Personal values and people's attitudes toward older adults.

BACKGROUND: We examine the relationship between people's personal values and their attitudes toward older adults. In addition to the two conventionally-used measures of personal values (agency subdimension and communion subdimension), we distinguish across 10 different value types and explore how each impacts attitude. METHODS: We use data from the World Values Survey for three aging Asian societies, namely Japan (N = 2448), Singapore (N = 1972), and Hong Kong PRC (N = 1000). For each sample, we perform regression-based analyses to assess the relative importance of the 10 value types in explaining people's attitudes towards older adults. Results are then compared against regressions based on the two aggregate value measures. RESULTS: In all three economies, the agency subdimension was a more consistent predictor of unfavorable attitudes toward older adults, as compared to the communion subdimension. Our disaggregated analysis reveals two additional insights. First, the positive association between agentic values and attitudes was driven predominantly by the power (wealth) and stimulation (excitement) value types. Second, the lack of association between the communion subdimension and attitudes must be interpreted with caution since certain value types within this subdimension may act in opposite directions causing effects to cancel each other out at the aggregate level. CONCLUSIONS: Disaggregating personal value types provides greater prognostic power than the two aggregate measures, as well as insights on ways to improve people's attitudes toward older adults. Interventions aimed at reducing ageist attitudes in aging societies can target individuals with agentic traits by emphasizing notions of power (e.g., older adults' economic success) and stimulation (e.g., positive images of older adults learning new things).

Distribution of multiple chalazia in eyelids of pediatrics requiring surgery in southeast China: a hospital-based cross-sectional study.

Background: Multiple chalazia are common in children, and many are treated by surgery. However, the distribution of different types of multiple chalazia has not been studied. This research aimed to investigate the location and number of multiple chalazia in pediatrics who need surgical treatments. Methods: Patients with multiple chalazia treated by incision and curettage surgery (I&C) in a tertiary children's hospital between June and December 2016 were reviewed. Demographic data, locations, and numbers of chalazia were recorded. Data were analyzed using generalized linear models of the counts and the occurrences of chalazia. Hypotheses were tested using likelihood ratio tests appropriate for each type of data. Results: The study included 128 subjects, most of which were 1-3 years old. The majority of patients had bilateral chalazia (95.3%), and the proportions of patients with internal, external, and marginal chalazion differed dramatically (99.2%, 61.7%, and 2.3%, respectively). The number of internal and external chalazia did not vary significantly with gender, age, or residence of the patients. Internal chalazia were located more frequently in the upper lids (p<0.001). External chalazia showed no preference of localization. The average number of internal chalazia in each eyelid did not relate to the presence of external chalazia. Conclusions: Multiple chalazia are common among younger children in southeast China. The anatomical distribution varies depending on the type of chalazion. Multiple chalazia often occur bilaterally and internally. If doctors are more aware of the anatomical distribution of chalazia, this might result in a higher success rate of I&C.

Attenuation of oxygen fluctuation-induced endoplasmic reticulum stress in human lens epithelial cells.

Cataractogenic stresses are associated with the induction of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. However, little is known about oxygen (O2)-induced ER stress in the lens. Cataract research has focused on elevated levels of O2 in lens epithelial cells (LECs). Excessive levels or a lack of O2 are known to induce ER stress whereas chronic ER stress activates the unfolded protein response (UPR). The present study investigated the hypothesis that the fluctuation of O2 levels induces a UPR, and may be controlled by maintaining human LECs (hLECs) in a specific concentration of O2. Human LECs were cultured in different atmospheric levels of O2. Hypoxic conditions were determined by the level of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α. 2',7'-Dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate and ethidium homodimer-1 staining were conducted to detect reactive oxygen species (ROS) and cell death, respectively. Protein blot analyses were performed with antibodies specific to antioxidant and UPR-specific proteins. Reverse transcription-quantitatative polymerase chain reaction assays were performed to quantify the mRNA levels of activated NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1). The treatment of human LECs with 0 and 20% atmospheric O2 activated Nrf2/Keap1. The LECs shifted to 1% atmospheric O2 from 0, 4 or 20% for 24 h showed decreased levels of Keap1. By contrast, hLECs cultured in 1% atmospheric O2 for 24 h and then shifted to 0, 4 or 20% O2 exhibited a significant upregulation of Nrf2. These results suggest that oxidative stress proteins were not expressed in a 1% O2 environment. The O2 levels in the culture medium were equilibrated within 2 h in the cell culture plates. These results showed that an appropriate oxygen environment for the culture of LECs is ~1 % atmospheric O2. Either 0 or 20% of atmospheric O2 activated the UPR and the Nrf2/Keap1-mediated antioxidant system in LECs and chronic exposure to O2 fluctuation led to ROS production and cell death. This study revealed that O2 fluctuation-induced UPR/ER stress could be prevented by maintaining the cells in a 1% O2 environment.