Quality of life and associated factors among community-dwelling adults with multimorbidity in Shanghai, China: A cross-sectional study.

AIM: To compare the quality of life of patients with and without multimorbidity and investigate potential factors related to the quality of life in patients with multimorbidity. DESIGN: A descriptive cross-sectional study. METHODS: This study included 1778 residents with chronic diseases, including single disease (1255 people, average age: 60.78 ± 9.42) and multimorbidity (523 people, average age: 64.03 ± 8.91) groups, who were recruited from urban residents of Shanghai through a multistage, stratified, probability proportional to size sampling method. The quality of life was measured using the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire. The socio-demographic data and psychological states were measured using a self-made structured questionnaire, Self-rating Anxiety Scale, and Self-rating Depression Scale. Differences in demographic characteristics were estimated using Pearson's chi-squared test, and independent t-test or one-way ANOVA followed by S-N-K test was used to compare the mean quality of life. Multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to identify risk factors for multimorbidity. RESULTS: There were differences in age, education, income, and BMI between single-disease and multimorbidity groups, but no differences in gender, marriage, and occupation. Multimorbidity had lower quality of life, reflected in all four domains. Multiple linear regression analyses showed that low level of education, low income, number of diseases, depression, and anxiety were negatively related to quality of life in all domains.

Mediating effects of sleep duration on the association between natural menopause and stroke risk among Chinese women.

Background: Sleep disturbance is commonly reported by menopausal women. Stroke risk and poor stroke outcomes in women have usually been attributed to menopause. This study aimed to investigate the mediating effect of sleep duration on relationship between menopause and risk of stroke in natural menopause women. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was performed, and participants were recruited through a multistage, stratified, probability proportional to size sampling method in this research. The stroke risk was measured using the risk assessment form for high-risk stroke population. The average sleep duration was calculated by adding up night sleep and afternoon nap duration. Multivariate regression analysis was conducted to identify the association between menopause, sleep duration, and stroke risk. The direct and indirect effects of menopause on stroke risk were analyzed by using the sleep duration in a mediation framework. Results: Perimenopause, menopause, average sleep duration, and night sleep duration were significantly associated with stroke risk (P < 0.001), after adjusting for covariates. Perimenopause and menopause were significantly related to average sleep duration (P < 0.001) and night sleep duration (P < 0.001). The average sleep duration (ab = 0.016, 95% CI: 0.003, 0.030; ab = -0.048, 95% CI: -0.070, -0.027) partially mediated the relationship between menopause and stroke risk. And night sleep duration (ab = 0.024, 95% CI: 0.009, 0.040; ab = -0.054, 95% CI: -0.077, -0.033) played a major mediating role, in which night sleep duration of ≤5 h mediated the link between both perimenopause (ab = 0.707, 95% CI: 0.392, 1.021) and menopause (ab = -0.787, 95% CI: -1.096, -0.478) and stroke risk; both night sleep duration of >8-9 h (ab = 0.079, 95% CI: 0.010, 0.193) and >9 h (ab = 0.379, 95% CI: 0.086, 0.712) had mediating effects on perimenopause and stroke risk. Conclusion: A significant relationship between menopause and stroke risk factors among natural menopausal status was found in this study. The average sleep duration, especially night sleep duration, partially mediated the association between menopause and stroke risk, which is a novel insight to the progression of stroke risk in Women. Suitable prevention methods and interventions for sleep in menopausal women may reduce the risk of stroke.

Biochar-Stimulated Pumpkin Performance Under Cadmium Stress Is Strongly Linked to Metabolite Pattern.

In this study, pumpkin seedlings were subjected to cadmium stress (100 mg/L cadmium ion solution, 10 days) without or with wheat straw biochar at different concentrations (0%, 0.5%, 1%, and 2% w/v). As the biochar concentration increased, the amount of cadmium accumulated in the root and stem of pumpkin seedlings decreased and the fresh weight of root, stem and leaf increased. The highest cadmium concentration was in the root, followed by the stem and then the leaf. 1% and 2% biochar treatments reduced the oxidative stress of cadmium to seedlings, and added the contents of fatty acid, carbohydrate, amino acid and indoleacetic acid in the root. With the increase of biochar concentration, the metabolites promoting root growth increased. These results provide new information about how biochar alleviates cadmium stress by affecting the metabolic response.

