Increasing evidence indicates that (poly)phenol consumption can have beneficial effects in human brain function(1). The overall aim of this project is to investigate whether consumption of a (poly)phenol rich cranberry drink improve mental health and cognitive function in university students via the gut-brain axis.

A parallel randomised controlled trial was conducted in 72 young healthy final year university students assigned to consume 236 mL cranberry drink (442 mg polyphenols) or nutrient matched placebo, daily for 12 weeks. The primary outcome was mood, measured as Total Mood Disturbance (TMD), using the Profile of Mood States (POMS) questionnaire. Secondary outcomes included stress, anxiety and depression levels, measured using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS) questionnaire, salivary cortisol levels and cognitive function measured using the Online General Cognitive Assessment Battery (CogniFit). All of these questionnaires were measured every 4 weeks. Blood and urine samples were collected to measure inflammatory markers, gut-brain-axis metabolites, short chain fatty acids (SCFA), and cranberry polyphenols metabolites. Faecal samples were also collected for measuring gut microbiome diversity and composition and faecal metabolomics. Diet was assessed using food frequency questionnaires (FFQ), 7-day food diaries (EPIC) and 24 h online dietary recalls (intake 24) during the study. Linear mixed-effect model (LMM) and ANCOVA were used to investigate the relationship between the 2 trial arms.

No significant differences were found between treatments for mood, stress levels, anxiety, depression, circulating short chain fatty acids or inflammatory markers, however a significantly lower diurnal area under the curve of salivary cortisol (p = 0.010) and significantly higher short-term memory (Z-score: p = 0.024; Raw-score: p = 0.034) was found at 12 weeks in the cranberry group compared with the placebo. Besides, significant differences between interventions were found in plasma gut-brain axis metabolites, including the kynurenine and bile acids pathway which were kynurenine (p = 0.023), kynurenic (p = 0.032), quinolinic (p = 0.018), and glycolithocholic acid (p = 0.04) as well as several plasma and urinary cranberry (poly)phenol metabolites were modulated by cranberry consumption.

In conclusion, daily cranberry (poly)phenol supplementation for 12 week did not improve mood, stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms in healthy university students, however it may modulate cortisol levels and some aspects of cognitive function via the gut-brain axis.

(Poly)phenol intake has been associated with reduced risk of non-communicable diseases in epidemiological studies1,2. However, there are no dietary assessment tools that have been developed to estimate (poly)phenol intake in the UK. This study aimed to develop a novel food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) to capture dietary (poly)phenol intake in the UK and assess its relative validity by comparison with 7-day diet diaries (7DD) and plasma and urine (poly)phenols metabolites.

The (poly)phenol FFQ was developed based on the EPIC-Norfolk FFQ validated for energy and nutrient intake estimation in the UK population3,4. Food items added to the FFQ based on total (poly)phenols content (≥ 1 mg/serving) and UK consumption. Participants aged 18 ∼ 29 years (n=255) completed the EPIC-Norfolk FFQ and a (poly)phenol FFQ. In a subgroup (n=60), 7DD, spot urine, and fasting plasma samples were collected. An in-house (poly)phenol database was used to estimate (poly)phenol intake from FFQs and 7DD. Plasma and urinary (poly)phenol metabolite levels were analysed using a validated LC-MS method5. The agreements between (poly)phenol intake estimated using the (poly)phenol and EPIC-Norfolk FFQ and 7DDs, as well as plasma and urinary biomarkers, were evaluated by intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), weighted kappa, quartile classification, and Spearman correlations, and the associations were investigated using linear regression models adjusting for energy intake and multiple testing (FDR < 0.05).

Strong agreements were observed between hydroxycinnamic acids estimated from (poly)phenol FFQ and 7DDs (kappa=0.75), fair agreements were found between 9 (poly)phenol groups, including total (poly)phenol intake (kappa=0.41), while the agreements for the rest of 17 classes and subclasses of (poly)phenols were poor (kappa: 0.07 ∼ 0.39). Strong positive associations were found in 9 (poly)phenols estimated from 7DDs, including dihydroflavonols, flavones, ellagitannins, hydroxyphenylacetic acids, total stilbenes, resveratrol, total other (poly)phenols, tyrosols, and alkylphenols with stdBeta from 0.62 (95% CI: 0.42 ∼ 0.82) to 0.95 (0.86 ∼ 1.00) (FDR p < 0.05). (Poly)phenol FFQs estimated (poly)phenol intake exhibited positive associations with 99 urinary metabolites (stdBeta: 0.27 (0.06 ∼ 0.48) to 0.88 (0.72 ∼ 1.03)) and 25 plasma metabolites (stdBeta:

0.39 (0.17 ∼ 0.62) to 0.83 (0.64 ∼ 1.02)) (FDR p < 0.05). The agreement between (poly)phenol FFQs and the EPIC-Norfolk FFQs was moderate (ICC 0.51 ∼ 0.69) for all (poly)phenol intake after adjusting for energy intake. Compared with the EPIC-Norfolk FFQs estimated (poly)phenol intake, stronger and more agreements and associations were found in (poly)phenol FFQs estimated (poly)phenol with 7DDs and biomarkers.

