Youth paying for sex: what are the associated factors? Findings from a cross-sectional study in Cambodia.

Background: At-risk male youth in Cambodia who purchase sex are at greater risk for HIV compared to the general population. Factors associated with paying for sex among youth are poorly studied, both globally and in Cambodia. This study aimed to identify specific factors associated with transactional sex with women among most-at-risk male youth in Cambodia.

Cylindromatosis (CYLD), a Deubiquitinase, Attenuates Inflammatory Signaling Pathways by Activating Toll-Like Receptor 3 in Human Mesangial Cells.

Background/aims: Cylindromatosis (CYLD), a deubiquitinase, negatively regulates nuclear factor-κB in various cells. However, its potential roles in glomerular inflammation remain unclear. Because the activation of the Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3)/type I interferon (IFN) pathways plays a pivotal role in chronic kidney diseases (CKD), we examined the role of CYLD in the TLR3 signaling in cultured human mesangial cells (MCs).

Urinary excretion of sphingomyelinase phosphodiesterase acid-like 3b in children with intractable nephrotic syndrome.

Rituximab (RTX), a specific antibody to human CD20, has been successfully used to treat intractable nephrotic syndrome (NS). Recent studies have suggested a direct effect of RTX on podocytes by targeting sphingomyelinase phosphodiesterase acid-like 3b (SMPDL-3b). Thus, we examined the urinary excretion of SMPDL-3b as well as its immunoreactivity in biopsy specimens from children with intractable NS.

A weekly 35,000 IU vitamin D supplementation improves bone turnover markers in vitamin D deficient Saudi adolescent females.

Unlabelled: This study examined the effects of weekly 35,000 IU vitamin D supplementation for 4 weeks on bone turnover markers (BTMs). There was improvement in the levels of parathyroid hormone (PTH), osteocalcin, and carboxy-terminal telopeptides of crosslinks of type 1 collagen (βCTX) which paralleled the increase in vitamin D levels.

Purpose: The effects of vitamin D supplementation on bone turnover markers (BTMs) have been inconsistent.

Blood pressure effects of adiposity in non-overweight children aged 6-17 years.

Background: Obesity is a well-established risk factor of elevated blood pressure; however, the relationships between normal weight status and the risk of hypertension and pre-hypertension are not clear.

Aim: The aim of this study is to describe the blood pressure effects of adiposity in non-overweight children.

Methods And Results: In total, 588 097 non-overweight children aged 6-17 years were included from the National Surveys on Students' Constitution and Health.

DEC1 negatively regulates the expression of CXCL10 and CCL5 induced by poly IC in normal human mesangial cells.

The functions of differentiated embryonic chondrocyte gene (DEC) 1, a basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor, have been reported to be associated with the regulation of mammalian circadian rhythms, differentiation of chondrocytes and skeletal muscles, apoptosis, hypoxia-induced reactions and epithelial mesenchymal transition. Our previous report showed that another bHLH transcription factor DEC2 constitutes a negative feedback loop in Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3)/interferon (IFN)-β-mediated inflammatory responses in human mesangial cells. However, the role of DEC1 in innate immune responses remains unclear.

Prevalence of adiposity and its association with sleep duration, quality, and timing among 9-12-year-old children in Guangzhou, China.

Background: Short sleep duration has been reported to be associated with obesity in children, but findings are not consistent. Since few studies have examined the relationship between more complex sleep characteristics and obesity, we examined the association between adiposity and self-reported sleep duration, bedtime, and sleep quality in 9-12-year-old Chinese children using multilevel mixed models.

Methods: 5518 children aged 9-12 years were recruited from 29 randomly selected primary schools in Guangzhou, China in 2014.

Rebamipide reduces amyloid-β 1-42 (Aβ42) production and ameliorates Aβ43-lowered cell viability in cultured SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells.

Amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptides, Aβ 1-42 (Aβ42) and Aβ43, in particular, have been implicated in the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative disease such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). Rebamipide (REB), a gastrointestinal protective drug, can cross the blood-brain barrier after oral administration; however, the effects of REB on neuronal cells have not yet been reported. In this study, we investigated the effects of REB on Aβ43-induced cytotoxicity (monomers, 10μM) in cultured SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells.

Red meat and chicken consumption and its association with high blood pressure and obesity in South Korean children and adolescents: a cross-sectional analysis of KSHES, 2011-2015.

Background: The impact of meat consumption on high blood pressure (HBP) and obesity in children and adolescents is a subject of debate. The aim of this study was thus to evaluate the association between meat consumption and both HBP and obesity in this group.

Methods: We performed a cross-sectional analysis using nationally representative samples of children and adolescents aged 9, 12, and 15 years old (n = 136,739) who were included in the Korea School Health Examination Survey (KSHES) for the 2011-2015 period.

Neural tube defects: Risk factors and preventive measures.

For the last 25 years, it has been proven that the occurrence or recurrence of neural tube defects can be prevented with the administration of folic acid before and early pregnancy. At present, over 80 countries in the world, except Japan, have mandated the fortification of wheat flour and/or rice with folic acid, which has resulted in a significant reduction in the prevalence of neural tube defects. In 2000, the Japanese government recommended folic acid 400 μg daily for young women of childbearing age and women who are planning to conceive.

