Objective
This systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examined the efficacy and safety of adjunctive N‐acetylcysteine (NAC), an antioxidant drug, in treating major ...depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.
Methods
The PubMed, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, CNKI, CBM, and WanFang databases were independently searched and screened by two researchers. Standardized mean differences (SMDs), risk ratios, and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed.
Results
Six RCTs (n = 701) of NAC for schizophrenia (three RCTs, n = 307), bipolar disorder (two RCTs, n = 125), and MDD (one RCT, n = 269) were identified and analyzed as separate groups. Adjunctive NAC significantly improved total psychopathology (SMD = −0.74, 95% CI: −1.43, −0.06; I2 = 84%, P = 0.03) in schizophrenia, but it had no significant effect on depressive and manic symptoms as assessed by the Young Mania Rating Scale in bipolar disorder and only a small effect on major depressive symptoms. Adverse drug reactions to NAC and discontinuation rates between the NAC and control groups were similar across the three disorders.
Conclusions
Adjunctive NAC appears to be a safe treatment that has efficacy for schizophrenia, but not for bipolar disorder or MDD. Further higher quality RCTs are warranted to determine the role of adjunctive NAC in the treatment of major psychiatric disorders.
Background
The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of epidemiologic and physician‐diagnosed pollen‐induced AR (PiAR) in the grasslands of northern China and to study the impact of the ...intensity and time of pollen exposure on PiAR prevalence.
Methods
A multistage, clustered and proportionately stratified random sampling with a field interviewer‐administered survey study was performed together with skin prick tests (SPT) and measurements of the daily pollen count.
Results
A total of 6043 subjects completed the study, with a proportion of 32.4% epidemiologic AR and 18.5% PiAR. The prevalence was higher in males than females (19.6% vs 17.4%, P = .024), but no difference between the two major residential and ethnic groups (Han and Mongolian) was observed. Subjects from urban areas showed higher prevalence of PiAR than rural areas (23.1% vs 14.0%, P < .001). Most PiAR patients were sensitized to two or more pollens (79.4%) with artemisia, chenopodium, and humulus scandens being the most common pollen types, which were similarly found as the top three sensitizing pollen allergens by SPT. There were significant regional differences in the prevalence of epidemiologic AR (from 18.6% to 52.9%) and PiAR (from 10.5% to 31.4%) among the six areas investigated. PiAR symptoms were positively associated with pollen counts, temperature, and precipitation (P < .05), but negatively with wind speed and pressure P < .05).
Conclusion
Pollen‐induced AR (PiAR) prevalence in the investigated region is extremely high due to high seasonal pollen exposure, which was influenced by local environmental and climate conditions.
This paper extends the numerical manifold method (NMM) for footwall slope stability analysis. A fracturing algorithm based on the Mohr–Coulomb criterion with a tensile cutoff is implemented into the ...NMM code. The developed program is first calibrated by simulating four typical crack problems. It is then applied to analyze the potential footwall slope instability. Parametric studies with respect to dip of a bedding plane, orientation of a predominant joint set, the bedding profile, etc., are carried out. Numerical results indicate that the developed program can simulate the opening and sliding along pre-existing discontinuities, fracturing through intact rock, as well as kinematics of the failed slope, and can also reproduce the major failure mechanisms observed in footwall slope collapses. The NMM is promising for such problems and deserves to be further developed to be practically used in natural/excavated rock slope stability analysis and open pit slope design.
► A fracturing algorithm based on the Mohr–Coulomb criterion is coupled in the NMM. ► No
a priori assumption, interface element, or remeshing is required in the modeling. ► The developed NMM in fracturing modeling under various loading types is verified. ► Failure mechanisms observed in footwall slope collapse are numerically reproduced.
Summary
To perform a systematic review of studies reporting on the association between body mass index (BMI) and the risk of colorectal cancer, we conducted a meta‐analysis and meta‐regression ...analysis. The identified 56 studies were conducted among 7 213 335 individuals including 93 812 cases. Compared with BMI < 23.0 kg m−2, BMI of 23.0–24.9, 25.0–27.4, 27.5–29.9 and ≥30.0 kg m−2 were associated with 14%, 19%, 24% and 41% increased risks, respectively. Asians and premenopausal women had sharply increased risk from BMI < 23 kg m−2 to general ‘normal’ range (23–25 kg m−2). Each 5 kg m−2 increment was associated with 18% increased risk. Meta‐regression analysis indicated that the association was stronger for colon than rectal cancer (P < 0.001), for men than women (P < 0.001), for self‐reported BMI than directly measured BMI (P < 0.001), and for studies adjusting for physical activity than not adjusting (P < 0.001). The variation of the reported risk estimates for the association can be partly explained by cancer site, sex, women menopausal status, BMI assessment and adjustment of confounding variables.
