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PCL-based biodegradable shape-memory polymers (SMPs) are limited in strength, which restricts their practical applications. In this study, a series of novel SMPs, composed of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), poly(ethylene naphthalate) (PEN), and poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL), were synthesized and cross-linked using planar (benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylic acid, BTC) or non-planar (glycerol, GC) cross-linkers via the one-pot method. The influence of different kinds of cross-linkers and hard segments of copolyesters on the thermal properties, crystallization behavior, mechanical properties, shape-memory performance, and degradability was investigated by FT-IR, 1H-NMR, DSC, DMA, TGA, XRD, tensile test, intrinsic viscosity measurement, and in vitro enzymatic degradation test. The results indicate that the tensile strength of the copolyester can be significantly improved from 27.8 to 53.2 MPa by partially replacing PET with PEN while maintaining its shape-memory characteristics. Moreover, a small amount of cross-linking modification leads to higher temperature sensitivity, improved shape recovery rate at third round (Rr(3) = 99.1%), and biodegradability in the cross-linked PET/PEN/PCL shape-memory polymers. By changing the crystallization morphology and cross-linking forms of the material, we have developed a shape-memory polymer with both high strength and a high shape recovery rate, which provides a new strategy for the development of shape-memory materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 45-year-old male presented with acute-onset left-sided weakness and slurred speech. Non-contrast-enhanced brain magnetic resonance imaging revealed cortical and internal border-zone infarcts compatible with stroke. A survey of ischemic stroke risk factors in young adults excluded coagulopathy, vasculitis, and cardiac disease. Nevertheless, neck-computed tomography angiography revealed a long-segmental narrowing of the right internal carotid artery with wall thickening and a "string-of-beads" appearance suspicious for fibromuscular dysplasia, which was confirmed on further angiography. His clinical condition stabilized after intensive medical therapy. This case demonstrates cerebrovascular fibromuscular dysplasia as a possible cause of ischemic stroke in young adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study tried to improve the operational efficiency and service quality of the community case management model for the High-Care Elderly in Communities in Taiwan. This study tried to assistant social workers in community care sites to establish individualized treatment planning, to empower them with flexibility to discover and utilize their own unique strengths, to reach the goal of developing community care capacity.Methods: A case consulting model was employed in this study by providing case by case supervision service. We collected all supervision meeting records and related data as our qualitative research materials, analyzed these materials and tried to define intervention effectiveness of the individualized supervision strategy under the strength perspective applied to the case management model of the high-care elderly in communities. To find out what helps these social workers the most, and how these social workers realize and recognize their process and key to improve their service quality and work efficiency, in the way of qualitative interpretation.Results: A supervision model under the perspective of strength was developed in this study, and was applied to clinical community care sites to help their social workers. The results proved that our supervision model provided an opportunity to empower and re-know themselves, re-establish their professional confidence and meaning of existence for their organization, and eventually produced positive effect to quality of service and service receiver's satisfaction improvement. The key feature that made this supervision model of the strength perspective work was to let social workers have the autonomy to interpret the challenges they face and to think possible alternative solutions creatively.Conclusions: This study showed that create a supervisee-friendly psycho-socio environment empowered these workers by increasing their resource network and taking advantage of what they still have and what they were good at, this could help these workers upgrade their level on ladders of empowerment, become an active and independent professional worker that have power and confidence to make treatment and intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Primary Sjögren's syndrome is a chronic, autoimmune, connective tissue disorder that results from the infiltration of exocrine glands, especially the lacrimal and salivary glands, by autoantibodies. Patients with Sjögren's syndrome commonly present with dry eyes (xerophthalmia) and dry mouth (xerostomia). However, the clinical manifestations of Sjögren's syndrome can be complicated and variable due to involvement of extraglandular organ systems, such as the nervous system. The neurological manifestations of this disorder often precede those of other exocrine gland symptoms. Hence, early diagnosis of Sjögren's syndrome remains a challenge.Case Presentation: We report the case of a 63-year-old woman with primary Sjögren's syndrome who presented with acute motor and sensory axonal neuropathy (AMSAN). Treatment with glucocorticoids and immunosuppressants partially improved her muscle weakness and paresthesia.Conclusions: This case demonstrates the importance of early recognition and diagnosis of AMSAN in association with primary Sjögren's syndrome to achieve a favorable clinical outcome. Primary Sjögren's syndrome may be underdiagnosed because of vague symptoms of the sicca complex. Comprehensive immunological testing to evaluate this condition may be performed in patients presenting with variants of Guillain-Barré syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-standing administration of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs confirms their clinical value for managing rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Nevertheless, there are emergent worries over unwanted adverse risks of systemic drug administration. Hence, a novel strategy that can be used in a drug-free manner while diminishing side effects is immediately needed, but challenges persist in the therapy for RA. To this end, herein we conjugated tyramine (TYR) with alginate (ALG) to form ALG-TYR and then treated it for 5 min with oxygen plasma (ALG-TYR + P/5 min). It was shown that the ALG-TYR + P/5 min hydrogel exhibited favorable viscoelastic, morphological, mechanical, biocompatible, and cellular heat-shock protein amplification behaviors. A thorough physical and structural analysis was conducted on the ALG-TYR + P/5 min hydrogel, revealing favorable physical characteristics and uniform porous structural features within the hydrogel. Moreover, ALG-TYR + P/5 min not only effectively inhibited inflammation of RA but also potentially regulated lesion immunity. Once ALG-TYR + P/5 min was intra-articularly administered to joints of rats with zymosan-induced arthritis, we observed that ALG-TYR + P/5 min could ameliorate syndromes of RA joint. This bioinspired and self-restorable ALG-TYR + P/5 min hydrogel can thus serve as a promising system to provide prospective outcomes to potentiate RA therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little seems to be known about the multistable hyperchaotic systems. In this paper, based on the classical Lorenz system, a new Lorenz‐type hyperchaotic system with a curve of equilibria is proposed. Firstly, the local stability of the curve of equilibria is studied, based on this, infinity many singular degenerate heteroclinic cycles are proved numerically coexisting in the phase space of this hyperchaotic system. Secondly, the discovery of lots of coexisting behaviors mean that this hyperchaotic system possess multistability, such as (i) chaotic attractor and periodic attractor, (ii) different periodic attractors, (iii) chaotic attractor and singular degenerate heteroclinic cycle, and (iv) periodic attractor and singular degenerate heteroclinic cycle. Thirdly, in order to study the global dynamical behavior, the technique of Poincaré compactification is used to investigate the dynamics at infinity of this hyperchaotic system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential of ultrasound as a complementary technique for enhancing the stability of in-packed food emulsions, such as mayonnaise, without changing the conventional packaging material was evaluated. For this purpose, model salad dressing emulsions containing acacia gum and lecithin were stabilized by ultrasound within the package and their physical stability, particle size distribution, color, and consistency were compared to those stabilized by conventional power ultrasound and mechanical homogenization. Although both emulsifiers improved the stability of the emulsions, the stability of lecithin-containing samples was up to 5.4 times higher than the AG-containing counterparts. Turbiscan and laser particle size analysis showed that power sonicated sample containing lecithin had the highest physical stability (migration