Hydrothermally Stimulated Molecular Interfaces for Augmented Electron Delocalization in Wet-Chemical Phosphorus Recovery from Incineration Ash of Sewage Sludge.

Wet-chemically recovering phosphorus (P) from sewage sludge incineration ash (SSIA) has already become a global initiative to address P deficit, but effectively isolating P from these accompanying metals (AMs) through adsorption in a SSIA-derived extract remains elusive. Here, we devised a hydrothermal stimulus-motivated thermodynamic and kinetic enhancement to gain anionic ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) molecular interfaces for AM enclosure to resolve this conundrum. A new dosage rule based on the EDTA coordination ratio with AMs was established for the first time. Upon hydrothermal extraction at 140 °C for 1 h, the P extraction efficiency reached 96.7% or higher for these obtained SSIA samples, and then exceptional P sequestration from these EDTA-chelated AMs was realized by the peculiar lanthanum (La)-based nanoadsorbent (having 188.86 mg P/g adsorbent at pH ∼ 3.0). Relevant theoretical calculations unraveled that these delocalized electrons of tetravalent EDTA molecules boosted the enclosure of liberated AMs, thereby entailing a substantially increased negative adsorption energy (-408.7 kcal/mol) of P in the form of H2PO4- through intruding lattice-edged carbonates to coordinate La with monodentate mononuclear over LaCO5(1 0 1). This work highlights the prospect of molecular adaptation of these common extractants in wet-chemical P recovery from various P-included wastes, further sustaining global P circularity.

The Impact of Coping Styles on the Mental Health of Outstanding Physical Education Students in Shanghai During the Normalization Epidemic: The Chain Mediation Role of Meaning in Life and Prosocial Behavior.

Purpose: The continuous spread of the epidemic has inflicted serious harm upon individual's mental well-being, and effective coping mechanisms are associated with positive mental health outcomes. Prosocial behavior and a sense of meaning in life can enhance individuals' subjective well-being, which can subsequently positively impact their mental health. Thus, in the context of epidemic prevention and control, this study investigates the relationship between the meaning in life, prosocial behavior, and coping styles of outstanding physical education students and the impact on their mental health. Methods: The study involved a questionnaire survey on 498 outstanding physical education students, consisting of 297 boys (mean age = 13.16) and 201 girls (mean age = 12.87 years). Subsequently, the data was analyzed using the mediating effect and Bootstrap tests. Results: The coping style positively predicted the meaning in life (ß=0.294) and prosocial behavior (ß=0.293). Conversely, mental health was predicted in a negative direction (ß=-0.494). Mental health negatively predicted prosocial behavior (ß=-0.810), although prosocial behavior positively predicted meaning in life (ß=0.644). Finally, prosocial behavior negatively predicted mental health (ß=-0.513). Additionally, the interplay between prosocial behavior and meaning in life is established in terms of both the individual and chain mediating roles. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that coping styles during a normalized epidemic prevention and control situation directly impact the mental health of Shanghai's outstanding physical education students. Additionally, these coping styles indirectly influence mental health through the mediating effects of meaning in life and prosocial behaviors. Furthermore, meaning in life and prosocial behaviors act as chain mediators in this relationship.

An epigenome-wide association study of waist circumference in Chinese monozygotic twins.

OBJECTIVES: Central obesity poses significant health risks because it increases susceptibility to multiple chronic diseases. Epigenetic features such as DNA methylation may be associated with specific obesity traits, which could help us understand how genetic and environmental factors interact to influence the development of obesity. This study aims to identify DNA methylation sites associated with the waist circumference (WC) in Northern Han Chinese population, and to elucidate potential causal relationships. METHODS: A total of 59 pairs of WC discordant monozygotic twins (ΔWC >0) were selected from the Qingdao Twin Registry in China. Generalized estimated equation model was employed to estimate the methylation levels of CpG sites on WC. Causal relationships between methylation and WC were assessed through the examination of family confounding factors using FAmiliaL CONfounding (ICE FALCON). Additionally, the findings of the epigenome-wide analysis were corroborated in the validation stage. RESULTS: We identified 26 CpG sites with differential methylation reached false discovery rate (FDR) < 0.05 and 22 differentially methylated regions (slk-corrected p < 0.05) strongly linked to WC. These findings provided annotations for 26 genes, with notable emphasis on MMP17, ITGA11, COL23A1, TFPI, A2ML1-AS1, MRGPRE, C2orf82, and NINJ2. ICE FALCON analysis indicated the DNA methylation of ITGA11 and TFPI had a causal effect on WC and vice versa (p < 0.05). Subsequent validation analysis successfully replicated 10 (p < 0.05) out of the 26 identified sites. CONCLUSIONS: Our research has ascertained an association between specific epigenetic variations and WC in the Northern Han Chinese population. These DNA methylation features can offer fresh insights into the epigenetic regulation of obesity and WC as well as hints to plausible biological mechanisms.

