Empathy and support exchanges in couples coping with early-stage Alzheimer's disease.

OBJECTIVES: Research has extensively examined spousal caregiving in Alzheimer's disease (AD), but it remains unclear how people with AD help spousal caregivers. We aimed to describe emotional and practical support that people with AD and their spouses provide to each other and test the role their empathy plays in these support experiences. METHODS: Seventy-two people with early-stage AD and their spousal caregivers independently reported empathy (personal distress, empathic concern, perspective taking) and the frequency and appraisal of support provision. Caregivers reported both partners' sociodemographic characteristics. RESULTS: People with early-stage AD and their spousal caregivers provided support to each other often. Caregivers provided more support but people with AD appraised support provision as more pleasant and less stressful. Lower personal distress in both partners and greater caregiver empathic concern were associated with more frequent caregiver support to people with AD. Greater empathic concern and perspective taking were associated with more pleasant appraisals of helping. Personal distress was positively associated with stress of helping. CONCLUSION: Findings describe support reciprocity in early-stage AD and debunk the myth of people with AD being only recipients of care. We identify risk and resilience in couples per empathy and inform the design of dyadic interventions to promote mutually beneficial relationships in AD.

Long-term psychological consequences of parental bereavement prior to midlife: volunteering helps.

OBJECTIVES: Losing a child prior to midlife may be a uniquely traumatic event that continues to compromise parents' well-being in later life. This study compared psychological well-being between bereaved and non-bereaved parents, and examined whether volunteering protects bereaved parents. Because most families have more than one child, we further explored whether the number of living children parents had differentiated bereaved parents in their well-being. METHODS: We analyzed a pooled sample of parents aged 50+ (N = 12,023) from the Health and Retirement Study (2010/2012-2012/2014), including parents who lost a child prior to 50 and those who never lost a child. Two-level linear regression models were estimated to test the associations between child loss, volunteering, and psychological well-being, and examine the moderating effect of number of living children. RESULTS: Bereaved parents reported more depressive symptoms and lower life satisfaction than their non-bereaved counterparts, which was more evident among parents with fewer children alive. Among bereaved parents, volunteering, particularly volunteering 100+ hours/year, was associated with better psychological well-being at baseline; yet, volunteering 1-99 hours/year led to a larger increase in life satisfaction over time. The benefits of volunteering held true regardless of the number of living children. CONCLUSION: This study adds to our understanding of the lasting effect of parental bereavement and suggests volunteering as a potential intervention aimed at helping bereaved older parents. Findings identify parents with fewer children as a particularly vulnerable population in the face of child loss and calls for more resources allocated to help them.

Empathy and Coping: Older Adults' Interpersonal Tensions and Mood throughout the Day.

INTRODUCTION: Scholars have proposed that empathy is a key feature of strong social ties, but less is known about the role empathy plays when tensions arise. OBJECTIVE: We examined whether older adults' empathy was associated with (a) coping strategies for interpersonal tensions, and (b) mood when there were tensions throughout the day. We also explored whether coping strategies explained the potential buffering effect of empathy on older adults' momentary mood. METHODS: Older adults (N = 302) from the Daily Experiences and Well-Being Study completed a baseline survey on empathy and coping strategies. They also completed ecological momentary assessments every 3 hours each day for 5-6 days, which included questions about interpersonal tensions and mood. This study considered tensions with close partners (e.g., family and friends) and with non-close partners (e.g., acquaintances and service providers). RESULTS: In the face of interpersonal tensions, more empathic older adults reported using more constructive and less destructive coping strategies than less empathic older adults, regardless of their closeness to social partners. Being more empathic also buffered older adults' mood when tensions occurred with close partners, but this buffering effect was not mediated by older adults' general preference for coping strategies. CONCLUSION: This study advances our understanding of empathy and interpersonal tensions in later life, with a focus on daily experiences.

Phase locking and homodyne detection of repetitive laser pulses.

