Free Sugars Intake among Chinese Adolescents and Its Association with Dental Caries: A Cross-Sectional Study

This study aims to estimate the free sugars intake, identify the primary food sources of free sugars, and explore the relationship between free sugars intake and dental caries among Chinese adolescents. This cross-sectional study included 1517 middle-school students aged 12–14 years in Changsha city, China. Adolescents completed a 12-item Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) and oral health assessment. The students’ dental caries experience was available as DMFT score (number of decayed, missing, and filled permanent teeth). Statistical analyses included the Mann–Whitney test, Kruskal–Wallis test, Chi-square test, and binary logistic regression model. The average intake of free sugars was 53.1 g/d in adolescents, and 43.2% of the students consumed more than 50 g of free sugars daily. The primary contributor to free sugars was sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). Age, boarders, and high family income were risk factors for excessive free sugars intake (p < 0.05), and increased free sugars intake was a risk factor for dental caries (odds ratio, OR = 1.446, 95% confidence interval: 1.138–1.839). Both the free sugars intake and dental caries prevalence in Chinese adolescents were high. Targeted interventions are urgently needed to address the excessive consumption of free sugars and improve Chinese adolescents’ oral health.     

Radioprotective Effect of Whey Hydrolysate Peptides against γ-Radiation-Induced Oxidative Stress in BALB/c Mice

Radiation therapy is widely used in the treatment of tumor diseases, but it can also cause serious damage to the body, so it is necessary to find effective nutritional supplements. The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the protective effect of whey hydrolysate peptides (WHPs) against ⁶⁰Coγ radiation damage in mice and explore the mechanism. BALB/c mice were given WHPs by oral gavage administration for 14 days. Then, some mice underwent a 30-day survival test after 8 Gy radiation, and other mice received 3.5 Gy radiation to analyze the changes in body weight, hematology and bone marrow DNA after three and 14 days. In addition, through further analysis of the level of oxidative stress and intestinal barrier function, the possible mechanism of the radioprotective effect of WHPs was explored. The study found WHPs can prolong survival time, restore body weight, and increase the number of peripheral blood white blood cells and bone marrow DNA content in irradiated mice. In addition, WHPs can significantly improve the antioxidant capacity, inhibit pro-inflammatory cytokines and protect the intestinal barrier. These results indicate that WHPs have a certain radioprotective effect in mice, and the main mechanism is related to reducing oxidative damage.     

Causal Effects of Homocysteine,Folate, and Cobalamin on Kidney Function: A Mendelian Randomization Study

Blood homocysteine level and related vitamin levels are associated with various health outcomes. We aimed to assess causal effects of blood homocysteine, folate, and cobalamin on kidney function in the general population by performing Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. Genetic instruments for blood homocysteine, folate, and cobalamin levels were introduced from a previous genome-wide association (GWAS) meta-analysis of European individuals. Summary-level MR analysis was performed for the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) from the CKDGen consortium GWAS that included 567,460 European ancestry individuals. For replication, allele-score-based MR was performed with an independent U.K. Biobank cohort of 337,138 individuals of white British ancestry. In summary-level MR for the CKDGen data, high genetically predicted homocysteine levels were significantly associated with low eGFR (per 1 standard deviation, beta for eGFR change −0.95 (−1.21, −0.69) %), supported by pleiotropy-robust MR sensitivity analysis. Genetically predicted high folate levels were significantly associated with high eGFR change (0.86 (0.30, 1.42) %); however, causal estimates from cobalamin were nonsignificant (−0.11 (−0.33, 0.11) %). In the U.K. Biobank data, the results were consistently identified. Therefore, a high blood homocysteine level causally decreases eGFR. Future trials with appropriate homocysteine-lowering interventions may be helpful for the primary prevention of kidney function impairment.     

High-Fat Foods and FODMAPs Containing Gluten Foods Primarily Contribute to Symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Korean Adults

Dietary control plays an important role in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). However, few studies have examined the relationship between dietary intake and symptoms of IBS in Koreans. The current cross-sectional study aimed to examine the diet in food consumption and nutrient intake in Korean adults aged 20 to 40 with IBS. The data collected were completed by 857 subjects using a community-based web survey. The questionnaire covered functional bowel disorders based on Rome III, the semi-quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire (SQ-FFQ), and the food items causing symptoms. In total, 186 of 857 subjects (21.7%) were diagnosed with IBS. The non-IBS group had a fat intake of 76.9 ± 47.9 g/day, while the IBS group had a fat intake of 86.6 ± 55.1 g/day (p = 0.014). The non-IBS group had a total fermentable oligosaccharide, disaccharide, monosaccharide, and polyol (FODMAP) intake of 12.6 ± 9.7 g/day, whereas the IBS group had a total FODMAP intake of 13.9 ± 9.9 g/day (p = 0.030). Foods that contributed to the onset of symptoms in the IBS group were instant noodles (70.8%), Chinese noodles with vegetables and seafood (68.7%), pizza (67.2%), and black bean sauce noodles (66.3%) which are mostly classified as high fat and high gluten foods. The dietary intake of IBS patients differs from that of non-IBS subjects. Increased intake of gluten-containing or high-fat foods due to the westernized diet caused more IBS symptoms than high FODMAPs and dairy products in Korean adults in their 20 s to 40 s.     

