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Characterized by early construction periods, as the concentration of low-income populations and a high level of aging, affordable housing communities face prominent challenges such as incongruence between age-friendly construction and the needs of the older adult population. It is urgent to provide pathways and tools for identifying age-friendly issues and optimizing the built environment. The systematic evaluation of age-friendly communities serves as the foundation for implementing intervention measures by developers. Therefore, the construction of a scientifically systematic evaluation system becomes an objective necessity for age-friendly community development. Building upon existing research, this study systematically outlines the subjects, processes, methods, and content involved in constructing an age-friendly community evaluation system. By the methods such as factor analysis and analytical hierarchy process (AHP), the study focuses on the public spaces of affordable housing communities in Shenzhen as a case for constructing an age-friendly evaluation system. The empirical validation of the indicator system is conducted, and the application results are resulted into concrete improvement recommendations and action items, aiming to provide a practical, quantitative tool for community age-friendliness evaluation. The study reveals that adhering to an effective evaluation process, exploring collaborations among multiple stakeholders, determining hierarchical evaluation criteria, and adopting diversified evaluation methods are key to constructing an age-friendly evaluation system for communities. Additionally, the specificity of the evaluation system is influenced by regional demographic structures, policy backgrounds, and the built environment.

Objective To retrospectively analyze the indexes of autologous blood transfusion during heart valve replacement, in order to provide reference for allogeneic blood transfusion during heart valve replacement surgery under direct vision. Methods The data of 180 patients who underwent heart valve replacement in our hospital from January 2020 to December 2021 were analyzed retrospectively. The patients were divided into allogeneic and non-allogeneic blood transfusion group based on whether allogeneic blood was transfused during the operation, and the general data and 24 hours pre- and post-operative clinical examination indexes were compared. Results Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age (OR=1.110, 95% CI: 1.058-1.165, P

Objective Traditional total hip arthroplasty (THA) is often performed by visual inspection due to the lack of reliable reference, which results in inappropriate position of prosthesis and poor outcomes. This study attempts to introduce a novel patient‐specific instrumentation (PSI) system and assess its effectiveness and accuracy compared with freehand operation and robot system through bone model experiments. Methods Equally divide 30 sawbone models into the freehand group, PSI group, and robot group. Ten sets of prosthesis parameters were randomly generated as planning, and the three groups underwent simulated THA depending on these parameters. After the placement of the femoral prosthesis, the acetabular anteversion plan was adjusted in the PSI and robot groups so that the combined anteversion was maintained before and after adjustment. After the surgery, the actual prosthesis parameters of all bone models were measured and analyzed statistically. Results No statistically significant difference was found in femoral anteversion error among the three groups (p = 0.951). The errors of acetabular cup anteversion, acetabular cup abduction, and combined anteversion in PSI group were 3.92° (2.94°, 4.62°), 5.65° (4.63°, 6.70°), and 3.93° (2.94°, 4.62°), respectively, which were significantly smaller than those in the freehand group [11.84° (9.92°, 13.87°), 13.54° (9.81°, 15.21°), 16.04° (8.18°, 19.25°), respectively, p

In the clinic, the supply of platelets is frequently insufficient to meet transfusion needs. To address this issue, many scientists have established the derivation of functional platelets from CD34+ cells or human pluripotent stem cells (PSCs). However, the yield of platelets is still far below what is required. Here we found that the plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) could increase the generation of megakaryocytes (MKs) and platelets from human induced PSCs (hiPSCs). During platelet derivation, ABA treatment promoted the generation of CD34+/CD45+ HPCs and CD41+ MKs on day 14 and then increased CD41+/CD42b+ MKs and platelets on day 19. Moreover, we found ABA-mediated activation of Akt and ERK1/2 signal pathway through receptors LANCL2 and GRP78 in a PKA-dependent manner on CD34+/CD45+ cells. In conclusion, our data suggest that ABA treatment can promote CD34+/CD45+ HPC proliferation and CD41+ MK differentiation.

