| 1. |
- Kim, Jae-Young, et al.
(author)
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Event Horizon Telescope imaging of the archetypal blazar 3C 279 at an extreme 20 microarcsecond resolution
- 2020
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In: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 640
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- 3C 279 is an archetypal blazar with a prominent radio jet that show broadband flux density variability across the entire electromagnetic spectrum. We use an ultra-high angular resolution technique - global Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) at 1.3mm (230 GHz) - to resolve the innermost jet of 3C 279 in order to study its fine-scale morphology close to the jet base where highly variable-ray emission is thought to originate, according to various models. The source was observed during four days in April 2017 with the Event Horizon Telescope at 230 GHz, including the phased Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, at an angular resolution of ∼20 μas (at a redshift of z = 0:536 this corresponds to ∼0:13 pc ∼ 1700 Schwarzschild radii with a black hole mass MBH = 8 × 108 M⊙). Imaging and model-fitting techniques were applied to the data to parameterize the fine-scale source structure and its variation.We find a multicomponent inner jet morphology with the northernmost component elongated perpendicular to the direction of the jet, as imaged at longer wavelengths. The elongated nuclear structure is consistent on all four observing days and across diffierent imaging methods and model-fitting techniques, and therefore appears robust. Owing to its compactness and brightness, we associate the northern nuclear structure as the VLBI "core". This morphology can be interpreted as either a broad resolved jet base or a spatially bent jet.We also find significant day-to-day variations in the closure phases, which appear most pronounced on the triangles with the longest baselines. Our analysis shows that this variation is related to a systematic change of the source structure. Two inner jet components move non-radially at apparent speeds of ∼15 c and ∼20 c (∼1:3 and ∼1:7 μas day-1, respectively), which more strongly supports the scenario of traveling shocks or instabilities in a bent, possibly rotating jet. The observed apparent speeds are also coincident with the 3C 279 large-scale jet kinematics observed at longer (cm) wavelengths, suggesting no significant jet acceleration between the 1.3mm core and the outer jet. The intrinsic brightness temperature of the jet components are ≤1010 K, a magnitude or more lower than typical values seen at ≥7mm wavelengths. The low brightness temperature and morphological complexity suggest that the core region of 3C 279 becomes optically thin at short (mm) wavelengths.
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| 2. |
- Carballo-Casla, Adrián, et al.
(author)
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The Southern European Atlantic diet and depression risk : a European multicohort study
- 2023
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In: Molecular Psychiatry. - 1359-4184 .- 1476-5578. ; 28, s. 3475-3483
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The Southern European Atlantic diet (SEAD) is the traditional dietary pattern of north-western Spain and northern Portugal, but it may resemble that of other European countries. The SEAD has been found associated with lower risk for myocardial infarction and mortality. Since dietary patterns may also influence mental health, we examined the association between the SEAD and depression risk in southern, central, eastern, and western European populations. We conducted a prospective analysis of five cohorts (13,297 participants aged 45–92 years, free of depression at baseline): Seniors-ENRICA-1 and Seniors-ENRICA-2 (Spain), HAPIEE (Czechia and Poland), and Whitehall-II (United Kingdom). The SEAD comprised cod, other fresh fish, red meat and pork products, dairy, legumes and vegetables, vegetable soup, potatoes, whole-grain bread, and moderate wine consumption. Depression at follow-up was defined according to presence of depressive symptoms (based on available scales), use of prescribed antidepressants, inpatient admissions, or self-reported diagnosis. Associations were adjusted for sociodemographic, lifestyle, and dietary variables. During a median follow-up of 3.9 years (interquartile range 3.4–4.9), there were 1437 new depression cases. Higher adherence to the SEAD was associated with lower depression risk in the pooled sample. Individual food groups showed a similar tendency, albeit non-significant. The fully adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) per 1-standard deviation increment in the SEAD was 0.91 (0.86, 0.96). This association was rather consistent across countries [Spain = 0.86 (0.75, 0.99), Czechia = 0.86 (0.75, 0.99), Poland = 0.97 (0.89, 1.06), United Kingdom = 0.85 (0.75, 0.97); p for interaction = 0.24], and was of similar magnitude as that found for existing healthy dietary patterns. In conclusion, the SEAD was associated with lower depression risk across European populations. This may support the development of mood disorder guidelines for Southern European Atlantic regions based on their traditional diet, and for central, eastern, and western European populations based on the SEAD food groups that are culturally rooted in these places.
