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[Introduction] In order to achieve the strategic goal of "carbon peaking and carbon neutrality", it is imperative for the transportation industry to transition towards greening and low-carbon development. The integration of transportation and energy is one of the important technological paths to achieve the strategic goal in the transportation sector, and the investment decision-making model and business model enhance the momentum of the development of the transportation and energy integration.[Method] Therefore, this paper analyzed the composition of investment estimation and decision-making points, proposed economic evaluation indexes and environmental benefit indexes, constructed an investment decision-making model, and explored the business model of transportation and energy integration in terms of the development path, framework, and the conception of typical scenes.[Result] By analyzing the investment feasibility of typical projects of transportation and energy integration, the validity of the transportation and energy integration investment model presented in this paper is verified. Based on the classification of regions according to China's solar resource conditions, the promotion of China's transportation and energy integration model is divided into three types: single-industry integration promotion region, multi-industry integration promotion region, and industry cluster integration promotion region. The development of the business model of transportation and energy integration is divided into three stages of cultivation, upgrading and innovation, and the market positioning, investment and financing subjects and methods, operation methods and profit mechanism of different stages are analyzed, so as to summarize and form the typical scenarios of the business model at different stages, and to realize the continuous upgrading of the business model.[Conclusion] The investment decision-making model for transportation and energy integration proposed in this paper helps to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of investors' decision-making, and the business model helps to promote the market-oriented development of transportation and energy integration.

Abstract Background The intricate balance between the advantages and risks of low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) impedes the utilization of lung cancer screening (LCS). Guiding shared decision-making (SDM) for well-informed choices regarding LCS is pivotal. There has been a notable increase in research related to SDM. However, these studies possess limitations. For example, they may ignore the identification of decision support and needs from the perspective of health care providers and high-risk groups. Additionally, these studies have not adequately addressed the complete SDM process, including pre-decisional needs, the decision-making process, and post-decision experiences. Furthermore, the East-West divide of SDM has been largely ignored. This study aimed to explore the decisional needs and support for shared decision-making for LCS among health care providers and high-risk groups in China. Methods Informed by the Ottawa Decision-Support Framework, we conducted qualitative, face-to-face in-depth interviews to explore shared decision-making among 30 lung cancer high-risk individuals and 9 health care providers. Content analysis was used for data analysis. Results We identified 4 decisional needs that impair shared decision-making: (1) LCS knowledge deficit; (2) inadequate supportive resources; (3) shared decision-making conceptual bias; and (4) delicate doctor-patient bonds. We identified 3 decision supports: (1) providing information throughout the LCS process; (2) providing shared decision-making decision coaching; and (3) providing decision tools. Conclusions This study offers valuable insights into the decisional needs and support required to undergo LCS among high-risk individuals and perspectives from health care providers. Future studies should aim to design interventions that enhance the quality of shared decision-making by offering LCS information, decision tools for LCS, and decision coaching for shared decision-making (e.g., through community nurses). Simultaneously, it is crucial to assess individuals’ needs for effective deliberation to prevent conflicts and regrets after arriving at a decision.

BackgroundThe objective of this study was to examine whether the combination of elevated levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and dyslipidemia increased the risk of stroke among middle-aged and older adult individuals in China.MethodsThis study utilized longitudinal data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) collected in 2009, 2015, and 2018. A total of 8,023 participants aged ≥40 years (3,595 males and 4,428 females) were included. The Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) method was employed to examine the association between inflammation, dyslipidemia, their combined effects, and stroke in the Chinese population.ResultsA total of 174 stroke events occurred during follow-up. Compared with those with normal CRP levels (CRP ≤ 3 mg/L), the adjusted ORs and 95%CI were 2.13 (1.25, 3.64) for the female with elevated CRP level. Compared with those with non-dyslipidemia, the adjusted ORs and 95%CI were 1.56 (1.03, 2.37) for the individuals with high LDL cholesterol, 1.93 (1.12, 3.33) for the male with high LDL cholesterol. Compared with those with normal CRP levels and non-dyslipidemia, the adjusted ORs and 95%CI were 1.74 (1.08, 2.78) for the individuals with elevated CRP levels and dyslipidemia, 2.41 (1.29, 4.49) for the male with elevated CRP levels and dyslipidemia. People with the coexistence of elevated CRP levels and dyslipidemia had the highest risk of stroke among male.ConclusionIn females, higher levels of inflammation are associated with an increased incidence of stroke. In males, individuals with dyslipidemia characterized by high LDL cholesterol levels are more susceptible to stroke. In the general population, the joint effect of inflammation and dyslipidemia predisposes individuals to a higher risk of stroke, particularly among males.

Abstract The impact of external factors on the human gut microbiota and how gut microbes contribute to human health is an intriguing question. Here, the gut microbiome of 3,224 individuals (496 with serum metabolome) with 109 variables is studied. Multiple analyses reveal that geographic factors explain the greatest variance of the gut microbiome and the similarity of individuals’ gut microbiome is negatively correlated with their geographic distance. Main food components are the most important factors that mediate the impact of host habitats on the gut microbiome. Diet and gut microbes collaboratively contribute to the variation of serum metabolites, and correlate to the increase or decrease of certain clinical indexes. Specifically, systolic blood pressure is lowered by vegetable oil through increasing the abundance of Blautia and reducing the serum level of 1‐palmitoyl‐2‐palmitoleoyl‐GPC (16:0/16:1), but it is reduced by fruit intake through increasing the serum level of Blautia improved threonate. Besides, aging‐related clinical indexes are also closely correlated with the variation of gut microbes and serum metabolites. In this study, the linkages of geographic locations, diet, the gut microbiome, serum metabolites, and physiological indexes in a Chinese population are characterized. It is proved again that gut microbes and their metabolites are important media for external factors to affect human health.

Abstract Background The primary pathophysiological process of sepsis is to stimulate a massive release of inflammatory mediators to trigger systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), the major cause of multi-organ dysfunction and death. Like other helminths, Echinococcus granulosus induces host immunomodulation. We sought to determine whether E. granulosus cyst fluid (EgCF) displays a therapeutic effect on sepsis-induced inflammation and tissue damage in a mouse model. Methods The anti-inflammatory effects of EgCF were determined by in vitro culture with bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) and in vivo treatment of BALB/C mice with cecal ligation and puncture (CLP)-induced sepsis. The macrophage phenotypes were determined by flow cytometry, and the levels of cytokines in cell supernatants or in sera of mice were measured (ELISA). The therapeutic effect of EgCF on sepsis was evaluated by observing the survival rates of mice for 72 h after CLP, and the pathological injury to the liver, kidney, and lung was measured under a microscope. The expression of TLR-2/MyD88 in tissues was measured by western blot to determine whether TLR-2/MyD88 is involved in the sepsis-induced inflammatory signaling pathway. Results In vitro culture with BMDMs showed that EgCF promoted macrophage polarization to M2 type and inhibited lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced M1 macrophages. EgCF treatment provided significant therapeutic effects on CLP-induced sepsis in mice, with increased survival rates and alleviation of tissue injury. The EgCF conferred therapeutic efficacy was associated with upregulated anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-10 and TGF-β) and reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and INF-γ). Treatment with EgCF induced Arg-1-expressed M2, and inhibited iNOS-expressed M1 macrophages. The expression of TLR-2 and MyD88 in EgCF-treated mice was reduced. Conclusions The results demonstrated that EgCF confers a therapeutic effect on sepsis by inhibiting the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and inducing regulatory cytokines. The anti-inflammatory effect of EgCF is carried out possibly through inducing macrophage polarization from pro-inflammatory M1 to regulatory M2 phenotype to reduce excessive inflammation of sepsis and subsequent multi-organ damage. The role of EgCF in regulating macrophage polarization may be achieved by inhibiting the TLR2/MyD88 signaling pathway. Graphical Abstract

