Association between home and community-based services utilization and self-rated health among Chinese older adults with chronic diseases: evidence from the 2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study.

BACKGROUND: As global aging intensifies, older adults with chronic diseases are of increasing concern. Home and community-based services (HCBSs) have been proven to promote self-rated health (SRH) in older adults, but no research explored the associations between the use of overall HCBSs, three different types of HCBSs (health care, daily care, and social support services) and SRH among older adults with chronic diseases. Consequently, this study applies a national publicly available database to examine these associations among older adults with chronic diseases. METHODS: 8,623 older adults with chronic diseases (≥ 60 years old) were included in this study. SRH was evaluated applying a concise question with a 1 - 5 scale. HCBSs utilization was assessed through the question, "What kind of HCBSs were used in the community?". Univariate general linear regression models aimed to compare the mean values of SRH in terms of HCBSs utilization in each group. This study is a cross-sectional study design and the relationship between HCBSs utilization and SRH was assessed by multilevel linear regression. RESULTS: The mean score for SRH among the respondents was 3.19, of whom 20.55% used one or more HCBSs, 19.47% utilized health care services, 2.44% utilized social support services, and only 0.55% utilized daily care services. The use of HCBSs was found to be linked to SRH among older adults with chronic diseases (ß = 0.085, SE = 0.025, p < 0.001). SRH among older adults with chronic diseases was strongly linked to the use of health care and social support services (ß = 0.068, SE = 0.025, p < 0.001; ß = 0.239, SE = 0.063, p < 0.001, respectively). However, there was no significant association between the use of daily care services and SRH among older adults with chronic diseases. CONCLUSION: This study revealed that HCBSs utilization was positively and significantly linked to SRH in Chinese older adults with chronic diseases. Furthermore, this study supposes the low utilization of social support and daily care services may be due to a mismatch between supply and demand. The government should offer the targeted HCBSs for older adults with chronic diseases according to their unique features to enhance their health status.

A review of invasive intracranial pressure monitoring following surgery for hypertensive cerebral hemorrhage.

Hypertensive cerebral hemorrhage, the most common prevalent of spontaneous cerebral hemorrhage, poses a significant threat to patient mortality and morbidity, while therapeutic options remain limited, making the disease a burden not only for patients' families but also a major challenge for national healthcare systems. The elevation of intracranial pressure subsequent to hypertensive cerebral hemorrhage is a critical contributor to mortality. However, it often manifests before the onset of clinical symptoms, which are typically atypical, leading to delayed treatment and irreversible consequences for the patient. Hence, early detection of intracranial pressure variations can aid in timely, efficient, and precise treatment, reducing patient mortality. Invasive intracranial pressure monitoring enables real-time, accurate monitoring of intracranial pressure changes, providing clinicians with therapeutic guidance and overcoming the limitations of empirical treatment. This article aims to review the use of invasive intracranial pressure monitoring in postoperative hypertensive cerebral hemorrhage and hopes to contribute to clinical and scientific research.

Hypoxic glioma-derived extracellular vesicles harboring MicroRNA-10b-5p enhance M2 polarization of macrophages to promote the development of glioma.