Our findings shed light on existing theoretical investigations and the sustainable development of urban villages and the policy recommendations are proposed for the sustainable development of urban villages. It is widely acknowledged that public spaces in urban villages play an important role in residents’ everyday lives, and the nighttime activities of most pedestrians are confined to the main streets in urban villages. Main streets are an important public space in urban villages at night and are a focus for comprehensive renovation in China. There has not been adequate research on main streets at nighttime, and such research is necessary to improve the quality of urban spaces and achieve high-quality development. This study used methods such as literature analysis, on-site research, and semi-structured interviews to understand the spatial characteristics of the main streets of urban villages at night and summarize the demands of pedestrians. This study used the Kano model to adjust the structure of the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) model to form the AHP–Kano model and construct an evaluation system based on the evaluation dimension of pedestrian needs. We conducted a questionnaire-based survey of pedestrians on the main streets of Pingshan Village and Nantou Ancient City in Shenzhen, and obtained the dominant categories of pedestrian demands and the results of satisfaction evaluations from the main street spaces of the two urban villages at night. According to on-site research, we analyzed the problems in the main street spaces of the two urban villages at night, and propose targeted renovation suggestions, which have clear value for improving everyday public spaces in urban villages at nighttime.

Abstract Background MTHFD1 gene may affect the embryonic development by elevated homocysteine levels, DNA synthesis and DNA methylation, but limited number of genetic variants of MTHFD1 gene was focused on the association with congenital heart disease (CHD). This study examined the role of MTHFD1 gene and maternal smoking on infant CHD risk, and investigated their interaction effects in Chinese populations. Methods A case-control study of 464 mothers of CHD infants and 504 mothers of health controls was performed. The exposures of interest were maternal tobacco exposure, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of maternal MTHFD1 gene. The logistic regression model was used for accessing the strength of association. Results Mothers exposed to secondhand smoke during 3 months before pregnancy (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.56; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.13–2.15) and in the first trimester of pregnancy (aOR = 2.24; 95%CI: 1.57–3.20) were observed an increased risk of CHD. Our study also found that polymorphisms of maternal MTHFD1 gene at rs1950902 (AA vs. GG: aOR = 1.73, 95% CI: 1.01–2.97), rs2236222 (GG vs. AA: aOR = 2.38, 95% CI: 1.38–4.12), rs1256142 (GA vs.GG: aOR = 1.57, 95% CI: 1.01–2.45) and rs11849530 (GG vs. AA: aOR = 1.68, 95% CI: 1.02–2.77) were significantly associated with higher risk of CHD. However, we did not observe a significant association between maternal MTHFD1 rs2236225 and offspring CHD risk. Furthermore, we found the different degrees of interaction effects between polymorphisms of the MTHFD1 gene including rs1950902, rs2236222, rs1256142, rs11849530 and rs2236225, and maternal tobacco exposure. Conclusions Maternal polymorphisms of MTHFD1 gene, maternal tobacco exposure and their interactions are significantly associated with the risk of CHD in offspring in Han Chinese populations. However, more studies in different ethnic populations with a larger sample and prospective designs are required to confirm our findings. Trial registration Registration number: ChiCTR1800016635 .

BackgroundWith the current global epidemic of obesity, especially among men, there is a need to understand its impact on adverse pregnancy outcomes. This study aimed to assess whether paternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) was associated with preterm birth and low birth weight in offspring.MethodsMultinomial logistic regression model was used to analyze associations between paternal BMI and preterm birth and low birth weight in different subgroups, the final model was adjusted for confounding factors of mothers and fathers. Further subgroup analysis was conducted to explore the stability of the risk associations.ResultsA total of 34,104 participants were included in this study, including 1,442 (4.2%) underweight, 13,930 (40.9%) overweight and 5,008 (14.7%) obese according to paternal BMI. The total incidence of preterm birth was 11.85% (4041/34104), and the incidence of low birth weight was 8.86% (3020/34104). In the total study population, compared with normal weight men, paternal pre-pregnancy overweight or obese was associated with a significantly increased risk of preterm birth [aOR; 95% CI respectively (1.34; 1.25–1.45 vs. 1.26; 1.14–1.40)] and low birth weight [aOR; 95% CI respectively (1.60; 1.46–1.74 vs. 1.40; 1.25–1.58)] in offspring. The results of subgroup analysis showed that the direction of the risk association was consistent, indicating good stability.ConclusionPaternal pre-pregnancy overweight and obesity were associated with an increased risk of preterm birth and low birth weight in their offspring.

