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Hydrogen is one of the most promising green energy alternatives due to its high gravimetric energy density, zero-carbon emissions, and other advantages. In this work, a CoFeBP micro-flower (MF) electrocatalyst is fabricated as an advanced water-splitting electrocatalyst by a hydrothermal approach for hydrogen production with the highly efficient hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The fabrication process of the CoFeBP MF electrocatalyst is systematically optimized by thorough investigations on various hydrothermal synthesis and post-annealing parameters. The best optimized CoFeBP MF electrode demonstrates HER/OER overpotentials of 20 mV and 219 mV at 20 mA/cm2. The CoFeBP MFs also exhibit a low 2-electrode (2-E) cell voltage of 1.60 V at 50 mA/cm2, which is comparable to the benchmark electrodes of Pt/C and RuO2. The CoFeBP MFs demonstrate excellent 2-E stability of over 100 h operation under harsh industrial operational conditions at 60 °C in 6 M KOH at a high current density of 1000 mA/cm2. The flower-like morphology can offer a largely increased electrochemical active surface area (ECSA), and systematic post-annealing can lead to improved crystallinity in CoFeBP MFs.

Abstract Background Sarcopenia was thought to be associated with adverse outcomes and will cause lots of health expenditure. But the relationship between sarcopenia and catastrophic health expenditure (CHE) had been little explored. Here, we examined the distribution of sarcopenia in relation to medical and payment burdens. Methods We used data from three waves of China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study including 14 130 participants from 9077 households aged over 50 years old. Sarcopenia was operationalized according to the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2019. Medical expenditure was obtained by self‐reported data, and CHE was identified by WHO definitions. We used the negative binomial regression model and logistic mixed‐effects models to examine the associations between sarcopenia and medical and CHE. Results A total of 14 130 participants [52.2% female, aged 60.8 (SD 9.3)] from 9077 households were included in this study. The prevalence of sarcopenia was 19.8%, 11.9% for moderate sarcopenia, and 7.9% for severe sarcopenia, respectively. We identified 1416 household CHE events in all three waves. Severe sarcopenia was associated with an increase in the number of inpatient visits [incidence rate ratio 1.31, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.03–1.66, P = 0.03] and the risk of CHE (odds ratio: 1.04, 95% CI: 1.01–1.07, P

Diabetic nephropathy is a severe complication of diabetes and the leading cause of end-stage renal disease and death. Therefore, we must find effective prevention and treatment approaches to the problem. Oat has a long history of use for its nutritional and medicinal properties, such as maintaining physiological blood glucose levels. Oat β glucan is one of the major bioactive substances produced by oat. However, the protective effects of oat β glucan on diabetic nephropathy are still unclear. This study generated a rat model of diabetic nephropathy to explore the potent therapeutic ability and mechanism of oat β glucan in renal function by 16S rRNA genes sequencing. Diabetic nephropathy model was established in forty rats by left nephrectomy and single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin. These rats were randomly divided into the model group and three oat β glucan intervention groups. Twenty rats underwent sham operation and were randomly divided into normal control group and oat β glucan control group. Animals were treated by oral gavage for 8 consecutive weeks. The results showed that oat β glucan reduced blood glucose level and improved renal function (P < 0.05). Oat β glucan significantly improved serum inflammatory levels (P < 0.05). The diversity of intestinal microflora in diabetic nephropathy rats decreased with time prolongation, while oat β-glucan reversed the result. Compared with the model group at week 8, the abundances of Eubacterium, Butyricicoccus, and Ruminococcus were elevated significantly after oat β glucan intervention (P < 0.05). Correlation analysis indicated that abundances of Eubacterium, Butyricicoccus, and Ruminococcus were significantly negatively correlated with the levels of renal impairment markers. In summary, the findings of this study showed that oat β glucan can increase the diversity of intestinal flora, regulate the composition of intestinal flora, modulate intestinal flora metabolism, alleviate the inflammatory response, and further delay the development of diabetic nephropathy. Therefore, oat β glucan has the potential to be developed into the novel and safe drug for diabetic nephropathy.

