Normal sex and age-specific parameters in a multi-ethnic population: a cardiovascular magnetic resonance study of the Canadian Alliance for Healthy Hearts and Minds cohort

Background Despite the growing utility of cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) for cardiac morphology and function, sex and age-specific normal reference values derived from large, multi-ethnic data sets are lacking. Furthermore, most available studies use a simplified tracing methodology. Using a large cohort of participants without history of cardiovascular disease (CVD) or risk factors from the Canadian Alliance for Healthy Heart and Minds, we sought to establish a robust set of reference values for ventricular and atrial parameters using an anatomically correct contouring method, and to determine the influence of age and sex on ventricular parameters. Methods and results Participants (n = 3206, 65% females; age 55.2 ± 8.4 years for females and 55.1 ± 8.8 years for men) underwent CMR using standard methods for quantitative measurements of cardiac parameters. Normal ventricular and atrial reference values are provided: (1) for males and females, (2) stratified by four age categories, and (3) for different races/ethnicities. Values are reported as absolute, indexed to body surface area, or height. Ventricular volumes and mass were significantly larger for males than females (p < 0.001). Ventricular ejection fraction was significantly diminished in males as compared to females (p < 0.001). Indexed left ventricular (LV) end-systolic, end-diastolic volumes, mass and right ventricular (RV) parameters significantly decreased as age increased for both sexes (p < 0.001). For females, but not men, mean LV and RVEF significantly increased with age (p < 0.001). Conclusion Using anatomically correct contouring methodology, we provide accurate sex and age-specific normal reference values for CMR parameters derived from the largest, multi-ethnic population free of CVD to date. Clinical trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02220582. Registered 20 August 2014—Retrospectively registered, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02220582.

The maintenance of law and order in the china–vietnam borderlands during the french colonial period (1896–1940)

The item about border between China and Vietnam is not just a contemporary issue. Its building and its story takes its roots in the past and the colonial period played a major role. This article aims to analyse how the French colonial administration tried to keep order on the Tonkin border. First, the structure of the maintenance of law and order along the border is analysed to better understand how these diverse borderlands areas with a harsh climate and a multi-ethnic population resulted in many issues, giving birth to the challenges of law and order on border. Then, dynamics of cross border criminal activities are studied. The authority of these isolated French colonial troops in the borderlands is usually fragile. In front of this situation, the author will question the colonial administrations response against the threat of cross border criminality. Military actions and police operations are mixed and order and law is kept thanks to an auxiliary force made up of local populations, the partisans, that is the real backbone to maintain law and order in the borderlands.

Characteristics and clinical outcomes of patients hospitalized with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19—Puerto Rico, March–August 2020

Hispanics are the majority ethnic population in Puerto Rico where we reviewed charts of 109 hospitalized COVID-19 patients to better understand demographic and clinical characteristics of COVID-19 and determine risk factors for poor outcomes. Eligible medical records of hospitalized patients with confirmed COVID-19 illnesses were reviewed at four participating hospitals in population centers across Puerto Rico and data were abstracted that described the clinical course, interventions, and outcomes. We found hospitalized patients had a median of 3 underlying conditions with obesity and diabetes as the most frequently reported conditions. Intensive care unit (ICU) admission occurred among 28% of patients and 18% of patients died during the hospitalization. Patients 65 or older or with immune deficiencies had a higher risk for death. Common symptoms included cough, dyspnea, and fatigue; less than half of patients in the study reported fever which was less frequent than reported elsewhere in the literature. It is important for interventions within Hispanic communities to protect high-risk groups.

Pitungan and birth variations of first-born among Javanese ethnic population in Indonesia

There is a phenomenon among the Javanese ethnic population, in which many wedding ceremonies are held whenever the Javanese calendar points to particular months such as Besar, Rejeb, and Ruwah, because marrying in those months is believed to bring good fortune. This study aimed to analyze the influence of wedding date determination through pitungan and feeling safe on birth variations of first-born and the number of children the wife gives birth to. The research was conducted in Blitar City, Blitar Regency, and Surabaya City with 193 married couples. Linear Regression and Chi-square were the statistical tests used in this research. Chi-square and Linear Regression tests proved that pitungan affects the birth variations of first-born (p = 0.004; p = 0.004) and the number of children a couple has (p = 0.007; p = 0.002). Both Chi-square and Linear Regression proved that feeling safe (roso slamet) does not have any significant effect on birth variations of first-born (p = 0.162; p = 0.767) and the number of children in household (p = 0.863; p = 0.680). The conclusion is that there is an important relationship between pitungan and birth variation in which the more pitungan is done, the sooner first-born is given birth to and the more children a married couple has.

