A Simple High-Flux Switchable VUV Lamp Based on an Electrodeless Fluorescent Lamp for SPI/PAI Mass Spectrometry.

Single-photon ionization (SPI) is a unique soft ionization technique for organic analysis. A convenient high-flux vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) light source is a key precondition for wide application of SPI techniques. In this study, we present a novel VUV lamp by simply modifying an ordinary electrodeless fluorescent lamp. By replacing the glass bulb with a stainless steel bulb and introducing 5% Kr/He (v/v) as the excitation gas, an excellent VUV photon flux over 4.0 × 1014 photons s-1 was obtained. Due to its rapid glow characteristics, the VUV lamp can be switched on and off instantly as required by detection, ensuring the stability and service life of the lamp. To demonstrate the performance of the new lamp, the switchable VUV lamp was coupled with an SPI-mass spectrometer, which could be changed to photoinduced associative ionization (PAI) mode by doping gaseous CH2Cl2 to initiate an associative ionization reaction. Two types of volatile organic compounds sensitive to SPI and PAI, typically benzene series and oxygenated organics, respectively, were selected as samples. The instrument exhibited a high detection sensitivity for the tested compounds. With a measurement time of 11 s, the 3σ limits of detection ranged from 0.33 to 0.75 pptv in SPI mode and from 0.03 to 0.12 pptv in PAI mode. This study provides an extremely simple method to assemble a VUV lamp with many merits, e.g., portability, robustness, durability, low cost, and high flux. The VUV lamp may contribute to the development of SPI-related highly sensitive detection technologies.

Association between cardiorespiratory fitness and risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality.

OBJECTIVE: The association of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) with all-cause and cause-specific mortality remains unclear in Chinese population. This study aimed to evaluate the risk of all-cause, cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer and other-cause mortality in Chinese adults using estimated CRF (eCRF). PATIENTS AND METHODS: We analysed data for 15,566 participants aged ≥20 years recruited in The Rural Chinese Cohort Study during 2007 to 2008 and followed for mortality during 2013 to 2014. eCRF was calculated with sex-specific longitudinal non-exercise algorithms. Cox proportional-hazards models were used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for all-cause and cause-specific mortality risk according to baseline eCRF. RESULTS: During a median of 6.01 years of follow-up, 859 deaths occurred, including 359 from CVD, 221 from cancer, and 279 from other causes. Each 1 metabolic equivalent increment in eCRF was associated with decreased risk of all-cause mortality (men: HR 0.70, 95% CI [0.66-0.74]; women: 0.59, [0.54-0.64]); CVD mortality (men: 0.70 [0.64-0.77]; women: 0.55, [0.48-0.62]); and other-cause mortality (men: 0.68 [0.62-0.75]; women: 0.57, [0.49-0.66]). The area under receiver operating characteristic curve was significantly higher for eCRF than its modifiable components (waist circumference, body mass index and resting heart rate) in predicting all-cause and cause-specific mortality incidence (all p < .001). CONCLUSION: eCRF was inversely associated with all-cause, CVD and other-cause mortality.

LncRNA MAFG-AS1 affects the tumorigenesis of breast cancer cells via the miR-574-5p/SOD2 axis.

Amounting evidence suggested that long non coding RNAs (lncRNAs) played vital roles in the progression of various cancers. The aim of this study is to examine the biological roles and underlying mechanisms of lncRNA MAFG-AS1 in the tumorigenesis of breast cancer (BC) cells. Here we showed that downregulation of MAFG-AS1 inhibited the viability, migration, and invasion of BC cells. Mechanism investigation showed that inhibition of MAFG-AS1 induced apoptosis via the intrinsic apoptotic pathway and overexpression of Bcl-2 could inhibited it. Further, MAFG-AS1 acts as a sponge of miR-574-5p which directly binds to SOD2 mRNA. Re-expression of SOD2 using a 3'-UTR mutant SOD2 reversed the effects of silencing of MAFG-AS1 on BC cells. Finally, downregulation of MAFG-AS1 inhibited the growth of tumour in vivo. Together, MAFG-AS1 acts as an oncogene via regulation of miR-574-5p/SOD2 axis in BC cells.

Metabolically healthy general and abdominal obesity are associated with increased risk of hypertension.

