Sensitivity analysis of coastal cities to effects of rainstorm and flood disasters.

Heavy rains and floods cause human, material, and economic damage in cities worldwide. The severity of flooding has intensified due to accelerating urbanization. While much of the existing research on flood hazards emphasizes simulation and assessment, the correlation between indicators has yet to be explored. This study employs the Tree Gaussian Process sensitivity analysis method. Through rigorous sampling and correlation analysis, the model identifies critical determinants. Significantly, factors such as the water supply penetration rate (Var3), water pipeline density in built-up areas (Var4), centralized treatment rate of sewage treatment plants (Var6), agricultural land for forestry (Var13), and urban, village, and industrial and mining land (Var15) stand out as primary influencers on the flood-affected populace. These variables reflect a city's flood management capability and its dedication to resource stewardship and ecological equilibrium, underscoring its critical role in flood risk assessment and strategic mitigation. The study further illuminates that the interplay of these variables can exacerbate flood consequences, suggesting a compounded impact when variables operate in tandem. Recognizing these synergistic effects reveals a more pronounced flood threat than previously estimated, indicating that viewing these factors in silos might underrepresent the risk involved.

The joint effects of mixture exposure to multiple meteorological factors on step count: A panel study in China.

The public health burden of increasing extreme weather events has been well documented. However, the influence of meteorological factors on physical activity remains limited. Existing mixture effect methods cannot handle cumulative lag effects. Therefore, we developed quantile g-computation Distributed lag non-linear model (QG-DLNM) by embedding a DLNM into quantile g-computation to allow for the concurrent consideration of both cumulated lag effects and mixture effects. We gathered repeated measurement data from Henan Province in China to investigate both the individual impact of meteorological factor on step counts using a DLNM, and the joint effect using the QG-DLNM. We projected future step counts linked to changes in temperature and relative humidity driven by climate change under three scenarios from the sixth phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project. Our findings indicate there are inversed U-shaped associations for temperature, wind speed, and mixture exposure with step counts, peaking at 11.6 °C in temperature, 2.7 m/s in wind speed, and 30th percentile in mixture exposure. However, there are negative associations between relative humidity and rainfall with step counts. Additionally, relative humidity possesses the highest weights in the joint effect (49% contribution). Compared to 2022s, future step counts are projected to decrease due to temperature changes, while increase due to relative humidity changes. However, when considering both future temperature and humidity changes driven by climate change, the projections indicate a decrease in step counts. Our findings may suggest Chinese physical activity will be negatively influenced by global warming.

Birth spacing and risk of adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: The association between extreme birth spacing and adverse outcomes is controversial, and available evidence is fragmented into different classifications of birth spacing. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We conducted a systematic review of observational studies to evaluate the association between birth spacing (i.e., interpregnancy interval and interoutcome interval) and adverse outcomes (i.e., pregnancy complications, adverse birth outcomes). Pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using a random-effects model, and the dose-response relationships were evaluated using generalized least squares trend estimation. RESULTS: A total of 129 studies involving 46 874 843 pregnancies were included. In the general population, compared with an interpregnancy interval of 18-23 months, extreme intervals (<6 months and ≥ 60 months) were associated with an increased risk of adverse outcomes, including preterm birth, small for gestational age, low birthweight, fetal death, birth defects, early neonatal death, and premature rupture of fetal membranes (pooled OR range: 1.08-1.56; p < 0.05). The dose-response analyses further confirmed these J-shaped relationships (pnon-linear < 0.001-0.009). Long interpregnancy interval was only associated with an increased risk of preeclampsia and gestational diabetes (pnon-linear < 0.005 and pnon-linear < 0.001, respectively). Similar associations were observed between interoutcome interval and risk of low birthweight and preterm birth (pnon-linear < 0.001). Moreover, interoutcome interval of ≥60 months was associated with an increased risk of cesarean delivery (pooled OR 1.72, 95% CI 1.04-2.83). For pregnancies following preterm births, an interpregnancy interval of 9 months was not associated with an increased risk of preterm birth, according to dose-response analyses (pnon-linear = 0.008). Based on limited evidence, we did not observe significant associations between interpregnancy interval or interoutcome interval after pregnancy losses and risk of small for gestational age, fetal death, miscarriage, or preeclampsia (pooled OR range: 0.76-1.21; p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Extreme birth spacing has extensive adverse effects on maternal and infant health. In the general population, interpregnancy interval of 18-23 months may be associated with potential benefits for both mothers and infants. For women with previous preterm birth, the optimal birth spacing may be 9 months.

