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Background: Numerous studies have investigated the potential effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on improving symptoms related to Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, these studies have produced inconsistent results, leading to a need for further investigation. Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted, including articles published from the initial availability date to 5 April 2024. The extracted study data were analyzed using STATA 12.0 software. The standard mean difference (SMD) and a 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated to assess the effects of tDCS. Results: A total of 18 studies assessing the effects of tDCS on AD were included in the study. The study revealed that tDCS has an immediate positive impact on general cognitive, executive, language, and visuospatial function. However, the study did not observe any other significant effect of tDCS treatment on improvements in brain function, including long‐term effects on general cognitive, attention, language, and memory function, as well as immediate effects on attention and memory function. Conclusions: In conclusion, the study suggests that tDCS may be a promising intervention for improving the cognitive function of patients with AD. However, given the complex and multifactorial nature of AD, further well‐designed studies with larger sample sizes are necessary to clarify the effectiveness of tDCS and determine the optimal combination of tDCS parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about the effects of dietary patterns on prevalent pre-eclampsia in Chinese population. This study aimed to investigate the associations between dietary patterns and the odds of pre-eclampsia among Chinese pregnant women. A 1:1 age- and gestational week-matched case–control study was conducted between March 2016 and February 2019. A total of 440 pairs of pre-eclampsia cases and healthy controls were included. Dietary intakes were assessed by a seventy-nine-item FFQ and subsequently grouped into twenty-eight distinct groups. Factor analysis using the principal component method was adopted to derive the dietary patterns. Conditional logistic regression was used to analyse the associations of dietary patterns with prevalent pre-eclampsia. We identified four distinct dietary patterns: high fruit-vegetable, high protein, high fat-grain and high salt-sugar. We found that high fruit-vegetable dietary pattern (quartile (Q)4 v. Q1, OR 0·71, 95 % CI 0·55, 0·92, P trend = 0·013) and high protein dietary pattern (Q4 v. Q1, OR 0·72, 95 % CI 0·54, 0·95, P trend = 0·011) were associated with a decreased odds of pre-eclampsia in Chinese pregnant women. Whereas high fat-grain dietary pattern showed a U-shaped association with pre-eclampsia, the lowest OR was observed in the third quartile (Q3 v. Q1, OR 0·75, 95 % CI 0·57, 0·98, P trend = 0·111). No significant association was observed for high salt-sugar dietary pattern. In conclusion, pregnancy dietary pattern characterised by high fruit-vegetable or high protein was found to be associated with a reduced odds of pre-eclampsia in Chinese pregnant women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Goats are important domestic animals that provide meat, milk, fur, and other products for humans. The demand for these products has increased in recent years. Disease resistance among goat breeds is different, but the genetic basis of the differences in resistance to diseases is still unclear and needs to be further studied. In this study, many genes and pathways related to immunity and diseases were identified to be under positive selection between Yunling and Nubian goats using RAD-seq technology. This study on the selection signatures of Yunling goats provides the scientific basis and technical support for the breeding of domestic goats for disease resistance, which has important social and economic significance. Animal diseases impose a huge burden on the countries where diseases are endemic. Conventional control strategies of vaccines and veterinary drugs are to control diseases from a pharmaceutical perspective. Another alternative approach is using pre-existing genetic disease resistance or tolerance. We know that the Yunling goat is an excellent local breed from Yunnan, southwestern China, which has characteristics of strong disease resistance and remarkable adaptability. However, genetic information about the selection signatures of Yunling goats is limited. We reasoned that the genes underlying the observed difference in disease resistance might be identified by investigating selection signatures between two different goat breeds. Herein, we selected the Nubian goat as the reference group to perform the population structure and selection signature analysis by using RAD-seq technology. The results showed that two goat breeds were divided into two clusters, but there also existed gene flow. We used Fst (F-statistics) and π (pi/θπ) methods to carry out selection signature analysis. Eight selected regions and 91 candidate genes were identified, in which some genes such as DOK2, TIMM17A, MAVS, and DOCK8 related to disease and immunity and some genes such as SPEFI, CDC25B, and MIR103 were associated with reproduction. Four GO (Gene Ontology) terms (GO:0010591, GO:001601, GO:0038023, and GO:0017166) were associated with cell migration, signal transduction, and immune responses. The KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) signaling pathways were mainly associated with immune responses, inflammatory responses, and stress reactions. This study preliminarily revealed the genetic basis of strong disease resistance and adaptability of Yunling goats. It provides a theoretical basis for the subsequent genetic breeding of disease resistance of goats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to develop and validate a multimorbidity index using self-reported chronic conditions for predicting 5-year mortality risk. Methods: We analyzed data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) and