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We aimed to develop and validate a protein risk score for predicting Alzheimer's disease (AD) and compare its performance with a validated clinical risk model (Cognitive Health and Dementia Risk Index for AD [CogDrisk‐AD]) and apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotypes. The development cohort, consisting of 35,547 participants from England in the UK Biobank, was randomly divided into a 7:3 training–testing ratio. The validation cohort included 4667 participants from Scotland and Wales in the UK Biobank. In the training set, an AD protein risk score was constructed using 31 proteins out of 2911 proteins. In the testing set, the AD protein risk score had a C‐index of 0.867 (95% CI, 0.828, 0.906) for AD prediction, followed by CogDrisk‐AD risk factors (C‐index, 0.856; 95% CI, 0.823, 0.889), and APOE genotypes (C‐index, 0.705; 95% CI, 0.660, 0.750). Adding the AD protein risk score to CogDrisk‐AD risk factors (C‐index increase, 0.050; 95% CI, 0.008, 0.093) significantly improved the predictive performance for AD. However, adding CogDrisk‐AD risk factors (C‐index increase, 0.040; 95% CI, −0.007, 0.086) or APOE genotypes (C‐index increase, 0.000; 95% CI, −0.054, 0.055) to the AD protein risk score did not significantly improve the predictive performance for AD. The top 10 proteins with the highest coefficients in the AD protein risk score contributed most of the predictive power for AD risk. These results were verified in the external validation cohort. EGFR, GFAP, and CHGA were identified as key proteins within the protein network. Our result suggests that the AD protein risk score demonstrated a good predictive performance for AD risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To assess the association of intake of sugar‐sweetened beverages (SSBs), artificially sweetened beverages (ASBs) and natural juices (NJs) with new‐onset atrial fibrillation (AF) in people with prediabetes or diabetes. Methods: A total of 31 433 participants with prediabetes and diabetes from the UK Biobank were included. Information on the intake of SSBs, ASBs and NJs was accessed by 24‐hour dietary recalls from 2009 to 2012. The study outcome was new‐onset AF. Results: During a median follow‐up of 12.0 years, 2470 (7.9%) AF cases were documented. Both the intake of SSBs (per 1 unit/day increment; adjusted hazard ratio [HR] = 1.11; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.04‐1.18) and ASBs (per 1 unit/day increment; adjusted HR = 1.08; 95% CI: 1.02‐1.14) were linearly and positively associated with new‐onset AF, while NJ intake was not significantly associated with new‐onset AF (per 1 unit/day increment; adjusted HR = 1.00; 95% CI: 0.93‐1.08). Accordingly, compared with non‐consumers, participants who consumed more than one unit per day of SSBs (adjusted HR = 1.30; 95% CI: 1.11‐1.53) or ASBs (adjusted HR = 1.21; 95% CI:1.05‐1.40) had an increased risk of AF. Substituting 1 unit/day of NJs for SSBs was associated with a 9% (adjusted HR = 0.91; 95% CI: 0.83‐0.99) lower risk of new‐onset AF, while replacing SSBs with ASBs was not significantly associated with new‐onset AF (adjusted HR = 0.97; 95% CI: 0.89‐1.06). Conclusions: Both the intake of SSBs and ASBs were linearly and positively associated with new‐onset AF, while NJ intake did not show a significant association with AF in people with prediabetes or diabetes. Replacing an equivalent amount of SSB intake with NJs, but not ASBs, was associated with a lower risk of AF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The relationship between laxative use and the risk of depression remains uncertain. We aimed to assess the prospective association of regular laxative use with the risk of incident depression and to examine whether genetic risk of depression modifies this association. Methods: Four hundred fifty thousand forty‐five participants without depression at baseline and have complete information on laxative use from the UK Biobank were included. The study outcome was incident depression, derived from linkage to primary care records, hospital inpatient data, death register records, or self‐reported medical conditions at follow‐up visits. Results: During a median follow‐up of 12.4 years, 18,651(4.1%) participants have developed depression. Regular laxative use was significantly associated with a higher risk of incident depression (vs. nonregular laxative use; adjusted hazard ratio [HR] = 1.78, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.68–1.89). Genetic risk of depression did not significantly modify this association. The risk of incident depression increased with increasing types of laxatives used, with a HR of 1.89 (95%CI, 1.73–2.08) for use of single laxative type and 2.32 (95%CI, 1.82–2.96) for combined use of two or more laxative types (P for trend <0.001). The positive association between regular laxative use and incident depression was more pronounced in men (adjusted HR = 2.21, 95%CI, 1.96–2.48) versus women (adjusted HR = 1.67, 95%CI, 1.56–1.79; P interaction <0.001). Compared to those who did not