Long-term noise exposure and cause-specific mortality in chronic respiratory diseases, considering the modifying effect of air pollution.

BACKGROUND: Chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs) are among the top three causes of human mortality. The relationship between modifiable environmental risk factor of noise and risk of mortality in CRDs is unclear. We investigated the longitudinal association between environmental noise exposure and cause-specific mortality in individuals with CRDs, considering the modifying effect of air pollution. METHODS: Residential noise exposure was modelled using Common Noise Assessment Methods in Europe. Information on death causes were acquired from death registry data. Cox proportional-hazards models were used to estimate effect sizes. RESULTS: Among 41,222 participants selected from UK Biobank with CRDs in baseline, a total of 3618 death cases occurred during an average follow-up of 12 years with mortality density of 7.16 per 1000 person years. Exposure with highest noise level (> percentile 90) were associated with 22 % (Hazard ratio [HR] = 1.22, 95 % confidence interval [CI]: 1.05, 1.42), 71 % (HR = 1.71, 95 % CI: 1.14, 2.56), and 84 % (HR = 1.84, 95 % CI: 1.10, 3.07) increased risks for all-cause, respiratory disease (RD)-cause, and COPD-cause mortalities, separately. Both multiplicative and additive interactions was found between air pollution and noise with the risk of RD-cause mortality. Participants with high air pollution and noise exposure were associated with a 101 % (HR = 2.01, 95 % CI: 1.10, 3.66) increased risk of RD-cause mortality. CONCLUSION: It is imperative to mitigate noise exposure as a preventive measure against incident mortality in individuals with CRDs.

Pulmonary function, genetic predisposition, and the risk of cirrhosis: A prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: Pulmonary function is associated with the development of chronic liver disease. However, evidence of the association between pulmonary function and cirrhosis risk is still lacking. This study aimed to investigate the longitudinal associations of pulmonary function with the development of cirrhosis, and to explore whether genetic predisposition to cirrhosis could modify these associations. METHODS: Of 294,835 participants free of cirrhosis and had undergone spirometry at baseline from the UK Biobank were included. Cirrhosis diagnoses were ascertained through linked hospital records and death registries. Cox proportional hazard models were employed to investigate the longitudinal associations between pulmonary function, genetic predisposition, and cirrhosis risk. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 12.0 years, 2598 incident cirrhosis cases were documented. Compared to individuals with normal spirometry findings, those with preserved ratio impaired spirometry (PRISm) findings (hazard ratio [HR] and 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.32 [1.18, 1.48]) and airflow obstruction (HR [95%CI]: 1.19 [1.07, 1.31]) had a higher risk of developing cirrhosis after adjustments. These associations were consistent across all categories of genetic predisposition, with no observed modifying effect of genetic predisposition. In joint exposure analyses, the highest risk was observed in individuals with both a high genetic predisposition for cirrhosis and PRISm findings (HR [95% CI]: 1.74 [1.45, 2.08]). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that worse pulmonary function is a significant risk factor of cirrhosis, irrespective of genetic predisposition. Early identification and appropriate intervention for pulmonary function may lead to more effective healthcare resource utilization and reduce the burden associated with cirrhosis.

Associations between frailty, genetic predisposition, and chronic kidney disease risk in middle-aged and older adults: A prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: Cross-sectional evidence has shown that frailty is highly prevalent in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, there is limited evidence of the longitudinal associations between frailty, genetic predisposition to CKD, and the risk of CKD in the general population. Therefore, this study aimed to examine such associations among participants in the UK Biobank. STUDY DESIGN: This is a prospective cohort study included 370,965 middle-aged and older adults from the UK Biobank. Physical frailty was assessed using a modified version of the Fried phenotype classification. A weighted genetic risk score was built using 263 variants associated with estimated glomerular filtration rate. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Incident CKD was identified from hospital inpatient records. RESULTS: Over a median follow-up of 12.3 years, we documented a total of 11,121 incident CKD cases. Time-dependent Cox proportional hazards regression models indicated that individuals with frailty (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.94, 95 % confidence interval [CI]: 1.81-2.08) and pre-frailty (HR: 1.27, 95 % CI: 1.22-1.33) had an increased risk of developing CKD, compared with non-frail individuals. No significant interaction between frailty and genetic risk score was observed (P for interaction = 0.41). The highest risk was observed among the individuals with high genetic risk and frailty (HR: 2.31, 95 % CI: 2.00-2.68). CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrated that frailty and pre-frailty were associated with increased risk of incident CKD in middle-age and older adults, regardless of genetic risk of CKD. Our study underscores the importance of frailty screening and intervention as a potential strategy to prevent CKD. Future clinical trials are needed to validate our findings.

