Background: Mild behavioral impairment (MBI) in older people refers to a group of syndromes that are characterized primarily by clusters of neuropsychiatric symptoms without severe cognitive impairment, which is a high-risk population for dementia. Patients often experience a variety of symptoms and exhibit high heterogeneity in symptomatology across different individuals. Classifying the psychotic symptom characteristics of MBI patients aids in the implementation of precise interventions for the next steps.

Objectives: To explore the symptom characteristics of older people with MBI and to classify them based on their symptoms.

Methods: Using a multi-stage sampling Methods, the MBI-Checklist was employed to investigate symptom characteristics in 255 older people with MBI from 32 nursing homes in Fujian Province. Latent Class Analysis (LCA) was then employed to categorize these individuals based on their symptom profiles.

Results: The neuropsychiatric symptoms clusters in older people with MBI often present as a combination of lack of motivation and emotional dysregulation, lack of motivation and impulse control disorders, or emotional dysregulation and impulse control disorders; presentation of a single symptom cluster is relatively less common, accounting for 45.49%. Older people with MBI can be divided into 2 latent classes (P < 0.05) based on symptom characteristics. According to the conditional probability of each class, they were named the “high- level group’’ [211 (82.69%)] and the “low-level group’’[44 (17.31%)].

Discussion: As individuals with MBI are at high risk for developing dementia, early intervention can effectively delay or reduce the occurrence of dementia. Future interventions should be personalized based on the specific symptom characteristics of this population.

In preparation for an experiment with a laser-generated intense proton beam at the Laser Fusion Research Center at Mianyang to investigate the 11B(p,α)2α reaction, we performed a measurement at very low proton energy between 140 keV and 172 keV using the high-voltage platform at the Institute of Modern Physics, Lanzhou. The aim of the experiment was to test the ability to use CR-39 track detectors for cross-section measurements and to remeasure the cross-section of this reaction close to the first resonance using the thick target approach. We obtained the cross-section σ = 45.6 ± 12.5 mb near 156 keV. Our result confirms the feasibility of CR-39 type track detector for nuclear reaction measurement also in low-energy regions.

It is now generally believed that elderly may have slightly higher dietary protein requirements than those of the young-middle-aged adults. We have previously conducted related studies by the indicator amino acid oxidation (IAAO) technique, but more research data are needed to revise the protein requirements of the elderly. The main objective was to reevaluate the dietary protein requirements of healthy Chinese adults (65–80 years) without sarcopenia by using the IAAO technique. Nine healthy adult men and seven healthy adult women participated in the study, with protein intakes ranging from 0·1 to 1·8 g/(kg·d). Diets that delivered energy at a 1·5 resting energy expenditure were isocaloric. The amounts of phenylalanine and tyrosine needed to remain constant for each protein dosage. By applying a nonlinear mixed-effects model analysis on the F13CO2 data, which revealed a breakpoint in F13CO2 in response to graded protein intakes, the mean protein requirement was calculated. The mean estimated average requirement (EAR) for healthy elderly Chinese adults without sarcopenia was determined to be 0·94 g/(kg·d). The protein recommended nutrient intake (RNI) determined using various derivation approaches ranged from 1·13 to 1·36 g/(kg·d). The EAR for Chinese adults without sarcopenia aged 65–80 years in this study is 6·8 % higher than the current recommended EAR (0·88 g/(kg·d)). The RNI derived using various derivation approaches are all greater than the current RNI (0·98 g/(kg·d)). This trial was registered with the Chinese clinical trial registry as ChiCTR2200061382.

Iodine is an essential nutrient that may change the occurrence of autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT). Apoptosis and DNA methylation participate in the pathogenesis and destructive mechanism of AIT. We detected the methylation and the expression of mRNA of intrinsic apoptosis-associated genes (YWHAG, ING4, BRSK2 and GJA1) to identify the potential interactions between the levels of methylation in these genes and different levels of iodine. 176 adult patients with AIT in Shandong Province, China, were included. The MethylTargetTM assay was used to verify the levels of methylation. We used PCR to detect the mRNA levels of the candidate genes. Interactions between methylation levels of the candidate genes and iodine levels were evaluated with multiplicative and addictive interaction models and GMDR. In the AIT group, YWHAG_1 and six CpG sites and BRSK2_1 and eight CpG sites were hypermethylated, whereas ING4_1 and one CpG site were hypomethylated. A negative correlation was found between methylation levels of YWHAG and mRNA expression. The combination of iodine fortification, YWHAG_1 hypermethylation and BRSK2_1 hypermethylation was significantly associated with elevated AIT risk. A four-locus model (YWHAG_1 × ING4_1 × BRSK2_1 × iodine level) was found to be the best model of the gene–environment interactions. We identified abnormal changes in the methylation status of YWHAG, ING4 and BRSK2 in patients with AIT in different iodine levels. Iodine fortification not only affected the methylation levels of YWHAG and BRSK2 but also interacted with the methylation levels of these genes and may ultimately increase the risk of AIT.

