COVID-19 mortality in the UK Biobank cohort: revisiting and evaluating risk factors

European Journal of Epidemiology - Most studies of severe/fatal COVID-19 risk have used routine/hospitalisation data without detailed pre-morbid characterisation. Using the community-based UK...     

Saltwater fish but not freshwater fish consumption is positively related to handgrip strength: The TCLSIH Cohort Study

Fish contain many important nutrients and are primarily known for high n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) content. Studies have shown that supplementation of fish oil-derived n-3 PUFA improves muscle mass and strength. Here, we hypothesized that fish consumption might improve muscle strength. To test this hypothesis, we performed this cross-sectional study (n = 29,084) in Tianjin, China. The frequency of fish consumption was assessed using a valid self-administered food frequency questionnaire. Handgrip strength (HGS) was used as the indicator of muscle strength, and was measured using a handheld digital dynamometer. Analysis of covariance was used to examine the relationship between fish consumption and HGS. In men, after adjusted potential confounding factors, the least square means (95% confidence intervals) of HGS across saltwater fish consumption categories were 41.5 (41.1, 43.7) kg for <1 time/week, 44.6 (43.2, 45.8) kg for 1 time/week, and 44.7 (43.3, 46.1) kg for ≥2 to 3 times/week (P for trend <0.001). In men, the least square means (95% confidence intervals) of HGS across the ascending quartiles of dietary n-3 PUFA intake were 43.6 (43.2, 44.4) kg, 43.7 (43.2, 44.6) kg, 44.4 (43.0, 45.8) kg, and 44.6 (43.1, 46.0) kg (P for trend <0.01). The results showed that saltwater fish consumption was positively related to HGS in men, but not in women, suggesting that saltwater fish contain nutrients that may be used to improve HGS.     

Subchronic Toxicity of 3,3',4,4',5-Pentachlorobiphenyl in the Rat: I. Clinical, Biochemical, Hematological, and Histopathological Changes

The systemic, toxicity of 3,3',4,4',5-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB126) following subchronic dietary exposure was investigatedin Sprague-Dawley rats. PCB 126 was administered to rats ofboth sexes at concentrations of 0.1, 1.0, 10, or 100 ppb intheir diet for 13 weeks. Another group of rats received a loadingdose of 5 µg PCB/kg body wt at the start of the feedingperiod followed by exposure to 10 ppb PCB diet for the sameperiod of time as the other groups. Growth suppression and decreasedfood consumption were observed in the highest dose groups ofboth sexes. Increased organ/body weight ratios for the liveroccurred in the 10 and 100 ppb groups of both sexes. Rats ofboth sexes exposed to the highest dose of the PCB also exhibitedincreased relative kidney, spleen, and brain weights. Hematologicaland most serum biochemical changes were confined to the 100ppb groups. These included elevated alkaline phosphatase, bilirubin,cholesterol, and aspartate aminotransferase, and decreased serumglucose, hemoglobin, erythrocytes, hematocrit, and platelets.A dose-dependent increase in liver ethoxyre-sorufin-O-deethylaseactivity was observed in rats of both sexes starting at 0.1ppb. A dose-dependent increase in liver uroporphyrin levelswas observed in both sexes and significant changes occurredin the female rats at 1.0 ppb and higher dose groups. Decreasedliver vitamin A was observed in the 10 ppb group and higherin both sexes. Kidney vitamin A was elevated in the 100 ppbgroup. No statistically significant changes were noted in concentrationsof brain biogenic amines. PCB 126 residues were 10-fold higherin liver than in fat. Treatment-related histopathological changeswere observed in the thymus, thyroid, bone marrow, and liverof rats exposed to the 10 ppb diet, but increased frequencyof mild changes was observed in most of these tissues at the1.0 ppb level. Based on the above data, the no adverse effectlevel was judged to be 0.1 ppb in the diet or 0.01 µg/kgbody wt/day.     

Parents’ Nonstandard Work Schedules and Child Well-Being: A Critical Review of the Literature

This paper provides a comprehensive review of empirical evidence linking parental nonstandard work schedules to four main child developmental outcomes: internalizing and externalizing problems, cognitive development, and body mass index. We evaluated the studies based on theory and methodological rigor (longitudinal data, representative samples, consideration of selection and information bias, confounders, moderators, and mediators). Of 23 studies published between 1980 and 2012 that met the selection criteria, 21 reported significant associations between nonstandard work schedules and an adverse child developmental outcome. The associations were partially mediated through parental depressive symptoms, low quality parenting, reduced parent–child interaction and closeness, and a less supportive home environment. These associations were more pronounced in disadvantaged families and when parents worked such schedules full time. We discuss the nuance, strengths, and limitations of the existing studies, and propose recommendations for future research.     

Transport and removal of viruses in saturated sand columns under oxic and anoxic conditions – Potential implications for groundwater protection

To protect groundwater as a drinking water resource from microbiological contamination, protection zones are installed. While travelling through these zones, concentrations of potential pathogens should decline to levels that pose no risks to human health. Removal of viruses during subsurface passage is influenced by physicochemical conditions, such as oxygen concentration, which also affects virus survival. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of redox conditions on the removal of viruses during sand filtration. Experiments in glass columns filled with medium-grained sand were conducted to investigate virus removal in the presence and absence of dissolved oxygen. Bacteriophages MS2 and PhiX174, as surrogates for human enteric viruses were spiked in pulsed or in continuous mode and pumped through the columns at a filter velocity of about 1 m/d. Virus breakthrough curves were analyzed by calculating total viral elimination and fitted using one-dimensional transport models (CXTFIT and HYDRUS-1D). While short-term experiments with pulsed virus application showed only small differences with regard to virus removal under oxic and anoxic conditions, a long-term experiment with continuous dosing revealed a clearly lower elimination of viruses under anoxic conditions. These findings suggest that less inactivation and less adsorption of viruses in anoxic environments affect their removal. Therefore, in risk assessment studies aimed to secure drinking water resources from viral contamination and optimization of protection zones, the oxic and anoxic conditions in the subsurface should also be considered.