Association of meal timing of energy, macronutrients and foods with hypercholesterolaemia in the US adults.

Few studies examined the association of energy, macronutrients and food consumption at dinner v. breakfast with hypercholesterolaemia. A total of 27 911 participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2003-2016) were included in the cross-sectional study. Energy, macronutrients and food consumption at breakfast, dinner and the difference at dinner v. breakfast (Δratio) were calculated. Multiple logistic regression models and substitution effects of foods at dinner with breakfast were also performed. After adjustment for potential covariates, compared with the lowest quintile, participants in the highest quintile of Δratio in terms of energy had a higher risk of prevalent hypercholesterolaemia (ORΔratio of energy 1·16, 95 % CI (1·01, 1·33)) mainly due to Δratio of low-quality carbohydrates and plant protein (ORΔratio of low-quality carbohydrates 1·19; 95 % CI (1·05, 1·35)); ORΔratio of plant protein 1·13; 95 % CI (1·01, 1·28)). ΔAdded sugars and Δnuts were associated with hypercholesterolaemia (ORΔadded sugars 1·01; 95 % CI (1·00, 1·02)); ORΔnuts 1·08; 95 % CI (1·01, 1·16)). Furthermore, the substitution of added sugars, nuts and processed meat at dinner with breakfast could reduce the OR of hypercholesterolaemia. This study indicated that among US adults, overconsumption of energy, macronutrients including low-quality carbohydrates and plant protein at dinner than breakfast was significantly associated with a higher risk of prevalent hypercholesterolaemia. The replacing of added sugar, nuts and processed meat at dinner with breakfast reduced the risk of prevalent hypercholesterolaemia. This study emphasised the importance of meal timing in the prevention of hypercholesterolaemia.

The association of diet carbohydrates consumption with cognitive function among US older adults modification by daily fasting duration.

Dietary carbohydrate consumption was related to cognitive function. Whereas, there was no study investigate the association of dietary carbohydrate consumption with cognitive function modification by daily fasting duration. This study aims to examine the association between dietary carbohydrate consumption and cognitive function among participants with different daily fasting duration. In this cross-sectional study, 2485 adults aged over 60 years from the nationally representative data of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES, 2011-2014) were enrolled. Percentage energy from carbohydrates was present in both quartiles and continuous forms. Daily fasting duration = 24 - (timing for dinner - breakfast). Cognitive function was assessed by the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease Word List Learning (CERAD-WL), CERAD Word List Delayed Recall (CERAD-DR), Animal Fluency (AF), and Digit Symbol Substitution (DSST) Test. Multiple logistic regression and linear regression models were developed to examine the association of dietary carbohydrates with cognitive function among participants with different daily fasting duration. Restricted cubic spline models were also applied. Compared with the lowest quartile of percentage energy from carbohydrates, the highest quartile had higher ORs of poor cognitive performance among total participants [(ORCERAD-WL 1.84 95% CI 1.25-2.71); (ORCERAD-DR 1.45 95% CI 1.10-1.91)] and participants with daily fasting duration fewer than 16 h [(ORCERAD-WL 2.14 95% CI 1.29-3.55); (ORCERAD-DR 1.51 95% CI 1.05-2.17)] but not in participants with daily fasting duration of more than 16 h. Further, the negative associations between percentage energy from carbohydrates and CERAD-WL score were still significant in addition to participants whose daily fasting duration was more than 16 h. Additionally, dose-response associations were detected between dietary carbohydrates and cognitive decline, while "U" curves were observed among participants whose daily fasting duration was more than 16 h. This study indicated that dietary carbohydrates consumption was associated with poor cognitive performance, but not in participants whose daily fasting duration was more than 16 h among US older adults. The current analysis provides evidence that a longer daily fasting duration may improve the harmful effect of dietary carbohydrates on cognitive function.

