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Uncaria rhynchophylla (UR), a traditional Chinese medicine, has been proven effective in treating hypertensive patients in China. However, the mechanisms of action of UR in reducing hypertension and myocardial fibrosis are still unclear. The purpose of this study was to explore the role of UR in an angiotensin Ⅱ (Ang Ⅱ) induced mouse model. The mice were randomly divided into 5 groups and infused with Ang Ⅱ (500 ng/kg/min) or saline, then administered UR (0.78, 1.56 or 3.12 g/kg/d) or saline for 4 weeks. UR treatment significantly attenuated the elevation of blood pressure caused by Ang Ⅱ. It enhanced myocardial function and attenuated the increase in the heart weight index and the pathological changes in the Ang Ⅱ-induced hypertensive mice. Furthermore, UR treatment inhibited cardiac fibrosis and significantly down-regulated collagen I, collagen Ⅲ, and α-SMA protein expression in cardiac tissues. UR also attenuated the expression of RhoA, ROCK1, CTGF, and TGF-β1. In cultured cardiac fibroblasts stimulated with Ang Ⅱ, UR significantly down-regulated the expression of Collagen I, Collagen III, RhoA, ROCK1, and α-SMA. In summary, UR can significantly attenuate Ang Ⅱ-induced hypertension and cardiac fibrosis, partly via suppression of the RhoA/ROCK1 signaling pathway. [Display omitted] • Uncaria Rhynchophylla treatment attenuates Ang Ⅱ-induced elevation of blood pressure. • Uncaria Rhynchophylla improves cardiac dysfunction and myocardial pathological changes in Ang II-induced hypertensive mice. • Uncaria Rhynchophylla treatment ameliorates cardiac fibrosis via suppression of the RhoA/ROCK1 pathway in vitro and in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Super efficiency SBM model is used to reveal temporal and spatial characteristics of urban land use efficiency (ULUE). • The ULUE of China's 35 mega cities is relatively low. • The pure technical efficiency is a major influencing factor of the comprehensive efficiency. • The ULUEs are quite different and show certain regional patterns. • The ULUE is not completely proportional to the level of economic development. This study aims to measure the comprehensive, pure technical, and scale efficiencies of urban land use of China's 35 mega cities from 2008 to 2015 and reveal their temporal and spatial characteristics of urban land use efficiency (ULUE) using a super efficiency slack-based measure (SBM) model. Results show that 1) the ULUE level of China's 35 mega cities is relatively low, and the pure technical efficiency is a major influencing factor of the comprehensive efficiency. 2) From a temporal perspective, the comprehensive, pure technical, and scale efficiencies of the 35 mega cities all show a trend of slow growth; the average annual growth rates of these efficiencies are 1.07%, 0.24%, and 1.16%. 3) From a spatial perspective, the ULUE levels are quite different and show certain regional patterns. 4) The distribution of scale efficiency of urban land use in China is becoming increasingly dispersed from 2008 to 2015, whereas the distribution of pure technical efficiency is becoming increasingly concentrated in the same period. Estimations on pure technical and scale efficiencies are important to investigate the deep-rooted causes of land use inefficiency for filling an important knowledge gap in ULUE studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Objective The Mini Sarcopenia Risk Assessment (MSRA), a new sarcopenia screening tool, has 2 versions: MSRA-7 (full version, 7 items) and MSRA-5 (short version, 5 items). We aimed to compare the diagnostic values of MSRA-7 and MSRA-5 to SARC-F for screening sarcopenia. Design A diagnostic accuracy study. Setting A community in Chengdu, China. Participants Older adults. Measurements Muscle mass, strength, and physical performance were tested using a bioimpedance analysis (BIA) device, handgrip strength, and walking speed, respectively. Using the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS) criteria as the gold standard, the sensitivity/specificity analyses of the 3 scales were assessed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and area under the ROC curves (AUC) were used to compare the overall diagnostic accuracy of the 3 scales. Results We recruited 384 participants. Against the AWGS criteria, SARC-F had a sensitivity of 29.5% and a specificity of 98.1%, and the MSRA-7 had a sensitivity of 86.9% and a specificity of 39.6%, whereas the MSRA-5 had a sensitivity of 90.2% and a specificity of 70.6%. The AUCs of SARC-F, MSRA-7, and MSRA-5 were 0.89 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.86-0.92], 0.70 (95% CI, 0.65-0.74), and 0.85 (95% CI, 0.81-0.89), respectively. The differences in AUCs between SARC-F and MSRA-7 and in those between MSRA-7 and MSRA-5 were statistically significant (P <.001), but the difference between SARC-F and MSRA-5 was not statistically significant (P =.130). Conclusion MSRA-5 may serve as a novel screening tool for sarcopenia in Chinese community-dwelling older adults. SARC-F, a class screening tool, is also suitable for this population. MSRA-5 and SARC-F demonstrated a similar diagnostic accuracy in our study population. MSRA-5 has better sensitivity, whereas SARC-F has better specificity. However, the diagnostic value of MSRA needs to be further validated in different populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives To investigate the prevalence and associated factors of sarcopenia defined by different criteria in nursing home residents. Design A cross-sectional study. Setting Four nursing homes in Chengdu, China. Participants Elderly adults aged 65 years or older. Measurements We applied 4 diagnostic criteria [European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP), Asia Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS), International Working Group on Sarcopenia (IWGS), and Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH)] to define sarcopenia. Muscle mass, strength, and function were measured based on bioimpedance analysis, handgrip strength, and walking speed, respectively. Nutrition status, activities of daily living, calf circumference (CC), and other covariates were evaluated. Results We included 277 participants. The prevalence of sarcopenia was 32.5%, 34.3%, 38.3%, and 31.4% according to the EWGSOP, AWGS, IWGS, and FNIH criteria, respectively. Fifty-eight participants (20.9%) were sarcopenic by all the 4 criteria. Regardless of the diagnostic criteria of sarcopenia, malnutrition was independently associated with sarcopenia [EWGSOP: odds ratio (OR) 4.02, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.05-15.39; IWGS: OR 2.46, 95% CI 1.23-4.90; AWGS: OR 3.29, 95% CI 1.49-7.28; FNIH: OR 4.52, 95% CI 1.28-16.00], whereas CC was negatively associated with sarcopenia [EWGSOP: OR per standard deviation (SD) 0.32, 95% CI 0.20-0.52; IWGS: OR per SD 0.26, 95% CI 0.15-0.43; AWGS: OR per SD 0.32, 95% CI 0.19-0.52; FNIH: OR per SD 0.39, 95% CI 0.25-0.60]. Furthermore, falls ≥1 time in the past year were associated with AWGS-defined sarcopenia (OR 2.92, 95% CI 1.04-8.22). Conclusion/Implications Sarcopenia is highly prevalent in elderly Chinese nursing home residents regardless of the diagnostic criteria. Malnutrition and CC are associated with sarcopenia defined by different criteria. Therefore, it is important to assess sarcopenia and malnutrition in the management of nursing home residents. Prospective studies addressing the outcomes of sarcopenia in nursing home residents are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies on mortality and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) attributable to exposure to ambient PM 2.5 in China are very limited. This study aims to provide a city-level estimation of the PM 2.5 -related disease burden of two major CVDs, ischemic heart disease (IHD) and stroke, by age and sex in Hubei province, China in 2016. PM 2.5 mass concentrations (μg/m3) at different cities were obtained from the Hubei Provincial Environmental Quality Supervision and Administration Bureau. The city-level demographic data in Hubei were obtained from the sixth demographic census of China in 2010. Sex- and age-specific mortality and DALY data were extracted from the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) 2016. The integrated exposure-response (IER) model, developed by the GBD, was used to estimate PM 2.5 -related CVD premature deaths and DALYs in Hubei province. We found that 55.76 thousand deaths and 1.11 million DALYs of IHD and stroke could be attributed to exposure to ambient PM 2.5 in Hubei. Disease burden of IHD and stroke attributable to PM 2.5 increased with age and were higher in males than in females. The PM 2.5 -related disease burden of IHD and stroke was mainly concentrated in the eastern part of Hubei. The highest population attributable fraction (PAF) of IHD and stroke was mainly concentrated in the western part of Hubei. Our findings suggest that China needs proper air quality management measures to effectively reduce ambient PM 2.5 , especially for cities with heavy disease burden. • PM 2.5 related cardiovascular deaths in city-level in Hubei Province were calculated. • PM 2.5 related cardiovascular DALYs in city-level in Hubei Province were calculated. • Results were calculated at city-level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]