Molecular characterization of a novel Spiruromorpha species in wild Chinese pangolin by mitogenome sequence analysis.

Pangolins are susceptible to a variety of gastrointestinal nematodes due to their burrowing lifestyle and feeding habits, and few parasitic nematodes have been reported. Here, a Chinese pangolin with old wounds on its leg and tail was rescued from the Heyuan City, Guangdong Province. The cox1 and SSU rRNA of the worms from the intestine of the Chinese pangolin had the highest sequence identity of 89.58% and 97.95% to the species in the infraorder Spiruromorpha. The complete mitogenome of the worm was further assembled by next-generation sequencing, with a size of 13,708 bp and a GC content of 25.6%. The worm mitogenome had the highest sequence identity of 78.56% to that of Spirocerca lupi, sharing the same gene arrangement with S. lupi and some species in other families under Spiruromorpha. However, the mitogenome between the worm and S. lupi showed differences in codon usage of PCGs, sequences of NCR, and tRNA secondary structures. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the worm mitogenome was clustered with S. lupi in the family Thelaziidae to form a separate branch. However, it is still difficult to identify the worm in the family Thelaziidae because the species in the family Thelaziidae are confused, specifically S. lupi and Thelazia callipaeda in the family Thelaziidae were separated and grouped with species from other families. Thus, the parasitic nematode from the Chinese pangolin may be a novel species in Spiruromorpha and closely related to S. lupi. This study enriches the data on gastrointestinal nematodes in the Chinese pangolin.

The DDD score outperforms the RENAL score in predicting high-grade renal cell carcinoma.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the relationship between Fuhrman grade of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and the DDD score. METHODS: We reviewed the records of 527 nonmetastatic RCC patients. Demographic, clinical, and pathologic characteristics were reviewed. Binary logistic regression was used to explore the independent risk factors for high-grade RCC (HGRCC). RESULTS: Sex, BMI (Body Mass Index), RNS, and DDD score were significantly correlated with HGRCC. Based on these independent risk factors, we constructed two predictive models integrating the RNS and DDD scores with sex and BMI to predict tumor grade. The calibration curves of the predictive model showed good agreement between the observations and predictions. The concordance indexes (C-indexes) of the predictive models were 0.768 (95% CI, 0.713-0.824), and 0.809 (95% CI, 0.759-0.859). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were performed to compare the predictive power of the nomograms, and the prediction model including the DDD score had better prognostic ability (p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: This study found that RNS, DDD score, BMI, and sex were independent predictors of HGRCC. We developed effective nomograms integrating the above risk factors to predict HGRCC. Of note, the nomogram including the DDD score achieves better prediction ability for HGRCC.

Interventions to Support the Return to Work for Individuals with Stroke: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: An increasing number of individuals with stroke are having difficulties in returning to work, having a significant impact on both individuals and society. The aims of this meta-analysis were to summarize the interventions to support the return to work (RTW) for individuals with stroke and to quantitatively evaluate the efficacy of each type of intervention. METHODS: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted according to PRISMA guidelines. PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, and PsycINFO were searched until 26 June 2023, and the list of references of the initially included articles was also searched. Two researchers independently performed the search, screening, selection, and data extraction. The primary outcome was RTW rate (the RTW rate was defined as the proportion of individuals who returned to work in each group (intervention and control) at the endpoint). Pooled risk ratio (RR) was estimated using a random-effects model with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: A total of 13 studies representing 4,282 individuals with stroke were included in our study. Results showed that physiological interventions could improve the RTW rate of individuals with stroke (RR: 1.19, 95% CI: 1.01 to 1.42, I2 = 72%). And receiving intravenous thrombolytic therapy was beneficial in promoting the RTW in individuals with stroke. Subgroup analysis and meta-regression analysis showed that the individuals' functional status during hospitalization was the only source of heterogeneity. Psychological interventions had little or no effect on the RTW rate of individuals with stroke (RR: 1.20, 95% CI: 0.58 to 2.51, I2 = 30%). Work-related interventions had little or no effect on the RTW rate of the individuals with stroke (RR:1.36,95%CI: 0.99 to 1.88, I2 = 73%). The subgroup analysis showed that country, age, and follow-up method were the sources of heterogeneity. CONCLUSION: Physiological intervention promoted the RTW of individuals with stroke. But, the effect of psychological and work-related interventions in promoting the RTW of individuals with stroke was not significant. We anticipate that these findings may inform the design of future interventions. For future research, we recommend that more high-quality randomized controlled trials be conducted to further promote the RTW of individuals with stroke. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO Registration Number, CRD42023443668.

