Socioeconomic status, lifestyle and risk of incident dementia: a prospective cohort study of 276730 participants.

Healthy lifestyle might alleviate the socioeconomic inequities in health, but the extent of the joint and interactive effects of these two factors on dementia are unclear. This study aimed to detect the joint and interactive associations of socioeconomic status (SES) and lifestyle factors with incident dementia risk, and the underlying brain imaging alterations. Cox proportional hazards analysis was performed to test the joint and interactive associations. Partial correlation analysis was performed to reflect the brain imaging alterations. A total of 276,730 participants with a mean age of 55.9 (±8.0) years old from UK biobank were included. Over 8.5 (±2.6) years of follow-up, 3013 participants were diagnosed with dementia. Participants with high SES and most healthy lifestyle had a significantly lower risk of incident dementia (HR=0.19, 95% CI=0.14 to 0.26, P<2×10-16), Alzheimer's disease (AD, HR=0.19, 95% CI=0.13 to 0.29, P=8.94×10-15), and vascular dementia (HR=0.24, 95% CI=0.12 to 0.48, P=7.57×10-05) compared with participants with low SES and an unhealthy lifestyle. Significant interactions were found between SES and lifestyle on dementia (P=0.002) and AD (P=0.001) risks; the association between lifestyle and dementia was stronger among those of high SES. The combination of high SES and healthy lifestyle was positively associated with higher volumes in brain regions vulnerable to dementia-related atrophy. These findings suggest that SES and lifestyle significantly interact and influence dementia with its related brain structure phenotypes.

Sirolimus in combination with low-dose extended-release tacrolimus in kidney transplant recipients.

Introduction: Many challenges remain for long-term survival of renal allografts. Once-daily sirolimus (SRL) combined with low-dose extended-release tacrolimus (LER-TAC) may improve medication adherence and reduce the potential nephrotoxicity of calcineurin inhibitors (CNI) compared with standard immunosuppression regimens, thus potentially improving long-term graft survival. Methods: This retrospective, observational, single-center, propensity score matching (PSM) study compared conversion to SRL combined with low-dose ER-TAC and mycophenolic acid (MPA) combined with standard-dose TAC in kidney transplant recipients. After PSM, there were 56 patients in each group. Efficacy, safety, and medication adherence were evaluated over 12 months. Results: There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of graft and recipient survival and incidence of biopsy-proven acute rejection (p = 1.000), and none of the recipients developed dnDSA after conversion. The mean eGFR improved in SRL + LER-TAC group after conversion compared to before conversion (51.12 ± 20.1 ml/min/1.73 m2 vs. 56.97 ± 19.23 ml/min/1.73 m2, p < 0.05). The medication adherence at 12 months after conversion was superior to before conversion (p = 0.002). Discussion: Our findings suggest that an immunosuppressive regimen of SRL combined with low-dose ER-TAC is no less effective and safe than standard immunosuppressive regimens for renal transplant recipients and may improve graft renal function and medication adherence.

PM2.5 exposure and its interaction of oxidative balance score on ovarian cancer survival: A prospective cohort study.

Recent evidence advises particles with a diameter of 2.5 µm or less (PM2.5) might be a prognostic factor for ovarian cancer (OC) survival. The oxidative balance score (OBS) incorporates diet-lifestyle factors to estimate individuals' anti-oxidant exposure status which may be relevant to cancer prognosis. We aimed to investigate the roles of PM2.5, and OBS and their interaction in OC prognosis. 663 patients with OC were enrolled in the current study. Satellite-derived annual average exposures to PM2.5 based on patients' residential locations. The OBS was calculated based on 16 different diet-lifestyle components derived using an acknowledged self-reported questionnaire. The Cox regression model was performed to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for overall survival (OS). We also assessed the effect of modification between PM2.5 and OS by OBS via interaction terms. During a median follow-up of 37.57 (interquartile:35.27-40.17) months, 123 patients died. Compared to low-concentration PM2.5 exposure, high PM2.5 during 1 year before diagnosis was associated with worse OC survival (HR= 1.19, 95% CI = 1.01-1.42). We observed an improved OS with the highest compared with the lowest OBS (HR = 0.46, 95% CI = 0.27-0.79, P for trend < 0.05). Notably, we also found an additive interaction between low OBS and high exposure to PM2.5, with the corresponding associations of PM2.5 being more pronounced among participants with lower OBS (HR = 1.42, 95% CI = 1.09-1.86). PM2.5 may blunt OC survival, but high OBS represented an antioxidative performance that could alleviate the adverse association of PM2.5 and OS.

