Causal effects of endometriosis on cancer risk: A Mendelian randomization study.

Endometriosis has been reported in epidemiological studies to be associated with certain types of cancer. However, the presence of reverse causality and residual confounding due to common risk factors introduces uncertainty regarding the extent to which endometriosis itself contributes to the development of cancer. We performed the Mendelian randomization (MR) to investigate the causal associations between endometriosis and 34 different types of cancers. The results of the inverse-variance-weighted (IVW) model suggested that genetic predisposition to endometriosis was causally associated with an increased risk for ovarian cancer (OR = 3.2913; p-value = .0320). The genetic liabilities to endometriosis had causal associations with the decreased risk for skin cancer (OR = 0.9973; p-value = .0219), hematological cancer (OR = 0.9953; p-value = .0175) and ER- breast cancer (OR = 0.6960; p-value = .0381). The causal association of the above combinations were robust by test of heterogeneity and pleiotropy. Together, our study suggests that endometriosis had causal effect on cancer risk.

Causal effects of endometriosis on SLE, RA and SS risk: evidence from meta-analysis and Mendelian randomization.

BACKGROUND: Endometriosis is an underdiagnosed disorder that affects an estimated 6-10% of women of reproductive age. Endometriosis has been reported in epidemiological studies to be associated with autoimmune diseases. However, the relationship remains controversial. METHODS: A meta-analysis of observational studies was undertaken to evaluate the risk of autoimmune diseases in patients with endometriosis. The relevant studies were retrieved via the databases Medline, Embase and Web of Science until July 20, 2023. Mendelian randomization (MR) was subsequently utilized to scrutinize the causal influence of genetic predisposition toward endometriosis on three autoimmune diseases. RESULTS: The meta-analysis findings revealed a relationship between endometriosis and the onset of SLE (cohort studies: RR = 1.77, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.47-2.13, I2 = 0%; Case-control and cross-sectional studies: OR = 5.23, 95% CI: 0.74-36.98, I2 = 98%), RA (cohort studies: RR = 2.18, 95% CI: 1.85-2.55, I2 = 92%; Case-control and cross-sectional studies: OR = 1.40, 95% CI: 1.19-1.64, I2 = 0%) and SS (cohort studies: RR = 1.49, 95% CI: 1.34-1.66, I2 = 0%). Similarly, in our MR study, the results of the inverse-variance-weighted (IVW) model suggested that genetic predisposition to endometriosis was causally associated with an increased risk for SLE (OR = 1.915, 95% CI: 1.204-3.045, p = 0.006) and RA (OR = 1.005, 95% CI: 1.001-1.009, p = 0.014). CONCLUSIONS: Both our meta-analysis and MR study indicate that endometriosis increases the risk of autoimmune diseases. These findings not only broaden our understanding of the genetic mechanisms underlying the comorbidity of endometriosis and autoimmune diseases, but also offer a new strategy for autoimmune disease prevention.

Rice stripe mosaic virus hijacks rice heading-related gene to promote the overwintering of its insect vector.

Rice stripe mosaic virus (RSMV) is an emerging pathogen which significantly reduces rice yields in the southern region of China. It is transmitted by the leafhopper Recilia dorsalis, which overwinters in rice fields. Our field investigations revealed that RSMV infection causes delayed rice heading, resulting in a large number of green diseased plants remaining in winter rice fields. This creates a favorable environment for leafhoppers and viruses to overwinter, potentially contributing to the rapid spread and epidemic of the disease. Next, we explored the mechanism by which RSMV manipulates the developmental processes of the rice plant. A rice heading-related E3 ubiquitin ligase, Heading date Associated Factor 1 (HAF1), was found to be hijacked by the RSMV-encoded P6. The impairment of HAF1 function affects the ubiquitination and degradation of downstream proteins, HEADING DATE 1 and EARLY FLOWERING3, leading to a delay in rice heading. Our results provide new insights into the development regulation-based molecular interactions between virus and plant, and highlights the importance of understanding virus-vector-plant tripartite interactions for effective disease management strategies.

The impact of dietary and sleep rhythms on blood pressure in children and adolescents: a cross-sectional study.

