Quantum random number generator based on single-photon emitter in gallium nitride.

We experimentally demonstrate a real-time quantum random number generator by using a room-temperature single-photon emitter from the defect in a commercial gallium nitride wafer. Due to the brightness of our single-photon emitter, the raw bit generation rate is about 1.8 MHz, and the unbiased bit generation rate is about 420 kHz after the von Neumann's randomness extraction procedure. Our results show that the commercial gallium nitride wafer has great potential for the development of integrated high-speed quantum random number generator devices.

[Systematic review and screening of basic Chinese herbs for traditional Chinese medicine compounds combined with levodopa medicine in treatment of Parkinson's disease].

To systematically evaluate the efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) compounds combined with levodopa medicine in the treatment of Parkinson's disease(PD), and screen basic herbs to provide certain evidence-based medical proof and program for better guidance on clinical drug use. Six databases were searched to screen out the randomized controlled trial on the TCM compounds combined with levodopa medicine in the treatment of PD. Literature quality of the included studies was evaluated by improved Jadad rating scale, and the Meta-analysis was performed by RevMan 5.3 software. After the data of the basic TCM compounds involved were sorted out, the strong association rules were found by using Apriori algorithm of SPSS Modeler 18.0 software, and then the basic herbs for the treatment of PD could be picked out. A total of 20 studies were eventually included, involving 1 784 patients. Ten studies were of high-quality literature, Jadad score≥4 points. Meta-analysis showed that efficacy of TCM combined with levodopa medicine was better than levodopa medicine alone in lowering Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale(UPDRS) score: UPDRS Ⅰ(MD=-0.43, 95%CI[-0.62,-0.24], P<0.000 1), UPDRS Ⅱ(MD=-2.72, 95%CI[-3.24,-2.21], P<0.000 01), UPDRS Ⅲ(MD =-1.97, 95%CI[-2.69,-1.25], P<0.000 01), UPDRS Ⅳ(MD=-0.28, 95%CI[-0.46,-0.11], P=0.002). And the improvement in UPDRS score reduction rate of TCM combined with levodopa medicine was better than that in levodopa medicine alone: effective rate(OR=4.81, 95%CI[3.50, 6.62], P<0.000 01). Data mining results showed that the basic prescription for treating PD consisted of Paeoniae Radix Alba-Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata-Gastrodiae Rhizoma in general. According to each part of UPDRS, the basic prescription for treating mentation, behavior and mood(UPDRS Ⅰ) consists of Paeoniae Radix Alba-Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata-Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma Praeparata Cum Melle, Among which Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma Praeparata Cum Melle might have unique efficacy. The basic prescriptions for treating UPDRS Ⅱ and UPDRS Ⅲ consisted of Paeoniae Radix Alba-Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata, or Chuanxiong Rhizoma-Angelicae Sinensis Radix(two drug combinations). However, in the treatment of UPDRS Ⅳ, the drugs were scattered. But due to the limitations in the quantity and quality of clinical studies, the results obtained still need further research and clinical confirmation of its efficacy.

The Effects of Fasudil at Different Doses on Acute Myocardial Infarction in Rats.

PURPOSE: To explore the effects of different doses of fasudil on cardiomyocytes in rats with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). METHODS: A model of rats experiencing AMI was randomly divided into control groups and fasudil treatment groups according to the different doses of fasudil. After four weeks, hemodynamic parameters were measured. Expression levels of Rho kinase mRNA by the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction method and the expression levels of apoptosis related proteins, Bcl-2 and bax, were determined by the immunohistochemical method. RESULTS: In the model of AMI in rats, their hemodynamic deteriorated, and the expression level of the Rho kinase mRNA increased in the myocardial tissue; but the expression level of apoptosis-related protein bcl-2 decreased, and Bax increased (p < 0.01). After the administration of fasudil, hemodynamic levels improved (p < 0.05), expression levels of Rho kinase mRNA and Bax (p < 0.01) decreased, expression levels of bcl-2 increased, and with the added element of dosage increase, the effect was significant (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: By administration of different doses of fasudil, the expression level of Rho kinase in myocardial tissue decreased and apoptosis reduced in rats with AMI. Fasudil plays an important role in protecting ischemic myocardium and improving cardiac function post AMI in rats, the effects of which were enhanced as the dosage was increased. KEY WORDS: Apoptosis; Myocardial infarction; Rho kinase.

