Transgenic ferret models define pulmonary ionocyte diversity and function.

Speciation leads to adaptive changes in organ cellular physiology and creates challenges for studying rare cell-type functions that diverge between humans and mice. Rare cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR)-rich pulmonary ionocytes exist throughout the cartilaginous airways of humans1,2, but limited presence and divergent biology in the proximal trachea of mice has prevented the use of traditional transgenic models to elucidate ionocyte functions in the airway. Here we describe the creation and use of conditional genetic ferret models to dissect pulmonary ionocyte biology and function by enabling ionocyte lineage tracing (FOXI1-CreERT2::ROSA-TG), ionocyte ablation (FOXI1-KO) and ionocyte-specific deletion of CFTR (FOXI1-CreERT2::CFTRL/L). By comparing these models with cystic fibrosis ferrets3,4, we demonstrate that ionocytes control airway surface liquid absorption, secretion, pH and mucus viscosity-leading to reduced airway surface liquid volume and impaired mucociliary clearance in cystic fibrosis, FOXI1-KO and FOXI1-CreERT2::CFTRL/L ferrets. These processes are regulated by CFTR-dependent ionocyte transport of Cl- and HCO3-. Single-cell transcriptomics and in vivo lineage tracing revealed three subtypes of pulmonary ionocytes and a FOXI1-lineage common rare cell progenitor for ionocytes, tuft cells and neuroendocrine cells during airway development. Thus, rare pulmonary ionocytes perform critical CFTR-dependent functions in the proximal airway that are hallmark features of cystic fibrosis airway disease. These studies provide a road map for using conditional genetics in the first non-rodent mammal to address gene function, cell biology and disease processes that have greater evolutionary conservation between humans and ferrets.

Reticulate evolution of the tertiary relict Osmanthus.

When interspecific gene flow is common, species relationships are more accurately represented by a phylogenetic network than by a bifurcating tree. This study aimed to uncover the role of introgression in the evolution of Osmanthus, the only genus of the subtribe Oleinae (Oleaceae) with its distribution center in East Asia. We built species trees, detected introgression, and constructed networks using multiple kinds of sequencing data (whole genome resequencing, transcriptome sequencing, and Sanger sequencing of nrDNA) combined with concatenation and coalescence approaches. Then, based on well-understood species relationships, historical biogeographic analyses and diversification rate estimates were employed to reveal the history of Osmanthus. Osmanthus originated in mid-Miocene Europe and dispersed to the eastern Tibetan Plateau in the late Miocene. Thereafter, it continued to spread eastwards. Phylogenetic conflict is common within the 'Core Osmanthus' clade and is seen at both early and late stages of diversification, leading to hypotheses of net-like species relationships. Incomplete lineage sorting proved ineffective in explaining phylogenetic conflicts and thus supported introgression as the main cause of conflicts. This study elucidates the diversification history of a relict genus in the subtropical regions of eastern Asia and reveals that introgression had profound effects on its evolutionary history.

A novel higher performance nomogram based on explainable machine learning for predicting mortality risk in stroke patients within 30 days based on clinical features on the first day ICU admission.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to develop a higher performance nomogram based on explainable machine learning methods, and to predict the risk of death of stroke patients within 30 days based on clinical characteristics on the first day of intensive care units (ICU) admission. METHODS: Data relating to stroke patients were extracted from the Medical Information Marketplace of the Intensive Care (MIMIC) IV and III database. The LightGBM machine learning approach together with Shapely additive explanations (termed as explain machine learning, EML) was used to select clinical features and define cut-off points for the selected features. These selected features and cut-off points were then evaluated using the Cox proportional hazards regression model and Kaplan-Meier survival curves. Finally, logistic regression-based nomograms for predicting 30-day mortality of stroke patients were constructed using original variables and variables dichotomized by cut-off points, respectively. The performance of two nomograms were evaluated in overall and individual dimension. RESULTS: A total of 2982 stroke patients and 64 clinical features were included, and the 30-day mortality rate was 23.6% in the MIMIC-IV datasets. 10 variables ("sofa (sepsis-related organ failure assessment)", "minimum glucose", "maximum sodium", "age", "mean spo2 (blood oxygen saturation)", "maximum temperature", "maximum heart rate", "minimum bun (blood urea nitrogen)", "minimum wbc (white blood cells)" and "charlson comorbidity index") and respective cut-off points were defined from the EML. In the Cox proportional hazards regression model (Cox regression) and Kaplan-Meier survival curves, after grouping stroke patients according to the cut-off point of each variable, patients belonging to the high-risk subgroup were associated with higher 30-day mortality than those in the low-risk subgroup. The evaluation of nomograms found that the EML-based nomogram not only outperformed the conventional nomogram in NIR (net reclassification index), brier score and clinical net benefits in overall dimension, but also significant improved in individual dimension especially for low "maximum temperature" patients. CONCLUSIONS: The 10 selected first-day ICU admission clinical features require greater attention for stroke patients. And the nomogram based on explainable machine learning will have greater clinical application.

