Mothers' experiences and perceptions of breastfeeding peer support: a qualitative systematic review.

Background: The global issue of low breastfeeding rates has been widely reported. Quantitative studies have shown the positive effects of peer support on breastfeeding. However, the experiences of mothers who receive breastfeeding peer support have been found to vary.

Short-term effects of air pollution exposure on the risk of preterm birth in Xi'an, China.

Introduction: Long-term exposure to air pollution is known to be harmful to preterm birth (PTB), but little is known about the short-term effects. This study aims to quantify the short-term effect of particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5 μm (PM), ≤10 μm (PM) and nitrogen dioxide (NO) on PTB.

Case report: A novel mutation in a Chinese female child with microcephaly with pontine and cerebellar hypoplasia.

Microcephaly with pontine and cerebellar hypoplasia (MICPCH) is a rare X-linked dominant genetic disease, and most MICPCHs are ascribed to mutations, while few are revealed in Chinese patients. This study aims to identify the pathogenic mutation in a Chinese proband with MICPCH. A 3-year-old female Chinese proband with MICPCH and her parents were included.

Synthesis of Oxygenated Sesquiterpenoids Enabled by Combining Metabolic Engineering and Visible-Light Photocatalysis.

The diversification of natural products to expand biologically relevant chemical space for drug discovery can be achieved by combining complementary bioprocessing and chemical transformations. Herein, genetically engineered Escherichia coli fermentation to produce amorphadiene and valencene was combined with metal-free photocatalysis transformations to further access nootkatone, cis-nootkatol and two hydration derivatives. In fermentation, using a closed, anaerobic condition avoided the use of organic overlay, increased the productivity, and simplified the work-up process.

Author Correction: A standard for near-scarless plasmid construction using reusable DNA parts.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

A standard for near-scarless plasmid construction using reusable DNA parts.

Here we report GT (Guanin/Thymine) standard (GTS) for plasmid construction under which DNA sequences are defined as two types of standard, reusable parts (fragment and barcode). We develop a technology that can efficiently add any two barcodes to two ends of any fragment without leaving scars in most cases. We can assemble up to seven such barcoded fragments into one plasmid by using one of the existing DNA assembly methods, including CLIVA, Gibson assembly, In-fusion cloning, and restriction enzyme-based methods.

Hijiki seaweed consumption elevates levels of inorganic arsenic intake in Japanese children and pregnant women.

Although exposure to inorganic arsenic is a health concern, especially in developing foetuses and children, dietary exposure levels among pregnant women and children have not been extensively studied in Japan. To address this shortcoming, we completed a 3-day duplicate diet study for 104 children and 101 pregnant women in two cities, Shimotsuke, Tochigi and Asahikawa, Hokkaido. The levels of intake of total and inorganic arsenic were estimated using the concentrations of total and inorganic arsenic in food and drinking water measured by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry.

Lead Exposure Assessment among Pregnant Women, Newborns, and Children: Case Study from Karachi, Pakistan.

Lead (Pb) in petrol has been banned in developed countries. Despite the control of Pb in petrol since 2001, high levels were reported in the blood of pregnant women and children in Pakistan. However, the identification of sources of Pb has been elusive due to its pervasiveness.

External lead contamination of women's nails by surma in Pakistan: Is the biomarker reliable?

Adverse health effects of heavy metals are a public health concern, especially lead may cause negative health impacts to human fetal and infantile development. The lead concentrations in Pakistani pregnant women's nails, used as a biomarker, were measured to estimate the lead exposure. Thirteen nail samples out of 84 nails analyzed contained lead higher than the concentration (13.

Heavy metal exposure, in combination with physical activity and aging, is related with oxidative stress in Japanese women from a rural agricultural community.

This study aimed to evaluate the relationships between oxidative stress and heavy metal exposure (lead [Pb] and cadmium [Cd]), as well as co-factors such as physical activity and age, in Japanese women. This study was conducted with female subjects from a rural agricultural community in Japan. Subjects were asked to complete lifestyle-related questionnaires and undergo a group health examination.

Exposure assessment of lead from food and airborne dusts and biomonitoring in pregnant mothers, their fetus and siblings in Karachi, Pakistan and Shimotsuke, Japan.

Aim: Exposure assessment of lead (Pb) and Arsenic (As) from food, water, and house dust intake were assessed among pregnant women, their children and fetuses in Pakistan and Japan, as well as their body burden of the metals in their blood.

Method: Fifty families which included a pregnant woman, a fetus and the 1-3-year-old siblings were recruited in Karachi and Khairpur in Pakistan, and Shimotsuke and Asahikawa in Japan, respectively. Their dietary exposure to Pb and As was measured in 3-day food duplicates and drinking water by ICP-MP.

Association between airflow limitation severity and arterial stiffness as determined by the brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity: a cross-sectional study.

Objective Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is often associated with concomitant systemic manifestations and comorbidities, such as cardiovascular disease. There are limited data regarding airflow limitation (AL) and atherosclerosis in Japanese patients, and the potential association between AL and arterial stiffness has not yet been investigated in Japanese patients. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the association between AL severity and arterial stiffness using the brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV).

The correlation between mental health and multiple chemical sensitivity: a survey study in Japanese workers.

Objective: This study was designed to determine the correlation between mental health and multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS).

Method: The present study was conducted at two companies in 2011; both in Kyushu, Japan. The "subjective symptoms" subscale of the "Self-diagnosis Checklist for Assessment of Workers' Accumulated Fatigue" was used as a mental health subscale.

Prevalence and interannual changes in multiple chemical sensitivity in Japanese workers.

Objective: We aimed to evaluate the prevalence rates and interannual fluctuations in multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) in Japanese workers.

Methods: We assessed MCS using the Quick Environmental Exposure and Sensitivity Inventory, employing both Miller and Japanese criteria. Workers of two manufacturing companies located in Kyushu, Japan, were assessed, with company A surveyed in 2003, 2006 and 2011, and company B in 2003 and 2011.

Evaluation of genetic polymorphisms in patients with multiple chemical sensitivity.

Objective: Multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) is a chronic medical condition characterized by symptoms that the affect an individual's response to low-level chemical exposure. In this study, we identified a chemical sensitive population (CSP) and investigated the effect of genetic polymorphisms on their risk of chemical sensitivity.

Methods: A quick environment exposure sensitivity (QEESI) questionnaire was used to survey 324 Japanese male workers whose DNA samples had been collected and stored.

Association of genotypes of carcinogen-metabolizing enzymes and smoking status with bladder cancer in a Japanese population.

Objectives: Arylamines are considered to be the primary causative agent of bladder cancer in tobacco smokers. To test the hypothesis that variation in the genes that metabolize tobacco carcinogens contribute to bladder cancer, we examined the effects of single nucleotide polymorphisms in the genes of four key enzymes: cytochrome P450 1A2, N-acetyltransferase (NAT) 2, sulfotransferase 1A1, and UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) 2B7.

Methods: In this study, 282 Japanese patients with transitional cell carcinoma, the most common bladder cancer, and 257 healthy controls were surveyed and compared for frequencies of the genotypes of the four enzymes.

Effects of temperament and character profiles on state and trait depression and anxiety: a prospective study of a Japanese youth population.

Objective. To examine the effects of temperament and character profiles on state and trait depression and anxiety in a Japanese youth population. Method.