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Background: Obesity (waist circumference, body mass index (BMI)) and lifestyle factors (dietary habits, smoking, alcohol drinking, Sedentary behavior) have been associated with risk of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in observational studies, but whether these associations are causal is unclear.Methods: We performed a univariable and multivariable Mendelian randomization study to evaluate these associations. Genetic instruments associated with exposures at the genome-wide significance level (P < 5 × 10-8) were selected from corresponding genome-wide associations studies (n = 216,590 to 1,232,091 individuals). Summary-level data for BPH were obtained from the UK Biobank (14,126 cases and 169,762 non-cases) and FinnGen consortium (13,118 cases and 72,799 non-cases). Results from UK Biobank and FinnGen consortium were combined using fixed-effect meta-analysis.Results: The combined odds ratios (ORs) of BPH were 1.24 (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.07-1.43, P = 0.0045), 1.08 (95% CI 1.01-1.17, P = 0.0175), 0.94 (95% CI 0.67-1.30, P = 0.6891), 1.29 (95% CI 0.88-1.89, P = 0.1922), 1.23 (95% CI 0.85-1.78, P = 0.2623), and 1.04 (95% CI 0.76-1.42, P = 0.8165) for one standard deviation (SD) increase in waist circumference, BMI, and relative carbohydrate, fat, protein and sugar intake, 1.05 (95% CI 0.92-1.20, P = 0.4581) for one SD increase in prevalence of smoking initiation, 1.10 (95% CI 0.96-1.26, P = 0.1725) and 0.84 (95% CI 0.69-1.02, P = 0.0741) for one SD increase of log-transformed smoking per day and drinks per week, and 1.31 (95% CI 1.08-1.58, P = 0.0051) for one SD increase in sedentary behavior. Genetically predicted waist circumference (OR = 1.26, 95% CI 1.11-1.43, P = 0.0004) and sedentary behavior (OR = 1.14, 95% CI 1.05-1.23, P = 0.0021) were associated with BPH after the adjustment of BMI.Conclusion: This study supports independent causal roles of high waist circumference, BMI and sedentary behavior in BPH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: A proper colonoscopy referral criterion is essential for flexible sigmoidoscopy‐based colorectal cancer screening. We aimed to compare the predictive capability of four existing criteria to detect proximal neoplasia (PN) and advanced proximal neoplasia (APN) in a Chinese population. Methods: Asymptomatic Chinese participants aged 50–75 years, who received screening colonoscopy, were consecutively recruited. The four criteria included (i) UK flexible sigmoidoscopy; (ii) Italian Screening for COlon REctum; (iii) NORwegian Colorectal Cancer Prevention trial; and (iv) US clinical index. The sensitivity, specificity, positive/negative predictive value, and the number of subjects needed to screen (NNS)/refer (NNR) to detect one APN/PN were examined. The area under receiver operating characteristic curve was evaluated. Results: Among 5833 subjects, 749 (12.8%) and 151 (2.6%) cases were found to have PN and APN, respectively. US criteria achieved the highest sensitivity for PN (49%) and APN (66%), while UK criteria attained the highest specificity (93%) for PN/APN. The lowest NNS was required by US criteria for PN (16 vs 19–38) and APN (58 vs 69–86), while the lowest NNR was required by UK criteria for PN (3.2 vs 4.0–4.8) and APN (7 vs 10–16). The receiver operating characteristic of all four criteria was 0.57–0.61 for PN and 0.68–0.70 for APN. Conclusions: Among all the four criteria, US criteria had the highest sensitivity and lowest NNS, while UK criteria achieved the highest specificity and lowest NNR. Their limited discriminatory capability highlighted the need for a new score to predict PN/APN in Chinese populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent reforms of the Chinese construction industry, significant efforts have been made toward the introduction of Western project management theories and practices. However, little is known about the extent to which Western project management concepts have been supported by the Chinese culture. Because of certain differences between the two cultures, Chinese managers’ conceptions of their work are likely to be different from their Western counterparts. This paper reports an interpretive comparison of Chinese and U.K. construction project managers’ conceptions of their work. The findings reveal three of the most similar and five of the most different aspects between the two cultural sets of conceptions. The identified similarities reflect some key characteristics inherent in the construction project management profession. Two of the identified differences, namely Chinese emphasis on