BackgroundTo systematically evaluate the association of MTHFR genetic polymorphisms, maternal folic acid intake, and the time when folic acid intake was started with the risk of congenital heart disease (CHD) and investigated the role of their interaction on infant CHD risk in Chinese populations.MethodsA case–control study involving 592 CHD cases, 617 health controls, and their mothers was performed. The exposures of interest were single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the MTHFR gene, maternal folic acid use, and the time when folic acid use was started. We applied the logistic regression model to explore the strength of association.ResultsOur findings showed that mothers lacking folic acid intake had a significantly higher risk of CHD in offspring (aOR = 2.00; 95%CI: 1.34–2.98). Mothers who started to use folic acid from the first trimester of the fetation (aOR = 1.65; 95% CI: 1.22–2.23) or from the second trimester of the fetation (aOR = 7.77; 95% CI: 2.52–23.96), compared with those starting to use folic acid from 3 months previous to the conception, were at a significantly higher risk of CHD in offspring. Genetic variants at rs2066470 (AA vs. GG: aOR = 5.09, 95%CI: 1.99–13.03), rs1801133 (AA vs. GG: aOR = 2.49, 95%CI: 1.58–3.93), and rs1801131 (TG vs. TT: aOR = 1.84, 95%CI: 1.36–2.50; GG vs. TT: aOR = 3.58, 95%CI: 1.68–7.63) were significantly associated with the risk of CHD based on the multivariate analysis. Additionally, statistically significant interactions between maternal folic acid intake and genetic variants of the MTHFR gene at rs1801133 and rs1801131 were observed.ConclusionAn association of maternal folic acid intake and the time when intake was started with the risk of CHD in offspring was found. What's more, maternal folic acid fortification may help counteract partial of the risks of CHD in offspring attributable to MTHFR genetic mutations.Registration numberhttp://www.chictr.org.cn/edit.aspx?pid=28300&htm=4, identifier: ChiCTR1800016635.

The converter valve is the core equipment of flexible DC transmission, but it has been severely damaged in previous earthquakes. Therefore, the seismic performance of its structure has a significant impact on the safety and reliability of power transmission. To study the seismic performance of ±500 kV flexible DC converter valves and identify weak links in the supporting valve tower, this article first established a refined finite-element model of a valve tower based on its physical structure; then modal analysis on the valve tower was conducted; finally, time-domain analysis of the valve tower under three seismic excitations, namely Wenchuan, EI Centro, and artificial, was conducted, and the equivalent stress and directional displacement cloud maps of the key parts of the valve tower were obtained. The research results indicate that the dynamic characteristics of the valve tower are relatively complex, with low fundamental frequency and diverse natural vibration modes. Under earthquake action, the predominant frequency of EI Centro waves is close to the fundamental frequency of the valve tower, which is prone to resonance and causes significant damage to the valve structure. The improved design of the valve tower meets the seismic strength requirements of level 8 seismic intensity.