Predicting the Posture of High-Rise Building Machines Based on Multivariate Time Series Neural Network Models.

High-rise building machines (HBMs) play a critical role in the successful construction of super-high skyscrapers, providing essential support and ensuring safety. The HBM's climbing system relies on a jacking mechanism consisting of several independent jacking cylinders. A reliable control system is imperative to maintain the smooth posture of the construction steel platform (SP) under the action of the jacking mechanism. Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU), and Temporal Convolutional Network (TCN) are three multivariate time series (MTS) neural network models that are used in this study to predict the posture of HBMs. The models take pressure and stroke measurements from the jacking cylinders as inputs, and their outputs determine the levelness of the SP and the posture of the HBM at various climbing stages. The development and training of these neural networks are based on historical on-site data, with the predictions subjected to thorough comparative analysis. The proposed LSTM and GRU prediction models have similar performances in the prediction process of HBM posture, with medians R2 of 0.903 and 0.871, respectively. However, the median MAE of the GRU prediction model is more petite at 0.4, which exhibits stronger robustness. Additionally, sensitivity analysis showed that the change in the levelness of the position of the SP portion of the HBM exhibited high sensitivity to the stroke and pressure of the jacking cylinder, which clarified the position of the cylinder for adjusting the posture of the HBM. The results show that the MTS neural network-based prediction model can change the HBM posture and improve work stability by adjusting the jacking cylinder pressure value of the HBM.

Effect of self-regulating fatigue on health-related quality of life of middle-aged and elderly patients with recurrent stroke: a moderated sequential mediation model.

Although the association between self-regulation of fatigue and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) has been confirmed, the potential mechanism remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the role of health literacy, health behavior, and exercise frequency in the relationship among middle-aged and elderly patients with recurrent stroke. A cross-sectional survey was conducted. A total of 176 patients completed the survey, in which self-regulation of fatigue, HRQoL, health literacy and health behavior were measured by questionnaires. Based on Bootstrap analyses, a moderating sequential mediation model using PROCESS software was constructed with health literacy and health behavior as mediators and exercise frequency as the moderator. Of the participants, the mean age was 65.44 ± 12.43 years. Self-regulation of fatigue was found to affect HRQoL indirectly through two significant mediation pathways: (1) health literacy (ß=-0.11, 95%CI = -0.20, -0.03), which accounted for 28.79% of the total effect, and (2) health literacy and health behavior (ß=-0.02, 95%CI = -0.05, -0.00), which accounted for 4.80% of the total effect. Exercise frequency moderated the relationship between self-regulating fatigue and HRQoL. Specifically, the interaction term between self-regulating fatigue and exercise frequency significantly predicted HRQoL (ß = 0. 25, t = 2.55, p < 0.05). These findings highlight the role of health literacy and health behavior as sequential mediators of the relationship between self-regulating fatigue and HRQoL. Moreover, exercise frequency moderated the relationship between self-regulating fatigue and HRQoL. Encouraging patients with recurrent stroke to increase exercise frequency appropriately might improve HRQoL for patients with poor health literacy and health behavior.

Household Environments and Cognitive Decline Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults in China: Exploring Gender, Age, and Residential Variations.

