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Hierarchical architecture of ultrathin interlayer-expanded WS2 nanosheets supported on three-dimensional graphene (3DG) frameworks is fabricated by a facile hydrothermal method for the first time. The 3DG frameworks could provide large surface area for assembling WS2 nanosheets and continuous pathways for rapid electron transfer and ion transport; and the WS2 nanosheets with an expanded interlayer spacing of 9.58 A, due to oxygen incorporation, could afford more space for lithium ion intercalation and more active sites for hydrogen evolution. The as-prepared WS2/3DG composite exhibits a high capacity of 766 mA h g−1 and excellent cycling stability for lithium storage, much better than its annealed counterpart and bulk WS2. The hydrated sheet of WS2/3DG also demonstrates boosted electrocatalytic activity for the hydrogen evolution reaction, possessing a low onset overpotential of 75 mV and an extremely large current density of 137 mA cm−2 at 300 mV with remarkable durability. This work may open up a new pathway for improving the electrochemical properties by synergistically optimizing the electrode architectures and the intrinsic electroactivity of the active materials.

How does the placenta protect the fetus from immune rejection by the mother?The placenta can produce IgG that is glycosylated at one of its Fab arms (asymmetric IgG; aIgG) which can interact with other antibodies and certain leukocytes to affect local immune reactions at the junction between the two genetically distinct entities.The placenta can protect the semi-allogenic fetus from immune rejection by the immune potent mother. aIgG in serum is increased during pregnancy and returns to the normal range after giving birth. aIgG can react to antigens to form immune complexes which do not cause a subsequent immune effector reaction, including fixing complements, inducing cytotoxicity and phagocytosis, and therefore has been called 'blocking antibody'.Eighty-eight human placentas, four trophoblast cell lines (TEV-1, JAR, JEG and BeWo), primary culture of human placental trophoblasts and a gene knock-out mouse model were investigated in this study.The general approach included the techniques of cell culture, immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization, immuno-electron microscopy, western blot, quantitative PCR, protein isolation, glycosylation analysis, enzyme digestion, gene sequencing, mass spectrophotometry, laser-guided microdissection, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, pulse chase assay, double and multiple staining to analyze protein and DNA and RNA analysis at the cellular and molecular levels.Three major discoveries were made: (i) placental trophoblasts and endothelial cells are capable of producing IgG, a significant portion of which is aberrantly glycosylated at one of its Fab arms to form aIgG; (ii) the asymmetrically glycosylated IgG produced by trophoblasts and endothelial cells can react to immunoglobulin molecules of human, rat, mouse, goat and rabbit at the Fc portion; (iii) asymmetrically glycosylated IgG can react to certain leukocytes in the membrane and cytoplasm, while symmetric IgG from the placenta does not have this property.Most of the experiments were performed in vitro. The proposed mechanism calls for verification in normal and abnormal pregnancy.This study identified a number of new phenomena suggesting that aIgG produced by the placenta would be able to react to detrimental antibodies and leukocytes and interfere with their immune reactions against the placenta and the fetus. This opens a new dimension for further studies on pregnancy physiology and immunology. Should the mechanism proposed here be confirmed, it will have a direct impact on our understanding of the physiology and pathology of human reproduction and offer new possibilities for the treatment of many diseases including spontaneous abortion, infertility and pre-eclampsia. It also sheds light on the mechanism of immune evasion in general including that of cancer.

Postpartum depression (PPD), as a common complication of childbearing, could have adverse consequences on mothers, children, and families. This cohort study aimed to assess the association between duration of folic acid (FA) supplementation during pregnancy and the onset of PPD in Chinese women. A total of 1592 participants were recruited, and data collected between July 2015 and March 2017 in Tianjin, China. Participants’ baseline data were collected regarding socio-demographic and lifestyle characteristics, obstetric history, and FA supplementation during pregnancy. The Chinese version of the self-rating depression scale was used to assess depressive symptoms at 6–12 weeks postpartum, and the prevalence of PPD in participants was 29.4%. Pregnant women who took FA supplements for >6 months had a lower prevalence of PPD, compared to those who took FA for ≤6 months. After using the 1:1 ratio propensity score matching, 601 FA-users ≤ 6 months and 601 FA-users > 6 months were included in the further analyses; this also yielded similar results (P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that FA intake for >6 months was an independent determinant of PPD (odds ratio = 0.76; 95% confidence interval: 0.59–0.98; P < 0.05). Thus, prolonged FA supplementation during pregnancy was associated with a decreased risk of PPD in Chinese women.

Background Elevated plasma homocysteine (Hcy) levels have been indicated as a strong and modifiable risk factor of ischemic stroke; the previous studies have shown that exposure to Hcy activates cultured microglia. However, whether neurotoxicity of Hcy involves microglia activation following brain ischemia and the underlying mechanisms remains incompletely understood. Methods The cerebral damage was evaluated by staining with 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride, hematoxylin-eosin, and Fluoro Jade B. The activation state of microglia was assessed via immunoreaction using the microglial markers Iba1 and OX-42. Then, the inflammatory factors such as tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin 6 (IL-6), and phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (pSTAT3) were examined by Western blot analysis and fluorescence immunohistochemistry. Results Elevated Hcy level augmented brain damage and neural cell toxicity in the brain cortex and the dentate gyrus region of the hippocampus after cerebral ischemia/reperfusion. Meanwhile, Hcy activated microglia and induced the expression of the inflammatory factors such as TNF-α and IL-6. Moreover, Hcy caused an increase in pSTAT3 expression which occurs in microglial cells. AG490, a JAK2-STAT3 inhibitor, effectively inhibited the phosphorylation of STAT3, microglial cell activation and the secretion of IL-6, TNF-α raised by Hcy treatment. Conclusions STAT3 signaling pathway located in microglia plays a critical role in mediating Hcy-induced activation of microglia and neuroinflammation in rat MCAO model. This suggests the feasibility of targeting the JAK2/STAT3 pathway as an effective therapeutic strategy to alleviate the progression of Hcy-associated ischemia stroke. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12974-017-0963-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Video-on-demand (VoD) streaming based on Peer-to-Peer (P2P) overlay has become one of the most popular applications over the Internet. However, the bottlenecks in the available upload bandwidth, both at the media source and inside the overlay, is still a challenging problem, which may limit the satisfaction of users in watching video. A potential solution for this problem is assisting the P2P streaming overlay by a cloud computing infrastructure to guarantee the minimum level of users' satisfaction: rented cloud resources (p rs) are added on demand to the overlay, to increase the amount of available bandwidth and the probability of receiving the video streaming on time. In such an approach, the VoD service provider relies on helpers to deliver video chunks to users and needs to pay for the cloud bandwidth consumption. Hence, under the limitation on cloud bandwidth consumption, how a helper allocates its bandwidth resource for chunk delivering is important to improve the satisfaction degrees of users. In this paper, we present an analytical optimization model to tackle with the bandwidth allocation problem for helpers. Furthermore, a greedy-based policy aiming to improve user satisfaction is proposed based on the model. We perform extensive simulations and the experimental results show that compared to existing policies, the proposed policy can provide high satisfaction degrees of users.