Metabolically healthy obesity refers to a subset of obese people with a normal metabolic profile. We aimed to explore the association between metabolically healthy and obesity status and risk of hypertension among Chinese adults from The Rural Chinese Cohort Study. This prospective cohort study enrolled 9137 Chinese adults without hypertension, type 2 diabetes or treatment for lipid abnormality at baseline (2007-2008) and followed up during 2013-2014. Modified Poisson regression models were used to examine the risk of hypertension by different metabolically healthy and obesity status, estimating relative risks (RR) and 95 % CI. During 6 years of follow-up, we identified 1734 new hypertension cases (721 men). After adjusting for age, sex, smoking and other confounding factors, risk of hypertension was increased with metabolically healthy general obesity (MHGO) defined by BMI (RR 1·75, 95 % CI 1·02, 3·00) and metabolically healthy abdominal obesity (MHAO) defined by waist circumference (RR 1·51, 95 % CI 1·12, 2·04) as compared with metabolically healthy non-obesity. The associations between metabolically healthy and obesity status and hypertension outcome were consistent after stratifying by sex, age, smoking, alcohol drinking and physical activity. Both MHGO and MHAO were associated with increased risk of hypertension. Obesity control programmes should be implemented to prevent or delay the development of hypertension in rural China.

Adult height and risk of death from all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer-specific disease: The Rural Chinese Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: We aimed to evaluate the sex-specific association of height and all-cause and cause-specific mortality in rural Chinese adults. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 17,263 participants (10,448 women) ≥18 years old were randomly enrolled during 2007-2008 and followed up during 2013-2014. Sex-specific hazard ratios (HRs) for the height-mortality association, assessed in quintiles or 5 cm increments, were calculated by Cox proportional-hazards models. For both men and women, tall participants showed a baseline prevalence of high levels of socioeconomic factors including income and education but low systolic blood pressure and total cholesterol level. During a median of 6.01 years of follow-up, 620 men (in 39,993.45 person-years) and 490 women (in 61,590.10 person-years) died. With increasing height, the risk of all-cause mortality decreased in a curvilinear trend after adjustment for baseline age, socioeconomic and behavioral factors, and anthropometric and laboratory measurements. For men, height was inversely associated with all-cause mortality (HR per 5 cm increase: 0.89, 95% CI: 0.83-0.96) and cardiovascular mortality (HR per 5 cm increase: 0.81, 95% CI: 0.72-0.91). For women, height was inversely associated with all-cause mortality (HR per 5 cm increase: 0.88, 95% CI: 0.81-0.96) and other mortality (HR per 5 cm increase: 0.82, 95% CI: 0.71-0.96). CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrated a sex-specific inverse effect of height on mortality from different major causes in rural Chinese adults.

Dose-Response Association of Low and Normal Ankle Brachial Index With the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease Morbidity and Mortality.

We quantitatively evaluated the dose-response association of low and normal ankle brachial index (ABI) with the risk of morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science were systematically searched for cohort studies. Random effects or fixed effects models were used to estimate the pooled relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). Generalized least squares regression was used to assess study-specific dose-response associations per 0.1 ABI decrease. Restricted cubic splines were used to evaluate linear or nonlinear trends. Twelve cohort studies (57 031 participants) were included in this meta-analysis. For low vs normal ABI levels, the pooled RRs were 2.03 (95% CI, 1.72-2.41; I2 = 52.9%; pheterogeneity=0.030) and 2.29 (95% CI, 1.98-2.64; I2 = 39.5%; pheterogeneity =0.158) for CVD morbidity and CVD mortality, respectively. For per 0.1 ABI decrease from 1.40 the risk for CVD morbidity and CVD mortality increased by 8% (1.08, 95% CI 1.04-1.11) and 11% (1.11, 95% CI 1.07-1.15), respectively. Restricted cubic splines showed inverse linear associations for CVD morbidity and CVD mortality. As a non-invasive index, lower ABI was significantly associated with the increased risk of morbidity and mortality from CVDs in an inverse linear manner.

miR-139-5p Was Identified as Biomarker of Different Molecular Subtypes of Breast Carcinoma.