Physical frailty, genetic predisposition, and the risks of severe non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and cirrhosis: a cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Frailty, defined as a phenotype of decreased physiological reserves and diminished ability to respond to stressors, has been linked to the development of chronic diseases. Epidemiological evidence connecting frailty to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and cirrhosis risks remain sparse. We aimed to assess the longitudinal associations of frailty with the risks of severe NAFLD and cirrhosis in middle-aged to older adults and further explore the modification role of genetic risk on these associations. METHODS: This study included a total of 398 386 participants from the UK Biobank. Incident cases of severe NAFLD and cirrhosis were ascertained through linked hospital records and death registries. Frailty status was assessed by a modified version of the frailty phenotype, encompassing five key components: weight loss, tiredness, physical activity, gait speed, and grip strength. Participants were classified as pre-frailty if they met one or two of these criteria, and as frailty if they met three or more. Genetic predisposition to NAFLD and cirrhosis was estimated by genetic risk score (GRS) and further categorized into high, intermediate, and low genetic risk levels according to tertiles of GRSs. Cox proportional hazards regression model was employed to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for their associations. RESULTS: The mean (standard deviation) age of the study population was 56.6 (8.03) years. 214 408 (53.8%) of the participants was female; 14 924 (3.75%) of participants met the criteria for frailty, 170 498 (42.8%) for pre-frailty, and 212 964 (53.5%) for non-frailty. Over a median follow-up of 12.0 years, we documented 4439 incident severe NAFLD and 3323 incident cirrhosis cases, respectively. Compared with non-frailty, both pre-frailty (HR: 1.50; 95% CI: 1.40-1.60) and frailty (HR: 1.98; 95% CI: 1.77-2.21) were associated with increased risk of NAFLD. Similar associations were observed for cirrhosis, the corresponding HRs (95% CIs) for non-frailty, pre-frailty, and frailty were 1.00 (reference), 1.29 (1.20, 1.38), and 1.90 (1.66, 2.18). Such associations were consistent across all genetic risk levels, with no observed interactions between frailty and GRSs (all P for interactions ≥0.10). Compared with participants with frailty and a low level of genetic risk, the greatest risk increasement in developing severe NAFLD (HR: 3.36; 95% CI: 2.83-3.99) and cirrhosis (HR: 2.81; 95% CI: 2.29-3.44) was both observed in those with frailty and a high level of genetic risk. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that frailty is a significant predictor of severe NAFLD and cirrhosis, irrespective of genetic predisposition.

