Activation of endogenous neurogenesis and angiogenesis by basic fibroblast growth factor-chitosan gel in an adult rat model of ischemic stroke

Attempts have been made to use cell transplantation and biomaterials to promote cell proliferation,differentiation,migration,and survival,as well as angiogenesis,in the context of brain injury.However,whether bioactive materials can repair the damage caused by ischemic stroke by activating endogenous neurogenesis and angiogenesis is still unknown.In this study,we applied chitosan gel loaded with basic fibroblast growth factor to the stroke cavity 7 days after ischemic stroke in rats.The gel slowly released basic fibroblast growth factor,which improved the local microenvironment,activated endogenous neural stem/progenitor cells,and recruited these cells to migrate toward the penumbra and stroke cavity and subsequently differentiate into neurons,while enhancing angiogenesis in the penumbra and stroke cavity and ultimately leading to partial functional recovery.This study revealed the mechanism by which bioactive materials repair ischemic strokes,thus providing a new strategy for the clinical application of bioactive materials in the treatment of ischemic stroke.

Low Level of Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator Is Associated with Human Sperm Autophagy and Vitality

Low sperm motility is one of the main causes of male infertility. Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR, an anion channel protein) is related to the progressive motility of sperm. CFTR disruptor CFTRinh-172 or forskolin (FSK) in this study were used to treat human sperm separately, and the rates of sperm autophagy and progressive motility, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and ATP concentration, and the expression levels of related factors were detected to explore their relationship. It was showed that sperms treated with CFTRinh-172 or FSK reduced the levels of cAMP, CFTR and PKA, but increased sperm autophagy rate, expression levels of AMPK and LC3B. However, reactive oxygen species content had no significant difference. It was indicated that low level of CFTR performed with cAMP and its downstream effectors such as PKA and AMPK to regulate mitochondrial structure and function, leading to increased autophagy rate and reduced vitality of sperm.

Effect of Home Blood Pressure Telemonitoring Plus Additional Support on Blood Pressure Control:A Randomized Clinical Trial

Objective Current clinical evidence on the effects of home blood pressure telemonitoring(HBPT)on improving blood pressure control comes entirely from developed countries.Thus,we performed this randomized controlled trial to evaluate whether HBPT plus support(patient education and clinician remote hypertension management)improves blood pressure control more than usual care(UC)in the Chinese population.Methods This single-center,randomized controlled study was conducted in Beijing,China.Patients aged 30-75 years were eligible for enrolment if they had blood pressure[systolic(SBP)≥140 mmHg and/or diastolic(DBP)≥90 mmHg;or SBP≥130 mmHg and/or DBP≥80 mmHg with diabetes].We recruited 190 patients randomized to either the HBPT or the UC groups for 12 weeks.The primary endpoints were blood pressure reduction and the proportion of patients achieving the target blood pressure.Results Totally,172 patients completed the study,the HBPT plus support group(n=84),and the UC group(n=88).Patients in the plus support group showed a greater reduction in mean ambulatory blood pressure than those in the UC group.The plus support group had a significantly higher proportion of patients who achieved the target blood pressure and maintained a dipper blood pressure pattern at the12th week of follow-up.Additionally,the patients in the plus support group showed lower blood pressure variability and higher drug adherence than those in the UC group.Conclusion HBPT plus additional support results in greater blood pressure reduction,better blood pressure control,a higher proportion of dipper blood pressure patterns,lower blood pressure variability,and higher drug adherence than UC.The development of telemedicine may be the cornerstone of hypertension management in primary care.

