Sleep Disturbance in Older Adults With or Without Mild Cognitive Impairment and Its Associated Factors Residing in Rural Area, China.

AIMS: To evaluate the prevalence of sleep disturbance in older adults with or without mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and associated factors among residents in rural central China. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in adults in rural areas of the Hunan province aged≥60 years. Study participants (N = 1213) included 479 individuals meeting the criteria for MCI and 734 with normal cognitive abilities. The participants completed the Athens Insomnia Scale, Stress Resilience Quotient Scale, Affect Balance Scale and Activities of Daily Living (ADL) Scale. Chi-square test, Wilcoxon rank sum analyses and multiple logistic regression were used in this study. RESULTS: A total of 60.33% of participants with MCI demonstrated sleep disturbance (60.33%, 95% CI: 0.559-0.649), which was significantly higher than in the non-MCI group (43.73%, 95% CI: 0.759-0.838). Multiple logistic regression conducted separately in the populations of older adults with or without MCI showed that age, drinking habits, affect balance and activities of daily life were correlates of self-reported sleep disturbance in rural older adults with MCI (B = -5.469), whereas age, ADL, living arrangement and resilience were the main influencing factors in older adults without MCI (B = 2.991). CONCLUSION: Sleep disturbance is more common in older adults with MCI than without MCI in rural areas of China. The factors influencing sleep disturbances vary between older adults with or without MCI, with age and ADL representing common factors influencing sleep disturbance in both groups. Interventions focusing on the age, drinking habits, affect balance and ADL may improve sleep quality in MCI older adults.

Genome-wide identification and evolution of TC1/Mariner in the silkworm (Bombyx mori) genome.

TC1/Mariner transposons belong to class II transposable elements (TEs) that use DNA-mediated "cut and paste" mechanism to transpose, and they have been identified in almost all organisms. Although silkworm (Bombyx mori) has a large amount of TC1/Mariner elements, the genome wide information of this superfamily in the silkworm is unknown. In this study, we have identified 2670 TC1/Mariner (Bmmar) elements in the silkworm genome. All the TEs were classified into 22 families by means of fgclust, a tool of repetitive sequence classification, seven of which was first reported in this study. Phylogenetic and structure analyses based on the catalytic domain (DDxD/E) of transposase sequences indicated that all members of TC1/Mariner were grouped into five subgroups: Mariner, Tc1, maT, DD40D and DD41D/E. Of these five subgroups, maT rather than Mariner possessed most members of TC1/Mariner (51.23%) in the silkworm genome. In particular, phylogenetic analysis and structure analysis revealed that Bmmar15 (DD40D) formed a new basal subgroup of TC1/Mariner element in insects, which was referred to as bmori. Furthermore, we concluded that DD40D appeared to intermediate between mariner and Tc1. Finally, we estimated the insertion time for each copy of TC1/Mariner in the silkworm and found that most of members were dramatically amplified during a period from 0 to 1 mya. Moreover, the detailed functional data analysis showed that Bmmar1, Bmmar6 and Bmmar9 had EST evidence and intact transposases. These implied that TC1/Mariner might have potential transpositional activity. In conclusion, this study provides some new insights into the landscape, origin and evolution of TC1/Mariner in the insect genomes.

Modification of decellularized vascular scaffold with conditioned medium to enhance cell reseeding.

Repopulation of decellularized vascular scaffolds (DVS) is limited because of change in the repertoire and ratios of the remaining extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, for example, loss of glycoproteins and the retention of type I collagen. Pre-treatment of DVS with defined ECM proteins, which match the repertoire of integrin receptors expressed by the embryonic stem cells (mESCs) to be seeded, can increase the reseeding efficacy. mESCs mainly express high levels of functional receptors for LM and FN. Reseeding efficiency of DVS with mESCs was very low, but was sigficantly increased (2.5 ± 0.1 fold) by pre-treating the DVS with A549-conditioned media. In addition, pre-treatment with A549-conditioned media led to a more homogeneous distribution of the seeded mESCs throughout the engineered blood vessel as compared to untreated DVS. This paper may promote blood vessel engineering by stressing the importance of matching the cell binding motifs of DVS and the integrin receptor repertoire of seeded cells.

