Protocol of a parallel, randomized controlled trial on the effects of a novel personalized nutrition approach by artificial intelligence in real world scenario.

BACKGROUND: Nutrition service needs are huge in China. Previous studies indicated that personalized nutrition (PN) interventions were effective. The aim of the present study is to identify the effectiveness and feasibility of a novel PN approach supported by artificial intelligence (AI). METHODS: This study is a two-arm parallel, randomized, controlled trial in real world scenario. The participants will be enrolled among who consume lunch at a staff canteen. In Phase I, a total of 170 eligible participants will be assigned to either intervention or control group on 1:1 ratio. The intervention group will be instructed to use the smartphone applet to record their lunches and reach the real-time AI-based information of dish nutrition evaluation and PN evaluation after meal consumption for 3 months. The control group will receive no nutrition information but be asked to record their lunches though the applet. Dietary pattern, body weight or blood pressure optimizing is expected after the intervention. In phase II, the applet will be free to all the diners (about 800) at the study canteen for another one year. Who use the applet at least 2 days per week will be regarded as the intervention group while the others will be the control group. Body metabolism normalization is expected after this period. Generalized linear mixed models will be used to identify the dietary, anthropometric and metabolic changes. DISCUSSION: This novel approach will provide real-time AI-based dish nutrition evaluation and PN evaluation after meal consumption in order to assist users with nutrition information to make wise food choice. This study is designed under a real-life scenario which facilitates translating the trial intervention into real-world practice. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This trial has been registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2100051771; date registered: 03/10/2021).

Breast-Milk Rubidium and Other Trace Elements are Associated with Neurocognitive Development in Infants at Age of 8 Months.

BACKGROUND: Trace elements may affect neurodevelopment. There is a lack of data on breast-milk rubidium (Rb) in relation to neurodevelopment in infants. The associations of copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) and strontium (Sr) with neurodevelopment in infants remain uncertain. OBJECTIVES: We sought to evaluate the associations of breast-milk Rb (primary exposure), Cu, Zn, and Sr with neurodevelopment in infants at age 8 months. METHODS: The study cohort included 117 breastfed infants. Breast-milk samples were collected at 42 days and 8 months postpartum. Breast-milk Rb, Zn, Cu, and Sr were measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer. Neurodevelopment was assessed at age 8 months. The primary outcomes were attention and working memory scores, as evaluated by the A-not-B task. Other outcomes included the Mental Development Index (MDI) and Psychomotor Development Index (PDI) as evaluated by the Bayley Scale of Infant Development III. Generalized linear models and restricted cubic spline regression were used to assess the associations between trace elements and neurodevelopment indices. Bonferroni correction was conducted on all data presented. RESULTS: A nonlinear association was observed between breast-milk Rb at 42 days and infant's attention at age 8 months (nonlinearity P = 0.037). Positive associations were observed with infant MDI scores and breast-milk Rb at 42 days (ß = 4.46; P = 0.06) and 8 months (ß = 3.79; P = 0.009) postpartum. Breast-milk Zn at 42 days was positively associated with infant's attention (ß = 0.31; P = 0.039). Sr at 42 days was positively correlated with attention (ß = 0.18; P = 0.043) and MDI scores (ß = 2.18; P = 0.015) at 8 months. Inverted U-shape associations were observed for breast-milk Cu at 42 days with infant attention and PDI scores. All associations were not significant after correction for multiple tests. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that Rb, Zn, Cu, and Sr in breast milk at certain concentrations are associated with neurodevelopment in breastfed infants. Further studies are warranted to validate the findings.

Higher poultry consumption was associated with an earlier age at menarche.

AIM: To examine the association between meat consumption and earlier age of menarche among schoolgirls in Shanghai. METHODS: The study randomly selected 1981 schoolgirls aged 6-18 years in Shanghai using a two-stage random sampling design. Information on meat intake was collected using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Menarche age, household income, physical activity and other covariates were obtained by standardised questionnaires. Logistic regression was used to analyse the association between intake of meat and earlier age of menarche. Earlier age of menarche was defined as first menstruation before 12 years of age. RESULTS: Among the 986 girls who had experienced menarche, 518/986 (52.5%) had earlier age of menarche. After adjusting for body mass index, age, physical activity, sleep, household income and parental education, consumption of poultry was positively associated with risk of earlier age of menarche (P-trend = .03). Girls who never consumed poultry had a lower risk of earlier age of menarche (odds ratio [OR]: 0.61, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.39-0.96). Neither the consumption of pork, beef, lamb, processed meat nor total meat consumption was associated with menarche age. CONCLUSION: Higher consumption of poultry was associated with an earlier age at menarche.

Relationship of household cooking salt and eating out on iodine status of pregnant women in environmental iodine-deficient coastal areas of China.

As city residents eat out more frequently, it is unknown that if iodised salt is still required in home cooking. We analysed the relationship of household salt and eating out on urinary iodine concentration (UIC) in pregnant women. A household condiment weighing method was implemented to collect salt data for a week. A household salt sample was collected. A urine sample was taken at the end of the week. Totally, 4640 participants were investigated. The median UIC was 139·1 µg/l in pregnant women and 148·7, 140·0 and 122·9 µg/l in the first, second and third trimesters. Median UIC in the third trimester was lower than in the other trimesters (P < 0·001). The usage rates of iodised (an iodine content ≥ 5·0 mg/kg) and qualified-iodised (an iodine content ≥ 21·0 mg/kg) salt were 73·9 and 59·3 %. The median UIC in the qualified-iodised salt group was higher than in the non-iodised group (P = 0·037). The median UIC in the non-iodised group who did not eat out was lower than in qualified-salt groups who both did and did not eat out (P = 0·007, <0·001). The proportion of qualified-iodised salt used in home cooking is low, but foods eaten out have universal salt iodisation according to the national compulsory policy. Household iodised salt did not play a decisive role in the iodine status of pregnant women. Pregnant women in their third trimester who are not eating out and using non-iodised salt at home require extra iodine.

Iodine status of 8 to 10 years old children within 20 years following compulsory salt iodization policy in Shanghai, China.

BACKGROUND: In 1996, Shanghai implemented universal salt iodization and has became the last provincial unit in China to carry out this intervention. In this study, we summarized achievements in past 20 years, to provide suggestions and evidence for the next stage of iodine supplementation. METHODS: This study summarized and analyzed monitoring data of children from 1997, 1999, 2005, 2011, 2014, and 2017 in Shanghai. In each monitoring year, 30 streets or towns were selected using the probability-proportional-to-size sampling technique. One primary school was selected from each street or town by a simple random sampling technique. From each school, 40 children aged 8 to 10 years were randomly selected. The number of children was divided equally by sex and age. RESULTS: In 1997, 1999, 2005, 2011, 2014, and 2017, median urinary iodine (MUI) was 227.5 µg/L, 214.3 µg/L, 198.1 µg/L, 181.6 µg/L, 171.4 µg/L, and 183.0 µg/L, goiter rate was 3.07, 0.40, 0.08, 0.08, 0.86, and 1.90%, and median thyroid volume (MTvol) was 2.9 mL, 1.2 mL, 2.4 mL, 1.0 mL, 1.8 mL, and 2.8 mL, respectively. There was a linear correlation between goiter rate and median thyroid volume (MTvol) (r = 0.95, P = 0.014). Household salt iodine concentration (SIC) was dropping every monitoring (P < 0.05). There was a significant difference among different household SIC groups in MUI in 1999 and 2017, and in MTvol in 1999 (P < 0.05). No significant differences were detected in the other years. CONCLUSIONS: In Shanghai, the iodine status of 8 to 10 years old children is adequate. Household SIC have little effect on iodine status of children. Future studies should analyze the dietary sources of iodine, especially from pre-packaged and prepared-away-from-home foods or meals. The regular monitoring of iodine status is important to human health.

