Optimal Cut-off Point of Waist to Height Ratio in Beijing and Its Association with Clusters of Metabolic Risk Factors

A host of studies found waist-to-height ratio(WHtR)having higher diagnostic value than other abdominal obesity anthropometric indicators for metabolic disorders.But the cut-off points are still not consistent.This study was aimed to explore the optimal cut-off point of WHtR in Chinese population and identify the association between WHtR and cluster of metabolic risk factors.In total,13379 Han adults(7553 men and 5726 women)from over 40 institutions who took physical examination in Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University between January 2014 and January 2015 were involved in this cross-sectional study.Subjects with two or more components of metabolic syndrome(MetS)were considered to have multiple risk factors.Optimal cut-off points of WHtR for cluster of metabolic risk factors were analyzed by receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis.The optimal cut-off points of WHtR were 0.51 for men and 0.49 for women.People with elevated WHtR had higher levels of metabolic risk factors.And the prevalence of individual and clusters of 5 risk factors were all higher among WHtR-defined abdominal obesity people than in normal subjects.The optimal cut-off points of WHtR were 0.51 for men and 0.49 for women.In conclusion,people with elevated WHtR.are susceptible to cluster of metabolic risk factors.

Functional map of the macroglomerular complex of male Helicoverpaarmigera

The mechanism of sex pheromone reception in the male cotton bollworm Helicoverpa armigera has been extensively studied because it has become an important model system for understanding insect olfaction.However,the pathways of pheromone processing from the antenna to the primary olfactory center in H.armigera have not yet been clarified.Here,the physiology and morphology of male H.armigera olfactory sensory neurons(OSNs)were studied using single sensillum recording along with anterograde filling and intracellular recording with retrograde filling.OSNs localized in type A sensilla responded to the major pheromone component cis-11-hexadecenal,and the axonal terminals projected to the cumulus(Cu)of the macroglomerular complex(MGC).The OSNs in type B sensilla respondcd to the bchavioral antagonist cis-9-tetradecenal,and the axonal terminals projected to the dorsomedial anterior(DMA)unit of the MGC.In type C sensilla,there were 2 OSNs:one that responded to cis-9-tetradecenal and cis-11-hexadecenol with the axonal terminals projecting to the DMA,and another that responded to the secondary pheromone components cis-9-hexadecenal and cis-9-tetradecenal with the axonal terminals projecting to the dorsomedial posterior(DMP)unit of the MGC.Type A and type B sensilla also housed the secondary OSNs,which were silent neurons with axonal terminals projected to the glomerulus G49 and DMP.Overall,the neural pathways that carry information on attractiveness and aversiveness in response to female pheromone components in H.armigera exhibit distinct projections to the MGC units.

Whole-Brain Mapping of Direct Inputs to and Axonal Projections from GABAergic Neurons in the Parafacial Zone

The GABAergic neurons in the parafacial zone（PZ） play an important role in sleep-wake regulation and have been identified as part of a sleep-promoting center in the brainstem, but the long-range connections mediating this function remain poorly characterized. Here, we performed whole-brain mapping of both the inputs and outputs of the GABAergic neurons in the PZ of the mouse brain. We used the modified rabies virus Env A-DG-Ds Red combined with a Cre/lox P gene-expression strategy to map the direct monosynaptic inputs to the GABAergic neurons in the PZ, and found that they receive inputs mainly from the hypothalamic area, zona incerta, and parasubthalamic nucleus in the hypothalamus; the substantia nigra, pars reticulata and deep mesencephalic nucleus in the midbrain;and the intermediate reticular nucleus and medial vestibular nucleus（parvocellular part） in the pons and medulla.We also mapped the axonal projections of the PZ GABAergic neurons with adeno-associated virus, and defined the reciprocal connections of the PZ GABAergic neurons with their input and output nuclei. The newlyfound inputs and outputs of the PZ were also listed compared with the literature. This cell-type-specific neuronal whole-brain mapping of the PZ GABAergic neurons may reveal the circuits underlying various functions such as sleep-wake regulation.

Prognostic significance of the hemoglobin A1c level in non-diabetic patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention: a meta-analysis

Background:The predictive value of hemoglobin A1c(HbA1c)levels in non-diabetic patients with myocardial infarction undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI)is still controversial.This study aimed to evaluate whether HbA1c levels were independently associated with adverse clinical outcomes in non-diabetic patients with coronary artery disease(CAD)who had undergone PCI by performing a meta-analysis of cohort studies.Methods:This meta-analysis included non-diabetic patients with CAD who had undergone PCI.A systematic search for publications listed in the PubMed,Embase,and Cochrane Library databases from commencement to December 2018 was conducted.Studies evaluating the adverse clinical outcomes according to abnormal HbA1c levels in non-diabetic patients diagnosed with CAD who had undergone PCI were eligible.The primary outcomes were long-term all-cause deaths and long-term major adverse cardiac events,and the secondary outcome was short-term all-cause deaths.The meta-analysis was conducted with RevMan 5.3 and Stata software 14.0.Odds ratios(ORs)were pooled using a random or fixed-effects model,depending on the heterogeneity of the included studies.Sub-group analysis or sensitivity analysis was conducted to explore potential sources of heterogeneity,when necessary.Results:Six prospective cohort studies involving 10,721 patients met the inclusion criteria.From the pooled analysis,abnormal HbA1c levels were associated with increased risk for long-term all-cause death(OR 1.39,95%confidence interval[CI]1.16-1.68,P=0.001,I2=45%).Sub-group analysis suggested that abnormal HbA1c levels between 6.0%and 6.5%predicted higher long-term major adverse cardiac event(including all-cause deaths,non-fatal myocardial infarction,target lesion revascularization,target vessel revascularization,recurrent acute myocardial infarction,heart failure requiring hospitalization,and stent thrombosis)risk(OR 2.05,95%CI 1.46-2.87,P<0.001,I2=0).Contrarily,elevated HbA1c levels were not associated with increased risk of short-term all-cause death(OR 1.16,95%CI 0.88-1.54,P=0.300,I2=0).Conclusions:An abnormal HbA1c level is an independent risk factor for long-term adverse clinical events in non-diabetic patients with CAD after PCI.Strict control of HbA1c levels may improve patient survival.Further studies in different countries and prospective cohort studies with a large sample size are required to verify the association.