LncRNA PART1 Attenuates Myocardial Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury by Regulating TFAP2C/DUSP5 Axis via miR-302a-3p.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI) refers to the damage of cardiac function caused by restoration of blood flow perfusion in ischemic myocardium. However, long non-coding RNA prostate androgen regulated transcript 1 (PART1)'s role in MIRI remain unclear. METHODS: Immunofluorescence detected LC3 expression. Intermolecular relationships were verified by dual luciferase reporter assay. 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide, flow cytometry and transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assays analyzed cell viability and apoptosis. The release of lactate dehydrogenase was tested via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Left anterior descending coronary artery surgery induced a MIRI mouse model. Infarct area was detected by 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining. Hematoxylin and eosin staining examined myocardial injury. ELISA evaluated myocardial marker (creatine kinase MB) level. RESULTS: PART1 was decreased in hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) induced AC16 cells and MIRI mice. PART1 upregulation attenuated the increased levels of Bax, beclin-1 and the ratio of LC3II/I, and enhanced the decrease of Bcl-2 and p62 expression in H/R-treated cells. PART1 upregulation alleviated H/R-triggered autophagy and apoptosis via miR-302a-3p. Mechanically, PART1 targeted miR-302a-3p to upregulate transcription factor activating enhancer-binding protein 2C (TFAP2C). TFAP2C silencing reversed the protected effects of miR-302a-3p inhibitor on H/R treated AC16 cells. We further established TFAP2C combined to dual-specificity phosphatase 5 (DUSP5) promoter and activated DUSP5. TFAP2C upregulation suppressed H/R-stimulated autophagy and apoptosis through upregulating DUSP5. Overexpressed PART1 reduced myocardial infarction area and attenuated MIRI in mice. CONCLUSION: PART1 improved the autophagy and apoptosis in H/R-exposed AC16 cells through miR-302a-3p/TFAP2C/DUSP5 axis, which might provide novel targets for MIRI treatment.

[Characterization of Microplastic Surface Bacterial Community Structure and Prediction of Ecological Risk in Poyang Lake, China].

In recent years, the environmental pollution of microplastics in Poyang Lake has received increasing attention. Baisha Lake of Poyang Lake was selected as the study area, and samples of water and sediments of Baisha Lake and the microplastics therein were collected, and the polymer types of microplastics were identified as polyethylene (PE), polyester (PET), polypropylene (PP), and polystyrene (PS) using Fourier infrared spectroscopy. We also analyzed the structural composition of bacterial communities in water, in sediments, and on microplastic surfaces using 16S high-throughput sequencing. The species richness and diversity of bacteria on the microplastic surfaces were lower than those in the surrounding water and sediments. The results of NMDS analysis showed that the bacterial community structures on the microplastic surfaces differed greatly from those in the surrounding sediments and water. The bacterial community composition in water and sediment differed from that on the microplastic surfaces, and the dominant bacterial phyla on the microplastic surfaces were Proteobacteria and Bacteroidota, and their relative abundance on the microplastic surfaces was higher than that in sediment. The relative abundance of Proteobacteria was higher than that in water. The relative abundances of Bacteroidota and Actinobacteriota were significantly lower than that of water. Massilia and Pseudomonas were the dominant genera on the microplastic surfaces, and their relative abundances were significantly higher than those in the surrounding water and sediments. BugBase phenotype prediction revealed that the relative abundance of contains mobile elements, biofilm formation, potential pathogenicity, and stress tolerance phenotypes of microplastic bacterial communities were significantly higher than those of the surrounding water and sediments. The results revealed that microplastics may have contributed to the spread of harmful bacteria, including pathogenic bacteria, and increased the potential pathogenicity of bacterial communities. Additionally, microplastic surface bacterial communities had higher phenotypes of mobile gene element content. Revealing the potential harm of microplastic pollution to wetland ecology at the micro level may provide a scientific reference for maintaining the ecological stability of wetlands.