included 11,853 community-dwelling older adults aged 65–84 years. Restrictive association rule mining (ARM) was used to identify disease combinations associated with mortality based on 13 chronic conditions. Data were randomly split into the training (N = 8,298) and validation (N = 3,555) sets. Two multimorbidity indices with individual diseases only (MI) and disease combinations (MIDC) were developed using hazard ratios (HR s) for 5-year morality in the training set. We compared the predictive performance in the validation set between the models using condition count, MI, and MIDC by the concordance (C) statistic, the Integrated Discrimination Improvement (IDI), and the Net Reclassification Index (NRI). Results: A total of 13 disease combinations were identified. Compared with condition count (C-statistic: 0.710), MIDC (C-statistic: 0.713) showed significantly better discriminative ability (C-statistic: p = 0.016; IDI: 0.005, p < 0.001; NRI: 0.038, p = 0.478). Compared with MI (C-statistic: 0.711), the C-statistic of the model using MIDC was significantly higher (p = 0.031), while the IDI was more than 0 but not statistically significant (IDI: 0.003, p = 0.090). Conclusion: Although current multimorbidity status is commonly defined by individual chronic conditions, this study found that the multimorbidity index incorporating disease combinations showed supreme performance in predicting mortality among community-dwelling older adults. These findings suggest a need to consider significant disease combinations when measuring multimorbidity in medical research and clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purposes: Adipokine alterations contribute to the development and remission of nonalcoholic fatty-liver disease (NAFLD). Adipsin is one of the most abundant adipokines and is almost exclusively produced by adipocytes. However, data on adipsin in human NAFLD are limited and controversial. We performed this study to investigate the association between adipsin and the remission of NAFLD in middle-aged and elderly Chinese adults. Methods: Whether adipsin is associated with the remission of NAFLD in a 3-year community-based prospective cohort study was investigated. Baseline levels of adipsin were measured in serum samples collected from 908 NAFLD participants. NAFLD was diagnosed using abdominal ultrasonography. Logistic regression analysis and a multiple stepwise logistic regression model including different variables were conducted to evaluate the association between serum adipsin levels and the remission of NAFLD. Results: During a mean follow-up of 3.14 ± 0.36 years, 247 (27.20%) participants with NAFLD at baseline were in remission. At baseline, serum adipsin concentration was positively correlated with body mass index (r: 0.39, p < 0.001), insulin (r: 0.31, p < 0.001), and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (r: 0.31, p < 0.001) and was inversely associated with NAFLD remission with a fully adjusted odds ratio (OR) of 0.28 (0.16–0.48) (p trend < 0.001). In a multiple stepwise logistic regression model, circulating adipsin independently predicted NAFLD remission (OR: 0.284, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.172–0.471, p for trend <0.001). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.751 (95% CI: 0.717–0.785) (p < 0.001) for the prediction model of NAFLD remission. Conclusions: We provide evidence for an association between serum adipsin levels and the remission of NAFLD in a community-based prospective cohort study. Serum adipsin can be a potential biomarker for predicting NAFLD remission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objective: JAK2 V617F mutation is a molecular marker for myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs). As there are no China Food and Drug Administration-approved assays for the detection of JAK2 V617F mutation in China, validation of the analytic performance of this assay is important for the clinical laboratory before its clinical implementation. We have established a method for detecting JAK2 V617F using tetra-primer amplification refractory mutation system-polymerase chain reaction (tetra-primer ARMS-PCR) combined with melting-curve analysis. Methods: A total of 202 blood samples and 20 bone marrow aspirates were obtained from MPNs patients at Huashan Hospital, Fudan University. The accuracy, precision, reproducibility, analytical sensitivity, lower limit of detection, analytical specificity, interfering substances, ruggedness, robustness, reportable range and reporting of this assay were validated. Results: There was a close agreement between the reference method (sequencing) and melting-curve analysis ( κ = 0.89). The precision was 100 % and the results of the assay were unaffected by lipoprotein (<27 mmol/L) or bilirubin (<450 µmol/L). The analytical sensitivity of the JAK2 mutation was 1.25 %. Conclusions: Tetra-primer amplification refractory mutation system-polymerase chain reaction (tetra-primer ARMS-PCR) combined with melting-curve analysis can be used in the clinical laboratory for detection of the JAK2 V617F mutation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reticuloendotheliosis virus (REV) causes an oncogenic, immunosuppressive and runting syndrome in many avian hosts worldwide. REV infection has never been reported in mallard ducks, however. To identify REV infection in mallards, we collected 40 mallard duck samples from Jilin Province of China. In this study, the REV strain, DBYR1102, was first isolated from a mallard in China and identified by PCR, indirect immunofluorescence assay and electron microscopy. The gp90 gene and complete LTR of DBYR1102 were amplified and sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis based on gp90 genes of REV indicated that the REV strain DBYR1102 is closely related to strain HLJR0901 from northeastern China, the prairie chicken isolate APC-566, and REV subtype III, represented by chick syncytial virus. This new strain is distantly related to two other subtypes of REV, 170A and SNV. Phylogenetic analysis based on the LTR yielded