Effect of health lifestyle on the risk of stroke: a prospective cohort study from Chongqing, China.

OBJECTIVE: To prospectively investigate the associations of healthy lifestyle factors on the risk of stroke and stroke subtypes, as studies exploring this relationship are limited in China. METHODS: The 22,661 participants in the prospective cohort study in Chongqing, China, aged 30-79 years and stroke-free at baseline completed follow-up from 2018 to 2022. We included seven healthy lifestyle factors, including non-smoking, non-excessive drinking, sufficient physical activity, healthy diet, sleep duration of 7-9 h/d, and standard range of body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio. The healthy lifestyle score was calculated based on the number of healthy lifestyle factors. RESULTS: Compared with participants who had scores ≤2, participants with scores ≥6 had an HRs (95% CIs) of 0.56 (0.34, 0.92) for total stroke and 0.53 (0.30, 0.93) for ischemic stroke. For every 1-point increase in healthy lifestyle scores, the HRs (95% CIs) for total stroke and ischemic stroke was 0.86 (0.78, 0.95) and 0.86 (0.77, 0.96), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Maintaining multiple healthy lifestyle factors can significantly reduce the risk of stroke. As the number of healthy lifestyle factors increased, the stroke risk gradually decreased. Our findings emphasize the significance of comprehensive lifestyle interventions.

Dietary Patterns and New-Onset Diabetes Mellitus in Southwest China: A Prospective Cohort Study in the China Multi-Ethnic Cohort (CMEC).

(1) Background: There is little known about the relationship between Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) pattern and diabetes in cohort studies, and the dietary patterns in the Chongqing natural population are unknown. (2) Methods: 14,176 Chinese adults, aged 30-79 years old, participated in this prospective study, from September 2018 to October 2023. A dietary assessment was conducted using a food frequency questionnaire, and three main dietary patterns were extracted from the principal component analysis. DASH patterns were calculated by standards. (3) Results: During the 4.64 y follow-up, 875 developed diabetes (11.3/1000 person-years). Each posteriori diet pattern is named after its main dietary characteristics (meat pattern, dairy products-eggs pattern, and alcohol-wheat products pattern). The high consumption of DASH pattern diet reduced the risk of diabetes (Q5 vs. Q1 HR: 0.71; 95% CI: 0.40-0.56) while high consumption of alcohol-wheat product pattern diet was associated with a high risk of diabetes (Q5 vs. Q1 HR: 1.32; 95% CI: 1.04, 1.66). The other two dietary patterns were not associated with diabetes. In subgroup analysis, there was an interaction between DASH pattern and sex (P for interaction < 0.006), with a strong association in females. (4) Conclusions: DASH pattern may be associated with a reduced new-onset diabetes risk and Alcohol-wheat products pattern may be positively associated with new-onset diabetes. These findings may provide evidence for making dietary guidelines in southwest China to prevent diabetes.

[A quantitative study of mechanics in the treatment of atlantoaxial joint disorder by tendon relaxation manipulation].