Relationship Between Carbohydrate Intake (Quantity, Quality, and Time Eaten) and Mortality (Total, Cardiovascular, and Diabetes): Assessment of 2003-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Participants.

OBJECTIVE: In this study we investigated the association of the quantity, quality, and timing of carbohydrate intake with all-cause, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and diabetes mortality. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: This secondary data analysis included use of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2003-2014) and National Death Index data from adults (n = 27,623) for examination of the association of total daily and differences in carbohydrate intake with mortality. Participants were categorized into four carbohydrate intake patterns based on the median values of daily high- and low-quality carbohydrate intake. The differences (Δ) in carbohydrate intake between dinner and breakfast were calculated (Δ = dinner - breakfast). Cox regression models were used. RESULTS: The participants who consumed more high-quality carbohydrates throughout the day had lower all-cause mortality risk (hazard ratio [HR] 0.88; 95% CI 0.79-0.99), whereas more daily intake of low-quality carbohydrates was related to greater all-cause mortality risk (HR 1.13; 95% CI: 1.01-1.26). Among participants whose daily high- and low-quality carbohydrate intake were both below the median, the participants who consumed more high-quality carbohydrates at dinner had lower CVD (HR 0.70; 95% CI 0.52-0.93) and all-cause mortality (HR 0.82; 95% CI 0.70-0.97) risk; an isocaloric substitution of 1 serving low-quality carbohydrates intake at dinner with high-quality reduced the CVD and all-cause mortality risks by 25% and 19%. There was greater diabetes mortality among the participants who consumed more low-quality carbohydrates at dinner (HR 1.78; 95% CI 1.02-3.11), although their daily high-quality carbohydrate intake was above the median. CONCLUSIONS: Consuming more low-quality carbohydrates at dinner was associated with greater diabetes mortality, whereas consuming more high-quality carbohydrates at dinner was associated with lower all-cause and CVD mortality irrespective of the total daily quantity and quality of carbohydrates.

Dynamic Variation of Amino Acid Contents and Identification of Sterols in Xinyang Mao Jian Green Tea.

As important biomolecules in Camellia sinensis L., amino acids (AAs) are considered to contribute to the overall green tea sensory quality and undergo dynamic changes during growth. However, limited by analytical capacity, detailed AAs composition in different growth stages remains unclear. To address this question, we analyzed the dynamic changes of 23 AAs during leaf growth in Xinyang Mao Jian (XYMJ) green tea. Using amino acid analyzer, we demonstrated that most AAs are abundant on Pure Brightness Day and Grain Rain Day. After Grain Rain, 23 AAs decreased significantly. Further analysis shows that theanine has a high level on the day before Spring Equinox and Grain Rain, accounting for 44-61% of the total free AAs content in tea leaves. Glu, Pro, and Asp are the second most abundant AAs. Additionally, spinasterol and 22,23-dihydrospinasterol are first purified and identified in ethanol extract of XYMJ by silica gel column chromatography method. This study reveals the relationship between plucking days and the dynamic changes of AAs during the growth stage and proves the rationality of the traditional plucking days of XYMJ green tea.

The Association of Dietary Fiber Intake in Three Meals with All-Cause and Disease-Specific Mortality among Adults: The U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2003-2014.

