Short sleep duration is associated with specific food intake increase among school-aged children in China: a national cross-sectional study

Abstract Background The relationship between sleep duration and food intake is unclear. This study aims to examine the relationship among children aged 6–17 years in China. Methods The sample consisted of 70,519 children aged 6–17 years, which were randomly selected from 7 representative areas from China, from September to November, 2013. In the structured questionnaire, children reported daily sleep hours (less than 7 h, 7–9 h and more than 9 h), weekly food intake amount (including vegetables, fruit, sugar beverages and meat), physical activity and sedentary time. The relationship of sleep duration with vegetable, sugar beverage, fruit and meat intake was evaluated by multi-nominal logistic regression and multi-variable adjusted. Results A total of 62,517 children (51.6% boys) completed the study. Short sleep duration (SSD, < 7 h) was independently associated with increased sugar beverage intake (SBI, Odd Ratio, OR: 1.29, 95% CI: 1.19–1.40) but decreased vegetable (VI, OR: 0.94, 95% CI: 0.90–0.98) & fruit intake (FI, OR: 0.94, 95% CI: 0.88–0.99). Stratified by age and gender, SSD increased SBI for boys of both young (6–12 years) & older (13–17 years) groups and older girls (ORs: 1.25, 1.25, 1.49, 95% CI: 1.08–1.44, 1.04–1.50, 1.22–1.81, respectively), but decreased VI and FI for older girls (ORs: 0.84& 0.81, 95% CI: 0.74–0.96& 0.68–0.96, respectively). Conclusions Among school-aged children in China, short sleep duration was associated with increased risks of more sugar beverage intake among those younger and boys but less vegetable & fruit intake among those older and girls. Longitudinal research is needed to clarify the causation in between

Influence of heat transfer fluid on thermal performance improvement of latent heat storage unit with helical fins

The helical fins can improve the hampering effect of classical fins on the convection flows of latent heat storage units (LHSU) as an innovative design, but their thermal performance improvement was largely affected by the operational conditions of heat transfer fluid (HTF), especially for fluid temperature and velocity. Based on this, an experimental system was established to measure thermal performance of latent heat storage units with perforated and solid helical fins (PHF-LHSU and SHF-LHSU). Two inlet temperatures were considered as 65 °C and 75 °C in the charge process and 20 °C and 30 °C in the discharge process, while three velocities were employed as 0.5 L/min, 1.0 L/min and 1.5 L/min. Experimental results showed PHF-LHSU exhibited the higher thermal performance than SHF-LHSU, especially in temperature response and average Nusselt number. Increasing HTF temperature from 65 °C to 75 °C increased melting rate, the average heat flux, Nusselt number and thermal efficiency by 25.4%–31.6%, 65.9%–70.6%, 15.9–25.9% and 9.7%–11.6% in the charge process, while reducing HTF temperature from 30 °C to 20 °C lowered the solidifying rate, the average heat flux and thermal efficiency by 39.3%–47.4%, 52.5%–56.6%, and 30.7%–35.3% in the discharge process. The HTF velocity had the certain effects on thermal properties and with the HTF velocity increasing from 0.5 L/min to 1.5 L/min, the thermal efficiency was increased by 3.9%–4.7%

Genomic and Transcriptional Characteristics of Strain Rum-meliibacillus sp. TYF-LIM-RU47 with an Aptitude of Directly Producing Acetoin from Lignocellulose

Rummeliibacillus sp. TYF-LIM-RU47, isolated from the fermentation substrate of grain vinegar, could produce acetoin using a variety of carbon sources, including pentose, hexose and lignocellulose. The draft genome of TYF-LIM-RU47 was constructed and the genomic information revealed that TYF-LIM-RU47 contains genes related to starch and sucrose metabolism, pyruvate metabolism, the oxidative phosphorylation metabolic pathway and lignocellulosic metabolism. The acetoin anabolic pathway of TYF-LIM-RU47 has been deduced from the sequencing results, and acetoin is produced from &alpha;-acetolactate via decarboxylation and diacetyl reductase catalytic steps. The results of quantitative real-time PCR tests showed that the synthesis and degradation of acetoin had a dynamic balance in acetoin metabolism, and the transcription of the &alpha;-acetolactate synthase gene might exist to the extent of feedback regulation. This study can help researchers to better understand the bioinformation of thermophilic-lignocellulosic bacteria and the mechanisms of the acetoin biosynthesis pathway

Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitory peptide attenuates cardiac hypertrophy associated with ACE2/Ang (1–7)/MasR axis and PKCβ1 pathway

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is typically preceded by cardiac hypertrophy. Lycium barbarum L. as functional food show the health benefits of cardiovascular diseases. Whether Lycium barbarum L. protein-derived angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitory peptide (ACEIP) has effects on improving cardiac hypertrophy is unknown. Here, HFpEF mouse model was established by a high-fat diet and 0.5 g/L Nѡ-Nitro-L-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride (L-NAME) in drinking water. Interventricular septum thickness (IVS), left ventricular posterior wall thickness (LVPW), left ventricular diameter (LVD), ejection fraction (EF) and left ventricular mass (LV Mass) were evaluated by transthoracic echocardiography. Serum n-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), Ang II, Ang (1–7) concentrations were measured by ELISA, and hypertrophy by WGA staining. We found that ACEIP significantly improved diastolic dysfunction as reflected by the increase in mitral inflow E and A wave ratio (E/A ratio) and decrease in isovolumic relaxation time (IVRT). Meanwhile, LV Mass, IVS, LVPW and LVD in systolic or diastolic period were significantly reduced by ACEIP. Furthermore, ACEIP reversed protein kinase C β1 (PKCβ1) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) phosphorylation, which were related to ACE2/Ang (1–7)/MasR axis activation. Our findings indicated that ACEIP could be a potential nutritional approach for the intervention of HFpEF

Dynamic crosslinked and injectable biohydrogels as extracellular matrix mimics for the delivery of antibiotics and 3D cell culture

Antibiotics are widely used in clinical medicine. As an important member, vancomycin often plays an irreplaceable role in some serious infections but for its use, there is still a lack of suitable carriers and effective formulations. To find a vancomycin carrier with potential for clinical applications, a new class of poly(?-glutamic acid)/dextran-based injectable hydrogels have been constructed through dynamic covalent hydrazone linkages. Adipic dihydrazide (ADH)-grafted poly(?-glutamic acid) (PGAADH) and sodium periodate-oxidized dextran (OD) precursors were synthesized; then, the hydrogels were formed by blending PGAADH and OD buffer solutions without any additives under physiological conditions. The newly formed precursor structures, mechanical properties, morphologies, hydrogel degradation profiles, and the interaction between the drug and precursors were investigated with FTIR spectroscopy,H NMR spectroscopy, rheological experiments, compression tests, SEM, and isothermal titration calorimetric (ITC) measurements. The resulting hydrogels exhibited excellent antibacterial ability and ideal variable performances. Moreover, the hydrogels exhibited different drug release kinetics and mechanisms and were applied effectively towards the controlled release of vancomycin. Significantly, benefitting from the reversibly cross-linked systems and the excellent biocompatibility, the hydrogels can work as the ideal material for HeLa cell culture, leading to encapsulated cells with higher viability and capacity that is proliferative. Therefore, the injectable PGAADH/OD hydrogels demonstrated attractive properties for future applications in pharmaceutics and tissue engineering

Association of mental health status between self-poisoning suicide patients and their family members: a matched-pair analysis