Association of long-term particulate matter exposure with all-cause mortality among patients with ovarian cancer: A prospective cohort.

BACKGROUND: Evidence of the association between particles with a diameter of 2.5 µm or less (PM2.5) in long term and ovarian cancer (OC) mortality is limited. METHODS: This prospective cohort study analyzed data collected between 2015 and 2020 from 610 newly diagnosed OC patients, aged 18-79 years. The residential average PM2.5 concentrations 10 years before the date of OC diagnosis were assessed by random forest models at a 1 km × 1 km resolution. Cox proportional hazard models fully adjusted for the covariates (including age at diagnosis, education, physical activity, kitchen ventilation, FIGO stage, and comorbidities) and distributed lag non-linear models were used to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) of PM2.5 and all-cause mortality of OC. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 37.6 months (interquartile: 24.8-50.5 months), 118 (19.34 %) deaths were confirmed among 610 OC patients. One-year PM2.5 exposure levels before OC diagnosis was significantly associated with an increase in all-cause mortality among OC patients (single-pollutant model: HR = 1.22, 95 % CI: 1.02-1.46; multi-pollutant models: HR = 1.38, 95 % CI: 1.10-1.72). Furthermore, during 1 to 10 years prior to diagnosis, the lag-specific effect of long-term PM2.5 exposure on the all-cause mortality of OC had a risk increase for lag 1-6 years, and the exposure-response relationship was linear. Of note, significant interactions between several immunological indicators as well as solid fuel use for cooking and ambient PM2.5 concentrations were observed. CONCLUSION: Higher ambient PM2.5 concentrations were associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality among OC patients, and there was a lag effect in long-term PM2.5 exposure.

Lung function and risk of incident dementia: A prospective cohort study of 431,834 individuals.

BACKGROUND: Whether lung function prospectively affects cognitive brain health independent of their overlapping factors remains largely unknown. This study aimed to investigate the longitudinal association between decreased lung function and cognitive brain health and to explore underlying biological and brain structural mechanisms. METHODS: This population-based cohort included 43,1834 non-demented participants with spirometry from the UK Biobank. Cox proportional hazard models were fitted to estimate the risk of incident dementia for individuals with low lung function. Mediation models were regressed to explore the underlying mechanisms driven by inflammatory markers, oxygen-carrying indices, metabolites, and brain structures. FINDINGS: During a follow-up of 3,736,181 person-years (mean follow-up 8.65 years), 5,622 participants (1.30 %) developed all-cause dementia, which consisted of 2,511 Alzheimer's dementia (AD) and 1,308 Vascular Dementia (VD) cases. Per unit decrease in lung function measure was each associated with increased risk for all-cause dementia (forced expiratory volume in 1 s [liter]: hazard ratio [HR, 95 %CI], 1.24 [1.14-1.34], P = 1.10 × 10-07; forced vital capacity [liter]: 1.16 [1.08-1.24], P = 2.04 × 10-05; peak expiratory flow [liter/min]: 1.0013 [1.0010-1.0017], P = 2.73 × 10-13). Low lung function generated similar hazard estimates for AD and VD risks. As underlying biological mechanisms, systematic inflammatory markers, oxygen-carrying indices, and specific metabolites mediated the effects of lung function on dementia risks. Besides, brain grey and white matter patterns mostly affected in dementia were substantially changed with lung function. INTERPRETATION: Life-course risk for incident dementia was modulated by individual lung function. Maintaining optimal lung function is useful for healthy aging and dementia prevention.

