Abstract Aims To assess passive smoking as a risk factor for developing type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). Methods A search of PubMed, Web of Knowledge, Elsevier ScienceDirect and Springer (up to ...March, 2014) databases were performed using subject and random words. Two authors independently extracted the data. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used to assess the quality of included studies. The odds ratio (ORs) for the association was determined using a fix-effects model. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were performed and publication bias was assessed. Result 7 prospective studies were included in this meta-analysis which included a total of 162,001 subjects. The overall OR for developing T2DM for passive smoking was 1.33 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.20–1.46), with no significant heterogeneity between studies. The result was stable in the subgroup and sensitivity analyses, however there was evidence of publication bias. After the “fill and trim” method, the recalculated OR was 1.27 (95%CI 1.16–1.40). Conclusions Passive smoking is a risk factor of T2DM even in those who were not themselves active smokers.
Background and aims
Sulfonylureas are widely used in patients with type 2 diabetes; meanwhile, the increasing fractures risks especially in the old are gradually taken into consideration. This ...meta-analysis aimed at investigating whether sulfonylureas could influence the risk of fractures in type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in the elder patients (≥ 65 years old).
Methods
We searched the PubMed and other databases to screen eligible studies. Two authors independently extracted data according to the selection criteria for each study. The Newcastle–Ottawa scale was used to evaluate the quality. Subgroups and sensitivity analyses were performed and publication bias was assessed.
Result
A total of 7 studies involving 464,121 individuals were included in our meta-analysis. The pooled risk ratio for developing fracture in sulfonylurea users with type 2 diabetes (≥ 65 years old) was 1.26 (95% CI 1.15–1.39). Sensitivity analyses confirmed the stability of the results and there was no publication bias.
Conclusions
Sulfonylureas could add the risk of fractures among the old with type 2 diabetes. Initial sulfonylureas therapy in both men and women should be done prudently.
Implantable electronic medical devices have achieved remarkable medical advances in the treatment of the most challenging conditions, starting with the introduction of the first implantable pacemaker ...in 1958. Increasing demand for innovation in existing and novel implantable devices is fuelled by the growing aging population and the increased prevalence of chronic diseases. This perspective article provides an overview of the implantable medical device ecosystem, highlights recent developments, and discusses challenges and opportunities for translation of new innovative implants enabled by microtechnologies and microfabrication.
Studies focusing on the association between environmental and occupational solvent exposure and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) have yielded inconsistent results. Herein we present the results of ...a meta-analysis on the correlation between solvent exposure and ALS. We searched for eligible studies that reported ALS with exposure to solvents in PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science up to December 2022. The Newcastle–Ottawa scale was used to evaluate the quality of the article and a meta-analysis was performed using a random effect model. Thirteen articles, including two cohort studies and 13 case–control studies with 6365 cases and 173,321 controls were selected. The odds ratio (OR) for the association between solvent exposure and ALS was 1.31 (95% confidence interval CI, 1.11–1.54) with moderate heterogeneity (I
2
= 59.7%; p = 0.002). Subgroup and sensitivity analyses confirmed the results, and publication bias was not detected. These results indicated that environmental and occupational solvent exposure was associated with the risk of ALS.
The beetle Octodonta nipae (Maulik) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) is a serious invasive insect pest of palm plants in southern China, and the endoparasitoid Tetrastichus brontispae Ferrière ...(Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) is a natural enemy of this pest that exhibits great ability in the biocontrol of O. nipae. For successful parasitism, endoparasitoids often introduce or secrete various virulence factors to suppress host immunity. To investigate the effects of parasitization by T. brontispae on the O. nipae immune system, the transcriptome of O. nipae pupae was analyzed with a focus on immune-related genes through Illumina sequencing. De novo assembly generated 49,919 unigenes with a mean length of 598 bp. Of these genes, 27,490 unigenes (55.1% of all unigenes) exhibited clear homology to known genes in the NCBI nr database. Parasitization had significant effects on the transcriptome profile of O. nipae pupae, and most of these differentially expressed genes were down-regulated. Importantly, the expression profiles of immune-related genes were significantly regulated after parasitization. Taken together, these transcriptome sequencing efforts shed valuable light on the host (O. nipae) manipulation mechanisms induced by T. brontispae, which will pave the way for the development of novel immune defense-based management strategies of O. nipae, and provide a springboard for further molecular analyses, particularly of O. nipae invasion.
Abstract
Background
Wood dust has been confirmed as one kind of human carcinogen. However, there are inconsistent study results of exploring the relationship of exposure to wood dust and occurrence ...of nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC). For a greater clarification, the authors systemically reviewed the relevant published articles on the relationship of exposure to wood dust and occurrence of NPC. And meta-analysis was conducted.
Methods
The databases of PubMed, U.S. National Library of Medicine (MEDLINE), Embase and Science Direct were searched for the relevant publications. And Newcastle-Ottawa scale was employed for judging the quality of articles. Random-effect model was utilized for meta-analysis.
Results
Among a total of 583 retrieved items, 10 case–control studies and 1 cohort study were selected. The ratio of maximal/minimal exposure concentration of wood dust yielded a pooled odd ratio (OR) of 2.18 (95% CI = 1.62–2.93, P = 0.063) with a moderate heterogeneity (I2: 43.0%; P = 0.001). And subgroup analysis was performed for such factors as exposure status, exposure population and geographic region. No publishing bias was noted. Exposing to a high concentration of wood dust was positively proportional to occurring risk of NPC.
Conclusion
It hints at the contributing effect of wood dust upon NPC. For eliminating the effects of other confounding factors, larger prospective cohort studies are required for further elucidating the relationship of exposure to wood dust and occurrence of NPC.
This meta‐analysis was conducted to investigate the fracture risk among patients with T2DM treated with sulfonylurea.
