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The correlation among gut microbiota, biochemical features, and dietary patterns in recurrent stone formers has been inadequately investigated in the Chinese population. Forty-two patients with calcium oxalate stones (CaOxS group), including 34 recurrent stone formers (RS group), and 40 nonstone healthy subjects (NS group) from Changshu Hospital Affiliated with Soochow University, were prospectively recruited. Food frequency questionnaires were completed by participants, fasting vein blood was extracted, 24-h urine was collected for biochemical detection, and fecal samples were gathered for 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequencing. BMI; serum levels of triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), magnesium, and creatinine; and urine levels of magnesium in stone formers were significantly different from those of controls, and RS patients showed significantly low serum phosphate and high urine phosphate levels. Celery, bamboo shoots, and pickled food were the favored foods of local stone formers. Patients with recurrent stones had altered microbiota composition, with Escherichia, Fusobacterium, and Epulopiscium being the predominant pathogenic genera. The gut microbiota in RS patients had stronger functions in fatty acid and amino acid degradation but weaker functions in their biosynthesis. The pathogenic genera were positively correlated with BMI; serum levels of TGs and creatinine; urine levels of calcium, phosphate, and uric acid (UA); and celery, bamboo shoots, and pickled food intake. The abundance of Escherichia and Fusobacterium and the levels of serum magnesium and creatinine were the most relevant factors associated with stone recurrence and could be validated as biomarkers of recurrence. Our research provides a novel prevention strategy for the recurrence of renal calcium oxalate stones in the Han Chinese population of southern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To reflect both fuzziness and hesitation in the evaluation of interactivity between attributes in the identification process of 2-order additive fuzzy measure, this work uses the hesitant fuzzy linguistic term set (HFLTS) to describe and depict the interactivity between attributes. Firstly, the interactivity between attributes is defined by the supermodular game theory. According to this definition, a linguistic term set is established to characterize the interactivity between attributes. Under the linguistic term set, the experts employ linguistic expressions generated by context-free grammar to qualitatively describe the interactivity between attributes. Secondly, through the conversion function, the linguistic expressions are transformed into the hesitant fuzzy linguistic term sets (HFLTSs). The individual evaluation results of all experts were further aggregated with the defined hesitant fuzzy linguistic weighted power average operator (HFLWPA). Thirdly, based on the standard Euclidean distance formula of the hesitant fuzzy linguistic elements (HFLEs), the hesitant fuzzy linguistic interaction degree (HFLID) between attributes is defined and calculated by constructing a piecewise function. As a result, a 2-order additive fuzzy measure identification method based on HFLID is proposed. Based on the proposed method, using the Choquet fuzzy integral as nonlinear integration operator, a multi-attribute decision making (MADM) process is then presented. Taking the credit assessment of the big data listed companies in China as an application example, the analysis results of application example prove the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method. This work successfully reflects both the fuzziness and hesitation in evaluating the interactivity between attributes in the identification process of 2-order additive fuzzy measure, enriches the theoretical framework of 2-order additive fuzzy measure, and expands the applicability and methodology of 2-order additive fuzzy measure in multi-attribute decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: China is an ageing society, with around 150 million people aged 60 years or older. The prevalence of dementia will increase by more than 100% in the coming 20 years. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and effects of dementia among the community elderly in Chongqing, China. Methods: Cluster sampling was adopted. A sample of elderly individuals aged 60 years and older was extracted as research subjects from three counties within Chongqing, China. One‐on‐one interviews were conducted through a general information questionnaire, and the Mini‐Mental State Examination, Instrumental Activity of Daily Living Scale, and Geriatric Depression Scale were administered. The investigated data were tested by χ2, and the effect factors of dementia were analyzed by multiple logistic regression analysis. Statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. Results: We distributed 1850 questionnaire, and the response rate was 100%. However, only 1781 questionnaires were able to be used in the study. Of the 1781 elderly respondents, 186 (10.44%) presented with dementia. Our findings revealed that differences in regions, age, marital status, education level, occupation, tobacco consumption, alcohol consumption, freshwater fish consumption, exercise, intensive labour, mah‐jong‐ and chess‐playing habits, media consumption (i.e. watching TV, listening to the radio, or reading the newspaper), body mass index, hypertension, coronary heart disease, and depression were statistically significant in the prevalence of dementia (P < 0.05). Conclusions: According to multiple logistic regression analyses, living in a rural area, older age, being single, obesity, hypertension, coronary heart disease, and depression are risk factors for dementia. In contrast, cessation of smoking, freshwater fish consumption, moderate or frequent exercise, intensive labour, daily housework, outdoor activities, media consumption, and social activities are protective factors against dementia among community elderly in Chongqing, China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on field and laboratory tests, physical and mechanical properties of 320 surface sediments and 12 gravity cores collected from the Zhejiang-Fujian coastal area were analyzed. The results showed that the fine-grained soil in this area was mainly composed of mud and muddy clay, with a small amount of clayey silt, silty clay and clay. They were generally characterized by high water content, high void ratio, high compressibility, high plasticity, and low shear strength. Furthermore, the factors that caused the poor physical and mechanical properties of the fine-grained soil have been analyzed for microscopic aspects (grain size distribution, mineral component, chemical composition, microstructure and macroscopic aspects (sediment source and hydrodynamic environment). The analytical results revealed that those microscopic and macroscopic factors had important relationships with the physical and mechanical properties of soil. If we can better understand those affecting factors in the forming process of the sediments, it would be beneficial for us in the study of their physical and mechanical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]