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Background Respiratory and cardiovascular disease (CVD) frequently coexist; however, there is limited evidence on the relationship between chronic respiratory symptoms in young adulthood and late-onset CVD. Research Question Are chronic respiratory symptoms in young adulthood associated with CVD and all-cause mortality in later life? Study Design and Methods A total of 4,621 participants from CARDIA (Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults) cohort study aged 18–30 were included. Chronic respiratory symptoms were identified through respiratory symptom questionnaires in two consecutive exams. Incident CVD and all-cause mortality were adjudicated over 30-year follow-up. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were used to explore association of chronic respiratory symptoms with incident CVD and all-cause mortality. Results During a median follow-up of 30.9 years, 284 CVD events (6.15%) and 378 deaths (8.18%) occurred. After multivariable adjustment for demographics, cardiovascular risk factors, smoking and lung function, the hazard ratios (95% CIs) for CVD events were 1.51 (1.18-1.93) for any respiratory symptom, 1.57 (1.18-2.09) for cough or phlegm, 1.31 (1.01-1.68) for wheeze, 1.73 (1.25-2.41) for shortness of breath, and 1.32 (1.01-1.71) for chest illnesses. Similar findings were also observed in all-cause mortality. Comparing 0 versus 3-4 respiratory symptoms, the hazard ratios (95% CIs) were 1.97 (1.34-2.91) for CVD and 1.75 (1.23-2.47) for all-cause mortality. Similar results were observed in various sensitivity analyses. Interpretation Chronic respiratory symptoms in young adulthood are associated with an increased risk of CVD and all-cause mortality in midlife independent of established cardiovascular risk factors, smoking and lung function. Identifying chronic respiratory symptoms in young adulthood may help provide prognostic information regarding future cardiovascular health.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to describe how the prevention and controlling strategies have been experienced by COVID-19 patients in China, especially those who had passed through the suspected, diagnosed, hospitalized, and recovery stages of the disease. DESIGN: A descriptive qualitative study followed the Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research guidelines. SAMPLES: COVID-19 patients were recruited from a COVID-19-designated facility in Shanghai, China, from April to June 2020, by the purposive sampling method. METHODS: Semi-structured, in-depth interviews by cell phone were used and transcriptions were analyzed using inductive qualitative content analysis method. RESULTS: We recruited 26 COVID-19 patients. Three theme categories emerged from the data analysis. The first was “Consciously adhere to COVID-19-related controlling strategies.” The second category was “Positive experiences of the COVID-19-related controlling strategies.” These patients experienced a quick and adequate medical response, confident in the medical system, or received help from community workers. The third category was “Negative experiences of the COVID-19-related controlling strategies.” These patients experienced psychological distress, stigma, privacy exposures, and inconveniences from the controlling strategies. CONCLUSIONS: It is urgent to develop a culturally sensitive intervention to eliminate the psychological distress and stigma of patients with COVID-19 and to protect their privacy during and after the pandemic.

Aims Few studies have examined the secular trend of the energy intake distribution, and its effect on future risk of hyperglycemia. This study aims to describe trajectories of energy intake distribution over 12 years and relate them to subsequent risk of hyperglycemia over 9 years of follow-up. Methods Our study used ten waves of data from the CHNS survey, a population-based longitudinal survey in China, ongoing since 1989. We examined a cohort of adult participants who were free from diabetes but had at least three waves of dietary data from 1997 to 2009. We assessed energy intake using three consecutive 24 h recalls. We used these data to identify trajectory groups of energy intake distribution by multi-trajectory model based on energy intake proportions of breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We followed up participants for hyperglycemia, diabetes, and impaired fasting glucose for 9 years from 2009 to 2018. Outcomes were ascertained with fasting glucose, serum HbA1c, and self-report of diabetes and/or glucose-lowering medication. We estimated relative risk (RR) for hyperglycemia, diabetes, and impaired fasting glucose by identified trajectory groups using multilevel mixed-effects modified Poisson regression with robust (sandwich) estimation of variance. Gender difference was additionally examined. Results A total of 4417 participants were included. Four trajectory groups were identified, characterized and labeled by “Energy evenly distributed with steady trend group” (Group 1), “Dinner and lunch energy dominant with relatively steady trend group” (Group 2), “Dinner energy dominant with increasing trend and breakfast energy with declining trend group” (Group 3), and “breakfast and dinner energy dominant with increasing trend group” (Group 4). During 48,091 person-years, 1053 cases of incident hyperglycemia occurred, 537 cases of incident diabetes occurred, and 516 cases of impaired fasting glucose occurred. Compared with Group 1, Group 3 was associated with higher subsequent risk of incident hyperglycemia in 9 years of follow-up (RR = 1.28, 95% CI = 1.02, 1.61). No association was found for incident diabetes and impaired fasting glucose. Among males, Group 3 was associated with higher risk of incident hyperglycemia in 9 years of follow-up (RR = 1.44, 95% CI = 1.07, 1.94). No relationship was found in females. Conclusions Energy intake distribution characterized by over 40% of energy intake from dinner with a rising trend over years was associated with higher long-term risk of hyperglycemia in Chinese adults.

As rare earth ion laser materials, any single kind type matrix can not satisfy the development requirements at the present stage, especially in the application of mid-infrared laser, which needs convenient operation, good physical and chemical properties and luminescent properties. In this study, nanocrystalline units are introduced into the glass structure to integrate their respective advantages and achieve the best balance, so as to obtain nanocrystalline-glass composites (NGC) with both crystal and amorphous properties. The results show that the emission intensity of the composited host is stronger than that of pure amorphous materials; particularly, the intensity of the 2.7 μm emission has been a significant improvement. Moreover, this method not only keeps the size of the nanocrystalline unit, but also affects the energy transfer making use of the nanostructure. Nano-glass ceramics thus might have a significant application potential; they might be used improve the performance of photonic devices and develop nano-integrated multifunctional materials.

