Browse Articles
Discover research articles across all indexed journals
Association of the 2019 Canada’s food guide food choices assessment score with 10-year cardiovascular disease risk and heart age in Canadian adults
Healthy diet plays an important role in the prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD), which is the second leading cause of death in Canada. In 2019, Health Canada released an updated Canada’s Food Guide (CFG) which is accompanied with supportive evidence of Canada’s Dietary Guidelines (CDG) to reflect the latest evidence of the relationship between diet and prevention of chronic diseases including CVD. The Canadian Cardiovascular Society recommends the use of the Framingham risk score (FRS) to estimate the 10-year CVD risk and heart age in individuals aged 30 and older, aiding in CVD prevention interventions such as lifestyle modifications. However, the relationship between the intake of dietary choices aligned with 2019 CFG/CDG and CVD risk among Canadians was not studied. This study aims to examine the association between dietary choices assessed by a Food Choices Assessment Score (FCAS) according to 2019 CFG/CDG and 10-year CVD risk and heart age among Canadian adults. This cross-sectional study was conducted using the national Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS) (2016–2019) and included Canadian adults (≥ 30 years) without heart disease (n = 5,111). The 2019 CFG/CDG FCAS was calculated using the CHMS food frequency questionnaire. Canadians in the highest quintile (healthiest) of the FCAS had 55% lower odds (OR) of having high risk (≥ 20%) of estimated 10-year CVD risk (OR: 0.45; 95%CI: 0.23, 0.90) ( P trend = 0.011), and 47% lower odds of having unhealthy heart age difference (heart age > chronological age) (OR: 0.53; 95%CI: 0.30, 0.92) ( P trend = 0.02), compared to those in the first quintile (unhealthy) of the FCAS. This study indicates a strong inverse association of dietary choices as measured by the 2019 CFG/CDG FCAS with high 10-year CVD risk (≥ 20%) and unhealthy heart age (older than chronological age), estimated with the FRS.
Deciphering histone mark-specific fine-scale chromatin organization at high resolution with Micro-C-ChIP
Alterations of multilayer network correlated with cognitive impairment and gene expression profiles in children with idiopathic generalized epilepsy
QT prolongation and excessive variability predicts new-onset atrial fibrillation in the health screening data of Japanese adults
Background A prolonged QT interval (QTc) is associated with the development of atrial fibrillation. However, reports linking QTc variability and atrial fibrillation are limited. Purpose To investigate the relationship linking prolongation and variability of QTc with new-onset atrial fibrillation in Japanese adults. Methods This retrospective study analyzed the annual health screening data of 103,304 adults (50,438 males; mean age, 54 years) who did not exhibit atrial fibrillation at baseline between April 2005 and October 2018. The majority of the study population underwent annual health examinations according to Japan’s health welfare policy. We calculated QTc times using the Bazett formula (QTc = QT/√RR). QTc variability is indicated by the gap between the maximum and minimum QTc values. Atrial fibrillation was diagnosed by 12-lead surface electrocardiography. The association between QT prolongation and variability in new-onset atrial fibrillation was ascertained by logistic regression analysis. The strength of the association was further analyzed using multivariable analyses adjusted for sex, age, dyslipidemia, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, estimated glomerular filtration rate, and alcohol consumption. Results During the follow-up (median six years), we recorded 341 (0.3%) new atrial fibrillation cases. Univariable analysis showed a significant association between QTc prolongation and variability with new-onset atrial fibrillation (odds ratio [OR] per 10 ms, 1.08 and 1.15; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03–1.13 and 1.07–1.23, respectively; P < 0.001). Multivariable analysis suggested increased risk of new-onset atrial fibrillation with QTc prolongation and QT variability (OR per 10 ms, 1.09 and 1.16; 95% CI, 1.04–1.14 and 1.09–1.24, respectively; P < 0.001). Conclusion In the general Japanese population, QTc prolongation and large QT variability are risk factors for new-onset atrial fibrillation. QT prolongation and large QT variability during sinus rhythm may be good markers for predicting not only ventricular but also atrial arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation.