Association of Long-term Exposure to Ambient Air Pollution With Cognitive Decline and Alzheimer's Disease-Related Amyloidosis.

BACKGROUND: Air pollution induces neurotoxic reactions and may exert adverse effects on cognitive health. We aimed to investigate whether air pollutants accelerate cognitive decline and affect neurobiological signatures of Alzheimer's disease (AD). METHODS: We used a population-based cohort from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey with 31,573 participants and a 10-year follow-up (5878 cognitively unimpaired individuals in Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey followed for 5.95 ± 2.87 years), and biomarker-based data from the Chinese Alzheimer's Biomarker and Lifestyle study including 1131 participants who underwent cerebrospinal fluid measurements of AD-related amyloid-ß (Aß) and tau proteins. Cognitive impairment was determined by education-corrected performance on the China-Modified Mini-Mental State Examination. Annual exposures to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), ground-level ozone (O3), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) were estimated at areas of residence. Exposures were aggregated as 2-year averages preceding enrollments using Cox proportional hazards or linear models. RESULTS: Long-term exposure to PM2.5 (per 20 µg/m3) increased the risk of cognitive impairment (hazard ratio, 1.100; 95% CI: 1.026-1.180), and similar associations were observed from separate cross-sectional analyses. Exposures to O3 and NO2 yielded elevated risk but with nonsignificant estimates. Individuals exposed to high PM2.5 manifested increased amyloid burdens as reflected by cerebrospinal fluid-AD biomarkers. Moreover, PM2.5 exposure-associated decline in global cognition was partly explained by amyloid pathology as measured by cerebrospinal fluid-Aß42/Aß40, P-tau/Aß42, and T-tau/Aß42, with mediation proportions ranging from 16.95% to 21.64%. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term exposure to PM2.5 contributed to the development of cognitive decline, which may be partly explained by brain amyloid accumulation indicative of increased AD risk.

Sleep, physical activity, sedentary behavior, and risk of incident dementia: a prospective cohort study of 431,924 UK Biobank participants.

Although sleep, physical activity and sedentary behavior have been found to be associated with dementia risk, findings are inconsistent and their joint relationship remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate independent and joint associations of these three modifiable behaviors with dementia risks. A total of 431,924 participants (median follow-up 9.0 years) without dementia from UK Biobank were included. Multiple Cox regressions were used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Models fitted with restricted cubic spline were conducted to test for linear and nonlinear shapes of each association. Sleep duration, leisure-time physical activity (LTPA), and screen-based sedentary behavior individually associated with dementia risks in different non-linear patterns. Sleep duration associated with dementia in a U-shape with a nadir at 7 h/day. LTPA revealed a curvilinear relationship with dementia in diminishing tendency, while sedentary behavior revealed a J-shaped relationship. The dementia risk was 17% lower in the high LTPA group (HR[95%CI]: 0.83[0.76-0.91]) and 22% higher in the high sedentary behavior group (1.22[1.10-1.35]) compared to the corresponding low-level group, respectively. A combination of seven-hour/day sleep, moderate-to-high LTPA, and low-to-moderate sedentary behavior showed the lowest dementia risk (0.59[0.50-0.69]) compared to the referent group (longer or shorter sleep/low LTPA/high sedentary behavior). Notably, each behavior was non-linearly associated with brain structures in a pattern similar to its association with dementia, suggesting they may affect dementia risk by affecting brain structures. Our findings highlight the potential to change these three daily behaviors individually and simultaneously to reduce the risk of dementia.

Impact of solar ultraviolet radiation on daily outpatient visits of atopic dermatitis in Shanghai, China.