Association between social isolation and depression: Evidence from longitudinal and Mendelian randomization analyses.

BACKGROUND: Increasing evidence shows that social isolation and depression are likely to interact with each other, yet the direction and causality of the association are not clear. This study aims to examine the possible reciprocity in the relationship between social isolation and depression. METHODS: This study fitted a cross-lagged panel model (CLPM) by using data from the English Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSA, 2014-2019, n = 6787) to examine the temporal relationship between social isolation and depressive symptoms in older adults. We then conducted two-sample bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses by using independent genetic variants associated with multiple social isolation phenotypes (n = 448,858-487,647) and with depression (n = 215,644-2,113,907) as genetic instruments from genome-wide association studies to assess the causality between social isolation and onset of depression. RESULTS: The CLPM in the ELSA cohort showed a significant and positive lagged effect of social isolation on depressive symptoms (ß = 0.037, P < .001). The reverse cross-lagged path from depressive symptoms to social isolation was also statistically significant (ß = 0.039, P < .001). In two-sample bidirectional MR, the genetically predicted loneliness and social isolation combined phenotype (LNL-ISO) was positively associated with occurrence of depression (OR = 1.88, 95 % CI: 1.41-2.50, P < .001), vice versa (OR = 1.16, 95 % CI:1.13-1.20, P < .001). LIMITATIONS: The self-report nature of the assessments and missing data are study limitations. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest a bidirectional relationship between social isolation and depression. It is important to develop interventions that highlight the reciprocal consequences of improving either mental health or social connection in older adults.

Integrated genetic and epigenetic analyses uncovered GLP1R association with metabolically healthy obesity.

BACKGROUND: Both genetic and epigenetic variations of GLP1R influence the development and progression of obesity. However, the underlying mechanism remains elusive. This study aims to explore the mediation roles of obesity-related methylation sites in GLP1R gene variants-obesity association. METHODS: A total of 300 Chinese adult participants were included in this study and classified into two groups: 180 metabolically healthy obesity (MHO) cases and 120 metabolically healthy normal-weight (MHNW) controls. Questionnaire investigation, physical measurement and laboratory examination were assessed in all participants. 18 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and 31 CpG sites were selected for genotype and methylation assays. Causal inference test (CIT) was performed to evaluate the associations between GLP1R genetic variation, DNA methylation and MHO. RESULTS: The study found that rs4714211 polymorphism of GLP1R gene was significantly associated with MHO. Additionally, methylation sites in the intronic region of GLP1R (GLP1R-68-CpG 7.8.9; GLP1R-68-CpG 12.13; GLP1R-68-CpG 17; GLP1R-68-CpG 21) were associated with MHO, and two of these methylation sites (GLP1R-68-CpG 7.8.9; GLP1R-68-CpG 17) partially mediated the association between genotypes and MHO. CONCLUSIONS: Not only the gene polymorphism, but also the DNA methylation of GLP1R was associated with MHO. Epigenetic changes in the methylome may in part explain the relationship between genetic variants and MHO.

The impact of core self-evaluation on school adaptation of high school students after their return to school during the COVID-19 pandemic: the parallel mediation of positive and negative coping styles.

Background: To explore the direct effect of core self-evaluation and the indirect effects of positive and negative coping styles on school adaptation of high school students after their return to school during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: The Core Self-Evaluation Scale, Simple Coping Style Scale, and School Adaptation Questionnaire were used for the psychometric analysis of 500 high school students (229 males and 271 females) one month after their return to school. The bootstrap method was applied for mediation analysis. Results: A positive correlation was noted between core self-evaluation and school adaptation (r = 0.56), and the predictive effect was significant (ß = 0.43). Core self-evaluation positively predicted positive coping styles, which positively predicted school adaptation, while core self-evaluation negatively predicted negative coping styles, which negatively predicted school adaptation. Positive and negative coping styles played a significant mediating role between core self-evaluation and school adaptation. The mediating effect included the indirect effects generated by two pathways: core self-evaluation → positive coping style → school adaptation (95% CI [0.08-0.19]) and core self-evaluation → negative coping style → school adaptation (95% CI [0.03-0.11]). Conclusion: There is a positive association between the core self-evaluation and school adaptation of high school students after their return to school during the COVID-19 pandemic. It may directly or indirectly affect the school adaptation of high school students after their return to school through positive or negative coping styles. After returning to school, educators should guide students to view themselves positively, cultivate healthy core self-evaluation, and enable them to have good school adaptation.