commercial awareness and U.K. emphasis on health and safety, arise from social structural differences in the two nations, whereas the other three differences, namely Chinese attention to relationships, Chinese concern for their company, and U.K. attention to project contract, are due to the cultural differences between the two nations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study results serve as a reminder for parents, children, and drivers to be alert to the danger of traffic crashes on Halloween. The aim of this study was to examine whether Halloween is associated with a higher incidence of traffic injuries and whether traffic injuries sustained on Halloween are more severe than those sustained on other days. The U.K. STATS19 database, including the data of all road traffic crashes occurring from 1990 to 2017, was employed. A total of 73,587 pediatric traffic casualties (involving pedestrians, cyclists, and moped riders) were included. Between 17:00 and 19:00 (17:00~18:59) on Halloween, the number of casualties was higher than that on other public holidays and usual days. The logistic regression model revealed that, between 17:00 and 18:00 (17:00~17:59), the risk of being killed or seriously injured on Halloween was 34.2% higher (odds ratio = 1.342; 95% CI = 1.065-1.692) than that on other days. Pediatric crashes occurring on Halloween are associated with a higher number of injuries and increased injury severity.

Background: Global crises inevitably increase levels of anxiety in postpartum populations. Effective and efficient measurement is therefore essential. This study aimed to create a 12-item research short form of the 51-item Postpartum Specific Anxiety Scale [PSAS] and validate it for use in rapid response research at a time of global crises [PSAS-RSF-C]. We also present the same 12-items, in five other languages (Italian, French, Chinese, Spanish, Dutch) to increase global accessibility of a psychometric tool to assess maternal mental health., Methods: Twelve items from the PSAS were selected on the basis of a review of their factor loadings. An on-line sample of UK mothers (N = 710) of infants up to 12 weeks old completed the PSAS-RSF-C during COVID-19 'lockdown'., Results: Principal component analyses on a randomly split sample (n = 344) revealed four factors, identical in nature to the original PSAS, which in combination explained 75% of the total variance. Confirmatory factor analyses (n = 366) demonstrated the four-factor model fit the data well. Reliability of the overall scale and of the underlying factors in both samples proved excellent., Conclusions: Findings suggest the PSAS-RSF-C may prove useful as a clinical screening tool and is the first postpartum-specific psychometric scale to be validated during the COVID-19 pandemic. This offers psychometrically sound assessment of postpartum anxiety. By increasing the accessibility of the PSAS, we aim to enable researchers the opportunity to measure maternal anxiety, rapidly, at times of global crisis.

Background: Research suggests that drivers tend to engage in risk-taking behaviours on public holidays. Studies that examined the association between holidays (or other special days) and fatal injuries are inconsistent. This study used UK STATS19 data to investigate the associations of nine public holidays on road crash casualties., Methods: This retrospective study assessed UK STATS19 crash data for 1990-2017. All casualties from two vehicle crashes were initially considered; subsequently, casualties with missing data were excluded. Multiple logistic regression was estimated to explore the associations of potential risk factors with the likelihood of killed or seriously injured (KSI) casualties and to calculate adjusted odds ratios (AORs)., Results: In total, 3,751,998 casualties from traffic accidents in the United Kingdom during 1990-2017 were included in the final data set; among these, 410,299 (10.9%) were KSI casualties, and 3,341,699 (89.1%) were slight injuries. Crashes on public holidays were 16% (AOR = 1.16; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.13-1.19) more likely to involve KSI casualties than were crashes on non-holidays. With other factors controlled for, crashes during the Queen's 2002 Golden Jubilee and on New Year's Day were 48% (AOR = 1.48; 95% CI = 1.06-2.07) and 36% (AOR = 1.36; 1.26-1.48) more likely to lead to KSIs, respectively., Conclusions: The proportion of crashes resulting in KSI casualties on public holidays was higher than that on non-holidays. Furthermore, crashes during the Queen's 2002 Golden Jubilee had the highest risk of KSI casualties followed by New Year's Day.