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An interpretable machine learning model for predicting stroke in patients with hypertension: insights from the SPRINT
Relationship between dietary thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin intake and hypertension subtypes: A cross-sectional study from the 1999–2023
Background This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate whether vitamin B intake (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin) influences different hypertension subtypes and which subtype exhibits a more profound effect. The objective was to determine whether different vitamins should be supplemented according to specific hypertension subtypes. Methods This cross-sectional study encompassed data from twenty-five years spanning 1999–2023, focusing on individuals with hypertension who possessed complete 24-hour dietary intake records and clinical assessments. Their total intake was disaggregated into two dimensions—‘food sources’ and ‘supplement sources’—for separate estimation. Multivariable logistic regression models were employed to determine the odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for associations between thiamine (vitamin B1), riboflavin (vitamin B2), and niacin (vitamin B3) intake and hypertension subtypes in subjects with hypertension versus those without. The relationship between nutrient intake and hypertension subtype risk was assessed using multivariable logistic regression models. To balance baseline characteristics, propensity score weighting was applied, followed by logistic regression. Logistic regression identified inflection points, with threshold effects assessed through piecewise logistic analysis. Inflection points were verified using likelihood ratio tests and bootstrap resampling. Heterogeneity and interactions between subgroups were evaluated via logistic regression models and likelihood ratio tests, respectively. Results Analysis of NHANES data revealed significant demographic and dietary pattern differences between distinct hypertension subtypes. Multivariate regression analysis indicated that the initial positive association between dietary B vitamins and isolated systolic hypertension (ISH) largely disappeared upon adjustment, suggesting confounding effects from covariates such as age and comorbidities. Conversely, a strong independent positive association was observed between high riboflavin intake and systolic-diastolic hypertension (SDH). In the fully adjusted model, each unit increase in riboflavin was associated with a 25% increase in SDH risk (OR=1.25, 95% CI 1.05–1.49), exhibiting a significant dose-response trend. A potential threshold effect was observed near a 6 mg/day dose, beyond which the risk increment levelled off. Thiamine exhibited a potential non-linear association with SDH risk across quartiles, whereas no significant association was observed for niacin. Subgroup analyses indicated that the association between the three B vitamins and ISH risk was stronger among non-smokers and was influenced by gender (thiamine) and BMI (niacin). Conclusions This study reveals subtype-specific hypertension risk factors. Whilst crude analyses indicated an association between B-vitamin intake and hypertension, multivariate adjustment revealed only riboflavin exhibited a significant independent positive correlation with the SDH subtype, suggesting it may represent a unique dietary-related factor for this subtype. The initial association with the ISH subtype was primarily attributable to confounding factors. The findings underscore the necessity for comprehensive adjustment and subtype stratification in nutritional epidemiology. The identified interaction with smoking status indicates that lifestyle factors play a crucial moderating role in dietary risk associations. The plateauing of SDH risk at high riboflavin levels suggests the need to further investigate potential threshold effects. These findings deepen our understanding of the relationship between diet and hypertension, emphasising that associations are not universally applicable across all manifestations of hypertension but are context-dependent. These findings suggest a complex relationship between riboflavin intake and hypertension subtypes, underscoring the need for personalized dietary approaches rather than universal supplementation. This study highlights the importance of maintaining balanced nutrition for cardiovascular health.