A method to realize pulse laser phase locking and homodyne detection is proposed, which can be used in lidar and continuous variable quantum key distribution (CVQKD) systems. Theoretical analysis shows that homodyne detection of pulse laser has a sensitivity advantage of more than 4 dB over heterodyne detection. An experimental verification setup was constructed to realize phase-locking and homodyne detection of pulse lasers at repetition rates from 50 kHz to 2.4 MHz. For 320 ns signal laser pulses at 300 kHz with peak power of -65 dBm, the phase error is 8.9° (mainly limited by the chirp effect in the modulation of signal laser), and the detection signal-to-noise ratio reaches 20.2 dB. When the peak power is reduced to -75 dBm, phase locking and homodyne detection can still be achieved. Homodyne detection based on phase locking could serve as a novel weak-laser-pulse receiving method with high sensitivity and anti-interference performance.

Mothers, Fathers, Daughters, and Sons: Gender Differences in Adults' Intergenerational Ties.

Women are more involved in family ties than men, but these differences may vary across generations as gender roles have shifted. We know little about gender patterns across generations in the same family, however. To address this gap, midlife men and women aged 40-60 (n = 633) from the Family Exchanges Study reported on relationships with each aging parent and each grown child. Mothers were more involved (e.g., more frequent contact, greater positive and negative relationship qualities, and more frequent support exchanges) than fathers in both generations, with parental gender differences stronger in the older generation. Offspring gender differences were generally consistent across generations, with daughters more involved by phone in emotional forms of support, and in negative relationship quality; these gender differences were stronger in the younger generation than the older ones. We discuss pervasive gender differences that favor mothers, as well as shifts in gender differences across generations.

[Discovery and application of traditional Chinese medicine efficacy markers based on systematic traditional Chinese medicine].

The quality marker(Q-marker) of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) is a new concept of TCM quality control proposed in recent years. It is a hot issue in the research of modern Chinese medicine. The TCM efficacy is a high-level summary of the TCM therapeutic effect under the guidance of TCM theory. On this basis, it is of considerable significance to explore the TCM efficacy marker for the TCM modernization. However, the traditional research strategy based on the single herb and decoction piece in macro TCM level, or the drug research strategy based on the biological effect of the targets, is quite different from the characteristics of multiple components of TCM, as well as the weak and low-selective effect of Chinese medicine ingredients on targets. Therefore, how to select representative ingredients to characterize the TCM overall efficacy is a problematic point in establishing TCM efficacy markers. In this paper, the concept and method of Q-marker were introduced into the study of Chinese medicine efficacy. The research method for systematic TCM was used to systematically discuss the connotation of TCM efficacy markers, the principles of discovery and determination, common research ideas and techniques by taking the representative research results as an example. This study provides new ideas for the research and discovery of TCM efficacy markers.

[Study on components efficacy of Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma based on systematic traditional Chinese medicine].

This paper aimed to establish efficacy systems of tanshinones and salvianolic acids, two representative substances in Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma by using literature mining and biological network construction, based on systematic traditional Chinese medicine theory. The systematic study on the efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine was carried out from the basic unit, the structure and relationship between the basic units, the boundary of the research object and the function of the system, so as to explain the overall efficacy of the two kinds of components at the molecular level. Firstly, we collected the elements of the efficacy systems of these two kinds of components by literature mining, and defined their boundaries based on biological processes. After that, the structure of the efficacy systems was clarified according to the relationship in the KEGG database. Finally, the function of the efficacy systems was analyzed from the level of pharmacology, pharmacodynamics, and efficacy, revealing the scientific connotation of traditional Chinese medicine efficacy system. The results showed that there were 201 targets(elements), 12 target sets(boundary), and 12 pathway networks(structure) in salvianolic acids' efficacy system. Meanwhile, there were 189 targets(elements), 11 target sets(boundary), and 11 pathway networks(structure) in tanshinones' efficacy system. The results suggested that the functions of salvia-nolic acids' and tanshinones' efficacy systems were different in pharmacology and pharmacodynamics from aspects of elements, boundary, relationship and structure, but they were same in functional level as both of them could promote blood circulation, remove blood stasis, clear away heart-fire, relieve restlessness, and soothe the nerves. Based on systematic traditional Chinese medicine, we constructed the efficacy system of two representative components in Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma in this paper, elucidated the overall efficacy and builded the bridge between reductionism and holism in traditional Chinese medicine.