The timing of food intake can significantly alter the body's metabolism of nutrient intake and affect the occurrence of chronic diseases. However, whether and how the intake time of dietary fiber could influence mortality risks is largely unknown. This study aims to reveal the association between total dietary fiber intake and fiber intake at different times with all-cause, cancer, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality rates. A total of 31,164 adults who enrolled in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2003 to 2014 are included in this study. Dietary fiber intake was measured using 2-day, 24 h dietary recall. The main exposures in this study were the intake of dietary fiber at breakfast, lunch, and dinner via regression analysis of the residual method. The main outcomes were the all-cause, cancer, and CVD mortality rates. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to evaluate the survival relationship between dietary fiber intake at different times and mortality rates. Among the 31,164 adults, 2915 deaths, including 631 deaths due to cancer and 836 deaths due to CVD, were documented. Firstly, after adjusting for potential confounders, compared to the participants in the lowest quintile of total dietary fiber intake, the participants in the highest quintile of fiber intake had lower all-cause (HR = 0.686, 95% CI: 0.589−0.799, p for trend <0.001) and cancer (HR = 0.606, 95% CI: 0.446−0.824, p for trend = 0.015) mortality risks. Secondly, compared to the participants in the lowest quintile of dietary fiber intake at dinner, the participants in the highest quintile of fiber intake had lower all-cause (HR = 0.796, 95% CI: 0.668−0.949, p for trend = 0.009) and cancer (HR = 0.564, 95% CI: 0.388−0.822, p for trend = 0.005) mortality risks. Furthermore, equivalently replacing each standard deviation of dietary fiber consumed at breakfast with that at dinner was associated with lower cancer mortality risks (HR = 0.846, 95% CI: 0.747−0.958). In conclusion, this study demonstrates that, in the NHANES (2003−2014) cohort, to reduce all-cause and cancer mortality risks, the optimal dietary fiber intake time is in the evening.

Relationship between working stress and anxiety of medical workers in the COVID-19 situation: A moderated mediation model.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a lot of working stress to medical workers and has a certain impact on their mental health. Working stress is closely related to the increase in anxiety, but few studies have explored whether their relationship will be affected by positive psychological factors in the special situation. METHODS: 798 medical workers were investigated online after the outbreak of the COVID-19 (10 February to 1 March 2020) in China. The relevant questionnaires were used to evaluate working stress, anxiety, sense of control, and psychological capital. The moderated mediation model test was performed using the SPSS software and PROCESS macro program. RESULTS: Working stress could directly affect anxiety, and indirectly affect anxiety through sense of control. In addition, psychological capital moderated the direct effect of working stress on anxiety, which is more effective at high level of psychological capital. Psychological capital also moderated the second half of the indirect effect of working stress on anxiety, at low level of psychological capital, sense of control was more effective in predicting anxiety. LIMITATIONS: All the data in this study was collected through online questionnaire. The anxiety response measured in this study cannot be specific to the viral epidemic. CONCLUSIONS: Under the COVID-19 epidemic situation, for medical workers, low sense of control and low level of psychological capital may be important risk factors of anxiety caused by working stress. Thus, strengthening the sense of control and psychological capital of medical workers would be helpful to reduce their anxiety and maintain their mental health.

Twenty-Year Trajectory-Patterns of Percentage Energy From Dietary Fat vs. Carbohydrate Throughout Adult Life and Associations With Cardio-Metabolic Disease and All-Cause Mortality.

Background: The health impacts of dietary fat-to-energy ratio (FER) compared to carbohydrate-to-energy ratio (CER) are widely discussed topics in public health. This study aimed to assess the health impacts of FER and CER by establishing trajectory-patterns of FER and CER over the course of adult life. Methods: This study used the weighted longitudinal data of the China Health and Nutrition Survey, including eight surveys from 1991 to 2011. The trajectories of FER and CER were determined via latent class trajectory modeling. The trajectories were then cross-grouped into different trajectory-patterns. Multivariate Cox regression models were used to assess the relationship between these trajectory-patterns and cardio-metabolic diseases and all-cause mortality. Ten thousand nine hundred and twenty-six adults with a total of 50,693 observations across eight surveys were included. Results: Compared to the trajectory-pattern of persistently low-FER (increased from 10 to 20%) and moderate-CER (stable and ranging from 55 to 65%) over the adult life-course, the two trajectory-patterns that showed changing to high-FER and low-CER were significantly associated with obesity [HR 1.83 [95% CI, 1.10-3.04]; HR 1.46 [95% CI, 1.02-2.17]], diabetes [HR 1.80 [95% CI, 1.03-3.16]; HR 1.49 [95% CI, 1.01-2.25]], and all-cause mortality [HR 2.29 [95% CI, 1.35-3.87]; HR 1.62 [95% CI, 1.18-2.22]]. In contrast, the trajectory-pattern of a persistently low-FER and high-CER diet was not associated with obesity [HR 1.19 [95% CI, 0.82-1.17]], diabetes [HR 1.41 [95% CI, 0.98-2.02]], cardiovascular-disease [HR 1.48 [95% CI, 0.91-2.39]], and all-cause mortality [HR 1.23 [95% CI, 0.94-1.61]]. Conclusions: This study indicates that changing to a high-FER and low-CER diet over the course of adult life was significantly associated with obesity, diabetes, and all-cause mortality in the Chinese adult population. In addition, low-FER and high-CER were not associated with cardio-metabolic disease and all-cause mortality. These observations may provide insights into nutritional policy and dietary guidelines.

