[Study on incidence and risk factors of fall in the elderly in a rural community in Beijing]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the incidence of fall in the old farmers of Miyun county in Beijing.

METHODS

The old farmers who lived in Jugezhuang and Fengjiayu townships of Miyun county were selected for a questionnaire survey to collect the information about the incidence of fall and their health status.

RESULTS

A total of 2 397 old farmers, including 967 males and 1 430 females, were surveyed. Fall occurred in 347 old farmers(14.5%). The difference in the incidence of fall was significant between males(9.6%)and females(17.8%). A total of 282 falls occurred in courtyards, 45 falls occurred in field/hilly areas. Among the falls occurred, 216(27.2%)led to injuries. The most common site of injuries was hip(45 falls). Logistic regression analysis showed that physical exercise and high income were protective factors, but difficult standing up and walking, visual problem and stroke were the risk factors. In the males, the special risk factor was mid cognitive impairment, and in the females, the special risk factor was urinary incontinence, but afternoon nap was a protective factor.

CONCLUSION

The incidence of fall in the rural community was relatively high with distinct area distribution, which has caused serious influence on the mental and physical health of the elderly.

Oral Health-related Beliefs, Behaviors, and Outcomes through the Life Course

Complex associations exist among socioeconomic status (SES) in early life, beliefs about oral health care (held by individuals and their parents), and oral health-related behaviors. The pathways to poor adult oral health are difficult to model and describe, especially due to a lack of longitudinal data. The study aim was to explore possible pathways of oral health from birth to adulthood (age 38 y). We hypothesized that higher socioeconomic position in childhood would predict favorable oral health beliefs in adolescence and early adulthood, which in turn would predict favorable self-care and dental attendance behaviors; those would lead to lower dental caries experience and better self-reported oral health by age 38 y. A generalized structural equation modeling approach was used to investigate the relationship among oral health-related beliefs, behaviors in early adulthood, and dental health outcomes and quality of life in adulthood (age, 38 y), based on longitudinal data from a population-based birth cohort. The current investigation utilized prospectively collected data on early (up to 15 y) and adult (26 and 32 y) SES, oral health-related beliefs (15, 26, and 32 y), self-care behaviors (15, 28, and 32 y), oral health outcomes (e.g., number of carious and missing tooth surfaces), and oral health-related quality of life (38 y). Early SES and parental oral health-related beliefs were associated with the study members' oral health-related beliefs, which in turn predicted toothbrushing and dental service use. Toothbrushing and dental service use were associated with the number of untreated carious and missing tooth surfaces in adulthood. The number of untreated carious and missing tooth surfaces were associated with oral health-related quality of life. Oral health toward the end of the fourth decade of life is associated with intergenerational factors and various aspects of people's beliefs, SES, dental attendance, and self-care operating since the childhood years.

Electrospun Pd-doped mesoporous carbon nano fibres as catalysts for rechargeable Li–O2batteries

Mesoporous carbon nanofibres doped with palladium nanoparticles (Pd CNFs) are synthesized by electrospinning with subsequent thermal treatment processes and used as electro-catalysts at the oxygen cathode of Li–O₂batteries.

Low level of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol is related with increased hemorrhagic transformation after acute ischemic cerebral infarction

OBJECTIVE

The prevalence of hemorrhagic transformation (HT) after acute ischemic infarction varies greatly. Risk factors of HT include ageing, severity of stroke, baseline hypertension, high NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores, hyperglycemia and cardioembolic infarction and low levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL). We investigated the relationship between LDL, lipid profile and HT after acute ischemic infarction and suggested precautions for HT management.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Three hundred and forty-eight patients with acute infarction were included in the study. Fasting lipid profile was examined on the next morning following hospitalization. Either MRI GRE-T2*WI or CT was performed, one week after hospitalization to detect any cerebral microbleed (CMB) and hemorrhagic transformation. The lipid profiles examined included total cholesterol (TCH), triglyceride (TG), LDL and high-density lipoprotein (HDL).

RESULTS

Among all the patients, HT was noted in 35 patients and non-HT in 313. As compared with non-HT group, HT group had lower levels of TCH, HDL and LDL, lower rates of leukoaraiosis and CMB, but higher scores of NIHSS, higher rates of diabetes mellitus, atrial fibrillation and urokinase thrombolysis. The multivariate binary logistic regression showed that cardioembolic infarction, infarction with undetermined etiology, high scores of NIHSS and diabetes were the risk factors of HT, while the protective factor was LDL (OR=0.654, 95% CI: 0.430-0.996, p=0.048).

CONCLUSIONS

Low level of LDL is likely associated with increased HT after acute ischemic infarct, so for those patients with low level of LDL, high scores of NIHSS and cardioembolic infarction at admission, aggressive lipid- lowering treatment should be prescribed cautiously to prevent the incidence of HT.