Relationship of Microvascular Obstruction with Global and Regional Myocardial Function Determined by Cardiac Magnetic Resonance after ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction

Objective To investigate the impact of microvascular obstruction(MVO)on the global and regional myocardial function by cardiac magnetic resonance feature-tracking(CMR-FT)in ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction(STEMI)patients after percutaneous coronary intervention.Methods Consecutive acute STEMI patients who underwent cardiac magnetic resonance imaging 1-7 days after successful reperfusion by percutaneous coronary intervention treatment were included in this retrospective study.Based on the presence or absence of MVO on late gadolinium enhancement images,patients were divided into groups with MVO and without MVO.The infarct zone,adjacent zone,and remote zone were determined based on a myocardial 16-segment model.The radial strain(RS),circumferential strain(CS),and longitudinal strain(LS)of the global left ventricle(LV)and the infarct,adjacent,and remote zones were measured by CMRFT from cine images and compared between patients with and without MVO using independent-samples t-test.Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association of MVO with the impaired LV function.Results A total of 157 STEMI patients(mean age 56.66±11.38 years)were enrolled.MVO was detected in 37.58%(59/157)of STEMI patients,and the mean size of MVO was 3.00±3.76 mL.Compared with patients without MVO(n=98),the MVO group had significantly reduced LV global RS(t=-4.30,P<0.001),global CS(t=4.99,P<0.001),and global LS(t=3.51,P=0.001).The RS and CS of the infarct zone in patients with MVO were significantly reduced(t=-3.38,P=0.001;t=2.64,P=0.01;respectively)and the infarct size was significantly larger(t=8.37,P<0.001)than that of patients without MVO.The presence of LV MVO[OR=4.10,95%CI:2.05-8.19,P<0.001]and its size[OR=1.38,95%CI:1.10-1.72,P=0.01],along with the heart rate and LV infarct size were significantly associated with impaired LV global CS in univariable Logistic regression analysis,while only heart rate(OR=1.08,95%CI:1.03-1.13,P=0.001)and LV infarct size(OR=1.10,95%CI:1.03-1.16,P=0.003)were independent influencing factors for the impaired LV global CS in multivariable Logistic regression analysis.Conclusion The infarct size was larger in STEMI patients with MVO,and MVO deteriorates the global and regional LV myocardial function.

Attributable Causes of Breast Cancer and Ovarian Cancer in China:Reproductive Factors,Oral Contraceptives and Hormone Replacement Therapy

Objective： To provide an evidence-based, consistent assessment of the burden of breast cancer attributable to reproductive factors （RFs, including nulliparity, mean number of children, age at first birth and breastfeeding）, use of oral contraceptives （OCs, restricted to the age group of 15-49 years）, and hormone replacement therapy （HRT）, as well as of the burden of ovarian cancer attributable to the mean number of children in China in 2005. Methods： We derived the prevalence of these risk factors and the relative risk of breast and ovarian cancer from national surveys or large-scale studies conducted in China. In the case of RFs, we compared the exposure distributions in 2001 and counterfactual exposure. Results： Exposure of RFs in 2002 was found to account for 6.74% of breast cancer, corresponding to 9,617 cases and 2,769 deaths, and for 2.78% of ovarian cancer （712 cases, 294 deaths）. The decrease in mean number of children alone was responsible for 1.47% of breast cancer and 2.78% of ovarian cancer. The prevalence of OC use was 1.74% and the population attributable fraction （PAF） of breast cancer was 0.71%, corresponding to 310 cases and 90 deaths. The PAF of breast cancer due to HRT was 0.31%, resulting in 297 cases and 85 deaths. Conclusion： RFs changes in China contributed to a sizable fraction of breast and ovarian cancer incidence and mortality, whereas HRT and OCs accounted for relatively low incidence of breast cancer in China.

Trends of Overweight and Obesity in Yi People between 1996 and 2007:An Yi Migrant Study

