Supramolecular assembly of polycation/mRNA nanoparticles and in vivo monocyte programming.

Size-dependent phagocytosis is a well-characterized phenomenon in monocytes and macrophages. However, this size effect for preferential gene delivery to these important cell targets has not been fully exploited because commonly adopted stabilization methods for electrostatically complexed nucleic acid nanoparticles, such as PEGylation and charge repulsion, typically arrest the vehicle size below 200 nm. Here, we bridge the technical gap in scalable synthesis of larger submicron gene delivery vehicles by electrostatic self-assembly of charged nanoparticles, facilitated by a polymer structurally designed to modulate internanoparticle Coulombic and van der Waals forces. Specifically, our strategy permits controlled assembly of small poly(ß-amino ester)/messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) nanoparticles into particles with a size that is kinetically tunable between 200 and 1,000 nm with high colloidal stability in physiological media. We found that assembled particles with an average size of 400 nm safely and most efficiently transfect monocytes following intravenous administration and mediate their differentiation into macrophages in the periphery. When a CpG adjuvant is co-loaded into the particles with an antigen mRNA, the monocytes differentiate into inflammatory dendritic cells and prime adaptive anticancer immunity in the tumor-draining lymph node. This platform technology offers a unique ligand-independent, particle-size-mediated strategy for preferential mRNA delivery and enables therapeutic paradigms via monocyte programming.

Myeloid-derived MIF drives RIPK1-mediated cerebromicrovascular endothelial cell death to exacerbate ischemic brain injury.

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a multifaced protein that plays important roles in multiple inflammatory conditions. However, the role of MIF in endothelial cell (EC) death under inflammatory condition remains largely unknown. Here we show that MIF actively promotes receptor-interacting protein kinase 1 (RIPK1)-mediated cell death under oxygen-glucose deprivation condition. MIF expression is induced by surgical trauma in peripheral myeloid cells both in perioperative humans and mice. We demonstrate that MIF-loaded myeloid cells induced by peripheral surgery adhere to the brain ECs after distal middle cerebral artery occlusion (dMCAO) and exacerbate the blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption. Genetic depletion of myeloid-derived MIF in perioperative ischemic stroke (PIS) mice with MCAO following a surgical insult leads to significant reduction in ECs apoptosis and necroptosis and the associated BBB disruption. The adoptive transfer of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from surgical MIFΔLyz2 mice to wild-type (WT) MCAO mice also shows reduced ECs apoptosis and necroptosis compared to the transfer of PBMC from surgical MIFf  l/f  l mice to MCAO recipients. The genetic inhibition of RIPK1 also attenuates BBB disruption and ECs death compared to that of WT mice in PIS. The administration of MIF inhibitor (ISO-1) and RIPK1 inhibitor (Nec-1s) can both reduce the brain EC death and neurological deficits following PIS. We conclude that myeloid-derived MIF promotes ECs apoptosis and necroptosis through RIPK1 kinase-dependent pathway. The above findings may provide insights into the mechanism as how peripheral inflammation promotes the pathology in central nervous system.

Identification of novel biomarkers for atherosclerosis using single-cell RNA sequencing and machine learning.

Atherosclerosis (AS) is a predominant etiological factor in numerous cardiovascular diseases, with its associated complications such as myocardial infarction and stroke serving as major contributors to worldwide mortality rates. Here, we devised dependable AS-related biomarkers through the utilization of single-cell RNA sequencing, weighted co-expression network (WGCNA), and differential expression analysis. Furthermore, we employed various machine learning techniques (LASSO and SVM-RFE) to enhance the identification of AS biomarkers, subsequently validating them using the GEO dataset. Following this, CIBERSORT was employed to investigate the correlation between biomarkers and infiltrating immune cells. Consequently, 256 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were selected in samples of AS and normal. GO and KEGG analyses indicated that these DEGs may be related to the negative regulation of leukocyte-mediated immunity, leukocyte cell-cell adhesion, and immune system processes. Notably, C1QC and COL1A1 were pinpointed as potential diagnostic markers for AS, a finding that was further validated in the GSE21545 dataset. Moreover, the area under the curve (AUC) values for these markers exceeded 0.8, underscoring their diagnostic utility. Analysis of immune cell infiltration revealed that the expression of C1QC was correlated with M0 macrophages, gamma delta T cells, activated mast cells and memory B cells. Similarly, COL1A1 expression was linked to M0 macrophages, memory B cells, activated mast cells, gamma delta T cells, and CD4 native T cells. Finally, these results were validated using mice and human samples through immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry, and ELISA analysis. Overall, C1QC and COL1A1 would be potential biomarkers for AS diagnosis, and that would provides novel perspectives on the diagnosis and treatment of AS.

