The Relationship between Birth Weight and the Risk of Overweight and Obesity among Chinese Children and Adolescents Aged 7-17 Years.

Obesity is a major public health issue in children and adolescents. Our study aimed to examine the impacts of birth weight on overweight and obesity among Chinese children and adolescents. Using data from the China National Nutrition and Health Surveillance of Children and Lactating Mothers in 2016-2017, we included 10,041 participants aged 7-17 years. According to birth weight, participants were categorized into six groups, and the birth weight category of 3000 to 3499 g was chosen as the reference group, containing the largest number of children. Logistic regression analyses were used to investigate the association of birth weight with the risk of being obese at 7 to 17 years of age in multivariable-adjusted models. A restricted cubic spline was utilized to show the odds ratios (ORs) of obesity at different birth weight levels. The adjusted ORs for overweight were 0.98 (95%CI 0.63, 1.53), 1.02 (95%CI 0.84, 1.25), 1.34 (95%CI 1.16, 1.55), 1.72 (95%CI 1.35, 2.18), and 1.17 (95%CI 0.71, 1.96) in several birth weight groups, compared with group C (3000-3499 g). The adjusted ORs for obesity were 0.82 (95%CI 0.48, 1.40), 0.77 (95%CI 0.60, 0.98), 1.33 (95%CI 1.13, 1.57), 1.97 (95%CI 1.53, 2.53), and 2.01 (95%CI 1.27, 3.19). Furthermore, children in the post-pubertal stage had a slightly higher risk of overweight and obesity than those in the pre-pubertal and pubertal stage. Moreover, these associations were stronger among boys. The lower part of normal birth weight range is associated with a lower risk of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents. However, higher levels of birth weight increase risk.

Intergenerational cascade processes from parental childhood adversity to child emotional and behavioral problems.

BACKGROUND: Parental adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) may transmit to the next generation and influence children's emotional and behavioral problems. Relatively little evidence exists on the underlying pathways of this intergenerational transmission at the family- and individual-level. OBJECTIVE: This study examined the intergenerational cascade processes of parental ACEs on children's emotional and behavioral problems via family cohesion, children's ACEs, and children's self-control. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: 283 children (52 % male, Mage = 10.47 years) and their parents (61.1 % mothers, Mage = 38.62 years) were recruited for a 2-month longitudinal study with surveys administered at three time points. METHOD: Mediation models examined the intergenerational effects of parental ACEs (T1/T3) and family cohesion (T1) as reported by parents, and children's ACEs (T1) and children's self-control (T2) as reported by children, on children's internalizing and externalizing problems (T3) as reported by parents. RESULTS: Family cohesion, children's ACEs, and children's self-control sequentially mediated the link between parental ACEs and children's externalizing problems (indirect effect = 0.004, 95 % CI [0.001, 0.014]). Parental ACEs were directly linked with children's internalizing problems (ß = 0.191, SE = 0.075, p = .011). CONCLUSIONS: Findings demonstrated intergenerational cascades of distal and proximal risk processes from parental ACEs to children's behavioral problems. These findings have implications for future interventions on children's externalizing problems that aim at improving family cohesion and children's self-control for families exposed to childhood adversity.

Association of the Protective Dietary Pattern for Blood Pressure with Elevated Blood Pressure and Hypertension among Chinese Children and Adolescents Aged 6-17 Years Old: Data from China Nutrition and Health Surveillance (2015-2017).

