Association of different obesity patterns with hypertension in US male adults: a cross-sectional study.

Obesity is an important risk factor for hypertension. We aimed to investigate the association between different obesity patterns and hypertension risk in a large male population in the US. Male participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) (2007-2018) were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Social demographic information, lifestyle factors, anthropometric measurements and biochemical measurements were collected. Three obesity patterns were classified according to the body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC), including overweight and general obesity, abdominal obesity, and compound obesity. We adopted multivariate logistic regression to investigate the associations between hypertension and different obesity patterns after adjusting for cofounding factors. Subgroup analysis, stratified by age, smoking, drinking and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), was also conducted to explore the associations between obesity patterns and hypertension risk among different populations. Moreover, the association between WC and hypertension among male individuals was also explored using restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) was used to evaluate the discriminatory power of WC for screening hypertension risk. 13,859 male participants from NHANES survey (2007-2018) were enrolled. Comparing with the normal-weight group, the odds ratios (ORs) [95% confidence interval (CI)] for hypertension in individuals with overweight and general obesity, abdominal obesity and compound obesity were 1.41 [1.17-1.70], 1.97 [1.53-2.54] and 3.28 [2.70-3.99], respectively. Subgroup analysis showed that the effect of different obesity patterns on hypertension risk was highly stable among individuals with different clinical conditions. In addition, WC had a positive correlation with the risk of hypertension (OR: 1.43; 95% CI 1.37-1.52; P < 0.001) in fully adjusted multivariate logistic regression model. RCS analysis showed that the association between WC and hypertension risk was in a nonlinear pattern, and WC had a good discriminatory power for hypertension in ROC analysis. Different patterns of obesity have a great impact on the risk of hypertension among male individuals. Increment of WC significantly increased the hypertension risk. More attention should be paid to the prevention of obesity, especially abdominal obesity and compound obesity in male individuals.

Pan-genome analysis of the Burkholderia gladioli PV. Cocovenenans reveal the extent of variation in the toxigenic gene cluster.

Burkholderia gladioli has been reported as the pathogen responsible for cases of foodborne illness in many countries. The poisonous bongkrekic acid (BA) produced by B. gladioli was linked to a gene cluster absent in non-pathogenic strains. The whole genome sequence of eight bacteria strains, which were screened from the collected 175 raw food and environmental samples, were assembled and analyzed to detect a significant association of 19 protein-coding genes with the pathogenic status. Except for the common BA synthesis-related gene, several other genes, including the toxin-antitoxin genes, were also absent in the non-pathogenic strains. The bacteria strains with the BA gene cluster were found to form a single cluster in the analysis of all B. gladioli genome assemblies for the variants in the gene cluster. Divergence of this cluster was detected in the analysis for both the flanking sequences and those of the whole genome level, which indicates its complex origin. Genome recombination was found to cause a precise sequence deletion in the gene cluster region, which was found to be predominant in the non-pathogenic strains indicating the possible effect of horizontal gene transfer. Our study provided new information and resources for understanding the evolution and divergence of the B. gladioli species.

Integrated genomic analysis defines molecular subgroups in dilated cardiomyopathy and identifies novel biomarkers based on machine learning methods.