Associations between insufficient sleep, skipping breakfast and depressive symptoms in children and adolescents: A school-based cross-sectional study in China.

OBJECTIVE: Insufficient sleep and skipping breakfast are increasingly prevalent among children and adolescents. Both behaviors are associated with the onset of depression. This study aims to examine the independent and joint associations of these two behaviors with depressive symptoms, and investigate whether these associations varied by age or sex. METHODS: The Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) was used to evaluate the depressive symptoms. This cross-sectional study including 11,887 students aged 11-19 years using a stratified cluster, multistage sampling method in Ningbo, China. Multiple logistic regressions were conducted to evaluate the independent and joint association between insufficient sleep, skipping breakfast and depressive symptoms. Sensitivity analyses and stratified analyses by age and sex were performed using the same modelling strategies. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of depressive symptoms was 15.27%. Skipping breakfast (Odds Ratio (OR) = 2.557, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) = 2.236-2.925) and insufficient sleep (OR = 1.547, 95%CI = 1.390-1.723) was independently associated with depressive symptoms. Compared to students with "sufficient sleep and breakfast every day", the OR was 4.385 (95%CI = 3.649-5.271) for those with "insufficient sleep and skipping breakfast". Meanwhile, the joint association was moderated by age group, with a more apparent association observed in the 11-15-year-old group compared to the 16-19-year-old group. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicated that insufficient sleep and skipping breakfast were independently and jointly associated with depressive symptoms. Insufficient sleep and skipping breakfast could be considered as two of the predictors of depression.

The association between weight loss behaviors and body weight perception in Chinese adolescents: 2007-2022.

BACKGROUND: Weight misperceptions are common in children and adolescents, which is related to the engagement of weight loss behaviors. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between body weight perception and weight loss behaviors of lower-calorie diets and increased levels of physical activity (PA). METHODS: The Ningbo Youth Risk Behavior Survey was conducted from 2007 to 2022. A multistage, stratified cluster sampling procedure was utilized to draw target adolescents aged 12 to 18 years participating in each survey wave (2007, 2012, 2017, 2022). Data of anthropometry, weight perception, and weight loss behaviors were collected through self-administered questionnaires. A binary generalized linear model was used to examine associations between body weight perception and weight loss behaviors of lower calorie diets and increased levels of PA. RESULTS: The sample sizes for each survey wave were 777, 885, 1588 and 2638. The prevalence of overweight (OW)/obesity (OB), self-perception of OW/OB and overestimated perception increased from 7.6%, 27.0% and 29.1% in 2007 to 16.3%, 39.9% and 41.4% in 2022, respectively. Adolescents that perceived themselves as OW/OB had higher odds of lower-calorie diets (OR: 4.2, 3.3-5.4) and increased level of PA (OR: 3.8, 2.9-5.0), whereas adolescents that perceived themselves as underweight had lower odds of lower-calorie diets (OR: 0.371, 0.253-0.542) and increased levels of PA (OR: 0.381, 0.295-0.559). CONCLUSION: OW, self-perception of OW/OB and overestimated perception were prevalent in Chinese adolescents. Self-perception of OW/OB was positively associated with lower-calorie diets and increased levels of PA. The results can support public health specialists to promote health education of body perception and improve self-esteem in Chinese children and adolescents.