Studies focused on the association between dietary patterns and elevated blood pressure (BP) and hypertension (HTN) among children and adolescents remain insufficient. This study aimed to explore a dietary pattern that could be helpful for the prevention of abnormal BP and to investigate the association between this dietary pattern and elevated BP and HTN among Chinese children and adolescents. A total of 52,080 Chinese children and adolescents aged 6~17 years old from the China Nutrition and Health Surveillance (CNHS) 2015-2017 were included in the current study. The reduced rank regression (RRR) method was applied to derive a dietary pattern that is associated with BP. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the association between dietary pattern (DP) and elevated BP and HTN. The Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension (DASH) score was also calculated for each participant as a comparative method to validate the dietary pattern derived with the RRR method. A protective dietary pattern (PDP) for BP among Chinese children and adolescents was derived, which was characterized by high intakes of dairy products, mushrooms/edible fungi, fresh vegetables, fresh fruits, fresh eggs, aquatic products, mixed legumes, soybeans and related products, offal, dried fruits, and coarse cereals, with low intakes of refined grains. After multiple adjustments, there were significant inverse associations between PDP scores and the odds of elevated BP and HTN (elevated BP: Q5 vs. Q1, OR = 0.849, 95%CI = 0.755-0.931, P-trend < 0.05; HTN: Q5 vs. Q1, OR = 0.795, 95%CI = 0.694-0.911, P-trend < 0.05). The DASH diet was also observed to have protective effects on elevated BP in model I (Q5 vs. Q1, OR = 0.899, 95%CI = 0.828-0.975, P-trend < 0.05), but was not observed to have protective effects on HTN (HTN: Q5 vs. Q1, OR = 0.958, 95%CI = 0.876-1.048, P-trend > 0.05). The current study suggested that greater adherence to the PDP for BP among Chinese children and adolescents might be associated with lower odds of elevated BP and HTN.

[Effect and mechanism of Jiming Powder on myocardial fibrosis in mice with myocardial infarction].

Jiming Powder is a traditional ancient prescription with good therapeutic effect in the treatment of heart failure, but its mechanism lacks further exploration. In this study, a mouse model of coronary artery ligation was used to evaluate the effect and mechanism of Jiming Powder on myocardial fibrosis in mice with myocardial infarction. The study constructed a mouse model of heart failure after myocardial infarction using the method of left anterior descending coronary artery ligation. The efficacy of Jiming Powder was evaluated from multiple angles, including ultrasound imaging, hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining, Masson staining, Sirius Red staining, and serum myocardial enzyme spectrum detection. Western blot analysis was performed to detect key proteins involved in ventricular remodeling, including transforming growth factor-ß1(TGF-ß1), α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA), wingless-type MMTV integration site family member 3a(Wnt3a), ß-catenin, matrix metallopeptidase 2(MMP2), matrix metallopeptidase 3(MMP3), TIMP metallopeptidase inhibitor 1(TIMP1), and TIMP metallopeptidase inhibitor 2(TIMP2). The results showed that compared with the model group, the high and low-dose Jiming Powder significantly reduced the left ventricular internal diameter in systole(LVID;s) and diastole(LVID;d), increased the left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF) and left ventricular fractional shortening(LVFS), effectively improved cardiac function in mice after myocardial infarction, and effectively reduced the levels of myocardial injury markers such as creatine kinase(CK), creatine kinase isoenzyme(CK-MB), and lactic dehydrogenase(LDH), thus protecting ischemic myocardium. HE staining showed that Jiming Powder could attenuate myocardial inflammatory cell infiltration after myocardial infarction. Masson and Sirius Red staining demonstrated that Jiming Powder effectively inhibited myocardial fibrosis, reduced the collagen Ⅰ/Ⅲ ratio in myocardial tissues, and improved collagen remodeling after myocardial infarction. Western blot results showed that Jiming Powder reduced the expression of TGF-ß1, α-SMA, Wnt3a, and ß-catenin, decreased the levels of MMP2, MMP3, and TIMP2, and increased the level of TIMP1, suggesting its role in inhibiting cardiac fibroblast transformation, reducing extracellular matrix metabolism in myocardial cells, and lowering collagen Ⅰ and α-SMA content, thus exerting an anti-myocardial fibrosis effect after myocardial infarction. This study revealed the role of Jiming Powder in improving ventricular remodeling and treating myocardial infarction, laying the foundation for further research on the pharmacological effect of Jiming Powder.

[Mechanism of Jiming Powder in ameliorating heart failure with preserved ejection fraction based on metabolomics].