The role of homocysteine (Hcy) in the pathogenesis of coronary artery disease (CAD) is controversial, as decreased Hcy levels have not demonstrated consistent clinical benefits. Recent studies propose that S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH), and not Hcy, plays a role in cardiovascular disease (CVD). We aimed to assess the relationship between plasma SAH and coronary artery lesions. Participants (n=160; aged 40-80years) with chest pain and suspected CAD underwent coronary angiography (CAG) for assessment of coronary artery stenosis, and were assigned to either the atherosclerosis (AS) or CAD group. Plasma SAH and S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) concentrations were measured and the association between coronary artery lesions and SAH was assessed. SAH levels were significantly higher in the CAD group (23.09±2.4nmol/L) than in the AS group (19.2±1.5nmol/L). While the AS group had higher values for SAM/SAH (5.1±0.7 vs. 4.1±1.1), levels of SAM, Hcy, folate, and vitamin B12 were similar in the two groups. Coronary artery lesions were associated with SAH (β=11.8 [95% CI: 5.88, 17.7, P

Atherosclerosis is a chronic disease that can seriously endanger human life. Folic acid supplementation modulates several disorders, including atherosclerosis, via its antiapoptotic and antioxidative properties. This study investigated whether folic acid alleviates atherogenesis by restoring homocysteine levels and antioxidative capacity in atherosclerosis Wistar rats. To this end, 28 Wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 groups (7 rats/group) as follows: (i) wild-type group, fed only the AIN-93 semi-purified rodent diet (folic acid: 2.1 mg/kg); (ii) high-fat + folic acid-deficient group (HF+DEF) (folic acid: 0.2 mg/kg); (iii) high-fat + normal folic acid group (folic acid: 2.1 mg/kg); and (iv) high-fat + folic acid-supplemented group (folic acid: 4.2 mg/kg). After 12 weeks, histopathological changes in the atherosclerotic lesions of the aortic arch were determined. In addition, serum folate levels, plasma homocysteine levels, plasma S-adenosyl-homocysteine levels, antioxidant status, oxidant status, and lipid profiles were evaluated. The results show aggravated atherosclerotic lesions in the HF+DEF group. Folic acid supplementation increased concentrations of serum folate. Further, folic acid supplementation increased high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, decreased plasma homocysteine levels, and improved antioxidant capacity in atherogenic rats. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that folic acid alleviates atherogenesis by reducing plasma homocysteine levels and improving antioxidant capacity in rats fed a high-fat diet.

In order to improve the tribological properties of perfluoropolyethers (PFPE), fluorinated candle soot is adopted as the lubricant additive because of their special onion-like structure. The candle soot particles (CSP) are modified by 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctanol (CSP-PFHE nanoparticles), and after the fluorination, they exhibit good dispersivity in PFPE. The mixtures composed of CSP-PFHE nanoparticles and PFPE possess better tribological performance than neat PFPE under different test conditions including variable temperature, the irradiation of atomic oxygen and extreme pressure. The reason can be attributed to that the graphene layers are exfoliated from the surfaces of nanoparticles and adhere onto the steel surfaces to form the tribofilm, which can protect the sliding pairs surfaces from friction and severe wear. Meanwhile, the redundant nanoparticles act as the rolling bearing between the sliding surfaces to decrease the wear and some are packed into the corrosion pits generated by PFPE to prevent further erosion in the process of friction. At the end, the lubricating mechanism of CSP-PFHE nanoparticles as additives of PFPE is proposed based on the test results of scanning electron microscope, contact electrical resistance and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

Methodological quality assessment per quality item and per study. (DOCX 24 kb)

Characteristics of the papers identified in this review. (DOCX 94 kb)

Criteria of Quality assessment. (DOCX 53 kb)

Neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), which are composed of intracellular filamentous aggregates of hyperphosphorylated tau protein, are one of the pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Because tau phosphorylation is regulated by phosphatases, abnormal metabolism of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) has been proposed to be a contributing factor to the disease process.To determine the function of folic acid on tau phosphorylation, an in vitro model of human neuroblastoma cells (SH-SY5Y) were exposed to folic acid (0-40 μmol/L) for 96 h, in the presence or absence of the phosphoesterase inhibitor okadaic acid (OA) (10 nmol/L) for 9 h. The data of western blot showed tau phosphorylation at the Ser396 site in OA-incubated SH-SY5Y cells was inhibited by folic acid in a concentration-dependent manner, with the folic acid concentration of 40 μmol/L providing maximal inhibition. Folic acid can downregulate tau protein phosphorylation by inhibiting the demethylation reactions of PP2A. High folic acid concentrations (20 and 40 μmol/L) increased SAM:SAH ratios and cell viability.Therefore, we can speculate that folate deficiency may be a cause of PP2A deregulation, which can in turn lead to expression of the abnormal hyperphosphorylated form of tau.

