Association between dietary fiber intake and incidence of depression and anxiety in patients with essential hypertension

(1) Background: Our previous study found that the dietary fiber supplement in patients with hypertension increased SCFA-producers, Bifidobacterium and Spirillum in the gut microbiota, which may be associated with improvement of depression and anxiety through the gut–brain axis. However, only a few studies have explored the association between dietary fiber intake (DFI) and the incidence of depression and anxiety in hypertensive patients. (2) Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in one comprehensive hospital and one community clinic aimed at understanding the status of DFI and the association between DFI and incidences of depression and anxiety in hypertensive patients. Levels of DFI were obtained through a two-24 h diet recall. According to the levels of DFI from low to high, the participants were divided into Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4 groups. The Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System short form v1.0-Depression 8b and Anxiety 8a were used to assess patients’ levels of depression and anxiety. (3) Results: A total of 459 hypertensive patients were recruited and the daily DFI was 10.4 g. The incidences of hypertension combined with depression and anxiety were 19.6% and 18.5%, respectively. Regression analysis showed statistically significant associations between DFI and depression (B = −0.346, p = 0.001) and anxiety score (B = −0.565, p < 0.001). In logistic regression, after the covariates were adjusted, DFI was associated with the incidence of depression in Q3 (OR 2.641, 95% CI 1.050–6.640) and with that of anxiety in Q1 (OR 2.757, 95% CI 1.035–7.346), compared with Q4. (4) Conclusions: A higher consumption of DF was a protective factor for depression and anxiety in hypertensive patients

Structural and Functional Insights into an Archaeal Lipid Synthase

The UbiA superfamily of intramembrane prenyltransferases catalyzes an isoprenyl transfer reaction in the biosynthesis of lipophilic compounds involved in cellular physiological processes. Digeranylgeranylglyceryl phosphate (DGGGP) synthase (DGGGPase) generates unique membrane core lipids for the formation of the ether bond between the glycerol moiety and the alkyl chains in archaea and has been confirmed to be a member of the UbiA superfamily. Here, the crystal structure is reported to exhibit nine transmembrane helices along with a large lateral opening covered by a cytosolic cap domain and a unique substrate-binding central cavity. Notably, the lipid-bound states of this enzyme demonstrate that the putative substrate-binding pocket is occupied by the lipidic molecules used for crystallization, indicating the binding mode of hydrophobic substrates. Collectively, these structural and functional studies provide not only an understanding of lipid biosynthesis by substrate-specific lipid-modifying enzymes but also insights into the mechanisms of lipid membrane remodeling and adaptation

Correction:Structural and Functional Insights into an Archaeal Lipid Synthase

(Cell Reports 33, 108294-1–9.e1–e4; October 20, 2020) In the originally published version of this article, the supplemental information file containing Figures S1–S7 and Table S1 was inadvertently removed. The complete supplemental information file is now included with the paper online. The production team regrets this error

The aging lung: microenvironment, mechanisms, and diseases

With the development of global social economy and the deepening of the aging population, diseases related to aging have received increasing attention. The pathogenesis of many respiratory diseases remains unclear, and lung aging is an independent risk factor for respiratory diseases. The aging mechanism of the lung may be involved in the occurrence and development of respiratory diseases. Aging-induced immune, oxidative stress, inflammation, and telomere changes can directly induce and promote the occurrence and development of lung aging. Meanwhile, the occurrence of lung aging also further aggravates the immune stress and inflammatory response of respiratory diseases; the two mutually affect each other and promote the development of respiratory diseases. Explaining the mechanism and treatment direction of these respiratory diseases from the perspective of lung aging will be a new idea and research field. This review summarizes the changes in pulmonary microenvironment, metabolic mechanisms, and the progression of respiratory diseases associated with aging

Exploring the gap between academic geography and school geography : Knowledge transformation of the competencies-based curriculum making in China

