Exploring the Association between Anxiety, Depression, and Gut Microbiota during Pregnancy: Findings from a Pregnancy Cohort Study in Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, China.

Negative emotions and gut microbiota during pregnancy both bear significant public health implications. However, the relationship between them has not been fully elucidated. This study, utilizing data from a pregnancy cohort, employed metagenomic sequencing to elucidate the relationship between anxiety, depression, and gut microbiota's diversity, composition, species, and functional pathways. Data from 87 subjects, spanning 225 time points across early, mid, and late pregnancy, were analyzed. The results revealed that anxiety and depression significantly corresponded to lower alpha diversity (including the Shannon entropy and the Simpson index). Anxiety and depression scores, along with categorical distinctions of anxiety/non-anxiety and depression/non-depression, were found to account for 0.723%, 0.731%, 0.651%, and 0.810% of the variance in gut-microbiota composition (p = 0.001), respectively. Increased anxiety was significantly positively associated with the abundance of Oscillibacter sp. KLE 1745, Oscillibacter sp. PEA192, Oscillibacter sp. KLE 1728, Oscillospiraceae bacterium VE202 24, and Treponema socranskii. A similar association was significantly noted for Oscillibacter sp. KLE 1745 with elevated depression scores. While EC.3.5.3.1: arginase appeared to be higher in the anxious group than in the non-anxious group, vitamin B12-related enzymes appeared to be lower in the depression group than in the non-depression group. The changes were found to be not statistically significant after post-multiple comparison adjustment.

Different Dimensions of the Home Food Environment May Be Associated with the Body Mass Index of Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Survey Conducted in Beijing, China.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the home food environment of the elderly in Beijing and analyze its association with the body mass index (BMI) of the elderly, as well as to provide recommendations for improving the home food environment for the elderly. METHODS: This study was conducted in Beijing, China, in 2019. The participants were 1764 elderly individuals aged 65 to 80, recruited from 12 communities through a multistage stratified random sampling method. The study involved the use of questionnaire surveys to gather data on participants' demographics, the availability of various foods in their households, and their living conditions. Socioeconomic status (SES) was evaluated based on their educational level, occupation, and income level. Height and weight measurements were taken to calculate BMI. We conducted both univariate analysis and multiple linear regression analysis to evaluate the relationship between the home food environment and BMI. RESULTS: A total of 1800 questionnaires were distributed, of which 1775 were retrieved, resulting in a questionnaire recovery rate of 98.6%. Among these, 1764 questionnaires were deemed valid, corresponding to a questionnaire validity rate of 99.4%. The participants had a mean age of 69.7 ± 4.3 years old, over 40% of whom were overweight or obese. In terms of low-energy/high-nutrient-density foods, the most readily available items were fresh vegetables (95.6%), followed by coarse grains (94.1%), fresh fruits (90.4%), and dairy products (83.6%). Among high-energy/low-nutrient-density foods, preserved foods were the most available (51.9%), followed by salted snacks (40.6%), sugary beverages (28.2%), and fried foods (9.4%). Approximately 7.3% of participants lived alone. Elderly individuals with higher SES had a lower BMI compared to those with medium to low SES (25.9 vs. 26.5, 25.9 vs. 26.4, p < 0.05). Those living alone had a higher BMI than those who did not (27.2 vs. 26.2, p = 0.001). After controlling for potential confounding variables, older adults with high SES exhibited a BMI reduction of 0.356 kg/m2 (p = 0.001), whereas those living alone exhibited an increase in BMI of 1.155 kg/m2 (p < 0.001). The presence of preserved foods at home was linked to a BMI increase of 0.442 kg/m2 (p = 0.008). CONCLUSION: This study underscores the significant impact of family SES, living conditions, and the availability of preserved foods on the BMI of elderly individuals.

Phosphine-Oxide-Balanced Intra- and Interchain Through-Space Charge Transfer in Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence Polymers: Beyond 30% External Quantum Efficiency.