Sarcopenia is characterized by the age-related loss of muscle mass and strength, which results in higher mortality in aged people. One of the mechanisms of the sarcopenia is the loss in the function and number of muscle satellite cells. Chronic low-grade inflammation plays a central role in the pathogenesis of age-related sarcopenia. Accumulating evidence suggests that coffee, one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world, has potential pharmacological benefits such as anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects. Since these effects may improve sarcopenia and the functions of satellite cells, we examined the effects of coffee on the skeletal muscles in an animal model using aged mice. In vivo, coffee treatment attenuated the decrease in the muscle weight and grip strength, increased the regenerating capacity of injured muscles, and decreased the serum pro-inflammatory mediator levels compared to controls. In vitro, using satellite cells isolated from aged mice, coffee treatment increased the cell proliferation rate, augmented the cell cycle, and increased the activation level of Akt intra-cellular signaling pathway compared to controls. These findings suggest that the coffee treatment had a beneficial effect on age-related sarcopenia.

Type 2 diabetes is a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment. Folate insufficiency fosters a decline in the sole methyl donor, S-adenosylmethionine, and decreases methylation potential, which is associated with Alzheimer’s disease in non-diabetic patients. However, little is known in diabetic patients. We analyzed plasma levels of S-adenosylmethionine, S-adenosylhomocysteine and serum level of folate in 100 elderly type 2 diabetic patients with and without mild cognitive impairment. S-adenosylmethionine/S-adenosylhomocysteine ratio was used to reflect the methylation potential. Patients with mild cognitive impairment had significantly lower levels of S-adenosylmethionine, folate and S-adenosylmethionine/S-adenosylhomocysteineratios. Furthermore, logistic regression analysis indicated the plasma S-adenosylmethionine, S-adenosylmethionine/S-adenosylhomocysteine ratio and serum folate (OR, 0.96, 0.698, 0.72, respectively; p

The proliferative response of neural stem cells (NSCs) to folate may play a critical role in the development, function and repair of the central nervous system. It is important to determine the dose-dependent effects of folate in NSC cultures that are potential sources of transplantable cells for therapies for neurodegenerative diseases. To determine the optimal concentration and mechanism of action of folate for stimulation of NSC proliferation in vitro , NSCs were exposed to folic acid or 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF) (0–200 μmol/L) for 24, 48 or 72 h. Immunocytochemistry and methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium assay showed that the optimal concentration of folic acid for NSC proliferation was 20–40 μmol/L. Stimulation of NSC proliferation by folic acid was associated with DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) activation and was attenuated by the DNMT inhibitor zebularine, which implies that folate dose-dependently stimulates NSC proliferation through a DNMT-dependent mechanism. Based on these new findings and previously published evidence, we have identified a mechanism by which folate stimulates NSC growth.

The present study investigated the roles of folic acid and DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) in the differentiation of neural stem cells (NSCs). Neonatal rat NSCs were grown in suspended neurosphere cultures and identified by their expression of SOX2 protein and capacity for self-renewal. Then NSCs were assigned to five treatment groups for cell differentiation: control (folic acid-free differentiation medium), low folic acid (8 μg/mL), high folic acid (32 μg/mL), low folic acid and DNMT inhibitor zebularine (8 μg/mL folic acid and 150 nmol/mL zebularine), and high folic acid and zebularine (32 μg/mL folic acid and 150 nmol/mL zebularine). After 6 days of cell differentiation, immunocytochemistry and western blot analyses were performed to identify neurons by β-tubulin III protein expression and astrocytes by GFAP expression. We observed that folic acid increased DNMT activity which may be regulated by the cellular S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) and S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH), and the abundance of neurons but decreased the number of astrocytes. Zebularine blocked these effects of folic acid. In conclusion, folic acid acts through elevation of DNMT activity to increase neuronal differentiation and decrease astrocytic differentiation in NSCs.

This study aimed to evaluate whether folic acid supplementation would improve cognitive performance by reducing serum inflammatory cytokine concentrations. This RCT was performed in Tianjin, China. Participants with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) were randomly assigned to the folic acid (400 μg/day) or conventional treatment groups. Neuropsychological tests were administered, and folate, homocysteine, vitamin B12, IL-6, TNF-α, Aβ-42, and Aβ-40 were measured at baseline and at 6- and 12-month time points.152 participants (folic acid: 77, conventional: 75) completed the trial. Significant improvements in folate (ηp2 = 0.703, P = 0.011), homocysteine (ηp2 = 0.644, P = 0.009), Aβ-42 (ηp2 = 0.687, P = 0.013), peripheral IL-6 (ηp2 = 0.477, P = 0.025), TNF-α (ηp2 = 0.709, P = 0.009) levels were observed in folic acid group compared with conventional group. Folic acid supplementation improved the Full Scale Intelligence Quotient (P = 0.028; effect size d = 0.153), Information (P = 0.031; d = 0.157) and Digit Span (P = 0.009; d = 0.172) scores at 12 months compared with conventional treatment. Based on these findings, daily oral administration of a 400-μg folic acid supplement to MCI subjects for 12 months can significantly improve cognitive performance and reduce peripheral inflammatory cytokine levels.

Infants are born equipped to ingest nutrients, but have to learn how, what and how much to eat. This must occur early, because the mode of feeding evolves dramatically, from ‘tube’ feeding in utero to eating table foods with the family. Eating habits established during early years contribute to the development of subsequent eating habits. Therefore, it is fundamental to understand the most important early periods for the development of eating habits and the drivers of this development. Here we will focus on the first three years of postnatal life. Several characteristics of the eating experience contribute to drive infant’s eating and to shape preferences and energy intake control: food sensory properties; food energy density, social context of eating. The learning processes involve repeated exposure (including to a variety of flavours), association with post-absorptive consequences (energy density) and with contextual signals (interaction with family members). Beyond the first flavour discoveries during the prenatal and lactation periods (through the infant’s exposure to flavours from foods of the mother’s diet), the most important phases for learning food preferences and appetite control may be the beginning of complementary feeding. Infants discover the sensory (texture, taste and flavour) and nutritional properties (energy density) of the foods that will ultimately compose their adult diet; parents are still in charge of providing appropriate foods, timing, context for eating. Inter-individual differences in learning, related to temperamental dimensions, to sensitivity to food cues (sensory cues or energy density) are large and also have to be taken into account.

