Chemokines in diabetic eye disease.

BACKGROUND: Diabetic eye disease is a common micro-vascular complication of diabetes and a leading cause of decreased vision and blindness in people of working age worldwide.Although previous studies have shown that chemokines system may be a player in pathogenesis of diabetic eye disease, it is unclear which chemokines play the most important role.To date, there is no meta-analysis which has investigated the role of chemokines in diabetic eye disease.We hope this study will contribute to a better understanding of both the signaling pathways of the chemokines in the pathophysiological process, and more reliable therapeutic targets for diabetic eye disease. METHODS: Embase, PubMed, Web of Science and Cochrane Library systematically searched for relevant studies from inception to Sep 1, 2023. A random-effect model was used and standardized mean differences (SMDs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to summarize the associated measure between chemokines concentrations and diabetic eye disease. Network meta-analysis to rank chemokines-effect values according to ranked probabilities. RESULTS: A total of 33 different chemokines involving 11,465 subjects (6559 cases and 4906 controls) were included in the meta-analysis. Results of the meta-analysis showed that concentrations of CC and CXC chemokines in the diabetic eye disease patients were significantly higher than those in the controls. Moreover, network meta-analysis showed that the effect of CCL8, CCL2, CXCL8 and CXCL10 were ranked highest in terms of probabilities. Concentrations of CCL8, CCL2, CXCL8 and CXCL10 may be associated with diabetic eye disease, especially in diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that CCL2 and CXCL8 may play key roles in pathogenesis of diabetic eye disease. Future research should explore putative mechanisms underlying these links, with the commitment to develop novel prophylactic and therapeutic for diabetic eye disease.

Association between weight status and bullying experiences among children and adolescents in schools: An updated meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The association between weight status and bullying experience is well established, but little is known about the association between overweight or obesity and bullying behaviors among children and adolescents. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to provide updated evidence on the association between weight status and exposure to bullying among school children and adolescents. METHODS: All literature published not later than December 12, 2019 was obtained from PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and PsycINFO databases. The odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were used to measure the effect size. Results were combined using random-effects or fixed-effects meta-analysis, and sensitivity analysis was conducted to explore potential heterogeneity moderator factors. RESULTS: This meta-analysis included 26 studies on the association between obesity overweight and bullying. Overall, children and adolescents with obesity had greater odds of experiencing bullying than their counterparts with healthy weight. Children and adolescents with obesity (OR = 1.46, 95 % CI:1.31-1.62), and overweight (OR = 1.24, 95 % CI: 1.17-1.32) were more likely to experience bullying than their normal weight peers. With regards to gender, boys with obesity experienced an increased risk of bullying behaviors than girls with obesity (OR = 1.40, 95 % CI: 1.30-1.50). Similarly, boys with overweight experienced an increased risk of bullying behaviors than girls with overweight (OR = 1.19, 95 % CI:1.06-1.34). CONCLUSIONS: The present results suggest that children and adolescents must be protected from bullying, especially those that are children and adolescents with obesity overweight and effective strategies are needed to reduce bullying behaviors among children and adolescents in schools.

Associations of depressive symptoms and chronic diseases with activities of daily living among middle-aged and older population in China: A population-based cohort study.

Background: Activities of daily living (ADL) disability is a concern in the aging population and can lead to increased health service demands and lower quality of life. The aim of this longitudinal study was to assess the associations of chronic conditions and depressive symptoms with ADL disability. Methods: This prospective cohort study used two waves of data (2011 and 2015) from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). A total of 10,864 participants aged 45 and older were included for analysis. Chronic diseases were assessed by self-report and depressive symptoms were assessed using the validated 10-item of Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale at baseline. Incidents of ADL disability during follow-up were assessed using the Katz ADL scales. Results: After 4 years of follow-up, there were 704 participants incidents of ADL disability. The incident rate was 17.22 per 1,000 person-years. Having at least one chronic disease was independently associated with a 39% increased risk of incident ADL disability (adjusted HR, 1.39; 95%CI: 1.16, 1.67). The presence of depression symptoms was independently associated with a 54% increased risk of incident ADL disability (adjusted HR, 1.54; 95%CI: 1.30, 1.82). However, there was no significant additive interaction effect between chronic diseases and depressive symptoms on ADL disability. Conclusion: Chronic diseases and depressive symptoms are associated with an increased risk of ADL disability in middle-aged and older Chinese adults. Improving chronic diseases and depressive symptoms can prevent ADL disability.

