Ten-year changes in the prevalence of overweight, obesity and central obesity among the Chinese adults in urban Shanghai, 1998–2007 — comparison of two cross-sectional surveys

BACKGROUND: In China, obesity is expected to increase rapidly in both urban and rural areas. However, there have been no comprehensive reports on secular trends in obesity prevalence among Chinese adults in urban Shanghai, which is the largest city in southern China. METHODS: In 1998–2001 and again in 2007–2008, two independent population-based cross-sectional surveys were conducted in Shanghai to investigate the prevalence of metabolic disorders. These surveys obtained height, waist circumference (WC), and weight measurements for Chinese adults aged between 20 and 74 years who lived in urban communities. From the 1998–2001 survey, 4,894 participants (2,081 men and 2,813 women, mean age: 48.9 years) were recruited, and 4,395 participants (1,599 men and 2,796 women, mean age: 49.8 years) were recruited from the 2007–2008 survey. Using the World Health Organization criteria, overweight was defined as 25 kg/m(2) ≤ BMI < 30 kg/m(2) and obesity as BMI ≥ 30 kg/m(2). Central obesity was defined as WC ≥ 90 cm in men or ≥85 cm in women. The differences in prevalence of obesity, central obesity and overweight between the two surveys were tested using multivariable logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: Compared to the 1998–2001 survey, in the 2007–2008 survey the BMI distribution for men and the WC distribution for both genders is shifted significantly to the right along the x-axis (all p < 0.001). Over the ten years, the prevalence of combined overweight and obesity increased 24% (from 31.5% to 39.1%, p < 0.001) in men, but decreased 8% (from 27.3% to 25.0%; p < 0.01) in women. The prevalence of central obesity increased 40% in men (from 19.5% to 27.3%; p < 0.01), but the increase was not significant in women (15.0% to 17.1%; p = 0.051). In the total population, only central obesity showed a significant change between the populations in the two surveys, increasing 29% (from 17.3% to 22.4%; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Over this 10 year period, central obesity increased significantly in the Shanghai adult population. However, the prevalence of combined overweight and obesity was significantly increased in men but not in women

Beyond First/Last Mile Active Transportation - BikeShare@UH

Bike sharing is a new green transportation solution that has been developed and adopted at various cities around the world. In this paper, we present the process and results of the design and prototypes that a group of undergraduate students developed for a BikeShare@UH program during Summer 2017. After presenting the detailed results of four project teams focusing on customer discovery, bike share station (BSS) location identification, cloud-based mobile computing platform for user engagement and bike share program operation and management, smart lock, and alternative energy source based on PV panel. With the phase one implementation at the University planned in Spring 2018, we anticipate gathering real time data and feedback to improve the system.Cockrell School of Engineerin

Comparative Agreement Analysis of Differences in 1,5-Anhydroglucitol, Glycated Albumin, and Glycated Hemoglobin A1c Levels between Fasting and Postprandial States in Steamed Bread Meal Test

Background. Our previous study indicated that serum 1,5-anhydroglucitol (1,5-AG) levels slightly increased after a glucose load; therefore, this study was conducted to explore short-term changes in 1,5-AG levels after a steamed bread meal test (SBMT) and compare the agreement of 1,5-AG, glycated albumin (GA), and glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels between fasting and postprandial states after an SBMT. Methods. 104 participants were recruited and underwent a 100 g SBMT. Fasting, 30 min, and 120 min of 1,5-AG, GA, and HbA1c were measured. Results. Levels of 1,5-AG slightly increased from 30 to 120 min after an SBMT (P0.05), and Bland-Altman difference plot showed that 100% of data points for HbA1c30 and HbA1c120 fell within the limits of agreement; 94.2%, 96.2%, 95.2%, and 95.2% of data points for 1,5-AG30, 1,5-AG120, GA30, and GA120 fell within the limits of agreement, respectively. Conclusion. Agreement analyses indicated good stability of 1,5-AG, GA, and HbA1c levels after the SBMT. HbA1c had an optimal stability, which was superior to that of GA or 1,5-AG

Open Randomized Clinical Trial on JWSJZ Decoction for the Treatment of ALS Patients

Objective. To investigate the efficacy and safety of the traditional Chinese medicine Jiawei Sijunzi (JWSJZ) decoction for the treatment of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Methods. Forty-eight patients with ALS were divided into a JWSJZ group ( = 24) and a control group ( = 24) using a randomized number method. Together with the basic treatment for ALS, JWSJZ decoction was added to the treatment regimen of patients in the JWSJZ group or Riluzole was administered to the control group for 6 months. Neurologists evaluated the treated and control patients using the ALS functional rating scale (ALSFRS) before, 3 and 6 months after starting the additional treatments. Results. The ALSFRS scores in both groups were lower 3 and 6 months after treatment than before. There was a significant difference at 6 months after treatment between the subgroups of patients with ALS whose limbs were the initial site of attack. No serious adverse effects were observed in the JWSJZ group. Conclusion. JWSJZ decoction may be a safe treatment for ALS, and may have delayed the development of ALS, especially in the subgroup of patients in whom the limbs were attacked first when compared with Riluzole treatment

Purine synthesis promotes maintenance of brain tumor initiating cells in glioma

Brain tumor initiating cells (BTICs), also known as cancer stem cells, hijack high-affinity glucose uptake active normally in neurons to maintain energy demands. Here we link metabolic dysregulation in human BTICs to a nexus between MYC and de novo purine synthesis, mediating glucose-sustained anabolic metabolism. Inhibiting purine synthesis abrogated BTIC growth, self-renewal and in vivo tumor formation by depleting intracellular pools of purine nucleotides, supporting purine synthesis as a potential therapeutic point of fragility. In contrast, differentiated glioma cells were unaffected by the targeting of purine biosynthetic enzymes, suggesting selective dependence of BTICs. MYC coordinated the control of purine synthetic enzymes, supporting its role in metabolic reprogramming. Elevated expression of purine synthetic enzymes correlated with poor prognosis in glioblastoma patients. Collectively, our results suggest that stem-like glioma cells reprogram their metabolism to self-renew and fuel the tumor hierarchy, revealing potential BTIC cancer dependencies amenable to targeted therapy