The aim of this study was to explore the status of thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb) and thyroglobulin antibody (TGAb) in three areas with differing water iodine concentrations; and to discuss the relationships between these two thyroid antibodies and thyroid diseases in the three areas. We investigated 2503 adults from three areas. Urinary iodine concentrations, thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxine (FT4), free triiodothyronine (FT3), TPOAb, TGAb and thyroid volume (TV) were measured, and thyroid ultrasonography was performed. The positivity rates of TGAb(+), TPOAb(+) and TGAb(+) and TPOAb(+) or TGAb(+) were significantly higher in iodine fortification (IF) areas than iodine adequate (IA) areas (all P < 0·05). In IF and iodine excess areas, the positivity rates of TPOAb(+), TGAb(+) and TPOAb(+) or TGAb(+) significantly increased with age (all P for trend < 0·05). The levels of TSH, TV and the prevalence of overt hypothyroidism, subclinical hypothyroidism and goitre were significantly elevated in the thyroid antibody-positive groups in the three areas, but the FT3 was diminished (all P < 0·010). Positivity for TPOAb and TGAb was associated with an increased risk of subclinical hypothyroidism in the three areas. In areas with different median water iodine, positivity for both TPOAb and TGAb was associated with elevated TSH values. Notably, with the increased levels of TPOAb, the frequency of abnormally elevated TSH increased dramatically in the three areas.

The attitude control error of the robot end-effector directly affects the manufacturing accuracy. The study aims to develop a real-time measurement method of the industrial robot end-effector attitude in the field environment for improving the control accuracy of robot attitude.

In this paper, an attitude measurement method of robot end-effector based on the inertial technology was proposed. First, an inertial measurement system was designed, and the measurement parameters and installation errors were calibrated. Then the inertia measurement principle of robot end-effector attitude was explored, and the robot end-effector attitude measurement was realized with the fourth-order Runge−Kutta algorithm. In addition, the influence of the data processing algorithm and sampling frequency on the attitude accuracy was analyzed. Finally, a test platform was built to experimentally explore the proposed inertial measurement method.

The inertial measured data were compared with the data obtained with the laser tracker. The measurement accuracy of the inertial measurement method reached 0.15°, which met the accuracy requirements of real-time measurements of robot end-effector attitude in the manufacturing field.

The method proposed in this paper is convenient and can realize the real-time attitude measurement of industrial robot. The measurement results can compensate the attitude control error of the robot end-effector and improve the attitude control accuracy of the robot.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between prenatal and neonatal period exposures and the risk of childhood and adolescent nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). From January 2009 to January 2016, a total of 46 patients with childhood and adolescent NPC (i.e., less than 18 years of age) who were treated at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center were screened as cases, and a total of 45 cancer-free patients who were treated at Sun Yat-sen University Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center were selected as controls. The association between maternal exposures during pregnancy and obstetric variables and the risk of childhood and adolescent NPC was evaluated using logistic regression analysis. Univariate analysis revealed that compared to children and adolescents without a family history of cancer, those with a family history of cancer had a significantly higher risk of childhood and adolescent NPC [odds ratios (OR) = 3.15, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.02–9.75, P = 0.046], and the maternal use of folic acid and/or multivitamins during pregnancy was associated with a reduced risk of childhood and adolescent NPC in the offspring (OR = 0.07, 95% CI = 0.02–0.25, P < 0.001). After multivariate analysis, only the maternal use of folic acid and/or multivitamins during pregnancy remained statistically significant. These findings suggest that maternal consumption of folic acid and/or multivitamins during pregnancy is associated with a decreased risk of childhood and adolescent NPC in the offspring.

