Search

• Participants with high genetic risks of kidney stones had a higher risk of new-onset kidney stones. • Habitual fish oil use was associated with a lower risk of new-onset kidney stones in participants with low or intermediate genetic risk of kidney stones. • The findings underscore the importance of fish oil intake against the development of gene-less-determined kidney stones. We aimed to assess the association between habitual fish oil use and new-onset kidney stones in participants with different levels of genetic risks of kidney stones. 477,311 participants free of kidney stones at baseline from the UK Biobank cohort were included. Fish oil use was collected by both food frequency questionnaires and 24-h dietary recalls. A genetic risk score (GRS) for kidney stones was calculated based on 20 single-nucleotide polymorphisms associated with kidney stones. The primary outcome was new-onset kidney stones. During a median follow-up of 12.0 years, 5,637 cases of kidney stones were documented. Participants with high genetic risks of kidney stones had a higher risk of new-onset kidney stones (vs. low or intermediate risks; adjusted HR, 1.52; 95 %CI:1.44–1.60). Compared with non-users, habitual use of fish oil was associated with a lower risk of new-onset kidney stones (adjusted HR, 0.84, 95 %CI, 0.78–0.92) in participants with low or intermediate genetic risks, but not in those with high genetic risks of kidney stones (adjusted HR, 1.02, 95 %CI, 0.93–1.12; P -interaction =0.001). Among those with low or intermediate genetic risks of kidney stones, compared with fish oil constant nonusers, the adjusted HRs (95 %CI) for kidney stones were 0.89 (0.75–1.06), 0.72 (0.58–0.90), and 0.79 (0.64–0.97), for fish oil occasional users, modestly constant users, and moderately and highly constant users (P for trend = 0.001), respectively. Habitual fish oil use was associated with a lower risk of new-onset kidney stones in participants with low or intermediate genetic risk of kidney stones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It remains unclear whether inflammatory bowel disease is associated with long-term risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and acute kidney injury (AKI) in the general population. A total of 417,302 participants, including 2,940 patients with ulcerative colitis and 1,261 patients with Crohn's disease, without previous CKD and AKI at baseline (2006–2010) from the UK Biobank were included. The study outcomes included incident CKD and AKI, ascertained by self-report data and data linkage with primary care, hospital admissions, and death registry records. Analysis was conducted in 2022. During a median follow-up of 12.5 years, 13,564 and 14,331 participants developed CKD and AKI, respectively. Compared with the hazard ratio for non-inflammatory bowel diseases, the hazard ratios for CKD and AKI related to inflammatory bowel diseases were 1.57 (95% CI=1.37, 1.79) and 1.96 (95% CI=1.74, 2.20) after adjustments for age, sex, and race and were 1.32 (95% CI=1.15, 1.51) and 1.70 (95% CI=1.51, 1.91) after further adjustments for biological, behavioral, and socioeconomic factors in addition to mental health and self-rated health. Similar results were found for patients with Crohn's disease (adjusted hazard ratio=1.38 (95% CI=1.09, 1.75) for CKD and 1.62 [95% CI=1.30, 2.02] for AKI) and those with ulcerative colitis (adjusted hazard ratio=1.29 (95% CI=1.09, 1.51) for CKD and 1.71 [95% CI=1.49, 1.97] for AKI) in the fully adjusted models. Genetic risks of kidney diseases did not significantly affect the association of inflammatory bowel disease with incident CKD and AKI (both p -interactions>0.05). The association between inflammatory bowel disease and the risk of incident CKD (p -interaction=0.010) and AKI (p -interaction<0.001) were stronger in younger participants than in older participants. Inflammatory bowel disease was associated with higher risks for CKD and AKI, independent of genetic risks of kidney diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• What is the primary question addressed by this study? Is dietary copper intake associated with cognitive decline in the elderly? • What is the main finding of this study? Analysis in this cohort of 3106 participants found that there was a non-linear inverse association of dietary Cu intake with cognitive decline in the elderly, with an inflection point at approximately 1.3mg/day of dietary Cu. The inverse association between dietary Cu and cognitive decline was stronger in those with lower dietary fat intake and lower levels of physical activity (All P -interactions <0.05). • What is the meaning of the finding? Our study underscores the importance to maintain optimal dietary Cu levels to prevent cognitive decline in the elderly. The association between dietary copper (Cu) intake and cognitive decline remains uncertain. We aim to investigate the longitudinal association of dietary Cu with cognitive decline in Chinese elderly. A total of 3,106 Chinese adults aged older than or equal to 55 years from China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) were included. Dietary nutrients information was collected by 24-hours dietary recalls in combination with a food-weighted method. The 5-year change rates in global or composite cognitive scores based on a subset of items from the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status–modified (TICS-m) was calculated as the last-survey score minus the baseline score, then divided by the follow-up time (unit, years) and multiplied by five. The median follow-up duration was 5.9 years. There was a nonlinear association of dietary Cu intake with the 5-year change rates in global or composite cognitive scores, with the inflection point at approximately 1.3 mg/day of dietary Cu intake. Accordingly, for the composite cognitive score, compared to the first quantile (<1.28 mg/day), those with dietary Cu in quantiles 2–8 (≥1.28 mg/day) had a significantly slower cognitive decline rate (B, 0.30; 95% CI, 0.13, 0.47). Similar results were found for the global cognitive score. Moreover, the inverse association between dietary Cu and cognitive decline was stronger in those with lower dietary fat intake