EGFR-Activated JAK2/STAT3 Pathway Confers Neuroprotection in Spinal Cord Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury: Evidence from High-Throughput Sequencing and Experimental Models.

This study aimed to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion (SCI/R) injury. Through RNA-Seq high-throughput sequencing and bioinformatics analysis, we found that EGFR was downregulated in the spinal cord of SCI/R mice and may function via mediating the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway. In vitro cell experiments indicated that overexpression of EGFR activated the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway and reduced neuronal apoptosis levels. In vivo animal experiments further confirmed this conclusion, suggesting that EGFR inhibits SCI/R-induced neuronal apoptosis by activating the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway, thereby improving SCI/R-induced spinal cord injury in mice. This study revealed the molecular mechanisms of SCI/R injury and provided new therapeutic strategies for treating neuronal apoptosis.

LncRNA PTOV1-AS2 Promotes Colon Cancer Progression through the miR-145-5p/FSCN1 Axis.

Objective: The long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) gene PTOV1-AS2 is a potentially oncogenic lncRNA gene. However, its role and regulatory mechanism in the occurrence and development of colon cancer are still unclear. In this study, the lncRNA PTOV1-AS2 was used as a starting point to investigate the role of competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) regulatory mechanisms in colon cancer. Methods: The expression of lncRNA PTOV1-AS2 mRNA in colon cancer tissues and cell lines was measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and screened for differential expression in cells. We examined the effects of lncRNA PTOV1-AS2 overexpression or downregulation of its expression on various cellular processes in HCT116 and SW620 cells after the transfection with an overexpression construct or PTOV1-AS2p-specific shRNA, respectively. In particular, we examined the effects on cell proliferation, migration, and invasion using the cell counting kit-8 CCK-8 assay and Transwell migration and invasion assays, respectively. In addition, the binding targets of lncRNA PTOV1-AS2/miR-145-5p and miR-145-5p/FSCN1 were predicted using various bioinformatics tools and validated by a dual luciferase assay. We also examined the effect of the lncRNA PTOV1-AS2/miR-145-5p axis on FSCN1 expression by qRT-PCR analysis. Furthermore, we investigated the effect of the PTOV1-AS2/miR-145-5p/FSCN1 axis on the biological function of colon cancer cells using an in vitro colon cancer cell model with reduced expression of PTOV1-AS2 and simultaneous transfection of a miR-145-5p inhibitor or FSCN1 vector. Additionally, we established a colon cancer xenograft tumor nude mouse model and used it to investigate the effect of locally injected lncRNA PTOV1-AS2 vector on the tumor growth and survival status of tumor-bearing mice. Results: We found that PTOV1-AS2 was highly expressed in colon cancer, which was associated with worse survival. High expression of PTOV1-AS2 promoted cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, while low expression of PTOV1-AS2 inhibited these processes in HCT116 and SW620 cells. The microRNA miR-145-5p was found to bind to the 3'-UTR region of both PTOV1-AS2 and FSCN1. In addition, miR-145-5p decreased the protein expression of its target gene FSCN1 and reduced the PTOV1-AS2-induced expression of FSCN1 in colon cancer cell lines. Also, silencing miR-145-5p or enhancing FSCN1 expression could partially restore the inhibition of cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and the tumorigenic capacity caused by silencing the expression of PTOV1-AS2 in vitro and in vivo. Conclusion: PTOV1-AS2 promotes colon cancer progression by "sponging" miR-145-5p to upregulate FSCN1.

IMU Data and GPS Position Information Direct Fusion Based on LSTM.