Trajectory of gestational weight gain is related to birthweight: The TAWS cohort study in China.

Few studies have reported the timing and amount of gestational weight gain (GWG) to prevent large-for-gestational-age (LGA) or small-for-gestational-age (SGA). This study aimed to evaluate the association of GWG velocity in each trimester with LGA or SGA based on data from the Taicang and Wuqiang cohort study (TAWS, n = 2008). We used a linear mixed model to evaluate the association of trimester-specific GWG velocity with birthweight categories and stratified by prepregnancy body mass index category and parity. For normal-weight pregnant women, mothers with LGA births had higher GWG velocities than mothers with appropriate-for-gestational-age (AGA) births in the first trimester (0.108 vs. 0.031 kg/week, p < 0.01), second trimester (0.755 vs. 0.631 kg/week, p < 0.01) and third trimester (0.664 vs. 0.594 kg/week, p < 0.01); in contrast, mothers with SGA births had lower GWG velocities than mothers with AGA births in the second trimester (0.528 vs. 0.631 kg/week, p < 0.01) and third trimester (0.541 vs. 0.594 kg/week, p < 0.01). For normal-weight pregnant women with AGA births, multiparous women had lower GWG velocities than primiparous women in the second (0.602 vs. 0.643 kg/week, p < 0.01) and third trimesters (0.553 vs. 0.606 kg/week, p < 0.01). Therefore, for normal-weight women, LGA prevention would begin in early pregnancy and continue until delivery and the second and third trimesters may be critical periods for preventing SGA; in addition, among normal-weight pregnant women with AGA births, multiparous women tend to have lower weight gain velocities than primiparous women.

[Prevalence of and risk factors for perceived absence of breast milk supply in Chinese lactating women in 2013].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence and influencing factors of postpartum perceived absence of breast milk supply among Chinese mothers in 2013. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study based on the data collected from children and mothers under 2 years of age in 2013 as part of the nutrition and health surveillance of Chinese residents. In this study, multistage stratified cluster sampling method was used to select subjects from 55 countires/districts in 30 provinces in China. The perceived absence of breast milk supply was defined as the mother's self-reported absence of breast milk and failure to breastfeed. Breastfeeding knowledge, maternal breastfeeding knowledge and general characteristics were collected through a structured questionnaire. Univariate analysis and Logistic regression were used to analyze the factors associated with perceived absence of breast milk supply. RESULTS: A total of 12091 mothers were included in the study, including 419 in the perceived non-breastfeeding group, the prevalence of perceived absence of breast milk supply was 3.5%. Multivariate Logistic regression showed maternal age(OR=1.04, 95%CI 1.02-1.06), postpartum hemorrhage(OR=2.03, 95%CI 1.30-3.16), and belief that breastfeeding should continue beyond 12 months of age(OR=0.27, 95%CI 0.17-0.45), not knowing how to breastfeed(OR=3.31, 95%CI: 2.31-4.74) were the main influencing factors for perceived absence of breast milk supply after delivery. CONCLUSION: Age, postpartum hemorrhage and knowledge level of breastfeeding are the main risk factors for perceived absence of breast milk supply, and knowledge level of breastfeeding is a modifiable factor.

Enhanced Na+ and Cl- sequestration and secretion selectivity contribute to high salt tolerance in the tetraploid recretohalophyte Plumbago auriculata Lam.