Rotator cuff tears represent a large burden of muscle-tendon injuries in our aging population. While small tears can be repaired surgically with good outcomes, critical size tears are marked by ...muscle atrophy, fibrosis, and fatty infiltration, which can lead to failed repair, frequent re-injury, and chronic disability. Previous animal studies have indicated that Transforming Growth Factor-β (TGF-β) signaling may play an important role in the development of these muscle pathologies after injury. Here, we demonstrated that inhibition of TGF-β1 signaling with the small molecule inhibitor SB431542 in a mouse model of massive rotator cuff tear results in decreased fibrosis, fatty infiltration, and muscle weight loss. These observed phenotypic changes were accompanied by decreased fibrotic, adipogenic, and atrophy-related gene expression in the injured muscle of mice treated with SB431542. We further demonstrated that treatment with SB431542 reduces the number of fibro/adipogenic progenitor (FAP) cells-an important cellular origin of rotator cuff muscle fibrosis and fatty infiltration, in injured muscle by promoting apoptosis of FAPs. Together, these data indicate that the TGF-β pathway is a critical regulator of the degenerative muscle changes seen after massive rotator cuff tears. TGF-β promotes rotator cuff muscle fibrosis and fatty infiltration by preventing FAP apoptosis. TGF-β regulated FAP apoptosis may serve as an important target pathway in the future development of novel therapeutics to improve muscle outcomes following rotator cuff tear.
To investigate the noise distribution characteristics, workers' exposure to noise, and protective measures against noise on offshore oil platforms.
Six offshore oil platforms with a similar scale of ...production from China National Offshore Oil Corporation were selected from June to October, 2015 to conduct a field investigation of occupational health and detection of risk factors for occupational diseases and to know the current status of noise hazard on offshore oil platforms.
Among the 373 sites for noise measurement, 69.7% had a noise level of ≥80 dB (A) ; among the 196 sites for noise measurement in the area with noisy equipment, 86.7% had a noise level of ≥80 dB (A) ; among the 177 sites for noise measurement in the area without noisy equipment, 50.8% had a noise level of ≥80 dB (A) . The actual sound attenuation of earplugs used on platforms was 18.6 dB (A) , and if they were worn correctly, they had a maximum value of noise protection of 103.6 dB (A) . The workers engaged in indoor operation were expose
The competition between dynamic recovery (DRV) and recrystallization (DRX) during hot deformation has been investigated in the present paper. Isothermal compression experiment of TC18 titanium alloy ...was conducted for verification. The hot deformation mechanism for TC18 alloy has been identified as dislocation evolution from the stress exponent correspondence. Suitable descriptions to dislocation evolution under DRV/DRX have been obtained and validated by stress variation with DRX critical strain as the transition. Work-hardening behaviors correspond to the competition between DRX/DRV and segmented functions were constructed to describe the variation. The influence of α/β phase transformation and DRX evolution on dislocation evolution and work-hardening behaviors has been characterized with the Kocks–Mecking model developed. Power dissipation efficiency and microstructure observation were utilized to demonstrate the dependence of dynamic softening mechanism. The β necking phenomenon in DRX grains has been associated with the periodic competition between DRX and DRV.
Aims
To examine the association between duration and quality of sleep and the prevalence of undiagnosed and clinically identified diabetes mellitus and pre‐diabetes in a nationally representative ...sample.
Methods
Cross‐sectional study of 2285 participants ≥ 30 years old and without diagnosed sleep disorders from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2005–2008). The primary exposures were sleep duration and quality. Sleep quality was assessed by questionnaire using trouble initiating sleep, trouble maintaining sleep, and waking up too early. The primary outcomes were clinically identified and undiagnosed pre‐diabetes and diabetes as defined by the American Diabetes Association using fasting plasma glucose (5.6–6.9 mmol/l = pre‐diabetes; ≥ 7.0 mmol/l = diabetes). Multivariate logistic regression was used to test the association between sleep quality, sleep duration and glycaemic status.
