Effect of sleep ambient music on sleep quality and mental health in college students: a self-controlled study.

To verify the effect of sleep ambient music intervention (SAMI) on sleep quality and mental status of college students, and to further explore the minimum effective duration of SAMI, this study was designed as a pre-and post-intervention self-controlled exploratory study. Participants were subjected to a one-week no-intervention test, then 4 weeks of music intervention followed. Subjective sleep quality data were collected using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI); objective sleep quality data were collected with Actigraphy; and mental status data were collected using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). Data were analyzed and processed using mixed-effects models and repeated measures. The results showed that compared with the no-intervention week, college students' subjective sleep quality, objective sleep onset latency (SOL), trait anxiety, and depression symptom were reduced at week 1; week 2; week 3; week 4 under SAMI; state anxiety of college students at week 3 and week 4 under SAMI were also reduced. And there were differences in sleep quality among college students of different genders too. Compared with females, males had worse sleep efficiency (SE), shorter total sleep time (TST), and more awaking times (AT). In addition, 3 days was the minimum effective length for SAMI to shorten objective SOL, and 2 days was the minimum effective length to shorten the subjective SOL of college students. The findings of this study suggest that SAMI can improve subjective sleep quality, shorten objective SOL, and reduce anxiety and depression in college students. Interventions for more than 3 days had a significant effect on shortening SOL and long-term effects seemed to emerge after 3 weeks.

Serum 25 hydroxyvitamin D status in 6-month-old infants in Guangzhou, China: A paired longitudinal follow up study.

To assess the vitamin D status in healthy 6-month-old infants, as well as vitamin D supplementation and feeding patterns in Guangzhou, China, serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) concentrations of 202 infants were measured at birth (cord blood) and at 6 months of age in Guangzhou, China. Questionnaires acquiring demographic characteristics, maternal and infantile vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy and first 6 months after birth, and feeding patterns during the first 6 months were completed by participating mothers. Physical examinations and blood sampling were carried out among infants at 6 months of age. The majority of infants (93.6%) were supplemented with vitamin D during the first 6 months of life on a voluntary basis. The M ± SD of cord serum 25OHD concentration was 46.2 ± 16.4 nmol/L, whereas the M ± SD of 25OHD concentration at 6 months was 82.9 ± 24.9 nmol/L. Serum 25OHD concentrations <30 nmol/L were seen in 34 (16.8%) infants at birth but only one (0.5%) at 6 months. Only 11 (5.4%) infants had concentrations >75 nmol/L at birth, whereas the majority of infants (n = 131, 64.9%) had concentrations >75 nmol/L at 6 months. The main predictors of 25OHD levels at 6 months included season, vitamin D supplementation, parental education level, and feeding patterns. To conclude, serum 25OHD concentrations were low at birth in a southern Chinese population, and infantile supplementation is an effective way to improve 25OHD status. Exclusively breastfed infants might need greater vitamin D supplementation, and individualized vitamin D supplementation plans might be needed.

Cord serum vitamin D in a South China birth cohort.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy has been associated with many adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes. Low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) levels (<30 nmol/L) increases the risk of nutritional rickets. This study aimed to investigate the concentration of cord serum 25OHD in a birth cohort in Guangzhou, China and determine whether maternal lifestyle factors had any effect on these levels. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN: A total of 854 pregnant women giving birth between Dec 2016 and Dec 2017 were recruited to this study. Basic information was obtained from the clinical database. A voluntary retrospective pregnancy lifestyle questionnaire was completed by 388 participants. The concentration of serum 25OHD, calcium, phosphorus, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were measured in umbilical cord blood. RESULTS: The mean (SD) of cord serum 25OHD was 44.7 (16.7) nmol/L. The prevalence of cord 25OHD <30 nmol/L was 22.2% and 70.4% had levels <50 nmol/L. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency is higher in infants born in winter months (31% <30 nmol/L and 76% <50 nmol/L), compared to those born in the summer (12% <30 nmol/L and 64% <50 nmol/L). Infants born to women taking a vitamin D containing supplement had approximately 10 nmol/L higher levels of 25OHD than those who did not supplement their diets. CONCLUSIONS: Summer born infants have higher serum 25OHD levels at birth, but there are still infants being born with vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D containing supplement use during pregnancy was effective in raising cord serum vitamin D levels.