In this study, untargeted metabolomics was conducted using the liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(LC-MS/MS) technique to analyze the potential biomarkers in the plasma of mice with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction(HFpEF) induced by a high-fat diet(HFD) and nitric oxide synthase inhibitor(Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride, L-NAME) and explore the pharmacological effects and mechanism of Jiming Powder in improving HFpEF. Male C57BL/6N mice aged eight weeks were randomly assigned to a control group, a model group, an empagliflozin(10 mg·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)) group, and high-and low-dose Jiming Powder(14.3 and 7.15 g·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)) groups. Mice in the control group were fed on a low-fat diet, and mice in the model group and groups with drug intervention were fed on a high-fat diet. All mice had free access to water, with water in the model group and Jiming Powder groups being supplemented with L-NAME(0.5 g·L~(-1)). Drugs were administered on the first day of modeling, and 15 weeks later, blood pressure and cardiac function of the mice in each group were measured. Heart tissues were collected for hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining to observe pathological changes and Masson's staining to observe myocardial collagen deposition. Untargeted metabolomics analysis was performed on the plasma collected from mice in each group, and metabolic pathway analysis was conducted using MetaboAnalyst 5.0. The results showed that the blood pressure was significantly lower and the myocardial concentric hypertrophy and left ventricular diastolic dysfunction were significantly improved in both the high-dose and low-dose Jiming Powder groups as compared with those in the model group. HE and Masson staining showed that both high-dose and low-dose Jiming Powder significantly alleviated myocardial fibrosis. In the metabolomics experiment, 23 potential biomarkers were identified and eight strongly correlated metabolic pathways were enriched, including linoleic acid metabolism, histidine metabolism, alpha-linolenic acid metabolism, glycerophospholipid metabolism, purine metabolism, porphyrin and chlorophyll metabolism, arachidonic acid metabolism, and pyrimidine metabolism. The study confirmed the pharmacological effects of Jiming Powder in lowering blood pressure and ameliorating HFpEF and revealed the mechanism of Jiming Powder using the metabolomics technique, providing experimental evidence for the clinical application of Jiming Powder in treating HFpEF and a new perspective for advancing and developing TCM therapy for HFpEF.

The novel role of activating receptor KIR2DS5 in preeclampsia.

Preeclampsia (PE) is a serious complication of pregnancy. Decidual natural killer (dNK) cells were reported to participate in the remodeling of spiral arteries through producing a group of cytokines, including granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF). KIR2DS5 is an activating receptor of NK cells that specifically recognizes HLA-C2 on trophoblasts. Currently, there are no reports regarding the precise mechanism of KIR2DS5 in PE. This study included 30 PE patients and 30 healthy pregnant women. We found that the expressions of KIR2DS5 were significantly lower in PE deciduae compared to those of healthy pregnancies. By transfecting knockdown and overexpression lentivirus vectors of KIR2DS5 into dNK cells isolated from deciduae of early pregnancy, we altered the KIR2DS5 expression level in dNK cells. Then, these dNK cells and trophoblast cell lines were co-cultured as trophoblast-dNK cells. In the trophoblast-dNK cells, we examined the influence of KIR2DS5 on the biological manifestations of trophoblasts. As anticipated, overexpression of KIR2DS5 could facilitate cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Furthermore, increased expression of KIR2DS5 inhibited cell apoptosis and enhanced the progression of cells from theG1 to theS stage. Further mechanistic study demonstrated a positive relationship between KIR2DS5 and GM-CSF in trophoblast-dNK cells. Accordingly, our observations indicated that a decrease in KIR2DS5 could reduce the expression of GM-CSF via the JAK2/STAT5 pathway, resulting in the failure of the activated signal to be transmitted to dNK cells and ultimately leading to the occurrence of PE. KIR2DS5 may be a new contributor for the prediction and diagnosis of PE.

Persistent topological Laplacian analysis of SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Topological data analysis (TDA) is an emerging field in mathematics and data science. Its central technique, persistent homology, has had tremendous success in many science and engineering disciplines. However, persistent homology has limitations, including its inability to handle heterogeneous information, such as multiple types of geometric objects; being qualitative rather than quantitative, e.g., counting a 5-member ring the same as a 6-member ring, and a failure to describe non-topological changes, such as homotopic changes in protein-protein binding. Persistent topological Laplacians (PTLs), such as persistent Laplacian and persistent sheaf Laplacian, were proposed to overcome the limitations of persistent homology. In this work, we examine the modeling and analysis power of PTLs in the study of the protein structures of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike receptor binding domain (RBD). First, we employ PTLs to study how the RBD mutation-induced structural changes of RBD-angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) binding complexes are captured in the changes of spectra of the PTLs among SARS-CoV-2 variants. Additionally, we use PTLs to analyze the binding of RBD and ACE2-induced structural changes of various SARS-CoV-2 variants. Finally, we explore the impacts of computationally generated RBD structures on a topological deep learning paradigm and predictions of deep mutational scanning datasets for the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.2 variant. Our results indicate that PTLs have advantages over persistent homology in analyzing protein structural changes and provide a powerful new TDA tool for data science.