Low hospital referral rates of school scoliosis screening positives in an urban district of mainland China.

Significant prevalence rates of adolescent scoliosis in China were suggested in previous studies. However, school screenings for adolescent scoliosis have been suspended due to low rates of positive detection under the past screening system in China. The present study was undertaken to screen for adolescent scoliosis in middle school students under a modern assessment system in a district of Shanghai.

'Fit for school' - a school-based water, sanitation and hygiene programme to improve child health: Results from a longitudinal study in Cambodia, Indonesia and Lao PDR.

Background: The Fit for School (FIT) programme integrates school health and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene interventions, which are implemented by the Ministries of Education in four Southeast Asian countries. This paper describes the findings of a Health Outcome Study, which aimed to assess the two-year effect of the FIT programme on the parasitological, weight, and oral health status of children attending schools implementing the programme in Cambodia, Indonesia and Lao PDR.

Methods: The study was a non-randomized clustered controlled trial with a follow-up period of two years.

Survey on awareness of folic acid recognition and intake by female students.

To reduce the risk of neural tube defects, studies have been conducted on female students of medical services, nutritional science, and nursery education that investigated the awareness of folic acid by using questionnaires. Many investigators have suggested the need to provide detailed information about the awareness of folic acid and knowledge about folic acid intake and neural tube defect risk reduction. The dietary habits of female students showed a positive correlation with their estimated folic acid intake, suggesting that improvements in dietary habits are associated with the consumption of folic acid.

Treatment of pediatric-onset lupus nephritis: a proposal of optimal therapy.

Lupus nephritis (LN) is one of the major clinical manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) which occurs frequently in the early stages of pediatric-onset cases. Since SLE is a chronic disease associated with frequent disease flares and effective and safe maintenance therapy is required for achieving a favorable outcome, optimal treatment for LN in pubertal patients is a great challenge that remains to be overcome. Although its etiology remains unclear, it has been reported that the innate and adaptive immune systems have been reported to play an important role in the pathogenesis of SLE.

The association of socioeconomic status of family and living region with self-rated health and life satisfaction in children and adolescents: The CASPIAN-IV study.

Socioeconomic status (SES) is a major determinant of health inequality in children and adolescents. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of SES of family and living region with self-rated health (SRH) and life satisfaction (LS) among children and adolescents. This study was a part of the fourth survey of a national surveillance program, which was conducted in 30 provinces of Iran in 2011-2012.

Chloroquine attenuates TLR3/IFN-β signaling in cultured normal human mesangial cells: A possible protective effect against renal damage in lupus nephritis.

Background: Chloroquine has been reported to protect against renal damage in lupus nephritis (LN); however, its detailed mechanism in glomerular inflammation remains unclear. Upregulation of the type-I interferon (IFN) system plays a pivotal role in LN pathogenesis, therefore, we examined whether chloroquine inhibits toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3)/IFN-β signaling in cultured normal human mesangial cells (MCs).

Methods: We examined chloroquine effect on the representative TLR3/IFN-β-signaling axis, TLR3/IFN-β/retinoic acid-inducible gene-I (RIG-I)/CCL5 in MCs treated with polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly IC), a synthetic viral dsRNA analog and analyzed the expression of these molecules using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

Interferon (IFN)-induced protein 35 (IFI35) negatively regulates IFN-β-phosphorylated STAT1-RIG-I-CXCL10/CCL5 axis in U373MG astrocytoma cells treated with polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid.

Interferon (IFN)-stimulated genes (ISGs) exert multiple functions in immune system. IFN-induced protein 35 (IFI35) is a member of ISGs, and has been suggested to regulate innate immune reaction. However, the physiological functions and pathological roles of IFI35 in the central nervous system are not characterized well.

Clarithromycin attenuates the expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 by activating toll-like receptor 4 in human mesangial cells.

Background: Signaling pathways induced by the activation of renal toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) play a pivotal role in chronic kidney disease (CKD). Some recent studies suggested that clarithromycin (CAM), a 14-membered ring macrolide, exerts renoprotective effects by suppressing proinflammatory chemokines. However, its beneficial effects on signaling pathways through renal TLR4 activation are unknown.

Prevalence of Thyroid Nodules and Its Relationship with Iodine Status in Shanghai: a Population-based Study.

Objective: This study was designed to evaluate the prevalence of thyroid nodules (TNs) and its relationship with urine iodine concentrations (UICs) after the regional rapid economic growth and lifestyle changes.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in the general population aged 15-69 years. A questionnaire regarding general and personal characteristics and relevant information was administered.

CHOROIDAL THICKNESS IN HEALTHY CHINESE CHILDREN AGED 6 to 12: The Shanghai Children Eye Study.

Purpose: To explore the characteristics of choroidal thickness (ChT) in Chinese children.

Methods: A total of 144 healthy children, aged 6 years to 12 years old, were enrolled in the study. The ChT of subfovea and peripheral locations 0.