Objective To understand the current status of aloneness and analyze the influencing factors,and to provide reference to improve the aloneness among middle?aged and elderly. Methods A total of 994 middle?aged and elderly in Donggang sampled by stratified random sampling method were investigated by UCLA scale. The influencing factors were assessed by t?test and one?way ANOVA. The data were analyzed by SPSS 16.0. Results The average score of UCLA scale among middle?aged and elderly was 41.54 ± 8.91. The results indicated whether living with their children,alcohol drinking,quality of sleep,history of trauma,psychological counseling,monthly income,chronic disease and physical training were the influencing factors of aloneness among middle?aged and elderly,and the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05). Conclusion The aloneness was obvious among middle?aged and elderly in China. Health interventions and effective social support should be provided to improve the physiological,psychological and economic levels that will lead to important influence on the improvement of aloneness among middle?aged and elder?ly in China.

OBJECTIVE:To study the new formula of effective components in TCM for anti-allergic rhinitis (AR),and pro-vide reference for developing TCM preparations for anti-AR. METHODS:Using pseudoephedrine hydrochloride (0-13.5 mg/kg), total alkaloid extracts of Aconitum carmichaelii (0-21.18 mg/kg),volatile oil of asari radix (0-0.0092 mL/kg) in Mahuang Fuzi Xixin decoction as formula objects,uniform design method was used for drug grouping,and multiple regression analysis was con-ducted for the behavioral scores before and after administration,contents of histamine and immunoglobulin E (IgE) in serum of AR guinea pigs to obtain the best formula. Using Xinqin granule,Loratadine tablet,Mahuang Fuzi Xixin decoction respectively as positive control,efficacy of the best formula was verified from aspects of behavioral scores before and after administration,con-tents of histamine and IgE of AR guinea pigs. And the safety of the best formula was preliminarily observed through acute toxicity test in mice. RESULTS:The best formula was as follow as pseudoephedrine hydrochloride 11.25 mg/kg,total alkaloid extracts of A. carmichaelii 21.18 mg/kg,volatile oil of asari radix 0.0045 mL/kg. Compared with each positive drug group,there were no sig-nificant differences in behavioral scores before and after administration in the best formula group(P>0.05). While compared with Xinqin granule group and Mahuang Fuzi Xixin decoction group,histamine content in serum in the best formula group was signifi-cantly reduced (P<0.05);compared with Xinqin granule and Loratadine tablet group,IgE content in serum in the best formula group was significant decreased (P<0.05). Median lethal dose of the best formula was 1822.04 mg/kg. CONCLUSIONS:The screened best formula shows better effect than Xinqin granule and Mahuang Fuzi Xixin decoction in terms of reducing histamine content in serum,better than Loratadine tablet and Xinqin granule in terms of reducing IgE content in serum,with good safety, which indicates the feasibility of TCM effective component formula to a certain degree.

Objectives: To identify any craniofacial morphological changes induced by a mandibular-repositioning oral appliance (MRA) and to explore the possibility of predicting the treatment response to MRA by cephalometric analysis in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Methods: Seventy OSA patients [male/female: 63/7; age: (50.5±11.6) years; BMI: (27.6±4.6) kg/m2; AI: (34.9±21.3) episodes/hour; and oxygen saturation nadir: (66.3±16.5) %] were enrolled. MRA was fabricated individually for each patient after the consultation by a dentist. Polysomnographic (PSG) examination was repeated with MRA in place 3 months after the initiation of the MRA therapy. For cephalometric analysis, a pair of cephalograms of each patient was obtained, one with and another without MRA. Results and Conclusions: After 3 months' treatment, AI was (156±19.2) episodes/hour, significantly reduced compared with the pre-treatment average AI (34.9±21.3 episodes/hour,P<0.000 1). Oxygen saturation nadir improved from (66.3±16.5)% (pre-treatment) to (74.1±15.5)% (with MRA) (P<0.001). A reduction of AI≥50% was achieved in 42 patients. Insertion of MRA led to anterior shift of the mandible, increase in upper airway width and area and decrease in upper airway length. Those with evident retrognathia and longer anterior upper facial height were more likely to benefit from the MRA management.

OBJECTIVEThe present study aimed to test whether exposure to benzo(a)pyrene [B(a)P] affects spatial learning and short-term memory by modulating the expression of the Gria1 and Grin2a glutamate receptor subunit genes in the hippocampus.

METHODSThirty-six 21-24-day-old, male rats were randomly assigned into high-, medium-, and low-dose toxin exposure groups (6.25, 2.5, and 1 mg/kg, respectively) and a control group, each containing nine rats. The behavioral performance of adult rats exposed to sub-chronic administration of B(a)P was monitored by learning and memory tests (Morris water maze). Real-time PCR assays were used to quantify Gria1 and Grin2a gene expression in the hippocampus.