information similar to that obtained with the gp90 genes. The results of this study not only expand our epidemiological understanding of REV in the wild birds of China but also demonstrate the potential role of wild waterfowl in REV transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SLC2A9 is a novel identified urate transporter influencing uric acid metabolism. It has been suggested that the single-nucleotide polymorphisms in SLC2A9 may affect the serum UA levels. The present study was designed to investigate rs6855911 polymorphism in intron 7 of SLC2A9 in a total of 372 Chinese male subjects. We examined 166 gout patients, as well as 206 healthy male volunteers in this study. DNA was purified from peripheral blood, and the rs6855911 polymorphism was evaluated using high-resolution melting (HRM) analysis and direct sequencing. Demographic and clinical data obtained from the patients and controls among the genotype groups were analyzed. A/A and A/G genotypes were unambiguously distinguished with HRM technology. The occurrence of the homozygous type (G/G) was completely absent among the study population. The prevalence of the A/A and A/G genotype was 96.0% and 4.0%, respectively. Genotyping based on HRM was fully concordant with sequencing. The G allele frequency was significantly higher in the low-uric-acid group than in the high-uric-acid group. The genotype distribution and allele frequencies were not significantly different between gout and control subjects ( p = 0.04). However, serum uric acid levels in the A/G genotype subjects were significantly lower than those with the A/A genotypes ( p < 0.01). Rapid and accurate genotyping analysis of SLC2A9 can be done with HRM. The polymorphism rs6855911 in SLC2A9 may be a genetic marker to assess risk of hyperuricemia among Chinese male Han population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lanmucbengite is a new thallium hydrous sulfate from the oxidation zone hosting rich thallium ore bodies in the Lanmuchang thallium (mercury) ore deposit, Xinren County, Guizhou Province, China. This new mineral is named after the locality where it was discovered. The mineral is associated with malanterite, pickeringite, potassium alum, jarosite, gypsum, arsenic blane, sulphur and some unknown minerals. The aggregates of lanmuchangite range from 2 to 10 mm in size. In general, the aggregates are compact and massive in form and are composed of anhedral granular crystals measuring in size from 40 to 90μm, but the single crystal grains show distinct boundaries. Parallel columnar aggregates are occasionally seen, which are composed of subhedral to euhedral columnar crystals ranging in size from 15 to 65μm. White, light yellow to white in color, glassy in luster and transparent. Hv[submeas.] = 94 - 124 kg/mm², Hm = 3.1 - 3.4, density = 2.22 g/cm³. Under the polarization microscope the mineral is colorless and homogeneous, with N[submeas.] = 1.495. It is easily water-soluble. The average chemical composition is: Tl[sub2]O = 33.25, Al[sub2]O[sub3] = 8.07, SO[sub3] = 25.19, SiO[sub2] = 0.10, K[sub2]O = 0.35, CaO = 0.08, MgO = 0.06, FeO = 0.04 and H[sub2]0 = 33.46 [the crystal water (H[sub2]O) was measured by thermogravimetery (TG) while the other composition were determined by electron microprobe], totaling 100.60%. The empirical formula is (Tl[sub1.00]K[sub0.05])[sub1.05] (Al[sub1.01]Si[sub0.01]Ca[sub0.01]Mg[sub0.01])[sub1.04] [SO[sub4]][sub2.01] · 11.88 H[sub2]O and the simplified formula is TlAl[SO[sub4]][sub2] · 12H[sub2]O. The compatibility of lanmuchangite is -0.03 and its value falls within the range of ±0. 020 - ±0.039, so the compatibility is excellent. Its TG curve demonstrated that the crystal water was lost (i. e. , dewatering) in stages at 101, 130 and 230 Celsius. At the temperature... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), a glycoprotein synthesized by hepatocytes, has been linked to insulin resistance and hepatic lipid metabolism and is suggested to be associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This study aimed to investigate the association of SHBG with NAFLD in Chinese adults. Methods: We conducted a community-based, cross-sectional study in China involving 2912 participants aged 40–75 years old. All participants underwent detection for hepatic fat infiltration by ultrasound in addition to providing complete medical history and undergoing physical and blood biochemical examinations. The association of serum SHBG with the presence of NAFLD was reported by adjusted odds ratio after applying logistic regression models. To further explore the relationship between SHBG and NAFLD, mRNA expression of SHBG and hepatocyte nuclear factor 4-α (HNF4α), as well as intrahepatic triglycerides, were determined from the liver tissues of 32 subjects with different degrees of steatosis. Results: Serum SHBG levels in patients with NAFLD (median, 43.8 nmol/L; interquartile range, 33.4–56.8 nmol/L) were significantly lower than those in non-NAFLD subjects (median, 63.4 nmol/L; interquartile range, 47.6–83.1 nmol/L). Serum SHBG levels were inversely correlated with WHR, trunk fat percentage, glucose, HOMA-IR, TG, UA and DHEAS, and were positively correlated with HDL-C levels (all p < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis indicated that serum SHBG levels were negatively associated with the presence of NAFLD in all subjects, as well as the subgroups stratified by sex, BMI and HOMA-IR (all p < 0.05). In human liver tissues, SHBG and HNF4α mRNA expression decreased along with the elevated grade of hepatic steatosis. Both SHBG and HNF4α mRNA expression levels were negatively correlated with intrahepatic triglycerides. Conclusions: These results demonstrate that SHBG levels were negatively associated with the presence of NAFLD in middle-aged and elderly Chinese adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) have been shown to accumulate in abiotic and biotic environmental compartments, data about OPFRs concentrations in various foods are limited and are none in humans through diets. In this work, the concentrations