rate of 0.1 mm/h) with the smallest particle size (2.9 ± 0.2 μm). Conventional power ultrasound was superior compared to the other investigated techniques regarding saving energy, improving product's stability and appearance, and decreasing emulsifier demand. The in-pack sonication technique also stabilized oil-water mixtures in the presence of a capable natural emulsifier (migration rate of 30 mm/h) and saved up to 73% of emulsification energy as compared to the mechanical homogenization. The stability of the in-pack sonicated sample containing lecithin was comparable to that of the mechanically homogenized sample in the presence of acacia gum (migration rate of 30.4 and 32.9 mm/h, respectively). The proposed homogenization technique gave an emulsion with the smaller droplet size (31.7 ± 0.2 μm), enhanced the stability of the studied model salad dressing, and addressed the drawback of conventional power ultrasound technique by segregating the food product and ultrasound horn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is devoted to the analysis of complex dynamics of a generalized Lorenz-Stenflo hyperchaotic system. First, on the local dynamics, the bifurcation of periodic solutions at the zero-zero-Hopf equilibrium (that is, an isolated equilibrium with double zero eigenvalues and a pair of purely imaginary eigenvalues) of this hyperchaotic system is investigated, and the sufficient conditions, which insure that two periodic solutions will bifurcate from the bifurcation point, are obtained. Furthermore, on the global dynamics, the explicit ultimate bound sets of this hyperchaotic system are obtained. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single pot, multi-component assembly of resol (carbon source), Pluronic F127, tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS), dicyandiamide (nitrogen source) and iron nitrate (iron oxide source) yields nitrogen-doped ordered mesoporous carbon/iron oxide nanocomposites on carbonization. Etching the silica derived from the TEOS generates micropores in the carbon framework. The incorporation of iron oxide and nitrogen doping of the carbon tends to decrease the surface area; at approximately 3.7 wt% nitrogen and 21 wt% iron oxide (OMC-3.7-21), the surface area decreases from 2162 m 2 /g for the undoped ordered mesoporous carbon (OMC) to 974 m 2 /g and the pore volume decreases from 1.62 cm 3 /g to 0.6 cm 3 /g due to deformation of the nanostructure by crystallization of γ-Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles and N-doping of the carbon. Despite the decreased surface area, the reversible capacity when used as anodes in a sodium ion battery is increased from 110 mAh/g (undoped OMC) to 275 mAh/g (OMC-3.7-21) due to high capacity from the γ-Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles and the improved capacity associated with nitrogen doping of carbon. These nitrogen-doped ordered mesoporous carbon/iron oxide nanocomposites exhibit good cycle stability with almost 99% capacity retention after 350 charge/discharge cycles. The combination of low-cost and excellent electrochemical performance makes these mesoporous nanocomposites promising anode materials for sodium-ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Haloperidol is a poorly water-soluble drug, and its efficacy was limited by dissolution behavior. This study aimed to improve haloperidol's dissolution rate by nanonization using rapid expansion of supercritical solution (RESS) process. To design RESS, the solubility data of haloperidol in supercritical CO 2 were measured and reported from 3.4 × 10−7 to 1.4 × 10−5 in mole fraction at temperatures from 313.2 K to 333.2 K and pressure up to 22 MPa. The measured solubility data were then correlated using semi-empirical equations with average absolute relative deviations less than 5%. For RESS study, the effects of operating parameters were compared and discussed. The crystal habit of haloperidol was modified from irregular to spherical, and the mean particle size was reduced to 300 nm. Improvement of the dissolution rate was finally verified, and the dissolution rate of haloperidol was enhanced 74 times after the RESS processing. [Display omitted] • Solubilities of haloperidol in supercritical CO 2 range from 3.4 × 10−7 to 1.4 × 10−5 in mole fraction. • Solid solubility data were well correlated with deviations less than 5%. • RESS method was used to prepare haloperidol nanoparticles with mean size of 300 nm. • Dissolution rate of haloperidol was enhanced 74 times through RESS processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hierarchical tubular structures composed of Co3O4 hollow nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been synthesized by an efficient multi-step route. Starting from polymer-cobalt acetate (Co(Ac)2) composite nanofibers, uniform polymer-Co(Ac)2@zeolitic imidazolate framework-67 (ZIF-67) core-shell nanofibers are first synthesized via partial phase transformation with 2-methylimidazole in ethanol. After the selective dissolution of polymer-Co(Ac)2 cores, the resulting ZIF-67 tubular structures can be converted into hierarchical CNTs/Co-carbon hybrids by annealing in Ar/H2 atmosphere. Finally, the hierarchical CNT/Co3O4 microtubes are obtained by a subsequent thermal treatment in air. Impressively, the as-prepared nanocomposite delivers a high reversible capacity of 1281 mAh g−1 at 0.1 A g−1 with exceptional rate capability and long cycle life over 200 cycles as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hierarchical tubular structures composed of Co3O4 hollow nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been synthesized by an efficient multi-step route. Starting from polymer-cobalt acetate (Co(Ac)2) composite nanofibers, uniform polymer-Co(Ac)2@zeolitic imidazolate framework-67 (ZIF-67) core-shell nanofibers are first synthesized via partial phase transformation with 2-methylimidazole in ethanol. After the selective dissolution of polymer-Co(Ac)2 cores, the resulting ZIF-67 tubular structures can be converted into hierarchical CNTs/Co-carbon hybrids by annealing in Ar/H2 atmosphere. Finally, the hierarchical CNT/Co3O4 microtubes are obtained by a subsequent thermal treatment in air. Impressively, the as-prepared nanocomposite delivers a high reversible capacity of 1281 mAh g−1 at 0.1 A g−1 with exceptional rate capability and long cycle life over 200 cycles as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Evidence of an association between n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and metabolic syndrome (MS) is limited and inconsistent. We investigated the association between n-3 PUFAs in erythrocytes and the presence of MS in Chinese adults. Methods: The levels of α-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosapentaenoic acid (DPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in erythrocytes were measured using gas chromatography in 3072 participants (900 men and 2172 women) aged 30-75 years from Guangzhou, China. Cardiometabolic factors were determined, and MS was defined using the updated Adult Treatment Panel III criteria. Other covariates were collected via interviewer-administered questionnaires. Results: After adjusting for age and other confounders, higher levels of marine-derived n-3 PUFAs, including EPA, DPA, and DHA, were associated with a lower presence of metabolic syndrome in both men and women. The odds ratios (95 % confidence interval) for MS obtained by comparing extreme quartiles were 0.55 (0.35-0.88) (EPA), 0.54 (0.34-0.87) (DPA), 0.45 (0.27-0.73) (DHA), and 0.52 (0.32-0.84) (total n-3 PUFAs) in men ( p trend <0.05 for all results); and 0.74 (0.56-0.99) (EPA), 0.73 (0.55-0.98) (DPA), 0.75 (0.56-1.02) (DHA), and 0.71 (0.53-0.96) (total n-3 PUFAs) in women, respectively. No significant association of ALA with MS was observed ( p trend > 0.05). Conclusion: Higher levels of total n-3 PUFAs, EPA, DPA, and DHA, but not of ALA, in erythrocyte membranes are associated with a lower presence of metabolic syndrome in Chinese adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An advanced bond coat has been developed for solid oxide fuel cell interconnector applications; a low thermal expansion superalloy has been selected as the substrate, and the newly developed bond coat is applied between the substrate and the LSM top coat. The bond coat composition is designed to be near thermodynamic equilibrium with the substrate to minimize interdiffusion with the substrate while providing oxidation protection for the substrate. The bond coat exhibits good oxidation resistance, a low area specific resistance, and a low thermal expansion coefficient at 800 °C; experimental results indicate that interdiffusion between the bond coat and the substrate can be hindered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple and versatile method for general synthesis of uniform one-dimensional (1D) M xCo3− xS4 (M=Ni, Mn, Zn) hollow tubular structures (HTSs), using soft polymeric nanofibers as a template, is described. Fibrous core-shell polymer@M-Co acetate hydroxide precursors with a controllable molar ratio of M/Co are first prepared, followed by a sulfidation process to obtain core-shell polymer@M xCo3− xS4 composite nanofibers. The as-made M xCo3− xS4 HTSs have a high surface area and exhibit exceptional electrochemical performance as electrode materials