[Study on efficacy markers of heat-clearing and detoxifying effect of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos based on systematic traditional Chinese medicine].

Lonicerae Japonicae Flos has a long history of heat-clearing and detoxifying effect. The description of its efficacy in Chinese Pharmacopoeia of past dynasties is relatively stable, and it is an excellent carrier for the study of efficacy markers. Guided by the theory of systematic traditional Chinese medicine, heat-clearing and detoxifying effect efficacy system of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos was taken as an example in this study to clarify the elements(active ingredients) of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos in heat-clearing and detoxifying efficacy system, determine the boundary(signal pathway), establish the structure(system dynamics model), identify the system functions corresponding to pharmacology, efficacy and effects(heat-clearing and detoxifying effect), and explore the application of system dynamics model in the discovery of efficacy markers of traditional Chinese medicine. In this paper, the dynamic models of interleukin 1(IL-1) and interleukin 6(IL-6) in vivo were established to predict the expression of related factors in IL-1 and IL-6 signaling pathways of different components and their combinations in Lonicerae Japonicae Flos by dynamic network, so as to find the effective markers of heat-clearing and detoxification of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos. The results showed that the lower the concentration of chlorogenic acid, the higher the inhibition rate of Jun N-terminal kinase(JNK) at downstream of IL-1 by the combination of chlorogenic acid and linalool; the higher the concentration of luteolin in IL-6 pathway, the higher the inhibition rate of C-reactive protein(CRP) at downstream of IL-6 by the combination of chlorogenic acid and luteolin. It revealed that the potential efficacy markers of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos in heat-clearing and detoxifying effect based on IL-1 signaling pathway were chlorogenic acid and linalool, and the potential efficacy markers of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos in heat-clearing and detoxifying effect based on IL-6 signaling pathway were chlorogenic acid and luteolin. This study provided methodological guidance for the discovery of efficacy markers of traditional Chinese medicine.

[Efficacy and safety of less invasive surfactant administration in the treatment of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome: a Meta analysis].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of less invasive surfactant administration (LISA) in the treatment of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS). METHODS: PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, China Biology Medicine disc, China Scientific Journal Database, CNKI Database, and Wanfang Database were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the use of LISA strategy in the treatment of NRDS. Literature screening and quality assessment were performed according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. Review Manager 5.3 software was used to perform the Meta analysis. RESULTS: A total of 9 RCTs were included, with a total of 1 212 children with NRDS. There were 611 children in the experimental group (treated with LISA strategy) and 601 children in the control group [treated with intubation-surfactant-extubation (INSURE) strategy]. The Meta analysis showed that the use of LISA strategy reduced the rate of mechanical ventilation within 72 hours after birth (OR=0.39, 95%CI: 0.29-0.51, P<0.001) and the incidence rates of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (OR=0.53, 95%CI: 0.38-0.72, P<0.001) and pneumothorax (OR=0.56, 95%CI: 0.33-0.93, P=0.02). There were no significant differences in the mortality rate and incidence rates of other neonatal diseases between the two groups (P>0.05). There was no significant difference in the rate of repeated use of pulmonary surfactant (PS) between the two groups (P>0.05), but there was a higher incidence rate of PS reflux observed by LISA strategy (OR=2.60, 95%CI: 1.64-4.12, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with INSURE strategy, LISA strategy has advantages in reducing the need for mechanical ventilation and the incidence rates of bronchopulmonary dysplasia and pneumothorax in children with NRDS.

Overcoming Kinetic Trapping for Morphology Evolution during Polymerization-Induced Self-Assembly.

Polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA) is a powerful technique to synthesize assemblies with various morphologies. However, PISA mediated by long, stabilizing chains usually produces kinetically trapped spheres; thus, the morphology evolution remains a challenge. Here, a convenient and general strategy for facilitating the morphological evolution by the copolymerization of solvophilic monomers is reported. With the incorporation of only 7% (molar ratio) solvophilic 3-(triethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate (TESPMA) into poly(N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate)-b-poly(benzyl methacrylate) (PDMA-b-PBzMA) spheres, PDMA-b-P(BzMA-co-TESPMA) assemblies evolve from spheres to worms, octopi-like and jellyfish-like structures, vesicles, and large compound vesicles. This non-specific effect is further confirmed by the copolymerization of BzMA with other solvophilic monomers, including N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate (DMA), N,N-diethylaminoethyl methacrylate (DEA), and 2-hydroxypropyl methacrylate (HPMA). This work provides a convenient approach to promote morphology evolution and develops the formulations design of PISA.

Older Adults' Empathy and Daily Support Exchanges.

Older adults' empathy may shape the frequency and types of support that they exchange with their social partners as well as the implications of these exchanges. This study drew on the Daily Experiences and Well-being Study, which included adults aged 65 and over and tracked them across 5 to 6 days using mobile phone surveys. Participants (n = 293) rated their empathy and reported their daily support exchanges (e.g., emotional support, instrumental support, advice) as well as mood. Findings showed that more empathic older adults provided each type of support more often. They also received more emotional support than less empathic older adults. Moreover, older adults' empathy moderated the associations between providing support and their daily mood. More empathic older adults maintained their mood regardless of whether they provided support. By contrast, less empathic older adults reported reduced positive mood on days when they provided emotional support and increased positive mood when they provided instrumental support. Greater empathy is associated with more frequent support exchanges; however, more empathic older adults appear immune to such exchanges in terms of their mood. Interestingly, less empathic older adults may find providing emotional support draining but instrumental support rewarding, probably because they are less equipped to cope with others' emotions.

[Nature-effect relationship research of traditional Chinese medicine for promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis based on nature combination].

The efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine is the therapeutic effect of the drug on the body. The nature of traditional Chinese medicine is a further generalization of the effect of efficacy,and there is an intrinsic relationship between efficacy and nature of traditional Chinese medicine. In this study,the nature-effect relationship is found on the whole level,through the research mode of " nature combination-targets of traditional Chinese medicine-modules of protein interaction network-efficiency". The results showed that the warm-pungent-liver protein interaction network mainly participated in lipid catabolic process,blood coagulation,platelet activation,heme oxidation,platelet degranulation,apoptotic process,acute inflammatory response to exert the effect of anti-tumor,antithrombotic,anti-myocardial ischemia and anti-inflammatory.

CO2 -Breathing Polymer Assemblies via One-Pot Sequential RAFT Dispersion Polymerization.

ABC triblock copolymer assemblies with reversible "breathing" behaviors based on poly[oligo(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate]-b-poly(benzyl methacrylate)-b-poly[2-(diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate] (POEGMA-b-PBnMA-b-PDEA) are fabricated via one-pot sequential reverisble addition-fragmentation chain transfer dispersion polymerization. Using a POEGMA as the macromolecular chain transfer agent, chain extension with BnMA and DEA is conducted in ethanol, where PBnMA acts as the core-forming block, and the PDEA block endows the solvophilicity and CO2 -responsiveness. With the increment of the DP of PBnMA, the morphology of the assemblies evolves from spheres to worms, and to vesicles, while it degenerates from conglutinated vesicles to spheres as the DP of PDEA increases. After replacing ethanol with water, the morphologies of these assemblies remain unchanged, while their size decreases due to the collapse of the hydrophobic PDEA chains. Interestingly, due to the protonation and deprotonation of PDEA blocks, both the spheres and vesicles manifest a reversible expansion/shrinkage upon alternative CO2 /Ar stimulation, exhibiting distinctive breathing feature.