of 6 typical OPFRs were investigated in 50 rice samples, 75 commonly consumed foods and 45 human hair samples from China. The dietary intakes of OPFRs for adult people via food ingestion were estimated. The concentrations of ΣOPFRs in foods ranged from 0.004 ng/g to 287 ng/g. OPFRs were detected in 53.3% of the human hair samples. The highest OPFRs concentrations were found in rice and vegetables. Tri(2-chloroethyl)phosphate(TCEP), tris(2-chloroisopropyl)phosphate(TCIPP), and tri(2-ethyltexyl)phosphate(TEHP) were predominant in all food samples. OPFRs concentrations in foods were not significantly affected by the packaging materials. The mean dietary intakes of ΣOPFRs for adult males and females were 539 and 601 ng/kg body weight/day, respectively. The greatest contribution to these values is from rice, accounting for approximately 60% of the total intake, particularly from rice protein. Rice ingestion was considered a potential major pathway for human exposure to OPFRs, and regional differences in the levels of OPFRs in foods and dietary differences should be given more attention in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) is a bi-segmented, double-stranded RNA virus that belongs to the genus Avibirnavirus of the family of Birnavirideae . The co-evolution of genome segments is a major evolutionary feature for IBDV. However, in recent years, some strains exhibited markedly different genetic relationships for segments A and B. In this study, we firstly isolated a new type of reassortment IBDV strain named IBD13HeB01 from northern China. The full-length genomes of segments A and B were cloned and identified. Sequence analysis revealed that IBD13HeB01 was a segment-reassortment strain, whose segment A was derived from very virulent strain and segment B from attenuated IBDV. In addition, the virulence of IBD13HeB01 strain was evaluated using SPF chickens. This study is not only beneficial for further understanding of the viral evolution but also suggests the potential risk of application of the live vaccines of IBDV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The scientific evidence for the association of daily flavonoid and stilbene intakes with cardiovascular risk factors in Chinese adults has not been reported previously. Objective: The aim of the study was to assess daily flavonoid and stilbene intakes and evaluate these compounds'' association with cardiovascular risk factors such as serum lipids and carotid intima–media thickness in Chinese adults. Design: A total of 1,393 subjects participated in this cross-sectional study from July 2008 to January 2010 in China. Dietary flavonoid and stilbene intakes as well as overall dietary intakes from foods and beverages were assessed with a quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Anthropometric measurements and cardiovascular risk factors including serum lipids, uric acid, and carotid intima–media thickness were examined. The relationship between flavonoids and stilbene intakes and these cardiovascular risk factors was examined using either partial correlation coefficients or analysis of covariance. Results: The richest sources of flavonoids and stilbenes were the fruit group including apple, plum, pear, and peach, followed by the vegetable group containing lotus root and taro. The daily intake of total flavonoids, anthocyanidins, flavonols, flavones, isoflavones, and stilbene were 165.6 mg/day, 27.6 mg/day, 123.7 mg/day, 10.7 mg/day, 3.7 mg/day, and 0.3 mg/day, respectively. Higher daily consumption of anthocyanidins was associated with elevated serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) concentrations (P trend=0.001), and higher total flavonoid and flavonol intakes were associated with lower serum triglycerides (TG) concentrations (P trend=0.020 and P trend=0.035, respectively) and TG/HDL-C ratios (P trend=0.040 and P trend=0.045, respectively) in female subjects. These significant relationships were not found in male subjects. Conclusions: The daily intakes of flavonoid and stilbene were estimated in the present study, and higher dietary flavonoid intake was associated with improving lipid profile in Chinese women. The results indicate that dietary flavonoids may have beneficial effect on preventing cardiovascular diseases. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective: To investigate the rates of problematic mobile phone use (PMPU) and chronotypes in young adults, and examine the associations of PMPU with chronotypes, as well as its gender differences. Furthermore, we explored the moderating role of PER3 gene DNA methylation on the associations., Methods: From April to May 2019, a total of 1,179 young adults were selected from 2 universities in Anhui and Jiangxi provinces. The Self-rating Questionnaire for Adolescent Problematic Mobile Phone Use (SQAPMPU) and reduced Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (rMEQ) were adopted to investigate PMPU and chronotypes in young adults, respectively. Moreover, 744 blood samples were collected to measure PER3 gene DNA methylation. Multivariate logistic regression models were established to analyze the associations between PMPU and chronotypes. Moderating analysis was used to determine whether PER3 gene DNA methylation moderated the relationships between PMPU and chronotypes., Results: The prevalence of PMPU, morning chronotypes (M-types), neutral chronotypes (N-types), and evening chronotypes (E-types) of young adults were 24.6%, 18.4%, 71.1%, and 10.5%, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression results indicated that PMPU was positively correlated with E-types (OR = 3.53, 95%CI: 2.08-6.00), and the association was observed only in females after stratified by gender (OR = 5.36, 95%CI: 2.70-10.67). Furthermore, PER3 gene DNA methylation has a negative moderating role between PMPU and chronotypes and has a sex-based difference., Conclusions: This study can provide valuable information for the prevention and control of circadian rhythm disturbance among young adults from the perspective of epidemiology and biological etiology.