use laxatives regularly and did not have constipation, participants who used laxatives regularly and had constipation had the highest risk of incident depression (adjusted HR = 2.33, 95%CI, 1.94–2.80). Conclusions: Regular laxative use was significantly associated with a higher risk of incident depression, especially in men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To assess the relationship of longitudinal changes in fat mass (FM), lean mass (LM) and waist circumference (WC) with incident kidney outcomes in people with overweight/obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Materials and Methods: A total of 3927 participants with baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≥60 mL/min/1.73 m2 from the Look AHEAD (Action for Health in Diabetes) trial were included. The primary outcome was kidney outcomes, defined as a decrease in eGFR of at least 40% from baseline at follow‐up visit, or end‐stage kidney disease. Results: During a median follow‐up of 8.0 years, 450 kidney outcomes were documented after the first 1 year. In the intensive lifestyle intervention (ILI) group, reductions in FM (per 10% decrease, adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 0.80, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.69–0.94) and WC (per 10% decrease, adjusted HR 0.72, 95% CI 0.59–0.88) from baseline to 1‐year follow‐up were significantly associated with a lower risk of kidney outcomes. The change in LM was not significantly associated with risk of kidney outcomes (per 10% decrease, adjusted HR 0.78, 95% CI 0.58–1.06). In the diabetes support and education group (control group), no significant association was found between changes in body composition and kidney outcomes. Similar results were observed for the 4‐year changes in body composition. Conclusions: In this post hoc analysis of the Look AHEAD trial, longitudinal declines in FM and WC were associated with a lower risk of kidney outcomes in the ILI group in participants with overweight/obesity and T2DM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The association between different sedentary behaviors and hypertension risk remains unclear. We aimed to explore the relationship between different domains of sedentary behaviors and new‐onset hypertension, investigate whether genetic susceptibility to hypertension modifies the relationship, and examine the extent to which the relationship is mediated by body mass index (BMI) and grip strength. Methods: 212 714 participants without baseline hypertension in the UK Biobank were enrolled. The three major sedentary behaviors (TV‐watching, nonoccupational computer use, and driving) were measured using touch screen questionnaires. The primary outcome was new‐onset hypertension. Results: During a median follow‐up of 11.9 years, 13 983 participants developed hypertension. There was a linear positive association between TV‐watching time and new‐onset hypertension (p for nonlinearity =0.868). A J‐shaped association was found for nonoccupational computer use time and driving time with new‐onset hypertension, with an inflection point of 0.5 h/day for both (both p for nonlinearity <0.001). Polygenetic risk scores for hypertension (based on 118 related single‐nucleotide polymorphisms) did not significantly modify these associations (all p‐interactions >0.05). Furthermore, the detrimental effects of long‐term sedentary behaviors on hypertension were mediated by BMI by 21%–30%, and the beneficial effects of limited sitting time (within 0.5 h/day) for driving and nonoccupational computer use were mediated by grip strength by 6–25%. Conclusions: There was a positive association for hands‐independence sedentary behavior (TV‐watching), and a J‐shaped association for hands‐dependence sedentary behaviors (nonoccupational computer use and driving) with new‐onset hypertension, regardless of genetic risks of hypertension. These relationships were partly mediated by BMI and grip strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: We aimed to investigate the relations of handgrip strength, walking pace and the combination of handgrip strength and walking pace with incident hypertension, and to explore whether this association was modified by the genetic risk of hypertension. Methods: 214 214 participants without prior hypertension in the UK Biobank were included. Handgrip strength was assessed by dynamometer. Walking pace was self‐defined as slow, average, or brisk. The study outcome was incident hypertension. A genetic risk score for hypertension was generated using a Bayesian approach applied to meta‐analyzed summary statistics GWAS data. Results: Over a median follow‐up of 11.9 years, 13 344 (6.2%) participants developed incident hypertension. When handgrip strength was assessed as sex‐specific quartiles, compared with those with the lowest handgrip strength (quartile 1), the adjusted HRs (95% CI) of incident hypertension in quartile 2, quartile 3, and quartile 4 were 0.80 (0.69, 0.93), 0.74 (0.64, 0.86), and 0.72 (0.61, 0.84), respectively. Compared with those with slow walking pace, participants with average (HR, 