The potential roles of solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) as an environmental risk factor in inducing atopic dermatitis (AD) have not been well quantified. To determine the short-term associations between UVR and AD outpatient visits, we obtained daily outpatient visits of AD in Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital from 2013 to 2018. Data of hourly ground UVR were collected. We applied overdispersed generalized additive model to explore its associations. We found that daily exposure to UVR-A rather than UVR-B was positively associated with AD outpatient visits. The visits increased on the present day (lag 0 days) and decreased appreciably with longer lags and became insignificant at lag 4 days. For 10 w/m2 increase in daytime mean and noontime mean exposure to overall UVR and UVR-A from lag 0 to 6 days, the cumulative relative risk of AD was 1.12/1.13 and 1.08/1.08, respectively. Stronger effects of UVR exposure on AD occurred in patients aged 0-7 and > 45 years and in the cold seasons. This study contributed to the few epidemiological evidences that acute exposure to solar UVR may elevate the risks of AD.

Association between ageing population, median age, life expectancy and mortality in coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

As of May 5, 2020, the number of confirmed coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases has been more than 3.5 million with 243,540 deaths. We aimed to determine the associations between ageing population, median age, life expectancy at birth and COVID-19 mortality. The numbers of COVID-19 cases and deaths in the European region were obtained from the World Health Organization database. The data on percentage of the population aged 65 and over, median age and life expectancy at birth were extracted from the World Factbook of Central Intelligence Agency. A total of 56 countries/areas in the Europe reported COVID-19 cases and deaths (1,121,853 cases and 100,938 deaths) on April 20, 2020. The results showed significant positive associations between COVID-19 mortality and ageing population (r =0.274; P =0.021), median age (r =0.255; P=0.029), male median age (r =0.284; P =0.017), female median age (r =0.224; P=0.049), life expectancy at birth (r =0.336; P=0.006), male life expectancy at birth (r =0.342; P=0.005), female life expectancy at birth (r =0.312; P=0.01) in the 56 European countries/areas. This study illustrated that COVID-19 mortality was positively associated with ageing population, median age, and life expectancy at birth.

Effects of short-term ambient air pollution exposure on HPV infections: A five-year hospital-based study.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infections are common sexually-transmitted diseases among reproductive-aged women with increasing concern. Until now, there are no prior study about the association between HPV infections and ambient air pollution. This study aimed to explore the relationship between short-term exposure to ambient pollutants and daily outpatient visits for HPV infections in China. Data of daily outpatient visits for HPV infections were obtained from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2018 (1826 days). Over-dispersed Poisson generalized additive models were applied by adjusting weather conditions and day of the week. We identified a total of 39,746 cases for HPV infections. A 10 µg/m3 increase of PM10, PM2.5, SO2, and NO2 or a 0.1 mg/m3 rise of CO in concurrent day (lag 0) concentrations was related to an elevation of 0.822% (95% Cl: 0.282%, 1.36%), 1.05% (95% Cl: 0.280%, 1.81%), 5.72% (95% Cl: 1.79%, 9.65%), 5.02% (95% Cl: 3.45%, 6.60%), and 2.40% (95% Cl: 1.43%, 3.37%) in daily outpatient-visits for HPV infections, respectively. The association was more significant in those women aged 41 or over. As for 10 µg/m3 increase of O3, a -1.33% (95% Cl: -2.13%, -0.530%) change was observed on the lag 03 and such effects appeared to be more obvious in the aged 18-40 group. Our results provided the first evidence that short-term exposure to ambient pollutants was related to, which may be indirectly, the increased risk of HPV infections while O3 may act as a "protective" factor.

Unexpected association between increased levels of ambient carbon monoxide and reduced daily outpatient visits for vaginitis: A hospital-based study.

