Spouse's subjective social status predicts older adults’ prospective cognitive functioning

Objectives: The current study aims to investigate the association between subjective social status (SSS) and prospective cognitive functioning of older adults and their spouses, and to explore the potential mediating roles of health habits and physical activities in this association.

Method: Using the longitudinal data of 512 pairs of community-dwelling older couples aged 65–91 years (M = 72.2 ± 4.6), we tested the effects of SSS in cognitive functioning using an Actor-Partner Interdependence Model. SSS was measured by a self-anchoring social ladder, and cognitive functioning was measured by the Mini-Mental State Examination at baseline and 4-year follow-up. Socioeconomic status (i.e. education) was tested as a moderator, and physical activity (measured by the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly) as well as health habits (i.e. tobacco and alcohol consumption) were included as potential mediators.

Results: A partner effect of SSS was found only in the low-education group, in which the wife's higher level of SSS in the community was associated with the husband's better cognitive functioning in the follow-up. A small proportion of this effect was found to be partially mediated by participation in housework, such that the wife's higher SSS was associated with the husband's increased housework activity, which was related to higher prospective cognitive functioning.

Conclusion: By examining the dyadic effects of SSS with a longitudinal design, our findings extended the understanding on how subjective social status influenced older couples’ cognitive health, and provided evidence-based insights for future studies on cognitive health in later life.     

How does measurement of platelet P-selectin compare with other methods of measuring platelet function as a means of determining the effectiveness of antiplatelet therapy?

Measurement of P-selectin on activated platelets as a means of measuring platelet function utilizing the technology described here has the advantage of not requiring immediate access to specialist equipment and expertise. Blood samples are activated, fixed, stored, and transported to a central laboratory for flow cytometric analysis. Here we have compared P-selectin with other more traditional approaches to measuring platelet function in blood and/or platelet-rich plasma (PRP) from patients with acute coronary syndromes on treatment for at least 1 month with either aspirin and clopidogrel or aspirin with prasugrel. The comparators were light transmission aggregometry (LTA), VerifyNow and Multiplate aggregometry (for determining the effects of aspirin) and LTA, VerifyNow and Multiplate together with the BioCytex VASP phosphorylation assay (for the P2Y₁₂ antagonists). The P-selectin Aspirin Test revealed substantial inhibition of platelet function in all but three of 96 patients receiving aspirin with clopidogrel and in none of 51 patients receiving aspirin and prasugrel. The results were very similar to those obtained using LTA. There was only one patient with high residual platelet aggregation and low P-selectin expression. The same patients identified as “non-responders” to aspirin also presented with the highest residual platelet activity as measured using the VerifyNow system, although not quite as well separated from the other values. With the Multiplate test only one of these patients clearly stood out from the others. The results obtained using the P-selectin P2Y₁₂ Test in 102 patients taking aspirin and clopidogrel were similar to the more traditional approaches in that a wide scatter of results was obtained. Generally, high values seen with the P-selectin P2Y₁₂ Test were also high with the LTA, VerifyNow, Multiplate, and BioCytex VASP P2Y₁₂ Tests. Similarly, low residual platelet function using the P2Y₁₂ test was seen irrespective of the testing procedure used. However, there were differences in some patients. Prasugrel was always more effective than clopidogrel in inhibiting platelet function with none of 56 patients (P-selectin and VerifyNow), only 2 of 56 patients (Multiplate) and only 3 of 56 patients (Biocytex VASP) demonstrating high on-treatment residual platelet reactivity (HRPR) defined using previously published cut-off values. The exception was LTA where there were 11 of 56 patients with HRPR. It remains to be seen which experimental approach provides the most useful information regarding outcomes after adjusting therapies in treated patients.     

17岁男童反复腹痛、腹腔积液伴嗜酸性粒细胞增多

17岁男童，因腹痛、腹泻伴嗜酸性粒细胞增多3年，加重3 d入院。3年前患儿因进食“老酸奶”后出现腹痛、腹泻，彩超示大量腹腔积液，血常规、骨髓细胞形态学检查、腹水组织学检查可见大量嗜酸性粒细胞；3 d前因腹痛、腹泻再次入院，胃肠镜检查胃角见嗜酸性粒细胞浸润，确诊为嗜酸细胞性胃肠疾病（嗜酸细胞性胃肠炎），给予糖皮质激素及饮食规避治疗后好转，随访1年未反复。对于因腹痛、腹泻等消化道症状就诊的患儿，如伴外周血嗜酸性粒细胞增多，需考虑嗜酸细胞性胃肠疾病的可能，内镜活检胃肠道组织中见嗜酸性粒细胞浸润且计数异常为诊断的关键。 ［引用格式:中国当代儿科杂志，2021，23（11）：1169-1173］     

The role of dark adaptation in understanding early AMD

The main aim of the paper is to discuss current knowledge on how Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) affects Dark Adaptation (DA). The paper is divided into three parts. Firstly, we outline some of the molecular mechanisms that control DA. Secondly, we review the psychophysical issues and the corresponding analytical techniques. Finally, we characterise the link between slowed DA and the morphological abnormalities in early AMD.Historically, DA has been regarded as too cumbersome for widespread clinical application. Yet the technique is extremely useful; it is widely accepted that the psychophysically obtained slope of the second rod-mediated phase of the dark adaptation function is an accurate assay of photoreceptor pigment regeneration kinetics. Technological developments have prompted new ways of generating the DA curve, but analytical problems remain. A simple potential solution to these, based on the application of a novel fast mathematical algorithm, is presented. This allows the calculation of the parameters of the DA curve in real time.Improving current management of AMD will depend on identifying a satisfactory endpoint for evaluating future therapeutic strategies. This must be implemented before the onset of severe disease. Morphological changes progress too slowly to act as a satisfactory endpoint for new therapies whereas functional changes, such as those seen in DA, may have more potential in this regard. It is important to recognise, however, that the functional changes are not confined to rods and that building a mathematical model of the DA curve enables the separation of rod and cone dysfunction and allows more versatility in terms of the range of disease severity that can be monitored. Examples are presented that show how analysing the DA curve into its constituent components can improve our understanding of the morphological changes in early AMD.     

