Multiple dietary patterns and the association between long-term air pollution exposure with type 2 diabetes risk: Findings from UK Biobank cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Evidence of modifying effect of various dietary patterns (DPs) on risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) induced by long-term exposure to air pollution (AP) is still rather lacking, which therefore we aimed to explore in this study. METHODS: We included 78,230 UK Biobank participants aged 40-70 years with at least 2 typical 24-hour dietary assessments and without baseline diabetes. The annual average concentration of particulate matter with diameter micrometers ≤2.5 (PM2.5) and ≤10 (PM10), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and nitrogen oxides (NOX) estimated by land use regression model was the alternative proxy of long-term AP exposure. Three well-known prior DPs such as Mediterranean diet (MED), dietary approaches to stop hypertension diet (DASH), and empirical dietary inflammatory pattern (EDIP), as well as three posterior DPs derived by the rank reduced regression model were used to capture participants' dietary habits. Cox regression models were used to estimate AP-T2D and DP-T2D associations. Modifying effect of DPs on AP-T2D association was assessed using stratified analysis and heterogeneity test. RESULTS: During a median follow-up 12.19 years, 1,693 participants developed T2D. PM2.5, PM10, NO2, and NOX significantly increased the T2D risk (P <0.05), with hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) for per interquartile range increase being 1.09 (1.02,1.15), 1.04 (1.00, 1.09), 1.11 (1.04, 1.18), and 1.08 (1.03, 1.14), respectively. Comparing high with low adherence, healthy DPs were associated with a 14-41% lower T2D risk. Participants with high adherence to MED, DASH, and anti-EDIP, alongside the posterior anti-oxidative dietary pattern (AODP) had attenuated and statistically non-significant NO2-T2D and NOX-T2D associations (Pmodify <0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Multiple forms of healthy DPs help reduce the T2D risk associated with long-term exposure to NO2 and NOX. Our findings indicate that adherence to healthy DPs is a feasible T2D prevention strategy for people long-term suffering from NO2 and NOX pollution.

Similar experimental study on diffusion and distribution of diesel exhaust in confined space of a coal mine.

In the confined space of the underground coal mine, which is dominated by transportation lanes, explosion-proof diesel-powered trackless rubber-wheeled vehicles are becoming the main transportation equipment, and the exhaust gas produced by them is hazardous to the health of workers and pollutes the underground environment. In this experiment, a similar test platform is built to study the effects of wind speed, vehicle speed, and different wind directions on the diffusion characteristics of exhaust gas. In this paper, CO and SO2 are mainly studied. The results show that the diffusion of CO and SO2 gas is similar and the maximum SO2 concentration only accounts for 11.4% of the CO concentration. Exhaust gas is better diluted by increasing the wind speed and vehicle speed, respectively. Downwind is affected by the reverse wind flow and diffuses to the driver's position, which is easy to cause occupational diseases. When the wind is a headwind, the exhaust gases spread upwards and make a circumvention movement, gathering at the top. When the wind speed and vehicle speed are both 0.6 m/s, the CO concentration corresponds to the change trend of the Lorentz function when the wind is downwind and the CO concentration corresponds to the change trend of the BiDoseResp function when the wind is headwind. The study of exhaust gas diffusion characteristics is of great significance for the subsequent purification of the air in the restricted mine space and the protection of the workers' occupational health.

The impact of migration-related characteristics on the risk of TORCH infections among women of childbearing age: a population-based study in southern China.