MAIN CONCLUSION: Enhanced secretion of Na+ and Cl- in leaf glands and leaf vacuolar sequestration of Na+ or root retention of Cl-, combined with K+ retention, contribute to the improved salt tolerance of tetraploid recretohalophyte P. auriculata. Salt stress is one of the major abiotic factors threatening plant growth and development, and polyploids generally exhibit higher salt stress resistance than diploids. In recretohalophytes, which secrete ions from the salt gland in leaf epidermal cells, the effects of polyploidization on ion homeostasis and secretion remain unknown. In this study, we compared the morphology, physiology, and ion homeostasis regulation of diploid and autotetraploid accessions of the recretohalophyte Plumbago auriculata Lam. after treatment with 300 mM NaCl for 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 days. The results showed that salt stress altered the morphology, photosynthetic efficiency, and chloroplast structure of diploid P. auriculata to a greater extent than those of its tetraploid counterpart. Moreover, the contents of organic osmoregulatory substances (proline and soluble sugars) were significantly higher in the tetraploid than in the diploid, while those of H2O2 and malondialdehyde (MDA) were significantly lower. Analysis of ion homeostasis revealed that the tetraploid cytotype accumulated more Na+ in stems and leaves and more Cl- in roots but less K+ loss in roots compared with diploid P. auriculata. Additionally, the rate of Na+ and Cl- secretion from the leaf surface was higher, while that of K+, Mg2+, and Ca2+ secretion was lower in tetraploid plants. X-ray microanalysis of mesophyll cells revealed that Na+ mainly accumulated in different cellular compartments in the tetraploid (vacuole) and diploid (cytoplasm) plants. Our results suggest that polyploid recretohalophytes require the ability to sequester Na+ and Cl-(via accumulation in leaf cell vacuoles or unloading by roots) and selectively secrete these ions (through salt glands) together with the ability to prevent K+ loss (by roots). This mechanism required to maintain K+/Na+ homeostasis in polyploid recretohalophytes under high salinity provides new insights in the improved maintenance of ion homeostasis in polyploids under salt stress.

Population data and phylogenetic analysis of 37 Y-STR loci in the Hui population from Yunnan Province, Southwest China.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies of the genetic polymorphism of the Y-chromosomal short tandem repeat (Y-STR) of Huis were focussed on the northwest of China. However, the population genetic characteristics of Chinese Hui residing in Yunnan province, Southwest China, remain unclear. AIM: To provide genetic data for 37 Y-STRs in the Chinese Hui population of Yunnan province, as well as to investigate population genetic relationships between the Chinese Hui and another 26 populations from China and neighbouring countries. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: In total, 326 unrelated healthy male individuals were genotyped using the GoldeneyeTM Y Plus PCR Amplification Kit. Genetic relationships between different populations were analysed using YHRD's AMOVA tools. RESULTS: A total of 279 haplotypes were detected, out of which 244 were unique. The overall haplotype diversity (HD) and discrimination capacity (DC) were 0.9989 and 0.8611, respectively. The gene diversity (GD) ranged from 0.0544 (DYS645) to 0.9656 (DYS385). CONCLUSIONS: The population comparison indicated that Muslim populations (Hui, Salar and Uighur) showed significantly more genetic affinity than other populations. Our results could be applied in forensic practice and population genetic studies.

Alternative Splicing Analysis Revealed the Role of Alpha-Linolenic Acid and Carotenoids in Fruit Development of Osmanthus fragrans.

Alternative splicing refers to the process of producing different splicing isoforms from the same pre-mRNA through different alternative splicing events, which almost participates in all stages of plant growth and development. In order to understand its role in the fruit development of Osmanthus fragrans, transcriptome sequencing and alternative splicing analysis was carried out on three stages of O. fragrans fruit (O. fragrans "Zi Yingui"). The results showed that the proportion of skipping exon events was the highest in all three periods, followed by a retained intron, and the proportion of mutually exclusive exon events was the lowest and most of the alternative splicing events occurred in the first two periods. The results of enrichment analysis of differentially expressed genes and differentially expressed isoforms showed that alpha-Linolenic acid metabolism, flavonoid biosynthesis, carotenoid biosynthesis, photosynthesis, and photosynthetic-antenna protein pathways were significantly enriched, which may play an important role in the fruit development of O. fragrans. The results of this study lay the foundation for further study of the development and maturation of O. fragrans fruit and further ideas for controlling fruit color and improving fruit quality and appearance.

[Status of infant and young child feeding in China in 2016-2017].