The Interaction of Dietary Patterns and Genetic Variants on the Risk of Cardiovascular Diseases in Chinese Patients with Type 2 Diabetes.

SCOPE: Diabetes is an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), which in turn is the most common and serious complication of diabetes. This study analyzes dietary patterns and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 543 diabetes patients with new-onset cardiovascular events and 461 diabetic patients without. METHODS AND RESULTS: SNPs are determined and analyzed using real time PCR and gene chip method. Factor analysis and logistic regression are used to determine dietary patterns and evaluate the level of associations and interaction effects, respectively. The legumes and edible fungi pattern and vegetable pattern show a significant negative correlation with complication risk. ADIPOQ rs37563 and legumes and edible fungi pattern have a significant interactive effect on disease, and patients with a high score of C polymorphism genotype (GC + CC) have a lower risk of disease. 5-10-Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) rs1801131 and vegetable pattern have a borderline interaction effect on disease, and those patients with TT genotype have a lower risk of disease. CONCLUSION: These findings provide new insights into the role of the interactive protection of dietary patterns and SNPs. And participants with specific alleles show a lower risk of cardiovascular complications.

Droplet microfluidic chip-ICP-MS-based single-cell analysis for study of cellular behavior of macrophages to thimerosal.

Thimerosal (THI) is widely used as an antimicrobial preservative, but can hydrolyze to ethylmercury, causing potentially neurotoxicity. In this work, a THP-1 cell line was used to investigate the biological behavior of THI. An on-line droplet microfluidic chip system combined with time-resolved inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was used to quantify Hg in single THP-1 cells. The cellular uptake and elimination behaviors of THI were studied, and the toxicity of THI in terms of redox balance was discussed. The results showed that a small number of cells (<5%) exhibited a high uptake content (>200 fg/cell) for THI, and most of the cells (68.8-85.8% for different exposure groups at 25 h) exhibited a relatively low uptake content (<20 fg/cell). After stopping exposure to THI, the cells showed an elimination process for Hg, which was rapid in the first several hours and gradually slowed down. When the elimination time was 25 h, 7.4-26.3% of the cells in different exposure groups still contained a detectable amount of Hg (>2 fg/cell), indicating Hg could not be eliminated completely, which may cause cumulative toxicity to macrophages. Moreover, it was found that exposure to THI even at 50 ng/mL can cause cellular oxidative stress behavior, leading to an increase in reactive oxygen species level and a decrease in glutathione level. This trend would continue for a period of time after stopping THI exposure. With the elimination of Hg, the redox balance of cells showed a tendency to stabilize and restore, but cannot be restored to normal status, indicating a long-term chronic toxicity of THI to THP-1 cells.

Association between Periodontitis and Aortic Calcification: A Cohort Study.

The present study investigated the association between the presence of periodontitis and aortic calcification (AC) risk among Chinese adults. A total of 6059 individuals who underwent regular health check-ups and received a diagnosis of periodontitis between 2009 and 2016 were included. The outcome was AC, assessed by a chest low-dose spiral CT scan. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to assess the association between periodontitis and AC risk after adjusting for several confounders. After a median follow-up period of 2.3 years (interquartile range: 1.03-4.97 years), 843 cases of AC were identified, with 532 (12.13%) and 311 (18.59%) patients in the non-periodontitis group and periodontitis group, respectively. Multivariate analyses demonstrated that, compared with those without periodontitis, the hazard ratio and 95% confidence interval for AC risk in participants with periodontitis was 1.18 (1.02-1.36) (P = .025) in the fully adjusted model. Stratified analyses showed that the positive relationship between periodontitis and AC was more evident in males and participants <65 years of age (pinteraction = .005 and .004, respectively). Our results show that the presence of periodontitis was positively associated with AC among Chinese adults, especially among males and younger participants.

Educational level differences in the primary and secondary prevention of stroke.