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a well-known "toxic gas". It represents a toxic inhalation hazard at high concentration and is commonly found in polluted air. However, a series of recent studies have suggested that low concentration of CO can also produce protective functions. This study was performed to investigate the association between ambient CO exposure and vaginitis outpatient visits. Daily baseline outpatient data of vaginitis from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2015 were obtained from Xi'an, a heavily-polluted metropolis in China. The over-dispersed Poisson generalized additive model was applied to discover the relations between short-term ambient CO exposure and the number of vaginitis outpatient visits by adjusting day of the week and weather conditions. A total of 16,825 outpatient hospital visits for vaginitis were recorded. The mean daily concentration of carbon monoxide (CO) was well below Chinese and WHO guidelines. During the study period, increased levels of ambient CO was associated with reduced outpatient-visits through concurrent to lag 5 days, and the most significant association was evidenced at lag 05. A 0.1 mg/m3 increase in daily average CO at lag 05 corresponded to -1.25% (95%CI: -1.85%, -0.65%) change in outpatient-visits for vaginitis. Moreover, the association was more significant in those women aged 20-29 years. After adjustment for PM10, PM2.5, SO2, and NO2, and O3, the negative associations of CO with vaginitis kept significant, suggesting relative stability of effect estimates. In summary, this is the first evidence that increased ambient CO exposure can be related to reduced daily outpatient visits for vaginitis. The results of our study may not only help to establish more comprehensive understanding of the health effects of ambient air on vaginitis and other gynecological diseases, but also provide a clue to new potential interventions.

Association between air pollution and menstrual disorder outpatient visits: A time-series analysis.

Menstrual disorders are common diseases among reproductive-aged women with increasing concerns. Until now, there have been limited studies about the association between menstrual disorders and air pollution. This study aimed to investigate the association between short-term (concurrent day and within 1 week prior) ambient air pollution exposure and menstrual disorder outpatient visits in Xi'an, a metropolis in northwestern China. Daily baseline outpatient data of menstrual disorders from January 1, 2010 to February 18, 2016 (2239 days) were obtained. An over-dispersed Poisson generalized additive model was applied to discover the relationship between short-term air pollution exposure and the number of menstrual disorder outpatient visits by adjusting the day of the week and weather conditions. A total of 51,893 outpatient visits for menstrual disorders were recorded. A 10 µg/m3 increase of PM10 and NO2 concentrations corresponded to 0.236% (95% Cl: 0.075%, 0.397%) and 2.173% (95% Cl: 0.990%, 3.357%) elevations in outpatient-visits for menstrual disorders at lag 7 and lag 01 (concurrent day and previous 1 day), respectively. The association was more significant in young females (18-29 years) and there was no obvious association observed between SO2 and menstrual disorder outpatient visits. This is the first evidence that short-term exposure to ambient air pollution can be associated with an increased risk of menstrual disorder attacks. The results of our study may help to establish more comprehensive understanding of the health effects of ambient air pollution on menstrual disorders and other reproductive diseases.

Thermodynamic analysis and kinetic optimization of high-energy batteries based on multi-electron reactions.

Multi-electron reaction can be regarded as an effective way of building high-energy systems (>500 W h kg-1). However, some confusions hinder the development of multi-electron mechanisms, such as clear concept, complex reaction, material design and electrolyte optimization and full-cell fabrication. Therefore, this review discusses the basic theories and application bottlenecks of multi-electron mechanisms from the view of thermodynamic and dynamic principles. In future, high-energy batteries, metal anodes and multi-electron cathodes are promising electrode materials with high theoretical capacity and high output voltage. While the primary issue for the multi-electron transfer process is sluggish kinetics, which may be caused by multiple ionic migration, large ionic radius, high reaction energy barrier, low electron conductivity, poor structural stability, etc., it is urgent that feasible and versatile modification methods are summarized and new inspiration proposed in order to break through kinetic constraints. Finally, the remaining challenges and future research directions are revealed in detail, involving the search for high-energy systems, compatibility of full cells, cost control, etc.

From upcycled waste polyethylene plastic to graphene/mesoporous carbon for high-voltage supercapacitors.