for hybrid supercapacitors. For example, the MnCo2S4 HTS electrode can deliver specific capacitance of 1094 F g−1 at 10 A g−1, and the cycling stability is remarkable, with only about 6 % loss over 20 000 cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple and versatile method for general synthesis of uniform one-dimensional (1D) M xCo3− xS4 (M=Ni, Mn, Zn) hollow tubular structures (HTSs), using soft polymeric nanofibers as a template, is described. Fibrous core-shell polymer@M-Co acetate hydroxide precursors with a controllable molar ratio of M/Co are first prepared, followed by a sulfidation process to obtain core-shell polymer@M xCo3− xS4 composite nanofibers. The as-made M xCo3− xS4 HTSs have a high surface area and exhibit exceptional electrochemical performance as electrode materials for hybrid supercapacitors. For example, the MnCo2S4 HTS electrode can deliver specific capacitance of 1094 F g−1 at 10 A g−1, and the cycling stability is remarkable, with only about 6 % loss over 20 000 cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The issue of genetic influence on schizophrenia has received considerable attention. The DISC1 gene has been shown in several studies to play a role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. However, the relationship between DISC1 mRNA expression vs. schizophrenia and its clinical symptoms is uncertain. Fifty-six subjects (32 patients with schizophrenia and 24 healthy controls) were enrolled. Peripheral blood was obtained from all subjects to exam the DISC1 mRNA expression. Schizophrenia patients were evaluated with Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD), Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) and Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS) scales. Healthy subjects were assessed with HAMD scale. Patients with schizophrenia had significantly lower levels of the DISC1 mRNA expression than the healthy control (P = 0.002). We also found that lower DISC1 mRNA levels in schizophrenia patients were associated with higher degree of depression in HAMD (P = 0.037), severer positive symptoms in PANSS (P = 0.032) and more negative symptoms in SANS (P = 0.038). The results showed that schizophrenia patients had lower levels of DISC1 mRNA than healthy individuals, and that the schizophrenia patients with lower DISC1 mRNA levels were more likely to manifest more marked symptoms, including positive, negative, and depressive symptoms. The findings suggest that lower DISC1 expression may be related with the pathogenesis and phenotypes of schizophrenia. Future studies are needed to replicate the results and to further establish its potential role in clinical application of early diagnosis and outcome follow-up. • This study revealed that schizophrenia patients had lower levels of DISC1 mRNA than healthy individuals, and patients with lower DISC1 mRNA levels were more likely to manifest more severe positive, negative, and depressive symptoms. • The findings suggest that lower DISC1 expression is related with the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food group intake in adolescents has many health implications. However, no study has been conducted to assess food group intake among Chinese adolescents. Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate food group intakes among Chinese adolescents living in Guangzhou city and the proportion of adolescents surveyed meeting the Chinese dietary guidelines, and the Chinese food pagoda for a balanced diet 2007. Methods: A school-based cross-sectional survey was conducted in Guangzhou city between October 2006 and April 2007. A random sample of 2977 adolescents, aged 12 to 17 years, was interviewed. A self-administered semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire was used to estimate food group intakes of adolescents. Results: A high percentage of adolescents consumed too little plant foods including vegetables, fruit, and soybean products. Only 9%, 14% and 6% of adolescents surveyed reached the minimum daily recommended intake levels for vegetables, fruit, and soybean products and nuts. Nearly 70% of the studied adolescents consumed dairy less than the recommended daily intake and more than 20% adolescents reached the recommended amounts for cereals and eggs. More than one-third (35.6%) of adolescents did not meet any food group recommendations. And no adolescents reached all eight food group recommendations. An inadequate consumption of calcium and iron among adolescents was also found. Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that most adolescents living in Guangzhou city are not meeting the current recommendations for intakes of the various food groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Many clinical studies have shown high-dose supplemental soy protein has beneficial effects on cardiovascular risk factors. We examined the association between habitual soyfood intake and carotid intima–media thickness (IMT) and plasma lipids in a cross-sectional study including 406 (M 134, F 272) middle-aged Chinese adults (40–65 years) without confirmed relevant diseases. We found significantly dose-respondent decreases in bifurcation IMT, total and LDL cholesterol associated with increased usual soyfood intake after adjusting for potential confounders (p for trend, all p <0.05). Covariate-adjusted mean bifurcation IMT, total and LDL cholesterol decreased by 9.4%, 6.2% and 10.4% in women (p =0.020, 0.035, 0.110), 16.0%, 12.3% and 19.6% in men (p =0.036, 0.005, 0.002), and 9.9%, 9.3% and 15.4% in total men and women combined (p =0.010, <0.001, <0.001) when the mean intake of soy protein increased from 0.87 (F) or 0.64 (M) g/day (1st tertile) to 8.35 (F) or 7.48 (M) g/day (3rd tertile), respectively. Significant interaction between sex and soy consumption on bifurcation IMT was observed (p = 0.008). In conclusion, higher habitual soyfood consumption is associated with decreased bifurcation IMT, plasma TC and LDL-c in middle-aged Chinese adults. The association is more apparent in men than in women. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Objective: To investigate association of psychosocial factors with anxiety and depressive symptoms in Chinese type 2 diabetes patients. Methods: Three hundred and four type 2 diabetes patients were inquired with a structured questionnaire about socio-demographic characteristics, psychological stress, coping styles, social support, and anxiety and depressive symptoms. Multiple regression analysis was performed to assess the association of these psychosocial factors with anxiety and depressive symptoms after controlling for potential confounding factors of sex, age, educational level, etc. Results: After adjusting for the potential confounding factors, multiple stepwise regression analysis found that anxiety symptoms were significantly positively associated with “worrying about to be harmed by the disease”, “social/family crisis caused by the disease”, “worrying about declining in body/physical function”, “declined economic condition caused by the disease” and “negative coping styles”; and depression symptoms were significantly positively associated with “worrying about to be harmed by the disease”, “worrying about declining in body/physical function”, “social/family crisis caused by the disease”, “declined economic condition”, “negative coping styles”, but negatively with “active coping styles” and “subjective social support”. Conclusion: Our findings show that perceived stress from disease, coping styles, social support are the independent determinants of anxiety and depressive symptoms among Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Renal abscesses in patients with end stage renal disease are quite rare, and misdiagnosis or delaying in diagnosis is frequent. This report examines a case of renal abscess in a patient with end stage renal disease on maintenance hemodialysis and diabetes mellitus, which presented with a prolonged fever. An infected diabetic foot was impressed initially. Purulent urine, pyuria, bacteriuria, and bacteremia were noted after admission. Renal abscess was diagnosed by percutaneous needle aspiration under computerized tomography guidance. The patient was treated with parenteral antibiotics and percutaneous aspiration of the abscess. Follow-up ultrasonography showed renal abscess resolution. This case demonstrated that nephrectomy was not required in selected uremic patients with renal abscess. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neurogenic inflammation and central sensitization play a role in chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome. We explore the molecular effects of low-intensity shock wave therapy (Li-ESWT) on central sensitization in a capsaicin-induced prostatitis rat model. Male Sprague–Dawley rats underwent intraprostatic capsaicin (10 mM, 0.1 cm3) injections. After injection, the prostate received Li-ESWT twice, one day apart. The L6 dorsal root ganglion (DRG)/spinal cord was harvested for histology and Western blotting on days 3 and 7. The brain blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) functional images were evaluated using 9.4 T fMRI before the Li-ESWT and one day after. Intraprostatic capsaicin injection induced increased NGF-, BDNF-, and COX-2-positive neurons in the L6 DRG and increased COX-2, NGF, BDNF, receptor Trk-A, and TRPV1 protein expression in the L6 DRG and the dorsal horn of the L6 spinal cord, whose effects were significantly downregulated after Li-ESWT on the prostate. Intraprostatic capsaicin injection increased activity of BOLD fMRI responses in brain regions associated with pain-related responses, such as the caudate putamen, periaqueductal gray, and thalamus, whose BOLD signals were reduced after Li-ESWT. These findings suggest a potential mechanism of Li-ESWT on modulation of peripheral and central sensitization for treating CP/CPPS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The specific microbiota and associated metabolites linked to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are still controversial. Thus, we aimed to understand how the core gut microbiota and metabolites impact NAFLD. Methods: The data for the discovery cohort were collected from the Guangzhou Nutrition and Health Study (GNHS) follow-up conducted between 2014 and 2018. We collected 272 metadata points from 1546 individuals. The metadata were input into four interpretable machine learning models to identify important gut microbiota associated with NAFLD. These models were subsequently applied to two validation cohorts [the internal validation cohort (n = 377), and the prospective validation cohort (n = 749)] to assess generalizability. We constructed an individual microbiome risk score (MRS) based on the identified gut microbiota and conducted animal faecal microbiome transplantation experiment using faecal samples from individuals with different levels of MRS to determine the relationship between MRS and NAFLD. Additionally, we conducted targeted metabolomic sequencing of faecal samples to analyse potential metabolites. Results: Among the four machine learning models used, the lightGBM algorithm achieved the best performance. A total of 12 taxa-related features of the microbiota were selected by the lightGBM algorithm and further used to calculate the MRS. Increased MRS was positively associated with the presence of NAFLD, with odds ratio (OR) of 1.86 (1.72, 2.02) per 1-unit increase in MRS. An elevated abundance of the faecal microbiota (f__veillonellaceae) was associated with increased NAFLD risk, whereas f__rikenellaceae, f__barnesiellaceae, and s__adolescentis were associated with a decreased presence of NAFLD. Higher levels of specific gut microbiota-derived metabolites of bile acids (taurocholic acid) might be positively associated with both a higher MRS and NAFLD risk. FMT in mice further confirmed a causal association between a higher MRS and the development of NAFLD. Conclusions: We confirmed that an alteration in the composition of the core gut microbiota might be biologically relevant to NAFLD development. Our work demonstrated the role of the microbiota in the development of NAFLD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of circulatory proteomics in osteoporosis is unclear. Proteome‐wide profiling holds the potential to offer mechanistic insights into osteoporosis. Serum proteome with 413 proteins was profiled by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) at baseline, and the 2nd, and 3rd follow‐ups (7704 person‐tests) in the prospective Chinese cohorts with 9.8 follow‐up years: discovery cohort (n = 1785) and internal validation cohort (n = 1630). Bone mineral density (BMD) was measured using dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA) at follow‐ups 1 through 3 at lumbar spine (LS) and femoral neck (FN). We used the Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LightGBM) to identify the osteoporosis (OP)‐related proteomic features. The relationships between serum proteins and BMD in the two cohorts were estimated by linear mixed‐effects model (LMM). Meta‐analysis was then performed to explore the combined associations. We identified 53 proteins associated with osteoporosis using LightGBM, and a meta‐analysis showed that 22 of these proteins illuminated a significant correlation with BMD (p < 0.05). The most common proteins among them were PHLD, SAMP, PEDF, HPTR, APOA1, SHBG, CO6, A2MG, CBPN, RAIN APOD, and THBG. The identified proteins were used to generate the biological age (BA) of bone. Each 1 SD‐year increase in KDM‐Proage was associated with higher risk of LS‐OP (hazard ratio [HR], 1.25; 95% CI, 1.14–1.36, p = 4.96 × 10−06), and FN‐OP (HR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.02–1.23, p = 9.71 × 10−03). The findings uncovered that the apolipoproteins, zymoproteins, complements, and binding proteins presented new mechanistic insights into osteoporosis. Serum proteomics could be a crucial indicator for evaluating bone aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The optimal multimorbidity measures for predicting disability trajectories are not universally agreed upon. We developed a multimorbidity index among middle-aged and older community-dwelling Chinese adults and compare its predictive ability of disability trajectories with other multimorbidity measures. This study included 17,649 participants aged ≥50 years from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey 2011–2018. Two disability trajectory groups were estimated using the total disability score differences calculated between each follow-up visit and baseline. A weighted index was constructed using logistic regression models for disability trajectories based on the training set (70 %). The index and the condition count were used, along with the pattern identified by the latent class analysis to measure multimorbidity at baseline. Logistic regression models were used in the training set to examine associations between each multimorbidity measure and disability trajectories. C-statistics, integrated discrimination improvements, and net reclassification indices were applied to compare the performance of different multimorbidity measures in predicting disability trajectories in the testing set (30 %). In the newly developed multimorbidity index, the weights of the chronic conditions varied from 1.04 to 2.55. The multimorbidity index had a higher predictive performance than the condition count. The condition count performed better than the multimorbidity pattern in predicting disability trajectories. Self-reported chronic conditions. The multimorbidity index may be considered an ideal measurement in predicting disability trajectories among middle-aged and older community-dwelling Chinese adults. The condition count is also suggested due to its simplicity and superior predictive performance. • The present study is the first to construct a new multimorbidity index using disability trajectories as the outcome. • The multimorbidity index performed better than count- and pattern-based measures in predicting disability trajectories. • The multimorbidity index may ideally be considered when measuring multimorbidity to predict disability trajectories. • The condition count is also suggested due to its simplicity and superior predictive performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents information on the comparison of the characteristics in renal autoregulation in normotensive Sprague-Dawey and spontaneously hypertensive rats, relating to the application of biomedical engineering and applied biophysics. Information on mathematical methods; Other detailed information.

Introduces the technique of nonlinear modeling using Volterra-Wiener kernels to explore the dynamic nature of nonlinear autoregulatory mechanisms. Feasibility of using the technique on whole kidney pressure and flow data; Detection of interactions between physiological control mechanisms.

Alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) is a common indication for liver transplantation (LT). Alcohol relapse after LT is associated with graft loss and worse prognosis. Over the past 20 years, the number and prevalence of living donor liver transplantations (LDLTs) have increased in Taiwan. The aims of this retrospective study are to analyze the incidence and risk factors of alcohol relapse after LT at a single center in Taiwan. A total of 98 patients with ALD who underwent LT from January 2012 to December 2018 were retrospectively evaluated by chart review. Pre-transplant characteristics as well as psychosocial and alcoholic history were used to test the possible associations among the risk factors studied and post-LT alcohol relapse. The incidence of post-LT alcohol relapse was 16.3%. The median duration of alcohol relapse after liver transplantation was 28.1 months (range: 1–89.4 months). The cumulative incidence was 12% and 19% at 1 year and 3 years after LT, respectively. The most powerful risk factors were a pre-LT abstinence period less than 6 months and younger age of starting alcohol. For predicting alcohol relapse, the accuracy rate of abstinence less than 6 months was up to 83.7%. In summary, pre-abstinence period plays a role in predicting post-LT alcohol relapse. Post-LT interventions should be considered specifically for the patients with short abstinence period. Long-term follow-up, patient-centered counseling, and enhancement of healthy lifestyle are suggested to prevent alcohol relapse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The early life stage is critical for the gut microbiota establishment and development. We aimed to investigate the lifelong impact of famine exposure during early life on the adult gut microbial ecosystem