The aim of this study is to estimate the educational level differences in the primary and secondary prevention of stroke among the Chinese population. Data were obtained from the China Kadoorie Biobank (CKB) survey of 512,891 people aged 30-79 years in 10 geographic regions of China, which was conducted from 2002 to 2008. The Prediction for Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk in China model was used to identify individuals with a high estimated 10-year stroke risk. A total of 8884 participants (1.7%) had established stroke and 218,972 (42.7%) had a high stroke risk. In both primary and secondary prevention, the participants' educational level was positively associated with the control of smoking, blood pressure, consuming a healthy diet, and the use of antiplatelet, BP-lowering medications but negatively associated with higher physical activity levels (all Ptrend < 0.001). In addition, the positive associations were observed with the control of drinking and use of anti-hyperglycaemia medication for primary prevention (all Ptrend < 0.001) and with the use of lipid-lowering medication for secondary prevention (Ptrend = 0.019). The results of the interaction between education level and prevention level showed that, compared with participants in primary prevention, educational level disparities in those with secondary prevention had significantly higher use of antiplatelets and lipid-lowering drugs, achieving the physical activity goal and non-current drinker (all Pfor interaction < 0.05). A higher education level was associated with an increased acceptance of primary and secondary prevention strategies (not smoking or drinking, consuming a healthier diet) except for engaging in a suitable level of physical activity.

The association between dietary branched-chain amino acids and the risk of cardiovascular diseases in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes: A hospital-based case-control study.

Background: Previous studies showed conflicting evidence on the association between the intake of dietary branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) and the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, this relationship has not been studied in patients with type 2 diabetes. Therefore, we evaluated the effects of total and individual dietary BCAA (leucine, isoleucine, and valine) intake on CVD risk among individuals with type 2 diabetes in China. Materials and methods: A total of 419 patients with type 2 diabetes who have been diagnosed with CVD (within 2 weeks) were recruited between March 2013 and September 2015 in China. Cases with CVD were 1:1 matched to controls with type 2 diabetes but without CVD by age (±5 years) and sex. A validated 79-item semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was administered to assess the participants' dietary data. Total dietary BCAA per individual was the summation of the daily intake of isoleucine, leucine, and valine. OR and corresponding CIs were computed by conditional logistic regression models adjusted for potential confounders. Results: Median values of the daily intake of total BCAA were 11.87 g, with an interquartile range of 10.46-13.15 g for cases, and 12.47 g, with an interquartile range of 11.08-13.79 g for controls (P = 0.001). Dietary BCAA was inversely related to CVD risk after multivariable adjustment (OR Q4-Q1 = 0.23, 95%CI = 0.10, 0.51, P trend <0.001 for total BCAA; OR Q4-Q1 = 0.20, 95%CI = 0.07, 0.53, P trend = 0.001 for leucine). For each 1-S.D. increase in total dietary BCAA, leucine or valine intake was associated with 54% (95%CI = 29%, 70%, P = 0.001), 64% (95%CI = 29%, 82%, P = 0.003), or 54% (95%CI = 1%, 79%, P = 0.049) decrease in the risk of CVD, respectively. Whole grains, starchy vegetables, mushrooms, fruit, eggs, and dairy and dairy product-derived BCAA were found to attenuate CVD risk (P ranged: = 0.002-0.027). Conclusion: Higher BCAA intake, in particular leucine and valine, might be associated with a lower risk of CVD.

Association between Branched-Chain Amino Acid Intake and Physical Function among Chinese Community-Dwelling Elderly Residents.

This study aimed to evaluate the potential associations of dietary BCAAs (isoleucine, leucine, and valine) with physical function in the elderly Chinese population. A validated semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire and anthropometric and physical function measurements were used to collect data. We modeled trends in physical function indicators for BCAA quartiles using multivariate linear regression models. Among 4336 (43.97% men) participants aged 72.73 ± 5.48 years, a higher dietary intake of BCAAs was positively associated with increased handgrip strength (all p trends < 0.001), shorter times for 4-m fast walking (all p trends < 0.001) and repeated chair rises (all p trends < 0.001). No linear association was found between subtypes of amino acids and any physical functions (all p trends > 0.05). Individuals in the highest quartiles of BCAA intake had a reduced risk of developing low muscle strength, and the multiadjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for women and men were 0.50 (0.38−0.65) and 0.67 (0.50−0.91), respectively. Similarly, higher BCAA consumption was associated with a lower risk of developing low physical performance (4-m walking speed: OR = 0.68 [0.50−0.93]; repeated chair rises: OR = 0.66 [0.54−0.81]). Higher dietary BCAA intake might be beneficial for physical function in the elderly population.

Translation and validation of the Chinese version of the orthorexia nervosa assessment questionnaires among college students.