Aim: As the most common cardiomyopathy, dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) often leads to progressive heart failure and sudden cardiac death. This study was designed to investigate the molecular subgroups of DCM. Methods: Three datasets of DCM were downloaded from GEO database (GSE17800, GSE79962 and GSE3585). After log2-transformation and background correction with "limma" package in R software, the three datasets were merged into a metadata cohort. The consensus clustering was conducted by the "Consensus Cluster Plus" package to uncover the molecular subgroups of DCM. Moreover, clinical characteristics of different molecular subgroups were compared in detail. We also adopted Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) analysis based on subgroup-specific signatures of gene expression profiles to further explore the specific gene modules of each molecular subgroup and its biological function. Two machine learning methods of LASSO regression algorithm and SVM-RFE algorithm was used to screen out the genetic biomarkers, of which the discriminative ability of molecular subgroups was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Results: Based on the gene expression profiles, heart tissue samples from patients with DCM were clustered into three molecular subgroups. No statistical difference was found in age, body mass index (BMI) and left ventricular internal diameter at end-diastole (LVIDD) among three molecular subgroups. However, the results of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) statistics showed that patients from subgroup 2 had a worse condition than the other group. We found that some of the gene modules (pink, black and grey) in WGCNA analysis were significantly related to cardiac function, and each molecular subgroup had its specific gene modules functions in modulating occurrence and progression of DCM. LASSO regression algorithm and SVM-RFE algorithm was used to further screen out genetic biomarkers of molecular subgroup 2, including TCEAL4, ISG15, RWDD1, ALG5, MRPL20, JTB and LITAF. The results of ROC curves showed that all of the genetic biomarkers had favorable discriminative effectiveness. Conclusion: Patients from different molecular subgroups have their unique gene expression patterns and different clinical characteristics. More personalized treatment under the guidance of gene expression patterns should be realized.

External validation of ABCD series scores for predicting early stroke events following transient ischemic attack in a large nationwide registry.

Introduction: In the context of modern guideline-based strategies, new validations of prognostic scores for predicting early stroke risk are needed. We aimed to compare the validity of the ABCD series scores and assess the incremental values of risk components for predicting in-hospital stroke events in patients with transient ischemic attack (TIA). Patients and methods: We abstracted data from the Chinese Stroke Center Alliance (CSCA), a nationwide registry with 68,433 TIA patients admitted within 7 days of symptom onset from 1476 hospitals. TIA was defined by time-based criteria according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The discrimination of ABCD, ABCD2, ABCD2-I, and ABCD3 scores for predicting in-hospital stroke events was assessed by the area under the receiver-operating characteristics curves (AUC). The incremental predictive values of added risk predictor were determined by net reclassification improvement (NRI) and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI). Results: A total of 29,286 TIA patients were included, of whom 1466 (5.0%) had in-hospital stroke events. Compared with ABCD2-I score (AUC 0.79, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.77-0.80), ABCD (AUC 0.58, 95% CI 0.57-0.60), ABCD2 (AUC 0.58, 95% CI 0.56-0.59), and ABCD3 (AUC 0.58, 95% CI 0.56-0.60) had lower predictive utility. An incremental value was observed when adding infarction on DWI (IDI = 0.0597, NRI = 1.1036) into ABCD2 score to be ABCD2-I. Conclusion: The traditional scales utilizing medical history (ABCD, ABCD2, and ABCD3 scores) show fair ability for predicting in-hospital stroke events after TIA, but the ABCD2-I score, which adds infarction on DWI, improves the predictive ability.

Lenvatinib plus anti-PD-1 therapy represents a feasible conversion resection strategy for patients with initially unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: A retrospective study.

Purpose: We aimed to investigate the feasibility of lenvatinib plus anti-PD-1 therapy as a conversion therapy for initially unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: Patients with initially unresectable HCC who received combined lenvatinib and anti-PD-1 antibody between May 2020 and Jan 2022 in Zhongshan Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. Tumor response and resectability were assessed by imaging every two months according to RECIST version 1.1 and modified RECIST (mRECIST) criteria. Results: A total of 107 patients were enrolled. 30 (28%) of them received conversion surgery within 90.5 (range: 53-456) days after the initiation of lenvatinib plus anti-PD-1 therapy. At baseline, the median largest tumor diameter of these 30 patients was 9.2 cm (range: 3.5-15.0 cm), 26 patients had Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage B-C, and 4 had stage A. Prior to surgery, all cases displayed tumor regression and 15 patients achieved objective response. Pathological complete response (pCR) was observed in 10 patients. No severe drug-related adverse events or surgical complications were observed. After a median follow-up of 16.5 months, 28 patients survived and 11 developed tumor recurrence. Survival analysis showed patients achieving tumor response before surgery or pCR had a longer tumor-free survival. Notably, patients with microvascular invasion (MVI) had significantly higher recurrence rate and poorer overall survival than patients without. Conclusions: Lenvatinib combined with anti-PD-1 therapy represents a feasible conversion strategy for patients with initially unresectable HCC. Patients achieving tumor responses are more likely to benefit from conversion resection to access a longer term of tumor-free survival.