Low Greenhouse Gas Emission Self-Selective Diets and Risk of Metabolic Syndrome in Adults 40 and Older: A Prospective Cohort Study in South Korea.

BACKGROUND: The food system accounts for ∼40% of human-generated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Meanwhile, daily diet selection also impacts human nutrition status and health. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to use the alternate Mediterranean Diet (aMED) score to evaluate the quality of a low-GHG emission diet and the association with risk of developing metabolic syndrome (MetS). METHODS: A total of 41,659 healthy participants without MetS 40 y of age or older were selected from the Health Examinees Study, an ongoing cohort study in South Korea from 2004. A dietary GHG emissions database was compiled following a national project and literature review. MetS was defined according to the Adult Treatment Panel III criteria of the National Cholesterol Education Program. The participants were grouped into quintiles based on 2,000 kcal-standardized daily diet-GHG emissions (Q1: the lowest energy-adjusted diet-GHG emissions). A multivariable logistic regression model was used to analyze the risk for MetS at follow-up. The aMED score was used to assess the diet quality of the different diet-related GHG emission groups. RESULTS: Females with lower energy-adjusted diet-related GHG emissions had significantly lower risks of developing MetS (p=0.0043) than those with the highest energy-adjusted diet-related GHG emissions. In addition, the Q1 group, in comparison with the other groups, had a higher aMED score (3.02 for males and 3.00 for females), which indicated that the participants in this group had a diet that more closely matched the Mediterranean diet. DISCUSSION: These findings provide a reference for dietary guidance and other policies aimed toward improving dietary intake and reducing diet-related GHG emissions in South Korea and worldwide. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP12727.

NEDD4 attenuates oxidized low­density lipoprotein­induced inflammation and dysfunction in vascular endothelial cells via regulating APEX1 expression.

Atherosclerosis chiefly results from inflammation as well as vascular endothelial cell dysfunction. Methylation levels of neuronally expressed developmentally downregulated 4 (NEDD4) were found to be fortified in atherosclerosis patients and NEDD4 deficiency enhanced vascular calcification. However, the exact function of NEDD4 in inflammation and vascular endothelial dysfunction remains to be elucidated. In the present study, CCK-8 assay was used to estimate cell viability. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR was adopted to examine the expression of NEDD4, inflammation-associated enzymes and apurinic/apyrimidinic endodeoxyribonuclease 1 (APEX1). Western blotting was used to test NEDD4, endothelial nitric oxide synthase, inducible nitric oxide synthase and APEX1 protein levels. Cytotoxicity was detected by a lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) kit. Reactive oxygen species level was tested by a corresponding kit. Vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 and intercellular adhesion molecule 1 contents were examined with ELISA. Cell adhesion assays evaluated the adhesion of endothelial cells. Co-immunoprecipitation assay was used to test the relationship between NEDD4 and APEX1. The data revealed that NEDD4 expression rapidly declined in oxidized low density lipoprotein (ox-LDL)-induced human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Following NEDD4 overexpression, the active damage, inflammatory release and endothelial cell dysfunction in ox-LDL-induced HUVECs were attenuated. After co-transfection of APEX1 interference plasmids and NEDD4 overexpression plasmids, cell damage, inflammatory release and endothelial cell dysfunction in ox-LDL-induced HUVECs were improved again. Taken together, NEDD4 attenuated ox-LDL-induced inflammation and endothelial dysfunction by regulating APEX1 expression.

The Longitudinal Effect of Ultra-Processed Food on the Development of Dyslipidemia/Obesity as Assessed by the NOVA System and Food Compass Score.

SCOPE: Ultra-processing food (UPF) has been a nutrition and health interest. This study is aimed to investigate the association between UPF consumption and the risk of obesity or dyslipidemia. METHODS AND RESULTS: This study is performed using an ongoing cohort study including 17 310 individuals aged ≥40 years in South Korea. UPF is categorized by the NOVA system and FCS, respectively. After an average 5-year follow-up, there is a positive association between NOVA-defined UPF and dyslipidemia. The risk of the Q4 group is almost 20% higher than that of the Q1 group (men, adjusted HR = 1.209 [95% CI 1.039-1.407], women, adjusted HR = 1.195 [95% CI 1.096-1.303]). Consuming high-FCS foods (less processed and healthier foods) show a lower risk for dyslipidemia in both sexes and lower obesity risk in women compared to low-FCS consumption (men, dyslipidemia, adjusted HR = 0.857 [95% CI 0.744-0.988]; women, dyslipidemia, adjusted HR = 0.919 [95% CI 0.850-0.993], obesity, adjusted HR = 0.759 [95% CI 0.628-0.916]). CONCLUSION: Higher UPF intakes assessed by the NOVA system and FCS are associated with increased incidences of dyslipidemia and obesity. Furthermore, NOVA-defined UPF shows a statistically significant negative association with AMED score, indicating poor diet quality.