OBJECTIVE: To describe the feeding status and related factors of infant and young child aged 6-23 months in China. METHODS: Data was from the China Nutrition and Health Surveillance among 0-17 Years Old Children and Lactating Women in 2016-2017, and 20 423 children aged 6-23 months were involved in 275 surveillance sites from 31 provinces(autonomous regions and municipalities). The introduction of solid, semi-solid or soft foods, minimum dietary diversity, minimum meal frequency were analyzed with WHO and UNICEF 2021 updated infant and young child feeding indicators. Data analyses were conducted using the complex weight based on national census from National Bureau of Statistics in 2010. Rao-Scott Chi-square was used test for statistical difference. RESULTS: The percentage of infants 6-8 months of age who consumed solid, semi-solid or soft foods was 83.2%(95%CI 80.5%-85.9%) in 2016-2017. No significant difference were observed between boys and girls; there was significant difference in different areas(Rao-Scott χ~2=30.85, P<0.01), it was 90.3% in medium and small cities, and reached 75.0% even in poor rural areas. The proportions of children aged 6-23 months meeting minimum dietary diversity(MDD) was 60.6%(95%CI 58.1%-63.1%). It was 71.1% in medium and small cities, and 50.5% in poor rural areas. Except for breast milk, the percentage of eggs(34.4%) and legumes(19.0%) consumption was low, the percentage of grains, vitamin A-rich fruits or vegetables consumption was 89.7%(95%CI 88.4%-91.1%). The percentage of consuming egg and/or flesh food was 76.4%(95%CI 74.2%-78.7%). The percentage of zero vegetables or fruits consumption was 9.1%(95%CI 7.8%-10.4%). The proportions of children aged 6-23 months meeting minimum meal frequency(MMF) was 72.4%(95%CI 70.1%-74.7%). It was over 70% in large cities, medium and small cities, general rural areas; and 60.2% in poor rural areas. The proportions of children aged 6-23 months meeting minimum acceptable diet was 43.4%(95%CI 40.7%-46.1%), it was over 50% in urban areas, and less than 40% in rural areas, 30.1% in poor rural areas. No consistent differences were observed between boys and girls for all 3 indicators(MDD, MMF and MAD), and there was significant difference in different areas and various months of age(P<0.01). CONCLUSION: There was no gender difference in the feeding status of children aged 6-23 months in China, the complementary feeding was relatively timely, and the minimum dietary diversity and meal frequency of children were relatively ideal, but the minimum acceptable diet of children in poor rural areas was poor.

[Dietary micronutrient intake of children aged 2-5 years in China in 2019-2021].

OBJECTIVE: To describe dietary intake of calcium, iron, zinc, selenium, vitamin A, vitamin B_1, vitamin B_2 and vitamin C and compare the intake between urban and rural areas among preschool children aged 2-5 years based on the data from the National Nutrition and Health Systematic Survey for Children 0-17 Years of Age in China. METHODS: Children from 14 provinces were selected by multi-stage stratified random cluster sampling, and the dietary data of preschool children aged 2-5 years were recorded using the 3 day 24-hour weighted food records method. SAS 9.4 was used to calculate dietary intake of these micronutrients based on the Chinese Food Composition Table and to compare the intake between urban and rural areas. The risk of insufficient or excessive intake of micronutrients among Chinese children aged 2-5 years was assessed according to the Chinese Dietary Reference Intakes(DRIs) 2013 edition. RESULTS: A total of 820 children aged 2 to 5 years were selected. The median daily dietary calcium intake of children aged 2-5 years in China was 433.7, 338.9, 356.4 and 347.4 mg, respectively. The median daily dietary intake of vitamin B_1 of children aged 2-5 years was 0.5 mg for all age groups. The median daily dietary vitamin B_2 intake of children aged 2-5 years was 0.7, 0.6, 0.6 and 0.6 mg, respectively. The median daily dietary intake of vitamin C of children aged 2-5 years was 37.9, 37.4, 44.0 and 40.0 mg, respectively. The median daily dietary selenium intake of children aged 2-5 years was 17.1, 20.5, 22.7 and 22.3 µg, respectively. Dietary calcium intake for aged 2-5 years, dietary vitamin B_2 intake for aged 2-4 years, dietary iron, selenium, zinc and vitamin B_1 intake for aged 2-3 years was significantly greater in urban children than rural children. Among all nutrients, the proportion of dietary calcium intakes below the estimated average requirement(EAR) was the highest in aged 2-5 years(61.4%, 76.4%, 91.4% and 91.5%, respectively). The proportions of dietary vitamin B_1, vitamin C and selenium intake lower than EAR of children aged 2-5 years in China were 52.4%-63.2%, 42.8%-50.2% and 46.6%-58.7%, respectively. COUCLUSION: The dietary calcium intake of children aged 2-5 years in China remains insufficient for these children, especially for rural children. Dietary vitamin B_1, vitamin C and selenium intake should be improved.

