The influence of parental rearing style on the incidence of panic disorder, major depressive disorder and the comorbidity among Chinese college students.

BACKGROUND: Panic disorder (PD), major depressive disorder (MDD), and the comorbidity (PD&MDD) in college students have caused a heavy disease burden for individuals and families. However, little was known for the comorbidity, especially the impact of parental rearing style on the incidence of the PD&MDD comorbidity. METHODS: A cohort study was conducted among 6652 Chinese college students. Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI-3.0) was used for disease diagnosis. The parental rearing styles were measured by the Egna Minnen Beträffande Uppfostran (EMBU) scale and factor analysis was used to reduce the dimension of the EMBU scale. Multinomial logistic regression models were used to determine the relationships between parenting styles and disease incidence. SPSS version 26.0 was used for all statistical analyses. RESULTS: The 1-year incidence of PD, MDD, and PD&MDD comorbidity was 0.27 %, 2.04 %, and 0.21 %, respectively. Emotional warmth mode (OR = 0.753, 95%CI: 0.631-0.899, P < 0.01) were only negatively correlated with major depressive disorder. However, punishment denial mode (OR = 1.857, 95%CI: 1.316-2.620, P < 0.01) and over-participation mode (OR = 1.862, 95%CI: 1.176-2.949, P < 0.01) were positively correlated with the comorbidity of panic disorder and major depressive disorder. LIMITATIONS: The limited follow-up period was only 1 year in this study which had impacted the collection of new onset cases. CONCLUSIONS: Parental rearing style has a long-term influence on the psychiatric status of college students. Parenting style interventions working as the second level of mental disorder prevention will play an important role in MDD, PD and comorbidity prevention.

Study on the effect, safety, prognosis quality and application value of extracorporeal shock wave based neural activity in carpal tunnel syndrome patients.

BACKGROUND: Mild to moderate CTS is the most common median nerve compression disease in middle-aged and elderly women, mainly manifested by hand numbness and pain. This paper analyzes the extracorporeal shock wave of patients with mild to moderate CTS after nerve mobilization. METHODS: The clinical data of 92 patients with CTS from June 2020 to June 2022 are analyzed and randomly divided into extracorporeal shock wave group (n = 47) and routine group (n = 45). The routine group undergoes nerve mobilization, and the extracorporeal shock wave group receives extracorporeal shock wave therapy on the basis of the routine group. The clinical efficacy, symptom improvement, pain score, median nerve electrophysiological examination results, upper limb symptom and function scores, and ADL scores before and after treatment are observed. The Spearman correlation coefficient is used to analyze the correlation between upper limb function and ADL score, and the incidence of complications after treatment is analyzed. RESULTS: The clinical efficacy, symptom improvement, pain score, median nerve electrophysiological examination results, upper limb symptom and function score, ADL score and the incidence of complications in the extracorporeal shock wave group are significantly better than those in the conventional group (P < 0.05). ADL scores are negatively correlated. CONCLUSION: Extracorporeal shock wave combined with nerve mobilization has a significant effect in the treatment of CTS patients, which can significantly improve the symptoms and pain scores of patients, and enhance the function of patients' upper limbs. At the same time, the incidence of complications in patients is less, and it has high safety.

Differentiation of localized pneumonic-type lung adenocarcinoma from localized pulmonary inflammatory lesion based on clinical data and multi-slice spiral computed tomography imaging features.

