Background
Little is known about the estrogen exposure measurement and mutual effect of age at menarche and age at menopause in the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) events.
Objectives
To evaluate ...estrogen exposure measurement and describe mutual effect of age at menarche and age at menopause in the risk of CVD events.
Search strategy
Systematic review of literature in PubMed, Embase and Web of Science for studies published up to 28 June 2020.
Selection criteria
Observational studies related to estrogen exposure measurement, including mutual effect of age at menarche and age at menopause and risk of CVD events.
Data collection and analysis
Synthesis of evidence was conducted by reviewing individual estimates, followed by meta‐analysis. The study received no external funding.
Main results
A total of 75 studies were included in synthesis of evidence, of which 17 studies were included in meta‐analysis. Reproductive lifespan (age at menopause – age at menarche), endogenous estrogen exposure and total estrogen exposure were used for estrogen exposure measurement. Reproductive lifespan was by far the most commonly used method for estrogen exposure measurement. A shorter reproductive lifespan was associated with a higher risk of CVD events; the pooled relative risk (95% CI) was 1.31 (1.25–1.36) for stroke events. Robust epidemiological studies with measurement of estrogen exposure and associated health risk would strengthen the evidence.
Conclusions
Reproductive lifespan was the most commonly used method for estrogen exposure measurement in epidemiological studies. A shorter reproductive lifespan was associated with a higher risk of CVD events, particularly stroke.
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A systematic review and meta‐analysis found that women with a shorter reproductive lifespan have a higher risk of stroke events.
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A systematic review and meta‐analysis found that women with a shorter reproductive lifespan have a higher risk of stroke events.
Natural kaolin was refluxed with sulphuric acid of different concentrations 1
M, 3
M, 5
M and 10
M at 110
°C for 4
h followed by calcination at 500
°C for 2
h. The physico-chemical characteristics of ...acid-leached kaolinite clay were studied by XRF, XRD, FTIR, TGA, DTA, SEM and N
2 adsorption techniques. XRF and FTIR studies indicate that acid treatment under reflux conditions leads to the removal of the octahedral Al
3+ cations along with other impurities. XRD of 5
M and 10
M treated kaolin shows that treatment with high concentrated acid provoked an amorphization resulting in the formation of an amorphous silica type phase. Leaching of Al
3+ ions increased progressively with severity of the acid treatment. The acid treatment increased the Si/Al ratio from 0.65 to 8.09, surface area from 23
m
2/g to 143
m
2/g and pore volume from 0.361
cc/g to 1.18
cc/g as the acid concentration was increased to 10
M. Solids thus obtained by acid treatments can be used as promising adsorbents and catalyst supports.
The present rate of economic growth is unsustainable without saving of fossil energy like crude oil, natural gas or coal. Thus mankind has to rely on the alternate/renewable energy sources like ...biomass, hydropower, geothermal energy, wind energy, solar energy, nuclear energy, etc. On the other hand, suitable waste management strategy is another important aspect of sustainable development. The growth of welfare levels in modern society during the past decades has brought about a huge increase in the production of all kinds of commodities, which indirectly generate waste. Plastics have been one of the materials with the fastest growth because of their wide range of applications due to versatility and relatively low cost. Since the duration of life of plastic products is relatively small, there is a vast plastics waste stream that reaches each year to the final recipients creating a serious environmental problem. Again, because disposal of post consumer plastics is increasingly being constrained by legislation and escalating costs, there is considerable demand for alternatives to disposal or land filling. Advanced research in the field of green chemistry could yield biodegradable/green polymers but is too limited at this point of time to substitute the non-biodegradable plastics in different applications. Once standards are developed for degradable plastics they can be used to evaluate the specific formulations of materials which will find best application in this state as regards their performance and use characteristics. Among the alternatives available are source reduction, reuse, recycling, and recovery of the inherent energy value through waste-to-energy incineration and processed fuel applications. Production of liquid fuel would be a better alternative as the calorific value of the plastics is comparable to that of fuels, around 40Â MJ/kg. Each of these options potentially reduces waste and conserves natural resources. Plastics recycling, continues to progress with a wide range of old and new technologies. Many research projects have been undertaken on chemical recycling of waste plastics to fuel and monomer. This is also reflected by a number of pilot, demonstration, and commercial plants processing various types of plastic wastes in Germany, Japan, USA, India, and elsewhere. Further investigations are required to enhance the generation of value added products (fuel) with low investments without affecting the environment. The paper reviews the available literature in this field of active research and identifies the gaps that need further attention.