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| 3. |
- Hu, Yaoyue, et al.
(author)
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Do multigenerational living arrangements influence depressive symptoms in mid-late life? Cross-national findings from China and England
- 2020
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In: Journal of Affective Disorders. - : Elsevier BV. - 0165-0327 .- 1573-2517. ; 277, s. 584-591
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: While living alone predicts depression in diverse ageing populations, the impact of multi-generational living is unclear. This study compared mid-late life depressive symptoms by living arrangements between societies with distinct kinship ties.Methods: Repeated data on depressive symptoms and living arrangements over 4 years from 16,229 Chinese (age >= 45) and 10,403 English adults (age >= 50) were analyzed using multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression. Elevated depressive symptoms were identified using the Center for Epidemiological Depression Scale criteria in each study.Results: Higher odds ratios (ORs) of elevated depressive symptoms were found in both Chinese and English adults aged<60 living with no partner but with children/grandchildren, compared to those living with a partner only. These ORs were greater for men (Chinese men: 3.09, 95% confidence interval: 2.00-4.78; English men: 3.44, 1.36-8.72) than for women (Chinese women: 1.77, 1.23-2.56; English women: 2.88, 1.41-3.67), after controlling for socioeconomic position, health behaviors, and health status. This male disadvantage was also observed for English, but not for Chinese, adults aged<60 living alone. For adults aged 60+, the increased odds among those living with no partner but with children/grandchildren and those living alone were smaller in both countries.Limitations: Bias may exist because depressed participants are more likely to experience divorce or separation prior to baseline.Conclusions: The relationship between living arrangements and depressive symptoms appears robust and consistent across social contexts, although the mechanisms differ. The protective role of partners in both China and England supports targeting those who do not live with partners to reduce depression.
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| 4. |
- Hu, Yaoyue, et al.
(author)
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Four-year trajectories of episodic memory decline in mid-late life by living arrangements : a cross-national comparison between China and England
- 2021
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In: Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. - : BMJ. - 0143-005X .- 1470-2738. ; 75:9, s. 881-889
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background There is mixed evidence on the association between living arrangements and mid-late life cognition, which may be due to distinct familial arrangements and preferences between populations. To address such heterogeneity, we assessed these associations in China and England.Methods Four-year trajectories of episodic memory scores (0–20, word recall test) by living arrangements (living with partner only, living with partner and children/grandchildren, living with no partner but with children/grandchildren, and living alone) were estimated using latent growth curve modelling for men and women aged 50+ from China (n=12 801) and England (n=10 964).Results After adjusting for baseline socioeconomic, health behaviours and health covariates, worse baseline memory was found in Chinese adults living with no partner but with children/grandchildren and in Chinese women living with partner and children/grandchildren, compared with those living with partner only. Better baseline memory was associated with living alone in English women. A faster memory decline was found in Chinese men living with no partner but with children/grandchildren (−0.122 word/year, 95% CI −0.213 to –0.031), as well as in English women living with children/grandchildren with (−0.114, 95% CI −0.180 to –0.049) or without (−0.118, 95% CI −0.209 to –0.026) a partner, and those living alone (−0.075, 95% CI −0.127 to –0.024). No differences at baseline nor over follow-up were found between English men in different living arrangements.Conclusion Overall, our findings did not confirm the protective effects of co-residence with children/grandchildren, nor the detrimental effects of living alone on mid-late life cognition in China and England.
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| 5. |
- Lewis, Kate Marie, et al.