We report a successful design and synthesis method for developing a graphene/mesoporous carbon (G@PE40-MC700) electrode materials from upcycled waste polyethylene (PE) plastic combined with graphene oxide (GO) and flame retardant by low-temperature carbonization at 700 °C. The G@PE40-MC700 exhibits a high surface area (1175 m2 g-1) and a considerable amount of mesopores (2.30 cm3 g-1), thus improved electrochemical performance in both symmetric and hybrid supercapacitors with wide voltage windows. The hybrid supercapacitor assembled from G@PE40-MC700 as anode and LiMn2O4 as cathode operating at 2.0 V in 0.5 M Li2SO4 was investigated. The hybrid supercapacitor delivers an energy density of 47.8 Wh kg-1 at a power density of 250 W kg-1, as well as high cycling stability of 83.8 % after 5000 cycles. Furthermore, the much higher energy density of 63.3 Wh kg-1 by using G@PE40-MC700 as electrode material was achieved in high-voltage (4.0 V) symmetric supercapacitors using 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (EMIMBF4) as the electrolyte with enhanced cycling stability of 89.3% after 5000 cycles. The high capacitance and rate capability of G@PE40-MC700 can be attributed to the synergistic effect of graphene and the mesoporous carbon composites. Our work not only offers a sustainable approach to turn waste plastic into valuable carbon materials but also an opportunity for its applications in "gold capacitors."

The association between short-term ambient air pollution and daily outpatient visits for schizophrenia: A hospital-based study.

Schizophrenia is a devastating neuropsychiatric disorder with increasing concern. Limited studies have been conducted to assess the relationship between short-term exposure to ambient air pollution and schizophrenia attacks. This study aimed to investigate the associations between short-term air pollution exposure and schizophrenia outpatient visits based on a time-series study performed in China. Daily data of schizophrenia outpatient admissions and air pollution from 1 October 2010 to 31 December 2013 were collected in Xi'an, a heavily-polluted city in China. We utilized a time-series Poisson regression model to examine the associations between short-term air pollution and schizophrenia outpatient visits with different lag days. A total of 34,865 outpatient-visits for schizophrenia were identified. A 10 µg/m3 increase of PM10, SO2, and NO2 concentrations corresponded to 0.289% (95% Cl: 0.118%, 0.460%), 1.374% (95% Cl: 0.723%, 2.025%), and 1.881% (95% Cl: 0.957%, 2.805%) elevation in outpatient-visits for schizophrenia at lag 0, and the associations appeared to be stronger, although not statistically significantly, in females and in middle and older age adults (40 and over). The most significant associations were observed on the concurrent day in different lag models. In conclusion, short-term exposure to ambient air pollution (PM10, SO2, and NO2) can be associated with increased risk of daily outpatient visits for schizophrenia, which may contribute to the further understanding of the potential adverse effects of air pollution in schizophrenia and other neuropsychiatric disorders.

Synthesis of Biomass-Derived Carbon Induced by Cellular Respiration in Yeast for Supercapacitor Applications.

Because activated carbon is extensively used in supercapacitors, optimization of its precursors and synthetic strategies are crucial. Inspired by the rich sugar content of banana peel waste, which can be transformed through the respiration of yeast into alcohol with the release of CO2 , we developed an environmentally benign and highly efficient process for the production of renewable heteroatom-doped hierarchical porous carbon materials (yeast-treated banana-peel-based carbon, denoted as YBP) without any additional templates or activation agents. The resulting biologically activated carbon was characterized by near-edge X-ray absorption fine-structure spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and other physical methods. The biologically activated carbon achieved a maximum gravimetric specific capacitance of 476 F g-1 in 1 m H2 SO4 electrolyte. Remarkably, with a moderate specific surface area of 1084 m2 g-1 , the as-obtained activated carbon was found to have a high packing density. With enriched pseudocapacitance sites, the YBP symmetric supercapacitor has a high volumetric specific capacitance and energy density (maximum values of 264 F cm-3 and 23.5 Wh L-1 , respectively). The supercapacitor showed superior cyclic stability, with 94 % capacitance retention for voltage values up to 1.6 V after 10 000 cycles, which confirmed the promising application of this supercapacitor in miniature electronic devices.

