Ambient particulate air pollution (PM2.5) is associated with the ratio of type 2 diabetes to obesity

JRS was supported by the 1000 talents program and a Wolfson merit award from the Royal Sociey. MM was supported by a TWAS studentship of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Global, regional, and national age-sex-specific mortality and life expectancy, 1950-2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017.

Background: Assessments of age-specifc\ua0mortality\ua0and\ua0life\ua0expectancy\ua0have been done by the UN Population Division, Department of Economics and Social Afairs (UNPOP), the United States Census Bureau, WHO, and as part of previous iterations of the\ua0Global\ua0Burden\ua0of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors\ua0Study\ua0(GBD). Previous iterations of the GBD used population estimates from UNPOP, which were not derived in\ua0a\ua0way that was internally consistent with the estimates of the numbers of deaths in the GBD. The present iteration of the GBD, GBD\ua02017, improves on previous assessments and provides timely estimates of the\ua0mortality\ua0experience of populations globally. Methods: The GBD uses all available data to produce estimates of\ua0mortality\ua0rates between 1950 and\ua02017\ua0for 23 age groups, both sexes, and 918 locations, including 195 countries and territories and subnational locations for 16 countries. Data used include vital registration systems, sample registration systems, household surveys (complete birth histories, summary birth histories, sibling histories), censuses (summary birth histories, household deaths), and Demographic Surveillance Sites. In total, this\ua0analysis\ua0used 8259 data sources. Estimates of the probability of death between birth and the age of 5 years and between ages 15 and 60 years are generated and then input into\ua0a\ua0model\ua0life\ua0table system to produce complete\ua0life\ua0tables for all locations and years. Fatal discontinuities and\ua0mortality\ua0due to HIV/AIDS are analysed separately and then incorporated into the estimation. We analyse the relationship between age-specifc\ua0mortality\ua0and development status using the Socio-demographic Index,\ua0a\ua0composite measure based on fertility under the age of 25 years, education, and income. There are four main methodological improvements in GBD\ua02017\ua0compared with GBD 2016: 622 additional data sources have been incorporated; new estimates of population, generated by the GBD\ua0study, are used; statistical methods used in diferent components of the\ua0analysis\ua0have been further standardised and improved; and the\ua0analysis\ua0has been extended backwards in time by two decades to start in 1950. Findings: Globally, 18\ub77% (95% uncertainty interval 18\ub74-19\ub70) of deaths were registered in 1950 and that proportion has been steadily increasing since, with 58\ub78% (58\ub72-59\ub73) of all deaths being registered in 2015. At the\ua0global\ua0level, between 1950 and\ua02017,\ua0life\ua0expectancy\ua0increased from 48\ub71 years (46\ub75-49\ub76) to 70\ub75 years (70\ub71-70\ub78) for men and from 52\ub79 years (51\ub77-54\ub70) to 75\ub76 years (75\ub73-75\ub79) for women. Despite this overall progress, there remains substantial variation in\ua0life\ua0expectancy\ua0at birth in\ua02017, which ranges from 49\ub71 years (46\ub75-51\ub77) for men in the Central African Republic to 87\ub76 years (86\ub79-88\ub71) among women in Singapore. The greatest progress across age groups was for children younger than 5 years; under-5\ua0mortality\ua0dropped from 216\ub70 deaths (196\ub73-238\ub71) per 1000 livebirths in 1950 to 38\ub79 deaths (35\ub76-42\ub783) per 1000 livebirths in\ua02017, with huge reductions across countries. Nevertheless, there were still 5\ub74 million (5\ub72-5\ub76) deaths among children younger than 5 years in the world in\ua02017. Progress has been less pronounced and more variable for adults, especially for adult males, who had stagnant or increasing\ua0mortality\ua0rates in several countries. The gap between male and female\ua0life\ua0expectancy\ua0between 1950 and\ua02017, while relatively stable at the\ua0global\ua0level, shows distinctive patterns across super-regions and has consistently been the largest in central Europe, eastern Europe, and central Asia, and smallest in south Asia. Performance was also variable across countries and time in observed\ua0mortality\ua0rates compared with those expected on the basis of development. Interpretation: This\ua0analysis\ua0of age-sex-specifc\ua0mortality\ua0shows that there are remarkably complex patterns in population\ua0mortality\ua0across countries. The fndings of this\ua0study\ua0highlight\ua0global\ua0successes, such as the large decline in under-5\ua0mortality, which refects signifcant local,\ua0national, and\ua0global\ua0commitment and investment over several decades. However, they also bring attention to\ua0mortality\ua0patterns that are\ua0a\ua0cause for concern, particularly among adult men and, to\ua0a\ua0lesser extent, women, whose\ua0mortality\ua0rates have stagnated in many countries over the time period of this\ua0study, and in some cases are increasing