Background: Localized pneumonic-type lung adenocarcinoma (L-PLADC) is a special type of lung adenocarcinoma, which mimicking localized pulmonary inflammatory lesion (L-PIL), and many delayed diagnoses of L-PLADC have been identified due to insufficient clinical understanding or the lack of knowledge regarding the radiological findings. Multi-slice spiral computed tomography (MSCT) not only observes the fine structure of the lesion clearly, but also can evaluate the lesion and its surrounding tissues more intuitively, stereoscopically, and accurately using a variety of reconstruction techniques. The present study aimed to investigate the diagnostic value of clinical data and MSCT imaging features in differentiating L-PLADC from L-PIL. Methods: The clinical data and chest MSCT imaging features of 71 patients with L-PLADC and 70 patients with L-PIL were retrospectively analyzed. Seventy-one patients with L-PLADC underwent surgical resection or puncture and were confirmed as having invasive adenocarcinoma by pathology. Seventy patients with L-PIL were confirmed by clinical anti-inflammatory treatment or by puncture and surgery. The Chi-square and Mann-Whitney U tests were used to analyze the clinical data and MSCT imaging features of the included patients. Variables with P<0.05 in the univariate analysis were included in the multivariate logistic regression analysis to determine the independent risk factors for the diagnosis of L-PLADC. Results: The clinical data analysis showed that multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that irregular air bronchogram [odds ratio (OR) =15.946; P<0.001], ground-glass opacity (GGO) component (OR =12.369; P<0.001), pleural traction (OR =10.982; P<0.001), necrosis (OR =0.078; P<0.001), adjacent bronchial wall thickening (OR =0.017; P<0.001), pleural thickening (OR =0.074; P<0.001), and respiratory symptoms were independent risk factors for the diagnosis of L-PLADC [OR =0.117; the area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy values were 0.989, 97.2%, 94.3%, and 95.7%, respectively]. Conclusions: L-PLADC and L-PIL exhibit different clinical and MSCT imaging features. Determining these characteristics is conducive to the early diagnosis and clinical treatment of L-PLADC.

Surgical Treatment of Hand and Foot Gout Stone and Influence Factors on Prognosis.

Purpose: To explore the technique of surgical treatment of hand and foot gout stone by using 3D CT reconstruction images and influence factors on prognosis. Method: 48 cases of hand and foot gout were treated surgically and retrospective analyzed. Before operation, we used 3D CT reconstruction images to check the accurate site and amount of uric acid (white chalk foam) deposition. Different surgical methods were applied depending on the different deposition site of urine acid stone. The frequency of gout attack and blood uric acid was compared before and after surgery. Patients were followed up to observe the recovery and recurrence and then analyzed the reason of unsuccessful healing. Result: Sutures were removed 2 weeks after operation in all cases. The frequency of gout attack and blood uric acid of patients 3 months after operation was lower than those before operation, and the differences were statistically significant. Follow-up ranged from 1 to 3 years, with an average of 1.8 years. Three cases were not followed up. The remaining 45 cases were healed in the first stage. 40 cases had improved joint function, increased range of motion, and relieved discomfort after movement. 5 cases had no improvement in joint function after operation, and 3 of them had gout stone recurrence (nonoperative area) and were treated by second hospital operation. Conclusion: Surgical treatment of gout stone in hand and foot under the guidance of three-dimensional CT reconstruction image can effectively alleviate the local symptoms of gout stone and improve the function of hand and foot. Deep tissue can be thoroughly washed by the pressure of pulse gun after resection of the lesion, which can reduce the incidence of gout stone. Malnutrition, hypoproteinemia, and residual urine acid in the wound are the main reasons for unsuccessful healing.

Enhanced performance of simultaneous carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus removal from municipal wastewater in an anaerobic-aerobic-anoxic sequencing batch reactor (AOA-SBR) system by alternating the cycle times.

The performance of simultaneous carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) removal was investigated by altering the cycle times in an anaerobic-aerobic-anoxic sequencing batch reactor (AOA-SBR) system. Results showed that the AOA-SBR system achieved high simultaneous C, N and P removal efficiency with a cycle time of 6 h, with average removal efficiencies for COD, TN, and TP of 96.81%, 96.32% and 94.33%, respectively. The highest anoxic removal rate of NOX-N was 203.44 mg·g-1- MLVSS·d-1. Meanwhile, anaerobic release rate and aerobic, anoxic removal rate of TP reached peak values of 104.31 and 85.81 mg·g-1- MLVSS·d-1, respectively. Microbial community analysis demonstrated that Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Candidatus Saccharibacteria at phylum level and Betaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Sphingobacteriia, Deltaproteobacteria and Alphaproteobacteria at the class level benefited AOA-SBR performance. Functional analysis of genes indicated that the metabolic potential related to C, N and P metabolism increased under the optimal cycle time condition.

[Role of the system of orexin/receptors in neurological diseases].