and lower levels of physical activity (All p-interactions <0.05). There was a nonlinear inverse association of dietary Cu intake with cognitive decline in the elderly, with an inflection point at approximately 1.3 mg/day of dietary Cu intake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The association of dietary intake of carbohydrate (CHO), especially high- and low-quality CHO, with the decline of cognitive function remains uncertain. We aimed to investigate the prospective association of dietary total, low- and high-quality CHO intake with cognitive decline, and further examine the effect of isocaloric substitution with protein or fat, in the elderly population. A total of 3106 Chinese participants aged ≥55 years from China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) were included in this study. Dietary nutrient intake information was collected by 24-h dietary recalls on 3 consecutive days. The cognitive decline was defined as the 5-year decline rates in global or composite cognitive scores based on a subset of items from the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status–modified (TICS-m). The median follow-up duration was 5.9 years. There was a significantly positive association of dietary low-quality CHO (per 10 percentage energy [%E] increment, β, 0.06; 95%CI, 0.01–0.11) and a no significant association of dietary high-quality CHO (per 10%E increment, β, 0.04; 95%CI, −0.07–0.14) with the 5-year decline rate in the composite cognitive scores. Similar results were found for the global cognitive scores. In model simulations, substituting dietary low-quality CHO with isocaloric animal protein or fat, instead of isocaloric plant protein or fat, was significantly and inversely associated with cognitive decline (All P values < 0.05). The dietary intake of low-quality CHO, rather than high-quality CHO, was significantly associated with a faster cognitive decline in the elderly. In model simulations, isocaloric substitution of dietary low-quality CHO with animal protein or fat, rather than plant protein or fat, was inversely associated with cognitive decline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The association between dietary phosphorus intake and the risk of hypertension remains uncertain. We aimed to investigate the relation of dietary phosphorus intake with new-onset hypertension among Chinese adults. A total of 12,177 participants who were free of hypertension at baseline from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) were included. Dietary intake was measured by 3 consecutive 24-hour dietary recalls combined with a household food inventory. New-onset hypertension was defined as systolic blood pressure ≥140 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mm Hg or diagnosed by a physician or under antihypertensive treatment during the follow-up. During a median follow-up of 6.1 years, 4,269 participants developed new-onset hypertension. Overall, the association between dietary phosphorus intake and new-onset hypertension followed a U-shape (P for nonlinearity<.001). Consistently, when dietary phosphorus intake was assessed as quintiles, compared with those in the 3rd to 4th quintiles (912.0-<1089.5 mg/d), a significantly higher risk of new-onset hypertension was found in participants in the 1st to 2nd quintiles (<912.0 mg/d: HR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.14-1.33), and the fifth quintile (≥1089.5 mg/d: HR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.10-1.33). There was a U-shaped association between dietary phosphorus intake and new-onset hypertension in general Chinese adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aim to examine the associations of different serum folate forms (total folate, 5-methyltetrahydrofolate [5-mTHF] and unmetabolized folic acid [UMFA]), with the prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and advanced fibrosis. This cross-sectional analysis was conducted in 6610 participants aged ≥ 18 years from the 2011–2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database. NAFLD was defined as a United States fatty liver index (USFLI) ≥ 30. Advanced fibrosis was defined as a Fibrosis-4 score (FIB-4) > 3.25, a NAFLD Fibrosis Score (NFS) > 0.676, and a Hepamet Fibrosis Score (HFS) ≥ 0.47, respectively. The prevalence of NAFLD was 34.5%. Overall, serum total folate and 5-mTHF were inversely associated with the prevalence of NAFLD (both P for trend across quartiles <0.001). A similar trend was found for advanced fibrosis based on NFS and HFS (both P for trend across quartiles <0.05). However, a higher concentration of UMFA was significantly related to a higher prevalence of NAFLD (P for trend across quartiles =0.004). A similar relation was found for advanced fibrosis based on NFS (P for trend across quartiles =0.024). Higher concentrations of serum total folate and 5-mTHF were associated with a lower prevalence of NAFLD and advanced fibrosis, while a higher concentration of UMFA was related to a higher prevalence of NAFLD. • A higher concentration of serum total folate was related to a lower prevalence of NAFLD and advanced fibrosis. • A higher concentration of serum 5-mTHF was related to a lower prevalence of NAFLD and advanced fibrosis. • A higher concentration of serum unmetabolized folic acid (UMFA) was related to a higher prevalence of NAFLD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explored the association of dietary manganese (Mn) with new-onset chronic kidney disease (CKD) in participants with diabetes on different glycemia control status and potential mechanisms. The study included 7248 adults with diabetes from the UK Biobank who had complete dietary data and were free of CKD at baseline. Dietary information was collected by the online 24-h diet recall questionnaires. The primary outcome was new-onset CKD. 565 (7.8 %) participants developed new-onset CKD during a median follow-up of 11.96 years. Overall, there was a significantly inverse relationship of dietary Mn intake with new-onset CKD in individuals with diabetes at glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) ≥6.5 % (per SD increment, HR [95%CI]: 0.79 [0.68-0.91]), but not in people with diabetes at HbA1c <6.5 % (per