High fibre intake is associated with reduced mortality risk in both general and chronic kidney disease populations. However, in dialysis patients, such data are limited. Therefore, the association between dietary fibre intake (DFI) and the risk of all-cause and CVD mortality was examined in this study. A total of 1044 maintenance haemodialysis (MHD) patients from eight outpatient dialysis centres in China were included in this study. Data on DFI were collected using 24-h dietary recalls for 3 d in a week and were normalised to actual dry weight. The study outcomes included all-cause and CVD mortality. Over a median of 46 months of follow-up, 354 deaths were recorded, of which 210 (59 %) were due to CVD. On assessing DFI as tertiles, the CVD mortality risk was significantly lower in patients in tertiles 2–3 (≥0·13 g/kg per d; hazard ratio (HR) 0·71; 95 % CI 0·51, 0·97) compared with those in tertile 1 (<0·13 g/kg per d). A similar but non-significant trend was found for the association between DFI (tertiles 2–3 v. tertile 1; HR 0·83; 95 % CI 0·64, 1·07) and all-cause mortality. In summary, higher DFI was associated with lower CVD mortality risk among Chinese MHD patients. This study emphasises the significance of DFI in MHD patients and provides information that is critical for the improvement of dietary guidelines for dialysis patients.

The purpose of this study was to construct a glycyrrhetinic acid (GA)-mediated, breakable, intracellular, nanoscale drug-delivery carrier via amide and esterification reactions. The structures were identified by Fourier-transformed infrared (FTIR) and 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) spectrophotometry. The compatibility and safety of the carrier were evaluated using hemolysis and cytotoxicity tests. The GA-copolymer micelle was prepared using the solvent evaporation method. FTIR and 1H-NMR detection demonstrated the successful construction of the polymer. No hemolysis occurred in any concentration of polymer within 3 h, and the hemolysis rate was less than 5%. 3-(4,5-dimethyl-thiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) experimental results showed that the novel polymer reduced the cell survival rate and had significant cytotoxic effects. The blank nanoparticles were liquid with light blue opalescence. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that the empty micelles were uniform spheres, with an average size of 62 nm and a zeta potential of −13 mV. The novel GA-mediated polymeric carrier material developed here has the potential to effectively kill human SMMC-7721 cancer cells within 3 days when the dose is above 500 ug/mL.

Maintenance haemodialysis (MHD) is the use of a machine to filter wastes, salts and fluid from blood for at least 3 months to prolong the life of patients with advanced kidney failure. Although low dietary energy intake (DEI) has been observed in MHD patients, few studies have related DEI to the risk of mortality. To explore this relationship, a study included 1039 MHD patients from eight centres was conducted. DEI was assessed by three 24-h diet recalls and was normalised to ideal body weight (IBW). All-cause mortality and CVD mortality were the primary and secondary outcomes, respectively. During a median follow-up of 28 months, a U-shaped relationship was observed between DEI and all-cause or CVD mortality. The risk of all-cause mortality decreased significantly with the increase of DEI in participants with DEI <167·4 kJ/kg IBW per d (hazard ratio (HR) 0·98; 95 % CI 0·96, 1·00) and increased significantly with the increase of DEI in those with DEI ≥167·4 kJ/kg IBW per d (HR 1·12; 95 % CI 1·04, 1·20). Similarly, the risk of CVD mortality decreased with the increase of DEI in participants with DEI <152·7 kJ/kg IBW per d (HR 0·96; 95 % CI 0·93, 0·99) and increased with the increase of DEI in participants with DEI ≥152·7 kJ/kg IBW per d (HR 1·11; 95 % CI 1·04, 1·18). In summary, there was a U-shaped association between DEI and all-cause or CVD mortality, with a turning point at about 167·4 and 152·7 kJ/kg IBW per d, respectively, in MHD patients.

To better understand the response of Ipomoea cairica (Cairo morningglory) to herbivory, the compensatory growth and photosynthetic characteristics of plants were measured after simulated herbivory by leaf trimming at four intensities: 25, 50, 75, and 100% removal, starting from the apex. Defoliation at 25% had no significant influence on plant biomass, but the total biomass (−19 to −66%) and root biomass (−31 to −75%) of the plants decreased significantly when defoliation intensity was ≥ 50% (P < 0.05). Photosynthetic rates (Pn) increased with defoliation intensity (P < 0.01), and Pn values in the defoliated plants were 10 to 72% greater than those in the control plants, a relationship that could be attributed to a decrease in stomatal limitation (−11 to −34%) and the increase in rubisco content (9 to 18%) as well as higher photosynthetic efficiency and less light energy dissipated as heat. At defoliation intensities up to 50%, plants needed more energy to compensate photosynthetically, which could influence the plant photosynthetic characteristics as well as the allocation of assimilates, resulting in less root development. Since the spread of I. cairica depends primarily on clonal growth, smaller roots could limit uptake of nutrients from the soil. These direct and indirect effects indicate that leaf-feeding herbivores may have potential for biological control of I. cairica but to have any effect the herbivores would need to consume ≥ 50% of the leaf biomass.