Concurrent Newborn Hearing and Genetic Screening in a Multi-Ethnic Population in South China

Hearing loss is a common sensory deficit in humans with intricate genomic landscape and mutational signature. Approximately 1–3 out of 1,000 newborns have hearing loss and up to 60% of these cases have a genetic etiology. In this study, we conducted the concurrent newborn hearing and genetic screening in 20 mutations (18 pathogenic variants in GJB2, SLC26A4, and MT-RNR1 and 2 uncertain clinical significance variants in GJB3) for 9,506 normal newborns (4,977 [52.4%] males) from 22 ethnic population in South China. A total of 1,079 (11.4%) newborns failed to pass the initial hearing screening; 160 (1.7%) infants failed to pass the re-screening, and 135 (1.4%) infants presented the diagnostic hearing loss. For the genetic screening, 220 (2.3%) newborns who presented at least one of the screened mutations were more likely to fail the hearing screening and have diagnostic hearing loss than mutation-negative newborns. In comparison to the differences of distribution of mutations, we did not identify any significant difference in the prevalence of screened mutations between Han group (n = 5,265) and Zhuang group (n = 3,464), despite the lack of number of minority ethnic groups. Studies including larger number of minority ethnic populations are needed in the future.

Transcription factor 7-like 2 (TCF7L2): a culprit gene in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

The genetics of Type 2 diabetes a complex metabolic disorder, characterized by decreased insulin secretion and insulin resistance resulting in impaired blood glucose homeostasis remains enigma for geneticists. In 2006 an important step while finding genetic causes of diabetes type 2 was identification of transcription factor 7-like 2 (TCF7L2) gene an important marker in predisposition of type 2 diabetes in almost all ethnic population. Recent genetic research identifies numerous novel type 2 diabetes susceptible genes among these genes TCF7L2 is considered as gang head and emerged as the most promising types 2 diabetes causing gene. Risk variants in TCF7L2 effects pancreatic beta cell development and insulin secretion by influencing Wnt Signaling pathway. Genetic variants in TCF7L2 confer risk for type 2 diabetes by altering expression of transcription factor (which has key role in blood glucose regulation) in pancreas. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate type 2 diabetes susceptible gene the TCF7L2 and to present a comprehensive review of studies carried out worldwide in different ethnic population on association of TCF7L2 polymorphism with type 2 diabetes.

Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Validation of the Malay Version of Sports Motivation Scale-II

The 18-item Sport Motivation Scale (SMS-II) is one of the most-utilised scales measuring athletes’ motivation and its psychometric properties. However, we found no Malay version used to examine the Malaysian multi-ethnic population. Thus, the study aimed to translate and validate the SMS-II into the Malay version using confirmatory factor analysis. A total of 436 (16.44 ± 1.22) state athletes were asked to complete the SMS-II Malay version, which utilised the forward–backwards translation method. The results showed an acceptable fit with the data (CFI = 0.906, SRMR = 0.064; RMSEA = 0.056) and internal consistency, with a Cronbach’s alpha value that exceeded 0.50, which supported its usage for the assessment of motivation among the multi-ethnic Malaysian athletes. The Cronbach’s alpha values of all the factors were satisfactory, except for introjected regulation. Thus, further studies are needed to improve the reliability of such factors. Nonetheless, the Malay version of SMS-II was found to be valid and reliable for assessing the level of motivation of the multi-ethnic Malaysian athletes.

Plasma Carotenoids and Premenstrual Symptoms in a Multi-Ethnic Population of Young Women

Premenstrual symptoms are experienced by most women of reproductive age, but effective therapies are limited. Carotenoids may have an attenuating effect on premenstrual symptoms; however, studies to date are equivocal. The objective of the present study was to examine the association between plasma concentrations of seven carotenoids and premenstrual symptom severity in 553 women from the Toronto Nutrigenomics and Health study. Participants provided information on fifteen common premenstrual symptoms and severities. Each participant completed a General Health and Lifestyle Questionnaire and provided a fasting blood sample from which plasma carotenoid concentrations were measured. Multinomial logistic regressions were used to determine associations between plasma carotenoid concentrations and premenstrual symptom severity. Beta-cryptoxanthin was associated with moderate/severe increased appetite for women in the highest compared to the lowest tertile (OR: 2.33; 95% CI: 1.39, 3.89). This association remained significant after adjusting for multiple comparisons. There were no observed associations between other plasma carotenoids and any premenstrual symptoms. In summary, higher concentrations of beta-cryptoxanthin were associated with an increased appetite as a premenstrual symptom, but no associations were observed for any other carotenoid and for any other symptom.