The neuropeptide orexin is widely distributed in the nervous system. Previous studies showed that orexin is involved in the feeding behavior regulation by binding to its receptor 1 (OX1R) and receptor 2 (OX2R) to activate the downstream signaling pathway. Recent studies have demonstrated that the system of orexin and its receptors are also involved in important physiological processes such as sleep-wake, learning and memory, and pathological processes of various neurological diseases. In this review, we summarized the research progress on the function of the orexin and its receptor system in physiological and pathological processes, and revealed the correlation between orexin and nervous system diseases, in order to provide the theoretical guidance for the diagnosis and treatment of the related diseases in the future.

A meta-analysis of surgical decompression in the treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

BACKGROUND: Over the last decade, surgical decompression procedures have been commonly used in the treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). However, the effectiveness of them remains to be proved. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search of databases including PubMed-Medline, Ovid-Embase, and Cochrane Library was performed to collect the related literatures. The Medical Subject Headings used were "diabetic neuropathy," "surgical decompression," and "outcomes." The methodological index for nonrandomized studies was adopted for assessing the studies included in this review. Analyses were performed with Review Manager (Version 5.3, The Nordic Cochrane Centre, the Cochrane Collaboration, Copenhagen, 2014). RESULTS: A total of 12 literatures (including 8 prospective and 4 retrospective) encompassing 1825 patients with DPN were included in the final analysis. Only 1 literature was identified as a randomized-controlled trial. The remaining 11 literatures were observational studies; 7 of them were classified as upper-extremity nerve decompression group and 4 of them were classified as lower-extremity nerve decompression group. Meta-analysis shows that Boston questionnaire symptom severity and functional status of upper extremities, and distal motor latency and sensory conduction velocity of median nerve of DPN patients are significantly improved after carpal tunnel release. Besides, visual analog scale and 2-point discrimination are considered clinically and statistically significant in lower extremities after operation. CONCLUSIONS: The findings from our review have shown the efficacy of surgical decompression procedures in relieving the neurologic symptoms and restoring the sensory deficits in DPN patients. As there are few high-quality randomized-controlled trials or well-designed prospective studies, more data are needed to elucidate the role of surgical procedures for DPN treatment in the future.

Resveratrol inhibits the hydrogen dioxide-induced apoptosis via Sirt 1 activation in osteoblast cells.

Sirt 1 plays a critical role in stress responses. We determined the deregulation of Sirt 1 activity, p53 acetylation, Bcl-2 expression, and mitochondria-dependent apoptosis in mouse osteoblast MC3T3-E1 cells which were exposed to H2O2. And then we investigated the protective role of Sirt 1 activator, Resveratrol (RSV), against the H2O2-induced apoptosis. Results demonstrated that Sirt 1 and Bcl-2 were inhibited, whereas p53 acetylation, Bax, and caspase 9 were promoted by H2O2, as was aggravated by the Sirt 1 inhibitor, EX-527. Instead, RSV inhibited the H2O2-induced both p53 acetylation and the caspase 9 activation, whereas ameliorated the H2O2-induced Bcl-2 inhibition and apoptosis. In conclusion, Sirt 1 was downregulated during the H2O2-induced apoptosis in MC3T3-E1 cells. And the chemical activation of Sirt 1 inhibited the H2O2-induced apoptosis via the downregulation of p53 acetylation. Our results suggest that Sirt 1 upregulation appears to be an important strategy to inhibit the oxidative stress-induced apoptosis.

Exercise training induced myosin heavy chain isoform alteration in the infarcted heart.

The myosin heavy chain isoform MHC-α has 3-fold higher ATPase activity than MHC-ß. After myocardial infarction (MI), MHC-α expression is profoundly downregulated and MHC-ß expression is reciprocally upregulated. This shift, which is attributed to low thyroid hormone (TH), contributes to myocardial systolic dysfunction. We investigated the effect of post-MI exercise training on MHC isoforms, TH, and cardiac function. MI was surgically induced in 7-week-old rats by ligation of the coronary artery. The survivors were assigned to 3 groups (n = 10/group): Sham (no MI, no exercise), MISed (MI, no exercise), and MIEx (MI, exercise). Treadmill exercise training began 1 week post-MI and lasted for 8 weeks. Echocardiogram measurements were taken on the day prior to initiation of exercise training and at the end of exercise training. Tissue and blood samples were collected at the end of the experiment. MHC isoform gene and protein expression and TH were measured. Our results illustrated that MHC-α gene expression was higher and MHC-ß gene expression was lower in the MIEx group than in the MISed group. Resting serum TH concentrations (T3 and T4) were similar between the 2 MI groups. The MIEx group had higher fractional shortening than the MISed group. In conclusion, post-MI exercise training beneficially altered MHC isoforms and improved cardiac function without changing TH.

