Association of life's essential 8 with chronic cardiovascular-kidney disorder: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The coexistence of cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease, termed chronic cardiovascular-kidney disorder (CCV-KD), is increasingly prevalent. However, limited studies have assessed the association between cardiovascular health (CVH), assessed by the American Heart Association's Life's Essential 8 (LE8), and CCV-KD. METHODS: We conducted a prospective cohort study using data from UK Biobank. Participants without cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease at baseline and having complete data on metrics of LE8 were included (N = 125,986). LE8 included eight metrics, and the aggregate score was categorized as low (< 50 points), intermediate (50 to < 80 points), and high (≥ 80 points), with a higher score indicating better CVH health. Adjusted Cox proportional hazard models were conducted to explore the association of CVH with the risk of CCV-KD. The adjusted proportion of population attributable risk (PAR%) was used to calculate the population-level risk caused by low or intermediate CVH. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 12.5 years, 1,054 participants (0.8%) had incident CCV-KD. Participants with intermediate and high CVH had 54% (HR = 0.46, 95% CI: 0.40-0.54, P < 0.001) and 75% (HR = 0.25, 95% CI: 0.18-0.34, P < 0.001) lower risks of incident CCV-KD compared with those in low CVH group. There was an approximately dose-response linear relationship between the overall LE8 score and incident CCV-KD. The risk of incident CCV-KD decreased by 30% (HR = 0.70, 95% CI: 0.67-0.74, P < 0.001) for a 10-point increment of LE8 score. The adjusted PAR% of lower overall CVH was 47.4% (95% CI: 31.6%-59.8%). CONCLUSIONS: Better CVH, assessed by using LE8 score, was strongly associated with decreased risk of incident CCV-KD. These findings imply optimizing CVH may be a preventive strategy to reduce the burden of CCV-KD.

Yield Difference between Different Cultivation Techniques under Ultrasonic Treatment Driven by Radiation Use Efficiency.

Ultrasonic treatment and optimal cultivation techniques are both conducive to the high yield of super rice in South China. Many previous studies have shown that the increase in intercepted photosynthetically active radiation (IPAR) and radiation use efficiency (RUE) is an important reason for high rice yield. Field experiments were conducted over two years to evaluate the effects of IPAR and RUE on the yield under different treatments (CK: conventional cultivation technique without ultrasonic treatment; T1: conventional cultivation technique with ultrasonic treatment; T2: super rice-specific cultivation technique without ultrasonic treatment and T3: super rice-specific cultivation technique with ultrasonic treatment), with two representative rice varieties, Wufengyou-615 (WFY) and Jingnongsimiao (JNSM) during the late seasons of rice cultivation in South China. The super rice-specific cultivation technique and the ultrasonic treatment could significantly increase the yield, which was significantly (p < 0.01) and positively correlated with panicle number, grain-filling rate, and aboveground total dry weight. The higher grain yield depended more highly on higher RUE in the mid-tillering stage and maturity stage. The results of multiple-regression models also showed that the contributions of IPAR and RUE to yield were significant (p < 0.01). Conclusively, IPAR and RUE contributed a lot to yield progress of super rice in both super rice-specific cultivation techniques with fewer times of topdressing and ultrasonic treatment in South China. It is worth further studying how to reasonably improve the RUE of high-RUE varieties through other means.

Nanosized-Selenium-Application-Mediated Cadmium Toxicity in Aromatic Rice at Different Stages.

