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Solid matter that can rapidly and reversibly switch between adhesive and non-adhesive states is desired in many technological domains including climbing robotics, actuators, wound dressings, and bioelectronics due to the ability for on-demand attachment and detachment. For most types of smart adhesive materials, however, reversible switching occurs only at narrow scales (nanoscale or microscale), which limits the realization of interchangeable surfaces with distinct adhesive states. Here, we report the design of a switchable adhesive hydrogel via dynamic multiscale contact synergy, termed as DMCS-hydrogel. The hydrogel rapidly switches between slippery (friction ~0.04 N/cm 2 ) and sticky (adhesion ~3 N/cm 2 ) states in the solid-solid contact process, exhibits large span, is switchable and dynamic, and features rapid adhesive switching. The design strategy of this material has wide applications ranging from programmable adhesive materials to intelligent devices. Switching between adhesive and non-adhesive states is important to design materials with on-demand adhesion properties but realizing reversible switching on large scale remains challenging. Here, the authors report the design of a hydrogel demonstrating rapid and reversibly switch between slippery and sticky states.

Local scour is a phenomenon of sediment erosion and transport caused by the dynamic interaction between water flow and seabed sediment, posing a serious threat to the safety of marine engineering structures such as cross-sea bridges and offshore wind turbines. To improve scour prediction and prevention capabilities, this review systematically analyzes the influence mechanisms of factors such as hydrodynamic conditions, sediment characteristics, and structural geometry, and discusses scour protection measures. Based on this, a comprehensive evaluation of the applicability of different prediction methods, including traditional empirical formulas, numerical simulations, probabilistic prediction models, and machine learning (ML) methods, was conducted. The study focuses on analyzing the limitations of existing methods: empirical formulas lack adaptability under complex field conditions, numerical simulation still faces challenges in validating real marine environments, and data-driven models suffer from “black box” issues and insufficient generalization capabilities. Based on the current research progress, this review presents prospects for future development, emphasizing the need to deepen the study of scouring mechanisms in complex real marine environments, develop efficient numerical models for engineering applications, and explore intelligent prediction methods that integrate data-driven approaches with physical mechanisms. This aims to provide more reliable theoretical support for the safe design, risk prevention, and scouring mitigation measures in marine engineering.

In order to investigate the lateral working performance of large-scale steel casing-reinforced concrete pile composite members, this paper sets up large-scale steel casing-reinforced concrete pile composite members with different slenderness ratios λ, compressive axial force ratios N, and foundation strengths. It conducts quasi-static loading tests to investigate the effects of these factors on the hysteretic performance, bearing capacity, ductile performance, strength degradation, and stiffness degradation of the members. The results show that the hysteresis curves of the members all have a typical inverse S-shape, which is affected by slip and has a poor degree of fullness. The members with larger slenderness ratios exhibit better ductility performance, deformation performance, and energy dissipation performance, but their poorer bearing capacity and effect on stiffness degradation are limited. While members with smaller slenderness ratios exhibit better bearing capacity, their ductile performance is poor. As the compressive axial force ratio increases, the lateral bearing capacity and ductility of the members slightly improve. However, the bearing capacity rapidly decreases when the compressive axial force ratio reaches a critical value. As the strength of the foundation increased, the lateral bearing capacity of the structures continued to improve, but its improvement effect began to decay after reaching a certain value. This paper investigates the lateral working properties of large-scale steel casing-reinforced concrete pile composite members designed for overhead vertical wharves that are subjected to significant water level differences in inland rivers, aiming to provide a reference for their application in practical engineering.

Background Existing evidence remains inconclusive as to the association between chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and the risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD). We prospectively examined the association between chronic HBV infection and CKD risk, and the joint associations of HBV infection with established risk factors of several lifestyle factors and prevalent diseases on CKD risk. Methods Participants from the China Kadoorie Biobank were enrolled during 2004–2008 and followed up until 31 December 2015. After excluding participants with previously diagnosed CKD, cancer, heart disease, and stroke at baseline, the present study included 469,459 participants. Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) was qualitatively tested at baseline. Incident CKD cases were identified mainly through the health insurance system and disease and death registries. Results During a median follow-up of 9.1 years (4.2 million person-years), we documented 4555 incident cases of CKD. Cox regression yielded multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Compared with HBsAg-negative participants, the multivariable-adjusted HR (95% CI) for CKD was 1.37 (1.18, 1.60) for HBsAg-positive participants. The association was stronger in men (HR = 1.77; 95% CI: 1.43, 2.20) than in women (HR = 1.10; 95% CI: 0.88, 1.36). HBsAg-positive participants, with or without hepatitis or cirrhosis, whether or not under treatment, all showed increased risk of developing CKD. We observed positive additive interactions of HBsAg positivity with smoking, physical inactivity, or diabetes on CKD risk. Compared with HBsAg-negative participants who were nonsmokers, more physically active, or did not have diabetes at baseline, the greatest CKD risk for HBsAg-positive participants was for those who were smokers (HR = 1.85; 95% CI: 1.44, 2.38), physically inactive (HR = 1.91; 95% CI: 1.52, 2.40), or diabetic (HR = 6.11; 95% CI: 4.47, 8.36). Conclusions In countries with a high endemicity of HBV infection, kidney damage associated with chronic HBV infection should be a non-negligible concern. Our findings also highlight the importance of health advice on quitting smoking, increasing physical activity, improving glucose control, and early screening for CKD in people with chronic HBV infection.