Validity and reliability of a food frequency questionnaire for assessing dietary intake among Shanghai residents.

BACKGROUND: Few localized food frequency questionnaires (FFQ) have been developed and used in Chinese nutrition surveys despite China's large population and diverse dietary habits. METHOD: We analyzed data collected in two waves (six months apart) of the Shanghai Diet and Health Study in 2012-2013, from 1623 Shanghai residents (798 men and 825 women) older than 18 years. The results of 3-day 24-h dietary recalls (HDR) plus condiment weighing were used to evaluate the validity and reliability of the SDHS FFQ. RESULTS: The median and first and third quartiles for energy intake (in kcal) derived from the FFQ1 and FFQ2 were 1566.5 (1310.1-1869.6) and 1561.9 (1280.2-1838.4), respectively, of which protein (in g) was 54.3 (42.5-65.8) and 52.9 (42.4-64.5), fat (in g) was 49.8 (37.2-64.7) and 47.9 (34.9-61.9), and carbohydrates (in g) was 227.3 (180.8-277.9) and 228.1 (182.2-275.2) in the reliability analysis. The median and first and third quartiles for energy-intake differences between the FFQ1 and the 3-day 24-HDR with condiment weighing was 59.3 (- 255.5-341.6), of which protein was - 5.2 (- 18.7-7.8) and fat was - 11.2 (- 30.8-5.3). The adjusted Spearman's correlations were 0.33-0.77 for validity and 0.46-0.79 for reliability. The intra-class correlation coefficients exceeded 0.46 (validity) and 0.47 (reliability) for macronutrient intake. The consistency between the same and adjacent quartiles was approximately 80% for various nutrients. CONCLUSION: The reliability and comparative validity of the SDHS FFQ is similar to FFQs that are used worldwide.

[Analysis of behaviors on household food safety and its influencing factors among caregivers of children aged 3-12 years old in Chinese three Provinces and Municipality].

OBJECTIVE: To understand behaviors and influence factors on household food safety among caregivers of child aged 3-12 years old. METHODS: A total of 12 449 caregivers of children aged 3-12 years were selected using random sampling method in Shanghai Municipality, Sichuan and Hebei Provinces from September 2018 to December 2018. A city and a rural district were chosen from each region points, respectively, then 3-4 kindergartens and 2-3 primary schools were randomly selected. A self-administrated questionnaire was distributed to parents and collected timely, focused on the information of behaviors on food safety. Binary logistic regression was used to multiple-factor regression analysis on food safety behavior of children caregivers. RESULTS: The average score of household food safety behaviors in three provinces was 13.5(11.0-16.0), and the pass rate of correct behavior was 47.8%. The main problems included the correct defrost of frozen food(3.4%), the storage of food with anti-rat, cockroach, fly facilities(12.8%), never eat leftovers or if leftovers in the refrigerator at home, thoroughly heating(26.3%), and the preparation of raw and cooked food using separate cutting boards/knives(32.4%). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that the pass rate of correct behavior in Hebei was lower than that in Shanghai, the odds ratio(OR) was 0.873(95%CI 0.794-0.960); parents aged 31-40, 41-50 and above of 50 was higher than that of parents aged 18-30, OR were 1.391(95%CI 1.247-1.552), 1.836(95%CI 1.589-2.121) and 1.954(95%CI 1.269-3.009), respectively; the education level of junior college and above was higher than that of primary school and below, OR was 1.392(95%CI 1.088-1.781) and 1.466(95%CI 1.148-1.870), respectively; the median and high level of family economic income were higher than the low level of income, with an OR value of 1.396(95%CI 1.260-1.547) and 2.543(95%CI 2.069-3.126), respectively; the incidence of food poisoning in the past six months was higher than that without food poisoning, with an OR value of 1.639(95%CI 1.336-2.010). CONCLUSION: The correct behaviors level on food safety is relative low.

