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Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the 11-Year Bidirectional Relationship Between Dementia and Social Isolation Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults
No full textObjectivesThis study aims to investigate the longitudinal impact of dementia on social isolation and vice versa, with a focus on racial and ethnic variations in these relationships.MethodsData from 4,403 adults aged 65 and older were gathered from the National Health and Aging Trends Study (2011–2021). Dementia was categorized as no, possible, or probable, and social isolation was classified as socially isolated or not. Two cohorts were formed based on baseline social isolation and baseline dementia status. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to evaluate the impact of baseline social isolation on subsequent dementia and vice versa, adjusting for potential covariates. Models were stratified by race/ethnicity. All analyses were conducted using STATA/MP version 17.0ResultsIn fully adjusted models, participants with dementia had a 1.40-fold higher likelihood of developing social isolation over the 10-year follow-up period. Those with baseline social isolation had a 7.21-fold higher likelihood of developing dementia over time. Racial and ethnic differences were observed in the influence of dementia on social isolation incidence. Non-Hispanic whites showed a statistically significant increase, while other racial and ethnic groups did not exhibit significant changes. Conversely, the impact of social isolation on dementia incidence was significant across all racial and ethnic groups.DiscussionDementia and social isolation are bidirectionally linked among older adults, with notable racial and ethnic differences. Dementia increases the risk of social isolation, particularly among non-Hispanic whites, while social isolation significantly elevates the risk of developing dementia across all racial and ethnic groups. These findings underscore the need for targeted interventions to address social isolation and cognitive decline, considering racial and ethnic differences to improve outcomes for seniors.</p
Berberine-Functionalized Bismuth-Doped Carbon Dots in a Pathogen-Responsive Hydrogel System: A Multifaceted Approach to Combating Periodontal Diseases
Get PDFPeriodontal disease, a global health burden linked to dysbiotic oral polymicrobial communities and disrupted immune-inflammatory responses, is critically mediated byPorphyromonas gingivalis(Pg)─the keystone pathogen that sabotages host immunity, triggers tissue inflammation and destruction, and disrupts microbiota balance. Effective therapies should combine antimicrobial action, immune modulation, virulence suppression, and microbiome restoration. Bismuth ions and berberine, which exhibit antimicrobial and epithelial barrier-protecting effects, show potential effectiveness in treating periodontal diseases but face practical limitations due to poor water solubility and bioavailability. To address this, we developed bismuth-doped carbon dots functionalized with structure-modified berberine (BiCD-Ber) as a multifunctional nanomedicine. BiCD-Ber eradicated Pg in various forms, restored Pg-perturbed immune responses in gingival fibroblasts, and preserved epithelial barrier integrity. The doped bismuth ions neutralized Pg virulence factors by blocking the catalytic sites of gingipains. To facilitate in vivo delivery, BiCD-Ber was encapsulated in a disulfide-modified hyaluronic acid hydrogel that degrades in response to Pg metabolites. This BiCD-Ber hydrogel system modulated subgingival microbiota, alleviated inflammation in gingiva, and thereby prevented alveolar bone loss. This approach to concurrently eliminating Pg, modulating inflammatory responses , suppressing virulence factors, and restoring microbiota showcases great potential in managing periodontitis effectively.published_or_final_versio
Impacts of viral respiratory infections on segments of fatal out-of-hospital cardiac arrests
No full textPurpose of the studyViral respiratory infections have been linked to fatal out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), yet the specific causes remain unclear, and the impact of individual viral infections is often confounded by local meteorological and environmental factors. This study aimed to investigate the independent effects of prevalent viral respiratory infections on the risk and causes of fatal OHCA in different age groups.Study designWe conducted negative binomial regression analyses to investigate the association between influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections, along with temperature, extreme weather alerts, and the air quality health index, with age- and cause-specific fatal out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) from the 2nd week of 2014 to the 17th week of 2020. The analysis covered three etiological categories (cardiovascular, respiratory, and non-cardiovascular non-respiratory) across three age groups (≤ 64 years, 65–84 years, ≥ 85 years) in Hong Kong.ResultsDuring this period, there were 41 548 fatal OHCA cases in Hong Kong. Influenza was consistently associated with fatal OHCA across all etiologies and age groups, significantly impacting cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular non-respiratory causes more than respiratory causes (110.9, 66.8, and 17.4 per 1 million persons, respectively). Reduced healthcare-seeking behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic was linked to increased fatal OHCA across all ages and etiologies, except for respiratory causes. RSV showed no association with fatal OHCA in our population.ConclusionsInfluenza is a significant independent risk factor for fatal OHCA across variouscauses and age groups, particularly affecting cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular non-respiratory outcomes.</p