In recent years, the application of deep learning to the inertial navigation field has brought new vitality to inertial navigation technology. In this study, we propose a method using long short-term memory (LSTM) to estimate position information based on inertial measurement unit (IMU) data and Global Positioning System (GPS) position information. Simulations and experiments show the practicability of the proposed method in both static and dynamic cases. In static cases, vehicle stop data are simulated or recorded. In dynamic cases, uniform rectilinear motion data are simulated or recorded. The value range of LSTM hyperparameters is explored through both static and dynamic simulations. The simulations and experiments results are compared with the strapdown inertial navigation system (SINS)/GPS integrated navigation system based on kalman filter (KF). In a simulation, the LSTM method's computed position error Standard Deviation (STD) was 52.38% of what the SINS computed. The biggest simulation radial error estimated by the LSTM method was 0.57 m. In experiments, the LSTM method computed a position error STD of 23.08% using only SINSs. The biggest experimental radial error the LSTM method estimated was 1.31 m. The position estimated by the LSTM fusion method has no cumulative divergence error compared to SINS (computed). All in all, the trained LSTM is a dependable fusion method for combining IMU data and GPS position information to estimate position.

LncRNA DLEU2 is activated by STAT1 and induces gastric cancer development via targeting miR-23b-3p/NOTCH2 axis and Notch signaling pathway.

INTRODUCTION: Gastric cancer (GC) has severely affected the health of patients and caused high mortality around the world. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been validated to play significant roles in biological process of multiple cancers. METHODS: Quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) and western blot analysis were conducted to evaluate the expression levels and protein levels of related genes in GC cells. Functional assays were implemented to explore the effect of deleted in lymphocytic leukemia 2 (DLEU2). The upstream and downstream mechanisms of DLEU2 were verified by mechanism investigations. RESULTS: The expression of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) DLEU2 was observably high in GC cells and tissues. DLEU2 silence depressed the capacities of proliferation, migration and invasion but promoted apoptosis in GC cells. Moreover, DLEU2 was activated by signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) and sequestered microRNA-23b-3p (miR-23b-3p) to modulate the expression of notch receptor 2 (NOTCH2), thereby stimulating Notch signaling pathway. More importantly, DLEU2 contributed to GC progression via targeting miR-23b-3p/NOTCH2 axis. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, our research identified the STAT1/DLEU2/miR-23b-3p/NOTCH2/Notch axis in GC development, indicating that DLEU2 might function as a novel biomarker in GC.

A Denoising Method for Fiber Optic Gyroscope Based on Variational Mode Decomposition and Beetle Swarm Antenna Search Algorithm.

Fiber optic gyroscope (FOG) is one of the important components of Inertial Navigation Systems (INS). In order to improve the accuracy of the INS, it is necessary to suppress the random error of the FOG signal. In this paper, a variational mode decomposition (VMD) denoising method based on beetle swarm antenna search (BSAS) algorithm is proposed to reduce the noise in FOG signal. Firstly, the BSAS algorithm is introduced in detail. Then, the permutation entropy of the band-limited intrinsic mode functions (BLIMFs) is taken as the optimization index, and two key parameters of VMD algorithm, including decomposition mode number K and quadratic penalty factor α , are optimized by using the BSAS algorithm. Next, a new method based on Hausdorff distance (HD) between the probability density function (PDF) of all BLIMFs and that of the original signal is proposed in this paper to determine the relevant modes. Finally, the selected BLIMF components are reconstructed to get the denoised signal. In addition, the simulation results show that the proposed scheme is better than the existing schemes in terms of noise reduction performance. Two experiments further demonstrate the priority of the proposed scheme in the FOG noise reduction compared with other schemes.

Cell Differentiation Agent-2 (CDA-2) Inhibits the Growth and Migration of Saos-2 Cells via miR-124/MAPK1.

BACKGROUND: CDA-2 (cell differentiation agent 2), isolated from healthy human urine, exerts antitumor effects in multiple types of cancer cells. However, its role in osteosarcoma has not been studied. METHODS: The MTT assay was used to examine the cell proliferation rate. A colony formation assay was used to examine cell growth. The Transwell assay was used to examine cell migration ability. A real-time PCR assay was used to examine the expression levels of miR-124 and MAPK1. A Western blot assay was used to examine protein expression levels. MAPK1 was selected as a possible target of miR-124, and the targeting relationship was examined by a luciferase reporter assay. RESULTS: We revealed that CDA-2 decreased the growth, migration and invasion ability of the osteosarcoma cell line Saos-2. Further study revealed that CDA-2 elevated the expression level of miR-124. MAPK1 was identified as a downstream target of miR-124. Knockdown of miR-124 or overexpression of MAPK1 counteracted CDA-2's effects on cell growth and invasion. CONCLUSION: Our data revealed that the miR-124/MAPK1 axis mediated CDA-2's function in Saos-2 cells. CDA-2 can be used as a new treatment strategy for osteosarcoma.

