30 research outputs found
Maternal exposure to ambient air pollution and congenital heart defects in China
Background: Evidence of maternal exposure to ambient air pollution on congenital heart defects (CHD) has been mixed and are still relatively limited in developing countries. We aimed to investigate the association between maternal exposure to air pollution and CHD in China.Method: This longitudinal, population-based, case-control study consecutively recruited fetuses with CHD and healthy volunteers from 21 cities, Southern China, between January 2006 and December 2016. Residential address at delivery was linked to random forests models to estimate maternal exposure to particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of ≤1 µm (PM1), ≤2.5 µm, and ≤10 µm as well as nitrogen dioxides, in three trimesters. The CHD cases were evaluated by obstetrician, pediatrician, or cardiologist, and confirmed by cardia ultrasound. The CHD subtypes were coded using the International Classification Diseases. Adjusted logistic regression models were used to assess the associations between air pollutants and CHD and its subtypes.Results: A total of 7055 isolated CHD and 6423 controls were included in the current analysis. Maternal air pollution exposures were consistently higher among cases than those among controls. Logistic regression analyses showed that maternal exposure to all air pollutants during the first trimester was associated with an increased odds of CHD (e.g., an interquartile range [13.3 µg/m3] increase in PM1 was associated with 1.09-fold ([95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.18]) greater odds of CHD). No significant associations were observed for maternal air pollution exposures during the second trimester and the third trimester. The pattern of the associations between air pollutants and different CHD subtypes was mixed.Conclusions: Maternal exposure to greater levels of air pollutants during the pregnancy, especially the first trimester, is associated with higher odds of CHD in offspring. Further longitudinal well-designed studies are warranted to confirm our findings
Insight-HXMT observations of Swift J0243.6+6124 during its 2017-2018 outburst
The recently discovered neutron star transient Swift J0243.6+6124 has been
monitored by {\it the Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope} ({\it Insight-\rm HXMT).
Based on the obtained data, we investigate the broadband spectrum of the source
throughout the outburst. We estimate the broadband flux of the source and
search for possible cyclotron line in the broadband spectrum. No evidence of
line-like features is, however, found up to . In the absence of
any cyclotron line in its energy spectrum, we estimate the magnetic field of
the source based on the observed spin evolution of the neutron star by applying
two accretion torque models. In both cases, we get consistent results with
, and peak luminosity of which makes the source the first Galactic ultraluminous
X-ray source hosting a neutron star.Comment: publishe
Overview to the Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope (Insight-HXMT) Satellite
As China's first X-ray astronomical satellite, the Hard X-ray Modulation
Telescope (HXMT), which was dubbed as Insight-HXMT after the launch on June 15,
2017, is a wide-band (1-250 keV) slat-collimator-based X-ray astronomy
satellite with the capability of all-sky monitoring in 0.2-3 MeV. It was
designed to perform pointing, scanning and gamma-ray burst (GRB) observations
and, based on the Direct Demodulation Method (DDM), the image of the scanned
sky region can be reconstructed. Here we give an overview of the mission and
its progresses, including payload, core sciences, ground calibration/facility,
ground segment, data archive, software, in-orbit performance, calibration,
background model, observations and some preliminary results.Comment: 29 pages, 40 figures, 6 tables, to appear in Sci. China-Phys. Mech.
Astron. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1910.0443
Impact of environmental programs on student test scores mediated by school attendance rate
Background: Little is known regarding whether environmental programs affect student academic performance. We examined if the association between EPA Tools for School (TfS) policies or other environmental programs and student test scores were mediated by student attendance. Methods: The 2015 School Building Condition Survey (BCS) was linked with School Report data provided by the New York State Education Department (NYSED). BCS includes school building information from 2,956 public schools while School Report data provides school attendance and test scores for different subjects in NYS. We conducted causal mediation analysis to investigate direct and indirect effects of TfS or other programs, via improving attendance, on test scores for each course while controlling for school-level socio-demographics. Results: EPA TfS policies were significantly associated with a lower percent of “low total score” for overall math, overall science, and multiple specific subjects (all P < 0.05). Furthermore, the associations between TfS and test scores in algebra II, trigonometry, and chemistry were significantly mediated by student attendance rate (-1.376 and -0.563 respectively). Other IAQ programs were also associated with a smaller percent of low-score students in multiple subject tests (all P <0.05). We found a mediated proportion of 6 to 43% by attendance in the association between other IAQ programs and high score academic performance. Implementing TfS and other programs can reduce the proportion of students receiving overall low scores by 2.66% and 1.37%, respectively. Conclusion: EPA TfS and other IAQ programs improved student test scores in multiple subjects in NYS public schools and was partially mediated by improving attendance rate
Association of Glutathione s-transferase M1 and T1 gene polymorphisms with the susceptibility to acquired sensorineural hearing loss: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Abstract Acquired sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), including age-related hearing loss (ARHL), noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL), drug-induced hearing loss (DIHL) and sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL), is one of the most common sensory deficits in humans. Several studies have reported that antioxidant gene glutathione s-transferase M1 and T1 (GST M1 and T1) polymorphisms have a close relationship with the susceptibility to acquired SNHL, but other articles have reported opposite results. This meta-analysis aims to identify whether an association exists between GST M1 and T1 polymorphisms and the susceptibility to acquired SNHL. Seventeen independent studies containing 1749 cases and 2018 controls were included. According to the I2 value of the heterogeneity test, random-effects model was selected to calculate the pooled odds ratios (ORs) with their 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) and p values. The pooled ORs (95% CI, p-value) of GST M1 and T1 were 1.186(0.955–1.473, p = 0.122) and 1.107(0.841–1.458, p = 1.467), respectively. In addition, subgroup analyses according to the type of SNHL and ethnicity showed no relationship between GST M1 and T1 polymorphisms and the susceptibility to acquired SNHL. Our results suggest that no significant relationship was found between GST M1 and T1 polymorphisms and the susceptibility to acquired SNHL