Semi-Fluorinated Methacrylates: A Class of Versatile Monomers for Polymerization-Induced Self-Assembly.

A series of polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA) formulations are developed based on reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) dispersion polymerization of semi-fluorinated methacrylates. Alcoholic RAFT dispersion polymerization of 2-(perfluorobutyl)ethyl methacrylate (FBEMA), 2-(perfluorohexyl)ethyl methacrylate (FHEMA), and 2-(perfluorooctyl)ethyl methacrylate (FOEMA) is systematically evaluated to extend the general usability of semi-fluorinated methacrylates to PISA. The nanostructure of the assemblies is correlated to the side-chain length of the monomer: RAFT dispersion polymerization of FBEMA produces spherical micelles, wormlike micelles, and vesicles depending on its degree of polymerization (DP), while only spheres are generated for the PISA of FHEMA. PISA of FOEMA generates liquid crystalline cylindrical micelles, whose diameter increases with the DP of FOEMA. These results demonstrate the general feasibility of semi-fluorinated methacrylates to PISA. Besides, PISA of FHEMA is also realized in a variety of solvents, including iso-propanol, toluene, dioxane, and dimethyl formamide, exhibiting the superior solvent serviceability of the PISA formulations based on semi-fluorinated methacrylates.

Computed tomography lymphangiography findings in 27 cases of lymphangioleiomyomatosis.

Background Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a rare disease involving the bronchi, lymphatic vessels, and veins. However, there are few reports about lymphatic vessel abnormalities associated with LAM. Purpose To evaluate computed tomography (CT) lymphangiography findings in cases of LAM, especially lymphatic vessel abnormalities. Material and Methods Twenty-seven patients with LAM underwent direct lymphangiography (DLG), followed by a post-procedural thoracoabdominal CT examination. Results All 27 patients were diagnosed with LAM, including 25 (93%) with chylothorax, eight (30%) with chyloperitoneum, seven (26%) with chylous fluid in the chest and abdomen, and one (4%) with lower-limb lymphedema. The CT lymphangiography showed that 27/27 (100%) patients presented iliac or retroperitoneal lymphatic vessel dilation; 20/27 (74%) presented thoracic duct outlet obstruction; 9/27 (33%) presented pleural lymph leakage; and 13/27 (48%) presented an abnormal distribution of contrast agent in the contralateral lumbar trunk, 3/27 (11%) in the pulmonary field, 1/27 (4%) in the abdominal cavity, and 4/27 (15%) in the pelvic cavity. Five of the 27 patients (19%) had retroperitoneal lymphangioleiomyomas, with contrast agent accumulation in three cases during CT lymphangiography. Two of the 27 (7%) patients had enlarged lymph nodes in the retroperitoneum. All 27 patients (100%) diagnosed with LAM displayed various lung cysts on thoracic high-resolution CT scans. Conclusion CT lymphangiography findings can be used to diagnose most LAM cases accurately. Moreover, these findings also display the various lymphatic vessel abnormalities associated with LAM.

Direct Synthesis of Polymer Nanotubes by Aqueous Dispersion Polymerization of a Cyclodextrin/Styrene Complex.

A one-step synthesis of nanotubes by RAFT dispersion polymerization of cyclodextrin/styrene (CD/St) complexes directly in water is presented. The resulted amphiphilic PEG-b-PS diblock copolymers self-assemble in situ into nanoparticles with various morphologies. Spheres, worms, lamellae, and nanotubes were controllably obtained. Because of the complexation, the swelling degree of polystyrene (PS) blocks by free St is limited, resulting in limited mobility of PS chains. Consequently, kinetically trapped lamellae and nanotubes were obtained instead of spherical vesicles. During the formation of nanotubes, small vesicles first formed at the ends of the tape-like lamellae, then grew and fused into nanotubes with a limited chain rearrangement. The introduction of a host-guest interaction based on CDs enables the aqueous dispersion polymerization of water-immiscible monomers, and produces kinetically trapped nanostructures, which could be a powerful technique for nanomaterials synthesis.