Afferent Renal Denervation Attenuates Sympathetic Overactivation From the Paraventricular Nucleus in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats.

BACKGROUND: The effectiveness of renal denervation (RDN) in reducing blood pressure and systemic sympathetic activity in hypertensive patients has been established. However, the underlying central mechanism remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate the role of RDN in regulating cardiovascular function via the central renin-angiotensin system (RAS) pathway. METHODS: Ten-week-old spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) were subjected to selective afferent renal denervation (ADN) using capsaicin solution. We hypothesized that ADN would effectively reduce blood pressure and rebalance the RAS component of the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) in SHR. RESULTS: The experimental results show that the ADN group exhibited significantly lower blood pressure, reduced systemic sympathetic activity, decreased chronic neuronal activation marker C-FOS expression in the PVN, and improved arterial baroreflex function, compared with the Sham group. Furthermore, ACE and AT1 protein expression was reduced while ACE2 and MAS protein expression was increased in the PVN of SHR after ADN. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that RDN may exert these beneficial effects through modulating the central RAS pathway.

Combining Multiple Photosensitizer Modules into One Supramolecular System for Synergetic Enhanced Photodynamic Therapy.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT), as an emerging cancer treatment, requires the development of highly desirable photosensitizers (PSs) with integrated functional groups to achieve enhanced therapeutic efficacy. Coordination-driven self-assembly (CDSA) would provide an alternative approach for combining multiple PSs synergistically. Here, we demonstrate a simple yet powerful strategy of combining conventional chromophores (tetraphenylethylene, porphyrin, or Zn-porphyrin) with pyridinium salt PSs together through condensation reactions, followed by CDSA to construct a series of novel metallo-supramolecular PSs (S1-S3). The generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is dramatically enhanced by the direct combination of two different PSs, and further reinforced in the subsequent ensembles. Among all the ensembles, S2 with two porphyrin cores shows the highest ROS generation efficiency, specific interactions with lysosome, and strong emission for probing cells. Moreover, the cellular and living experiments confirm that S2 has excellent PDT efficacy, biocompatibility, and biosafety. As such, this study will enable the development of more efficient PSs with potential clinical applications.

Effects of omega-3, omega-6, and total dietary polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation in patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Uncertainty exists about the link between omega-3 fatty acid, omega-6 fatty acid, and total polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) intake and mortality in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) patients, and no meta-analyses summarize the relationship between these various types of PUFAs and ASCVD. Methods: Web of Science, PubMed, EBSCO and Cochrane Library up to November 30, 2022 were searched for prospective randomized controlled studies investigating the relationships among omega-3, omega-6, and PUFA intake and mortality and cardiovascular events in ASCVD patients. This study has been registered at PROSPERO (No. CRD42023407566). Results: This meta-analysis included 21 publications from 17 studies involving 40 861 participants published between 1965 and 2022. In ASCVD patients, omega-3 may lower all-cause mortality (RR: 0.90, 95% CI [0.83, 0.98], I2 = 8%), CVD mortality (RR: 0.82, 95% CI [0.73, 0.91], I2 = 34%) and CVD events (RR: 0.90, 95% CI [0.86, 0.93], I2 = 79%). Subgroup analyses showed that EPA or EPA ethyl ester supplementation reduced CVD events, while the mixture of EPA and DHA had no significant impact. Long-chain omega-3 consumption of 1.0-4.0 g per d reduced death risk by 3.5% for each 1 g per d increase. Omega-6 and PUFA had no significant effect on mortality or CVD events, with low-quality evidence and significant heterogeneity. Conclusions: omega-3 intake is associated with a reduced risk of all-cause mortality, CVD mortality, and CVD events in ASCVD patients, while omega-6 or total PUFA intake showed no significant association. Increasing the omega-3 intake by 1 g per d resulted in a 3.5% decrease in the risk of death. These findings support the recommendation of supplements with omega-3 fatty acids for the secondary prevention of ASCVD.

Surrounding greenness is associated with lower risk and burden of low birth weight in Iran.