INTRODUCTION: The delivery of biomolecules by tumor cell-secreted extracellular vesicles (EVs) is linked to the development of glioma. Here, the present study was implemented to explore the functional significance of hypoxic glioma cell-derived EVs carrying microRNA-10b-5 (miR-10b-5p) on glioma with the involvement of polarization of M2 macrophages. METHODS: EVs were isolated from hypoxia-stimulated glioma cells, and their role in polarization of M2 macrophages was studied by co-culturing with macrophages. miR-10b-5p expression in glioma tissues, glioma-derived EVs, and macrophages co-cultured with EVs was characterized. Interaction among miR-10b-5p, NEDD4L, and PIK3CA was analyzed. The macrophages or glioma cells were transfected with overexpressing plasmid or shRNA to study the effects of miR-10b-5p/NEDD4L/PIK3CA on M2 macrophage polarization, and glioma cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS: Promotive role of hypoxia-stimulated glioma-derived EVs in macrophage M2 polarization was confirmed. Elevation of miR-10b-5p occurred in glioma tissues, glioma-derived EVs and macrophages co-cultured with EVs, and stimulated M2 polarization of macrophages. NEDD4L was a target gene of miR-10b-5p. Overexpression of NEDD4L could inhibit PI3K/AKT pathway through increase in ubiquitination and degradation of PIK3CA. Hypoxic glioma-derived EVs harboring upregulated miR-10b-5p triggered an M2 phenotype in macrophages as well as enhanced aggressive tumor biology of glioma cells via inhibition of PIK3CA/PI3K/AKT pathway by targeting NEDD4L. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, miR-10b-5p delivered by hypoxic glioma-derived EVs accelerated macrophages M2 polarization to promote the progression of glioma via NEDD4L/PIK3CA/PI3K/AKT axis.

Differential Expression of Calycosin-7-O-ß-D-glucoside Biosynthesis Genes and Accumulation of Related Metabolites in Different Organs of Astragalus membranaceus Bge. var. mongholicus (Bge.) Hsiao Under Drought Stress.

Calycosin-7-O-ß-D-glycoside (CG), as a flavonoid, plays an important role in the abiotic stress response of Astragalus membranaceus Bge. var. mongholicus (Bge.) Hsiao (A. mongholicus). CG is also an active ingredient in A. mongholicus with high medicinal value. However, the response mechanism of the CG biosynthetic pathway of drought stress is not clear. In this research, drought stress was inflicted upon A. mongholicus, and the variations in flavonoid metabolites and the correlating gene expression in CG biosynthesis were studied in roots, stems, and leaves of A. mongholicus by UHPLC-MRM-MS/MS and qRT-PCR. Drought stress reduced the dry weight and increased the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) and proline. Drought was beneficial to the accumulation of L-phenylalanine and 4-coumaric acid in leaves and promoted the accumulation of all target compounds in the roots, except calycosin. Overexpression of AmIOMT was observed in the leaves, but the content of formononetin which is the product of isoflavone O-methyltransferase (IOMT) catalysis was higher in stems than in leaves. This research aims to further understand the acclimation of abiotic stress and the regulation mechanism of flavonoid accumulation in A. mongholicus.

Enhancement of microwave absorption performance of porous carbon induced by Ce (CO3) OH.

In recent years, electromagnetic pollution has become more and more serious, resulting in a very negative impact on people's health. Therefore, it is important to develop efficient microwave absorbers to reduce electromagnetic pollution. Here, we construct a novel absorbing material of the polymer gel-derived porous carbon decorated by rare earth compounds (Ce (CO3) OH). When the thickness is 2.2 mm, the composite exhibits excellent microwave absorption performance with the optimal RLmin value and EAB reached up to -47.67 dB and 5.52 GHz, respectively, covering the Ku band. The high-efficiency microwave absorption is mainly attributed to the synergistic effect of dipole polarization, defect polarization and interfacial polarization. This work not only provides a new view for designing superior absorber materials, but also lay a foundation for their real applications.

Assessment of temporal and spatial distribution patterns of aerosol produced by air-puff non-contact tonometer.

