Facile fabrication of adenosine triphosphate/chitosan/polyethyleneimine coating for high flame-retardant lyocell fabrics with outstanding antibacteria.

Addressing highly flammable and easily breeding bacteria property via environmentally friendly approach was critical for the large-scale application of lyocell fibers. Herein, a bio-based coating constructed by layer-by-layer deposition of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), chitosan (CS), and polyethyleneimine (PEI) was successfully fabricated to obtain excellent fire-resistant and antimicrobial lyocell fabrics (LBL/Lyocell). The resulted fabrics with add-on of 11.5 wt% achieved the limiting oxygen index (LOI) of 32.0 %. Meanwhile, compared with the pure lyocell fabrics, the peak of heat release rate (PHRR), total heat release (THR), and fire growth rate (FIGRA) of LBL/Lyocell fabrics decreased by 75.2 %, 61.0 % and 69.8 % in cone calorimetric test (CCT), respectively. By characterizing the gaseous products and solid residues, the presence of the ATP/CS/PEI coating could not only quickly form the dense expanded carbon layer by itself, but also promote the conversion of cellulose into thermal-stability residues, thus reducing the release of combustible substances during combustion and protecting the lyocell fabrics. In addition, LBL/Lyocell showed excellent antimicrobial properties with 99.99 % antibacterial rates against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli). This bio-based coating was a promising candidate for efficiently flame-retardant cellulose fibers with excellent antibacteria.

A bidirectional Mendelian randomization study investigating the causal role between gut microbiota and insomnia.

Background: It has emerged that disturbances of the gut microbiota (GM) are linked to insomnia. However, the causality of the observed associations remains uncertain. Methods: We conducted a two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis based on genome-wide association study data to explore the possible causal link between GM and insomnia. The GM data were from the MiBioGen consortium, while the summary statistics of insomnia were obtained from the FinnGen consortium R9 release data. Cochran's Q statistics were used to analyze instrumental variable heterogeneity. Results: According to the inverse variance weighted estimates, the family Ruminococcaceae (odds ratio = 1.494, 95% confidence interval:1.004-2.223, p = 0.047) and the genus Lachnospiraceae (odds ratio = 1.726, 95% confidence interval: 1.191-2.501, p = 0.004) play a role in insomnia risk. In contrast, the genus Flavonifractor (odds ratio = 0.596, 95% confidence interval: 0.374-0.952, p = 0.030) and the genus Olsenella (odds ratio = 0.808, 95% confidence interval: 0.666-0.980, p = 0.031) tended to protect against insomnia. According to the reverse MR analysis, insomnia can also alter GM composition. Instrumental variables were neither heterogeneous nor horizontal pleiotropic. Conclusion: In conclusion, our Mendelian randomization study provides evidence of a causal relationship between GM and insomnia. The identified GM may be promising gut biomarkers and new therapeutic targets for insomnia. This investigation also provides a foundation for future studies examining the influence of GM on sleep disorders beyond insomnia, with potential implications for redefining the mechanisms governing sleep regulation.

High-Performance NiO/TiO2/ZnO Photovoltaic UV Detector.

The ultraviolet (UV) photodetector has found many applications, ranging from optical communication to environmental monitoring. There has been much research interest in the development of metal oxide-based UV photodetectors. In this work, a nano-interlayer was introduced in a metal oxide-based heterojunction UV photodetector to enhance the rectification characteristics and therefore the device performance. The device, which consists of nickel oxide (NiO) and zinc oxide (ZnO) sandwiching an ultrathin dielectric layer of titanium dioxide (TiO2), was prepared by radio frequency magnetron sputtering (RFMS). After annealing, the NiO/TiO2/ZnO UV photodetector exhibited a rectification ratio of 104 under UV irradiation of 365 nm at zero bias. The device also demonstrated a high responsivity of 291 A/W and a detectivity of 6.9 × 1011 Jones at +2 V bias. Such a device structure provides a promising future for metal oxide-based heterojunction UV photodetectors in a wide range of applications.

Associations of eating speed with fat distribution and body shape vary in different age groups and obesity status.

