Potential Risk Factors of Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction in Undergraduates and Postgraduates: Partially Mediated by Life Stress and Lifestyle.

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI) and life stress in college students, and explore risk factors of DGBI in college students and the role of life stress. METHODS: A total of 2,578 college students filled up validated questionnaires assessing GI symptoms, lifestyle, and life stress. Participants were diagnosed as DGBI based on the Rome III criteria. Multivariate ordinal logistic regression analysis and mediation effect model were employed to explore potential risk factors of DGBI and the mediating role of life stress and lifestyle in DGBI. RESULTS: A total of 437 of 2,578 (17.0%) college students were diagnosed with DGBI. College students with DGBI had higher levels of life stress, including eight specific categories. Females (1.709 [1.437, 2.033]), staying up late (1.519 [1.300, 1.776]), and life stress (1.008 [1.006, 1.010]) were risk factors for DGBI, while postgraduates (0.751 [0.578, 0.976]) and regular diet (0.751 [0.685, 0.947]) were protective factors. Males and poor family economic were associated with a higher risk of DGBI after controlling stress, while an association between grade and DGBI was mediated by stress, regular diet, and sleep habits. CONCLUSION: DGBI was common among college students. Life stress and lifestyle were associated with DGBI and mediated partial association between grade and DGBI in college students. More attention should be paid to undergraduates.

The complete mitochondrial genome sequence of Aglossa dimidiata (Haworth, 1809) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae).

The complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of Aglossa dimidiata (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) was sequenced using high-throughput sequencing. The mitogenome of A. dimidiata was 15,225 bp in length. It comprised 37 typical genes and one control region. All protein-coding genes (PCGs) were initiated with ATN, except for COX1 (TTG). All PCGs used TAN as stop codon, except for ND5 and ND4 terminated with incomplete T. Twenty-two tRNA genes ranged from 61 to 71 bp in size. The monophyly of family Pyralidae and the sister relationship between A. dimidiata and Orthopygia glanucinalis are both supported by maximum likelihood method using the nucleotide sequences of 13 PCGs.

The mitochondrial genome of Cofana yasumatsui (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Cicadellinae).

The complete mitochondrial genome of Cofana yasumatsui (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Cicadellinae) is sequenced. Based on annotation, the mitochondrial genome is 15,019 bp, has an A + T content of 77.2% (A = 42.0%, T = 35.2%, G = 10.0%, C = 12.8%), which is the classical structure for insect mitogenome. All PCGs started with ATN, except ATP8 and ND5 starting with TTG. All PCGs used TAN as stop codon, except ND5 stopping with single T. The phylogenetic relationship of C. yasumatsui clustered together with Cicadella viridis, Homalodisca coagulata, Homalodisca vitripennis, and Bothrogonia ferruginea from Cicadellinae. This is identical with the result of the traditional taxonomy.

The value of platelet count in evaluating the degree of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the value of platelet count in evaluating the degree of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). METHODS: A total of 158 CHB patients who underwent liver biopsy in our hospital were included, and the clinical characteristics of these patients were retrospectively analyzed. The diagnostic values of platelet count, aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI), and the fibrosis index based on four factors (FIB-4) for significant fibrosis (F ≥ 2) and early cirrhosis (F = 4) stages in CHB patients were assessed by the use of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. RESULTS: The median (F0: 221.0; F1: 210.0; F2: 188.0; F3: 171.0; and F4: 155.5) and mean rank (F0: 120.4; F1: 100.1; F2: 82.2; F3: 67.9; and F4: 49.5) of platelet count decreased along the aggravation of fibrosis (F0-F4). The areas under the ROC curve for the platelet count in diagnosis of significant fibrosis stage was 0.70, which had no significant difference with FIB-4 (0.73) and APRI (0.68) in diagnostic efficacy (P = .428). The areas under the ROC curve of platelet count in diagnosis of early cirrhosis were 0.72, which had no significant difference with FIB-4 (0.76) and APRI (0.68) (P = .094). CONCLUSION: The platelet count, as a simple and non-invasive index, could evaluate the degree of liver fibrosis in CHB individuals. At the same time, the diagnostic efficiency of platelet count to evaluate the significant liver fibrosis and early cirrhosis is comparable to FIB-4 and APRI.