Through-space charge transfer (TSCT) is crucial for developing highly efficient thermally activated delayed fluorescence polymers. The balance of intra- and interchain TSCT can markedly improve performance, but it is still a big challenge. In this work, an effective strategy for "intra- and interchain TSCT balance" is demonstrated by way of a series of non-conjugated copolymers containing a 9,9-dimethylacridine donor and triazine-phosphine oxide (PO)-based acceptors. Steady-state and transient emission spectra indicate that compared to the corresponding blends, the copolymers can indeed achieve balanced intra- and interchain TSCT by accurately optimizing the inductive and steric effects of the acceptors. The DPOT acceptor with the strongest electron-withdrawing ability and the second bigger steric hindrance endows its copolymers with state-of-the-art photoluminescence and electroluminescence quantum efficiencies beyond 95% and 32%, respectively. This demonstrates that, compared to other congeners, the synergistic inductive and steric effects effectively enhance TSCT in DPOT-based copolymers for radiation, and suppress singlet and triplet quenching. The record-high efficiencies of its devices make this kind of copolymers hold the potential for low-cost, large-scale, and high-efficiency applications.

Dynamic changes in gut microbiota during pregnancy among Chinese women and influencing factors: A prospective cohort study.

Gut microbiota (GM) dynamics during pregnancy vary among different populations and are affected by many factors, such as living environments and diet. This study aims to observe and evaluate the changes in the structure and function of the GM from the first to the third trimester of pregnancy in Chinese women, and to explore the main factors affecting the changes in intestinal microecology. Fifty-five Chinese pregnant women were recruited for this study and their fecal samples were collected during the first (P1), second (P2), and third trimesters (P3) of pregnancy. We exploited metagenomic sequencing to compare the composition and function of the GM in different pregnancy periods. Bioinformatic analysis revealed that there were differences in the composition of the GM among P1, P2, and P3, as indicated by the increase in α-diversity and ß-diversity of the GM and the differences in the relative abundances of distinct bacterial phyla. Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) was the main factor (P < 0.05) that affected the changes in GM at various stages of pregnancy. There were also disparities in the structure of the GM between the GDM group and non-GDM group in the P1, P2, and P3. The GDM group exhibited increased abundances in Ruminococcus_gnavus, Akkermansia_muciniphila, Alistipes_shahii, Blautia_obeum, and Roseburia_intestinalis; while, the abundances of Bacteroides coprocola, Bacteroides plebeius, Erysipelatoclostridium ramosum, and Prevotella copri were increased in the non-GDM group. Three of the four species enriched in the non-GDM group manifestied significantly negative correlations with the insulin-signaling pathway and lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis (r ≤ -0.3, adjusted P < 0.05). In the GDM group, Bacteroides vulgatus and Ruminococcus gnavus were significantly and positively correlated with insulin signaling pathway and lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis (r ≤ -0.3, adjusted P < 0.05) among the species enriched from early pregnancy. Virtually all of the species enriched in P2 and P3 were positively correlated with steroid hormone biosynthesis. These results suggest a potential role for the GM in the development of GDM, enabling the potential prevention of GDM by targeting the GM.

The Association between the School Environment and Adolescent Alcohol Drinking Behavior in Six Cities in China.

Drinking alcohol during adolescence has short-term and long-term effects on physical and mental health. At this stage, teenagers are greatly influenced by their schoolmates and friends. We conducted a multicenter cross-sectional study to investigate the association between school environment factors and adolescents' drinking behavior in China. Using multistage stratified cluster sampling, the study investigated 27,762 middle school students from six cities in China. The logistic regression model was used to explore the association between the school environment and adolescent alcohol drinking behaviors after adjusting for confounders, including gender, age, city, location, and smoking status. Compared with students with none of their close friends drinking, students with more than half of their close friends drinking were more likely to drink in a year (OR = 20.148, 95% CI: 17.722−22.905, p < 0.001) and in a month (OR = 13.433, 95% CI: 11.779−15.319, p < 0.001). In addition, classmates' drinking behaviors, friends' persuasion, and attending parties were risk factors for adolescents' drinking behavior, while the propaganda and regulations of banning drinking in school were protective factors. The school environment, especially friends drinking, is associated with students' drinking behavior. It is necessary to mobilize the strength of schools and peers to strengthen the prevention and control of adolescent drinking.