Downregulation of lncRNA PMS2L2 in patients with gastric adenocarcinoma predicts poor prognosis.

Long non-coding RNA PMS1 homolog 2 mismatch repair system component pseudogene 2 (PMS2L2) is a key player in lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory responses. Preliminary deep sequencing data revealed that PMS2L2 was downregulated in gastric adenocarcinoma (GA) tissues compared with healthy adjacent tissues and the aim of the present study was to investigate the role of PMS2L2 in GA. In the present study, reverse transcription-quantitative PCR assays were performed to analyze gene expression. Cell transfections were performed to analyze gene interactions and Transwell assays were performed to analyze cell invasion and migration. The results revealed that PMS2L2 expression was downregulated in cancer tissues obtained from patients with GA compared with healthy adjacent tissues and was not significantly affected by clinical stage. Furthermore, low levels of PMS2L2 in cancer tissues were closely associated with a low overall 5-year survival rate in patients. MicroRNA (miR)-25 was upregulated in GA tissues compared with healthy adjacent tissues and inversely associated with PMS2L2 levels. In GA cells in vitro, overexpression of PMS2L2 downregulated the expression of miR-25, while miR-25 overexpression did not significantly affect PMS2L2 expression. Furthermore, PMS2L2 overexpression inhibited the migration and invasion of GA cells. miR-25 overexpression partially rescued the decreased migration and invasion of GA cells caused by PMS2L2 overexpression. Therefore, PMS2L2 may downregulate miR-25 expression to inhibit GA.

MSC-induced lncRNA HCP5 drove fatty acid oxidation through miR-3619-5p/AMPK/PGC1α/CEBPB axis to promote stemness and chemo-resistance of gastric cancer.

Chemotherapy is the first-tier treatment regime for gastric cancer (GC) patients at advance stages. Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) cam affect drug-resistance of GC cells in tumor microenvironment, but the detailed mechanism remains poorly understood. Present study aimed to investigate the regulation of MSC-induced long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) in GC. Dysregulated lncRNAs in GC were analyzed based on GEO data. Stemness and drug-resistance of GC cells were detected by sphere formation, colony formation, CCK-8, and flow cytometry analyses. MicroRNA (miRNA)-related pathways were analyzed by online KEGG analysis tool DAVID6.8. Molecular interactions were determined by luciferase reporter assay, pulldown, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP), chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), and co-immunoprecipitation (CoIP). Results revealed that MSC co-culture improved stemness and drug-resistance of GC cells. LncRNA histocompatibility leukocyte antigen complex P5 (HCP5) was induced in GC cells by MSC co-culture, contributing to stemness and drug-resistance. Mechanistically, HCP5 sequestered miR-3619-5p and upregulated PPARG coactivator 1 alpha (PPARGC1A), increasing transcription complex Peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPAR) coactivator-1α (PGC1α)/CEBPB and transcriptionally inducing carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 (CPT1), which prompted the fatty acid oxidation (FAO) in GC cells. In conclusion, MSC-induced lncRNA HCP5 drove FAO through miR-3619-5p/AMPK/PGC1α/CEBPB axis to promote stemness and chemo-resistance of GC, indicating that targeting HCP5 was a novel approach to enhancing the efficacy of chemotherapy in GC.

In-Field Calibration of Triaxial Accelerometer Basedon Beetle Swarm Antenna Search Algorithm.