(author)
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Mothers education and offspring asthma risk in 10 European cohort studies
- 2017
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In: European Journal of Epidemiology. - : SPRINGER. - 0393-2990 .- 1573-7284. ; 32:9, s. 797-805
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Highly prevalent and typically beginning in childhood, asthma is a burdensome disease, yet the risk factors for this condition are not clarified. To enhance understanding, this study assessed the cohort-specific and pooled risk of maternal education on asthma in children aged 3-8 across 10 European countries. Data on 47,099 children were obtained from prospective birth cohort studies across 10 European countries. We calculated cohort-specific prevalence difference in asthma outcomes using the relative index of inequality (RII) and slope index of inequality (SII). Results from all countries were pooled using random-effects meta-analysis procedures to obtain mean RII and SII scores at the European level. Final models were adjusted for child sex, smoking during pregnancy, parity, mothers age and ethnicity. The higher the score the greater the magnitude of relative (RII, reference 1) and absolute (SII, reference 0) inequity. The pooled RII estimate for asthma risk across all cohorts was 1.46 (95% CI 1.26, 1.71) and the pooled SII estimate was 1.90 (95% CI 0.26, 3.54). Of the countries examined, France, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands had the highest prevalences of childhood asthma and the largest inequity in asthma risk. Smaller inverse associations were noted for all other countries except Italy, which presented contradictory scores, but with small effect sizes. Tests for heterogeneity yielded significant results for SII scores. Overall, offspring of mothers with a low level of education had an increased relative and absolute risk of asthma compared to offspring of high-educated mothers.
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| 6. |
- Ruiz, Milagros, et al.
(author)
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Impact of Low Maternal Education on Early Childhood Overweight and Obesity in Europe
- 2016
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In: Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology. - : WILEY-BLACKWELL. - 0269-5022 .- 1365-3016. ; 30:3, s. 274-284
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BackgroundComparable evidence on adiposity inequalities in early life is lacking across a range of European countries. This study investigates whether low maternal education is associated with overweight and obesity risk in children from distinct European settings during early childhood. MethodsProspective data of 45 413 children from 11 European cohorts were used. Childrens height and weight obtained at ages 4-7 years were used to assess prevalent overweight and obesity according to the International Obesity Task Force definition. The Relative/Slope Indices of Inequality (RII/SII) were estimated within each cohort and by gender to investigate adiposity risk among children born to mothers with low education as compared to counterparts born to mothers with high education. Individual-data meta-analyses were conducted to obtain aggregate estimates and to assess heterogeneity between cohorts. ResultsLow maternal education yielded a substantial risk of early childhood adiposity across 11 European countries. Low maternal education yielded a mean risk ratio of 1.58 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.34, 1.85) and a mean risk difference of 7.78% (5.34, 10.22) in early childhood overweight, respectively, measured by the RII and SII. Early childhood obesity risk by low maternal education was as substantial for all cohorts combined (RII = 2.61 (2.10, 3.23)) and (SII = 4.01% (3.14, 4.88)). Inequalities in early childhood adiposity were consistent among boys, but varied among girls in a few cohorts. ConclusionsConsiderable inequalities in overweight and obesity are evident among European children in early life. Tackling early childhood adiposity is necessary to promote childrens immediate health and well-being and throughout the life course.
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| 7. |
- Ruiz, Milagros, et al.
(author)
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Life course socioeconomic position and incidence of mid-late life depression in China and England : a comparative analysis of CHARLS and ELSA
- 2019
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In: Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. - : BMJ. - 0143-005X .- 1470-2738. ; 73:9, s. 817-824
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background Despite the growing prevalence of depression in the Chinese elderly, there is conflicting evidence of life course socioeconomic position (SEP) and depression onset in China, and whether this association is akin to that observed in Western societies. We compared incident risk of mid-late life depression by childhood and adulthood SEP in China and England, a country where mental health inequality is firmly established. Methods Depression-free participants from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (N=8508) and the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (N=6184) were studied over 4 years. Depressive symptoms were classified as incident cases using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale criteria. Associations between SEP (education, wealth, residence ownership and childhood/ adolescent deprivation) and depression symptom onset were assessed using Cox proportional hazards models. In China, we also investigated children's government employment status as a SEP marker. Results Higher education and wealth predicted lower incidence of depression in both countries. The association with non-ownership of residence appeared stronger in England (HR 1.61, 95% CI 1.41 to 1.86) than in China (HR 1.11, 95% CI 0.95 to 1.29), while that with childhood/adolescent deprivation was stronger in China (HR 1.43, 95% CI 1.29 - 1.60) than in England (HR 1.33, 95% CI 0.92 to 1.92). Chinese adults whose children were employed in high-status government jobs, had lower rates of depression onset. Conclusions Consistent findings from China and England demonstrate that SEP is a pervasive determinant of mid-late life depression in very diverse social contexts. Together with conventional measures of SEP, the SEP of children also affects the mental health of older Chinese.