Despite extensive efforts in designing and preparing switchable underwater adhesives, it is not easy to regulate the underwater adhesion strength locally and remotely. Here, we design and synthesize photoreversible copolymer of poly[dopamine methacrylamide‐co‐methoxyethyl‐acrylate‐co‐7‐(2‐methacryloyloxyethoxy)‐4‐methylcoumarin]. Due to the dynamic formation and breaking of chemical crosslinking networks within the smart adhesives, the material shows widely tunable adhesion strength from ∼150 to ∼450 kPa and long‐range reversible maneuverability under orthogonal 254 and 365 nm ultraviolet light stimulation via the coumarin dimerization and cycloreversion. Moreover, the adhesive exhibits good circulation performance and stability in an acid–base environment. It also demonstrated that the bolt can be coated with the smart adhesive material for on‐demand bonding. This design principle opens the door to the development of remotely controllable high‐performance smart underwater adhesives. We design and synthesize photoreversible copolymer of poly[dopamine methacrylamide‐co‐methoxyethyl‐acrylate‐co‐7‐(2‐methacryloyloxyethoxy)‐4‐methylcoumarin]. The material has a widely tunable adhesion strength from ∼150 to ∼450 kPa and long‐range reversible maneuverability under orthogonal 254 and 365 nm ultraviolet stimulation. The adhesive exhibits good circulation performance and stability in an acid–base environment. This design principle opens the door for developing remotely controllable high‐performance smart underwater adhesives.

Background The effect of the overall diet quality on cardiometabolic diseases has been well studied in the Western population. However, evidence is still in need regarding dietary patterns depicting unique Chinese dietary habits and their associations with cardiometabolic diseases. Methods A prospective cohort recruited around 0.5 million Chinese residents aged 30–79 years from 10 diverse survey sites during 2004–08. Dietary patterns were obtained using factor analysis based on the habitual consumption of 12 food groups collected at baseline. Among 477,465 eligible participants free of prior heart disease, stroke and cancer, linkages to multiple registries and health insurance database recorded 137,715 cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and 17,412 diabetes cases (among 451,846 non-diabetic participants) until 31 December 2017. Adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) were estimated to compare the risks of cardiometabolic diseases across quintiles of dietary pattern scores using the Cox regression. Results Two dietary patterns were derived: the traditional northern pattern, characterised by wheat, other staples, egg and dairy products; and the modern pattern, featured with fresh fruit, meat, poultry, fish, dairy products and soybean. Adherence to either dietary pattern was associated with lower risks of major cardiometabolic diseases in a dose-response relationship way. After multivariate adjustment, participants adhering to the traditional northern pattern the most had an 8% (95%CI: 5–11%) lower risk of CVD in comparison with those adhering the least. Corresponding risk reductions were 12% (11–32%) for haemorrhagic stroke (HS), 14% (8–19%) for ischaemic stroke (IS), and 15% (6–24%) for diabetes, respectively. When comparing extreme quintiles of the modern pattern, the adjusted HR of HS was 0.67 (95%CI: 0.59–0.77). Corresponding HRs were 0.89 (0.86–0.92) for CVD, 0.88 (0.77–0.99) for MCE, 0.85 (0.80–0.89) for IS, and 0.89 (0.81, 0.97) for diabetes. Conclusion Among Chinese adults, both traditional northern and modern dietary patterns were associated with lower risks of cardiovascular disease and diabetes beyond other risk factors.

ObjectiveTo examine the associations between egg consumption and cardiovascular disease (CVD), ischaemic heart disease (IHD), major coronary events (MCE), haemorrhagic stroke as well as ischaemic stroke.MethodsDuring 2004–2008, over 0.5 million adults aged 30–79 years were recruited from 10 diverse survey sites in China. Participants were asked about the frequency of egg consumption and were followed up via linkages to multiple registries and active investigation. Among 461 213 participants free of prior cancer, CVD and diabetes, a total of 83 977 CVD incident cases and 9985 CVD deaths were documented, as well as 5103 MCE. Stratified Cox regression was performed to yield adjusted hazard ratios for CVD endpoints associated with egg consumption.ResultsAt baseline, 13.1% of participants reported daily consumption (usual amount 0.76 egg/day) and 9.1% reported never or very rare consumption (usual amount 0.29 egg/day). Compared with non-consumers, daily egg consumption was associated with lower risk of CVD (HR 0.89, 95% CI 0.87 to 0.92). Corresponding multivariate-adjusted HRs (95% CI) for IHD, MCE, haemorrhagic stroke and ischaemic stroke were 0.88 (0.84 to 0.93), 0.86 (0.76 to 0.97), 0.74 (0.67 to 0.82) and 0.90 (0.85 to 0.95), respectively. There were significant dose-response relationships of egg consumption with morbidity of all CVD endpoints (P for linear trend <0.05). Daily consumers also had an 18% lower risk of CVD death and a 28% lower risk of haemorrhagic stroke death compared to non-consumers.ConclusionAmong Chinese adults, a moderate level of egg consumption (up to <1 egg/day) was significantly associated with lower risk of CVD, largely independent of other risk factors.