Ketogenic diet attenuates neuroinflammation and restores hippocampal neurogenesis to improve CUMS induced depression-like behavior in mice
No full textThe ketogenic diet (KD) has been proposed as a potential treatment for depression. However, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. This study aimed to evaluate further the effects of KD on chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS)-induced depression in mice and investigate the underlying mechanisms. The results demonstrated that KD intervention significantly alleviated CUMS-induced depression-like behaviors, as evidenced by a decrease in immobility time in the forced swimming test and tail suspension test, an increase in distance traveled in the open field test, and a greater preference for sucrose in the sucrose preference test. KD alleviated neuroinflammation by reducing the levels of glial cell activation markers Iba-1 and GFAP, inhibiting the expression of inflammatory factors IL-1β, TNF-α, and COX-2, and suppressing the overactivation of the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway. Furthermore, KD increased the number of DCX-, BrdU-, and PSD95-positive cells in the hippocampus and enhanced the BDNF/TrkB/CREB and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways, thereby promoting hippocampal neurogenesis. These findings suggested that KD alleviated CUMS-induced depression-like behaviors in mice by reducing neuroinflammation, enhancing neurotrophic signaling, and promoting hippocampal neurogenesis, thereby providing a mechanistic basis for its potential as a novel dietary antidepressant therapy.link_to_subscribed_fulltex
Structure-Emission Property Relationship of Bilayer 2D Hybrid Perovskites
Get PDFTwo-dimensional hybrid perovskites (2D-PVKs) have shown great promise for optoelectronic applications. However, the structure-emission property relationship of 2D-PVKs, particularly those with multiple octahedral layers in the metal-halide lattice (n > 1), is not fully understood. Here we combine experimental and theoretical studies to investigate a series of bilayer (n = 2) 2D-PVK crystals in both Ruddlesden-Popper (RP) and Dion-Jacobson (DJ) phases. Our results reveal that DJ-phase crystals exhibit a higher degree of octahedral lattice distortion compared with RP-phase crystals, with this distortion scaling inversely with interlayer spacing. Such octahedral distortion leads to (1) lower formation energies for iodine vacancies that act as nonradiative recombination centers, thereby reducing light emission yields, and (2) local inversion asymmetry that impacts electronic band structure and light emission properties. Among all the studied crystals, the DJ-phase crystal based on 4-(aminomethyl)piperidinium cations demonstrates the largest intra- and interoctahedral distortions, leading to inversion asymmetry that causes significant Rashba band splitting and circular-polarization dependent photoluminescence at room temperature. Our results provide insights into the development of 2D-PVKs for future optoelectronic/spintronic applications.published_or_final_versio
Improving type 2 diabetes detection among at-risk individuals – comparing the effectiveness of active opportunistic screening using spot capillary-HbA1c testing and venous HbA1c testing: a cluster randomized controlled trial
No full textBackground: Delayed diagnosis and treatment of type 2 diabetes increases diabetes-related complications, making the high prevalence of undiagnosed type 2 diabetes in Hong Kong an important concern. Point-of-care capillary HbA1c (POC-cHbA1c) testing holds promise as a comparably accurate, convenient, and timely alternative to venous HbA1c (vHbA1c) for type 2 diabetes screening, yet randomized trials are lacking. This study compared the effectiveness of a 2-step active opportunistic screening strategy using POC-cHbA1c versus usual practice employing vHbA1c and multiple clinic visits in detecting type 2 diabetes among at-risk primary care patients. The primary outcomes were to identify the difference in the proportion of type 2 diabetes detected between intervention (POC-cHbA1c) and control (vHbA1c) groups and the uptake rate of POC-cHbA1c versus vHbA1c testing among consenting participants. Methods: A cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted in 8 General Out-Patient Clinics between June 2022 and January 2024 using 2-step active opportunistic screening. In step 1, risk factor count, 852 at-risk patients were identified through consecutive sampling during their primary care consultation by specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. In step 2, these at-risk patients then underwent POC-cHbA1c (intervention) or vHbA1c (control) testing. If preliminary HbA1c was ≥ 5.6%, a confirmatory oral glucose tolerance test was offered. Randomization occurred at the clinic level using a random allocation sequence generated by statistical software. Multilevel logistic regression analyses were employed to evaluate the effect of the intervention on the uptake rate, adjusting for patient characteristics and clinic clustering. Results: POC-cHbA1c had a higher uptake rate than vHbA1c (76.0% vs 37.5%; OR = 7.06, 95% CI [2.47–20.18], p < 0.001). A greater proportion of type 2 diabetes (4.2% vs 1.4%; p = 0.016) and pre-diabetes (11.8% vs 6.9%; p = 0.015) were detected using POC-cHbA1c versus vHbA1c. POC-cHbA1c was more likely to detect type 2 diabetes/pre-diabetes combined (OR = 1.99, 95% CI [1.01–3.95], p = 0.048). The number-needed-to-screen to detect one additional type 2 diabetes patient with POC-cHbA1c was 61 versus vHbA1c. Conclusions: POC-cHbA1c testing was associated with a higher uptake rate and detection of type 2 diabetes versus vHbA1c, underscoring its potential as an effective type 2 diabetes screening strategy in primary care. Trial registration: NCT06382363 (retrospectively registered: 2024–04-19)