Background The tumor inflammatory microenvironment plays a vital role in the initiation and progression of pancreatic cancer (PC). Both the lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) and preoperative peripheral blood monocytes are related to the prognosis of PC patients. However, the direct effect of monocytes on PC cells is not fully understood. The current study aimed to assess the effect of monocytes on PC and explore its potential mechanism. Methods The cutoff value of peripheral blood monocytes was evaluated by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Transwell migration and invasion assays were used to detect the mobility of PC cells. The cytokines derived from monocytes were measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Western blotting was utilized to assess the expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) related markers. The expression level of Snail in PC tissue was determined by immunohistochemical (IHC) staining. Results A high monocyte count was inversely correlated with lymph node status and 5-year overall survival in PC. The PC cells underwent a cellular morphology change and increased cell motility after coculture with THP-1 monocytes. The THP-1 monocytes secreted various proinflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1α (IL-1α), which activated the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway leading to the upregulation of Snail and thereby promoting the EMT of PC cells. The expression level of Snail correlated significantly with the density of peripheral blood monocytes, and their level status was significantly associated with 5-year overall survival. Conclusions These findings indicated that elevated monocytes counts were a poor prognostic marker in PC, and monocytes could directly induce the EMT process of PC cells by upregulating Snail expression through the NF-κB signaling pathway.

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.

Little is known about the impact of modifiable risk factors on blood pressure (BP) trajectories and their associations with hypertension (HTN). We aimed to identify BP trajectories in normotensive Chinese adults and explore their influencing factors and associations with HTN. We used data from 3436 adults with at least four BP measurements between 1989 and 2018 in the China Health and Nutrition Survey, an ongoing cohort study. We measured BP using mercury sphygmomanometers with appropriate cuff sizes in all surveys. We used group-based trajectory modelling to identify BP trajectories between 1989 and 2009 and multiple logistic and Cox regression models to analyse their influencing factors and associations with HTN in 2011–2018. We identified five systolic blood pressure (SBP) trajectories, ‘Low-increasing (LI)’, ‘Low–stable (LS)’, ‘Moderate-increasing (MI)’, ‘High-stable (HS)’ and ‘Moderate-decreasing (MD)’, and four diastolic blood pressure (DBP) trajectories classified as ‘Low-increasing (LI)’, ‘Moderate–stable (MS)’, ‘Low-stable (LS)’ and ‘High-increasing (HI)’. People with higher physical activity (PA) levels and lower waist circumferences (WC) were less likely to be in the SBP LI, MI, HS and MD groups (P < 0·05). People with higher fruit and vegetable intakes, lower WCs and salt intakes and higher PA levels were less likely to be in the DBP LI, MS and HI groups (P < 0·05). Participants in the SBP HS group (hazard ratio (HR) 2·01) or the DBP LI, MS and HI groups (HR 1·38, 1·40, 1·71, respectively) had higher risks of HTN (P < 0·05). This study suggests that BP monitoring is necessary to prevent HTN in the Chinese population.

Owing to the increasing application of high-performance and multifunctional mid-infrared (MIR) optoelectronic devices, it is important to achieve a high emission efficiency and broadband tunable luminescence. In this study, nanocrystalline units with unique properties were integrated into an amorphous frame with high transmittance and infinite ductility to achieve an enhanced MIR emission. In the single active ion-doped system, owing to the combination of the lower phonon energy of the crystal, the fixed position of the crystal lattice, and the glass transparency, a substantial increase in the infrared fluorescence intensity was achieved. Particularly, an excellent 3 μm luminescence was realized by the stable composite material. In the co-doped system, a bottom-up strategy was adopted to achieve full coverage of the 2 μm MIR atmospheric window, and the results confirmed that the spatial distribution of the optically active nanocrystal units in the glass frame effectively controlled the energy transfer processes.

COVID-19 infection can cause psychological distress and profoundly impact patients’ lives, but it can also lead to positive changes and post-traumatic growth (PTG), or positive psychological change in response to challenging life circumstances. Current research on the influence of COVID-19 infection has mainly focused on its negative effects. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate whether patients with COVID-19 in China experienced PTG and, if so, what changed for them during the process of PTG. We used a qualitative descriptive approach to conduct this study. Using the purposive sampling recruitment method, patients with a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis were recruited from a COVID-19 designated hospital in Shanghai, China, from April to July 2020. Data were collected using semi-structured, in-depth interviews conducted via cell phone or in person while social distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Forty confirmed COVID-19 patients (19–68 years old) were recruited. Several prominent themes and subthemes were extracted from the interview responses regarding participants’ experiences of PTG. The following are among the positive changesthat occurred for these participants after their diagnosis of COVID-19: (1) Reevaluation of their life priorities, which included a greater appreciation of being alive and re-evaluating their values and goals, (2) Improved relationships within their social circles, which included establishing or maintaining closer relationships with family and friends and a greater willingness to help others, and (3) Perceived changes regarding themselves, which included personal growth and increased awareness of the importance of their health. The study identified potential positive impacts of COVID-19 on patients, which could be helpful in the implementation of interventions to facilitate PTG among COVID-19 survivors.

How to activate adaptive coping strategies has an important and practical meaning for the quality of life of people living with HIV (PLHIV); however, few studies have focused on the effects of sleep disturbances and HIV-related physical symptoms on coping strategies. The specific relationships among coping strategies, sleep disturbances and HIV-related physical symptoms were unknown. We performed a path analysis to examine the proposed model of relationships among sleep disturbances, physical symptoms, and coping strategies. A convenience sample of 69 HIV-positive Asian Americans in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York City were recruited and data were collected on demographics, sleep disturbances, HIV-related physical symptoms, and coping strategies. Sleep disturbances directly affect maladaptive coping (β = 0.34), and physical symptoms directly affect adaptive coping (β = 0.30) and maladaptive coping (β = 0.24). Interventions designed to decrease sleep disturbances and physical symptoms should be developed to enhance adaptive coping and reduce maladaptive coping among Asian Americans with HIV.

The effect of hydrostatic pressure (HP) on the corrosion behaviour of X80 steel is investigated to assist the development of deep-sea oil and gas resources. The results show that the corrosion curr...

Intraspinal inflammatory and immune responses are considered to play central roles in the pathological development of spinal cord injury. This study aimed to decipher the dynamics of systemic immune responses, initiated by spinal cord injury. The spinal cord in mice was completely transected at T8. Changes in the in vivo inflammatory response, between the acute and subacute stages, were observed. A rapid decrease in C-reactive protein levels, circulating leukocytes and lymphocytes, spleen-derived CD4+ interferon-γ+ T-helper cells, and inflammatory cytokines, and a marked increase in neutrophils, monocytes, and CD4+ CD25+ FOXP3+ regulatory T-cells were observed during the acute phase. These systemic immune alterations were gradually restored to basal levels during the sub-acute phase. During the acute phase of spinal cord injury, systemic immune cells and factors showed significant inhibition; however, this inhibition was transient, and the indicators of these serious disorders gradually returned to baseline levels during the subacute phase. All experiments were performed in accordance with the institutional animal care guidelines, approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of Experimental Animal Center of Drum Tower Hospital, China (approval No. 2019AE01040) on June 25, 2019.

