Abstract
Introduction
Although poor sleep is not inherent with aging, an estimated 50-70 million adults in the US have insufficient sleep. Sleep duration is increasingly recognized as incomplete and ...insufficient. Instead, sleep health (SH), a multidimensional concept describing sleep/wake patterns that promote well-being has been shown to better reflect how sleep impacts the individual. Therefore, focusing on the underlying factors contributing to sleep health may provide the opportunity to develop interventions to improve sleep health in middle-age and older adults.
Methods
Data from the 2014 wave of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) were used. Sample size was restricted to those who completed an additional questionnaire containing sleep variables. A derivation of the SH composite was constructed using eight selected sleep variables from the HRS data based on the five dimensions of sleep: Satisfaction, Alertness, Timing, Efficiency, and Duration. Total score ranged from 0-100, with higher scores indicating better SH. Weighting variables were based on complex sampling procedures and provided by HRS. Machine learning-based framework was used to identify determinants for predicting SH using twenty-six variables representing individual health and socio-demographics. Penalized linear regression with elastic net penalty was used to study the impact of individual predictors on SH.
Results
Our sample included 5,163 adults with a mean age of 67.8 years (SD=9.9; range 50-98 years). The majority were female (59%), white (78%), and married (61%). SH score ranged from 27-61 (mean=50; SD=6.7). Loneliness (coefficient=-1.92), depressive symptoms (coefficient=-1.28), and physical activity (coefficient=1.31) were identified as the strongest predictors of SH. Self-reported health status (coefficient=-1.11), daily pain (coefficient=-0.65), being middle-aged (coefficient=-0.26), and discrimination (coefficient=-0.23) were also significant predictors in this model.
Conclusion
Our study identified key predictors of SH among middle-aged and older adults using a novel approach of Machine Learning. Improving SH is a concrete target for health promotion through clinical interventions tailored towards increasing physical activity and reducing loneliness and depressive symptoms among middle-aged adults.
Support (if any)
This study was supported by National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) UB Clinical Scholar Program in Implementation Science to Achieve Triple Aims-NIH K12 Faculty Scholar Program in Implementation Science
Germination followed by seedling growth constitutes two essential steps in the initiation of a new life cycle in plants, and in cereals, completion of these steps is regulated by sugar starvation and ...the hormone gibberellin. A calcium-dependent protein kinase 1 gene (
OsCDPK1
) was identified by differential screening of a cDNA library derived from sucrose-starved rice suspension cells. The expression of
OsCDPK1
was found to be specifically activated by sucrose starvation among several stress conditions tested as well as activated transiently during post-germination seedling growth. In gain- and loss-of-function studies performed with transgenic rice overexpressing a constitutively active or RNA interference gene knockdown construct, respectively, OsCDPK1 was found to negatively regulate the expression of enzymes essential for GA biosynthesis. In contrast, OsCDPK1 activated the expression of a 14-3-3 protein, GF14c. Overexpression of either constitutively active OsCDPK1 or GF14c enhanced drought tolerance in transgenic rice seedlings. Hence, our studies demonstrated that OsCDPK1 transduces the post-germination Ca
2+
signal derived from sugar starvation and GA, refines the endogenous GA concentration and prevents drought stress injury, all essential functions to seedling development at the beginning of the life cycle in rice.
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are a class of brominated flame retardant that is distally transported to the Arctic. Little is known about the fate of PBDEs in Arctic surface waters, ...especially in the presence of dissolved organic matter (DOM). DOM has been shown to interact with hydrophobic organic contaminants and can alter their mobility, bioavailability, and degradation in the environment. In this study, the partitioning of six PBDE congeners between Arctic DOM (isolated via solid phase extraction) and water was measured using the aqueous solubility enhancement method. Measured dissolved organic carbon (DOC)–water partition coefficient (K DOC) values were nearly an order of magnitude lower than previously reported values for the same PBDE congeners in soil or commercial organic matter, ranging from 103.97 to 105.16 L kg–1 of organic carbon. Measured results compared favorably with values calculated using polyparameter linear free energy models for Suwannee River fulvic acid. Log K DOC values increased with increasing PBDE hydrophobicity. Slightly lower than expected values were observed for the highest brominated congeners, which we attribute to steric hindrance. This study is the first to comprehensively measure K DOC values for a range of PBDE congeners with DOM isolated from Arctic surface waters.