Objectives: To examine different trajectories of cognitive changes in elderly adults and explore the mediating role of depressive symptoms., Design: A 7-year, community-based, prospective cohort study., Setting: The downtown neighborhood of Shanghai, China., Participants: A cohort of 394 older adults, with an average age of 71.8 years, was recruited in 2015 and has been reassessed every two years until 2021., Methods: Latent Class Growth Analysis was used to model aging trajectories and Linear Mixed-Effect Models for Repeated Measures were used to estimate the least squares mean changes of cognition between subjects with depression (DEP + ) and without (DEP - ) across all visits., Results: Three cognitive trajectories were identified: the "successful aging" (SA) trajectory had the best and most consistent performance (n=229, 55.9%); the "normal aging" (NA) trajectory showed lower but stable cognition (n=141, 37.3%); while the "cognitive decline" (CD) trajectory displayed poor and declining cognition (n=24, 6.8%). Depressive symptoms were found to be influential across all trajectories. In the CD trajectory, the MoCA scores of the DEP + group increased in within-group comparisons and were significantly higher than those of the DEP - group at visits 1 and 3 in between-group comparisons. A similar trend was observed in the NA trajectory, though it did not reach statistical significance., Conclusions: Our research suggests that mild and decreasing depressive symptoms can be a reversible factor that might slow down the irreversible cognitive decline in the elderly. Therefore, we suggest that even mild depressive symptoms in the elderly should be monitored and detected., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as potential conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

This study aimed to evaluate the potential associations of dietary BCAAs (isoleucine, leucine, and valine) with physical function in the elderly Chinese population. A validated semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire and anthropometric and physical function measurements were used to collect data. We modeled trends in physical function indicators for BCAA quartiles using multivariate linear regression models. Among 4336 (43.97% men) participants aged 72.73 ± 5.48 years, a higher dietary intake of BCAAs was positively associated with increased handgrip strength (all p trends < 0.001), shorter times for 4-m fast walking (all p trends < 0.001) and repeated chair rises (all p trends < 0.001). No linear association was found between subtypes of amino acids and any physical functions (all p trends > 0.05). Individuals in the highest quartiles of BCAA intake had a reduced risk of developing low muscle strength, and the multiadjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for women and men were 0.50 (0.38−0.65) and 0.67 (0.50−0.91), respectively. Similarly, higher BCAA consumption was associated with a lower risk of developing low physical performance (4-m walking speed: OR = 0.68 [0.50−0.93]; repeated chair rises: OR = 0.66 [0.54−0.81]). Higher dietary BCAA intake might be beneficial for physical function in the elderly population.

Background: Vision impairment has become a prominent public health issue worldwide. However, little is known about vision impairment prevalence trends among the oldest-old adults in China. This study aimed to examine 20-year trends in the prevalence of vision impairment among the oldest-old Chinese adults and explore the contributions of sociodemographic variables, health behaviours, and chronic conditions to the trends., Methods: This retrospective longitudinal study used data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey during 1998-2018. A total of 45 849 participants aged ≥80 years at study entry were included. Vision impairment was assessed by an adapted Landolt-C chart at each wave. We examined unadjusted and adjusted nonlinear trends using generalized estimating equation models incorporating a natural cubic spline. We conducted linear regression models to estimate absolute annual prevalence changes and determine the contributions of sociodemographic variables, health behaviours, and chronic conditions to the trends., Results: The fully adjusted prevalence doubled from 5.5% (95% confidence interval (CI) = 5.1%-6.0%) in 1998 to 10.7% (95% CI = 9.9%-11.5%) in 2011 and slightly increased to 11.1% (95% CI = 10.3%-12.0%) in 2018 among the oldest-old Chinese population. Glaucoma, cataracts, cognitive impairment, hearing impairment, and urban residence were significant contributors to changes in vision impairment prevalence during 1998-2018. Differences in vision impairment prevalence associated with glaucoma and cataracts narrowed since 2005. Disparities in the trends among cognitively impaired and unimpaired older adults remained unchanged over time. Similar results were observed in older people with and without hearing impairment., Conclusions: Vision impairment prevalence among the oldest-old Chinese population increased from 1998 to 2011 and remained stable from 2011 to 2018. Future work is needed to improve the prevention and management of chronic diseases associated with vision impairment to reduce its prevalence., Competing Interests: Disclosure of interest: The authors completed the ICMJE Declaration of Interest Form (available upon request from the corresponding author) and disclose no relevant interest., (Copyright © 2022 by the Journal of Global Health. All rights reserved.)