Life's Essential 8, genetic susceptibility, and the risk of psoriatic disease: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Psoriatic disease (PsD) is closely associated with cardiovascular diseases. The Life's Essential 8 (LE8) score is a new metric for assessing cardiovascular health (CVH), where a higher score indicates better CVH. However, the longitudinal association between LE8 score and the risk of PsD remains uncertain. The main aim of the present study was to explore the association between LE8 scores and the risk of PsD. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the associations between LE8 score, genetic susceptibility, and the risk of PsD within a cohort design. METHODS: This cohort study included 261,642 participants from the UK Biobank without PsD at baseline. LE8 comprises eight indicators: diet, physical activity, nicotine exposure, sleep health, body mass index, blood lipids, blood glucose, and blood pressure. Cox proportional hazard models were employed to examine the association between the participants' LE8 scores, PsD genetic risk, and the risk of PsD. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidential intervals (CIs) were calculated. RESULTS: During an average follow-up of 12.32 years, 1,501 participants developed PsD. Compared to participants with low LE8 scores, the HRs (95% CIs) of developing PsD for those with moderate and high LE8 scores were 0.51 (0.43, 0.59) and 0.34 (0.27, 0.42) after adjustments, respectively. Dose-response analysis revealed a linear negative association between continuous LE8 score and the risk of developing PsD (P < 0.001), with no evidence of non-linear association detected. The genetic susceptibility to PsD did not modify this association (P for interaction = 0.63). Subgroup analyses revealed that women demonstrated a more pronounced beneficial association between LE8 scores and PsD risk (P for interaction = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that a higher LE8 score, regardless of genetic risk, was associated with a lower risk of PsD, particularly among women. Consequently, maintaining a high CVH status is recommended to prevent PsD and assess associated risks.

Intensity-Specific Physical Activity Measured by Accelerometer, Genetic Susceptibility, and the Risk of Kidney Stone Disease: Results From the UK Biobank.

RATIONALE & OBJECTIVE: Kidney stone disease (KSD), a significant health care problem within both developed and developing countries, has been associated with genetic risk factors. An association between physical activity and KSD risk also has been hypothesized, but studies have yielded inconsistent findings. This study investigated the association between the intensity of physical activity and the incidence of KSD accounting for genetic risk. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING & PARTICIPANTS: A total of 80,473 participants from the UK Biobank Study. EXPOSURE: Physical activity levels, including total physical activity (TPA), moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA), and light-intensity physical activity (LPA), were measured using accelerometers and quantified using a machine learning model. A polygenic risk score (PRS) for KSD was also constructed. OUTCOME: Individuals with KSD were identified using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10), and procedure codes for KSD surgery. ANALYTICAL APPROACH: A Fine and Gray survival model was used to estimate the associations of incident KSD with TPA, MVPA, LPA, and PRS (as categorical variables). Restricted cubic splines were used to examine potential nonlinear associations within the fully adjusted models. RESULTS: During an average follow-up of 6.19 years, 421 participants developed KSD. Participants in the highest quartiles of TPA, MVPA, and LPA had lower adjusted rates of KSD compared with those in the lowest quartiles: HR, 0.50 (95% CI, 0.44-0.56), 0.57 (95% CI, 0.51-0.64), and 0.66 (95% CI, 0.59-0.74), respectively. TPA, MVPA, and LPA were associated with a lower risk of KSD in participants with low and high genetic predisposition for KSD. LIMITATIONS: Selection bias as participants who provided accelerometry data may have been more adherent to health care. CONCLUSIONS: Physical activity was negatively associated with the risk of KSD, regardless of the genetic risk. Future large studies are warranted to confirm and explain the mechanisms underlying these associations. PLAIN-LANGUAGE SUMMARY: The association between the intensity of physical activity (PA) and the incidence of kidney stone disease (KSD) after accounting for genetic risk is unclear. We conducted a comprehensive prospective cohort study utilizing participants from the UK Biobank to assess the intensity of PA using accelerometers. Our study findings indicated that greater total PA, moderate-to-vigorous-intensity PA, and light-intensity PA were each associated with a lower risk of KSD irrespective of an individual's genetic risk. Our study informs the understanding of risk factors for KSD.

Ultra-processed food consumption, genetic susceptibility, and the risk of hip/knee osteoarthritis.