Effects of New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme on Medical Service Utilization and Medical Expense Control of Inpatients: A 3-year Empirical Study of Hainan Province in China.

BACKGROUND: The New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme (NCMS) has been further adjusted and optimized to reduce the financial burden of rural residents and to achieve universal coverage for them. In this study, we aimed to explore the impact of NCMS on medical service utilization and medical expense of inpatients in recent years. METHODS: The research data of Hainan Province were extracted from the Chinese NCMS platform from 2012 to 2014. Detailed information included total expenditure, average inpatients costs, average out-of-pocket payments, actual reimbursement rate, and average annual growth rate of the above indicators. Descriptive analysis was used to gauge the effects of NCMS. RESULTS: In the utilization of medical services, NCMS inpatients in tertiary hospital decreased from 25.49% in 2012 to 20.39% in 2014, inpatients in county hospitals increased from 39.49% to 55.92%, simultaneously. The total expenditure in county hospitals rose steadily from 28.46% to 46.66%, meanwhile, the total expenditure in tertiary hospitals fell from 60.44% to 44.51%.The average out-of-pocket costs of rural inpatients remained stable over the years. Furthermore, the compensation fund of NCMS inpatients grew significantly. The actual inpatient reimbursement rate at township health centers increased from 76.93% to 84.04%. Meanwhile, the rate at county hospitals and tertiary hospitals increased slightly from 59.37% and 46.10% to 61.25% and 47.71%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: With the improvement of the reimbursement ability, especially after the new health care reform in 2009, the NCMS have been playing a prominent role in alleviating the economic burden of farmers' medical treatment. Meanwhile, more patients go to primary hospitals than tertiary hospitals, and the capability of primary hospitals has been greatly improved.

Surface modification of PLGA nanoparticles with biotinylated chitosan for the sustained in vitro release and the enhanced cytotoxicity of epirubicin.

In this study, poly(d,l-lactide-co-glycolide) nanoparticles (PLGA NPs) with biotinylated chitosan (Bio-CS)-surface modification were prepared to be usded as a tumor-targeted and prolonged delivery system for anticancer drugs. Epirubicin (EPB), as a model drug, was encapsulated into Bio-CS surface modified PLGA (Bio-CS-PLGA) NPs with a drug encapsulation efficiency of 84.1 ± 3.4%. EPB-loaded Bio-CS-PLGA NPs were spherical shaped, and had a larger size and higher positive zeta potential compared to the unmodfied EPB-loaded PLGA NPs. The in vitro drug releases showed that EPB-loaded Bio-CS-PLGA NPs exhibited relatively constant drug release kinetics during the first 48 h and the drug burst release significantly decreased in comparison to the unmodified PLGA NPs. The results of MTS assays showed that Bio-CS-PLGA NPs markedly increased the cytotoxicity of EPB, compared to both the unmodified PLGA NPs and the CS-PLGA NPs. The uptakes of NPs in human breast cancer MCF-7 cells were evaluated by the flow cytometry and the confocal microscope. The results revealed that Bio-CS-PLGA NPs exhibited a greater extent of cellular uptake than the unmodified PLGA NPs and CS-PLGA NPs. Moreover, the cellular uptake of Bio-CS-PLGA NPs was evidently inhibited by the endocytic inhibitors and the receptor ligand, indicating that biotin receptor-mediated endocytosis was perhaps involved in the cell entry of Bio-CS-PLGA NPs. In MCF-7 tumor-bearing nude mice, EPB-loaded Bio-CS-PLGA NPs were efficiently accumulated in the tumors. In summary, Bio-CS-PLGA NPs displayed great potential for application as the carriers of anticancer drugs.