RESULTSAt medium and high doses, B(a)P impaired spatial learning performance. The crossing-platform-location frequency and the time spent swimming in the platform area, which both relate to short-term memory, were significantly decreased in B(a)P-treated rats compared with controls. The level of Gria1 mRNA increased 2.6-5.9-fold, and the level of Grin2a mRNA increased 10-14.5-fold, with a greater fold increase associated with higher doses of B(a)P.

CONCLUSIONWe demonstrated that sub-chronic administration of B(a)P inhibits spatial learning and short-term memory, and increases Gria1 and Grin2a expression in the hippocampus. This suggests a relationship of B(a)P exposure levels with Gria1 and Grin2a expression and impairment of short-term and spatial memory.

Animals ; Behavior, Animal ; drug effects ; Benzo(a)pyrene ; administration & dosage ; toxicity ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Drug Administration Schedule ; Gene Expression Regulation ; drug effects ; Hippocampus ; metabolism ; Learning ; drug effects ; Male ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Rats ; Receptors, AMPA ; genetics ; metabolism ; Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate ; genetics ; metabolism

IL-17 Receptor D (IL-17 RD) is a cytokine receptor that mediates IL-17 signaling and plays an important role in responding to the invasion of extracellular pathogens and many inflammatory and autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. In this study we report the generation of a mouse monoclonal antibody against human IL-17 RD. The recombinant human IL-17RD extracellular domain (hIL-17RD-ECD) was produced in the baculovirus expression system and purified from culture medium of sf9 insect cells. The purified protein was used as a T-dependent antigen to immune Balb/C mice. B cells from the spleen of immunized mice were fused with murine cell SP2/0. Hybridoma cell lines were screened for the production of the monoclonal antibody against hIL-17-RD-ECD using ELISA. A hybridoma cell line 1F8 was found to have a high production of the antibody, which was further confirmed for the specificity by both western blot and ELISA analyses. The monoclonal antibody obtained from hybridoma 1F8 was characterized to be IgG1+Kappa subclass. This study provided a base for the further therapeutic application of the antibody on the autoimmune disease including rheumatoid arthritis.
Animals ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; biosynthesis ; Baculoviridae ; Humans ; Insecta ; genetics ; metabolism ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Receptors, Interleukin-17 ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; immunology ; Recombinant Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; immunology

Based on the biomechanical simulation curve of OpenSim, an open source software of biomechanical model, a spherical exoskeleton parallel mechanism with two degrees of freedom for hip joint is proposed in this paper for the rehabilitation therapy of patients with impaired leg motor function or elderly people with walking dysfunction. Firstly, the parallel mechanism is modeled and the position inverse solution of the parallel mechanism is obtained using inverse kinematics analysis. The velocity analysis expression of the mechanism is derived by deriving the inverse kinematics solution. The model is imported into the mechanical system dynamics analysis software ADAMS and matrix processing analysis software MATLAB to carry out simulation experiments. The correctness of the velocity analysis is verified by comparing the velocity simulation results of the two methods. Then, three singular types of the mechanism are analyzed according to the obtained Jacobian matrix. According to the inverse solution of the mechanism, the reachable workspace of the mechanism is obtained by programming in MATLAB with given mechanism parameters and restriction conditions. Finally, the prototype platform is built. The experimental results show that the exoskeleton hip joint using this parallel mechanism can satisfy the requirement of rotation angle of human hip joint movement, but also can be good to assist patients with leg flexion-extension movement and adduction-abduction movement, and it is helpful to carry out corresponding rehabilitation training. It also has theoretical significance and application value for the research work of human hip exoskeleton parallel mechanism.
Biomechanical Phenomena ; Exoskeleton Device ; Hip Joint ; physiology ; Humans ; Models, Theoretical ; Movement ; Rehabilitation ; instrumentation ; Rotation ; Walking

In December 2019, novel coronavirus pneumonia epidemic occurred in Wuhan, Hubei Province, and spread rapidly across the country. In the early stages of the epidemic, China adopted the containment strategy and implemented a series of core measures around this strategic point, including social mobilization, strengthening case isolation and close contacts tracking management, blocking epidemic areas and traffic control to reduce personnel movements and increase social distance, environmental measures and personal protection, with a view to controlling the epidemic as soon as possible in limited areas such as Wuhan. This article summarizes the background, key points and core measures in the country and provinces. It sent prospects for future prevention and control strategies.