Traditional calibration method is usually performed with expensive equipments suchas three-axis turntable in a laboratory environment. However in practice, in order to ensure theaccuracy and stability of the inertial navigation system (INS), it is usually necessary to recalibratethe inertial measurement unit (IMU) without external equipment in the field. In this paper, anew in-field recalibration method for triaxial accelerometer based on beetle swarm antenna search(BSAS) algorithm is proposed. Firstly, as a new intelligent optimization algorithm, BSAS algorithmand its improvements based on basic beetle antennae search (BAS) algorithm are introduced indetail. Secondly, the nonlinear mathematical model of triaxial accelerometer is established forhigher calibration accuracy, and then 24 optimal measurement positions are designed by theoreticalanalysis. In addition, the calibration procedures are improved according to the characteristics of BSASalgorithm, then 15 calibration parameters in the nonlinear method are optimized by BSAS algorithm.Besides, the results of BSAS algorithm and basic BAS algorithm are compared by simulation, whichshows the priority of BSAS algorithm in calibration field. Finally, two experiments demonstrate thatthe proposed method can achieve high precision in-field calibration without any external equipment,and meet the accuracy requirements of the INS.

Circular RNA ATXN7 promotes the development of gastric cancer through sponging miR-4319 and regulating ENTPD4.

BACKGROUND: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) which are shown as a class of RNAs exhibit the importance in the regulation of gene expression and the development of biological process. However, the expression profile and molecular mechanism of circRNA ATXN7 (circATXN7) is still mostly uncertain in gastric cancer (GC). METHODS: qRT-PCR analysis was performed to detect the expression of circATXN7, miR-4319 and ENTPD4 in GC tissues and cells. CCK-8, colony formation, EdU, flow cytometry, TUNEL and transwell assays were conducted to assess the effect of circATXN7 or miR-4319 on cell proliferation, apoptosis and invasion. In vivo assays were utilized to further analyze the function of circATXN7 on the tumorigenesis and progression of GC. The interaction between miR-4319 and circATXN7 (or ENTPD4) was verified using luciferase reporter and RNA pull-down assays. RESULTS: The results showed an upregulated circATXN7 expression in GC tissues and cell lines. Besides, silenced circATXN7 hampered the proliferation and invasion as well as promoted the apoptosis in GC cells. Moreover, low expression of miR-4319 was found in GC. It was determined that circATXN7 acted as a sponge for miR-4319 and had a negative association with miR-4319. We also found that miR-4319 upregulation restrained GC cell proliferation and migration whereas enhanced apoptosis. Subsequently, ENTPD4, the target gene of miR-4319, was found overexpressed in GC. Additionally, it was negatively correlated with miR-4319 whereas positively associated with circATXN7. In vivo experiments, circATXN7 silence was confirmed to inhibit GC tumor growth. CONCLUSIONS: CircATXN7 promoted GC development through sponging miR-4319 and regulating ENTPD4, which identified circATXN7 as a new biomarker in GC.

Influence of miR-376c-3p/SYF2 Axis on the Progression of Gastric Cancer.

MicroRNA-376c-3p was previous reported to have a crucial role in the progression of human cancer. This study was aimed to investigate the influence of microRNA-376c-3p on the proliferation and migration of human gastric cancer cells and the associated mechanism. We explored the expression of microRNA-376c-3p in gastric cancer cells using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Also, we analyzed the association and biological significance of microRNA-376c-3p and SYF2 pre-mRNA-splicing factor in gastric cancer. MicroRNA-376c-3p expression was found downregulated in gastric cancer cell lines compared to the normal cell line. MicroRNA-376c-3p directly targeted SYF2 and reduced SYF2 expression. Overexpression of microRNA-376c-3p inhibits gastric cancer cell proliferation and migration. Besides that, overexpression of SYF2 abrogates the inhibitory influences on gastric cancer cell behaviors caused by microRNA-376c-3p mimic. These results showed that microRNA-376c-3p inhibits the proliferation and migration of gastric cancer cells via targeting SYF2.

LINC00511 accelerated the process of gastric cancer by targeting miR-625-5p/NFIX axis.