The prevalence of diabetes, heart disease, and stroke multimorbidity (co-occurrence of two or three of these conditions) has increased rapidly. Little is known about how the three conditions progress ...from one to another sequentially through the life course. We aimed to delineate this progression in middle-aged women and to determine the roles of common risk factors in the accumulation of diabetes, heart disease, and stroke multimorbidity.
We used data from 13,714 women aged 45-50 years without a history of any of the three conditions. They were participants in the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH), enrolled in 1996, and surveyed approximately every 3 years to 2016. We characterized the longitudinal progression of the three conditions and multimorbidity. We estimated the accumulation of multimorbidity over 20 years of follow-up and investigated their association with both baseline and time-varying predictors (sociodemographic factors, lifestyle factors, and other chronic conditions). Over 20 years, 2,511 (18.3%) of the women progressed to at least one condition, of whom 1,420 (56.6%) had diabetes, 1,277 (50.9%) had heart disease, and 308 (12.3%) had stroke; 423 (16.8%) had two or three of these conditions. Over a 3-year period, the age-adjusted odds of two or more conditions was approximately twice that of developing one new condition compared to women who did not develop any new conditions. For example, the odds for developing one new condition between Surveys 7 and 8 were 2.29 (95% confidence interval CI, 1.93-2.72), whereas the odds for developing two or more conditions was 6.51 (95% CI, 3.95-10.75). The onset of stroke was more strongly associated with the progression to the other conditions (i.e., 23.4% 95% CI, 16.3%-32.2% of women after first onset of stroke progressed to other conditions, whereas the percentages for diabetes and heart disease were 9.9% 95% CI, 7.9%-12.4% and 11.4% 95% CI, 9.1%-14.4%, respectively). Being separated, divorced, or widowed; being born outside Australia; having difficulty managing on their available income; being overweight or obese; having hypertension; being physically inactive; being a current smoker; and having prior chronic conditions (i.e., mental disorders, asthma, cancer, osteoporosis, and arthritis) were significantly associated with increased odds of accumulation of diabetes, heart disease, and stroke multimorbidity. The main limitations of this study were the use of self-reported data and the low number of events.
Stroke was associated with increased risk of progression to diabetes or heart disease. Social inequality, obesity, hypertension, physical inactivity, smoking, or having other chronic conditions were also significantly associated with increased odds of accumulating multimorbidity. Our findings highlight the importance of awareness of the role of diabetes, heart disease, and stroke multimorbidity among middle-aged women for clinicians and health-promotion agencies.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Rock failure is a serious problem in rock engineering environments. Rock failure modes, however, are complex and difficult to quantify or predict. A comprehensive study on rock failure modes at ...laboratory scale is, therefore, potentially important as it helps recognize the adequacy of the support designed on the basis of the nature of an engineering work. With due need, this paper analyzes the failure modes of granite, schist, and sandstone under uniaxial compression, Brazilian, and point load tests in relation to corresponding strengths. The nature of the principal failure mode changes from axial splitting to shearing along a single plane to multiple fracturing in the case of both granite and sandstone specimens as uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) increases. In the case of schist, specimens failed at low UCS show failure along foliations whereas specimens which do not fail along foliations portray high strength. The relation between failure modes of all three rocks under uniaxial compression and corresponding UCS values was broadly explained in terms of damage evolution of the rocks. Granite and sandstone specimens failed mainly following central or central multiple type of fracturing whereas schist specimens principally failed by layer activation in combination with either central or non-central fractures over the entire range of determined Brazilian tensile strength. In the case of granite and sandstone, central multiple failure mode corresponds to high tensile strength. Descriptions of different failure modes under point loading were presented. It was found that granite and sandstone specimens generally fail through the rock materials in one or more extensional planes containing the line of loading. Failure patterns showing triple junctions correspond to high point load strength indices. In the case of schist, specimens failed along foliations show a low point load strength index whereas specimens failed through material with a single extensional plane result in high strength.
