Postpartum life interventions to prevent type 2 diabetes in women with gestational diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIMS/INTRODUCTION: Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a major metabolic disease that seriously endangers life and health, but women with gestational diabetes mellitus are at increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes mellitus. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of postpartum lifestyle intervention on the prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus, and the effect of lifestyle intervention on glycemic outcomes and anthropometric measures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We searched PubMed and other databases to retrieve articles published before May 21, 2023, on randomized controlled trials of postnatal lifestyle interventions (diet and/or physical activity) in women with gestational diabetes mellitus. We estimated the pooled odds ratios using fixed or random effects models and conducted a subgroup analysis of the different intervention methods to explore differences in the different lifestyle interventions. RESULTS: The review included 17 randomized controlled trials. Overall, lifestyle changes started after a pregnancy complicated by gestational diabetes mellitus an 11% (RR = 0.89; 95% CI: 0.74-1.07) reduction in diabetes risk; significant differences were found for weight (MD = -1.33; 95% CI: [-1.76; -0.89], P < 0.00001) body mass index (MD = -0.53; 95% CI: [-0.74, -0.32], P < 0.00001), and waist circumference change (MD = -1.38; 95% CI: [-2.12; -0.64], P = 0.0002) but not for fasting glucose (MD = -0.06; 95% CI: [-0.19; 0.06], P = 0.32), 2 h glucose (MD = -0.12; 95% CI: [-0.30; 0.06], P = 0.19), and hemoglobin A1c (MD = -0.11; 95% CI: [-0.23; 0.02], P = 0.09). Subgroup analyses showed no significant differences in the effects of different lifestyle interventions on the incidence of type 2 diabetes, blood glucose levels, and anthropometric parameters. CONCLUSION: Our comprehensive meta-analysis of lifestyle interventions can improve modifiable anthropometric measures in women with gestational diabetes. We need further research to provide more intensive lifestyle intervention, more scientific intervention methods, and to reduce the incidence of type 2 diabetes in patients with gestational diabetes.

Effects of monoacylglycerols with different saturation degrees on physical and whipping properties of milk fat-based whipping creams.

Milk fat-based whipping cream is primarily comprised of cream and whole milk. It has melt-in-the-mouth texture and unique milk flavor. However, milk fat-based whipping cream suffers from poor emulsion stability and foam firmness. The effects of monoacylglycerols (MAGs) with different saturation degrees (M1: 98% saturation, M2: 70% saturation and M3: 30% saturation) on emulsion properties (average particle size, viscosity, and emulsion stability) and whipping properties (overrun, firmness, shape retention ability, and foam stability) of milk fat-based whipping creams were investigated in this study. MAGs significantly decreased particle sizes (from 2.84 to 1.16 µm) and enhanced viscosity (from 350 to 490 cP) of the milk fat-based emulsions (emulsion without MAGs: M0, 5.01 µm, 298 cP) (P < 0.05). MAGs increased the stability of the milk fat-based emulsions with lesser phase separation during centrifugation tests and lower changes in particle sizes and viscosities during temperature cycling tests. Emulsion M1 with highest degree of saturation is less likely to destabilize and phase inverse. The decrease sharply in conductivity can be attributed to the entrapment of large amounts of air. Following that, the conductivity of M1 with low variation indicating high whipping resistance and less likely to coalescence and phase separation. Adding MAGs can significantly enhance overrun (M1: 205.3%, M2: 198.5%, M3: 141.4%) as compared to the control sample (M0: 97.9%) (P < 0.05). In emulsions containing MAGs with high degree of saturation (M1 and M2), firmness (M1: 95 g, M2: 109 g) and shape retention ability of the whipped creams were reduced as compared to control emulsion without MAG (M0: 173 g), but the foam stability (M1: 89%, M2: 91%) was enhanced (M0: 81%); M3 (firmness: 507 g; foam stability: 66%) has the contrasted effects. Whipping cream M2 demonstrated the best whipping properties with high overrun (198.46%), good firmness (109 g), shape retention ability and foam stability (91%). Good quality whipping creams can be obtained by selecting suitable MAGs.

