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To investigate the association between iodized salt intake and cognitive function in older adults. A cross-sectional study. Individuals from the Zhejiang Major Public Health Surveillance Program (ZPHS). Data of 10,217 participants (including 4,680 coastal residents and 5,537 inland residents) aged ≥ 60 years were analyzed. Salt intake was evaluated using a questionnaire, and participants were stratified into the following three groups: iodized salt, non-iodized salt, and mixed salt. Cognitive function was assessed through the Mini-Mental State Examination and defined using education-specific cut-off points. Logistic regression models controlling for an extensive range of potential confounders were generated to examine the association between salt intake and cognitive function among all participants. Data from 10,217 participants with a 16.1% prevalence of cognitive impairment were analyzed. Compared with non-iodized salt intake, consumption of iodized salt was inversely associated with cognitive impairment (odds ratio [OR], 0.410; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.351–0.480; P < 0.001) in all participants after multivariable adjustment. An association between iodized salt intake and cognitive impairment was observed in coastal (OR, 0.441; 95% CI, 0.340–0.572; P < 0.001) and inland residents (OR, 0.569; 95% CI, 0.439–0.738; P < 0.001). Despite the insufficient sample size, the results for individuals consuming mixed salt suggested an inverse association between mixed salt intake and cognitive impairment among coastal residents (OR, 0.598; 95% CI, 0.405–0.885; P = 0.010) after multivariable adjustment. Our results indicate that iodized salt intake may reduce the risk of cognitive impairment in older adults living in coastal or inland areas, and the protective effect of iodized salt intake is greater in coastal areas than in inland areas.

We explored the associations between depressive symptoms and supplemental calcium and vitamin D intake in older adults. This was a prospective cohort study. 8,527 older adults aged ≥60 years from Zhejiang Major Public Health Surveillance Program (ZPHS) without depressive symptoms at baseline survey. Participants were divided into non-supplementation, calcium (Ca), vitamin D, and calcium plus vitamin D (CaD) groups based on their supplemental intake during the past year. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Binary logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the association between depressive symptoms and supplemental intake. When compared to the non-supplementation group, the Ca group exhibited a significant odds ratio (OR) of 0.731 (95% CI: 0.552–0.967, P=0.028). After adjusting for age, sex, and Ca food sources, the OR was even smaller for the CaD group (OR: 0.326; 95% CI: 0.119–0.889, P=0.029). Additionally, our results indicated that taking Ca supplements ≥4 days/week yielded a significant OR of 0.690 (95% CI: 0.492–0.968) after full adjustment. Taking CaD supplements ≥4 days/week yielded a significant OR of 0.282 (95% CI: 0.089–0.898) after adjusting for age, sex, and Ca food sources. Supplemental intake of Ca or CaD ≥4 days/week can decrease the risk of depressive symptoms in older adults, although CaD supplements may be more effective.

Altered rest/activity rhythms are common in individuals with memory disorders, and are often conceptualized as a neuropsychiatric symptom. However, altered circadian rhythms may also drive other neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS), such as depressive symptomatology, and disrupt cognitive function. Thus, we examined the association of 24-hour rest/activity rhythms with both depressive symptoms and cognitive performance in 54 adults with memory impairment (mean age = 77.8 ± 8.1; 43% women). Participants wore wrist actigraphs for approximately one week and completed the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) in the baseline phase of a randomized trial. Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) scores were obtained for memory-impaired participants based primarily on caregiver input. We fit a function-on-scalar regression (FOSR) model to characterize links of clinical variables with rest/activity patterns. BDI-II and MMSE scores were the primary predictors; age, gender, and education were covariates. The 24-hour actigraphy profiles were the outcomes. BDI-II and MMSE scores both had statistically significant effects in the FOSR model. Greater depressive symptomatology was associated with significantly higher levels of activity, primarily between approximately 12AM and 12PM (p < 0.05). Better performance on the MMSE was associated with significantly higher levels of activity between approximately 10AM and 1PM and approximately 4PM and 7PM (p < 0.05). These results suggest that 24-hour rest/activity disturbances are linked to both neuropsychiatric (i.e., depressive) symptoms and cognitive performance, and that circadian disruption may therefore affect these clinically important outcomes. Further research is needed to investigate whether treatment of circadian disruption reduces neuropsychiatric symptoms and improves cognition in the memory impaired.

Disturbed circadian rest/activity rhythms have been linked to cognitive decline, but little is known about their association with neuroimaging-derived brain volumes. We studied 176 cognitively normal participants in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging aged 74.8 ± 8.9 years (58% women, 29% non-White), who were instructed to wear wrist actigraphs for seven consecutive 24-hour periods and underwent 3T magnetic resonance imaging scans, with total gray and white matter, ventricular volume, and hippocampal volume quantified using a multi-atlas segmentation approach (MUSE software). We used function-on-scalar regression models, a data-driven approach, to quantify links between timing of actigraphic activity counts and brain volumes, adjusting for age, sex, education, CES-D score, MMSE score, and intracranial volume. Gray matter, white matter, ventricular, and hippocampal volumes were considered in separate models and time intervals rounded to the nearest 30 minutes. On average, lower gray matter volume was associated with higher activity levels between 2:30 AM and 12:30 PM and between 4:30 PM and 11:30 PM, lower white matter volume was associated with greater activity between 12:00 AM and 11:00 AM, and larger ventricles were associated with lower activity between 3:00 AM and 6:00 AM and higher activity between 6:30 PM and 12:00 AM (all p<.05). Lower hippocampal volume was associated with lower activity between 9:30 AM and 4:30 PM (p<.05). Results suggest that rest/activity patterns may be differentially associated with brain gray and white matter, and hippocampal volume. Longitudinal studies are needed to evaluate whether particular rhythms precede and perhaps promote neuronal loss, and vice versa.