[Evaluation of dietary intake quantity and quality of high school students in Shanghai City].

OBJECTIVE: To understand the dietary intake quantity and quality of high school students in Shanghai education. METHODS: From 2015 to 2016, Shanghai center for Disease Control and Prevention, divided the school into three levels(urban area, suburban area and rural area) according to the economic level and population composition of the street where the school was located. The probability-proportional-to-size sampling technique was used to select 19 high schools, from which 9 boys and 9 girls from same class were randomly recruited for each grade. A total of 1026 students were recruited. The survey included general situation questionnaire and dietary inquiry. Participants were required to complete the standardized questionnaire form through face-to-face interviews with trained interviewers. Chinese Dietary Guidelines(2016) was used to evaluate dietary quantity while China healthy diet index(CHDI) was used to evaluate dietary quality. RESULTS: The medians of intake of grain, vegetables, fruits, meat/livestock, fish/shrimp, eggs, milk and milk products, bean and bean products, cooking oil, cooking salt were 313. 8, 189. 7, 66. 3, 179. 2, 34. 7, 48. 9, 133. 3, 33. 3, 27. 1 and 6. 0 g/d within high school students, respectively. In both boys and girls, the medians of intake of vegetables, fruits, fish/shrimp, dairy products were lower than reference standard and meat/livestock was higher(P<0. 05). The intake differences among different area's high school students upon grain, vegetables, fruits, poultry/livestock, fish/shrimp, dairy products, beans/nuts, cooking oil, cooking salt were statistically significant(P<0. 05). The CHDI median total score of high school students was 68. 5 in Shanghai. 75. 2% of the CHDI total scores were between 60 and 80. The vegetable score, dark vegetable score, fruit score and total CHDI score in boys were significantly lower than those in girls(P<0. 05). The urban area CHDI score was significantly higher than suburban's and countryside's(P<0. 05). CONCLUSION: Both dietary structure and dietary quality are inappropriate and unfit within high school students in Shanghai, the urban area's condition is better than another two. We suggest to increase intake of vegetables, fruits, fish/shrimp, dairy products while decrease poultry/livestock's consumption.

Chinese woodchucks with different susceptibility to WHV infection differ in their genetic background exemplified by cytochrome B and MHC-DRB molecules.

BACKGROUND: Chinese woodchucks (M. himalayana) were recently found to be susceptible to woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV) infection. In this study, we aimed to determine the susceptibility to WHV infection of M. himalayana from different areas and their association with the animal genetic background exemplified by cytochrome B and MHC-DRB molecules. METHODS: Animals from four different areas in Qinghai province were inoculated with WHV59 strains. The virological markers including WHV surface antigen (WHsAg), WHV core antibody (WHcAb), and WHV DNA in serum were measured by ELISA and Real-time PCR, respectively. The sequences of cytochrome B gene and MHC-DRB molecules were obtained and sorted with Clustalx software. The nucleotide variation sites were identified using MEGA5 software. RESULTS: The animals from four different areas had different susceptibility to WHV infection. Animals from TR and TD areas had a high level of long-lasting viremia, while those from GD and WL areas had a low level of transient viremia after WHV inoculation. All of the animals belong to the same subspecies M. himalayana robusta identified by cytochrome B gene sequences. Based on their nucleotide variation pattern, 8 alleles of cytochrome B gene were identified, and 7 MHC-DRB alleles were identified. Allele A of cytochrome B and Allele Mamo-DRB1*02 of MHC-DRB was found to be frequent in animals from TR and TD areas, while Allele H of cytochrome B and Allele Mamo-DRB1*07 of MHC-DRB was predominant in animals from GD and WL areas. CONCLUSION: Chinese woodchucks from different areas differed in their susceptibility to WHV infection, though they belong to the same subspecies M. himalayana robusta. The genetic background exemplified by cytochrome B and MHC-DRB differed in Chinese woodchucks with different susceptibility to WHV infection.