Genome-Wide DNA Methylation Pattern in Whole Blood Associated With Primary Intracerebral Hemorrhage.

Primary intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality throughout the world. ICH is a multifactorial disease that emerges from interactions among multiple genetic and environmental factors. DNA methylation plays an important role in the etiology of complex traits and diseases. We used the Illumina Infinium Human Methylation 850k BeadChip to detect changes in DNA methylation in peripheral blood samples from patients with ICH and healthy controls to explore DNA methylation patterns in ICH. Here, we compared genomic DNA methylation patterns in whole blood from ICH patients (n = 30) and controls (n = 34). The ICH and control groups showed significantly different DNA methylation patterns at 1530 sites (p-value < 5.92E-08), with 1377 hypermethylated sites and 153 hypomethylated sites in ICH patients compared to the methylation status in healthy controls. A total of 371 hypermethylated sites and 35 hypomethylated sites were in promoters, while 738 hypermethylated sites and 67 hypomethylated sites were in coding regions. Furthermore, the differentially methylated genes between ICH patients and controls were largely related to inflammatory pathways. Abnormalities in the DNA methylation pattern identified in the peripheral blood of ICH patients may play an important role in the development of ICH and warranted further investigation.

Assessing different interventions against Avian Influenza A (H7N9) infection by an epidemiological model.

This paper aims at evaluating the effectiveness of different intervention measures against the infection of avian influenza A (H7N9) by using an epidemiological model. The model formulates the intrinsic interactions of domestic poultry (DP), H7N9 virus and humans by ordinary differential equations and couples the essential roles of various interventions (including culling, vaccinating, screening, disinfecting, and reducing contact rate, etc). Qualitative analysis indicates that when the recruiting poultry is virus-free, there is a transmission threshold denoted by basic reproduction number which can determine the invasion of H7N9; and there is always a stable H7N9 endemic in case of persistent import of virus-carrying poultry, under which only complete vaccination or cutting off poultry-to-poultry/human contacts can stop H7N9 transmission. By performing numerical analysis of the model with biological background parameters, the intervention outcomes against H7N9 infection are further quantified. It is found that (1) reducing poultry-human/poultry interaction and per-contact infection probability, as well as culling DP, are highly effective in diminishing the infections of humans and DP; (2) the disease is prevented when larger than (1 - 0.1λ p ) proportion of DP is vaccinated, where λ p is the DP-to-DP transmission rate; (3) cleaning and disinfecting environment play limited role in reducing the risk of infection; and (4) screening imported poultry is quite important for stopping disease diffusion, but it works little when local epidemic is prevailing. Combing these measures with real situations would be necessary for controlling H7N9 epidemics and reaching one health purpose.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on socio-economic and sustainability.

PUMPING ELEPHANT: The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected the lives of people around the world in millions of ways . Due to this severe epidemic, all countries in the world have been affected by all aspects, mainly economic. It is widely discussed that the COVID-19 outbreak has affected the world economy. When considering this dimension, this study aims to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the world economy, socio-economics, and sustainability. In addition, the research focuses on multiple aspects of social well-being during the pandemic, such as employment, poverty, the status of women, food security, and global trade. To this end, the study used time series and cross-sectional analysis of the data. The second-hand data used in this study comes from the websites of major international organizations. From the analysis of secondary data, the conclusion of this article is that the impact of the pandemic is huge. The main finding of the thesis is that the social economy is affected by the pandemic, causing huge losses in terms of economic well-being and social capital.

Different intervention strategies toward live poultry markets against avian influenza A (H7N9) virus: Model-based assessment.