China's Fight Against COVID-19: What We Have Done and What We Should Do Next?

Background: Chinese government conducted unprecedented massive public health prevention interventions at the national level, which have effectively contained the spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections. Specifically, the outbreak in Wuhan has been effectively controlled. Meanwhile, the Chinese efforts to contain the virus have been widely recognized. Even the World Health Organization has praised the efforts of the Chinese government and advised other countries to learn from China's experience in the fight against COVID-19. However, the measures that have been conducted by China to effectively prevent the spread of COVID 19 in the country have not been rigorously analyzed. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the characteristics of China's control and prevention strategies, and identify the elements that changed the epidemiological curve of rapidly rising new confirmed cases of COVID-19. Methods: Public health intervention measures and their effects on the spread of COVID-19 in terms of daily newly confirmed and cumulative cases were collected between January 20, 2020, and March 5. Notices of the Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism for COVID-19 of the State Council on Implementing Measures in Hubei were collected. Information obtained by relevant important documents and announcements was collected from the official website of the Chinese government. Additionally, from other media platforms, news, articles, and reviews were used to explain the intervention measure. Thus, using these data, we performed a retrospective description of the intervention strategies at three stages. Results: The Chinese government adopted non-pharmacological interventions measures (NPIs) timely and efficiently. On February 20, the declining epidemic trend in China indicated that the three strictest disease prevention and control strategies issued by the Hubei Government had contributed to a smooth decline in the spread of the epidemic. Conclusions: The NPIs taken by China play a decisive role to control the spread of novel coronavirus outbreaks. Further research and action are needed to ensure a sufficiently sensitive surveillance system and strong response mechanism, including the establishment of a highly accessible laboratory network, maintenance of awareness of both primary healthcare providers and the public, and regular training and exercise of local Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and general practitioners in the community-level.

COVID-19 Containment: Comparisons and Suggestions for Global Response.

BACKGROUND: The 2019-nCoV (COVID-19) is spreading at an alarming rate worldwide. Therefore, it is currently one of the biggest global health challenges. This research review describes the differences in response to the coronavirus epidemic between countries across the world. In addition, an opinion that the experience of China in response against the epidemic would play an important role globally in the battle against the novel coronavirus has been discussed as well as the insufficient and delayed response by other countries. OBJECTIVES: To provide an overview of China's experience in the control and prevention of the COVID-19, and compare it to that of other countries. METHODS: Relevant literature for this review was obtained from the Chinese government website; the World Health Organization website; Johns Hopkins University website; the European Centre for Disease Prevention website; and the PubMed databases. In addition, related news channels were used to obtain information. RESULTS: China's experience in the fight against COVID-19 provides valuable insight into the handling of this epidemic, and suggests that promoting cooperation between countries is imperative for effective control and prevention measures against this global virus pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: China's experience suggests that the following measures were effective in the fight against COVID-19: "social isolation," "medical observation," "social distancing" or "limited contact with people," "self-protection," and combined modern public health intervention measures. These findings could help control outbreaks in other countries and regions across the world.

Type 2 Diabetes, Fasting Glucose, Hemoglobin A1c Levels and Risk of Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma: A Mendelian Randomization Study.