BACKGROUND: TORCH infections are the most common prenatal infections causing congenital malformation and infant mortality, especially in developing countries. Migrant women might be vulnerable to TORCH infections, but little is known about the association between migration-related characteristics and TORCH infection risk. This study aimed to investigate the impact of migrant status, migration distance, and the spouse's migrant status on the TORCH epidemic among women of childbearing age. METHODS: Based on the National Free Preconception Health Examination Project, we analyzed a representative dataset of TORCH infections among women of childbearing age (15-49 years old) in Guangdong Province of China (2014-2019, n = 2,451,297). The past and/or recent infection status of TORCH infections (Toxoplasma gondii [TOX], Cytomegalovirus [CMV], and Rubella virus [RV]) were identified. Demographic and migration-related characteristics were collected. We thoroughly assessed the prevalence of TORCH infections in both migrant and native women and estimated adjusted odd ratios (aOR) for migration-related characteristics using multivariable logistic regression after adjusting the other sociodemographic factors. RESULTS: Among all 2,451,297 participants, 443,725 (18.1%) were migrant women. Migrant women presented a lower risk of past TOX infection (aOR: 0.89, 0.88-0.91) suggesting a healthy migrant effect (HME), but a higher risk of recent TOX infection (aOR: 1.88, 1.77-1.99), past CMV infection (aOR: 1.26, 1.25-1.28) and RV infection in natural ways (aOR: 1.05, 1.04-1.06). Compared with intra-provincial migrants, inter-provincial migrants had a lower past TOX infection (aOR: 0.88, 0.85-0.91), but a higher risk of recent TOX infection (aOR: 1.16, 1.05-1.27) and RV infection (aOR: 1.33, 1.31-1.36). In addition, having a migrant spouse was associated with a higher risk for all types of infection. CONCLUSION: This study reported the association of migrant status and migration distance with TORCH infections, although the significance and directionality of these associations varied between pathogens. The spouse's migrant status further amplified the infection risk for all types of pathogens. Our findings suggested interventions for preventing the spread of CMV and RV infection and new acquisition of TOX infection for migrants in southern China, to narrow the native-migrant health inequity and decrease the incidence of prenatal infections and related adverse outcomes.

An insight into the exploration of proliferation of antibiotic resistance genes in high-fat diet induced obesity mice.

Using mice as an animal model, we first demonstrated the significant proliferation of ARGs and the change of mobile genetic elements (MGEs) in high-fat diet induced obesity (DIO) mice, which the ermB and tnpA-03 genes mostly increased, illuminating that DIO could enrich the abundance of ARGs. Additionally, Lactobacillus sharply increased in the DIO mice and might contribute to the proliferation of ARGs and dramatical change of MGEs in the HFD groups. Finally, procrustes analysis showed the explanatory variables of the MGEs, the metabolites, and the microbial communities for the ARGs accounted for 94.3%, 53.4%, and 68.1%, respectively, and implying that MGEs might be the most direct factor affecting ARGs, and microbiota could be the main driver of the proliferation of ARGs in the DIO mice.

Residential elevation and its effects on hypertension incidence among older adults living at low altitudes: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Research on the relationship between residential altitude and hypertension incidence has been inconclusive. Evidence at low altitudes (i.e., <1,500 m) is scarce, let alone in older adults, a population segment with the highest hypertension prevalence. Thus, the objective of this study is to determine whether hypertension risk may be affected by altitude in older adults living at low altitudes. METHODS: This prospective cohort study collected data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS). We selected 6,548 older adults (≥65 years) without hypertension at baseline (2008) and assessed events by the follow-up surveys done in 2011, 2014, and 2018 waves. The mean altitude of 613 residential units (county or district) in which the participants resided was extracted from the Digital Elevation Model (DEM) of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and was accurate to within 30 m. The Cox regression model with penalized splines examined the linear or nonlinear link between altitude and hypertension. A random-effects Cox regression model was used to explore the linear association between altitude and hypertension. RESULTS: The overall rate of incident hypertension was 8.6 per 100-person years. The median altitude was 130.0 m (interquartile range [IQR] = 315.5 m). We observed that the exposure-response association between altitude and hypertension incidence was not linear. The shape of the exposure-response curve showed that three change points existed. Hypertension risk increased from the lowest to the first change point (247.1 m) and slightly fluctuated until the last change point (633.9 m). The risk decreased above the last change point. According to the categories stratified by the change points, altitude was only significantly associated with hypertension risk (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.003; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.002-1.005) under the first change point (247.1 m) after adjusting for related covariates. CONCLUSION: Our study found that the association between altitude and hypertension risk might not be linear. We hope the further study can be conducted to confirm the generality of our findings.