Located on chromosome 11q13.4, miR-139-5p has been confirmed by several studies as a possible attractive biomarker for cancer, including breast cancer, but its mechanism of correlation in different molecular subtypes of breast cancer has not been reported. In this study, comprehensive bioinformatics analysis was used to evaluate the expression of miR-139-5p in different molecular subtypes of breast cancer (luminal A, luminal B, HER2-enriched, and basal-like). The target genes of miR-139-5p were predicted by using an online database TargetScan and miRDB, and three key genes, FBN2, MEX3A, and TPD52, were screened in combination with differentially expressed genes in different molecular subtypes of breast cancer. The expression of the three genes was verified separately, and the genes were analyzed for pathway and functional enrichment. Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSC) are another kind of highly plastic cell population existing in bone marrow besides hematopoietic stem cells. BMSC can affect the proliferation and migration of cancer cells, promote the metastasis and development of cancer, and regulate the tumor microenvironment by secreting exosome mirnas, thus affecting the malignant biological behavior of tumor cells. Finally, human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells exosomes were obtained by ultracentrifugation, and the morphology of exosomes was observed by transmission electron microscopy. The expression of miR-139-5p in normal breast cells MCF-10A, human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 cells, and BMSCs-derived exosomes were compared; the exosomes and MDA-MB-231 cells were co-cultured to observe their effects on the proliferation of the MDA-MB-231 cells. Human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes inhibited the growth of breast cancer cells and promoted the expression of FBN2, MEX3A, and TPD52 by transporting miR-139-5p.

DIRAS3, GPR171 and RAC2 were identified as the key molecular patterns associated with brain metastasis of breast cancer.

Objective: Brain metastasis is a primary cause of morbidity and mortality in breast cancer patients. Therefore, elucidation and understanding of the underlying mechanisms are essential for the development of new therapeutic strategies. Methods: Differential gene analysis was performed for those with and without distant metastasis in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and those with and without recurrence in the brain in the dataset GSE12276. The differentially expressed genes procured from the two databases were intersected to obtain the intersecting genes associated with brain metastasis. Thereafter, the intersecting genes were subjected to LASSO model construction to screen for prognostic genes. The expression of the obtained genes in metastatic breast cancer was observed, and survival analysis was performed. Finally, GSEA analysis of the obtained genes was performed, and the relationship between them and immune cells was explored. Results: A total of 335 differential genes for the occurrence of distant metastases were obtained based on the TCGA database. A total of 1070 differential genes for recurrence to the brain were obtained based on the dataset GSE12276. The Venn diagram showed 24 intersecting genes associated with brain metastasis. The LASSO prognostic model contained a total of five genes (GBP2, GPR171, DIRAS3, RAC2, and CACNA1D). Expression difference analysis showed that GBP2, GPR171, DIRAS3, and RAC2 were significantly down-regulated in expression in metastatic breast cancer compared with primary breast cancer tumors. Only GPR171, DIRAS3, and RAC2 were strongly correlated with the overall survival of breast cancer patients. Their correlation analysis with immune cells showed that the correlation coefficient between the expression levels of DIRAS3 and immune cells was low, and the expression levels of GPR171 and RAC2 were more closely correlated with B cells and macrophages. Conclusions: The expression of DIRAS3, GPR171 and RAC2, genes associated with brain metastasis, was reduced in metastatic breast cancer, and GPR171 was found to promote brain metastasis of breast cancer cells by inducing B cells and thereby.

Elevated triglyceride-glucose index predicts risk of incident ischaemic stroke: The Rural Chinese cohort study.

AIM: As the association between insulin resistance and ischaemic stroke is conflicting, our study aimed to examine the association between triglyceride-glucose (TyG), a surrogate marker of insulin resistance, and incident ischaemic stroke, and also to further assess the potential effect of modification by several known risk factors of stroke. METHODS: The Rural Chinese Cohort Study enrolled 11,777 participants, aged ≥40 years, who were free of stroke and cardiovascular disease at baseline during 2007-2008, and who were then followed during 2013-2014. TyG was determined using the following formula: Ln[fasting triglycerides (mg/dL) × fasting glucose (mg/dL)/2]. The relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of incident ischaemic stroke associated with TyG were estimated using modified Poisson regression models. RESULTS: During a median follow-up duration of 6 years, 677 new ischaemic stroke cases were identified. After multivariate adjustment, RR (95% CI) values for ischaemic stroke were 1.33 (1.01-1.75), 1.57 (1.17-2.10) and 1.95 (1.34-2.82) in TyG quartile (Q) 2, 3 and 4 groups, respectively, compared with Q1. A significant interaction between TyG index and age for risk of ischaemic stroke (Pinteraction < 0.001) was also observed. However, no significant interaction was found between TyG index and other potential risk factors of risk for ischaemic stroke, although there were significant positive associations with female, non-smoker, non-drinker, low or moderate physical activity, non-obese and non-type 2 diabetes mellitus groups. CONCLUSION: Elevated TyG index is an independent predictor of ischaemic stroke in the general population, and insulin resistance may be positively associated with future stroke risk.

