Climatic variables and transmission of malaria: a 12-year data analysis in Shuchen County,China

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to explore the impact of climate variability on the transmission of malaria, a vector-borne disease, in a county of China and provide suggestions to similar regions for disease prevention. METHODS: A time-series analysis was conducted using data on monthly climatic variables and monthly incidence of malaria in Shuchen County, China, for the period 1980-1991. RESULTS: Spearman's correlation analysis showed that monthly mean maximum and minimum temperatures, two measures of monthly mean relative humidity, and monthly amount of precipitation were positively correlated with the monthly incidence of malaria in the county. Regression analysis suggested that monthly mean minimum temperature and total monthly rainfall, with a one-month lagged effect, were significant climatic variables in the transmission of malaria in Shuchen County. Seasonality was also significant in the regression model and there was a declining secular trend in the incidence of malaria. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that climatic variables should be considered as possible predictors for regions with similar geographic, climatic, and socioeconomic conditions to those of Shuchen County.     

Health effects of ambient air pollution – recent research development and contemporary methodological challenges

Exposure to high levels of air pollution can cause a variety of adverse health outcomes. Air quality in developed countries has been generally improved over the last three decades. However, many recent epidemiological studies have consistently shown positive associations between low-level exposure to air pollution and health outcomes. Thus, adverse health effects of air pollution, even at relatively low levels, remain a public concern. This paper aims to provide an overview of recent research development and contemporary methodological challenges in this field and to identify future research directions for air pollution epidemiological studies.     

Actin-1 CD34 PCNA cyclin-D1在肝炎、肝硬化、肝癌组织中表达的对比研究

目的探讨在肝癌发生过程中actin-1 CD34 PCNA cyclin-D1表达的变化，为临床的诊断和治疗提供依据。方法对22例肝癌患者，16例肝硬化患者，14例慢性肝炎患者和6例正常人的肝脏组织经福尔马林同定、石蜡包埋的病理组织进行免疫组织化学研究，以观察actin-1 CD34 PCNA cyclin-D1表达的不同。结果在四组病理组织中aetin-1 CD34 PCNA cyclin—D1的表达在肝癌中的表达率最高，且表达强度最大；actin-1 CD34基因的表达在肝硬化患者中就已经有较高的表达率。结论在肝癌发生的过程中伴随着包括aetin-1 CD34 PCNA cyclin-D1多基因表达的变化，同时伴随着肝星状细胞向肌纤维母细胞的转型和窦内皮细胞的毛细血管化，这些变化在慢性肝炎组织中已经开始出现。     

Enterohepatic Helicobacter species are prevalent in mice from commercial and academic institutions in Asia, Europe, and North America

The discovery of Helicobacter hepaticus and its role in hepatitis, hepatocellular carcinoma, typhlocolitis, and lower-bowel carcinoma in murine colonies was followed by the isolation and characterization of other Helicobacter spp. involved in enterohepatic disease. Colonization of mouse colonies with members of the family Helicobacteriaceae has become an increasing concern for the research community. From 2001 to 2005, shipments of selected gift mice from other institutions and mice received from specified commercial vendors were screened for Helicobacter spp. by culture of cecal tissue. The identities of the isolates were confirmed by genus-specific PCR, followed by species-specific PCR and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. Sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene was performed if the species identity was not apparent. The survey included 79 mice from 34 sources: 2 commercial sources and 16 research sources from the United States and 1 commercial source and 15 research sources from Canada, Europe, or Asia. Helicobacter spp. were cultured from the ceca of 62 of 79 mice. No Helicobacter spp. were found in mice from advertised Helicobacter-free production areas from two U.S. vendors. Multiple Helicobacter spp. were found in mice from one vendor's acknowledged Helicobacter-infected production area. The European commercial vendor had mice infected with novel Helicobacter sp. strain MIT 96-1001. Of the U.S. academic institutions, 6 of 16 (37%) had mice infected with Helicobacter hepaticus; but monoinfection with H. bilis, H. mastomyrinus, H. rodentium, and MIT 96-1001 was also encountered, as were mice infected simultaneously with two Helicobacter spp. Non-U.S. academic institutions had mice that were either monoinfected with H. hepaticus, monoinfected with seven other Helicobacter spp., or infected with a combination of Helicobacter spp. This survey indicates that 30 of 34 (88%) commercial and academic institutions in Canada, Europe, Asia, Australia, and the United States have mouse colonies infected with Helicobacter spp. Mice from 20 of the 34 institutions (59%) were most commonly colonized with H. hepaticus alone or in combination with other Helicobacter spp. These results indicate that a broad range of Helicobacter spp. infect mouse research colonies. The potential impact of these organisms on in vivo experiments continues to be an important issue for mice being used for biomedical research.     

The Association between Daily Dietary Intake of Riboflavin and Lung Function Impairment Related with Dibutyl Phthalate Exposure and the Possible Mechanism

This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between the daily dietary intake of riboflavin (DDIR) and impaired lung function associated with dibutyl phthalate (DBP) exposure. Data of 4631 adults in this national cross-sectional survey were included. Urinary mono-benzyl phthalate (MBP) was used to evaluate the level of DBP exposure. The ln-transformed urinary creatinine-corrected MBP (ln(MBP/UCr)) level was used in the statistical models. High DDIR was defined as the DDIR ≥1.8 mg per day. The results of lung function impairment and high monocytes were significantly higher in the highest MBP group compared with the lowest MBP group. A significant interaction between ln(MBP/UCr) and DDIR (P_interaction = 0.029) was detected for the risk of lung function impairment. The risk of lung function impairment (OR_{quartiles4 vs. 1} 1.85, 95% CI, 1.27–2.71; P_trend = 0.018) and high neutrophils (OR_{quartiles4 vs. 1} 1.45, 95% CI, 1.06–1.97; P_trend = 0.018) was significantly higher in the highest vs. the lowest quartile of MBP in participants with low/normal DDIR but not in in participants with high DDIR. The results of this study showed that high DDIR was associated with less lung function impairment related with DBP exposure, and the inhibiting of the neutrophil recruitment might be the potential mechanism.     