BACKGROUND: Eating speed has been reported to be associated with energy intake, body weight, waist circumference (WC), and total body fat. However, no study has explored the association between eating speed and body fat distribution, especially its difference among different age or body mass index (BMI) groups. METHODS: 4770 participants aged 18-80 years were recruited from the baseline survey of the Lanxi Cohort Study. They were categorized into three groups according to meal duration. Linear regression analyses were performed among all participants and separately by age group and obesity status to evaluate the associations of WC and total and regional fat mass percentages (FM%) with eating speed. RESULTS: After adjusting for confounding factors, eating slowly was significantly related to lower WC, lower total, trunk, and android FM%, lower android-to-gynoid fat mass ratio, and higher leg and gynoid FM%. After stratification by age or obesity status, the associations were especially prominent among participants aged 18-44 years or those with BMI < 24 kg/m2. No significant trends were found for participants aged 65-80 years or those who were overweight/obese. CONCLUSIONS: Eating slowly is closely related with better fat distribution among Chinese adults, especially for those aged 18-44 years and those with BMI < 24 kg/m2. If confirmed prospectively, it might be a potential efficient approach to improve fat distribution.

Sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity after cholecystectomy: A population-based study.

OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to investigate the associations of cholecystectomy with low muscle mass, low muscle strength, sarcopenia, and sarcopenic obesity. METHODS: This population-based study included data from 4,909 participants aged 18 to 80 years. History of cholecystectomy was diagnosed using abdominal ultrasonography. Muscle mass was evaluated using a dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry scan, and muscle strength was evaluated using an electronic hand dynamometer. Sarcopenia was defined as the presence of both low muscle mass and low muscle strength. Sarcopenic obesity was defined as the presence of both sarcopenia and obesity. Multivariable logistic regression models were performed to investigate the associations of cholecystectomy with low muscle mass, low muscle strength, sarcopenia, and sarcopenic obesity. RESULTS: Participants with history of cholecystectomy were more likely than those without to have low muscle mass, low muscle strength, and sarcopenia. Furthermore, compared with cholecystectomy that occurred within 7 years (7 years is the median interval between cholecystectomy and the physical examination), participants with cholecystectomy that occurred more than 7 years ago had higher odds of sarcopenia. Finally, whether obesity was defined by BMI or body fat percentage, cholecystectomy was positively associated with sarcopenic obesity. CONCLUSIONS: Cholecystectomy is associated with low muscle mass, low muscle strength, sarcopenia, and sarcopenic obesity.

[Spectrum peak detection algorithm based on trend accumulation without base deduction].

The detection and analysis of spectral peaks play an important role in research on chromatography technology. However, in the process of collecting and transmitting chromatographic data, it is very difficult to detect spectral peaks owing to the interference of different levels of noise. Most of the traditional spectral peak detection algorithms follow three steps: spectral smoothing, baseline correction, and spectral peak recognition, which require high denoising and curve smoothing, and therefore increase the complexity of the algorithm. In addition, a traditional spectrum peak detection algorithm generally defines the shape of the spectrum peak by applying the base deduction method, and divides the spectrum peak into a single peak, overlapping peaks, and so on. Different detection methods are used for different types of spectral peaks, which lead to the shortcomings of traditional peak detection algorithms, such as high complexity, low automation, and susceptibility to distortion. Therefore, this study proposes a novel peak detection algorithm developed using a different point of view. The algorithm omits the base subtraction and spectral peak classification steps and instead detects spectral peaks directly based on the source data curve. In a traditional spectrum peak detection algorithm, the spectrum peak classification depends on determining a baseline. If the baseline is adjusted, the baseline will fit the spectrum peak more closely. At this time, the overlapping peaks can be regarded as two connected peaks. However, there is no so-called baseline in the source data curve, and therefore the proposed algorithm cannot classify the spectral peaks using the baseline approach. Instead, an obvious bulge or depression in the source curve is considered to be the spectral peak. This algorithm essentially performs three steps: discrete difference, trend accumulation, and searching for all peaks. First, the difference between adjacent data is obtained using a discrete difference process. The difference value is compared with 0, and either a 1 or -1 value is used to replace the difference value to reflect the data fluctuation trend. The signals representing the trend are accumulated, and the spectrum peak is located according to the sum of the accumulated signals. The algorithm uses three-point location; that is, the peak starting point, extreme point, and peak end point are used to describe the position of a spectral peak. Finally, according to the spectrum peaks obtained in the previous step, the magnitude of each peak is calculated, and the spectrum peaks are screened by a sorting method. In this manner, the algorithm skips the base subtraction part and obtains the spectrum peak directly. Therefore, to obtain the base part, the peak subtraction method is applied. This study used the C language to design and write the algorithm, and nitrogen adsorption and desorption chromatographic curves measured by several dynamic specific surface area analyzers were detected and analyzed. The results indicate that the proposed algorithm can accurately distinguish the peak part from the base part, and is robust to data curve burr, vibration, and other types of noise. The three-point location of the spectrum peak is very accurate and is not affected by its complex morphology. Therefore, it has strong universality. Compared with other algorithms, this algorithm has the advantages of accurate positioning, clear structure, and good stability and reliability. The application of the proposed peak detection methods such as base-free deduction and trend accumulation, in the adsorption and desorption chromatographic curve and has been proven effective in the determination of absorption and desorption chromatographic peaks.