The roles of cadmium on growth of seedlings by analysing the composition of metabolites in pumpkin tissues.

Changes in the types and contents of metabolites in plants can occur in response to environmental stress. In this study, pumpkin seeds were cultivated in a cadmium ion solution (cadmium sulfate) for 7 days, and growth parameters, antioxidant enzyme activities, and metabolites in the root, stem, and leaf were analyzed. The results showed that cadmium accumulation characteristics were in the order of root > stem > leaf. Cadmium restrained root growth and promoted superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, catalase activities in the root, but inhibited their activities in the leaf. Cadmium did not change the total biomass of pumpkin seedlings. Orthogonal partial least squares (OPLS) analyses were conducted to detect the relationships between fresh weight and metabolites. These analyses revealed that maltose had significantly positive relationships with the fresh weight of the root, stem, and leaf. Cadmium influenced glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism, aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis, sulfur metabolism, butanoate metabolism, alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism, glutathione metabolism, glycine, serine and threonine metabolism in the root; glycolysis/gluconeogenesis in the stem; and biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids, galactose metabolism, cutin, suberine and wax biosynthesis in the leaf. It is important that cadmium inhibited root growth by inhibiting carbohydrate transport from the leaf to the root and promoted leaf growth by the accumulation of carbohydrates in the leaf. Furthermore, cadmium also restrained amino acid metabolism in the root of pumpkin seedlings. These results provide new information about how pumpkin seedlings respond to cadmium stress.

Providing a view for toxicity mechanism of tetracycline by analysis of the connections between metabolites and biologic endpoints of wheat.

Metabolomics is an implement for testing the toxicity of antibiotics, and provides a comprehensive view of the overall response to stress; however, the connections between metabolites and biologic endpoints keep unclear in response to antibiotics. In this study, wheat seeds were exposed to tetracycline for 5 days. The results proved that tetracycline restrained growth, reduced chlorophyl and carotinoid contents and cell permeability, and increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and malondialdehyde (MDA) content. Orthogonal partial least squares (OPLS) was used to analyze the connections between metabolites and biologic endpoints, which discovered that 11 metabolic pathways were significantly affected by tetracycline, and amino acid metabolism could largely apply to root growth and ROS accumulation, while carbohydrate metabolism could have a ruling effect on tetracycline-induced cell permeability. 13 metabolites all played active roles in mediating tetracycline's effects on root length, root fresh weight and cell permeability but had no significant effects on ROS levels. The majority of metabolites with passive effects on root length, root fresh weight and cell permeability had active effects on ROS levels. These results offer a view about stress reaction of wheat to tetracycline.

BACE1 and Other Alzheimer's-Related Biomarkers in Cerebrospinal Fluid and Plasma Distinguish Alzheimer's Disease Patients from Cognitively-Impaired Neurosyphilis Patients.

BACKGROUND: Patients with spirochetal infection, which causes neurosyphilis (NS) and at a later stage general paresis of the insane (GPI), present with brain pathology features of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the relationships among these illnesses regarding biomarker levels are still unclear. OBJECTIVE: To explore biomarker levels in NS and GPI compared with those in AD and the relationship between biomarker levels and cognitive function in NS and GPI. METHODS: Levels of neurogranin (NGRN) and ß-amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme (BACE1) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)/plasma, together with amyloid-ß 1-40 (Aß40), Aß42, and total tau in the CSF of 23 AD patients, 55 GPI patients, and 13 NS patients were measured. Patients were classified into none-to-mild, moderate, and severe stages of cognitive impairment. RESULTS: Levels of CSF NGRN, BACE1, and tau as well as plasma BACE1 levels were significantly different among groups. In the none-to-mild stage, plasma BACE1 levels correlated with the protein levels in CSF and were significantly increased in AD patients versus GPI patients. The CSF tau levels in AD patients were significantly increased versus GPI patients in the moderate and severe stages. Pooling data from GPI and NS patients, both CSF tau and plasma NGRN levels correlated with cognitive scale scores. CONCLUSION: GPI and NS patients might have different biomarker level patterns compared to AD patients. While plasma BACE1 could be a promising early biomarker for distinguishing AD from GPI, CSF tau and plasma NGRN levels might be valuable in indications of cognitive function in pooled NS populations.