Characteristics and prognosis of primary pulmonary osteosarcoma: a pooled analysis.

BACKGROUND: Primary pulmonary osteosarcoma (PPOS) is an uncommon malignancy originating from the lung with low incidence, and its clinical characteristics and prognosis have not been systematically reported. Therefore, we aimed to recognize the prognostic factors and constructed a survival prediction model for PPOS. METHODS: We collected the data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database and systematic review of previous studies. Demographical and clinical characteristics, radiographic manifestations, treatment modalities, and prognosis were analyzed. A prediction model via nomogram was constructed and then evaluated by the concordance index (C-index) and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. RESULTS: A total of 49 cases were included for analysis with a median age of 67 years old (range 33-94 years), of which 32 (65.3%) were male. The median size was 6 cm (range 1.8-25 cm), and the median overall survival (OS) was eight months (interquartile range 4.5-12 months) with a 1-year OS rate of 30.8%. Tumor size over 7 cm (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.98; P = 0.018) and those without microscopic findings of osteoid found in the tumors (HR = 2.11; P = 0.048) were referred to a poor OS, while surgery was associated with an improved OS (HR = 0.20; P < 0.001). The C-index of the nomogram prediction model was 0.771, and the area under curve, sensitivity and specificity of the ROC curve were 0.818, 0.848 and 0.800, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with PPOS had a poor prognosis, and tumor size was mostly prognostic. Surgery seemed to be an effective treatment, and the prediction model with a nomogram in our study could effectively predict the prognosis of patients with PPOS.

Therapeutic Effects of Xianlu Oral Solution on Rats with Oligoasthenozoospermia through Alleviating Apoptosis and Oxidative Stress.

Idiopathic oligoasthenozoospermia (iOAZS) is one of the major causes of male infertility, and the ideal therapies for iOAZS have not been established yet. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), including Xianlu oral solution (XL), has been widely used as an adjunct treatment for male infertility in the clinic. However, the underlying mechanisms of XL treatment on iOAZS are still not known. Here, we found that XL treatment has therapeutic effects on ornidazole (ORN)-induced OAZS model rats through the amelioration of testis tissues spermatogenesis and the improvement of sperm concentration and motility. Moreover, XL treatment ameliorated the serum hormone levels, mitochondrial membrane potential, apoptosis status, and oxidative stress status in the testis tissues of iOAZS model rats. These findings identify a potential mechanism underlying the therapeutic effects of Xianlu oral solution on iOAZS, and Xianlu oral solution may be used as a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) therapy for male infertility caused by iOAZS in clinical practice.

The dietary inflammatory index and its association with the prevalence of hypertension: A cross-sectional study.

Aims: We aim to investigate the association of the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) with the prevalence of hypertension in a large multiracial population in the United States. Methods: Participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) (1999-2018) were included in this cross-sectional study. Dietary information was obtained and used to calculate DII. Blood pressures of participants were measured by experienced examiners. The NHANES used the method of "stratified multistage probability sampling," and this study is a weight analysis following the NHANES analytic guidance. Weight logistic regression analysis was adopted to investigate the association of hypertension with DII. Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) regression was carried out to screen the most important dietary factors associated with the risk of hypertension. Moreover, a nomogram model based on key dietary factors was established; the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic power of the nomogram model for screening hypertension risk. Results: A total of 45,023 participants were included in this study, representing 191 million residents in the United States. Participants with hypertension had an elevated DII compared with those without hypertension. Weight logistic regression showed that an increment of DII was strongly associated with hypertension after adjusting for confounding factors. The nomogram model, based on key dietary factors screened by LASSO regression, showed a favorable discriminatory power with an area under the curve (AUC) of 78.5% (95% CI: 78.5%-79.3%). Results of the sensitivity analysis excluding participants who received any drug treatment were consistent with those in the main analysis. Conclusion: An increment of DII is associated with the risk of hypertension. For better prevention and treatment of hypertension, more attention should be paid to controlling dietary inflammation.