Lung inflammation is an essential inducer of various diseases and is closely related to pulmonary-endothelium dysfunction. Herein, we propose a pulmonary endothelium-targeted codelivery system of anti-inflammatory indomethacin (IND) and antioxidant superoxide dismutase (SOD) by assembling the biopharmaceutical SOD onto the “vector” of rod-like pure IND crystals, followed by coating with anti-ICAM-1 antibody (Ab) for targeting endothelial cells. The codelivery system has a 237 nm diameter in length and extremely high drug loading of 39% IND and 2.3% SOD. Pharmacokinetics and biodistribution studies demonstrate the extended blood circulation and the strong pulmonary accumulation of the system after intravenous injection in the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory murine model. Particularly, the system allows a robust capacity to target pulmonary endothelium mostly due to the rod-shape and Ab coating effect. In vitro, the preparation shows the synergistic anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects in LPS-activated endothelial cells. In vivo, the preparation exhibits superior pharmacodynamic efficacy revealed by significantly downregulating the inflammatory/oxidative stress markers, such as TNF-α, IL-6, COX-2, and reactive oxygen species (ROS), in the lungs. In conclusion, the codelivery system based on rod-like pure crystals could well target the pulmonary endothelium and effectively alleviate lung inflammation. The study offers a promising approach to combat pulmonary endothelium-associated diseases.

Pre-clinical studies have discovered the neuroprotective function and the benefit for cognitive function of choline. However, it remains unclear whether these benefits observed in animal studies also work in humans. The aims of this study are to examine the effects of dietary choline intake on cognitive function and cognitive decline during ageing in middle-aged and elderly Chinese. We included 1887 subjects aged 55~79 years with 6696 observations from the China Health and Nutrition Survey cohort study. The subjects were followed up for 6 to 21 years, with an average of 12.2 years. A dietary survey was conducted over 3 consecutive days with a 24 h recall, using household weight-recording methods. Based on the China Food Composition, data from USDA, and published literature, the dietary choline intake was calculated as the sum of free choline, phosphocholine, phosphatidylcholine, sphingomyelin, and glycerophosphocholine. Cognitive function was assessed using a subset of the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status-modified (TICS-m) items. In order to eliminate the different weight of scores in each domain, the scores were converted by dividing by the maximum score in each domain, which ranged from 0 to 3 points. Higher cognitive scores represented better cognition. We used two-level mixed effect models to estimate the effects of dietary choline intake on cognitive score and cognitive decline rate in males and females, respectively. The average dietary choline intake was 161.1 mg/d for the baseline. After adjusting for confounders, the dietary choline intake was significantly associated with higher cognitive score in both males and females. The cognitive score in the highest quartile group of dietary choline was 0.085 for males and 0.077 for females–higher than those in the lowest quartile group (p < 0.01 for males, p < 0.05 for females). For every 10-year increase in age, the cognitive score decreased by 0.266 for males and 0.283 for females. The cognitive score decline rate of the third quartile group of dietary choline was 0.125/10 years lower than that of the lowest quartile group in females (p < 0.05). Dietary choline intake not only improves cognitive function, but also postpones cognitive decline during the aging process. The findings of this study highlight the neuroprotective benefit of choline in the middle-aged and elderly Chinese population, especially among females.

Many patients with diabetes are suffering with chronic wounds due to their slow and disorganized healing process, which even lead to serious consequences such as amputation. Nowadays, extracellular vesicles derived from mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC-EVs) offer a potential strategy for chronic wound healing, whereas the rapid diffusion and degradation of MSC-EVs hampers the efficacy of wound repair. Herein, we proposed a novel MOF-based hydrogel by cross-linking hyaluronic acid (HA) with UiO-66-NH2 (U6N). The HA-U6N hydrogel could be prepared rapidly with stable character, while the EVs affinity property of U6N was maintained well. This hydrogel allowed us enriching EVs conveniently and rapidly from cell supernatant. The U6N-based hyaluronic acid hydrogel with enriched EVs (HA-U6N-EVs) could markedly accelerate diabetic wound healing efficacy in rats attributing to the sustained release of EVs. Besides, we further showed the miRNAs in MSC-EVs involving in wound healing remained high abundance over 10 days, also demonstrating the superb sustained EVs delivery of HA-U6N hydrogels.

Abstract Background The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 becomes life-threatening for the older and immunocompromised individuals, whereas limited treatment is available on these populations. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have been reported to be useful in SARS-CoV-2 treatment and reduce SARS-CoV-2-related sequelae. Results In this study, we developed an autonomous cellular machine to secret neutralizing antibody in vivo constantly based on the clinical-grade MSCs, to combat SARS-CoV-2 infections. First, various modified recombinant plasmids were constructed and transfected into clinical-grade MSCs by electroporation, for assembly and expression of neutralizing anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Second, the stable antibody secreting MSCs clones were screened through pseudovirus neutralization assay. Finally, we investigated the pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of neutralizing antibody secreted by engineered MSCs in vivo. The stable clinical-grade MSCs clones, expressing XGv347-10 and LY-CoV1404-5 neutralizing antibodies, exhibited their feasibility and protective efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 infection. Transplanted engineered clinical-grade MSCs effectively delivered the SARS-CoV-2 antibodies to the lung, and the immune hyperresponsiveness caused by COVID-19 was coordinated by MSC clones through inhibiting the differentiation of CD4 + T cells into Th1 and Th17 subpopulations. Conclusions Our data suggested that engineered clinical-grade MSCs secreting effective neutralizing antibodies as cellular production machines had the potential to combat SARS-CoV-2 infection, which provided a new avenue for effectively treating the older and immunocompromised COVID-19 patients.

This study aims to examine the internationalization of clusters, a driving force of the rising of multinational firms from emerging markets. We explored the question from the knowledge and relational dimension of clusters. We examine how the configuration of four factors, namely, component knowledge, architecture knowledge, horizontal competition, and vertical coordination, within a cluster jointly affect the degree of cluster internationalization by utilizing the Fuzzy Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) method. Using Data of 34 township clusters in Suzhou City, China, we identified three models that lead to a high cluster internationalization level.

Considering the damage caused by conventional fracturing fluid in low-permeability reservoirs, a novel fracturing fluid (FNG) combining hydroxypropyl guar (HPG) and functionally modified nano-silica (FMNS) was prepared. The properties of heat/shear resistance, rheological property, proppant transportation, and formation damage were evaluated with systematic experiments. The results showed that the viscosities of FNG before and after the heat/resistance were 1323 mPa·s and 463 mPa·s, respectively, while that of conventional HPG gel was 350 mPa·s. FNG is a pseudoplastic strong gel with a yield stress of 12.9 Pa, a flow behavior index of 0.54, an elastic modulus of 16.2 Pa, and a viscous modulus of 6.2 Pa. As the proportions of proppant mass in further sections transported with FNG were higher than those transported with HPG gel, FNG could transport the proppant better than HPG gel at high temperatures. Because of the amphiphilic characteristics of FMNS, the surface/interface properties were improved by the FNG filtrate, resulting in a lower oil permeability loss rate of 10 percentage points in the matrix than with the filtrated HPG gel. Due to the considerable residual gel in broken HPG gel, the retained conductivity damaged with broken FNG was 9.5 percentage points higher than that damaged with broken HPG gel. FNG shows good potential for reducing formation damage during fracturing in low-permeability reservoirs in China.