and examine the association of famine-induced disturbance in gut microbiota with type 2 diabetes. Methods: We profiled the gut microbial composition among 11,513 adults (18–97 years) from three independent cohorts and examined the association of famine exposure during early life with alterations of adult gut microbial diversity and composition. We performed co-abundance network analyses to identify keystone taxa in the three cohorts and constructed an index with the shared keystone taxa across the three cohorts. Among each cohort, we used linear regression to examine the association of famine exposure during early life with the keystone taxa index and assessed the correlation between the keystone taxa index and type 2 diabetes using logistic regression adjusted for potential confounders. We combined the effect estimates from the three cohorts using random-effects meta-analysis. Results: Compared with the no-exposed control group (born during 1962–1964), participants who were exposed to the famine during the first 1000 days of life (born in 1959) had consistently lower gut microbial alpha diversity and alterations in the gut microbial community during adulthood across the three cohorts. Compared with the no-exposed control group, participants who were exposed to famine during the first 1000 days of life were associated with consistently lower levels of keystone taxa index in the three cohorts (pooled beta − 0.29, 95% CI − 0.43, − 0.15). Per 1-standard deviation increment in the keystone taxa index was associated with a 13% lower risk of type 2 diabetes (pooled odds ratio 0.87, 95% CI 0.80, 0.93), with consistent results across three individual cohorts. Conclusions: These findings reveal a potential role of the gut microbiota in the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) hypothesis, deepening our understanding about the etiology of type 2 diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the effects of two kinds of surgical resection schemes, a conventional open surgical scheme and a thoracolaparoscopic esophagectomy surgical scheme, on operation-related clinical indexes, inflammatory cytokines and complications in elderly patients with esophageal cancer. Methods: A total of 100 elderly patients with esophageal cancer seen in the Department of Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery, Renmin Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, from June 2014 to June 2016 were enrolled and randomly divided into two groups, including a control group (50 patients) with a conventional open surgical scheme and an observation group (50 patients) with a thoracolaparoscopic esophagectomy surgical scheme. The operation time, the amount of bleeding during the operation, the incision length, the number of lymph nodes dissected, the hospitalization time, the HAMA scores and HAMD scores before and after the operation, the PSQI scores, SF-36 scores and levels of PCT, CRP and IL-6 after the operation, the recurrence and metastasis rates and the mortality at follow-up and the incidence of related complications of both groups were compared. Results: The operation time, the amount of bleeding during the operation, the incision length and the hospitalization time in the observation group were significantly less than those in the control group (p<0.05). The number of lymph nodes dissected in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group (p<0.05). The HAMA scores and HAMD scores after the operation in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group and those before the operation (p<0.05). The PSQI scores and SF-36 scores after the operation in the observation group were significantly better than those in the control group and those before the operation (p<0.05). The levels of PCT, CRP and IL-6 after the operation in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group (p<0.05). The recurrence and metastasis rates at follow-up in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group (p<0.05). There was no significant difference in mortality at follow-up between the two groups (p>0.05). The complication incidence after the operation in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group (p<0.05). Conclusion: Compared with a conventional open surgical scheme, the thoracolaparoscopic esophagectomy surgical scheme possesses advantages in the treatment of elderly patients with esophageal cancer, including being a minimally invasive, simple operation, having a shorter recovery time, effectively relieving negative emotions, improving the quality of life, reducing the levels of inflammatory molecules and reducing the risk of related complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: High-need older adults have multiple needs and require different types of care services. Care coordinators in community care centers in Taiwan, however, often experience difficulties in providing sufficient care services because of the inadequate capacity of case management. Objective: The aim of this study was to develop a realistic care delivery model for the care coordinators to manage the care of high-need, community-dwelling older adults. Methods: Focus-group interviews concerning elements and process for establishing a care delivery model were conducted with 12 care management experts in two groups: the practical work group (three registered nurses and three social workers) and the care management group (three care managers and three care management supervisors). The interviews were video-recorded and subjected to content analysis. Results: A five-stage care delivery model was formulated: case screening, case assessment, care plan, care delivery, and follow-up evaluation. Six types of high-need older adults were identified: those living with disability, solitude, dementia, depression, elder abuse, and poverty. A list of categorized care services, including care resources, social welfare resources, and caregiver resources, was then used as a guide for case management and care delivery. Discussion: The developed model—consisting a classification of services for different types of high-need older adults—serves as a guide for care coordinators in community care centers to make better decisions on service linkages, resource management, and care plan monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Emerging evidence suggests that animal protein foods may increase the risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We therefore examined the NAFLD risk reduction related to substituting plant protein foods for animal protein foods. Methods: The cohort in North China included 14,541 participants from the Tianjin Chronic Low‐Grade Systemic Inflammation and Health (TCLSIH) study, and the cohort in South China included 1297 participants from the Guangzhou Nutrition and Health Study (GNHS). Dietary intake was assessed using validated food frequency questionnaires. NAFLD was ascertained by abdominal ultrasound. The Cox model was used to fit the substitution analysis. Results: In the TCLSIH cohort, when replacing one type of animal protein food (eggs, processed meat, unprocessed red meat, poultry, and fish) with an equivalent serving of plant protein foods (nuts, legumes, and whole grains), the replacement of animal protein foods with whole grains showed the strongest benefit; substituting one serving per day of whole grains for an equal amount of eggs (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.89; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.79, 1.00), processed meat (HR = 0.76; 95% CI: 0.64, 0.91), unprocessed red meat (HR = 0.90; 95% CI: 0.81, 1.00), poultry (HR = 0.81; 95% CI: 0.72, 0.92), or fish (HR = 0.87; 95% CI: 0.78, 0.97) was associated with a lower risk of NAFLD. In both the TCLSIH and GNHS cohorts, replacing poultry with fish, nuts, legumes, or whole grains was associated with a lower risk of NAFLD. When different numbers of protein foods were simultaneously replaced, the risk reduction of NAFLD was stronger. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that replacing animal protein foods with plant protein foods is related to a significant reduction in NAFLD risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a novel method based on a dual-cavity fiber Fabry–Pérot interferometer (DCFFPI) for simultaneously measuring the thermo-optic coefficient (TOC) and thermal expansion coefficient (TEC) of a polymer. The polymer is, by nature, highly responsive to temperature (T) in that its size (length, L) and refractive index (RI, n) are highly dependent on the thermal effect. When the optical length of the polymer cavity changes with T, it is difficult to distinguish whether there is a change in L or n, or both. The variation rates of L and n with a change in T were the TOC and TEC, respectively. Therefore, there was a cross-sensitivity between TOC and TEC in the polymer-based interferometer. The proposed DCFFPI, which cascades a polymer and an air cavity, can solve the above problem. The expansion of the polymer cavity is equal to the compression of the air cavity with the increase in T. By analyzing the individual optical spectra of the polymer and air cavities, the parameters of TOC and TEC can be determined at the same time. The simultaneous measurement of TOC and TEC with small measured deviations of 6 × 10−6 (°C−1) and 3.67 × 10−5 (°C−1) for the polymer NOA61 and 7 × 10−6 (°C−1) and 1.46 × 10−4 (°C−1) for the NOA65 can be achieved. Experimental results regarding the measured accuracy for the class of adhesive-based polymer are presented to demonstrate the feasibility and verify the usefulness of the proposed DCFFPI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Microbiome-gut-brain axis may be involved in the progression of age-related cognitive impairment and relevant brain structure changes, but evidence from large human cohorts is lacking. This study was aimed to investigate the associations of gut microbiome with cognitive impairment and brain structure based on multi-omics from three independent populations. Methods: We included 1430 participants from the Guangzhou Nutrition and Health Study (GNHS) with both gut microbiome and cognitive assessment data available as a discovery cohort, of whom 272 individuals provided fecal samples twice before cognitive assessment. We selected 208 individuals with baseline microbiome data for brain magnetic resonance imaging during the follow-up visit. Fecal 16S rRNA and shotgun metagenomic sequencing, targeted serum metabolomics, and cytokine measurements were performed in the GNHS. The validation analyses were conducted in an Alzheimer's disease case–control study (replication study 1, n = 90) and another community-based cohort (replication study 2, n = 1300) with cross-sectional dataset. Results: We found protective associations of specific gut microbial genera (Odoribacter, Butyricimonas, and Bacteroides) with cognitive impairment in both the discovery cohort and the replication study 1. Result of Bacteroides was further validated in the replication study 2. Odoribacter was positively associated with hippocampal volume (β, 0.16; 95% CI 0.06–0.26, P = 0.002), which might be mediated by acetic acids. Increased intra-individual alterations in gut microbial composition were found in participants with cognitive impairment. We also identified several serum metabolites and inflammation-associated metagenomic species and pathways linked to impaired cognition. Conclusions: Our findings reveal that specific gut microbial features are closely associated with cognitive impairment and decreased hippocampal volume, which may play an important role in dementia development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of soluble π-conjugated small molecules and polymers containing benzodipyrrolidone (BDP) or naphthodipyrrolidone (NDP) units with latent hydrogen-bonding on the main chain is synthesized and characterized. Spectroscopic study confirms that the tert-butyloxycarbonyl ( t-Boc) side unit can be removed by facile thermal annealing treatment, generating the actual hydrogen-bonded compounds. The resulting hydrogen-bonded compounds exhibit distinctly different properties, for instance poorer solubility and smaller bandgap, as compared with their precursors with latent hydrogen-bonding. The single crystal X-ray structure analysis of t-Boc group substituted BDP and NDP indicates that the NDP compounds exhibit better coplanarity and a stronger π-π interaction. The density functional theory computation results of the polymer backbone segments show that the coplanarity of aromatic units is slightly improved. Such a hydrogen-bonding-mediated enhancement of π-π stacking exhibits potential for improving the performance of solution processable organic electronic materials. Hydrogen-bonded polymer P-NDP-FL-2 is an air stable n-type semiconductor with electron mobility 40 times larger than its precursor polymer P-NDP-FL-1 with latent hydrogen-bonding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to examine the association between the platelet indices and the risk of preeclampsia (PE) at different gestational weeks (GW) to explore the feasibility of early prediction of PE with these indices. About 7314 normotensive pregnant women and 396 PE patients were included and platelet indices, including platelet count (PC), plateletcrit (PCT), platelet distribution width (PDW), mean platelet volume (MPV) at different gestational weeks (1–12, 13–28, 29–32, 33–36 and 37–41 GW) were compared in two statistical methods. Patients with PE tended to have higher means of PC, PCT, PDW and MPV than normal pregnant women at early stage of pregnancy. The odds of PE were significantly increased with the increase of PC, PCT, PDW and MPV both at 13–28 GW and 29–32 GW, which indicated that increased values of PC, PCT, PDW and MPV at 13-32 GW were associated with greater subsequent risk of preeclampsia. Increased PC, PCT, PDW and MPV may have potential to predict preeclampsia before the disease onset. What is already known on this subject? Previous studies indicated that preeclampsia patients may have decreased platelet count (PC), plateletcrit (PCT) and increased platelet distribution width (PDW) and mean platelet volume (MPV). Increased PDW and MPV or decreased PC/MPV may have predictive values for PE. What do the results of this study add? The discrepancy with previous studies lay in the increased values of PC and PCT in PE patients at early stage of pregnancy. The study indicated that increased PC, PCT, PDW and MPV may have potential to predict preeclampsia far ahead of the disease onset. The results may reflect the abnormal turnover of platelets in PE patients. What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? These findings may help to guide early interventions before progress to overt preeclampsia by predicting onset of preeclampsia via easily available platelet indices in early weeks of gestation, which is especially valuable in areas lacking medical resources. The inconsistency with previous studies can facilitate researchers to further explore the coagulation mechanism beneath preeclampsia and pay more attention to the dynamic changes of platelet indices and other coagulation indices during pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The role of trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) in the development of diabetes remains controversial, and prospective data are few. We aimed to investigate the association between serum TMAO and incident type 2 diabetes in middle-aged and older adults.Methods: This study was based on the Guangzhou Nutrition and Health Study (GNHS), a community-based prospective cohort study in China. A total of 2088 diabetes-free participants aged 40-75 years were included from 2008 to 2010. Incident type 2 diabetes was ascertained during follow-up visits. Baseline serum TMAO was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography with online electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for diabetes across tertiles of serum TMAO were calculated using Cox proportional hazard models. Prospective associations of serum TMAO with changes in glycemic traits (fasting glucose, HbA1c, insulin, HOMA-IR) over time were estimated using linear mixed-effects models (LMEMs).Results: We ascertained 254 incident type 2 diabetes cases during a median follow-up of 8.9 years. The median (interquartile range) of serum TMAO was 1.54 (0.86-2.91) μmol/L. From the first to the third tertile of serum TMAO, the multivariable-adjusted HRs for diabetes were 1.00 (reference), 1.17 (95% CI: 0.84-1.61), and 1.42 (95% CI: 1.03-1.96) (P-trend = 0.031). LMEMs showed that the estimated yearly change in fasting glucose was 0.011 (0.001-0.022) mmol/L/y in the highest tertile of serum TMAO, compared with the lowest tertile (P-interaction = 0.044). Serum TMAO was not associated with longitudinal changes in HbA1c, insulin or HOMA-IR.Conclusions: Our findings suggested that higher serum TMAO was associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes and an increase in fasting glucose among middle-aged and older Chinese adults.Trial Registration: NCT03179657. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03179657?term=NCT03179657&draw=2&rank=1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The innate cartilage extracellular matrix is avascular and plays a vital role in innate chondrocytes. Recapping the crucial components of the extracellular matrix in engineered organs via polymeric gels and bioinspired approaches is promising for improving the regenerative aptitude of encapsulated cartilage/chondrocytes. Conventional gel formation techniques for polymeric materials rely on employing oxidative crosslinking, which is constrained in this avascular environment. Further, poor mechanical properties limit the practical applications of polymeric gels and reduce their therapeutic efficacy. Herein, the purpose of this study was to develop a bioadhesive gel possessing dual crosslinking for engineering cartilage. Tyramine (TYR) was first chemically conjugated to the alginate (ALG) backbone to form an ALG-TYR precursor, followed by the addition of calcium peroxide (CaO 2); calcium ions of CaO 2 physically crosslink with ALG, and oxygen atoms of CaO 2 chemically crosslink TYR with tyrosinase, thus enabling dual/enhanced crosslinking and possessing injectability. The ALG-TYR/tyrosinase/CaO 2 gel system was chemically, mechanically, cellularly, and microscopically characterized. The gel system developed herein was biocompatible and showed augmented mechanical strength. The results showed, for the first time, that CaO 2 supplementation preserved cell viability and enhanced the crosslinking ability, bioadhesion, mechanical strength, chondrogenesis, and