Effect of kimchi intake on body weight of general community dwellers: a prospective cohort study.

The impact of kimchi intake on weight management has been a topic of interest. We aimed to conduct an epidemiological study to investigate the association between kimchi intake and weight loss. Participants were selected from the Health Examinees cohort study. Kimchi intake was assessed by a 106-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire, including four types of kimchi. Obesity was defined according to the Korean Society for the Study of Obesity guidelines. We performed a correlation analysis among all participants (N = 58 290) and conducted a prospective risk assessment analysis among participants with a baseline BMI value ≥25 kg m-2 (N = 20 066). In the correlation analysis, higher kimchi consumption was found to be associated with a lower increment in BMI change (men, ß 0.169, 95% CI (0.025, 0.313); women, ß 0.140, 95% CI (0.046, 0.236)) compared with the lower group. The risk assessment analysis indicated that moderate kimchi consumption is associated with normal weight development in men (Q3, hazard ratio, 1.28, 95% CI (1.06, 1.54)). Baechu [cabbage] kimchi intake also showed a significant association among men participants (all p for trend <0.05). In conclusion, moderate kimchi intake was associated with weight loss among middle-aged and older Koreans, especially in men.

The liver and blood cells are responsible for creatine kinase clearance in blood Circulation: A retrospective study among different human diseases.

BACKGROUND: Muscle damage leads to increased serum creatine kinase (CK) levels in diseases such as acute myocardial infarction. Still, many individuals have abnormal serum CK activities lacking muscle-related diagnoses. The current study hypothesized that failed or overactivated CK clearance by non-muscle organs/tissues might be responsible for increased or decreased CK activities in blood. METHODS: We analyzing 37,081 independent CK test results in 36 human diseases during the past 5 y. RESULTS: We found that 33 out of 36 diseases were associated with decreased median CK activities compared to healthy controls. Besides muscle damage-related conditions, the highest mean CK activities were observed in hepatitis and cirrhosis. In contrast, 6 blood cell-related illnesses had the lowest mean CK values. ROC analysis showed that CK activities were the best biomarkers (AUC: 0.80-0.94) for the 6 blood-related diseases, especially myeloproliferative disorders. The principal component analysis revealed that the same category of diseases, such as liver-, blood -, kidney-, cancers, and vascular-related diseases, had clustered CK distributions. CONCLUSIONS: We proposed that the liver and blood cells were mainly responsible for CK clearance in blood circulation based on overall results. The testable mechanisms were presented and discussed.

Association of smoking and dietary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure on the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in Korean adults.

BACKGROUND: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are environmental pollutants that are potentially hazardous to human health. Dietary exposure is recognized as one of the major pathways of exposure to PAHs among humans. While some PAH exposures have been associated with metabolic syndrome (MetS) in the general population, most epidemiological studies are based on urinary metabolites of a few noncarcinogenic PAHs. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between estimates of dietary exposure to major carcinogenic PAHs and MetS in Korean adults. METHODS: Multi-cycle Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) database (n = 16,015) and PAH measurement data from the total diet survey were employed to estimate daily PAH intake for each participating adult. After adjusting for potential confounders, multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to calculate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) between PAHs and MetS of the participating adults. RESULTS: Benzo(a)pyrene exposure was associated with an increased risk of MetS in men (OR = 1.30; 95% Cl: 1.03-1.63; P-trend = 0.03). In women, however, only chrysene and low high-density lipoprotein (HDL-c) were positively associated with an increased risk of MetS (OR = 1.24; 95% CI: 1.03-1.48; P-trend = 0.0172). Among men, smokers were at an increased risk for MetS, regardless of whether they were exposed to low or high total PAHs and benzo(a)pyrene levels. SIGNIFICANCE: Our findings suggested that PAHs are associated with the risk of MetS and MetS components in Korean adults. In particular, it was confirmed that smoking may influence the relationship between PAH exposure and MetS.Further prospective cohort studies are required to confirm the causal relationship between PAHs and MetS. IMPACT STATEMENT: Epidemiological studies on PAH exposure are often hampered by a lack of reliable exposure estimates, as biomonitoring of urine does not capture exposure to more toxic PAHs. Using multi-cycle KNHANES data and the measurement data from a total diet survey of Korea, we could develop a personalized PAH intake estimate for each participating adult and assessed the association with MetS.