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| 8. |
- Ruiz, Milagros, et al.
(author)
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Mother's education and the risk of preterm and small for gestational age birth: a DRIVERS meta-analysis of 12 European cohorts
- 2015
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In: Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. - : BMJ Publishing Group. - 0143-005X .- 1470-2738. ; 69:9, s. 826-833
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background A healthy start to life is a major priority in efforts to reduce health inequalities across Europe, with important implications for the health of future generations. There is limited combined evidence on inequalities in health among newborns across a range of European countries. Methods Prospective cohort data of 75 296 newborns from 12 European countries were used. Maternal education, preterm and small for gestational age births were determined at baseline along with covariate data. Regression models were estimated within each cohort and meta-analyses were conducted to compare and measure heterogeneity between cohorts. Results Mothers education was linked to an appreciable risk of preterm and small for gestational age (SGA) births across 12 European countries. The excess risk of preterm births associated with low maternal education was 1.48 (1.29 to 1.69) and 1.84 (0.99 to 2.69) in relative and absolute terms (Relative/Slope Index of Inequality, RII/SII) for all cohorts combined. Similar effects were found for SGA births, but absolute inequalities were greater, with an SII score of 3.64 (1.74 to 5.54). Inequalities at birth were strong in the Netherlands, the UK, Sweden and Spain and marginal in other countries studied. Conclusions This study highlights the value of comparative cohort analysis to better understand the relationship between maternal education and markers of fetal growth in different settings across Europe.
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| 9. |
- Waldman, Meryl, et al.
(author)
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COVID-19 in Patients with Glomerular Disease: Follow-Up Results from the IRoc-GN International Registry
- 2022
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In: KIDNEY360. - : AMER SOC NEPHROLOGY. - 2641-7650. ; 3:2, s. 293-306
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background The acute and long-term effects of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection in individuals with GN are still unclear. To address this relevant issue, we created the International Registry of COVID-19 infection in GN.Methods We collected serial information on kidney-related and-unrelated outcomes from 125 GN patients (63 hospitalized and 62 outpatients) and 83 non-GN hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and a median follow-up period of 6.4 (interquartile range 2.3-9.6) months after diagnosis. We used logistic regression for the analyses of clinical outcomes and linear mixed models for the longitudinal analyses of eGFR. All multiple regression models were adjusted for age, sex, ethnicity, and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitor use.Results After adjustment for pre-COVID-19 eGFR and other confounders, mortality and AKI did not differ between GN patients and controls (adjusted odds ratio for AKI=1.28; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.46 to 3.60; P=0.64). The main predictor of AKI was pre-COVID-19 eGFR (adjusted odds ratio per 1 SD unit decrease in eGFR=3.04; 95% CI, 1.76 to 5.28; P,0.001). GN patients developing AKI were less likely to recover pre-COVID19 eGFR compared with controls (adjusted 6-month post-COVID-19 eGFR=0.41; 95% CI, 0.25 to 0.56; times preCOVID-19 eGFR). Shorter duration of GN diagnosis, higher pre-COVID-19 proteinuria, and diagnosis of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis or minimal change disease were associated with a lower post-COVID-19 eGFR.Conclusions Pre-COVID-19 eGFR is the main risk factor for AKI regardless of GN diagnosis. However, GN patients are at higher risk of impaired eGFR recovery after COVID-19-associated AKI. These patients (especially those with high baseline proteinuria or a diagnosis of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis or minimal change disease) should be closely monitored not only during the acute phases of COVID-19 but also after its resolution.
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