Abstract Background Although many studies showed that the risk of congenital heart disease (CHD) was closely related to genetic factors, the exact pathogenesis is still unknown. Our study aimed to comprehensively assess the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of maternal MTHFR gene with risk of CHD and its three subtypes in offspring. Methods A case–control study involving 569 mothers of CHD cases and 652 health controls was conducted. Thirteen SNPs were detected and analyzed. Results Our study showed that genetic polymorphisms of maternal MTHFR gene at rs4846052 and rs1801131 were significantly associated with risk of CHD in the homozygote comparisons (TT vs. CC at rs4846052: OR = 7.62 [95%CI 2.95–19.65]; GG vs. TT at rs1801131: OR = 5.18 [95%CI 2.77–9.71]). And six haplotypes of G–C (involving rs4846048 and rs2274976), A–C (involving rs1801133 and rs4846052), G–T (involving rs1801133 and rs4846052), G–T–G (involving rs2066470, rs3737964 and rs535107), A–C–G (involving rs2066470, rs3737964 and rs535107) and G–C–G (involving rs2066470, rs3737964 and rs535107) were identified to be significantly associated with risk of CHD. Additionally, we observed that a two-locus model involving rs2066470 and rs1801131 as well as a three-locus model involving rs227497, rs1801133 and rs1801131 were significantly associated with risk of CHD in the gene–gene interaction analyses. For three subtypes including atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect and patent ductus arteriosus, similar results were observed. Conclusions Our study indicated genetic polymorphisms of maternal MTHFR gene were significantly associated with risk of fetal CHD in the Chinese population. Additionally, there were significantly interactions among different SNPs on risk of CHD. However, how these SNPs affect the development of fetal heart remains unknown, and more studies in different ethnic populations and with a larger sample are required to confirm these findings.

BackgroundWith the increase in maternal antidepressant prescribing before/during pregnancy, concerns about the safety of antidepressants have come into focus. The purpose of this study was to explore the association between maternal antidepressant use before pregnancy/in early pregnancy and the risk of congenital heart disease (CHD) in children, and to provide a scientific basis for clinical safety of antidepressant use.MethodsThe prospective cohort study ultimately included 34,104 singleton pregnancies. Modified Poisson regression model with robust error variances was used to evaluate RRs and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the risk of CHD in offspring exposed to maternal antidepressant in the 3 months before pregnancy and early pregnancy. In addition, sensitivity analysis was further performed to explore the robustness of the results.ResultsIn this study, the maternal antidepressant exposure rate was 2.83% in the 3 months before pregnancy, 2.42% in early pregnancy, and the incidence of CHD was 8.973 per 1,000 live births. We found that maternal antidepressant use in the 3 months before pregnancy and early pregnancy were all associated with an increased risk of CHD, ~2.54 times and 2.87 times, respectively, of non-use of antidepressants after adjusting for potential confounders. This association was also found in CHD specific phenotypic analysis. Of these, offspring whose mothers were exposed to antidepressants in the 3 months before pregnancy had the highest risk of transposition of the great arteries (aOR = 5.50, 95% CI: 1.91–15.88). The offspring of mothers exposed to antidepressants in early pregnancy had the highest risk of developing ventricular septal defect (aOR = 4.80, 95% CI: 2.50–9.24). Sensitivity analysis verified the stability of the results.ConclusionsMaternal antidepressant use in the 3 months before pregnancy and early pregnancy were all associated with an increased risk of CHD in their offspring. In order to reduce the risk of teratogenesis, we recommend that pregnant women prepare for pregnancy after their condition improves or receive the minimum effective dose of medication.