The nexus between prenatal greenspace exposure and low birth weight (LBW) remains largely unstudied in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We investigated a nationwide retrospective cohort of 4,021,741 live births (263,728 LBW births) across 31 provinces in Iran during 2013-2018. Greenness exposure during pregnancy was assessed using satellite-based normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and enhanced vegetation index (EVI). We estimated greenness-LBW associations using multiple logistic models, and quantified avoidable LBW cases under scenarios of improved greenspace through counterfactual analyses. Association analyses provide consistent evidence for approximately L-shaped exposure-response functions, linking 7.0-11.5% declines in the odds of LBW to each 0.1-unit rise in NDVI/EVI with multiple buffers. Assuming causality, 3931-5099 LBW births can be avoided by achieving greenness targets of mean NDVI/EVI, amounting to 4.4-5.6% of total LBW births in 2015. Our findings suggest potential health benefits of improved greenspace in lowering LBW risk and burden in LMICs.

Bacterial community structure of water, sediment and microplastics in Poyang Lake wetland.

As a new type of pollutant, microplastics accumulate continuously in the environment. The environmental problems caused by microplastics have attracted wide attention. In this study, we collected water, sediment and four types of microplastics (film, foam, fiber and fragment) from wetland in East Lake area of Poyang Lake. We used high-throughput sequencing technology to analyze the bacterial diversity and community structure of water, sediment, and microplastics surface. The results showed that the bacterial richness and diversity of water and sediment were significantly higher than that on microplastics, and the bacterial richness of foaming microplastics was significantly lower than that of the other three types of microplastics. There were significant differences of bacterial communities between water, sediment, and microplastics. There were significant differences cross different types of microplastics. Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Actinobacteria were the main bacterial communities of water, sediment, and microplastics. The relative abundance of Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria in water was higher than that in sediments and microplastics, while the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria in foaming microplastics was higher than that in other three types. At the genus level, the dominant ones included Massilia, Flavobacteria, and Pseudomonas. The relative abundance of Massilia and Pseudomonas in water and sediments was lower than that on microplastics, and the relative abundance of Flavobacteria was not different among water, sediment and microplastics. The relative abundance of Massilia in microplastics followed an order of fragment>fiber>film>foam, and that of Pseudomonas was film>fiber>foam>fragment. The results of metabolic pathway prediction analysis showed that except for foaming microplastics, the bacterial metabolic pathways on the surface of the other three types of microplastics were significantly different from those in water and sediment. The cellular processes, organismal systems, environmental information processing, and human diseases in bacterial metabolic pathways on microplastics surface were significantly higher than those in water and sediment. Our results suggested that microbial community structure on the surface of microplastics was significantly different from that in water and sediment, and that the morphology type of microplastics affected microbial community structure on the surface.

Sustained Agricultural Spraying: From Leaf Wettability to Dynamic Droplet Impact Behavior.

Crop production and quality safety system have the potential to nurture human health and improve environmental sustainability. Providing a growing global population with sufficient and healthy food is an immediate challenge. However, this system largely depends on the spraying of agrochemicals. Crop leaves are covered with different microstructures, exhibiting distinct hydrophilic, hydrophobic, or even superhydrophobic wetting characteristics, thus leading to various deposition difficulties of sprayed droplets. Here, the relationship between wettability and surface microstructure in different crop leaves from biological and interfacial structural perspectives is systematically demonstrated. A relational model is proposed in which complex microstructures lead to stronger leaf hydrophobicity. And adding surfactant with a faster dynamically migrating velocity and reducing droplet size can improve agrochemical precise deposition. These contribute toward highly accurate and efficient targeted applications with fewer agrochemicals use and promote sustainable models of eco-friendly agriculture systems.

Short-term effects of fine particulate matter constituents on myocardial infarction death.