The Association Between Family Environment and Adolescent Alcohol Drinking Behavior: A Cross-Sectional Study of Six Chinese Cities.

Objective: Adolescents' alcohol consumption has lifetime adverse physical and mental health effects. Family environment factors have a significant influence in shaping adolescents' beliefs and habits. We conducted the multicenter cross-sectional study aiming to investigate the association between family environment factors and adolescent drinking behavior in China. Methods: The study investigated 27,762 middle school students from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Jinan, Chengdu, and Harbin. A logistic regression model was used to explore the association between family environmental factors and adolescent drinking behavior. Participants were asked to self-report previous experiences of drinking and getting drunk to access their drinking status. Factors of family environment related to alcohol consumption included: parents' educational level, family economic status, family composition, the number of times parents drank alcohol in the past 30 days, and parents' attitudes toward their drinking behavior. The logistic regression model was used to adjust the demographic confounders, including gender, age, city, location, and smoking status, and to explore the association between family environmental factors and adolescent alcohol drinking behaviors. Results: Compared with students whose parents prohibited drinking, students who were approved drinking were more likely to drink in this year (OR = 16.544, 95%CI:15.265-17.929, P < 0.001; Full adjustment: OR = 13.111, 95% CI: 12.031-14.288, P < 0.001), drink in this month (OR = 7.791, 95% CI: 7.077-8.565, P < 0.001; Full adjustment: OR = 6.010, 95% CI: 5.439-6.641, P < 0.001). In addition, Low family economic status, not living with the mother, parents' ambivalent attitudes toward their children's drinking and parental drinking were risk factors for drinking among middle school students. Conclusion: The family environment, especially parents' attitudes, is associated with students' drinking and drunken behavior. Mobilizing the power of parents may play a positive role in the effective prevention and control of adolescent drinking.

Urination behaviours of senior citizens in five Chinese cities: Results of a cross-sectional survey.

AIM: To investigate the urination behaviours of senior citizens in China. METHODS: Stratified random sampling was used to recruit senior citizens who met the inclusion criteria from five cities in China. After training by researchers, participants recorded their urination behaviours in real time by using the validated 7-day 24-hour urination behaviour record, which consisted of frequency of urination, time of urination, urinary urgency and urine colour. RESULTS: Of the 551 recruited participants, 524 (233 male and 291 female) completed the survey, yielding a completion rate of 95.1%. The median frequency of urination was 7.4 times per day. The frequency of urination was highest among participants in Guangzhou, at 8.0 times per day (χ2  = 29.356; P < .001), and participants in the first percentile body mass index group, at 8.0 times per day (χ2  = 10.344; P = .016). The percentage of participants who urinated >7 times during the day was 44.3%. The percentage of participants who urinated ≥1 time at night was 77.5%. The number of times participants reported feeling no urge to urinate, a strong urge to urinate and an uncomfortable urge to urinate accounted for 59.7%, 62.8% and 24.8% of all records of urinary urgency, respectively. Instances of patients having no urge to urinate, a strong urgent to urinate and an uncomfortable urge accounted for 16.1%, 13.3% and 2.9% of all instances of urination, respectively. The number of times participants whose urine was yellow and dark yellow accounted for 69.1% and 18.9% of all records of urine colour, respectively. Urine with yellow and dark yellow colour accounted for 13.0% and 1.5%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Unhealthy urination behaviours, including urinating at night and holding back urine, were common among senior citizens. This result can provide information for the prevention and control of urinary system diseases.