The aim of this study is to summarize the evidence on the dose–response relationship between body mass index (BMI) and mortality in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).We performed a systemic literature search in PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science for relevant studies that were published until June 2015. A random effects meta-analysis was used to estimate the pooled relative risks (RRs) of all-cause mortality in COPD patients with normal weight compared with those who were underweight, overweight, or obese. In addition, a dose–response meta-analysis was conducted to explore the dose–response relationship between BMI and all-cause mortality in COPD patients.A total of 17 observational studies involving 30,182 COPD patients among 285,960 participants were included. Compared with the reference category, the RRs of underweight, overweight, and obese individuals were 1.40 (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.20–1.63), 0.80 (95% CI, 0.67–0.96), and 0.77 (95% CI, 0.62–0.95), respectively. A significant nonlinear relationship between BMI and mortality of COPD patients was found by using a random effects model. COPD patients with BMI of <21.75 kg/m2 had a higher risk of death. Moreover, an increase in the BMI resulted in a decrease in the risk of death. The risk of death was lowest when BMI was 30 kg/m2 (RR = 0.69; 95% CI, 0.53–0.89). The BMI was not associated with all-cause mortality when BMI was >32 kg/m2.Our findings indicate that overweight is associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality among patients with COPD whereas underweight is associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality in these patients. However, there is limited evidence to support the association between obesity and the risk of all-cause mortality in patients with COPD.

The hallmark of mechanosensory hair cells is the stereocilia, where mechanical stimuli are converted into electrical signals. These delicate stereocilia are susceptible to acoustic trauma and ototoxic drugs. While hair cells in lower vertebrates and the mammalian vestibular system can spontaneously regenerate lost stereocilia, mammalian cochlear hair cells no longer retain this capability. We explored the possibility of regenerating stereocilia in the noise-deafened guinea pig cochlea by cochlear inoculation of a viral vector carrying Atoh1, a gene critical for hair cell differentiation. Exposure to simulated gunfire resulted in a 60–70 dB hearing loss and extensive damage and loss of stereocilia bundles of both inner and outer hair cells along the entire cochlear length. However, most injured hair cells remained in the organ of Corti for up to 10 days after the trauma. A viral vector carrying an EGFP-labeled Atoh1 gene was inoculated into the cochlea through the round window on the seventh day after noise exposure. Auditory brainstem response measured one month after inoculation showed that hearing thresholds were substantially improved. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the damaged/lost stereocilia bundles were repaired or regenerated after Atoh1 treatment, suggesting that Atoh1 was able to induce repair/regeneration of the damaged or lost stereocilia. Therefore, our studies revealed a new role of Atoh1 as a gene critical for promoting repair/regeneration of stereocilia and maintaining injured hair cells in the adult mammal cochlea. Atoh1-based gene therapy, therefore, has the potential to treat noise-induced hearing loss if the treatment is carried out before hair cells die.

In repairs for type B ADs, the chimney technique provides a minimally invasive way of preserving flow to the arch branches combined with a favourable mid-term outcome. The bare stents seemed to be related to a higher probability of the immediate type I endoleaks. A balloon-expandable stent should be regarded as the first choice due to its greater radial strength.

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Objectives: This study aimed to examine the relationships between the types of stress and students' mental health, to distinguish the effects of stressors on mental health problems, and to explore the important role of uncertainty stress on the development of mental disorders in a nationally representative sample of Chinese college students. Methods: A cross-sectional multistage study was conducted. Participants were 11,954 students, who were recruited from 50 Chinese universities located in 43 cities covering 23 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities across China. The Student Daily Stress Questionnaire (SDSQ) was applied to measure the different types of stress, and mental health status was measured using the 12-item Chinese Health Questionnaire (CHQ). Both unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression models were utilized in the statistical analyses. Multilevel analyses were performed to examine the variation of mental disorder at both the individual and university levels. Results: The prevalence of mental disorders was 22.8% (95% CI: 22.0-23.5%). The unadjusted models showed that age, gender, grade, major, and university location and type were the correlates of mental disorders among students. The unadjusted models developed in this research found that study stress, life stress, and uncertainty stress were positively associated with mental disorder. The multilevel logistic regression models showed that uncertainty stress was far more likely to result in students' mental disorders than study or life stress after controlling for university level. The greater the perceived uncertainty stress, the higher the prevalence of mental disorders. Conclusion: This study provides robust evidence of the impact of uncertainty stress on mental disorders among college students. Compared with life and study stress, more attention should be given to uncertainty stress. The information from this study should be helpful when considering effective mental health policies and interventions among college students in China.