Association of Daytime Napping with chronic diseases among Tibetan people in China: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Obesity, diabetes, and hypertension, as three of the most prevalent chronic diseases, remain a daunting health challenge. However, to our knowledge, no study has made a thorough examination of the association between the three chronic diseases and daytime napping, a widely accepted behavior in many countries. This is especially necessary among Tibetan populations, whose lifestyles and health outcomes may be unique, yet patterns of chronic diseases and napping are under-examined. Thus, we sought to explore the aforementioned association in the Tibetan population of China. METHODS: A total of 2902 participants aged 45-79 in 2019 were included. Multivariate logistic regressions were conducted in 2020. The sex disparity was examined through interaction and stratified analyses. RESULTS: Hypertension (40.7%) was more prevalent than obesity (20.2%) and diabetes (21.6%). Comparing to non-nappers, those who napped were more likely to have any conditions (OR = 1.30, 95% CI = 1.04-1.62 for 1-59 min/day group and OR = 1.40, 95% CI = 1.10-1.80 for ≥60 min/day group). Participants who had 1-59 min/day of napping were more likely to develop obesity (OR = 1.37, 95% CI = 1.07-1.75), and ≥ 60 min/day of napping was associated with diabetes (OR = 1.33, 95% CI = 1.01-1.74). The interactions between napping and sex were not statistically significant in the models. CONCLUSIONS: The study revealed napping was unfavorably associated with obesity, diabetes, and any conditions in Tibetan people living on the Tibetan Plateau. Future interventions regarding the three chronic diseases may pay more attention to napping. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Not applicable.

Regional-level risk factors for severe hand-foot-and-mouth disease: an ecological study from mainland China.

BACKGROUND: Severe hand-foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD) is a life-threatening contagious disease among young children and infants. Although enterovirus A71 has been well acknowledged to be the dominant cause of severe HFMD, there still remain other unidentified risk factors for severe HFMD. Previous studies mainly focused on identifying the individual-level risk factors from a clinical perspective, while rare studies aimed to clarify the association between regional-level risk factors and severe HFMD, which may be more important from a public health perspective. METHODS: We retrieved the clinical HFMD counts between 2008 and 2014 from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, which were used to calculated the case-severity rate in 143 prefectural-level cities in mainland China. For each of those 143 cities, we further obtained city-specific characteristics from the China City Statistical Yearbook (social and economic variables) and the national meteorological monitoring system (meteorological variables). A Poisson regression model was then used to estimate the associations between city-specific characteristics (reduced by the principal component analysis to avoid multicollinearity) and the case-severity rate of HFMD. The above analysis was further stratified by age and gender to examine potential modifying effects and vulnerable sub-populations. RESULTS: We found that the case-severity rate of HFMD varied dramatically between cities, ranging from 0 to 8.09%. Cities with high case-severity rates were mainly clustered in Central China. By relating the case-severity rate to city-specific characteristics, we found that both the principal component characterized by a high level of social and economic development (RR = 0.823, 95%CI 0.739, 0.916) and another that characterized by warm and humid climate (RR = 0.771, 95%CI 0.619, 0.960) were negatively associated with the case-severity rate of HFMD. These estimations were consistent across age and gender sub-populations. CONCLUSION: Except for the type of infected pathogen, the case-severity rate of HFMD was closely related to city development and meteorological factor. These findings suggest that social and environmental factors may also play an important role in the progress of severe HFMD.

Effects of gut microbiota on leptin expression and body weight are lessened by high-fat diet in mice.

