Search

ObjectivesTo examine the association of protein intake from different sources with cognitive decline.MethodsOur analysis included 3,083 participants aged 55–93 years from the China Health and Nutrition Survey. Cognition was assessed in 1997, 2000, 2004, 2006, and 2015. Diet intake was assessed using weighing methods in combination with 24-h dietary recalls for three consecutive days at each survey.ResultsParticipants consumed 13.94% of energy intake from total protein, with 11.47 and 2.47% from plant and animal sources, respectively. During a follow-up of 9 years, participants in quintile 5 of plant protein intake (% energy) had a higher risk [odds ratio (95% CI): 3.03 (1.22–7.53)] of cognitive decline compared with those in quintile 1. Higher animal protein intake (% total protein) was associated with a lower risk of cognitive decline [odds ratio (95% CI) for quintile 5 vs. quintile 1: 0.22 (0.07–0.71)]. Grains (plant source) protein intake was inversely but fish/shrimp and poultry (animal source) protein intake were positively associated with change in cognitive Z-score.ConclusionIncreasing animal protein consumption in a population with plant dominant diets may help to prevent cognitive decline.

Introduction: In recent years, China has paid high attention on urban energy innovation, trying to achieve a win–win situation between environmental protection and urban development, and it has formulated a series of policies to promote urban energy innovation.Methods: Taking China’s new energy demonstration city (NEDC) policy as an example, this paper empirically investigates the impact of China’s urban energy policy on PM2.5 by using a difference-in-differences (DID) model.Results/Discussion: (1) NEDC policy has reduced PM2.5 concentrations by 4.84% in pilot cities. Moreover, this policy can continue to reduce PM2.5 concentrations for at least 5 years, and the policy effect increases year by year. (2) NEDC policy has spatial spillover effect, which significantly reduces PM2.5 of surrounding cities within 150 km. (3) The PM2.5 reducing effect of NEDC policy is primarily the result of technological effect and allocation effect generated by promoting innovation and industrial upgrading. (4) The PM2.5 control effect of NEDC policy presents an inverted U-shape with the expansion of city size, and is better in cities with low levels of financial support, high levels of human capital and information infrastructure. The conclusions of this paper have important theoretical value for understanding the ecological effect of innovation policy and provide experience for developing countries to implement an experimentalist governance model.