Nowadays, developing effective intervention substances for hyperuricemia has become a public health issue. Herein, the therapeutic ability of anserine, a bioactive peptide, was validated through a comprehensive multiomics analysis of a rat model of hyperuricemia. Anserine was observed to improve liver and kidney function and modulate urate-related transporter expressions in the kidneys. Urine metabolomics showed that 15 and 9 metabolites were significantly increased and decreased, respectively, in hyperuricemic rats after the anserine intervention. Key metabolites such as fructose, xylose, methionine, erythronic acid, glucaric acid, pipecolic acid and trans-ferulic acid were associated with ameliorating kidney injury. Additionally, anserine regularly changed the gut microbiota, thereby ameliorating purine metabolism abnormalities and alleviating inflammatory responses. The integrated multiomics analysis indicated that Saccharomyces, Parasutterella excrementihominis and Emergencia timonensis were strongly associated with key differential metabolites. Therefore, we propose that anserine improved hyperuricemia via the gut–kidney axis, highlighting its potential in preventing and treating hyperuricemia.

The purpose of this study aimed to develop and validate the Food and Nutrition Literacy Questionnaire for Chinese adults (FNLQ). The dimensions and core components of Food and Nutrition Literacy were constructed though literature review and qualitative consensus study. A cross-sectional survey of 8510 participants was conducted. The reliability of the questionnaire was determined by internal consistency, the construct validity was assessed by exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and the content validity was assessed by the Pearson correlation coefficient. From the literature review and qualitative methods, 20 core components and 50 questions of the FNLQ were developed, including 1 dimension of knowledge and 3 practice dimensions (ability of selection, preparing food and eating). The overall FNLQ questionnaire had good reliability and validity (Cronbach’s α = 0.893, χ2/DF = 4.750, RMSEA = 0.048, GFI = 0.891 and AGFI = 0.876). The average FNLQ score of all participants was (64.08 ± 12.77), and the score for the knowledge and understanding dimension was higher than that for the practice dimensions. In addition, 80 was set as the nutritional literacy threshold, and only 12.2% met this threshold in this survey. Sociodemographic and health status characteristics were predictors of FNLQ (R2 = 0.287, F = 244.132, p < 0.01). In conclusion, the FNLQ built in this study had good validity and reliability. It could be considered as a reliable tool to assess Food and Nutrition Literacy of Chinese adults.

(1) Objective: This study aimed to explore the correlation between dietary factors and physical function in Chinese elderly. (2) Methods: A cohort study was conducted on the association of long-term dietary intake status with physical function in older people based on the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) from 2011 to 2018. The physical function of the subjects was judged according to the scores of basic activities of daily living (BADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL). The dietary diversity score was established according to the intake frequency of the food groups, and the dietary pattern score was obtained by factor analysis. The associations between dietary factors and functional impairment was investigated by logistic regressions. (3) Results: A total of 2282 subjects were included in our cohort study, 458 and 1439 of whom had BADL limitation and IADL limitation, respectively. The risk of functional impairment decreased in the consistent high dietary diversity groups compared with the consistent low dietary diversity group (p < 0.05). The fruit-egg-milk pattern, vegetable-meat-fish pattern, and condiment and tea pattern reduced the risk of functional impairment (p < 0.05). (4) Conclusions: Long-term maintenance of high dietary diversity and increasing total dietary intake can help maintain good physical function of Chinese elderly.

The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of lutein on blue LED light-induced retinal injury. Animals were randomly assigned to six groups. Distilled water (normal control and water-light group), corn oil (solvent-light group), or 25, 50, or 100 mg/kg lutein in corn oil (three lutein treatment groups) were administered intragastrically for 30 days. The experimental rats (all groups other than the normal control group) were exposed to 1500 lx for 1.5 h after pretreatment. Lutein pretreatment significantly attenuated the decrease in the electroretinogram (ERG) a-wave and b-wave amplitudes and the thinning of the photoreceptor cell layer caused by apoptosis; inhibited light-induced oxidative stress in the retinal tissues; and suppressed the increase in inflammatory cytokine levels. Moreover, the expression of BCO2 was significantly upregulated with lutein supplementation in retinas exposed to light. Our results suggested that lutein protected the retina for light induced retinal damage by inhibiting oxidative stress and inflammation.