OBJECTIVE: To explore dose-effect relationship of biomechanical parameters in treating atlantoaxial joint disorder by slimming manipulation. METHODS: From October 2022 to May 2023, 18 patients with atlantoaxial joint disorders were treated, including 10 males and 8 females;aged from 24 to 27 years old with an average of (25.50±1.10) years old;CT of cervical vertebra showed 16 patients with right side distortion and 2 patients with left side distortion. The mechanical parameters of treatment of atlantoaxial joint disorder by tendon relaxation manipulation were measured by wearing massage manipulation gloves. The magnitude, frequency and mechanical curve of force during tendon relaxation and starting force, pulling force, pulling time and mechanical curve during rehabilitation were quantified, the differences between the affected and contralateral manipulations were compared. RESULTS: The maximum force and frequency of Fengchi(GB20) on the affected side were (19.82±2.02) N and (116.83±14.49) times/min, and opposite side were (13.87±2.19) N and (188.89±16.03) times/min, respectively. There were statistically difference in the maximum force and frequency of both sides (P<0.05). The maximum force and frequency of Quepen (ST12) on the affected side were (14.44±3.27) N and (139.06±28.47) times/min, and those on the opposite side were (9.41±1.38) N and (142.50±28.47) times/min. There was difference in maximum force on both sides (P<0.05). The starting force, turning force and turning time of the affected side were (14.16±5.98) N, (11.56±6.63) N, (0.14±0.03) S, and the contralateral side were (8.94±3.39) N, (8.30±4.64) N, (0.18±0.04) S, respectively. The difference of starting force, turning force and turning time on both sides were statistically significant (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: By applying a light relaxation force on the affected side, the mechanical balance between cervical vertebrae could be restored, and recovery trend of atlantoaxial joint disorder could be strengthened. On this basis, the atlantoaxial odontoid process could be reversed by applying a light rotation force, which reflects the characteristics of high safety of the manipulation.

Study on the correlation between the dominant microflora and the main flavor substances in the fermentation process of cigar tobacco leaves.

The flavor of cigar tobacco leaf determines the quality of finished cigar tobacco, and the enhancement of flavor generally relies on microbial fermentation. In this paper, the correlation between the dominant microorganisms and the main flavor substances of cigar tobacco leaves during fermentation and the correlation between the two were investigated to reveal the correlation between microorganisms and flavor and the metabolic pathways of microorganisms affecting the flavor substances. During the fermentation process, the main flavors of cigar tobacco leaves were sweet, light and grassy, with hexanal, 2,6-dimethylpyridine, nonanal, phenylacetaldehyde, naphthalene, and methyl benzoate as the main constituents, and the key microorganisms Haloferax mediterranei, Haloterrigena limicola, Candidatus Thorarchaeota archaeon SMTZ-45, the genera Methyloversatilis, Sphingomonas, Thauera, Pseudomonas, Penicillium, and Aspergillus. Correlation analysis revealed that fungi were negatively correlated with the main aroma and inhibited the main flavor substances, while bacteria were positively correlated with Benzoic acid, methyl ester in the main flavor substances, which was conducive to the accumulation of green aroma. Functional analysis revealed that the dominant bacterial population was producing aroma by metabolizing glycoside hydrolases and glycosyltransferases, performing amino acid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism and film transport metabolism. The present study showed that the bacterial and fungal dominant microorganisms during the fermentation of cigar tobacco were influencing the production and degradation of the main flavor substances through the enzyme metabolism by the occurrence of the Merad reaction.

Promoted Generation of T Helper 1-Like Regulatory T Cells After Transient Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion in Type-2 Diabetic Mice.