ObjectivesThis study aimed to examine the mediating role of readiness for hospital discharge (RHD) and stoma self-efficacy (SSE) in the relationship between quality of discharge teaching (QDT) and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in colorectal cancer patients with temporary enterostomy, and the gender difference of mediating effect.BackgroundIt is not clear how RHD, QDT, SSE and HRQOL interact in colorectal cancer patients with temporary enterostomy.MethodsThis was a prospective follow-up survey. 221 colorectal cancer patients with temporary enterostomy were conveniently recruited from a general hospital in Southeast China. The Quality of Discharge Teaching Scale, Readiness for Hospital Discharge Scale, Stoma Self-Efficacy Scale, and Stoma Quality of Life Scale were used to collect data. Pearson's correlation and structural equation models were used to analyze the data. SPSS 26.0 and Amos 28.0 software were used for analysis the collected data.ResultsRegarding the relationship of QDT and HRQOL, only QDT-T had a direct effect among colorectal cancer patients with stomas (b = 0.233, PConclusionsStoma self-efficacy and readiness for hospital discharge played important intermediary roles in the relationship between quality of discharge teaching and health-related quality of life in colorectal cancer patients with stomas. Health care providers can design SSE-enhancing and RHD-enhancing discharge planning for colorectal cancer patients with temporary enterostomies.

Sepsis is a disease caused by multiple microbial infections resulting in multiple organ failure. Schistosoma japonicum secreted cystatin (Sj-Cys) is a strong immunomodulator that stimulates M2 macrophages and alleviates inflammatory damage caused by sepsis. To determine whether the therapeutic effect of Sj-Cys on sepsis can be conveyed by the exosomes released by Sj-Cys-stimulated macrophages, RAW264.7 macrophages were stimulated with rSj-Cys in vitro, the exosomes were obtained from the cell culture supernatant by ultracentrifugation. Sepsis was induced in BALB/c mice by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). The septic mice were treated with exosomes derived from Sj-Cys-treated macrophages. The treatment effect of exosomes on sepsis was assessed by examining the survival rate of mice up to 72 hr and measuring serum levels of inflammatory cytokines, liver/kidney damage biomarkers, and observing pathological changes in tissue sections. The tissue levels of M1, M2 macrophage surface markers, and TRL2/MyD88 were measured to explore possible mechanisms. Results. Exosomes derived from Sj-Cys-treated macrophages exhibited significant therapeutic effect on CLP-induced sepsis in mice with prolonged survival rate and less damage of critical organs by downregulating the proinflammatory factors TNF-α and IL-6 and upregulating the anti-inflammatory factor TGF-β. The therapeutic effect of exosomes is associated with macrophage polarization from M1 to M2 in the infected tissues via downregulating TRL2/MyD88 inflammatory pathway. Conclusions. Exosomes derived from Sj-Cys-treated macrophages attenuated sepsis in mice through promoting macrophage polarization from M1 to M2 and reducing inflammatory responses, possibly via downregulating TLR2/MyD88 inflammatory signaling pathway. This offers new approaches for immunotherapy of sepsis.

BackgroundMicrocirculatory dysfunction is an independent risk factor for a poor prognosis after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Trichosanthes pericarpium is a well-known Chinese traditional herb described with the effect of activating blood circulation to dissipate blood stasis and improve blood circulation. However, its effects on microcirculation in patients with AMI after primary PCI remain unknown. This study aimed to investigate the effect of Trichosanthes pericarpium extract (TPE) on improving microcirculation and outcomes in patients with AMI after PCI.MethodsThis study included 155 patients with a history of emergency PCI treatment. In this cohort, 31 patients received a course of TPE, defined as intravenous TPE infusion (12 ml TPE dissolved in 250 ml 5% Glucose Injection) once daily for 7 days on the background of standard treatment after PCI; 124 who did not receive TPE were regarded as the control group and received standard treatment after PCI. The corrected thrombolysis in myocardial infarction frame count (CTFC) and index of microcirculatory resistance (IMR) were used to evaluate myocardial microcirculation. Cardiac function was measured by echocardiography during hospitalization and follow-up. Major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) were recorded for prognostic analysis.ResultsAt the 6-month follow-up, AMI patients who received TPE after primary PCI had significantly lower levels of CTCF (24.27 ± 2.40 vs. 21.88 ± 1.92, P

Many women are experiencing postpartum depression (PPD) after giving birth. How to recognize and intervene in high-risk PPD women early and effectively remains unknown. Our objective is to describe the latent trajectory groups of cognitive reactivity (CR) in perinatal women, and their relationship to demographic and disease-related factors, as well as investigate the associations with PPD. Data from 321 perinatal women who were evaluated in urban tertiary hospitals in China at three-time points: 32-35 weeks of pregnancy, 1 week postpartum, and 6 weeks postpartum. Latent class growth modeling was used to identify the trajectory patterns of CR and logistic regression was used to explore the association between demographic and disease-related factors, CR trajectories, and depression. Three trajectory groups were identified: the continuing deterioration group (17.2%), the postpartum deterioration group (22.1%), and the consistent resilient group (60.7%). Participants with a bachelor’s degree or higher and with gestational diabetes diagnosis were more likely to be in the continuing deterioration group. Those who were from only-child families were more likely to be in the postpartum deterioration group. Women in the continuing deterioration group and postpartum deterioration group were more likely to experience PPD. Targeted interventions should be developed based on trajectory group of CR.

In recent years, the development of an environmentally friendly quantum dots (QDs) embedded luminous solid by a simple method has attracted considerable attention. In this study, semiconductor ZnS QDs were successfully prepared in an inorganic matrix of amorphous glass, which yielded beneficial broad-band emission in the long-wavelength region of the visible range. The strong red emission belonged to the defect state energy level of the ZnS QDs, which could be enhanced by incorporation of nickel ions into the fixed matrix to regulate the defects state. The novel material had a small self-absorption, wide excitation and emission ranges, and thus potential applications in light-conversion devices, luminescent solar concentrators, and solar cell cover glasses.

BackgroundChina is witnessing an accelerated aging process and an increasingly serious situation of Parkinson's disease. Research on the pre-disease stage and its related influencing factors has gained more and more attention.ObjectiveTo analyze the current situation of prodromal Parkinson's disease (pPD) of people aged 55 years and above in four provinces of China, and to explore its influencing demographic and socio-economic characteristics.MethodsUsing the data of Community-based Cohort Study on Nervous System Disease in 2020, a total of 10724 participants with complete data on demographic and socio-economic factors and risk factors on Parkinson's disease were selected. Based on the criteria recommended by the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society (MDS), we evaluated risk level (i.e., post-test probability) of pPd, prevalence of possible or probable pPD, and number of pPD-related risk/prodromal markers in the participants. Multiple linear regression and multiple logistic regression models were used to analyze the influencing socio-demographic factors of risk level of pPd and prevalence of possible or probable pPD, and Poisson regression and multinomial logit regression models were used to analyze the influencing socio-demographic factors of the number of pPD-related risk/prodromal markers in the total sample, men, and women, respectively.ResultsThe median (P25, P75) of post-test probability of pPD in 2020 was 0.78% (0.42%, 1.66%), the prevalence rate of possible or probable pPD was 0.34%, and 69.03% of the participants reported 3-5 pPD-related risk/prodromal markers. The post-test probabilities of men, those with older age, lower education level, per capita monthly household income < 1000 yuan, urban residency, or without active employment were higher (P

BackgroundChanges in cognitive function exist before the onset of clinical Parkinson's disease. However, studies on association between cognitive function and prodromal Parkinson's disease (pPD) are limited.ObjectiveTo estimate probability of pPD and assess its association with global and domain cognitive function in Chinese elders.MethodsData were drawn from the Community-based Cohort Study on Nervous System Disease 2018 (baseline) and 2020 (follow-up). We selected 3911 residents aged 55 and above who participated the two waves, without Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, and with completed information on demographics, disease history, cognitive function test, and risk factors of Parkinson's disease. Cognitive function was assessed using the Chinese version of Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale. Calculation of probability of pPD and assessment of possible (probability between 30% and