Abstract Background The objective of this study was to examine the relationship of mental health status between self-poisoning suicide patients and their family members, and it also sought to identify potential patient’s risk and parental factors for the prediction of suicide attempt, anxiety, and depression. Methods In this study, 151 poisoned patients were prospectively included, and they were matched 1:1 with 151 family members. We gathered information on patient’s and their matched family member’s demographics, lifestyle choices, mental health status, level of intimacy, and history of psychiatry disease. The relationship of patient’s and their family member’s mental health state was investigated using a correlation matrix. Multivariable analyses (multiple logistic regression) were conducted among patients and their matched family members, to identify potential risk factors for self-poisoning suicide, anxiety, and depression. Results Of the total patients, 67.55% (102/151) attempted self-poisoning suicide. Poisoned patients had more severe anxiety and depression symptoms than their matched family members, and this difference was even more pronounced among patients with self-poisoning suicide. Generalized anxiety disorder-7 (GAD-7) score for family members was significantly and favorably correlated with patient’s GAD-7 score after eliminating non-suicide patients and their matched family members. The patient health questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) score showed a similar pattern, and the family member’s PHQ-9 score was strongly and favorably associated with patient’s PHQ-9 and Beck hopelessness scale-20 (BHS-20) score. Multivariable analysis showed that married marital status (P = 0.038), quitting smoking (P = 0.003), sedentary time of 1 to 6 h (P = 0.013), and participation in a sports more than five times per week (P = 0.046) were all significantly associated with a lower risk of suicide by self-poisoning, while a more serious anxiety state (P = 0.001) was significantly associated with a higher risk of self-poisoning suicide. Multivariable analysis demonstrated that, specifically among self-poisoning suicide patients, married marital status (P = 0.011) and no history of psychiatry disease (P < 0.001) were protective factors for anxiety, while divorced or widowed marital status (P = 0.004), a sedentary time of 1 to 3 h (P = 0.022), and a higher monthly income (P = 0.027) were significant contributors to anxiety. The propensity of additional family-matched characteristics to predict patient’s suicidality, anxiety, and depression was also examined. Conclusions Self-poisoning suicide patients have severe mental health issues. Patients who self-poison have a close connection to their family member’s mental health, particularly their levels of anxiety and depression. According to the findings, being married and adopting healthy lifestyle habits, such as quitting smoking and drinking, increasing their physical activity levels, and managing their idle time, are able to help patients with mental health concerns and even suicidal thoughts

Application of aptamer-drug delivery system in the therapy of breast cancer

Despite significant treatment advances, breast cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death in women. From the current treatment situation, in addition to developing chemoresistant tumours, distant organ metastasis, and recurrences, patients with breast cancer often have a poor prognosis. Aptamers as ''chemical antibodies'' may be a way to resolve this dilemma. Aptamers are single-stranded, non-coding oligonucleotides (DNA or RNA), resulting their many advantages, including stability for long-term storage, simplicity of synthesis and function, and low immunogenicity, a high degree of specificity and antidote. Aptamers have gained popularity as a method for diagnosing and treating specific tumors in recent years. This article introduces the application of ten different aptamer delivery systems in the treatment and diagnosis of breast cancer, and systematically reviews their latest research progress in breast cancer treatment and diagnosis. It provides a new direction for the clinical treatment of breast cancer

Pseudocapacitive lithium storage of cauliflower‐like CoFe 2O4 for low‐temperature battery operation

Binary transition-metal oxides (BTMOs) with hierarchical micro-nano-structures have attracted great interest as potential anode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Herein, we report the fabrication of hierarchical cauliflower-like CoFe O (cl-CoFe O ) via a facile room-temperature co-precipitation method followed by post-synthetic annealing. The obtained cauliflower structure is constructed by the assembly of microrods, which themselves are composed of small nanoparticles. Such hierarchical micro-nano-structure can promote fast ion transport and stable electrode-electrolyte interfaces. As a result, the cl-CoFe O can deliver a high specific capacity (1019.9 mAh g at 0.1 A g ), excellent rate capability (626.0 mAh g at 5 A g ), and good cyclability (675.4 mAh g at 4 A g for over 400 cycles) as an anode material for LIBs. Even at low temperatures of 0 °C and -25 °C, the cl-CoFe O anode can deliver high capacities of 907.5 and 664.5 mAh g at 100 mA g , respectively, indicating its wide operating temperature. More importantly, the full-cell assembled with a commercial LiFePO cathode exhibits a high rate performance (214.2 mAh g at 5000 mA g ) and an impressive cycling performance (612.7 mAh g over 140 cycles at 300 mA g ) in the voltage range of 0.5-3.6 V. Kinetic analysis reveals that the electrochemical performance of cl-CoFe O is dominated by pseudocapacitive behavior, leading to fast Li insertion/extraction and good cycling life