PURPOSE: To assess the distribution pattern of aerosol in the aspect of time and direction during the intraocular pressure (IOP) measurement by air-puff non-contact tonometer (NCT) and further offer references for protection from coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) in the routine ophthalmic examination. METHOD: A single-center observational study was conducted in the ophthalmology clinics of Peking University Third Hospital. Two air quality detectors were equipped to assess the generated particulate matter (PM) concentration simultaneously within 30 s after IOP measurement in the outpatient hall. Detector A was fixed next to the NCT as a reference, while Detector B was fixed 1 meter away. The participants were divided into two groups depending on the position of Detector B. The generation of aerosol was compared within different groups and time intervals. RESULTS: 144 participants were enrolled in the final analysis. At a 1 m distance from the NCT, the PM2.5 concentration significantly increased at the 30 s (Z = 2.898, Bonferroni-corrected P = 0.038) while the PM10 concentration increased immediately after the IOP measurement (Z = 2.967, Bonferroni-corrected P = 0.030). The PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations at 1 m were significantly higher immediately (Z = -2.183, P = 0.029; Z = -2.502, P = 0.012) and 30 s (Z = -2.021, P = 0.043; Z = -2.071, P = 0.038) after the IOP measurements when the Detector B was vertical to the air jet on the lateral side. CONCLUSIONS: NCT may produce aerosol after the IOP measurement by air-puff. The generated PM2.5 had a prolonged existence compared with PM10 at a 1 m distance. The lateral side of the air-puff direction may be of higher exposure risk to aerosol.

Analysis and correction of meteorological disturbance observed by ground radars in complex environment.

Ground radar interferometry technology, as a new tool for active remote sensing, has been widely used in the detection of a variety of targets, including landslides, bridges, mines, and dams. This technique usually employs a continuous observation mode with no space baseline. The detection accuracy is mainly affected by meteorological disturbances and noise in the observation environment. In a complex observation environment, meteorological disturbances can lead to phase errors of 10 mm or more, and the effects are different in the range and azimuth directions; this can seriously affect the accuracy of the measurement. In this paper, we analyze the spatial distribution of the phase of meteorological disturbances based on radar monitoring experiments in a complex environment, and propose a correction method that reduces the atmospheric disturbance phase to less than 0.6 mm and effectively improves radar observation accuracy.

Identification of a novel NHS mutation in a Chinese family with Nance-Horan syndrome.

PURPOSE: To identiy the disease causing mutation in a Chinese family presenting with early-onset cataract and dental anomalies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A specific Hereditary Eye Disease Enrichment Panel (HEDEP) (personalized customization by MyGenostics, Baltimore, MD) based on targeted exome capture technology was used to collect the protein coding regions of 30 early-onset cataract associated genes, and high throughput sequencing was done with Illumina HiSeq 2000 platform. The identified variant was confirmed with Sanger sequencing. RESULTS: A novel deletion in exon 4 (c.852delG) of NHS gene was identified; the identified 1 bp deletion altered the reading frame and was predicted to result in a premature stop codon after the addition of twelve novel amino acid (p.S285PfsX13). This mutation co-segregated in affected males and obligate female carriers, but was absent in 100 matched controls. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings broaden the spectrum of NHS mutations causing Nance-Horan syndrome and phenotypic spectrum of the disease in Chinese patients.

Bevacizumab treatment for acute branch retinal vein occlusion accompanied by subretinal hemorrhage.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) in the treatment of acute (<3 months [mo]. duration) macular edema (ME), with or without subretinal hemorrhage (SRH), resulting from branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of 33 consecutive patients (n = 33 eyes) with ME caused by acute BRVO. All patients received an injection of IVB at baseline examination. All patients were followed monthly, with administration of additional IVB injections if there was persistent or recurrent ME. Specific patterns of ME were investigated using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). RESULTS: SD-OCT revealed serous retinal detachments in the fovea of 15 eyes, 10 of which had accompanying foveal SRH. Based on initial detection of foveal SRH, patients were divided into SRH-negative (n = 23 eyes) or SRH-positive (n = 10 eyes) groups. Initial best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) did not differ between the two groups. In the SRH-negative group, both BCVA and central macular thickness (CMT) improved significantly after IVB injections (mean, 2.3 injections) at the 6-mo. follow-up examination. In the SRH-positive group, there was no significant improvement in BCVA after IVB injections (mean, 2.0 injections), although there was a significant decrease in CMT. The final BCVA of the SRH-positive group was significantly poorer than that of the SRH-negative group (p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: The presence of foveal SRH may be a negative predictor of IVB treatment outcomes for BRVO patients with ME.