Aberration in leptin expression is one of the most frequent features in the onset and progression of obesity, but the underlying mechanisms are still unclear and need to be clarified. This study investigated the effects of the absence of gut microbiota on body weight and the expression and promoter methylation of the leptin. Male C57 BL/6 J germ-free (GF) and conventional (CV) mice (aged 4-5 weeks) were fed either a normal-fat diet (NFD) or a high-fat diet (HFD) for 16 weeks. Six to eight mice from each group, at 15 weeks, were administered exogenous leptin for 7 d. Leptin expression and body weight gain in GF mice were increased by NFD with more CpG sites hypermethylated at the leptin promoter, whereas there was no change with HFD, compared with CV mice. Adipose or hepatic expression of genes associated with fat synthesis (Acc1, Fas and Srebp-1c), hydrolysis and oxidation (Atgl, Cpt1a, Cpt1c, Ppar-α and Pgc-1α) was lower, and hypothalamus expression of Pomc and Socs3 was higher in GF mice than levels in CV mice, particularly with NFD feeding. Exogenous leptin reduced body weight in both types of mice, with a greater effect on CV mice with NFD. Adipose Lep-R expression was up-regulated, and hepatic Fas and hypothalamic Socs3 were down-regulated in both types of mice. Expression of fat hydrolysis and oxidative genes (Atgl, Hsl, Cpt1a, Cpt1c, Ppar-α and Pgc-1α) was up-regulated in CV mice. Therefore, the effects of gut microbiota on the leptin expression and body weight were affected by dietary fat intake.

Short-term effects of rainfall on childhood hand, foot and mouth disease and related spatial heterogeneity: evidence from 143 cities in mainland China.

BACKGROUND: Numerous studies have demonstrated the potential association between rainfall and hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD), but the results are inconsistent. This study aimed to quantify the relationship between rainfall and HFMD based on a multicity study and explore the potential sources of spatial heterogeneity. METHODS: We retrieved the daily counts of childhood HFMD and the meteorological variables of the 143 cities in mainland China between 2009 and 2014. A common time series regression model was applied to quantify the association between rainfall and HFMD for each of the 143 cities. Then, we adopted the meta-regression model to pool the city-specific estimates and explore the sources of heterogeneity by incorporating city-specific characteristics. RESULTS: The overall pooled estimation suggested a nonlinear exposure-response relationship between rainfall and HFMD. Once rainfall exceeded 15 mm, the HFMD risk stopped increasing linearly and began to plateau with the excessive risk ratio (ERR) peaking at 21 mm of rainfall (ERR = 3.46, 95% CI: 2.05, 4.88). We also found significant heterogeneity in the rainfall-HFMD relationships (I2 = 52.75%, P < 0.001). By incorporating the city-specific characteristics into the meta-regression model, temperature and student density can explain a substantial proportion of spatial heterogeneity with I2 statistics that decreased by 5.29 and 6.80% at most, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings verified the nonlinear association between rainfall and HFMD. The rainfall-HFMD relationship also varies depending on locations. Therefore, the estimation of the rain-HFMD relationship of one location should not be generalized to another location.

Effects of SCFA on the DNA methylation pattern of adiponectin and resistin in high-fat-diet-induced obese male mice.

Specific adipokines, such as adiponectin and resistin, are secreted from adipose tissue and are associated with the development of obesity. Supplementation of dietary SCFA can prevent and reverse high-fat-diet (HFD)-induced obesity. However, it is not clear whether SCFA ameliorate abnormal expression of adiponectin and resistin in the obese state. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of SCFA on adiponectin and resistin's expressions in diet-induced obese mice, as well as the potential mechanisms associated with DNA methylation. C57BL/6J male mice were fed for 16 weeks with five types of HFD (34·9 % fat by wt., 60 % kJ) - a control HFD and four HFD with acetate (HFD-A), propionate (HFD-P), butyrate (HFD-B) and their admixture (HFD-SCFA). Meanwhile, a low-fat diet (4·3 % fat by wt., 10 % kJ) was used as the control group. The reduced mRNA levels of adiponectin and resistin in the adipose tissue of the HFD-fed mice were significantly reversed by dietary supplementation of acetate, propionate, butyrate or their admixture to the HFD. Moreover, the expressional changes of adiponectin and resistin induced by SCFA were associated with alterations in DNA methylation at their promoters, which was mediated by reducing the expressions of enzyme-catalysed DNA methyltransferase (DNMT1, 3a, 3b) and the methyl-CpG-binding domain protein 2 (MBD2) and suppressing the binding of these enzymes to the promoters of adiponectin and resistin. Our results indicate that SCFA may correct aberrant expressions of adiponectin and resistin in obesity by epigenetic regulation.

Improved camera calibration method based on perpendicularity compensation for binocular stereo vision measurement system.