Objective To evaluate trends of overweight and obesity prevalence between 1996 and 2007 in Yi farmers and Yi migrants.Methods An Yi migrant study was conducted in Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture,Sichuan Province,China from 1996 to 2007.Data were collected with identical methods,including standardized questionnaire and body measurements.Results Age‐ and sex‐specific body mass index （BMI） significantly increased from 20.02 in 1996 to 22.36 in 2007,among Yi farmers,which was significantly different from those among Yi migrants （23.67 in 2007 and 20.90 in 1996） （P0.05）.Prevalence of obesity rose from 1.21 % in 1996 to 4.55 % in 2007 （OR=1.15,P0.001） in Yi migrants,while that in Yi farmers from none in 1996 to 0.12 % in 2007 （P0.05）.Prevalence of overweight rose significantly to 26.24 %in 2007 from 17.24 % in 1996 （OR=1.06,P0.001） in Yi migrants,while that in Yi farmers from 1.29 % in 1996 to 4.45 % in 2007 （OR=1.14,P0.001）.Yi migrants appeared to have a 5.52‐fold higher risk ondeveloping overweight and obesity than Yi farmers have.Conclusion The Yi migrants had a steeper increase of overweight with year and consequently caused more obesity.Change in lifestyle may contribute most likely to higher prevalence of overweight and obesity in Yi migrants.

Incidence and Risk Factors of Cognitive Impairment 3 Months after First-ever Stroke: A Cross-sectional Study of 5 Geographic Areas of China

This study examined the incidence, neuropsychological characteristics and risk factors of cognitive impairment 3 months after stroke in China. Five regions that differed in geography and economy in China were selected. Patients from the hospitals located in the five regions were prescreened at admission, and the demographic data, vascular risk factors and clinical characteristics of stroke were obtained. A battery of cognitive-specific domain tests was performed in the patients who failed to pass cognitive screening 3 months post stroke. Patients were diagnosed as having post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) or no cognitive impairment (NCI) based on the results of the neuropsy-chological tests. Univariate analysis was performed for suspect risk factors, and significant variables were entered in multivariable logistic regression analysis. Our results showed that a total of 633 patients were recruited 3 months after stroke; complete cognitive tests were performed in 577 of the stroke pa-tients. The incidence of PSCI in these Chinese patients was 30.7%. There were 129 (22.4%) patients with visuospatial impairment, 67 (11.6%) with executive impairment, 60 (10.4%) with memory impairment and 18 (3.1%) with attention impairment. The risk factors associated with PSCI were older age (odds ratio [OR] 1.76, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.20–2.58), low education level (OR 2.45, 95% CI 1.65–3.64), depressive symptom (OR 1.69, 95% CI 1.09–2.61), obesity (OR 2.57, 95% CI 1.41–4.71), stroke severity 3 months post stroke (OR 1.62, 95%CI 1.10–2.37) and cortex lesion (OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.04–2.31). It was concluded that PSCI occurs commonly 3 months after first-ever stroke in Chinese patients. Visuospatial ability may be the most frequently impaired cognitive domain for the patients with stroke. The critical risk factors of PSCI are older age, low education level, depressive symptom, obesity, stroke severity 3 months post stroke and cortex lesion.

Altered expression of MUC2 and MUC5AC in progression of colorectal carcinoma

AIM:To study the expression profiles of MUC2 and MUC5AC in tumorigenesis of colorectal carcinoma and in its different pathologic types.METHODS:Formalin-fixed,paraffin-embedded human colorectal tissue specimens were immunostained with antibodies against MUC2 and MUC5AC.Six samples of normal mucosa(NM),12 samples of hyperplastic polyp(HP),15 samples of tubular adenoma with low-grade dysplasia(LGD),14 samples of tubular adenoma with high-grade dysplasia(HGD),26 samples of conventional colorectal adenocarcinoma(CCA),15 samples of mucinous carcinoma(MC),and 8 samples of signetring cell carcinoma(SRCC) were collected.RESULTS:MUC2 was the most widely expressed protein in each study group,although the number of MUC2positive cases was less in CCA group than in other groups(P < 0.05).The staining score for MUC2 was significantly decreased in the HP-LGD-HGD-CCA sequence(r =-0.73436,P < 0.0001).Among the neoplasms,MC and SRCC were more frequently associated with the high expression of MUC2(P < 0.05) than with that of CCA.MUC5AC expression was detected in all groups but not in NM group.Furthermore,the staining score for MUC5AC was higher in HP,LGD,HGD,MC and SRCC groups than in NM and CCA groups(P < 0.05).The frequency of simultaneous expression of MUC proteins was significantly higher in MC and SRCC groups than in CCA group(P < 0.05).CONCLUSION:Alterations in MUC expression occur during colorectal tumorigenesis.The transformation process in MC and SRCC may be different from that in the traditional adenoma-carcinoma sequence.