Acceptability and feasibility of smartphone-assisted 24 h recalls in the Chinese population.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the acceptability and feasibility of using smartphone technology to assess beverage intake and evaluate whether the feasibility of smartphone use is greater among key sub-populations. DESIGN: An acceptability and feasibility study of recording the video dietary record, the acceptability of the ecological momentary assessment (EMA), wearing smartphones and whether the videos helped participants recall intake after a cross-over validation study. SETTING: Rural and urban area in Shanghai, China. SUBJECTS: Healthy adults (n 110) aged 20-40 years old. RESULTS: Most participants reported that the phone was acceptable in most aspects, including that videos were easy to use (70%), helped with recalls (77%), EMA reminders helped them record intake (75%) and apps were easy to understand (85%). However, 49% of the participants reported that they had trouble remembering to take videos of the beverages before consumption or 46% felt embarrassed taking videos in front of others. Moreover, 72% reported that the EMA reminders affected their consumption. When assessing overall acceptability of using smartphones, 72% of the participants were favourable responders. There were no statistically significant differences in overall acceptability for overweight v. normal-weight participants or for rural v. urban residents. However, we did find that the overall acceptability was higher for males (81%) than females (61%, P=0·017). CONCLUSIONS: Our study did not find smartphone technology helped with dietary assessments in a Chinese population. However, simpler approaches, such as using photographs instead of videos, may be more feasible for enhancing 24 h dietary recalls.

[Prevalence of vegetarians and vegetarian's health dietary behavior survey in Shanghai].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of vegetarians in the whole Shanghai population, and to know the vegetarians' brief and behavior on diet, nutrition and health. METHODS: First, a multi-staged, stratified, clustered random sampling design was used. A total representative sample of 4 004 Shanghai resident subjects were asked if they were vegetarians and what type of vegetarian they were by a well-designed questionnaire. Second, from ten vegetarian restaurants located in Shanghai. 473 adult vegetarians completed a questionnaire about vegetarian status, among whom 274 vegetarians completed a detailed questionnaire about their brief and behaviors on diet, nutrition and health status. RESULTS: Of 4 004 subjects, 0.77% were vegetarians (0.45% were lacto-vegetarians and 0. 12% were vegans). The average age was 65. 0 years. 74. 2% of the vegetarians were female. Of 473 vegetarians, 70. 2% of the vegetarians had college or higher education. Compared to vegans, lacto-ovo-vegetarians were significantly younger and had higher educational level. The main reasons for choosing a vegetarian lifestyle were religion (49. 3%) and health (31. 3%). Furthermore, more vegan tend to be Buddhist. Vegetarians were more concerned about their health (209/274, 76. 5%) , the consumption of balance diets (183/274, 66. 8%). Comparing with lacto-ovo-vegetarians (58. 3%) more vegans (70. 4%) believed in that vegetarian diet is a kind of healthy dietary pattern and will not have any nutrients deficiency (P = 0. 037). Vegetarians consumed more healthy foods (e. g.,whole grains, vegetables, soy products, and nuts) than the general population (P < 0. 01). Only 5. 8% of the vegetarians took dietary supplements. CONCLUSION: 0. 77% of population in Shanghai was vegetarian. The two main reasons for adopting a vegetarian lifestyle were religion and health. The vegetarians tend to have more nutrition knowledge, better attitude and behavior on health. However, most of the vegetarians had not realized the nutrient deficiency risk of vegetarian diets.

[Water intake and its influencing factors of children and adolescents in Shanghai].

