Abstract
In the recent years, a growing number of studies have shown that the occurrence of myocardial ischemia (MI) is closely related to the gut microbiota (GM). The Danshen-Honghua herb pair ...(DHHP), a classic combination in traditional Chinese herbal formulas, has been widely applied throughout history to cure cardiovascular disease, exhibiting remarkable clinical efficacy to treat ischemic heart disease (IHD). However, the intrinsic regulation mechanism of DHHP in treating MI remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the possible protective mechanism of DHHP in rats with acute myocardial ischemia (AMI) induced by isoproterenol (ISO) through 16S rRNA gene sequencing technique. Pharmacodynamic results showed that DHHP significantly ameliorated the pathological changes and improved the abnormal cardiac enzymes levels in the AMI rats. In addition, GM analysis demonstrated that DHHP effectively ameliorated the ISO-induced dysbiosis of the GM community, mainly by enhancing the GM diversity and increasing the relative abundance of Bacteroides, Roseburia, unclassified_f__Lachnospiraceae, and Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group, the abundance ratio of Bacteroidetes to Firmicutes, and decreasing the relative abundance of Escherichia-Shigella and Enterococcus. In summary, this study revealed that DHHP could improve ischemic myocardial injury in rats, and that its regulation mechanism is associated with significantly ameliorating the composition of GM, thus contributing to further our understanding of the anti-MI mechanisms of DHHP.
The strategy of exploring the possible mechanism of DHHP treating AMI.
The development of highly efficient and durable non-noble metal catalysts for full water splitting has attracted tremendous attention in recent years. Herein, for the first time, we present a facile ...synthesis of FeCo alloys encapsulated in a nitrogen-doped graphite/carbon nanotube (FeCo@NG/NCNT) hybrid using MOFs as precursors. Impressively, due to the synergistic interplay between FeCo alloys and NG/NCNTs, the resultant hybrid as a bi-functional electrocatalyst demonstrates an outstanding electrocatalytic performance for both oxygen and hydrogen evolution reactions in alkaline electrolytes. Most importantly, this work paves a new route in rationally designing and developing high-efficienct and stable bifunctional electrocatalysts for overall water splitting.
The prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity in developed countries appears to be plateauing. The purpose of this study was to provide the most recent data on the prevalence and trends in ...overweight and obesity among Chinese children and adolescents from 2011 to 2015.
We used data collected in the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) and China Nutritional Transition Cohort Study (CNTCS). We used two waves of the survey in 12 provinces conducted in 2011 (aged 7-18 years; n = 1458) and 2015 (aged 7-18 years; n = 1084) to perform a trend analysis. We used data collected in 15 provinces (aged 7-18 years; n = 1617) to estimate the prevalence of overweight and obesity among Chinese children and adolescents in 2015.
In 2015, based on the Working Group for Obesity in China (WGOC) criteria, the prevalence of overweight and obesity were 14.0% (95% CI, 11.6-16.3) and 10.5% (95% CI, 8.4-12.6) in boys, and 9.7% (95% CI, 7.7-11.8) and 7.1% (95% CI, 5.2-8.9) in girls, respectively. The increase in BMI z-scores from 2011 to 2015 was statistically significant among adolescents (p = 0.0083), but not among children. No significant changes were observed in prevalence of overweight and obesity between 2011 and 2015, excepting adolescents aged 12-18 years (p = 0.0086).
Since 2011, overweight has remained stable, and obesity has stabilized in children, though not in adolescents. Although levels of childhood overweight and obesity in China are not high compared to other developed countries, they remain concerning enough that effective policies and interventions need to be sustained and intensified for lowering rates of childhood overweight and obesity.
Mass production of high-quality graphene with low cost is the footstone for its widespread practical applications. We present herein a self-limited growth approach for producing graphene powders by a ...small-methane-flow chemical vapour deposition process on naturally abundant and industrially widely used diatomite (biosilica) substrates. Distinct from the chemically exfoliated graphene, thus-produced biomorphic graphene is highly crystallized with atomic layer-thickness controllability, structural designability and less noncarbon impurities. In particular, the individual graphene microarchitectures preserve a three-dimensional naturally curved surface morphology of original diatom frustules, effectively overcoming the interlayer stacking and hence giving excellent dispersion performance in fabricating solution-processible electrodes. The graphene films derived from as-made graphene powders, compatible with either rod-coating, or inkjet and roll-to-roll printing techniques, exhibit much higher electrical conductivity (∼110,700 S m
at 80% transmittance) than previously reported solution-based counterparts. This work thus puts forward a practical route for low-cost mass production of various powdery two-dimensional materials.
Background
The increasing prevalence of colorectal cancer (CRC) in China and the paucity of information about relevant expenditure highlight the necessity of better understanding the financial burden ...and effect of CRC diagnosis and treatment. We performed a survey to quantify the direct medical and non‐medical expenditure as well as the resulting financial burden of CRC patients in China.