BACKGROUND: The associations between ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption, genetic susceptibility, and the risk of osteoarthritis (OA) remain unknown. This study was to examine the effect of UPF consumption, genetic susceptibility, and their interactions on hip/knee OA. METHODS: Cohort analyses included 163,987 participants from the UK Biobank. Participants' UPF consumption was derived from their 24-h dietary recall using a questionnaire. Genetic risk scores (GRSs) of 70 and 83 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for hip and knee OA were constructed. FINDINGS: After 1,461,447 person-years of follow-up, 11,540 patients developed OA. After adjustments, compared to participants in the low quartile of UPF consumption, those in the high quartile had a 10 % (hazard ratio [HR], 1.10; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03-1.18) increased risk of knee OA. No significant association was found between UPF consumption and hip OA. Replacing 20% of UPF diet weight with an equivalent proportion of unprocessed or minimally processed food caused a 6% (HR, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.89-0.98) decreased risk of knee OA, respectively. A significant interaction was found between UPF consumption, genetic predisposition, and the risk of knee OA (P = 0.01). Participants with lower OA-GRS scores experienced higher knee OA risks due to UPF consumption. INTERPRETATION: UPF consumption was associated with a higher risk of knee OA but not hip OA, particularly in those with lower genetic susceptibility. These results highlight the importance of reducing UPF consumption to prevent knee OA.

Adherence to healthy lifestyle was associated with an attenuation of the risk of chronic kidney disease from metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease: Results from two prospective cohorts.

AIMS: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) are important risk factors of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Whether adherence to a healthy lifestyle can modify these effects remain unknown. This study aimed to evaluate the modification effects of healthy lifestyle on the associations among NAFLD, MAFLD, and the risk of CKD, with taking into the effect of genetic risk. METHODS: The Tianjin Chronic Low-grade Systemic Inflammation and Health Cohort Study (TCLSIH), the UK Biobank Study (UKB). The outcome was incident CKD. The exposures including NAFLD, MAFLD, healthy lifestyle, and a genetic risk score (GRS) for CKD. RESULTS: After 1,135,334 person-year follow-up, we documented 2975 incident CKD cases in the two cohorts. MAFLD and NAFLD were associated with a higher risk of CKD, particularly in patients with MAFLD. In the TCLSIH and UKB, the hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) of incident CKD for MAFLD were 1.47 (1.30, 1.66) and 1.73 (1.57, 1.91), respectively. Adherence to a healthier lifestyle decreased the risk of CKD from MAFLD with significant interaction effects (TCLSIH: Pinteraction = 0.02; UKB: Pinteraction = 0.04). Participants with a lower CKD-GRS experienced a higher risk of CKD from MAFLD, but achieved two healthy lifestyles can significantly decreased the risk of CKD in patients with MAFLD. CONCLUSIONS: MAFLD and NAFLD are associated with a higher CKD risk, particularly MAFLD. Adherence to a healthier lifestyle was associated with a lower risk of CKD from MAFLD. These results highlight the important role of following a healthy lifestyle to prevent CKD.

Ligand leaching enabling improved electrocatalytic oxygen evolution performance.

Design and fabrication of cost-effective (pre-)catalysts are important for water splitting and metal-air batteries. In this direction, various metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been investigated as pre-catalysts for oxygen evolution. However, the activation process and the complex reconstruction behaviour of these MOFs are not well understood. Herein, square-like MOF nanosheets in which carbon nanotubes were embedded were prepared by introducing an amine ligand to coordinate with Ni ions and then reacting with [Fe(CN)6]3-. The formed MOF nanosheets containing nickel and iron species were then activated by NaBH4, inducing the leaching of ligands and the formation of tiny active species in situ loaded on carbon nanotubes. The prepared catalyst shows superior oxygen evolution performance with an ultralow overpotential of 231 mV for 10 mA cm-2, a fast reaction kinetics with a small Tafel slope of 52.3 mV dec-1, and outstanding catalysis stability. The excellent electrocatalytic performance for oxygen evolution can be attributed to the structural advantage of in situ derived small sized active species and one-dimensional conductive networks. This work provides a new thought for the enhancement of the electrocatalytic performance of MOF materials.

The independent and combined effects of dietary and sleep patterns on the risk of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease: a population-based cohort study.

