Search

BackgroundIn recent years, the incidence of metabolic syndrome (MS) is increasing significantly in China. Some studies have found that temperature is related to single metabolic index, but there is a lack of research on associated mechanism and identifying path of the influence of temperature on MS.ObjectiveBased on the data of Guangdong Province, to investigate the effect of temperature on MS and its pathway.MethodsA total of 8524 residents were enrolled by multi-stage random sampling from October 2015 to January 2016 in Guangdong. Basic characteristics, behavioral characteristics, health status, and physical activity level were obtained through questionnaires and physical examinations, and meteorological data were obtained from meteorological monitoring sites. We matched individual data both with the temperature data of the physical examination day and of a lag of 14 d. A generalized additive model was used to explore the exposure-effect relationship between temperature and MS and its indexes, calculate effect values, and explore the effects of single-day lag temperature. Based on the literature and the results of generalized additive model analysis, a path analysis was conducted to explore the pathways of temperature influencing MS.ResultsThe association between daily average temperature on the current day or lag 14 day and MS risk was not statistically significant. When daily average temperature increased by 1 ℃, the change values of fasting blood-glucose (FBG), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were −0.033 (95%CI: −0.040-−0.026) mmol·L−1, −0.662 (95%CI: −0.741-−0.583) mmHg, −0.277 (95%CI: −0.323-−0.230) mmHg, and −0.005 (95%CI: −0.007-−0.004) mmol·L−1 respectively. The effects of average daily temperature on FBG, blood pressure, HDL-C, and waist circumference lasted until lag 14 day. The effects of daily average temperature on SBP and DBP were the largest on the current day. Daily average temperature of current day had direct and indirect effects on FBG and SBP. Temperature had an indirect effect on TG, and the intermediate variables were waist circumference and FBG, with an indirect effect value of −0.011 (95%CI: −0.020-−0.002). The indirect effects of daily average temperature on SBP, FBG, and TG were weak.ConclusionThere is no significant correlation between temperature and risk of MS, and daily average temperature of current day could significantly affected blood pressure and FBG with a lag effect. Daily average temperature of current day has indirect effects on FBG and TG.

Few studies have evaluated the association between air pollutants and neural tube defects (NTDs). Moreover, the existing research ignores the lag effect of air pollution on health and provides inconsistent epidemiological evidence. We aim to estimate the association between air pollution and NTDs during the first trimester of pregnancy and identify specific susceptible windows. Birth data was collected from the Birth Defects Surveillance Network in Lanzhou from September 1, 2014, to December 31, 2019. Air quality and meteorological data were collected from ambient air monitoring stations and China Meteorological Data Network. The log connection function of the Poisson distribution function is used to establish a DLNM model to estimate the exposure–effect relationship and exposure–lag relationship association between air pollutants levels and NTDs. There were 320,787 perinatal infants in Lanzhou from September 1, 2014, to December 31, 2019, and 486 cases of NTDs (1.5‰). The result indicates that exposure to inhalable particles (PM10) at lag 2–4 weeks was significantly associated with the risk of NTDs, with the most significant impact at the lag 2 week (RR=1.048, 95%CI, 1.015–1.084). Exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) at the lag 2 week was significantly associated with the risk of NTDs, with the most significant impact at the lag 2 week (RR=1.077, 95%CI, 1.004–1.155). Exposure to sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) at lag 3–6weeks was significantly associated with the risk of NTDs, with the most significant impact at the lag 4 week (RR=1.220, 95%CI, 1.105–1.348; RR=1.143, 95%CI, 1.048–1.245). This study provides further evidence that exposure to air pollutants in the first trimester of pregnancy significantly increases the risk of neural tube defects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of everolimus is not performed in oncology and no trough level (C 0 ) target has been yet defined. The aim of this study was to determine everolimus C 0 target for toxicity and efficacy. Materials and methods Clinical, biological and radiologic data from 54 patients were collected. Toxicity event was defined by termination, temporary interruption and/or dose reduction of everolimus while efficacy was defined as progression-free survival. C 0 values were dichotomized by ROC curve analysis and the association between exposure and outcome was determined using Cox models for repeated events (toxicity) or Cox model censured at the first event (progression free survival). Results Among the 42 patients (77.8%) with breast cancer, 10 (18.5%) kidney cancer and 2 (3.7%) neuroendocrine cancer, adverse events were reported in 75.9% of the patients (everolimus termination in 25.9% patients). C 0 everolimus higher than 26.3 