Combined Effect of Smoking and Obesity on Coronary Heart Disease Mortality in Male Veterans:A 30-year Cohort Study

Objective Evidence is lacking regarding the combined effects of smoking and obesity on mortality from coronary heart disease in male veterans.This study aimed to explore the combined effect of smoking and obesity on coronary heart disease mortality in male veterans in China.Methods A cohort of 1,268 male veterans from 22 veteran centers in Xi’an(Shaanxi Province,China)were followed up once every 2 years from February 1,1987 to October 30,2016.The endpoint was death from any cause.The hazard ratio(HR)of each risk factor and the 95%confidence interval(CI)were calculated using a multivariate Cox proportional hazard model.Results The total follow-up was 24394.21 person-years;each subject was followed up for a mean duration of 19.24 years.By the end of the study,of the 1,268 veterans,889 had died,363 were alive,and 16 were lost to follow-up.Cox regression analysis results revealed that current smoking(HR:1.552,95%CI:1.074–2.243),obesity(HR:1.625,95%CI:1.024–2.581),and the combined effect of the two factors(HR:2.828,95%CI:1.520–5.262)were associated with coronary heart disease mortality.Conclusion Our results suggest that obese veterans who smoke might be an important target population for coronary heart disease mortality control.

Attributable Causes of Cancer in China:Fruit and Vegetable

Objective：To provide an evidence-based and consistent assessment of the burden of cancer attributable to inadequate fruit and vegetable intake in China in 2005.Methods：The proportions of cancers attributable to low consumption of vegetable and fruit were calculated separately to estimate the burden of related cancers for the year 2005 in China.Data on the prevalence of exposure were derived from a Chinese nutrition and health survey.Data on relative risks were mainly derived from meta-analysis.Attributable fractions were calculated based on the counterfactual scenario which was a shift in the exposure distribution.Results：The total cancer burden attributable to inadequate consumption of fruit was up to 233,000 deaths （13.0% of all cancers） and 300,000 cases （11.6% of all cancers） in 2005.Increasing consumption of vegetable to the highest quintile could avoid total cancer deaths and cases by 3.6% （64,000 persons） and 3.4% （88,000 persons）.The contributions to cancer burden were higher in rural areas than in urban areas.They have greater influence on men than on women.The largest proportions of cancer burden attributable to low fruit and vegetable intake were for oral and pharyngeal cancers.Conclusion：This study showed that inadequate intake of fruit and vegetable makes a significant contribution to the cancer burden.Increasing consumption of fruit and vegetable could prevent many cancer deaths and save many lives.Promoting the consumption of fruit and vegetable is an important component in diet-based strategies for preventing cancer.

Effectiveness of Different Waist Circumference Cut-off Values in Predicting Metabolic Syndrome Prevalence and Risk Factors in Adults in China

Objective To study the effectiveness of waist circumference cut-off values in predicting the prevalence of metabolic syndrome （MetS） and risk factors in adults in China. Methods A cross-sectional survey was condcuted in 14 provinces （autonomous region, municipality） in China. A total of 47 325 adults aged 〉20 years were selected by multistage stratified sampling, and questionnaire survey and physical and clinical examination were conducted among them. MetS was defined according to the International Diabetes Federation （IDF） criteria and modified IDF criteria.Results The age-standardized prevalence of MetS was 24.2% （22.1% in men and 25.8% in women） and 19.5% （22.1% in men and 18.0% in women} according to the IDF criteria and modified IDF criteria respectively. The age-standardized prevalence of pre-MetS was 8.1% （8.6% in men and 7.8% in women） according to the modified IDF criteria. The prevalence of MetS was higher in urban residents than rural residents and in northern China residents than in southern China residents. The prevalence of central obesity was about 30% in both men and women according to the ethnicity-specific cut-off values of waist circumference for central obesity （90 cm for men and 85 cm for women）. Multivariate regression analysis revealed no significant difference in risk factors between the two MetS definitions. Conclusion Using both the modified IDF criteria and ethnicity-specific cut-off values of waist circumference can provide more useful information about the prevalence of MetS in China.