Eight Trigrams Boxing Combined with Wenyang Huoxue Recipe Improves Cardiopulmonary Motor Function and the Quality of Life of Patients with Coronary Heart Disease.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the therapeutic effects of Eight Trigrams Boxing combined with a Wenyang Huoxue recipe on the cardiopulmonary motor function and quality of life in patients with coronary heart disease after an interventional operation (percutaneous coronary intervention [PCI]); further, to provide new clinical evidence and ideas for integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine in cardiac rehabilitation. METHODS: Sixty patients were selected and successfully underwent PCI in designated hospitals after four weeks, from June 2018 to September 2020. The patients were randomly divided into a treatment group and control group, and both groups were given standard pharmaceuticals after PCI and the Wenyang Huoxue recipe. The treatment group was additionally treated with the Eight Trigrams Boxing Method. The control group was provided with aerobic rehabilitation exercise. The maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max), metabolic equivalent (MET), the results of a 6-min walking test, the Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ) score, SF-36 score, and other indicators were evaluated before and after treatment. The therapeutic effect was evaluated by comparison between the groups and within the groups. RESULTS: The VO2max, MET, 6-min walking distance, SAQ score, and SF-36 score in both groups improved after treatment compared with before treatment. There was no difference between the two groups before treatment. However, after treatment, the VO2max, MET, 6 min walking distance, SAQ score, and SF-36 score in the treatment group were higher compared with the control group. CONCLUSION: A traditional Chinese medicine cardiac rehabilitation program of Eight Trigrams Boxing combined with a Wenyang Huoxue recipe can improve the cardiopulmonary function and quality of life of patients. The therapeutic effect was clear and is worthy of further investigation.

Benign symmetric lipomatosis (Madelung's disease) with concomitant incarcerated femoral hernia: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Benign symmetric lipomatosis (BSL) was first described by Brodie in 1846 and defined as Madelung's disease by Madelung in 1888. At present, about 400 cases have been reported worldwide. Across these cases, surgical resection remains the recommended treatment. Here we report a case of neck BSL with concomitant thick fatty deposit in the inguinal region, which concealed the signs of a right incarcerated femoral hernia. CASE SUMMARY: A 69-year-old male patient was admitted to our hospital with "abdominal pain, abdominal distension, nausea-vomiting and difficult defecation for half a month". Moreover, he had a mass in the right inguinal region for more than 10 years. An egg-sized neck mass also developed 15 years ago and had developed into a full neck enlargement 1 year later. In addition, the patient had a history of heavy alcohol consumption for more than 40 years. With the aid of computerized tomography scan, the patient was diagnosed with BSL and a low intestinal mechanical obstruction caused by a right inguinal incarcerated hernia. Under general anesthesia, right inguinal incarcerated femoral hernia loosening and tension-free hernia repair was performed. However, this patient did not receive BSL resection. After a 1-year follow-up, no recurrence of the right inguinal femoral hernia was found. Moreover, no increase in fat accumulation was found in the neck or other areas. CONCLUSION: Secretive intraperitoneal fat increase may be difficult to detect, but a conservative treatment strategy can be adopted as long as it does not significantly affect the quality-of-life.

Pregnancy-related anxiety among Chinese pregnant women in mid-late pregnancy under the two-child policy and its significant correlates.

