Relationships among gut microbes, the interleukin family, and hypertension: a mediation Mendelian randomization study

PurposeObservational studies have increasingly recognized the influence of gut microbes on blood pressure modulation. Despite these findings, a direct causal link between gut flora and hypertension remains unestablished due to inherent confounders and the challenges of reverse causality in observational research. In this study, we sought to elucidate the causal relationship between specific gut flora and hypertension and its intermediary mediators.MethodsWe employed a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) and mediation MR analysis, analyzing 211 species of gut bacteria, with a focus on the interleukin family as potential mediators and hypertension as the primary outcome. The central methodological technique was inverse variance-weighted estimation, supplemented by various other estimators.ResultsOur findings revealed that two bacterial species positively correlated with hypertension risk, while five exhibited a negative association. Further validation was conducted using sensitivity analyses. Notably, our mediation MR results suggest interleukin-1 receptor type 2 (IL-1R2) as a mediator for the effect of the genus Clostridium innocuum group on hypertension, accounting for a mediation proportion of 14.07% [mediation effect: (b = 0.0007, 95%CI: 0.0002–0.0011); proportion mediation = 14.07% (4.26–23.40%)].ConclusionOur research confirms a genetic causal relationship between specific gut microbes and hypertension, emphasizing the potential mediating role of interleukin-1 receptor type 2 (IL-1R2) and offering insights for clinical hypertension interventions

Spatial–temporal variations of NDVI and its response to climate in China from 2001 to 2020

Vegetation plays an important role in global or regional environmental change. In this study, the spatial–temporal variations of NDVI and its response to climate in China and its seven sub-regions were investigated based on MODIS NDVI data, ERA5-land precipitation (PRE) and temperature (TEM) data from 2001 to 2020. The inter-annual growth rate of NDVI in China was 0.0021/yr in the past 20 years. The inter-annual growth rates of NDVI in seven sub-regions had significant differences at regional or seasonal scales. The ratio of improved vegetation area to the total studied area reached about 70%. In summer, vegetation degradation was concentrated in East China and Southwest China. The vegetation in Central China and South China improved more obviously in autumn than in the other seasons. The vegetation of Northeast China had a remarkable degradation in autumn and winter, especially in winter. The influence degree of PRE (q = 0.54, P < 0.01) was greater than that of TEM (q = 0.27, P < 0.01) in the control of the spatial distribution of NDVI. The interaction influence degree q of PRE $\cap$ TEM was about 0.71 in the last 20 years. However, the PRE and TEM played different roles in vegetation growth in seven sub-regions

Analysis and Implementation of a Frequency Synthesizer Based on Dual Phase-Locked Loops in Cesium Atomic Clock

The frequency synthesizer plays a crucial role in atomic clock technology. In this study, we demonstrate a direct microwave frequency synthesizer for a cesium atomic clock, employing frequency multiplication and a dual-phase-locked loop mode. A mathematical model of the frequency synthesis chain is established to estimate its performance. The phase-settling time and system stability are analyzed and studied in detail, and the obtained results are verified by experiments. An optimized realization of the frequency synthesizer shows that the phase-settling time can be adjusted within the range of 644.5 µs to 1.5 ms. Additionally, we measure the absolute phase noise values to be −63.7 dBc/Hz, −75.7 dBc/Hz, −107.1 dBc/Hz, and −122.5 dBc/Hz at 1 Hz, 10 Hz, 1 kHz, and 10 kHz offset frequencies, respectively

Association between Antihypertensive Drug Use and the Incidence of Cognitive Decline and Dementia: A Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies

Background. Antihypertensive drug use is inconsistently associated with the risk of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, cognitive impairment, and cognitive decline. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis of available prospective cohort studies to summarize the evidence on the strength of these relationships. Methods. Three electronic databases including MedLine, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were searched to identify studies from inception to April 2017. Only prospective cohort studies that reported effect estimates with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, cognitive impairment, and cognitive decline for antihypertensive drug use versus not using antihypertensive drugs were included. Results. We included 10 prospective cohort studies reporting data on 30,895 individuals. Overall, participants who received antihypertensive drugs had lower incidence of dementia (relative risk [RR]: 0.86; 95% CI: 0.75–0.99; p=0.033), while there was no significant effect on the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease (RR: 0.83; 95% CI: 0.64–1.09; p=0.154), cognitive impairment (RR: 0.89; 95% CI: 0.57–1.38; p=0.596), and cognitive decline (RR: 1.11; 95% CI: 0.86–1.43; p=0.415). Further, the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease might be affected by antihypertensive drug use in participants with specific characteristics. Conclusions. Antihypertensive drug use was associated with a significantly reduced risk of dementia, but not with the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, cognitive impairment, and cognitive decline