Resting heart rate and its dynamic change and the risk of hypertension: The Rural Chinese Cohort Study.

The sex- and age-specific relation in the association of resting heart rate (RHR) and its change and risk of hypertension remains unclear. We prospectively estimated the incidence of hypertension among 9969 nonhypertensive adults participating in The Rural Chinese Cohort Study. Self-reported questionnaires and anthropometric and laboratory measurements were collected at baseline (2007-2008) and follow-up (2013-2014). The modified Poisson regression model was used to calculate relative risk (RR) values and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for incident hypertension associated with RHR and its dynamic change. During follow-up (median, 6.01 years), 797 (20.28%) men, and 1178 (19.51%) women developed hypertension. Risk of hypertension was increased for women with the highest versus lowest RHR tertile after adjusting for confounding factors (RR: 1.19 [95%CI: 1.04-1.36]) and was associated with increased RHR for women with young age (RR per 10-beat/min RHR increase, 1.25 [95%CI: 1.09-1.43]), middle age (1.06 [0.99-1.14]), and older age (1.11 [1.01-1.23]). Risk of developing hypertension was significantly higher (RR: 1.22 [95%CI: 1.04-1.42]) in women with high RHR (≥80-beat/min) throughout the study period than those with normal RHR (<80-beat/min). No significant association of RHR and hypertension was found in men. RHR is an independent predictor of hypertension in rural Chinese women. Persistently high RHR is associated with increased hypertension risk in women. The dose-response association between RHR and hypertension could be affected by sex and age status.

Chocolate consumption and risk of cardiovascular diseases: a meta-analysis of prospective studies.

OBJECTIVE: Studies investigating the impact of chocolate consumption on cardiovascular disease (CVD) have reached inconsistent conclusions. As such, a quantitative assessment of the dose-response association between chocolate consumption and incident CVD has not been reported. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies assessing the risk of CVD with chocolate consumption. METHODS: PubMed and EMBASE databases were searched for articles published up to 6 June 2018. Restricted cubic splines were used to model the dose-response association. RESULTS: Fourteen publications (23 studies including 405 304 participants and 35 093 cases of CVD) were included in the meta-analysis. The summary of relative risk (RR) per 20 g/week increase in chocolate consumption was 0.982 (95% CI 0.972 to 0.992, I2=50.4%, n=18) for CVD (heart failure: 0.995 (0.981 to 1.010, I2=36.3%, n=5); total stroke: 0.956 (0.932 to 0.980, I2=25.5%, n=7); cerebral infarction: 0.952 (0.917 to 0.988, I2=0.0%, n=4); haemorrhagic stroke: 0.931 (0.871 to 0.994, I2=0.0%, n=4); myocardial infarction: 0.981 (0.964 to 0.997, I2=0.0%, n=3); coronary heart disease: 0.986 (0.973 to 0.999, n=1)). A non-linear dose-response (pnon-linearity=0.001) indicated that the most appropriate dose of chocolate consumption for reducing risk of CVD was 45 g/week (RR 0.890;95%CI 0.849 to 0.932). CONCLUSIONS: Chocolate consumption may be associated with reduced risk of CVD at <100 g/week consumption. Higher levels may negate the health benefits and induce adverse effects associated with high sugar consumption.

Body mass index and risk of all-cause mortality with normoglycemia, impaired fasting glucose and prevalent diabetes: results from the Rural Chinese Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Previous evidence of an association between body mass index (BMI) and mortality in patients with diabetes was inconsistent. The BMI-mortality association with normal fasting glucose (NFG), impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and prevalent diabetes is still unclear in the Chinese population. METHODS: We analysed data for 17 252 adults from the Rural Chinese Cohort Study during 2007-2008 and followed for mortality during 2013-2014. Participants were classified with NFG, IFG and diabetes according to baseline measurement values of fasting glucose and self-reported diabetes. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were used to calculate HRs and 95% CIs across BMI categories by glycemic status. RESULTS: During the 6-year follow-up, 1109 participants died (563/10 181 with NFG, 349/5572 with IFG and 197/1499 with diabetes). The BMI-mortality association was curvilinear, with low BMI (even in normal range) associated with increased mortality regardless of glycemic status. In adjusted Cox models, risk of mortality showed a decreasing trend with BMI≤18 kg/m2, 18