CPLX2 Regulates Ferroptosis and Apoptosis Through NRF2 Pathway in Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells.

Understanding the principle of regulated cell death (RCD) such as ferroptosis and apoptosis provides opportunities to overcome sorafenib resistance of HCC. Complexin II (CPLX2) is involved in calcium-dependent fusion of vesicles and plasma membrane, and recent studies showed CPLX2 is involved in cancer progression. However, the expression and function of CPLX2 are unclear in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). qPCR and western blotting assays were used to detect the levels of CPLX2. MTT and colony formation assays were used to detect cell viability. The contents of iron, ROS, MDA, and GSH were used to evaluate the function of CPLX2 on ferroptosis, while the flow cytometry and TUNEL assays were used to evaluate the role of CPLX2 on apoptosis. Our analysis showed CPLX2 is significantly upregulated in HCC, which predicts poor overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), relapse-free survival (RFS), and disease-specific survival (DSS) for patients with HCC. Further function enrichment analysis of genes related to CPLX2 showed CPLX2 is involved in the NRF2 pathway. Downregulation of CPLX2 can inhibit NRF2 expression and the transcription of its downstream genes, which confirms that CPLX2 is involved in NRF2 pathway. Cell viability assay showed that ferroptosis and apoptosis inhibitors can reverse the inhibition effect of CPLX2-knockdown on cell survival, respectively. And downregulation of CPLX2 significantly promotes the contents of iron, ROS, and MDA, while inhibiting the GSH level of HCC cell lysate, suggesting CPLX2 involved in ferroptosis. Moreover, downregulation of CPLX2 promotes the apoptosis of HCC cells by flow cytometry and TUNEL assay. And upregulation of NRF2 can partly reverse the inhibitory effect of CPLX2-downregulation on ferroptosis and apoptosis. Finally, we found downregulation of CPLX2 aggravates cell death induced by sorafenib. CPXL2 regulates ferroptosis and apoptosis through NRF2 pathway, and CPLX2 knockdown promotes cell death induced by sorafenib. CPLX2 might be an effective target for therapy patients with HCC.

Effects of oily fish and its fatty acid intake on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease development among South Korean adults.

Background: The benefits of fish fatty acid intake for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are rarely reported, although a previous study assessed the relationship between oily fish consumption and the prevalence of NAFLD. Aims: We investigated whether oily fish and fish-based monounsaturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and omega-3 fatty acids affect the development of NAFLD in South Korean adults. Methods: In this large-scale cohort study, 44,139 participants of the Health Examinees study were selected for analysis after 5 years of follow-up. NAFLD is diagnosed with a non-invasive index, the fatty liver index. Using multivariable Cox proportional hazards models, adjusted for age, body mass index, total energy intake, education, physical activity, smoking status, and drinking (alcohol) status, we calculated the hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Results: For men, NAFLD had no statistically significant associations with quartiles of total oily fish or its fatty acid intake. However, among women, an inverse association was observed (all p for trend <0.05). Regarding the standard deviation (SD) increment of total oily fish or its fatty acid intake by one, all fatty acids from oily fish showed inverse associations for NAFLD in both men and women. After stratified analyses, we found that drinking status and menopause status were independent risk factors for NAFLD. Oily fish or its fatty acid intake has the same benefit pattern on metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease as NAFLD. Conclusion: Oily fish and its fatty acid intake showed a preventative benefit for NAFLD and metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease, especially in South Korean women.

