Research Brief No. 15 - Visible Minority Groups Vary in Social Integration

On the basis of the 2001 Ethnic Diversity Survey, this study examines relationship between generation of Canadian residence and social integration. Two subjective (self-reported) measures of integration are used: sense of belonging to Canada and feelings of discomfort living in the host society. The study finds that the relationship between immigrant generation and social integration depends upon demographic and neighbourhood characteristics, as well as upon the city of settlement. The study also illustrates that while sense of belonging does not change across immigrant generations, it is higher for South Asians, lower among Chinese and French Canadians, and similar to the British-origin Canadians for other racial minorities. The study finds that visible minority immigrants are more likely to report feelings of discomfort than the Canadian-born or Whites in Canada. However, the feeling of discomfort decreases as immigrant generation status increases, and, over time, most immigrants are able to adapt and consider Canada their home

Thirty-six months recurrence after acute ischemic stroke among patients with comorbid type 2 diabetes: A nested case-control study

Background: Stroke patients have to face a high risk of recurrence, especially for those with comorbid T2DM, which usually lead to much more serious neurologic damage and an increased likelihood of death. This study aimed to explore determinants of stroke relapse among patients with comorbid T2DM. Materials and methods: We conducted this case-control study nested a prospective cohort of ischemic stroke (IS) with comorbid T2DM. During 36-month follow-up, the second stroke occurred in 84 diabetic IS patients who were allocated into the case group, while 613 patients without recurrence were the controls. We collected the demographic data, behaviors and habits, therapies, and family history at baseline, and measured the variables during follow-up. LASSO and Logistic regression analyses were carried out to develop a prediction model of stroke recurrence. The receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve was employed to evaluate the performance of the prediction model. Results: Compared to participants without recurrence, the higher levels of pulse rate (78.29 ± 12.79 vs. 74.88 ± 10.93) and hypertension (72.6 vs. 61.2 %) were recorded at baseline. Moreover, a lower level of physical activity (77.4 vs. 90.4 %), as well as a higher proportion of hypoglycemic therapy (36.9 vs. 23.3 %) was also observed during 36-month follow-up. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that higher pulse rate at admission (OR = 1.027, 95 % CI = 1.005 – 1.049), lacking physical activity (OR = 2.838, 9 5 % CI = 1.418 – 5.620) and not receiving hypoglycemic therapy (OR = 1.697, 95 % CI = 1.013 – 2.843) during follow-up increased the risk of stroke recurrence. We developed a prediction model using baseline pulse rate, hypoglycemic therapy, and physical activity, which produced an area under ROC curve (AUC) of 0.689. Conclusion: Physical activity and hypoglycemic therapy play a protective role for IS patients with comorbid diabetes. In addition to targeted therapeutics, the improvement of daily-life habit contributes to slowing the progress of the IS

The association between serum complement C3a and severity in patients with community-acquired pneumonia

BackgroundA few studies found that the complement system may be involved in the onset and progression of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). However, the role of the complement system in CAP was obscure. The goal of this study was to analyze the association of serum complement C3a with CAP severity scores based on a cross-sectional study.MethodsAll 190 CAP patients and 95 control subjects were enrolled. Demographic information and clinical data were extracted. Peripheral blood samples were collected on admission.ResultsSerum complement C3a on admission was elevated in CAP patients compared with healthy subjects. The level of complement C3a was gradually elevated in parallel with CAP severity scores (CURB-65, CRB-65, PSI, SMART-COP, and CURXO). Complement C3a was positively correlated with blood routine parameters, renal function markers, and inflammatory cytokines in CAP patients. Furthermore, multivariate linear and logistic regression models found that serum complement C3a on admission was positively associated with CAP severity scores. Mechanistic research suggested that complement system inhibition alleviated Streptococcus pneumoniae-induced upregulation of IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6, and CRP in MLE-12 cells.ConclusionsSerum complement C3a on admission is positively associated with the severity of CAP patients. Inhibiting complement system attenuates S. pneumoniae-elevated secretion of inflammatory cytokines in pulmonary epithelial cells, indicating that complement C3a is involved in the pathophysiology of CAP. Serum complement C3a may serve as an earlier diagnostic biomarker for CAP

The GATA factor HANABA TARANU promotes runner formation by regulating axillary bud initiation and outgrowth in cultivated strawberry

A runner, as an elongated branch, develops from the axillary bud (AXB) in the leaf axil and is crucial for the clonal propagation of cultivated strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa Duch.). Runner formation occurs in at least two steps: AXB initiation and AXB outgrowth. HANABA TARANU (HAN ) encodes a GATA transcription factor that affects AXB initiation in Arabidopsis and promotes branching in grass species, but the underlying mechanism is largely unknown. Here, the function of a strawberry HAN homolog FaHAN in runner formation was characterized. FaHAN transcripts can be detected in the leaf axils. Overexpression (OE) of FaHAN increased the number of runners, mainly by enhancing AXB outgrowth, in strawberry. The expression of the strawberry homolog of BRANCHED1 , a key inhibitor of AXB outgrowth in many plant species, was significantly downregulated in the AXBs of FaHAN -OE lines, whereas the expression of the strawberry homolog of SHOOT MERISTEMLESS, a marker gene for AXB initiation in Arabidopsis, was upregulated. Moreover, several genes of gibberellin biosynthesis and cytokinin signaling pathways were activated, whereas the auxin response pathway genes were repressed. Further assays indicated that FaHAN could be directly activated by FaNAC2, the overexpression of which in strawberry also increased the number of runners. The silencing of FaNAC2 or FaHAN inhibited AXB initiation and led to a higher proportion of dormant AXBs, confirming their roles in the control of runner formation. Taken together, our results revealed a FaNAC2-FaHAN pathway in the control of runner formation and have provided a means to enhance the vegetative propagation of cultivated strawberry.Peer reviewe