0.52; 95% CI: 0.40, 0.67) or brisk (HR, 0.43; 95% CI: 0.32, 0.56) walking pace had significantly lower risks of hypertension. Moreover, compared with those with both lower handgrip strength (quartile 1) and slow walking pace, the lowest risk of incident hypertension was observed in participants with both high handgrip strength (quartiles 2–4) and fast (average or brisk) walking pace (HR, 0.36; 95% CI: 0.25, 0.52). Genetic risks of hypertension did not significantly modify the association (p‐interaction = 0.300). Conclusion: Both higher handgrip strength and faster walking pace were significantly associated with a lower risk of incident hypertension, independent of genetic risks of hypertension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Visceral adiposity index (VAI) was a reliable marker for visceral adiposity accumulation and dysfunction. The association between VAI and nephropathy outcomes remains uncertain in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). We aimed to evaluate the longitudinal relationships between VAI and incident nephropathy outcomes in T2DM patients. Materials and Methods: Ten thousand one hundred and thirty two participants with T2DM from the ACCORD trial were included in the present study. Cumulative average VAI based on VAI measurements at baseline and follow‐up was used to represent long‐term VAI status. The primary outcome was the incident composite nephropathy outcome defined as: (1) serum creatinine doubling or >20 ml/min decrease in eGFR; or (2) development of macro‐albuminuria; or (3) renal failure or end stage kidney disease (dialysis) or serum creatinine >3.3 mg/dl. Results: During 26,168 person‐years follow‐up duration, 6094 (60.1%) participants developed the incident composite nephropathy outcome. When assessing cumulative average VAI as quartiles, compared with those in the 1–2 quartiles (<2.6), a significantly higher risk of incident composite nephropathy outcomes was observed among participants in the 3–4 quartiles (≥2.6, adjusted HR: 1.09, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.18). Moreover, the positive association was consistent in participants with or without single abnormal VAI components, including general obesity, abdominal obesity, elevated triglycerides, and low high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol, or with different numbers of abnormal VAI components. Additionally, the positive association was stronger in participants with cumulative average systolic blood pressure <130 mmHg (vs. ≥130 mmHg; p‐interaction < 0.001). Conclusions: In T2DM patients, higher cumulative average VAI was associated with a higher risk of incident composite nephropathy outcomes. Clinical Trial Registration: clinicaltrials.gov, identifier: NCT00000620 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Converting poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) into metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) has emerged as a promising innovation for upcycling of waste plastics. However, previous solvothermal methods suffer from toxic solvent consumption, long reaction time, high pressure, and high temperature. Herein, a mechanochemical milling strategy was reported to transform waste PET into a series of MOFs with high yields. This strategy had the merits of solvent‐free conditions, ambient reaction temperature, short running time, and easy scale‐up for large‐scale production of MOFs. The as‐prepared MOFs exhibited definite crystal structure and porous morphology composed of agglomerated nanoparticles. It was proven that, under mechanochemical milling, PET was firstly decomposed into 1,4‐benzenedicarboxylate, which acted as linkers to coordinate with metal ions for forming fragments, followed by the gradual arrangement of fragments into MOFs. This work not only promotes high value‐added conversion of waste polyesters but also offers a new opportunity to produce MOFs in a green and scalable manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The association between serum uric acid (SUA) and mortality from cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) participants remains uncertain. We aim to investigate the relations of SUA with the risk of CVD mortality among adults with and without NAFLD. Methods: Using data from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999–2014, a total of 17,858 participants were recruited. Of these, 5767 had a US Fatty Liver Index (USFLI) ≥30 and were classified as having NAFLD. Death information was obtained from the National Death Index until 2015. Results: During a mean follow‐up of 8.3 years, 427 participants died from CVD. Overall, there was a positive association between SUA and CVD mortality among participants with NAFLD (per SD μmol/L increment, adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.40; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.16–1.68). Accordingly, among those with NAFLD, when SUA was assessed as quartiles, compared with those in the first quartile, a significantly higher risk of CVD mortality was found in participants in the fourth quartile (adjusted