This study examined the relationship between household environments and trajectories of cognitive function among middle-aged and older adults in China and its urban/rural, gender, and age variations. We estimated multi-level linear growth curve models using a representative sample of 16,111 respondents aged 45 years and over from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (2011-2018). Older people who lived with a spouse, but not with children, and those with higher living expenditures, better housing quality, and indoor clean fuels for cooking had a slower cognitive decline. Living arrangement more strongly predicted men's cognitive decline, while living expenditure, solid fuel use, and housing quality significantly predicted only women's cognitive decline. Only for older adults and rural residents, those living alone had significantly faster cognitive decline than those living with a spouse only. These findings underscore the importance of improving the living conditions of older adults to help alleviate their cognitive decline.

Trends and disparities in diabetes care following China's healthcare reform: Evidence from the 2011-12 and 2015-16 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study.

To address the high burden of diabetes, China has managed to strengthen diabetes care during the past decade. This study aimed to examine trends and disparities in the coverage of diabetes care among diabetes patients aged 45 years and older following China's healthcare reform. We used data from the 2011-12 baseline survey and 2015-16 follow-up survey of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). The prevalence of three diabetes care indicators were compared between the two periods and by participants' characteristics. Logistic regressions and random-effect logit model were used to investigate the socioeconomic and geographic disparities in diabetes care indicators and assess whether there was a significant improvement in these disparities from 2011-12 to 2015-16. We found the prevalence of diabetes among adults aged 45 years and above increased from 16.37% in 2011-12 to 20.33% in 2015-16 in China. Between the 2011-12 and 2015-16 surveys, the proportions of diabetes patients who received health education increased from 31.68% to 35.63%, diabetes-related examination from 32.21% to 41.32%, and diabetes treatment from 30.8% to 36.6%. Disparities in the coverage of diabetes care still existed; while geographic disparities improved significantly during the study period, individual socioeconomic disparities persisted. To address disparities in diabetes care, more effort needs to be directed to improve the primary care system to ensure the quality and timely delivery of diabetes care. Tailored programs should be carried out with more attention given to underserved groups with less educational attainment and lower economic status.

Design and simulation analysis of the AOTF full-Stokes imaging spectropolarimeter.

In order to effectively improve the contrast of target identification, an acousto-optic tunable filter (AOTF) full-Stokes imaging spectropolarimeter is proposed, which can measure synchronously polarization information with each spectral band in real time. The full-Stokes vectors are obtained by the division-of-aperture polarization imaging system. The spectral bands are selected by RF of the AOTF electrically. Based on this system, a polarization error model is established, and the influence of the key polarization element angle error is analyzed. The results show that the measurement error increases with the increase of the polarization degree. When P=1, the influence of the azimuth angle error is greater than the retardance error under the same angle error. The results are helpful to find the variation law of the polarization error and provide a theoretical reference for the design of new types of full-Stokes imaging spectropolarimeters.

Associations among drinking water quality, dyslipidemia, and cognitive function for older adults in China: evidence from CHARLS.

BACKGROUND: The current study aimed to examine the association between drinking water quality and cognitive function and to identify the direct and indirect effects of drinking water quality and dyslipidemia on cognitive function among older adults in China. METHODS: Primary data for the study were selected from China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS, 2015) and 4,951 respondents aged 60 and above were included. Data on drinking water quality were selected from the 2015 prefectural water quality data from the Institute of Public and Environment Affairs in China and measured by the Blue City Water Quality Index. Dyslipidemia was measured by self-reported dyslipidemia diagnosis and lipid panel. Three composite measures of cognitive function included mental status, episodic memory, and global cognition. Mixed effects models were conducted to assess the associations between drinking water quality or dyslipidemia and cognitive function. The mediation effects of dyslipidemia were examined by path analyses. RESULTS: Exposure to high quality drinking water was significantly associated with higher scores in mental status, episodic memory, and global cognition (ß = 0.34, p < 0.001 for mental status; ß = 0.24, p < 0.05 for episodic memory; ß = 0.58, p < 0.01 for global cognition). Respondents who reported dyslipidemia diagnosis had higher scores in the three composite measures of cognitive function (ß = 0.39, p < 0.001 for mental status; ß = 0.27 p < 0.05 for episodic memory; ß = 0.66, p < 0.001 for global cognition). An elevated blood triglycerides was only associated with higher scores in mental status (ß = 0.21, p < 0.05). Self-reported dyslipidemia diagnosis was a suppressor, which increased the magnitude of the direct effect of drinking water quality on mental status, episodic memory, and global cognition. CONCLUSION: Drinking water quality was associated with cognitive function in older Chinese and the relationship was independent of natural or socioeconomic variations in neighborhood environments. Improving drinking water quality could be a potential public health effort to delay the onset of cognitive impairment and prevent the dementia pandemic in older people.