Migration bias in ecologic studies

Differential migration may provoke bias in an epidemiological assessment of the public health risks from exposure to environmental agents, particularly in ecologic studies of health outcomes with a long latency or induction period. The potential impact of migration bias on epidemiological research is complex, and it depends not only on the direction of the factor-related migration, but also on its extent. This study shows that even a small amount of differential migration can bias the assessment of the exposure–outcome relationship. Migration bias may result from a number of circumstances that are related to the way in which populations are defined and ascertained. It is important to understand and minimise this type of bias in epidemiological research.     

跟骨的测量与观察及其临床意义

目的:研究跟骨的解剖学特点,,为跟骨骨折治疗提供参考.方法:观察102副成人正常跟骨的形态特征和骨小梁分布情况,测量跟骨的各项指标.结果:跟骨最大长、跟骨体中部高、跟骨中部宽、跟骨体中部周长、跟骨前部高、跟骨前部宽、跟骨体中部后距、载距突长、载距突宽、载距突最厚处高的测量值男性大于女性,同性别间左右两侧比较无明显差异,男女间同侧比较有显著性差异; 长屈肌沟宽的测量值同性别间左右两侧及男女间同侧比较无明显差异.Bohler角的测量值同性别间左右两侧比较无明显差异,男女间同侧比较有显著性差异;Gissane角的测量值同性别间左右两侧及男女间同侧比较无明显差异.结论:本次测量结果可为恢复跟骨骨折的形态提供参考依据.     

Efficacy and safety of intra-articular injection of mesenchymal stem cells in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective:To evaluate the effects and safety of intra-articular injection of mesenchymal stem cells on patients with knee osteoarthritis by a systematic review and meta-analysis.Methods:PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library were retrieved. An assessment of the risk of bias was done through the Cochrane Collaborative Bias Risk Tool, publication bias was assessed by plotting funnel plots and Egger tests. Pain and functional improvements in patients with knee osteoarthritis were determined by changes in VAS scores and WOMAC scores at baseline and follow-up endpoints. For the evaluation of MRI, the WORMS score and changes in cartilage volume were used. In addition, the number of adverse events in the intervention group and the control group were counted to explore the safety.Results:A total of 10 randomized controlled trials involving 335 patients were included. In the pooled analysis, compared with the control groups, the VAS scores of MSC groups decreased significantly (MD,−19.24; 95% CI: −26.31 to −12.18, P < .00001. All of the WOMAC scores also improved significantly: the total scores (SMD, − 0.66; 95% CI: − 1.09 to −0.23, P = .003), pain scores (SMD, − 0.46; 95% CI: − 0.75 to −0.17, P = .002), stiffness scores (SMD, −0.32; 95% CI: −0.64 to 0.00 P = 0.05), and functional scores (SMD, −0.36; 95% CI: −0.69 to −0.04, P = .03). Two studies with non-double-blind designs were the main source of heterogeneity. In terms of cartilage repair, there was no significant difference in the WORMS score, but there was a significant increase in cartilage volume in the MSC group (SMD, 0.69; 95% CI: 0.25 to 1.13, P = .002). The proportion of patients with adverse events in the MSCs treatment group was significantly higher than that in the control group (OR, 3.20; 95% CI: 1.50 to 6.83, P = .003).Conclusions:Intra-articular injection of mesenchymal stem cells is effective and safety to relieve pain and improve motor function of patients with knee osteoarthritis in a short term which is different to conclusions of previous study.     

Challenges for epidemiologic research on the verge of a new era

Although risk factor epidemiology has achieved much, it has its limitations (e.g., a failure to reveal causal mechanisms at multiple levels). To illustrate contemporary challenges for epidemiological research, we present a dialog with examples and argue for incorporating a “systems thinking through a life course” paradigm in epidemiological research. There is an increasing interest in moving part of public health from a discipline concerned primarily with risk factors at the individual level toward one concerned with complex causal patterns which often operate across different levels in time and space (e.g., from the molecular to the population, from the past to the future, and from the distal to the proximal). However, the methodology for discovering these complex and dynamic relationships remains to be improved. We propose strategies for taking up this challenge.     

白细胞介素-9在胃癌前病变中的表达及意义

目的观察白细胞介素-9(IL-9)在胃良性病变、胃癌前病变及胃癌中的表达及临床意义。方法回顾性分析12例胃良性病变、38例胃癌前病变、46例胃癌患者的临床病理资料。采用免疫组化法检测上述标本中IL-9的表达水平,分析其与临床病理资料的关系。结果胃良性病变组、胃癌前病变组、胃癌组中IL-9表达差异有统计学意义(P0.01),且胃癌前病变中IL-9表达显著高于胃癌组(P0.01)。胃癌前病变组幽门螺旋杆菌(Hp)(+)患者IL-9表达显著高于Hp(-)患者,且组织炎症、萎缩、肠化程度越高,IL-9表达随之增加,差异具有统计学意义(P0.05)。结论 IL-9在胃癌前病变组织中高表达并与临床病理资料密切相关,推测IL-9及其介导的免疫反应参与胃癌前病变的发生及进展。