Interactive effects of elevated homocysteine and late-life depression on cognitive impairment.

BACKGROUND: Both an elevated homocysteine (Hcy) level and depression are risk factors for cognitive impairment in the general population, but no study has analyzed whether the coexistence of an elevated Hcy level and late-life depression (LLD) is associated with worse cognitive performance. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate the relationship between Hcy levels and cognitive function in individuals with LLD and whether the coexistence of an elevated Hcy level and LLD is associated with worse cognitive performance. METHODS: A total of 113 LLD patients and 89 normal controls underwent a standardized clinical interview and comprehensive neuropsychological assessment battery. Plasma concentrations of Hcy were detected. Factorial analyses were performed to examine the impact of the coexistence of an elevated Hcy level and LLD on cognitive performance. RESULTS: Plasma Hcy levels in patients with LLD were significantly higher than that in normal controls. Only for LLD patients, Hcy level was negatively correlated with global cognition, executive function, attention, and visual space. The factorial analysis showed that there was a significant interactive effect of Hcy level (normal and elevated levels) and LLD (with and without LLD) on global cognition. In post hoc comparisons, the elderly individuals with both elevated Hcy levels and LLD tended to have the worst global cognitive function compared with those with LLD or elevated Hcy levels alone. CONCLUSIONS: The coexistence of an elevated Hcy level and LLD was associated with worse cognitive performance. Early intervention should be initiated to protect cognition in LLD patients with elevated Hcy levels.

[Preparation of polyclonal antibody against insect antifreeze protein MpAFP149 and identification of MpAFP149 expression in transgenic tobacco].

AIM: To prepare the polyclonal antibody against insect antifreeze protein MpAFP149 and use it to identify the expression of the heterologous antifreeze protein in transgenic tobacco. METHODS: Eukaryotic expression vector pcDNA3-MpAFP149 was constructed as a DNA vaccine by inserting MpAFP149 gene into pcDNA3 vector. The gene fragment encoding MpAFP149 mature peptide was cloned into pGEX-4T-1 vector to yield recombinant pGEX-4T-1- MpsAFP149. The pGEX-4T-1MpsAFP149 was transformed into E.coli BL21(DE3). GST-sAFP149P fusion protein was obtained after IPTG induction, which was used as a protein vaccine. The polyclonal antibody was generated by the DNA prime-protein boost vaccination strategy and its speciality was analyzed by Western blot. Ultra-thin sections for leaves of transgenic tobacco were assayed for the expression and distribution of heterologous protein MpAFP149 by immunogold particle technique. RESULTS: The prokaryotic and eukaryotic expression vectors carrying MpAFP149 were constructed. The recombinant protein GST-MpAFP149 was expressed with the expected molecular weight at 36 kDa. The results of Western blot and immunogold localization confirmed that mouse polyclonal antibody against MpAFP149 was obtained. CONCLUSION: The recombinant expression vectors carrying MpAFP149 were successfully constructed and the polyclonal antibody against MpAFP149 was obtained. The immunogold localization by TEM (transmission electron microscope) showed that the heterologous MpAFP149 protein was mainly rocalized in the cell wall in apoplast of the transgenic tobacco plant.

Expression of insect (Microdera puntipennis dzungarica) antifreeze protein MpAFP149 confers the cold tolerance to transgenic tobacco.

To elucidate the function of antifreeze protein from Microdera puntipennis dzhungarica for freezing stress tolerance in plant, the construct of MpAFP149 gene with the signal peptide sequence responsible for secreting the native MpAFP149 into the apoplast space under control of a cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter was introduced into tobacco by Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. The observation of immunogold localization by TEM (transmission electron microscope) showed that the heterologous MpAFP149 protein was mainly distributed on the cell wall in apoplast of the transgenic tobacco plant. T1 generation transgenic tobacco plants displayed a more frost resistant phenotype and kept the lower ion leakage ratio and MDA (malondialdehyde) content in the leaves compared with wild-type ones at -1 degrees C for 3 days. The results showed that MpAFP149 provided protection and conferred cold tolerance to transgenic tobacco plant during freezing stress.