The optimal intervention for preventing physical restraints among older adults living in the nursing home: A systematic review.

AIM: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of restraint reduction programs for nursing home care providers in enforcing physical restraint on residents and identify the best strategies for such programs. DESIGN: Systematic Review. METHODS: We searched for randomized controlled trials published until February 2021 for systematic review. The systematic review captured multifactorial interventions, education and consultation measures, including nursing home residents' and care providers' results. Study quality was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration criteria. RESULTS: In all seven trials, the interventions were led by a nurse specialist or unit leader and targeted at care providers. Five of the restraint reduction programs effectively reduced the rate of physical restraint use; two increased knowledge of restraint reduction for care providers; and one each promoted positive attitudes and behaviours. Duration of at least 6 weeks significantly improved the knowledge of care providers.

Association of Toll-like receptor 2 polymorphisms with gout.

Gout is the most common autoinflammatory arthritis characterized by elevated serum urate and recurrent attacks of intra-articular crystal deposition of monosodium urate (MSU) in tissues. The pathogenesis of gout has not been fully determined, although certain genetic factors are involved in the development of gout. Accumulated data suggested that MSU crystal-induced inflammation is a paradigm of innate immunity. As Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are the underlying mechanisms of the innate immune response, the present study aimed to investigate whether TLR2 polymorphisms are associated with gout. Two single-nucleotide polymorphisms (Arg677Trp and Arg753Gln, rs5743708) in TLR2 were genotyped by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism and the -196 to -174 del polymorphism was investigated using the allele-specific polymerase chain reaction in 431 individuals (215 patients with gout and 216 healthy controls). TLR2 Arg677Trp and Arg753Gln genotyping indicated that all the positive samples were of the wild-type genotype. No significant differences in genotype (χ2=1.686, P=0.430) and allele (χ2=1.430, P=0.232) frequencies of the -196 to -174 del polymorphism between the patients with gout and the control groups was observed. Our results suggested that the TLR2 Arg677Trp, Arg753Gln and the -196 to -174 del polymorphisms were not associated with susceptibility to primary gouty arthritis.

[SRY gene analysis for a case with sex reversal syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the molecular mechanism of sex reversal in a 46,XY female patient. METHODS: Clinical data was collected. Peripheral blood lymphocytes were cultured for G-banding chromosomal analysis and DNA extraction. Sex-determining region of Y-chromosome (SRY) gene was analyzed with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA sequencing . RESULTS: Although the patient has a female appearance, he has a karyotype of 46,XY. The SRY gene can be detected in all samples. The 6th base of SRY gene coding region was deleted, resulting in a frameshifting mutation and premature termination of protein translation. CONCLUSION: The sex reversal of the patient is probably due to abnormal embryonic development caused by the SRY gene mutation.

Effects of anti-leukemia drug Harringtonine on the levels of centromere proteins and gene expression of CenpB in L1210 cells.

In this study, we investigated the effects of the anti-leukemia drug Harringtonine (HT) on the levels of centromere proteins and gene expression of centromere protein CenpB in L1210 cells. The intensity of centromere fluorescence, shown by indirect immunofluorescence staining, decreased with HT treatment. Western blot showed that the anti-centromere antibody (ACA) serum used in this study recognized 8 proteins with different molecular weights: 140, 80, 70, 56, 37, 34, 32 and 17 kD. The amounts of some of these proteins were reduced to different extents by HT treatment. The ACA antibodies that recognized the 17, 80 and 140 kD proteins in L1210 cells also cross-reacted with 3 proteins with similar molecular weights which are known to be CenpA, CenpB and CenpC, respectively. Northern and Dot blot analyses revealed that the level of CenpB mRNA in HT-treated cells was markedly lower than that in the untreated cells. These results suggest that HT may cause a decrease in the intracellular level of some centromere proteins, probably by inhibiting mRNA expression of corresponding genes. Moreover, it is possible that the cell-killing and appotosis-inducing effects of HT may be mediated by the inhibition of the expression of CenpB and other centromere protein genes.