Unintentional fall injuries among US children: a study based on the National Emergency Department Sample.

This study uses national data to describe the patterns and aetiologies for childhood falls in a high-income country, the United States. We conducted a retrospective analysis of data for children aged 0-17 years from the 2007 Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS). Sample weights provided by NEDS were used to make national estimates. We estimated that in 2007 there were more than 2.3 million paediatric fall-related emergency department (ED) visits at a rate of 3217 visits per 100,000 children. Over 95% of those seen for fall injuries were treated and released. In addition, government sources made payments for just under one-third of these visits. Of those ED visits that result in hospitalisation, we found marked age patterns in bodily location of injury. The impact of fall-related injuries on EDs in the US is substantial within the paediatric population. The use of national level ED data shows age and gender patterns in paediatric fall injury not readily apparent in previous studies. There are patterns in external cause of injury and bodily location of injury that can be used to guide age specific prevention interventions.

Medical errors in US pediatric inpatients with chronic conditions.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between chronic conditions and iatrogenic medical errors in US pediatric inpatients. METHODS: The 2006 Kids' Inpatient Database (KID) was analyzed. Medical errors were defined by using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) codes. Medical error rates per 100 hospital discharges and per 1000 inpatient days were calculated. Logistic regression models were fitted to study the association between number of chronic conditions and medical errors, controlling for patient characteristics, hospital characteristics, disease severity, and length of stay. RESULTS: In the 2006 KID, 22.3% of pediatric inpatients had 1 chronic condition, 9.8% had 2 chronic conditions, and 12.0% had ≥ 3 chronic conditions. The overall medical error rate per 100 discharges was 3.0 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.8-3.3); it was 5.3 (95% CI: 4.9-5.7) in children with chronic conditions and 1.3 (95% CI: 1.2-1.3) in children without chronic conditions. The medical error rate per 1000 inpatient days was also higher in children with chronic conditions. The association between chronic conditions and medical errors remained statistically significant in logistic regression models adjusting for patient characteristics, hospital characteristics, disease severity, and length of stay. In the adjusted model, the odds ratio of medical errors for children with 1 chronic condition was 1.40 (95% CI: 1.32-1.48); for children with 2 conditions, the OR was 1.55 (95% CI: 1.45-1.66); and for children with 3 conditions, the OR was 1.66 (95% CI: 1.53-1.81). CONCLUSIONS: The number of chronic conditions was significantly associated with iatrogenic medical errors in pediatric inpatients.

Medical expenditures associated with nonfatal occupational injuries among immigrant and U.S.-born workers.