The PubMed and other databases were searched for eligible studies. Both ...randomized controlled trials and observational studies that compared the fracture risk of sulfonylurea to other hypoglycemic agents were included. Pooled risk ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Subgroup analysis and meta-regression analyses were conducted to explore the source of heterogeneity.
A total of 11 studies involving 255,644 individuals were included in our meta-analysis. In comparing sulfonylurea users with patients who had not taken sulfonylurea, the pooled risk ratio for developing fracture was 1.14 (95% confifidence interval, 1.08–1.19). In subgroup analyses, the pooled risk ratio of bone fracture in patients receiving sulfonylurea versus thiazolidinedione, metformin and insulin was 0.90 (95% CI, 0.76–1.06), 1.25 (95% CI, 1.18–1.32) and 0.81 (95% CI, 0.74–0.89) respectively. Meta regression showed that age and gender were not related to the effect of sulfonylurea on fracture.
Sulfonylurea use was associated with 14% increase in the risk of developing fracture in T2DM. The risk of fracture caused by sulfonylurea was similar to thiazolidinedione, higher than metformin and lower than insulin.
Salt marsh has an important ‘purification’ role in coastal ecosystems by removing excess nitrogen that could otherwise harm aquatic life and reduce water quality. Recent studies suggest that salt ...marsh root exudates might be the ‘control centre’ for nitrogen transformation, but empirical evidence is lacking. Here we sought to estimate the direction and magnitude of nitrogen purification by salt marsh root exudates and gain a mechanistic understanding of the biogeochemical transformation pathway(s). To achieve this, we used a laboratory incubation to quantify both the root exudates and soil nitrogen purification rates, in addition to the enzyme activities and functional genes under Phragmites australis populations with different nitrogen forms addition (NO3−, NH4+ and urea). We found that NO3− and urea addition significantly stimulate P. australis root exudation of total acids, amino acids, total sugars and total organic carbon, while NH4+ addition only significantly increased total acids, amino acids and total phenol exudation. High total sugars, amino acids and total organic carbon concentrations enlarged nitrogen purification potential by stimulating the nitrogen purifying bacterial activities (including enzyme activities and related genes expression). Potential denitrification rates were not significantly elevated under NH4+ addition in comparison to NO3− and urea addition, which should be ascribed to total phenol self-toxicity and selective inhibition. Further, urea addition stimulated urease and protease activities with providing more NH4+ and NO2− substrates for elevated anaerobic ammonium oxidation rates among the nitrogen addition treatments. Overall, this study revealed that exogenous nitrogen could increase the nitrogen purification-associated bacterial activity through accelerating the root exudate release, which could stimulate the activity of nitrogen transformation, and then improve the nitrogen removal capacity in salt marsh.
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•NO3− and urea stimulate P. australis exudation of total acids, amino acids, total sugars.•NH4+ only increased total acids, amino acids and total phenols exudation.•Sugars, amino acids and organic carbon are mainly control factors to N removal in rhizosphere.•The release of phenols from P. australis root can inhibit the denitrification process.•Rhizosphere soil could improve N removal rate by 51.7 % compared to non-rhizosphere.
Cavitation erosion (CE) is a common problem troubling many flow-handling equipment such as valves, orifice plate pipes, and propellers. The coating technique is a widely used strategy to resist CE. ...It is important to understand the CE-corrosion behavior of the coatings in the corrosive solution, especially in the sand-containing saline water. A newly designed MIG welding precipitated hardened martensitic stainless steel (PHMSS) coating was performed, and its silt-CE was investigated in a suspension composed of 3.5 wt.% sodium chloride and 3% silica sand using an ultrasonic vibrator processor. The microstructure of the coating was characterized by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The effects of the sand particles on the CE-corrosion were analyzed using mass loss measurement, potentiodynamic polarization curve, and surface morphology observation. The results showed that the PHMSS coating was mainly composed of the lath martensitic phase alone. Its mass loss rate was in ascending order in the solution of distilled water alone, sand-containing distilled water, saline water alone, and sand-containing saline water. Sand particles played more roles in the CE in the distilled water than in the saline water. The synergy of CE and corrosion was much less in the sand-free saline than in the sand-containing saline. The maximum component was the erosion enhancement due to the corrosion in the saline without sand particles but was the pure erosion component in the saline with sand particles. The mechanism of the sand particles’ effect on the CE was also discussed.
More than half of the world's population suffers micronutrient undernourishment. The main sources of vitamins and minerals (iron, zinc, and vitamin A) for low-income rural and urban populations are ...staple foods of plant origin that often contain low levels or low bioavailability of these micronutrients. Biofortification aims to develop micronutrient-enhanced crop varieties through conventional plant breeding. HarvestPlus, the CGIAR's biofortification initiative, seeks to breed and disseminate crop varieties with enhanced micronutrient content that can improve the nutrition of the “hard to reach” (by fortification or supplementation programmes) rural and urban poor in targeted countries/regions. In attempting to enhance micronutrient levels in maize and wheat through conventional plant breeding, it is important to identify genetic resources with high levels of the targeted micronutrients, to consider the heritability of the targeted traits, to explore the availability of high throughput screening tools and to gain a better understanding of genotype by environment interactions. Biofortified maize and wheat varieties must have the trait combinations which encourage adoption such as high yield potential, disease resistance, and consumer acceptability. When defining breeding strategies and targeting micronutrient levels, researchers need to consider the desired micronutrient increases, food intake and retention and bioavailability as they relate to food processing, anti-nutritional factors and promoters. Finally,
ex ante studies are required to quantify the burden of micronutrient deficiency and the potential of biofortification to achieve a significant improvement in human micronutrient status in the deficient target population in order to determine whether a biofortification program is cost-effective.
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