Sulfur Nanodots Stitched in 2D "Bubble-Like" Interconnected Carbon Fabric as Reversibility-Enhanced Cathodes for Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

The behavior of two-dimensional (2D) materials for energy storage systems relates to their morphology and physicochemical properties. Although various 2D materials can be found in different fields, the open access of these materials has greatly hampered their practical applications, such as in lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries, where the soluble intermediates should be controlled. Here, we have developed a facile approach to prepare 2D ultrathin interconnected carbon fabrics (ICFs) with "bubble-like" morphology and abundant mesopores using a "blowing bubble" method. Serving as independent meso-sized rooms, nanosulfur dots can be stitched in 2D "bubble-like" ICF, which afford a short electron-/ion-transfer path and thus is beneficial to high reversible capacity. Encapsulated with reduced graphene oxide, a binder-free/free-standing cathode was constructed for advanced Li-S batteries. In addition, the specific energy of a pouch Li-S battery with this interconnected cathode can be achieved to 1.55 Ah@315.98 Wh/kg at 0.1 C. These results suggest that the design of "bubble-like" interconnected porous carbon fabrics and their integration with reduced graphene oxide provide a facile strategy to enhance the electrochemical activity of S and have the potential to be applied to other semiconductors or insulating materials for a wide range of applications.

Genetic analysis and gene mapping of the glabrous leaf and hull mutant glr3 in rice (Oryza sativa L.).

We obtained a glabrous leaf and hull mutant from a population of radiation mutagenesis of an indica rice cultivar R401. The mutant produced smooth leaves and hairless glumes under normal growth conditions. An F2 population was developed from a cross between a japonica cultivar Nipponbare and the glabrous leaf and hull mutant. By investigating the performance of the F2 population, we found that the mutant phenotype was controlled by a single recessive gene, temporarily designated GLR3. Bulked segregant analysis (BSA) based on the F2 mapping population revealed that GLR3 is located on chromosome 6. By analyzing 417 typical glabrous leaf F2 plants using molecular markers, GLR3 was mapped to a 0.2 cM interval between InDel markers ID27101 and ID27199, and the physical distance between the two markers is 98 kb. Thus we have mapped the gene GLR3, and our work will provide basis for future mechanistic analysis of GLR3 function.

Acute effects of air pollution on enteritis admissions in Xi'an, China.

The correlation between enteritis, a common digestive disease, and exposure to ambient air pollutants has not been examined in a comprehensive manner. The aim of this study was to determine whether an association between short-term air pollution exposure and outpatient visits for enteritis in Xi'an, China, occurred using a time-series investigation. Daily baseline data from January 1, 2013, to December 31, 2015, were obtained. The overdispersed Poisson generalized additive model was used to analyze the association between air pollutant levels and frequency of enteritis. A total of 12,815 outpatient hospital visits for enteritis were identified. A 10-µg/m3 increase in average concentrations of particulate matter (PM)10, PM2.5, nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and sulfur dioxide (SO2), and a 0.1-mg/m3 rise of carbon monoxide (CO) were associated with a significantly elevated number of outpatient visits for enteritis on concurrent days, while ozone (O3) did not markedly affect the frequency of enteritis clinical visits. There were no significant positive effects between two-pollutant and single-pollutant models. Lag models showed that the most prominent responses occurred on concurrent days. Confounding factors of gender and age played a significant role in the observations. Taken together, data indicate that air pollution may result in enhanced occurrence of enteritis attack.

Correction: The Novel Relationship between Urban Air Pollution and Epilepsy: A Time Series Study.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0161992.].