PURPOSE: The main objective of the study was to translate, validate, and compare the Chinese ORTO scales (ORTO-15 and ORTO-R). The secondary objective was to assess factors that may be related with risk of orthorexia nervosa (ON). METHODS: Two cross-sectional surveys were conducted on March-to-June 2021 for ORTO-15 and April 2022 for ORTO-R. ORTO questionnaires were translated into Chinese using the forward-backward-forward method. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA), discriminant validity and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used to examine the construct validity of the questionnaires. The internal consistency was assessed using the Cronbach alpha coefficient and the test-retest reliability. Multivariate linear regression analysis was used to explore potential factors related with ON scores. RESULTS: Totally, 1289 and 1084 eligible participants were included for assessment of ORTO-15 and ORTO-R, with the mean age of 20.9 ± 2.0 years and 21.0 ± 2.3 years. The internal consistency of Chinese ORTO-15 scale and ORTO-R scale were both satisfactory (α = 0.79, ICC = 0.79; α = 0.77, ICC = 0.82). However, all ORTO-15 models showed a poor fit using CFA whereas the ORTO-R was characterized by acceptable goodness-of-fit. Multivariate linear regression indicated that physical activities and mental disorders were positively associated with ON risk assessed by both ORTO-R and ORTO-15. CONCLUSION: The Chinese ORTO-R scale was a more reliable tool to screen for ON tendencies than the Chinese version of ORTO-15. Mental disorders and physical activities might be associated with the increased ON risk. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level V (descriptive cross-sectional study).

Unsaturated Fatty Acids in Mental Disorders: An Umbrella Review of Meta-Analyses.

Unsaturated fatty acids might be involved in the prevention of and improvement in mental disorders, but the evidence on these associations has not been comprehensively assessed. This umbrella review aimed to appraise the credibility of published evidence evaluating the associations between unsaturated fatty acids and mental disorders. In this umbrella review, systematic reviews and meta-analyses of studies comparing unsaturated fatty acids (including supplementation, dietary intake, and blood concentrations) in participants with mental disorders with healthy individuals were included. We reanalyzed summary estimates, between-study heterogeneity, predictive intervals, publication bias, small-study effects, and excess significance bias for each meta-analysis. Ninety-five meta-analyses from 29 systematic reviews were included, encompassing 43 studies on supplementation interventions, 32 studies on dietary factors, and 20 studies on blood biomarkers. Suggestive evidence was only observed for dietary intake, in which higher intake of fish was associated with reduced risk of depression (RR: 0.78; 95% CI: 0.69, 0.89) and Alzheimer disease (RR: 0.74; 95% CI: 0.63, 0.87), and higher intake of total PUFAs might be associated with a lower risk of mild cognitive impairment (RR: 0.71; 95% CI: 0.61, 0.84). Evidence showed that PUFA supplementation was favorable but had weak credibility in anxiety, depression, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), dementia, mild cognitive impairment, Huntington's disease, and schizophrenia (P-random effects <0.001-0.040). There was also weak evidence on the effect of decreased circulating n-3 (É·-3) PUFAs among patients on risk of ADHD, ASD, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia (P-random effects <10-6-0.037). Our results suggest that higher levels of unsaturated fatty acids may relieve symptoms or reduce the risk of various mental disorders; however, the strength of the associations and credibility of the evidence were generally weak. Future high-quality research is needed to identify whether PUFA interventions should be prioritized to alleviate mental disorders.

Global, Regional, and National Burden of Cancer in Children Younger Than 5 Years, 1990-2019: Analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019.