Association of fine particulate matter and its constituents with hypertension: the modifying effect of dietary patterns.

BACKGROUND: Studies have shown that nutritional supplements could reduce the adverse effects induced by air pollution. However, whether dietary patterns can modify the association of long-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and its constituents with hypertension defined by the 2017 ACC/AHA guideline has not been evaluated. METHODS: We included 47,501 Chinese adults from a nationwide cross-sectional study. PM2.5 and five constituents were estimated by satellite-based random forest models. Dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH) and alternative Mediterranean diet (AMED) scores were calculated for each participant. Interactions between dietary patterns and air pollution were examined by adding a multiplicative interaction term to logistic models. RESULTS: Long-term exposure to PM2.5 and its constituents was associated with an increased risk of hypertension and stage 1-2 hypertension. The DASH and AMED scores significantly modified these associations, as individuals with higher scores had a significantly lower risk of air pollution-related hypertension and stage 1-2 hypertension (P-interaction < 0.05), except for interaction between PM2.5, sulfate, nitrate, ammonium, and AMED score on stage 1 hypertension. For each IQR increase in PM2.5, participants with the lowest DASH and AMED quintiles had hypertension risk with ORs (95%CI) of 1.20 (1.10, 1.30) and 1.19 (1.09, 1.29), whereas those with the highest DASH and AMED quintiles had lower risks with 0.98 (0.91, 1.05) and 1.04 (0.97, 1.11). The stratified analysis found modification effect was more prominent in the < 65 years age group. Consuming more fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and dairy would reduce the risk of hypertension caused by PM2.5 and its constituents. CONCLUSIONS: Dietary patterns rich in antioxidants can reduce long-term exposure to PM2.5 and its constituents-induced hypertension defined by the 2017 ACC/AHA guideline, especially in young and middle-aged individuals. Compared to the Mediterranean diet, the DASH diet offers superior dietary guidance to prevent stage 1 hypertension caused by air pollution.

[Role of macrophages in heart failure and traditional Chinese medicine intervention].

As the disease with high morbidity and mortality in the world, heart failure affects the development of human society. Due to its complicated pathology and limited treatment options, it is urgent to discover new disease targets and develop new treatment strategies. As innate immune cells accompanied by the evolution of heart failure, macrophages play an important role in cardiac homeostasis and stress. In recent years, the role of macrophages in the heart has attracted more and more attention as a potential target for heart failure intervention, and the research on cardiac macrophages has made important progress. Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) has significant effects on regulating inflammatory response, treating heart failure, and maintaining homeostasis. In this article, researches on the functions of cardiac macrophages and application of TCM were reviewed from the source and classification of cardiac macrophages and the relationship of macrophages and cardiac inflammation, myocardial fibrosis, cardiac angiogenesis, and cardiac electrical conduction, which provided a basis for further basic research and clinical applications.

The Longitudinal Features of Depressive Symptoms During the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Chinese College Students: A Network Perspective.

There is substantial evidence that the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic increased the risk of depressive symptoms among college students, but the long-term features of depressive symptoms on a symptom level have been poorly described. The current study investigated interaction patterns between depressive symptoms via network analysis. In this longitudinal study, participants included 860 Chinese college students (65.8% female; Mage = 20.6, SDage = 1.8, range: 17-27) who completed a questionnaire at three-time points three months apart. Results demonstrated that fatigue was the most influential symptom, and the occurrence of fatigue could give rise to other depressive symptoms. In addition to predicting other symptoms, fatigue could be predicted by other symptoms in the measurement. The network structures were similar across time, suggesting that the overall interaction pattern of depressive symptoms was stable over the longitudinal course. These findings suggest that depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 period are associated with the presence of fatigue.

The impact of adverse childhood experiences on depression: the role of insecure attachment styles and emotion dysregulation strategies.