(1) Background: Improving nutrition literacy is crucial for maintaining a healthier state of the elderly to achieve healthy ageing. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a Nutrition Literacy Questionnaire for the Chinese Elderly (NLQ-E). (2) Methods: an NLQ-E was developed according to the core components of nutrition literacy for the elderly. Internal consistency, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used to validate the reliability and validity of the NLQ-E. A cross-sectional study of 1490 elderly people was used to analyze the application of the NLQ-E. (3) Results: The NLQ-E was constructed with 3 domains (knowledge and understanding, healthy lifestyle and dietary behavior and skill), with a total of 25 questions. The overall NLQ-E had acceptable reliability and validity (Cronbach’s α = 0.678, χ2/DF = 4.750, RMSEA = 0.045, PCFI = 0.776 and PNFI = 0.759). The average nutrition literacy score of the subjects in this cross-sectional study was 65.95 (65.95 ± 10.93). The OR between the nutrition literacy score and multimorbidity was 0.965 (95% CI: 0.954, 0.976); (4) Conclusions: We developed and validated the NLQ-E and found that the nutrition literacy level of the Chinese elderly was generally low. This study is of great value to improve the nutrition literacy of the elderly and effectively prevent nutrition-related chronic diseases and multimorbidity.

Background: Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) scores have been consistently associated with several chronic diseases. This study explored the correlation between the DII and hyperuricemia in Chinese adult residents. Methods: The study included 7880 participants from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS), which was taken in in 2009. A 3-day 24 h meal review method was used to collect diet data and to calculate the DII score. Serum uric acid was obtained to determine hyperuricemia levels. Subjects were divided into a hyperuricemia group and a non-hyperuricemia group, according to their serum uric acid level. Multilevel logistic regression models were used to examine the association between DII scores and hyperuricemia. Results: After adjusting for covariates, a higher DII score was determined to be associated with a higher risk of hyperuricemia. Compared to those in the highest DII score group, the lower DII score group had an inverse association with hyperuricemia risk (Q2: 0.83, 95% CI: 0.70–0.99; Q3: 0.72, 95% CI: 0.60–0.86; Q4: 0.73, 95% CI: 0.61–0.88). The intake of energy-adjusted protein, total fat, MUFAs, PUFAs and saturated fatty acid was higher in the hyperuricemia group. Conclusions: A higher DII score is significantly associated with a higher risk of hyperuricemia. Controlling the intake of pro-inflammatory food may be beneficial to reduce the risk of hyperuricemia.

Background: The association between childhood food deprivation (FD) and health in later life has been extensively studied; however, studies on the association between childhood food deprivation and frailty are scarce. This study assessed the associations between childhood FD and the risk of frailty at middle-age and old age. Methods: Three waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), including 11,615 individuals aged over 45 years, were used for this research. Frailty was operationalized according to the FRAIL scale as a sum of fatigue, resistance, ambulation, illness, and the loss of weight. Childhood FD experiences and levels were measured by self-reported FD and historical content. Logistic mixed-effects models and proportional odds ordered logistic regression models were used to analyse the association between childhood FD and frailty. Findings: Childhood FD increased the odds of frailty at old age (1.30, 95% CI: 1.26–1.36). Compared with subjects with mild FD, those with extreme FD experiences had increased risks of frailty (1.34, 95% CI: 1.26–1.43). Subjects exposed to hunger at different ages all had an increased risk of frailty, and subjects who had FD during ages 6–12 (1.15, 95% CI: 1.09–1.22) were more likely to have an increased risk of frailty than those who had experienced FD in younger ages. The interaction of experience of FD at ages 0–6 and the experience of FD at ages 6–12 is not statistically significant after adjusting all covariates. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that childhood FD exerts long-lasting effects on frailty among older adults in China. The prevention of childhood FD may delay or even avert the emergence of frailty in people of middle-age and old age.