ng/mL (Sen = 0.38,Spe = 0.88) were associated with a 4-fold increased risk of toxicity (HR = 4.12, IC95% = [1.48–11.5], p = 0.0067) whereas C 0 lower than 11.9 ng/mL were associated with a 3-fold increased risk of progression (HR = 3.2, IC95% = [1.33–7.81],p = 0.001). Discussion Further studies are required to evaluate the everolimus C 0 threshold proposed for toxicity (26.3 ng/mL) and for progression (11.9 ng/mL) especially with a large number of patients and more homogeneous types of cancer. However, these results are in favour of TDM for everolimus in oncology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current ecological risk assessment (ERA) is based more on book-keeping than on science especially for terrestrial ecosystems due to the lack of relevance to real field. Accordingly, site-specific ecological effect assessment is critical for ERA, especially at high tiers. This study developed procedures to assess ecological effect at community level based on field data. As a case study, we assessed ecological effect of polymetallic contamination in soil in the surrounding of an abandoned mining and smelting site in Hunan, China. Firstly, Zn was identified as the dominant contaminant in soil and slope gradient (SG) and pH as environmental impact factors using distance-based redundancy analysis(db-RDA). Secondly, sensitive endpoints were screened using correlation analysis between Zn and parameters of plant community composition and functional traits. Thirdly, exposure-effect curves between Zn and screened endpoints were developed by taking SG and pH as covariates using Bayesian kernel machine regression analysis (BKMR), based on which half-effect concentrations (EC 50 s) and 10 %-effect concentrations (EC 10 s) of soil Zn for each endpoint were calculated. Finally, site-specific hazardous concentrations (HC 50 s) of Zn were estimated. It was revealed site-specific EC 50 s and EC 10 s for soil Zn ranged 80.5–201 mg kg−1 and 342–893 mgkg−1, respectively, and HC 50 s based on EC 10 s and EC 50 s ranged 104–110 mg kg−1 and 595–612 mg kg−1, respectively, which are more specific and inclusive than those obtained based on crop and vegetable seed germination and seedling growth toxicity experiments. [Display omitted] • Field ecological and soil data replaced lab experiments in our procedures. • Multi-relational exposure-effect curves were established by BKMR with db-RDA. • Site-specific EC10s and EC50s, e.g. Zn varied less than lab toxicity data. • HC50s, e.g. Zn was more inclusive than soil standards based on lab toxicity data. • Potential for lack of enough endpoints needs to be prejudged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Exposure to air pollutants has been linked to the exacerbation of asthma, and it has become a risk to human welfare and health throughout the globe. Previous works did not achieve a systematic study by considering interactive effects of age, gender, and meteorological factors on the exposure-effect relationship between air pollutants and asthma. We aimed to quantitatively investigate the effects of air pollutants on hospitalizations for asthma in Chengdu, China., Methods: This is a retrospective and population-based study. Data of asthma hospitalization records for residents, the average daily concentrations of air pollutants including SO 2 , CO, NO 2 , O 3 , PM10, and PM2.5, and meteorological variables from 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2014 in Chengdu, China, were obtained from several government departments. A generalized additive model (GAM) was used to analyze the exposure-effect relationship between air pollutants and daily asthma hospitalizations after controlling the long-time seasonal trend, "day-of-week (DOW)" effect, holiday effect, and confounding meteorological factors., Results: A total of 7,503 hospitalizations were assessed. Significant associations between hospitalizations and air pollutants were found. The relative risk (RR) for hospitalizations for every 10 µg/m 3 increase in PM2.5 and PM10 for the male group were 1.0121 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.0012-1.0232] and 1.0075 (95% CI: 1.0001-1.015), respectively. The elderly (≥65 years old) tended to have a higher RR (1.0022; 95% CI: 1.0001-1.0043) for each 10 mg/m 3 increase in CO than the other age groups. All pollutants had slightly protective effects on the younger age group (≤14 years old). O 3 had more significant effects in cold season, whereas SO 2 impacted more significantly in warm seasons, particularly for females and adults (14-65 years old)., Conclusions: Adverse effects of ambient concentrations of air pollutants on hospitalizations for asthma are evident, especially in specific population groups. Male patients were more susceptible to PM2.5 and PM10, and the elderly were more sensitive to CO. The effects of O 3 in China were significant in the cold season, whereas SO 2 impacted more significantly in the warm season particularly on females and adults. The study would be meaningful for asthma intervention and corresponding healthcare resource management., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at https://atm.amegroups.com/article/view/10.21037/atm-22-6265/coif). The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (2023 Annals of Translational Medicine. All rights reserved.)