BackgroundGiven that the time lag between cytomegalovirus (CMV) screening and diagnosed testing, a better knowledge of the association between pregnant women with CMV screening test positive and stillbirth in an epidemiological perspective was required to assist people being counseled reframe their pregnancy and birth plans based on the magnitude of the risk.MethodsThis study recruited 44048 eligible pregnant women from March 13, 2013 to December 31, 2019. Serological tests including CMV-specific IgM and IgG, and IgG avidity index were used to screen for maternal CMV infection and were measured by automated chemiluminescence immunoassay. The association was assessed using the inverse probability of group-weighted multivariate-adjusted log-binomial models.ResultsA total of 540 infants ended with a stillbirth (12.3 per 1000 pregnancies), and 2472 pregnancies with maternal CMV infection were screened out (56.1 per 1000 pregnancies) among all eligible pregnancies. In the comparison analysis, 326 infants ended with a stillbirth (86.6 per 1000 pregnancies) in the maternal CMV infection group compared with 214 infants (7.8 per 1000 pregnancies) in the group where mothers were not infected with CMV (RR 12.17; 95% CI 9.43–15.71). After excluding the pregnancies of stillbirth with birth defects, a strong association between the two groups was still observed (RR 9.38; 95% CI 6.92–12.70).ConclusionOur findings quantified the risk of a woman having a baby with stillbirth if she had a positive serologic CMV screening test in her first trimester, and supported the value of using CMV serologic tests as part of regular testing in pregnant women.Trial registrationRegistered in Chinese Clinical Trial Registry Center; registration number, ChiCTR1800016635; registration date, 06/14/2018 (Retrospectively registered); URL of trial registry record, https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=28300.

ObjectiveTo estimate the association of selected maternal and fetal characteristics with the risk of perinatal mortality in South China.MethodsA prospective cohort study was conducted from March 2013 to December 2019. The exposures of interest were maternal sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle and habits during early pregnancy, and complications of pregnancy. Their effects on the development of perinatal death were analyzed in our study.ResultsA total of 44,048 eligible pregnant women were included in the analysis. Of these, 596 fetuses were perinatal deaths (perinatal mortality was 13.5 per 1,000 births). After adjustment, maternal obesity, being employed, history of gestational hypertension, taking antidepressants during early pregnancy, history of gestational diabetes mellitus, gestational diabetes mellitus, infertility drug treatment and assisted reproductive techniques, history of neonatal death, preterm birth, and congenital malformations all significantly increased the risk of perinatal death. Ethnic minority, income > 5,000, multiparous women, and cesarean section associated with reduced risk of perinatal death.ConclusionSome factors of maternal sociodemographic characteristics, abnormal pregnancy history, lifestyle and habits during early pregnancy, and complications of pregnancy were associated with the risk of perinatal death.

BackgroundAlthough research indicates an association between hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) and congenital heart defects (CHDs) in offspring, consistency is still lacking. Therefore, we aimed to synthesize the updated published epidemiologic evidence to estimate the association of maternal HDP with the risk of total CHDs and its phenotypes in offspring.MethodsA systematic search of Web of Science Database, PubMed, and Embase were searched from inception through April 30, 2021 based on a preprepared protocol, and the reference lists were also manually searched. The combined risk estimates were calculated using either the fixed-effect models or random-effect models. Possible heterogeneity moderators were detected by subgroup, sensitivity analyses, and Galbraith plot.ResultsTwenty-four studies involving 477,839 CHDs cases among 40,394,699 participants were included in our meta-analysis. Mothers who had HDP exposure were significantly associated with an increased risk of total CHDs compared with non-exposure. When maternal HDP exposure was further subdivided into pre-eclampsia (OR = 1.79, 95% CI: 1.50–2.13), gestational hypertension (OR = 1.16, 95% CI: 1.02–1.31), and chronic hypertension (OR = 1.68, 95% CI: 1.49–1.89), a significantly increased risk of total CHDs were still presented. Furthermore, a statistically significant increased association was found between maternal HDP exposure and most CHD phenotypes. Besides, relevant heterogeneity moderators have been identified by subgroup and sensitivity analyses.ConclusionOur study suggested that maternal HDP exposure may be associated with an increase in the risk of CHDs in offspring. These findings highlight the need for greater surveillance of pregnant women with HDP exposure to allow early prevention that may be good for reducing the risk of CHDs in offspring.Clinical Trial Registration[www.ClinicalTrials.gov], identifier [CRD42021268093].