SD increment, HR [95%CI]: 1.07 [0.90-1.29]; P for interaction = 0.004). In individuals with diabetes at HbA1c ≥6.5 %, body mass index and waist circumference significantly mediated the association between dietary Mn intake and new-onset CKD, with mediated proportions of 17.5 % and 17.4 %, respectively. Higher dietary Mn intake was significantly associated with a lower new-onset CKD risk in participants with diabetes at poor glycemic control status. The inverse association was mainly mediated by obesity. If further confirmed, our findings underscore the importance of maintaining adequate dietary Mn intake for the primary prevention of new-onset CKD in patients with diabetes, especially those with poor glycemic control. • Dietary manganese was inversely associated with new-onset chronic kidney disease. • Glycated hemoglobin levels affected the association between manganese and new-onset chronic kidney disease. • Obesity mediated the inverse association between manganese and new-onset chronic kidney disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A new modified sludge cover material based on industrial solid was proposed. • Anti-seepage service performance of modified sludge covers were evaluated. • The mechanism of modified sludge based on industrial solid waste was revealed. In order to prepare a new type of landfill covering material for closure, we used industrial calcium-containing waste (slag, desulfurised gypsum and fly ash) to modify the municipal dewatered sludge. Shear, infiltration and rainfall infiltration model tests were performed to obtain the shear strength parameters of the modified sludge, the hydraulic conductivity during the wet-dry cycle, and the service performance against rainfall breakdown to evaluate the service performance of the modified sludge cover (MSC). Comprehensive characterisation of the modified sludge was analysed by XRD, FTIR and SEM-EDS to revealed the mineral structure, microstructure, and modification mechanism of the sludge. The MSC samples had high shear strength and shown the characteristics of evolving from plasticity to brittleness. After curing for 14 d, the values of cohesion c and internal friction angle φ reached 150.75–384.69 kPa and 37.60–57.29°, respectively. The MSC exhibited excellent anti-seepage service performance under dry and wet cycle conditions. Compared with traditional compacted clay, its hydraulic conductivity dropped by an order of magnitude, and after six wet and dry cycles, the hydraulic conductivity of the modified sludge reached stability at 1.4–7.2 × 10−7 cm/s. The 60-cm-thick MSC layer can completely withstand the impact of long-term rainfall during the rainy season in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River in China. Analysis results also show that the modification mechanism of the sludge could be ascribed to the generation of dense blocks and clusters of C-S-H and C-A-S-H gels originated from SiO 2 , Al 2 O 3 , and CaO phases in industrial calcium-containing waste and sludge by the activation of the alkali. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The longitudinal relation of central fat and muscle mass with cognitive function remains unclear. Objectives We aimed to evaluate the relation of anthropometric measures, including BMI, waist circumference (WC), calf circumference (CC), and waist-calf circumference ratio (WCR), with incident cognitive impairment in older adults. Methods A total of 3312 participants aged ≥65 y (mean: 81.8 y) who were free of cognitive impairment [the Chinese version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores ≥24 points] in the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey were included. The primary outcome was incident cognitive impairment, defined as MMSE scores <24 points at the exit visit. Secondary outcomes were incident cognitive decline, defined as a reduction of MMSE scores ≥3 points at the exit visit, and incident decline in different cognitive domains, defined as a reduction of MMSE scores in the domain ≥15% at the exit visit. Results During a median follow-up duration of 3.6 y, 565 (17.1%) participants developed incident cognitive impairment. Overall, with mutual adjustments, higher WC [≥89 cm (fourth quartile) compared with <75 cm (first quartile); adjusted HR: 1.56; 95% CI: 1.19, 2.04] and higher WCR [≥2.9 (fourth quartile) compared with <2.4 (first quartile); adjusted HR: 1.96; 95% CI: 1.52, 2.52] were significantly associated with a higher risk of cognitive impairment, and higher CC [≥34 cm (fourth quartile) compared with <28 cm (first quartile); adjusted HR: 0.44; 95% CI: 0.33, 0.59] was associated with a lower hazard of cognitive impairment. Similar results were found for the secondary outcomes. However, BMI was not significantly associated with the study outcomes. Conclusions High WC and low CC were significantly associated with higher incident cognitive impairment in older adults. Moreover, WCR had a relatively stronger association with cognitive impairment compared with each circumference, suggesting maintaining both higher lean mass and lower central fat in older adults for the prevention of cognitive impairment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the relationship of dietary copper intake with new-onset hypertension among Chinese adults. A total of 12,245 participants who were free of hypertension at baseline from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) were included. Dietary intake was measured by 3 consecutive 24-h dietary recalls combined with a household food inventory. New-onset hypertension was defined as systolic blood pressure ≥140 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mmHg or diagnosed by a physician or under antihypertensive treatment during the follow-up. During a median follow-up of 6.1 years, 4304 participants developed new-onset hypertension. Overall, the associations between dietary copper intake and new-onset hypertension followed a U-shape (P for nonlinearity <0.001). The risk of new-onset hypertension significantly decreased with the increment of dietary copper intake (per SD increment: HR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.57–0.88) in participants with copper intake <1.57 mg/day, and