Background & aims: accumulating evidence shows that various sleep behaviors are related to metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), and that diet plays an important role in both preventing and treating this condition. However, the overall effect of a healthy sleep pattern and its joint effect with diet on the risk of MAFLD remain unclear. The aim of this study is to explore the independent and combined effects of dietary and sleep patterns on the MAFLD risk. Methods: this population-based prospective cohort study was conducted in China with a sample size of 13 687 participants. MAFLD was diagnosed through abdominal ultrasound and international expert consensus. Five healthy sleep behaviors were identified to create a healthy sleep pattern, while factor analysis was used to determine dietary patterns. Cox proportional hazards regression was utilized to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: during a total of 49 912 person-years of follow-up, 2977 new cases of MAFLD were identified. The adjusted HRs (95% CIs) of MAFLD in relation to the healthy sleep pattern score were 0.87 (0.78-0.97), 0.83 (0.75-0.92), and 0.77 (0.68-0.87) for scores of 3, 4, and 5, respectively, compared to participants with the lowest score (0-2). A higher intake of animal food (adjusted HR4th quartile vs. 1st quartile, 1.15, 95% CI, 1.03-1.27) and a lower intake of vegetables (adjusted HR4th quartile vs. 1st quartile, 0.88, 95% CI, 0.78-0.99) were associated with a higher risk of MAFLD. Participants who adhered to both healthy dietary and sleep patterns had the lowest MAFLD risk compared to those who followed only one or neither of them. Conclusions: a healthy sleep pattern, especially in combination with a healthy diet, was associated with a lower risk of MAFLD. Future prevention strategies for MAFLD should include consideration of sleep behaviors, in addition to the current recommendations.

Association Between Serum Uric Acid and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objective: Recent epidemiological evidence shows that there is an association between serum uric acid (SUA) levels and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The purpose of this meta-analysis is to summarize all available evidence and assess the associations between SUA levels and NAFLD. Methods: Using two databases, Web of Science and PubMed, observational studies were applied from the establishment of the databases to June 2022. We used a random effect model to construct the pooled odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) to appraise the association between SUA levels and NAFLD. The Begg's test was conducted to appraise publication bias. Results: A total of 50 studies were included, involving 2,079,710 participants (719,013 NAFLD patients). The prevalence and incidence rates (95% CIs) of NAFLD in the patients with hyperuricemia were 65% (57-73%) and 31% (20-41%), respectively. Compared to participants with lower levels of SUA, the pooled OR (95% CI) of NAFLD in those with higher levels of SUA was 1.88 (95% CI: 1.76-2.00). In the subgroup analyses, we found that SUA levels were positively associated with NAFLD in all subgroups, according to study design, study quality, sample size, sex, comparison, age, or country. Conclusion: This meta-analysis shows that increased SUA levels are positively associated with NAFLD. The results suggested that reducing SUA levels can be a potential strategy for the prevention of NAFLD. Registration Number: PROSPERO-CRD42022358431.

Meta-analysis of the association between major foods with added fructose and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Objectives: The relationship between the consumption of foods with added fructose and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) was inconsistent in previous epidemiological studies, and no meta-analysis has been performed on the pooled results. Hence, this study aims to assess the associations between the consumption of major foods with added fructose and NAFLD in a meta-analysis. Methods: Through PubMed and Web of Science, an extensive literature search of publications before July 2022 was conducted. We included studies that investigated the associations between the intake of ≥1 food sources with added fructose (biscuits and cookies, cake, sugar-sweetened beverages [SSBs], sweets, candies, chocolate, or ice cream) and NAFLD in a general adult population. Random- or fixed-effects models were used to pool odds ratios [ORs, 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs)] depending on the degree of heterogeneity. Results: A total of 15 studies with 65 149 participants were finally brought into the meta-analysis. Based on the results, it seems that the prevalence of NAFLD was higher among those who consumed foods with added fructose (OR = 1.31, 95% CI = 1.17-1.48). Subgroup analysis showed that consumption of foods with added fructose was associated with a greater prevalence of NAFLD in subgroups of cohort and cross-sectional studies, of SSBs, participants from Asia or North America, disease assessment using ultrasound, CT, or MRI, and exposure assessment using dietary recall and food frequency questionnaires. Conclusion: Our results indicated that major foods with added fructose intake have a positive association with the prevalence of NAFLD. Reduction of added fructose consumption may represent an early opportunity to mitigate or prevent NAFLD.