Existing evidence suggested that short-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) may increase the risk of death from myocardial infarction (MI), while PM2.5 constituents responsible for this association has not been determined. We collected 12,927 MI deaths from 32 counties in southern China during 2011-2013. County-level exposures of ambient PM2.5 and its 5 constituents (i.e., elemental carbon (EC), organic carbon (OC), sulfate (SO42-), ammonium (NH4+), and nitrate (NO3-)) were aggregated from gridded datasets predicted by Community Multiscale Air Quality Modeling System. We employed a space-time-stratified case-crossover design and conditional logistic regression models to quantify the association of MI mortality with short-term exposure to PM2.5 and its constituents across various lag days. Over the study period, the daily mean PM2.5 mass concentration was 77.8 (standard deviation (SD) = 72.7) µg/m3. We estimated an odds ratio of 1.038 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.003-1.074), 1.038 (1.013-1.063) and 1.057 (1.023-1.097) for MI mortality associated with per interquartile range (IQR) increase in the 3-day moving-average exposure to PM2.5 (IQR = 76.3 µg/m3), EC (4.1 µg/m3) and OC (9.1 µg/m3), respectively. We did not identify significant association between MI death and exposure to water-soluble ions (SO42-, NH4+ and NO3-). Likelihood ratio tests supported no evident violations of linear assumptions for constituents-MI associations. Subgroup analyses showed stronger associations between MI death and EC/OC exposure in the elderly, males and cold months. Short-term exposure to PM2.5 constituents, particularly those carbonaceous aerosols, was associated with increased risks of MI mortality.

Value of Humanized Nursing under Emergency Green Channel on Gastrointestinal Function Recovery in Patients with Acute Intestinal Obstruction after Operation.

Acute intestinal obstruction (AIO) is one of the most common surgical acute abdomens. Emergency green channel refers to a fast and efficient service system provided by hospitals for critically ill patients. It is the key to ensure that emergency patients receive timely, standardized, efficient and thoughtful medical services, improve the success rate of rescue, and reduce medical risks. Acute intestinal obstruction is mainly treated by surgery in the clinic. Previous reports have shown that the application of different nursing methods in the operation of acute intestinal obstruction has different effects on the results of surgical treatment. In this study, the clinical data of 80 patients with AIO were retrospectively analyzed to explore the value of humanistic care under the emergency green channel in promoting the recovery of gastrointestinal function after AIO surgery.

The Correlation of Clinical Features and Endolymphatic Hydrops Visualized by 3D-Real IR MRI in Children With Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the correlation between clinical features and endolymphatic hydrops (EH) in children with sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL). METHODS: We collected 30 SSNHL children aged ≤17 years old, all of whom underwent intravenous gadolinium injection. After 4 hours, inner ear 3-dimensional inversion recovery sequence with real reconstruction (3D-real IR) magnetic resonance imaging was performed. Combined with their medical history such as gender, age, disease course, hearing loss, and so on, the results were analyzed. RESULTS: Different degrees of EH were shown in the vestibule or different turns of cochlea in the affected ears of SSNHL children, and 12 (40%) of 30 children showed positive EH. Age, low and middle frequency hearing loss, and other clinical symptoms such as dizziness and ear fullness have been shown to be related to a certain degree of EH in vestibule or cochlea, whereas no relationship was found between EH and other clinical features such as high-frequency hearing loss, gender, affected side, and tinnitus. CONCLUSIONS: Endolymphatic hydrops may not reflect the trend of disease progression over time in children with SSNHL, but the age of onset may be an important factor in the presence or absence of EH. Endolymphatic hydrops may be one of the causes of dizziness and ear fullness but has no obvious connection with the occurrence of tinnitus. Older SSNHL children with dizziness and ear fullness should maintain long-term follow-up to dynamically monitor the changes in EH.

Association of Midday Napping with All-Cause Mortality in Chinese Adults: A 8-Year Nationwide Cohort Study.

