Validation of Self-Reported Smartphone Usage Against Objectively-Measured Smartphone Usage in Hong Kong Chinese Adolescents and Young Adults

Objective@#This study evaluated the validity of self-reported smartphone usage data against objectively-measured smartphone usage data by directly tracking the activities in the participants’ smartphone among Chinese adolescents and young adults in Hong Kong. @*Methods@#A total of 187 participants were recruited (mean age 19.4, 71.7% female) between 2017 and 2018. A smartphone usage tracking app was installed on all participants’ smartphone for 7 consecutive days. After the 7-day monitoring period, they completed a selfadministered questionnaire on smartphone usage habits. @*Results@#Although the correlation between self-reported and objectively-measured total smartphone usage time was insignificant (ρ=-0.10, p=0.18), in three out of the four usage domains were positively and significantly correlated, namely social network (ρ=0.21, p=0.005), instant messaging (ρ=0.27, p<0.001), and games (ρ=0.64, p<0.001). Participants’ self-report of the total time spent on smartphones exceeded the objective data by around 760 min per week (self-reported 1,930.3 min/wk vs. objectively-measured 1,170.7 min/wk, p<0.001). Most of the over-reporting was contributed by the web browsing domain (self-reported 447.8 min/wk vs. objectively-measured 33.3 min/wk, p<0.001). @*Conclusion@#Our results showed large discrepancies between self-reported smartphone and objectively-measured smartphone usage except for self-reported usage on game apps.

Progress in research of family-based cohort study on common chronic non-communicable diseases in rural population in northern China / 中华流行病学杂志

Family-based cohort study is a special type of study design, in which biological samples and environmental exposure information of the member in a family are collected and related follow up is conducted. Family-based cohort study can be applied to explore the effect of genetic factors, environmental factors, gene-gene interaction, and gene-environment interaction in the etiology of complex diseases. This paper summarizes the objectives, methods and results, as well as the opportunities and challenges of the family-based cohort study on common chronic non-communicable diseases in rural population in northern China.

Progress in next-generation sequencing research of non-syndromic oral clefts / 中华流行病学杂志

Non-syndromic oral clefts (NSOC) are among the most common birth defects. The prevalence of NSOC is 1.13-1.30 per 1 000 live births in China, which is higher than those in other major ethnic groups. The etiology of NSOC is complex and heterogeneous, which involves both genetic and environmental risk factors. Although genome-wide association studies have identified a number of risk loci, these loci can only account for a small proportion of the heritability of NSOC. The next-generation sequencing research provides new ideas for further exploring the genetic risk factors of NSOC. This paper summaries the progress in the next-generation sequencing research of NSOC.

Prospective cohort study on the risks of pre-pregnancy overweight, excessive gestational weight gain on macrosomia / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective: To investigate the risks of pre-pregnancy overweight, excessive gestational weight gain on macrosomia. Methods: We conducted one hospital-based cohort study, focusing on pregnant women from January 2015. All pregnant women attending to this hospital for maternal check-ups, were included in our cohort and followed to the time of delivery. Data related to general demographic characteristics, pregnancy and health status of those pregnant women, was collected and maternal pre-pregnant BMI and maternal weight gain were calculated. Logistic regression was used to explore the risk difference of pre-pregnancy BMI, excessive gestational weight gain on macrosomia. Results: The overall incidence of macrosomia in our cohort appeared as 6.6% (149/2 243). After adjusting the confounding factors including age and histories on pregnancy, pre-pregnancy overweight/obesity was associated with higher risks of macrosomia (OR=3.12, 95%CI: 1.35-7.22, P=0.008; OR=2.99, 95%CI: 1.17-7.63, P=0.022) when comparing to those with normal pre-pregnancy weight. Cesarean delivery and sex of the offspring were associated with higher risk of macrosomia, while excessive gestational weight gain showed no significant difference (OR=1.41, 95%CI: 0.96-2.09, P=0.084). Our data showed that Macrosomia was statistically associated with gestational weight gain (P=0.002). After controlling parameters as age, history of pregnancy and related complications of the pregnant women, results from the logistic regression showed that women with gestational inadequate weight gain having reduced risks to deliver macrosomia, when compared to those pregnant women with adequate weight gain (OR=0.52, 95%CI: 0.30-0.90, P=0.019). Conclusion: Pre-pregnancy overweight and obesity were on higher risks to macrosomia.