Association between the mediterranean diet and cognitive health among healthy adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: An increasing prevalence of cognitive disorders warrants comprehensive systematic reviews on the effect of diet on cognitive health. Studies have suggested that the Mediterranean (MeDi) diet has protective effects against metabolic diseases. However, comprehensive systematic reviews on the effect of the MeDi diet on the cognitive decline are limited. We investigated whether adherence to the MeDi diet could lower the risk of the cognitive disorder or improve cognitive function in older adults. Methods: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, PubMed, Web of Science, PsycINFO, Scopus, and Cochrane databases were searched from inception to June 2021. Cohort studies and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included. The effect sizes were estimated as log risk ratios and standard mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The Newcastle-Ottawa score and Cochrane Collaboration's tool were used to assess the risk of bias in cohort studies and RCTs, respectively. Results: Of the 1,687 screened studies, 31 cohort studies and five RCTs met the eligibility criteria for qualitative analysis; 26 cohort studies and two RCTs were included in the meta-analysis. In the cohort studies, high adherence to the MeDi diet was associated with lower risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) [risk ratio (RR) = 0.75 (0.66-0.86)], and Alzheimer's disease (AD) [RR = 0.71 (0.56-0.89)]. In the RCTs, high adherence to the MeDi diet was associated with better episodic [SMD = 0.20 (0.09-0.30)] and working memories [SMD = 0.17 (0.01-0.32)] than lowest group. Conclusion: Adherence to the MeDi diet may reduce the risk of MCI and AD. However, other associations with cognitive outcomes (global cognition, working memory, and episodic memory) remain open to interpretation. Overall, the MeDi diet is recommended to prevent or delay cognitive disorders and improve cognitive function. Further, long-term RCTs are warranted to strengthen the evidence. Systematic review registration: [https://www.crd.york.ac.uk], identifier [CRD42021276801].

The association between fruit and vegetable consumption and metabolic syndrome in Korean adults: does multivitamin use matter?

OBJECTIVES: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is closely associated with dietary intake; however, few studies have investigated whether the consumption of fruits and vegetables and multivitamin use affect MetS in the Korean population. This study aimed to examine these effects in Korean adults. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of 89,548 participants aged between 40 years and 69 years selected from the baseline data of the Health Examinees study conducted in Korea. Fresh vegetable and fruit consumption was assessed using a validated 106-item food frequency questionnaire. MetS and its components were defined using the National Cholesterol Education Program, Adult Treatment Panel III criteria. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify associations of fresh vegetable, fruit, and fresh vegetable+fruit consumption and multivitamin use with the prevalence of MetS. RESULTS: Female in the highest quartile of fresh vegetable, fruit, and fresh vegetable + fruit consumption exhibited a lower prevalence of MetS than those in the lowest quartile. An inverse association with the prevalence of MetS was observed among male with only fresh vegetable consumption. The interaction between the 3 categories and multivitamin intake on the prevalence of MetS was not significant (all pinteraction>0.05), regardless of sex. CONCLUSIONS: Multivitamin use and consumption of fresh vegetables and fruits had no significant synergistic effects. Although fresh vegetable and fruit consumption showed an inverse association with the prevalence of MetS, this relationship was not altered by multivitamin use.

Dietary antioxidant consumption and the risk of type 2 diabetes in South Korean adults: a prospective cohort study based on the Health Examinees study.

OBJECTIVES: Antioxidants are common dietary compounds with multiple health benefits. This study aimed to identify the association between dietary antioxidant consumption and the incidence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) mellitus (defined using the Korean Diabetes Association criteria) in South Korean adults. DESIGN: Baseline and follow-up data from the Health Examinees (HEXA) study, a large-scale community-based genomic cohort study conducted in South Korea SETTING: A South Korean community. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 20 594 participants, aged 40-79 years, who participated in the baseline and follow-up surveys of the HEXA study were included. After an average of 5 years of follow-up, there were 332 men and 360 women with T2D. RESULTS: Participants with the highest total flavonoid consumption (Q5) had a lower risk of T2D (men: HR 0.63; 95% CI 0.42 to 0.93; p value for trend=0.0169; and women: HR 0.54; 95% CI 0.438 to 0.78; p value for trend=0.0001) than those with the lowest consumption (Q1). Dietary total antioxidant capacity was significantly inversely associated with the development of T2D mellitus in women participants alone (HR 0.58; 95% CI 0.40 to 0.83; p value for trend=0.0004). Stratified analyses according to age and body mass index (BMI) showed that dietary total flavonoid consumption and total antioxidant capacity had a negative association with the development of T2D in women aged >52 years and women with BMI >25 kg/m2. CONCLUSIONS: Dietary flavonoid consumption and total antioxidant capacity were associated with a lower risk of T2D in South Korean adults, especially in women aged >52 years and overweight. The findings of this study may provide reference data for the modification of dietary guidelines for South Koreans.