Purpose: To evaluate the potential causal associations between type 2 diabetes and fasting glucose and HbA1c levels and the risk of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) in European and East Asian populations. Methods: We selected genetic variants (P < 5 × 10-8) for type 2 diabetes (898,130 Europeans; 433,540 East Asians), fasting glucose, and HbA1c (196,991 Europeans; 36,584 East Asians) from three meta-analyses of genome-wide association studies (GWAS). The GWAS for POAG provided summary statistics (192,702 Europeans; 46,523 East Asians). Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was accomplished using the inverse variance-weighted method, weighted-median method, MR Egger method, and MR-Pleiotropy RESidual Sum and Outlier test. Results: Genetically predicted type 2 diabetes was potentially positively associated with POAG in the European ancestry (body mass index [BMI]-unadjusted: odds ratio [OR] = 1.07, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01-1.14, P = 0.028; BMI-adjusted: OR = 1.07, 95% CI, 1.01-1.15, P = 0.035), but not in the East Asian ancestry (BMI-unadjusted: OR = 1.01, 95% CI, 0.95-1.06, P = 0.866; BMI-adjusted: OR = 1.00, 95% CI, 0.94-1.05, P = 0.882). There was no evidence to support a causal association of fasting glucose (European: OR = 1.19, P = 0.157; East Asian: OR = 0.94, P = 0.715) and HbA1c (European: OR = 1.27, P = 0.178; East Asian: OR = 0.85, P = 0.508) levels with POAG. Conclusions: The causal effect of type 2 diabetes on the risk of POAG is different in European and East Asian populations. The point estimates of fasting glucose and Hb1Ac with POAG are large but not statistically significant, which prompts the question of statistical power.

Association Between Functional Limitations and Incident Cardiovascular Diseases and All-Cause Mortality Among the Middle-Aged and Older Adults in China: A Population-Based Prospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of functional limitations is relatively high among the middle-aged and older adults. However, the contribution of functional limitations to subsequent incident cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and death is unclear. This study aims to examine the association between functional limitations and incident CVD and all-cause mortality among the middle-aged and older adults. METHODS: This is a nationally representative prospective cohort study. Participants were middle-aged and older Chinese adults from The China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. Functional limitations were measured using activities of daily living (ADL) scale and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) scale. Incident CVD and death were recorded at followed-up from June 1, 2011, up until August 31, 2018. Cox proportional hazards model was used to assess the association between functional limitations and incident CVD and all-cause mortality. RESULTS: A total of 11,013 participants were included in this study. During the 7 years of follow-up, 1,914 incident CVD and 1,182 incident deaths were identified. Participants with functional limitations were associated with a 23% increased risk of incident CVD (HR, 1.23, 95% CI:1.08,1.39) after adjusting for age, gender, residential area, marital status, education, smoking, alcohol drinking, sleep duration, nap duration, depression symptoms, social participation, history of hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, use of hypertension medications, diabetes medications, and lipid-lowering therapy. Moreover, participants with functional limitations were associated with a 63% increased risk of all-cause mortality (HR,1.63, 95%CI: 1.41,1.89) after adjusting for potential confounders. CONCLUSIONS: Functional limitations were significantly associated with subsequent incident CVD and death among the middle-aged and older Chinese adults.

Depression and Coping Styles of College Students in China During COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systemic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: The rapid spread and uncertain outcome of the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) around the world have caused worry, fear, and stress among the general population. Nevertheless, the prevalence of depression among college students in China during lockdown, following the COVID-19 pandemic, and their coping strategies have not been quantitatively assessed. Objective: We aimed to evaluate the prevalence of depression among college students in China during the lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic and assess their coping strategies. Methods: Systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to assess the prevalence of depression among college students in China and their coping strategies. Results: The results indicated that, during lockdown in the COVID-19 pandemic, the prevalence rates of college students in China suffering from mild, moderate, and severe depression were 25% (95% CI = 17-33%), 7% (95% CI = 2-14%), and 2% (95% CI = 1-5%), respectively. Besides, the proportion of college students who use WeChat and Weibo to acquire COVID-19 knowledge was 39% (95% CI = 13-68%), whereas the proportion of college students using mental health application services (APPs) to deal with depression was 59% (95% CI = 41-73%). Conclusions: The prevalence of depression among college students in China was high during the lockdown in the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, considering the adverse outcomes of depression, it is imperative to screen college students in China for depression during the CIVID-19 pandemic and provide them with necessary psychological interventions to control and prevent depression. Social media platforms, such as WeChat and Weibo, and mental health APPs could provide an opportunity for psychological health information dissemination for college students. However, their effectiveness in reducing depression will have to be assessed.

