Sleep,sedentary activity,physical activity,and cognitive function among older adults: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2011–2014

ObjectivesWe aimed to estimate the association of sleep, sedentary activity and physical activity with cognitive function among older adults, with consideration of the competing nature between variables of activity status.DesignCross-sectional study.MethodsA total of 3086 older adults (60 years or older) in the 2011–2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were included. The Global Physical Activity Questionnaire was used to measure self-reported time for sedentary activity, walking/bicycling and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Cognitive function was examined using the CERAD Word Learning subtest (memory), Digit Symbol Substitution Test (executive function/processing speed), and Animal Fluency Test (language). Sleep duration was obtained via interview. Isotemporal substitution models using multivariable linear regression were applied to examine the associations of replacing sleep, sedentary activity, walking/bicycling, MVPA with each other and cognitive function, stratified by sleep duration per night (≤7 h, >7 h).ResultsAmong participants with sleep duration ≤7 h/night, replacing 30 min/day of sedentary activity with 30 min/day of MVPA or 30 min/day was associated with better cognition. Among participants with sleep duration >7 h/night, replacing 30 min/day of sleep with 30 min/day of sedentary activity, walking/bicycling, or MVPA was associated with better cognition.ConclusionsReplacing sedentary activities with MVPA was associated with favorable cognitive function among older adults sleeping no longer than 7 h/night, and replacing excessive sleep with sedentary or physical activities was associated with favorable cognition. Future research is expected to examine the associations of replacing different activity status on long-term cognitive outcomes in longitudinal studies.     

Sevoflurane Combined with ATP Activates Caspase-1 and Triggers Caspase-1-Dependent Pyroptosis in Murine J774 Macrophages

Sevoflurane is one of the most commonly used volatile anesthetics. Recent studies have shown that sevoflurane plays an important role in modulation of inflammation and immunity. However, little is known about the related molecular mechanisms. This study was designed to investigate the effects and mechanisms of sevoflurane on inflammatory cell death pyroptosis in the murine macrophage cell line J774 cells. Sevoflurane combined with ATP could increase the level of activated caspase-1, pyroptosis, and reactive oxygen species (ROS). Furthermore, treatment of cells with the caspase-1 inhibitor Ac-YVAD-CMK dramatically decreased the percentage of pyroptosis. In addition, inhibition of ROS with N-acetyl-l-cysteine or diphenyleneiodonium significantly reduced the activated levels of caspase-1. These results demonstrated that sevoflurane combined with ATP could activate caspase-1 and trigger caspase-1-dependent pyroptosis through the modulation of ROS production.     

Interstitial telomeric repeats are enriched in the centromeres of chromosomes in Solanum species

Interstitial telomeric repeats (ITRs) were reported in a number of animal and plant species. Most ITRs are organized as short tandem arrays and are likely evolutionary relics derived from chromosomal rearrangements and DNA repairs. However, megabase-sized ITR arrays were reported in Solanum species. Here, we report a fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) survey of ITRs in all representative diploid Solanum species, including potato, tomato, and eggplant. FISH revealed massive amplification of ITRs in the centromeric regions of chromosomes from the Solanum species containing the B and P genomes. A significant proportion of the ITR FISH signals was mapped within the primary constrictions of the pachytene chromosomes of Solanum pinnatisectum (B genome). In addition, some ITR sites overlapped with St49, a satellite repeat enriched in centromeric DNA sequences associated with CENH3 nucleosomes, in both A and B genome Solanum species. These results show that some ITR subfamilies have been amplified and invaded in the functional centromeres of chromosomes in Solanum species.     