Association between weekend catch-up outdoor duration and prevalence of myopia: evidence from a cross-sectional, multi-center study in China.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed at investigating the relationship between the weekend catch-up outdoor duration (WCOD) and prevalence of myopia among students in China. METHODS: This cross-sectional study recruited participants in 107 schools (six cities, 30 districts) from China from May to June 2021. Demographic characteristics (age, grade, sex, ethnicity, BMI, resident, and parents' myopia), optically habits (bad writing habits, working/studying time per day, continuous working/studying time per day, and screen time per day) and outdoor duration (weekday and weekend) were obtained from questionnaire. WCOD was defined as outdoor time 1 h longer on weekends than on weekdays. Spherical equivalent (SE) of refractive error were measured with non-cycloplegic refraction. Adjusted multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the relationship between WCOD and prevalence of myopia. RESULTS: Students with myopia had shorter WCOD compared with those without myopia (P < 0.001). Adjusted multivariate logistic regression analyses showed negative associations between WCOD and prevalence of myopia in Chinese students, especially in students with WCOD of 2-3 h (OR = 0.577, P < 0.001) and 3-4 h (OR = 0.571, P = 0.004) when the weekday outdoor duration was 0.5-1 h, as well as students with WCOD of 2-3 h (OR = 0.614, P = 0.003) when the weekday outdoor duration was 1-2 h. Similar results were observed in students with high myopia. Students with high myopia had shorter WCOD compared with those without high myopia (P = 0.001). Negative associations between WCOD and prevalence of high myopia were significant in students with WCOD of 1-2 h when the weekday outdoor duration was < 0.5 h (OR = 0.585, P = 0.007) and 0.5-1 h (OR = 0.537, P = 0.018). CONCLUSION: Our study, for the first time, reported that a WCOD have a potential to reduce the prevalence of myopia and high myopia in Chinese students.

Ring-Opening Polymerization of Cyclohexene Oxide and Cycloaddition with CO2 Catalyzed by Amine Triphenolate Iron(III) Complexes.

A series of novel amine triphenolate iron complexes were synthesized and characterized using UV, IR, elemental analysis, and high-resolution mass spectrometry. These complexes were applied to the ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of cyclohexene oxide (CHO), demonstrating excellent activity (TOF > 11050 h-1) in the absence of a co-catalyst. In addition, complex C1 maintained the dimer in the presence of the reaction substrate CHO, catalyzing the ring-opening polymerization of CHO to PCHO through bimetallic synergy. Furthermore, a two-component system consisting of iron complexes and TBAB displayed the ability to catalyze the reaction of CHO with CO2, resulting in the formation of cis-cyclic carbonate with high selectivity. Complex C4 exhibited the highest catalytic activity, achieving 80% conversion of CHO at a CHO/C4/TBAB molar ratio of 2000/1/8 and a CO2 pressure of 3 MPa for 16 h at 100 °C, while maintaining >99% selectivity of cis-cyclic carbonates, which demonstrated good conversion and selectivity.

All-dielectric six-foci metalens for infrared polarization detection based on Stokes space.

The detection technology of infrared polarization has gained significant attention due to its ability to provide better identification and obtain more information about the target. In this paper, based on the expression of the full polarization state in Stokes space, we designed micro-nano metasurface functional arrays to calculate the polarization state of the incident light by reading the Stokes parameters (a set of parameters that describe the polarization state). Metalens with linear and circular polarization-dependent functions are designed based on the propagation and geometric phases of the dielectric Si meta-atoms in the infrared band, respectively. The device exhibits a high polarization extinction ratio. The influence of incident angle on polarization-dependent metalens is discussed, and the analysis of incident angle is of great significance for the practical application. An infrared six-foci metalens is proposed, each corresponding to the Poincaré sphere's coordinate component (a graphical polarization state method). By matching the six polarization components of the incident light and the Stokes parameters, the polarization detection function can be realized by calculating the polarization state of the incident light. There is a slight error between the theoretical value and the calculated value of the unit coordinate component of the Stokes parameters. At the same time, the intensity distribution of different incident light polarization azimuth angles and ellipticity angles on the focal plane agrees with the theory. The advantage of the device is that the polarization state of the incident light can be directly calculated without passing through other components. The six-foci metalens have potential applications in polarization detection and imaging, space remote sensing, etc.

Detector of UV light chirality based on a diamond metasurface.