BACKGROUND: Pregnancy-related anxiety (PRA) is a global public health concern. This study aims to understand the PRA among Chinese pregnant women at mid-late pregnancy and to explore the significant correlates. METHODS: The Chinese PRA scale was used to measure PRA among 342 pregnant women from Zhejiang Province in China at their mid- and late- pregnancy respectively. RESULTS: The participants aged from 21 to 42 years old, and their mean age was 30. 1 (SD=4. 0). The average scores of the Chinese PRA scale at mid- and late- pregnancy were 1. 60 (SD=0. 33) and 1. 58 (SD=0. 33) respectively. Unplanned pregnancy (mid-pregnancy: ß=0. 18, p<0. 001; late-pregnancy: ß=0. 11, p = 0. 024) and gender of the first child being male (mid-pregnancy:ß=-0. 20, p = 0. 001; late-pregnancy: ß=-0. 14, p = 0. 016) were significantly correlated with PRA among pregnant women at mid- and late- pregnancy. Living with parents-in-law was not associated with the PRA overall and domain scores. LIMITATIONS: This study was done among pregnant women at their mid-late pregnancy, and no follow-up was conducted at postpartum. The sample size of this study was relatively small which might affect the generalizability of the findings. CONCLUSIONS: The current study found that the correlates of PRA at mid- and late-pregnancy were generally similar. For future studies, special attention should be paid to pregnant women who are in the condition of unplanned pregnancy and those who already have a female child to relieve their anxiety levels.

Rs10757274 gene polymorphisms in coronary artery disease: A systematic review and a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: It has been reported the rs10757274 SNP (present on locus 9p21 in the gene for CDKN2BAS1) might be associated with susceptibility to coronary artery disease (CAD). Owing to mixed and inconclusive results, we conducted a meta-analysis to investigate the association between rs10757274 polymorphism and the risk of CAD. OBJECTIVES: The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between rs10757274 polymorphism and the risk of CAD. METHODS: All studies of the rs10757274 SNP with CAD that were published between 2007 and 2018 were retrieved from the PubMed database. Meta-analysis was performed with Stata 14.0 software. The effect size of the rs10757274 SNP with CAD risk was assessed based on the odds ratios (ORs) with calculation of 95% confidence interval (CI). RESULTS: Eleven studies including 52,209 subjects (cases: 7990, controls: 44,219) were included in the final data combination. Pooled overall analyses showed that rs10757274 (allele model: P < .001; dominant model: P < .001; recessive model: P < .001; Heterozygote codominant: P = .002; Homozygote codominant: P < .001) polymorphisms were significantly associated with the likelihood of CAD. Significant heterogeneity between individual studies appears in all 5 models. Further subgroup analyses revealed that rs10757274 polymorphisms were all significantly correlated with the likelihood of CAD and no heterogeneity were observed in West Asians. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicated that rs10757274 polymorphisms may serve as genetic biomarkers of CAD, especially in West Asians.

MiR-421 inhibition protects H9c2 cells against hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis by targeting Sirt3.

BACKGROUND: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury. miRNA-421 (miR-421) plays a significant role in the initiation of apoptosis and myocardial infarction. However, the molecular regulation of miR-421 in myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury requires further elucidation. METHODS: An in vitro hypoxia/reoxygenation model was established, and the expression levels of miR-421 and Sirtuin-3 (Sirt3) in H9c2 cells were quantified using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Flow cytometry was employed to measure the effects of miR-421 on myocardial apoptosis induced by hypoxia/reoxygenation. The activity of lactate dehydrogenase and superoxide dismutase and levels of malondialdehyde were measured. The binding sites of miR-421 on Sirt3 were predicted using TargetScan software. A luciferase reporter assay was used to validate the direct targeting of Sirt3 with miR-421. Protein expression levels of Sirt3 and its downstream proteins were evaluated using Western blot analysis. RESULTS: Exposure of H9c2 cells to hypoxia/reoxygenation led to increased apoptosis, levels of malondialdehyde and lactate dehydrogenase, and decreased levels of superoxide dismutase. miR-421 knockdown resulted in decreased apoptosis, levels of lactate dehydrogenase and malondialdehyde, and increased superoxide dismutase levels in H9c2 cells. Hypoxia/reoxygenation significantly decreased the relative expression levels of Sirt3. Down-regulation of Sirt3 resulted from overexpression of miR-421, which directly targeted Sirt3. Knockdown of miR-421 up-regulated Sirt3 expression, inhibited activation of the Jun N-terminal kinase/activator protein 1 pathway and caspase 9/3-dependent cell death. CONCLUSION: The miR-421-Sirt3-Jun N-terminal kinase/activator protein 1 axis is a novel molecular mechanism that accommodates hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis and provides a new direction for the study and treatment of hypoxia/reoxygenation.