increased with the increment of dietary copper intake (per SD increment: HR, 1.09; 95% CI: 1.07–1.12) in participants with copper intake ≥1.57 mg/day. There was a U-shaped association between dietary copper intake and new-onset hypertension in general Chinese adults, with an inflection point at about 1.57 mg/day. Our results emphasized the importance of maintaining optimal copper intake levels for the primary prevention of hypertension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence remains inconsistent regarding the association between quantity of food groups and diabetes, and remains scarce regarding the relation of dietary diversity with diabetes. We aimed to evaluate the prospective relation of variety and quantity of 12 major food groups with new-onset diabetes. A total of 16,117 participants who were free of diabetes at baseline from China Health and Nutrition Survey were included. Dietary intake and variety score were measured by three consecutive 24-h dietary recalls combined with a household food inventory in each survey round. The study outcome was new-onset diabetes, defined as self-reported physician-diagnosed diabetes during the follow-up period. Cox proportional hazards models and restricted cubic spline analysis were used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and dose–response relation, respectively. During a median follow-up duration of 9.0 years, a total of 1088 (6.7%) participants developed new-onset diabetes. Overall, there was a significant inverse association between dietary variety score and the risk of new-onset diabetes (per one point increment; HR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.80–0.90). In addition, there were U-shaped associations of refined grains, whole grains, nuts, red meat, poultry, processed meat, dairy products, and aquatic products intake with diabetes, and L-shaped associations of legumes, vegetables, fruits, and eggs intake with diabetes (all P values for nonlinearity <0.001). Our results suggested that greater variety of food groups consumption was associated with significantly lower risk of new-onset diabetes. Furthermore, when the quantity of food groups intakes was relatively low, there was a negative correlation between the quantity of each different food group consumption and diabetes risk; however, when intake exceeded certain thresholds, the risks of new-onset diabetes increased or reached a plateau. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aim to examine the relation of several folate forms (5-methyltetrahydrofolate [5-mTHF], unmetabolized folic acid [UMFA], non-methyl folate, and MeFox [pyrazino-s-triazine derivative of 4α-hydroxy-5-methyltetrahydrofolate]) with the risk of mortality. Using data from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011–2014, a total of 10,661 people with folate forms data were recruited. Death information was obtained from the National Death Index until 2015. Cox proportional hazards regression models were developed to evaluate the relationship between folate forms and mortality. During 2.99 years of follow-up, 344 (2.6%) deaths occurred. Overall, significantly higher risks of all-cause mortality were found in participants with higher level of serum 5-mTHF (≥51.3 nmol/L [quartile 4] vs. 23.9–51.3 nmol/L [quartile 2–3]; HR, 1.61; 95% CI: 1.03–2.53), UMFA (≥1.1 nmol/L [quartile 4] vs. <1.1 nmol/L [quartile 1–3]; HR, 1.55; 95% CI: 1.15–2.09), non-methyl folate (≥1.7 nmol/L [quartile 4] vs. 1.2–1.7 nmol/L [quartile 3]; HR, 1.62; 95% CI: 1.06–2.48), or MeFox (≥2.5 nmol/L [quartile 4] vs. <2.5 nmol/L [quartile 1–3]; HR, 1.54; 95% CI: 1.11–2.12). In addition, there was an increased risk of all-cause mortality for those with low level of serum 5-mTHF (<23.9 nmol/L [quartile 1] vs. 23.9–51.3 nmol/L [quartile 2–3]; HR, 1.66; 95% CI: 1.12–2.47). Most importantly, none of any folate forms significantly modified the association between other folate forms and mortality (all P for interactions >0.05). Higher levels of serum folate forms (5-mTHF, UMFA, non-methyl folate, and MeFox) were associated with higher risk of mortality while 5-mTHF insufficiency also showed a negative impact on mortality. Our findings emphasized the importance of monitoring the folate forms concentrations and may help counsel future related clinical trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prospective relation of dietary vitamin A intake with hypertension remains uncertain. We aimed to investigate the relationship of dietary vitamin A intake with new-onset hypertension and examine possible effect modifiers in general population. This prospective cohort study included 12,245 participants who were free of hypertension at baseline from China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS). Dietary intake was measured by 3 consecutive 24-h dietary recalls combined with a household food inventory. The study outcome was new-onset hypertension, defined as systolic blood pressure ≥140 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mmHg or diagnosed by physician or under antihypertensive treatment during the follow-up. During a median follow-up duration of 6.1 years, a total of 4,304 (35.1%) participants developed new-onset hypertension. Overall, there was an L-shaped relation of total dietary vitamin A intake with new-onset hypertension (P for nonlinearity <0.001). Accordingly, compared with participants with lower vitamin A intake (quartile 1, <227.3 μg RE/day), those with higher vitamin A intake (quartile 2–4, ≥227.3 μg RE/day) had a significantly lower risk of new-onset hypertension (adjusted HR, 0.73; 95%CI: 0.63, 0.78). Similar results were found for plant-derived vitamin A intake (adjusted HR, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.61, 0.70) or animal-derived vitamin A intake (adjusted HR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.70, 0.82). There was a L-shaped relation of dietary vitamin A intake with new-onset hypertension in general Chinese adults. Our results emphasized the importance of maintaining relatively higher vitamin A intake levels for the prevention of hypertension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visceral adiposity index (VAI) is a sex-specific