Background Lack of physical activity is a growing problem in China, due to the fast economic development and changing living environment over the past two decades. The aim of this review is to summarize the factors related to physical activity in Chinese children and adolescents during this distinct period of development. Methods A systematic search was finished on Jan 10th, 2017, and identified 2200 hits through PubMed and Web of Science. English-language published studies were included if they reported statistical associations between factors and physical activity. Adapted criteria from the Strengthening The Reporting of OBservational studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) statement and evaluation of the quality of prognosis studies in systematic reviews (QUIPS) were used to assess the risk of bias of the included studies. Related factors that were reported in at least three studies were summarized separately for children and adolescents using a semi-quantitative method. Results Forty two papers (published 2002–2016) were included. Most designs were cross-sectional (79%), and most studies used questionnaires to assess physical activity. Sample size was above 1000 in 18 papers (43%). Thirty seven studies (88%) showed acceptable quality by methodological quality assessment. Most studies reported a low level of physical activity. Boys were consistently more active than girls, the parental physical activity was positively associated with children and adolescents’ physical activity, children in suburban/rural regions showed less activity than in urban regions, and, specifically in adolescents, self-efficacy was positively associated with physical activity. Family socioeconomic status and parental education were not associated with physical activity in children and adolescents. Conclusions The studies included in this review were large but mostly of low quality in terms of study design (cross-sectional) and methods (questionnaires). Parental physical activity and self-efficacy are promising targets for future physical activity promotion programmes. The low level of physical activity raises concern, especially in suburban/rural regions. Future research is required to enhance our understanding of other influences, such as the physical environment, especially in early childhood. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12966-017-0486-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Although we have found that protease-treated royal jelly (pRJ) benefit for the skeletal muscle mass and strength in the aged animals, the potential beneficial effects have not been evaluated in humans. The aim of this study was to determine whether pRJ intake had beneficial effects on muscle strength in elderly nursing home residents. One hundred and ninety-four subjects enrolled into this multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Subjects received either placebo(Group 1), pRJ 1.2 g/d(Group 2), or 4.8 g/d(Group 3). Data through 1 year are reported for 163 subjects. The primary outcome measure is handgrip strength. Secondary outcomes include several physical performance tests (six-minute walk test, timed up and go test, and standing on one leg with eyes closed). The dropout rate was 16.0%. The means (95% confidence interval) of change in handgrip strength for placebo, low-dose, and high-dose groups are −0.98(−2.04,0.08), 0.50(−0.65,1.65) and 1.03(−0.37,2.44) kg (P = 0.06, P for trend = 0.02), respectively. No significant effects of the interventions were observed for physical performances. These findings suggest that pRJ treatment might not improve, but rather attenuate the progression of decrease in muscle strength in elderly people. In addition, we have not found that pRJ intervention can achieve improvement or attenuating the decrease in physical performance.

Previous studies indicated that dietary patterns were associated with metabolic syndrome (MS), but little is known in Chinese. We design this case-control study to evaluate the associations between dietary patterns and MS in Chinese adults. In this study, 1492 participants with MS were matched with 1492 controls using the 1:1 ratio propensity score matching methods. Dietary intake was assessed using a valid self-administered food frequency questionnaire, and MS was defined in accordance with the criteria of the American Heart Association scientific statement of 2009. Higher scores for the high-protein/cholesterol pattern were associated with higher prevalence of MS. Compared with the participants in the lowest quartile, the odds ratio (OR) for the extreme quartile was 1.36 (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.10–1.68) and the P for trend

Silicon dioxide (SiO2) is one of the key materials in many modern technological applications such as in metal oxide semiconductor transistors, photovoltaic solar cells, pollution removal, and biomedicine. We report the accidental discovery of free-standing grassy silica nanoribbons directly grown on SiO2/Si platform which is commonly used for field-effect transistors fabrication without other precursor. We investigate the formation mechanism of this novel silica nanostructure that has not been previously documented. The silica nanoribbons are flexible and can be manipulated by electron-beam. The silica nanoribbons exhibit strong blue emission at about 467 nm, together with UV and red emissions as investigated by cathodoluminescence technique. The origins of the luminescence are attributed to various defects in the silica nanoribbons; and the intensity change of the blue emission and green emission at about 550 nm is discussed in the frame of the defect density. Our study may lead to rational design of the new silica-based materials for a wide range of applications.

Background High lipid levels may constitute a more important risk factor for cognitive health in previous studies. However, the association of plasma lipids with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) among elderly people had not been studied exactly. This study aims to explore the relationship between plasma lipids/lipoproteins and the risk of MCI in elderly Chinese individuals. Methods CSI-MCI study was a preliminary case-control study of the association of plasma lipids/lipoproteins with MCI in 112 MCI cases and 115 cognitively normal controls. Plasma total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and triglycerides (TG) levels were measured in fasting blood samples. Multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate the potential association between MCI and these factors. Statistical models were adjusted for multiple demographic and biological covariates. Results The subjects with MCI were significantly older, higher percentage of females and less educated than controls (P

Older adults can experience glucose metabolism dysfunction, and although manganese may help regulate glucose metabolism, there is little information regarding this association among older people. This cross-sectional study included 2402 Chinese adults who were ≥60 years old in 2013 (Tianjin, China), and evaluated the associations of serum manganese with prediabetes and diabetes. Serum manganese levels were measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to evaluate the sex-specific associations of manganese levels with diabetes and prediabetes after adjusting for confounding factors (age, sex, life style factors, and health status). Based on the WHO criteria, prediabetes was observed in 15.1% of men and 13.4% of women, while diabetes was observed in 30.0% of men and 34.4% of women. In the final model, the odds ratios (95% confidence interval) for prediabetes according to manganese quartile were 1.000, 0.463 (0.269–0.798), 0.639 (0.383–1.065), and 0.614 (0.365–1.031) among men and 1.000, 0.773 (0.498–1.200), 0.602 (0.382–0.947), and 0.603 (0.381–0.953) among women (p for trend = 0.134 and 0.015, respectively). The lowest prevalence of diabetes among men occurred at a moderate range of serum manganese (p < 0.05). Therefore, appropriate serum manganese levels may help prevent and control prediabetes and diabetes.