High-precision calibration of binocular vision systems plays an important role in accurate dimensional measurements. In this paper, an improved camera calibration method is proposed. First, an accurate intrinsic parameters calibration method based on active vision with perpendicularity compensation is developed. Compared to the previous work, this method eliminates the effect of non-perpendicularity of the camera motion on calibration accuracy. The principal point, scale factors, and distortion factors are calculated independently in this method, thereby allowing the strong coupling of these parameters to be eliminated. Second, an accurate global optimization method with only 5 images is presented. The results of calibration experiments show that the accuracy of the calibration method can reach 99.91%.

Effect of Antimicrobial Stewardship 2018 on severe pneumonia with bacterial infection in paediatric intensive care units.

OBJECTIVES: Antimicrobial Stewardship 2018 (ASP 18) in China emphasizes the hierarchical control of antimicrobial drugs and the management of physicians' prescribing authority, especially in children. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of implementation of ASP 2018 on antibiotic consumption, resistance, and treatment outcomes in children with severe pneumonia from bacterial infections. METHODS: A single center, retrospective study was conducted on 287 children with severe bacterial pneumonia, including 165 patients before intervention (May 2016-April 2018) and 122 patients after intervention (May 2018-April 2020). The antimicrobial resistance rates, antibiotic consumption, and clinical outcomes of the two periods were compared. RESULTS: After the implementation of ASP 2018, Staphylococcus aureus (17.9%) became the predominant Gram-positive bacterium. The resistance of Streptococcus pneumoniae to clindamycin, erythromycin, and tetracycline was significantly reduced (P < 0.001), and Staphylococcus aureus to tetracycline also decreased (P = 0.034). In addition, Klebsiella pneumoniae (18.4%) replaced Pseudomonas aeruginosa (9.5%) as the most common Gram-negative bacterium. The resistance rates of Klebsiella pneumoniae to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (AMC) and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (SXT), and Acinetobacter baumannii to cefotaxime and SXT decreased significantly (P < 0.02). Total consumption (DDD/100 patient-days) of five antibiotics (cephalosporins, carbapenems, macrolides, antifungal agents, and linezolid) showed a decreasing trend, and the decrease in antifungal agents and linezolid was the most significant (27.4% and 25.6%, P < 0.001). The isolation rate of multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains decreased significantly from the highest, 16.8%, before intervention to 6.7% after intervention (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Our data indicate that the implementation of antimicrobial management strategies has significantly reduced the consumption of antibiotics and the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance in children with severe bacterial pneumonia in PICU.

Dynamics of platelet parameters in children with severe community-acquired pneumonia between viral and bacterial infections.

Background: Changes in platelet parameters may vary according to the different pathogens. However, little is known about the differences in platelet parameters in children with severe community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) children of viral and bacterial infections. Methods: This was a single-center retrospective study that included 156 children with severe CAP. Dynamic changes in platelet parameters, including platelet count (PLT), mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet distribution width (PDW) and plateletcrit (PCT), were recorded at 24 h, 48 h, 72 h, and day 7 of admission, as well as at discharge. Results: At 72 h of admission, PLT in the viral infection group was significantly lower than that in the bacterial infection and bacterial and viral coinfections group. Meanwhile, the curve of changes in PLT (ΔPLT) in the viral infection group was clearly separated from the other two groups at this time point. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis showed that PLT at 72 h of admission could assist in distinguishing bacterial and viral infections in severe pneumonia children with the area under curve (AUC) value of 0.683 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.561-0.805, P=0.007]. However, its sensitivity and specificity were not high, at 68% and 65%, respectively. Conclusions: Although the diagnostic value of platelet parameters in bacterial and viral infection in children with severe CAP is limited, they are still expected to be combined with other indicators to provide a reference for timely treatment.

