The Role of Diet and Gut Microbiota Interactions in Metabolic Homeostasis.

Diet is a pivotal determinant in shaping the structure and function of resident microorganisms in the gut through different food components, nutritive proportion, and calories. The effects of diet on host metabolism and physiology can be mediated through the gut microbiota. Gut microbiota-derived metabolites have been shown to regulate glucose and lipid metabolism, energy consumption, and the immune system. On the other hand, emerging evidence indicates that baseline gut microbiota could predict the efficacy of diet intervention, highlighting gut microbiota can be harnessed as a biomarker in personalized nutrition. In this review, the alterations of gut microbiota in different dietary components and dietary patterns, and the potential mechanisms in the diet-microbiota crosstalk are summarized to understand the interactions of diet and gut microbiota on the impact of metabolic homeostasis.

Eliciting women's preference for prenatal testing in China: a discrete choice experiment.

BACKGROUND: Pregnancy tests can be used for the early diagnosis of fetal problems and can prevent abnormal birth in pregnancies. Yet, testing preferences among Chinese women are poorly investigated. METHODS: We developed a Discrete Choice Experiment with 5 attributes: test procedure, detection rate, miscarriage rate, time to wait for result, and test cost. By studying the choices that the women make in the hypothetical scenarios and comparing the attributes and levels, we can analyze the women's preference of prenatal testing in China. RESULTS: Ninety-two women completed the study. Respondents considered the test procedure as the most important attribute, followed by detection rate, miscarriage rate, wait time for result, and test cost, respectively. The estimated preference weight for the non-invasive procedure was 0.928 (P < 0.0001). All other attributes being equal, the odds of choosing a non-invasive testing procedure over an invasive one was 2.53 (95% confidence interval, 2.42-2.64; P < 0.001). Participants were willing to pay up to RMB$28,810 (approximately US$4610) for a non-invasive test, RMB$6061(US$970) to reduce the miscarriage rate by 1% and up to RMB$3356 (US$537) to increase the detection rate by 1%. Compared to other DCE (Discrete Choice Experiment) studies regarding Down's syndrome screening, women in our study place relatively less emphasis on test safety. CONCLUSIONS: The present study has shown that Chinese women place more emphasis on detection rate than test safety. Chinese women place great preference on noninvasive prenatal testing, which indicate a popular need of incorporating noninvasive prenatal testing into the health insurance coverage in China. This study provided valuable evidence for the decision makers in the Chinese government.

Construction of sandwich-like porous structure of graphene-coated foam composites for ultrasensitive and flexible pressure sensors.

Ultrasensitive and flexible pressure sensors that can perceive and respond to environmental stimuli have attracted considerable attention due to their potential applications in wearable electronics and electronic skin devices. Here, we report a simple and low-cost strategy to fabricate high-performance pressure sensors via constructing a unique conductive/insulating/conductive sandwich-like porous structure (SPS). Interpenetration of the conductive graphene network throughout the porous insulating interlayer produces a highly efficient transition from the non-conductive to the conductive state. Consequently, the SPS sensors exhibit an extreme resistance-switching behavior (resistance change of >105 at 30 kPa), high sensitivity (∼0.67 kPa-1, <1.5 kPa), fast response/recovery time (∼10 and ∼16 ms) and outstanding mechanical stability. Such SPS pressure sensors are applicable for detecting various mechanical deformation modes (press, bend and torsion) and different stress/strain levels (from gait feature, finger/wrist/elbow movement to breathing monitoring and real-time pulse wave), providing a new concept of device design for wearable electronic applications.

Anatomical variations of the aortic arch branches in a sample of Chinese cadavers: embryological basis and literature review.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to determine the incidence and explore the types of aortic arch branch variations found in our cadavers. METHODS: The types and incidence of aortic branch variations in 120 cadavers were analysed after careful dissection. RESULTS: One hundred and six of 120 cadavers had normal aortic arch branches and gave rise to usual branches, namely the brachiocephalic trunk, the left common carotid artery and the left subclavian artery. The remaining 14 cadavers had 2 basic types of branch variations, thus accounting for an incidence of 11.67%. A total of 9 aortic arches emitted 4 branches; the brachiocephalic trunk, the left common carotid artery, the left vertebral artery and the left subclavian artery (incidence 7.5%). The second subgroup of 5 cadavers also emitted 4 aortic branches: the right common carotid artery, the left common carotid artery, the left subclavian artery and the right subclavian artery (incidence 4.16%). In this group, the right subclavian artery sprung as a distal branch of the aortic arch (descending), thus making a vascular ring that takes a superoposterior course round the back of the trachea and the oesophagus to reach the right side. There was a single cadaver, different from the other 4 aortic branches of the second group which had a common origin for the common carotid arteries, while the left subclavian artery and distally placed right subclavian artery were present. We did not observe any Kommerell's aortic diverticula. CONCLUSIONS: The variations of aortic arch branching are complex and diverse due to varied possible alterations in the embryological processes. There is an imperative need for further research on these variations to elucidate the possible relationships with clinical diagnostic or surgical events.

Three-dimensional graphene-based polymer nanocomposites: preparation, properties and applications.

Motivated by the unique structure and outstanding properties of graphene, three-dimensional (3D) graphene-based polymer nanocomposites (3D-GPNCs) are considered as new generation materials for various multi-functional applications. This review presents an overview of the preparation, properties and applications of 3D-GPNCs. Three main approaches for fabricating 3D-GPNCs, namely 3D graphene based template, polymer particle/foam template, and organic molecule cross-linked graphene, are introduced. A thorough investigation and comparison of the mechanical, electrical and thermal properties of 3D-GPNCs are performed and discussed to understand their structure-property relationship. Various potential applications of 3D-GPNCs, including energy storage and conversion, electromagnetic interference shielding, oil/water separation, and sensors, are reviewed. Finally, the current challenges and outlook of these emerging 3D-GPNC materials are also discussed.