Association between dietary carbohydrate intake percentage and epilepsy prevalence in the NHANES 2013-2018: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Epilepsy is a neurological disorder characterized by recurrent seizures. We aimed to investigate the association between the percentage of dietary carbohydrate intake (DCI) and epilepsy prevalence among American adults. METHODS: We analyzed the data from 9,584 adults aged 20-80 years who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2013 to 2018. Logistic regression was applied to explore the association between the percentage of DCI and epilepsy prevalence. RESULTS: A total of 146 (1.5%) individuals with epilepsy were enrolled in this study. The average age of the participants was 56.4 years, and 5,454 (56.9%) individuals were female. A high DCI was associated with an increased prevalence of epilepsy (odds ratio [OR], 4.56; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.11-18.69; P = 0.035) after adjusting for age, sex, marital status, race/ethnicity, educational level, family income, body mass index, smoking status, drinking status, hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Stratified analyses indicated a positive correlation between DCI and epilepsy prevalence in adults with different characteristics. Compared with individuals in quartile 1 of DCI (<40.5%), those in quartile 4 (>55.4%) had an adjusted OR for epilepsy of 1.72 (95% CI, 1.09-2.73, P = 0.02, P for trend = 0.012). CONCLUSIONS: A high percentage of DCI was associated with an increased prevalence of epilepsy. The risk of epilepsy increased 3.5-fold with a 1% increase in DCI. These results suggest an important role of DCI in the dietary management of epilepsy.

Correlation Analysis of Multi-Scale Ictal EEG Signals in Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy.

BACKGROUND: To explore the time-frequency structure and cross-scale coupling of electroencephalography (EEG) signals during seizure in juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME), correlations between different leads, as well as dynamic evolution in epileptic discharge, progression and end of seizure were examined. METHODS: EEG data were obtained for 10 subjects with JME and 10 normal controls and were decomposed using gauss continuous wavelet transform (CWT). The phase amplitude coupling (PAC) relationship between the 11th (4.57 Hz) and 17th (0.4 Hz) scale was investigated. Correlations were examined between the 11th and 17th scale EEG signals in different leads during seizure, using multi-scale cross correlation analysis. RESULTS: The time-frequency structure of JME subjects showed strong rhythmic activity in the 11th and 17th scales and a close PAC was identified. Correlation analysis revealed that the ictal JME correlation first increased in the anterior head early in seizure and gradually expanded to the posterior head. CONCLUSION: PAC was exhibited between the 11th and 17th scales during JME seizure. The results revealed that the correlation in the anterior leads was higher than the posterior leads. In the perictal period, the 17th scale EEG signal preceded the 11th scale signal and remained for some time after a seizure. This suggests that the 17th scale signal may play an important role in JME seizure.

Investigations on the EPR g factors and local structures for the orthorhombic and tetragonal Cu2+ centers in Pb[Zr0.54Ti0.46]O3.

The defect models of the orthorhombical and tetragonal Cu2+ centers in Pb[Zr0.54Ti0.46]O3 are attributed to Cu2+ ions occupying the sixfold coordinated octahedral Ti4+ site with and without charge compensation, respectively. The electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) g factors gi (i = x, y, z) of the Cu2+ centers in Pb[Zr0.54Ti0.46]O3 are theoretically studied by using the perturbation formulas of a 3d9 ion under orthorhombically and tetragonally elongated octahedra. Based on the calculation, the impurity off-center displacements are about 0.253 and 0.162 Å for the orthorhombical and tetragonal Cu2+ centers, respectively. Meanwhile, the planar Cu2+-O2- bonds are found to experience the relative variation ΔR (≈0.102 Å) along the a- and b-axes for the orthorhombical Cu2+ center due to the Jahn-Teller (JT) effect. The theoretical EPR g factors based on the above local structures agree well with the observed values.

Theoretical studies on the local structure and spin Hamiltonian parameters for Cu2+ ions in LiTaO3 crystal.