Meal Timing of Subtypes of Macronutrients Consumption With Cardiovascular Diseases: NHANES, 2003 to 2016.

CONTEXT: Emerging evidence suggests that not only the quantity but also the quality and food sources of macronutrients plays an important role in CVD. However, limited studies have examined the association of meal timing of different quality of macronutrients with CVD risk. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the association of subtypes of macronutrient consumption at dinner vs breakfast with cardiovascular diseases (CVD). METHODS: A total of 27 911 participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2003-2016) were included. The differences of subtypes of macronutrients at dinner vs breakfast (Δratio) were categorized into quintiles. Multiple logistic regression models and isocaloric substitution effects of subtypes were performed. RESULTS: After adjustment of a variety of covariates, participants in the highest quintile of the Δratio of low-quality carbohydrates had a higher risk of angina (odds ratio [OR] = 1.63; 95% CI, 1.16-2.29) (Pfor trend = .007) and heart attack (OR = 1.47; 95% CI, 1.13-1.93) (Pfor trend = .068) compared with the lowest quintile. The highest quintile of the Δratio of animal protein had a higher risk of coronary heart disease (OR = 1.44; 95% CI, 1.06-1.95) (Pfor trend = .014) and angina (OR = 1.44; 95% CI, 1.01-2.07) (Pfor trend = .047). For the Δratio of unsaturated fatty acid (USFA), the highest quintile of the Δratio of USFA was related to lower stroke risk (OR = 0.76; 95% CI, 0.58-0.99) (Pfor trend = .049). Isocaloric substitution of low-quality carbohydrates/animal protein by high-quality carbohydrates/plant protein at dinner reduced CVD risk by around 10%. CONCLUSION: This study indicated that overconsumption of low-quality carbohydrates and animal protein at dinner rather than breakfast was significantly associated with higher CVD risk and USFA consumption at dinner related to lower CVD risk among US adults. Substitution of low-quality carbohydrates or animal protein by high-quality carbohydrates or plant protein at dinner could reduce CVD risk.

Third-hand smoke exposure is associated with abnormal serum melatonin level via hypomethylation of CYP1A2 promoter: Evidence from human and animal studies.

This study aimed to examine whether and how third-hand smoke (THS) exposure would influence serum melatonin level. 1083 participants with or without exposure to THS were enrolled. Serum ROS, SOD, GSH-Px, and melatonin were measured by ELISA. Methylation microarrays detection and WGCNA were performed to identify hub methylated-sites. The methylation levels of hub-sites were validated in addtional samples. Moreover, mice were exposed to THS for 6 months mimicking exposure of human and the serum, liver, and pineal were collected. Oxidative stress-related indicators in serum, pineal, and liver were measured by ELISA. The expressions of mRNA and protein and methylation levels of hub-gene discovered in human data were further explored by RT-PCR, western-blot, and TBS. The results showed the participants exposed to THS had lower melatonin-level. 820 differentially methylated sites associated with THS were identified. And the hub-site located on the CYP1A2 promoter was identified, which mediated the association between THS and decreased melatonin-level. Decreased peak of serum melatonin, increased ROS and reduced SOD and GSH-Px in pineal and liver, and elevated CYP1A2 expression in liver was also found in the THS-exposed mice. Hypo-methylation of 7 CPG sites on the CYP1A2 promoter was identified, which accelerated the catabolism of melatonin. Overall, THS exposure is associated with abnormal melatonin catabolism through hypo-methylation of CYP1A2-promoter.