BACKGROUND: Gastric cancer (GC) is a common-sighted cancer which is hard to cure over the world. Substantial researches revealed that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) were fundamental regulators in the process of cancers. Nevertheless, the biological function of LINC00511 and how LINC00511 was involved in the regulatory system in GC remained unclear. METHODS: RIP assays and luciferase reporter assays were performed to illustrate combination between LINC00511 and miR-625-5p. Loss-of-function assays were applied for identifying LINC00511 function in GC. RESULTS: In our study, LINC00511 was discovered significantly high in expression in GC tissues and cell lines. Moreover, LINC00511 showed a strong expression in I/II and III/IV stage. Knockdown of LINC00511 could inhibit the cell proliferation while enhanced cell apoptosis rate in GC. We used nuclear-cytoplasmic fractionation to judge the subcellular localization of LINC00511. Furthermore, miR-625-5p was found to have binding sites for LINC00511 and negatively regulated by LINC00511. Overexpression of miR-625-5p repressed the course of GC. And knockdown of miR-625-5p could recover the effects of LINC00511 silence. Besides, NFIX was discovered as a downstream target of miR-625-5p and overexpression of NFIX could offset the influence of LINC00511 silence. The results of vivo studies manifested that down-regulation of LINC00511 could reduce the Ki67 expression and NFIX while lifted the expression of miR-625-5p. CONCLUSION: Overall, the results from our study demonstrated that LINC00511 could function as a tumor promoter by targeting miR-625-5p NFIX axis, suggesting LINC00511 could be considered as a target for GC treatment.

Integrate Point-Cloud Segmentation with 3D LiDAR Scan-Matching for Mobile Robot Localization and Mapping.

Localization and mapping are key requirements for autonomous mobile systems to perform navigation and interaction tasks. Iterative Closest Point (ICP) is widely applied for LiDAR scan-matching in the robotic community. In addition, the standard ICP algorithm only considers geometric information when iteratively searching for the nearest point. However, ICP individually cannot achieve accurate point-cloud registration performance in challenging environments such as dynamic environments and highways. Moreover, the computation of searching for the closest points is an expensive step in the ICP algorithm, which is limited to meet real-time requirements, especially when dealing with large-scale point-cloud data. In this paper, we propose a segment-based scan-matching framework for six degree-of-freedom pose estimation and mapping. The LiDAR generates a large number of ground points when scanning, but many of these points are useless and increase the burden of subsequent processing. To address this problem, we first apply an image-based ground-point extraction method to filter out noise and ground points. The point cloud after removing the ground points is then segmented into disjoint sets. After this step, a standard point-to-point ICP is applied into to calculate the six degree-of-freedom transformation between consecutive scans. Furthermore, once closed loops are detected in the environment, a 6D graph-optimization algorithm for global relaxation (6D simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM)) is employed. Experiments based on publicly available KITTI datasets show that our method requires less runtime while at the same time achieves higher pose estimation accuracy compared with the standard ICP method and its variants.

An Autonomous Vehicle Navigation System Based on Inertial and Visual Sensors.

The strapdown inertial navigation system (SINS) is widely used in autonomous vehicles. However, the random drift error of gyroscope leads to serious accumulated navigation errors during long continuous operation of SINS alone. In this paper, we propose to combine the Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) data with the line feature parameters from a camera to improve the navigation accuracy. The proposed method can also maintain the autonomy of the navigation system. Experimental results show that the proposed inertial-visual navigation system can mitigate the SINS drift and improve the accuracy, stability, and reliability of the navigation system.

Temperature Dependence of Faraday Effect-Induced Bias Error in a Fiber Optic Gyroscope.