Methods
We conducted a multicenter, cross‐sectional survey in 37 tertiary hospitals in 13 provinces across China between 2012 and 2014. Each enrolled patient was interviewed using a structured questionnaire. All expenditure data were inflated to the 2014 Chinese Yuan (CNY; 1 CNY = 0.163 USD). We quantified the overall expenditure and financial burden and by subgroup (hospital type, age at diagnosis, sex, education, occupation, insurance type, household income, clinical stage, pathologic type, and therapeutic regimen). We then performed generalized linear modeling to determine the factors associated with overall expenditure.
Results
A total of 2356 patients with a mean age of 57.4 years were included, 57.1% of whom were men; 13.9% of patients had stage I cancer; and the average previous‐year household income was 54,525 CNY. The overall average direct expenditure per patient was estimated to be 67,408 CNY, and the expenditures for stage I, II, III, and IV disease were 56,099 CNY, 59,952 CNY, 67,292 CNY, and 82,729 CNY, respectively. Non‐medical expenditure accounted for 8.3% of the overall expenditure. The 1‐year out‐of‐pocket expenditure of a newly diagnosed patient was 32,649 CNY, which accounted for 59.9% of their previous‐year household income and caused 75.0% of families to suffer an unmanageable financial burden. Univariate analysis showed that financial burden and overall expenditure differed in almost all subgroups (P < 0.05), except for sex. Multivariate analysis showed that patients who were treated in specialized hospitals and those who were diagnosed with adenocarcinoma or diagnosed at a later stage were likely to spend more, whereas those with a lower household income and those who underwent surgery spent less (all P < 0.05).
Conclusions
For patients in China, direct expenditure for the diagnosis and treatment of CRC seemed catastrophic, and non‐medical expenditure was non‐ignorable. The financial burden varied among subgroups, especially among patients with different clinical stages of disease, which suggests that, in China, CRC screening might be cost‐effective.
Integrated pulse profiles at 8.6 GHz obtained with the Shanghai Tian Ma Radio Telescope (TMRT) are presented for a sample of 26 pulsars. Mean flux densities and pulse width parameters of these ...pulsars are estimated. For 11 pulsars these are the first high-frequency observations and for a further four, our observations have a better signal-to-noise ratio than previous observations. For one (PSR J0742−2822), the 8.6 GHz profile differs from previously observed profiles. A comparison of 19 profiles with those at other frequencies shows that in nine cases, the separation between the outmost leading and trailing components decreases with frequency, which is roughly in agreement with radius-to-frequency mapping, whereas in the other 10 the separation is nearly constant. Different spectral indices of profile components lead to the variation of integrated pulse profile shapes with frequency. In seven pulsars with multi-component profiles, the spectral indices of the central components are steeper than those of the outer components. For the 12 pulsars with multi-component profiles in the high-frequency sample, we estimate the core width using Gaussian fitting and discuss the width-period relationship.
Background and Aim
This study aimed to clarify health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients with colorectal precancer and colorectal cancer (CRC) in China and to better understand related ...utility scores.
Methods
A hospital‐based cross‐sectional survey was conducted in precancer and CRC patients from 2012 to 2014, covering 12 provinces in China. HRQoL was assessed with EuroQol 5‐Dimensions 3‐Levels. Utility scores were derived using Chinese value set. A multivariate regression model was established to explore potential predictors of utility scores.
Results
A total of 376 precancer (mean age 58.7 years, 61.2% men) and 2470 CRC patients (mean age 58.6 years, 57.6% men) were included. In five dimensions, there was a certain percentage of problem reported among precancer (range: 12.0% to 36.7%) and CRC (range: 32.4% to 50.3%) patients, with pain/discomfort being the most serious dimension. Utility scores of precancer and CRC patients were 0.870 (95% confidence interval CI, 0.855–0.886) and 0.751 (95% CI, 0.742–0.759), both of which were lower than those of general Chinese population (0.960 95% CI, 0.960–0.960). Utilities for patients at stage I to stage IV were 0.742 (95% CI, 0.715–0.769), 0.722 (95% CI, 0.705–0.740), 0.756 (95% CI, 0.741–0.772), and 0.745 (95% CI, 0.742–0.767), respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that therapeutic regimen, time point of the interview, education, occupation, annual household income, and geographic region were associated with utilities of CRC patients.
Conclusion
Health‐related quality of life of both precancer and CRC patients in China declined considerably. Utility scores differed by sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, and findings of these utilities may facilitate implementation of further cost–utility evaluations.
Gut dysbiosis has been linked to type 1 diabetes (T1D); however, microbial capacity in T1D remains unclear. Here, we integratively profiled gut microbial functional and metabolic alterations in ...children with new-onset T1D in independent cohorts and investigated the underlying mechanisms. In T1D, the microbiota was characterized by decreased butyrate production and bile acid metabolism and increased lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis at the species, gene, and metabolite levels. The combination of 18 bacterial species and fecal metabolites provided excellently discriminatory power for T1D. Gut microbiota from children with T1D induced elevated fasting glucose levels and declined insulin sensitivity in antibiotic-treated mice. In streptozotocin-induced T1D mice, butyrate and lipopolysaccharide exerted protective and destructive effects on islet structure and function, respectively. Lipopolysaccharide aggravated the pancreatic inflammatory response, while butyrate activated Insulin1 and Insulin2 gene expression. Our study revealed perturbed microbial functional and metabolic traits in T1D, providing potential avenues for microbiome-based prevention and intervention for T1D.
