Validation of Chinese Multidimensional Depression Assessment Scale (MDAS) in Inner Mongolia pregnant women and risk factors of antenatal depression in Inner Mongolia in the era of one-child policy

BACKGROUND:Pregnancy involves physiological changes in reproductive and endocrine systems, and social role changes that can increase the risk of mental health problems. In China, greater emphasis has been given to postpartum depression and its negative impact on infant development. This study examined depression in pregnant women in Inner Mongolia, who are under the influence of cultural values of collectivism and social factors specific to China. Chinese society adheres firmly to traditional values, while market reform, birth-control policy, together with high parental investment in childcare and rearing construct a unique and sometimes unfavorable environment for Chinese women that may influence their depression expression. THE AIMS OF THIS STUDY ARE TWOFOLD:First, it validated the Chinese Multidimensional Depression Assessment Scale (MDAS), a holistic self-report questionnaire measuring depression severity in four domains of depression-emotional, somatic, cognitive and interpersonal in pregnant women in Inner Mongolia; second, it examined the influences of demographic characteristics (including age, education and employment), pregnancy characteristics (week of gestation, first pregnancy), self-esteem, social support, social activity, work stress, and work-family balance on depression. METHODS:A total of 234 pregnant women, mostly in their third trimester, were recruited in an antenatal hospital in Inner Mongolia and self-reported questionnaires were completed. RESULTS:Using Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), MDAS gave rise to a best-fit four-factor model corresponding to each subscale when it was first developed. MDAS also reported high Cronbach's alpha (0.96) and good convergent validity. Using hierarchical multiple linear regressions with significant demographic variables controlled for, self-esteem, work-family conflict, and social support were found to be significant predictors for depression. CONCLUSIONS:MDAS is a valid scale to be used with Chinese pregnant women, especially in more collectivistic geographical areas. Risk factors specific to the Chinese context add insights to the experience of antenatal depression in China and contribute to understanding depression in from a global mental health perspective

Differences in reactivation of tuberculosis induced from anti-tnf treatments are based on bioavailability in granulomatous tissue

The immune response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection is complex. Experimental evidence has revealed that tumor necrosis factor (TNF) plays a major role in host defense against Mtb in both active and latent phases of infection. TNF-neutralizing drugs used to treat inflammatory disorders have been reported to increase the risk of tuberculosis (TB), in accordance with animal studies. The present study takes a computational approach toward characterizing the role of TNF in protection against the tubercle bacillus in both active and latent infection. We extend our previous mathematical models to investigate the roles and production of soluble (sTNF) and transmembrane TNF (tmTNF). We analyze effects of anti-TNF therapy in virtual clinical trials (VCTs) by simulating two of the most commonly used therapies, anti-TNF antibody and TNF receptor fusion, predicting mechanisms that explain observed differences in TB reactivation rates. The major findings from this study are that bioavailability of TNF following anti-TNF therapy is the primary factor for causing reactivation of latent infection and that sTNF-even at very low levels-is essential for control of infection. Using a mathematical model, it is possible to distinguish mechanisms of action of the anti-TNF treatments and gain insights into the role of TNF in TB control and pathology. Our study suggests that a TNF-modulating agent could be developed that could balance the requirement for reduction of inflammation with the necessity to maintain resistance to infection and microbial diseases. Alternatively, the dose and timing of anti-TNF therapy could be modified. Anti-TNF therapy will likely lead to numerous incidents of primary TB if used in areas where exposure is likely. © 2007 Marino et al

A polymorphism in a let-7 microRNA binding site of KRAS in women with endometriosis.