Analysis of Factors Influencing Insomnia and Construction of a Prediction Model:A Cross-sectional Survey on Rescuers

Objective To determine the factors influencing insomnia and construct early insomnia warning tools for rescuers to informbest practices for early screening and intervention.Methods Cluster sampling was used to conduct a cross-sectional survey of 1,133 rescuers from one unit in Beijing,China.Logistic regression modeling and R software were used to analyze insomniarelated factors and construct a PRISM model,respectively.Results The positive rate of insomnia among rescuers was 2.74%.Accounting for participants’age,education,systolic pressure,smoking,per capita family monthly income,psychological resilience,and cognitive emotion regulation,logistic regression analysis revealed that,compared with families with an average monthly income less than 3,000 yuan,the odds ratio(OR)values and the[95%confidence interval(CI)]for participants of the following categories were as follows:average monthly family income greater than 5,000 yuan:2.998(1.307–6.879),smoking:4.124(1.954–8.706),and psychological resilience:0.960(0.933–0.988).The ROC curve area of the PRISM model(AUC)=0.7650,specificity=0.7169,and sensitivity=0.7419.Conclusion Insomnia was related to the participants’per capita family monthly income,smoking habits,and psychological resilience on rescue workers.The PRISM model’s good diagnostic value advises its use to screen rescuer early sleep quality.Further,advisable interventions to optimize sleep quality and battle effectiveness include psychological resilience training and smoking cessation.

Joint Association of Metabolic Health and Obesity with Ten-Year Risk of Cardiovascular Disease among Chinese Adults

Objective This study aims to investigate the association of metabolic phenotypes that are jointly determined by body mass index(BMI)or fat mass percentage and metabolic health status with the tenyear risk of cardiovascular disease(CVD)among Chinese adults.Methods Data were obtained from a cross-sectional study.BMI and body fat mass percentage(FMP)combined with the metabolic status were used to define metabolic phenotypes.Multiple linear regression and logistic regression were used to examine the effects of metabolic phenotypes on CVD risk.Results A total of 13,239 adults aged 34-75 years were included in this study.Compared with the metabolically healthy non-obese(MHNO)phenotype,the metabolically unhealthy non-obese(MUNO)and metabolically unhealthy obese(MUO)phenotypes defined by BMI showed a higher CVD risk[odds ratio,OR(95% confidence interval,CI):2.34(1.89-2.89),3.45(2.50-4.75),respectively],after adjusting for the covariates.The MUNO and MUO phenotypes defined by FMP showed a higher CVD risk[OR(95%CI):2.31(1.85-2.88),2.63(1.98-3.48),respectively]than the MHNO phenotype.The metabolically healthy obese phenotype,regardless of being defined by BMI or FMP,showed no CVD risk compared with the MHNO phenotype.Conclusion General obesity without central obesity does not increase CVD risk in metabolically healthy individuals.FMP might be a more meaningful factor for the evaluation of the association of obesity with CVD risk.Obesity and metabolic status have a synergistic effect on CVD risk.

Association between ApoE Polymorphism and Type 2 Diabetes: A Meta-Analysis of 59 Studies