Adverse childhood experiences and risk of cancer during adulthood: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Research findings on the relationship between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and the risk of cancer were inconsistent. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to perform a quantitative synthesis of the preceding research findings. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: System review and meta-analysis. METHODS: Electronic database of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Cochrane Library were systematically searched to identify relevant observational studies published not later than September 9, 2020. Specifically, original articles that reported the risk of cancer in adult populations that experienced ACEs before the age of 18 were selected. All pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using a random-effects model. Publication bias was examined using funnel plots, and sensitivity analysis was used to explore the stability of the pooled results. RESULTS: A total of 18 studies involving 406,210 participants were included in this review. Individuals with 2 or 3 kinds of ACEs (OR = 1.35, 95%CI:1.12,1.62) or at least 4 ACEs (OR = 2.17, 95%CI: 1.76,2.68) were at increased risk of cancer when compared with individuals with no ACEs. Of the different types of ACEs examined, physical abuse (OR = 1.23, 95%CI:1.05,1.43), sexual abuse (OR = 1.26, 95%CI:1.02,1.56), exposure to intimate partner violence (OR = 1.26, 95%CI:1.12,1.41) and financial difficulties in the family (OR = 1.16, 95%CI:1.00,1.33) were associated with the risk of any cancer. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that multiple ACEs may be a risk factor for cancer development. Therefore, prevention of ACEs and interventions for supporting those affected by ACEs are necessary.

Associations Between Health Literacy, eHealth Literacy, and COVID-19-Related Health Behaviors Among Chinese College Students: Cross-sectional Online Study.

BACKGROUND: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the internet has significantly spread information, providing people with knowledge and advice about health protection regarding COVID-19. While a previous study demonstrated that health and eHealth literacy are related to COVID-19 prevention behaviors, few studies have focused on the relationship between health literacy, eHealth literacy, and COVID-19-related health behaviors. The latter includes not only preventative behaviors but also conventional health behaviors. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to develop and verify a COVID-19-related health behavior questionnaire, explore its status and structure, and examine the associations between these behaviors and participants' health literacy and eHealth literacy. METHODS: A snowball sampling method was adopted to recruit participants to complete anonymous cross-sectional questionnaire surveys online that assessed sociodemographic information, self-reported coronavirus knowledge, health literacy, eHealth literacy, and COVID-19-related health behaviors. RESULTS: Of 1873 college students who were recruited, 781 (41.7%) had adequate health literacy; the mean eHealth literacy score was 30.16 (SD 6.31). The COVID-19-related health behavior questionnaire presented a two-factor structure-COVID-19-specific precautionary behaviors and conventional health behaviors-with satisfactory fit indices and internal consistency (Cronbach α=.79). The mean score of COVID-19-related health behaviors was 53.77 (SD 8.03), and scores differed significantly (P<.05) with respect to residence, college year, academic major, family economic level, self-reported health status, having a family member or friend infected with coronavirus, and health literacy level. Linear regression analysis showed that health literacy and eHealth literacy were positively associated with COVID-19-specific precautionary behaviors (ßhealth literacy=.149, ßeHealth literacy=.368; P<.001) and conventional health behaviors (ßhealth literacy=.219, ßeHealth literacy=.277; P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19-related health behavior questionnaire was a valid and reliable measure for assessing health behaviors during the pandemic. College students with higher health literacy and eHealth literacy can more actively adopt COVID-19-related health behaviors. Additionally, compared to health literacy, eHealth literacy is more closely related to COVID-19-related health behaviors. Public intervention measures based on health and eHealth literacy are required to promote COVID-19-related health behaviors during the pandemic, which may be helpful to reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection among college students.