OBJECTIVE: To describe the total drinking water intake and its influencing factors among children and adolescents in Shanghai, and to accumulate basis for developing adequate water intakes for children and adolescents in China. METHODS: A total of 1454 children and adolescents aged 8-17 years from two districts of Shanghai was selected by using stratified random sampling method. The information on amounts and types of daily drinking water was recorded by subjects for seven consecutive days using a quantitative measurement. Total drinking water was the sum of plain water and beverages. RESULTS: The median of total drinking water of subjects was 1014 ml/d, and the median of plain water and beverages was 580 and 339 ml/d, respectively. The consumption of total drinking water, plain water, and beverages in boys was significantly higher than that in girls, was increasing with aging and in urban was significantly higher than that in suburbs (P < 0.05). The obese drank more beverages (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The total drinking water of children and adolescents in Shanghai was less. To establish adequate intake of water, the comprehensive effect of gender, age, BMI and region when should be considered.

Clinical Characteristics of Children With Foreign Bodies in the Digestive Tract and Analysis of Risk Factors for Serious Complications.

Foreign bodies (FBs) in the digestive tract are common in children, we analyzed the clinical characteristics of children with FBs in the digestive tract and discuss the risk factors for serious complications. We retrospectively reviewed clinical data of 139 children with FBs in the digestive tract. Based on the severity of complications caused by FBs, the patients were divided into risk and general groups for analysis and comparison. Significant differences were observed in the retention sites of FBs, the diameter of FBs retained in the esophagus, FBs retention time exceeding 24 h, and the absence of witnesses between the 2 groups. Inadequate care, button batteries (BBs), ingested mmFBs, FBs retained in the esophagus, long-term retention, and giant gastric bezoars may cause serious complications. In addition to treating FBs and the complications, clinicians should emphasize the importance of childcare to prevent the ingestion of FBs.

Co-exposure of parabens, benzophenones, triclosan, and triclocarban in human urine from children and adults in South China.

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are pervasive in the environment, prompting significant public concern regarding human exposure to these pollutants. In this study, we analyzed the levels of various endocrine-disrupting compounds, including parabens (PBs), benzophenones (BzPs), triclocarban (TCC) and triclosan (TCS), across 565 urine samples collected from residents of South China. All 11 target chemicals were detected at relatively high frequencies (41-100%), with the most prevalent ones being 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid (5.39 ng/mL), methyl-paraben (5.12 ng/mL), ethyl-paraben (3.11 ng/mL) and triclosan (0.978 ng/mL). PBs emerged as the most predominant group with a median concentration of 32.2 ng/mL, followed by TCs (sum of TCC and TCS, 0.998 ng/mL) and BzPs (0.211 ng/mL). Notably, urinary concentrations of PBs in adults were significantly higher (p < 0.01) compared to children, while BzPs and TCs were elevated in children (p < 0.001). The increased presence of BzPs and TCs in children is a cause for concern, given their heightened sensitivity and vulnerability to chemicals. Significant correlations were found between urinary target compounds and demographic factors, including gender, age and body mass index. Specifically, females, younger adults (18 ≤ age ≤ 35) and individuals with under/normal weight (16 ≤ BMI ≤ 23.9) were found to have higher exposure levels to EDCs, as indicated by the median values of their estimated daily intakes. Despite these higher levels still being lower than the acceptable daily intake thresholds, the health risks stemming from simultaneous exposure to these EDCs must not be overlooked.

Effects of a Novel Applet-Based Personalized Dietary Intervention on Dietary Intakes: A Randomized Controlled Trial in a Real-World Scenario.

The objective of this study was to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of a novel WeChat applet-based personalized dietary intervention aimed at promoting healthier dietary intakes. A two-arm parallel, randomized, controlled trial was conducted in a real-world scenario and involved a total of 153 participants (the intervention group, n = 76; the control group, n = 77), lasting for 4 months in Shanghai, China. The intervention group had access to visualized nutrition evaluations through the applet during workday lunch time, while the control group received no interventions. A total of 3413 lunch dietary intake records were captured through the applet. Linear mixed models were utilized to assess the intervention effects over time. At baseline, the participants' lunchtime dietary intakes were characterized by insufficient consumption of plant foods (86.9% of the participants) and excessive intake of animal foods (79.7% of the participants). Following the commencement of the intervention, the intervention group showed a significant decrease in the animal/plant food ratio (ß = -0.03/week, p = 0.024) and the consumption of livestock and poultry meat (ß = -1.80 g/week, p = 0.035), as well as a borderline significant increase in the consumption of vegetables and fruits (ß = 3.22 g/week, p = 0.055) and plant foods (ß = 3.26 g/week, p = 0.057) over time at lunch compared to the control group. The applet-based personalized dietary intervention was feasible and effective in improving dietary intakes and, consequently, possibly may manage body weight issues in real-world scenarios.