n-3 fatty acids modulate adipose tissue inflammation and oxidative stress.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Dietary n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) may be related to a number of chronic metabolic abnormalities, including metabolic syndrome. This review presents an update on the effects of n-3 PUFAs on risk factors of metabolic syndrome, especially adipose tissue inflammation, oxidative stress and underlying mechanisms of these effects. RECENT FINDINGS: Anti-inflammatory actions of n-3 PUFAs are thought to be mediated by the formation of their active metabolites (eicosanoids and other lipid mediators) as well as their regulation of the production of inflammatory mediators (e.g., adipocytokines, cytokines) and immune cell infiltration into adipose tissue. n-3 PUFAs mediate these effects by modulating several pathways, such as those involving nuclear factor-κB, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors and Toll-like receptors. The antioxidative effects of n-3 PUFAs in adipocytes appear to inhibit reactive oxygen species production and alter mitochondrial function. SUMMARY: This review summarizes the evidence for beneficial effects of n-3 PUFAs on adipose tissue inflammation and oxidative stress. More studies are necessary to investigate the mechanisms underlying these effects and to relate this topic to human health.

[Prevalence and prevention of common nutritional risks in children after earthquake].

Children have been identified as the most nutritionally vulnerable group when disaster happens. The most common nutritional risks include protein-energy malnutrition, iron-deficiency anemia, and trace element deficiency in children after earthquake. During the disaster relief, effective nutritional interventions should be performed according to the nutritional conditions of children in the affected area, so as to prevent the common nutritional risks. Timely diagnosis and treatment should be provided for children at a high risk of malnutrition.

Fish oil fat emulsion alleviates traumatic brain injury in mice by regulation of microglia polarization.

Microglia activation, a hallmark of brain neuroinflammation, contributes to the secondary damage following traumatic brain injury (TBI). To explore the potential roles of different fat emulsions-long chain triglyceride (LCT) / medium chain triglyceride (MCT) and fish oil (FO) fat emulsion in neuroprotection and neuroinflammation in TBI, in this study, we first generated the controlled cortical impact (CCI) model of TBI mice. Then either LCT/MCT or FO fat emulsion treated mice were studied by Nissl staining to assess the lesion volume. Sham and TBI mice treated with 0.9% saline were used as controls. The fatty acid composition in different TBI mouse brains was further evaluated by gas chromatography. Immunofluorescent staining and quantitative RT-PCR both demonstrated the suppression of pro-inflammatory microglia and upregulated anti-inflammatory microglia in FO fat emulsion treated TBI brain or primary microglia induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in vitro. Furthermore, motor and cognitive behavioral tests showed FO fat emulsion could partially improve the motor function in TBI mice. Together, our results indicate that FO fat emulsion significantly alleviates the TBI injury and neuroinflammation probably by regulating microglia polarization.

Spliceosomal GTPase Eftud2 regulates microglial activation and polarization.

Elongation factor Tu GTP binding domain protein 2 (Eftud2) is a spliceosomal GTPase that serves as an innate immune modulator restricting virus infection. Microglia are the resident innate immune cells and the key players of immune response in the central nervous system. However, the role of Eftud2 in microglia has not been reported. In this study, we performed immunofluorescent staining and western blot assay and found that Eftud2 was upregulated in microglia of a 5xFAD transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Next, we generated an inducible microglia-specific Eftud2 conditional knockout mouse line (CX3CR1-CreER; Eftud2f/f cKO) via Cre/loxP recombination and found that Eftud2 deficiency resulted in abnormal proliferation and promoted anti-inflammatory phenotype activation of microglia. Furthermore, we knocked down Eftud2 in BV2 microglia with siRNA specifically targeting Eftud2 and found that Eftud2-mediated regulation of microglial proinflammatory/anti-inflammatory phenotype activation in response to inflammation might be dependent on the NF-κB signaling pathway. Our findings suggest that Eftud2 plays a key role in regulating microglial polarization and homeostasis possibly through the NF-κB signaling pathway.

Study on the characteristics of induced airflow and particle dispersion based on the multivariate two-factor model.