HR, 2.69; 95% CI, 1.51–4.80). However, there was no significant association between SUA and CVD mortality among participants without NAFLD (per SD μmol/L increment, adjusted HR, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.83–1.22). Similar trends were found for all‐cause mortality. Similar results were also found when using FLI ≥ 60 to define NAFLD. Conclusions: In a large and nationally representative sample of US adults, a higher SUA was significantly associated with a higher risk of CVD mortality among participants with NAFLD, but not in those without NAFLD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar evaporation is recognized as a prospective technique to produce freshwater from non‐drinkable water using inexhaustible solar energy. However, it remains a challenge to fabricate low‐cost solar evaporators with obviously reduced water evaporation enthalpy to achieve high evaporation rates. Herein, N,O dual‐doped carbon foam (NCF) is fabricated from the low‐temperature carbonization of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) waste by melamine/molten salts at 340 °C. During carbonization, melamine reacts with carboxylic acids of PET degradation products to yield a crosslinking network, and then molten salts catalyze the decarboxylation and dehydration to construct a stable framework. Owing to rich N,O‐containing groups, 3D interconnected pores, super‐hydrophilicity, and ultra‐low thermal conductivity (0.0599 W m−1 K−1), NCF not only achieves high light absorbance (ca. 99%) and solar‐to‐thermal conversion, but also promotes the formation of water cluster to reduce water evaporation enthalpy by ca. 37%. Consequently, NCF exhibits a high evaporation rate (2.4 kg m−2 h−1), surpassing the‐state‐of‐the‐art solar evaporators, and presents good anti‐acid/basic abilities, long‐term salt‐resistance, and self‐cleaning ability. Importantly, a large‐scale NCF‐based outdoor solar desalination device is developed to produce freshwater. The daily freshwater production amount per unit area (6.3 kg) meets the two adults' daily water consumption. The trash‐to‐treasure strategy will give impetus to the development of low‐cost, advanced solar evaporators from waste plastics for addressing the global freshwater shortage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Upcycling waste plastics into advanced semiconductor photocatalysts provides a new strategy to reasonably and economically solve the huge amount of waste plastics, which remains challenging. Herein, a carbon nitride‐based donor–acceptor (D–A) conjugated copolymer by copolymerization of dicyandiamide and terephthalic acid from discarded polyethylene terephthalate (PET) using Zn(OH)2 as catalyst and template at 360–440 °C is synthesized. The morphology and structure of the conjugated copolymer are well regulated by the calcination temperature. The resultant conjugated copolymer exhibits merits of high light absorption and low electron–hole recombination probability. Consequently, it works excellently in the persulfate‐based advanced oxidation process for visible light‐driven photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline. The kinetic constant (3.4 × 10−2 min−1) is 40.5 and 2.3 times that of the conjugated copolymer system and persulfate system, respectively. Furthermore, the reactive species (including •OH, SO4•−, •O2−, 1O2, and h+) and degradation intermediates of tetracycline are analyzed to expound its degradation process. This work not only pioneers design guidelines on upcycling of waste plastics in a sustainable manner, but also provides a facile strategy to synthesize carbon nitride‐based D–A conjugated copolymers for the efficient activation of persulfate‐based advanced oxidation process in wastewater treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Upcycling waste plastics (e.g., polyethylene (PE)) into value‐added carbon products is regarded as a promising approach to address the increasingly serious waste plastic pollution and simultaneously achieve carbon neutrality. However, developing new carbonization technology routes to promote the oxidation of PE at low temperature and construct the stable cross‐linking network remains challenging. Here, a facile carbon‐grown‐on‐carbon strategy is proposed using carbon black (CB) to convert waste PE into core/shell carbon nanoparticles (CN) in high yields at low temperature. The yield of CN remarkably increases when the heating temperature decreases or the dosage of CB increases. The obtained CN displays turbostratic structure and closely aggregated granular morphology with a size of ≈80 nm. It is found that, prior to the oxidation and carbonization of PE, CB forms a 3D network architecture in the PE matrix. More importantly, CB not only catalyzes the partial oxidation of PE to form PE macromolecular radicals and introduce oxygen‐containing groups at low temperature in the early stage, but also favors for the construction of a stable cross‐linking network in the latter stage. This work offers a facile sustainable strategy for chemical upcycling of PE into value‐added carbon products