BACKGROUND: No national study has investigated whether immigrant workers are less likely than U.S.-workers to seek medical treatment after occupational injuries and whether the payment source differs between two groups. METHODS: Using the 2004-2009 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) data, we estimated the annual incidence rate of nonfatal occupational injuries per 100 workers. Logistic regression models were fitted to test whether injured immigrant workers were less likely than U.S.-born workers to seek professional medical treatment after occupational injuries. We also estimated the average mean medical expenditures per injured worker during the 2 year MEPS reference period using linear regression analysis, adjusting for gender, age, race, marital status, education, poverty level, and insurance. Types of service and sources of payment were compared between U.S.-born and immigrant workers. RESULTS: A total of 1,909 injured U.S.-born workers reported 2,176 occupational injury events and 508 injured immigrant workers reported 560 occupational injury events. The annual nonfatal incidence rate per 100 workers was 4.0% (95% CI: 3.8%-4.3%) for U.S.-born workers and 3.0% (95% CI: 2.6%-3.3%) for immigrant workers. Medical treatment was sought after 77.3% (95% CI: 75.1%-79.4%) of the occupational injuries suffered by U.S.-born workers and 75.6% (95% CI: 69.8%-80.7%) of the occupational injuries suffered by immigrant workers. The average medical expenditure per injured worker in the 2 year MEPS reference period was $2357 for the U.S.-born workers and $2,351 for immigrant workers (in 2009 U.S. dollars, P = 0.99). Workers' compensation paid 57.0% (95% CI: 49.4%-63.6%) of the total expenditures for U.S.-born workers and 43.2% (95% CI: 33.0%-53.7%) for immigrant workers. U.S.-born workers paid 6.7% (95% CI: 5.5%-8.3%) and immigrant workers paid 7.1% (95% CI: 5.2%-9.6%) out-of-pocket. CONCLUSIONS: Immigrant workers had a statistically significant lower incidence rate of nonfatal occupational injuries than U.S.-born workers. There was no significant difference in seeking medical treatment and in the mean expenditures per injured worker between the two groups. The proportion of total expenditures paid by workers' compensation was smaller (marginally significant) for immigrant workers than for U.S.-born workers.

Comparison of transcutaneous contrast-enhanced ultrasound-guided injected hemostatic agents with traditional surgery treatment for liver, spleen and kidney trauma: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: There is lack of studies on the effectiveness of transcutaneous contrast-enhanced ultrasound-guided injections of hemostatic agents for liver. spleen and kidney trauma. We compared treatment by hemostatic agents to surgical treatment in a retrospective interventional human study. METHODOLOGY: The study enrolled a total of 135 subjects from emergency unit of the Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital in Beijing. Within the cohort, 62 patients received contrast enhanced ultrasound-guided injection of hemostatic agents and the rest received surgical treatments. RESULTS: The injury severity score was lower in the hemostatic agent treatment group than surgical treatment group (p<0.05), but Glasgow coma scale scores did not reach statistical significance. The patients in the surgical treatment group had significantly higher hospital fees than those in the hemostatic treatment group (p<0.05), although the length of hospitalization did not significantly differ between two groups. Safety outcome variables pre- and post-treatment remained within normal limits in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Hemostatic agents were more cost-effective than surgery to treat patients with liver, spleen and kidney trauma. However, given the limited sample size, subsequent studies drawing upon larger populations from multiple medical centers are necessary for follow-up.

Back pain among farmers in a northern area of China.

STUDY DESIGN: This was a population-based survey conducted in 2008 in a northern area of China. OBJECTIVE: To investigate back pain prevalence and to examine the associations between potential risk factors and back pain among Chinese farmers. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Few studies have investigated back pain and its associated risk factors among farmers in low-income and developing nations. METHODS: Farmers ages 15 years and older were chosen from 800 families in Heilongjiang province of the People's Republic of China using cluster sampling methods. Complete survey data were obtained from 2045 farmers. The prevalence of self-reported back pain during the previous 3 months was reported. Associations between back pain and potential risk factors, which included age, gender, education levels, perceived stress, main farm activities, smoking, and drinking status, were examined in logistic regression models. RESULTS: A total of 786 (38.4%) farmers reported back pain. Two-thirds of those with back pain (66.0%) reported that back pain affected work quantity and quality. The adjusted odds ratios of reporting back pain increased with advancing age. Females and farmers who experienced stress regularly were also more likely to report back pain. CONCLUSION: Back pain is a common problem among Chinese farmers and is reported more frequently by females. Significant positive associations of gender, age, and perceived stress with back pain warrant additional study.

ED visits for drug-related poisoning in the United States, 2007.