Cognitive Function Among Noncustodial Grandparents in China and the United States: A Cross-National Perspective.

The current study aimed to investigate the association between grandparenting and cognitive function over time in noncustodial grandparents in China and the United States. Lagged dependent variable (LDV) approach and linear regression models were applied to analyze a sample of 1,411 Chinese and 6,579 American adults aged 65 and above from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS, 2011-2013) and the U.S. Health and Retirement Study (HRS, 2012-2014). Grandparenting involvement was associated with less decline in episodic memory for grandparents and greater level of grandparenting had no negative effect on mental status and global cognitive function in noncustodial grandparents in China and the United States. The impact of grandparenting on cognitive function was conditioned on caregiving intensity, gender, urban/rural residence, and nation. Findings of the study suggest that greater attention on grandparenting facilitation might yield improved research, social support, policy, and interventions on cognitive health for the general older population.

Trichostatin A Induces Autophagy in Cervical Cancer Cells by Regulating the PRMT5-STC1-TRPV6-JNK Pathway.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of trichostatin A (TSA) on cervical cancer and the related mechanisms. METHODS: The HeLa and Caski cervical cancer cell lines were treated with different concentrations of TSA. Cell viability was measured by MTT assays. Cell apoptosis was analysed using flow cytometry. Expression of transient receptor potential cation channel, subfamily V, member 6 (TRPV6), protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5), and stanniocalcin 1 (STC1) was determined by qRT-PCR and Western blotting. Protein levels of LC3 II/I, beclin1, p62, JNK, and p-JNK were detected by Western blotting. RESULTS: Treatment with TSA significantly decreased HeLa and Caski cell viability and enhanced the apoptosis rate in a dose-dependent manner. TSA markedly elevated beclin1 protein levels and the LC3 II/I ratio and significantly reduced p62 levels in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, TSA (1 µM) significantly suppressed PRMT5 and TRPV6 levels and enhanced STC1 and p-JNK levels. The lysosomal inhibitor bafilomycin-A1 synergistically enhanced the TSA-mediated increase in autophagic flux. Either the overexpression of TRPV6 or the inhibition of JNK signalling markedly enhanced cell viability, inhibited apoptosis, and autophagy and reduced p-JNK levels in TSA-treated cells. The inhibition of STC1 significantly increased TRPV6 protein levels and reduced p-JNK levels. Overexpression of PRMT5 dramatically decreased STC1 and p-JNK protein levels and increased TRPV6 levels. CONCLUSION: TSA suppresses cervical cancer cell proliferation and induces apoptosis and autophagy through regulation of the PRMT5/STC1/TRPV6/JNK axis.