Community Workers’ Social Support and Sleep Quality during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): A Moderated Mediation Model

To explore the relationship between social support and sleep quality of community workers in Wuhan during the coronavirus disease 2019 (the COVID-19 infection epidemic), this research constructed a mediating effect model to explore the mediating psychological mechanism of social support influencing sleep quality of front-line community workers. A total of 500 front-line community workers in Wuhan were investigated. We used the perceived social support scale (PSSS), the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), the perceived stress scale (PSS), and the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) to measure social support, psychological resilience, perceived stress and sleep quality. Specifically, the higher the PSQI, the worse the sleep quality. Pearson correlation structural equation model was used to analyze the relationship between these factors. The results showed that: (1) There was a significant negative correlation between social support, psychological resilience, and perceived stress of community workers and PSQI, that means, the higher the level of social support, psychological resilience, and perceived stress, the higher the sleep quality. (2) Social support positively predicted psychological resilience and perceived stress, and perceived stress negatively predicted PSQI. (3) Social support can affect sleep quality through the mediating role of psychological resilience and perceived stress, and the mediating role includes two paths: the single mediating role of perceived stress and the chain mediating role of psychological resilience-perceived stress. (4) Gender moderates the relationship between social support and perceived stress, and the influence of social support on perceived stress of women is higher than that of men. Gender moderates the relationship between psychological resilience and PSQI, and only women’s psychological resilience had a negatively predictive effect on PSQI, while men did not, which means that psychological resilience of female frontline community workers can positively predict sleep quality. This research reveals the relationship between social support and sleep quality and its mechanism and verifies that social support can indirectly affect physical health through psychological resilience and perceived stress. It provides reference suggestions and intervention guidance for improving the sleep quality of community workers.     

Short communication: isolation and phylogenetic analysis of an avian-origin H3N2 canine influenza virus in dog shelter, China

A H3N2 canine influenza virus, A/canine/Guangdong/3/2011 (H3N2), was isolated from roaming dogs in rural China. Sequence and phylogenetic analysis of eight gene segments revealed that the A/canine/Guangdong/3/2011 (H3N2) was most similar to a recent H3N2 canine influenza virus isolated in cats from South Korea, which originated from an avian strain. To our knowledge, this is the first report of an avian-origin H3N2 CIV which was isolated from roaming dogs in China. The epidemiologic information provided herein suggests that continued study is required to determine if this virus could be established in the roaming dog population in rural China and pose potential threats to public health.     

Geometric classification of the carotid siphon: association between geometry and stenoses

Purpose

The development of intracranial internal carotid artery (ICA) stenoses may be associated with the morphology of the siphon. The aim is to quantitatively characterize the geometry of ICA, and develop a classifier of the ICA shape in relation to the location and incidence of stenoses.

Methods

The ICA geometry from 74 subjects was analyzed by means of image-based computational techniques. The siphon was split into two bends, and was described in terms of curvature radius, radius of vessel, angle of bending, and length. Differences of geometry between ICA classes were assessed in control group, consisted of 30 subjects without stenoses. In stenosed group, the association between the ICA classes and the incidence of stenoses were investigated and validated by hemodynamic simulation.

Results

The curvature radius and angle of the posterior bend were significantly different between ICA classes, as well as the angle between the two bends. An innovative classifier was developed with the three geometric parameters. The ICA classification was found associated with the incidence of stenoses at the siphon.

Conclusions

Geometric factors relative to the ICA were correlated with the location and incidence of stenoses at the siphon. The present work has potential implications in the quest for hemodynamic factors contributing to the initiation and progression of intracranial ICA stenoses.     

A duplex quantitative real-time PCR assay for the detection of Haplosporidium and Perkinsus species in shellfish