BACKGROUND: Fatal drug-related poisoning has been well described. However, death data only show the tip of the iceberg of drug-related poisoning as a public health problem. Using the 2007 Nationwide Emergency Department Sample, this study described the characteristics of emergency department visits for drug-related poisoning in the United States. METHODS: Any ED visit that had an International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification diagnosis code of 960-979 was defined as a drug-related poisoning case. Intentionality of poisoning was determined by E-codes. Weighted estimates of ED visits were calculated by patient and hospital characteristics, intentionality of poisoning, and selected drug classes. Population rates by sex, age, urban/rural classification, median household income in patient's zip code, and hospital region were calculated. RESULTS: An estimated 699 123 (95% confidence interval, 666 529-731 717) ED visits for drug-related poisoning occurred in 2007. Children 0 to 5 years old had the highest rate for unintentional poisoning (male, 237 per 100 000; female, 218 per 100 000). The rate of drug-related poisoning in rural areas (684 per 100 000) was 3 times higher than the rates in other areas. Psychotropic agents and analgesics were responsible for 43.7% of all drug-related poisoning. Women 18 to 20 years old had the highest ED visit rate for suicidal poisoning (245 per 100 000). The estimated ED charges were $1 394 051 262, and 41.1% were paid by Medicaid and Medicare. CONCLUSION: Antidepressants and analgesics were responsible for nearly 44% of ED visits for drug-related poisoning in the United States. Interventions and future research should target prescription opioids, rural areas, children 0 to 5 years old for unintentional drug-related poisoning, and female ages 12 to 24 years for suicidal drug-related poisoning.

US estimates of hospitalized children with severe traumatic brain injury: implications for clinical trials.

OBJECTIVES: To estimate sample sizes available for clinical trials of severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) in children, we described the patient demographics and hospital characteristics associated with children hospitalized with severe TBI in the United States. METHODS: We analyzed the 2006 Kids' Inpatient Database. Severe TBI hospitalizations were defined as children discharged with TBI who required mechanical ventilation or intubation. Types of high-volume severe TBI hospitals were categorized based on the numbers of discharged patients with severe TBI in 2006. National estimates of demographics and hospital characteristics were calculated for pediatric severe TBI. Simulation analyses were performed to assess the potential number of severe TBI cases from randomly selected hospitals for inclusion in future clinical trials. RESULTS: The majority of children with severe TBI were discharged from either a children's unit in general hospitals (41%) or a nonchildren's hospital (34%). Less than 5% of all hospitals were high-volume TBI hospitals, which discharged >78% of severe TBI cases and were more likely to be a children's unit in a general hospital or a children's hospital. Simulation analyses indicate that there is a saturation point after which the benefit of adding additional recruitment sites decreases significantly. CONCLUSIONS: Children with severe TBI are infrequent at any one hospital in the United States, and few hospitals treat large numbers of children with severe TBI. To effectively plan trials of therapies for severe TBI, much attention has to be paid to selecting the right types of centers to maximize enrollment efficiency.

Work-related pesticide poisoning among farmers in two villages of Southern China: a cross-sectional survey.

BACKGROUND: Pesticide poisoning is an important health problem among Chinese farm workers, but there is a paucity of pesticide poisoning data from China. Using the WHO standard case definition of a possible acute pesticide poisoning, we investigated the prevalence and risk factors of acute work-related pesticide poisoning among farmers in Southern China. METHODS: A stratified sample of 910 pesticide applicators from two villages in southern China participated in face-to-face interviews. Respondents who self-reported having two or more of a list of sixty-six symptoms within 24 hours after pesticide application were categorized as having suffered acute pesticide poisoning. The association between the composite behavioral risk score and pesticide poisoning were assessed in a multivariate logistic model. RESULTS: A total of 80 (8.8%) pesticide applicators reported an acute work-related pesticide poisoning. The most frequent symptoms among applicators were dermal (11.6%) and nervous system (10.7%) symptoms. Poisoning was more common among women, farmers in poor areas, and applicators without safety training (all p < 0.001). After controlling for gender, age, education, geographic area and the behavioral risk score, farmers without safety training had an adjusted odds ratio of 3.22 (95% CI: 1.86-5.60). The likelihood of acute pesticide poisoning was also significantly associated with number of exposure risk behaviors. A significant "dose-response" relationship between composite behavioral risk scores calculated from 9 pesticides exposure risk behaviors and the log odds of pesticide poisoning prevalence was seen among these Chinese farmers (R2 = 0.9246). CONCLUSIONS: This study found that 8.8% of Chinese pesticide applicators suffered acute pesticide poisoning and suggests that pesticide safety training, safe application methods, and precautionary behavioral measures could be effective in reducing the risk of pesticide poisoning.