BackgroundIt has been reported that a high intake of dairy products might be associated with an increased risk of Parkinson's disease (PD) in foreign studies, but no such study has yet been conducted on prodromal Parkinson's disease (pPD) and the Chinese population. ObjectiveTo investigate the prospective relationship between the intake of dairy products and pPD among people aged 55 and above in four provinces of China. MethodsThe research data were obtained from the baseline 2018 and follow-up 2020 surveys of Community-based Cohort Study on Nervous System Disease. A total of 9984 residents were selected who participated in both waves of surveys and had complete data on demographics, dietary products intake, and risk factors for PD. We evaluated the risk level and the numbers of related risk/prodromal markers of pPD in the participants based on a criteria recommended by the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society (MDS). Food Frequency Questionnaire was used to obtain food consumption data in the past 12 months, and the intake of dairy products was calculated and divided into non-consumption and tertiles of consumption (T1, T2, and T3 from low to high). Multiple linear regression was used to analyze the association between baseline dairy intake and risk level of follow-up pPD. Poisson regression and multinomial logit regression models were used to analyze the relationship of baseline dairy products and the number of risk/prodromal markers of follow-up pPD in the population, and multiple logistic regression was used to analyze each risk/prodromal marker of follow-up pPD according to baseline levels of dairy products intake. ResultsThe percentage of residents without dairy products consumption was 58.02% in 2018, and the dairy products intakes were relatively high among residents being female, aged 55 to 74 years, with an education level of middle school and above, with a per capita monthly household income ≥ 1000 yuan, living in urban areas, and without active employment (P

BackgroundGastrointestinal microbiota plays an important role in the development of Parkinson's disease (PD), and dietary factors have a great impact on intestinal micro ecology. At present, few studies focus on red meat and PD, especially prodromal PD (pPD). ObjectiveTo understand the relationships of the intake of red meat and processed meat products with pPD and the number of risk/prodromal markers, and to explore the association of dietary factors with pPD. MethodsBased on the data of Community-based Cohort Study on Nervous System Disease in 2018 and 2020, adults aged 55 years and older with complete demographic information, dietary survey information, and information on risk factors related to PD were selected from four provinces of China. After excluding those reporting abnormal total energy intake or those reporting alcohol drinking or abused drugs for a long period of time, and confirmed mental diseases with prescribed drugs, a total of 10003 subjects were included. Food frequency questionnaire was used to calculate the intake of red meat and processed meat products. The pPD-related risk/prodromal markers were selected following the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society criteria for pPD, and the risk level and the number of markers of pPD were then calculated. The relationship between the intake of red meat and processed meat and the risk level of pPD was analyzed by multiple linear regression. The relationship between the intake of red meat and processed meat and the pPD marker number groups was analyzed by multinomial logit regression model. ResultsIn 2018, the intake of red meat and processed meat was 28.57 g·d−1 in the target population. In 2020, the median of the number of risk/prodromal markers was 3, and the median M (P25, P75) of the posterior probability of pPD was 0.74% (0.42%, 1.49%). The multiple linear regression analysis showed that the higher the intake of red meat and processed meat, the higher the risk level of pPD in follow-up (b=0.021, P

BackgroundDespite the release of updated metrics for Life’s Essential 8 (LE8), key indicators for assessing cardiovascular health (CVH) status, there is currently no report on their distribution among Chinese children. ObjectiveThis study aimed to assess the nationwide distribution of CVH in Chinese school-aged children using LE8 scores and analyze temporal changes in these scores over time. MethodsParticipants aged 7 to 19 years from 11 waves (between 1989 and 2018) of the China Health and Nutrition Survey were included in this study. LE8 components were grouped into 2 domains of health behaviors (diet, physical activity, nicotine exposure, sleep) and health factors (BMI, blood lipids, blood glucose, blood pressure). Scores of overall CVH and each LE8 metric were calculated individually. Temporal changes were assessed with joint point regression models by rural and urban living residence. The causal relationships between health behaviors and health factors that changed the most over time were built with cross-lagged panel models. ResultsA total of 21,921 participants, 52.6% (n=11,537) of whom were male, who had data for at least 4 CVH components were included in the analysis. The mean age was 13 (SD 3.6) years. The overall CVH score remained stable in most regions, with the lowest found in Shandong from East China, which had a mean between 67 (SD 10.9) and 67.2 (SD 12.4). In contrast, the highest score was found in Guizhou from Southwest China, with a mean between 71.4 (SD 10.8) and 74.3 (SD 10.3). In rural areas, the diet score decreased significantly from 1997 onward with a speed of 0.18 (95% CI: 0.15-0.21; P

BackgroundNurses taking care of patients with infectious diseases have suffered from noticeable societal stigma, however currently, there is no validated scale to measure such stigma. This study aimed to revise and validate the COVID-19 Stigma Instrument-Nurse-Version 3 (CSI-N-3) by using item response theory (IRT) as well as classical test theory analysis.MethodsIn phase I, the Chinese CSI-N-3 was modified from the English version of HIV/AIDS Stigma Instrument-Nurse based on standard cross-cultural procedures, including modifications, translation/back translations, pilot testing, and psychometric testing with classical test theory and Rasch analysis. In phase II, a cross-sectional study using cluster sampling was conducted among 249 eligible nurses who worked in a COVID-19-designed hospital in Shanghai, China. The influencing factors of COVID-19-associated stigma were analyzed through regression analysis.ResultsIn phase I, the two-factor structure was verified by confirmatory factor analysis, which indicated a good model fit. The 15-item CSI-N-3 achieved Cronbach’s α of 0.71–0.84, and composite reliability of 0.83–0.91. The concurrent validity was established by significant association with self-reported physical, psychological, and social support levels (r = −0.18, −0.20, and −0.21, p

Abstract Background It is critical to find optimal forms to identify perinatal depression (PND) and its vulnerable factors and make them more applicable to depression screening. This study aims to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the Leiden Index of Depression Sensitivity (LEIDS-RR-CV) among perinatal women in China and determine the cut-off values for screening for high-risk depression. Methods Women in their third trimester of pregnancy and six weeks postpartum completed the LEIDS-RR-CV and a diagnostic reference standard online. We assessed the LEIDS-RR-CV using classical test theory (CTT) and item response theory (IRT). We also assessed the test performance for cut-off scores using receiver operator characteristic analysis to further screen for high-risk depression at each time point. Results In total, 396 (third trimester) and 321 (six weeks postpartum) women participated. Cronbach’s alpha, two-week test–retest reliability, and marginal reliability for the scale were all greater than 0.8. It showed a five-factor model; the cut-off values were 58 (third trimester) and 60 (six weeks postpartum). The areas under the curve were acceptable (≥ 0.7), and the LEIDS-RR-CV was positively correlated with the total Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) score (r = 0.52 and 0.56, p = 0.00), indicating its predictive validity. An IRT analysis further confirmed its discriminative validity. Conclusions The LEIDS-RR-CV was found to be reliable, valid, and can be used to quantify cognitive reactivity among perinatal Chinese women and for screening for high-risk depression during this period.

BackgroundBreast and thyroid cancer are increasingly prevalent, but it remains unclear whether the observed associations are due to heightened medical surveillance or intrinsic etiological factors. Observational studies are vulnerable to residual confounding, reverse causality, and bias, which can compromise causal inference. In this study, we employed a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to establish a causal link between breast cancer and heightened thyroid cancer risk.MethodsWe obtained the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with breast cancer from a genome-wide association study (GWAS) conducted by the Breast Cancer Association Consortium (BCAC). The FinnGen consortium’s latest and largest accessible GWAS thyroid cancer data at the summary level. We performed four MR analyses, including the inverse-variance-weighted (IVW), weighted median, MR-Egger regression, and weighted mode, to evaluate the potential causal connection between genetically predicted breast cancer and higher risk for thyroid cancer. Sensitivity analysis, heterogeneity and pleiotropy tests were used to ensure the reliability of our findings.ResultsOur study revealed causal relationship between genetically predicted breast cancer and thyroid cancer (IVW method, odds ratio (OR) = 1.135, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.006 to 1.279, P = 0.038). However, there was no causal association between genetically predicted triple-negative breast cancer and thyroid cancer (OR = 0.817, 95% CI: 0.610 to 1.095, P = 0.177). There was no directional pleiotropy or horizontal pleiotropy in the present study.ConclusionThis two-sample MR study supports a causal link between ER-positive breast cancer and heightened the risk of thyroid cancer. Our analysis did not reveal a direct correlation between triple-negative breast cancer and thyroid cancer.