Effects of Progressive Muscle Relaxation Intervention in Extremity Fracture Surgery Patients.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of progressive muscle relaxation on state anxiety and self-efficacy in hospitalized patients admitted for an extremity fracture receiving elective surgery. Eighty four patients met the inclusion criteria and all were randomly assigned to either the progressive muscle relaxation group or the control group. The control group received standard orthopedic nursing care, and the experimental group received standard care along with daily progressive muscle relaxation throughout their hospitalization. The State Anxiety Inventory and Self-Efficacy Scales were administered before and after the intervention. Both paired-sample t tests and independent t tests showed that progressive muscle relaxation is effective in reducing state anxiety and enhancing the self-efficacy of patients with extremity fracture undergoing an elective surgery.

Magnetic responsive hydroxyapatite composite scaffolds construction for bone defect reparation.

INTRODUCTION: In recent years, interest in magnetic biomimetic scaffolds for tissue engineering has increased considerably. A type of magnetic scaffold composed of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) and hydroxyapatite (HA) for bone repair has been developed by our research group. AIM AND METHODS: In this study, to investigate the influence of the MNP content (in the scaffolds) on the cell behaviors and the interactions between the magnetic scaffold and the exterior magnetic field, a series of MNP-HA magnetic scaffolds with different MNP contents (from 0.2% to 2%) were fabricated by immersing HA scaffold into MNP colloid. ROS 17/2.8 and MC3T3-E1 cells were cultured on the scaffolds in vitro, with and without an exterior magnetic field, respectively. The cell adhesion, proliferation and differentiation were evaluated via scanning electron microscopy; confocal laser scanning microscopy; and 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT), alkaline phosphatase, and bone gla protein activity tests. RESULTS: The results demonstrated the positive influence of the magnetic scaffolds on cell adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation. Further, a higher amount of MNPs on the magnetic scaffolds led to more significant stimulation. CONCLUSION: The magnetic scaffold can respond to the exterior magnetic field and engender some synergistic effect to intensify the stimulating effect of a magnetic field to the proliferation and differentiation of cells.

Characterization, cloning, and heterologous expression of a subtilisin-like serine protease gene VlPr1 from Verticillium lecanii.

The entomopathogenic fungus Verticillium lecanii is a well-known biocontrol agent. V. lecanii produces subtilisin-like serine protease (Pr1), which is important in the biological control activity of some insect pests by degrading insect cuticles. In this study, a subtilisin-like serine protease gene VlPr1 was cloned from the fungus and the VlPr1 protein was expressed in Escherichia coli. The VlPr1 gene contains an open reading frame (ORF) interrupted by three short introns, and encodes a protein of 379 amino acids. Protein sequence analysis revealed high homology with subtilisin serine proteases. The molecular mass of the protease was 38 kDa, and the serine protease exhibited its maximal activity at 40°C and pH 9.0. Protease activity was also affected by Mg(2+) and Ca(2+) concentration. The protease showed inhibitory activity against several plant pathogens, especially towards Fusarium moniliforme.

Prevalence and related influencing factors of depressive symptoms for empty-nest elderly living in the rural area of YongZhou, China.

The number of empty-nest elderly is on the rise, especially in rural areas of China. The empty-nest elderly were concerned from social and demographic perspective, but researches on mental health issues of the aged were still rare in China. To clarify the prevalence of depression among empty-nest elderly in a rural area of YongZhou, Hunan and evaluate the impact of social support, coping style and socio-demographic factors on depression of the empty-nest elderly, with the goal of decreasing the rate of depression in empty-nest elderly, a questionnaire survey was conducted on 415 elderly persons. The determined prevalence of depressive symptoms was 74.46%. The empty-nest group, in comparison with the non-empty nest group, had higher levels of depression. Multivariate linear regression analysis showed associations between depressive symptoms and negative coping style, support utilization, religious beliefs, economic status, marital status and subjective support. The results suggested that the strategy to alleviate the depression in empty-nest elderly can be considered by the society, village committee, the family members and the empty-nest elderly subjects themselves, which could control effectively the incidence of depression.