BACKGROUND: Different interventions targeting live poultry markets (LPMs) are applied in China for controlling avian influenza A (H7N9), including LPM closure and "1110" policy (i.e., daily cleaning, weekly disinfection, monthly rest day, zero poultry stock overnight). However, the interventions' effectiveness has not been comprehensively assessed. METHODS: Based on the available data (including reported cases, domestic poultry volume, and climate) collected in Guangdong Province between October 2013 and June 2017, we developed a new compartmental model that enabled us to infer H7N9 transmission dynamics. The model incorporated the intrinsic interplay among humans and poultry as well as the impacts of absolute humidity and LPM intervention, in which intervention strategies were parameterized and estimated by Markov chain Monte Carlo method. RESULTS: There were 258 confirmed human H7N9 cases in Guangdong during the study period. If without interventions, the number would reach 646 (95%CI, 575-718) cases. Temporal, seasonal and permanent closures of LPMs can substantially reduce transmission risk, which might respectively reduce human infections by 67.2% (95%CI, 64.3%-70.1%), 75.6% (95%CI, 73.8%-77.5%), 86.6% (95%CI, 85.7-87.6%) in total four epidemic seasons, and 81.9% (95%CI, 78.7%-85.2%), 91.5% (95%CI, 89.9%-93.1%), 99.0% (95%CI, 98.7%-99.3%) in the last two epidemic seasons. Moreover, implementing the "1110" policy from 2014 to 2017 would reduce the cases by 34.1% (95%CI, 20.1%-48.0%), suggesting its limited role in preventing H7N9 transmission. CONCLUSIONS: Our study quantified the effects of different interventions and execution time toward LPMs for controlling H7N9 transmission. The results highlighted the importance of closing LPMs during epidemic period, and supported permanent closure as a long-term plan.

DNA methylation in Alzheimer's disease: In brain and peripheral blood.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most widespread neurodegenerative disorder and has caused a major global health concern with the aging of the population. Recent studies have suggested a role for epigenetic mechanisms in AD. DNA methylation is a vital component of the epigenetic machinery which is the best-studied example covered by epigenetics. Studies of DNA methylation have been proceeded in different brain samples, peripheral blood and both in AD. But little is known about whether the easily accessible tissue, peripheral blood, can be used to address questions about epigenetic variations in brain which would normally be inaccessible. Here, we provide a systemic review of the DNA methylation as well as hydromethylation profiles in in human brain and peripheral blood samples of AD. We found that APP gene was the only one that consistently hypermethylated in both brain and peripheral blood, which suggested it could be the most promising diagnostic blood marker of AD in the future, and more energy need to be devoted to studies of DNA methylation after cell classification.

Clinical characteristic and intraoperative findings of uterine perforation patients in using of intrauterine devices (IUDs).

BACKGROUND: Intrauterine devices (IUDs) are the most popular form of contraception used worldwide; however, IUD is not risk-free. IUD migrations, especially uterine perforations, were frequently occurred in patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical characteristics and intraoperative findings in patients with migrated IUDs. RESULTS: 29 cases of uterine perforation associated with migrated IUDs and 69 control patients were followed between January 2008 to March 2015. Patients who used IUDs within first 6 months from the last delivery experienced a characteristically high rate of the perforation of the uterine wall. A significantly larger number of IUD insertion associated with uterine perforation were performed in rural hospitals or operated at a lower level health care system. There was no clear difference in the age and presented symptoms in patients between two groups. Majority of contraceptive intrauterine devices was the copper-releasing IUDs. Furthermore, patients who used V-shaped IUD showed significantly higher incidence of pelvic adhesions when compared with the users of O-shaped IUDs. CONCLUSIONS: Unique clinical characteristics of IUD migration were identified in patients with uterine perforation. Hysteroscopy and/or laparoscopy were the effective approaches to remove the migrated IUDs. Improving operating skills is required at the lower level of health care system.

The Effect of Comprehensive Care on the Patients Received Minimally Invasive Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy.

