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Background: Beneficial effects of greenness on birth outcomes have been reported, but few studies have investigated the associations in both urban and non-urban settings. We aimed to evaluate and compare linear and nonlinear associations between greenness and birth outcomes in urban and non-urban settings.Methods: From October 2015 to December 2018, participants were recruited into the Maoming Birth Cohort Study. A total of 11 258 live birth records were obtained. Greenness exposure was assessed using the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and enhanced vegetation index (EVI). Linear regression and nonlinear restricted cubic spline models were implemented to investigate the associations between greenness and birthweight, birth length, gestational age, preterm birth, low birthweight, small for gestational age and the potential for effect variation under urban or non-urban settings, after adjusting for covariates.Results: A 0.1-unit increase in NDVI-500m was significantly associated with an increase of 35.4 g in birthweight [95% confidence interval (CI): 13.2, 57.7], 0.15 cm in birth length (95% CI: 0.03, 0.26), 0.88 days in gestational age (95% CI: 0.05, 1.71) and lower odds of low birthweight [odds ratio (OR) = 0.69, 95% CI: 0.56, 0.85] and preterm birth (OR = 0.70, 95% CI: 0.58, 0.85). No association with head circumference was observed. For all outcomes, no significant linear associations were observed among non-urban dwellers. Inversed 'U-shaped' associations between greenness exposure and birth outcomes were observed in the total study population.Conclusions: Greenness exposure was associated with increased gestational age, birthweight and birth length in urban dwellers. Nonlinear associations assessed by restricted cubic splines suggested that health benefits could be larger when increasing greenness levels from low to medium compared with increasing greenness from medium to high levels. Further studies adopting nonlinear methods are warranted to verify our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

InSb is an important material for optoelectronic devices. Most InSb devices are currently wet etched, and the etching geometries are limited due to the isotropic nature of wet etching. Inductively coupled plasma (ICP)–reactive ion etching (RIE) is a more desirable alternative because it offers a means of producing small anisotropic structures especially needed in large format infrared focal plane arrays. This work describes the novel use of ICP-RIE for fabricating InSb mesas with CH4/H2/Ar plasma and presents the influences of the process parameters on the etch rate and surface morphology. The parameters investigated include bias radio frequency power (50–250 W), % CH4 in H2 (10–50), argon (Ar) partial pressure (0–0.3 Pa with total pressure of 1.0 Pa), and total pressure (0.35–4 Pa). With the process parameters optimized in this investigated ranges, good etching results have been achieved with etch rates up to 80 nm/min, and etch features with sidewall angles of about 80°, the etched surface is as smooth as before the RIE process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ambient particles with aerodynamic diameter <0.1 μm (PM 0.1 ) have been suggested to have significant health impact. However, studies on the association between long-term PM 0.1 exposure and human blood lipid metabolism are still limited. This study was aimed to evaluate such association based on multiple lipid biomarkers and dyslipidemia indicators. We matched the 2006-2009 average PM 0.1 concentration simulated using the neural-network model following the WRF-Chem model with the clinical and questionnaire data of 15,477 adults randomly recruited from 33 communities in Northeast China in 2009. After controlling for social demographic and behavior confounders, we assessed the association of PM 0.1 concentration with multiple lipid biomarkers and dyslipidemia indicators using generalized linear mixed-effect models. Effect modification by various social demographic and behavior factors was examined. We found that each interquartile range increase in PM 0.1 concentration was associated with a 5.75 (95% Confidence interval, 3.24-8.25) mg/dl and a 6.05 (2.85-9.25) mg/dl increase in the serum level of total cholesterol and LDL-C, respectively. This increment was also associated with an odds ratio of 1.25 (1.10-1.42) for overall dyslipidemias, 1.41 (1.16, 1.73) for hypercholesterolemia, and 1.90 (1.39, 2.61) for hyperbetalipoproteinemia. Additionally, we found generally greater effect estimates among the younger participants and those with lower income or with certain behaviors such as high-fat diet. The deleterious effect of long-term PM 0.1 exposure on lipid metabolism may make it an important toxic chemical to be targeted by future preventive strategies., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

No evidence exists concerning the association between blood pressure and ambient particles with aerodynamic diameter ≤ 1.0 µm (PM 1 ), a major component of PM 2.5 (≤ 2.5 µm) particles, and potentially causing more hazardous health effects than PM 2.5 . We aimed to examine the associations of blood pressure in adults with both PM 1 and PM 2.5 in China. In 2009, we randomly selected 24,845 participants aged 18-74 years from 33 communities in China. Using a standardized mercuric-column sphygmomanometer, we measured blood pressure. Long-term exposure (2006-08) to PM 1 and PM 2.5 were estimated using a spatial statistical model. Generalized linear mixed models were used to evaluate the associations between air pollutants and blood pressure and hypertension prevalence, controlling for multiple covariates. A 10-μg/m 3 increase in PM 1 was significantly associated with an increase of 0.57 (95% CI 0.31-0.83) mmHg in systolic blood pressure (SBP), 0.19 (95% CI 0.03-0.35) mmHg increase in diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and a 5% (OR=1.05; 95% CI 1.01-1.10) increase in odds for hypertension. Similar associations were detected for PM 2.5 . Furthermore, PM 1-2.5 showed no association with blood pressure or hypertension. In summary, both PM 1 and PM 2.5 exposures were associated with elevated blood pressure levels and hypertension prevalence in Chinese adults. In addition, most of the pro-hypertensive effects of PM 2.5 may come from PM 1 . Further longitudinal designed studies are warranted to validate our findings., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aim: To investigate the associiations between the polymorphisms of cell cycle pathway genes and the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)., Methods: We enrolled 1127 cases newly diagnosed with HCC from the Tumor Hospital of Guangxi Medical University and 1200 non-tumor patients from the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University. General demographic characteristics, behavioral information, and hematological indices were collected by unified questionnaires. Genomic DNA was isolated from peripheral venous blood using Phenol-Chloroform. The genotyping was performed using the Sequenom MassARRAY iPLEX genotyping method. The association between genetic polymorphisms and risk of HCC was shown by P-value and the odd ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) using the unconditional logistic regression after adjusting for age, sex, nationality, smoking, drinking, family history of HCC, and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Moreover, stratified analysis was conducted on the basis of the status of HBV infection, smoking, and alcohol drinking., Results: The HCC risk was lower in patients with the MCM4 rs2305952 CC (OR = 0.22, 95%CI: 0.08-0.63, P = 0.01) and with the CHEK1 rs515255 TC, TT, TC/TT (OR = 0.73, 95%CI: 0.56-0.96, P = 0.02; OR = 0.67, 95%CI: 0.46-0.97, P = 0.04; OR = 0.72, 95%CI: 0.56-0.92, P = 0.01, respectively). Conversely, the HCC risk was higher in patients with the KAT2B rs17006625 GG (OR = 1.64, 95%CI: 1.01-2.64, P = 0.04). In addition, the risk was markedly lower for those who were carriers of MCM4 rs2305952 CC and were also HBsAg-positive and non-drinking and non-smoking (P < 0.05, respectively) and for those who were carriers of CHEK1 rs515255 TC, TT, TC/TT and were also HBsAg-negative and non-drinking (P < 0.05, respectively). Moreover, the risk was higher for those who were carriers of KAT2B rs17006625 GG and were also HBsAg-negative (P < 0.05)., Conclusion: Of 12 cell cycle pathway genes, MCM4, CHEK1 and KAT2B polymorphisms may be associated with the risk of HCC.