Cadmium (Cd) pollution restricts the rice growth and poses a threat to human health. Nanosized selenium (NanoSe) is a new nano material. However, the effects of NanoSe application on aromatic rice performances under Cd pollution have not been reported. In this study, a pot experiment was conducted with two aromatic rice varieties and a soil Cd concentration of 30 mg/kg. Five NanoSe treatments were applied at distinct growth stages: (T1) at the initial panicle stage, (T2) at the heading stage, (T3) at the grain-filling stage, (T1+2) at both the panicle initial and heading stages, and (T1+3) at both the panicle initial and grain-filling stages. A control group (CK) was maintained without any application of Se. The results showed that, compared with CK, the T1+2 and T1+3 treatments significantly reduced the grain Cd content. All NanoSe treatments increased the grain Se content. The grain number per panicle, 1000-grain weight, and grain yield significantly increased due to NanoSe application under Cd pollution. The highest yield was recorded in T3 and T1+3 treatments. Compared with CK, all NanoSe treatments increased the grain 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (2-AP) content and impacted the content of pyrroline-5-carboxylic acid and 1-pyrroline which are the precursors in 2-AP biosynthesis. In conclusion, the foliar application of NanoSe significantly reduced the Cd content, increased the Se content, and improved the grain yield and 2-AP content of aromatic rice. The best amendment was applying NanoSe at both the panicle initial and grain-filling stages.

Ethnicity-based analysis of supragingival plaque composition and dental health behaviours in healthy subjects without caries.

Objective: The primary objective of this study was to scrutinise the disparities in the diversity, structure, and function of the oral microbiome among caries-free children from the Zhuang and Han ethnic groups with a focus on the influence of ethnically distinct oral health behaviours on the composition of the oral microbiota. Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted to assess oral health behaviours and dental plaque samples were collected from 96 Zhuang and Han children aged 4-5 years living in Guangxi, southern China for high-throughput sequencing. PCR amplification was performed for sequencing of the V4 region of the 16S rDNA gene, and second-generation sequencing was performed using the Illumina MiSeq platform to compare and analyse the diversity, structure and function of the microbiota. Results: Single-factor analysis revealed significant differences between the Zhuang and Han ethnic groups regarding juice consumption, the frequency of consuming sugar-sweetened food or beverages before bedtime, the age that individuals started toothbrushing, the frequency of toothbrushing and the frequency of parental assistance with toothbrushing (p < 0.001). The dominant phyla were Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, etc., and the dominant genera included Streptococcus and Neisseria. The dental plaques of the caries-free Zhuang and Han ethnic groups had similar core microbiomes, with no significant differences in the diversity and structure of the microbiota and no significant differences in the abundance of the dominant genera. In addition, no significant difference in metabolic function was observed between the Zhuang and Han ethnic groups. Conclusion: The core oral microbiota was consistent in caries-free Zhuang and Han children. Despite differences in dietary habits and oral hygiene behaviours between the Zhuang and Han ethnic groups, with a high frequency of sugary food intake but better oral health behaviours in the Zhuang group, there were no significant differences in the diversity, structure and function of the oral microbiota of caries-free children in the Zhuang and Han ethnic groups.

Impact of HbA1c control and type 2 diabetes mellitus exposure on the oral microbiome profile in the elderly population.

Objective: To investigate the associations of the oral microbiome status with diabetes characteristics in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methods: A questionnaire was used to assess age, sex, smoking status, drinking status, flossing frequency, T2DM duration and complications, and a blood test was used to determine the glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) level. Sequencing of the V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene from saliva samples was used to analyze the oral microbiome. Results: Differential analysis revealed that Streptococcus and Weissella were significantly enriched in the late-stage group, and Capnocytophaga was significantly enriched in the early-stage group. Correlation analysis revealed that diabetes duration was positively correlated with the abundance of Streptococcus (r= 0.369, p= 0.007) and negatively correlated with the abundance of Cardiobacterium (r= -0.337, p= 0.014), and the level of HbA1c was not significantly correlated with the oral microbiome. Network analysis suggested that the poor control group had a more complex microbial network than the control group, a pattern that was similar for diabetes duration. In addition, Streptococcus has a low correlation with other microorganisms. Conclusion: In elderly individuals, Streptococcus emerges as a potential biomarker linked to diabetes, exhibiting elevated abundance in diabetic patients influenced by disease exposure and limited bacterial interactions.