The influence of substitution of Fe by Ni or Co on the glass forming ability (GFA) and soft magnetic properties of the Fe71−xNb6B23Nix (x = 1–5) and (Fe1−x−yNixCoy)71Nb6B23 (x = 0.1–0.2, y = 0.1–0.2) amorphous ribbons was systematically studied. The Ni or Co substitution for Fe enhances the GFA and decreases the thermal stability for Fe–Nb–B–Ni and (Fe, Ni, Co)–Nb–B alloy systems. The alloys with Ni and Co substitution have lower glass transition temperature and wider supercooled liquid region than that with Ni substitution. The (Fe0.7Ni0.1Co0.2)71Nb6B23 alloys achieved the maximum supercooled liquid region of 78 K. The saturation magnetization decreased and the coercivity increased with increasing Ni or Co content. The (Fe0.8Ni0.1Co0.1)71Nb6B23 amorphous ribbons exhibited the best soft magnetic properties with high saturation and low coercivity. The findings of Fe-based multicomponent alloys with large GFA, low cost, and good magnetic properties are encouraging to develop new soft magnetic materials.

Background: To examine the discriminant validity of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) in detecting patients with cognitive impairment at higher risk for dementia at a memory clinic setting.

Methods: Memory clinic patients were administered the MoCA, MMSE, and a comprehensive formal neuropsychological battery. Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) subtypes were dichotomized into two groups: single domain–MCI (sd–MCI) and multiple domain-MCI (md–MCI). Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis was used to compare the discriminatory ability of the MoCA and the MMSE.

Results: Two hundred thirty patients were recruited, of which 136 (59.1%) were diagnosed with dementia, 61 (26.5%) with MCI, and 33 (14.3%) with no cognitive impairment (NCI). The majority of MCI patients had md–MCI (n = 36, 59%). The MoCA had significantly larger AUCs than the MMSE in discriminating md–MCI from the lower risk group for incident dementia (NCI and sd–MCI) [MoCA 0.92 (95% CI, 0.86–0.98) vs. MMSE 0.84 (95% CI, 0.75–0.92), p = 0.02). At their optimal cut-off points, the MoCA (19/20) remained superior to the MMSE (23/24) in detecting md–MCI [sensitivity: 0.83 vs. 0.72; specificity: 0.86 vs. 0.83; PPV: 0.79 vs. 0.72; NPV: 0.89 vs. 0.83; correctly classified: 85.1% vs. 78.7%].

Conclusion: The MoCA is superior to the MMSE in the detection of patients with cognitive impairment at higher risk for incident dementia at a memory clinic setting.

We previously reported that translocation of mitochondria from the oocyte cortex to the perinuclear area indicates positive developmental potential that was reduced in porcine somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) embryos compared to in vitro–fertilized (IVF) embryos (Katayama, M., Zhong, Z.-S., Lai, L., Sutovsky, P., Prather, R.S. & Schatten, H. (2006). Dev Biol299, 206–220.). The present study is focused on distribution of donor cell mitochondria in intraspecies (pig oocytes; pig fetal fibroblast cells) and interspecies (pig oocytes; mouse fibroblast cells) reconstructed embryos by using either pig fibroblasts with mitochondria-stained MitoTracker CMXRos or YFP-mitochondria 3T3 cells (pPhi-Yellow-mito) as donor cells. Transmission electron microscopy was employed for ultrastructural analysis of pig oocyte and donor cell mitochondria. Our results revealed donor cell mitochondrial clusters around the donor nucleus that gradually dispersed into the ooplasm at 3 h after SCNT. Donor-derived mitochondria distributed into daughter blastomeres equally (82.8%) or unequally (17.2%) at first cleavage. Mitochondrial morphology was clearly different between donor cells and oocytes in which various complex shapes and configurations were seen. These data indicate that (1) unequal donor cell mitochondria distribution is observed in 17.2% of embryos, which may negatively influence development; and (2) complex mitochondrial morphologies are observed in IVF and SCNT embryos, which may influence mitochondrial translocation and affect development.