The influence of environmental and health indicators on premature mortality: An empirical analysis of the City of Toronto's 140 neighborhoods

The objective of this paper was to assess the link between premature mortality and a combination of neighbourhood contextual (environmental and health) and compositional (socioeconomic and demographic) characteristics. We statistically and spatially examined six environmental variables (ultrafine particles, carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic pollutants, pollution released to air, tree cover, and walkability index), six health service indicators (number health providers, breast, colorectal and cervical cancer screening uptake rates, student nutrition program uptake rates, and healthy food index), and eight socioeconomic indicators (total income, Gini coefficient, two age categories – below and above 40 years, proportion of females to males, visible minorities, Indigenous peoples, education, less than grade 9) among 140 neighbourhoods of the City of Toronto in Ontario (Canada). We applied principal component analysis to identify patterns and to reduce the number of explanatory variables into combined component axes that represent unique variation in these confounded and overlapping factors. We then applied regression analysis to model the relationship between the indices of enviro-health and socioeconomics and their potential relationship with premature mortality. Residual spatial analysis was used to investigate any remaining spatial structure (such as neighbourhoods with higher residual premature mortality rates). Neighbourhood Equity Index was correlated with our enviro-health and socioeconomic indices. Premature mortality within neighbourhoods was predicted by poor cancer screenings, pollution, lack of tree canopy, increased uptake of student nutrition programs and high walkability index. A negative association between premature mortality and pollution was associated low walkability index and presence of visible minorities within neighbourhoods. There was some unexplained residual spatial variation in our model of premature mortality - especially along the shores of Lake Ontario and in neighbourhoods with major highways or road corridors: premature mortality in Toronto neighbourhoods was higher than expected along highway-corridor neighbourhoods and shorelines. Our analysis revealed a significant relationship between neighbourhood contextual features – both environmental and health – and premature mortality, suggesting that these contextual components of neighbourhoods can predict rates of urban premature mortality in Toronto.     

B cell and B cell-related pathways for novel cancer treatments

B cells are recognized as the main effector cells of humoral immunity which suppress tumor progression by secreting immunoglobulins, promoting T cell response, and killing cancer cells directly. Given these properties, their anti-tumor immune response in the tumor micro-environment (TME) is of great interest. Although T cell-related immune responses have become a therapeutic target with the introduction of immune checkpoint inhibitors, not all patients benefit from these treatments. B cell and B cell-related pathways (CCL19, −21/CCR7 axis and CXCL13/CXCR5 axis) play key roles in activating immune response through humoral immunity and local immune activation via tertiary lymphoid structure (TLS) formation. However they have some protumorigenic works in the TME. Thus, a better understanding of B cell and B cell-related pathways is necessary to develop effective cancer control. In this review, we summarize recent evidences regarding the roles of B cell and B cell-related pathways in the TME and immune response and discuss their potential roles for novel cancer treatment strategies.     

Objective and subjective measures of the neighbourhood environment: Associations with frailty levels

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to investigate whether perceptions of the neighbourhood environment (NE) and objective measures of the NE were associated with frailty in older adults.MethodsA cross-sectional study in Adelaide, Australia, recruited a sample of 115 community-dwelling adults aged ≥60 years. Respondents’ perceptions of their NEs were assessed using the Neighbourhood Environment Walkability Scale (NEWS). An objective assessment of these NEWS survey questions was conducted using seven variables: residential density, land use mix diversity, street connectivity, accessibility, seasonal persistent green cover, road crash density and crime rate. Frailty was evaluated using the FRAIL (fatigue, resistance, ambulation, illnesses and loss of weight) scale. Multivariable linear regression analyses were employed to assess the associations between NEWS and frailty, and to assess the associations between objective neighbourhood variables and frailty.ResultsFrail and pre-frail older adults were more likely to live in areas with lower residential density, lower density of road crashes, and higher accessibility than robust participants. Additionally, a poorer perception of the overall environment, worse land-use mix and accessibility and worse crime safety were associated with frailty and pre-frailty after adjustment of covariates and objective GIS variables.DiscussionNeighbourhood characteristics, both objective and perceived, are associated with frailty levels in older adults, and that strategies to tackle frailty must consider the impact of the neighbourhood environment.     

The Chinese National Twin Registry: a ‘gold mine’ for scientific research

The Chinese National Twin Registry (CNTR) currently includes data from 61 566 twin pair from 11 provinces or cities in China. Of these, 31 705, 15 060 and 13 531 pairs are monozygotic, same‐sex dizygotic and opposite‐sex dizygotic pairs, respectively, determined by opposite sex or intrapair similarity. Since its establishment in 2001, the CNTR has provided an important resource for analysing genetic and environmental influences on chronic diseases especially cardiovascular diseases. Recently, the CNTR has focused on collecting biologic specimens from disease‐concordant or disease‐discordant twin pairs or from twin pairs reared apart. More than 8000 pairs of these twins have been registered, and blood samples have been collected from more than 1500 pairs. In this review, we summarize the main findings from univariate and multivariate genetic effects analyses, gene–environment interaction studies, omics studies exploring DNA methylation and metabolomic markers associated with phenotypes. There remains further scope for CNTR research and data mining. The plan for future development of the CNTR is described. The CNTR welcomes worldwide collaboration.     