The Outcome of TGFß Antagonism in Metastatic Breast Cancer Models In Vivo Reflects a Complex Balance between Tumor-Suppressive and Proprogression Activities of TGFß.

PURPOSE: TGFßs are overexpressed in many advanced cancers and promote cancer progression through mechanisms that include suppression of immunosurveillance. Multiple strategies to antagonize the TGFß pathway are in early-phase oncology trials. However, TGFßs also have tumor-suppressive activities early in tumorigenesis, and the extent to which these might be retained in advanced disease has not been fully explored. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: A panel of 12 immunocompetent mouse allograft models of metastatic breast cancer was tested for the effect of neutralizing anti-TGFß antibodies on lung metastatic burden. Extensive correlative biology analyses were performed to assess potential predictive biomarkers and probe underlying mechanisms. RESULTS: Heterogeneous responses to anti-TGFß treatment were observed, with 5 of 12 models (42%) showing suppression of metastasis, 4 of 12 (33%) showing no response, and 3 of 12 (25%) showing an undesirable stimulation (up to 9-fold) of metastasis. Inhibition of metastasis was immune-dependent, whereas stimulation of metastasis was immune-independent and targeted the tumor cell compartment, potentially affecting the cancer stem cell. Thus, the integrated outcome of TGFß antagonism depends on a complex balance between enhancing effective antitumor immunity and disrupting persistent tumor-suppressive effects of TGFß on the tumor cell. Applying transcriptomic signatures derived from treatment-naïve mouse primary tumors to human breast cancer datasets suggested that patients with breast cancer with high-grade, estrogen receptor-negative disease are most likely to benefit from anti-TGFß therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Contrary to dogma, tumor-suppressive responses to TGFß are retained in some advanced metastatic tumors. Safe deployment of TGFß antagonists in the clinic will require good predictive biomarkers.

Progress in quantitative technique of circulating cell free DNA and its role in cancer diagnosis and prognosis.

The interest in the potential application value of circulating cell free DNA (ccfDNA) has increased rapidly in recent years, as numerous researchers have demonstrated that the change of its level in the blood is associated with many diseases. Its potential role in cancer management is of particular concern. In comparison with traditional invasive tissue biopsy, quantitative analysis of ccfDNA level for the detection of cancer is advantageous due to the non-invasiveness of blood collection. Moreover, its clinical significance in prognosis prediction and dynamic monitoring of disease progression in cancer patients is equally worthy of attention. At the same time, quantitative detection of ccfDNA is being improved to pursue higher sensitivity due to its low concentration in the blood sample. In this review, we will summarize the progress in quantitative technology of ccfDNA and describe the possible relationship between ccfDNA level and cancer diagnosis and prognosis prediction.

Efficacy of low-dose D2/D3 partial agonist pramipexole on neuroleptic-induced extrapyramidal symptoms and symptoms of schizophrenia: a stage-1 open-label pilot study.