Objectives: The previous studies have reported that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can have detrimental effects on victims' attachment styles, emotion regulation strategies and depression. How the insecure attachment styles and emotion dysregulation strategies play a role in the relationship between ACEs and depression among Chinese university students remains unclear. Methods: The research was made known to students studying at universities in China. Five hundred and eighty-nine college students completed questionnaires measuring ACEs, insecure attachment styles, emotion dysregulation strategies and depression. Sequential chain mediation model was built by Mplus. Results: The model showed that insecure attachment styles and emotion dysregulation strategies mediated the relationship between ACEs and depression respectively. Moreover, the sequential chain mediation showed an indirect path (ACEs - insecure attachment styles - emotion dysregulation strategies - depression). Conclusion: Following childhood adversities, students can experience elevated depression which is influenced by attachment styles and emotion regulation strategies. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12144-023-04613-1.

The central role of natural killer cells in preeclampsia.

Preeclampsia (PE) is a disease that is unique to pregnancy and affects multiple systems. It can lead to maternal and perinatal mortality. The precise etiology of PE is unclear. Patients with PE may have systemic or local immune abnormalities. A group of researchers has proposed that the immune communication between the fetus and mother is primarily moderated by natural killer (NK) cells as opposed to T cells, since NK cells are the most abundant immune cells in the uterus. This review examines the immunological roles of NK cells in the pathogenesis of PE. Our aim is to provide obstetricians with a comprehensive and updated research progress report on NK cells in PE patients. It has been reported that decidual NK (dNK) cells contribute to the process of uterine spiral artery remodeling and can modulate trophoblast invasion. Additionally, dNK cells can stimulate fetal growth and regulate delivery. It appears that the count or proportion of circulating NK cells is elevated in patients with or at risk for PE. Changes in the number or function of dNK cells may be the cause of PE. The Th1/Th2 equilibrium in PE has gradually shifted to an NK1/NK2 equilibrium based on cytokine production. An improper combination of killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) and human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-C may lead to insufficient activation of dNK cells, thereby causing PE. In the etiology of PE, NK cells appear to exert a central effect in both peripheral blood and the maternal-fetal interface. To maintain immune equilibrium both locally and systemically, it is necessary to take therapeutic measures directed at NK cells.

Persistent topological Laplacian analysis of SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Topological data analysis (TDA) is an emerging field in mathematics and data science. Its central technique, persistent homology, has had tremendous success in many science and engineering disciplines. However, persistent homology has limitations, including its inability to handle heterogeneous information, such as multiple types of geometric objects; being qualitative rather than quantitative, e.g., counting a 5-member ring the same as a 6-member ring, and a failure to describe non-topological changes, such as homotopic changes in protein-protein binding. Persistent topological Laplacians (PTLs), such as persistent Laplacian and persistent sheaf Laplacian, were proposed to overcome the limitations of persistent homology. In this work, we examine the modeling and analysis power of PTLs in the study of the protein structures of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike receptor binding domain (RBD). First, we employ PTLs to study how the RBD mutation-induced structural changes of RBD-angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) binding complexes are captured in the changes of spectra of the PTLs among SARS-CoV-2 variants. Additionally, we use PTLs to analyze the binding of RBD and ACE2-induced structural changes of various SARS-CoV-2 variants. Finally, we explore the impacts of computationally generated RBD structures on a topological deep learning paradigm and predictions of deep mutational scanning datasets for the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.2 variant. Our results indicate that PTLs have advantages over persistent homology in analyzing protein structural changes and provide a powerful new TDA tool for data science.

Emerging Dominant SARS-CoV-2 Variants.

Accurate and reliable forecasting of emerging dominant severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants enables policymakers and vaccine makers to get prepared for future waves of infections. The last three waves of SARS-CoV-2 infections caused by dominant variants, Omicron (BA.1), BA.2, and BA.4/BA.5, were accurately foretold by our artificial intelligence (AI) models built with biophysics, genotyping of viral genomes, experimental data, algebraic topology, and deep learning. On the basis of newly available experimental data, we analyzed the impacts of all possible viral spike (S) protein receptor-binding domain (RBD) mutations on the SARS-CoV-2 infectivity. Our analysis sheds light on viral evolutionary mechanisms, i.e., natural selection through infectivity strengthening and antibody resistance. We forecast that BP.1, BL*, BA.2.75*, BQ.1*, and particularly BN.1* have a high potential to become the new dominant variants to drive the next surge. Our key projection about these variants dominance made on Oct. 18, 2022 (see arXiv:2210.09485) became reality in late November 2022.