The study aims to examine the association of dietary intake of lignans with the risk of hip fractures in Chinese older adults. This was a 1:1 age- and gender- matched case−control study. Dietary survey was conducted by face-to-face interviews using a 79-item validated food frequency questionnaire. Habitual intake of total and individual lignans (matairesinol, secoisolariciresinol, pinoresinol, and lariciresinol) was estimated based on the available lignans databases. Conditional logistic regression was used to examine the relationship of dietary total and individual lignans, lignan-rich foods (vegetables, fruits, nuts, and cereals) and dietary fibers with the risk of hip fracture. A total of 1070 pairs of hip fracture incident cases and controls were recruited. Compared with the lowest quartile, the highest quartile group showed a reduced hip fracture risk by 76.3% (0.237, 95% CI: 0.103−0.544, Ptrend < 0.001) for total lignans, and 62.5% (0.375, 95% CI: 0.194−0.724, Ptrend = 0.001) for dietary fibers. Similar findings were observed for individual lignans, the estimated enterolactone level, as well as lignans from vegetables and nuts. We concluded that greater consumption of total and individual lignans, and lignan-rich foods were significantly associated with decreased risk of hip fracture.

Previous studies have explored associations between betaine and diabetes, but few have considered the effects of genes on them. We aimed to examine associations between serum betaine, methyl-metabolizing genetic polymorphisms and the risk of type 2 diabetes in Chinese adults. This prospective study comprised 1565 subjects aged 40-75 without type 2 diabetes at baseline. Serum betaine was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Genotyping of methyl-metabolizing genes was detected by Illumina ASA-750K arrays. Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). During a median of 8.9 years of follow-up, 213 participants developed type 2 diabetes. Compared with participants in the lowest quartile of serum betaine, those in the highest quartile had lower risk of type 2 diabetes, adjusted HRs (95%CIs) was 0.46 (0.31, 0.69). For methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase ( MTHFR ) G1793A (rs2274976) and MTHFR A1298C (rs1801131), participants carrying 1793GA + AA and 1298AC + CC had lower risk of type 2 diabetes. Interactions of serum betaine and genotype of MTHFR G1793A and MTHFR A1298C could be found influencing type 2 diabetes risk. Our findings indicate that higher serum betaine, mutations of MTHFR G1793A and A1298C, as well as the joint effects of them, are associated with lower risk of type 2 diabetes.

Few studies have suggested that long-term adherence to low-carbohydrate diets (LCD) may affect maternal glucose metabolism in Western countries. We aimed to investigate the association between LCD during pregnancy and glucose metabolism in a Chinese population. A total of 1018 women in mid-pregnancy were recruited in 2017-2018. Participants underwent a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Daily dietary intakes over the past month were accessed using a validated FFQ. The overall, animal and vegetable LCD scores which represent adherence to different low-carbohydrate dietary patterns were calculated. Mixed linear regression and generalised linear mixed regression were conducted to evaluate the associations between LCD scores and maternal glucose metabolism. Of the 1018 subjects, 194 (19·1 %) were diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). The overall LCD score (β: 0·024, se 0·008, PFDR = 0·02) and animal LCD score (β: 0·023, se 0·008, PFDR = 0·02) were positively associated with OGTT 1-h glucose. No significant associations were found between the three different LCD scores with fasting plasma glucose, OGTT 2-h glucose, or insulin resistance, respectively. Compared with the lowest quartile, the crude OR of GDM for the highest quartile were 1·84 (95 % CI 1·14, 2·95) for overall LCD score (Pfor trend = 0·02) and 1·56 (95 % CI 1·00, 2·45) for animal LCD score (Pfor trend = 0·02). However, these associations became non-significant after adjustment for covariates. In conclusion, a low-carbohydrate dietary pattern with high animal protein and fat is associated with higher postprandial 1-h glucose levels in Chinese pregnant women.