BACKGROUND: Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play a remarkable role in modulating post-ischemic neuroinflammation. However, the characteristics of Tregs in diabetic ischemic stroke remain unknown. METHODS: Transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) was conducted on leptin receptor-mutated db/db mice and db/+ mice. The number, cytokine production, and signaling features of Tregs in peripheral blood and ipsilateral hemispheres were evaluated by flow cytometry. Treg plasticity was assessed by the adoptive transfer of splenic Tregs into mice. The effect of ipsilateral macrophages/microglia on Treg plasticity was determined by in vitro co-culture analysis. RESULTS: db/db mice had more infiltrating Tregs in their ipsilateral hemispheres than db/+ mice. Infiltrating Tregs in db/db mice expressed higher transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß), interleukin-10 (IL-10), forkhead box P3 (Foxp3), interferon-γ (IFN-γ), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and T-box expressed in T cells (T-bet) in comparison to infiltrating Tregs in db/+ mice, suggesting promoted generation of T helper 1 (Th1)-like Tregs in the brains of db/db mice after stroke. The post-ischemic brain microenvironment of db/db mice significantly up-regulated IFN-γ, TNF-α, T-bet, IL-10, and TGF-ß in infiltrating Tregs. Moreover, ipsilateral macrophages/microglia remarkably enhanced the expression of IFN-γ, TNF-α, and T-bet but not IL-10 and TGF-ß in Tregs. db/db macrophages/microglia were more potent in up-regulating IFN-γ, TNF-α, and T-bet than db/+ macrophages/microglia. Interleukin-12 (IL-12) blockage partially abolished the modulatory effect of macrophages/microglia on Tregs. CONCLUSION: The generation of Th1-like Tregs was promoted in the brains of type 2 diabetic mice after stroke. Our study reveals significant Treg plasticity in diabetic stroke.Abbreviations: Foxp3: forkhead box P3; IFN-γ: interferon-γ; IL-10: interleukin-10; IL-12: interleukin-12; MCAO: middle cerebral artery occlusion; PBS: phosphate-buffered saline; STAT1: Signal transducer and activator of transcription 1; STAT5: Signal transducer and activator of transcription 1; T-bet: T-box expressed in T cells; TGF-ß: transforming growth factor-ß; Th1: T helper 1; TNF-α: tumor necrosis factor-α; Tregs: regulatory T cells. Foxp3: forkhead box P3; IFN-γ: interferon-γ; IL-10: interleukin-10; IL-12: interleukin-12; MCAO: middle cerebral artery occlusion; PBS: phosphate-buffered saline; STAT1: Signal transducer and activator of transcription 1; STAT5: Signal transducer and activator of transcription 1; T-bet: T-box expressed in T cells; TGF-ß: transforming growth factor-ß; Th1: T helper 1; TNF-α: tumor necrosis factor-α; Tregs: regulatory T cells.

High-Q and tunable analog of electromagnetically induced transparency in terahertz all-dielectric metamaterial.

We propose a novel all-dielectric metamaterial (ADMM), to the best of our knowledge, with a simple structure to achieve the analog of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) in the terahertz range. The ADMM is constructed by unit cells with two same silicon bar resonators on a quartz substrate. By breaking the symmetrical array of silicon resonators, the guided-mode resonance can be excited in the substrate, and the destructive interference between a broadband electric-dipole resonance and a narrowband guided-mode resonance gives rise to an EIT-like response. The EIT window can reach a high quality factor (Q-factor) over 1500 by carefully adjusting the asymmetry degree within the unit cell. A dynamically tunable ADMM was further developed by employing photoactive doped silicon. By varying the carrier density of the doped silicon through optical pump, the strength of the EIT-like resonance can be actively modulated, enabling an on-to-off switch of the slow-light effect. The designed ADMM can achieve a high-Q EIT-like response and dynamic modulation, which may give potential applications in bio/chemical sensing, optical switching, and slow-light devices.

Impact Resistance Study of Three-Dimensional Orthogonal Carbon Fibers/BMI Resin Woven Composites.

Three-dimensional woven composites have been reported to have superior fracture toughness, fatigue life and damage tolerance compared with laminated composites due to through-thickness reinforcement. These properties make them lighter replacements for traditional high-strength metals and laminated composites. This paper will present impact resistance research on three-dimensional orthogonal woven composites consisting of carbon fibers/bismaleimide resin (BMI). A series of impact tests were conducted using the gas gun technique with the impacted target of 150 mm × 150 mm × 8 mm (length × width × thickness) and the cylindrical titanium projectile. The projectile velocity ranged from 180 m/s to 280 m/s, generating different results from rebound to perforation. This paper also presents a multiscale modeling strategy to investigate the damage and failure behavior of three-dimensional woven composites. The microscale and mesoscale are identified to consider the fiber/matrix scale and the tow architecture scale respectively. The macroscale model was effective with homogenized feature. Then a combined meso-macroscale model was developed with the interface definitions for component analysis in the explicit dynamic software LS-DYNA. The presented results showed reliable interface connection and can be used to study localized composites damage at a relatively high efficiency.