Association of environmental polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons exposure with periodontitis in NHANES 2009-2014: A mixtures approach.

BACKGROUND: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) can invade and cause harm to the human body through various pathways, but there is currently little research on the relationship between mixed-PAHs exposure and periodontitis. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of mixed-urinary PAHs exposure on periodontitis in adults in the United States. METHODS: The cross-sectional study included 2749 subjects selected from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2009-2014 cycles. A professional examination of the periodontal status was conducted to distinguish between periodontitis and non-periodontitis based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/American Academy of Periodontology (CDC/AAP) case definition. Laboratory testing of urine samples was performed to obtain the levels of urinary PAHs. Pearson correlation coefficients were utilized to determine the degree of correlation between urinary PAHs, while weighted binary logistic regression and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) were employed to evaluate the relationship between urinary PAHs and periodontitis. RESULTS: In a single-exposure model, 3-hydroxyfluorene (OH-3F), 2-hydroxyfluorene (OH-2F), 1-hydroxyphenanthrene (OH-1Ph), and 2-hydroxyphenanthrene and 3-hydroxyphenanthrene (OH-2,3Ph) were positively associated with periodontitis risk. In the mixed-exposure model, BKMR analysis demonstrated that mixed exposure to urinary PAHs was positively associated with periodontitis, with OH-2F being the most critical factor for the overall mixed effects (posterior inclusion probability [PIP] = 0.98). Univariate exposure-response function and univariate effects analysis revealed a positive correlation between urinary OH-2F levels and periodontitis. CONCLUSIONS: The study reveals a significant positive correlation between exposure to mixed PAHs and periodontitis, with a particular emphasis on the pivotal role of OH-2F. Mitigating PAHs in the environment may serve as a preventive measure against periodontitis and alleviate its global public health burden.

Liver Iron Overload Drives COVID-19 Mortality: a Two-Sample Mendelian Randomization Study.

Iron overload has been associated with an increased risk of COVID-19 severity and mortality in observational studies, but it remains unclear whether these associations represent causal effects. We performed a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) to determine associations between genetic liability to iron overload and the risk of COVID-19 severity and mortality. From genome-wide association studies of European ancestry, single-nucleotide polymorphisms associated with liver iron (n = 32,858) and ferritin (n = 23,986) were selected as exposure instruments, and summary statistics of the hospitalization (n = 16,551) and mortality (n = 15,815) of COVID-19 were utilized as the outcome. We used the inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method as the primary analysis to estimate causal effects, and other alternative approaches as well as comprehensive sensitivity analysis were conducted for estimating the robustness of identified associations. Genetically predicted high liver iron levels were associated with an increased risk of COVID-19 mortality based on the results of IVW analysis (OR = 1.38, 95% CI: 1.05-1.82, P = 0.02). Likewise, sensitivity analyses showed consistent and robust results in general (all P > 0.05). A higher risk of COVID-19 hospitalization trend was also observed in patients with high liver iron levels without statistical significance. This study suggests that COVID-19 mortality might be partially driven by the iron accumulation in the liver, supporting the classification of iron overload as one of the independent death risk factors. Therefore, avoiding iron overload and maintaining normal iron levels may be a powerful measure to reduce COVID-19 mortality.

Genome-wide DNA methylation analysis of body composition in Chinese monozygotic twins.

BACKGROUND: Little is currently known about epigenetic alterations associated with body composition in obesity. Thus, we aimed to explore epigenetic relationships between genome-wide DNA methylation levels and three common traits of body composition as measured by body fat percentage (BF%), fat mass (FM) and lean body mass (LBM) among Chinese monozygotic twins. METHODS: Generalized estimated equation model was used to regress the methylation level of CpG sites on body composition. Inference about Causation Through Examination Of Familial Confounding was used to explore the evidence of a causal relationship. Gene expression analysis was further performed to validate the results of differentially methylated genes. RESULTS: We identified 32, 22 and 28 differentially methylated CpG sites (p < 10-5 ) as well as 20, 17 and eight differentially methylated regions (slk-corrected p < 0.05) significantly associated with BF%, FM and LBM which were annotated to 65 genes, showing partially overlapping. Causal inference demonstrated bidirectional causality between DNA methylation and body composition (p < 0.05). Gene expression analysis revealed significant correlations between expression levels of five differentially methylated genes and body composition (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These DNA methylation signatures will contribute to increased knowledge about the epigenetic basis of body composition and provide new strategies for early prevention and treatment of obesity and its related diseases.

