Ultrafine particles, particle components and lung function at age 16 years:The PIAMA birth cohort study

Background: Particulate matter (PM) air pollution exposure has been linked to lung function in adolescents, but little is known about the relevance of specific PM components and ultrafine particles (UFP). Objectives: To investigate the associations of long-term exposure to PM elemental composition and UFP with lung function at age 16 years. Methods: For 706 participants of a prospective Dutch birth cohort, we assessed associations of forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) at age 16 with average exposure to eight elemental components (copper, iron, potassium, nickel, sulfur, silicon, vanadium and zinc) in PM2.5 and PM10, as well as UFP during the preceding years (age 13–16 years) estimated by land-use regression models. After assessing associations for each pollutant individually using linear regression models with adjustment for potential confounders, independence of associations with different pollutants was assessed in two-pollutant models with PM mass and NO2, for which associations with lung function have been reported previously. Results: We observed that for most PM elemental components higher exposure was associated with lower FEV1, especially PM10 sulfur [e.g. adjusted difference −2.23% (95% confidence interval (CI) −3.70 to −0.74%) per interquartile range (IQR) increase in PM10 sulfur]. The association with PM10 sulfur remained after adjusting for PM10 mass. Negative associations of exposure to UFP with both FEV1 and FVC were observed [-1.06% (95% CI: −2.08 to −0.03%) and −0.65% (95% CI: −1.53 to 0.23%), respectively per IQR increase in UFP], but did not persist in two-pollutant models with NO2 or PM2.5. Conclusions: Long-term exposure to sulfur in PM10 may result in lower FEV1 at age 16. There is no evidence for an independent effect of UFP exposure

Ambient ultrafine particles and asthma onset until age 20: The PIAMA birth cohort

Rationale: Evidence regarding the role of long-term exposure to ultrafine particles (<0.1 μm, UFP) in asthma onset is scarce. Objectives: We examined the association between exposure to UFP and asthma development in the Dutch PIAMA (Prevention and Incidence of Asthma and Mite Allergy) birth cohort and assessed whether there is an association with UFP, independent of other air pollutants. Methods: Data from birth up to age 20 years from 3687 participants were included. Annual average exposure to UFP at the residential addresses was estimated with a land-use regression model. Overall and age-specific associations of exposure at the birth address and current address at the time of follow-up with asthma incidence were assessed using discrete-time hazard models adjusting for potential confounders. We investigated both single- and two-pollutant models accounting for co-exposure to other air pollutants (PM2.5 and PM10 mass concentrations, nitrogen dioxide, and PM2.5 absorbance). Measurements and main results: A total of 812 incident asthma cases were identified. Overall, we found that higher UFP exposure was associated with higher asthma incidence (adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) 1.08 (1.02,1.14) and 1.06 (1.00, 1.12) per interquartile range increase in exposure at the birth address and current address at the time of follow-up, respectively). Age-specific associations were not consistent. The association was no longer significant after adjustment for other traffic-related pollutants (nitrogen dioxide and PM2.5 absorbance). Conclusions: Our findings support the importance of traffic-related air pollutants for asthma development through childhood and adolescence, but provide little support for an independent effect of UFP

Air pollution: metabolites and respiratory health across the life-course

Previous studies have explored the relationships of air pollution and metabolic profiles with lung function. However, the metabolites linking air pollution and lung function and the associated mechanisms have not been reviewed from a life-course perspective. Here, we provide a narrative review summarising recent evidence on the associations of metabolic profiles with air pollution exposure and lung function in children and adults. Twenty-six studies identified through a systematic PubMed search were included with 10 studies analysing air pollution-related metabolic profiles and 16 studies analysing lung function-related metabolic profiles. A wide range of metabolites were associated with short- and long-term exposure, partly overlapping with those linked to lung function in the general population and with respiratory diseases such as asthma and COPD. The existing studies show that metabolomics offers the potential to identify biomarkers linked to both environmental exposures and respiratory outcomes, but many studies suffer from small sample sizes, cross-sectional designs, a preponderance on adult lung function, heterogeneity in exposure assessment, lack of confounding control and omics integration. The ongoing EXposome Powered tools for healthy living in urbAN Settings (EXPANSE) project aims to address some of these shortcomings by combining biospecimens from large European cohorts and harmonised air pollution exposure and exposome data