surrogate marker of adipose tissue distribution and function. Little is known about the longitudinal relationship between VAI and proteinuria. This study aimed to examine the prospective relationship of baseline VAI with new-onset of proteinuria in hypertensive patients without major cardiovascular diseases. A total of 10 699 hypertensive patients without proteinuria (negative urine dipstick reading) at baseline from the renal sub-study of the China Stroke Primary Prevention Trial (CSPPT) were included. Participants were randomly assigned to a double-blind daily treatment with 10 mg enalapril and 0.8 mg folic acid or 10 mg enalapril alone. Participants were followed every 3 months after randomization. The primary outcome was new-onset proteinuria, defined as a urine dipstick reading of ≥1+ at the exit visit. The secondary outcome was progression of proteinuria, defined as a urine dipstick reading of trace or ≥1+ at the exit visit. During a median follow-up duration of 4.4 years, a total of 396 (3.7%) participants developed new-onset proteinuria, while 1236 (11.6%) participants met progression of proteinuria. When VAI was categorized into quartiles, compared with participants in quartile 1–3 (<2.99), a significantly higher risk of new-onset proteinuria (OR, 1.43; 95%CI: 1.07–1.91) and progression of proteinuria (OR, 1.23; 95%CI: 1.03–1.46) was found in those in quartile 4 (≥2.99). Moreover, the positive association was consistent in participants with or without general obesity, abdominal obesity, and dyslipidemia (all P -interactions > 0.05). There was a positive association between VAI levels and the risk of new-onset proteinuria in hypertensive patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationships of social isolation and loneliness with acute kidney injury (AKI) risk remained uncertain. We aimed to investigate the associations of social isolation and loneliness with incident AKI. 450,868 participants without prior AKI were included from the UK Biobank. The social isolation index was constructed based on living alone, social contact, and participation in social activities. Loneliness was assessed by asking about "Do you often feel lonely?". The study outcome was incident AKI. During a median follow-up of 12.0 years, 18,679 (4.1%) participants developed AKI, including 18,428 participants ascertained by hospital admission records with a median duration of hospitalization of 3 (25th–75th, 1–8) days. The hazard ratio for incident AKI for social isolation compared with no social isolation was 1.50 (95% CI: 1.44–1.55) after adjusting for age and race (minimally adjusted), and was 1.10 (95% CI: 1.06–1.14) after further adjusting for socioeconomic factors, health behaviors, biological and health-related factors, psychologic factors, and loneliness (fully adjusted). The minimally adjusted and fully adjusted hazard ratios for incident AKI for loneliness compared with no loneliness was 1.57 (95% CI: 1.52–1.62), and 1.10 (95% CI: 1.06–1.15), respectively. In the fully adjusted models, the highest risk of AKI was found in those with both social isolation and loneliness. Living alone and less social contact, rather than less participation in social activities, were significantly associated with a higher risk of incident AKI. Both social isolation and loneliness were independently and significantly associated with a higher risk of incident AKI. • Social isolation was significantly associated with a higher risk of incident AKI. • Loneliness was significantly associated with a higher risk of incident AKI. • The highest risk of AKI was found in those with both social isolation and loneliness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The association of a healthy lifestyle and the American Heart Association (AHA) Life's Essential 8 (LE8) score with the risk of new-onset nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) remains uncertain. We aimed to explore the associations between a healthy lifestyle and higher LE8 scores with new-onset severe NAFLD in the general population. 266,645 participants without prior liver diseases were included from the UK Biobank. A healthy lifestyle was determined based on body mass index, smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, sleep duration, and diet. LE8 score was generated from 8 metrics according to the AHA cardiovascular health (CVH) advisory, varying from 0 to 100 scores. The primary study outcome was new-onset severe NAFLD. The study outcomes were ascertained by hospital inpatient data, cancer registry, and death register records. During a median follow-up of 11.9 years, 2284(0.9 %) participants developed severe NAFLD. Compared with those with a poor lifestyle, participants with intermediate (HR, 0.60; 95%CI: 0.55–0.67), or ideal (HR, 0.20; 95%CI: 0.15–0.27) lifestyles had a significantly lower risk of new-onset severe NAFLD. Compared to the low CVH group (LE8 scores: 0–49), the moderate (scores:50–79) (HR, 0.43; 95%CI: 0.39–0.48) and high CVH (scores:80–100) (HR, 0.10; 95%CI: 0.07–0.14) group had a significantly lower risk of new-onset severe NAFLD. Accordingly, adhering to a healthy lifestyle and attaining a high CVH in all individuals could prevent 66.8 % (95%CI: 58.5–75.1 %) and 77.3 % (95%CI:70.4–84.2 %) of severe NAFLD, respectively. Genetic risks of NAFLD did not modify these associations. A favorable lifestyle and a higher LE8 score were significantly associated with a lower risk of new-onset severe NAFLD, independent of genetic risks of NAFLD. [Display omitted] • The association of a healthy lifestyle and the LE8 scores with the risk of new-onset severe NAFLD remains uncertain. • A healthy lifestyle and a higher LE8 score were associated with a lower risk of new-onset severe NAFLD, regardless of genetic risks. • A healthier lifestyle and a higher LE8 score would prevent approximately 66.8% and 77.3% of new-onset severe NAFLD, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Localization of the left ventricle (LV) in echocardiography is important for the diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases. Previous deep learning approaches leverage semantic segmentation models to perform LV or myocardium segmentation and extract important LV parameters