Non-immune targeting of CXCR3 compromises mitochondrial function and suppresses tumor growth in glioblastoma
No full textEffectiveness of telepsychiatry interventions for youth with depressive and/or anxiety disorders: A systematic review with meta-analysis
No full textObjective: Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, rates of anxiety and depression in youth have risen. Telepsychiatry is a potential mode of intervention for such digital natives. This systematic review aims to examine the effectiveness of telepsychiatry for youth with depression and/or anxiety. Methods: Four electronic databases, PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, were searched from their inception to May 12, 2024. Included studies were assessed for study quality and risk of bias. Results: A search returning 29,944 records yielded 26 included studies, comprising 1,558 youths. Of 13 studies comparing depressive symptoms pre- and post-telepsychiatry intervention, symptom severity was significantly lower post-intervention compared to baseline (Hedges’ g: 0.83; 95% CI: 0.59, 1.08). Similarly, of six studies comparing pre- and post-telepsychiatry intervention anxiety symptoms, anxiety scores were significantly lower post-intervention (Hedges’ g: 1.15; 95% CI: 0.79, 1.50). Patients undergoing telepsychiatry also had superior outcomes when compared to waitlist control groups for depression (Hedges’ g: 0.54; 95% CI: 0.23, 0.85) but not anxiety (Hedges’ g: 0.50; 95% CI: −0.09, 1.10). Certainty of these estimates ranged from moderate to very low. Qualitative feedback noted subjective improvement in symptoms and high levels of satisfaction. Conclusion: Telepsychiatry has potential as a therapeutic intervention for youth anxiety and depression. Further research with more controlled methodology is needed for development of recommendations that can guide growing use of this technology
Steroids improve liver fibrosis by regulating macrophage expression in biliary atresia [Oral presentation]
No full textPurpose: This study aims to investigate the mechanism of steroids to improve liver fibrosis in Biliary Atresia (BA) by regulating macrophage expression using animal models and single-cell analysis.Methods: BA mice (n=24) were created by injection of Rhesus Rotavirus (RRV) virus on day 1 of life. They were randomized to receive placebo (n=12, Phosphate-buffered saline) or steroids (n=12) starting on day 21 of life. All BA mice were sacrificed on Day 21/28/34 as study time points. Liver samples were harvested for Immunohistochemical (IHC) staining, Hematoxylin-Eosin (HE) staining, Sirus Red staining to observe ductular proliferation, necrosis and fibrosis. Single cells were cultured from these liver samples and sequencing analyses were performed. Macrophage subtype biomarkers were used to test their expression through IHC staining.Results: On day 28 and 34, there were less or no ductular proliferation, necrosis and fibrosis in steroid group compared with placebo group. On day 28, M1 macrophages (pro-inflammatory) represented over 5% of total liver macrophages in the PBS group, whereas they are largely absent in the steroid group; M2 macrophages (anti-inflammatory) were largely absent in the PBS group, representing just 0.27% of total liver macrophages, whereas they represented the largest macrophage population in the steroid group, constituting 87 % of total liver macrophages. On day 34, the M1 macrophage population represented 20% of the total liver macrophages in the PBS group, whereas this was reduced to 13% of total liver macrophages in the steroid group; M2 macrophages represented only 0.7% of total liver macrophages in the PBS group, whereas the proportion of M2 macrophages was higher in the steroid group, representing 2.5% of total liver macrophages.Conclusions: A distinct pattern of macrophage expression could be observed at different time points. Steroids have the potential to reverse liver fibrosis by regulating macrophages’ expression in BA.</div
Advances of 3D bioprinting technology for periodontal tissue regeneration
No full text3D bioprinting technology for periodontal tissue regeneration is an advanced manufacturing technique that utilizes three-dimensional (3D) printing principles to fabricate intricate, viable structures that are specifically devised to meet with the demand for the periodontal regeneration. Personalized tissue substitutes through 3D bioprinting possesses the capability to promote tissue regeneration in tissue-defective regions. However, the current 3D bioprinting for periodontal tissue engineering still is confronted with many huge challenges that include selecting the optimal rheological properties for precise printing, ensuring the biocompatibility, and facilitating the consistent cell incorporation. In this review, we introduced the pathogenesis of periodontitis and the principle and categories of 3D bioprinting technology. We provided a comprehensive overview of the latest advancements in the application of cutting-edge biofabrication technology of 3D bioprinting for the overall periodontal regeneration, aiming to provide valuable insights for the optimization of 3D bioprinting technology and potential directions for future clinical application