Meta-analysis of the association between dietary inflammatory index and cognitive health

BackgroundSome studies have shown that a pro-inflammatory diet may be associated with cognitive function, but their conclusions have varied considerably. We here present a meta-analysis of the current published literature on DII score and its association with cognitive health.MethodsIn this meta-analysis, the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases were searched in September 2022. The reported indexes, specifically OR, RR, and β, were extracted and analyzed using R version 3.1.0.ResultsA total of 636 studies in databases were identified, and 12 were included in the meta-analysis. Higher DII was associated with an increased risk of AD and MCI (OR = 1.34; 95% CI = 1.21–1.49). Meanwhile, it may also cause global function impairment (categorical: OR = 1.63; 95% CI = 1.36–1.96) and verbal fluency impairment (continuous: OR = 0.18; 95% IC = 0.08–0.42). But there was no significant association between DII and executive function (categorical: OR = 1.12; 95% IC = 0.84–1.49; continuous: OR = 0.48; 95% IC = 0.19–1.21) or episodic memory (continuous: OR = 0.56; 95% IC = 0.30–1.03).ConclusionA pro-inflammatory diet is related to AD, MCI, and the functions of some cognitive domains (specifically global function and verbal fluency). However, the current evidence on the role of diet-induced inflammation in different cognitive domains should be supported by further studies in the future

Genomic analysis of oesophageal squamous-cell carcinoma identifies alcohol drinking-related mutation signature and genomic alterations

Approximately half of the world's 500,000 new oesophageal squamous-cell carcinoma (ESCC) cases each year occur in China. Here, we show whole-genome sequencing of DNA and RNA in 94 Chinese individuals with ESCC. We identify six mutational signatures (E1–E6), and Signature E4 is unique in ESCC linked to alcohol intake and genetic variants in alcohol-metabolizing enzymes. We discover significantly recurrent mutations in 20 protein-coding genes, 4 long non-coding RNAs and 10 untranslational regions. Functional analyses show six genes that have recurrent copy-number variants in three squamous-cell carcinomas (oesophageal, head and neck and lung) significantly promote cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion. The most frequently affected genes by structural variation are LRP1B and TTC28. The aberrant cell cycle and PI3K-AKT pathways seem critical in ESCC. These results establish a comprehensive genomic landscape of ESCC and provide potential targets for precision treatment and prevention of the cancer

Association between parental unhealthy behaviors and offspring’s cardiovascular health status: Results from a cross-sectional analysis of parent–offspring pairs in China

BackgroundCardiovascular health (CVH) in children and adolescents, which might be largely influenced by parental behaviors, may affect the incidence of cardiovascular diseases in adulthood. However, few studies have been conducted to explore the associations between parental behaviors and CVH status of offspring in China.MethodsData were obtained from a cross-sectional survey conducted in Chinese children and adolescents aged 7–18 years old, with a total of 10,043 parent–offspring pairs included. Parental behaviors included moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA), dietary behaviors, and weight status. The CVH status of offspring was consulted by The American Heart Association, including seven factors. The associations between parental behaviors and CVH status of offspring were evaluated by multilevel logistic regression. Stratified analyses were conducted to explore the potential modifying influence of sociodemographic factors.ResultsMost of the offspring had five ideal CVH factors; only 21.04% had six to seven ideal CVH factors. Parental unhealthy behaviors were associated with high odds of nonideal CVH status of offspring. Parental overweight/obesity, insufficient MVPA, and unhealthy dietary behaviors could increase the odds of owning one to three ideal CVH factors in offspring, with corresponding odds ratios (ORs) (95% confidence interval) of 1.61 (1.32–1.96), 1.31 (1.10–1.56), and 2.05 (1.43–2.94), respectively. There was a dose–response relationship between parental single unhealthy behavior and the odds of nonideal CVH status in offspring (P-trend < 0.001). Offspring with overweight parents had ORs of 1.25 for nonideal CVH status, compared to offspring with normal-weight parents. Among offspring who had the same number of ideal CVH factors, the cumulative association between unhealthy behaviors of parents and offspring’s nonideal CVH status increased if parents had more unhealthy behaviors (P-trend < 0.001).ConclusionsParental overweight/obesity, insufficient MVPA, and unhealthy dietary behaviors were strongly associated with CVH status in offspring. With a cumulative association, more unhealthy parental behaviors were associated with higher odds of offspring’s nonideal CVH status, suggesting that targeting parental behaviors might facilitate attainment of improving CVH status of children and adolescents