•Chlorpyrifos partitions strongly to Arctic dissolved organic matter (DOM).•Chlorpyrifos-DOM partition coefficients correlate negatively to DOM SUVA254.•The degree of chlorpyrifos-Arctic DOM ...interactions varies over time and space.•DOM is important in mediating the photodegradation of chlorpyrifos.
The insecticide and current use pesticide chlorpyrifos (CLP) is transported via global distillation to the Arctic where it may pose a threat to this ecosystem. CLP is readily detected in Arctic environmental compartments, but current research has not studied its partitioning between water and dissolved organic matter (DOM) nor the role of photochemistry in CLP's fate in aquatic systems. Here, the partition coefficients of CLP were quantified with various types of DOM isolated from the Arctic and an International Humic Substances Society (IHSS) reference material Suwannee River natural organic matter (SRNOM). While CLP readily partitions to DOM, CLP exhibits a significantly higher binding constant with Arctic lacustrine DOM relative to fluvial DOM or SRNOM. The experimental partitioning coefficients (KDOC) were compared to a calculated value estimated using poly parameter linear free energy relationship (pp-LFER) and was found to be in good agreement with SRNOM, but none of the Arctic DOMs. We found that Arctic KDOC values decrease with increasing SUVA254, but no correlations were observed for the other DOM compositional parameters. DOM also mediates the photodegradation of CLP, with stark differences in photo-kinetics using Arctic DOM isolated over time and space. This work highlights the chemo-diversity of Arctic DOM relative to IHSS reference materials and highlights the need for in-depth characterization of DOM that transcends the current paradigm based upon terrestrial and microbial precursors.
Display omitted
Triclosan (TCS) is an antimicrobial compound found in many household products used across the world. TCS is not completely removed in wastewater systems, resulting in trace-level concentrations ...present ubiquitously in surface waters. The direct photodegradation of TCS has been widely studied, with results indicating that TCS breaks down to chlorophenols and dioxins. To date, no studies have specifically investigated the effects of alkalinity on the photolysis of the acidic form of TCS. This study assessed the effect of carbonate/bicarbonate alkalinity, which is ubiquitous in natural waters, on the photolysis rate of TCS. Results indicate that bicarbonate enhances the photodegradation of TCS at pH values well below the p
K
a
of TCS (7.9), with direct photolysis reaction kinetics that are very slow in the absence of buffers, but significant in the presence of bicarbonate (0.711 h
−1
at pH 6.55). At pH values well above its p
K
a
, both unbuffered- and buffered-mediated photolysis increased dramatically (1.92 h
−1
for direct photolysis and 2.86 h
−1
in buffered water) and is attributable to the increased photoreactivity of TCS by its conjugate base. Photolysis of methyl triclosan (MeTCS), a non-acidic analog of TCS, demonstrated the importance of TCS’s acidic functionality as MeTCS did not degrade at any pH. The observed influence of alkalinity on the acidic form of TCS photolysis was attributed to both a decrease in its excited state p
K
a
, coupled with TCS deprotonation through an excited state proton transfer to a base (bicarbonate and to a lesser degree hydrogen phosphate) resulting in the more photo-labile conjugate base form of TCS.
Soybean bioactivity is significantly enhanced during tempeh fermentation. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of tempeh on colorectal cancer cells in vitro and colon precancerous lesions ...(aberrant crypt foci, ACF) in vivo. In the in vitro assay, tempeh water extract (WET) could inhibit the proliferation of Caco-2 cells. In the animal assay using 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH)-induced Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats, 12-weeks daily feeding of tempeh could decrease the level of Clostridium perfringens in cecum contents and reduce the number of large (≥4 foci) ACF in the colon of treated rats, compared to the DMH control. By the results of TOF-MS and Edman degradation, the isolated antioxidant dipeptide, tripeptides, and tetrapeptides from WET might contain methionine, proline, and lysine. The bioactive peptides in tempeh might inhibit colon cancer by suppressing the growth of C. perfringens in the intestinal tract.
We reassessed the molecular weight of dissolved organic matter (DOM) determined by high pressure size exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) using measurements made with different columns and various ...generations of polystyrenesulfonate (PSS) molecular weight standards. Molecular weight measurements made with a newer generation HPSEC column and PSS standards from more recent lots are roughly 200 to 400 Da lower than initial measurements made in the early 1990s. These updated numbers match DOM molecular weights measured by colligative methods and fall within a range of values calculated from hydroxyl radical kinetics. These changes suggest improved accuracy of HPSEC molecular weight measurements that we attribute to improved accuracy of PSS standards and changes in the column packing. We also isolated DOM from wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) using XAD-8, a cation exchange resin, and PPL, a styrene-divinylbenzene media, and observed little difference in molecular weight and specific UV absorbance at 280 nm (SUVA280) between the two solid phase extraction resins, suggesting they capture similar DOM moieties. PPR DOM also showed lower SUVA280 at similar weights compared to DOM isolates from a global range of environments, which we attribute to oxidized sulfur in PPR DOM that would increase molecular weight without affecting SUVA280.