Prevalence of Diabetes in Patients with Hyperuricemia and Gout: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of the prevalence of diabetes in patients with hyperuricemia and gout. RECENT FINDINGS: Previous studies have confirmed that hyperuricemia and gout are associated with an increased risk of diabetes. A previous meta-analysis indicated that the prevalence of diabetes in patients with gout is 16%. Thirty-eight studies (458,256 patients) were included in the meta-analysis. The combined prevalence of diabetes among patients with hyperuricemia and gout were 19.10% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 17.60-20.60; I2 = 99.40%) and 16.70% (95% CI: 15.10-18.30; I2 = 99.30%), respectively. Patients from North America showed a higher prevalence of diabetes (hyperuricemia: 20.70% [95% CI: 16.80-24.60], gout: 20.70% [95% CI: 16.80-24.60]) than those from other continents. Older patients with hyperuricemia and those using diuretics showed a higher prevalence of diabetes than younger patients and those who were not using diuretics. Studies with a small sample size, case-control design, and low quality score had a higher prevalence of diabetes than studies with a large sample size, other designs, and a high quality score. The prevalence of diabetes among patients with hyperuricemia and gout is high. Controlling plasma glucose and uric acid levels of patients with hyperuricemia and gout is critical for the prevention of diabetes.

Efficacy of apremilast for psoriasis: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies.

Introduction: The efficacy of apremilast for psoriasis remains controversial. Aim: We have conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to explore the influence of apremilast on treatment efficacy for psoriasis. Material and methods: We have searched PubMed, Embase, Web of science, EBSCO, and Cochrane library databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published until February 2022 and assessing the efficacy and safety of apremilast for psoriasis. This meta-analysis was performed using the random-effects model. Results: Seven RCTs were included in the meta-analysis. Overall, compared with placebo for psoriasis, apremilast was associated with improved PASI-75 (LOCF) (OR = 6.59; 95% CI: 4.55 to 9.53; p < 0.00001), PASI-75 (NRI) (OR = 6.99; 95% CI: 4.43 to 11.04; p < 0.00001), sPGA response (LOCF) (OR = 5.58; 95% CI: 3.82 to 8.16; p < 0.00001), sPGA response (NRI) (OR = 6.06; 95% CI: 4.07 to 9.02; p < 0.00001), PASI-50 (LOCF) (OR = 4.37; 95% CI: 2.72 to 7.01; p < 0.00001), PASI-90 (LOCF) (OR = 7.81; 95% CI: 2.89 to 21.08; p < 0.0001), adverse events (OR = 1.58; 95% CI: 1.19 to 2.10; p = 0.002), but demonstrated no increase in serious adverse events (OR = 1.01; 95% CI: 0.43 to 2.33; p = 0.99). Conclusions: Apremilast is effective and safe to treat psoriasis.

Associations between dietary patterns and nephrolithiasis risk in a large Chinese cohort: is a balanced or plant-based diet better?