Endometriosis is found in 5-15% of women of reproductive age and is more frequent in relatives of women with the disease. Activation of KRAS results in de novo endometriosis in mice, however, activating KRAS mutations have not been identified in women. We screened 150 women with endometriosis for a polymorphism in a let-7 microRNA (miRNA) binding site in the 3'-UTR of KRAS and detected a KRAS variant allele in 31% of women with endometriosis as opposed to 5% of a large diverse control population. KRAS mRNA and protein expression were increased in cultured endometrial stromal cells of women with the KRAS variant. Increased KRAS protein was due to altered miRNA binding as demonstrated in reporter assays. Endometrial stromal cells from women with the KRAS variant showed increased proliferation and invasion. In a murine model, endometrial xenografts containing the KRAS variant demonstrated increased proliferation and decreased progesterone receptor levels. These findings suggest that an inherited polymorphism of a let-7 miRNA binding site in KRAS leads to abnormal endometrial growth and endometriosis. The LCS6 polymorphism is the first described genetic marker of endometriosis risk

The Genetic Basis of Natural Variation in Drosophila melanogaster Immune Defense against Enterococcus faecalis

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.Dissecting the genetic basis of natural variation in disease response in hosts provides insights into the coevolutionary dynamics of host-pathogen interactions. Here, a genome-wide association study of Drosophila melanogaster survival after infection with the Gram-positive entomopathogenic bacterium Enterococcus faecalis is reported. There was considerable variation in defense against E. faecalis infection among inbred lines of the Drosophila Genetics Reference Panel. We identified single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with six genes with a significant (p < 10−08, corresponding to a false discovery rate of 2.4%) association with survival, none of which were canonical immune genes. To validate the role of these genes in immune defense, their expression was knocked-down using RNAi and survival of infected hosts was followed, which confirmed a role for the genes krishah and S6k in immune defense. We further identified a putative role for the Bomanin gene BomBc1 (also known as IM23), in E. faecalis infection response. This study adds to the growing set of association studies for infection in Drosophila melanogaster and suggests that the genetic causes of variation in immune defense differ for different pathogens

Effectiveness of mindful walking intervention on nature on sleep quality and mood among university student during Covid-19:A randomised control study

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this project was to conduct a randomised control study to examine whether outdoor mindful walking in nature can effectively improve university students’ sleep quality, mood, and mindfulness during the Covid-19 pandemic in the U.K. METHODS: Participants were measured at T(0) (pre-study baseline), T(1) (pre-intervention), T(2) (post-intervention), and T(3) (follow-up). A total of 104 participants (female = 94) who were experiencing sleep difficulties were randomly allocated to either an experimental (i.e., nature) or control (i.e., urban) walking environment. Participants in each walking condition independently undertook a daily 35-minute walk for a week (7 days). Subjective sleep quality, total mood disturbance, mindfulness, and degree of nature connectedness, and participants’ perspectives on the intervention, were collected. RESULTS: Findings suggest that both groups resulted in significant improvements in participants' trait mindfulness, sleep quality and mood after the intervention. However, mindful walking in nature did not bring additional mental health benefits to participants relative to those who walked an urban environment. Participants provided their perspectives about the intervention, which will assist with future intervention development. CONCLUSIONS: Findings contribute to the evidence-base on the effectiveness of outdoor mindful walking interventions for enhancing mental health. These findings contribute new knowledge on how mindful walking outdoors reduces university students’ mood disturbances and improves sleep quality and mindfulness level

The relationship between psychological distress and adolescent polydrug use

Polydrug use is relatively common among adolescents. Psychological distress is associated with the use of specific drugs, and may be uniquely associated with polydrug use. The purpose of this study was to test the association of psychological distress with polydrug use using a large adolescent sample. The sample consisted of 10,273 students aged 12-17 years from the State of Victoria, Australia. Participants completed frequency measures of tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, inhalant, and other drug use in the past 30 days, and psychological distress. Control variables included age, gender, family socioeconomic status, school suspensions, academic failure, cultural background, and peer drug use. Drug-use classes were derived using latent-class analysis, then the association of psychological distress and controls with drug-use classes was modeled using multinomial ordinal regression. There were 3 distinct classes of drug use: no drug use (47.7%), mainly alcohol use (44.1%), and polydrug use (8.2%). Independent of all controls, psychological distress was higher in polydrug users and alcohol users, relative to nondrug users, and polydrug users reported more psychological distress than alcohol users. Psychological distress was most characteristic of polydrug users, and targeted prevention outcomes may be enhanced by a collateral focus on polydrug use and depression and/or anxiety

Can Preschoolers be Health Messengers to Promote Breast Health among Chinese Americans?

