Correlations between growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) serum levels and gene polymorphism with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Purpose: To date, the relationship between Growth Differentiation Factor 15 (GDF-15) gene polymorphism and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has not been clarified. Our study aims to explore the association between serum GDF-15 levels and related gene polymorphism with the risk of T2DM in a Chinese rural Yao population.

Methods: This was a 1:1 case-control study with 179 T2DM patients and 179 age- and sex-matched control participants.

Association between sleep quality and living environment among Chinese older persons: a cross-sectional study.

Sleep quality significantly affects the quality of life of older persons. Therefore, this study explored the relationship between sleep quality and living environment of older persons in China to provide a theoretical basis for therapies to alleviate sleep disorders in older persons. A total of 6211 subjects > 60 years of age in Anhui Province, China, were evaluated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and a self-reported questionnaire.

Mediating roles of activities of daily living and depression on the relationship between sleep quality and health-related quality of life.

This study aimed to explore the mediating effects of ADL and depression on the relationship between sleep quality and HRQOL among older people in rural China, while also exploring the moderating impact of loneliness. The study gathered data from a household survey conducted among 1587 Chinese rural older adults (mean age = 73.63 years).

Association between multiple-heavy-metal exposures and systemic immune inflammation in a middle-aged and elderly Chinese general population.

Background: Exposure to heavy metals alone or in combination can promote systemic inflammation. The aim of this study was to investigate potential associations between multiple plasma heavy metals and markers of systemic immune inflammation.

Methods: Using a cross-sectional study, routine blood tests were performed on 3355 participants in Guangxi, China.

Association between the dietary antioxidant index and relative telomere length of leucocytes in the Chinese population.

Dietary antioxidant indices (DAI) may be potentially associated with relative telomere length (RTL) of leucocytes. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between DAI and RTL. A cross-sectional study involving 1656 participants was conducted.

The effect of a tailored message package for reducing antibiotic use among respiratory tract infection patients in rural Anhui, China: a cluster randomized controlled trial protocol.

Background: Antibiotics are over-used for patients with respiratory tract infections (RTIs) in primary care, especially in the rural areas of China.

Methods: A cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) will be carried out to estimate the effectiveness of a tailored message package for educating patients to reduce antibiotic use for symptomatic respiratory tract infections (RTIs). In the intervention group, patients will receive 12 short messages in 12 consecutive days.

Evaluating an oral health programme for the prevention of dental decay among school-aged children in China: protocol for a mixed-methods study based on the RE-AIM framework.

Introduction: The objective of the Comprehensive Intervention of Oral Disease for Children (CIODC) in China is to prevent dental decay for school-aged children and provide free prevention services in pilot areas beginning in 2008. It is a potentially affordable, acceptable and effective prevention strategy to use for more school-aged children in the future. There is a shortage of robust evidence regarding the cost-effectiveness, feasibility and scalability of prevention strategies for dental decay for school-aged children in China.

Differentiated Effects and Determinants of Home Blood Pressure Telemonitoring: Three-Year Cohort Study in Jieshou, Anhui, China.

Background: Home blood pressure telemonitoring (HBPT) is witnessing rapid diffusion worldwide. Contemporary studies documented mainly short-term (6-12 months) effects of HBPT, and there are limited data about its uptake.

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the 3-year use and determinants of HBPT, and the interactions with systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP/DBP) and overall blood pressure (BP) control rate.

Stated preferences for family doctor contract services: a survey of the rural elderly in Anhui Province, China.

Objective: A number of factors contribute to the utilisation of family doctor contract services (FDCS) in China. This study aims to measure the preferences of the elderly for the FDCS and identify the key factors (and their relative importance) that may guide policymakers in more accurately providing the FDCS.

Participants And Methods: A discrete choice experiment was performed to elicit the preferences for FDCS among the rural elderly in China.

Antibiotic Stewardship in Retail Pharmacies and the Access-Excess Challenge in China: A Policy Review.

In China, efforts to restrict excessive antibiotic consumption may prevent sufficient access to these life-saving drugs among the most deprived in society because of the weak primary health care system. This makes antibiotic stewardship in the retail pharmacy sector a particular challenge. We conducted an analysis to examinate policies on antibiotic sales in retail pharmacies in China and how tensions between 'excess' and 'access' are managed.

Effects of COVID-19 on Global Financial Markets: Evidence from Qualitative Research for Developed and Developing Economies.

The research aims to prioritize the pandemic's impact on the financial markets of developed and developing economies using a multi-criteria decision-making approach. The results revealed that COVID-19's pandemic effects on financial markets differ between developed and developing nations. COVID-19 pandemic affects developed countries' financial markets more through supply reduction, demand reduction, and economic instability.

