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Hong Kong has been embroiled in increasingly violent social unrest since June, 2019. We examined the associated population mental health burden, risk factors, and health-care needs. In a population-based prospective cohort, adult participants aged 18 years or older were assessed at nine timepoints from 2009. Probable depression was measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (score ≥10) and suspected post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) by the PTSD Checklist—Civilian Version (score ≥14), plus direct exposure to traumatic events related to the ongoing social unrest. We used multivariable logistic regression to identify factors associated with both outcomes, adjusting for doctor-diagnosed depression or anxiety disorders before the unrest. On the basis of routine service statistics and respondents' intention to seek professional care, we projected the number of additional ambulatory specialist psychiatric visits required. After the two baseline surveys, we followed up random subsets of 1213–1736 adults at each timepoint. Probable depression was reported by 11·2% (95% CI 9·8–12·7) of participants in 2019, compared with 1·9% (1·6–2·1) during 2009–14 and 6·5% (5·3–7·6) in 2017 after the Occupy Central Movement and before the current unrest. Prevalence of suspected PTSD in 2019 was estimated to be 12·8% (11·2–14·4). Age, sex, educational attainment, or household income were not associated with either outcome, whereas heavy social media use (≥2 h per day) was associated with both. Political attitude or protest participation was not associated with probable depression, but neutrality towards the extradition bill approximately halved the risk of suspected PTSD. Family support mitigated against probable depression. We estimated that the mental health burden identified would translate into roughly an excess 12% service requirement to the public sector queue or equivalent. We have identified a major mental health burden during the social unrest in Hong Kong, which will require substantial increases in service surge capacity. Health-care and social care professionals should be vigilant in recognising possible mental health sequelae. In a world of increasing unrest, our findings might have implications for service planning to better protect population mental health globally. Research Grants Council, University Grants Committee of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust.

The mental health consequences of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, community-wide interventions, and social media use during a pandemic are unclear. The first and most draconian interventions have been implemented in Wuhan, China, and these countermeasures have been increasingly deployed by countries around the world. The aim of this study was to examine risk factors, including the use of social media, for probable anxiety and depression in the community and among health professionals in the epicenter, Wuhan, China. We conducted an online survey via WeChat, the most widely used social media platform in China, which was administered to 1577 community-based adults and 214 health professionals in Wuhan. Probable anxiety and probable depression were assessed by the validated Generalized Anxiety Disorder-2 (cutoff ≥3) and Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (cutoff ≥3), respectively. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to examine factors associated with probable anxiety and probable depression. Of the 1577 community-based adults, about one-fifth of respondents reported probable anxiety (n=376, 23.84%, 95% CI 21.8-26.0) and probable depression (n=303, 19.21%, 95% CI 17.3-21.2). Similarly, of the 214 health professionals, about one-fifth of surveyed health professionals reported probable anxiety (n=47, 22.0%, 95% CI 16.6-28.1) or probable depression (n=41, 19.2%, 95% CI 14.1-25.1). Around one-third of community-based adults and health professionals spent ≥2 hours daily on COVID-19 news via social media. Close contact with individuals with COVID-19 and spending ≥2 hours daily on COVID-19 news via social media were associated with probable anxiety and depression in community-based adults. Social support was associated with less probable anxiety and depression in both health professionals and community-based adults. The internet could be harnessed for telemedicine and restoring daily routines, yet caution is warranted toward spending excessive time searching for COVID-19 news on social media given the infodemic and emotional contagion through online social networks. Online platforms may be used to monitor the toll of the pandemic on mental health.

Objectives: To evaluate excess deaths of gastrointestinal, liver, and pancreatic diseases in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: We retrieved weekly death counts from National Vital Statistics System and fitted them with a quasi-Poisson regression model. Cause-specific excess deaths were calculated by the difference between observed and expected deaths with adjustment for temporal trend and seasonality. Demographic disparities and temporal-spatial patterns were evaluated for different diseases. Results: From March 2020 to September 2022, the increased mortality (measured by excess risks) for Clostridium difficile colitis, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, and acute pancreatitis were 35.9%; 24.8%; and 20.6% higher than the expected. For alcoholic liver disease, fibrosis/cirrhosis, and hepatic failure, the excess risks were 1.4–2.8 times higher among younger inhabitants than older inhabitants. The excess deaths of selected diseases were persistently observed across multiple epidemic waves with fluctuating trends for gastrointestinal hemorrhage and fibrosis/cirrhosis and an increasing trend for C. difficile colitis. Conclusion: The persistently observed excess deaths of digestive diseases highlights the importance for healthcare authorities to develop sustainable strategies in response to the long-term circulating of SARS-CoV-2 in the community.