Low-coordinated Co-Ru dual-atom enables ambient ammoxidation via unlocking competitive adsorption limitations
Extrinsic variability but not intrinsic variability affects the search for synergies in de-novo motor learning
Sleep duration and cognitive function among rural older adults in China: A population-based study
Background Appropriate sleep duration is essential for maintaining normal cognitive function, but evidence is scarce in rural elderly population. This study aims to determine the associations between sleep duration and cognitive function among older adults in rural China. Methods This population-based cross-sectional study used data from the Confucius Hometown Aging Project in Shandong, China. Data on demographics, lifestyles, and chronic health conditions were collected through questionnaire surveys, clinical examinations, and laboratory tests. Sleep duration per day was classified into four groups (≤5 h, 6 h, 7 h, and ≥8 h). The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was used to assess the global and domain-specific cognitive function. Linear and logistic regressions were performed to determine the associations between sleep duration and cognitive function. Results Compared with 6 h sleep per day, sleep ≤5 h per day was associated with a higher odd of cognitive impairment with odds ratio (95% confident interval) being 1.70 (1.05, 2.74), but the association was attenuated and insignificant after the adjustment of covariates. Compared to those with 6 h sleep, individuals reporting short (≤5 h) or long (≥ 8 h) sleep duration per day had a lower MMSE score, and the adjusted β coefficient (95% confidence interval) was −0.36 (−0.71, −0.02) for sleep ≤5 h and −0.68 (−1.06, −0.30) for sleep ≥8 h. The patterns were similar for cognitive subdomains in orientation, attention and calculation. Conclusions Our study showed that abnormal sleep duration was associated with poor cognitive function in older adults in China. Specifically, longer or shorter sleep duration was associated with lower cognitive function.
The latitudinal pattern of fine root intraspecific trait variation among species in plant communities
Determination of the cooling gas composition effect on the coke quality parameters during a coke dry quenching
Comparative evaluation of the antimicrobial, antioxidant, and cytotoxic properties of essential oils from vetiver, lemongrass, and clove buds with implications for topical application
For many years, essential oils (EOs) have gained attention as natural alternatives to synthetic antimicrobials and antioxidants, although their cytotoxicity remains a major concern for topical use. Leaf EOs from vetiver ( Chrysopogon zizanioides ), lemongrass ( Cymbopogon citratus ), and bud EO from clove ( Syzygium aromaticum ) were tested for their antimicrobial, antioxidant, and cytotoxic activities. Disk diffusion, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), and minimum inhibitory concentration (MBC) testing were performed to assess antimicrobial activity against the common skin bacterial pathogens: Methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA), Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Staphylococcus epidermidis , and Pseudomonas aeruginosa . Clove bud oil exhibited the lowest MIC value of 0.98 μg/mL, whereas vetiver and lemongrass were less effective. In addition, clove bud oil showed the highest antioxidant activity (IC₅₀ value: 3.8 μg/mL for DPPH and 11.3 μg/mL for ABTS). Cytotoxicity on HaCaT cell line showed IC₅₀ for clove, lemongrass and vetiver of 122.14, 123.77 μg/mL and 312.55 μg/mL respectively. The oils of clove bud and vetiver both have antimicrobial activity well below their respective cytotoxic concentrations, indicating a broad margin of safety. However, lemongrass oil required higher concentrations, approaching or exceeding its IC₅₀, particularly against S. epidermidis . These results support the potential of clove bud and vetiver oils for safe topical antimicrobial applications, with caution advised for lemongrass.
Global invasion patterns and dynamics of disease vector mosquitoes
Hydrothermally synthesized VS2/MoS2 nanocomposites with better optoelectronic and antimicrobial response
On the ecological impact of prehistoric hunter-gatherers in Europe: Early Holocene (Mesolithic) and Last Interglacial (Neanderthal) foragers compared
Recent studies have highlighted evidence of human impact on landscapes dating back to the Late Pleistocene–long before the advent of agriculture. Quantifying the extent of vegetation transformations by hunter-gatherers remains a major research challenge. We address this challenge by comparing climate-based potential natural vegetation cover with pollen-based vegetation reconstructions for the Last Interglacial and the Early Holocene. Differences between these datasets suggest that climate alone cannot fully explain the pollen-based vegetation patterns in Europe during these periods. To explore this issue, we used an upgraded version of the HUMan impact on LANDscapes (HUMLAND) agent-based model (ABM), combined with a genetic algorithm, to generate vegetation change scenarios. By comparing ABM outputs with pollen-based reconstructions, we aimed to identify parameter values that yield HUMLAND results closely matching the pollen-based vegetation cover. The updated ABM covers a broad temporal range, and incorporates the effects of hunting on herbivores and their influence on vegetation regeneration. The results show that the combined effects of megafauna, natural fires, and climatic fluctuations alone lead to vegetation cover estimates that are inconsistent with paleoecological reconstructions. Instead, anthropogenic burning played a key role, with modelling results suggesting that European landscapes were already substantially modified by humans by the Early Holocene. In scenarios where human-induced burning was minimal or absent, foragers still shaped landscapes indirectly through hunting, which influenced herbivore densities and their impact on vegetation dynamics. Our study revealed that Neanderthals and Mesolithic humans influenced similar-sized areas around their campsites and shared comparable preferences for vegetation openness. Our results challenge the assumption that pre-agricultural humans had minimal ecological impact. Instead, this study provides strong evidence that both Neanderthals and Mesolithic foragers actively shaped European interglacial ecosystems, influencing vegetation dynamics long before agriculture.
