ABSTRACT
Background Exposure to perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) during pregnancy might affect thyroid-related hormone levels in pregnant women. However, most previous studies focused on the effects of PFAS containing 8-10 carbon atoms, and few studies have estimated the associations between PFAS with longer carbon chain and thyroid-related hormone levels. Objective To examine the associations between PFAS exposure and thyroid-related hormones in pregnant women. Methods The present study was based on the Jiashan Birth Cohort from September 2016 to April 2018. We analyzed 13 PFAS in maternal blood samples (n=781) by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, as well as total triiodothyronine (T3), total thyroxine (T4), free T3 (FT3), free T4 (FT4), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), thyroglobulin antibody (TG-Ab), and thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb) by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. PFAS were divided into three groups:low concentration, medium concentration and high concentration according to the tertile of their concentrations. We estimated the associations between PFAS concentrations and thyroid-related hormones in pregnant women by multiple linear regression. Results In the multiple linear regression models, a change in perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoA) concentrations from the low concentration group to the high concentration group was associated with a −0.10 (95%CI: −0.20, 0) nmol·L−1 change in T3, −0.15 (95%CI: −0.28, −0.02) pmol·L−1 change in FT3, and −3.02 (95%CI: −5.66, −0.39) pmol·L−1 change in FT4, respectively. A change in perfluorotridecanoic acid (PFTrDA) concentrations from the low concentration group to the high concentration group was associated with a −0.10 (95%CI: −0.20, 0) nmol·L−1 change in T3. Compared with the low concentration group, the concentration of T4 in the medium concentration group of perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS) increased by 6.10 (95%CI: 0.44, 11.75) nmol·L−1. No statistically significant associations were found between PFAS and TSH concentration. The negative associations of PFAS with thyroid-related hormones were more pronounced in pregnant women with positive TG-Ab and/or TPOAb. Conclusion Exposure to PFAS during pregnancy may affect thyroid-related hormone homeostasis in pregnant women, and the effect is stronger in TG-Ab and/or TPOAb-positive pregnant women.
ABSTRACT
Pectus carinatum (PC) is one of the most common chest wall anomalies, which is characterized by the protrusion of the anterior chest wall including the sternum and adjacent costal cartilages. Mildly patients suffer from mental problems such as self-abasement, while severely suffering patients are disturbed by significant cardiopulmonary symptoms. The traditional Haller index, which is widely used clinically to evaluate the severity of PC, is deficient in diagnosis efficiency and classification. This paper presents an improved Haller index algorithm for PC: first, the contour of the patient chest in the axial computed tomography (CT) slice where the most convex thorax presents is extracted; and then a cubic B-spline curve is employed to fit the extracted contour followed by an eclipse fitting procedure; finally, the improved Haller index and the classification index are automatically calculated based on the analytic curves. The results of CT data analysis using 22 preoperative and postoperative patient CT datasets show that the proposed diagnostic index for PC can diagnose and classify PC patients correctly, which confirms the feasibility of the evaluation index. Furthermore, digital measurement techniques can be employed to improve the diagnostic efficiency of PC, achieving one small step towards the computer-aided intelligent diagnosis and treatment for pediatric chest wall malformations.
ABSTRACT
Objective To analyze the sexuality situation and the influencing factors of 1 732 cases of migrants in Chongqing , and provide the scientific basis for improving the sexual health of migrants and the service level of the relevant departments .Meth‐ods The multi stage random cluster sampling method was used to select the subjects .A total of 1 732 married and unmarried mi‐grants who had sexuality were included into the structured questionnaire survey .The SAS9 .3 software was use to statistical analy‐sis .The χ2 test and Ordinal regression analysis and Logistic regression analysis were use to univariate and multivariate analysis .Re‐sults The communication frequency of sexuality of male migrants was higher than the females ,OR=1 .53(95% CI:1 .24-1 .89);young people had the high communication frequency of sexuality ;the frequency of low education groups lower than higher .The fre‐quency of subjects worked in Hong Kong ,Taiwan ,overseas‐funded enterprises are higher than other workplace .The sexual life fre‐quency of male migrants is higher than the female ,OR=1 .84(95% CI:1 .40-2 .42);the sexual life frequency of low age group was higher than high age group ,the frequency of sexual life in factory workers was lower than the Hong Kong ,Taiwan ,overseas‐funded enterprises workers .Compared with the subjects who communicate the sexuality issues often ,the frequency of sexual depression and suppression was higher in the migrants who communicate general and rarely ,the OR was 2 .75 (95% CI:1 .71 -4 .41) and 2 .60 (95% CI:1 .45-4 .66) .Conclusion Male ,younger ,highly educated migrants have a high sexual issues communication frequency . The age and the workplace was the most important factor of the frequency of sexual life .Ease the work pressure and increase the communication of sexual issues will help to relax the sexual depression and depression .
ABSTRACT
To determine the association of high birth weight [HBW] with the risk of obesity in childhood and adolescence. We also aimed to explore the interactions of HBW with physical activity and dietary habits. In a birth cohort born in 1993, 1994, and 1995 in Wuxi, China, subjects with a birth weight [BW] of >/= 4000 g were selected as the exposed group. For each exposed subject, one non-exposed subject with a BW of 2500-3999 g, matched by year of birth, gender, and type of institute at birth was chosen. Two follow-ups were performed from October 2005 to February 2007 and July 2010 to December 2011. A total of 1108 exposed and 1128 non-exposed subjects were included. Overweight/obesity rates were significantly higher in the exposed group [16.2% in childhood and 14.2% in adolescence] than those in the non-exposed group [12.1% in childhood and 8.2% in adolescence]. There was no significant interaction between BW and the growth period [F=2.10, p=0.147]. The relative excess risk due to interaction [RERI] of HBW with physical activity was -0.20 [95% CI=-2.85-2.45], and the RERI of HBW with dietary habits was 1.19 [95% CI=0.14-2.23]. Infants with HBW are at increased risk of childhood and adolescent overweight/obesity, and this relationship is not influenced by the growth period. There is an additive interaction between HBW and dietary habits