科研成果

{BACKGROUND: The difference between an individual's chronological and DNA methylation predicted age (DNAmAge), termed DNAmAge acceleration (DNAmAA), can capture life-long environmental exposures and age-related physiological changes reflected in methylation status. Several studies have linked DNAmAA to morbidity and mortality, yet its relationship with kidney function has not been assessed. We evaluated the associations between seven DNAm aging and lifespan predictors (as well as GrimAge components) and five kidney traits (estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR], urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio [uACR], serum urate, microalbuminuria and chronic kidney disease [CKD]) in up to 9688 European, African American and Hispanic/Latino individuals from seven population-based studies. RESULTS: We identified 23 significant associations in our large trans-ethnic meta-analysis (p < 1.43E-03 and consistent direction of effect across studies). Age acceleration measured by the Extrinsic and PhenoAge estimators, as well as Zhang's 10-CpG epigenetic mortality risk score (MRS), were associated with all parameters of poor kidney health (lower eGFR, prevalent CKD, higher uACR, microalbuminuria and higher serum urate). Six of these associations were independently observed in European and African American populations. MRS in particular was consistently associated with eGFR (beta = - 0.12, 95% CI = [- 0.16, - 0.08] change in log-transformed eGFR per unit increase in MRS

Mainstream policies encourage pastoralists to apply credit loans and input exogenous fodder to alleviate the stress caused by climatic variability and uncertainty. Such external inputs induce new driving forces to the coupled pastoral social-ecological system (SES), but their long-term impacts are not fully understood. Taking Sonid Left Banner of Inner Mongolia as a case study area, we applied an agent-based model and Monte Carlo simulation to evaluate the impacts of fodder import and credit loans on the resilience of pastoral SES in terms of pastoralist household livelihood, livestock production, and rangeland health. The results showed that the strategy of importing fodder only in natural disaster years could make the pastoral SES more resilient to climatic variability, while frequent importing of fodder in climatically normal years would increase the vulnerability of the pastoral SES. Credit loans could enhance the resilience of the pastoral SES in general if fodder is not imported or only imported in disaster years, but could reduce the resilience if fodder is imported frequently. Our findings revealed several differences with previous research on fodder input and credit loan effects, indicating that relevant policies should be holistically evaluated from the perspective of social-ecological systems.

Risk prediction tools are crucial for population-based management of cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, most prediction models are currently used to assess long-term risk instead of the risk of short-term CVD onset. We developed a Dynamic Risk-based Early wArning Monitoring (DREAM) system using large-scale, real-time electronic health record (EHR) data from 2010 to 2020 from the CHinese Electronic health Records Research in Yinzhou (CHERRY) study. The dynamic risk scores were derived from a 1:5 matched nested case–control set comprising 70,470 individuals (11,745 CVD events) and then validated in a cohort of 81,205 individuals (5950 CVD events). The individuals were Chinese adults aged 40–79 years without a history of CVD at baseline. Eleven predictors related to vital signs, laboratory tests, and health service utilization were selected to establish the dynamic scores. The proposed scores were significantly associated with the subsequent CVD onset (adjusted odds ratio, 1.21; 95% confidence interval, 1.20–1.23). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) was 0.6010 (0.5929–0.6092) and 0.6021 (0.5937–0.6105) for the long-term 10-year CVD risk <10% and ≥10% groups in the derivation set, respectively. In the long-term 10-year CVD risk ≥10% group in the validation set, the change in AUC in addition to the long-term risk was 0.0235 (0.0155–0.0315). By increasing the risk threshold from 7 to 16 points, the proportion of true subsequent CVD cases among those given alerts increased from 40.61% to 85.31%. In terms of management efficiency, the number needed to manage per CVD case ranged from 2.46 to 1.17 using the risk scores. With the increasing popularity and integration of EHR systems with wearable technology, the DREAM scores can be incorporated into an early-warning system and applied in dynamic, real-time, EHR-based, automated management to support healthcare decision making for individuals, general practitioners, and policymakers.

The current study aimed to investigate the damage of long-term high concentrate diet feeding pattern on Yak jejunal structure, physiological function and protein composition during cold season. Twelve Datong male Yak (Bos grunniens) with the same age from cold season were randomly selected and slaughtered to determine Yak jejunal digestive enzyme activity, morphology and protein composition on different feeding patterns in Tibetan Plateau. The results showed that Yak jejunum digestive enzyme activity and morphology of grazing reared group were better than those in the intensively reared group. A total of 96 differentially expressed proteins were identified by label-free Mass Spectrometry (MS), which could be concluded to two predominant themes: protein structure and inflammatory response. Nine differentially expressed proteins were correlated in Yak jejunum damage in different feeding patterns. According to this research, we found that feeding pattern resulted the differences in Yak jejunum physiological function, morphology and protein composition. This fact was confirmed long-term high dietary concentrate feeding could damage the jejunum epithelial morphology and function.

To investigate the effects of biomass burning and photochemical oxidation on the black carbon (BC) mixing state and light absorption, a tandem centrifugal particle mass analyzer (CPMA) and single-particle soot photometer (SP2) system was used to measure ambient fine particulate BC during EXPLORE-YRD 2018 campaign (EXPeriment on the eLucidation of the atmospheric Oxidation capacity and aerosol foRmation, and their Effects in Yangtze River Delta). The mass ratio (MR) of the non-BC coating to BC core, a morphology-independent parameter to quantify the mixing state of BC-containing aerosols, is derived. Two types of periods were identified, namely non-significant biomass-burning period (NB), and enhanced biomass burning period (EB). The MR was higher during EB (2.3 ± 0.5), compared with during the NB (2.0 ± 0.5). MR showed bimodal diurnal variation with peaks in the early morning and early afternoon, mainly due to the biomass burning and photochemical processes, respectively. The light-absorbing enhancement ranged from 1.0 to 1.19 when MR was from 1.4 to 3.4. The relationship of rBC mixing state and its optical properties was parameterized, which can further be used in the regional model. © 2021 The Author(s)

The development of a difference-in-differences estimator is a new move in patent policy evaluation research. However, such an estimator neglects the possibility that academic patent activities follow a spatial autoregressive process with respect to the dependent variable. The objective of this study was to propose a spatial difference-in-differences estimator accounting for possible spatial spillover effects. In this study, an empirical analysis of a sample of 31 Chinese provinces from 2010 to 2019 indicates that an incentive patent policy has a positive impact on the output and commercialization of academic patents, with positive effects also spilling over into neighboring provinces. This study further found that incentive patent policies play a placebo role in academic patent activities. Provincial patent policies are merely a proxy for other variables that characterize the systemic differences between provinces that implement patent policies and those that do not. Therefore, the promotion of academic patent activities cannot be attributed to policy incentives.