Objective: Some lines of evidence show that D2/D3 receptor partial agonist pramipexole may be effective in the treatment of extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS) and psychiatric symptoms of schizophrenia. Therefore, we analyzed whether a low dose of pramipexole (0.375-0.75 mg/day) has efficacy on EPS and symptoms of schizophrenia while maintaining tolerability. Methods: Ten subjects with EPS [including drug-induced parkinsonism (DIP) and akathisia] were recruited in a stage-1, open-label pilot study. All the subjects were treated with a low dose of pramipexole. The evaluations were performed at baseline, day 3, week 1, week 2, week 4, week 6, and week 8. The ratings of SAS, BARS, PANSS, CDSS, and CGI-S and adverse effects (AE) were recorded in every visit. Results: SAS total scores decreased significantly during the study in patients with DIP (P<0.001), and mild AEs were detected. Treatments with pramipexole did not show an anti-akathisia effect during the study, while 2 subjects experienced deterioration of akathisia and mood symptoms. The psychiatric symptoms of schizophrenia showed a trend of improvement during the study, but there was no improvement in depressive mood. Conclusion: A low dose of pramipexole can significantly relieve antipsychotic-induced parkinsonism, but not akathisia. Improvements in psychiatric symptoms of schizophrenia were found, but the results of this study need to be validated in a larger sample. No improvement of mood disorder was detected.

Systematic estimation of BMI: A novel insight into predicting overweight/obesity in undergraduates.

The prevalence of overweight-obesity has increased sharply among undergraduates worldwide. In 2016, approximately 52% of adults were overweight-obese. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the prevalence of overweight-obesity and explore in depth the connection between eating habits and overweight-obesity among Chinese undergraduates.The study population included 536 undergraduates recruited in Shijiazhuang, China, in 2017. They were administered questionnaires for assessing demographic and daily lifestyle characteristics, including sex, region, eating speed, number of meals per day, and sweetmeat habit. Anthropometric status was assessed by calculating the body mass index (BMI). The determinants of overweight-obesity were investigated by the Pearson χ test, Spearman rho test, multivariable linear regression, univariate/multivariate logistic regression, and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis.The prevalence of undergraduate overweight-obesity was 13.6%. Sex [male vs female, odds ratio (OR): 1.903; 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.147-3.156], region (urban vs rural, OR: 1.953; 95% CI: 1.178-3.240), number of meals per day (3 vs 2, OR: 0.290; 95% CI: 0.137-0.612), and sweetmeat habit (every day vs never, OR: 4.167; 95% CI: 1.090-15.933) were significantly associated with overweight-obesity. Eating very fast was positively associated with overweight-obesity and showed the highest OR (vs very slow/slow, OR: 5.486; 95% CI: 1.622-18.553). However, the results of multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that only higher eating speed is a significant independent risk factor for overweight/obesity (OR: 17.392; 95% CI, 1.614-187.363; P = .019).Scoremeng = 1.402 × scoresex + 1.269 × scoreregion + 19.004 × scoreeatin speed + 2.546 × scorenumber of meals per day + 1.626 × scoresweetmeat habit and BMI = 0.253 × Scoremeng + 18.592. These 2 formulas can help estimate the weight status of undergraduates and predict whether they will be overweight or obese.

Sleep Patterns and Obesity: Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos Sueño Ancillar Study.

BACKGROUND: The relationship of poor sleep patterns to the increased risk of obesity has been reported, but the results are variable. This study evaluated the association between objectively measured sleep patterns and obesity in a representative adult population of Hispanic/Latino subjects living in the United States. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was an analysis of a multicenter, community-based cohort of 2,156 participants aged 18 to 64 years from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL). Recruitment was conducted in San Diego, California; Chicago, Illinois; Bronx, New York; and Miami, Florida. Models were controlled for age, sex, ethnic background, site, income, education, and apnea-hypopnea index. Seven days of wrist actigraphy data were collected. Obesity was defined as BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2, and abdominal obesity was defined as waist circumference ≥ 88 cm in women and ≥ 102 cm in men. Napping was defined as more than one 15-min nap per week. RESULTS: An inverse linear relationship was found between sleep duration and prevalence of obesity (P linear trend ≤ 0.01). A reduction of 1 h sleep increased obesity prevalence by 4.1% (95% CI, 1.6-6.6; P = .002) and abdominal obesity prevalence by 3.6% (95% CI, 1.1-6.1; P = .007). Daytime napping increased obesity prevalence by 10.4% (95% CI, 3.5-17.3; P = .004) and abdominal obesity prevalence by 7.1% (95% CI, 1.0-13.2; P = .02). CONCLUSIONS: In a population of young to older adult Hispanic/Latino subjects, we found an inverse linear association between sleep duration and the prevalence of obesity. Daytime napping was strongly associated with greater adiposity. Interventional and longitudinal studies are needed to better understand how abnormal sleep patterns contribute to the obesity epidemic.