Time in target range of systolic blood pressure and cognitive outcomes in patients with hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Blood pressure (BP) is a dynamic measure that fluctuates over time. However, conventional BP control indicators may not adequately reflect the variability of BP during a period of time. METHODS: We performed a secondary analysis of the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT), which compared systolic blood pressure (SBP) targets of <120 mmHg (intensive) and <140 mmHg (standard) among patients with hypertension and high cardiac risks. The target ranges were defined as 110 to 130 mmHg in intensive treatment arm and 120 to 140 mmHg in standard treatment arm, respectively. Time in target range (TTR) was calculated based on SBP measurements recorded during the first 3-month follow-up using linear interpolation method. The Fine-Gray competing risk regression models were used to evaluate the association between TTR and cognitive outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 7965 patients with the mean (SD) age of 68.0 (9.2) years were included, and 35% were female. Patients with higher TTR were younger, more likely to be male and take <3 BP-lowering agents. Compared to the last quartile, the first quartile of TTR was significantly associated with a higher risk of probable dementia (HR: 1.74; 95% CI: 1.22-2.46; p = 0.002) and the composite of probable dementia or mild cognitive impairment (HR: 1.26; 95% CI: 1.03-1.55; p = 0.025). The risk of probable dementia and the composite outcome increased with per quartile decrease of TTR (HR: 1.18; 95% CI: 1.06-1.30; p = 0.002 and HR: 1.07; 95% CI: 1.00-1.14; p = 0.036). Sensitivity analyses showed similar results after adjusting mean SBP during the first 3-month follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: In this secondary analysis of SPRINT data, TTR was independently associated with probable dementia among patients with hypertension, suggesting that TTR could be used as a practical metric of BP control to evaluate the risk of dementia in older adults. REGISTRATION: URL: https://www. CLINICALTRIALS: gov; Identifier: NCT01206062.

Graphene quantum dots promote migration and differentiation of periodontal ligament stem cells.

Graphene and its derivatives have attracted much attention as nanomaterials in bone tissue engineering because of their remarkable ability to induce cell osteogenic differentiation. However, graphene quantum dots (GQDs), as graphene derivatives, little is known about their osteodifferentiation- and osteoinduction-promoting capabilities, especially in the restoration of bone defect caused by periodontitis. Therefore, there is a growing need to investigate the effect of GQDs on periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs). Here, we postulated that GQDs are a promising biocompatible nanomaterial that facilitated the migration and differentiation of PDLSCs, and use laboratory methods like CCK-8, transwell experiments, qRT-PCR, Alizarin red staining and immunofluorescence staining to evaluate. Our experiments confirmed that GQDs did not inhibit cell viability, with most cells remaining viable even at GQDs concentrations of up to 30 µg mL-1. Moreover, GQDs were found to significantly enhance PDLSC migration, with the peak effect observed at concentrations of 5 and 10 µg mL-1. Furthermore, GQDs accelerated osteoblastic differentiation in PDLSCs and induced the mineralization of calcium nodules. Additionally, GQDs were shown to promote fibroblast differentiation in PDLSCs compared to the control group. Thus, GQDs not only possessed low cytotoxicity and good biocompatibility, but also displayed the beneficial capability to migration and differentiation of PDLSCs, which indicated GQDs might be a potential nanomaterial for bone regeneration.