Human milk cholesterol is associated with lactation stage and maternal plasma cholesterol in Chinese populations.

BACKGROUND: Milk cholesterol concentrations throughout lactation were analyzed, and the relationship between maternal plasma cholesterol and milk cholesterol in various Chinese populations was examined. METHODS: A sub-sample of 1138 lactating women was randomly selected from a large cross-sectional study in China (n = 6481). Milk cholesterol concentrations were determined by HPLC, and concentrations of maternal plasma lipids were determined by an automated biochemical analyzer. RESULTS: The mean cholesterol concentrations were 200, 171, and 126 mg/L for colostrum, transitional milk, and mature milk, respectively. Cholesterol concentrations differed significantly between stages of lactation (colostrum vs. transitional milk, colostrum vs. mature milk, transitional milk vs. mature milk, all p < 0.001). Concentrations of maternal plasma total cholesterol (TC) (p = 0.02) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (p = 0.03) were significantly associated with milk cholesterol. Milk cholesterol concentrations varied among different ethnicities (Tibetan vs. Hui: 164 vs. 131 mg/L, p = 0.027) but not among different geographic regions. CONCLUSIONS: The concentration of cholesterol in human milk changes dynamically throughout lactation. Milk cholesterol concentrations are significantly associated with maternal plasma concentrations of TC and LDL-C, and milk cholesterol concentrations vary across ethnicities in China. IMPACT: Concentrations of milk cholesterol were measured in various Chinese populations. Cholesterol concentrations differ significantly between stages of lactation. Maternal plasma total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol are associated with milk cholesterol. Milk cholesterol concentrations vary across ethnicities in China.

Exploration of the optimal range of urinary iodine concentration in Chinese pregnant women in mildly iodine-deficient and -sufficient areas.

PURPOSE: There is some uncertainty about the optimal ranges for urinary iodine concentration (UIC) during pregnancy. This study aimed to explore associations between maternal UIC and thyroid function in iodine sufficient and mildly iodine deficient areas. METHODS: It was a cross-sectional study in which 1461 healthy pregnant women were enrolled to collect their blood and urine samples during their routine antenatal care in Tianjin and Wuqiang, China. Wuqiang was a mildly iodine-deficient region, while Tianjin was iodine sufficient. UIC, free triiodothyronine (FT3), free thyroid hormone (FT4), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb), thyroglobulin antibody (TgAb), serum iodine concentration (SIC) including total serum iodine concentration (tSIC) and non-protein bound serum iodine concentration (nbSIC) were assessed during the routine antenatal care visits. RESULTS: The median UIC in pregnant women was 174 (113, 249) µg/L in Tianjin and 111 (63, 167) µg/L in Wuqiang, respectively. Compared with Tianjin, UIC, FT3 and TSH were lower, and FT4, tSIC, nbSIC, rates of TPOAb and TgAb positivity and the thyroid dysfunction rate (TDR) were higher in Wuqiang (P < 0.001). FT3, FT4, tSIC and nbSIC increased during pregnancy in Tianjin with increasing UIC, while only FT3 and nbSIC increased in Wuqiang (P < 0.05). In Tianjin, the TDR increased with UIC and peaked at UIC ≥ 500 µg/L (P = 0.002), while in Wuqiang, the TDR showed a weak "U-shaped" relationship with UIC and the rate was lowest with UIC 100-149 µg/L. CONCLUSIONS: In iodine-deficient areas, there was a lower TDR in pregnant women with UIC 100-149 µg/L. We suspected that the optimal UIC criteria recommended by WHO may be a little high for pregnant women in mild-to-moderate iodine-deficient countries.

Effects of different colored polyethylene mulching films on bacterial communities from soil during enrichment incubation.