without post‐treatments or usage of metallic catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Broadband near‐infrared (NIR) photothermal and photoacoustic agents covering from the first NIR (NIR‐I) to the second NIR (NIR‐II) biowindow are of great significance for imaging and therapy of cancers. In this work, ultrathin two‐dimensional plasmonic PtAg nanosheets are discovered with strong broadband light absorption from NIR‐I to NIR‐II biowindow, which exhibit outstanding photothermal and photoacoustic effects under both 785 and 1064 nm lasers. Photothermal conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of PtAg nanosheets reach 19.2% under 785 nm laser and 45.7% under 1064 nm laser. The PCE under 1064 nm laser is higher than those of most reported inorganic NIR‐II photothermal nanoagents. After functionalization with folic acid modified thiol‐poly(ethylene glycol) (SH‐PEG‐FA), PtAg nanosheets endowed with good biocompatibility and 4T1 tumor‐targeted function give high performances for photoacoustic imaging (PAI) and photothermal therapy (PTT) in vivo under both 785 and 1064 nm lasers. The effective ablation of tumors in mice can be realized without side effects and tumor metastasis by PAI‐guided PTT of PtAg nanosheets under 785 or 1064 nm laser. The results demonstrate that the prepared PtAg nanosheets with ultrathin thickness and small size can serve as a promising phototheranostic nanoplatform for PAI‐guided PTT of tumors in both NIR‐I and NIR‐II biowindows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the association between plasma retinol levels with all-cause mortality and investigate the possible effect modifiers in general hypertensive patients with no previous cardiovascular disease (CVD). This case-control study was nested in the China Stroke Primary Prevention Trial (CSPPT), a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial conducted in 32 communities in Anhui and Jiangsu provinces in China. The current study included 617 cases of all-cause mortality and 617 controls matched on age (≤1 year), sex, treatment group, and study site. All-cause mortality was the main outcome in this analysis, which included death due to any reason. The median follow-up duration was 4.5 years. Overall, there was a U-shaped relation of plasma retinol with all-cause mortality. In the threshold effect analysis, the risk of all-cause mortality significantly decreased with the increase in plasma retinol (per 10 μg/dL increments: OR, 0.73; 95% CI: 0.61-0.87) in participants with plasma retinol <58.3 μg/dL and increased with the increase in plasma retinol (per 10 μg/dL increments: OR, 1.08; 95% CI: 1.01-1.16) in those with plasma retinol ≥58.3 μg/L. In participants with plasma retinol <58.3 μg/dL, a stronger inverse association was observed in those with higher time-averaged SBP (≥140 vs <140 mm Hg; P-interaction = .034), or higher vitamin E levels (≥11.5 [quartile 4]; vs <11.5 μg/mL; P-interaction = .013). The present study demonstrated that there was a U-shaped relationship of plasma retinol levels with the risk of all-cause mortality in general hypertensive patients, with a turning point around 58.3 μg/dL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BiOCl as a two‐dimensional layer ternary oxide semiconductor, has been widely used in energy and environmental area due to its non‐toxicity, price and the good photocatalytic performance. However, BiOCl has a wide bandgap and can only absorb ultraviolet light, which limits its solar energy conversion efficiency for practical application. Herein, we report a facile synthesis of FeOOH/BiOCl nanocomposites by hydrothermal method. The results of XPS and FT‐IR indicated that FeOOH has been loaded on the nanocomposites. The chemical and optical properties of the nanocomposite are well‐characterized. The nanocomposite showed much more excellent photocatalytic performance compared with the individual FeOOH and BiOCl single component. Reactive specie trapping experiment indicated that·O2– and h+ were the two main active species during the photocatalytic process of FeOOH/BiOCl nanocomposites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non‐noble metal‐based metal–organic framework (MOF)‐derived electrocatalysts have recently attracted great interest in the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Here we report a facile synthesis of nickel‐based bimetallic electrocatalysts derived from 2D nanosheet‐assembled nanoflower‐like MOFs. The optimized morphologies and large Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area endow FeNi@CNF with efficient OER performance, where the aligned nanosheets can expose abundant active sites and benefit electron transfer. The complex nanoflower morphologies together with the synergistic effects between two metals attributed to the OER activity of the Ni‐based bimetallic catalysts. The optimized FeNi@CNF afforded an overpotential of 356 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm−2 with a Tafel slope of 62.6 mV dec−1, and also exhibited superior durability with only slightly degradation after 24 hours of continuous