This study investigates the role of rotating n = 2 resonant magnetic perturbation (RMP) in modifying the transient heat flux distribution during edge localized mode (ELM) mitigation on Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak. During ELM mitigation achieved by the application of a rotating n = 2 RMP, a pronounced reduction in the instantaneous peak heat flux is observed, with a slight increase in the time-averaged peak heat flux. Concurrently, strike point splitting appears in the ELM heat flux profiles, and the split strike points are found to rotate synchronously with the applied RMP field. The qualitative agreement in both the number and locations of strike points between TOP2D vacuum modeling and experimental results indicates that the strike point splitting in ELM heat flux profiles is affected by RMP. Furthermore, the broadening effect of RMP on the heat flux profile is quantified using the power decay length ( λq). During the mitigated-ELM phase, λq increases to approximately 6.10 mm, compared to ∼2.86 mm during the inter-large-ELM phase and ∼4.86 mm during the intra-large-ELM phase without RMP. It indicates that the rotating n = 2 RMP significantly broadens the heat flux profiles and reduces the peak heat flux on the divertor target, which is beneficial for the safe operation of tokamaks.

Tungsten (W) impurity control is critical for plasma performance and a priority for ITER. The simultaneous reduction of W and rotation in the core region induced by resonant magnetic perturbations (RMPs) has been found and understood in EAST. A positive feedback loop between the W and rotation is first proposed, resulting in core W accumulation and high rotation even in low-torque plasma before the RMP application. This cycle can be reversed by the edge rotation braking induced by RMP, causing a significant simultaneous reduction of W concentration and rotation. These new mechanisms are based on several repeatable experiments and confirmed by the modeling results from TGYRO and NTVTOK. It provides a new understanding of the RMP effects on W and rotation and can be used for W and rotation control in future reactors.

The spectrum effects on toroidal rotation braking, induced by n  = 1 resonant magnetic perturbations (RMPs) in the discharges with q 95 = 4.1 and q 95 = 5.1 , are studied in the EAST tokamak. Here n is the toroidal mode number, RMP spectrum is varied by scanning δ ϕ U L , the phase difference between the upper and lower rows of RMP coils. The toroidal rotation changes periodically with the periodic δ ϕ U L scanning and such an effect is stronger in the discharge with lower q 95 = 4.1 . The spectrum dependence of the neoclassical toroidal viscosity (NTV) torque, modeled by NTVTOK based on the magnetic perturbation obtained from MARS-F calculation, agrees well with that of the experimentally observed braking torques in both discharges. The modeled NTV torque is stronger in the discharge with lower q 95 , which also agrees with the observations. The comparisons between the spectrum dependence of the NTV and magnetic perturbations show that the resonant mode of magnetic perturbations near the plasma edge mainly contribute the NTV torque. These agreements between modeling and experiments highlight the capability of NTV theory in explaining the experimental observation in the EAST tokamak.

To examine the impacts of social integration and loneliness on the mental health of humanitarian migrants (HMs) in Australia over time. A total of 1,723 HMs who held permanent visas from the first to third waves (2013–2016) of a longitudinal study in Australia (Building a New Life in Australia) were included in the study. Dependent variables included poor general health, post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and severe mental illness (SMI). Predictors were social integration stressors and loneliness. We used generalised linear mixed models to assess impacts of the changing status of social integration and loneliness on dependent variables over time. HMs with increased social integration stressors reported poor general health (aOR:1.56, 95%CI:1.19–2.03); PTSD (aOR:1.67; 95%CI: 1.32–2.13); and SMI (aOR: 1.46; 95%CI: 1.15–1.86) over time when compared to those without stressors. Increased loneliness during resettlement was also associated with poor general health (aOR: 1.56; 95%CI:1.28–1.91); PTSD (aOR: 1.57; 95%CI: 1.28–1.93) and SMI (aOR: 1.59; 95%CI: 1.31–1.94). HMs who reported overcoming loneliness (aOR:1.50, 95%CI: 1.24–1.83 for SMI and aOR:1.51; 95%CI: 1.22–1.86 for PTSD) and persistent loneliness (aOR:1.99; 95%CI: 1.51–2.61 for SMI) reported poorer mental health over time than those who did not report loneliness. Culturally competent settlement services addressing social integration stressors and loneliness are required to improve the mental health of humanitarian migrants.

Although the extremely thermophilic archaea (Topt ≥ 70°C) may be the most primitive extant forms of life, they have been studied to a limited extent relative to mesophilic microorganisms. Many of these organisms have unique biochemical and physiological characteristics with important biotechnological implications. These include methanogens that generate methane, fermentative anaerobes that produce hydrogen gas with high efficiency, and acidophiles that can mobilize base, precious and strategic metals from mineral ores. Extremely thermophilic archaea have also been a valuable source of thermoactive, thermostable biocatalysts, but their use as cellular systems has been limited because of the general lack of facile genetics tools. This situation has changed recently, however, thereby providing an important avenue for understanding their metabolic and physiological details and also opening up opportunities for metabolic engineering efforts. Along these lines, extremely thermophilic archaea have recently been engineered to produce a variety of alcohols and industrial chemicals, in some cases incorporating CO2 into the final product. There are barriers and challenges to these organisms reaching their full potential as industrial microorganisms but, if these can be overcome, a new dimension for biotechnology will be forthcoming that strategically exploits biology at high temperatures.