National scale estimation of above-ground biomass density in Nepal’s forests at 30 m resolution (circa 2015)
Prognostic determinants and predictive modeling in higher-grade glioma patients receiving radiotherapy: a retrospective SEER-based study
Discovery of farnesal from a wild cucumber landrace enables eco-compatible biopesticide development against aphids
A novel OPHN1 variant associated with cyclic strabismus but in the absence of OPHN1 syndrome
Spatiotemporal activation of Ni/Zeolite catalysts enables isoparaffin-rich gasoline
An electrochemical sensor based on MgO/ZnO nanocomposite modified carbon paste electrode for toxic heavy metal ions in milk
Author Correction: Optimized protein-water interactions and torsional refinements yield balanced atomistic protein force fields
Start-to-end modelling of laser-plasma acceleration, beam transport and dose deposition of very high-energy electrons for radiotherapy
Abstract The proposed radiotherapy using very high-energy electron (VHEE) beams generated by a laser-plasma accelerator has garnered significant interest due to its dose distribution capabilities and potential to address limitations of traditional photon-based radiotherapy. To explore the feasibility of such an approach, we develop a start-to-end simulation workflow to model VHEE radiotherapy from the electron source through the beamline to dose delivery in the target. The presented study uses the parameters of OONA, the commercial <1.3 J, <25 fs pulse duration laser recently installed at the Weizmann Institute of Science. Through particle-in-cell simulations of laser-plasma interaction, realistic electron beams are obtained. A beamline consisting of quadrupoles, a collimator, and dipoles is then used to collimate and filter the beams and arrange them into a beam array. Using GEANT4 simulations, we calculate the dose deposition in water phantoms and heterogeneous phantoms with bone inserts. Multifield irradiation setup and the dose distribution at the isocenter through different incidence angles are studied, simulating multi-angle conformal delivery. Our findings demonstrate that polychromatic VHEE beams generated from laser-plasma accelerators, when delivered through such a beamline, can achieve favorable dose distribution for reaching areas deep inside the phantom. This study highlights the potential of the developed start-to-end workflow for exploring and optimizing LPA-generated VHEE radiotherapy, paving the way for further research and potential clinical implementation.
Structures of partially occupied hetero-tetramers provide insight into kainate receptor activation and desensitization
Mechanical behavior of ytterbium disilicate EBCs investigated by nanoindentation and micro-impact measurements
Molecular lead halide perovskite layer bridged AgBiS2 nanocrystals for efficient thin film solar cells
Abstract Ternary chalcogenide AgBiS 2 nanocrystals have emerged as an environmentally friendly and stable material for ultra-thin film lightweight low-cost solar cells. However, their development is currently limited by the poor charge transport characteristics, mainly due to low carrier mobility and the prevalence of surface defects. This leads to a short carrier diffusion length, which severely restricts the thickness of the photoactive layer and the absorption of near-infrared photons. Here, we demonstrate ligand-mediated heteroepitaxial growth of a molecular lead halide perovskite layer bridges along the (100) facet of AgBiS 2 nanocrystals, facilitating both efficient surface passivation and charge transport. The bridged nanocrystals enable the annealing process at elevated temperatures without inducing defect formation. This results in a greater cationic disorder, fully activating their light-absorption capability. The synergistic effect of structural modulation and cation disorder engineering addresses the long-standing trade-off between charge extraction and light absorption of AgBiS 2 nanocrystal solar cells, enabling thick-film fabrication to compensate for losses in infrared absorption. Consequently, the resultant solar cells with a 185 nm-thick AgBiS 2 nanocrystal layer achieve a certified power conversion efficiency of 11.22% and a short-circuit current of ~ 34 mA cm -2 under AM 1.5 G illumination (aperture area: 0.022 cm 2 ), representing a record-high performance.
Modulatory effects of valproic acid and UGT polymorphisms on norclozapine plasma levels in clozapine-treated patients with schizophrenia
Convolutional neural networks quantify antibiotic resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis with diagnostic grade accuracy and predict treatment response
From engineered standards to natural bone: re-constraining topographical scanning for heritage samples
Abstract The microscopic topographical scanning of bone material is a common practice for multiple fields, such as archaeology, medicine, and criminology. However, assessments of whether the tools used to perform these scans are accurate on these objects have yet to be performed. In this work, the performance of the two most common scanning techniques used on bone items, focus variation and 3D confocal scanning, are preliminarily assessed, revealing previously unknown limitations with current measurement practice and technologies. Across a range of bone specimens, the same limitation appears, which does not occur on any of a subset of engineered materials tested. The types of features that bone-focused work would commonly asses, such as cutmarks, are revealed to be the most susceptible to distortion. 3D confocal is preliminarily determined as the more accurate technique to use on bone. The discrepancies discovered in this work begin to answer some of the unsolved repeatability problems noted during previous work on bone objects, and highlight how future equipment must be redesigned to accommodate this new style of emerging, critical, applications.