Changes of bioactive composition and concentration in loquat flower extracted with water/Chinese Baijiu

Loquat is a high-value fruit tree with medicine and fruit homology. Loquat flowers with special fragrance, strong cold resistance and rich in various bioactive components, are valuable agricultural auxiliary products and have been widely used for making floral teas and beverages in recent years. In this study, we found the concentration of active components increased from the floral buds to initial flowers along with flower development, the bioactives of initial flowers were the richest in four flowering stages, and loquat flowers contained major volatile components such as alcohols, aldehydes and esters, which are the source of fragrance. When extract with hot water, the most efficient method was 80 °C for 30 min or boiling water within 2 h. For Baijiu (56% Vol), the best solid-to-liquid ratio was 3:100 (Dry flower: Baijiu) in 6–12 h. Baijiu achieved higher bioactive content than water extraction, the amygdalin concentration in Baijiu reached 0.3 mg/mL

Dynamic functional connectivity changes associated with psychiatric traits and cognitive deficits in Cushing’s disease

Abstract Cushing’s disease is a rare neuroendocrine disorder with excessive endogenous cortisol, impaired cognition, and psychiatric symptoms. Evidence from resting-state fMRI revealed the abnormalities of static brain connectivity in patients with Cushing’s disease (CD patients). However, it is unknown whether the CD patients’ dynamic functional connectivity would be abnormal and whether the dynamic features are associated with deficits in cognition and psychopathological symptoms. Here, we evaluated 50 patients with Cushing’s disease and 57 healthy participants by using resting-state fMRI and dynamic functional connectivity (dFNC) approach. We focused on the dynamic features of default mode network (DMN), salience network (SN), and central executive network (CEN) because these are binding sites for the cognitive-affective process, as well as vital in understanding the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders. The dFNC was further clustered into four states by k-mean clustering. CD patients showed more dwell time in State 1 but less time in State 4. Intriguingly, group differences in dwell time in these two states can explain the cognitive deficits of CD patients. Moreover, the inter-network connections between DMN and SN and the engagement time in State 4 negatively correlated with anxiety and depression but positively correlated with cognitive performance. Finally, the classifier trained by the dynamic features of these networks successfully classified CD patients from healthy participants. Together, our study revealed the dynamic features of CD patients’ brains and found their associations with impaired cognition and emotional symptoms, which may open new avenues for understanding the cognitive and affective deficits induced by Cushing’s disease

The efficacy and safety of one-stage endoscopy combined with intrarenal surgery (mini-nephrostomy tract) in the prone split-leg position for complex renal calculi

Abstract. Background. The goal of this study was to determine the safety and efficacy of endoscopic combined intrarenal surgery (ECIRS) performed in the prone split-leg position for the treatment of complex renal stones. Materials and methods. A mature ECIRS protocol was designed. Retrospective analysis was conducted of medical records between January 2020 and December 2021 of patients with complex renal stones at one center who underwent ECIRS by 2 skilled surgeons using retrograde flexible ureteroscopy and mini-percutaneous nephrolithotomy in the prone split-leg position. Results. A total of 44 patients were included in this study. Mean stone size was 26.1 ± 12.7 mm, and the number of calyces involved was 4.36 ± 2.09. Mean operative time was 71.1 ± 21.8 minutes. Postoperative decline in hemoglobin was 15.8 ± 9.8 g/L. Seventy-five percent of patients achieved stone-free status. The mean number of residual stones was 2.8 ± 2.3, and the mean residual stone size was 10.30 ± 4.76 mm. Six patients (13.6%) developed postoperative complications, including 4 with fever during the first 2 days postoperatively and 2 patients with transient postoperative pain. No patients developed severe complications. Conclusions. Endoscopic combined intrarenal surgery in the prone split-leg position can be performed safely by experienced surgeons using retrograde flexible ureteroscopy in conjunction with mini-percutaneous nephrolithotomy as a successful technique for the treatment of complex renal stones

Mitochondrial DNA copy number is associated with Crohn’s disease: a comprehensive Mendelian randomization analysis