[Effects of simulated weightlessness and mechanical loading on bone interstitial fluid flow in rats].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of simulated weightlessness and mechanical loading on bone interstitial fluid flow. METHOD: Thirty-six male Sprague-Dawley [correction of Spargue-Danley] rats were divided into 3 groups: the control group, the tail-suspension group, and the tail-suspension plus mechanical loading group, with four rats in each group. All the rats were injected via a lateral tail vein with horseradish peroxidase on the 21st day of the experiment. Tibial tissue specimens were explanted, fixed, decalcified and cut into 30 micrometers frozen sections 3 h after the intravenous injection. RESULT: There were less peroxidase reaction product in the bony matrix and bone lacunae in tail-suspended rats than the control and tail-suspended plus mechanical loading rats. CONCLUSION: Tail-suspension decreased fluid movement through the bone, while mechanical loading increased it.

[Preliminary study on protecting effect of two kinds of Chinese medical herbs on changes of three physiology systems in suspended rats].

Objective. To observe the protecting effect of two kinds of Chinese medical herbs on changes of blood circulation, muscle and skeletal systems in tail suspended rats. Method. Changes of blood circulation, muscle and skeletal systems in tail suspended rats (n=15), Chinese medical herb group 1 (n=15) and Chinese medical herb group 2 (n=15) after 30 d tail suspension were compared with those in control group rats (n=15). Result. Two kinds of Chinese medical herbs have obvious effect on improving the condition of blood circulation, and have some effects on improving the muscle and skeletal systems in tail suspended rats. Conclusion. Chinese medical herbs have a good prospect of being used in space flight, and further studies are needed.

[Effects of head down bed rest or drinking water containing electrolytic silver-ion on intestinal bifidobacteria].

Objective. To investigate the effect of head down bed rest (HDBR) or electrolytic silver-ion on intestinal bifidobacteria in men and mice. Method. Three tests were conducted. Counts of bifidobacteria in feces were made in: 1) 5 male healthy volunteers after 21 d -6 degrees HDBR. 2) 4 groups of mice drank water containing no Ag+, 0.20, 0.40 and 0.60 mg/ L of Ag+ respectively for 1 month. 3) Seven male healthy volunteers drank water containing 0.20 mg/L of silver-ion for 16 days. Result. 1) The count of bifidobacteria after HDBR [8.08 +/- 0.82 (lgn/g)] was significantly decreased as compared with the control group [8.72 +/- 0.82 (lgn/g)] (P<0.01). It suggests that HDT -6 degrees bed-rest might reduce the number of bifidobacteria in the human colon. 2) The count of bifidobacteria in feces was negatively correlated with the silver-ion concentration in the water (r= -0.992, P<0.01). 3) The count of bifidobacteria in feces after test [7.83 +/- 0.71(lgn/g)] was significantly decreased as compared with that before the test (8.91 +/- 0.84) (P<0.05). Conclusion. It demonstrates that HDT -6 degrees bed-rest and electrolytic silver-ion all might reduce the count of bifidobacteria in feces.

[Effects of simulated weightlessness on the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 in rat calvarial osteoblasts induced by fluid shear stress].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of simulated weightlessness on mechanotransduction in rat calvarial osteoblasts. METHOD: Osteoblasts were isolated from neonatal rat calvariae and then were set to two groups. One was cultured in clinostat to simulate the weightlessness environment. Another was cultured in 1 G gravitational environment. After 60 h, osteoblasts were treated with 0.5 Pa or 1.5 Pa FSS in a flow chamber. The FSS treatment time was set to 30 min and 60 min, respectively. The specimens of each group were obtained for immunohistochemistry staining and determination of expressions of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in osteoblasts. RESULT: In osteoblasts cultured in 1 G gravitational environment, COX-2 expression was increased remarkably from 30 min to 60 min with the treatment of FSS (P<0.01). There was no clear difference between the expression of COX-2 after treatments of 0.5 Pa or 1.5 Pa FSS; In cells cultured in simulated weightlessness environment, no detectable expression of COX-2 was found with the treatment of 0.5 Pa FSS. The expression of COX-2 was only detected after 60 min treatment of 1.5 Pa FSS, but the level of expression was decreased significantly (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: These results demonstrated that the mechanotransduction in osteoblasts was down-regulated in simulated (correction of stimulated) weightlessness.