BackgroundParkinsonian tremor is a common pathological tremor that affects over 6 million people worldwide. It lowers patients' quality of life and threatens their career development, especially when patients' occupation requires dexterous manipulation. In spite of current available treatments in clinics, there is a lack of low-cost, low side-effect, effective solutions for Parkinsonian tremor. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) may be an alternative treatment.ObjectiveIn this research, we explored the immediate effect of tDCS with a novel bilateral electrode setup over Parkinsonian tremor. In such a bilateral setup, the cathode was placed over the primary cortex contralateral to the more affected side of Parkinsonian tremor while the anode symmetrically over the other hemisphere. It was designed as a modification to the traditional cathodal setup. The performance of this bilateral setup was compared with three other setups including anodal setup, cathodal setup, and sham (control).MethodsA randomized, sham-controlled, double-blind, crossover experiment was carried out over 13 qualified patients diagnosed with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD). Before and after the stimulus of each tDCS setup, subjects were tested before and after tDCS with four measures, including the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), Fahn-Tolosa-Marin Tremor Rating Scale (FTMTRS), Purdue Pegboard Test (PPT) and a self-design Continuous Tremor Signal Assessment (CTSA). Tremor intensity calculated from CTSA data were regarded as the primary outcome of the experiment.ResultsStatistical results of CTSA, FTMTRS and PPT showed both bilateral tDCS and cathodal tDCS effectively suppressed Parkinsonian tremor. A quantitative comparison of the effect in tremor suppression indicated the optimal suppressive effect was obtained with bilateral tDCS. Based on the results of UPDRS, anodal tDCS was found to benefit subjects' overall performance the most, however, it had little effect in improving Parkinsonian tremor, as revealed by the results of other evaluations.ConclusionOur study suggests a beneficial immediate effect of bilateral tDCS in Parkinsonian tremor suppression. In addition, we assume there may be an underlying interhemispheric unbalance of cortical excitability which contributes to Parkinsonian tremor genesis.Clinical trial registrationIdentifier: ChiCTR2100054804.

ABSTRACT Autophagy plays an important role in endotoxemic mice, and heat shock factor 1 (HSF1) plays a crucial protective role in endotoxemic mice. However, the protective mechanisms of HSF1 are poorly understood. In this text, bioinformatics analysis, chromatin immunoprecipitation, and electrophoresis mobility shift assay were employed to investigate the underlying mechanisms. The results showed that the release of inflammatory cytokines increased and autophagy decreased significantly in Hsf1−/− endotoxemic mice compared with those in Hsf1+/+ endotoxemic mice. HSF1 could directly bind to the noncoding promoter region of the autophagy-related gene 10 (Atg10). The expression of ATG10 and the ratio of LC3-II/LC3-I were obviously decreased in LPS-treated Hsf1−/− peritoneal macrophages (PM) versus those in LPS-treated Hsf1+/+ PM. Overexpression of HSF1 increased the level of the ATG10 protein and enhanced the ratio of LC3-II/LC3-I in RAW264.7 cells. In contrast, silencing of HSF1 decreased the expression of ATG10 and markedly lowered the ratio of LC3-II/LC3-I. In a cotransfected cell experiment, the upregulation of autophagy by overexpression HSF1 was reversed by small interfering RNA (siRNA)-ATG10. Compared with the overexpression HSF1, the release of inflammatory cytokines induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was decreased in pcDNA3.1-HSF1 with siRNA-ATG10 cotransfected RAW264.7 cells. On the other hand, the decrease of autophagy by siRNA-HSF1 was compensated by overexpression of ATG10. Compared with siRNA-HSF1, the release of inflammatory cytokines induced by LPS was increased in siRNA-HSF1 with pcDNA3.1-ATG10 cotransfected RAW264.7 cells. These results presented a novel mechanism that HSF1 attenuated the release of inflammatory cytokines induced by LPS through transcriptional regulation of Atg10. Targeting of HSF1-Atg10-autophagy might be an attractive strategy in endotoxemia therapeutics. IMPORTANCE HSF1 plays an important protective role in endotoxemic mice. However, the protective mechanisms of HSF1 are poorly understood. In the present study, we demonstrated that HSF1 upregulated ATG10 through specifically binding Atg10 promoter’s noncoding region in LPS-treated PM and RAW264.7 cells. By depletion of HSF1, the expression of ATG10 was significantly decreased, leading to aggravate releasing of inflammatory cytokines in LPS-treated RAW264.7 cells. These findings provided a new mechanism of HSF1 in endotoxemic mice.

Abstract Background After spinal cord injury (SCI), dysregulated or nonresolving inflammatory processes can severely disturb neuronal homeostasis and drive neurodegeneration. Although mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC)-based therapies have showed certain therapeutic efficacy, no MSC therapy has reached its full clinical goal. In this study, we examine interleukin-10 (IL10) genetically modified clinical-grade MSCs (IL10-MSCs) and evaluate their clinical safety, effectiveness, and therapeutic mechanism in a completely transected SCI mouse model. Methods We established stable IL10-overexpressing human umbilical-cord-derived MSCs through electric transduction and screened out clinical-grade IL10-MSCs according to the criteria of cell-based therapeutic products, which were applied to mice with completely transected SCI by repeated tail intravenous injections. Then we comprehensively investigated the motor function, histological structure, and nerve regeneration in SCI mice, and further explored the potential therapeutic mechanism after IL10-MSC treatment. Results IL10-MSC treatment markedly reinforced locomotor improvement, accompanied with decreased lesion volume, regeneration of axons, and preservation of neurons, compared with naïve unmodified MSCs. Further, IL10-MSC transplantation increased the ratio of microglia to infiltrated alternatively activated macrophages (M2), and reduced the ratio of classically activated macrophages (M1) at the injured spinal cord, meanwhile increasing the percentage of Treg and Th2 cells, and reducing the percentage of Th1 cells in the peripheral circulatory system. In addition, IL10-MSC administration could prevent apoptosis and promote neuron differentiation of neural stem cells (NSCs) under inflammatory conditions in vitro. Conclusions IL10-MSCs exhibited a reliable safety profile and demonstrated promising therapeutic efficacy in SCI compared with naïve MSCs, providing solid support for future clinical application of genetically engineered MSCs.

Limited knowledge currently exists regarding the dynamics of generational shifts in food consumption among adult residents in China. This study aimed to investigate the generational differences in dietary status among different generations of Chinese adult residents aged 20 years and older. Survey participants from four waves (1991, 2000, 2009, and 2018) of the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) cohort were included in the study (N = 40,704), providing three-day 24 h dietary data. Participants were categorized into six age groups (20–29, 30–39, 40–49, 50–59, 60–69, and ≥70 years old), each corresponding to specific generations (Gen 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, and 90) based on their age at the time of the survey. This study examined generational differences in the intake of cereals, animal-based foods, vegetables, fruits, dairy, energy, and the contribution of macronutrients to energy using chi-square tests and Kruskal–Wallis tests. All analyses were stratified by gender. Our findings revealed that younger generations exhibited lower daily intake of cereals, vegetables, energy, and contribution of carbohydrates to energy, compared to their older counterparts, regardless of gender. Conversely, regardless of male or female, younger generations showed higher daily consumption of animal-based foods, average fruit and dairy intake, fruit and dairy consumption rates, as well as contributions of protein and fat to energy, compared to older generations. The magnitude of generational differences in food consumption varied by age and gender. In addition, cereal and vegetable intake, energy intake, and contribution of carbohydrates to energy declined with age across all generations, while average dairy intake, fruit and dairy consumption rates, and the contribution of fat to energy tended to increase, regardless of gender. In conclusion, generational differences in food consumption were evident among different generations of Chinese adult residents, characterized by an increase in animal-based food intake and the contribution of fat to energy among generations. Attention should be directed towards addressing the eating behavior of younger generations.