Chemical investigation of the ethanol extract of the branch and leaves of Illicium majus resulted in the isolation of four new phenylpropanoid glycosides (1–4) and one new phenolic glycoside (9), ...along with 13 known ones. Spectroscopic techniques were used to elucidate the structures of the new isolates such as 3‐(2R,3S)‐7‐hydroxy‐2‐(4‐hydroxy‐3‐methoxyphenyl)‐3‐(hydroxymethyl)‐2,3‐dihydro‐1‐benzofuran‐5‐ylpropyl β‐D‐glucopyranoside (1), (2R,3S)‐7‐hydroxy‐2‐(4‐hydroxy‐3‐methoxyphenyl)‐5‐(3‐hydroxypropyl)‐2,3‐dihydro‐1‐benzofuran‐3‐ylmethyl 2‐O‐α‐L‐rhamnopyranosyl‐β‐D‐glucopyranoside (2), (2R,3S)‐7‐hydroxy‐2‐(4‐hydroxy‐3‐methoxyphenyl)‐5‐(3‐hydroxypropyl)‐2,3‐dihydro‐1‐benzofuran‐3‐ylmethyl 2‐O‐α‐L‐rhamnopyranosyl‐β‐D‐xylopyranoside (3), 3‐(2R,3S)‐3‐({2‐O‐(4‐O‐acetyl‐α‐L‐rhamnopyranosyl)‐β‐D‐xylopyranosyloxy}methyl)‐7‐hydroxy‐2‐(4‐hydroxy‐3‐methoxyphenyl)‐2,3‐dihydro‐1‐benzofuran‐5‐ylpropyl acetate (4), and 4‐(2‐hydroxyethyl)phenyl 3‐O‐β‐D‐glucopyranosyl‐β‐D‐glucopyranoside (9). Free radical scavenging activities of the isolates were elucidated through the DPPH assay method. The most active compounds, 1‐O‐caffeoyl‐β‐D‐glucopyranose (17) and soulieana acid 1 (18), exhibited moderate radical scavenging activities (IC50=37.7±4.4 μM and IC50=97.2±3.4 μM, respectively). The antibacterial activities of the isolates against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli were also assessed, and no activity was shown at the measured concentration (<32 μg/mL).
The dietary zinc consumed in Chinese households has decreased over the past decade. However, the national dietary zinc intake in the last five years has seldom been investigated. Using data from ...12,028 participants 18 to 64 years old (52.9% male) in the China Nutritional Transition Cohort Survey (CNTCS) 2015, we describe the intake of dietary zinc and the contributions of major foods and we examine the relationship between the level of dietary zinc intake and metabolic syndrome indicators, including blood pressure, fasting glucose, and triglycerides (TG), in Chinese adults. We assessed dietary zinc intake using 24 h recalls on three consecutive days. The mean daily dietary zinc intake for all participants was 10.2 milligrams per day (males 11.2 mg/day, females 9.4 mg/day,
< 0.001). The mean daily dietary zinc density for all participants was 5.2 mg/day per 1000 kilocalories. Among all participants, 31.0% were at risk of zinc deficiency, with dietary zinc intakes of less than the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) (males 49.2%, females 14.8%,
< 0.050), and 49.9% had adequate dietary zinc intakes, equal to or greater than the recommended nutrient intake (RNI) (males 30.7%, females 67.0%,
< 0.050). We found substantial gender differences in dietary zinc intake and zinc deficiency, with nearly half of the men at risk of zinc deficiency. Males of younger age, with higher education and incomes, and who consumed higher levels of meat, had higher zinc intakes, higher zinc intake densities, and higher rates of meeting the EAR. Among all participants, grains, livestock meat, fresh vegetables, legumes, and seafood were the top five food sources of zinc, and their contributions to total dietary zinc intake were 39.5%, 17.3%, 8.9%, 6.4%, and 4.8%, respectively. The groups with relatively better dietary zinc intakes consumed lower proportions of grains and higher proportions of livestock meat. For males with adequate dietary zinc intake (≥RNI), TG levels increased by 0.219 millimoles per liter (mmol/L) compared with males with deficient dietary zinc intake (<EAR). For females in the ≥RNI group, diastolic blood pressure decreased by 0.963 millimeters of mercury (mmHg) and fasting glucose decreased by 0.187 mmol/L compared with females in the <EAR group; in addition, TG increased by 0.097 mmol/L in females in the ≥RNI group and by 0.120 mmol/L in females in the equal to or greater than the EAR and less than the RNI (EAR-RNI) group compared with females in the <EAR group. Adequate dietary zinc was associated with reduced diastolic blood pressure and fasting glucose levels in female Chinese adults, but with raised TG levels in all Chinese adults. We recommend strengthened nutrition interventions for Chinese males and lower socioeconomic subgroups.
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