Sustainable Participation in Community Health Programs to Promote a Healthy Lifestyle and Prevent and Protect against Dementia among Rural Taiwanese Middle-Aged and Older Adults.

BACKGROUND: Resource and economic constraints limit access to health care in rural populations, and consequently, rates of chronic illnesses are higher in this population. Further, little is known about how rural populations adopt active and healthy lifestyle behavior for dementia prevention. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to explore the impact of modification in lifestyle behaviors on changes in cognitive function among middle-aged and older adults living in a rural area of Taiwan. DESIGN: In this prospective longitudinal study, changes in lifestyle and cognitive function were compared between the experimental and control groups. SETTING: Six rural community care stations were randomly cluster sampled in southern Taiwan. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 155 participants were enrolled and classified into two groups according to their community activity participation rate (CAPR). The control group (n=68) had a CAPR < 1x/month, and the experimental group (n=87) had a CAPR ≥ 1x/month. MEASUREMENTS: Cognitive function of the participants was measured using the MMSE scale. Lifestyle behaviors were measured using a self-designed questionnaire based on the Transtheoretical Model. RESULTS: From 2018-2020, the experimental group successfully maintained a healthy lifestyle. The MMSE score in the experimental group was significantly higher in the 3rd year than that in the control group (25.37 vs 22.56, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Sustainable community participation and adopting a healthy lifestyle could effectively maintain the cognitive function of the study participants. However, more needs to be done to support rural older adults to maintain a healthy diet and control their weight.

Strengthening teachers' abilities to implement a vision health program in Taiwanese schools.

We designed a school-based, nationwide program called the 'New Era in Eye Health' to strengthen teacher training and to examine whether the existence of a government vision care policy influenced teachers' vision care knowledge and students' behavior. Baseline data and 3-month follow-up data were compared. A random sample of teachers (n = 660) from school vision health clusters in 22 cities/counties in Taiwan were invited to participate in our study and 436 agreed to participate (response rate = 66.1%). The mean age of participant teachers was 41.2 years, while the length of service mean was 14.6 years. For monitoring teacher outcomes, five cities/counties were selected as the intensely monitored group based on certain criteria. Sunlight diaries (n = 5434) were distributed and 3342 (61.5%) were returned. Teachers showed significant improvements in knowledge and behavior on the school vision health questionnaire. At the 3-month follow-up, the number of recesses as recorded by students' 'sunlight diary' increased. When teachers had better knowledge and behavior, recesses also increased. This study provided valuable insights to guide dissemination efforts for school vision health interventions and to help teachers implement research into their school vision health activities.

The synthesis of oxylate from hydroxypyruvate by isolated perfused rat liver. The mechanism of hyperoxaluria in L-glyceric aciduria.

Hydroxypyruvate and glycolate inhibited the oxidation of [U-14C]glyoxylate to [14C]oxalate in isolated perfused rat liver, but stimulated total oxalate and glycolate synthesis. [14C]Oxalate synthesis from [14C]glycine was similarly inhibited by hydroxypyruvate, but conversion of [14C1]glycolate to [14C]oxalate was increased three-fold. Pyruvate had no effect on the synthesis of [14C]-oxalate or total oxalate. The inhibition studies suggest that hydroxypyruvate is a precursor of glycolate and oxalate and that the conversion of glycolate to oxalate does not involve free glyoxylate as an intermediate. [14C35Hydroxypyruvate, but not [14C1]hydroxypyruvate, was oxidized to [14C]oxalate in isolated perfused rat liver. Isotope dilution studies indicate the major pathway involves the decarboxylation of hydroxypyruvate forming glycolaldehyde which is subsequently oxidized to oxalate via glycolate. The oxidation of serine which is subsequently oxidized to oxalate via glycolate. The oxidation of serine to oxalate appears to proceed predominantly via hydroxypyruvate rather than glycine or ethanolamine. The hyperoxaluria of L-glyceric aciduria, primary hyperoxaluria type II, is induced by the oxidation of the hydroxypyruvate, which accumulates because of the deficiency of D-glyceric dehydrogenase, to oxalate.

Mechanism of action of the 12,13-epoxytrichothecene, anguidine, an inhibitor of protein synthesis.

Anguidine, muconomycin A, T-2 toxin, crotocin and trichodermin, a group of 12,13-epoxytrichothecenes, inhibit protein synthesis in HeLa cells and in rabbit reticulocyte lysates. These five mycotoxins can be divided into two groups on the basis of the reversibility of their effects in HeLa cells, and kinetics of inhibition and effects on polyribosome structure in rabbit reticulocyte lysates. Anguidine, muconomycin A and T-2 toxin are irreversible inhibitors of protein synthesis; crotocin and trichodermin are reversible inhibitors of protein synthesis. After addition of low concentrations (1 muM) of anguidine, muconomycin A or T-2 toxin to rabbit reticulocyte lysates, polyribosomes are broken down to monosomes. At higher concentrations, 1 mM, these drugs begin to freeze the polyribosomes. Crotocin and trichodermin freeze the polyribosomes at a concentration of 10 muM. We conclude that anguidine, muconomycin A and T-2 toxin act primarily as inhibitors of initiation of protein synthesis, whereas crotocin and trichodermin inhibit the process of chain elongation.