The complete mitochondrial genome sequence of Crenidorsum turpiniae (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae).

We determined the complete mitochondrial genomes of Crenidorsum turpiniae, a new record whitefly pest on tea-tree. The mitogenome of C. turpiniae is 15,427 bp long and consists of 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, two rRNA genes and a putative control region (GenBank: MN934936). The whole base composition of the heavy strand for A, C, G and T is 30%, 12.24%, 15.82% and 41.87%, respectively, with an AT bias (-16%). All PCGs use ATN as start codon (N, any nucleotide), except for NAD6 uses TTG. Most of the PCGs use TAA as a stop codon. The length of 16SrRNA and 12SrRNA gene are 1277 bp and 768 bp, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that C. turpiniae and Tetraleurodes acaciae had a closer genetic relationship.

Epidemiology characteristics of constipation for general population, pediatric population, and elderly population in china.

Objective. To acquire more data about the epidemiologic characteristics of constipation in different kinds of populations in China. Methods. Using "constipation" and "China" as search terms; relevant papers were searched from January 1995 to April 2014. Data on prevalence, gender, diagnostic criteria, geographical area, educational class, age, race, and physician visit results were extracted and analyzed. Results. 36 trials were included. Prevalence rates of constipation in elderly population (18.1%) and pediatric population (18.8%) were significantly higher than that in general population (8.2%). Prevalence of constipation defined by non-Rome criteria was higher than that by Rome criteria in general population. Prevalence rates of constipation were different for different geographical area. People with less education were predisposed to constipation. In pediatric population, prevalence of constipation was the lowest in children aged 2-6 years. Prevalence of constipation in ethnic minorities was higher than that in Han people. People with constipation were predisposed to FD, haemorrhoid, and GERD. Only 22.2% patients seek medical advice in general population. Conclusions. In China, prevalence of constipation was lower compared with most of other countries. The factors including female gender, diagnostic criteria, geographical area, age, educational class, and race seemed to have major effects on prevalence of constipation.

Pathophysiologic findings of irritable bowel syndrome in china.

The mechanism of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is still incompletely understood in the world although large amount of investigations have been carried out on it. There are many studies on the pathophysiology of IBS in China, which has huge amount of population suffering from IBS with special ethnicity and culture, including Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. We collected the literatures to show the results and discuss whether there were any differences in the pathophysiologic findings between China and other countries, whether there were any differences among different subtypes and how the pathophysiology correlated with the manifestations of patients. Gene polymorphism, disturbances of gastrointestinal motility, visceral hypersensitivity, intestinal infection and inflammation, psychological disturbances, food hypersensitivity and intolerance, and altered gut microflora were reviewed in this paper. Some conflicting outcomes between China and other countries were noted although most of them were similar.

Treatment of high-frequency gastric electrical stimulation for gastroparesis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The aim of this study was to assess the effects of gastric electrical stimulation (GES) on symptoms and gastric emptying in patients with gastroparesis, and the effects of GES on the three subgroups of gastroparesis. METHODS: A literature search of clinical trials using high-frequency GES to treat patients with gastroparesis from January 1995 to January 2011 was performed. Data on the total symptom severity score (TSS), nausea severity score, vomiting severity score, and gastric emptying were extracted and analyzed. The statistic effect index was weighted mean differences. RESULTS: Ten studies (n = 601) were included in this study. In the comparison to baseline, there was significant improvement of symptoms and gastric emptying (P < 0.00001). It was noted that GES significantly improved both TSS (P < 0.00001) and gastric retention at 2 h (P = 0.003) and 4 h (P < 0.0001) in patients with diabetic gastroparesis (DG), while gastric retention at 2 h (P = 0.18) in idiopathic gastroparesis (IG) patients, and gastric retention at 4 h (P = 0.23) in postsurgical gastroparesis (PSG) patients, did not reach significance. CONCLUSIONS: Based on this meta-analysis, the substantial and significant improvement of symptoms and gastric emptying, and the good safety we observed, indicate that high-frequency GES is an effective and safe method for treating refractory gastroparesis. DG patients seem the most responsive to GES, both subjectively and objectively, while the IG and PSG subgroups are less responsive and need further research.