Circularly polarized light (CPL) finds diverse applications in fields such as quantum communications, quantum computing, circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, polarization imaging, and sensing. However, conventional techniques for detecting CPL face challenges related to equipment miniaturization, system integration, and high-speed operation. In this study, we propose a novel design that addresses these limitations by employing a quarter waveplate constructed from a diamond metasurface, in combination with a linear polarizer crafted from metallic aluminum. The diamond array, with specific dimensions (a = 84 nm, b = 52 nm), effectively transforms left-handed and right-handed circularly polarized light into two orthogonally linearly polarized beams who have a polarization degree of approximately 0.9. The aluminum linear polarizer then selectively permits the transmission of these transformed linearly polarized beams.Our proposed design showcases remarkable circular dichroism performance at a wavelength of 280 nm, concurrently maintaining high transmittance and achieving a substantial extinction ratio of 25. Notably, the design attains an ultraviolet wavelength transmission efficiency surpassing 80%. Moreover, our design incorporates a rotation mechanism that enables the differentiation of linearly polarized light and singly circularly polarized light. In essence, this innovative design introduces a fresh paradigm for ultraviolet circularly polarized light detection, offering invaluable insights and references for applications in polarization detection, imaging, biomedical diagnostics, and circular dichroic spectroscopy.

Enhanced ultrathin ultraviolet detector based on a diamond metasurface and aluminum reflector.

Metasurface is a kind of sub-wavelength artificial electromagnetic structure, which can resonate with the electric field and magnetic field of the incident light, promote the interaction between light and matter, and has great application value and potential in the fields of sensing, imaging, and photoelectric detection. Most of the metasurface-enhanced ultraviolet detectors reported so far are metal metasurfaces, which have serious ohmic losses, and studies on the use of all-dielectric metasurface-enhanced ultraviolet detectors are rare. The multilayer structure of the diamond metasurface-gallium oxide active layer-silica insulating layer-aluminum reflective layer was theoretically designed and numerically simulated. In the case of gallium oxide thickness of 20 nm, the absorption rate of more than 95% at the working wavelength of 200-220 nm is realized, and the working wavelength can be adjusted by changing the structural parameters. The proposed structure has the characteristics of polarization insensitivity and incidence angle insensitivity. This work has great potential in the fields of ultraviolet detection, imaging, and communications.

Chronotype is associated with eating behaviors, physical activity and overweight in school-aged children.

BACKGROUND: A later chronotype has been found to be associated with unhealthy habits and diseases, such as an unhealthy diet and metabolic syndrome in adults. Little is known about the association between chronotype, eating habits, physical activity and obesity. Thus, this study aimed to explore the relationships between chronotype, eating behaviors, physical activity, and overweight in Chinese school-aged children. METHODS: Data from this study was based on 952 schoolchildren (10-12 y) from six primary schools that participated in China. Anthropometric measurements of height and body weight were performed. Information about sleeping habits, dietary behaviors, and other lifestyle behaviors was gathered using a self-administered questionnaire. Multiple linear regression analysis or multivariable logistic regression model was performed to assess the associations between chronotype, eating behaviors, physical activity, and overweight. RESULTS: Nearly 70% (69.9%) of the participants had a self-reported morning chronotype. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed chronotype score was positively associated with physical activities (all P values < 0.001) and sleep duration (all P values < 0.001) and negatively associated with BMI, meal time, eating jet lag and social jet lag (all P values < 0.001). Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that compared to morning types, non-morning types individuals were more likely to be overweight (OR = 1.593, P value < 0.05), and had more frequent consumption of fast food (OR = 1.616, P value < 0.05), but less frequent consumption of milk (OR = 0.716, P value < 0.05), less time taking part in moderate (OR = 1.356, P value < 0.05) or muscle strengthening (OR = 1.393, 1.877, P value < 0.05) physical activity. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that early chronotype children are more active, have healthier dietary habits, get more sleep, have shorter social jet lag, and are less likely to be overweight than non-early chronotype children. Our findings suggest that later chronotype may be a potential indicator in the early detection of overweight, unhealthy eating, and physical inactivity behaviors. Chronotype has been found to have an important impact on individual's health. In the present study, we conducted a cross-sectional study to investigate the association between chronotype, eating behaviors, physical activity, and overweight in school-aged children. The findings showed that children with early chronotype is associated with more active, healthier dietary behaviors, longer sleep duration, short social jet lag, and a lower risk of overweight.