stability for cartilage regeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The temporal relationship between adiposity and gut microbiota was unexplored. Whether some gut microbes lie in the pathways from adiposity to insulin resistance is less clear. Our study aims to reveal the temporal relationship between adiposity and gut microbiota and investigate whether gut microbiota may mediate the association of adiposity with insulin resistance in a longitudinal human cohort study.Methods: We obtained repeated-measured gut shotgun metagenomic and anthropometric data from 426 Chinese participants over ~3 years of follow-up. Cross-lagged path analysis was used to examine the temporal relationship between BMI and gut microbial features. The associations between the gut microbes and insulin resistance-related phenotypes were examined using a linear mixed-effect model. We examined the mediation effect of gut microbes on the association between adiposity and insulin resistance-related phenotypes. Replication was performed in the HMP cohort.Results: Baseline BMI was prospectively associated with levels of ten gut microbial species. Among them, results of four species (Adlercreutzia equolifaciens, Parabacteroides unclassified, Lachnospiraceae bacterium 3 1 57FAA CT1, Lachnospiraceae bacterium 7 1 58FAA) were replicated in the independent HMP cohort. Lachnospiraceae bacterium 3 1 57FAA CT1 was inversely associated with HOMA-IR and fasting insulin. Lachnospiraceae bacterium 3 1 57FAA CT1 mediated the association of overweight/obesity with HOMA-IR (FDR<0.05). Furthermore, Lachnospiraceae bacterium 3 1 57FAA CT1 was positively associated with the butyrate-producing pathway PWY-5022 (p < 0.001).Conclusions: Our study identified one potentially beneficial microbe Lachnospiraceae bacterium 3 1 57FAA CT1, which might mediate the effect of adiposity on insulin resistance. The identified microbes are helpful for the discovery of novel therapeutic targets, as to mitigate the impact of adiposity on insulin resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The antibiotic resistance crisis underlies globally increasing failures in treating deadly bacterial infections, largely due to the selection of antibiotic resistance genes (ARG) collection, known as the resistome, in human gut microbiota. So far, little is known about the relationship between gut antibiotic resistome and host metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes (T2D). Here, metagenomic landscape of gut antibiotic resistome is profiled in a large multiomics human cohort (n = 1210). There is a significant overall shift in gut antibiotic resistome structure among healthy, prediabetes, and T2D groups. It is found that larger ARG diversity is associated with a higher risk of T2D. The novel diabetes ARG score is positively associated with glycemic traits. Longitudinal validation analysis confirms that the ARG score is associated with T2D progression, characterized by the change of insulin resistance. Collectively, the data describe the profiles of gut antibiotic resistome and support its close relationship with T2D progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. It is controversial and unclear how N-stage would increase the risk of incidence of hypothyroidism (HT) for patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) after radiotherapy. Our study aimed to explore the correlation between cervical lymph node metastasis and the incidence of HT in NPC. Materials and Methods. A total of 206 patients with NPC treated at the Cancer Hospital of University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, and their clinical information were retrospectively collected. A series of univariate logistic regression models were performed to explore the association of clinical and lymph node indices with the development of HT. Significant features in univariate analysis were then used to construct three prediction models, for HT prediction using multivariate logistic regression based on Bayesian information criterion. Prediction performance of those models was measured by area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) using 10-fold cross-validation. Results. A total of 111 patients developed HT, and the incidence of HT in N2–3 and N0–1 patients was 58.82% and 44.29%, respectively. Compared to Model 1 (consisted of pretreatment TSH concentration, thyroid volume, and N-stage) whose AUCs were 0.801 and 0.766 in training and validation sets, with N-stage be replaced by shortest distance from thyroid, Model 2 achieved more stable AUCs of 0.824 and 0.801. While with numbers of positive lymph nodes in Level IIb additionally added, Model 3 improved its AUCs to 0.841 and 0.813. Conclusion. The shortest distance between the lymph nodes and thyroid gland and the number of lymph nodes in IIb are better predictors of radiation-induced HT than the N-stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The associations between specific carotenoid intake and colorectal cancer risk remain inconsistent. The aim of this study was to examine the association between specific dietary carotenoid intake with colorectal cancer risk in Chinese adults. Method: From July 2010 to October 2013, 845 eligible colorectal cancer cases and 845 frequency-matched controls (age and sex) completed in-person interviews. A validated food frequency questionnaire was used to estimate dietary intake. Multivariate logistical regression models were used to calculate the odds ratio (OR) and 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CIs) of colorectal cancer risk after adjusting for various confounders. Results: A strong inverse association was found between β-cryptoxanthin intake and colorectal cancer risk. Compared with the lowest quartile, the highest quartile intake showed a risk reduction of 77 % (OR 0.23, 95 % CI 0.17-0.33, P < 0.01) after adjustment for various confounding variables. The inverse associations were also observed for α-carotene (OR 0.50, 95 % CI 0.37-0.68, P < 0.01), β-carotene (OR 0.67, 95 % CI 0.49-0.91, P < 0.01), and lycopene (OR 0.51, 95 % CI 0.37-0.70, P < 0.01). There was no statistically significant association between lutein/zeaxanthin intake and colorectal cancer risk. These findings were consistent across cancer site, sources of controls, and smoking status. The inverse associations between dietary α-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, and lycopene intake and colorectal cancer risk were found in both males and females, while inverse associations between β-carotene intake and colorectal cancer risk were only observed in males. Conclusions: Consumption of α-carotene, β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, and lycopene was inversely associated with colorectal cancer risk. No significant association was found between lutein/zeaxanthin intake and colorectal cancer risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate whether quartz can be crystallized from the magma at the Chilungshan andesite in Northern Taiwan, melting experiments involving 17 runs were performed at atmospheric pressure. The liquidus temperature was determined to be 1285 °C, and the melting interval was estimated to be 193 °C. Pagioclase crystallized first at 1285 °C, and iron–titanium oxides subsequently crystallized at 1267 °C. Quartz and orthopyroxene crystallized together at 1174 °C. Finally, clinopyroxene crystallized at 1166 °C, and orthopyroxene disappeared at 1155 °C. The crystallization of the Chilungshan andesitic melt at atmospheric pressure was successively controlled by plagioclase, iron–titanium oxides, quartz, orthopyroxene, and clinopyroxene. The differentiation trend of the residual melt involved the depletion of aluminum and calcium, but the residual melt became enriched in silicon and potassium. In addition, it became enriched in magnesium, iron, and titanium at the initial stages, which were depleted at the final stages. The study results suggest that quartz grains can be crystallized from the Chilungshan andesitic melt at atmospheric pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives The aim of the study was to examine the long-term effect of commonly used whole soy foods (soy flour) and purified daidzein (one major isoflavone and the precursor of equol) on renal function among prehypertensive postmenopausal women who are also equol producers, a population most likely to benefit from soy intervention. Design and methods This was a 6-month double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Two hundred seventy eligible Chinese women were randomized to either one of the three treatments: 40 g soy flour (whole soy group), 40 g low-fat milk powder + 63 mg daidzein (daidzein group) or 40 g low-fat milk powder (placebo group) daily each for 6 months. Fasting blood and 24-h urine samples were collected at the beginning and end of trial. Serum creatinine, cystatin C, urea, angiotensin-converting enzyme, minerals and 24-h urinary creatinine and minerals were analyzed. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated with the Cockcroft–Gault and the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) equations. Results Two hundred fifty-three subjects completed the study according to the protocol. Urinary isoflavones indicated good compliance of participants. No significant changes were observed in most of renal parameters, however, there was a less decrease in eGFR cockcroft in 6-month change ( p = 0.044) and %change ( p = 0.031) with whole soy intake relative to milk placebo. Subgroup analysis among women with lowered renal function suggested whole soy consumption tended to improve markers of renal function relative to control. Conclusions Six-month consumption of whole soy tended to have a modest improvement of renal function in prehypertensive postmenopausal women with lowered renal function. Future trials in subjects with more declined renal function are necessary. Trial registration The trial was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov with identifier of NCT01270737. (URL: http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01270737 ) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between PM 2.5 and metabolic diseases, including type 2 diabetes (T2D), has become increasingly prominent, but the molecular mechanism needs to be further clarified. To help understand the mechanistic association between PM 2.5 exposure and human health, we investigated short-term PM 2.5 exposure trajectory-related multi-omics characteristics from stool metagenome and metabolome and serum proteome and metabolome in a cohort of 3267 participants (age: 64.4 ± 5.8 years) living in Southern China. And then integrate these features to examine their relationship with T2D. We observed significant differences in overall structure in each omics and 193 individual biomarkers between the high- and low-PM 2.5 groups. PM 2.5 -related features included the disturbance of microbes (carbohydrate metabolism-associated Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron), gut metabolites of amino acids and carbohydrates, serum biomarkers related to lipid metabolism and reducing n-3 fatty acids. The patterns of overall network relationships among the biomarkers differed between T2D and normal participants. The subnetwork membership centered on the hub nodes (fecal rhamnose and glycylproline, serum hippuric acid, and protein TB182) related to high-PM 2.5 , which well predicted higher T2D prevalence and incidence and a higher level of fasting blood glucose, HbA1C, insulin, and HOMA-IR. Our findings underline crucial PM 2.5 -related multi-omics biomarkers linking PM 2.5 exposure and T2D in humans. [Display omitted] • Trajectory grouping in short-term PM 2.5 exposures effectively capture variations in microbiota composition. • Novel PM 2.5 -related multi-omics biomarkers well predicted higher T2D prevalence and incidence. • The crucial PM 2.5 -related biomarkers include fecal rhamnose and glycylproline, serum hippuric acid, and protein TB182. • The subnetwork correlation provides critical insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying PM 2.5 -related T2D impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study was to evaluate the associations of dietary intake of total and specific phytosterols and risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and to explore their joint effects with PLCE1 rs2274223 polymorphisms. Methods: A population-based case–control study was conducted in a Chinese rural population and 856 eligible incident ESCC cases and 856 controls were included. A validated food frequency questionnaire was used to collect dietary consumption and PLCE1 rs2274223 polymorphisms were genotyped. Unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence interval (CI) were assessed via logistic regression model. Results: When comparing the highest with lowest intake quartiles, β-sitosterol, campesterol, stigmasterol, β-sitostanol, campestanol, and total phytosterols were all associated with a decreased risk of ESCC, with adjusted ORs being 0.32 (95% CI 0.20–0.48), 0.18 (95% CI 0.11–0.27), 0.45 (95% CI 0.29–0.70), 0.13 (95% CI 0.08–0.20), 0.14 (95% CI 0.09–0.22) and 0.28 (95% CI 0.18–0.43), respectively. An exposure—response relationship was also observed for both total and five specific phytosterols (all P for trend < 0.001). In comparison to rs2274223 AA genotype, both GA genotype (OR: 1.47, 95% CI 1.16–1.85) and GG genotype (OR: 2.13, 95% CI 1.20–3.84) were associated with an increased risk of ESCC. However, no interaction was observed between total/specific phytosterols intake and rs2274223 polymorphisms. Conclusion: Higher dietary intake of total and five specific phytosterols was associated with a lower risk of ESCC, and the risk of ESCC increased with the increment of rs2274223 G allele. The negative association between phytosterols and ESCC risk was not modified by rs2274223 polymorphisms. Foods or supplements rich in phytosterols are a promising source for chemoprevention of ESCC, and still, clinical trials will be required in any specific case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: One of the difficulties in light pen 3D vision measurement is the stereo matching of the light-spot image points. Therefore, the SoftPoist algorithm is adopted to determine the corresponding relations of the light-spot image point in the left and right images to the spatial light spots through double-layer circulation iterative optimization, and then solve the stereo matching problem. The SoftPoist algorithm improves the POSIT algorithm so that the improved algorithm can be applied to huge amounts of light-spot feature points where the corresponding relations of the image points to its object unknown. The iterative optimization of the matching and pose estimation parameters can be computed if only there are four noncoplanar feature points, so the applied scope of the improved algorithm is much wider. The experiment results show that the algorithm can keep the measurement accuracy and shorten the time of the program operation to enhance matching efficiency and the improved algorithm has the practical value. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Studies suggested that the inter-individual differences in metabolizing isoflavone daidzein to equol or O-desmethylangolensin (ODMA) might explain the inconsistency of the soy/isoflavones efficacy on cardiovascular health. Objectives: The study aims to evaluate the relationship between equol and ODMA phenotypes and cardiovascular risks with habitual isoflavone consumption in Chinese postmenopausal women. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study among 726 prehypertensive postmenopal women who were screened for a randomized controlled trial. 648 women returned a daidzein-challenged urine samples for determination of equol and O-DMA production. 595 attended clinic visits for assessment of cardiovascular risks including body composition, blood pressure (BP), serum lipids, uric acid, high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), fasting glucose and free fatty acid (FFA). Results: The prevalences of equol and O-DMA producers were 53.2% and 60.9% respectively. Equol producers had higher fat free mass (p = 0.001), lower systolic (p = 0.01) and diastolic (p = 0.01) BP, serum triglyceride (p = 0.023), hs-CRP (p = 0.015) and FFA (p = 0.001) than non-producers. O-DMA producers had lower body fat% (p = 0.032), SBP (p = 0.02), total cholesterol (p = 0.002) than non-producers. The significant differences remained after further adjustment for potential confounders. The habitual soy isoflavones intake had little relation to cardiovascular risk factors in either equol/O-DMA producer phenotypes. Conclusion: Equol/O-DMA producers had more favorable cardiovascular risk profiles than non-producers in prehypertensive postmenopausal women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Previous studies have reported inverse associations between certain healthy lifestyle factors and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), but limited evidence showed the synergistic effect of those lifestyles. This study examined the relationship of a combination of lifestyles, expressed as Healthy Lifestyle Score (HLS), with NAFLD.Design: A community-based cross-sectional study. Questionnaires and body assessments were used to collect data on the six-item HLS (ranging from 0 to 6, where higher scores indicate better health). The HLS consists of non-smoking (no active or passive smoking), normal BMI (18·5-23·9 kg/m2), physical activity (moderate or vigorous physical activity ≥ 150 min/week), healthy diet pattern, good sleep (no insomnia or <6 months) and no anxiety (Self-rating Anxiety Scale < 50), one point each. NAFLD was diagnosed by ultrasonography.Setting: Guangzhou, China.Participants: Two thousand nine hundred and eighty-one participants aged 40-75 years.Results: The overall prevalence of NAFLD was 50·8 %. After adjusting for potential covariates, HLS was associated with lower presence of NAFLD. The OR of NAFLD for subjects with higher HLS (3, 4, 5-6 v. 0-1 points) were 0·68 (95 % CI 0·51, 0·91), 0·58 (95 % CI 0·43, 0·78) and 0·35 (95 % CI 0·25, 0·51), respectively (P-values < 0·05). Among the six items, BMI and physical activity were the strongest contributors. Sensitivity analyses showed that the association was more significant after weighting the HLS. The beneficial association remained after excluding any one of the six components or replacing BMI with waist circumference.Conclusions: Higher HLS was associated with lower presence of NAFLD, suggesting that a healthy lifestyle pattern might be beneficial to liver health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]