Occurrence and health risks of multiple emerging bisphenol S analogues in pregnant women from South China.

Recently, there has been increasing concern regarding the emergence of bisphenol S analogues (BPSs) due to their potential toxicity. However, their exposure levels and associated health risks in susceptible populations remain unknown. In our study, we analyzed bisphenol A (BPA), along with 11 common BPA analogues (BPAs), and nine emerging BPSs in urine samples collected from 381 pregnant women in South China. All nine BPSs were first detected in pregnant women's urine. In addition to BPA, two BPAs, three BPSs including Diphenylsulfone (DPS), Bis(phenylsulfonyl)phenol (DBSP) and Bis(3-allyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)sulfone (TGSA), were identified as the predominant bisphenols, with detection frequencies ranging from 53-100 %. BPA still exhibited the highest median concentration at 0.624 ng/mL, followed by DPS (0.169 ng/mL), BPS (0.063 ng/mL) and DBSP (0.023 ng/mL). Importantly, mothers with higher levels of BPA, DBSP, DPS, and TGSA in their urine are statistically more likely to give birth to premature infants with shorter lengths at birth or smaller head circumference (p < 0.05). Although the median exposure to 21 bisphenols did not exceed the tolerable daily intake (TDI) of BPA, it did surpass the recently proposed BPA TDI (0.2 ng/kg bw/day) by a factor ranging from 1.1-99 times. This study signifies the first report unveiling the prevalence of multiple bisphenols, particularly emerging BPSs, in the urine of pregnant women in South China.

Differential methylation patterns from clusters associated with glucose metabolism: evidence from a Shanghai twin study.

Aim: To assess the associations between genome-wide DNA methylation (DNAm) and glucose metabolism among a Chinese population, in particular the multisite correlation. Materials & methods: Epigenome-wide associations with fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) were analyzed among 100 Shanghai monozygotic (MZ) twin pairs using the Infinium HumanMethylationEPIC v2.0 BeadChip. We conducted a Pearson's correlation test, hierarchical cluster and pairwise analysis to examine the differential methylation patterns from clusters. Results: Cg01358804 (TXNIP) was identified as the most significant site associated with FPG and HbA1c. Two clusters with hypermethylated and hypomethylated patterns were observed for both FPG and HbA1c. Conclusion: Differential methylation patterns from clusters may provide new clues for epigenetic changes and biological mechanisms in glucose metabolism.

miR-148a and miR-551b-5p regulate inflammatory responses via regulating autophagy in acute pancreatitis.

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a common inflammatory response that occurs in the pancreas with mortality rates as high as 30 %. However, there is still no consistent and effective treatment for AP now. MicroRNA-148 was reported to be involved in AP through IL-6 signaling pathway. Therefore, we aimed to further explore the detailed mechanisms of AP, to develop more therapeutic approach for AP. Exosomes were isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 20 AP patients and 20 healthy volunteers to evaluate the abnormally expressed miRNA. Then pancreatic acinar cells (PACs) were transfected with retrovirus to overexpress miR-148a/miR-551b-5p to evaluate their function. Both miR-148a and miR-551b-5p were highly expressed in AP patients than these in healthy cases. Then overexpressing miR-551b-5p in PACs could regulate autophagy through directly binding to Baculoviral IAP Repeat Containing 6, leading to the increased secretions of interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) and interleukin-18 (IL-18) through interleukin-1 (IL-1) signaling pathway. Moreover, overexpressing miR-148a in PACs could decrease the secretions of IL-1ß and IL-18 to modulate autophagy. The exosomal miRNA-148a and miRNA-551b-5p derived from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of AP patients may two-way mediate autophagy damage through IL-6/STAT3 signaling pathway, which participated in the AP pathogenesis. Our findings may provide new targets for the diagnosis and treatment of AP.