Design and Analysis of a Low-Power 8-Bit 500 KS/S SAR ADC for Bio-Medical Implant Devices

This thesis project involves the design and analysis of an 8-bit Successive Approximation Register (SAR) Analog to Digital Convertor (ADC), designed for low- power applications such as bio-medical implants. The sampling rate for this ADC is 500 KS/s. The power consumption for the whole SAR ADC system was measured to be 2.1 uW. The novelty of this project is the proposal of an extremely energy efficient comparator architecture. The result is the design of a final ADC with reasonable sampling speed, accuracy and low power consumption. In this project, all the different subsystems have been designed at the transistor level with 45 nm CMOS technology. The logical circuit was designed using Verilog language. It was then synthesized and integrated in the overall system

The Link between Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D, Inflammation and Glucose/ Insulin Homeostasis Is Mediated by Adiposity Factors in American Adults

Prior studies have suggested a significant association between 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations with markers of inflammation and glucose and insulin homeostasis. However, it is unclear whether these associations are confounded or mediated by adiposity. We used an established mediation analysis to investigate the role of adiposity in the relation between serum 25(OH)D with markers of inflammation and glucose and insulin metabolism. We used data from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2005-2010), to evaluate the associations between serum 25(OH)D and markers of insulin resistance or inflammation, and whether these associations are mediated by adiposity factors including body mass index (BMI, marker of body adiposity), waist circumference (WC, marker of central adiposity), anthropometrically predicted visceral adipose tissue (apVAT), and Visceral Adiposity Index (VAI). Analysis of co-variance and conceptual causal mediation analysis were conducted taking into consideration the survey design and sample weights. A total of 16,621 individuals were included; 8607 (48.3%) participants were men and the mean age of the population was 47.1 years. Mean 25(OH)D serum concentration for the overall population was 57.9\ub10.1 nmol/L with minimal differences between men and women (57.5\ub10.2 nmol/L and 58.2\ub10.2 nmol/L, respectively). After adjustment for age, sex, season and race/ethnicity, mean levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), apolipoprotein B (apo-B), fasting blood glucose (FBG), insulin, homeostatic model assessment of IR (HOMA-IR) and β cell function (HOMA-β), haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and 2-h glucose were lower for the top quartile of serum 25(OH)D (all p<0.001). Body mass index (BMI) was found to have significant mediation effects (to varied extent) on the associations between serum 25(OH)D and CRP, apo-B, fasting glucose, insulin, HOMA-IR, HOMA-B and HbA1c (all p<0.05). Both waist circumference and apVAT were also found to partly mediate the associations between serum 25(OH)D with CRP, FBG, HbA1c, triglycerides and HDL-cholesterol (all P < 0.05). VAI was found to have mediation effects on CRP only (p<0.001). Using a mediation model, our findings suggest that the relationship between serum 25(OH)D, insulin resistance and inflammation, may be in part mediated by adiposity. These findings support the importance of optimizing 25(OH)D status in conditions with abnormal adiposity (i.e., obesity) and treatments for the prevention of cardio-metabolic diseases affecting adipose tissue metabolism (i.e., weight loss)

Association between telomere length and complete blood count in US adults

Introduction: Telomere length (TL) is related to age-related health outcomes, but little is known about the relationship between TL and complete blood count (CBC) parameters. We aimed to determine the relationship between TL and CBC in a sample of healthy US adults. Material and methods: Participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) recruited between 1999 and 2002 who had essential data on total CBC and TL were studied. We computed age- and race-adjusted mean values for total CBC using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). All statistical analyses accounted for the survey design and sample weights by using SPSS Complex Samples v22.0 (IBM Corp, Armonk, NY). Results: Of the 8892 eligible participants, 47.8% (n = 4123) were men. The mean age was 41.8 years overall, 41.0 years in men and 42.6 in women (p = 0.238). The sex-stratified ANCOVA showed no significant difference in the total CBC across TL quartiles (all p > 0.05) in both sexes. In the adjusted model, there was a significant negative relationship with monocyte count ( = –0.051, 95% CI: –0.422; –0.142), mean cell hemoglobin ( = –0.051, 95% CI: –0.038; –0.011) and red cell distribution width ( = –0.031, 95% CI: –0.054; –0.003), while there was a significant positive relationship with basophil ratio ( = 0.046, 95% CI: 0.049–0.171). Conclusions: These results support the possibility that telomere attrition may be a marker for reduced proliferative reserve in hematopoietic progenitor cells

A robust statistical estimation (RoSE) algorithm jointly recovers the 3D location and intensity of single molecules accurately and precisely

