Spousal collaboration mediates the relation between self-rated health and depressive symptoms of Chinese older couples: an actor-partner interdependence approach.

BACKGROUND: Dyadic coping resources have been considered a potential explanatory mechanism of spousal interdependence in health, but the mediation of spousal collaboration for the relationship between self-rated health and depressive symptoms has yet to be examined. This study aimed to investigate the within- (actor effect) and between-partner effects of self-rated health on depressive symptoms in community-dwelling older couples facing physical functioning limitations and to examine the role of spousal collaboration in mediating the actor and cross-partner effects of self-rated health on depressive symptoms. METHOD: Data from 185 community-dwelling older Chinese married couples were analyzed using the actor-partner interdependence mediation model (APIMeM). Couples were interviewed through trained research assistants using the 5-item common dyadic coping subscale of the Dyadic Coping Inventory (DCI), the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) of the QoL questionnaire EQ-5D and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). RESULTS: Husbands' self-rated health had an actor effect on their own depressive symptoms and a partner effect on their wives' depressive symptoms. Wives' self-rated health had an actor effect on their own depressive symptoms. The actor effects between self-rated health and depressive symptoms were partially mediated by their own perception of spousal collaboration. Furthermore, husbands' self-rated health not only affects wives' depressive symptoms directly but also indirectly by influencing wives' perceptions of spousal collaboration. DISCUSSION: The findings from this study underscored the importance of viewing couples' coping processes from a dyadic and gender-specific perspective, since more (perceived) collaborative efforts have beneficial effects on both partners' mental health outcomes.

Daytime Napping and Metabolic Syndrome: A 4-Year Follow-Up Study of Chinese Middle-Aged and Older Adults.

The current study examined the relationship between napping duration and metabolic syndrome (MetS) among Chinese middle-aged and older adults over 4 years. We included 4,526 individuals aged ≥50 years who completed the 2011 and 2015 waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. General linear models were conducted to analyze the association of napping duration (none, 1 to 29 minutes, 30 to 59 minutes, 60 to 89 minutes, and ≥90 minutes) with MetS. At baseline, a higher prevalence of MetS was observed among participants with longer napping durations (60 to 89 minutes or ≥90 minutes) compared to non-nappers (odds ratio [OR] = 1.27, OR = 1.51, respectively). Among all participants, a napping duration ≥90 minutes at baseline was correlated with an increased risk of MetS 4 years later (OR = 1.58). Among participants without MetS at baseline, excessive napping (≥90 minutes) was predictive of a higher incidence of MetS 4 years later (OR = 1.46). Results revealed that excessive napping was related to an increased prevalence and incidence of MetS among Chinese middle-aged and older adults. [Research in Gerontological Nursing, 16(3), 115-124.].

Circ_0091579 enhances the malignancy of hepatocellular carcinoma via miR-1287/PDK2 axis.

Several articles have indicated that circular RNAs are involved in pathogenesis of human cancers. Nevertheless, the role of circ_0091579 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression remains to be revealed. Quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction was carried out to examine the expression of circ_0091579 and miR-1287. The proliferation of HCC cells was determined by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Flow cytometry was performed to analyze cell cycle progression and apoptosis. Western blot assay was conducted to detect the protein expression of CyclinD1, Cleaved caspase3, and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 2 (PDK2). Cell glycolysis was evaluated by measuring the uptake of glucose, the production of lactate, and extracellular acidification rate. The target relationship between miR-1287 and circ_0091579 or PDK2 was verified by dual-luciferase reporter assay, RNA immunoprecipitation assay, and RNA-pull down assay. The enrichment of circ_0091579 was enhanced in HCC tissues (n = 77) and four HCC cell lines (HB611, Huh-7, MHCC97, and SNU423) compared with adjacent non-tumor tissues (n = 77) and normal human liver cell line THLE-2. Circ_0091579 mediated the promotion of proliferation and glycolysis and the suppression of apoptosis of HCC cells. MiR-1287 was a direct target of circ_0091579 in HCC cells. MiR-1287 knockdown reversed the effects caused by circ_0091579 interference on the functions of HCC cells. PDK2 could bind to miR-1287 in HCC cells. Circ_0091579 upregulated the enrichment of PDK2 by acting as a sponge of miR-1287 in HCC cells. The influence caused by circ_0091579 intervention on HCC cells was attenuated by overexpression of PDK2. Circ_0091579 interference impeded the progression of HCC in vivo. Circ_0091579 deteriorated HCC by promoting the proliferation and glycolytic metabolism and suppressing the apoptosis of HCC cells via miR-1287/PDK2 axis.

Bilayer ventilated labyrinthine metasurfaces with high sound absorption and tunable bandwidth.

The recent advent of acoustic metamaterials offers unprecedented opportunities for sound controlling in various occasions, whereas it remains a challenge to attain broadband high sound absorption and free air flow simultaneously. Here, we demonstrated, both theoretically and experimentally, that this problem can be overcome by using a bilayer ventilated labyrinthine metasurface. By altering the spacing between two constituent single-layer metasurfaces and adopting asymmetric losses in them, near-perfect (98.6%) absorption is achieved at resonant frequency for sound waves incident from the front. The relative bandwidth of absorption peak can be tuned in a wide range (from 12% to 80%) by adjusting the open area ratio of the structure. For sound waves from the back, the bilayer metasurface still serves as a sound barrier with low transmission. Our results present a strategy to realize high sound absorption and free air flow simultaneously, and could find applications in building acoustics and noise remediation.

Transparent and UV Blocking Structural Colored Hydrogel for Contact Lenses.

Usually, materials with perfect structures possess excellent properties, but it is not always the case. Here, a new approach is reported to construct structural colored hydrogel films with excellent ultraviolet (UV) blocking performance for contact lenses. The theoretical simulation predicts that with perfect periodic structures, the hydrogel films can strongly reflect incident light in a narrow visible wavelength range and thus exhibit extraordinarily brilliant colors. However, such hydrogel films cannot effectively block UV light. By slightly breaking the structural periodicity (quasi-periodic structure), strong diffuse scattering or pseudoabsorption of light can occur for all of the wavelengths shorter than a structural characteristic length, leading to perfect UV blocking. According to the theoretical prediction, a structural colored hydrogel film with nearly periodic polystyrene sphere arrays in poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate) hydrogel matrix is fabricated; this hydrogel film possesses brilliant colors and perfect UV blocking, and the core particle composition and size have been investigated in detail for the optimized properties of contact lenses. Meanwhile, the cell proliferation assay proves the cytocompatibility of the hydrogel for real application. Regarding its unique optical characteristics, the as-prepared structural colored hydrogel shows great promise in the fields of UV-protective equipment, medical device, soft robot, sensor, and so on.

Efficient terahertz and infrared Smith-Purcell radiation from metal-slot metasurfaces.

We demonstrate that when a charged particle moves on top of a metal-slot metasurface consisting of metallic slot resonators, strong Smith-Purcell electromagnetic (EM) radiation can be produced at resonant frequency. By adjusting the period of the metasurface, the resonant (or working) frequency can be tuned from gigahertz to terahertz and infrared regions. Since the EM field is localized in the slots rather than at the metal surface, the metasurfaces are found to exhibit a very low absorption loss ratio (<1%) in low working frequencies (<1 THz). Although it becomes larger in high frequencies (>1 THz), the loss ratio remains relatively low (<12%). In addition, a nonlinear relationship is also uncovered between the resonant frequency and the reciprocal of the period. Our results could benefit the construction of efficient, compact terahertz, and infrared free-electron light sources.