operation. The results may inspire the use of complex nanosheet‐assembled nanostructures to explore highly active catalysts for various applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen production is one of the most effective methods for combating the global energy crisis. However, improving the electrochemical performance of oxygen‐evolution catalysts is a significant challenge. In this paper, exceptionally active electrocatalysts for oxygen‐evolution reactions (OERs) were successfully developed and characterized by using SEM, TEM, XRD, BET, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The nitrogen‐doped hollow‐carbon‐encapsulated bimetallic nanoparticles (MM′‐NHCNPs) were prepared by using folic acid coordination polymerization. The hollow structure and the synergistic effect of bimetallic doping exhibited remarkable catalytic performance and outstanding stability for the OER in a 1.0 m KOH alkaline electrolyte. For the OER, the overpotential of the best catalyst was only 350 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm−2 with a small Tafel slope of 58 mV dec−1. High durability was also demonstrated by the MM′‐NHCNPs. Such an MM′‐NHCNP catalyst with excellent electrochemical properties provides a promising material for OERs. It′s a wrap! Bimetallic nitrogen‐doped hollow‐carbon‐wrapped nanoparticles (MM′‐NHCNPs) were prepared by using folic acid coordination polymerization. Such an MM′‐NHCNP catalyst with excellent electrochemical properties provides a promising material for oxygen‐evolution reactions (see figure). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) and MOF‐derived nanomaterials have recently attracted great interest as highly efficient, non‐noble‐metal catalysts. In particular, two‐dimensional MOF nanosheet materials possess the advantages of both 2D layered nanomaterials and MOFs and are considered to be promising nanomaterials. Herein, we report a facile and scalable in situ hydrothermal synthesis of Co–hypoxanthine (HPA) MOF nanosheets, which were then directly carbonized to prepare uniform Co@N‐Carbon nanosheets for efficient bifunctional electrocatalytic hydrogen‐evolution reactions (HERs) and oxygen‐evolution reactions (OERs). The Co embedded in N‐doped carbon shows excellent and stable catalytic performance for bifunctional electrocatalytic OERs and HERs. For OERs, the overpotential of Co@N‐Carbon at 10 mA cm−2 was 400 mV (vs. reversible hydrogen electrode, RHE). The current density of Co@N‐Carbon reached 100 mA cm−2 at an overpotential of 560 mV, which showed much better performance than RuO2; the largest current density of RuO2 that could be reached was only 44 mA cm−2. The Tafel slope of Co@N‐Carbon was 61 mV dec−1, which is comparable to that of commercial RuO2 (58 mV dec−1). The excellent electrocatalytic properties can be attributed to the nanosheet structure and well‐dispersed carbon‐encapsulated Co, CoN nanoparticles, and N‐dopant sites, which provided high conductivity and a large number of accessible active sites. The results highlight the great potential of utilizing MOF nanosheet materials as promising templates for the preparation of 2D Co@N‐Carbon materials for electrocatalysis and will pave the way to the development of more efficient 2D nanomaterials for various catalytic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, the design and application of low‐cost and highly active bifunctional electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reactions (OERs) and hydrogen evolution reactions (HERs) are still challenging. Metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs) are used to produce a material composed of porous nitrogen‐doped carbon materials encapsulating cobalt and tungsten carbide (Co/W‐C@NCNSs). Nanoscale MOFs are successfully synthesized via a microwave method and are denoted as HZIF‐W. Moreover, the obtained MOFs are annealed under N2 atmosphere at a temperature of 600 and 800 °C, and the obtained samples are designated as Co/W‐C@NCNSs(600) and Co/W‐C@NCNSs(800), respectively, according to the annealing temperature. The results show that the obtained Co/W‐C@NCNSs exhibit superior performance toward both the OER and HER in alkaline media. Co/W‐C@NCNSs(800) shows the best electrocatalytic activities, requiring an overpotential of 323 mV (vs RHE) and −252 mV (vs RHE) to achieve a current density of 10 mA cm−2 for the electrocatalytic OER and HER in an aqueous solution. A water electrolyzer device using Co/W‐C@NCNSs(800) as both the anode and cathode requires only a cell voltage of 1.68 V to reach a current density of 10 mA cm−2, thus illustrating that cobalt/tungsten carbide‐based NCNSs derived from MOFs can be prospective materials for the electrocatalysis of water splitting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The association between vitamin D and the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) remains inconclusive. We aimed to explore the association of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) with incident VTE among participants with and without diabetes, and examine the modifying effect of