The association of vitamin D status and inflammation prediabetes mellitus (PreDM) individuals has not been investigated. We investigated the association of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin DIn this cross-sectional study, we stratified 418 nondiabetic subjects as having PreDM or normal fasting glucose (NFG), and divided PreDM or NFG subjects into vitamin D sufficient, vitamin D insufficient and vitamin D deficient subgroups. 25(OH) DIn the PreDM group, compared with those in the vitamin D sufficient subgroup, vitamin D insufficient subgroup and vitamin D deficient subgroup had higher concentrations of hs-CRP and leptin (P0.05). In the PreDM-deficient or PreDM-insufficient subgroup, mean hs-CRP and leptin concentration was higher than in the PreDM-sufficient, NFG-deficient, NFG-insufficient and NFG-sufficient subgroups (P0.05). Serum 25(OH) D25(OH) D

Background/Aims: The prevalence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and its subtypes among Chinese older adults, and the contribution of vascular risk factors (VRF) and vascular disorders to MCI remain unclear. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of MCI and its different subtypes, and clarify the role of VRF and vascular diseases in the occurrence of MCI. Methods: A random sample of 5,214 nondementia (DSM-IV) individuals aged ≥65 years underwent neuropsychological assessments and clinical examinations. MCI, including amnestic MCI-single domain (aMCI-SD), amnestic MCI-multiple domains (aMCI-MD), nonamnestic MCI-single domain (naMCI-SD), and nonamnestic MCI-multiple domains (naMCI-MD), was defined according to modifications of the Petersen criteria. VRF (smoking, obesity, and diabetes) and vascular disorders (myocardial infarction, atrial fibrillation, stroke, and hypertension) were assessed based on information through self-report and medical records. Data were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression. Results: The prevalence of MCI was 11.33% (95% CI: 8.21-14.43), and that of aMCI-SD, aMCI-MD, naMCI-SD, and naMCI-MD was 4.48% (95% CI: 2.24-6.74), 2.09% (95% CI: 0.80-3.38), 4.22% (95% CI: 1.38-7.08), and 0.53% (95% CI: 0.32-0.75), respectively. The prevalence of MCI is higher in women than in men. Multivariate logistic regression analysis shows that VRF and vascular diseases were significantly related to increase the odds of MCI and its specific subtype. Conclusions: The prevalence of MCI is almost 11% among Chinese older adults. VRF and vascular disorders are associated with MCI, especially naMCI.

Folic acid (FA) deficiency is not only associated with an increased risk of ischemic stroke, but also with increased oxidative DNA damage and brain injury after cerebral ischemia-reperfusion. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying FA deficiency-associated neuropathogenesis are not completely understood. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that neuronal autophagy in focal cerebral ischemia rats may be involved in the mechanisms of FA deficiency-induced injury to neuronal cells. The results demonstrated that, accompanied by obvious neuron damage, the expression of the autophagic markers LC3 and Beclin-1, and the formation of 8-OHdG (a marker of oxidative stress to DNA) and autophagosomes were significantly increased in the brain cortex after ischemia-reperfusion. FA deficiency further induced neuronal cell death, and significantly increased the formation of autophagosomes and the expression of LC3 and Beclin-1 in NeuN-positive cell bodies after ischemia-reperfusion. The elevated level of 8-OHdG was also observed in the ischemic cortex of FA deficiency-treated animals. Conversely, the neuronal cell injury, autophagosome accumulation and the effects of LC3 and Beclin1 overexpression caused by FA deficiency were partially blocked by an autophagic inhibitor 3-methyladenine. These results suggest that FA deficiency progresses autophagic activation and aggravates the damage in rat brain cortex following focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion. The oxidative injury may be involved in cell morphological damage and autophagy alteration caused by FA deficiency.

The aim of this study was to compare the effect of high fruit and soybean products diet and standard diet interventions on serum uric acid (SUA) in asymptomatic hyperuricemia adults. A total of 187 Chinese adults (20-59 years old) with asymptomatic hyperuricemia participated in this randomized trial and were assigned to receive the standard diet recommended by guideline (group 1) and high fruit and soybean products diet (group 2) for 3 months. The outcome of SUA was assessed before and at the end of the intervention period. After 3 months, the SUA in group 1 and group 2 was significant reduced, whereas the SUA was not significantly changed in-between groups. These data suggest that over a 3-month period, although the high fruit and soybean products diet and standard diet interventions yield no different effects on SUA, the high fruit and soybean products dietary intervention could be an effective alternative to a standard diet for achieving clinically important reductions in SUA for asymptomatic hyperuricemia patients.

Background and Aims There is a growing focus on frontotemporal dementia (FTD). However, compared with other major dementias, very little is known about the factors associated with FTD. The present study evaluated candidate factors associated with FTD in the Chinese population. Methods One hundred eight elderly patients (36 diagnosed with FTD and 72 controls) of the Neurology Central Hospital of Tianjin (China), were diagnosed by neurologists, and recruited for the study between November 2011 and November 2014. Clinical evaluation, laboratory tests, brain images (computed tomography scans and magnetic resonance images), neuropsychological, and neuropsychiatric assessments were performed. The association between FTD and the variables was assessed using multiple binary logistic regression analyses adjusted for age and gender. Results With controls as the reference category, education was associated with the diagnosis of FTD (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 1.60; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.17–2.19). Serum vitamin B12 levels were associated with the diagnosis of FTD (adjusted OR, 0.99; 95% CI: 0.98–0.99). Serum low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels were associated with the diagnosis of FTD (adjusted OR, 8.54; 95% CI: 2.86–25.49). Conclusions Education and serum LDL levels were positively associated with the diagnosis of FTD. Serum vitamin B12 levels were negatively associated with the diagnosis of FTD.