The gap between academic geography and school geography is of ongoing interest in geography education. To achieve a comprehensive understanding of the gap, this article describes how a framework of knowledge transformation was applied and validated in China. A total of 182 individuals involved in geography education took part in this study; these included geographers, pre- and in-service geography teachers, and geography teacher educators. Though geographical knowledge is seen as important at the societal level, this research found substantial discrepancies between academic and school geography at the institutional and classroom levels of knowledge transformation. Insuf?cient engagement in disciplinary development and a lack of support from the academic community are two major reasons for the gap. Finally, future progress in addressing the gap in order to generate powerful geographical knowledge in the competencies-based curricula is highlighted.Peer reviewe

Development of a Computerized Adaptive Test for Quantifying Chinese Medicine Syndrome of Myasthenia Gravis on Basis of Multidimensional Item Response Theory

Background. Making comprehensive management of myasthenia gravis (MG) is a challenge in clinical practice due to heterogeneity and multiple comorbidities among patients. Aim. To develop an end-to-end instrument for individualized assessment of MG in the perspective of Chinese medicine (TCM) with the application of multidisciplinary quantification approaches. Methods. A self-administrated questionnaire was developed integrating typical symptoms of MG and spleen-kidney deficiency syndrome on basis of the conceptual framework of TCM. With data collected in a multicenter cross-sectional study, confirmatory factor analysis together with multidimensional item response theory (MIRT) was used for evaluating the psychometric property of the questionnaire. A computerized adaptive test was developed based on the MIRT model, and scores of syndrome factors were calculated in simulation. A logistics regression model was also estimated for evaluating the consistency between the quantitative result and the clinical diagnosis of syndrome from clinical practitioners. Result. With 337 patients enrolled and assessed, the 14-item questionnaire was evaluated to be with adequate validity and reliability (Cronbach’s alpha indices = 0.87, AIC = 195.827, BIC = 348.631, CFI = 0.921, RMR = 0.006, GFI = 0.954, RMSEA = 0.048, and χ2/df = 1.782). With adequate factor loadings of symptoms on related syndrome factor, the instrument was evaluated with preliminary interpretation and was suitable for evaluating patients with moderate severity of the spleen and kidney deficiency syndrome. Conclusion. Setting typical symptoms of MG together with systemic discomforts in a computerized adaptive test on the basis of MIRT, this study proposed an innovative research paradigm for quantifying individual condition in the perspective of TCM with application of interdisciplinary approaches

中国优质基础教育资源空间格局形成机制及综合效应

Education is not only important for strengthening a country's population quality and comprehensive power but key in reshaping the "man-land" relations in a country. This article reviews studies on the distribution of educational resources in both Chinese and Anglophone literature and summarizes the research gaps in the Chinese literature, which include but are not limited to the downplay of the analysis of mechanism and comprehensive effects of the spatial structure of educational resources. Employing different map-making technologies and mechanism-analysis methods, this article dives into three findings. First, though spatial features are slightly different between primary school level and middle school level, eastern regions generally have higher quality educational resources than western regions. In addition, urban agglomeration, including Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Shanghai-Ningbo-Hangzhou, and the Pearl River Delta, have an advantage in attracting and cultivating high-quality educational resources. Second, the quantity of high-quality primary school resources is positively correlated with annual per capita disposable income of urban households and number of full-time primary school teachers. The quantity of high-quality middle school resources is positively correlated with the comprehensive economic and social performance of the city. Third, when affected by multiple mechanisms, the spatial structure of China's high-quality educational resources is dynamic and deeply intertwines with the interrelations between cities as well as between the societies within each city. This article contributes both to the understanding of the unequal spatial structure of high-quality educational resources in China and to the analysis of complex socio-political effects on this transforming structure. Its findings encourage further research on the connection between the spatial structure of a region's educational resources and its cooperation and geopolitics as well as on the resulting social mobility among different social strata. Study limitations include: place-related elements, such as local political resources, were not sufficiently considered when selecting factors; there is a lack of longitudinal analysis; and not enough attention is paid to the combination of number-based data and geo-information-based data in analyses