Weight self-misperception and Obesity-related Knowledge, Attitudes, Lifestyle Behaviors and Cardio-metabolic Markers among Chinese School-aged Children and Adolescents

Abstract Objective: The relationships between childhood weight self-misperception and obesity-related factors particularly health markers have not been extensively discussed. This study aims to examine the associations between weight self-misperception and obesity-related knowledge, attitudes, lifestyles and cardio-metabolic markers among Chinese pediatric population. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Data sourced from a national survey in Chinese seven provinces in 2013. Participants: Children and adolescents aged 5-19 years. Results: Of the total 14079 participants, there were 14.5% and 2.2% participants over-estimated and under-perceived their weight, respectively. Multi-variable logistic regression was applied to calculate odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% Cl) of obesity-related behaviors and cardio-metabolic markers by actual and perceived weight status. Individuals who perceived themselves as overweight/obese were more likely to have prolonged screen time, insufficient dairy intake, and over sugar-sweetened beverages consumption (all P<0.05), regardless of their weight. Furthermore, actual overweight/obese individuals had higher odds of abnormal cardio-metabolic markers, but a smaller magnitude of association was found among weight under-estimators. Among non-overweight/obese individuals, weight over-estimation was positively associated with abdominal obesity (OR: 10.49, 95% CI: 7.45, 14.76), elevated blood pressure (OR: 1.30, 95% CI: 1.12, 1.51), and dyslipidemia (OR: 1.43, 95% CI: 1.29, 1.58). Conclusions: Weight over-perception was more prevalent than under-estimation, particularly in girls. Weight over-estimators tended to master better knowledge but behave more unhealthily, both weight over-perception and actual overweight/obesity status were associated with poorer cardio-metabolic markers. Future obesity intervention programs should additionally pay attention to the population with inaccurate estimation of weight who were easily overlooked

Mechanical and Thermal Conductivity Study of Inorganic Modified Raw Soil Materials Based on Gradient Concept

Based on the inorganic modification of raw soil materials by using cement, fly ash, lime and other admixtures, the influence of modified jute fiber content on the strength of raw-soil-based wall materials was studied. The effects of the gradient distribution of inorganic admixtures on the mechanical properties and thermal conductivity of raw-soil-based wall materials were studied and compared by designing the gradient distribution and homogenous distribution of admixtures in raw soil materials. The results show that when the mass ratio of raw soil, sand, cement, fly ash and lime is 30:10:5:3:2, the compressive strength and flexural strength of the modified raw soil specimen at 28 d are 6.4 MPa and 2.9 MPa, respectively; on the basis of the further addition of 0.8 v% jute fibers, the strength can still be enhanced by 20% and its thermal insulation properties will also be improved. Gradient design can further improve the mechanical properties of modified raw-soil-based wall materials and can weaken the loss of its inherent thermal insulation function

A Chance-Constrained Economic Dispatch Model in Wind-Thermal-Energy Storage System

As a type of renewable energy, wind energy is integrated into the power system with more and more penetration levels. It is challenging for the power system operators (PSOs) to cope with the uncertainty and variation of the wind power and its forecasts. A chance-constrained economic dispatch (ED) model for the wind-thermal-energy storage system (WTESS) is developed in this paper. An optimization model with the wind power and the energy storage system (ESS) is first established with the consideration of both the economic benefits of the system and less wind curtailments. The original wind power generation is processed by the ESS to obtain the final wind power output generation (FWPG). A Gaussian mixture model (GMM) distribution is adopted to characterize the probabilistic and cumulative distribution functions with an analytical expression. Then, a chance-constrained ED model integrated by the wind-energy storage system (W-ESS) is developed by considering both the overestimation costs and the underestimation costs of the system and solved by the sequential linear programming method. Numerical simulation results using the wind power data in four wind farms are performed on the developed ED model with the IEEE 30-bus system. It is verified that the developed ED model is effective to integrate the uncertain and variable wind power. The GMM distribution could accurately fit the actual distribution of the final wind power output, and the ESS could help effectively decrease the operation costs