Prevalence of disability among adolescents and adults in rural China.

BACKGROUND: Disability affects health status and quality of life; however, insufficient research has been done in developing countries using internationally accepted measurements. OBJECTIVE: We investigated disabilities, sociodemographics, health indicators, and health behaviors using a sample of rural residents in northern China. We reported disability prevalence by age for our study sample and for a sample of rural residents who participated in the 1999-2002 Colorado Disability Survey. METHODS: Face-to-face interviews were conducted in 2008, and complete questionnaires were obtained from 2199 individuals 15 years old or older. The definition of disability was conceptually based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health. RESULTS: Of those who completed the survey, 154 (7.0%) reported having disabilities. The prevalence was 2.3% for limitations in activities of daily living (ADL) and 3.1% for limitations in instrumental activities of daily living (IADL). Significant differences in the disability prevalence were found across the categories of education, age, and marital status. Among individuals with disabilities, 54.6% rated their health status as poor or very poor compared to 13.4% of people without a disability. A strong association was seen between disability status and injury. A large proportion (79.9%) of persons with disabilities, as well as 82.2% of persons without disabilities, reported paying for their medical expenses out-of-pocket. The age pattern of disabilities (ADL and IADL) was similar to that seen in a rural Colorado population. CONCLUSIONS: Many rural Chinese individuals with disabilities report poor general health and may face further limitations in their daily activities and social participation without accessible and affordable health care.

Exercise training combined with angiotensin II receptor blockade reduces oxidative stress after myocardial infarction in rats.

An increase in oxidative stress and decrease in antioxidant enzymes have been suggested to be involved in the pathophysiology of myocardial infarction (MI). In this study in rats, treadmill exercise training and losartan treatment began 1 week post-myocardial infarction (MI) and lasted 8 weeks. We evaluated the changes in the mRNA and protein expressions for the enzymatic antioxidants superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and catalase after exercise and losartan treatment post-MI. Our results demonstrated that GPx and catalase mRNA levels were comparable among all the groups, while the mRNA level for manganese SOD (MnSOD) was significantly increased in exercise training with/without losartan treatment compared with the sedentary post-MI group. Moreover, the mRNA level for gp91(phox) was dramatically decreased by a combination of exercise and losartan treatment. The protein levels for MnSOD were significantly elevated by exercise training in combination with losartan treatment. The protein levels for catalase were significantly increased in response to exercise, and further augmented by exercise together with losartan treatment. Thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances in plasma were significantly increased in the post-MI rats, but were decreased by exercise or losartan treatment, indicating that both exercise and losartan may reduce lipid oxidative damage. In addition, catalase and SOD enzymatic activities were significantly enhanced by exercise combined with losartan treatment. Our results suggest that exercise training improves catalase and MnSOD expression and attenuates oxidative stress. These effects are potentiated when combining exercise with angiotensin II receptor blockade.

Immigrants as crime victims: Experiences of personal nonfatal victimization.

BACKGROUND: Immigrants to the United States are disproportionately victims of homicide mortality in and outside the workplace. Examining their experiences with nonfatal victimization may be helpful in understanding immigrant vulnerability to violence. METHODS: We compared the annual prevalence of nonfatal personal victimization experienced by immigrant and US-born adults by sociodemographics, employment, occupation, industry, smoking, alcohol and drug use using data from Wave 1 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. RESULTS: The prevalence of victimization among immigrants was comparable to that among US-born adults [3.84% (95% CI: 3.18-4.63) vs. 4.10% (95% CI: 3.77-4.44)]. Lower percentages of victimization experienced by immigrants were seen among the unmarried, those age 30-44 years, and among residents of central city areas as compared to those groups among the US-born. For immigrants entering the US as youth, the victimization prevalence declines with greater years of residency in US. Multivariate logistic regression models suggest that, the odds of victimization was significantly associated with age, family income, marital status, central city residency, smoking, and drug use while employment status was not a significant factor. Immigrant workers with farming/forestry occupations might face a higher risk of being victims of violence than their US-born counterparts. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of victimization among immigrants was comparable to that among US-born adults. Employment status and industry/occupation overall were not significant risk factors for becoming victims of violence.