A NAC nomogram to predict the probability of three-month unfavorable outcome in Chinese acute ischemic stroke patients treated with mechanical thrombectomy.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) is a standard care for most acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients. For AIS patients underwent MT, predicting the patients at high risk of unfavorable outcome and adjusting therapeutic strategies accordingly can greatly improve patient outcomes. We aimed to develop and validate a nomogram for individualized prediction of Chinese AIS patients underwent MT. METHODS: We conducted a multicenter prospective study including 238 AIS patients who underwent MT from January 2014 to December 2018. The main outcome measure was three-month unfavorable outcome (modified Rankin Scale 3-6). A nomogram was generated based on multivariate logistic model. We assessed the discriminative performance by using the area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve and calibration of risk prediction model by using the Hosmer-Lemeshow test. RESULTS: In NAC nomogram, NIHSS (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale) score on admission (OR: 1.193, p < 0.0001), Age (OR: 1.025, p = 0.037) and Creatinine (OR: 1.028, p < 0.0001) remained independent predictors of 3-month unfavorable outcome in Chinese AIS patients treated with MT. The NAC nomogram exhibited an area under the curve of 0.816 for predicting functional impairment. Calibration was good (p = 0.560 for the Hosmer-Lemeshow test). CONCLUSIONS: The NAC nomogram is the first nomogram developed and validated in Chinese AIS patients treated with MT and it may be used to predict 3 months unfavorable outcome for these patients.

Development and Validation of a Nomogram for Lower Extremity Deep Venous Thrombosis in Patients after Acute Stroke.

OBJECTIVES: To develope and validate a nomogram to predict the probability of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) in patients after acute stroke during the first 14 days with clinical features and easily obtainable biochemical parameters. METHODS: This is a single-center prospective cohort study. The potential predictive variables for DVT at baseline were collected, and the presence of DVT was evaluated using ultrasonography within the first 14 days. Data were randomly assigned to either a modeling data set or a validation data set. Univariable and Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to develop risk scores to predict DVT in the modeling data set and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve to validate the score in the test data set, and nomogram and calibration curve were constructed by R project. RESULTS: A total of 1651 patients with acute stroke were enrolled in the study. The overall incidence of DVT after acute stroke within two weeks was 14.4%. Multivariable analysis detected older age (≥65 years),female gender, hemorrhagic stroke, malignancy, lower limb muscle strength<3 grade, Albumin<40 g·L-1 and D-dimer>0.5 mg·L-1 were highly predictive of 14-day risk of DVT. The AUC of the nomogram with these above-mentioned independent risk factors to predict the 14-day risk of DVT was 0.756 (95% CI, 0.712-0.812) and 0.811 (95%CI, 0.762-0.859) for the modeling cohort and external validation cohort, respectively. Moreover, the calibration of the nomogram showed a nonsignificant Hosmer-Lemeshow test statistic in the modeling (P = 0.250) and validation sets (P = 0.995). With respect to decision curve analyses, the nomogram exhibited preferable net benefit gains than the staging system across a wide range of threshold probabilities. CONCLUSION: This nomogram had a good performance in predictive accuracy, discrimination capability, and clinical utility, which was helpful for clinicians to identify high-risk groups of DVT and formulate relevant prevention and treatment measures.

A cross-sectional evaluation of knowledge among Chinese dentists regarding the treatment of traumatic injuries in primary teeth.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Injuries to the primary dentition affect children's esthetics, function, and mental health. They may also affect the development of the permanent teeth. The knowledge of dentists about deciduous tooth trauma is rarely evaluated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge and attitude of dentists in China regarding traumatic dental injuries to primary teeth. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A self-administered online questionnaire containing questions on demographic data and knowledge based on a clinical scenario was given to a purposive sample of dentists, recruited by a non-probability convenience sampling method. The chi-square test was used for statistical analysis, with the significance level set at P <.05. RESULTS: A total of 394 out of 409 dentists provided valid data. There was no significant difference in demographic data. Questions about the treatment of hard dental tissue injuries in primary teeth presented a correct-response rate of 66.4%, with the highest correct-response rate for enamel fracture (n = 368, 93.4%) and lowest for complicated crown-root fracture with pulp exposure (n = 104, 26.4%). Questions about treatment of luxation injuries in primary teeth presented a correct-response rate of 66.6%, with subluxation presenting the highest correct-response rate (n = 391, 99.2%). Factors associated with higher correct-response rates were specialist disciplines, educational qualifications, workplaces, experience of injured teeth treated, and educational experience about primary tooth trauma. No significant differences were found in the correct-response rates of dentists with different years of work experience. Lack of cooperation from children was considered a major obstacle for treatment. Special lectures and Internet courses were the most preferred methods of obtaining knowledge. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that it is necessary to enhance dental trauma education for dentists in China. More attention needs to be paid to trauma in primary dentition to ensure adequate treatment for traumatized primary teeth.