The association of 14-year dietary cholesterol trajectories with the risk of cardio-metabolic diseases, all-cause mortality and serum lipids.

OBJECTIVES: The effect of dietary cholesterol consumption on health effects and serum lipids remains controversial. This study aimed to examine the association of dietary cholesterol trajectories over 14 years in China with the risk of cardio-metabolic diseases and all-cause mortality and serum lipids. METHODS: This study used weighted longitudinal data of 8952 adults from the China Health and Nutrition Survey, and subgroup analyses included 5466 adults who provided blood samples. Latent class trajectory modelling was performed to examine cholesterol trajectories. Cox regression models and general linear regressions were performed to examine the association between trajectories and outcomes. RESULTS: Compared to the participants with persistently low dietary cholesterol intake, participants with gradually increasing cholesterol intake throughout adulthood were more likely to have hypertension (HR = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.28) and to die due to all causes (HR = 2.19, 95% CI: 1.57, 3.05). Moreover, participants with persistently high cholesterol intake were more likely to die due to all causes (HR = 2.26, 95% CI 1.47, 3.47). The total cholesterol (TC):HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio and apolipoprotein B (ApoB) in these two groups were also significantly elevated compared to the group with persistently low dietary cholesterol intake (all P < 0.05). An association between trajectories of cholesterol and the incidence of diabetes was also observed; however, such an association became non significant after additional adjustment for other nutrients, food consumption and social environment. CONCLUSIONS: Gradually increasing or persistently high cholesterol consumption throughout adulthood was significantly associated with an increased risk of hypertension and all-cause mortality with elevated serum lipids.

Impact of overall diet quality on association between alcohol consumption and risk of hypertension: evidence from two national surveys with multiple ethnics.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Alcohol is commonly consumed around mealtimes. This study hypothesized that the association between alcohol and hypertension was influenced by overall diet quality. This study aims to test the hypothesis that overall diet quality influenced associations between alcohol and risk of hypertension across different ethnicities. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Using nationally representative data from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey(NHANES 03-12), China Health Nutrition Survey (CHNS), and an independent population-based study, 43,914 adults were included. Subgroup analysis included 6984 adults from CHNS with a 14-year follow-up. Light alcohol consumption was defined as <7standard drinks/week, moderate as 7-21 drinks/week, and heavy as >21 drinks/week. Alternative healthy eating index and diet balance index were calculated as indicators of diet quality. RESULTS: There were 3968 hypertensives in Caucasians (N = 11,325), 1976 in Africans (N = 5010), 1907 in Hispanics (N = 7274) and 5267 (N = 20,305) in Chinese. In context of high diet quality, light alcohol consumption was significantly associated with decreased risk of hypertension in Caucasians, and the risk of hypertension was not significantly increased with increasing in alcohol consumption in Caucasians, Chinese, and Hispanics (all Pfor trend > 0.05). On the contrary, in context of low diet quality, the risk of hypertension was significantly increased with increasing in alcohol consumption in Caucasians (Pfor trend = 0.005), Chinese (Pfor trend = 0.001) and Hispanics (Pfor trend = 0.022). Associations between alcohol consumption and risk of hypertension significantly varied by diet-quality scores in Caucasians, Hispanics, and Chinese (all Pfor interaction < 0.01) showing gradually changing from nonsignificant increasing trend to linear association. CONCLUSIONS: This study firstly demonstrated that overall diet quality influenced associations between alcohol and risk of hypertension across different ethnicities, emphasizing that when examining health effects of alcohol on blood pressure, diet quality should be considered.