Serial multiple mediation of loneliness and depressive symptoms in the relationship between pain and cognitive function among older people.

OBJECTIVES: Although the negative effect of pain on cognitive function has been widely reported, it is unclear how the effect is mediated. The aim of this study is to analyze the mediating role of loneliness and depressive symptoms in the association between pain and cognitive function. METHODS: A total of 6,309 participants aged ≥50 years from 2012/13 (T1), 2014/15 (T2), 2016/17 (T3) and 2018/19 (T4) of the English Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSA) were included. Of them, 55.8% were females, and the median age (rang) was 65 (50-99) years at T1. Serial mediation analysis was performed using Mplus 8.3. RESULTS: The mediation model explained 10.1% of the variance in loneliness, 22.1% of the variance of depressive symptoms, and 22.7% of the variance of cognitive function. Higher level pain was associated with poorer cognitive function (c: ß = -0.057; p < 0.001). The negative effect of pain on cognition was mediated separately and sequentially through loneliness and depressive symptoms, with loneliness and depressive symptoms explaining 8.8% of the total effect, respectively, and the pathway of loneliness and subsequent depression explaining 1.8%. CONCLUSIONS: Diversified interventions aimed at treating pain in older adults would be beneficial for their mental health and cognitive function.

Psychological resilience and cognitive reappraisal mediate the effects of coping style on the mental health of children.

Introduction: This study explored the effects of coping style and two potential intermediately factors (cognitive reappraisal and psychological resilience) on the mental health of middle school students during the normalization of epidemic prevention and control in China. Methods: Answers on questionnaires designed to assess coping style, cognitive reappraisal, psychological resilience, and mental health among 743 middle school students (386 boys, 357 girls, 241 first graders, 235 second graders, and 267 third graders) were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Results: The results showed that coping style, cognitive reappraisal, and psychological resilience directly predicted mental health. The negative effect of a negative coping style on mental health was significantly stronger than the positive effect of a positive coping style. Coping style affected mental health through the independent mediating effects of cognitive reappraisal and psychological resilience and through their chain mediation. Discussion: The use of positive coping styles by most students led to greater cognitive reappraisal, strengthened psychological resilience, and thus few mental health problems. These findings provide empirical evidence and may guide educators in the prevention and intervention of mental health problems among middle school students.

Bidirectional longitudinal associations between balance performance and depressive symptoms in older adults: A cross-lagged panel model.

BACKGROUND: Evidence on the temporal sequences between balance and depressive symptoms is limited, and no studies have compared the strength of each direction. This study aimed to assess the association between balance performance and depressive symptoms among community-dwelling older adults, and further to explore the driving factors in the dynamic association. METHODS: Data were obtained from the English Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSA). Overall, 3971 community-residing adults aged 50 years or older were assessed at 2004/05, 2008/09, and 2012/13. Balance was measured using three progressively more difficult tasks (side-by-side, semi-tandem, and full-tandem). Depressive symptoms were determined with a dichotomous eight-item version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Cross-lagged panel models were used to test the reciprocal relationships between balance and depressive symptoms. RESULTS: Our analyses revealed that earlier poorer balance predicted later worse depressive symptoms consistently across waves (ßW2-W4 = -0.058, P < .05, ßW4-W6 = -0.067, P < .001). Conversely, the higher scores of depressive symptoms at wave 4 predicted lower level of balance at wave 6 (ßW4-W6 = -0.038, P = .018). The cross-lagged effects of balance on depressive symptoms were over all stronger than the reverse effects. CONCLUSIONS: These findings add novel insights into the temporal directionality of balance and depressive symptoms among community-dwelling older adults, and suggest that a predominance of balance disorder effects. Interventional strategy should aim to increase balance ability from earlier stages to promote successful aging.

Association of diabetes mellitus with gait and falls in community-dwelling older adults: Serial mediation of vision and cognition.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is associated with walking performance, but potential underlying mechanisms of this association remain unclear. The present study aims to disentangle the pathways linking DM to gait and falls through the serial mediation effect of vision and cognition among the older population. METHODS: Data were taken from wave 9 (2018-2019) of the English Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSA), including 5496 participants aged 60 years and older. DM was identified based on medical diagnosis and laboratory tests. Vision and falls were self-reported. Cognition was evaluated using questionnaire. Gait speed was measured by the "timed walking test". Serial mediation analysis was performed using Mplus 8.3. RESULTS: DM was associated with impaired gait speed (c = 0.085, P < 0.05) and falls (c = 0.061, P < 0.05). The serial mediation model revealed that vision and cognition significantly mediated the association of DM with impaired gait speed, with 17.97% and 23.60% of the total effects explained by vision and cognition respectively, and 3.37% explained by the path through vision and then cognition. Similarly, vision and cognition significantly mediated the association of DM with falls, with 14.99% and 6.67% of the total effects explained by vision and cognition respectively, and 1.67% explained by the path through vision and then cognition. CONCLUSIONS: These findings contribute to deeper understanding of the mechanism underlying the association of DM with walking performance. Evaluation and intervention targeted at vision and the cognition may be beneficial for improving gait or reducing falls in older adults with DM.