Studies have shown that mulching agricultural fields with plastic residues can influence microbial communities in the environment, but few studies have investigated the differences in the soil microbial communities in distinct areas under mulching with different colored plastic products. Thus, in this study, we explored how different colored polyethylene mulching films (PMFs) might affect soil bacterial communities during enrichment incubation. We found significant differences in the bacterial communities under different colored PMFs after incubation. Treatment with the same colored PMF obtained more similar bacterial community compositions. For instance, at the class level, Gammaproteobacteria and Bacteroidia were most abundant with black PMF, whereas Actinobacteria and Bacteroidia were most abundant with white PMF. The most abundant genera were Acinetobacter and Chryseobacterium with black PMF but Rhodanobacter and Paenarthrobacter with white PMF. Polyethylene- and hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria were the core members detected under both treatments, and the bacterial communities were predicted to have the potential for the biodegradation and metabolism of xenobiotics after enrichment culture according to the Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States (PICRUSt) tool. In addition, the bacterial communities in soil from Xinjiang treated with white PMF and in soil from Yangling treated with black PMF were strongly correlated and stable. Our results suggest that the color of the PMF applied affected the soil bacterial communities, where plastics with the same color may have recruited similar species of microorganisms, although the origins of these microorganisms were not the same.

Identification of miRNAs and Target Genes at Key Stages of Sexual Differentiation in Androdioecious Osmanthus fragrans.

Androdioecy is the crucial transition state in the evolutionary direction of hermaphroditism to dioecy, however, the molecular mechanisms underlying the formation of this sex system remain unclear. While popular in China for its ornamental and cultural value, Osmanthus fragrans has an extremely rare androdioecy breeding system, meaning that there are both male and hermaphroditic plants in a population. To unravel the mechanisms underlying the formation of androdioecy, we performed small RNA sequencing studies on male and hermaphroditic O. fragrans. A total of 334 miRNAs were identified, of which 59 were differentially expressed. Functional categorization revealed that the target genes of differentially expressed miRNAs were mainly involved in the biological processes of reproductive development and the hormone signal transduction pathway. We speculated that the miRNA160, miRNA167, miRNA393 and miRNA396 families may influence the sex differentiation in O. fragrans. Overall, our study is the first exploration of miRNAs in the growth and development process of O. fragrans, and is also the first study of androdioecious plants from the miRNA sequencing perspective. The analysis of miRNAs and target genes that may be involved in the sex differentiation process lay a foundation for the ultimate discovery of the androdioecious molecular mechanism in O. fragrans.

What are the determinants of low exclusive breastfeeding prevalence in China? A cross-sectional study.

Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) status is far from the national target in China. To identify the modifiable factors associated with EBF of infants aged under 6 months in China. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 12 provinces/municipalities across China in 2017-2018. We used multistage stratified cluster sampling and collected data through face-to-face interviews with mothers using an electronic questionnaire. Totally, 5287 pairs of mother-infant aged <6 months were investigated. The EBF prevalence was 29.2% (1544/5287). Mothers with correct knowledge of colostrum (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]:1.32, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.07, 1.62), EBF (AOR: 1.39, 95% CI: 1.06, 1.81) and the highest scores of perceptions for breastfeeding benefits (AOR: 1.36, 95% CI: 1.14, 1.61) were more likely to exclusively breastfeed. However, mothers with more frequent unwillingness of breastfeeding during the first month postpartum were less likely to practice EBF (AOR: 0.68, 95% CI: 0.52, 0.90). Infants having their first breast milk within 24 h of birth increased the odds of EBF (AOR: 2.41, 95% CI: 1.86, 3.13). Infants were less likely to be exclusively breastfed in the families in which the main caregiver was the grandmothers. Mothers without receiving infant formula feeding suggestions via the health facilities, media, or the Internet (AOR: 1.57, 95% CI: 1.33, 1.85) or without the experience of infant formula feeding in public (AOR: 1.45, 95% CI: 1.23, 1.72) might more likely to practice EBF. To acquire comprehensively correct knowledge and keep a positive attitude of breastfeeding for the mothers are crucial for improving the EBF prevalence. Family supports are potential interventions worth focusing on. Infant formula promotion remains a great barrier for EBF in China.

[Gestational weight gain and associated factors of Chinese women in the second and third trimester of pregnancy in 2015].