Women’s limited knowledge about breast cancer screening (BCS), combined with differences in Eastern and Western disease prevention concepts, may contribute to late-stage breast cancer diagnosis among minorities. Children can be conduits of knowledge transfer to adults. This pilot study tested the use of a culturally-tailored theatrical preschool performance in increasing Chinese American women’s knowledge of BCS guidelines. Chinese preschool children relayed BCS guidelines through a culturally-tailored theatrical performance. Data were collected from 177 Chinese American women (84% foreign-born) who completed pre- and post-performance surveys. Findings suggested that promoting BCS guidelines through a culturally-tailored preschool theatrical performance significantly increased participants’ knowledge of the guidelines. Interventions involving young children as change agents to deliver simple health messages such as BCS guidelines are feasible and promising to increase knowledge and desired behavioral change within the target population. Further empirical investigations are warranted in larger randomized controlled trials

Effects of Promotional Materials on Attitudes and Fear towards Colorectal Cancer Screening among Chinese Older Adults: An Experimental Study

published_or_final_versio

Rail transit OD matrix estimation and journey time reliability metrics using automated fare data

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2007.Includes bibliographical references (p. 190-191).The availability of automatic fare collection (AFC) data greatly enhances a transit planner's ability to understand and characterize passenger travel demands which have traditionally been estimated by manual surveys handed out to passengers at stations or on board vehicles. The AFC data also presents an unprecedentedly consistent source of information on passenger travel times in those transit networks which have both entry and exit fare gates. By taking the difference between entry and exit times, AFC transactions can be used to capture the bulk of a passenger's time spent in the system including walking between gates and platforms, platform wait, in-train time, as well as interchange time for multi-vehicle trips. This research aims at demonstrating the potential value of AFC data in rail transit operations and planning. The applications developed in this thesis provide rail transit operators an easy-to-update management tool that evaluates several dimensions of rail service and demand at near real-time. While the concepts of the applications can be adapted to other transit systems, the detailed configurations and unique characteristics of each transit system require the methodologies to be tailored to solve its needs.(cont.) The focus of this research is the London Underground network which adopted the automatic fare collection system, known as the "Oyster Card", in 2003. The Oyster card is now used as the main form of public transport fare payment in all public transport modes within the Greater London area. The two applications developed for the London Underground using Oyster data are (1) estimation of an origin-destination flow matrix that reflects current demand and (2) rail service reliability metrics that capture both excess journey time and variation in journey times at the origin-destination, line segment or line levels. The Oyster dataset captures travel on more than three times the number of OD pairs in one 4-week AM peak period compared to those OD pairs evident in the RODS database - 57,407 vs. 17,421. The resulting Oyster-based OD matrix shows very similar travel patterns as the RODS matrix at the network and zonal levels. Station level differences are significant at a number of central stations with respect to interchanges. At the OD level, the differences are the greatest and a significant number of OD pairs in the RODS matrix seem to be erroneous or outdated. The proposed Excess Journey Time Metric and Journey Time Reliability Metric utilize large continuous streams of Oyster journey time data to support analyses during short time periods.(cont.) The comparison of the Excess Journey Time Metric and the official Underground Journey Time Metric show significant differences in line level results in terms of both number of excess minutes and relative performance across lines. The differences are mainly due to differences in scheduled journey times and OD demand weightings used in the two methodologies. Considerable differences in excess journey time and reliability results exist between directions on the same line due to the large imbalance of directional demand in the AM peak.by Joanne Chan.S.M