Results
After adjustment for socio‐demographic characteristics and health behaviors, sleeping ≤ 5 h/night was associated with clinically identified pre‐diabetes (odds ratio 2.06, 95% CI 1.00–4.22 vs. 7 h). Both trouble maintaining sleep ≥ 5 times/month (odds ratio 3.50, 95% CI 1.30–9.45) and waking up too early ≥ 5 times/month (odds ratio 2.69, 95% CI 1.21–5.98) were also significantly associated with increased risk of clinically identified pre‐diabetes. Trouble initiating sleep and sleeping ≥ 9 h/night were not found to be associated with having diabetes.
Conclusions
Only clinically identified pre‐diabetes was associated with trouble maintaining sleep, waking up too early, and short sleep. No other relations were found to be significant. Findings suggest that poor sleep quality and short sleep duration were more strongly associated with clinically identified pre‐diabetes than 7–8 hours per day.
What's new?
Use of fasting plasma glucose data and self‐report to assess clinically identified and undiagnosed diabetes and pre‐diabetes status.
Clinically identified pre‐diabetes was associated with trouble maintaining sleep, waking up too early, and short sleep.
Arsenic is widely distributed in nature in air, water and soil. Acute and chronic arsenic exposure via drinking water has been reported in many countries, especially Argentina, Bangladesh, India, ...Mexico, Mongolia, Thailand and Taiwan, where a large proportion of ground water is contaminated with arsenic at levels from 100 to over 2,000 micrograms per liter (ppb). Public health standards of maximum of 50 ppb have been adopted by the US and World Health Organization in the 1970s and the 80s. Carcinogenicity and genotoxicity led to the WHO recommendation of 10 ppb maximum level in 1993, followed by the US adoption of the same in 2001, with the US estimate that 5% of all US community water systems will have to take corrective actions to lower the current levels of arsenic in their drinking water. In high arsenic areas of the world, the need for better water treatment and resulting economic impact would be even greater. In this article, we briefly review the geochemistry, natural distribution, regulation, anthropogenic sources and removal mechanisms of arsenic, pointing especially to the promise of reverse osmosis (RO) as a practical means of purification. We conclude that arsenic in the commonly high oxidation states of (V) is very effectively removed by RO. With further attention to the removal of the weakly acidic arsenic (III) species in waters by the operation of RO at sufficiently high pHs made possible by the newer antiscalants, practical processes can be developed with RO to remove all major species of arsenic from water. Further studies are needed in the characterization of the arsenic species being treated and in the design of the RO process to match the demands.
An array of eight long Ti-6Al-4V rods (diameter: 12 mm; height: 300 mm) have been additively manufactured, vertically and perpendicular to the powder bed, by selective electron beam melting (SEBM). ...The purpose was to identify and understand the challenges of fabricating Ti-6Al-4V samples or parts from a deep powder bed (more than 200-mm deep) by SEBM and the necessity of applying post heat treatment. The resulting microstructure and mechanical properties of these Ti-6Al-4V rods were characterized along their building (
i.e.,
axial) direction by dividing each rod into three segments (top, middle, and bottom), both before (
i.e.,
as-built) and after hot isostatic pressing (HIP). The as-built microstructure of each rod was inhomogeneous; it was coarsest in the top segment, which showed a near equilibrium
α
-
β
lamellar structure, and finest in the bottom segment, which featured a non-equilibrium mixed structure. The tensile properties varied along the rod axis, especially the ductility, but all tensile properties met the requirements specified by ASTM F3001-14. HIP increased the relative density from 99.03 pct of the theoretical density (TD) to 99.90 pct TD and homogenized the microstructure thereby leading to highly consistent tensile properties along the rod axis. The temperature of the stainless steel substrate used in the powder bed was monitored. The as-built inhomogeneous microstructure is attributed to the temperature gradient in the deep powder bed. Post heat treatment is thus necessary for Ti-6Al-4V samples or parts manufactured from a deep powder bed by SEBM. This differs from the additive manufacturing of small samples or parts from a shallow powder bed (less than 100-mm deep) by SEBM.
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