To examine the diffusion characteristics of airflow and dust particles, a multi-factor and multi-level physical self-developed testing system is established. In this study, bunker height, chute angle, feeding speed, coal granularity, and belt speed are selected as independent variables, and airflow velocity and dust concentration are the response variables. The two-factor interactive model is established to analyze the primary and secondary relationship between the independent variables and the response variables. The results demonstrate a denser contour distribution of three-dimensional curved surfaces, suggesting an obvious interaction between the factors. The bunker height increases from 0.75 m to 1.15 m, the maximum increment of the induced airflow velocity at the outlet of the guide chute is observed to be 0.35 m/s, meanwhile, and with the increase in the feed speed from 2t/h to 8t/h, the increment of the induced airflow velocity at the outlet of the guide chute is recorded to be 51%. The coal granularity and bunker height depicted the highest influence on induced air velocity and dust concentration, and the feeding speed proved to be the secondary parameter. This two-factor interactive model can accurately forecast the actual values with a deviation of the calculated values limited to 9%. These research results support the existing research and provide a theoretical foundation to guide the dust control at belt conveyor transfer stations.

The impact of household wastewater on the frailty state of the elderly in China: based on a long-term cohort study in China.

China's household wastewater discharge has gradually increased, and its composition has become more complex, but the discharge treatment system is not perfect. At present, there is a lack of research on the impact of domestic wastewater on human health, especially on the frailty of the elderly. This study aimed to quantitatively assess the relationship between living wastewater and its main components and the frailty status of the elderly. The research data comes from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS), which consists of participants over 60 years old who participated in the three-wave survey in 2008, 2011, and 2014 and combined with domestic wastewater data in the statistical yearbook. A generalized estimating equation (GEE) model was used to assess the link between living wastewater and frailty status in the elderly. The single-pollutant model showed that there was a positive correlation between the discharge of household wastewater and the frailty of the elderly, OR (4.443), 95%CI (3.591, 5.498); ammonia nitrogen had a positive correlation with the frail state of the elderly, OR (4.527), 95%CI (3.587, 5.714); chemical oxygen demand (COD) had a negative association with whether the elderly are frail, OR (0.776), 95%CI (0.609, 0.988). After adjusting for covariates, there was still a positive correlation between household wastewater and the frailty of the elderly, OR (2.792), 95%CI (2.233, 3.492); a positive correlation between ammonia nitrogen and the frail state of the elderly, OR (2.894), 95%CI (2.284, 3.666). The association between COD and the frail state of the elderly, OR (0.823), 95%CI (0.640, 1.058), showed no correlation between the two. The results show that household wastewater may affect the health of the elderly, promote the occurrence of a frail state of the elderly, and increase the medical burden.

The Obesity-Related Dietary Pattern Is Associated with Higher Risk of Sleep Disorders: A Cross-Sectional Study from NHANES.

Evidence on the association between dietary patterns and sleep disorders is limited and controversial. In addition, studies evaluating the effect of dietary patterns on sleep disorders have seldom considered the critical role of obesity. We aimed to explore obesity-related dietary patterns and evaluate their impact on sleep disorders using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005-2014. In total, 19,892 participants aged over 20 years with two-day dietary recalls were enrolled. Obesity-related dietary patterns explaining most variance in waist circumference and BMI simultaneously were extracted from twenty-six food groups by the using partial least squares method. Sleep disorder and sleep duration, which were defined by self-reported questions, were the primary and the secondary outcome, respectively. Generalized linear models were performed to estimate the association of sleep disorders and sleep duration with dietary patterns. Two types of dietary patterns were identified. The "high fats, refined grains, and meat" pattern was characterized by high intakes of solid fats, cured meat, potatoes, refined grains, meat, cheese, and added sugars. The "low whole grains, vegetables, and fruits" pattern was characterized by low intakes of oils, whole grains, nuts and seeds, milk, fruits, and several vegetables. Participants with the highest adherence to the "high fats, refined grains, and meat" pattern had a higher risk for sleep disorders (OR (95%CI): 1.43 (1.12, 1.84)) and shorter sleep duration (ß (95%CI): -0.17 (-0.26, -0.08)) compared to those with the lowest adherence. The corresponding associations for the "low whole grains, vegetables, and fruits" pattern were only significant for sleep duration (ß (95%CI): -0.26 (-0.37, -0.15)). Our results found that the dietary pattern characterized by high solid fats, cured meat, potatoes, refined grains, meat, cheese, and added sugars, was associated with a higher risk for sleep disorders and shorter sleep duration.