Objective
To estimate the prevalence and incidence of endometriosis among Australian women.
Design
Population‐based cohort study linked to administrative health records.
Setting
Secondary analysis of ...seven surveys collected between 2000 and 2018 from a population‐based cohort study.
Population
A total of 13 508 Australian women, born 1973–78, from a prospective cohort study of 14 247 women conducted between 1996 and 2018.
Methods
During 2000 and 2018, self‐reported longitudinal survey data were linked to three administrative health databases to separately identify women with clinically confirmed or suspected endometriosis across the multiple data sources.
Main outcome measures
Prevalence and incidence of clinically confirmed endometriosis in the cohort were first estimated using national hospital data. Data were then combined with other administrative health databases and the survey data to capture all clinically confirmed and suspected diagnoses of endometriosis.
Results
The cumulative prevalence of clinically confirmed endometriosis was 6.0% (95% CI 5.8–6.2%) by age 40–44 years. The cumulative prevalence increased to 11.4% (95% CI 11.1–11.7%) when adding diagnoses of clinically suspected endometriosis. Age‐specific incidence estimates peaked to 6 per 1000 person‐years at age 30–34 years.
Conclusions
Among 13 508 Australian women followed for 20 years, one in nine women had clinically confirmed or suspected endometriosis by the age of 44, with most diagnosed during their early thirties. Endometriosis is a significant public health issue requiring increased surveillance, clinical awareness and management. Efforts to expand knowledge on the aetiology of the disease and optimal methods for disease management are crucial to women's health.
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In a national study of 13 508 Australian women, one in nine women were diagnosed with endometriosis by age 44.
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In a national study of 13 508 Australian women, one in nine women were diagnosed with endometriosis by age 44.
Objective To characterise symptoms experienced by women during the transition into natural menopause, to classify women into distinct symptom profiles or trajectories, and to relate these profiles to ...sociodemographic factors and health behaviours.Design Nationally representative cohort study.Setting England, Scotland, and Wales.Participants 695 women followed-up since birth in 1946 and annually from age 47 to 54 who experienced natural menopause and reported on 20 common health symptoms.Main outcome measure Longitudinal profiles for reported bothersome symptoms.Results Of 20 individual symptoms, 18 formed into four stable symptom groups: psychological, somatic, vasomotor, and sexual discomfort. Using latent class analyses, all except the somatic group of symptoms showed a clear relation with the timing of menopause for some women. A small proportion of women (10%, n=63) had a severe psychological symptom profile that peaked at or in the year after menopause. For vasomotor symptoms, 14% of women (n=83) had the early severe profile that also peaked around early postmenopause and then declined noticeably; 11% (n=67) had the late severe profile of bothersome symptoms that increased rapidly in perimenopause and remained high for four years or more after menopause. Women were less likely to have a profile for severe vasomotor symptoms if they were from a non-manual social class (odds ratio 0.79, 95% confidence interval 0.57 to 1.01) or had degree level qualifications (0.37, 0.18 to 0.77). The 14% of women (n=85) who had the late severe profile for sexual discomfort showed a similar increase in symptoms until menopause, with symptoms persisting after menopause. Married women were more likely to have the late severe or late moderate profile than women of other marital status (2.40, 1.30 to 4.41). Four profiles each were identified for somatic symptoms (mild, moderate, severe, and very severe), although these did not vary by chronological age or age at menopause.Conclusion Profiles for psychological, vasomotor, and sexual discomfort symptoms relative to age at menopause could help health professionals to tailor their advice for women with natural menopause.