Improving the performance of interferometric fiber optic gyroscope (IFOG) in harsh environments, such as magnetic field and temperature field variation, is necessary for its practical applications. This paper presents an investigation of Faraday effect-induced bias error of IFOG under varying temperature. Jones matrix method is utilized to formulize the temperature dependence of Faraday effect-induced bias error. Theoretical results show that the Faraday effect-induced bias error changes with the temperature in the non-skeleton polarization maintaining (PM) fiber coil. This phenomenon is caused by the temperature dependence of linear birefringence and Verdet constant of PM fiber. Particularly, Faraday effect-induced bias errors of two polarizations always have opposite signs that can be compensated optically regardless of the changes of the temperature. Two experiments with a 1000 m non-skeleton PM fiber coil are performed, and the experimental results support these theoretical predictions. This study is promising for improving the bias stability of IFOG.

Initial Alignment for SINS Based on Pseudo-Earth Frame in Polar Regions.

An accurate initial alignment must be required for inertial navigation system (INS). The performance of initial alignment directly affects the following navigation accuracy. However, the rapid convergence of meridians and the small horizontalcomponent of rotation of Earth make the traditional alignment methods ineffective in polar regions. In this paper, from the perspective of global inertial navigation, a novel alignment algorithm based on pseudo-Earth frame and backward process is proposed to implement the initial alignment in polar regions. Considering that an accurate coarse alignment of azimuth is difficult to obtain in polar regions, the dynamic error modeling with large azimuth misalignment angle is designed. At the end of alignment phase, the strapdown attitude matrix relative to local geographic frame is obtained without influence of position errors and cumbersome computation. As a result, it would be more convenient to access the following polar navigation system. Then, it is also expected to unify the polar alignment algorithm as much as possible, thereby further unifying the form of external reference information. Finally, semi-physical static simulation and in-motion tests with large azimuth misalignment angle assisted by unscented Kalman filter (UKF) validate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

An Improved Alignment Method for the Strapdown Inertial Navigation System (SINS).

In this paper, an innovative inertial navigation system (INS) mechanization and the associated Kalman filter (KF) are developed to implement a fine alignment for the strapdown INS (SINS) on stationary base. The improved mechanization is established in the pseudo-geographic frame, which is rebuilt based on the initial position. The new mechanization eliminates the effects of linear movement errors on the heading by decoupling. Compared with the traditional local-level mechanization, it has more advantages. The proposed algorithm requires lower coarse alignment accuracy in both the open-loop and closed-loop KFs and hence can improve the system reliability and decrease the total alignment time. Moreover, for the closed-loop KF, it can decrease oscillation caused by the system errors and improve the closed-loop system stability. In addition, the proposed algorithm can also be applied to polar alignment. The performance of the proposed algorithm is verified by both simulations and experiments and the results exhibit the superior performance of the proposed approach.

[Study on developing a Brief Version of Diabetes Self-management Knowledge, Attitude, and Behavior Assessment Scale (DSKAB-SF)].

OBJECTIVE: To develop a brief version scale with good validity and reliability to evaluate self-management knowledge, attitude and behavior (KAB) of diabetes patients in a shorter time. METHODS: 20 authority experts who specialized in the field of diabetes clinical and non-communicable disease self-management, and familiar with the relevant content of diabetes self-management were selected. Face to face and Email consultation methods were applied in two rounds delphi expert consultations to choose items from the Diabetes Self-management Knowledge, Attitude, and Behavior Assessment Scale (DSKAB, total scale, 98 items). In the first round of expert consultation, experts were asked to select the core items from every dimension and score the extent of familiarity and basis of judgment. In the second round of expert consultation, the significance of the core items which were selected by experts in first round, were graded. The items which entered into the brief scale were determined by harmonious condition of expert opinions. RESULTS: Two rounds of consultation reclaimed 16 and 15 responses respectively, Positive coefficients of experts were 80% and 94% respectively, and both authoritative coefficients were 0.90. In the first round of consultation, experts selected 44.3 ± 6.2 items on average, 42 items were selected according to the integrity of the scale for measuring dimension and content at last. In the second round of consultation, experts thought that the 42 items could measure the important contents of each dimension comprehensive and representative, the item importance scores of knowledge, attitude, and behavior subscale were 8.42 ± 1.17, 8.61 ± 1.24, 8.61 ± 1.02 respectively, and the coordination coefficients of the three subscale were 0.36, 0.20, 0.49 (χ(2) were 89.74, 11.13, 96.03, P<0.05). The total coordination coefficient was 0.38 (χ(2) =199.36, P<0.001), which indicated the concentration of experts(')opinion was acceptable, showed the brief scale with good face validity and content validity. CONCLUSION: The brief scale could evaluate Diabetes Self-management KAB Scale rapidly and relatively comprehensive in groups or individuals diabetes with good face validity and content validity.