Cut Points of Chair Stand Test for Poor Physical Function and Its Association With Adverse Health Outcomes in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Study

ObjectivesTo identify the optimal cutoff points for poor physical function [measured by a 5-times sit-to-stand (5-STS) test] associated with slowness in community-dwelling older adults and to validate the 5-STS cut points by determining whether they predicted future slowness and clinically relevant health outcomes over a 2-year-follow-up period.DesignCross-sectional and longitudinal analyses of a cohort study.Setting and ParticipantsWe conducted cross-sectional (n = 2977) and prospective 2-year follow-up analyses (n = 2515) among participants aged 70-84 years enrolled in the nationwide Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study (KFACS).MethodsClassification and regression tree (CART) analysis was used to identify the 5-STS cut points for poor performance in terms of slowness (eg, gait speed ≥1.0 m/s, gait speed >0.8 m/s and <1.0 m/s, gait speed ≤0.8 m/s) at baseline. Multinomial logistic regression models were used to evaluate the prevalence and incidence of slowness and clinical outcomes according to the three 5-STS categories (normal, intermediate, and poor) in the cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses.ResultsThe overall prevalence of slowness in our study sample was 9.0% for a gait speed of ≤0.8 m/s and 32.1% for a gait speed of <1.0 m/s. The CART model identified 5-STS cut points of 10.8 seconds and 12.8 seconds for intermediate and poor physical function, respectively. In the adjusted model, the cut point of 12.8 seconds had a significantly increased likelihood of incident slowness and clinically relevant health outcomes (ie, mobility limitation, disability, frailty, sarcopenia risk, and falls) over the 2-year-follow-up period (all, P < .05).Conclusions and ImplicationsOur study established 5-STS test cutoff points for poor physical function. Thresholds of 10.8 and 12.8 seconds (intermediate and poor physical function, respectively) for a 5-STS test might help identify individuals at risk of physical function impairments and, thus, help design preventive interventions in community health care settings.     

Nationwide outcomes of newborns with rectosigmoid versus long-segment Hirschsprung disease

PurposeHirschsprung Disease (HD) is a common congenital intestinal disorder. While aganglionosis most commonly affects the rectosigmoid colon (rectosigmoid HD), outcomes for patients in which aganglionosis extends to more proximal segments (long-segment HD) remain understudied. This study sought to compare postoperative outcomes among newborns with rectosigmoid and long-segment HD.MethodsThe Nationwide Readmission Database was queried from 2016 to 2018 for newborns with HD. Newborns were stratified into those with rectosigmoid or long-segment HD. Those who received no rectal biopsy or pull-through procedure during their newborn hospitalization were excluded. A propensity score-matched analysis (PSMA) of newborns with either type of HD was constructed utilizing 17 covariates including demographics, comorbidities, and congenital-perinatal conditions.ResultsThere were 1280 newborns identified with HD (82% rectosigmoid HD, 18% long-segment HD). Patients with rectosigmoid HD had higher rates of laparoscopic resections (35% vs. 12%) and less frequently received a concomitant ostomy (14% vs. 84%), both p < 0.001. Patients with long-segment HD were more likely to have a delayed diagnosis (12% vs. 5%) and require multiple bowel operations (19% vs. 4%), both p < 0.001. They experienced higher rates of complications, including small bowel obstructions (10% vs. 1%), infections (45% vs. 20%), and Hirschsprung-associated enterocolitis (11% vs. 5%), all p < 0.001. After PSMA, newborns with long-segment HD were found to have a longer length of stay and higher hospitalization costs.ConclusionNewborns with long-segment HD experience significant delays in diagnosis, surgery, and complications compared to those with rectosigmoid HD. This information should be utilized to improve healthcare delivery for this patient population.Type of StudyRetrospective comparative study.Level of EvidenceIII.     

基于突触可塑性探讨电针改善大脑中动脉闭塞大鼠运动障碍的作用机制

目的：基于突触可塑性观察电针曲池、足三里对大脑中动脉闭塞（MCAO）大鼠运动障碍的改善。方法：将60只雄性SD大鼠随机分为假手术组、模型组、穴位组、非穴组，每组15只。采用Zea Longa线拴法制备MCAO大鼠模型，电针曲池、足三里，干预14 d。通过神经功能评分判断大鼠的神经功能缺损情况；CatWalk步态分析比较各组大鼠运动功能，TTC染色观察脑梗死体积，透射电镜观察突触超微结构和数量，免疫荧光检测缺血侧运动皮层突触相关因子突触后致密物-95（PSD-95)、突触蛋白的表达情况。结果：干预14 d后，与模型组比较，穴位组大鼠神经功能评分降低(P<0.05)；步行速度提高、双足支撑时间缩短(P<0.05)；脑梗死体积减少(P<0.05)；突触超微结构改善明显，突触数量增加(P<0.05)，突触相关因子突触蛋白、PSD-95表达上调(P<0.05)。Catwalk步态参数、脑梗死体积与突触超微结构改善有一致性。结论：电针曲池、足三里穴可改善MCAO大鼠运动障碍，其机制可能与上调突触相关因子的表达，改善突触可塑性有关。