Abstract Mitochondrial DNA plays a critical role in the pathophysiological process of inflammation. However, the relationship between mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNA-CN) and inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) remains poorly understood. We conducted a comprehensive Mendelian randomization (MR) using three instrumental variables (IVs) to explore the causal associations between mtDNA-CN and IBD, including Crohn's disease (CD), ulcerative colitis (UC). MR-Egger regression, weighted median, inverse-variance weighted (IVW), and weighted mode methods were used to evaluate the potential causal associations. The robustness of the IVW estimates was determined using the leave-one-out sensitivity test. A meta-analysis was conducted to pool the results from the three sets of IVs. Upon analysis, the findings of the current study revealed that genetically predicted mtDNA-CN was not associated with IBD (CD + UC) and UC. The results of MR analyses between mtDNA-CN and CD risk were inconsistent by using three sets of IVs. After a meta-analysis, we found that genetically predicted mtDNA-CN was associated with CD risk (odds ratio = 2.09; 95% confidence interval: 1.37–3.18). This finding was also confirmed by multivariable MR analyses and remained robust when tested with the leave-one-out sensitivity test. In conclusion, genetically predicted mtDNA-CN was found to be associated with CD risk. Therefore, mtDNA levels in the blood could potentially be used as a marker for CD risk assessment. Further studies are needed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and validate the results of this study

Cerebellar gray matter alterations predict deep brain stimulation outcomes in Meige syndrome

Background: The physiopathologic mechanism of Meige syndrome (MS) has not been clarified, and neuroimaging studies centering on cerebellar changes in MS are scarce. Moreover, even though deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) has been recognized as an effective surgical treatment for MS, there has been no reliable biomarker to predict its efficacy. Objective: To characterize the volumetric alterations of gray matter (GM) in the cerebellum in MS and to identify GM measurements related to a good STN-DBS outcome. Methods: We used voxel-based morphometry and lobule-based morphometry to compare the regional and lobular GM differences in the cerebellum between 47 MS patients and 52 normal human controls (HCs), as well as between 31 DBS responders and 10 DBS non-responders. Both volumetric analyses were achieved using the Spatially Unbiased Infratentorial Toolbox (SUIT). Further, we performed partial correlation analyses to probe the relationship between the cerebellar GM changes and clinical scores. Finally, we plotted the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve to select biomarkers for MS diagnosis and DBS outcomes prediction. Results: Compared to HCs, MS patients had GM atrophy in lobule Crus I, lobule VI, lobule VIIb, lobule VIIIa, and lobule VIIIb. Compared to DBS responders, DBS non-responders had lower GM volume in the left lobule VIIIb. Moreover, partial correlation analyses revealed a positive relationship between the GM volume of the significant regions/lobules and the symptom improvement rate after DBS surgery. ROC analyses demonstrated that the GM volume of the significant cluster in the left lobule VIIIb could not only distinguish MS patients from HCs but also predict the outcomes of STN-DBS surgery with high accuracy. Conclusion: MS patients display bilateral GM shrinkage in the cerebellum relative to HCs. Regional GM volume of the left lobule VIIIb can be a reliable biomarker for MS diagnosis and DBS outcomes prediction

The development of the social health scale for the elderly

Abstract Background With the elderly population comprising an increasing large proportion of society, a valid and reliable measure of social health in the elderly is indispensable for a comprehensive health assessment. The objective of this study is to develop a Social Health Scale for the Elderly (SHSE). Methods A draft scale was generated based on a literature review and expert surveys. Pilot testing was conducted from December 14, 2015, to January 8, 2016. Some items were removed after assessment with five statistical analysis methods. Field testing began on November 6, 2016, and ended on January 20, 2017. After field testing, the reliability and validity of the scale were assessed and the norms in Hangzhou were calculated. Results In the two tests, 430 and 2404 subjects were included in the statistical analyses. The long form of the SHSE (SHSE-L) contained 25 items, 14 of which were also in the short form (SHSE-S). The internal consistency of the SHSE-L was acceptable. The test-rest reliability and inter-rater reliability were moderate, but the concurrent validity, construct validity, and convergent and discriminant validity were desirable in both versions. The standard and percentile rank norms in Hangzhou, China were developed based on the field testing data. Conclusions The population-based social health of the Chinese elderly can be validly and reliably assessed with the SHSE