Evaluation of the transverse aortic constriction model in ICR and C57BL/6J mice.

Transverse aortic constriction (TAC) is a frequently used model to investigate pressure overload-induced progressive heart failure (HF); however, there is considerable phenotypic variation among different mouse strains and even sub-strains. Moreover, less is known about the TAC model in ICR mice. Therefore, to determine the suitability of the ICR strain for TAC-induced HF research, we compared the effects of TAC on ICR and C57BL/6J mice at one, two and four weeks post-TAC via echocardiography, organ index, morphology, and histology. At the end of the study, behavior and gene expression patterns were assessed, and overall survival was monitored. Compared to the sham-operated mice, ICR and C57BL/6J mice displayed hypertrophic phenotypes with a significant increase in ventricle wall thickness, heart weight and ratio, and cross-sectional area of cardiomyocytes after a 2-week TAC exposure. In addition, ICR mice developed reduced systolic function and severe lung congestion 4 weeks post-TAC, whereas C57BL/6J did not. Besides, ICR mice demonstrated comparable survival, similar gene expression alteration but severer fibrotic remodeling and poor behavioral performance compared to the C57BL/6J mice. Our data demonstrated that ICR was quite sensitive to TAC-induced heart failure and can be an ideal research tool to investigate mechanisms and drug intervention for pressure overload-induced HF.

[Common anti-inflammatory effects of heat-clearing and toxin-removing Chinese medicines on diverse cardiovascular diseases].

Cardiovascular diseases seriously affect human health and their prevalence continues to increase with the aging of the population. The integrated therapy of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) and western medicine for cardiovascular diseases has achieved certain results, but it is still faced with new challenges. Studies have shown that inflammation plays an important role in the development of cardiovascular diseases and some of these mechanisms have common features. For example, in cardiovascular diseases, C-C motif chemokine receptor 2(CCR2)-expressing macrophages increase and promote inflammation, and excessive activation of NOD-like receptor protein 3(NLRP3) inflammasome leads to the elevation of inflammatory factors. There is also new understanding of the pathogenesis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases in TCM. The heat-toxicity theory in cardiovascular diseases and the therapeutic principle of clearing heat and removing toxin have attracted attention. The clinical and pharmacological studies on the treatment of cardiovascular diseases such as Huanglian Jiedu Decoction and Simiao Yong'an Decoction are also gradually increasing. The present study analyzed the common features of the inflammatory response mechanisms in diverse cardiovascular diseases and discussed the significance of the prevention and treatment of diverse cardiovascular diseases by the treatment method of clearing heat and removing toxin to regulate inflammation, which is expected to provide new ideas and references for clinical treatment and drug research on cardiovascular diseases with the same treatment method for different diseases.

Usual Intake of Micronutrients and Prevalence of Inadequate Intake among Chinese Adults: Data from CNHS 2015-2017.

Previous studies have used the traditional average-value method to calculate the usual dietary intake of a population, but the results may be biased due to the measurement errors. The aim of this study was to provide an assessment of the usual micronutrient intake and estimate the prevalence of inadequate intake among Chinese adults. Data from the Chinese Nutrition and Health Surveillance 2015−2017 as well as a total of 72,231 subjects aged 18 years and older were included in the analysis. The 24 h recall method combined with the condiment weighing method were used for three consecutive days to collect daily food and condiments intake. The daily intake of 16 micronutrients was calculated based on the Chinese Food Component Tables. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) method was used to estimate the usual intake of micronutrients, and the prevalence of inadequate intake was estimated using the estimated average requirement (EAR) cut-point method. The results showed that, except for sodium, copper, iron (only for males), vitamin E, and phosphorus, the usual intake of micronutrients in Chinese adults was low, and the prevalence of inadequate intake ranged from 38.67 to 97.63%. The prevalence of inadequate calcium and riboflavin intake was more than 90%, and the proportion of individuals with a usual intake of thiamine, vitamin A, potassium, and selenium below EAR also reached 80%. Manganese, magnesium, vitamin C, and zinc were potentially deficient micronutrients, with the prevalence of inadequate intake ranging from 38.67% to 77.09%. However, usual sodium intake was extremely high with an average of 5139.61 mg/day, and only a quarter of Chinese adults were below the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended value. For most micronutrients, the usual dietary intake declined with age and the prevalence of inadequate intake increased with age. Except for zinc, vitamin A, and B-vitamins, the prevalence of micronutrient deficiencies was higher in females than in males in the same age group (p < 0.05). Therefore, Chinese adults do not receive enough micronutrients. Effective nutrition supplementary strategies and measures are needed to address these problems.