The surrounding rock during a coal mine excavation is prone to significant engineering disasters such as considerable deformation and rock bursts. Pressure release can improve the stress field of a deep rock mass and prevent the occurrence of dangers such as roadway collapse and coal and gas outbursts. This paper uses the ANSYS 19.0/LS-DYNA finite element software to simulate the crush area and fracture zone of a detonation charge with different diameters under in situ stress. The stability of the surrounding rock was analyzed based on the impact stress and velocity, and was verified by field tests. The research results show that the blasting load primarily affects the damaged area near the borehole, while the in situ stress affects far-field crack propagation. The crack propagates in the direction of high surrounding rock pressure. When the uncoupling index is 1.5, the impact pressure of a 60 mm diameter cartridge is eight times that of a 20 mm diameter cartridge. The impact speed can reach two times that of the 20 mm diameter cartridge. The high-energy event at the roof is transferred to the front of the working face, the distribution is no longer concentrated, and a better pressure-relief blasting effect is achieved. The research results can help guide the prevention and control measures of rock bursts and other mining disasters.

To reduce the temperature difference of the heat exchanger and improve the thermal performance of organic Rankine cycle (ORC), a novel geothermal ORC-bypass flash system (ORC-f) is proposed. In this system, the latent heat proportion of working fluid and the saturated temperature of heat source are used as the basis for judgments. Further, the influence of heat source temperature and evaporation temperature on the ORC-f system is analyzed with different working fluids and compared with that of ORC system. The results show that when the heat source temperature is 403.15 K, the evaporation temperature is 313 K and 397 K, using R123 with higher latent heat proportion as working fluid, the net output power of ORC-f system is increased by 6.3 kW and 551.23 kW than that of the ORC system; using R114 with lower latent heat proportion as working fluid, the net output power of the ORC-f system is increased by 3.8 kW and 547.4 kW than that of the ORC system. When the saturated heat source temperature is not reached, the working fluid with higher latent heat proportion is used, the net output power and exergy efficiency of the ORC-f system are larger; When the saturated heat source temperature is reached, there is no need to increase the bypass flash system. Further, the thermal performance of the different working fluids of the ORC-f system is similar, and the ORC-f system can reduce the influence of the working fluid on the thermal performance.

Abstract Background Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a common cardiovascular disease, and abnormal blood lipid metabolism is an important risk factor. Transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) and its receptor (TGF-ßR) can inhibit the release of inflammatory factors through the SMAD pathway-mediated immune response, thereby suppressing the progression of CAD. Endoglin (TGF-ßRIII), a TGF-ßR family homologous receptor protein, is directly involved in the immunoregulatory process, but the exact mechanism is unclear. This study aimed to clarify the pathophysiological effects of endoglin on the development of atherosclerosis and to explore the mechanism of the signalling pathway. Methods We downloaded the GEO dataset to perform a functional analysis of SMAD family activity and TGF-ß receptor protein expression in the monocyte expression profiles of patients with familial hyperlipidaemia (FH). The effect of endoglin on endothelial cell proliferation, migration, and apoptosis was examined by disrupting the endoglin gene in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and validated by western blotting. The related genes and pathways regulated by endoglin were obtained by analysing the sequencing data. Results Research has shown that interference with endoglin can promote the proliferation and migration and significantly inhibit the apoptosis of vascular endothelial cells. Interference with endoglin particularly encourages the expression of VEGFB in vascular endothelial cells. Conclusion The endoglin gene in vascular endothelial cells regulates the PI3K-Akt, Wnt, TNF, and cellular metabolism pathways by activating the SMAD pathway. RAB26, MR1, CCL2, SLC29A4, IBTK, VEGFB, and GOLGA8B play critical roles. Endoglin interacts closely with 11 proteins such as CCL2 and SEPRINE1, which participate in the vital pathway of plaque formation. Interference with endoglin can alter the course of coronary atherosclerosis.

Abstract Background The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) are the most commonly used scales to detect mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in population-based epidemiologic studies. However, their comparison on which is best suited to assess cognition is scarce in samples from multiple regions of China. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 4923 adults aged ≥55 years from the Community-based Cohort Study on Nervous System Diseases. Objective cognition was assessed by Chinese versions of MMSE and MoCA, and total score and subscores of cognitive domains were calculated for each. Education-specific cutoffs of total score were used to diagnose MCI. Demographic and health-related characteristics were collected by questionnaires. Correlation and agreement for MCI between MMSE and MoCA were analyzed; group differences in cognition were evaluated; and multiple logistic regression model was used to clarify risk factors for MCI. Results The overall MCI prevalence was 28.6% for MMSE and 36.2% for MoCA. MMSE had good correlation with MoCA (Spearman correlation coefficient = 0.8374, p

Abstract Background HIV stigma is a common barrier to HIV prevention, testing, and treatment adherence, especially for low- and middle-income countries such as Myanmar. However, there was no validated Myanmar version of a stigma scale. Therefore, we adapted the English version of the 40-item Berger’s HIV stigma scale and the 7-item Indian HIV stigma scale into a 47-item Myanmar HIV stigma scale and then evaluated the scale’s psychometric properties. Method From January 2020 to May 2020, using random sampling methods, 216 eligible Myanmar people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) were contacted from a closed Facebook group that included more than 10,000 PLWHA. A sample of 156 Myanmar PLWHA completed the online self-reported survey. Results A six-factor structure for the scale was determined through exploratory factor analysis, explaining 68.23% of the total variance. After deleting 12 items, the 35-item HIV stigma scale achieved Cronbach ‘s α of 0.72 to 0.95. Construct validity of the scale was demonstrated by significant association with self-reported depression and social support levels (r = 0.60, and − 0.77, p

Abstract Objectives To investigate the safety for clinic use and therapeutic effects of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF)-overexpressing human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (HUCMSCs) in mice with completely transected spinal cord injury (SCI). Methods Stable bFGF-overexpressing HUCMSCs clones were established by electrotransfection and then subjected to systematic safety evaluations. Then, bFGF-overexpressing and control HUCMSCs were used to treat mice with completely transected SCI by tail intravenous injection. Therapeutic outcomes were then investigated, including functional recovery of locomotion, histological structures, nerve regeneration, and recovery mechanisms. Results Stable bFGF-overexpressing HUCMSCs met the standards and safety of MSCs for clinic use. In the mouse SCI model, stable bFGF-overexpressing HUCMSCs markedly improved therapeutic outcomes such as reducing glial scar formation, improving nerve regeneration and proliferation of endogenous neural stem cells (NSCs), and increasing locomotion functional recovery of posterior limbs compared with the control HUCMSCs group. Furthermore, bFGF-overexpressing HUCMSCs promoted the proliferation and neuronal differentiation of NSCs in vitro through the PI3K-Akt-GSK-3β pathway. Conclusion bFGF-overexpressing HUCMSCs meet the requirements of clinical MSCs and improve evident therapeutic outcomes of mouse SCI treatment, which firmly supports the safety and efficacy of gene-modified MSCs for clinical application.