This study aimed to investigate the longitudinal association of estimated daytime nap duration with all-cause mortality in Chinese adults. We conceived a prospective cohort design using adult survey data of the baseline and four follow-up waves (2010-2019) from China Family Panel Studies. Cox frailty models with random intercepts for surveyed provinces were used to estimate risks of all-cause mortality associated with midday napping. Trend and subgroup analyses were also performed stratified by demographic, regional and behavioral factors. Compared with non-nappers, those who reported a long napping duration (≥60 min/day) had an increased risk of all-cause mortality, while shorter napping (<60 min) showed no association with mortality. We observed significant trends for greater risks of mortality associated with longer nap duration. Long nap-associated higher risk of all-cause mortality was seen in a group of nocturnal sleep duration ≥9 h. We identified stronger associations of long nap with mortality among adults aged over 50 years, those with lower BMI (<24 kg/m2), residents in rural regions and unregular exercisers. Long midday napping is independently associated with higher risks of all-cause mortality in Chinese adults.

Ambient NO2 exposure hinders long-term survival of Chinese middle-aged and older adults.

INTRODUCTION: Serval longitudinal investigations have reported relationships between long-term nitrogen dioxide (NO2) exposure and mortality. In developing countries such as China, however, the cohort evidence was extremely rare. In this study, we aimed to establish the concentration-response relationship between long-term exposure to NO2 and mortality in Chinese adults. METHODS: We conducted a prospective cohort study followed up from 2011 to 2018, by enrolling 15,440 participants aged ≥45 years from 28 provincial regions of China. NO2 concentration estimates were derived from high-quality spatiotemporal datasets developed by machine learning methods and were assigned for each participant according to their residential cities. We applied Cox proportional hazard models with time-varying exposures to assess the association of all-cause death with long-term NO2 exposure. Subgroup analyses were performed to identify effect modifications. RESULTS: A total of 1646 death events occurred during 105,478.5 person-years' follow-up (median 7.1 years). No evident violation for linear NO2-mortality relationship (P nonlinear = 0.332) was observed at a range of 7.4-45.0 µg/m3. Per 10-µg/m3 rise in NO2 was associated with an hazard ratio of 1.220 (95% confidence interval: 1.103-1.350) for all-cause mortality. The association between NO2 and mortality was generally robust after adjusting for co-pollutants including fine particulate matter or/and ozone. Only participants aged 65 and over (1.351 [1.193-1.531]) suffered from increased risks of death associated with NO2 exposure, and an evident effect modification by age (P = 0.008) was identified. The elevated risk of death induced by NO2 was also observed in participants living in rural areas and those with elementary school education or below, though effect modifications were non-significant in these subgroups. CONCLUSIONS: This study provided novel evidence that long-term NO2 exposure could be an independent risk for mortality among Chinese middle-aged and older adults. Our findings highlighted the importance of controlling air pollution induced by vehicle emissions.

Enhancing undergraduate research talents: the role of tutors in dental basic research education.

Purpose: This study endeavors to investigate ways to optimize the role of teachers in undergraduate dental basic research education (UDBRE) with the aim of nurturing the research potential of undergraduate students. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study among medical undergraduates enrolled at the School of Stomatology, Guangzhou Medical University. Descriptive statistics were employed to comprehensively analyze UDBRE's fundamental aspects. Kendall rank correlation analysis was performed to evaluate the relationship between the quality of feedback provided by tutors to undergraduates and the students' scientific research abilities. Additionally, multivariate logistic regression analysis was employed to uncover the factors influencing the effectiveness of UDBRE. Results: A total of 168 medical students were surveyed with a valid response rate of 93.85%. The effectiveness of UDBRE was demonstrated by undergraduates' self-rated research abilities, active participation in scientific research projects, and a certain amount of academic outputs. Significant and positive correlations (𝓣b> 0.5, p < 0.001) were identified between the tutor-undergraduate feedback quality and students' self-rated scores for scientific research abilities. These abilities included developing scientific questions, designing research projects, retrieving and reading literature, academic writing, experiment operation, and analyzing and evaluating experimental results. Positive effects on students' academic performance (p < 0.05) were observed when higher-quality feedback, an authoritative tutoring style and tutors with middle-career experience were present. Conclusion: This study underscores the pivotal role of UDBRE in fostering the scientific research aptitude of medical undergraduates. It emphasizes the constructive influence of tutor-undergraduate feedback, authoritative teaching styles, providing valuable insights for establishing an effective mentorship framework.

