Search

Background: Several studies have explored the connection between follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, the impact of FSH elevation on NAFLD remains a topic of debate. Hence, this investigation aimed to evaluate the potential correlation between FSH levels and NAFLD in the aging population. Methods: This was a retrospective observational cross-sectional study between July 2017 and August 2018 in our hospital. We used data obtained from 455 patients over 60 years old. Anthropometrics and laboratory tests were performed for each patient. NAFLD was diagnosed by sonographic features and the fatty liver index (LFI). Results: Of the 455 patients, 200 (43.96%) had NAFLD on their ultrasound and 169 (37.14%) had NAFLD according to the LFI. An intraclass correlation coefficient of the two methods was 80.4% (P < 0.001). People with NAFLD on their ultrasound showed lower FSH levels (52.68 vs. 61.39 IU/L) and more unfavorable metabolic profiles. FSH was negatively correlated with age, alanine aminotransferase, estradiol, testosterone, systolic blood pressure, waist, body mass index, fasting blood glucose, postload plasma glucose and positive associated with total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol by Spearman correlation analysis (all P < 0.05). By controlling for all confounding factors, the odds ratios (OR) of FSH for NAFLD were determined in elderly individuals, both men and women, aged 60–70 years and over 70 years. These ORs were found to be 0.937, 0.982, 0.983, and 0.973, respectively, with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) of 0.892–0.984 (P = 0.009), 0.971–0.993 (P = 0.002), 0.967–0.999 (P = 0.033), and 0.958–0.989 (P = 0.001). In addition, our findings demonstrated no significant correlation between FSH and advanced fibrosis when adjusting for potential covariates. The OR for advanced fibrosis was 0.979 (95% CI, 0.938–1.022, P = 0.339). Additionally, ROC curve analysis showed an optimal cut-off value of 66.91 for women and 15.25 for men for NAFLD diagnosis. Conclusions: There was an inverse relationship observed between levels of FSH in the blood serum and NAFLD in the elderly population. These findings suggest that reduced FSH levels might serve as a potential risk factor or biomarker for NAFLD in the elderly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose To achieve project success, an effective project risk management procedure is inevitable. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of risk factors on project success in the Chinese construction industry context.Design/methodology/approach This study by way of utilizing both qualitative and quantitative methods has examined risk factors that are closely linked to project success in the Chinese construction industry.Findings After a thorough survey and analysis, risk factors related to designer, contractor, subcontractor, client and government are shown to affect project success to some extent.Originality/value It is suggested that the present research may be made more generalizable by a larger, more representative samples across various industries and regions of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Second International Workshop on Imaging Techniques with Synchrotron Radiation (ITSR) was held November 6-10, 2009, at the beautiful beach resort city of Sanya on the tropical island of Hainan province in the south of China, and followed on from a similar successful meeting in Hefei in December 2008. The meeting was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory (NSRL) in Hefei, Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP) in Beijing, INFN, Xradia Inc., and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs based on an agreement for bilateral collaboration. This enthusiasm for collaboration is a reflection of the increasing interest in synchrotron-based research, particularly in the area of imaging and microscopy, which has been stimulated by the successful commissioning of various projects in China, such as the new Shanghai synchrotron light source and the upgrade of the Hefei synchrotron sources. Some further new projects are proposed that will focus even more on advancing the imaging capability in China and its application in different domains of science and technology. The Sanya meeting was therefore held at an important time and designed to bring world experts together to help build the user community, foster new scientific applications, and nurture young scientists. It is encouraging to witness that more than 10 students participated in the meeting, which included 25 oral presentations contributed by 40 delegates from 8 countries including China, Australia, the U.S., France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the Netherlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging evidence supports a causal role for the immunoglobulin-M (IgM) as a protector of atherosclerosis. Since arterial stiffness is an index of subclinical atherosclerosis, we propose that IgM may play an important role in arterial stiffness. As the level of IgM differs between sexes, we investigate the sex-specific association of serum IgM with arterial stiffness in a Chinese population. The study subjects were recruited from Danyang in 2017. Using the Omron VP-1000 system, we measured brachial ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV). Serum IgM concentration was measured by the immunoturbidimetry method. The 1030 study participants (mean age = 54.3 ± 9.0 years) included 407 men (39.5%), 428 hypertensive (41.6%), 80 diabetic (7.8%), and 512 arterial stiffness patients (49.7%). Serum IgM concentration was lower in men than women (0.97 vs. 1.26 μg/mL, P < 0.001) and negatively with alcohol intake (r = -0.11 in men and r = -0.07 in women, P ≤ 0.09). In multiple regression analyses, serum IgM concentration was negatively associated with baPWV in women (-0.82 m/s per 10-time increase in serum IgM concentration, P = 0.009) but not in men. In multivariable logistic regression analyses, elevated serum IgM concentration was associated with lower risks for arterial stiffness in women (OR = 0.26; 95% CI 0.08-0.82; P = 0.02) but not in men (OR = 0.66; 95% CI 0.17-2.62; P = 0.55). Categorical analyses produced similar results. Serum IgM is negatively associated with baPWV and accordingly associated with a lower risk of arterial stiffness in women.