Although the association of moderate alcohol consumption with specific disorders, such as cardiovascular disease and cancers, has been well documented, the evidence of the broader impact of alcohol consumption on health-related quality of life is less clear. Our objective was to examine the association of drinking patterns with changes in physical and mental well-being across populations. We conducted a multilevel analysis with multivariate responses in the population-representative FAMILY Cohort in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China, to examine the association between alcohol drinking patterns across 2 waves (2009–2013) (i.e., quitters, initiators, persistent drinkers, persistent former drinkers and lifetime abstainers) and changes in physical and mental well-being (Physical and Mental Component Summary of the 12-Item Short Form Health Survey [SF-12]). Analyses were stratified by sex. We validated findings using a nationally representative cohort in the United States, the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC, 2001–2005). In the FAMILY Cohort (n = 10 386; median follow-up 2.3 yr), the change in mental well-being was more favourable in female quitters than in lifetime abstainers (β = 1.44, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.43 to 2.45; mean score change of +2.0 for quitters and +0.02 for lifetime abstainers). This association was validated in the NESARC (n = 31 079; median follow-up 3.1 yr) (β = 0.83, 95% CI 0.08 to 1.58; mean score change of −1.1 for quitters and −1.6 for lifetime abstainers). The change in mental well-being was more favourable in female quitters, approaching the level of mental well-being of lifetime abstainers within 4 years of quitting in both Chinese and American populations.

Vitamin D is essential for bone health, but its effects on bone mineral density (BMD) may exhibit regional variations. This study aims to ascertain whether a consistent relationship exists between serum vitamin D and BMD at various bone sites. Participants were recruited from the UK Biobank, a large prospective cohort study. Serum 25‐hydroxyvitamin D levels were measured at baseline (2006–2010), and BMD at the lumbar, pelvis, spine, femur, and arm were evaluated via DXA. A multivariate regression analysis was employed to examine the relationship between serum 25‐hydroxyvitamin D and BMD at five sites simultaneously. This retrospective cohort study included 20,131 participants. The fully adjusted model revealed that a 1 nmol/L increase in serum 25‐hydroxyvitamin D was associated with a 0.24, 0.38, 0.37, 0.28, and 0.20 mg/cm2 higher BMD at the spine, lumbar, pelvis, femur, and arm, respectively. The multivariate regression demonstrated that serum vitamin D strongly correlated with the BMD at the lumbar and pelvis regions, followed by the femur, spine, and arm. The associations were significantly different by gender, with smaller impacts observed in females compared to males at the pelvis, femur, and arm. Our study indicated a positive correlation between serum 25‐hydroxyvitamin D and BMD in middle‐aged and older individuals. The impacts varied between different bone regions, with the trunk bone region having a greater impact than the radius region. These findings emphasize the importance of monitoring serum 25‐hydroxyvitamin D levels to optimize bone health. The study design, main research procedures, key findings, and clinical implications are briefly illustrated.

Background Osteoporosis is a prevalent bone disease that increases frailty. Developing a nomogram prediction model to predict osteoporosis risk at multiple time points using bone mineral densities, behavioral habits, and clinical risk factors would be essential to identify individual risk and guide prevention. Methods The study population from the UK Biobank was followed from 2014 to December 31st, 2022. The study outcome was identified as the first occurrence of osteoporosis in the UK Biobank during the follow-up period. After rebalancing with the synthetic minority over-sampling technique, a nomogram prediction model was developed using a LASSO Cox regression. Model discrimination between different risk levels was visualised with Kaplan-Meier curves, and model performance was evaluated with integrated c-index, time-dependent AUC, calibration curves and decision curve analysis (DCA). Results The model identified several risk factors for osteoporosis, including higher age, underweight, and various clinical risk factors (such as menopause, lower hand grip strength, lower bone mineral density, fracture history within 5 years, and a history of chronic disease including hypercholesterolemia, cardiovascular disease, bone disease, arthritis, and cancer). Kaplan-Meier curves showed that risk levels predicted by the nomogram model were significantly distinct. The c-indexes were 0.844 and 0.823 for training and validation datasets, respectively. Time-dependent AUC, calibration curves and DCA indicated good discrimination, model fit and clinical utility, respectively. Conclusions The nomogram model could properly quantify the five-year risk of osteoporosis and identify high-risk individuals. This might effectively reduce the burden of osteoporosis on the population.