Evidence about the relationship between meal and sleep time and CVD in children is scarce. The aims of this study were to describe the association between life rhythm patterns and blood pressure in children. This research was conducted among 5,608 children aged 6 to 15 years old in Chongqing and Sichuan provinces in 2021 and 2022. Dietary and sleep rhythms information was collected. The time of the first meal and last meal, and sleep time, were obtained. The mean age was 10.48 ± 2.24 years old, with 2958 (52.75%) male participants. The mean feeding window on weekdays was 11.69 h, 12.42 h, and 13.23 h for participants aged 6-7 years old, 8-12 years old and 13-15 years old, respectively. Weekday feeding window and last mealtime were positively correlated with blood pressure levels. And the changes in the feeding window between weekdays and weekends were significantly correlated with BP. Sleep duration and change in wake time were significantly correlated with SBP. Based on these results, this study identified the optimal combination of dietary and sleep rhythm interventions for children younger than 12 years of age and aged 12 and older, respectively. Disorder dietary and sleep rhythms disorders may correlate with elevated blood pressure levels, suggesting developing optimal dietary and sleep rhythm patterns could prevent the incidence of CVDs in children. The optimal dietary rhythm was defined by the indexes of breakfast time, dinner time and daily feeding window. As good meal patterns are defined as satisfied the following three items: for children younger than 12 years should have breakfast after 7:30 am; aged 12 years and over should have breakfast after 7 am; having dinner before 6 pm; daily feeding window less than 12.5 h. And less optimal dietary rhythm should satisfy any condition or eat dinner between 6 pm and 8 pm; and poor dietary rhythm should not satisfy any of the three criteria and eat dinner after 8 pm. Children with optimal dietary rhythm (in group A) had lower SBP (P < 0.001), DBP (P = 0.002) and MAP (P < 0.001) than those in group C.

Do Social Pensions Affect the Physical and Mental Health of Rural Children in China? An Intergenerational Care Perspective.

Research Purpose: This study aimed to explore the effect of China's New Rural Pension (NRP) on the physical and mental health of rural children from the perspective of intergenerational care, and to examine whether family childcare types and the child's gender affect the relationships between social pensions and the physical and mental health of rural children. Methods: We used data from the 2016 China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) of the China Social Science Survey Center, a nationally representative sample at the individual, family, and county levels from 25 provinces (cities and districts) in China. A total of 2142 sets of valid samples of children, the elderly, family economic and social conditions, and basic family information were retained after data screening. The regression discontinuity (RD) method was employed for the statistical analyses. Results: The NRP had a significant effect on both the mental health (ß = −2.818, p < 0.1) and physical health (ß = −2.214, p < 0.1) of rural children. This effect varied with the family childcare type and child's gender. Conclusions: We reveal a positive effect of the NRP on the physical and mental health of rural children. Therefore, the establishment of a social pension system may be used as an effective approach to enhance the health of rural children. The impact of the NRP on the physical and mental health of children differs with the family childcare type and their gender, which should be taken into consideration when using social pensions to enhance child health.

The impact of agricultural disasters on child development in rural China.

Background: China's uneven development under the urban-rural dichotomy has led to the discouraging development of children in rural areas. China is a large agricultural country and agricultural disasters are relatively common. Rural children aged 10-15 whose families depend on the agricultural economy may experience far-reaching negative effects from these disasters. Objective: This study explored the effects of agricultural disasters on rural children's development, including cognitive and noncognitive skills, and academic pressure. Methods: Survey data from the China Family Panel Survey and the National Meteorological Administration for 2010-2018 and a fixed-effect panel model with difference-in-differences regressions were used in the study. Results: The fixed effects model results showed evidence that agricultural disasters have a negative impact on rural children's cognitive and noncognitive skills and a positive impact on academic pressure. The statistically significant coefficients are -0.092, -0.938, and 0.223, respectively. School and family environments also explain children's development. Robustness tests confirmed these results. Conclusions: Evidence shows that agricultural disasters have a significant negative impact on rural child development. It may be inferred that these will increase the difficulty of narrowing the urban-rural development gap. China is committed to promoting prosperity for all its people. Special attention should be paid to the consequences of disasters at the child level and appropriate measures should be taken to mitigate possible negative impacts.