Objective To identify the important risk factors for type 2 Diabetes Mellitus(T2 DM) and develop effective strategies to address the problem of T2 DM. Our study aimed to evaluate the association between apolipoprotein E(Apo E) genetic polymorphism and type 2 diabetes, and to provide clues for the etiology of T2 DM.Methods Based on the criteria of inclusion and exclusion, we extracted, pooled, analyzed and assessed the case-control studies of Apo E polymorphism and T2 DM published in Pub Med, Web of Science,Medline, Wan Fang, VIP, and CNKI databases by R soft-ware(version 3.4.3). We used Random-effect models when heterogeneity was present in between-study, and fixed-effect models otherwise.Results We had 59 studies covering 6,872 cases with T2 DM and 8,250 controls, and compared the alleles and genotypes of Apo E between cases and controls. When we conducted a comparison between Apo E ε4 and ε3 alleles, we produced a pooled OR of 1.18(95% CI: 1.09-1.28;P < 0.001). Apo E ε2/ε2 genotype displayed a possible association with T2 DM(OR = 1.46;95% CI: 1.11-1.93;P = 0.007), ε3/ε4 genotype showed a 1.11-fold risk(OR = 1.11;95% CI: 1.01-1.22;P = 0.039) and ε4/ε4 genotype had a1.71-fold risk of developing T2 DM(OR = 1.71;95% CI: 1.33-2.19;P < 0.001) when they were compared with ε3/ε3 genotype.Conclusions There is an association between Apo E polymorphism and T2 DM: allele ε4 and genotypes(ε2/ε2, ε3/ε4, and ε4/ε4) are associated with the increased risk for the development of T2 DM, and they may be risk factors for T2 DM.

Sex-specific and Dose-response Relationship between the Incidence of Gallstones and Components of the Metabolic Syndrome in Jinchang Cohort:A Prospective Study

Gallstones is a very common gastrointestinal disease,involving the formation of masses in the gall bladder or biliary tract,due to abnormally high concentrations of cholesterol or bilirubin in the bile[1].There is a 10%–20%prevalence of gallstones worldwide,and>20%of patients with gallstones show clinical symptoms,implying a substantial disease burden[1].

Association of PPARγand AGTR1 Polymorphisms with Hypertriglyceridemia in Chinese Population

Hypertriglyceridemia （HTG） is an important metabolic disease and strongly associated with the development of hypertension, atherosclerosis,coronary artery disease, and type 2 diabetes mellitus（T2DM）. HTG risk is affected by various factors and might occur owing to the complex synergistic interaction between the genetic background and environmental factors;.

Association between Pre-pregnancy Body Mass Index and Offspring Neuropsychological Development from 1 to 24 Months of Age: A Birth Cohort Study in China

Objective To explore the interactions between pre-pregnancy body mass index(BMI) and age on offspring neuropsychological development from 1 to 24 months in China.Methods In this birth cohort study, a total of 2,253 mother-child pairs were enrolled in Tianjin, China,between July 2015 and May 2018. The China Developmental Scale for Children was used to assess developmental quotient(DQ) of children aged from 1 to 24 months.Results Mixed-models analysis revealed significant age × pre-pregnancy BMI interactions for total DQ and five neurobehavioral domains(gross motor, fine motor, adaptive, language, and social;P < 0.001).Age × pre-pregnancy BMI ≥ 25 kg/m^2 was associated with a negative effect on total DQ and five neurobehavioral domains, as compared to pre-pregnancy BMI < 25 kg/m^2(P < 0.01). Multiple comparisons showed pre-pregnancy BMI ≥ 25 kg/m^2 of mothers had a positive effect on child total DQ at the age of 1 month but a negative effect at 24 months(P < 0.05).Conclusions This study supported the age × pre-pregnancy BMI interaction on offspring neuropsychological development. It also revealed a short-term positive impact of high pre-pregnancy BMI on neuropsychological development at 1 month of age, but a long-term negative effect(from 1 to24 months).

Study of Zero-Inflated Regression Models in a Large-Scale Population Survey of Sub-Health Status and Its Influencing Factors