from the binary segmentation masks. Although these algorithms yield promising segmentation results, their per-pixel classification characteristic and complex postprocessing process of the binary masks compromise their robustness and speed. In this paper, inspired by the DeepSnake algorithm in the computer vision community, we develop a deep learning model called LVSnake for left ventricle localization. Our model generates the initial contour by connecting three key landmarks of the left ventricle output by our model including the start point, the apex point, and the end point of the endocardium. Then, a contour adjustment module is designed to refine the initial contour coordinates so as to obtain the final position of the endocardium. The extracted endocardium coordinates are used to perform Myocardial Infarction (MI) detection. Experiment results on the HMC-QU dataset indicate that our model performs more favorably against previous approaches in terms of localization accuracy and robustness. The overall Endpoint-Error (EPE) of our model reaches 3.4 pixels. Using ventricular endocardium location extracted by our method to perform MI detection, the classification accuracy reaches 83.1% which exceeds that of existing studies (79.2%). Our proposed LVSnake can robustly and accurately extract LV positions from echocardiography, which can be used for MI detection. • We proposed the LVSnake model which directly outputs the LV contour. • Our model achieves accurate and robust performance on the LV localization task. • We labeled the LV contour of an MI detection dataset which will be released. • The MI detection's accuracy has improved using the LV contour extracted by our model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to evaluate the relationship of the variety and duration of different sedentary behaviors (TV-watching, driving, and nonoccupational computer use) with the risk of dementia in older participants, and examine whether inflammation and genetic susceptibility may modify the relationship. A prospective cohort study. 173,829 older participants (≥60 years) without prior dementia in the UK Biobank were enrolled. A healthy sedentary behavior score was calculated as the number of the 3 major sedentary behaviors with a duration associated with the lowest risk of dementia. The primary outcome was new-onset all-cause dementia. During a median follow-up of 12.4 years, 4965 (2.9%) participants developed new-onset dementia. There were U-shaped associations for TV-watching and driving time, and a reversed J-shaped association for nonoccupational computer use time with new-onset all-cause dementia, with the lowest dementia risk at >0-<2 hours/day for all the 3 sedentary behaviors. Moreover, a higher healthy sedentary behavior score was significantly associated with a lower risk of all-cause dementia (per 1 score increment: hazard ratio 0.78, 95% CI 0.75-0.81), with a stronger inverse association in those with higher levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and monocytes (both P -interactions <.05). Genetic risks of dementia did not significantly modify the association. Similar trends were found for new-onset Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. The associations between the duration of different sedentary behaviors and new-onset dementia were different in the older population. Moreover, the variety of sedentary behavior was inversely associated with new-onset dementia, especially among those with higher levels of inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many structural health monitoring systems are being developed to detect the impact damages in carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) structures, which are widely adopted in the aviation industry. In this study, a refined finite element model is established to simulate a Lamb wave propagating through impact damage in a CFRP skin-stringer structure. The accurate stiffness constants are determined for toughened CFRP laminates, which include the resin layers. The impact damage of toughened CFRP laminates is modeled as a truncated-cone-shaped region in which the rigidity is homogeneously reduced. Furthermore, the directive generation of the Lamb wave through a macro fiber composite (MFC) actuator is incorporated in the model. Simulations are performed for several configurations of the MFC and impact damage. The observed tendency of the delay in the arrival time of the lowest antisymmetric Lamb wave mode is noted to be consistent with the experimental results. The proposed model can facilitate the determination of the optimized configuration of MFCs in CFRP structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The association of carbohydrate intake with diabetes risk remains uncertain. We aimed to evaluate the prospective associations of the amount and types of carbohydrate intake with new-onset diabetes. A total of 16,260 non-diabetic participants from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) were included. Dietary intake was collected by three consecutive 24-h dietary recalls combined with a household food inventory. Participants with self-reported physician diagnosed diabetes, or fasting plasma glucose ≥7.0 mmol/L or glycated hemoglobin ≥6.5% during the follow-up were defined having new-onset diabetes. During a median follow-up of 9 years (158,930 person-years), 1100 participants developed diabetes. Overall, there was a U-shaped association between percent of energy from carbohydrate intake and new-onset diabetes, with minimal risk at 49–56% of energy from total carbohydrate intake (quartile 2) (P for nonlinearity <0.001). Moreover, there was an L-shaped association between high-quality carbohydrate intake and new-onset diabetes (P for nonlinearity <0.001), and a J-shaped association of low-quality carbohydrate intake with new-onset diabetes (P for nonlinearity <0.001). Furthermore, there was an inverse association between the plant-based low-carbohydrate diet scores for low-quality carbohydrate and new-onset diabetes. However, a reversed J-shaped association was found between the animal-based low-carbohydrate diet scores for low-quality carbohydrate and new-onset diabetes (P for nonlinearity <0.001). There