Self-report Sleep Quality and its Risk Factors Among Community-dwelling Older Adults in China.

Context: Researchers have associated insomnia with many disorders, making insomnia a serious public health issue in China. Sleep quality in older adults isn't well characterized in China. Objective: The study intended to explore the sleep quality and subjective duration of sleep in a community-dwelling older population in China and identify potential risk factors for poor sleep. Design: The research team performed a cross-sectional survey using the convenience sampling method. Setting: The study took place in a community in Wuhu, Anhui, China in 2015. Participants: Participants were 1075 members of the community from Wuhu city. Outcome Measures: The research team collected self-reported information on sleep quality. Results: The overall prevalence of self-reported insomnia among older adults were 40.8%. The prevalence of insomnia in females, 259 (59.00%), was significantly higher than in males, 180 (41.00%), with P = .00. For income status, the prevalence of insomnia was significantly higher for participants with less than 10 000 RMB per year income for a family, 191 participants (43.51%), than for participants with higher family incomes, with P = .00. For marital status, the prevalence of insomnia was significantly higher for the widowed participants, 121 participants (24.56%), with P = .01. Conclusions: Sleep quality for females, low-income families, and widowed people were significantly worse than for people in other categories among older adults in China. Older adults in China need proper interventions for the factors causing poor sleep hygiene.

The extract from Agkistrodon halys venom protects against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced myocardial injury.

BACKGROUND: Snake venoms contain various bioactive constituents which possess potential therapeutic effects. The aim of this work was to investigate the effect of the extract from Agkistrodon halys venom on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced myocardial injury. METHODS: Thirty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to three groups (10 rats per group): control group, LPS group and LPS + extract group. Rats in control and the LPS groups were intravenously injected with sterile saline solution, and rats in the LPS + extract group with the extract. After 2 h, rats of the control group were intraperitoneally injected sterile saline solution, and rats in the LPS and the LPS + extract groups were treated with LPS (20 mg per kg body weight). Levels of creatine kinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in serum were determined. Anti-inflammation of the extract was analyzed via determination of TNF-α and IL-6 in serum, and expression of TNF-α, IL-6, COX-2 and p-ERK protein in hearts. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and p-NF-κB protein expression in hearts, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) level in serum were used to evaluate the anti-oxidative properties of the extract. RESULTS: Extract pretreatment significantly decreased the level of serum CK and LDH, reduced the generation of inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α and IL-6, and also reduced serum level of MDA in the LPS + extract group compared with the LPS group. In addition, the extract increased SOD activity in serum, HO-1 protein expression in hearts, and decreased TNF-α, IL-6, COX-2, p-NF-κB and p-ERK1/2 protein expression. CONCLUSION: Our results suggested that beneficial effect of this extract might be associated with an improved anti-oxidation and anti-inflammatory effect via downregulation of NF-κB/COX-2 signaling by activating HO-1/CO in hearts.

[Protective effect of paeonol on neurotoxicity induced by Abeta1-42 and underlying mechanisms].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the protective effect of paeonol on amyloid beta1-42 (Abeta1-42)-induced neurotoxicity and its mechanism. METHOD: Hippocampal neurons of well-grown newborn SD rats and differentiated SH-SY5Y cell lines were cultured with various concentrations of paeonol (1, 5, 10 micromol x L(-1), respectively) for 6 hours and then incubated with Abeta1-42 oligomer (30 micromol x L(-1)) for 24 hours and 48 hours, respectively. The neuron apoptosis was observed by Heochst33258. Annexin V/PI double stain flow cytometry assay was adopted for determining SH-SY5Y cell apoptosis rate. And the expression of BDNF and Bcl-2 mRNA was detected by RT-PCR. RESULT: Compared with the model group, various concentrations of paeonol (1, 5, 10 micromol x L(-1)) significantly reduced the hippocampal neurons karyopycnosis, decreased the rate of SH-SY5Y cell apoptosis to 22.4%, 18.1% and 16.4%, respectively, and improved the expressions of BDNF and Bcl-2 mRNA. CONCLUSION: Paeonol relieves Abeta1-42 oligomer-induced neuron injury by increasing BDNF and Bcl-2 expressions.

Enhancement of mercury capture by the simultaneous addition of hydrogen bromide (HBr) and fly ashes in a slipstream facility.

Low halogen content in tested Powder River Basin (PRB) coals and low loss of ignition content (LOI) in PRB-derived fly ash were likely responsible for higher elemental mercury content (averaging about 75%) in the flue gas and also lower mercury capture efficiency by electrostatic precipitator (ESP) and wet-FGD. To develop a cost-effective approach to mercury capture in a full-scale coal-fired utility boiler burning PRB coal, experiments were conducted adding hydrogen bromide (HBr) or simultaneously adding HBr and selected fly ashes in a slipstream reactor (0.152 x 0.152 m) under real flue gas conditions. The residence time of the flue gas inside the reactorwas about 1.4 s. The average temperature of the slipstream reactor was controlled at about 155 degrees C. Tests were organized into two phases. In Phase 1, only HBr was added to the slipstream reactor, and in Phase 2, HBr and selected fly ash were added simultaneously. HBr injection was effective (>90%) for mercury oxidation at a low temperature (155 degrees C) with an HBr addition concentration of about 4 ppm in the flue gas. Additionally, injected HBr enhanced mercury capture by PRB fly ash in the low-temperature range. The mercury capture efficiency, attesting conditions of the slipstream reactor, reached about 50% at an HBr injection concentration of 4 ppm in the flue gas. Compared to only the addition of HBr, simultaneously adding bituminous-derived fly ash in a minimum amount (30 lb/MMacf), together with HBr injection at 4 ppm, could increase mercury capture efficiency by 30%. Injection of lignite-derived fly ash at 30 lb/MMacf could achieve even higher mercury removal efficiency (an additional 35% mercury capture efficiency compared to HBr addition alone).