Cathepsin C promotes microglia M1 polarization and aggravates neuroinflammation via activation of Ca2+-dependent PKC/p38MAPK/NF-κB pathway

Abstract Background Microglia-derived lysosomal cathepsins are important inflammatory mediators to trigger signaling pathways in inflammation-related cascades. Our previous study showed that the expression of cathepsin C (CatC) in the brain is induced predominantly in activated microglia in neuroinflammation. Moreover, CatC can induce chemokine production in brain inflammatory processes. In vitro studies further confirmed that CatC is secreted extracellularly from LPS-treated microglia. However, the mechanisms of CatC affecting neuroinflammatory responses are not known yet. Methods CatC over-expression (CatCOE) and knock-down (CatCKD) mice were treated with intraperitoneal and intracerebroventricular LPS injection. Morris water maze (MWM) test was used to assess the ability of learning and memory. Cytokine expression in vivo was detected by in situ hybridization, quantitative PCR, and ELISA. In vitro, microglia M1 polarization was determined by quantitative PCR. Intracellular Ca2+ concentration was determined by flow cytometry, and the expression of NR2B, PKC, p38, IkBα, and p65 was determined by western blotting. Results The LPS-treated CatCOE mice exhibited significantly increased escape latency compared with similarly treated wild-type or CatCKD mice. The highest levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, and other M1 markers (IL-6, CD86, CD16, and CD32) were found in the brain or serum of LPS-treated CatCOE mice, and the lowest levels were detected in CatCKD mice. Similar results were found in LPS-treated microglia derived from CatC differentially expressing mice or in CatC-treated microglia from wild-type mice. Furthermore, the expression of NR2B mRNA, phosphorylation of NR2B, Ca2+ concentration, phosphorylation of PKC, p38, IκBα, and p65 were all increased in CatC-treated microglia, while addition of E-64 and MK-801 reversed the phosphorylation of above molecules. Conclusion The data suggest that CatC promotes microglia M1 polarization and aggravates neuroinflammation via activation of Ca2+-dependent PKC/p38MAPK/NF-κB pathway. CatC may be one of key molecular targets for alleviating and controlling neuroinflammation in neurological diseases

Single-Cell Real-Time Visualization and Quantification of Perylene Bioaccumulation in Microorganisms

Bioaccumulation of perylene in <i>Escherichia coli</i> and <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> was visualized and quantified in real time with high sensitivity at high temporal resolution. For the first time, single-molecule fluorescence microscopy (SMFM) with a microfluidic flow chamber and temperature control has enabled us to record the dynamic process of perylene bioaccumulation in single bacterial cells and examine the cell-to-cell heterogeneity. Although with identical genomes, individual <i>E. coli</i> cells exhibited a high degree of heterogeneity in perylene accumulation dynamics, as shown by the high coefficient of variation (C.V = 1.40). This remarkable heterogeneity was exhibited only in live <i>E. coli</i> cells. However, the bioaccumulation of perylene in live and dead <i>S. aureus</i> cells showed similar patterns with a low degree of heterogeneity (C.V = 0.36). We found that the efflux systems associated with Tol C played an essential role in perylene bioaccumulation in <i>E. coli</i>, which caused a significantly lower accumulation and a high cell-to-cell heterogeneity. In comparison with <i>E. coli</i>, the Gram-positive bacteria <i>S. aureus</i> lacked an efficient efflux system against perylene. Therefore, perylene bioaccumulation in <i>S. aureus</i> was simply a passive diffusion process across the cell membrane