Emerging dominant SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Accurate and reliable forecasting of emerging dominant severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants enables policymakers and vaccine makers to get prepared for future waves of infections. The last three waves of SARS-CoV-2 infections caused by dominant variants Omicron (BA.1), BA.2, and BA.4/BA.5 were accurately foretold by our artificial intelligence (AI) models built with biophysics, genotyping of viral genomes, experimental data, algebraic topology, and deep learning. Based on newly available experimental data, we analyzed the impacts of all possible viral spike (S) protein receptor-binding domain (RBD) mutations on the SARS-CoV-2 infectivity. Our analysis sheds light on viral evolutionary mechanisms, i.e., natural selection through infectivity strengthening and antibody resistance. We forecast that BA.2.10.4, BA.2.75, BQ.1.1, and particularly, BA.2.75+R346T, have high potential to become new dominant variants to drive the next surge.

Diagnostic Value of the Iliac Vein Stenosis Percentage Combined With Indicators of Venous Reflux for Iliac Vein Compression Syndrome With Computed Tomography Venography.

OBJECTIVES: To identify a cutoff value of iliac vein stenosis in computed tomography venography (CTV) for assisting in the diagnosis of iliac vein compression syndrome (IVCS). Meanwhile, determining whether the inclusion of venous return and collateral imaging findings could further enhance the diagnostic performance. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study on 264 patients suspected of IVCS who underwent both CTV and digital subtraction venography (DSV) from January 2016 to December 2020; they were assigned to either a control group (n = 101) or an IVCS group (n = 163) based on the DSV results. The narrowest anteroposterior diameter of the common iliac vein and the anteroposterior diameter of the distal end were measured to calculate the percentage of iliac vein stenosis. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to determine the predictive accuracy of the percentage of iliac vein stenosis for IVCS and whether the inclusion of venous reflux indicators can further improve the diagnostic accuracy. RESULTS: With respect to the DSV results, the area under the curve was 0.797 ( P < 0.001). The best cutoff value was 46.67%, corresponding to a sensitivity of 83.44% and a specificity of 69.31% for predicting IVCS. Moreover, the combination diagnostic method had higher sensitivity and accuracy (94.48% vs 83.44% [ P = 0.01] and 84.85% vs 78.03% [ P = 0.04], respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The best cutoff percentage of iliac vein stenosis to diagnose IVCS was 46.67% with CTV. The sensitivity and accuracy of the combined diagnostic method were higher than those of the iliac vein stenosis ratio diagnostic method.

Methodology-Centered Review of Molecular Modeling, Simulation, and Prediction of SARS-CoV-2.

Despite tremendous efforts in the past two years, our understanding of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), virus-host interactions, immune response, virulence, transmission, and evolution is still very limited. This limitation calls for further in-depth investigation. Computational studies have become an indispensable component in combating coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) due to their low cost, their efficiency, and the fact that they are free from safety and ethical constraints. Additionally, the mechanism that governs the global evolution and transmission of SARS-CoV-2 cannot be revealed from individual experiments and was discovered by integrating genotyping of massive viral sequences, biophysical modeling of protein-protein interactions, deep mutational data, deep learning, and advanced mathematics. There exists a tsunami of literature on the molecular modeling, simulations, and predictions of SARS-CoV-2 and related developments of drugs, vaccines, antibodies, and diagnostics. To provide readers with a quick update about this literature, we present a comprehensive and systematic methodology-centered review. Aspects such as molecular biophysics, bioinformatics, cheminformatics, machine learning, and mathematics are discussed. This review will be beneficial to researchers who are looking for ways to contribute to SARS-CoV-2 studies and those who are interested in the status of the field.