[Comparison of I Care rebound tonometer and Goldmann applanation tonometer after Descemet's stripping with automated endothelium keratoplasty].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the influence of corneal thickness (CT) on the intraocular pressure (IOP) measurements, the agreement of IOP readings with I Care rebound tonometer (RBT) and Goldmann applanation tonometer (GAT), and the agreement of central and peripheral IOP values obtained by RBT. METHODS: Thirty-seven eyes of 34 patients after Descemet's stripping with automated endothelium keratoplasty (DSAEK) underwent CT measurement using anterior segment OCT (AS-OCT) followed by IOP evaluation with the GAT at corneal center and with the RBT at corneal center and at 1 mm from the limbus in the nasal and temporal directions. The mean IOP measurement by the RBT and measurement by the GAT were analysed by paired t test. Pearson correlation analysis were performed to assess the correlations between the measurement and the influence of CT on IOP values. Agreement between the tonometers was calculated using the Bland-Altman method. RESULTS: IOP obtained by GAT was (16.2 ± 4.7) mm Hg (1 mm Hg = 0.133 kPa), and IOP obtained from central cornea, nasal cornea and temporal cornea by RBT were (16.0 ± 5.3) mm Hg, (17.4 ± 5.0) mm Hg and (17.1 ± 5.0) mm Hg, respectively. There was no statistical difference between the IOP on central cornea obtained by GAT and RBT (t = 0.77, P = 0.446), IOP on the peripheral cornea were higher than on central cornea by RBT (t = 3.24, 3.17, P = 0.003), and they were positively correlated (r = 0.869, 0.911, P < 0.05). The IOP readings showed positive relationship to CT values. Bland-Altman scatter plots showed reasonable inter-method agreement between each technique of IOP measurements. CONCLUSIONS: After DSAEK, the IOP readings obtained by RBT or GAT show positive relationship to CT values. There are reasonable agreements between each technique of IOP measurements. Considering the special advantages, RBT is an effective method to observe the IOP changes after DSAEK.

[Experimental study on repairing damage of corneal surface by mesenchymal stem cells transplantation].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the survival, migration and differentiation of the cultured human mesenchymal stem cells derived from bone marrow (hMSCs) after transplanted onto the alkaline burn rabbit cornea. METHODS: Alkaline burn on rabbit corneas was induced with NaOH solution. One month later, hMSCs cultured with a feeding of amniotic membrane were transplanted onto the surface of alkaline burn rabbit corneas. Amniotic membrane alone transplantation was used at the same time as control group. One month after transplantation, the changes of corneal morphology were analyzed by clinical observations and HE staining. Immunohistochemistry was carried out with the antibodies against human nuclei and cytokeratin 12 to investigate the distribution and differentiation of hMSCs. RESULTS: The rabbit cornea became totally opaque one month after alkaline burn. Blood vessels could be seen within the superficial layer and stroma. The surface of cornea was rough and dry. There were many goblet cells found in the corneal epithelial layer. One month after transplantation of hMSCs, the surface of alkaline burn cornea became smoother. The amount of the new blood vessels of the cornea reduced and the goblet cells disappeared. Anti-human nuclei antibody staining showed positive cells on the surface layer and superficial stroma while cytokeratin 12 positive cells were only present in the epithelium layer. In the amniotic membrane transplantation control group, no clinical improvement of the cornea was found. Goblet cells were still seen on the corneal surface. Both anti-human nuclei antibody and cytokeratin 12 staining were negative. CONCLUSIONS: hMSCs survive and migrate to stroma after transplanted onto the surface of alkaline burn rabbit cornea. No rejection is detected. hMSCs on the corneal surface differentiate to corneal epithelium, where those migrated to the stroma differentiate to cells other than epithelium. hMSCs transplantation decrease corneal conjunctivization after alkaline burn.