Impact of Plaque Calcification and Stent Oversizing on Clinical Outcomes of Atherosclerotic Femoropopliteal Arterial Occlusive Disease Following Stent Angioplasty.

OBJECTIVE: Plaque calcification and stent oversizing are two key factors contributing to in stent restenosis (ISR) following femoropopliteal stent angioplasty. This study aimed to explore a pre-operative quantitative assessment method of plaque calcification and rational parameters of stent oversizing in the femoropopliteal artery. METHODS: A total of 115 patients with atherosclerotic femoropopliteal arterial occlusive disease treated from January 2013 to January 2016 were included retrospectively. Computed tomography angiography (CTA) imaging was performed to analyse calcified plaque parameters (calcified plaque volume [CV], standard CV [SCV], burden of calcified plaque) and stent oversizing parameters at different vessel segments (distal oversizing, maximum oversizing, plaque oversizing). Optimal cut offs for the six parameters were determined by the maximum Youden's index. The relationship between calcified plaque, stent oversizing, and clinical outcomes were assessed by correlation analysis and multivariable Cox regression models. RESULTS: The one year primary patency rate was 77.4%; the rates of ISR, major amputation, target lesion revascularisation, and mortality were 40.9%, 8.7%, 17.4%, and 12.2%, respectively. For all six parameters, patients with values greater than the cut offs had a significantly higher incidence of ISR than those with values below the cut offs. ISR was positively correlated with all six calcification and oversizing parameters. Amputation and mortality were positively correlated with calcification parameters. Multivariable Cox regression analysis demonstrated that all six parameters were independent risk factors for ISR. All calcification parameters were identified as independent risk factors for amputation, while only CV and SCV were independent risk factors for mortality. CONCLUSION: Calcified plaque in the femoropopliteal artery can be quantitatively analysed on pre-operative CTA images. High calcified plaque burden and excessive stent oversizing were associated with unfavourable outcomes following stent angioplasty.

Associations Between Timing of Meals, Physical Activity, Light Exposure, and Sleep With Body Mass Index in Free-Living Adults.

BACKGROUND: This study tested if the timing of meals, physical activity, light exposure, and sleep cluster within individuals and are associated with body mass index (BMI) in a sample of free-living adults (N = 125). METHODS: Data were collected between November 2015 and March 2016 at the University of California, San Diego, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and Washington University in St Louis. Height and weight were measured, and BMI (kg/m2) was calculated. Sleep timing was estimated using actigraphy, and timing of meals, physical activity, and light exposure were self-reported using a smartphone application. General linear models estimated the mean BMI across time categories of behaviors, adjusting for covariates. A latent class analysis was used to identify patterns of timing variables that clustered within individuals and test for associations between identified patterns and BMI. RESULTS: Later exposure to outdoor light was associated with a lower BMI (P trend < .01). The timing of other behaviors was not independently associated with BMI. The latent class analysis identified 2 distinct groups related to behavioral timing, reflecting an "early bird" and "night owl" phenotype. These phenotypes were not associated with BMI (P > .05). CONCLUSION: Timing of exposures to light, meals, sleep, and physical activity were not strongly associated with BMI in this sample.