Circular RNA hsa_circ_0049657 as a Potential Biomarker in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a common lung disorder. In this study, we applied bioinformatics methods to analyze and investigate the role of the NFIX gene in NSCLC. Hsa_circ_0049657 is derived from the NFIX gene, this research aimed to verify the potential role of hsa_circ_0049657 in the development of NSCLC. The results suggested that NFIX was downregulated in most cancers. In addition, the NFIX expression in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) was associated with the clinicopathological stage. In LUAD, NFIX expression was associated with the degree of infiltration of most immune cells. The expression levels of hsa_circ_0049657 were significantly lower in cancerous tissues than in paracancerous tissues. Moreover, the results showed that hsa_circ_0049657 expression was downregulated in NSCLC cells. After overexpression of hsa_circ_0049657, the proliferation and migration ability of NSCLC cells were significantly inhibited and the level of apoptosis was increased. We could suppress the proliferation and invasion abilities and promote apoptosis of NSCLC cells by up-regulating hsa_circ_0049657, which might be a potential biomarker for NSCLC.

Physical Mechanism of One-Photon Absorption, Two-Photon Absorption, and Electron Circular Dichroism of 1,3,5 Triazine Derivatives Based on Molecular Planarity.

We provide a method to regulate intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) through distorting fragment dipole moments based on molecular planarity and intuitively investigate the physical mechanisms of one-photon absorption (OPA), two-photon absorption (TPA), and electron circular dichroism (ECD) properties of the multichain 1,3,5 triazine derivatives o-Br-TRZ, m-Br-TRZ, and p-Br-TRZ containing three bromobiphenyl units. As the position of the C-Br bond on the branch chain becomes farther away, the molecular planarity is weakened, with the position of charge transfer (CT) on the branch chain of bromobiphenyl changing. The excitation energy of the excited states decreases, which leads to the redshift of the OPA spectrum of 1,3,5-triazine derivatives. The decrease in molecular plane results in a change in the magnitude and direction of the molecular dipole moment on the bromobiphenyl branch chain, which weakens the intramolecular electrostatic interaction of bromobiphenyl branch chain 1,3,5-triazine derivatives and weakens the charge transfer excitation of the second step transition in TPA, leading to an increase in the enhanced absorption cross-section. Furthermore, molecular planarity can also induce and regulate chiral optical activity through changing the direction of the transition magnetic dipole moment. Our visualization method helps to reveal the physical mechanism of TPA cross-sections generated via third-order nonlinear optical materials in photoinduced CT, which is of great significance for the design of large TPA molecules.

MALAT1 Polymorphisms and Lung Cancer Susceptibility in a Chinese Northeast Han Population.

Background: LncRNA MALAT1 (metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1) was competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) involved in various molecular processes for metastasis development in lung cancer. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in MALAT1 gene might be predictive markers for lung cancer. In our study, we selected rs619586 and rs3200401 in MALAT1 gene to explore their effects on lung cancer susceptibility. Methods: The case-control study included 444 lung cancer cases and 460 healthy controls. Genotyping was performed by Taqman allelic discrimination method. Logistic regression, Student t-test, and Chi-square test (χ2 ) were used to analyze the data. Results: The findings of the study showed that rs3200401 was significantly associated with the risk of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC). Compared with homozygous CC genotype, CT heterozygous genotype decreased risk of NSCLC (Pa = 0.034) and LUSC (Pa = 0.025). In addition, no statistical association was detected between rs619586 and lung cancer susceptibility. The interactions between genes and cigarette smoking were discovered via crossover analysis. However, there were no remarkable gene-environment interactions in additive and multiplicative model. Conclusion: Rs3200401 in lncRNA MALAT1 was associated with the susceptibility of non-small-cell lung cancer and lung squamous cell carcinoma. The gene-environmental (cigarette smoking) interactions were not notable.

An autophagy-related lncRNA prognostic risk model for thyroid cancer.