In China, the rates of chronic diseases characteristic of countries in nutritional transition have been increasing. However, few studies have examined diet changes in recent decades. We analyzed dietary changes in Tianjin, China. The data in this descriptive, population-based study in ≥18-year-old adults were collected from three surveys from 1986 to 2011. Food consumption and nutrient intake were compared among the three surveys separately for urban and rural areas. Differences in food consumption between urban and rural areas in different periods were also shown. The consumption of cereals, vegetables, and oils decreased, and that of fruits and beans increased in both urban and rural areas. Moreover, the total consumption of animal foods, especially milk, increased (0.01% in 1986–1988; 1.72% in 2008–2011) in rural areas. Although milk consumption also increased in urban areas, consumption of other animal foods decreased (19.33% in 1986–1988; 13.74% in 2008–2011). Meanwhile, cereals consumption rebounded from 22.63% in 2000–2004 to 29.75% in 2008–2011. Moreover, the lack of dairy products and some nutrients, e.g., retinol, calcium, and dietary fiber (

The aim of the present study was to determine if the excitatory amino acid homocysteine (Hcy) alters ERK signaling and cell proliferation in fetal neural stem cells (NSCs) in vitro. NSCs were isolated from fetal rats and grown in serum-free suspension medium. The cells were identified as NSCs by their expression of immunoreactive Sox2. NSCs were assigned to one of four treatment groups: vehicle control, low-dose Hcy group (Hcy-L, medium contained 30 μmol/L Hcy), middle-dose Hcy group (Hcy-M, 100 μmol/L Hcy) and high-dose Hcy group (Hcy-H, 300 μmol/L Hcy). Cell proliferation was evaluated by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. Protein expression levels of ERK1/2 and phosphorylated ERK1/2 were detected by Western blot. The effects of Hcy on NSC death, including apoptosis, were assessed by using flow cytometry and trypan blue exclusion. The results showed that NSCs grew as neurospheres in the serum-free medium. Hcy decreased ERK1/2 protein phosphorylation and NSC proliferation, but it did not induce cell death or apoptosis within the concentration from 30 to 300 μmol/L. The above results are consistent with the hypothesis that Hcy decreases fetal NSC proliferation by inhibiting ERK signaling.

Background This study aimed to investigate the expression of ZEB1 in osteosarcoma tissues and to discuss the relationship between ZEB1 expression and osteosarcoma metastasis. Methods Using RT-PCR and Western blotting, the mRNA and protein expressions of ZEB1 in the osteosarcoma and normal bone tissues were detected. Using the RNA interference technique, the expression of ZEB1 in the human osteosarcoma MG-63 cell line was downregulated, and the changes in the invasion of MG-63 cells were examined. Results The positive mRNA expression rate of ZEB1 in the osteosarcoma tissues was significantly higher than that in normal bone tissue (P

In order to increase the solubility of ionic liquids in base oils and to improve the lubricating performance of light alloys, two new ionic liquids comprised of sulfonate base anion and phosphonium ...

Objective : The objective of this study was to examine the pattern of breast cancer screening among Asian immigrant women aged 50–69 years and compare it with corresponding non-immigrant women in Canada. Methods : Data from the Canadian Community Health Survey cycle 2.1 (2003) were utilized. Self-reported screening histories were used as outcome variables: socioeconomic status and medical histories were used as predictive variables. Analyses were weighted to represent the target population. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to compare the screening pattern among Asian immigrant women and corresponding non-immigrant Canadians. Results : In total, 508 Asian immigrant women were included in this study. The results suggest that 71% and 60% of Asian immigrant women reported ever having had and recent mammogram use, respectively, while the corresponding figures for non-immigrant women were 89% and 72%. The observed differences were statistically significant and could not be explained by confounding factors. The ability to speak one of the two official languages is an important barrier to mammography screening among Asian immigrant women. Conclusion : The findings show lower rates of mammography screening among Asian immigrant women in Canada. If breast screening is to remain a health policy objective in Canada, targeted efforts to increase the recruitment of Asian immigrant women need to be developed or strengthened.

The present study investigated the effect of folic acid supplementation on the Notch signaling pathway and cell proliferation in rat embryonic neural stem cells (NSCs). The NSCs were isolated from E14-16 rat brain and grown as neurospheres in serum-free suspension culture. Individual cultures were assigned to one of 3 treatment groups that differed according to the concentration of folic acid in the medium: Control (baseline folic acid concentration of 4 mg/l), low folic acid supplementation (4 mg/l above baseline, Folate-L) and high folic acid supplementation (40 mg/l above baseline, Folate-H). NSCs were identified by their expression of immunoreactive nestin and proliferating cells by incorporation of 5'bromo-2'deoxyuridine. Cell proliferation was also assessed by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium assay. Notch signaling was analyzed by real-time PCR and western blot analyses of the expression of Notch1 and hairy and enhancer of split 5 (Hes5). Supplementation of NSCs with folic acid increased the mRNA and protein expression levels of Notch1 and Hes5. Folic acid supplementation also stimulated NSC proliferation dose-dependently. Embryonic NSCs respond to folic acid supplementation with increased Notch signaling and cell proliferation. This mechanism may mediate the effects of folic acid supplementation on neurogenesis in the embryonic nervous system.