Purpose: Individual food items and nutrients are associated with the development of nephrolithiasis. Few studies have investigated the association between dietary patterns, particularly plant-based diets, and this disease. We aim to explore the associations between dietary patterns and incident nephrolithiasis risk. Materials and methods: This prospective cohort study included 26 490 participants. Factor analysis was applied to dietary information to identify three a posteriori dietary patterns, and six a priori plant-based dietary patterns (overall plant-based diet index [PDI], healthful plant-based diet index [hPDI], unhealthful plant-based diet index [uPDI], vegan diet, lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet, and fish-vegetarian diet) were defined. Nephrolithiasis was diagnosed using ultrasonography. Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to assess the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for incident nephrolithiasis related to dietary patterns. Results: After 101 094 person-years follow-up, we documented 806 incident nephrolithiasis cases. An a posteriori balanced dietary pattern characterized by a higher intake of vegetables, eggs, grains, legumes, legume products, and meat was associated with a lower risk of nephrolithiasis (P for trend = 0.02). Compared to the reference group in the lowest quartile of the balanced pattern, participants in the highest quartile had an adjusted HR (95% CI) of 0.72 (0.53-0.96) for incident nephrolithiasis. Adherence to the uPDI increased the risk of incident nephrolithiasis (P for trend < 0.01; adjusted HR4th quartile vs. 1st quartile, 1.46, 95% CI, 1.14-1.97). No significant association was found between other a posteriori or a priori dietary patterns and incident nephrolithiasis. Conclusions: Adherence to a balanced dietary pattern, but not a plant-based diet, was associated with a lower nephrolithiasis risk. Moreover, higher uPDI consumption increased incident nephrolithiasis risk.

The sirtuin family in health and disease.

Sirtuins (SIRTs) are nicotine adenine dinucleotide(+)-dependent histone deacetylases regulating critical signaling pathways in prokaryotes and eukaryotes, and are involved in numerous biological processes. Currently, seven mammalian homologs of yeast Sir2 named SIRT1 to SIRT7 have been identified. Increasing evidence has suggested the vital roles of seven members of the SIRT family in health and disease conditions. Notably, this protein family plays a variety of important roles in cellular biology such as inflammation, metabolism, oxidative stress, and apoptosis, etc., thus, it is considered a potential therapeutic target for different kinds of pathologies including cancer, cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, and other conditions. Moreover, identification of SIRT modulators and exploring the functions of these different modulators have prompted increased efforts to discover new small molecules, which can modify SIRT activity. Furthermore, several randomized controlled trials have indicated that different interventions might affect the expression of SIRT protein in human samples, and supplementation of SIRT modulators might have diverse impact on physiological function in different participants. In this review, we introduce the history and structure of the SIRT protein family, discuss the molecular mechanisms and biological functions of seven members of the SIRT protein family, elaborate on the regulatory roles of SIRTs in human disease, summarize SIRT inhibitors and activators, and review related clinical studies.

Validity and reproducibility of a FFQ for assessing dietary intake among residents of northeast China: northeast cohort study of China.

The study was to evaluate the reproducibility and validity of the FFQ for residents of northeast China. A total of 131 participants completed two FFQ (FFQ1 and FFQ2) within a 3-month period, 125 participants completed 8-d weighed diet records (WDR) and 112 participants completed blood biomarker testing. Reproducibility was measured by comparing nutrient and food intake between FFQ1 and FFQ2. The validity of the FFQ was assessed by WDR and the triad method. The Spearman correlation coefficients (SCC) and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) for reproducibility ranged from 0·41 to 0·69 (median = 0·53) and from 0·18 to 0·68 (median = 0·53) for energy and nutrients and from 0·37 to 0·73 (median = 0·59) and from 0·33 to 0·86 (median = 0·60) for food groups, respectively. The classifications of same or adjacent quartiles ranged from 73·64 to 93·80 % for both FFQ. The crude SCC between the FFQ and WDR ranged from 0·27 to 0·55 (median = 0·46) for the energy and nutrients and from 0·26 to 0·70 (median = 0·52) for food groups, and classifications of the same or adjacent quartiles ranged from 65·32 to 86·29 %. The triad method indicated that validation coefficients for the FFQ were above 0·3 for most nutrients, which indicated a moderate or high level of validity. The FFQ that was developed for residents of northeast China for the Northeast Cohort Study of China is reliable and valid for assessing the intake of most foods and nutrients.

Meta-analysis of sugar-sweetened beverage intake and the risk of cognitive disorders.