Foxtail Millet Improves Blood Glucose Metabolism in Diabetic Rats through PI3K/AKT and NF-κB Signaling Pathways Mediated by Gut Microbiota

Foxtail millet (FM) is receiving ongoing increased attention due to its beneficial health effects, including the hypoglycemic effect. However, the underlying mechanisms of the hypoglycemic effect have been underexplored. In the present study, the hypoglycemic effect of FM supplementation was confirmed again in high-fat diet and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats with significantly decreased fasting glucose (FG), glycated serum protein, and areas under the glucose tolerance test (p < 0.05). We employed 16S rRNA and liver RNA sequencing technologies to identify the target gut microbes and signaling pathways involved in the hypoglycemic effect of FM supplementation. The results showed that FM supplementation significantly increased the relative abundance of Lactobacillus and Ruminococcus_2, which were significantly negatively correlated with FG and 2-h glucose. FM supplementation significantly reversed the trends of gene expression in diabetic rats. Specifically, FM supplementation inhibited gluconeogenesis, stimulated glycolysis, and restored fatty acid synthesis through activation of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. FM also reduced inflammation through inhibition of the NF-κB signaling pathway. Spearman’s correlation analysis indicated a complicated set of interdependencies among the gut microbiota, signaling pathways, and metabolic parameters. Collectively, the above results suggest that the hypoglycemic effect of FM was at least partially mediated by the increased relative abundance of Lactobacillus, activation of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, and inhibition of the NF-κB signaling pathway.     

饮水型地方性氟中毒病区儿童氟斑牙患病情况与血清化学元素的关系

目的探讨改水后儿童氟斑牙患病情况和儿童体内化学元素的关系。方法采用分层抽样调查方法,根据西安市疾病预防控制中心近20年的监测资料,将西安市饮水型地方性氟中毒病区按照改水年限1~、5~、10~及≥15年进行分层,每层抽取2个病区自然村为调查点。每个调查点选择7~13岁学龄期儿童为调查对象,检查氟斑牙患病情况;并采集血样,检测血清中14种化学元素(钙、铁、镁、铜、锌、碘、硒、铅、砷、镉、铬、氟、汞、镍)含量。分析不同改水年限以及不同氟斑牙患病情况儿童体内化学元素含量的差异。结果不同改水年限的病区村(1~、5~、10~及≥15年)儿童氟斑牙检出率分别为51.40%(55/107)、16.92%(11/65)、16.67%(17/102)和5.08%(6/118),差异有统计学意义(χ²=74.444,P<0.05)。不同改水年限儿童体内血清钙、铜、铁、镁、锌、碘、硒、铅、砷、铬、氟、镍含量比较,差异均有统计学意义(P均<0.05)。氟斑牙儿童体内铁、锌、镍含量均低于正常儿童(P均<0.05),氟斑牙儿童体内氟含量高于正常儿童(P<0.05)。氟斑牙儿童与正常儿童体内的其余化学元素含量比较,差异均无统计学意义(P均>0.05)。结论改水年限≥15年的病区村儿童氟斑牙检出率最低,改水降氟可减少儿童氟斑牙检出率。病区儿童存在部分化学元素缺乏的问题。     

北京市房山区某初中学生膳食营养素摄入与体质健康的相关性研究

目的 了解北京市房山区某初中学生膳食营养素摄入与体质健康状况的关系,为提高青少年体质健康状况提供依据。方法 采取整群抽样方法,选取北京市房山区某初中3个年级学生进行体质健康测试、3 d 24 h膳食回顾调查及营养知-信-行（K-A-P）问卷调查。结果 共有效调查181名学生,女生92人（50.83%）,男生89人（49.17%）。该校初中生体质达标率为34.81%,性别差异有统计学意义（Ρ<0.05）;体质达标学生膳食营养素摄入较好,但钙的日均摄入量仅为推荐摄入量（RNI）的43.74%;体质未达标学生9种营养素的日均摄入量均低于体质达标学生,差异均有统计学意义（均Ρ<0.05）,其中维生素A及钙的日均摄入量低于RNI的30%,蛋白质、维生素B₂、维生素C、锌、硒、铁也仅达到RNI的40%~60%;体质达标学生营养K-A-P得分优于未达标学生,差异有统计学意义（Ρ<0.01）;Pearson相关性分析显示蛋白质（r=0.706,Ρ<0.01）及钙（r=0.636,Ρ<0.01）的摄入与体质健康呈强相关。结论 北京市房山区某初中学生体质健康状况较差,膳食营养素摄入与体质健康有相关性,建议通过合理膳食来增强学生体质。     

2000~2019 年我国境内20 起医院空调系统火灾统计分析

将2000~2019年20起我国境内医院空调系统火灾数据进行统计并分析火灾的时间、起火医院的类型和等级、起火部位和点位的特点及产生的原因,希望给同行一些警示。     

安徽省新冠肺炎定点医疗机构医院感染管理部门人力资源现状调查

目的 了解安徽省不同级别新冠肺炎定点医疗机构医院感染管理部门人力资源配置现状,分析存在问题及薄弱环节,为健全感控人才队伍建设提供依据。方法 通过调查问卷的形式,于2020年4月对安徽省各级新冠肺炎定点医疗机构医院感染管理部门基本情况、医院感染管理专职人员配置情况进行调查,并对结果进行分析。结果 共调查68所医疗机构,其中省级医院6所,市级医院19所,县级医院43所。省、市、县级医疗机构医院感染管理专职人员配比达标的医院分别占16.67%、26.32%、51.16%。全省医院感染管理专职人员中女性占84.82%;医院感染管理队伍以护理专业为主,占59.53%;高级职称人员仅占21.01%。不同级别医疗机构医院感染管理专职人员在专业、学历分布、医院感染管理工作年限方面比较,差异均有统计学意义（均P<0.05）。结论 安徽省新冠肺炎定点医疗机构医院感染管理部门存在专职人员配备不足、专业单一、学历偏低、职称晋升困难等情况,人力资源配置有待进一步优化,医疗机构及相关管理部门应加强感染监控人才队伍建设,推动疫情防控常态化下感染监控工作的有效落实。