Is There a "Biological Desert" With the Discovery of New Plant Viruses? A Retrospective Analysis for New Fruit Tree Viruses.

High throughput sequencing technologies accelerated the pace of discovery and identification of new viral species. Nevertheless, biological characterization of a new virus is a complex and long process, which can hardly follow the current pace of virus discovery. This review has analyzed 78 publications of new viruses and viroids discovered from 32 fruit tree species since 2011. The scientific biological information useful for a pest risk assessment and published together with the discovery of a new fruit tree virus or viroid has been analyzed. In addition, the 933 publications citing at least one of these original publications were reviewed, focusing on the biology-related information provided. In the original publications, the scientific information provided was the development of a detection test (94%), whole-genome sequence including UTRs (92%), local and large-scale epidemiological surveys (68%), infectivity and indicators experiments (50%), association with symptoms (25%), host range infection (23%), and natural vector identification (8%). The publication of a new virus is cited 2.8 times per year on average. Only 18% of the citations reported information on the biology or geographical repartition of the new viruses. These citing publications improved the new virus characterization by identifying the virus in a new country or continent, determining a new host, developing a new diagnostic test, studying genome or gene diversity, or by studying the transmission. Based on the gathered scientific information on the virus biology, the fulfillment of a recently proposed framework has been evaluated. A baseline prioritization approach for publishing a new plant virus is proposed for proper assessment of the potential risks caused by a newly identified fruit tree virus.

Effects of Host-Adaptive Mutations on Hop Stunt Viroid Pathogenicity and Small RNA Biogenesis.

Accidental transmission of hop stunt viroid (HSVd) from grapevine to hop has led to several epidemics of hop stunt disease with convergent evolution of HSVd-g(rape) into HSVd-h(op) containing five mutations. However, the biological function of these five mutations remains unknown. In this study, we compare the biological property of HSVd-g and HSVd-h by bioassay and analyze HSVd-specific small RNA (HSVd-sRNA) using high-throughput sequencing. The bioassay indicated an association of these five mutations with differences in infectivity, replication capacity, and pathogenicity between HSVd-g and HSVd-h, e.g., HSVd-g induced more severe symptoms than HSVd-h in cucumber. Site-directed mutagenesis of HSVd-g showed that the mutation at position 54 increased pathogenicity. HSVd-sRNA analysis of cucumber and hop plants infected with different HSVd variants showed that several sRNA species containing adaptive nucleotides were specifically down-regulated in plants infected with HSVd-h. Several HSVd-sRNAs containing adaptive mutations were predicted to target cucumber genes, but changes in the levels of these genes were not directly correlated with changes in symptom expression. Furthermore, expression levels of two other cucumber genes targeted by HSVd-RNAs, encoding ethylene-responsive transcription factor ERF011, and trihelix transcription factor GTL2, were altered by HSVd infection. The possible relationship between these two genes to HSVd pathogenicity is discussed.

RNA-Seq Reveals Hawthorn Tree as a New Natural Host for Apple Necrotic Mosaic Virus, Possibly Associated with Hawthorn Mosaic Disease.