ObjectivesThis study aimed at assessing the association between maternal methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase 1 (MTHFD1) gene polymorphisms, maternal dietary habits, and their interactions with the risk of ventricular septal defects (VSD) in offspring.MethodsFrom November 2017 to March 2019, a case-control study comprising 360 mothers of VSD cases and 504 mothers of healthy infants was conducted in Han Chinese populations. The main exposures of interest were maternal dietary habits in early pregnancy and MTHFD1 gene polymorphisms. Logistic regression models were used to estimate the main effects and interaction effects.ResultsIt was observed that maternal excessive intake of pickled vegetables (aOR = 1.85, 95%CI: 1.45–2.37), smoked foods (aOR = 1.93, 95%CI: 1.48–2.51), barbecued foods (aOR = 1.74, 95%CI: 1.28–2.36), and fried foods (aOR = 1.68, 95%CI: 1.30–2.17) were associated with a higher risk of VSD in offspring, whereas maternal excessive intake of fresh meat (aOR = 0.61, 95%CI: 0.47–0.79), fish and shrimp (aOR = 0.29, 95%CI: 0.23–0.38), fresh eggs (aOR = 0.54, 95%CI: 0.42–0.70), fresh fruits or vegetables (aOR = 0.44, 95%CI: 0.33–0.60), soy foods (aOR = 0.65, 95%CI: 0.53–0.80), and milk products (aOR = 0.49, 95%CI: 0.40–0.59) could contribute significantly to a lower risk of VSD in offspring. Furthermore, the genetic polymorphisms of maternal MTHFD1 gene at rs1950902 (GA vs. GG: aOR = 0.67, 95%CI: 0.50–0.90) and rs2236222 (GG vs. AA: aOR = 2.75, 95%CI: 1.57–4.83) were significantly associated with the risk of VSD in offspring. In addition, there was a significant interaction effect between maternal dietary habits and MTHFD1 gene polymorphisms on the risk of VSD.ConclusionsMaternal dietary factors, MTHFD1 genetic polymorphisms, and their interactions were all associated with the risk of VSD in offspring. However, further research in diverse ethnic populations and with a larger sample size is warranted to corroborate our findings.Trial RegistrationRegistered in Chinese Clinical Trial Registry Center; registration number, ChiCTR1800016635; registration date, 06/14/2018 (Retrospectively registered); URL of trial registry record, https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=28300.

The urban renewal of older districts usually has a significant impact on the sense of place and identity. However, a systematic post-renewal evaluation of older districts with cultural resources based on multi public satisfaction is still lacking. This study takes Nantou Ancient City in Shenzhen, an urbanized village with rich historical and cultural resources, as an example; this study introduces the multi public, including the residents, merchants and tourists, as the evaluation subject. By establishing an evaluation system suitable for the characteristics of Nantou Ancient City, this study explores the existing problems of renewal and transformation, summarizes experiences and lessons and provides a basis for the sustainable development of Nantou Ancient City and the organic renewal of urbanized villages in Shenzhen. First of all, on the basis of combing the existing community renewal evaluation system, especially the satisfaction evaluation and the research on the historical value of the urbanized villages, the historical and cultural value and the renewal and transformation process of Nantou Ancient City are introduced, and the multiple values of Nantou Ancient City are clarified. Secondly, the demand contradiction between the public group and the core stakeholders is analyzed, as well as the internal demand and difference of the public group. After that, combined with field research, literature analysis and network review data analysis, the post-renovation evaluation system of Nantou Ancient City is constructed in terms of six aspects: residential environment, supporting facilities, street space, history and culture, economy, commerce and social culture. Then, the questionnaire is designed for three different groups of residents, merchants and tourists, and the evaluation system is applied to Nantou Ancient City for empirical research. By means of mean analysis, variance analysis and IPA analysis, the similarities and differences of the evaluation of different public groups are compared, which is taken as the basis for summarizing the existing problems in the renovation of Nantou Ancient City, and optimization suggestions are put forward.

