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Although associations of the liver enzymes alanine aminotransaminase (ALT) and -glutamyltransferase (GGT) with metabolic syndrome (MetS) are well recognized, whether they are independent of insulin resistance and which enzyme is more effective are yet to be clarified. A total of 5404 subjects aged ≥40 years were recruited from two urban communities in Shanghai for cross-sectional analyses. A subgroup of 681 participants without MetS at baseline was included in the longitudinal analyses. Insulin resistance was measured using the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and the modified National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III criteria were adopted to diagnose MetS. Both GGT and ALT were strongly and positively associated with MetS risks in simple and multivariate analyses. Further adjustment for HOMA-IR and ALT did not change the association of GGT and MetS materially, whereas adjustment for HOMA-IR and GGT substantially attenuated the ALT-MetS association. In longitudinal analyses, risks of developing MetS were increased across GGT quartiles in a dose-dependent manner after extensive adjustments (odds ratios were 1.00, 1.38, 1.62, and 2.29 for GGT, quartile 1 through quartile 4; P for trend = 0.01). In contrast, ALT was no longer associated with MetS development after final adjustment for GGT ( P for trend = 0.09). Our study confirmed significant and independent associations of GGT and ALT with MetS in adult Chinese people. Moreover, GGT might be more effective for indicating the future development of MetS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is estimated that approximately 20 million migrant school-aged children have accompanied their parents in relocating to cities in China. However, little research on the lives of these children has been conducted. The purpose of the present study is to identify the risk factors associated with the psychological wellbeing of children of migrant workers in Shanghai, China. A total of 625 children of migrant workers were recruited from ten primary and secondary schools in Shanghai through a survey design using the multistage cluster sampling method. Children of migrant workers were identified as mentally healthy or unhealthy using The revised child anxiety and depression scale. Socio-demographic characteristics, parent–child relationship, peer relationship and relationships in schools were explored as correlates of the psychological wellbeing of children of migrant workers. Compared to overseas studies, children of migrant workers suffered from symptoms of separation anxiety, depression and generalized anxiety disorder. They were male (OR = 1.88, 95% CI 0.99–3.60), older in age (OR = 1.18, 95% CI 0.99–1.40), experiencing parent–child conflicts (OR = 1.92, 95% CI 1.28–2.89), discipline from teacher (OR = 2.29, 95% CI 1.26–4.16) and discrimination in school (OR = 4.53, 95% CI 1.11–18.48). The findings provide information for the prevention of mental ill-health among children of migrant workers in China. The implications and limitations are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study the symptom dimensions of Chinese patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), the symptom checklist of the Dimensional Yale–Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (DY-BOCS) was used to assess the symptom dimensions of 139 OCD patients at a mental health center in Shanghai. The most common symptom dimensions were symmetry (67.6%), contamination (43.2%), and aggression (31.7%). The frequency of patients with the miscellaneous, sexual/religious, and hoarding symptom dimensions was 25.9%, 10.8%, and 8.6%, respectively. The frequency of male patients with symmetry concerns was higher than that of the female patients, and the frequency of female patients with contamination concerns was higher than that of male patients. OCD symptom dimensions can be identified in the Chinese context but there is a low frequency of endorsement of certain dimensions: sexual/religious, aggression, and hoarding concerns. Future studies need to further investigate the sociocultural and gender factors that may result in these findings: low numbers of people in China with a religious affiliation and the Chinese emphasis on Confucian harmony philosophy, thrift, and saving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Serum C-reactive protein (CRP) and microalbuminuria are predictors of cardiovascular disease. The association of these factors of cardiovascular risk with fasting and 2-h postload plasma glucose in a group of Chinese subjects was investigated. Design This was a cross-sectional cohort study. Subjects and methods In 1776 subjects randomly selected from the permanent residents of a community in the city of Shanghai, China, a simplified 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (fasting and 2-h postload blood sampling only) was performed, and serum CRP concentrations and urinary albumin : creatinine ratio were measured. Results Serum CRP concentration significantly increased from 1·62 mg/l in normoglycaemic subjects to 2·63 mg/l in subjects with impaired glucose regulation, and to 3·09 mg/l in newly diagnosed diabetic patients ( P < 0·0001). The corresponding prevalence of microalbuminuria also increased from 4·3% to 6·6% and to 11·4% ( P < 0·0001). Both before and after adjustment for confounders, fasting and 2-h postload plasma glucose levels were significantly associated with serum CRP concentration and the risk of microalbuminuria ( P < 0·003). However, the association for CRP tended to be more prominent with 2-h postload plasma glucose than with fasting plasma glucose. Indeed, with adjustments applied, for 1 SD change in fasting and 2-h postload plasma glucose concentration, serum CRP concentration increased by 14% and 18% (between the two regression coefficients, P = 0·01), respectively. With similar adjustments, for 1 SD change in fasting and 2-h postload plasma glucose concentration, the odds of microalbuminuria increased by 28% and 32% ( P = 0·28 for the difference between 28% and 32%), respectively. Conclusions Our finding suggests that in Chinese plasma glucose, especially 2-h postload, is associated with biological markers of cardiovascular disease, such as serum CRP concentration and microalbuminuria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of the ShanghaiGrid is to provide information services to the people. It aims to construct a metropolitan-area information service infrastructure and establish an open standard for widespread upper-layer applications from both communities and the government. The Information Service Grid Toolkit and a typical application called the Traffic Information Grid are discussed in detail. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]