Solid fuels are widely used in China. Household air pollution from the burning of solid fuels may increase the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but prospective evidence is limited. We examined the association of solid fuel use for cooking and heating with the risk of COPD in a prospective cohort study. Participants were from the China Kadoorie Biobank. Current and previous fuels used for household cooking and heating were self-reported at baseline in 2004–2008. In the present study, \"solid fuels\" refers to coal and wood, whereas \"cleaner fuels\" refers to energy sources that presumably produce lower levels of indoor pollution, including electricity, gas, and central heating. A total of 475,827 adults 30–79 y of age without prevalent COPD were followed through the end of 2015. We used adjusted Cox regression models to estimate hazard ratios for COPD. Over 9.1 y of follow-up, 9,835 incident COPD cases were reported. Compared with the use of cleaner fuels for cooking, using coal and wood for cooking was positively associated with COPD, with fully adjusted HRs of 1.06 (95% CI: 0.98, 1.15) and 1.14 (95% CI: 1.06, 1.23), respectively. Adjusted HRs for heating with coal and wood were 1.16 (95% CI: 1.04, 1.29) and 1.21 (95% CI: 1.09, 1.35), respectively. The positive association between cooking with solid fuel and COPD appeared to be limited to women and never- (vs. ever-) smokers. COPD risk increased with a higher number of years of solid fuel use for heating and wood use for cooking. The use of solid fuel for cooking and heating was associated with the increased risk of COPD in this prospective cohort study. Studies with more accurate exposure assessment are needed to confirm the association. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP2856.

Two recent meta-analyses found positive association between egg consumption and diabetes in the US population.6 7 In the present paper, we did not find positive associations between egg consumption and CVD among patients with diabetes in the sensitivity analyses.1 We supposed that one possible mechanism might be that egg consumption elevated the level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). A recent meta-analysis reported that egg consumption was associated with increased HDL-C, as well as total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C).8 Previous studies have observed that egg consumption is associated with a greater LDL-C diameter which has less harm to vascular health, and greater HDL-C particles, which are more protective against CVD.9–11 Furthermore, this meta-analysis found that the LDL-C/HDL-C ratio, a major predictor of coronary heart disease, remained unchanged.8 Therefore, the favourable effect of HDL-C may counteract the detrimental effect of LDL-C. [...]about 14% phosphatidylcholine from egg yolk can be transformed into trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) through gut microbiota and liver.12 Consuming ≥2 egg yolks per day results in an increased level of TMAO in healthy individuals.12 A moderate level of egg consumption (0.76 egg per day) might not deteriorate vascular health through TMAO.

Despite increasing therapeutic options to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA), many patients fail to reach treatment targets. The use of antidiabetic drugs like thiazolidinediones has been associated with lower RA risk. We aimed to explore the repurposing potential of antidiabetic drugs in RA prevention by assessing associations between genetic variation in antidiabetic drug target genes and RA using Mendelian randomization (MR). A two-sample MR design was used to estimate the association between the antidiabetic drug and RA risk using summary statistics from genome-wide association studies (GWAS). We selected independent genetic variants from the gene(s) that encode the target protein(s) of the investigated antidiabetic drug as instruments. We extracted the associations of instruments with blood glucose concentration and RA from the UK Biobank and a GWAS meta-analysis of clinically diagnosed RA, respectively. The effect of genetic variation in the drug target(s) on RA risk was estimated by the Wald ratio test or inverse-variance weighted method. Insulin and its analogues, thiazolidinediones, and sulfonylureas had valid genetic instruments (n = 1, 1, and 2, respectively). Genetic variation in thiazolidinedione target (gene: PPARG ) was inversely associated with RA risk (odds ratio [OR] 0.38 per 0.1mmol/L glucose lowering, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.20–0.73). Corresponding ORs (95%CIs) were 0.83 (0.44–1.55) for genetic variation in the targets of insulin and its analogues (gene: INSR ), and 1.12 (0.83, 1.49) 1.25 (0.78-2.00) for genetic variation in the sulfonylurea targets (gene: ABCC8 and KCNJ11 ). In conclusion, genetic variation in the thiazolidinedione target is associated with a lower RA risk. The underlying mechanisms warrant further exploration.