The annual electricity trade scheduling is the basis of long-term power generation scheduling. In recent decades, the ratio of new energy generation in China has increased annually, and the electricity market has operated under the “market electricity” and “planned electricity” double track mode in recent years. However, the existing annual electricity trade scheduling methods are extensive and cannot adapt to the new situation of “market electricity” and large-scale new energy generation. The annual scheduled energy of the power units is set as a decision variable, and a novel annual energy scheduling optimization model based on Gini coefficient of fairness is presented in this paper. In this model, “market electricity” capacity is conversed monthly, considering peaking reserve demand and monthly characteristics of new energy generation. The fairness constraint set based on Gini coefficient is introduced into the optimization model to solve various fairness problems. Simulation results show that the introduction of the Gini coefficient and the optimization model considering the monthly conversion of marketing electricity capacity can obtain more accurate and reasonable electricity distribution results, and the peaking demand can be considered more fairly and effectively. The proposed method provides a feasible solution to the annual electric energy scheduling for dual-track operation country such as China.

Background. Congenital heart disease (CHD) is one of the most common birth defects among newborns, accounting for a large proportion of infant mortality worldwide. However, the mechanisms remain largely undefinable. This study aimed to investigate the association of CHD in offspring of mothers with diabetes mellitus (DM) and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of NKX2.5. Methods and Results. A case-control study of 620 mothers of CHD patients and 620 mothers of healthy children admitted to Hunan Children’s Hospital from November 2017 to December 2019 was conducted. We collected the mothers’ information by questionnaire and detected children’s NKX2.5 variants with a MassARRAY system. The interaction coefficient (γ) was used to quantify the estimated gene-environment interactions. Univariate and multivariate analyses both showed that the infants had a higher risk of CHD if their mothers had a history of DM, including gestational DM (GDM) during this pregnancy (adjusted odds ratio [aOR=4.98]), GDM in previous pregnancies (aOR=4.30), and pregestational DM (PGDM) in the 3 months before this pregnancy (aOR=6.78). Polymorphisms of the NKX2.5 gene at rs11802669 (C/C vs. T/T: aOR=4.97; C/T vs. T/T: aOR=2.15) and rs2277923 (T/T vs. C/C, aOR=1.74; T/C vs. C/C, aOR=1.61) were significantly associated with the risk of CHD in offspring. In addition, significant interactions between maternal DM and NKX2.5 genetic variants at rs11802669 (aOR=8.12) and rs2277923 (aOR=17.72) affecting the development of CHD were found. Conclusions. These results suggest that maternal DM, NKX2.5 genetic variants, and their interactions are significantly associated with the risk of CHD in offspring.

Previous studies report greater activation in the cortical motor network in controlling eccentric contraction (EC) than concentric contraction (CC) of human skeletal muscles despite lower activation level of the muscle associated with EC. It is unknown, however, whether the strength of functional coupling between the primary motor cortex (M1) and other involved areas in the brain differs as voluntary movements are controlled by a network of regions in the primary, secondary and association cortices. Examining fMRI-based functional connectivity (FC) offers an opportunity to measure strength of such coupling. To address the question, we examined functional MRI (fMRI) data acquired during EC and CC (20 contractions each with similar movement distance and speed) of the right first dorsal interosseous (FDI) muscle in 11 young (20-32 years) and healthy individuals and estimated FC between the M1 and a number of cortical regions in the motor control network. The major findings from the behavioral and fMRI-based FC analysis were that (1) no significant differences were seen in movement distance, speed and stability between the EC and CC; (2) significantly stronger mean FC was found for CC than EC. Our finding provides novel insights for a better understanding of the control mechanisms underlying voluntary movements produced by EC and CC. The finding is potentially helpful for guiding the development of targeted sport training and/or therapeutic programs for performance enhancement and injury prevention.