Comorbidities' potential impacts on severe and non-severe patients with COVID-19: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: An ongoing outbreak of pneumonia associated with the severe acute respiratory coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) emerged in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. Epidemiologic evidence suggests that patients with comorbidities and novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection may have poor survival outcomes. However, the risk of these coexisting medical conditions in severe and non-severe cases has not been systematically reported. PURPOSE: The present study aimed to estimate the association of chronic comorbidities in severe and non-severe cases. METHODS: A literature search was conducted using the databases PubMed, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Wanfang Database, Chinese Scientific Journals Full-text Database (CQVIP) from the inception dates to April 1, 2020, to identify cohort studies assessing comorbidity and risk of adverse outcome. Either a fixed- or random-effects model was used to calculate the overall combined risk estimates. RESULTS: A total of 22 studies involving 3286 patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 were included in the analysis. Overall, compared with the patients with non-severe cases, the pooled odds ratios (ORs) of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and respiratory diseases in patients with severe cases were 2.79 (95% confidence intervals [95% CI]: 1.66-4.69), 1.64 (95% CI: 2.30-1.08), 1.79 (95% CI: 1.08-2.96), 3.92 (95% CI: 2.45-6.28), and 1.98 (95% CI: 1.26-3.12), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis supports the finding that chronic comorbidities may contribute to severe outcome in patients with COVID-19. According to the findings of the present study, old age and 2 or more comorbidities are significantly impactful to COVID-19 outcomes in hospitalized patients in China.

Risk of adverse maternal outcomes associated with prenatal exposure to moderate-severe depression compared with mild depression: A fellow-up study.

BACKGROUND: Pregnancy is a time of increased vulnerability for the development of anxiety and depression. The purpose of this study was to compare the risk of developing adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes between pregnant women with moderate-severe depression and those who had mild depression. METHODS: Our study was performed in a prospective cohort of 360 depressed pregnant women, recruited and followed up to delivery at the Adventist Hospital in Bekwai Municipality, Ghana. The research began in February 2020 and the follow-up was completed in August 2020. The pregnant women who had depression were classified into two groups: those who had moderate-severe depression (Patient Health Questionnaires-9 (PHQ-9) score ≥15) and those who had mild depression (PHQ-9 score <15). Crude and adjusted relative risk (RR) with their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for women with moderate-severe depression as compared with women with mild depression were then estimated. RESULT: Out of a total of 360 pregnant women, 43 (11.9%) screened positive for moderate-severe depression. After adjusting for potential confounders, women with moderate-severe depression during pregnancy, as compared with women who had mild depression had an increased risk of pre-eclampsia (RR adjusted = 2.01; 95% CI:1.21-3.33); Caesarean section (RR adjusted = 1.78; 95% CI:1.18-2.70); and episiotomy (RR adjusted = 1.66; 95% CI: 1.06-2.60). On the other hand, no statistically significant association of severity of depression and perinatal outcomes was observed. CONCLUSION: Compared with mild depression, symptoms of moderate-severe depression in pregnancy significantly increased risks of adverse maternal outcomes such as pre-eclampsia, caesarean section delivery, and episiotomy.