OBJECTIVE: To describe gestational weight gain status of pregnant women in China, and to explore potential factors related to gestational weight gain of pregnant women in the 2 nd and 3 rd trimester in 2015. METHODS: Participants were from Chinese National Nutrition and Health Surveillance in 2012 and in 2015. Using a multi-stage stratified cluster random sampling method, a total of 8512 pregnant women were recruited in 2015. A standard questionnaire was used to collect general information and pre-pregnancy weight. Body weight and height of pregnant women were measured using a unified weighing scale and stadiometer. RESULTS: In 2015, the prevalences of underweight, normal weight, overweight and obesity in pre-pregnancy were 16.0%, 66.0%, 14.9%, 3.1% according to Chinese BMI standard, respectively. In the 2 nd trimester, the prevalences of inadequate gestational weight gain, appropriate gestational weight gain and excess gestational weight gain were 14.6%, 27.2% and 58.2% based on IOM gestational weight gain standard, respectively. In the 3 rd trimester, the prevalences of inadequate gestational weight gain, appropriate gestational weight gain and excess gestational weight gain were 12.7%, 31.5%, 55.8% based on IOM gestational weight gain standard, respectively. The odds of excess gestational weight gain was 1.53(95%CI 1.19-1.99) in the second trimester, and 2.05(95% CI 1.59-2.63) in the third trimester for overweight women, compared to normal weight women during pre-pregnancy. The prevalence of excess gestational weight gain showed an increasing trend in both urban and rural areas, which was not related to pregnant women's age and education. Second parity might be a protective factor for appropriate weight gain in late pregnancy. CONCLUSION: Compared to 2012, the prevalence of underweight before pregnancy and inadequate gestaional weight gain decreased in 2015. By contrast, the prevalence of overweight, obesity and excess gestational weight gain showed an upward trend.

[Concentration of osteopontin in human milk and associated factors in Chinese populations from 2011 to 2013].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze content of human milk osteopontin(OPN) and to explore associated factors in Chinese populations. METHODS: The samples and data were extracted from the database for human milk composition in China between 2011 and 2013. A sub-sample of 459 mothers was randomly selected after stratification according to lactation stage, and human milk OPN concentrations were determined by ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometer(UPLC/MS). RESULTS: The average OPN concentration(M(P25, P75)) in breast milk was 44.0(30.1-72.0) mg/L within 0-330 days postpartum. OPN concentrations were independent of lactation stage, which were 45.6(31.8, 80.7) mg/L in colostrum, 41.3(29.2, 70.0) mg/L in transitional milk and 46.9(30.2, 71.9) mg/L in mature milk, corresponding to 0.40%、0.42% and 0.65% of the total milk protein content(OPN/protein%). The percentage of OPN to total protein in milk showed an increasing trend with lactation progression(r=0.21, P<0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that sleep quality of mothers within one week prior to milk collection was correlated with the breast milk OPN level(P=0.04). The OPN level in breast milk from mothers with good sleep quality was significantly higher than that from mothers with poor sleep quality(46.5 mg/L vs.34.7 mg/L). The median level of milk OPN concentration in mothers from Yunnan was higher than mothers from Beijing(50.5 mg/L vs.36.1 mg/L, P=0.03). Maternal age, mode of delivery, prepregnancy body mass index, weight gain during pregnancy, passive smoking and outdoor activities 24 hours prior to milk collection were not correlated with milk OPN concentration. OPN concentration in breast milk was not related to preterm birth. Also, milk OPN concentration did not correlate with diarrhoea, respiratory disease, or allergic disease in infants during two weeks before milk collection. CONCLUSION: The concentration of OPN in breast milk of Chinese woman may be similar among different lactation stages. Geographic region and sleep quality of mothers may be related to the milk OPN concentration.

[Effects of gestational diabetes mellitus on gut microbiota of 3-month-old infants: a prospective control study].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of gestational diabetes mellitus on the gut microbiota of their offsprings, the gut microbiota of 3-month-old infants whose mothers diagnosed with and without gestational diabetes mellitus(GDM) was compared. METHODS: Pregnant women and their 3-month-old infants who were examined, delivered and follow-up visited in a county in Hebei Province from June 2016 to December 2019 were included in our study. The pregnants and their infants with result of fasting venous blood glucose≥5.1 mmol/L in the second or third trimester were included in GDM group. Fecal samples of 3-month-old infants were collected and 16 S rDNA high-throughput sequencing technology was used to explore the change of gut microbiota. RESULTS: A total of 48 pairs of subjects were included, 16 in GDM group and 32 in control group. Comparison of gut microbiota diversity: analysis of the Alpha diversity index showed that the Observed Species index, margalef index and menhinick index of GDM group were(141.4±17.2), (13.66±1.66) and(0.83±0.10), respectively, which were significantly lower than that of control group(154.9±21.7), (15.00±2.11) and(0.91±0.13), respectively. Sequence analysis: at phylum level, the abundance of the Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria were 54.28(47.84), 23.58(23.48), 11.20(30.99) and 0.12(0.07), respectively, while the control group were 42.05(36.23), 29.64(21.30), 9.31(15.82) and 0.15(10.14), respectively. The two groups were mainly composed of these 4 phyla and Actinobacteria was the most abundant. At genus level, there were mainly Bifidobacteria, lactobacillus, Enterobacteria, Bacteroidales and Clostridiales in both groups. The abundance of Erysipelotrichales in GDM group(0.01(0.01)) was significantly lower than that in control group(0.04(0.06))(P<0.05). The abundance of Micrococcales in GDM group(0.13(0.24) was significantly lower than that in control group(0.29(0.78))(P<0.05). PCoA analysis showed that the gut microbiota structure of GDM group and control group was similar. LEfSe analysis showed Erysipelatoclostridium was significantly increased in control group(P<0.05). CONCLUSION: GDM can reduce the diversity and richness of gut microbiota of 3-month-old infants and has no significant effect on the phylum level but has effect on some genus level. It suggests that GDM may still have some potential effect on slightly elder infants.

