[Influence of occupational stress on salivary immunoglobulin G concentration in employees].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the possibility of salivary immunoglobulin G(IgG) as an objective assessment index for occupational stress. METHODS: In September 2014, a total of 186 employees in a solar photovoltaic company were selected as research subjects, and a questionnaire survey was performed. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure salivary IgG concentration. RESULTS: The salivary IgG concentration showed a significant difference between employees with different working years and shifts(P<0.05). The employees with ≤15 working years had a lower salivary IgG concentration than those with >20 working years (49.93±7.97 µg/ml vs 53.80±8.22 µg/ml), and the employees with long-day shifts had a higher salivary IgG concentration than those with day-night shifts(54.98±7.62 µg/ml vs 51.85±7.94 µg/ml). The employees with low levels of job demands and job danger had a significantly higher salivary IgG concentration than those with high levels(54.09±6.68 µg/ml vs 50.65±8.81 µg/ml, P<0.05; 53.73±7.35 µg/ml vs 50.73±8.73 µg/ml, P<0.05). The employees with a high score of mental health had a significantly higher salivary IgG concentration than those with a low score(54.39±5.28 µg/ml vs 50.73±9.36 µg/ml, P<0.05). The salivary IgG concentration was positively correlated with the score of mental health(r=0.314, P<0.05), but negatively correlated with job demands, job routinization, job danger, job prospects, physical complaints, and daily stress(r=-0.249, -0.159, -0.157, -0.030, -0.035, and -0.176, all P<0.05). The multivariate linear regression analysis showed that the salivary IgG concentration was mainly influenced by job demands and mental health. CONCLUSION: Salivary IgG concentration can be applied as an objective assessment index for occupational stress.

[Correlation between job burnout and salivary cortisol concentration in employees].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlation between job burnout and salivary cortisol concentration. METHODS: In September 2014, a cross-sectional survey was used to perform a questionnaire survey for 237 employees in a solar photovoltaic company. Meanwhile, saliva was collected through chewing with a tube for saliva collection, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure salivary cortisol concentration. RESULTS: The salivary cortisol concentration showed no significant differences between employees with different ages, working years, educational backgrounds, and shifts(P>0.05). The salivary cortisol concentration was positively correlated with the scores of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and job burnout(r=0.182, 0.229, and 0.222, P<0.05). The employees with emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and job burnout had significantly higher salivary cortisol concentrations than those without emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and job burnout(80.22±13.34 µg/L vs 75.86±14.75 µg/L, t=2.029, P<0.05; 80.69±12.99 µg/L vs 75.27±14.89 µg/L, t=2.607, P<0.05; 80.06±12.63 µg/L vs 72.76±16.04 µg/L, t=3.248, P<0.05). The stepwise regression analysis showed that salivary cortisol concentration was mainly influenced by depersonalization. CONCLUSION: Job burnout is correlated with salivary cortisol concentration, and can be used as an objective assessment index for job burnout.

[Association between occupational stress and electrocardiographic abnormalities in employees].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of occupational stress on electrocardiographic features in employees. METHODS: In September 2014, a total of 186 employees in a solar photovoltaic company underwent the evaluation of occupational stress, and the changes in electrocardiographic findings were recorded. RESULTS: The abnormal rate of electrocardiographic findings showed significant differences between different age groups(P<0.05), and the employees older than 50 years had the highest abnormal rate(34.0%). Among the study subjects aged 41-50 years, those with a high score of job responsibility and burden had a higher abnormal rate of electrocardiographic findings than those with a low score(24.3% vs 6.3%); among the study subjects older than 50 years, those with a high risk level had a higher abnormal rate of electrocardiographic findings than those with a low risk level(50.0% vs 22.6%). Among the study subjects older than 50 years, those with a high score of mental health had a significantly lower abnormal rate of electrocardiographic findings than those with a low score (8.3% vs 55.2%, P<0.05); the employees with high scores of physical complaint and daily stress had a higher abnormal rate of electrocardiographic findings than those with low scores of physical complaint and daily stress (52.2% vs 20.0%, P<0.05; 50.0% vs 22.6%, P<0.05). The unconditional multivariate logistic stepwise regression analysis showed that old age was the risk factor for the high abnormal rate of electrocardiographic findings (OR= 1.076, P=0.013), and that mental health was the protective factor for the abnormal rate of electrocardiographic findings(OR=0.356, P=0.017). CONCLUSION: Occupational stress is the risk factor for abnormal electrocardiographic findings, and the abnormal rate of electrocardiographic findings tends to increase with the increasing severity of occupational stress.

Fungal endophytes from Acer ginnala Maxim: isolation, identification and their yield of gallic acid.

AIMS: The aim of the study was to isolate the endophytic fungi from Acer ginnala and screen isolates rich in gallic acid. METHODS AND RESULTS: After epiphytic sterilization, 145 fungal endophytes were isolated from the stem, annual twig and seed of Acer ginnala. The endophytes were grouped into ten different taxa, Phomopsis sp., Neurospora sp., Phoma sp., Epicoccum sp., Penicillium sp., Alternaria sp., Fusarium sp., Trichoderma sp., Cladosporium sp. and a species of Pleosporales Incertae Sedis, by their morphological traits and ITS-rDNA sequence analysis. The content and yield of gallic acid of 141 isolates were determined by HPLC. On average, the species of Pleosporales Incertae Sedis had the highest content and yield of gallic acid (13.28 mg g(-1) DW; 119.62 mg l(-1)), while Alternaria sp. had the lowest. CONCLUSIONS: Of 141 fungal endophytes from A. ginnala, Phomopsis sp. isolate SX10 showed both the highest content and the highest yield of gallic acid (29.25 mg g(-1) DW; 200.47 mg l(-1)). SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Endophytic fungi isolated from A. ginnala may be used as potential producers of gallic acid and other compounds with biological activities, or functioned as elicitors to produce natural compounds.

Comparative study of long-term effects of surgical excision and excision combined with radiotherapy or chemotherapy in breast cancer: an analysis of 192 cases.

Clinical data of 192 patients with breast cancer with a primary lesion of 2-5 cm (stage II according to the criteria recommended by the UICC) and with histopathologically confirmed positive axillary lymph nodes were analyzed. The patients were divided into three groups: 1) surgical excision alone; 2) surgery plus irradiation; and 3) surgery plus chemotherapy. It was shown that the 5-year survival rates for these groups were 40.5%, 61.0%, and 62.0%, respectively (P less than .05).