PURPOSE: Thyroid cancer (TC) is the most common malignancy of the endocrine system and its incidence is gradually rising. Research has demonstrated a close link between autophagy and thyroid cancer. We constructed a prognostic model of autophagy-related long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) in thyroid cancer and explored its prognostic value. METHODS: The data used in this study were all obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and the Human Autophagy Database (HADb). We construct a co-expression network by autophagy-related genes and lncRNA to obtain autophagy-related lncRNAs. After univariate Cox regression analysis and multivariate Cox regression analysis, autophagy-related lncRNAs significantly associated with prognosis were identified. Based on the risk score of lncRNA, thyroid cancer patients are divided into high-risk group and low-risk group. RESULTS: A total of 14,142 lncRNAs and 212 autophagy-related genes (ATGs) were obtained from the TCGA database and the HADb, respectively. We performed lncRNA-ATGs correlation analysis and finally obtained 1,166 autophagy-associated lncRNAs. Subsequently, we conducted univariate Cox regression analysis and multivariate Cox regression analysis, nine autophagy-related lncRNAs (AC092279.1, AC096677.1, DOCK9-DT, LINC02454, AL136366.1, AC008063.1, AC004918.3, LINC02471 and AL162231.2) significantly associated with prognosis were identified. Based on these autophagy-related lncRNAs, a risk model was constructed. The area under the curve (AUC) of the risk score was 0.905, proving that the accuracy of risk signature was superior. In addition, multiple regression analysis showed that risk score was a significant independent prognostic risk factor for thyroid cancer. CONCLUSION: In this study, nine autophagy-related lncRNAs in thyroid cancer were established to predict the prognosis of thyroid cancer patients.

Effect of changes in body mass index and waist-to-height ratio on blood pressure in 11- to 13-year-old children: a prospective population study.

BACKGROUND: Existing evidence about associations between change in body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) change and high blood pressure are relatively limited. AIMS: We aimed to investigate the associations of general overweight (based on BMI) and abdominal obesity (based on WHtR) change with high blood pressure in Chinese children. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A school-based cohort study in Ningbo region (China) was conducted among children with baseline evaluations in October 2016 with follow-up two years later. A total of 1432 children aged 11-13 years participated in this study. RESULTS: Our results showed that a change from normal BMI or WHtR to overweight or abdominal obesity in children was associated with high blood pressure (adjusted odds ratio (AOR), 2.62; p<0.05 or AOR, 2.79; p<0.05, respectively). In addition, an increased risk of high blood pressure was observed in children who maintained overweight or abdominal obesity (AOR, 1.67; p<0.05 or AOR, 1.69; p<0.05, respectively), but not in children who experienced remission to non-excess weight. Interestingly, children who increased BMI or WHtR had greater impact on SBP than on DBP. CONCLUSION: The 2-year longitudinal study indicated that general overweight or abdominal obesity can predict the risk factor of high blood pressure in children. However, children who remitted to non-excess weight did not exhibit an increased risk of high blood pressure.

Self-reported eating speed is associated with overweight among Chinese schoolchildren: a cross-sectional survey.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to examine the association between eating speed and overweight in Chinese schoolchildren. METHODS: In all, 664 schoolchildren (10-12 years) from three primary schools participated in this study in China. Their height and body weight were measured. Information about eating speed and other lifestyle behaviors were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Multivariable logistic regression model was used to estimate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) for overweight. RESULTS: Data from 629 students were analyzed. 26.2% of participants reported they were eating fast. The prevalence of overweight (including obesity) was 22.9%, and the mean of sleep duration was 9.69 (SD = 0.63) hours (Table 1). In the multiple linear regression analysis, slower eating speed was independently associated with lower BMI (B = - 0.70, 95% CI - 1.26 to - 0.14) and TG (B = - 0.16, 95% CI - 0.28 to - 0.04). In addition, participants who ate fast were more likely to be overweight (OR 1.81, 95% CI 1.19-2.75) after adjusting for potential confounding factors. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that eating fast is associated with overweight among Chinese school children. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Cross-section descriptive study, Level V.