The Effect of Iron Fortification on Iron (Fe) Status and Inflammation: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Iron deficiency (ID) is common in toddlers in developing countries. Iron fortified or meat-based complementary foods may be effective to prevent ID. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to compare iron status at 18 months and growth from 6 to 18 months in rural poor toddlers fed 3 different complementary foods. METHODS: The study was nested within a larger trial in which 6-month-old infants were randomized to receive 50g/d meat (MG), an equi-caloric fortified cereal supplement (FG) or local cereal supplement (LG) for 1 year. Hb, sTfR, HsCRP, ferritin and AGP were measured in 410 blood samples collected by a random sampling (MG, 137; FG, 140; LG, 133); calprotectin was measured in feces. Body iron = -[log (sTfR ×1000/ferritin)-2.8229] /0.1207. ID = ferritin<12ug/L. RESULTS: The toddlers in FG had the significantly highest levels in serum ferritin and body iron (P = 0.043, 0.004), and the rates of both ID and iron deficiency anemia (IDA) were the lowest in FG (P = 0.010, 0.021). The rate of systemic inflammation in FG was 30.71%, which was the highest among three groups (P = 0.042). No intervention effects on either the rates of ID and IDA or iron stores (serum ferritin and body iron) were shown in MG. The change in length-for-age z scores (LAZ) from 6 to 18 months among three groups was significantly different (P = 0.021) and a smaller decrease of LAZ in MG and a larger decrease of LAZ in FG were observed. CONCLUSION: Iron fortified cereal improved iron status of poor rural toddlers but was also associated with systemic inflammation which was likely to impair their growth.

Association between feeding practices and weight status in young children.

BACKGROUND: Inappropriate feeding practices during infancy may lead to overweight. The aims of this study are to investigate the growth of children in the first 18 months of life; to evaluate the feeding practices of caregivers using developed Young Child Feeding Questionnaire; and to investigate caregivers' feeding attitudes and behaviors associated with infants' weight status. METHODS: Six month-old infants and their main caregivers entering the Kongjiang Community Health Center for a routine well-child check were recruited for this study and followed up every 6 months for 12 months. Questionnaire survey was carried out through on-site face-to-face interview at each visit with the main caregivers of children using Young Child Feeding Questionnaire, which included caregivers' feeding attitudes and behaviors. The weight and length of children were measured at each visit. RESULTS: Among 197 children who completed the investigation at 18 months of age, 64 (32.49%) children were overweight (BMI-for-age z scores > +1). The increases in weight-for-age z scores and BMI-for-age z scores from birth to 6 months, 12 to 18 months and birth to 18 months in overweight children were significantly higher than those in normal weight children (P < 0.001). In normal weight children, caregivers worried more about children's being "underweight" and "eating less" (P = 0.001), whereas caregivers with overweight children worried more about children's "eating too much" and being "overweight" (P < 0.001). In 64 overweight infants, the scores of "concern about child's food intake" were significantly correlated with increase in BAZ between 12 and 18 months (Bata = 0.293, P = 0.029). CONCLUSIONS: Young Child Feeding Questionnaire is a valid tool for evaluating feeding practice of caregivers. The rapid BMI gain in overweight children may be associated with some inappropriate feeding attitudes and behaviors of caregivers.

Fecal calprotectin levels are higher in rural than in urban Chinese infants and negatively associated with growth.

BACKGROUND: Fecal calprotectin (FC) is an established simple biomarker of gut inflammation. To examine a possible relationship between linear growth and gut inflammation, we compared fecal calprotectin levels in 6 month old infants from poor rural vs affluent urban families. METHODS: The project was a cross-sectional comparison of FC from rural and urban populations in China. The relationship between length-for-age Z-score (LAZ) and FC concentrations were also compared. Single fecal samples were assayed for FC using EK-CAL ELISA kits. RESULTS: The age of subjects for both locations was 6.1 ± 0.2 mo; all were apparently healthy. The mean ± SD of the LAZ for the rural and urban infants were -0.6 ± 0.9 and 0.4 ± 0.9, respectively. FC had a non-normal distribution. The median FC of 420.9 and 140.1 µg/g for rural and urban infants, respectively, were significantly different (P < 0.0001). For the rural group, linear regression analysis showed that an increase in FC of 100 µg/g was associated with a decrease of 0.06 in LAZ. CONCLUSION: FC levels were significantly elevated in the rural infants and high concentrations accounted for approximately one-third of the low LAZ scores of these infants.

A summary index of infant and child feeding practices is associated with child growth in urban Shanghai.

BACKGROUND: Recently, an infant and child feeding index (ICFI) constructed on brief recalls of breastfeeding, feeding frequency and food diversification was assumed to provide long-term prediction about child feeding practices. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the cross-sectional ICFI (CS-ICFI) or longitudinal ICFI (L-ICFI) and child anthropometric indices in downtown Shanghai, China. METHODS: The prospective cohort study included 180 infants aged 5-7 mo with their main caregivers who were visited 3 times every 6 months over 12 months. A CS-ICFI was constructed for each visit by using data on feeding practices based on 24-h and 7-d recalls. An L-ICFI was constructed with use of the 3 CS-ICFIs. The associations between ICFI and length-for-age z score (LAZ), weight-for-age z score (WAZ), and weight-for-length z score (WLZ) were examined. The stability of the CS-ICFI was assessed by using repeatability coefficient (RC). RESULTS: The L-ICFI was positively associated with LAZ and WAZ at Visit 3(beta = 0.151, P = 0.040 and beta = 0.173, P = 0.024, respectively). Moreover, the CS-ICFI at Visit 1 was positively associated with LAZ, WAZ and WLZ (beta = 0.160, P = 0.029; beta = 0.191, P = 0.009; beta = 0.176, P = 0.020) at Visit 3, and the CS-ICFI at Visit 3 was also positively associated with LAZ (beta = 0.176, P = 0.016). Stability of the CS-ICFI was shown by the value of 0.14 (95% CI: 0.07, 0.31) of the RC, which differed significantly from 0 (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The ICFI constructed on brief recalls based on cross-sectional studies can be used to evaluate the effects of child feeding practice on child growth.

Feeding and growth of normal birth weight infants during the first year of life in Shanghai.

AIM: This study aimed to explore the relationship between infant feeding practices and growth outcomes in the first 12 months of life. DESIGN: Investigators completed 262 questionnaires, which included infant feeding patterns, feeding environment, feeding beliefs/attitudes and caregivers' feeding behaviors through on-site face-to-face interviews with the main caregivers of infants at 12 months of age. The infant's weight and length at ages 6 and 12 months were measured. SETTING: The study was conducted in urban Shanghai, China. SUBJECTS: This study included 262 healthy normal birth weight full-term singleton 6-month-old infants and their main caregivers. RESULTS: Among 262 infants, 86 (32.82%) infants were overweight [BMI-for-age z scores (BAZ)>+1] at 12 months. Compared with normal weight infants, the overweight infants had higher birth weights (P=0.009). Furthermore, the overweight infants gained significantly more weight (P<0.001) in the first year of life. In normal weight infants, caregivers worried more about infants being "underweight" and "eating less" (P<0.001) whereas caregivers with overweight infants worried more about infants being "overweight" (P<0.001). Consequently, the total score of caregivers' over-feeding behaviors was significantly higher in normal weight infants (P=0.029). However, in overweight infants, the scores of "fed quickly within 10 min" (r=0.223, P=0.039) and "feeding was the best way to stop the infant's fussiness" (r=0.285, P=0.008) were positively correlated with BAZ. CONCLUSIONS: Overweight in early life is associated with carelessness about excessive appetite and some particular infant feeding behaviors of caregivers in Shanghai.