Construction of Standard Fast Medical Procedures for Traumatic Shock and Its Application Effects.

Objective: To explore the construction of standard fast medical procedures for traumatic shock and its application effects. Methods: 84 patients with traumatic shock were admitted to emergency department of the hospital between January 2018 and January 2020. Using random number table method, the patients were divided into the control group (was given emergency treatment by routine emergency rescue procedures) and the study group (was given emergency treatment by standard fast medical procedures) with 42 patients in each group. The treatment time (rescue time, consultation time in each department, and examination time), shock index (SI), blood pressure fluctuation range, urine output, serum lactate (LAC) level, activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), and international normalized ratio (INR) were recorded. The incidences of complications in the two groups within 3 days were counted. Results: The rescue time, consultation time, and examination time of the study group were shorter than those of the control group (P < 0.05). After 18 h of treatment, the SI, blood pressure fluctuation range, LAC, and APTT in the study group were lower or shorter than those in the control group (P < 0.05), while urine volume and INR were higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05). Within 3 days of treatment, the incidence of complications in the study group was 5.41% lower than that in the control group which was 24.14% (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Standard fast medical procedures can effectively shorten the time of each stage of emergency treatment for traumatic shock, which allows patients to receive effective treatment in the shortest time while improving shock symptoms and reducing related complications.

Association between residential greenness and obstructive sleep apnoea among adults in Southern China.

BACKGROUND: No previous study has explored the association of residential greenness with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) indexes. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association of exposure to residential greenness with OSA indexes in adults in Guangdong Province, Southern China. METHODS: From January 1, 2005 to December 31, 2015, a total of 3925 participants were recruited from the Sleep Center of Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital. Apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and oxygen desaturation index (ODI) were measured by polysomnography or home sleep test (HST). Participants' daytime sleepiness scores were evaluated using The Epworth Sleeping Scale (ESS). The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and enhanced vegetation index (EVI) were used to assess residential greenness levels. Generalized linear regression models were used to assess the associations of residential greenness with OSA indexes after adjusting for multiple covariates. RESULTS: The mean (standard deviation) age of the participants was 63.3 (14.4) years. In adjusted models, an interquartile range (IQR) increase in 3-year average NDVI was significantly associated with 9.8 % (95 % confidence interval [95 % CI]: 17.5 %, 2.1 %); 14.5 % (95 % CI: 24.5 %, 4.4 %) and 6.9 % (95 % CI: 13.7 %, 0.0 %) decreases in AHI, ODI and ESS scores, respectively. Furthermore, an IQR increase in 3-year average EVI was significantly associated with 7.8 % (95 % CI: 13.7 %, 1.9 %); 10.8 % (95 % CI: 18.3 %, 3.2 %) and 7.2 % (95 % CI: 12.5 %, 2.0 %) declines in AHI, ODI and ESS scores, respectively. Significant associations were only observed among males, adults aged ≥65 years old, and in the warm season. CONCLUSIONS: Our study indicates that higher residential greenness was significantly associated with lower OSA indexes in adult population in South China, especially in males, in the elderly, and in the warm season.

Enhancing Boiling Heat Transfer on a Superheated Surface by Surfactant-Laden Droplets.

Boiling, one of the most common phase-change heat transfer methods, is widely used in nuclear power plants, spacecraft, integrated circuits, and other situations, where rapid and efficient heat transfer is crucial. However, boiling heat transfer is efficient only in a specific surface temperature range when a droplet impacts a superheated surface. Here, we enhance the boiling heat transfer and extend this temperature range by adding a tiny amount of surfactant. We find that surfactants can weaken the Kelvin effect of boiling bubbles, and thus reduce the onset of boiling driven temperature and significantly enhance the maximum vaporization rate of the droplet effectively. In particular, different from previous studies, we find that the surfactants at lower concentrations can increase the Leidenfrost temperature of the droplets. All the above effects jointly expand the temperature range of effective boiling heat transfer. This study sheds new light on the role of surfactants in the boiling process and offers a new medium to promote heat-transfer applications.