The local structure and spin Hamiltonian parameters (SHPs) g factors (gx , gy , gz ) and the hyperfine structure constants (Ax , Ay , Az ) for Cu2+ doped in the LiTaO3 crystal are theoretically investigated by the perturbation formulas for a 3d9 ion under rhombically elongated octahedral based on the cluster approach. The impurity Cu2+ was assumed to occupy the host trigonally-distorted octahedral Li+ site and experience the Jahn-Teller (JT) distortion from the host trigonal octahedral [TaO6 ]10- to the impurity rhombically elongated octahedral [CuO6 ]10- . Based on the calculations, the impurity-ligand bond lengths parallel and perpendicular to the C2 -axis are found to be R|| (≈ 2.305 Å) and R⊥ (≈ 2.112 Å) for the studied [CuO6 ]10- cluster, with the planar bond angle θ (≈ 78.2°). Meanwhile, the ground-state wave function for Cu2+ center in LiTaO3 was also obtained. The calculated SHPs based on the above local lattice distortions agree well with the experimental data, and the results are discussed.

J-shaped relationship of serum neurofilament light chain with urinary albumin excretion in US adults: NHANES 2013-2014.

INTRODUCTION: This study focuses on investigating the relationship between serum neurofilament light chain (sNfL) and urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (uACR) among American adults aged 25-75. METHODS: An analysis was conducted on information gathered from 1741 individuals aged between 25 and 75 who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) during the years 2013-2014. Generalized linear models were utilized, and restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis was conducted to assess a non-linear relationship. RESULTS: Upon adjusting for multiple variables, a non-linear inverse J-shaped relationship was observed between sNfL and uACR. Compared with individuals in quartile 1 (Q1) of sNfL (2.8-8.3), those with quartile 4 (Q4) (≥19.1) had an adjusted ß for uACR of 51.57. CONCLUSIONS: The study found a J-shaped curve linking sNfL and uACR in American adults, with a turning point around log(sNfL) 2.928 pg/mL.

Personal PM2.5 Elemental Components, Decline of Lung Function, and the Role of DNA Methylation on Inflammation-Related Genes in Older Adults: Results and Implications of the BAPE Study.

Epidemiological evidence of the effects of PM2.5 elements on lung function and DNA methylation is limited. We conducted a longitudinal panel study of 76 healthy older adults aged 60-69 years in Jinan, China, from September 2018 to January 2019. We periodically measured individual 72 h PM2.5 and element concentrations, lung function, and DNA methylation levels of eight inflammation-related genes. We used linear mixed-effect models to investigate the effects of exposure to personal PM2.5 elements on the lung function and DNA methylation. Mediation analysis was used to investigate the underlying effect mechanism. Negative changes in the ratio of forced expiratory volume in 1 s to forced vital capacity, ranging from -1.23% [95% confidence interval (CI): -2.11%, -0.35%] to -0.77% (95% CI: -1.49%, -0.04%), were significantly associated with interquartile range (IQR) increases in personal PM2.5 at different lag periods (7-12, 13-24, 25-48, 0-24, 0-48, and 0-72 h). Arsenic (As), nickel, rubidium (Rb), selenium, and vanadium were significantly associated with at least three lung function parameters, and IQR increases in these elements led to 0.12-5.66% reductions in these parameters. PM2.5 elements were significantly associated with DNA methylation levels. DNA methylation mediated 7.28-13.02% of the As- and Rb-related reduced lung function. The findings indicate that exposure to elements in personal PM2.5 contributes to reduced lung function through DNA methylation.

Hydrogen-Binding-Initiated Activation of O-H Bonds on a Nitrogen-Doped Surface for the Catalytic Oxidation of Biomass Hydroxyl Compounds.

Hydrogen binding of molecules on solid surfaces is an attractive interaction that can be used as the driving force for bond activation, material-directed assembly, protein protection, etc. However, the lack of a quantitative characterization method for hydrogen bonds (HBs) on surfaces seriously limits its application. We measured the standard Gibbs free energy change (ΔG0 ) of on-surface HBs using NMR. The HB-accepting ability of the surface was investigated by comparing ΔG0 values employing the model biomass platform 5-hydroxymethylfurfural on a series of Co-N-C-n catalysts with adjustable electron-rich nitrogen-doped contents. Decreasing ΔG0 improves the HB-accepting ability of the nitrogen-doped surface and promotes the selectively initiated activation of O-H bonds in the oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural. As a result, the reaction kinetics is accelerated. In addition to the excellent catalytic performance, the turnover frequency (TOF) for this oxidation is much higher than for reported non-noble-metal catalysts.

Binding Energy as Driving Force for Controllable Reconstruction of Hydrogen Bonds with Molecular Scissors.