Aims: To investigate the distribution of diabetic retinopathy (DR) by sex in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in a twelve-province cross-sectional study in China., Methods: Patients with T2DM, whose ages were ≥18 years, were recruited from 76 cities/counties in 12 provinces in mainland China between January 2015 and December 2018. All participants received a standardized interview, eye examinations, and digital fundus photography. The presence and severity of DR were diagnosed and classified by retina specialists according to the DR domestic typing method., Results: A total of 12,766 participants (5963 males and 6803 females) were eligible for this study. The total prevalence of DR was 30.1%. Females exhibited a significantly higher prevalence of DR than males (31.1% vs. 29.0%, P = 0.011). A multivariate logistic regression analysis confirmed that female sex was an independent predictor for a higher prevalence of DR after adjusting for age, the duration of diabetes, economic status, and the presence of hypertension (OR: 1.096, 95% CI: 1.013-1.186, P = 0.023). Even after stratification by the diabetic duration, age, and economic status, female sex was still independently associated with the presence of DR in patients whose T2DM history was more than 10 years, whose ages were over 60 years, or who were in a relatively intermediate economic area., Conclusion: Females had a higher prevalence of DR than males in T2DM patients with a diabetic history of more than 10 years, ages over 60 years, or a relatively intermediate economic status., Competing Interests: None of the authors has any conflicts of interest to declare., (Copyright © 2020 Mei Li et al.)

Context: SHBG, a homodimeric glycoprotein produced by hepatocytes has been shown to be associated with metabolic disorders. Whether circulating SHBG levels are predictive of later risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) remains unknown. In this study, we prospectively investigated the association between SHBG and NAFLD progression through a community-based cohort comprising 3389 Chinese adults., Methods: NAFLD was diagnosed using abdominal ultrasonography. Serum SHBG levels were measured by chemiluminescent enzyme immunometric assay, and their relationship with NAFLD development and regression was investigated after a mean follow-up of 3.09 years using multivariable logistic regression., Results: Basal SHBG was negatively associated with NAFLD development, with a fully adjusted odds ratio (OR) and its 95% confidence interval (CI) of 0.22 (0.12-0.40) (P < .001). In contrast, basal SHBG was positively associated with NAFLD regression, with a fully adjusted OR of 4.83 (2.38-9.81) (P < .001). Multiple-stepwise logistic regression analysis showed that SHBG concentration was an independent predictor of NAFLD development (OR, 0.28 [0.18-0.45]; P < .001) and regression (OR, 3.89 [2.43-6.22]; P < .001). In addition, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curves were 0.764 (95% CI, 0.740-0.787) and 0.762 (95% CI, 0.738-0.785) for the prediction models of NAFLD development and regression, respectively., Conclusions: Serum SHBG concentration is associated with the development and regression of NAFLD; moreover, it can be a potential biomarker for predicting NAFLD progression, and also a novel preventive and therapeutic target for NAFLD., (© Endocrine Society 2019. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

The objective of this study is to find about the association between calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) genetic variants and susceptibility to nephrolithiasis in the Chinese Han population.This hospital-based case-control study included 319 nephrolithiasis cases and 378 healthy controls subjects. Two SNPs in CaSR were genotyped using the TaqMan assay.We found that subjects carrying the G allele of rs6776158 (AG and GG) had significantly higher risk of nephrolithiasis compared to the AA genotype (P = .015 and .009, respectively).Our results indicate that rs6776158 polymorphism that might elevate the risk of nephrolithiasis in the Chinese population.

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and understand the relationship between NAFLD and metabolic risk factors in middle-aged and elderly adults., Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited 2 935 subjects in Guangzhou, Guangdong province. Face-to-face interviews and laboratory analyses were conducted to collect general information and other covariates. Analysis of covariance and logistic regression analysis were performed to investigate the relationship between metabolic factors and the prevalence of NAFLD. NAFLD was diagnosed based on standard criteria recommend by the Fatty Liver Disease and Alcoholic Liver Disease Branch of Chinese Hepatology Society, and the degree of steatosis was assessed (mild, moderate or severe)., Results: Compared with normal subjects, those with NAFLD had higher levels of WC, BMI, FPG, TG, SBP, DBP and greater prevalence of metabolic syndrome, but lower levels of physical activity and HDL-C. After adjusted for covariates, the OR for each standard deviation change was 2.70 (95% CI: 2.45-2.98) for WC, 1.47 (95% CI: 1.35-1.59) for SBP, 1.48 (95% CI: 1.37-1.60) for DBP, 1.88 (95% CI: 1.66-2.12) for TG, 1.25 (95% CI: 1.15-1.36) for FPG and 0.51 (95% CI: 0.47-0.56) for HDL-C (all P<0.001). Higher levels of WC, BMI, TG, SBP, DBP and FPG were significantly related with the increase in degree of NAFLD (P-trend<0.001)., Conclusion: There is a relatively high prevalence of NAFLD in middle-aged and elderly adults in China. NAFLD is closely related with the different forms of metabolic syndrome, and WC is the leading risk factor for NAFLD.