Short-term exposure to fine particulate matter constituents and mortality: case-crossover evidence from 32 counties in China.

A growing number of studies associated increased mortality with exposures to specific fine particulate (PM2.5) constituents, while great heterogeneity exists between locations. In China, evidence linking PM2.5 constituents and mortality was extensively sparse. This study primarily aimed to quantify short-term associations between PM2.5 constituents and non-accidental mortality among the Chinese population. We collected daily mortality records from 32 counties in China between January 1, 2011, and December 31, 2013. Daily concentrations of main PM2.5 constituents (organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC), nitrate (NO3-), sulfate (SO42-), and ammonium (NH4+)) were estimated using the modified Community Multiscale Air Quality model. Time-stratified case-crossover design with conditional logistic regression models was adopted to estimate mortality risks associated with short-term exposures to PM2.5 mass and its constituents. Stratification analyses were done by sex, age, and season. A total of 116,959 non-accidental deaths were investigated. PM2.5 concentrations on the day of death were averaged at 75.7 µg m-3 (control day: 75.6 µg m-3), with an interquartile range (IQR) of 65.2 µg m-3. Per IQR rise in PM2.5, EC, OC, NO3-, SO42-, and NH4+ at lag-04 day was associated with an increase in non-accidental mortality of 2.4% (95% confidence interval, (1.0-3.7), 1.7% (0.8-2.7), 2.9% (1.6-4.3), 2.1% (0.4-3.9), 1.0% (0.2-1.9), and 1.6% (0.3-2.9), respectively. Both PM2.5 mass and its constituents were strongly associated with elevated cardiovascular mortality risks, but only PM2.5, EC, and OC were positively associated with respiratory mortality at lag-3 day. PM2.5 mass and its constituents associated effects on mortality varied among sex- and age-specific subpopulations. Differences in the seasonal pattern of associations exist among PM2.5 constituents, with stronger effects related to EC and NO3- in warm months but SO42- and NH4+ in cold months. Short-term exposures to PM2.5 compositions were positively associated with increased risks of mortality, particularly those constituents from combustion-related sources.

Longitudinal association of egg intake frequency with cardiovascular disease in Chinese adults.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Reducing dietary cholesterol is generally acceptable for the prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Eggs are nutrient-dense and common food items across the world, while rich in cholesterol. The potential effects of egg intake on cardiovascular health remain uncertainty and have been under debate in past decades. METHODS AND RESULTS: A nationwide cohort of 20,688 participants aged 16-110 years without CVD at baseline were derived from the China Family Panel Studies. Egg consumption was assessed by a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. We adopted stratified Cox proportional hazards model with random intercepts for provinces to evaluate associations of egg intake with CVD incidence. During a median follow-up of 6.0 years, we identified 2395 total CVD incidence and mean egg consumption was 3 times/week. Egg intakes were associated lower risks of CVD incidence in the multivariate-adjusted model. Compared with the non-consumers, the corresponding HRs (95% confidence interval) for total CVD events were 0.84 (0.74-0.94) for 1-2 times per week, 0.78 (0.69-0.88) for 3-6/week, and 0.83 (0.72-0.95) for ≥7/week. Similar relationships were found in hypertension. Approximately non-linear relationships were observed between egg consumption with total CVD and hypertension incidence, identifying the lowest risk in 3-6 times/week. Subgroup analyses estimated lower risks of total CVD and hypertension in females only, with significant effect modification by sex (P for interaction = 0.008 and 0.020). CONCLUSION: Egg consumption may be associated with lower risks of CVD incidence among Chinese adults. Our findings could have implications in CVD prevention and might be considered in the development of dietary guidelines.