Clinical value of long noncoding RNA ZEB1 anti-sense1 in cancer patients: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The high expression of long noncoding RNA ZEB1 anti-sense1 (ZEB1-AS1) has been reported in several types of cancer. However, most studies investigating this phenomenon were either case reports or used small patient samples. The objective of this meta-analysis was to clarify the potential clinical values of ZEB1-AS1 in various cancers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The PubMed-MEDLINE, Web of Science, and EMBASE databases were searched, using systematic search terms, to find relevant research reports on this subject. The combined hazards ratios (HRs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to explore the association between ZEB1-AS1 expression and overall survival (OS). The combined odd ratios (ORs) were calculated to evaluate the association between ZEB1-AS1 expression and pathological parameters. Data analysis was conducted in R software version 3.4.2. and Stata version 12.0 (College Station, TX: Stata Corp LP). RESULTS: Ten studies including 963 cancer patients were selected as suitable for this study. The pooled hazards ratio (HR) indicated that high ZEB1-AS1 expression was strongly associated with poor OS (pooled HR = 2.26, 95% CI: 1.80-2.85, P < .0001) in the Chinese cancer patients. Also, a high expression of ZEB1-AS1 was related to metastasis (pooled HR = 3.38, 95% CI: 1.91-6.00, P < .0001), and advanced tumor stage (pooled HR = 0.48, 95% CI: 0.29-0.81, P = .005). The up-regulation of ZEB1-AS1 was not significantly associated with histological differentiation (P = .39), sex (P = .001), and age (P = .372) of cancer patients. CONCLUSION: The high expression of ZEB1-AS1 significantly predicted poor OS, poor metastasis, and high tumor stage in cancer patients, demonstrating that high ZEB1-AS1 expression may serve as a biomarker of poor prognosis in the Chinese cancer patients.

Association between poor sleep quality and depression symptoms among the elderly in nursing homes in Hunan province, China: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the association between the prevalence of poor sleep quality and depression symptoms among the elderly in the nursing homes of Hunan province in China. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: This was a cross-sectional study investigating 817 elderly people from 24 nursing homes in China's Hunan province. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) such that poor sleep quality was defined as PSQI Score >5. In addition, depression symptoms were assessed using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). Linear regression models and binary logistic regression models were used to analyse the relationship between the prevalence of poor sleep quality and depression symptoms. RESULTS: The mean PSQI Score was 8.5±4.9, and the prevalence of poor sleep quality was 67.3%. Additionally, the mean GDS Score was 9.8±7.5, and the prevalence of depression symptoms was 36.0%. Elderly people with poor sleep quality had increased GDS Score (mean difference=2.54, 95% CI 1.66 to 3.42) and increased risk of depression symptoms (OR=3.19, 95% CI 2.04 to 4.98) after controlling for demographics, chronic disease history, lifestyle behaviours, social support, activities of daily living and negative life events. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of poor sleep quality was relatively high, and this was associated with increased depression symptoms. Therefore, poor sleep quality could be speculated as a marker of current depression symptoms in the elderly.

Association between cigarette smoking and the risk of dysmenorrhea: A meta-analysis of observational studies.

BACKGROUND: Emerging studies have found inconsistent results on the potential relationship between cigarette smoking and dysmenorrhea. Therefore, the aim of this study was to quantitatively synthesize the previous findings on the preceding relationship using meta-analysis. METHODS: Previous studies on the association between cigarette smoking and dysmenorrhea, published not later than November 2019, were systematically searched, using MeSH heading and/or relevant terms, in the electronic databases of PubMed, Medline, Web of Science and EMBASE. The I2 statistic was used to assess heterogeneity, whose source was explored using subgroup analysis. A pooled effect size was obtained using random effects model, and sensitivity analysis was performed to assess the consistency of the pooled effect size. RESULTS: After a rigorous screening process, 24 studies involving 27,091 participants were included in this meta-analysis. The results indicated that smokers were 1.45 times more likely to develop dysmenorrhea than non-smokers (odds ratio (OR) = 1.45, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.30-1.61). In addition, individuals classified as currently smoking were 1.50 times more likely to develop dysmenorrhea than those who were classified as never smoking (OR = 1.50, 95% CI: 1.33-1.70), whereas being a former smoker was 1.31 times more likely to develop dysmenorrhea than being a never smoker (OR = 1.31, 95% CI: 1.18-1.46). Sensitivity analysis showed that exclusion of any single study did not materially alter the overall combined effect. CONCLUSION: The evidence from this meta-analysis indicated a significant association between cigarette smoking (both current and former smoking) and dysmenorrhea. The adverse effects of smoking provide further support for prevention of dysmenorrhea and emphasize the need to target women.