was a U-shape association between percent of total carbohydrate intake and new-onset diabetes, with the lowest risk at 49–56% carbohydrate intake. Our findings provide some evidence for the intake of high-quality carbohydrate, and the substitution of plant-based products for low-quality carbohydrate for primary prevention of diabetes. • There was a U-shape association of total carbohydrate intake with new-onset diabetes. • 49–56% of energy from carbohydrate intake showed lowest risk of new-onset diabetes. • There was an L-shaped association of high-quality carbohydrate with new-onset diabetes. • There was a J-shaped association of low-quality carbohydrate with new-onset diabetes. • Plant LCD scores for low-quality carbohydrate were inversely associated with new-onset diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship of dietary vitamin E intake with incident chronic kidney disease (CKD) was not clear as yet. We aimed to examine the associations of dietary total vitamin E and tocopherol isoforms intakes with incident CKD in a 30-year follow-up study from young adulthood to midlife. A total of 4038 American adults aged 18–30 years and without reduced estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) were enrolled from Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults study. Diet was evaluated by a validated dietary-history questionnaire at baseline, and after 7 and 20 years later. The study outcome was incident CKD, defined as an eGFR<60 mL/min/1.73 m2 or a urinary albumin to creatinine ratio ≥30 mg/g. During a 30-year follow-up, 642 (15.9%) participants developed incident CKD. Overall, there was a L-shaped relationship between dietary total vitamin E intake and incident CKD (P for non-linearity<0.001). When total vitamin E intake was assessed as quartiles, compared with those in the first quartile (<4.35 mg α-TE/1000 kcal), the adjusted HRs (95%CI) of incident CKD for participants in the fourth quartile (≥9.61 mg α-TE/1000 kcal) was 0.55 (0.40, 0.75). Moreover, higher intakes of beta-tocopherol and gamma-tocopherol were significantly associated with a lower incident CKD. Higher intake of delta-tocopherol was significantly related to a higher incident CKD. And there was no obvious association of alpha-tocopherol intake with incident CKD. There were inverse associations of total vitamin E, beta-tocopherol and gamma-tocopherol intakes, a positive association of delta-tocopherol intake, and no obvious association of alpha-tocopherol intake, with incident CKD among American adults. [Display omitted] • Total vitamin E, γ-, β-tocopherol intakes were inversely related with incident CKD. • No obvious relation of α-tocopherol intake with incident CKD was found. • δ-tocopherol intake was positively related with incident CKD. • Different tocopherol isoforms performed different effects on incident CKD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We introduce a multi-stage information diffusion strategy to achieve interactions for joint-task learning through the proposed end-to-end deep neural network (MIDNet). • We design a Cross-Correlation Attention Module (CCAM) to effectively capture interactive information at different levels between depth and surface normal estimations. • Our MIDNet boasts state-of-the-art performance for joint monocular depth estimation and surface normal estimation on the NYU Depth V2 and Stanford 2D-3D-Semantic datasets, and achieves similar performance to prior art on the KITTI dataset. Depth and surface normal estimations are important for 3D geometric perception, which has numerous applications including autonomous vehicles and robots. In this paper, we propose a lightweight Multi-stage Information Diffusion Network (MIDNet) for the simultaneous prediction of depth and surface normals from a single RGB image. To obtain semantic and detail-preserving features, we adopt a high-resolution network as our backbone to learn multi-scale features, which are then fused into shared features for the two tasks. To mutually boost each task, a Cross-Correlation Attention Module (CCAM) is proposed to adaptively integrate information for the prediction of the two tasks in multiple stages, including feature-level information interaction and task-level information interaction. Ablation studies show that the proposed multi-stage information diffusion strategy can boost the performance gain for the two tasks at different levels. Compared to current state-of-the-art methods on the NYU Depth V2, Stanford 2D-3D-Semantic and KITTI datasets, our method achieves superior performance for both monocular depth and surface normal estimation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the possible efficacy and adverse effects of paracetamol and ibuprofen on dementia are of global clinical and public health importance, to date, the relationship of the use of paracetamol and ibuprofen with incident dementia remains uncertain. We aimed to assess the prospective association of regular use of ibuprofen and paracetamol with new-onset dementia in an older population. This study included 212,968 participants from the UK Biobank, aged ≥60 years, with available data of ibuprofen, paracetamol use and without dementia at baseline. The primary outcome was new-onset all-cause dementia. The secondary outcomes included new-onset Alzheimer's disease and new-onset vascular dementia. During a median follow-up of 12.3 years, 6407 (3.0%) participants developed new-onset all-cause dementia. Participants who regularly used paracetamol had a significantly higher risk of new-onset all-cause dementia (adjusted HR, 1.18; 95%CI: 1.10–1.26), compared with non-users. However, there was no significant association between regular use of ibuprofen and new-onset all-cause dementia (users vs. non-users; adjusted HR, 1.06; 95%CI: 0.97–1.16). Furthermore, APOE ε4 dosage and genetic risk scores (GRS) of Alzheimer's disease calculated by 25 single nucleotide polymorphisms did not significantly modify the relationship of regular use of paracetamol and ibuprofen with new-onset all-cause dementia (Both P -interactions >0.05). Similar results were found in the propensity score analysis. Similar findings were also observed for new-onset Alzheimer's