Apple mosaic disease is widespread in the major apple-producing areas in China and is frequently associated with the presence of the newly identified Apple necrotic mosaic virus (ApNMV), belonging to subgroup 3 of Ilarvirus genus in the family of Bromoviridae. Mosaic symptoms were also observed in a hawthorn tree. Deep sequencing revealed the hawthorn tree with mosaic symptom was infected by ApNMV, which was confirmed by RT-PCR. The complete nucleotide sequences of RNA1 (3,378 nt), RNA2 (2,778 nt), and RNA3 (1,917 nt) of ApNMV from the hawthorn were obtained, sharing 93.8 to 96.8%, 89.7 to 96.1%, and 89.8 to 94.6% nucleotide identities with those from apples and crabapples, respectively. Two hypervariable regions were found, which showed 59.2 to 85.7% and 64.0 to 89.3% sequence identities at position 142 to 198 aa and at position 780 to 864 aa in the POL protein, respectively, between the hawthorn isolate and other isolates (apple, crabapple). A grafting test demonstrated that ApNMV was easily transmissible from hawthorns to apple trees, with severe chlorosis, yellowing, mosaic, curling, and necrosis. In addition, a total of 11,685 hawthorn trees were surveyed for the incidence of mosaic disease from five provinces in China, and only six were found showing typical mosaic symptoms. A total of 145 individual trees (six symptomatic, 68 asymptomatic, and 71 other symptoms) were tested for the presence or absence of ApNMV by RT-PCR. Among them, six symptomatic, four asymptomatic, and 10 other symptomatic trees tested positive for ApNMV. Taken together, these results demonstrated that the hawthorn tree was identified as a new natural host for ApNMV with a relatively low frequency (13.8%, 20 out of 145) in the main producing areas, and it was likely to be the causal pathogen of hawthorn mosaic disease.

Prenatal famine exposure and estimated glomerular filtration rate across consecutive generations: association and epigenetic mediation in a population-based cohort study in Suihua China.

Prenatal malnutrition could promote renal dysfunction in adulthood, but it is unclear whether the detrimental effect could be transmitted to the next generation. We investigated whether famine exposure was associated with variation of estimated glomerular filtration rate(eGFR) in two generations and explored the mediation role of methylation alterations. The longitudinal analysis included 2909 participants from Suihua rural area. F1 and F2 generations were divided into non-famine and famine group based on their birth year and exposure status of their parents, respectively. The eGFR was calculated by using the chronic kidney disease epidemiology collaboration equation. We applied mixed-effect models to investigate the association between famine and ΔeGFR and tested blood DNA methylomes in 46 families across two generations. The mediation-analysis models were utilized to examine the mediation effect of methylation alterations on the famine-ΔeGFR association.In mixed-effect models, famine exposure was associated with declined ΔeGFR level in F1(ß:-8.32;95%CI:-11.51,-5.12) and in F2(ß:-6.11;95%CI:-11.88, -0.43). Methylation850K BeadChip data showed only 19 of 961 F1 differentially methylated sites showed concordant alterations in F2. The mediation-analysis results showed methylation alterations on AGTR1 and PRKCA might mediate the famine-ΔeGFR association. Overall, prenatal famine exposure may have long-term effects on eGFR decline across consecutive generations which might be partly mediated by methylation alterations on AGTR1 and PRKCA.

Association of sleep trajectory in adulthood with risk of hypertension and its related risk factors: the China Health and Nutrition Survey.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Few studies have examined the association between sleep duration trajectories and hypertension. This study aims to examine association of sleep duration trajectories with risk of hypertension and its related factors. METHODS: This study used longitudinal data for 7,397 adults who provided valid responses in questionnaire with regard to information of sleep and hypertension from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (2004-2011). Subgroup analyses included 5,532 participants in whom hypertension-related factors were measured using blood samples. Latent class trajectory analysis was used to identify different sleep duration trajectories. Multivariate Cox regression models and general linear regression models were used to assess association of trajectories with hypertension and its related factors. RESULTS: Compared to stable sleep duration around 8 hours, the trajectory showing a persistent decrease in sleep duration with aging was significantly associated with increased risk of hypertension (hazard ratio 1.12, 95% confidence interval 1.01-1.24), whereas no significant association was observed between the trajectory showing an increase in sleep duration to 9 hours with aging and risk of hypertension (hazard ratio 1.05, 95% confidence interval 0.93-1.19). Further, uric acid levels, fasting glucose levels, total cholesterol levels, and apolipoprotein B levels were significantly higher in the trajectory showing a persistent decrease in sleep duration with aging than the other two trajectories (all P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Decreasing sleep duration during aging is significantly associated with increased risk of hypertension and higher levels of its biomarkers throughout adulthood.

