A Rational Self-Sacrificing Template Route to LiMn

Single-crystalline LiMn2O4 nanotubes and nanowires have been synthesized via a low-temperature molten salt synthesis method, using the prepared β-MnO2 nanotubes and α-MnO2 nanowires as the precursors and self-sacrificing template. The materials were investigated by a variety of techniques, including X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The results indicate that the prepared LiMn2O4 nanotube and nanowire samples are both spinel phase, have lengths up to several micrometers and diameters of hundreds and tens of nanometers, respectively

PUBLIC OPINION ANALYSIS BASED ON PROBABILISTIC TOPIC MODELING AND DEEP LEARNING

With the rapid development of Internet, especially the social media technologies, the public have gradually published their perception of social events online through social media. In Web2.0 era, with the concept of extensive participation of public in social-event-related information sharing, the effective content analysis and better results presentation for these media published online thus possesses significant importance for public opinion analysis and monitoring. In view of this, this paper proposes a novel method for public opinion analysis on social media website. First, the probabilistic topic model of Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) is adopted to extract the public ideas about the distinct topics of certain event, and then the deep learning model named word2vec is used to calculate the emotional intensity for each text. Next, the underlying themes in the whole as well as the events of emotional intensity are investigated, and the variation trend of public’s emotion intensities is tracked based on time series analysis. Finally, the rationality and effectiveness of the method are verified with the analysis of a real case

Interaction between physical activity and sleep duration in relation to insulin resistance among non-diabetic Chinese adults

It is of a public health interest to explore the relationship between different types of physical activity, sleep duration and diabetes/insulin resistance. However, little is known about such relationship. This study examines the single and joint associations of different types of physical activity, and sleep duration on insulin resistance among non-diabetic Chinese adults. Methods: Data was collected from 1124 non-diabetic adults in Jiangsu Province from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS). Domestic, occupational, transportation and leisure physical activity were assessed in terms of metabolic equivalent (MET)-hours-per-week to account for both intensity and time spent. Sleep duration was categorized into three groups: ≤ 7 hours, 7-9 hours, and ≥ 9 hours. Insulin resistance was evaluated by the homeostasis model of assessment (HOMA) and defined as the highest quartile of HOMA. Results: Total physical activity was mainly composed of occupational activity (75.1%), followed orderly by domestic, transportation and leisure time activity in both men and women. Total physical activity level was strongly negatively associated with fasting insulin and HOMA (p < 0.001). Among four types of physical activity, occupational activity was significantly negatively associated with HOMA after full adjustment (p < 0.05). Transportation activity was also negatively associated with HOMA when adjusted for age and gender (p = 0.028). Moreover, the combination of low physical activity and short sleep duration was associated with the highest odds of insulin resistance (adjusted OR = 3.26, 95% CI: 1.57-6.78), compared to those with high physical activity and adequate sleep duration. Conclusions: Physical activity, mainly occupational physical activity, was negatively associated with insulin resistance in non-diabetic Chinese population, independently of potential confounders. There was a synergic effect of low physical activity and short sleep duration on insulin resistance.Hui Zuo, Zumin Shi, Baojun Yuan, Yue Dai, Gang Hu, Gaolin Wu and Akhtar Hussai

Association between monosodium glutamate intake and sleep-disordered breathing among Chinese adults with normal body weight

ObjectiveTo assess whether monosodium glutamate (MSG) intake is associated with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB).MethodsData from 1227 Chinese subjects who participated in the Jiangsu Nutrition Study were analyzed. All the participants were examined at two time points (baseline in 2002 and follow-up in 2007). The MSG intake was assessed quantitatively in 2002 and a sleep questionnaire was used to assess snoring and to construct an SDB probability score in 2007. Those within the fifth quintile of the score (highest) were defined as having a high probability of SDB.ResultsThe MSG intake was positively associated with snoring and a high probability of SDB in participants who had a normal body weight but in those who were overweight. A comparison of the extreme quartiles of MSG intake in subjects with a body mass index lower than 23 kg/m² showed an odds ratio of 2.02 (95% confidence interval 1.02-4.00) for snoring and an odds ratio of 3.11 (95% confidence interval 1.10-8.84) for a high probability of SDB. There was a joint effect between MSG and overweight in relation to SDB.ConclusionThe intake of MSG may increase the risk of SDB in Chinese adults with a normal body weight.Zumin Shi, Gary A. Wittert, Baojun Yuan, Yue Dai, Tiffany K. Gill, Gang Hu, Robert Adams, Hui Zuo, Anne W. Taylo

Neuroform EZ Stenting for Symptomatic Intracranial Artery Stenosis: 30 Days Outcomes in a High-Volume Stroke Center

Objective: To test whether Neuroform EZ stent placement combined with the modified techniques in symptomatic severe intracranial stenosis (ICAS) would result in lower rates of peri-procedural complications of intracranial stenting.Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical data from 71 consecutive patients who underwent Neuroform EZ stent placement combined with the modified techniques for symptomatic severe ICAS at our institute between January 2016 and October 2017. The primary outcomes were ipsi-lateral ischemic stroke, intra-cerebral hemorrhage, or death within 30 days after stenting. The secondary outcome was technical success.Results: The technical success rate was 100%. The mean pre and post-stent stenoses were 84.2% ± 9.1% (median 85%, IQR75% to 90%) and 16.9% ± 10.2 % (median 15%, IQR 10% to 25%). The frequency of ipsi-lateral stroke, intra-cerebral hemorrhage, or death within 30 days was 0%.Conclusions: The combined use of Neuroform EZ stent placement and the modified techniques for symptomatic severe ICAS is technically feasible and safe, with very low peri-procedural complications. Further studies are required to assess the long-term results of this approach

Differences in health-related behaviors between middle school, high school, and college students in Jiangsu province, China

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Increasing rates of obesity among Chinese adolescents has become a major public health concern in recent years. Studies have shown that factors such as food choices, physical activity, and screen time play important roles in fostering obesity. We examined a number of biological and social determinants that influence these factors. To determine whether dietary behavior, physical activity, and screen time varied among students in different stages of their education. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN: Students in 13 cities across Jiangsu Province completed an anonymous survey assessing demographics and various health-related behaviors in a controlled setting. The survey population ranged from middle school students to undergraduates. 55,361 surveys were returned, and 46,611 (84.2%) were usable for the analysis. Multiple linear regression models were used to investigate the relationship between four behavioral factors (dietary behavior, screen time, physical activity, and moderate exercise) and seven predictors (gender, age, BMI, mother's education, nearsightedness, allowance, and geographic region). RESULTS: Baseline characteristics of the survey population analyzed by education level (middle school, high school, college and beyond) showed moderate differences in demographics among the three groups. Physical activity, moderate exercise, and dietary behavior decreased with educational level, while screen time increased. All predictors in the four considered regression models were statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: This unique, large-scale survey of Chinese students in a region of contrasting economic development revealed numerous relationships between health-related diet and physical-activity, region, and education level. These findings can inform the development of measures to counteract the rise of obesity in China