Hydrogen bonds are one of the most important directional intermolecular interactions and play key roles in chemical and biochemical systems, but there is still a lack of prediction and understanding of their control. Herein, hydrogen-binding energy (EHB) acted as a driving force for controllably reconstructing hydrogen bonds with molecular scissors. We related hydrogen-binding energies of the donor-acceptor couple (EHB,2) and the donor itself (EHB,1) and ΔG based on ΔG = a1EHB,1 + a2EHB,2 + a3. When EHB,1 and EHB,2 satisfy the condition ΔG < 0, the acceptor is predicted as molecular scissors with sufficient reconstruction capacity in breaking the initial hydrogen bonds and forming new ones. Remarkably, we developed an experimental method to determine the EHB values by a linear equation as a function of chemical shifts (δ) ([Formula: see text]), which is innovational since in the former research EHB can only be deduced from empirical formulas and DFT calculation. On that basis, the hydrogen bonds of α-cellulose were broken and re-formed in molecular scissors-consisting deep eutectic solvents, leading to the white powder transforming into a hydrogel and colorless and transparent thin film materials with distinct crystalline structure, surface flatness, and morphology.

Flexible, Transparent, and Hazy Cellulose Nanopaper with Efficient Near-Infrared Luminescence Fabricated by 2D Lanthanide (Ln = Nd, Yb, or Er) Metal-Organic-Framework-Grafted Oxidized Cellulose Nanofibrils.

Three-dimensional (3D) bulk materials, such as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and inorganic phosphors, show the properties of large backscattering and stress concentration, which result in low mechanical and inferior transmittance when these materials are hydridized with a polymer matrix. Inspired by the "reinforcement" effects of two-dimensional (2D) materials, such as grapheme, C3N4, MoS2, and Mxene, it was interesting to examine a 2D lanthanide (Ln)-based MOF-grafted natural polymer (nanocellulose) with the goal of achieving light emission, transparency, and good mechanical properties. A series of near-infrared (NIR) luminescent cellulose nanopapers were prepared via 2D Ln-MOF-grafted (2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-yl)oxyl-oxidized cellulose nanofibrils (tCNFs; Ln = Nd, Yb, or Er). In addition to efficient NIR luminescence, these Ln nanopapers exhibited good flexibility, transparency (>90%), and mechanical properties (>28 MPa). Notably, the haze of these nanopapers was increased by 93-95% from 26% due to compositing with 2D Ln-MOFs, which prevented dense packing among the cellulose and formed air cavities in the nanopaper, inducing internal light scattering and improving optical haze. Moreover, these flexible Ln nanopapers exhibited efficient NIR luminescence, which, together with optical haze and transparency, offered an opportunity for utilization in paper-based anticounterfeiting, NIR-light-emitting diodes, or light softening devices.

Long-read sequencing identified intronic repeat expansions in SAMD12 from Chinese pedigrees affected with familial cortical myoclonic tremor with epilepsy.

BACKGROUND: The locus for familial cortical myoclonic tremor with epilepsy (FCMTE) has long been mapped to 8q24 in linkage studies, but the causative mutations remain unclear. Recently, expansions of intronic TTTCA and TTTTA repeat motifs within SAMD12 were found to be involved in the pathogenesis of FCMTE in Japanese pedigrees. We aim to identify the causative mutations of FCMTE in Chinese pedigrees. METHODS: We performed genetic linkage analysis by microsatellite markers in a five-generation Chinese pedigree with 55 members. We also used array-comparative genomic hybridisation (CGH) and next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies (whole-exome sequencing, capture region deep sequencing and whole-genome sequencing) to identify the causative mutations in the disease locus. Recently, we used low-coverage (~10×) long-read genome sequencing (LRS) on the PacBio Sequel and Oxford Nanopore platforms to identify the causative mutations, and used repeat-primed PCR for validation of the repeat expansions. RESULTS: Linkage analysis mapped the disease locus to 8q23.3-24.23. Array-CGH and NGS failed to identify causative mutations in this locus. LRS identified the intronic TTTCA and TTTTA repeat expansions in SAMD12 as the causative mutations, thus corroborating the recently published results in Japanese pedigrees. CONCLUSIONS: We identified the pentanucleotide repeat expansion in SAMD12 as the causative mutation in Chinese FCMTE pedigrees. Our study also suggested that LRS is an effective tool for molecular diagnosis of genetic disorders, especially for neurological diseases that cannot be positively diagnosed by conventional clinical microarray and NGS technologies.