Positive and negative mood states mediated the effects of psychological resilience on emotional stability among high school students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This study investigated the parallel mediating effects of positive and negative mood states on the relationship between psychological resilience and emotional stability among first- through third-year senior high school students in China during the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Of 408 questionnaires distributed from April 11 to April 22, 2022, to students at a high school located in Changzhou, Jiangsu, China, 360 were completed correctly and analyzed using a cross-sectional study design. The questionnaire included items from the modified Chinese version of the Psychological Resilience Scale, the Profile of Mood States scale, and the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Short Scale in Chinese, the latter to assess emotional stability. The mediating effects of mood states on the relationship between psychological resilience and emotional stability were explored by using structural equation modeling and bootstrapping methods. The results indicated that psychological resilience directly affected emotional stability but also indirectly affected emotional stability through the mediating effects of positive and negative mood states. The mediating effect of negative mood states was greater than that of positive mood states. This result differs from that of research conducted prior to the pandemic, which found that compared with the damage caused by negative moods to emotional stability, positive moods more strongly promoted emotional stability. Our findings indicate that high school officials in China should consider strengthening mental health support for students who are taking courses online during home quarantine.

[Purple sweet potato anthocyanins attenuates steatohepatitis induced by high fat diet combined with carbon tetrachloride in rats].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the mechanism of purple sweet potato anthocyanins through NF-κB pathway in attenuating steatohepatitis induced by high fat diet combined with carbon tetrachloride in rats. METHODS: Seventy male rats were randomly divided into control group( n = 10) and high-fat diet group( n = 60), models were prepared by highfat diet and intraperitoneal injection of carbon tetrachloride and olive oil( 50 : 50) 2 mL/kg, two times a week. After 10 weeks of feeding, the weight variations of all rats were tested before and after modeling. The colorimetric technique was used to test the concentration of serum ALT, AST, TG, and TC. A total of 58 rats were succeeded in modeling, the random choice of 50 rats were divided into model group, purple sweet potato anthocyanin low dose group( 60 mg/kg), middle dose group( 120 mg/kg), high dose group( 240 mg/kg), positive drug group( 150 mg/kg), 10 rats in each group. After 8 weeks of continuous administration, the method of colorimetric technique was used to test the concentration of ALT, AST, TG, TC, HDL and LDL. The method of ELISA kit was used to test the levels of the pro-inflammatory factors TNF-α, IL-1ß and the levels of the anti-inflammatory IL-4, IL-13. The Real-time PCR was used to test the expression of TNF-α, IL-1ß, IL-4, IL-13, PPAR-γ and HMGB-1 mRNA of rats liver. The western blotting method was adopted to test the level of IκB phosphorylation in liver tissues as well as the PPAR-γ and HMGB-1 protein expression. RESULTS: After modeling, the body weight of rats increased( P < 0. 05), the concentration of serum insulin AST, ALT, TG, TC, and LDL all increased significantly( P < 0. 05), the concentration of HDL decreased obviously( P < 0. 05). Compared with control group, the expression of TNF-α, IL-1ß and HMGB-1 in model group were increased significantly( P < 0. 05), the expression of IL-4, IL-13 and PPAR-γ were decreased significantly( P < 0. 05), the expression of pIκB and NF-κB in the model group increased significantly( P < 0. 05). Compared with the model group, the expression level of NF-κB in the high dose purple sweet potato anthocyanin group decreased obviously, and the phosphorylation degree of IκB decreased( P < 0. 05), the mRNA expression of TNF-α, IL-1ß and HMGB-1 in liver tissue was significantly decreased( P < 0. 05), and the mRNA expression of IL-4, IL-13 and PPAR-γ were significantly increased( P < 0. 05). The purple sweet potato anthocyanin low dose group, middle dose group, high dose group and positive drugs group all improved the above indexes in different degrees. The effect of the high dose group was significantly higher than that of the low dose and medium dose group, but equivalent to that of the positive drug group. CONCLUSION: Purple sweet potato anthocyanins through NF-κB pathway have a role in attenuating steatohepatitis induced by high fat diet combined with carbon tetrachloride in rats.