As is well known, a way to obtain a high color resolution and saturation of a liquid crystal display and thereby obtain a higher visual accuracy and comfort in the coming 5G era remains an urgent challenge. In the present study, a new type of phosphor composite material doped with Ln3+ ions provides a promising alternative to the color filters used in White light-emitting diodes (WLEDs), achieving a better performance regarding the realization of a wider color gamut. The advantages of this composite material are illustrated through an abundant phase and morphology analysis along with a discussion regarding the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of the valence bond of Ce ions, which maintain the luminescence properties of the phosphor while providing a stable and solid amorphous environment. An improved spectral performance was obtained through color filtering at 580 nm along with the regulating effects of red, green, and blue emissions according to the doped Ln3+ ions. Notably, we fabricated a high-performance WLED based on a Ln3+-doped PiG with a correlated color temperature of 5037 K, color rendering index of 72.8, and high color gamut of 91.97%, providing a new choice for the development of luminescence materials with a high color resolution and saturation.

Acculturation may limit HIV-positive Asian Americans' active interactions with patient-healthcare providers (HCP) and utilization of HIV healthcare services; however, the specific mediation effect of acculturation still unknown. A bias-corrected factor score path analysis was performed to examine the proposed model of relations among acculturation, stigma, stress, and patient-HCP relationships. A convenience sample of 69 HIV-positive Asian Americans in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York City were recruited and collect data were collected on demographics, HIV-related stigma, stress, and patient-HCP relationships. HIV stigma and stress had a direct, negative effect on patient-HCP relationships. Acculturation had a positive total effect on patient-HCP relationships, and was mediated by HIV stigma and stress. A acculturation also had a direct impact on stigma and stress. Acculturation, HIV-related stigma, and stress are key elements to achieving good patient-HCP relationships, and provide insights on the design of culturally sensitive interventions to improve patient-HCP relationships.

OBJECTIVE To investigate whether intraindividual variability of fasting glucose (FG) in young adulthood is associated with coronary artery calcification (CAC) progression in middle age. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We included 2,256 CARDIA (Coronary Artery Risk Development Study in Young Adults) participants with CAC assessment by computed tomography scanner at baseline (2000–2001) and 10 years later (2010–2011). CAC progression was assessed for each individual as the difference of logarithmic CAC scores at follow-up and baseline (log[CAC (follow-up) + 1] − log[CAC (baseline) + 1]). FG variability was defined by the coefficient of variation about the mean FG (FG-CV), the SD of FG (FG-SD), and the average real variability of FG (FG-ARV) during the 10-year follow-up. We investigated the association between FG variability and CAC progression with adjustment for demographics, clinical risk factors, mean FG level, change in FG level, diabetes incidence, and medication use. RESULTS After multivariable adjustment, 1-SD increment in FG-CV was associated with worse progression of CAC as demonstrated as percent change in CAC, with incident CAC 5.9% (95% CI 1.0, 10.7) and any CAC progression 6.7% (95% CI 2.3, 11.1) during 10 years. Similar findings were also observed in FG-SD and FG-ARV. CONCLUSIONS Higher FG variability during young adulthood was associated with greater CAC progression in middle age, suggesting its value in predicting risk for subclinical coronary artery diseases.

Phosphor-in-glass (PiG) is a novel fluorescent color conversion material that is an excellent choice for preparing wide-color gamut white LEDs due to its excellent thermal stability, high efficiency and facile preparation process. To the best of our knowledge, this paper is the first to widen the color gamut of the white LED from 77.33% to 92.02% by doping the PiG substrate with two kinds of lanthanide ions: Er3+ and Nd3+. The low sintering temperature and suitable preparation process has ensured the phosphor and glass become compounded independently together while still exhibiting good luminescence performance; this has been demonstrated via X-ray diffraction and field emission scanning electron microscopy. The influence of doping the host glass with Ln3+ ions has been explored, specifically considering the effects on the color gamut, the color coordination, the correlated color temperature and the color rendering index. The results presented herein have demonstrated that the Er3+/Nd3+-doped PiG is a promising candidate as a color filter in the domain of wide-color gamut white LED.

What is already known about this topic? Sodium intake in China is among the highest in the world, the main source of which in adults is salt added during cooking. In 2012, the national average cooking salt intake was 10.5 g/d. What is added by this report? In 2018, median cooking salt intake was 6.3 g/d, which has decreased compared to that in 1991. The north-south gap in cooking salt intake was closing over time. What are the implications for public health practice? Effective policies and interventions need to be sustained and intensified to lower cooking salt intake, thus achieving the recommended level of sodium and total salt intake.

Unique rapid urbanization-related changes in China may affect the dietary protein intake of the aging population. We aimed to evaluate trends in dietary protein intake and major food sources of protein and estimate conformity to the dietary reference intakes (DRIs) in the elderly Chinese population. A sample of 10,854 elderly adults aged 60 years or older, drawn from 10 waves of the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) between 1991 and 2018, was included. Protein intake data were obtained on the basis of 3-day, 24 h dietary recalls. The dietary protein intake among elderly Chinese individuals declined from 63.3 g/day to 57.8 g/day over the 28-year period, with a −0.032 ± 0.0001 g/day change per year (p &lt, 0.05). There was a significant increase in the proportion of subjects with a protein intake level below the estimated averaged requirement (EAR) and a reduction in the proportion of subjects consuming protein above the recommended nutrient intake (RNI) across all population subgroups. Cereals ranked as the major sources of dietary protein, although their contribution to dietary protein gradually decreased as time went on. The contribution from meat steadily rose from 18.2% in 1991 to 28.7% in 2018. The proportion of energy gained from fat increased notably, reaching 34.2% in 2018. The elderly Chinese population experienced a significant reduction in dietary protein intake. Although the transformation of dietary patterns had positive effects on improving protein quality due to increases in animal source food, some elderly Chinese individuals currently face the risk of inadequate dietary protein intake.