Relationship between multiple lifestyle behaviors and health-related quality of life among elderly individuals with prediabetes in rural communities in China: A STROBE-compliant article.

Evidence of the effect of lifestyle behaviors on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is scarce or ambiguous. The objective of the present study was to explore the associations between multiple lifestyle behaviors and HRQoL among the elderly individuals with prediabetes.Four hundred thirty-four elderly individuals with prediabetes were included in this cross-sectional study. The Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short Form Health Survey Questionnaire (SF-36) was used to assess HRQoL. Multiple lifestyle behaviors, including smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, dietary habits, daily sedentary time and sleep duration were self-reported. The associations between HRQoL and multiple lifestyle behaviors were examined using a multivariate linear regression analysis.Lower-risk physical activities (ß =3 .19, 95% CI: 1.32, 5.64), dietary habits (ß = 2.60, 95% CI: 1.50, 4.72), and sedentary time (ß = 2.49, 95% CI: 1.21, 4.81) were positively associated with the physical health component score (PCS) for HRQoL. Meanwhile, a lower-risk behavior, such as sleep duration (ß = 2.64, 95% CI: 1.77, 4.51), was associated with a higher mental health component score (MCS) for HRQoL after adjusting for socio-demographic factors, chronic diseases, anthropometric data and all other lifestyle behaviors. Engaging in a greater number of lower-risk lifestyle behaviors was positively correlated with a better HRQoL.Multiple lifestyle behaviors were associated with HRQoL among the elderly individuals with prediabetes in rural areas. These results highlight the need for multiple lifestyle behavioral interventions to maintain and improve HRQoL in the elderly individuals with prediabetes.

Associations between disease activity, social support and health-related quality of life in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases: the mediating role of psychological symptoms.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have indicated that disease activity, psychological symptoms and social support were associated with health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases(IBD). However, it is unclear how disease activity, psychological symptoms and social support interact to affect HRQoL. The main purpose of this study was to examine the mediation effect of psychological symptoms in the relationship between disease activity, social support and HRQoL. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study, which collected data using convenience sampling, between December 2016 and March 2018, from the Third XiangyaHospital of Central South University in Changsha, China. An online self-administered questionnaire (including demographic and clinical information), Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire, Disease Activity Indices scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and Social Support Rating Scale, were administered to each participant. Descriptive statistics and Pearson's correlations were used to summarize data, whereas PROCESS analysis was performed to examine the pre-specified mediation effect. RESULTS: A total of 199 patients with IBD were included. Disease activity indices (DAI) and hospital anxiety and depression (HAD) were negatively correlated with HRQoL (ß = - 3.37, - 2.54 respectively, P < 0.001), while social support was positively correlated with HRQoL (ß = 1.38, P < 0.01). HAD partially mediated the negative relationship between DAI and HRQoL (ß = - 0.83, P < 0.001) with the mediation effect ratio of 24.6%, and completely mediated the positive relationship between social support and HRQoL (ß = 1.20, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Psychological symptoms acted as a mediator in the relationship between disease activity, social support and HRQoL. Interventions to improve HRQoL in patients with IBD should take into account the mediation effect of psychological symptoms.