Application of Cortical Bone Trajectory Screws in Elderly Patients with Lumbar Spinal Tuberculosis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical efficacy of cortical bone trajectory (CBT) screws in the treatment of elderly patients with lumbar spinal tuberculosis. METHODS: A total of 45 elderly patients with lumbar spinal tuberculosis were allocated to 1 groups based on different surgical methods: 22 patients in group A received posterior CBT screw fixation combined with anterior debridement with a small incision and bone grafting, and 23 patients in group B underwent posterior pedicle screw fixation combined with anterior debridement with a small incision and bone grafting. The intraoperative blood loss, postoperative drainage volumes, Cobb angles, visual analogue scale scores, erythrocyte sedimentation rates (ESRs), and Frankel grades before and after surgery were analyzed. The surgical complications and spinal fusion were also assessed. RESULTS: After a 3-month follow-up, 2 patients in group A and 3 patients in group B experienced anterior psoas muscle abscesses, which were cured by a second surgery. The remaining patients were healed by the first surgery. Spinal fusion after bone graft required 3 to 8 months (average, 4.9 months). There were no significant differences in surgery time, blood loss, drainage volume, and hospital stay between the 2 groups. The visual analogue scale scores, Cobb angles, ESRs, and Frankel grades were significantly improved after surgery in both groups. CONCLUSION: The CBT screws were not inferior to traditional pedicle screws. The application of CBT- screws fixation combined with anterior debridement with a small incision and bone grafting was an effective and safe method to treat elderly patients with lumbar spinal tuberculosis.

C1q and tumor necrosis factor-related protein 3 is present in human cord blood and is associated with fetal growth.

BACKGROUND: To determine the presence of C1q and tumor necrosis factor-related protein 3 (CTRP3) in cord blood and its relationship with fetal growth among Chinese newborns. METHODS: This pilot study recruited 126 infants (small for gestational age [SGA], n=34; appropriate for gestational age [AGA], n=60; large for gestational age [LGA], n=32); cord blood CTRP3 levels were measured, and fetal growth parameters were collected. RESULTS: Median (25-75th percentile) CTRP3 levels in the SGA, AGA, and LGA groups were 297.2 (236.4-360.2), 297.5 (261.0-369.9), and 368.6 (298.5-507.1) ng/ml, respectively (P=0.01). LGA infants had higher CTRP3 levels than AGA infants (multiple linear regression analysis; P=0.01). The CTRP3 levels were positively correlated with birth weight (r=0.25, P<0.01), Ponderal index (r=0.28, P<0.01), and placental weight (r=0.20, P=0.03) in the total study population. In the subgroup analysis, CTRP3 levels were negatively correlated with birth length z scores (r=-0.39, P=0.03) and were positively correlated with the Ponderal index (r=0.43, P=0.02) only in the SGA group; no other significant correlations were observed. The CTRP3 levels were similar between the sexes (P=NS). CONCLUSIONS: CTRP3 is present in cord blood and might be involved in fetal growth.

Relationship between human cord blood adropin levels and fetal growth.

Adropin is a recently identified peptide and participates in the regulation of energy homeostasis and vascular function. The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between human cord blood adropin levels and fetal growth. A total of 159 newborns [preterm delivery (PTD), n=72; term delivery, n=87] were recruited. Adropin levels in cord blood were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. Clinical information on fetal growth was collected. Adropin levels in PTD babies (median, 2028; 25th-75th, 1413-2484pg/ml) were lower than those in term delivery babies (median, 2305; 25th-75th, 1960-2684pg/ml, P=0.01). Birth weight and length z score, Ponderal index, placental length, breadth, thickness, surface area, volume and density were not significantly correlated to adropin concentrations in term delivery group. However, we found adropin concentrations were significantly correlated to gestational age at birth (Spearman's correlation coefficient=0.35, P<0.01) and placental weight (Spearman's correlation coefficient=0.24, P=0.04) in PTD group. We also found that boys had lower adropin levels than girls in PTD group (P=0.01). When the analysis was extended to the whole group (PTD and term deliveries combined), the results were similar to those for PTD group alone. After adjusting for maternal age and newborn's sex, every 100pg/ml increase of adropin concentration was significantly associated with a decreased risk of PTD (odds ratio, 0.95; 95% confidence interval, 0.91-0.99). Our study showed that cord blood adropin levels were positively correlated with gestational age and placental weight but not with other fetal growth parameters.