Objective Sub-health status has progressively gained more attention from both medical professionals and the publics. Treating the number of sub-health symptoms as count data rather than dichotomous data helps to completely and accurately analyze findings in sub-healthy population. This study aims to compare the goodness of fit for count outcome models to identify the optimum model for sub-health study.Methods The sample of the study derived from a large-scale population survey on physiological and psychological constants from 2007 to 2011 in 4 provinces and 2 autonomous regions in China. We constructed four count outcome models using SAS: Poisson model, negative binomial (NB) model, zero-inflated Poisson (ZIP) model and zero-inflated negative binomial (ZINB) model. The number of sub-health symptoms was used as the main outcome measure. The alpha dispersion parameter and O test were used to identify over-dispersed data, and Vuong test was used to evaluate the excessive zero count. The goodness of fit of regression models were determined by predictive probability curves and statistics of likelihood ratio test.Results Of all 78 307 respondents, 38.53% reported no sub-health symptoms. The mean number of sub-health symptoms was 2.98, and the standard deviation was 3.72. The statistic O in over-dispersion test was 720.995 (P<0.001); the estimated alpha was 0.618 (95% CI: 0.600-0.636) comparing ZINB model and ZIP model; Vuong test statistic Z was 45.487. These results indicated over-dispersion of the data and excessive zero counts in this sub-health study. ZINB model had the largest log likelihood (-167 519), the smallest Akaike’s Information Criterion coefficient (335 112) and the smallest Bayesian information criterion coefficient (335455),indicating its best goodness of fit. The predictive probabilities for most counts in ZINB model fitted the observed counts best. The logit section of ZINB model analysis showed that age, sex, occupation, smoking, alcohol drinking, ethnicity and obesity were determinants for presence of sub-health symptoms; the binomial negative section of ZINB model analysis showed that sex, occupation, smoking, alcohol drinking, ethnicity, marital status and obesity had significant effect on the severity of sub-health.Conclusions All tests for goodness of fit and the predictive probability curve produced the same finding that ZINB model was the optimum model for exploring the influencing factors of sub-health symptoms.

A Dose-response Meta-analysis of Egg Intake and Breast Cancer Risk

Aim Eggs are one of the most nutritious foods in nature,but there is no unified conclusion about the association between egg intake and breast cancer risk.Methods The PubMed and Web of Science databases for the literature on egg intake and breast cancer risk were searched for papers published during the last 10 years.These were then filtered according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria.Stata16.0 software was applied to perform a meta-analysis,the generalized least squares method and constrained cubic spline model were used to assess the dose-response trends between egg intake and breast cancer risk.Results A total of 9 articles were included:6 case control studies and 3 cohort studies.The Newcastle-Ottawa scale(NOS)values of the included articles were all≥6 points.The pooled relative risks(RR)of egg intake and breast cancer risk was 0.91(95%CI:0.69-1.19).The dose-response analysis showed a linear trend for egg intake and breast cancer risk(P=0.689).With every 10 g/day increase in egg intake,the incidence of breast cancer increased by 2%(RR=1.02,95%CI:0.99-1.05).However,these results were not statistically significant.Conclusion This meta-analysis found no significant association between egg intake and breast cancer.

An epidemiologic study of mitochondrial membrane transporter protein gene polymorphism and risk factors for neural tube defects in Shanxi, China

The present study involved a questionnaire survey of 156 mothers that gave birth to children with neural tube defects or had a history of pregnancy resulting in children with neural tube defects （case group） and 156 control mothers with concurrent healthy children （control group） as well as detection of mitochondrial membrane transporter protein gene [uncoupling protein 2 （UCP2）] polymorphism. The maternal UCP2 3＇ untranslated region （UTR） D/D genotype and D allele frequency were significantly higher in the case group compared with the control group （odds ratio （OR） 3.233; 95% confidence interval （C/） 1.103 9.476; P= 0.040; OR： 3.484; 95% CI： for neural tube defects 2.109 5.753; P 〈 0.001）. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis of risk factors for neural tube defects showed that a matemal UCP2 3＇ UTR D/D genotype was negatively interacted with the mothers＇ consumption of frequent fresh fruit and vegetables （S = 0.007）, positively interacted with the mothers＇ frequency of germinated potato consumption （S = 2.15） and positively interacted with the mothers＇ body mass index （S = 3.50）. These findings suggest that maternal UCP2 3＇ UTR gene polymorphism, pregnancy time, consumption of germinated potatoes and body mass index are associated with an increased risk for neural tube defects in children from mothers living in Shanxi province, China. Moreover, there is an apparent gene-environment interaction involved in the development of neural tube defects in offspring.