The Value of Circulating microRNAs for Diagnosis and Prediction of Preeclampsia: a Meta-analysis and Systematic Review.

Preeclampsia (PE) is one of the main causes of maternal death worldwide, but our understanding of the molecular characteristics of disease progression is limited. In this meta-analysis, we aimed to assess the value of peripheral blood microRNAs (miRNAs) as diagnostic and predictive markers of PE. We screened PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase databases; searched articles about "miRNAs and PE" up to November 30, 2020; and conducted biological information and subgroup analysis. We used QUADAS-2 (quality assessment of diagnostic accuracy studies-2) to evaluate the included articles by two independent reviewers, calculated the combined diagnostic and predictive indicators using the random effects model, explored the sources of potential heterogeneity through subgroup analysis, and evaluated publication bias using Deeks' funnel plot asymmetry test using Stata 14.0 and Review Manager 5.3 software. Forty-three miRNAs from 15 studies, including 2042 healthy controls and 2685 PE patients, had a pooled sensitivity of 0.86 (95% CI: 0.81-0.90), specificity of 0.89 (95% CI: 0.85-0.92), and an AUC of 0.94 (95% CI: 0.91-0.96). Moreover, before 20 weeks of gestation, the combined sensitivity was 0.86 (95% CI: 0.75-0.92), and the specificity was 0.90 (95% CI: 0.83-0.95), which indicated that some of the circulating miRNAs had changed significantly before the clinical symptoms appeared in PE patients. Circulating miRNAs have high diagnostic and predictive accuracy and may be used as non-invasive biomarkers for the diagnosis and prediction of PE. However, a large sample prospective study is still needed.

Coffee Consumption and the Risk of All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality in the Korean Population.

BACKGROUND: There is a dearth of information regarding the association between coffee consumption and its health effects with respect to mortality among Korean people. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the association between coffee consumption and all-cause mortality and cause-specific mortality risks in the Korean population. DESIGN: This prospective cohort study had a median follow-up period of 9.1 years. PARTICIPANTS/SETTING: In total, 173,209 participants aged 40 years and older from the Health Examinees study were enrolled between 2004 and 2013. The analytic sample included 110,920 participants without diabetes, cardiovascular disease (CVD), or cancer at baseline who could be linked with their death information. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Deaths of participants until December 31, 2018 were ascertained using the death certificate database of the National Statistical Office. Cause of death was classified according to the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision. STATISTICAL ANALYSES PERFORMED: Participants were categorized according to the amount and type of coffee consumed. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was performed to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) and 95%CI of all-cause mortality and cause-specific mortality, such as CVD and cancer mortality. RESULTS: Compared with nonconsumers of coffee, participants who consumed > 3 cups/day had a reduced risk of all-cause mortality (HR 0.79, 95% CI 0.66 to 0.95). Participants who consumed ≤1 cup/day and 1 to 3 cups/day had a reduced risk of CVD mortality (≤1 cup/day: HR 0.58, 95% CI 0.69 to 0.94; 1 to 3 cups/day: HR 0.62, 95% CI 0.41 to 0.96). CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence that greater coffee consumption is associated with a decreased risk of all-cause mortality and moderate coffee consumption (approximately 3 cups/day) is associated with a decreased risk of CVD mortality, regardless of the type of coffee, in a Korean population.

The Association Between Coffee Consumption and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in the South Korean General Population.

SCOPE: To identify the cross-sectional and prospective association between coffee consumption and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) among South Korean adults. METHODS AND RESULTS: Participants are selected from the Health Examinees study. NAFLD is defined using three non-invasive indexes: fatty liver index (FLI), hepatic steatosis index, and fibrosis-4 calculator (FIB-4). In the cross-sectional analysis, higher habitual coffee consumption is associated with a lower risk for NAFLD, define using the FLI, (men, odds ratio [OR] 0.702; women, OR 0.810) compared with non-consumers. Participants who consumed coffee with sugar and creamer also have a lower risk for NAFLD, defined using the FIB-4, compared with non-coffee-consumers (men, OR 0.739; women, OR 0.807). A prospective analysis indicated that higher coffee consumption is associated with a lower incidence of NAFLD, defined using the FLI, in men (hazard ratio, 0.706). In both men and women, a lower FIB-4 index score is associated with higher coffee consumption regardless of coffee type (all p-value <0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Coffee consumption of >3 cups per day has a protective effect against the development of NAFLD to a certain extent, and a negative association is found between coffee consumed with sugar and creamer and the FIB-4 index score in South Korean adults.