Cluster randomised controlled trial to assess a tailored intervention to reduce antibiotic prescribing in rural China: study protocol.

Introduction: Up to 80% of patients with respiratory tract infections (RTI) attending healthcare facilities in rural areas of China are prescribed antibiotics, many of which are unnecessary. Since 2009, China has implemented several policies to try to reduce inappropriate antibiotic use; however, antibiotic prescribing remains high in rural health facilities.

Methods And Analysis: A cluster randomised controlled trial will be carried out to estimate the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of a complex intervention in reducing antibiotic prescribing at township health centres in Anhui Province, China.

The impact of COVID-19 on primary health care and antibiotic prescribing in rural China: qualitative study.

Background: In China, the primary health care (PHC) system has been designated responsible for control and prevention of COVID-19, but not treatment. Suspected COVID-19 cases presenting to PHC facilities must be transferred to specialist fever clinics. This study aims to understand the impact of COVID-19 on PHC delivery and on antibiotic prescribing at a community level in rural areas of central China.

A quantitative trait rare variant nonparametric linkage method with application to age-at-onset of Alzheimer's disease.

To analyze pedigrees with quantitative trait (QT) and sequence data, we developed a rare variant (RV) quantitative nonparametric linkage (QNPL) method, which evaluates sharing of minor alleles. RV-QNPL has greater power than the traditional QNPL that tests for excess sharing of minor and major alleles. RV-QNPL is robust to population substructure and admixture, locus heterogeneity, and inclusion of nonpathogenic variants and can be readily applied outside of coding regions.

A Rare Variant Nonparametric Linkage Method for Nuclear and Extended Pedigrees with Application to Late-Onset Alzheimer Disease via WGS Data.

To analyze family-based whole-genome sequence (WGS) data for complex traits, we developed a rare variant (RV) non-parametric linkage (NPL) analysis method, which has advantages over association methods. The RV-NPL differs from the NPL in that RVs are analyzed, and allele sharing among affected relative-pairs is estimated only for minor alleles. Analyzing families can increase power because causal variants with familial aggregation usually have larger effect sizes than those underlying sporadic diseases.

Pathways to optimising antibiotic use in rural China: identifying key determinants in community and clinical settings, a mixed methods study protocol.

Introduction: This study aims to investigate patterns of antibiotic treatment-seeking, describe current levels of and drivers for antibiotic use for common infections (respiratory tract and urinary tract infections) and test the feasibility of determining the prevalence and epidemiology of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in rural areas of Anhui province, in order to identify potential interventions to promote antibiotic stewardship and reduce the burden of AMR in China.

Methods And Analysis: We will conduct direct observations, structured and semistructured interviews in retail pharmacies, village clinics and township health centres to investigate treatment-seeking and antibiotic use. Clinical isolates from 1550 sputum, throat swab and urine samples taken from consenting patients at village and township health centres will be analysed to identify bacterial pathogens and ascertain antibiotic susceptibilities.

The relationship between demands for lung cancer screening and the constructs of health belief model: a cross-sectional survey in Hefei, China.

The aim of investigation is to explore the relationship between demands for lung cancer screening (LCS) and the constructs derived from the health belief model (HBM) in Hefei. The study collected data about socio-demographics, health beliefs in and demands for LCS during early June to later July 2015. By constructing a LCS demands HBM constructs, it calculated indices of demands for LCS (DSI) and HBM constructs, which include perceived risk (PR) and seriousness (PS) of the cancers; and perceived effectiveness (PE), benefits (PB) and difficulties (PD) of the screening.

SEQSpark: A Complete Analysis Tool for Large-Scale Rare Variant Association Studies Using Whole-Genome and Exome Sequence Data.

Massively parallel sequencing technologies provide great opportunities for discovering rare susceptibility variants involved in complex disease etiology via large-scale imputation and exome and whole-genome sequence-based association studies. Due to modest effect sizes, large sample sizes of tens to hundreds of thousands of individuals are required for adequately powered studies. Current analytical tools are obsolete when it comes to handling these large datasets.

The Rare-Variant Generalized Disequilibrium Test for Association Analysis of Nuclear and Extended Pedigrees with Application to Alzheimer Disease WGS Data.

Whole-genome and exome sequence data can be cost-effectively generated for the detection of rare-variant (RV) associations in families. Causal variants that aggregate in families usually have larger effect sizes than those found in sporadic cases, so family-based designs can be a more powerful approach than population-based designs. Moreover, some family-based designs are robust to confounding due to population admixture or substructure.