Objective: To explore the correlation between purine-rich food intake and hyperuricemia in Chinese adult residents. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted on the purine-rich food intake of Chinese adult residents based on the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) in 2009. The subjects were divided into hyperuricemia group and nonhyperuricemia group according to serum uric acid level, and the differences of the sociodemographic information (age, gender, and region), health status (weight status, blood pressure, blood sugar status), living habits (alcohol consumption, smoking status) and food intake (purine-rich food, other food) were compared between the two groups. Logistic regressions investigated the associations between the daily intake of purine-rich food (animal-derived food and legumes) and hyperuricemia. Results: Eventually, 6813 subjects were included in our study, 1111 of them had hyperuricemia. The intake of seafood, legumes, red meat, and poultry all increased the risk of hyperuricemia (p < 0.05), while the intake of purine-rich fungi and purine-rich vegetables did not affect the occurrence of hyperuricemia. Animal-derived food was the main source of purine-rich food consumed by Chinese adult residents (140.67g/day), which had a great impact on hyperuricemia. Finally, after adjusting for gender, age, region, body mass index (BMI), alcohol consumption, hypertension, and refined grains intake, the risk of hyperuricemia increased by 2.40% and 1.10% for each increase of 10 g in animal-derived food intake (OR = 1.024, 95% CI: 1.018–1.030) and legumes intake (OR = 1.011, 95% CI: 1.003–1.019), respectively. Conclusion: The intake of animal-derived food and legumes were positively correlated with the occurrence of hyperuricemia. Controlling the intake of animal-derived food and legumes would be more beneficial to controlling the risk of hyperuricemia.

Stiff person syndrome (SPS) is a neurologic disorder, some cases of which are associated with malignant disease. Here, we report a case of thymoma-associated SPS that was successfully treated with surgical resection. A 57-year-old man with progressive muscle stiffness and weakness was diagnosed with thymoma-related SPS. After administration of medication and intravenous immunoglobulin, the patient underwent extended thymectomy, partial pericardial resection, and pericardial reconstruction. After tumor resection, the symptoms gradually diminished, and performance status and respiratory function improved significantly. This report indicates that tumor resection may improve respiratory function, eliminate dyspnea, and improve performance status in tumor-related SPS.

ObjectiveThe implementation of school-based mental health screening offers promise for early detection of mental health issues in children; however, various barriers hinder its widespread adoption. This study aimed to investigate the predictive value of digital data obtained from an established daily health observation scheme in Japanese schools to identify later mental health issues in children.MethodsData for the analysis were obtained from 2,433 students enrolled in five public schools. The data acquisition period spanned 76 school days, from September 1, 2022, to December 23, 2022, and student absences were recorded during this period. Depressive and anxiety symptoms were assessed in January 2023. The students’ daily physical and emotional health status was recorded as “daily health issue” scores and group-based trajectory modeling was employed to classify the long-term trends in these scores. Additionally, rolling z-scores were utilized to capture variability in daily health issue scores, with z-scores above +1 considered unusual responses.ResultsAfter 4 months of daily health observations, students’ response trends were classified into five trajectory groups. The group experiencing the highest number of daily health issues (Group 5; 5.4% of the sample) exhibited more subsequent depressive and anxiety symptoms compared to the group with fewer issues (Group 1; 47.5%) (incident rate ratio [IRR] = 5.17; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.82, 6.99). Group 5 also demonstrated significantly more days of absence than Group 1 (IRR = 2.14, 95% CI: 1.19, 3.85). The average daily health issue scores for the entire period were associated with both depressive/anxiety symptoms and the number of days absent from school (IRR = 1.59, 95% CI: 1.45, 1.73; IRR = 1.18, 95% CI: 1.04, 1.35, respectively). Furthermore, a higher number of unusual responses during the entire period was also associated with more depressive/anxiety symptoms (IRR = 1.10, 95% CI: 1.07, 1.12).ConclusionThe current study is the first to demonstrate the predictive capability of a traditional daily health observation scheme to identify mental health issues in children. This study highlights the scheme’s potential to screen and safeguard children’s mental health, emphasizing the importance of digitalization and collaboration with various stakeholders.