Hydrophilic Ultralong Organic Nanophosphors.

Ultralong organic phosphorescence (UOP), enabling of persistent luminescence after removal of external excitation light, shows great promise in biological applications such as bioimaging in virtue of antibackground fluorescence interference. Despite of good biocompatibility and outstanding phosphorescent properties, most current organic phosphors are hydrophobic with poor water solubility in the form of bulk crystal with large size, limiting their potential in the biological field. Here, a facile and versatile approach is provided to obtain nanoscale hydrophilic phosphorescent phosphors (HPPs) by physically loading ultralong organic phosphors into hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles. The as-prepared HPPs can be well suspended in aqueous solution and effectively internalized by HeLa cells with very low cytotoxicity. Such HPPs are successfully applied for afterglow bioimaging in living nude mice with a very high signal-to-noise ratio up to 31. The current study not only provides a universal strategy to realize UOP in aqueous media but also demonstrates their great potential for biomedical purposes as an advanced imaging indicator with long-lived emission lifetime.

ß-sitosterol ameliorates influenza A virus-induced proinflammatory response and acute lung injury in mice by disrupting the cross-talk between RIG-I and IFN/STAT signaling.

ß-Sitosterol (24-ethyl-5-cholestene-3-ol) is a common phytosterol Chinese medical plants that has been shown to possess antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. In this study we investigated the effects of ß-sitosterol on influenza virus-induced inflammation and acute lung injury and the molecular mechanisms. We demonstrate that ß-sitosterol (150-450 µg/mL) dose-dependently suppresses inflammatory response through NF-κB and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling in influenza A virus (IAV)-infected cells, which was accompanied by decreased induction of interferons (IFNs) (including Type I and III IFN). Furthermore, we revealed that the anti-inflammatory effect of ß-sitosterol resulted from its inhibitory effect on retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I) signaling, led to decreased STAT1 signaling, thus affecting the transcriptional activity of ISGF3 (interferon-stimulated gene factor 3) complexes and resulting in abrogation of the IAV-induced proinflammatory amplification effect in IFN-sensitized cells. Moreover, ß-sitosterol treatment attenuated RIG-I-mediated apoptotic injury of alveolar epithelial cells (AEC) via downregulation of pro-apoptotic factors. In a mouse model of influenza, pre-administration of ß-sitosterol (50, 200 mg·kg-1·d-1, i.g., for 2 days) dose-dependently ameliorated IAV-mediated recruitment of pathogenic cytotoxic T cells and immune dysregulation. In addition, pre-administration of ß-sitosterol protected mice from lethal IAV infection. Our data suggest that ß-sitosterol blocks the immune response mediated by RIG-I signaling and deleterious IFN production, providing a potential benefit for the treatment of influenza.

Pain management and cognitive function among older adults: an exploratory study of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study.

BACKGROUND: Chronic pain and cognitive decline are common age-related conditions affecting a large segment of older populations. Little is known about the pathway of cognitive functioning during the course of pain management in older adults. AIMS: The study aimed to examine the association between chronic body pain management and cognitive function over time among Chinese older adults. METHODS: A total of 792 respondents aged 60 and above from urban and rural households in 28 provinces, 150 counties/districts, and 450 communities were selected from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (2013-2015). Cognitive function was measured in three domains: episodic memory, mental status, and global cognitive function. Difference-in-differences approach and mixed-effects linear regression models were employed to assess the association between chronic body pain management and cognitive function over time. RESULTS: Scores of mental status were found to decline slower by 0.49 unit (SE = 0.22, p < 0.05) in respondents who received pain management using analgesics, complementary and alternative medicine, or both from 2013 to 2015 after controlling for basic demographic and health confounders. CONCLUSION: Chronic pain management was associated with slower decline in domain-specific cognitive function, mental status over time. Findings of the study may contribute to understanding the mechanism of change in diverse cognitive abilities attributable to pain symptoms. More research is needed to elucidate the mediating effect of pain on cognitive decline, which could lead to testing of the impact of pain management on cognitive function among older population in both clinical and community settings.