A series of novel 5-hydrosulfonyl-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2(3H)-one derivatives bearing natural product substructures has been successfully synthesized and their antitumor activity studied. These newly synthesized derivatives were characterized by 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR and high resolution mass spectral data, then screened as antitumor agents against the A549, HCC1937, and MDA-MB-468 human tumor cell lines using MTT cell proliferation assays. The results show that some of these compounds can effectively inhibit the growth of these cancerous cells, with compound 5b being the best one (IC50 = 2.6 μM). Flow cytometry data revealed that compound 5b induced apoptosis of HCC1937 cells with increased solution concentration. The structure and activity relationships (SAR) of these compounds is summarized.

The main objective of this paper is to investigate the pharmacokinetics of NM394 (an active metabolite of prulifloxacin) and evaluate the dose relationship and accumulation characteristics after single and multiple doses of prulifloxacin. Thirty healthy volunteers were given 132 mg, 264 mg, and 528 mg of prulifloxacin capsules in a randomized test corresponding to low, medium and high groups for single dose trial. With one-week washout period, 264 mg of prulifloxacin capsules were given to eight volunteers of the medium group for multiple doses trial. The concentration of NM394 in serum was determined by a sensitive HPLC method and its pharmacokinetic parameters were analyzed by DAS2.0.1 and evaluated by SPSS statistic software (version 13.0). Various parameters were determined. Numerical experiments show that the pharmacokinetic parameters of NM394 displayed first order linear pharmacokinetic character. There are no big differences in pharmacokinetic characteristics of NM394 between single and multiple doses. Almost no significant accumulation of drugs is observed after multiple doses of 264 mg per day for 7 d and chronopharmacokinetics were first observed.

Abstract Background Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) comprises a heterogeneous group of conditions that can cause marked disability and diminished quality of life. Data on predictors of clinical response are insufficient to guide selection of the appropriate biologic agent for individual patients. This study aimed to investigate the propensity of S100A8/9 and S100A12 as predictive biomarkers of abatacept response in polyarticular-course juvenile idiopathic arthritis (pJIA). Methods Data from a phase 3 trial (NCT01844518) of subcutaneous abatacept in patients with active pJIA (n = 219) were used in this exploratory analysis. Association between biomarker levels at baseline and improvements in JIA-American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria responses or baseline disease activity (measured by Juvenile Arthritis Disease Activity Score in 27 joints using C-reactive protein [JADAS27-CRP]) were assessed. Biomarker level changes from baseline to month 4 were assessed for disease outcome prediction up to 21 months. Results At baseline, 158 patients had available biomarker samples. Lower baseline S100A8/9 levels (≤ 3295 ng/mL) were associated with greater odds of achieving JIA-ACR90 (odds ratio [OR]: 2.54 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.25–5.18]), JIA-ACR100 (OR: 3.72 [95% CI: 1.48–9.37]), JIA-ACR inactive disease (ID; OR: 4.25 [95% CI: 2.03–8.92]), JADAS27-CRP ID (OR: 2.34 [95% CI: 1.02–5.39]) at month 4, and JIA-ACR ID (OR: 3.01 [95% CI: 1.57–5.78]) at month 16. Lower baseline S100A12 levels (≤ 176 ng/mL) were associated with greater odds of achieving JIA-ACR90 (OR: 2.52 [95% CI: 1.23–5.13]), JIA-ACR100 (OR: 3.68 [95% CI: 1.46–9.28]), JIA-ACR ID (OR: 3.66 [95% CI: 1.76–7.61]), JIA-ACR90 (OR: 2.03 [95% CI: 1.07–3.87]), JIA-ACR100 (OR: 2.14 [95% CI: 1.10–4.17]), and JIA-ACR ID (OR: 4.22 [95% CI: 2.15–8.29]) at month 16. From baseline to month 4, decreases in S100A8/9 and S100A12 generally exceeded 50% among JIA-ACR90/100/ID responders. Conclusion Lower baseline levels of S100A8/9 and S100A12 proteins predicted better response to abatacept treatment than higher levels and may serve as early predictive biomarkers in pJIA. Decreases in these biomarker levels may also predict longer-term response to abatacept in pJIA.