Fujian Tulou Family Cohort Study: study design and characteristics of participants and pedigrees in baseline investigation / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective: To describe the study design, the characteristics of participants as well as the pedigrees included in the baseline survey of Fujian Tulou Family Cohort Study. Methods: Fujian Tulou Family Cohort Study was a prospective open cohort study with a biological sample bank. A baseline survey was conducted in Tulou areas of Nanjing county in Fujian province from 2015 to 2018, including questionnaire survey, physical and biochemical indicators examinations, and blood sample collection in adults aged ≥18 years. In addition, family relationship of the participants was also recorded. The pedigree information of the juveniles under 18 years old were also collected. Results: The baseline survey included 2 727 individuals in two clans, of whom 2 373 (87.0%) were adults, and 2 126 participants completed questionnaires, physical examinations and biochemical tests. The average age of the 2 126 participants was (57.9±13.3) years, with 39.4% being males. The current smoking rates in male and female participants were 41.2% and 2.1%, respectively. The corresponding rates of current alcohol consumption were 19.0% and 2.6%. For common chronic diseases, the prevalence rates were 51.3% for hypertension, 9.7% for diabetes and 26.7% for hyperlipemia according to the self-reported disease diagnoses, health examination results and biochemical examination results in class Ⅱ or Ⅲ hospitals. Based on the family relationship information and genealogical data, 710 pedigrees were finally identified, consisting of 5 087 family members. The numbers of five, four, three, and two generations pedigrees were 3, 88, 238 and 381, respectively. The pairs of the first to the fifth degree relatives were 12 039, 2 662, 1 511, 202 and 31, respectively. Conclusion: The establishment of Fujian Tulou Family Cohort provides valuable resources for exploring the genetic risk factors, environmental risk factors and gene-environment interactions contributing to the risk of common chronic diseases.

Minerais pesados provenientes do leito do rio amazonas

ABSTRACT Bed samples of the Amazon River were collected from Iquitos (Peru) to Belém (Brazil). 28 selected samples were analysed and 12 types of heavy minerals were found: tourmaline, zircon, garnet, staurolite, hypersthene, pyroxene (augite), amphibole (hornblende), tremolite, magnetite or ilmenite and leucoxene. Most of the samples presented large amount of idiomorphic unstable minerals such as hypersthene, augite and amphibole pointing towards basic and ultra-basic rocks source. These unstable minerals diminish toward the lower portion of the river. Stable minerals such as zircon and tourmaline have showed both angular and round shapes, which indicate more than one source but in any case originating from acid rocks. A cluster analysis method was applied to the data and two main clusters were determined. The first group, located at the upper Amazon River, is rich in unstable minerals, probably from an Andean source. The second group, which includes samples located below the confluence of the Juruá River, presents a high zircon and tourmaline percentage which indicates a contribution from the Precambrian Shields in adition to the Andean source.

Resumo Com a intenção de verificar a origem do material transportado pelo Rio Amazonas, amostras de calha foram coletadas em 60 locais entre Belém (Brasil) até Iquitos (Peru). Tendo sido escolhidos 28 amostras, as mesmas foram submetidas a um estudo mineralógico, o qual revelou os seguintes minerais pesados presentes: turmalina, zircão, granada, estaurolita, hiperstênio, piroxênio (augita), anfibólio (hornblenda), tremolita, magnetita ou ilmenita e leucoxênio. Em quase todas as amostras ocorre uma grande quantidade de minerais instáveis idiomórficos, como hiperstênio, augita e anfibólio, indicando uma área fonte constituída pelas rochas básicas e ultrabásicas, diminuindo para jusatite. Minerais estáveis, como zircão e turmalina, apresentam-se tanto angulosos como arredondados, indicando mais de uma área fonte, mas de qualquer modo sempre a partir de rochas ácidas. Aplicando aos dados o método classificatório multivariante da análise de agrupamentcs (cluster analysis), dois maiores grupos de amostras foram ressaltados: um constituído por amostras localizadas no alto Rio Amazonas e com maior teor em minerais instáveis, provavelmente com origem andina; o outro formado principalmente por amostras que se localizam, a partir da confluência com o Rio Juruá, até Belém e contendo uma alta porcentagem em zircão e turmalina, indicando além de uma contribuição andina, fontes nos escudos precambrianos a norte e sul do Rio Amazonas.