Impact of migration on oral health outcomes of children in multi-beneficial kindergartens in Nanning, Southern China: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of children's migration on their oral health outcomes in multi-beneficial kindergartens in Jiangnan District, Nanning, China, and to provide a basis for improving the oral health of migrant children. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 470 children aged 5 years in Jiangnan District, Nanning, Guangxi. A questionnaire was used to collect information on their demographic and socioeconomic background, migration experience, eating habits, oral hygiene behaviours and utilization of dental care services. Dental caries of primary teeth was examined using the decayed, missing, and filled teeth (dmft) index recommended by the World Health Organization. Dental caries experience and oral health-related behaviours were compared between migrant and resident children. The impact of children's migration attributes on their oral health outcomes was examined by univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: Among the examined children, 52.3% were migrant children. The prevalence of caries among the children in multi-beneficial kindergartens was 78.3%, and the mean number of dmft was 5.73 ± 5.00. The prevalence of caries was 81.7% for migrant children and 74.6% for resident children (p = 0.060). No significant difference was found in the mean numbers of DMFT between migrant children and resident children (5.96 ± 4.81 vs. 5.47 ± 5.20, p = 0.139). There were significant differences in the frequency of tooth brushing (p = 0.023) and parental help with tooth brushing (p = 0.008), typical use of fluoride (p = 0.012), regular dental check-ups (p = 0.003) and experience of dental fillings for caries (p < 0.001) between migrant and resident children. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that among the children with caries, the proportion of resident children who had regular dental check-ups was 1.720 times higher than that of migrant children (95% CI = 1.155 ~ 2.560), and resident children were more likely to have caries filled than migrant children (OR = 3.313, 95% CI = 1.585 ~ 6.927). CONCLUSION: Oral health status and oral health behaviours were poor among children in multi-beneficial kindergartens in Nanning, China, and migration might be a significant predictive indicator for the poor utilization of dental care services by children. The government departments should make special policy to promote the children's oral health in multi-beneficial kindergartens, and invest more to cover the migrant children's utilization of oral health services.

Graphene quantum dots enhance the osteogenic differentiation of PDLSCs in the inflammatory microenvironment.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Graphene quantum dots (GQDs), a type of carbon-based nanomaterial, have remarkable biological, physical, and chemical properties. This study investigated the biological mechanisms of the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of human periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) induced by GQDs in an inflammatory microenvironment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PDLSCs were cultured in osteogenic-induced medium with various concentrations of GQDs in standard medium or medium mimicking a proinflammatory environment. The effects of GQDs on the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation activity of PDLSCs were tested by CCK-8 assay, Alizarin Red S staining, and qRT‒PCR. In addition, Wnt/ß-catenin signalling pathway-related gene expression was measured by qRT‒PCR. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the mRNA expression levels of ALP, RUNX2, and OCN and the number of mineralized nodules were all increased in PDLSCs after treatment with GQDs. Moreover, during the osteogenic differentiation of PDLSCs, the expression levels of LRP6 and ß-catenin, which are Wnt/ß-catenin signalling pathway-related genes, were upregulated. CONCLUSION: In the inflammatory microenvironment, GQDs might promote the osteogenic differentiation ability of PDLSCs by activating the Wnt/ß-catenin signalling pathway.

Identification of qGL3.5, a Novel Locus Controlling Grain Length in Rice Through Bulked Segregant Analysis and Fine Mapping.

Grain length (GL) directly affects the yield and quality of rice. Very few cloned GL-related genes are applied in production because their yield-increasing effects are not obvious, and the overall regulatory networks underlying the associated processes remain poorly understood. DNA samples from two bulk DNA pools (L-pool and S-pool) and their parents (KJ01 and Huaye 3) were subjected to high-throughput sequencing. Using bulked segregant analysis (BSA), qGL3.5 was mapped to a 0.34-Mb "hotspot" region on chromosome 3 that contains 37 genes related to various traits. Then, qGL3.5 was mapped to the genomic interval between the flanking markers M2 and M3 using 2786 BC4F2 individuals. Because the region from B5 to B6 was not the associated region under BSA-seq analysis, qGL3.5 was narrowed down to the interval between B6 and M3, which spanned 24.0-kb. Of all 37 genes with non-synonymous single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) between KJ01 and Huaye 3 based on BSA-seq analysis, only one complete annotated gene, ORF18 (Gene ID: LOC_Os03g42790.1) was found. ORF18 encodes an IBR-RING zinc-finger-related protein, with one really interesting new gene (RING) and two in between ring finger (IBR) domains. The knockout of ORF18 derived from Huaye 3 using clustered, regularly interspaced, short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated 9 (Cas9) editing technology increased the GL of the mutant by approximately 2.2 mm. The novel locus qGL3.5 negatively regulated GL by promoting elongation of the longitudinal cell of the grain outer glume. These results provide a new genetic resource for rice grain shape breeding and a starting point for the functional characterization of the wild rice GL gene.