CO2 -Responsive Nanofibrous Membranes with Switchable Oil/Water Wettability.

Responsive polymer interfacial materials are ideal candidates for controlling surface wetting behavior. Here we developed smart nanostructured electrospun polymer membranes which are capable of switching oil/water wettability using CO2 as the trigger. In particular, the combination of CO2 -responsiveness and porous nanostructure enables the as-prepared membranes to be used as a novel oil/water on-off switch. We anticipate that the promising versatility and simplicity of this system would not only open up a new way of surface wettability change regulation by gas, but also have obvious advantages in terms of highly controlled oil/water separation and CO2 applications.

Statistical Copolymerization-Induced Self-Assembly.

Statistical copolymers have been extensively used in chemical industries and our daily lives, owing to their ease of synthesis and functionalization. However, self-assembly based on statistical copolymers has been haunted by high interfacial energy, poor stability, and low concentration. We proposed the statistical copolymerization-induced self-assembly (stat-PISA) as a general strategy for one-step preparing stable statistical copolymer assemblies with high solids content. The concept was demonstrated through a model dispersion polymerization system comprising a charged hydrophilic monomer and a core-forming monomer, producing spherical micelles via a spinodal decomposition mechanism with an interconnected network intermediate. The stat-PISA was tunable by varying the fraction of charged monomer, the polymer chain length, and the solids content. The statistical copolymer micelles were demonstrated to be a potential Pickering emulsifier with superior stabilizing performances compared to their block copolymer counterparts. The general applicability of stat-PISA was demonstrated by preparing statistical copolymer assemblies with varying surface charges and chemical compositions. Particularly, this strategy is feasible for conventional free radical polymerization, promising for industrial scale-up.

Dyadic profiles of couples' self-perceptions of aging: Implications for mental health.

The way older adults perceive their own aging processes influences their mental health, but we know little about how this occurs in a dyadic context, where spouses' perceptions and health are often intertwined. The present study sought to identify dyadic profiles of self-perceptions of aging (SPAs) in couples and examine how certain profiles are associated with each partner's mental health over time. A pooled sample of 3,850 heterosexual couples aged 50+ in the Health and Retirement Study (2012/2014) rated positive and negative SPAs and provided data on demographic characteristics, couple relationships, and health. We tracked these couples' depressive symptoms over 2 years (2014/2016). Latent profile analysis revealed five profiles of couples' SPAs: similarly positive (20%), similarly negative (6%), similarly average (38%), husband negative (20%), and wife negative (17%). Physical health and marital quality consistently differentiated couples in profile membership. Couples with similarly positive and similarly average SPAs reported the smallest increases in depressive symptoms over time, and couples with similarly negative SPAs fared worst in mental health. We observed interesting gender differences across profiles; husbands in the husband negative profile reported significantly greater increases in depressive symptoms than those in the wife negative profile. Yet, wives in these two profiles did not differ in their depressive symptoms over time, and they reported worse mental health than wives in the similarly positive and similarly average profiles. This study adds to the emerging literature that advocates for an interpersonal approach to SPAs and reveals risk and resilience in couples as they age together. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Preferences for Features of Current and Future Residential Environments Among Korean Middle-Aged Adults.

This study examined differences in middle-aged adults' preferred features of their current versus future residential environments and how these differences varied by health and social characteristics. A sample of 1,651 Korean middle-aged adults (aged 49-64) rated their preferences for each of 12 features (e.g., proximity to family/relatives, house price) regarding current and future residential environments, separately. Respondents considered "accessibility to health services" and "opportunity for leisure activities" more important for future residential environments than for current ones. Respondents with poorer health considered features that help them compensate for health decline more important, while those who contacted friends/neighbors more frequently and participated in more cultural activities considered features that help them maintain their social interactions more important for future residential environments than the past. Our findings identified middle-aged adults' various demands for residential features after retirement, which reflect their strategic reactions to future needs for successful adaptation in later years.