Publications by authors named "Xiu-jun Zhang"
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates how prenatal exposure to metal mixtures affects fetal growth, focusing on differences between male and female fetuses.
- Researchers analyzed data from 1,041 pregnant women, measuring 12 metals in maternal blood at various stages of pregnancy and assessing fetal growth through a specific indicator called biparietal diameter (BPD).
- Findings reveal that cobalt has opposing effects on growth trajectories by sex; it negatively impacts male fetuses while positively affecting females, with significant interactions between metal exposure and sex influencing growth outcomes.
Objective: The incidence of vertebral fragile fractures peaked among the elderly population, and identifying individuals at high risk of vertebral fractures and promptly instituting preventions are of critical importance. This study aims to determine the efficacy and values of Hounsfield unit (HU) values, vertebral bone quality (VBQ) scores, bone mineral density (BMD) measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and quantitative computed tomography (QCT) to discriminate between patients with and without vertebral fractures.
Methods: A thorough search was conducted across PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CNKI, and Wan Fang Database to identify potential studies that met the eligibility criteria.
Article Synopsis
- The study examines how air pollution exposure influences ovarian reserve and pregnancy outcomes in women undergoing assisted reproductive technology (ART).
- Researchers analyzed data from 5,354 women who underwent ART treatment, measuring their antral follicle counts (AFC) and correlating these with air pollution levels at their residences.
- Findings indicated that exposure to certain pollutants (PM, SO, NO) was associated with decreased ovarian reserve and lower chances of live birth, suggesting environmental factors can negatively impact reproductive health.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to analyze whether patients with schizophrenia show moral cognitive impairments due to childhood trauma, comparing them with healthy controls.
- Patients with schizophrenia reported significantly higher levels of childhood trauma and lower moral cognition scores than healthy controls, indicating a clear difference in their understanding of moral rules.
- Correlations in the study suggested that higher childhood trauma negatively affected moral cognition in schizophrenia patients, while it had a positive correlation in healthy controls, highlighting the complex relationship between trauma and moral understanding.
Article Synopsis
- Air pollutants, particularly fine particulate matter (PM) and ozone (O), have mixed effects on pregnancy outcomes for women undergoing assisted reproductive technology (ART), and their specific impacts are not fully understood.
- A study investigated the relationship between exposure to PM and O during different phases of the ART process and found that higher levels of exposure over the year before oocyte retrieval correlated with lower odds of achieving a live birth.
- The research indicates that younger women and those undergoing fresh embryo transfers are more vulnerable to the negative effects of air pollutants, emphasizing the need to identify critical exposure periods to protect reproductive health.
Article Synopsis
- The study analyzed the link between a healthy lifestyle and sleep health among the general population in China, using an online survey of over 41,000 participants.
- Healthy lifestyle factors included a nutritious diet, regular exercise, non-smoking, no alcohol consumption, low sedentary behavior, and normal weight, dividing participants into healthy, average, and unhealthy lifestyle groups.
- Results showed that individuals with a healthy lifestyle were significantly more likely to experience better sleep quality and duration, healthier sleep patterns, and lower risks of sleep disorders like insomnia and excessive daytime sleepiness.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigated the impact of the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index on the risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with liver cirrhosis caused by hepatitis B virus (HBV).
- Out of 242 patients followed for about 37 months, a significant number developed HCC, with the TyG index being notably higher in these patients compared to those who did not develop HCC.
- Age, type of cirrhosis (decompensated), TyG index, and HBV DNA positivity were found to be independent risk factors for HCC, leading to the development of a predictive model to assess HCC risk among these patients.
Article Synopsis
- PFAS, a group of environmental contaminants known for their immunosuppressive effects, may have a connection to rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but this link has been under-researched.
- Using data from nearly 10,500 adults over multiple years, the study analyzed serum levels of different PFAS and self-reported RA cases to understand their association.
- Results showed that higher concentrations of certain PFAS were linked to lower odds of RA, primarily in females, suggesting that exposure to these substances may influence the prevalence of RA in a sex-specific manner.
Article Synopsis
- The study systematically reviews and analyzes the effectiveness and safety of psychedelics (psilocybin, ayahuasca, LSD, MDMA) in treating mental disorders based on 126 articles.
- Results indicate that psilocybin is the most researched and effective psychedelic for mood disorders, with the strongest therapeutic effects, followed by ayahuasca, MDMA, and LSD.
- While there are some risks, like headaches, most participants reported no lasting adverse effects, suggesting psychedelics may also help with various other mental health issues like addiction and PTSD.
Article Synopsis
- This study investigates how early life adversity, like childhood trauma and bullying, affects cognitive function, particularly social cognition, in schizophrenia patients.
- It compares two groups of schizophrenia patients—one with a history of childhood trauma (SCZ-ct) and one without (SCZ-nct)—to healthy controls, using various cognitive assessment tools.
- The results show that SCZ-ct patients have greater cognitive impairments, with early trauma being linked to poorer cognitive performance, especially in social cognition, indicating that early adversities significantly impact mental health outcomes.
Article Synopsis
- Actinidia arguta is a widely distributed species known for its small, smooth fruit, rapid softening, and strong cold tolerance, distinguished from the cultivated Actinidia chinensis.
- Researchers created a detailed genome assembly of A. arguta, which is 2.77 Gb long and organized into 116 pseudo-chromosomes, revealing two distinct geographic groups based on evolutionary divergences.