From Spheres to Cones: Structural Instabilities and Acidity at Conical Regions in Trivalent Metal Ion Nanoclusters
Accuracy of saliva tests for SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis during the pandemic in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
ABO blood groups and cardiovascular disease and its risk in continental Africans and people of African ancestry: A systematic review
Background Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains a global health challenge and contributes substantially to mortality burden in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) in particular. Several factors, including particular blood group types in the ABO system, have been associated with CVD risk. However, the direction of the association of ABO blood groups with CVD remains controversial. This review looked at the studies that investigated the association of ABO blood groups and CVD and its risk in SSA and people of African ancestry. Methods The review included all observational studies that investigated ABO blood groups and their association with CVD and CVD risk in Africans and people of African descent and were published in English between 1960 and 2023. The data were extracted from Pubmed, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, Scopus, African Wide and Medline. A total of 24 publications were reviewed following the inclusion criteria. The protocol for this systematic review was registered with PROSPERO (ID#: CRD42023495721). Results A total of 24 studies were included in the review with most of them being cross-sectional in design. The mean age of participants was 44 years with an age range of 1–89 years. The most common blood group in SSA was blood group O. The review showed that 11 out of the 24 studies indicated non-O groups association with CVD and CVD risk and 4 studies indicated blood group O association with CVD risk. The most common CVD risk markers studied were body mass index (BMI) and blood pressure (BP). The CVDs investigated were ischaemic disease, intracranial aneurysm, peripheral artery disease and coronary artery disease. Conclusion There is no conclusive evidence showing a particular blood group, in the ABO system, being cardioprotective or more susceptible to CVD risk. The varying ABO associations with CVD risk among Africans and African ancestry underscore the importance of targeted and localised interventions aimed at curbing CVD against the backdrop of ABO profiling.
Accelerated Fatty Acid Oxidation Occurs at the Water–Air Interface of Sea Spray Microdroplets
Construction of a novel tool for predicting chronic obstructive pulmonary disease mortality in lung cancer patients
Help seeking for intimate partner violence in a resource-constrained setting: A latent class analysis of the Nigerian demographic health survey dataset
Help seeking for intimate partner violence (IPV) is a complex process that involves reaching out to an external party. Women in resource constrained settings face unique constraints when seeking help for IPV but the latent classes of their help seeking behaviour in IPV has not been described. We therefore conducted a latent class analysis of help seeking behaviour among women experiencing IPV in Nigeria using the nationally representative 2018 Nigeria Demographic Health Survey (DHS) data. Nigeria was selected as an example of a resource constrained setting because close to half of its population is multidimensionally poor with significant financial and service barriers. Help seeking was defined by the latent class indicators of the places where or people from whom women sought help. The data were analysed in MPlus version 8.10 and survey sampling weights were applied. The relative fit of the models was compared using Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC), Adjusted BIC (ABIC), Lo-Mendell-Rubin Likelihood Ratio Test (LMR) p -values, and entropy values. Of the 3,054 women who experienced physical or sexual violence, 1,041 (33%) women reported seeking for help and a four-class model of help seeking behaviour (BIC = 3910.80, ABIC = 3837.70, LMR p -value = 0.0002, and entropy value = 0.92) was described: Class I (Own Family; 49%), Class II (Everywhere; 18%), Class III (Predominantly Formal; 5%), and Class IV (Predominantly Partner’s Family; 28%). Women evinced a high reliance on informal sources for help. However, women with a history of sexual violence were most likely to access formal sources of help. Interventions for IPV have focussed on formal services but in resource constrained settings, the focus needs to be redirected to interventions for empowering informal sources of help (family, friends and neighbours) without neglecting formal systems.