Prevalence and Risk Factors Associated with Primary Dysmenorrhea among Chinese Female University Students: A Cross-sectional Study.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To examine prevalence and risk factors associated with primary dysmenorrhea among Chinese female university students in Hunan province, China. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. SETTING: Female university students in Changsha city, Hunan province, China. PARTICIPANTS: Four thousand six hundred six female individuals selected using a multistage cluster random sampling method. INTERVENTIONS: A self-administered questionnaire, which included sociodemographic information, lifestyle habits, emotional characteristics, and menstruation pattern, was used to collect data. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Information about menarche, body mass index, cycle length and regularity, primary dysmenorrhea, physical exercise, depression, and anxiety. RESULTS: The prevalence of primary dysmenorrhea was 41.7% (1921/4606) among Chinese female university students. Multivariate binary logistic regression indicated that being a minority (odds ratio [OR], 1.335; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.083-1.646), underweight (OR, 1.249; 95% CI, 1.08-1.42), annual household income less than 80,000 CNY (OR, 1.169; 95% CI, 1.018-1.342), maternal history of dysmenorrhea (OR, 2.553; 95% CI, 2.236-2.915), age at menarche younger than 12 years (OR, 1.161; 95% CI, 1.013-1.329), irregular menstrual cycle (OR, 1.216; 95% CI, 1.063-1.391), and skipping breakfast (OR, 1.294; 95% CI, 1.124-1.490) were associated risk factors of primary dysmenorrhea. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of primary dysmenorrhea among Chinese university students is relatively high. Various risk factors were identified that associated with primary dysmenorrhea. More effort and attention should therefore be directed toward this health problem in China.

Bioinformatics of excretory/secretory proteins of Toxoplasma gondii strain ME49.

Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite that is globally distributed and can infect almost all warm-blooded animals, including humans. While vaccines are not available for prophylaxis, there are limited therapeutic options which often do not result in eradication of parasites from patients. ME49 is a cystogenic strain of T. gondii with a potential as a vaccine candidate. Excretory and secretory (ES) proteins are thought to play crucial roles in host-parasite interactions. Hence, we predicted and functionally annotated the ES proteins in T. gondii ME49 using public databases. ES proteins were further examined for the characteristics and possible functions through gene ontology (GO) term enrichment and analyses of metabolic pathways, enzyme code distribution (EC distributing) and protein domains. The potential antigenicity of T. gondii ME49 ES proteins was evaluated for the first time using Abundance of Antigenic Regions (AAR) value to predict the antigenic potential by measuring sequence length and number of antigenic regions. The results showed that the ES proteins have different AAR values at RNA and microarray level. Our studies provide valuable information for future experimental studies, including the identification of novel ES proteins of therapeutic, diagnostic and immunoprophylactic interests.

Associated risk factors and their interactions with type 2 diabetes among the elderly with prediabetes in rural areas of Yiyang City: A nested case-control study.

To explore associated risk factors and their interactions with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) among the elderly with prediabetes in rural areas in China.A nested case-control study was conducted in a fixed cohort to identify the risk factors for T2DM among the elderly with prediabetes in rural areas of Yiyang City in China. A total of 37 elderly with T2DM were included in the cases group and 111 elderly subjects with prediabetes were matched in the control group. Data related to sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle behavior, and anthropometric variables were collected by trained staff using standard tools. The risk factors for T2DM were determined using conditional logistic regression analysis, and their additive interactions were also explored.Multivariable conditional logistic regression analysis results showed that overweight/obesity (odds ratio [OR] = 4.80, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.20-12.28), family history of diabetes (OR = 3.63, 95% CI: 1.03-12.81), physically inactive (OR = 3.08, 95% CI: 1.14-8.30), high waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) (OR = 3.15, 95% CI: 1.27-7.80), and inadequate diabetes-specific health literacy (DSHL) (OR = 3.92, 95% CI: 1.14-13.48) increased the risk for T2DM. Additive interactions for T2DM were observed between a family history of diabetes and high WHR with a relative excess risk of interaction (RERI) of 10.02 (95% CI: 4.25, 15.78), and between high WHR and overweight or obesity, with an RERI of 3.90 (95% CI: 0.36, 7.44).The independent risk factors for T2DM are overweight or obesity, high WHR, family history of diabetes, physically inactive, and inadequate DSHL. High WHR as a risk factor for T2DM has additive interactions with family history of diabetes and overweight or obesity.