- The study identified three key genes that contribute to fruit softening and explored the genetic basis of traits related to sexual dimorphism, providing a foundation for future research and agricultural enhancement of this species.
Background: It has been suggested that gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) alters the growth trajectory of a fetus and increases the risk of abnormal birth weight. In spite of this, there is still a significant debate regarding the mode and optimal timing of diagnosing this condition. Our aim was to determine fetal growth velocity and birth biometry in pregnant women with GDM at varying risk levels.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAssociation of urinary heavy metal combined exposure with periodontitis among US adults from NHANES 2011-2014.
Environ Sci Pollut Res Int
October 2023
Some heavy metals are associated with periodontitis; whereas most of these associations have focused on individual metal, there are no specific studies on the effects of combined heavy metal exposure on periodontitis. We conducted an analysis on the association between urinary heavy metal exposure and periodontitis in participants aged 30 years and older using multiple logistic regression and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR). This analysis was performed on data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2011 to 2014.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: A growing number of studies have shown that prenatal exposure to chemical and non-chemical stressors has effects on fetal growth. The co-exposure of both better reflects real-life exposure patterns. However, no studies have included air pollutants and pregnancy-related anxiety (PrA) as mixtures in the analysis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Previous studies addressing the impact of environmental factors on TB prognosis are scarce, with only some studies examining the effect of particulate pollutants on TB mortality. Moreover, few studies have evaluated the effects of multiple gaseous pollutants and greenness exposures on newly treated TB patients on a large population scale.
Methods: Through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, data were collected from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2020 for newly treated TB patients in Anhui Province, China.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates how air pollution affects outpatient visits for periodontal diseases, focusing on specific pollutants and weather conditions.
- Data from hospitals in Hefei from 2015-2020 was analyzed using advanced statistical models to identify links between daily air pollution and the incidence of gum diseases like gingivitis and periodontitis.
- Findings revealed that increased nitrogen dioxide and fine particulate matter are significantly associated with higher risks of gum diseases, especially in vulnerable groups like the elderly, and that the effects can vary with temperature and humidity levels.
Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP), including gestational hypertension (GH) and preeclampsia (PE), cause significant morbidity and mortality among pregnant women. Several environmental toxins, particularly those that affect the normal function of the placenta and the endothelium, are emerging as potential risk factors for HDP. Among them, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), widely used in a variety of commercial products, have been related to a variety of adverse health effects including HDP.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: There is growing evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a dramatic impact on public mental health. However, less attention has been paid to left-behind experience college students (LBEs). This online study aimed to investigate the relationship between psychological capital (PsyCap) and anxiety among LBEs during COVID-19 pandemic, and further analyze the mediation role of self-esteem between them.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- The study explored the relationship between air pollutants, greenness, and mortality among 29,519 newly treated tuberculosis (TB) patients in Anhui province, finding that increased air pollution correlates with higher death risk.
- Specifically, each 10 µg/m increase in particulate matter (PM) and sulfur dioxide (SO) was associated with significant increases in mortality risk, indicating a direct negative impact of poor air quality on TB patient survival.
- Conversely, greater exposure to green spaces was linked to lower mortality rates, suggesting that enhancing greenness in living environments could help reduce the detrimental effects of air pollution on TB patients.
Consensus is lacking regarding optimal embolic agents for transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) of renal angiomyolipomas (AMLs). The purpose of our study was to compare the safety and efficacy of TAE with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and TAE with a combination of ethiodized oil (Lipiodol)-bleomycin emulsion and -butyl cyanoacrylate (NBCA)-Lipiodol emulsion for the treatment of patients with large or symptomatic AMLs. This prospective study enrolled patients referred for TAE of a large (> 4 cm) or symptomatic renal AML from July 2007 to December 2018.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Correlation between Triglyceride (TG) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) remains largely unknown in overweight and non-overweight patients.
Aim: To investigated the dynamic changes of eGFR and lipid profiles during 3-year tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) treatment in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and overweight.
Methods: A total of 202 CHB patients who received TDF treatment at the Third People's Hospital of Changzhou (Changzhou, China) and Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital (Nanjing, China) between January 2016 and May 2018 were retrospectively enrolled.
Background: As a communicable disease and major public health issue, many studies have quantified the associations between tuberculosis (TB) and meteorological factors with inconsistent results. The purpose of this multicenter study was to characterize the associations between ambient temperature, humidity and the risk of TB hospitalizations and to investigate potential heterogeneity.
Method: Data on daily hospitalizations for TB, meteorological factors and ambient air pollutants for 16 cities in Anhui Province were collected from 2015 to 2020.
Objectives: To evaluate the safety and efficacy transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) for the treatment of refractory gross hematuria (RGH) and urinary retention (UR) secondary to localized advanced prostate cancer (PCa).
Patients And Methods: Thirty-two patients (mean age 72.5 years, range 60-89) with advanced PCa-related RGH that failed conventional therapy were included.
A growing number of biological studies suggest that exogenous sulfur dioxide (SO) at a certain concentration may promote human resistance to Mycobacterium tuberculosis. However, the results of most relevant studies are inconsistent, and few studies have explored the relationship between SO exposure and tuberculosis risk at provincial level. In addition, occupational exposure has long been considered to have a certain impact on the human body, so for the first time, we discussed the differences between different occupations in the study on the relationship between air pollutant exposure and tuberculosis risk, and evaluated the impact of occupational exposure.
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