The use of commercially available games for a combined physical and cognitive challenge during exercise for individuals with Parkinson’s disease – a case series report

Complexity of an animal’s environment has been shown to affect structural and functional changes in the brain. Evidence from animal models of Parkinson’s disease (PD) suggests that exercising in an enriched environment may protect against the onset of Parkinsonian symptoms in rats that are exposed to 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine. The variety of activities and visual interfaces that can be created using commercially available gaming devices provide cognitively stimulating as well as physically challenging environments for exercise. This case series will: 1) elaborate on the rationale behind selection of specific games to target common deficits seen in PD; and 2) present preliminary results on clinical outcomes from three pilot participants who each completed six sessions of exercise. All three participants had mild to moderate PD. They were functionally independent individuals leading an active lifestyle. Participants were tested on the outcome measures before and after the six exercise sessions. On average, participants showed a 33.8% (22.8) improvement in functional reach test, 12.7% (35.0) improvement in single limb stance (SLS) time—right leg, 55.2% (33.9) improvement in SLS time—left leg, 11.9% (7.3) improvement in 6-min walk test, 2% (6.8) improvement in self-selected gait speed (GS), and 8.0% (5.8) improvement in fastest possible GS. Further investigation is warranted to study if these effects can be replicated over a longer exercise intervention and in a larger group, and if these effects are maintained at follow-up testing after the enriched exercise intervention is discontinued.     

Careful assistance? Personal assistance within the family as hybridization of modern welfare policy and traditional family care

The aim of this article is to examine how different ideological perspectives on Swedish disability policy, are reflected in the experiences of disabled people and their families personal assistants. Personal assistance provided within the family can be seen as a hybridization between publicly regulated and paid work performed in the private family sphere, and thus conflicting norms and practices may coexist. In Sweden, family members of the assistant user can be employed as paid personal assistants. Many users combine personal assistance from family members with non-family assistance. Approximately 20–25% of the employed personal assistants are relatives of the assistance users. The empirical data consists of qualitative interviews with seventeen adult users and twenty-three family members employed as PAs with different types of family ties; parent-child relationships, sibling relationships and partner relationships. The findings show that family assistance could entail advantages such as personalised services, to combine instrumental and emotional assistance as well as achieving a power-balance between the parties. But there were also disadvantages, such as unwanted or enforced dependency, with a risk for both parties to be ‘locked up’ in the family. In an overall analysis, we distinguished three broad approaches towards family assistance, family as a substitute, family as a supplement and family first.     

Quality of life in caregivers of a family member with serious mental illness: Evidence from China

Purpose

To evaluate the quality of life (QoL) and social support among family caregivers of a family member with a mental illness and to identify factors associated with the QoL.

2015—2018年西安市百日咳流行特征分析

目的 分析西安市2015—2018年百日咳流行病学特征，为预防和控制百日咳传播提供参考。方法 采用描述流行病学方法，对中国疾病预防控制信息系统中2015—2018年期间西安市百日咳报告病例和此期间西安市百日咳哨点监测病例的数据进行统计学分析。结果 西安市2015—2018年共报告百日咳确诊病例1 635例，发病率分别为3.97/10万、4.11/10万、4.85/10万和5.28/10万，发病有逐年上升趋势（χ2趋势 = 21.719，P＜0.001）；高发季为3—8月（2015—2018年分别占该年度总发病数的75.73%、66.76%、78.97%和80.27%）；以3～6月龄发病比例最高（2015—2018年分别占该年度总发病数的50.58%、48.60%、48.36%和41.22%）；未全程接种疫苗患儿所占比例最大（2015—2018年分别为36.26%、23.74%、42.76%和33.73%），未到接种年龄就发病所占比例有逐年升高趋势（χ2趋势 = 10.302，P = 0.001），无免疫史患儿比例呈逐年降低趋势（χ2趋势 = 36.088，P＜0.001）；3种实验室检测方法中荧光PCR的检出率最高（40.12%）；传播模式除了散发病例，出现了家庭聚集现象，且所有流行病学相关病例均被漏诊或误诊。结论 西安市近年来百日咳发病率有明显上升趋势，＜6月龄婴儿为主要发病人群，百日咳的日常监测仍有待加强，且其家庭聚集式传播现象值得关注。