Objectives: To quantify the burden and variation trends of cancers in children under 5 years at the global, regional, and national levels from 1990 to 2019. Methods: Epidemiological data for children under 5 years who were diagnosed with any one childhood cancer were obtained from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) from 1990 to 2019. The outcomes were the absolute numbers and rates of incidence, prevalence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) for different types of cancer. Results: In 2019, 8,774,979.1 incident cases (95% uncertainty interval [UI]: 6,243,599.2 to11,737,568.5) and 8,956,583.8 (6,446,323.9 to 12,364,520.8) prevalent cases of cancer in children under 5 years were identified worldwide; these cancers resulted in 44,451.6 (36,198.7 to 53,905.9) deaths and 3,918,014.8 (3,196,454.9 to 4,751,304.2) DALYs. From 1990 to 2019, although the numbers of incident and prevalent cases only decreased by -4.6% (-7.0 to -2.2) and -8.3% (-12.6 to -3.4), respectively, the numbers of deaths and DALYs clearly declined by -47.8% (-60.7 to -26.4) and -47.7% (-60.7 to -26.2), respectively. In 2019, the middle sociodemographic index (SDI) regions had the highest incidence and prevalence, whereas the low SDI regions had the most mortality and DALYs. Although all of the SDI regions displayed a steady drop in deaths and DALYs between 1990 and 2019, the low-middle and low SDI regions showed increasing trends of incidence and prevalence. Leukemia remained the most common cancer globally in 2019. From 1990 to 2019, the burdens of leukemia, liver cancer, and Hodgkin's lymphoma declined, whereas the incidence and prevalence of other cancers grew, particularly testicular cancer. Conclusions: The global childhood cancer burden in young children has been steadily decreasing over the past three decades. However, the burdens and other characteristics have varied across different regions and types of cancers. This highlights the need to reorient current treatment strategies and establish effective prevention methods to reduce the global burden of childhood cancer.

The global burden and associated factors of ovarian cancer in 1990-2019: findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019.

BACKGROUND: Ovarian cancer (OC) is a major cause of cancer-related deaths among women. The aim of this study was to estimate and report data on the current burden of ovarian cancer worldwide over the past 30 years. METHOD: Based on the data provided by GBD 2019, we collected and interpreted the disease data of ovarian cancer by incidence, mortality, disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), and used corresponding age-standardized rates as indicators. Also, we categorized the data by attributed risk factors and captured deaths due to high fasting plasma glucose, occupational exposure to asbestos and high body-mass index, respectively. All outcomes in the study were reported using mean values and corresponding 95% uncertainty intervals (95% UI). RESULTS: Globally, there were 294422 (260649 to 329727) incident cases in 2019, and the number of deaths and DALYs were 198412 (175357 to 217665) and 5.36 million (4.69 to 5.95). The overall burden was on the rise, with a percentage change of 107.8% (76.1 to 135.7%) for new cases, 103.8% (75.7 to 126.4%) for deaths and 96.1% (65.0 to 120.5%) for DALYs. Whereas the age-standardized rates kept stable during 1990-2019. The burden of ovarian cancer increased with age. and showed a totally different trends among SDI regions. Although high SDI region had the declining rates, the burden of ovarian cancer remained stable in high-middle and low SDI regions, and the middle and low-middle SDI areas showed increasing trends. High fasting plasma glucose was estimated to be the most important attributable risk factor for ovarian cancer deaths globally, with a percentage change of deaths of 7.9% (1.6 to 18.3%), followed by occupational exposure to asbestos and high body mass index. CONCLUSIONS: Although the age-standardized rates of ovarian cancer didn't significantly change at the global level, the burden still increased, especially in areas on the lower end of the SDI range. Also, the disease burden due to different attributable risk factors showed heterogeneous, and it became more severe with age.

Incidence and disability-adjusted life years of maternal disorders at the global, regional, and national levels from 2007 to 2017: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017.