Although depression has been associated with low QOL, limited research has quantified the change of depression to improvement of QOL among naïve PLHIV using ART in Shanghai, China. This study examined the association between depression symptoms and QOL among Chinese PLWH in a six-month longitudinal study. Data were collected from 111 people living with HIV at baseline, 3rd month and 6th month after initiating ART, using the WHOQOL-HIV BREF and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), and analyzed using a mixed effects model. QOL is improved after initiating ART, while the symptoms of depression did not decrease significantly. The depression symptoms were strong and negatively associated with QOL and all domains of QOL, and the strength of this association decreased over time in the six months follow-up. ART had different impacts on depression symptoms and QOL. Besides, depression symptoms were strong and negatively associated with QOL among PLHIV over time. Mental health practitioners and nurses should consider the ART and time factors when designed interventions to improve QOL by targeting depression symptoms. Interventions designed to improve QOL and depression symptoms should be developed targeting both ART and self-management among PLHIV.

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 Conclusions The psychometric properties of the 35-item Myanmar version of the HIV stigma scale support it as a measure of stigma among PLWHA in Myanmar. This instrument could help healthcare providers to better understand how stigma operates in PLWHA and to develop tailored stigma-reduction interventions in Myanmar.

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.

ObjectiveGrowing evidence has highlighted that the immune and stromal cells that infiltrate in pancreatic cancer microenvironment significantly influence tumor progression. However, reliable microenvironment-related prognostic gene signatures are yet to be established. The present study aimed to elucidate tumor microenvironment-related prognostic genes in pancreatic cancer.MethodsWe applied the ESTIMATE algorithm to categorize patients with pancreatic cancer from TCGA dataset into high and low immune/stromal score groups and determined their differentially expressed genes. Then, univariate and LASSO Cox regression was performed to identify overall survival-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs). And multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to screen independent prognostic genes and construct a risk score model. Finally, the performance of the risk score model was evaluated by Kaplan-Meier curve, time-dependent receiver operating characteristic and Harrell’s concordance index.ResultsThe overall survival analysis demonstrated that high immune/stromal score groups were closely associated with poor prognosis. The multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that the signatures of four genes, including TRPC7, CXCL10, CUX2, and COL2A1, were independent prognostic factors. Subsequently, the risk prediction model constructed by those genes was superior to AJCC staging as evaluated by time-dependent receiver operating characteristic and Harrell’s concordance index, and both KRAS and TP53 mutations were closely associated with high risk scores. In addition, CXCL10 was predominantly expressed by tumor associated macrophages and its receptor CXCR3 was highly expressed in T cells at the single-cell level.ConclusionsThis study comprehensively investigated the tumor microenvironment and verified immune/stromal-related biomarkers for pancreatic cancer.

It is essential to understand the impact of different dietary pattern trajectories on health over time. Therefore, we aimed to explore the long-term trajectories of dietary patterns among Chinese adults and examine the prospective association between different trajectory groups and the risk of overweight/obesity. The sample was 9299 adults aged 18 years or older from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) between 1991 and 2018. We used factor analysis to identify dietary patterns and group-based trajectory modeling to identify dietary pattern trajectories. Three trajectories of a southern pattern and a modern pattern and four trajectories of a meat pattern were identified. Participants who followed the highest initial score and a slight decrease trajectory (OR = 1.63, 95% CI: 1.04, 2.54) of the meat dietary pattern were positively associated with risk of overweight/obesity when compared with the lowest initial score trajectory. The southern dietary pattern and the modern dietary pattern trajectories of participants in Group 2 (OR = 0.64, 95% CI: 0.51, 0.81, OR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.63, 0.91) and Group 3 (OR = 0.71, 95% CI: 0.54, 0.91, OR = 0.64, 95% CI: 0.44, 0.90) were associated with lower risk of overweight/obesity when compared with Group 1. We observed that dietary pattern trajectories have different associations with overweight/obesity among Chinese adults.

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.

Rare earth doped luminescence glasses have been noteworthy recently in the fields of near-middle-infrared applications. In this work, serious Er3+ doped new kind of germanosilicate-zinc glasses have been investigated aiming to obtain efficient infrared and mid-infrared luminescence performance. The drastically reduced OH− content in present host support the enhanced 2.7 and 1.5 μm emissions corresponding to the 4I11/2 → 4I13/2 and 4I13/2 → 4I15/2 transitions owing to the decreased energy loss between OH− and active ions. Meanwhile, the energy transfer mechanism has been discussed based on both the infrared and visible spectra together with the measured decay curves. Hence, the large absorption and emission cross-sections indicate that this kind of germanosilicate-zinc glasses may provide high gain as a good medium for efficient infrared laser system.

Manipulating the energy transfer process between the dopants can realize efficient modulation of photoluminescence, which is essential for fabricating optoelectronic devices. This work presents the polarization-assisted energy transfer process between Er3+ and Dy3+ ions in borate glass-ceramics system for the first time. The overall photoluminescence intensities increased gradually as undergoing polarization engineer. The promoted energy transfer process from Er3+ to Dy3+ is obtained by emission spectra and verified by decay dynamics, which can be attributed to the slight tuning of ionic environment around doping ions. Herein, the tunable energy transfer process inspired by polarization may provide guidance for fabricating high-performance optoelectronic devices.

Efficient NIR–MIR luminescence conversion materials are urgently required for numerous applications in the fields of medicine, remote sensing, and optical communications. The control of the chemica...

Photoresponsive molecular systems are essential for molecular optoelectronic devices, but most molecular building blocks are non-photoresponsive. Employed here is a photoinduced proton transfer (PIPT) strategy to control charge transport through single-molecule azulene junctions with visible light under ambient conditions, which leads to a reversible and controllable photoresponsive molecular device based on non-photoresponsive molecules and a photoacid. Also demonstrated is the application of PIPT in two single-molecule AND gate and OR gate devices with electrical signal as outputs.

Increasing the number of luminescence emitters without concentration quenching is essential to realize the high doping in silicate glass system, which is favorable for the output of single-frequency fiber lasers. In this work, the concentration quenching threshold of mid-infrared luminescence is enhanced by 60% after macro-scale manipulation of glassy structure. The reason can be attributed to the reduced maximum phonon energy after the increasing of Pb content and the increasing number of emitters due to the looser glassy network. The absorption and emission cross sections after structural engineering can reach to 0.75 × 10–20 cm2 and 1.53 × 10–20 cm2, respectively. These results reveal that the concentration quenching threshold can be effectively enhanced through the structural manipulation in a wide range, and the prepared lead silicate glass after structural engineering can be the ideal candidate for drawing optical fiber and are potential in future optical applications.