Serum lactate dehydrogenase activities as systems biomarkers for 48 types of human diseases.

Most human diseases are systems diseases, and systems biomarkers are better fitted for diagnostic, prognostic, and treatment monitoring purposes. To search for systems biomarker candidates, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), a housekeeping protein expressed in all living cells, was investigated. To this end, we analyzed the serum LDH activities from 172,933 patients with 48 clinically defined diseases and 9528 healthy individuals. Based on the median values, we found that 46 out of 48 diseases, leading by acute myocardial infarction, had significantly increased (p < 0.001), whereas gout and cerebral ischemia had significantly decreased (p < 0.001) serum LDH activities compared to the healthy control. Remarkably, hepatic encephalopathy and lung fibrosis had the highest AUCs (0.89, 0.80), sensitivities (0.73, 0.56), and specificities (0.90, 0.91) among 48 human diseases. Statistical analysis revealed that over-downregulation of serum LDH activities was associated with blood-related cancers and diseases. LDH activities were potential systems biomarker candidates (AUCs > 0.8) for hepatic encephalopathy and lung fibrosis.

Association of Coffee Consumption and Its Types According to Addition of Sugar and Creamer with Metabolic Syndrome Incidence in a Korean Population from the Health Examinees (HEXA) Study.

Coffee is widely consumed worldwide, and numerous studies indicate that coffee consumption may potentially affect the development of chronic diseases. Metabolic syndrome (MetS) may constitute a risk factor for chronic diseases. We aimed to prospectively evaluate the association between coffee consumption and MetS incidence. All participants were selected from the Health Examinees study. MetS was defined by the Adult Treatment Panel III criteria of the National Cholesterol Education Program. A multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to assess the relationship between coffee consumption and MetS incidence. In comparison with non-consumers, male moderate consumers (≤3 cups/day) showed a lower risk for low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (≤1 cup/day, hazard ratio (HR): 0.445, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.254-0.780; 1-3 cups/day, HR: 0.507, 95% CI: 0.299-0.859) and high fasting blood glucose (FPG) (≤1 cup/day, HR: 0.694, 95% CI: 0.538-0.895; 1-3 cups/day, HR: 0.763, 95% CI: 0.598-0.972). Male 3-in-1 coffee (coffee with sugar and creamer) consumers also showed a lower risk for low HDL-C (HR: 0.423, 95% CI: 0.218-0.824) and high FPG (HR: 0.659, 95% CI: 0.497-0.874). These findings indicate a negative association between moderate coffee consumption and low HDL-C and high FPG among Korean male adults.

Association between Three Low-Carbohydrate Diet Scores and Lipid Metabolism among Chinese Adults.

This study investigated the blood lipid levels of 5921 Chinese adults aged >18 years using data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey 2009. Diet information was collected through 3 day, 24 h recalls by trained professionals. The low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) score was determined according to the percentage of energy obtained from carbohydrate, protein, and fat consumption. Dyslipidemia was defined when one or more of the following abnormal lipid levels were observed: high cholesterol levels, high triglyceride levels, and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. Multivariate adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated using logistic regression models. After adjusting the confounding variables, in males, the OR of hypercholesterolemia was 1.87 (95% CI, 1.23-2.85; p for trend = 0.0017) and the OR of hypertriglyceridemia was 1.47 (95% CI, 1.04-2.06; p for trend = 0.0336), on comparing the highest and lowest quartiles of the LCD score. The animal-based LCD score showed a similar trend. The OR of hypercholesterolemia was 2.15 (95% CI, 1.41-3.29; p for trend = 0.0006) and the OR of hypertriglyceridemia was 1.51 (95% CI, 1.09-2.10; p for trend = 0.0156). However, there was no significant difference between plant-based LCD scores and dyslipidemia. In females, lipid profiles did not differ much among the quartiles of LCD scores-only the animal-based LCD score was statistically significant with hypercholesterolemia. The OR of hypercholesterolemia was 1.64 (95% CI, 1.06-2.55), on comparing the highest and lowest quartiles of the LCD score. In conclusion, a higher LCD score, indicating lower carbohydrate intake and higher fat intake, especially animal-based fat, was significantly associated with higher odds of hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia in Chinese males. Future studies investigating the potential mechanisms by which macronutrient types and sex hormones affect lipid metabolism are required.