Most galaxies in clusters have supermassive black holes (SMBHs) at their center, and a fraction of those SMBHs show strong activity. These active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are an important probe of ...environmental dependence of galaxy evolution, intracluster medium, and cluster-scale feedback. We investigated AGN fraction in one of the largest samples of X-ray selected clusters from the ROSAT and their immediate surrounding field regions below z < 0.5. We found a lower average AGN fraction in clusters (2.37 0.39)% than for the fields (5.12 0.16)%. The lower AGN fractions in clusters were measured, after dividing the clusters into five redshift intervals between 0.0 and 0.5, in each redshift interval, and we found an increase in the fraction for both cluster and field galaxies with redshift below z < 0.5, which clearly indicates an environment and redshift dependence. We further divided the clusters into low-mass and high-mass objects using a mass cut at log10(M500/M ) = 13.5, finding comparable AGN fractions for both classifications, while a significantly higher AGN fraction in field. We also measured increasing AGN fractions with cluster-centric distance for all redshift bins, further confirming the environmental dependence of AGN activities. In addition, we did not find an obvious trend between AGN fraction and Sloan Digital Sky Survey Mr absolute magnitudes among different redshift bins. We conclude that the lower AGN fraction in clusters relative to fields indicate that factors, such as inefficient galaxy mergers and ram pressure stripping, cause a deficit of cold gas available in high-density regions to fuel the central SMBH. Clusters and fields in the present universe have lost more gas relative to their high-redshift counterparts resulting in a lower AGN fraction observed today.
This paper presents a comparative evaluation of efficacies of different index tests and analysis techniques (i.e. regression analyses and fuzzy inference system) in predicting uniaxial compressive ...strength (UCS) of granite, schist and sandstone. UCS and indices such as block punch index, point load strength, Schmidt rebound hardness, ultrasonic P-wave velocity, and physical properties (effective porosity and density) were determined for the concerned rocks. From simple regression analyses, it was apparent that for granite and sandstone, performances of all six indices are reasonably good in predicting UCS. In case of granite, block punch index and point load strength are the best indices whereas effective porosity, point load strength and Schmidt rebound hardness are the most efficient indices for sandstone. In case of schist, however, ultrasonic P-wave velocity does not seem to be a competent index unlike other indices where point load strength proves to be the best one. From the critical analysis of the tests results, it was demonstrated and subsequently concluded that index test results of different rock types with different geology should not be clubbed together for statistical correlation with any rock mechanical parameter like UCS.
Both multiple regression analyses and the fuzzy inference system exhibited better predictive performances for UCS than simple regression analyses. In addition to the coefficient of correlation, the Variance Account For (VAF) and the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) were also calculated to check the predictive performances of these two models and it was found that the predictive performances of both models are comparable. However, one should be cautious while employing multiple regression analysis in predicting UCS, as there is always a chance of cumulating plausible errors that might have remained within individual index test results. On the other hand, fuzzy inference system seems to be an efficient tool in predicting UCS of rock materials from indices because of its efficacy in handling uncertainties in the test results with transparency.
•Different indices were used to predict UCS of granite, schist and sandstone.•Point load strength proved to be the best index in this regard.•Multiple regression and fuzzy inference system analyses were also employed.•Fuzzy inference system appeared to be the most efficient technique in predicting UCS.
To investigate the association between dietary patterns and prevalence and incidence 3 years later of depressive symptoms using data from the mid-aged cohort in the Australian Longitudinal Study on ...Women's Health.
Participants (aged 50-55 years) completed a food frequency questionnaire in 2001. Depressive symptoms were measured in 2001 and 2004 using the validated 10-item Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale. Multiple logistic regression was used for cross-sectional analysis (8369 women) and longitudinal analysis (7588) to assess the associations between dietary patterns and prevalence of depressive symptoms, and then for longitudinal analysis (6060) on their associations with the incidence of depressive symptoms in 2004, while adjusting for sociodemographic and lifestyle factors.
Six dietary patterns were identified from factor analysis: cooked vegetables, fruit, Mediterranean style, meat and processed meat, dairy, and high fat and sugar. A higher consumption of the Mediterranean-style diet had a cross-sectional association with lower prevalence of depressive symptoms in 2001, adjusted odds ratio 0.82 (95% confidence interval 0.77-0.88); and longitudinally with lower incidence of depressive symptoms in 2004, adjusted odds ratio 0.83 (0.75-0.91). None of the associations found for other dietary patterns remained statistically significant after adjustment for confounders. A dose-response relationship was found cross-sectionally when women were grouped according to quintiles of Mediterranean-style diet (P-value for trend <0.001).
Consumption of a 'Mediterranean-style' dietary pattern by mid-aged women may have a protective influence against the onset of depressive symptoms. These findings suggest that dietary patterns have a potential role in the prevention and management of depressive symptoms.
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