In this work, a new optical thermometer relying on highly temperature-dependent 1D2 Pr3+ emission and temperature insensitive Y2Ti2O7 trap emission is reported. Based on the fluorescence intensity ratio (FIR) between them, Pr3+: Y2Ti2O7 with remarkably high absolute and relative sensitivities of ~ 983 × 10−4 K−1 and 5.25% K−1 as well as good signal discriminability is realized. It also exhibits a tunable luminescent color from red to purplish blue with temperature from 289 to 573 K. The strong thermal quenching of 1D2 Pr3+ emission is mainly related to the charge transfer state (CTS). Similarly, Pr3+: Gd2Ti2O7 phosphor also demonstrates a favorable temperature sensing feature, indicating the temperature sensing strategy based on the combination of host trap emission and CTS interfered Pr3+ luminescence is a promising pathway to develop high-performance optical thermometric materials.

In this work, we develop a simple customized radio-frequency plasma-enhanced horizontal tube furnace deposition system to directly grow high-quality ZnO nanorod arrays on zinc films and investigate their application as an antireflective layer in n+pp+ monocrystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells. Field emission scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffractometer, and transmission electron microscope studies reveal that ZnO nanorod arrays feature a perfect crystalline wurtzite structure and grow preferentially along [0001] direction. The antireflective performance of ZnO nanorod arrays is confirmed by Fresnel coefficient matrix method and MATLAB software calculation. Furthermore, PC1D simulation demonstrates that the photovoltaic property for c-Si solar cells of the pyramid-textured front surface using ZnO nanorod arrays as an antireflective layer is much better than that for the other three types of c-Si solar cells (i.e., c-Si solar cells of the pyramid-textured front surface without using any antireflective layer, c-Si solar cells of the planar front surface using ZnO nanorod arrays as an antireflective layer, as well as c-Si solar cells of the planar front surface without using any antireflective layer). In particular, the photovoltaic conversion efficiency of 20.23% has been achieved for c-Si solar cells of the pyramid-textured front surface using ZnO nanorod arrays as an antireflective layer. This work is highly relevant to the development of an advanced process for the realization of high-efficiency, low-cost, and stable solar cells.

Diode-pumped solid-state 2 μm lasers have seen rapid development for their efficient operation, compact size, and stable performance. In this work, doped germanosilicate (SiO2-GeO2-Ga2O3-Lu2O3) glasses with varying Tm3+/Ho3+ concentrations exhibiting excellent physical and optical characteristics were successfully prepared. Thermal and structural properties were analyzed by the measured DSC and Raman spectra. An evident efficient wide absorption band near 770–830 nm demonstrated the feasible energy transfer between Tm3+: 3F4 → 3H6 and Ho3+: 5I7 → 5I8 transitions. Meanwhile, combining with Judd-Ofelt theory, super predicted spontaneous emission probabilities were obtained, which are beneficial to obtain fine laser action for solid-state lasers. This is a first study to demonstrate that a tunable fluorescence peak (1.8–2.05 μm) can be obtained by modulating the combined effects between two luminous activation centers. Therefore, the results indicate a promising rare-earth doped glass host for solid-state 2 μm lasers.

Poor dietary habits have been shown to be associated with a range of chronic diseases and can potentially be a major contributor to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) mortality. We therefore aimed to identify the prevailing dietary patterns among Chinese adults and to evaluate trends in dietary patterns from 1991 to 2015. We used data collected in the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS). Dietary patterns were identified using factor analysis of data from three consecutive 24 h dietary recalls. We studied 29,238 adults aged 18 and above with complete demo-graphic and dietary data. Three distinct dietary patterns were identified: southern (high intakes of rice, vegetables, and pork), modern (high intakes of fruits, dairy products, cakes, cookies, and pastries), and meat (high intakes of organ meats, poultry, and other livestock meat). The southern pattern score decreased (mean ± SD scores in 1991: 0.11 ± 1.13, scores in 2015: −0.22 ± 0.93). The modern pattern score (mean ± SD scores in 1991: −0.44 ± 0.59, scores in 2015: 0.21 ± 1.01) and meat pattern score (mean ± SD scores in 1991: −0.18 ± 0.98, scores in 2015: 0.27 ± 0.91) increased. We observed that China has experienced a shift from traditional dietary patterns to western dietary patterns.

Cognitive function is not generally associated with diet, and there is debate over that association. Moreover, little is known about such associations with the specific cognitive domains and subtypes of mild cognitive impairment (MCI). We analyzed data of 4309 Chinese adults aged 55 and over from the Community-based Cohort Study on Nervous System Diseases from 2018–2019. Dietary habits were assessed at inclusion using a validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Cognitive function of the participants was measured by using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. Analyses were performed using multiple logistic regression and quantile regression with adjustment for socio-demographic, lifestyle, and health-related factors. Compared with normal cognition participants, those with a worse cognition state were characterized as being an older age and lower economic level. After adjustment for potential factors, participants with higher consumption of rice, legumes, fresh vegetables, fresh fruit, pork, poultry, fish, and nuts tended to have higher scores of global cognitive function and domains, and to have lower odds of MCI, while those with higher consumption levels of wheat and eggs had worse cognition, compared with the corresponding bottom consumption level of each food. Participants with a medium consumption level of beef or mutton had 57% (OR: 1.57, 95%CI: 1.07–2.32) higher odds of aMCI-SD, whereas they had 50% (OR: 0.50, 95%CI: 0.34–0.73) lower odds of naMCI-MD. Similarly, the highest consumption level of dairy was positively associated with the odds of aMCI-SD (OR:1.51, 95%CI:1.00–2.29), but inversely linked to the odds of naMCI-SD (OR: 0.60, 95%CI: 0.38–0.93) and naMCI-MD (OR: 0.49, 95%CI: 0.29–0.82). Most diet global cognitive benefits were observed to be associated with the preexisting higher consumption of rice, legumes, fresh vegetables, fresh fruit, meat, and nuts. In addition, the heterogeneity of associations between the consumption of certain foods and MCI subtypes was observed among Chinese adults aged over 55 years. These cross-sectional observations require validation in prospective studies.

The surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of metal nanostructures is known to affect the optical properties of solid luminescent materials. Ag nanoparticles were first used to obtain a wider color gamut in rare-earth-doped phosphor-in-glass for application as color filters for white light emitting diodes. The existence of Ag nanocrystallites at nanometer scale and the independent integrity of the phosphor luminescence center in the amorphous glass environment were demonstrated. Using UV–Vis spectroscopy, the localized SPR absorption band was observed at 480 nm, and the optical properties of the nanostructures were found to be dependent on the annealing temperature. Hence, an expansion of the color gamut from 79.07% to 93.31% was realized by the coefficient effect of N d 3 + active ions and Ag nanoparticles. These results suggest that N d 3 + -ion-co-doped phosphor-in-glass modified by Ag nanoparticles could be potentially applied as a novel optical material with a wide color gamut.

Evidence shows time-of-day of energy intake are associated with health outcomes, however, studies of time-of-day energy patterns and their health implication are still lacking in the Asian population. This study aims to examine the time-of-day energy intake pattern of Chinese adults and to examine its associations with nutrient intakes, diet quality, and insulin resistance. Dietary data from three 24-h recalls collected during the 2015 China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) were analyzed (n = 8726, aged ≥ 18 years). Time-of-day energy intake patterns were determined by latent class analysis (LCA). General Linear Models and Multilevel Mixed-effects Logistic Regression Models were applied to investigate the associations between latent time-of-day energy intake patterns, energy-adjusted nutrient intakes, diet quality score, and insulin resistance. Three time-of-day energy intake patterns were identified. Participants in the “Evening dominant pattern” were younger, had higher proportions of alcohol drinkers and current smokers. The “Evening dominant pattern” was associated with higher daily energy intake and a higher percentage of energy from fat (%) (p &lt, 0.001), as well as higher insulin resistance risk (OR = 1.21, 95% CI: 1.05, 1.40), after adjusting for multivariate covariates. The highest diet quality score was observed in participants with “Noon dominant pattern” (p &lt, 0.001). A higher proportion of energy in the later of the day was associated with insulin resistance in free-living individuals.

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 p p p Conclusions MoCA is a better measure of cognitive function due to lack of ceiling effect and with good detection of cognitive heterogeneity. MCI prevalence is higher using MoCA compared to MMSE. Both tools identify concordantly modifiable factors for MCI, which provide important evidence for establishing intervention measures.

Background Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a clinically common acute inflammatory disease in digestive system, leading to systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and severe acute pancreatitis (SAP). It was reported that PINK1/PARK2 dependent mitophagy played an important role in various inflammatory diseases. However, its role in AP has not been elucidated. Herein, we explore the effect of mitophagy in the pathogenesis of AP. Methods Firstly, we established cerulein-induced AP group and arginine-induced SAP group based on wild, PINK1-/- and PARK2-/- mice. Pancreatic samples were harvested for further investing the mitochondrial dynamics, mitophagy alterations, NLRP3 inflammatory pathway etc. Furthermore, peripheral blood mononuclear cells from SAP patients were collected to examine the expression of mitophagy-related indicators. Additionally, the interrelationship between mitophagy and NLRP3 inflammasome was also explored in AP. Results It was confirmed that mitochondria were damaged in both AP and SAP models. The expressions of PINK1, PARK2 and mitochondrial autophagosomes were elevated in wild AP group, which were decreased in SAP group over time. Similarly, the expressions of PINK1 and PAKR2 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells were significantly lower in SAP patients. Besides, in PINK1-/- and PARK2-/- mice AP groups, more pronounced inflammatory infiltration, increased apoptotic and necrotic levels and upregulated NLRP3 inflammasome pathway were detected. After injection with MCC950, NLRP3 inflammasome production was notably reduced in PINK1-/-and PARK2-/-mice, which effectively alleviated the pancreatic damage and inflammatory cell infiltration. Conclusion Our study suggested that mitochondrial dysfunction activated PINK1/PARK2-mediated mitophagy in AP, while mitophagy was impaired in SAP. PINK1-/- and PARK2-/- mice were more sensitive to onset of SAP and the deficiency of mitophagy could lead to the formation of NLRP3 inflammasome.

The epicardial adipose tissue volume (EATV) was quantitatively measured by deep learning-based computed tomography (CT) images, and its correlation with coronary heart disease (CHD) was investigated in this study. 150 patients who underwent coronary artery CT examination in hospital were taken as research objects. Besides, patients from the observation group (group A) suffered from vascular stenosis, while patients from the control group (group B) had no vascular stenosis. The deep convolutional neural network model was applied to construct deep learning algorithm, and deep learning-based CT images were adopted to quantitatively measure EATV. The results showed that the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and area under the curve (AUC) of the deep learning algorithm were 0.8512, 0.9899, 0.9623, and 0.9813, respectively. By comparison, the correlation results of the traditional George algorithm, Aslani algorithm, and Lahiri algorithm were all lower than those of the deep learning algorithm, and the difference was statistically substantial ( P < 0.05 ). The epicardial adipose tissue volume of the observation group (114.23 ± 55.46) was higher markedly than the volume of the control group (92.65 ± 43.28), with a statistically huge difference ( P < 0.05 ). The r values of EATV with plaque properties and the number of stenosed coronary vessels were 0.232 and 0.268 in turn, both showing significant positive correlation. In conclusion, the sensitivity and other index values of deep learning algorithm were improved greatly compared with traditional algorithm. CT images based on deep learning algorithm achieved good blood vessel segmentation effects. In addition, EATV was closely related to the development of CHD.

[EN] The KM3NeT research infrastructure being built at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea will host water-Cherenkov telescopes for the detection of cosmic neutrinos. The neutrino telescopes will consist of large volume three-dimensional grids of optical modules to detect the Cherenkov light from charged particles produced by neutrino-induced interactions. Each optical module houses 31 3-in. photomultiplier tubes, instrumentation for calibration of the photomultiplier signal and positioning of the optical module, and all associated electronics boards. By design, the total electrical power consumption of an optical module has been capped at seven Watts. We present an overview of the front-end and readout electronics system inside the optical module, which has been designed for a 1-ns synchronization between the clocks of all optical modules in the grid during a life time of at least 20 years., The authors acknowledge financial support from the funding agencies: Agence Nationale de la Recherche (Grant No. ANR-15-CE31-0020), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Commission Europeenne (FEDER fund and Marie Curie Program), Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), IdEx program and UnivEarthS Labex program at Sorbonne Paris Cite (Grant Nos. ANR-10-LABX-0023 and ANR-11-IDEX-0005-02), Paris Ile-de-France Region, France; Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation of Georgia (SRNSFG, Grant No. FR-18-1268), Georgia; Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), Germany; The General Secretariat of Research and Technology (GSRT), Greece; Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN), Ministero dell'Istruzione, dell'Universita e della Ricerca (MIUR), PRIN 2017 program (Grant NAT-NET 2017W4HA7S) Italy; Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Professional Training, Morocco; Nederlandse organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (NWO), the Netherlands; The National Science Centre, Poland (2015/18/E/ST2/00758); National Authority for Scientific Research (ANCS), Romania; Plan Estatal de Investigacion [refs. FPA2015-65150-C3-1-P, -2-P and -3-P, (MINECO/FEDER)], Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence program (MINECO), Red Consolider MultiDark (ref. FPA2017-90566-REDC, MINECO), and Prometeo and Grisolia programs (Generalitat Valenciana), "la Caixa" Foundation (ID 100010434) through the fellowship LCF/BQ/IN17/11620019, and the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Grant Agreement No. 713673, Spain.