The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that gastric lavage with soybean isoflavone activates the Notch signaling pathway and prevents apoptosis in the cerebral cortex during experimental strokes. Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to four groups of 10 rats each: sham operation plus vehicle (Sham), middle cerebral artery occlusion plus vehicle (MCAO), MCAO plus low dose soybean isoflavone (10 mg/(kg.d)) and MCAO plus high dose soybean isoflavone (50 mg/(kg.d)). The vehicle (saline, 10 mL/(kg.d)) and soybean isoflavone were administered by gastric lavage for 28 d prior to sham or MCAO operation and for 7 d afterward. The mRNA and protein expression levels of components of the Notch signaling system (Notch1 and Hes5) were measured by in situ hybridization and western blotting, respectively, whereas apoptosis was quantified by TUNEL assay. The results showed that MCAO stimulated expression of Notch1 and Hes5, at both the mRNA and protein levels, and also increased apoptosis. Soybean isoflavone dose-dependently augmented the stimulatory effect of MCAO on Notch1 and Hes5 expression levels but decreased apoptosis. These results identify a possible mechanism by which soybean isoflavone confers neuroprotection in strokes.

Cellular events for neural progenitor cells, such as proliferation and differentiation, are regulated by multiple intrinsic and extrinsic cell signals. Folate plays a central role in central nervous system development, so folate, as an extrinsic signal, may affect neural stem cell (NSC) proliferation and differentiation. In the present study, we investigated the effects of folate deficiency on the cell proliferation, cell apoptosis and homocysteine concentrations in NSCs. NSCs were isolated from fetal rats and identified as NSCs by their expression of immunoreactive nestin. Cell proliferation was quantitated by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. Apoptotic cells were detected and confirmed by flow cytometric analysis. We measured homocysteine concentrations in NSCs by high performance liquid chromatography and detected the expression of caspase-3 by western blot method. Folate deficiency not only decreased cell proliferation, but also increased the apoptotic rate of NSCs as demonstrated by the increased expression of early apoptotic markers such as caspase-3, compared to control group (p

The pure and Cr-doped ZnO nanomaterials were prepared by soft chemistry route. The crystallinity and morphology of as-prepared ZnO nanomaterials were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), which show that Cr-doping could influence crystal and improve the oriented growth of ZnO nanomaterials. The amount of contents and valence state of Cr ions were investigated by energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), which demonstrate that the Cr ions are uniformly doped about 2 atm% in each nanowire and are in +3 valence state in doped ZnO nanomaterials. The effect of Cr-doping on the photoluminescence (PL) and magnetic properties of as-prepared ZnO nanomaterials were principally investigated at room temperature. The Cr-doping can adjust the energy level of ZnO nanocrystal and increase the amount of defects and oxygen vacancies, which lead to shift in the emission peak position in ultraviolet (UV) region and enhance the PL performance in visible light (VL) region of ZnO nanomaterials. In addition, the presence of Cr dopant in ZnO structures establishes the room-temperature ferromagnetism, which is possibly related to the existence of defects and oxygen vacancies as well as due to exchange interaction between Cr 3d and O 2p spin moments.

The purpose of this study was to determine how life expectancy is modified by ovarian cancer from 1950–2000. The contributions of ovarian cancer to life expectancy were estimated. The age characteristics of ovarian cancer were detected using the Gompertz relational mortality model. The patterns between years of potential life lost (YPLL) and mortality were obtained by fitting a linear regression equation to the natural logarithm of their ratios. YPLLs are substantially higher in Ireland than in Japan. However, the rates of change were much higher in Japan than in Ireland. YPLLs changed from 0.02 year in 1950 to 0.12 year in 2000. In Japan, there was a sixfold increase in the proportion of YPLLs for death from ovarian cancer relative to those for death from gynaecological cancers during the last half century. The impact of ovarian cancer on life expectancy clearly increased and the age-specific mortality tend to ageing.

1-Alkyl-3-methylimidazolium ibuprofen ionic liquids (ILs, L-Ibu104, L-Ibu106 and L-Ibu108) were synthesized from an anti-inflammatory drug, sodium ibuprofen. The physicochemical and tribological properties of these ILs as neat lubricants for steel/steel and steel/copper contacts were measured. The results of hydrolysis stability evaluation and copper strip corrosion test show that these kinds of ILs are hydrolysis stable and have no corrosion to the metal contacts because of stability of anion. The friction and wear test results exhibit that these ibuprofen ILs have more effective friction-reducing and anti-wear properties than poly-alpha-olefin (PAO40) and 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulphonyl)imide (L-F106) at 100 °C. According to the X-ray photoelectron spectrometer analytical results, we speculated that physical adsorption films can easily formed on the metal worn surfaces during the rubbing process because of the high adsorption ability of Ibu− anion, which play an important role in the good lubricating behaviours of ibuprofen ILs.

Ego-network, which represents relationships between a specific individual, i.e., the ego, and people connected to it, i.e., alters, is a critical target to study in social network analysis. Evolutionary patterns of ego-networks along time provide huge insights to many domains such as sociology, anthropology, and psychology. However, the analysis of dynamic ego-networks remains challenging due to its complicated time-varying graph structures, for example: alters come and leave, ties grow stronger and fade away, and alter communities merge and split. Most of the existing dynamic graph visualization techniques mainly focus on topological changes of the entire network, which is not adequate for egocentric analytical tasks. In this paper, we present egoSlider, a visual analysis system for exploring and comparing dynamic ego-networks. egoSlider provides a holistic picture of the data through multiple interactively coordinated views, revealing ego-network evolutionary patterns at three different layers: a macroscopic level for summarizing the entire ego-network data, a mesoscopic level for overviewing specific individuals' ego-network evolutions, and a microscopic level for displaying detailed temporal information of egos and their alters. We demonstrate the effectiveness of egoSlider with a usage scenario with the DBLP publication records. Also, a controlled user study indicates that in general egoSlider outperforms a baseline visualization of dynamic networks for completing egocentric analytical tasks.