Association between alcohol consumption and metabolic syndrome among Chinese adults.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in Chinese adults living in Ningbo and to examine the association between alcohol consumption and MetS and its medical components. DESIGN: A representative survey in Ningbo was conducted in 2015 covering socio-demography. A FFQ together with additional questionnaires was used to collect information on alcohol consumption, diet, demography, lifestyle and medical information. Multivariable logistic regression and generalised linear models were used to examine the association between alcohol consumption and both MetS and its medical components, respectively. SETTING: Ningbo, China. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 2853 adults ≥ 20 years (44 % men) in this final analysis. RESULTS: The prevalence of frequent alcohol drinkers and MetS was 29·9 % and 28·0 %, respectively. Significantly higher prevalence of MetS and mean values of medical components were found in the group of frequent alcohol drinkers with an exception for HDL-cholesterol, compared with less or non-alcohol drinkers. Frequent alcohol consumption was associated with higher odds of developing MetS and positively associated with medical components excepting waist circumference. CONCLUSIONS: Frequent alcohol consumption contributed to a higher prevalence of MetS and unfavourable influence on MetS and its medical components among Chinese adults. A public health intervention on alcohol restriction is necessary for the prevention and control of the ongoing epidemic MetS.

Association of LINC00673 rs11655237 polymorphism with cancer susceptibility: A meta-analysis based on 23,478 subjects.

BACKGROUND: Some studies on the relationship between LINC00673 polymorphism and cancer susceptibility have been inconsistent. To perform a more comprehensively quantitative assessment of LINC00673 rs11655237 and risk of overall cancer, we operated this meta-analysis for the first time. METHODS: A comprehensive search was conducted to obtain relevant literature up to November 20, 2019. Pooled odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were utilized to assess rs11655237 and cancer susceptibility under five different genetic models. RESULTS: Eventually, 11 case-control studies from 9 articles were included. We found that LINC00673 rs11655237 polymorphism increased the susceptibility to overall cancer under all genetic models in the overall population. By dividing ethnicity and cancer type into subgroups, we also obtained similar positive results in subgroups of Chinese population, pancreatic cancer, cervical cancer, neuroblastoma, hepatoblastoma and gastric cancer. CONCLUSION: Overall, this meta-analysis has demonstrated for the first time that LINC00673 rs11655237 could increase susceptibility to cancer.

Dinner-to-bed time is independently associated with overweight/obesity in Chinese school-aged children.

PURPOSE: Little is known about the association between dinner-to-bed time and obesity. Thus, this study was aimed to assess the relationships between dinner-to-bed and overweight/obesity in Chinese school-aged children in Ningbo, China. METHODS: Data of this study were based on 1667 schoolchildren (14-15 years) from 14 primary schools participated in this study in China. Anthropometric measurement of height, body weight and waist circumference (WC) was performed. Information about meal duration and other lifestyle behaviors was collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Multivariable logistic regression model was performed to assess the association between dinner-to-bed time and overweight/obesity. Restricted cubic spline regression was drawn to evaluate the shape of the relation between dinner-bed-time and the odds of overweight. RESULTS: Among the study participants, the prevalence of overweight was 17.6%, and the mean of dinner-to-bed time was 4.26 (0.93) h. In the logistic regression analysis, participants who had dinner-to-bed time less than 3 h or 3.01 ~ ≦ 4.00 h are more likely to be overweight (OR = 1.94, 95% CI 1.10-3.42; OR = 1.65, 95% CI 1.03-2.65, respectively) or characterised by abdominal obesity (OR = 3.03, 95% CI 1.86-4.95; OR = 2.61, 95% CI 1.73-3.92, respectively) compared with dinner-to-bed time more than 5 h. In addition, long dinner-to-bed time was associated with lower risks of overweight (OR = 0.83, 95% CI 0.70-0.97) and abdominal obesity (OR = 0.63, 95% CI 0.54-0.73). The cubic spline regression analysis showed that the association between dinner-to-bed time and overweight/abdominal obesity seems to be a linear. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that short dinner-to-bed time is associated with an increased likelihood of being overweight or characterised by abdominal obesity among Chinese school-aged children. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level V; cross-section descriptive study.