Objective:To measure the associations of sociodemographic and behavioural factors with fruit and vegetable consumption among adults in China.Design:A cross-sectional study.Setting:A 2015 wave of the China Health and Nutrition Survey.Participants:Totally, 11 910 adults aged 18 to 64 years.Results:Adjusted log binomial regression analyses showed that adults with higher income levels had higher fruit intake than those with low income levels (medium income group, risk ratio (RR): 1·28; 95 % CI: 1·16, 1·41; high income group, RR: 1·58; 95 % CI: 1·43, 1·74). Current smokers had lower fruit intake than non-smokers (RR: 0·86; 95 % CI: 0·77, 0·96). Adults living in southern China had higher vegetable intake (RR: 1·88; 95 % CI: 1·76, 2·01) but lower fruit intake (RR: 0·85; 95 % CI: 0·79, 0·91) than adults in northern China. With increasing age, adults had higher fruit intake (50–64 years, RR: 1·20; 95 % CI: 1·09, 1·33; reference category 18–34 years) and higher vegetable intake (35–49 years, RR: 1·13; 95 % CI: 1·05, 1·22; 50–64 years, RR: 1·22; 95 % CI: 1·13, 1·31).Conclusions:Our findings identify a range of sociodemographic and behavioural factors associated with fruit and vegetable consumption among Chinese adults. They also point to the need for public health nutrition interventions for socially disadvantaged populations in China.

OBJECTIVES: This study examined the association between cereal intake patterns and major CM risk factors among Chinese adults. METHODS: We linked the dietary intake and covariates measured in China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) 2011 with CM risk factors measured in CHNS 2015 among 4706 Chinese adults aged ≥18 years. Dietary intake was calculated based on the data collected by consecutive 3 d 24 h recalls combined with the weighing of household seasonings. We performed multivariable logistic regressions to analyze the association of each 2011 cereal and its subtypes intake with the major CM risk factors. RESULTS: After we adjusted for potential confounders, intake levels of total cereal, rice and its products and refined grains were associated with the prevalence of elevated TG. Intake levels of wheat and its products were positively associated with the prevalence of abdominal obesity and overweight, whereas were inversely associated with the prevalence of lipid-related factors, elevated BP and elevated FG. Adults with the top tertile of the intake of whole grains showed lower OR of elevated LDL-C (OR 0.64, 95% CI 0.46–0.88), along with the intake of 50.00 to 150.00 g/day (OR 0.69, 95% CI 0.49–0.96). CONCLUSIONS: Associations with the major CM risk factors varied across cereal subtypes. Rice, wheat and their products, and refined grains were positively associated with elevated TG; Coarse grains and whole grains did not show the similar impacts on major CM risk factors. FUNDING SOURCES: The CHNS is funded by the National Institute for Nutrition and Health, China Center for Disease Control and Prevention; Carolina Population Center (5 R24 HD050924), the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; the National Institutes of Health (R01-HD30880, DK056350, R24 HD050924, R01-HD38700); the Fogarty International Center, National Institutes of Health (5D43TW007709 and 5D43TW009077); and the Ministry of Finance of the People's Republic of China, the China Nutritional Transition Cohort Study (13,103,110,700,015,005).

The fluorescence properties in IR region of fluorotellurite glass with high Er3+ concentration up to 13 mol% are investigated and optimum concentration of 2.7 µm emission is 11 mol%, followed by a decrease in fluorescence intensity. The thermal characteristic parameter (ΔT = 98 °C) based on DSC curve shows a good thermal stability. The FWHM corresponding to 1.5 µm broadens as Er3+ increases and reaches a maximum of 110 nm (13 mol%) which shows superior bandwidth properties. The high amplifier gain value(σemi × τmea) of 11.87 × 10–21 cm2 ms, along with longer lifetime (1.72 ms), which benefits from the low phonon energy (612 cm−1) and hydroxyl content (0.03 cm−1), indicates the ideal 2.7 µm laser characteristics. Hopefully, the glass studied here may be find potential applications in the fields of fiber amplifier and MIR microchip lasers.

Although supercapacitors have been extensively investigated due to the good electrochemical performance, the awful energy density, poor cycle stability and low rate performance still remain challenges in applications. In this article, we successfully design and synthesize the hierarchical NiCo2O4@NiCo2S4 core/shell nanowire arrays on Ni foam by a special interface ion-exchange process. As supercapacitor material, it exhibits a high specific capacitance of 3176 F g−1 at a current density of 2 A g−1 and can retain 86.52% at a high current density of 10 A g−1, indicating excellent rate capability. In addition, an asymmetric supercapacitor is assembled with NiCo2O4@NiCo2S4 as the cathode electrode and porous carbon as the anode electrode and KOH solution as the electrolyte, showing a super energy density of 196.8 Wh kg−1 at 752.33 W kg−1 and a high power density of 5625.12 W kg−1 at 162.45 Wh kg−1. After 15000 cyclic voltammetry cycles at a scan rate of 60 mV s−1, 137% of initial capacitance is maintained. Theoretical analysis reveals that the diffusion-controlled reaction is dominant in the total capacitance of NiCo2O4@NiCo2S4 electrode, which may be the reason for the high specific capacitance and excellent rate capability. Thereby, these electrochemical performances demonstrate that the as-fabricated NiCo2O4@NiCo2S4 core/shell nanowire arrays are the promising candidates for high-performance supercapacitors.