The lactic acid bacteria Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus helveticus are commonly used as starter cultures in dairy product production. This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of fermented milk using different ratios of these strains and analyze the changes in volatile compounds during fermentation and storage. A 10:1 ratio of Streptococcus thermophilus CICC 6063 to Lactobacillus helveticus CICC 6064 showed optimal fermentation time (4.2 h), viable cell count (9.64 log10 colony-forming units/mL), and sensory evaluation score (79.1 points). In total, 56 volatile compounds were identified and quantified by solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (SPME-GC-MS), including aldehydes, ketones, acids, alcohols, esters, and others. Among these, according to VIP analysis, 2,3-butanedione, acetoin, 2,3-pentanedione, hexanoic acid, acetic acid, acetaldehyde, and butanoic acid were identified as discriminatory volatile metabolites for distinguishing between different time points. Throughout the fermentation and storage process, the levels of 2,3-pentanedione and acetoin exhibited synergistic dynamics. These findings enhance our understanding of the chemical and molecular characteristics of milk fermented with Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus helveticus, providing a basis for improving the flavor and odor of dairy products during fermentation and storage.

Neuromorphic computing aims to emulate the computing processes of the brain by replicating the functions of biological neural networks using electronic counterparts. One promising approach is dendritic computing, which takes inspiration from the multi-dendritic branch structure of neurons to enhance the processing capability of artificial neural networks. While there has been a recent surge of interest in implementing dendritic computing using emerging devices, achieving artificial dendrites with throughputs and energy efficiency comparable to those of the human brain has proven challenging. In this study, we report on the development of a compact and low-power neurotransistor based on a vertical dual-gate electrolyte-gated transistor (EGT) with short-term memory characteristics, a 30 nm channel length, a record-low read power of ~3.16 fW and a biology-comparable read energy of ~30 fJ. Leveraging this neurotransistor, we demonstrate dendrite integration as well as digital and analog dendritic computing for coincidence detection. We also showcase the potential of neurotransistors in realizing advanced brain-like functions by developing a hardware neural network and demonstrating bio-inspired sound localization. Our results suggest that the neurotransistor-based approach may pave the way for next-generation neuromorphic computing with energy efficiency on par with those of the brain. Dendritic computing is a promising approach to enhance the processing capability of artificial neural networks. Here, the authors report the development of a neurotransistor based on a vertical dual-gate electrolyte-gated transistor with short-term memory characteristics, a 30 nm channel length, a low read power of ~3.16 fW and read energy of ~30 fJ for dendritic computing.

This study integrated isotopic composition in precipitation at 50 stations on and around the Tibetan Plateau (TP) and demonstrated the distinct seasonality of isotopic composition in precipitation across the study period. The potential effect of water vapor isotopes on precipitation isotopes is studied by comparing the station precipitation data with extensive isotopic patterns in atmospheric water vapor, revealing the close linkage between the two. The analysis of contemporary water vapor transport and potential helps confirm the different mechanisms behind precipitation isotopic compositions in different areas, as the southern TP is more closely related to large-scale atmospheric circulation such as local Hadley and summer monsoon circulations during other seasons than winter, while the northern TP is subject to the westerly prevalence and advective moisture supply and precipitation processes. The new data presented in this manuscript also enrich the current dataset for the study of precipitation isotopes in this region and together provide a valuable database for verification of the isotope-integrated general circulation model and explanation of related physical processes.

In this work, the unique Zn-Co nitrogen-doped porous carbon (Zn-Co/NPC) polyhedrons have been successfully synthesized via pyrolysis of bimetallic zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs) precursor under N 2 , wherein the metallic Co and Zn particles are dispersed in the porous carbon matrix. The obtained porous carbons show a high surface area (315.67 m 2 g −1 ) and contain plenty of mesopores. The unique mesoporous structure benefits from either the carbonization of organic ligands and the catalytic effect of metallic Co in calcination process or the elimination of a certain amount of metal species in acid dissolution. As an anode material for lithium-ion batteries, the Zn-Co/NPC particles exhibit superior lithium storage capabilities with excellent cycling properties. It demonstrates a high discharge capacity of 970 mA h g −1 at 0.1 A g −1 . Besides, a reversible capacity of 813.5 mA h g −1 was retained at a much higher current density of 0.5 A g −1 after 500 cycles. The enhanced electrochemical performance was attributed to the unique microstructure, nitrogen doping, and the synergistic effect of Zn and Co embedded in carbon matrix.