Prenatal exposure to the Chinese famine and the risk of metabolic syndrome in adulthood across consecutive generations.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The purpose of our study was to explore the relation of prenatal exposure to the Chinese famine and the risk of metabolic syndrome in adulthood in consecutive generations. SUBJECTS/METHODS: A total of 960 families, including 1920 parents (F1) who were born near the time of the Great Chinese famine and 1145 of their offspring (F2), were selected from the Suihua rural area. Parental participants were defined as nonexposed (born between 1 October 1956 and 30 September 1958 or between 1 October 1962 and 30 September 1964) and famine exposed (born between 1 October 1959 and 30 September 1961). In F2, participants were divided into having no parents exposed to famine, only a mother exposed to famine, only a father exposed to famine or both parents exposed to famine. Metabolic syndrome was defined by the International Diabetes Federation criteria. RESULTS: Exposure to famine during gestation was associated with an increased risk of metabolic syndrome (odds ratio: 2.79, 95% confidence interval: 2.16, 3.60) in F1 adults. However, similar association was not observed (maternal: odds ratio: 1.33, 95% confidence interval: 0.69, 2.52; paternal: odds ratio: 1.67, 95% confidence interval: 0.87, 3.21; parental: odds ratio: 1.25, 95% confidence interval: 0.68, 2.31) in F2 adults. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to the Chinese famine during foetal life was associated with an increased risk of metabolic syndrome in F1 participants. In F2 adults, there might be an important relationship between exposure to famine and the risk of metabolic syndrome with increasing age.

Global Transcriptomic Changes Induced by Infection of Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) with Mild and Severe Variants of Hop Stunt Viroid.

Fifteen years after transfer to hops, hop stunt viroid-grapevine (HSVd-g) was replaced by HSVd-hop (HSVd-h), a sequence variant that contains changes at five different positions. HSVd-g54 is a laboratory mutant derived from HSVd-g that differs from its progenitor by a single G to A substitution at position 54. While infection by HSVd-h induces only mild stunting in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.), HSVd-g54 induces much more severe symptoms in this indicator host. Comparison of transcriptome profiles of cucumber infected with HSVd-h or HSVd-g54 with those of mock-inoculated controls obtained by whole transcriptome shotgun sequencing revealed that many genes related to photosynthesis were down-regulated following infection. In contrast, genes encoding RNA-dependent RNA polymerase 1 (CsRDR1), especially CsRDR1c1 and CsRDR1c2, as well as those related to basal defense responses were up-regulated. Expression of genes associated with phytohormone signaling pathways were also altered, indicating that viroid infection initiates a complex array of changes in the host transcriptome. HSVd-g54 induced an earlier and stronger response than HSVd-h, and further examination of these differences will contribute to a better understanding of the mechanisms that determine viroid pathogenicity.

Infectious cDNA clones of four viroids in Coleus blumei and molecular characterization of their progeny.

Four viroid species infecting Coleus blumei, named Coleus blumei viroid 1-4 (CbVd-1-CbVd-4), and two tentative new viroid species, named CbVd-5 and CbVd-6, have been characterized, for two of which (CbVd-5 and CbVd-6, first reported in 2009), there is no established bioassay. Here, infectious clones were used as inoculums sources and the biological properties of CbVd-1, -3, -5 and -6 were assessed. When dimeric CbVd (+) RNAs synthesized in vitro were bioassayed, the first detection time for the four CbVds was different, ranging from 45 to 300 days. In addition, we confirmed that CbVd-5 and CbVd-6 can be transmitted via seeds. Molecular characterization of their progeny from slash-inoculated plants one year after inoculation demonstrated that the genetic diversity of CbVd populations may depend on the infected coleus plants and on the viroid genotype.