Melamine (MEL) and its derivatives, ammeline (AMN), ammelide (AMD), cyanuric acid (CYA) are widely existed in environmental media. Animal studies have reported the cumulative risk assessment (CRA) of simultaneous exposure to MEL and its derivatives and explored the associations between exposure and routine blood parameters. Such information is largely unknown in human studies. In this study, we detected the urinary concentrations of MEL and its derivatives in 239 Chinese adults to conduct the CRA by evaluating their hazard quotients (HQ) and hazard Index (HI), and also explored the possible associations between exposure and measured routine blood parameters in study population. The detectable frequencies of MEL, AMN, AMD and CYA were 96.65%, 41.00%, 97.91% and 97.07%, respectively. The median values of creatinine (Cr)-adjusted MEL, AMN, AMD, CYA and the total concentrations of MEL and its derivatives (∑MEL) were 11.41 μg/g Cr, not detected (ND), 2.64 μg/g Cr, 15.30 μg/g Cr, 35.02 μg/g Cr, respectively. There were 9 (3.77%) participants with estimated daily intakes (EDIs) of CYA exceeding the tolerable daily intake (TDI) of 2500 ng/kg bw/day, and 12 (5.02%) participants with HI of ∑MEL exposure exceeding 1 based on the strictest TDI value. Urinary concentrations of MEL and its derivatives were positively associated with specific routine blood parameters, including hematocrit, hemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, white blood cell, neutrophil count (P

Abstract Background Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) of hypertensive patients is not only affected by the disease itself but also by some subjective factors. Low health literacy is prevalent among ethnic minorities. Considering the Kazakh-Chinese people have the highest prevalence of hypertension in Xinjiang, and the High Blood Pressure-Health Literacy (HBP-HL) has not been included in the study of HRQoL. The synergistic effects and the potential mechanism HBP-HL, self-management behavior, therapeutic adherence, self-efficacy, social support on HRQoL remain unclear. This study aimed to introduce the HBP-HL, and develop a structural equation model (SEM) to identify the factors influencing of the HRQoL among Kazakh hypertensive patients. Methods The data was obtained by questionnaire survey and physical examination in 2015. Patients with hypertension were recruited through random cluster sampling in Kazakh settlements in Xinjiang. Firstly, the blood pressure was measured. Then the one-for-one household interviews were conducted by Kazakh investigators. The questionnaires regarding HBP-HL, HRQoL, self-management behavior, therapeutic adherence, self-efficacy, and social support were used to collect data. Finally, SEM was constructed, and p ≤ 0.05 was taken as significant. Results The data was analysed by SPSS18.0 and AMOS18.0 software. 516 Kazakh hypertension patients were recruited, and 94.4% of them had a relatively low HBP-HL score. The mean standardized scores of HRQoL, self-management, therapeutic adherence were poor; they were 63.5, 66.2, and 64.4, respectively. But 96.1% and 98.3% of the participants had high levels of self-efficacy and social support. The SEM of the HRQoL had a good overall fit (χ2/df = 2.078, AGFI = 0.944, GFI = 0.968, CFI = 0.947, IFI = 0.949, RMSEA = 0.046). The model indicated that the HBP-HL has the highest correlation with HRQoL, following with self-management behavior, social support, and self-efficacy. Conclusions Low HBP-HL is a major influenced factor of HRQoL among Kazakh hypertensive patients. Future programs should consider HBP-HL as the breakthrough point when designing targeting intervention strategies.

Abstract Background The geriatric depression scale (GDS) is used widely as a screening instrument for depression worldwide. The present study aims to examine the reliability and validity of the GDS with 30 items (GDS-30) in Chinese cognitively normal elderly, and to preliminarily investigate the appropriateness of the GDS-30 among screened mild cognitive impairment (MCI) elderly and among the large-scale community-dwelling Chinese elderly. Methods A total of 12,610 Chinese elderly completed GDS-30 in the project of Community-based Cohort Study on Nervous System Diseases. Of these, 5503 individuals with the ability to perform basic daily living activities were randomly sampled to further complete the Montreal Cognitive Assessment to screen for MCI. The cutoff value of screened depression was 11, and the cutoff values of MCI were education-dependent. Internal consistency was used to evaluate the reliability. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to determine the factor structure. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to assess the construct validity in the elderly screened normal cognition, screened MCI, and the whole population, respectively. Results The Kuder-Richardson coefficient (KR20) was 0.834, 0.821 and 0.840 for the cognitively normal elderly, screened MCI and the whole population, respectively. EFA showed that GDS-30 can be either a four-factor model (named positive mood, dysphoria, worry, and social withdrawal-cognitive impairment) or a two-factor model (named depression and positive mood). The latter was easier to interpret. CFA showed that the two-factor model fitted well in the elderly with normal cognition, with screened MCI, and the whole sample. The factors loaded from 0.900 to 0.588, 0.882 to 0.529, and 0.888 to 0.556 in these three populations respectively. Conclusions The GDS-30 has good reliability and validity and can be appropriately applied to screen depression in the large-scale community-dwelling Chinese elderly regardless of the presence of mild cognitive impairment.

Wheat and rice are the main staple foods in China and likely have a major influence on health. This analysis examined the potential association between wheat and rice consumption and the risk of overweight/obesity in Chinese adults. We used data collected in the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) from 1991 to 2015. Adults aged 18–80 years old (n = 11,503) were included in the present analysis, for whom questionnaires and anthropometric data were collected during at least two waves. We constructed three-level mixed-effect linear regression models to estimate body mass index (BMI) in relation to wheat and rice intakes and performed three-level mixed-effect logistic regression models to assess the risk of overweight/obesity. Women showed significant BMI increases of 0.14 (95% CI: 0.04, 0.24) from a higher intake of wheat but not from a higher intake of rice when adjusted for all potential confounders. Comparing the highest quartiles of intake of wheat with non-consumers in men and women, odds ratios (ORs; 95% CI) of overweight/obesity were 1.45 (1.15, 1.85) and 1.26 (1.00, 1.60), respectively. In men, there was an inverse association with the risk of overweight/obesity in the comparison of the highest quartiles of intake of rice (OR: 0.73; 95% CI: 0.55, 0.96) and non-consumers when adjusted for all potential confounders. Higher intake of wheat was positively associated with the risk of overweight/obesity among Chinese adults. Further, there was an inverse association between rice intake with overweight/obesity in Chinese men but not in women.

Research on the relationship between vegetable consumption and stroke among the Chinese population is still rare. This study aimed to explore the association between vegetable consumption and stroke. Using data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (1991–2018), we included 15,145 participants over 40 years old without stroke as the baseline. Participants were categorized into five groups according to vegetable consumption. The adjusted HRs of stroke associated with vegetable consumption were calculated using the COX proportional hazards model. During the follow-up, 504 stroke cases were detected (303 men and 201 women). For the females, compared with the Q1 group of vegetable consumption, the multivariable-adjusted HRs for stroke were 0.60 (95%CI 0.36, 1.00) in the group of Q4. No significant associations between vegetable consumption and stroke were found among males. Furthermore, compared with the Q1 group of dark vegetable consumption, for the whole subjects, the multivariable-adjusted HRs for stroke were 0.68 (95%CI 0.50, 0.92) in the group of Q4. For the females, compared with the Q1 group of dark vegetable consumption, the multivariable-adjusted HRs for stroke were 0.49 (95%CI 0.30, 0.80) in the group of Q4. In conclusion, this study suggested that vegetable consumption decreases the risk of stroke among Chinese females. In addition, the intake of dark vegetables was inversely associated with stroke.

This work focused on the synergistic effect of hydrostatic pressure (HP) within the range of 0.1~50 MPa and a dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration within the range of 0.18~11.8 ppm on the stress corrosion cracking (SCC) behavior of hydrogenated Ti6Al4V alloy in a simulated deep-sea environment by electrochemical measurements and slow strain rate tensile (SSRT) tests. The potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectra results confirmed the corrosion resistance degradation with the HP increasing to 50 MPa. The fracture morphologies showed a mixed characteristic of brittle fracture on the surface layer and ductile fracture in the inner part. Higher HPs increased SCC susceptibility while a larger DO concentration decrease that of Ti6Al4V alloy.