BACKGROUND: Recent reports indicated high miltefosine treatment failure rates for visceral leishmaniasis (VL) on the Indian subcontinent. To further explore the pharmacological factors associated with these treatment failures, a population pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic study was performed to examine the relationship between miltefosine drug exposure and treatment failure in a cohort of Nepalese patients with VL. METHODS: Miltefosine steady-state blood concentrations at the end of treatment were analyzed using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. A population pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic analysis was performed using nonlinear mixed-effects modeling and a logistic regression model. Individual estimates of miltefosine exposure were explored for their relationship with treatment failure. RESULTS: The overall probability of treatment failure was 21%. The time that the blood concentration was >10 times the half maximal effective concentration of miltefosine (median, 30.2 days) was significantly associated with treatment failure: each 1-day decrease in miltefosine exposure was associated with a 1.08-fold (95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.17) increased odds of treatment failure. CONCLUSIONS: Achieving a sufficient exposure to miltefosine is a significant and critical factor for VL treatment success, suggesting an urgent need to evaluate the recently proposed optimal allometric miltefosine dosing regimen. This study establishes the first evidence for a drug exposure-effect relationship for miltefosine in the treatment of VL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pulmonary effects were investigated in 106 toluene diisocyanate (TDI)-exposed workers and 39 referents in 1980 and in 64 exposed workers and 21 referents on the 2-year follow-up study in 1982. Means of individual, time-weighted average (TWA) exposure concentrations measured by personal monitors were approximately 0.001 ppm in each year. Short-term exposure at 0.02 ppm or over was observed in 9.3% of the collected samples in 1980 and 1.9% in 1982. Pulmonary function was assessed by measurements of maximum expiratory flow-volume curve and respiratory impedance. No differences were observed in the means of the pulmonary functions and their individual daily changes between the TDI workers and the referents. Significant intra-individual, two-year decreases were observed in some pulmonary function parameters in both groups, but when the effect of aging was adjusted, the decreases disappeared. Prevalences of respiratory symptoms in the TDI workers were not significantly higher than those in the referents, except for irritating complaints of the eyes and throat probably due to peak exposure to TDI and/or co-existing irritants. Eight of the TDI workers had episodes of acute asthmatic reactions shortly after having begun their TDI jobs and most parameters in their maximum expiratory flow were significantly less than the predicted values, though exposure concentrations when the episodes occurred could not be defined. From these results, it was suggested that TDI exposure at the levels of 0.001 ppm may not induce adverse pulmonary effects when the workers are not hypersusceptive to TDI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This survey investigates the cross-sectional association between nighttime road, rail and aircraft noise exposure and the probability to be highly sleep disturbed (%HSD), as measured by self-report in postal and online questionnaires. As part of the Swiss SiRENE study, a total of 5592 survey participants in the entire country were selected based on a stratified random sample of their dwelling. Self-reported sleep disturbance was measured using an ICBEN-style 5-point verbal scale. The survey was carried out in four waves at different times of the year. Source-specific noise exposure was calculated for several façade points for each dwelling. After adjustment for potential confounders, all three noise sources showed a statistically significant association between the nighttime noise level LNight at the most exposed façade point and the probability to report high sleep disturbance, as determined by logistic regression. The association was strongest for aircraft noise and weakest for road traffic noise. We a priori studied the role of a range of effect modifiers, including the "eventfulness" of noise exposure, expressed as the Intermittency Ratio (IR) metric, bedroom window position, bedroom orientation towards the closest street, access to a quiet side of the dwelling, degree of urbanization, sleep timing factors (bedtime and sleep duration), sleep medication intake, survey season and night air temperature. While bedroom orientation exhibited a strong moderating effect, with an Leq-equivalent of nearly 20 dB if the bedroom faces away from the nearest street, the LNight-%HSD associations were not affected by bedroom window position, sleep timing factors, survey season, or temperature., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.