OBJECTIVE: To report the global burden of maternal disorders and their main subcategories in 195 countries and territories between 2007 and 2017. METHODS: The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2017 estimated maternal disease burden at global, regional, and country levels. Maternal disorders were disaggregated into 10 categories, and estimated incidence and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) of maternal disorders were reported separately. Indicators were estimated in different geographic settings and different sociodemographic index (SDI) regions. Based on GBD 2017 estimates, we systematically examined the incidence and DALYs of maternal disorders and their main subcategories at the global, regional, and national levels during the period from 2007 to 2017 by age and SDI. RESULTS: Globally, a total of 7.98 million maternal disorders occurred in 2017, with a 4.33% (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 3.24%-5.60%) decrease in age-standardized incidence rate and a more significant decrease (30.26%) in the age-standardized rate of DALYs. Most incidences and DALYs were found in low-income and middle-income countries, especially in the sub-Saharan region. The greatest incidence of maternal disorders was found to be in maternal abortion and miscarriage (2.00 million), and the highest disease burden was in maternal hemorrhage (2.23 million). CONCLUSION: A slight increase in the incidence of maternal disorders and substantial reductions in DALYs of overall maternal disorders and their main subcategories were found from 2007 to 2017, especially in low-income countries and the sub-Saharan region. Maternal hemorrhage, hypertensive disorders, and indirect maternal death were the top three causes of maternal disorders disease burden.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances exposure during pregnancy and adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) during pregnancy has been suggested to be associated with adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes; however, the findings have been inconsistent. We aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to provide an overview of these associations. METHODS: The online databases PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science were searched comprehensively for eligible studies from inception to February 2021. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled using random- or fixed-effects models, and dose-response meta-analyses were also conducted when possible. FINDINGS: A total of 29 studies (32,905 participants) were included. The pooled results demonstrated that perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) exposure during pregnancy was linearly associated with increased preterm birth risk (pooled OR per 1-ng/ml increase: 1.01, 95% CIs: 1.00-1.02, P = 0.009) and perfluorononanoate (PFNA) and perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) exposure showed inverted U-shaped associations with preterm birth risk (P values for the nonlinear trend: 0.025 and 0.030). Positive associations were also observed for exposure to perfluorodecanoate (PFDA) and miscarriage (pooled OR per 1-ng/ml increase: 1.87, 95% CIs: 1.15-3.03) and PFOS and preeclampsia (pooled OR per 1-log increase: 1.27, 95% CIs: 1.06-1.51), whereas exposure to perfluoroundecanoate (PFUnDA) was inversely associated with preeclampsia risk (pooled OR per 1-log increase: 0.81, 95% CIs: 0.71-0.93). Based on individual evidence, detrimental effects were observed between PFDA exposure and small for gestational age and between PFOA and PFOS and intrauterine growth restriction. No significant associations were found between pregnancy PFAS exposure and other adverse pregnancy outcomes (i.e., gestational diabetes mellitus, pregnancy-induced hypertension, low birth weight, and large and small for gestational age). INTERPRETATION: Our findings indicated that PFOS, PFOA and PFNA exposure during pregnancy might be associated with increased preterm birth risk and that PFAS exposure might be associated with the risk of miscarriage and preeclampsia. Due to the limited evidence obtained for most associations, additional studies are required to confirm these findings.

Pregnancy-related anxiety among Chinese pregnant women in mid-late pregnancy under the two-child policy and its significant correlates.

BACKGROUND: Pregnancy-related anxiety (PRA) is a global public health concern. This study aims to understand the PRA among Chinese pregnant women at mid-late pregnancy and to explore the significant correlates. METHODS: The Chinese PRA scale was used to measure PRA among 342 pregnant women from Zhejiang Province in China at their mid- and late- pregnancy respectively. RESULTS: The participants aged from 21 to 42 years old, and their mean age was 30. 1 (SD=4. 0). The average scores of the Chinese PRA scale at mid- and late- pregnancy were 1. 60 (SD=0. 33) and 1. 58 (SD=0. 33) respectively. Unplanned pregnancy (mid-pregnancy: ß=0. 18, p<0. 001; late-pregnancy: ß=0. 11, p = 0. 024) and gender of the first child being male (mid-pregnancy:ß=-0. 20, p = 0. 001; late-pregnancy: ß=-0. 14, p = 0. 016) were significantly correlated with PRA among pregnant women at mid- and late- pregnancy. Living with parents-in-law was not associated with the PRA overall and domain scores. LIMITATIONS: This study was done among pregnant women at their mid-late pregnancy, and no follow-up was conducted at postpartum. The sample size of this study was relatively small which might affect the generalizability of the findings. CONCLUSIONS: The current study found that the correlates of PRA at mid- and late-pregnancy were generally similar. For future studies, special attention should be paid to pregnant women who are in the condition of unplanned pregnancy and those who already have a female child to relieve their anxiety levels.

Determination of Prometryn in Vetiver Grass and Water Using Gas Chromatography-Nitrogen Chemiluminescence Detection.

Nitrogen chemiluminescence detector (NCD) is a nitrogen-specific detector that responds to ammonia, hydrazine, hydrogen cyanide and nitrogen oxide. A method to analyze the herbicide prometryn in plant and water samples was developed using gas chromatograph (GC) coupled with NCD. Extracts from plant (vetiver grass) and water matrices were analyzed for prometryn using an Agilent 7890A GC coupled with an Agilent 255 NCD in a split injection mode with a ratio of 2 : 1. Separation was carried out at 200°C and combustion at 1,018°C with H2 and O2 following optimized method development conditions. The percent recovery of prometryn in the two different matrices tested ranged from 81 to 107%, with relative standard deviations varying from 0.10 to 3.30% for spiked samples. Detection limit of the proposed method was 0.02 µg mL(-1) and the limit of quantification was 0.06 µg mL(-1). The proposed GC-NCD method was successfully applied to determine prometryn extracted from plant and water samples without potential interference of S-triazine, a pesticide from the same group.