In single-molecule (SM) super-resolution microscopy, the complexity of a biological structure, high molecular density, and a low signal-to-background ratio (SBR) may lead to imaging artifacts without a robust localization algorithm. Moreover, engineered point spread functions (PSFs) for 3D imaging pose difficulties due to their intricate features. We develop a Robust Statistical Estimation algorithm, called RoSE, that enables joint estimation of the 3D location and photon counts of SMs accurately and precisely using various PSFs under conditions of high molecular density and low SBR

A novel energy management system for optimal energy and flexibility scheduling of residential buildings: a case study in HSB Living Lab

The future distribution system needs more flexibility to handle the peak power demand arising from the electrification of heating and transportation. This paper proposes a novel energy management system (EMS) for residential buildings to optimize their electric and heat consumptions while offering flexibility in response to the requirements of the Distribution System Operator (DSO). The aim of the proposed EMS is to minimize the energy and peak power costs while simultaneously maximizing the revenue from offering flexibility. This is achieved through the optimal scheduling of battery energy storage charging and discharging as well as the efficient utilization of the heat pump. To cope with forecasting uncertainties, a rolling horizon-based algorithm with uncertainty modelling based on the chance constraint method is incorporated. The performance of the proposed EMS is investigated by simulating the daily operation of a real residential building. The case studies indicate that the scheduled flexibility can be successfully dispatched even in the presence of forecasting uncertainties, causing 6% reduction in the payment cost of the building

Emotional mediators of psychological capital on well-being: The role of stress, anxiety, and depression

Researchers have tried to investigate multiple factors affecting employees' social, emotional, and psychological well-being. In this study particularly, nurses' emotional and psychological well-being is considered. Of most important factors affecting well-being in place of work has known to be busy work and stress, constructive and destructive emotions, and psychological capital which. Present study considered to test a developed model of psychological capital, constructive and destructive emotions, stress, anxiety, and depression as antecedents of well-being. 296 nurses took part in the survey, using path analysis method hypotheses were tested, and the proposed model was evaluated. Results indicated that nurses' high psychological capital increases their constructive emotions, reduces destructive emotions and eventually increase their well-being. The role of destructive emotions was more prominent in increasing wellbeing as well. Furthermore, stress had an incremental influence on well-being. In general, research results emphasize the need for more attention to the components of psychological capital, and intervention and coping strategies. The conclusions of a more detailed is that to improve nurses' well-being the more emphasize should be on decreasing destructive emotions than increasing constructive ones. In addition, keeping an optimal level of stress is necessary for good functioning and improvement of overall well-being

Real-time rolling-horizon energy management of public laundries: A case study in HSB living lab

Energy Management Systems (EMSs) play a vital role in managing energy consumption for both utilities and consumers. By using EMSs, utilities can influence on energy usage and ensure a more reliable and efficient grid operation, while consumers can make informed decisions about their energy consumption, leading to significant cost savings and reduced environmental impact. In this paper, a real-time rolling-horizon model is developed for managing energy consumption in public laundries aiming at minimizing energy costs, peak demand, and CO2 emission under the traditional Energy-Based Tariff (EBT) and the Power-Based Tariff (PBT). The developed model can not only reduce energy costs, peak demand, and CO2 emission by optimal task scheduling for washing machines and tumble dryers but also ensure users\u27 preferences for a comfortable lifestyle. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed EMS, several simulations were performed under different scenarios using real data and by a realistic case study in HSB living lab demonstration site. The simulation results reveal that implementing the proposed EMS can significantly decrease energy costs and peak demand in public laundries by 13.59% and 39.40%, respectively, when using the PBT tariff. However, the reduction in energy costs and peak demand is negligible when using the EBT tariff. Likewise, the results indicate that using the EMS and changing tariffs have a minimal impact on CO2 emissions reduction

Impact of probiotic administration on serum C-reactive protein concentrations: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized control trials

We conducted this systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies to determine the effect of probiotic administration on serum C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations. We searched PubMed-Medline, Web of Science, the Cochrane, and Google Scholar databases (until May 2016) to identify prospective studies evaluating the impact of probiotic administration on CRP. We used a random effects models and generic inverse variance methods to synthesize quantitative data, followed by a leave-one-out method for sensitivity analysis. The systematic review registration number was: CRD42016039457. From a total of 425 entries identified via searches, 20 studies were included in the final analysis. The meta-analysis indicated a significant reduction in serum CRP following probiotic administration with a weighted mean difference (WMD) of -1.35 mg/L, (95% confidence interval (CI) -2.15 to -0.55, I² 65.1%). The WMDs for interleukin 10 (IL10) was -1.65 pg/dL, (95% CI -3.45 to 0.14, I² 3.1%), and -0.45 pg/mL, (95% CI -1.38 to 0.48, I² 10.2%) for tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α). These findings were robust in sensitivity analyses. This meta-analysis suggests that probiotic administration may significantly reduce serum CRP while having no significant effect on serum IL10 and TNF-α