Changes in maternal age and prevalence of congenital anomalies during the enactment of China's universal two-child policy (2013-2017) in Zhejiang Province, China: An observational study.

BACKGROUND: China implemented a partial two-child policy (2013) followed by a universal two-child policy (2015), replacing the former one-child policy mandated by the government. The changes affect many aspects of China's population as well as maternal and infant health, but their potential impact on birth defects (BDs) remains unknown. In this study, we investigated the associations of these policy changes with BDs in Zhejiang Province, China. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We used data from the BD surveillance system in Zhejiang Province, China, which covers 90 hospitals in 30 urban districts and rural counties, capturing one-third of the total births in this province. To fully consider the time interval between conception and delivery, we defined the one-child policy period as data from 2013 (births from October 2012 to September 2013), the partial two-child policy period as data from 2015 (births from October 2014 to September 2015), and the universal two-child policy period as data from 2017 (births from October 2016 to September 2017). Data from 2009 and 2011 were also used to show the changes in the proportion of births to women with advanced maternal age (35 years and older) prior to the policy changes. Main outcome measures were changes in the proportion of mothers with advanced maternal age, prevalence of BDs, rankings of BD subtypes by prevalence, prenatal diagnosis rate, and live birth rate of BDs over time. A total of 1,260,684 births (including live births, early fetal losses, stillbirths, and early neonatal deaths) were included in the analyses. Of these, 644,973 (51.16%) births were to women from urban areas, and 615,711 (48.84%) births were to women from rural areas. In total, 135,543 (10.75%) births were to women with advanced maternal age. The proportion increased by 85.68%, from 8.52% in 2013 to 15.82% in 2017. However, it had remained stable prior to policy changes. Overall, 23,095 BDs were identified over the policy changes (2013-2017). The prevalence of BDs during 2013, 2015, and 2017 was 245.95, 264.86, and 304.36 per 10,000 births, respectively. Trisomy 21 and other chromosomal defects increased in both risk and ranking from 2013 to 2017 (crude odds ratio [95% confidence interval] 2.13 [1.75-2.60], from ranking 10th to 5th, and 3.63 [2.84-4.69], from ranking 16th to 6th, respectively). The prenatal diagnosis rate increased by 3.63 (2.2-5.1) percentage points (P < 0.001), from 31.10% to 34.72%, and identification of BDs occurred 1.88 (1.81-1.95) weeks earlier (P < 0.001). The live birth rate for infants with BDs born before 28 gestational weeks increased from 1.29% to 11.45%. The major limitations of this observational study include an inability to establish causality and the possible existence of unknown confounding factors, some of which could contribute to BDs. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we observed significant increases in maternal age and the prevalence of total and age-related anomalies following China's new two-child policy. Increases in live birth rate for infants with BDs born before 28 gestational weeks suggest that healthcare for very preterm births with BDs may be warranted in the future, as well as updating the definition of perinatal period.

High-Performance Deep Ultraviolet Photodetector Based on NiO/ß-Ga2O3 Heterojunction.

Ultraviolet (UV) photodetector has attracted extensive interests due to its wide-ranging applications from defense technology to optical communications. The use of wide bandgap metal oxide semiconductor materials is of great interest in the development of UV photodetector due to their unique electronic and optical properties. In this work, deep UV photodetector based on NiO/ß-Ga2O3 heterojunction was developed and investigated. The ß-Ga2O3 layer was prepared by magnetron sputtering and exhibited selective orientation along the family of ([Formula: see text] 01) crystal plane after annealing. The photodetector demonstrated good performance with a high responsivity (R) of 27.43 AW-1 under a 245-nm illumination (27 µWcm-2) and the maximum detectivity (D*) of 3.14 × 1012 cmHz1/2 W-1, which was attributed to the p-NiO/n-ß-Ga2O3 heterojunction.