Bone Metastasis-Related MicroRNAs: New Targets for Treatment?

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a new class of small noncoding RNAs of 19-25 nucleotides that function as negative posttranscriptional gene regulators. MiRNAs hybridize to the 3' untranslated region (UTR) of target mRNAs and repress translation or mediate mRNA cleavage. MiRNAs critically regulate tumorigenesis and progression by targeting oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes, or genes related to proliferation, angiogenesis, and apoptosis. Different tumor types and tumors at different stages exhibit unique miRNA profiles. MiRNAs show promise as potential biomarkers for cancer diagnostics, progression, and response to treatment. The role of miRNAs in promoting bone metastases is under investigated. We summarize recent findings on the mechanisms by which miRNAs may regulate bone metastatic spread of breast cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer and multiple myeloma. We review similarities and differences in miRNA profiles that may explain the variety of molecular pathways underling metastatic spread to the skeleton in different cancers. Finally, we discuss the exciting potential of using miRNAs as diagnostics and therapeutic targets to reduce the risk of bone metastases in cancer, from the perspective of data provided by recent pre-clinical and clinical studies.

MicroRNAs in Lung Cancer and Lung Cancer Bone Metastases: Biomarkers for Early Diagnosis and Targets for Treatment.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of malignancy-related mortality worldwide. Metastases, which account for 90% of lung cancer deaths, frequently target the skeleton, leading to rapid deterioration in quality of life and premature death. The molecular mechanism underlying this progression, especially the development of bone metastases, is largely unknown. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, endogenous, noncoding RNAs that function as negatively posttranscriptional gene regulators. Changes in miRNAs, which may exhibit either oncogenic or tumor suppressive activity, are common in lung cancer. Over-expressed miRNAs may contribute to oncogenesis by down-regulating tumor suppressors, whereas the loss of selected miRNAs may negatively regulate oncogenes or factors related to tumorigenesis and progression. MiRNAs may activate or repress metastases. Specific miRNA expression profiles may correlate with the response in treatment. We summarize recent findings and patents in the pathological roles of miRNAs in the progression and bone metastases in lung cancer, and discuss the diagnostic and therapeutic options in the clinical management of lung cancer.

MicroRNA-17-92 cluster regulates osteoblast proliferation and differentiation.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been identified to play important functions during osteoblast proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. The miR-17~92 cluster is highly conserved in all vertebrates. Loss-of-function of the miR-17-92 cluster results in smaller embryos and immediate postnatal death of all animals. Germline hemizygous deletions of MIR17HG are accounted for microcephaly, short stature, and digital abnormalities in a few cases of Feingold syndrome. These reports indicate that miR-17~92 may play important function in skeletal development and mature. To determine the functional roles of miR-17~92 in bone metabolism as well as osteoblast proliferation and differentiation. Murine embryonic stem cells D3 and osteoprogenitor cell line MC3T3-E1 were induced to differentiate into osteoblasts; the expression of miR-17-92 was assayed by quantitative real-time RT-PCR. The skeletal phenotypes were assayed in mice heterozygous for miR-17~92 (miR-17~92 (+/Δ) ). To determine the possibly direct function of miR-17~92 in bone cells, osteoblasts from miR-17~92 (+/Δ) mice were investigated by ex vivo cell culture. miR-17, miR-92a, and miR-20a within miR-17-92 cluster were expressed at high level in bone tissue and osteoblasts. The expression of miR-17-92 was down-regulated along with osteoblast differentiation, the lowest level was found in mature osteoblasts. Compared to wildtype controls, miR-17-92 (+/Δ) mice showed significantly lower trabecular and cortical bone mineral density, bone volume and trabecular number at 10 weeks old. mRNA expression of Runx2 and type I collagen was significantly lower in bone from miR-17-92 (+/Δ) mice. Osteoblasts from miR-17-92 (+/Δ) mice showed lower proliferation rate, ALP activity and less calcification. Our research suggests that the miR-17-92 cluster critically regulates bone metabolism, and this regulation is mostly through its function in osteoblasts.