(Poly)phenols estimated from (poly)phenol FFQ exhibited fair agreements and moderate to strong associations with 7DDs and biomarkers in the target population, indicating the novel questionnaire may be a promising tool to assess (poly)phenol intake. A representative UK population group is warranted for to test the further usability.

In response to the complex and challenging task of long-distance inspection of small-diameter and variable-diameter mine holes, this paper presents a design for an adaptive small-sized mine hole robot. First, focusing on the environment of small-diameter mine holes, the paper analyzes the robot’s functions and overall structural framework. A two-wheeled wall-pressing robot with good mobility, arranged in a straight line, is designed. Furthermore, an adaptive variable-diameter method is devised, which involves constructing an adaptive variable-diameter model and proposing a control method based on position and force estimators, enabling the robot to perceive external forces. Lastly, to verify the feasibility of the structural design and adaptive variable-diameter method, performance tests and analyses are conducted on the robot’s mobility and adaptive variable-diameter capabilities. Experimental results demonstrate that the robot can move within small-diameter mine holes at any inclination angle, with a maximum horizontal crawling speed of 3.96 m/min. By employing the adaptive variable-diameter method, the robot can smoothly navigate convex platform obstacles and slope obstacles in mine holes with diameters ranging from 70 mm to 100 mm, achieving the function of adaptive variable-diameter within 2 s. Thus, it can meet the requirements of moving inside mine holes under complex conditions such as steep slopes and small and variable diameters.

Diet is an important modifiable lifestyle factor for human health, and plant-rich dietary patterns are associated with lower risk of non-communicable diseases in numerous studies. However, objective assessment of plant-rich dietary exposure in nutritional epidemiology studies remains challenging. This study aimed to develop and evaluate metabolic signatures of the most widely used plant-rich dietary patterns using a targeted metabolomics method comprising of 108 plant food metabolites.

A total of 218 healthy participants from the POLYNTAKE cohort were included, aged 51.5 ± 17.7 years, with 24h urine samples measured using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. The validation dataset employed three sample types to test the robustness of the signature, including 24h urine (ABP cohort, n = 88), plasma (POLYNTAKE cohort, n = 195), and spot urine (TwinsUK cohort, n = 198). Adherence to the plant-rich diet was assessed using a priori plant- rich dietary patterns. A combination of metabolites that evaluates the adherence and metabolic response to a specific diet was identified as metabolic signature. We applied linear regression analysis to select the metabolites significantly associated with dietary patterns (adjusting energy intake), and ridge regression to estimate penalized weights of each candidate metabolite. The correlation between metabolic signature and the dietary pattern was assessed by Spearman analysis (FDR < 0.05).

The metabolic signatures consisting of 42, 22, 35, 15, 33, and 33 predictive metabolites across different subclasses were found to be associated with adherence to Amended Mediterranean Score (A-MED), Original MED (O-MED), Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND), healthy Plant-based Diet Index (hPDI) and unhealthy PDI (uDPI), respectively. The overlapping and distinct predictive metabolites across six dietary patterns predominantly consisted of phenolic acids (n = 38), including 14 cinnamic acids, 14 hydroxybenzoic acids, seven phenylacetic acids, and three hippuric acids. Six metabolites were included in all signatures, including two lignans: enterolactone-glucuronide, enterolactone-sulfate, and four phenolic acids: cinnamic acid, cinnamic acid-4'-sulfate, 2'- hydroxycinnamic acid, and 4-methoxybenzoic acid-3-sulfate. The established signatures were robustly correlated with dietary patterns in validation dataset (r = 0.13 - 0.40, FDR < 0.05).

We developed and evaluated a set of metabolic signatures that robustly reflected the adherence and metabolic response to plant-rich dietary patterns, suggesting the potential of these signatures to serve as an objective assessment of free-living eating habits.