disease and new-onset vascular dementia. Regular use of paracetamol, but not ibuprofen, was associated with a significantly higher risk of new-onset dementia in the old population, regardless of genetic risks of dementia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) has become a widespread problem that leads to considerable impairment of the psyche and daily life. The currently approved medications for the treatment of AGA are associated with significant adverse effects, high costs, and prolonged treatment duration. Therefore, natural products are being considered as possible complementary or alternative treatments. This review aims to enhance comprehension of the mechanisms by which natural products treat AGA. To achieve this, pertinent studies were gathered and subjected to analysis. In addition, the therapeutic mechanisms associated with these natural products were organized and summarized. These include the direct modulation of signaling pathways such as the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, the PI3K/AKT pathway, and the BMP pathway. Additionally, they exert effects on cytokine secretion, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant capabilities, as well as apoptosis and autophagy. Furthermore, the review briefly discusses the relationship between signaling pathways and autophagy and apoptosis in the context of AGA, systematically presents the mechanisms of action of existing natural products, and analyzes the potential therapeutic targets based on the active components of these products. The aim is to provide a theoretical basis for the development of pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, or dietary supplements. This review summarizes and describes the mechanisms by which natural products mitigate AGA and analyzes their potential structural target relationships. [Display omitted] • • Wnt/β-catenin pathway is the most important regulatory pathway for natural products to alleviate AGA. • • Mitochondria and TERT are novel targets for alleviating AGA. • • Flavonoids, mainly through the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, regulate the secretion of VEGF and TGF-β1 to promote hair growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The association between sleep behaviors and gout risk remains uncertain. We aimed to evaluate the relationship of sleep patterns based on a combination of five major sleep behaviors with the risk of new-onset gout, and to explore whether genetic risks of gout may modify this association in the general population. 403,630 participants without gout at baseline in UK Biobank were included. A healthy sleep score was created by combining five major sleep behaviors, including chronotype, sleep duration, insomnia, snoring, and daytime sleepiness. Genetic risk score for gout was calculated based on 13 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with independently significant genome-wide association with gout. The primary outcome was new-onset gout. During a median follow-up duration of 12.0 years, 4270 (1.1%) participants developed new-onset gout. Compared to participants with poor sleep patterns (0 ≤ healthy sleep score ≤ 1), those with healthy sleep patterns (4 ≤ healthy sleep score ≤ 5) had a significantly lower risk of new-onset gout (HR, 0.79; 95% CI: 0.70–0.91). Moreover, the significantly lower risk of new-onset gout associated with healthy sleep patterns were mainly found in those with low (HR, 0.68; 95%CI: 0.53–0.88), or intermediate genetic risks of gout (HR, 0.78; 95%CI: 0.62–0.99), but not in participants with high genetic risks of gout (HR, 0.95; 95%CI: 0.77–1.17) (P for interaction =0.043). Among the general population, a healthy sleep pattern was associated with a significant lower of new-onset gout risk, especially in those with lower genetic risks of gout. • Sleep health is multidimensional and various sleep behaviors are typically clustered. • A healthy sleep pattern was associated with a lower risk of new-onset gout. • This association was stronger in those with lower genetic risks of gout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A visual multimodal facial database for hedonic recognition is constructed. • Hedonic rating categories are identified by automatic facial expression recognition technique. • A hybrid deep learning framework is employed to exploit facial information. The emotional reactions that certain products evoke (like or dislike) play a key role in the user acceptance or preference toward these products and influence the choice behaviors. Facial expressions constitute a primary channel to express and communicate emotions. In particular, the facial reactions evoked by certain stimuli are generated subconsciously, and they can be easily captured by video recording. However, it is challenging to quantify and objectively describe facial expressions. Until now, most implicit measurements based on facial expression analyses have been implemented considering "basic emotions", which cannot directly represent like/dislike. How can we identify the affective state of consumers directly by using facial expression analysis technology? In this study, hedonic rating categories are defined based on the hedonic scale, and automatic facial expression analysis technology is applied to evaluate the suitability of the defined categories. Moreover, a visual multimodal facial database (RGB, depth, and infrared images) for the hedonic recognition of Asian individuals is constructed. A hybrid deep learning framework is employed to exploit the spatiotemporal information of the collected data to realize hedonic recognition. Early and late fusion strategies are used to investigate the suitability of the individual modalities and their complementarity. The experimental results indicate that the late fusion of the three modalities yielded the highest recognition accuracy compared to those obtained using individual modalities and the early fusion scheme. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of fusing different visual facial data and indicate that the use of multimodality-based facial expression analyses could enhance the accuracy of hedonic recognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]