Objectives Our study aimed to assess the association between the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) and depression in the elderly over 55 years in Northern China.Methods We analysed the data of 2022 Chinese adults aged 55 and over from a community-based neurological disease cohort study from 2018 to 2019. A validated semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire was used to assess eating habits at the time of inclusion. Multiple logistic regression was used for analysis, and social demographics, lifestyle and health-related factors were adjusted.Results Among the included population, the prevalence of depression was 23.39%. Mean (SD) and range of the DII in the included population were 1.70 (1.42) and −5.20 to +5.68. The risk of depression was significantly higher in participants in the most pro-inflammatory group (quartile 4) than in the participants in the most anti-inflammatory group (quartile 1) (OR 1.53; 1.37 to 1.82; p-trend=0.01). The subgroup analysis of body mass index (BMI) showed that there is a significant association between DII and the risk of depression in overweight and obese people (p＜0.05). The restricted cubic spline results show that the OR value of depression possesses an upward trend with the increase of the DII score.Conclusions Aged patients with depression present a higher potential for dietary inflammation. Pro-inflammatory diets might increase the risk of depressive symptoms. Further research in different populations is crucial to confirm the association between DII and depression.

BackgroundThe intake of certain food and nutrients may play a crucial role in cognitive health. However, research on the relationship between dietary patterns and cognitive function is limited. This study aims to investigate the associations between dietary patterns and multi-dimensional cognitive functions, such as global cognitive status and related domain profiles, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and four major subtypes of Chinese adults.MethodsUsing the baseline data from the Community-based Cohort Study on Nervous System Diseases (2018–2019), we selected 4,309 Chinese adults aged 55 years and older as subjects with complete diet, cognition, and other related data. We collected food data for the past 12 months with a valid semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Diving 49 food items into 13 subgroups, we used factor analysis to derive the main dietary patterns. We evaluated cognitive functions based on the scores of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and used quantile regression and multivariable logistic regression to examine the relationship between dietary patterns and cognitive-related outcomes.ResultsWe identified four dietary patterns, explaining 50.11% of the total variance: “meat-preferred” pattern, “plant-preferred” pattern, “eggs- and dairy-preferred” pattern, and “grain-preferred” pattern. After adjusting for all potential confounders, the “meat-preferred” pattern and the “plant-preferred” pattern were associated with higher scores of global cognition and several cognitive domains (p

Atherosclerosis (AS) is a lipid-driven chronic inflammatory disease occurring at the arterial subendothelial space. Macrophages play a critical role in the initiation and development of AS. Herein, targeted codelivery of anti-miR 155 and anti-inflammatory baicalein is exploited to polarize macrophages toward M2 phenotype, inhibit inflammation and treat AS. The codelivery system consists of a carrier-free strategy (drug-delivering-drug, DDD), fabricated by loading anti-miR155 on baicalein nanocrystals, named as baicalein nanorods (BNRs), followed by sialic acid coating to target macrophages. The codelivery system, with a diameter of 150 nm, enables efficient intracellular delivery of anti-miR155 and polarizes M1 to M2, while markedly lowers the level of inflammatory factors in vitro and in vivo. In particular, intracellular fate assay reveals that the codelivery system allows for sustained drug release over time after internalization. Moreover, due to prolonged blood circulation and improved accumulation at the AS plaque, the codelivery system significantly alleviates AS in animal model by increasing the artery lumen diameter, reducing blood pressure, promoting M2 polarization, inhibiting secretion of inflammatory factors and decreasing blood lipids. Taken together, the codelivery could potentially be used to treat vascular inflammation.

Abstract Background The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) is a globally used and self-report scale measuring perceived stress. Three versions of PSS (PSS-14, PSS-10 and PSS-4) are available which comprise 14, 10 and 4 items respectively. However, the Chinese version of the PSS has not yet been validated in a large community-based general population. The aims of this study were to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Chinese PSS in a large community-based general population and to compare the appropriateness of the three versions of PSS. Methods A total of 9507 adults with at least a junior high school education and completed PSS-14 from the China Health and Nutrition Survey were involved in this study. The internal consistency reliability of PSS was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient and confirmatory factor analysis was employed to test the construct validity. Modification index was used for model extension and the critical ratio was used for model restriction. Results The internal consistency coefficients were satisfactory for PSS-14 and PSS-10, but not for PSS-4. The corresponding Cronbach’s alpha were 0.830, 0.754 and 0.473 respectively. A 2-factor structure was confirmed for the PSS-14 and PSS-10, and all items’ standardized factor loadings exceeded 0.4 for either negative or positive factors. Given that item 12 loaded on both negative and positive factors for PSS-14 and the goodness of fit for PSS-14 was not acceptable, PSS-13 (PSS-14 excluding item 12) was studied. The construct validities of PSS-13 and PSS-10 were satisfactory, but the goodness of fit for PSS-10 were better than that for PSS-13. Conclusions PSS-13 (PSS-14 excluding item 12) and PSS-10 have satisfactory psychometric properties. PSS-10 are more applicable to measure the perceived stress than PSS-13 in a large community-based general population in China.

Background. There has been a gradual trend towards younger ageing of acute cerebral infarction in recent years. Atherosclerotic plaque rupture followed by dislodgement of emboli and resulting arterial embolism is an important mechanism for the development of acute cerebral infarction. Traditional independent risk factors for cerebral infarction have received attention from clinicians, but the risk factors for large artery atherosclerotic cerebral infarction are still unclear. Various blood biomarkers have an important role in the early diagnosis of large artery atherosclerotic cerebral infarction. Objective. To assess the diagnostic predictive value of a group of biomarkers for large artery atherosclerotic cerebral infarction. Methods. Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (LP-PLA2), trypsin-like protein (TPS), serum amyloid A (SAA), and supersensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels were measured in the case group (30 cases) and control group (54 cases), respectively. Results. The differences in the general data between the two groups were not statistically significant (P>0.05). Logistic regression and ROC curve analysis showed that Lp-PLA2, TPS, and SAA were positively associated with the diagnosis of large atherosclerotic cerebral infarction (P

Educational assessments tests are often constructed using testlets because of the flexibility to test various aspects of the cognitive activities and broad content sampling. However, the violation of the local item independence assumption is inevitable when tests are built using testlet items. In this study, simulations are conducted to evaluate the performance of item response theory models and testlet response theory models for both the dichotomous and polytomous items in the context of equating tests composed of testlets. We also examine the impact of testlet effect, length of testlet items, and sample size on estimating item and person parameters. The results show that more accurate performance of testlet response theory models over item response theory models was consistently observed across the studies, which supports the benefits of using the testlet response theory models in equating for tests composed of testlets. Further, results of the study indicate that when sample size is large, item response theory models performed similarly to testlet response theory models across all studies.

Triacylglycerol (TG) biosynthesis is an important metabolic process for intracellular storage of surplus energy, intestinal dietary fat absorption, attenuation of lipotoxicity, lipid transportation, lactation and signal transduction in mammals. Transmembrane protein 68 (TMEM68) is an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-anchored acyltransferase family member of unknown function. In the current study we show that overexpression of TMEM68 promotes TG accumulation and lipid droplet (LD) formation in a conserved active sites-dependent manner. Quantitative targeted lipidomic analysis showed that diacylglycerol (DG), free fatty acid (FFA) and TG levels were increased by TMEM68 expression. In addition, TMEM68 overexpression affected the levels of several glycerophospholipids, such as phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylinositol, as well as sterol ester contents. TMEM68 exhibited monoacylglycerol acyltransferase (MGAT) and diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT) activities dependent on the conserved active sites in an in vitro assay. The expression of lipogenesis genes, including DGATs, fatty acid synthesis-related genes and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ was upregulated in TMEM68-overexpressing cells. These results together demonstrate for the first time that TMEM68 functions as an acyltransferase and affects lipogenic gene expression, glycerolipid metabolism and TG storage in mammalian cells.