A duplex quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (dq-PCR) assay was optimized to simultaneously detect Haplosporidium spp. and Perkinsus spp. of shellfish in one reaction. Two sets of specific oligonucleotide primers for Haplosporidium spp. and Perkinsus spp., along with two hydrolysis probes specific for each parasite group, were used in the assay. The dq-PCR results were detected and analyzed using the Light Cycler 2.0 software system. The dq-PCR identified and differentiated the two protozoan parasite groups. The sensitivity of the dq-PCR assay was 200 template copies for both Haplosporidium spp. and Perkinsus spp. No DNA product was amplified when known DNA from Marteilia refringens, Toxoplasma gondii, Bonamia ostreae, Escherichia coli, Cymndinium spp., Mykrocytos mackini, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, and shellfish tissue were used as templates. A total of 840 oyster samples from commercial cultivated shellfish farms from two coastal areas in China were randomly collected and tested by dq-PCR. The detection rate of Haplosporidium spp. was 8.6 % in the Qindao, Shandong coastal area, whereas Perkinsus spp. was 8.3 % coastal oysters cultivated from shellfish farms of Beihai, Guangxi. The dqPCR results suggested that Haplosporidium spp. was prevalent in oysters from Qindao, Shandong, while Perkinsus spp. was prevalent in oysters from the coastal areas of Beihai, Guangxi. This dq-PCR could be used as a diagnostic tool to detect Haplosporidium spp. and Perkinsus spp. in cultivated shellfish.     

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for lower extremity motor function in patients with stroke: a systematic review and network meta-analysis

Transcranial magnetic stimulation, a type of noninvasive brain stimulation, has become an ancillary therapy for motor function rehabilitation. Most previous studies have focused on the effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation(rTMS) on motor function in stroke patients. There have been relatively few studies on the effects of different modalities of rTMS on lower extremity motor function and corticospinal excitability in patients with stroke. The MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, ISI Science Citation Index, Physiotherapy Evidence Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov databases were searched. Parallel or crossover randomized controlled trials that addressed the effectiveness of rTMS in patients with stroke, published from inception to November 28, 2019, were included. Standard pairwise meta-analysis was conducted using R version 3.6.1 with the "meta" package. Bayesian network analysis using the Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of different rTMS protocol interventions. Network meta-analysis results of 18 randomized controlled trials regarding lower extremity motor function recovery revealed that low-frequency rTMS had better efficacy in promoting lower extremity motor function recovery than sham stimulation. Network meta-analysis results of five randomized controlled trials demonstrated that highfrequency rTMS led to higher amplitudes of motor evoked potentials than low-frequency r TMS or sham stimulation. These findings suggest that rTMS can improve motor function in patients with stroke, and that low-frequency rTMS mainly affects motor function, whereas high-frequency rTMS increases the amplitudes of motor evoked potentials. More highquality randomized controlled trials are needed to validate this conclusion. The work was registered in PROSPERO(registration No. CRD42020147055) on April 28, 2020.     

MCCC2基因变异致3-甲基巴豆酰辅酶A羧化酶缺乏症患儿的家系分析

目的对1例临床疑诊3-甲基巴豆酰辅酶A羧化酶缺乏症(3-methylcrotonyl-coenzyme A carboxylase deficiency,MCCD)患儿及其父母进行基因变异分析,寻找该家系的致病变异,为临床诊断提供分子遗传学依据。方法抽提先证者及其父母的外周血基因组DNA,应用全外显子组基因测序技术对疑似为MCCD疾病的先证者进行致病基因筛查。根据高通量测序结果,对先证者及其父母进行变异位点的Sanger测序验证分析。应用计算机软件预测变异位点氨基酸进化保守性和变异可能导致的蛋白质结构和功能变化,分析变异位点的性质。结果Sanger测序结果显示先证者为MCCC2基因c.1342G>A(p.Gly448Ala)纯合错义变异,为未报道过的新变异。先证者母亲为c.1342G>A(p.Gly448Ala)杂合变异携带者,父亲未检测到该变异。用PolyPhen-2和Mutation Taster软件预测该变异为致病性,变异区域序列在不同物种间高度保守。根据美国医学遗传学与基因组学学会遗传变异分类标准与指南,MCCC2基因c.1342G>A(p.Gly448Ala)变异判定为可能致病性变异(PM2+PP2~PP5)。结论先证者MCCC2基因c.1342G>A(p.Gly448Ala)纯合错义变异是其分子发病机制,基因变异分析有助于明确临床诊断。