Neonicotinoid insecticides and metabolites levels in neonatal first urine from southern China: Exploring links to preterm birth.

Neonicotinoids (NEOs) have indeed become the most widely used insecticides worldwide. Concerns have been raised about their potential impact on newborns due to maternal exposure and their unique neurotoxic mode of action. However, it is still poorly understood whether in utero exposure of pregnant women to environmental NEOs and their metabolites can cause carryover effects on vulnerable newborns and subsequent health consequences. In this study, we determined the concentrations of 13 NEOs and their metabolites in the first urine collected from 92 newborns, both preterm and full-term, in southern China during 2020 and 2021. NEOs and their metabolites were identified in 91 urine samples, with over 93% of samples containing a cocktail of these compounds, confirming their maternal-fetal transfer. N-desmethyl-acetamiprid, imidaclothiz, clothianidin and flonicamid were the most commonly detected analytes, with detection frequencies of 59-87% and medians of 0.024-0.291 ng/mL in the urine. The relative abundance of imidaclothiz was significantly higher in preterm newborns, those with head circumferences below 33 cm, birth lengths less than 47 cm, and weights below 2500 g (p < 0.05). When comparing newborns in the 2nd quartile of imidaclothiz concentrations with those in the 1st quartile, we observed a significant increase in the odds of preterm outcomes in the unadjusted model (odds ratio = 3.24, 95% confidence interval = 1.02-10.3). These results suggest that exposure to elevated concentrations of imidaclothiz may be associated with preterm birth.

[Drinking in different periods of a day of primary and middle school students in four cities of China].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate intake of water in different periods of a day of primary and middle school students in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu of China. METHODS: A total of 5914 primary and middle school students from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu were recruited using multiple-stage random sampling method from September to October 2011. Among them, 5868 students completed the survey. The information of amounts and types of drinking in 8 time periods, morning, afternoon, night as well as in meal and non-meal time in 24 hours of a day was recorded by subjects for seven consecutive days using a quantitative measurement. This information was analyzed by different periods. RESULTS: The amount of drinking water among 8 periods of a day was (99 ± 101), (130 ± 106), (191 ± 155), (96 ± 107), (246 ± 172), (90 ± 101), (188 ± 135) and (50 ± 81) ml, respectively for before breakfast, during breakfast, after breakfast, during lunch, after lunch, during dinner, after dinner, and midnight (F = 1679.77, P < 0.01). Based on three periods of a day, the amount of drinking water in the morning (420 ± 242) ml was the statistically significantly most, followed by afternoon (341 ± 199) ml, and the least in the evening (327 ± 195) ml (F = 325.23, P < 0.01). The distribution trend of plain water in three periods was the same as total drinking water, with (270 ± 209), (250 ± 179) and (224 ± 177) ml, respectively (F = 84.89, P < 0.01) ; but beverage consumption was the most in the morning(151 ± 133) ml, then in the evening (103 ± 122) ml, and the least in the afternoon (91 ± 199) ml (F = 373.56, P < 0.01). The daily plain water consumption in meal time was (316 ± 247) ml, while it in non-meal time was (773 ± 445) ml with statistically significant difference (Z = 65.2, P < 0.01). There was no significant difference in meal time between plain water (165 ± 194) ml and beverage (151 ± 152) ml (Z = 0.59, P = 0.56) whilst plain water (579 ± 408) ml in non-meal time was significantly higher than beverages (194 ± 204) ml (Z = 64.5, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The amount of drinking water of primary and middle school students in different periods of a day was different in four cities of China.