to produce eggs. We show that oxygen consumption rates (OCR) and egg production are significantly diminished by pharmacologic inhibition of carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1 (CPT1), which catalyzes a rate limiting step in fatty acid β-oxidation (FAO) and by genetic loss of function of acyl CoA synthetase, which complexes with CPT1 and activates long chain FA for use in FAO, and of acyl CoA dehydrogenase, which catalyzes the first step in FAO within mitochondria. Declines in OCR and egg production correlate with changes in a network of lipid droplets within cells in a specialized reproductive organ, the vitellarium. Our data point to the importance of regulated lipid stores and FAO for the compartmentalized process of egg production in schistosomes

Comorbid illness is an important determinant of health-related quality of life in patients with chronic hepatitis C

Chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients selected for entry into treatment trials have been reported to have impaired health-related quality of life (HRQOL). However, these trials have an inherent selection bias, and HRQOL in CHC patients may have been underestimated because of the exclusion of patients with comorbid illness. The aim of this study was to assess HRQOL in an unselected group of CHC patients and to identify factors associated with impairment in HRQOL. METHODS : A total of 220 consecutive eligible CHC patients were enrolled from a hepatology clinic. HRQOL was assessed by the short form 36 (SF-36) and comorbid illnesses were assessed by an interview. RESULTS : CHC patients had significantly lower SF-36 scores in all subscales and in the summary scales when compared to those of the healthy general population in the United States ( p < 0.001 ). Compared to CHC patients entering treatment trials, our patients had lower SF-36 scores on five subscales ( p < 0.001 ). The presence of comorbid illness was the most important predictor of HRQOL in CHC patients. However, CHC alone resulted in significantly lower SF-36 scores in all subscales and summary scales ( p ≤ 0.003 ) compared to those of the healthy U.S. population. There was no correlation between SF-36 scores and history of i.v. drug use or dependence, alcohol dependence, and serum aminotransferase levels. CONCLUSIONS : We conclude that unselected CHC patients presenting for medical evaluation have a reduced HRQOL, which is lower than that reported for CHC patients entering treatment trials. CHC alone is associated with significant impairment in HRQOL, but the presence of comorbid illness leads to further diminution in HRQOL.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/75569/1/j.1572-0241.2001.04133.x.pd