Objective Some studies have found patients with diabetes had an impaired humoral immune response. Immunoglobulins provide key information on the humoral immune status. But few population-based studies comprehensively estimated the serum immunoglobulins concentration in type 2 diabetes (T2D). So we design a cross-sectional study to investigate the relationships between immunoglobulin levels and prevalence of T2D in a large-scale adult population. Methods A cross-sectional assessment was performed in 10,691 participants living in Tianjin, China. Type 2 diabetes was defined in accordance with the criteria of the world health organization, and serum levels of immunoglobulins were determined by the immunonephelometric technique. Adjusted logistic models were used to assess relationships between the quintiles of immunoglobulins concentration and the prevalence of T2D. Results In this study, the prevalence of T2D was 11.7%, and the means (standard deviation) of immunoglobulins (IgG, IgE, IgM, IgA) were 1192.3 (241.1) mg/dL, 92.3 (234.6) IU/mL, 104.8 (55.8) mg/dL, 234.1 (96.2) mg/dL, respectively. The adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of T2D for the highest immunoglobulins (IgG, IgE, IgM, IgA) quintile, when compared to the lowest quintile were 0.64 (0.52, 0.78), 1.00 (0.81, 1.22), 0.77 (0.62, 0.95) and 1.57 (1.29, 1.92), respectively. Conclusions Decreased IgG and IgM, and increased IgA levels were independently related to the prevalence of T2D among the adult population. Our findings indicate that the immunoglobulins might useful predictive factors for T2D in the general adult population. Further studies are needed to explore the causality and exact mechanisms of immunoglobulins in T2D.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a common neurodegenerative disease resulting in progressive dementia, and is a principal cause of dementia among older adults. Folate acts through one-carbon metabolism to support the methylation of multiple substrates. We hypothesized that folic acid supplementation modulates DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) activity and may alter amyloid β-peptide (Aβ) production in AD. Mouse Neuro-2a cells expressing human APP695 were incubated with folic acid (2.8-40 μmol/L), and with or without zebularine (the DNMT inhibitor). DNMT activity, cell viability, Aβ and DNMTs expression were then examined. The results showed that folic acid stimulated DNMT gene and protein expression, and DNMT activity. Furthermore, folic acid decreased Aβ protein production, whereas inhibition of DNMT activity by zebularine increased Aβ production. The results indicate that folic acid induces methylation potential-dependent DNMT enzymes, thereby attenuating Aβ production.

Aims We aimed to assess the predictive value of mean serum uric acid (SUA) levels for incident prediabetes. Methods Normoglycemic adults ( n = 39,353) were followed for a median of 3.0 years. Prediabetes is defined as impaired fasting glucose (IFG), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), or impaired HbA1c (IA1c), based on the American Diabetes Association criteria. Serum SUA levels were measured annually. Four diagnostic strategies were used to detect prediabetes in four separate analyses (Analysis 1: IFG. Analysis 2: IFG+IGT. Analysis 3: IFG+IA1c. Analysis 4: IFG+IGT+IA1c). Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to assess the relationship between SUA quintiles and prediabetes. C-statistic was additionally used in the final analysis to assess the accuracy of predictions based upon baseline SUA and mean SUA, respectively. Results After adjustment for potential confounders, the hazard ratios (95% confidence interval) of prediabetes for the highest versus lowest quintile of mean SUA were 1.22 (1.10, 1.36) in analysis 1; 1.59 (1.23, 2.05) in analysis 2; 1.62 (1.34, 1.95) in analysis 3 and 1.67 (1.31, 2.13) in analysis 4. In contrast, for baseline SUA, significance was only reached in analyses 3 and 4. Moreover, compared with baseline SUA, mean SUA value was associated with a significant increase in the C-statistic ( P Conclusions Mean SUA value was strongly and positively related to prediabetes risk, and showed better predictive ability for prediabetes than baseline SUA.

To develop a method for determination of S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) and S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH) simultaneously in mice liver by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).Mice livers were weighed, emulsified quickly by handheld homogenate, four times the volume of 0.6 mol/L HCLO4 added for ultrasonic, and the hydrolysate was adjusted to centrifuged and filtrated with a membrane. The supernatants were separatedonVenusil MP-C18 column (250 mm x 4.6 mm, 5 µm) at 30 °C with a mobile phase of 50 mmol/L NaH2PO4, 10 mmol/L C7H15NaO3S and methanol, a flow rate of 1.0 ml/min and UV detection at 254 nm.The SAM and SAH in the corresponding concentration range showed a good linear relation with its peak area, correlation coefficient ( r0. 9990 ) , recovery was 92.20%-101.38%, RSD was 2.88%-6.78%. The average within-day precision of SAM and SAH was 4.14% and 3.71%, and the average day to day precision was 7.51% and 9.54%. The content of SAM and SAH in mice liver was 3.14-6.09 mg/L (31.44-60.98 nmol/g wet weight) and 1.29-3.10 mg/L (13.38-32.17 nmol/g wet weight) respectively.The validated method is simple, rapid accurate and reliable to the determination of SAM and SAH in mice liver.

Few studies have examined the association between Asian dietary pattern and prediabetes, in particular, the Chinese diet. We conducted a cross-sectional study to identify dietary patterns associated with impaired fasting glucose (IFG) which considered a state of prediabetes in Chinese men. The study included 1495 Chinese men aged 20 to 75 years. Information about diet was obtained using an 81-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), and 21 predefined food groups were considered in a factor analysis. Three dietary patterns were generated by factor analysis: (1) a vegetables-fruits pattern, (2) an animal offal-dessert pattern, and (3) a white rice-red meat pattern. The multivariate-adjusted odds ratio (OR) of IFG for the highest tertile of the animal offal-dessert pattern in comparison with the lowest tertile was 3.15 (95% confidence intervals (CI): 1.87–5.30). The vegetables-fruits dietary pattern was negatively associated with the risk of IFG, but a significant association was observed only in the third tertile. There was no significant association between IFG and the white rice-red meat pattern. Our findings indicated that the vegetables-fruits dietary pattern was inversely associated with IFG, whereas the animal offal-dessert pattern was associated with an increased risk of IFG in Chinese men. Further prospective studies are needed to elucidate the diet-prediabetes relationships.