SWATH-MS based quantitive proteomics reveal regulatory metabolism and networks of androdioecy breeding system in Osmanthus fragrans.

BACKGROUND: The fragrant flower plant Osmanthus fragrans has an extremely rare androdioecious breeding system displaying the occurrence of males and hermaphrodites in a single population, which occupies a crucial intermediate stage in the evolutionary transition between hermaphroditism and dioecy. However, the molecular mechanism of androdioecy plant is very limited and still largely unknown. RESULTS: Here, we used SWATH-MS-based quantitative approach to study the proteome changes between male and hermaphroditic O. fragrans pistils. A total of 428 proteins of diverse functions were determined to show significant abundance changes including 210 up-regulated and 218 down-regulated proteins in male compared to hermaphroditic pistils. Functional categorization revealed that the differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) primarily distributed in the carbohydrate metabolism, secondary metabolism as well as signaling cascades. Further experimental analysis showed the substantial carbohydrates accumulation associated with promoted net photosynthetic rate and water use efficiency were observed in purplish red pedicel of hermaphroditic flower compared with green pedicel of male flower, implicating glucose metabolism serves as nutritional modulator for the differentiation of male and hermaphroditic flower. Meanwhile, the entire upregulation of secondary metabolism including flavonoids, isoprenoids and lignins seem to protect and maintain the male function in male flowers, well explaining important feature of androdioecy that aborted pistil of a male flower still has a male function. Furthermore, nine selected DEPs were validated via gene expression analysis, suggesting an extra layer of post-transcriptional regulation occurs during O. fragrans floral development. CONCLUSION: Taken together, our findings represent the first SWATH-MS-based proteomic report in androdioecy plant O. fragrans, which reveal carbohydrate metabolism, secondary metabolism and post-transcriptional regulation contributing to the androdioecy breeding system and ultimately extend our understanding on genetic basis as well as the industrialization development of O. fragrans.

Advice to use infant formula and free samples are common in both urban and rural areas in China: a cross-sectional survey.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between the place of residence and receiving free samples and advice to feed the baby with infant formula. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. SETTING: The current study covered twelve counties/districts in China. PARTICIPANTS: 5112 mothers with infants aged 0-5·9 months. RESULTS: About 16 % of the mothers received free samples of infant formula. During pregnancy, this likelihood was higher among mothers in small and medium cities (OR: 1·96; 95 % CI 1·14, 3·38) and non-poor rural counties (OR: 4·65; 95 % CI 1·65, 13·14) compared with mothers in big cities. During the hospital stay, it was lower in big cities. After discharge, it was lower in poor rural counties (OR: 0·14; 95 % CI 0·05, 0·41). About 26 % of the mothers were advised to feed their infants with infant formula. The likelihood of receiving advice to feed the baby with infant formula from hospitals was lower in non-poor (OR: 0·37; 95 % CI 0·21, 0·66) and poor rural counties (OR: 0·35; 95 % CI 0·13, 0·91) than in big cities. Mothers in non-poor rural counties were less likely to receive advice from traditional mass media (OR: 0·17; 95 % CI 0·06, 0·48), while mothers in small and medium cities were more likely to receive advice from modern mass media (OR: 1·84; 95 % CI 1·20, 2·80) compared with mothers in big cities. CONCLUSIONS: The promotion strategy of infant formula varies from different places of residence in China. The study suggests the need to strengthen enforcement of relevant regulations, especially within health facilities and through modern mass media.