BACKGROUND: Previous epidemiological studies revealed inconsistent associations between sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption and cognitive disorders, but there have been no meta-analyses of the pooled results. Thus, a meta-analysis was performed to determine the association between SSB consumption and cognitive disorders. METHODS: A systematic search of the literature prior to May 20, 2022 was performed using the PubMed and Web of Science databases. Random effects models were used to calculate and combine odds ratios (ORs) depending on the degree of heterogeneity. RESULTS: 13 studies met the inclusion criteria. A total of 242,014 participants (2752 in three cross-sectional studies and 239,262 in ten cohort studies) were included. A random effects meta-analysis, according to the comprehensive analysis of SSB consumption, was associated with a greater prevalence of cognitive disorders (OR = 1.17, 95 % CI = 1.05-1.29; I2 = 90.1 %). Subgroup analyses of study design, type of SSB, or cognitive disorders outcome was performed. In subgroup analyses, we found that SSB intake was associated with a higher prevalence of cognitive disorders in cohort studies, middle-aged and elderly population, and participants with sugar-sweetened soft drinks. However, no significant association was found in other subgroups. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that SSB intake is positively associated with the prevalence of cognitive disorders. Therefore, attention should be paid to reducing SSB intake as an early intervention for cognitive disorders.

A Follow-Up Study of Ovarian Cancer (OOPS): A Study Protocol.

The ovarian cancer (OC) follow-up study (OOPS) is an on-going hospital-based large prospective longitudinal cohort study aimed to explore the relationship between pre/post-diagnostic biological, clinical, environmental, and lifestyle factors with focus on the diet and OC prognosis (including drug resistance, relapse, and mortality). Patients recruited during the baseline survey were between 18 and 79 years old, with histologically confirmed OC diagnosis. Their follow-up and medical treatment were conducted at the gynecological oncology ward at Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China after 2015. A total of 703 OC patients made up the final OOPS study population. The follow-up stage was conducted in both passive and active modes. In the passive mode, the follow-up was performed by linkage to the Liaoning Providence Center for Disease Control and Prevention every 6 months to obtain health outcome results. The status of lifestyle factors was re-estimated using the same measurements as those in the baseline survey. OC participants in the OOPS study completed a questionnaire and anthropometric examinations. In addition, biological specimens were collected during the baseline survey, which included blood, urine, and stool samples that were stored for further use. This article is intended to serve as an introduction to this project and to provide details for investigators who may be carry out related analysis.

A contrastive consistency semi-supervised left atrium segmentation model.

Accurate segmentation for the left atrium (LA) is a key process of clinical diagnosis and therapy for atrial fibrillation. In clinical, the semantic-level segmentation of LA consumes much time and labor. Although supervised deep learning methods can somewhat solve this problem, a high-efficient deep learning model requires abundant labeled data that is hard to acquire. Therefore, the research on automatic LA segmentation of leveraging unlabeled data is highly required. In this paper, we propose a semi-supervised LA segmentation framework including a segmentation model and a classification model. The segmentation model takes volumes from both labeled and unlabeled data as input and generates predictions of LAs. And then, a classification model maps these predictions to class-vectors for each input. Afterward, to leverage the class information, we construct a contrastive consistency loss function based on these class-vectors, so that the model can enlarge the discrepancy of the inter-class and compact the similarity of the intra-class for learning more distinguishable representation. Moreover, we set the class-vectors from the labeled data as references to the class-vectors from the unlabeled data to relieve the influence of the unreliable prediction for the unlabeled data. At last, we evaluate our semi-supervised LA segmentation framework on a public LA dataset using four universal metrics and compare it with recent state-of-the-art models. The proposed model achieves the best performance on all metrics with a Dice Score of 89.81 %, Jaccard of 81.64 %, 95 % Hausdorff distance of 7.15 mm, and Average Surface Distance of 1.82 mm. The outstanding performance of the proposed framework shows that it may have a significant contribution to assisting the therapy of patients with atrial fibrillation. Code is available at: https://github.com/PerceptionComputingLab/SCC.