Multiplicity and complexity of food environment in China: full-scale field census of food outlets in a typical district.

OBJECTIVES: Community food environment is closely associated with residents' health status, and it has received substantial research attention in recent years. However, such studies are sparse in China. This study aims to reveal the characteristics of food environment in China. SUBJECTS: A ground-truthing field census of food outlets was conducted in Xi Hu district, Hangzhou. A novel categorizing system was developed to better characterize food outlets in the study area. Geocoding and food environment analysis were performed by Arc-GIS software. RESULTS: A total of 9274 food outlets were identified, of these, 6161 (66.43%) were food service places and 3113 (33.57%) were food stores. Fast-food restaurants (2692) and convenience stores (1764) were the two most numerous outlet types. The density of food outlets was 29.72/km2 and 113.97/10,000 people. Availability of BMI-unhealthy food outlets was four times greater than that of BMI-healthy ones. Further, 41.86% of total food outlets provided food-delivery services; among them, fast-food restaurants were the highest (65.53%) providers. In the urban area, the average density of food outlets was 104/km2. While, it was only 29/km2 in the rural area. CONCLUSIONS: Availability of food outlets was excellent in our study area, though it showed regional imbalance. Food environment tends to be obesogenic and high prevalence of food delivery service might increase this trend. Thus, policy makers should guarantee the smooth development of catering industry in China, so as to ensure a balanced nutrition environment.

Low muscle mass and low muscle strength associate with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

BACKGROUND: It is unclear whether low muscle mass and low muscle strength are independently or jointly associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Hence, the aim of the present study was to investigate the associations of NAFLD with low muscle mass, low muscle strength, sarcopenia, and sarcopenic obesity. METHODS: A total of 5132 participants aged 18-80 years were recruited in this cross-sectional study. NAFLD was diagnosed using ultrasound. Muscle mass was evaluated using skeletal muscle mass index and muscle strength was evaluated using weight-adjusted hand grip strength. Sarcopenia was defined as the presence of both low muscle mass and low muscle strength. Sarcopenic obesity was defined as the presence of both sarcopenia and obesity. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to explore the associations of NAFLD with low muscle mass, low muscle strength, sarcopenia, and sarcopenic obesity. RESULTS: Low muscle mass and low muscle strength were positively and independently associated with NAFLD (mass: odds ratio [OR], 2.57; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.03-3.25; strength: OR, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.21-1.80). Compared with low muscle mass or low muscle strength alone, sarcopenia was associated with a higher risk of NAFLD (OR, 3.91; 95% CI, 2.90-5.28). Whether obesity was defined by body mass index (BMI) or waist circumference (WC), sarcopenic obesity was associated with a higher risk of NAFLD (BMI: OR, 10.42; 95% CI, 7.14-15.22; WC: OR, 11.64; 95% CI, 8.22-16.48) than sarcopenia or obesity alone. CONCLUSIONS: Low muscle mass and low muscle strength were positively and independently associated with NAFLD. When both were presented in the sarcopenic state, the risk of NAFLD was higher, and a concurrence of sarcopenia and obesity showed the highest risk of NAFLD.

How we eat determines what we become: opportunities and challenges brought by food delivery industry in a changing world in China.

Rapid economic growth and urbanization have brought notable changes in China. This trend had dramatic impacts to food industry and diet-related behaviors, which leads to increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity as well as diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs). With a rapid development of internet and e-commerce market, another emerging trend that should not be overlooked is the change in food shopping habits induced by the popularity of online-to-offline (O2O) food delivery service in China. The O2O food market is a booming industry in China, the market scale of O2O food industry is increasing with remarkable speed. More than 1/5 of total population in China has already became the users of O2O food delivery market. Development of this new trend in food environment is inevitable. This game-changing trend brings great opportunities to improve food accessibility and availability but meanwhile poses inevitable challenges to the whole public health system and social environment in China. This paper offers a unique perspective of the opportunities and challenges that the new industry brings to food environment, health outcomes caused by related behavior change, and its broader influence on social environment.