Evaluation of Comprehensive Emergency Capacity to Urban Flood Disaster: An Example from Zhengzhou City in Henan Province, China

In the context of climate change and urbanization, increasing flood disasters leads to severe losses and impacts on urban inhabitants. In order to enhance urban capacity to cope with floods and reduce losses, the comprehensive emergency-response capacity to flood disaster (CERCF) was studied in Zhengzhou City, which is seriously affected by floods. Firstly, the evaluation index system of flood emergency capacity was constructed from three aspects, including pre-disaster prevention capacity, during-disaster disposal capacity and post-disaster recovery capacity. Secondly, the weight of each index was calculated by the combination of the entropy weight method and the coefficient of variation method, and the evaluation model was established by the comprehensive index method. Thirdly, the CERCF of Zhengzhou City was classified into three grades by the Jenks natural-breakpoint classification method. Finally, the contribution model was used to reveal the contribution factors of flood emergency capacity in Zhengzhou city. The following beneficial conclusions were drawn: (1) The overall CERCF of Zhengzhou City was on a low level. The proportions of the study area at low, medium and high levels were 58.33%, 33.33% and 8.34%, respectively. Spatially, the CERCF was high in central regions and low in in the west and east parts of Zhengzhou City. (2) It was found that PDPC and PDRC made the greatest contribution, while DDDC has a relatively low contribution degree

Improving Intelligence and Efficiency of Salt Lake Production by Applying a Decision Support System Based on IOT for Brine Pump Management

At present, due to their geographical distribution, environmental conditions and traditional monitoring technologies, the manual inspection of brine pumps in Qinghai Saline Lake can not be effectively carried out in real time, so the pumps have a high failure rate. This has seriously affected the chemical production of this saline lake. The paper designed a remote real-time monitoring terminal and a decision support system based on LoRa technology, GPRS (General Packet Radio Services) remote communication technology and remote-control technology. The system integrated the liquid-level sensing model and the decision support model for brine pump management. The system monitored and analyzed the voltage, current, and liquid-level parameters in real time to determine the operating status or failure of the brine pump. The ID3 (Iterative Dichotomiser 3) method was used to establish the correlation models between the dynamic monitoring information and the brine pump failure, which is the core of the decision support model. The remote controller was implemented to display and control the running status of the brine pumps when the maintenance personnel received the warning information. PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) language and a MySQL database were implemented to realize the data display, management and decision support system

Formation and In Situ Treatment of High Fluoride Concentrations in Shallow Groundwater of a Semi-Arid Region: Jiaolai Basin, China

Fluorine is an essential nutrient, and excessive or deficient fluoride contents in water can be harmful to human health. The shallow groundwater of the Jiaolai Basin, China has a high fluoride content. This study aimed to (1) investigate the processes responsible for the formation of shallow high-fluoride groundwater (SHFGW); (2) identify appropriate methods for in situ treatment of SHFGW. A field investigation into the formation of SHFGW was conducted, and the results of experiments using soils from high-fluoride areas were examined to investigate the leaching and migration of fluoride. The results showed that the formation of SHFGW in the Jiaolai Basin is due to long-term geological and evaporation processes in the region. Stratums around and inside the basin act as the source of fluoride whereas the terrain promotes groundwater convergence. The hydrodynamic and hydrochemical conditions resulting from slow groundwater flow along with high evaporation and low rainfall all contribute to the enrichment of fluoride in groundwater. In situ treatment of SHFGW may be an effective approach to manage high SHFGW in the Jiaolai Basin. Since soil fluoride in high-fluoride areas can leach into groundwater and migrate with runoff, the construction of ditches can shorten the runoff of shallow groundwater and accelerate groundwater loss, resulting in the loss of SHFGW from high-fluoride areas through river outflow. The groundwater level will be reduced, thereby lowering the influence of evaporation on fluoride enrichment in shallow groundwater. The results of this study can act a reference for further research on in situ treatment for high-fluoride groundwater