BACKGROUND: We analyzed the effect of comprehensive care on the patients who received minimally invasive percutaneous nephrolithotomy (MPCNL). METHODS: Patients hospitalized from 2013-2014 in Zhumadian Central Hospital (n=124) were enrolled and divided into two groups on random basis. The control group was treated with routine nursing model while the observation group was given comprehensive care additionally. The surgery time, degree of comfort, complications and successful cases, hospitalization time, sleep quality, nursing satisfaction and changes of systolic pressure, pulse and respiratory at different time were observed and analyzed. RESULTS: The surgery time of the control group was significantly longer than that of observation group (P<0.05). The observation group felt more comfortable and showed more significant successful cases than the control group. Moreover, the hospitalization time were significantly reduced in observation group when compared with control group (P<0.05). The sleep quality of the observation group was significantly better than that of the control group (P<0.05). Before anesthesia, diastolic blood pressure, systolic blood pressure, pulse and respiration were not significantly different between the two groups. The diastolic blood pressure, systolic blood pressure, pulse and respiration after anesthesia, intraoperative 30 min, postoperative 30 min and other moments were significantly different. The incidence of complications in the control group was significantly higher than that in the observation group. The nursing satisfaction of the observation group was significantly higher than that of the control group. CONCLUSION: The comprehensive care on the patients undergoing MPCNL was effective, and it can dramatically shorten surgery time, improve the success rate, improve the sleep quality of patients, keep life sign stable and minimize the complications.

Vitamin D Deficiency and Increased Risk of Bladder Carcinoma: A Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Vitamin D status in relation to bladder carcinoma risk was still inconsistent. This study was carried out to evaluate the relationship between vitamin D status and bladder carcinoma risk through a meta-analysis approach. METHODS: Pubmed, Web of Science, CNKI, and Embase were searched systemically to find eligible studies from the earliest available date to April 16, 2015. The search terms "vitamin D", "25-hydroxyvitamin D", "bladder cancer" or "bladder carcinoma" were used to retrieve relevant studies. The exposure of interest was intake of vitamin D or serum vitamin D levels, and the outcome of interest was bladder carcinoma incidence or mortality. The pooled risk ratio (RR) values and their 95%CIs were calculated through meta-analysis. RESULTS: Seven studies with a total of 62,141 participants met the inclusion criteria and were finally included into the meta-analysis. There was no heterogeneity among those included studies (I2 = 0%, P = 0.53). The pooled RR of bladder carcinoma for the lowest category versus the highest category of vitamin D was 1.34 (95% CI 1.17-1.53, P < 0.0001). Sensitivity analysis by omitting one study by turns showed all the pooled RRs were statistically significant. Meta-analysis of 5 studies reporting outcomes of serum vitamin D levels also showed that the low serum vitamin D level was associated with increased risk of bladder carcinoma (RR = 1.32, 95%CI 1.15-1.52, P = 0.0001). No obvious risk of publication bias was observed. CONCLUSION: Vitamin D deficiency is associated with increased risk of bladder carcinoma in present study.

[Changes in T-cell receptor repertoire in aplastic anemia and effects of Shengxue Mixture].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the immune pathogenesis of aplastic anemia (AA) and the therapeutic effects of Shengxue Mixture (SM) through the gene expressions of subfamilies of T-cell receptor variable region beta (TCR Vbeta) using immunologic and molecular biologic technology. METHODS: Gene expressions of TCR Vbeta sub-families in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 20 AA patients were detected before and after treatment with SM using RT-PCR and gene scanning method. RESULTS: TCR Vbeta gene repertoire of the 24 subfamily genes deviated in AA patients, and the oligoclonal gene expressions increased obviously compared with those in healthy people (P < 0.01), including Vbeta2, 5, 6, 15, 16, 22, and 23 were found in 30%-50% AA patients, and Vbeta8, 21 were in more than 50% patients. These oligoclonal genes reduced significantly after treatment with SM compared with those before treatment (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Multiple TCR Vbeta subfamilies of clonal proliferation participate in the pathogenesis of AA. SM can rectify the deviation of TCR Vbeta gene repertoire, reduce the abnormal clonal proliferation of T cells, thus to alleviate the immune injury to hematopoietic tissue, and thus to benefit the recovery of hematopoiesis of bone marrow.