Background
Anterolateral thigh (ALT) free flap is one of the most popular options for surgeons when reconstructing head and neck defects. When the recipient vessels are located in a remote site, a ...flap with adequate pedicle length is essential. The conventional methods of either pedicle elongation or fabricating combined flap increase the total surgical time. We present the experience on the use of what in situ pedicle lengthening and perforator shifting technique to overcome these problems.
Methods
Fifteen patients with an age range of 38–65 years underwent in situ vascular transposition microsurgery of the ALT free flap harvest during head and neck reconstruction. Fourteen patients were male and one was female. Indications for reconstruction were malignant neoplasm in 14 patients and osteoradionecrosis in one patient. In this series, the descending branch of the lateral circumflex femoral vessels was used for interposition grafts. If the pedicle length was insufficient, the interposition grafts were used to lengthen the pedicle. The interposition grafts could also bridge different perforasomes in the thigh region in complex head and neck reconstruction.
Results
Of the 15 patients, 11 received the in situ pedicle lengthening technique, while four patients received in situ fabricated combined techniques. After surgery, all of the patients were followed up for at least 3 months. Two partial wounds involving poor healing occurred but finally healed after debridement. There were two major complications: one case involved venous thrombosis of the anastomosis and the other suffered from hematoma. Both cases were salvaged. All of the 15 free ALT flaps were successful.
Conclusions
The alternative method employed in this series was able to solve the ALT flap perforator variation. Although the enrolled cases were confined to only head and neck reconstruction in the series, the in situ technique of the ALT flaps could be administered during reconstruction in other regions.
Sediment pore-water dissolved organic matter (DOM) in two North Dakota prairie pothole lakes was quantified by dissolved organic carbon analysis (DOC) and its composition was characterized as a ...function of sediment depth for molecular weight distribution (MWD), molar absorptivity at 280 nm (ε280), and fluorescence properties. Fluorescence excitation emission matrices were further analyzed by creating a Parallel Factor Analysis (PARAFAC) model specific to sedimentary pore-water DOM. The range of absolute pore-water DOC concentrations (∼ 26–183 mg C L−1) greatly exceeded abundances reported for other wetlands and generally increased with depth. Significant changes occurred in e280 and fluorescence seasonally. Prairie pothole pore-water DOM is primarily allochthonous in nature and three ‘humic-like’ components explained ∼ 90% of total sample fluorescence, while a single ‘non-humic’ component was responsible for the remaining 10%. The contribution of the non-humic component, however, was more significant in the top 7 cm of sediment in samples collected in early autumn and is presumably derived from algal precursor material produced by primary production in the water column over the summer. The PARAFAC results corroborate ε280 and MWD changes in pore-water DOM composition over the growing season. This dynamic process could affect the type of DOM available for biogeochemical processes seasonally.
A terahertz artificial material composed of metal rod array is experimentally investigated on its transmission spectral property and successfully incorporated into microfluidics as a miniaturized ...terahertz waveguide with an extended optical-path-length for label-free fluidic sensing. Theoretical and experimental characterizations of terahertz transmission spectra show that the wave guidance along the metal rod array originates from the resonance of transverse-electric-polarized waves within the metal rod slits. The extended optical path length along three layers of metal-rod-array enables terahertz waves sufficiently overlapping the fluid molecules embedded among the rods, leading to strongly enhanced phase change by approximately one order of magnitude compared with the blank metal-parallel-plate waveguide. Based on the enhanced phase sensitivity, three kinds of colorless liquid analytes, namely, acetone, methanol, and ethanol, with different dipole moments are identified in situ using the metal-rod-array-based microfluidic sensor. The detection limit in molecular amounts of a liquid analyte is experimentally demonstrated to be less than 0.1 mmol, corresponding to 2.7 μmol/mm
. The phase sensitive terahertz metal-rod-array-based sensor potentially has good adaptability in lab-chip technology for various practical applications, such as industrial toxic fluid detection and medical breath inspection.
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