We aimed to determine the prevalence of the coexistence of HBsAg and anti-HBs and to analyze the clinical and virological features of infection, including amino acid (aa) patterns of the S gene and reverse transcriptase (RT) region in Chinese chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. Fifty-four (2.90%) CHB patients who were positive for both HBsAg and anti-HBs were tested, and sequences were obtained from 52 of them as well as 48 patients from a control group. S gene and RT region sequences were amplified and sequenced using in-house protocols. There was no significant difference between patients with and without anti-HBs with regard to age, gender, alanine aminotransferase level, and the proportion positive for HBeAg and HBcAb. The occurrence of genotype C (P = 0.001) and anti-HBeAb positivity (P = 0.027) was significantly higher in HBsAg+/anti-HBs+ individuals. In the S gene, the number of mutated residues in the HBsAg+/anti-HBs+ group was markedly higher than in control patients (1.88 versus 1.02 substitutions per 100 amino acids, P = 0.022). The amino acid exchange occurred mostly within the N-terminal region (2.15 versus 0.87 substitutions per 100 amino acids, P = 0.023) and the "a" determinant (3.61 versus 1.56 substitutions per 100 amino acids, P = 0.049) in the two groups. In the RT region, the mean number of substitution per 100 aa showed a tendency to be significantly higher in HBsAg+/anti-HBs+ patients than in controls (2.34 versus 1.46, P = 0.040). This study showed a prevalence of coexistence of anti-HBs in HBsAg-positive patients and an increased frequency of genotype C and aa variability within both HBsAg and RT involving functionally important regions of those proteins.

Objective: To test the association of total and physical activity (PA) intensity levels with bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content (BMC) in postmenopausal women., Methods: 315 postmenopausal women (50-70 y) were recruited for this cross-sectional study from community residents in Guangzhou, China. PA and related covariates including general characteristics and dietary intakes were assessed using a face-to-face interview. BMD and BMC were determined by a dual energy x-ray absorptiometry, at the whole body, lumbar spine (L1-AL4), total hip and its sub-sites., Results: The participants were tertiled according to metabolic equivalent (MET) of PA. Analysis of covariance showed that greater PA tended to correlated to better BMD and BMC at various sites. Mean (S) BMDs at the whole body were (1.045 +/- 0.008), (1.043 +/- 0.008), (1.068 +/- 0.008) g/cm2 in the tertile I, II and III of total PA. BMD was significantly higher in the tertile III than those in the tertile I (P = 0. 049) and II (P = 0.028). No significant difference was observed at other sites. Mean BMC was significantly higher in the of highest total PA group than those in the other two groups at total femur, femoral neck, shaft femur and ward's triangle (P = 0. 004-0. 042). The association was differed by PA intensity levels. BMD tended to be increased with less light-intensity PA, more moderate-intensity PA and moderate vigorous-intensity PA., Conclusion: Greater total PA and moderate-intensity PA, and moderate vigorous-intensity PA might improve bone mass in postmenopausal women.

Background: Hyperlipidemia is a risk factor for atherosclerotic events. Differences in lipid levels may exist in different races. Han is the largest group and Zhuang is the largest minority among the 56 nationalities in China. Geographically and linguistically, Zhuang can be classified into 43 ethnic subgroups, among which Hei Yi (means black worship and black dress) Zhuang, living in Napo County bordering northeast Vietnam and with a population of about 50,000, is a special ethnic group, and the most conservative with a unique culture. Little is known about the lipid levels in this population. The aim of this study was to compare the lipid levels, prevalence of hyperlipidemia, and risk factors in Hei Yi Zhuang and Han populations., Methods: A total of 1068 people of Hei Yi Zhuang nationality were surveyed by a cluster sampling. Blood pressure, height, weight, serum lipid and apolipoprotein (Apo) levels were measured, and body mass index (BMI) was calculated. The results were compared with those in 933 people of Han nationality who also live in that district., Results: The levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and Apo B in Hei Yi Zhuang nationality were significantly lower than those in Han nationality (p <0.05-0.001), but the levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and the ratio of Apo A1 to Apo B in Hei Yi Zhuang nationality were significantly higher than those in Han nationality (p <0.001 and 0.05, respectively). The prevalence rates of hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and hyperlipidemia in Hei Yi Zhuang and Han nationalities were 25.00 vs. 28.72% (p >0.05), 12.45 vs. 14.36% (p >0.05), and 31.37 vs. 35.91% (p <0.05); respectively. The prevalence of hyperlipidemia in Hei Yi Zhuang or Han population was positively correlated with age, BMI, blood pressure, and alcohol consumption (p <0.05-0.001), respectively, but was not associated with gender or cigarette smoking in both nationalities (p >0.05)., Conclusions: The current study reveals that there were significant differences in lipid levels and prevalence of hyperlipidemia between Hei Yi Zhuang and Han ethnic groups, but no significant differences in the detected risk factors for hyperlipidemia between the two ethnic groups, which might result from the comprehensive role of different dietary habits, life style, and level of physical activity, as well as genetic background.