Constraining the timing and extent of Quaternary glaciations in the Tibetan Plateau (TP) is significant for the reconstruction of paleoclimatic environment and understanding the interrelationships among climate, tectonics, and glacial systems. We investigated the late Quaternary glacial history of the Qinggulong and Juequ valleys in the Taniantaweng Mountains, southeastern TP, using cosmogenic 10Be surface exposure dating. Four major glacial events were identified based on 26 10Be ages. The exposure ages of the oldest late Quaternary glaciation correspond to Marine Oxygen Isotope Stage (MIS) 6. The maximum glacial extent was dated to 48.5–41.1 ka (MIS 3), during the last glaciation, and was more advanced than that of the last glacial maximum (LGM). Geochronology and geomorphological evidence indicate that multiple glacial fluctuations occurred in the study area during the Early–Middle Holocene. These glacial fluctuations likely were driven by the North Atlantic climate oscillations, summer solar insolation variability, Asian summer monsoon intensity, and CO2 concentration.

Mechanistic studies have suggested that antioxidants have beneficial effects on age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This study aimed to investigate the association between the types and sources of dietary vitamin and carotenoid intakes and AMD risk in China. A matched case–control study of 260 AMD cases and 260 matched controls was performed. The participants were interviewed for dietary information and potential confounders, and comprehensive ophthalmic examinations were performed. Conditional logistic models were used to estimate the odds ratio (OR) and 95 % confidence interval (CI) of specific vitamins and carotenoids and their main sources. When comparing the extreme quartiles, the ORs (95 % CI) were 0·30 (0·10, 0·88) for lutein and 0·28 (0·11, 0·74) for β-cryptoxanthin. The associations for other dietary vitamin and carotenoid intakes were generally weaker and non-significant. Higher intakes of spinach and egg, which are important sources of lutein, were associated with a reduced odds of AMD. ORs (95% CIs) comparing extreme categories were 0·42 (0·20, 0·88) for spinach and 0·52 (95% CI: 0·27, 0·98) for egg. Participants who were in the highest category of both egg intake and spinach intake had a much greater reduced odds of having AMD (OR: 0·23; 95% CI: 0·08, 0·71) than those in the lowest category of egg intake and spinach intake. In conclusion, a higher intake of lutein and lutein-rich foods was associated with a significantly decreased odds of AMD. These findings provide further evidence of the benefits of lutein and lutein-rich foods in the prevention of AMD.

In this prospective, longitudinal study, we examined the risk factors for severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection among a cohort of chronic hemodialysis (HD) patients and healthcare personnel (HCPs) over a 6-month period. The risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection among HD patients and HCPs was consistently associated with a household member having SARS-CoV-2 infection.

The 4.2 ka event is widely presumed to be a globally widespread aridity event and has been linked to several episodes of societal changes across the globe. Whether this climate event impacted the cultural development in south-central China remains uncertain due to a lack of regional paleorainfall records. We present here stalagmite stable carbon isotope and trace element–based reconstruction of hydroclimatic conditions from south-central China. Our data reveal a sub–millennial scale (~5.6 to 4.3 ka) drying trend in the region followed by a gradual transition to wetter conditions during the 4.2 ka event (4.3–3.9 ka). Together with the existing archaeological evidence, our data suggest that the drier climate before 4.3 ka may have promoted the Shijiahe culture, while the pluvial conditions during the 4.2 ka event may have adversely affected its settlements in low-lying areas. While military conflicts with the Wangwan III culture may have accelerated the collapse of Shijiahe culture, we suggest that the joint effects of climate and the region's topography also played important causal roles in its demise.

Nutritional Risk Screening index is a standard tool to assess nutritional risk, but epidemiological data are scarce on controlling nutritional status (CONUT) as a prognostic marker in acute haemorrhagic stroke (AHS). We aimed to explore whether the CONUT may predict a 3-month functional outcome in AHS. In total, 349 Chinese patients with incident AHS were consecutively recruited, and their malnutrition risks were determined using a high CONUT score of ≥ 2. The cohort patients were divided into high-CONUT (≥ 2) and low-CONUT (< 2) groups, and primary outcomes were a poor functional prognosis defined as the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of ≥ 3 at post-discharge for 3 months. Odds ratios (OR) with 95 % confidence intervals (CI) for the poor functional prognosis at post-discharge were estimated by using a logistic analysis with additional adjustments for unbalanced variables between the high-CONUT and low-CONUT groups. A total of 328 patients (60·38 ± 12·83 years; 66·77 % male) completed the mRS assessment at post-discharge for 3 months, with 172 patients at malnutrition risk at admission and 104 patients with a poor prognosis. The levels of total cholesterol and total lymphocyte counts were significantly lower in high-CONUT patients than low-CONUT patients (P = 0·012 and < 0·001, respectively). At 3-month post discharge, there was a greater risk for the poor outcome in the high-CONUT compared with the low-CONUT patients at admission (OR: 2·32, 95 % CI: 1·28, 4·17). High-CONUT scores independently predict a 3-month poor prognosis in AHS, which helps to identify those who need additional nutritional managements.