Table_1_Prevalence of anxiety, depressive and insomnia symptoms among the different groups of people during COVID-19 pandemic: An overview of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.DOCX

Since the pandemic of the novel 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in addition to the harm caused by the disease itself, the psychological damage caused to the public by the pandemic is also a serious problem. The aim of our study was to summarize the systematic reviews/meta-analyses (SRs/MAs) of the prevalence of anxiety, depression and insomnia in different populations during the COVID-19 pandemic and to qualitatively evaluate these SRs/MAs. We searched the Cochrane Library, PubMed and Web of Science to obtain SRs/MAs related to anxiety, depression, and insomnia in different populations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The main populations we studied were healthcare workers (HCWs), college students (CSs), COVID-19 patients (CPs), and the general populations (GPs). A subgroup analysis was performed of the prevalence of psychological disorders. A total of 42 SRs/MAs (8,200,330 participants) were included in calculating and assessing the prevalence of anxiety, depression, and insomnia in these populations. The results of subgroup analysis showed that the prevalence of anxiety in different populations were: HCWs (20–44%), CSs (24–41%), CPs (15–47%), and GPs (22–38%). The prevalence of depression were: HCWs (22–38%), CSs (22–52%), CPs (38–45%), and GPs (16–35%), statistically significant differences between subgroups (p < 0.05). The prevalence of insomnia were: HCWs (28–45%), CSs (27–33%), CPs (34–48%), and GPs (28–35%), statistically significant differences between subgroups (p < 0.05). The comparison revealed a higher prevalence of psychological disorders in the CP group, with insomnia being the most pronounced. The methodological quality of the included SRs/MAs was then evaluated using AMSTAR 2 tool. The results of the methodological quality evaluation showed that 13 SRs/MAs were rated “medium,” 13 were rated “low,” and 16 were rated “very low.” Through the subgroup analysis and evaluation of methodological quality, we found a higher prevalence of insomnia than anxiety and depression among the psychological disorders occurring in different populations during the pandemic, but the sample size on insomnia is small and more high-quality studies are needed to complement our findings.</p

Long-term neurological sequelae and disease burden of Japanese encephalitis in Gansu Province, China

Background and objects: The study aimed to evaluate the long-term neurological sequelae and the disease burden of JE in Gansu, China. Methods: JE patients were included as study population from 2005–2011 in Gansu, and a follow-up survey was conducted in 2007–2014. Pair-matched healthy individuals were selected as controls. All subjects underwent a neurological examination and intelligence quotient (IQ) and memory quotient (MQ) assessments. Then, the disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), and direct and indirect medical expenses were systematic assessed. Results: Forty-four point seven percent of the JE patients had objective neurological deficits, compared with 2.4% of controls. Subnormal intelligence was found in 21.2% of JE subjects, compared with 1.2% control who exhibited a mildly reduced IQ. Abnormal MQ scores were noted in 56.3% JE subjects, compared with only 12.7% controls. Prevalence of each sequelae caused by JE were significantly higher in adults than in younger subjects. Furthermore, median DALY lost due to JE was 9.2 per subject. Median economic cost of JE was approximately $2776.6 per subject and significantly higher in adults than in younger subjects. Findings and Conclusions: JE patients suffered from severe neurological sequelae and high disease burden, resulting in a significant downstream burden for both the patients (especially adults) and the healthcare system.</p

Grain boundary engineering of organic semiconductor films in organic transistors

Abstract Organic field‐effect transistors (OFETs) show great application potential in organic electronic and optoelectronic fields due to their excellent mechanical flexibility, low cost, and solution processing. However, grain boundaries (GBs) disrupt the aggregation state of organic semiconductor (OSC) films and hinder electrical performance and stability, which limits the application of OFETs. Besides, the sensitive nature of GBs is widely used in sensing, but detailed descriptions of the GBs are scarce. This review aims to fill this knowledge gap. The role of GBs and their effect on the performance and stability of OFETs are analyzed, followed by a detailed summary of the characterization of GBs. Then, strategies for suppressing the negative effects of GBs and utilizing the sensitive nature of GBs for application are proposed. Finally, potential research directions for GBs in OFETs are discussed