Outdoor temperature, blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease mortality among 23 000 individuals with diagnosed cardiovascular diseases from China.

INTRODUCTION: Blood pressure is a major cause of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and both may increase as outdoor temperatures fall. However, there are still limited data about seasonal variation in blood pressure and CVD mortality among patients with prior-CVD. METHODS: We analysed data on 23 000 individuals with prior-CVD who were recruited from 10 diverse regions into the China Kadoorie Biobank during 2004-8. After 7 years of follow-up, 1484 CVD deaths were recorded. Baseline survey data were used to assess seasonal variation in systolic blood pressure (SBP) and its association with outdoor temperature. Cox regression was used to examine the association of usual SBP with subsequent CVD mortality, and seasonal variation in CVD mortality was assessed by Poisson regression. All analyses were adjusted for age, sex, and region. RESULTS: Mean SBP was significantly higher in winter than in summer (145 vs. 136 mmHg, P < 0.001), especially among those without central heating. Above 5°C, each 10°C lower outdoor temperature was associated with 6.2 mmHg higher SBP. Systolic blood pressure predicted subsequent CVD mortality, with each 10 mmHg higher usual SBP associated with 21% (95% confidence interval: 16-27%) increased risk. Cardiovascular disease mortality varied by season, with 41% (21-63%) higher risk in winter compared with summer. CONCLUSION: Among adult Chinese with prior-CVD, there is both increased blood pressure and CVD mortality in winter. Careful monitoring and more aggressive blood pressure lowering treatment in the cold months are needed to help reduce the winter excess CVD mortality in high-risk individuals.

Temperature-mortality relationship in four subtropical Chinese cities: a time-series study using a distributed lag non-linear model.

BACKGROUND: Numerous studies have reported the association between ambient temperature and mortality. However, few multicity studies have been conducted in subtropical regions in developing countries. The present study assessed the health effects of temperature on mortality in four subtropical cities of China. METHODS: We used "double threshold-natural cubic spline" distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM) to investigate the cold and hot effects on mortality at different lags in four subtropical cities. Then we conducted a meta-analysis to estimate the overall cold and hot effects on mortality at different lag days. RESULTS: A U-shaped relationship between temperature and mortality was found in the four cities. Cold effect was delayed and persisted for about 27 days, whereas hot effect was acute and lasted for 3 days. In Changsha, Kunming, Guangzhou and Zhuhai, a 1 °C decrease of temperature under the low threshold was associated with a lag0-27 cumulative relative risk (RR) of 1.061 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.023-1.099), 1.044 (95% CI: 1.033-1.056), 1.096 (95% CI: 1.075-1.117) and 1.111 (95% CI: 1.078-1.145) for total mortality, respectively. And RR for 1 °C increase of temperature above the hot threshold at the lag0 was 1.020 (95% CI: 1.003-1.037), 1.017 (95% CI: 1.004-1.030), 1.029 (95% CI: 1.020-1.039) and 1.023 (95% CI: 1.004-1.042), respectively. The cold and hot effects were greater among the elderly in Changsha, Guangzhou and Zhuhai. Meta analysis showed that the hot effect decreased gradually with lag days, with the greatest effect at current day (RR=1.023, 95% CI: 1.015-1.031); while the cumulative cold effect increased gradually with lag days, with the highest effect at lag0-27 (RR=1.076, 95% CI: 1.046-1.107). CONCLUSION: Both low and high temperatures were associated with increased mortality in the four subtropical Chinese cities, and cold effect was more durable and pronounced than hot effect.