Association of long-term dynamic change in body weight and incident hypertension: The Rural Chinese Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVES: The association of long-term dynamic change in body weight and incident hypertension among general Chinese adults is still unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the hypertension risk in a large prospective study of rural Chinese adult using relative weight gain or loss. METHODS: A total of 10 149 nonhypertensive Chinese adults 18 to 75 y of age completed a questionnaire interview and anthropometric and laboratory measurements at both baseline (2007-2008) and follow-up (2013-2014). Participants were divided into five categories based on relative weight change. Logistic regression analysis was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for hypertension risk by categories of weight change. RESULTS: During 6 y of follow-up, about one-third of the participants retained a stable weight (33.3%) or gained >6% (32.7%). Only 7.9% lost >6% weight. For every 1% increase in relative body weight, systolic and diastolic blood pressures increased 0.27 and 0.22 mm Hg, respectively. Risk for hypertension was reduced and increased with weight loss >6% (OR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.61-0.99) and gain >6% (OR, 2.08; 95% CI, 1.79-2.42), respectively, compared with weight loss or gain ≤3%. With baseline prehypertension, compared with maintaining a stable weight, weight loss >6% reduced the risk for hypertension (OR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.54-0.95). With baseline overweight, compared with maintaining the overweight status during follow-up, changing to normal weight reduced the risk for hypertension (OR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.49-0.92), but changing to general obesity increased the risk (OR, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.35-2.22). CONCLUSIONS: Long-term excessive weight gain is positively associated with increased risk for incident hypertension. Losing weight by lifestyle modification could be helpful for the primary prevention of hypertension in the general rural Chinese population.

Impaired fasting glucose predicts the development of hypertension over 6years in female adults: Results from the rural Chinese cohort study.

AIMS: To investigate whether impaired fasting glucose (IFG) is an independent risk factor for incident hypertension in a rural Chinese population. METHODS: We selected 9583 eligible participants 18 to 75years old, who were without hypertension and diabetes at baseline (from 2007 to 2008) and were from a rural area in the middle of China. Concentration of fasting glucose at baseline was assessed in quartiles to predict hypertension risk by gender. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for IFG (fasting glucose of 100 to 125mg/dl) associated with hypertension were estimated by logistic regression models. RESULTS: Risk of hypertension was increased for females with glucose levels in quartile 2 (90-96mg/dl), quartile 3 (96-102mg/dl), and quartile 4 (102-125mg/dl) versus quartile 1 (<90mg/dl): OR=1.27 (95% CI=1.01-1.60), 1.30 (1.04-1.63), and 1.55 (1.24-1.93), respectively. During the 6-year follow-up, the cumulative incidence of hypertension was greater for people with IFG than normal fasting glucose (NFG) at baseline (23.9% vs 18.4%, p<0.001 for males and 23.8% vs 16.4%, p<0.001 for females). Risk of incident hypertension was significantly increased for females with IFG versus NFG (OR=1.23 95% CI=1.05-1.45). CONCLUSIONS: IFG may be an independent risk factor for hypertension in normotensive nondiabetic Chinese females.

Effect of dynamic change in body mass index on the risk of hypertension: Results from the Rural Chinese Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the effect of change in body mass index (BMI) on incident hypertension by gender and age groups. METHODS: A total of 10,145 non-hypertensive participants 18-75years old from rural areas in the middle of China were selected for this cohort study. Questionnaire interview and anthropometric and laboratory measurements were performed at baseline (during July to August 2007 and July to August 2008) and follow-up (during July to August 2013 and July to October 2014). Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between change in BMI and incident hypertension. RESULTS: During a mean follow-up of 6.03±0.69years, hypertension developed in 794 of 3986 men and 1184 of 6159 women. Both genders who were obese (BMI ≥28kg/m2 for Chinese people) at follow-up, regardless of their obesity status at baseline, showed greater risk of hypertension than those who were non-obese (BMI <28kg/m2) at both baseline and follow-up. We found a dose-response relationship between change in BMI and incident hypertension. Risk of hypertension was markedly greater with a BMI gain of the highest quartile or more as compared with a BMI reduction of the lowest quartile or more, except for women 60-75years old. CONCLUSIONS: Risk of hypertension was high for non-hypertensive people in rural China with stable obesity. BMI dynamic gain may be related to incident hypertension for men of all ages and young and middle-aged women.