New uniqueness results for boundary value problem of fractional differential equation

In this paper, uniqueness results for boundary value problem of fractional differential equation are obtained. Both the Banach's contraction mapping principle and the theory of linear operator are used, and a comparison between the obtained results is provided

Monotone solutions for singular fractional boundary value problems

In this paper, we investigate a boundary value problem of fractional differential equation. The nonlinear term includes fractional derivatives and is singular with respect to space variables. By means of Schaefer's fixed point theorem and Vitali convergence theorem, an existence result of monotone solutions is obtained. The proofs are based on regularization and sequential techniques. An example is also given to illustrate our main result

Monotone solutions for singular fractional boundary value problems

In this paper, we investigate a boundary value problem of fractional differential equation. The nonlinear term includes fractional derivatives and is singular with respect to space variables. By means of Schaefer’s fixed point theorem and Vitali convergence theorem, an existence result of monotone solutions is obtained. The proofs are based on regularization and sequential techniques. An example is also given to illustrate our main result

Uniqueness theorem of differential system with coupled integral boundary conditions

The paper is devoted to study the uniqueness of solutions for a differential system with coupled integral boundary conditions under a Lipschitz condition. Our approach is based on the Banach's contraction principle. The interesting point is that the Lipschitz constant is related to the spectral radius corresponding to the related linear operators

Plant-based diets and body composition in Chinese omnivorous children aged 6–9 years old: A cross-sectional study

Evidence suggests that plant-based diets are beneficial for alleviating metabolic diseases. Childhood is a crucial period for body growth and development. However, it is unknown whether adherence to a plant-based diet is related to a healthy body composition in children. We aimed to assess the relationship between a plant-based diet and body composition in children. A total of 452 Chinese children aged 6–9 years old participated in this cross-sectional study. Lean mass (LM), fat mass, and fat mass percentage (FMP) were assessed via dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. An age- and sex-specific abdominal FMP ≥85th percentile was defined as abdominal obesity. Handgrip strength was measured using a hydraulic hand dynamometer. A validated 79-item food frequency questionnaire was used to collect dietary information. Overall plant-based diet index (PDI), healthful plant-based diet index (hPDI), and unhealthful plant-based diet index (uPDI) scores were calculated. After adjusting for potential covariates, a higher hPDI score (per 10-score increment) was associated with a higher LM in the android area (0.038 kg, 3.2%), gynoid area (0.048 kg, 1.9%), and trunk (0.102 kg, 1.2%) and with a lower FMP (1.18%) in the android area. In contrast, a higher uPDI score (per 10-score increment) was associated with a lower LM in the trunk (0.091 kg, 1.1%) and android area (0.023 kg, 1.9%) and with a higher FMP (0.74%) in the android area. No significant associations were observed between the overall PDI and body composition or abdominal obesity. After stratifying by sex, higher (vs. lower) hPDI scores was associated with lower abdominal obesity risk in girls and higher handgrip strength in boys. In conclusion, in this cross-sectional study, we found that stronger adherence to a healthful plant-based diet, and less adherence to an unhealthful plant-based diet was associated with better body composition in Chinese omnivorous children aged 6–9 years old. Our results highlight the need to distinguish between healthy and unhealthy plant foods within investigating how to obtain a healthy body composition in children

Association between socioeconomic status and obesity in a Chinese adult population

BACKGROUND: Existing studies which regarding to the association between individual socioeconomic status (SES) and obesity are still scarce in developing countries. The major aim of this study is to estimate such association in an adult population which was drawn from an economically prosperous province of China. METHODS: Study population was determined by multilevel randomized sampling. Education and income were chosen as indicators of individual SES, general obesity and abdominal obesity were measured by body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC). Descriptive statistical methods were used to depict overall and factor-specific distributions of general and abdominal obesity among 16,013 respondents. Two-step logistic regression models were fitted on gender basis. RESULTS: The age-and-sex adjusted rates of general overweight, general obesity, abdominal overweight and abdominal obesity in study population were 28.9% (95%CI: 27.9%-29.9%), 7.5% (95%CI: 7.0%-8.1%), 32.2% (95%CI: 31.2%-33.3%) and 12.3% (95%CI: 11.6%-13.1%), respectively. Based on model fitting results, a significant inverse association between education and obesity only existed in women, while in men, income rather than education was positively related to obesity. CONCLUSIONS: The atypical SES-obesity relationship we found reflected the on-going social economy transformation in affluent regions of China. High-income men and poorly-educated women were at higher risk of obesity in Zhejiang province, thus merit intense focuses

C5aR1 shapes a non-inflammatory tumor microenvironment and mediates immune evasion in gastric cancer

C5a receptor 1 (C5aR1) is associated with various inflammatory processes, the pathogenesis of immune diseases, and tumor growth. However, its role in the tumor microenvironment of gastric cancer (GC) remains unclear. In this study, the expression of C5aR1 in GC and normal gastric mucosa tissues was compared using data retrieved from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) databases, and the results were validated by in vitro qRT-PCR and immunohistochemical analyses. The relationship between C5aR1 expression and the overall survival of patients with GC was analyzed using the Kaplan–Meier method. Subsequently, enrichment analysis was performed, and the signaling pathways were screened. C5aR1 expression was also correlated with genes related to the immune checkpoint and immune cell infiltration. The results revealed that C5aR1 expression was enhanced in GC tissues compared to normal gastric tissues, and that patients with high expression of C5aR1 had a worse 10-year overall survival compared to those showing low expression of C5aR1. Functional analysis revealed that C5aR1 is a gene related to theimmune system and may play a crucial role in inflammatory and tumor immune responses. Additionally, C5aR1 showed a positive correlation with most immune checkpoint-related genes and a negative correlation with natural killer cells, dendritic cells, and CD8+ T cells. Immune evasion risk was observed to be significantly greater in patients with higher expression of C5aR1 than in those with lower expression. The results of this study reveal that C5aR1 shapes a non-inflammatory tumor microenvironment in GC and mediates immune evasion

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead