BACKGROUNDThe aging process increases body fat and susceptibility to heat-related illnesses. The relationship between body composition and symptoms associated with exposure to extreme heat among the ...elderly is unclear. Additionally, the influence of individual adaptive behaviors in mitigating these risks has not been adequately explored.OBJECTIVESThis study aimed to evaluate the association between body composition and heat-related symptoms as well as the potential modifying effects of heat adaptation behavior.METHODSThe body composition of elderly individuals was measured using bioelectrical impedance analysis. Face-to-face interviews were conducted a year later to determine the heat-related symptoms and adaptive behaviors practiced for the extremely hot days of the previous year. The association between body composition indices and the presence of more than two symptoms was assessed using logistic regression analysis, while stratified analysis and interaction term in models were used to evaluate the effect modifications of adaptive behaviors.RESULTSOf the 859 participants, 16% reported more than two heat-related symptoms. Increased body fat mass index (fat mass in kg/squared height in meters) was associated with an elevated risk of more heat-related symptoms (odds ratio 1.11, 95% confidence interval 1.02-1.20). Each combination of staying indoors, using an umbrella and hat, and using air conditioning at noon reduced the risk association between body fat and symptoms. For females, a combination of reducing physical activity and staying indoors provided similar protective effect. Surprisingly, bathing more frequently in hot weather with heated instead of non-heated water augmented the risk correlation. Neither fan usage nor window opening displayed protective effects.CONCLUSIONSElevated body fat levels, indicative of obesity, corresponded with an increased risk of heat-related symptoms. Integrating multiple adaptive behaviors can diminish the negative health impact of body fat on heat-induced symptoms. However, certain commonly adopted practices might not confer expected benefits.
Osteogenesis plays a vital role in the maintenance of bone health. Imbalances in osteogenesis influence the onset of several bone loss-associated diseases. The intake of Uraria crinita (Fabaceae) ...through dietary supplements is advised for childhood bone dysplasia. This botanical provides edible tonics and detoxifiers, and is also used as a folk beverage. We evaluated the osteogenic effects of a 50% ethanol extract of the root of U. crinita on primary human osteoblasts (HObs) and initiated a novel comprehensive phytochemical strategy using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for quality control of this functional food. Two isoflavones, genistein (5) and 5,7-dihydroxy-3',5'-dihydroxyisoflavone (6), increased the alkaline phosphatase activity (differentiation stage); the flavone glycoside vitexin (1), and the phenolic acid salicylic acid (2) enhanced the mineralization (mature stage). The isoflavone 2'-hydroxygenistein (4) possessed high osteogenic potential among the isolated compounds in HObs. It promoted osteogenesis-related stages and upregulated the gene expressions in a dose-dependent manner. The major compounds in the active fraction were quantitatively analyzed via phytochemical fingerprint detection. These LC-MS/MS-based phytochemical perspectives can act as reference standards in developing food supplements from U. crinita.
Limited evidence exists regarding real-world 3-monthly paliperidone palmitate (PP3M) treatment retention and associated factors.
We conducted a retrospective, nationwide cohort study using the Taiwan ...National Health Insurance Research Database between October 2017 and December 2019. Adult patients with schizophrenia initiated on PP3M were enrolled. The primary outcomes were time to PP3M discontinuation, time to psychiatric hospitalization, and the proportions of patients receiving the next PP3M dose within 120 days among first-, second-, and third-dose completers. Key covariates included prior PP1M duration and adequate PP3M initiation.
The PP3M treatment retention rates were 79.7%, 66.3%, and 52.5% after 6, 12, and 24 months, respectively, with 86.4%, 90.6%, and 90.0% of respective first-, second-, and third-dose completers receiving the next PP3M dose. Adequate PP3M initiation and prior PP1M treatment duration > 180 days were associated with favorable PP3M treatment retention. In multivariate analyses, PP1M durations of 180-360 days (adjusted relative risk aRR, 1.76) or < 180 days (aRR, 2.79) were associated with PP3M discontinuation at the second dose. Inadequate PP3M initiation was associated with discontinuation at the third dose (aRR, 2.18). Patients fully adherent to PP3M treatment in the first year had a higher probability of being free from psychiatric hospitalization (86.7% at 2 years), compared with those partially adherent or non-adherent to PP3M in the first year.
Prior PP1M duration and adequate PP3M initiation are major factors affecting PP3M treatment retention. Higher PP3M treatment retention is associated with a lower risk of psychiatric hospitalization.
Age-related hearing impairment (ARHI) is a major disability among the elderly population. Heat shock proteins (HSPs) were found to be associated with ARHI in animal studies. The aim of this study was ...to analyze the associations of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of HSP genes with ARHI in an elderly population in Taiwan.
Participants ≥65 years of age were recruited for audiometric tests and genetic analyses. The pure tone average (PTA) of the better hearing ear was calculated for ARHI evaluation. The associations of HSPA1L (rs2075800 and rs2227956), HSPA1A (rs1043618) and HSPA1B (rs2763979) with ARHI were analyzed in 146 ARHI-susceptible (cases) and 146 ARHI-resistant (controls) participants.
The "T" allele of HSPA1B rs2763979 showed a decreased risk of ARHI. The "TT" genotype of rs2763979 also showed a decreased risk of ARHI in the dominant hereditary model. For HSPA1L (rs2075800 and rs2227956) and HSPA1A (rs1043618), the haplotype "CAG" was related to a decreased risk of ARHI.
These findings suggest that HSP70 polymorphisms are associated with susceptibility to ARHI in the elderly population.
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•The CC with preferred characteristics can be facilely manipulated.•The catalytic activity and stability of CE can be improved via underlying supports.•The simultaneously improved PCE ...and stability are achieved by using an optimal CE.
The highly stable and efficient dye-sensitized solar cell (DSC) strongly relies on the catalytic activity and stability of the counter electrode (CE) in the electrolyte. Herein, we explore an effective and eco-friendly method of making a high catalytic activity of CE with the improved stability by utilizing the high-conductivity carbon cloth (CC) with great corrosive resistance as flexible carbon-based supports for nanoparticle-based catalysts and using Pt as an example. A variety of CCs with different characteristics are facilely manipulated by the hybrid solution-based surface treatments, enabling to systemically investigate the influence of different CCs on the performance of Pt catalysts. The result shows that the surface activated CC with properly porous structure and wetting surface facilitates the accommodation of catalysts and the diffusion of redox couple within the carbon fiber network. The existence of active sites such as defective structures and oxygen-containing groups on CCs effectively serve as the nucleation or adsorbed sites of Pt catalysts, which simultaneously improve the catalytic and stable performance of CE. Multi-scan cyclic voltammetry indicates that a preferred surface activated CC as Pt catalyst support retains 95.9% of its initial catalytic ability in comparison with the typical platinized fluorine-doped tin oxide (76%). The DSC using the desirable Pt-decorated CC displays an improvement of 49% in conversion efficiency as compared with that using the nonoptimal counterpart. Such improvements highlight the feasibility of simply manipulating the characteristics of underlying flexible carbon-based supports in pursuit of the high catalytic activity and stability of CEs in DSCs.
•The substitution of Mg2+ ions for Zn2+ ions can modify the Zn–O bonding and enhance surface site density.•Mg doping and appropriate annealing can enhance crystallization and grain formation in the ...ZnO.•MgO-membrane-based biosensors have been demonstrated to possess high sensing and excellent stability.
Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures possess several interesting characteristics, which make them ideal sensing materials in biological and industrial applications. In this study, we investigate the pH and ion-concentration sensing properties of an electrolyte–insulator–semiconductor (EIS) device based on Mg-doped ZnO. EIS devices are highly sensitive to changes in the nature of the electrolyte, making them ideal for a wide range of applications. These devices, deposited by reactive RF co-sputtering on a silicon substrate, require rapid thermal annealing in an oxygen atmosphere for optimal sensing activity. X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analyses were performed to correlate the structural properties with the sensing performance. The highest sensitivity to pH and ion concentrations, lowest hysteresis, and lowest drift rate were observed on a Mg-doped sample annealed at 700 °C. EIS devices based on Mg-doped ZnO can be used as suitable sensors for future biomedical applications.
Motion sickness (MS) is an acute disorder that occurs in healthy individuals worldwide regardless of gender, age, or ethnicity. Our study used a mouse model to rule out the effects of any ...psychological factors related to MS and EA. Subjects were randomly separated into four groups, namely the control group (Con), motion sickness inducing group (MS), mentioning sickness inducing with electroacupuncture treatment group (EA) and motion sickness inducing only in TRPV1 knockout mice group (TRPV1
). The consumption of kaolin, a non-nutrient substance, was measured as a behavior observed response of an emetic reflex in a murine model. This behavior is referred to as pica behavior. Our results showed that pica behavior was observed in the MS group. Moreover, kaolin consumption in the EA group decreased to the average baseline of the control group. A similar result was observed in TRPV1 null mice. We also observed an increase of TRPV1 and related molecules in the thalamus, hypothalamic and brain stem after MS stimulation and a significant decrease in the EA and TRPV1 null groups. This is the first study to demonstrate that TRPV1 pathways are possibly associated with mechanisms of MS, and can be attended through EA or TRPV1 genetic manipulation.
"Calcium hydroxide Ca(OH)
2
" is a medicament frequently used for antimicrobial purposes in endodontic procedures, or it is used as a toxic-waste adsorbent in industry. Ca(OH)
2
particles produced ...through conventional methods are size untunable and have a wide size distribution and polygonal shape. In this paper, a novel and facile approach involving template-mediated synthesis and two-step ion exchange is proposed for uniform size Ca(OH)
2
composite particles generation. "Sodium-alginate (Na-alginate)" was used as a precursor, and monodisperse Na-alginate emulsions were formed through needle droplet or droplet microfluidic technology. After the first ion exchange step with the Ca
2+
ions, "calcium-alginate (Ca-alginate)" particles were obtained. The Ca-alginate particles were intermediate reaction products and were designed to be the templates for ensuring the spherical shape and size of products. The OH
−
ions were used for the second ion exchange step to fabricate Ca(OH)
2
composite particles. The results revealed that the Ca(OH)
2
composite particles were size tunable, had a spherical shape, and were monodisperse (with a relative standard deviation of less than 8%). The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay revealed that the Ca(OH)
2
composite particles were potential biocompatible materials.
The synthesized Ca(OH)
2
composite particles were size tunable, had a spherical shape, and were monodisperse.
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