Increased spontaneous neuronal activity in structurally damaged cortex is correlated with early motor recovery in patients with subcortical infarction

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Secondary cortical thinning and volumetric atrophy in the motor-related cortex can inhibit early functional recovery after subcortical infarction. However, the relationship between the spontaneous neuronal activity in these cortices and motor recovery in patients with focal cerebral infarct remains unknown.

METHODS

Structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and resting-state functional MRI were conducted 1, 4 and 12 weeks after onset in 22 patients with an acute subcortical infarct and in 22 normal subjects. Group differences in cortical thickness and in the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) in motor-related areas were evaluated, and the relationships between ALFF, cortical thickness changes and changes in the Fugl-Meyer scores of physical performance were further analyzed.

RESULTS

In patients with subcortical infarction, progressively decreasing cortical thickness was found over the observation period ipsilesionally in the primary motor cortex (PMC), supplementary motor cortex (SMC) and precuneus (all P < 0.05). Contralesionally, progressive increases in cortical thickness were detected in SMC and insula (all P < 0.05). Increases in ALFF were observed only in PMC (bilaterally) and only at 12 weeks after stroke (all P < 0.05). The cortical thickness changes in the contralesional SMC (rs = 0.483, P = 0.023) and the ALFF changes in bilateral PMC (ipsilesional, rs = 0.51, P = 0.015; contralesional, rs = 0.463, P = 0.03) were positively correlated with changes in the Fugl-Meyer scores.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that increased spontaneous neuronal activity of the PMC, a region structurally damaged secondarily to ischaemic lesion, may contribute to early motor recovery in patients with subcortical infarction.

Selection of human single domain antibodies recognizing the CMYC protein using enhanced intracellular antibody capture

Protein functions that are mediated by interaction with other proteins (protein-protein interactions, PPI) are important for normal cell biology and also in disease. Molecules that can interfere with PPI are required as laboratory tools to dissect function, as lead drug surrogates for target validation and as templates for drug discovery. We describe enhanced developments to Intracellular Antibody Capture (IAC) technology that can select antibody fragments able to interact with targets in cells. This is illustrated by the isolation of single heavy chain variable region domains binding to the basic-helix-loop-helix and leucine zipper region of the CMYC oncogenic protein. The enhanced IAC (eIAC) methodology deploys screening in yeast cells of a single diverse library initially with randomization only of CDR3. Further sequential randomization of CDR2 and CDR1 of three independently selected anti-CMYC clones illustrates an in vivo affinity maturation process. This concise eIAC approach facilitates the rapid selection of antibody fragments to explore the proteome interaction spectrum of mammalian cells and disease targeting.

Peroxynitrite decomposition catalyst prevents matrix metalloproteinase-9 activation and neurovascular injury after hemoglobin injection into the caudate nucleus of rats

Hemoglobin (Hb) is a major constituent of blood and a potent mediator of oxidative or nitrative stress after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Our previous study demonstrated that Hb could induce abundant peroxynitrite (ONOO(-)) formation in vivo, which may be involved in the blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption, however, the drug intervention is absent and also the underlying mechanism. Using an experimental stroke model by injecting Hb into the caudate nucleus of male Sprague-Dawley rats, we assessed the role of ONOO(-) decomposition catalyst, 5,10,15,20-tetrakis (4-sulfonatophenyl) porphyrinato iron(III) [FeTPPS] in the activation of MMP-9 and Hb-induced neurovascular injuries. 3-Nitrotyrosine (3-NT, as an index of ONOO(-) formation) and NF-κB expression was measured by western blot (WB) and immunohistochemistry (IHC)/immunofluorescence (IF). Activity of MMP was evaluated by in situ zymography. Neurovascular injury was assessed using zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) by WB and IF, fibronectin (FN) and neuron-specific nuclear protein (NeuN) IHC. Perihematomal cell death was determined by TUNEL assay. Behavioral outcome was measured by modified neurological severity score (mNSS) test. At the injured striata, profuse 3-NT was produced and mainly expressed in neutrophils and microglia/macrophages. 3-NT formation significantly colocalized with nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) expression. In situ zymography showed that gelatinase activity was mostly co-localized with neurons and blood vessel walls and partly with neutrophils and microglia/macrophages. Enhanced 3-NT production, NF-κB induction and MMP-9 activation were obviously reduced after FeTPPS treatment. Hb-induced injury to tight junction protein (ZO-1), basal lamina of FN-immunopositive microvasculature and neural cells was evidently ameliorated by FeTPPS. In addition, apoptotic cell numbers as well as behavioral deficits were also improved. The present study shows that the administration of the ONOO(-) decomposition catalyst FeTPPS protects against Hb-induced neurovascular injuries and improves neurological function, which possibly in part by suppressing MMP-9 activation.