The power of weak ties in preserving cognitive function: a longitudinal study of older Chinese adults.

Objectives: Characterized by infrequent contact, low emotional intensity, and limited intimacy, weak ties are found to be associated with better subjective well-being and other health outcomes. Drawing on the theory of weak ties and the convoy model of social relations, this paper aims to examine the association between weak ties and cognitive function among older adults in China.Methods: We used multilevel growth modeling to analyze panel data for adults aged 60 years and over (N = 2,650) selected from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS, 2011-2015). Weak ties were measured based on the frequency of social activity participation and the number of social activities.Results: Weekly or irregular social activity participation in at least one social activity was significantly associated with better mental status and memory. The number of participated social activities was also significantly and positively associated with mental status and memory. After controlling for age, gender, marital status, educational attainment, geographic residence, household expenditures, and health conditions (i.e., depressive symptoms and self-reported health), we found that participation in a greater number of social activities protected memory from declining by 4% for every 2 years (p < 0.001).Conclusion: These findings suggest that social interactions with peripheral members of a diverse social network may help prevent cognitive decline for older Chinese adults. Greater attention on weak ties might yield practical implications for non-pharmacological dementia prevention and health promotion for the general older population.

Iron-Catalyzed Radical Relay Enabling the Modular Synthesis of Fused Pyridines from Alkyne-Tethered Oximes and Alkenes.

We have rationally designed a new class of alkyne-tethered oximes and applied them in an unprecedented iron-catalyzed radical relay protocol for the rapid assembly of a wide array of structurally new and interesting fused pyridines. This method shows broad substrate scope and good functional-group tolerance and enabled the synthesis of several biologically active molecules. Furthermore, the fused pyridines could be diversely functionalized through various simple transformations, such as cyclization, C-H alkylation, and a click reaction. DFT calculation studies indicate that the reactions involve cascade 1,5-hydrogen atom transfer, 5-exo-dig radical addition, and cyclization processes. Moreover, preliminary biological investigations suggest that some of the fused pyridines exhibit good anti-inflammatory activity by restoring the imbalance of inflammatory homeostasis of macrophages in a lipopolysaccharide-induced model.

Osteoporosis risk assessment using multilayered gold-nanoparticle thin film via SALDI-MS measurement.

A powerful technique to detect bone biomarkers has been developed for assessment of osteoporosis at the early stage. Two-dimensional multilayered gold-nanoparticle thin film (MTF-AuNPs) was demonstrated as a promising test platform for detection of bone biomarker, hydroxyproline (HYP), measured by surface-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (SALDI-MS). With strong surface plasmon resonance and excellent homogeneity, facilely prepared, highly ordered, and large-scale MTF-AuNPs revealed high sensitivity of HYP in the SALDI-MS measurement without additional matrixes, such as α-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid (CHCA) and 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (DHB). Furthermore, the mass spectrum of HYP with MTF-AuNPs was significantly improved in signal intensity enhancement, background noise reduction, and signal-to-noise ratio amplification. The excellent reproducibility of HYP spectra with only 9.3% relative signal variation could be attributed to MTF-AuNPs' high absorbance at a wavelength of 337 nm, low heat capacity, superior thermal conductivity, and outstanding homogeneity. The calibration curve showed high linear correlation between mass spectrum intensity and HYP concentration in the range of 1 to 100 µM, covering the whole level in healthy people and osteoporosis patients. In particular, the serum sample was directly deposited onto the MTF-AuNP sample substrate without any pretreatment and its HYP concentration was then successfully determined. We believe that the combination of SALDI-MS and MTF-AuNP sample substrates would be a potential approach for bone biomarker detection in the osteoporosis risk assessment. Graphical abstract.