The association of dietary cholesterol intake with dyslipidemia and subtypes is controversial. This study aimed to examine the association of dietary cholesterol intake with dyslipidemia and subtypes in Chinese adults. Using data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) in 2015, the present study selected 4383 participants aged 18&ndash, 59 years who were free of diabetes, apoplexy, and myocardial infarction disease. Information was obtained on dietary intake, anthropometric measurements, and blood laboratory measurements. Dietary cholesterol intake was calculated based on the data collected by consecutive 3 days 24 h recalls combined with the weighing of household seasonings and categorized by 11 levels: The first 10 levels in ranges of 50 mg/day and the 11th level at &ge, 500 mg/day. Dyslipidemia, hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-hypercholesterolemia, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-hypocholesterolemia were defined based on the Chinese adult dyslipidemia prevention guide (2016 edition). Multivariable logistic regressions were performed to examine the association of dietary cholesterol intake levels with dyslipidemia and subtypes. The prevalence of dyslipidemia was 37.5% among Chinese adults in 2015 (hypercholesterolemia 9.6%, HDL-hypocholesterolemia 21.1%, LDL-hypercholesterolemia 12.7%, and hypertriglyceridemia 15.2%). The lowest prevalence of hypercholesterolemia and LDL-hypercholesterolemia was 6.7% and 9.4%, respectively, which was relative to a dietary cholesterol intake level of 100.0 to &lt, 150.0 mg/day. After adjusting for all potential confounders, adults with the highest dietary cholesterol intake level of &ge, 500 mg/day compared with the dietary cholesterol intake of 100.0 to &lt, 150.0 mg/day showed one-time higher odds of hypercholesterolemia (odds ratios (OR) 2.0, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.3&ndash, 3.3), as well as LDL-hypercholesterolemia (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.3&ndash, 3.0), but a null association of dietary cholesterol intake with dyslipidemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and HDL-hypocholesterolemia. The study suggested that a dietary cholesterol intake level of 500 mg/day and above may be a threshold point for high odds of hypercholesterolemia and LDL-hypercholesterolemia.

Background The China Dietary Guidelines Index (CDGI) is a diet quality evaluation index that can present the overall diet quality and is comparable between individuals. The aim of this study was to revise CDGI for Chinese adults according to the Chinese Dietary Guidelines 2016 (CDG-2016), evaluate adherence to recommended diets between 1991 and 2015, and analyze the trend, variation, and determinants of diet quality. Methods Food, cooking oil, and condiment intakes were estimated based on twenty-four-hour dietary recalls over three consecutive days and the household weighing method. Based on the food and nutrients recommendations for people with different energy requirements in CDG-2016, CDGI was revised as China Dietary Guidelines Index (2019)-Adults (CDGI(2019)-A) by equal weight continuity scoring. Three-level random intercept-slope growth models were applied to analyze the trend, variation, and determinants at both the community and individual levels. Results CDGI(2019)-A, the sum of fourteen component scores with a range of 0–110 points, increased significantly from 38.2 in 1991 to 47.3 in 2015. Components with a score of less than half were milk (91.6%), fruits (72.0%), nuts (82.5%), other cereals and beans (82.6%), and seafood (77.7%). Between-individual accounted for 25.6% of the total score variation, of which 87.4% derived from the community level. CDGI(2019)-A score displayed a positive association with being female, having higher education, having higher income, living in an urban area, and knowing the CDG-2016 recommendations. The impact of income and awareness of CDG-2016 varied significantly across communities. Conclusions Although quality of diet has been improving in China, overall quality remains poor, primarily because of inadequate intake of milk and dairy products, nuts, fruits, other cereals and miscellaneous beans, and seafood. Intervention at the community level may improve diet quality more efficiently than at the individual level, and the most effective intervention should be selected in different communities according to local conditions.

Recently, rare-earth-doped infrared (IR) luminescent glasses have drawn massive attention due to their potential applications in military, medical, and communications fields. In this Letter, we present a system of oxychloride Si-Ge-O-Cl glasses, suitable for rare-earth doping, which has been developed as a new, to the best of our knowledge, choice for IR luminescent materials. Raman spectra show a looser glass network because of the decreased phonon energy and density compared to the one in heavy-metal oxide glasses. The enhanced luminescence from the visible to the IR region has been obtained with a beneficial fluorescence decay time. The spectroscopy results indicate that the system of Si-Ge-O-Cl glasses may be a promising candidate for application in infrared laser materials with enhanced luminescence.

Vascular calcification (VC) is caused by hydroxyapatite deposition in the intimal and medial layers of the vascular wall, leading to severe cardiovascular events in patients with hypertension, chronic kidney disease and diabetes mellitus. VC occurrences involve complicated mechanism networks, such as matrix vesicles or exosomes production, osteogenic differentiation, reduced cell viability, aging and so on. However, with present therapeutic methods targeting at VC ineffectively, novel targets for VC treatment are demanded. Exosomes are proven to participate in VC and function as initializers for mineral deposition. Secreted exosomes loaded with microRNAs are also demonstrated to modulate VC procession in recipient vascular smooth muscle cells. In this review, we targeted at the roles of exosomes during VC, especially at their effects on transporting biological information among cells. Moreover, we will discuss the potential mechanisms of exosomes in VC.

Background The prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity in developed countries appears to be plateauing. The purpose of this study was to provide the most recent data on the prevalence and trends in overweight and obesity among Chinese children and adolescents from 2011 to 2015. Methods We used data collected in the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) and China Nutritional Transition Cohort Study (CNTCS). We used two waves of the survey in 12 provinces conducted in 2011 (aged 7–18 years; n = 1458) and 2015 (aged 7–18 years; n = 1084) to perform a trend analysis. We used data collected in 15 provinces (aged 7–18 years; n = 1617) to estimate the prevalence of overweight and obesity among Chinese children and adolescents in 2015. Results In 2015, based on the Working Group for Obesity in China (WGOC) criteria, the prevalence of overweight and obesity were 14.0% (95% CI, 11.6–16.3) and 10.5% (95% CI, 8.4–12.6) in boys, and 9.7% (95% CI, 7.7–11.8) and 7.1% (95% CI, 5.2–8.9) in girls, respectively. The increase in BMI z-scores from 2011 to 2015 was statistically significant among adolescents (p = 0.0083), but not among children. No significant changes were observed in prevalence of overweight and obesity between 2011 and 2015, excepting adolescents aged 12–18 years (p = 0.0086). Conclusions Since 2011, overweight has remained stable, and obesity has stabilized in children, though not in adolescents. Although levels of childhood overweight and obesity in China are not high compared to other developed countries, they remain concerning enough that effective policies and interventions need to be sustained and intensified for lowering rates of childhood overweight and obesity.