genetic susceptibility of VTE and vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphisms on this association., Materials and Methods: A total of 378,082 participants free of VTE at baseline from the UK Biobank were included. Serum 25OHD concentrations were measured by the chemiluminescent immunoassay method. The primary outcome was incident VTE, including deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE). The genetic risks of VTE were estimated using 297 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with VTE. The VDR gene polymorphisms included SNPs of rs7975232, rs1544410, rs2228570 and rs731236., Results: During a median follow-up duration of 12.5 years, 10,645 VTE cases were recorded. Serum 25OHD had a significantly stronger inverse association with incident VTE in participants with diabetes (per SD increment, adjusted HR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.81-0.93) than in those without diabetes (per SD increment, adjusted HR: 0.97; 95% CI: 0.95-0.99; p-interaction = 0.003). Similar trends were found for incident DVT and PE. Among participants with diabetes, the genetic risk of VTE did not significantly modify the association between serum 25OHD and incident VTE (p-interaction = 0.607). However, a stronger inverse association of serum 25OHD with incident VTE was found in the VDR rs2228570 AA genotype (vs. GG/AG; p-interaction = 0.031)., Conclusions: Serum 25OHD was inversely associated with the risk of VTE, especially among participants with diabetes, regardless of genetic risks of VTE., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background The association of a healthy lifestyle with the prognosis of type 2 diabetes remains uncertain. We aimed to evaluate the associations of a healthy lifestyle and a higher American Heart Association's Life's Essential 8 score with incident macrovascular and microvascular diseases in type 2 diabetes. Methods and Results A total of 13 543 participants with baseline type 2 diabetes and free of macrovascular and microvascular diseases from the UK Biobank were included. A healthy lifestyle was determined based on body mass index, smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, sleep duration, and diet. Life's Essential 8 scores were generated from 8 metrics according to the American Heart Association's cardiovascular health advisory, ranging from 0 to 100. During a median follow-up of 12.1 years, 3279 (24.2%) incident macrovascular diseases and 2557 (18.9%) microvascular diseases were documented. Compared with those with a poor lifestyle, participants with an ideal lifestyle had significantly lower risks of incident macrovascular disease (hazard ratio [HR], 0.46 [95% CI, 0.36-0.59]) and microvascular disease (HR, 0.60 [95% CI, 0.47-0.77]). Significantly lower risks of macrovascular disease (HR, 0.20 [95% CI, 0.05-0.79]) and microvascular disease (HR, 0.24 [95% CI, 0.06-0.98]) were also found in the high cardiovascular health group (Life's Essential 8 scores: 80-100), compared to the low cardiovascular health group (scores: 0-49). Adhering to an ideal lifestyle may prevent 37.0% of macrovascular disease and 24.7% of microvascular disease, and attaining a high cardiovascular health may prevent 71.9% of macrovascular disease and 67.5% of microvascular disease. Conclusions A healthy lifestyle and a higher Life's Essential 8 score were associated with lower risks of macrovascular and microvascular diseases among participants with type 2 diabetes.

Background Understanding the natural history of elevated blood pressure (BP) is important to determine the window for primary prevention of hypertension. The authors aimed to investigate the natural history of elevated BP and examine whether there were inflection points in BP trajectories preceding hypertension onset in Chinese adults. Methods and Results A total of 8688 participants with an average of 5 BP measurements were included from the CHNS (China Health and Nutrition Survey). In each wave, triplicate measurements on the same arm were taken, and the mean systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) were used in the analysis. Hypertension onset was defined as SBP ≥140 mm Hg or DBP ≥90 mm Hg or diagnosed by physician or currently under antihypertensive treatment. The median follow-up time was 13.0 years. Overall, BP elevation with age prior to the onset of hypertension showed a nonlinear trajectory. The increased rates in both SBP and DBP were obviously faster after the inflection point than before. According to hypertension onset at age 30 to 39, 40 to 49, 50 to 59, 60 to 69, and 70 to 79 years, at the inflection point, patients were ≈29, 38, 48, 57, and 67 years, SBP levels were 112.6, 114.8, 116.8, 117.4, and 118.0 mm Hg, and DBP levels were 73.4, 75.7, 76.9, 76.2, and 73.8 mm Hg, respectively. Conclusions There was a nonlinear trajectory of BP elevation preceding hypertension onset. The inflection points for SBP and DBP were in the range of 112 to 118 mm Hg and 73 to 77 mm Hg, respectively. Once BP levels exceeded the changing points, the level of SBP and DBP increased more rapidly.